Tag Search Results for "s"
The last time that the New York Islanders clinched the playoffs on THE last day of the season, it didn't come without a price. Going back to March 31, 1990; the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins were all vying for the fourth and final playoff position in the Patrick Division. The Islanders were playing the Flyers and the Penguins were playi...
For the last couple of months after the Thursday night brawl in Buffalo it has bothered me that Lindy Ruff has received criticism for his actions in that fabulous hockey game...Lindy sent out his fourth line to get revenge on what many believe to be a dirty play by Chris Neil, is it Lindy's fault that Brian Murray sent out the Spezza line who has no backbone???I believe th...
I thought that with the Stanley Cup playoffs right around the corner it might be kind of interesting to share some the Stanley Cups rich and exciting history with you.
The Stanley Cup is the only professional trophy where each member of the winning team is allowed to have possession of the trophy for 24 hours. This has lead for some very interesting adventures for the S...
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...
I’ve been a Sabres fan since I’ve been knee-high to a grasshopper (as my mom always says). My earliest memories are of hearing Rick Jeanneret roaring “LALALALALAFONTAINE!” and “Alexander the Great!” I even remember one time my babysitter didn’t believe my brother and me that we were allowed to listen to the Sabres game and I locked myself in the bathroom. M...
Since my team the Carolina Hurricanes started floundering and eventually missed the playoffs, I made it a point to help some people out (including myself) and made a spreadsheet of the free agents that should make it a little easier to figure out who exactly is out there to be had.
Over the last couple years I had to hunt down websites that had some of the free agents, ...
It seems that it is us against the world. Yeah, the Thrashers are the SE Division champs, but the Tampa Bay Lightning is getting more respect against a 2nd seeded Devils than the Thrashers are getting against a 6th seeded Rangers team. This blog is not bashing the Rangers. I respect what they have and how they got to playoffs. It seems that the majority of the sports w...
Everyone knows that the Buffalo Sabres are 1st seed. Everyone knows that the Buffalo Sabres won the Presidents Trophy. Everyone knows that every Buffalo fan says "This is our year!". I am pretty sure the upstart New York Islanders will have something to say about that.
Coming in 8th seed with a thrilling shootout win over the New Jersey Devils, the Isles rode 3rd str...
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...
LISabresFan61 writes...
ARE GRIT AND PHYSICAL PLAY REALLY BUFFALO'S WEAKNESS?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Many people are quick to pull out this little gem regarding the Buffalo Sabres playoff hopes. Gritty forecheck and physical play throughout a series will wear down the Buffalo Sabres and dash their Stanley Cup run! Right?
No.
This seems to be a misconception that has spread and become a generally accepted rule of thumb.
Look at the 05-06 Philadelphia Flyers. T...
Saturday, April 7, 2007
For a sports fan this time of year is like Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving and a birthday all wrapped into one. With the start of the baseball season, March Madness, and the Masters, Tivo’s and VCR’s (for those still living in the Stone Age) aren’t being given very many nights off. But out of all of this quality television is there any...
This season, Calgary fans have seen two teams. The Flames at home and the Lames on the road. For some reason Calgary sometimes comes out flat in a game, and considering the look of their roster, it is unacceptable. The Flames are completely capable of pulling off an upset against The Detroit Red Wings, barring an appearance by the much dreaded Lames. Their last 4 performan...
Forget 2004. The teams are radically different in makeup, coaching, style, what have you. The rules are different. The on ice focus is different. This is 2007.
I didn't have an intro blog. I don't believe in well written accounts, supported by facts and sources. I have my opinion, and I give it straight forward and fast.
We are younger. We are faster. We are ...
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....
SmokingChicken writes...
What the Off-Season Holds for the Predators, Part 1 of 3
Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
Just like Imus' comments on the Rutgers women's basketball team, I'm sure I'll take some major heat from hockey purists with what I'm about to say.
[b]To be honest, I'm not much of a fan of the playoffs.[/b] It's actually quite uninteresting to me(probably because of the old days of watching the Wings and Coyotes play each other for two or three years in the mid-90's) unt...
I am looking forward to the start of the playoffs like no other year I have followed hockey. The excitement that I feel for the Sabres is incredible. I am a typical Buffalo fan who has a tough time visualizing a championship. We have been disappointed so many times in our lives with our two pro teams, the Sabres and Bills, it makes it hard to jump the gun and assume anythi...
The Montreal Canadiens are one of those teams in the league that has a serious image problem. Nobody on there roster sticks out as the leader of the pack. All of their current players are at best mediocore players. Koivu is exponentially overated, Kovalev has lost his scoring touch, and Samsonov...Oh yeah he was a complete flop. This team needs a serious makeover in ev...
My name is David Reddekopp, and I'm a Habs fan. But even more than that, I'm a hockey fan, so while I will talk about my team, I won't always. One thing I can guarantee you though, I am very opinionated and will make my point whether you agree with it or not.
Well, with the introductions out of the way, I'll start my initial blog post with an overview of the first rou...
Yeah that's right I said it, and let me say it again: Women's hockey is crap. It's the same deal every single damn year, Canada and USA in the finals and Canada wins. What the hell is exciting about that? They always win, there is no fun or suspense embedded in the games. I am Canadian, but I always cheer for the opposing teams because I despise Canada's women's hockey tea...
Well im not sure how many fellow flyers fans this applies to but this is new for me..a season where there is no Flyers playoff hockey. The last time the flyers failed to make the playoffs I was in the third grade and number 88 was my hero.
So now that hockey is pretty much over in Philly (even the Phantoms failed to make the playoffs) what do we do? I myself am going t...
During my time at the Hockey Hall of Fame, I usually spend at least 2 hours a day upstairs in the Great Hall with the Stanley Cup. On a slow day, I'm usually completely alone with the great trophy. During this time I think to myself "I am really lucky, I'm right now alone with the most prestiges trophy in the world for about an hour." A lot of people would kill to have tha...
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...
Hours away from the start of the 2007 N.H.L. playoffs, coach Bryan Murray, was presented with the questions and concerns of past playoff disappointments. The media around these parts, asked about “chocking”; it was Bryan Murray’s response that was of epic proportions and sent a message to those questioning the Ottawa Senators. When asked about an article ran in the l...
In a week, you will choke down wings, drink lots of beer, and scream at your television sets. In a week, you will throw your Wii controllers aside, and watch small animals grow from the faces of your hockey heroes and heels. In a week, the season travails will wash away to a giant magnifying glass and pressure-cooker called the [b]NHL Playoffs[/b].
Our blood will boil, ...
Missing the playoffs for the first time in years, the Flyers need to begin looking towards their future. They've already addressed this somewhat in-season by trading away veterans for younger players and draft picks. They've acquired their new #1 goaltender in Martin Biron, fiesty winger Scottie Upshall and three solid defensemen in Lasse Kukkonen, Braydon Coburn and Ryan ...
On the eve of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Calgary Flames there are many questions to answer. Can Kipper put this team on his back and take down the mighty Wings in Round 1? Can Jarome Iginla be the superstar he is and light it up against a talented Red Wings Team? Can Calgary outmuscle and outscore the #1 Seed in the West? Can Alex Tanguay be the complim...
As much of a disappointing result the end of the Canes season was, I can honestly say I cannot wait to watch the playoffs and not be as emotionally drained as I was last year...I think the entire post season last year took a couple of years off my life!
Now who would a Canes fan pull for in this years post season?
In the East
Sabres - Not a chance....from the pers...
Yes the playoffs are here! And like every other Canadian I am ready for some good ol' time hockey. I've already plastic wrapped the tv to keep it protected from the spit and anything else that might be projected at the tv in anger (note to self...it will not be protected from blunt objects, keep Best Buy flyer close by just in case.) I think there are some very exciting...
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 ...
Welcome fellow hockey/bruins fans. Here I will be posting my thoughts and wishes for the Bruins organization, the NHL and my thoughts on Fantasy Hockey.
I will try to update this a few times a week.
First thought, THE PLAYOFFS start tonight!
Series I am looking forward to most is San Jose vs. Nashville. This could turn out to one great series. I still think the...
I feel as excited as a geek when the new version of Everquest comes out! I live in Virginia and there are not many people who live and breathe hockey around here. If it wasn't for the boys in my men's league I might know about three true hockey fans around here.
Just to break the ice, I'll tell you that I have been around hockey all my life. I grew up in Buffalo and re...
So say it with me Wild Fans. Let's Play Hockey!!!!!!
It's the most wonderful time of the year.......(sing it). It even feels like Christmas with snow on the ground. God seems to have extended winter in honor of the Wild's post-season birth.
The playoffs are finally here and the Wild are back! Memories of 4 years ago still dancing in our heads as fans. But, in a ...
[b](Originally Posted 4/9/07 on [url]http://www.PredNation.com[/url])[/b]
Flashback to last season: the Nashville Predators were coming off their best season in franchise history and were going into the playoffs with the fourth seed and home-ice advantage against one of the hottest teams in the league in San Jose. There were questions due to the injuries to Vokoun, Su...
I am a refugee from ESPN Fantasy Hockey Correspondent purgatory. For the first three years I wrote a column there, I had something like 110K page views. I got email from all around the planet. But since ESPN got rid of hockey, fantasy hockey is the ugly duckling of fantasy sports, and I'm lucky to get one email a month. So I figured I'd give MYHB a shot. I like Ecklund's w...
PensDynasty1 writes...
The journey begins for a new generation tonight.....
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Tonight in Ottawa, there is more than just another playoff hockey game that is about to take place. There is a chance for a new generation of Pittsburgh Penguins fans to shine, and for a past generation to celebrate what was once great, and what could be great again in the near future.
With players like Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Whitney, and Fluery leading the charge, thi...
I felt it was appropriate to open my blog with these lyrics from the [b]Rush[/b] classic [b]"Limelight"[/b]. What better way to describe opening night of the 2006-07 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Especially for the Pittsburgh Penguins and their fans who have waited since the end of the 2000-2001 season to see the team play for a chance to hold Lord Stanley's Cup! The Pens, with Si...
Today is the day. Over 1000 days have passed since Vancouver fans have seen their team in playoff hockey! Questions marks are popping up around this team like suspensions in the NFL. No one really knows what to expect but I think I have an idea.
Dallas has the same problem as Vancouver, low scoring, defensive style and great goaltending and a poor playoff record in re...
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 ...
The best time of the year has arrived. PLAYOFF HOCKEY!! Every night for the next two months players will be diving in front of 90 mph slap shots, banging in the corner with people 50 pounds heavier than they are and scoring huge goals that they and their fans will not soon forget. Take a deep breathe, stock the fridge with some adult beverages and enjoy the ride.
Pred...
I know what you are thinking, the NHL isn’t going anywhere. I agree with you, I know it is here to stay as well, despite all of our WHA scares during the lock-out. What I am talking about is trying to save the NHL from becoming a marginal sport. We hockey fans have to realize that we are on the fringe of truly being a major North America sport. The negative part of t...
SabresFaninSeattle writes...
Trying to be a Sabres nut 2,500 miles away...
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Unfortunately, due to the real circumstances in the greater Buffalo area, many of us have to watch this playoff run from a distance. Since I was a kid, I've been a crazy superstitious person. Well, today is the day of change. I have to get my haircut, go get my Lipton Green Tea, get some extra laundry soap cause there is going to have to be extra laundry done, etc. This is...
What a season for the Buffalo Sabres and fans. They have taken home the President Trophy as the top team in the National Hockey League throughout the regular season. They finished with 53 wins and 113 points.
They will be playing the New York Islanders in the first round of the playoffs on Thursday night puck drops at 7:08pm. This should be an interesting series. Ted N...
I was flipping through the Center Ice channels on Dish Network last night, and didn't find any of the games scheduled for tonight. It appears as though the only games are on Versus. There is a reason I have two TVs in the living room. I wanted to watch both early games and both late games. It's like running to the tree Christmas morning only to find that Santa took a d...
Appeared originally on PredNation.com:
To say that all eyes will be on Nashville in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs wouldn't be an understatement. Games 3 through 7 will be nationally broadcast on the Versus network, marking the first time in team history that consecutive games will be on national TV.
Contrast that schedule with the Anaheim/Minnesota seri...
I try to steer clear of playoff predictions, because anybody who loves this sport knows that you can never accurately assume what's going to happen in a hockey game. Yet, somehow I am magically drawn to articles discussing all facets of the upcoming postseason, as the thirst for playoff excitement that brews in my stomach every April is too much to ignore.
So of course...
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...
Canucks start round one on Trevor Linden's birthday. It's a clear day in the city that originated Towel Power, and the skies over the North Shore Mountains are a retina-burning blue. The car flags are starting to bloom, and jersey-wearing fans are popping up like daffodils and tulips.
There's an aura of great hope in town, after last year's dark and horrible failure to ...
Friday, April, 6, 2007
Over the past month it has seemed as if the individuals from the NHL office who form the yearly schedule must contain psychic abilities. With one of the greatest play off races the game has ever seen, the league has shown an eyrie ability to place all the teams involved in the race against one another coming down the stretch. Still, throughout m...
I hope to preview and review each game...as time allows.
[b]THINGS TO LOOK FOR[/b]
[b]Crosby's next level?[/b] - Can Sidney step it up a notch...and if he does, what affect will that have on the outcome? Can he dominate a game the way Mario used to in the playoffs?
[b]Can Malkin find his scoring touch?[/b] - Malkin needs to score for the Pens to be successful. Can ...
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...
I have been a hockey fan for much of 35 years and being born into the hub of hockey I think I can tell you alot about it! What we have seen from the Boston Bruins is NOT hockey. I understand owning, operating and producing a successful hockey team can all be different things. Yes it is a business. As much as we do not want to admit it. The bottom line is most owners t...
Throughout the season, the Sabres haven’t done had much to criticize. One characteristic about their play that has popped up from time to time is that at times they tend to play too cute.
It hasn’t been uncommon to see “the extra pass” from Vanek… after you just saw “the extra pass” from Roy. They are just not a team who likes to pepper the opposing goa...
We all know hockey players are superstitious. And goalies are especially goofy. I'm a goalie in beer league hockey, and I certainly have my own little rituals and stuff before and during games.
As such, I will document my endeavor to find a game day lunch that brings a victory for the Wild that night during this playoff run. I recognize the responsibility I have in t...
I realize that today is Christmas and the moment we wait for all year long...BUT... thanks to Eklund's insane love for hockey and, especially, his desire to include and reward the true fans of the game, I must first use this great new platform to honor the ALL-TIME GOAL SCORING AMERICAN! Stay tuned for more about the Stars playoff run...there is nothing better than gettin...
Yeah, I know, not a very original title, but it's the truth. It all begins tonight, the illustrious challenge for hockey's greatest prize. Enough babble. Onto the games tonight.
I'm a fan, yes, duh, of the Canucks, but sports would never be the same if there was not some fantasy or predictive element. Besides cheering for your team, how many times have you said to y...
Hey all,
I know this has been done to death by everyone who knows just the slightest bit about hockey, but thought I'd get my picks on the record!
[b][u]Eastern Conference[/u][/b]
[u]#1 Buffalo Sabres vs. #8 New York Islanders[/u]
Buffalo should make short work of the Islanders. The Isles showed great grit and determination in making the playoffs but they did it b...
With hockey fever raging through Buffalo unchecked, that can mean only one thing. We are one day from game one. Sabre players have said they are not looking beyond the Islanders and have laid very classy praise on Ted Nolan and his boys from the Island. Are the Islanders equally prepared?
[img:left]http://msn.foxsports.com/id/6198854_36_2.jpg[/img]We have not heard m...
First of all, I'd like to say hello to everyone reading this, my first blog post of many to come. Thank you for taking the time to read my posts!
My name is Jeff Smith, I am a 21 year old SFU student living in suburban neighbourhood of South Surrey, BC. Like most people around these parts, I have been a Vancouver Canucks fan ever since I can remember. I live and breat...
Ditch the razor and hide the shaving cream its playoff time! The time of year when your stomach turns to knots at every odd man rush.
As many players in the Sabres room have said, this is the "Real Season." That is the attitude they have had since dropping Game 7 of the 2006 ECF with a battered blue line.
From training camp to this past Sunday it's been all about ...
Lanny's Moustache writes...
Time to look like an idiot. Here's my fearless hockey picks.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
WEST
[b]Detroit vs Calgary - Calgary in 6[/b]
I think Detroit is too soft to compete with Calgary if they forecheck hard all series. The older D for the Wings will get banged up early, and Hasek will look for a way out after losing 2 of the first 3 games. I would also take Calgary's Superstar players over Detroit's in a tough series. The one problem Calgary may have is...
RayChamps2001 writes...
'Tis the Season to be Jolly: NHL Playoff Season
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]The following can be found at [url]http://www.nhlnow.com[/url][/b] (with pictures).
[img:right]http://cdn.nhl.com/images/upload/2007/03/questforthecup_325x235.jpg[/img]
It's been a long break, but NHLNow.com is back for the most exciting season of the year: NHL Playoff Season. The battle for Lord Stanley's Cup is on, and with the depth in this year's playoffs, it see...
I'm writing this blog entry on my laptop from the Library at SFU Surrey Campus, having just completed a painfully easy Criminology exam.
I have two tickets to Game 1 of the playoffs tonight, thanks to [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqSMftSKnIg]my entry[/url] in the Ultimate Canucks Search contest. The game is scheduled to start at 7pm, with a tribute to the 82 cup ...
Every week I do a radio show here at Michigan Tech University talking sports with my partner Kevin. The show runs from noon-2pm on 91.9 WMTU FM. This week is obviously our playoff special for the NHL. Talk on the Eastern Conference was heated and exciting with ultimately similar results, and the Western Conference is next up. Below are the results, and if you're interested...
With the Oilers being out of playoff contention for sometime now, I've been debating who to root for in the playoffs. I thought I'd cheer for the Islanders with Smytty, my favourite player of all time,on the roster. Maybe the Sabres with them being a local team.
Islanders? With my favourite player of all time now on the roster. Sorry, not you Bergy. They beat out th...
Since the Canes aren't defending the Cup this spring, it's easy for me to make predictions. I think Buffalo and Ottawa are the two best teams in the East, and I hope there's at least one upset (probably the Rangers over the Thrash) that will allow the Sabres and Sens to meet in the East final. I think that would be a great series, and I think Buffalo will win it. So I'm go...
With the Oilers being out of playoff contention for sometime now, I've been debating who to root for in the playoffs. I thought I'd cheer for the Islanders with Smytty, my favourite player of all time,on the roster. Maybe the Sabres with them being a local team.
Islanders? With my favourite player of all time now on the roster. Sorry, not you Bergy. They beat out the ...
Three words come to mind regarding this season's shameful showing. Pride, accountability and trust. More often than not, we hear from Peter Chiarelli and Dave Lewis those three words.
[b]Pride[/b]-n. a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.
“I w...
SeanSens writes...
10 players with something to prove in the playoffs...
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
1) [b]Ray Emery[/b] - Wants to prove to teammates, organization and rest of league he can be a bonafide #1 goalie.
2) [b]Joe Thornton[/b] - Can he lead his team? Can he be the leader Boston wanted him to be? Thornton wants to be the man to carry his team.
3) [b]Wade Dubielewicz[/b] - Call me crazy, but he has a lot to prove. Career minor leaguer with a chance to pu...
This morning I took my son Douglas to wal-mart to go shopping and he asked for a flames sweater now this normally its a automatic no but for some reason I decided to do it the main reason why I am writing about this is because of his reaction . He acted like I bought him the Stanley Cup, he mademe realize that life is to short sometimes. We can learn a lot by watching...
In today’s watered-down version of the National Hockey League, it can be easy to forget that in 1966-67, there were only six teams fighting for the chance to raise the Stanley Cup to the rafters. In fact, there were only 28 teams in all of professional hockey, including the American, Western, and Central leagues. That means two full teams of NHL players today would have ...
Though I didn't watch the last game of the season against the Avalanche, I noticed that McCarty was in the line-up. Ever since this guy's been injured, most Flames fans have been glad that he's stayed out of the line-up for as long as he has. Perhaps for the regular season, I felt this way as well, but come playoff time, this guy could be the difference maker that no one...
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...
It's been a while since I could sit down and enjoy a nice Canuck playoff game. It's not the same when you're team isn't in the big show. And I'm finding it very difficult to stay focused on my work as I'm anxious to get home to watch the game on the tube.
I suppose I'll watch the Pittsburgh / Ottawa game first. To be honest I'm routing for Crosby. Don't care too much f...
For the first time in years... For the first time ever, the Wachovia center will be without the thrill and rush that is Flyers playoff hockey. It truly is a sad spring in the Philadelphia area. If anything it makes me appreciate just how good we've been for the past 12+ years. The one thing that makes me excited for next fall is not the core of young guys, or the solidifi...
So, here we are on the cusp of the playoffs and I find myself in very unfamiliar territory. My beloved Sabres are the Stanley Cup favorites for the first time in my lifetime.
This isn't like '99 when it was "an average team with the world's best goaltender". This isn't like last season when no one outside of the Sabres' organization thought much of that team. This ...
While it's been agreed that the Flyers indeed need to have an outstanding offseason as far as free agent signings go, they also need to address the vacancy of a team captain. Here in Philadelphia, finding the perfect, long-term, healthy captain has been about as easy as getting Coatsey to make a comment without rambling for 5 hours. Since Lindros took over the role, ther...
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...
In honor of the Flyers 40th Season in the NHL, I decided to research into when Flyers Teams went from a good team to a bad team. The result might surprised you but there is only a four year span from not been in the playoffs and returning to the playoffs. The last time the Flyers missed the playoffs was from 1989-1990 season to 1993-1994 season, in which was the last time ...
Thursday evening at 8pm in front of a packed HSBC Arena the Buffalo Sabres will begin the 1st round of Stanley Cup Playoff action against the #8 seed New York Islanders.
Many storylines come to mind when it comes to this series. From Rick Dipietro's mysterious head injury to the well awaited Jack Adams award winning battle between Nolan and Ruff, as the Replacement look...
Eggshmeg writes...
Eggshmeg's Analysis of Andrew Raycroft (Earlier in the Year)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This is one of my blogs from early on during the year (on a different site obviously) about my thoughts on Raycroft. It received some very harsh feedback from Leafs fans. Now that I look back on it, it's interesting to look back at a few of the points I made.
Here it is:
Yes I know it is early in the season, and I do know that players are still getting their legs behin...
Moves at the trade deadline are always hard to evaluate. Most think that Nashville got fleeced with the Forsberg trade. And Ryan Smyth to the Island may have been the missing piece that vaulted them into the playoffs. And where was John Ferguson? Prying Yannic Perreault from Pheonix. I just don't get it. The thing the Leafs was missing was heart. Looking down the st...
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...
Who the hell Anointed the Buffalo Sabres Stanley Cup winners? yeah i picked them in first round but come on Buffalo, stop already!
It amazes how every publication and website has buffalo winning cup and people in Buffalo already going to arena to pick out their spot for indoor parade pep rally. Gee, one year every publication picked flyers win the cup and the got sweep...
Jeremy Roenick was on ESPN's PTI yesterday which was kind of refreshing. While I like Kornheiser and Wilbon a lot, their complete lack on interest in hockey is a huge punch in the gut to me as a sports fan let alone a hockey fan. JR was... well JR, I liked the way he poked fun at the two for actually talking about hockey for once.
The PTI guys said something interesting...
Earlier today I was casually reading the lastest edition of the Heralds Hockey section, when I came across something quite intriguing. all The headliner sports writers in the prediction section, including the ones in Calgary picked Detroit in 6 and one lady from Edmonton had them in 7.
To me this is really shocking, im fine with the Flames just sneaking into...
One of the more debated issues this summer for Maple Leaf fans will be - who's gonna back up Andrew Raycroft? Would the Leafs want a goaltender who would make a strong push for the starter job like say one Patrick Lalime or would they want someone who would still want the starting job but wouldn't make as strong a push but would still be there to mentor young Raycroft like...
Ok, Devils and Rangers listen up. We, as northern fans, demand nothing less than a swift and orderly removal of the Lightning and Thrashers from the playoffs! Anything less is unacceptable.
Nothing against the fans in Atlanta and TB. I'm sure they are very nice people. It's just that the Cup CAN NOT spend another summer in the South East! It needs to reside in a le...
The Habs finished off the season looking like they need a major overhaul and bringing in some HUGE pieces.
Let's take a step back and look at what we got(these are the positions they can play at):
LW: Higgins, Plekanec, A.Kostitsyn, S.Kostitsyn, Begin
C: Koivu, Higgins, Plekanec, Bonk, Begin, Lapierre, Chipchura, Grabovski,
...
The Habs may have missed the playoffs, but their future is vey bright, and nowhere is this more apparent than between the pipes. If anything, they have too many. Here is a rundown of the goalies they currently have.
[b]Cristobal Huet[/b] - When he is on his game, he can match anyone in the league save for save. From the last half of last year to the first half of thi...
[img:left]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/48/Flames_1980-1995.gif/150px-Flames_1980-1995.gif[/img]It's not every year you get to see a thrilling 1st vs. 8th series in the Western conference. The majority of the time the 1st place teams tends to take it without feeling any affects of displeasure. But last year, the presidents trophy winner (Detroit) was ups...
Just some quick impressions from me on the Blues Roster.
[b]Goalies[/b]
Manny Legace
His improved play was just as important to the team improving as Andy Murrays hiring. The team didnt win quite as much as soon as he was injured at the end of the year. It was the right move to re-sign him and it is key that he starts strong next year.
Curtis Sanford
He was ...
Considering the circumstances of the earlier-than-hoped-for offseason, it's nice to have some good things to talk about back here in the hockey cave. I'm talking about some of the signings the Hurricanes have made so far, inking some of our recent draft picks to contracts and getting them to Albany as a first step towards building for the future. It's something we tried (a...
[b]QUOTE:[/b]
"I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope." ...
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...
Back on February 5th, the Rangers made a move that not only was questionable, but in the eyes of some Rangers fans (including myself), was not needed. They had acquired Sean Avery from the LA Kings for Jason Ward and a couple minor leaguers. At the time, I felt that a player like Sean Avery wasn't what we needed on this team. I thought that we needed finesse players who...
There are 2 potential upsets in this years stanley cup playoffs. Two of which would be rather large to some, especially one New York Islanders. Besides this year, what series (in any round) do you think was the biggest upset in history?
I would have to say the 1982 series between the Kings and the Oilers. The Kings finished with just 63 points, compared to 111 points e...
oilslick1018 writes...
Minny prime for annual 7th seed routing of #2 seed.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As you all may have heard, for the last 9 consecutive years a 7th place team has defeated the 2nd place team in the playoffs at least 1 time. This year will be no different. Marian Gaborik and Co. should be reguarded as one of the scariest teams in the Western Conference. Their lack of media exposure allows them to fly under the radar for most. However, it cannot be ignore...
It is widely publicized how evenly the Stars and Canucks match up. Excellent defense, not-so-much offense, and top-notch goalies! The series may very well go seven games with multiple overtimes in each. There will be some late nights in Dallas and extremely late nights in Vancouver...at least for us Texans! It is my opinion that in order for the Stars to win this serie...
What is it about this game that gives us all that warm, fuzzy my-favorite-player-just-scored-the-game-winner feeling? Or that cold, dark please-oh-please-let-us-come-back feeling? Really, that feeling you only get from hockey.
Like most of the hockey fans I know, I love this game. I mean love it. We sit around talking about stats, and the state of the game. Or whet...
While neither of these guys will score a goal this post season (yes I know it’s possible but highly improbable) they can, without a doubt, determine how far their teams go.
San Jose will start the series with Evgeni Nabakov between the pipes. The former Calder Trophy winner is one of the top back stops in the NHL and can be a huge difference maker in games.
TSN.CA ...
I’ve seen every Penguins game in the past two years, and most of them over the last 20 years. Soon after Michel Therrien took over last season, real structure began creeping into the Penguins’ game and their work ethic sky-rocketed. By the end of the season I felt they were the hardest working, most disciplined Penguins team I had seen since I became a season ticket ho...
I woke up this morning the this most amazing feeling. Yeah, I had to work, but that is just daily thing for me now, you know like showering (for some of us). Today is probably the single most intriguing day of hockey and up here in Canada, we get to watch all of it.
Thanks to our passion and love of the game of hockey, TSN and CBC will be showing double-headers. The ac...
One Team One Goal
Lindy and the boys have fulfilled a season long goal…………. Lock up home ice advantage throughout the playoffs!!!!
This year’s edition of the Buffalo Sabres has lived up to the high expectations of the local fan base. They have managed to do so amidst a plethora of man games lost due to injury & a league that was put on notice last spri...
Here's the deal, who do you want the Flyers to get?
Give me your top three forwards and defensemen.
If there is someone you want to aquire but they aren't a free agent, then what would you trade for them?
Good news for Fighting Sioux Fans: 2/3 of the Fighting Sioux's famous D.O.T. line (Ryan Duncan, T.J. Oshie Jonathon Toews) have said they are coming back for their Junior Years at the University of North Dakota.
Duncan and Taylor Chorney announced in today Grand Forks Herald that they were coming back. [url]http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=34057&se...
A year ago, many in the media decided the Anaheim Ducks had little chance against the Calgary Flames in the opening round of the NHL playoffs.
Although the Ducks had been one of the hottest teams in the last half of the regular season, the team flew under the radar for the most part.
This time, the shoe is on the other foot. While many feel the Ducks are the best b...
I have always hated predictions, I hate playing sports action but I decided to start this and see what people have on their mind....
Detroit vs Calgary
If the Red Wings stars show up in the playoffs, I take the Wings if not Calgary will have this over early. The Flames will undoubtably get in Hasek's face which will pretty much mean that Chelios will be kicking the...
As you can see by looking at my profile I am a long-distance fan, and at this time of the year it gets pretty dificult. The Wild were immediately thrown off of Versus radar when they were switched randomly to the Wednesday/Friday schedule instead of the Thursday/Saturday schedule they were supposed to have. For the last three days I've been walking around upset about it th...
I was at my first Wachovia Center Flyers games this weekend. What a great venue for hockey! Even though the Flyers were out of it, the fans were relativley high spirited. The Saturday game against the Islanders was a stinker for 55 minutes, but Finnegan's Wake took my mind off of it. Sunday against the Sabres was more fun. The fans and the game were very entertaining....
A complete one-sided game from start to finish for the Ottawa Senators. Game #1 of the Eastern conference quarterfinals was a brutal one to the Pittsburgh Penguins as the sens came out storming, defeating them by a score of 6-3. The Sens outshot them 37-26 and the Penguins' best period was there worst.
One point I have to throw in there was that there were WAY, and i me...
HI everyone and welcome to my blog.
I sometimes have brilliant things to say and sometimes I just muddle on through.
Right now I am suffering through hockey hell; my Flyers not being in the playoffs.
I have moved onto my secondary and tertiary teams the Preds and the Flames.
I am just glad to have Center ice and be able to watch playoff hockey.
I hope...
With the playoffs underway, I would love to hear some of your guy's predictions.
Here are mine:
[b]Buffalo Sabers vs. New York islanders[/b]
I feel the Islanders will pull it out, mainly because of Dubielewicz, but it's hard to go against the Sabers. Sorry Buffalo fans but I got to go with the Islanders.
New York in 7
[b]New Jersey Devils vs Tampa Bay Lightning...
how can anyone watch a game with that annoying voice of his? It got so bad i had to place my HDTV on Mute because of his voice was so loud. i understand why Vs. ratings are horrible...
Great game by the Senators. Insane amount of penalty calls, some of them completely horrible. That said the Senators dominated the game in all facets. Out shot them, completely out hit them. Great start for the boys.
Now for the commentary...We get stuck with arguably the worst duo. Bob Cole(asaurus) and Greg Millen, who is easily the worst ex-goalie color guy. You can'...
flyershockey81 writes...
Scott Hartnell is apart of a bigger problem......
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
after seeing his Scott Hartnell's knee to knee take out of Johnthan Cheechoo, i hope this wake's up the anti-fighting crowd in NHL. Hartnell disgraceful hit on Cheechoo was dirty and thugish. Hartnell and other no name players know they can get away with this crap throughout the NHL because of the instagator rule.
This hit also shows that players have zero respect for ...
[b]THE GOOD[/b]
[b]The Sens intensity level[/b] - they came out strong and dictated play throughout.
[b]The officiating[/b] - there were a lot of penalties called but the officals seemed to be consistent with their calls.
[b]The Sens role players[/b] - good showing by 3rd and 4th line players.
[b]Malkin and Staal[/b] - I thought both rookies were able to play a...
The members of the Toronto Maple Leafs will get together later next week to discuss certain issues, one of them forsurely being mentioned will be the future of Leaf GM John Ferguson. Don Cherry of HNIC's Coach's Corner figures Ferguson will finish off the remaining year on his contract and will likely not be fired. Do you agree with this or do you think JFJ should be fired...
A late game rally by the Nashville Predators set up a thrilling finish in game #1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals between the Preds and the Sharks. San Jose held a 4-2 lead with 10:00 to go in the 3rd but 2 goals in the last 7 minutes by Alex Radulov's 2nd of the game and J.P Dumonts 2nd of the game with just under a minute to go sent the game to overtime.
Noth...
As a Canadian I was able to watch Sens-Pens and Preds-Sharks early tonight. I have to say I was very disappointed to see that the referees went back to last fall's calls. I agree that clutching and grabbing needs to go in the game, but a majority of the calls made in those two games tonight were absolutely ridiculous. Tootoo's hit in the first period was not a penalty, Cro...
Posted earlier on www.hockey-wire.com ;
This may just be about the most exciting series the playoffs have to offer. With both teams falling victim to the rule, that division winners take up the top three seeds, both squads found themselves a rank lower than what they should have and both with 105 points.
Regardless, these two teams are as close in retrospect and in...
C'est platte quand ton équipe préférée est pas dans les séries.
Les canadiens gagneront jamais avec des cons comme Kovalev pis Samsonov dans l'équipe. Samsonov c'est sûr qu'il va partir, mais malheureusement Gainey a pas l'air de vouloir échanger Kovalev cet été, les canadiens ne seront pas tellement améliorés l'an prochain s'il garde Kovalev qui joue une game...
Hey, this is my first blog. I made these predictions for all of the playoff rounds so I thought I would share them with you. Note that these were made before the games tonight.
[u][b]Eastern Conference Quarterfinals[/b][/u]
[b]1. Buffalo (4-2)[/b] vs. 8. NYI
[b]2. New Jersey (4-1)[/b] vs. 7. Tampa Bay
3. Atlanta vs. [b]6. NYR (4-2)[/b]
4. Ottawa vs. [b]5. Pittsbur...
With another great multiple overtime game in the bag, what is your most memorable multiple OT game?
I'll have to side with game 3 in the 2nd round last season with the Sharks leading the series 2-0 heading into the game. This game proved to be the turnaround for the Oil who rolled off 7 consecutive wins after this game.
The bar we were watching at asked us to leav...
Unbelievable. Jaw dropping. What else can I say?
This is my first blog ; there will be plenty of time to complain later, to get angry, bite, stir some s***, ask questions, but not tonight. There's a magic feeling each year to Day 1 of the Playoffs, and there are games that do nothing else but confirm this magic.
As many were ready for Episode 1 of the "He saved the N...
My name is Eric, I am a hockey card collector who started collecting during the 2003-2004 season and have learned a lot since then.
When I started collecting I quickly realized that things had changed from when I last purchased hockey cards as a kid in the early 1980's. So many brands, manufactures, insert sets, subsets, etc. had me confused and overwhelmed.
I gr...
The Ducks and Wild performed to expectation in Game one of their matchup. Both teams played stingy defense, both teams had offensive control and quality opportunities, and the game ended with a digging goal and just a 1 goal differential.
Niklas Backstrom is to be commended for his outstanding play. A couple pipes saved his game but he made huge saves when he was need...
If any word describes tonight, it is the word draining. Physical, emotional, and mentally just a draining game. If the fans and media are drained, I can only imagine what it must be like for both teams right now. That was a classic game for the Nashville Predator history books. Even though the Preds lost, there is still much to be positive about:
1. Coming back ...
[b]Pit 3 @ Ott 6[/b] - The score flattered the Penguins, as the Pens were flat for all but maybe the last five minutes of the game. Crosby and Fleury looked jittery, Malkin wa kinda invisible, and there really weren't too many other players that played well for Pittsburgh. Only Jordan Staal, Mark Eaton, and Rob Scuderi stood out for me as positive contributors here. If ...
During the intermission between the 3rd and 4th overtimes, the clock struck 3 a.m. on the East Coast, and very promptly VERSUS left its Canucks-Stars coverage and flipped on some infomercial about pilates...... [b]are you kidding me?!??[/b] I know you have to pay the bills, but that is absolutely RIDICULOUS! There should be outrage from the hockey community over this and...
Quarter past midnight local time and I have just woken from a deep state of self introspective reality. As I think to myself do any of these people on the ice have any idea on the certain danger they face. "They are surly going to sink I thought to myself" it's like water "How are they doing it?" "Is it real?"
God this is still ongoing I'd better settle down and get r...
Ok that was sarcasm. Every year, I think I forget just how good playoff hockey is. The playoffs are only one day old, and we've already seen a double OT game, followed up by a Quadruple OT game. (I started writing this blog during the second OT assuming the game would end soon.)
We watched San Jose lose last years leading goal scorer, and then lose a 2 goal lead in the ...
So, just got home from the 4OT thriller at the garage tonight, WHAT A GAME. I mean, they stopped selling beer after the 2nd intermission, so I wound up paying $4 bucks for Sprite, but that's all good. Go Canucks Go... and chants of TTTUUURRCCOOO filled the evening excitement as I basically lost my voice and drank ice cubes for 2 OT's. Skytrain was reasonable on the way ...
Great game last night. A full 60 minutes of forechecking and goals. The locals will be lining up the get their free pizza today I'm sure. I can see Pizza Pizza implementing a new policy "umm...everybody who has a ticket must answer a skill testing question...recite the first 12 numbers after the decimal point in Pii" Things definitely got a little chippy at the end of ...
This is how I see this game and theseries breakdown!
Special teams throw out what we have done for the year vs everyone else lets go head to head!
Sabres PP 6 of 23
Isles PP 3 of 19
Buffalo also has added 2 Shorties into the mix! Advantage Buffalo!
Breaking down the Centers:
Drury--- Yashin...
tubbytreats writes...
Brent Sopel - Injured picking up cracker from floor?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=270411022
[quote]Vancouver D Brent Sopel didn't play after hurting his back trying to pick up a cracker from the floor Tuesday, coach Alain Vigneault said[/quote]
If this is true, this has to hurt the image of rough-n-tough hockey players around the world... There's gotta be a typo here.
Your thoughts?
This is a very important day for the 2007-08 Philadelphia Flyers. A very, very important day. July 1st is the first day that unrestricted free agents are free to sign with the team of their choice. GM Paul Holmgren and crew will have gameplan ready to go, but it could easily be blown up within hours.
Going into next season, the Flyers most important areas of need are a ...
I'm laughing at myself as I type that title. How can I put a Shakespeare quote at the top of my hockey blog!!! It's not as if I quote him on a daily basis...or EVER...or that his world and the hockey world have much in common (hell, I had to look up the spelling of his name make sure it was correct!).
But it really is the only question that the Penguins need to answer r...
Good game all around for the Senators. They pounced on a noticeably jittery Fleury early and they kept the big Pens stars at bay.
All the Sens played great games. What should be scary for the Pens is that I didn't even notice Spezza or Heatley all night. When (I won't say if) they get going it may become a short series (of course I could say the same thing for Cro...
It all starts at 5:00MST tonight for Flames fans - the dreaded Red Wings are our first round opponent and some fans couldn't be happier.
Sure we beat them in 6 games in 2004 and sure the Oilers beat them last year...but the difference between those 2 Red Wing teams and this one is one man: Dominik Hasek.
I think the Red Wings have more confidence this year than othe...
This is it Sabres' fans. We have been waiting for this since we watched the Hurricanes raising the Cup last year. I think the team has been waiting for this since THEY watched the Hurricane's raise [i]THEIR[/i] Cup last year.
In my second blog, I wanted to just take a brief look at the series.
I think every publication has already made the world aware that Buffalo ...
It’s okay…it really is. I woke up today disappointed but not despondent. These Preds showed a ton of heart last night in coming back and forcing overtime against the Sharks.
Some things I observed last night:
[b]Evgeni Nabakov is really good[/b]:Sure I knew he was a top goalie but everyone on that team owes him a beer, protein shake or something. He stood on his ...
[b]How the Mighty Fell (and blocked a shot)[/b]
Last night, and I don't know exactly what time it was because the Canucks/Stars game went 4 overtimes, I saw Markus Naslund go down and block a shot.
I double-checked the number in my head. 19. Yep, that's him. Markus Naslund. The Captain and former runner-up for the Art Ross. Sacrificing his body to keep the, oh maybe 64...
After enduring two weak efforted playoff series by the Predators the last two seasons I’ve finally seen in person what “Playoff Hockey” really means. The Preds started the game with the same marginal at best, tired sloppy penalty filled effort that we have seen the last few weeks. Alexander Radulov’s first fist pumping slamming into the glass celebration after hi...
The Minnesota Wild is a fast team. This is a good thing especially because they're neither a big team, nor a very physical team. It is also a good thing because they reside in the Western Conference which is rife with big, physical teams that can also skate.
This has worked for the Wild if for no other reason than it has [i]had[/i] to work.
Worked, that is, until...
Alright, so a G N' R reference from the 80's isn't the most timely thing I could come up with, but it applies to the Blues right now. Blues fans, I beseach you- be patient.
I know we want to see our last two first round picks in the Blue note ASAP, but we may have to wait for both. TJ Oshie (24th pick 2005) annnounced yesterday that he's returning to North Dakota fo...
Wish I could have been at the game to cheer the nucks but I live in Calgary and my best option was CBC HD.
The game seemed tilted Dallas' way for most of the game but the Canucks have a way to score away from the flow and if you're not watching you could miss a great goal. This was the case last night. Lots of scoring and the goalies came into the game late.
Luong...
Can you believe how the Canuck/Star game ended? How many games that go into 3+ overtimes end on a nice goal? I mean really.....Hank is not a very likely hero as he barely scores any goals...but a nice looking goal? Same with the Shark victory over the Preds, great goal in overtime....not common but I am glad it happened.
Lets hope day 2 will be as good!
Same crap different day, with a few suprises. Trade the 2nd overall and a prospect like UMBERGER or RUZICKA to San Jose for PATRICK MARLEAU. SJ wont be able to resign him in a year anyways. If that doesnt work, I would have preferred DATSYUK but hes gone so i guess go for GOMEZ.
Try and Sign SAMI SALO, hes what we neeed for the PP. also go after a 3-4 guy like RIVET (is ...
The SRU Campus is about 50 miles North of Pittsburgh, but we are Black and Gold to the core up here. Last semester was my first at SRU and I was amazed to see how far Steeler Country's boundries extended. Every week my fellow students came out with a strong showing of Steeler's gear. Ocassionally I'd spy a Penguins hat or something, but for the most part the black and gold...
psycomkl writes...
Buffalo Sabres vs. Wade Dubielewicz: David vs. Goliath?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
No. Buffalo is not David. The President's Trophy winning Buffalo Sabres take the ice at the HSBC Arena against the "projected longshot" New York Islanders tonight at 8pm. The Islanders know that tonight marks the start of their season.
3rd string goaltender Wade Dubielewicz gets the nod from coach Ted Nolan to face this powerpacked Sabre squad for game 1. Is he worr...
(Please read my blog post 'Pens Playoff Fever at Slippery Rock University' first)
The jitters. I know I had them after not watching Penguins playoff hockey in six years. I can only imagine what most of the players felt like...
Unfortunately, their butterflies showed. I had class until 7:30, so I missed the begining. On the radio during the car ride over to the bar Mi...
Well last night I talked about how Versus was leaving me in the dark by showing the Canucks game (a move that paid off well) instead of the Wild game, but really that decision isn't Versus problem, it's the NHL's. This time of the year there is four games every night, it's definetly the most exciting time of the season. The NHL should take advantage of that by showing off ...
Jany-B was here there and everywhere last night/this morning!
Much like Markus Naslund, it seems that Jan Bulis has decided to take advantage of the clean slate that the playoffs provide. If Bulis and Naslund have huge playoffs and help the Canucks go deep, no one will talk about their underachievement this regular season.
Bulis was one of the Canucks most dangerous ...
What do you do when you've invested 4 hours in a game, its 1:30am and a full workday looms 6 hours away?
There is nothing better than a Stanley Cup playoff game going into multiple overtimes. There is nothing worse than that alarm clock going off anything less than 4 hours after finally falling asleep. Vancouver and Dallas kicked of what I love most about the playoff...
I was doing great watching the games downstairs (On the nice TV). Although the Pens vs. Sens early match up wasn't what I thought it would be, the later games really were starting to heat up. I was riveted by the Sharks vs. Preds game late in the 3rd period. I was thrilled when my old buddy J.P. Dumont tied the game to send to overtime. WOW! Funny, because it almost s...
A source I have at the Preds says that Sullivan, who was at the game last night, seemed to not be feeling any ill effects of a lingering back injury. According to my source Sully was jumping around and spent most of the game standing and cheering on his team mates.
While I understand that jumping around cheering is far different from playing NHL level hockey I think the...
I predicted that the Wild will win their series with the Ducks. What do the Wild do? They went out and lost. Yikes talk about bad karma. I still think the Wild will win the series.
What's up with FSN out of MPLS, they play the Twins game instead of the Wild game. What the hell is that. There are like 155 games left, the Wild need to be on.
Last night at the Canucks-Stars game, I saw something that likely didn't show up on the TV coverage or in any post-game media write ups.
Late in the game (3rd or 4th OT): The players were all obviously exhausted and both teams were feeling the pressure. Willie Mitchell was clearing the front of the net on a Dallas rush. He gave Niklas Hagman a push off to the side of...
Just something short, since i'm in the lab right now supposedly doing homework/research, but playoff hockey makes me much too excited to think about things like that right now.
First off - Markus Naslund played his best game of the season so far. No question. I hope he can keep this up.
Kevin Bieksa - 54+ minutes and 4 penalties. This guy is amazing. I expect a Norri...
Lanny's Moustache writes...
Not Hockey related, but something I thought I should share.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]Sunday Telegraph Article From today's UK wires: Salute to a brave and modest nation - Kevin Myers, The Sunday Telegraph LONDON - [/b]
Until the deaths of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan , probably almost no one outside their home country had been aware that Canadian troops are deployed in the region. And as always, Canada will bury its dead, just as the rest ...
Even though the Preds are off tonight I will still be watching Versus and the scoreboard from around the league. Here are my PREDictions for tonight’s match ups.
[b]Calgary at Detroit[/b]: As much as I want to predict an upset here I think the Wings will come out on top tonight. I see a low scoring affair…2-1 or 3-2 Wings. (Detroit wins the series)
[b]NY Islander...
"When you stick your elbow in his face and put knee on knee that's an intent to injure. That's why he got kicked out of the game," said San Jose Sharks Head Coach Ron Wilson after Wednesday nights game against Predators.
Here’s the deal…I was at the game. I saw the hit. I knew when it happened that he was getting the 5 minute major. I did not know if a game misc...
Tonight starts the quest for the Cup
Lord Stanley will come to it's rightful place in BUFFALO, NY
Thomas Vanek will score 2 goals
Other scores: Connolly, Drury, Briere
Tonight starts the Journey that will be finished when Buffalo Wins the Stanely Cup right here in BUFFALO,
Join Sabres fans during the game at [b]www.sabreschat.com/chat.shtml [/b]to talk a...
Does anybody think that Turco plays the puck too much.... i dont really but i wuz watchin' da game with somebody who thinks so... after the long OT in game one dallas vs. nucks in that much overtime you at least have to try and not let your fatigue take advantage of you! When he got stuck behind the net and the nucks took the puck away from him he stayed back there and try...
Well, Game 1 is finally here! The past several days have inched by as I've waited for the playoffs to start. It should be a good game. I think the Islanders will really work hard and battle. The Sabres have waited for this all season, so they better be ready. I expect them to play like they were at the start of the season and during the playoffs last year. At times t...
I think having Zetterberg back will help ease the loss of Bertuzzi tonight. Of course, Zetterberg is rusty and will have to quickly get back into game shape, let alone try and recapture the chemistry he had before the disk issue. I think Calgary will try and punish the Wings physically, especially our defense. Missing Kronwall hurts. This should be a very interesting s...
Tampa's going to SPOOK the devils tonight. 4-2 probably.
NYR vs. ATL will be as exciting as the build up was for PIT vs. OTT. Then look what happened, the upper seed played like the upper seed. Kovi and crew, do yer thang!
Buffalo -- Score lots, rack up d'em points, my pool entries are count'in on it. Just another day at the office for Vanek and co.
And then t...
I'm sorry but to say the Islanders have a good chance of winning tonight, especially being in Buffalo, is completely wrong. Dubielewicz will be nervous and the team it self cannot even come close to matching the Sabres offense. Sabres got the first 2 games besides that the Isles stand a better chance, but not much, of winning at home. Good luck tonight Islanders cause you'...
The fallout of last nights marathon is starting to be felt throughout the city. Yes, the Canucks finally ended the game in the fourth period of overtime and I am sure that everyone has a story about how they stayed awake for the entire thing or they couldn't handle it and went to bed, but how much did the game cost the Canucks.
Behind all the rumors that the Stars were...
although it was an awesome night of playoff hockey besides Hartnell's dirty hit and im still waiting for an thought from a real nashville fan instead of the kool-aid drinkers. There is too many 5 on 3's that are determing these games too early. The Sens v Pens game was a prime example. Stop calling these phantom calls like the "Abusive language - bench" against Sens.
flyershockey81 writes...
19,000 + sat through pain and misery a game....
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
that's why they call Philadelphia the best fans in hockey
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 ...
10. Don Whittman and his terrible commentary. Bring back Cuthbert, for the love of all that is hockey.
9. The Flames didn't even look like they were that concerned they were being manhandled.
8. As per above, someone did mention to the Flames that they playoffs have started, right?
7. Too many penalties. Way too many. So undisciplined.
6. Simply speaking, th...
As expected, game 1 was another 1-goal game...only this time, quite amazingly, there were nine total goals! I was preparing to get some snacks ready for the 5th overtime when Vancouver finally ended it. The longest playoff game in Canucks history, the second longest playoff game in Stars history, and the sixth longest playoff game in NHL history had finally come to an en...
Sabres are up 2-1 after 2 periods. The Sabres are playing pretty well, but they aren't capitalizing on some chances that they usually would. Roy's giveaway was terrible and led to the Isles only goal so far. If the Sabres can score on the PP at the start of the 3rd, they should be in good shape. Should be a good 3rd period!
Perhaps it's because I'm getting older, but it seems to me the Playoffs get better and better each year. Yet, in the United States... hockey is invisible. It's a scourge on our nation that must be eradicated.
Thankfully, I have a plan.
We all have those friends that are huge sports fans, but that don't follow hockey. These poor souls are the targets. This Saturda...
So time ticked down as I tore the hair out of my head, and somehow the Rangers eeked out a win in Atlanta.
After playing well the first two periods, the Rangers lost their edge and the Thrashers dominated the third period. Still, throughout the entire game whenever the Blueshirts would extend their lead, it was only a matter of time before they let Atlanta get the goal b...
What a game..... 4-1 score. close to the 5-1 prediction
This was a solid strong performance by the Sabres. Nothing more and nothing less.
Brian "I can score in the playoffs" Campbell brings home two goals and 1 assist.
then you have
Chris "I will lead you to the promise land" Drury who played one hell of a game and had 2 goals
and in goal
Ryan "It's Mi...
Hey guys and gals. I am the New York Rangers blogger for HockeyBuzz. If you folks have any questions, comments or just want to talk hockey, feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]
Also, check out this article I wrote for www.hockejavestnesis.com:
http://www.hokejavestnesis.com/ARTICLES2007/article_rangers3.htm
It's Thursday night and the East Coast games are done. Everyone in New York State, where all four teams are miraculously in the playoffs, are done. Tonight, everyone except the Isles won. Hold on. I just included the Devils as a team from New York. Does this count? I say yes. I lived in New York in the mid-90's and was a Devil's fan. There were people like me. Sure, the ar...
Well, we saw those dreaded lames. the F-ing lames at that.
They played the game like it was a recreation league game and they just couldnt wait to go out and grab a beer after. The Flames now really have something to prove sunday as they put forth the worst effort by a team so far this season. I dont think ive ever turned a playoff game off within the first five minutes....
The only thing the Islanders did good tonight was save the embarassment. The score (4-1) was a lot better then I thought it would be and still the Sabres crushed them. Dubielewicz was the only player on New York actually keeping his team in the game. The Sabres outshot them, out hit them, out scored them, and simply out played them. It was a well deserved and expected win ...
Well, the playoffs are still young, but there are still some interesting storylines that have started to develop.
[b]Senators and Penguins game 1:[/b]
This was not the game that anybody expected. Many people thought that the Sens would take this one, but not in the way that they did. The thrashing that was handed out on Wednesday should not be any indication of how...
I've been waiting for this game since the Sabres dropped Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals at the RBC Center in North Carolina last summer.
Little did I know I would BE at this game.
I gambled a bit and bought my first ever Mini Pack last August, with the assumption that the Sabres would be back and have another great season. More than anything, it was good for...
Coming off an outstanding performance Pavel Datsyuk had a goal and added an assist as the Wings doused the Flames 4 - 1. People in the media have really written Datsyuk off, but he is out to prove these naysayers wrong. Some belived that Ken Holland made a huge mistake signing the playoff underachiever to a multi-year multi-million dollar deal. However, the game tonight sh...
I was listening to XM-204 tonight on my way home from work and the ice cap boys got me thinking about first round upsets. I think its safe to say after watching tonight game it looks like Calgary isn't going to be the team to knock off a top seed in this year Stanley Cup playoffs.
Detroit as of late has been known for their early exits. Last season the Edmonton Oilers...
[b]Canucks vs. Dallas -- [/b]I was there in Game 1. Dallas pressed hard, Luongo saved the day, but the Canucks did take some bad penalties and looked out of sorts at times. Game 1 jitters? Considering we've played 2 games already now, no more jitters left. The latter OT periods definitely favoured the Canucks. I don't think Dallas can play any better. The Canucks sur...
The most frequently question I get when I'm up in the Great Hall with the Cup is:
[quote]Is that the "Real" Stanley Cup or what?[/quote]
So I'm going to answer it here for you because this is a little known fact within the hockey world. The thing is there are 3 official Stanley Cups. There is the original bowl, which Lord Stanley himself bought and donated to hockey ...
Ok, yes, I am a Rangers fan and this will probably be disregarded by most as a bias whine by someone who cannot see his team play Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs but I'm going to write about it anyway because frankly, bias or not, I think I'm right.
I know Sid Crosby is supposed to be the second-coming of The Great One, I know, and I know the NHL needs a star that th...
...Outhustled, Outskated! Get the picture? This pretty much sums up game one in Detroit. The Wings pretty much won every battle. They worked harder, fought for pucks, made crisp passes and capitalized on scoring opportunities. Kipper played his butt off, but that simply wasn't enough on this night. For most of the game, the Flames couldn't muster up a decent shot and...
Watching the Sabres vs. Islanders game last night I made an observation about the Islanders that I wanted to share. I don't get to see them play too often, so I'm making this assessment based only on one game (maybe not a fair thing to do).
Anyway, the Islanders have a lot of talented players, but too few of them are actually good players. Under the heading of [i]Tale...
nickgregory writes...
The Playoffs continued (does CGY know they started?)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
God I love playoff hockey. Right before the playoffs started, my wife gave birth to our first child, a baby daughter named Abby (actually went into labor at the Canes vs. Caps game…I am guessing Abby was a bit annoyed at Johnny Grahame for letting in 3 goals on 6 shots, and wanted to give him a piece of her mind)…well, those that have kids know that the sleep is spora...
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...
Well it would seem like game 3 anyway. In game 1 they played almost a full 7 period game, and now they're heading into only game 2. This will be an exciting game to watch and you can bet your bottom dollar that it is very likely we'll be seeing yet another overtime. The Canucks lead the series 1-0 thanks to the game winning goal scored by Henrik Sedin in 4th overtime.
I...
Congratulations to the Red Wings beating the Flames 4-1 last night. However, the Flames did not come to play last night and we should be expecting a lot more from them come Sunday and when they are at home. Anyways, with it looking like Bertuzzi is going to be in the lineup Sunday (well hopefully), who is going to sit for the Red Wings? Most look to rookies Jiri Hudler and...
Game one against the Stars was an epic battle, and like all epic battles won or lost, there was a cost. With Brent Sopel already out with a non-hockey related back injury, Matt Cooke went down with a groin problem and is day-to-day. Alex Burrows very obviously got his "bell rung", wobbling to his feet and attempted to pick up his stick like a Chinatown tourist trying to pi...
Local reports in the Buffalo News seem to suggest that the NY Islanders may not have been prepared for Game 1. See Tim Graham's article in the Buffalo News at [url]http://www.buffalonews.com/111/story/52798.html[/url].
To quote the article, "[i]Signs of slapdash postseason preparations were troubling. Star winger Jason Blake peeked at the Sabres morning skate and asked...
Kim Johnsson was brought to the Minnesota Wild to attempt to give us the offensive dynamic from the blueline that has never been there.
The Wild shelled out $19M over 4 years for his services. This after he missed the majority of the previous season due to a string of injuries, though only a couple years after chipping in 13 goals and showing real promise in Philadelph...
Canucks Recall Nathan Smith & Jannik Hansen
[url]http://www.moosehockey.com/news/press_releases2.php?press_id=1135[/url]
Nathan Smith was up here a month or so ago in a game vs. Minny. 8-9minutes of play. What's the impact going to be? Dudes on the radio are right about them being more energetic. I would look for them to help the Canucks catch their second win...
This thing will not let me comment. I follow the rules it says to refresh and still it doesn't let me. What is wrong with this thing, it's pissing me off.
I did full-game recaps in the past, so how about bringing it back out for the playoffs?
[b]Notable Statistics:[/b] [url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=270412002]Box Score[/url]
Powerplay: Buffalo 2/6, New York 0/3
Giveaways: Buffalo 7, New York 14
Shots: Buffalo 11-11-13 (35), New York 1-9-11 (21)
[b]J's opinion:[/b]
1. [u]Rockin' the HSBC pre-gam...
One man's search for culinary kismet continues after an initial failure.
Game 1
Main dish: Some goody-two-shoes health food garbage.
Result: Wild loss, 2-1
Game 2
Fajita burrito (chicken)
Black beans
guacamole/salsa and chips
diet Pepsi
Wow...that was a short string Lehtonen was on....It doesnt matter though as Atlanta's defense isnt good enough to beat the rangers in a 7 game series unless Brodeur was in net. You cant go goal for goal with your opponent in the post season like you can in the regular season (not to mention shootouts arent there to bail you out either)...
Somehow, some way the Toronto Maple Leafs will win the Stanley Cup in 2007. The Islanders will be disqualified and we'll be able to take their spot and come back from a 3-0 deficit in the series and we'll win it all. Then we play golf.
What a battle on Wednesday. That one will go down in history as one to remember. It may have put us back on course. There were periods down the stretch of the regular season that the Canucks started getting lazy. This last game was a great start.
Can we now, after losing potentially three players, keep the battle going and build on the successes of game #1? I certainly...
OK, It is not big secret that the 06-07 Boston Bruins were an utter embarrasement and huge disappointment to their fans. What to do about it so the same does not happen in the upcoming season.
The first thing I think they need to do is look at the assets, and break them down into 2 categories, veterans and prospects. Veterans are Glen Murray 4.15 M, Marc Savarad 5M, P...
After reading Garth's blog, the Islanders certainly have a problem on their hands. Ricky D, who you'd have to think when healthy, is far and away the better of the two if not a straight up world class goalie. Dubielewicz is a young, upstart guy with a lot of potential: I really like this kid, he's not afraid of anything and challenges the shooter very aggressively. But nev...
San Jose vs. Nashville - Game 2 - 1-0 San Jose
-I say this game gets very physical as response to the Cheechoo injury. High scoring game with Nashville getting the late lead. 5-4 Nashville
(Thorton, Pavelski, Carle, Guerin)- For San Jose
(Erat, Forsbergh, Zidlicky, Radulov, Dumont with the winner)- For Nashville
Dallas vs. Vancouver - Game 2 - 1-0 Vancouver
-No ...
Why does Comcast keep replacing NHL HD Hockey with repeat PGA golf.
This is an outrage?
The more I see of Dainius Zubrus, the more I like him.
I know most of the conversations have involved the playoffs, but looking ahead a little bit, if there's any way they can re-sign this guy after the season I'd love for them to do it. I truly believe they will make an effort to sign both Drury and Briere, but if for some reason they can't get both, I'd be happy with...
I can't believe no one has commented on this yet. After the huge game 7 disappointment, the Chris Pronger kick to the collective groins of Oilers fans, ticket price increase, injury ravaged, non-puck moving D man of a season, Joffre Lupul single handedly gets the Calgary Flames into the playoffs. I know I'm a little late in posting this, but last nights utter snoozfest a...
I can't believe no one has commented on this yet. After the huge game 7 disappointment, the Chris Pronger kick to the collective groins of Oilers fans, ticket price increase, injury ravaged, non-puck moving D man of a season, Joffre Lupul single handedly gets the Calgary Flames into the playoffs. I know I'm a little late in posting this, but last nights utter snoozfest aga...
Before yesterday's atrocity, Marty Brodeur had played in 153 NHL playoff games. Out of those 153 games, he had 89 victories, and 21 shutouts. Over that time, he had a 1.88 goals against average.
We on the other hand, had Holmqvist, Denis, and Ramo. Before the game began, they had combined for all of 0 NHL playoff games, 0 wins, and 0.00 save percentage.
Very c...
You get an incident like a knee-on-knee hit from Hartnell to Cheechoo and you can figure out very quickly where somebody stands. So Hartnell is headed to jail in San Jose and Cheechoo is getting an Oscar in Nashville.
I don’t have any idea why people are so convinced that the sun rises and sets over their home teams. “Real” hockey fans know that there is ebb and...
Great game by Drury and company last night. A couple points to consider:
1) Following last night's 4-1 victory, Chris Drury made the expected, credit-deflecting comments to the media. As he usually does, he mentioned that the team felt really prepared because of Lindy Ruff's tutelage and how Lindy deserves credit because he has been drilling all of the important thing...
What is it about hockey and superstitions? Why do grown men devolve into singleminded obsession when it comes to game day success?
Do players honestly believe that how they dress, what they eat, who they talk to, or what they read prior to a game will bring them fortune and the glorious gates of Valhalla will open for them?
Stephane Quintal never spoke to anyone aft...
Ok, it has long been known in these here parts that in Canuck colours (whichever those colours may be) that wearing the number 17 comes at a price. I know, I know, the number on a players back has no reflection of his statics or play on the ice, but come on. Number 17 for Vancouver has brought on nothing but bad luck for whom ever may choose to wear it. The only exception ...
On Thursday, I took a glance at the list of possible free agent centers who could don the Orange and Black for the '07-'08 season. Here's a look at the defensemen (the Flyers other main need):
[b]Kimmo Timonen [/b](Nashville Predators) - The first thing that jumped out at me when researching Kimmo was his age - 32. Are the Flyers willing to give a four or five-year de...
what has this guy ever accomplished in the nhl besides to end careers of other players?
this guy is everything wrong with hockey. nashville is playing dirty hockey and dont be surprise if san jose decides to go dirty as the series goes back to the shark tank
SmokingChicken writes...
What the Off-Season Holds for the Predators, Part 2 of 3
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Just got done watching the Predators pwn the Sharks, 5-2. The Sharks just didn't seem to be 100% in it after Dumont's short-handed goal and his subsequent 5-on-3 PP goal. Series is now tied 1-1, and Vokoun is playing much better.
And I am now an advocate of extending Alex Radulov's contract by an extra 15 years or so.
Now for the purpose of this blog. Free agents tha...
psycomkl writes...
Return Of The Rick - Is It Just What The Doctor Ordered?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Rick Dipietro, Islanders first overall draft pick, Islanders number one goaltender, and generally all around good guy. Islander Nation was all smiles when it was announced that Dipietro has been cleared to play. That smile, although splitting their faces from ear to ear, was tinged with a little bit of worry.
Dipietro suffered 2 concussions within a week of each other...
I have to hit the sack tonight since I have a TV gig in the morning, but just wanted to preview what I'll talk about tomorrow, which will probably be a LONG blog:
1. A Game Recap
2. Quotes from the locker room that I got
3. My thoughts on the "bad blood" in this series
4. Ron Wilson and his now famous, "I HAVE NO COMMENT"
5. Keys to Game 3 and what I expect.....
...
(I hate to start the blog with this but c'mon...this is freaking hilarious...Turco was named the #3 star in the building and Henrik #2...LOL!!! What a joke!)
Marty Turco had 35 saves to preserve his 1st career playoff shutout, and the Dallas Stars played a full 60 minutes to win game two, 2-0, and steal the home ice advantage! The series shifts to Dallas for game 3, e...
With the playoffs in full swing and some excellent hockey on Versus, the St. Louis Blues have rarely been on my mind. Don't get me wrong. The team put in a solid Blue's collar effort this season and finished one position better in the standings than I had expected. More importantly, they played entertaining hockey and eliminated the ability of couch-coaches to easily predi...
They always say that rivalries are born and forged in the fiery pits of the playoffs. With the Sharks and the Predators, this is certainly the case.
These two teams, who had no reason to really care one way or the other about each up until last season, are in the midst of forming one of the great new rivalries of the "New NHL." Meeting each other in the 4-5 seed matchup...
Nashville Predators' forward Scott Hartnell will not recieve a suspension after taking his second game misconduct of the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Cheechoo took a blow to the knee in game #1 which resulted in Hartnell's first game misconduct. In last nights games, he was involved in a scuffle, however according to TSN, the league determined that he was in fact involved in...
The phrase "Next Year" is often uttered around Columbus this time of year. As I sit here watching the Playoffs begin, I can't help but wonder if the Blue Jackets will ever make it there. It's been 6 years of great fan support, high ticket prices, and high expectations. What do we fans get for our loyalty? Doug Maclean saying, "I feel we're one or two pieces away" or "W...
Nashville Predators' forward Scott Hartnell will not recieve a suspension after taking his second game misconduct of the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Cheechoo took a blow to the knee in game #1 which resulted in Hartnell's first game misconduct. In last nights games, he was involved in a scuffle, however according to TSN, the league determined that he was in fact involved in...
I believe that some of us, as Sabre's fans, have been spoiled by the most exciting team in hockey and, quite possibly, all of sports. I actually heard some disgruntled people calling into the local radio sports-talk shows complaining about last night's Sabre's convincing 4-1 victory over the Long Islanders in game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarter finals. Apparently, the...
degroat writes...
St Louis hockey fans getting left in the dark by NBC, KSDK
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
For those of you outside of St. Louis, KSDK, the NBC affliate in St. Louis, has been the top news station in the market for decades. This past summer, they purchased the network TV rights to televise St Louis Cardinals games... and hockey fans (along with golf and tennis fans) are getting collectively screwed over in the process.
Four times during the playoffs NBC's te...
Being born in New York and growing up in New Jersey I am often asked why the Bruins are my favorite team.
My dad, who was very involved in amateur and pro hockey in the NY area since the 1960's ingrained the game into my head, and believe me it was not difficult to do.
He had me on the ice at age three and I have played pretty consistently throughout the next 36 years o...
Philadelphia Flyers are my team. They have been my team my entire life and will continue to be the team I love with the most passion.
Any sports days at work where they allow you to wear sports apparel I come in sporting something Flyers. Even this year which was such a long year for Flyers fans I proudly wore my orange and black.
I do have other teams I love as I...
DarkHockeyArmy writes...
Stars Dominating Series, Get A Split To Show For It
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
While it didn't take over 6 hours to find a victor on Friday night, the game was much the same as the 7 period marathon witnessed on Wednesday- a Stars team out-skating, out-muscling, and out-playing the Canucks. Only this time, Loungo and some freak bounces weren't there to save Vancouver. Loungo still made some excellent saves. He just made 2 less than his team ...
The National Hockey League, in conjuction with CBC television would like to remind the Vancouver Canucks that Game 2 will begin at approximately 6:00pm local time.
To be honest with you, I don't think that the Canucks got this memo. 24 seconds into the first period of play the Canucks left Jeff Halpern alone beside the net and he did what every professional hockey pl...
Yestarday I woke up with the usual excitement of the playoffs, went to work and stood through eight hours of perperation for the night. I turned on my XM to listen to the Sharks/Preds game, then turned on my T.V. to watch the Nucks/Stars game. I learned last night that they were going to do the 'live look-in' to show the later games in the night, and immediately knew I'd g...
Mike Fisher writes...
A little introduction and why the Canucks lost last night.
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
OK, this is my lame attempt to write a Hockey Blog.
Keep in mind when you read it, that I am relatively poor and therefore I don't have cable. Because of this, I don't see a lot of games. My 'radio' is a little clock radio that changes reception drastically based on where I am in the room. All that white noise will definitely wake you up in the morning, but it doesn't g...
Here are how the options stand. (1) DP stands on his head, steals a game for the Isles, and Ted Nolan comes out a hero. (2) DP stands on his head, but Sabres still overpower the Isles as a team, and it's a huge risk with little reward. (3) DP comes out rusty, Sabres run over the Isles, and it's a huge risk with NO reward. (4) DP gets hurt (long- or short- term) and Ted ...
When I finally became a Hurricanes fan about 6 years ago, I never would have thought that this team would be where it is today. I never would have thought that they would become part of the community. I never would have thought that hockey would even become a sport played by the locals at any level. And I certainly never would have thought that they would ever win a Stan...
I caught Ian Mendes' blog on Sportsnet ([url]http://www2.sportsnet.ca/blogs/ian_mendes/2007/04/13/deep_thoughts[/url]), and still wonder if he can actually address the question of why to boo Sidney Crosby. He can't seem to figure it out either. Or maybe he just can't seem to string multiple thoughts together coherently when it's not about the ultimate greatness that is the...
Nashville Predators' forward Alexander Radulov recieved a one game suspension by the NHL today following a vicious hit from behind on San Jose's Steve Bernier in last nights game. The real question here is whether or not Radulov deserved more time for the incident.
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...
First off, let me say that at the beginning of the season, I said that the Islanders would make the postseason, largely on the coaching of Ted Nolan. What can I say? I love the guy. He coaches a great style of hockey. He put together my favourite Sabres line of all-time in Ray, May and Barnaby the "dog line".
Now, I have to question what Nolan, and Garth Snow are thi...
The Rangers pulled out a win today in a tightly contested game, beating the Atlanta Thrashers 2-1.
I felt the Rangers had the better of the play for the whole game tonight. The first Sean Avery goal was a fluke, but well deserved by Avery, who was easily the best player of the game. He had more shots than anyone else on the team, assisted on Shanahan's game-winner, and ...
Hey pens fans,
The Pens win game 2 and tie the series at one all. The Pens definetly shook their jitters from game one and played a solid game. Fleury was very solid in net. Crosby and Staal bothed played well and did not disappoint. Colby Armstrong was flying today. He was all over the ice and this is one of his strongest performances. Overall, the team played a ve...
FLAMESTR writes...
PUBLIC APOLOGY PLEASE ANY HOCKEY PLAYERS PLEASE READ
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I have heard it said that players need to give the fans proper respect, while this is true but what comes to mind is a double edge sword, meaning don't the players deserve the same respect. Now don't get me wrong the fans have a right to call how it is if a player makes a mistake call him on it. But what his nationality or I Q or his up bringing have anything to do w...
What a game so far.
The Islanders have turned up the heat
But just when you thought they would turn it up higher.....
HERE COME THE SABRES
Sabres score late to come within one goal of the Islanders
remember [url]sabreschat.com/chat.shtml [/url]
SteveBonus writes...
The Habs and the Hab-Nots: 2006-2007 Year in Review
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Another year has come to an end for the Montreal Canadiens, and dissapointingly the team was unable to make a second straight playoff appearance. Prior to Christmas, the Habs were on fire and had a shot at catching the dominant Buffalo Sabres atop the Northeast Division standings. But, with the team being hammered by the flu bug in late December, followed by a monstrous tw...
I guess we're supposed to feel bad for Mike Ribeiro.
After all, according to him in a piece featured in the Montreal Gazette earlier this year, he "was treated unfairly in Montreal." Not only that, he feels that there must have been some sort of conspiracy afoot in the off-season when he was traded to the Dallas Stars as "[the Canadiens] just wanted to get rid of me, a...
A huge boost of confidents has arose on Long Island after a stunning 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres Saturday night. Goaltender Rick DiPietro stood his ground after playing in his first game in over three weeks. He was by far the best player on the ice after stopping 32 Buffalo shots. Despite the win, the Islanders were actually outshot by a margin of 34-32.
Part of...
-> Fleury doubters: (though there probably aren't many after today) Let this 22 year old guy learn and grow! He showed that he can play big for us when we need him to, and I don't think this performance was a fluke. He seems to play his best at the end of games when the other team is firing shots from all angles. The key is making the big save at the right time. I thi...
Why is it that everyone is underestimating the Canucks. All the media people keep on saying that the Dallas Stars have outworked the Canucks and have deserved to win both games well if they had they would have beta Roberto Loungo but they did not. Why is it that the media people say Lopungo is the only reason vancouver is in it. I mean is a goalie not part of the team. Als...
I'm not 19. In fact I am MORE THAN TWICE that age.
When I was 19 I was in college.
I was trying to learn how to live on my own.
Trying to figure out if I had enough money to buy a pizza on a Saturday night.
Trying to stay out of trouble and keep my grades up.
Trying to decide what I wanted to do with my life.
Nobody followed me around with cameras.
Nobody as...
What a performance by Fleury. In a game that the Penguins could have easily lost, Marc Andre was the difference. I think his play this afternoon speaks volumes about his maturity as a goaltender. While he may not be seasoned yet, he is definitely mature enough to backstop the Penguins throughout their playoff run. Don't get me wrong, a confident Thibault is good to have in...
I was a very young kid when the Flyers were winning their Stanley Cups as the Broad Street Bullies. I do remember the team, but was not as versed in the sport. They were still my Flyers, but, as much as I love those teams, when I think back on my youth, I recall more fondly the mid 1980's Flyers teams.
By 1980, the last finals run of the original Bullies teams was on. B...
It is going on 5 hours after the Sabres lost to the Islanders and I am asking myself the question: Where is the desperation and desire from this team? Perhaps they hurt more than helped themselves by winning so many games early in the season. Did this allow them to coast into the playoffs? This team seems to need a fire to be lit under them to get motivated. It has been sh...
[b]By D. Smith[/b]:
Remember a couple months ago, way back in the pre-Forsberg dark ages, when media outlets all over North America were calling for the Predators to leave Music City? Supposedly our chronic attendance problems were dooming our franchise, and simply put, our fan support was "lukewarm". We didn't deserve this team. We didn't appreciate the great product t...
Some doubted his size, others his age. Some doubted he warranted the contract he earned with an MVP season in 2004 and whether he could live up to those numbers the contract dictated.
Martin St. Louis has been doubted his entire career - some will never learn.
St. Louis scored a goal Saturday night against one of the best goalies in hockey. It wasn't just any goal. H...
After watching last nights Sabre performance against the New York Islanders, I came away with one theory. People in my beloved city worry WAY too much.
Watching the reaction of some people around Buffalo Wild Wings, you would think we just lost Game 5 to Carolina all over again. People swearing up and down cursing their performance and telling the team on the screen to ...
As a young boy in Western New York, I signed up to play baseball. It didn't do much for me. So I signed up for football. I didn't like it much. That winter my parents took me skating.
I loved it and I asked my dad to play hockey.
From the age of 7 on, it was hockey. Every day. All year long. I still remember the practices, the drills, the games, and I will alw...
As the Canucks wake up in Texas, getting ready for Game 3, I'm sure there's a few itchy chins in the Dallas area. Nobody's really sure how the playoff beard tradition got started, although [i]Wikipedia [/i]suggests it may have began with the New York Islanders.
Hockey players and fans are a superstitious lot. Personally, I'm fascinated by hockey ritual and have a few of...
Enough with the Handringing Rangers' Fans.
Believe it or not guys we are winning 2 games to None, not the other way around. From what I've been hearing from my fellow Rangers fans over the past few days you'd think that the Thrashers ran the Blueshirts out of Atlanta. The reality is our team played the same game they have been playing over the past few months and the re...
As the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Ottawa Senators game nears the end of the first period I still haven't hardly noticed Malkin on the ice. As I think about it, the only real thing I remember him doing in the whole series was getting knocked onto his backside during the his first shift of game 1 and the Senators promptly scoring a goal. I know he was credited with an assist on...
Will one fan's search for caloric karma end in enlightenment, or a 3-0 series deficit?
Game 1
Main course: Don't remember.
Result: 2-1 loss
Game 2
Main course: terrible tex-mex.
Result: 3-2 loss
Game 3
Subway
Classic BMT (foot long)
Meatball* (6 inch)
Coca-Cola classic
*In high school, I "played" soccer. Poorly. But my buddy and I had a "luck...
Reading the headlines of the local papers here in Vancouver would lead you to believe that the Canucks are on the verge of being eliminated from this years Stanley Cup race. To that I would have to say that I totally agree.
Despite being tied at a game a piece, the Canucks have not played well in the first two games of this series. There were moments in game one that...
Here's the predictions I made on my own blog. Just thought I'd share with you guys.
Well folks, it's that time of year again. Time for the 2007 playoffs. This years match ups are quite interesting and should provide some exciting hockey. Despite the amazing race in the east, the west has to have the tightest match ups. So seeing as I think I'm a know it all of hockey, a...
I guess Rick Dipietro was exactly what the doctor ordered after all. Coming off a 3 week hiatus, Dipietro backstopped the New York Islanders to a 3-2 victory over the Presidents Trophy winning Buffalo Sabres Saturday night.
The entire team looked electrified by the return of Dipietro from the drop of the puck. The Islanders shook off game 1's timid attitude and explod...
That's right... Lidstrom sucks defensively! If anyone else is currently watching the Flames-Wings game, you just saw Primeau skate around Lidstrom with ease to set up a highlight reel play, only to be stoned by Hasek...
Now we all know that Lidstrom is one of, if not the best defenceman in the league, but the point of this is to point out that every defenceman ends up o...
Here's another blog about the Canucks and their dwindling chances to get past the Stars.
I am an optimist and I feel there have been some good things that came from the last couple of games. I watched both games and for the most part haven't written the Canucks off. I like our offense in game 1 and felt our defense and goaltending came around near the end. As much as I...
I thought the "NEW NHL" is supposed to bring offensive explosion to the NHL but someone forgot to tell the Minnesota Wild.
I looked at the roster of the Minnesota Wild and i found their is great offensive gifted players on that team including names like Demitra, Parrish, Carney, Gaborik and White. These players can score over thirty goals in a season but they are handc...
The heart of this city, the passionate Flames fan, is breaking right now. You can feel the rupture resonating down the red mile, through every basement and every bar, and you can see it in every face.
Kipper is playing beyond human, as we're so accustomed to... yet it is not enough. The forwards are not creating chances, are not forechecking hard, and look as though t...
I predicted a Flames win in 7. Well, for that to happen, there needs to be drastic improvement from, oh, about 18 Flames right now...
Kiprusoff is the only reason either of the games appeared close. This reminds me of that series between Winnipeg and Detroit in 1996 when Nik Khabibulin almost stole the series for the Jets. But as in that series, Detroit has simply be...
ForeverFlyer16 writes...
It's About Time Ron Hextall is Given His Due In Flyerland.
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I watched the Flyers 40th Anniversary DVD to see Ron Hextall's emotions, and have in me feelings rekindled that I had over the entire period that he was with the Flyers... That exuberance that he displayed epitomized what being a Flyer actually means... He, along with Bob Clarke, acted with the raw emotion that I would like to see in every Flyer, every game, every year.
...
first it was Scott Hartnell then it was Alexander Radulov and now it's Colby Armstrong.
Suspend Colby Armstrong for the rest of the series to send the message that the dirty plays wont be accpted in the NHL.
the blows to the head have to stop
NHL isnt do crap until someone is left Paralyzed on the ice......
Eggshmeg writes...
MLB Honours Jackie Robinson, Should the NHL Follow Suit?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Today around Major League Baseball, African-American ball-players were wearing the #42 in honour of the great Jackie Robinson, known for being the first African-American baseball player to break the colour barrier. This got me thinking, should the NHL do the same for the first black hockey player, Willie O'Ree? O'Ree, in case you didn't know, broke into the league in 1958 ...
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...
As a young kid, at any sport, you're taught to always give 110%. You are told to leave everything out on the playing field. It seems that a certain player has forgotten that all season. He has forgotten that he plays for the best team in the Western Conference, and he is looking out of place. I am talking about Robert Lang.
Today, I laughed at him. Sometime during ...
Hey pens fans,
Well, the game started off good with Pens scoring under a minute into the game. Roberts scored and was assisted by Crosby and Armstrong. The Senators came back and scored 4 goals. Late in the third Crosby scored and was assisted by Malkin and Recchi to make it 4-2. Fleury was in goal stopping 21 of 25 shots. Tonight, the Pens were just not with it. They pla...
Yes, I know this is a hockey site and that the title borders on sacrilege. But, stick with me here and you'll understand.
Reason #1: When your team is eliminated from playoff contention, a little piece of you dies. For me being a Hawks fan, that happened sometime in December.
Reason #2: Speaking of the Hawks, watching the games showcases just how far they are fro...
The Dallas Stars really took the game to the Canucks in the first two periods, and just as the Canucks started to come on the Dallas Stars were able to net a power play goal late in the second period.
As I sat here during the second intermission I wondered to myself, can we do it? The Canucks were outplayed in the first and just as they started to come on in the seco...
Yestarday when I got the phone call I was extatic. I got in my car and drove six hours back to Anoka to see the family before tonight's game. All day today I lived the pregame hopes and dreams. I imagined how the win would happen tonight, how the pregame festivities would go, how awesome it would be to celebrate.
I did not however imagine the Wild wiffing on at least a ...
[b]By D. Smith:[/b]
Sure I'm a member of the Nashville Loyal Legion, but it doesn't take an expert (which I'm far from) to realize that the Preds/Sharks series has had all the makings of a classic playoff series.
Fights. League reviews. Suspensions. Bad blood. Double overtime. Coaches exchanging words. You name it.
Should we really be surprised? Two 51 game winn...
I have been a fan of sports for a long time, and I have seen my share of bandwagon fans…but outside the current day red sox (they couldn’t get a guy without a boston accent to admit they were a fan until they won…now some chucklehead in Indiana is proclaiming himself a lifelong fan, yet cant remember a manager prior to Francona), nothing touches the current day Sabre...
So here we are with another Saturday loss. (Don't worry, I'm not panicking over a 3-2 loss anytime soon...) One thing I've noticed over the season was the lack of real grit or passion when playing on Saturdays. I went back through all of the games and the Sabres were a disappointing 10-13-3 when playing on Saturdays (including the loss to NYI)
I'm not a superstitious...
Is it just me or does this seem like it should be game 6 of this series!? Man the first two games have taken allot out of me as a fan I can only imagine what the players must be feeling.
The war of words continues between Ron Whiner and Barry Trotz. Whiner says he thinks that the suspension to Radulov should have been longer (whoa…what a shock!). Trotz is sticking to ...
Hello everyone- I would like to use my first blog as a place to introduce myself and my goals as a blogger.
I go by the user name Kansas City Blues because I am a hardcore Blues fan based out for Kansas City. I have followed the Blues all throughout my 17 years of life and will always bleed Blue.
Living in Kansas City it is tough being a hockey fan. I grew up with the Ka...
The premise that I've been hoping for and building on thus far in the Canucks/Stars series is that the Canucks should have another level to play. That came through yesterday in the 3rd and OT period as the Canucks dominated the puck and offensive chances. Shots were 18 vs. 9 in those periods combined.
The Dallas Stars are just the Dallas Stars. You know what to expec...
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...
I was asking in the Chat room an Idea for a blog when my favorite blogster scoop (sorry Ek) gave me idea of a hockey conversation from my son so here is the first one of maybe many depending on how many he would like to do.
[b]Today blog is on what is wrong with Hockey[/b]
Flamestr: alright Dougstr what is wrong with hockey
Dougstr
Slashing penalties in t...
Dude, wake up, you should ask D-S for some help, or volunteer to leave? Who knows... whatever you're doing, not doing, it's not working.
I mean, it must suck, though for you at the same time, no one wanted you to fail, it's just... your team isn't playing to its potential.
I'm not even a Flames fan, but it's kind of funny...
Dudes on thehockeynews.com figure the...
On a number of fronts...
1. Will Regehr be able to play tomorrow night? it was obvisious that he is currently our best defensmen. With Phanuef a close 2nd.
2. Will McCarty be the answer? If that what the team needs, I hope so! sure he will play sub 10mins, but will the locker room presence be what they need?
3. Has anyone else seen enough of Hale/Warrener in the ...
So, I’m a born and raised Edmontonian that moved to Calgary 10 years ago to work in the oil patch. Living in the heart of the enemy‘s city hasn’t been easy, but for the most part the Oiler & Eskimo’s have done as well or better than their Red Rivals…. That is up until this year.
My defending grey cup champion Eskimos ended a consecutive playoff streak th...
Yes yes, another cliche term about how we have swedish players on our team. And yet, you may be confused. No swedes scored yesterday night, you might say! That's irrelevant. The line of Naslund, Sedin, and Sedin is unbelieveable. They're making Sydor and Zubov look like children. This isn't to say i'm particularly proud of the Canucks effort last night. As the playoffs con...
So I'm busy AGAIN tonight, and this would mean missing TWO broadcasts in a row, which I don't think I can handle. Does anyone know if a radio station in New York City plays it? Normally, I listen to all the game on internet radio so I can hear Rick Jeanneret's broadcast. If RJ's play-by-play is unavailable, what is the radio station that has the Islanders' broadcast? I...
Before the Nashville and San Jose series started, I knew it would be one to watch. Two good teams with a lot of talent going back and forth. Maybe this could sell me on "the new" NHL. I didn't expect the toughness from either team that I have seen in this series though. But there's a difference in being tough and being a hack. Outside of Peter Forsberg and Shea Weber,...
When will the Stars learn to push back in this series? As soon as there is any momentum change against them, Canucks score a goal. When you dominate 50 minutes of a 60 minute game, show enough heart to not lose it in 10 minutes.
Turco should be blame-free so far for this series. He has done his part to win it. He stole the end of game 2, and was well on his way to d...
I didn't author this but I thought some you might enjoy it.
Hockey players...
will do anything just to be able to tell his teammates
a great story in the dressing room. Live the dream until they are 35
then realize they never made it. Ladies love us, guys want to be us, we
are the soul of the universe. You lace up the skates, put on the
gloves, strap on the...
Now with the Pens in a desperate situation it will be up to Michel Therrien. He has been outstanding leeding his troops all year long, but it is the real time. Right now he needs to do a major shake up in the lines and whos getting scratched and whos not. If i were Michel Therrien i would seriously think about playing Joel Kwiatkowski over a guy like Josef Melichar or Rob ...
Is it just me or does it seem like this should be game 6 of this series!? Man the first two games have taken allot out of me as a fan and I can only imagine what the players must be feeling.
The war of words continues between Ron Whiner and Barry Trotz. Whiner says he thinks that the suspension to Radulov should have been longer (whoa…what a shock!). Trotz is sticking...
In a recent article entitled "How to Rebuild the Flyers", Hockeybuzz blogger Tim Panaccio give his breakdown on the Flyers offseason outlook.
In the piece he says the following in regards to Flyers young defensman Joni Pitkanen:
"They also desperately lack a No. 1 defenseman. [i][b]Joni Pitkanen should have been able to assume that role by now.[/b][/i] Yet his inabil...
Here we are, game three of a series some Sabre fans were calling an easy sweep. With the Islanders 3-2 win on Saturday, the brooms are back in the closet and the game moves to the Island.
Led by Rick Dipietro and a suddenly re-energized roster, the Islanders know that the battle has only begun. Buffalo is known for exploding after a loss and the Islanders need to be r...
I'm going to try something different and if people like it maybe I'll do it again in the future. Live updates to tonight's Sabres game...highlighting key plays and my thoughts as the game is going on. I would love to hear feedback, so please leave comments. Enjoy...
[b]10:14 p.m. EST:[/b] And that's it! Not the prettiest ending, but the Sabres hold on. The Isles po...
This edition of [b]In The Net[/b] hockey blog focuses on the Really, Really, Bad; the Really, Really, Good; Shame Shame; Good For You!(nice prices on eBay); Hockey In The Strangest Places; Mother's Day Giveaway. Sponsored by [url]www.SportsGiftNets.com[/url] - [i]In life it really is the little things.. here, they all add up to a great gift for the sports fan![/i]
Than...
Gary,
I would like to extend this open letter as fair warning for what may happen should you allow the Dallas Stars to continue to run our goaltender. Without going into extensive detail, I would like to bring your attention to such incidents as the Todd Bertuzzi hit on Steve Moore.
I understand your position on the instigator rule, but I would also like to point ...
What a shame. A goal 52 seconds into the game, and the Pens just seemed to be going through the motions until about 5 minutes left in the game. What about the 2 periods in between?? If they keep this up, we might be shaving our playoff beards come Thursday. Don't get me wrong, I think the kids can bounce back, but tomorrow nite is all but a do or die situation, since I don...
My sources are telling me that early indications point to Sutter firing Playfair.
Details to come.
Sunday's Pens and Senators game was the worst of the series for the Penguins.
They gained some momentum in game 2...and it lasted into game 3...for about 5 minutes.
Game 3 was so disappointing because the Penguins should feel they have a chance to win this series, but they are not playing like it. They should be past the "wow, we are in the playoffs" feeling, and se...
The Sabres put forth a much better effort in Game 3, resulting in a 3-2 win and the lead in the series. Finally, the Sabres forwards scored all 3 goals, including goals from Briere and Vanek. Zubrus currently leads the team in points, with 4 (all assists). He was great again tonight, providing good offense and defense along with a strong physical game. Both of the goal...
Well see how long you 2 last in the playoffs.. Your disasater of penalty calls and bogus goal calls against the Islanders, and turning your back on Sabres penalties, you have only you 2 to blame for the onslought of garbage you two got hit with in the last minute of the game. Its a simple thoguht.. either call the Campoli play, or don't call the Robataille play.. By ignori...
The Chicago Blackhawks had the NHL's fifth-worst record and only an 8% shot at drawing the 1st pick in the draft. I guess it was their lucky day. After grabbing Jonathan Toews last years draft, the Hawks get ready for a possible franchise changing decision in 2007.
Unlike some past drafts many would argue that there is not a clear cut #1 pick this season. Many are tout...
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[b]The most impressive Sidney Crosby rookie card to date is limited to 99 copies is autographed, contains a piece of patch memorabilia embedded into the card, and recently sold on eBay for just over $15K.[/b]
I recently read a news report on the Beckett web site titled, “Crosby Cup RC Snapped Up At $10K” then on April 16, 2007 I researched the card on eBay and w...
That distinction belongs to the 2006-2007 Nashville Predators. Of course, there have been teams over the years that have been much worse away from home, but this is different. We were actually led to believe that this was a team built for a serious Stanley Cup run.
No way.
The Preds were 23-15-3 on the road this year. Sure, it doesn't seem too bad at first glance, bu...
The Islanders played their best game of the year last nite. Miro Satan says "We've never played any better. We were flying." It appeard to be that the Isles were trying to play Buffalo's game in the 1st and 2nd. They had speedy forwards and their forecheck was phenomenal. Teddy Nolan is putting together a good game plan. "Captain Canada" was a horse, he was all over ...
One of the things that I always look for in the NHL playoffs is how teams play with the expectations leveled on them. Do the top point getters continue with the style of play that got them into the position they are in, or do they grip their sticks a bit tighter, when they get down a goal? Do the teams that snuck their way in, who may consider themselves to be playing wi...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Yashin to Iles - Worst trade in the history of the NHL!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
For all the mistakes former Isles General Manager Mike Milbury made during his tenure — where do we begin? — trading for Yashin is the biggest blunder in franchise history.
New York gave up top-ticket defenseman Zdeno Chara and a first-round pick that ended up being Jason Spezza.
And on top of that... he turned around and signed him to a 10 year $90 million co...
What I don't understand with the Pittsburgh Penguins right now is why don't they play Georges Laraque. They brought Laraque in for one reason....to protect Sidney Crosby. The Senators have gotten plenty of shots in on Crosby that have not been called. If the Senators know that they will get away with it why would they stop. The Pens need someone like Laraque to make su...
Beasts. Everywhere. It's a good thing I have my trusty guide with me. We step out of our vehicle and onto the dilapidated lot in Uniondale, Long Island. Nassau Coliseum stands like some archaic ruin, except the ancient Roman and Greek ruins are far better managed. My guide carries our hidden snacks and drinks in her deep-pocketed coat. The rain bleats down like the hammer ...
Game 3, in Calgary, down 2 - 0, does it get any bigger than this? No. It's that simple. The Flames must come out with enerygy tonight. Forcheck hard, win battles, be physical and most importantly get the first goal. Tonight, I'm afraid, is do or die. Win this game and we have a series. Lose, and start thinking about the summer and next year!
43 and 51 SOG in th...
Anytime your team loses I think the first reaction is to look at your team and find fault. While I will do that in a post later today I think I first need to give credit to the Sharks for a well played game.
[b]What They Did:[/b]
[b]Played Physical[/b] - The Sharks played the physical game I expected but they did not take the penalties that I thought would come with ...
0 for 6. Nope, that wasn't the Predators' power play line from Monday night. They wish they'd gotten six power plays.
No, this stat line is far more telling of the Nashville Predators' struggles in the playoffs. The Preds have yet to win a road playoff game. Ever.
Of course, all hyperbole aside, the Preds have only been in three postseasons, but the fact of the matte...
I don't think Red Wings fans could have hoped for a better way to start this series. They have dominated the entire 120 mins of this series so far. They have been the more skilled, but maybe more importantly, the more PHYSICAL team. They are initiating the hits, taking it to the Flames, and making a statement that this years Red Wings team is a PHYSICAL hockey team. Th...
So by this point I think it's safe to say it would be 2-1 for one team rather than 3-0. But why is it that score? Games 1 and 3 were as close as they get and game 2 was all about the Stars. The Canucks won game 3 because of 2 defensive breakdowns not because of anything they really did. On the first goal Turco was telling his d-man to reverse the puck behind the net a...
It is unknown if Burtuzzi will play in tonight's game...but if he does who sits. It would be hard to sit Filipula, who would have been the obvious choice had this been Game 1. But Fillipula had scored 2 goals and his line had played extremely well with Franzen and Hudler attacking and crashing the net. Hudler is another option, but he is playing on both that line and h...
I've had the pleasure of being a Wild fan since the begining, and I've seen this team go through a lot. The team started as any new team does as the joke of the league, they've now turned it around to being a good team. However in this year's playoffs they've taken a step back in a lot of people minds not being able to get a win against Anaheim. Tonight will start the come...
Tonight should be another great night of NHL playoff hockey, with some big games going on in the East.
[b]Thrashers @ Rangers, GM 3, Rangers lead 2-0[/b]
The New York Rangers are looking to take a commanding three games to none lead over the Thrashers as they return home tonight.The Blue shirts took away home ice from Atlanta by winning a pair of one goal games, 4-3, a...
mojoworld writes...
Where are we at? + some good playoff lines (unders!) tonight
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Van-Dal: 2-1 Van leads. Good under bet opportunities here for handicappers after game 1. Still say Vancouver will just get it done and win out from here.
Ana-Min: 3-0 Ducks. Wow, really didn't see this coming and I'm not sure why I don't respect the Ducks team play more. In any case, now it's just a matter of if the Wild can make themselves look respectable. Off-season,...
I must admit, I am new to hockey. I started really watching hockey after the lockout. I always did like the sport, but never new how the game was played with the rules and such not and found it very hard to follow that puck on the tv. About seven years ago I met this lady, who this June will become my better half, who is a BIG flyers fan and, once we were able to afford...
anicecoldrink writes...
Why Playoff Hockey Is Like You and Your Girlfriend
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
One second you're in love, the next you wish you never met.
One week, 4 different possible outcomes.
Some one is always on the powerplay.
Inversely, some one is always killing off a penalty.
No matter how many saves you make, you let one slip through and it's automatically your fault.
Some one is bound to get hurt.
At the end of a hard fought battle, ther...
Hoping to help his team play with poise via palate pleasing panache, one fan's story.
Game 1
Main course: who cares?
Result: 2-1 loss
Game 2
Main course: doesn't matter
Result: 3-2 loss
Game 3
Main course: Subway double dip
Result: 2-1 loss
Game 4
Main course:
Italian cold cut hero from Samantha's Deli
Prosciutto
Salami
Pepperoni
lettuce (shredde...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Where would the Sabres be without Zubrus, Mair?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img:right]http://www.gramdesign.com/images/bloody.jpg[/img]There are 8 playoff series going on right now, 7 of which are absolutely nasty. Bone-jarring hits, constant scrums, facewashes, blood, concussions, headhunting (allegedly), elbows… you name it, we’ve seen it. EXCEPT in the Sabres/Islanders series. Granted, we did get some physical play last night but this s...
By the power of Grayskull, a few points:
1) If last night was a game of Ice Hockey on the original Nintendo Entertainment System, Lindy must have gotten a hold of a Game Genie because Mair and Zubrus were able to hit like the big, fat players but also, somehow, had the agility and speed of the skinny guys that usually get run over. They were only credited with 8 hits i...
kamikazepilot42 writes...
Playoff hockey, non-playoff hockey, and other stuff
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Three topics to touch on briefly.
1. I'm thoroughly excited for the Rangers-Thrashers game tonight. It will be interesting to see how the Rangers respond to being back at home. This is an extremly important game. A win will put the series at 3-0 and put New York in a comfortable position to move on. A loss and the Thrashers gain a huge amount of momentum and could ...
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 ...
I don't like to throw around the phrase "Must Win Game" very often, but I will make an exception for tonight's Game 4 against Ottawa. The Pens have been outplayed in every facet of the game and must right the ship before digging themselves a two game whole. The team must move their feet more to generate more puck possession in the offensive zone and to generate possible ...
Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, and Martin St. Louis. The Tampa Bay Lightning's Big 3.
Before the series with New Jersey, one of the best defensive teams in hockey, the story regarding the Lightning was "What's Tampa Bay going to do when New Jersey shuts down their main line - where will the scoring come from?".
Funny thing happend on the way to answering that que...
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 ...
Eggshmeg writes...
The Best the NHL has to Offer, for Non-Hockey Watchers
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This blog is for those of you who don't follow hockey all that much but have decided to watch some playoff hockey and you want to know the best games that are out there to watch this round. I'm gonna give you my suggestions of games to watch from the east and west, whichever side you're on. The games I post will be the most intriguing ones I think are out there out there. ...
Today Blog is on Dougstr opinion on what Don Cherry Said
Flamestr
Dougstr before we get into the questions how do you feel about Don Cherry himself
Dougstr
Don Cherry
I like him a lot he usually funny with his clothes like in the Stanley Cup Playoffs I like his red wig and his dress robe with the Carolina Hurricanes on it.
Mike Emery
He is a real good...
Seriously, someone took this team, tied them up somewhere, and replaced them with stiffs that would be hard up to make the ECHL. Atlanta isn't a playoff team, they're just a team that got enough points to qualify for the playoffs.
It doesn't even look like they care tonight. Lehtonen is being hung out to dry. Hossa, Kovy, and Kozlov have been invisible all series.
...
I love read thoughtless articles from writers across the country that know NOTHING about hockey. they try so so hard to write an article or talk hockey and they cant. let's look at a couple of examples. After Todd Fedrouk,"Fridge" know by Flyers Fans, was smoke in a clean fight by Orr, Gary Bettman made appreence on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia sports news show 'Daily Ne...
Ottawa's winning goal came off the stick of Anton Volchenkov. Not only is this an unlikely hero, but instead he puts the proverbial nail in the coffin. The Penguins are now forced to win three out of four games. The Senators now have a 3-1 lead in the series, with a 2-1 win in Pittsburgh.
Gary Roberts was the lone Penguin to show determination, although some would say h...
There isn't much you can say after winning your first playoff game at home in 10 years by a score of 7-0. The denizens of MSG came ready to cheer on their blueshirts, it does help coming in up 2-0 in the series vs. 0-2 without Jagr like last year, and they weren't dissappointed.
32 seconds into the game Nylander scores his first of 3 on the night and the party was just ...
Keys to Game 3:
Forecheck.
Play physical.
First to loose pucks.
Win the battles.
Discipline.
Composure.
Period 1:
There's the effort. That's how we really play. Had a few solid chances. Unlucky to not put any in. Iggy looks better. Conny is flying. Kipper looks solid again. Even Stuart is impressing. Warrener is a machine. 4minute penalty killed with ...
During last summers long off-season the Vancouver Canucks GM Dave Nonis made two signing that may fans have questioned. The first was the signing of defenseman Willie Mitchell to a 4 yr./$3.5 million deal and the second was Trevor Linden to a 1 yr./$600,000 deal. Fans and media alike have questioned these moves all season long and in some instances the critics have made so...
briere2112 writes...
Sens, Rangers, and Canucks get 3rd win in series...
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Ottawa, NYR, and Vancouver now lead their series 3-1, 3-0, and 3-1, respectively.
The Rangers are annihilating the Thrashers. 7-0. Well, you can tell this is the first time the Thrashers have been to the playoffs, but I guess I was expecting more from Hossa.
Ottawa and Vancouver have played well and should win their series as well. The Penguins have played well ...
Dude, we're going to the Cup finals man... Nazzy wants it bad and he's showing he can/will do it. I know that one Dallas goal may have been a result of him not getting a strong hold of the puck and whipping it out of the zone, but this is an entirely different Naslund, wow, I'm so impressed.
I hope the Wild claw their way back into the series, can't make the Ducks look...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens fell to the Sens in game 4 at the Mellon Arena. The Sens got their firsst goal on a flukey bounce off Jordan Staal's stick. It was just a bad bounce and neither Staal or Fleury can be faulted for it. In the second period, Staal tied the game and was assisted by Roberts and Ouellet. Ottawa went ahead 2-1 in the third. Fleury was in goa...
The passion. The toughness. The win.
This was Flames hockey. This was the grit we saw in '04. This is what we expected.
We were forechecking. We were winning the battles. We were making short passes and skating. We can beat the Wings. 1 down, 3 to go.
After watching the Penguins/Senators game tonight one thing was evident. The Penguins had learned what it would take to compete at the level of the Senators, but it wasn't enough as they fell short once again. The Penguins dominated the play for most of the game, and deserved a better fate than a 2-1 loss at home, but that is what played out. This loss is a backbreaker ...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Pens or Sens Will Have Nothing Left for Round Two
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I wrote yesterday about how the Sabres need to ratchet up the “physical” play if they expect to make a serious run to the cup. After watching game 4 of the Pens & Sens… maybe the Sabres plan will work out just fine if they meet one of these teams in the ECF.
To put it simply and succinctly, these teams are absolutely KILLING each other. I have to believe that ...
With the win on Tuesday night the New York Rangers are in a position to sweep the Atlanta Thrashers right out of the playoffs.
A Big game from the number 1 line helped put a beating on the Atlanta team who, unlike in the first 2 games, came up flat footed. In game 1 the Thrashers came out fired up. Looking to hit everything in their path. Crashing and banging in an att...
An overflow crowd of 19,174 fans flooded into the Xcel Energy Center last night. 19,174 people were, quite honestly, hoping against hope that the Wild could show some life and pull out a win, though most were prepared to bid farewell to what has been a fantastic season for the white, green, and red.
What they got was a performance by the team that they should have seen...
Down 3-1 in the series, the common thought that runs through your mind, as a player or a fan, is "[b]There is NO tomorrow[/b]".
That's the kind of thinking that many will argue is needed in order to beat the odds and win game 5 in Ottawa.
While I believe the intensity level necessary to win game 5 CAN be obtained from that line of thinking, there is also a tremendous...
mojoworld writes...
It's a far cry, but if anyone can do it... I think it's the
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
WILD!!! -- Down 3-1, how do you come back. How can you come back. Are you even supposed to come back? Well duh, you have to try. This is an open invite to everyone to list reasons why the Wild should beat the Ducks 3 more times in a row. I think it's not out of the question yet, obviously if they can win Game 5, people will start thinking it's possible or rather more ...
Just looked at the morning paper and to my surprise the Rangers did beat the Thrashers 7-0 last night to take a 3 games to none lead in their opening round series. It had seemed so perfect that I thought I must've dreamt it.
That was one of the most complete wins this team has had in a long time, that it ended a 10 year home playoff win drought only made it that much sw...
ITS NEVER OVER UNTIL ITS OVER !!!!!!!!!!!!
That being said, it is pretty damn close to being over.........
Yet, as a fan, I still have hope. Hope that one of our best players can actually score a goal in one of these games.
Hope that the bounces that have not gone our way, will actually go our way. (Van has a goal off a defensemans skate and a complete fluke o...
1) What’s better than playoff hockey? In a series that could potentially be labeled “boring” by comparison to past playoff series and those currently underway (especially Ottawa-Pittsburgh), the Sabres and Islanders have, instead, found a way to stay interesting due to an odd debate over “shooting at the goalie’s head”, the ridiculous behavior of Islander fans...
Yitzhak writes...
The First Official Washington Capitals Blog on this Site
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Since this site is woefully prejudiced against us Capitals fans, I felt it was time to step up to the plate and fulfill the glaring need for a Capitals Blog. Granted there are only about four Capitals fans on this whole site, but that is really besides the point.
As anyone remotely familiar with the NHL knows, the Capitals were atrocious down the stretch, and in some w...
Game 4 between the Sabres and Islanders is tonight at 7:30 in New York.
Buffalo currently leads the series 2-1 and could take both away games along with a commanding lead with a win tonight. Games 2 and 3 were very close games, though I thought the Sabres were much better in Game 3 than in 2. If the Sabres come out to play from the start, I don't think they'll have any ...
Just some quick thoughts before Game 4 of the Rangers-Thrashers series.
I said yesterday that if Jagr had two points last night, the Rangers would win. He had more than that in the first period, and the game was essentially over soon after that.
Absolutely great to see Ryan Callahan score two goals last night. Congrats to him, and hopefully we see a lot more of tha...
Vancouver edged another victory away from Dallas. The series is extremely close and yet on paper now it seems different. What is it that's putting the Nucks in the win column? The obvious answer is Luongo. Turco has been good too don't get me wrong. This series has been all about the goaltending and Luongo has been outshining Turco. Could the Canucks be playing this well w...
10 Reasons the Sabres will win tonight
1 – Sabres skate like the wind, Witt and co. is just too dam slow
2 – Islanders have nothing left after giving max efforts in games 2 and 3
3 - Roy, Afinigenov, Vanek line will dominate
4 – Miller is better than Dipeitro
5 – Mike Schopp says so... and Bulldog agreed (imagine that?)
6 - Chris Drury is a hockey god and t...
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 ...
In 2004, a young man (well, if you count 26 as young) got to live a dream of a lifetime and go to a Stanley Cup Finals Game. That young man was me, and being from Newfoundland where the closest NHL team is Boston (it could be Toronto, but I can't stand the Leafs) I never even got close to a pre-season game in my first 25 years of life.
That year, I experienced the grea...
I was fortunate to go to game 4 last night, and what a difference 2 days made. Even though the Pens couldn't pull it out, I can't see any real reason why fans can be too upset at the team. They gave it their all, and it was very evident and the fans responded accordingly, from the cheers during a fourth line cycle to the fans clapping after the game in the midst of defeat....
6:44
just got off the train and walked one block to the bus station and now I'm heading to the Coliseum. by the time we got to Hempstead, not many people on the train still remained -- most being SABRES FANS, which was amusing, to say the least. on the bus right now, several more. we are packing the arena!
7:07
just got into the arena ... testing it out AND I HAVE ...
Post-Dispatch reports that Erik Johnson has signed and will be introduced Thursday. He is expected to be on the opening day roster next year, woo hoo. Now lets get a forward for Backman. Next season starts soon right?
When it's been 10 years since you've won a playoff series you know your fan base is starved and that hunger was fed tonight as the Rangers finished off the Thrashers 4-2 at Madison Square Garden.
The World's Most Famous Arena was buzzing with excitement as the blueshirts looked to finish off their first playoff sweep since that year most dear to all Ranger fans 1994. Th...
The Sabres won Game 4 by a score of 4-2. However, when it was 3-2 Sabres, the Isles put the puck in the net. The refs ruled no goal on the ice and Toronto also ruled no goal. However, was this the right call? I am a Sabres fan, so I want to believe it was the correct call. But there have been too many occasions where the Sabres have been screwed by bad calls for me no...
Tonight Ranger fans got to see something that hasn't happened in the Garden in ages...a playoff sweep and a date in the second round of the playoffs. It was our first playoff series win in 10 years....and boy did it feel good. The atmosphere at the Garden the past 2 games was sensational and the Rangers fed off of it and played near perfect hockey both games.
What can...
The War Room in Toronto has gotten a lot of grief lately. But Kudos to the Hockey Operations folks that are bunkered down each night.
Matt Cullen's knuckle-puck bomb did indeed hit the ice inside the goal, millimeters (or millimetres, eh?) past the goal line for the series-sweep-clinching goal. Yeah, it took a while. But they got it right, which was the whole point of...
It may be the first reaction of any sports team that is looking for a championship to axe all of the leadership of a consistently underachieving team, and everyone knows that isn't fair. The problem for Dallas is that the front office is the problem, not the coaching staff. With all of the injuries the team sustained this year its a miracle that the team stayed competitive...
Well, goal or no goal, it doesnt matter. The Islanders drop 2 straight at home and trail Buffalo 3-1 headed to friday at the HSBC. Was it a goal? Was Miller pushed in by an Islander? It doesnt matter, does it? They are not going to start up the game again or "make it up" to the Isles in game 5. The Isles lost because they didnt bury their early chances.
Hey, remem...
(Trade Day Mishaps)
After last night, the Atlanta Thrashers management team have to be sitting there and wondering; what just happened? After giving up a big part of their future in Glen Metropolit, two first rounder’s (2007,2008), a second rounder (2007) and a third rounder (2008) for Keith Tkachuck, it’s a wonder GM’s chose to give up so much and fail at the gam...
These calls NEVER go Buffalo’s way… EVER!
Vanek’s goal – Common sense tells you it was clearly a goal… however I was fully expecting that to be disallowed.
The Afinegenov powerplay – Max somehow drew 6minutes in penalties with a hard play to the net that we see over and over again. Again, I live in Buffalo, I expected co-incidentals at best.
Game 4 N...
Okay, I just want to make a few things clear. I have now attended three Sabres games in three different arenas: HSBC Arena, Madison Sq Garden, and Nassau Coliseum. Of course, the crowd at HSBC is unbeatable when you're rooting on the home team, so I'll leave that aside. As for the MSG crowd, they were more than friendly and I struck up a good conversation with the guy n...
My evening started typically enough. Stuck in unmoving traffic to get over to JFK. My future brother-in-law was coming in for the game tonight...taking off from work as a chef in a very highly respected restaurant in Florida. I look up, half expecting to see bats, but instead the sky is thickly overcast in the gray fog which has enveloped Long Island since hockey came to t...
The sweep of the Atlanta Thrashers has been completed. New York Rangers move on to the second round and the Garden Faithful can rejoice..... For now.
The Rangers played an Atlanta team who didn't seem nearly as prepared as they should of been. Don't get me wrong. Rangers played a great series. They moved the puck well, they forechecked, they backchecked, [i][b]they shot...
...it appears that the puck was indeed across the goal line before Miller got pushed into the net. From all I'm hearing this morning, it appears the league got this one wrong and the goal should have counted. A camera angle from in front of the net shows the puck across the goal line between Miller's pads.
That being said, there's nothing that can be done about that n...
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...
To read Part I:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=567&post_id=557
[i]We last left our hero, yours truly, with his trusty guide, her brother (the former Islander fan trumpet player) watching Game 4 of the Islander/Sabres series. A man donned in a Ranger jersey has sat in the seats, and bad vibes are back in the Coliseum.[/i]
"Leave it all on the ice"
...
Manchester Monarchs 5- Worcester Sharks 2
Monarchs lead series 1-0
And so begins yet another attempt at escaping the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs for my local team.
The AHL affiliate of the LA Kings has been a strong performer in the regular season each of it's six seasons of existance. However, when the playoffs roll around, the Verizon Wireless Aren...
Will consistency bring continued gastric glory or will a repeat sandwich usher in the off-season?
Games 1-3
Main courses: DOESN'T MATTER
Results: DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT
Game 4
Main course: Italian cold cut sandwich, Doritos, Sprite
Result: 5-1* win for the Wild
Game 5
Had this one on stand-by since the final horn on Tuesday night.
Italian cold ...
The Minnesota Wild have the most daunting of tasks ahead of them.
We've all heard the constant droning on and on about the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Islanders and their amazing comeback stories. Blah blah blah blah blah. Fact is, even though the Wild exploded for 5 goals in Game 4 (yeah, one was waved off on a bogus call on a rule that is no longer in exis...
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...
Tonight Game 4 of the Flames-Red Wings series goes at 7:30MST (9:30EST for the majority of readers on here) and to say something that is obvious - Calgary needs the win. Not only do the need the win, they need to get it in convincing fashion.
Sure they beat the Red Wings 3-2 on Tuesday night but many of the glaring errors the Flames made in Games 1 & 2 are still around...
Enough crying about how mean the Isles fans are, you would be pissed if you got screwed out of two games too. However, let's look at those two games. For one, Vanek's goal was not CONCLUSIVELY across the goal line. I know it was, you know it was in. However any camera angle did not show it to be conclusive, it was assumptive. Which it does not say in the rule book. Flash b...
I was trying to figure out what to write my next blog when my brother gave a talk on blessed be the Peace makers, when that gave me a idea on my nex t blog. So today blog is on
[b] BLESSED BE THE PEACE MAKERS. [/b]
The Linesman have to brake up break up biggest fighters. People like Derek Boogaard vs Brad May or how about Andrew Peters Vs Brian McGrattan,...
I expect the best game of the series tonight straight-up:
Both teams are really amped up for tonight: the Ducks want to finish this thing and the Wild want to continue it. The Ducks at the end of the day might have something to prove physically as they did seem to get out of control in Game 4. As I've said in the forums, this series is a lot like the WCF last year( with t...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens lost the series to the Senators. The score was 3-0. The game was not bad, overall. It is just hard to find the good, when the season is over. One thing to gain from this playoff experience is Experience. That is something that most of the team did not have and now they have playoff experience. This will do them a world of good in the...
When this series started, I truy believed the Penguins could compete with the Senators. The teams played such close games during the regular season that it seemed almost impossible for the series not to go 6 or 7 games. (still trying to get my foot out of my mouth from that prediction...)
What happened during the playoffs was plain and simple -- the Senators had an extr...
It was the night of nights. Everyone in town knew that we had to play better, regardless of our victory on Tuesday. The swing game was live or die. No way we could crawl out of a hole going back to the Joe. It was tonight or bust.
We've played consecutively better every game, and believe it or not, I think we still need to get better. Kipper is inhuman. I think he...
mwiles19 writes...
Dissapointing End, But Still Happy With Overall Result
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The 2006-2007 NHL season came to an abrupt end for the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight, as they were eliminated by the Ottawa Senators. The same Senators team, in name only, who the Penguins recently beat three straight times in the regular season. The reason I say in name only, is because the Senators picked it up a notch for the playoffs and simply dominated this young Pen...
My heart constantly pounds like a drum. My fists are sore from being clenched, and sweat occasionally drips from my brow. My playoff beard is itching like hell and my facepaint is all over my Flames Jersey... I couldnt ask for a better time. For the rabid hockey fans, playoffs are considered a religious event and we put players/teams in the spotlight and on a pedestal. It ...
For those of us STARS faithful that fill the American Airlines Center each home game, that movie clip is engrained in our minds! Numerous times this year, Dallas has been behind the 8-ball...and numerous times this year, they have answered the call. Tonight was no different...Marty Turco was absolutely brilliant, and they found a way to finally solve Luongo. Now, there ...
Ally and D Smith writes...
One Last Rallying Cry (hopefully until Sunday)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]By D. Smith:[/b]
This has been quite a year for Predator fans. The 0-3 start. The 7 game road win streak. The climb to the top. The Al Strachan "Get Out of Nashville" article. The Forsberg trade. The Tootoo/Robidas incident. The Nashville/San Jose exchanges in the playoffs.
What a year it's been. And it seems like it's been an awfully long one. I feel like the ...
Before I even get started, I just want to make clear that, even as a Sabre's fan, I feel the Isles got the shaft on wednesday night. Not once, either, but twice; of course, the obvious shaft was the "no-goal" call that, from what I saw immediately, should have been a goal. In all honesty, when they went to the phone, I was sure the referee's call was going to be reversed. ...
Playoff elimination seems so final. Your team is done...there will be no Stanley Cup parade down main street this year.
It's a fact of life for 8 teams after round 1. Then 4 more in round 2. Then 2...then 1...
Yeah, in this crazy cup chase only ONE team gets to raise the hardware at the end of the road...and the other 15 playoff teams get to think about "what might h...
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...
[img]C:\Documents and Settings\Greg\Desktop\gregs ringers\staalhattrick.mp3[img:right][img][/img]What do you think was the best moment of the year for the Pengins? Personally i think Staals overtime goal versus toronto that completed the hattrick was best.[img]C:\Documents and Settings\preferred customer\Desktop\evolution.jpg[/img]
Can anyone see or hear the pic?
Avenged Sevenfold blasts through my apartment, good thing the other half of my life isnt home. I am a bit more optimistic about tonights game, but believe me. . .I dont expect a win.
Instead of chewing on old soup about refereeing and no-goals/goals/beer bottles/etc, I am going to recap on what has come of our rag-tag group of boys out on Long Island this season.
[b...
For the past couple of weeks I have been enjoying the spectacle known as the NHL playoffs. As a Blues fan and only 24 years old, last year was the first time I have ever watched the post season without my team. The second time around has been a little easier since I know bright things are on the horizon. While our ownership has the people of St. Louis happy, the same can n...
So the Rangers decide to sign a few players to contract extentions. Not big news, yes I know. However with the sweep, it's left nothing for Rangers fans to disscuss about our own team. So I figured let's break the ice with a bit of a news round up.
Rangers sign first round pick Sanguinetti to a pro-contract. Sanguinetti has mostly played in the OHL. This past season he ...
Islander Sean Hill has been suspended for 20 games for violating the league's Performance Enhancing Substance Abuse policy.
Hill will not dress for the balance of the playoffs.
I am not going to apology for splitting hairs over the use of Nation when describing the fans of certain NHL teams or the co-opting of the term for profit. No, I won’t because I’m Canadian and we’ve been splitting nations and attempting to sew them back together, and to the larger fabric, since our inception.
For those of you reading this in Canada I realize inv...
Over the course of the past several days, I have heard several comment made on the radio and in general conversation that the Canucks got the lucky bounce, or the Stars got the lucky bounce etc. I myself have made the mistake, surely the Stars got a lucky bounce in Game 5 when the puck slid eerily close the their gapping net while Turco was on the bench and the Canucks had...
This is the song that never ends.
It goes on and on my friends.
Someone started singing it not knowing what it was,
and they'll continue singing it forever just because,
This song can best describe the Canucks Dallas series. Just when you think you have got a hold of what is happening then suddenly something else happends and suddenly something else pops out and i...
Now before I get flamed by every single Sabres fan on Earth this is just an opinion I've formed after watching the Sabres take out the Isles in 5 games.
The Sabres are incredibly talented, they are loaded with offense and have a pretty good back end to boot. But, they didn't run away with this series as much as some Sabres fans (and again I''m not painting them all wit...
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]
...
Another April, another disappointing playoff series.
But this time, this team was the most talented in the league, had the most individual season ticket holders in the NHL, was playing against a team that they matched up well against during the season, and was favored by some to win the Stanley Cup. And lest we forget Peter Forsberg, who came here because he thought we ...
I think the Sharks' intensity level was just higher. San Jose was the better team and it showed. San Jose is deeper than ever before, and they are definitely a team to be feared in these playoffs.
Where Nashville lost this series, however, was with the penalties. San Jose's power play was lousy, but the penalties to Nashville just killed their momentum. Thats one th...
As I am sitting here at 2:00am listening to Baba O'Reilly, I got to thinking. (No smart aleck remarks from a certain Stars fan either! You know who you are!) I have been called a lot of things. Some good some bad. The obvious good ones are husband, father, friend. But, one of my favorite things to be called is "Coach". It is also one of the most powerful things to b...
This is not overconfidence....anyone who knows me knows i'm as nervous as they come till the final whistle blows but I think the Lightning are in real trouble and here is why....
The Lightnings best players have been thier best players all series and yet the series was still tied, the Devils best players hadn't really showed up yet. Well tonight the Devils best players ...
[i]O Calgary Flames who skate in the Dome,
Hallowed be the ice upon which you play.
Your power rankings will climb
As your points do over time, at Sportsnet as well on TSN.
Give us this day our special teams skill.
And forgive us our tresspasses as we check those who try to do us ill.
Lead us not to the penalty box and deliver us from unreviewed goals,
For thine are...
All I have to say is that with the Stars extending the series to game 6, I sure hope that we do not have a 2003 situation on our hands. You see the Vancouver Canucks of 2002-2003 were probably the best tanlented team that has ever been put together in this city, at least for the regular season.
The west coast express was in full swing Todd Bertuzzi had 94 points, Marku...
Though I am a believer in only the one, true, God...thank-you hockey gods (and San Jose Sharks)!!! How fitting that Thugville's third major (non-fighting) penalty and countless game misconduct cost them the game and series! It could not have been more perfect. If you can blame the lack of hockey enthusiasm on any players, it would certainly include the thugs of the game...
And we should give thanks for that. The Flames came out today and played a SOLID first period. If we had played that way the whole game, we would have won. However, we stopped skating after the first period. Not only that, we kept giving the puck away, both in our own zone and at the offesive blueline. How can you expect to win when you do that? How can you even expec...
I hate the wings, but the way the Flames are acting is an embarassment to the league.
[b]WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN LIFE PART 3[b]
When I started watching the game I began to slip and began to get stressed so my wife told me to go for a walk and forget the game. So I put on my coat and went for a walk, while I was walking our beautiful streets of Calgary , I over heard some body swear when Detroit scored there second goal I was walking in a back all...
Hey pens fans,
So, about a month ago Crosby broke his left foot blocking a shot. He has been playing through it, obviously. He just announced he will miss worlds to let it heal properly. And FYI, if you don't remember him breaking his foot, don't feel bad, neither do I and it was not on the injury reports, i already checked.
[url]http://penshockey.blogspot.com[/url]
The Flames have done themselves no favors as they now head into game 6 on Sunday down a game and on the brink of elimination. The Flames started off game 5 fairly well and even outshot the Red Wings for most of the first period. But, it was a second period special teams disaster that marked the beginning of the end for Calgary. Dan Cleary roofed a penalty shot during a Fla...
Heroes:
DRURY- Captain Clutch adds 2 more GWG's to his already impressive resume 14 total GWG's in the post season.
BRIERE Line- Slow start follwed by solid game 4 & 5 performances.
AFINOGENOV- Anther slow starter... Turned disappointing series into a great ending with Series winning goal. Welcome back MAX NATION
Zeroes:
HECHT- 0 Goals, but an impressive 18 SOG ...
The Dallas STARS played their best post-season game in several years, beating Vancouver 2-0, and forcing game 7 Monday night! From a fan's point-of-view, it was the most awesome game I have been to in quite some time. The capacity crowd was rowdy the entire night, and the team played like a contender. Marty Turco finished with 21 saves for his second shutout in a row, a...
Hockey players have an annual tradition where they grow out their beards when the playoffs roll around. No one is quite sure when the "playoff beard" first sprouted roots, but it's as entrenched in the game of hockey as sudden death overtimes and the two pad stack.
Certain diehard fans take their admiration of their favorite players to the next level by mimicking their ...
The second round is set and the Rangers will be facing off with the Buffalo Sabres starting this week. I don't know if either matchup was more beneficial for the Rangers as they had a losing record against both of their potential 2nd round opponents this year.
They were 1-3 against Ottawa and a sterling 0-4 against the Sabres.
To look on the bright side they haven't ...
nephew23 writes...
"It was something I'd do in the regular season – any time."
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
That quote comes from another obvious thug, Vancouver Canucks forward Alex Burrows. It was his response to the fierce slash he made on the back of Dallas Stars forward Brendan Morrow's knee, in the final minutes of game 6. The slash caused a twinge in a nerve and caused Morrow to limp off the ice and miss the rest of the game. I'm just curious why Burrows would be so op...
seriously, people need to take a very,very deep breath about the McLennan slash. come on, real hockey fans will tell this used to happen all the time. I remember Ron Hextall jabbing the forward infront for position to see where the puck. Hextall did slash players and faced the consequences. He would a) face the player (thats call players policing themselves or b) get a fin...
I love to hear Chico Reish brag everytime about how brouder is the greatest goalie since rice bread and when he broke Parent solidified Marty as the greatest goalie is total BS.
After going to one of my favorite website, www.flyershistory.com and looking at the both seasons, i came to the conclusion that Marty record is a total fraud as Barry Bonds breaking Home Run rec...
The second round is almost at hand.
The Devils proved that they are a cup contender by defeating the Lightning 4 games to 2 in round 1. But do the Devils have what it takes to beat the Senators?
It would be hard for me to believe that we have seen the "best" the Senators can play -- well maybe we saw it in the first period of game 1 against the Penguins --but after t...
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...
And with that, the Detroit Red Wings have eliminated the Calgary Flames from contention.
As much as I was pulling for the Flames, the Wings deserved to win this series. Kiprusoff was the only guy on Calgary's roster who was showing up to play every game.
A major surprise was the play of Johan Franzen in this series. I barely knew who he was prior to this series, and...
Well, as hard as this is for me, a Flames fan to say, the better team won. Calgary played this game with grit and heart, but so did the Detroit Red Wings. Half of the problem coming into this series was the fact that many flames fans, among others, had it burned in their minds that #8 seeded Calgary could easily beat the #1 seeded Detroit, as the Red Wings have struggled t...
The Flames were eliminated, and the frustrating thing is, this was a very winnable series.
The stats will tell you that Detroit nearly doubled the Flames' shot total. That is misleading. Sure, the Flames did play that badly, but they have the offensive talent and the toughness to compete with Detroit. Kiprusoff held up his end. Did anyone else?
The lack of cohe...
Ladies and gentleman, a lot of people are looking at this second round series between the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Rangers and are claiming that the Rangers are going into this thing without any pressure on them. Of course they are the lowest seed left in the Eastern Conference and they are playing the Presidents Trophy Winners and the #1 seed. If they win, people...
Hey, I'm a Flames fan (you may have already guessed that tho).
I'm a fan of the team that has been lambasted and generally scourged by almost every media outlet for the past 24hrs and frankly I'm tired of it.
Perhaps this is the part where you gasp in surprise that I could even think to disagree that they deserved all this heaping on being done by the media but you k...
While I might be a Leaf fan, I'm first and foremost a hockey fan and believe the Senators have the game to win the Cup. After watching the first round they simply look like past teams, with similar chemistry and depth, that have won the Cup. More specifically though:
Leadership
The leader is finally being a leader. After years of justifiably being the fan’s whip...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
'Sabres Only' Fantasy Hockey Leauge – Join In for Round Two!
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Sabres Fans… Join in for round 2 of the hometeamhockey.com playoff fantasy league. Below is a short description from the site's creator. I've participated for the past few "divisions" and really enjoy it. You should give it a try.
[quote][i]Fantasy Hockey for the Home Town Fan. Why a fantasy league with just one team? My thinking is this: I like Fantasy sports, bu...
The Wings win in 6 games.
Before everyone gets on my case about this blog, remember one thing - I'm a fan and I'm going to tell it how I saw it. You may disagree but this is what I saw. The reasons we lost this series:
1. Detroit was the better team. Forechecking, passing, defensive play - they played all 6 games the same and lost 2 by one goal which were winnable...
This Thursday marks the beginning of yet another battle of 100+ point regular season teams. New Jersey finished with 107 and Ottawa with 105, with the season series going the way of the Devils 3-1. Despite holding a 3-1 edge is the regular season series, there’s no doubting who the stronger of the two teams down the stretch was, it’s the Senators. That being said, this...
I am going to play GM here for a minute, and give you my 2008 Pittsburgh Penguins roster if I was in charge of the team.
[u][b]Forwards[/b][/u]
Ladislav Nagy - Sidney Crosby - Paul Kariya
Jordan Staal - Evgeni Malkin - Scott Hartnell
Gary Roberts - Erik Christensen - Colby Armstrong
Jarko Ruutu - Maxime Talbot - Michel Oulette
[u][b]Defensemen[/b][/u]
...
Eklund has his airline ticket to Nashville for the Sharks and Preds game seven but the problem is there won't be a game seven.
For the second year in a row the Preds were handed a 4 games to 1 series loss at the hands of the San Jose Sharks. Seriously...if I see anything teal right now I might just hurl!
This was a physical series (some might even say dirty...but l...
Who would have thought the series would have evolved the way it has over the last week or so. We now are back where we started. The only advantage is now to the Canucks who are at home. You could argue that Dallas has the momentum and so they have the advantage. The Canucks' inability to score on Turco has also tipped the scale towards Dallas. Dallas has been playing with ...
Flamestr
Dougstr who wins the west
Dougstr
SJ Sharks The best forwards in the west Joe Thorton and Johnathon Cheechoo
and Patrick Marleau . Good players and they can score
Flamestr
So Dougstr who do the Sharks play against ?
Buff
Three of the best forward in the NHL Daniel Brieere and Maxim Afinogenov
and Jason Pominville. Because...
i get rid of the expansion teams including panthers, predators and blue jackets. these cities are stealing valuable talent from the good teams like the flyers and cities that deserve an NHL team......
Alright Flames fans, let's forget yesterday or even this whole series ever happened. Let's get down to business for next season.
Here is the list of UFAs for the Flames:
Tony Amonte
Marcus Nilson
Jeff Friesen
Darren McCarty
Byron Ritchie
Wayne Primeau
Roman Hamrlik
Brad Stuart
Brad Ference
Jamie McLellan (G)
Here is the list for the RFAs:
Matthew Lo...
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...
Desire. Heart. Determination. Focus. It all comes down to one game, erase everything that has happened between April 11 and April 22. All that matters is tonight. How bad do you want it? Let your actions speak.
Game 7 has to be the most stressful game to watch, but not only watching the game is stressful, actually the entire day is stressful. So stressful for fans that...
[b]By D. Smith:[/b]
Well, hindsight is always 20/20, but I believe the deal was worth making. Also, you have to remember that injuries played a role that no one saw coming. Bringing in Forsberg was supposed to secure three incredibly talented lines in Nashville. (in no order) the 3 centers were supposed to be Forsberg, Arnott, and Legwand. The 6 surrounding wings were...
It has been said thousands of times...there is nothing like a game 7...win and advance, lose and go home! The Dallas Stars are one win away from pulling off the near impossible. They have finally won in overtime...they have finally won at home...and they have finally figured out how to solve Roberto Luongo. Though Marty Turco has the edge in stats, including THREE shuto...
When the Islanders acquired both Michael Peca and Alexei Yashin on consecutive days surrounding the 2001 entry draft, it signaled the dawning of a new era for the franchise. Despite paying the high price of Zdeno Chara and the draft pick that would eventually be used to select Jason Spezza (as well as throw-in Bill Muckalt) in return for Yashin, initial reactions were posi...
I thought game 7's in the stanley cup playoffs were decided by the players? that third period was an embrassment to nhl. call after call was hooking or holding.
my god, even the Dave Strader was confused if There was a pentaly when Turco was pulled at the end of the game
BTW, Trevor Linden did a nice job on the hook(which was a pentaly) before scoring the game winni...
Where are you now buddy? It's a good thing that it's nice and sunny down there in Dallas so your boy's can go golfing. LMAO!
[b]East
#1 Sabres vs. #7 Rangers[/b]
I hate the sabres with a passion. i hate rangers with a passion. this is the series of picking between two evils. So i will go with a upset. Rangers are playing awesome hockey and Sabres had hiccups with Fishy Sticks.
[b]UPSET: Rangers in 7[/b]
[b]#3 Debbies v #4 Sens[/b]
This series might come down to goalies but i think...
[b]1 Buf vs 8 NYI - Buf in 5[/b] - Bang on, but I expected a better effort out of the Sabres. They'll be in tough against the white-hot Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers. DiPietro came back sooner than I thought and played well enough to keep the Islanders in the games, but could only win the one.
[b]2 NJ vs 7 TB - NJ in 6[/b] - Bang on again. Holmqvist played very we...
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]
alexkay writes...
Rangers v. Sabres is Nothing More Then Lundqvist v. Miller
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Anytime you read any blog about this Ranger/Sabre series you hear the same things over and over and over again. The Sabres fan say their depth is amazing and unbeatable and remarkable and the Ranger fans come back with saying that Avery will drive Buffalo into an insane asylum and Jagr is going to net 50 goals in however many games. Thats all great and fantastic except f...
[b][Originally posted on PredNation.com 4/23/07][/b]
To begin, I must congratulate the San Jose Sharks on a well played series. I obviously felt that Nashville would win this series in six games going in, but San Jose played a much better overall game and capitalized on their chances. They played a disciplined game, worked very hard, played an aggressive forecheck, an...
As great as Marty Turco was for most of the opening round series against the Vancouver Canucks-and he was, make no mistake-he still won't shed that label of choke artist.
From this corner, he shouldn't.
Turco was mostly stellar, but the definition of choke means falling short in the key spot, which he did last night. Vancouver's second goal, the game winner, was a we...
The Sabres stay in the New York arean after eliminating the Islanders in a hard fought 5 game series 4-1. While the result is what most expected, the Sabres seemed to struggle at times against the eighth seeded Isles.
The Rangers were dominant, sweeping a struggling Thrashers team that lost most of its momentum in round 1. But this will be a much different series for bo...
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 ...
What are your thoughts on this matchup? My recollection of the season series was that Vancity lost 3 and won 1. The one we won we played Sabourin. So maybe we should rest Luongo for the next round seeing Sabourin had the better record?? No way! I don't know why we won that one game, my guess is that it was during their injury problems. Pronger and S. Niedermayer both were ...
Well the players may like the break to help them recharge the batteries, but I sure am chomping on the bit.
I guess when your team beats expectations and sweeps the opening round series the excitement level goes up. I sure can't wait for tomorrow night, I wish they were dropping the puck as I type.
I'm looking forward to a good series and pretty much disregard how th...
Again for your reading pleasure....
Sabres over the Rangers in 6
Senators over Devils in 6
Sharks over Red Wings in 5
Canucks over Ducks in 6...maybe a homer pick but you have to follow the heart at times.
Rangers will surprise some as they are much better than advertised. Sens will do great as they are crazy hungry for the first time ever. Sharks are a damn f...
Last night, went heavy on the 4.5u and well, the Canucks won and scored TWO frigg'n empty netters in the final minute and down went my money in the drain. That's ok, because I hit a nice $20 five game parlay (won $400) thanks to a few nice free throw's by Yao Ming to clinch the over. (1xNBA + 4xMLBs).
Looking at Conference Semi-finals now and the match-ups. My initial b...
At the golf course I belong to, I walked into the clubhouse Saturday afternoon to see Jason Chimera and Duvie Westcott had just finished playing. They were talking with the head pro about Chimera leaving for the World Championships, and about Duvie's health. I couldn't help but realize it was April 21, and already the players were fully into the golf season.
Year after ...
Game 7 in any professional sport is a true testimate to all players skill but more so it is an extreme test of all players determination and their willingness to compete. On Saturday evening, after losing game 6 and after being held off the scoreboard for the third time in the series, the Canucks coach Alain Vigneault called out his players. Namely, he called out the 'play...
nephew23 writes...
I Couldn't Agree More...But I'm So Happy A Canadian Said It!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Did I say happy?...I meant ecstatic, elated, over-joyed! I really hate to make excuses, or have to include the officiating in any writing...so thank-you so much, Mr. Gallagher, for your article...it is 100%, spot on! In fact, I used the phrase "phantom call" seconds after the penalty, as well as in a comment to my new best friend's blog ([i]What a friggin joke[/i]--Flyer...
I delayed posting a blog after our overtime defeat because it would be ridden with grief and emotional outbursts. Tears are not rare when it comes to me and my beloved Flames. Needless to say I am struggling to find my way again, as I commit so much to the team and their journey.
However, this blog is for looking forward. I would love to be in Sutter's position right...
Well, the job's open. Who wants it? There are a slew of potentials, even a few that have been vocal (Craig Patrick, Bob Clarke). Ownership will begin the interview process within the week, and hopefully now that some teams have been eliminated, the search can be narrowed. Dave Taylor from LA and Craig Button, formerly of Calgary, are rumored to be the front-runners, and th...
[b]Western Conference
#2 Anaheim vs #3 Vancouver[/b]
[b]Why Vancouver will win:[/b] Roberto Luongo is a candidate for the Hart Trophy, and he was arguably stronger yet in the first round against Dallas. There may be no tougher goalie to face in a best-of-seven series right now. Vancouver’s defense seems to know exactly when to pinch and when to retreat, and they re...
Due to your constant comment about our defence killing us, I thought I would actually have a look at some stats to see if the is validity to your tirades about our blueliners:
Vancouver
Name Pts. TOI +/- Pims
Bieksa 0 24 -1 16
Krajeck 0 15 -1 6
Mitchell 1 ...
[img]http://i18.tinypic.com/2d0j5l3.gif[/img]
This is my new signature on Canucks.com. I thought some of you folks might get a kick out of it.
WildMTUFan writes...
Round two predictions; Final Two Minutes Radio Show
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]Eastern Conference[/b]
[i]New York Rangers at Buffalo Sabres[/i]
I’m a firm believer in the 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres and have been since I realized how incredibly good they are. They have explosive offensive talent running thick through four lines or even six lines depending on how you look at it. The team is only bettered by a solid defensive core that actually doe...
Well, folks, about 11 1/2 hours until the puck drops to begin game one of the Sabres/Rangers Eastern Conference semi-finals and for two days, already, the poop is being flung with the tenacity of the inhabitants of the primate house at the Buffalo zoo. Sean Avery began the shit slinging with some comments about how his pre-series ritual has included visualizing various (o...
sstrang writes...
Another 2nd Round Prediction Blog...with Chimpanzees
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Okay, I know everyone is tired of predicitions but hey, it's my blog!! And if you don't get the blog title, listen to "Everything to Everyone" by the Barenaked Ladies and you'll get it!
[b]Buffalo vs. New York Rangers[/b]
Buffalo in 6 - they are in playoff mode and I think Miller will be the better goalie.
[b]New Jersey vs. Ottawa[/b]
Ottawa in 6 - They believ...
Early estimates had the Predators averaging *13,600 fans this past season but Tuesday the Predators announced that the average paid attendance was in fact 13,815. That puts the Preds much closer to the magic 14k paid figure that they need by 08-09 (a stipulation set in the last CBA)to take part in the revenue sharing. On the flip side it also still has them below 14k and t...
A blog isn't journalism. However, if you're a professional commenting on an issue in your area of expertise then you should be held to a higher standard, even in a blog. Jim Kelley fails in this respect in his Sportsnet.ca blog "The Dope on Suspensions",
(http://www2.sportsnet.ca/blogs/jim_kelley/2007/04/23/the_dope_on_suspensions/#comments ). I wish he was just being ...
So I was recently in Dallas for the first time (I'd been through the airport before, but I hadn't spent any time on the ground) and took in a Stars game. I felt pretty strange going to the game, to tell you the truth. Like I was somehow betraying my childhood.
You see, I grew up in Minnesota with the North Stars. When you grow up in Minnesota you follow hockey. End of ...
The first round of the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs was very exciting, even with the lack of close series. The matchups we got were outstanding, such as Nashville-SJ, Detroit-Calgary, Vancouver-Dallas, and there was so much passion to go along. How will round 2 pan out?
[b]Buffalo vs. New York Rangers[/b]
I love the Rangers right now, they're playing with a huge amount of...
Can someone please notify the Buffalo Sabres and their respected media that they have only won one round so far in the playoffs. Buffalo is a great team and looks destined to continue their current success for many years. Heck, they might even win this year’s Stanley Cup and lay the begining piece of the “New NHL’s” first dynasty. However, heading into game one ...
Sorry for the length of this post but on the eve of the New York Rangers first second round playoff game in a decade, as a Blueshirts fan I can’t help but be excited, and the current success has got me thinking. It’s been a long time since we had a team we could be proud of. But this year’s team has overcome adversity and achieved that respect. Although only time wil...
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...
Without question, the biggest issue surrounding the New York Islanders this off-season will be the efforts to re-sign Ryan Smyth. The Isles, as usual, have many other outstanding issues to resolve before the 2007-08 campaign, including the possible buyout of captain Alexei Yashin, re-signing leading scorer Jason Blake, and whether or not to bring back two suspended players...
Enough of the busy banter and wasted efforts on the Stars fan. The question of Monday nights game was, who will advance? The answer? Trevor Linden and Roberto Luongo answered it for everyone. Of course it was the Vancouver Canucks that were going to come through for their fans. Now, bring on the Ducks.
No one in Vancouver is going to openly admit that the Canucks are t...
[b]1 Buf vs 6 NYR[/b] - The Rangers have a fair bit of talent up front, and a slight goaltending edge, but the Sabres are simply too deep everywhere else. Sabres in 6.
[b]2 NJ vs 4 Ott[/b] - Yeah, I know it's Marty Brodeur, but the Sens will not be denied this year...at least not here. If Emery comes close to matching Brodeur, the Sens win. Ottawa in 6.
[b]1 Det v...
Rangers look so disinterested tonight... Anyways, they don't have enough defensemen to contain the Sabres. I think only the Senators can match. I hope the Rangers win a few games, that way more Sabres players can get more points for my pool :)
As mentioned previously I hate making predictions, especially when it comes to the hometown Canucks. To begin I will review my first round selections:
My predictions:
Red Wings in 7
Ducks in 6
Stars or Canucks in 6
Predators in 6
Sabres in 4
Devils in 6
Penguins in 6
Rangers in 5
Reality:
Red Wings in 6
Ducks in 5
Canucks in 7
Sharks in 5
Sabres...
Dear Santa Clause (aka: Mr. Hicks and Mr. Armstong),
As this sport very much relates to a holiday – the regular season being New Year’s through Thanksgiving and the playoffs being Christmas – here is my Christmas wish list for the off-season (in essay form!).
The Dallas Stars have now compiled three straight first-round exits after solid, promising regular-seas...
Point shots and rebounds. Those are the kinds of goals we need to start with. Then once they chase after our shooters more, the space will open up for the pass pass play and the slap pass goals we're for whatever reason looking at now.
Henrik passed up an open net to shoot at in favour of passing the puck to his brother who was being checked so obviously. Sedins need...
The No Walk Rangers had much to say before game one of the Eastern Conference semi-finals, but very little to say after it. The Sabres won the opening game handily, 5-2, with two goals from Tomas Vanek, one each by Ales Kotalik, Jason Pominville, & Drew Stafford, and another solid performance by Ryan Miller. The Rangers were clearly outplayed in every facet of the game; f...
Luongo07 writes...
I won't run and hide when my team loses, it's all good
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I will not beg for time to pout...
Tonight, after one days rest the Vancouver Canucks stepped on to the ice to face the dreaded Anahiem Ducks. Early on it looked like the Canucks had an early jump, Markus Naslund had a glorious opportunity, then Trevor Linden had a chance, and then Jeff Cowan scored the games first goal, but that was it for the visitors.
The Ducks sh...
I wish I could kick it back with some old school commentary, but my life schedule has not been kind this playoffs. While I've listened to 90% of the games on internet radio, I had to miss two whole games in the 1st round and I got back in time for the 3rd period, but I fell asleep shortly after Pominville's goal was credited. Hey, what can I say, they took awhile!
So,...
Brilliant.
No, I'm not talking about Sean Avery. I am talking about the Sabres response to Avery's comments. For those of you who missed it, Avery had the following to say prior to the series, [i]"I'm just going to go out and try to punish their (defense) and make them realize this is going to be a real long series for them. I'm going to try to hurt them and hit them ...
This season has seen nearly every team develop their unsung hero(es). It's time again to evaluate who means the most to their team. I've always felt that the Hart should encompass the regular season AND the playoffs, but the Conn Smythe isn't disappearing anytime soon. So, let's look at the candidates:
[b]1. Roberto Luongo, G, Vancouver[/b]
It's a safe bet to say that ...
This season has seen nearly every team develop their unsung hero(es). It's time again to evaluate who means the most to their team. I've always felt that the Hart should encompass the regular season AND the playoffs, but the Conn Smythe isn't disappearing anytime soon. So, let's look at the candidates:
[b]1. Roberto Luongo, G, Vancouver[/b]
It's a safe bet to say that ...
Yes, Caps fans, change is the offseason's buzzword. As the Caps' season was thankfully on its way to being put to rest, the slogan 'Change is Coming' was (for good reason) broadcasted for any fans still paying attention.
So, what changes can Caps fans expect?
[u][url=http://www.washingtoncaps.com/news/news.asp?story_id=4783]New uniforms[/url]:[/u]
The Caps will unve...
It's one game, talk to me after game 2. The first game of a series is the least indicative of what is going to happen in the series and only becomes important if the result of game 2 is the same.
Believe it or not no one is going to give the boys from upstate the Stanley Cup based on winning the opening game of the second round. So enough of the coronating the Sabres an...
If you read all the bashing that the Canucks have recieved over the past few days it is possible. Yes, the Canucks have not looked very good in the playoffs but they still managed to defeat an impressive Dallas Stars team and last night's series opener against the Ducks was not their worst effort of the post-season. Enough has been made about the loss of two of their top f...
[img:right]http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/4431/danysabourinzo8.jpg[/img]Canucks backup goaltender Dany Sabourin replaced Roberto Luongo with with 10:55 remaining, has he gotten his name on the Stanley Cup (if the Canucks win)?
I haven't been able to locate the official excerpt explaining what a goaltender must do in order to get his name on the Stanley Cup, but my u...
> Congratulations to [url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8449545&service=page]Scott Mellanby[/url] on a very good career. Mellanby [url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2007/04/23/mellanby-retirement.html?ref=rss]announced his retirement[/url] after 21 seasons in the NHL. He finishes with 364 goals and 476 assists for 840 regular sea...
Sorry for the long length but this is a topic that has been bugging me a lot lately.
I for one am sick of people making judgments on the New York Rangers captain Jaromir Jagr. Jagr came to New York with a rep most people will never let him live down and I am sick of it. No matter how this guy plays he’s either used as a scapegoat or referred to as a selfish quitter. ...
Blah. Blah. Blah.
So I'm going to get myself in trouble with a lot of other Sabre fans for doing this, but...I've heard enough about how "great" the Rangers are after playing "playoff" hockey over their last 25 games to get into the playoffs. Let's look at those 25 games (only W/L regardless of OT points):
(N= non-playoff team, Y=playoff team)
Feb
15 W @ CAR -...
Or so Marty York said today in the Metro freebee. I didn’t even need a morning coffee after reading that headline. Wide awake, I almost screamed out loud ‘Wait a Minute!’ But given that York might have some personal insight into being “on the decline” I persisted.
York states the obvious by writing that Brodeur is a future Hall of Famer but concludes “he...
[img:right]http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/2148/toivonen774025691982nj1.jpg[/img]The [url=http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=205636&hubname=nhl]Boston Bruins[/url] announced yesterday that the club has re-signed goaltender Hannu Toivonen to a one-year deal worth $532,000 US.
This most likely is a sign-and-trade since there is no room in the Bruins organization for him....
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Looking Ahead (already) to Next Season's Sabres Lineup.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Rangers have NO chance. In addition to the Sabres being the overall superior team in every facet of the game, this series is a terrible match up for the Rangers. Sabres in 5 at most.
Since I’m confident that round two is “in the bag” already… Let’s spend a little time looking forward to next season. Here’s how I think the line up will look on openi...
No, I'm not jumping off the bandwagon. But I've decided to take a look at the Canucks' free agents on July 1st.
[b]Jan Bulis (III)[/b] - This guy was really unhappy with his playing time and lack of power-play time sometime in January and didn't seem like he would return to the team next year. But after a chat with Dave Nonis and getting his position in the club clarifi...
These Sharks of San Jose are a scary team this post season. They came into the playoffs as probably the hottest team and have continued their hot streak winning five of their first six playoff starts. Last night they proved just how good they are with a convincing 2-0 win on the road against Detroit.
But here is where it gets more scary for me. I don't think this team ...
Desptie the first round being over, not much has been solved in terms of a front runner to walk out of the West. Detroit, San Jose, and anheim all have a legit shot at making it to the Cup finals. Vancouve ris on the outside looking in.
San Jose has been extremely impressive though. Their young players have come through with big goals. The power play wasn't even rea...
Hey guys . . .
[b]Believe it or not[/b] nobody from Toronto is going to come to the HSBC wearing white gloves and carrying the Stanley Cup just because you won the 1st game of the series 5-2.
[b]Believe it or not[/b] the Rangers didn't expect your team to roll over like dogs and aren't demoralized from one loss.
[b]Believe it or not[/b] they actually intend on showin...
After Mr. Sutter met with Media on his state of the Franchise Speech the Media walked away just as confused if not more. He refused to comment on the future of Coach Playfair or on the Contracts of Iggy and Kipper does that mean kipper and iggy are traded and Playfiar fired? Heck no it means that Sutter is not going half cocked and firing Playfair and jumping to any co...
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...
I mean really. I wonder if there is still doubt in the minds of the Vancouver-ites who so quickly jumped off the Stanley Cup bandwagon after Game 1. In sickness or in health. Imagine our PP once we have KB and SS back. I mean really. Seriously.
While the Canucks were not perfect, the longer the game lasted, the more tired the youngsters on the Duck line 2 (pending ...
I love NHL playoff Hockey. The first round was fabulous. I have 2 games a night every night to watch at least. There were quite a few teams that I like playing.
The 2nd round is not so easy of a thing. Less teams I enjoy. Less hockey. The other night both games were on at similar times. There was no 2nd game to stay up and watch.
Plus it does get harder to...
Has Ryan Miller finally come of age as a bonafide post-season goaltender? It's sure starting to look that way after these last two games against the Rangers. I'm certainly not one to count ANYONE'S chickens before they've hatched but, even though the last two Sabre victories were, no doubt, "team wins", Miller is the main reason that the 'bres have come out on top of their...
This has been one Jekyll and Hyde post season for one Martin Pierre Brodeur. He has shown his usual brilliance but in spurts and splashes. One thing he has also shown is an unusual vulnerability to the sharp angle goal in the last series and to the high glove in this series, something that had been a strength of Brodeurs. Till this post-season i don't think ANY book on Bro...
Here is my recap of the current chart listings for UFAs:
[b]sim[/b]- no, can't skate, inconsistent effort
[b]laaksanen[/b]- no- I'd rather have the uncle
[b]gelinas[/b]- no- too old to help a team that probably won't make the playoffs. waste of $$
[b]white[/b]- maybe [i]if [/i]he is a good f/o man, but he looks like marty murray redux
[b]markov[/b]- probably not goi...
I get the sense that some of you think the Cup is already in your possession. Believe it or not it's still early in this series and extremely early in the run to the Cup.
Would I rather that the Rangers were up 2-0 coming back to MSG, you bet I would. Would I rather that the Rangers were able to a win a game in HSBC, especially Game 2 in which they out played the Sa...
An article from the Vancouver Sun this morning maybe of interest to some....
[quote]Secret tabled at Turco dinner
Greg Douglas, Vancouver Sun
Published: Saturday, April 28, 2007
SCENE & HEARD: It will be awhile before Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco has dinner again at Umberto Menghi's signature eatery, Il Giardino on Hornby Street. Not that Turco has anything ag...
Despite the media and all the nay sayers Vancouver pulled even with the Ducks and made the series look a lot more even than what it appeared after game 1.
Game 1 was tough to watch. My first thoughts were "These aren't the Canucks!". Somebody dressed the LA Kings instead. I'm glad they got that all straightened up. And now having the series return to Vancouver to win t...
I know I said I was not going talk about the officiating any longer, BUT...my dearest friend and fellow North American, Luongo07, continues to call me out and accuse me of not researching. (well, at least most of that last sentence is true!) So, as I set out to get the full scoop on the officiating in the Stars/Canucks series, I realized it was a much bigger issue than j...
Hey pens fans,
As, promised here is the team report card. I'll start with a player by player break-down.
Sidney Crosby
Regular Season 120 points (36+84) Playoffs 5 points (3+2)
Sid played in 79 regular season games. He was +10. This season was truly a breakout season for number 87. He played marvelously and we couldn't have asked for more. Sid had goals that amazed a...
[img:right]http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/9482/mitchell80ae871bt9.png[/img]The injuries on the blueline continue to mount.
Defencemen Willie Mitchell and Rory Fitzpatrick did not skate on Saturday. Mitchell is expected to play Game 3, but Fitzpatrick is questionable with the flu.
In case Fitzpatrick can't go, the Canucks have recalled veteran defenceman Yannick T...
But can they keep it up? Much depends on the availability of Tomas Holmstrom and Brett Lebda. Lebda's replacement, Kyle Quincey is a minus 1 for the series thus far, and steady, reliable defense is required against the Sharks. Unless Lebda returns soon or Quincey steps his game up, the Red Wings have a vulnerability that the Sharks can exploit.
Holmstrom, on the othe...
This is no way a blog meant to bash Nashville fans, because quite honestly, they have more to cheer about than we do in Columbus. But, the lack of hockey knowledge by these people who shell out hundreds to see a playoff game is baffling. Last night, I was watching a tape of Game 5 between San Jose and Nashville. Patrick Marleau's second goal of the game gives the Sharks th...
As has been the case since January, the Canucks All-Star goaltender rebounded from a poor performance in game one with an outstanding 43 save performance in game two. The Canucks have evened the Western Conference at one game a piece as the series head to a wild GM Place this afternoon for game three.
This has been a consistent trend of Roberto since the team began it's...
As has been the case since January, the Canucks All-Star goaltender rebounded from a poor performance in game one with an outstanding 43 save performance in game two. The Canucks have evened the Western Conference at one game a piece as the series head to a wild GM Place this afternoon for game three.
This has been a consistent trend of Roberto since the team began it's...
As has been the case since January, the Canucks All-Star goaltender rebounded from a poor performance in game one with an outstanding 43 save performance in game two. The Canucks have evened the Western Conference at one game a piece as the series head to a wild GM Place this afternoon for game three.
This has been a consistent trend of Roberto since the team began it's...
As has been the case since January, the Canucks All-Star goaltender rebounded from a poor performance in game one with an outstanding 43 save performance in game two. The Canucks have evened the Western Conference at one game a piece as the series head to a wild GM Place this afternoon for game three.
This has been a consistent trend of Roberto since the team began it's...
As has been the case since January, the Canucks All-Star goaltender rebounded from a poor performance in game one with an outstanding 43 save performance in game two. The Canucks have evened the Western Conference at one game a piece as the series head to a wild GM Place this afternoon for game three.
This has been a consistent trend of Roberto since the team began it's...
Did anyone out there notice the frank difference in the way the first two games of the Sabre/Ranger series was officiated? I can't stand to think that a series could be decided on the way certain officials are calling games. The first game, the refs called everything! The second game, the refs were much more leanient. I saw cross checks and punches in game two that would h...
I could probably write a pretty long blog about how the Rachunek goal was a goal, kicking motion my ass. I could write lettter and verse on how the refs seemed to miss so many calls on the Sabres and none on the Rangers.
Well I could write that blog, but I won't. I will just say [b]Hell Of A Game[/b].
That is what playoff hockey is all about. Same pit in my stomach...
I wished NBC cut into the Rangers-Sabres game to show that Barbaro. that game was god awful. from the miss goal and on top of that the miss hooking call on that play. to phantoms calls
Today was an embrassment for NHL. I cant believe two referees on the ice can't make the correct call on ice.
I never saw a game inwhich the calls were slided to the Gaybres. Sabres are...
Well, we all saw the controversial no-goal today by Karel Rachunek of the Rangers. Whether you think it was a goal or not, the inherent problem with the process is that it's a bad rule. The purpose of the game from its inception is to use your stick to propel the puck into the net. So in my opinion, they need to legislate this concept more firmly...
The rule should be...
The Ducks and Canucks just finished game 3 of their Western Conference Semi-Final and while some may question some of the calls during the game a further look shows you that clearly the referee's made the correct calls. Yes, the Ducks were called for 6 mins in penalties more, there were several justifiable calls made in the game.
In fact, being a Canuck fan I would que...
Jsaquella writes...
Want To Ruin A Wonderful Game Experience On Television?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Hire a loudmouth, egotistical, jackanape former head coach, whose sole purpose as a broadcaster seems to be to hear himself talk, and put him by the glass.
Why does NBC saddle a very good-outstanding, really-play-by-play and color team of Mike "Doc" Emrick and Ed Olczyk with Pierre McGuirre? Everytime McGuirre opens his mouth he's either stepping all over Emrick or Olc...
[url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=10402&post_id=714[/url]
Click the link above, read that post first, and then come back and read the rest below. I'll wait......
Finished? Good.
Congratulations to the NY Rangers for their win yesterday in double OT. I thought game 3 was the most closely contested of the 3 games so far (game 1 decidedly...
I posted this as a little reply in Tim Panaccio's "On Heidi, Barbaro and the Sabres-Rangers" but my little reply kept growing until I felt that I should post it as a blog and see if I could spark some discussion.
-----------------------------------------------
Canadian fan here with some thoughts.
I can't say that I disagree with anything Tim wrote about attract...
The Rangers win. Yes I know, I know. I was jumping for joy too.
However the road is far from over. The impressive showing they brought on against Buffalo was great. They played their game. They came on tough and really left everything out on the ice and in so were rewarded by a great Rozsival shot to finally end the game in the 2nd OT.
This game had everything. Hits,...
nickgregory writes...
The life of a new father, and random hockey thoughts....
Posted Monday | Comments 0
No matter what anyone tells you, you can never fully be prepared for taking care of an infant. My daughter is now 5 ½ weeks old, and as a result, I am sleep deprived, nerves are ragged and I feel like I could snap at any moment, but the good news is I am watching a ton of hockey (while flipping between the damn Yankees proving that they should have bought some pitching i...
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2854004&type=story
This is this story that brought about this little rant...
Scott Burnside is a good hockey guy, let's get that out of the way. But of course there is a 'but' here. He claims that since players can pass the puck with the skates why not allow them to deflect it with their skates? My first reason on why not ...
Eastern Conference Semi's, Game 3, Madison Square Garden, New York, New York.
The Rangers have jumped out to a surprisingly commanding 1-0 lead over the Buffalo Sabres, who have a 2-0 in the series. Jaromir Jagr put the blueshirts ahead earlier in the game, and now New York continues to dominate the game. Marcel Hossa takes a pass from Jagr and neatly gives it to Karel ...
Syntax writes...
Naslund leading the team in goal scoring; Injury updates
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img:right]http://www.click2host.us/006/markus_naslund547346.jpg[/img]Canucks captain Markus Naslund's now leads the team goal scoring with three goals after scoring last night! Thanks to his power play goal at 19:12 of the first period on Sunday, he now has an astonishing 3 goals!
Injuries and more injuries. Taylor Pyatt, Jan Bulis, and Jeff Cowan all missed practice o...
Since the flyers are out of the playoffs and i love to look at stats after games and after brilliant jobs by the refs in yesterday's games i decided to look at one stat that should be alarming. THe Amount of Pentalies called in a playoff game
[b]27 Power Plays called in Two Playoff Games[/b]
The refs are carrying out buttman's message by continue to call the phantom ...
If you aren't yet familiar with Columbus Blue Jackets right winger Nikolai Zherdev, just take these two words as a hint: Alexei Kovalev. Same game, different body. If Zherdev could speak a word of English other than "puck" or "good", we might be talking about some of his comments in the media. But deep inside of the hearts of all Jackets fans, we know "Z" is one confused g...
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[b]The largest, best, and longest running hockey card and memorabilia expo takes place this weekend, May 4 to 6 2007, at the Toronto International Centre. The 32nd Toronto Sport Card and Memorabilia Expo will deliver over 900 tables of rare cards and nonsport items from the world of hockey and other sports.[/b]
The show boasts a heavy line up of autograph guests like...
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...
When the puck drops a little past 7 pm tonight at Madison Square Garden the boys in blue will be looking to hold serve and send the series back to Buffalo all square at 2 games apiece.
The first win against 6 losses this season against the Sabres should give a little boost in the confidence of the Rangers. They have played well the past 2 games, playing the style tha...
Would it kill Versus to spare us the scattered commentary and storytelling and just use the TSN or CBC feed for the rest of the NHL playoffs? Last night's SJ/DET was pleasure to watch because the announcers were calling the game and not talking about how one of the players grew up on a small farm in Nova Scotia and played hockey with cattle all day on the backyard pond. K...
[img:right]http://www.click2host.us/003/roberto_luongo706208.jpg[/img]The NHL announced its nominees for their annual year-end awards, Roberto Luongo was nominated for three awards and Alain Vigneault was nominated for coach of the year.
Luongo were among the nominees for the Hart Memorial Trophy (most valuable player to his team), Lester B. Pearson Award (most outstand...
I love the NHL playoffs…I really do but I guess I’m a little preoccupied with the San Jose – Detroit series for a couple of reasons. The first being that San Jose just knocked us (the Preds) out in five games in round one. You get to know another team pretty well during a playoff series. I got to know, for better or worse, these Sharks really well during round one.
...
Sunday afternoon the Canucks lost yet another home ice playoff game, dropping their record to a terrible 3 - 9 in their last 12 playoff games at GM Place., dating back to the 2003 Western Conference Semi-Final versus Minnesota. I think not. You would think that with the noise levels that are reached, the passion that is shown by the fans that the Canucks record at home wou...
Well as most Canadians may know. Especially those who follow hockey religiously.
The Politicians have way-ed into Team Canada Hockey Decisions.
Shane Doan has unproven allegations against him that in 2005 he uttered a racial slur
"F******g Frenchman did a good job" in reference to the all French Officiating staff who were working that night.
Now this is one person...
Here we go off to Buffalo all tied up 2 games apiece. Don't think many Sabres fans thought we'd be looking at a best 2 out of 3 series after game 1.
I'm sure we'll hear lots about how it was a goal, what a difference a few days make. Happen to be listening to Briere being interviewed, I guess he doesn't read the Sabre bloggers on myhockeybuzz, because he thought th...
Boy, i cant argue with the NO-Goal Call against buffalo. that was a goal. this is a disgrace for NHL on so many levels that i cant explain.
NHL needs to replace those overhead camera with HD cameras.
BTW, Lindy Ruff should be embrassed for himself foR that tirade after the game instead of doing infront of the media and make ass of himself he shouyld done infront of...
Did Jagr have a heart transplant or what? Maybe he was possessed! Maybe he sold his soul to the Devil. Whatever he did this guy was moving. Jagr has once again proven that when he wants it, he is almost unstoppable. This guy looked like a work horse the entire game. He back checked, forecheck, moved it well, passed, shot, and scored.He led this team by example. Showing why...
First of all, I'd like to thank the Vancouver Canucks for lending their tv announcers to CBC Sports for game 4! What an incredible gesture towards the people of Canada, and specifically Canucks' fans! I'm so thankful American fans, specifically Ducks fans, got to hear those announcers cheer for their team the entire game...and overtime hasn't even begun yet! I cannot wa...
Since I am from Buffalo and now live in Illinois, you would think I would enjoy the Spring time heat that has finally found its way to the Midwest, but I am feeling the heat due to this playoff season and I am not enjoying it. I am feeling so stressed during these Sabres games, it is incredible. What other Sabres fans feel this? I haven't felt like this in the playoffs unt...
I'm with Briere on the Rachunek no-goal from game 3(if you heard his post game comments, you know what i mean); it shoulda counted. I understand why it was called no-goal but i didn't agree with it. Yeah, the call tonight was crap, too, but it should never have come to that. When an offensive threat like the 'bres are giving up 2 goals a game, the series should be over by ...
When the Ottawa Senators take the ice tonight, not only can they put their opponents up against the wall, but take once step closer to silencing the critics. It is well known how the media and fans (both loyal and of other teams) feel about the Senators, but this is the chance they’ve been waiting for since 2003. In 2003, the last time the Ottawa Senators made it to the ...
To see the following story with pictures and better formatting check out [url]http://www.NHLNow.com[/url]!
CALDER MEMORIAL TROPHY (outstanding rookie):
Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins; Jordan Staal, Pittsburgh Penguins; Paul Stastny, Colorado Avalanche.
NHL Jeff's Take: Malkin was amazing all season long. Yes, he started out on fire and slowed down a bit as the sea...
Over the last few years, we've seen a lot of two-headed monsters in the nets of NHL teams. We've seen Roloson and Fernandez, Miller and Biron, Giguere and Bryz, Nabokov and Toskala, Vokoun and Mason, and the list goes on...
Roloson and Fernandez were the first to split, and just a few months ago the Miller/Biron monster was broken apart. This summer, it appears we'll ...
Talk about bad calls, when it is assumed Thomas Vanek snuck one around Rick DiPietro it was called a goal, although the video was inconclusive.
Sabres fans: WELCOME TO PLAYING THE RANGERS!
The Sabres are apparently more important than the Isles, and the Rangers are more improtant than the Sabres.
The goal that Briere scored, or "was inconclusive" looked pretty da...
Jon Jordan writes...
You Break My Heart, Dad ... But That's OK (I Guess)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I love my family.
I love my friends.
I love hockey.
Sometimes numbers two and three on this list are in a good, old-fashioned tie. (Sorry, amigos, but you have hefty competition come playoff time. It's not your fault and, honestly, you don't stand much of a chance.)
Hockey and family, for me, have always had a tight connection. I fell in love with the Islanders la...
I am getting absolutely disgusted with what's being thrown around our Federal Government these days. Taxes, defence and other important issues are taking a backseat because - get this - Shane Doan is the captain of Team Canada. Can I please call for a by-election of any idiot who thinks this is an issue for our government to discuss?
Hockey Canada is going to address Pa...
I grew up in Mississippi in the days before minor league seeped into our southern borders. Hockey was not a sport that got much talk in my household. My childhood was surrounded by football and baseball. I don't even remember the 1980 Miracle on Ice (I would have been nearly 7 at the time). The only exposure to hockey that I got was the occasional game that may have sl...
So we'll call it over, Was it worth the ride? Damn rights.
Lets flash back a moment to the begining of training camp. The Vancouver Canucks assembled in Vernon, British Columbia with a new look. Alain Vigneault is coach, Roberto Luongo is in goal and most undoubtably Todd Bertuzzi is not in the line-up. There a several scribes across the continent saying that the Canuc...
Look, I know he's the Co-Captain, and I know he lead the team in scoring, and I know he was the All-Star Game MVP, but lets be frank: He needs to show up in the 2007 NHL Playoffs! Goal or No Goal, so what! He is supposed to be a leader on this team, and has done nothing but shy away from everything.
Every time he touches the puck, I know he's going to do one of two things...
I would like to give the Rangers credit here. They have found a way to bottle-up the explosive offense of the Sabres. Of course, most will debate the "explosivness" of the Sabres in this years playoffs. We all know it's there, look at the first game of both first and second round series! The Rangers have found a way to stop the Sabres in their tracks. If you watched all fo...
Who would've thought that the New York Rangers would hold the high flying Buffalo Sabres to 2 goals over 8 periods of hockey at Madison Square Garden to even their Eastern Conference semifinal at 2 games apiece.
The Sabres were the highest scoring team in the NHL averaging 3.75 goals/game over the course of the regular season. What many don't realize is the Rangers w...
Okay I normally don't pay much attention to what my Government does but this is nonsense come on Shane Doan had done nothing but represent his Country. It was proven that Shane Doan did not say the slur. It also happened two years ago Please lets email our MLA's and tell them on how we feel about waisting time and money, this has to be stopped Government has to know ...
The Ottawa Senators took a commanding 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference Semi-finals series against the New Jersey Devils. The team that was once the template of a team that chokes in the playoffs is finally coming of age. Their great play from the first round against the Penguins(which I think was slightly discredited because the Pens are so inexperienced) has car...
Nobody can dispute the value of Martin Brodeur. To his team, to the league and to the goaltender position, there is arguably nobody more reliable than Marty. If I wanted to build a team around a goaltender, he'd be my guy and his numbers over the last 10 year can make my case for me. Having said all that, he just does not look right in the 07 playoffs. Goals are being sc...
Ever Drink a nice ice cold [i]glass[/i] of water? Now, ever drinks a plastic bottle of water with that distinct plasticy taste??? And don't even make me bring up the beer in the plastic bottle, Blasphemy! Distinct difference in my opinion and since this is my blog, all you get is my opinion. And since this is my blog, I get to make up words like plasticy. Now imagine ...
Okay…so I was talking to my dad the other night about the Wings and Sharks (I think it was before game three) and he said something that I found very interesting. He said that he didn’t mind the Wings playing the Sharks because they don’t finish games well.
Hmmm…I thought. Let’s see. The Sharks just beat the wings in Game 1 2-0 and I thought they finished that...
I just got done reading Damien Cox's piece on ESPN.com , and it made me think. Why can't people just enjoy the playoffs and hockey in general? Everywhere you look, you can find someone complaining about the lack of goals being scored in the playoffs, but what's wrong with a hard fought 2-1 game? Of course goals are going to be at a premium in the post-season because wit...
this what i love blogging. you get to leak crap before the public see it up close
In this case, let's play a new game, leak 'New NHL' jerseys.
Today's Team, Dallas Stars
[img]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y125/Chazberg/starsnewunis.jpg[/img]
if you want to play along, just take advice of the almighty words of Dr. Gregory House "Well, Google It!"
The Vancouver Canucks season came to a close in dramatic fashion. Amist all the question marks at the begining of the season the Canucks made a rather impressive season out of nothing. Roberto Luongo proved that he could not only carry a team into the post-season but he also proved that he could give his team a chance. Alain Vigneault proved that he could make a bunch of '...
Calm down Ducks fans...I didn’t get confused and not give Scott the credit for his game winning goal. I gave credit to Rob because it was his huge hit on Jannik Hansen that not only turned over the puck but caused Luongo to lose his focus for a brief moment...that’s all it took. Ducks win and advance to the WCF.
"My brother got a big hit on their guy and the puck s...
A few thoughts before I move on to bigger and better issues! And yes, I fully expect the bitterness to flow from Luongo07 and Mojoworld!
(1) Roberto Luongo was absolutely brilliant throughout the playoffs...he is a monster. Without question, he is deserving of the MVP award. He played on his head last night but, as has been the case, could not score and could not ...
... of riches!
Over the last 10-15 years, there have been a number of great hockey teams. Detroit, Colorado, Ottawa, Buffalo, New Jersey, Pittsburg, etc etc. The list goes on. All of these teams excelled in a number of areas which is what made them great. Often times, though, it was their excellent offence that masked defensive shortcomings or a great defence that h...
[b][i]"Anticipation, it's makin' me wait...it's keepin' me wa-a-a-a-aiting"[/i][/b]
[b][i]"The waiting is the hardest part"[/i][/b]
T minus 2 hours 'til the puck drops and I can't wait, heck I was getting antsy at 9 am this morning. Truth be told I was getting antsy for this game 2 days ago.
I hope that the Rangers are as antsy to get this one started as I am, ...
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...
With the Vancouver Canucks season coming to a close many would expect that the blame game would be topic number one around town. In my mind that should not be the focus as the team accomplished well beyond our collective expectations and the only thing that allowed us to toy with the thought of a Stanley Cup parade was our goaltending. Roberto Luongo proved last night, wit...
Here is the phone number for Vs. to get them to the hockey games in HD!
1-877-VERSUS-ON
1-203-407-3613
With every passing year, the Blue Jackets miss the playoffs and I'm forced to shift my focus as a fan. Maybe I'm alone saying this, but I would much rather watch a playoff game with two random teams than watch a regular-season game featuring my own. The passion of each team fighting for the ultimate goal lights a fire in everyone, including myself. This year, I'm especiall...
Focused Senators Will Not Be Rattled!
In a series that has been all but dominated by the Ottawa Senators, it was the future Hall of Famer, Martin Brodeur that was trying to get into the heads of the Senators and attempt to throw them of their game. After letting in two weak goals himself, he tried to deflect any talk of weak play to his counterpart Ray Emery by saying,
...
Yep that sure did hurt.
After an embarrassing double-OT playoff elimination for the Vancouver Canucks fans are turning their attention to the free-agent pool. As a loyal Canucks fan I feel that our lack of offense needs to be taken care of. We have solid defense and amazing goaltending so we have built our game around that. I personally feel that we should trade away Mattias Ohlund. He is no long...
last night blog was a blog of frustration and being pissed off at the sport i love. plus i had little too much too drink last night in celebatation of cinco de mayo, which explains about everything for last night. Sorry if i oftened anyone.
For now on, im only blogging on the finals, Flyers and Ripping gary bettman to help make a change in this league and I’ll release...
With 7.7 seconds to go Drury rifles a shot over Henrik Lundqvist and pass Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi and into the net, tying the game at one. That shot had eyes. With only a few inches of open net about to be closed off by Girardi's glove Drury launched the Sabres to an OT winner and a 3-2 lead in the series. It brings back memories of Valeri Zelepukin's tying goal wit...
Power forwards...huge, hulking, “whittle-guy” killers that can skate...a goalie’s worst nightmare...and supposedly, the ghost of Christmas past. The new rules adopted my “My NHL” practically sent them to their graves. At the very least, the new rules assured a long, penalty-plagued transition. Many of the typical power forwards became a liability to their team...
The Medicine Hat Tigers even the WHL Championship final with a 3 - 2 win on Saturday night. The win was rather crucial as the series reverts to the 2-3-2 format is was important that the Tigers had at least a split at home before heading to the west coast for three. The Giants now look to close out the series at home with three games at home and the home ice crowd on their...
First I would like to take this opportunity to say congrats to Sens Fans. Your team was better than mine, and I can accept losing to a better team. Also as a whole you guys have been the classiest group of fans to invade what I am happy to say used to be our arena. Now all I ask of the Sens is they go all the way so I can comfort myself in the fact that it took the Stanley...
Originally my blog was going to be on a different topic altogether, and I'll get back to that topic in the very near future. For now, however, we have to turn our attention to the Ducks vs. Wild series.
But the Wild are already out, you say.
You're right.
You won't find one Wild fan anywhere homer enough to say we're still in it. Nor will you find one that can s...
Last summer the Vancouver Canucks traded power-forward Todd Bertuzzi to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Roberto Luongo. The trade also include several other parts including Bryan Allen and Alex Auld going to Florida and Lukas Krajicek coming to Vancouver. When all was said and done the trade appears to be a steal for the Canucks as Roberto Luongo had an MVP worthy sea...
It is probably too soon to write how it feels after watching my Rangers team go down 5-4 today, but I don't think time will change my opinion of this team.
All I can say is that I'm proud of the 2006-2007 New York Rangers. This team never gave up, not when most counted them out during the regular season and not today down 2 goals to the Sabres.
Jaromir Jagr showe...
Well it looks like Eklund and his sources are saying Paul Kariya is coming home to Vancouver! On Eklund's Chart it says Kariyas at 40% for Vancouver and 30% Nashville.
As we all know Vancouver needs some serious offence. So why not look at Kariya,
He's:
-Got offence
-Can score
-Lots of speed
-Hometown boy
-A great fit for the Canucks
The Nucks also are #1 on A...
Alright, Sharks. The time has come to put Saturday's dull performance behind you and dig deep to keep the dream alive. It's times like these that the hockey world sees leaders emerge in the face of adversity and put their team on their back. Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau - this means you. Joe, let's awake from the dream that told you to seek out the miracle play and put th...
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...
One can assume that as the NHL playoffs progress we will be treated to more and more intense playoff hockey, but that is not always the case. I dont think that will be a problem this year, specifically in the Eastern Conference. I am not a fan of BUF or OTT but I am familiar with the rivalry that exists between these two teams and I can assure everybody that this will be a...
During the 2005-2006 season, or as us Blues fans called it, Hell, there were few bright spots. One of those shining moments came after sending off Mike Sillinger and Doug Weight; the Blues without their top two point producers put together their best stretch of games all year. During that stretch an OT defeat of the mighty Calgary Flames brought forth a new name to the cit...
It is only fitting that the Eastern Conference will come down to the two best teams. Even better, it is two teams that really, for all intensive purposes, hate each other. The Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators rivalry has grown leaps and bounds in the past 12 months. First it was Buffalo knocking off the number 1 seeded Sens last post-season in 5 games, capped off by Jaso...
[img:right]http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/4431/danysabourinzo8.jpg[/img]Dany Sabourin spoke with the media and he said that he'd like to be Luongo's backup for at least one more season.
[quote]Sabourin, surprisingly, said he would be willing to serve as Roberto Luongo's caddy for another season, even though he started just seven times in 82 possibilities.
I'll be...
It looks like Canucks are making huge atempts for offence. For example:
Paul Kariya - 40% - Would work very well as hometown boy
Scott Gomez - 25% - Would bring some good offence to Vancouver
Anson Carter - 25% - Could work with Sedins, cheaper
Ladislav Nagy - 20% - Would bring good offence
Wes Walz - 10% - Always plays good ag...
Sabreswinthecup14 writes...
a little ottawa playoff history against the sabres
Posted Monday | Comments 0
nobody cares about the regular season anymore. playoffs is whats up. what happened to the senators last year. they killed us every game. playoffs was a different story. two words... Jason Pominville. sabre fans, no need to worry. this one line offensive team is no threat to us.
LETS GO BUFFALO!!
from The Checking Line
Thanks to a couple bad seasons and a little assistance from the lockout, it’s now been over 1,100 days since the St. Louis Blues have been part of a playoff series. So what are the chances of my beloved Note getting in the dance in 2008? Let’s just say that it’s a good thing that John Davidson and Co. have months to work their magic becaus...
The Sudbury Wolves evened the OHL league championship final with a convincing 7 - 3 victory over the Plymouth Whalers on Sunday evening. Andrew Self and Devin DiDiomete led the way for the Wolves with two tallies each while Matt Dias and Nick Foligno both tallied three assists. The four goal spread was rather strange considering the Whalers outshot the Wolves by a convinci...
[b]Second Annual Grimmy Award Winners[/b]
Note: Since my last name is Grimm, the title of the awards are a take-off on my name and the music awards of a similar name.
[b]Hart Trophy: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins[/b]
Runners-up: Roberto Luongo (Vancouver), Vinny Lecavalier (Tampa Bay)
There have been heralded youngsters throughout the history of the NHL. Way...
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...
Your intrepid author has called 4 of 4 Round 2, calling the exact amount of games 3 out 4. So, yes, I am tooting my own horn. Toot!
My predictions made back on April 26th
[url]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=7150[/url]
My Pick Was: Ottawa in 6
Result: Ottawa wins in 5
I predicted that Ottawa would beat NJ in 6. They did it in 5, NJ completely unab...
Well another disappointing result for the Sharks. When will I be able to get on board with this team and really consider them a contender? This coming from a Habs fan with obviously no vested interest in this years Stanley Cup Playoffs, for obvious reasons. The Sharks seemingly had the goods to make an extended run, solid defense, good goaltending, #2 PP unit and a number...
Everyone is ripping me for the negative tone about "New NHL" but i want to let the number finally to back up my arugment themselves. these are attendence figures from games this season that are based on number of tickets distributed, not people attending. THe Actual attendance is lower.
Btw the number ever lie......
Mar-6 2007 Col @ Bos - 11,707
F...
This is what we all wanted, right hockeyfans? Arguably the two best in the East, Buffalo and Ottawa, squaring off for the right to face the Western Champs and hoist up that silvery punch bowl amalgamut trophy that brings grown men to tears. On paper, and in pure hockey terms, this couldn't get any better. Two ridiculous offenses, two solid defenses one through six, an o...
In years watching hockey this might be the best final four teams left in the NHL playoffs in YEARS.
So lets start out West
[b]#1 Detriot Red Wings v #3 Anaheim Ducks[/b]
Detriot has been playing great hockey and beat a physical Calgary team and a bottom feeder team in san jose. The ducks beat up on wild and kim johnsson's head. They also had a great series against...
So…I guess I showed my true colors last night in the Sharks – Red Wings game. It was the moment (you’ll remember it) when Grier was pursuing Lindstrom and Hasek came out to play the puck. Hasek goes to play it off the boards and Grier intercepts it and goes for a sure thing wrap around just as Niklas “faster than a speeding bullet” Lindstrom comes sailing...
Well, as an avid Oiler fan I've finally wiped the tears from my face after a horrible end to the season from hell. All I can do now is wait for the summer trades to start and see how we make out in the draft. It sorta feels like Christmas when I was a kid...It seems like it's NEVER going to be Christmas Day, almost like the clocks spin backwards. But I can be patient an...
With all the fingers being pointed at Raycroft and John Ferguson Junior for missing the post-season who should be replacing the two if there not the fold for next season? Heres a list of some people for the GM and Goalie positions that could be available this summer.
GM UFA Goalies
Colin Campbell Niklas Backstrom
Mike Keenan ...
You've seen the scenario in many cartoons. The character is trying to make a decision and he has a little angel on one shoulder and a little devil on the other, both offering advice on which way to go.
That is me with the Western Conference Final. I am a massive Oiler fan and I just don't know what to do with the Anaheim Ducks.
On one-hand, I hate the Ducks. Well not...
The off-season is fast approaching, and while I don’t want to short cut the glory of the playoffs, we’re about to be subjected to another round of rumored expansion plans and rule change proposals to boost next year’s numbers. (Remember the “buffalo” nets?)
I don’t know if you were following the recent “big” news out of NASCAR, but it bears mention. (D...
As promised...
[b]1 Buf vs 4 Ott[/b] - Total toss-up. If either team wins, I am not surprised. Buffalo has the speed edge, and they're a bit more spread out in terms of offense. Ottawa has slightly better defensive depth, and their top line has been beastly in these playoffs. Goaltending, imo, is a wash. But I feel the Sens have played better in these playoffs, and...
I'll be frank: I'm surprised how many people are picking the Wings to beat the Ducks. No, I don't think the Ducks are invincible and no I don't think they are guaranteed to advance to the SCF, but you'd have to think they are favorites by a fair margin. Detroit doesn't have Kronwall or Schneider and I doubt that Lebda is at 100%. If the Ducks play physical enough with the ...
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 ...
I thought that I would let people know what the Flames Players are like and why it means so much to me when some get traded .
The year after the lockout the flames had their preseason camp at the Don Hartman arena instead of the Dome. My son and I decided that we would go down to watch them play, and to get some autographs. There is a lot of stories that I could t...
There's almost 36hrs now till the puck drops on the Conference Finals so it's time for some thoughts on life in the off-season for this Flames fan....
[u]Thought #1[/u]
It was very disappointing to see the end of the Rangers - they were the last dark horse left in the playoffs and while I didn't really expect them to make it past the Sabres, I just really miss there be...
Well, it looks like both teams of the Western Conference finals have earned their position as the top two teams in the west. A good amount of people have predicted Calgary to emerge from the first round. Even more predicted the Sharks would emerge from round two. Even if everyone were to predict the Ducks, I'd still have a source of worries from a Detroit team that abso...
Hockey is that entity that is misunderstood by so many. Is it a game? Is it a sport? Is it mayhem? It is all of those and more and this year it proved to be a beast. Many perennial favorites had great years as expected, some faltered and some just plain failed. Decade long traditional losers became winners overnight, literally in some cases. The losers, the lucky, th...
Script writers and media people alike, couldn’t have wished for a better, more exciting match-up, that the one being brought by the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres. Not only is their an obvious dislike for one another, but the match-up will also boast two of the most potent offences in the N.H.L.. The two teams do not need any fuel to light their fires, both teams app...
Here we Go!
Well with a less than sparkling season now over it was time for the Jackets to do some "splaining". At the season ticket chat with Hitch things were less than jovial. Questions came in at a fast pace and Hitch was nothing if not sincere. He was quick to let us know that he was disappointed with Zherdev's terrible season saying that Zherdev does not tru...
So the latest talk is trading Koivu away. While this makes a modicum of sense if the return is someone along the lines of Vinny, I for one cannot see it taking place. You can question his skill set, or his physical size, but I think it’s shortsighted, even ludicrous to question the heart and passion this Finn brings to the rink. In the past 3 years I have not missed o...
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...
Sundin has met with doctors and Sweden, and he will not need surgery. He has a small tear in his labrum, but it will NOT require surgery to repair.
When this story first broke I was sent two newspaper articles from Sweden, talking about how angry Sundin was with this. The belief around people I talked to is that one side of ownership (Tanenbaum) wanted Ferguson fired a...
The Conference Finals are upon us!
In the Eastern Conference we have the Very Goods against the Also Very Goods, with the Very Goods having home ice advantage. Both teams are mighty on offense, with the Very Goods in particular having great depth in the forward ranks. The Also Very Goods have a staunch blueline corps, and look to impart big misery on the marauding, ...
Dave Nonis' intention is to sign Cory Schneider, and have him start in Manitoba for the Manitoba Moose.
Dave Nonis says: "I believe Cory Schneider is one of the top unsigned goalies in the world, if not the top goaltender. If he's good enough to play for the U.S.A. in their system right now at the world championships, it says a lot about what kind of player he is.
...
Lets keep this as straight up as possible, the Flyers have work to do in the offseason. I'm no NHL analysis, but only a hardcore Philadelphia fan since I knew what sports were. With a disappointing season under the belt, it's one of the first times in my recent memory that I have been so excited about the offseason.
Lets get started...
[b]Current Situation[/b]
[u]Fo...
The Lewiston Maineiacs on the strength of three staller goaltending performances are proving to be way too much for Val-dO'r in the QMJHL Championship series. Maineiacs goaltender, Jonathan Bernier was also named the CHL goaltender of the week for posting an 18 save shutout on Friday, followed by a 30 save performance on Saturday and a 26 save effort in game three last nig...
grapes17 writes...
WCF Preview: Babcock-Burke only one aspect of Wings-Ducks
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
When Brian Burke took over the post as Anaheim general manager in the summer of 2005, the future of then-Ducks coach Mike Babcock immediately came into doubt.
Sure, Babcock took the Ducks to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2002-03, the first of his two years in Southern California. Yet from day one, it seemed there would be a clash between Babcock and Burke.
Babcock's Duck...
Following terrible showing in game three the Vancouver Giants bounced back in game four of the WHL Championship series. The league championship is now guaranteed to return to 'the hat' for game six as the Giants are just about to clean up the finishing touches on what appears to be a 4 - 0 victory. The game remained tied heading into the third period as the two teams conti...
It was a rough finish to the rangers seaosn. They blow a 1-0 lead with 7 seconds to go in game 5. Then they lose 5-4 on home ice in game 6. Although there are a lot of "What ifs..." in this series, Rangers should be happy with what they accomplished. They didn't look like they were even in the playoff mix in February.
Bring in some young guns, add a fiesty Sean Avery, ...
This article im about to share proves part of my therory this league is a)this league is in trouble, b) Bettman still doesnt get it and c) proves that causal fan still doesnt care about NHL
Can’t Follow The NHL
http://media.www.thetowerlight.com/media/storage/paper957/news/2007/05/10/Sports/Heatin.It.Up.Without.Espn.Nhl.Playoffs.Become.Distant.Afterthought-2898728.sh...
[img]http://bp1.blogger.com/_oCmYyKF1nYg/RkMyBFMs7FI/AAAAAAAAAKo/2W51rn2Cv0A/s400/detsan.jpg[/img]
[b]
WINGS WIN!! WINGS WIN!![/b]
Game 5 and 6 showed what a champion is supposed to look like.. The Wings never looked liked they were going to lose while the Sharks looked scared.. Really, I can't even say the Sharks looked desperate. That would require SJS to have a pulse...
The canucks have been out of the playoffs, and for a while, but the team itself took a dramatic transformation. Sure, you can look at the block buster deal of the summer, with Roberto Luongo becoming a hero over a course of after one game, but there is more to the team. Alain Vigneault is up for the Jack adams trophy, and personally i think he is very deserving of this awa...
Conference Finals Predictions
Oh I wanted the Preds to be here…I really thought they would be. Man when we traded for Foppa I could have sworn I overheard a call from the NHL’s official engraver checking to make sure that Tomas Vokoun doesn’t have an ‘H’ in his name. Now I know it was the tee time manager at the Karlovy Vary Country Club asking if would need...
The NHL awards are still a ways away, but the good people over at The Hockey News just couldn’t wait.
Is this a preview of what’s to come when the NHL doles out their shiny metal? Maybe, maybe not. But a little recognition is always good thing.
The Canucks took three of THN’s annual awards announced last week.
Roberto Luongo edged Marty Brodeur for the...
i love it on VS coverage that they say that buffalo fans invented the idea of having fans partying outside while during game.
Well they are wrong.
If you buy this dvd
http://www.amazon.com/NHL-History-Philadelphia-Flyers/dp/B000M7XR7Y/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-4451391-1782410?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1178840045&sr=8-1
and any flyers fan will tell you that the flyers fans wer...
Originally sent to Ek for the My Blog bit and since I wanted to share -
---
Why I am a diehard hockey fan:
1974, Flyers, Stanley Cup, Bobby Clarke. I was 4. The Flyers were in the Stanley Cup Finals. The moment came, that moment that every sports fan lives for, that moment that seals a lifelong fate, that moment that takes your breath away and stays with you f...
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 ...
Like WTF is wrong with your team. Really, seriously, what is wrong with the line up. Are the four lines just expecting each other to finish things off and score the goals and we're left in limbo land?
I've been posting this as a OTT special teams game vs. Buffalo's 5on5 game. And the special teams are winning:
OTT PP%+PK% = 22.7+86 = 108.7% points
BUF is 15.3%+79...
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...
With the Lewiston Maineiacs completion of a four game sweep in the QMJHL Championship series, the attention of the CHL falls squarely on the WHL and OHL finals.
The Sudbury Wolves and Plymouth Whalers face off this evening in game five of the OHL Championship series. The game is just underway and the visiting Wolves scored 1:51 into the first period of play. Plymouth f...
For those of you who do not recall a fateful night in February, this is all you need to know about the Eastern Conference Finals between Ottawa and Buffalo.
These teams do not like each other.
Not even a bit. As if it was not enough the Sabres have knocked the Senators out of the playoffs three times, the two teams engaged in a compelling brawl Feb. 22 at the Hot Sau...
I am 33 years old with a 4 year old little boy and another child just days away.. As a fairly even keeled sports fan (yeah, the trashcan? ancient history) I do not get as worked up as I used to as a 20 something lunatic who would go off after every home team loss.. Keep this in mind when I tell you that I was genuinely NERVOUS in the hours leading up to today's game.. You ...
Swede writes...
In Buffalo, with no radio or television? Not a problem!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I've learned this past week that doing yard work during a Sabres game CAN be accomplished. I had mowed my lawn the day before and I was too lazy to pick up the piles of grass that the mower had thrown across my lawn. It was the end of the first intermission of Game 1 between the Sabres and Senators when I chose to go out and rake and pick up the grass, trying to make it ba...
Every year i make a mock draft based on CSS, ISS rankings and on what i read in the Hockey's Future forum. Here's my mock draft, the ranks 1 to 26 are ok and i based the ranks 27 to 30 on my playoffs predictions (i think Anaheim will win the cup so Edmonton will draft 30th with Anaheim's pick).
A chaque année je fais un mock draft en me basant sur les classements de la...
2-0 Buffalo.... They FINALLY decided to show up.... best start of the playoffs yet, hope they can keep it up!
Hey Pens Fans,
Here is the thhird and final segmet of the team report card.
Nils Ekman
Nils only played in 34 games this injury plagued season. He was -14 and besides a few patches, his play was ineffective. I think we should be able to expect more from him, but this year was a disappointment.
Grade: C-
Josef Melichar
How is he still a Penguin? Every season I ask...
Need that Drew Stafford guy back. Like fer sho'. He needs to rip it up with Vanek and Roy again. Gaustad and Mair, pick one and drop him for one. It ain't happening enough. It's not anyone's fault, but you need to mix it up here. It's must wins in OTT because you basically can't afford the split and have Ottawa try 3 times to clinch. Great game. I need more BUF poi...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Alfredsson Fined $25k and Suspended for Game 3
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Well he SHOULD be! In the first OT, Alfredsson lept from his skates and pounded a defenseless Henrik Tallinder from behind. This one of the most egregious/dirty boarding incidents I have ever seen in my life and Alfredsson gets not even a deuce for his trouble.
Tallinder nearly broke his neck. Alfredsson should have gotten a major and been tossed from the game. Take...
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...
Gee, Lindy Ruff is a brilliant coach after all......
Congratulations Sabres! What a thrill to hear the spectacular voice of [b]Ronan Tynan[/b] before the Sabres/Rangers game on April 27. We don't know if he has opened any games in this current series. If he has, we haven't heard it. Why not? Through the whole long season the team owners and broadcast cognoscenti have seen fit to torture us with countless other so-call...
If the rule is the refs are supposed to blow the whistle once they lose sight of the puck, there is no friggin way they could see the puck down Dom's pad. Watching that in realtime, the whistle should have blown well before he was pushed into the goal by Neidermayer, let alone not blowing until after he was in the net and the puck fell out of the pad. How they could overt...
Canada wins another world hockey championship. Big surprise AND big deal! Why is this tournament played every year during the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Does anybody who follows the NHL care about this tournament right now while the battle for arguably the greatest trophy in sports is taking place, especially if your team is still in it? I'm still trying to figure out the poin...
Jsaquella writes...
Under Review??????? Better Than Letting The Ref Decide
Posted Monday | Comments 0
NHL fans are getting a healthy dose of all possible camera angles this off season as the league takes every possible step to ensure that goals are rewarded properly. By and large, I have to say, they have done a good job.
With apologies to Mike Ross of XM Radio, Thomas Vanek's disallowed goal was so blatantly obvious a call that Mick McGeough would have made it-and even...
While not quite as taxing as being a Chicago Cub fan, the lot in life for a Vancouver Canucks fan is, and has always been, how will “we” screw it up this time? Whether we’re talking performance on the ice, Drafting, Uniforms etc, it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day Canuck fans are almost always left with disappointment and wondering what might have been.
I...
I love youtube. it has everything you want as a hockey fight fan. i want to share my top #10 fights on you tube
#10 Cam Neely TKOs Lindy Ruff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDt8pgmsfV0&mode=related&search=
your're not a hockey fan if you dont like cam neely
There is a choking situation in Buffalo....
[img]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h307/jimmywhite81/choking_1.jpg[/img]
Well Rangers fans, that’s it, another season in the books. It took some time for last week’s loss to finally sink in but what an exciting last few months it’s been for the fans. With the team forced into playing playoff type hockey since March, the intensity made it almost feel like ’94 all over again; well without the Cup of course. Still, looking back, do you ...
Again, the Sabres' special teams are a collective no-show. Senators were in complete control of what little of the game I saw(about the last 15 minute). And, if you'll remember, I called this plus another win yesterday... ;-)
And Thursday night the Buffalo Sabres and Stanley Cup will not be mentioned in the same sentence again until October.
With 10:22 left in the fi...
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?...
This isn't going to be a real Earth-shattering blog, nor is it going to be very long. Just a thought that had the misfortune of firing across my synapse gaps...
I always thought it would be sorta neat if the Stanley Cup were presented to the winning team's captain not by Mr. Bettman, but by the captain of the defending Stanley Cup Champion. So for this year, Rod Brind...
This will be my live blog while watching the game.
First Period:
1:04 - Detroit looks hungry. You know a team is outplaying their opponents when they start getting powerplays, and we are seeing that now. Pronger was just lazy on that last call.
:42 - What a shot by Holmstrom. I disagree with the commentator in this case though. He said that the Anaheim defense...
With the double elbows to the head from Pronger and Neidermayer on Tomas Holmstrom, there needs to be suspensions. Both of them should get at least a game. I know Pronger got away with out being called but the replay clearly shows both of those goons elbows up at the head.
Yes it could be seriously detrimental to the Ducks playoffs hopes but that is just to bad, you pl...
EK from hockeybuzz.com is reporting that Toews has signed. Kind of funny since [url]www.TSN.com[/url] and [url]www.NHL.com [/url] and don't have anything information on the Toews signing as of yet.
UPDATE: Brad Schlossman Grand Forks Herald sports writer for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux has confirmed that Toews has not signed a contract as of yet and the rumor was in...
Why do you not give a damn about your hockey team? Why do you not show them any due respect? Oh and...What are the Ducks gonna do when Pronger gets suspended, as he should?
The Ducks of Anaheim, formerly known as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim have been one of the most successful hockey teams in recent years. Beyond the three Western Conference Final appearances and beyond...
Wow! Did the Ducks know what time the game started? I realize it is a seven game series, but they responded to the first period like it was a regular season game? There was very little real pressure throughout the game and it looked to me like they could care less to be there...just like their fans! Their one shining moment was the hit on Holmstrom. I hate the fact th...
I guess this is it – final blog of the season.
I wish I were writing this a month from now. Obviously we would have liked to keep playing, but you really need a lot of things to go your way to be successful in the playoffs.
A few reporters were asking me what I thought I had learned – that’s a tough question. I think I really realized how hard it is to win. Tho...
One thing I'm not seeing in the Conference Finals series is the geniuine hatred between the teams involved. Its not a requirement for a well-played and entertaining series, but it sure would make watching these games a bit more bearable. Every year there seems to be a series or two that is just a venemous battle between two teams, leaving most of the participants with scar...
I study hard for my test on human reproduction. Golly, how ironic. It is only too bad that the Hurricanes are not reproducing last year's victory in the playoffs. I am sure that Rod Brind'Amour shares my sentiment.
This next summer is going to be extremely boring. We wont have Cup parties, award ceremonies, photogs and other things that come with championships. Thank God ...
Hi all ! Koivu just mention to the "La Presse" journal that he want to stay, win and have success with the Montreal Canadiens till the end of his carer. The leader of the Habs realize all the potential of the prospect in Hamilton. With the future star forward like the two brother Kostitsyn, Mikhail Grabovski, Kyle Chipchura and Corey Locke, the CH will have one of the best...
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...
It's been reported in the Swedish press recently, it's [url=http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider/2007/05/backstrom_agrees_to_terms_with.html]now official[/url].
Backstrom will be flying over to DC with his family on Monday where the Caps have scheduled a press conference to announce his signing.
Backstrom's playmaking panache should make for the perfect com...
The Fat Lady is warming up if not already singing.
It's gonna kill the Sabres fans, most of them thought they already won the Cup when they went up 2-0 on the Rangers. What am I saying they thought they had it wrapped up after going up 1-0.
It looks like they will be on the Links this weekend. I guess those directions to the HHOF in Toronto will come in handy for...
Ok, I admit I am confused
To take a phrase from [b]Glen Beck:[/b] this is what we do know: Sioux Forward Jonathon Toews is still a member of the North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey team, that's as of this moment. This could change at any time. However, Eklund from hockeybuzz.com--
Ouch, I stubbed my Toews!
For those of you unaware, Jonathan Toews name is pronounced...
(to see a video of this hit go to www.predjoe.wordpress.com)
Is there any reason that this kind of thing should happen? I think if you are a Pronger fan you can say that he is taller and Holmstrom had his head down a bit and Pronger just came in where he normally would.
However, I think, if you look at the video carefully and without bias you will find this was, wit...
Well, typically it takes a little time into the off-season, usually some time after the Cup Finals for it to get started. It even may last until just around the draft...but rest assured - before we hit July - Eklund and other hockey rumor mongers will have Vincent Lecavalier wearing the sweater of the Habs, St. Louis in St. Louis and Brad Richards somewhere else.
I like...
This is a tough blog for me to write. During his tenure in Vancouver I had several opportunities to speak personally with Brian Burke either via letter, email or in person. In fact, in the hours leading up to his dismissal as General Manager/President of the Vancouver Canucks, I keying an email to the big irishman. As I pushed the 'Send' button, I received an 'undeliverabl...
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 ...
(Believe it or not, this is written as cautious optimism and is not meant as a rant. Read on.)
Toews is not going to turn this team around and make them a playoff team. Toews is not going to make all of the disgruntled fans return. Toews is not going to make Chicago media realize that there is a sport called hockey. Toews is not going to save Chicago Blackhawks Hock...
Well, I think most of us would be surprised to think that in this series a team has a 3-1 lead, let a lone the Ottawa Senators. I think its fair to say that most hockey analysts pegged ottawa as the underdogs, but their play in the playoffs, including the buffalo sabres, should have been otherwise. Ottawa was able to deal with Pittsburgh and New Jersey quite easily in 5 ga...
Well Rangers fans, that’s it, another season in the books. It took some time for last week’s loss to finally sink in but what an exciting last few months it’s been for the fans. With the team forced into playing playoff type hockey since March, the intensity made it almost feel like ’94 all over again; well without the Cup of course. Still, looking back, do you thi...
Before this year I thought a coach’s impact was minimal. Sure he could design a system and give great pep talks, but it was up to the players on the ice to execute. Then along came the day of December 12, 2006. The Blues were scheduled to play the Blackhawks that night and it was announced that Andy Murray would be taking over the vacant head coach position for the Blues...
Fellow fans,
We have waited too long for the NHL to promote its own game. Instead 4 friends got together to show the best of hockey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDSY5-y2BRs
please let us know what you think.
t2MA
It was a tough TV night in my household: 7:30 Tigers game, 8:00 Pistons game, 9:00 Greys Anatomy season finale (for the wife), 10:15 Lost special (for me).. It was an even tougher night on the ice for the Wings.. Lets rephrase that: it was a tough night on the ice for Flop Boy.. 3 goals on 8 shots? While the rest of the team was showing the heart that has become the wings ...
That is more like it...much better effort all-around! Both game 4's were two of the most fun and frenetic battles of the playoffs...great to watch! I did not want to go back and count...but aside from missing on the Senators wrapping up their series in game 4, I was spot on every other call I made!
It took Buffalo all of nine seconds to [b]find the net[/b]. [b]Chri...
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/buffaloerie/story/78531.html
A woman and 6 of her friends attended Game 4 of the ECF up at Scotiabank Place dressed in Sabres jerseys and gear. After the game, this lady was pushed down to the ground, punched, and others in her group were injured as someone attacked them.
This is absurd and utterly horrible to hear...not just ...
Every hockey web site, message board, forum, or mailing list at this point in the off-season has one Ryan Smyth rumor or another almost daily, so placing faith in any one rumor at this point is just about as sure-footed a strategy as throwing darts at a map of NHL cities. Personally, I've remained optimistic about the Islanders chances of bringing Smytty back, despite much...
The vast majority of us hockey fans are well aware of the phenomenon that is Fantasy Sports. Whether it's a free public pool or a private pool that may or may not involve an entry fee, we all know one can get lost in the fantasy realm of sports.
Case in point is the recent comments of Rogers SportsNet voice Nick Kypreos.
I believe that the reason viewership is down fo...
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...
Okay, first things first. Following yesterday's blog "Memorial Cup Previews" I was questioned as to how I could predict the Giants to be have a fourth place finish in this years tourney. As we all know, it is very difficult to follow a junior hockey club as we are absolutely lambasted with print after print about everything to do with the NHL. Living in a Canuck crazed mar...
Well, this was certainly a much better result than Game 3. After how brutally treated the Ducks were on Tuesday night, I was quite apprehensive about how the officiating would be.
It was great to have the initial goal scored so soon in the contest. The fact that the Wings tied it up shortly thereafter did not seem to take away from the emotional lift that 1st goal gav...
Well, I haven't posted a Flyers off-season thoughts blog, yet, so I figured to combat my insomnia, I'd offer my two cents.
Right now, in goal, things seem pretty much set. Martin Biron is the starter. I expect him to play as many as 60 games. Antero Niittymaki, coming off a brutal season, will be the back-up. Biron was a breath of fresh air, on and off the ice, after co...
[img]http://www2.ottawasenators.com/_static/webUpload/265/228_1.jpg[/img]
Growing up as a child in Ottawa, ON and playing minor hockey for years, the one constant thing that remained the same throughout my childhood was the fact Saturday Night was Hockey Night In Canada. A lot has changed since then, which brings me to my point for writing this article.
With NFL, NB...
I was talking about the Sabres yesterday at work when another fan told me that he heard that Drury signed a 3-year deal and it wouldn't be discussed until after the playoffs. If this is true, a plus for Buffalo. But who will they let go to free up some money? My money is on Briere. With players like Vanek stepping up this year and Stafford looking like he will be coming up...
[b]Game Review - Giants 4 - Whalers 3 OT/Final[/b]
I will have to admit, I did not see the goal but Kendall McArdle notched the winnner in the early stages of overtime to boos the Vancouver Giants to a 4-3 victory over the Plymouth Whalers.
While watching the first period I was some what baffled at how the Whalers carried themselves. The seemed to want to try to intim...
Yup, it's key, when you stars play like stars. Wade, you rock. I'm so glad you're back and playing well. Just now on the 5on3, you dove and made sure the puck got away. You're my hero and I'm glad you gots yer A-game back! :)
You have a third period full of questionable penatlies that won't be called in real hockey game and their Network dumps their sorry asses for horse race.
it goes to show how popular NHL is really is and how screwed up this league is.
I know most people will be blogging on the NBC for the choice but I decided that I would do a blog on congrats to the Sens on a great win. Especially I am very happy with Alfie he has put up with so much from the media on his playoffs, performance well where are they now. Alfie deserves the MVP of this playoff. Its about time people give Alfie his due, he has played lik...
Well, we had an exciting playoff game, heading to overtime. Good game featuring two skilled teams, that were very evenly matched. However, NBC also owns the TV rights to a horse race, so a brief graphic and one time announcement at the end of regulation sent NHL fans scrambling to Versus.
The problem is, Versus is not available throughout the US. In a brilliant move com...
flyershockey81 writes...
Congrats to Sens...News for my Fellow Flyers Fans
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Congrats to Sens. You deserved to Win. You destory and expose the sissies the buffalo sabres are made of. This series proved that old style hockey still regins in the sport i Love. Someone needs to Bettman that phyiscal play is still apart of hockey......
[b]For my Fellow flyers fans let the debate begin.......[/b]
[img]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h307/jimmywhi...
After reading the passinate blog that TIm Panccio wrote about the hack job by NBC. Maybe TIm and other NHL writers start addressing the real problem in this league..
Gary Bettman
There is only two writers who openly goes after Bettman on his mistakes and that guy is Larry Brooks of New York Post and then Toronto Sun NHL Writer Al Strachan.
Al Strachan knew fr...
The Canucks aren't going to have much money to spend, so I don't expect any big-name free agent signings.
[b][u]Out[/b][/u]
• Jan Bulis
• Bryan Smolinski
• Brent Sopel
[b][u]In[/b][/u]
• Ruslan Fedotenko
• Wade Brookbank or any other enforcer
• Marc Chouinard (for training camp)
Daniel Sedin ($3.575M) | Henrik Sedin ($3.575M) | Taylor Pyatt ($1.5...
[b]Game Review - Tigers 1 - Vs Maineiacs 3 [/b]
I totally missed the game but the Lewiston Maineiacs scored two second period goals and added another in the third to defeat the Medicine Hat Tigers by a 3 -1 margin. It would appear that Jonathan Bernier was at his best (yet again) as he turned asided 30 of the 31 shots that the Tigers directed at the Maineiacs goal.
...
Entering our 3rd summer under the current cap systems with 2 seasons prove out the theories teams and GM's have been employing. Couple that with Buffalo’s impending FA period and am I left wondering about the rise of the sign-and-trade. Even in recent Senators history there are many examples to ponder. There were Marian Hossa, Zdeno Chara, and Martin Havlat. While the...
This will be a very short post as I am just testing this out. The better team was victorious as much as it hurts to say that but the Sabres will be good for years to come. If you want to read more than go to www.buffalosportstampede.com
NHL on NBC
Well I couldn't watch OT yesterday Buff/Ottawa on NBC and had to settle for crappy non Hi-Def TV on VS.. Bettman, you better start working harder on making this more of a main stream sport that us TRUE fans can watch without interruption!
Also, get Mike "DOC" Emerick off the air when it comes to Detroit games. How can such an esteemed broadcaster with many...
The reality is setting in that the Sabres season is over and they waisted a glorious opportunity. I’m sitting here trying to figure out what went wrong and the only conclusion I can come to is that the Ottawa Senators were better. I guess when put into perspective the disappointment is eased a bit because the Sabres didn’t deserve to win. In last years Conference Fi...
editors note: This is the first of a four part series recapping the Buffalo Sabres season and heading into the offseason.
The Buffalo Sabres enjoyed what many would say was a successful 2006-2007 season. A Northeast Division title for the first time since 1997 and the teams first Presidents Trophy were good benchmarks for the Regular Season champions.
But the s...
Luongo07 writes...
Now That's Hockey, Giants over Maineiacs, Tigers vs. Whalers
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[b]Game Review[/b]
[b]Giants 2 vs. Maineiacs 1[/b]
This is going to be a quick entry today...
Opps, I did it again! I watched a junior hockey game pretty well from begining to end, meanwhile just glancing at the NHL contest here and there. Not that I could be faulted after the show that the Giants and Maineiacs put on yesterday at the Memorial Cup tournament.
Lew...
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...
Part 2 of the Sabres season review discusses the progression of the defenseman this season, and where the goaltenders in the organization stand.
Brian Campbell (6-42-48) Campbell enjoyed his best offensive season in 2006-2007, finishing tops among Sabres defenseman in points. Earned his first trip to the All Star Game this past season, voted a strter by the fans. His pl...
From Neil Best from Newsday:
"In an interview with WFAN, commissioner Gary Bettman said the broad audience was worth the risk of overtime, but he left open the possibility of rethinking the Saturday afternoon strategy next year."
"Why not at least move the game to, say, MSNBC, which is in about 20 million fewer homes than NBC but 20 million more than Versus? [b]Becau...
bulldog_bob writes...
An Open Letter to SVP of Sports Programming at NBC
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This blog is in responce to the Game 5 television dabacle on NBC. I am posting the E-Mail I sent to Seth Winter - NBC-Sports SVP of Sprots Programming just in case he decided not to return to work yesterday afternoon from a three martini lunch at Rainbow Room in Lower Manhatten. I did not want my outrage missed about NBC's programming decisions on Saturday. I think my s...
I actually don't have a problem with NBC bailing on the hockey coverage on the weekend. It was a business decision plain and simple. Hockey gets a 1.3 rating and the Preakness gets 6.3. I would have made the decision to switch as well. Maybe not right away given post time was over an hour away but at some point.
What I am upset about is how Bettman rolled over and just ...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Sabres Payroll a Tight Fit For Drury OR Briere in 2007/08
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
We Buffalo Fans are doing alot of "back of napkin" figuring on the Sabres contracts and salary cap next year but not many are considering the actual dollars they spend compared to their budget. Get out your abucus and follow along.
According to [url]http://www.nhlnumbers.com/buf.html[/url]the Sabres spent $45.43 million (actual dollars) on their players salries last y...
"the BASTard makes me ILl."
http://www2.sportsnet.ca/blogs/david_bastl/2007/05/22/bonds_great_buffalo_sucks/
For those who frequent Sportsnet, you may have seen the latest pile of horsecrap that David Bastil spewed out all over the front page today. For the second time in the last month, he wrote a completely unintelligent blog about why Barry Bonds is the greatest...
For those outside of Buffalo, just an interesting little story....
I called HSBC Arena yesterday. I was hoping to buy season tickets. The response I got: "We're all maxed out for next season. We can take your name down for the waiting list though."
What?
It's not like I waited til the last minute. Last year I ordered my tix in August and had no problem.
You...
They pulled it off! The Plymouth Whalers season will continue for at least one more game and the Memorial Cup tournament just got a lot more interesting.
With the victory, Plymouth is now guaranteed at least a date with Medicine Hat or Lewiston for the tie-breaker game that is scheduled for Thursday evening at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver.
The opponent will be...
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...
So here we go, another off-season filled with free agents and question marks only fit for the Empire State. This year it comes down to the absolute core of the team, the two captains, Chris Drury and Daniel Briere.
I love Chris Drury, he is everything I want my captain to be. If I have a team led by Drury, backstopped by Ryan Miller, and coached by Lindy Ruff, I am ...
A valiant effort by the previously listless Wings came up just short as time ran out on them and there amazing 2007 playoff run.. The Wings just plain refused to skate for the first 36 minutes of this game and as a result found themselves down 3 - 0 coming into the 3rd period.. A quick Zetterberg goal to open the 3rd breathed life into the boys wearing red until the eventu...
Brett, you better start working on your script for the Stanley Cup Finals. You will be on TV for games 4-7. Try expanding your vocabulary, try eliminating the word TERRIBLE.
Maybe you can write the Ducks off early and whine some more about the Red Wings and why they didn't make it to the finals. They played terrible for two periods tonight. Great game tonight, dominat...
[b]1 Buf vs 4 Ott - Ott in 7[/b] - Didn't take as long as I expected, as the Sabres bowed out in five. I called the goaltending a wash...maybe I said that cuz I was cheering for the Sens. Miller is the better goalie, but not by as much as a lot of people are still thinking. However, Miller was inconsistent in the first two rounds. Of course, in this series, he was the ...
Yup, that's pretty much it. Giguere is cool and all, but at the end of the day, the Eastern teams have it more "figured out" than the western teams who are still playing scared. It's too bad the RW's couldn't do it. As much as we all love Hasek, in the end, it was not meant to be. (not sure how that came out, if it was sarcastic enough). In any case, may the best team...
Question for West Coast residents: What is Cup Finals gameday like for Ducks fans when the game starts at 5:00pm? I'm just curious because here in Buffalo if a game started at 5:00pm our city (and many of the surrounding suburbs) would completely shut down approximately 36 hours in advance and there would be about as many people at work that day as there is on Christmas Da...
Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Ducks finally played their best hockey of the playoff run!!! Only took til Game 6 of the Conference Finals, but better late than never!!
As a loyal Ducks fan, I must say that I was truly impressed with the game that Anaheim brought against Detroit last night. The passing was great, the skating was beautiful, and the Ducks made a point of send...
Courtesy of 104.5FM and News Channel Five out of Nashville. Leipold has sold the team to Jim Ballsile(or however you spell his last name), that crazy Ontarian who made a bid to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Daunic just confirmed it's an outright sale.
Leipold has stated that the Predators will play the 07-08 season in Nashville, but after that nothing is guaranteed.
...
Tonight the Vancouver Giants and Medicine Hat Tigers renew their rivalry for the 8th time in since May 4th. If this were the Vancouver Canucks meeting the Minnesota Wild for the eight time in less than a month I would be extremely depressed. Fact of the matter is, these two teams hate each other and they love telling each other that they hate playing each other...does that...
The speculation that various Canadian venues in Ontario would be chosen if the Preds were to leave Music City doesn't ask the right question: [b]If the Preds were moved[/b] to Kitchener, Brantford, Hamilton, or even The Soo or Sudbury - [b]the real question is,what conference would they be in?[/b]
Would they automatically become an Eastern Conference team with such a m...
Tonight's game started with the intense vigor that I had expected but in the end...it was dull. I think the coaches really calmed the player's down, the Tigers were able to keep the crowd out of it and the game really lacked the intensity that was expected.
In the end the Tigers scored the lone goal on a late second period power-play and the Giants could not muster much...
I am shocked. I am. But not at all surprised. Perhaps I should have taken what Trump says to heart…”trust no one.” Even as Leipold would repeat, time after time, that he had no intention of moving the franchise somewhere deep inside I did not entirely believe him. Don’t get me wrong I am not sitting here telling you that I saw this coming because I didn’t…...
Season ticket holders got an email from current (though not for long) Preds owner Craig Leipold. Here is it in it’s entirety.
[i]Dear Predators’ Season Ticket Holders:
June 25, 2007 will mark the 10-year anniversary of the awarding of the NHL franchise to Nashville that became your Nashville Predators. It’s been an incredible 10-year journey for me. I can�...
teddye03 writes...
Step1 Is Admitting You Have A Problem (My Blog From The Med)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Mykonos, Greece. One of the largest party towns in Europe, a beautiful place, and here I am sitting in a tiny cabin room on the ship, sitting here sipping a rye and coke after our late seating dinner in the dining room writing about hockey. I’m no expert, but I think I’ve become what some people could call a hockey addict. Don’t get me wrong, I am enjoying this Medit...
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...
The 49th parallel has never looked so significant.
While Canadian fans were enjoying the standard high-quality broadcast from CBC's Hockey Night in Canada Saturday afternoon -- more on the afternoon part later -- fans south of the border were shut out as the Ottawa-Buffalo game went to overtime.
You would think American-based fans would be used to this by now. After ...
This is how I think they stack up.
[b]Goaltending[/b] - No doubt, Giguere is the more accomplished of the two, already with a Conn Smythe under his belt. He is as positionally sound as any goalie in the NHL. He is again proving to be his team's MVP on a team that boasts two Norris candidates. He is more than capable of stealing a game. An area of concern is that Gig...
Okay...the ball is in our court. Yesterday is over and there is nothing we can do about it. The Preds have been sold but it doesn't mean that they are leaving for sure. YOU can make a difference. Call the League Office at 212-789-2000 and log your complaint. I called this morning and let my voice be heard. They told me that each call will be logged and those calls will pas...
Much talk has been made of the purchase of the Nashville Predators by Research in Motion CEO Jim Balsillie. It appears the team will be transferred to him, and, with it, rumours are in the works for a team to perhaps go to Kitchener-Waterloo.
I have been debating this for some time, so I'll retierate a lot of what I thought:
Logistically speaking, in that case, it wo...
[b]Vancouver Giants vs Plymouth Whalers [/b]
[b]Time: 5:00pm PST[/b]
[b]Television: Rogers Sportsnet[/b]
The Vancouver Giants and Plymouth Whalers meet for the second consecutive Friday in the Memorial Cup Semi-Final. The Giants have looked better throughout the course of the tournament but as with every hockey game there are under-lying factors that may play agains...
this was proved by sports blog Sports Media Watch
http://sportsmediawatch.blogspot.com/
this tv rating going back to 1995. add this to bettman brilliant work as the Commish. did anyone notice the differnece one final game between two top market teams in 1997 vs. rest of the games of the following years?
[b]1995[/b]
3.2: New Jersey at Detroit, Game 1 (Saturday, Jun...
If you are heading to Southern California for game one of the Stanley Cup Finals, you might be in for a surprise.
There is no orange mile. You can drive for hours without seeing a car flag. Fans in Ducks regalia are few and far between around town. Sports shops have more merchandise from the middling Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim -- how's that for a mouthful -- than the...
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...
That noise is the pounding of the Plymouth Whalers by the Vancouver Giants and for the ninth time in the month of May the Giants will face the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Feeling the pressure of the let down with Wednesday's loss, the Giants took it to the Whalers early with Wacy Rabbit beating Michael Neuvirth on the games first shot. Before the first period was out Michal R...
Please, please tell me I'm not alone in this, in that every team has that one player who makes you cringe every time he steps on the ice. You wonder how he is even in the NHL and why, oh why does he have to be on your team. I have a solution... sort of. We can have us some fun!
In my case as a Rangers loyal and true, that player is defenseman Marek Malik(you know wha...
My devotion to the Vancouver Giants of the WHL is new. I’ve come to realize recently that it’s a selfish act, because my new hobby permits me three of my favorite indulgences.
First: It represents yet another excuse to interact with the lively swarm of personalities on HockeyBuzz chat in ways I didn’t think that simple typing allowed. A work-at-home dev...
Sunday afternoon the WHL [b]Vancouver Giants[/b] -- coached by my old friend of more than thirty years, [b]Don "Hayzer" Hay[/b] -- will be playing for junior hockey's ultimate prize, the [b]Memorial Cup[/b], against the Medicine Hat Tigers before a no doubt sold out house at the [b]Pacific Coliseum[/b] in [b]Vancouver, B.C.[/b]. Over the past few months, the Giants have be...
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...
Mike Rathje. there is a name i havent heard for awhile in flyerland. In all seriousness, i know Mike is trying the hardest he can to come back and play for the orange and black but i think it's time for flyers to buy him out or he has to retire.
I met Rathje once, he is a great guy and a great heart for the game but it's decsion time for him......
Well, we have come to the last 7 games of the 2006-2007 NHL Year. Two teams are on the edge of the top of Mountain.
From the east we have Ottawa Senators and from the west we have Anaheim Ducks.
Both teams defy what Gary Bettman wants the NHL to be a passive, Euro league.
Lets recap how both teams got to the finals
[b]Ottawa Senators[/b]
In the first round, ...
People may ask, how does a guy living in Massachusetts get hooked onto Vancouver Giants hockey. The answer is simple really, I love hockey, and the team at the time had just gotten Wacey Rabbit in a trade from Saskatoon. You see, Wacey Rabbit and Milan Lucic are teammates on the Vancouver Giants, and both are also prospects in the Boston Bruins organization. Once Wacey ...
[img]http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/LeaferSutherland/devsbanner1.gif"[/img]
[b]For every beginning there has to be an end (insert Alpha-Omega reference here). So with all the major players graded....its time to take a look into next year's crystal ball. What could next season have in store for the Devils...what may they or may they not do? Sure it is all s...
According to the Raleigh News and Observer, Glen Wesley wants to return next season for his 20th season. Here's what Glen had to say:
"That was definitely not the way I wanted to finish the year off," Wesley said. "I'm really looking forward to coming back and getting a fresh start and wanting to win again. That should be everybody's objective in the locker room. We hav...
Is anyone out there watching this? You gotta love it when they let the players play! I will blog later but for now:
Comments on the game?
Well it is a long weekend here in the states. There is not much hockey going on anywhere right now. I couldn't even get people together to play a pick up game.
I am anxious for the Stanley cup finals to start and dread it all at the same time. I am not a supporter of either team. Do I have a favorite? why, yes, but neither team is in my top 10 for NHL teams to roo...
iScoop writes...
All Hail the Vancouver Giants -- 2007 Memorial Cup Champions
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
What a glorious aftrnoon of fellowship and the pure joy of hockey could be found in the [b]HockeyBuzz Chatroom[/b] today! For almost four hours, a diverse group of us HB chatters eschewed family BBQs, a day at the beach, and other recreations of a beutiful holiday weekend Sunday afternoon to huddle by our computers and join, albeit in cyberspace, the crowd of 16,281 that f...
As i am coming home from the jersey shore from the memorial hoilday on monday, i will start to watch the final 7 games of the the 2006-2007 NHL Season.
I finally give NHL credit for something....
i'll give them credit for scheduling the first game of stanley cup finals on memorial day night. the reason i will give them credit for scheduling the first game against b...
doing this on the fly...
...no gm in their right mind is going to set the precedent and go after an RFA the caliber of a player such as thomas vanek. bob clarke did this last year to test the waters with a team and gm he has rarely dealt with. i think from that reaction we saw and the spotted history of 'rfa robbing' that it is most definitely not going to continue on ...
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!
First and foremost congratulation to the Vancouver Giants on winning the 2007 Master Card Memorial Cup, and also a big round of applause to the 3 other teams that competed for the title the Medicine Hat Tigers, Plymouth Whalers and the Lewiston Maineiacs.
For those who do not follow Jr. Hockey the Memorial Cup is a very difficult championship to win. The C...
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.
[img]http://www.sportsnet.ca/images/daily/sat/emery_practice_cup_hor.jpg[/img]
It’s been a long wait for both Senator and Duck fans, but it all begins tonight (May 28th, 2007). This battle should be a good one and the physical prowess of both teams will be shown early on. The epic face off has the Senators big 3 (Alfie-Spezza-Heatley) going up against two Norris Troph...
[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...
Despite a disappointing conclusion to the Sabres season it was one of, if not the best season in Franchise history. The Sabres have played in the Stanley Cup finals twice but had never won the Presidents Trophy in franchise history. The Stanley Cup is obviously the most coveted prize but it is equally as difficult to be the best team in the league over an 82 game span. I w...
Hey pens fans,
The Pens have siged Jonathan D’Aversa to a 3 year entry level contract. He is 21 years old and has spent th last 3 years playinig for the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL. He has had 150 pints in 259 games. His defense partner was Jordan Staal's brother Marc.
[url]http://penshockey.blogspot.com[/url]
What an incredible start to the Stanley Cup Finals! Game 1 had everything but overtime...numerous gigantic hits, acrobatic saves, some pretty goals, and some not so pretty goals. Though there were way too many suspect penalty calls, this game never lacked intensity. It was back and forth most of the game...even during the power plays. Like every other team the Ducks ha...
Well this is my first blog here so I thought that I would introduce myself. My name is Zac and I currently live in Vancouver. I grew up in the Toronto area for most of my life and I have followed the Leafs for as long as I can remember. The days of Wendle hitting and fighting everyone to watching Dougie work his magic behind the net. I've watched the highs and lows and...
Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm a man of wealth and taste.
So now that we've got the Stones reference done with, here's the basics: I'm Kevin. I've played hockey for nigh on 15 years now, and have loved the game ever since I first strapped on skates and went around Kirkwood Ice Arena in the St Louis suburbs. I idolized Gretz, Jagr and Hull when I was a kid, and...
Nemmy700 writes...
Because teams from non-traditional markets deserve better.
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
There are two types of hockey fans, those that are irked at the concept of a Southern team winning a cup (ie. Carolina, Tampa, Dallas, to name a few) and those that aren't.
As a hockey fan, I'm tired of hearing what team "deserves" to win the cup based on the amount of fans a team has, or how devoted these said fans may be. This is professional sports. The NHL, as is ...
My apologies for avoiding the site the past few days. In fact, for once in my life hockey has not been the first thing on my mind.
Sunday afternoon has become a blur, Monday? don't even ask. Please allow a mulligan on this one...
Yesterday morning as we made our way to work, we received a phone call. Yes, a phone call at 6:00 am is usually a phone call that you are ...
It has been pointed out by much of the media that Southern California is not a hockey town.
True, the term "Southern California" seems to imply a region, not a town, but in this hyper-sensitive metropolitan area where everyone wants to be their own metro area, it is the politically correct term.
Politically correct -- that is something Anaheim general manager Brian B...
"Mad" Mike Milbury is no longer an ISLANDER. MM has stepped down from his position today, and will only be an advisor to Wang's Chineese Hockey Project. But he no longer has reign over anything Islanders Related! Did you hear that, Pierre McGuire? MM is Gone.. we don't wanna hear of any more of his draft picks or trades!
-----------------------------------------
The ...
It appears the minor stand-off between the Canucks and soon to be unrestricted free agent Taylor Pyatt may actually be coming to an end. In a good way for both sides.
TSN.ca is reporting that the Canucks who offered $1.2 million per have loosend their stance a litte, meanwhile Pyatt has also come back the other way from his previous demand of about $1.5 - 1.6 million. ...
The Nashville Predators have signed a whopping FIVE European prospects in the last week. Sources have Djurgardens forward Patric Hornqvist to an entry-level three year, two-way contract. Hornqvist posted 6 points (2g-4a) and a +2 in 9 games at the World Championships. He is also one of only a handful of players- including Peter Frosberg, Marcus Naslund, and one of the Sedi...
I'm just listening to Chuck Swirsky on the Fan590, and I hear about this pledge that Toronto's Mayor David Miller, Vancouver's Mayor Sam Sullivan, and Calgary's Mayor Dave Bronconnier, is creating to make Leaf fans, Canucks fans, and Flames fans root for the Senators during this Stanley Cup Finals.
This is absolutely ridiculous! If your a fan of the Leafs you are NOT ro...
SmokingChicken writes...
Preds Ink Finnish Enforcer/Some Required Viewing
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Per HFboards- the Nashville Predators have signed Finnish forward Antti Pihlström. An up-tempo player with great speed, a decent shot, and a hard right, Pihller complied 16 goals and 23 assists along with a +11 and 63 penalty minutes in 56 games last season with Hämeenlinna. He's been drawing comparisons to Ville Nieminen and Sami Kapanen.
From what I can gather, this...
I posted the following after the Giants Memorial Cup victory last Sunday:
[i]"What a glorious aftrnoon of fellowship and the pure joy of hockey could be found in the [b]HockeyBuzz Chatroom[/b] today! For almost four hours, a diverse group of us HB chatters eschewed family BBQs, a day at the beach, and other recreations of a beutiful holiday weekend Sunday afternoon to ...
Only a few hours to go now until game 2 starts. I am pumped.
Lots to expect out of this one. Will the Sens be able to fight back or will the Ducks just keep on hitting everyone and wear down the Sens?
I really think that this is the Ducks chance. They have a great opportunity to go ahead 2-0 in the series and forcing the Sens to win 4 in 5 games. They have a lo...
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 ...
My record third blog of the day. I'm sure some folks are getting tired of me, but c'est la vie, as my girlfriend would say.
Manny Fernandez has made it public knowledge that he wants out of Minnesota. Manny said in the Pioneer Press that he wants out of the organization to be with "more supportive team-mates and coaches." I, for one, would've never expected that environ...
I'd like to be the first to welcome you all to the REAL Stanley Cup playoffs...they went old-school tonight! From the opening draw to Alfredsson's final hit at the buzzer, bodies were flying...they might as well have been bumper cars! Monster hits were being laid out with the intent to hurt. The game was frenetic and raucous...it easily was as good as game 1...only they...
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...
Last Friday, as I waited to board a homebound plane from Halifax, I was leafing through the Globe and Mail. Two excellent articles about the potential franchise move and the lack of print coverage for the Stanley Cup finals shared a page with…the Birth and Death Notices. Of all the ironies.
The announced sale of the Predators is nothing short of a Death Notice. Bal...
Let's face facts Sabre Nation, the boys in the suits are not going to spend to the cap next year and it seems very possible they actually spend less then last year. That is why it is virtulally impossible to keep both Drury and Briere. That being said here is what I think the roster could look like next season. This involves letting Briere and Zubrus walk, not offering Num...
I think we would agree that most players are at least a little superstitious and we can understand why they might be. But why are some fans superstitious? Do we really think that something we do can affect the outcome of games or the performance of players? Does wearing the same clothes or eating the same meal on game days affect your favourite team? Will something bad...
Okay, folks, there have been some moves in the past by some GMs that have left me scratching my head(the Gerber signing sticks out; also the entire tennure of Mike Milbury with the Islanders), but the last week has left me stunned.
David Poile has gone out and signed SEVEN European players since the playoffs ended. SEVEN of them! I've already commented on the first six,...
Montreal 1993 game 2. Marty Mcsorley gets called for and illegal stick..........Result The hockey nation of Canada gets the cup for the last time in the century.
Aniehim 2007 Danny Heatley, Jason Spezza, and daniel alfreedson.......... A once Unstopable force Turns into the highest paid turn over machine in the NHL.
Result...........well probably a Stanley cup.
...
At work today, I was listening to several of The Tragically Hip's (I still haven't purchased "World Container" yet!) albums and reminiscing about my first Hip concert experience last month at The Chameleon Club here in Lancaster, PA.
It's a small, dark, smoke-filled box that can hold about as many people as the local Tim Horton's in downtown Toronto. But the magic they ...
OK, so I leave on this ridiculously long business trip 3+ weeks ago sitting on top of the world. The Sabres had just dispatched the Rangers and were about to face the Sens (hind sight being 20/20, I wish it was New Jersey). Fans in Buffalo were crazed. You couldn't walk into a store without seeing a huge display of Sabres logo merchandise for sale.
Stop 1: Las Vegas
...
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...
For the past several years, Samuel Pahlsson toiled as an underrated player in the NHL outpost of Anaheim.
Have things ever changed.
Considered the likely candidate to win the Selke Trophy for top defensive forward during the regular season, Pahlsson might win another piece of hardware if the Anaheim Ducks go on to win the Stanley Cup.
It sounds strange to say a ch...
[img:left]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y102/Zacobius/matshor_78503.jpg[/img]So it's all over the news. It looks like Sundin is a lock for a 2 year deal worth 10 to 11 million. I wouldn't really call this news as it has been speculated for a long time. There is seems to be a split amongst the Leafs Nation. I think most would agree that Mats has been amazing in his 1...
Hey pens fans,
Sidney Crosby has been named captain of the Pens. He is the youngest Captain in NHL history if I am not mistaken. This announcemnet solidifies what we alread knew. Crosby is a leader both on the ice and in the lockerroom. It is a quite a statement to his character to be given this honor at his youthful age. For anyone who didn't know, it is now clear w...
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 ...
I've been fighting off frequent fits of boredom this afternoon, which will quickly be remedied when I depart for Reelfoot Lake in west Tennessee. I've never been there, but they say it's beautiful.
Here's some of the latest signings and players you can expect to see in camps:
Thrashers: Tobias Enström (D, SWE), Ondrej Pavelec (G, CZE- from QMJHL)
Coyotes: Martin Ha...
Obviously the Spezza- heatley- Alfie trio has been amazing in the playoffs for the sens this season, and to blame one line for playoff failure seems a bit weak. This line has carried the sens throughout the playoffs, and it is up for the rest of the team to step it up. Comrie 2 goals. Schaefer 1 goal. Fisher 4 goals. Of the second line, fisher has been the bright spot, whe...
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 ...
It is not just the sight of the Rideau Canal and Parliament Hill that makes the Ottawa Senators glad to be home for games three and four of the Stanley Cup Finals.
With the home team getting the last change, the Senators will finally be able to get the line of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, and Dany Heatley away from Anaheim's checking line of Samuel Pahlsson, Rob Nie...
I just got word today that Preds prospect center Patric Hornqvist will play his first full professional season in the Elitserien, rather than in the NHL or AHL.
I'm not surprised, but I am a bit disappointed. I really think Patric's stock peaked this year and THIS was the year he needed to come over.
Then again, he may be like Nicklas Bacstrom and use the year to fully...
Swiss League-A-Club [b]Ambri-Piotta [/b][b]signed [/b]yesterday former Bruins Stay-at-home-D-Man [b]Zdenek Kutlak [/b]to a one-year-contract. He's a gritty player with a decent shot and knows new czech Ambri-Coach [b]Jan Tlacil [/b]from czech extraliga-club [b]Ceske Budejovice[/b]. Ambri signed before [b]Toronto Marlies [/b]Topcenter [b]Erik Westrum[/b].
Kutlak will ear...
So tonight will pretty much decide this series. Ottawa are on the ropes and Alfredsson, Heatley and Spezza continue to struggle against Anaheim's checking line, the Niedermayer-Pronger unit, and JS Giguere. But they return home to the Scotiabank Place with (hopefully) rabid fans who weren't even remote thoughts the last time the Senators won the Cup(except for that one 99 ...
http://broadband.tsn.ca/tsn/?vid=8024
[i]I received the following email from my old friend of thirty years, Vancouver Giants coach Don Hay, this morning in response to my passing along the congratulations of the HockeyBuzz chatters on the Giants' MC championship:[/i]
Hi Scoop,
Thanks for your support. Joey had been keeping me informed on the two of you emailing back and forth and to still have those old...
teddye03 writes...
A hockey junky gets his fix (The price is not right)
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Thanks to free wireless internet in my hotel, combined with large quantities of caffeine, I get to do something I have not had the pleasure of doing in three weeks, watch a hockey game. After the depressing event of departing my cruise ship early this morning, the beautiful sights of Barcelona, Spain, combined with the opportunity to view a live stream and chat with my fri...
i wonder if that was buffalo or any usa team in the same exact situation would they called it a goal? dont nhl offical know how easy to revoke a usa passport
I do not know about other fans, but I really do not mind a loss. Especially in the Stanley Cups finals, it's important that teams play their best and, frankly, I want to see strong hockey on all fronts. It's nice to see streaks and sweeps, but I'm a fan of the sport, not just one team (and I'm a big fan of my team). Your team will loose sometimes. I never want to see m...
1 game for Pronger? Does the fact that he's a repeat offender play into this anywhere? I don't care if this is the Finals, that warrants more than one game, especially since Pronger is stupid enough not to learn from the Holmstrom incident.
Also, the league says they suspended him because McAmmond was hurt on the play. That shouldn't matter at all.
I wonder, if ...
if the league is going to be consistant in handing out suspendsion in regarding to blows to head, why wasn't Chris Neil suspended for his head shot in third?
Maybe because Ottawa is a team from Canada or maybe this done to by the league that desperatly needs as much prime time exposure as possible to gain any attraction it can, and is going to do anything it has to to g...
People have been jumping all over Duck's fans for complaining about the officiating. I don't recall anyone from the Ducks team complaining after game 3, though their frustration during the game was obvious. Bryan Murray, Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, etc. were complaining to the press about the officiating after each of the first 2 games. Isn't it amazing that there have no ...
OPP Constable Lyndon Slewidge delivered one of the most stirring renditions of "O Canada" in recent memory before Game 2 -- as he does every night before Senators games. The coolest part was the enormous Canadian Flag being passed around the upper deck. Quite possibly the greatest Anthem since the 1991 All-Star game by Wayne Messmer and 20,000 Chicagoans.
But no Lyndo...
For all the talk of Daniel Alfredsson's goal in game three, the issue of what a distinct kicking motion entails may be a moot point.
After watching the replay dozens of times in super-slow motion on a top-quality HDTV, it appears the puck actually went in off Alfredsson's stick.
Stationed to the left of Anaheim goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Alfredsson directed t...
"It's a joke. It's a joke. It's been going on the whole series and the whole playoffs, that's a joke. Not one of those calls whether it was against Anaheim or against Ottawa was a penalty....they were bad calls and it's ridiculous at this point of the season that you have referees making these kind of bad calls....missing dives, making calls that aren't even penalties...Ra...
I cannot believe I even have to say this...but I've just lost all respect for Daniel Alfredsson. In case you think I've always disliked him, simply refer back to almost every playoff blog to see how I've talked about him. What in the world was he thinking? He went completely off the reservation. The shot at Scott Niedermayer was crazy enough...but then he goes and punc...
Well, considering the Anaheim Ducks are now 2-0 in the 2007 playoffs without stud defenseman and Mensa candidate Chris Pronger, my guess is that we can officially scratch him off the short list of Conn Smythe trophy contenders.
Pronger's hotly debated second suspension was weathered by the Ducks' remaining defensemen and especially goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who was...
Which player wins the Zinedine Zidane award for a meltdown during a championship game or series? The nominees are Chris Pronger, for his game 3 Dean McAmmond headhunting excursion, and Daniel Alfredsson, for his game 4 end-of-2nd period bazooka blast at Scott Neidermayer. As with Zidane in the World Cup final, these 2 incidents happened during tied games. Todd Marchant's ...
Watch this blog over the summer for Vancouver Island hockey news, including BCHL, ECHL and the Canucks training camp in Victoria!
I didn't get to see much of Game 3 as I was on a mini vacation on the weekend. Went to Seattle to check it out and had a great time. All that I saw was the last 10min of the first, Coach's Corner and funny enough, the Pronger elbow.
Now I did get to watch Game 4 and another solid game. This has been a very good series to watch and they have all been tight games. T...
Yah yah, I know. I've heard all the rhetoric about why, as an Oiler fan, I have to hate Anaheim. Blah, blah Pronger. But I just can't. Hey, would I rather see Pronger wearing the Oil Drop and hoisting the Cup? Of course but it's not going to happen.
There are just too many reasons to admire the Ducks.
1) Scott Niedermeyer is as classy as it gets in the NHL. Nice to s...
WHy is there no talk about that bone-headed shot at Niedermayer at the end of the 2nd period. Captain Danny should have to sit game 5 after that classless attempt to injure the Duck's captain, a real captain.
The NHL is just showing another example of how they continue to be a mediocre league and let this headhunting go on. Does the NBA allow players to throw the bask...
Southern California -- for once, it's about the Ducks.
And hockey.
In Southern California, hockey fans often feel like they simply do not belong. The Lakers and Dodgers win championships routinely, even if it's been nearly two decades for the latter. Even the Angels have a World Series to their name, and they are a franchise considered cursed by many fans.
Sure, t...
To many fans of Canadian teams, the closest thing to seeing their team in the final rounds of the playoffs is to follow their next crop of superstars in the AHL playoffs. For the Montreal Canadiens, there couldn't be a better indication of the future of the most storied franchise in hockey history than the play of their AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs. While many neve...
Game 3, had less than 1 million viewers, with it peaking at a .08 Rating In the Final 30 mins of the game, with only 3 % of TV Viewers watching this game.
[i]Last year's game 3 got a 1.7 Rating. Down big time for a Saturday full of repeats or movies.[/i]
Game 4 on the otherhand had a jump up to a 2.1 Rating (2.3 Million Viewers), with only 4 % of people watching TV...
Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals resumes tonight in sunny California, but for Ottawa the it's not so much the Ducks they have to be worried about - it's the crows waiting for the dead to fall.
Is it all doom and gloom if you're a Sens fan? Of course not, but getting this far and seeing your team out-matched in every possible area raises areas for concern. Out-matched ...
Jsaquella writes...
Flyers Shuffle Staffs: Mullen, McIllhargy In, Berube To AHL
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
From the team's website:
http://flyers.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=316734&page=NewsPage&service=page
John Stevens, who took over for Ken Hitchcock last season, will have some veteran NHL players serving as his assistants next season. Joe Mullen, who until this past season was the all time leading US born goal scorer, and Jack McIllhargy, former Flyer, will be his assi...
Please [b]DON'T[/b] even think of sigining Alexei Yashin.
Front page of the Goldstream Gazette has the Canucks holding their main and prospects camp and the Bear Mountain Arena in Colwood from Sept 5-18, Len Barrie saying a decision will come in " a few weeks" with the Blue and White game scheduled for the SOFMC in Victoria
Check out VI Hockey Buzz daily for updates during the camp!
[img:left]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y102/Zacobius/nik_51009.jpg[/img] Well lets get this news out of th way. Antropov as been re-signed for 2 years, a little over $4 mil. Not sure what to think. Clearly this puts him as a top 6 forward and his expectations have gone up. His problems have always been injuries. It's a shame really cause you can see his talent whe...
And, in the end, after making us sweat it out for a couple of months, they got it right!
Alexei Yashin’s tumultuous tenure as captain of the New York Islanders has finally come to an end. Whatever sales pitch Ted Nolan and Garth Snow threw at Charles Wang worked, though it must have been a tough decision for the Islanders owner. Regardless, as I have written in previo...
[img:right]http://www.wgr550.com/sabres/top10/media/02_mayday.jpg[/img]
Congradulations to Brad May on his first Stanley Cup Championship. nearly 14 years and 2 months ago Brad scored one of the biggest Stanley Cup Ot winning goals in history. Now his name will enter the history books as a Stanley Cup winner. It is nice to see him get his due.
With over 900 games pl...
Congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks. An outstanding organization and a tremendous hockey team. They deserved everything they got.
And now our lives fall back to normalcy. No more puck. At least not on the ice.
It's a terribly sad time of year. At least we have the NBA Finals starting tomorrow, right? Major League Baseball is in full swing. And then football s...
I was just watching the Tonight Show and Jay was doing his stand up bit at the beginning and he made a really asinine comment. He said that there was a research study that was done that showed that people ate more while watching interesting television shows. He said that NBC's new slogan should be "watch more and take off the pounds" and he directly followed that up by sar...
Well it ended exactly as I predicted in July of last year. On July 4th I was in Las Vegas with my wife on a vacation. Due to a glitch in the reservation system on Vegas.com for the Flamingo, me and about 4 other guys got 9 rooms total for exactly $0.23.... That's 23 cents American. Yes, technology is cool. The Flamingo cancelled our reservations, but then reinstated our ro...
It’s a sad day in Sens land. The Ducks did to the Sens what the Sens had done to the Penguins, Devils and Sabres. The Ducks played their game and played in a way that made the Sens play in a way they didn’t want to. The Sens just couldn’t find a way to get back to the way they played in the first three rounds of the play-offs. They lost to a better team and there...
Obviously many great stories from this year's playoffs and the finals in particular. Ottawa finally made it to the big dance, but obviously couldn't get the job done when it mattered most. The Niedermayer's got their wish as did Chris Pronger. But one underlying story occurred to me as I was watching Niedermayer hoist the cup; no team with a European captain has ever won t...
Short blog here, just felt like getting my opinion out there into the ether. It's a common viewpoint on NHL expansion but what can i say, when theres no hockey games/trade/rumors to read about I need to let it all out somehow!
I think that in 4-5 years expansion will be more than likely. If this occurs, I would hate to see the NHL pick the wrong markets to expand into....
The Anaheim Ducks have won the Stanley Cup. Not only did they win it, they won it [i]convincingly[/i]. Three straight seasons- maybe four (did the Detroit-Carolina series go seven games?)- the Finals were decided in seven games. This was the first truly lop-sided final I've sat down and watched since the Red Wings swept the Flyers back in '97 (now THAT was a show of force)...
OnPoint writes...
Lindy Ruff is Duke Phillips and other random thoughts
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]Lindy Phillips? Duke Ruff? You decide[/b]
After enjoying the final moments of the Stanley Cup presentation (congrats to the Ducks, someday I hope to enjoy a celebration in Buffalo as well), a friend and I put on a DVD of one of our favorite television shows: The Critic. A long cancelled and mostly forgotten classic, for those of you who don't know. It's a cartoon s...
No surprise that the NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman doesn't know his hockey history forgetting the beloved 1925 Stanley Cup Champs, Victoria Cougars when he proclaimed the Ducks the first Stanley Cup winners from the West Coast last night. I'm sure the press release apology is on its way.....
[img:left]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y102/Zacobius/nhl_blog/capt.jpg[/img] Well congrats to the Ducks. What a great playoff run and what a win in Game 5. After all those close games, it was great to see them in a blowout. After watching Cory Perry in London, it was great to see him get that goal (what a shot) and once again, no celebration looks better in sports t...
The NHL and NBC can not like this.. The Ratings from game 4 to game 5 went DOWN. A 2.1 for Game 4 went down to a mere 1.8 for the final game is not good for either the NHL or NBC.. The ratings are obviosuly down big time from last years Cup Finals..
I want to say congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks franchise, Brian Burke, Randy Carlyle, the players, staff and fans on their first Stanley Cup championship. Your organization did a fantastic job and proved that "old time hockey" can still be used to hoist that battered old mug.
It was awesome to hear the sheer excitement of the Ducks fans, both during and after the ga...
Canadian hockey fans and other hockey fans of the more established teams from the North will ultimately will hear the following comments one way or another at a NHL arena, or anywhere else NHL hockey fans gather:
"The Stanley Cup belongs in a [b]real[/b] hockeytown"
"I cannot stand when these teams from the South and the West win. It's not right"
Ask yourself thi...
The day of June 7, 2007 will be a day Islander fans will remember for a long time. The day they bought out the contract of their captain Alexei Yashin. Back in 2001 Alexei signed the ridiculous $87.5-million contract for about 10 years. In 1999 Yashin sat out the entire year because of contract problems, then in 2001 on draft day, the big trade happened. Ottawa traded thei...
There is one thing that really hits you when you see the Stanley Cup in person, and it is even more evident at the end of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The silver chalice has quite a presence.
The uninformed could walk into a room with the Stanley Cup, have no idea what hockey is, and recognize the trophy is something special.
Wednesday night in Anaheim, more than 17,00...
So I was watching Around the Horn earlier today (it was quite literally either that or Charmed at 4 central on a weekday, and...well, let's just say that there were commercials) when Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News brought up his "[url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/columnists/tcowlishaw/stories/060607dnspocowlishaw.2cb3128.html]great article[/url...
nephew23 writes...
Congratulations Anaheim Ducks! Stars Re-Sign Stu Barnes
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
What a series! Easily the best final round in several years...filled with tons of hitting, scoring, saves, and old-school hockey! The Ducks were deserving of the Cup and did not hesitate when they had the opportunity to wrap it up. It was quite an impressive performance and a helluva way to claim the prize...especially in front of the home crowd. Giggy, Selanne, the Ni...
Leave it to my fellow Habs fans to find a dilemma or crisis at any point of the season. If its not some crisis involving Russians, it [i]has[/i] to be something involving goaltenders...
Much to my delight, I watched Game #5 of the Calder Cup Finals last night. It was the Hershey Bears vs. our very own Hamilton Bulldogs. Much fuss was made about Carey Price being poised ...
When my wife and I heard that Roger Neilson was diagnosed with cancer in 2000, we were saddened because we really enjoyed his spunk (and flashy ties). Like us, Roger was a born-again Christian and that shared faith was refreshing to see in a sport regarded as something less than holy amongst many of our peers. When we met Roger some months before, I was proud to have him...
[img]http://nhl.speedera.net/image-upload/regier_tallAP.jpg[/img]
Picture this: It is July 4th in the United States in Western New York and some Sabres fans get together for a BBQ to celebrate Independence Day. And when Buffalo sports fans have an outing, you can bet the house it is only a matter of time before the conversation turns to either the Bills or Sabres.
...
Will all due reverence for Will Ferrell, truer words have never been spoken.
Expansion? Seriously? Did I wake up yesterday in an alternate reality where Spock has a bad ass goatee and the NHL has 30 healthy teams?
First off, who would pay $150M to get into the NHL? Even if you stand to possibly make money on franchise appreciation, what about the operating losses? Or...
First blog on here, but have been following HockeyBuzz/Eklund's site since almost day one. I admit though, that I do not follow MyHockeyBuzz, so I hope I'm not stepping on the toes of other writers with these points.
I've been following hockey since I can remember (possibly even while in the womb), and I love it for millions of reasons. I love the sport side of it, th...
So the Cup has been skated, the ice has been taken up, and the Zamboni's put in storage. In most respects, this is a sad time for me. I love the game, and wish it would go on year-round. But there is an up-side to the off-season.
There is a distinct list of overused hockey cliches that incite bleeding from my aural canals and cause migraines that ache with the intens...
Well now, I've had a few days to savor all that I saw and heard at Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals, and I have some thoughts to impart.
I was a very lukewarm hockey follower for a number of years, and got more serious behind it about 4 years ago. I became a Ducks fan because they were the perpetual joke of the NHL, and a long-suffering underdog to the L.A. King...
Hi, it's me again........the relatively new hockey fan.
I want to talk about something I've been remiss in not mentioning before: The great fans of the great sport of hockey.
I've been to football games where fans cursed each other and got in fights. I've been to baseball games where the same has happened. I have yet to see such behavior in the fans I'm come in contac...
[url]http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/20070609_Flyers_hold_on_to_Jonsson.html[/url]
According to Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer and HockeyBuzz blogger Tim Panaccio, the Philadelphia Flyers are expected to re-sign goaltender Antero Niittymaki this weekend.
Niity will serve as a back-up to incumbent Martin Biron, acquired at the trade deadline from Buffal...
"A wealth of riches"
That is a quote from Darren Dreger of TSN. I wonder if Darren thinks it is possible to have too much money or too many friends?
Difficult to think Boo-hoo for the poor Hab's Fans but the sudden attention to Carey Price and the desire to bring him up more quickly than originally anticipated creates a conundrum for the Habs and their faithful.
The pro...
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...
Hey pens fans,
Here are a few fast rumors.
Gary Roberts may be a Pen next season, but it is more likely he will be in Toronto.
Mark Recchi is going to be a Pen. He is not signed, but I am almost certain he will be.
Robert Lang - yeah, that name is a blast from the Pen's past - He may be coming back to the Pens, but it is not the stronggest rumor I have hear...
Here is my prediction of the first round basing it on each team's needs as pointed out in my previous blog. I believe this is the most accurate way you can do a mock draft, and I hope you people enjoy this. Here we go:
1. Chicago - Patrick Kane - RW
2. Philadelphia - Kyle Turris - C
3. Phoenix - Alexei Cherepanov - RW
4. Los Angeles - Sam Gagner - C
5. Washington...
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...
Since the GM meetings were held this week, I have decided to make this post to fit the scenario IF the gms decide to put in bigger nets-
October 4, 2007- The first game of the NHL season in Anaheim has been delayed because they could not get the new bigger net through the zamboni entrance and onto the slushy ice rink. Finally, the game has started at midnight eastern ti...
As we approach the draft, several teams are looking to free up cap room to either make a bigger trade, or sign a big name free agent (and if you've checked out our top 35 list, there are a lot of tem). With this activity, the rumours are starting to swirl.
The Leafs would love to move one of their two high-priced defenseman. Freeing up the 5+ million that both Kubina an...
Hockey will never be huge in so calif. I have lived here my whole life and been a puck fan as far as I could remember. The fact that 15,000 showed up at the Honda Center on a glorious saturday evening is pretty impressive. I have tried to pimp the sport to others with no avail. I dont think things will ever change because this region is soooo big geographically and there's...
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...
We are getting down to crunch time here. Free Agency begins July 1st and right now the Predators are not 100% sure who will own the team at that time. In order for a sale to happen the prospective buy Jim Basillie needs to appear before the NHL board of governers. A meeting is scheduled for June on June 20th…while it is not too late to get on the agenda time is runni...
I go onto hockey boards everywhere, from Canadiens.com, to Hockeysfuture.com (Montreal Canadiens, message board). On each of these sites, and many more their are always wants for big time players, through trades or free agency. Fans want Drury, Briere, Gomez.... These wants are un - realistic, except maybe Briere, but at 6 - 7 million, i don't want him. I've been proposiin...
GilPerrault writes...
The Correlation Between the Sabres and The Sopranos
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Sabres’ past season and the final episode of the Sopranos have a few things in common. The Sabres built up the hopes and dreams of the City of Buffalo for its first ever significant national championship. We, Sabres fans, have seen this team develop over the years with big wins, strong efforts and winning streaks that led to the best record in the NHL’s regular sea...
Well here we are. We can expect that the ink will be dry on a new contract for Mats Sundin this week. At least before Friday. I still have a mixed feelings about this. I understand that he is in the twilight of his career and that he wants to do everything he can to win with the Leafs. It's a great story but will it happen? Can it happen? I would hope that part of th...
Sunday night at Anaheim Ice, the Thunderchickens defeated Le Doog 4-1 in a chippy and entertaining affair.
Odds are, you have not heard of either of these teams. The clubs play in the Gold Division of the Anaheim Ice Adult Hockey League, but they have something in common with the Stanley Cup Champions.
You see, Anaheim Ice is the practice rink of the Anaheim Ducks, w...
The top name that keeps getting thrown around town as rumours swirl is Ryan Smyth heading to the Leafs, this seems to be the Leafs #1 target this off season with the backline all shored up pending Colaiacovo's signing which should be done shortly, what seems to escape many people's minds is that the Leafs are also looking to add some much needed grit to the lineup with the...
im bored. tv during the summer sucks full of repeats and reality tv. i found myself watching wrasslin tonight, inwhich i thought was pretty entertaining.
i wish there was something to talk about related to hockey.
why cant July 1 come any faster?
how is everyone holding up before July 1?
My ongoing trivia blog -- [b]"Scoop's Trivia"[/b] -- can now be found on the [b]HockeyBuzz[/b] home page.
I will always try to keep my questions [b]unusual, intriguing, thought provoking, entertaining[/b], and most of all always [b]challenging[/b]. Even if you are not able to answer all (or even any) of the questions do not despair! They are meant to be a bit [b]off th...
Loyal Readers,
Welcome to my first blog on the Hockey Buzz site. It is that time of year. Sometimes I think it is as much fun as the season. Our beloved Oil have a lot of holes to fill, no untouchables, loads of draft picks and room under the Salary Cap. That is an equation for an exciting off season.
The biggest hole in my opinion is defensemen. The new NHL you n...
[img:left]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y102/Zacobius/matshor_78503.jpg[/img] Well we knew it was coming. Originally reports 2 months ago but DD at TSN, Mats was offered a 2 year deal, 11mil or so. That's what everyone was expecting and while many did not like it, they have come to accept it. So then last night, DD reports a 1 year deal. Huh?
This caught me off ...
From the Tennessean:
[i]Jim Balsillie has submitted a formal application to buy the Predators.
Balsillie’s lawyer, Toronto-based attorney Richard Rodier, said the application was sent to the NHL late Monday.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed that the league received the application Monday night.
The application, which includes a purchase agreement, ...
Here is the continuation of my series of predictions for the upcoming 2007 draft. This will be the final installment seeing as I haven't prepared a third round. I would be happy to make one up if you want me to, but as of right now this is it. Enjoy!
Round 2
31. Buffalo - Thomas Hickey- D
32. Phoenix - Stefan Legein - RW
33. Vancouver - Michal Repik - RW
34. Wa...
Wow I was surprised when I flipped up the net to see on my TSN RSS (great way to get the latest news) that Sundin had re-signed with the Leafs, Chelios w/ the Red Wings, and a couple of other small signings.
Lets start off on the Sundin signing. If Fergy thinks he could get a good deal out of 5.5 million for Sundin, he is definetely not thinking straight since Kevin Low...
They are both returning for 07-08. Details not known at this time, but they have agreed to new deals with the Sabres. This per WGRZ-Channel 2 in Buffalo, broadcasted during this evening's 5 p.m. news.
WGR-550 is also reporting that Ruff has signed this evening.
The focus of the Sabres can now move STRICTLY to free agency.
Apparently, not everybody loves a parade.
Eschewing tradition, the Anaheim Ducks did not hold a Stanley Cup parade, opting instead for a rally in the south parking lot of the Honda Center.
Turns out, it was not such a bad move.
An estimated crowd of 15,000 was getting antsy as the festivities began an hour after the scheduled time of 6:30 p.m. To make matters wors...
NucksFan writes...
Top 10 Signs You Are Going Through Hockey Season Withdrawl
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]10.[/b] You are actually interested in the news that Chelios got re-signed by Detroit.
[b]9.[/b] Youtube is visited daily to find fan videos of the final seconds before The Ducks hoist the Stanley Cup.
[b]8.[/b] Your computer's desktop wallpaper is still your team's logo.
[b]7.[/b] You still sport the car flag of your team as you drive around town.
[b]6....
Buffalo has not had a captain as heartfelt as Chris Drury since Pat LaFontaine played here. Any interview you watch, you'll hear "us", "team", "we". Also, it's been a long time since I've heard a professional athlete in Buffalo speak about the city in the way Drury has in his time here. Drury said it's great to see those basketball nets vacant, and all the kids playing str...
Buffalo has not had a captain as heartfelt as Chris Drury since Pat LaFontaine played here. Any interview you watch, you'll hear "us", "team", "we". Also, it's been a long time since I've heard a professional athlete in Buffalo speak about the city in the way Drury has in his time here. Drury said it's great to see those basketball nets vacant, and all the kids playing str...
Buffalo has not had a captain as heartfelt as Chris Drury since Pat LaFontaine played here. Any interview you watch, you'll hear "us", "team", "we". Also, it's been a long time since I've heard a professional athlete in Buffalo speak about the city in the way Drury has in his time here. Drury said it's great to see those basketball nets vacant, and all the kids playing str...
Ok...I will admit, the prospect of a Samsonov - Yashin - Kovalev line sounds explosive...on paper. But do we really expect the Habs to make the same mistake 3 times in a row here?
05-06 Season: Kovalev signed to a 4 year deal worth 20.25 Million (Failure)
06-07 Season: Samsonov signed to a 2 year deal worth 7.05 Million (Failure)
07-08 Season: YASHIN?!?!?!
Come on ...
Based on Ek's list of who's the best available, I'm forecasting where each player will land this summer:
#1 Centers
1. Chris Drury (7.5M) - San Jose. I think they'll sign Drury and trade Marleau. Anaheim already has McDonald and Getzlaf as their top two centers and the Kings have Kopitar and Cammalleri.
2. Scotty Gomez (7M) - Atlanta. Gomez centering a line of ...
Well here it is mid June, were getting close to the draft which might mean a couple of trades but more important it's getting close to July 1st. This might be some fans favorite time of the off season. It could even be their favorite time of the year because right now every fan feels that their team has a chance to make the necessary changes to have a shot at hoisting ...
Note to Preds fans: I don't necessarily want to see the Preds move to Hamilton because I think they have a very solid base of real fans who deserve a better fate, and because their rivalry with the Blues has been intense in the past few years.
However, if they do move, there will be an imbalance in the league and it will probably lead to the addition to 2 new teams in...
According to an article on the AHL's Website, EA Sports' NHL08 will feature all 29 teams from the American Hockey League as fully playable for the first time in video gaming history. Let's just hope the AHL doesn't opt to expand next year and make the game worthless. ;)
Still no word on Euro leagues, unfortunately. I was really disappointed that they cut them out of NHL...
I saw a Flyers blogger mention that Cory Sarich would sign in Nashville and would "replace Timonen." :? Huh!?
Cory Sarich was a second round draft selection of the Buffalo Sabres in 1996. He was traded to the Lightning in 2000. From 2002-2007, he has played every single regular season game- for those who hate math, that's 328 games. I think he's also played every playof...
Chris Gratton was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2nd round pick in 07, or 08(Florida's option) according to TSN. This deal gives the Lightning some much needed depth at center and clears 1.5 million of cap space for Florida which will further fuel rumors that they are going to make a pitch for a big name UFA.
Current Maple Leafs salary structure as counted against cap as of June 13/07
Bryan McCabe 5.75 million
Mats Sundin 5.50 million
Pavel Kubina 5.00 million
Tomas Kaberle 4.25 million
Darcy Tucker 3.00 million
Alex Ponikarovsky 2.105 million
Hal Gill 2.075 million
Nik Antropov 2.05 million
Andrew Raycroft 2.00 million
Alex Steen 900,690
Cha...
As reported on tsn.ca, it appears Mike Keenan could be back in the NHL - as the head coach of the Calgary Flames.
I'm in shock and disbelief. If this is a rumour then TSN got burnt bad but if it's true, God help Kipper!
The Anaheim Ducks changed hands for $80M two years ago. Balsille agrees to pay $220M+ less than 18 months later. Apparently NHL franchise prices are going up faster than Alberta real estate.
Even if the general business community agrees that Balsille overpaid, this significantly drives up the price of an NHL franchise. As well, if the NHL does pursue expansion, suddenly...
When asked about his approach to signing #1 RFA Tomas Vanek, Darcy Regier held firm.
“I don’t believe in operating out of fear,” said Regier. “Tomas is a Restricted Free Agent and will have a market value that we’ll go from there.”
Interesting stance by Darcy but I can;’t say I’m surprised. It’s going to take a $4million plus offer to get Vanek ou...
What do the terms EASTERN, WESTERN, Atlantic, Northeast, Southeast, Central, Northwest and Pacific mean to you?
Unless you are explaining the weather or refering to geographical locations, they don't mean anything to me.
I don't recall the exact year the division and conference names were changed (somenone help me out on that one) but I do remember thinking "WHAT?!!!...
[b]Originally posted at PredNation.com[/b]
In 1997, the NHL awarded four new expansion franchises to begin play over the next several seasons. Nashville, Atlanta, Minnesota, and Columbus were awarded franchises that first hit the ice in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2000 respectively. This expansion was on the heels of two franchises, Colorado and Phoenix, moving from Canadia...
So here we are with the NHL Awards on tonight (does anyone really care?) and most of the talk seems to be around the MVP, Goalie and Rookie.
If it was up to me, it would be Sid for MVP, Luongo for Goalie, and Staal for Rookie. We'll see how that pans out.
I'm not sure how much trade talk goes on at the awards. I'm torn on what I would like to happen. I wouldn'...
bluez brother_38 writes...
Nine Seasons Not Enough; Don't pull the plug on Nashville
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I had this all ready to post on another message board, tried to post it, and found out the thread had been locked. RATS!
So I'm posting it here. I'd been craving having something to blog about anyways.
This is a little modified to make more sense for the blog.
Nashville simply hasn't had enough time to become a viable market. But there's no reason it still could...
Versus, the NHL's premier broadcast "partner"in the US, has seen fit to delay the Awards Show broadcast until 11:00 PM tonight. This so they can televise a bunch of gang-bangers in pajamas kicking each other in what resembles a large playpen.
Is there no limit to the league's self-loathing? How can they allow these continued slights? Are they incompetent, or is there...
The NHL awards show has been pushed back from 7:30 to 11pm EST in the United States on Versus and for what, not bull riding, not horse racing, but this time World Combat League Fighting. NHL.com has had it on there website all week that the awards show will be on Versus at 7:30 PM for all to enjoy, and again we get screwed by at network that the NHL leads us to beleive the...
Jsaquella writes...
What If You Had An Awards Show And Nobody Could Watch
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
First of all congrats to all the NHL award winners, especially Hart Trophy winner Sidney Crosby.
So, Thursday night, after a rough day at work, I get home. I get my mail and I see my wonderful-if ill gotten-HockeyBuzz hat has arrived. Immediately the day is brighter. I am going to have some chicken enchiladas and watch the NHL awards show on Versus.
Well, I get my me...
Hey pens fans,
As we all know, Sidney Crosby won the Art Ross for Leading scorer. Sidney also won the Hart for MVP and the Pearson for the player voted MVP. Sid is the youngest player to ever win the Hart. Evgeni Malkin won the Calder for Rookie of the year.
[url]http://penshockcey.blogspot.com[/url]
[b]Alain Vigneault - Vancouver Canucks[/b]
The NW is a cake walk of a division. 5 out of the 8 teams from the western conf. that made it into the playoffs had higher point totals than the NW divison winners the Canucks. Im not saying Vigneault and the Canucks didnt have a good season but there were obvious better choices for the award. Also i dont see how Randy Carlisle...
Dallas Stars goaltender Mike Smith was named to the 2006-07 NHL All-Rookie Team, it was announced on Thursday evening from the NHL Awards Ceremony in Toronto. Voting was conducted by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the conclusion of the regular season.
Smith, 25, appeared in 23 games with the Stars, posting a 12-5-2 record with a 2.23 goals-against-avera...
The NHL Awards show has too strong a Canadian flavor to it. We, who grew up on the border appreciate it. But, if the NHL wants the game to appeal more to the casual fan in the states they have to make these events more cross cultural. If I'm someone who knows a little bit about the game, a show like the one last night would keep me following the more American sports like f...
Both players were signed to 2 year deals today by the Montreal Canadiens. Official financial details have not been released as of yet. Rumour has it they are both making below 2 Mil a year. This is grat news for the future of our club!
P.S....not to rub it in, but....
Ha Ha Eric....beat you to it! :P
So we had the NHL Awards last night. I didn't watch them. All that I saw was from the bar after work. Honestly, I don't even get why these are on the tv. I like that awards are given out but the whole event just seems a little over the top for me.
But that's just my point of view.
As for who got what last night, most were expected. It was nice to see Vigneau...
#1, Re-sign Drury to a 5-year deal at between $7 and $7.5 million a year.
#2, Re-sign Vanek to a 5-7 year deal at an average of $3.5-$4
million year.
#3, Re-sign Roy (about $1.5 million a year), Mair ($750,000 a year), Michael Ryan (minor league contract), Dan Paille ($750,00 a year), Nathan Paetsch ($1 million a year) to multi-year deals. Definitely lock Paetsch...
Last night, I was pretty ticked off about not being able to watch the NHL awards show. I find the awards show, with it's awful humor and poor production qualities, a great coda to the NHL season and playoffs.
Well, I wrote a blog blaming the NHL and Gary Bettman. Turns out it was a TV truck from the CBC. I still fault Bettman for a great deal of the NHL's issues, howev...
cfposi writes...
Samsonov: Don't let the door hit you on the way out...
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Another reason why I think Bob Gainey is the best GM in the league! Instead of buying out Samsonov (cap hit of 1.175 over the next 2 years), we have now traded this dissapointment to Chicago in return for Cullimore and Salmelainen (Total Cap hit of 2.65M this year). To make things better, the habs will buyout Cullimore (cap hit of 612,000 over the next 2 years). This is gr...
So it's 90 degrees now, several of the local rinks have already switched to running inline or putting turf down for soccer/lax, and I'm blogging on a hockey site. Hopeless, right? Well, this summer I'm turning this blog into a sort of stream-of-consciousness on hockey, music, film and life.
--Scott Niedermayer...if you retire on top, you'll be doing a good job, but it'l...
Wahington caps
[img]http://www.nhldigest.com/wp-admin/images/Capsnewjerseys.jpg[/img]
June 30th is the date when we will find out what the new salary cap is for the 2007-2008 season. In my opinion, it needs to be high. Higher than expected. Some of the numbers being thrown around are 48, 49, and maybe even 50. Eklund stated recently that the cap is set to rise to 52, and I don't mind that. Players want more money (obviously), teams are stuck and are willing...
Vancover Cauncks
[IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h162/flyershockey81/canucks-uniforms.gif[/IMG]
Sorry, I think another way!!!!!
Well done boys! Great news!
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...
First off, let me start by looking at the numbers in terms of a salary cap hit for the 2007-08 season:
([i]all numbers rounded to two decimal places[/i])
SUNDIN- $5.50M
TUCKER- $3.00M
ANTROPOV- $1.95M
STEEN- $0.95M
KILGER- $0.87M
STAJAN- $0.95M
WELLWOOD- $0.95M
PONIKAROVSKY- $1.58M
POHL- $0.48M
DEVERAUX- $0.55M
ONDRUS- $0.50M
WESTRUM- $0.48M
NEWBURY- $0.4...
Hartnell and Timonen are gone. The Preds have traded the rights of All-Star defenseman Kimmo Timonen and physical winger Scott Hartnell to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a first round pick.
Well...all those in Nashville hoping the Kimmo would retire a Predator are a bit disappointed in this deal. For me I am bummed to see Scotty go. Word was that he was a ...
...but Paul Holmgren has just shown how bad of a GM he is. He has drastically overpaid for Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell.
Hartnell, 24, has a great deal of potential, and when he was drafted was pegged to be a captain some day. But in the last two years that has faded away, and he's had numerous head-on collisions with the coaching staff, and most of the locker room ...
In an article in the [url=http://calsun.canoe.ca/Sports/OtherSports/2007/06/18/4269554-sun.html]Calgary Sun[/url], it reports Martin Gelinas who is eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1 would like to sign with either the Calgary Flames or Vancouver Canucks to finish off his career.
[quote]Martin Gelinas and his family are back in town for the summer, comforted...
I think It's safe to say that Roberto Luongo is the single best thing that's happened to the Vancouver Canucks in a very long time, if not, ever. But what happens when the all-star goalie gets, dare I say, injured or gets tired of playing over seventy games a season, what then? Dany Sabourin had a mediocre start to the season but as he played a few more games he seemed mor...
ButlerGoalie writes...
Nashville is Latest Punch Line in Running NHL Joke
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Expansion, Relocation and Shootouts, oh my! When will the madness that has become the NHL ever end? Would Howie Morenz, Ace Bailey and Eddie Shore even recognize the sport they helped to create?
Did you hear the one about the priest, a rabbi and a minister going into a bar? I don't remember the rest of the joke, but the punch line is "The Nashville Predators."
Sadly,...
Craig, if you will pardon me for being so informal, I felt the need to write to you once again. I haven’t written since November 4th, 2004. The league was in the midst of the lockout at that time, and I felt compelled to write to you regarding my support of the key role you were playing in obtaining a CBA for the league that would put all franchises on near-equal footi...
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[img:left]http://www.hockeyheadquarters.com/images/hockey-cards/c55/vezina-rcx2th.jpg[/img]In April 2007 a mint graded 1911-12 C55 Georges Vezina rookie card shattered the record price ever paid for a hockey card at $100K. The April 2007 issue of Beckett Hockey magazine published an artilce titled "The Greatest Card Ever Sold" focusing on the sale of this Georges Vezina...
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...
It seems that the Predators-Flyers deal, much like the one at the deadline, has opened up the flood gates. Eklund has stated in his blog that the phones are ringing off the hook. Today and the subsequent two days will be quite exciting for many fans. Expect the unexpected unless it involves Bryan Berard.
--------------------------------
And now for the second batch of FA...
Im so sick reading from blogs and message boards of other teams complaining what my Philadelphia Flyers did before July 1.
Can someone please point to me in the CBA where it says where no transactions cant occur before UFA period begins? please?
People should be bowing themselves to Paul Holgram for what he did. He took a page out of the Bob Clarke School of Gm by...
I know most of us Sabre fans are upset with the possibilities of losing both Drury and Briere, but I think we will see something happen on the Briere front before Friday.
As for the draft and Drury, this is what I'd like to see if it becomes clear the Drury is not coming back (this probably won't happen, but it's fun to speculate).
1) Trade Kalinin and a forward (Kot...
Someone please tell me if this can be done. There has to be a way to manipulate the cap. So many times there are contracts given with escalating salaries through out the term of the contract, my question is, can there be declining contracts? The reason I ask is because if there is, what is stopping a GM from signing a player, or players to very long Dipietro like deals, an...
In my analysis, yes it was.
The Flyers want to be competitive as quickly as possible. Making this trade and signing these two guys, both of whom fill vital needs, sends a message that this team is going to do what it takes to ice a winner. Philadelphia is suddenly a much better team on paper, and still has $9mm or so in cap space and only one restricted free agent of an...
beerbaron writes...
Mucks, Mega Bucks and something else that rhymes with ucks..
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Yes folks the baron is back after a lenghty battle with kidney stones. Who knew a stone that was 5mm could kick the crap out of someone so badly. Anywho I digress...Lots has happened in the last month. I'm not going to rehash the cup final as that horse has been put to pasture. All I will say is congrats to both Anaheim and Ottawa for making it.
The Sens came out o...
So lots has gone down lately and lots of rumors floating around. I'm just going to take this time to go over the events and rumors leading up to the draft.
- Great move by the Flyers. I don't get why people are complaining, they get what they wanted and so did the Preds from what I can tell.
- I do think the Flyers over paid but they did something smart with the to...
I wrote earlier in my first blog about how the ratings etc. are not always what they appear, especially considering the total lack of any traditional/large US markets in the Stanley Cup Finals over the past four years compared to the other three major team sports.
I also mentioned, however, that certain things are just getting messed up by the NHL. Hence my surprise las...
[b]Washington[/b]: Ovechkin, who may very well play GM again in Columbus this year (:lol: ), is in agreement with the management staff that 07/08 should be the year the team returns to it’s mid-90s Poile-era form, or at least make a conscious effort. With Backstrom coming in, the Caps will look to acquire just a bit more depth up the middle. Expect them to get into the ...
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...
Per TSN, http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=211407&hubname=
In order:
Penalty Shots. Really, this just brings it in line with what all of Canada has been doing for a few years now, and I agree with it. Why should you not be allowed a penalty shot when you get tackled from behind, just because the other team's player didn't wait another two-thirds of a second? A br...
Eggshmeg writes...
Why Is It So Difficult To Put A Franchise In Hamilton?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
We've seen different franchises move before, mainly from Canadian markets to American, and it has gone quite smoothly. Why are we seeing so much talk about the Predators possible relocation to Hamilton? Did the other franchises that moved have to sell 14,000 tickets in advance? No. Then why does Mr. Balsillie have to do it? Yes I know there are many factors why people don'...
Article concerning Emery is posted on [url]www.tsn.ca[/url].
The highlight of the article is that Ray Emery will be out for 2-3 months while rehabilitating his injury. This will cause two interesting wrinkles for Bryan Murray.
1. What to do with Martin Gerber
2. How this affects Ray Emery's contract status
On the first issue, if Bryan Murray can trade Martin G...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Drury, Briere Never in Sabres Plans From the Start
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
When the Sabres season ended, the speculation started. Would the Sabres sign Drury or Briere? How much money would they command? Questions, Questions, Questions!
In the middle of the season we thought Drury might cash in on a $6mil/year long term contract. And with “leading scorer” statistics, Briere might get more.
Now, as we close in on July 1, those sala...
BlueBloodPat writes...
Free Agents hardly a factor, Draft Day is what counts
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
For hockey fans, July 1st marks the beginning of one of the most exciting times in the hockey calendar, as hockey fans everywhere will sit in front of the computer and wait for their team along with their rival teams to overpay some of the most overrated players in the game. Year after year we do the same thing even though we already know that the free agents are not goin...
Well folks it looks like it will be slow typing for me for a while. While playing in my summer hockey league I broke my right ring finger in two places (a strange thing that could ONLY happen to me). That will be fewer blogs for at least three weeks. However, here is what is running through my head today.
The Oilers offseason plans.
Next to landing a mobile defence p...
Per TSN, 4 years, $24 million. And Ilya Bryzgalov is traded to...?
Luongo07 writes...
My 2007-2008 Vancouver Canucks...disclaimer included
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The wait is over. Since the Vancouver Canucks met thier fate in the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs I have spent several hours here and there just trying to get a feel as to where the franchise sits in terms of what their team will look like next fall. I have seen several posts both here and on the CDC message board that would lead you to believe the the Canucks have millions of...
Tout le monde le sait, le repêchage de la LNH commence demain à Columbus, la première ronde sera télédiffusée à RDS à 7hres.
voici le profil de quelques joueurs québécois qui pourraient être intéressants pour les canadiens:
Angelo Esposito
Esposito est un centre qui lance de la gauche. il patine très bien et il est très talentueux, mais il n'est pas ...
[b]Originally posted on PredNation.com[/b]
On June 21st, Damien Cox of the Toronto Star, thestar.com, wrote an article discussing the impending Predators sale and the lack of movement by the Board of Governors. What follows is my rebuttal to Mr. Cox.
I was able to read your article entitled Why is Bettman so Scared of Canada?. Let me first say that I generally ...
Patrick Cwiklinski writes...
Pittsburgh Penguins: The NHL's Next Superpower
Posted Friday | Comments 0
This season, for the first time in six years, the Pittsburgh Penguins managed to place fifth in the Eastern Conference to face the future Stanley Cup Finalists, the Ottawa Senators, in the first round of the Eastern Conference Quarter Finals. Though the Penguins ultimately fell short to the Senators, they reached a goal of making the playoffs, with a team led by its young ...
With the constant rumors of the buffalo sabres loosing both of their captians who do you pick to be the next sabres captain. do you pick Hecht,Campbell,Afinogenov,Tallinder,Lydman or do you get someone from the outside to become your new captain. i believe that that wont happon because they have stressed the last few years how the core of this team is the most important th...
Hey pens fans,
Gary Roberts and Mark Recchi have been resigned. I will after draft info througout the weekend.
[url]htp://penshockey.blogspot.com[/url]
Hey pens fans,
In the first round the Pens select Centre Angelo Esposito from Quebec of the QMJHL. He is 6-1 weighing 180. Last Season with Quebe scored 27-G, 52-A, 79-pts in 60 games.
[url]http://penshockey.blogspot.com[/url]
The Vancouver Canucks traded disgrunteld prospect Jason King to the Anahiem Ducks in exchange for minor league star Ryan Shannon. Not only does this trade releave the Canucks of yet another underachieveing prospect but it also provides GM Dave Nonis some depth and the ability to make tough decisions come free agency time.
Shannon will probably secure himself a spot on t...
Hey pens fans,
The Pens traded WBS Center Stephen Dixon to Anaheim for Center Tim Brent. Brent is 23 years olds, 6' and weighs 197. He played in 15 ames for the Ducks last year.
[/url]http://penshockey.blogspot.com[url]
Hey pens fans,
Here is who the Pens drafted and their positions. If we notice our already centre-heavy team drafted 4 centres.
Round 1 ANGELO ESPOSITO - CENTRE
Round 2 KEVEN VEILLEUX - CENTRE
Round 3 ROBERT BORTUZZO - DEFENSE, CASEY PIERRO-ZABOTEL - CENTRE
Round 4 LUCA CAPUTI - LEFT WING, ALEX GRANT - DEFENSEMAN
Round 5 JAKE MUZZIN - DEFENSE
Round 6 DUSTIN JEFFR...
BlueBloodPat writes...
Toskala ready for the competition, but is Razor?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
With the acquisition of Vesa Toskala, The Leafs are poised to enter next season with a battle for the number one spot in goal, just like last year, only this time its serious. I mean, how many people actually thought that Aubin had a shot at being the number one goaltender? Sure he played good at the end of the 05/06 season, but there was no pressure on him. He was back...
Some of you may have followed my predictions for the first two rounds of this year's NHL entry draft. Here are the results of my predictions comparing them to where they actually ended up. They are ordered in how I picked them, the number on the right is where they actually ended up, and the third number is how far off I was:
1. P. Kane - 1 = 0
2. K. Turri...
The Nashville Predators finished off last season third in the overall standings, many people expected them to make it deep into the playoffs, if not win the Stanley Cup altogether. The Predators faced the red hot San Jose Sharks in the first round of the Western Conference Quarter Finals and even with a trade deadline acquisition of Peter Forsberg they lost in a 4-1 series...
The Vancouver Canucks have acquired one piece of the puzzle that will help them go far... Ryan Shannon. This shows me that Nonis is willing to make this team a little more gritty and fortunately , A little more mean. I'm not suggesting that Shannon will play a HUGE role in a cup win , but more of a checking , scoring kind of role. Now , I suggest we keep Naslund for a year...
During the lockout, NHL pundits often pointed to the NFL as having a salary cap system that works. The difference between the NFL and NHL is that NFL contracts are not guaranteed. If you sign an NFL player to a five year deal, and they stink in the first year, they can be cut. The NFL team is only on the hook for any guaranteed/bonus money that was already paid out. Th...
The Leafs left this weekends NHL Draft with a few extra pieces then when they arrived, an impressive move by Fergusen picking up Toskala to shore up the Leafs goaltending and adding gritty winger Bell from the Sharks and still drafting Oshawa Generals winger Dale Mitchell a 40+ goal scorer this past season in the third round equals a great weekend in Leafland. The situatio...
With the recent aquisitions or Toskala and Bell, some people in leafland are still somehow on the offensiven and why? JFJ gave a clear indication that the one spot he intended to upgrade in his club was the the goaltending, and he did so in a reasonable fashion.
This draft was looked at by many as a weak draft year, so why not lose a first round pick in order to recieve...
This by far maybe the biggest week in the history of the Sabres franchise in the post lockout era. Drury or Briere? Which one do you want because you can only have one? Does Chris Drury return back to colorado to where he started his career? Does he go home to California and reunite with his best friend Mike Grier? Where does Briere go? Big big questions surrounding the fr...
It has been a tough couple months to be a fan of the Nashville Predators. It has been painful to watch great hockey fans on this site have a feeding frenzy over the possible relocation of our team, and it has been extremely frustrating watching media and bloggers embellish facts and just plain tell complete lies to help their case that the city of Nashville does not ...
why not try to trade Pavel Kubina for Ryan Smyths negotiation rights, or maybe for Gomez's negotiation rights? the devils may need to replace refalski any way. Kubina is a good player but hes making double what he should, some teams can afford him, the leafs most certanly can't unload for nothing, and sign a big name forward instead.
With rumors of a possible three way deal floating around that would see the Flyers deal away Joni Pitkanen and receive Raffi Torres, supposedly to clear up cap room to sign a UFA center like Scott Gomez or Daniel Briere to a massive free agent contract, I needed to blog and just get this much off my chest after a couple days of contemplation.
I still am not a fan of get...
First of all...I must point out that my following statement is not a negative comment about the excellent Habs brass.
Why Bother: I really do enjoy Hockeybuzz, as well as most online media sources (particularly those that focus on my beloved Canadiens). That said, I really no longer see the point of discussing Habs rumours. Bob Gainey is probably one of the most enigmat...
SabreCrazy07 writes...
Buffalo's Silence Speaks Volumes. But what does it say??????
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The recent lack of information out of the Sabres camp in regards to Daniel Breire, Chris Drury & Thomas Vanek speaks volumes. But what does it say exactly? Everyone knows Darcy doesn't show his hand to often. Are there problems amongst the troops? The brass? Or is simply they don't know what direction this team is headed?
This should be the Sabres off-season checklist:...
As July 1st approaches, it is looking more likely every hour that Chris Drury will not be returning to the Buffalo Sabres. While everyone should agree, Chris Drury is an absolute warrior, and he goes to battle for his team every night he hits that ice. He is an unbeleivable leader and a fantastic captain, but putting all that aside, it is not the end for the Sabres if he...
(A Near Flawless Prognostication Through Slightly Orange-and-Blue Colored Glasses)
So, here we are, less than a week to go before this year’s free agent frenzy. We’ll start to find out who’s going where on Sunday, if not sooner. For the New York Islanders and their fans, it’s hard to start throwing any new names out there at this point, what with very little res...
The Dallas Stars qualified a total of seven players before the deadline today: Mike Ribeiro, Joel Lundqvist, Jussi Jokinen, Antti Miettinen, Junior Lessard, Vadim Khomitski, and Marius Holtet. Ribeiro and Lundqvist will play major roles on the team next season...as will Jokinen, if he is not traded. Miettinen will almost certainly be part of a trade, and the others will...
As a Sharks' fan, I really don't see why anyone would think that the Sharks would give Marleau up for anyone on Montreal and/or Buffalo. He's only 28 and has already played in over 700 regular season games. SJ's strategy has been to build the team through the draft. Marleau as the Captain is an excellent example of that strategy being fulfilled. All of these rumors are onl...
Every year different NHL teams try to make an off season move that will change the shape of their franchise for the better, but sometimes we see the general managers of these respected teams hitting their heads over a desk asking "Why?". I've made a list of five players who, this season, didn't come as advertised and instead get paid for having a big name and nothing else....
well the 2007 draft is over and free agency is just around the corner...
waiting is the hardest part
Willie Mitchell has been mentioned in a possible trade that would send the Canucks defensive stalward back to the Minnesota Wild and the Canucks shedding themselves of the $3.5 million dollar salary. Say it ain't so!
Mitchell is extremely overpaid if you look at him for a complete game but seriously you do not look to Willie for the offensive side of his game. Mitchell'...
(Cross-posted from http://hockey.polemicmag.net)
I thought I was going to take a break from hockey post Cup, but for whatever reason, I didn't. So, I've spent an inordinate amount of time looking at cap numbers, etc., rumors, etc., and I've discovered what the Devils plans are for this summer:
Nothing.
Rafalski re-signing remains likely, Gomez leaving remains a ne...
It is very hard for me to rant about Darcy Regeir. I think he has done a very good job considering the mess the Sabres were in last year, and now this year. The one thing I wish I could illustrate to him though, is that it is not always a bad thing to ink a player to a long term deal. Long term not being 3 or 4 years; I'm talking about a franchise player, 5 or 6 years. ...
Keith Tkachuk traded back to St.Louis along with 4th round pick in 08 draft (which could be 3rd round in 09) from Atlanta for The conditional 1st round pick in 08 St.Louis would have gotten if Atlanta were to resign Tkachuk. St.Louis now has the exclusive rights to re-sign Tkachuk before July 1st.
Tony
I think the Flyers have done exceptionally well so far in terms of positioning the team for future success. Paul Holmgren & co are looking like geniuses; but right now the team is entering a most critical stage of this "restructuring", where the next couple of moves will largely determine the fate of this team over the next several years. One of these moves will likely be ...
For the most part the hockey rumor mill has been void of much discussion about Colorado and their involvement in the free agent sweepstakes. There has been a little pen given to the possible signing of Drury, but as I said, not much. However, I think Colorado may surprise everyone with a few big moves. Let me offer a few reasons why they will be players and why top free ...
I'll keep this one simple, straightforward, and to the point:
1) Chicago----Patrick Kane
Obviously the knock on Kane is size and for him he's going to have to use his agility more, which has been compared to Martin St. Louis', to continue to be productive at the next level. He runs the powerplay extremely well on the half wall and has great hands around the net. This sou...
It seems like the Vancouver Canucks are the only team in the NHL that aren't going to be jumping right into the free agent frenzy come July 1st, simply because of the salary cap. However, this doesn’t mean we won’t see the Canucks make a pitch for a quality scorer by way of trade or even by moving a big player to free up some cap space. Here are some of the big names t...
As promised a little bit earlier since I have time tonight to blog:
6) Edmonton Oilers----Sam Gagner
Sam is a deft playmaker with excellent hands as well. His knack for finding the open man and his deft hockey sense made him the best option at #6 for the Edmonton Oilers. While the Oilers could have taken Alexei Cherepanov, Gagner isn't too far off in skill and could deve...
Here we go again:
11) Carolina----Brandon Sutter
May have the best all-around game in the draft, but I still think this is a little high for him consideringCherepanov was still on the board. Needs to fill out a lot and still develop a little more grit. Yes he's a Sutter, but he isn't as Sutter-y as others. Has good character to fall back on if his skills don't make him a...
So it's about 2 in the morning, I'm suffering from severe insomnia, and what am I to do? Well, I've decided to start a series on the 13 or so (fairly well-spent) years I've had in the game of hockey. Please to enjoy.
I was about 6, 7 years old, living with my family in San Antonio, Texas (where my father had relocated after Southwestern Bell, his then-employer, shifted ...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Reunited and It Feels So Good: Peca to Sabres!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
A few weeks ago (maybe even a few moths ago), Eklund floated a rumor out there about the possibility of Michael Peca returning to the Sabres. When I read it back then, I immediately dismissed it as nonsense (no offense Ek!).
Now however, looking through the lens of the Sabres current situation (which doesn’t looks so rosy), Peca seems like a very good option for 3r...
That is a question that all the oiler fans have and are starting to maybe even change their answer. Kevin Lowe is an amazing GM, and honestly the things he has done for the organization is pretty sweet, but not trading any of the first 3 picks of the draft for roster players might have been a great idea.
Look at it, he might still make a deal, and sources all around edm...
After the great let down that was watching our most hated rival clean our clocks in the Eastern Conference Final it was left to the commonwealth of Sabres fans to figure out what went wrong. Many comparisons to the previous year began to emerge and it gave me the idea of actually watching some taped games to see if their really was a difference between the two teams. Wh...
Despite the chatter about what free agents the Habs have in their crosshairs, I'd like to interject and remind the fan base that historically (i.e. the last 5 years at least) the Canadiens have not been key players in free agency and until they do something to make me think otherwise, I'm not holding out hope that this is the year they acquire a big name to be the face of...
Luongo07 writes...
Clarke Poached Nonis...Can We Expect More This Off-Season?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
During "Crazy-Time" last summer Flyers GM Bob Clarke approached Ryan Kesler and made an absurd off to the underachieving restricted free agent. The offer was for a one year deal at $1.9 million dollars, to a player that had far from met any expectations and seemingly could not put the puck in the Pacific Ocean if he were standing on Honolulu Island.
Don't get me wrong, ...
The sooner, the better. The message is as follows:
Swap Souray's negotiating rights to San Jose for Hannan's. Straight up if you have to. And do it now, while there's still time to sign him. Hurry!
As reported by RDS.Ca The Phoenix Coyotes have placed 28 year old Defenseman Nick Boynton on waivers.
As everyone knows the Leafs currently have 8 Defenseman signed and would probably ask why i would even contemplate a move involving another defenseman, however this is a move that could not only maintain the competitiveness of the Leafs top 6, which can be argued as one...
I AM ALL IN FAVOR OF TRADING FOR MARLEAU, OR TRADING FOR TANGUAY, BUT, GETTING RID OF RYDER, WILL NOT MAKE ANYTHING BETTER. THERE HAS TO BE AWAY OF KEEPING THIS GUY HERE. HE HAD THE MOST GOALS THIS YEAR, AND WE TREATED HIM BETTER THAN JUST A QUALIFYING OFFER, HE MIGHT REPEAT AND GET MORE THAN 30 THIS YEAR. TRADE A GOALIE, THAT WE HAVE A FEW SPARES, IMO, HUET IS OUR #1, SOR...
I AM ALL IN FAVOR OF TRADING FOR MARLEAU, OR TRADING FOR TANGUAY, BUT, GETTING RID OF RYDER, WILL NOT MAKE ANYTHING BETTER. THERE HAS TO BE AWAY OF KEEPING THIS GUY HERE. HE HAD THE MOST GOALS THIS YEAR, AND WE TREATED HIM BETTER THAN JUST A QUALIFYING OFFER, HE MIGHT REPEAT AND GET MORE THAN 30 THIS YEAR. TRADE A GOALIE, THAT WE HAVE A FEW SPARES, IMO, HUET IS OUR #1, SOR...
To the best of my knowledge, John Ferguson Jr. is a full grown, educated adult male. So can someone explain to me, why is the hierarchy at MLSE currently headhunting for a senior executive in order to overlook and consult with Mr. Ferguson on his every move as the GM of the Maple Leafs?
Circumstances surrounding Jr.'s tenure as GM to date have been anything but the nor...
Per Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
No word on the others yet.
Congrats to a truly deserving guy!
Other deserving players are going to have to wait a year unfortunatley, and three more will hear they are in with Al.
Great news for the Blues family that Al isn't one of those who has to wait.
Way to go Chopper!
Today I thought I would talk about the differences I noticed between last year’s power play and the one that faltered for much of the time this season. As I mentioned yesterday, this years Sabres team boasted a highly skilled roster which ought to have made goal scoring on the PP a common occurrence. As we all witnessed, that was not the case. Why not?
In 2005 the Sa...
Here we go again.....
16) Minnesota(from ANA) ----Colton Gillies
A lot of people don't like this kid. I'm not one of them; I love his combination of size and skating ability. The knock on this guy is obviously the lack of offensive ability, but I think he just needs to put himself in better position to put up big offensive #s by putting on muscle so he can drive to the n...
beliveau writes...
The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Welcome to the 2007 NHL off-season. That would be the new NHL. The cap-era NHL. The fiscally responsible NHL.
The $8-million per year for Scott Gomez NHL.
This would be a good time to re-read the title of this blog.
As they have before and as they always will, NHL general managers will bid all their pretty pennies on the top unrestricted free agents available t...
General Manager Dave Nonis has managed to bring back power forward Jeff Cowan after Cowan agreed to a 2-year in the '$700,000' range per season.
Cowan joined the Canucks via waivers back in December of 2006 just in time as the Canucks started their turnaround. Not expected to put up very big numbers but Cowan did experience a lengthly streak late in the season with six...
As most people have heard by now, Paul Kariya is going to be testing the free agent waters starting July 1st according to Nashville Predators GM David Poile. "He's definitely going into free agency and it's certainly looking doubtful based on our conversations and the uncertainty of our franchise that he'll be coming back here," Poile announced Thursday.
The Vancouver C...
Jsaquella writes...
OK Homer, Might Be Time To Get Away From The Big Money Table
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Sunday at noon, the NHL will start an orgy of money tossing. Clubs from New York to Edmonton will be looking to add that big name to sell extra tickets, find that last piece to a hopeful Stanley Cup puzzle or simply upset their fan base, like in the case of Toronto's John Ferguson Jr.
That brings me to my point. Paul Holmgren, GM of the Flyers has already added two key ...
I actually thought of this the night of the draft's 1st round, but couldnt think of anywhere to put it.
Although i'm sure you all remember the details, the Leafs traded a conditional 1st round, a 2nd round and a 09 fourth round to the Sharks for Toskala and Bell. The sharks then traded our 13th pick to st. louis, and opted to select a defenseman (Petrecki) 28th overall w...
[u][b]Ohlund for Ryder[/b][/u]
This trade makes sense to me. The Canadiens are not going to sign Souray (and why would they). Ohlund could come in at a good price and replace Souray. Ohlund is big and has good offensive / defensive abilities. A better package for less money.
Ryder fits the bill of a scoring winger to play with Morrison and Naslund, and probably cou...
Dear Darcy,
I want to preface this by saying I think you have had some very difficult circumstances in which to deal with these past 2 seasons, and I commend you for your hard work and efforts. I think you have done an excellent job at adding great young prospects through the draft and trades. You had a great deal of foresight as it pertained to the rule changes, an...
I admit, when I first saw the headline on TSN this morning my stomach dropped. Not that I have anything against the people of Nashville, or feel a lot of joy out of ripping a team away from them, but I was hoping that the move to Hamilton would work out because it would be good for the game, for the NHL. Nashville has proven, over the last 10 years that it is not a hockey ...
The NHL announced that the Salary Cap will be $50.3 million this upcoming season. And before we get into the rest of this blog, I say (Sarcasm On) 'good job NHL' for releasing the Salary Cap figure approximately 48 hours before the UFA period begins on July 1st, what a way to provide the teams enough time to determine who they can fit or not fit under the cap! (Sarcasm O...
The Nashville Predator story keeps getting richer and more juicy every passing instant. Gary Bettman approached "Boots" DiBaggio and made an offer that would make even Tony Soprano proud......
Simply put, "Boots" would get exclusive rights to the Predators, at a price set by the national hockey league, and would get unianimous BOG approval to move the team at the next B...
BluesHockeyOhBaby! writes...
Patience is Key for the Blues: Do Not Overspend!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The St. Louis Blues fans have been through a lot these last two years since the lockout. They experienced having the worst team in the league two years ago, injuries, and big-name salary dumps of Bill Guerin, Keith Tkachuk, Doug Weight, Mike Sillinger, and of course by far the biggest name on the list, Chris Pronger. While it all seemed to be heading downhill for the Blues...
It isn't officially the end of Danny Briere and Chris Drury's time with the Buffalo Sabres but it seems that the end is near. Briere turned down the Sabres 5 year $25 million dollar offer and Drury turned down an offer that is supposively worth about $6mil per year. I just wanted to post something to thank them for their time spent in Buffalo trying to bring a championship...
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...
After getting the announcement of the salary cap today and it going up a whopping 6 million dollars this has made things alot more interesting as teams scrabble around looking to see who they can get and who they can unload. The Leafs are in a very interesting position with around 9 million in cap room to use this offseason the interesting part of this whole time is that a...
With free agency just around the corner, there are a few major holes that the Penguins need to fill, but none more pressing than goaltending.
GM Ray Shero recently made it know that the team was no longer pursuing or bringing back last year's back up Jocelyn Thibault; Nolan Schaefer, who was acquired at the trade deadline and shined in the AHL; goaltending prospect Bobb...
One team that, i think, is going to struggle the most this summer, with the new cap, is Nashville
No player want's to sign there, now because of their indecisiveness for a new owner, and the lease running out after the 08 season. When Kariya goes to the market, that puts them in the basement, cap-wise. I heared Home Ice, today, that after trading Vokoun and losing Kari...
Its June 30th, and as I sit here today, I realize the end of an era is dawning. The end of the era of the Captains. 2 men, brought together in seperate trades in 2003 to bring the Buffalo Sabres out of mediocrity and take them to glory.
But with the mission not yet completed, although at times it has come very close, it looks like the captains will be making a move out ...
Sure we don't have an owner (that's a minor detail right?) but the Preds have money to burn in the free agent market. With the NHL announcing the new salary cap numbers yesterday the Preds, like it or not, will find themselves being buyers just to reach the 34.3 million dollar minimum.
At this point the Preds sit with 14 players under contract for a total cap hit ...
I'm a Atlanta Thrashers fan, let's get that out in the open.
But I am very curious to see if they will change their ways at all. I watched the Thrashers ever since they drafted number 17 - Ilya Kovalchuk - and now, I watch because I love the team. Kovy's still my favourite player, but I've come to love this team.
What do we have? We've got offense. Marian Hossa, Il...
It was on Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007, the last time flyers played in the 2006-2007 season.
That was also the day inwhich Flyers GM Paul Holmgren had the task to rebuild one of the storied franchise teams in the history of nhl from misery of being th laughing stock of NHL into one of the glourous Franchises in all of hockey.
Paul has succeded through many test such...
I know the news is all about free agency this week...but the pre-season schedule was also released (at least for the STARS, and, I assume everyone else?). As I was perusing the 7-tilt set, my mind began to formulate a plan for more inter-conference play...ultimately leading to more exposure and growing the fan base for this great game. I came up with two excellent baby s...
falvai writes...
The Bright Side of losing your two co-captains...for nothing
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Buffalo fans facing the ultimate reality
Ya gotta feel for a fan who's team could potentially lose their two co-captains, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Vanek blasted 43 goals and with Bobby Clarke not around anymore, an offer sheet fiasco is a little less likely. Drew Stafford moved quickly from the fourth line and had some truly highlight reel goals....
Predictions on where some of the biggest free agents will land.
Nylander- Sadly, Nylander will leave the best situation of his career for more money, and will be overpaid by Philadelphia after the rest have passed the flyers by. Their disastrous last season will certainly scare away consistent winners like Gomez and Drury.
Gomez- Reigning conn smythe champ and f...
Okay, I'll admit, Chris Drury and Daniel Briere are two very talented hockey players, but are they really worth the money some teams are willing to offer? Will Peter Forsberg have what it takes to still be an elite NHLer after numerous injuries? Is Scott Gomez really going to prosper outside of New Jersey? These are questions I've been thinking about lately and the answer ...
The announcement on Friday afternoon that the cap was going up to $50.2 Million was great news for leafs as they already have committed approximately $43 Million, which leaves $7-8 million to play with. if the cap had only come in around $48 Million mark before the NHLPA voted in favor of the 5% increase, they would've have only had about $5-6 Million, and wouldn't have be...
falvai writes...
July 1st chess match, no checkmate yet, but plenty of setup
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
With all the hype us Hokeybuzzers have generated and with all the sleep lost, we awake to find no great presents under the tree. Just some socks and shirts that we knew we'd get anyways. Schneider to Anaheim isn't a big surprise but it does signify that Detroit now was some more cap room. Thorntons extension is just one more step away from soon-to-be former captain Ma...
What i've seen today, was the most disgusting thing i ever see in my life... and that day begin with Dan Brière with a 52 millions contract and first year 10 millions... 10 freaking million... Crosby will ask for 300 millions if Briere worth that, comon why we lose a season if they continue to give contract like this...
3.6 millions to Sarich... SARICH is probably a 6...
I just got a phone call from my father in WNY saying that he heard that they are planning on have a Sabres/Guins game and Ralph Wilson Stadium on New Years Day.
Can you imagine how awesome that would be. If that is truly the case, I need to get my butt home and take that in. 80,000 screaming fans!
I guess there isn't much faith that the Bills will make the playoffs...
I can't believe some of the contracts these guys are getting. I can't understand someone who scored 13 goals last season getting signed for 7+million/yr. I mean lets be real!! How does this guy get more money than Vincent Lecavalier who led the league in goals last season. What would Vinny get now 10-12million/yr? This is crazy!
The day was uneventful, was away at my sons college orientation for the weekend, but I planned ahead I took my Xm-Myfi with me knowing I would be on the road at 12 and for about 3- 3.5 hours, each time I heard a rumour I would think damn we aren't going to get anyone, damn Flyers are making some nice moves, damn Pens might get Kariya, wow East is going to be tough, then be...
Briere to Philadelphia
Wow, remember when these guys were big and scary? Now they're young, fast and iffy (especially between the pipes). But if all goes well Briere will be a great centerpiece for the new look Flyers, and if not, it'll be a long 8 years.
Drury and Gomez to the Rangers
Made the pre-cap Rangers splash with less flash, and more leadership. Sather ...
1st Day Free Agent Signings:
Todd White: Atlanta Thrashers 4 year 2.4 Million per year
Tom Poti: Washington Capitals 4 year 3.5 Million per year
Richard Zednik: Florida Panthers 2 year 1.6 Million per year
Brett McLean: Florida Panthers 3 year 1.7 Million per year
Mathieu Schneider: Anaheim Ducks 2 year 5.6 Million per year
Daniel Briere: Philedelphia Fly...
[b]Buffalo Sabres, you let a lot of us down today. But you can right your wrongs. There is still time.
Don't give up our hopes of a Cup. We are not far away, with the current team - in fact we may be the closest ever - even without Drury and Briere. Get some new guys in here; keep us competitive; give us a reason to continue to support this team.
PLEASE do the rig...
TheHabsFan writes...
Why the Montreal Canadiens can't compete for UFAs...
Posted Monday | Comments 0
During the TSN broadcast, the panelists said it. During the singings, the players said it. When Rivet and Recchi left, they said it. It's no secret, yet everyone seems to miss it.
The problem is not taxes! The problem is not language! The problem is certainly NOT money!
THE PROBLEM IS THE DAMN MEDIA! Players do not want to come here and get their lives ruined by a bu...
The day started off very slowly and at 1:48 Bob Mackenzie broke the huge signing of Todd White to the Thrashers, not the start everyone expected but that was one of the few reasonable signings made. I guess everyone decided to go jump into their time machine and go back to July 2002 when big deals were being handed out left right and center, and I am afraid thats where we ...
Well we have entered into a new UFA season and the Dallas GM Doug Armstrong is doing nothing in the way of improving his team. While we see the big guns move cities its really hard to swallow that Armstrong says he doesnt think we need any additional players just tweaking of the ones we have. That statement has been uttered over and over the past few yrs by Armstrong. I gu...
Monty Python continues to amuse me.
However, I shall write about what every other blogger on this website is most interested in: the free agent mania that swept the hockey world yesterday. I will talk about the big deals (ie Gomez, Briere) but my focus is on the smaller names.
Briere (PHI)-This was an interesting move by Holmgren. Especially the length. After seeing Rick...
For the first time in a while, Avalanche fans can be happy about a move made by the team's front office. There is an excitement around this team now that hasn't been here since the Avs star-crossed acquisition of both Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya before the 2003-2004 season in an attempt to make a determined run for the cup. But we all know how that ended up. Train wre...
July 1st in the NHL always gives you the feeling of Christmas, the oilers did there best to fill holes that are open and to improve the tea. The move to trade Jason Smith and Joffery Lupul for Geoff Sanderson and Jani Pitkanen was a great start. Sanderson will add some great veteran experience that is needed since Smith is gone, he will also be a dependable 3rd or 4th line...
With Vancouver Canucks seemingly press against the salary cap I am willing to give General Manager Dave Nonis some slack but in the same breathe when players of this ilk are sitting there with zero compensation (except $$$) why haven't we heard the slightest rumor of a player coming to Vancouver.Fact of the matter is that you can go over the cap in the off-season you just ...
My message is to the [b]MEDIA OF MONTREAL[/b]. [b][u]Enough is enough!!![/u][/b] I, and the fans of this great franchise have had it!!! I have said it for years that the media is who manages the team, not the organization. Year in and year out, we see the same trend building, worse and worse as the years go by. This time around, you will not blame Gainey or the rest o...
What has free agency done for us lately?
That's the question that every NHL team should be asking themselves around this time of year. Now, that's not to say that we should do away with free agency, effectively making each player an indentured servant to the team that drafted them; however General Managers standing still on the big name free agents is encouraging to se...
todays press conference in buffalo was nothing more than when in every election year when politicians go around from city to city expressing the common sense to the "potential voters". today the same thing took place in buffalo, ny when Sabres President Larry Quinn and General Manager Darcy Regier held a press conference today. instead of talking to voters they were talk...
I don't know how any Ranger fan could have come out of the first day of the Free Agency period with anything, but a big smile on their face.
The goal was to sign a center to slot in on the second line behind Nylander. Instead Sather pulls a rabbit out of his hat and snares both Scotty Gomez from the Devils and Chris Drury from the Sabres to solidify the team up the m...
camp writes...
What are the expectations for the Rangers 2007-2008 season?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Last years run in the playoffs was cut short by a heart-stopping, gut-wrenching goal by co-captain Chris Drury of the Buffalo Sabres with 7.7 seconds left in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semi's. Scott Gomez was part of the New Jersey Devils team that swept the Rangers two seasons ago in the first round of the playoffs. Now they're both with us. With multiple Stanley Cu...
HyeDray writes...
Hello...Hello....Hello....anybody alive on Long Island?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Not only do we lose our own top free agents, but apparently we will not be signing any. Can anyone at Hockeybuzz or anywhere else please explain to the 5 remaining Islander fans what the plan is going to be?
Are they going to go with youth and try to build through the next 3 drafts a la Pittsburgh?
Are they going to get a bunch of reclamation projects for Ted Nolan w...
congratulations NYR you just landed yourself 2 of the top 4 available free agents this year. out of ryan smyth, chris drury, daniel briere, and scott gomez you were able to pick up my favorite chris drury and scott gomez. you have two excellent players who will complement guys like lundqvist, avery, jagr, etc. you have now become in many peoples eyes the new favorite to...
On Trade Deadline Day 2007, the Islanders made a bold statement to their fans and the rest of the league that the organization would no longer settle for mediocrity. Trading former first-round picks Robert Nilsson and Ryan O'Marra, along with their 2007 first-round pick for Ryan Smyth was a loud and clear message that the fans would no longer be asked to look to the never ...
Before the salary cap was instituted, you could always count on one thing in the NHL: The Colorado Avalanche were going to make the playoffs and be cup contenders. Every year GM Pierre Lacroix put a playoff team on the ice and every year they would deliver. At the end of the 05-06 season, Lacroix stepped down and handed things over to Francois Giguere. Things started rocky...
Wow, let's just take a look at the kind of team the Blues will have this upcoming season. First of all, it will look so good to see Erik Johnson strap on the Bluenote and patrol the blueline for years to come, fan favorite Keith Tkachuk is back, Manny Legace provides stability in net, Lee Stempniak has broken out as a goal scorer, and now add in All-Star Paul Kariya to the...
Free agency this year is like a hike. You either stay on the trail or you can go into the bushes and risk stratching and clawing your way to where you want to go. Once you're on the trail you're locked in and once you're in the bushes you get lost and are locked in as well. The trail really represent the lucrative contracts that have been handed out to the Drurys and the B...
OK we screwed up not keeping Drury and anyone who could check left the Year Before, Grier, Mckee.
So out of whats left of FA pool I will try and salvage a little of our dignity.
1. Sign Shanahan or Selanne. We need people to buy up these new Jerseys and two of the top sellers just left town. SHANAHAN BACK WITH RANGERS
...
Today (Day 2) of free agency was suppose to be a day for Oiler fans to look forward to possible UFA signings. After a long day of almost all the Tier 2 UFA signed the oilers are left the same as Day 1. The day started off very strange with the deal that was suppose to be done in Nylander turning out to be nothing more then a lost deal with Nylander signing in Washington.
...
[b]The Toronto Maple Leafs are likely headed back to the playoffs.[/b]
As a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs, I do not like to see them miss the playoffs, I do however, like to see some form of direction, the good news with the salary cap rising to 50.3 million is that the Leafs now have the ability to speed through the "Let's get younger phase" which wasn't working ...
July 2nd Free Agent Signings:
Ryan Smyth: Colorado Avalanche 5 years 6.3 Million per year
Paul Kariya: St. Louis Blues 3 years 6 Million per year
Darryl Sydor: Pittsburgh Penguins 2 years 2.5 Million per year
Petr Sykora: Pittsburgh Penguins 2 year deal
Sheldon Brookbank: Columbus Blue Jackets 1 years deal
Tom Preissing: Los Angeles Kings 4 years 2.8 Mill...
According to NHL.com, Brad Isbister is currently a member of the Vancouver Canucks, does anyone know of any articles confirming this deal? It seems like it may be a misprint because it's been on the website for a little while now and no official announcement has been made.
If, in fact, this is true then I think the Canucks have found themselves another Taylor Pyatt to p...
Ok, we're only in the very early hours of July 3rd here, so this is very preliminary. I have been messing around with line combinations since the Briere signing was announced, and intensified that following the Lupul and Smith additions.
So far, I remain very happy with the maneuvers of Paul Holmgren and Peter Luukko. Here's a quick glance at what could be the opening ...
[img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/Heymateo/smhockeywoodtopper.jpg[/img]
Lombardi [url=www.lifeinhockeywood.com]wheels and deals [/url]and makes a few steals.
The last two days have just been torturous as a San Jose Sharks fan. I woke up Sunday at 8am (pacific time) with a spring in my step and anticipation on my mind. After watching Vesa Toskala and everybody's favorite whipping boy in San Jose this season, Mark Bell, being shipped off to Toronto, all the talk was the Sharks were setting things up perfectly to sign Chris Drur...
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 ...
Regardless of what you think about Sutter, one can't help but somewhat admire his vagueness in managing the Flames. Almost every trade or signing comes without warning or anticipation, and he never makes trades for the sake of doing so. I have no idea how he keeps the media out of his office.
With that in mind, as excited I was for the UFA season this year after reading...
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 ...
The Blues have brought many good players into there system. The thing is they all where old. Kariya is bringing them in the right direction. They still won't be a playoff contender, they need alot more, but they will be better.
Drury went to the Rangers for a few reasons. The Sabres foundation treats star players like garbage. In the press conference held on the second a member of the press asked if they where becoming the Pittsburgh Pirates. Regher (the GM for anyone who doesn't know) mumbled "It's a possobility." HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT! Have they all gone crazy. The second reason he left was bec...
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...
It could very well be that this is the last year for the big swede at the helm of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Sundin signed a 1 year term allowing him to decide on his own terms (and not handicap the Leafs) how he leaves the game, in what could likely be his last year in the NHL, it seems the Leafs are going to at least attempt to get him that big silver cup before he ride...
Center Radek Bonk is now a Nashville Predator
"For the most part our team is now set up,'' Predators General Manager David Poile said. "We'll still need to fill some depth, but in terms of our major league roster, we're in pretty good shape.
This was what Poile said after the signing of Center Radek Bonk and Defensemen Greg de Vries yesterday to two year deals. Wh...
Great article on Hockeybuzz by Daniel Tolensky that shows exactly why the cap is broken and how the new NHL favours the big markets teams even more now than before.
Over the last three years of the Briere deal, his actual salary will be $12M while his cap number will be $19.5M. Over the last two it is $5M versus $13M.
So move along to the 5th or 6th year of that deal...
"Vancouver Canucks Senior Vice-President and General Manager Dave Nonis announced today that the Canucks have signed centre Byron Ritchie and winger Brad Isbister. In keeping with club policy, no financial terms of the deal will be released."
- http://www.canucks.com/pressreleases.asp?sectionID=31&id=735
A couple of third or fourth liners, curious to what the ter...
Patrick Cwiklinski writes...
Schneider Signs, Isbister, Ritchie Join Canucks
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Cory Schneider has officially signed his first NHL contract with the Vancouver Canucks after spending the last two seasons with Boston College and breaking a record for most shutouts in a single season with eight. Schneider will most likely play as a starter for the Manitoba Moose and may very well see some ice time in Vancouver. However, it has been said this could be a m...
While this is early it appears that a Nashville group has made an offer that would keep the Preds here in town. This is what Predator fans have been waiting for. Current owner Craig Leipold has even been on record as saying that he would be willing to offer a 'local discount' to group of investors who desired to keep the team in town.
The Nashville Post has broke the s...
After what seemed like an eternity, Lou finally signed a UFA. And I could not be happier. Dainius Zubrus agreed to come play for the Devs today for 6 years at $20.4 mill per. Some may balk at the length, but the dollar value makes this signing worth while. Doing the simple mathmatics that I have aquired at one of the best schools in the nation, IMHO, that comes out to arou...
But getting there.
General Manager Dave Nonis made several signings this morning and each one of them may not make a huge difference in the outcome but they are all key cogs in the future of the Vancouver Canucks.
The morning began with the signing of highly touted goaltending prospect Cory Schneider to a multi-year deal. Now that this luctrative chip is in the fol...
Brad Lukowich signed a 3 year deal with the Lightning as reported by TSN.com. This is Lukowich's second stint with the Lightning.
Just hours after signing Schneider, Isbister and Ritchie, the Vancouver Canucks are at it again, this time signing goalie Curtis Sanford to a one year, $600,000 contract. Sanford joins the Canucks after spending his last three seasons with the St. Louis Blues. The Ontario native finished last season with a 3.18 goals against and a .888 save percentage in 31 games.
I thi...
I was pondering today, how the NHL wasted that entire lockout year, and where do we stand now? The Rich teams can spend pretty much the same amount of money, they could back before the lockout and now we have the issue of all the "poor" teams struggling to stay alive in the "new" NHL. I feel that a this whole Nashville issue is a matter of the wrong place for a hockey te...
Lord knows all of the Islander fans that remain—the dozen or so that have been up the last several nights—are upset, angry, frustrated. Not a single tier one or tier two free agent has signed, and the Islanders have little hope of starting little more then a n AHL level team come October.
So maybe this is the Real Plan A?
I have posted on many blogs that if this ...
What does Renney do if no more moves are made either via Free Agent signings or Trades?
[b]Hossa - Drury/Gomez - Jagr
Straka - Drury/Gomez - Shanahan
Avery - Cullen - Callahan
Prucha - Betts - Hollweg/Orr
Malik - Rosival
Tyutin - Girardi
Staal - Mara
Strudwick/Pock[/b]
I don't know, but I see this as a lineup Renney will put on the ice if the team starts t...
The Edmonton Oilers had a slow yet oddly some what busy day today. The Oilers signed Goaltender Mathieu Garon to a 2 year contract, and agreed to terms with Raffi Torres on a 3 Year $6.75 Contract. The signing of Garon spells the end of Markkanen as the Oilers backup, Garon brings some decent numbers with that will help the Oilers more then Markkanen was able to give Rolo...
July 3rd Free Agent Sugnings:
Greg Classen: Vancouver Canucks (Terms Not Disclosed)
Brad Isbister: Vancouver Canucks 525 Thousand per year
Byron Richie: Vancouver Canucks 675 Thousamd per year
Matt Carkner: Ottawa Senators 1 year deal
Jiri Notvotny: Columbus Blue Jackets 2 year deal
Mathieu Darche: Tampa Bay Lightning 1 year
Dainius Zubrus: New Jersey ...
I am glad that everyone is overpaying for everyone. Drury is a great leader but, I cant see paying 7 mil to a guy who has never scored 70 points in a season. Thornton, Iginla, and maybe Briere are the only deserving ones of a 7+ a year contract from a team this season. JR is playing it smart and not signing guys for 4,5,6 or even 7 years to the Canes and has no idea i...
Well sabres fans it's confirmed Teppo Numminen has resigned with the Sabres
[url]http://wgr550.com/sabres/fullstory.php?id=2491[/url]
According to nhlpa.com Sabres vetern Defenceman Teppo Numminen has a 2.6 million Dollar salary for 07-08.
Here is a link for the sabres team page on nhlpa.com:
[url]http://nhlpa.com/WebStats/PlayerSearchV2.asp?OIDTeam=9508[/url]
...
The Rangers are like your family member with an addiction problem. They get better for awhile, long enough that you think they're back to normal, but soon enough, they're back to their old habits. The Rangers addictions are big name free agents. They just can't get enough of them and will pay any amount, no matter how ludicrous to get what they need. After hitting rock...
***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...
...for i am pretty much 'hockey'd' out.
pretty happy with the agressiveness of the flyers this year. but it is hard to get too excited for what seems like a case of deja vu. this is not the first time the flyers have gone out and signed half of the free agency market. but hey, i cannot complain. for ten years they have been an extremely successful franchise and i have ...
July 5th Free Agent Signings:
Tom Kostapoulos: Montreal Canadiens 2 years 900 Thousand per year
Ruslan Fedotenko: New York Islanders 1 year 2.9 Million per year
Grant Stevenson: Calgary Flames 1 year deal
As a current television game show suggests, fifth graders can be as smart as adults. Yet, there are some things that fifth graders do not understand.
That’s because we as adults have the remarkable, and fruitless, ability to twist simple things into complicated ones that defy logic and explanation. Such is the case for the NHL standings.
In simpler times, the NHL...
With the aquisition of Jason Blake and Vesa Toskala the leafs are gaurenteed to do better. But how much better?
Our team for next year seems pretty much all offense guided. On defence we only have one defensive defensemen in Hall Gill. On forward we have only two two way players assuming Peca is gone those being Chad Kilger and Boyd Devereaux.
But now that we have To...
Here's what I know about the Canucks GM, Dave Nonis.
He is a patient, patient man.
As a fan, it's frustrating as all get out. Especially when you enjoy the offseason as much as I do. It's not that I wanted Nonis to get into the bidding for Drury, Gomez, or Briere.
I didn't.
But Nonis has signed and dealt for a total of almost 10 players in the past week, yet ...
UPDATE(12:07)
Souray is probably either to L.A. or San Jose, but New Jersey, NYI, and NYR have all made pitches.
Burke may not trade before start of season but instead will send people down to AHL to clear salary
Burke is still talking to 4th line players.
First of all, Ducks have apparently made a pitch for Souray(dux4) and it's down to New Jersey, Kings, and Duck...
LifeInHockeywood writes...
Woke Up This Morning, Got Ourselves a Team...
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[url=www.lifeinhockeywood.com][img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/Heymateo/smhockeywoodtopper.jpg[/img][/url]
Was I dreaming, or did [url=www.lifeinhockeywood.com]the Kings sign two defensemen and three forwards[/url]?
As the first week comes to a close in sabres nation Post DB (Drury & Briere) Sabres fans had had to look inside them selfs to see where they stand with this team. The article written by eklund earlier was some good reading i hope all of you sabre fans have a chance to read it. All the points that were brought up were all good points. The Sabres are not dead in the water. T...
Look around the internet at different hockey sites and notice all the UFA mumbo jumbo. Sheldon Souray this... Chris Drury that...
I'm a big fan of the enforcer types in hockey, so why not blog them? They deserve the attention, so here we go.
The Boston Bruins wasted no time in pitching an offer to former Ducks winger Shawn Thornton. The 6'1 209 pounder from Oshawa, ...
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...
Uncertainty
This word surrounds the Nashville Predators and its' fans. This state has cost the team Paul Kariya and possibly other Free Agent's this NHL off season. This state surrounds the events in which the Predators ownership situation stands. You could also use this word to describe the upcoming season. It seems as though the entire NHL world and its' media has foc...
After a sophomore slump, a few trade deadline rumors and looking arbitration in the eyes, the Colorado Avalanche re-signed Marek Svatos to a one year deal.
Obviously Francois Giguere and the Avs are hoping that Svatos can return to his rookie form where he finished tied on the team and 3rd among rookies in goals with 32. He also notched 9 game winning, tying the rookie...
oilers4ever84 writes...
Edmonton Oilers Went From Great Success to Disappointment
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Just over a year ago around this time the Edmonton Oilers came just within one win of the biggest trophy in professional hockey. Three weeks later they were saying goodbye to superstar Chris Pronger, and a few other key players Michael Peca, Jaroslav Spacek, and Sergei Samsonov.
So who replaced these players, because obviously you need to replace such key players...
This off season has been and interesting off season and a predictable one, Sutter never waits till the last second to get things done. Well for instance his top forwards had only one year left , what does he do does he leave that until the last minute no he does it a year a head of time. Iggy locked up for five years 35 mil not only does he get done early he does it s...
This off season has been an interesting off season and a predictable one, Sutter never waits till the last second to get things done. Well for instance his top forwards had only one year left , what does he do does he leave that until the last minute no he does it a year a head of time. Iggy locked up for five years 35 mil not only does he get done early he does it so...
July 5th Free Agent Signings:
Jan Hejda: Columbus Blue Jackets 2 year deal
Anders Eriksson: Calgary Flames 2 year deal
Kevin Weekes: New Jersey Devils 2 years 688 Thousand per year
Jamie Rivers: Montreal Canadiens 1 year deal
Mathieu Biron: Montreal Canadiens 1 year deal
Cory Urguhart: Montreal Canadiens 1 year deal
Marvin Degon: Montreal Canadiens 1 y...
So who's the winner so far in the Free Agent summer grab? Is it Philadelphia with the leading free agent scorer Briere? The Rangers and their two-headed coup, or the Avalanche with heart and soul warrior Ryan Smyth. Well, I'm gonna go with the less flashy Thrashers and their retention of underrated (until now) center Slava Kozlov. They are one of the very few teams to re...
What is this city coming to? Have we been reduced to acting like the fans of a certain hockey team in Southern Ontario?
Mr. Gainey, Bobby "G", or my personal favourite, "Teflon Bob" has been, and continues to be criticized heavily from both the English and French media since the draft. The man who once sported a head of dirty blonde curls is probably wondering if Theo ...
With the Predators choosing not to resign many of there "skilled" or "special teams" players, the Predators powerplay will have a different look this upcoming season. My question is, who will be the players to fill in on the PP? The most likely choice on defense is Hamhuis who has shown offensive ability in the past or maybe the rookie Koistinen. The foward position is a d...
What is this city coming to? Have we been reduced to acting like the fans of a certain hockey team in Southern Ontario?
Mr. Gainey, Bobby "G", or my personal favourite, "Teflon Bob" has been, and continues to be criticized heavily from both the English and French media since the draft. The man who once sported a head of dirty blonde curls is probably wondering if Theo c...
TSN is reporting that the Edmonton Oilers have signed Buffalo Sabre forward Thomas Vanek to a $50 million dollar 7-year offer sheet.
Looks like another example of the big market teams going crazy and taking advantage of the small market teams.
Oh wait a minute forget everything I just said.
Well it appears we have gotten to the point where I will write a blog on my 2nd favorite team...the Buffalo Sabres.
Thomas Vanek has been offered a 7 year 50 million dollar offer sheet by the Edmonton Oilers. If I'm Darcy Regier, I take the picks and run. Why? Vanek is a franchise player you might say. Look at it this way. He's going to get Edmonton's picks not the Anahei...
It seems as though the Sabres franchise knew this was coming. Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe needs to bring in a marquee player, and Thomas Vanek was on his hit list. Buffalo GM Darcy Regier said no way, Vanek is staying in town, and we'll match any offer sheet you throw at him.
Well, Lowe tried to call Regier's bluff, but Darcy wasn't bluffing. The 7-year, $50 million pi...
According to Toronto Star "sources" the Toronto Maple Leafs signed ex-Brodeur backup Scott Clemmensen to a two-way contract and is likely to be the Leafs third-string goalie and to back up Justin Pogge in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies.
Of course this stirs the pot with the Raycroft rumors, but personally I'm not impressed with letting Racine go as easily as they did...
Thomas Vanek will be in a Buffalo uni for the next 7 years and the deal was a must if your Larry Quinn and the Sabres Management. It would have been a PR nightmare at games neat year if you had to come off loosing you 3 best forwards. Is he worth the money only time will tell. If the Sabres had signed vanek to a 2 or 3 year deal vanek would have recieved probably a 8 mill ...
horcoffgirl23 writes...
Announcing a new attraction at the Oilers theme park........
Posted Friday | Comments 0
This past year, the Edmonton Oilers have given their fans a new [i]rollercoaster[/i] ~ one that gets your emotions going.
Last summer, blue line veteran Chris Pronger requested to be traded. He is now public enemy #1 in Alberta's capital. I don't see it that way. His wife was not happy up here so I'm pretty sure that put Pronger inbetween a rock and a hard ...
nephew23 writes...
HAPPY FREE AGENCY STARS' FANS! (Thanks For Nothing Army)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
No offense to Brad Winchester...who will make a great addition to the Stars' roster...but this should be Doug Armstrong's last season as general manager in Dallas. I waited patiently and chose not to jump the gun after Sunday passed with not a single transaction. Then the days came and went until, FINALLY, today, the team announced the signing of 3 players. If you have ...
With the recent departures of Co-Captains Daniel Breire & Chris Drury a lot of people have written off the 2007-2008 Buffalo Sabres. Not this fan! Well not anymore atleast.
Let’s take a minute to look back at this time in 2005. Many experts and fans around the league didn’t expect the Sabres to make the playoffs yet reach the ECF. The Sabres fought numerous in...
[b][u]BUFFALO:CONTENDER OR NOT?[/b][/u]
July 7th, 12:44 AM:
Last season, the Buffalo Sabres, made it to the Eastern Conference final, they faced there newest rival the Ottawa Senators. Will it happen again? By the looks of things..No. The Buffalo Sabres so far in this free agency have basically acquired no one, while losing there two best players IMO, Daniel Briere a...
PelicanFoul writes...
Preparing for a Lightening FAST Season in Buffalo.
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
With the recent signing of RFA Thomas Vanek for 7 more years in Buffalo, I think I've turned my prospects so to speak a complete 108 degrees. There was a lot of speculation, especially on my part of whether or not we can be as good as we were the last 2 years without our Co-Captains Chris Drury and Daniel Briere.
After some soul searching I can now see our potential. We...
Last fall, when Bobby Clarke was asked about why he tendered Ryan Kesler an offer sheet, he went on the offensive and blamed it on Nonis. Well, first he said he followed the rules as outlined in the CBA, and if you don't like the rules, call the commissioner.
But the thing he said that was of real intersest was when he questioned by Nonis had left his RFA unsigned f...
Lowe is a crazy man sparing nothing to improve his team (in a way I kinda admire that). On the other hand, I get the 'strategy' aspect of what he did and it isn't good for the league. In getting the Sabres to sign Vanek at the average hit of over $7mil per year, the arbitrators will award some crazy contracts to the likes of Parise, Ryder, and Hunter (probably Roy too). Ex...
The habs this year will be a taste of whats to come. Without the arrival of a first line UFA (once again) the Canadiens finally have the luxury of having good building blocks at every position. The lines this year will hopefully involve a rookie or second year player on at least three of four lines, and since these rookies are highly touted prospects, this is an excelle...
brownelvis writes...
Why this UFA Period Proves that the Lockout Was Worthwhile .
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Dan Tolensky wrote an interesting Blog wondering if July 1st, 2007 was the day that we wondered if the Lockout was a waste of time. I usually love what you're writing because he don't miss much. This time I think that he has. I say, however, that the NHL convinced the NHLPA that they would play for funny money that may, or may not, be worth an actual US Greenback ... for t...
[b]Jason Smith : A Steal for the Flyers?[/b]
July 7th 3:42 PM:
Last week, the Philadelphia Flyers traded Joni Pitkanen, Who is a young defenseman who racked up 43 points last season, and Geoff Sanderson, Who is considerably one of the fastest players in the NHL, He racked up 29 points. The Flyers acquired Joffrey Lupul, Who most Edmonton fans believe was a very bad acq...
This Rumor has poluted CDC, HF Boards, and Canucks Central already, and there have been some mixed fealings about the rumor. On HF boards Barney Gumble Wrote: "The only two I want to see in his contract is "two-way deal". Course that isn't realistic I know. Two years? Sure, if his salary is under a million per year. Else, pass.", This is the best post about the Carter rum...
I think the moves that would help the leafs would be to sign Alexei Yashin and Micheal Peca. Next get rid of Raycroft and Kubina in a trade to the Yotes for Jovanovski and Cujo. Then sign Brian Berad who in won the Calder in the 1996-1997 season and racked up some good points with Columbus in the 2005-2006.
IMO that would be the best set of moves for my Leafs.
Thoug...
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 ...
I think the moves that would help the Leafs the most would be to sign Alexei Yashin and Micheal Peca. Next get rid of Raycroft and Kubina in a trade to the Yotes for Jovanovski and Cujo. Then sign Brian Berad who won the Calder in the 1996-1997 season and racked up some good points with Columbus in the 2005-2006 season.
IMO that would be the best set of moves for my L...
I was sitting reading that paper in my stained, moldy silk robe sipping my Starbucks latte, shoving a spoon full of chocolate rice krispses down my throat as I perused the Sports section of my local newspaper. All this UFA/RFA excitement of yesterday had me itching to see what was what. All this speculation on the blogs and HFboards, I needed some nitty gritty cold hard f...
killab4061 writes...
Sabres Rookie Camp Day 2/ Bringing HB Sabres fans together
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Todays rookie camp brought about 300 people strong to the Amherst Pepsi Center to see the future of the Buffalo Sabres. Again today there were two rinks going with about 20 players on each. Lindy was there today running the practice and was having the players go through a lot of puck moving and stick handling drills. Drew Stafford was leading the way through most of the dr...
In Josh Plummers Last Entry He Posted [quote]In his latest blog, Eklund says the Canucks are now one of the teams who could have an interest in #88, Eric Lindros[/quote] I think that this would not be a good signing, sure hes a good player, [u]When He is NOT HURT![/u] I cant help but wonder were Eklund gets this stuff from? Some of it makes no sense! Any how heres my favor...
From Sabres beat writer Bucky Gleason to your normal everyday average Joe, everyone within a 100 mile radius of HSBC Arena has an opinion about Darcy Regier.
Some hate him, some respect him, and others just want to question what he is doing. But it goes without saying, if we have learned anything in the past 10 years, it is that Darcy Regier has a grand plan, and you an...
According to the Post-Dispatch, Andy Murray was said to already be playing with possible lines in his head. The lines went,
"The Blues have a nice supply of forwards now, and the power play should be better. Murray is already tinkering with these line combinations, at least in his head:
— Kariya, Tkachuk, Brad Boyes.
— Martin Rucinsky, Weight, Jamal Mayers....
With the additions of
Briere, Uphsall, Lupul, Hartnell, Timonen, Smith, Kukkonen, Coburn, Biron
since last season, have the Flyers put themselves back into the playoffs?
[b]Gagne-Briere-Knuble[/b]
With the additions of a dynamic player like Briere to take the place of Forsberg, does the Flyers first line have chemisty problems? or does Briere step in and fill...
[b]What additional moves would you like to see the Flyers make?[/b]
With the additions of
Briere, Uphsall, Lupul, Hartnell, Timonen, Smith, Kukkonen, Coburn, Biron
since last season, have the Flyers put themselves back into the playoffs?
[b]Gagne-Briere-Knuble[/b]
With the additions of a dynamic player like Briere to take the place of Forsberg, does the Fl...
After the Thomas Vanek signing the sabres have a face to build their young core around and the question left is what happens next. Are the sabres willing to sign some second tier free agents, trade, or release current players? I dont know if that right now would be a great time to jump into those situations.
I think after the arbitration process has been settled, th...
After the Thomas Vanek signing the sabres have a face to build their young core around and the question left is what happens next. Are the sabres willing to sign some second tier free agents, trade, or release current players? I dont know if that right now would be a great time to jump into those situations.
I think after the arbitration process has been settled, the s...
[b]Le Affaire Du Vanek[/b]
As we all know, Thomas Vanek signed a seven year, $50 million offer sheet from the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, which was matched in about 13 second by the Buffalo Sabres.
The surprise is not the offer sheet, the player, or even the amount, really. The surprise is the team making the offer and the reaction it elicited from the Sabres front o...
As many of you are aware, earlier in the summer, the New York Islanders announced plans for the "NYI Blog Box," a consistent feature on newyorkislanders.com, where a select group of Islander fans become actual "correspondents" for the team. The Blog Box itself will be similar to the press box only in that members will be issued credentials for post-game interviews, etc. Ot...
deathvalley writes...
Ales in Winterland......Not A Shot Fired......?!?!?!
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Poor Ales...poor Hemmer...poor Ales Hemsky...
He's got the puck, he's got the moves, but he's got nobody to pass it too anymore. Is this the year Ales Hemsky finally "breaks out" into the player we all think he can be? Is this the year when the quiet kid from the Czech Republic finally decides enough is enough and puts the team on his shoulders? Either way it'll be inte...
This is an interesting topic I got into a great discussion about with some guys in Tim's blog. The Flyers money situation after this season... I know its early but bare with me its pretty intriguing to me...
Players Under Contract
Offense- 8 Players at 24.137 cap hit
Gagne, Briere, Knuble, Upshall, Lupul, Hartnell, Kapanen, Eager
Defense- 5 players at 16.305 cap ...
a new coach, a new goalie, a new enforcer, same old Bruins?
Will Claude Julien taking over as Head Coach for The Bruins help turn things around? Julien wants the Bruins to be harder to play against, meaning more defensive minded and more physical, gritty in all areas, finishing checks, hard on the forecheck, driving to the net, basically in your face hockey. Last year t...
Sunday, January 11, 1976... in the height of the Cold War, and the midst of the battle for the supremacy of the Hockey World, the Soviet Army Team visited the Philadelphia Spectrum to take on the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Flyers in the final game of what was billed as 'Super Series 76'... They were undefeated, and their co-touring lesser talented team were only defeate...
Links
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157600720204954/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy3OyB4VZPQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opC6wKLcoVc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMnv7rm-Ws
There is no video from the first session due to battery conservation.
10 am Group
45= RJ anderson, 58= Oskar Bartulis, 61=Josh Beaulieu, 51= Freddie Cabana...
[i]In response to Larry Brooks column in the NY post on July 8th; Really Lowe[/i]
9 million dollars for Henrik Lundqvist....wow. Don't get me wrong, Henrik is an amazing goaltender, but 9 million dollars. I can think of about 4 million reasons why he is not worth 9 million dollars. And especially to the Oilers, where reason 4,000,001 is a guy named Dwayne Roloson. S...
This is an interesting topic I got into a great discussion about with some guys in Tim's blog. The Flyers money situation after this season... I know its early but bare with me its pretty intriguing to me...
Players Under Contract
Offense- 8 Players at 24.137 cap hit
Gagne, Briere, Knuble, Upshall, Lupul, Hartnell, Kapanen, Eager
Defense- 5 players at 16.305 cap ...
Who knows who will be signed before July 1 2008 or how much money will be available… but below is my ranking of the “prime” players who are set to be free agents next year. By “prime” I mean players who will attract some big money… I left out most of the players over 30 as well. I also put together a list of next year’s restricted free agent crop…. Or a...
I like the guy, but a three year extention for $11.25 million for a guy who's played only 1 full season in the NHL. What the heck will Dion Phaneuf sign for when his time come 5 Million + a season! Tell me again, Why was there a lockout.
While 'All Is Quiet' is not the most engaging title for a blog post it is, however, true. Right now, all is indeed quiet here on the hockey front in Nashville but that gives us a chance to recap what we know and maybe figure out where we stand.
The Preds will be sold - okay that's a no brainer but let's start with the basics here. Craig Leipold is done with hockey and h...
Well I hope this stops all the trade Kevin Bieksa rumors floating about CDC/Canucks Central, The canucks have signed Kevin Bieksa to a 3 year $11.25 Million contract extention, now remember he is inked for the coming season at somthing like .525 million dollars but this will keep him here untill 2010. Im happy about this Bieksa had a break out year lask year with 12 goals ...
Well, on Friday last week, I was roaming around hockeybuzz noticing that nothing was going on, and I silently wished for some action. Boy, was that a mistake. Next thing I know, I see "Selanne to Philly (e4)" and I curse Ek. I wanted good rumours, not bad. I mean come on Ek, can't you weed them out. I immediately went to the comments and posted a comment that implied that ...
The naming of Bill Guerin as captain of the Islanders today is great news to hear as an Islander fan. Not only does this give the isles a scrappy vet that will be a scoring prescence, but also a natural leader who will stick up for his teammates. It seems apparent that this team is finally heading in the right direction in the years since the Yashin, Osgood, and Peca days....
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...
With the past few weeks the NHL has seen some outragious signings. There have been questions about how healthy is the NHL and is the new CBA working? We will know the answer about the CBA next year if the salary cap stays around the same and the teams that spent alot of money with long term contracts(Flyers, Avalanche) will not have the cap space to spend next year. Explai...
[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...
Bill Torrey had a difficult job in 1972. He was the General Manager of the expansion New York Islanders, graced with the blessings of several excellent draft years to come. But the difficult part had to be the other 16 GMs burning his ears with trade offers for his early draft choices.
Torrey was smart. He held on to his picks despite the temptations to play "lets make ...
Vancouver Canucks general manager Dave Nonis just keeps making deals, he’s re-signed Kevin Bieksa to a three year deal and picked up veteran blue-liner Aaron Miller. It seems Nonis wants to build a stronger defensive presence around Roberto Luongo which is just what the team needs after seeing their all-star goalie get pushed around all season and especially in the playo...
Deke2194 writes...
Someone call the Wah-mbulance, this baby's out of control.
Posted Monday | Comments 1
[i]EDIT: After reading some comments made, I just want to add that the Sabres are my second favorite team after the Oilers. Most of the reason I became a Sabre fan was because I love Chris Drury as a player, but now I like the rest of the team as well.[/i]
That baby of course is Darcy Regier, GM of the Buffalo Sabres, who is mad that some big kid tried to steal his toy...
It wasn't long ago when this attachment was thrown my way:
[img]http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/3008/nyi2008hr6.jpg[/img]
My reaction was... well... YUCK!
Before believing that Charles Wang had this baby lined up as the next jersey of the New York Islanders when the league-wide "tight fit" jerseys come into play next season I gave it some thought. The #79 right...
For over the past few years, as my love for the game of hockey has grown, as has my knowledge of it, I have been blessed to be able to listen to a certain radio show every weekday afternoon. This show is hosted by two men who I will most likely never be privliged to meet and who I greatly admire. The show... Leafs lunch hosted by Jeff Marek and Bill Watters.
Now eve...
Let me preface this by saying I don't mean any ill will towards people in Canada who actually love and research the league and its "goings-on", I'm speaking to "Generic Canada Fan":
We understand that you don't like the Predators in Nashville. We understand you think you know the situation we have brewing down here. We understand you think no one else deserves your spor...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Admit it… You Considered the 4 1st Round Picks from Edmonton
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Larry Quinn made a great point in the press conference when asked whether or not the Sabres considered taking the four 1st round picks as compensation from the Oilers on the Tomas Vanek deal.
[i]“In the 37 year history of the Sabres, there haven’t been 4 players picked in the first round better than Vanek.”[/i]
I think that’s pretty accurate. The Sabres have ...
DanNOLA writes...
A new team, a new season...and, well, I just don't know.
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This is the first year since 1996 that I just flat out have no idea how the Islanders are going to do. Remember during the wonderful Colgate-and-Stan Fischler looking jersey era the teams that we had? I pretty much knew out of the gate that we were going to suck that year. And remember when we got our real jersey's back the teams that we had ('99-'01)? Man, I DEFINATEL...
This goes without saying, but i'm going to say it anyway. WHY THE HELL DID YOU NOT SIGN CHRIS DRURY!!!! Unfortunately, the sabres dropped the ball on that one with their in-season negotiation blunder with captain clutch, but this is what I would do from here after the vanek signing moving forward. First, the sabres need a two-way gritty forward and mike comrie would hav...
I think everyone understands the current situation. Sale the 14 thousand tickets, keep the team. I don't know about other Preds fans but I feel relatively confident about that number being reached. If this is the case, should we be hoping for a quick sale of the Predators? With Craig Leopold completely fed up with the situation and not about to spend any extra money anytim...
[b][i]Vitaly Vishnevski is now a Devil[/i][/b]
The Predators lost another unrestricted free agent yesterday when the New Jersey Devils signed Vitaly Vishnevski to a three year deal worth a reported 5.4 million dollars. This is a player that no one in the organization or fans of the Preds expected to resign.
"Vitaly Vishnevski is a defenceman who brings a physical pr...
Jon Jordan writes...
Guerin Named Captain, so What's Next for the Isles?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
At Monday’s press conference, the Islanders introduced new acquisitions Jon Sim, Ruslan Fedotenko, Mike Comrie and Bill Guerin. GM Garth Snow held the surprise of the day in his hands as he approached the podium, said a few words and handed Guerin his new # 13 Islanders jersey with the captain’s “C” sewn into place. So, the Isles have named the 11th captain in team...
If the Leafs would like to make it to the playoffs or have a good shot at it they will have to improve on the PK and overall goals against. You may think Toronto is awful 5 on 5 but thats not the case at all they were a +11 and that was good 13 overall in the NHL. The reason they were down in the GA department is because of the PK being ranked 25 in the NHL. It not only hu...
With the signing of former LA Kings defencemen Aaron Miller on Monday, the Canucks are creating quite the rumor buzz around the league. With an NHL ready defensive core of 8 dmen, the canucks look to be unloading a defencemen to pick up some much needed scoring. Although some of the rumors out there are absolutely absurd, like one heard on the TEAM 1040 in Vancouver this...
[i]Last season, Sidney Crosby was the best player in the NHL. That is a simple fact. Anybody who disagrees can take it up with his newly acquired Art Ross, Hart and Lester B. Pearson Trophies. So why shouldn't he be paid as though he just completed a clean sweep of the three hardest to win individual trophies the league offers? I see no reason.[/i]
Some will argue t...
[i]The following also appears at [url=http://www.checkingline.com]The Checking Line[/url].[/i]
The past two free agent signing periods made Blues fans feel like the kids who got lumps of coal at Christmas time. But John Davidson and Larry Pleau put on their Blue Santa Claus suits, came down the Scottrade Center Chimney and delivered a shiny new Paul Kariya to Blues fan...
Well,
Since it seems, for now, that all is said and done in Philadelphia, I think it's time for me to get my fingers to work and get my first blog out in QUITE some time. And what a better time to get one out while the world of hockey is dead, the Selanne to Philly rumors have quieted, Sid the Kid has signed an nice extension, and Sheldon Souray is still out of his mi...
The NHL announced that a outdoor game will be played this year. A Pittsburgh newspaper said that the Penguins have agreed to be the away team. The two possible home teams are Buffalo and Detroit. This game will most likley be played at the Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills. This game will be amazing! Sign me up for tickets. As a Buffalonian this will be a cha...
I was just wondering what people thought about sleepers in this year's draft. A lot of scouts and experts projected Angelo Esposito as a #1 prospect in 05/06, and he wasn't taken till the 20th pick from The Penguins. Similarally, Alexei Cherapanov was projected to be in the top 10 at one point, if not the top 5 and wasn't snagged till the 17th pick from the Rangers. Do ...
Multiple league sources have informed the Sabres as the team chosen to represent the league in an "Ice Bowl" on the first day of 2008. The opponent, most likely,would be the Pittsburgh Penguins as it should. The combination of Sidney Crosby and Malkin copuled with facing an appointent who's fans will fill the Ralph in a matter of hours will be outstanding. The genius be...
Multiple league sources have informed the Sabres as the team chosen to represent the league in an "Ice Bowl" on the first day of 2008. The opponent, most likely,would be the Pittsburgh Penguins as it should. The combination of Sidney Crosby and Malkin copuled with facing an appointent who's fans will fill the Ralph in a matter of hours will be outstanding. The genius behin...
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...
Sidney Crosby must beat Derek Jeter. What do I mean by this? I mean that Sidney must get more votes then Derek Jeter in ESPN's Who's Now Competition and advance to the second round. But why should you and I care about this, and take time out of our day to participate in this competition? The answer is that this "competition" may not seem like much, but any time we can get ...
Eggshmeg writes...
The All Star Game - When Did It Become A Bad Thing?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I sat there last night watching the MLB all-star game (damn you NHL offseason lull!), and I realized that most of the MLB analysts had the same opinion as hockey analysts did earlier in the year about the NHL all-star game. There was no passion, this game has no meaning, what are we doing here? I even heard one analyst say that when he was a kid he absolutely loved watchin...
for his agent to say that he will not go a penny under his worth on the open market is a crock and simply a very stingy and selfish approach to getting his client back in the good graces of the nhl (teams and fans).
if yashin was smart, he would take a 1 million dollar contract and go play for a contender with big name players like the avalanche or mighty ducks. he cou...
Sheldon Souray to New Jersey.
This statement has been repeated more than a few times in the chat room and many of us rumour hounds smelled a signing. But it still hasn't happened. Why? Souray has more than likely been asking for an unreasonable contract. Sure he had 20 goals. Sure he's great on the powerplay. But defense wins championships. I personally couldn't see why...
[img]http://www.blazingconcepts.com/img/syd/kinghenrik.jpg[/img]
As I sat in my bedroom in the nude, watching reruns of Miami Vice on TV land and eating some cold pizza my red emergency Dr. Teeth phone rang. I reached over my pile of feathered boas, empty condom wrappers, ruffies and paternity suits I picked up the receiver and belched into it. A loud voice boomed in m...
The NHL just released the schedule for the 07-08 hockey season and at first glance it looks favorable for the Preds.
- Saturday Night Fever: The Preds have 14 Saturday home games. For a team trying to get butts in seats nothing is better than a Saturday home game.
- Never Far Away: The Preds have only tow long road trips...a five game swing in Late October that takes...
Every year, one of the days that I look forward to more than any other, is that sweet summer day when the NHL releases its schedule. In a way, for me, my personal fall, winter, and early spring are being scheduled "for me" right before my very eyes. But in what I should now come to expect, every year, this "holiday" turns into a nightmare.
This year, the Islan...
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...
After signing Rafalski, Drake & Hasek, the wings are still lacking scoring for next season. This is where Alexei Yashin could help. Although, he is a selfish player, the Redwings are very thin in the scoring department. The top line of Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Holmstrom can not continue to carry the teams scoring on their back. I think Yashin would fill in well ...
As most of you already know, the NHL is setting New Years day as the day for an outdoor game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres.
In a league that struggles for tv ratings (although I will admit, beating out the NBA last season was prime) what better way to help these ratings then by putting a game you dub the Ice Bowl on tv the same day colleges arou...
There are many sports experts who compare the Leafs to the MLB's New York Yankees, the big-bad empire of riches, hell bent on winning without any consideration for monetary costs. Beloved by their legion of fans, and hated by all others. But there is one main difference between the Leafs and Yanks, and in reality between the MLB and the NHL, the Yankees can buy a contender...
I very much enjoy the idea of having an outdoor game evey year. I would even propose that it would take the place of the all star game. Sscheduling it on January 1st? What are you thinking NHL? If you want to improve the popularity of the sport you don't try to compete with the U.S's most popular sport. If they want to improve the popularity the NHL could choose anyti...
As a fan of the Colorado Avalanche since they moved to Denver, it's easy to know why I hold a special place for Peter Forsberg. How can I forgot Forsberg missing the entire 01-02 season only to return and become arguably the best player in the playoffs? Then there's the magic that Forsberg captured along with Milan Hejduk in the 02-03 where he won the Hart Trophy and helpe...
Before I begin, let me dissuade your urges to assume that I'm just an Islander fan looking to speak negatively about another NHL franchise that is, seemingly, a bit worse off than they were at the end of last season. Quite contrarily, I am not and it remains to be seen just how the Sabres will fare when things play out come October. But the reason for my concern and the re...
According to Sports Express, the Swedish sports daily. Forward Henrik Zetterberg wants to be a member of the Red Wings for the rest of his playing career.
I say Ken Holland get the deal done. Zetterberg is one of the best players in the NHL today and he is only going to get better. The future captain is everything you want in a player. A two-way player with great ...
Deke2194 writes...
The Good, the Bad, and the Smytty; The Ryan Smyth Debacle
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Ryan Smyth always wanted to play his entire career with the Oilers. And he thought it was something he was going to able to do. Now he had always taken the “hometown discount” to stay with the Oilers in the past, but wasn’t it time after 12 seasons that the Oilers finally showed him the kind of money that most other teams in the league would be willing to pay for h...
My apologizes to anyone I ever offended with offensive language. I have used offensive language with some posters, especially if annoyed by the post posted by the poster. But, even so, I always tried to keep it in a fun format. Although, I understand, any offensive language can always be taken the wrong way, and have been annoyed by it, myself, when others have directed...
So, it’s Wednesday and I’m thirty minutes into an hour commute home to get to my son’s first street hockey game of this summer season. He’s coming off a winter where he played two separate seasons of inline hockey and went to a skating camp to prep him for ice hockey this winter. I tell you this so that you understand that he’s equipped to play, the money’s bee...
[b]I am just curious to know what are the number of back to back games your teams are sentenced to play next year? The Sabres get to play 20 back to back games. Just under a quarter of their schedule. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess the Leafs, Senators and Canadians were protected in this way. I guess this is the way the NHL gets back at certain teams for thei...
Is the lack of UFA signings by the Edmonton Oilers really due to Edmonton being a "Siberia" of the north or just good due dilligence by Kevin Lowe?
Unrestricted Free Agency is a fun time of the year, seeing if our team will "land the big one" but UFA signings have proven time and again to look a lot more sexy in July than when playoff time comes around the next season. ...
After reading all of the Negative Blogs on the Sabres and All of the Press of the Former Captains Whom Will Remain Nameless. I figured I would write about something that could get the fans Smiling again. See We have a Terrific Team, Two players dont make a team and as far as Im concerned this team is headed in the right direction THE FUTURE.
So thinking in the future....
SabreCrazy07 writes...
HockeyBuzz Q & A with The Sabres Homegrown Patrick Kaleta
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
A HockeyBuzz Q & A with The Buffalo Sabres Homegrown Patrick Kaleta.
INTRO
SC07: Patrick do you have a minute?
PK: Sure.
SC07: I wanted to ask you a few questions for HockeyBuzz.
PK: No problem
THE PLAYER
SC07: What was your favorite team when you were a kid?
PK: The Sabres
SC07: Patrick how did it feel to be drafted by the team you gre...
Patrick Cwiklinski writes...
Playing For The Love Of The Game... Or Money?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Is it me or are NHL players just getting greedier and greedier? Just take a look at the salaries that some of these so called “superstars” are going to start making in the 2007-2008 season. Scott Gomez and Chris Drury are both great examples of unproven overpaid players. The New York Rangers jumped at the chance to pick up Scott Gomez for seven years at $51.5 million a...
[i]Kevin Lowe finally got the big name UFA he was looking for, and the third new face for next season's blueline. But it comes at a steep cost. Is Sheldon Souray worth a cap hit of $5.4 million per year? Hard to say right now. But for some reason, for the last few hours I’ve been seeing flashes of Jason Spezza and some pylon in a Habs sweater flashing through my mind...
The Blues are into a transitioning mood as we get ready for the 2007-08 season. So far the reports from development camp are more than positive. There are four or more players ready to play now. I'm thinking I like Perron playing in the AHL this year instead of Quebec. This is going to hopefully pressure vetrans to play hard or force them to be traded. Unfortunately s...
Ever since the 04-05 lockout, the Boston Bruins have been heading down a downward spiral that does not appear to be changing direction in the near future. We all know about the blatant mistakes of former GM Mike O'Connell, but since his departure it has become clear to me why this team cannot turn itself around. They will not sacrifice anything to rebuild. You can blame it...
Below is a list of notable unrestricted free agent signings (sorted by team) from the 2005 & 2006 off seasons. It’s funny how crazy us fanatics get about signing free agents and how depressed we get if our teams (the Sabres in my case) seem to miss out on the talent bonanza.
After a deeper look through this list, I’m pretty happy with the Sabres approach. W...
NYHockey writes...
With predictions like this, I should be a Contributor!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I have always thought I had a good head for hockey, but I never knew I should have my own 5 minutes on the MSG network to speculate. Take a look at a collection of my three favorite posts over the past few months. You have to admit, I did pretty well in my statements. My one true errata that I sadly must admit is the fact that Jed Ortmeyer is no longer in the equation, ...
There are a number of things that are currently annoying me and since misery loves company I thought I’d share them.
The Nashville Predators. Yes, they are a hot stove topic. I feel sorry for the fans in Nashville. They seem to be working so hard and getting no where. If you look at the current landscape it makes you wonder exactly what they would have to do to keep t...
March 15, 2002: The Atlanta Thrashers trade Ruslan Zainullin to the Calgary Flames for Marc Savard. In 182 games with the Thrashers, Savard went on to score 63 goals and 196 points. After the 2005-2006 season, Savard priced himself out of Atlanta, signing with the Boston Bruins for 4 years, at $5 million per season. Since that point, Thrashers GM Don Waddell has continuous...
I know we haven't seen a blog post from Andy today, so I thought that I'd start this: how many of you are going to the Blues development camp game tonight at the Mills? It's a 7:00 start time, it's free, and there's a lot of things around (the Mills being what it is, after all). I'm just curious how many HB readers are going, because I certainly am.
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)
...
Now the Toronto Maple Leaf have the greatest fans of any sports teams fans. With the leaf fans giving so much dedication and would trade their lives to see the leafs hold the cup up high, why would the leafs keep quiet about their trade and signing plans. We have eklund trying his best to get rumors but at the end of the day the gm will just shun him. We have rumors of Mil...
SabreCrazy07 writes...
HockeyBuzz Q & A w/ Sabres Hometown Prospect Tim Kennedy
Posted Friday | Comments 0
A HockeyBuzz Q & A with Sabres Prospect & Hometown Hero Tim Kennedy.
INTRO
SC07: Tim do you have a couple minutes?
TK: Sure whats up.
SC07: I wanted to ask you a few questions for HockeyBuzz.
TK: Thats fine.
THE PLAYER
SC07: Who is your favorite player?
TK: Vincent Lecavalier
SC07: Do you pattern your game after him?
TK: Yep
SC07: Whe...
I will begin with my opinion on the Leafs/Avs possible trade. Our dear friend, Mr. Eklund reports that the Colorado Avalanche might be asking too much in return for Hejduk. My opinion is that they are not asking enough! (Colaiacovo and Jay Harrison) Here are the players I would be asking to the Leafs if they really want him: Tomas Kaberle & Kyle Wellwood. Too much you wou...
My first blog.
A person smarter than I once claimed that evolution does not produce a better species - it merely produces a different species.
EK mentions in his description about himself the joy he felt when he could watch the Flyers on PRISM when he was growing up. I confess I am fully capable of getting nostalgic - but when I read that I did smile a bit because...
Ok, lots of people seem to think this guy is less then he is... I'm gonna go through a quick analysis of my own... hopefully some of you will see this guy the way I do.
[b]Durability and Injury[/b]
Now... lots of ppl, who cheer for whatever team they cheer for seem to think this guy is easily injured. He isn't.
He has been injured twice, both have been freak injuries....
Reading over Eklund's post, I can only agree of who I think are the top prospects for the Sabres this UFA,RFA season. We need to fill out the team, and soon being that training camp is creeping closer and closer, and who better to do that than Andy Sutton and Martin Gelinas, hell even Daniel Markov would be a catch.
The thing is, compared to most teams in this league th...
SabreCrazy07 writes...
A HockeyBuzz Q & A with Sabres Prospect Adam Dennis.
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
A HockeyBuzz Q & A with Sabres Prospect Adam Dennis.
[img:right]http://www.letsgosabres.com/images/players/photos/adam_dennis.jpg[/img]
INTRO
SC07: Adam can you spare a couple minutes?
AD: Yeah sure.
SC07: I wanted to ask you a few questions for HockeyBuzz.
AD: Ok.
THE PLAYER
SC07: Who is your favorite player?
AD: Miikka Kiprusoff
SC07: Wh...
[img]http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb234/OnpointForums/Sabres/sharks.gif[/img]
The Sharks new (unconfirmed) logo is great.
I miss Mike Grier in Buffalo.
That is all.
Ok this is my first blog, didn't know what I wanted to do, but the cap is something that grabs me, the way the different GMs try to handle it. So here goes, Below you will find your team, how many players they have signed to NHL contracts and their open space. I am filling this out with the assumption of 13 forwards and 7 dmen and 2 stoppers per roster. I have tried to s...
BuffaloMat writes...
Inside information regarding Ruff almost leaving Buffalo.
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Earlier this post season Lindy was having a few different offers surfacing for him to take before he would sign with the Buffalo Sabres as we know. He was actually thinking about moving up the ladder in the NHL, just not with the Buffalo Sabres. The offer was wonderful but was never taken due to his wife loving buffalo so much and wanting to stay instead of a pay increase....
In my first blog, I'm going to talk about free agency. In my opinion the CAP hasn't really taught GMs anything. They are still overpaying guys and signing players to ridiculous contract terms (8 years for Scott Gomez, 7 for Briere, 6 for Timonen). By the time these guys enter free agency again they will be in their late 30s, early 40s! How do these teams know that these pl...
mzator22 writes...
Analyzing Team's Free Agent/Trade Moves - Pacific Division
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
In this my second blog in as many minutes, I will analyze every team and their free agency acquisitions. Starting with the Pacific Division:
[b]Anaheim Ducks[/b]
Major Additions
[b]Todd Bertuzzi (2 yrs, $8 million)[/b] - I for one don't believe Bertuzzi deserves a 4 million dollar contract right now coming off back surgery and a season where he only played 15 game...
Okay, I get the fact that ESPN does not see Hockey as a number one sport or number four for that matter. However, when the passing away of a Legend, such as the late John Ferguson Senior, should there not be some form of respect shown here?
I think ESPN should be a shamed of themselves. There was not one mention on their Home page and his passing did not even enter into...
mzator22 writes...
Analyzing Team's Free Agent/Trade Moves - Northwest Division
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Continuing my analysis, here's the Northwest Division:
[b]Calgary Flames[/b]
Major Additions
[b]Cory Sarich (5 yrs, $18 million)[/b] - Sarich is a good physical d-man, but he will not replace the offense of Hamrlik and Stuart. He is a Keenan type player. I think he is a little over payed for what he does.
[b]Owen Nolan (1 yr, $1.75 million)[/b] - Nolan used to ...
The Predators announced today that they have resigned defensemen Greg Zanon and Kevin Klein as well as tough guy forward Darcy Hordichuk. While these are signings that will barely be a blip on the NHL radar for PReds fans these are huge!
[b]Greg Zanon[/b] quickly became a fan and coach favorite with his unselfish playing style that saw him lead the team in blocked shot...
When I decided to come to Israel for the summer, I was looking up fun stuff to do around the country. Then I remembered [url=http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=2485] Bill Meltzer's blog from last year[/url] and subsequent [url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=278984]NHL.com article[/url]. Looking up those pages, I was connec...
Well, this is my first HB blog, so I hope it's a good one. I think with this blog I will have more than the real CBJ blogger, surprise surprise.
I can't follow Howson. I don't get why he isn't signing a Sutton or Tanabe for even one year. Then after this season ends, Foote and Fedorov's contracts are up and we can either sign Sutton or Tanabe for a longer contract, or l...
many fans, bloggers, gm's etc are worried about the spending spiraling out of control. but i feel they are wrong...
...the over the top mentality the flyers and rangers had this july 1st is going to cause a counter-reaction for the remaining gm's this season. i believe we will see more the likes of joe thornton and iginla type signings by the time the new year hits.
...
DriveForFive21 writes...
Isles ink Johnson and Campoli....Morris or Markov next??
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The islanders continued to make improvements this week by signing two young defensemen with alot of offensive potential. Aaron Johnson, a 24-year-old defenseman, was picked up on Thursday and i am very pleased with this signing. It gives the islanders something they really lacked last year, defensive depth. Think about it instead of our only backup plans being Allan Rourke...
Ok guys this is my first blog, so ill start out by saying i am an 17 year old islander season ticket holder of believe it or not 15 years. Ive been watching the islanders disappointments year in and year out and i really think we have a chance to start to turn things around if not this year in the years to come.
For the first time ever we finally seem to have a couple ...
Id like to start of this blog by giving my condolences to the Ferguson family may John Sr. rest in peace.
Now to this blogs topic and that is what can the Leafs do to obtain another scoring forward. The Leafs currently sit with about 1.5 million in Cap room and an easy move could be signing an UFA to suit up for the team but not many are out there that could really make...
This is my first blog. Last week I spent 3 days over at the Flyers practice rink to watch some of their mini camp. I just needed a hockey fix in mid July and this was perfect. I spent Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday over there. Wednesday and Thursday were all drills and your typical hockey practice. Friday was a scrimmage between the two groups. New Flyers asst coach...
Every GM would trade for Vinny Lecavalier...in a heartbeat...probably including Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe. But this blog isn't about Mr. Lecavalier and his sniping ways it's about Tampa Bay's other Vinny...as in Vaclav Prospal.
The Oilers desperately need some true top-6 talent and the Tampa Bay Lightning could use a little wiggle room from under the crushing weight...
mzator22 writes...
Analyzing Team's Free Agent/Trade Moves - Central Division
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I'm back with my analysis! Here's the Central Division:
[b]Chicago Blackhawks[/b]
Major Additions
[b]Jonathan Toews (3 yr, 875 K)[/b] - I know that Toews is not a free agency acquisition or trade, but I thought that I would mention him because he will be a major factor this year for the Hawks. He has already played with men and did pretty well. I would go as far a...
Hello World, and welcome to my first blog entry.
This is my first post, so I thought I'd introduce myself, before I start with my first post. My name is Mike, and I am a Columbus Blue Jackets fan from Cincinnati, OH. I have been a hockey fan for most of my life. I grew up watching the Red Wings, but once the Blue Jackets showed up, I started watching them, because I liv...
I frequent the Canucks' forums and I also frequent this site as I wait impatiently for the start of another season.
Despite rumors of Yashin or Lindros or Elias coming here via free agency or trade, I am not convinced this is the time to make a big move. I don't know that Nonis is convinced either.
The Stanley Cup takes practice to win for most teams. Tampa didn't wi...
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...
Having gone to the Habs rookie camp for the past three years, I have been able to see those who are lined up to play for Les Glorieux for many years to come. Last year it was Guillame Latendresse, Kyle Chipchura, Sergei Kostitsyn, and of course Carey Price who stood out from the hoi poloi. The focus of most of our prospects over the past few years has obviously been offens...
ok the forsberg with sweden when he uses one hand to push it over the goal line....is old. It was cool when some guys used it this season.. but take it off your highlight reels. And Ovechkins goal against boucher on Pheonix as PURE luck. It was cool what he did, but it cant be redone. Show me some snipes cool breakaways, or good plays. i only need to see them once.
Well, it appears pretty simple to me. However, I'm not the General Manager.
The Leafs lack depth at right wing. Plain and simple.
It's time to bring in a top line right winger to complete the trifecta. Blake, Sundin and .............
Hejduk (4m) and Svatos (1.2m) are obviously being targeted by the Leafs management. After hearing Giguere today, commenting on possib...
Through some extesive research I have found 4 games that are scheduled for the Buffalo Sabres this Septemeber. These dates & opponents are official but the schedule is not "OFFICAL" as of yet. I think they may have 1 or 2 more games to add. That is just my opinion though. The reason i say that is they start 4 days later than any other teams i have sound and end 8 days...
Sather sends Matt Cullen back to Carolina for what looks like spare parts. Is this simply a salary dump to get better control of the cap and leave Sather some flexibility during the season or a precursor of another move?
The players coming back are:
Andrew Hutchinson D - 27 years old and played 41 games last year for the Canes. Great a possible 7th D-man on a team th...
After a season mostly remembered for controvery, you'd think the Habs would be a little weary to take on someone elses problems. Rumours they are interested in Nikolai Zherdev however, tell us that nothing has changed.
The 06-07 season started with a lot of promise. The Canadiens were near the top of the league and stronger than they had been in years... until the pr...
The tragedy involving the deaths of Chris Benoit and his family has been making a lot of news headlines. The 24 hour news services couldn't get enough of it in the days immediately after the murders and the recent findings that Benoit had steroids in his system (among other substances) at the time of his death is sure to push this story further into the living rooms of Ame...
Yesterday morning Eklund reported that there was a rumor that the Canadiens are interested in Nikolai Zherdev. Eklund also reported a few weeks ago that the Oilers and the Islanders may also be looking at him as well. Dealing Zherdev could end up profitable if done correctly.
First of all, Nikolai Zherdev is a forward who has butted heads with Ken Hitchcock. Just like a...
Through some extesive research I have found 4 games that are scheduled for the Buffalo Sabres this Septemeber. These dates & opponents are official but the schedule is not "OFFICAL" as of yet. I think they may have 1 or 2 more games to add. That is just my opinion though. The reason i say that is they start 4 days later than any other teams i have sound and end 8 days...
In the new NHL and its all so glorious salary cap (which rises each year so far, and we are now back to pre-lockout salaries) comes new challenges for teams. That challenge being a huge one:
Keeping their players under contract and keeping under the cap.
Now the cap this year is around 53 million dollars, and I will assume most teams want some cushion room for trades...
Calgary Flames - C
Key Acquisitions:
Owen Nolan, Adrian Aucoin, Cory Sarich
Question Marks:
Offensive Production, Mike Keenan
One of the best defensive teams in the league got better and deeper on defense this off season. The additions of Cory Sarich and Adrian Aucoin make one of the best bluelines in the league better and solidifies the Flames as one of the ...
Jimmert44 writes...
Darcy Regier deserves better from the people of Buffalo!!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It has been 10 years since Darcy Regier has arrived in Buffalo and what a decade it has been. From the end of Ted Nolan, to the Adelphia/Rigas scandal, to the loss of our two captains Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, just to name a few obstacles that Darcy Regier has had to overcome as GM of our beloved Sabres.
A lot of fans don't understand the "behind the scenes" wo...
If Eklund is right and a letter of intent has been signed with the local group here in Nashville then Pred fans have something to be happy about for the first time in a long time!
While nothing else is being reported at this time (Eklund is way ahead on this one!) it does give some certainty for the immediate future of the franchise. Now if the corporate community can c...
Sabresandcanucks writes...
Under the Radar...Players that could be steals!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With free agency coming to a halt and the remaining few big names being priced outside of Buffalo’s league I thought it is time to look at what’s available on the trade market for potential steals. I define a steal based on an earlier example in Sabres history. That trade being Chris Gratton for Daniel Briere. The Sabres found a kid who had tons of offensive upside bu...
The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Jeremy Williams and defenceman Derrick Walser to two-year contracts and forward Alex Foster to a one-year contract.
Williams, 23, spent time last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL). He has the distinction of being the only player in NHL history to play in just tw...
Well All Its #2 for the blogs we will now discuss why the Leafs actually need a Senior advisor!
the Maple Leaf organization is one filled with Red tape, hurdles, obstacles and over protective micro manging higher managment.
Richard Petty heads up one of the most successful brands in Canada. Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE). A brand which has its o...
The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Jeremy Williams and defenceman Derrick Walser to two-year contracts and forward Alex Foster to a one-year contract.
[url]http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/article.jsp?content=20070718_175428_772
murdoch writes...
nashville deserves the same shot florida and phoenix got
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
LISTEN UP HOCKEY FANS...
whatever the case of the financial this and financial that. i remember years ago hockey was 85% hockey talk, 10% 'whats a better hockey name, oggie ogalthorpe or darren puppa?, and about 5% hockey financials.
everyone needs to take a step back.
the sport is one that we all obviously know and love. 4pm on a tuesday rolls around and all the ...
After losing Souray, Bonk, Johnson, Aebisher, Niinimaa, and not being able to sign Briere or Smyth, Bob Gainey had some work to do. He filled some major holes by signing Hamrlik {although quite overpaid}, Smolinski, and Kostopoulos. Hamrlik solidifies the defense, and while he lacks Souray's scoring punch, he's not going to be an -28, meaning less goals against, less work ...
Hola guys.
Ice Melts at 32 F, or 0 C for those of you north of the border. And seeing as it got to 92 today, I should be thinking baseball. But with the Reds 40-55 and 13.5 games back, I'm just waiting for the next 78 days to pass, so that I can throw on that sweater and relax. Instead, I'm gonna take a stab at some Central Previews. I'll do another one in September, as...
For almost a week now it has been rumored that The Leafs and The Avs have been trying to make a trade with the biggest name in the deal being Milan Hejduk or Marek Svatos. In return the Avs would likely receive a young defensive and draft picks.
So when you step back and look at this trade, as an Avs fan, are you happy? Right now the Avs have Leopold (26), Liles (26), ...
With over two months till the season starts, and then 8 more until it ends, its impossible to try and guess the final standings. But, with over two months till the season starts, and nothing else to do, its fun. The following is my prediction, based on the current lineups and my opinions and thoughts about the game.
The atlantic division (in addition to being the one ...
I'll start off by saying that this is my first blog and I hope to write more in the future.
Now most people when they talk about the Oilers in this upcoming season based on what moves they've done and the players they've lost so far they would think that the Oilers would finish somewhere from 11th to 15th in the Western Conference and I can see why. At the trade deadlin...
Even though it's still early, and there's still quite a few moves that need to be made-or should I say will be made-here's a quick look at a few guys that I see as being on the spot in Philly, and a few who might be gone....
[b]On The Spot[/b]
5. Joffrey Lupul.
Lupul is basically an offensive player. He doesn't play defense, isn't a great skater and doesn't use ...
Even though it's still early, and there's still quite a few moves that need to be made-or should I say will be made-here's a quick look at a few guys that I see as being on the spot in Philly, and a few who might be gone....
[b]On The Spot[/b]
5. Joffrey Lupul.
Lupul is basically an offensive player. He doesn't play defense, isn't a great skater and doesn't use ...
Please forgive me for stepping away from hockey briefly, but I know this can reach a lot of people.
As you probably know by now, Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick has been indicted by the federal government for his part in running a dog fighting ring. The carcasses of roughly 3 dozen dogs were allegedly found on Vick's property and it has now been made public that at leas...
With all the action in the Northeast (Edit - Atlantic), it's going to wind up being a very interesting year.
I suppose these would be some of the bigger questions on one's mind at the moment:
Will the Rangers actually benefit with Gomez and Drury?
Can the Flyers make a move up the ladder?
Will the Penguins be able to rally behind Fleury?
Has Guerin warranted...
I was looking over one of my favorite forums and on there was a map showing the locations of all the teams in the league. This picture awoke me (already knew that it was bad) of how unfair the eastern teams have it.
These are prime examples of advantages out east. Drury moves from Buffalo to New York... He doesn't really have to move. Gomez moves from New Jersey to New...
Here is how I think the Leafs should break down their lines for next season. First off, we know three things for sure, based on what Paul Maurice has indicated:
1) Mats Sundin will be the first-line centre (okay, this one was obvious).
2) Jason Blake will begin the season on the first line.
3) Kyle Wellwood will be the second-line centre.
Given that, I think the Le...
Yo I'm TonyBazz. I've been watching hockey religiousally for almost 20 years now, and I'm a diehard Flyers fan. My earliest memory of the Flyers is the 87 Cup Finals where we played Edmonton and went seven games and Ron Hextall won the Conn Smythe trophy. I remember I had this little Gretzky doll and I was beating the crap out of it the whole series. I remember when we...
ForeverFlyer16 writes...
All-Star Reformatting Idea... From Outside The Box
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Please hear me out... This may just work:
Break the AllStar Game up into a double header... from each coast.
* Select an all star team from each conference from a pool of players that were not on the Conference winning team.
* Select a city in each confernece -- possibly the conference championship city -- and have a game in each, in a double header format.
* H...
I do not dislike Russians. I do not think Russian players are inferior to Canadian players. In fact, I believe that Russian players are the most exciting players in the game-and look at the talent it has produced: Malkin, Ovechkin, Markov, etc. However, there are certain Russian players in this league that either think there better than everyone else, or there just lazy-ma...
I do not dislike Russians. I do not think Russian players are inferior to Canadian players. In fact, I believe that Russian players are the most exciting players in the game-and look at the talent it has produced: Malkin, Ovechkin, Markov, etc. However, there are certain Russian players in this league that either think there better than everyone else, or there just lazy-ma...
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...
begga79 writes...
Well, I wonder why ESPN wants Hockey back SOOOOOO bad...?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I just got done reading Ek's latest blog, and I could not keep myself from laughing out loud. ESPN wants hockey back, eh? Why, all of a sudden, does the NHL seem so interesting to ESPN? Could it be because Gary's "new" NHL is once again leaning toward the "big market" teams? The "haves" are beggining to have more, and the "have nots" are losing more? The Rags get two of th...
Despite the neigh sayers, I firmly believe that up until this point in the off season Glenn Sather and the rest of the New York Rangers management has done an excellent job. Many will argue that Sather has reverted back to his old habits by signing over rated players to lucrative long term big money contracts. Others will even suggest that the Rangers are trying to “bu...
jarhead writes...
Boogaard Bros. Host Fight Camp; NHL Teams Target Enforcers
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Minnesota Wild tough guy Derek Boogaard is hosting a "fight camp" in his home province of Saskatchewan. His wingman, and sparring partner in this case, is his brother Aaron Boogaard, who recently signed a free agent contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.
You could imagine how well this is going over with the "soccer mom" NHL fans. Some journalists are call...
Despite the neigh sayers, I firmly believe that up until this point in the off season Glenn Sather and the rest of the New York Rangers management has done an excellent job. Many will argue that Sather has reverted back to his old habits by signing over rated players to lucrative long term big money contracts. Others will even suggest that the Rangers are trying to “bu...
I was doing some searching online for hockey ratings compared to other sports. I remember a friend of mine saying that hockey ratings in the states beat out NBA ratings. And, in a somewhat vague reference to Begga79's blog, the desire to have hockey back is rising. Is it the networks that actually want it back? Or, is it the fans demanding it back?
In my online sear...
As I sit back and watch a replay of the 1994 Grey Cup game because the BC Lions game is blacked out, it reminds me of watching that game live and what it meant. For those that don't know or remember, the game was between the BC Lions and the Baltimore Colts, Stallions, CFLers whatever you want to call them. This was an American team in our CFL. This American team was comp...
[img:right]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1081/855832279_cb08a30250_m.jpg[/img]
What makes a man cave a great escape form the riggers of everyday life? That is a great question. I have come up with a list:
1. Pick a Theme & go with it!!!!!!!
2. Big Screen TV
3. Seating I went with the sectional couch & Custom Bar
4. Surround sound system
5. Video game sysytem- My c...
Recently the fighting debate has come back into the forefront. Derek Boogaard's actions of teaching children how to defend themselves on the ice has brought the debate back up to a boiling point, with no end in sight. I have a hard time with fighing because, as much as I love to watch a good fight, I can sympathize with those who feel that it has no part in the game.
...
I am a Flyers and a hockey fan. I have been a hockey fan in a town where the Philadelphia Eagles have a death grip on the hearts, minds and sports talk radio souls of our area. Heck, even the Phillies and 76ers (ban) - who are just god awful - get more airtime than the NHL. There are those who say that hockey doesn't matter, save for a few towns in Canada, and that th...
First of all congratulations to Matthew Barnaby for his 14 years career in NHL. He will be remembered as one of great enforcers and fighters of this game. On Wednesday July 18, 2007, Barnaby told Buffalo television station WGRZ that he has retired from hockey. As a STARS fan, Barnaby was a great fighter for us and he won just about every fight last season, with exception o...
Before I get to the retro-fun, I would like to comment about the Nashville Predators situation. I went to a Predators game in Nashville about 5 years ago, and I was pleasantly suprised. The fans really get into the game, plus they also know about hockey. I was someone who believed hockey doesn't belong in the south, until I went to this game. It would be a great loss for t...
I just got back from my first ever trip to Metulla, and it was an incredible experience! We'll get my personal stuff aside first: 7 years after first being teased with it, I finally got to skate in Israel! I've been a little homesick for the past couple of months, but no one could stop the giant 25 year old in the Team Canada jersey skating around the small rink with the h...
GilPerrault writes...
Michael Peca: To Be or Not To Be; That is the Question!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Michael Peca yearns to be a Sabre, and the Sabres need a center who can win faceoffs, kill penalties and add leadership. I guess the question is, should the Sabres sign Peca or wait and see if there is a younger, healthier center that can be had later on after the arbitration hearings are complete?
Does Darcy Regier believe it is time for the younger players such as De...
12-14 years ago I recall Lou Lams shocking me as a diehard Devs fan, he hired Jaques Lemaire and Larry Robinson. I can recall thinking, WOW, what a move to get those types of 'names'. We all know that what happened was an unexpected cup in 1995, and actually what many forget is a 2 goal lead in the first period in the infamous "Guarantee night" in game six of the semi's ...
12-14 years ago I recall Lou Lams shocking me as a diehard Devs fan, he hired Jaques Lemaire and Larry Robinson. I can recall thinking, WOW, what a move to get those types of 'names'. We all know that what happened was an unexpected cup in 1995, and actually what many forget is a 2 goal lead in the first period in the infamous "Guarantee night" in game six of the semi's ag...
12-14 years ago I recall Lou Lams shocking me as a diehard Devs fan, he hired Jaques Lemaire and Larry Robinson. I can recall thinking, WOW, what a move to get those types of 'names'. We all know that what happened was an unexpected cup in 1995, and actually what many forget is a 2 goal lead in the first period in the infamous "Guarantee night" in game six of the semi's ag...
Yeah, I know your all thinking another leaf line blog, but its summer I need something to do.
[b]Blake-Sundin-Tucker
Bell-Wellwood-Steen
Poni-Stajan-Antropov
Kilger-Pohl-Williams
Kaberle-Kubina
McCabe-Coli
White-Gill[/b]
[u]
[b]PP1[/u]
Poni-Sundin-Antropov/tucker
McCabe-Kaberle
[u]PP2[/u]
Blake-Wellwood-Steen
Kubina-Coli/white[/b]
PK is still an issue ...
Hi my son and I attended the prospect Camp this week and I thought I would spend some time and give you an idea on who I thought gave the best impressions in the Camp
[b] 27 Andrei Taratukhin[/b]
By Far the best prospect Knows what to do with a puck very smart great passer. The thing that impressed me the most was his strength I had no idea of how strong he was w...
Soft. Stops to admire his passes. And a lot of choice words I won't use here have been used to describe Petr Nedved. Now, by no means I am I big Nedved fan, but I have to give him some props when no one else has - especially now that the NHL has given up on him, forcing him to play overseas.
As a longtime Rangers fan, when he first came to New York you saw a bit of the...
Blake - Sundin - Antropov
Bell - Wellwood - Steen
Tucker - Stajan - Poni
Kilger - Pohl - Battaglia
(Devereaux, Belak)
Kaberle - Kubina
McCabe - Cola
Gill - White
(Kronwall)
Toskala
(Raycroft)
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...
I have a oil on wood painting of Maurice "Rocket" Richard that was painted back in the 1950's. I purchased it from his estate auction after he passed a few years ago and it has since hung proudly in my hockey shop overlooking about 5000 sq. ft. of hockey gear. I just had an older gentleman that came in to get his skates sharpened and noticed it hanging on the wall. He puff...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
An open letter to the NHL Officials Association...
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Dear Sirs,
We have a great game. You have spent your careers and lives in service to that belief. It is your responsibility and sacred duty to do everything and anything in your power to ensure that NHL officiating remains beyond reproach. We have a great game and we need to keep it that way. The fans of tomorrow depend upon it.
I "bet" David Stern thought he h...
I want to start by saying:I miss playing competitive hockey. From when I was 6 years old and having trouble falling asleep on a Saturday night before the big house-league game at 6 am Sunday. Watching HNIC drove my pops crazy! "How can you watch that crap! The Sabres aren't playing!", but then catching him sneeking peeks at the TV the whole time. Then to watch my pops evol...
Since when does a 13 goal, 60 point season merit a player to get a 7 year contract, the first year of which will pay 10 million dollars? How about 18 million in salary going out to 2 centers who combined, barley have more points than 19 year old MVP, Sidney Crosby did? Scott Gomez and Chris Drury were both signed by the New York Rangers to a very large, and equivalently lo...
There have been few occasions over the last decade or so where Gary Bettman was the envy of the other major sports league's commissioners.
This is one of them.
League revenues are surging, players are being paid well and there is parity like we've rarely seen before.
But most importantly there are no Barry Bonds, Mike Vicks or Tim Donaghys.
Mr.Bettman doesn...
Jsaquella writes...
Welcome Back BOOOOOOOSH!!!!! Flyers sign Giroux, too.
Posted Monday | Comments 0
According to the team's website, the Phantoms have signed veteran goalie Brian Boucher to a contract. No terms were released.
“Brian is a good goalie who will add depth to the organization and solidify our goaltending situation,” said GM Paul Holmgren in making the announcement. Boucher is a decent insurance policy should Antero Niittymaki or Martin Biron falter or...
A lot of people around the league are waiting with fainted breath as arbitration hearings begin this week.
Among the big names up for arbitration are Sabres forward Derek Roy. Roy, coming off a 63 pt season last year, will assuredly get a nice raise from the 650,000 he made last season.
But what are players like him really worth?
Personally, I feel Roy is worth so...
I am lucky. I grew up loving hockey, and I've always been drawn primarily to the skill, the finesse of games. I get excited every time I see a 2-on-1 developing, watching a well-machined powerplay unit can be beautiful, and watching the amazing acrobatics and reflexes of the famous netminders is breathtaking. I'm too young to remember the true glory days of the Islander...
Some random thoughts as I get ready to hit the open road later this week:
[b]Was the lockout a waste of time? Did I miss a year of hockey for nothing?[/b] I am a Flyers fan and I will lay that out first. I love that they signed Danny Briere for a long time and for huge money - because that is what it took to seal the deal. That being said, I do wonder if that lost y...
hockeyisgd writes...
Jon Lester, Baseball, and why I'm a better hockey fan
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's summer, and in North America (can't exclude the Blue Jays!) that means baseball is in full swing.
Last night was a rarity in Cincinnnati, OH. The Reds won a game against the Brewers, and the Cleveland Indians were on TV. Being an Indians fan in a rival market, I had an obligation to watch. The Indians were facing the Red Sox last night. Jon Lester, the Red Sox star...
After Jason Smith got traded there was one big question. Who will be the Oilers Captain? That is a question that probably won't be awnsered until training camp starts in September. With Jason Smith playing in Philadelphia now the Oilers don't have captain, now the obvious choice for captain WOULD HAVE been Ryan Smyth but he is no longer in Edmonton either so I thought I wo...
AlexanderScharf writes...
Drury and Gomez: Good Signings or Same Old Rangers?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Since July 1st there has been much discussion regarding the signings of Chris Drury and Scott Gomez by the New York Rangers. It is true that Gomez and Drury are both very talented hockey players but it is also true that they were overpaid by the Rangers. This begs the question: Was it worth it?
The Rangers needed to add (or resign) two free agent centers in the of...
Yesterday kicked off the beginning of the 2007 Arbitration Hearings, with the Washington Capitals and Brooks Liach on the top of the list. A restricted free agent may file for arbitration if negotiations between the player and the team holding their rights reach a stalemate. This off-season 30 players filed for arbitration on July 5th, 11 of those cases have since negotiat...
In the ever changing economics of hockey, one thing has started to become very clear, some play for love and others play for money.
Clearly its easy to see both types of players in the NHL today, but in my opinion, its the ones that play for the money that have caused the biggest problem with salaries in today's NHL.
Let's look at a single statement that we hear ove...
Ok so here is what i dont get. You come on these sites (so far this is the best one i have found for not having the problem) and you find fans hating on other fans. prime example leafs and sens fans. I am a leafs fan thru and thru but in no way do i hate sens fans. I am not a huge fan of the team but in no way can i say they suck. At the same time the leafs did not ma...
Thinking about the state of the NHL recently has brought to mind something that I find to be very curious; the state of the NHL's fans. It seems to me that there has been an increasing sense of "hockey nationalism" growing over the past few years. Before I go any further, I feel I should point out that there is a distinct difference between patriotism and nationalism. P...
Seeing as its a slow news day, figured since I haven't seen it on any mainstream sites I'd give you guys something to read [url]http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/story/648918.html[/url]
Seems like they were just having good ol fun, from what I've heard they are all class acts. Just figured I'd post something as nothing else is really going down. Enjoy..
I was a the flames Prospect Camp, here are my favorite Players
27 Andrei Taratukhin
Good Scorer, fast Skater, and good passer. I met him him at the Prospect camp, I liked him a lot really nice guy.
55 Adam Pardy
huge, big body in front, stops goals , great body Checker,
41 Dustin Boyd
Real Good scorer, also a fast skater plays the physical game....
Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray today announced the re-signing of goaltender Ray Emery to a three-year agreement.
In his second full NHL season in 2006-07, Emery played in 58 regular season games earning 33 wins, 16 losses, and six overtime defeats. He finished tied for sixth in the NHL in shutouts (5), tied for seventh in save-percentage (.910) and tied fo...
This article
Staal brothers arrested after party
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=214589&hubname=nhl
I was all set to write an article about how hockey should take advantage of the other sports PR nightmares but now it looks like hockey has a blemish of its own.
I will admit that it does not sound like the Staals offenses are anywhere near what we have learn...
As we sit and await training camp which opens September 13/07, many Leaf fans are wondering some of the same things
Will we make the playoffs this season?
Are the Leafs going to make a trade?
What will the line combinations be this season?
Will a rookie step up in camp and make the team?
These questions are no different then any other year as a die hard Leafs fan...
Before I start, let me just thank all of you out there for all your emails that you sent to me in the recent months.
For those who know me, I don't really have to say much. You know my track record, and I think, from my stand point, that it's a pretty darn good one. For those who are just tuning in for the first time to read my posts, you'll be the judge, and hopefully...
MLB -- Steroids -- Barry Bonds again named by Balco chemist
NBA -- Gambling and dictating the outcome of games -- Tim Donaghy
NFL -- Animal Cruelty -- Michael Vick
NHL -- CLEAN AS A WHISTLE!.....maybe?
The limelight on professional sports has shifted significantly these last few months from on-the-field to off it. Unfortunately, the incidents away from the [i]offic...
[i][b]Why Alfie Will Never Be Traded[/b][/i]
A couple of days ago, while engaged in the usual friendly banter of the Hockeybuzz Chatroom, a certain blogger that covers Les Glorieux, came in and confidently proclaimed that Daniel Alfredsson would be traded from Ottawa if the Senators didn't have a successful year. Being the ardent Sens fan that I am, I felt obliged to ch...
So Derek Roy's arbitration hearing is set for tomorrow, July 27th. So far this summer, there hasn't been much positive PR coming from HSBC Arena. Locking up Vanek, although a major step, might be the only "positive" thus far. After the initial heartbreak of bad breakups with #48 and #23, I have rebounded to the point of somewhat buying into the "we're going to be allrigh...
i hope the hockey media doesnt run with this stupid story about the staal brothers. they were at a loud party and got thrown in the paddy wagon. anyone have a penny?
hockey doesnt need to be glorifying the dramatic aspect of hockey. thats what espn does and why sidney crosby gets overturned on 'who's now'. the major sports of the nfl, nba and mlb have more ego than tea...
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 am not one to pin too much hope on rumors, hockey or otherwise. I have learned, over the years, to expect the worst. When it doesn't happen, I can be pleasantly surprised.
But now I'm just confused, and it's EK's fault.
Every morning, I faithfully check the Rumor Chart. I check out all of the Ex-Coyotes, I check on the current Coyotes up for contract renewal. But f...
It's the end of July and the weather is beautiful outside. The 2006/2007 NHL season ended over a month ago and we are still 5 weeks away from the start of training camp for the 2007/2008 season. This is supposed to be the "Off Season" for Hockey. You wouldnt know that if you came to Hockeybuzz.com.
I signed up to be a Season Ticket holder on this site about two weeks...
red_avi9 writes...
08 should be a piece of cake for wings...until the playoffs.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The season of 08 is looking great for the wings as of now.last year the wings came tied for first with buffalo{buf had more wins} in points and the only divisionmate who even contended with them was the predators.i mean, lets face it chicago, the hawks suck and the same goes for the bluejackets.the blues are really on the right track but at most they'll contend for a playo...
AlexanderScharf writes...
NYR- To Be or Not To Be: Peca, Jovo, Avery, Hossa
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
What are the Rangers going to do next? Although the Rangers should be content with what they have done this off-season, especially considering that they do not have alot of cap room, rumors continue to swirl about a big move that they are planning. I've heard the Rangers are interested in Ed Jovanovski and Michael Peca and they are yet to resign Sean Avery and Marcel Hossa...
[img:right]http://www.habsinsideout.com/061209%20habs%2005.jpg[/img]
Well Sabres fans another trying time has come for us. Does Darcy step up and give Royzie his deserving multi year deal/ Or do they sit across from each other during the arb hearing and though what might have been? I believe in this case the Sabres have no choice to step up and protect the $50 million...
As is so often the case, it did not have to come to this.
Anaheim general manager Brian Burke did not have to be faced with the $21.5 million question of the day. Match Edmonton's five-year offer for Dustin Penner -- at an average cap hit of $4.3 million per year -- or walk away from the player who scored 29 goals as a rookie last season.
With Ryan Getzlaf and Corey ...
In the "Hockey Hearsay" section of sportsnet.ca Carol Alt attempted to defend her boy toy, Alexei Yashin, calling the bought out former Isles captain "misunderstood"
"I think he needs to go where people understood him and where he's looked at like a god," Alt told the [i]Ottawa Citizen[/i]. "He wants to come back (to the NHL), but I just think he needs to clear his hea...
Hockey is the greatest sport on earth. It is fast and physical. Shots and scoring chances are abundant. It is a game that leaves you on the edge of your seat. Basketball, baseball and football are all very good sports but they come no where close to the excitment of a hockey game. And yet, in the US, hockey takes a back seat to GAMES. To competitions that dont even qualify...
As per Newsday:
[quote]"I managed to survive that long against long odds," he said. "It was an interesting time on Long Island." Of the ownership turmoil, he cracked, "We were leading the league in convicted felons."
That's the kind of funny, edgy line NBC is counting on from Milbury, who essentially will replace Brett Hull, another quote machine who left to work in ...
Philadelphia, PA. July 27, 2007
The puck drops in just over Two Months! Our Fly Guys begin a new season October 4th.
ARE YOU READY?
I AM!
Last Season was a mess. From an opening night shut-out disaster against the in-state rival Penguins (4-0 in Pittsburgh) to a General Manager hanging it up to the firing of a Hall-of-Fame Caliber Coach to the injury woes to...
It has been said that Mr. Holland is still looking at the market. Well who is not? I am feeling very comfortable with the Wings line-up this season. With the coming of age of Johan Franzen, Daniel Cleary and Flip. I think that Johan can replace what Todd Bertuzzi was supposed to bring to the wings grit with the help of aged Dallas Drake. Zetterburg and Datsyuk are definite...
Derek Roy has become the most recent player to agree to a contract prior to his arbitration hearing. He and the Buffalo Sabres have agreed to a 6 year 24 million dollar contract as reported by Garth. He is one of many to avoid a scheduled arbitration hearing this summer as 17 of the 30 players who filed for arbitration have already reached agreements with their respective ...
First of all, let me preface this by saying I don't like the idea of offer sheets to Restricted Free Agents. I think it drives up the price of business in the NHL, I think it is going to force teams to take players to arbitration whom otherwise could have gotten deals made and I think it's going to cause prices to inflate in the NHL once again. The CBA, as it stands in t...
Before I begin, I'm going to make a quick comment on giving Bettman the powers that David Stern has. I personally think its not needed since the worst trouble hockey players get into are bar fights. There's no strip club shootings, or dog fighting, or any other high crimes that have happened yet, and until that does happen, don't give Bettman the power Stern has. Minor int...
Speaking to a source close to the Rangers front office, I've been informed that the Rangers are willing to swing a deal for Sens defensemen Wade Redden. I have also been told that if it doesn't happen, the Rangers will look at Jovo again, but will most likely go into opening night as is. Also, watch for Hossa to be moved. The Sharks have made an offer.
I have much more ...
Yeah, this doesn't have anything to do with hockey, but I did wear a Hockeybuzz hat to the theatre, so that will have to qualify. Not only that but BluesFan44 demands a review.
After much personal anticipation-I have been a Simpsons junkie since the days of the Tracey Ullman Show shorts-I finally got to see a feature film dedicated to my favorite yellow folks and their ...
When Vanek was signed by Oilers, I immediately voiced my violent opinions to all Oiler fans i knew well. How on earth could they do this ? It drives the market up, forget that its within the 'rules' but it drives market up, PERIOD. These are the same Oiler fans that I have heard cry, and they cry a LOT, when all these years they have lost their players.
Yes, this...
I just got home from the ceremonies inducting Brian Burke, Bret Hull, Dennis Kearns and Bob Hall into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame here in Penticton BC. It was an absolutely amazing ceremony mc'd as usual by former BCTV sportscaster Bernie Pascal. This is an annual event sells out every year and this year was no different. Anybody that is able to come to this event should as...
In the 37 year history of the Buffalo Sabres, this city has seen its fair share of dynamic offensive pairs and trios. From the French Connection in the 1970s, to the dynamic tandem of Pat Lafontaine and Alexander Mogilny in the 1990s, we as Sabre fans have been treated to some of the best offensive hockey in years.
And now, after the events of yesterday, we may have ano...
Well Lets start be saying that I believe in Darcy, Lindy, Mr. Quinn & Mr. Galisano. They Brought this team back from near expolsion. Back when the Knox brothers brought the Sabres into the NHL, they had a dream and a hope that this team could and would be great. The Sabres were one of the quickest teams to make the Stanley cup finals. They had Great players and a g...
mzator22 writes...
Analyzing Team's Free Agent/Trade Moves - North East
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Boston Bruins[/b]
Major Additions
[b]Peter Schaefer (trade with Ottawa)[/b] - Schaefer will make Boston better because he's a very good penalty killer and he can score at least 15-20 goals a season. The Bruins only had to give up a 2 goal (last season) guy in Sean Donovan.
[b]Manny Fernandez (trade with Minnesota)[/b] - By acquiring Fernandez, Boston shored up ...
I've been talking to a few people from both sides, and I've been told that the Oilers are trying to grab Hossa from the Thrashers.
Now even if both teams work something out, I've been told that Hossa is unwilling to sign a new deal, and will test the free agent market next summer.
Also, don't count out the Sharks or the Habs if the Thrashers really open up talks fo...
I don’t understand how people make the argument that Lowe was trying to make “his” team better. How can any GM make a team better by over paying a player that isn’t worth the money, offering a long term contract with a lot of money tied up in one player. Most will say Penner is worth probably around the same as Ouellet, which turns out to be $1.25-million. That’s...
Its been a great offseason for the Rangers. They signed two top tier centers to long term deals and retained their core group of players, with the exception of Nylander and Cullen. But its not too late to botch the job. Critics have already labeled this offseason as a return to the "Same Old Rangers". I dont believe that to be true but that is a dicussion of its own. What ...
I thought he handled the offseason pretty well so far. Sure, he overpaid for Hamrlik, but Hamrlik is still a quality #2 defenseman. Smolinski was a great pickup, and a vast upgrade over Bonk. Not too much was neede here, as the youth is arriving in droves and they're pretty good.
Yesterday I saw that the Canadiens had made an offer to (gulp) Patrice Brisebois for 700...
Its pouring cats and dogs up here in the catskill mountains so while I would normally spend my Sunday afternoon in the great outdoors, I am currently stuck in the cabin in my camp armed with only my brain and a Motorola Q. And so, I decided to write about the upcoming arbitration hearing of Sean Avery which will take place tomorrow.
A quick review, Avery, a 27 year old...
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?page=screenshots070730
An article about the top five worst signings this season. It really was tough to pick five I am sure.
There was a time when MyHockeyBuzz and HockeyBuzz were littered with posts about the Preds from both Pred fans and those who hated the fact that a team was deep in Dixie. Where though, I ask, has it all gone?
For fans of the franchise I think there is some fatigue for sure. For a couple of months now we have been living in this unknown, grasping any news that seemed ...
I've been kicking a few things around in regards to things that the NHL could do to improve, not only the game, but the state of the league in general. Here's what I've come up with. Enjoy!
1) Restructure Restricted Free Agency. In particular, restructure the offer sheets. I don't tend to think that using them is an underhanded or shady move, mostly because they are...
The NHL may be thinking of expanding again, and with the new rules in place it might just be a perfect time to expand and realign some teams in the league.
I think if the NHL does expand by two teams the perfect two choices would be Winnipeg, Canada since they do have a great fanbase and support for hockey in the NHL, there stadium can hold 15,003 and there team was mov...
First off, I know I will get ripped for this, and that's fine with me, but please remember this is just one Oilers fans opinion.
Looking back over the years I have been heart broken time and time again when my favorite Oilers got traded away for prospects or left for nothing in return. Oiler fans have been wanting / needing an even ground to compete on. We are finally...
It’s official, Nathan Paetsch will be a Sabre for 3 more years at a reasonable one million per. He’s a nice 4th dman and I said (blogged) repeatedly that he should have been in the line up during last year’s playoffs.
To me, this signals one thing. Dimitri Kalinin is done as a Sabre. And thank GOD for that!
We’ve heard for WAY too long that this guy has ...
In the past few days, I've been kind of thinking about how the Jackets are going to fare this season. Sure, they haven't signed all that much, and that angers me as much as the next guy. However, if you stop and smell the roses, you would be amazed at how Columbus might be better off by just waiting one more year. Because the Jackets didn't spend millions to get big names...
Let me start of by saying that in no way is Kevin Lowe a jerk for giving overpriced offer sheets to Thomas Vanek and Dustin Penner. He was acting within the rules so Darcy and Burke should have better prepared for the possibility of this occurence. However, looking forward, this rule does not seem to make much sense. It would be best for the sport of hockey if this rule wa...
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... ...
All week I have been sitting here reading post's from some bloggers that belive that signing group 2 free agents is poaching in the new CBA. Most of the writters who are saying this are fans of teams that are in a strong position and either have had this done to them or feel it may be heading there way. With the salary Cap and mid market players stocks rising every night I...
[b]Rumors are ABUNDANT![/b]
RJ Umberger and Denis Gauthier seem to be the pieces most likely to be traded by the Flyers.
If you're listening to rumors, Ed Jovanowski is available and Phoenix is actively looking for trade partners. Would the Coyotes trade Jovo for Umberger and Gauthier?
If you're listening to rumors, Peter Forbser and Teemu Selanne want to play ...
Well I knew the patience would pay off.
A source very close to the ongoing negotiations with the pending sale of the Predators have confirmed that a binding letter of agreement could be signed by the end of the week. The source tells me that the deal is valued at nearly $200 million and that at least one additional investor has been brought in to make this happe...
I know we've all heard about the Patrice Brisebois rumors but it has me wondering, why would Bob Gainey be looking to pay 700k of our remaining cap space to Patrice of all people.
Check our current defesive line up:
1:Markov-Komisarek
2:Hamrlik-Streit(or Gorges)
3:Bouillon-Dandeneault
The way I see it, we're better off with either of the two of our bottom three ...
Many people, including Berger, believe the Leafs D was responsible for the 9th place finish in the east. I however believe many more things contributed to the Leafs woes.
1. Goaltending. This is a 2 part argument. On one hand, not only did Raycroft never steal a game, he on many occasions didn't give us a fair chance to win. Consider his GAA of shots high glove side was...
Does anyone else in Edmonton gain any satisfaction in being the most hated team in the National Hockey League? At the very least, we can be proud of not being the least appealing team in the league (sorry New York Islanders). Or for that matter, the most underachieving team (Cough...Toronto); or the team that was metaphorically raped in free agency (Buffalo Sabres).
St...
I was wondering to myself why Brian Murray would come out and admit that he had an agreement to trade Wade Redden. There are several possibilites:
- Murray could be trying to light a fire under Redden in the hopes to encourage him to get back to his former self. This doesn't seem like the smartest move as it is not the GM's job to motivate players and if that was what...
It all started during the regular season when teams complained to the NHL about Boogie going out and stretching out during the TV timeouts, they said he was trying to intimidate their team so the league asked Boogie to take a seat while the Fans of Minnesota watched other teams tough guys who are 2 inches smaller stretch their limbs at will during all of the TV timeouts. T...
Andy,
I really enjoy your blogs and you seem to have some very good hockey connections to go along with your insight, but I think you have lowered yourself to the level of the critical masses on this one.
First off, Edmonton is a nice city, not flashy, but nevertheless a good place to live (and anyone who complains about the cold needs to toughen up). Those who bash ...
Well, perhaps this Edmonton offer sheet thing has been beaten to death, especially since Strickland seemingly launched a Molotov cocktail onto Whyte with his latest blog. But maybe there is a method to Lowe's offer sheet madness.
So for all of you who think Lowe is crazy or overpaying for "unproven" talent, think of his offer sheet like a poker game. I don't think Kevin...
Hello all...DJOilman here, reporting to you from the Capital of Alberta...Siberia... er...Edmonton. Of course, this weather makes it feel like Siberia.....what's it been, 32 degrees for about a month now. For those writers South of the border, that's 32 Celsius.....I'm sure many of you watch the weather channel and see the North American map showing Detroit at 90 degrees...
Through out the past season or two I have rolled with all the punches that have been thrown my way. If anyone has read any of my posts they can attest to me defending the city, the organization, and the players with every single stroke on the keyboard. This past season has been especially tough listening to what seems to be just about very single non-Oiler fan ripping on...
What was reported here first yesterday is now being reported by all the local and national media outlets…a letter of intent will be signed today between local investors and current Predators owner Craig Leipold. For those who don’t follow this as closely as some here is what it all means.
The letter of intent means that the local group and Leipold will enter a per...
that is one step in the right direction for hockey. i no longer have to hear about how he won his cups, or ridiculous analogies or watch keith jones or chicken parm roll their eyes at his less than intelligent comments.
this is good news.
Yesterday I blogged about how Columbus' waiting game, may help them economically. Today I'd like to take a look at who Eklund is reporting to be interested in playing for Columbus. I will look at his recent list of top 35 UFAs from July 25th.
Note: I have removed Jussi Markkanen since he has signed in Europe
#5. Andy Sutton
Position: Defense
2007 Team: Atlanta Thr...
AlexanderScharf writes...
Update: Avery Awarded 1.9 Million in Arbitration and Signed
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Journal News reports that Rangers forward, Sean Avery, has been awarded a salary of 1.9 million for 1 year. Avery, who came to the Rangers at last seasons trade deadline from the LA Kings, helped to turn the Rangers season around. After acquiring him, the Rangers went 17-6-6, a tear that boosted the team into the the playoffs as the sixth seed. Avery scored 8 goals and...
“We need to stop meeting like this,” said a lighthearted Craig Leipold as he stepped to the podium to announce the sale of his team for the second time in just less than three months. Once again Leipold found himself telling the press about a potential sale, this time to a group of local investors headed by David Freeman, Herb Fritch and out of town investor Willia...
With the signing of Sean Avery today, is it the end of shopping season for the New York Rangers? The scary part of this offseason is that Rangers went back to their spending ways, but when you realize what they were able to bring back it's not as bad as it seems. Scott Gomez and Chris Drury are upgrades over Michael Nylander and Matt Cullen. You have to love that the Range...
One afternoon, when I was 4 years old (1984), I was at the Ice Palace in West Edmonton Mall with my brother and parents. I don't remember what the event was or why I was there, but, the Edmonton Oilers were playing a charity shinny game with some guys wearing red jerseys to this day, I claim, that they were the flames. Not because I remember Lanny's moustache or even a fla...
Since becoming a STH I have been in the chat prettttty much everyday and it never gets old! Whether the talk is about hockey or vacation, it is alot of fun! The people in the chat are great and very helpful to someone who is new to the site. I have had the season ticket for 3+ months now and have loved every minute of it! There is really a collection of great minds on ...
For all the morons who keep saying the Rangers are in trouble with the salary cap, you are WRONG. Yes, the Rangers ARE over the cap now but they can easily get under by the deadline without moving any players that would play for the team. So please, read this short explanation and educate yourselves. This way you wont end up looking foolish and being annoying.
The New ...
Since Kevin Lowe offered RFA, Dustin Penner, the 5 year/21.25 Million Dollar Offer-Sheet there has been outrage by both the NHL and us hockey fans. I have on question for all of you, why?
Lets a look at some sections of the CBA:
Any player who meets the
qualifications set forth in the following chart
and (1) is not a Group I Player o...
We are currently in the middle of the NHL off season. Instead of looking forward to Camp beginning like we all are. Lets take a moment or two and have some fun bringing back some great Hockey memories.
What is the greatest Hockey game you have ever been to?
Here is mine:
Almost 4 months until my 14th Birthday on April 27th 1994. The Buffalo Sabres were in ...
Dear EIG, Thank you. But it’s time to say goodbye.
As an Oilers fan and Edmonton resident, I am very thankful for what the Edmonton Investors Group (EIG) did to save the Oilers from a near certain relocation. I just don’t think I could bring myself to cheer for an NHL team called the Houston Oilers. That is kind of ironic since one of my favorite NFL teams is Ten...
Well its finally done I have been waiting for a week to finally see if the 245 pound power forward from portage (30 minutes from where I am Winnipeg) would finally become an oiler. I didn't think Burke would match the offer from the oilers but lets just say I was sitting on edge for the last week. You never know what can happen and what other teams are thinking. I'm glad t...
The Edmonton Oilers have had a rough year. They lost Chis Pronger (arguably the games best defensemen), Michael Peca, Joffrey Lupul, long time captain Jason Smith, and of course one of the all time fan favorites, Ryan Smyth (who signed with divisional rival Colorado thus adding salt to the wound). Then they signed Michael Nylander, oh wait, nevermind, he signed with…Wa...
According to the Sports Business Journal, ESPN and the NHL have begun preliminary discussions that could see the NHL return to ESPN as soon as the 2008-09 season. Comcast owned Versus has exclusive rights to the NHL through 2011, but according to sources, would be willing to waive the clause if they could get something in return.
Several weeks ago Eklund also reported t...
If Todd Bertuzzi signed in Anaheim thinking a low pressure, quiet, hockey outpost would be a comfortable situation to get his career back on track, he may be sadly mistaken.
Thursday morning, the Ducks chose not to match Edmonton's five-year, $21.5 million offer sheet for Dustin Penner, the man many consider to be the next Bertuzzi.
Even Ducks general manager Brian B...
BluesHockeyOhBaby! writes...
Davidson: "We are done" Say Hello To The 2007-2008 Blues
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Now that John Davidson has confirmed that the Blues are sticking to the roster they already have, we can start breaking down the kind of team the Blues will have for the upcoming season. Let's start with the forwards:
David Backes - big and strong, was a veteran at the development camp last month, has matured a great deal and shoulc score many goals if he just drives to t...
dekerivers writes...
Is Penner's 4.25 Mil really the beginning of the end.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
So everyone seems to be getting over the fact that Kevin Lowe has broken the “unwritten rule” regarding RFA’s and now it’s more of an issue about the dollar amount of the contract. Now I know that as sports fans we are all, especially the professional sports writers, experts in economics. At least it sure seems that way lately? With the salary cap we have a ceiling...
I dont know about you Oiler fans out there but I just can't waite to see Cogliano and Shremp play. I wonder how long it's going to take for them to make the team and see some NHL action. Cogliano reminds me of a young Kariya. The speed that he saktes with the puck is amazing. Shremp seems to me to have hands of gold this kid should be a welcome addition to the oilers in te...
First off how is it that Kevin Lowe has single handedly destroyed the financial system of the NHL. He signed a young kid with a lot of potential to an inflated contract for sure, but he needed to to get the kid out of LA. Brian Burke can cry all he wants, but he lost this time. I would say his 4 million signing of an old injured maligned player who never was a star in this...
habsfan22 writes...
Montreal and Toronto fighting to see who recycles best?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Is it me or are Toronto and Montreal the two teams most known for recycling over the hill players resigning them when they are past their prime? Let me start by saying that from what I've been hearing, the Brisebois deal is a done deal. The only thing I can think of that could be good coming out of this deal is if now we somehow manage to get rid of Dandeneault or preferab...
Habs cap space inclusive of Ryder signing: 6.317 million. With Brisebois signed, they would still have roughly 5.6 million in space to use for a solid UFA. Dany Markov comes to mind. Possibly some really good forward.
*** Patrice Brisebois apparently very close to a deal with the habs. Some might even call it a done deal. It is believed that Bob Gainey has offered Brise...
There's a lot of talk about Olli Jokinen coming to Vancouver. I understand the difficulties in making trades with the salary cap etc. However, when a guy of this level is possibly available, Nonis has to do what it takes to get him here. With the way the salaries are going $5.25 mill per year for him is a great bargain. He's 28 and locked up until 2010/11. If this can...
For part one of this 10 part series, I will be laying out my projected lines for the upcoming season complete with stats and player bios. This will serve as an introduction for parts 2-9 where I will break down each line and rate it. Enjoy!
Offense:
LINE 1:
Marcel Hossa, 25, Slovakia, 64 gm, 10 g, 8 a
*Scott Gomez, 27, USA, 72 gm, 13 g, 47 a
Jaromir Jagr, 35, Czech...
I've heard plenty of voices over the past few weeks say that the salaries are spiralling out of control again and that the salary-cap really doesn't mean anything anymore. Obviously, this isn't entirely false inspite of what many fans of my Edmonton Oilers will tell you. Obviously as a whole this won't affect the salary cap as the cap is tied to league revenues. What thi...
What Mr. Lowe has done has ended the boys Club. Mr. Lowe has has served notice that all the RFA'S have more options than just to sit around and wait for their gm's to sign them which is not just a bad thing , It has made GM's more aware of the RFA'S which means General Managers have to do thier jobs. I am sorry but that is a nut shell. The main reason the Bur...
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...
The stir up the Kevin Lowe has caused has made fans all across the league wounder why and get angry. I my self as a Sabres fan wounder why but for a tottaly diffrent reason. Why if your going to go through all this trouble to take a player from a team not make it a markey player as in a Thomas Vanek or a Zach Parise? He lost out on Vanek cause the sabres matched but still ...
Originally posted at http://myoilers.ca
The news about new NHL team uniforms has been fairly slow so far this summer, there has only really been a handful of teams to unveil their new uniforms (Washington, Boston, Florida, Columbus, Los Angeles). I haven't heard much about the new Oilers uniforms other then some rampant speculation suggesting that they won't be changing...
The Dustin Penner offer sheet is proof Kevin Lowe should step down from his post as General Manager of the Edmonton Oilers. As a GM you are supposed to [img:right]http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070803/capt.nyol56108030003.dustin_penner_nyol561.jpg[/img] improve your team while securing the future of the franchise. While Penner will only be 25 by the start of the seas...
Before I even start, I know that most Habs fans HATE the fact that Gainey is signing Brisebois...
I'm not one of those. I am actually excited to have him back and think he could be a great asset for our team. Patrice was chased out of Montreal by the fans and the media, and it was not pretty, that is a fact. However, his homecoming could be better than most expect. ...
It's been about a week since this whole Dustin Penner thing came about, but it feels like I've read about 1000 articles on this subject all calling for Kevin Lowe to step down, or he's desperate etc. The fact of the matter is (and i'm not an oiler fan) that Kevin did what he needed to do to make his team better. Did he pay too much? Probably. Is it joe averages fan's mo...
So I was on NHL.com (http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/service=page&page=NHLPage&id=12880)
today and noticed they had a link to all the milestones acheived this year such as 400,500 and 600 goal and 1500 points. So I watched all the goals and points on video and found a couple of interesting connections.
Sundin Scores his 500th against Calgary. Sackin scores his 600th agai...
The question that a lot of sabres fans have like myself is, who will be the next captain? In my mind their are five possibilities for the job. First you have Teppo Numminnen who is a good player but i dont think he is vocal enough, second you have Brian Campbell who is a great player and a vocal player. Third their is Toni Lydman who like Teppo i dont think is vocal enogh ...
Lowe was desperate for some help upfront and he found it in the form of a RFA, Dustin Penner. Who just happened to play for Anaheim, where Chris Pronger ended up last year after his wife complained about Edmonton, and while Mr. Pronger couldn't be a man and honor his contract he opted out. Kevin Lowe got snubbed in the UFA market, and needed to improve his team so he went ...
For aslong as I can remember, The city of Buffalo has been known primarily as a "Football" town. Growing up I was taught two very important rules 1) Do not curse and 2) Hate the Miami Dolphins. From the time I was young to just a few short years ago many Buffalonians would not even recognize Hockey until Football season was over.
Times sure have changed!!!
The tw...
Leave your coat at the door, because Psycom is back with some recapping of this long summer out of Islander Country.
On a personal note, I have been hard at work this summer with college classes, work, and the woman who shares my life. I have been watching and waiting for a chance to say what I think about the state of the Islanders and hockey on Long Island. My chanc...
PART THREE IS DONE! VIEW IT ON: HTTP://MY.HOCKEYBUZZ.COM/RAGS2RICHES.
HOPEFULLY COMING TO THE HOME PAGE SOON
In part 2 of 10, I will break down Offense Line #1, aka, the Jagr line. I will expound upon the strengths and weaknesses of each player and explain why he fits on the line. I appreciate the input recieved from part 1 and will certainly take the feedback into con...
ExtraB writes...
SportKings - One of The Greatest Comebacks in Sports History
Posted Sunday | Comments 1
-
[b]The greatest name in the history of trading cards is making a comeback after 73 years. Collectors everywhere will applaud the return of the legendary and revered Sportkings brand![/b]
[img]http://www.hockeyheadquarters.com/images/hockey-cards/sportkings/return.jpg[/img]
The original Sport Kings Gum series was released by the Goudey Gum Company in 1933 and 193...
So our beloved Maple Leafs are interested in Scotty Bowman as president of the hockey side, again. Are the rumours true or is this just another summertime Leaf rumour? The fact is that the Maple Leafs make a ton of money every season whether they make the playoffs or not, it does make sense that they would use some of these funds to bring in a great hockey mind to put the ...
Before I get to the fun part of this off-topic entry, I'd like to tell you about my thoughts about Patrick Marleau. Ek wrote on Sunday that the Jackets are interested in Marleau. Those of you who have read some of my entries know I have been really hoping that the Jackets could pick up a big scoring forward. So in that case, I'm pretty excited to see if the Jackets will ge...
In the midst of all the Dustin Penner drama, I started thinking to myself why would a well respected veteran general manager like Kevin Lowe go through so much trouble to bring over the 25 year-old Manitoba native to Edmonton. Penner, who appeared in all 82 games with the Anaheim Ducks last season, finished with 29 goals and 16 assists in his first full NHL season and play...
I re-edited this post because I thought it was a fun discussion!:
I feel bad for Buffalo, because Lowe basically forced their team into overpaying for Vanek, though he did sign the offer sheet. But still, I think if a player signs an offer sheet, let him go. He obviously isn't willing to sacrifice for the sake of his own teams benefit.(Meaning, go into arbitration and...
After some retooling, here are my new ideas for the Leafs lines.
FORWARDS:
Blake-Sundin-Tucker
Antropov-Wellwood-Poinkarovsky
Bell-Stajan-Steen
Kilger-Pohl-Deveraux
SCRATCHES:
Battaglia (interchangable with Deveraux)
Belak (only used in the case the team needs a good old fashioned ass whomping....perhaps whenever Sean Avery is playing?)
AHL CALLUPS:
1) Will...
A month ago when the Sabres lost Chris Drury, Daniel Briere and Danius Zubrus in the span of about a week Sabres fans wanted someone's head. I think now that they have settled down a bit and took a step back, they have realized, the Sabres aren't all that bad.
The biggest loss of the three is definitely Chris Drury and he will certainly be the [img:right]http://nyrange...
Mike Cammallari gets 6.7 over 2 years? Derek roy gets 8 over 2. 63 vs 80 pts per season. last year players were gettin truck loads of cash for there hard work and all of a sudden this year players get paid no where near what they were gettin paid last year. Danny Briere and Scott Gomez recieved 5 million and Briere did not even reach the 70 pt mark. Sure he had a pt a game...
(Cue dream music, Gary Thorne is seen in the broadcast booth at the Sommet Center in Nashville. He speaks)
Who would have thought that it would all come down to this here in Nashville tonight. A year ago fans in Nashville didn’t know whether they would even have a hockey team and here they are in the Stanley Cup Finals with a chance to win it all.
(Bill Clement s...
The recent offer sheets tendered by Kevin Lowe has elicited much reaction. Some accuse Lowe of ruining the salary structure of the entire league and Brian Burke even went so far as to paint Lowe as desperate and stupid. Others defended Lowe's approach, saying he has to do whatever he believes is in his team's best interest and they applaud his bold moves at young restric...
I'm one to welcome Naslund and Morrison back with open arms when their contracts are up. All i've been hearing in Canuckland these days is how Naslund isn't producing, how Morrison is invisible, and how Canucks fans cannot wait to get rid of their contracts. Well, i'm one to say: Don't get too ahead of yourself.
Canucks fans seem to easily forget that Markus Naslund was...
The series is moving along nicely and I want to thank my readers for their support. I have taken the comments from the prior installments into consideration and have therefore altered the second line from how it appeared in part 1. Keep the comments coming. Part 3, Here we go:
Left Wing: #82 Martin Straka
Personal: 34 years old from Plzen, Czech Republic. Stands 5 ft 9...
The rejection of Daryl katz's offer to buy the Edmonton Oilers from the Edmonton Investors Group is being met with some absurd claims - namely, that spending to the cap is the way to win Lord Stanley. The facts from the new-CBA era do not support this myth:
2007
EC Champs – OTT - $43.630M
EC Finalists – BUF - $39.991M
WC Champs – ANA - $40.461M*
WC Finalist...
So Eklund posted his updated UFA Rankings... I wanted to take a moment to comment on the ones pertaining to the Ducks.
THE HOCKEYBUZZ UFA RANKINGS
[b]2. Teemu Selanne (Retire, Anaheim, Philadelphia, Montreal)[/b]
[i]He is either retiring or returning to Anaheim no other options... Selanne is a man of his word and if he says he's doing something than he's d...
What does it mean to “overpay” for a player? Since July 1st, fans have been complaining that players are being “overpaid” arguing that a particular players hockey numbers don’t warrant that kind of money. And that may well be true. But those fans are forgetting one thing: the NHL is a business.
This isn’t about winning games; this is about selling tickets. F...
I want Jagr to grow back his mullet.
I want Garth Snow to show up at GM meetings with that 2x4 from his playing days under his suit jacket.
I want VS. to disappear and ESPN to come back.
I want Zherdev to grow up and become a star.
I want to pay less then $12 for large beer at the ACC.
I want a team in Southern Ontario.
I want to see my Flyers out of the ...
Top to bottom, the Calgary Flames look like one of the top teams in the league each of the last 2 seasons and including the one upcoming. However, these teams have failed to produce to the hefty standards of the entire city. Having sat in my seat in the 'dome to watch us lose back-to-back playoff series at home I can safely say I miss the grinders of 2004.
I'm not s...
Hey everyone,
I don't usually do this, but yes, it's the Sabres side of me coming out again. I auditioned for the Sabres Emcee in-game entertainer contest, and well I've moved on to the second round. Yes, yes, this guy went down for a live audition at the Hot Sauce Bleu Cheese arena and got a chance to strut his stuff and apparently, it paid off.
At the end of this w...
As a fan, and with all fans, we tend to look at our respective teams with rose coloured glasses (yes "colour" is spelled that way up here) so I have tried to limit my expectations of the Calgary Flames and objectivley look at the mid summer squad as it is.
The major aquistions of the off season are:
Iron Mike behind the bench- my thoughts on this guy before he landed ...
danrusselfan1 writes...
top 25 players that would play good with the sedins
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
25 brendan shanahan
24 paul kariya
23 jaromir jagr
22 temmu selanne
21 jonathan cheechoo
20 dany heatly or alfredson
you decide the other 19
I'm going to be doing a similar thing that rags2riches did but for the Canucks. In part 1 I will outline the projected lines (as of now - will update if any major trades or free agent signings happen between now and the beginning of the season). I will then profile each player on each line. I may also do this for every team because I know the NHL pretty well.
Line 1
...
Here is part 2 of my analysis, the top line of the Vancouver Canucks!
LW #22 Daniel Sedin
Personal: 26 yrs old from Ornskoldsvik, Sweden 6-1 200 lbs Shoots L
Drafted 1999 1st Rd 2nd Overall by the Vancouver Canucks
Entering 7th NHL Season with the Canucks (6th overall)
Contract - 2 yrs remaining on 3 yr contract ($3.57 million)
Strengths: Daniel Sedin is a skille...
In the past few weeks I've been watching ESPN in the morning to watch baseball highlights and to get my daily fix of the "popular" sports news. In these few weeks, I think I've been slowly hating ESPN more and more. Here's 5 reasons why I hate ESPN:
Stephen A. Smith
Where to start on this guy. First off, this guy makes himself sound like he is the only one in the worl...
I though it might be interesting to see how hockey ranks across NHL cities compared to other major sports in that city, this is my opinion as i have watched hockey in 15 different cities and discussed hockey with many fans in the cities that i was in, i hope to add 2 more cities this year in completing all 30 teams down the road, please feel free to correct me if your from...
Jimmert44 writes...
The most Heartbreaking game you have ever been to?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
First and foremost I would like to start out by saying that I attended the New York Yankees/Toronto Blue Jays game last night in Toronto. I am more and more amazing by how incredible Toronto is everytime I travel up north. The people of Toronto are very friendly and helpful if need be and I Thank You Torontonians. (Torontonians sounded good so I went with it)
Last wee...
Well, there's only one wounded ego here. Mine. Yes, I have dragged myself back to my blog after a long absence. Coincidentally, my departure from my egomaniacal ranting coincides with the night my beloved Flames went out in the 6th game. God I was pissed off.
So what happened? Playfair happened, first of all. I know many of you are eager to shower me with praise f...
The best part about talking to oiler fans now is by far and away the polite smile and nod you get to give them when they talk about their "new oilers".
I love how trading away the captain of a team that was floundering due to lack of heart for a young d who was extremely disappointing is hailed as a good move. I mean, why would they want Jason Smith's "heart and soul" af...
His last blog was about Brian Rafalski and that was July 2. I know there is not a ton of news coming out of Detroit these days. But couldn't he find something to talk about, I thought he was the D's rep on hockeybuzz.
HEY MARK, here are some topics you could blog about. Zetterberg saying he wants to be a Redwing for life, or maybe who is going to do the scorin...
PART 4 IS OUT. ANALYZING THE RANGERS OFFENSE #3. HTTP://MY.HOCKEYBUZZ.COM/RAGS2RICHES.
CHECK IT OUT TODAY! COMING TO THE HOME PAGE SOON!
For the next two weeks I will be writing my blog from my phone because I have no access to a computer. Because of a tech problem I have with my phone, I am unable to do anything but write blogs. I cannot respond to any posts, send me...
FLAMESTR writes...
Sutter and Keenan Dream or Night Mare? How about Playfair?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I thought I would write a blog on a suggestion from a fellow Poster Flame Head
I hope I got his name right which was the relationship of Sutter and Keenan.
First of all I have been told that Sutter Learned his coaching ability from Mr. Keenan. Which mean there was a history between the two gentlemen and they have mutual respect, also Sutter knows how Keenan coache...
Yes, this is a one-year, [b]two-way [/b]contract. Many around these parts have harshly critiqued this move by Scott Howson. Why?
NHL Central Scouting provides the scouting reports to TSN, and many cringe when they scroll immediately to "career potential." Beech has an NHL-capable frame, and is listed with above-average playmaking skills and vision. Just because a player...
Ownership changes (or lack thereof) in the NHL has been a hot topic this off-season.
It seems to me that, for all its problems, the League must be in pretty good shape when there are buyers for franchises in a non-expansion (so far) era.
Granted, the converse argument can be made: if there are multiple teams up for sale, how good can that be for the League? To that, ...
Every year three of my good friends and I take a road trip north to Edmonton for the sole purpose of ruining oiler fan's evenings, and hopefully gloating about a win. So far we have had pretty good luck in terms of our win loss ratio but it does beg an interesting question. Which is a better venue?
The Saddledome although old was renovated back before the olympics in orde...
Before I start, let me just say that last night I was so starved for hockey, I [img:right]http://nhldraftnet.aol.com/NHLDraftNet/file.php?ID=237[/img]watched The Mighty Ducks Two. For all of you movie buffs out there, its definitely not better the second time around. Emilio Estevez's struggle with fame and sponsorships was not a gripping tale. You're coaching pee wee hocke...
Taking a look at the current roster, one would think the Islanders can't be done shaping the team for the 2007-08 season. The additions that have been made thus far have been significant, surely, but have a glance at the depth chart (or the way I project it anyway) with me and tell me you don't see a little room for improvement.
For the purposes of this blog, let's simp...
First, an amendment to part 1 on the forwards. From all that I can gather, Sean Bergenheim inked a 1-way contract with the Isles and, thus, will more than likely be with the team post-training camp. (Thanks to psycomkl for the tip.) This is not necessarily a bad thing as, like I said in part 1, I like what Bergy brought to the table before he took his ball and sailed overs...
A month from the start of training camp all of the articles on who fits with who on what line are starting to come up. As opposed to previous years Calgary is in a dilema with center...they have too many! Langkow seems to be the obvious fit with Iginla and Tanguay, that line at times last year gave flames fans something they hadn't seen in years, tick-tac-toe passing plays...
Though I am biased as a hardcore Sabres fan, I think few will debate the fact that Buffalo has one of the best farm systems in the NHL. In the past few years, we have seen guys like Paul Gaustad, Jason Pominville, Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek come up through the ranks and be very successful at the professional level. Buffalo has a knack for developing young talent and the Sa...
Before this post, I have a brief announcement. In September, WILY Radio at Purdue University will be airing the second season of High Sticking with Mike and James. I run the soundboard and co-host this live, commercial-free, 90-minute hockey talk show. The day and time is TBD, but will be posted when I find out. The show can be heard at www.wilyradio.com, and there will be...
It's hot, over 100 degrees in Columbus. Free agency has since wound down from the July 1st frenzy and second-tier players are evaluating the market.
As my days are consumed with rounds of golf, working and following the Blue Jackets' quest to complete their roster, I can't help but think of reasons why Scott Howson may have passed on Andy Sutton.
Thrasher fans have ...
Growing up with a passion and a love for two teams is harder than just one! My father grew up in Montreal in the era when the Canadiens were known as the flying frenchmen and were basically unbeatable. I was born in 1978, and hockey came into my life I would say right around 1982 when I was old enough to talk and enjoy what was being shown to me. This was the time that...
I love Rhett Warrener. He battles every night. He loves Calgary. But the bottom line is; if a team wants to compete in the West, he can't be a top 6 defenseman.
Warrener will hit you hard and often, he'll rough you up against the boards every chance he gets. The problem is, he can't skate, can't pass and can't shoot. It used to work for us because if he got in trou...
We are roughly 4 weeks away from the start of training camp and the beginning of the 2007/2008 National Hockey League season. I want to take a look at the teams who finished 9-15 in the Eastern Conference standings for the 06/07 season. Are any of these teams ready to make a playoff run? Lets find out...
#9) Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs finished wit...
[b] One Oiler question is, are they ready. In the 2005-2006 season oiler fans were on the edge of their seats in the stanley cup finals, The next year they placed a deadly 12 conference standing and a 25 overall league standing. Sure lowe landed [b]Souray[/b],[i]Pitkanen,Sanderson[/i],and [b]Penner[/b] but the question is are they ready to commit to the oil.[/b]
...
3 yrs:
Salary Breakdown: 2.5 , 3, 3.5
9 mill total.
Andy adds a little bit of everything both on offense and defense and we really like what he brings to the table,” said Islanders head coach Ted Nolan. “We talk about heart, grit and character and Andy Sutton has a ton of it all. He’s a big guy who plays big and isn’t afraid to do the dirty work. He fills ...
First of all thanks to Tim Panaccio for giving us the down low of this article.
Is it hard to believe that the Sabres are right up there at the top of the list for jersey sales in July? Yes & no. You would almost think that with the horid begining to July would stall Sabre jersey sales to a screaming halt. Obviously not. The Sabres are represented with 3 of the top 7 se...
I'm one to say no. Some Canucks fans seem to think that we need to give this team another face lift. Would a top 6 forward be nice? Yes, it would, if you want to get Naslund going again. Can we make the playoffs without a top 6? Absolutely.
We showed last year that even with our scoring dilemma, we won our division. Why is that? Solid, solid defense, and an all star goa...
or, Can "playing the system" work out? I'm curious, what do people think about this?
Over this off-season, for example, the rangers spent nearly 20 mil per year on Drury and Gomez alone. Noone can deny that these are premier players, and these additions have caused talk of the rangers being the powerhouse of the atlantic division. The islanders, on the other hand, se...
During the 2006-2007 campaign for the Buffalo Sabres, you knew in the back of your mind the carnage was about to commence come July 1st, 2007. Once Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier stated that he will not talk contacts till after the season was over with potential Unrestricted Free Agents Danny Briere and Chris Drury, the future did become the now in Western New York.
T...
mob_slapman writes...
Victory lap for Bob Cole/ Luke Richardson on the Sens
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Per the Globe and Mail, this will be Bob Cole's last year calling games for HNIC and Harry Neale will see a reduced work load. I myself have mixed feeligns on this. Bob Cole still has one of the best voices from the booth in all of sports, but unfortunately his eye sight hasn't kept up. Harry Neal can still do it, but Cole really seems to bring him down. It really is...
August means NFL pre-season and the final stretch in the pennant races. It means golf's final major, sending kids back to school and getting those last few days in at the pool to drown away the scorching heat.
What it doesn't mean, however, is hockey.
That means it's up to people like me to lend my insight (or my two cents as some put it) into the upcoming season. E...
PART 5 IS OUT, OFFENSE #5. VIEW IT ON HTTP://MY.HOCKEYBUZZ.COM/TAG.PHP?TAG=RAGS2RICHES
AND COMING TO THE HOMEPAGE SOON!
Im sorry that it took so long to get this installment out. Ive been very busy for the past few days and havent had a chance to write. Moving on, we are up to part 4 of the series and as always, dont hesitate to comment on my writing. Ive just learned ho...
SabreCrazy07 writes...
20 Players 18 spots........A look @ Sabres lines for 2007-08
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
With training camp 2007 about a month away lets take a look at some possible line combinations for the Sabres this upcoming season.
1. Vanek - Roy- Stafford
2. Pomminville- Connolly- Afinogenov
3. Hecht- Gaustad- Kotalik
4a. Paille- Ryan- Mair Extra: Peters (Size & Speed)
[i]4b. Paille - Mair- Paetsch [/...
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...
After watching Scott Niedermayer Choose the Ducks as the location he wanted to play, although he received phopne calls from several N.H.L. superstars trying to lure him in, the obvious reason was his brother. Growing up, taking turns shooting on net with each other acting as goalie, with each shot being the game 7 O.T. winner for the Stanley Cup, you had to think that the ...
Dear HockeyBuzz Community,
Every writer lives for the moment of creative epiphany, when he or she strikes upon an idea so compelling that it must be expressed in that very instant. I had my little moment of inspiration on the morning of June 19, when I sprung out of bed at 8 in the morning with an idea for an action-packed hockey satire. An absurd bout of writing ensued...
[i]("A Message From Gary Bettman" flashes across the screen. Happy muzak plays, cartoon bunnies frolic beneath the text. A smiley sun beams down on them from above. Fade up on...)[/i]
BETTMAN [i](sitting at a desk, wearing a suit and a "Versus" cap. He speaks in an ingratiating singsong voice)[/i]: Hi there, friends! Please, relax! I've brought a present. You see, we at...
Every once in a while you read something and say, "Hmm. Wouldn't that be nice?"
An interesting report today from Eklund, one that definitely piqued my interest. The Blue Jackets are speaking with the Leafs currently discussing a deal that would land defenseman Pavel Kubina. This would do two things for Scott Howson:
1. Get the powerplay quarterback that he needs.
2....
I will preface all of this with the fact that this is my first attempt at a blog and also that while yes I am college student my grammar is terrible. But since training camp is about a month away and trade rumors are becoming few and far between, I have decided to give my analysis and predictions of each division over the next few weeks to be capped off with my playoff pre...
IslandDynasty writes...
Islanders Will Make the Playoffs Come Next March...
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I think they will.With the offseason coming to a close in a couple of weeks,you can almost get a grip on which teams are going places,and which teams arent.But what teams look like on paper does [b]not[/b] mean theyre going to preform that way.Perfect example is this past season's Islanders.Were thought to be the worst team in the league going into the season,thought by th...
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...
[i]With all of the big new contracts signed this year, there are a lot of players with big shoes to fill. There are a lot of players with a new responsibility to be "the guy" for their respective clubs. There are a lot of players that need to step it up this season and show why they were worth the big bucks that their teams threw at them.
So which players are actually...
So, the latest rumour of Ohlund/Schneider to Tampa for St.Louis is very tantalizing. My opinion is that Schneider is the “Prince Harry” of the Royal family. He may have royal blood, but he will never be the King, that role is Luongo’s. Although, at least Prince Harry goes to Cowboys!
Trade Schneider while his stock is high! Ohlund is sadly on the downside of...
When I look at the Flames' first month in the schedule I at first think it's a touch one until I start looking at the months following it and realize they're all tough.
The season starts out on Oct. 4 against the Flyers and their newest additions, I'd be very surprised if the Brier/Gagne line isn't extremely pumped for that game. This was the worst team Philly fans have ...
hockeyisgd writes...
Top 5 teams I'm excited about for the 2007-08 season
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Hope everyone had a good weekend. Today I want to tell you 5 teams I'm excited to see this upcomming season.
5. St. Louis Blues
After two dismal seasons, the Blues are going to attempt to turn it around this season. After making key additions, I believe the Blues will be headed on the right path this season. GM John Davidson has done a spectacular job of building this ...
Today the Buffalo Sabres have offically announced they are playing a game @ "THE RALPH". But dont get all worked up just yet. This game is at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D. on September 24th, vs The Minnesota Wild. The game is a homecoming of sorts for Drew Stafford. Drew played his college puck @ "THE RALPH" for the Fighting Sioux.
Below is the OFFICIAL...
Alright, in these hot, humid, brutal non-hockey days of August I thought it would be a good idea to post my predictions on our players stats for the upcoming season. I'd like to know what you guys think our players will get in stats. I guess this counts as my first blog, kind of.
[b]*NOTE*:[/b] I'm just going to predict everyone plays 82 games just to make it easier.......
The Halifax Daily News is reporting that Ducks defenseman Joe DiPenta has verbally agreed to a one year contract with the Ducks. While no official announcement has been made by the Ducks the fact that Adam Brady (Director of Publications and New Media for the Anaheim Ducks) posted this to his blog on the team's site is a good indication that it is true.
The question th...
This was the term I used to summarize my expectations for the Blue Jackets this upcoming season.
I don't mean that I am expecting another wash of a season; I have simply learned over the past seven years to never expect anything out of the ordinary from this team.
The rollercoaster of expectations Jacket fans have experienced is in the shape of one that has no end, ...
This was the term I used to summarize my expectations for the Blue Jackets this upcoming season.
I don't mean that I am expecting another wash of a season; I have simply learned over the past seven years to never expect anything out of the ordinary from this team.
The rollercoaster of expectations Jacket fans have experienced is in the shape of one that has no end, ...
This was the term I used to summarize my expectations for the Blue Jackets this upcoming season.
I don't mean that I am expecting another wash of a season; I have simply learned over the past seven years to never expect anything out of the ordinary from this team.
The rollercoaster of expectations Jacket fans have experienced is in the shape of one that has no end, ...
Today I will finish analyzing the Rangers by taking a look at the fourth line. Because the interest level in the series s seems to have dropped, I will be moving on to a different topic. If you want me to continue with the defense, speak now or forever hold your peace. As I mentioned in my previous post, I learned how to post pictures and I will be doing so from now on. Bu...
There are several reasons I believe why the Canucks won't have a blockbuster this year.
1. Cap Space.....yes the Canucks cap space is tight. According to nhlnumbers.com, the Canucks DO HAVE and ONLY 5.367 mil to play around with. Don't forget, in the site, they only has 20 players signed. You need about 22 to 23. So with 2-3 more players, we can assume they are small co...
This is my first Blog so bear with me. I feel that it is important to talk about the one flame player who I believe is maybe a diamond in the rough. Matthew Lombardi, I believe is a player or two away from Iggy numbers. This off season I thought Sutter might address the Lombo situation, and bring in some young talent to play with Lombardi. But what I can see is that he did...
The very first live professional hockey game I ever seen was between the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings. The year was 1994 and Wayne Gretzky was a King. Edmonton was leading the game 4-2 with 10 minutes in the third period. I believe it was Louie Debrusk had just been kicked out of the game following a fight/scrum.
In the next 4 minutes the Kings came back, t...
If you're expecting something hockey related, read no further. It's not April yet.
As I'm sure many of you know, Madden 2008's release date is August 14th. As usual, I pre-ordered my copy at the closest Best Buy on Old Country Road and waited anxiously for the midnight release. Last year I was 7th in line, arriving at the Best Buy around 10:00 PM. By midnight the line w...
[i]With all of the big new contracts signed this year, there are a lot of players with big shoes to fill. There are a lot of players with a new responsibility to be "the guy" for their respective clubs. There are a lot of players that need to step it up this season and show why they were worth the big bucks that their teams threw at them.
So which players are actually...
RC writes...
FORGIVE AND FORGET?? - Where should fans stand on Bertuzzi?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Every hockey fan that has seen the footage can bring it instantly to mind. Todd Bertuzzi chasing Steve Moore around the ice, and then, frustrated by Moores refusal to stand and fight, sucker punching him in the side of the head and driving him into the ice with the entire weight of both of their bodies. Everyone also knows the aftermath. Three and a half years later, Mo...
Ok, so everybody else is writing a blog now, so I guess i'd better do one too so everyone knows how I feel about the upcoming season. I guess the best way to describe my feelings about the upcoming season is to say that I am cautiously optimistic. I am very happy about the additions that Homer made and despite what anyone says, I don't think he overpaid at all. He paid wha...
Today on the Hockey Hall of Fame's website the Stanley Cup Journal was updated with a story on Teemu Selanne and his day with the Cup. Well more precisely Teemu's 48 hours with the cup.
Kevin Shea, author of the journal made sure to touch on the issue that every Ducks fan and hockey fans around the world wants to know. Will Teemu hang up the skates or will he come ...
Even though I live in Niagara Falls, My home town is and always will be Toronto. Everyday I pick up the Toronto Sun to keep tabs of the City I was born in, and today's front page had me in a grin from ear to ear. It read LEAFS ARE BACK! with a picture of Darcy Tucker racing down the wing in his blue practice jersey.
I know a lot has been said about the Leafs this past...
I can't delete my old blog from before the playoffs started. I've tried, and confirmed my request. But when I refresh my screen, or click on my profile again, there it is...staring me in the face like a bad tuna sandwich.
AArgh
Now who is ready for the season to start?
I apologize for the title, just horrible.... but it's rather lame so I decided to stick with it. The following is a prediction blog involving the Habs roster next season... I recently did this in the Habs forum but I'm just editing it and posting it on MyHB now.
Note: I'm just going to assume everyone plays 82 games to make it easier, but it obviously won't happen. Just...
Jimmert44 writes...
Which Western Conference team is ready to step it up?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
In my previous blog we took a look at the Eastern Conference teams that finished 9-15 in the standings and missed the post season. Now lets switch gears and look at the teams who missed out on the 06/07 playoffs in the Western Conference and what they have done to improve and take a playoff spot away from a team that made it last year.
#9) Colorado Avalanche
Looking...
Let me start this post by stating that I am a die hard Pens fan, a season ticket holder in fact, and I love this team. The positives are well known, and predictions are just that, but in my opinion the Pens are not built to win the Cup this year. The variables are impossible to predict, and who wins it all certainly can have an element of luck to it, especially if (in this...
Let's take some time to take a look at the best prospects of the organization. A few of them have a good chance of making the team right out of training camp.
The obvious one is [b]Nicklas Backstrom[/b] who is a very talented young Swede who was drafted 4th overall by the Caps in 2006. The 6'0'' 183 lb centerman should play on the second line with Alexander Semin and Vi...
I haven't blogged in awhile, but I can't sleep and I figured maybe somebody could get a laugh or groan out of some of this:
-Doug MacLean is part of the new ownership group of the Lightning. I hope for Tampa Bay fans that he leaves Jay Feaster alone. Feaster is a good GM, despite getting caught in a numbers issue with the big three. If MacLean forces him out, and replac...
By popular demand, I have decided to abandon the "Analyzing The Rangers" series and I will be moving on to bigger and better things. I am currently sitting on a coach bus with 50 of my friends on a trip to Niagara Falls from upstate New York. We left an hour ago and after the DVD player on the bus broke (we had Pirates II and Harry Potter IV) most of the guys went to sleep...
In the past...My Kings have come up short on the on the goaltending end. Every year the managment has brought in "has beens" or "never will be" goaltenders. Last year was a test after the "never will be" Cloutier failed us Mighty Kings fans, the Kings Management put their trust in another "never will be" Garon. Garon was injured or never fit into management scheme of thing...
The concept of bringing Michael Peca to the New York Rangers occurred to me for a minute last month, but I figured there would be no way something like that could [img:right]http://mapleleafs.nhl.info.pl/news/data/upimages/Michael_Peca_10.jpg[/img] get done. Not with the Rangers currently over the salary cap and not with the teams' commitment to the youth movement over the...
I woke up this morning, and for being August 15th, the air in Buffalo was crisp and cool; Albeit I woke up at 7:30am. I updated my blog, [url]http://www.pelicanfoul.net[/url], and I check the news everyday for my Sabre fix, as that's what Buffalonians do now a days. The Bills... who are the Bills?
This summer we have seen anger, disgust, sadness, retribution, joy, and e...
hockeyisgd writes...
Tony Amonte and the Linux Penguin (no, not Sidney Crosby)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
So after taking a slight beating in the last entry. I'd like to defend my list. There's reasons why I didn't pick certain teams over others. That's not to say that those teams will be great or what not. I respect all 30 franchises in the NHL, and did not look to disrespect anyone, in all honesty. In a list of 5 theres of course going to be teams that get snubbed.
Tony A...
The San Jose Sharks may very well resign Patrick Marleau before the start of the season , even though the word is the two sides are not talking contract right now. Marleau is up to his usual around here. Running the annual captains practices that have become tradition here in San Jose you would think Marleau feels very comfortable and is expecting the two sides will stay t...
In a galaxy far far......oh the hell with that. Everyone knows the Leafs haven't won a cup in 40 years but did you know that only 15 other teams since 1967 have won the cup in that 40 year period? Yep thats right only 15 different teams have won the cup in a 40 year period.
The New York Rangers went 54 years before winning it in 94. The Detroit Red Wings endured 42 ...
Ron Guillet writes...
Ron Guillet's Forecaster Special : The Buffalo Sabres
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Alright, folks. I've predicted players stats for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. Now I'm going to the Buffalo Sabres, a team I have lots of respect for and holds a distant #2 to my Leafs. The following is a prediction blog of the players on the Buffalo Sabres and how much goals and points I think they will accumulate.
*NOTE*: I'm just assuming everyone p...
Another sign that the 2007/2008 National Hockey League season is getting close is that the National TV schedules are starting to come out. The Buffalo Sabres have 7 games on versus which is 2nd most in the league behind Detroit.
[b]Versus[/b]
Toronto Maple Leafs-10/15
Washington Capitals-11/26
Boston Bruins-12/10
Tampa Bay Lightning-1/29
Philadelphia Flyers-2/...
[b] [u] By: Jon Cunningham[/u] [/b]
[i]Please note, all apostrophes show up as an 'a' with ^ above it. I didn't do it, sorry. [/i]
[b] [u] [i]Hello All![/i] [/u] [/i] [/b]
In this blog, I will examine all the NHL Teams major additions and subtractions during the off season, and examine if the team is better or worse because of it.
Each team will have a rating of...
[img]http://www.newsday.com/media/photo/2007-08/31894936.jpg[/img]
[img]http://cdn.nhl.com/islanders/images/upload/2007/08/jersey_1_article.jpg[/img]
DEFINING A HOCKEY HERO 2
The positive feed back I got from Hockey Hero 1 gave me strength to do a Hockey Hero 2. I will make my comments on the bottom of the blog. Please also give comments to the people who participated in the blog , because without them there would be no blog. I will also make a comment after each poster pick, now on with the picks.
Thf picke...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
2007 Philadlephia Flyers - And you may ask yourself...well
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]how did I get here?[/b] (Thank you David Byrne)
Good question. But first we have to look at where we came from.
How bad were the Flyers last year? Let's just say, that on many nights the Delta Dental Ice Girls would have scored shorthanded. I know many of you know these figures, but for those who do not, here are some of the lowlights:
22 wins. Only 10 win...
This blog has little to do with hockey but it has a bit to do with sports and life and our values. In the past few months a lot of things have happened within sports and ties to the real world that have me shaking my head.
Let's take a few examples of our sports stars/personalities, Michael Vick, Tim Donaghy, Mark Bell, Barry Bonds, any cyclist. What's the common t...
First off I have to say how much I enjoy hearing all of the updates that happen on this site. Even the Mike Peca ones. That's why I check in once or twice daily. However, with all due respect to everyone who's following the ongoing Peca saga, I'd like to shed a little light on the situation.
Mike Peca will not contribute greatly to a team this year. He hasn't done a...
So here's the problem. When I am at school at Purdue University during the winter, there are very few times where I can watch hockey (I can't buy the Center-Ice package because I live in the dorms). NBC tends to be the only time I can realistically watch hockey, and I had no problem with NBC until this past season. My beef with NBC is their game selection.
I probably ha...
With the 07-08 season on the rise, I wanted to post my predictions on the top 30 players in the league for scoring. I bet you can bet who is first on the list, I'd be totally and utterly insane not to put him there.
NOTE: I'm just going to assume everyone plays 82 games. But it ain't happening and I already know that, amigo's.
[u][b]Top 30 Scoring Leaders:[/b][/u]
1...
I know it maybe August, but my anticipation is growing for the coming season. I haven't seen many Predator blogs lately and I just wanted to know everyone's opinion on the Predators' lines for this upcoming season.
1. Sullivan-Arnott-Dumont
Pluses-This line has a lot of chemistry as they displayed last season. Arnott and Dumont's size helps to open up space for Sulliv...
Slasher98 writes...
Forecaster: TOP 25 d-men scoring leaders for 2007-08
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Top 25 d-men scoring leaders:
1.Sergei Gonchar PIT: 20 G 76 PTS
2.Nicklas Lidstrom DET: 12 G 74 PTS
3.Scott Niedermayer ANA: 13 G 73 PTS (should he decide not to retire)
4.Lubomir Vishnovsky LA: 21 G 71 PTS
5.Dan Boyle TB: 23 G 70 PTS
6.Chris Pronger ANA: 17 G 70 PTS
7.Tomas Kaberle TOR: 12 G 68 PTS
8.Ryan Whitney PIT: 19 G 67 PTS
9.Bryan McCabe TO...
Ah, home sweet home! I returned from my exciting trip to Niagara Falls at 5:00 AM this morning and I just woke up from my long nap that has left me fully recovered from my two sleepless nights on the coach bus. It was a great trip on which I was drenched as I stood under the American Falls, was scared out of my wits in the "Nightmares Fear Factory" haunted house, played mi...
[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...
CaptPantalones writes...
Prospect In Depth: Mike Weber, Sekera to the big club?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Buffalo Sabres continued to stock the farm system this week by adding another young player to the fold, agreeing to an entry level contract with Defenseman Mike Weber.
Weber, a 6-2, 199 pound defenseman was a physical force for the Windsor Spitfires the past few seasons, racking up 181 penalty minutes in 2005-06.
Weber has been compared to former Sabres defensema...
I was in the store the other day browsing around through video games. I saw on the shelf a bunch of "preorder now" signs for all of the upcoming EA Sports games. Then I saw it, NHL 2008. No different than any other NHL game since 2000, but still...updated rosters! Hurray!
Oh yes, and need I forget. Eric Staal on the cover??! Come on now.
Here's the deal: I'm a ...
I'm going to look at all six divisions, starting with the home of the Leafs, the Northeast Division.
NORTHEAST DIVISION:
Boston Bruins: The sad-sack Bruins have done little to improve their team from last season. The major upgrade was bringing in goalie Manny Fernandez from Minnesota; however, Fernandez may have inflated numbers due to time spent on the defensive-min...
I want to make a comment about all the Mark Bell talk this week. Every media person I've read this week has had nothing nice to say about the troubled winger, and even less to say about John Ferguson Jr. We all know I'm a leaf fan, so I may have bias towards them, but in no way do I agree with any of what is being said about Bell. The Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons wrote a...
Since it's the off-season, I feel like about a third of my social life has gone away.
There are so many people we see only during hockey season, so many activities that are directly a result of Preds games.
First there are our cellmates in Sections 303 and 304. They've been with us through wins, through losses, through that time Paul and I got to do an on-ice contest...
Okay...first let me say this is not a 'compare and contrast' article. The point of this post is not to bring up that people in Hamilton Ontario put down 14,000 deposits on tickets...the point here is to update you on the success we are having in a NON-TRADITIONAL hockey market...even with all that said I fully expect snide comments.
The team finished Thursday with a tot...
I personally think that the canucks have one of the if not strongest defence in the league. With Ohlund-Salo , Mitchell-Bieksa , Krajicek-Miller/Bourdon it's hard not to argue that it is very strong. Their defence in the future looks really good with 1st round pick Luc Bourdon may be cracking the starting lineup and Alex Edler a reliable callup from Manitoba. The Canucks h...
Dear Hockey Friends,
Without much input or blogging from our resident Ducks guy coupled with my nervous waiting for a couple of key decisions from the Ducks, I thought I would step in and pre-empt how I think the Ducks will likely start the season.
Kunitz - McDonald - Bertuzzi (the rookie Bobby Ryan may see some time)
May - Getzlaf - Perry
Moen - Pahlsson - R. Nied...
Top 20 goalies in wins:
1. Henrik Lundqvist NYR: 45 wins
2. J-S Giguere ANA: 44 wins
3. Miikka Kiprusoff CGY: 42 wins
4. Martin Brodeur NJ: 40 wins
5. Roberto Luongo VAN: 39 wins
6. M-A Fleury PIT: 39 wins
7. Evgeny Nabokov SJ: 38 wins
8. Ryan Miller BUF: 37 wins
9. Martin Biron PHI: 37 wins
10. Ray Emery OTT: 36 wins
11. Marty Turco DAL: 3...
Someone sent this to me but didn't want to post it for their own reasons. So, I am posting it for them. There are some good points here and it is posted without my editing.
***********
First of all I would like to thank Js and JP for the idea on my next blog. I get the greatest ideas on blogs sometime from being in the Chat Room.
Now on with the blog
I don’...
Alrighty, amigos. The following is my prediction for the 2008 NHL award winners. Some will be obvious, Mr.87, while some will be shocking... which is a good thing.
[b]President's Trophy[/b]: New York Rangers
[b]Prince of Wales[/b]: New York Rangers
[b]Clarence S. Campbell[/b]: Detroit Red Wings
[b]Art Ross Trophy[/b]: Sidney Crosby
[b]Calder Memorial Trophy[...
I don't know how those boxes got there.Sorry.
With just a couple of weeks left until training camp starts I thought I would write what I think the standings in the Western Conference would be if the teams would be if they were to use the players they had right now.
1.Anaheim Ducks
Additions: Shane Hnidy, Todd Bertuzzi, Mathieu Schneider, Dan Lacouture
Losses: Dus...
I know there has been a million blogs about the maple leafs' next season, but heres another one. The leafs made some moves this offseason, both good and bad. Many people say that next season's team is probably going to finish around 7th or 8th spot in the conference, but they don't know that last season's squad was actually around 4th before injuries caused them to sink do...
This evening, I find myself in Medford NJ. T-minus 10 hours until Van Halen tickets go on sale for Philadelphia. I will be going with fellow HockeyBuzzard Number23 and my brother. Look for us, we'll be the two fat guys standing next to the drunk guy in really good shape.
-Rick Tocchet got two years probation, which is pretty much what first offenders in the state of New...
I have heard many rumors on this site that the Oilers are not done making a splash, and are still looking to make a block-buster trade to bring in a #1 Center to play along Hemsky and Penner if that happens to be the #1 Line. The rumor is that the Oilers are willing to trade some defence to obtain a little offence. When I look at the Oilers defencemen I dont see any top nh...
After the 07/08 season the Maple Leafs will have 3 UFA's and 3 RFA's. Wellwood, Steen and Stajan being the RFA's and Sundin, Belak and Wozniewski being the UFA's. Wellwood was on pace for a 60 point season before a sports hernia stop him from playing now if he could reach that level or better would be sent an offer sheet? Yes and with the Leafs cap problem you can bet on ...
Paul Henderson scored the game winning goal in the final game of the Summit Series? I do, it was the day that hockey grabbed me by the shorts and is still taking me for a ride this day. I was born and bred in Toronto, and even though I was just growing into a leaf fan I wasn't quite there yet. On September 28th, 1972, my dad and I were waiting on the Long Branch platfor...
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...
CaptPantalones writes...
Martin's deal a bar for Campbell? And Belfour to Sweden
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
With the New Jersey devils getting Paul Martin signed to a 3 year, $11.5 million deal this week, the bar continues to be set for the status of next years free agent defenseman. For Sabres fans, that means, what will become of Brian Campbell?
Campbell is coming off a great 2006-07, where he had 48 points and set career highs for goals. After seeing the kind of deals defe...
mob_slapman writes...
Economic Impact sports facilities (arenas, stadiums)
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Much is being made of Nashvilles support levels for the Predators coming from various levels of government. Some might be suggesting that Nashvillians don't truly support their team if they don't want to see tax dollars spent on it. Of course, it should be remembered that CANADIANS didn't want to see their tax dollars going to fund hockey teams either. In this blog I ...
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...
The Big Bad Bears? Projection Of The Boston Bruins
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
With the Leafs, Habs and Sabres done for player predictions, I'd like to move now to the Bruins, a northeast rival. While the Bruins flipped a page in the history books for a new era last season, they found out it was all for not and they landed in last place in the northeast division and missed the playoffs for the second season in a row. The acquisition of Zdeno Chara pr...
A few other wierd functions that I see at games of all different types of sports is the two factors that differ so much from just men going to sporting events. They each contribute their own caliber of uniqueness to them which adds to the equation of the great atmosphere (in most cases) that you pay X amount of dollars to go see.
Don't get me wrong, people watching at w...
I was talking to a few friends this afternoon about the upcoming hockey season. It was enjoyable discussion and while resting in my bed shortly after, I found myself thinking about the Rangers and even imagining different goals that could be scored. At some point I noticed that I had a familiar feeling in my stomach. For those of you who dont know what Im talking about, I...
Early in the post season Jim Rutherford was very active in trying to acquire one Joni Pitkanen. Obviously he would have like to employ his puck moving abilities and youth to a fairly stay-at-home veteran D-Corps.
As everyone knows, Rutherford did not land Pitkanen, the Oilers did. The man who was on the trading block, Niclas Wallin, remains a 'Cane. It wasn't that th...
In my last blog I mentioned the dream job that I had growing up in my home town of Toronto. I sold ice cream bars in the house the Conn Smythe built.
It was rare that I would get a chance to work the golds, this was a usually a position held for the more senior people, but on a few occasions I ended up here. On one such occasion the section of golds I worked was right...
After taking a break from the "Analyzing the Rangers" series for a week, I decided it was time to bring it back and analyze the defense. Defense is clearly the weakness of the Rangers and it should be interesting to break down the six players who I believe will make it into the lineup. As usual, all comments are welcome. Part 6, Here we go:
Left Defense: #8 Marek Malik
...
A lot has been happening in the hockey world over the past few weeks. Many signings that will set the direction of clubs for some time as long contracts seem to be the off season flavor.
The Islanders have been making waves by signing Guerin, Fedetenko, Sim, Comrie, Sutton, and Vasicek. This is a major overhaul for a club that squeezed into the show last year and is lo...
A lot has been happening in the hockey world over the past few weeks. Many signings that will set the direction of clubs for some time as long contracts seem to be the off season flavor.
The Islanders have been making waves by signing Guerin, Fedetenko, Sim, Comrie, Sutton, and Vasicek. This is a major overhaul for a club that squeezed into the show last year and is lo...
[img:left]http://mapleleafs.nhl.info.pl/news/data/upimages/Michael_Peca_10.jpg[/img]I don't really have a lot of time to write this blog, I just got back from my grandparents after a long weekend of putting a new roof on the barn here in beautiful Nova Scotia. It was miserable all weekend, it absolutely poored all weekend. I finally got a chance to go for a walk on the bea...
[img:left]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20060210/leafs_78377.jpg[/img]I thought it was important for somebody here to give Ed Belfour kudos on his wonderful career. Reports are saying that Belfour is likely to sign a contract with Leksand of the Swedish Elite League ending Belfours 18 year National Hockey League career, for the time being at least.
Belfour a nati...
In the past, the Eastern Conference's most feared division was the Northeast division, which consisted of the Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, The Toronto Maple Leafs, the Montreal Canadiens, and the Boston Bruins.
However, due to an eventful free agency, the division of [b]Devils, Penguins, NY Rangers, Islanders, and Flyers[/b] are going to be extremely tough to beat....
Although I don't doubt a single division is capable of locking down 5 of the 8 playoff slots, I tend to think even if so it wouldn't be the Atlantic. Last year, all but the Flyers made a show in the playoffs. The Devs and Pens each finished well up in the standings, while the Rangers and Islanders just slipped in towards the last week of the season.
The hardest part...
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...
Last Friday the Bluejackets got a big surprise. Alexander Svitov had signed an 3 year deal with Avangard Omsk of the RSL. This was after he inked a 2 year extension with the Bluejackets in July.
This really throws a wrench into Hitchcock's plans for the team this year. Up until Hitchcock took over, Svitov never really reached his viewed potential. Once Hitch took over th...
saneopinion writes...
Flame assests to trade and my take on eklund's trade rumors
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Prior to training camp it seems that the Flames are set in terms of what they have and need to the point where there is an abundance of players and depth that could be acquired from them with out any real damage to the line up.
It's obvious the flames are stocking up at center, as I previously wrote how do you find spaces for Langkow, Conroy, Lombardi, Yelle with Taratuki...
It's hard not to agree that the canucks are stacked on defence. This season coming should be a good one for goals against with these pairings: Bieksa-Mitchell Ohlund-Salo Krajicek-Miller/Bourdon. the canucks defence last season combined for the most goals by a blueline in the league. Bieksa and Mitchell were spectactular last season establishing a name for themselves as a ...
It is nearing September and San Jose still has no back-up for Nabokov. The likely candidates are Thomas Greiss and Dimitri Patzold. The goalie system in San Jose is one of the very best. This year however it seemed to me that the Sharks would sign a veteran back-up. With the loss of Vesa Toskala it seems Nabokov will take most of the load next season. A great end to the se...
When you think of the word Captain for the sabres, you think without a doubt the likes of Chris Drury and Danny Briere from last year. When you think for this coming season who will be the captain you are left wondering who would be the best to fit the role. Would there be another co-captain duo this year as there was last year? My guess would be as good as yours. However,...
BuffaloMat writes...
What cities do you think should be the two expansion cities?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
A lot of talk has gone on about how the two cities who should get the expansion teams when they do actually come out with them is Las Vegas and Kansas City. I don't see how either of these cities really should get a team considering they are both considered low in the ratings pools for popular sports cities. Don't get me wrong I know KC loves their Royals and their Chiefs....
duckyjets writes...
Why dont the Oilers play their young talent more.....
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I have been posting this question on other oilers blogs that I have seen recently. I just do not understand why Kevin Lowe and MacT dont play their young talened players more then they do. When I look around the NHL and see teams like Chicago, Buffalo, Anaheim, L.A and many others giving their young players a shot at the big show and the oilers ignoring theirs leaving them...
Let me start this blog with one thing... START THE SEASON!!!!
The Flyers as we stand now have made tons of great moves to improve their team. Whether you feel they overpaid for players or whatever the case may be, their team right now is a complete 180 from last season, if they click.
The additions of Briere, Hartnell, and Lupul really add great depth and skill to ...
Nolanitis writes...
2007-08 NY Islanders: A year to prove the hockey world wrong
Posted Monday | Comments 0
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 ...
[b]THE CALGARY FLAMES GET IT[/b]
I thought I would write another blog on what is really important in life. Most of these players understand what is really important for the NHL. You see the players understand that no how many records they break, or how many goals they score, it doesn’t matter if there are no fans to watch them! I am going to share some stories that sh...
Quick update before I hit the sack:
It has been reported that today, Peca will decide which team he will be playing on for the 2007-08 season.
http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/hockey/rangers/blog
The three teams involved now and their odds of them acquiring him IMO are:
Rangers: 46%
Leafs: 32%
Jackets: 17%
Other: 5%
It should be an intersting day, Im go...
After I wrote and posted this blog only to realize that I hadnt signed in and would have to re-write it, I realized that I need some sleep. So Im going to quickly get this out before I hit the sack.
Peca will reported decide today regarding which team he will be playing on for the 2007-08 season.
http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/hockey/rangers/blog
This comes as...
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
1) New York Rangers (110)
2) Ottawa Senators (107)
3) Atlanta Thrashers (99)
4) Pittsburgh Penguins (108)
5) Buffalo Sabres (104)
6) New Jersey Devils (98)
7) Toronto Maple Leafs (95)
8) Philadelphia Flyers (93)
-----------------------------------
9) Carolina Hurricanes (92)
10) Montreal Canadiens (91)
11) Tampa Bay Lightning (86)
12) Flori...
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...
[img:left]http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sports/nash_rick050507.jpg[/img] [b][u]Overview[/b][/u]
[b]Name:[/b] Rick Nash #61
[b]DOB:[/b] Jun 16, 1984
[b]Born:[/b] Brampton, Ont., Canada
[b]HT:[/b] 6-4 [b]WT:[/b] 215
[b]Drafted:[/b] 1st overall in 2002
Columbus Blue Jackets
[b]2006/2007 Season Totals:[/b]
75 GP | 27 G | 30 A | 57 PTS | -8 | 73 PIM |
[b]Awar...
Let me start this blog with one thing... START THE SEASON!!!!
The Flyers as we stand now have made tons of great moves to improve their team. Whether you feel they overpaid for players or whatever the case may be, their team right now is a complete 180 from last season, if they click.
The additions of Briere, Hartnell, and Lupul really add great depth and skill to ...
naslund91 writes...
Linden Signing not about numbers, but about playing time?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Is it possible that Trevor Linden is delaying this contract status to show to Vigneault that benching Linden for so many games last year was a mistake?
If Canucks fans can remember, Linden was benched lots throughout the season, even after a 2 goal game, even after one of his best games of the season. When he was put with the Sedins, he had many chances, hit the post a ...
I have been sitting at the computer all day waiting for some news on Peca. According to his agent, Peca will reported decide today regarding which team he will be playing on for the 2007-08 season. If the Rangers, who many consider to be the front runner in the Peca sweeps, do not get back to Peca today he will walk away from the Rangers and sign elsewhere.
http://webl...
Ron Guillet writes...
The Wang Enterprise : Projection Of The New York Islanders
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Alrighty, brotha's and sista's. With the Leafs, Habs, Sabres, Bruins and now Sens done in the projection departement, I thought I'd turn my attention to the Islanders. An orginization which has been the peak of many hockey jokes, kind of the like the Spanish News Team but IMO wrongfully so. They fought the odds last season and shut the door on my lovely Leafs and the clima...
-Alex Tanguay
-Kristian Huselius
-Anders Eriksson
-Matthew Lombardi
All these players fall onto the same criteria as each other, Soft Players. Players that have splendid talents in other aspects of the game but wont be known for hitting, checking, and outworking the opponent. They also fall under another label; players one would never expect to remain on the hard w...
Hey everyone. In the next few weeks I am going to do a series of blogs that will introduce you to a few key Sharks players. I feel some of the young talent that San Jose has on it's roster is not recognized by the media as much as some of the other teams. I understand that being on the West Coast many people can't catch a Sharks game, including the media. I am not one to r...
The Bill Watters Show has reported that Peca will not sign with the Leafs. Peca's agent Don Meehan has stated that it is not about the money and the Leafs did not feel that Peca would be right for the team. It is now down to the Rangers and Blue Jackets. If a deal is not struck today with the Rangers, Peca will not sign with them. Columbus is the only other option as of no...
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 ...
John Dellapina reports that Don Meehan, agent for Michael Peca, never recieved an offer from the Rangers.
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/rangers/
Peca is now down to the Columbus Blue Jackets and possibly another team which is not known. I say this because Blueshirt Bulletin reported that Meehan stated that he had two offers that he would look at and decide on by week...
As a not-so-silent observer, I love the sense at HB that bigger and better things are just around the bend. It is exciting to be part of something that is truly living and breathing and evolving before us - EK keep up the pressure to constantly reinvent this place for there is nothing like it anywhere else. Now onto the changes that occurred recently.
[b]The People:[/b]...
Depth isn't all that Michael Peca will provide the Blue Jackets, and what a good thing it is.
It was reported tonight by the Columbus Dispatch and the NY Daily News that Peca's agent, Don Meehan, and Columbus GM Scott Howson are finalizing a one-year contract. Terms are not immediately available.
The official annoucement is expected Wednesday morning.
Peca's remar...
I'm just going to list the top players from each team and compare, at the end if any oiler fan can tell me on that they can be certain the Oilers are a better team let me know.
top centers:
Sykora 53 points..oops sorry guys couldn't pay him enough to play there either should I move on to Nylander?? EEERRRR my bad, let me start over.
Top Centers:
Horcoff- 16 g 35a 5...
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Today Sidney Crosby was in town at a press conference in a Sport Chek store in Mississauga. I got my first glimpse of Crosby in person.
This morning Reebok and NHL Most Valuable Player, Sidney Crosby, teamed up to reveal the latest Fall 2007 apparel, footwear and hockey equipment under the Rbk SC87 brand name. All items within this collection feature the SC87 shiel...
So, hubby is running a Yahoo Fantasy NHL league again this year, and he wants me to join.
I'm not sure that's such a good idea.
I joined the league last year, and it was a blast. I got to trash talk his co-workers and learn a lot more about the NHL. I even managed to draft many of my beloved Predators for my team.
It is for the sake of the Predators, though, that ...
Apparently My HB won't let me reply on my own blog, so I'll attempt to do that to as many comments as I can here. I always make the time to try and reply to anyone who stops by and asks what's going through my head.
[b]1. What becomes of the Ducks if Selanne and Niedermayer retire?[/b]
First of all, I should state, as it wasn't articulated well in this post, that I w...
With a simple flick of the wrist, everything on the west coast was settled. For now, Trevor Linden returning to the Vancouver Canucks line-up for yet another season simply eases the pain in waiting for the next debacle as the faithful wait for the arrival of yet another jersey. When training camp begins, Trevor Linden will bring a sense of stability to a line-up that for t...
In the final edition of the Peca blog series, TSN has confirmed the Michael Peca has reached an agreement on a 1 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets that will be officially anounced later today. This ends a 3 week saga where he was involved with the Rangers, Sabres and Leafs. His signing is welcomed in Columbus, a team that just lost a forward, Svitov, to Russia. The ...
K. Lee has been doing an excellent series of blogs regarding the Sens all time team, and a lot of people have followed suit and posted their own all time teams full of the best players. It got me thinking that yeah, a team with Lecavlier, Crosby and Heatley would be nice, but it's been done. Therefore, I've decided to come up with the team that would draw the most pen...
We got a taste of the 8 game series last year, no matter what division your team is in. I know that every time we played the Devils, Flyers, Islanders and Pittsburgh, everything about the game was intense; the fans, the players.. just the overall mood in the games.
This off season, there have been many significant changes to the teams in our division.. Let's start off w...
[img:left]http://images.sportsnetwork.com/hockey/nhl/allsport/toronto/lindros_eric2.jpg[/img]The key question is truly, can all 6 ft 4 240 pound Eric Lindros still be the deciding factor in sixty-minutes like he was from 92 to 99. Lindros collected a considerable amount of attention, rightfully so. In the 95/96 season he collected 115 points (47G, 68A), the year previous h...
Nashcity writes...
Has the game changed or do we just lack superstars?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It is no secret that overall scoring has dropped in the NHL over the past 20 years, and while there are many factors as to why this is the case, the majority of hockey experts will say that the biggest reason this has happened is that the game has changed. What was once a wide open game dominated by skill and speed has now often become a chess match between coaches and the...
BuffaloMat writes...
How many Sabres fans think Quinn should leave town?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This has been a fun debate for the past few months. I know a lot of people say things out of anger but really don't mean what they say. So, what do you really mean? Let's find out how many people support Quinn for the actions he has done this past off season with the Sabres.
I could show a lot of facts that might sway someone's decision a certain way, but that's not ri...
I think it would be fun to get together with the Buffalo fans from this site in a offical bar/restaurant Hockey Buzz get together. It would be the place where other HB posters/bloggers could get together if they're not going to that particular game (or an away game) and just hang out and watch some hockey. Bring whoever you want with you that you usually get together with ...
OK I will bite on this a little bit.
First to a couple of the other Oilers posters who replied on sanes blog:
1. Tanguay was a good acquisition, especially since the Flames gave up a D-man who played what 10 games last year. I think he played more with Iginla down the stretch and was effective.
2. Second Kipper won't be going somewhere to market himself, the spo...
Ron Guillet writes...
The Fire Burns : Projection Of The Calgary Flames
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Howdy my hockeybuzz fella's! I'm here to bring you another projection of another team, by the name of the Calgary Flames. A team which holds a tiny particle of my heart next to the other particle which is the Buffalo Sabres and the core, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Flames have done some decent moves this off-season: They've added Adrian Aucoin, Anders Eriksson, Owen Nolan...
Many Americans like baseball. This cannot be because it is an exciting sport to watch, because it is not. It is slow-paced, even in the rare event of an exciting play, the play itself might last all of 45 seconds, followed by 5 minutes of no action, then a return to the dull routine. teams can go hours without any offensive activity, and only the most routine and basic ...
Nashcity writes...
When building from the net out isn't the right philosophy
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Building from the net out is something you'll hear from time to time from general managers trying to combine all the elements of their managing philosophy into a nice, easy to understand sentence that most hockey fans can understand. How I understand it is this: When you are looking to improve your team, start with the goaltender and move on out - as if this is an order of...
With news that Michael Peca will be heading to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the blame definitely lies on the shoulders of JFJ.
In Peca, the Leafs have lost a top-notch penalty killer, one-time Selke winner, and a guy who can play a solid defensive game; in other words, he was the kind of player the Leafs desperately needed.
In Matt Stajan and Alex Steen, the Leafs have...
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 ...
[img:right][b]IF I COULD TURN BACK [/b][/img]TIME?
Boy, if managers only knew! Every manager has made a bad transaction or trade. For this blog, I polled some of my friends to name the most memorable, horrible trades made by our beloved gm’s. I will be using their quotes with permission and of course putting my two cents worth at the end.
Jbug
That’s real...
[b]IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME?[/b]
Boy, if managers only knew! Every manager has made a bad transaction or trade. For this blog, I polled some of my friends to name the most memorable, horrible trades made by our beloved gm’s. I will be using their quotes with permission and of course putting my two cents worth at the end.
Jbug
That’s really a no brainer. ...
hockeyisgd writes...
More Peca talk, from a Blue Jackets fan's perspective
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
When I first heard there was an e3 rumor that Michael Peca was comming to Columbus, I kind of got a little excited. Now that he's signed I really have some mixed emotions about him being on the Jackets.
Why I like Michael Peca as a Blue Jacket
It seems to me that every year, that the Jackets are a team that look like they can be a decent team on paper, but it never tr...
So here you are Harrah's is ready to make the push. With a CSI mastermind loving the game can it be that far fetched that we will have the NHL in Vegas? VIP suites at ice level.... a 300 million ice making machine and slots on the bench.
Rest assured hockey in Vegas will change the way the rest of the NHL showcases itself.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/bas...
CBJ09 writes...
An Overhead View of the 2007-2008 Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
How many days until training camp opens? Ahhh....too many, of course. It's 95 degrees in Columbus and the only thing representing hockey season is my order form for a new RBK Edge jersey.
I'm usually guilty of doing this too much, but for the sake of excitement surrounding the past 24 hours, I'll take a look at the "on paper" Columbus Blue Jackets.
[b]FORWARD LINES[...
CBJ09 writes...
An Overhead View of the 2007-2008 Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
How many days until training camp opens? Ahhh....too many, of course. It's 95 degrees in Columbus and the only thing representing hockey season is my order form for a new RBK Edge jersey.
I'm usually guilty of doing this too much, but for the sake of excitement surrounding the past 24 hours, I'll take a look at the "on paper" Columbus Blue Jackets.
[b]FORWARD LINES[...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
The Flyers' Young Guns - Spotlight on Jeff Carter
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The great [b]Sir Winston Churchill[/b] once wrote about Jeff Carter saying, he is "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma." Ok...so he was actually writing about Russia during his radio address in 1939; BUT, he [u]could[/u] have been writing about [b]Jeff Carter[/b]...couldn't he?
This young man, of only 22 years old, was born on January 1, 1985 in London, On...
With this being my first blog entry at Hockeybuzz, I figured I'd start by doing a general outline of the Canucks in the offseason and the team at its current state.
The team, even though they finished top of the Northwest Division (Typically considered the most balanced, if not hardest, division in the league. Though I'd have probably given hardest to Pacific), we...
By a round of applause how many Sharks fans are happy with the work done this summer ? I know some people like to see trades and big UFA signings just to see something change. I myself am not a fan of doing something just to do something.A good example is to look at the San Francisco Giants. They did just that and signed Barry Zito to a ludacris $126 million contract and l...
If there is one team the Detroit Red Wings need to be looking out for in the rear view mirror, it’s the St. Louis Blues, and this year, the Blues are much closer than they appear. No, the Blues won’t contend for a Cup (at least not for a couple more years) but for the time being, they have a real shot at making life hard for the Red Wings in a very weak Central Divisi...
BuffaloMat writes...
Sabres Roster Nostalgia 91-92 Part 1: Alexander Mogilny
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nhl/buffalo/MogilnyBuf.jpg[/img]
When I think of my childhood with growing up with the Sabres, the best time watching them was when I was about 9 years old. My first memories about watching the Sabres were at a time when they played when I was in bed. My mother would wake me up (Obviously they weren't late games but I was young!)...
I will continue with the seemingly endless series in an effort to get reach the preseason without taking a break from writing. Unfortunately, there has been no news as of late and the well has been dry ever since the Peca signing. I have joined as an official Rangers blogger on a site that my friend put up a few days ago and if anybody is interested, the site is: http://th...
The past few weeks have been a bit rough for me. I fell and gave myself a nice little concussion. My youngest kid turned one and for some reason we decided to hold the party at our house. Work has been like an avalanche. My Xbox died and took 3 weeks to get repaired by Microsoft. The wife and I had been butting heads a bit over these and other stressers.
I don't go into...
It just seems like it was yesterday when the philadelphia flyers ended their 40th anniversity season in hell.
Since then it seems like it all but heaven for flyers and their fans.
41 more days until we all can say "Game On"
I've been thinking a lot lately about our upcoming Blueshirts.. some have only played a few games in the big league, while continuing to dominate the minor leagues, but I am curious what you all think about the following.
[b]Dawes[/b] - Small guy, but great hands. He's a pure goal scorer..
[b]Staal[/b] - Big guy, an offensive-defenseman from what I've read/seen... perh...
Sources tell Channel 7 WKBW-TV in Buffalo that the NHL has completed plans for an outdoor game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on New Years Day. The official announcement will come in early September.
http://www.wkbw.com/sports/9345086.html
[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...
[img:left]http://www.scholarships.ed.ac.uk/images/canada_flag.jpg[/img]
[b] Best of wishes to Team Canada, and the coaching staff over in Russia for the Super Series between Canada and Russia, starting on Monday. I'd like to personally say thank-you to all the players/coaching staff that are over in Russia that are going into a war with the Rus...
Well, it's official (according to wgr) that Ralph Wilson Stadium will said the Ice Bowl January 1st against Sid and the Pens. Nice for Buffalo to (finally) host a "big" event. It hosted an ASG at the Aud in 78. And don't forget Hull's contraversial Stanley Cup goal.
Well, it's official (according to wgr) that Ralph Wilson Stadium will said the Ice Bowl January 1st against Sid and the Pens. Nice for Buffalo to (finally) host a "big" event. It hosted an ASG at the Aud in 78. And don't forget Hull's contraversial Stanley Cup goal.
I do a weekly piece on WCCO-AM [the clear channel to the UPPER Midwest (U.S.) and do a piece called THE ANGRY MINUTE. A couple weeks back i covered the crazy rate at which Americans, last year, are leaving for Canada twice the normal rate (sic) ...
All things considered, i empathized... so I played the ENTIRE version of "Oh! Canada! " anthem, after some COMMENT of cou...
I do a weekly piece on WCCO-AM [the clear channel to the UPPER Midwest (U.S.) and it's called THE ANGRY MINUTE. A couple weeks back i covered the crazy rate at which Americans, last year, are leaving for Canada twice the normal rate (sic) ...
All things considered, sometimes we empathize... so, I played the ENTIRE version of the "Oh! Canada! " anthem, Stanley Cup Play...
ExtraB writes...
Yzerman Was My Role Model But Are Role Models Dead Today?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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In a previous blog post I talked about the holy grail of sports cards, a 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card, which sold for a record breaking $2.35 million. The holy grail of hockey cards is considered to be the 1911-12 Georges Vezina hockey rookie card which sold for a record breaking $100K. You can read the article at:
http://www.hockeyheadquarters.com/articles/vezina...
Ok, a month or two ago, I was reading that Pete was going to play for his father's league back in Sweden...What happened?
TSN.com is reporting that Ottawa and Vancouver are now in a "race" to pick up this injury-prone forward from his one year stint in Nashville after being dealt away by the Philadelphia Flyers. His career is winding down, and I honestly think that if h...
Now that Drury and Briere are gone, and preseason is less than a month away, let's play a little game to get to know our new team! The 07-08 Buffalo Sabres.
We sometimes forget that off the ice, these are real people...people a lot like you and me. Some of us share more qualities with certain Sabres than others. Which Sabre are you most like?
Grade yourself in eac...
For all you Flame fans, I'm here to break the news that the emerging offensive Flame defenseman is off to hone his skills in Russia. According to a very close source to the situation, the Flames are opting to go with a veteran line-up and a run for the cup. Giordano a RFA, was offered a two way deal to stay with the Flames for half of the $800,000 he will receive in Russia...
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...
Ron Guillet writes...
Stanley Cup Bound : Projection Of The Vancouver Canucks
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
With the Vancouver Canucks making the Western Conference Final last season, under the guidance of newly acquired Roberto Luongo, is it unrealistic to expect a Stanley Cup appearence? Will Vancouver be the fourth canadian team to make the Stanley Cup Finals in the last four appearences? This Leafs fan thinks so.
After missing the playoffs in 05-06 the Canucks found thems...
[img]http://assets.buffalobills.com/images/tickets/stadium_views_map_07a.gif[/img]
This is the map of the seating at The Ralph before I get into the tailgating aspect of it I would like to point out that There will be more seats than people think. The stadium field has a lot of potential to be shrunk down to fit more people so it can fit the rink as well.
Since ...
To escape from the high heat and high humidity in the Boston area yesterday, I decided what better then go see a live game. So I hop in my air conditioned car and drive 2 and a half hours north to Lewiston, Maine and watch the Lewiston Maineiacs play the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in a QMJHL pre-season game. While being a pre-season game most of the drafted players were not ...
I've finally returned home to good old Manitoba, it was quite the journey. The flight from Halifax to Toronto was alright, we flew over Niagara Falls. The flight from Toronto to Winnipeg was spectacular, especially the service. Although the day didn't go as planned when it came to getting into Winnipeg waiting for my luggage turns out is was left in Toronto and I never rec...
Well actually yesterday 8/25/07 marked the 2 year anniverasry of the Buffalo Sabres obtaining defenseman Toni Lydman from the Calgary Flames for a mear 3rd round selection in the 2006 draft (C-John Armstrong) . With this acquisition the Sabres were able to form the #1 tandem of Tallinder - Lydman.
Here is a Toni's stats as a Sabre:
[u]Regular season[/u]
142 GP 3 G 33...
I love hockey for it's crazy and totally unpredictable nature, anyone who's played sports select here in Canada (there's legalized betting here) and tried to bet 12 games in the N.H.L. on any given night knows what I mean. Try and guess four and if you do you'll impress me! Heading into any game are hundreds of intagibles, from injuries to sickness, to back to back games t...
A lot of people seem to frequently ignore Florida. Tucked away down there, miles away from ice, snow, and some might even suggest fans. However, despite how easy it is to dismiss it because of location, they actually have the makings of a good team and an excellent shot and making the playoffs this year.
For one, their division remains one of the weakest in hocke...
For some inexplicable reason, the Blues are considering changing the song they play after the Blues score. Thankfully, they’ve let the fans decide between a new song and the old one, so PLEASE VOTE FOR THE OLD SONG!!! Here's the link. If you're really adamant, you can return to the Blues home page, find the link on the page, and vote again.
http://blues.nhl.com/team/a...
For some inexplicable reason, the Blues are considering changing the song they play after the Blues score. Thankfully, they’ve let the fans decide between a new song and the old one, so PLEASE VOTE FOR THE OLD SONG!!! Here's the link. If you're really adamant, you can return to the Blues home page, find the link on the page, and vote again.
http://blues.nhl.com/team/a...
So here it is, long-delayed and much fussed-over, the sequel to "Captain Crosby and the Penguins of Tomorrow." As an author's note, I'd like to thank everyone who's contributed a kind word or link to the first entry, including Seth Rorabaugh over at Empty Netters.
For the uninitiated, please read the first part of the script first.
Comments, as always, are welcome.
...
There is always a lack
when your teams under attack
because the defence are able to fly by
the pressure is thick
and the umberlla is set
and the powerplay is under way
a shot block is nice
when your protecting the net
the diamond position and collapsing D
are the recipe for who you need
oh yes indeed
we need the King of the Penalty Kill
Now its getting t...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Another of the Flyers' Young Guns: Mike Richards
Posted Monday | Comments 0
"Always do everything you ask of those you command."
-George S. Patton, Jr.
As some of you may know, I am a huge fan of General George S. Patton, Jr. He was a true leader in every sense of the word. He was a fearless warrior, a surprisingly thoughtful philosopher, a tortured historian with many former lives, a sometimes unstable egomaniac and an incredibly brillian...
With hockey season just around the corner (finally something other than baseball to watch!) I was hoping to brainstorm ways to get non-fans interested in our beloved sport. One of the problems the NHL faces when it comes to network television is smaller audiences. Due to the lack of marketing, hockey has fallen to a niche sport (please note I know its still boss in Canada...
Yin and yang, up and down, good and bad, a GM's job is full of contrast. A GM needs to manage winning now without losing in the future. For Philadelphia's Paul Holmgren this is no different. Last year with our beloved Flyers finishing last in the NHL Homer was tasked with getting the Flyers back on track fast without hurting the future of the franchise. Did he do it? ...
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...
On monday forsberg met with the flyers management in the philadelphia area trying to work out a deal with forsberg that would maybe bring him back to the flyers and keep them under the cap and there is still a possibility that umberger or gauthier can be traded to free cap space.
[b]PLAYERS YOU LOVE TO HATE[/b]
This blog is part one of two. The idea came from steal_your_faceoff who will be known here as syf. Each of the friends below has suggested two names of players we love to hate; as usual I will leave my two cents worth at the end.
[b]SYF[/b]
SYF's first pick was Darius Kasparaitis, for that famed hipcheck (legal...yes) on Eric L...
It is the management's responsibility to the owners and to the fans you pay the tickets to keep salary to a minimum, it is the player's agents responsibility to get as much for their clients as possible. If we are to look at the Giordano signing in Russia for a minute and get past the initial shock of it we know a few things, that the flames were offering around just over ...
I decided to write on something else besides hockey. I watched UFC 74 this past sat. and i have to tell you the amount of things that goes on into this even is amazing. This event goes to show why MMA in more popular than hockey at least in the States. the way they cater to the fans and provide a venue that allows people to meet the fighter is great. Hockey brass should lo...
I decided to write on something else besides hockey. I watched UFC 74 this past sat. and i have to tell you the amount of things that goes on into this even is amazing. This event goes to show why MMA in more popular than hockey at least in the States. the way they cater to the fans and provide a venue that allows people to meet the fighter is great. Hockey brass should lo...
I decided to write on something else besides hockey. I watched UFC 74 this past sat. and i have to tell you the amount of things that goes on into this even is amazing. This event goes to show why MMA in more popular than hockey at least in the States. the way they cater to the fans and provide a venue that allows people to meet the fighter is great. Hockey brass should lo...
I decided to write on something else besides hockey. I watched UFC 74 this past sat. and i have to tell you the amount of things that goes on into this even is amazing. This event goes to show why MMA in more popular than hockey at least in the States. the way they cater to the fans and provide a venue that allows people to meet the fighter is great. Hockey brass should lo...
On a hot humid day, whilst workmen tear apart the house, I have some random thoughts.....
-Forsberg and Holmgren go golfing? Didn't talk about a return? C'mon Paulie, I love ya big guy, but if you didn't discuss Forsberg's intentions for next year, then I am the Tooth Fairy.
-There's nothing worse than having an umkempt house when people arrive. With two kids and bot...
I decided to write on something else besides hockey. I watched UFC 74 this past sat. and i have to tell you the amount of things that goes on into this even is amazing. This event goes to show why MMA in more popular than hockey at least in the States. the way they cater to the fans and provide a venue that allows people to meet the fighter is great. Hockey brass should lo...
There's been a ton of talk that the Habs and Sharks have talked about a trade that would send Patrick Marleau to the Habs, but speaking with a few sources, I've been told that the Predators, Oilers and the Sabres are also interested, and have offered better packages for Marleau.
Also, just because the Sharks are listening to offers for Marleau, does that really mean th...
Once again the hockey season looms in front of us, creating an air of anticipation and excitement. Every year at this time, players are finishing their individual training and preparing for their team's pre-season camp, while fans are left sitting on their hands waiting for the season to start. We pointlessly discuss unimportant topics of where JS Aubin will sign and whe...
It goes without saying that with no scoring, you likely won't win many games. Coming into last year's campaign, the Blue Jackets and their fans believed en groupe that they boasted a group of forwards that could rival any in the West. On paper, Rick Nash, Sergei Fedorov, David Vyborny, Anson Carter, Fredrik Modin and Nikolai Zherdev looked like an offense that could outsco...
Well, this week starting off with the rumors, there's a lot. Well the one rumor I'm hearing al lot is Jason Allison. I heard from my most reliable source that the Islanders will either sign him this week or invite him to training camp. I feel they are more likely to sign him then invite him. The reason for that is because Jason put up tremendous numbers in the 2005-06 seas...
Starting off with the rumors, there's a lot this week.The one rumor I'm hearing a lot is Jason Allison. I heard from my most reliable source that the Islanders will either sign him this week or invite him to training camp. I feel they are more likely to sign him then invite him. The reason for that is because Jason put up tremendous numbers in the 2005-06 season playing on...
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...
The success of the Leafs in 2007-08 could be influenced by their new players. There are three notable new faces in particular- forwards Jason Blake and Mark Bell, and goaltender Vesa Toskala. But how good or bad will they be? What influence will they hold over the team? Time to look at the pros and cons of Toronto's offseason pickups.
[b][u]VESA TOSKALA[/u][/b]
[img]ht...
Whats the issue really. I'm not exactly writing a blog on this one. But I want your thoughts on why Toronto wants to dump this guy so bad.
Me personaly cap space, but who knows it could be just because they want more depth upfront. Of course I see no purpose to trading Kubina if all the Leafs plan on doing is signing Tony Salmaleinen. Which personally I'm excited about ...
If there is one thing this off-season has taught me is that teams, even with a salary cap, won't be afraid to throw big money around to get what they need. That being said the next off-season should be interesting for the New York Rangers. Unless he's signed to an extension at some point this year, Henrik Lundqvist will be a free agent next summer and how embarrassing will...
I don't think goaltending has ever been this good in the NHL. Sure, there have been times when it has been better at the top end of the list, but the depth going into the 2007-08 season may be at an all-time high. These guys have the ability to carry their team on their back, and single-handedly steal hockey games on any given night. In the playoffs, they can be the single...
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...
I have found a bunch of pictures of about 1/2 of teams new look Jerseys wil or might look like for the upcoming season.
Here are the links to the jerseys. Some look official and some are concepts. Some are nice and some are garbage. Cast your votes for best & worst.
[b]UPDATE(s)[/b] Leafs & Nucks
[b]Leafs Jersey Video[/b]
[url]http://www.cbc.ca/sports/player/index.ht...
There's a lot of hub-bub recently about the new RBK sweaters. And frankly, I think this could well be the darkest Jersey era in Pro Sports since the Chicago White Sox wore pajama tops and shorts....
However, one thing has struck me recently -- why do we still force one team to always wear white? I mean, when my Blues are playing, say, the Chicago Blackhawks, is there ...
steve from chicago writes...
A Captainless Organization searches for a Captain
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Who will wear the "C" in Chicago this season?
It will probably be Havlat but can anyone name a team, a franchise, so lacking of captian material?
I've always liked the team that had the classic born in Canada captain like Dirk Graham, Terry Ruskowski or Tom Lysiak. Those guys knew what it took.
Who on the Hawks today can be counted on to say what needs to be sai...
I really want to hear my fellow bloggers on the Kings latest hire.
I think is a good step for the Kings in bolstering their coaching staff. As a head coach we all know Dave Lewis struggled with the "B's". I think he brings knowledge aquired under Scottie Bowman and his past playing experience.
Let me know and fellow Kings fans what the other teams fans feel on the ...
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...
As I see the slow progression of teams like Vancouver, Nashville, and Washington creep out with their new designs for their emblems and styles, I take a step back and begin to think really hard. I begin to wonder what these new looks would, well, look like with the basic jersey of the yester-years. The loose design with the nice "[i]flutter in the wind[/i]" character of ...
I usually do the random thougts blogs, but today I had a bug up my bum about something else-how lucky we hockey fans are that our sport is played at it's highest levels by men who are good guys, as well as great athletes.
For every NHLer that has off-ice issues-Rick Tocchet, John Kordic, Theo Fleury, Bob Probert-there's probably a hundred or so that are excellent role m...
Over the next few weeks, leading up to training camp, I have decided to do team previews for each team in the Northwest. First will be the Minnesota Wild.
[b]Key Acquisitions:[/b] F - Eric Belanger, D - Sean Hill, F - Petr Kalus
[b]Key Losses:[/b] G - Manny Fernandez, F - Todd White
[b][u]Forwards:[/u][/b]
[b]Overall: B[/b]
The forward squad will, essentially...
Next, I looked at the Central Division
[b]Columbus Blue Jackets[/b]
Could this be the year the Columbus Blue Jackets make the playoffs... NO. However they will be better. Mainly because the Columbus Blue Jackets fired Doug MacLean and heired Scott Howson. Also the team got immediately better last year when they heired Ken Hitchcock. The Blue Jackets are stacked with ...
Joe Sakic, Steve Yzerman, Jerome Iginla, and Mats Sundin just to name a few. What do these players all have in common? They are and have been the face of their franchise for years. Are they a dying breed?
With Yzerman retired, do the Wings have a player who represents them as well? Well maybe Lidstrom, and you can name a few others with Datsyuk or Zetterburg, but it’s...
A rant
The other day I was at my local druggist, I was in desperate need of a certain ointment! Joking!
The First thing I saw was a great big display for Halloween! HALLOWEEN! I kid you not, the date was August 16th, and they have Halloween displays already! A shiver went from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
Halloween for me means the beginning of ...
I know many Habs fans want to trade Ryder asap and I am not sure I'm unwilling to trade him for the right piece of the puzzle, but consider the following before we ship him off to become a star somewhere else.
From the Habs official site:
MONTREAL - The natural goal scorer. Feared by goaltenders, revered by GMs across the NHL, Michael Ryder has earned his stripes a...
Well i will be hosting a IslesNation chat room on www.islesnation.com, my name in the chat will be Stephen_IslesNation.com. I will be there around 7PM to answer any questions!
Thank you,
IslesNation.com
iScoop writes...
Is Our Leader Really a Retired Swedish Goalie? Hmmm....
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Curiously, for a few out there it seems that there is no greater or more intensely debated mystery for them to devine than the [i]"true identity"[/i] of our distinguished leader. One recent [b]"rumor"[/b] said to be "making the rounds" in some of these small circles is that he may be a [b]retired Swedish goalie[/b] who once played for the old [b]EHL Jersey Devils[/b]. I re...
Ron Guillet writes...
The Big Apple Got Bigger: Projection Of The New York Rangers
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Alrighty my Hockey Buzz brotha's and sista's. With a nice handful of teams and their players predicted by moi, I thought I'd move to a team that I believe will be the powerhouse of the East... a team known as the New York Rangers. With a season under raps, the Rangers were eliminated by a mightier and badass'ier (yes, I make up words) team in the Sabres. But don't fret, th...
I got to check out Preds practice today. Squeal! So much fun.
Training camp hasn't started yet. These are just informal practice sessions with the players who are already in town. Since Hockey Husband has to work during the day, it's my duty to go and document practice when he can't be there. I took almost 200 pictures.
It was great to see the guys back on the ice. ...
Slasher98 writes...
What UFA should the Caps sign to reach league minimum?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Capitals will have to spend more to get past the $34.3 million salary-cap floor by the start of the season. Interesting veteran forwards such as Anson Carter, Mike Johnson, Ville Nieminen, Jeff O'Neill, Jan Bulis or Jason Allison could all give depth to the Caps' top-12 forward group.
The best option would be [b]Mike Johnson[/b], who's a good 2-way player who can s...
Hello fellow-hockey fans,
Well, we are coming up to September rather quickly, and just under a few weeks we will all witness the birth of another NHL season. I, honestly, don't know what to expect. There were a lot of off season moves that seemed to shift the pendulum in favor of different teams strength-wise. The examples are all around us. The Avalanche picking up...
Jussi Jokinen signs a 2yr deal worth $3.675mil! I myself think this is to high for someone is one sided. Dont get me wrong he is a gifted scorer and you can tell by watching him in the shootouts and the goals he scores. His 2-way game is what is hurting him and if he can improve that then there is no reason he can become a top player in the NHL. However i think the $1.8 wo...
Since the calender is fast approaching October, its time to sharpen our skates and make some NHL forecasts. We'll start with the Eastern standings.
1. Ottawa 52 24 6 110pts
2. Pittsburgh 52 25 5 109pts
3. Tampa Bay 46 32 4 96pts
4. Philadelphia 48 27 7 103pts
5. NY Rangers 48 28 6 102pts
6. Buffalo 47 28 7 101pts
7...
[b]Originally posted (and more readable) on [url]www.prednation.com[/url][/b]
In Part I, we took a look back at the expectations going into last season. That look provided a brief glimpse at the players we were going to ice as well. At this time last season, we were a team coming off of a 100+ point season. We were going into the season expecting another 100+ point c...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Marty Biron: Karn Evil 9 1st Impression - Part II
Posted Friday | Comments 0
"Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends
we're so glad you could attend come inside, come inside"
Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP) wrote those lyrics in 1973 - I was 5 - and embedded themselves in our rock and roll consciousness with a 29 minute 37 second exclamation of 1970s progressive rock.
Yeah...ok.
You are likely saying, "What in the name of R...
[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 ...
Hey there,
Well, this is my first post on Hockeybuzz and I think I should tell you all who I am and what I am going to blog about!
So, first off, I am a regular hockey fan (anyone suprised?) and not a hockey insider (...but i wish i was!). I'm your common "living room" DG that knows it all. Well, not to an extend that i will ask for a trade Murray - Sidney Crosby or ...
steve from chicago writes...
The league's best player is not a Blackhawk
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I heard the guys on XM talking about fantasy picks and top 5 best player lists and I was waiting for somebody to mention the obvious.
Chris Pronger is the best player in the league right now.
Our number obsessed world might not catch it because lots of the things that win games don't show up on the score sheet.
It's no coincidence that St. Louis imploded after he ...
I don't know about all of you but I personally am itching for NHL hockey action.
Flyers rookies open camp 9/8, a week from today. That doesn't sound long but right now it feels like an eternity.
I am so anxious to see what this retooled team will look like on the ice. On Paper it looks awesome, but how long will it take it all to gel and run smoothly like a well oi...
BuffaloMat writes...
Sabres Roster Nostalgia 91-92 Part 2: Pat LaFontaine
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.classicbuffalo.com/images/LaFontaine.jpg[/img]
If the video doesn't show up click this link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TZL4BCePwA
EDIT: The video doesn't seem to be working. It's a wonderful video, check it out.
This tribute video sums up anyone can say about Pat LaFontaine. However I am going to still say words about him ...
These are some awesome sayings by Rick. He is a legend in Buffalo for everything he says and for being with the Sabres. He has the most animated sayings in the history of commentating in Hockey. Check these out.
For some reason video is messing up so here's the link to it. It's great, i'm sure you'll like it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEfbyrKnKc0
Also c...
Off-Season Winners & Losers.
This off-season has been almost one for the ages, players that we're available name from Daniel Briere, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez and a fury of other notable players in the league. You could argue that teams like Philadelphia, who added Briere and Biron at the trade deadline should improve on their year previous, where they posted a dismal 22...
Until two exciting things will happen. Well, for me and the EA lovers also. My birthday falls on September 12th, but that's not what I think about this time of year. NHL 08 happens to have the release date of September 12th. So for me, it's kind of a birthday on top of another birthday, ya know?
Anyways, the Blue Jackets. Ohhh my, the good ol' Blue Jackets. I don't know...
First off, let me say that I am a huge Teemu Selanne fan. I was bummed when the Ducks let him go the first time, and have immensely enjoyed watching his resurgence this second time around. More so than his stats, I have been a fan of his because of the way he played on the ice, and handled himself off of it. As far as I know, he has handled himself with class and integr...
It appears Calgary Flames highly touted prospect Andrei Taratukhin has signed a 3 year deal to play in Russia following Mark Giordano's lead. Former Flame Jamie Lundmark is also in Russia for next season. If this is true, it's a huge blow to the Flames as Taratukhin's likely next step was to make the roster for the upcoming season.
Taratukhin is still under his entry-l...
[img:right]http://www.thelavinagency.com/images/bios/iginla.jpg[/img]Since the Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2004, the Calgary Flames have had high expectations since. The organization has struggled during the playoffs since their appearance in 2004, they lost to the Anaheim Ducks in 2006, then the Detroit Red Wings in 2007, both in the first round respectively. Calgary ...
Taratukhin has now signed a three year deal in russia and another bright prospect for the flames is heading to Russia. Why would he bother coming to the states and play a year only to opt out and head back again?? This has happened to two flames prospects but rest assured it will be the beggining of more if a transfer deal with Russia isn't signed.
The Flames' new head c...
For those of you who took the risk of adding Teemu Selanne to your hockey pools, you must be wondering, will he retire? Or will he come back for more with the Anahiem Ducks?
According to some websites, he has been encouraged to keep playing in the nhl from some old friends. I think Eklund mentioned that Philadelphia was interested in him.
Personally, i don't see why he ...
Well with training camp set to open in less then 2 weeks, its a great time to get into hockey mode and and break down what the Leafs might look like for there opening night matchup against the Senators.
[b][u]Goaltending[/u][/b]
This position looks all settled pertaining any trades with Toskala and Raycroft heading into the opening season 1-2, Clemmensen is the curre...
With training camps around the NHL just a couple weeks away, and a new season on the horizon, fans will have their burning questions about their favorite teams.
Thus is the same thing in Buffalo, where Sabres fans will have their big questions. Questions such as the new captain, or who forms the new first line. Here are the 4 burning questions likely to be on Sabres' fa...
There have been a number of discussions in the last few weeks regarding the line combinations and pairings the leafs will use in the upcoming season, so I figured I might as well toss my hat into the ring.
[u][b]Goaltending[/b][/u]
The best option is to use a 60/40 split between Toskala and Raycroft, Toskala has never played the 65-70 games a #1, but is still a v...
Preds fans, do you have your fan-wear for the upcoming season?
Much of Pred Nation grabbed their gear during the Save the Predators rally, when the pro shop at the Sommet Center was having a crazy-go-nuts sale. However, if you missed that event, you still have time to grab shirts and jerseys from various places around town.
I needed to replace the Vokoun t-shirt I wo...
In todays NHL, it is sometimes questionable if players are being greatley overpaid. I surely hope I'm not alone in beliving that any player is worth the money they are making. For example, Tomas Vanek's salary incresed by an astonishing 1061%, from $942,400 to a vastly inflated $10,000,000.
This seasons top paid players will be- D.Briere($10 mil.)
...
In todays NHL, it is sometimes questionable if players are being greatley overpaid. I surely hope I'm not alone in beliving that any player is worth the money they are making. For example, Tomas Vanek's salary incresed by an astonishing 1061%, from $942,400 to a vastly inflated $10,000,000.
This seasons top paid players will be- D.Briere($10 mil.)
...
Happy long weekend puckheads!!!
-I have been playing NHL08's demo almost non stop since it became available. The skating engine is unreal, as is the AI for the computer controlled players. It's a free download on XBox Live, for your 360 console. Well worth a DL and play for free.
-Speaking of the NHL games this year, the date for NHL 2K8 was bumped up to September 1...
[b]NOSTALGA IS A MAGIC THING [/b]
The other day my son and I went out with hockey sticks and a ball to play a game of hockey. We got into a penalty shot game like Shoot out in the NHL. Of course, he went on to skunk me; his shot is harder than mine. So why am I writing about my son kicking my butt in hockey?
It is really because it got me being nostalgic, rememberin...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers Special Teams and the Death of Summer
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The days are getting shorter, the school buses are freshly cleaned of last year's spitballs and awaiting a new crop of young troublemakers...umm...students, and another Flyers season is but mere weeks away. The near miraculous transformation from worst in the league to potential playoff spot is almost complete. The depth and breadth of the changes that occurred at the en...
It seems the trade between Toronto and San Jose has taken an interesting course. Mark Bell aquired along with Vesa Toskala by Toronto for first and second-round picks in 2007 and a 2009 fourth-round pick has tested positive for a substance abuse violation. This is the second time he has tested positive. Mark Bell was the 8th pick overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1998 h...
This is another classic example of John Ferguson Jr.'s incompetence as a GM, trading a 1st & 2nd round pick in 2007, and a 4th round pick in 2009 for Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell. This trade was dumb from day 1, first off this was the year the leafs finally had a chance to land a decent forward could've snagged Cherepanov or Esposito or many others that were still aroun...
clipper writes...
I'll have a Goaltending upgrade with a side of drunk driving
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Let's recap JFJ's thought process as the 2006/07 season ended. It may have gone something like this. "We were 8th in scoring last year with over 3 goals per game on average. However, we were 25th in goals against with over 3 goals per game on average. Our goaltender have a save percentage under .900 and a GAA greater than 3. We have 4 top calibre defenseman and a plet...
IslesNation writes...
Trade rumors heating up again as i reported last week!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Hey guys,
Well it's been a great end of the summer holiday. I went Jet Skiing today, it was a great day for both me and my family. Well, back to the trade rumors i reported last week. It seems that more and more websites are reporting that all the sudden. Well anyway it's good to know we are way ahead of those other sites. Well it seems to be leaked that there is a trad...
They're the same. Anyone suprised?
Look good.
steve from chicago writes...
Who is on the Hot Seat in Chicago? Dale Tallon and it's Hot.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Have you looked a the scheudule for the first 10 games? Detroit twice, Colorado, Dalas, San Jose, Minnesota etc. It isn't until game 10 that the the Hawks get to face their equal in Columbus and Columbus has handled them the past couple of season's.
Have you thought about the fact that there isn't a forward line returning from last season? There isn't even a pair of for...
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 those whom are interested in the other Kings goalie of the future...Here he is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Ersberg
He has been at rookie camp all week and the staff is very impressed with his speed. The one thing that will hold him back will be the duration of the season.
This is a positive thing for the Kings and their goalie woes.
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Billboards/Bumper Stickers for the 2007-08 Flyers season
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[i][b]*warning - Please check any kneejerk reactions at the door - this is all in good humor*[/b][/i]
I was thinking about the very clever way the Dallas Stars used billboards/bumper stickers to get a new and funny message across to their current and potential fans. I thought it something that the Flyers might want to take to heart and show the fans that they are excit...
Well it's hump day here in good ol' Richmond Virginia and about 95 degrees. The last thing anyone would be expecting to here from Virginia is a blog about hockey, so might as well be the first. I have been a Ranger fan for life and blue and red has always coursed through my veins. I have spent countless days this preseason searching for the latest free agent and trade rumo...
The Hockey News had an interesting article on Mike Keenan and his new head coaching responsibility here in Calgary:
[url]http://www.thehockeynews.com/en/news/news.asp?idNews=25617[/url]
In addition, the Flames Prospect Camp is set to open tomorrow with some fitness testing. The players have been split into two squads and will practice over the weekend with scrimma...
Oh the NBA is crooked! That's a surprise! We've all seen Koharski and McCreary at their finest. How can you tell me these guys or on the up and up? If anyone can blatantly miss penalties or just make them up, it's these two.
Maybe the NBA Snafu will open some eyes. Or, maybe not. Right Colon!
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
4 Sleepers, 4 Busts for your Fantasy Hockey Draft
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It's about that time for Fantasy Hockey drafts and I have a few ideas on sleepers and busts for the upcoming season. A bunch of us Hockeybuzzers got together and created a yahoo league and had the draft last night. It was good fun and if you'd like to take a peak inside the draft results, have a look-see at the link below.
-[url]http://hockey.fantasysports.yahoo.com/hoc...
Alright snap out of it people. Yes , the San Jose Sharks did sign Jeremy Roenick. Many are asking Why ?, Where will he fit in ?, Can he still play ? The answers to those questions are.....
[b]Why ?[/b]
Plain and simple, "Veteran Presence". This is something San Jose has lacked. Not to say they have not had quality vets on the team in the past, but a 9 time All Star, ...
Well the fantasy pools are soon or already up and running and I am letting Hockeybuzz bloggers pick my 2nd round guy! This is a very close knit pool with very knowledgeable hockey guys...
This is a straight forward pool, a point is a point, goalies get 2 for a win, 1 for an ot loss and 3 for a shutout (a shutout win is 5 added together).
Franchise players already selec...
This will end up on the main site, also, but I was tired of looking at my old blog from 6 months ago on this page. So here's a new one...
The new face of hockey lies under the current face of what you may be used to. The new face is not on Versus,, or even TSN. It is certainly not going to be between the few people who tune into NBC this season where we will watch Pie...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers 2007-08: The K-G-B is coming for YOU
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.axisglobe.com/Image/2005/10/23/KGB/KGB_Symbol.gif[/img]
[b]The KGB -Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti[/b]
KGB. When I think of those three letters, I think of the darkest, most insidious element of the former Soviet Union's Communist regime. The "Committee for State Security" was the secret police, intelligence and security branches cobbled togethe...
Now, I know what you're all thinking. Bold predictions? The guy's just going to take some blind stabs in the dark, then say "I told you so" when/if they happen. Well...You'd be about 90% right. I am going to take some blind stabs in the dark and I most likely will feel a sense of self-fulfillment if they happen. But this is much less about predicting the future (with ...
BuffaloMat writes...
Sabres Roster Nostalgia 91-92 Part 3: Pierre Turgeon
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.sabresalumni.com/2001/playerpics/turgeon-draft.gif[/img]
I was going to do Part 3 on Dale Hawerchuk but since it seems appropriate I thought I would do it on Mr.Pierre Turgeon.
Turgeon's 91-92 career pretty much was a wash with the Sabres but ended strong with the Islanders since he was part of a trade for Pat LaFontaine........... and since I a...
Perhaps the achilles heel for any up-and-coming team is a lack of team defense. The Blue Jackets have made a few blunders down the path in the name of free-agent pickups Scott Lachance, Deron Quint, Bryan Berard and Adam Foote. Of the four mentioned, Foote has had the greatest impact on his team- both on the ice and in the locker room.
On the flip side, there have been...
Here is my take on the whole [b]Carey Price[/b] bandwagon. [b]Carey Price[/b] has talent no question about that. His play over the last 5 yrs in WHL & AHL hasnt been all that great. People say the goalie is only as good as the defense. I agree with that to a point...A goalie that is hyped up as much as he is should be better than his defense. Thats what seperates the great...
I'd like to start by stating that this blog is not an outlash towards the media, especially the members of this site who are part of the media, but rather a commentary on how everyone can focus on the wrong issues.
In the lifeless lull of the hockey world during the month of September, everyone finds themselves bored, but excited for the upcoming season. Most of the exc...
I bet you're wondering what I am talking about and saying to yourself "No one uses Time on Ice as a strategy for fantasy Hockey...." In my league we have just announced a statistic that will now become a strategy for our hockey team owners. This has been worked out to detail and such but is still actually being worked on to tweak out the bugs.
Who played the most in the...
Throughout the years there have been many things required to become a hockey player - stick, puck, ice, and the ability to speak in cliches. This is a skill that is taught at a very young age. Only with years of training and practice can a person truly master this art. This was clear today in a transcript of Thursday's media conference with Flyers GM Paul Holmgren. The...
Taking a line from Thin Lizzy, The Boys are Back in Town. A timeless classic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FmPhJkdTwU
Like most teams, the Ducks are making their way back to their home cities and Anaheim is buzzing. Seeing the boys around the local rinks is a reminder that we are ready to open camp and kick the new season off. Both Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Se...
I know I am jumping ahead of the 2007-08 season, but I thought I would start to look down the road a little just for fun.
I made a prediction the beginning of the 2006-07 season that the [b]TEAM TO BE LATER NAMED[/b] would win the Cup within the next 3 years. Well, that did not happen last year and I can see them going far this year, but still don't have enough experie...
I am a Bruins fan from Buffalo and I was thinking about switching from my local cable provider to Satellite so that I can get NESN to watch the Bruins games all season. To my surprise, I looked into it and this is what I found.
Only subscribers to NESN that live in the Boston area can receive Bruins games on NESN. If you live out of the area, games will be blacked out....
Greetings, I lost my login info and couldn't figure out what it was!
But now that I have, I'm back and I'll be blogging more than ever about my favorite team, the Tampa Bay Lightning!
Despite rumors to the contrary, I called it! I knew the Lightning would not move any of the big 4. I am however, a bit disappointed that Tampa did not go out and find a solid Goaltender...
I am a leaf fan, but I am not going to be while I write this article.
One of the most exciting divisions in the NHL, the North Eastern division is one the deadliest in the league. All five teams have been in the playoffs the last 4 or 5 years. The Buffalo Sabres, The Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, and the Boston Bruins. Last year, the Sabres...
Side note I felt that the vertical strip on the socks make the Flyers look like imperial storm troopers. HEre look and compare.
The storm Troopers
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lil_munki/1352823284/?addedcomment=1#comment72157601938696529
Rookie camp photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157601938292851/
VIDEO!!!! (warning it takes time for youtube t...
saneopinion writes...
headline: Archeoligists dig up Oiler Stanley Cup banner...
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
It seems when I present an argument or a retort to the Flames vs. Oilers question I am met with one response over and over again, it goes like this.
" yeah...well you ONLY have ONE Stanley Cup banner...".
Yeah, I guess it is true the Flames have ONLY one banner to hang and I won't get into a pissing competition about president banners and conference banners because real...
I made some NHL predictions awhile back; however, I made some small changes. I think that Carolina is more likely to make the playoffs than Philadelphia, and that I underestimated Washington and Dallas slightly; thus, I've made some changes to my tentative predictions. These are my FINAL predictions for the year. Book them.
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
1) New York Rangers (51-2...
[b]WHAT IS THE SINGLE MOST THING YOU HATE ABOUT THE NHL?
[/b]
Today blog question is to name one thing that you hate about the NHL. Notice I said one thing; I am sure everyone could found a lot more than just one.
[b]spiegs13[/b]
One of the things that bothers me with the new rules - although it wasn't that different before - is when a player is on a mini-breaka...
[b]WHAT IS THE SINGLE MOST THING YOU HATE ABOUT THE NHL?
[/b]
Today blog question is to name one thing that you hate about the NHL. Notice I said one thing; I am sure everyone could found a lot more than just one.
[b]spiegs13[/b]
One of the things that bothers me with the new rules - although it wasn't that different before - is when a player is on a mini-breaka...
[b]WHAT IS THE SINGLE MOST THING YOU HATE ABOUT THE NHL?[/b]
Today blog question is to name one thing that you hate about the NHL. Notice I said one thing; I am sure everyone could found a lot more than just one.
[b]spiegs13[/b]
One of the things that bothers me with the new rules - although it wasn't that different before - is when a player is on a mini-breaka...
Alright, this probably should be a dead issue, since the Canucks already wasted their million dollars on designing their new jerseys for this upcoming season. The least they could have done was look at their practice jerseys before showing the other ones off to the world. I was looking through some of the posts on canucks.com about the rookie camp, saw some pictures of t...
Heart.
When you hear the word, perhaps, the first thing you think of is that organ beating inside your chest.
You also might think of that hard rocking, but IMO god-awful, girl band comprised of the sisters - Ann and Nancy Wilson. Sorry, not a big Barracude fan.
When I think of the word "heart," I immediately think of it in relation to organized sports. Not ...
Much more well contected people than me are reporting possibilities of the Flames bringing in some defensive help in the form of Markov and Sopel. Bruce Dowbiggin ponders this rumor in the Calgary Herald, having said that it seems whenever he ponders something it comes true.
If my opinion was worth anything (and it's not) I'd kind of prefer Sopel, Markov is a better play...
Summer is over - Hockey is upon us and it's time for me to pipe in with my rumblings and bumblings about what I have seen and heard throughout the summer silly season and beyond. The NHL has had an interesting summer, to say the least, and there is a lot to bumble on about. So without further ado:
[b]Buying and Selling and Selling and Buying[/b]
Nashville had a buy...
[b]http://flyerflies.com/blogs/The_FlyerFly/?p=13[/b]
Finally, the first real sign that Flyers hockey is returning has arrived.
The Philadelphia Flyers rookie prospects have congregated at the Virtua Health Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, N.J. for a mini-camp that is scheduled to stretch until Wednesday.
The Flyers rookie squad will take on a group of rookie prosp...
[img]http://bp3.blogger.com/_RV9Gvwc2Eks/RuMpW14j8fI/AAAAAAAAAA0/ohmL0Z6mpQU/s1600/alt_01a.jpg[/img]
If you can't see it here's the link. It's showing up on my end, but here's the link.
[url]http://bp3.blogger.com/_RV9Gvwc2Eks/RuMpW14j8fI/AAAAAAAAAA0/ohmL0Z6mpQU/s1600/alt_01a.jpg[/url]
This is a celsius logo made. It's been criticized to be looking like a goat...
The end of the summer is here for the Buffalo Sabres, and it is time to put away the summer toys and get ready for Lindy Ruff's favorite time of year, training camp.
The Sabres opened up the camp season with Day 1 of their rookie camp Monday afternoon at the Amherst Pepsi Center. 17 of the teams top prospects converged for the workouts.
Lindy Ruff and his staff put t...
dude. is anyone else getting a little annoyed by the mash video panel on the index page? i am unable to stop it even during advertisement. anyone know of a good fix for keeping mash at bay? the blocking of certain cache and cookies has proved unsuccessful so far.
here at work i like to check hb about 3 or 4 times just to get a quick break (if the cigarette smokers can t...
[img]http://www.newsday.com/media/photo/2001-09/680485.jpg[/img]
I cannot imagine the horror that was felt by those who lived, worked, visited or had family or friends inside the Twin Towers on that fateful day six years ago. My heart can only go out to them on this day of remembrance.
Let us not only morn for those who were lost, but also celebrate the lives of t...
My brother (in-law) Ryan Savoy one of the bravest people i have ever known. He was torn apart by the actions of the cowards that hi-jacked the planes and used them as devices of destruction. Even though he was already in the Marines at the time he choose to go to Iraq and fight for the ones who's lives were cut short. He was in the Marines for 5y yrs in the 1st Armored Div...
Perhaps this is a sign of things to come. Coming off a 3-0 shutout against the Senators on Sunday night, the Penguins' rookie camp rallied back to win 5-1 to take home the Kitchener Cup. Tally up two goals and an assist for Minnesota native Joe Jensen, scoring both within three minutes of one another.
John Curry had a shutout working for him, but with under 10 minut...
Well, folks. Thursday is the day the Blueshirts officially open the doors to training camp, though reports are circulating that many players have in fact already begun "informal" workouts, both on and off the ice.
Players who have already been spotted on the ice include: Brendan Shanahan, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Martin Straka, Henrik Lundqvist, Petr Prucha, Sean Ave...
In an old school, no goalies and straight points only format, ten people participate in a pool. You're second to pick, just barely missing out on that first overall pick, and drafting Sidney Crosby.
You're up, the second pick overall, whose name do you select to your team?
San Jose's Joe Thornton, Tampa's Vincent Lecavalier, one of Ottawa's Dany Heatley or Jas...
Well its been some time now since I have been able to put up a blog and as I sat here thinking about what to write I began going back over all the great hockey memories I have, especially those of my team, the Canucks. A I went from memory to memory, each one bringing back a moment in time, a picture, an image, a feeling, I realized how much a part this team, and this game...
I tend to be pessimistic but hopeful. I can see the Flyers getting off to another bad start but not being non competitive like they were last year. The team made a lot of moves after February, some I like, some I like less, some seem to come with question marks.
[b]The Forwards:[/b]
I wanted them to sign Drury but they ended up with Briere so I was a little disappointe...
I have had the pleasure of watching the Canucks rookie camp all this week. Let me fill you in on what I saw at camp.
As Eklund said, Victoria native Taylor Ellington had a very good camp. In 60 games last year with the Evertt Silvertips of the WHL, he scored 5 goals along with 8 assists. Although he does not look like he'll be a huge point producer at the NHL level, he ...
I haven't had the chance to write a blog for quite sometime, due to class restrictions and working on my papers. Although I took tonight to draft my fantasy team. I had the second overall pick and just missed out on Sidney Crosby, and I decided to take Mr. Joe Thornton. Below is my team I drafted, and would like if you all would rate my team :)
Joe Thornton - C - San Jo...
Anybody else sick of player nicknames these days? The good old days had Flyers with colourful names like Battleship,Hound Dog,Big Bird,Moose and The Hammer. That is great stuff, the fans could relate and loved the players.
Now nicknames consist of adding a y to the end of everybodies name…..BORING. Who needs Jonesy or Richy or Marty? Not me forget it, lets have some ...
pensfan17148 writes...
Rookie Camp Ends - Who Stays and Who Goes and a Rumor
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Hey pens fans,
The Pens have invited the following players from rookie camp to training camp: Aaron Boogaard, Jonathan Filewich, Joe Jensen, Tyler Kennedy, Mark Letestu, Kyle Rank, Ryan Stone, Tim Wallace, Jonathan D’Aversa, Kris Letang, Ben Lovejoy, David Brown John Curry and Dustin Jeffrey. From their 2007 draft picks the Pens reassigned Luca Caputi, Robert Bortuzzo...
Of 9/11 and Sports
This day needs no explanation. I was still in middle school with nary a clue what had transpired that beautiful Tuesday morning. Just short of 9 AM, history notes regarding the attack on Pearl Harbor were put on hold as I was forced to turn the page and begin filling my notebook with images of a tragic part of history that was simultaneously being wri...
So, the draft for my fantasy hockey league was this weekend. I went second from last, so my top picks (the usual -- Crosby, Ovechkin, Chris Mason) were long gone. I got most of my other requested players, though.
This is going to be a tough league. In addition to my Hockey Husband, who is running the league, we have Hockey Buzz bloggers Paul McCann and Brandon Felder, p...
September 11th, 2001. 7am PST. Phone rings. Wife says "OH my god! OH my god!". She turns to me and says "Planes have hit the World Trade Center and the Pentagon!"
In disbelief I jump out of bed, go to the TV and sit in horror and sadness as I realize what I have just witnessed. My sister-in-law lived in New York on that day, was walking down the street, saw the 2...
I havn't written a blog so I figured I start with my fantasy teams and get opinions from everyone how how it is. I would appreciat all feed back positive and negative. I enjoy reading all blogs on the site and I will continue to blog probily regularly. A little about me I'm obvously a Blues fan. Have been ever since I've been into hockey. Despite that I try as much as posi...
hey. just as a warning habs fans...you are putting way to much pressure on this carey price kid. talk about expectations for a young guy. remember when you were his age (or still are)? your confidence was not exactly one of your strong points as you developed in life and on the job. and now you and your fellow fans are swarming this kid with unrealistic expectations in a t...
AlexanderScharf writes...
Remebering 9/11/01: A New Yorker's Perspective
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I live in New York City only a few miles away from where the towers once stood and I remember that tragic day vividly. [img:right]http://www.conservationtech.com/MAIN-TOPICS/5-NYC-World-Trade/FEMA-WTC-photos/11.tower2.collapse.ap.jpg[/img] I remember exactkly where in my fifth grade classroom I was standing when I heard the news from an eigth grader who had snuck a radio i...
I'm reposting this since it originally was lost behind the scenes and I think it will speak to the Hockey dads out there.
So, it’s Wednesday and I’m thirty minutes into an hour commute home to get to my son’s first street hockey game of this summer season. He’s coming off a winter where he played two separate seasons of inline hockey and went to a skating camp t...
Hey, Flyers fans!
I'm looking to get a group together to go out and watch the Home Opener on Saturday night, October 13th (naturally, that's if you're not already going [i]to[/i] the game).
In these early stages so far, it's [b]me[/b] and my wife, [b]jsaquella[/b] and his wife (my wife's sister, btw), and [b]steal_your_faceoff[/b], with the possibility of siblings an...
Hey there,
Finally, across the city, we can feel the nervousness and febrility of everybody. All the talk and chat are centered in only one subject : The Canadians.
The passionate optimistist, the everyday pessimist, the young newbies, the seasoned veteran or the expert...everybody and their mama agree on one thing : They can't wait until it really starts!
So, let...
It was announced that newly aquired defenceman Aaron Miller will undergo abdominal surgery today in Vancouver. Aaron Miller spent last season with The Las Angeles Kings where he amassed 8 points and was a -14 on a team without a goalie.
Vancouver Canucks Senior Vice President and General Manager gave a brief summary of the events. “After further consultation with...
After getting my daily dose of hockeybuzz.com I go on the official Flyers home page to check up on news in flyerdom and I stumble on this.
http://flyers.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=336967&page=NewsPage&service=page
Apparently to open up camp the flyers are running a round robin torny putting all the vets, and prospects on 4 different teams to foster team pla...
Okay... it's just training camp.
I am really stoked about this coming season, the beginning of horribly overpaid contracts once again handcuffing the big spenders. We know at least one or two of these guys will be a total bust in their new home and could be almost untradeable.
That aside, I have been sitting around trying to figure out, from an objective standpoint, ...
Hey pens fans,
Here is a look at the Pens' training camp roster. Defensemen: Mark Ardelan, Paul Bissonnette, Jonathan D'Aversa, Mark Eaton, Deryk Engelland, Alex Goligoski, Sergei Gonchar, Ryan Lannon, Kris Letang, Ben Lovejoy, Brooks Orpik, Alain Nasreddine, Rob Scuderi, Darryl Sydor, Mike Weaver, Ryan Whitney. Forwards: Colby Armstrong, Aaron Boogaard, Tim Brent, Erik C...
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...
BuffaloMat writes...
Sabres Roster Nostalgia 91-92 Part 4: Clint Malarchuk
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Clint Malarchuk was a candid goaltender that when he spoke the quote stuck with him and they were funny. The Chuk as most of my friends called him when we were growing up was always fun to watch when Darren Puppa wasn't in the net. Of course Darren was always our favorite because we made fun of his last name but when the Chuk would get onto the ice we would make just a...
I just read Scott Cullen's ([url]www.tsn.ca/nhl[/url]) previews for the upcoming season and was slightly surprised by his outlook and projections on the top 10 scorers for this upcoming season.
He has the top players ranked in the following order:
Crosby - 118 pts
Thornton - 107 pts
Jagr - 105 pts
Heatley - 104 pts
Ovechkin - 100 pts
Lecavalier - 94 pts
Hossa...
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...
[img]http://cdn.nhl.com/flyers/images/upload/2007/07/briereallstar_0701.jpg[/img]
"On Friday, September 14 at 10:45 a.m. at the Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, New Jersey, the Flyers and Phantoms will unveil their new Reebok home (black) and road (white) jerseys."
I am going to pick up my white, away Briere Jersey at 9am and hopefully have pictures up on...
Ahhhhhhhhh. That feeling of the first cup of coffee in the morning or that feeling after a long nap on the couch on the weekend without the noisy kids in your face or that feeling of getting your NHL hockey dosage. Tonight I got mine. Not to say that watching my boys play youth hockey is boring or doesn't get the juices flowing, but there is nothing like today's NHL.
...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers Jerseys Revealed...Friday 9:45am in my office
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I got to the Flyers Gear Zone at the Bank Building at 8:35 this morning and politely and nicely bugged the manager until she let me in (I was the only one crazy enough to be there early....oh and the 2,000 women packing the Wac from the "Women of Faith" conference. It was not pretty. I was the only guy within sight.) The Manager talked hockey with me and she finally tol...
saneopinion writes...
The more I hear the more I like about Keenan's style.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
For the first time in a very long time Flames fans were treated to something wonderful, something that they hadn't seen since the early 90's, something every other team hopes to have every year... scoring.
Sutter had made a trade for Tanguay (another steal of a trade from the Zen master) and in addition Huselius had blossomed into his potential giving them two very skill...
I went to the first Ducks preseason game last night at the Honda Center.
There were more people there than I expected and it was a fun crowd. The season tickets I bought into are pretty high up (though, there’s not really a bad seat at the Honda Center, which is great) so I was around a lot of real fans. I had a blast.
This is my first time watching a preseason gam...
Day one of training camp was focused on one thing. The thing the Canucks are in need of the most. Offence. Both Jannik Hansen and Jason Jaffary scored beautiful goals on the first day. Begging the question; Who will get the start on opening night?
[b]Jannik Hansen[/b] already has experience at the proffesional level. He played 10 games in the playoffs and finished wit...
The Peca Rumors we're constant. The Sabres, Rangers and Leafs were at the top of the list but is seems as though EVERY team was linked to Peca at some point. Evrey team but Columbus that is.
At first blush it seems like an odd match. At this point, Peca is the classic "final piece to the puzzle" type player and columbus hasn't even gotten all the piece out the jigs...
The NHL will open up NHL Center Ice Online FREE on Monday, and plans to show most teams pre season games live.. and FREE via the web. Most teams with their own video channel on their web site should have direct access to the center ice online channel during the preseason to catch preseason games for free starting Monday!
[i](its free for the preseason only.. so no you c...
The Flames' first scrimmage showed lines that I think will possibly what ends up bering the norm. Keenan is known for his willingness to experiment in his line combos should the chemistry fail but these could very well be the standard lines throughout the year:
Tanguay- Langkow- Iginla
Huselius- Lombardi- Nolan
Primeau- Conroy- Moss
Nilson- Yelle- Godard (this spot c...
When Cristobal Huet injured his hamstring last season Jaroslav Halak came in to the picture, and played well, yet they were still not able to get into the playoffs. Huet is now a proven first-stringer, and his absence certainly factored into why they did not make the playoffs. A healthy Huet should win his job back at training camp, unless Carey Price shows him up, but we'...
[b]ROOKIES[/b]
Steven Boyd played like a monster by far the best skater was great today
Tim Ramholt best day in camp played the best defenisively he has was 10 times better today than the rookie camp Tim showed up today
Leeland Irving Played very well today didn't look rusty at all did a better job controlling his rebounds
Matt Keetly Matt was a super star m...
Now that all the new jerseys have been released (some officially and other unofficially), this is a good time to take a critical look at them all from a fashion point of view. Of course, these are just opinions, so please do not flame me too badly. My opinion on your team jersey has nothing to do with how much I like/dislike that team, whether I think so-and-so is a dirt...
Last year the Philadelphia Flyer's were the worst team in the NHL. They went through some major shake ups from the front office to who was on the ice. After a drubbing at the hands of the Buffalo Saber's, Bobby Clarke said he was to burnt out to run the team. When Clarke found the door it did not hit him on the way out, it hit Ken Hitchcock who got fired the same day Clark...
[img:left]http://cluster.leaguestat.com/download.php?client_code=whl&file_path=img/players/24181.JPG&w=120[/img]First and foremost, I know this is an incredibly long article, but I hope you take the time to read it, as it is perhaps one of the best hockey stories ever. I know I haven't been writing a lot these past couple weeks, and I apologize. I've been busy with class, ...
It has been a long summer of Canuck and Devils trade rumours—none of which have been realised—but they keep coming up and I'd like to take a stab at why.
I'm guessing that that the Devils are having a hard time with the commandment that says “thou shalt not covet thy neighbours goaltending prospects.”
It's no secret that we need some scoring and the Devils co...
I was looking over what the capitals have been doing this off-season and just placing it in my mind what is actually going on with this team. You would think that the team would have a better standing with the talent that seems to come out of there don't you? Some will argue that there is no talent... well that's just hog-wash.
Alexander Ovechkin is an obvious 100 poin...
I thought I would put a small blog up for camp day 2
Aucoin got his legs back
also his shot wow some really good shots back
Craig Conroy was very good, he is a lot faster than I thought
Lombo was with tangs and Iggy, they looked very good lombo was actually faster this year if that an really happen
Langkow with Nolan and juice and Juice left the camp ...
Hello all!! Just updating you on a long day @ the arena. My arrival time was a few minutes past 8am and departure was around 4:30pm. It was a long day of autograph hounding & hockey all wrapped into one wirlwind day. I made a few observations and came across some interesting Sabre tidbits along the way.
1. [b]Goose[/b] is an early riser. Paul was the first player to ...
Ever see the movie The Number 23? If you haven't it's about a guy that's obsessed with the number 23. After watching/reading anything I could get my hands on about the Leafs upcoming season I noticed the number [b]13[/b] coming up a lot. Check it out:
The Leafs opened training camp on Thursday, September [b]13[/b]th. That day they unveiled their new Reebok Jerseys ([b]...
The NHL will open up NHL Center Ice Online FREE on Monday, and plans to show some teams pre season games live.. and FREE via the web. Most teams with their own video channel on their web site should have direct access to the center ice online channel during the preseason to catch preseason games for free starting Monday!
Freeview Lasts until Oct 9th, so Have Fun!
T...
Well almost a week since the Gods brought us NHL08, and I still play it way too much. I will be getting the online league going very shortly-it's already just about set to roll. I can't say enough good things about this game, I really feel like I am a shill for the site sponsor, but it's true. I have played maybe two hours of other games since the package arrived with Eric...
9/16/07 Flyers camp
The links of course....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157602046504581/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVuxUNcM1gc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHcp_xthv6M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgMw6QsG07w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf22qswElo8
First I want to thank Hockey buzz’s own Steal your face off, the young man w...
With the sun taking a hiatus for the weekend and the leaves falling to the ground, hockey was on the forefront here in Victoria, BC today. Over 7000 fans lined up early and braved the rain to catch a glimpse of their heroes. The day started off with the alumni game with the likes of Greg Adams, Cliff Ronning, Geoff Courtnall, Thomas Gradin and Orland Kurtenbach taking part...
I have always wondered about this, but have never asked. Why do the Avs have a foot on the shoulders of their jerseys? Don't think I'm some novice to hockey, I quess I just missed the memo on that one.
Hey pens fans,
The Penguins have sent 10 players to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton They are Aaron Boogaard, Joe Jensen, Mark Letestu, Kurtis McLean, Kyle Rank, Mark Ardelan, Paul Bissonnette, Jonathan D’Aversa, Deryk Engelland, and David Brown. WB/S camp starts Thursday.
The Penguins have 41 players remaining in their camp: 13 defensemen, 24 forwards, and four goaltenders.
...
ExtraB writes...
From Gretzky to Lemieux... he scores! O Canada Hockey Cards!
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
-
"O Canada, We Stand On Guard For Thee"
The first lines of the Canadian National Anthem perfectly describe the dedication of Canada's national hockey teams and for the first time a hockey card set is being created to celebrate. Perhaps, no other country in any other sport has achieved the consistent excellence that Canada has attained in international hockey. These wi...
ExtraB writes...
From Gretzky to Lemieux... he scores! O Canada Hockey Cards!
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
-
"O Canada, We Stand On Guard For Thee"
The first lines of the Canadian National Anthem perfectly describe the dedication of Canada's national hockey teams and for the first time a hockey card set is being created to celebrate. Perhaps, no other country in any other sport has achieved the consistent excellence that Canada has attained in international hockey. These wi...
I was fortunate enough to get my tix for the Pens' home opener against the Ducks on Oct. 6th before the game sold out. I was just wondering if any other teams around the league have sold out opening nights.
On a side note, I heard the game where the Rangers will be retiring Brian Leetch's number isn't on sale yet. Anyone have word on what's up with that?
Oh yeah, a...
First off I would like to say thank you to everyone who responded to my question on this topic. Fans, members of this site, and others, your input is appreciated. Also an extra special thanks to Ryan Garner for taking the time to lend some input on all of this. So here it goes.
It's that time of year again. The late blooming flowers are beginning to fade, and the leav...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Real Flyers Scrimmages...Like Christmas morning
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img:left]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:rbDOhlS0_FrI2M:http://www.amazing-christmas-ideas.com/images/birds-beads-full-tree-big.jpg[/img]
[img:right]http://nhl.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p3288909th.gif[/img]
With all the proper religious respect due my brothers and sisters of other faiths, seeing a scrimmage with real NHL players was like walking down the st...
Well here we are again. Pre-season is under way for the league. It's a good time to be a hockey fan. For me, pre-season is always a lot of fun just to see who stands out and who doesn't.
At this year's Leafs camp, we have a couple of those guys and some are starting to stand out already.
The name that keeps popping up is Simon Gamache. It seems like he is turni...
Yesterday Sami Salo injured his wrist on an innocent looking play. Today it was confirmed by an MRI that he has a hairline fracture in his left wrist and is out indefinitly. Salo was injured during the intra-squad game along with Roberto Luongo and Trevor Linden. Luongo and Linden's injuries were minor in nature.
Who now will step up and fill the void left by Salo? Edle...
It is time for the second edition in my series of blogs about the new NHL jerseys. For those who still have not seen the new jerseys:
http://www.fartfignewton.com/rbk_edge/
And for those who missed Part 1 of this series:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=2407&post_id=2473
This time I am turning my critical eye towards the Northwest division.
[b]C...
Summer is almost over (although sunshine in Vancouver would make you thankful that it has shown up at last) and with a few weeks of football under our belt the NHL has begun. I read THN's 100 questions and yes, there are so many intriguing issues this season as the landscape of players has changed once again, the words Chemistry and Team Dynamics will afford us some inter...
Mon. Sept 17, 2007 ~
Vancouver Canucks (0-0) vs. Anaheim Ducks (1 – 2)
7:00 pm General Motors Place Vancouver, B.C.
'The Show Must Go On!'
Despite a squeamish end to training camp and with the new season drawing closer, the Vancouver Canucks need to put the past behind them and look forward to brighter days. Canucks fans, rest assured Roberto Luongo wa...
Period 1
The first and only goal of the first period came from the most unlikely source; The thick hearty mustache of George Parros. A tip pass came right to his stick from Brad May and he buried it behind Curtis Sanford.
Ryan Shannon was making his presence felt against his old team. He had a few quality shots and some timely passes to linemate Mason Raymond. He pla...
The end of our local camp in coming to an end. I just wanted to forward some info onto the Kings fans. This is something written br Rich Hammond. It is Very informative. I feel for the Kings and Ducks with their "Road trip from Hell". The Ducks got it worse....Stay Healthy all...
"It's hard to believe that there's only one day of camp left in Los Angeles. After Tuesday...
Minor league roster, circus-like uniforms and a plethora of penalties (again) aside, it was nice to see the Islanders back on the ice last night in North York, Ontario taking on the Atlanta Thrashers.
Garnet Exelby's overtime goal ended hopes for a win but the Isles should be encouraged for a handful of reasons.
Freddy Meyer scored a nifty goal, nearly going end-to-...
At the Blues FanFest on Saturday, they handed out coupons for the next night's pre-season opener, a 5:00 Sunday night game against the Atlanta Thrashers. With the coupon, Lower-bowl seats were only $20.00... upper-bowl seats were free. Great deal!
Except....
What about the season-ticket holders, who are forced to pay upwards of $100 for the same ticket as part of t...
Last night during the Canucks preseason opener, Ryan Shannon stepped up and made everyone take notice of him. My sentiments were echoed by the Canucks website this morning(I'm glad I beat them to it) 5 on 5 he was lined up with Byron Ritchie and Mason Raymond(Also vying for a roster spot) and could have set up two goals for Raymond, had Ilya Bryzgalov not been on his game....
Hello all. I had this idea earlier today when i was watching the video on the main page. I want your help in compiling a HOCKEYBUZZ Sound Track. No doubut that hockey & music share a connection thanks to the likes of The Tragically Hip's songs: 50 Mission Cap, Fireworks & Lonely End Of The Rink. I want the readers of HockeyBuzz to help me come up with a collection of songs...
So tonight is the first pre season game for the Leafs against the Oilers. It should be a good game and a good test for a few players. Here is the line up that was posted by Alec Brownscombe on his blog [url]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=9452[/url]
FORWARDS:
Darcy Tucker - Kyle Wellwood - Alexei Ponikarovsky
Jeremy Williams - Matt Stajan - Simon Gamache
...
Remember my last blog I said Bell will not suspended, just ignore that comment.
Led Zepplin is playing a concert Nov 26th, how cool would that be. 20 million have registed for tickets already, I guess a lot of people think it would be cool.
I guess this Tiger Woods guy is pretty good.
I think Britney Spears is on a fast track for Playboy, what a trainwreck.
The...
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...
Now that Vokoun is with the Florida Panthers, will he suck?
I refer not to his admirable goalie skills, but to the welcome he will receive when the Panthers play Nashville this year.
As many of you know, we Preds fans have a charming way of welcome the starting lineup of opposing teams at the beginning of each game. As the names are announced, we gleefully yell "SUCK...
Do you hear what I hear? Of course you do. The scratching skates against the ice, the thumping of bodies, the sharp thwack of the slapshot, the rippling of the mesh, the gasps and screams and howls of the fans, the booming voices of coaches screaming out instructions, and the goal horns, oh how could I forget you? Not since the Super Series have I heard you, and have I eve...
JerZey_Devil2144 writes...
New RBK Edge Jerseys....are going to get someone killed!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well folks, after seeing the new RBK Edge jerseys live and in person i give them a very solid thumbs down. Fashion aside (and very few of the uniforms that did change changes for the positive) these things are so flimsy and rip so easy that every fight from now till they are fixed will come down to who can tear his opponents jersey faster . Even if they don't tear they are...
After watching a few pre season games, I thought I would offer up my take on the new jerseys that the teams are wearing.
[b]Anaheim Ducks[/b] - This is the same jersey as they wore in route to winning the Stanley Cup and I'm glad that they left it alone.
[b]Los Angeles Kings[/b] - The Kings only made a few minor tweaks to their jersey in the off season and it s...
Camp is over the team is doing it's annual bonding ritual once again at West Point and the Devils and Flyers are on deck in back to back games at the Garden this weekend. Yep it's Hockey Time again and all things are looking good in Rangerland.
From all reports the combo of Gomez and Jagr has shown a lot of chemistry regardless of who was manning the left side Hossa or ...
today after the skate lindy ruff held a brief presser (http://sabres.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=337685). in this news conference he stared that he intends on keeping one of the most exciting lines for the sabres last year(RAV) together. this article also states that the rest of the forwards will look like this opening night.
Vanek...
Mark Bell
[img]http://littlefalls.blogsome.com/images/bell.jpg[/img]
[url]http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/hockey/story.html?id=d344c4b9-75e2-45ba-aa40-6d468a5e9bcd[/url]
Rob Ramage
[img]http://czechfan.com/images_stl/ramage_rob.jpg[/img]
[url]http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/2007/09/18/4505458-sun.html[/url]
Keith Magnuson
[img]http://www.lifeinlegacy.c...
As the NHL season is coming into view, Id like to finish up my analyzation of the Rangers by taking a look at the projected third defensive pairing for the upcoming season.
Left Defense: #4 Marc Staal
Personal: 20 years old from Thunder Bay, Ontario. Stands 6 ft 4 in 206 lbs. Shoots lefty. Drafted 12th overall by the Rangers. Entering his firstseason with the Rangers. ...
Wed Sept 19, 2007
Vancouver Canucks (0-1) vs. Calgary Flames (0-1-1)
7:00 pm - General Motors Place - Vancouver, BC.
Feeling The Burn
The Vancouver Canucks take to the ice this evening, facing off against Mike Keenan and the Calgary Flames. Not only are the Canucks facing the Flames but there are several Canuck regulars that are feeling the burn.
Brenda...
As reported from CalgaryFlames.com
This list not to surprising except that means Krys Kolanos must of been offered a contract also pretty much mean that Adam Pardy is being considered on this team of the Flames.
Gord Baldwin (D)
Kris Chucko (RW)
Brad Cole (D)
Cam Cunning (LW)
Ryan Donally (LW)
Matt Keetley (G)
Krys Kolanos (C)
Kevin Lalande (G)
Tomi...
The preseason didn't hinder the heated rivalry between The
Vancouver Canucks and The Calgary Flames. The tempo was
turned up a notch at General Motors place. If you stepped
onto the ice you knew you were going to be hit.
The Canucks opened the game with a flurry of speed and hits.
They managed to keep pace with Calgary's tenacity and even
excede them. The...
[u][b]Typical Outing[/b][/u]
Tonight's match-up had all the ingredients for a mid-season affair between the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames. Take out the fact that Jarome Iginla was in the Flames line-up and several Canuck veterans were enjoying the game from above, tonights game had the typical Vancouver-Calgary atomosphere.
Eric Godard layed out Matt Cooke as...
Having just sat through 12 hours on campus, and 6 hours of class, I really don't think I can be all that eloquent right now; however, I will just summarize what I've seen from the Leafs in both yesterday's 3-2 OT loss to Edmonton, and tonight's 3-2 win over Phoenix.
HOT: The Blake/Sundin/Antropov line. This line had a great showing tonight, and was solid on the PP. I wi...
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
Moncton's motto reads: [b]Resurgo[/b], which I can assure you that it is not a Harry Potter spell. It is latin for [i]I rise again[/i]. And in 'Hub City', who hasn’t had a NHL game in over 30 years, NHL hockey is rising again - as it did when [b]Ted Nolan[/b], current coach of the Islanders, took the Mo...
Ok, first off, I think Hossa is a wash. I don't like him.
He's a big guy and yes, he's good along the boards, but he's not as good as his brother, period. He's only hit 18 points in the NHL and 40 in the AHL.
Dawes only played 8 games and got a goal in the big league, but absolutely dominated the AHL.
Dawes is just going to get better. For the love of everything t...
Jon Jordan writes...
You Break My Heart, Dad (But That's Okay ... I Guess)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
([b][i]NOTE:[/i][/b] This is a retread of an old post, resurrected (and re-edited) for the launch of the [i][b]NYI Blog Box[/b][/i], which you can find here [url]http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app/[/url]. Enjoy!
I love my family.
I love my friends.
I love hockey.
Sometimes numbers two and three on this list are in a good, old-fashioned tie. (Sorry, amigos, but you h...
David Legwand is looking to improve on last years career highs in goals and points.
Last night on the eve of Nashville’s first pre-season home game I had a dream that the Preds raised the Stanley Cup at the Sommet Center in front of a packed house for the first time in Preds history. I remember the dream so vividly because it was almost like every time that cup was ...
Every end of August brings the excitement of the opening days of NHL camps everywhere. The smell of the freshly zamed ice, the first cut made in the ice by the powerful skates of NHL players. But, when camp opens everyone makes predictions. Now I understand they are just predictions but come on people, are they really necessary?
Predictions for the new season start afte...
And no, this is not a very late blog in reference to Briere and Drury.
Lindy Ruff told the media yesterday that the 2.5 year pairing of defenseman Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman is no more. The Sabres top shutdown pairing the past two seasons will be split up, at least for the time being.
In order to spread out the wealth in regards to the recent heart surgery of T...
saneopinion writes...
Prospects might not think they are playing for a spot.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
For the teams who's record is a winning one during the pre-season this time of year signals what is to come for the rest of the year and for those who have a losing record the pre-season is just try outs and doesn't mean anything. The truth is a bit of both.
It's hard to look at a flames squad that hasn't put in two solid vetrem lines in the pre season and say, "hey, this...
Acccording to latest Flame press release at calgaryflames .com
QUAD CITY (AHL):
Eric Nystrom (LW)
I am not sure this is to surpising but Eric Nystom was one of 6 players that got sent down today. I am really surprised that he has not made the team as of yet but I wonder how much longer he has .
Brett Palin (D)
Sold dman still needs time to progreess but he ...
Wondering why we don't give the one-eyed-bandit a chance to boost our PP? I'm down with McGillis, or maybe Berard doesn't want to come up here or is asking too much... anyways... just a thought...
9/20/07 Philadelphia Flyers training Camp Report
Pictures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157602089563404/
Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zp2Ni3fJAA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNErUHwUCw4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPsav4zr42w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELVUQ0kBWWg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI6TzCgIS60
ttp://www.youtube.co...
The Canucks own battle of Alberta continues tonight when the Edmonton Oilers come to town. Anson Carter will not play tonight, because of a concussion. Honestly would MacT have even let Carter suit up for this game. Maybe the bad blood between Carter and the Canucks only comes from the fans, but if there was any from the players, Carter would have a rough time tonight.
...
I started riding a mountain bike three years ago dropped about sixty pounds and like some of us I tend to get big head when I start having success. Just when I start thinking I’m all that is about when my riding buddies take me out and either seriously school me on a really big hill or they bust a rib laughing at me chipping a tooth on a rock garden I usually ride clean....
Deja-vu?
Thursday September 20, 2007
Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers
7:00 pm (PST) – General Motors Place – Vancouver, B.C.
[i][b]***This just in...Ryan Shannon will play his third consecutive pre-season game for the Canucks as Jannik Hansen broke his thumb in last night's 4-0 victory over the Calgary Flames***[/b][/i]
Tonight the Vancouver Canucks...
I grew up watching players like Robinson, Gainey, Lemaire, Lafleur, Shutt, Dryden...The list goes on and on! Generations of great hockey players have come and gone for this great franchise. I have put them on a pedestal above all else for the most part of my 37 years. When i was a kid, I would fall asleep following a Habs game that I listened to on an old radio tucked u...
It is time for the third edition in my series of blogs about the new NHL jerseys. For those who still have not seen the all new jerseys:
http://www.fartfignewton.com/rbk_edge/
For those who missed Parts 1 and 2:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=2407&post_id=2473
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=2407&post_id=2499
Next up is the Atlanta Divisi...
The rivalry between the Canucks and Oilers isn't a fierce one, but tonights game felt like a regular season one, except for some scrambly play. A big knock against the Canucks play tonight was stupid penalties. They took 6 in the first period alone.
Henrik to Daniel. Thats a sentance Canucks fans are going to hear a lot of this coming campaign. We heard it a lot tonigh...
Ales Hemskey evened the contest with 3:22 remaining in the third period and Brad Isbister stole the show with a buzzer beating goal with less than 3 seconds on the clock. And the Vancouver Canucks won thier second pre-season game in consecutive nights.
With all that aside, from what I saw (and heard) of the game there was really nothing to get too excited about. The re...
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...
[b]Tonights Exhibition[/b]
Some quick words on how to watch tonight's game vs. Montreal. Evidently, due to 'broadband limitations' at the Bell Centre, Montreal, it cannot be seen live. Sacre le bleu! Are they kidding? Sadly they are not.
So, you can check Islanders TV on Friday for pre-game analysis. But can only see the game on Saturday to view the complete game an...
Tonight, the preseason begins for the New York Rangers as they face off against their first opponent since falling to Buffalo in the postseason. The Rangers return bigger, better and stronger than last year, having added top centers Chris Drury and Scott Gomez as well as introducing a young group of Rangers hopefuls, led by defenseman Marc Staal. The upcoming season looks ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
The Evil Twins for Flyer Fans - Rangers and Devils
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img]http://images.sportsline.com/images/nhl/logos/NYR.gif[/img][img]http://images.sportsline.com/images/nhl/logos/NJ.gif[/img]
Rangers and Devils. Two of the most hated franchises in hockey to many Philadelphia Flyers fans. If the sound of those two names echoing in your ears doesn't excite you as a Flyers fan - then it's over and you might as well keep walking towards...
With the struggles of the Calgary Flames during their first three preseason games, I wondered if this was a sign of things to come as opponents would say, or simply false results caused by a lack of a full veteran roster, as many Flames fans would like to believe.
Do preseason results translate to regular season success? In th 2006-'07 season, the Eastern Conference pr...
So, I have browsed the Sharks message boards, the HockeyBuzz forums, and even asked a few people in chat to see what people thought of the new Sharks sweaters. What conclusion have I drawn? I'm not sure. It is a toss up right now, maybe a dead 50-50 like to dislike ratio. Personally I like them. The first thing that came to mind when I saw them was how much they reminded m...
Now that The Kings have released Dan Cloutier (thank GOD). The Kings have limited the goalie problems to just a few. This preseason Labarbra has not proven yet to be a #1. Aubin is a clear backup. Bernier has proven that he is good. The only problem is his age.
As I see it. Labarbra will be used in a trade with a Kings prospect to get Gerber from Ottawa. I know the Kin...
9/21/07 Flyers training camp report
First let me apologize to Mr. no number on the helmet I just learned as I write this that you are Rory Fitzpatrick. I apologize for calling you Nate Guenin.
Pictures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157602101960908/
Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4OoSXi8Ls4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsJIE9a5MTQ
http...
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...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Last Night's Game in Montreal, Plus Defensive Assessment
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Last night Montreal beat the Isles in OT.
[b]Jeff Tambellini[/b] had a good game, obviously been jumpstarted by some comments by Ted Nolan. Nolan recently picked him out saying basically he is expecting more from him consistently. Tambs had a goal and had been all over the ice. [b]Jon Sim[/b] has been plugging away like he has the last few games.
[b]Sean Bergenheim[...
[img:right]http://cdn.nhl.com/images/upload/2007/03/nhl_premiere.gif[/img]Hockey season is nearly upon us once again, pre-season training camps and exhibition schedules are in full swing, fantasy hockey drafts are the talk of the work place and hockey fans everyway wait with baited breath for that first puck to drop on the 07/08 NHL season.
For once i'm happy to say tha...
Today's blog may take some of the Canuck faithful by surprise and I may also add to the list of people who may consider me an enemy. In the end, something has to be said, enough with the pats on the back and the 'attaboys'. When you have to get something off your chest...you do it.
Now, mocking the history of the Vancouver Canucks is a rather simple thing to do. The ter...
tml1967 writes...
Which Maple Leaf will step up and fill Wellwood's spot.
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Leafs receive a second blow this preseason and have lost Kyle Wellwood indefinitely as the nifty center has surgery to repair his hernia once again the same injury that sidelined him for 33 games last season, having already lost Mark Bell to suspension the Leafs must now look within there roster and see if there is a player who could step in and possibly center a secon...
Since the comment part of myhockeybuzz still doesn't work, I thought I would give our Irish friend from Belfast a little love back on his post.
Ray - You have only been disrespected twice so far, so I offer two apologies. The idea of a British game in concert with the NHL game is warranted and I wonder why it posed such a problem? Call it a "double header" and give th...
[b]MIKE KEENAN
THE GOOD, THE OKAY, THE UGLY
THE LIFE OF A COACH[/b]
The life of a coach can be good, okay, and even ugly. It's no different for the new coach of the Calgary Flames, Mike Keenan.
The Stats were found at two sites http://en.w...
Watching the Flyers/Rangers game today, there were a couple of things that stood out to me:
1: Sami Kapanen looked good tonight. If he continues to play the way he did tonight he could be one of those 3rd line guys for the Flyers that makes the difference in the post season.
2: The Rangers power play looked terrible. 0-7 tonight, I'm hoping that they have yet to find...
Just a little warning... if you're on board with Keenan and Sarich and Nolan and the new faces of the Flames you may want to stop reading right now.
Pre-season hockey is a chance for us to look at the questions our teams face heading into the season. We get a chance to share our usually high and lofty expectations for our own teams.
When I look at the Flames this ye...
Now that the Isles are back at home, several have been sent to Bridgeport. Thus, those player's presence on the waiver wire, as many have noticed. No reports have come in that anyone was grabbed by another team thus far.
Still on the Islander's roster: Jeff Tambellini, Aaron Johnson, Jeremy Colliton, Blake Comeau, Darryl Bootland, Kip Brennan (reported on waiver wire, b...
How many times have we heard from the uninformed talk about how Vancouver is a one-man show? Suggestions abound that the only difference between missing the playoffs and winning the conference and bowing out in the second round to the eventual cup champions was the addition of Roberto Luongo. That kind of talk only makes me laugh at the Flames Fan from whose mouth those ki...
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_storm-clouds-oly1739_blog.jpg[/img]
[b]Riders on the storm[/b]
After a terrible performance against the Senators, the Flyers were looking to ride out the storm and rebound by heading into a tilt with the New York Rangers. In fact, they brought their own storm to Broadway.
OK...I know, the Flyers 5-0 shutout win...
As of now, this is still unannounced by the Sharks org, but the following players seem to have been released from the NHL Training Camp:
D-51-Walsh
D-65-Joslin
D-70-Evans
G-33-Dakers
F-28-Packard
F-38-Valette
F-40-Armstrong
F-60-Raduns
This would leave 18 forwards, 9 defenders, and 3 goaltenders in camp.
Lines for today were (in no particular order):
Mar...
Time for Part 4 of my 6-part series on the new jerseys. So far, we've covered the Northeast, Northwest and Atlantic divisions. For those who have not read them yet:
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?user_id=2407&post_id=2552
Up n...
The Vancouver Canucks took it on the chin yesterday. And the feeling that I got reading the Canucks.com message boards, the fans are none too impressed with the gentleman wearing black number 4.
Todd Bertuzzi joined the Vancouver Canucks all most ten years ago to the day. He was a young, underachieving forward in the the New York Islanders system. Being aquired in a tra...
The Vancouver Canucks took it on the chin yesterday. And the feeling that I got reading the Canucks.com message boards, the fans are none too impressed with the gentleman wearing black number 4.
Todd Bertuzzi joined the Vancouver Canucks all most ten years ago to the day. He was a young, underachieving forward in the the New York Islanders system. Being aquired in a tra...
About time. I get bored of just seeing the same bloggers (not complaining, they do a good job) blog everyday and not one blog about the Blue Jackets has been created. I'm looking forward to reading some of his stuff. Seems like he knows his stuff so we'll see.
Good luck, Eric.
I watched Detroit and Tampa Bay today. Here are my notes from the game:
- I never got to watch much of the Lecavalier/St. Louis show last year but hopefully that will change this year with my purchase of NHL Center Ice. It is the end of the 2nd and Marty already has 2 beauty goals. Vinny didn't play but the telecast made up for it by showing all of his 52 goals last yea...
With just over a week to go before the season opener against the Islanders and three preseason games in the books, the questions surrounding Sabres training camp are slowly becoming answered.
Just before camp, I penned a blog discussing the four biggest questions facing the team coming into camp. At this point, it is probably a good time to see if they have been answere...
I've chosen a spot to meet to watch the Home Opener October 13th:
Champps
25 Rt 73 S.
Marlton, NJ
I figure we'll meet up around 6pm, to get ready prior to the drop of the puck.
I'm also thinking of doing this again on Saturday, Oct.27, for the road game against Boston!
B.D. Gallof writes...
Pucks, fists and teeth fly at the first NYI/NYR game
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It was in the air.
The Rangers had a stinker versus the Flyers over the weekend. The Isles were now back home, facing their nemesis from the big city. And, of course, it was the preseason. No points on the line. Players playing for spots, or just to fit in with the rest of their team.
So, as the game started, it was not surprising to see Andy Sutton give Ryan Callaha...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
The Truth Detector, Brad Riter, Booted from WGR in Buffalo
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's obvious from the traffic and comments on this site that Sabre fans thirst for good and credible hockey media coverage. Unfortunately, the Buffalo hockey media took a hit this week as Brad Riter was fired from WGR550 in Buffalo.
Sabres fans know Riter as the host of the Sabres postgame radio coverage. He was also a long time host for the night shift at WGR. He...
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...
CaptShark writes...
Sharks look to keep Calgary winless, 5 more players cut
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Sharks travel to Calgary tonight to take on the Flames. San Jose will be looking to keep the Flames offense watered down and their defense on their toes. Coach Mike Keenan and the flames are still searching for their first preseason victory and will be matched up against a tough San Jose roster. Nabokov will get the start in goal as will Kiprusoff. This game will be a ...
For the past few weeks, potential Rangers players have been fighting for a spot on the roster. As training camp ended and the preseason began, more cuts were made and the team found that they had quite a few position battles on their hands. So after three preseason games and 10 fighting majors, the situation seems to have cleared up a bit.
[b]Goalie Fight (no, not that...
Kings win the first game of the Red tournament. Anze Kopitar had a Hat trick. Labarbra played poor in goal stopping 3-6 shots. Aubin stopped 11-14.
More to come!!!
Perhaps my Islander pal B.D. Gallof will chime in on this issue, but as I simultaneously watched both the Red Wings/Lightning and Rangers/Islanders games last night, I had a passing thought that made more than a little sense (I know ... crazy ... but it does happen sometimes!)
Having lost Dan Boyle for at least the first month of the regular season and in dire need of s...
So an article in the Calgary Herald this morning states Kipper wants Iginla type money (let the opposing fans in the NW speak now). I've talked about this before, but with the pay structure of the rest of the team, this is currently not an option.
Based on the site, [url]http://www.nhlnumbers.com/cgy.html[/url], the Flames have 11 current roster players signed to cont...
DoctorTeeth writes...
Preseason Blues, why can't I watch my team on TV?!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
An open letter I sent to the Madison Square Garden Channel and to the NY Rangers
9/25/07
Dear to Whom it may concern,
I'd really like to know why last night's and now tonight's game are not being televised. I mean really, is it that important you guys show the 1978 Harlem Wizards vs. the cast of Fantasy Island on Al Trautwig's "the Vault"?
I know I'm itching...
Yesterday the Ducks traded defenseman Nathan Saunders and Brett Skinner to the Boston Bruins in exchange for center Mark Mowers.
[b]To Ducks[/b]
[i]Mark Mowers 261 NHL GP, 17 G, 44 A, 61 Pts, E[/i]
[b]To Boston[/b]
[i]Nathan Saunders 36 AHL GP, 1 G, 3 A, 4 Pts, +8
Brett Skinner 127 AHL GP, 10 G, 39 A, 49 Pts, -4[/i]
The D...
[b]YOU BE THE GM 2
THE FUTURE FREE AGENTS: TO SIGN OR NOT TO SIGN
[/b]
Today's blog is on Calgary's Unrestricted Free Agents - well actually, the top three possible unrestricted free agents after this season. The question is: To sign or not to sign? You make the call.
Stats thanks to NHLPA.com
[b]
Mikka Kiprusoff[/b]
Mikka's stats from last year were: 74 game...
With the Canucks having several injuries to the core of their team it is becoming increasingly difficult to ice a competitive roster especially while the teams around them are trimming down to something that finally resembles an NHL line-up.
In the case of the Canucks it may be several weeks before they start to see what their line-up is really capable of. Brendan Morri...
All the hype for winger Hugh Jessiman in training camp this year was unwarranted. He hadn’t shown anything in two years of minor league hockey to make anyone believe he could have made the Rangers this year. In the first two preseason games Jessiman was invisible and I don’t know how that’s possible for a guy with a 6’6”, 230 pound frame.
The most emb...
Just in case people forgot who Steve Downie is. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Fidlin/2005/10/31/1286377-sun.html
Interesting to see that the guy doesn't even make it to the regular season before he fully establishes himself as a gutless player at the NHL level. Very dissapointing to see rookies potentially destroying the career of the veteran players in the hop...
In an offseason full of goodbye's for the Buffalo Sabres, this one may be the most shocking.
The team announced today that Jim Lorentz, the Sabres color commentator for the past 26 seasons, is retiring, effective immediately. Lorentz cited an "unwillingess to spend another season traveling with the team" as the reason for his retirement.
Lorentz joined the broadcast ...
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...
Downie getting crushed. If this video doesn't show for you, please click the link below. After watching a lot of Downie's "highlights" and I use that term loosely I am really surprised he even is at the play level he is on. If you look at any of his video's you will see the temper in this kid that shouldn't be brought out in a professional sport other than UFC. He lets hi...
Here's an oldie but goodie to share with you, originally written Aug 21st.
For the newest expert criticism, see my newest team blog which takes on ESPN and E.J. Hradek: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=9654
[b]The Experts?[/b]
So you are at your local magazine shop, or perhaps you are perusing your usual sports website...and suddenly you see a Hockey fo...
[img:left]http://hfboards.com/imagehosting/2020946fabb71c7c52.bmp[/img]
I cant believe the outrage over the Downie hit. if people want to be outrage, watch the game before making a call. Before the "hit", Scuburt hit on downie was alot worse than what Downie did.
Where was everyone crying when Neil did to Drury last year? Where was one when Colby Armstrong did it FI...
This past weekend my co-horts and I got together and drew out our Canucks tickets. I managed to snatch this evenings pre-season contest against the Sharks. Although, I was not impressed with the fact that it is pre-season, I am rather intrigued to see some of the notable prospects that the Canucks have to offer this season. Namely, Mayson Raymond.
I am quite pleased th...
[quote=TheTiny]If you watch the video replay you will see that his feet don't leave the ice untill there is contact. Shoulder contacts the head and then Mcammond's head hits the boards. It is also 0.6 seconds after Mcammond passes the puck, Downey also cannot see that he doesnt have the puck. Mcammons head is looking where he passed and doesn't see Downey coming. By today'...
The season opener approaches, and the Sharks announce a total of 8 players being re-assigned to Worcester (AHL) this week.
None of these roster reductions really surprised me, they're just talented players who need more time to develop and mature before skating in the "Big Show". However there are two rookies who are making their mark this pre-season, Torrey Mitchell a...
Two youngsters trying to make the Sharks NHL roster suffered setbacks in a shootout loss to the Calgary Flames Tuesday.
In the first period, forward Tomas Plihal was hit along the boards by Flame David Hale. While the severity of the injury of the injury to Plihal's shoulder was not immediately known, he did not return to the game. More to come as it's known, but it's...
mage23 writes...
[2007-09-26] Sharks use Powerplay/Shootout to down Canucks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Unlike the game less than a week ago in San Jose, tonight's matchup between the Sharks and Canucks did not feature the fisticuffs and ejections that played a role in the earlier matchup. The excellent goaltending of Roberto Luongo, however, was once again on display for all to see as Luongo went head to head with Sharks youngster Thomas Greiss.
While Luongo was perfect...
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...
Welcome to my first blog...ever. After reading the comments from so many disgruntled Leafs fans, and watching the Leafs pre-season games as of late I felt I had to start my own blog so I could throw my own 2 cents into the mix. My message to leafs nation: Calm down.
Every move the Leafs make is scrutinized over and over again by the fans, and the media. Folks, this is p...
CaptShark writes...
Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Also Sharks Radio Update
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The San Jose Sharks have found themselves in a tough place. A good tough place though. The Sharks roster still has some trimming to be done, however, who will stay and who will go? Obviously you can't begin the season with 28 centers just because they all looked good in the preseason. A complete team needs defense as well. You have your locked in guys such as K Mac, Carle,...
Just read something interesting on TSN.com in the Article about Dead McAmmond talking to TSN. ([url]http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=219333&hubname=nhl[/url])
[quote=Sens Headcoach John Paddock]"I think for the good of Steve Downie. He needs to be suspended for a long time. We were cheering for him the last two christmas times (World Junior Championships) and h...
According to Holmgren, a sprained wrist:
http://flyers.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=338418&page=NewsPage&service=page
Theycallmetodd writes...
Faith is not only Preseason Deep. Oilers make Playoffs
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With many experts picking the Oilers to finish out of the playoffs and on the lower end of the conference standings there is no where to go but up. They will surprise some people with a playoff appearance and improved offence.
Everybody knows that preseason success doesn’t always result regular season wins. With a 5-1 preseason start the Oilers might not change many o...
He's being hung on the woodshed by hypocrites on this site and hypocrites around the nhl
During practice today, the Sharks were without the services of Tomas Plihal, Torrey Mitchell, Brad Norton, and Craig Rivet (though he did come out for the speed skating drills in the second half of practice).
Per the Sharks, Mitchell had to have some fluid drained from the foot he blocked a shot with, and might return to the ice on Friday. If he can skate Friday and st...
You can never win the Stanley Cup in the preseason, but it's certainly possible to take steps backward to relinquish that dream. The Blue Jackets, who were arguable the NHL's most stoic team in the offseason, have a few questions to answer before being fully prepared for next Friday's season opener vs. Anaheim. Unfortunately, the answers will have to come from within.
[...
i must say, it felt like 8 months for the flyers preseason to start, and now it is almost over. which brings the flyers to their next decision....after downie of course...the captaincy.
all fingers are pointing at gagne at this point. and the team hass clarified it will have a captain in place by game 1 in calgary. but is this really a smart move? albeit i am just a bi...
One has to wonder who paid the most attention to the Anaheim/Ottawa finals - where despite the Senators finally being able to put it together to dispatch a myriad of good to excellent teams, they got run over by a meaner and tougher team who simply shut them down. It was clear on paper and it was even clearer as the games went on.
So now you have to wonder how much GM G...
For all those fans out there who have watched Flyers fans fire back over and over with ludicrous accusations, I apologize. As a Flyers fan, it pains me to see what is currently going on not only with Steve Downie himself, but with other Flyers fans. On one front, I am proud to be a fan of the organization because I can see how the fans here rally together and will defend t...
Getting right into the Downie thing:
-Yes, dirty hit
-Yes, deserves a suspension of at [b]LEAST[/b] five games
-Should Downie be banned for life or even 20 games? No.
Look at the replay closely. He doesn't lead with the elbow and honestly it's really borderline if he leaves his feet [b]BEFORE[/b] the contact. Based on Downie's past he deserves to not be treated...
Former 1999 Penguins draft pick Darcy Robinson, 26, collapsed on the ice during a game with the Italian Asiago team. Robinson was un-hit at the time of collapse in the first period, and was later rushed to a hospital where he passed. The cause of death has yet to be determined.
Over his short career, Robinson spent time with the Penguins' minor league affiliates. From 2...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Fantasy Hockey - With only the Sabres roster!?!?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Sabres Fans... Join the hometeamhockey.com fantasy league. Below is a short description from the site's creator. I've participated for the past few "divisions" and really enjoy it. Give it a try.
[quote][i]Fantasy Hockey for the Home Town Fan. Why a fantasy league with just one team? My thinking is this: I like Fantasy sports, but I don't have the time to [img:right...
sstrang writes...
Another myhockeybuzz predictons blog no one will read...
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Everyone does them and for my own sheer amusement (and to see my name on a website....) here goes:
Western Conference
1. San Jose
2. Detroit
3. Vancouver
4. Anaheim
5. Calgary
6. Colorado
7. Minnesota
8. St. Louis
9. Nashville
10. Dallas
11. Los Angeles
12. Edmonton
13. Chicago
14. Columbus
15. Phoenix
(1) San Jose vs. (8) St. Louis - San Jose in 4
...
Today blog is on another blog questions. So I force some of my friends to pick
What is your favorite hockey memory while growing up?
ZenSisyphus
Well, this is going to go down as the most common "best" memory, but I have to say the Miracle has to be it. I grew up in Colorado, and at the time our NHL team wasn't televised very frequently (maybe not at all), and ou...
I figured since everyone else was talking about Steve Downie knocking Dean McAmmond into next week that it was time to throw my take on the incident out there. Why? Because I think a lot of people are letting their passion get in the way of reason, like they often do when incidents like this happen in sports.
There’s no question that when you see something like thi...
I miss seeing the Leafs play the Wings.
When the Leafs moved to the east, I knew that I would see less of them but thanks to this wonderful new schedule, I never get to see those two teams play. For me, they are right up there with Leafs/Habs or Leafs/Sens games. Always good regular season games and playoff games. I hope that with the new schedule for next season, ...
Jon Jordan writes...
Isles/Rangers, Round 2: Live on NHL Center Ice Online!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Round one on Monday night featured 10 fights, including the goaltenders squaring off, 6 ejections and 9 goals ... and, oh yeah, it also went to overtime!
Round two happens live tonight on NHL Center Ice Online through Islanders TV!
We're talking Islanders/Rangers, folks and, yes it is still the preseason but if Monday's contest is any indication, this one should be a...
We're reaching the stretch-run; it's time for Part 5 of my 6 part series on the new jerseys. So far, we've discussed the Northeast, Northwest, Atlantic, and Central divisions. My previous blogs can be found at the following links:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=2407&post_id=2473
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=2407&post_id=2499
http://...
1. Detroit Red Wings (Central Division Champions) -- A lethal combination of a talented team and a weak division. Ageless blueliners Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios join newcomer Brian Rafalski to form one of the league's elite defensive corps. Meanwhile, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk lead a typically strong Detroit attack.
2. San Jose Sharks (Pacific Division ...
Once again it seems like the Blue Jackets are incapable of scoring enough goals to pull out wins in the close games. 2 nights in a row we have lost to Hurricanes, 1 goal in the 2 matches. Last night was understandable as they lost 3-0 with Mason in net. Tonight however, LeClaire (Who in my opinion will be the starter this season no doubt) was lights out all night until the...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens took on the Buffalo Sabres at the Mellon Arena, in a preseason matchup.
The Pens goals were:
Crosby (Malkin, Armstrong)
Staal (Recchi, Crosby)
Crosby (Malkin, Whitney)
Malone (Christensen)
Christensen (Malone, Whitney)
Sabourin was in goal.
The Pens had a goal just as the buzzer went off at the end of the third, but is was ...
Ryan Garner covered a good deal of what I was going to post in his entry today ([url]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=9713[/url]), so I'll just hit on a few other things.
Craig Rivet missed the majority of contact drills today, as he did yesterday, only coming out to skate with the power skating coach at the end of practice. He is definitely working very hard...
Another season is upon us! Seems like only yesterday the Ducks were hoisting the Cup and I was licking my wounds as a Sens fan. But hope is renewed, as it is with the fans of all teams around the league, with the anticipation of a new season!.
Tonight, I wanted to give you my thoughts on a couple of teams (one from each conference) that may be able to surprise a few peop...
JerZey_Devil2144 writes...
Ladies and Gentlemen..Let me introduce you to the NEW Devils
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Well folks, here it is, the moment you have all been waiting for. It appears under Coach Sutter this will not be the same old Devils. It will not be a sit back and wait for the opponent to bring the game to us wait for a mistake and pounce Devils. It will be an in your face, up tempo , aggressive forecheck Devils.
Now at first when Sutter said this at the begining of...
In the past week we have had a front row seat to see how the current review committee, and Colin Cambell, determine player suspensions. We all saw the hit, the coaches responses, player responses, media input, public outcry, etc, etc etc. Its a long, and flawed, system that in the end determines a punishment which is usually met with and equal amount of approval and displ...
Bernier did a wonderful job at keeping the puck out of his net. With Todd Bertuzzi continuously screening the young rookie kept his cool and was all smiles through the entire game. What's scary about him is that he's so relaxed and this was his first NHL game.
A prime example of this relaxed rookie is when he batted the puck down and just covered it up without being te...
Someone turned off the lights instead of just setting them to dim. Did someone get fired today?
This is on Yahoo, I thought it was a little funny, so I thought I would share this.
Also check out my other blog that I posted earlier about a certain rookie!
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=30462&post_id=2673
A lighting mixup delayed the start of t...
Mark Smith is a Flame.
A signing by Darryl Sutter. Keenan had no decision on the matter. Mark smith a versatile role player who can fill on the top lines. His departure from the Sharks was due to the fact that he would not get much playing time in a team as deep in forwards as San Jose. Mark Smith tried out also with the Ranger who offered him a two way contract.
...
Following the lines from the last two practices, for the most part...
Marleau Thornton Chechoo
Clowe Pavelski Bernier
Michalek Roenick Setoguchi
Rissmiller Goc Grier
McLaren Ehrhoff
Vlasic Murray
Davison Carle
Nabokov
Patzold
For Calgary:
Tanguay Conroy Iginla
Nilsson Smith Huselius
Moss Primeau Yelle
Godard Boyd Peters
Aucion Regehr
Phaneuf Sari...
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.
I, like many, would like to see hockey return to ESPN. It provides the widest exposure of sports programming in the US.
With that said, ESPN also provides the widest exposure of what I consider to be the biggest problem with sports programming today: the epidemic of sportscasting "personalities" overshadowing the events they present.
The seeds of this issue can be tr...
As promised I am following up my dark horse blog with my predictions blog. Very unique I know. No playoff predictions though, way too early for those. With that said, let’s start in the West.
[b]
[u]Western Conference[/u][/b]
[u]Pacific Division[/u]
1. [b]San Jose Sharks[/b]: Probably the deepest team in the league. Tons of offensive skill led by Joe Thornton, Pat...
-
In a previous post I announced the upcoming O Canada Hockey Card set to be released on October 18, 2007 by ITG Trading Cards. More information has been released about the spectacular autograph cards in the set.
In The Game Trading Cards released the following information in their September 25th newsletter...
The autograph cards feature Gold Metal winners from the ...
Derek Roy must of been listening to some old school Smash Mouth over the off season because the 11 points in 4 games he played is insane. His +/- is sitting pretty at +8. Roy is working extremely hard on the ice and is showing to become a leader this year.
I am one to say when I am wrong because it happens and in these cases I am glad I have been wrong so far. ...
The NHL's current TV contract in the United States is clearly not working well at all. The NHL made a big mistake by signing a deal with Versus which is owned by Comcast, Comcast offered up the most money and the NHL in all its wisdom went with the highest bidder, not the best solution for league. The NHL tried to land a deal similar to what it had before the lockout, a 5-...
Rob Kerr was saying the same things last night; the preseason dousn't mean much, but you gotta be worried. Keenan openly admited the boys havent had much practice time, on some occasions they were NHL veterans getting beaten by minor leaguers.
One can use the excuse that it's just preseason, unfortunately now the bets are off. A record under .500... hell .700 is just u...
Back again to complete my NHL prediction blog extravaganza with my Eastern Conference predictions. Enjoy!
[b]
[u]Eastern Conference[/u][/b]
[u]Southeast Division[/u]
1. [b]Washington Capitals[/b]: This may be my “what is he smoking?” pick of the 2007-08 season but the Caps have the parts to do some real damage. The arrivals of Nicklas Backstrom and Michael Nyland...
As reported on Aaron Portzline's blog from the Columbus Dispatch, the Blue Jackets announced a major roster move this evening. Coach Ken Hitchcock informed 20-year olds Kris Russell and Jared Boll that they will be in the lineup opening night (Oct. 5th).
Kris Russell, at 20, is the most exciting player to come through Columbus' system since Rick Nash. He was given a so...
As hinted by Garth last week, The Buffalo Sabres will announce HNIC analyst Harry Neale as the Sabres new Color commentator, replacing Jim Lorentz.
http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/262121
Good things to take away from last night's win:
1. Mike Comrie scored with a Bill Guerin assist. They just continue to produce on that first line. Ruslan Fedotenko is the unsung hero of this line, even when not on the stat chart, he does things that help his linemates pass and score.
2. Miroslav Satan scored two goals. We can talk about that 1st line all we want, but...
Thank God the season is here!!!!
As I write this, we are 10 hours and 56 minutes from me seeing the Mighty Van Halen at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. Expect me to be somewhat giddy.
-Ok, Downie got 20 games. I think that is a bit harsh, considering hits by Colby Armstrong, Darcy Tucker, Brooks Orpik and Chris Pronger got a LOT less in terms of punishment-if an...
It's not just me is it?
When watching a game on Versus you can't help but notice that the two guys in the booth talk about everything but what's happeneing on the ice. Why? Are we spoiled by great play by play guys like Jeanerette and Cole? Are the VS guys not supposed to call the game? What gives?
The only folks I've spoken to who like the VS broadcast are Hurricans...
as per TSN this morning
Players sent to Hamilton include Maxim Lapierre, Ryan O'Byrne and Jaroslav Halak.
All I can say is that I am in complete shock not only because Price is staying but mostly because Maxim Lapierre is getting sent down. I mean his training camp was pretty good and last year he played very well. I would have prefered sending down Garth Murray but lo...
Jimmert44 writes...
Harry Neale leaving Toronto?...Three sent down to Rochester!
Posted Monday | Comments 0
As some of you may or may not know, long time color commentator Jim Lorentz retired from the Buffalo Sabres last week after 26 years as a broadcaster and 10 years as a player with Boston, St. Louis, The New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres leaving an opening for the seat next to legendary play by play man Rick Jeanneret who has been calling games for the Sabres since the 71...
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:JQoW24FMrCAdvM:http://www.intriguing.com/mp/_pictures/grail/large/HolyGrail005.jpg[/img]
[b]The National League East as portrayed by Monty Python:[/b]
MLB: Bring out yer dead.
The Mets: Here's one.
MLB: That'll be ninepence.
The Phillies: I'm not dead.
MLB: What?
The Mets: Nothing. There's your ninepence.
The Phillies: I'm...
The season is upon us!
From the looks of things, it's going to be one helluva season. At this point, all of the speculation, all of the predictions, everything that has been talked about means absolutely nothing. The Ducks and Kings have kicked the season off in London and, despite all of the scheduling problems that it caused, it was extremely successful. The fans r...
The Columbus Blue Jackets have been given a blank slate. That blank slate was given the day that Doug Maclean was fired. Every player is starting anew. The Scott Howson era starts Friday and it is full of promise. Expectiations for this squad could not be any lower. Nobody outside of the Central Ohio area has them above 14th in their Western Conference predictions. T...
After winning the Jack Adams trophy you'd think that Alain Vigneault had everything figured out. Well, you guess wrong. The Vancouver Canuck head coach is currently sitting in his chair with about a million and a half different line combinations running through his head.
The club announced eight releases today. Seven players are making their way to Manitoba (Bourdon, B...
1. Buffalo Sabres (Northeast Division Champion) -- The departures of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere got most of the off-season headlines, but the Sabres are as much about system as individual players. And the Sabres have plenty of offensive firepower in the likes of Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Maxim Afinogenov, Drew Stafford, Derek Roy..... you get the idea. The Sabres ...
I have to say, i am very anxious after watching the pre-season. The two maple leaf goalies that were supposed to push each other were not very good. Toskala did not even win a game in the pre-season. Now that is in the past, my question is, who will be starting in net against the Senators on Wednesday? Toskala was booed by the home crowd, so he may take that game off, howe...
As you may have already read on Sharks.nhl.com, Devin Setoguchi and Torrey Mitchell were both called into Ron Wilson's office before Saturday night's game "to have a talk about numbers." Mitchell told Sharks.nhl.com, "For a second, I thought it wasn't good news and we were being sent down."
Instead, the two were given the choice of what number they want to wear for the...
Finally, our many preseason questions have been answered as the Rangers set their 23 man roster by dropping Nigel Dawes and Al Montoya. The final roster, which appears at the bottom of the page, is what most expected and is expected to lead New York to its first Stanley Cup since 1994. The puck drops at 7:00 PM as the rangers host the Florida Panthers at MSG. Here are a fe...
Starting first in the OHL, Sharks Prospects Jamie McGinn and Logan Couture of the Ottawa 67's played in two games this week. They started the weekend by losing in a shootout to Niagara 5-4. Captain McGinn logged one goal and one assist while Assistant Captain Couture logged three assists. Even though both were stopped by Andrew Loverock in the shootout, they were named ...
By Tuesday Afternoon, the Isles are expected to FINALLY release the upcomign roster for the season. Reports coming out now still have Berard unsigned, but Berard has no plans to sign elsewhere, and is willing to wait for Snow and Nolan to sort out the mess of fowards..
The Clock is back on you Snowy.. you got Less than 12 Hours to decide!
[url]http://weblogs.newsday....
Hey pens fans,
The Pens sent Kris Letang, Mike Weaver, Jonathan Filewich, Jeff Taffe, and Ryan have been assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Pens also signed Adam Hall to a one year two-way contract.
Also, USA Today picks the Pens to win the cup. Is this good or the kiss of death?
[url]http://penshockey.blogspot.com[/url]
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...
CaptPantalones writes...
Season preview: predictions, Sabres preview tomorrow
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
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...
It's done. Of course, as I sit and wait for people to get back to me on who is on the ice in Syosset, the Islander's finally announce it:
[b]DEFENSE[/b] Berard waiting for trade to make room there is likely
They are carrying 8 for now
2 Aaron Johnson
8 Bruno Gervais
14 Chris Campoli
24 Radek Martinek
25 Andy Sutton
32 Brendan Witt
44 Freddy Meyer
47 Ma...
I would like to on a weekly basis share some of my thoughts about that weekend that was, the week to come, and any other quirkly news hitting the airwaves.
I would like to offer first a prediction of the teams that I think will make it to the second season
East
1) Ny rangers good additions, not great. should have spent money on D. Should have gone after hannan, or wa...
I have no facts. I have no stats. I have no research, quotes, contacts.
All I have is my opinion, but, as most of you know (begrudgingly), that is worth a fair bit.
Did you come here for an in-depth analysis of teams, perhaps hoping for some outside speculation about your home team? If so, leave now. It will spare you disappointment beyond the shame you must feel ...
duxown writes...
I'm back with Season Predictions and Ducks point projections
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Your first(in your hearts too I hope) Ducks blogger ever on myhockeybuzz is back. Yes I have predictions, what everyone wants to hear. Yes I will do the East as well, and yes they will all be.....wrong.
Western Conference:
1) Detroit
2) Anaheim
3) Colorado Avalanche
4) San Jose Sharks
5) Vancouver Canucks
6) St. Louis Blues
7) Los Angeles Kings
8) Minnesota Wild
...
[b]Playoff projections:[/b]
Eastern Conference Finals: Pittsburgh over Buffalo
Western Conference Finals: Calgary over Colorado
Stanley Cup Finals: Calgary over Pittsburgh
[b]Award predictions:[/b]
Hart (MVP): Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh
Art Ross (Scoring leader): Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh (123 points)
Rocket Richard (Most goals): Alex Ovechkin, Washingt...
Here we go into '07-'08! Another great season of NHL Hockey is about to start, and the Wings are hosting the defending Stanley Cup Champs at the Joe tomorrow. What's it going to take to win? Well, the usual stuff, as usual, and some new stuff. Franzen has got to take on the role of Power Forward, Samuellson has got to get a lot more consistent, and the youngsters; Fillpu...
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...
I starting thinking about the roster decisions yesterday as I waited with extreme curiosity to what [b]Ted Nolan's[/b] take on the decisions made would be. I, like many of you, did not understand why Hilbert was on the 2nd line. Or why the gaggle of dmen still stood as a gaggle of dmen on the NHL roster. And I began to see it from another angle:
[b]When a 2nd Line isn...
As a general rule, I am done with making predictions as they pertain to the world of sports. This offseason, I had a blog titled, "Ryan Smyth [b][i]WILL[/b][/i] Remain an Islander." I also predicted that the New York Mets would once again run away with the National League East Title. (Ugh.) On the demerits of these two statements alone, I should be permanently banned from ...
After having to sit through another boring baseball season (which was compounded by the Cardinals playing like crap), and realizing that pro football just doesn't seem as much fun anymore (I'm sure my crappy rams have something to do with it, still love college though), I get to finally watch the greatest sport in the world!! Though the season starts tonight (and I will h...
The Sharks have narrowed the roster down to 23, with some strategic use of the IR. Alexi Semenov, Brad Norton, and Thomas Plihal were put on IR to cut the 26 man squad to 23 for opening night. All 3 in my opinion should have been sent to Worcester simply because they just don't have the "IT" that is needed to crack this line-up. So as for the line up, it looks very solid, ...
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...
1) Minnesota - 105 pts (3rd seed)
2) Calgary - 102 pts (5th seed)
3) Vancouver - 97 pts (7th seed)
4) Colorado - 96 pts (8th seed)
5) Edmonton - 77 pts
It all comes down to Nicklas Backstrom and Marion Gaborik in the hockey mad state of Minnesota. Nicklas Backstrom should have a great season for the Wild. He's never been a starter in the NHL, but he's succeeded in e...
The Maple Leafs blow a third period lead.... where have we heard that before to lose in overtime by a 4-3 score to the Sens. The Leafs did play a good game but were let down on this night by an awful powerplay that went 0 for 7. McCabe and Kaberle seemed to forgot the season had started on this night and looked like very average defensemen, just one goal would have given t...
[b]Question 1:[/b]
[i]Is Berard on this team or what?[/i]
All signs are to YES. Bryan Berard has been working out with the team, and also on the ice leading the powerplay. So evidently a contract is being hashed out between his agent and the team.
[b]Question 2:[/b]
[i]Trade happening?[/i]
This is unclear right now, even with so many Isles dmen sitting around....
Normally I love to rant, but lately I haven't found a topic that has stirred the flames of passion inside me. At least not until now. I want to quickly say whoever brings up the Canucks "Sordid" past succeeds only in showing their ignorance. I write this as an impartial hockey fan(If such a thing is possible).
You can have all the talent in the world, but when you lack...
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...
Summer is over and the NHL's regular season is finally here! Changes abound, but how does your team stack up in our initial NHL Power Rankings? Disagree? Have suggestions? PM or comment!
[b]1. Ottawa Senators[/b]
From 1-6, their talent on defense is unmatched. Spezza and Heatley are simply magical. Is Emery's health a concern? Can Eaves and Kelly pick up w...
Here I am
On the road again
There I am
Up on the stage
Here I go
Playin’ star again
There I go
Turn the page
That chorus could not ring more true.
Last year was the worst season in Flyer history, then this pre-season we had the Steve Downie drama, it is time to turn the page.
I’m not going to tell you the Flyers are going to win the Cup, I’m n...
[b]THE GREATEST RIVALRY IN THE NHL: THE ALBERTA CIVIL WAR[/b]
This Blog is one of a series of blog suggestions from my friends at HockeyBuzz site
his name was drjsay. I would also love to thank Patrick Hoffman he did a real nice job on editiing my blog thanks again Pat.
[b]EDMONTON OILERS
MOST MEMEORABLE FORWARDS[/b]
I remember the four years that Wayne Gretz...
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 ...
[i] "Just stop enough of the limitless critical comments on my life, just drop the judgement and all the pseudo-involvement in my life." -- Disturbed, "Just Stop." [/i]
It is unlikely the band knew Brian Burke when they wrote the song, which is ironically played at most Anaheim Ducks home games, but it could not be any more appropriate.
Just ask Kevin Lowe.
Or, ...
Woohoo! Go Preds!
What a great start to our season. A shutout from Chris Mason, a bit of "enforcement" from Tootoo, a couple of goals from Arnott, and a packed arena. For a couple of hours tonight I was able to forget all the craziness going on with the possible sale of the Preds and just enjoy the hockey game.
I've noticed an interesting phenomenon at Preds games.
...
It's not unusual for a hockey fan to make predictions on how teams will fare in the upcoming season. Heck, in my head, I've come up with how I feel teams will perform. Things aren't always as black and white as we'd like to think they are.
It's impossible to measure how a team will perform based on past performance. There could be a blockbuster trade next week, a key pl...
I walk to work with a kick to my step. Not that it's that great of a day. A foggy murk lays about the morning like a Yashin knee-injury. The air is humid. The city is its usual stale self. I walk outside MSG, home of our dreaded rivals. They won their first game, kicking off two lackluster periods where they were being booed by opening night fans. Chris Drury scored the ga...
Actually it wasn't that bad. However, had I wrote this blog last night when I was running around downtown Vancouver, inebriated and cursing Anders Eriksson aloud for the whole world to hear, I would have written a totally different story.
What cost us the game last night? Our defense. Plain and simple. Now, its early, I'll give us that. And aside from the first 15 min...
When you have Dion Phaneuf, Robin Regehr, Cory Sarich, Rhett Warrener or even Adrian Aucoin, why is Anders Eriksson on the ice with less than two minutes to go? The fact that Eriksson decided to pick up the pick and skate towards the mass group of players at the bench didn't worry me. I expected him to have his head up, see the large obstacle and quickly circle back into...
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...
After the first two games of the season here are a few thoughts
The Leafs started the season with two games against the defending Eastern Conference champions and started 0-1-1. When you look at the record it's not really that impressive in fact it's kind of ugly. With that being said all I have to say is don't worry fellow Leaf fans it could be a lot worse. The Leaf...
How it must feel to be a father of an NHL player. I have two kids in my life and I could not imagine how proud one could feel to see them play in the NHL. Off-course all children’s parents will love there children no matter what they end up doing, that being said if I ever have the privilege of seeing a member of my family play this great game at the highest level I woul...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Anatomy of a Hockey Buzzard: HockeyPuckusBuzzardus
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]Anatomy of a Hockey Buzzard:[/b]
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/hockeyaccident12_edited-2.jpg?t=1191607046[/img]
[i]HockeyPuckusBuzzardus[/i]: a fascinating species of modern day hockey fan often found in their native habitat of the HockeyBuzz site, www.hockeybuzz.com. When not chasing, discussing or arguing rumors, they are known to frequent...
Last nights game from what I saw and heard of it, was a little bit of a lackluster performance by the Sharks. I was a bad Sharks fan and blogger last night because I did not see the game. Wifes B-day was much more important last night. Trust me, if you are married than you understand. Besides there is a whole lot of hockey left to enjoy. Torrey Mitchell from what I have he...
The Vancouver Canucks open their 2007-08 campaign tonight facing off against the consenus Stanley Cup favourite San Jose Sharks. Tonight's line-up features in blood as the Canucks search for an offensive threat in their line-up.
Mayson Raymond will make his NHL debut after having an eye-opening training camp the Canucks staff decided to bite the bullet and give the you...
millertime writes...
Season Opening Outlook: The 2007-2008 Buffalo Sabres
Posted Friday | Comments 0
As the Sabres drop the puck on their 2007-2008 season tonight at HSBC Arena, I thought I'd share my outlook for this year.
I'm a devout Sabres fan, have been following the team since the Mogilny/LaFontaine era (I'm only 21), and I've studied the history of the team too, back to the French Connection days. I've stuck with the team through the really bad, the bankruptcy,...
I think that the folks at Yahoo sports are Steve Downie Supporters.
He got an assist and served alot of penalties for his team.
I have to say I am pretty impressed.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/boxscore;_ylt=AkzFjbn_.pbbZfYgk1IrCKp7vLYF?gid=2007100403
Philadelphia 3, Calgary 2
Preview - Box Score - Recap - Highlights
1 2 3 Total
...
DucksFan07 writes...
Why the NHL and Hockey will Always Be a Fringe Sport
Posted Friday | Comments 0
This will be my 3rd attempt to post this blog???? Maybe I am a complete incompetent boob, but it shouldn't be this hard. Anyway, before everyone gets all hyped up and lights their posse torches, please let me say that I have accepted this fact and am completely at ease about it. In many respects, I am very happy about it. There are a lot of positives to having a limite...
Hey pens fans,
On a positive not, I would like to wish a Happy Birthday to MArio Lemieux.
Now, onto the game...
Tonight, the Pens lost their season opener 4-1. The Pens' lone goal came in the third period. It was scored by Mark Recchi and assisted by Gonchar and Malkin. Fleury was in goal to start the game, but after letting in 4 goals on 26 shots in the first ...
First off, on my last blog, I lied. The Phoenix Coyotes are not just ready yet for a playoff run. After plenty of thought, I made my decisions. Before I go ranting on about how the season starts, let me publish here and now the season predictions I have going on:
Eastern Conference:
1) Ottawa
2) New York Rangers
3) Atlanta
4) Pittsburgh
5) Buffalo
6) Tampa Bay
...
According to Yahoo Sports box scores Steve Downie had an assist on Brieres game winning goal Thursday, I told you the kid is good.
Blue Jackets 4 Ducks 0, huh?
Flyers vs Oilers tonight, weird how after players are traded they seem to play against each other very quickly it happens all the time,I’m thinking 5-2 Flyers.
Marion Jones on roids? Thats a shocker. She ...
B.D. Gallof writes...
View From The Blog Box: Isles Home Opener is a Win!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I am sitting in an empty blog box, watching them practice the opening to the Isles home opener. I am jawing with one of the staff, as they work out the kinks with the sequences that includes kid skaters who will be dragging an American flag across the ice.
As I sit here, I can see that Eklund, and now Newsday have already reported that Meyer has been put on waivers. An...
Darcy Robinson, age 26 [url]http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070928.wsptdarcy28/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/[/url]
Adam Litteken, age 16
[url]http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-hockeyplayerdies&prov=ap&type=lgns[/url]
Died for no apparent reason on the ice while playing or practicing a game they loved. In Canada 20-30 athletes di...
Wow, another great night at the Sommet Center! The Preds beat the Dallas Stars 5 -1. Good stuff.
The game started off with a fight between Tootoo and Krystofer Barch. Unfortunately, Tootoo was on the losing end of that one, which was unusual for him. Hordichuk took care of it, though, by challenging Brad Winchester to a fight at the next face-off.
I remember being ho...
Did anyone see the Canucks and Calgary? Decent game - teams swapping dominance and then fighting it out. My player of the game is Aaron Miller apart from the whole almost-breaking-Luongo thing. He's the Willie Mitchell of '07-08 (but for cheap!).
Hughson said "This game [b]deserves[/b] another five minutes!" and luckily it worked out in Vancouver's favour. Teams in ...
Hey pens fans,
Sorry that the post is so late. I got stuck in detours, traffic, and behind a few accidents, and my one hour drive back from the game turned into more like 2 and a half.
The Pens defeated the ducks tonight, by a score of 5-4. The Pens goals were as follows:
1st period - Sykora from Roberts and Christensen (PP)
2nd period - Armstrong from Roberts; M...
Last Year the Buffalo Sabres could not find a way to lose during the first month of the regular season. But A far place from where we have came now.
The Sabres finished off a poor opening weekend with two straight losses to the New York Islanders, the final one coming Saturday night 3-2 in Long Island.
But if you were talking to most Sabre fans, you would think it wa...
In his classic book, "See You at the Top," motivational speaker Zig Ziglar coined the term, "Loser's Limp." Ziglar explained the term in context of professional sports. He gave the example of an offensive player running for the end zone with a defensive player in hot pursuit. Twenty yards from the goal, it becomes obvious the defensive player won't catch the man with the ...
Hey all, I'm back. Wow!!! what a couple of days for the Islanders as they sweep the home and home against Buffalo and shining brightly throughout are our new players, especially Mike Comrie. Comrie is really starting to shine and prove himself as player and I am sensing a breakout year for him due to his incredible skill play against Buffalo, not to mention 4 goals in 2 ga...
yes you can salvage something from the first two flames' games of the season. two good comebacks, 4 goals for langkow, brief periods of astonishment from kipper, but all in all.. we sucked.
at least the energy was there the second time around. moderately. as an aside, i actually would have found the games more exciting watching them on CBC than being 20 feet from the...
Between yesterday and today, every team in the NHL played. While my favorite team, The Anaheim Ducks, are not doing so well, I cannot complain too much because hockey is hockey. I was never a “sports” person and I think that affects how I watch hockey. I love to watch any game, as long as the teams are playing to the best of their abilities. Of course, I want “my...
Just listening to the Avs vs. Sharks game - and Mr. Paul Stastny has 1g 4a in this game, while having a hat trick on opening night, which brings him to 8points in 3games. And i got him in 3 of my Fantasy Teams :-)
I knew this kid would rock this season, and i also did believe he would have a fair shot at the 100 point mark - but this much improvement and absolute domina...
DucksFan07 writes...
Why the NHL and Hockey will Always be a Fringe Sport
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Before everyone gets all hyped up and lights their posse torches, please let me say that I have accepted this fact and am completely at ease about it. In many respects, I am very happy about it. There are a lot of positives to having a limited, rabid, knowledgeable, fan base. Less bandwagoneers to fling on/off depending on the team's record. The downside is that we have le...
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:nagITiFfeAvPsM:http://images.cnhi.zope.net/images_sizedimage_180211403/lg[/img]
[b]You know you're a hockey fan if:[/b]
* You know all the words to "O Canada"...in French...and you're American
* You hear "Prince of Wales" and you immediately discount the guy with big ears, perk up thinking Bettman might actually get one rig...
Oh, my Red Wings! The lines seem to be starting to come together, and things are starting to click a little......but......
Granted, last night's shootout loss at Chicago followed the loss of Franzen and some shuffling of lines, but the Wings have always shuffled lines and often just because they could. What the Wings haven't always done is scrambled in their own...
Despite the US having 24 of 30 NHL teams, countless minor league franchises, and a few hotbeds of college and even high school hockey, the popularity of the game below the 49th parallel is severely lacking, keeping it a so-called "niche sport". From my position as an American hockey fan, I hope to shed some light on this unfortunate phenomenon.
In the abstract, hockey s...
Despite the US having 24 of 30 NHL teams, countless minor league franchises, and a few hotbeds of college and even high school hockey, the popularity of the game below the 49th parallel is severely lacking, keeping it a so-called "niche sport". From my position as an American hockey fan, I hope to shed some light on this unfortunate phenomenon.
In the abstract, hockey s...
I have to open up with.... WHAT A GOAL BY BRIERE!!! Absolute playmaker.
What positives and negatives do we see so far?
Positives...
The top line has looked absolutely amazing in my eyes. For the most part dominate the ice during 5 on 5 situations and when the three are on the PP together they create tons of opportunities. This line is going to be AMAZING to follow...
If you haven't gone on TSN's website yet, Toronto's Jason Blake has been diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), an uncommon form of cancer. Blake is the second player in as many years to be diagnosed with cancer (the other being Masterton Trophy winner Phil Kessel). He announced the diagnosis today on the Leafs' website. Just as a side note, LEAFS STILL SUCK...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Columbus Day: Discover the Isles vs Washington at 2pm
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
While some celebrate Columbus Day, where he discovered the Americas in 1492. Well, he didn't really. The Vikings and even the Chinese actually might have found these lands long before. But, what is more important is that in 2007-2008 season, the NY Islanders found their first line and some offensive threa...
Well, the first five contests that the Anaheim Ducks have completed churned out a record of 1-3-1. Not what you'd expect from a full forced team like the Ducks considering their depth has not changed much from last year. The fact of the matter is that, well, yes the team has lost out on retaining Dustin Penner, retirement contemplations by Teemu Selanne and Scott Neidermay...
Defenseman Freddy Meyer has been claimed off waivers by the Phoenix Coyotes.
Berard is beleived to be activated tomorrow and play one of the two back to back games later this week.
[b]Recap[/b]
The Rangers began the 2007-2008 season by posting a 1-1 record. They beat Florida by a score of 5-2 on Thursday,followed by a 2-0 shutout loss in Ottawa. Although did come out with 2 points, the Rangers seemed shaky on the ice in both games, did not play well as a unit and generally did not put out a good effort. While the 4-goal third period on Opening Night...
Did the departure of two good hockey players really make the Buffalo Sabres that much worse? After watching the Islanders sweep Buffalo this past weekend, folks are starting to wonder.
It is only two games, but that is more than enough for some fans to hit the panic button and start throwing the blame around.
The co-captains are gone. The defense is lousy. Miller ...
It was the biggest news of the NHL offseason - The Rangers went out and spent 87 million locking up both Chris Drury and Scott Gomez to long term deals this past Summer. The Rangers, who finished 6th last season in the Eastern Conference for the second consecutive year, immediately declared themselves as contenders to the rest of the NHL. Many experts have them picked at o...
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
It was a strange sight to see my name on Sport Illustrated, yet there it was:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/richard_deitsch/10/08/islanders.bloggers/index.html
So, for those checking in to see what it is all about, here are some blogs worth reading that run the gamut from the [b]Island...
Tomorrow at 7 PM eastern time, the maple leafs will battle the hurricanes. Now leaf fans, expect Toskala to start because his performance against the Montreal canadiens was something that will bench Raycroft for a while. One interesting note about Toskala's performance...did you see his lateral movement? It was lightning fast.
[b]Keys to victory[/b]
Carolina is more of...
[b]You know you're a HockeyBuzzard if:[/b]
* You reset your company homepage to [img]http://v4.hockeybuzz.com/images/blacklogo.jpg[/img] and [u]don't care[/u] who sees it
* You think...Separated at Birth? - Gary Bettman [img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:r5LmuTSaO8RFdM:http://www.backinblue.com/files/images/capt.stk10412140104.penguins_blues_bettman_stk104.jpg...
All Non-Toronto Maple Leaf fans....exit this page, All the blue and white loyals...read on.
Imagine, Mats Sundin's possible last year, the season where Mark Bell was sentenced to serve time in the slammer, a new goalie, new 40 goal scorer. What if all of this was capped off by a Stanley Cup? Honestly, 3 games in, this season has been already extra ordinary.
I...
In honor of friendly debate and maybe someone who has as much passion for the Blues as I have I was wondering, if when you have time, we can shoot the S*^t about the Blues. I agree to disagree in the sport of learning something new and seeing things from another perspective.
So far this season Salvador has been playing a solid game. What I saw in the preseason gam...
I was born in Brooklyn, but spent most of my time growing up in Staten Island. I remember walking in to a Palmer Video (later bought out by Blockbuster) and seeing an ad on the front counter for a chance to enter to win hockey tickets. The entry box was your average, run of the mill box, but at the top right where the slot is for the form was a picture of Mario Lemieux h...
The Rant Man writes...
Response to a Response: Ducks' Cup Hangover Blog Post
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This blog post is relevant to everyone in regards to blogging.
I accidently deleted the comment on the post left by duxcup07 on my recent post on my blog covering the issue of whether or not the Ducks will repeat the outcome of the last Stanley Cup Championship team; the Carolina Hurricanes. Duxcup07's comment was a complete retort against my article, and so to respons...
The Rant Man writes...
Response to a Response: Ducks' Cup Hangover Blog Post
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This blog post is relevant to everyone in regards to blogging.
I accidently deleted the comment on the post left by duxcup07 on my recent post on my blog covering the issue of whether or not the Ducks will repeat the outcome of the last Stanley Cup Championship team; the Carolina Hurricanes. Duxcup07's comment was a complete retort against my article, and so to respons...
[b]CALGARY FLAMES
MOST MEMEORABLE FORWARDS[/b]
My favorite Flame player is Hakan Loob. He was the first Swedish born player to score fifty goals in the NHL. He had speed to burn and quick a release on his wrist shot.
The second forward I would like to mention is Joe Nieuwendyk. He was the best rookie the Flames had, scoring fifty goals in his first year. Joe could...
Hey pens fans,
The Pens signed forward Dustin Jeffrey to a three year entry level contract. He was selected in the 6th round of the 2007 draft.
[url]http://penshockey.blogspot.com[/url]
1 Yr 725 K
Will play Weds vs the Rangers.
I found myself, much like probably every other Canuck fan on Saturday night biting my fingernails and sitting on the edge of my seat for 3/4 of the game. Perhaps it was the early goal that got past Luongo, or the daze I was left in after I quickly adjusted my TV, trying to fix the color from the new (baby blue Canucks Jerseys). However I think the major contributor t...
Some news and notes from this mornings practice at HSBC Arena:
Ryan Miller and Toni Lydman both returned to practice today after missing Sundays skate. Miller was gone for personal reasons while Lydman was still recovering from migraine headaches suffered against the Islanders Saturday.
Ales Kotalik again practiced today and is likely going to make his season debut T...
Traditionally, sports in Ohio are generally regarded as mediocre. However this year I feel there is an excitement for Ohio sports that has not been around for a long time. Here is what has been happening:
-Last night, the Cleveland Indians defeated the New York Yankees 6-4 to move on to the AL Championship Series. The Indians haven't won a World Series in almost 60 year...
Twas the night before the opener and all through the arena
The techs are testing the speakers by playing funky cold medina
The Zamboni's are out to make the ice real smooth
And the Vendors are hooking up the kegs full of ice cold brews
The Skates are being sharpened with oh so much care
In hopes that goals will be scored in threes or in pairs
And I the ticket holder ...
I like most Toronto Maple Leaf fans, and hockey fans in general was shocked by the announcement that Toronto forward Jason Blake was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. I must say that the Leafs management did something right for once and handled this situation with the utmost class, offering Blake time off, whatever he wants. I have new found respect for Jason Bl...
It is far too early to tell if the Columbus Blue Jackets are as improved as they claim they are, but Friday night's 4-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks is definitely a stepping stone.
Last season, the Jackets were often guilty (okay, very often) of playing for 40 minutes, sometimes less. They came out with fantastic energy and played in-your-face for two periods, and once t...
Since when did the entire city of St. Louis jump on the Blues bandwagon? I know the Rams are losing and the Cardinals didn’t make the playoffs, but this is ridiculous.
Last year, I could walk up the night of the game and get tickets. But now, the first three games are well on their way to becoming sellouts! Only a few very expensive seats remain.
I’m not saying t...
For those of you who remember me from the Checking Line blog site, well, I am back and it's prediction time.
[b]Season Records:[/b]
Wins Predictions :
Actual Predictions:
[i][b]
Games:[/b][/i]
7:00 PM
Ottawa 4
Atlanta 2
Ottawa continues their dominance of the 1st month of the season with an impressive victory over the Thrashers.
[b]Goals:...
Seeing Philadelphia come back to Vancouver is like seeing a old girlfriend you used to date in high school. At first you are like " Oh god !, there she is."
She always wants it to be the same as it used to be like, but it never is. Things change, people grow apart. That annoying laugh that I ignored because "Having a Girlfriend" in Highschool is just the thing to do...
[i]The Bloggerazzi Peeks Out From Beneath An Article About The Isles Blog Box[/i]
As soon as the Sports Illustrated article hit the wire, I waited for it. That invariable swipe by those in a malleable establishment to judge and pigeonhole the Islander Blog Box. It didn't take long. The bash was led by one who was at the very most top of the hockey blogging food chain....
It may only be one early season game, but it has the opportunity to be so much more - especially for the Islanders.
Sure, they had a doozy of a preseason game but (to borrow a phrase from Major League Baseball's All-Star Game) [i][b]this time, it counts[/b][/i]. (And far more than a mid-season exhibition baseball game, mind you!)
Both teams, really, have a lot riding...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
HB and Ek vs the hatemongers (a B.D. Gallof follow up)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
For those who have not read [b]B.D. Gallof's[/b] insightful, well written and absolutely dead on blog - do yourself a favor and read it. [u]It might be the best piece you read all year.[/u]
Here is a link to B.D.'s blog
[url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=567&post_id=2810[/url]
*************
[u]The Emperor has no clothes...[/u]
B.D.'s writing inspi...
cougar763 writes...
Red Wing Attendance and Better Things to Talk About
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
At this point we all know that the Wings are having some small issues with attendance. However, this is not the end of the world scenario that everyone is making it out to be. They sold out every game for over 10 years, it was bound to happen, and with the situation in the stat right now they are still getting a pretty good showing. With the economy the way it is (the stat...
The Atlanta Thrashers fan base is small. There it is; no arguments here. The team is second fiddle to several other teams in the Atlanta area including college football teams from Georgia and Georgia Tech, the Braves, and even the Falcons (still!). Hockey has yet to grab the sports fans in Atlanta like the True Blue fans wish it did. Atlanta sports fans wanted to jump on t...
The Atlanta Thrashers fan base is small. There it is; no arguments here. The team is second fiddle to several other teams in the Atlanta area including college football teams from Georgia and Georgia Tech, the Braves, and even the Falcons (still!). Hockey has yet to grab the sports fans in Atlanta like the True Blue fans wish it did. Atlanta sports fans wanted to jump on t...
The Sharks end their season opening 4 game road trip in Chicago tonight. San Jose is coming off an embarrassing loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. With a win tonight the Sharks can come home 2-1-1 and earning a point in 3 of the 4 road games. Not bad considering the team has looked like they have been going in and out of cruise control in all 3 games leading up to t...
The Flames play their third game and first of the season on the road tonight, against the powerful Detroit Red Wings. The Wings have gotten off to a 2-0-1 start and are better than the Flames in almost every statistical category thus far into the season. The Flames have won twice at the Joe Louis Arena in the past 6 attempts, last winning in December of 2005.
The F...
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...
For anybody who was wondering (which quite possibly is nobody...haha) I never did write part 3 of Living up to the Big Bucks.
There are some interesting stories developing already in this young NHL season; The Avalanche led by sophomore Paul Stastny, the Edmonton Oilers starting 2-0 against two tough teams, the Defending Champion Ducks starting 1-3, and the Capitals sta...
mapleleaf92 writes...
The Maurice Gurantee already in danger not Toskala's Fault
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Leaf fans, on October 9th 2007, we have been disgraced 7-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes. So early in the season, the leafs defense has collapsed us, and Vesa Toskala.
You may all remember Maurice guaranteeing us a playoff series in Toronto. Last night's efforts made him look bad. It started on William's goal. He was wide open and was able to walk in about 4 feet before sna...
Well the first two games haven't been pretty have they? As Dave Davis on LGS so succinctly titles his column, "Tallinder and Lydman's Play Leaves Something To Be Desired".
Scott Wraight in his Power Rankings on SI.com doesn't hold back on the offense: "Offense from the forwards would be a welcome addition -- just four goals so far."
Even on the Sabres.com forum, th...
Well that seems to be the theme right now. Depending on your point of view and who you read. Yes that was a very bad loss last night to the Canes. It was a game that I was happy to miss (maybe that's why I'm not panicking).
Lets remember folks, it's really early in the season and we have seen what this team can do. As stated by many, they need to play hard every nig...
Last night I watched the beat down the 'Canes put on the Leafs. During the game the Vs. spent a period of time talking about Erik Cole and his broken neck. Now, as much as his injury was unfortunate, I have seen a sad trend that is occuring in the league. The trend that I have witnessed time and time again is the players turning their back to the oncoming player, who wi...
Due to the injury to Johann Franzen (out 3-4 weeks), Mike Babcock has changed up his lines, shortened his bench, and Matt Ellis is in the lineup in a 4th line role. The thing is, the line combinations other than Zetterberg/Holmstrom/Datsyuk seem to be set in quicksand, and even that line gets the "mixmaster" approach every now and again.
In tonight's 4-2 victory ov...
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...
In the Vancouver-Philadelphia game, Flyers winger Jesse Boulerice viciously two handed Canucks center Ryan Kesler in the jaw. It was a flagrant, brutal action and Boulerice is certainly deserving of a nice, long suspension.
Where it gets interesting is the Flyers have a guy currently suspended. That would be Steve Downie, who was suspended for twenty games for his bruta...
The FlyerFly writes...
10/10 - Briere and Boulerice Provide Highs And Lows In Rout
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
VANCOUVER - If the Philadelphia Flyers were looking to build momentum off their time atop the mountains of Whistler, British Columbia, they couldn't have asked for much more. That is, of course, unless you count Jesse Boulerice. Danny Briere wrote himself into the record books in just his 3rd game with the team with his goal and 2 assists, and Mike Richards added the fin...
A few things overshadowed by the momentary idiocy of Jesse Boulerice:
-[b]Mike Richards[/b]. A career-high 4-point night (2g-2a). His smooth backhand pass to RJ Umberger put the first nail (second goal 13 seconds after the first) in Vancouver's coffin, and he slammed it shut with a goal 2 men short. This could be the game that establishes Richards as a go-to guy.
-[b...
[b]HISTORY[/b]
Have you ever lost your girlfriend to your best friend? Have you ever had your legs waxed? Has you mom asked you “Why can’t you be more like your brother?” Has your boss or your wife told you to get up and go do something?
Think back so you can have an idea on how these two cities feel about each other. I remember in my teens and early twenties...
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 ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Best of times or Worst of times...Flyers West Coast Trip
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..[/b]
Much like the French Revolution, about which Charles Dickens (apparently I cannot use the word to properly denote the author's last name) wrote the above famous first line of [i]A Tale of Two Cities[/i], the Flyers are in a state of radical change and turmoil. The new regime is intent on successfully erasin...
[i]"There are must win games in October."[/i] - Islander captain Bill Guerin.
Yesterday I briefly blogged on how last night's game vs. the Rangers was "statement time" for the Islanders. The 2-1 Isles victory may not have been domination, by any stretch, but the win over the heavily hyped, heavily favored (and heavily paid) rival Rangers was huge for the hard working cr...
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...
So I didn't do too bad on the wins over the losses, but I didn't hit one single prediction on the head. It's ok, it was my 1st night, but it feels good to be back. Let's jump right into tonight!
[b]Season Records:[/b]
Wins Predictions : 7-5
Actual Predictions: 0-12
[b]Games:[/b]
7:00 PM
Atlanta 2
Buffalo 5
A battle of playoff hopefuls here in Buf...
The Flames don't show up in the month of October. Kiprusoff is always rusty. Iginla usually starts slow. The Flames just don't come out of the gate hard.
I am sick and tired of hearing about that. It is time to stop being okay with that and actually do something about it. All the players are saying the right things: We need to be better ... we can be better ... w...
Year after year the Toronto Maple Leafs make big off season changes in a hope end the 40 year Stanley Cup drought. This off season was no different. Trading the 1st round pick in last years NHL entry draft for goaltender Vesa Toskala & forward Mark Bell, and signing 40-goal man & unrestricted free agent to a 5-year/$20 Million contract. The Leafs management faile...
...i understand that certain flyers players have been taking liberties with your canadian teams' players. but lets not fly off the handle this time around like with the downie incident.
campbell needs to address this just like he did downie and give him the 20 game 'benchmark' suspension. but just remember, when chris neil, ryan malone or darcy tucker take to dropping ...
If I was JFJ, I would send Andrew "Red Light" Raycroft to the minors and I would do it now. Unlike some of the other over priced Toronto Maple Leafs, Raycroft does not have a no movement clause nor a no trade clause. It is pretty obvious that the Leafs have been unable to trade Raycroft, and really, no surprise here, who would want him?
Raycroft is sloppy with the puc...
Last night I was out for dinner with my parents who are in town and we heard two cheers from the Canucks' fans. So that means they scored twice. I didn't watch the game and I didn't see the highlights till I said my goodbyes and went home. Vancouver got smoked 8-2. That explains why I only heard two cheers.
So here we have two Canadian teams that are well loved acro...
He damn well shouldn't be. That is for sure. I cannot even believe what I saw last night. A fourth line plug, who isn't even really good enough to be called a plug, cross checks a skilled player in the face. Ryan Kesler did not see it coming, there was no reason for it (Boulerice says that Kesler took a run at Randy Jones...ya...ok...), he didn't have the puck, and he ...
It was a great day for rookie goaltenders making their first career starts yesterday. Montreal's Carey Price stopped 26 shots in a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. On an interesting note, Habs' greats Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy both made their NHL and Habs debuts against the Pens, Roy's debut occurring on the exact same date as Price's. Some critics are saying that Pr...
Surprises abound, except for the top two positions that see Ottawa and Detroit holding strong after the first week of play. Capitals and Lightning undefeated? Flames and Sabres winless? What's going on here?!
As always, suggestions and comments welcome! And if you want to see last week's rankings, you can find them under the archives link to the right -->
[...
Anyone still looking for my cannon past the Bloggerazzi's bow: http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=567&post_id=2810
But, enough on that. Now onto Toronto:
Bury them.
Toronto, a team that should be a winner, in a city that is hockey-crazed. I remember my brother and I heading there and experiencing the Ottawa vs Toronto game, smashed at some bar, along w...
I have decided to start up my own little blog entry, similar to the players of the week. Except it will be the Hero and Zero, (although I may add a couple of sidekicks for the Hero if I feel it is necessary), pretty self explanatory I think so I will just get right into it for week one.
HERO:
[img:left]http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/1/12/230px-P...
First off, everything I said yesterday and earlier on in the year still applies ... I am still wildly optimistic about this team.
Losses happen.
Even 8-1's happen.
But this "post-Ranger game" thing ... it's gotta stop. And it's gotta stop [i][b]this season[/b][/i].
Why? Because when you muster up a solid game like last night's 2-1 win over your [i][b]hated[/b][...
To my surprise, I read this morning that the Canucks shipped Shannon down to the AHL team in the minors.
[url]http://canucks.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=339792[/url]
Maybe I am reading too much into this, but is this move for good ?
From all accounts Shannon had a very good pre-season and training camp, he was on everyone's top list...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/enemywithinisles.jpg[/img]
The Isles flew out from LI the other day on a high. A 3-1 record, their only loss outplaying, outshooting, but not out scoring Washington and Kolzig. Everyone was happy, everyone was chipper.
But then something happened on the way to Toronto. A transporter malfunction seemed to come into play, and the plan...
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 ...
Edit: Canucks.com Made it official, Rick Rypien is up and is expected to play.
Canucks are 1-2-0 Edmonton is 2-2-0. The Canucks have just re-assign Ryan Shannon who ha 2 goals but was the leagues worste +/- with -7, according to CDC forums Team1040 sports radio is reporting that we have called up Rick Rypien, Witch Canucks.com has confirmed. I have no clue who the Canucks...
Just days after winning their first game of the season, the Devils headed back to the land of Sun and Fun. This time around, God's waiting room was less kind to the Devils. The Panthers earned their 1st. victory and goosegged the nomads from New Jersey.
Sutter become unhinged after Olesz potted his first on the season. Sutter felt that Stumpel did take down Oduya and...
Four games into the season and no season preview from me as I had promised. All I can say is sorry, but I have been very busy and could not find time to get it done before the start of the season. Since it is too late to do a preview, we will call this an Octoberview. I am going to get into a few different categories based on what has happened up until now. I am not going ...
Every once in a while you see a photo and you think...man, I have seen that person before. When you put the face with the other photo and you get that lightbulb moment...you have "Separated at Birth?"
For example....let's start with Wade Belak, since everything is his fault anyway.
[img:left]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_1300.jpg[/img][img]http:/...
Every once in a while you see a photo and you think...man, I have seen that person before. When you put the face with the other photo and you get that lightbulb moment...you have "Separated at Birth?"
For example....let's start with Wade Belak, since everything is his fault anyway.
[img:left]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_1300.jpg[/img][img]http:/...
Last night was what the Leafs needed. Not a blow out win, but a strong game for 60 min. That's what has killed them for the last few years. We saw this last year, games where the Leafs played their game for 60 min, they won without question. It's the games when they decided not to play for the 2nd or 3rd that killed all hope of making the playoffs.
Gamache had a big ...
Every once in a while you see a photo and you think...man, I have seen that person before. When you put the face with the other photo and you get that lightbulb moment...you have "Separated at Birth?"
For example....let's start with Wade Belak, since everything is his fault anyway.
[img:left]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_1300.jpg[/img][img]http:/...
Every once in a while you see a photo and you think...man, I have seen that person before. When you put the face with the other photo and you get that lightbulb moment...you have "Separated at Birth?"
For example....let's start with Wade Belak, since everything is his fault anyway.
[img:left]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_1300.jpg[/img][img]http:/...
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...
Perhaps the biggest thing working in the Leafs' favor heading in to this Saturday's game is the motivation that comes from an 8-1 win. Just last night, Mats Sundin also surpassed the club records for most goals and most points, 390 and 917 respectively. Tell me how you can slow a guy down after a feat like that on top of a monstrous win. I'd like to know.
Let's hope, fo...
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 ...
As reported and begged for by the majority of the media and fans Jesse Boulerice received a 25 game suspension.
He will start the suspension immediately.
The Flyers have the home opener and the buzz around the players and the fans are truly electric. With their win versus the Canucks earlier this week, it shows the team is ready to compete this year. Something t...
flyershockey81 writes...
THe Difference is they are wearing Orange and Black Jerseys.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
People thoughts on Flyers after Third game of 2007-2008 season
"I guess you're right. But the issue in these situations is about making the punishment fit the crime as opposed to making the punishment fit the criminal. If Daniel Briere had done this (OK, so he'd have had to get up on a box to take off Kesler's head as Boulerice did, but let's imagine it for a moment), w...
djvoiz writes...
80,000 people signed for it: We want the NHL back in Quebec
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Hello everyone, and welcome to my first blog here on MYHB,
First of all, you will have to excuse me for my English, which is not perfect since i'm one of those Frenchies in Quebec City, but I will do my best.
I will start from the very beginning. It was a saturday, back in october 2005. I woke up, and somehow, i had this idea of doing a Website and a petition, in ord...
Here are the standings...I'm not sure whats going to happen with the job or not and I'm not sure if I'll continue this, but who knows...
[b][u]3 Points[/u][/b]
brendonkuhn
chompsy
[u][b]1 Point[/b][/u]
DrChristianTroy
KirktheCanuck
[u][b]0 Points[/b][/u]
vojdog
Sashimi23
scoot
Jbug
thehugs
trio151 ...
Canucks strike oil with a 5-2 bounce back win over Edmonton, Canucks goals by Henrik Sedin, Rick Rypien, Alex Burrows, Brendan Morrison, And Markus Naslund. Edmonton goals by Sheldon Souray, and Raffi Torres. Rypien and Burrows Both had 2 point night with a goal and assist, considering Burrows' goal was shorthanded and this was Rypien first game since Shannons send down an...
just look at colin campbell's quote from his transcript
[b]COLIN CAMPBELL: No, I'm not concerned. They've always had that image that dates back to '72 when they were nicknamed "The Broad Street Bullies." If you look at the time that I've been associated with the National Hockey League doing this job, with discipline, I don't recall -- I think I've had a couple of player...
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.....
This is going to deal with ways I think the NHL can improve. I am not just talking about the product, but the game.
-The current mess of head shots needs to be addressed uniformly. Jesse Boulerice and Steve Downie got deserved long suspensions. But what Of Jordin Tootoo? Or Matt Weller? Or Andy Sutton? It's time to start taking everything into consideration. The NHL ca...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157602398807368/
Ok well, the Flyers decided to practice earlier then what was posted on their site (which is a normal thing when it seems I am going to practice)
When I got there is was practice for standing in front and tipping it in and various other mini stations among the last few. Then it got to be Fitzpatrick, Upsh...
JerZey_Devil2144 writes...
Come for the food.......stay for the Hockey!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Well folks just a week plus before the Devils finally open "The House that Marty Built" and let me tell you all, from the sound of things this will be a must see arena experience. Jeff Vanderbeek our newest and most pro-active owner ( since the good Doctor that is god bless his soul) went around the league and to ther places and found parts of other arenas new and old to i...
The Flyers need to get their act together, Boulerice deserved 25 games and I hope he doesn’t play for the Flyers again.
Jim Basillie will end up buying the Preds, this will be good news for Canada and bad news for Kansas City, in the long run this will benefit the NHL, not sure if Bettman can figure that out.
I still can’t get over the Bills Cowboys game from Mon...
BuffaloMat writes...
My debut article in a local magazine in Buffalo, NY
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Images have been acting funky on here but here's a try... It's the cover of a magazine I write for which is Under the Scope Magazine.
[IMG]http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t261/Mat_Rex/coveroctober.jpg[/IMG]
Well the magazine came out a little less than a week ago. I plugged hockeybuzz in the first sentence. The magazine is called Under the Scope. It's a ne...
I'm gonna go on a long flames blog, so first off, I'd like to say that the Stars played wonderfully. Their transition from skilled offense to stifling defense yesterday is only more of a omen of how far they should go in the playoffs and how deep their team really is. IMO they're only a power left winger away from getting to at least the conference final. Its nice to see R...
Ryan Kennedy had an interesting article "Ice-Girl Dilemma" at the THN.com blog on 10/12/07. It was a surprise to me to learn that 17 NHL teams actually have so-called cheerleading groups. I guess too many women no longer think it demeaning to be hired simply for the purpose of having lecherous creeps oggle them as a prelude to exploiting them. We know this is true becaus...
As most of you already know, Jesse Boulerice was suspended for 25 games after his crosscheck to Ryan Kesler's face a couple days ago. The question is, was it enough?
By terms of Chris Simon getting the same sentence last year, yes, it's a perfect punishment.
But by terms of Steve Downie getting 20 for an unnecessary hit on Dean McAmmond, Boulerice should have gotten...
Man, was the offense hot tonight. 52 shots at Toskala compared to the 27 unleashed by Toronto, and they were only 1 for 7 on the powerplay! Excuse me, let me preface that as being a PITIFUL 1 for 7. And Malkin - what did I tell you about shooting? Always trying to make it look pretty when all we need are some goals.
Lots of firsts tonight, like Crosby's first goal of th...
After watching the Preds outplay both Colorado and Dallas in the 1st 2 games, I have had to endure 2 ugly losses to the Blues and the Coyotes. And as I am typing, the Preds are losing to the Flames in a 4-6 blowout in which Mason looks horrible in goal. As much as I consider myself a diehard preds fan, and have argued tooth and nail with the pundits and critics, I have t...
The Islanders played better than in their 8-1 debacle on Thursday, but couldn't avoid adding 1 to the loss column in Philadelphia. Rick Dipietro was back between the pipes against Flyers goalie Martin Biron, and took the loss in the 3-1 setback.
The first period was a quick, defensive frame which saw few chances and no goals. Radek Martinek stood out for his splendid ...
First I need to thank a ton of people. A shout out to all the Flyers fan Club folks I saw tonight. Very good to see all of you as always. Theresa that was a great story and an awesome experience for you.
The Fly Fan, Radoran, Hockey Fan as always a pleasure to hang out. Free Downie!
My new neighbors for seats very nice to meet you all. The guy at the back the ...
Ducks versus Wild tonight at 5pm PST at the Honda Center. I'll be there early for warm ups. Just in case.
"Should be a good old fashioned grudge match, so come on down. Bring the kids. There are still plenty of seats available at the War Memorial."
During game 5 of the Ducks v. Wild playoffs last season, the pregame action was gnarly. First off, the Wild were ...
Rochester is in Hamilton this week, and that means I get a chance to see Sabres' prospect Adam Dennis play. This is installment #1 of my "Amateur Scouting Report" series. I will also report how Jaroslav Halak does, and list some skaters who stood out to me at the end.
[url]http://everythinghockey.blogspot.com/2007/10/amateur-scouting-report-adam-dennis.html[/url]
[im...
Nik Antropov was a surprise, high first round pick at the age of 18 by the Toronto Maple Leafs out of Kazakhstan after having been one of the most dominant players in the world junior championship tournament (granted, on a very poor squad). Often ridiculed in the media and by fans, it is ironic that each and every General Manager and Coach that walked through the doors of...
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...
Sun, 14 Oct 2007 8:44pm
I sit here writing this from my Blackberry, soaking down a brew and smoking a stogie on this brisk autumn eve.I feel a bit like the Isles in that I've had a tough weekend of work, actually hit with three huge deadlines at my job, just as we are understaffed. I won't bore you with the details, just that after giving close to 15 extra hours of my t...
Where should I start? I can say have experienced something I have never experienced in my life ever before; I attended a professional sporting event where they did not play the national anthem. The San Jose Sharks home opener started a little weird to say the least. As me and my wife made our way down Santa Clara St. toward the Tank I thought to myself, "It really is hocke...
At this point I will say good riddance to this guy. He has been trouble from day 1 and I think will continue to be trouble. People may argue the same about Steve Downie, however I will counter with Downie's ability to put pucks in the net. That's the reason Downie may still see the light of the NHL, but Boulerice may not. All in all, I think this is a good waive for the Fl...
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...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Full Metal Jacket - Flyers week that was and week to come
Posted Monday | Comments 0
"[i]Atlanta, Jersey and the Canes[/i] are only a few days away, and the recruits of the [i]2007-08 Flyers[/i] are salty. They are ready to eat their own guts and ask for seconds." - [b]Full Metal Jacket[/b]
OK...so maybe Stanley Kubric doesn't know the first thing about hockey or the Flyers first homestand of the season. But the abovementioned quote, narrated by Matth...
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...
Alexander Edler has been recalled from the Manitoba Moose(AHL) and will suit up tonight against the Sharks. Its the first time we'll get to see him play since suffering a hip injury in the pre-season. Edler was called up because Lukas Krajicek blocked a bunch of shots last night and is day to day with a foot injury.
Jannik Hansen is getting his hand x-rayed tomorrow and h...
And so comes the end of another Leaf game.......another Leaf game that the blew in the third period. It's getting to the point where you don't have to watch anymore as you know whats going to happen. The Leafs start the game by getting out played and having the goalie whoever it might be on the given night, followed by the Leafs grabbing a one or two goal lead heading to...
I was deperately hoping this was true but according to wgr550.com it isn't as of yet. Hopefully it gets done soon. They need to get working on these guys. If it isnt a done deal who should they sigh first:
Hecht, Cambell or Kalinin.
Here is my order:
1. Campbell- The longer they wait the more $$$$$ it will cost them
2. Hecht- If the reports are somewhat true I th...
First off, I guess I should thank the NHL and the Sabres for putting this game on a Monday, and the scalpers and ebayers and stub-hubbers who completely flooded the market for tonights game. I got tickets from a friend desperate to sell for a profit for far below face value. So I thank you all.
This was my first Sabres-Leafs, but wow what a game and what an atmosphere. ...
Jsaquella writes...
Bouelrice Waived?!?!?! Oh, just because Eager's Hurt...
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Yeah, I'd like to see Jesse Boulerice waived and gone from the Flyers. Nothing against the guy personally, but when you attack another player in the manner he did, you have no place in my NHL.
However, the Flyers now have a bit of a injury crunch, with Ben Eager and Scottie Upshall hurt, and they needed to recall a winger to fill in. Since Boulerice and the also suspend...
Not sure if the channel is the same in all areas but for Comcast in Mass it is on channel 259
Just found this info looking around this morning...Google is your friend
"Effective Thursday, October 18, 2007, the NHL Network will be available on channel 401 as part of the iO Sports Pak and on channel 429 as part of the NHL Center Ice seasonal sports package. NHL Network will be available in all service areas (except Woodbury Spectrum--Oak Beach, Gilgo Beach and Dom...
Let us go back to the days of last season before January 1st. The Sabres of yesteryear had their foot on the proverbial throttle. Consecutive win streaks, destroying franchises in a single game (Philadelphia) and generally wrecking havoc. During the month of October, the Sabres scored 53 goals (4.8 a game!) and by the end of the season, won the Northeast Division by 8 poin...
Are we really ready to panic in Leaf land already? It seems to be the same old story, especially last night, where the defence continues to break down, third period leads are blown, and bad give aways that lead to penelties and to top it all off, everyone's favorite overpriced D-man McCabe puts in the OT winner on his own net with 3 seconds left. This left me in a sour m...
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, ...
Wow
All I can say is WOW. Now I've seen everything. Don't assume that I'm one of those bandwagon Leaf fans that are constantly bashing our team but last night was once again a game we should have won, no doubt about it.
Now to all those so-called die hard fans who know everything, was it Raycrofts fault last night? No chance. It was just a streak of horrible and i me...
At this season's Predators games, the crowd at the Sommet Center has been treated to a fancy-schmancy new scoreboard. It looks great, but I've been noticing some serious issues with the new screen.
See if you can spot the problem:
[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2092/1593784358_88fdee7dfd.jpg?v=0[/img]
No? Let's try it again. Here's another example:
[img]ht...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwPpWiQ042E
Watch and youll see why.
Thursday night will be a match up of i think the two top teams in the Western conference between the San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings. The Sharks will be hungry as they host the Detroit Red Wings the team that ousted them from last years playoffs in six games.
Many picked the Sharks or Wings to be hoisting the Cup come this spring, making this to be one hell of a...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Who's Line is it Anyway? Guerin to 3rd line. Hunter to 1st.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img:left]http://boredplanet.com/img/whosline.jpg[/img]
Upon a 3-3 start, which isn't bad. But then again, if you hold the "not bad" mantra, than you are not buying into the Isles brass and player expectation to be a playoff team. So, 3-3 is, in lieu of that, not acceptable. Furthermore, some habits and tendencies have been seen and adjustments seem to be being made.
...
The answer is: Future considerations. The question: What was Larry Murphy traded away from the Leafs for?
And in my limited research, I can't find what those considerations were, except for two-thirds of Murphy's Detroit salary being paid by the Leafs. Basically, they paid to get rid of him.
Now, media seem to look back on the booing as just Toronto taking our their ...
According to a source from another team out West and apparently they have some takers. " they may have to move the one they would least like to." what I am hearing is that the leafs are looking for speed and grit."
Today on the talkcast we will have the president of thunderblades, a new ice skate technology that will change hockey.
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers Day After - It smells like....victory
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]"I love the smell of napalm in the morning...it smells like....victory"
- Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore [i]Apocalypse Now[/i][/b]
[b]Napalm in the morning[/b]
If you were to walk into Bank Building in South Philadelphia today, it would would have a peculiar odor...no not stale beer or rock hard pretzels...but of the scorched remains of the bird with the genus Toxostoma -...
aisforaaron83 writes...
10/17/2007 - looking forward to Columbus tonight.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
the lines at practive today were...
Hagman - Modano - Lehtinen
Morrow - Ribeiro - Eriksson
Lundqvist - Halpern - Miettinen
Jokinen - Barnes - Winchester
Fedoruk - Ott - Barch
Daley - Zubov
Norstrom - Robidas
Niskanen - Boucher
OK, so I hope this is not the exact example for what will be played in the game tonight....
I dont like Hagman with Mo and Lehts, ...
i'm jsut wonderin' if i tyr and post a blog and reely have not much to say, but have a good name, then what r the odds of this here bloggy gets a posted. since noneof my others seam to make it to the front paige, i thought i'd give this a good ol' hockey try. Heer goes.......
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...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens took on the very re-vamped Devils at the Mellon Arena. Unfortunetly, the Devils took the contest 5-4. The game had some very questionable calls and I am sure the oficiating is much debated. I will say that some of the calls were good, some bad, and some were rather close. To be honest, I am trying to avoid official bashing, because som...
20 minutes. That's how much time the Penguins spent inside the penalty box. Ten penalties; 20 minutes. If you really break it down, we practically gave the Devils an extra period to work with.
Both teams combined for 5 powerplay goals, in this penalty-ridden game. The Penguins converted 3 times on 5 attempts, while the Devils were 2 for 7. All in all, a great perfo...
Stars eek out the win in the shootout. Smitty is perfect against the 6 shootout shooters he has faced. Jussi got the only shootout goal for dallas to put us on top. He looked like he was going to swing wide and try the dangle he is known for, but he saw that Norrena was expecting that and turned with the puck to slide it, more forcefully, in the puck-sized hole between the...
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...
When a team wins the Stanley Cup, each player and all the personnel for the team get to spend one day with the coveted cup. That's right, 24 hours. One of the keepers and caretakers of the Cup, Mike Bolt, says that each player has it "24 hours, and not one minute less". And why would you give it up before you had to? I mean, it's the freakin' Stanley Cup - the most coveted...
The Blues finally put the POWER back into the power play last night against the 'hawks. PP goals from Kariya and Walt on sweet feeds from Stempy and Boyes and we're back in business!
Prior to last night, the 'note had been scuffelling along at a 9.something % clip. 2 fer 20 something (research smesearch) and OH fer eleven since rook Erik Johnson scored the game winn...
The Staal brothers will be at it again tomorrow night in Pittsburgh, as the Canes visit the Pens for what will be the second meeting of the season. Hopefully this time around, little brother Jordan can outplay, or at least shutdown his older brother Eric. In the season opener, Eric netted two goals in a 4-1 victory in front of the Carolina crowd. Perhaps it'll be a differe...
The Sens are still roosted at the top of the Power Rankings, but Minnesota and a number of other clubs are closing in fast. Other teams like the Islanders, Capitals and Predators find themselves barely treading water after laying eggs in the 2nd week of the season.
Suggestions and comments welcome! And if you want to see any previous rankings installments, you can fin...
This is the first pivotal game of the year. The one I pointed to on the schedule when it came out and said, “That game is going to speak volumes for the team early in the season.”
The Devils come in 3-3 after winning last night in Pittsburgh. The Devils are six games into a season starting nine game road trip due to the fact that their new arena won’t be availabl...
Listening to the talkcast with EK's mom today brought up a great memory of my mom, who was a great hockey mom. Before my brother and I started playing, my mom had no interest whatsoever in hockey. Once my brother and I laced up the skates, my mom became a fan. Well at least a fan of my brother and I. I was more of a rabid NHL fan then my brother was, and actually cheered f...
Jsaquella writes...
Random Flyers Thoughts-What A Difference A Year Can Make
Posted Friday | Comments 0
One year ago, the governments of the Philadelphia region were discussing adding Prozac to the water supply to keep unhappy Flyers fans from jumping off the Walt Whitman bridge as the team staggered to a 1-8-1 start on the way to a 56 point season.
Now a year later, much is good about the Flyers.
-Trade Deadline pick up Martin Biron has been providing good to excellen...
So, I'm officially [i][b]loving[/b][/i] this whole Billy Guerin, Islander captain thing!
In the preseason, I made a sarcastic comment along the lines of, "[i]Hey, a captain willing to fight! How about that?[/i]" That wasn't so much a tip of the cap to Guerin as it was one more, "Piss off!" to Alexei Yashin (whose name I will now refuse to utter ever again in my blog. In...
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 ...
The Isles came to Washington last night with a lot of questions, being put back to earth with a .500 record. However, some of those got answered last night with wild game that saw [b]Bill Guerin[/b] tear it up with 3 goals, and a stellar performance by [b]Rick DiPietro[/b] in goal.
By no means was this a one-sided affair. Before Guerin led them to closing the Capitals o...
A come from behind win at the ACC saw the Leafs score a goal in a goofy last minute against the Panthers. A good bounce back game after a heart breaker two nights earlier. As I watched the game early on I have to say that I was quite discusted. Not with the Leafs play, not with the defence, not even that they were down 2-0 early on... but rather with the chorus of boo's...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Sympathy for the Devil(s)...a guy named Marty
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:BV9zNSpOHjtBHM:http://www.nook-market.com/bizzazz_s/rolling-stones_tongue.jpg[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_hanson2.jpg[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_NEW_JERSEY_DEVILS_LOGO.jpg[/img]
[b]Please allow me to introduce myself[/b]
Hi...no I'm not the Prince of Darkness, Lu...
Another blog in a series of blogs that focus on the game outside of scores and reviews, here's one that deals with band wagons and jumping ship...
There are purists out there (mostly Leaf and Hab fans) that believe you root for one team your whole life - win or lose, whiners or not - they are YOUR team. I do believe that once you are grown up enough to make a tough deci...
If you look at a copy of the Ducks depth chart, you will notice something very odd. Right now they are carrying 3 goaltenders in Jean-Sebastian Giguere, Ilya Bryzgalov and Jonas Hiller.
This made sense when the Ducks started the season because JS was on the injured reserve, however he has since returned to the lineup and is playing a strong game. Also playing well is...
No Eriksson can't be bad. But at the beginning it looked similar to the Philly game. Down 2-0 primarily due to power plays for the Kings. The Flames had some pressure but couldn't build momentum in that first. They were getting out shot, it was not pretty.
The Conroy trip was an awful call. Fortunately they killed that one off. Aubin gave up a soft one to let the ...
There are many singular things in the world today. There is one Great Wall, one Pope, one U.S. President. For some, there is only one G-d.
Things that come in ones are accorded great importance and respect. They are constantly being sought after like a hidden treasure. The amount of hard work, effort and sacrifice it takes to get to one of these singular objects is i...
People who know me will tell you without hesitation that I go into a slow burn very quickly. My temper is typically not of the yelling and screaming variety but more of an uncomfortable confrontation. Nothing gets me going faster than unmitigated stupidity. That’s what I encountered last night at the Flyers-Devils game.
Some important things to know before we get into...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens took ono the Hurricanes at the Mellon Arena. The final score, after the shootout was 4-3 Pens. In the first, Sykora scored (Crosby, Recchi) to tie it at one. Then in the second, Hall scored (Ruutu, Talbot) and next Sykora scored (Gonchar, Crosby) too tie it at 3. In the shootout Christensen, Sykora, and Crosby all scored to make the sh...
The Good The Bad and the UGLY.
The Good
Randy Jones, seriously Randy you aren’t Bobby Orr.
Anze Kopitar, this kid is only 20 wow what a future he has
Marty Biron, the Flyers have a goalie making saves I’ve seen it all.
The Minnesota Wild, they look like a heck of a team so far
My hustle, I’m still back checking at 38, that’s pretty solid
Jason ...
The Penguins take to the road tonight, heading out to DC to faceoff against the Capitals. And you know what comes to mind when you hear that team name - Ovechkin.
Yet, perhaps Ovechkin isn't the biggest concern for the struggling Pens D. I mean, sure, he's no doubt a threat, but this is a game where they can really get their self-esteem. Shutting down Ovi isn't the bigg...
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 ...
Thanks number 23 good to see you again. Jsaq nice to meet you as well.
Pictures first
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157602559859286/
Video 2nd
Clip1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhiV3sN1rhY
Clip2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-YhFC2yG3M
I was ontime for a change for practice only because I arrived @ 9:50 and the Flyers got on the...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens took on the Caps on the road. They came out victorious 2-1. Both of the Pens' goals came in the second period. Staal scored assisted by Recchi and Orpik and then Whitney (PP) assisted by Crosby and Malone. Comgratulations to Ryan Whitney on his 100th point tonight. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal stopping 30 of 31 shots. The Pens had 2...
Consider it to be a little bit out of character for a Pittsburgh Penguins squad that has on average scored three goals a game this year to win by the score of 2-1. But hey, they'll take it.
The Penguins improved to 4-3 on the season with a road victory in DC. The defense did their best to contain Ovechkin, but he still managed to get off 9 shots. That is why full credit...
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_canes.jpg[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_flyersbackground.jpg[/img]
Wow...What a game.
No clever song titles, no catchy movie lines, no historical or literary references.
This game needed none of that.
I know the season is still in its infancy and frost hasn't yet been on the pu...
First what a great night. Flyers did not play their best but they managed to win.
The first and third periods were good. The 2nd period was horrible, just absolutely horrible. I was glad to see that it didn't continue in the third. I liked that Stevens changed up the lines a bit. I thought Hartnell had a really physical game tonight. I thought Lupul also was very ...
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...
I haven't had the opportunity to watch many Flames games this year while living in Vancouver, but of the games I have watched, this was Calgary's best game.
I slam Dwayne Roloson every chance I get. I feel he's the most overrated goaltender in the league. But he's played well in both of the last 2 games. If he continues to play well, it should allow the Oil to gain...
I usually never try to blame the refs in hockey...it's a tough sport to officiate and i already assume that the refs are gonna basically suck to some extent to someone on the ice. Saturday night though...that was brutal. NHL states that a stick horizontal to the ice surface and placed into an opposing players abdomen area or higher is hooking. Any use of a stick to impe...
No, Im not an Islander fan. This is coming from a die-hard Rangers fan who knows an undeniable fact when he sees one.
The Rangers came off a brilliant second half and playoffs last season and looking poised to make a Cup run. [img:left]http://ordinaryleastsquare.typepad.com/blueshirtbulletin/images/jagrgroin.jpg [/img]In the offseason they added Drury and Gomez and los...
The Hamilton Bulldogs hosted the Manitoba Moose and Drew MacIntyre this afternoon on "Pink in the Rink" day, to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. It was an overall successful day, except for the fact that the Bulldogs lost 5-1. Jaroslav Halak did not play well at all. His rebound control was not what I have seen it before, and his body language showed that he di...
Well here we are 9 games into the season and the Leafs have scored the most goals in the NHL who would have though that when the season started, but there is one little problem we have also let the most goals in the league thus far and look to continue to do so if we dont make some moves with our defensemen.
The Leafs penalty killing is ranked 28th and its not hard to s...
-Center Ice is the greatest invention in the history of mankind, even ahead of the Polio Vaccine and the internet. OK, maybe not as great as HDTV, but still pretty damned good.
-Talk about interesting times to bust out. The Flyers Jeff Carter and Mike Richards are scheduled to be RFA's next summer and both are off to stellar starts. The team will have some cap dancing t...
I know there is ALOT of heat on JFJ and Paul Maurice right now, so, I thought this was a good time to consolidate all relevant information on what JFJ has actually done. Before I go any further, it is important to understand that all GM's make mistakes and all GM's make some good moves. This blog is just meant to provide an objective view on the actual facts (with a litt...
Prior to the first puck dropping during the first game for the first time this season, all eyes in the Eastern Conference were on these two teams. The Rangers and their offseason shopping spree had the media buzzing to the sounds of playoff contention. The Penguins with their turnaround season the previous year, were also ranked with the Rangers as not only division riva...
It was a homecoming of sorts for Ryan Kesler, and he made the most of it.
The former Ohio State standout scored two goals, including an empty-netter, propelling the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-1 victory over the Blue Jackets on a night they would like to forget. Backup goaltender Curtis Sanford, making his first start of the season, stopped 35 shots in the victory.
T...
What made the person or persons who own the Philadelphia and New York franchises to name their teams the Flyers and Rangers respectively? What possesses you to call your team the Lightning or the Canadiens?
Let's start with the some original six teams, some that still might have some meaning.
[b]The Montreal Canadiens:[/b] Canadiens represented the nationality of th...
Through the first six games of the season, the Rangers had scored 13 goals while surrendering only 15, which is a stark contrast from the prior year, when in the same amount of contests, the team had scored 25 goals and given up 25. Just like 2006-07, the Rangers scored the same of goals - zero - in Game Seven, but this it was against Manny Fernandez, who had given up 10 g...
Many writers have opined that the CBA is favorable to the owners, or favorable to the players, or favorable to no one. How many have actually taken the time to slog through all 475 pages of the current agreement? Don't worry. One need read only as far as the CBA Preamble. If what it states isn't true, then the integrity of the whole CBA is problematic. Frankly, it is prett...
Like Andy Strickland was saying it's time for the Blues to make some tough descions. I think Andy is correct in his opinions about Backman. I think he will be a good player at some point and I wonder if a change of scenery might just be the thing that would do it for him. It will be hard descion to make especially as the Blues start to bring in talent from Sweden. Back...
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:XHhsrz2CNko4HM:http://outdoorlife.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/05/gator.jpg[/img]
[b]Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know[/b]
No...not the entirely forgettable 3rd album by "Dead or Alive" or the bumper sticker that is perennially placed on the back window of many pickup trucks, just below the gun rack.
The phrase was ori...
Today I decided I was feeling energetic enough to write 2 blogs.
With the Flames on a 7-game home stand and playing 6 games in 11 nights and playing pretty decent these days - I thought it was high time I found something that could keep my wife entertained each of those nights.
The first thought was to leave it in the capable hands of my 15-month old son. If anyone ...
ExtraB writes...
McDonalds Exclude Sidney Crosby Hockey Card For Second Year
Posted Monday | Comments 0
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The 2007-08 NHL McDonald's Hockey Cards are set to be released on November 20, 2007. Upper Deck’s website has the check list online already. After going through it I noticed that Sidney Crosby was not included again for the second year in a row.
This is the third set of McDonald’s hockey cards to come out since Sidney Crosby entered the NHL. Crosby only had one M...
and are outplayed by their lesser known mates, what should a coach do? During the last game the Ducks played against the Dallas Stars, there was one Duck who stood out against his other teammates - Drew Miller. The younger brother of Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, scored his 1st NHL goal the game before against the Nashville Preds and the excitement of that event clearly car...
Sidney has a new show debuting on the Versus network on Tuesday, October 23 at 6:30 eastern time before the Pens vs Rangers game
here's a preview of what he has to say about the "new NHL"
[url]http://www.metacafe.com/w/876452[/url]
BluemanGuruu writes...
Isn't It Awesome to be Able to Nit Pick the Small Things?!?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Isn't it awesome that at this time really all we can do is nit pick the roster and not feel deeply depressed that our team isn't competive like a year ago? I remember everytime I went to the chow hall in Iraq at this time last year snapping up the latest copy of Stars and Stripes(when it was available), and turning to the page with the game summaries and quickly searching...
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 ...
Just when you were wondering: Why are the Isles carrying so many defensemen?
Just announced by the Isles:
[i]Islanders defenseman [b]Bryan Berard[/b] will be sidelined approximately 2-4 weeks with a groin injury suffered during the team's 4-3 overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night at Nassau Coliseum.
Berard two goals and two assists for ...
First and foremost, this is my first blog and I will hopefully get the hang of this very shortly. I am a sophomore student at Connecticut College and I am a tremendous New York Islanders Fan. Although I attend college in Connecticut, I still have season tickets for the past 5 years (obviously excluding the lockout season), and I attend an average of 36 games at the ...
-As I stated in my last blog, I have some basic predictions for the output we can expect for some of our players this year. I obviously am making these predictions based on what I have seen thus far, and please feel free to leave your own predictions or comment on mine:
-[u]Forwards[/u]:
Comrie: 36 Goals, 35 Assists
Guerin: 27 Goals, 40 Assists
Fedotenko: 2...
San Jose will be spending the next 3 days bonding. Last nights win was a much needed complete effort from our boys in teal. As the Sharks prepare for Fridays game in Detroit, the team is doing some work off the rink. The team will spend the next 3 days in Banff, singing campfire songs and roasting marshmallows, as they look to gel together as a team. This Sharks team posse...
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...
Another fantastic Islander win Saturday night, this time in OT against the rival Devils, has Islander nation buzzing with excitement. Personally, I went to bed with a huge smile on my face after Bill Guerin's OT winner, just [i][b]completely [/b][/i]unable to wait for the next game!
This wasn't a back to back weekend, though, so no game Sunday ...
No Islanders to riv...
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...
If you'd told me last week that Fleury had a shutout in his eminent future I'd have said, "Yeah, ok." And then if you'd have said, "No seriously, a shutout against the Rangers next Tuesday", I would've explained how the Penguins are not a defensive minded team, and the closest they'd come to a shutout is letting in only one goal. But man, was I surprised tonight.
I'm...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Penguins defeated the New York Rangers at the Mellon Arena. The fifnal score wass 1-0. The Pens lone goal was scored by Malkin on the power play, in the second period. He was assisted by Whitney and Crosby. Marc-Andre Fleury was in stopping all 36 shots for the shutout. This was a good game for the Pens and it was a good win. The Pens rec...
The Toronto Maple Leafs looked to rebound after their 6-4 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday night. Mats sundin scored 13 seconds into the game which may have been an indication that the leafs were here to make a statement. I was wrong. The leafs were down 2-1 at the end of first which didn't seem so bad, unless you remember that their number 1 goalie is out with an i...
So, I just watched what was quite possibly the worst hockey game I have ever seen in my life. The LA Kings just crushed the Preds 6 - 0. Thats right. 2 field goals and a shut out. I don't know where to begin, so I will break it all down.
Goalie - I am not going to say that Chris Mason has to shoulder the load for this team, but every time a hockey team goes on a w...
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...
[b]SHUTOUT?,,, 0-0 Ties, shootout, backup goalie, regulation time, overtime, hmmm. [/b]
Fantasy Hockey players can get very anxious over these kind of things,,, he gets a shutout!, he gets a shutout not?
Recently I was very curious about who potentially would get a shutout in a 0-0 tie. This came up after the Saturday, October 20, 2007 - BOSTON 1, NY RANGERS 0 (Shoo...
The two cities in question being Philadelphia and New York--more specifically, their Flyers and Rangers.
[b]
[i]"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."[/i][/b]
Okay, it's not really either, because it [i]is[/i] still early in the season. But, from the vibes you get from each team's fans, you could certainly believe the sun shines on the Flyers while t...
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 ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers Week Ahead: Panthers and Lightning and Bruins...oh my
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_florida_panthers_1994.jpg[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_tampa_bay_lightning_1993.jpg[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_781.jpg[/img]...oh my
The 6-1, Atlantic Division leading Flyers take their game, from the homey confines of South Philadelphia, on the road fo...
Well, as this long week of no Islander's hockey continues because of a terrible NHL schedule as usual, we can definitely take the time to think about our season thus far. Specifically the injuries to Jon Sim, Bryan Berard, and our offense and defense.
-[u]Jon Sim[/u]: I don't know about the rest of you, but this is definitely one of the most dissappo...
The Pens take on the Leafs for the second time this season tomorrow night in Pittsburgh. If the last time these two met up was any indication for the rest of the season's meetings, then I'd say we're in for another scoring frenzy.
Ten goals were scored between the two last game, as the Penguins rallied to win by the final of 6-4 after an empty netter from Maxime Talbot ...
I missed week 2, so this one will cover the past 2 weeks.
HERO: Martin Biron
Posting 4 wins (2 of them shutouts) in 4 games, Biron was an easy choice here. Stopping 140 of 143 shots during the 4 game stretch, the Flyers are making some big time noise in the Eastern Conference, with Biron providing A+ goaltending to aid the cause. He is leading the league with 6 win...
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Twice a year the largest sport card expo and memorabilia show takes place in Toronto during the spring and fall. Collectors, dealers, manufacturers, and autograph guests come from all reaches of the globe to attend this fabulous event. Being in Toronto, one of the largest hockey markets around, a lot of emphasis is placed on hockey cards and memorabilia. This year Upp...
The FlyerFly writes...
10/24 - Flyers Lose 4-3 To Panthers; Gagne Leaves Game Early
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
All good things must come to an end, even the Philadelphia Flyers 5 game winning streak. But the Flyers had to try to defend that streak largely without the services of star forward Simon Gagne. The Flyers began their season-long 8 game road trip by visiting the Florida Panthers, but Olie Jokinen and Gregory Campbell made sure that the Flyers did not continue their winni...
Ryan Smyth returned to Edmonton for the first time since being traded last season at the deadline. He was traded to the New York Islanders for prospect Ryan O'Marra, Robert Nilsson and the Islander's first round draft pick for the 07 draft (Alex Plante).
Before the game began a tribute to Ryan Smyth was shown over the video display board of his contributions to the Edm...
Sometime over the course of this week, I lost it. I shouted from the window at work, as if I was the publishing version of Howard Beale:
[b]'I'm pissed off and I'm not going to take it anymore!'[/b]
Unfortunately, my only reaction was some homeless man cheering, yelling me to jump. Heathens in this town.
What in hell was the NHL thinking? Herr Bettman, I'm goin...
[i]11:45 AM UPDATE: Dan Ellis will start in goal tonight for the Predators...whether or not this is a spot start remains to be seen. [/i]
Thought I would throw out some game day quick hits:
The City is requesting that the new ownership group commits to staying in Nashville for five years if lease concessions are made. I think the city is right on the money request...
I would like to start off by saying thank you to all of you who sent me stories of your favorite moments in Sharks history.
Many of us have our own fond memories of a time when the team or a certain player did something that just wowed us. Is wowed really a word? Who cares, right? Many of us also share the same moments as great times at the Tank or Cow Palace, for thos...
At least, in Andy Murray's mind, the Blues should expect to win every game, and that's why I love Andy Murray as a coach.
I know every professional goes out to win every game, but I'll never forget the story from last year, as told by John Kelly, the Blues broadcast man, when Murray asked the Blues how many games they needed to win to make the playoffs. No one had a gu...
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...
Apparently, Leafs General Manager John Fergusen Jr has been secretly talking to young Oshawa Generals forward, and future number 1 pick, John Tavares about maybe going pro, and signing a contract to play for the Toronto Marlies of the AHL next season. Is this their last resort at trying to end their 40+ year Stanley Cup drought without having to rebuild like most normal te...
Similar to the last game between these two teams, tonight's was a high-scoring affair as well. Instead of a combined effort though, it was entirely on the Leafs' part.
Had you watched the first two periods of this game, you would have had difficulty predicting 5-2 as the final score. Both teams came in to the third period tied at one, but the Leafs came out of intermi...
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...
Hey pens fans,
Well, the Pens played the Leafs tonight and lost 5-2 to end their streak. Crosby scored in the first period, assisted by Malkin and Recchi to make it 1-0. In the third period, Gonchar scored and was assisted by Crosby and Malkin to make it 5-2 Leafs. Fleury stopped 22 of 27 shots.
This season the Pens have been very hot and cold. Sometimes, it seems ...
After a long day at work I climbed into my car and was welcomed by hall of fame play by play anouncer Peter Mahr, the Flames Vs. Wild game was just starting. I've been in a bad mood for two days at this point with the lack luster and lopsided defeat to the sharks still very fresh in my mind, I'm hoping against hope that the Flames can overcome the odds and beat the only un...
The FlyerFly writes...
10/25- Late Defensive Gaff Dooms Flyers To 5-2 Loss In Tampa
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Through the first 8 games of the season, Kimmo Timonen has been the solid defensive presence the Flyers hoped for when he was acquired just ahead of the opening of free agency. But it's safe to say that Timonen wishes he had this one game back. A late miscue in his own zone led to an errant pass attempt to Danny Briere and a turnover that eventually ended up in the Flyer...
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An Eduoard Newsy Lalonde C55 1910-11 Imperial Tobacco hockey card, graded 3 out of 10, has sold for $100K tying the record for the most paid for a hockey card. In April 2007 the record was set by a C56 1911-12 Georges Vezina rookie card graded in mint condition.
You can read about the Vezina Card Sale at:
[url]http://www.hockeyheadquarters.com/articles/vezina-rc-10...
Jiri Tlusty, the young prospect drafted 13th overall in the 2006 draft by the Leafs was a burst of energy the Leafs sorely needed. Tlusty recieved a call from JFJ moments after the leafs fell 5-4 to Atlanta. Tlusty had this to say after the second period, "I was nervous before the game, but after the first period my nerves calmed down. After the second period, I felt real ...
That, my friends, is what we Sabres fans have paid Thomas Vanek in the last 3 weeks. Well over have half a million already (that's probably more than you make in a whole year combined!) to, effectively, replace Drury and Briere (who made approximately as much together, last year, as we're paying the goat-herding, Edelweiss picking, Super G loving Vanek right now. Oh, and f...
Since the 2002-2003 National Hockey League season, no team has worn white at home on a full-time basis. Though this will not be permanent, Sabres managing partner Larry Quinn announced that the Buffalo Sabres will wear their road white jersies for 4 home games in November against Northeast division opponents...
Wed Nov 7th vs Boston
Fri Nov 9th vs Toronto
Wed Nov 21s...
...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...
Alright so previously I had written about the media coverage in the Bay Area, and how it covers the Sharks. I asked many fans and some other bloggers about their take on the topic, and came up with quite a bit. Well a couple of weeks ago Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News got back to me on the subject, and this is what he had to offer on the subject.
He agrees that...
bcallaway writes...
David Perron: Is Blues Management all on the same page here?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Jeremy Rutherford who covers the Blues for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and stltoday.com had this to say yesterday prior to the Blues game in Columbus:
"[i]Murray continues to emphasize the work Perron is getting off the ice. While everyone agrees with that, I get the feeling that some in the club want to see Perron in a game soon. That decision continues to be left with...
Henrik Zetterberg, Mats Sundin, Jarome Iginla, Daymond Langkow, Nik Antropov, Paul Stastny, Mike Cammalleri, Rick Nash, Daniel Alfredsson, Patrick Kane, Justin Williams, Rod Brind'Amour, Eric Staal, Anze Kopitar, Daniel Briere.
As of this morning all of these players were ahead of Sid The Kid in the point race. Sid, despite scoring 12 points in 9 games, is 6 behind Henr...
Wow, just when you think that the Oilers are down and out, and they bleed a little, they come out strong. The game last night against the Minnestoa Wild was great. Very fast paced, and very competative, something the Oilers really haven't been. In watching the last period in the Avalanche game on tuesday, I saw a flicker of life in the Oilers, they played great and showed ...
We are 9 games into the season, and the Rangers are doing the opposite of what we thought.
Those that dislike the organization would say the worst things about our defense, stating that we might score many goals, but due to our "weak" blueline, the games would end up being 6-5, 5-4, etc...
Well... the opposite has occurred. As of today, the Rangers have the lowest go...
After injuries to Spacek and Kalinin, the latter of whom could be out a month or more, the Sabres are considering signing 32 year old Nolan Pratt, according to two sources:
http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/193001.html
http://wgr550.com/sabres/fullstory.php?id=2772
If Darcy Regier decides to sign Pratt, whom according to the above stories the Sabres were consid...
Jiri Tlusty played his first National Hockey League game last night against the high octane, shake your boots and soil your pants Pittsburgh Crosby's. Jiri played well, he was fast on his feet and he was digging in the corners, which by the way resulted in a goal... off his rear end, we'll get to that later. He's also a smart hockey player, he keeps his head up and scopes ...
First let me applaud those who attended last night’s Ranger game at the Garden for showing the Rangers players overwhelming support before the puck was even dropped. Although the team hadn’t scored a goal in two games and their road trip was nothing short of dreadful, the Blueshirts were welcomed home when they came out onto the ice to cheers and ovations. What could...
Many observers seem surprised the Los Angeles Kings find themselves one point ahead of cross town rival Anaheim in late October - with one game in hand yet.
It should not be a surprise, and do not look for the trend to reverse any time soon.
The Kings feature a wealth of young talent up front, including Anze Kopitar, Michael Cammalleri, Dustin Brown, and Alexander Fr...
I heard from a buddy of mine that Al, John and Larry were all at the practice on Friday and watching intently Eric Brewer, Jay McKee and Christian Backman.
I believe their are preliminary talks involving the Rangers, possibly about Jagr.
Besides that there are a few logical conclusions to suggest that a trade could be taking place soon. It revolves around the fact...
Now I realize a full blown taking apart of the team is never going to happen to the Toronto Maple Leafs but after a 5-2 win over Pittsburgh on Thursday night, a night when the key contributors were Alex Steen 3pts, Jiri Tlusty 2goals, and Nik Antropov 2pts the question has to be asked why not give these guys a bigger role on a nightly basis?
As much as we in Toronto...
*** 2:49 CST: The Predators go with the hot hand and Dan Ellis will start in goal for tonight against Tomas Vokoun. ***
Well...the much anticipated return of Tomas Vokoun happens tonight. Wheter Tomas faces the man (Chris Mason)who has taken his place as the Preds number one remains to be seen.
Mason entered the season as the undisputed number one but a bumpy 2-6 re...
I have finally come to accept the "new nhl" rules.... I'm ok with it. The penalties in a game are always going to be second guessed... but the only thing i ask is that they call te same play for both teams... if the call the game even then fine. The thing that shocks me is how much the penalties are changing from game to game. Thursday night against Tampa, i thought tha...
I'm sitting here in Uniondale talking about life, liberty and blogging with my fellow blog-boxer in Kevin Rosenblatt, who has an excellent blog http://islandersoutsider.blogspot.com as the Islanders Outsider. We are commiserating on our career paths, which are a lot alike.
Word has come down on Boston's Patrice Bergeron, who was hit from behind by Randy Jones from Phil...
Randy Jones. Good. Young. Talented. Aggressive as any normal hockey player, not overly aggressive, but not afraid of contact either.
Now. What happened. Was this the same as Jesse Boulerice and Steve Downie. No. Not today and not any day. This did not have intent from what I saw. This was a bad hockey decision made in the flow of the game. The puck was near...
[b]Two in a row![/b] Wow...this feels a little better. The Preds still have a ton of work left but string together a couple of wins is a step in the right direction for sure!
While I feel a little bad that Mason did not get to go head to head against Vokoun last night I think the right choice was made by putting Ellis in net. You don't bench someone coming off a shutout...
I watched the hit. I saw the replays over and over again and I am not of the opinion this was a dirty hit. On the contrary, I thought was a clean hit gone bad. A Clean Hit gone bad? Yes, when are the players who are being hit make the necessary adjustments and protect themselves? Too many times I've seen the player being hit turn the backs to the player coming in so t...
I watched the hit. I saw the replays over and over again and I am not of the opinion this was a dirty hit. On the contrary, I thought was a clean hit gone bad. A Clean Hit gone bad? Yes, when are the players who are being hit make the necessary adjustments and protect themselves? Too many times I've seen the player being hit turn the backs to the player coming in so they c...
Hey pens fans,
The Pens fell to Montreal on Saturday, in a shootout. It went to 8 shooter a side, which is a bit insane. Sabourin played well in the shootout. Fleury started the game aand was pulled after allowing the third goal, during the second period. Sykora, Crosby and dWhitney had the Pens 3 goals. After the shootout out the final score was 4-3 Canadiens. The ...
I know it’s still early for any serious evaluations and assessments and for that the Rangers should consider themselves lucky they still have some time to turn things around. However, I’ve decided to give brief evaluations on each of the Rangers players after every ten games throughout the year and track the team’s progress. So here is a brief comment on each playe...
WHERE IS Volchenkov's suspension?
[img:left]http://www.genericorp.net/~count/gorilla/gorilla-vs-mcammond.jpg[/img]
[img:left]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v394/jaberwock21/avatar.jpg[/img]
[img:left]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v394/jaberwock21/captfc13bb01f95f4230b20e45ee47e5eae.jpg[/img]
WHO'S NEXT?
[b]Free Jones!!!
Free Boulerice!!...
Randy Jones was handed a two-game suspension today by Colin Campbell. While it may not be the number of games everyone wanted, this is probably the right suspension.
While I don't think that Randy Jones was in any way trying to injure Patrice Bergeron, he does need to be a little more cognizant of the possibility of injuring him in that situation. I am sick of reading a...
Well the first month of the season is complete and the Sabres are a .500 team. How do you think the team's Captains for October did?
Here are the stats of these players:
Player GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW S S%
Jochen Hecht 10 3 4 7 1 4 0 0 0 32 9.4
Henrik Tallinder 10 0 2 2 -3 10 0 0 0 6 0.0
...
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/The_FlyerFly/?p=26
Outrage. Disgust. Disappointment. Pick any other similar adjective and slap it into a description of how alot of hockey fans are feeling toward the Philadelphia Flyers these days. You will probably get alot of people to subscribe to that way of thinking.
Why? Of course, it has to do with the recent rash of ugly hit...
The two best teams in the Pacific Division in this early NHL season faced off against each other Monday night. The "struggling" San Jose Sharks were at Dallas facing Marty Turco and the Stars.
The Sharks have only gotten a win when playing Turco 5 times out of the previous 25 games before tonight. Coming off their two "worst" games of the season, many were expecting San...
The Blues are freakishly healthy right now. With [b]Erik Johnson [/b]nearly set to return, the Blues could have as many as eight "top six" defensemen available on a given night. At forward and in goal they have no one currently laid up. This makes dressing a team each night a good but difficult decision to make for the Head Coach.
A lot has been said in the early day...
http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/7387584
Share the blame.
Nice read.
Miikka Kiprusoff was born in Turko Finland in October of 1976. He was just rewarded, for his 31st birthday, with a $35 million dollar contract over the next 6 years. [img:right]http://nhlpa.com/Player_Pics/2873.jpg[/img]
That's quite a lot of money for a player who: hasn't played in 250 games yet, hasn't won more than 125 wins in the regular season, and hasn't won a S...
Just teasing...
He isn't known for his playmaking, but he had some great assists last night. That Shanny goal was purty.
He's also great on the PK, and he backchecks very well. He's the defensive positive of Ortmeyer, but he can actually stick handle.
He's had some bad luck offensively. He was robbed twice by Brodeur, and I think he was also open-net robbed agains...
We can all feel the chill. The winds are blowing through San Jose, trade winds, fire the coach winds, benching winds, demoting winds, and the winds of resolve. Something must be done. Sharks fans are nearing the edge of their patience. Who is to blame for the lackluster start? Why did this team look so good on paper and in the preseason? Who must be held accountable for th...
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...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens defeated the Wild in Minnesota 4-2. Sidney Crosby had 4 points on the night. The Goals were: Malkin from Crosby and Malone, Malkin from Crosby and Malone (No, that is not a typo. It happened twice.), Sykora from Crosby and Gonchar (PP), Crosby from Gonchar and Malkin. Sabourin was in goal stopping 28 of 30 shots.
The Pens played a...
http://sabres.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=341736
I really like this decision in a lot of ways. While Lydman has struggled so far this season, this could be a huge boost to his confidence. He is a vocal leader in the room and really sets a good example of hard work for the younger players.
coming soon.............
"I find your lack of faith...disturbing"
- Darth Vader
I feel Gary Bettman's hand around my neck. Or perhaps, like Darth Vader, he's using the force to clamp my ability to breathe. Hockey has been just too few and far between. The schedule this season is just screwy and self-destructive to the game.
2006 11 games:
Oct 5, 2006 AWAY Coyotes
Oct 7, 2006 AWAY Shar...
Ron Guillet writes...
Toronto Maple Leafs : The Fat Kid Who Can't Jump The Fence
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Yes, that's right. The Toronto Maple Leafs resemble that fat kid who can't jump the fence. Why? They try, but fail...miserably. Their defense is horrendous, it's like they don't even have a defensive game plan. We have the most expensive defense in the league and what do we have to show for it? Last in the league in the goals against department. This team is inept with the...
The rollercoaster that is the sale of the Predators could easily be compared to the Energizer Bunny- it keeps going, and going, and going. Today, Craig Leipold announced that the negotiations with the Freeman-led group of local investors would continue for an unspecified period of time. What does this mean for Nashville? With a brutal road-stretch going on (starting omi...
The announcement had hardly finished leaving Darryl Sutter's lips, and the jury was already out on newly appointed Calgary Flames head coach "Iron" Mike Keenan, and to no real surprise. Keenan is the poster boy for a roller coaster career, with few other bench bosses experiencing the ups and downs quite like he did. This Flames fan, however, held his tongue. Any reasonable...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/greatpumpkin.jpg[/img]
[b]The Great Pumpkin, Gary Bettman[/b]
A Thumb-in-Mouth Commentary
B.D. Gallof
Dear Great Pumpkin,
I am looking forward to your arrival on Halloween night. I hope you will bring me lots of presents. For it is another season of hockey. Despite the NHL's pigeonhole into the depths of Comcast's outhou...
I knew it would come, of course ... eventually ... (and I'm not talking about the Islanders next game, though it does seem like, oh, I don't know, ABOUT SIX YEARS SINCE THEIR LAST ONE!) I digress ...
I knew that, inevitably, the first Isles/Lightning game of the year would arrive and that I may have to field all sorts of questions about my allegiance(s) once again. You ...
Great insight on it, it's going to be a great game to say the least. Expect guys like Nolan, Sarich, and Conroy to stand out tonight. They're the guys who can stick to a Red Wing like glue and keep the forecheck energized.
I attended the Nashville game a couple days ago and I wasn't satisfied with the play of both Nashville and the Flames. Both teams didnt bring any so...
Those who made it to practice this morning at Sharks Ice were greated with the return of Sandis Ozolinsh. Ozolinsh, who was released from his tryout with the Worchester Sharks late last week, was again wearing number 24 and was involved in every drill -- including being paired with Rivet on the point for PP practice with Thornton's unit (Rivet's normal partner, Matthew Ca...
[b]RANDOM HOCKEY THOUGHTS[/b]
Someone asked me once what is really meaning of hockey? Why do fans come to hockey games? Why indeed do fan love this wonderful game. I can not speak for all fans but I certainly tell you why I love this game.
[b]
WHAT IS THE TRUE MEANING OF HOCKEY?[/b]
I remember watching hockey game as a young kid going to watch my friends ...
mage23 writes...
[2007-11-01] Around Canadian Juniors; Sharks Kids Update
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
After a strong start to the OHL season that saw him post nine points in five September games, Logan Couture slowed down to only a point-a-game in October as he logged four goals and six assists for 10 points in 10 GP. Teammate Jamie McGinn logged seven points in eight October games before being forced out of the lineup with a back injury.
Couture currently sits T-26th ...
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...
As I sit here and watch this game, no matter what the Flyers do, its going to be a no win situation for them. Case in point was the 2nd goal by the Habs. It seems as though Chris Lee must be also be a French Hab too since he cracked under pressure when it came to giving a penalty to Briere.
I've never seen a bunch of head hunters against one guy because he would not s...
Hey pens fans,
Well, tonight the Pens lost to the Avalanche 3-2. Crosby had both goals and the Pens were up 2-0. The second period was a bit of a disaster for the Pens and the third period was scoreless. Crosby played a great game and I am not just saying that because he scored 2 goals. Sidney played like a man possessed on both ends of the ice. It was a strong game ...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Sillinger's Night of 1000 Games: Isles Beat Tampa 4-0
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
So finally, here we are. A game. Tampa comes to town off a bad loss. Hmmm, don't they all come to town this way. Well, the Isles best be ready. Tampa comes in with defensive inconsistency and no top tier goalie. Even Holmquist is not playing. In goal is Marc Denis. But this will be far from a pushover. Ta...
This is the story I wrote for my school newspaper:
The Carolina Hurricanes have started the 2007-2008 NHL season strong, with a 7-3-3 record. The last time the Hurricanes started the season with seven wins was in the 2005-2006 season, in which they were 8-2-1, a franchise record. They also won the Stanley Cup in that year.
There is another similarity between that ...
That’s the song that Pred Nation is singing this morning (that is if they are awake after the 10p central start last night!). Once again Dan Ellis is called upon and for the third time in a row he answers with a win and his second shutout in three starts. To say that he might be a hot goalie right now might be an understatement.
The Preds had a solid game plan las...
Howdy,
Well this sure is a strange turn of events... someone in Hockeybuzz's management has clearly lost their marbles and let a degenerate like me have the keys to the team blogger bathroom. I would really thank Eklund for giving me the opportunity to do this. Not that he was left with any choice after BD threatened to post his next 16 Islander blogs in Braille unless ...
With the 7th pick in the 1985 entry draft the New York Rangers selected Ulf Dahlen. Many of us Sharks fans remember Ulf as the guy with the yellow laces on his skates. He was a sort of John Voigt look-a-like, and a talented RW.
Ulf Dahlen played 966 career games over 14 seasons in the NHL. He accumulated 301 goals and 354 assists for a total of 655 career points. Mostl...
2006: They havent made the playoffs since 1997. They have a no-name defense and no depth on offense. Starting goalie Kevin Weekes goes down with a groin injury. Only a 7th round, unproven, unexperienced Swede can fill that spot.
2007: A disappointing season that included a 9 game losing streak and an awful record. They were guarenteed to miss the playoffs before the sea...
Like day and night, the change in the Pens performance against the Avs last night was good and bad. But it seems again that a few small lapses led to the wheels falling off the bus. Hold steady Pens fans! The ship is rocking, but we have the players who can steady it and get it going in the right direction.
It was nice to see the Pens come out and play well in a very...
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/blacklogo.jpg?t=1194045859[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_capitals.jpg[/img]
This is a [u]statement[/u] game. [b]Period[/b].
The Flyboys were solidly outplayed by a more determined, grittier team that spent too much time in the Flyers' zone. The Flyers spent too much time in the box ag...
When a team is said to have potential year after year, at a certain point people start believing that potential is unfulfilled.
As the saying goes, potential is often a nice way of saying something simply is not very good right now.
Scratch the potential from Columbus Blue Jackets in that case. If you have not noticed, this team is very good.
How good? A playoff t...
The FlyerFly writes...
11/2 - Richards Provides Spark, Leads Flyers over Caps
Posted Friday | Comments 0
http://flyerflies.com/main/recaps/07-08/07-11-02.html
Before the opening of the regular season, Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Stevens decided to give the alternate captain title to 3rd year center Mike Richards.
Stevens is certainly not regretting that decision early in the Flyers season.
Richards brought the Flyers out of a 1st period funk by winning a ...
I have had enough of this talk that somehow Patrice Bergeron is to blame for the Randy Jones hit. This is a case of media members trying to make themselves part of the story. See Don Cherry and his idiotic comments http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/hnic/coachscorner/2007/10/never_put_your_head_down_in_th.html. Bob Mckenzie writes that the prevailing opinion outside of Boston...
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...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/superarbour.jpg[/img]
Legends are hard to come by. Yes we hype the hell out of that flavor of the week/month/year. We heap accolades on them. Especially when a sport has been devoid of that and buzz for years. But they haven't accomplished even a dent to surface of what makes a legend. True legends are those we will talk about d...
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...
From the outset of this season, John Ferguson and Paul Maurice have been preaching the need for the Maple Leafs to become a hard team to play against. This was to be accomplished as the players matured under a second season of Maurice's puck pursuit, hard forechecking system.
The idea of a team pursuing the opponent with speed and laying the body is enticing and shou...
It's been awhile, whatelse can I say. In the busy life that I lead, I have been unable to follow the Canucks as closely as I have in past season. So far this season it seems to be a good thing. With that being said it seems that we will all be looking for "other things" to occupy our minds while the Canucks play out what appears to be a rather dissmal season.
Yes, it i...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens played the Isles on the Island. Malone had the Pens' first goal on the night. Tyler Kennedy's first goal that almost was not definetly stands out as a moment to remember. It also put the Pens up 2-0. The Islanders came back to make it 2-1. In the third Satan tied thae game at 2 for the Isles. Satan scores again to make it 3-2 Isles ...
No, that is not a real word but it should be one. Big thanx to Henrik Lundqvist for backing up Friday's blog with another stellar performance against the Devils. He has now given up only 22 goals in 13 starts and seems to be playing the best goal in the NHL along with Pascal LeClaire.
Once again the Rangers had difficulty putting the puck in, scoring only 1 goal in reg...
Videos to follow..
739's last stand
[img]http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/9048/739or9.jpg[/img]
The Sign that Nolan Couldnt Stand Anymore:
[img]http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/6161/1499cb8.jpg[/img]
The Finale:
[img]http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/9485/1500cw1.jpg[/img]
More to Come..
B.D. Gallof writes...
Al Arbour Night: Magic Sweeps Long Island with Win 740!
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Please read my Hockeybuzz blog:
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=10812
In it you have images and words that try to capture the magic that was a special night for Islander fans.
- BD
The purpose of Flyers practice today was test my new camera and figure out what I needed to read up on in the manual.
Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hF7or4FOQo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkBq3p8Dt3w
Pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157602918250862/
So the report is kinda lacking one because I left well before practice would hav...
ExtraB writes...
Priority Signings Hockey Cards To Include Gretzky and Crosby
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
-
In a previous post I announced the details of the upcoming Fall Sports Card Expo taking place in Toronto November 9-11. Both Upper Deck and In The Game Trading Cards will be offering amazing hockey card wrapper redemption programs. I had reported on the details for the ITG program but Upper Deck had not released the details of their program.
[img]http://www.hockeyh...
With Nashville and Chicago both looking for 3 straight wins Sunday evening at the United Center, one could only foresee a battle within the Central Division.
Even though Chris Mason of the Nashville Predators has received his fair share of disbelief from the fans, he certainly showed his talent tonight against a young Chicago Blackhawks team. Mason finally snapped his ...
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...
The schedule for the flyers this week is ROUGH. Tonight they have the the Rangers away, Wednesday Pitt away, Thursday Devils away and Saturday Pitt at home. These are enormous games... (even though it is only november). These divisional games are worth 4 points and more that that they are a chance for our VENGEANCE. Last year was embarrasing. We lost games, season ser...
They need more efforts like the one tonight in Montreal.
They played great. The other team was just better.
Goes without saying, the Habs have looked great to start this season. And Cristobal Huet played just phenomenal tonight. I've always liked him. I think it's unfortunate the Montreal media and Canadiens' fans can give him so much flack, but maybe that is hel...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers Diversion...What's wrong with Marty??? (Brodeur)
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[b]What's Wrong with Marty?[/b]
I could not agree with Tim Panaccio more...the Flyers are getting beat much worse than the 1-0 score would attest. They look slow, they are getting beat to pucks and are losing the battle of heart and desire. You cannot coach desire. Likewise, it is not easy to just flick a switch when things are not going well with your team when the ...
Where do we begin with this years Buffalo Sabres? Is it a lack of a couple smash mouth d men? Is it inconsitant play in the goal position? Do we play the injury card again?
Here is a few ways to fix the problems:
[b]1. Get Healthy on the blueline-[/b] missing Teppo, Kalinin, Spacek & now recently acquired Nolan Pratt.
[b]2. Play more physical- [/b]Guys like Mair, Goo...
pensfan17148 writes...
Pens Defeat Devils 5-0 Sabourin Gets his first NHL Shutout
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens defeated the Devils 5-0. Dany Sabourin recorded his first NHL shutout. The Pens goals were, as follows: Crosby (PP) assisted by Sykora, Gonchar; Hall assisted by Orpik and Talbot; Sykora assisted by Malkin; Christensen assisted by Talbot and Laraque; Crosby assisted by Orpik. Tonight, the Pens came out flying and they definetley played...
The Rangers recorded their fourth straight win by beating the Flyers by a score of 2-0. Last week's "player of the week", Henrik Lundqvist recorded his fourth shutout in 14 games this season and helped the Rangers improve to 7-6-1 on the season. The Rangers completed a six game homestand in which they went 5-1, the only loss coming at the hands of the Maple Leafs. Tommorow...
[b]WHY THE WILD ARE CUP CONTENDERS[/b]
This blog will consist of who I feel are the best the four players on the team. Yes, I feel the Wild could be Stanley Cup Contenders. The thing I like about the Wild the most is the supporting cast of the players. They make these players who they are.
[b]PAVOL DEMITRA[/b]
Pavol has more skill to burn than most players have...
That was an a$$kicking.
We have definitely been improving. The Rangers needed this homestand to get a confidence boost.
Here are the offensive stats from the past six games:
Dawes 3g
Prucha 1g (shootout GWG), 2a
Dubinsky 1a
Jagr 2g, 3a
Roszival 1g, 2a
Mara 1a
Shanahan 3g, 3a
Drury 1g, 3a
Staal 1a
Gomez 1g, 2a
Tyutin 2a
Girardi 1a
They've been low scoring games, but my count is...
Funky vibes right from the start. First of all, a pitiful crowd for a NYI/NYR game. I see as many Ranger jerseys as Isles jerseys. Here is a prime example of why Isle fans need to show up for their team. Too many ticket were left available. Now, its not empty. Far from it. But NYI/NYR should be sell-outs, don't you think? Filled in a bit more now. Might be 60/40 Isles to R...
I did not have the privelege of catching the game, largely as a result of my van being pulled over for speeding on the way back from school. Nonetheless, the Rangers lost 3-2 after leading by a goal twice in the 3rd period. The Islanders got goals from Fedotenko and Satan to make it 3-2 after alternate scoring by Drury, Hunter, and Mara.
From looking at the stats, I hav...
I have been following the trade rumours regarding the Leafs posted by Eklund daily, I am excited for a trade, and know that we may lose some key players that I love, but I'd rather see them go and have a shot at the playoffs than missing them again this year (as I believe the Leafs will should they not make some roster changes.)
Eklund posted a rumour that according t...
I'm seeing and hearing a lot about how impressive the Habs have been 14 games into the season, but I need to remind myself that recent history suggests this hot start is not something to get too excited about. Any Habs fan remember last year when leading into (and after) the All Star break the team was below average? Last year is not the only year the Habs have blown a dec...
JerZey_Devil2144 writes...
Enough of whats wrong with the Devils......
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Here is whats RIGHT.....the current and latest owner. Jeffery Vanderbeek has delivered on his promise, got a new beautiful building built that is the class of the NHL ( just ask anyone who has gone, rather than cower in fear at the percieved vision of what they think that part of Newark is like) I liked him from day one when he kept his regular season ticket seats in with ...
Its a sad day for me! Even with all the people who dont like Lindros for what he did not wanting to play for the Nordiques. I over looked that aspect and respecting him as a player, person and somewhat of a childhood idol. I played hockey growning up in the late 80's and 90's in Los Angeles and Gretzky was about to be traded to the Kings. I choose to look up to Lindros sin...
It only seems fitting for the once labeled "The Next One" to have his retirement go unnoticed after all of the troubles Eric Lindros experienced in the NHL. As a Flyers fan, I believe that it's quite sad to see Eric go out this way--just last week I had scoped Youtube to find any tape on Lindros, back when he was with the Flyers, back when his future looked so bright.
...
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...
Just got word that the local ownership group and the city of Nashville of agreed to the lease changes with the team staying until at least 2011. More details to follow.
Here is a link to the story.
http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10825-Sources-New-deal-will-keep-Predators-in-Nashville-for-at-least-three-years.html
[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...
[b]The Passion[/b]
Year after year the Leafs have tried to end the drought and year after year they have failed. It does at times get really frustrating that the team that I grew up watching just can't pull it off...at times it can even hurt. I have endured the endless bashing of our Leafs on hockey sites such as this one, I have also bashed other teams.
While some...
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_Penguins-1.jpg[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_PHI_161.jpg[/img]
[b]Break on through to the other side...[/b]
With all due respect to [b]Jim Morrison[/b], alive or dead, he could not have envisioned those words applied more aptly than to the Flyers' effort tonight versus a Pittsburgh...
Edit:
The Rangers will face the Penguins in Madison Square Garden on Thurday night. Both teams are coming off losses; New York 3-2 to the Islanders and Pittsburgh a 3-1 loss to Philadelphia. Both teams have identical records at 7-7-1 and the winner will jump to second place in the division while the loser remains in fourth.
The Penguins have turned up the offense rec...
Hawks Craze writes...
Hawks hand Jackets 1st division loss with 5-2 win
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Chicago Blackhawks have been up and down so far this season, but Denis Savard took action after Sunday's loss against the Predators. Savard stated that the team "needed to change something up". As a Hawks fan, you should know what needed changing after Wednesday's win against Columbus.
Three separate Blackhawks defensemen put goals up on the board, none of which wer...
This started as a response to Andy Strickland's blog on Garth Brooks interest in being a part of a KC hockey team, but it got too long, so here I go. I posted on these message boards about KC hockey before, so I thought I would compile it all into one blog.
First of all, I've lived in Kansas City for the better part of three years now, but I grew up a rabid St. Louis Bl...
Right now as it stands the Flames are looking grim, bumping up against the cap with a little wiggle room and sitting at .500, this seems like a great time to make up some trade posibilities and use some facts as well.
Recently there was a rumor circulating that Kovalev was a target of the Calgary Flames for Tanguay, obviously based on the points Tangauy gets and the fac...
[i][b]Loyal Predjoe Blog Reader:[/b] Hey Joe you know that we lost last night right? In a shootout?
[b]Predjoe:[/b] We won baby!
[b]LPJBR:[/b] Oh...I get it. This is about the disallowed goals from last night.
[b]PJ:[/b] Heck yeah baby...V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!
[b]LPJBR:[/b] Ok...what are you smokin and can I have some?[/i]
Folks...this is how I feel today. I feel li...
It is [i][b]extremely [/b][/i]rare, in these days of rapid player movement and free agency sweepstakes, for a professional athlete to admit that they made a mistake in signing with a new team. It's just about [i][b]nonexistent[/b][/i], actually. While Toronto winger Jason Blake may not have done exactly that in a recent article in the [i]Toronto Sun[/i], he came [i][b]awfu...
Okay, Preds fans, if you are dying to meet your favorite player, mark your calendars for November 13. That's the second annual "Community Day" for the Preds, when almost all of the Preds players will be out in the community, visiting businesses, reading to students, and greeting fans.
Highlights of the schedule include comedy duo Darcy Hordichuk and Alexander Radulov at...
As many of you whom attend games at the Tank know, the most common heard phrase is, "SHOOT THE PUCK". Well that is exactly what the Sharks have been doing, shooting the puck. Unfortunately they have not been shooting it into the back of the net. Well maybe the back back of the net when they are behind it, but that does not count. So whats the deal with all the shots and no...
Most of you are probably aware of this but Mike Modano of the Dallas Stars became the highest-scoring American in NHL history last night during Dallas' easy victory over the San Jose Sharks. The six-time all-star surpassed Phil Housley's record during the game and is currently sitting on a record of 1,233 points in 1,253 regular-season games -- 242 games fewer than Housley...
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...
KGBflyers10 writes...
Big Win Against Pens; Flyers Face Devils In New Building
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Flyers win 3-1 in Pittsburgh last night. Good win for the Flyboys, who had dropped four of their last six games. I unfortunately was dead tired last night and missed most of the game, however I was fortunate enough to see them take a two goal lead on some very STRONG forechecking. The way the team played when I got the chance to see them last night was much like how they w...
I just played NHL 08 for Sabres vs. Leafs and here's your basic rundown:
1st
Mats Sundin scores 1-0 Toronto
3rd
Alex Ponikarovsky scores 2-0 Toronto
Henrik Tallinder scores 2-1 Toronto
Ales Kotalik scores after Tucker just misses empty Buffalo net 2-2
OT
Derek Roy scores 3-2 Buffalo
Its been a tale of two seasons for the Rangers. Their home record stands at 8-2 while they are still winless on the road at 0-5-1. Tonight was another example of a dominant home performance as the Rangers mustered 39 shots in a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team is now 1-1 head to head, the other game ending in a 1-0 Penguin's victory.
Lots of good highligh...
Enough of the rumors of the Rangers trading Jaromir Jagr. Enough of the rumors that the Big Guy isn't happen without Nylander as his pivot. Enough with the rumors of JJ being disinterested and a diva on the ice.
What I want to know is why would the Rangers even think of trading someone in the cap era that only counts $4.5 mill against their cap?
What I want to know i...
That one word is all that's needed tonight.
The NHL wanted it. The NHL is closer than ever of getting it.
The NFL says it has it. Then it has the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Where do they fit under parity?
MLB says it has it. Then there's the Boston Red Sox.
NBA says it has it. Yet there's dynasty teams like the San Antonio Spurs.
It's ...
Simply terrible. The Flyers entered the Prudential Center last night hoping things would be different now that the Devils were no longer playing in the Continental Airlines Arena. Yet, the woes were much the same as the Flyers were dropped by the Devils 4-1.
It wasn't much of a game after the first period. Flyers took the lead with Mike Knuble's deflection off Richards...
The Sharks and Ducks will meet tonight for the first time in in the 07/08 regular season. The last meeting between the two teams was a 3-1 Sharks victory in the preseason, the line-ups were a mix of tryout players and some vets. Now the teams meet with their rosters set.
Anaheim has had to deal with some early season injuries and currently sit in the 10 spot in the West...
So I went to check TSN.CA's ([u]http://tsn.ca/nhl/[/u])NHL page and they have one of their polls up there. This time is asks the simple question, "Is Eric Lindros a Hall of Famer?" As of this writing the results are a lopsided 71% no to 29%. I took some time to break down the numbers that Lindros posted in his career.
Games Played 760
Goals 372
Assits ...
The Rangers plan and system is again showing postive signs this year. Scotty Gomez is taking his foot off the break and showing why he was the breakdown specialist in NJ. Add a little Sean Avery to the Mix and the teams line combinations are starting to take shape. The Rangers have a nice balance of skill and grit on each line, and steady D-men running the points. With ...
The Rangers plan and system is again showing postive signs this year. Scotty Gomez is taking his foot off the break and showing why he was the breakdown specialist in NJ. Add a little Sean Avery to the Mix and the teams line combinations are starting to take shape. The Rangers have a nice balance of skill and grit on each line, and steady D-men running the points. With ...
At the start of the year Leafs Head Coach Paul Maurice promised that this years Toronto Maple Leafs would be one of the toughest teams in the league to play against. However, a few weeks in and it is evident that the statement was far from the truth. In fact this years Leafs could be weaker and lack even more toughness that the prior year.
With roster spots being filled...
So far, the young season has provided many highlights for the upstart Columbus Blue Jackets, off to a franchise-record 8-4-2 start.
They have taken full-heartedly to Ken Hitchcock's structured mentality, and using their speed and forecheck to pressure opponents into turnovers. Vintage Ken Hitchcock hockey.
With a team as young as the Jackets, it is plausible to wond...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRCmReg2Ms4
Ok all I think the Flyers made a mistake in not including Mike Richards as one of the Flyers for the All Star game. The folks they picked absolutely should also be there but I think Mike should have been named to the ballot as well.
I am campaigning to get Mike Voted in. Please watch and remember to Vote next week Mike Ric...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers roadshow - What a long strange trip it's been...
Posted Saturday | Comments 7
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_stealiebear.jpg[/img]
[i][b]What a long strange trip it's been...[/b][/i]
OK...I have to admit, I've been saving that one for a special occasion.
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/tiedieflyers.jpg?t=1194640911[/img]
As Jerry and the boys stated in their rock anthem [b][i]Truckin'[/i][/...
I was watching the Sabres and the Maple Leafs last night on NHL network and I couldn't believe what I was witnessing. A Home team wearing the traditional white jersey's. After seeing this I asked myself why did the NHL ever change the home team colors? I used to be able to turn the TV on and immediately know who the home team was and where the game was being played at. Why...
I just read an article by Helene St. James of the [i]Detroit Free Press[/i] ( [i]Cloud 9: Wings' streak ties record; Zetterberg extends his[/i]) in which she states that the Joe Louis Arena was only "two-thirds full" last night.
This is simply not true and anybody with a calculator can verify the actual percentage.
In fact, the actual attendance last night against Co...
HunterRules writes...
Isles Call Phoenix Bluff: Meyer back with Isles AGAIN
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
as per isles website..
[quote]Islanders GM Garth Snow reacquired the 26-year-old defenceman Saturday, picking Meyer up on re-entry waivers from the Phoenix Coyotes.
"The injuries we've recently had on our blue line prove you can never have enough depth," Snow said in a release. "We've always liked Freddy. He's an intense competitor and he's a very solid defenceman i...
After the game against Chicago I thought the lines were muddled and didn't shine through with players strength. The only line that looked really any good at all was Weight, Marty and Perron. That being said I'd like to propse a few different line possibilities and hear what you think and what lines you can come up with.
In the preseason the line of Weight, Boyes and P...
After the game against Chicago I thought the lines were muddled and didn't shine through with players strength. The only line that looked really any good at all was Weight, Marty and Perron. That being said I'd like to propse a few different line possibilities and hear what you think and what lines you can come up with.
In the preseason the line of Weight, Boyes and P...
2 and 0 versus the Pens this year. Have the Flyers gained any respect from the Pens, namely from Crybaby Sid? I don't think so.
You have to wonder when Malkin and Sid get hit if their desire is still there. I would venture to say no it's not. I've never seen two players shy away from contact as quickly as these two players and turtle the rest of the game. Begging...
The Rangers finally scored a road win with a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The pregame ceremonies honoring this year's Hall Of Fame inductees was very nice. The Rangers capitalized on a solid game from their backup goaltender, Stephen Valliquette, who was able to do the only thing Lundqvist was not able to do. The Rangers were the last team to win a road game, yet ...
Place: Visiting locker room Wachovia Center
Time: 10:00PM 11/10/07
Smell in the air: Uninspired defeat
MT:"Malone, Roberts, Sydor, Malkin, Crosby, Sykora, Whitney, Christensen, Orpik, Gonchar and Malone (yes, I know I said him twice) would you please step outside while I address the rest of the team.
Now that real the players have left the room, let me get to the...
I have a report to type up too but here are pics from tonight's game and today's practice. I haven't updated the practice pics yet but take a look. Right now I am off to bed Flyers have practice tomorrow I plan to attend.
Game
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603075918863/
Practice
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603067689185/
...
Big win against the Pens for the Flyers. After a lackluster performance against the Devils, the Flyers came out and took a 3-0 lead--shutting down [b]Malkin[/b] and [b]Crosby[/b] for most of the game until Malkin got a nifty pass from [b]Ryan Whitney[/b], which beat Biron badly. Although the Penguins had two power play goals, they were only 2 for 6 and were shut down prett...
[b]EDMONTON OILERS HAVE BITE[/b]
My thirty-team tour takes me to Edmonton. The first thing that comes to mind when I think about the Oilers is that they are one of the fastest teams in the league. Their forwards are also very offensively gifted and very young, with ton of potential for many years to come. I love this team, because they are still young and have this...
According to Forbes the Leafs are worth $413 million. The Flyers at 6th overall are worth $244 million and at the bottom of the barrel are the Nashville Preds at $143.
I wonder if the Sedin twins ever switch jerseys during a game and pretend they are each other on the ice, that would be awesome.
Basillie offered over $200 million for the Preds and the NHL forced the ...
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 ...
[b]JUST FOR CHRISTMAS[/b]
NEW ITEM for Christmas this year is NHL candy cane ornaments! A nice change from your standard ball tree-hanging. Made by Forever Collectibles these great-looking candy canes measure about 5" tall. Not only good for decorating the tree, but for dressing up your wrapped gifts etc.
One problem though, so far the manufacturer only produced them...
SlapShot30 writes...
The Wheels Have Fallen Off the Bus! PensChanges Needed Now!
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Well once again last night we saw how the Pens coaches, players, and fans have learned to loose rather than learn to win like they did in the 06-07 season. The Pens are through 5 of 9 games that I previously said would be the second most important part of their current year schedule, and are falling flat on their faces. They have been able to earn only 2 of the possible ...
[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...
OK It has been a busy couple of days. Here are all the links todays and yesrterday's practice pics are not updated with who is in pics and titles as of the time I am typing this report.
Pics
11/10/07 Practice
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603067689185/
11/10/07 Game
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603075918863/
11/11/07 ...
ExtraB writes...
Heroes and Prospects Cards Fully Loaded: New Tavares Set Too
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
-
In The Game, Inc. began putting out the Heroes and Prospects hockey card set during the 2004-05 hockey season. This set has proven to be a favorite among hardcore and casual hockey card collectors alike. Each year the set delivers a great bang for your buck as it is fully loaded with autograph and game used memorabilia pieces of hockey equipment actually worn by playe...
AlexanderScharf writes...
GAS Line, Fourth Line Heroes, Henrik: Put Rags Back On Track
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
First nine: 2-5-1. Last nine: 7-2-0.
That tells the story of the turnaround the Rangers have made in this young season. That proves that the early hiccups that this team experienced were nothing more than growing pains. That when the right line combinations are found and the players learn to play with each other, it will create success. That when the team defense is con...
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_PHI_161.jpg[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_Penguins-1.jpg[/img]
[u][b]Peco Perfect[/b][/u]
[u][b]PECO[/b][/u]
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:kcwzRy_DHguSQM:http://www.handhonline.com/images/PecoEnergy.jpg[/img]
For those of you not familiar with the Delaware Valley of Penn...
As a Chicago Blackhawk fan, I can tell you the excitement and anticipation I've experienced all day long, but I don't want to ramble on and on and on. Not only was Detroit on the schedule for today, Chicago fans experienced a change up if you will.
Rocky Wirtz announced that 7 Blackhawks games would be broadcasted through CSN. The first of course, was televised today w...
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...
[b]The NHL did a great thing[/b] by putting a large chunk of divisional games so early in the season this year. It really gets the rivalries going and gives each team a great opportunity to see what they are competing against in their division. For a long time I was wondering why they NHL didn’t do more of this...to me it seemed so easy a solution to add meaning to th...
So here we go another year... and another year at that in the shadows of the other various NHL teams. Picked my many so called experts to come in 30th place in the league. Some even went as far as saying "ok 29th at best." But yet another year of the Islanders battling not only for just a playoff spot, but this year it seems the division or home ice advantage in the fir...
This for me is a long time coming. I have been an Islanders fan for as long as I can remember. I was born one day after they last won the cup. My dad says my first game I attended was at the age of one where he caught a puck, i guess i looked like good luck. Well, for the last 24 years I have pretty much nothing but sorrow in my hockey world...that is until Garth Snow ...
Its not often that I write about an individual game as I normally write about trends that I observe relating to the Preds. But I feel compelled to write about tonights game, especially since it was the back end of a home and away series against the Jackets. The Jackets, much like the rest of the Central, is a much improved team. And while I and many Preds fans will alwa...
Roberto Luongo mockingly threatened to retire if the NHL were to enlarge the size of the goals. In fact, Luongo is indirectly the reason the league is even considering the move.
The league is seeking ways to increase scoring. There are many reasons for the decline in scoring compared to the '70s and '80s. When it comes to goalies, today's netminders benefit from bette...
One of the main topics of conversation on The Hot Stove Lounge on Hockey Night in Canada this past Saturday night was the future of John Ferguson Jr. There were a lot of opinions on this topic but the one that really caught my attention was the idea that other candidates for the job when JFJ was hired were turned down because they wanted to take the team apart and st...
The season began with the Northwest haveing the advantage with 3 playoff teams (Wild, Canucks and Flames) and one should have (Avalanche). But in the early going, things have really shifted around.
The #1 division was a close call between the Northeast and the Central. The two divisions are historically strong on top and weak at the bottom but the lower teams have reall...
[b]Pain[/b]
The Merriam-Webster's dictionary describes the word as follows:
[i]noun[/i]: acute mental or emotional distress or suffering.
We all know the feeling of missing the nail and hitting your thumb with a hammer. We all know the feeling of stepping on a child's toy with an armful of groceries and ending up looking at the ceiling with a swollen ankle. Ya ...
In the summer of 2005, the Gallof boys took a roadtrip to the city of brotherly love. I have been to Philly several times, almost going to college there, but neither of my siblings had ever been there. As we walked the streets on a July 4th weekend, cigars clasped on our maws, looking for a bar with Magic Hat #9 on tap, some local Philadelphian blue-collar man looked at ou...
Oh Yes! After losing six games in a row the Predators have stormed back in dramatic fashion. The Preds have won seven out of their last nine with only one regulation loss in that stretch. The boys have turned a corner and have surprised allot of teams including the Blue Jackets whose coach, Ken Hitchcock, thought that the Preds were done for the year when they were struggl...
-Mike Richards is now my favorite NHLer.
-Why is there no discussion of Andy Sutton's elbow to the head of Lasse Kukkonen at the buzzer of last night's Flyers-Isles game? It was a dangerous hit that marred a fun game to watch. Sutton now has laid two elbows this year that I found to be borderline dirty and review worthy for suspension.
-If Sean Avery did make derogat...
Yesterday the Islanders found themselves in unfamiliar territory. They were on the road and actually played a game for the second time in a week. All scheduling jokes aside, the team wearing the white sweaters seemed like a very different team that became very used to wearing those home navy blues.
At home in those close battles with division rivals you saw the Isles ...
Scottie Upshall plugged in two goals, and Marty Biron stopped 24 shots as the Flyers roughed up the New York Islanders in more than one way. The Flyers remain undefeated at home this year going 6-0.
Once again the Flyers look fantastic in their transition game. I really haven't seen a bad transition game so far this year, maybe with the exception of the Devils game.
...
Hey guys! I have been wanting to do this for some time now, and after last nights talkcast I decided to go with something that made some kind of sense. It is just a name change so the blogs will still keep coming. I have not switched favorite teams or changed the way I look at this team. Same old style, although I will be trying to post more often. I have been trying to mo...
It seems strange to me every time I read a Sabre's blog that in true Buffalo fashion, no one is able to just stay on an even keel. For the last 2 years, most of the Buffalo fans on this site, have done nothing but trash other teams and build the buffalo Sabres into The recreation of the Stanley cup winning Edmonton teams from the past. Including Drury in the part o Messier...
Jon Jordan writes...
If He Said It, Sean Avery Deserves Everything He Gets
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Howard Berger, you have my utmost support.
Wade Belak, you do too.
If Sean Avery did, in fact, make comments directed at Jason Blake regarding his battle with cancer, bigger questions still remain.
(For the record, I have no reason to believe that he didn't make these comments, considering the source(s) on two levels ... one, it came from Mr. Berger, whose reput...
Remembrance Day just passed up here in Canada and with American Thanksgiving on the way, it made me start thinking of reasons why I am thankful at this time of year, some of which I'd like to share with you all below.
*I am sooooooo thankful of the people who have answered our country's call, both in the past and now, who and continue to defend the lifestyle we lead and...
Sean Avery is a decent hockey player. He can score and pass and skate but his main purpose is to agitate. Nobody can deny that he does that well. Nobody can deny that he helped the Rangers turn around a dismal season last year. Nobody can deny that he disrupted the Thrashers in the playoffs and that it is quite remarkable that he drew diciplined Ilya Kovalchuk into a fight...
The Blues beat Detroit which is always a good thing, but there are a couple things that really irked me tonight...
-Night Class. I didn't catch the entire game and only saw the last period. I missed the one freaking time that Blues not only beat Detroit, but beat them on national TV!!!
-eric brewer. I didn't capitalize his name because he was very bad. I understand m...
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
...
[b]A FEW OBSERVATIONS OF MINE
[/b]
I would like to try to figure out why players do not have respect for each other. What exactly goes into a player’s mind when he hits another player from behind? Let me explain something to the hockey player - if you see a hockey number from the back, do not hit him. Then there these stupid head hits. Please explain to me why we m...
philkash writes...
Now that's the way a Hockey Game should be televised!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Last night I was spending one of my usual nights watching Center Ice coverage
on Direct TV. I started with the Vs. game with St. Louis and Detroit.
It was a pretty good game and the coverage was very good..
Then I started switching between that and the Toronto and Canadian game.
I began noticing the difference with camera angles and number of cameras
replays, etc. Th...
[b]UPDATE: [/b][i]So...the 3 pm press conference that had been called to announce the terms of the new lease agreement has been called off. The Tennessean is reporting that the local investor group, headed by David Freeman, has not yet approved the deal. I am so sick of this stuff.
If this is indeed the case the local investors have got to realize that the longer this ...
The San Jose Sharks are coming off one of their most complete performances of the season. You can almost feel the team beginning to change, turn things around if you will, since JR reached 500. Playing 3 games against the Coyotes in the last week has not been a bad thing either.
The Sharks head to Dallas tonight. The Stars are coming off losses to Phoenix and Los Angel...
This is bascially a blog with one message for a very 'special' kind of person. All of us other Blues fans would like to say to you Jackman5, WETOLD YOU SO!
So let us get this straight, you think we should send Perron down to juniors after his next game?
He, according to you Jackman5, is not a scoring threat.
Well buyah buddy, booo--yaaah.
Personally, I...
Ok, so the Rangers are playing the Devils this evening and I'm pretty amped about it. I haven't been in the Tri-State area for that long but I'm really liking the whole 'Metro Ice Challenge' the Rangers, Devils and Islanders have going on, especially the charity portion of the competition. Apparently the team with the most points and wins is awarded $50,000 to donate to th...
To all Leaf fans around the world, dont you just hate seeing our beloved Maple Leafs lose especially in a tight affair to our hated rivals Les Canadiens. I know i do, i like most Leaf fans would love to see the Leafs go 82-0 in a season but nothing could be further from the truth, though the Leafs do try and try but continue to give away all the points that they can. The L...
Tonight, Martin Brodeur is facing off against the Blueshirts in the hopes of getting his 500th div...err.. win! It should be a great game because of the following:
1.) It's against the Rangers.
2.) It's the Rangers first time playing at the Tombstone (little inside joke there)
3.) It's Scottie Gomez's first game on the Devils' ice
4.) Sean Avery and Marty are great p...
AlexanderScharf writes...
Sam Rosen Reports: Blake Says Avery Is Innocent
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
During tonight's broadcast of the Rangers-Devils game, Ranger's analyst Sam Rosen said that he spoke to Jason Blake. Blake told him that he did not hear Avery make those comments. Assuming that Sam Rosen isnt lying and Blake isnt deaf, this means the Avery did not make a "cancer" remark to Blake.
Now the blame shifts to whoever created this rumor. It is a terrible thing...
Hockey fans like to think tradition is important in our sport. While other sports such as basketball and football cater to the flavor of the day, hockey is built on decades of tradition.
We have our own terminologies, many of which have come under assault in recent years. The traditional hockey term of dressing rooms has been replaced by the unoriginal term locker rooms...
In a season so dominated by the hype of stars Gomez and Drury, the other "new" Rangers have given fans a reson to get excited. Rookies Nigel Dawes, Brandon Dubinsky and Marc Staal have provided a total of 7 goals in this young season. And indeed, the season is young as the Rangers have drawn success from their kids more than from the seasoned vets.
The three rookies al...
I went in to last night excited to watch my Habs take on the Leafs and hopefully bring home a victory, which they happily did. As I do not get RDS in my cable package, I hoped and assumed that since this was Habs/Leafs, the game would obviously be aired nationally. Is there really any other game in Canada quite as big as when these two age-old rivals square off? Well, appa...
[b]The Predators continue their run[/b] against Central division foes as the Chicago Blackhawks come calling tonight. These rejuvenated Hawks are not the same team that has been a cellar dweller for many years. This is a team with young and exciting talent (Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews), veteran leadership (Robert Lang and Martin LaPointe) and a solid coach in Dennis Sa...
Can some please explain to me why Roberto Luongo gets credit for a shutout in a 1-0 shootout loss?
I am totally bitter this morning. This week I am going against the guy i traded Lecavalier to and his 5 points last night (joke is on me), but Luongo is getting shutout points for a 1-0 loss? Kinda chaps me up here.
Can someone explain why this is? It is even confirme...
Howdy Pens Fans! It will be a big night for our men (and boys) in Black and Vegas Gold tonight, as the Islanders come to the Igloo looking to bounce back from a tough 3-2 loss to the Flyers on Monday night.
Tonight marks the first game this season for highly touted defenseman Kris Letang, who was recalled from the baby penguins and he should see some considerable PP...
[url]http://www.tsn.ca/tsn_tal...columnists/darren_dreger[/url]
A quote from the piece:
[quote]It's believed the Flyers would like to add a more defensive minded forward to their mix, a player capable of shutting down the oppositions offensive threats. Carter could be the bait to get just such a player.[/quote]
Someone please tell me this is wrong. For some time, ...
Having lived in Vancouver for just about a year now, I've had the esteemed privelage of attending 4 Canuck games. All of which I lovingly cheer for my Flamers' division rival, but more importantly, cheering for a good game. The Canucks are 0-4 in the games I have attended, including a loss last year late in the season to the Flames! They are currently marred in a 7.5 pe...
The Rangers continue to get better,especially the young players. With Mark Staal ripping a shot past Marty 499 last nite, I expect his offence to take off too. His defensive game is rounding out nicely . Early in the year he was beaten wide now not only does he shut down the oposing foward but steals the puck and takes off up the ice. I attibute his progression to playing ...
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...
So a little more than 5 weeks into the NHL season,the Islanders are already proving the so-called 'experts' wrong.Expected to finish dead last once again,we are nearly in 1st place in the Atlantic Division,and have 3-4 games in hand.Last night,I was watching Sportscenter.And then comes the NHL round up on the night,with their 'expert' Barry (Lose the F**king Mullet) Melros...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens defeated the Islanders 3-2 at the Mellon Arena. Gonchar and Sykora had the first two goals and Georges Laraque got the game winner. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal and was playing like the Fleury we remembered, that had recently seemed like a distant memory. He needed a good game and he got it. This should do wonders for his confidence. ...
It's official, Blackhawk fans. I hate your team again.
I'm not trying to be mean. It's a [i]good[/i] thing that I hate your team again. Let me explain.
During the early 90s, I hated the Hawks. Belfour, Roenick, Chelios...I hated them all with a passion. Nothing was better than sweeping them out of the playoffs. All the fans brought toy brooms and Eddie the Eagle had ...
It's official, Blackhawk fans. I hate your team again.
I'm not trying to be mean. It's a [i]good[/i] thing that I hate your team again. Let me explain.
During the early 90s, I hated the Hawks. Belfour, Roenick, Chelios...I hated them all with a passion. Nothing was better than sweeping them out of the playoffs. All the fans brought toy brooms and Eddie the Eagle had ...
I got last minute tickets to the game and went down. I didn't see Jim Dowd's goal but I heard the goal horn as I walked into he building. I took it as a good sign but maybe it wasn't.
The Flyers played really well from the end of the 2nd. I think that what I did see of the first it was pretty even.
In the 3rd period going 4 minutes or so with no whistle was wi...
All right all you fantasy hockey junkies out there this blog is for you. This is the 1st in a once a week blog I am going to start putting out, to help make your picks, and especially for those of you in larger pools, to pick up some sleepers that most people would overlook, and for those of you in HBSL this will help when your trying to make that last pick to fit under th...
That's it, I have had enough. I have had enough of Lindy complaining about the trap, enough about Garth saying they are working out their issues in practice (4 days off and they looked the same), enough about they would be a playoff team if they didn't hit the crossbar, enough about a turnaround is surely in the works ("look at the standings from last year and this year- a...
[b][i]Fortitude:[/b] mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation courageously.[/i]
[b]That is exactly what the Preds showed last night[/b]. After a solid first period that found the Preds leading 1-0, the Preds were out played by the Blackhawks in the second. While some may say that this was a horribly played period by the Preds ...
For the past year I have been floating this idea around my group of friends regarding an addition or modification to the structure of the salary cap.
I believe I have an idea that will be both beneficial towards the players and their respective teams, while not altering the “competitive balance” amongst NHL teams. This will also award teams for developing and retai...
The San Jose Sharks are finally winning the games they should win. We have seen this team drop many games to divisional rivals who sit below them in the standings too often. For many years the Sharks have had trouble taking down inferior opponents, but that looks to possibly have changed. Many people have been saying woop-dee-doo they won 4 straight, ha against the Coyotes...
If you are a die-hard fan of the storied Toronto Maple Leafs, you have felt many years of disappointment. Every September there is hope that this will be the year "we" will end the 40-year Stanley Cup drought. All signs indicate that this Stanley Cup famine will reach at least 41 years.
As a fan of the blue and white I have to say that the salary-cap system is terribl...
aisforaaron83 writes...
Stars! Why not Dave Taylor? and other thoughts....
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Ok so I am posting this a few days after the appointment of Hull and Jackson as interim co-general managers in Dallas. This whole interim co-GM thing seems to me that Hicks wants Jackson to train Hull so that Hull can take over as the man in Dallas. I don’t mind Hull as a co-gm as long as he is just the sideline guy that is there to learn the position. Jackson has been i...
[i](Updated 4:17 CST) Looks like the Deal that the Investors have accepted was the 'final offer' that the Mayor proposed.
Freeman just said on 104.5 The Zone that the team is "virtually guaranteed to be in Nashville for the next five years."
Freeman said they are not coming in with solutions with how to market the team better. They are just a group of people to tryin...
Yesterday the seasons seemed to change here in Pittsburgh straight from summer to winter, and this morning around Pittsburgh we saw our first snow on the ground. So with this change it also should be said that the Penguins showed a new face last night in defeating the Isles.
As I wrote yesterday, I felt that the game versus the Isles would show a different Penguins tea...
Have not had much time to this sort of stuff lately, but lets see if I can get in the hang of this again.
For about the 6th game in a row the Buffalo Sabres played a solid game, but the bounces finally went their way as they get a well deserved 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
Viewpoints:
Best 1st period they have played all season. Guys were flying all ov...
I hate to write blogs based on 'ifs' but this one was too good to pass up.
[b]IF[/b] (not the use of bold to emphasize how this is not happening) the NHL season were to end today (it would be crazy for it to since we haven't even hit the quarter pole yet) the Central Division would boast [b]FOUR[/b] (note bold use again...this time to emphasize how crazy this statement...
The game of hockey is steeped in tradition, with a rich history and an honourable character. The overriding tenor of hockey discussion over the past five years has focused on the need to increase goal scoring. To this end, Gary Bettman's NHL has continually tinkered with the rules attempting to increase the fabled 'Goals per Game' statistic. This approach is misguided ...
Videos
Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-jeFGKuVBU
Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwMMnWW2fYs
Pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603221328745/
First It was nice talking to everyone today at practice. I hope we can hang out again sometime.
Thank you to all the players that stopped for autographs and pics post practice.
Gam...
There are lot of things hockey players will say to each other in the heat of competition, none of which can be reprinted here. But there's one dirty word that no one uses, not even Sean Avery: the "s" word.
The "S" word, of course, is shutout. I even feel dirty typing it, and I really hope my Hockeybuzz Id doesn't get suspended for using it. I apologize in advance to an...
Do you know which Ranger is tied with Brendan Shanahan for the team lead in goals. Superstar Jagr? Nope. Speedster Gomez? Nope.
Its actually Michael Rozsival.
Do you know who scored the only overtime goal for the Rangers this season. Mr. Clutch Drury? Nope. Legendary Brendan Shanahan? Nope.
Its actually Jason Strudwick.
Dont forget Daniel Girardi and Fedor Tyut...
BluesHockeyOhBaby! writes...
Central Division Is The Most Competitive in NHL Right Now
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
This fact is proven with the Blackhawks beating the Red Wings for yet a fourth time already this season, keep in mind the Wings only have five regulation losses, with the other coming against another central division team, the Blues.
The Central Division is home to the best team in the Western Conference, the Red Wings, and no other division currently has every single t...
Personally I am sickened but not shocked by the lack of press Martin Brodeur's 500th win gets in the media...To me this is like the 800 goal club, or 700 home run club, a club so exclusive only 2 or 3 people in thier given sport have been able to obtain it....yet the NHL has done nothing special to acknowledge the moment....not even todays "frozen moment"
You can make ...
red_avi9 writes...
osgood or hasek? duhhh!...that is until the playoffs start.
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
hasek-the wings payed him a salary for what he did last year not taking into account that hes no chelios and hes 42.hes finished ,maybe a couple games left in him.
OZZIE-the man who should be starting on a regular basis is 9-1 and the 2nd best gaa average in the league{not counting sundays 5-4 win against cbj}.OZZIE is a great goalie SO START HIM.
if they both start ...
[b]COLORADO AVALANCHE:
A NATURAL DISASTER
IF YOU HAVE TO PLAY THEM[/b]
My National Team tour leads me to one of the most offensive teams in the league, the Colorado Avalanche. The Av's most potent weapon is obviously the offense, with way too many players to mention who can put the puck in the net. This team has talent good enough to match up with any team in the...
With all the trade talks around the blogs, I started to think about what kind of needs the Flyers have right now, its very interesting.
-We are currently tied at 9th in the league for goals for with 3.00 per game.
-We are currently tied at 10th in the league for goals against with 2.58 per game.
-Our PP is ranked 8th in the league at 20.9%.
-Our PK is ranked 9th in t...
Question!!!!! When will the Nashvillians remember that they (the taxpayers) paid Bud Adams to bring a football team here that cost 18 times more than what it will cost to keep the Preds here? Refer to the excerpt below.
"A deal between the Houston Oilers and Nashville was announced in November 1995. The stadium would seat 67,000, with 120 luxury suites and 9,600 premi...
aisforaaron83 writes...
Fedoruk on waivers, Jussi explodes(literally), Fistric, etc
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Ok, Fedoruk is on waivers. I am not surprised and I do feel that he has been given a legitimate shot to really make a positive impact on this team, but he has not. I hope he finds a home with a team that needs a little grit. He is an extremely nice guy off of the ice.
I do not think he is going to get claimed unless we try to bring him back under re-entry waivers. This ...
Of course he isn't a dirty player but the headline needs to be an attention getter as well as get to my main point.
I realize it's early to be writing this piece but I have a sixth sense about things. If you don't believe me - check out my Forum piece entitled [i]"Prediction: David Perron will return to Juniors". [/i]Yes, I'm quite the prognosticator.
EJ is only...
I have a serious case of the Mondays, I do not even really know exactly what that means, but I heard that lady say it in [i]Office Space[/i], so it must mean something. I have been spending my past weeks getting my new home ready to live in this week. Thankfully no one was planning on coming to our place for Thanksgiving because it would have been crappy eating on T.V. tra...
[i](a note to the Nashville haters..can you give us this day? Can you give it to us without the negative comments and Nashville bashing? Thanks)[/i]
[b]Well...the day that Pred fans have been waiting for has arrived[/b]. A deal has been reached with the city on a new lease the guarantees that Nashville hockey fans have the Predators for at least five more years. The har...
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...
After a dominating win over the Ottawa Senators this past Saturday night one has to wonder if the Maple Leafs have turned a corner. The Leafs showed up played a very solid defensive game and took advantage of scoring opportunities when they received them. It’s not that the Leafs have not played any tight defensive games this season, but this was against the power...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603245022363/
First let me say that the NHL fan Clubs rock. The Flyers fan club is one of the best there is out there. They always have a cool guest. I learn a great deal at these meeting and the people in the club are absolutely terrific.
I missed the start of the meeting due to traffic once I got over the bridge i...
Let me start off by saying that I have taken notice of Brewer's better puck handling skills as of late, but that does not translate tp playing the point on the power play. Unless he does the old Pronger trick, and heads down to screen the net minder then he's more of a risk factor than having a forward on the point.
There's no statistical data I'm aware of to back this...
The Isles put together another defensive gem to beat the Rangers in MSG last night, giving Rick DiPietro 100th win, and fittingly versus his nearest competitor, Henrik Lundquist.
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/100wins.jpg[/img]
"Isles Beat Rangers at MSG". A simple title to a simple win. Not easy. But, somehow automatic for a team that in the last several years, ...
The more i continue to watch the play of this New York Islanders team, the more respect I earn for Mr. Snow and the Islanders front office.
Who would think that Josef Vasicek (the last islander pick up in the offseason) would not only be leading the Islanders in goals scored with 8, but also be leading the NHL in shooting % with 33. Again Teddy Nolan is proving to be a ...
So says Islander defenseman Radek Martinek.
This was Martinek's response to how he was told to react to Sean Avery's constant yapping, as he experienced last night in the Islanders 2-1 win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Perhaps it's something even I should take into consideration.
Martinek has long been a favorite of mine. In fact, I'd call him one of the...
Is it only me or does it seem that the Sabres have "bye-weeks" between games? If the scheduling were'nt enough of an uphill challenge for relevance, the overall interest in this team has all but died a quick two-contract death in Buffalo last summer.
Coming into the year, the talk in Buffalo was all Sabres, all the time. The pro-sport attention rival Buffalo Bills wer...
Looking at the Sharks although they have had their ups and downs to the opening of the season they are really not doing too bad.
Here we our statistically. As of Nov 20th
Sharks are 11-7-3 with 25pts. For 2nd in Western Confrence
[b]Not Bad[/b]
2nd best penalty kill team at 90.6% (St. Louis 91.2%)
2nd best faceoff team 54.4% (Detroit 54.8)
2nd least average ...
Mats Sundin is off to one of the best starts of his career yet he sits 13th on the all star list. He is in the top five in scoring. I mean do people not realize the stats or what? Maxim Afinogenov is ahead of him! Players that he easily tops are ahead of him. I was expecting him to possibly crack the top three as where many others.
What do you guys think about this?
Another installment of the IslesNation.com Talk Show airs tonight, Tuesday, November 20th at 7:30 PM. Steve and Tony will recap all the week's events, including the 1-0 shutout against the Devils, the thrilling 2-1 win over the Rangers, DiPietro's 100th career win, some odd streaks and records, and much more. To listen to our show LIVE tonight and to participate in our off...
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...
It is getting closer. I can smell the Turkey already. It is also time for a few more player evaluations. So here you go, 5 players and my take on them so far this season.......
[b]Joe Thornton[/b]
Well who can really complain. Joe is averaging over a point a game right now and has been the only guy who has a set spot on a line. everyone else bounces around but Joe st...
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-...
Jsaquella writes...
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly-Flyers deals thru the years
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This is a David Letterman-esque list of the best and worst trades in Flyers history-at least in my opinion. I hope you enjoy and have some ideas of your own.
Many, many, many thanks to living hockey encyclopedia Bruce "Scoop" Cooper, who provided a lot of the details on these trades.
[b]The Best[/b]
10. [i]Traded Serge Bernier, Jimmy Johnson and Bill Lesuk to the ...
As if it is some ambiguous meaning, the Panthers quite simply do not understand the word "team". If any successful team knows it, playing like a team gets you into the playoffs, well that and will power which the Panthers also lack.
It still amazes me on some nights when I turn on the game, I find myself with a huge headache. Watching what seems like any other ordinary ...
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...
I'm not really sure where but...
I am a long time leaf fan and i am starting to lose my patience with this team.
To tell the truth here, there is not one Toronto maple leaf that i do not like or think is a bad player, but after watching this team fall apart over and over again, I'd say it's time for a change.....any change.
These are my "Untouchable" Players:
-S...
Save for the drubbing against the Hurricanes, DiPietro has kepted his head in the game, and most importantly his butt in the net.
Tonight is sure to bring on a heart stopping match up of the east's most prolific Power Play Team(MON 11-6-3 25pts) and the Team(NYI 11-6-0 22pts) with the 2nd best penalty killing in the east. Lets examine some numbers for the game.
So ...
So here we are, upon a Thanksgiving, with many fans talking turkey about the dreaded post-Ranger malaise, which we now might need an inoculation for instead of the usual Flu shot. You know the drill. Where the Isles come off a big win with a hazy dull outing the very next game.
Now, despite the denials, there will always be a letdown after a big game, but this was the t...
[b]--NOTE—
This was written prior to Monday’s game against the Isles but I was unable to post it due to some technical difficulties.[/b]
Last time around it was pretty doom and gloom for most Rangers fans as the team got off to a shaky start. Although there were a few bright spots such as the incredible play of Henrik Lundqvist and the defensive play of some of th...
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...
I wanted to take a minute and wish all of you who celebrate a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!!
What exactly was so strange about the Rangers 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning? Well...
The shutout jinx struck again...
The Rangers finally got a goal from a forward. But you will never guess who...
And the Lightning scored twice and lost 2-1.
Confusing? Lets start from the top.
Coming into the game, the Rangers had a streak of 5 straight goals by defen...
Hey pens fans,
The Pens lost 2-1. Malkin had the only Pens' goal and he was unassisted. This was a tough night for the Pens. Unfortunetly for the Pens, Brodeur played a great game. There were a lot of shots that could have beaten a lesser goalie. The officiating tonight was something that was questionable, at times. I am not one for official bashing, but there were ...
Ok so everyone knows (or I hope knows) that the Leafs traded one of the top prospect goalies of the Juniors to the Boston Bruins for Andrew [u][b]Raycrap[/b][/u] .... sorry Raycroft. Mr. Rask went 7-1 with a 1.98 GAA. I mean honestly you trade a top goaltender 7-1 for peeps sake for a guy who is coming off a pretty good year and a terrible year after that (raycroft).
H...
A-Mar writes...
Toronto Maple Leaf quarterly analysis (Player by Player)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Another year has started and I know hockey season is well underway by the growing sinking feeling in my gut. 22 games in and the Leafs look about where most analysts had them pegged. There have been surprises, some pleasant, most not so much. So here are my first quarter grades for the Leafs.
[b]Goalies:[/b]
Andrew Raycroft: 2-2-3, 3.32 GAA, .887 SV%
-Raycroft ha...
So I was up early this morning. Its been 3 days since the Predators have played a hockey game and I am going out of my mind. Of course it doesn't help that we lost an overtime game on Saturday to the Blues and then got outright beat on Monday by the Blues. So I am up early, all of the family who is in from out of town are starting to make noise upstairs and it won't bel...
After 18 games in the regular season, maybe, just maybe, the old Buffalo Sabres have arrived.
The Sabres got off to a hot start, scoring 3 goals in the first period while holding on to beat the NHLs best team, the Ottawa Senators 4-2 at HSBC Arena.
The Good:
Thomas Vanek was the best player on the ice for the second straight outing. Just physically dominating in f...
On Mike Modano night. Modano tied the game in 3rd period. Nick Hagman scored the wiiner shortly after on another powerplay goal. This contest was close to the vest tight checking affair. The ducks dominated the 1st period scoring the lone tally.
J.S. Gigiurre was sharp in goal. Happy Thanksgiving to all it was a nice game to be at!!
This website for the most part is about the NHL, which makes sense, but the site is called hockeybuzz not nhlbuzz, so I'm gonna go ahead with this.
I'll start by saying that I have officiated minor hockey in Canada (Alberta) for the past 10 seasons. And while I enjoy every single game I do, there are always things that bother me. The big one being lack of understandin...
Pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603264955732/
Vids
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLpqeIUytBY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zAjanmeYpk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX41d5aQI_U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z5TkzW9pwc
I got there VERY early! There was open hockey for kids with their parents. It looked fun.
Zamboni goes out the t...
I am going to break this down into three parts: 1) Flyers 2) NHL 3) Non-Hockey.
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_PHI_161.jpg[/img]
[b]25 points and at Thanksgiving[/b] Who saw that coming?
[b]Mike Richards[/b] - natch. Mr. Everything. 2nd on the team in scoring (23pts), leading in goal production (11), 5th on the team in +/-, tied with Cob...
By Jsaq and Number23-AKA H&B Olde Tyme Hockey
After doing a Flyers trade history review and analysis, I decided to tackle their entry draft record. Needless to say, it was a bit more difficult, so I enlisted the help of fellow Buzzard Number23. We are brothers-in-law, sort of a white trash version of the Gallof boys.
Anyhow, we decided to do this a little bit differ...
GO LEAFS GO! What a beautiful sound to hear when you are watching a Toronto Maple Leafs ‘road’ game? UH? Exactly what is wrong with the fans that go to the ACC and watch the Leafs. Honestly you pretentious bunch of F****. There are millions of Leafs fans around Canada and the world that would cheer so loud at the games that they would be horse and have a pounding ...
Hey pens fans,
Last night's game could be a big moment for the Pens. In the shoot out, we have some serious shooters, including Ruutu. Many people are suprised by his use there, but, when he is given the opportunity, he does quite well at it.
Fleury still has not quite found his game, but at the same time maybe he needs a little more room to breathe, before he is...
The Rangers aren't scoring a lot as we can all see but for me a diehard Rangers fan, one huge thing could solve their problems some what. The Powerplay and them scoring on the powerplay, this is the difference in all the games so far this season. If they could score on the PP then there wouldn't be as many close games and teams taking them to OT to get extra points. Many t...
After going 1-4 to start their 9 game exercise against their Northeast counterparts, the Buffalo Sabres are right back into the thick of things.
You have to love the way they are playing the last 3 games. Scoring first, getting big goals when needed, and a total commitment to solid two-way play has led the team on a 3 game winning streak, all against teams ahead of them...
It had to happen. After all, there were articles on how the Isles were better than predicted. Lots of revisionist pieces from the same usual suspects who slopped down the usual naive vitriol about the Isles at the start of the season. Lots of opened eyes. Lots of kudos. And then they lost two in a row after big wins versus NJ and NYR.
So the panic monkeys all pushed the...
Tonight's game at the Igloo vs. the Atlanta Thrashers will be a true test to see whether the Pens are ready to turn the corner and start heading up the Eastern Conference ladder, up where many hockey pundits predicted they'd be this year.
The Thanksgiving Night victory in Ottawa vs. the high octane Senators was a huge one for the Pens. Another loss, which looked pretty...
What a difference a game makes.
Two nights after Marc-Andre Fleury was yanked after allowing two arguably soft goals in the first period in Ottawa, Penguins coach Michel Therrien came right back with Fleury back at home tonight vs. the Atlanta Thrashers. Fleury did not repeat his poor performance tonight, in fact he made 28 saves in a 5-0 Penguins shutout. The defense...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens shutout the Thrashers 5-0. Fleury had the shutout tonight and this is a much needed confidence boost for him. Staal, Malone, Crosby, Armstrong, and Whitney had the Pens' goals. Gonchar had 2 assists and he also left the game early with a groind injury. Malkin's point streak has ended, as he had no points tonight. It was a good game all aro...
This blog has been a long time coming. But after reading the ek columns last night regarding the leafs and whether they should clean house or not... then hearing the Flames may be involved if only an e1, doesn't matter, I have to get this off my chest.
I love Darcy Tucker. He's from Alberta, Castor or Byemoor I believe. Anyway, he is a fighter. He's gritty, he can sc...
After beginning the 9 game division 1-4, the Buffalo Sabres climbed over 500 for the streak after a 3-0 shutout of the Montreal Canadiens.
Thomas Vanek continued his dominance of the past couple games, netting his second goal in as many nights. Jaro Spacek and Jochen Hecht had the other goals.
Andrew Peters had his best game as a Sabre. He was all over the ice, playi...
Don't let anyone ever tell you that hockey is just a physical game. It might be a game of snap decisions on the fly in such a fast-paced flow, but any professional player who has found success has mastered or at least, faced, the mental aspects of competition.
None could tell you a better tale of this process than [b]Andy Hilbert[/b] who hit so many posts, despite his t...
Earlier this week I was able to get in touch with Hamilton Bulldogs forward Ajay Baines. Ajay played his junior hockey for the Kamloops Blazers, and broke into the AHL in 2000 playing for the Norfolk Admirals. Ajay played for them for 5 and a half seasons, becoming the franchise's all-time leading scorer. He signed a contract with the Hamilton Bulldogs last season, and hel...
[b]VANCOUVER CANUCKS
IS THERE MORE THAN ROBERTO?
[/b]
The next team on my fan blogging tour is the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks have one of the best defenses in the League. The Canucks’ defense is not only known for their ability, but for the system and their determination with which they play. I have often heard what would happen if Loungo goes down. Simply p...
Yes I know that I took some time off from the ol' blog this weekend. Truth be told it felt kind of good. I took the time to sit back and enjoy time with my wife and 23 month old little girl. Don't get me wrong...I watched some hockey but this weekend was about family and pausing to take time and be thankful for what we have been blessed with. I have an incredible wife, a b...
Over the past two months, it seems as if every Ottawa Senators fan except me has jumped onto the Gerber bandwagon. Nothing I say can seem to bring them back onto the Emery bandwagon. Even hardcore Senators fans who write about them for a living have proclaimed Gerber king. But before you join them in proclaiming Gerber king, let me argue my points of why I believe we shoul...
CaptShark writes...
We're Back ! Sharks Talkcast Tonight: Questions of Concern !
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It has been a week since the last Sharks talkcast and yet we have only seen one Sharks game since then. This schedule has just been absolutely ridiculous so far this season, what a joke. It has been hard for this Sharks to gain any momentum thus far, too many days between most games. Although their best stretch of the season came in a week where they played Phoenix three t...
Back when JFJ was hired was the time for a senior consultant not once he had already learned on the job and become a dysfunctional exec of sorts. So when the Leafs began their 'search' late this summer for a consultant, that pretty much signaled the end of JFJ's reign to me. It is unfortunate because, not to defend JFJ, but he has been largely paralysed by the board's con...
The other day I came across the MLS soccer website, and just out of curiosity, decided to try and find out what the average attendance was for an MLS game. I was fairly shocked to discover than for the past 4 seasons, the average attendance at MLS regular season games was over 15 000, and in 2007 was nearly 17 000. I didn't think that soccer was by any means a major spor...
Before I get into my thoughts on the Sabres, I have to comment on the hit from Scott Hartnell on Andrew Alberts. Once again, another Flyer hits someone from behind. I dont want to call the Flyers a dirty team because I really dont think they are. But once is enough, two is pushing it and three tends to become a trend.
I didnt think the hit on Patrice Bergeron was that b...
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…�...
I think without a doubt now everyone knows that the days of JFJ and Paul Maurice are slowly coming to an end in Leaf Land. Let’s just say that JFJ and the Upper Management of MLSE have left some terrible scars on the future of the Leafs organization. The NTC's, highly over inflated salaries, and underachieving talent that has poisoned the once mighty Maple Leaf franchise...
Thank you Bob, Joe and HF absolutely wonderful time.
Pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603311911309/
I actually made it to the game on time no warm-up pics but I heard the whole anthem from my seat.
Flyers looked absolutely terrible from the first bit. Then the glass broke It looked like the way the glass broke in front of me a warmups last y...
I wanted to wait until the Sabres were at least 20 games into the season before I started writing a blog. My feelings coming into this season were that the team would be fine without Chris and Danny, but that it was going to take about 20 games for them to find their way. I liked the make up of this roster, but knew that some changes would have to be made as the season ...
Lightningtaz24 writes...
Predators Economic Impact on Downtown Nashville
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Let's examine the attendance issue of the Predators and the Economic Impact they have on downtown Nashville. Here are the stats. (Taken from ESPN)
(Past 7 seasons, All attendance not just paid attendance, Titans and Preds)
Titans GP Total Attendance
69,143 5 345,715 (thru 5 home games this season)
69,143 8 553,144
69,149 8 553,192
68,901 8 551,208
68,809 8 550,472...
Two quick questions. I don't have a prize but for fun let's pretend that the person who gets them both right the fastest gets season tickets for life to the NHL team of their choice! (for the sake of competition don't go running to TSN or NHL.com to get the answer!)
What team leads the NHL in goals?
What team has allowed the fewest goals?
(Insert Jeopardy mus...
With Todd Bertuzzi making his first appearance against Vancouver since he has left, alot of emotions have been flying around. I am really looking for answers... this is why
Something I wan't to get off my chest for some time is the events leading up to Bertuzzi's hit on moore. The fact that Moore blatently elbowed Naslund ( Bertuzzi's linemate, His best friend ) only...
23 points in 24. Some disapointing free agents. A very slow start and of course as usual a boat load of injuries. But this year it dosent seem so bad.
We finally lost the players that were hurting us ( Van Ryn, Mclean ). I wish Murphy would be back soon , hes been a pleasant surprise this season on the pp.
The Cats finally got out of their November curse. 6-5-1 so far ...
Unfortunately, I will not be able to write consistantly for a couple of months. Ive had some issues come up and I wont have the means to post my atricles. Therefore, I would like to bid farewell to my faithful (and not so faithful) readers. I hope to return as soon as possible.
Thank you all.
Go Rangers!
Ok, so I'm pretty obsessed with this challenge so I took it upon myself to post the current standings. The next game isn't far off so it's definitely going to heat up when my friends and I get together to watch it. One of my college friends almost got in a fist fight with some dude at the bar because the Devils are doing so poorly, Metro Ice Challenge-wise.
My New York...
Here’s a note to all local NY media. DO NOT,DO NOT ,DO NOT, mix the Rangers with the Knicks in the same conversation. With all the turmoil going on surrounding Madison Square Garden, writers and broadcasters are quick to make broad statements lumping them together. I’m not quick to burn Charles Dolan at the stake either. Sure he’s like a glorified fan buying up as ma...
Ottawa rolls onto LI, with a giant mist of doubt for Isles fans.
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/themist.jpg[/img]
It rolls in like a blanket, covering Long Island from shopping mall to shopping mall. It unfurls itself right to Nassau Coliseum, laying right onto the ice. It is doubt and expectation as one of the top teams in the league comes to town.
When...
The Confluence writes...
Penguins' six day break is untimely, to put it nicely
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
What is this, football ??
Just when the Penguins finally start to play some consistent hockey, the enigma that is the NHL schedule maker lowers the boom and gives the Pens a six day break.
Six days is an eternity for hockey teams, especially those teams that are playing well. Obviously, if your team is slumping, the extended time off is welcomed. But this break, at...
Jon Jordan writes...
Slaying the Ottawa Monster Would Take the Isles a Long Way
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
12-8-1
25 points
3rd in the Atlantic Division
3 points behind 1st place Philadelphia
7th in the Conference
Should the New York Islanders be happy with this start to the season? [i][b]Absolutely[/b][/i]! Factor in the reality that no team in the entire National Hockey League has played fewer games than the Isles (21) at this point and you'd have to consider t...
Now that it looks like the Preds sell will actually go to the Local Ownership group, lead by David Freeman, I am interested to hear from you Pred fans as to what moves you think they will make and what moves you would like to see them make. I am referring to on-ice personnel, of course. If you would like to share your ideas on what they should do off-ice as well those comm...
First, off, I am a Flyers fan. In fact, I consider myself to be a die hard Flyers fan.
That said, I have no issue with any of the suspensions handed down to the team this season.
Steve Downie got 20 games for leaving his feet and delivering a shoulder to the head of Ottawa's Dean McAmmond. The fact that Downie raced in from near the blueline to nail McAmmond is also...
Like a misbehaving toddler, a Flyers player is once again sent to the timeout chair. This time it is Scott Hartnell, and he gets 2 games to think about what he did - which is quite convenient because while he's thinking, he can read the scribblings on the wall left by Randy Jones, who occupied the same chair just a month earlier.
And just like Randy Jones, Hartnell can...
For all the bad things in the NHL, the schedule, the T.V. contract, and the not so great promotion of the league, we can rest assured that we have one great aspect; great players who are also great people. Hockey players are some of the most respected athletes on the planet. Out of all major pro sports you can still see the kids in the NHL players. The chance to lift Lord ...
According to reports the local investment group trying to buy the Nashville Predators wants to take possession of the team as quickly as possible. This may mean as early as Monday and before the City Council and Sports Council vote on the measure. I have to think that this means that the group must feel that that approval is a mere formality at this point. Let's say that a...
Here we are again folks... Hurricanes vs. Flyers...
It's remarkable to think that for all the trades between these two teams in the past, only Rod Brind'amour, Justin Williams, and Sami Kapanen remain.
Now, with all do respect to Kapanen, who has transformed his game and is an excellent player in his own right, looking back I would wager to say that Carolina got th...
I am not here to say that the Flyers should not have received the suspensions they have received. I am fine with the suspension. My problem is the inconsistency within the league with suspensions being handed down. Why does a player need to be injured for a suspension to be handed down?
Downie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=322zqTkL0-c
Phaneuf: http://youtube.com/w...
grapes17 writes...
No desert mirage -- hockey alive and well in Bakersfield
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Hockey fans that have not spent much time in Southern California are often surprised to find the undercurrent of hockey support in the region.
Sure, the media coverage is largely non-existent while many people on the street have never seen a game live. But dig deeper and you will find a strong community of youth leagues, recreational leagues, and die-hard hockey fans.
...
I spoke earlier of the kind of statement the Islanders could have made tonight by beating the Ottawa Senators. Well, they got the 'W' alright, mustering one hell of a collective effort all night long and pulling out a 3-2 shootout victory. But, in the end, the strongest statement of the evening was made by Mr. Rick DiPietro.
So what if Andrej Meszaros scored a couple of...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Live Blog . . . Without a Net as the Isles Beat Ott S.O.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
***[b]RETRACTION TO THE NYI/OTT LIVE BLOG LAST NIGHT:[/b]***
Bergie not the one on crutches as I walked down into the lockerroom area. Your moronic and tired Isles blogger mistook Aaron Johnson.
Anyone who missed my leadup on what this game means and all the doom and gloomers who felt the Isles were going to get torched: [url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user...
I was very impressed and excited for the Blues beating a tough Buffalo team on the road. They have played well at home but they were under .500 on the road and this was a big road win and a comeback win at that.
Being down 2-0, the Blues could have packed it in, but this team has such confidence and fight in them that they rallied with three goals of their own before Bu...
Players choose their numbers for various reasons. Some may chose a number that pays tribute to a family member, birth year or a favorite player from their childhood. Some players even change numbers because of bad luck, or their number isn't available because of a player already wearing it or it may be retired.
That brings me to Jay McKee the former shot blocking expert...
We're finally seeing some consistency out of the Sharks this season, unfortunately it's not the kind of consistency we expected from this team going into the year. The Sharks faced the Los Angeles Kings for the third time at home this season, and the Kings came away with two points once again. Losing two in a row to the Kings at home at this point in the season is not a ...
How many times have you picked up and dropped players this season?
What sleepers can you pick up to win the following week in your H2h game?
Which free agent goalies should you pick up due to injury?
Who's injury might have an effect on next weeks games?
These are some of the questions Hockey Fantasy Owners have each week.
We all love Hockey Buzz, why don't you as...
[img:right]http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/6527/recchi81099zv1.jpg[/img]Could there be a homecoming for Penguins winger Mark Recchi?
Recchi, who won a Stanley Cup in 2006 with Carolina, is rumoured to have seeked a trade from Pens GM Ray Shero after being a healthy scratch for more than once so far this season.
Who would want the 39 year old winger and $1.75M sala...
JerZey_Devil2144 writes...
The Great Thing About "Regular-Joe" Ownership.......
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Now don't get me wrong Jeffery Vanderbeek IS more than a regular Joe, but when it has come to hockey and this Devils Team he is without a doubt "one of us". Mr Vanderbeek started out many many years ago as a minority owner of the Devils. Even in the Meadowlands as both a minority owner and the principal owner he became (ironically he was voted in as an owner just before t...
After last nights game we know what side of the line the Sharks are standing on right now. There is no tenacity in this team and the killer instinct does not exist. In fact if these Sharks were actually sharks in the real shark tank called the Pacific ocean not the Pacific division, they would starve themselves to death. San Jose should be feeding on teams like L.A., espec...
(Not an actual OnStar call)
[u][i]Barry Trotz:[/u] "Hey Dan...listen i know it's been weeks since you've started for us and you may be a bit rusty but I'd like to give you the nod to start tonight in Ottawa against the Senators. I don't know if you know this or not but the Sens are one of the best teams in hockey. They've actually lost four in a row so they are probably...
It's over. Time to divide up the china, pick who get's the dog, pack up the stuff and part ways. It's been a fun ride in your time here, but I finally feel you've overstayed your welcome. It's not you it's me. The team has moved on from your freewheeling style, and we don't have room to truly let you grow. In past years we had players here that we could count on to m...
It's over. Time to divide up the china, pick who get's the dog, pack up the stuff and part ways. It's been a fun ride in your time here, but I finally feel you've overstayed your welcome. It's not you it's me. The team has moved on from your freewheeling style, and we don't have room to truly let you grow. In past years we had players here that we could count on to m...
Any game against the hated Rangers always carries a little extra [i]umph [/i]for the Islanders but tonight's contest at The Garden has more weight than at first glance and could make a [i][b]huge [/b][/i]difference for the Isles as they continue to move up the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings.
The Islanders, fresh off a 3-2 shootout victory over the Ea...
I appreciate having a forum to vent about the current state of the Maple Leafs.
I can't stop thinking about what a disaster we're witnessing from a once proud franchise. I can no longer watch a whole game, I basically tune in to see what pathetic hockey players our GM has assembled with the maximun salary allowed. Our career .500 and going south coach has made move...
Lots of chatter around the Penguins' blogosphere lately concerning the possible departure of veteran winger Mark Recchi.
Courtesy of our colleague Lyle at Spector's Hockey, who received the following blurb from one of his emailers;
Pierre Maguire was on the TEAM1040 this morning (Wednesday)in Vancouver and he was talking about the Recchi situation. Him and Recchi wer...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Au Effort in the Golden Triangle - Flyboys win 3rd vs Canes
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_hurricanes.jpg[/img]
The Flyers entered North Carolina in their own stormy turbulence, having sandwiched stellar performances against these same Hurricanes and the powerhouse Ottawa Senators with head-scratching, maddening and inconsistent performances in losses to lesser lights Washington and Boston. The Flyers re...
[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...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Rangers Beat Isles, Ricky Needs to Sit, and Stitchgate!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Isles are still amidst a complete powerplay outage. However, luckily, they had nary a chance as they let the NYR practice theirs instead. A tired and out-of-sorts team came to MSG, and got called for a lot of infractions, and somehow didn't get called for a few others, as they struggled against a Ranger team determined to stem the tide.
Ranger coach, Tom Renney, tol...
The sound is very quiet, but it is there. As he pulls his purple and orange jersey over his head, surely Denis Gauthier curses the salary cap and Gary Bettman while his face is shrouded in the fabric of the Phantom. How could he not? The 31 year old Gauthier, a veteran of 489 NHL games under his belt, is riding the buses of the AHL because his $2.1M contract didn’t fi...
Tonight will be a good one. Colorado has a record on the road like the Sharks have at home, but throw all that out the window. Colorado always shows up to play the Sharks whether it is at home, away, Japan, or Zimbabwe. No matter how you look at it tonight will be a good test of will for the boys in teal.
Colorado will be looking to improve a woeful road record, while ...
Would it be Brashear or Pronger or Boll or Godard or Parker or Boogaard or Chara or Neil? None of these guys hold that distinction. Instead, there is Tie Domi incarnate leading the league and his name is Daniel Carcillo. Who.......? What team does he play for......? The Phoenix Coyotes. Those of you in the west may have guessed it right because you've seen this 5'11" ...
And so we're approaching December....
The teams have established themselves as to where they sit in the league, where they need to improve and so on...
one thing that has been very noticeable is just how incredibly inconsistant almost every team in the league has been thus far with only Detroit once again showing the constant and consistant poise it has for essential...
Why the NHL won’t expand in Canada?
Canada is the centre of the hockey world. With over 50% of the NHL’s players coming form Canada, we dominate who plays the game, how the game is played but not where the game is played. Everywhere you go in Canada hockey is the #1 sport and we Canadians are more loyal, knowledgeable, and die hard then any country about any sport. ...
You know you're a Blues fan...
- if You think Weight Watchers is a Doug Weight fan club and some chick named Jenny Craig is president.
- if You yell 'Blackhawks Suck!'...at a Cardinals game
-if your vision of hell entails the Blues losing in the second round of the playoffs with either Detroit or Colorado winning the Stanley Cup
-if you realize just how depress...
B.D. Gallof writes...
When Bloggers Trailblaze Themselves Into A Mistake
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I've written quite a few things about the meaning and differences of bloggers to journalists. I have written about the meaning of the Isles Blog Box program, and even had to hammer back at those who used their lofty perches to criticize something before it even had much time, besides one game or two, to establish itself. Well, today is a new tale to tell about the life of ...
So we are a quarter of the way through the season and I thought I would offer up my analysis of the Preds on a player by player basis. Hockey is a team sport but when you analyze a team, it helps if you can have some individual stats to compare with. So here it goes.
Forwards:
Martin Erat -Currently leads the team with 24 points and is well on his way to passing his...
Hey pens fans,
Last night, the Pens defeated the Stars 4-1. They played a strong game and managed to e consistant through three periods. Crosby had two goals on the night and Kennedy and Malkin each had one. Fleury was in goal and he played well. The Pens set the tone early with Crosby's first goal under a minute in and also with Laraque domination of the early fight....
BuffaloMat writes...
Auctioning off a Autographed Ovechkin Puck (Read inside)
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
After listening to Ek's idea on the talk show earlier in the week about having the idea of handing out Hockey Buzz hats at the Winter Classic this year and needing people to help contribute to pay for this idea an idea popped into my head. As small as this may seem (I am by far not a rich man) I want to auction off my autographed Alexander Ovechkin Puck. This puck was sig...
Fact: In their previous 3 matchups, the Rangers managed only 4 goals against the rival Islanders. They lost all 3 games.
Fact: In their two meetings this season. the Rangers got 1 goals against Martin Gerber and the Ottawa Senators. They lost both.
Fact: The Rangers offense was last in the league in goals scored. There were more than a few rumblings about the sleepin...
Tonight, the Pittsburgh Penguins are on the road in Toronto trying to continue their three game winning streak. Before I get to the game, I would like to wish Ryan Malone a Happy Birthday. The Pens have been playing well, as of late. They easily defeated the Stars Friday night and dazzled in the offensive zone. Their defensive play has improved greatly with everyone ch...
A night after the Penguins won their third straight game with a dominating 4-1 win against the Dallas Stars at the Igloo, the skate was on the other foot tonight at the Air Canada Center as the Pens took a step back in a disappointing 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Leafs came out energized right off the bat and took it to the Pens, who didn't have a response u...
To read my latest on bloggers, including my own trials and travails, check it out:
[url]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=11499[/url]
So here we are. Isles vs the Thrashers. Looks like Dubie starts against a returning Lehtonen. It looks like a better crowd than the shameful fan support for the Ottawa game.
CJ Papa reminds us how poor the Isles PP has bee...
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...
First of all, I would like to shortly introduce myself. My name is Jeff Potulny, I go by the alias of "Ovech8" on the internet, and this is my first ever blog on Hockeybuzz.com. I am a very frequent poster on the Message Board "chat.mapleleafs.com" which is owned by Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, and I am a semi-poster of "HFBoards.com".
___________________________...
First my Thanks to HF, thank you again for the ticket!
Second Thanks to Erica! You Rock! that was fun tonight have to do it again next time for Phantoms and Pete Zigoni.
Pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603352542933/
Tonight was just sad to watch. The first period they came out good. It looked like this was going to be the I will call the ...
That's what the boxscore should read in the paper tomorrow after that nightmare witnessed nationwide in Canada on HNIC. Jarome Iginla looked like the best hockey player in the league tonight. Every time he stepped on the ice, the Flames nearly scored. So much that Flame hater Craig Simpson even brought it up. Then you know it must be obvious.
However, with all that ...
When I think of the word ''fan'' I immediately see a drunken fat guy painted in team colors yelling at the rink with pride. But what really constitutes a fan? In many occurrences in my life, I've been faced with people who allegedly cheer for a team, but when things go awry, they turn away and grab the reins of another club. Actually most of the people I converse with in p...
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...
The Confluence writes...
Hard to fathom, but Sidney Crosby is hurting his team
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Oh boy, I could take a lot of heat for this one.
Screw it, I'm gonna get it off of my chest, and put my flak jacket on. I only ask that you hear me out and read my rationale before flaming away.
OK, let's set things straight right now. I LOVE SIDNEY CROSBY, in a purely plutonic fan-to-professional athlete type of way. He's far and away the best playmaker in hockey...
We have all heard the cliche's about character, veteran leadership, and playing as a team versus as an individual. I will spare everyone 'most' of the cliche's, but the last 2 victories for the Predators have shown me something that I haven't seen consistantly from this team in past years.
How many times have we seen a team totally dominate the regular season only to...
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...
[b]CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS
BEST YOUNG GUNS IN THE LEAGUE[/b]
The next team on my league tour is the Black Hawks of Chicago. When I watch this team all I do is smile it is nice to see a team finally grow into a team. The Black Hawks fans deserve this and now its time for these fans to have fun. The Black Hawks time is now simply because they have the players to win and w...
Jaromir Jagr is.. happy.. and that's a great thing for the Rangers. It was evident that he missed Nylander up until Straka got back.
Last year, it was Straka - Nylander - Jagr on our first line. A year prior to that, it was Rucinsky (Straka later in the season) - Nylander - Jagr. Both of these lines had great chemistry, but I think that Straka had a bigger impact than N...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
The Twelve Days of Christmas: Flyers Edition
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/lights.gif?t=1196695011[/img]
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_pfanim1.gif[/img]
[u][b]The Twelve Days of Flyers' Christmas[/b][/u]
In line with this season of giving, the Flyers' Elves decided to get decked out in their Holiday finery, complete with alternating black and white jerseys and and...
An NHL team is allowed to field a team of 23. That's 12 forwards dressed, 6 defensemen and 2 goaltenders. Currently, the Minnesota Wild has a team of, seemingly, 18,000! Ok...Ok...Maybe a little less than that. As of the Vancouver game, however, they have a team of more than 23. Here is a list, included with what their contract is looking like:
[b][u]Forwards (15):...
From The Back Row writes...
Why You Should Stop Worrying...and Love the Hawks
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I'm both surprised and disappointed to hear the doom-and-gloom scenarios scuttling through the cyber-community of Blackhawks hockey after their no-show in St. Louis Saturday night. Have expectations really grown that exponentially in the past 2 months? Yes, it was a divisional match-up, yes, second place was on the line, yes, the Hawks were the only team not to show up e...
The Watcher writes...
Kovalev : Understanding the Russian Enigma (Part I)
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Many players came to the hockey-crazed city of Montreal over the years hoping to win over a crowd who breaths hockey. To say the task is difficult would be an understatement. The Canadians fans love their team and it’s players with passion. As with every relationship that fuel on passion and love, hate is a big part of the equation. Bombarded with the opinion and ana...
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...
It's frustrating. Two periods into a matchup with the Bruins and I can't take it anymore. Just put the puck in the net already!!
This offensive struggle has the Isles on the verge of losing [i]3 out of their last 4 [/i]and continue to slip in the standings.
This day last season the Isles were 14-9-3 (31 Points in 26 games). Viktor Kozlov netted 4 as the Isles beat th...
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...
And hear we are, just over a week after the 5-1 loss to the Coyotes. A week ago we had newspapers and radio shows picking out who was going to be the new GM of the Leafs as everyone had assumed his days were done. Since then the Leafs have picked up 5 out of a possible 6 points and for the time being it seems as though that is all but a distant memory……For now. ...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Panic on the Streets of Uniondale as Isles Fall to Bruins
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Boston extends the Isles stumbling. Fans boo their team in the Coliseum. People seem to getting a bit panicked.
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/bostonpops.jpg[/img]
Suddenly there is panic on the streets! After all, the Isles have lost 3 in a row. The first time this season, amidst a power outage on offense and the powerplay. The holiday crowds, who were reeled i...
[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...
There once was a time when a struggling team could be counted on to make a trade in an attempt to change it's fate. There was a time when teams would swap key players in an attempt to shake up their roster and kick-start them onto the path of success.
That time is gone.
With the end of the lockout fans were promised more player movement along with more parity in the...
Dear Darcy,
PICK UP MARK RECCHI! If you need inspiration, just look at Ilya Bryzgalov. He gets picked up by Phoenix and ends up winning 4 straight!
From,
Sabres fans
Now that the Flyers are officially "on notice", it's time for the team to do one simple thing...circle the wagons and play smart.
They have to develop a thick skin, because a lot of asinine things are being said by fans and the media. They have to avoid being goaded into situations that led to things like the Boulerice cross check on Kesler. They have to contain their ...
Tony and Steve will be on the air this Tuesday, December 4th at 7:30PM EST to talk about the big trade talk, shootout against Ottawa, the 3 game losing streak, the offense, and much more. We've been getting some great calls and questions, so if you'd like to join in and participate, listen LIVE for the contact info. You can call in, instant message us, or ask questions via...
Sure, we all know that the NHL could use the national exposure on ESPN. But why does ESPN need the NHL?
Because ESPN is terrible.
Think about all the "sports" programming that airs in place of hockey:
I'll admit, the World Series of Poker was entertaining for about a day and a half...in 2003. Yet, the number of times I've seen poker reruns exceeds the number of ti...
Matt Cullen and the Carolina Hurricanes came into Madison Square Garden last night and throughly spanked my New York Rangers. Still riding atop at Atlantic Eastern Conference standings, the Rangers are still doing well despite the temporary setback.
What really interests me, though, is how everything ends up with the [i]HUMMER 'Metro Ice Challenge'[/i]. Currently the Is...
Nyi28nhl writes...
The problem isn't only adding... but subtracting as well
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Many Islanders fans are calling for a blockbuster trade where the Isles would land themselves a top line scorer (such as Martin St. Louis, Patrick Marleau, etc.). Not that I would say know to getting a guy like St. Louis, but there is another dilemma that comes up.
[b]Who gets demoted?[/b]
[b]Mike Comrie[/b] and [b]Josef Vasicek[/b] are our #1 and #2 centers. Despite...
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 ...
I have one question to kevin Lowe, Why did'n't you pick up Bryzgalov off waivers? After last nights debacle I think its written all over the wall that Rolosons's best days are long behind him. The letang goal was as soft as it gets and if Edmonton wants to win games they are going to have to play Garon alot. Roloson's inconsistant play was all to remonnisant of last years ...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/getsmartisles.jpg[/img]
The Isles came out to Atlanta with some pop to their step. Yet, it all turned around quickly when giveaways on the powerplay led to two shorthanded goals. Looking at a 3-1 Atlanta lead, instead of laying down to die, they tied it up. Yes, they lost the shootout, but got a point back instead of nothing due to bungli...
[b]MORE OBSERVATIONS
PHILADELPHIA ON NOTICE GIVE ME A BREAK[/b]
The other day when the NHL put Philly on notice, it really made me laugh. I mean, who are they kidding? Come on, they love every minute of this! They love publicity, whether it is bad or good. Is the NHL really upset with Philadelphia? Or are they rubbing their hands with glee?
Seriously, you reall...
[i]So...today is my birthday. Today I turned 35 and I'm a bit depressed. 35 sounds really old. I don't feel old but I am old. No one around me calls me old but I see the way they look at me. What does this have to do with hockey? Not a darn thing but I wanted you to understand my mental state for my blog today. [/i]
I was in the Cool Springs area today at a big box reta...
Hockey Canada is currently waiting for final word from the remaining two NHL teams with Junior eligible players, on whether or not those players will be released to represent Canada at the WJHC. Those two teams are the Edmonton Oilers (Sam Gagner) and the St. Louis Blues (David Perron). Minnesota (James Sheppard), Boston (Milan Lucic), Pittsburgh (Jordan Staal) and Chica...
Last nights Sharks victory extended the win streak to 3. I normally do not start calling them streaks until after three, but due to the start of this season I will make an exception. This streak feels different though. The four game streak where San Jose took three from Phoenix and a game from Dallas did not have the same feeling to it. It almost seemed like everyone kind ...
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On November 20, 2007 the popular McDonald’s NHL hockey cards became available through McDonald’s restaurants across Canada and will continue until the end of the year or while supplies last. The last three years the sets were put out by Upper Deck. This year’s set is a definite improvement and one of the nicest McDonald’s hockey card set put out so far by Uppe...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Ozzy Osbourne, the Flyers and the Instigator Rule
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_Ozzyblizzard4iz.jpg[/img]
Yes...The Blizzard of Oz is back.
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_osbourne-ozzy-photo-ozzy-osbourne-6.jpg[/img]
No. Not as a semi-coherent "reality star" with severe parenting issues.
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_Ozzy-Osbourne--C1...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens defeated the Flames 3-2 in a shootout. Marc-Andre Fleury injured his ankle in the first and Sabourin finished out the game. Malkin and Malone had the two goals in regulation. Malone's goal was a great short handed effort. It was a highlight reel goal, if I ever saw one. Sykora and Letang both scored in the shoot out for the win. Sabo...
The Rant Man writes...
Buffalo Sabres: West Coast Story [and a Duck Tale too]
Posted Friday | Comments 0
This is for my Sabres followers. I figure I could fill you in on what I think of dropping a game to both the Ducks and Kings:
Well, after giving it hard to the Carolina Hurricanes before hitting the tarmac at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, you would think the Sabres being winners in 6 of their last 7 games prior to boarding the plane could carry the momentum...
I rouse you to do your All Star ballot duty and vote today for your Flyers. The Flyers hive
http://www.flyershive.com/
Is asking all Flyers fans to take time to vote 100 times today for the All-star campaign. Not just for the Flyers on the ballot but to write in Mike Richards.
Spread the word and vote!
Don't look for me - [i]I'll be hiding[/i].
Another interesting night for yours truly coming up, as I'll attend my first Isles/Lightning game since taking over the Lightning team blogger position for hockeybuzz.com. (I'll be safely tucked away in a luxury suite, borrowing one of Ek's disguises, hiding my face for a plethora of reasons. I'm a pseudo-professional, people. ...
Why are the Ranger slowly falling in to the abyss?
Why aren't they mucking and grinding out anymore 2-0 games?
I'll tell you why cause [b]Sean Avery [/b]is out again after being hit by a team mates puck!
This Ranger team misses Sean Avery more than they would miss even [b]Jagr[/b]?
Ok, maybe not, but you never know!
He proved he was a spark plug and that he coul...
I'm not going to write a summary of what happened; Shaune did a really nice job of that on the main page, and there is no need to recap it. That being said I would like to share some pictures and thoughts.
[img]http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v152/52/107/602212162/n602212162_501919_2213.jpg[/img]
I was disappointed to see Fleury leave the game as I ...
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...
Why are the Ranger slowly falling in to the abyss?
Why aren't they mucking and grinding out anymore 2-0 games?
I'll tell you why cause Sean Avery is out again after being hit by a team mates puck!
This Ranger team misses Sean Avery more than they would miss even Jagr?
Ok, maybe not, but you never know!
He proved he was a spark plug and that he could play in differ...
The Predators first ever draft pick signed a deal that keeps him as a Predator for the next six years for 27 million dollars. Legwand who is making 2.1 million this year more than doubles his salary to an average of 4.5 mil a year.
Predators GM David Poile was thrilled to announce the extension. "This is the first step moving forward under new ownership and is a sign of...
This is great news for the Pred faithful! Spending money to lock up some key players (Legwand) and the sell of the team going to the local group is now official. I would expect Erat and Dumont's signings to follow. Those two guys are key to that top line right now. Rads is not too far behind them. We better get him locked up before he becomes too hot of a commodity. There ...
the first part and notes for a future blog where i lazily save it onto hockeybuzz instead on my own machine. i repeat, this is not a complete piece. any recomendations, questions and comments that are helpful are welcome. thank for your patience and consideration for my laziness. ;-)
here's something interesting my fellow fans. a quote from murray out of rutherford'...
I was sitting back watching the Blackhawks last night and decided to do my daily statistical update for my own personal knowledge. For the first time this year I decided to look and see who is leading this years rookie class in the NHL and low and behold Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are standing above all other rookies in points this year thus far.
I'm sure ...
The Maple Leafs have quieted the media and the naysayers for now, by going on a 4 game winning streak which they hope to carry on with tonight but does this mean that the team should not make a deal if there is one out there that can strengthen the club? According to Eck the Leafs are shopping Kaberle around a very bad move if you ask me but the team does need to improve t...
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
There is no amount of tweaking and humor that will seem to carry across what I thought was a defining moment to the Islander season last night. Last night's game versus the Florida Panthers was a very important barometer to the Isles fortunes. After a slide, and then a game against the Thrashers they shou...
Eggshmeg writes...
My Interview With Bulldogs Goaltender Cedrick Desjardins
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[img:left]http://bp0.blogger.com/_iwrHzC9-ZDg/R1rNLRUzGcI/AAAAAAAAACU/loGd_bEI0D8/s320/Red+eye+fixed.jpg[/img]This morning I had the chance to speak with Cedrick Desjardins of the Hamilton Bulldogs at Copps Coliseum. He was kind enough to answer all of my questions, despite being put on short notice. Cedrick played Major Junior hockey in Rimouski for 3 years before being t...
When I first heard of Joe Stiger and his hockey trip idea on XM Radio I said to myself; “Wow, what a great idea! What I would do to be able to accomplish something like this…” I had to get in touch with him and find out more about it.
I had the opportunity to catch up with Joe and pick his brain on his “Ultimate Hockey Trip” idea and the beginning of Army�...
Hey pens fans,
The Pens have now won 4 in a row. It was a great game to watch, if those of you in the Burgh managed to stay up that late. The final score was 2-1 Pens. It was a good game and it is wonderful for this team to win these games out west. Peter Sykora had the pens regulation goal in the first period. Sabourin was in net tonight, because of the Fleury injur...
I wish I did not have to pay for that ticket tonight. The wife was out with friends tonight so I figured I would take one in alone tonight, just me and the rest of the crazies up top. Well what I should have done was watch at home on the couch with the dog. I could have atleast changed the channel and caught some Seinfeld reruns that would have been more entertaining. Unfo...
JARRET STOLL IS HAVING ANOTHER TOUGH YEAR IN
OIL COUNTRY AND I HAVE COMPILED A FEW REASONS THAT
EDMONTON COULD DEAL HIM SOONER THAN LATER.
REASON #1 CONTRACT
STOLL IS A RESTRICTED FREE AGENT AT THE END OF
THE SEASON. THE OILERS NEED TO SPEND THEIR MONEY ON
PLAYERS SUCH AS PITKANEN AND GILBERT WHICH ARE TWO
YOUNG UP AND COMING D-MEN WHO ALONG...
It was shaping up to be an exciting night at the Tank on Saturday as there was a buzz about the Sabres coming to town for the first time since the Reagan administration. I was very impressed (change "impressed" to "annoyed" at the second intermission) with the number of Sabres fans in attendance. I'm curious for some insight from anyone reading this, are the Sabres alway...
[b]COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
THERE ARE REASONS TO SMILE[/b]
The next team on my tour is the Columbus Blue Jackets. People use to think of this team as the ones bringing up the rear, but you cannot necessarily say that any more. They have a strong base of players on which to grow. Every team has to have a strong core to build on, and the Jackets has that.
I like the ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Thoughts from the NHL Store - A Bite Out of the Big Apple
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_thapple_bitecopy.jpg[/img]
Thoughts from the NHL Store - A Bite Out of the Big Apple
[b][u]What a weekend[/u][/b]...took the train from Philadelphia on Friday morning with my parents, wife, 9 year old daughter and 3 year old little man to head to the Big Apple. We had planned months ago to stay the weekend, see ...
[b]It seems appropriate [/b]that guys wearing red would come calling in the month of December. That's right Pred fans the hated and despised Red Wings are in town for a 7:00 game at the Sommet Center (why do I put where the game is? Seriously...when was the last time a hockey game was played at Municipal?). Everyone knows that when these teams square off fans of both teams...
It still hurts to talk about the loss last night. Believe it or not, despite giving up 8 goals, Hannu Toivenan can’t be blamed for the loss. The loss was a total breakdown on all defensive fronts.
How many times was brewer going to be out of position?
How many times was the 6 foot 2 Backman outmuscled on the puck?
How many times did the defense watch Colorado se...
CaptShark writes...
10 Questions For Wednesdays Talkcast; No Talkcast Tonight
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Something has got to give soon. Either this team is going to break out and start lighting teams up, or it will just give. Now we really can't complain, San Jose is not in a bad spot amongst the rest of the league. Second in goals against says a lot about how well this defense and Nabby have played thus far. The penalty kill has been great and Thornton has been amazing. Bu...
So I was watching the NHL Network today and it was the Top 10 Draft Picks in 1990 and I couldn't help but notice Owen Nolan on that list and seeing him play beside some incredible players on the Nordiques.
Let me just throw out some names here: Joe Sakic, Mats Sundin, Martin Rucinsky, Wendel Clark, Mike Ricci, Scott Young, Peter Forsberg, Valeri Kamensky
Although al...
There have been many blogs and and posts debating the validity of calling the Toronto Maple Leafs a .500 hockey team. Most notably is James Duthie's blog over at TSN, who brings up good arguments, but I think his perception is flawed. Some will say the Leafs are at .500 with a record of 12-12-6, while others say that they have a losing record at 12-18. Forunately for the...
Pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603423360618/
Vids
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edI2HZoA8jU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA8MTv5kCl4
First thanks to Kristin, It was very nice to meet you. It was cool trying out your camera today. I hope my pics that I took with it come out good.
Ok Practice today Nitty 1st one out 10:15
To...
Nationwide Arena - 7pm EST
Tonight the Blue Jackets host the Ducks in the last game of the road trip series for the Ducks before they go home. David Vyborny was placed on injured reserve and will not be playing tonight against the Ducks. Instead a young prospect from the Crunch in Syracuse named Derek Mackenzie will be taking his spot for the time being.
...
AlexanderScharf writes...
How To Fix the Awful, Miserable and Terrible Rangers Offense
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Take a look at the shots on goal from the previous 4 games. Keep in mind though, that the Rangers lost 3 out of 4 of these games, and their opponents earned 7 of the 8 possible points. Also keep in mind that the Rangers were outscored 14-7 in those games.
NY Rangers 29
New Jersey 17
NY Rangers 32
Atlanta 22
NY Rangers 25
Toronto 16
NY Rangers 28
...
I haven't posted in some time because I've been busy at work (let's be honest, we all do this at work) but I felt the need to post this one.
[i]The Ducks are about to make a trade[/i]...
While I do not have confirmation from the team the writing appears to be on the wall. The Anaheim Ducks have announced that they have signed Bruno St. Jacques to a one-year deal (...
So here we are two weeks removed from the 5-1 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes the Leafs have won 5 of 6 and currently sit in a four way tie for 6th in the conference. Not bad when every Leaf fan wanted the team dismantled from top to bottom and it looked as though the team had finally reached rock bottom. Now let me just say that yes I was one of those that felt that wa...
It is time to make a trade-if there is a sucker, I mean willing participant. The defensive breakdowns leading to odd man rushes and goals for the other team. The bad decisions on the point of the power play resulting in the 28th ranked power play. The mind-boggling penalties put the team in a hole time and time again.
I haven't even began to speak on the salary($3.2 ...
Anaheim had a terrific power play kill throughout the whole game. After the Ducks tallied back in the second period there was a leverage that would be slightly turned once more for the Jackets until Over Time. Special teams for the Ducks was what won them this game, hands down. These teams are wonderful rivals because when they play each other, they tend to have some very...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Isles Pick Themselves Off the Floor on Saturday Night
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So just when you think it might get worse, the Isles pull one out. Sure, it doesn't mean all is well. But it does show there is some signs of life from the waterslide lately. On Saturday night, Bill Guerin scored. Andy Hilbert scored. And Mike Sillinger, fresh of chewing Campoli's ear off, scored.
It reminds one, at least I have to speak for myself here, that despite s...
Now, I know that everybody is aware of problems with the current schedule and that the NHL has taken steps to try and rectify it. However with the Flames current road trip, I was curious about why the league would schedule them to have two separate road trips out to the East coast.
The Flames have to travel for a 6 games in 11 nights swing, including three of the five...
jammer21 writes...
Pregaming with the Blues harder than Edmonton Postgames
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It’s time to look ahead to the Blues game tonight against the Edmonton Oilers. Be warned, Blues fans. If the Oilers give up an early lead, by the first intermission, the fans will likely call for the firing of a coach, a GM or a combination thereof. Wait, wrong Canadian team. Do we play the Leafs this year?
The last time these two teams met on December 7th, the Oilers...
Last year, Sidney Crosby and the Penguins owned the Flyers. Dennis Lemieux didn't even have to ask Joe McGrath to see that. The Pens won all 8 meetings and Crosby scored almost at will.
Well, this season, the story has been different. The Flyers have won the first two meetings, and Crosby has not scored a goal. Crosby has been largely frustrated, especially in the last...
Fox Sportsnet took a big step in the right direction this month! Fox Sports Bay Area announced that it will carry 30 out of market NHL games this season. It will pick up feeds from Comcast Sportsnet Chicago, Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic, and Comcast Sportsnet Philadelphia. That means we will be able to watch Blackhawks, Capitols, and Flyers games on FSN Bay Area. Comcast...
IslesNation writes...
Islander talk show tonight LIVE! Discusing rumors and more..
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The IslesNation Talk Show will air as always this Tuesday at 7:30PM. Steve will be hosting the show with Tony, and our newest blogger Zach will make an appearance on the show as well to talk about his trip to Florida to watch the Islanders this weekend and more. Other topics to be discussed on the show include the game against Atlanta, the Anaheim trade situation, a previe...
Norrena is scheduled to start in net against the Avalanche tomorrow Wednesday December 12th 2007. Norrena hasn't started a game in 11 straight days. Pascal Leclaire is taking a breather while letting Fredrik Norrena takes another crack and starting in net since facing the Flames and winning the game. Let's see if Norrena can pick up where he left off as he allows Lecl...
Well I finally decided to do it. Yep, I have decided to start my own blog about the Sharks. Hey, ya can never have too many people writing about the Sharks. The more the merrier I think. Well, unlike other Shark bloggers here, I live in Buffalo, so most of the games are on late for me. This is not a problem as I have been used to staying up late all my life to watch the Sh...
I know this is late boys and girls but better late then never. I had my own hockey tonight which delayed me posting this....
Vids
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBRgrmKOCYg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYRG0EOu8R8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHBNl5-ngWs
Pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603431244452/
Typical pregame skate. Lig...
I forgot to mention last night that the Leafs put Bates Battaglia on waivers.....Anybody care?????
More at http://pensburgh.blogspot.com
I'd be more accurate doing a fight recap than a game recap.
The Flyers destroyed the Penguins tonight by the score of 8-2. Both Joffrey Lupul and R.J Umberger were in competition with one another to see who could get the most points. Each got a hat trick on the night for the first time since 1985 that the Flyers have had two ha...
As I watched the game tonight, I finally got to see the real Kipper, and Vokoun was just as good. The two shared the spotlight with save after save. Kipper made 34 saves out of 35 shots. Meanwhile, Vokoun made 32 saves out of 33 for the Panthers in net.
The best period for the Panthers was the second period they pretty much took it to the Flames. They fired 13 shot...
It has been clear that the Flyers are simply hated around the league, but last nights game completely sealed the deal for me. The VS announcers of the game were 100% biased to the Penguins. The hit Eager has on big bad George was 100% legal, he came in with his arms but Laraque had his one arm up and Eager actually came up underneath Laraques arm and drove his own arm into...
Six years of losing and embarrassment can do a number on the confidence of young players, let alone the fans.
Having never been charged with being consistent or organized, the Columbus Blue Jackets fired head coach Gerard Gallant on November 13, 2006. The old cliche "it's easier to fire one coach than the whole team" didn't even need applied- the fans knew what was wron...
[i](I was out sick yesterday so I apologize for no post on the Wings game from Monday night but here are some thoughts on that)[/i]
[b]
If there is such thing as a moral victory[/b] the game against the Wings on Monday was one such game. This was a frustrating game to watch as a Preds fan as chance after chance was stoned by a red hot Chris Osgood. Osgood is in the midst...
The Isles return to Buffalo tonight, back to where this season started. Where two teams passed one another from last season's playoffs. Sure, there are only 3 points between the two teams thus far, and the Isles have been Jekyll and Mr. Hyde oft-times. But Buffalo's struggle in lieu of what a strong team they were last year is sobering for all.
Buffalo's step back can ...
Last night the Sharks played in what I think was their best all around game last night against the Wild. Just about everyone on offense was involved with the scoring. The defense played strong, although I did not enjoy the idea Nabokov had to make 37 saves, 17 in the 3rd. The team played well, but they did however, start to fall into that lull in the 3rd period when they a...
...the 8-2 blowout last year by the Penguins where Sidney Crosby had his hat trick.
or the 8-4 beating we took where Crosby had 1 goal and 5 assists.
so we can clamor over stevens sending out the #1 PP at the end of the game, but the penguins deserved what they got as soon they started messing with our goaltender. what stevens did was in retaliation to that.
th...
Hey pens fans,
Tuesday night, the Pens took on the Flyers in Philly. The Pens went down 2-0 early in the first period. The Pens answered back with two Power Play goals by Whitney and Sykora to end the period. The Flyers scored 3 goals in each of the final two periods to make the final score 8-2 Philly. Sabourin started in goal and stopped 20 of 25 shots before being r...
When the Flyer's have received suspensions this year I have not gotten to upset becuase 2 of the 5 have been deserved. Then last night I realized that hockey is a tough sport and the the commissioner and Collin Campbell need to calm down on the suspensions. Las night Sidney Crosby tripped Biron, and he tripped him from behind and Biron was not ready for it. Biron could hav...
[quote]“ There's no way to defend all the fighting and foolishness to a non-hockey fan. The NHL has worked hard to steer the game away from the professional wrestling atmosphere and emphasize the skill and the speed that really make the sport fun to watch.
But a night like this has a certain, hard-to-justify appeal to those of us who grew up watching Bobby Clarke and ...
This is looking a lot like deja vu. If you look at the beginning of last season - Gerber let in soft goals and the team struggled and were losing a lot of games. Emery then stepped in and gave his team a chance to win and took over the #1 job after Gerber was given miles of leash. Fast forward to this season - After a sizzling hot start by an unpressured Gerber, w...
I feel as if the Rangers are gonna take the charity money that's up for grabs (for the HUMMER Metro Ice Challenge taking place between the Devils, Rangers and Islanders) due to their recent play. Currently they're trailing the Islanders by just two points but I think with the upcoming games scheduled, that'll completely change. Additionally, they beat the Devils 1-0 in Ove...
Although it is not unusual for the winning Red Wings to make the front page of the local papers, they were presented by [i]Detroit Free Press[/i] writer, Tom Walsh on 12/11/07 in a less than winning light ([i]Filling Empty Seats in Hockeytown: Red Wings Bring in Exec to Combat Sagging Attendance[/i]). This article can be found online at http://www.freep.com
It appears t...
Jsaquella writes...
Flyers Destroy Pens, Causing Michel Therrien to Weep
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It's great when your team hands out an old fashioned ass-whompin'. It's better when they do it to a division rival. It's even better when that rival is loaded with hypocritical, whining clowns.
The Flyers utterly destroyed the Pittsburgh Penguins last night in South Philadelphia. The line of Mike Richards, Joffrey Lupul and RJ Umberger combined for ten even strength po...
It's no secret that winning is the gold standard by which hockey teams are judged. Winning ensures jobs and bigger contracts for players, coaches, and management; winning builds the fan support and, in turn, the ticket revenue that drive the business of sports. Teams that don't play to win are running on borrowed time.
This fundamental concept makes Michel Therrien's ...
Alright, we all know that Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has the potential to be an all-star. We also know that he is not having the best year. Now comes word that he will be on the sidelines approximately 6-8 weeks with an ankle sprain.
So, the question that will be asked again is this: Is it time to try to trade one of our goalies to Pittsburgh? And if so, for whom...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers score 8 vs Pens, Laraque-What will Campbell do? WWCD
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]Holy Schnieky![/b]
[img]http://cdn.nhl.com/images/logos/75/phi.gif[/img][img]http://cdn.nhl.com/images/logos/75/pit.gif[/img]
[b]Wow[/b]...words can hardly begin to describe what happened at the Bank Building.
Coming into last night's tilt, the Flyers were a dreadfully inconsistent team searching for some home-ice answers; while the Penguins were the team on a ...
It's too bad the United Center was only at 60% capacity Wednesday evening, because the Chicago Blackhawks finally snapped a four game losing streak when they beat the L.A. Kings 6-3 on home ice.
Many Blackhawks fans believed this game was a "must win" simply because of the competition not only in the Central Division, but the Western Conference as a whole. Fall behind t...
[b]What used to be known as 'The Joe Sakic' show[/b] comes to town tonight as the Colorado Avalanche come to the Sommet Center to finish off the Preds four game home stand. Sakic is nursing a groin injury and will be out of action here in Nashville but that doesn't mean that this team is without firepower. Paul Stasney is picking right up where his 78 point rookie camp...
After 29 games this season, the New York Islanders are just a game above .500, the sheer definition of mediocrity.
What's that sound you hear coming from Uniondale, you ask? That collective groan that echoes throughout Islander Nation?
It's the big, fat, "[i]Uggggggghhhhhh[/i]!" of being a fan of a perpetually mediocre hockey team. It's what we've come to expect fro...
The Vancouver Canucks roll into town tonight fresh off a 3-2 win in Anaheim last night. San Jose will look to make the Canucks visit to the tank an unpleasant one. Vancouver like the Sharks, has been bitten by the injury bug. Roberto Luongo, Brendan Morrison, and Brad Isbister will be out of the line up for the Canucks tonight.
Vancouver rookies Jason Jaffray and Mason...
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...
Tonight the always tough Canucks come into town, and I expect tonight will be a great game. The Sharks played well Tuesday, and I want the team to start some consistency in their game. I have a good feeling that a few players who have been struggling of late will find their game tonight. Steve Bernier had two goals, and Joe Pavelski added another Tuesday night. Maybe Rissm...
For most teams, the style of play where you get over the center red line and throw the puck deep into your opponent's zone is called "dump and chase" and it can be an effective game strategy against certain teams and at certain times of a game. For the Anaheim Ducks, that strategy is known as "dump and go crush your opponent into the end boards" and it is becoming the 1st...
One of the main reasons why the schedule changed is so people around the league could see the Alex and Sid shows at least once a year.
Okay, yes, I know. A lot of non-hockey fans might come to the game to see them play, but let me just go off on a hockey fan rant here for a second about why I never want to see the best players on the other team.
[b]Because, not only ...
DucksFan07 writes...
Time for Some Ducks to Score and Top #1 Lines in the NHL
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Marchant, Pahlsson, Rob Neidermayer, Moen, Miller, Bertuzzi, and MacDonald - It is time for you to stand up and be counted. You comprise the 2nd and 3rd lines of the Ducks and your lack of scoring is killing this team. We are 33 games into the season and you have very little to show for it. Do you expect your first liners to win every game for you? Some of you guys pla...
Those nine words from Mike Richards caused his agent, Pat Morris, to take a phone call from Flyers GM Paul Holmgren and throw the bruising former winger for a loop.
Morris asked Holmgren for a fifteen year deal that would allow Richards to retire as a Flyer.
Fans who have watched Richards over his three year career can't help but compare the 5'11 185 lb pivot to Flye...
I thought Charles Wang was crazy? I thought this would never happen again? I thought this was "bad" for the sport?
Apologies, anyone?
I'll wait ...
[email protected]
As the hockey season is well on its way, I cannot help but feel as though something is missing. While I do not doubt the intensity and passion that the players possess, I am still finding a void between the way the game is played now and the way it was before the new rules. The so called evolution of the game has made it a super pest’s paradise, a one way street where a ...
Hey pens fans,
Last night, the Pens fell to the Sens 4-1. This game was basically decided by one main factor and his name is Gerber. He was brilliant in net for the Sens and kept the Pens from evening the score. The Pens did not play their best game, but the score does not reflect the effort they put out. Crosby was obviously frustrated with the lack of scoring, but t...
It was a complete team effort last night. Ten different Sharks players had points,and Nabokov was solid once again. The two goals by Vancouver could have been prevented by simply clearing the puck out of the zone, but hey no complaints, overall the team was good again. Patrick Marleau and Milan Michalek scored mirrored goals of each other, showing the speed and drive we ha...
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...
Marleau trade rumors abound, but what about Cheechoo. Granted he is on IR right now, but he has been more useless than Marleau and is getting paid a lot of dough. Both of these guys seem out of it. If the Sharks were smart, they would deal Cheechoo before the league realizes that he scored all those goals thanks to the best player in the league, Joe Thornton. I'm afrai...
The Sharks played very well in their game last night against the Canucks. I thought the team got a good solid effort from everyone last night and carried over some consistency from Tuesday. I would like to see it carry over into Saturday afternoon against the Stars. It will be nice to have something to watch on a Saturday afternoon when tv shows are all reruns and there ar...
Remember all the talk of the new NHL coming out of the lockout a little more than two years ago? The new rules and enforcements of existing rules were supposed to change the game for the better, creating more offense and eliminating strict defensive systems.
For a year, they accomplished their goal.
Does that ever seem like a long time ago now.
In the third season...
sens rock writes...
Bill Daly : The NHL does not have a substance abuse issue
Posted Friday | Comments 0
For awhile, I believed this view that the NHL was a clean sport, and almost everyone played in good faith. But with the recent Mitchell report, and the realization that almost every substance abuse testing program that isn't from the IOC or WADA is pretty much a farce, I'm beginning to change my view.
To make a statement like Daly did, on behalf of an organization that...
pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603461988331/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603452728932/
A BIG THANK YOU! to all the wonderful folks I have talked to and hung out with all week. I have had a great time and I hope you have too. Enjoy the pics
Theresa awesome hanging out last night post game and today I hope you like al...
I was shocked that the Blues traded Dougie Weight and It is truly sad to see him go. He has been a fan favorite in St. Louis and we were happy to have him back after he won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes. But now this trade marks the end of Weight as a Blue I believe, and I think it is better for him to go to Anaheim and maybe get back on track offensively under a new...
After the release of The Mitchell Report I some interesting words of wisdom from a great NHL vetern and soon to be Hall of Famer:
Chris Chelios, the fitness freak he is, believes his league is as clean as white as snow.
“For some reason, hockey’s never been involved, and I don’t think it ever will be,” the Detroit Red Wings defenseman said Thursday, just befo...
While yes the Kings clearly have goaltending issues that need solving that may not be the big issue. The big issue takes place in front of LaBarbera, Aubin, or one of those rookies who just got called up from Manchester. They onloy have three guys who can score!!!! Kopitar, Cammy, and Brown can put pucks in the net and then no one else comes close except O'Sullivan who c...
Well it is cold here in Buffalo, but things will be heating up this afternoon in San Jose as the Sharks host the Stars in an afternoon game. The Sharks played their best team effort Thursday night against Vancouver, and I expect the Sharks will come out with the same effort and intensity they had Thursday. It should be a good hard fought battle over 2 points between the Pa...
A little blogging piece about yours truly for your Saturday afternoon.
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/iamblogger.jpg[/img]
My mother always told me that there would be days like these. Then again, she also told me to wear clean underwear, clean my room, finish my vegetables, remove the cat from the oven, and PLEASE don't run around the house with a live hand gre...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603463328320/
It was kinda sad for me today. This is the last day I went to practice this week.
plus being a game day the skate is optional and only about half of the team skates.
It was pretty light even for a game day skate.
Todays feature player of the day Marty Biron cause he put on a really nice show for ...
The Sharks look like they are in good mood today. A good bad mood that is. San Jose is just on an absolute terror to hit every Dallas player that even comes near the puck, and do not even think about taking a run at one of their star players, you will pay. Craig Rivet stood up for his team and just pummeled Ott in the first, earlier I wrote he got tossed, I miss understood...
The Sharks played well today, made some bad mistakes in the 2nd and that cost them the game. Personally, 2 of Dallas's goals should not have counted. The officiating leaguewide thus far has been subpar and again so today. I was not aware you can push a goalie with you leg to move him out of position while he is down on the ice. I thought that was considered goalie interfer...
I do not take responsiblity for this suggestion, it was my father who proposed this to me. However, he believes that the NHL would be best with the 16 teams that are making the most money and are the most economically sound. There should be no salary cap, and no need because only financially solid teams would be in the league, and in this way the talent pool is not diluted...
You know, the (1-goal) win over Phoenix did [i][b]NOTHING [/b][/i]for me, in terms of being impressed with this team right now. Tonight's debacle took things a step further ...
A few points from tonight's horrendous effort:
1) Chris Simon [i][b]has [/b][/i]to go.
That was as bush league a move as I've seen in a long, long time. I gave him the benefit of the doubt ...
The Jackets traveled to Beantown last night to face the Bruins in what might be a very silent ride back to Columbus for the Jackets. To get shutout in any sport at
any level is always discouraging to say the least. Many of the Jackets weren't as
down as many teams would be, instead they were thinking positive as this was a
learning experience from a great defense th...
[url]http://youtube.com/watch?v=3hKeVb_G-PI[/url]
[url]http://youtube.com/watch?v=IzUPO3fadkc[/url]
I had missed this play, having had to head down to section 201 to join my fellow Blog Boxers. I had watched the game from seats in section 302, slapped inbetween the second-coming of Rosanne Barr, complete with Lee Press-On nails, and an updated version of Thelma and Lou...
Recently there has been much talk surrounding these two young, very talented players and probably for good reason. Liles is coming off of a superb year in which he was scoring with the "big boys" of the defensive world but is off to a rather slow start this season, while Svatty obviously had a disappointing year in comparison to his rookie campaign, but has started to pick...
[b]NASHVILLE -- ARE THEY GOOD ENOUGH?[/b]
The next team on my NHL tour is the Nashville Predators, a team that started out slow and has recently picked up. Why have they picked it up? Well I like their speed. They have a terrific coach, and a terrific young defense. The preds also have some very talented vets, and you get a very good mix of vets with young players.
...
Hawks Craze writes...
Overall look at the Blackhawks, after 3-1 loss to Florida
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It was an exciting weekend for fans throughout the NHL, but Chicago die-hards are feeling mixed emotions. Not only have we dropped 6 out of 7 games in December, our record doesn't appear to be improving. That is of course unless immediate changes are put into place by Head Coach Denis Savard.
Of course, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have stolen the spotlight in their ...
'Tis the season to go shopping Fa la la la la la la la la la.....
Go and get me something funny Fa la la la la la la la la
Buy me now a Flyers jersey Fa la la la la la la la la....
Drink some beer and get real merry Fa la la la la la la la!!!
-Steve Downie is out of control and needs to be stopped!!! He had another incident, this one with the AHL's Philadelphia Pha...
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 ...
The San Jose Sharks blemished Scott Neidermayer's return to the Ducks line-up Sunday evening, winning 2-1 in a shootout. Neids however looked like he has not missed a step. His presence was felt on both the defensive and offensive sides of the puck. The teams played a tight and tough game and for the third time in three games against each other this season, the teams went ...
When the Sharks have played this season, some games they seem like they are a cup contender, while other games they seem to lack everything that is needed. Case in point, this weekend. The Sharks drop a 4-2 loss at home, but then come back the next day and beat Anaheim 2-1 in a shootout on the road in the return of Scott Neidermeyer.
This team is so frustrating to watch...
It's clear that the Rangers are having problems with their defense. After four or more goals in the past four games, King looks tired ( wrist & flu). Most goalies in the NHL strive to be the #1 keeper,while others are content to be the # 2. Those that are happy playing the backup role need to be real artists. They need to stay sharp,play locker room good guy,and step ...
This just in, thanks to an Islanders official statement and Newsday.com:
Isles owner Charles Wang:
"[i]The actions of Chris Simon on Saturday do not reflect what the New York Islanders stand for. They were reckless, potentially dangerous and against out team concept of grit, character, and heart. The Islanders are going to provide some time for Chris away from the te...
It's clear that the Rangers are having problems with their defense. After four or more goals in the past four games, King looks tired ( wrist & flu). Most goalies in the NHL strive to be the #1 keeper,while others are content to be the # 2. Those that are happy playing the backup role need to be real artists. They need to stay sharp,play locker room good guy,and step ...
. . . then here are some stats you may wish to contemplate.
- In 2006-2007, R.J. Umberger at minus-32 had the lowest plus/minus rating in the league. This year he and Randy Jones are tied for first in that area with plus-9.
- Second worst plus/minus rating in the NHL last year: then-Edmonton Oiler Joffrey Lupul (minus-29) What a difference a year makes!
- People...
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...
2008/2009 (based on www.nhlnumbers.com)
1) Briere- 6.500
2) Richards- 5.750
3) Gagne- 5.250
4) Hartnell- 4.088
[b]5) Knuble- 2.80[/b]
6) Lupul- 2.312
[b]7) Kapanen- 1.250[/b]
8) Upshall- 1.225
9) Tolpecko- .400
1) Timonen- 6.333
[b]2) Hatcher- 3.500[/b]
3) Coburn- 1.300
4) Kukkonen- .875
1) Biron- 3.50
2) Nitty- 1.225
Total- 46.305
The current RF...
Now living in L.A. and reading the spordaic L.A. Times Column on the Kings has taught me one thing I already knew, everyone wants Jason back. I pose you this question, why? Yes he was robbed of AHL MVP last year and yes he is the best goalie we have short of forcing a strike in the juniors ending their season early and getting Bernier back. But without we fell to the l...
[b]By Ryan MacLeod [/b]
Most leaf fans can put together a pretty long list of accomplishments stemming from Swedish centre Mats Sundin, but there is a new Swede invading the team’s ranks that I guarantee many know nothing about. That’s none other than prospect defenseman Anton Stralman. The team called him up from the AHL to help fill-in while McCabe is shelved, so ...
[b]HOCKEY FIGHTING NECESSARY?[/b]
Today blog is a blog poll on do you feel that allowing fighting adds to the violence in the NHL? I asked few of my friends, a hockey fan, and a hockey blogger on the hockeybuzz site. I also interview an exlinesman.
[b]Scott Gallof:[/b]
My answer to this is no, in fact I think that, if anything, fights can actually lower the degre...
Now I complain about seeing the same division rivals over and over all the time, but I can careless how many times we have to play the Ducks. These are always great games whether San Jose comes out on top or not. Now don't get me wrong the Sharks have been blown out by the Ducks many a times, but it has also gone the other way as well. What I love so much about these games...
IslesNation writes...
Special Guest, Steve Mears to talk Isles News, Rumors, etc..
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
We're excited to announce that Steve Mears, voice of the Islanders on Bloomberg 1130 Radio, will be our special guest this week on the 10th episode of the IslesNation.com Talk Show, set to air TONIGHT, Tuesday, December 18th at 7:30 PM. As always, Tony and Steve (Herrmann) will be hosting the show to talk about all the latest Isles news, including the week's games, the off...
Chris Simon and Jarko Rutu are very common names to those who follow hockey, both are well known for being "tough guys", and who have crossed the line on numerous occasions. Chris Simon has been suspended a total of seven times (assuming he gets suspended for this latest incident) in his 15-year career.
1) 1997 - Chris Simon, while a member of the Washington Capitals w...
My friends can testify to the fact that, prior to the 2007 Free Agency period, I was almost SCREAMING for Colorado to get two guys: Ryan Smyth & Scott Hannan. Why you might ask?
Ryan Smyth is an obvious choice, if for no other reason than his leadership ability - something our team sorely needs due to all the new guys coming in (Svatos, Hensick, Wolski, etc). He also p...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603494308688/
OK My report needed time for reflection. I have lately found it hard to be in the Christmas spirit and I decided it ties back to watching my favorite team not play well. They have these flashes of absolute brilliance. Then it looks like something from a horror movie.
Taking periods off is not an optio...
The following link is to the article on ESPN regarding this issue
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3160690
This is my take on it.....This is going to get nasty and its a distraction neither can afford. Crawford is currently the head coach of the [b]Los Angeles Kings[/b]. The Kings have the worst record in the NHL at [b]12-20-2[/b] and this issue im sure ...
[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 ...
For the past few days there has been a lot of speculation of what will happen to Chris Simon after his stomping on Jarkko Ruutu in a game against the Penguins last Saturday. The vast majority of feelings out there have been that of a suspension for the rest of the year and possibly a lifetime ban.
Personally I would have lobbied for the lifetime ban, but I would have se...
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...
It is Duck season and this mornings shoot at the Los Banos Wildlife Refuge was probably better than the Sharks effort last night. They just did not have it. The forwards looked confused trying to get the puck into the offensive zone, and when they did nothing came of it. Anaheim went out and just took over the 3rd period. The Ducks skated hard, hit everything that moved, a...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers 101-Season of Giving, The Grinch and Harry S. Truman
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/lights.gif?t=1198113250[/img]
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_santa_waving_cool.gif[/img]
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/lights.gif?t=1198113250[/img]
[u][b]The Season of Giving[/b][/u]
Yes, yule log is on the fire (whatever a yule log is), the numerous fruit cakes fro...
Sidney Crosby flew down the wing with Ryan Whitney on a 2 on 1. As he neared the goalie, Crosby flung the puck past the defenseman and right to the stick of Whitney. A split second later, whitney returned the puck to Crosby at the right post. Wide open net. Goal, right?
Gary Roberts along the right boards. To Erik Christensen had at the right faceoff dot. He spun aroun...
Things are looking up right now in Duckland. The team won last night in San Jose, Ryan Getzlaf is emerging as a leader, Corey Perry surpassed his career high in goals, Bobby Ryan scored again, Scott Niedermayer has returned from his semi-retirement and there are even rumors that Teemu Selanne is skating again in preparation for his return to the Ducks.
While most Duc...
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...
So I had just won the stanley cup with my Capitals team (god I love those jerseys), and I had signed all the free agents I needed. I realized that my farm team was pretty dry with good prospects, so I went into free agency one last time to look for some good ones that had slipped through the cracks. JACKPOT.
What I discovered were a few undrafted players hailing from Ca...
The Penguins are in trouble this season, but it’s in no way the kind of trouble that would warrant any significant overhauls to the team. The one major change that should be carefully considered is the man behind the bench. Therrien is not getting the best out of his team, period. There is no line combination that he hasn’t tried that is going to be the magic f...
Hey pens fans,
Well, last night the Pens fell to the Rangers 4-0. It was not pretty, so I will not dwell on that.
The Pens have made some moves. Connor James was re-assigned to WBS and the Pens called up Jeff Taffe.
On the injury front, Ryan Malone went in for a medical evaluation on a leg infection.
Also, the holiday trade freeze will go into effect at midnight to...
Somewhere, amid my day, I forgot to upkeep my petulant and crabby laptop. It's been screaming for a drive cleaning. So live blogging is out tonight as my laptop stutters like a 1970's Volkswagen.
Instead, we can chat about all the craziness that has gone on. Between the 30 games earned by Chris Simon to now word...confirmed by the Isles...that their blue chipper, Kyle ...
The Islanders continue to prove that, no matter how hard you may be working and no matter how many of the "little things" you're doing right, if you don't score goals, you just won't win.
I'm as frustrated as anyone when it comes to this team right now, mostly because of the inept offense. When you watch a hockey game, particularly one in which [i][b]your [/b][/i]team i...
bcallaway writes...
Teemu Selanne to St. Louis? Could it happen?????????
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It's not out of realm of possibility. Andy Strickland was on a local radio station last night and basically summed it up this way:
Everyone knows already that Teemu is working out every day. He talks to Paul Karyia every day and if there is anyone that could sell Teemu on the idea of coming to the Blues it's his best friend.
Not to mention the chemistry that Selanne...
[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...
[b]A CHILD WISH LIST[/b]
The day is coming. No matter how much we as fathers do not want it to, I guarantee it is coming. You have heard there are only two sure things in life: death and taxes. Well, I would like to add one more to that list, and that is: the Christmas wish list. Yes, the Christmas wish list; the most dreaded list of all fathers. Come on, guys, yo...
Things are looking up right now in Duckland. The team has won the last two games while earning 5 out of 6 points over the last three. Ryan Getzlaf is emerging as a leader, Corey Perry is becoming the sniper, Scott Niedermayer has returned from his semi-retirement and there are even rumors that Teemu Selanne is skating again in preparation for his return to the Ducks.
W...
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...
Ok here's the deal. The Maple Leafs always seem to face Backup goalies, it's getting ridiculous. 17 out of 35 games including tonights' game the leafs have faced a back-up goalie. You could say that it's 20 games but I left Carey Price's Starts out. so the breakdown is this:
14 wins in total
6 wins out of 17 games VS back-ups
17 games VS Backups
18 games VS Star...
This is the time of year when you see all those warm and fuzzy homecomings. People returning to their roots and where they used to call home. But the most intriguing homecoming may come in Buffalo on Friday night.
Daniel Briere and Martin Biron still consider themselves Buffalonians. They maintain a strong presence in the community with their charity work off the ice. B...
The Calgary Flames have just finished their most productive road trip in team history. Much has been said about the play of Jarome Iginla who is cementing himself as a top 5 player in the world, (in my opinion, the best and most valuable/marketable player in the NHL due to his play ON the ice and his commitment to the team and community OFF the ice)... and also Huselius a...
Even those who don't follow baseball know who the [b]New York Yankees[/b] are. And these fans and potential fans know what the [b]Yankees[/b] are about - [b][i]winning[/i][/b]. We recall that earlier in the past season the [b]Yankees[/b] were faltering. Some pundits were predicting that, for the first time since time immemorial, the Yanks would not make it to the post seas...
This past weekend, I was enjoying a snow filled, hockey inspired trip to the city that breathes... Montreal. Myself and three of my friends, one being a Habs fan, were all attending our first game live. What better place then the Bell Centre for a classic match with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens? The game is just oozing with intensity and pre-game gitters....
DucksFan07 writes...
Need Tickets to Leafs-Lightening Game on Jan 1 in Toronto
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I am making a trip to Ottawa for the annual Bell Cup youth hockey tournament for my son during the holiday and then we are off to the HHOF in Toronto. While we are there, I would love to take my 10 yr old to ACC to watch the Leafs play the Lightening on Jan 1. What a great experience it would be for the both of us. As you in Toronto know, finding a ticket to a Leafs gam...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
No-Touch Icing - An Idea Whose Time is Long Past
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The offensive team is cycling the puck deep in the zone, the defenders are forced to react and hope for a miscue...the puck squirts free and the defender banks the puck off the side wall. From the minute the puck caroms off the boards, it looks questionable whether or not it will make it to the end line.
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_Delayed_...
Well Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! I apologize for being unable to listen or get onto Sharksbuzz last night. I do not think I was able to keep my eyes open past 10:30 last night. I am a swimmer at Canisius College, and we have been going crazy with our winter practices this week. We practice 5 hours a day, so I have been pretty beat, but now I am heading ...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens defeated the Bruins 5-4 in a shootout. The Pens blew a big league to force the ot and shoot out, where Christensen and Letang scored for the win. Malkin had 2 goals. Laraque took on Chara twice in the game. Sidney Crosby had the Gordie Howe Hat Trick. This was also his first NHL fight vs Andrew Ference. The Pens are back in the Burgh...
[b]Well with the trade freeze in effect until the 27th obviously nothing will happen physically-though I'm sure there is a lot of banter between GM's right now.
Colorado's identity has changed a lot in recent years - powerhouse that could beat you anyway they wanted to coping with the loss of star players to an almost-rebuilding team with a lot of young talent. Since th...
Well I thought being shutout at home by Anaheim stung. Losing 3-2 to Phoenix in a shootout stings alot worse. The Sharks played a great game, but lost on a few lucky shots and because their power play failed to put Phoenix away. When Doan scored, all I could say was, this better not happen. The Sharks deserved to win that game. They played their best hockey of the year. Th...
Much debate has taken place as to where Sid the kid is going end up when compared to the all time greats. Most I talk to believe he is going to finish top 5 and has the potential to finish as the greatest player of all time....until the next one comes along. So what measures can you use to compare players across generations? Many say that todays players would dominate any ...
Much debate has taken place as to where Sid the kid is going end up when compared to the all time greats. Most I talk to believe he is going to finish top 5 and has the potential to finish as the greatest player of all time....until the next one comes along. So what measures can you use to compare players across generations? Many say that todays players would dominate any ...
This year's crop of rookies in the National Hockey League is impressive. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Sam Gagner, Bryan Little and Tyler Kennedy have made significant contributions to not only their respective teams, but also the fanbases.
Often overlooked (due to the market) is Blue Jackets defenseman Kris Russell. With the Medicine Hat Tigers, he was considered one o...
Later today, I'll be taping a guest spot on The Hockey Ticket with Noah Borer on mvn.com. Noah had Steven Hindle, hockeybuzz's Capitals blogger, on a recent episode and his show is really beginning to take off.
We'll be discussing all things Islanders, as well as my thoughts on the Tampa Bay Lightning (as hockeybuzz's official Lightning blogger.) I hope to avoid spendin...
I've been a hockey fan all my life. Regardless of who is playing I always enjoy a good hockey game (raise your hand if you watch the IHL All Star Game) but with the recent Chris Simon incident (see video above) I have begun to question if the game has always been like this?
As a fan of the game I know that coaches put out enforcers at certain times knowing that they a...
Hey all!
I just completed a guest spot with Noah Borer for The Hockey Ticket on mvn.com.
We talked Lightning and Islanders hockey, as well as some general NHL issues during what turned out to be - in my humble opinion, of course - an outstanding conversation!
Some of the things we covered:
Chris Simon
Colin Campbell's slip-up
The Isles goal scoring woes
Kyle...
The panthers walked down the hall to their dressing room after an admirable 4-5 win against the Carolina Hurricanes, Thursday December 20th. The Cats who came out in the 1st period slumping, pulled it together during the intermission and hunkered down for the rest of the game. It was a back and forth game the whole 3rd period, The Cat's would tally one, and then the next p...
The Florida Panthers will face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs which is shaping up to look like a good game, tomorrow night at the Bank Atlantic Center. After coming off a big 5-4 win against the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida will be looking to add another win to its arsenal tomorrow night. As for the leafs, I think the challenge might be greater than the past games, t...
BuffaloMat writes...
Fredrick Modin making bad decisions/Vyborny Returns
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Modin has had injury problems, that's a given and out in plain sight. He has also said there has been "progress", which you can take with a grain of salt because we've heard it before enough to say we will believe it when we see it. There's one thing though that Modin has been neglecting, and it's a very discouraging thought after hearing about it. Modin has been stayi...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603516543022/
Video of the fights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCSVRQlTn5Q
I admit as long as the Phantoms have been in Philadelphia I only went to my First Phantoms game last year. I do like going. Their games are good often hard hitting affairs.
I had seats where I have never been before on the glass between...
Does anyone else believe that Kris Letang will end up being the better Pens D prospect? I do.
Don't get me wrong, I believe they are both very good, and as Pens fans we are very fortunate, but I think Letang has more upside... and may even be better right now.
Here are some points that I believe support my case:
1. Letang is just as mobile, and can start the rus...
I feel that this is a topic that has not been getting as much attention as it should. One of the best players in the NHL, he will be going into unrestricted free agency after this season. A blog from Sportsnet suggested that he goes to Montreal, but lets be serious, it won't happen.
Another popular one is that he will go to the leafs, but it certainly will not happen wi...
I will be honest. I am pretty dissapointed about the loss tonight. Not about the effort, but just simply about the loss. I expected the Sharks to come out tonight after that 2 hour meeting and really take it to Anaheim. Instead, when the Sharks pushed, Anaheim pushed back and the Sharks did not push harder. I am not going to try and get into this too much to keep my sanity...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603524484029/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDsRha3P_VU
Well I will say That in tonight's game I ran the full gamut of emotions. I was happy I was sad but in the end I was left with heartfelt disbelief and disappointment.
The Flyers were absolutely competitive tonight. I watched a ton of games last year where aft...
[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]2008/2009 [/b]
1) Briere (6.500) [i]through 14/15 UFA[/i]
2) Richards (5.750) [i]through 19/20 UFA[/i]
3) Gagne (5.250) [i]through 10/11 UFA[/i]
4) Hartnell (4.200) [i]through 12/13 UFA[/i]
5) Knuble (2.800) [i]through 08/09 UFA[/i]
6) Lupul (2.312) [i]through 08/09 RFA[/i]
7) Kapanen (1.250) [i]through 08...
Hitch is 0-8-2 against the Predators. If you want to go by the history of this horrid record, I think that Leclaire should be placed in net tonight considering his season thus far and being fresh. However they are placing Norrena in net again because he's only let in 4 goals in the past 200 minutes of play.
Modin will not return today and still has not got a s...
[b]WHAT MAKES THE BLUES TICK?[/b]
The next team on my 30 team tour is the St. Louis Blues. The Blues are a terrific team to watch, and they are well coached. I really feel that the Blues have one of the best coaches in the league in Andy Murray. Murray has system in place, and more important, the players have bought into it . The Blues have the talent, but what make...
[b]WHAT MAKES THE BLUES TICK?[/b]
The next team on my 30 team tour is the St. Louis Blues. The Blues are a terrific team to watch, and they are well coached. I really feel that the Blues have one of the best coaches in the league in Andy Murray. Murray has system in place, and more important, the players have bought into it . The Blues have the talent, but what make...
Hey guys,
The holidays are here and thats just grand. I wanted to wish everyone a holidays and very happy new year. The Isles, however were treated to a couple of early gifts in the week before the Christmas holiday break.
Sorry I have not wrote in a couple of days, as I have been putting in very long days at Steve and Barry's dealing with huge lines, which has led...
Martin Brodeur's shutout last night was his 95 All-time which moves him ahead George Hainsworth on the NHL All-Time Shutout Leader List. When I first looked at the top 10 Shutout list, I was surprised that I did not see Patrick Roy on that list since he is the All-Time Wins leader. This got me thinking of the All-Time list Goalies and what percentage of Wins were shutouts....
[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 ...
Here is wishing all Sharks fans and HockeyBuzzer's a very Merry X-mas and a Happy New Year !
Hope Santa brings everyone all the missing pieces they are looking for in the form of UFA signings, trades, fireings, or any other changes required to get your team over the hump !
SharksBuzz will be back Wednesday January 2nd 2008 !
Thank you to all who have made Sharks...
What will it take for the Flyers to win another game? While it seems like they are playing hard, they are making ton of mistakes. I guess you can't continue to win if you are getting out shot every week.
Am I wrong or have we gotten out hit two games in a row by the Sabres!
Hey Everyone,
This is just going to be a quick Christmas blog. I just wanted to take a second to wish all of my Hockeybuzz friends a healthy and happy Christmas. I hope you all get a chance to spend the day with your families and really enjoy the day and remember what it's all about. Take a moment to think about how lucky you are to have all of the gifts in your life th...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Merry Christmas to you all!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Flyers
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/xmas_tree_2-AGOL.gif?t=1198596924[/img]
Best wishes of peace, love and joy to you and yours on this Christmas day. May Santa bring you all the tip-ins, 5-holes and roof shots your heart desires!!!!!!!!!
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/happy_holidays2.gif?t=1198596976[/img]
Go Flyers!
SYF
...
Bater_91 writes...
Merry Christmas to all! My 2008 Atlanta Thrasher WishList
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Couldn't believe it a Thrasher Jersey for Christmas... what a wonderful gift! You see in Canada you can't find that much Thrashers stuff at local stores, NHL.com or Ebay.com are really the one way to get something like this. One of my Christmas wishes fullfilled, then I got to thinking there are so many wishes that I would love for my Thrashers in 2008, why not make a li...
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...
[img:left]http://cdn.nhl.com/islanders/images/upload/2007/12/balke_jason_n1.jpg[/img]
Every so often, at the mention Jason Blake, an Isles fan will spout off on how selfish he was with the puck. How he was a lockerroom cancer. How he was this. How he was that. What I will always recall of Blake, despite perhaps a mixed-bag of attributes, is that he was a 4th liner who m...
All is well and looking up in Blackhawk Nation. Or is it?
Certainly, the ascension of Rocky Wirtz, the hiring of John McDonough and the better than expected performances of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Dustin Byfuglien and Patrick Sharp have given new life to this long-dormant (some would say 'decaying') franchise. And it's relatively safe to predict the next 15 years...
This is going to be simple, just a list of thoughts I had over the weekend and this morning. I am going to slide today because I would rather be in bed still, but too bad, duty calls. So here it goes.........
*Santa has left the building, Sharks fans are beginning to do the same!
*The Atlanta Thrashers would love to have Patrick Marleau centering their first line. We...
SmokingChicken writes...
Been a long time since I rock n' rolled/Approaching the Bend
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It's been quite a while since I had a chance to actually sit here and type something up that was really long enough to post as a blog. Plus, with all the holiday shopping, education, and a few lady friends along the way ;) I've definitely had my hands full.
But now, with the holidays over and a couple of sound thrashings at the hands of the very talented Chicago Blackha...
The Kings are flat. I know few of you knew this. While Alexander the Great maybe on the market giving up our best goalie is not an option. There are two players in history I know of who could make the playoffs without a goalie The Great One, and Sid the Kid. Crosby left in five games and Gretzky won the cup with one of the best teams of all time. A.O. can't do it, he ...
[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 ...
BuffaloMat writes...
Leclaire says "No No" to the Thrashers 2-0 Jackets
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Nash sat out with a sore throat closing his air passage making it hard to breath. Nash missing the game didn't seem to make the Jackets lose a beat at all. They have been one of the most unluckiest bunch in the league this year with an ever growing injury bug creeping back and forth between the ranks of the Jackets locker room. Nash is also to miss the predators game ...
Consistency, hard work, more scoring, forechecking and pressure deep in the opponents zone. And please, please, please, play for a full 60 minutes! Alot to ask for? Well, I don't think so, but I have high expectations!
I want a playoff push that starts now by putting a string of wins together, and coming out of "The Gate" with some passion and purpose. The Panthers ...
Bater_91 writes...
Thrashers lose 5-3, Should All-Star Fan Voting be Ended?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Atlanta just finished playing there 2nd stinker of a game in a row, other than Kari Lehtonen and the immortal Ilya Kovalchuk the whole team is just bad right now, I don't know if Hossa is hurt or Ek has hurt his feeling as he hasn't had a trade rumour about Hoss in a while. Either way Hossa is not playing like the Hossa I know and used to love. As I live in Canada I don'...
saneopinion writes...
if a tree with a flames logo falls in the forest...
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Does Mcgeough try to screw it??
Someone at sometime has to stand up, against the ridicule suffered by opponents and say, "Mick "blind Mcgoo" Mcgeough has to be let go. Too many times has this very patial referee made a games outcome in favour of a team not from from Alberta.
You know when the game starts and some one who you never met before says, "Uh-oh "Mcgoo" is...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603566437633/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ4H2IcbDwc
The Flyers came through with my Christmas presents. I got a win and Scott Hartnell's autograph.
Thanks to Theresa and Brooke as always great hanging out with you guys.
I thought the Flyers came out really strong. It seemed like Stevens was trying to mat...
Finally after 11 consectuive games dating back to November 2003 the Panthers get a win in Atlanta beating the Thrashers 5-3. Once again a solid performance by Tomas Vokoun leading the way with key saves when they were needed. It was also nice however to see Nathan Horton get on the scoreboard with 2 goals. Hopefully this will spark him going forward and get him out of t...
It's that time of year again. The WJC is taking place in the Czech Republic and every NHL team wants to know how their prospects are performing in this pressure packed tournament. For the few draft hopefuls that play in the tournament that is typically dominated by 19 year olds, all eyes are on them, and if they play well enough, a high draft choice is in the cards. As ...
CaptShark writes...
Sharks @ Blues; Keys to the Game, Setoguchi back to Woostah
Posted Friday | Comments 0
*UPDATE
Rookie winger Devin Setoguchi sent back to Worcester of the AHL. The Sharks want him to keep playing but he has not been good lately and was a healthy scratch in the last game.
It has been hard getting back into the swing of things, but I have managed. Tonight the Sharks face off against the Blues in St. Louis. Things have been nothing but good for the Sharks o...
Last night's 4-3 victory was the twelfth time in a row that the Predators have won over the Columbus Bluejackets. Honestly i can't believe it. Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every now and then!
[b]
Last nights win did not come easy[/b] though (actually all of the contests between Columbus and Nashville are heavily contested) with Nashville having to come back ...
If there is one thing that annoys me most about the Blue Jackets, its the fact that they still have Jody Shelley. I have no beef with him as a person, however I think he doesnt fit in the Jackets roster, even with the injuries. Sure he might be an enforcer, but I think that position is already been filled by some of the younger players.
Shelley's Stats
First let's lo...
Okay, Pred Nation, here's your chance to score some Preds tickets at great prices.
The first opportunity is approaching quickly. Next Thursday, [b]January 3rd[/b], you can buy a child's ticket to that night's game against the Edmonton Oilers for only $1. That's right, [b]hockey for a dollar[/b] (U.S. dollar, I assume!). Here's the deal -- take a non-perishable food item...
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...
Let me start out by saying that I'm American. I'm not one of those who acts like every other country is crap and that the American way is the only way. Nonetheless, I am an American and I am proud of it. I have lived in Columbus, Ohio for my entire life. The city is very much a part of me, and I love it dearly (no matter how obsessed it is about Ohio State Football). I wou...
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 ...
BUFFALO -- To nullify any advantages or adversities created by weather conditions at Ralph Wilson Stadium during Tuesday’s AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic (1 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, RDS, NHL Radio), the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins will switch ends halfway through the third period – ensuring each team would spend the equivalent number of minutes attacking or def...
I like numbers. Not as much as the typical baseball fan, but I like them nonetheless. So here's a nice list of them. My plan is to stare at them for a while, come up with a list of observations, and then make up some irrational impressions about what they mean.
Team Avg. Attend. %Cap
1.Montreal 21273 100
2.Ottawa 19631 106.1
3.Philadelphia 19489 99.9
...
C J. Spacek
A J. Pominville
A A. Kotalik or J. Hecht
Spacek has turned into a complete player. he asked for more playing time and when lindy ruff gave it to him he responded by being the best defencemen on the team. he has had big hits and big goals in my opinion there is no one else that deserves this honor more then him.
Pominville has been on fire. hes scored 15...
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...
During the 90's, Scotty Bowman, Barry Smith and the rest of the Detroit Red Wings were the nemeses of a crumbling Blackhawk organization.
Some 15 years later, it can be argued the Scotty Bowman, himself, is a small part of the Blackhawks' rebirth.
How so? Well, a few years back the Blackhawks hired Bowman's son, Stan, to their front office. A graduate of Notre Dame...
Kudos to the Stars for giving Dave Tippett a contract extension. He has done a great job in Dallas overcoming injuries last year and a slow start and more injuries this year. 1 Year extensions seem to be the norm these days. He only needs to figure out how to get his team on a deeper playoff run easier said than done. With all the good teams in the Pacific making the playo...
Happy Holidays to everyone, I hope yours are great!
The Sharks dominated the Predators last night and have played great hockey in extending their road win streak. I wish they would do the same thing at home and this team would be number one in the league. Maybe having the team in a hotel in San Jose would actually work for them! Whatever is working, the Sharks have been...
Hey pens fans,
Last night, the Pens took on the Sabres in an Ice Bowl preview and emerged with the win. The Pens were up one to nothing with the goal by Armstrong. At the end of the game Crosby worked for the puc and brought it into the zone to setup Malin for the empty-netter. Ty Conklin played a solid game to earn the shutout.
Winter Classic
I will be there to ...
I am calling you all out. All of you who came out strong at Sean Avery after the Blake incident in Toronto. You said that Avery was an immature and wothless player and that he "deserves everything he gets." You may have said that he did something bad IF he did it. You may have said that he did do it. You may have wanted him dead or severely injured. But you all came out an...
[b]RED WINGS
A FORCE, AS ALWAYS[/b]
The Red Wings probably have the best Dman in the League, and two of the best forwards in the league. They are Stanley Cup Contenders. They are the toast of the west. Why? Simple, they are that good; they have a solid defense, and adequate goal-tending which looks better because of their defense. Simply put, this team has no wea...
Kudos to the young L.A. Kings. They came in to a sold out United Center last night with the worst record in the NHL, and earned two hard points against a hot team.
That said, last night provided a sobering reminder to Blackhawk fans; this is still a work in progress.
This morning, the Hawks sit in 9th place in the Western conference with 41 points. They are about to ...
So, lets all take a moment to review the trials and tribulations of what 2007 has meant to us as Isle fans. Well, it's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. The Nolan era has put us in the playoff picture, but it is still fuzzy to see how that Polaroid will develop. It certainly got more in focus when the likes of Alexei Yashin hit the bricks. It also was more in focus when ...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603592730604/detail/
Thank you to all the folks I talked to today. That was great fun hanging out.
As I was driving to the Flyers practice facility I look in my Mirror and I have a Flyer behind me. Then at the red light there were 2 more Flyers one in each direction. I then pass another one coming. Never have had ...
Here are some of my thoughts on who the Red Wings should/could acquire to improve their chances for a long playoff run.
[b]Mark Recchi[/b] Ten points in ten games in Atlanta, he's found new life and would fit good on a second line wing.
[b]Glen Murray[/b] Power forward with some gas left in the tank, would fit good on a line with Zetterberg, probably available if the...
[img]http://cdn.nhl.com/penguins/images/upload/2007/12/wc2008_wide.gif[/img]
It ended with Sidney Crosby as the sixth shooter to fumble the puck toward the goalie through the bad ice, slush and snow that was the rink at Ralph Wilson Stadium. It was history, or so said the NHL, as the Buffalo Sabres hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first outdoor game in the U.S. It ...
My vote is either Montreal, Detroit, or Toronto.
It has been suggested in other media that Montreal would be a great tie-in to celebrate the organization's 100th anniversary. Great idea to highlight Original Six in any form.
Another floater has been to tie the Winter Classic to the All-Star Game. I like that idea even better if the All-Star Game is held in a norther...
So I was looking at the NHL shop when I came across the All Star Game jerseys and the first thing that popped into my head was "Really?"
[img]http://nhl.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p3904301th.gif[/img]
[img]http://nhl.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p3904347th.gif[/img]
This is the first year of the new RBK Edge jerseys and this is the best color scheme ...
Add Jonathan Toews name to the Blackhawks sick bay, out probably from 2-4 weeks with a knee sprain (early diagnosis) suffered early in last night's 9-2 humiliation at the hands of the resurgent L.A. Kings. He joins Marty Havlat, Jason Williams, Brent Sopel, Jim Wisniewski and Dave Bolland. Sopel, Havlat and Williams should all be back within the next 10 days; but the cloc...
[b]1. The Winter Classic[/b]
Overall, the event was a huge success, and I would expect that the NHL is going to plan more for the future. I'd like to see it happen in a Canadian city again though. Perhaps in the Rogers Center in Toronto.
[b]2. The Senators getting bossed around in Washington[/b]
As a leaf fan, i found this to be actually quite entertaining. Ottawa...
The Florida Panthers start 2008 on the road, and that may actually be a blessing especially with their play of late. They blew a glorious opportunity with two home games recently that if they had won would have put them in a tie with Carolina for the division lead, and would have them in the 6th or 7th spot in the eastern conference.
The game against the Canadiens was ...
Good day and Happy New Year to all. Sorry for the lack of posts lately but it was the holidays and family calls. There are many things on the horizon for the new year, the mid season report I have been working on is nearly done, and although I said I was going to post it on Saturday, I have decided to wait till the mid-season mark. In compiling this report I have found som...
In my watching of the 2008 World Junior Hockey Championship there has been constant talk of the top two guys for the 2008 Entry Draft in Ottawa. The consensus seems to be that Canadian Steven Stamkos will go #1 and Drew Doughty, a Canadian defender, will go #2. I was quite surprised by this aspect because of the games I have seen Doughty play I have been surprisingly und...
Happy New Year everyone!
The High Sticking Show on www.wilyradio.com is comming back later this month. Stay tuned for more details, and I will keep you more up to date this time around!
So during New Years I played Rock Band. If you haven't had a chance to play it, and are a big Guitar Hero fan (like myself), you will really enjoy it! The drums are really fun, and th...
7:30 AM : Get up from an easy going night of not drinking too much. I get my four layers of clothes on, check to make sure I have everything I need and run out the door to our meeting place for our limo.
8:30 AM : Arrive at my waiting destination, we start to celebrate with a few glasses of Champaign and Orange Juice which is also commonly known as a Mimosa. After ...
Twas the night before my short vacation to Los Angles and the second day of this new year. So I've decided to come up with a list of New Years Resolutions I believe our New York Islanders should have for the year 2008. If you have more ideas than what I came up with.. please leave a comment on this blog or drop me an email at [email protected]
1. [b]STAY HEALTHY[/b...
thechosen6 writes...
Fantasy Suprises and Other Thoughts for the First Blog
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
First time blogging on this site and I figured I'd kick it off with a focus on fantasy hockey.
A few surprises:
[b]Patrick Sharp[/b] - Where in the h-e-double hockey sticks did this come from? Sharp is on pace to put up both more goals and more assists than he has in the last two seasons combined. Looks like the kids in Chicago are having an impact on everyone in th...
2007 had its share of ups and downs for the Islanders and their fans. From being a team picked to finish dead last, to clinching a playoff berth in the last game of the year, and the anointment of a new captain, there were some great moments this year. Without further ado, here are my Islander awards for 2007:(I'm going by the calendar year 2007. Late 2006 does not count.)...
Going into X-MAS, the Avalanche had a 21-13-2 record, good for 44 points. They were riding a three game winning streak, and playing very strong hockey despite numerous injuries. Most importantly, Peter Budaj was finally playing well, after Joel Quenneville finally decided it would be a good idea not to play José Théodore who couldn't stop a beach ball if his life were at...
Once again a slow and rather sluggish start to a game and the Panthers fall behind unable to recover. I am not quite sure what causes this team to play with such sluggishness and lack of energy and or desperation. When playing the Devils it's fairly obvious that they try to control the game and keep things settled and then take advantage of a mistake or two and before yo...
As 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]A belated Happy New Year to everyone! Ok, the Avs have now lost 4 in a row. That being said, December was a great month for us, despite the injuries to key players. It's fairly obvious what the biggest struggle is for the Avs right now. No I'm not referring to goaltending at the moment, or our defense...it is our power play.
Last year's PP was amazing, 21.1% with 79 ...
The Winter Classic or Ice Bowl, as it was called here in Buffalo, will be one event I will remember forever. It was something anyone who has the chance to go see should not miss! The NHL really scored with the game in Buffalo. I had a great time and this is how it went all day.
I met up with a swimming teammate of mine at around 8:30am in our favorite tailgating spot fo...
The Winter Classic or Ice Bowl, as it was called here in Buffalo, will be one event I will remember forever. It was something anyone who has the chance to go see should not miss! The NHL really scored with the game in Buffalo. I had a great time and this is how it went all day.
I met up with a swimming teammate of mine at around 8:30am in our favorite tailgating spot fo...
As of last night, the four bottom slots in the eastern conference were held by teams in the Southeast division. Only the Carolina Hurricanes were in playoff position, and are running the risk of losing that position very quickly.
Every team in the division, with the exception of maybe Washington, is one or two pieces away from being a serious contender, but none can...
I feel for the Panthers. I just left 80 degree weather for over a week and come back to this weather. That foul wind this morning made me want to turn around and go home. Florida comes into this freezing stretch with a third loss in a row, last one coming from NJ last night. The Isles are looking for their six win in seven games. Wade Dubielewicz performed admirably and on...
[b]Headline: Ryan Smyth out eight weeks with ankle injury
[url]http://thehockeynews.com/articles/12381-Colorado-Avalanche-star-winger-Ryan-Smyth-out-eight-weeks-with-ankle-injury.html[/url]
The question must be raised now, with our mounting injuries to our key players (Joe, Ryan, Tyler, etc, etc), is it time to push the panic button (or the Staples 'Easy Button') to ma...
Jassen Cullimore ripped a slapshot from the top of the left circle that blew past Rick DiPietro for the Panthers OT victory Thursday night! Cullimore aquired in late October to help provide some veteran leadership on defense has been playing extremely well of late and is one of the few Panthers players with a plus rating.
The former Lightning and Blackhawk defenseman ha...
As a follow-up to my blog on the dwindling number of former [b]Winnipeg Jets[/b] still playing in the NHL, here's the breakdown of the one-time [b]Quebec Nordiques[/b]:
[u][b]Players[/b][/u]
[b]Adam Foote[/b]-CBS
[b]Martin Gelinas[/b]-NSH
[b]Jon Klemm[/b]-LA
[b]Aaron Miller[/b]-VAN
[b]Owen Nolan[/b]-CGY
[b]Martin Rucinsky[/b]-STL
[b]Joe Sakic[/b]-COL (the only re...
[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...
Isles and Ricky lose to the Panthers in OT. But what becomes a bigger story is the pads the NHL confiscated from DP after the 1st period. DiPietro could face a 2 game suspension. But is it really such a big deal?
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/rickydipietropadsofdoom.jpg[/img]
[b]NHL Rule 11.8: a goalkeeper who plays with equipment that has not been inspected and ...
The first half of the rangers season ended on a bad note, with a 3-0 loss to the Canucks in Vancouver. The expectations this team had coming into the season were not met by their 20-17-4 record, totaling 44 points in 41 games. But overall this team had two sides and personalities.
[img:left]http://voice.paly.net/media/images/2007-05-05-picture_1_280x349.shkl.png[/img] ...
Watching Adam Burish throw himself in front of yet annother 90+ MPH slapshot last night, go to war again for a teammate when he pummeled Keith Ballard, recalling that he organized the Hawks home victory salute to the fans . . . just seeing his enthusiasm and energy . . . I ask you, how do you spell captain?
B-U-R-I-S-H.
Sure, he's just holding the job for Toews unti...
[b]Americans go 1-2-3 in scoring...pretty good...10pts in 4 games for that #12 guy...that's pretty good too. To be fair, vanRiemsdyk had a really good third period-he was strong on the puck and worked hard to get that goal. But I think I heard his name mentioned all of twice in the previous 2 periods. What happened, you might ask?
1 word: Domination!
Canada's defense...
Last night the Blue Jackets played their 41st of 82 games, and are now officially halfway through the season. With a record of 19-16-6, 44 points, the jackets are on pace for at least 80-90 points, which may be good enough for a low playoff spot in the Western Conference. Let's reflect back on this up and down season.
A great start
The Jackets got off to a great start ...
So here we are at the mid-point of the year and it's not been a pretty one for the Hurricanes.
GP W L OL P GF GA
Carolina Hurricanes 42 20 18 4 44 130 137
44 points in 42 games and a record at exactly .500 does not exactly scream champion.
Injuries seem to have hit there peak as the team is missing:
Scott Walker, Bret Hedican,...
Anticipating tomorrow night's game against the Red Wings at the United Center, I'm reminded of the final lines from the epic 1995 film, Braveheart:
"Patriots of Scotland, starving and outnumbered, charged the fields of Bannockburn. They fought like warrior poets. They fought like scotsmen . . . and won their freedom."
I'm officially setting aside my cynicism and real...
First off - a result from last night. The Nottingham Panthers shutout the Hull Stingrays 2-0 in Nottingham, goals coming from Steve Pelletier on the powerplay, and Patrik Wallenberg got his 20th of the season. Panthers NM Tom Askey returned to the side after a short absence, and both he and Stingrays NM Ladi Kudrna were in good form. This probably aided Hull's chances of w...
So here we are at the mid-point of the season (41st game is tonight), and the Sharks are tied for first place in the Pacific Division. I can't complain that they are in first in the division, but I think in the beginning of the season most of us were expecting them to be about where Detroit is these days.
Anyway, my first blog so I thought i'd give my report cards thus ...
The first 20 minutes of tonight’s game vs. the leafs has brought mixed emotions for flyers fans. The flyers have scored only one goal in the last two games but thanks to Newmarket native Steven Downie and Jeff Carter some offense has been produced. Just under 10 minutes into the game Downie notched his first National Hockey League goal; he looks pretty comfortable play...
gosharks19 writes...
Let's Hope for a Win at Home, thoughts from Sharksbuzz
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Well even when the Sharks put a great effort to win a game, they still lose another game at home. The Sharks host the Blue Jackets tonight, and I am hoping that they can win the game in 60 minutes, and avenge the loss to Columbus earlier this season. I attended that game, and that was a long 5-hour drive back to Buffalo that night. I had great seats though; 2nd row in the ...
Nitty did a great job withstanding a 54 shot Toronto onslaught. I liked to see Downie scoring a goal but the shot to Blake was classless. He really needs to think.
My weekly blog, you may enjoy it.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
It's on a Flyer website but it's more about hockey in general, enjoy.
I will be brief, but to the point. I did not watch the Panthers game against Pittsburgh Saturday afternoon. I however did see the hightlights, or low lights if you will, and read the sunday paper. Once again a slow start did the Panthers in and in no time they were trailing 2-0.
Tomas Vokoun was again vocally frustrated saying that his teammates keep doing the same t...
We are at mid-season and the team thus far has performed well. The expectations for this team were through the roof at the start of the season, picked by most sports publications to win the cup. If you compare the performance up to this point with the early predictions for the team, you will see they are a little below where they planned to be. However the team continues t...
AlexanderScharf writes...
Voices In My Head Are Screaming: "FIRE RENNEY OR TRADE JAGR"
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
They could not have made it more clear had they announced it in the middle of Times Square. It has been that apparant from the play of the Rangers during this three game road trip, and a trip is was, that this team cannot and will not play consistantly good hockey. They will find a way to lose ever game, even to lowly Edmonton. After coming off of a solid three game winnin...
The Buffalo Sabres D Core is soft.... I know alot of people are going to not like what was just said but its true. the only one thats doing their job is Spacek. They dont hit and play a finese defence. players are allowed to go right in on goal and do what they please. Please get me a player that clears the front of the net.
Lydman and Tallinder are shadows of their old...
[b]
QUACK QUACK THE DUCKS [/b]
The Ducks probably have the best defense in the NHL. Burke must believe that you build a team from the defense in. The Ducks' strength is in their size. Their forwards are big and strong. The Ducks are a terrific team, with plenty of stars to burn.
Today's blog will be in the regular format, with who I think are the key cogs...
Ugh. That really wasn't worth £13 of my money, and more importantly, 3 hours of my time. But it is hockey, so I can't really complain too much. And Coventry won, which is always pleasing.
[b]Coventry Blaze 2 - 1 Sheffield Steelers - British Knockout Cup 1/4 final 1st Leg[/b]
Pretty much uneventful, although it started with a bang with Sheffield's Randy Dagenais clea...
Pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603656519593/
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8dYujbfS4I
Are you kidding? Of course I took pics.
Scoop awesome to see you again as always.
Phantoms won 6-2
It is slightly addictive sitting in the front row against the glass and then to sit next to the bench too well you can tell I was truly camer...
I have been slacking with the blogging thing with the holidays and all but that’s done and over with and I’m back! So when I last posted the Leafs were on a bit of a winning streak and all was looking good in Leaf land. My how things changed! Over there last 10 games the Leafs are 2-6-2 four points out of a playoff spot in 13th in the east.
For those who see the ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Hola Hockey Amigos - Viva Los Flyers de Mai Tai Mohito
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_airplane3animated-1.gif[/img]
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_800px-Flag_of_Puerto_Ricosvg.jpg[/img]
Just returned to the States from 6 lovely days in San Juan, PR.
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_1686.jpg[/img]
My wife, Kids and I decided that, after two weeks of f...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Isles Head To Edmonton, Nolan on Nilsson, Okposo to Bridge
Posted Monday | Comments 0
If anyone still was not over the love-affair with Nilsson, who went to EDM as part of the Ryan Smyth trade, one should read Nolan's latest quotes on the subject to prove what has been written about many times here and elsewhere:
Nolan was not a Nilsson fan, and that made him expendable.
Nolan told it plainly to Robert Tychkowski, of the Edmonton Sun:
[i]"Nilsson ...
In another installment where I review the dwindling number of players remaining from a relocated franchise... today it's the [b]Hartford Whalers[/b].
[u][b]Players[/b][/u]
[b]Jean-Sebastien Giguere[/b]-ANA
[b]Bobby Holik[/b]-ATL
[b]Sami Kapanen[/b]-PHI
[b]Marek Malik[/b]-NYR
[b]Michael Nylander[/b]-WSH
[b]Nolan Pratt[/b]-BUF
[b]Chris Pronger[/b]-ANA
[b]Geoff San...
Toronto's 3rd round pick in 2004 is coming into his own. Justin Pogge started the season with the Toronto Marlies splitting goaltending duties with former New Jersey Devil, Scott Clemmensen. Both played fairly well and one did not look superior over another. But a Vesa Toskala injury to the Toronto Maple Leafs might just be what Justin Pogge needed. With Clemmensen getting...
As a continuation of my Braveheart theme vis a vis the Hawks' tilt with Detroit last night, the title is my way of saying: right metaphor, wrong battle. Like the Scots at Falkirk (not Bannockburn), the Hawks fought valiantly, but were outnumbered, and in the end succumbed to a superior foe.
Hats off to the Wings. They came out fast and focused and put the Hawks in an im...
Ive been unhappy about a lot of calls going against the Flyers this season, and didnt agree with the Hartnell or Jones suspensions, but Flyers fans lets face it; Downie is a goon.
Scrums like the one that occurred in the game against Toronto happen often. Sometimes punches are thrown after the whistle resulting in penalties which I feel is an appropriate repercussion...
Steve Downie may have avoided a suspension for his sucker punch on Toronto's Jason Blake on Saturday night, but all eyes will continue to be on him each time he laces up the skates for some time to come. His antics in the infantile stages of his NHL career may just be the tip of the iceberg. If he keeps it up, his run as a pro may end up being over almost before it even tr...
marketing:
will the NHL ever become a top 3 sport?
my answer: NO
simple reason, the United States citizens in part think of it as a foreign sport, if Sidney Crosby was a US citizen the game would gain more from the marketing of him.
Americans for the majority have never ice skated or played pick up games of hockey on ice, its totally foreign to them...whereas m...
The midseason is upon us as is the New Year. The Panthers found themselves in a great position a couple weeks ago to potentially tie for first in the division and make some headway in the conference standings only to once again let it slip away and make every game seem like there is no room for error. I did not think at the beginning of the year that they had enough to m...
Can someone please explain to me why we have heard nothing about Hollweg killing Horcoff into the boards the same night Downie punched Blake in the eye? Why have we hear absolutely nothing about the league "investigating" him like they were Downie? Is it because Hollweg doesn't have a record of this stuff? We all know that can't be it. He has a long wrap sheet then Downie....
hckyplayazt16 writes...
Isles + Kings = Cup and recap from Isles Road Trip so far
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Just got home from my recent trip to Los Angeles. I spent a few days there, but i kept myself busy to say the least with major highlights being 2 kings games, a lakers game and a stop at Universal Studios Hollywood. The Kings shockingly sold out 19000+ both games I attended which really shocked me since they are at the bottom on the NHL. What shocked me more was the fac...
Just announced on the Dallas Stars broadcast tonight..... Mike Ribeiro is going to be a dallas stars for a good while! He signed a 5 year 25 million dollar deal today!
Ribeiro is having a career year and is on pace for 80+ points.
Personally, I am very happy with the move. It is a very good deal for both sides!
Turco just annihilated Gaborik on a breakaway!
mo...
Raise your hand if you saw this one coming?
The Buffalo Sabres are at the halfway point in this 2007 season, mired in a season long 6 game winless streak. The offense is struggling, the D has been bad, and Ryan Miller has been good, but not good enough.
Today we look at the forwards, while tomorrow we'll look at the defense and goaltending.
Centers:
Derek Roy (...
First of all, Happy New Year to everyone whom I haven't "seen" yet. I have been kicking around a lot and haven't had much time to hit the Buzz of late.
Now that that little tidbit is out of the way, here's the thoughts:
-It's great that the Winter Classic got a stellar TV rating. I am sure that it was Bettman's wet dream-a huge full stadium, interesting weather, and ...
John Ferguson, (General Manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs), is in quite a bind.
He is sitting in the press box, watching the team he built, blow games night after night. He is watching his team fall to injuries, again! He is watching the coaching staff he has backed fail to bring the team he built to the point he thinks that they should be playing at.
Essentially...
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...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Serious Questions Need to be Asked as Isles Tank at Oilers
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Islanders came into 2008 by nipping a slide at that was from the end of November until mid-December. They came out of Colorado OT loss being railed on for not having their head in the game by the coach and captain. So, if this was still the Isles stepping up, you would have thought that the team would be raring to go at it versus Edmonton. Right?
Instead, they got l...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
"The Code" - Physics, Respect, Fighting and Relevence?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]"The Code"[/b]
If you were to look in the Webster's Dictionary of Hockey for a definition, you would probably come up empty. If you were to ask anyone in the game, they might knowingly smile but likely not cough up to much. Some might. Ask a diehard fan what the Code means and he would likely be able to put some walls around it.
[b]Action and Reaction:[/b]
Thos...
Look, like it or not, Toronto is the center of the hockey universe. Everything is blown out of proportion. Downie's action made for good air time, both on the the TV and written. That creates preasure on the league to "investigate" to at least curtail the media buzz the punch created. That punch however, damaged Downie's reputation with his peers far more than Blake's face...
Here we go:
[b]Calder:[/b] Patrick Kane (Chi)
[b]Adams:[/b] Wayne Gretzky (Phx)
[b]Selke:[/b] Pavel Datsyuk (Det)
[b]Norris:[/b] Nicklas Lidstrom (Det)
[b]Vezina:[/b] Roberto Luongo (Van)
[b]Hart:[/b] Jarome Iginla (Cgy)
[b]Byng:[/b] Daniel Alfredsson (Ott)
Kane: In my eyes, better than Toews overall
Gretzky: Finally showing his true coaching colours, rage an...
A quick energetic start is needed tonight as the Panthers face off against Crosby and the Penguins. Whatever problems that have caused the inconsistenly lately hopefully have been addressed and we will see a rejuvinated group tonight.
If there is any hope of getting to the playoffs the Panthers need to get themselves on a roll now!
Jacques Martin had met with every pl...
It has been rumored for a while that Jaromir Jagr could be on the move from the Rangers. According to sources Pittsburgh was looking into #68 coming back to ride shotgun along Sid. This season JAGGS has looked dynamic at times and far more often, lost at others. One can sense that this is how fires started in Cap city with the foward coming to Broadway for Anson Carter. Ca...
The upcoming Islanders home game on January 19th against the Philadelphia Flyers could turn out to be a very important night in team history. (And, no, not just because I'll be making the trip up for my first home game of the year either!) The Islanders are promoting this evening as "Town of Hempstead Night" and Kate Murray, the Presiding Supervisor of the town of Hempstea...
On this day, January 8th, almost every Toronto media outlets have an article dedicated towards this intense toronto maple leafs situation. Let me just recap.
We currently sit at 13th place in the nhl eastern conference. What people are saying is that we should throw in the towels, trade away the veterans for future aspects and draft picks. To me, its seems like a great id...
When the trade deadline does loom and a GM announces we are a seller or a buyer this brings up players you will soon be RFA's of UFA's who I call Rent-a-Players. So when you look at the Kings roster there are few players anyone wants, but then there are a couple who may complete a team in search of the Cup. However, how much money would you fork over for a old Ferrari y...
There were really two events last night at the Bell Centre: the classy tribute to the Canadiens-Blackhawks rivalry, and the game between the two clubs.
Have to say I had a few goosebumps seeing a lot of the old greats, and honestly the Habs have been my second favorite team for decades. I was never a great, or a very good, hockey player. But as good as I was, part of it...
Unlike the likely telegraphed tear from Hillary Clinton just a few days ago, designed to appeal to the New Hampshire woman voter, the Isles show of vulnerability last night in the first period was NOT the same thing. There was no "plan". No play of the media. Just an absolute flat rollout as one man somehow kept them in the game.
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/DP.jpg[...
Another loss to Pittsburgh this time on home ice where the Panthers have now lost 4 in a row and 8 of 10 since November. They have also lost 5 of their last 6 games. Just a couple weeks ago we were pretty excited about the way they were playing and that first place was actually within reach. What a difference a few games make. This game started out badly with the P...
Damn - I wish I could have watched the Blues savage the Blue Jackets 6-1 last night.
Living the UK though, a number of the Blues games don't actually start until 1.30am and I cannot justify staying up for the whole game. Shame. NASN is the satellite channel in the UK that shows a lot of hockey - unfortunately we've only had one Blues game. Which one did they pick? ...
Ron Guillet writes...
Rebuilding is the Only Hope for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In the midst of yet another disappointing season for the blue and white, the question of rebuilding has resurfaced. A topic which has separated the mass of Leafs fans for quite a while – but to a lesser extent this season.
While the 07-08 regular season offered promise for the Leafs, according to Paul Maurice and John Ferguson Jr. anyway, it has proved to be nothing but...
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...
As a Ranger fan, I am used to disappointment. We have memories of 1997-2004 that I am still trying to repress, but now in 2008, here is the situation that the Rangers are in:
1.) Inconsistency [the facts]
2.) The blame game [the frustration]
3.) Possible solutions [the realism]
[b]Inconsistency[/b]
The Rangers have had both mini and large streaks, be it the abysma...
Jsaquella writes...
Bob Clarke: Neanderthal or Respectful of "The Code"
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Bob Clarke recently had a few choice comments about the latest Steve Downie tempest in a teapot and, of course controversy followed.
Clarke said that he "loved" when Downie punched Leafs forward Jason Blake in the face earlier this week, because Blake ran his mouth about Downie when he was suspended for his hit on Ottawa's Dean McAmmond in the preseason.
"Blake was a...
As the Hawks' losing string reached seven last night, it's my hope that expectations within Blackhawk Nation are getting a bit more realistic.
Yes, there have been moments where this team has been 100% healthy that it's looked like a playoff team. And though the injuries have been ridiculous and crippling of late, they haven't been throughout the season. And injuries d...
murdoch writes...
toronto revolution! i say bring it hamilton! by a flyers fan
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
they showed the 99 flyers leafs series on nhl network last nite. kinda where the hatred started between the two teams. the call on leclair was definitely a penalty. but you don't call it in the deciding game with 2 to go. it was a weak way to end a series. the flyers should have had the opportunity bowing out like men and playing the last 2 hockey minutes of the season.
...
Love it or hate it, the outdoor game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres brought the NHL a lot of attention from people other than hockey fans. The All-Star game is meant to do the same thing; the league showcases their talent to attract new fans.
So, my question is, why don't we hold the All-Star game outdoors (that is, when it's not in Atlanta)?
Thin...
thechad13 writes...
To all Leaf fans/hockey fans what do you think??????
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Your opinion please.......If the Leafs lose tonight to the last place overall LA Kings who if anyone gets fired/traded? I have my opinion and based on the fact that Richard Petty is with the Leafs on this road trip I'm thinking this really could be last 24 hours for JFJ and then like dominos the rest of the pieces will start to fall as we get to and beyond the trade d...
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...
IslesNation writes...
FREE Islander Tickets for tuesday, Promenade seats with Tv's
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]A chance to win FREE Islander Tickets in the Promenade seats with TV![/b]
Want the chance to see an Islander game in GREAT seats? Elite Title Services, our newest sponsor, has given IslesNation.Com the opportunity to have a free ticket giveaway. We've decided to give you TWO chances to see your New York Islanders face off against Saku Koivu and the Montreal Canadiens...
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...
The leafs are the worst team in the league by far. They are just lucky they are not in the western conference. The East does them a small bit of justice because of it's mediocrity. I can't belive this team, after getting their asses handed to them last night against the ducks they come out with an effort like that. The leafs have to get rid of Raycroft he is horrible. Put ...
When you're the Manchester Phoenix, that's who. Last night in the Altrincham Ice Dome, the Phoenix beat Hull Stingrays 3-2 in the second leg of the British Knockout Cup. The result of the first leg was 5-3 to Hull Stingrays, so Manchester needed to win by 3 clear goals to progress to the final.
And they were 3 goals ahead up until 56.57 when Nikolai Ladygin scored for H...
John Jaeckel writes...
Hawks trade aging Swedish d-man for future superstar
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Not really.
Well, maybe.
Yes, yesterday, Dale Tallon continued his stockpiling of draft picks in exchange for the Hawks' wretched refuse, picking up a 7th round pick from Florida for Magnus Johansson.
Last night I watched tape of the Hawks' AHL farm team, the Western Division leading Rockford Ice Hogs, playing the Lake Erie Monsters. The Hogs' talent has basicall...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers: Chemical X in the Big Apple and A Look Forward
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_PbI3.gif[/img]
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/thAppleArtcopy.jpg?t=1200060237[/img]
Wow...words can hardly describe the effort and the result of last night's game in the Big Apple.
Flyers give up two quick goals to ...hmm...let's see. Perenial All-Star Jaromir Jagr? Nope. First part of the ...
[b]The next 3 games for Colorado should prove very interesting: Car on Sat, Fla on Sun, and TB on Tues. Not only are all 4 teams, including Col, slumping (or are just down-right awful right now) but I believe Col has the potential to make a trade with any of these three teams.
From Col's end there are few untouchables and the names going remain Liles, Svatos, one of ou...
I thought the entire hockey world had its eyes on [b]Steve Downie[/b] to see what he'd do next... Where's the widespread media coverage of his 3-game point streak (2g, 2a), including his long saucer pass to spring [b]Scott Hartnell[/b] on a breakaway for his hattrick goal against the [b]Rangers[/b]?
Who's worse: [b]Panthers[/b]' GM [b]Jacques Martin[/b], or [b]Panthers[...
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...
[b]Special teams[/b]
Last night, we were 0-6 or 0-7 on the Power Play.
In this new NHL, that I will refer to as zero contact figure skating, special teams are key. Look at Philly and Montreal, their PP wins them games.
The Rangers have had so much trouble scoring 5 on 5, so we cannot really rely on goals from that, but the man advantage (and in cases of the 2 man ...
From the first shift of his first NHL game, Alex Ovechkin has been knocking people on their asses. Ask Radoslav Suchy. You know, the guy that Ovechkin checked so hard on his first shift in the NHL that Suchy went through the glass.
Ovechkin, ever since, has been a man among men in the NHL. Suchy? Well, he is playing in Switzerland, downtrodden and demoralized. Ap...
Let me begin this post by stating that I am both a Penguins fan, as well as a hockey fan. I think there are a lot of great young players in the league today.
With that, it is interesting that the media and hockey people are using the great starts of players like Lecavalier, Kovalchuk and Iginla as a reason to say they are disappointed in Crosby this year, and that he i...
-The MLSE Board is meeting in the wake of a 5-2 loss by the Leafs, with the agenda looking like change. General Manager John Ferguson jr and Head Coach Paul Maurice may both be dumped. It's staggering to see the Leafs playing so poorly.
I have to agree with the multitude of Leaf fans that have started calling for the napalm and dynamite. The Leafs have ability and can ...
mapleleaf92 writes...
If you had control of the Maple Leafs, what would you do?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Lets try to have a little fun out of this dismal situation. If I had the powers of Richard Peddie and the GM, I would bring big change to this organization.
1. I would have the pleasure of inviting Ferguson into my office, then firing his ass for disgracing what used to be one of the most respected hockey teams in the world. I might yell at him a little bit too.
2. A...
First of all, as a new member of the My HockeyBuzz blogosphere family, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Steve Lehtinen and I am from Brantford, Ontario about 1 hour southwest of Toronto. I am a huge Toronto Maple Leafs fan and a hockey fan in general.
Now, on to bigger things.
The current state of the Toronto Maple Leafs is about as grim as it gets. The m...
Ever since Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and KG teamed up in Boston I have been thinking, is the key to success three stars or all-stars, at least, to have success. If you look at the Ducks last year, three defensemen stepped it up in the playoffs and they were Pronger, Niedermayer, and Beauchemin. Pronger was tied for second on the team in scoring and a +10. Scott ended the ...
Lots to talk about in the wake of last night's 5-2 loss at the hands of the Minnesota Wild, and not much of it good.
Before I dive in to the vitriol, allow me to offer my season-long caveat: this team is on an upward trend long-term, in spite of its recent poor play. Probably about one third of the current roster is composed of guys who should be playing in the AHL, whi...
With several teams interested in backup goalie help, I wonder why no one seems to have interest in the resurgent [b]Brian Boucher[/b] of the [b]Philadelphia Phantoms[/b].
Currently on a minor-league contract, Boucher has been one of the reasons for the Phantoms first-place standing in their division.
As of this writing, his numbers are:
[u][b]Games Played:[/b][/u]...
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 ...
Flyers lose a heartbreaker in overtime against Boston. Niittymaki played the puck wrong as he tried to stop a breakaway, and it was simply too easy for Ward to put it in the net.
However, let's look at the positives from the game. Flyers come back from two in the third period. How? Simple. Momentum was on the their side. It all started with the Downie line, and Jason Sm...
After work on Saturday, the wife and I headed to New York to see "Mamma Mia" on Broadway. I agreed to this, mainly because I figured I'd get a chance to check out the NHL Store on 47th and 6th in Manhattan.
We walked into the store and were greeted by a NHL Chopper, built by the guys from Orange County Choppers. The bike was $100,000, which was just a tad out of my pri...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/glasshalfislanders.jpg[/img]
So, if you've sat and thought about this team this season, have you come to the same conclusion I have drawn? When asked: Is the glass half empty? Is the glass half full? My answer is:
"The glass is half Islanders"
Which is my witticism for neither. Both. Or that giant question mark that slams into our h...
BluesHockeyOhBaby! writes...
Congrats to Manny Legace, But Boyes Should Be An All-Star
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
If there was anyone on the Blues deserving of an All-Star appearance I strongly believe that it would be Brad Boyes. He is having a very solid season, leading the Blues with 24 goals and on many nights, he provides the sole offensive punch. He is 8th in the NHL in goals.
But this brings up the question of if Blues were to be represented by one player in the All-Star gam...
Weekly thoughts and predictions.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
enjoy
Which is exactly what is required at this point in time. Two games played, two games won, 4 points gained. Coventry had a double header (what you North Americans would call a home and home series, never made sense to me that one but there you go) against 9th placed Hull Stingrays. Being brutally honest, anything less than two wins would've been severely disappointing.
...
I thought about this one for a while a said "Oh what the hell ". It's like Jack Burton in Big Trouble in Little China. Damn what a good movie! So if the Rangers are really going to give this cup run a shot their gonna need a quality 1-2 punch in net. Cujo has had alot of nice playoff performances in his career. Those of you lucky enough to have the NHL Network can see t...
February 26th will mark the NHL Trade Deadline. The day where all GM's take out their microscope and scan their team searching for the tiny or gaping holes that separate them from either a) the Stanley Cup, or b) the playoffs.
In a time where scrutiny is the word best described, one aspect has always got me wondering...the pressure. The weights that are tied to GM's bec...
Dallas Stars are my next team on my tour. It use to be when I hear the Stars that this is Mike Modano team. But no longer can you say that. The Stars have more talent than Modano including a star goalie. So what makes the Stars a playoff contender or even a cup contender?
For this blog I would like to let you know why I like this team or should I say who I feel ar...
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcjvoyJDRj0
Pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603706311538/
Thank you to The Flyers Fan Club for Today's road Trip it was rocking!
Thanks to my Dad and everyone who went on the trip that was so much fun.
Thanks to Julie for coming down to say hi.
I left my house @ 7am to pick up my Dad and be at th...
As the current Leafs team continues to slide down the slippery slope that is the Eastern conference, many fans are beginning to dream of greener pastures, and have begun to circle important dates like the Feb 26th trade deadline and the June 20th NHL draft. These two dates may finally offer some hope, and a brief glimpse of that elusive light at the end of the tunnel for s...
The feeling going into the Leafs road trip in California was that the Leafs needed atleast 4 points to stay in the realistic playoff picture. The guys went out and got destroyed by the Ducks....of course the organization played the Ducks off as the Stanley Cup Champions and so in their minds the 5-0 loss was completely acceptable.
Then they went out the following night...
Like they all say, a win is a win and that's what counts. For the Philadelphia Flyers, today's win is just that: a win.
Mike Knuble scored two goals in the first period, and Mike Richards scored the eventual game winning goal on an exceptional play by Steve Downie whose come along very nicely in recent games (more on him later). Jim Dowd, and R.J. Umberger also scored f...
Evidently, Cam Barker got his wake up call prior to last night's 3-2 shootout win over Nashville. He skated hard, hit people and looked like a totally different player than he did in his sleepwalk versus Minnesota the other night.
The Hawks are still underproducing in key areas, most notably the power play, but played well enough to beat the Predators. The tradewinds ar...
The most painful part of being a Leaf fan has much more to do with what happens [u][i][b]off[/b][/i][/u] the ice. Why is it that Sundin is in the midst of one of his best seasons and yet the leafs are in the midst of one of their worst in Sundin's tenure? Why is it that Toskala looks like a goalie that is worth [b][i][u] a first and second[/u][/i][/b] round pick but the l...
[b]Freddy Meyer[/b], god of thunder, strode across the ice, his eyes seeing opportunity. Jason Spezza, of soft hands and softer body, was about to gain the puck from Wade Redden. Meyer crashed into him with a mighty howl that careened off the Ottawa seats and turned cheering Canadian mouths into what resembled Cheerios. Spezza hit the ice, and it was like he and the Senato...
Well, according to the master of all things European hockey, Bill Meltzer, Peter Forsberg will be skating at full tilt within two to three weeks and says this is the last chance for a comeback.
Forsberg's name has bounced around a bit, but all indications are that he will rejoin the Philadelphia Flyers if he decides to continue his NHL career. Assuming that comes to fru...
The Oilers lately have reminded me that I should not lose faith. The Oil are continually proving me wrong. Last night against the Flames, the Oilers put up a very impressive victory. They played a flames team that is virtually unstoppable on the road. Hemsky was outsanding, Score-coff continues to dominate, and a revived Dustin Penner is finally worth his weight. He has re...
In Ahead writes...
Washington Capitals - All Good Things Must Come to an End
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It has been a whirlwind week for the Washington Capitals
organization and its fans -- one which will always be remembered with
the greatest of Capitals lure. But the Philadelphia Flyers, as they
have done countless times in our 34 year history, played the spoiler as
they came to town and skated away 6-4 winners.
On a day meant for Alex to shine, it w...
In Ahead writes...
Alexander Ovechkin - Officially the Face of Our Franchise
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Capitals fans (and no doubt the team itself) have dealt with swirling rumors regarding their 22 year old superstar in recent weeks. Fans of teams around the league were concocting outlandish rumors of trades that were supposedly near fruition. We heard Nashville, Columbus, Montreal, and countless other teams were "close" to making a deal for the face of the Capitals' rebu...
Jon Jordan writes...
Now That Was a Hockey Game! / Support the Lighthouse!!!
Posted Monday | Comments 0
From Freddy Meyer's [i]Witt-esque[/i] crunch on Jason Spezza to Rick DiPietro's near-miss empty netter, that was as complete a hockey game as the Islanders have played all season.
Of course, Ottawa fans and Islander haters alike will protest that the Sens were coming off a highly emotional contest against the Detroit Red Wings the night before and that they were without...
Just thought I'd round up today's top stories;
Scotty Bowman came out today and said that he has no plans on leaving Detroit to join the dysfunctional Maple Leafs should they shake up the front office. As we all know, Bowman appeared in an interview on Hockey Night in Canada this past Saturday where he spilled the beans about MLSE. He said that the MLSE board of direc...
Catfan912 writes...
Colorado sinks Panthers', Trying To Claw Up The Standings
Posted Monday | Comments 0
With a frustrating shootout loss against the Colorado Avalanche, that only adds another game to the loss category, and only further frustrates the team. The Panthers were recently accused of not trying hard enough to win their games, because as we all know, although they have raw talent, they can't just win games with a mediocre effort. They gave it their all against ...
Having all that I can handle with reality, I don't do fantasy. Or fantasy hockey.
On the plus side, fantasy hockey forces homer fans, loyal to their team, to actually look at other good players in the league. To do well in fantasy sports, one must, of necessity, keep up with the scores, stats, and injury reports league-wide. Of course, I am sure there are plenty of fant...
Let me first start by saying that this is my first blog, so if it sucks I apologize. I am a die hard Flyers fan, and am thrilled at the prospect of Peter Forsberg signing with the Flyers. Even at 70% I love watching Forsberg at work, and the excitement that I get personally from watching him step on the ice just about every other night is why I am excited about the possi...
Hey guys. Sorry it has been awhile as I have been very busy with some school work, regular work and my own hockey games. Since I have last blogged there has been a lot of good and bad that has been going around the Islander organization.
First from the recent road trip. A bit of a rough start with the OT loss in Colorado and the blowout in Edm, but the Islanders real...
Just thought I'd see who you guys thought would best represent the "C" on the Maple Leafs with Sundin gone, either on a short-term basis, or long-term should he decide to sign elsewhere.
My Vote: McCabe.
First off, the guy is full of class. He has and always will be a symbol of the best of times in Leaf land, with his everlasting passion and love for the game. In fac...
Myself and fellow poster "61" are starting a new blog all about the Jackets! We're going to update everyday, and our stories will be relay-posted on here.
Here's the first post:
[b]WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE[/b]
We find ourselves in a precarious position for mid-January. It’s called contention.
The Blue Jackets were embarrassed by the Canucks when they last...
My "sources" tell me Tarnstrom is close to being dealt to the Hawks (A5) =D
Everyone that has and is currently following the Leafs knows that this team is in a sad state of affairs. The team is currently slumping badly on the ice winning only two of thirteen games, it has a coach that at this point probably doesn’t sleep much at night for fear that each day he wakes up may be the his last a coach of the team, it has a GM that is in the same sit...
Apparently PT Sports is saying that one of the top 3 GM candidates for the permanent position is current NSH GM David Poile.
He's certainly a man who knows how to build through the draft (Suter, Radulov, Weber, Erat, Hartnell, Legwand, Klein, Hamhuis, Tootoo)
As well as one who can find hidden gems from all mediums (Timmonen from Kings trade, Dumont as an FA, Mason ...
[b]Since I started blogging, I have been suggesting ideas to help the Avs solve their close-to-woes this season (and next). Well, the beat goes on with a "what about this?" idea.
First, as much as I hate it, trade Liles to CAR for Commodore + pick. It would have to be a trade and sign for both teams but I put Commodore in the $2.5-3.0 range for next year (given recent m...
As I write this, John Ferguson Jr. is still the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, as far as I know anyways. Of course it is completely possible that Ferguson was fired long ago and MLSE has asked him to hold the position while they search for an interim GM. This would explain why there has practically been no roster changes during this catastrophic slump, w...
We are begining to see the signs that Nicklas Kronwall is becoming the player we all hoped he'd be. He has posted 11 pts in the past 13 games. Playing very well in the defensive zone and getting second unit powerplay time. Looks like Kenny Holland got it right again. Keep it up Nick!
I've been looking over Eklunds rumor page and it lists the Redwings as a team that could trade for Hossa. Although, I would love to see this happen. What would it cost the wings? Atlanta would want a Player with some talent. As a big time Wingnut, I would be afraid of losing some of the young talent the Redwings have. Players like Valtteri Filppula, Juri Hudler and N...
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...
After a succesful homestand, the Sens are back on the road tonight to face a team that for whatever reason the Sens just cant seem to beat in the Washington Capitals. Now had you told me at the start of the year that on January 15 2008, Ottawa would be playing Washington for the 4th time and at that point of the season are 0-3 against having been out-scored 18-10 through t...
In an extremely surprising season series where the Capitals have had Eastern Conference leading Ottawa's number all year long, the Caps look to ice the cake with a broom tonight -- the proverbial season sweep.
As is the case with every game on Washington's schedule, it should not come easy, but against Ottawa (for some unexplained reason) it has. The Senators, in a scen...
According to Glen Wesley, there are approximately seven players on the Carolina Hurricanes who have not caught this apparent monster bug that has been ripping through North Carolina. Even the trainer Pete Friesen has caught this bug, which has some very strong, albeit relatively non-life threatening symptoms.
Can we contribute this to the team's poor play recently?
...
Despite being in a "rebuilding mode,' the Blues are in the midst of contending for a playoff spot in the very competitive Western Conference. Don't expect the Blues to trade away any picks or prospects, but at the same time, John Davidson wants this team to be competitive. So, if I were JD, these are goals I would have for the Blues lineup:
[b]First off: The Tradeable A...
Scoring has become one of the major weaknesses with the Florida Panthers recently. Yes they did score 3 goals against Tampa, and yes they did score 3 goals against Colorado. They still lost both games. The point that I am trying to make is that we don't have enough scoring when we need it. The Panthers are losing alot of games by one goal. It seems as though the ...
1. [b]Raycroft Is More Depressed Than You[/b]
Poor Andrew. Sittin there on the bench, growin a suicide beard, thinkin about how Letterman stole his thunder. Even though old Howard Hughes hasnt stopped a lot of pucks lately, you have to assume that the beard will help him in the second half. Gigure showed us all in 2003 what a beard can do for you in a contract year. For a...
4-2 Washington over Ottawa...Sens went a stellar 0-4 against Washington this year managing to get outscored 22-12 over that span. Wow..just...WOW... im not sure if this is just a weird cosmic anomaly that has the planets and moon lined up in the right order when these 2 teams play, but as every sens fan im sure will agree with me, this isn't the team we are used to seeing ...
Yes, the Leafs won, that's not a typo. I guess John Ferguson and Paul Maurice can sleep a little sounder tonight knowing that their jobs are safe for one more day at least. The pundits will talk, sarcastically mind you, of how everything is a-ok in Leafland, and there will be thousands of Leafs fans throughout North America that will be quick to say that the Leafs are on t...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Simon Gagne: Back With A Vengeance - Flyers vs Panthers
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_banner8.jpg[/img]
Sometime after the end of last season, after the Ducks had hoisted Lord Stanley's hardware, the Flyers braintrust sat down and tried to come up with a slogan to re-energize the hockey faithful of the Delaware Valley.
Paul Holmgren and Peter Luukko had just pulled off one of the most tremendous...
If you thought that Tuesday nights win over the Carolina Hurricanes, would continue on a winning note for the Toronto Maple Leafs, don't count on it. Sure, they play a great game tonight but that doesn't mean that they will continue down this path.
Lets face it, the Leafs are an abysmal hockey team these days. The Leafs have pulled off wins in 3 games out of the last 1...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Drop Fourth Straight, Inconsistency Continues
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Flames dropped their fourth in a row tonight, losing to Nashville 3-0. For the second straight game in a row, the team was outright hard to watch, as the best scoring chance the Flames got all night was a clanger in the first period by Dion. The only good part of the game was seeing Calgary product Curtis McElhinney play a fine third period in what will likely be his l...
In [url=http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=37614&post_id=3791]an earlier posting[/url], I eluded to the fact that poor officiating in the UK wasn't all the fault of the men in stripes, but in fact was mostly due to the system in which they work in. In this short (well, as short as I ever get) piece, I am going to try and explain why.
Referees over here do th...
[i]"Control, control. You must learn control!"[/i]
- Yoda
Coach Ted Nolan said words to this effect. As did words come from some players. Keep focused. Don't come home and then come out flat. Be consistent. Be ready. Obviously, they all know what this team sometimes does. Add to this, ,most road-traveled teams tend to come home and stink up the joint. And for the 11,0...
Last nights loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs should say something about this team.
It needs a change.
While I'm sure there will be plenty to jump to the Cane's side on this, suggesting they are only one or two pieces away from being a legitimate contender, and as much as I love to believe that, they're not.
It says something about the team when Sergei Samsonov is t...
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...
Last nights loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs should say something about this team.
It needs a change.
While I'm sure there will be plenty to jump to the Cane's side on this, suggesting they are only one or two pieces away from being a legitimate contender, and as much as I love to believe that, they're not.
It says something about the team when Sergei Samsonov is t...
Well, last night I said tonight’s game was almost a must win game. You get two solid efforts at home versus two central division rivals, and have one game remaining at home (Canucks) before the all-star break. Tonight was a key win, Pazzy played good as usual. Russell is finding his form, and Methot has looked solid since he played with us last year.
Brassard’s pla...
Alexander Semin has faced more than his fair share of struggles this season. He's been criticized for his soft play and many times appeared to be in his own little world on the ice. But tonight, he was THE reason why Washington beat Ottawa, 4-2 -- finishing a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference leaders.
The Capitals, who have accounted for a third of the Sens' reg...
Alexander Semin has faced more than his fair share of struggles this season. He's been criticized for his soft play and many times appeared to be in his own little world on the ice. But tonight, he was THE reason why Washington beat Ottawa, 4-2 -- finishing a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference leaders.
The Capitals, who have accounted for a third of the Sens' reg...
Stevens may say there isn't a goalie controversy, but his actions continue to show otherwise:
I say there is one because last week the "hot goalie" line worked for Stevens to play Nitty. But the team has had a few days off which inherently has broken Nitty's rhythm so the slate is basically clean right now. Both goalies gave up 4 goals over the weekend, including a fe...
Game tonight versus #23 and the Rangers. Interestingly, Drury has the worst plus / minus on the Rangers, and is 4th on the team in scoring. Talk radio this week was all about how the Rangers were apparently disappointed with Drury so far. Of course, they probably don't realize that the little man only scores when it matters or they're in the playoffs (see his Antonym, Miro...
As Kipper pointed out today on [i]Hockey Central at Noon[/i], there is a sudden shift in Leaf Nation's attitude towards John Ferguson Jr. (JFJ) -- and perhaps rightfully so -- but only a month ago collectively we were calling for JFJ's head on a blue and white platter, and now, with puppy dog eyes, we offer our death-bed sympathies.
There is no denying that JFJ's treatm...
Lost in the recent gush of love and goodwill for new Hawks owner Rocky Wirtz and team president John McDonough is an undeniable, hard fact:
If the Blackhawks fail to win a Stanley Cup in the next five years, a lot of people are going to be very disappointed.
With the Bulls stuck below .500 and baby-sitting Joakim Noah, the Blackhawk franchise has the opportunity to d...
Well, it's coming down to crunch time before the trade deadline and already we have been bombarded with rumours about us getting a guy and them getting a lot of our guys. If you are like me, you have probably thought about what the numbers are and who is in the mix. Well, technically everyone is in the mix (e.g. Vokoun) but, I thought I would give the info on who our UFA...
Kelekin writes...
2008-09 Off-Season: Calgary Flames (An Early Look Ahead)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It'll be an interesting off-season for the Flames this year.
To look ahead, this will be a make or break off-season in regards to whether or not the team will be able to compete in the two or three years thereafter.
Currently there is 40 million locked up towards next year's salaries, with about 10 million to spare. The question remains, what will we be able to do wi...
MVP : Henrick Zetterberg
Best Center : Jason Spezza
Best Winger: Ilya Kovalchuk
Best Defensemen : Nicklas Lidstrom
Best Goalie : Martin Brodeur
Best Rookie : Tobias Enstrom
Best Unknown Rookie : Kris Letang
Best Tough Guy : Chris Neil
Let's hear your picks hockey fans.
While discussions run rampant of how the Leafs should dismantle their club, trading Sundin and bottoming out in the Eastern Conference seem to be the most approved tactic from fans of the blue and white. I am completely behind this plan, but many have overlooked some prospects in our own AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.
The Marlies are enjoying a successful season u...
I don't even know if they would be able to keep frozen ice in there, but for the Montreal Canadiens' 100th Anniversary, Olympic Stadium is an ideal venue for a Regular Season game (vs. Toronto, Boston or Ottawa on New Years Day).
If you have unsuccessfully tried countless times to get some Habs tickets, you know how fast this game would sell out. They could do a couple ...
[b]According to the Columbus Dispatch[/b], the Blue Jackets are believed to be interested in defenseman Fedor Tyutin of the New York Rangers, and possibly center Erik Christensen of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
[b]Could we be seeing the fruits of a long-standing stay [/b]by the scouts of these two teams, especially the Rangers? Tyutin is young (24) and looks to be coming in...
Thought this would be fun. Below I give you players that will be UFA's at the end of the season. Next to the players is a Factitious contact. Who would you sign?
Marian Hossa (5yrs - $40,000,000)
Pavol Demitra (2yrs - $8,500,000)
Brian Campbell (6yrs - $37,000,000)
Cory Stillman (3yrs - $13,000,000)
Mats Sundin (2yrs - $12,500,000)
Markus Naslund (4yrs...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
With Timmy Connolly, Jarsoslav Spacek, Derek Roy, and Maxim Afinogenov still out on injuries the Sabres fall to 0-5-5 after a loss in Madison Square Garden to the Rangers. The first period seemed to be owned by the Rangers without a doubt. The boys couldn't get the puck out of their own zone. This time no one can blame Ryan Miller for the loss considering he let two int...
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...
[b]APOLOGY TO THE CALGARY FLAMES FANS[/b]
I noticed as a fan blogger now I have never really laid up on my bashing of the flames. Well that is plain wrong how can I really seriously consider myself a fan of the league if all I do is bash the home team I live in.
Well that is ending today I want to make sure that I am a fan of the NHL which includes well the ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Beat Wild - With Habs Assistant GM Watching.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Flames snapped their four-game losing streak with an important 3-2 shootout win over the division-leading Wild. With the win, Calgary is now one point back of the Wild in the Northwest. Truth be told, they should and would be ahead of Minnesota if it weren't for a quick whistle late in the second that wiped out a Kristian Huselius goal. I don't usually criticize refs f...
[i]"Come inside, the shows about to start
Guaranteed to blow your head apart
Rest assured youll get your moneys worth
The greatest show in heaven, hell or earth.
Youve got to see the show, its a dynamo.
Youve got to see the show, its rock and roll . . ."[/i]
- Emerson, Lake, & Palmer
The Isles went to NJ, and if you watched the pre-game show, you would hav...
I was thinking back to the post-lockout Caps and all the journeymen that made a pit stop in Washington. I decided to check up on a few of these familiar names and share my findings. So here we go:
[b]RICO FATA [/b]- The guy with the soul patch who was always flying around the ice with no particular destination in mind has moved on to Germany. Now in his se...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Any Given Sunday - Flyers Ice Panthers and Look Ahead
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_079074991201LZZZZZZZ.jpg[/img]
[b]Any given Sunday...[/b]
With all due respect to Oliver Stone, while that phrase obviously related to football, it rings true in all professional sports - with hockey being no exception. On any given Sunday, any team can beat any other team.
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/al...
Haven't been on here much in the past month what with Christmas and work but I just wanted to comment on a couple of things. I'm not going to discuss the Flames up and downs, simply some of the players performances and thoughts. Pictures however are from ESPN.com.
- Warrener has been a healthy scratch the last two games. Is he worse than Eriksson or Hale? I know Keenan...
Before we get to the game, an update on Ryane Clowe. He skated (yesterday, I believe) for 25 minutes by himself, but Ron Wilson said that he won't be ready until March.
"He won't be ready until March at the earliest," Ron Wilson told Emmons. "He's got to build up his strength. We're not going to risk him. Obviously, we could use him, but we've been getting by without hi...
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 ...
[b]So it's bad enough Colorado is without Joe and Ryan...now more bad news: Stazz is out for 2-3 weeks after appendix surgery.
There are two ways to react here:
1) Q and the coaching staff ask the players to step up to the plate and get 'em fired up *coughHejdukLilescough*. Hensick has been called up, according to Chopper. This guy is going to be really good someday...
For a league that struggles to market to the mythical casual fans without upsetting the die-hard fans, the Winter Classic could not have been more perfect for the NHL.
A cold, blustery day with light to moderate snow in Buffalo provided the perfect backdrop for Pittsburgh's entertaining 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, but the game was about far more than the score....
[url]http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603738534916/[/url]
First I want to thank the Flyers organization for hosting the event tonight. It was awesome. The opportunity to get to meet the whole team and get things autographed is a huge thank you and it is much appreciated.
Thanks to all the folks I hung out with Tonight Erica, Brooke, Karen, HF, Sharon...
I think that Brian Burke is an overrated General Manager and alot of his praise should be given to Senators GM Brian Murray. The only good move he has made was the pronger deal. He lost Penner to RFA when he had ample time to sign him. Neidermeyer only signed because his brother plays on the team, it had nothing to do with Brain Burke. He signed Bertuzzi to a moronic deal ...
I don't like making posts about games I never went to, but I feel this one should be an exception. I'm going to go through the game sheet so you can get an idea of the twists and turns of this game.
[b]1st Period[/b]
2.30 Blaze score on the powerplay - Huppe from Weaver and Cloutier. They now lead 3-1 on aggregate
2.34 Jeremy Cornish and new two-way signing for Coven...
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...
Long time, no write...but I had to throw in my two cents on the ridiculous non-call last night and the recaps from the San Jose Sharks Staff (website) and the AP. What a joke!!! Rivet's hit on Morrow at the end of the 1st was a clear-cut, textbook boarding penalty. Yet, neither official made the call and at least one of them was starring straight at them! I thought one...
He looks like Mister Heat Miser. Please Barry Shave it off. You look like a complete bunghole.
Some players who might help your team.
Andrei Kostitsyn (MTL) winger : He has 18pts in the last 19 games
Nicklas Kronwall (DET) Defense : He has 20pts in the last 28 games
Mike Mottau (NJ) Defense : He has 5 pts in the last 9 games
Kris Letang (PIT) Defense : He has 4 pts in the last 6 games. Watch out for this guy. He's a stud in the making. Grab him up w...
Pavol Datsyuk
Jason Spezza
Mike Richards
Andre Markov
Brian Campbell
Nicklas Kronwall
Dion Phaneuf
Shane O'Brien
Kris Letang
Marian Hossa
Rick Nash
Henrik Zetterberg
Wojtek Wolski
Lee Stempniak
Andrei Kostitsyn
Ian Laperriere
Kevin Bieksa
James Wisniewski
Ryan Clowe
Eric Godard
Rick Dipietro
Ray Emery
They have some positive monemtum, having captured two of their last three games and allowing only 5 goals in that span. They are heading into a home and home against Boston followed by two consecutive home games against the Thrashers. These teams are not the best out there but they have played good hockey of late. For the Rangers, all four of these games are winnable yet a...
I couldn't care less if you think Columbus is a joke. And I REALLY don't care if you think Rick Nash is overrated, under-performing, and overpaid.
Last night, Rick Nash truly showed all of the NHL what he can do - what the Columbus faithful he knew he had all along.
With just over 10 minutes to go in the 3rd, Nikolai Zherdev (one of the biggest surprises this season...
In Ahead writes...
Kolzig Saves His Best for Last as Caps Move Into Third Place
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Edmonton Oilers were 11-2 in the shootout with 18 goals on 40 tries. The Washington Capitals were 0-2 and had allowed 7 goals in 14 attempts. Nothing had to give, but it did, and the Caps skated away with the victory after Olie stopped all 12 Oilers shooters and Matt Bradley scored for the first time in three career shootout tries.
The Caps' unlikely victory looked ...
Has anyone seen Chris Kunitz? Where did the banzai-skating, run everything that moves, open up space for your line mates and fastest player on the ice go? Either the NHL told him to slow down and stop running opponents or someone whispered in his ear and told him he was a finesse-style player and could avoid contact and still be effective. Either way, he is lost and we ...
Hey hockey fans across the US and Canada. Earlier in the week the Isles continued their own version of the pursuit of perfection against the New Jersey Devils. Unlike in their sub par performance against the Habs, the Isles came out to play, immediately stopping a Devils attack. The Isles drew two quick penalties on the same shift and turned that into Bill Guerin's hig...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Call to Arms! Lighthouse Project and more on a big weekend
Posted Friday | Comments 0
For anyone who follows sports or goes to concert on Long Island, they have suffered. It’s not that Nassau Coliseum is a bad place. Just an arcane relic to another time and place. We can sit in its cold embrace and shiver, and then tell people, well its a piece of old time history. But let's be real. It's time for something new. When Charles Wang took over the Isles, he s...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Stomp Kings; Potential Dilemma: Tanguay AND Huselius?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Flames stomped LA 6-1 tonight. The Flames were able to get away with Jarome Iginla not getting any points tonight, as Daymond Langkow got a hat trick and Matt Lombardi got a goal and assist. With the win and Minnesota's loss to Anaheim, the Flames now lead the Northwest by one point. However, Flames fans shouldn't get used to it, as Calgary doesn't play again until Tue...
Like Frankenstein's Monster, I was nearly driven off the chicagoblackhawks.com message boards the other day by an angry mob of villagers wielding pitchforks, for daring to say that the Hawks had no chance of making the playoffs.
"This is a fan board. Why are you here?" One poster reasoned.
I am a fan. But I am also a journalist, and therefore I need to make objective...
I'm a little Cantankerous today!
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
I enjoy your feed back.
Already Sidney Crosby's unfortunate slide into the boards at the Igloo has been treated by most hockey media outlets as The Titanic, Hindenburg and Kennedy assassination all rolled into one. The NHL Networkwent out of it's way to let us know that Crosby's injury is a league wide issue and not just a Penguins issue.
Will Crosby be missed at the All Star game? Sure. But ...
The Nashville Women's Ice Hockey League is having an open house today with a scrimmage and on-ice demonstrations. If you're a female hockey fan in the Nashville area, go check it out.
You can try on hockey equipment, get a mini-skating lesson, and shoot at the net. Best of all, it's free! ($2 if you need to rent skates)
Registration starts at 1:30, and the festivitie...
The situation in Leaf's Nation is very interesting. The Rumour of the Toronto Maple Leafs perhaps trading captin Mats Sundin brings butterflies to every Leaf fan in Toronto. The trade was suggested by hockey expert Bob Mckenzie. The trade would be a 3 way deal. The teams involved would perhaps involve the Calgary Flames, the Montreal Canadiens and of course our very own To...
So much has been made about Calgary's cap "troubles" coming up next year, so let's actually break it down and see what contracts, and what roster spots are up for grabs next season.
Contracts in place, assuming no trades happen before the 08/09 season, not including potential extensions:
???? - ???? - Iginla (7.0)
Tanguay (5.250) - Lombardi (1.817) - ????
Moss (.5...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Live: Flyers Comeback 5-3. Nolan Not Happy with Effort
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[i]"No time for love, Dr. Jones"
- Short Round, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom[/i]
What's more important that Hilary beating back Obama in Nevada. Or Romney taking another for the Republicans. It is that I make my return to the Isles Blog Box to kick off 2008. Ok, not that stupendous. But, throw me a bone here.
I met Jon Jordan, our Tampa Bay blogger and fe...
Yes, we just lost 4-2 to Toronto, but I'm not speaking on emotion.
I'm speaking as someone who has watched this team closely all year long, their trials, triumphs, and tribulations.
This team is close of being a playoff team, but it's just not there at the moment. [b]It's one or two players short.[/b]
Look at the Sabres' recent losses to Atlanta and the Rangers, w...
Okay first of all get rid of Sundin I love him at heart and stuff but uh... we havent won a cup in over 40 years hello?? 2nd of all try to get someone like Mat Carle or Steve Bernier a franchise player who can step up... We need someone who can fill the shoes. step up take an A and put points on the board my suggestion Patrick Marleau and Steve Bernier for Antropov and Sun...
The last few weeks in this city have been frustrating; not just for MLSE, but for Leafs fans everywhere. With all the drama, accusations, job scrutiny and calls for the heads of many in MLSE upper management....I think many people forgot that the Toronto Maple Leafs are a hockey team rather than a business enterprise.
Needless to say, it was very calming and somewhat e...
I was just in Riverton Manitoba home of the "Riverton Rifle" (Reggie Leetch) He puts on an annual hockey tournament for the kids and has a huge auction of hockey memrabelia and raises money for the hockey rink in Riverton. This year he brought a dear friend of his (Lord Stanley). I got my picture taken with the cup and Leetch and examined it closely. I noticed that the nex...
The Blackhawks are looking at Brian Campbell as a possible trade. Willing to trade are Tuomo Ruutu and Cam Barker and also Nikolai Khabibulin. I see nothing impressive with the people they are willing to give up. I would love to take David Bolland off their hands. Besides they have Byfuglien as their offensive defensemen....
Hawks are also trying to go for Liles from C...
According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, word around the league is that the Flyers are gaining interest in Sundin and it's speculated that Holmgren may be willing to move Jeff Carter and a 1st round pick for Mats Sundin.
My Take: At first glance, this is quite a shocker as Philly is one of the deepest teams down the middle with Briere and Richards in addition to C...
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...
dgutzman writes...
An Honest Evaluation of the Nashville Predators Part 1
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
So as it would be, I am sitting here in Nashville celebrating the XMAS with family and while everyone is still asleep, I thought I would think about putting up a new blog about the Predators. Its been a long time since I have due a new job I took on around last XMAS. But after watching last night loss(Not even going to comment on the offense or lack of effort), I thought...
The Capitals' win over Florida last night moved them to .500, the same exact winning percentage of the top teams in the Southeast Division. Atlanta, Carolina, and Washington each have a point per game, but only the Caps are moving in the right direction.
Bruce Boudreau puts the Capitals .500 record into perspective -- the way we've come to expect from the coach who seem...
It was quite a tragic story. The biggest and strongest boat ever made set sail. It was said to be unsinkable, a feat that would be revolutionary in the industry of shipping. The inside was a luxurious as the outside was beastly, its many ballrooms, dining rooms and beautiful cabins making it quite a piece of work. There was no doubt that this journey would be a one of grea...
Yup, we all know what nees to be done.
This team; players, coaches, and management all need to a good long look at each other and decide what changes need to be done now to get better. The Sharks are not going to win the Stanley Cup this year at this rate, and if they want to make an attempt at it this year or even next year, we need changes.
The changes are not a ne...
Oh, the wonder of Toronto Maple Leafs' fans cheering against our once beloved team. It's a sad but necessary process which strips the energy and magic from cheering on the Buds.
Delusional as it is, most of Leaf Nation just pushed aside the terrible management decisions and held on to our lucky charms while praying to god - who is known as Mats Sundin for the Blue and ...
In every season where we have to reflect on what’s transpired, and what must happen going forward. Here we go.
This team misses Ron Hainsey, and they dearly miss Sergei Fedorov’s composure. There was a glaring inability to move the puck against Colorado, who really could have taken the night off and won the game.
A lack of consistency from the back end on out is ...
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 ...
[b]Some interesting Flyers stats for the month of January thusfar:[/b]
* 7-1-1 in the Month of January
* Biron is 2-1 while Nitty is 5-1
* Flyers have been outshot 303 - 268
* Outscored opponents 38 - 23
* Combined, the Flyer goalies have a 2.56GAA while they have a save percentage of .9240
* Opposing goalies are giving up an average of 4.22 goals per ga...
The Kings are the nest team on my list, I know the kings fans are disappointed with this season. I feel the kings have a lot of potential with young players in the future. I feel the Kings have plenty of solid young players, to make there future bright.
Why be positive about the Kings? I say to that is the reason to do this blog there are plenty of reasons to be positi...
That was the story for Coventry on Sunday. After deservedly going one down at the end of the first period, they rallied to score seven goals in the second to ease past thier rivals, Cardiff Devils.
Cardiff are short-benched at the moment, missing their starting NM so were always going to struggle.. but it was the superior creativity and finishing of Coventry in the 2nd...
Matthias, brought up on emergency recall, just might not be sent back down. After recieving a call while interrupting a game of NHL 08 he quickly packed his bags and was on his way to New Jersey. Needless to say it was not long at all before Matthias was impressing the players, Jacques Martin and the fans.
Matthias played a great game in New Jersey although not scoring ...
1,168 miles.
That's the distance from my front door to the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The last two times I'd made this trek, the home team had been shut out - once in a disappointing season opener, the other in a horrendous showing that turned out to be Butch Goring's last stand as Islander coach. On Saturday night, Richard Park made sure that wouldn't happen...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNGaMeCjnqo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603765387115/
Hi everyone sorry this is so late. I was with friends who have people visiting from Finland and I felt it more important to be social.
I got to the game last night early. I wanted to say hi to all my friend going into the Phantoms. I did not go to the Pha...
mapleleaf92 writes...
Just Win, or just lose, Leafs fans don't want both.
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Over the last few weeks, the word inconsistent has been made synonymous with the Toronto maple leafs. I have exams to study for, so I'll make this quick.
Sportsnet blogs and other sources say that the recent 3 game streak may not even be enough to save John Ferguson's job. Cliff Fletcher might be hired THIS WEEK. Then again, someone else made a good point that, unless M...
millertime writes...
Buffalo Doom & Gloom: Leafs-like situation may blow team up
Posted Monday | Comments 0
All the attention of the Hockey World, it seems, is on the Toronto Maple Leafs, but there's now a disaster just two hours southwest.
Someone told me it's the Curse of the Buffalo Bills that has inflicted this team. The moment they stepped on the ice at Ralph Wilson Stadium, they got a heavy dose of "We find ways to lose" injected into their bodies. Now I don't know if...
Well give me a long weekend and I'll have a few odd thoughts.
-What the Hell is up with the Rangers. I mean, idiots like me were saying that Sather was just doing things the old Rangers way back this summer. But I never thought it'd actually come to pass. By that I mean just signing big names without a thought of how they'd fit or what the chemistry would be like. He ev...
(All, I am no longer HB28, but my real name. Nice to meet you)
I just got done responding on Al Cimaglia's blog with regard to Denis Savard's system.
Make no mistake, Savard-Bashers. He has a system. He has a vision. And it's working.
As a Hawk fan, it's very easy to be cynical about any member of the front office or staff who comes from within the ranks. For year...
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=227906&hubname=
TSN is reporting that MLSE actually made a decision.
JFJ will no longer be holding the reins (if he ever really was) of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Announcement expected today.
Looks like Cliff is the man... and the only way he would take the job is if MLSE agreed to HIS terms, as Howard Berger outlined in his blog.....
steal_your_faceoff writes...
White Hot Flyers: Dragnet and the Preds North
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img:left]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_dragnet_logo.jpg[/img][img:right]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_dragnet.jpg[/img]
While not everyone was around to watch the television show [b]Dragnet,[/b] most everyone has likely heard of Sergeant Joe Friday (played by Jack Webb) and his signature line, "Just the facts, ma'am."
Since the...
What has gotten into Johan Holmqvist as of late? Back to back shutouts against the high-powered Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators? On the road?
Maybe one can credit the addition of Kari Ramo into the equation. No longer can Holmer expect mediocrity in the form of Marc Denis to be competing for his job. Kari is young, hungry and wants it, something that Denis had n...
At the beginning of the season, the Blues went on a fairly aggressive ad campaign with the slogan "Whatever it takes". These commercials featured players and/or executives talking about the Blue Note Code. One of the things said in these ads was "we will not be outworked". However, anyone who watches the Blues lately can tell that this as been far from the case.
Team...
Heading into tonight's game against the Blackhawks, the Sharks have put in a string of poor efforts. On a homestand that is very important in the middle of the season, the Sharks shave stubmled out of the gates. Hopefully tonight they can put it all together tonight and put in a good 60 minute effort. There have been many things missing from the Sharks' game so far on this...
Andy Murray has done a spectacular job turning this team around, despite the recent slide in the standings.
But the honeymoon is over with Murray. Crunch time has come, and the team is flailing. One of the knocks on Murray's coaching style is that he loses control of the veteran players as they lose faith in his system, which sounds eerily similar to the Mike Kitchen fi...
TheMike12 writes...
Who are you, and what have you done with the Senators..
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Ive been watching the last 5 Sens games and noticed some people, skating around, i Ottawa Senators Uniforms, but...wait..something isn't right...this cant be MY Ottawa senators, this isn't the Team I love so much???the REAL senators don't drop a 5-3 loss to the FLORIDA PANTHERS who are these imposter's...and what have they done MY SENATORS!!!
Another game against what I...
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_2000yard.jpg[/img]
Tom Lea, a gifted artist and World War II correspondent for [i]Life Magazine[/i], painted a picture that is famous not only for its stark portrayal of battlefield stress on an American Marine during the battle for the island of Peleliu in 1944, but also as a foreshadowing of what we know today as ...
Tootoo's injury was the last straw. It appears that my fantasy hockey curse is back in full force this year.
So I did it. I made the ultimate sacrifice.
I dropped all the Preds from my team.
[sniffles]
I had dropped Gelinas and Hordichuk early in the season. I dropped Bonk a few weeks ago.
On Sunday, I dropped Tootoo, Legwand, Suter, and Radulov. The change ...
[b]Well tonight's game certainly had its share of ups and downs for both teams. I thought Colorado came out with a lot of speed and energy to start the game, flying up the wings and making smart passes. Then came a disheartening goal by Weber who let one rip from the point on the PP. Shortly thereafter, the Preds continued to press and wound up hitting 2 posts (if i'm not ...
So it has finally happened…..After sitting on what could be compared to death row for months now JFJ has finally been executed. I know that is a little harsh but at the same time it can’t be fun knowing that everyday you go into work it could be your last, having a boss that told the hockey world and anyone else that was listening that he made a mistake in hiring you ...
To start, I am completely behind the signing of Cliff Fletcher as interim GM. With the interim status he will be given the green light to undergo a series of changes in Leafs land, and all signs seem to point to the big, flashing rebuilding sign, I really don't have to explain why. However, some fans are skeptical on Fletcher because his track record of depleting youth and...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
The Phaneuf Questions; Flames Learning To Win Without Iggy
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I'm sure I wasn't the only Flames fan who almost had a heart attack when they logged on to Hockeybuzz to find a Phaneuf trade rumor on the front page. I probably take Eklund's rumors more seriously than most should. I'm still pale skinned and shivering with the possibility. However, the idea of Phaneuf being traded is both more and less possible than some might think.
T...
One thing that struck me during the first period of last night's Hawks-Sharks tilt, is that whether or not Al Cimaglia, myself or anyone else thinks the Hawks are a playoff team, the Hawks themselves think they are a playoff team. That matters. And that is a credit to the youthful exuberance of the players, along with Denis Savard and his staff.
The Hawks came out flyin...
[b]Knowing that the playoff push [/b]has started in earnest for them the Predators posted an impressive 4-0 road win over a team that they are chasing in the standings. Resembling the M.A.S.H 4077th more than the team that started the year the Predators played inspired hockey in their victory over the Av's.
While Chris Mason's recent play (4-1-1, 1.32, .948 in last 5 G...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Isles Finally Beat Carolina 6-3 and Some Defensive Talk
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Two bitter defeats and the news on Campoli had to be on their mind. This team was facing a challenge. Nolan added to this by resting [b]Rick DiPietro[/b] (more on that later). So with Dubie in goal, the Isles went to Carolina in the daunting task to notch a win against a team that beat them twice. Once was a blowout, the second a come from behind win that whitened Isle fan...
Great win by the CBJ last night in Dallas. What a great time for Russell to get his first and second! Zherdev continues to amaze me with his ability, effort and unselfish play. And how about the fact he was on the ice with Nash up by only one goal with less than a minute left to play! Also, Brassard looks good with Nash and Modin-love the effort by this kid. And what about...
Jsaquella writes...
Campbell Must Act Harshly..But Of Course He Did Not
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Last evening, in a Rangers-Thrashers game, Ilya Kovalchuk hit Rangers defenseman Michal Rozsival from behind, into the boards, while leaving his feet. It certainly meets all the criteria Colin Campbell listed when he ruled that Steve Downie's hit on Dean McAmmond was worth a 20 game suspension.
To remind us all, Campbell said Downie's hit met the four requirements for a...
Some of us are on the verge of conceding this year as lost cause for the Sabres. If this is the case, it's time to start thinking about putting up the "For Sale" sign at the trade deadline. Here's a look at our tradable assets and potential trading partners.
Our tradable assets (and their approx remaining cap at the time of the deadline)
Maxim Afinogenov (1.3m)
Tim ...
How nice is it to be a Flyers fan nowadays? At the All-Star break last season, the Flyers were sitting with 27 points and in the midst of a January where they accumulated four points - yep, four. The O&B were well on there way to the most futile season in the franchise's history. Oh, how times have changed.
So far, 2007-2008 has seen our club return to - at th...
Hey guys. I just thought that I would bring up a real interesting topic, that may or may not be a major factor in the up coming weeks. It's as simple as this and it's called the Dion Sweepstakes. Quite frankly I feel that maybe this could be above and beyond what Calgary fans want, trading away the Top young D-man in the Leaque. I wonder what we could get in return, surly ...
I have been a man of allegiances for many years now. I cheer for Vancouver, Bosaton and Dallas. There are other teams I root for when the playoffs get going, but I have always cheered for those three teams.
I have always had a healthy hatred for the Red Wings and the Maple Leafs. I live. I breathe. I hate the Maple Leafs.
Something has happened to me this year. Amids...
[img:left]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20061107/DionPhaneuf_43250.jpg[/img]
The idea that Darryl Sutter, the GM of the Calgary Flames and one of the most intelligent, well-rounded and respected GM's in the entire National Hockey League trading away All-Star and possible future Norris Trophy winning defense man Dion Phaneuf is one of the most preposterous rumor...
Every coach uses their favorite phrase: "We need to compete for sixty minutes." It is so often overused that it becomes overlooked. You hear the coachspeak and instinctively turn the other cheek. I'm guilty of it, thank god for a digital recorder.
The Blue Jackets celebrated their long-awaited return to Dallas (turns on sarcasm detector) on Tuesday night, looking for an...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
10 Reasons to Watch the All-Star Game...the East
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/allstar_645.jpg?t=1201147680[/img]
With no football to contend with, the NHL All-Star Game might actually gain some viewers in the U.S. I hope and pray that Versus does the All-Star Game justice and that neither Timonen or Richards gets hurt.
Without further ado...
[u][b]10 Reasons to Watch: East[/b][/u]
1. ...
All I have to say is that I pray to god that Peddie keeps his nose out of the hiring process. We all know the guy has no clue what to look for in a GM. His Hockey sence is 0%. I do not understand for the life of me why the board puts this guy incharge of Hockey operations. He was lip sinking Fletchers words like he was some kind of puppet or something. Just when I think th...
In a previous blog, I stated that playing San Jose was a better measure of the Hawks' playoff-worthiness than the Hawks' previous four opponents.
And in some ways, so is Columbus, who the Hawks face off against tonight at the U.C.
With San Jose, it was more a question of: if the Hawks win, then yes, they should be considered a serious playoff contender. But if they ...
My analysis of the Kolzig dilemma.
I would like to preface this by saying that I realize that he is very loyal to the organization and deserves respect for that. No one can argue that he wasn't a great goalie. He was. I also realize that many fans are attached to him, much like many fans are still attached to Bondra.
However, there comes a time when it is apparent th...
Different game, same story for the St. Louis Blues in their 3-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
For the second time in as many games, the Blues had a goal disallowed at a critical juncture of the game, and this time, the marker would have been the game winner. Both times, the play was blown dead, even though the puck was in the goal and the goaltender didn't have possess...
[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 ...
The Washington Capitals have spoiled their followers lately, instilling an expectation that they will win every game - especially against foes that have worse records. Of course this is a silly notion. But what we have seen from this team is its ability to avoid consecutive lackluster performances, giving us plenty of hope for tonight's rematch in the District.
The Caps...
[img:right]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20071024/kelly_68861.jpg[/img]It hasn't been mentioned quite that much, but earlier this season NHLPA executive director Paul Kelly introduced the idea of changing the season schedule from an 82 game season, to an 84 game season. The NHL board of governors will get the opportunity to vote on the idea this weekend during the Al...
[b]Well I didn't get to see the whole game as the Leafs game was taking air-priority on the *cough "channel" cough* I was watching. When i picked up the game finally it was 1-0 and suddenly a blast from Rolston made it 2-0. Colorado has been alright at digging themselves out of a hole this season (remember, Flames fans?) but leaving yourself this wide open against the Wild...
Finishing with 3 wins and 2 losses. Could have been two wins, with three losses. Or four wins and one loss. But, we finished 3-2. Winning two in a row, and both could have just as easily been losses.
Ugly games.. you gotta win them. Unless you don’t wanna make the playoffs. If you don’t wanna make the playoffs, lose the ugly games, I don’t care. The Jackets are ma...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603792558331/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrmanMIMZu8
Thank you to my hockey team"hell if I know", HF, Rad, The Finns, Theresa, Brooke, Kristin, Sharon's Husband and Dad and anyone else who came to say hello. It is so awesome to see so many people.
I got to the game with great time. I parked over by the 11th...
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] ...
[i]"Charlie, here comes the deuce. And when you speak of me, speak well. "
- Crash Davis, Bull Durham[/i]
We should have known what was coming. After all, Boston had an embarrassing and bitter defeat at the hand of the Montreal Canadians the game before. Meanwhile, their goalie, Tim Thomas was tapped to be an all star and to join Isles goalie Rick DiPietro when Marti...
While Gomez, Staal and Dubinsky will hit the road and travel to Atlanta for the All-Star [u]Weekend[/u] (thank goodness), the rest of the Ranger team will be preparing for a road trip of their own. The Rangers will be playing in Carolina, Philadelphia, New Jersey and Montreal in a six day span beginning Tuesday. The struggling Blueshirts will not be able to walk over these...
famousjon writes...
HB power rankings should be renamed power rumors (e4)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Collectively, the West has a 57-31-7 against the East, yet 5 of the top 8 teams in the rankings are in the East...?
Only one team from the West that has played 4 or more games against the East has a losing record against the East: Chicago at 3-4-1. Two teams are 1-2 against the East: San Jose and Minnesota.
Only one team in the East has had real success against ...
leafguy69 writes...
A New Beginning in Leafs Nation...or more of the same??
Posted Friday | Comments 0
With the John Ferguson Jr. era clearly behind us now and Cliff Fletcher back at the helm of the Maple Leafs ship. We can only hope there are no icebergs in the water.
With roughly 30 days remaining until the trade deadline it is paramount that the Leafs brass make trades for future help, meaning draft picks and young players, preferably under the age of 25.
The next ...
DucksFan07 writes...
Two Good Hockey Films - The Rocket and In the Crease
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Although Slapshot is the finest hockey movie ever made, there are a couple of others that I've recently watched that are focused more on the drama and struggle of hockey and less on the comedy. The two movies that I recommend are "The Rocket" and "In the Crease."
The Rocket is the story of Maurice Richard. Besides the obvious scoring records that Richard is known for,...
I kind of stole this idea from THN but heres a list of changes that I would make if I had one day to do anything and everything to the NHL. Let me know what you think and any other ideas that you would like to see.
[b]1. Florida Panthers move to Winnipeg [/b]
I don't know how this team manages to survive in Florida. They haven't made the playoffs since 2000-01. They h...
During Friday's coach's roundtable session on the NHL Network and NHL Home Ice XM 204, San Jose coach Ron Wilson responded in a curious manner to an interesting question.
The thought was, has the NHL suffered from a lack of characters in the game? Specifically, the examples of Tiger Williams riding his stick after a goal and Don Cherry's flamboyant style behind the ben...
Have a great weekend and thanks for reading.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Some hockey Pool advice and some crazy quotes and ideas.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603794370420/
For whatever reason Friday nights from my work to the Wachovia Complex doesn't take as long so I had an easy time getting down and in. There was just a ton of people at this game last night. I basically had to park closer to the Wachovia Center then the spectrum.
I picked up my ticket at Will call and ...
The core fans are the ones who buy the products, the tickets, show up to games. The perimeter fans, you have to have them, just like you have to have and develop new fans all the time, but you better take care of that core fan first.
This is why the NHL needs to get back to cold weather cities, the Core is in the north, period.
My idea is a migration of teams nort...
monoxide164 writes...
Young Stars Game the bright spot of 2008 Skills Competition
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Three years removed from the NHL lockout and the young talent continues to look better and better with every drop of the puck. The 2007 Young Stars Game was a joke, plain and simple. It was boys, not men, floating around the ice and cherry picking at the oppositions blue line looking for a breakaway.
Yawn.
Quite a different scene displayed by the young talent selecte...
OK, maybe not in the best taste as far as a headline. But it is time to "clear the air" on a range of subjects and misperceptions surrounding the Blackhawks.
[b]"Tallon should be fired. He isn't acquiring the players we need to compete."[/b]
FACT: There are roughly 25 teams in both conferences "in the hunt" for playoff spots right now. Most of them, by the way, are m...
I have been looking forward to doing this blog on the Sharks. Mark Freitas and Ryan Garner are very good friends from Hockey Buzz. I hope you don’t compare my blogs to those two awesome bloggers because it will make me look too bad!
The Sharks are a very puzzling team. I truly believe this team has all the talent to take it to the next level. The Sharks have the tal...
Among the hardest qualities to evaluate in competition are the intangibles of "beauty" and "creativity." This is principally because those not in the creativity business erroneously assume that anyone can make competent evaluations of creativity or artistic merit based solely upon personal opinion, with no objective criteria in place. This is the "I don't know much about...
I came across this video that shows when the NHL expanded the All-Star Game to an All-Star Weekend.
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcloVGwI80Q[/url]
After watching, bring back the original events! That crowd is really into it.
I've had just about enough of all the talk about "how we can improve the all-star game." Some "experts" have even suggested that we drop the all-star game completely. People always say how the all-star game "isn't what it used to be." The reason is blatantly obvious. All-Star games are for children, and corporate schmoozing. Unless you fit into one of those categories, the...
Mark Recchi :)
[b]The first person to tell you he is disappointed [/b]about not receiving the MVP award in the All-Star game will be Rick Nash. Yes, he had a hat trick, and you could certainly make the argument that all three were very nice goals.
[b]The All-Star game is billed as a showcase of talent[/b]- the game's best players on the same stage for one night. Hockey fans cannot den...
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 thought I had seen it all when it came to people making biased comments regarding the actions of Philadelphia Flyer, Steve Downie, but Mr. Gage, it seems, has raised the bar when it comes to prejudice against the notorious rookie. In his recent Blog [url]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?blogger_id=102[/url] , Gage concludes that Downie actually went so far as to fak...
Second half of the season starts on Tuesday, and I like the fact that it's so close in the standings. It's ultimately good for the sport to have as many teams as possibly vying for a playoff spot right now and makes up to certain hockey excitement that people only could see in the playoffs.
Another thing that makes more games more exciting to watch is because of the am...
The Sabres HAVE to use this weekend off as a method to cleanse thier system of the first half of the season. If they get their act together quickly, they can climb right back in the playoff hunt.
After losing 12 of their last 14 games, they can climb to the 8 spot by THIS FRIDAY if they take care of their own business (at Tampa, florida and Atlanta) and things break ri...
-Everyone goes out of their way to credit Anaheim's turnaround to the return of [b]Scott Niedermayer[/b]. Why has no one pinned their lousy start on the fact he sat home for the first 20-some games?
-Speaking of which, since veteran players can apparently take off a ton of games at the start of the year, why all the uproar about going to 84 games?
-Which all-star(s) ...
Needless to say, Ferguson has left one hell of a mess in Toronto. Currently, Toronto has about 49.8 Million dollars committed to players, with about .7 million dollars left in Cap space. However, for next season, there are 19 players signed to 44 million dollars. Assuming that the cap goes up to 53 million, we will have 9 million left to ATTEMPT to get back, Sundin, Steen,...
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 ...
As we get closer the NHL trade deadline I like most Leaf fans out there await the first of what seems to be many moves Cliff Fletcher makes. There has been much talk of potential trades and moves that could be made by Cliff in the days to come, but there is one question that I have and it’s a question that I don’t know if anyone has an answer to. The question is what...
Well, I've been quiet all year long on the blog site, and now that I've had time to reflect, and some sleep, here are some things that need to be addressed, IMO.
1. Team doctors screwing up with misdiagnosises
Well, it's kind of hard to knock a Dr. on his/her practices if you are not in their shoes. People have been saying the team doctors have dropped the ball w...
Thank you, Bill Guerin ...
I've been yapping all year long (for years, actually) about how just getting into the playoffs should [i][b]never [/b][/i]be [i][b]any [/b][/i]team's goal. Ties may be gone in the NHL, but mediocrity is also about as satisfying as kissing your sister, so the analogy remains. While I [i][b]am [/b][/i]grateful to have the Islanders qualifying fo...
Here we are, post All Star game, staring at the last 32 games this season. The games that will make us or break us. It will answer the question, are we playoff contenders or pretenders.
Of course, we start this chain of games off with another visit by one of the top teams in the NHL, the Ottawa Senators. The Senators came into the All Star break halting a 3 game skid wi...
If you had to pick one discussion topic this season that gets hockey fans talking, it would have to be suspensions. And no, I am not referring solely to Flyers fans (although we would certainly apply). Colin Campbell has made headlines all season long in deciding how and when he chooses to dole out his form of justice. One word pops into my head when I look back on Mr. ...
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...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603818156314/
Thanks to everyone who stopped to see me, Txted, called and I saw after the game.
Shout outs to Julie, Sportsnut88, Rad, JSF, Brooke, Karen, and Theresa
Thanks to Kristin for letting me go with you. That was very fun and I hope I laugh as much on Thursday night.
I called into Buzzcast on my way to th...
The rumour mill intensifies with each passing day. Will M. Gainey pull the trigger? What are the needs of Montreal? What is the price the Habs are ready to pay for a rental? To think that Sergei Federov is everything this team would need seems laughable at best.
Laughable but certainly not unrealistic and even less as bad as it's sound. Let's look as some facts on ...
[b]To say that it was inevitable is an understatement[/b]. Tonight, the inevitable became a reality.
The Blue Jackets traded long-time fan favorite and noted pugilist Jody Shelley to the San Jose Sharks for a 6th-round pick in the 2009 Entry Draft. Not a glorious return, but seemingly a good bargain for both sides.
[b]Not a huge financial gain for the Blue Jackets[/b...
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]Last Nights Game:[/b] Two things went wrong for the Preds last night. We ran up against a goalie who stood on his head and won that game single handily for his team and the second thing that went wrong was the referee crew. Yes I've read the comments that running into a goalie gives you a free pass most times on retaliating but last night went over the line. Why Chara o...
So, you want to be a playoff team? This has been the Isles wish since back over the summer, when Ryan Smyth evaded their extended grasp, and they were forced to change their free agent direction. It is why the Isles will likely not sell off pieces, making all efforts to achieve a spot and a chance at glory.
So, you want to be a playoff team? They've made strides with th...
NickBoston writes...
Blues vs. Leafs Recap; Who Should the Blues Acquire?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The first game back from the All-Star break was an unimpressive one for the Blues, but they managed to pull out a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday night in the Air Canada Center in Toronto.
Keith Tkachuk scored two goals in the first 5:48 of the first period, and David Backes scored a goal of his own in the second period to lift the Blues to...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens lost to the Thrashers 4-1. Conklin was in net and stopped 16 of 20 shots. Whitney had the only goal (Christensen, Talbot). The Pens had 30 shots on the night. They played a fairly good game. With the injuries, I thought it was a good effort. One thing that is positive is that thtey never gave up and played until the bitter end. No o...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Vince Lombardi, Faith, Discipline and Spontaneous Combustion
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:WRTGGbGdEuc9dM:http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/packer/img/insider/may02/vince522.jpg[/img]
"It's easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you're a winner, when you're number one. What you've got to have is faith and discipline when you're not yet a winner."
[b]- Vince Lombardi[/b]
First off, I hate foo...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Get Character Win v. SJ; PHANEUF RE-SIGNING IMMINENT
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Flames won an important character game against San Jose tonight, 5-4. Not only did they beat the league's best road team at home, they also beat the second-ranked Sharks for the second straight game. Jarome Iginla remained goalless for the eighth straight game, so the Flames remedied this with a hat trick from...Owen Nolan! It was what you might call Trade Bait Night f...
Goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere slammed his stick behind the bench . Then he kicked the boards on the bench. This was just after giving up 3 goals in the second period to the Wild. Are the Ducks overrated?
After giving up 3 goals in 2 minutes Giggy was pulled.
"I probably would have done the same thing," Giguere said. "I'm not mad at Randy for pulling me. I'm mad at the si...
[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...
First, let me start by saying that Alex Tanguay is one of my favourite players - he always has been.
Alex Tanguay is a great NHL hockey player. Before this year, he was a Power Play specialist, had a great shot, great passer and never complained (and still never complains). When the deal was heard that Tanguay was traded to Calgary for Leopold, Calgary was ecstatic.
...
The Rangers Rolled over the other night and let Carolina take the game. The officiating opened the gate for the storm and missed a boarding call on Gomez. Then the reffs called Shanny for a lazy (give me a break call) . Oh well, the Rangers should have used this as motivation and ran with it. Instead the team got small and let the speed of the Canes take over.
I...
The final minute of Washington's loss to Montreal has drawn much debate over the past two days. People (mainly in the Washington camp) are upset that the Canadiens put their top power play unit on the ice in the final minute when they were up 3-0.
This is the National Hockey League, full of professional athletes that are being paid exorbitant amounts of money to play ...
[b]The road ahead for the Blue Jackets doesn't get much easier[/b]. Following what could have been this year's most disappointing loss (at home to Phoenix), the Jackets pack their bags and head down to Darth Vader's lair. True, the Blue Jackets ended their 12-game losing streak to the Predators in Nationwide Arena on January 12, but playing in Nashville has been an entirel...
[b]At the beginning of the month, I admit I was pretty skeptical about the Avs chances to make the playoffs. With the injuries to Sakic and Smytty it was looking more and more likely that the Avs could miss the 2nd season for a second season in a row. The month did not start out very well as the team continued its dismal end to December, going 1-3 in the first 10 days but ...
Here goes my first blog, but I finally have something that needs to be said.
I watched the Pens/Thrashers game last night on TSN and saw "the hit".
[sarcasm]Oh my god, Ruutu ruined Kovalchuk with a blatant knee-on-knee dirty hit that will obviously end Kovalchuks career and cement Ruutu's legacy as a Samuelsson clone! [/sarcasm]
Are you kidding me? Ruutu finished ...
In this months issue of USA Hockey there was an article about an effort to eliminate icing the puck legally in most leagues, well kids leagues during powerplays. What a great idea if you think about it, you know what it was like when you played as a kid. Your team would get a powerplay and you end up chasing the puck the entire time. Even as you got older it was nearly imp...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603832119151/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-RDO4-r3m8
Shout out to everyone I saw tonight; Theresa, Brooke, Karen, Rad and of course the old friends I ran into by chance.
Thank you again to Kristin! It was a bad game but it was still fun hanging out.
Ok Flyers faithful I am to blame for tonight's loss. I had ...
I did some calculating last night.
By my count, the Islanders have now been in rebuilding mode for 15 consecutive years. Since the 1992-93 season, they haven't made it out of the first round of the playoffs. With 2001-02 now nothing more than a minor blip on the radar screen, in terms of regular season success, the Isles have remained stagnant for almost 5,500 calendar ...
Survivors on a deserted island.
No hope of rescue.
For the next 30 games, they will be tested beyond their limits.
For the Islanders are . . .
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/lostisles.jpg[/img]
Each player joined this club with hopes of success, but also leaving behind perhaps their troubled past of unfulfilled potentials. They gave themselves to a ...
Hey pens fans,
The Pens have acquired forward David Gove from the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Joe Jensen. Gove played 45 games this season scoring 23 points for the Albany River Rats, the American AHL affiliate of the Hurricanes. Gove will report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Jensen was originally selected by the Penguins in the eighth round of the 2003 NHL Draft. He rec...
[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 ...
[b]The AVS begin February with a 2-0 loss to Detroit in Motown. What more can be said? A lot.
The first period was a tough one...Colorado gets 3 shots on net but played a good portion of the period in the box, including a 5-3 on which bombs were dropping from Lidstrom and Rafalski (among others). What really struck me in this period was our poor passing. Whether it was...
The Maple Leafs' line-up is starting to take on a Marlies complexion as bodies continue to drop to injuries or otherwise.
With Nik Antropov suspended for 3 games and John Pohl out with an ankle injury, it is expected Robbie Earl will make his NHL debut tomorrow night when the Maple Leafs host the Senators.
Chad Kilger remains out due to personal reasons and Boyd Dev...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Risk And Reward: Evaluating Potential Top Line Centers
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Flames' need, or at least want, for a top line center to play with Jarome Iginla seems to have expanded beyond the realms of fans playing armchair GM. During the second intermission of the Flames-Sharks game on Wednesday, TSN's Darren Dreger reported that, with the issue of re-signing Dion Phaneuf now all but officially out of the way, Darryl Sutter is shopping for suc...
It's definitely seemed quiet in Blackhawk Nation of late.
After Wednesday's pathetic 6-3 loss to an even more-injured (than the Hawks) Avalanche club, the Blackhawks have settled in Silicon Valley for tonight's tilt against the Sharks and another two day rest following that.
But some things have changed. The scathing remarks from Denis Savard have become quite positi...
Enjoy my friends.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603836578690/
Thank you #23 and Mrs 23 was good to hang out with you guys @ practice.
Shout out to all the outside peeps.
Cote was first one out. Niitty then Kukkonen.
The whole team skated today.
One slight line change Upshall with Briere and Gagne.
Lupul practiced they were mostly using him as 8th D...
Personally I've always had it in for Ray Emery. I didn't like him before he became a number one for the Senators, and I didn't like him once he assumed (usurped) the starting role from Dominik Hasek. I didn't like him when he put Mike Tyson on his helmet, nor did I like him when he took the Senators to the Cup Finals. I didn't much care for his road rage incident, and I...
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...
My tour now takes me to the east. I will be blogging more often so I can go through all the teams in the East, so expect me to change mid-week to another Eastern team. The first team in the East takes me to the North Eastern Conference.
The Boston Bruins -- maybe one of the biggest surprises this season; well in my mind, they were, sorry Bruins Fans. I had no idea of ...
In last night's 3-2 shootout loss to San Jose, Denis Savard made a real head-scratcher of a decision, sending out Cam Barker as the Hawks' shooter on a do or die try in the shootout.
If he made it, the Hawks' stayed alive for another round; if he didn't, they lost. And he was sent out ahead of Tuomo Ruutu, Martin St. Pierre and Yanic Perreault.
He didn't make it. An...
Brock was the next big thing. A huge specimen of a man who was NCAA Wrestling champ and best in the country. He, right after college, signed a big money deal with none other than Vince McMahon's World Wresting Entertainment. He was developed, cultivated, and went up the ranks with a huge push right to the top. Brock was champ. He was physically imposing. He was a hilarious...
Why is is when the Leafs are a playoff team they couldn't beat the Ottawa Senators during the regular season to save their lives.......but now that they aren't they have little problem with them? I know Alfredson and Heatley didn't play but still if the Leafs were a playoff team they would have found a way to lose!
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...
The general consensus is that this is mission impossible for Fletcher. Personally, I think he is in an amazing position (and I think he knows this). For the first time EVER in Toronto a GM has zero expectations to win (actually, most would prefer if they lose), he has free reign from management and fans to trade who ever he wants, he has the authority to eat salary to cl...
As I sit here, pondering over the NHL standings, Anaheim sits in fifth place in the Western Conference with 61 points. With Niedermayer and Selanne back in the fold, and the additions of Schneider, Weight and Bertuzzi making up for the loss of Penner and McDonald, a lot of people are picking this team to repeat. They have a good argument.
But here’s some scary numbers...
Hey pens fans,
Last night, the Pens mounted 4 goals in the third to down Carolina 4-1. Christensen, Sykora, Malkin, and Malone got the goals. Conklin was in the net. It was a solid effort by the team. They looked a little off in the beginning, but they picked up, took control, and never looked back.
Beech is with the team and practicing. Look for him sometime in t...
I dont know why all the media is worried about these guys with no trade clauses. Demoting Players to the minors for the season like the Rangers did with Kasperitus will have these guys with NTC running out of T.O. The only player the franchise owes anything to is Matts everyone else either wiaves it or gets demoted. No one will play a season with the marlies they are way t...
CAPMESS11 writes...
RANGERS COULD PULL A TIKKANEN BY GETTING ROB BLAKE...
Posted Monday | Comments 0
In March 1994 I sat down to watch the Rangers take on Mark Messier's former team. The Oilers were in town, and I cranked up MSG just after dinner. Anticipating a great game, I got an extra suprise when the Rangers traded one of my favorite young players Doug Weight for Esa Tikkanen. It was a deal virtually done in the halls of MSG. Weight walked from the Rangers dressing r...
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...
I posted this as a comment in one of the topics in the forum, but I felt it was long and detailed enough to post as my blog as well;
First of all....I would make no major changes to the game itself....maybe just eliminate the instigator penalty.
Some of you guys are arguing that owners would lose too much money expanding the ice surface........ummm.....why the hell d...
Greetings Hockey Fans,
Horcoff is gone for the season. Kevin Lowe is left with 2 options, firesale or just try to keep burke from getting the #1 pick.
If he moves people here is a list of who should go and in the most ideal situation what we may get for them.
Fernando Pisani - 2nd Rd. pick/some russian having trouble signing
Jarrret Stoll - Only for a first round...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens fell too the Devils in OT on the road. the final score was 4-3 Devils. Malone, Sykora and Staal had the Pens goals. Sykora got his 6ooth point. Malkin had 2 assists. Conklin was in goal stopping 21 of 25 shots. In the second, it loked like there would be no stopping the Pens from this victory, but in the end they were stopped. The P...
hambly writes...
NHL Players To Strike in Support of Sidney Crosby's Ankle
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[i]Disclaimer: This news piece is not-entirely-factual and is for entertainment purposes only![/i]
[img:left]http://phasezero.ca/img/news/crosby.jpg[/img] TORONTO, ON - The NHL Players Association has decided to strike until Sidney Crosby's sprained ankle recovers. "The players see no reason to play the game until Sidney's ankle returns to the ice," Paul Kelly, NHLPA E...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Put Up Pitiful Performance; Drilled By Oilers
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Cold on the heels of their close 2-1 home loss to the Stars on Saturday, the Flames got crushed 5-0 in Edmonton tonight, souring CuJo's first start with the Flames. Let me tell you, I didn't watch much of the third period (because Prison Break was on, and also the Flames were down 3-0 after two) but I can tell you that this was the absolute worst I have seen the Flames pla...
[b]Not counting Saturday's loss to Minnesota[/b] (which I refuse to blog about), it's been a quiet few days for the Blue Jackets.
The deafening silence may soon be lifted, however. The acquisition of defenseman Dick Tarnstrom from the Oilers signaled a ray of hope from GM Scott Howson, parting with an expendable asset in order to get something the Blue Jackets need- tra...
In years past, the Blues have virtually stripped their roster at the deadline by trading away veteran UFAs for picks and prospects. From Doug Weight, Keith Tkachuk and Bill Guerin alone, the Blues received: 3 first round picks (Ian Cole, Patrick Berglund, David Perron), a second and third round pick, Jay Barriball (the former leading goal scorer at the University of Minnes...
Wow after the pounding the Flames took at the hands of the Oilers, this makes me wonder if the cup dream is dissapearing in Calgary. I know it is only one game, but there is a trend when the flames face teams that out match them with speed. It seems to me that the Flames d man really struggle, stopping guys with speed. I think that Sutter should address this problem. I loo...
First things first, I love Huselius, and I think that he is infinitely talented, but I feel that the Flames are going to have to cut him loose for the benefit of the club. Surely the return would be great for Huselius, someone who many claim was robbed of an All-Star game spot, and he could be an impact player for a team that would barely sneak their way into a playoff spo...
Dear Mr Peter Forsberg,
Let me first introduce myself. I am the nice lady who smiles and loves to take pictures at Flyers practices and games. I am a Flyers die hard but don't hold that against me.
Mr Forsberg, the reason I am writing this letter today is that I would like you to remove Philadelphia from the list of teams that you are considering signing with in t...
[b]The Blue Jackets suffered yet another humiliating defeat tonight.[/b] This time, it was the red-hot Washington Capitals who rallied from 2-0 and late 3-2 deficits to win in overtime, 4-3.
Alex Ovechkin scored the overtime winner at 2:28, and added the Caps' first goal of the night. Backup Brent Johnson shook off a rough start and carried the Capitals into overtime, m...
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 ...
Coming out of the All-Star Break, the Blues started out great, winning their first two games against Toronto and Anaheim. But recently, they've squandered an opportunity at four easy points against an injury-depleted Colorado Avalanche team, and a down-and-out Tampa Bay Lightning squad. Saturday's game against Colorado was a perfect example of not taking advantage of a per...
In an effort to answer that, I found the best thing to do is not to try at all. It IS for all intents and purposes probably the most frustrating season in recent memory. Here's the facts- you have a world-class netminder, 2 sure fire hall of famers up front(jags and shanny), 2 very good/execellent centers (dru and gomer) the biggest pest in the league (avery), the total...
[i]"It's tough. I'm not going to lie . . . Now is a time when we'll see what sort of character is on this team. We'd like everybody healthy and going, but that's not the case. We have to buckle down and right the ship."
- Ted Nolan[/i]
[i]"There are plenty of teams with guys hurt . . . We have to find ways to win. We can't focus who's hurt. We have to focus on who's h...
The Montreal Canadiens are gelling right now and I see a reason why we should not get a rental player. The first reason is our team is close to 1st in the east so why mess with them. Another we will be giving way to much for rental player such as the likes of Hossa. The only reason to go for a player like that is if we have knowledge that they will sign with us and keep th...
Hey pens fans,
There are plenty of rumors flying around out there, with the deadline approaching. Here is the run down of the Penguin ones.
Hossa: Atlanta is lookinig to move him before they lose him to free agency. They want to make the playoffs and they have some slots to fill in the roster. I think Hossa will move. I would say the Penguins are one of the more ...
[b]Flyers: First Place by a 2 3/8"[/b]
Just ask any goalie...the post is part of the equipment. Flyers fans are pretty happy for that belief. The left post of Antero Niittymaki lifted the Flyers into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division with 65 points.
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/goalframe.gif?t=1202313344[/img]
(Click on...
It is very tempting to get behind the Sharks when they go on a win streak. It is tempting to start believing that the Sharks are starting to get to that Cup contender form that was predicted before the season.
Are they really, truly playing the way all of us believed they can do?
Or are the Sharks going to go on another skid for a few games down the road?
It is ha...
Swede writes...
Bruins Playoff Push: The Last 10 Games and Trade Deadline
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I know I am looking ahead, but the next 20 games will go by quickly and then we (as fans) will be looking at the last 10 games to see if Boston can clinch a playoff spot. Lets be honest, it won't happen before this because the race to the playoffs all year has been tighter than (insert joke here).
Here are the last ten games Boston plays, all but 2 against division riva...
As I attended the last two home games of the St. Louis Blues the title is the only word that can describe the feeling I had walking out of the Scottrade Center. After a thrilling shootout win over a very good Ducks team, the Blues got outworked and didn't show any sense of urgency the past two games. Granted, Manny was his All Star caliber self the past two games, but seri...
[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...
Before the Washington Capitals take on the Philadelphia Flyers tonight at the Wachovia Center, goaltender Ron Hextall will become the 19th player inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame.
Hextall was drafted in the 6th round of the 1982 draft by the Flyers behind superstar goalies like Mario Gosselin, Dave Meszaros, Shawn Kilroy and Dave Ross. In his first year in the NHL...
The Flyers need to start taking the puck into traffic and creating offense. The last few games things have been way to fancy in the offensive zone. Also play more physical in the defensive zone.
[b]Period 1:[/b]
Lines
Greentree - Cater - Knuble
Cote - Dowd - Kapenen
Umberger - Briere - Lupul
Hartnell - Richards - Downie
Defense
Timonen - Vandermeer
Jones - ...
Currently the New York Islander's sit in the 13th slot of the Eastern Conference. Fortunately for them, they are only five points out considering how deep they are in the standings..but this only adds to the frustration and confusion of what the Islander's should do.
If you ask me...(and I know that no one has so far, but I'm going to give my two cents anyway), the Isla...
Starting today, half of the proceeds from ticket sales for the Feb. 7th Preds game will be donated to tornado relief efforts in Tennessee.
The Preds organization will donate half of the revenue from remaining ticket sales to the Red Cross to assist in relief efforts following the storms that hit Tennessee on February 5. Red Cross volunteers also will be at the game acce...
Following Tuesday's night's loss to the defending Stanley Cup Champs, the news got worse for the Islanders as Miroslav Satan has been declared a no-go for tonight's game against the surging Pens. Despite being without Sid the Kid, the Penguins sit in third place in the Atlantic, just a win behind the top-seeded Devils and a point behind the second place Flyers. With Mike S...
Trotz has said it. The players have said it. The prognosticators have said. I've said it. Everyone has said it...this is playoff hockey. The Preds are in the midst of a stretch run that could be one of the most exciting in recent history.
I thought it was put rather well by Carolina Hurricane Cory Stillman in an intermission interview during the Versus broadcast on Tues...
With [b]Alexander Ovechkin[/b] soaking up the spotlight, and [b]NBC[/b] repeatedly opting out of showing [b]Penguin[/b] games to showcase other teams, how bad has [b]Sidney Crosby[/b]'s injury [i]really[/i] been for the [b]NHL[/b]?
When are [b]Sabres[/b] fans more annoying, when the team is winning or when it's losing?
What's harder to find: a fully occupied row of s...
Can anyone recall exactly why the NHL decided to shut 'er down for a season? I think it had something to do with salaries spiraling out of control, attendance in lots of markets were down and owners were losing buckets of money.
Fast forward to today.
As of Feb. 7, 2008, only 11 of the 30 teams are averaging at (or above) arena capacity this season. 10 teams are av...
Greeting Hockey Fans,
So Oil Country I have some questions for you in regards to this team. I hope to get some response, as I am curious for other opinions on some issues I have heard being discussed. So here's a couple questions with a few talking points for your enjoyment or displeasure.
1. If he was available, would waive his NTC, and could be had for a reasonable...
First and foremost so this blog makes sense, I fully expect Forsberg to be a Flyer if he returns. There are two glaring signs right now that tell me he knows he is coming back here IF he returns to the NHL.
#1 The rumored contract offer is 2 years at $1.3 million per year with incentives, similar to Sellanne's deal. This is not a contract the Philadelphia Flyers would ...
[b]'Tis trade deadline month I hear, and each day that we get closer to the 27th, the more itchy the "trigger fingers" become as General Managers try to find the best ways to improve their teams. The Avalanche are notorious for big-time deadline acquisitions - though in recent years the "blockbusters" have been somewhat lacking. Considering all this, here are 5 transaction...
The Buffalo Sabres have one of the best young forwards crops in the league. They are a enigma as to why they don’t have more points in the standings. Their defense is led by super star Mr. Campbell. The goaltending is solid; that will have to continue to improve to help this team make the playoffs.
The Sabres' strengths are their age, speed, and strength. Their for...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Can't Break Down Bulin Wall, Lose 3-1 To Blackhawks
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames lost 3-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks tonight, as Nikolai Khabibulin continued his dominance of Calgary with his 19th career win over the Flames. The Flames outshot Chicago 12-6 in the third period, but were unable to tie the game despite several close chances. With the loss, the Flames miss out on an opportunity to take the Northwest divisional lead, as Mi...
Anyone out there sick of hearing about the leafs on all the sports channels, internet blogs, and radio shows? I personally am, and I have developed a hatred for the leafs.
Although the Maple Leafs are the centre of the hockey world, they are not the centre of MY hockey world. I think it is unfair that every Saturday night that I sit down to watch HNIC, The leafs play th...
With last night's 3-1 victory over Calgary, one streak ends, and another is probably beginning.
Other than a rash of injuries to key players and the emergence of Pat Kane and Jonathan Toews, that's been the story of the Hawks' season thus far: back-to-back-to-back winning and losing streaks of 4-6 games. Those are the hallmarks of a very young team, and a .500 team, bot...
First and foremost so this blog makes sense, I fully expect Forsberg to be a Flyer if he returns. There are two glaring signs right now that tell me he knows he is coming back here IF he returns to the NHL.
#1 The rumored contract offer is 2 years at $1.3 million per year with incentives, similar to Sellanne's deal. This is not a contract the Philadelphia Flyers would o...
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 ...
Hockey has always been a very intimate sport. The players humble, the fans knowledgeable, the media low-key. In a way, I almost like that not as many people watch the NHL as other sports, because when I do come across those who are a fan - they know they're stuff. Hockey fans know their sport. In baseball, basketball, and football there are many more casual fans of the gam...
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...
Une nouvelle saison debute dans la ligue de hockey cosom de l'ETS. Pour le National il s'agit d'un nouveau commencement. En effet, le capitaine Boivin et ses boys, voudrons faire oublier le desastre de la derniere saison. Souvenons-nous l'ecroulement en premiere ronde des series...apres avoir connu une saison parfaite!
[b]Devant le filet[/b]
Pour la premiere fois depui...
Oh, it's just another stinker from the Washington Capitals against a Southeast opponent at home when they are trying to stake their claim to the division lead.
Six days after allowing Atlanta to skate away with two points at the Verizon Center, the Capitals let the Hurricanes regain control of the division in a game eerily similar to that Thrashers loss. The Capitals ...
Enjoy.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Any comments are appreciated.
Have a great day
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Lydman Comes Down With a Case of Kalininitis
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Toni Lydman and Dimitri Kalinin have at least one thing in common. When they're bad... THEY'RE BAD! If you see either of them have a bad giveaway in the first period, it's a "lock" that you will see each of them have 3 or 4 more turnovers over the course of teh rest of the game. Miller must [i]LOVE[/i] this.
Coming into the season, Lydman seemed to be much more sol...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603881306439/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFlwc_Hi-5A
First Thank you to Theresa for taking me with you today. I enjoyed hanging out. I look forward to meeting up Thursday night.
2nd Hi Brooke, Karen, Sandy, TFF, HF, Flywing15 aka Sharon, Rosanne, Joanne
Joanne was in the pic for todays game. Brooke, Theresa,...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Down Oil 4-1 On Eve Of Five Game Road Trip
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames rebounded from a relatively lackluster performance against Chicago on Thursday to defeat Edmonton 4-1 at the 'Dome tonight. Owen Nolan continued his strong play, leading the way with two goals. Dion Phaneuf also scored for the Flames, with Jarome Iginla adding an empty netter. The Flames are currently in seventh place, remaining two points back of Minnes...
I had to rub my eyes when I read Tim Sassone's column at 1:30 this morning. Was it a dream? Was I hallucinating? Had I had one too many glasses of Barolo earlier in the evening?
The Blackhawks are serious contenders to sign Peter Forsberg.
Checking elsewhere, I read more. Yes, the Hawks have made a strong, multi-year offer for the 34 year-old, oft-injured superstar c...
[i]"I got up feeling so down
I got off being sold out
I've kept the movie rolling
But the story's getting old now
I just looked in the mirror
Things aren't looking so good"
[/i]
Here we are . . .
[b]
Feeling Minnesota[/b]
You can almost hear Chris Cornell's throaty growl as you stare at the TV screen or read your morning paper about last night's game. Once ...
While not a Leaf fan, I always enjoy the talk about every single player in organized hockey wanting to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It always happens around Trade Deadline Tuesday and July 1. Of course, it hasn't been helping that the Leafs are on the bubble every year recently to get in, and likely need the boost. Anyway, the Leafs need to do some major trades this d...
It’s official. The “new” NHL is just as out of control as the last one.
The other day, I used the phrase “Patrick Sharp money” while talking about Dan Cleary’s contract demands. (Yes, Dan Cleary is allegedly thinking about holding out for a pay raise. Dan freaking Cleary. He’s had one good year this year, and that warrants a big raise?)
Wait a minute. T...
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 ...
mojoworld writes...
Trade this, trade that -- The Canucks won't be trading much.
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
THN has some interesting trade suggestions for the hockey world to see, but at the end of the day, I think they're still long shots. The Nagy trade suggestion for a draft pick is pretty useless. We don't have much to give up right now and it really wouldn't profit us to try and make incremental improvements right now to the team by risking more draft picks.
The Sundin...
Sitting up in the 300 level for a sabres game at the HSBC arena lets you see everything. When Richard Zednik was hit in the neck with a skate out of the corner of my eye i caught Ryan Miller and Brian Campbell waving there hands and what looked like them to be yelling their heads off for a trainer to get to Zednik ASAP. Earlier in the night Miller had called for the refere...
The first big trade has happened. Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore are headed to the Ottawa, while Patrick Eaves and Joe Corvo are headed to Carolina.
This is very good trade by Bryan Murray, taking advantage of Carolina's desperation for a puck moving defenceman. He brings in two guys who know how to win in the post-season and have a wealth of playoff experience. They ...
I have a first hand account on Zednik's incident. It was terrifying from the other end (section 108). Though, a nice decision by Zednik to 'sprint' of the ice to make trainers' jobs a LITTLE easier (again, kudos to the trainers from both sides) and within a few seconds, all I could see is a trail of blood from the right circle in Miller's end all the way to the Florida...
!!! Dernière heure !!!
Rumeur de transaction chez le John Deer...Selon nos collègues de RDS, le nouveau capitaine du John Deer serait à préparer le retour au jeu du vétéran défenseur Julien Lapierre. Qui aurait l'épée de Damoclès sur la tête. Selon les rumeurs, l'ex joueur-entraîneur Rich "Rocky Rouquin" Pascone écoperait. Sa mauvais attitude, son manque de...
!!! Derniere heure !!!
Rumeur de transaction chez le John Deer...Selon nos collegues de RDS, le nouveau capitaine du John Deer serait a preparer le retour au jeu du veteran defenseur Julien Lapierre. Qui aurait l'epee de Damocles sur la tete. Selon les rumeurs, l'ex joueur-entraineur Rich "Rocky Rouquin" Pascone ecoperait. Sa mauvais attitude, son manque de communicatio...
The Blues today called up goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu and forward Yan Stastny from Peoria, and have sent backup goalie Hannu Toivonen to the Riverman for conditioning.
Toivonen started Saturday night in a 6-2 defeat to the Dallas Stars, and was pulled in favor of a sick Manny Legace after allowing four goals. He is 5-6-3 in 16 games played this season with a goals a...
With the NHL trading deadline 2 weeks away, and the Buffalo Sabres sitting one point out of 8th in the Eastern Conference, its about the time for Darcy Regier to begin looking at how to add to a team just beginning to hit their stride after a rocky season.
here is my list of guys for Regier to go out and look at it in the next 2 weeks, along with the guys who could draw...
Mats Sundin the all time Leaf scoring leader is rumoured to be willing to waive his no trade clause for certain teams in a bid to help the Leafs future, i being a Leaf fan would love to see the Big Swede return in the summer, since at this time we do not have anyone who can replace Sundin's point production, Sundin will most likely be traded along with a current roster pla...
The Habs may very well be the most improved team this season. They are the best passing team in the NHL. Their forwards are among the most talented in the League. They have the speed to match their skill in the offensive zone. Their power play is simply awesome, one of the best teams in the League. The Habs have the defense who will and have pitched in for the offense...
Just read a report on WGRZ.com in Buffalo, NY that Richard Zednik has been upgraded to Good Condition and will be moved from ICU to a private room sometime this afternoon. I am thrilled to hear that news and wish him and his family the best!
-Sabrestalker
On a team full of offensively challenged defenseman we have seen flashes of brilliance from the Swedish defenseman Johnny Oduya. In recent weeks his point production has slowly begun to climb and he has had two very Orr like rushes down the ice, that resulted in Devil's goals. However, not all is rosey in Devils land and Johnny has often found himself watching the games ...
On a team full of offensively challenged defenseman we have seen flashes of brilliance from the Swedish defenseman Johnny Oduya. In recent weeks his point production has slowly begun to climb and he has had two very Orr like rushes down the ice, that resulted in Devil's goals. However, not all is rosey in Devils land and Johnny has often found himself watching the games ...
So after reading endless posts about the leafs, and who they could get for our captain...I thought i would just put up a list of players i would love to see in a leaf jersey once the trade deadline passes. I am not an NHL GM and find myself unqualified to be planning trades, but here are some players i believe the leafs could get their hands on with the right moves by Mr. ...
It is very clear to me that change is needed in Calgary, in order to win a Stanley Cup. Change in Goal, no. but the rest of the team has struggled with consistency. i think we need to address the fact that we only have one true goal scorer in Iginla, the rest are hit and miss. This defence core has struggled in consistency with Sarich looking more like he is playing shinny...
AlexanderScharf writes...
What The Rangers Are Missing: 2. Determination
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]Determination:[/b] [i]Firmness of purpose; resolve.[/i]
There is a famous saying, "Where there's a will, there's a way." If you decide to accomplish something and commit yourself to acheiving success you will reach your goal, however lofty. Conversly, if you do not commit yourself to work hard you will not achieve. Hard work is usually the recipe for success. When th...
So here we are on a gray, dreary, snowy eve. Or as they call it in Buffalo and Toronto . . . [b]Tuesday[/b].
[i]"One game at a time"
- Ted Nolan[/i]
Ted is being interviewed for a pregame where he is talking about the good things in the last two games. And no matter the doom and gloom, they have played far better the last two. The pressure is on tonight. The colise...
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...
I have talked to a couple of people tonight that have told me the Blues and Penguins are definitely talking trade. The Blues apparently have expressed interest in defenseman Ryan Whitney and forward Erik Christiansen, among a few others.
If a trade is indeed made, it looks as if defenseman Barrett Jackman is one of the definite names mentioned to be heading to Pittsbur...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Kiprusoff, Phaneuf, Iginla Beat Sharks 4-3 In OT
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames opened their big five game Pacific roadtrip with a dramatic 4-3 overtime win over the San Jose Sharks. Jarome Iginla scored the winner with 25 seconds left on the clock, one-timing a nice pass from Phaneuf from the left circle. This came after Phaneuf had sent the game to overtime with 49 seconds to go with a wrister from the blueline that found the back...
You know when you ride that really scary roller coaster and you thought you had a great time...that is until you get off and realize that you were clinching your fists so tight the whole time that you cut off circulation. That's how last nights game against Detroit felt to me...a bit too much of the white knuckles.
[b]The Start We Needed:[/b] Wow! I don't think anyone s...
Daniel Cleary was a first round pick in 1997 by the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks would only see 41 games from Cleary before bailing on him in a worthless trade to the Oilers. The Oilers didn’t benefit much from Cleary either as he played four seasons with the Oilers producing 35 points on season but otherwise wasn’t affective. Cleary would play one more season for a W...
10:07 p.m.: Some quick post-game wrap-up...Big win for the Sabres. Miller 1st star with 35 saves and Gaustad with the GWG. Other updates since Buffalo's game ended, the Habs win in OT 2-1, Boston holds on to win 2-1 and they actually pass the Rangers in the process, at least for now, as they have one more win and two games in hand.
Updated Eastern Conference standings l...
[i]"I missed being around the guys and the team," said Simon after practice. "I'm ready to get back out there and help the team. I've learned from my mistakes. I'm going to try and be the best I can be when I come back. What happened in the past is always going to be there, but I look to now and getting ready for tomorrow."[/i]
Luckily when he says tomorrow he means it ...
The Dallas Stars are #2 in the NHL. They have two of the top scorers in the Western Conference playing on their #1 line, one of the best defenders the game has known, the greatest American player, and an elite goalie. Why does no one care about them? I realize Dallas is a football town. I also realize that the Mavericks and Rangers will always get more coverage than the St...
In past seasons Dallas' main need has always been a goal scoring winger. Last season Ryan Smyth would have been a perfect fit. In July Ryan Smyth would have been a perfect fit also, but that is another blog for another time.
Right now Dallas sits 5th in goals for. Dallas also sits 6th in goals against. You can rule those Marty Turco for Martin St. Louis rumors ...
There have been a great many Sundin-rumours thrown around of late, but there is one that leaves me scratching my head. Sundin to Vancouver for a package headlined by Ryan Kesler. Why Ryan Kesler? Why is he the important piece to centre a deal around? I've seen him play and he doesn't stand out to me as an impact player. When people start talking about him like he's a seri...
What I want from the Hockey Gods for the trade deadline.......nothing, yes you heard me nothing. Well let me rephrase that nothing in the name of Hossa or Jokinen with their huge price tags of higgins, plekanecs or both. Yes Hossa would be a dream but higgins is young and can be great
Higgins: 6 ft 199 lb for 3 full season (icluding this years on pace for) ...
If last night provided a snapshot of the Hawks' lineup the rest of this season and next (with a few tweaks), then Hawk fans have a lot to look forward to: three scoring lines and a really active, dominant defense.
Yes, Columbus came out flat. And they were also without their standout goaltender, Pascal Leclaire. But all games, and all teams, are in some ways measuring s...
Alright. Well. In the last two games against the Wild, the Canucks have looked ugly, disgusting, and in all senses of the word, unattractive. It seems fitting that this game falls on VD, which, in addition to being an anagram for Valentine's Day, is also an anagram for something ELSE that may or may not share characteristics with my descriptions of the Canucks' play agains...
In case you haven't heard, oft-suspended Islanders forward Chris Simon is back practicing with the team as of yesterday, is eligible to return February 21st against Tampa and will do so immediately, according to coach Ted Nolan:
[i]"I can't see why he wouldn't get right back in the lineup. Other guys get injured and then get right back in. I don't see this as any differ...
[b]The high octane Chicago Blackhawks[/b] come calling tonight to the Sommet Center fresh off a 7-2 thrashing of the Bluejackets last night. One can only hope that they used up their allotment last night.
Led by a core of youngsters that will make this team dangerous for years to come the Blackhawks have fallen out of contention and appear to be destined to be a .500 ho...
It is official!
Blueshirts Goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist has signed a six-year contract extension of $6.875 million per season. No more speculation on free agency after this season, our very own Olympic gold-medal winner can no longer be distracted with contract matters. The Rangers just bought you and we all can now reclaim your old moniker "The King." Or at least, here'...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Philadelphia Flyers: How Long to the point of know return?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]How Long to the point of know return?[/b]
[i]I heard the men saying something
The captains tell they pay you well
And they say they need sailing men to
Show the way, and leave today
Was it you that said,[b] "How long, how long?"[/b]
They say the sea turns so dark that
You know it's time, you see the sign
They say the point demons guard is
An ocean grave, fo...
Are you like me, are you constantly checking every and any possible website for possible trade rumors. Are you watching countless hours of sports news hoping to hear it first. To hear that Sundin has waved his no trade clause, or that Tanguay will sadly be shipped away?
With all of these expectations, I'm actually expecting to have a dull and dreary trade deadline. What...
While, I'm not an overly big fan of the no trade clause, it does afford the bearer of such a clause the right to say no, just as Redden did last week. But, let’s make no mistake about it; there is a marked difference in the situation surrounding Wade Redden versus that of Mats Sundin. Wade Redden is much closer to winning a cup in Ottawa than Mats is in Toronto. Redde...
tyler_31 writes...
Canadian T-Deadline Gameplan: Part I of IV - Calgary Flames
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With the NHL trade deadline fast approaching, and Canadian hockey fans everywhere stockpiling the beer and getting the work-escape plans ready, I thought that I would analyze each Canadian teams game plan for trade deadline day, highlighting each teams needs, possible trade bait, and what players they could be targeting. Today, I will begin with the Calgary Flames. Friday:...
I'm going to be doing a series of these, with a new team each day.
Today we look at the Dallas Stars, who continue their search for a scoring winger to play with Modano. This search has been ongoing for years with very little success.
In the offseason the Stars tried very hard for Jason Blake and Slava Kozlov, only to lose out on both. The Stars hoped to get their wi...
tapeter writes...
50 in 50 in Reach? The Spectacle that is Alexander Ovechkin
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I finally had the NHL Network added to my programming a week ago, and obviously I can't turn it off. Something that they were talking about the other day was Mike Bossy's "50 goals in 50 games" accomplishment. I knew that he was the second play to ever achieve this after the great Maurice Richard, but I was wondering how many times it was done after him, so I looked it up....
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens were in Carolina taking on the Hurricanes. The Pens lost 4-2. Brooks Orpik scored his first goal since 2005 and Malkin had the Pens' other goal. Sabourin was in goal stopping 42 of 46. The Pens' penelty kill struggled tonight and allowed 3 goals. The Pens only had 20 shots on net, as well. It was a mediocre effort for the Pens and th...
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...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603903730908/
First Post Happy Valentine's to all. I hope it was a good day for you.
Second Thanks to Anna for coming with me. That was fun we have to go again.
Third Shout out to everyone Mr And Mrs 23, Sandy and the kids, Brooke, Theresa and her Brother, Rad, Kristin, Rosanne, and anyone I may have forgotten.
...
[b]Man...I could think of a many headlines to describe last nights game[/b]. I could go for the obvious and make reference to a St. Valentines Day Massacre. Maybe the Preds had a Red Wing hangover following their emotional win on Tuesday. I could go subtle and talk about how the Preds 'Do Little' after a brilliant rendition of the Star Spangled Banner by Melinda Doolittle ...
tyler_31 writes...
Canadian T-Deadline Gameplan: Part II of IV-Edmonton Oilers
Posted Friday | Comments 0
With the NHL trade deadline fast approaching, and Canadian hockey fans everywhere stockpiling the beer and getting the work-escape plans ready, I thought that I would analyze each Canadian teams game plan for trade deadline day, highlighting each teams needs, possible trade bait, and what players they could be targeting. Yesterday, I will did the Calgary Flames (See Archiv...
Probably a lot of you are wondering, when these trades are going to happen. Especially after the Ottawa trade. Now you think teams would want to respond right away well not really. They have 11 days. Also Commodore and Stillman are not BIG names. Yes, they are good players don't get me wrong and fill will fill a big role in Ottawa. Ottawa got what they needed. When I am ta...
Late last night my wife looked at me and asked what was on my mind. A small smile appeared on my face and quietly I said “the torch has been passed”. “What was that?” she asked not being able to hear me. “Nothing” I said, I had decided to keep it to myself, at least until this morning.
I’m Canadian, and like most 40 year old Canadian males there are few...
In the "Salary Cap" world of today's NHL, all teams must configure their rosters to fit within the Cap currently set at $50.3M USD. And this system encourages a bargaining chip - the no trade clause.
While general managers employ this for different reasons, it ends up having the same effect. Some will use it to pursue players in the free agent frenzy to assure them of s...
The Sens might have the best forward in the league in Alfie, Heater, and Spezza. But most people do not know there is more to the Sens than this line. Some of you do not know it, but there are a some very good players on this team that do not get the ink.
On this blog I would like to write on the unsung hero. Everyone knows the big line, but I thought it would be nic...
[u][i][b]Part One of a three-part series.[/b][/i][/u]
Lately, lots of predictions are being made: who will/won't be traded; who will/won't make the playoffs; even who will/won't play in the Olympics [i]two years from now[/i](!?!)
In this space, I'll put forth my nominees for this year's Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
The [b]Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy[/b] is...
A source has told me that Dan Ellis fully expects to be traded and that the Preds would not be getting a goalie in return but would bring up prospect Pekka Rinne to back up Chris Mason.
Another source close to the team said that this idea did seem feasible because they've heard that the Preds are eager to get Pekka up to the show.
Not sure who the dance partner woul...
Here's a quick bit of fluff, as I attempt to pick my choices for major NHL award winners.
Hart Trophy Finalists:
Jarome Iginla, Calgary; Alexander Ovechkin, Washington; Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa.
My Pick: Ovechkin.
Ovechkin is the most exciting player in the game and he is the Capitals. Not only is he supremely talented, but he plays the game with a passion an...
[b]It's the Cabo san Lucas to Tony Romo[/b]. It's the kryptonie to Clark Kent, the Jennifer Aniston to David Schwimmer. Call it what you want, Joe Louis Arena has not exactly felt like a La-Z-Boy to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
But they busted out a bag of Cheetos and made themselves at home tonight.
[b]This time, it was the Blue Jackets who vaulted[/b] to a multi-goal...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Lose 6-3 To LA; Humiliated By Another Bottom 10 Team
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Atrocious, inexcusable and disgusting are three vowel-plentiful words that can be used to describe the Flames' 6-3 loss to the Kings tonight at the Staples Center. For the second time in two weeks, the Flames were humiliated by a team in the bottom 10 of the NHL standings (after the 5-0 loss to the Oilers on February 4). I honestly think this game was more frustrating and ...
The most interesting part of the Stars 4-2 win over Anaheim may have been Brett Hull's 1st period interview with Daryl Reaugh. Brett had four interesting points that hint at what his tenure as co-gm will be like. Off of the topic of actual hockey games, Brett praised the work of Jeff Cogen who owner Tom Hicks brought over from the Texas Rangers to be the President of ...
Short and not so sweet this week.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
enjoy
While most likely out of playoff contention, the Blackhawks appear nonetheless to be on their way to a successful season (as compared with the previous decade and a half of futility) in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.
The Hawks will probably finish over .500. They're 4-1 vs. Detroit this season. Their line-up is studded with young players who are emerging as N...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/nolansimonempire.jpg[/img]
I like pugilists just like the typical hockey traditionalist. I spy Pierre MacGuire with his mug looking like someone just spilled his Chablis as he is forced by the NBC producers to watch fist fly. It is then that I pray that Mad Mike will then just lose his sanity, a la an Isles trade, and then take a swing...
Ron Guillet writes...
Cutting Your Losses : Marian Hossa and Brian Campbell
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
So Marian Hossa has decided to openly announce that his chances of re-signing with the Atlanta Thrashers are "slim". I'm here to tell you that I've had enough. If I'm a general manager and my player openly says something like this, c'est au revoir mon ami!
GM's and fans alike don't need this kind of attention around their team. The Thrashers are in the heat of battle fo...
I for one truly beleive we have to move Huet, although for the playoff run he would be the #1 option in net i believe it's time to let Price take the reigns as we have seen what rookie goalies do in the playoffs in montreal. Als Huet will not want to resign in Motreal as he wants the security of being the number 1 guy. Huet will also fetch us quite the return off a trade w...
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...
Hey pens fans,
The last two games are a bit of a black cloud over the team going into tomorrow's game in Buffalo. Their play previvous to that had been very good, especially when considering all the injuries we have sustained. With the trade deadline approaching, the question is what Ray Shero will do, if anything, to fill these roles?
When it comes to Fleury's in...
[b]1st Period [/b]
New Lines Tonight in an attempt to get scoring and better defense
Hartnell - Richards - Briere
Upshall - Carter - Lupul
Kapenen - Umberger - Knuble
Cote - Dowd - Downie
Defense Pairs
Timonen - Vandermeer
Smith - Parent
Kukkonen- Jones
Good play thru the first 15 minutes of the period. Nice penalty killing by both teams in the 1st perio...
The Nashville Predators are hosting "Free Food Night" on Tuesday, March 11. Stuff your face for free as the Preds take on the San Jose Sharks.
Upon entering the Sommet Center, all fans will receive vouchers for a free Pepsi and a hot dog or chicken fingers. Plus, free popcorn will be served through the first intermission.
The free food makes this game an incredible ...
If you ask me, right behind our timid, inconsistent offense that has had great difficulty burying the puck this season, this team has been lacking something else from last year that was notable throughout the season. It's not just Jason Blake's 40 goals or the fearless leader in Alexei Yashin....JUST KIDDING! No, it's not baseball swings with hockey sticks or number 3 expl...
1-0 Dallas over Detroit
Dallas is now 8 pts behind Detroit for the presidents trophy lead
Going into the trade deadline I've had two big concerns about the stars: adding a veteran defender and adding a scorer to play with Modano to keep Dallas from being a 1 line team. The young defenders are solid players, but veteran experience can't hurt, and a 1 line tea...
[b]It's not very often that you can say the Columbus Blue Jackets [/b]have embarked on a very important road trip. Having dismantled the Detroit Red Wings just two nights before, using common logic one could deduce that the Blue Jackets may be starting to build momentum. Where the encouraging victory would lead them, however, follows a common theme.
[b]The Blues did not...
As the Trade Deadline approaches, GM's around the NHL are gearing up for one of the most exciting days of the NHL schedule. It is the day where teams must decide their fate and either give the fans hope or preserve it for the years ahead.
While teams decide their future, so will GM's. It's an emotional, nerve racking affair for them; a last chance at redeeming their mis...
So as a Leaf fan whats one to do, other than speculate on what will occur during the trade deadline? Now I've heard tons of ideas for trades, mostly ludicrous. We as fans tend to overestimate the value of some of our players, and we also tend not to realize the rest of the league knows what position were in, and thats one of weakness. So I figured I'd contribute to endless...
Well as I said before this past weekend could go a long way to determining the Flyers deals at the upcoming trade deadline. It looks like Hatcher is out for a month, as is Lupul, Gagne for at least that long, and now Downie is out with a "mild" concussion. I know this sounds like crybaby stuff, but when is the NHL going to protect the Flyers players within the rules like...
[i]"These Preds just won't go away."[/i]
That has to be the thought going through many a player and GM in this league right now. The team that many had left for dead before the season started finds themselves sitting in 6th place right now with 21 games to go. Yes, I know that is a lot of hockey left but no one thought we'd be here.
[b]Why Are We Here? [/b]For me it...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603929412638/
First THANK YOU KRISTIN FOR THE TICKETS!!!!
Second Shout out to everyone Karen, Brooke, Sandy and the kids, Erica, HF, Sharon, Theresa, and TFF.
Third a shout out to the nice gentlemen from Canada who stood outside with us die hards post game.
I got there in time for warm ups and we are trying out K...
The Canadian Press recently reported that NBC is using the ratings for the current Sunday hockey broadcasts to determine if they wish to continue regular hockey coverage in the future.
Wonder what the ratings were yesterday? Apparently, NBC has forgotten that they used to cover the Daytona 500. Of course, in 2005 when the race left NBC and went elsewhere the ratings i...
[i]Cage goes in the water, Isles go in the water. Shark's in the water. Our shark.[/i]
Isles are on a three game win streak. Sharks on a 3 game losing streak. Trade deadline, meanwhile, which might be influential to both teams, is just over a week away.
Think this game doesn't mean much?
Au contraire.
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/islesvssharks.jpg[/img]...
The deadline is only 8 days away and the rumors are swirling like crazy. Especially regarding the Leafs. The Leafs are getting more air time than ever in Canada right now, which is hard to believe considering East Coast TV always leads with the Leafs regardless of their standing in the league. But this blog isn't complaining about the centre of the universe, I just want to...
(Hold your salvos, let me explain first, not trying to pick any fights here)
I started this discussion on Al Cimaglia's blog a couple of days ago, and received a few insults from a guy named "Steve" over it. And yes, a few others on the blog, chimed in that I was being overly optimistic. "Steve" challenged me to blog this subject. So I am. And I can't wait to start read...
millertime writes...
Monday, Feb. 18: The day the trade winds started to blow
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The dominoes are falling and a series of trades are finally just around the corner for NHL fans across North America (and the world).
-The news that [b]Peter Forsberg[/b] will NOT be returning to the NHL this season does away with a distraction that has put all General Managers on hold, as teams waited to see what Peter would do. Now that he's off the market, look for ...
This is not a random ranting blog about the Sharks, but more of brainstorming solutions to save the Sharks now, and in the future.
Currently there is no motivation, passion, or desire. Fan frustration continues. Alot of that is due to the fact the Sharks are not living up their expectations. The excuses were supposed to stop, but continue, and the boring, uninspired...
[b]The Blue Jackets arrived in Toronto yesterday[/b], undoubtedly hockey's hotbed and also the breeding ground of immense speculation over the past couple of months. Maple Leafs interim general manager Cliff Fletcher has been rumored to do everything to his roster except put Vesa Toskala at center.
[b]From Columbus' perspective, it offers them another chance [/b]to pla...
[u][i][b]Part Two of a three-part series.[/b][/i][/u]
Here are my nominees from each team for this year's Masterton Trophy.
This does [i]not [/i]mean that I think each has an equal shot at the trophy, just that each is the most deserving from his team.
[u][b]The East[/b][/u]
[u][b]Atlanta--Mark Recchi[/b][/u]
Many doubted he had anything left when waived by th...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/islesmagic8ball.jpg[/img]
So the Isles have a streak of 4 wins going now. They finally beat the Flyers. TO has fallen. Atlanta went down in flames. The Sharks angrily lost another on the road. How quickly fortunes change in the thick of the close throng in points of the Eastern Conference.
So, step right up and see what the future ho...
Apparently, if one believes the rumors flying around HB these days, the Hawks are considering dealing RW Martin Havlat, perhaps to the Canadiens.
I believe there could be something to this rumor.
First, though incredibly skilled and one of the best forwards in the game when healthy, at $6 mil. per, Havlat has been a part-time player for the Hawks due to injuries. Fu...
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...
Trade deadline is a week from today.
There has been so much discussion on who we (as Flames fans) want to see in a Flames jersey, who we want to see traded or let go, and what players we'd like to swap.
But what's realistic? What's practical? And, knowing Sutter's past moves, what will he likely do before the deadline?
We've heard so many rumored names coming... Sundin...
Don't worry, I'm not implying that the Islanders are going to win 7 games in a row after losing 7 in a row, but they are making one hell of an interesting playoff push. With less than a week to go to the deadline, most fans have been speculating as to what Garth Snow will do. Will he pull the trigger on some firesale deals? Will he make a Stillman + Commodore/Eaves + Corvo...
[b]Tonight's game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Toronto Maple Leafs [/b]presents an interesting set of circumstances for the visiting squad. Coming off a putrid effort Sunday night in St. Louis, the Blue Jackets will look to exploit one of the league's worst defensive teams and get back on track.
[b]Left winger Rick Nash, born and raised in nearby Brampton...
DucksFan07 writes...
Lidstrom Takes a Punishing Hit..... and no Response
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I've been trying to post this for four days, so I apologize for the rather untimeliness. I still don't know what the problem is/was. I just hope it works this time.
Before you "bomb throwers" get started, I am going to take a neutral stance on this and just want to compare how various teams would have responded. Let's hear how your team would have responded. The R...
Rob McGowan writes...
Why Blake Returning to The Isles May Be a Good Thing
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I've finally decided that instead of continuously posting on the boards about the potential trade of McCabe and Blake back to Long Island, that I'll just rant and rave here for my second post in one day....yes...I sadly do not know where my priorities are...or maybe I do ;) And since my last blog had plenty to say about Bryan McCabe, this one will discuss that speedy cog, ...
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...
Yup, I've decided to stop posting random BS on other boards and voice my opinion out here. In this deep, dark world known as hockey blogging. Anyways, HUGE Leaf fan. HUGE hater of all the good teams. Good teams, being those better than Toronto, or basically, 28 teams.
So, heres my rant about the Leafs. And what I feel they could do.
Sundin. That's it. The blogs done. A...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!!!! 8th loss in SO = Code Red
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Dammit I am MAD!
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:yava-IZbgYkVgM:http://www.mamakk.com/wp-content/cyclops.jpg[/img]
THIS was the face when I looked in the mirror. I don't know who I am MORE pissed off at - Marty Biron for letting Spezza shoot a beach ball between his pads or Briere for coming up so small in a do-or-die situation that an elite level player li...
[b]With the game in hand[/b] and the ice tilted in their direction the Predators let the Edmonton Oilers nearly steal two points in Nashvhille last night. The Oilers scored goals in bunches and scoring three unanswered goals to take a 4-3 lead. The Preds answered back seconds later knotting the game at four a piece. JP Dumont finally rescued the Preds in the final minutes ...
[b]Blue Jackets head coach Ken Hitchcock[/b] looks as if he's aged forty years in the past four days. And rightfully so. His team's performance has been brilliant in minute stretches, pitiful in large quantities and unspirited for the majority. After a solid start to the season, his team is now last in goal-scoring in the National Hockey League, and have fallen from a top ...
Chris Drury said it himself during the second intermission. In fact, he said it three times. "I know I'm repeating myself but we are a whole different team when we move our legs." Unfortunately, this message did not travel from the brain of this excuse of a team to their legs. And so, the Rangers made history with their stunning defeat, with the biggest botched job in team...
SabreCrazy07 writes...
Campbell: All signs point to a one way ticket out of Buffalo
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Attention Real Estate Agents. Soupy's can will soon be ready for showing. ( Bad pun, oh well must be tired)
Lets face it Sabre fans Campbell is as good as gone. Did anyone catch his comments today after practice?[url]http://eod.liquidviewer.com/wgr-od/wgr/20080219_campbell.wma[/url] He is truly a dejected individual. He has been a roller coster of emotions for the past ...
The NHL features three ways a team can lose a regular season game -- and a team can collect a point in two of them. There is something wrong with that. I am proposing teams collect points in a new way starting next season.
If a team wins in regulation or overtime, it garners two points -- the same as now. If a team loses in regulation or overtime, it gets NO points. ...
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...
isaiah520 writes...
The Flyers As Sellers... Without Waiving a White Flag (Yet)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
the flyers are getting to the point where they may be sellers with a couple more losses. that's something that will infuriate the fan base all the way up to lukko & snider. there have been so many must games that the term has no meaning any more. [b]this streak and the flyers play of late feels eerily like last yrs futility.
[/b]
...OK...now for the part that will ...
Why This Latest Pulp Fiction Making the Rounds Will Likely Not Be Happening
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/pulpgm.jpg[/img]
GM Garth and former GM, JFJ
Reports are flying around that Cliff Fletcher, the new GM for Toronto and our Garth Snow were discussing McCabe. Let's look a bit more into that and debunk the rumormill which has heated up due to it.
Bryan McCab...
I’m not Darryl Sutter, though, so I’m just having fun and you can read and comment all you like. Sure, most are wishful thinking and maybe even a bit far-fetched, but have fun anyway.
1) [b][i]Trade Matthew Lombardi, Anders Eriksson, Andrej Taratukhin, and 2009 #2 Draft Pick to Florida for Olli Jokinen:[/i][/b] Flames get the #1 Center they’ve been wanting for yea...
I woke up this morning feeling very frustrated.
Frustrated with knowing that with every win the Leafs put together in this time before the trading deadline, the makeover of the Leafs becomes a more difficult task for Fletcher. Why? Because Fletcher doesn't have the ultimate say on where this team can go over the next 3-4 seasons. Let me correct myself. He does hav...
As of now the Leafs are a big mess. There are 5 players on the team with No-Trade clauses. Most of them should be traded either now for teams making a playoff run, or in the off-season at the draft. Sundin should be and probably will be traded at or before the trade deadline, pick up a developed player in the league, or two, a prospect or two, and a first, and second round...
As the trade deadline approaches there is a consensus that there are more buyers than sellers. Thus the price of return goes up, the 5th round pick you'd get for say a Yelle goes up to a 3rd round pick, who wouldn't take that deal? Some might say that a team going for the cup needs that depth to make it, they need to survive for two months of punishment and I agree. The on...
Now, i'm a guy who likes making predictions, typically my predictions are wrong, but i still make them nonethless. So i figured i would go ahead and make my prediction on what the Sundin trade will look like. So here it is:
To Toronto:
roster player
1st tier prospect
2nd tier prospect
1st round pick in 2008
3rd round pick in 2008
To Team TBD:
Mats Sundin
roste...
Hockey fans don't hear of this too often, nor will many of us ever see it again.
The Blue Jackets coaches did not run practice today in Ottawa. Head coach Ken Hitchcock stuck around long enough to apparently alert captain Adam Foote of the proceedings.
According to Aaron Portzline of the [i]Columbus Dispatch[/i], Hitchcock used a strategy similar to this when he coa...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Acquire Jim Vandermeer From Flyers - Analysis
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames pulled the trigger on a minor deal today, acquiring defenceman Jim Vandermeer from the Flyers for a 3rd round pick in 2009.
I've said for a while now that the Flames need some better secondary D, as I have a distaste for Anders Eriksson and David Hale. To be honest though, this trade is puzzling to me.
This is the second straight year that Darryl S...
To many Leaf fans, this question has been asked TOO many times. The answer? Well, according to one Matt Stajan, "Stay home if you want us (the Leafs) to lose, just to get positioning in the draft lottery". Of course, there is some paraphrasing in that. I can't find the exact quote, but I saw it on TSN.
I'm one of those Leaf fans though. Why can't we just lose? Honestly...
Florida Panthers are the next team on my list. There are a lot of positive signs in Florida. The Panthers do have a chance of making the playoffs; we are in the South-East Division, anything can happen. The teams are all equally good, or equally bad, depending on your point of view.
I like the Panthers because they have a good core of young players. They have a solid ...
3-2 Calgary
When I decided to start trying to give the Stars a little more coverage a week ago I wondered why they don't get more coverage. I don't know if anyone reads this, and I don't really assume that this is some landmark effort to cover the Stars on a wide scale, or that it is even worthy of a large readership. The idea for this relatively small coverage ca...
January 22, 2008 - Cliff Fletcher re-hired as Leafs Interim GM...as stated by the silver fox himself, Cliff was to take a couple of weeks to evaluate the roster and it was widely speculated in the media and online that he was brought in with a mandate to clear cap space, re-make the roster and put the team on a path to re-building similar to the Flyers model of this past o...
Now, i'm a guy who likes making predictions, typically my predictions are wrong, but i still make them nonethless. So i figured i would go ahead and make my prediction on what the Sundin trade will look like. So here it is:
To Toronto:
1st tier prospect
2nd tier prospect
1st round pick in 2008
3rd round pick in 2008
roster player
To Team TBD:
Mats Sundin
roste...
An excellent source from Michigan has informed me that Nick Lidstrom is out for remainder of season. Any one else have similar information?[b]
It might just be me, but I have a feeling that this year's trade deadline will be the least active trade deadline day in recent history.
Seeing as how last year several teams had to mortgage their future (Nashville, Atlanta) only to get a slightly above average hockey players (Keith Tkachuk, Forsberg), I personally believe that GM's around the league will be gun shy. T...
The Blue Jackets head coach pulled an old rabbit out his hat at Wednesday's practice in Ottawa. It may have worked, if only for one game.
But what a momentum-building game it could be.
Rick Nash scored his team-leading 32nd goal of the season in the second period and added the game winner in the shootout, and the Blue Jackets defeated the Senators 3-2 in Scotiabank P...
Okay guys... so tonight (early morning actually) I've decided to write my first ever blog on the hockeybuzz website. I've only officially been a member here for a couple of days but I have been an avid reader for quite a while now. Also, I'm not really much of a writer so if my punctuation, spelling, or anything to that nature is off, I do apologize. That being said, here ...
[b][i][u]Part Three of a three-part series.[/u][/i][/b]
Here are my nominees from each team for this year's Masterton Trophy.
This does not mean that I think each has an equal shot at the trophy, just that each is the most deserving from his team.
[b][u]The West[/u][/b]
[b]Anaheim--Brad May[/b]
To play as long as he has in the role he does is saying something....
Isles shutout the Lightning, extending the win streak to 6. Simon returns to boos, and the Isles seem surprised? Let's give them a reality check . . .
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/greaselightning.jpg[/img]
There several stories to come out of last night's big win over Tampa. The obvious one is that our streak is now 6 wins. Another is that despite these last cou...
I've been trying to post this for four days, so I apologize for the rather untimeliness. I still don't know what the problem is/was. I just hope it works this time.
Before you "bomb throwers" get started, I am going to take a neutral stance on this and just want to compare how various teams would have responded. Let's hear how your team would have responded. The R...
jetspat writes...
Well I guess you can say for sure that Habs will make move !
Posted Friday | Comments 0
After a second declaration from Bob that they are looking for an impact player for the deadline, I pretty sure something big will happen.
I wouldn't be surprised to see either Streit, Ryder, O'byrne and even Huet be moved.
Other player that might go away are Mikael Grabovski or Kyle Chipchura. These players are young, they have skills and they are high on the GM's ...
Recently there’s been a lot of talk about having goaltenders wear special jerseys with advertisements on them. When I first heard this idea I reacted like most hockey fans did, my initial reaction was I’ll believe it when I see it. I assumed that this was just another one of the NHL’s brain dead ideas hoping to increase revenues. I couldn’t possible have seen the N...
One thing is clear this season, the Sabres are inconsistent. They won 2 straight after dropping a pair. They get points in 10 straight just after not winning in 11 straight. The positive and negative streaks this season are plentiful. Why did this happen, sure we can blame the losses of Drury and Briere or the loss of Teppo on the blueline. Those are valid arguments but no...
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...
Another game, another hurt defenseman.....this time, Chelios, the last really experienced, steady blueliner the Wings had on the roster. We still don't know the extent or severity of the "contusion" that he suffered, but if anyone can get back quickly, it will be a fitness nut like Cheli.
As for filling out the blue line corps, I think Ken Holland has his work cut ...
Long time lurker, first time writer.. don't be too harsh..
While many people give Bob Gainey credit for the depth of Habs prospects, I personally believe the seeds were planted during Andre Savard's tenure in Montreal. Feel free to correct me, but this is when I first feel the Habs began the slow re-stocking process.
Feel Free to enjoy this process Leaf Fans...
W...
With all the trade speculation going on with Mats Sundin and Bryan McCabe along with others, it seems as if Toronto has forgotten about the younger players on the team. Last night, Steen and the Maple Leafs have agreed on a two year contract worth 3.4 million dollars.
I say, bravo Cliff Fletcher. Thank God that Ferguson was not around to make this extension instead. He...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Beat Wings; Why The Flames Shouldn't Trade Tanguay
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Alternate title: Flames Beat Wings; The Stupid Trade Rumor That Just Won't Die.
Miikka Kiprusoff finally got his first shutout of the year, making 38 saves as the Flames beat the Wings 1-0 on Friday night. Alex Tanguay scored the winning goal 12 minutes into the first, stealing the puck behind the net and doing a Steve Smith special, as he sent the puck in front where i...
Have a great week.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Thanks in advance for any comments and opinions.
Actually, there will be "deals" between now and February 26. And there will be red all over some of them, as in Chicago road red.
Look for the Hawks to make some moves beyond the typical "trade Zyuzin, Perreault and a box of tape to Carolina for a conditional late round pick in 2012 and the rights to Wayne van Dorp."
Look for the Hawks to potentially make some big mo...
Man, do I wish that I DID predict that the Islanders were going to win 7 in a row when I wrote, [i]7 Down to 7 Up[/i]! But what are you going to do? With my luck if I go ahead and say that "you know what" will definately happen, then they won't accomplish "you know what"....confused yet? Okay good.
[img:right]http://assets.espn.go.com/media/nhl/2004/0129/photo/a_hunter...
You know too many players are given no trade clauses when Martin Ruchinsky has one.
You read that correctly. Yes, Marty Ruchinsky hasn't retired yet, and he has a no trade clause in his contract.
There comes a point when the NTC's hamper a team. Just ask the Leafs or the Lightning.
Brian Engblom just wrote an excellent blog on the topic, and it really got my gears...
[b]When the Dallas Stars come calling tonight[/b] to Nashville it could very well be a preview of a potential first round match up. If the playoffs started today the Predators, as the number seven seed, would find themselves playing the number two Stars. What a series that would be.
While I don't like the idea of going against a world class goalie like Turco for seven g...
Well, it certainly looks like Mats has dug in and he is going to go down with his ship. If this were a movie I think we'd all be applauding our hero. So committed, such the "anti-athlete", cares more about the city that has idolized him than winning a championship. Cue the haunting violin now...
SNAP OUT OF IT! This is NOT - repeat NOT - the idealic "[i]Jerry Maguir...
Just a quick opening thought: Michael Ryder is a perfect fit in Dallas, and man I hope this happens if it isn't going to be very expensive. He isn't very good defensively, and needs someone to hit him with a pass to set up his shot according to tsn's scouting profile on him, for what thats worth, but man he could be an asset. My only concern is that Modano isn't playing a ...
Lines Combos
Thorenson - Richards - Hartnell
Umberger -Briere - Kapenen
Upshall - Carter - Knuble
Cote - Dowd - Ruzicka
Defense Pairs
Modry - Parent
Smith - Jones
Timonen - Coburn
Nitty in Goal.
Early Thoughts:
1. Want to know how bad things are for the Flyers, a player claimed off waivers is skating on left wing with their top line and wearing the #25 of...
The Canucks have won 3 straight now and are only 3 points behind the division leading Minnesota Wild. Will the Canucks beat the #1 team in the league tonight? Only time will tell.
[u][b]DIVISION STANDINGS[/b][/u]
1. Minnesota Wild- 73pts
2. Calgary Flames- 72pts
3. Vancouver Canucks- 70pts
4. Colarado Avalanche- 68pts
5. Edmonton Oilers- 59pts
So here we are less than four days until the trading deadline this Tuesday at 3 PM and the Islanders are left with much more questions than answers. I have arrived home from my trip along with 89 other screaming Isles fans at "the rock" as the booster club made its first trip to the Prudential Center. We watched and learned that the Islanders are indeed human and can los...
6-3 Dallas
I don't know if tonight was a fluke or not, but if the Loui Eriksson that was on the ice tonight is the real Loui Eriksson then Dallas doesn't need to trade for a scorer. Morrow/Ribeiro/Eriksson, Hagman/Jokinen/Miettinen, Ott/Modano/Lehtinen, Halpern/Barnes/Lundqvist is a 12 man unit I'll go to war with. I heard Ralph and Razor use the Stanley Cup phrase...
As the deadline seems to inch closer and closer, I seem to do the same towards Sundin.
He has been a solid player throughout the season, as he has his whole career. Easily the Leafs best player this season. Arguably, the best all-time. He has set both NHL records, as well as franchise records with the Leafs. He has averaged over a point per game throughout hi...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603974466895/
First Thank you To Jessica for going with me tonight. It was fun catching up.
Second HI to all the Peep, Kristin, Theresa, HF, TFF, Brooke and Karen (thanks for the Phantoms game Updates live from Hershey).
Right now I probably should not be typing this blog I made a personal rule for myself that aft...
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...
CaptPantalones writes...
Hits/Misses: The 5 best and worst trades of the Regier Era
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
With two days remaining until the NHL's version of the Swap Meet (aka Trade Deadline day), Sabres GM Darcy Regier, like 29 other GMs around the league, is busy looking around the league for the right pieces. Sitting in 8th place in the East at the moment, The Sabres could only be one or two more players from a serious run at the top half of the East. And with a bargaining ...
I'm a Bruins fan who is longing for some bonafide scoring help upfront and I'm postive I'm not alone. While they have talent upfront and one of my favorite players ever in Marc Savard, most nights the Bruins just lack that game changer with the killer instinct to ice games away. In this current climate of the 30 team playoff race, two points are crucial...especially when m...
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...
As the trade deadline approaches, Rangers fans begin to wonder about what Glen Sather will do. Will he pick up a big player? Will he dump Malik or Mara? The biggest question mark is Jaromir Jagr. He doesn't seem to have much in the tank or much durability in the rear fender. He has scored only 16 goals and 38 assists in 63 games and does not seem prone to break out of his ...
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.
...
My Pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603971226293/
Erica's pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickilynn7/sets/72157603977891074/
First THANK YOU! To all the players and their wives. This was a great event. Your time is a valuable thing and it was appreciated that you did this today.
Second shout out to all the peeps.
Brooke and Kar...
Malkin's torrid pace since Sid the Kid went down has been nothing short of super power induced. It's been obvious his production up until then has been the ability to not be matched up versus the top checking lines of other teams and also be sided with Sid who draws most of the paranoia by opposing defenses. But thrust into the 1st line center position it was immediately t...
For the Canuck fans who follow them tenaciously you've most likely noticed that Alexander Burrows has been a marked man all year. There's always extra pushes and face rubs whenever he's on the ice. Cooke and Kesler are normally the agitators when it comes to trying to get temper tantrums flaring but this year it's Burrows who's the prime agitator.
Every team needs a pl...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
How Deep is the Rabbit Hole? Take the red pill...
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[b]Down the Rabbit Hole[/b]
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/morph_neo.jpg?t=1203905441[/img]
[i]
[b]Morpheus[/b]: I imagine that right now, you're feeling a bit like Alice. Hmm? Tumbling down the rabbit hole?
[b]Neo[/b]: You could say that.
[b]Morpheus[/b]: I see it in your eyes. You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he is...
As far as I'm concerned, the Blues season ended on Sunday night with a 2-0 loss in Phoenix to a Coyotes team they are chasing in the Western Conference. Oh, it's a long way from official since they are still six points out of a playoff spot with two games in hand over eighth-place Nashville, but it's obvious that they simply aren't good enough to return to the postseason t...
I agree with Blues Blogger Matt Rainey about the Blues' season being unofficially over after losing in Phoenix tonight. The last three games killed them. When you lose to teams you ABSOLUTELY NEED TO BEAT if you want to get in the playoffs (Los Angeles = last in the west) and (Phoenix =team just in front of STL in the standings) the Blues dropped the ball here.
With a n...
Dear Mats Sundin,
I realize that you spend hours in the gym and on the ice every week trying to prepare yourself for the rigours of playing hockey at the NHL level. However, I also know (based on two very reliable sources) that you take the time to read every single comment and post made on this site so I thought I would clear a few things up.
First off, I was...
The inspiration for this blog came during the third period of last night's 6-3 loss to the Ducks. A fairly major scrum developed when Todd Bertuzzi (more on him in a minute) bull-dozed Patrick Lalime (most likely accidentally), a number of bodies dove in, the most obvious being Dustin Byfuglien, followed by the referees and linesmen.
When the guys in the striped shirts ...
I was reading through Ek's blog and the comments left by many people concerning Mats Sundin's desire to stay in Toronto and I couldn't help but think so many people are mis guided.
The number of "Mats is selfish", "Mats is not thinking of the team", "Mats is an idiot" etc type replies was very alarming and extremely disappointing to me.
Assuming that what Sundin said...
Hello everyone...I'm a first time writer, long time reader. I love the community aspect of this site and I'd like to share some of my thoughts about your Pittsburgh Penguins.
There are tons of rumors out there involving the Penguins. The most prevalent one as of now seems to be Staal and some sort of package going to Chicago for T. Ruutu and Havlat. Some conflicting rep...
The night had all the makings of things finally pointing in the right direction for the Avalanche with 20 games left to play in the regular season. Joe Sakic was back in the lineup after missing 38 games, the last of the big 3 forwards returning from injury. This was the first of three consecutive games against the Canadian division foes, and a chance not only to start t...
other trade rumors I found for today...
Canucks are a big-time player in trade talks for the likes of Brad Richards, Olli Jokinen, but don't like richards salary or minus 25 on the year.
Tanguay, rumored to be headed to Montreal for Michael Ryder, Tanguay also has a no-trade clause and it's been recently reported that he would be willing to accept a trade to Montreal...
Greetings Hockey Fans,
TSN is reporting Ethan Moreau fractured his tibia at the end of the game versus the Avalanche on Sunday night and will miss the rest of the season. The season of injury woes goes from uncanny to brutal. Well, Brian Burke and Duck fans probably find it hilariously entertaining, but I had to quit worrying about that after Horcoff went down in an All...
Mike Heika was just on BaD radio on the Ticket discussing Brad Richards. His sources say Dallas' offer involves Mike Smith and Phillippe Boucher. Fantastic fit
Bob Gainey is also offering Michael Ryder to get Olli Jokinen. This is why Ryder isn't a Star yet.
undecidedname.blogspot.com
"Thanks for nothing Mats". WHATT?! I saw this yesterday right after Berger broke the news of Sundin's decision to not waive his NTC.
Are you kidding me? You know what, no, obviously you aren't. You pathetic excuses for Lea-- no, hockey fans. How DARE you disrespect such a legacy like that of Mats Sundin. Seriously how about this.
Thank you Mats for your hard-work and ...
My father had a funny way of declaring how smart he was (or thought he was, depending on the situation). He would tap the side of his head and say “I knew there was a reason why I have headaches all the time.” I guess now it’s my turn, because less than a week ago, I indicated that I highly doubted Cliff Fletcher would be able to do anything of significance before ...
[b]
While some don't agree, I am unbelievably joyful that long-lost Foppa returns to Colorado!
Even if it turns out to be just one game, just one time to see him put that jersey back on, with his #21 and to see him step onto the ice - that's more than enough for me. I'm sentimental I know and maybe a bit of a mushball but this guy - this great Avs players - has returne...
Finally. Something is starting to happen. Even our good friend Eklund was suprised by the Peter Forsberg signing with the Avalanche. Peter did say early on that he would be coming back to one of his former teams if he did come back, and he was true to his word.
So who will be next? Brian Campbell? Marian Hossa? Olli Jokinen? While that is yet to be seen, one thin...
Well, Nonis will have another opportunity tomorrow to prove his worth. And in the last of a 3 year deal himself, he's got some proving still to do.
Nonis, like his mentor Burke, doesn't get himself pushed around, but also doesn't sit still. He wants to do a big deal. A big deal that will get him an impact player that will be here for years to come.
With so much ...
http://boards.dallasstars.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=647753&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=93&fpart=1&vc=1
I'm famous apparently. This is the kind of thing I hope to see. I want discussions about the team to break out. I miss the passion that used to be there with the Stars, and I hope anyone from that forum that wants to push the discussion about the Stars forward will...
For Alex Picard (D) & a conditional pick.................
A Potential Sabre gone.................. I think the Sabres could have matched or beat that offer.
Brad Richards is making a ton of money. Richards is also the owner of the worst +/- in hockey. Richards also makes perfect sense for Dallas. It sounds crazy, but I've talked myself into wanting this potential trade to go through. I feel that the best way to justify this is to look at the short term benefits vs. the long term benefits.
Brad Richards is the owner...
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...
In my opinion, the re-signing of Barrett Jackman has set things in motion for the Blues to make a much larger deal before the 2:00 PM CT trade deadline Tuesday afternoon. For weeks, the Blues and Jackman had discussions on a contract extension, but it didn't get any further than both sides tossing out numbers. Jackman beleived he was worth "market value", that being the $3...
Is anybody else tired of another Leafs season that seems destined to end with the Buds in 9th place in the conference and a 13th overall draft position? I was hoping that it would be taken care of with a trade of Sundin but I guess that a chance at Stamkos is not meant to be (by the way, I'm not bitter that Sundin decided not to waive, if anybody deserves to say 'no' it's...
millertime writes...
Russian Roulette: Where will Brian Campbell end up?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Round and round the ball goes...where will it stop? Nobody knows!
Brian Campbell is for sure a hot commodity on the trade market. There's an interesting feeling in Buffalo right now with the whole situation...Most of all, it's the desire for RESOLUTION. The Campbell saga has plagued its ugly face on the team the last several days, especially recently as the Sabres ba...
Ok, so every Oilers fan on the planet thinks that Schremp should get a shot in the big league. We've all seen his ridiculous shootout goals on youtube, and anyone who's never had a lobotomy can see that this guy has some major offensive talent.
So why hasn't this kid made it to the big time and scored 25 goals by now? Well, the fact of the matter is, is that the only st...
A quick glimpse into how my brain works around the deadline ...
Last year at deadline day, before the Isles acquired Ryan Smyth, I had a dream the night before that they traded a first round pick to the Florida Panthers for some guy named George Walter (no, I don't know who he is either) and then went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Last night, or perhaps early this morn...
Let's call this one:
Crazy Dale's Deadline Dealin' Madness!!! 6 hours only!!!
According to Bob MacKenzie of TSN, the Blackhawks e-mailed a list of 8 names on their roster to the entire NHL last night, saying that they were entertaining offers. The list:
Khabibulin
Lang
Havlat
Ruutu
Lapointe
Perreault
Zyuzin
Bourque
Now, first, there is no guarantee that ...
Look, sports are a business. I don't care how classy Sundin and Kaberle are because they "love their city", or any of the other 17,000 players that seem to have NTCs in the NHL, but what ever happened to a GM being able to manage their team?
The NTC gives a player too much leverage. Boo hoo you don't want to be traded, well then, stop sucking! If you want to earn that m...
I don't know what they've got cooking, but I know this: they just moved 2 forwards to pick up 1 forward after activating Phillippe Boucher. The Stars still have 8 defenders on the roster. I'd bet they are still looking to pick up a shooter. Is Jokinen possible? They could make the money work...
consider for a second the last draft pick from the judge huston ordeal was zach parise and then think of what that has made us fans feel. now flash forward. salvador not the greatest to play the game but a guy worth more than a cam janssen and yet this is what we got. now last year during the draft the bllues went with in the late rounds peluso instead of picking up the...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Live Blog From The Isles Blog Box: MAB & Simon Dealt
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Here we are. I'm sitting next to Jim Baumbach, of Newsday. He's decided to blog about us blogging about the trade deadline. You might remember him from the hubbub over asking if the Al Arbour game should count. He's been a good sport, despite his baseball background and hockey noob question that caused a ruckus with Isles fans.
His live blog: http://weblogs.newsday.com...
The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and as expected, Brian Campbell is no longer a Buffalo Sabre. An instant analysis on the deal:
For Buffalo:
While losing one of the better offensive defensemen in the game, Buffalo adds some much needed size and grit with the addition of winger Steve Bernier. Bernier, at 6'2 225, instantly becomes one of the Sabres biggest fo...
If I wasn't so disappointed in the Non-Trade of Brad Richards to Vancouver, I might actually have been happy to see Matt Cooke finally leave Vancouver.
I've been campaigning since 2004 to trade this guy, and I guess now that his contract is up, Nonis saw an opportunity to keep the useful life of this asset going by trading for a younger player.
Burrows great play of ...
So another trade deadline has come and gone, with alot more trades then was expected on my part, now we will select 3 teams that we see as winners and 3 teams that we see as losers based on todays trades not on what picks might bring you down the road.
[b][u]WINNERS[/u][/b]
[b]Dallas[/b]- The Stars picked up one of the bigger names at the deadline picking up Brad Ric...
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...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Sutter Stands Pat, And Other Post-Deadline Thoughts.
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
To my disappointment, Darryl Sutter did not make any trades today. I had woken up today expecting Sutter to take the only remaining opportunity to improve the Flames, but alas, no dice for the third straight year. I am not going to criticize Darryl, as from everything I've heard it certainly was not for a lack of trying. In any case, the only player I saw as a can't miss f...
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...
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/bloggingheathen.jpg[/img]
Today was a big day. Just for me, as a hockey fan. I love the trade deadline. I love the energy and excitement. I was at ground zero of trade happenings in Isles land. Yes, many things did not happen, but alas, we will go more into that.
...
Ok, so I worked for the first time in over a decade on deadline day. Fortunately, I had all the deals sent via text message to me, so I didn't miss anything except the normal glass of Jameson's with one cube and a splash of water and being able to sit around all day in my underwear and not have the wife complain.
Anyhow, I am going to offer some thoughts on the trades:...
3-1 Dallas
This was trade deadline hockey. Dallas picked up one of the prizes of the trade deadline, and tonight's game was indicative of that. The piecemeal lineup Dallas had out there tonight is something we likely won't have to see again, but the determination they showed in the third period is something very positive to take away from this game. They were backe...
Glen Sather stepped out of his JetBlue plane in Phoenix, Arizona. As he walked through the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport terminal, he kept on muttering "They give away blue chips for free, they give away blue chips for free." This thought never left the Rangers GM's mind, even as he entered into Phoenix GM Don Maloney's office. He had come to negotiate a trade deadline deal w...
For the first time since Al Iafrate, the Sharks have a true, #1 offensive defenseman to lead them into the playoffs. It was a great move by Sharks GM Doug Wilson to get the prize defenseman of today's trade deadline without giving up any core players. Bernier was liked in San Jose, but the consensus of Sharks fans is that it was time for Bernier to move since he hasn't r...
After a long and suspenseful NHL Trade Deadline, Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher felt the ripple effects from former GM, JFJ. With Bryan McCabe, Mats Sundin, Tomas Kaberle, Darcy Tucker and Pavel Kubina all refusing to waive their respective no-trade clause agreement, "Silver Fox" had to chip away the outer core.
Hal Gill, Chad Kilger and Wade Belak are no longer Toronto ...
I'm not a Canadiens fan, far from it, but I have found myself rooting for them more and more over the past few years because they (the management and the players) seem to do hockey the right way, the traditional way, and that's the way I like it.
Ribiero's fake injury against the B's in whatever year that was is long forgotten. And the real Alexei Kovalev (remember when...
millertime writes...
To all hockey fans: Don't Feel Bad For Us Sabres Fans
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I've been hearing a lot of "sorry to hear about Campbell," "I feel for you guys," "it's got to be a tough night for you," etc. from many of my hockey buddies across North America. I'm sure other Sabres fans have heard similar sentiment.
But please, don't feel bad for us. No reason to.
Let me start by putting it this way, this day is NOTHING, NOTHING compared to tha...
A little commentary on the trades. First we will start with the moves that weren't made. First, we will address getting rid of Rucinsky. Honestly, I am sure they tried but just couldn't find anyone willing to give up much for him, especially since he is a FA at the end of the season, teams knew that unless they thought he was a missing piece to a playoff run, he could b...
Flyers quiet on Tuesday... Were in talks with Buffalo about D Brian Campbell and the Islanders about Ruslan Fedotenko, notable among other possibilities. Holmgren balked at both because the price was too high and confirmed both asked for Jeff Carter in return. Being that Holmgren kept Carter, you figure he wants to sign the kid in the summer. Campbell would have fit a s...
Note to Sabres fans: There is too much time left.
A rash of negative phone calls hit the WGR-550 AM airwaves yesterday in Buffalo as fans voiced their disapproval with how contract negotiations with D Brian Campbell were botched, forcing a trade.
It appeared that many fans were pointing the finger directly at GM Darcy Regier. This wasn't Regier's fault. This time yo...
While I have been a big fan of David Poile in the past and, truth be told, will continue to be in the future I felt yesterdays moves (if you want to use that strong of a word to describe them) were wasted and not even needed.
The Preds went into the day looking, like many other teams, for a top six forward. What they ended up with, in my opinion, are two role players. ...
Brett Hull was just on BaD Radio and let the world in on who Richards was playing with in practice. Brad Richards is surrounded by Finns. Nik Hagman and Antti Miettinen are flanking him. This means that at least for tonight Tippett is keeping the top line and Modano's checking line together. Great to hear.
undecidedname.blogspot.com
Like all trades, yesterday's Lightning/Stars swap primarily involving Brad Richards and Mike Smith will need some time before any fair evaluation can truly be made. Bolts GM Jay Feaster is putting himself on the line in bringing in yet another goalie to fill the seemingly "unfillable" void left when Nikolai Khabibulin departed after capturing the Stanley Cup in 2004. Many ...
NYIsles16 writes...
NYI: Post Deadline Thoughts on the NYI and Other Deals
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
So here we are, February 27th, and the trade-deadline has come and gone. The anticipation is over and we can freely analyze every move that was made, or not made. As always, there is much criticism on Long Island, including some radicals going as far as saying that Garth Snow should be fired and shipped off the Island immediately. Before I analyze the Islanders and why Gar...
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...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604001443823/
First Thank you to the Fan Club. Tonight's meeting was first rate as always.
Second Thank you Mike Richards! Tonight was very enlightening and entertaining.
Mike Richards talked to the Fan club for about 30 minutes or so.
He was asked a variety of questions. Everything from his thoughts on deadl...
All in can say about the Sharks performance tonight against the Blue Jackets can be summed up in one word:
WOW.
Yes the Sharks were playing a depleted Columbus team that is out of the playoff picture. But tonight's performance showed that the Sharks are definately going to stake a claim to the playoffs in a big way. Sitting in the 3rd row off the glass was a great sp...
Ty writes...
RANGERS REVIEW: THE DEADLINE and GILL Vs. JAGR NO BIG DEAL
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I know many Rangers fans are disappointed with Glenn Sather’s roster moves, or lack thereof, yesterday. The team went into the deadline with two distinct needs; a puck moving defensemen to quarterback their struggling power play and a crease clearing defensemen to bring character and added toughness to their current inexperienced crop of blue liners. Looking at what the...
How Garth Snow refused to be seduced by easy answers or swayed by buying or selling. Instead, he graduated this season, making careful and difficult considerations this trade deadline. Whether the fanbase agreed with it or not.
((Cue the Simon and Garfunkel))
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/thegmgraduate.jpg[/img]
I'm not sure what everyone expected of this...
Mother always said 'if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.'
Well that does it for my recap of the Sabres and Preds match up...next up a trip to Dallas to face the new and improved Stars on Saturday.
In all my years of watching sports, I have never seen anything quite like what is transpiring at the ACC right now. Cliff Fletcher was hired with a mandate to gut this team, move some of these "untradeable" contracts and begin the process of rebuilding this Leafs team from the ground up. Funny thing happened along the way though. All of these players that no one else wo...
As Blues fans may have noticed, rookie forward David Perron has been spending a lot of time in the pressbox during games instead of being out on the ice with his teammates. Perron has played in two out of the last six games recently. An article written by Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch describes why coach Andy Murray and team president John Davidson conti...
OK, enough is enough! There's only so many times I can come to the site and read about the soap opera going on in Toronto ('Days of Our Leafs') or to see whether Carla, the Kings blogger, currently thinks the Kings are a dynasty in the making or a big gigantic piece of crap (it seems to change from game to game). I signed up here not only to hear about this stuff, but al...
I was having a look at the recent list of Norris trophy winners and I realized something (other than the fact new Lidstrom plaques are going to replace old ones soon). Why are there no defensive d-men? How come the men that step in front of 100 mph shots, move people out of the net, and in general go above and beyond their job, while managing to keep themselves out of the ...
7-4
There isn't much to be said about this game. Dallas dominated a weaker opponent and took care of business. Brad Richards was more than advertised. The top 3 lines were phenomenal. I know Dave Tippett likes to tinker, but if it isn't broken leave it alone. Those 3 lines are awesome.
Lines
1. Morrow Ribeiro Eriksson
2. Ott Modano Lehtinen
3. Hagman Richards M...
Why not? It's only 10 bucks. I'll still be posting them here, but the blog's actual address now is www.eddiesbetter.com
I tried to think of a name, and this is the coolest one I could come up with. When I get some free time coming up I'm going to try to make it significantly nicer/cooler.
Josh
[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...
On the morning of Trade Deadline Day, XM204 played a clip of [b]Buffalo Sabres'[/b] GM [b]Darcy Regier[/b] discussing how the media places a lot of pressure on GMs to get something done at/by the deadline. He's right about that--to a point. In most cases, that pressure comes as a result of what a GM has--[i]or hasn't[/i]--done to deserve it.
Some GMs were definitely exp...
If you are lucky enough to have a close friend or relative that can light a room with their smile or presence, then you have a glimpse of what it has looked like around the Duck's locker room for the last 10 games. The Ducks are 9 - 1 since the return of Teemu Selanne and when he steps in and has a 5 point night like he did against the Blackhawks, that helps too.
Sel...
i began calling for about two and half weeks ago, or before the blues had the mini explosion of wins,the tanking of the season. this way you end up with steve stamkos. then you dump half of these worthless non goal scoring schmos.
tops on my list to not resign or those who need to be traded:
1)tkachoke(keith tkachuk). when you see a guy show up once in a while...
[b]Following Wednesday night's loss [/b]to the San Jose Sharks, head coach Ken Hitchcock showed a rare bit of emotion and compassion for his players.
Vouching for a brief recovery following the departure of their captain and veteran Sergei Fedorov, Hitchcock made a point to right the ship quickly.
Seemingly down and out, clustered by the suffocating Vancouver "squee...
Continuing with yesterday’s blog on the Rangers deadline day acquisitions here is my in-depth analysis and opinion on the players the Rangers acquired, gave up and avoided.
TRADE: New York and St. Louis
New York Trades: 2008th 4th Round Draft Choice
- Many people are speculating this year’s draft class is one of the best ever. But even still, by the fourt...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Fall To Ducks; Evaluating The Flames' Playoff Chances
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Flames' woes against the Ducks in Anaheim continued tonight, as they fell 3-1 in what you might call a valiant effort, although it was in my view a two period effort by the Flames. Mathieu Schneider scored the opening goal only 35 seconds in, getting wide open at the point and wiring a great shot past Kipper's blocker. The Flames never quite recovered from this. Scott ...
As usual thanks for reading.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Have a great weekend.
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...
This blog is specified between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins -- two teams that have felt the cold and unfair hand of management stamp down on decisions, exiling the General Managers. It is a [i]proces[/i]s which can end a GM's tenure quite easily. The management sees an opportunity, exploits it whether or not the GM sees fit, and the repercussions always ...
[img:left]http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/09-07/0911stars.jpg[/img]When the Dallas Stars took Tobias Stephan 34th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, they knew what they were getting. At 6'2" 190, Stephan is a tall and skinny young goaltender who plays mainly a stay-at-home butterfly style, with some floppiness to his game. He is currently playing for the ...
We, for the most part, are on the final turn to the yearly horse race of the NHL. This is where either riders and horses pick it up, or fall away into the pack. Right now, the Isles are fading into the pack.
The Flyers had their tough spot a couple games back. A freefall that has them climbing out with now 3 straight wins (i should have been clearer in my yesterdays bl...
So the ceremony begins at 2 o'clock, with a glorious walk of champions. And no, I'm not talking about the bar and grill inside the Marriot. The 17 members that played for all the Islanders' Stanley Cup Championships will walk from the Marriot to the Coliseum, with Lord Stanley's Cup present, in honor of the hard-fought battles they endured during all those playoff years.
...
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and this is mine, so flame away if you wish.
What I annoys me the most is the tendency of Leaf fans to hop on the bandwagon or the "Fad of the Day".
When the team is winning, they jump all over the radio hosts saying "I told you so. I told you so."
When the team is losing, everyone coins the catch phrase "blame MLSE" and they...
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...
Yuck. I'll bet Dave Tippett wasn't too pleased with that. Apparently NOFX wasn't either since they went to the game in lieu of rehearsing. I apparently picked wisely by going to that show instead of the Stars game. Lackluster efforts like this really need to get ironed out before April.
Lines
1.Morrow/Ribeiro/Eriksson
2.Ott/Modano/Lehtinen
3.Hagman/Richards/Miettine...
Welcome to the definitive guide to a very successful Trade Deadline Day. Over the next few paragraphs, I will describe to you my gameplan.
Brian Burke
[img:right]http://i26.tinypic.com/2w2os2b.jpg[/img]1) Always say you are happy with your team. Announce that you made your moves earlier in the season and do not plan on being active. Of course, you will be active, read on...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Familiarity Breeds Contempt - Flyers' Battle to the Playoffs
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
"Vulgare proverbium est, quod nimia familiaritas parit contemptum"
[b]Familiarity breeds contempt[/b]
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/crystal_ballcopycopy.jpg?t=1204518503[/img]
It doesn't take a medium or a seance to know that coming away with points on a nightly basis during the final six weeks of regulation games is of paramount importance. The...
How many times has Naslund used this lame quote in past?
[url]http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/03/02/canucks_blackhawks/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily[/url]
"They wanted it more than we did," Canucks captain Markus Naslund said. "They came out hard and we didn't respond to them at all.
Alfie would not talk like this. Neith...
[i]"I think the most frustrating thing is letting four points slip away this weekend"
- Mike Comrie[/i]
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . . .
There is a line that succinctly embodies a weekend of festivities and games which I had miss seeing in person. Apologies to those who were hoping to meet me there at the Blog Box. My next date there is at...
On February 28th the newest Predator fan was born as my wife and I welcomed our second daughter, Emmeline Faith. I have already converted my two year old Sophia to be a Pred fan so getting Emmeline on board will be easy!
that being said I will be out of the Preds loop for a while...I'll be back soon and hopefully the Preds will continue what they started in Dallas!
The Sharks had been on quite a fall, losing five straight games and tetering on the edge of playoff consideration. They were three games into a season long 8-game road trip, with Pittsburgh and Detroit on the horizon. The Sharks were aimlessly following the yellow brick road towards the playoffs, but the road was getting narrower and narrower, and the team was falling asle...
The Sharks had been on quite a fall, losing five straight games and tetering on the edge of playoff consideration. They were three games into a season long 8-game road trip, with Pittsburgh and Detroit on the horizon. The Sharks were aimlessly following the yellow brick road towards the playoffs, but the road was getting narrower and narrower, and the team was falling asle...
First off, for any Islander fans interested, I have been writing regularly at http://islesnation.com/matt.htm . In order to expose my blog to more people, I decided to post my latest entry here:
[i]
"I want to be a lion,
Everybody wants to pass as cats.
We all want to be big big stars, but we got different reasons for that.
Believe in me because I don't believe in a...
For those of you who don't frequent Ducks games, let me give you a little background on that question. Prior to last season, part of the renovation of the Ponda included expanding what is now called the Jack Daniels Ol' #7 Club on the Club level into a pretty respectible bar. But the greatest thing about it, was that it stays open for a couple hours after every game, and...
Ducks have 19 2 games remaining. Here are the opponents and number of games and the actual outcomes.
Calgary - 1 home game (W)
Chicago - 1 home game (W), 1 road game (L)
Colorado - 1 home game (W), 1 road game (L)
Dallas - 1 home game (W), 1 road game (W)
Los Angeles - 1 home game (W), 1 road game
Montreal - 1 home game (W)
Ottawa - 1 home game (W)
Phoenix - 1 ho...
Fellow Leaf fans, it appears as though the Leafs are no closer to winning a cup today, then they were in the days of Harold Ballard. Oh woe is me, 41 years and counting. Look's like I'm going to have to start eating right, exercising, and taking my vitamins if I stand a snowballs chance of seeing the Leafs hoist Lord Stanley.
The worst part of this whole debacle is not...
The Blue Jackets, coming off an impressive come-from-behind win Friday night in Vancouver, had seemingly shrugged off the disappointment of Tuesday's trading deadline.
Departing captain Adam Foote, the subject of a heated exchange of words via the media following his trade back to Colorado, was alleged to be the glue that held together the locker room. Though his presen...
http://www.eddiesbetter.com/2008/03/recurring-series.html
I'd like to start a few recurring features with staggered starting dates.
1. Ex-Star profile of the month
This would simply be a monthly profile of ex-Dallas Stars. Anyone from Bill Masteron, to Mike Kennedy, to Joe Nieuwendyk would be fair game.
2. Dallas Stars 3 Stars of the month
Like the NHL 3 stars ...
The NY papers are breaking news today that Sean Avery contract talks have been called off ! Are you kidding me? Those of you who still think Sean is the most overrated,worthless,blah blah, in the league can line up and watch you favorite team start bidding the summer. If you still don't think he's good, look at the Rangers record with or without Avery. The deadline mov...
It's less than a week since the trade deadline, and while the Canucks have picked up 2 of a possible 6 points, they are a disappointing 0-1-2 in that spell.
Not only that, the teams top line has gone pointless in those 3 games, and while there has been some secondary scoring, the team seems to be more apathetic as the games go by.
Even Luongo's passion has diminishe...
Today is March 4th, and the New York Islanders currently sit in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. With a record of 31-29-7 for a total of 69 points, the Islanders are only five points of the final playoff spot. We also sit six points behind the New York Rangers, who have a record that is good enough for sixth in the Eastern Conference. With two games coming up this wee...
Isles at Rangers notes: Dubie in goal again!
Gervais still day-to-day
On Friday, February. 29th, at 8pm, at my swanky apartment in Freeport, was another first for sport bloggers. A blog box cocktail party. A giant leap for blogger kind as they descended his abode for booze, wine, beer, soda, cheese platters, shrimp, veggies, dips, and all sorts of goodies.
There...
Michel Therrien seems to have more in common with the late Rodney Dangerfield than just a few facial expressions or similar gestures would indicate . It appears, from my point of view, that like Dangerfield, Therrien "Don't Get No Respect" either.
I was reading different articles over the past couple of days and there are a number of people that think Therrien needs to ...
Islanders vs. Rangers
Many fans on both sides have been waiting for this re-match. I remember 2 years ago when they decided to have each team play their division rivals 8 times a piece, how excited I was knowing that meant 8 Islander-Ranger games a year. I just can't get enough of these games.
Regardless of playoff positions these games seem to fire up both teams, th...
After some technical difficulties last week, the "Fire the Cannon" Blue Jackets talkcast will return tomorrow night at 7pm eastern.
It's been an eventful week for the Blue Jackets, and we encourage fans to email questions or call in to the show.
We will undoubtedly touch on the Adam Foote controversy that has sparked in recent days, as well as the leadership void bei...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Ships passing in the night? - Flyers hold on 8th is 1 point
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[u][b]Don't blame Marty Biron for this one. [/b][/u]
Yes, the Flyers are a walking MASH unit.
Yes, John Stevens has had to patch lines together with duct tape and bailing wire.
Yes, Biron has issues with stopping breakaways and in shootouts.
All of the above are true. But the simple fact of the matter is this:
[b]The Flyers defense stunk out the joint toni...
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 ...
Getting Brad Stuart at the deadline has helped the Wings a lot with all the injuries they have suffered over the past few weeks but the best has yet to come.
Niklas Kronwall made his return in the same game as Stuart made his debut as a Red Wing both helping a depleted defense corps that forced a bunch of young guys and depth defensemen to play more against good oppo...
I remember a few years ago when Bobby Clarke splashed the water with the whole offer sheet thing, with Ryan Kesler. Little did he know what kind of message that really sent. I believe that the NHL is now in a state of rebuilding, and long gone are the days where a player could just go to the highest bidder. I am going to focus on Kesler here, because of obvious reaso...
[b]
Peter Forsberg returned to the Avalanche lineup last night, MUCH to the delight of the home crowd who rose to their feet in appreciation of all he has done and in hopes of what he will do in the future.
There was a lot of hype leading up to this game, mainly because we were all waiting to hear if he when he would actually play his first game for the Avs. Peter hims...
I 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...
I remember reading a blog by a SFU Student called 'The Canucks Almanac' about 5 years ago. It was my first real exposure to blogging, and I read this guys site religiously.
One argument he made related to style of play. This was at the height of the West Coast Express hey day, and watching the misery of losing year after year early in the playoffs.
The argument w...
I thought I would have a look at the standings with a change in how points are awarded. I have taken each team[i]'[/i]s record (prior to games played on Tuesday March 4th) and divided them into Regulation wins and losses, Overtime wins and losses, and Shootout wins and losses.
I have awarded three points for a regulation win, 2 points for an overtime win and 1 point fo...
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...
I ussually try to watch every Canadian hockey Team in the NHL. The Center Ice Package has been a blessing for real hockey fanatics like myself. I remember a short time ago when the only hockey games that were televised were on the CBC on Saturdays and your selection of games was either a Leafs game or Habs game.
There is nothing wrong with that, however the exposure tha...
I have been following something over the last few years that I am sure that few have also seen or paid attention to, but something that I find interesting in an obscure and potentially meaningful way. When you look at sports leagues, what do players tend to care more about then salaries and winning? Most care a lot about the number on their backs. Some do not seem to ca...
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...
Most Isles fans like myself will be quick to point out most Islander Ranger games are do or die, but non more than the game that took place at the world's most famous arena last night. The Rangers came into the game rolling not losing in regulation nine straight games whereas the Islanders despite working hard over the weekend had only one goal to show for. The odds were...
Jsaquella writes...
NHL Officiation: Only the Inconsistency is Consistent!!!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well, once again, I have drunk enough tequila to write a blog complaining about the NHL's inability to locate competent on ice officials to run it's games.
This past week, two game deciding goals were scored on plays that should have been blown dead by one of the four on-ice officials.
The first was San Jose vs Detroit. The Sharks scored a goal that clearly hit the ...
The Flyers have Danny Briere officially listed as day to day with the right shoulder sprain suffered when he crashed into the boards in the 2nd period Sunday against the Rangers....
But after seeing Briere myself after Tuesday nights game and talking to a couple of people close to the situation, I feel confident to say Briere will definitely NOT dress tomorrow night agai...
I can confirm the report that Modry has a torn labrum in his left shoulder... because Modry told it to me following the game at the Garden on Sunday... It also appeared in the AP piece from Ira Podell who was in the hallway with me
He said he will get surgery on it at the end of the season and will play through the pain right now but it is bothering him.
(Not that its ...
Winning, like losing, is a habit. When the raw talent is there, but the pieces just don't seem to click together, that's a team who has lost the habit of winning.
At the beginning of the season, and even mid-season when the Senators faced the Red Wings, we were shown a team who [i]expected[/i] to win every game. That chemistry and smoothness was prevalent as far back as...
With just six weeks to go in the regular season, the [b]New York Rangers[/b] (34-24-9, 77 points) find themselves in almost the same position they were in last year at this point in the season: in the thick of an Eastern Conference playoff race.
The road to this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs will not be an easy one for the Blueshirts as 12 of the team’s remaining 16 g...
Well, the Ducks ran into the law of averages tonight, and it looked a heck of a lot like the Chicago Blackhawks. Coming in on a 6 game winning streak, and not having lost in Chicago since the early Stone Age, things looked good for the Ducks to tie the franchise record for wins in a row. Of course, as they say, that's why they play the game.
The Ducks flat out looked ...
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 ...
It's great to see Hull, Mikita, Koroll, Esposito, et al returning to the fold and rejoining the rising tide of Blackhawk Nation.
And in that spirit, there's another old-time Blackhawk who needs to be invited back to the U.C..
He was with the Hawks for eight seasons and three playoff runs. He played on a line with Coach Denis Savard. He scored the last goal ever score...
I've said it before, and now I am officially saying it. The Canucks can only make the playoffs with 96 points. History proves to be very reliable, especially in the last few years.
Last year the Canucks by this time of year were tearing up the Western Conference with a impressive 2nd half of the season. This year, well... it's not quite the same. We are strug...
[u][i][b]The problem is...[/b][/i][/u]
The date was April 19th. The year, perfectly enough, '99. The image is a hockey classic, not unlike Bobby Orr flying through the air, Patrick Roy throwing his hands up in surrender, or Brett Hull skating in the blue paint. A helmet-less Wayne Gretzky skating off the ice, waiving to the people who supported, loved, and r...
In honor of my fellow Blues fan and friend [i]BluesFan44[/i] and his sick and twisted sense of humo(u)r.......
The Blues marketing has given us [b]Blue Note Code #1[/b] - Whatever it Takes.
I give you the other (9) Blue Note Codes that will be coming to a billboard near you:
[b]Blue Note Code #2[/b] - We will take no shot before it's time.
[b]Blue Note Code #3[...
[b]Colorado hosts Anaheim tonight in what should be a spirited contest. Anaheim has won all three meetings with Colorado this season, but keep in mind, by only one goal each game. Personally, I thought the Avs could have won all 3 games but somehow Anaheim squeaked out the victories in each contest.
Here are some quick-hit keys to Colorado beating the defending Stanley ...
Pretty Major news to hit before game time tonight. Ohlund has swelling in his left knee from bone chips.
[url]http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=231363&hubname=[/url]
This will no doubt change some of the factors of tonights big game against Nashville, only because Ohlund logs easily 25 plus minutes a game. Not to mention he is a rock on the point for the ...
[b]fail·ure[/b] [i](fāl'yər)[/i] Pronunciation Key
n.
[i]The condition or fact of not achieving the desired end or ends
One that fails
The condition or fact of being insufficient or falling short
A cessation of proper functioning or performance
Nonperformance of what is requested or expected; omission
A decline in strength or effectiveness.[/i]
The defin...
With just 14 games remaining in the regular season, the Blue Jackets are aware of the road that lies ahead.
To get to the postseason, they'll have to avoid the potholes along the way.
Accumulating 70 points in their first 68 games, the Blue Jackets will need at least 22 points from here to the house. A record of 11-3 or 10-2-2 isn't by any means impossible, but it wo...
The great thing about the internet is your opinions have a time stamped track record. It’s easy to look at events after the fact. It takes someone special to precog events before they happen. That’s why I should be the next hockeybuzz.com blogger and have decided to throw my two cents into the ring. Here’s the proof . . . . for the most part:
[b]DRAFT JVR/SIGN ...
The Edmonton Oilers have recalled defenceman Theo Peckham from the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis. - edmontonoilers.com
Word is Matty Roy has injured his shoulder and Smid and isnt quite ready to go. Expect to see him in the Oilers lineup tommorow against the Jackets.Theo has put up 6 goals and 10 points in 42 games along with 11...
mapleleafsforever writes...
And he's thrown the challenge flag onto the... ice?!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
You can probably see where this is going but bear with me. I beg you. Recently we've had some issues with blown calls. Serious issues and seriously blown calls. The one with Detroit and San Jose was unfortunate, admittedly, but let's be reasonable; one point will not lose them the President's Trophy. It will take at least two. But I digress...
The incident in Atla...
Every year, around this time, a certain goalie is linked with a certain trophy. Year in and year out, [b]Martin Brodeur[/b] is on the list of goalies who deserve the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vezina_Trophy] Vezina Trophy[/url]. He's a fantastic player, and will enter the Hall of Fame without question. One goalie, who has been a rock for his team to build a playoff ...
thechad13 writes...
Toronto's playoff push is just a mirage.....Here is why.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
As we enter mid March the Toronto Maple Leafs have once again put together a run that has seen them tease their fans with the thought of playoff hockey in 2008. Since February 2nd The Leafs have managed to put together a run of 10-5-0-1 and as of the end of play tonight sit six points out of the eighth and final playoff spot with thirteen games left to play. With that b...
Pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604063921785/
Shout out to everyone:
Thank you Candy for coming to the game
HI Dek and David so funny you guys were behind us. What are the odds?
Brooke and Karen that was so fun
Theresa and Her brother a pleasure as always awesome you got the Upshall puck
Kristin good observations and thanks for l...
[img]http://www.blazingconcepts.com/img/syd/blog/sibrivalry4.jpg[/img]
Two men enter. One man leaves.
Two bloggers from opposite sides of the hockey rivalry sit in the same box. And share the same questionable DNA. Yes, it can only be the Gallofs.
[b]B.D. Gallof, NY Islanders Blogger: [/b]
Well, here we are. Scott follows me like a puppy through the throng ...
Last night, Henrik Lundqvist achieved something spectacular. He earned his 30th win of the season, for the third straight year.
What this means is the following:
In each of Henrik Lundqvist's first three NHL seasons, he has at least 30 wins. This has not been done since Garden favorite Ron Hextall (37 wins in 86/87, 30 wins in 87/88, and 30 wins in 88/89).
To Hext...
[b]Chalk another win up for Colorado during their "March Madness"! I don't think any team is better during this month, this year and last year - I just hope it doesn't end up with them missing the playoffs by one measly point thanks to OTL's.
It sure wasn't a "pretty" game last night by either team, but nonetheless, it was fairly entertaining. There were a lot of hits i...
Philippe Boucher, according to the Ticket, is out for 3 weeks with a partially seperated left shoulder. He previously had been out with a right shoulder injury. I love Boucher, but if he's going to be out for 3 more weeks how is this team going to be able to get full chemistry before the playoffs? Bad news.
I am just going to throw this out but do you think Carter wants to sign here. In the this past stretch where injuries have run rampant though the lineup Carter has been asked to play huge minutes in various different roles. If Richards doesn't get hurt its more then likely Carter would be relegated back to 3rd center status and get the minutes and linemates of a 3rd line c...
Martin Erat earned his first NHL hat trick on Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers. However, since game was on the Oilers' home turf, Marty didn't get showered with hats.
Some enterprising fans have been working with the front office to figure out how we can honor Erat's accomplishment, and an idea has taken shape.
Any fans wishing to send hats to Martin Erat can drop...
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...
For some reason, Los Angeles is not an easy place to be a goalie.
Just ask Dan Cloutier. Or Jason Labarbera. Jean-Sebastien Aubin and Mathieu Garon would agree. A Roman Cechmanek sighting, anyone?
You can understand why Kings fans are quick to anoint incoming goalies as the next one. Yutaka Fukufuji's time lasted, well, about a half-hour.
That mix of hopefulness a...
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 ...
The 2007-2008 NHL season has pretty much become a write-off for the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans. Most of the blame for the mediocre season has fallen into the hands of one John Ferguson Jr. for many of the questionable decisions he made as Leafs General Manager. Trading Tukka Rask for Andrew Raycroft obviously tops that list , but neither of those players had a re...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Fall In OT To Preds. Just Like Tuesday, Except A Loss
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames were defeated in overtime tonight by the Nashville Predators 2-1. Adrian Aucoin gave the puck away deep in Calgary's zone about 2 minutes into overtime to Alexander Radulov, whose shot hit the post and was rebounded in by JP Dumont. Although one might call this a game with a playoff type atmosphere, personally I thought the Flames' effort was uninspiring...
Xias writes...
An introduction post; Top 3 Picks to come out of the East!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
First, let me take the time to welcome anyone who happens to click on this post and give me a chance to entertain you through my blog. Although the Rangers are my favorite team and I make no attempt to hide that, my aspirations are to be an objective journalist, not a cheerleader, and I hope my writing will reflect that. Any criticism, constructive or otherwise, is both we...
Enjoy
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
As usual thanks for reading.
3-1 Colorado
Dave Tippett's message to his team in practice has been that work has to come before the teams skill. Dallas began the game working hard which led to them winning the individual puck battles and leading in shots 10-4 at the 11:30 mark of the 1st period. Dallas was unable to ratchet up the intensity when they had to though. They got up by a goal and for...
Once again the Islanders sit in 11th place, nine points from last in the East, and only five points away from a playoff spot. Tonight they play a Flyers squad that has only won four games in their past ten, but holds onto that 8th seed in the east that the Islanders have set their desperate eyes on. All of this just leads me to one question.
[b]Can anyone figure this te...
There are several areas that get commonly looked at as ways to increase goal scoring and they are the “reduce the goalie equipment” and “make the nets bigger”. These are minor factors in amount of goals that are stopped. In watching games now, coaches have implemented a defensive systems that do not rely on hooking and grabbing – now they block shots. Just for...
stoneford writes...
3 Posts in the first period, New Jersey With the Lead
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The first period in Toronto has come to a close and the New Jersey Devils are standing on top with a 1-0 lead. It was mostly an uninspiring 20 minutes for both clubs. The Devils managed a goal on a Zach Parise 2nds effort after Jamie Langenbrunner proved that hard work is worth more than skill. Not that he doesn't have any, but he charged for a loose puck, outworked Bri...
After having tied the game with minutes to go in the third period, the Toronto Maple Leafs get the butt end of the stick on a non call which allowed the New Jersey Devils to score the game winning goal on goaltender Vesa Toskala.
What a dissapointment this is. The Leafs were in position to get a minimum of 1 point and maybe more but due to this poor non call by the off...
In roughly one month, the blazing turbines of a rookie race -- which is unfortunately getting ignored from the media -- will cease. Let’s meet the candidates who will most likely raise some eyebrows for grasping the "Calder Trophy".
[b]Patrick Kane[/b]: The 19-year old Buffalo native debuted his NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks. Initial expectations were that Ka...
The Leafs lost to the New Jersey Devils twice in 5 nights, as the Devils reclaimed the top seed in the Eastern division.
Kyle Wellwood logged 11:47 minutes of ice-time as he had [b]ZERO[/b] goals [b]ZERO[/b] assists [b]ZERO[/b] shots on goal and [b]ZERO[/b] points. Now it has come to my attention that he had been demoted to the third line playing with Moore and Ponikar...
This is my first attempt at any type of blog here on HockeyBuzz. I've been a long time reader of the site and read just about every thing posted here. I've been wanting to do game previews and recaps for awhile now and I have finally went ahead and did it! I hope you enjoy it and I hopefully I can improve in the future.
A more graphical version can be found on my n...
It's a huge question many fans have to ask themselves. Do we all want our team to be in the playoffs? Absolutely. What fan doesn't? Do we want our team to win and advance, and hopefully make it to the Cup Finals? Without question. Are these questions feeble-minded? Without a doubt. But how about this one...Does this team deserve to make the playoffs?
Unfortunately, I do...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604079013986/detail/
First THANK YOU SCOTTIE UPSHALL
second Thanks gang was good seeing everyone IE Sandy and the kids, Theresa, Rosanne, Steve and Joyce.
Ok I am not an autographs signing person with the exception of team events where I can get a few players or the carnival where the proceeds are for charity. I had ...
[b]In yet another Jekyll and Hyde performance [/b]this afternoon, the Blue Jackets offense did the damage in a 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Not a misprint. The NHL's worst offensive team exploded for five goals and broke a listless streak (0-31) on the power play with Jason Chimera's game winner with 3:44 left. Nikolai Zherdev fired a one-timer through the legs...
Five rungs left until the top. The distance can be climbed but there are only 13 chances left to do so. Below, the hordes of enemies are rushing up, the leader just one rung below. Its crunch time. Will the top be reached?
It has been quite a turnaround. Just a few weeks ago, the New York Rangers were substantially lower in the NHL food chain and barely clinging to play...
3-0 Dallas
The Dallas Stars finally came to play tonight. They outworked Colorado consistently, shut Colorados powerplay down, and manhandled them at even strength. The Morrow/Modano/Richards line was electric at times, but the Hagman/Ribeiro/Miettinen looked flat at times. I barely noticed Ribeiro on the ice. Dallas simply outworked Colorado tonight. It doesn't ge...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Monday Morning Playoff Burger and Blues. Hold the Burger.
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Last week, the Isles went to MSG and brought back a hard fought win. It was probably their biggest win of the season due to the timing, rivalry and issues on their plate. It was a win in which we hoped would be the impetus to changing the gut-wrenching inconsistent mess they turned into mid-season.
Well, on Saturday night, they managed their biggest loss against a team ...
Do you remember when you used to follow hockey as a kid? When there was nothing like the pure excitement of going to a game? The indescribable smell of the fresh ice and the crisp chill of the air when you step into the rink? When your love of the game was simple, as was your honest support of your team, win or lose? One night's loss was easily forgotten in the anticipatio...
I've seen four MTL games in person this year, 2 at the Bell Centre, one in Toronto and I happened to be in San Jose last week to watch the shoot-out that occured against the Sharks.
Here are a couple of things that come to mind when I watch this team, and even as a Leafs fan I will be objective:
1) Has Campbell given komisarek his jock back? (If you thought that wa...
I will be writing a series of blogs discussing a handful of teams whose expectations were minimal to start the season or even now; within these teams, I believe one will take home the Stanley Cup to their franchise. I am beginning with a team that was doubted from the get-go, the Montreal Canadiens.
After missing the playoffs in the 06/07 campaign, the Habs tweaked some...
I've come to realize that my mathematics professors at my alma mater failed to mention that the theories of probability and statistics [i]aren't[/i] universal after all. They immediately cease to be valid once you walk through the gates of the Air Canada Center. You see, it just doesn't matter how mathematically improbable it is for the Toronto Maple Leafs to make the play...
Assuming that everyone's win-loss-otL-soL ratio stays the same, I took the time to calculate how many points everyone will have by the end of the season.
[b]Eastern Conference[/b]
NEW JERSEY DEVILS- 102 Points
Montreal Canadiens 100 Points
CAROLINA HURRICANES- 91 Points
Pittsburgh Penguins- 100 Points
Ottawa Senators- 97 Points
New York Rangers- 96 Points
Boston ...
This is a in depth look at what Flyers are signed, which are free agents, who should be back, who should not and who might be trade bait.
First a quick look and synopsis of who is signed and under contract for next season-and who have a realistic shot at NHL service with the Flyers in 2008-09.
Forwards: Danny Briere, Simon Gagne, Scott Hartnell, Mike Knuble, Sami Ka...
He's been called the Swiss Cheese for what is perceived as his sometimes lackluster performance. But does Gerber really merit the nickname? His play of late is vintage Martin Gerber, and many have acted surprised at his steady play. No he's not flashy, no he's not flamboyant, but boy, can he be solid... like the Swiss Alps?
His beginning in the NHL as back-up goalie to ...
The Calgary Flames 7-3 victory tonight over the St. Louis Blues featured a lot of the same ol', same ol', including shotty officiating which seems to be the norm of late in the league. But this game had something else too, and I'm glad it did as I gave away tickets to other games down the stretch to ensure my butt was in the seats tonight. Jarome Iginla passed Theoren Fleu...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Whip Blues 7-3 - Exactly What The Doctor Ordered
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
In a historic and uncharacteristically decisive win, the Calgary Flames beat the St. Louis Blues 7-3 at the Saddledome tonight. The spotlight in this game was on Jarome Iginla, who, at 18:27 of the 1st period, passed Theoren Fleury to become the franchise's all-time goals leader at 365, one-timing a pass from Kristian Huselius at the left circle. However, Iginla was not th...
It's frustration versus disappointment tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum. Or is it disappointment versus frustration? (Disappointment versus disappointment? Frustration versus frustration?) It's difficult to tell, exactly, which franchise has more of which, though we can be certain that both the New York Islanders and the Tampa Bay Lightning will carry with them a hefty ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
3-3 tie going into overtime but Flyers get point, Leafs Out
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
No love lost between these two teams and that is evident from the jump.
The Flyers withstood a vicious barrage from the hometown Leafs as a stellar Marty Biron swatted aside 13 Toronto shots. The Leafs threw the kitchen sink at the boys and they held their ground.
Resurgent Scottie Upshall scored an even strength goal - his 12th - at the 13:26 mark of the first on...
As spectators of sporting events we often have the urge to yell, shout, boo, clap or make any other type of noise we deem necessary to let somebody know just how we are feeling. It might be the common double-syllabic, repetitious chant using the opposing goaltenders first or last name in hopes they let in a soft one on the stick side. Perhaps it's the jeering directed to...
WOW! I just watched the end of the Montreal-New Jersey game on Versus, and how about those Habs?
I wish I would've seen this whole game, but ending up with 38 saves, obviously Carey Price had to be sensational. I personally have had some concern about Carey but he stepped up in a big game in a big way and I'd officially like to say I'm on the Carey bandwagon. This gu...
The NHL playoffs race is heating up, folks. With just about twelve games remaining left for the Philadelphia Flyers, crunch time has arrived.
After a terrible month of February, in which the team went on a ten game losing streak, the Flyers have bounced back slightly and remain in the playoff picture. However, their play has become severely inconsistent, and although ...
pgood writes...
The Sens 4 Game Roadtrip... Not a complete loss after all
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I realize that this comes a bit late given Ottawa just completed a home game versus Boston, but there are a few things to comment on regarding the success or lack thereof on this most recent road trip.
Coming off a big win 2 Saturdays ago versus the Pens, it was generally believed by Sens fans that Ottawa would need to come home from the road trip with at least 4 of ...
This topic was being discussed in another forum on this site, asking for the top goalie prospects not in the NHL. I thought I'd throw some stats together to settle some arguments:D...
[i]Note: PLD is my abbreviation for how many games a goalie was pulled.[/i]
[IMG]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/eliddle112/GoalieStats.jpg[/IMG]
I'll be putting out an indepth ...
There are a few reasons this incarnation of the Islanders for the 2007-2008 season failed. It has little to do with buying out Yashin and not going over-the-top to retain Blake. Though, if the Isles had just gone up one more year, he might have been retained. The thought that Blake is over-the-hill and ineffectual now in Toronto is just premature. When TO swept in, evident...
[b]In a game that will be remembered [/b]by some for a controversial goal or a non call that led to said goal I will remember this game as an ugly night for Predators hockey.
[b]Let me explain.[/b] The Preds were, quite simply, outplayed last night by a very good Sharks team. A team that has, for the past two seasons, had our number and dialed it repeatedly. The Ron Wi...
I've been a Habs fan for 20+ years and I can't remember the last time I had goose bumps watching a regular season Montreal Canadiens game.
For those of you that missed it, out of appreciation of what the Habs are doing this year and for overtaking the Devils last night for the Eastern Conference lead, the capacity crowd at the Bell Centre last night gave the home team a...
Is it time to start admitting that the Ducks just don't have the firepower to repeat? I don't mean to jump on their backs in the midst of a 1-2-1 slide, but it's looking more and more likely that 5th in the West is the best they're going to be able to achieve. This will more than likely get them a first round date with Dallas, who, to put it mildly, has pretty much owned...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Trouble ahead, trouble behind - Flyers & Leafs part deux
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y287/thewirewool/Grateful-Dead.jpg[/img]
Jerry and the Boys - 1971 at the Palladium
[i]Trouble ahead
Trouble behind
and you know that notion
just crossed my mind...
[/i]
[b]Trouble Behind:[/b]
Ugh. The notion that crossed my mind with about 11 minutes left in the 3rd period of last nights' Flyers/Leafs tussle in Toronto ...
So much for the Lightning's problem of not being able to close out games!
As the Islanders closed the gap to 5-3 with 9:38 to go last night, I wondered if we were in for another late game collapse. Many others, I'm sure, feared the same. Goals by Vinny Lecavalier (completing a hat trick), Michel Ouellet and Jason Ward quickly - and by quickly I mean in a span of 42 seco...
Night after night on Sportscentre, hockey fans across North America are seeing 5-4, 4-3, or 4-2 games. Even with goal scoring on the rise (5 players have legitimate shots at 100 points this season) we all know it's only a matter of time before someone chimes up about how we can increase scoring in the NHL. I really don't think it's needed based on the statistics, but ideas...
I've always wanted to offer something different to the standard moderated forum fare. Well, I've always been looking for some different from the standard moderated forum fare. In terms of talking Islanders Hockey we haven't had that in a long time. Probably since the day when YahooGroups were en vogue and people were separated into their own little private communities.
...
[i]"We ask him over and over again not to play the puck as much," Nolan said of DiPietro. "He's one of the best puck-handlers in the league, but you just can't overhandle it. When you overhandle it, you get yourself in trouble a little bit."[/i]
Sounds like Ted Nolan is just a tad bit frustrated with DiPietro making mistakes handling the puck in consecutive games which ...
DucksFan07 writes...
Ducks Lose, Dead Weight, and Carlyle Lays and Egg
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Ducks gave one away in the 3rd period last night in Phoenix. The hard part was trying to determine if they were playing "prevent defense" to hold on to the lead or if they were actually trying to win the game by playing offensively and attacking. Lately, with the total lack of scoring, it is often difficult to know which is which. Either way, they let a 2 -0 lead tu...
After watching the Maple Leafs all season long I realized that this team has zero finnish.
What I mean by this is the Leafs get tons of scoring chances per game but have alot of problems cashing in on them. Whether its missed opportunitys by hitting posts, missing the net, or just shooting the puck into the goalies crest the leafs seem to find away to not score when the...
You know that song, the one that starts off slow and quiet, the one you always sing to yourself when you step into a murky ocean. When you don't know what is underneath you.
Duh-Na, Duh-Na, Duh Duh Duh Duh Duh Duh Duh-Na Duh Duh Duh, Duh Na Na!
Yes, the San Jose Sharks are still on the hunt for more blood after winning 10 games. For most of the season, and in a way, ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Fall Victim To Ovechkin's Magic, Lose 3-2 To Caps
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames were served a reminder of why it was a good thing they only faced the Washington Capitals every two years this evening, falling 3-2 thanks to two late goals, one at the tail end of the second period, the other with less than two minutes left in regulation, by the incomparable Alexander Ovechkin. After the Capitals' Viktor Kozlov had opened the scoring j...
Yes Mats is still with us in Leaf land. Yes he invoked his no trade clause at the deadline. Yes Mats Sundin will be back in the blue and white next season and yes it will be with a no trade attached to the bottom of the contract. There is no reason to believe Sundin will retire at years end with or without a playoff appearance by the blue and white express. This stea...
[b]*NOTE*:[/b] I will be writing a series of blogs discussing a handful of teams whose expectations were minimal to start the season or even now. Within these teams, I believe one will take home the Stanley Cup to their franchise.
The second team I will be writing about is the New York Rangers. They debuted their off-season with a bang last summer, acquiring the likes o...
Ryan Getzlaf broke a team record for assists (52) by a center in a season last night on a power play goal by Doug Weight. The record was previously held in duplicate by Andy McDonald for the past 2 seasons.
This stat is particularly interesting. Steve Rucchin had 38 in 2002-03, Fedorov had 34 in 2003-04. You would think that with the role of a centerman, they would rack...
We all know there is a slight rumble behind the scenes between GM Garth Snow and coach Ted Nolan. The discrepancy of DP's status/sitting. Perhaps even the moving of Simon. Sure, an eyebrow or two got raised. But to construe any rumble as the beginnings of large discord seems to be premature. TSN did not help as last night, the braintrust of Bob MacKenzie (who I do love), a...
[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...
An interesting stat I thought I’d bring to you guys’ attention:
Back on Dec 31st, the Dennis Wideman scored the Bruins’ 18,000th all-time goal, and the same article mentioned that the Habs (at the time) were at 18,886. By my calculations, if the Habs score 3 tonight against the Sens, that would make 19,000 all-time goals. The way things have been going late...
[b]I wanted to write this yesterday but I came down with a bad case of strep throat coupled with a decent fever...ugh...oh well, it gives me a day or two off work at least!
TSN recently polled website visitors regarding who they thought should be named "Comeback Player of the Year". The choices were Alex Kovalev, Jose Theodore and someone else (forgive me for not rememb...
Alliteration is the key to any good blog title and I hope it caught your eye.
I often wonder what it would be like to be a Detroit Red Wing fan. They coast along in the regular season, amassing winning streaks and distancing themselves from the rest of the conference. Really, a Red Wings fan never has to worry. Those of them that show up to the games are really going...
Let me start off by saying I like John Stevens a lot and I think he is a promising young coach... But when you look at the Flyers struggles this season and factor in the personnel that was brought in, it seems that the philosophy is flawed and/or the message is not getting through. Either one of those explanations starts with the coach.
A team can take a night off her...
When Dean McAmmond was benched by coach Bryan Murray in Los Angeles, he was given an assignment to watch the team, and tell the dressing room what he noticed was not working. It seems that coach Murray had been right all along in his "get back to basics" approach. McAmmond reported back that the Senators had "wandered so far from our basis system, that we forgot what it fe...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Fall Apart In Atlanta. A Critical Collapse
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Last night, after the Flames' one-period effort of a 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals, I wrote that the next day's game against the Atlanta Thrashers was a must win for the Calgary Flames. And what did they do?
Why, blow a 3-0 lead and lose 6-4 to the 14th ranked team in the East, of course.
It seemed, early on, that the Flames were listening to this 17-year-old'...
Alright, so with 10 games left in the season and Sundin possibly on the shelf for at least one game, this is how I figure things will come down. I have read the predictions. Everyone thinks the Leafs will miss, all be it slightly, but still miss the playoffs for a franchise first 3rd straight year. I believe the common oppinion is a 9th place finish. CBC is cancellin...
In light of the recent stomping incident involving Chris Pronger and Ryan Kessler, I thought I'd share the email I wrote to Gary Bettman (cc to Collin Campbell). I am simply disgusted with the direction this league is headed.
Dear Mr. Bettman,
If the current reports regarding the Chris Pronger/Ryan Kessler stomping incident are accurate, I feel compelled to voice my...
Phigment writes...
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Continues - but a hero is needed.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Flyers are the most confusing team in the NHL this season. They can line up and play many different styles of games. They can score on the rush. Their Powerplay is incredible. They are physical. They win on the road.
Then they can become a team that cannot generate any shots. Or clear the puck form their own end. They give up tons of goals late in periods. T...
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...
Ok so I know I'm gonna get a lot of heat for this one. But it should get some reaction from the Blue seats. Axel has been back and forth to Broadway more than "Kristen" . His performances have been erratic and sometime they've been brilliant. Yet one thing is for sure # 27 is free again this summer. OK,Ok, so most of you want to shed salary and go after Brian Campbell...
Observermanager writes...
Quelles sont les chances: un regard sur les deux dernieres
Posted Friday | Comments 0
PS: tous les accents ont du etre enleve pour faciliter la conversion du texte, desole et merci.
Les series eliminatoires approchent a grand pas et le temps des grandes questions sur nos equipes favorites est a nos portes. L heure des predictions est arrivee et c est a ce moment qu il faut regarder l historique de nos equipes pour voir s ils ont le potentiel de se rendr...
I have been told that Richards in all likelihood will return to the line-up Saturday afternoon in Boston for the Flyers...
Richards has said he is 90% sure he will play but what I'm being told is more like 99+%
Not sure about line combinations but I would think it probable that he rejoins Scott Hartnell and Joffrey Lupul as he has worked well with both of those guys in...
DougStolhand writes...
The Pronger Stomp & Chris Simon's Take On Things
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Anaheim Ducks are coming off a nice 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night and the attention of the team and fans should be on the remaining nine games and what seeding the Ducks will have as they enter the Western Conference Playoffs. But instead all the talk has been about Chris Pronger and his alleged stomp on Vancouver's Ryan Kesler.
On Thursday t...
Happy Saturday morning
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
enjoy
Last night's 6-3 Hawk victory in Columbus was gratifying for a few reasons: snapping a 4-game losing streak, keeping the club's faint playoff hopes alive and icing an intriguing new set of lines.
First of all, no surprise, neither Nikolai Khabibulin nor Marty Havlat were in the line-up. More on that in a moment.
Last night's first three lines were:
Ladd-Toews-Byfu...
Pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604117852568/
Thanks Brooke and Karen for hanging out it was very fun.
I got to the game in time for warmups. I decided I wanted to shoot from the corner to get more face shots. I feel like I shoot at the Phantoms backs all the time.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2334445808/in/set-72157604117852568/...
And the mountain spoke down to Chris Pronger . . . 8 games. Methinks he got off a bit light, but better than the big fat zero flub they made the first time round. Plus, Isles take on Montreal tonight.
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
Chris Pronger, according to TSN, you know, the guys where they think grainy footages are non-crim...
"It would be foolish to think we're rushing him in any way," Snow said. "He's been one of the best forwards in Bridgeport, averaging just under a point a game.
"He's earned a chance to put on an Islanders uniform and play at the NHL level. At the end of the day, it will be a good opportunity for him to compete. In no way are we rushing him. He's proven he's capable of p...
leafs_slayer writes...
How I think the east will play out, and the meaning of life
Posted Saturday | Comments 2
Hey. Whatsup?
I'm mostly writing this blog as amusment for myself because I am sick today, and my Satelite is broken.
I'm going to predict the standings for the rest of the season, for the whole East, using my magically new-developed formula called guessing with prior knowledge.
Here we go!
Winners in bold
OT loser in italics
[b]Devils [/b]Avalanche
[b]Sa...
It is hard to recognize when good times are past and hard times are coming. It is human nature to ignore the slow but steady transition from success to failure. It is easier to sugarcoat the marginally smaller victories than to worry about a drop productivity. But this naivety and self-deception only lasts until everything collapses and there is nothing to do but accept th...
With most teams now around the 10-game mark before the playoffs, battles for the top spot are fierce and today's games could see a lot of shifting in the Eastern Conference standings by end of day.
The New Jersey Devils maintained their hold on first place with a 4-2 win against an injury plagued Colorado Avalanche team, in which goalie Martin Brodeur had to be sharp in...
B.D. Gallof writes...
OkposoMania Running Wild as Isles Fall to Montreal Again
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
So after another drubbing upon the Isles, the Official Isles website has 4 stories and features on Kyle Okposo, along with the China story. And nothing about the 3-0 loss to Montreal last night. The game recap is buried. If you watched the game, you watched an ineffectual offense unable to make a dent in Halak, making him look like Hasek. And despite a better effort and go...
Kukkonen fans rejoice.... Lasse will be in the line-up today... Obviously Hatch not in the line-up after going off early yesterday in Boston... He is having an MRI done today and I should have an update sometime in the 3rd period.
Marty Biron will start today... surprising move considering his record in the back end of consecutive days played (0-4 4.66 goals against and...
The Flyers recent game is nearly over and quite frankly I don't really care to know if they win or lose. Yes, I would love for them to mount a comeback and I still have faith.
But, what I don't have faith in is the coaching staff. Management yes but coaching staff no. I just don't understand how a team can come out so flat in the last 20 games of the season. They ...
Here's the quick hits awhile as I head for my flight back to Philly....
Biron now is 0-5 , 5.95 GAA 822 SV% on the back end of playing on consecutive days...
Hatcher is done for the regular season with a fracture in his right foot
Umberger gone for 2 weeks with left knee sprain
Holmgren mentioned coaches first in the accountability for this team
I'll get i...
The past couple days in the NHL have been marred by questionable coaching decisions that have cost teams games or at least made things interesting when they shouldn't have been.
Yesterday the Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks met in Dallas where the Stars have consistently been able to handle the Canucks behind the netminding of Marty Turco. The Stars were playing on ...
[b]*NOTE*:[/b] I will be writing a series of blogs discussing a handful of teams whose expectations were minimal to start the season or even now. Within these teams, I believe one will take home the Stanley Cup to their franchise. So far, I've I wrote about two of these clubs, the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers.
The Calgary Flames didn't start off with load...
All the Isles fans know that Kyle Okposo will be playing his first game as an Isle but is everyone just geting a little to worked up?Don't get me wrong,with the Isles not perfoming as good as us Islander fans would like getting anyone fresh and new who could help this team is a very good thing!
But then I've heard some people say Kyle will be the next Jarome Iginla or M...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
The Remarkable Northwest; The Needed Games Start Tomorrow
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Ask anyone, whether it be bloggers, journalists, coaches or players, and the universal response to the question "How many points will it take to make the playoffs in the Western Conference?" would probably be 94 or 95 points. The Calgary Flames are embroiled in the tightest points race in hockey, the Northwest Division race, a remarkable logjam of a division that, if it co...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers' barely hold 8th seed...and don't call me Shirley
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/flyersairplane.jpg?t=1205718259[/img]
The last week in Flyerdom has been a rough one for fans of the Orange and Black. The team has gone from solidly holding the 8th seed and possibly moving up in the playoff standings to holding on for its life by the thinnest of threads. As the season began to unravel at the hands ...
Isles have Okposo and 50% off tickets so you can see him. But, they also plead for you not to buy into the hype. A mixed message if I ever saw one. And perhaps a slight schism in the internal politics of sales mechanics versus team dynamics, as a season is awash in disappointment. There is no doubt that people like the coach, GM and VP of Media Relations, Chris Botta (who ...
A few thoughts have crossed my mind as I look at this team from the beginning of the year to now.
First thing that sticks out is that I simply beleive the Flyers are still a year away to becoming a top team. I think they caught fire in stretches and it got all the Flyers Fans juiced up, thinking this would be the year of the Cup. Coming into this year, I simply was lo...
[i]Wade Dubielewicz gets the start tonight and Joey MacDonald has been recalled from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League. Rick DiPietro will have an MRI on his hip this afternoon and the Islanders expect to have results on Wednesday.[/i]
-Taken from the Isles web-site
Isn't that fantastic?! Our star-netminder that is here for another 13 years is having an MRI on...
It's been said that if you have two starting goaltenders, you don't really have any. That might not be true if you happen to be Team Canada and have Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo on your side. But if you're the Detroit Red Wings and your options are Chris Osgood or an elderly Dominik Hasek, it may be so.
Of course, the point of this blog isn't about speculation of w...
9 games left in the regular season. Popular opinion among Sabre fans seems to be if they could just play with some conistency in these games they have a shot at finishing 8th, or even 7th. I like what I saw Friday and Saturday. Totally different team than the one who showed up (or didn't) against Pittsburgh. I like the lineup, I hope things keep rolling and Ruff decide...
They have to stop this free fall tonight. With the tough schedule remaining, no points can be given to teams from the Southeast. With two games left with each of the division (and poor performances against the Devils, Rangers and recently the Penguins) the Flyers have put them self into a position where they must play well and win games against the toughest competition t...
Yeah, yeah, I know this is being a homer, but the consistently HUGE number of comments made on practically every post by Garth is impressive. Nice showing by Philly and Pitt fans as wel, not only on their boards, but the Buffalo boards too. I think it says a lot about the passion each city's fans have for their team, and hockey in general. I know there are some other gr...
It was ugly, brutish, and nasty. The Carolina Hurricanes handed a flat-footed Ottawa Senators team a resounding defeat by a score of 5-1 on Sunday. And it couldn't have come at a better time.
With nine games remaining in their regular season, the last eight against division rivals, the bitter medicine that the Senators had to swallow on Sunday is just what the doctor or...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers' Turnaround Checklist - A Few "Musts"
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Just a few seemingly random thoughts, [u]as I checked that my heart was still beating[/u], after Niitty made that highlight reel right pad save on Ilya Kovalchuk. Pure magic.
#22 - Mike Knuble owes Niitty a drink tonight for hanging him out to dry by leaving a 50 goal scorer alone in the slot with less than 10 seconds remaining on the clock. Mike, you almost won "Go...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Another Road Disaster; Flames Don't Deserve The Playoffs
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I have been criticized recently because of my extreme pessimism regarding the Calgary Flames' chances for the rest of this NHL season. Well, I point the optimists in the direction of the Flames' latest disaster, a 3-0 drubbing by the 12th place Columbus Blue Jackets, in which they were outshot by a ridiculous margin of 38-18. There is little that can be said about such a l...
[b]DP Iced: Gone for Season [/b]
DP is now out for the year, as now his right hip will be operated on. The poorest kept secret in hockey is now done. Rick has likely been hurt since the all star game, and has clearly contributed to his second-half falter. It might also explain his extended sitting after his grandmother passed away.
So, surgery on his left hip after ...
[b]Needing two points to keep their playoff hopes alive [/b]the Predators came up against a team that was just more hungry than they were. The Washington Capitals looked like a desperate team playing in desperate times and wanting desperately to get two points closer to the post season (did I use the word desperate enough in that sentence? ). The Preds on the other han...
Throughout its history, the NHL has had its share of "characters," and now is no different.
We all know that [b]John Tortorella[/b] looks like [b]Fonzie[/b] and [b]Sidney Crosby[/b] looks like [b]Butt-head[/b], but here's a few you might not have noticed...
[b]Jacques Martin / [i]Ratatouille[/i][/b]
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y105/Number23/HockeyBuzz/...
I don't want have to rely on help from Atlantic and Southest division teams down the stretch here to get ahead of Philly and/or Washington. I need to see a continuation of the weekend's games tonight. 2 must have points before finishing up with 8 division opponent games. We'll find out exactly how much heart this team has. It's Lindy's job to have these guys motivated ...
Have you ever heard one of the soccer (futbol) announcers scream, "Gooooooooooooooo (take a deep breath) aaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll" after a goal? I don't care who you are. When you hear that kind of exuberance and excitement, you can't help but smile and maybe even laugh out loud with some of the same bubbly enthusiasm. Or have you ever heard R...
Hockey has been one of the greatest things to ever enter my life. In most generations, kids get into hockey when they're young, very young. Sometimes even at the ages of five or six. I know a lot of people that have played hockey up through the years of middle school and then drop it like a bad habit. But the ones who continue on and play for their high school, play colleg...
tootooisapunk writes...
Problems with EA sports NHL 08 get used to it or speak up.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Like many gamers, I have been waiting on the roster update for NHL 08. We all assumed it would be out in a reasonable time. Well it has finally come out [b]3 weeks after the trade deadline[/b] and it's full of glitches.
Systems lock up, connections drop, and lineups are full of holes. The Stars, my favorite team, and the Sharks (the other team in the Pacific) only have...
Big game, have to have these 2 points. Need Chicago to shut down AO and the surging Caps. Buffalo might have to get 15-16 points of these last 18 to grab a playoff spot. No time to let up.
Can't take this one for granted, TB on a 3-game win streak
Lines:
Paille-Roy-Bernier
Hecht-Gaustad-Pominville
Vanek-Kotalik-Afinogenov
Kaleta-Mair-Stafford
Sekera-Weber
Ly...
Willie Wilts writes...
LEAFS: Who Will Be Paid In Full Come June Draft.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With the Leafs all but out of playoff contention, Interum GM Cliff Fletcher headed west to scout talent and a pair of back to backs this weekend that may force Leaf fans off the ledge, lets turn our focus to the 'rebuild'...It has been reported that GM Fletcher has "extra" money to buy-out any contracts he feels need discarded. When the term buy-out is mentioned shortly a...
After watching tonight's 7-4 win over Tampa Bay, I am convinced of one thing:
The Buffalo Sabres are schizophrenic.
The Sabres managed just two - that's right, two - shots on goal while giving up a pair of second-period goals to one of the worst teams in the league (last in the Eastern Conference with 66 points, or 15 points behind the Sabres). They left the ice fo...
Why Not ?
Who would of thought 2 months ago when the Canucks were tied for 10th place in the Western Conference that with 9 games left in the season they would be within striking distance of defending the Northwest division that they won in style last year.
Let me tell you I for sure didn't, I assumed we were doomed with Nashville and Phoenix knocking at the doo...
The Philadelphia Flyers head into the final eight games of their '07-'08 season with a 36-28-10 record, good enough for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
For a franchise that finished dead last in the NHL last season, this would seem like an enviable position.
But looks can be deceiving.
Before a mild 3-2 victory over a paltry Thrashers clu...
OHHHHHHHHH BABY! Man as good as Joe Micheletti has been , man do I miss that phrase by John Davidson. Last night was an OH night as in the Rangers are now 6 and 0 Vs the Devils this year.
The Rangers stayed patient and played there system and with a beautiful Callahan pass to Drury in the slot ,OHHHH what a goal! There are a lot of un canny similarities to the year...
Sometimes it takes a loss to understand how important a player is to his team. The Capitals lost 5-0 to the Blackhawks last night. In a game where the Capitals failed to score, it was more apparent than ever how Alexander Ovechkin is the league MVP.
A week or so ago, Ek posted the "Who Would You Build Your Team Around" blog.
The options...Sidney Crosby or Alexander...
[b][i]UPDATE - [/b]The Tennessean is reporting that Dan Ellis will make the start in net tonight for the Preds. Ellis has played well against the Wings and recently was in net for the 3-1 Preds win at the Joe. [/i]
[b]I will be mobile tonight[/b] at the Preds - Wings. I have not done that yet this year and I am looking forward to doing it. Follow along online or wit...
I just wanted to get some feedback from the Fishstick squad. All jokes aside it was nice to team up with my foes last week or so. With the Islanders and Rangers going to war a few of us had to inform the world just how intense the battles are. After seeing the Rangers/Devils last night, god it's great being a hockey fan in the NY area. Hats off to you who took the time...
[b]Coming off their lucklaster performance against the Wild on Monday, Colorado will look to rebound as they get set to faceoff in the Saddledome tonight at 9pm EST/6pm PST.
Calgary, as we all know, is a very skilled team. They have gotten great goaltending from Kipper as of late, even though by all accounts he has struggled this season. Of course, the Flames' D is tou...
The world of professional sports is always striving to create a fair, if not equal, playing field for all competitors. The entire concept of sports is for one individual or group to triumph over others who were also capable of winning. Although on a micro level there are teams with more talent than others, the opportunity for an organization to build a strong team is not h...
I am all for the Mapleleafs, and would love to seem them make the playoffs, but it is not going to happen folks, let me explain. Lets consider for a moment that the Leafs win all of their remaining games for a total of 92 Points, now for the sake of argument lets assume all of the remaining teams also win all of their games so we can see how many loses each team will need ...
millertime writes...
Fascinating--If Sabres win out, They're in the Playoffs
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
What does the Boston loss mean tonight?
If the Sabres win out - each of their last 8 games - they are in the playoffs. Period.
Nobody behind them can catch them if they win out and they would leapfrog Boston for a playoff spot, regardless of what currently-eighth-place Philadelphia does.
Buffalo will have tallied 16 points for those 8 wins and would finish with...
[reposted from my other blog, http://beyondthefried.blogspot.com]
It's a frustrating time to be a Preds fan.
Hubby's work gave him free tickets to the game against the Capitals Tuesday night. Sigh. I don't think I've ever heard Preds fans boo their own team that much. The first period was really bad. They played better in the 2nd and 3rd periods, but it just wasn't e...
[b]It seemed like an easy thing. After an embarrassing 3-1 loss to Minny on Monday I figured the Avs would come out of the gate flying - good rushes, hits, etc. At least there was a fight.
In a CRUCIAL game, the Avs simply did not come to play...AGAIN! They looked a lot better in the third but even then, come on. With a whopping 3 shots in the first, 7 shots in the sec...
[b]*NOTE*[/b]: I am currently writing a series of blogs discussing certain teams who I think have the best chance of winning the Cup. However, these clubs consist of teams whose expectations were low to start the season, or now, right before the playoffs. So far, I've I wrote about three of these clubs, the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Rangers and the Calgary Flames.
...
As I mentioned yesterday I blogged live from the Preds - Red Wings game last night. below is my blow by blow recap as it appeared live on my other blog www.predjoe.wordpress.com.
[b]Pre-Game[/b]
it is early...I tend to get to games early to try and nab one of my special free parking spots. I scored one tonight so I am feeling good!
the Sommet Center has the Duk...
Nice to hear that in mid-March the team finally practices 6 on 5 at the end of the game. With all the new players on this team and young players you would think a coach would practice every situation. I was at a practice early in the season where they spent 40+ working on the new powerplay setup. We can all see the results of this attention to details. With all the late...
So, for those unfamiliar, I'm a fan of college hockey in general, but particularly the Rochester Institute of Technology's team. There was big news in the land of RIT Tigers Hockey today as Simon Lambert was listed as a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker award. Not bad for a guy who started his college career in division III, wasn't drafted by the NHL and isn't even on ...
If there is one change that the NHL must it is the point allotment for wins and losses. Otherwise known as the "three-point
game." It is the most idiotic practice to award 2 points in some games and 3 in others. It makes it impossible to catch
teams in the playoff races when some games are offering up more points than others. This also contributes to a more bor...
Eddie Cahill was in the stands tonight at the Flyers game, sitting 2nd row behind the benches. For those of you not familiar with Cahill, you might recognize him as Detective Flack from CSI: NY, Rachel's one-time boyfriend on Friends, or my bet would be you know him as Jim Craig from one of the best sports films of all time, Miracle.
I was able to sit next to Eddie duri...
[img:left]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20070923/pogge_54611.jpg[/img]I had an opportunity to see the Leafs future #1 netminder tonight, as his Marlies visited Hamilton in the first game of a home-and-home, picking up a 3-2 victory in overtime. I say "future #1" with conviction after what I saw tonight. Not that there was any doubt before I got to see him in person, ...
enjoy
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Happy holiday weekend.
enjoy
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Happy holiday weekend.
enjoy
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Happy holiday weekend.
ladynic writes...
3/20 Flyers fan Club, 3/21 Flyers/ Phantoms practice & Game
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Hi Everyone it has been a busy few days. I am doing just one report.
3/19 Fan Club Meeting
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604187799571/
3/21 Flyers and Phantoms practice
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604191654583/
3/21 Rangers@ Flyers
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604201116469/
Here is the link for Erica'...
Ok.
Ovechkin hit 60 goals with 6 games left.
Cool.
Now we can all relax. He's juiced the most he possibly could have out of this season.
C'mon, am I right??
Nope!
So, heres how I look at it. Ovechkin is the top scorer since the lockout. He's the best goal scorer, statistically, since Mario Lemieux put up 69 goals in 1995-96. But thats only so far. Could, hypothetical...
What better way to score your first NHL goal than on one of the greatest goaltenders of all-time, Martin Brodeur? How about the fact it was the game winner with just under a minute or two remaining in regulation that ended a six game skid?
[img:left]http://cdn.nhl.com/islanders/images/upload/2008/03/okposo_032108.jpg[/img] You can tell he felt all that and more with a ...
The NHL has made a cultural shift since the lockout. In a game that was once dominated by players in their early to mid thirties, a youth movement has taken place. Now we have players like Crosby, Ovechkin and Phaneuf among many others who are dominating the game while in their early twenties. It is players like these that every team covets, and if you ask any GM in the...
Ron Guillet writes...
Shedding Light on Vesa Toskala and the Leafs Future
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
After the recent 174-foot goal Vesa Toskala allowed against the Islanders, many non-Leafs fans may question the 31 year old goaltender, but that would be a mistake if you're not aware what kind of season he's endured with the Blue and White.
To begin, when the Leafs acquired Vesa Toskala in the summer, they were not expecting top five quality goaltending. Fact is, Tosk...
Here they come lead by their knight in shining armour Vesa Toskala. Maple leafs fans haven't been treated to something like this since Cujo pulled on a blue and white jersey. If JFJ did ANYTHING right in his time as Leafs GM it CERTAINLY would be bringing in Toskala. Even with being saddled with Bell's 2 mil/2yr deal the Toskala aquisition was just what the Leafs needed...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Keep Division Hopes Alive; 2 Down, 3 To Go?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
In a game that looked and felt like a genuine playoff tilt, the Calgary Flames edged out the Minnesota Wild 5-4 on the strength of a natural hat trick by Jarome Iginla and goals by Dion Phaneuf and Matthew Lombardi. Flames fans in the 'Dome were treated to not only this outstanding effort by their captain, but a critically important flash of opportunism by the boys in red....
As the regular season winds down we again see that the biggest issue with the competitive balance in the NHL is not East versus West, but the rivalries within the decisions. This season more than any in recent memory the difference within the divisions when coupled with the division-heavy scheduling is making some teams appear to be more in the playoff hunt than they shou...
D-Man Michael Funk has been sent back to Rochester. Nathan Paestch is ready to return to the lineup.
Who would you rather have in the lineup Patches or The Funky Cold Medina?
The last 4 to 6 weeks as a Leaf follower and fan have been quite a roller coaster ride for all involved. Leaf fans must be feeling fully schizophrenic these days. Only a person with complete bipolar personality disorder can logically accept that the Leafs will fall short of the playoffs for the 3rd year in a row while simultaneously cheer loudly for yet another miraculou...
Pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604220361470/detail/
Thank you Erica! That was fun.
Erica's pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickilynn7/sets/72157604228050714/
Shout out to #23, Jsaq, Sandy and the Fly Ladies, Karen, Brooke, Roseanne, Joyce & Steve, Theresa & Caroline and anyone else I may have forgotten.
My signs for the night (accor...
With the Canucks being so close to securing a playoff spot, I thought it would be a great chance to look back and get the juices flowing.
Please take a look at this video from Youtube. A Great Video Tribute
If anything I am pumped for the playoffs.
Alright we are getting down to crunch time. With seven games left in the season this is how it's looking.
Calgary - 3
Colorado - 2
Edmonton -1
Minnesota - 1
I know I have cursed the schedule earlier this year, for those many back-to-back-to-back games or the 5 days off stretches, but this could be the best way to finish the season. Everything is in our hand...
You can bark and scream at the moon all you want...you can debate on websites, appeal to your friends for reason, throw your remote control across the room...all of it. I come onto this site and laugh and laugh at guys who think they can re-invent the wheel or even funnier, appeal for reason and devise gameplans to help their team - my team - the Leafs, run the ship into t...
As I left the AAC Saturday afternoon, (after a ridiculous, disappointing, frustrating, and disheartening 3rd period meltdown) I finally came to this conclusion --
[b]I am a Stars' fan no matter what![/b]
No matter what the final score is or how it happens, [b]I will be rooting for my Dallas Stars.[/b] No more bickering, or complaining about the refs, or hanging my ...
It's been a long time since Calgary has had THAT defenseman. The guy who was going to score goals and shut down the other team. Robyn Regehr has been a stalwart for years, but his offensive output is limited, relegating him to be simply a shut-down d-man... extremely important, but in a different regard. Dion has shown Calgary Flames fans and the league that he's going ...
[b]Avs 2, Flames 0. Although the score may seem somewhat misleading, the game was much closer. Again, at the start of the game the Avs came out somewhat tentative, though I have to say our passing was much crisper tonight. I thought Calgary really set the physical tone early, especially thanks to Phaneuf. I love this guy, I really do, and I thought he was great tonight (at...
Well the Senators got beat down with its 2nd loss in 2 games. First a squandered loss by the hated Leafs and tonight by the Montreal Canadiens. Obviously the Leaf-revulsion has always been old news, but tonight a new era has dawned as the rivalry brewing between the Habs and the sens has hit a new temperature. I was both impressed and disgusted by the intensity of the Bell...
The passing of the torch is an expression in the sports world that is often used when a team sees the face of there franchise either retire or slowly fade to the back while a younger player steps up to replace him in that role in the hopes of leading his team to greatness. In Toronto this passing of the torch is slowly but surely starting to happen. As it stands rig...
Joey Kenward is the play-by-play voice of the defending
Memorial Cup champion WHL [b]Vancouver Giants[/b].
__________________
Now that the 2008 Playoffs are underway in the WHL, I thought I might provide a quick recap of how each series has gone to this point. The Western Conference match-ups on paper are not nearly as close as those in the East, based primarily on how ...
In hockey, there used to be one goal....that was to win the Stanley Cup. It didn't matter how much money you made when you won it, it didn't matter how ready for the future the team was, the team's cap situation didn't matter.....no the business aspect stayed out of the history books.
It used to be when a team won the Stanley Cup, the team was engraved forever in hocke...
[img:right]http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20070408/capt.sge.nek63.080407234906.photo00.photo.default-512x379.jpg[/img] So the silence has been broken and Wade Dubielewicz has come out to say like many other players heading towards free agency, that Long Island is his home, he wants to stay and remain an Islander, and is happy playing for them.
But when did he actu...
[img:right]http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20070408/capt.sge.nek63.080407234906.photo00.photo.default-512x379.jpg[/img] So the silence has been broken and Wade Dubielewicz has come out to say like many other players heading towards free agency, that Long Island is his home, he wants to stay and remain an Islander, and is happy playing for them.
But when did he actu...
In spite of all the negative attention surrounding the Leafs lately, I thought I'd take a different angle and -- god forbid -- take a look to the future of a possible playoff berth. While the Leafs have their work cut out for them, it’s not impossible for them to attain post-season play. While it may seem improbable considering the teams they must leapfrog, the recent pl...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/neworleanstrip3.jpg[/img]
New Orleans is haunted. They say this as a matter-of-fact. Sure, there is that touristy aura to the French Quarter where drama club dropouts hark silly stories and half truths to Pa and Ma with the kids who have come in from Memphis. That's not the part of the French quarter I frequented. Instead we delved dee...
Pre-game roster notes etc
Biron back between the pipes.... Goalie controversy settled? I'd say yes for the most part....
Jones will NOT return tonight as had been hoped... Same 6 defensemen as we have seen. No word yet on any changes up front but I wouldn't think so....
As for the Rangers, Scott Gomez won't be in action as his ribs etc are still bothering him f...
Well, if there was any doubt on the fate of the Sabres - I called this weeks ago -, they proved tonight why they don't deserve to be one of the 8 Eastern Conference teams left standing for the 2008 NHL postseason.
But beware of the spin! In the coming days and weeks, these are the things you'll be hearing from Sabres management, head coach Lindy Ruff, and general manag...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Get Win No. 40 In Style Over Canucks, Take Lead In NW
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames rebounded from an abysmal first period, a terribly soft goal, and a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 tonight at the Saddledome. With the win, Calgary takes the lead in the Northwest Division with 90 points, one more than Minnesota and four more than the Canucks and Colorado Avalanche. This was a huge win for the Flames, who go into a three...
[i]Dan Ellis has unseated Chris Mason as the teams starter. [/i]
[i][b]"I wish I could trust him."[/b][/i]
[b]That's what kept echoing in my brain[/b] last night following the superb performance by Dan Ellis last night in goal. for the second game in a row Ellis has stood on his head and led this team to victory. First it was the 2-1 shootout victory over the Bla...
nephew23 writes...
Believe! (updated with 2007-08 season ending predictions)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As I left the AAC Saturday afternoon, (after a ridiculous, disappointing, frustrating, and disheartening 3rd period meltdown) I finally came to this conclusion --
[b]I am a Stars' fan no matter what![/b]
No matter what the final score is or how it happens, [b]I will be rooting for my Dallas Stars.[/b] No more bickering, or complaining about the refs, or hanging my ...
If the Stars are going to 'right the ship,' there's no better game to do it than Thursday night's matchup in San Jose. They will be smelling blood in the Shark Tank, no doubt.
A couple of interesting tidbits from Dallas Morning News reports:
- Both Zubov and Boucher will be on this road trip, though neither are expected to play Thursday. Having one (or both) of the...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
They're Baaack - Flyers ice Rags in OT, Holy Grail and Weiji
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/poltergeistFlyers.jpg?t=1206499452[/img]
Just like that creepy little girl, Carol Ann, from "Poltergeist II" said, the Flyers have seriously thrust themselves back into playoff mix with a 2-1 Overtime victory against the Rangers tonight at MSG. Oh, and this one was against Lundy - not the backup. The Flyers very easi...
Dominic Moore and Kris Newbury were providing the electric charge but the Leafs failed to capture lightning in a bottle as they watched their playoff hopes fade.. again. [IMG:left]http://i25.tinypic.com/23wguh.jpg[/IMG] The dream is over. Although most true Leafs fans knew in the back of their minds it was a hill that was likely way to steep for the boys in blue to climb...
The regular season has only 5 games remaining.
The (expected) playoff birth has been obtained an now it's really just a question of heading into the post season playing good "playoff hockey" and above all...staying healthy.
I know the team and the fans would like a division championship...at least...and maybe even first place in the conference.
But honestly to me...
[b]Every now and then, the Blue Jackets decide that their coach knows a thing or two.[/b]
When they listen, good things tend to follow. Tonight was no exception.
From the drop of the puck, the Blue Jackets played with an intensity that reminded fans of the team they watched early this season, one that forechecked aggressively and played collective defense in front of t...
Reading Howard Berger's latest blog got me thinking, who is really to blame for the state of the leafs. I have my opinion... One reader disagrees. This is his comment that gave me the desire to write this blog... and my response following.
[quote=peedy7]If Mats Sundin and the others, would have waived their NTC, the Leafs would have made the playoffs this season, afte...
It seems the Richards line isn't concrete for tonight, as the line also practiced with Hagman on the left wing in place of Modano. It looks like a game-time decision to keep us (and San Jose) guessing.
Oh, and I mentioned the Richards/Modano/Barnes line to our resident Goalie(tm) yesterday, and he asked if putting the two worst +/- players on the same line uses the math...
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 wrote this blog in the beginning of this year, and I got bashed for it.It turns out I was right on almost everything.Please read this ,and let me know how wrong or right I was.
08 should be a piece of cake for wings...until the playoffs.
Posted 12:37 PM ET | Comments 13 | Edit | Delete
The season of '08 is looking great for th...
fatbrendan writes...
It's been fun, but it'll be the Preds over the Oil and Nucks
Posted Friday | Comments 0
As a devout Oilers fan, let me first say that I came to terms with the Oilers not making the playoffs after they dropped 6 in a row back in December. My only hope for the rest of the season was that they would somehow find a way out of the bottom 5 to not give Anaheim a lottery pick for Penner.
Imagine my surprise over the last 4 or 5 weeks as the Oilers have amazed ev...
[i]Preds tough guy Tootoo could be marked man tonight...[/i]
[b]At this point in the season[/b] every game for the Predators carries huge playoff implications. To say we need every point we can get is a huge understatement and tonight's tilt against division rival Columbus is as big as they get.
The Preds are coming off a hard fought (literally and figuratively) 3...
Hey everybody!
I know that I haven't written in a while, but I'd like to take the time to tell you why the Hurricanes made the trade of the deadline period when they acquired Joe Corvo along with Patrick Eaves from the Ottawa Senators for Mike Commodore and Cory Stillman. As of March 28, 2008, Joe Corvo has 43 points this season. Through 51 games, he had 27 points with th...
Bob McKenzie.
Don and Ron.
They've all opined on no-touch icing: that it should be banned; that it should be ridiculed as a barbaric law that has hung above us for far too long; that it should be modified.
All points have validity, but modification fits most with me.
[i]We [/i]fear for the back-checking D - sliding, ankle-first, into the boards.
[i]He [...
It will be a relief to some that I've yet to see Andrew Raycroft's picture on a milk carton (yes, Mrs.Raycroft, I'm sure he's okay). I drink a lot of milk (for healthy bones) so I would be the first to know were he missing from anywhere outside of the rink.
But missing on the rink he is. He hasn't started a game in what seems to be ages (November 18th I believe, but I'...
The Sabres proved that there is no way that they can be a playoff team last night. Two blown two-goal leads in three games. Pathetic. I don't understand how they can ALWAYS break down when they are GIVEN freebie points by playoff teams. I say, sit Miller down, put in Thibault. Miller has had concistency problems and always chokes come playoff time. How do you know if...
[b]With Friday nights impressive win[/b] the Preds have climbed back into the last playoff spot in the West (Edmonton - Calgary had yet to play as of this posting late Saturday). Dan Ellis was, once again, spectacular and continues his impressive streak of hockey. He has put this team on his shoulders and is carrying them...big time! (on a bit of a side note...how about th...
In our frustration over the Sabres not making the playoffs just remember the 70's NYI's. They were the same team as the Sabres are now. Tons of talent and scoring but couldn't get over the 'hump'. Going to the semifinals a few times and losing for in the playoffs for multiple years. Al Arbour was considered in the same vain as Lindy is now that he couldn't win the big one....
Enjoy
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts
Have a great Sunday.
I was unable to make the game in the Blog Box. Instead, I elected to watch it with my wife and two heathen Ranger fan brothers at Chez Gallof. We ordered in Sushi. Both my brothers were in the odd position of having to root for the Isles since Philly was right on their tail. Scott seems to feel that the Ranger's best matchup is with Carolina. He might be right, but it gets...
Jeff Tambellini, who was one of the main reasons Chris Simon was moved which thus allowed him a full-time position, has been sent down to the Islanders Bridgeport affiliate once again this season.
I really have to wonder what the organization's feel for Tamby is at this point in his career. He was the first round pick of the L.A. Kings back in 2003, picked at 27th over...
Ok folks I don't have a ton of time until later tonight to post a report.
Here are just pic links for now with more coming later. Enjoy
Devils Game
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604314558899/
NYC day tripping
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604314620453/
Islanders game
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Lose Heartbreaker To Oil; Winning Out Would Win NW
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I just did not have the energy to muster a blog post late last night, after the Calgary Flames' 2-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers at home. So I'll briefly summarize this huge game before detailing how it affects the Flames' division hopes. This game was, in my view, simply a heartbreaker for the Flames, who outshot, outchanced, and had more puck control for the entire game t...
The Rangers and Pens played a hard fought game this afternoon that seemed to turn up in intensity as the game went along.
After scoring first, the Rangers continued to apply pressure in the offensive zone, but (as Ed Olczyk correctly pointed out) allowed Pittsburgh too much space in the high slot and at the points by continually collapsing in front of Lundqvist. Mari...
Well I have finally returned from a much needed break from the cold-weather and was down in Myrtle Beach, SC this past week. It was a great vacation to get away, get a tan, and take in how beautiful the country is by driving down from Buffalo.
But seriously, it is great to be back in a place where people have better things to do like watch hockey than cruise up and down...
All year long, Sharks fans lamented over inconsistency. We are not scoring enough. Our offense is hot and cold. Cheechoo and Marleau have disappeared. We need a number one d-man to make the playoffs.
Blah, Blah, Blah.
Living in Columbus, OH, I watched. I listened. I said, "Just be patient."
I got to see Brian Campbell's debut in teal in person in Columbus. I...
Opinion about this year's Red Wings team, as it has been each year since the lockout resumed, has been deeply divided. At the beginning of the season, ESPN's most visible hockey analysts diverged thusly: E.J. Hradek picked the Wings to win the Stanley Cup, while Barry Melrose declared them a "second class" team in the Western Conference. This division was still clearly app...
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...
My family and I just happened to fall prey to the nasty sickness that has been floating around and not going away in a normal timeframe. This one was abnormally uncomfortable as even my bones and teeth hurt. Nothing like waking in the middle of the night after 15 hours of sleep in a soaking wet sweat, but I am wandering off topic.
The bottom line is I missed the "Ne...
[b]With two games versus the Rangers this week, the Isles stand poised to spoil their playoff party[/b]
As the Isles season comes to a close with young players taking more and more minutes, one interesting thing has developed. The Isles might hold the key to the Rangers fortunes. The Rangers, Bruins and Flyers are knotted up at 91 points. Meanwhile, the Washington Caps ...
[b]Dan Ellis has strung together[/b] a series of performances that should, in my opinion, win him player of the week honors. Starting with last Sunday's 2-1 shootout win over the Chicago Blackhawks Ellis has gone 3-0-1 in his last four posting 2 shutouts and allowing only two goals and just one in regulation. The guy has been a stud. Early last week I had a post that I tit...
The Toronto Maple Leafs have started a rather unsavoury tradition in recent years. Having officially and mathematically been eliminated from playoff competition again this year, they have now entered their 3rd annual "retooling" year. Unlike previous years however, there appears to be real hope and belief amongst both the Leaf fans and the media that things will be much ...
Pics of course
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604329647984/
Alright I talked quite a bit @ practice. So I wasn't wholley paying attention.
Participants
Coburn Umberger
Cote Knuble
Carter Jones
Richards Timonen
Tolpeko Kapanen
Parent Briere
Prospal Lupul
Upshall ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Forget The Division, Flames Have To Just Get In Playoffs Now
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The aftermath of the Calgary Flames' 6-2 embarrassment at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks last night (the game itself really requires no explanation or analysis), should be as clear as day, even to the most tragically optimistic Flames fans: far from winning the division, the Flames must now, just as they did last season, focus their efforts and worries primarily on sim...
Last night, at 11pm, I got the call. I had heard rumors back when I was traversing the French Quarter of New Orleans early last week. But I held off, thinking it would not happen. That it simply could not happen. Could it?
Last night, it did happen.
Alexei Yashin will be returning to the Isles for a 4 year, 16.5 million deal. This was done between his new agent, Bori...
C4LL4W4Y writes...
Pens vs. Rangers round 2; Can the East beat the West?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Rangers edged the Penguins in a hard defensive battle last night to pull even with the Devils at 93 points and give themselves from breathing room from the surging Capitals.
Chris Drury scored the game winner in overtime on the power play after the the Penguins had tied it with about 10 minutes to go in the 3rd.
The equalizer came after Jagr gathered some steam...
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 ...
WGR and WKBW are reporting that Teppo Numminen's suspension has been lifted and he could play as early as Thursday. I say, as a fan, I want to see him back and playing. Especially with the current injuries, the Sabres could use some veteran presence (and a right-handed d-man) on the blue line. Teppo gives a team just that. I am not saying that this will give us a smoot...
Rob McGowan writes...
Brodeur and The Devils Aren't Fools This April Fools Day
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Sure, it's a day of practical jokes and funnies, but there was nothing funny about the Devils victory tonight at the Coliseum. Tonight Brodeur captured his 40th win of his career against the Islanders, leading his team once again to clinching a playoff spot for the 11th year in a row against our lowly Islanders. Just add Brody's accomplishment to the list of others that ha...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Some Points to be Made as the Isles Fall to NJ in OT
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
As you all watch the games and read the same articles, I won't bore you with the usual recap and such. I always assume you all saw what I saw. But I will share some of what I came away with from my last Blog Box Isles game for this season . . .
[b]BD's Game Key Stats [/b]
Matt Spiller getting HUGE...
[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...
jesus the northwest is crazy - if calgary beats minny tomorrow, then THREE teams can win the division title with their last game remaining
Option 1 - CGY beats MIN, CGY beats VAN, COL Beats MIN (Calgary wins Title)
Option 2 - CGY beats MIN, CGY loses to VAN, COL Beats MIN (Colorado wins Title)
Option 3 - CGY beats MIN, CGY beats VAN, MIN beats COL (Minnesota wins Titl...
[b] My wife and I were in our basement suite busily trying to decorate the place in pro-Avs colors when in walked one of my best friends (and another buddy)... Canuck fans. With Avs jerseys, scarfs, trinkets, mugs, a blanket and two Canuck fans, the stage was set for the pivotal push for the postseason.
I sometimes have a big mouth when it comes to the Avs. Usually, at ...
Someone please explain to me how this works: Stick technology is to the point of composite one-piece sticks. Carbon fiber, Kevlar, graphite, etc. For me and you, these sticks can cost up to $240. I'm sure most NHL players get theirs for free, and I'll assume major college programs include sticks in their budgets. AND YET THEY BLOW UP! You would think these things com...
Yes, the season has been over for a while now for Islander fans. Instead, we've at least been treated to a glimpse of the future. Anyone who has not been able to make a Bridgeport game now gets a good look with the Isles. The kids playing have created a lot of energy on the ice. And, despite the losses, they are still competing and playing hard, which shows Ted Nolan's ski...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
You know it's time for playoff hockey when...
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/hanson2.jpg?t=1207231935[/img]
[u][b]You know it's time for playoff hockey when...[/b][/u]
* You've stocked up on enough Molson, Export Ale and Labatts to keep the '84 Oilers feeling no pain for the next year and you remember that the Canadian border is over 1,000 miles away but you figure you could still make it th...
This Monday at 8PM we will be able to witness the lottery draft for the first overall pick in what is one of the deepest drafts in years. Right now, although it hasn't been solidified as definite, the Islanders sit in what appears to be the fifth worst spot, prompting the possibility of getting that 1st overall pick.
Sure, many probably figure the odds are not on our si...
The consistent-inconsistency continues, on par with the whole of this season, and all of the last. It's been since the first post-strike season that the Calgary Flames have played with any sort of consistent effort and production. This is a trend that, if not fixed before, or early in the playoffs, will result in another early exit from the post-season. And that's assum...
Well with two games left, the Flyers are in the mix for the playoffs but have not secured a ticket yet. So what are the possibilities for this weekend. Listen I have my degree in Math, but even I won't list all the possibilities. But, here is what I know for sure.
[b]The Good[/b]
After the lost season of 2006-2007 where the Flyers were the worst team in the league, ...
Here are some numbers for you:
05-06 22 46 14 244 316
07-08 47 26 08 247 214
The top numbers represent the first year after the strike...Sidney Crosby's first with the Pens. That year the team won 22 games, lost 46, had OTLs of 14...scored 244 goals and had 314 goals scored against them.
The second set of numbers is from the 81 games played THIS year. With 47 win...
No Look Drop Pass writes...
Malkin or Crosby? Because you can't have both!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Lakers having to choose between Shaq and Kobe, the two playres who led them to three consecutive NBA championships but were never invited to each others birthday parties, will be nothing compared to the choice #66 has to make in the not-so-distant future about who he wants leading the March of the Penguins -- 87 or 71?
It has to be rare for someone to pull back the...
C4LL4W4Y writes...
Rangers clinch playoff spot; The Mystery that is the Sens
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]Rangers win, clinch playoff spot[/b]
The Rangers fought off early pressure from the Islanders through several great Lundqvist saves and took control of the game in the 1st period. Jaromir Jagr converted on two power play one timers, giving the team a 2-0 lead.
I thought they did a great job of shutting down the hustle of a young Islanders squad. Okposo was very...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Wild Beat Flames To Win NW; Oilers Let Flames Into Playoffs
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames' divisional hopes officially died Thursday night with a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild, who clinch the Northwest with the win. More importantly to Calgary, though, was their failure to get the one point needed to clinch a berth in the playoffs. The Flames remain in 7th place in the West with 92 points, just one above the Nashville Predators and four abov...
Rangers clinch their spot versus the Isles. There has to be nothing more satisfying to them. And that should be a stick in one's craw.
Ted Nolan seemed to satisfied with the Isles effort. Obviously, he is easy to please these days. The way the Isles played this game as compared to the NJ where they competed, is just night and day. And I find it hard to believe someone ...
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...
Note: The following regulations are applicable to any team facing the Pittsburgh Penguins
By: Gary Bettman
[u][b]I. Assessment of Penalties[/b][/u]
[b]A.[/b] Penalties are assessed when a player commits: interference, roughing, cross-checking, slashing, hooking, holding, obstruction hooking, obstruction holding, fighting and instigating. (These terms will be expounded...
I was just taking a peek at the current standings, and something really caught my eye. Record in Last 10. The majority of every team's last 10 games have been versus division opponents, so you would think 2 or 3 teams would have winning records, and the opposite have losing records. Don't get me started on how stupid that type of schedule is when only 3 of 8 playoff spots ...
Kaspar already touched on the game last night with the update that the Oil beat the lowly Canucks, ensuring some post-season play for the Flames again this season. Once again, the Flames proved they can't play a complete 60 minutes against a team who wants something just as bad as them. Like I mentioned in my previous blog, you never know which Flames team is going to sh...
Before I begin, let me start by saying this is not written in stone yet, but if the playoffs were to start with these two head-to-head, it would be the best series throughout the first round of playoff hockey. While the Capitals still require lady luck on their side, it's important to note that their chances are significantly higher considering the Flyers are going head-to...
That's it. Now back to your regularly scheduled heart attack!
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Sharks Or Wild For Flames In Round 1, 'Hawks Do Flames Favor
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
With the Calgary Flames finally having an 'x' next to their name in the standings, along with the rest of the West, I can now finally focus a blog post solely on the Flames' playoff prospects.
The Flames were aided by another spoiler team tonight, as the Blackhawks defeated Nashville 3-1 to ensure that the Predators will finish in 8th and the Flames cannot finish lower ...
We're all getting riled up for playoffs and every now and then I still see people whining about the physical style that is hockey. This is hockey people. Hockey players get hurt, it's an outcome a physical game brings. This isn't a new growing problem, checking has been there since the beginning.
NHL teams made a mistake when they figured they no longer need tough guys...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604393421367/detail/
First THANK YOU ERICA!!!!!!!
I am very glad I got to go to the game.
Shout outs to "hell if I know" Sorry gang I didn't come visit.
Sandy and the kids.
Theresa and Caroline
Brooke and Karen,
HF
Rosanne, Joyce and Steve
Joe and Maureen
I got to the game as the Flyers came out for warmups...
We Canadians understand that hockey should be in a place where people want the sport. Winnipeg, Hamilton, Quebec City ... anyone listening? However, when it comes to expansion teams this isn't the case; Bettman is still searching for his American audience and this just may be the place to find it.
LAS VEGAS; over 40 million tourists visit every year. It's one of the fas...
No Islanders, despite any spin otherwise, was happy with their disappearance at the Coliseum. As the post-game words were apologist effort, not a one sat satisfied with a 3-0 loss at home against their rivals. In fact, it only added to fan disappointment to the team and the season. It did not sit right.
So, last night, they ended it properly. With some respect for the ...
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 ...
I was a big Downie fan, even though he did more stupid things than good things as a Flyer. Can't wait for tonights game to see if the Flyers can return to winning ways or are going to rip off another losing streak. A win against the Bolts would be big.
I should be happier but whatever.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
enjoy or vent yourself.
Hello, Hurricanes fans. I know you don't feel much like talking right now, so I'll keep it brief.
Missing out on the playoffs on the last day, on Washington's last game, after holding down the #3 seed for almost the entire season, has got to be extremely hard.
What makes it worse, though, is the national media attention. Every talking head from every major outlet is ...
Just a quickie - More to come later tonight...
[b]* Two consecutive shutouts[/b] against teams - Devils and Pens - few thought we could even beat - let alone hold scoreless!
[b]* Timely scoring[/b] from all lines. 7 players with 20 or more goals - only team in the NHL to do so.
[b]* Marty Biron[/b] just coming up HUGE! He threw the team on his back and * brought...
Well congratulations to all the qualified for the playoffs. As fans this is our favorite time of the year. Forget March Madness. This is the real fun tournament in the spring!
Some final analysis on the season and the unbalanced schedule. Previously I wrote about a plan to play a balanced schedule with 86 total games. 4 (2 home, 2 away) against all teams in the con...
For entertainment purposes, hit the link below and crank up the music.
http://jettbarig.imeem.com/music/_zAaoAzZ/saliva_ladies_and_gentlemen/
The playoffs are finally here. The New York Rangers will face off against the New Jersey Devils in a best of 7 series that will decide which team will move on to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
This rivalry i...
So here it is, the end of a long (or short ;)) 82 game season. If there can be one word attributed to this team throughout the entire course of the year, I think it would be "Surprises". You could, no doubt, tag them with chemistry or hard work, but surprises seems to come to the forefront no matter how you look at the season.
First one should look at the obvious when a...
Right Now, I'm putting this out there...
This team, to a man, all year has played for the crest on the chest, not the names on the back. Win or lose, they fought, hit, and clawed this team into the playoffs. This team stands together, fights together, wins together, and lose together. I do not want to hear any negativity towards any individual players in this playoff se...
Remember last year when the Sens were the favorite...but Brian Murray was playing the underdog card with his team and the media?
Well, it worked.
He got his guys to play a physical brand of hockey that probably no Sens team had ever played before. And it was good enough to get them to the Finals.
A year later and the roles seem to be reversed...with the Sens truly...
A lack of class? maybe.. a lack of 'real' hockey understanding? probably.
saturday's game between the canucks and flames was not really worth mentioning. both teams were lackluster and without energy. a typical end of season game containing a dejected outsider and a relieved insider.
not worth mentioning? one of the all-time greats in Trevor Linden played what most...
[i]Note: This is a repost from this time, last year. Enjoy.[/i]
I try to steer clear of playoff predictions, because anybody who loves this sport knows that you can never accurately assume what's going to happen in a hockey game. Yet, somehow I am magically drawn to articles discussing all facets of the upcoming postseason, as the thirst for playoff excitement that bre...
Sorry couldn't resist! :)
[b](1) Detroit v (8) Nashville[/b]---[i]Nashville in 6[/i]-Detroit had fits with only one group of teams this year, and that was the Central. Detroit needs to get to the final. The Motor City will accept nothing less. They have a lot to play for. Nashville just needed to get to the playoffs and much needed revenue. They have nothing to lose....
Western Conference
1. Detroit vs 8. Nashville
Detroit dominated throughout the season, with a rough patch where many of their key defencemen were injured. Nashville made a comeback to clinch the final playoff spot due to clutch goaltending by Dan Ellis. The main concern for both teams will be in the net. Does Hasek have it in him? I say yes.
[b]Winner: Detroit[/b]
2. S...
We have arrived at my favourite time of year -- the Stanley Cup playoffs. This year's playoff fever in the Nation's Capital can be described as virtually non-existent, as the city's fickle fanbase have completely abandoned the Sens bandwagon, stripped it for parts, and used the money to buy Canadiens paraphernalia. That being said, I still have a sliver of faith, and if on...
I read in one of Ek's comments that they just hired a new Ducks blogger. Where is he/her? I'm sick of no Ducks coverage what-so-ever on my favorite site!
Since this is the time of the year when every sports blogger in sight wants to give you their predictions on the playoffs, I'll spare everyone from simply writing a predictions post. Instead, I'll write an analysis and prediction of the series I'm most interested in (duh): (2) San Jose Sharks vs. (7) Calgary Flames, to start on Wednesday night at 8.
The Flames drew the ...
Thoughts heading into the NHL playoffs....
-- Hockey fans should be thankful for the Washington Capitals. Since long-time minor league coach Bruce Boudreau took over on Thanksgiving, the Caps have arguably been the league's most exciting team.
Of course, having Alex Ovechkin helps, but Boudreau allows the Caps to play to their strengths. In a league full of stifling,...
The NHL draft lottery may have seen the Tampa Bay Lightning win the big prize, and most assume it to be Steven Stamkos, but the Blue Jackets made out better than anticipated.
Of course, after the first few weeks of the season, no one expected the Blue Jackets to be hunting for a lottery pick. Some didn't think they would be looking at a top-ten pick. But with the team s...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Lighthouse Project Update and Reasons for Optimism on LI
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
At the Town of Hempteads public meeting on April 8, the Town Board will vote on a resolution to designate itself as Lead Agency under the State Environmental Quality Review Act as well as issue a Positive Declaration on the application. These actions lead to the public scoping process, which defines the analysis required for the Environmental Impact tatement.
If possib...
An article in the current (April 8, 2008) issue of [b]The Hockey News[/b] announced that certain officials may very well decline to work this year's playoffs.
[quote][i]"Some veterans, who are winding down their careers, are expected to take a pass on the playoffs to allow younger referees and linesmen to work the post-season."[/i][/quote]
Naturally, the league hasn't re...
First off, I'd just like to say this is my first time blogging.... so bear with me please!
So home ice advantage goes to the New Jersey Devils over the New York Rangers. For the first two games, the Devils have a stronger opportunity to take a 2-0 series lead than the Rangers do, and apparently a stronger opportunity to take the series.
But think about it this way.....
I'm going to get my entire bracket set down instead of going round-by-round. Last year, I was 15 for 15 in predicting the Ducks over Sens; but I actually felt last year was easy to pick... this year, I'll be lucky if I get half right.
Nonetheless, I surge forward... unlike last year, I feel EVERY team, 1-8, in both conferences could beat/upset and move to the second ro...
Hockey, like any other sport, is a psychological game as much as a physical one. Those who doubt this have only to look in the direction of Washington to see what an infusion of confidence and "get-out-of-our-way-or-suffer-the-consequences" mentality can do for a team - that and a top goal scorer.
So it was with glee that I read the articles posted on the Internet and i...
A few years back, awaiting the first round of the playoffs to arrive, I found myself in the midst of a marathon channel surf. I was waffled on my comfy sofa, with Stanley Cups dancing in my head...Why can’t those playoffs start already!!!!
Then it happened. I came across a French TV show that has marked me ever since. I sat up, eyes focused to the little screen like...
I am not sure how this happened? The Caps did get hot at the end of the season and they do have a great player to watch. But now all the pundits are picking them by a surprising margin to beat Philly. I even read the Hockey News where they gave the edge in defensemen to the Caps because of Green. Now he has had a nice year, but so did Coburn and Jones for the Flyers. ...
grapes17 writes...
Ovechkin takes top honors in third annual Grimmy Awards
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[i]Note: Since my last name is Grimm, the name is a takeoff on my name and the music awards of a similar name. These are not predictions, nor are they any kind of announcement of the actual awards.[/i]
[b]Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player): Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals[/b][i]
Runners-up: Joe Thornton (San Jose), Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh)[/i]
In the end, it wa...
Rob McGowan writes...
The Dust Has Settled, So How Do We Clean This Mess?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's been a few days now since the season has ended for our beloved franchise, and once again we are sitting on the outskirts of the playoffs looking in, watching other teams compete. All we had was the draft lottery to look forward too, and the hype faded for me almost immediately. Something about seeing Mike Milbury at a panel near the table that would possibly hold the ...
That's right, get comfy we have less than 24-hours until the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and as we've all come accustomed to, this ain't no race, it's a marathon. One of my favourite quotes of all-time was made by Harry Neale from Hockey Night In Canada. Back in 1994 when the Canucks battled back from a 3-1 series deficit to force game seven versus the Rangers. Harry...
chipiii writes...
Since everyone's doing it... Here are my predictions lol :)
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Okay sooo here we go...
[b]Eastern Conference[/b]
[u]1.Montreal VS 8.Boston - Montreal in 5[/u]
Why? Bruins will keep playing dead with the Habs.
[u]2.Pittsburgh VS 7.Ottawa - Pittsburg in 6[/u]
Why? Pens are too much and the Sens are sucking big time.
[u]3.Washington VS 6.Philadelphia - Philadelphia in 7[/u]
Why? Flyers played HUGE games at the end of the season...
[b]Following a humbling defeat at home[/b] by the Detroit Red Wings, Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock claimed that he didn't think his team wanted to beat their division rivals. What he really wanted to say was that he's sick and tired of coaching AHL talent and trying to make a winner out of players that just don't have it, but I'm not going to put words in the man's mout...
It’s baaaaaaack! The NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs are scheduled and are ready to blow hockey fans out of the ice yet again this year. Tonight at 7 p.m. the Ottawa Senators and the Pittsburgh Penguins will meet up again in first round live on Versus. Tonight starts the wall-to-wall, double-header charged NHL playoff coverage on Versus that I’ve grown to love over the pa...
[b]When the season began[/b] few expected that the Nashville Predators would be preparing for their fourth straight playoff appearance. Not many teams can lose Tomas Vokoun, Kimmo Timonen, Scott Hartnell, Paul Kariya and Peter Forsberg replace them with Martin Gelinas, Jed Ortmeyer, Radek Bonk and Dan Ellis and expect to complete. Not only did the Preds compete this year b...
Man, I am pumped! The opening round of the playoffs in any sport is usually the most exciting time for fans -- games are on constantly and getting your playoff pools in on time is more important than making sure the cover sheet is on your TPS reports ("Ahhhhh...Yeah. It's just we're putting new coversheets on all the TPS reports before they go out now. So if you could go a...
The playoffs are among us so i thought I would join the train and come out with my predictions for the first round this year.
[b]Montreal (1) vs. Boston (8)[/b]
This series is extremely tough to call as I think the habs do have the upper hand talent wise but if Boston steps it up just a little bit I think they have the potential to take out the habs. What I don't th...
Just want to send out some love to all of the Western Conference teams that are gunning for the Cup. May the best Ducks team win.
The Dallas Way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPmc4dYQpx0&feature=related
The Sharks Way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E81PKj9dTZc&feature=related
The Ducks Way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vIn2gYoLZ0
The Detroit Way
http:...
The Philadelphia Flyers have now achieved their regular season goal, muscling their way into the playoffs on an emotional two-game win streak; but do the Broad Street Bullies have a chance at the ultimate goal? Their first impedance to immortality answers to the title [quote]Alexander the Great[/quote], and boasts astonishing numbers during the tail end of his team’s [qu...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
5 Minutes/37 Saves To Victory: Flames Take Game 1 Over SJ
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames pulled off a shocker on the opening night of the playoffs, beating the heavily favored San Jose Sharks 3-2 on the strength of an early 2-0 lead and a 37-save performance by Miikka Kiprusoff. As cynical as I continue to be, and it's certainly true that relying on your goaltender to steal you games is not a winning strategy, I feel that the Flames should b...
No Look Drop Pass writes...
Sens Punished; Three keys (plus one) to rebounding in Game 2
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Going into last night's game, my heart and I were talking, and Pumpy said "They can do it! The Sens have had 6 full days off to prepare a new PP scheme, settle their PK, and to establish a gameplan for shutting down the Pens multi-headed attack...Go Sens GO!" My brain, however, had a different opinion -- "Pumpy, you are stupid and should shut your dumb ventricles up! There...
I regulalry read the bloggers blogs. During the playoffs last year and this year, I have paid closer attention to the blogs of our playoff rivals, the Senators.
I enjoy getting into the occasional "discussion" about what the blogger said...and during playoff time it usually ends up being a lot more about "fans" of the teams voicing their opinions about how their team wi...
Hockey every night for 2 months? My favorite time of the year, and last night didn't disappoint.
Sens vs. Pens: Nothing that I didn't completely expect from the Sens OR the Pens in game one, except I guess I expected Crosby would get on the scoresheet. At the end of the CBC broadcast, Garry Galley, who was doing color for the game alongside Jim Hughson said he couldn't...
Ahhh yes...the playoffs...every hockey fans favorite time of year. Where 16 teams are given that chance to win the sports ultimate prize, The Stanley Cup.
Round one has the Predators traveling to Detroit to face the President Trophy winning Red Wings. The Preds typically play the Wings tough and should provide more than enough for the Wings. Instead of doing my typical...
The NHL playoffs are always great for those who actually watch them. Even those would say that hockey is no longer one of the "4 major sports" in America would agree there is nothing quite like the Quest for the Cup.
But when talking about showcasing the league's product and consequentially helping the NHL gain market share and visibility in the long run to help the le...
gosharks19 writes...
Flames burning; Can the Sharks douse the fire tonight?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I will not get into specifics of last night, everyone knows what happened between the Sharks and Flames.
Calgary came out and played their game I was expecting from Mike Keenan and the Flames. And the result I was afraid of happening did. The Flames looked calm, looked confident, looked loose, and honestly looked tough to beat.
I was quite upset with the game, and wh...
They needed to regain the momentum. They need to prove that their 7 game regular-season winning streak against the Devils means nothing and that their season ending shootout loss to New Jersey means nothing either. The New York Rangers needed to start the playoffs with a clean slate and a fast start. That is exactly what they did in a 4-1 win over their Hudson River rivals...
Some quick thoughts before bed (have to get up at 4:45 to work out!):
Preds were out shot 40-20...that cannot happen and we have a chance in this thing.
Dan Ellis is showing the rest of the NHL what we have learned this season...this kid is legit! Solid game for his first playoff start ever. He kept us in it for sure and bailed out the D several times.
There...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Penalty Peril: Sharks Tie Series With Shutout Of Flames
Posted Friday | Comments 0
As I fully expected, as uncharacteristically optimistic I am right now, the San Jose Sharks came back and tied their series with the Flames tonight with a 2-0 shutout. It's not a game that requires much analysis, interpretation, or explanation. Simply put, the Flames lost because of one thing: penalties.
As I noted in last night's post, I would have been shocked if the...
While I boldly predicted that the Stars would take Game 1, I had no idea they would completely dominate the Ducks. From Dallas' first goal until the final buzzer, the game was a lopsided affair...unworthy of the defending champs. I said Dallas would win the opener in OT and take the series in 6 games, but if the Ducks don't right the ship in Game 2...this could be over s...
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...
Well the rest was nice, the guys with bumps and bruises had a chance to rest a bit. It has been since Sunday for the Flyers and since Saturday for the Caps. As hot as both teams have been, I am sure both coaches would have liked to start on Wednesday. The long layoff and all the press the Caps and AO are getting might work against them. They are a bunch that really ove...
McPhee's Mustache writes...
Top 10 Reasons why players with mustaches rule the world
Posted Friday | Comments 0
10- Hair on face = Proof that player has at least one testicule (most likely 2)
9- You can do cool pictures like this one:
8- You become a father figure for young people everywhere like Mike Mcphee was for me
7- You can match your mustache with a mullet to become the ultimate hockey GOD
6- The mustache can cover their your lips, making lip reading impossib...
This is why I don't get the Center Ice package. Too. Many. Games. Would I like to catch South Buffalo native Patrick Kane in a Chicago-SJ regular season tilt? Sure. Do I need to? Not really. With all 82 regular season Sabres games televised, Hockey Jesus Sid Crosby on Versus once a week, and the most important TV program in history, Hockey Night In Canada, on every...
What a fun and excellent start to the post-season for the Dallas STARS and their fans! I'm quite certain not even the players expected that type of domination in Game 1 against the Stanley Cup Champs; certainly not against a well-rested Pronger, Selanne, and Scotty Niedermayer. But as they did against the Ducks throughout most of the year, the Stars handled the physical ...
For many years, nobody out side of the Anaheim fan-base even knew who Samuel Pahlsson was. No surprise there. Not many Ducks fans could tell you what kind of player he was either prior to the 2005-06 season.
Drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in 1996, Sammy was thought to be a goal-scorer like so many players that come from his home country of Sweden. A little smaller th...
I love to read and write blogs. I love to learn from, and educate, other bloggers. I love the sense of humor and sarcasm of unencumbered bloggers. I love the respectful, yet free flow of expression. But there is something that has been driving me nuts - Blog Titles.
Here are a few examples of the abhorant titles that I have read:
"Ducks Deficiencies Demand Deadline...
As usual enjoy.
I would love to hear from Caps fans as it seems I am very popular with them right now.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Have a great weekend.
Go Flyers
I am already feeling a bit anxious today due to the 2 day break between games 2 and 3 between the Sharks and Flames.
Thankfully, there is some afternoon hockey to watch between Detroit and Nashville. Does anyone else notice that Detroit is constantly almost interfering with opposing teams goaltenders? Holmstrom is always parked right in front of the net, and as much as ...
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, ...
tallpaul6635 writes...
What's Black, Blue and Red all over?? The NHL on TV
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Please help me get it through the NHL's head that all the Black, dark Blue and other dark colors look black on the high contrast white surface. The games are visually dull and impossible for the average fan to quickly identify the teams. I suggest going back to the 60's and 70's style. The worst are TAMPA, DALLAS, ANAHEIM, PITTSBURGH, VANCOUVER and any team that has a B...
nephew23 writes...
STARS Shine Again, Take 2-0 Series Lead Back to Dallas
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I'll have more tomorrow...but here are a few notes about Game 2 and the series...
Dallas is stacked at center and they all contributed big goals tonight! Ribeiro opened the scoring on a neat break-away goal after stealing a bad pass at the Ducks' blue line; he ended up with a 3-point night. Modano broke the 2-2 tie six minutes into the 3rd, essentially opening the flo...
I sit here writing this just after the Stars have taken control of their series with the Ducks. Now the series is a long way form being over but it is starting to look bleak for the defending Stanley Cup Champions. After being outscored 9-2 at home in the first two games, one would tend to think that going to Dallas does not bode well for this team. But that may also be...
Brian Burke did nothing at the trade deadline, essentially, for the second straight year. Most people agreed last year and especially this year that the Ducks weakest point was scoring. Supported by an elite caliber defense corps and goaltending trio, the Ducks had a stingy 2.35 GAA, good for 2nd best in the league. There is a saying "Defense wins Cups". That may be true, ...
RJ Umberger publicly vented a bit of frustration before game one in Washington on Friday. He commented about being put on the fourth line.
[img]http://media.philly.com/images/20071011_dn_g1flye11s.jpg[/img]
"I don't know what he thinks because I haven't talked to him," Umberger said, referring to coach John Stevens. "Apparently, he doesn't think I'm good enough. I d...
Zetterberg? Datsyuk? Alfredsson? No, It's Fabian Brunnstrom.
Lets not get over our heads here. Fabian Brunnstrom is a 23 year old late bloomer with a lot of potential but don't expect Brunnstrom to make the lineup with ease. He is far from ready.
Brunnstrom should be treated like a 18 year old prospect who just got drafted in the first round. Don't get me wrong, Bru...
Only twice in NHL history has a team come back from a 3-0 deficit in a playoff series. Tonight, the New York Rangers will try to put the New Jersey Devils in a position to make history. For the Devils, even winning one game against the Blueshirts seems to be a large task, as they have only accomplished that one time in the 10 matchups this season. If the Rangers win tonigh...
Just a few hours away from hitting the 'dome in anticipation of Game 3 between the Sharks and the Flames. I expect a wild and crazy crowd and I just hope that the Flames don't get over-hyped for the game and take some bad penalties early. I expect another tight game and hope the Flames continue to hit the Sharks and don't try to beat them at a finesse game, regardless of...
After spending my entire afternoon at a local outdoor roller hockey rink, soaking in the playoff atmosphere of phlegm and teary eyes combined with the hint of summer break on the horizon, I decided it's time to assess what team I want to make the most out of their playoff opportunity.
In the West I have always liked the Sharks, Ducks, Stars, and Calgary. The Ducks in p...
I'm just trying to find my other blog..............
Please help me get it through the NHL's head that all the Black, dark Blue and other dark colors look black on the high contrast white surface. The games are visually dull and impossible for the average fan to quickly identify the teams. I suggest going back to the 60's and 70's. The worst are TAMPA, DALLAS, ANAHEIM, PITTSBURGH, VANCOUVER and any team that has a BLACK "...
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...
I am going to keep this blog short, but after the Sharks went up 3 to 0, they dissapeared. The effort was pathetic, disgusting, and troubling to watch. Tonight the Sharks looked liked the team all season long, letting Calgary get back into the game, not fighting back, and losing the game at the end.
Everyone on the Sharks after the early lead looked uninterested, bored,...
The Flames won tonight, to take a 2 to 1 series lead over the Sharks. They overcame a 3-0 deficit after just 4 minutes of play. I will leave the play by play to Kaspar, since he has a much better writing style than I do, but as I listen to the honking horns on 17th avenue/The Red Mile, I have but two things to say, and they are quite simple:
Marleau: Do your chin stra...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Rally From 3 Down To Take 2-1 Lead; Cujo Or Kipper?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It seemed, at first, to be the road sign pointing towards another cliff in the near distance for the Calgary Flames to drive off of to meet their playoff doom. Less than five minutes after Heather Liscano wrapped up the national anthems, the home team, which had played so well against the number two seeded San Jose Sharks for two games in the Shark Tank, matching them save...
Playoffs are here, finally. Some tidbits:
-Sean Avery's creative screening of Martin Brodeur certainly crossed some kind of line. I heard Ron MacLean call it "dishonorable" on HNIC, but that would assume Avery had any honorable traits in the first place.
-As the experts stand stunned at the Stars two games to none lead, remember that Anaheim was an inconsistent team...
For those of you who did not see the game, here is the YouTube link that shows what the notorious NHL pest, Sean Avery, did during Game 3 in Round 1 of the Rangers' series with the New Jersey Devils.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ec_2oKWe2Gw
This is absolutely atrocious, a joke, and by far an embarrassment. Sure, as a reader you may feel that I am being a biased Islande...
It's Sens time! After Game two's stunning comeback -- one which saw the Senators claw back into a 3-0 game they had no business getting back into, on goals by Donovan, Stillman and Bass, only to lose on a heart breaker, wrap-around PP goal by Ryan Malone -- the Senators showed a waivering fan base that they are competitors and are not going to mail in the 2008 season. It w...
GoodfellaAnt writes...
1/2 Flyers' fans - 1/2 Caps' fans at the Wachovia Center
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It comes as no surprise that, once again, Pierre McGuire made an appalling and completely ridiculous comment that couldn't be farther from the truth.
During the Flyers/Capitals broadcast yesterday on NBC, McGuire was asked if home-ice advantage would be an evident factor in the series. He answered "no" and then proceeded to say that the Verizon Center contained 1/2 Cap...
mslepp writes...
"That Hit May Have Changed the Complexion of this Series"
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The title of this blog is a quote that came about 30 seconds after the Cory Sarich hit on Patrick Marleau.
No, it wasn't Don Cherry or Pierre McGuire or any hockey expert. It was my drunken buddy sitting next to me in the 'dome. A die-hard Oilers fan who loves hockey enough to split season tickets to the Flames with me.
I laughed, mostly because he knows that I...
The Flyers outplayed the Caps in DC for 5 of 6 periods of hockey. This shows what I was stating in earlier posts. The Flyers are deeper and more talented overall today. But this Caps team is going to be really good in a year or two. As long as the Flyers play 60 minutes, they should win this series in 6 games.
[b]Game 1[/b]
Briere, Prospal and Hartnell dominated th...
Call tonight's game what you want...
"Must win."
"Statement Game."
"Gut Check Time."
"Critical."
[b]Whatever you want to call it[/b] the Predators have no other choice but to win tonight. While it's not win or go home it is win or start looking at where you'll be vacationing next week.
While the Preds find themselves down 2-0 in the best of seven contest...
[i]"The delusion that normally overwhelms fans of the Maple Leafs is already in full-bloom among those who fantasize about Steven Stamkos playing in Toronto. All it took was Fletcher refusing to dismiss the notion of trading up in the draft. [b]Cyberspace geniuses [/b]have convinced themselves that peddling Alex Steen (signed at $3.4-million for the next two years) and the...
Hooker thoughts and what needs to be done to WIN game 4.
1. Change the top line- I think we need to change the top line period. The Flames know what to expect from that top line. I say send Cheech and Joe to the 2nd and promote Little Joe, Patty and Seto/Clowe to the top line. This then allows the top line (Joe and Cheech) to have a little more space and MAYBE just get...
7 minutes to write this...I apologize if it's not up to my usual standards. But I've been reading and posting to the reactions over the Avery/Brodeur incident, and while I'm just as guilty as everyone else who's voiced an opinion on this, I do have to wonder: How is that a fairly non-dangerous play has merritted an instant statement by the league regarding the interpreta...
Some say it is the biggest surprise of the Stanley Cup Playoffs' opening week.
Whenever the defending Stanley Cup champions find themselves going on the road down two games to none in the opening round, it has to be somewhat of a surprise.
Yet five minutes into the opening period of game one, you could see it coming.
Dallas won five of eight games from Anaheim in ...
I went to post my Game 2 thoughts, still in a bit of shock, when I instead found myself trying to figure out what was wrong with my HockeyBuzz profile (I still don't know, by the way). Anywho...I spent too much time fighting with that and finally gave up...forgetting to post at all. That's ok...it's all been said by better writers than myself. Game 2 rocked...the Stars are...
I am still at a loss as to how to describe last nights game. It was electric. It was amped. It was hockey heaven for a Preds fan. I cannot imagine a more gutsy performance or never say die attitude than what the Preds displayed last night.
[b]Some observations:[/b]
[b]Following the two goals in 9 seconds[/b] to give the Preds the lead the place went berserk! For the...
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...
When I was in the 8th grade, I had to take a public speaking course. "Speech," as it was referred to, was a time for me and my adolescent friends to really get stupid and make blundering fools of ourselves. Now granted, we were not trying to be fools, but being 13 years old and having to give a speech in front of a classroom full of peers with bad acne, big hair, pink sh...
gosharks19 writes...
Do or Die, Sink or Swim, Get burned or Douse the Fire.
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Tonight is Game 4 between the Sharks and Flames with Calgary carrying huge momentum from their game 3 comeback win/Sharks meltdown, depending on how you view the situation.
It doesn't matter whether the hit by Sarich on Marleau was clean or not. (I think it honestly was a clean hit) The Sharks never responded, and let Calgary fight their way for a victory. Complaining a...
I think what we can take away from this is this: The Ducks put themselves in a position to take the wind out of Dallas' sail and steal the momentum. Instead, the Stars outplayed the Ducks in the 3rd period...got back into the game...and regained some much needed confidence. Time to reload for Game 4!
---
4-2...a glimmer of hope!
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One goal! Well, either it'...
You can usually count on one or the other, but tonight we've been treated to both. Classless Flyer players and fans. Not only have the Flyers decided to run Huet every chance they get, but the fans are at their best with a loud and clear @sshole chant. Even Briere has decided to scum it up. And you wonder why Philadelphia sports fans have a reputation. It's hard to res...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Richards Pentalty Shot Ices It - Flyers 2-1 in series
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_415372974_c73ef1cab6.jpg[/img]
Mike Richards scored the first playoff penalty shot goal in Franchise history and broke the back of the Washington Capitals in the process. Mr. Everything skated in, dipped his shoulder, and calmly tucked the puck in the Five Hole of Cristobal Huet to seal the fate of the Caps. Mr. Hue...
Well, well, well what do you know? The Ducks CAN stay out of the penalty box and play some consistent pressure hockey when they feel like it. For 40 minutes, anyway.
Anaheim did a fine job in the first two periods of taking the game to Dallas, who ended up on their heels with a 4-0 deficit. Unfortunately, in the third period, the Ducks went back to their bad habits of g...
Let me start by saying that this game was much closer than the score led us to believe. Even when the Ducks led 4-0, there was a belief in the AAC that the STARS still had a chance to win this game. Dallas had double the shots and double the scoring chances...but in the end they had half as many goals. Three things happened tonight that led to Anaheim's win...
(1) D...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
What Was THAT?!? : Sharks Tie Series With Dominating Effort
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It looked like a game I'd played in EA Sports' NHL hockey videogames many, many times. Not only did one team have a ridiculous shot count advantage, the team trailing in that category had a comically low amount of shots. And yet, somehow, the team with less than 15 shots on goal was somehow leading the game because of two good plays. But in the final minutes, the natural o...
First THANK YOU HF for your parking pass hope London is fun. Parking and traffic were the worst part of this whole night and you saved me big.
Second THANK YOU ERICA!!!!!! Great time as always thank you for being a fellow Rowdy.
Third YO Drew Rocking Riles shirt is 4-0-1!!!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604565266662/detail/
Shout outs to R...
In game 4, to be played Wednesday night in Ottawa, the Penguins will have a chance to close out their first round playoff series with the Senators.
A simple look at the math involved and we see...the number of the game being played in the series and the number of games required to win the series are both 4. So the Pens are in position to do something special...someth...
Ok will someone outside of Philly give the Flyers some credit. All I read about the series is how the Caps are not playing well. Here is a hint to the cause, the Flyers are playing very well. If not for a strange 3rd period in Game 1, this series could be 3-0 already. The Flyers are playing "Playoff Hockey". They are hitting, killing penalties and scoring on the power...
Look back at this year's trade deadline and some of the players who were moved. Hossa to Pittsburgh. Campbell to San Jose. Richards to Dallas. Huet and Federov to Washington. Cam Janssen to St. Louis (just kidding).
How about if I told you that a minor move at the deadline that went well under the radar has had a bigger impact than any of those?
The Flyers have ...
From Ed Moran. I want to make sure I point out that I did not write this piece.
"Kimo Timonen will be back in the lineup tomorrow.
The Flyers' star defenseman, who was forced out of the game in the last minutes of the second period in the Tuesday 6-3 win over Washington Capitals, said this morning, "I feel fine. I'm happy. I want to play. I want to win. Like I said. I...
When I was in the 8th grade, I had to take a public speaking course. "Speech," as it was referred to, was a time for me and my adolescent friends to really get stupid and make blundering fools of ourselves. Now granted, we were not trying to be fools, but being 13 years old and having to give a speech in front of a classroom full of peers with bad acne, big hair, pink sh...
If the visiting team triumphs tonight at Madison Square Garden, the momentum will rest solely on their shoulders. If the New Jersey Devils play the "Comeback Kids" and neutralize their 2 losses at Newark, they will be a train that cannot be stopped. Believe it or not, this Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals means just as much to the Rangers' fate than it does t...
Hooker here.
As are all of you in today after last nights big win. How can you be having a bad day??
So some of my thoughts on last nights game (some good, some bad)!!
First I will start off with the good.
Ryan Clowe WOW!!! This guy has really made an impact in this line up. He looks like a shark in the water stalking its next victim (no pun intended). I love...
mslepp writes...
The Momentum Roller-coaster, Big Joe Makes an Appearance
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
So, heading into game 4 of the Flames/Sharks series if there was ever a particular scenario that I would absolutely want to avoid happening...
It would be exactly what happened last night.
Everything that I was afraid of happening, happened.
First of all, the Flames jumped out to an early lead then attempted to try and win the game 1-0. If there's one thing we'v...
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...
While I haven't been all that bothered by the loss, would I've liked it to have gone the other way? Well, of course. But in my mind, this was the game I expected in Game 2...an embarrassed and desperate Duck team coming out to save face. Dallas is still in the position I thought they'd be in after Game 3...a 2-1 advantage. The biggest takeaway I have from last night's ga...
A huge win on Tuesday delayed what would have been a steep hill to climb. Being down 3-0 in a series is a death certificate. The winning team goes on to win the series 98.7% of the time. To say the win was crucial would be an understatement. It was necessary.
Not only did the Ducks breathe life into this once dismal series, they gave themselves a huge boost of confidenc...
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...
Who the %^*#$^&# are YOU?!?! - Flyers game 4
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Quite simply, Roger Daltry and the Boys from The Who (my 2nd favorite band) asked the question that I want most answered by the Philadelphia Flyers tonight...
[i]
ahhhh...who *#($*(#)$* are you?!?![/i]
[b]Who are you? Orange Crush[/b]
[img]http://cdn.nhl.com/flyers/images/upload/2008/04/washrichards4.15.jpg[/img]
This is the game that decides whether you put your...
I am going to rant here so take a deep breath and here we go.
I hate fans and media types that only watch the playoffs or select one play to write about. I live in the DC area and read the Washington Post daily yet there is almost no hockey coverage at all during the season. One game summary article is typical. Very little effort. But now the Caps made the playoffs s...
Gosh, it gets tedious to read the hockey reports in the [i]Sporting News[/i]. The title of a current epistle is [i]Ovechkin falling flat in playoff debut.[/i]
Are we watching the same games? Are we reading the same stat sheets? Do the Flyers get no credit for executing well?
Frankly, this type of reportage is more an indictment of the flawed mentality prevailing in ...
When the Penguins traded for Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis at the deadline, a lot of people reacted by saying the Penguins gave up too much for players that have no guarantee of being around past this season's playoffs.
Even the most optimistic of us, myself included, wondered if losing guys like EC and Colby Armstrong, along with a 1st round draft pick, was really wor...
[b]Yet another roller coaster of a game[/b] between the Red Wings and the Preds. Say what you will about either team but one thing is for certain they are giving hockey fans a great series to watch.
[b]Last night the quick strikes continued [/b]as the Preds we able to score 32 seconds apart (first a goal by Hamhuis then by Weber) and followed up Pavel Datsyuk's goal wi...
So is anyone else thinking Curtis Joseph has a chance to start tonights game for Calgary or does Kipper get the start again? Honestly I think Iron Mike will go with Kipper but how can you not give a chance to Cujo when he deffinatly made the impact of game 4 to let Calgary come back and even the series? What does everyone think? Give Cujo a chance or start Kipper?
"Average is as close to the top as it is to the bottom, and I'm sick of being average," said Snow. "We've developed a strategy to become competitive every year, which is the key to winning the Stanley Cup. It's called "The Plan." And it involved three parts: drafting wisely, developing prospects and sprinkling in free agents. We're putting in all the resources to bringing ...
[b]Just another voice in the crowd...[/b]
This is a personal observation, and in this, my inaugural blog on Hockeybuzz.com, please understand that I in no way speak for everyone. However in response to the listening, reading and observing I do on a daily basis, here's my take on the Nashville Predators' 2007-2008 season.
I've been a Predators season ticket holder si...
Well, it seems to happen at least once per series. Yep, tonight's game is not available outside the local viewing area. Versus is showing one of the other games (too depressed to check which one) but at least we have this series of tubes they call the 'Internets.' Actually, we can pick up WBAP slightly in the evenings, so there's always that if needed...but the web strea...
The Sharks are coming off one of their biggest win's in franchise history, coming from behind Calgary to beat them 3-2. Game 4 will be remembered by all Sharks fans as the game that truly proved the Sharks have heart, character, determination, and any other adjectives to describe a team that can win the Stanley Cup.
However, nothing is over.
There are still 2 more ga...
I actually spent most of the evening listening to weather bulletins on WBAP instead of the game, but I got enough of it. How about Turco, Stu, and that "young, inexperienced" defense corps? Let's end this thing in Anaheim tomorrow, shall we?
And for those keeping track...my lucky Morrow t-shirt is now 5-1. (And Morrow scored two goals in that loss, so I'm still calling ...
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...
The STARS are one step away from advancing to the second round for the first time in way too many years. It certainly is not over...but they have a strangle-hold on this series. Credit the Ducks for finally figuring out the STARS power play...they [u]COMPLETELY[/u] shut it down. On the other hand, Dallas figured out how to beat Anaheim's aggressive 5-on-5 attacks...[b](...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
On The Ropes Heading Home: Sharks Take 3-2 Lead Off 4-3 Win
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The endgame has arrived for the 2007-2008 Calgary Flames. Despite arguably their best team effort all series, the Flames fell in San Jose, 4-3, a frustrating loss that has put them facing first-round elimination for the third straight year on Sunday night at the 'Dome. This loss wasn't as disheartening as the Game 4 disaster on Tuesday. But perhaps, tonight's game showed o...
Ok Post game concourse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHGMkHG0SlE
God Bless America Playoff Style
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4WCZD0hGBA
Link to my pics.... I am too tired to write anything....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604605331533/detail/
Phantoms Playoff Game tonight!
Inside the Owner's Box: In need of divine assistance
Yahoo! Buzz Digg Newsvine Reddit FacebookWhat's this?By Ted Leonsis for USA TODAY
Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, who made a name for himself as an executive with AOL, is sending USA TODAY his playoff journal as the Capitals begin their postseason run with a series against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Day 8: Th...
Ok here is Ted's Blog in its entirety for today
[quote]Day 9: Friday, April 18
What a game— a tough OT loss
We arrive at the arena at 5:30 p.m. We mingled with the crowd and then take our seats in the same suite as last game. I note that the fans that were in our face last game are nowhere to be seen this game. And that the Wachovia Center is not playing fight v...
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...
Today the Philadelphia Flyers organization must face the consequences of poking fun at an article that poked fun at their organization. In short the Washington Post is accusing the Philadelphia of Copywrite infringement for passing out a copy of Mike Wise's fan-bashing article. The article was distrubted to fans as the entere the Wachovia center, along with thunder stic...
Wow. That was playoff hockey. I watched the game live, then re-watched most off Tivo because I was way too amped up to sleep. That was what I expected from Washington the entire series. I guess the inexperience took them a few games to adjust.
Carter was a beast. Hard to believe that all the offense his group put up while checking Ovechkin. AO got some points, but...
Rather than give a rousing pre-game pep talk, I'll rely on a classic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpSFExhRdBA&NR=1
C'mon boys. Git-r-done.
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 ...
nephew23 writes...
Ducks Stay Alive With 5-2 Win, STARS Lead Series 3-2
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
What an exciting and fun game that was...[b]playoff hockey at its finest![/b] Though they fired [b]42[/b] shots on net, Dallas could not complete the comeback, and the reigning champs salted the game away late. The loss also means the STARS failed to finish off the Ducks and this series, at least for one more game. They could easily have blown the Ducks away tonight if ...
Tonight Chris Drury looked to have scored an icing on the cake goal for the New York Rangers putting them up 4-1 in a series deciding game 5. However, New Jersey didn't die out as it seemed they would, they rallied to come within 1. At 4-3 Dubinsky scored in the empty net to clinch the series and put the Rangers up 5-3 in the game. Also securing Chris Drury's 16th GWG in t...
Happy Saturday Morning
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Enjoy as usual
Go Flyers
Phantoms tied the series up 1-1
Phantoms won 3-0
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604623962991/detail/
I know there are just a ton of pics cause I sat in the first row. these are my favorite selections
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2424816965/in/set-72157604623962991/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2425613622/in/set-72157604623...
You want find me saying this often, but I stand by Brodeur in his decision to not shake hands with the notorious pest, Sean Avery. The handshake is meant to show respect to one another after a hard fought series of the most demanding games of the year. Personally, I only think you should show respect for someone if you honestly have it. Avery does not respect anyone at all...
Acekicker123 writes...
Leafs are new favourite in Brunnstrom Sweepstakes
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
According to TSN's hockey insider, Darren Dreger, the Toronto Maple Leafs have moved to the forefront of the race to sign renowned Swedish phenom Fabian Brunnstrom.
Apparently, Brunnstrom was days away from putting the finishing touches on a contract with the Vancouver Canucks, after having discussions about the team's future with former GM Dave Nonis. With the firing o...
The Capitals won Game 5, hats off to them. They were hungrier then the Flyers more often then not. Game 6 will be Monday night.
Thoughts...
Did Ovie recieve a memo from Sidney to tell him to dive more? For a player will awesome talent its a shame he now has to resort to diving. It takes away from his game and respect all the other players have for him.
Eve...
i am hearing from a number of sources that the Sens are going to buy out Emery. Also there are a lot of teams asking about 3 big guys: Tomas Kaberle, Roberto Loungo and Jason Spezza. Now i don't know how much their respectie teams are asking but i am sure the price is to high. Im also hearing that soon after the playoffs are over New Jersey is to do a blockbuster with a te...
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...
Just returned from the Verizon Center for Game 5 Flyers at Caps. I have some problems with the way people treat other fans at sporting events. I grew up in Philadelphia and have watched the Flyers, Phillies and Eagles since I was 5 years old in 1970. I am a lifetime fan and have watched all these teams through thick and thin.
I went to the game today in DC and watch...
The following is my first attempt at a blog. It is a response to an email from a friend of mine, a Senators fan (www.hockeyschlock.wordpress.com - please visit), who asked me how I was enjoying the rollercoaster ride that was the Flys/Caps QF series following the Game 5 loss to the Caps, bringing the series to a Flyers' lead of 3 games to 2. I'm not happy, but I'm not cr...
Looking at what Danny Briere has done during these playoffs, should we forget about his non-contract worthy regular season?
Briere still had points to make a good season but not the season Philly signed him for. Here are his stats this year and last:
GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW Shots %
2006-2007 Sabres 81 32 63 95 17 89 9 ...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Cold Hard Truth for NJ, Isles Futures, Milburied, etc
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Hard Truths in NJ, NYR Carries On, Islanders Focus On Futures, more...
[b]The Cold Hard Truths of NJ's Fall[/b]
NJ has been one of the most consistent top teams in the east for a long time now. And it is probably that fact that seems to blur some harsh realities that they are facing. Lou Lameriello is one of the best GMs in the league. And their scouting and draftpic...
[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 ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Perfect Home Effort: Kipper Shuts Out Sharks To Force Game 7
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Having already outdone the critics by keeping pace with the heavily favored Sharks for four out of five games, the Calgary Flames have gone the extra mile and forced them to a winner-take-all Game 7 by defeating the Sharks 2-0 at home in a must-win Game 6. And judging from their efforts the past two games, it's genuinely a toss up. I am trying to avoid sounding like Rob Ke...
I think one of the most interesting things to me this year is how much trash people will leave on message boards under various sports site articles. Mostly because their ideas are one-sided and often presented in an abusive matter.
Here it goes:
~ Pens fans...Sidney Crsoby is definately a talented guy, no one will argue you that. The reason no other teams will resp...
With the hamstring injury to Mike Knuble, the Flyers' office has told me for sure Riley Cote will be back in the line-up tonight for Game 6 of the Flyers/Caps series.
I wouldn't expect much ice-time from Cote, and I'm sure John Stevens will instruct him NOT to instigate things with Brashear or anyone else on the Caps in order to avoid a fight, penalty or anything else w...
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...
Ah, well we are back at square one again.
This merry-go-round of good games, and then bad games is incredibly frustrating. There is a 50/50 chance of which team the Sharks decide to be on Tuesday night. Will it be boys or men? Will it be the Sharks of February or March?
Only the Sharks can decide that, and their fate.....
and their future.
Last night, the Shark...
Wow what a letdown tonight was. For the first 30 minutes the Flyers did everything right. Attack, defend, and goaltending. Then quickly the collapse happened. There was no passion in the last half of the game. The Caps beat the Flyers to every puck and out worked them all over the rink.
Now the Flyers face back to back nights, a situation where Biron has played poo...
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Wall_clock.jpg/300px-Wall_clock.jpg[/img]
86,400 ticks of the clock before I can breathe again...
86,400 muttered curses as the clock marched mercilessly on...86,400 hopes against hope that a squibber, a deflection off a shin, a seeing eye five holer might turn the tide. Eighty six thousand, four hundred ...
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 ...
Dear Flyers,
Yes, I know typically my rule of thumb is to not post the same night as the game. Things definitely seem different if you put 8 hours of sleep into something. I would agree to that almost everytime. I just don't have 8 hours of sleep and time to write this up.
Hey, I will be happy to take some blame on tonight's poor luck. I actually made pre game wa...
What costs the Sabres nothing but goes a long way to keeping players happy? Communicating. Communicating with the players, understanding their gripes and being able to listen to them. Do you think that Larry listens to the players? My answer is no.
Drury, Briere and Campbell all took the contract laundry out in the media. I'm sure Ryan Milller will be doing the same on...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Sillinger on the Mend plus some Lighthouse Tidbits
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Canada's Leader-Post has an article Monday on the recovery of Regina native, Mike Sillinger. The article, written by Greg Harder, talks about how he just resumed walking without crutches after his initial surgery back in late February.
http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/local/story.html?id=1ef4f9ad-180e-4be3-b2d4-8510ebedefd0
In the article, Silling...
[b]Let's get the bad out of the way:[/b]
Biron: 0-5, 5.95GAA, .822 save % on the 2nd day when playing back to back days this year (by comparison, Huet over the last 2 years in the same situation is 1-4, 3.33 GAA, .904 save%)
The Flyers are 6-6 all-time in Game 7s (all rounds), and for those around before all NHL series were best of 7 the Flyers are also 1-0 in game 3 ...
Tonight one of the hottest two teams in the East will be eliminated for sure. The Flyers have failed to bury the Caps in the last two games. The Caps have shown alot of character and fight by outhitting the Flyers in Game 5 and then pulling a great comeback in Game 6 to extend the series.
The Flyers must get back to basics. I know it is a cliche, but it is true. Whe...
I gotta say. I've tried to be relatively fair with my opinion of officiating in this series. Despite calls for "the fix" by ESPN, I tried to believe that things would work out somewhete fairly. There was definately time where the games went in the Flyers direction and we took advantage of it. However, I ahd a serious problem with Scottie Upshall's "diving" penalty las...
As the Dallas Stars finished a 4 - 1 victory at the American Airlines Center in Dallas over the defending Stanley Cup Champions, a loud audible sigh of relief was heard around the NHL. It occurred last night around 8:25pm Pacific Standard Time. I'm sure if you were awake, you heard the loud "[b]ahhhhhhh[/b]" from your own lips and from the collective lips of millions of ...
There is nothing better than a game 7 in the National Hockey League playoffs. It doesn't matter who's playing. I could barely wait until 5pm MTN yesterday for the Habs/Bruins to start and then listening to that crowd and U2 belting out in the background... how could you not be pumped. I'll start with some tidbits from the other series before I touch on the game 7's.
...
The Penguins clinched their series with the Ottawa Senators early with a sweep.
There hasn't been a Penguins game in an entire week.
All this "down" time has me watching the other series wrap up (GO CAPS and FLAMES in your game 7's) and waiting anxiously for our Round 2 opponent!
It also gave me a chance to catch up on what the Pittsburgh Pirates doing these day...
I must have missed that other mid-playoff presser the NHL held changing the rules. You know, the one where thy told the refs to not call interference. This Caps-Flyers game 7 is a joke. It's one thing to let the players decide the outcome of the game. It's another to let guys start plowing opponents into their goaltender and check guys without the puck. Someone let me...
millertime writes...
Hillary, Philly beat Washington; 2nd Round East Preview
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I don't mean for politics to enter a hockey website, but did anyone else see the irony in tonight's events?
7 minutes after the Flyers beat the Caps in Overtime, Hillary Clinton - who is fighting for a change in the highest office in D.C. - could be seen on CNN addressing supporters in Philadelphia.
That group Hillary addressed was a rambunctious bunch. I counted at...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Exorcising the Ghost of Dale Hunter and GM & COO of the Year
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[i](Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupul wins it in OT for the Oilers...oops! Sorry guys...how's Joni Pitkanen doing?)[/i]
[img]http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080423/capt.9d330df4d92f4fc39d28413b0ae992a3.aptopix_flyers_capitals_hockey_vzn108.jpg[/img]
[img]http://capitals.nhl.com/images/upload/2007/05/dale_hunter0206.jpg[/img]
[b]Exorcising the ghost of Dale Hunter:[/b]
[im...
What a way to end the series. Lupul who was the only forward that scored for the Flyers all season and didn't have a goal all series long. He looked lost. So tonight he played mostly with Briere and Prospal and saw time on the 1st powerplay unit. The move paid off in the first OT with Lupul tucking in the rebound on the powerplay to win the series.
As a Flyers fan, ...
I have to say, with all due respect to Caps fans, I would rather lose like we did, than lose an absolutely heartbreaking game in OT... at home. Yeah, we all hope for a good game, but a good game means a close game and those are so much harder to get over.
But what makes this pill easier to handle is to watch the way the Sharks handled themselves after the game, in the ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
'08 Flames Post-Mortem, Part 1: It's Everyone's Fault
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Although six games had me in a brief fantasy, in reality, I have been waiting to write this post since mid-March, just as the Calgary Herald's Bruce Dowbiggin is undoubtedly rubbing his hands in glee as he writes his long awaited blasting of Darryl Sutter that I think is a good bet to appear in tomorrow's paper. The Calgary Flames have been eliminated in the first round of...
I want to start off by saying that this Washington team is going to be a force to reckon with for years to come. The combination of Semin and AO is going to be lethal for several years and the young nucleus around them is only going to get better. Just like the Flyers, from where Washington was last year just getting to game 7 in the first round of the playoffs is a great ...
"...The shot from the point by Timmonen...rebound...THEY SCORE...jOFFREY LUPUL!!! AND THE FLYERS HAVE WON IN OVERTIME IN GAME 7!!! They're going to the next round..."
Thank you Jim Jackson. Thank you Joffrey Lupul.
Thank you Hockey Gods.
What a ridiculously suspenseful game. I laughed. I threw stuff at my TV. I yelled at the refs. And I definately jumped ...
I'm still waiting to read about how the Washington fans chose to turn their ice rink into a giant trash can. Plus, did anyone see Jeff Carter get hit in the head by some type of cup?
What I also can't wait to read or not read is too see if Mike Wise, or the other beat writers for the Caps even mention it.
Plus, we also know about the diary Big Ted keeps on USA tod...
You can fill in the blank with alot of names :
~Briere
~Prospal
~Richards
~Lupul
~Kapanen
~Ushall
~Carter
~Umberger
~Knuble
~Hartnell
~Hatcher
...impressive...
1st round I predicted:
Montreal in 5
Pittsburgh in 6
Philadelphia in 7
Rangers in 6
Detroit in 6
San Jose in 5
Minnesota in 7
Anaheim in 5
So i got 6/8.. not bad I'd say lol
So, here are my 2nd round predictions:
[b]Eastern Conference[/b]
[u]1.Montreal VS 6.Philadelphia - Philadelphia in 7[/u]
Why? The Habs aren't invincible and Flyers battle like crazy....
I only did the western conference going 2-2. I picked Calgary and they came just a bit short, and Anaheim shocked everybody except Dallas.
Anyways.. Round 2 Predictions. Just noticed that the first, second, fifth and sixth seeds advanced in each conference. These have got to be some of the best second round matchups I have seen in quite a while.
WESTERN CONFEREN...
Well I went 7-1 in the first round and only missed the Stars knocking off the Ducks. Not too bad. Now time for round 2.
West
[b]Detroit vs Colorado[/b]
The Avs have had a nice rest and they look very good. Detroit won against a division rival which is hard after 8 regular season games and 6 in the playoffs. I think the uncertainty in the net for Detroit will becom...
Well, it's probably the most cliche blog a hockey fan can possibly write, but here are my round two predictions!
[b]Montreal Canadiens vs Philadelphia Flyers[/b]
Both teams are coming off 7 game series, but the Habs have had an extra day off and have home ice advantage. The Flyers will be playing 3 games in 4 nights. The Habs should take games 1 and 2, but I expect t...
grapes17 writes...
Round two preview: winning templates, Avery, and NBC
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
nephew23 writes...
STARS Advance, Monkeys Forced To Find New Home With Ducks
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[quote][i]This just in ... STARS and Sharks in round 2 ... game 1 is Friday at 9pm (CST)! I really wanted the Avalanche for some good payback ... but the Sharks are the ones that got Dallas going again on the last day of the regular season, so bring them on! The series could go all 7, but [b]I'm going with 6 again, in Dallas![/b][/i][/quote]------------------------------...
Burke Is [b]Not[/b] the new GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs. So now what? Well this may be a blessing in a disguise, or maybe it just sucks. Personally Burke was a qualified candidate who had the savvy to deal with media and ownership. His draft record however was abysmal, but maybe with some money injected in our scouting department who knows. Personally I want Nill to get ...
The Season Series
The Habs owned this one in the regular season, taking 8 out of 8 points in 4 games they played. Carey Price recorded his first NHL shutout on the front end of their February home-and-home with the Flyers and stopped 66 of 67 shots over the two games. Philadelphia went 2 for 22 on the power-play in the season series, while Montreal was a better 6 for 25...
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=4704620&page=1
So apparently Sean Avery has decided to work for Vogue. I just keep thinking of him in place of Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada.
Ridiculous.
More to come on the tonight's playoff matches.
Big fan of former LAK GM Dave Taylor.
In my mind, to be a successful GM of a rebuilding team you need three strong qualities:
1) The ability to build through the draft
2) The ability to make shrewd trades
3) The ability to pick up bargains in the UFA market
In my mind, Taylor has all three of these qualities, and I'll quickly explain why, providing some exam...
First of all, Let me just say how disappointed in the lack of orginality in these picks :
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2008/news/story?id=3364125
...picking the higher seated team across the board...perhaps consider the how each team is playing and then decide... Here it goes:
[u][b]East:[/b][/u]
Rangers vs. Penguins - This should be quite an exciti...
When I wrote my first blog for all the hockey fans watching their team on the golf course while other teams competed in the playoffs, I announced that the Washington Capitals were my choice to go as far as possible. Unfortunately that all came to an end two days ago and now I have to sit back in my chair and decide once again.
We're left with Detroit playing the Avs and...
Well after an amazing first round I'm back with my predictions for the Conference Semis!
First off a recap of my first round predictions:
(1) Detroit v (8) Nashville---[b]Nashville in 6-Incorrect.[/b] Nashville seemed on a roll until Arnott couldn't deal with the Radulov hit and the OT loss in Game 5.
(2) San Jose v (7) Calgary---[b]Calgary in 7-Close but no cigar...
Today the NHL announced its finalists for the Lady Byng Award. And to be honest I was first shocked to see Pominville's name listed as a finalist. But then I realized that it isn't that far fetched for Jason to be nominated. Do you ever see 29 complain? He is a true professional on the ice. He lets his skill and hard work tell his story. I think he has a legitimate shot a...
The Avalanche team that we'll see in round 2 is far stronger than their regular season showing. Joe Sakic spent most of the year on IR, Forsberg was signed in February, and Adam Foote was acquired at the deadline. With all that Stanley Cup experience (in Colorado nonetheless) it's safe to say that their springtime presence is invaluable. That being said, we should still...
John Stevens will go with the exact same line-up for tonight's game 1 in Montreal as he had for Game 7 in Washington...
That means Downie is still in and the defense will remain the same as well (Smith, Modry all the usual suspects)
When a team wins first place in the regular season, why can't that home-ice advantage extend to even a modicum of home-fan advantage for broadcast start times of away games?
Those of you cheering on your teams in the Eastern Conference won't even know what I'm talking about. But for Wings fans, being in the Western Conference and in the Eastern Time Zone results in an ...
I am so excited to watch the 2nd round. I have a feeling that the Flyers are playing with house money now. Getting into the playoffs and winning a round was a realistic goal for this squad after last season. The rebuild job left over 1/2 the team with new faces and making the playoffs made it a total success.
Montreal overachieved all year. They were not picked to...
Well, not bad for the first round... 4/4 in the East, but only 2/4 in the West; having picked Anaheim and Minnesota to move on.
So I will recap my predictions and update them for the 2nd round!
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Detroit vs. Colorado... Oh, NBC must love this. I'm sorry to say this series won't have the same guts as the ones in the late 90s used to, but it should ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
'08 Flames Post-Mortem, Part 2: Let The Rebuild Begin
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
In retrospect, maybe I was a bit too critical, too soon, on Tuesday night. As I read the other Flames blogs, which merely focused on the game in posts of reasonable length and simple bitterness at the Flames blow a Game 7 they had a good chance of winning if they came out with a good effort. And then I went back to my long, rambling post which practically put the game comp...
Defeat snatched from the jaws of victory as the refs blew their second Alexi Kovalev related call.
The goal he swatted in was clearly above the crossbar, as his stick hit the crossbar on the follow through. I cannot imagine how the refs missed that one? It was a hell of a play, but illegal nonetheless.
The second, and much worse call, was on Mike Richards for kne...
I can't tell you how many times that came out of my mouth last night...
...rewind to last round...Brooks Laich hits the puck into the net with a high stick (it was extremely apparent that his stick was aboe the crossbar). I suppose there was some doubt in the call...it was reviewed for quite a bit and then they gave the goal to Laich which was completely baffling...a...
These two teams know each other well. After meeting 16 times from 05 to 07, the Penguins and the Rangers again played 8 more regular season tilts this year. The Rangers took 10 out of a possible 16 points with a 5-3 record, while Pittsburgh grabbed 8 points from going 3-3-2 against the Blueshirts.
The Penguins were a squad that saw two of their feature performers mi...
First this is hockey. Calls are made in a split second at real time speed. The penalty on Richards was a clean hit, but the referee was behind Richards, which when seen from that angle, did look like a trip or knee. So that is not what caused the Flyers to lose Game 1. This is no different than the ref losing site of the puck during a goal mouth scramble.
The Canadi...
Dear NHL teams, players and fans;
Is anyone else tired of players with broken sticks during key parts of the game? If I were an NHL coach I would combat this problem with one simple solution. Wood sticks for my defensemen at all times and my penalty killing forwards would also always use wood during the PK. I am so sick and tired of these flimsy composite sticks I cou...
http://cbs.sportsline.com/nhl/story/10793421
Great line during their time.
Thought I would pass this along to everyone and like one person already said, I thought Renberg already retired.
Fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets have known tears of disappointment for seven years, but with the passing of team owner John H. McConnell, the tears cut deeper, and go far beyond the game.
The gentleman so highly regarded by players, coaches and fans all over the National Hockey League lost his battle with liver cancer on Friday. For fans like myself, his loss feels li...
...the dumbest thing I've seen/heard in the playoffs so far...i mean this is really up there...booing Jagr? REALLY? When was the last time he played for you. I mean Montreal boos Briere but at least that joke of a reason is in recent history. Jagr left 7 years ago!
...the fans in Pittsburgh could not be more pathetic...it's just proof that they're no better than all...
Once again the STARS felt right at home at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. Though they did not play their best game of the playoffs, and they stood around way too much with a 1-goal lead ... they eventually ended up with one more goal than the Sharks. Ribeiro and Morrow were all over the place ... the Sharks simply had no answer for them. [b]Ribeiro[/b] finished with 2 ass...
With Game 2 coming up tonight, I thought I'd share with you all my thoughts on this series, and some contentious issues that seem to be on the front burner with fans.
Game 1 saw a bunch of sloppy plays, as well as a bunch of flukey goals. The Flyers 1st was a redirect...by Carey Prices' own teammate! Montreal got a lucky break on Kovalev's shorthanded marker..if he was...
I'm already nervous about the game tonight.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
enjoy
Have a great weekend
Wow...what a stressful game to watch. I get the feeling the entire series will be cardiac-driven. Here are a few thoughts:
1) Again, the Stars played a complete team game. While certain players shined more than others in the end, it was a four-line effort.
2) Turco wasn't one of the night's 3 Stars? Take him out of the equation, and Dallas loses this game big time...
Marty...Marty...Marty...Marty. Biron outplayed Price tonight. One guy looked a little timid and one guy was dominate. I don't really want to hear any more about Biron not being a number 1 goalie. He has proven that he is one. Umberger, Carter, and Upshall dominated the play when on ice tonight. They were all over the place with offensive pressure and great defensive...
Sports lore is replete with curses. In baseball, the Curse of the Bambino and the Curse of the Goat come to mind.
In hockey, some think the President's trophy [b]MIGHT[/b] be a curse. While this award really hasn't been around long enough to provide sufficient data for that conclusion, smart teams no longer take chances with it. For example, Wings Captain Nic Lidstr...
ladynic writes...
4/26/08 AHL Phantoms and NHL Flyers playoff extravaganza
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
First THANK YOU ERICA! awesome day!
2nd Thank you Brooke and Karen! Come on that was fun wasn't it?
Shout outs to Brenda, Jessica, KB, Rad, HF, Lou, Alan and Drew!
I knew this would be a long day. Phantoms playoff game 6 starting @ 1pm their last game having gone into 5 OT's . The Flyers playing @ 7pm away in Montreal but a viewing party hosted by the Flyers...
sm623181 writes...
Crosby Dives/Therrien Wines (surprise) and Flyers Win!
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=361796&page=NewsPage&service=page
Dear Therrien,
You're full of shit and I'm pretty sure Crobsy knows it. Typical taht he has someone ELSE stand up for him, but really you wouldn't deny it so animately if it wasn't true. Questionable penalty, you won. What's the issue? Everyone knows he dove.
~S
I mean really...
With work, school, and final papers/exams, it has been a bit tough to catch a lot of these playoff games, and it truly does disappoint me. Today I just had enough time to only catch the final buzzer of the third period of Game 2 in the Pens/Rangers series, and you can imagine that I liked seeing Avery get what he had coming too him...but there is a lot more to be seen from...
nephew23 writes...
STARS Score 4 in Third, Win 5-2, Take Series Home Up 2-0!
Posted Monday | Comments 0
WOW! I must point out that I made the call on this one during the second intermission with posts on Josh Lile's in-game live blog ...
[url]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/boards/thread.php?thread_id=40153&page=1[/url][quote]Today @ 10:36 PM ET -- This game is far from over ... it is ours to win![/quote] [quote]Today @ 10:46 PM ET -- Again ... I hope he doesn't cover the po...
Everyone deals with those common, plaguing questions that it seems everyone must ask you. We've all got a memory of being stuck at a party (unfortunately, not the fun, alcohol driven college variety) and having 20+ people ask the same question. What did you study in school? What are you doing with your life? Have you seen Uncle Joe's nosehair?
At first, those questions ...
http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=236048&lid=sublink05&lpos=headlines_main
When did Carbonneau become such an angel? Regardless of the situation when you hit someone from behind even if it's from taunting or anything else its a cowardly act. There is always the next shift that you can legally hit the person. Plus, do you really think the league would actually sus...
I'm not sure what happened to the Sharks last night but boy did that get messy. Quite the off game for Nabokov.
The game started off very even. Both teams and goalies looked good. I mean the first two periods went that way. But what on earth happened in the third. San Jose just looked tired. Their defense was terrible so I guess you really can't put all the blam...
The Pittsburgh Penguins look like they have made enormous strides. They have matched the Rangers in two heavy weight matches. In the first they were able to take three blows to the head and then come back with some cheap jabs and then one knockout punch. Yesterday, they held their own in their own corner playing defense until Staal roofed a shot past the King. As muc...
[img]http://acdc.com/bin/galImg/siteFiles/35bff89a78.[/img]
I cannot hear those words without thinking of one of the most influential bands to hit the music scene in the mid-1970s and power their way through the mid-1980s with a high voltage mixture of the power vocals of Malcom Young and the screaming guitar intensity of brother, Angus Young. In my mind's eye when I t...
It may be over. It may have been over after Period 2 on Friday when the Rangers allowed the Penguins to score two late goals to cut the lead to one. It may have ended when Matrin Straka's apparant goal was disallowed. However, if and when it ended will not be revealed until this series ends. The Rangers are not dead yet, though they may be on life support.
Game 3 is a ...
Sidney Crosby on full display in the Conference Semifinals versus the New York Rangers.
For all the talent Crosby shows, I just can't respect him like I respected a Gretzky. He seems to whine after every whistle and his diving should qualify him for the Beijing Olympics.
The fans in Pittsburgh cheer Crosby and boo Jagr and I understand why. However, when it comes to ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
FLYERS Hold on for 3-2 victory - Game 4 to be a War!
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/MainImage.jpg?t=1209430739[/img]
EE should suit up because his boys need something. Flyers lead 3-0 end of two. Just amazing how pumped the Bank Building is. It might be the loudest I have heard it - and this is from the VS feed. I am sure it is just deafening in person - JS, #23, EE - please comment on it. The Join...
The Stars are in a great place right now. With a win tomorrow night, they can drive a stake through the heart of the Shark faithful. (Or would that be a harpoon?) When Dallas beat the Ducks in the first two games of the first round, Anaheim knew they deserved it with their level of play. I'm not so sure San Jose can comfort themselves the same way. The Sharks played well a...
Great game. Flyers outplayed the Habs for the 45 minutes of the game. Then the penalty on Hatcher gave the Habs life. I thought the call was correct on Hatcher but there should have been on Boullion for hitting Umberger on the knee/thigh with his hip prior to the hit OR fighting with Hatcher after the hit. It should have been 5 on Hatcher and 2 on Boullion.
Once agai...
Thank god for DVR...because I got to see all of the important stuff...
Let me just start off by saying I'm sick of hearing that the flyers are dirty. At the beginning of the season a couple players made some bad decisions. It cost us big time. Game over. We did our time. It's the end, and I don't want to hear about it anymore b/c it's irrelevent. The Flyers are ...
10 years ago, when I was 10 years old at the time, remember quite distinctively the goal from Andrei Zyuzin that tied up the series at 2 games a piece and headed back to Dallas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb91wymw0s0
Watch it.
I remember that goal being one of the biggest in franchise history's lore, but sadly the Sharks went on to lose that series 4 games to ...
Just saw the Hart Trophy finalists. Can't really say that I'm surprised, nor can I really disagree with the names there. Certainly, Ovechkin, Malkin and Iginla are all very deserving candidates.
But, once again, defensemen are conspicuous in their absence, not just in the list of finalists but from the discussion altogether.
Chris Pronger took home the big trophy in ...
Barring some unexpected, significant Isles news between now and then, I don't plan on doing any Isles blogging until some time in between the entry draft and free agency. I had a blast this year - with the Blog Box and all - but between that, a rough season all around and my Lightning responsibilities here at Hockeybuzz, it was taxing ... and I need a break.
Thanks to a...
Just kidding. I am not going to go there yet. Looking back at the season, it was pretty much a bad beginning, mediocre middle, followed by a bad ending. The good thing is there is always next year. Hopefully this team gels and grows and maybe adds a solid defenseman or two. The main competition is the Penguins now. That is who they have to keep up with. But this team has g...
The final score was 5-3, but that in no way tells the whole story of this game. Early on, the Pens were out for the win and were playing like no other. Marion Hossa got the Pens on the board early with a goal from Dupuis and Crosby. The Rangers came back to tie it with Straka's goal . Then to close out the period, the Pens netted two more to make it 3-1 with goals by Laraq...
I have more to say but not enough time or inclination. Plus I believe many of the main page bloggers have echoed my sentiments.
I will post the video I took later of the booing during hte anthem and the a hole chant to the poor habs fans on the escaltor
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604794732975/detail/
After watching game 3 against the Rangers, I'd say pretty good.
But seriously. 7-0. In all likelihood about to be 8-0.
I wouldn't have predicted it, not in a long shot, but the Pens are proving why they're the cream of the crop in the East, and they're rising to the top at precisely the right time.
Their confidence is SKYROCKETING after this win at MSG. Not onl...
[b][i]*STARS have re-signed Steve Ott to a two-year extension![/i][/b]
Once again, the Dallas STARS are one win away from advancing to another round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The clichés are becoming repetitive and redundant, but what else can you say? This team is continuing to defy the odds (and the odds-makers) and make short work of very good teams. Though t...
sm623181 writes...
The Truth about hitting the Post/Last night's wrap up
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
...We all know that "clank". It's the last minute of the game. Your team is down by one. They've pulled their goalie for the extra attacker. It's a jumble of players in front of the net when suddenly the puck pops free and right to the stick of you star. He shoots with just seconds left on the clock. It's almost as if everything is moving in slow motion.
"CLANK!"
...
It's funny how Karma works in sports. For almost two season Glen Sather has had a love affair with Brooks Orpik and Ryan Malone.(two free agents) There were a few times when Slats almost pulled the trigger to bring the nasty D-man and the tuff power forward to NY for Petr Prucha plus.http://www2.sportsnet.ca/blogs/hockey_hearsay/2007/01/14/changes_coming_for_rangers/ I...
flyersfan_92 writes...
Since when has it become funny to use Hitler in a Video
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I find the Hitler likes the Flyers video to be offensive and ignorant. How can this kind of crap really be out there? The man was a monster who sent millions to thier death and killed millions more in an attempt to rule the world.
Then to use this imagery to portray a hockey teams management and fans. Maybe this is Ok to do in Quebec but i find it offensive and unneces...
The Habs are pressing the PANIC BUTTON - Price on the bench tonight.
[b]Gamesmanship[/b]
Guy Carbonneau is really trying to get into the Flyers heads. After game 2 it was "Timonen deserved to get sucker punched for taunting" and now after game 3 he won't say who is in goal for game 4. I think that this game is really ineffective since the the trade of Huet to Washingt...
[img]http://www.freefoto.com/images/33/15/33_15_69---Fire-Flame-Textures_web.jpg?&k=Fire+%2F+Flame+Textures[/img]
If you can't stand the heat...
[img]http://www.chfans.com/photos/junior/Carey%20Price_camp.jpg[/img]
Carey Price looks like he will start tonight for Les Habitants. Honestly, that is just fine for most Flyers fans, since it appears throughout the first ...
From day one I have never been a fan of the Versus network. I remember right after the lockout the first game that was on was the Rangers/Flyers game. Man was I pumped up. The crowd was ready to go I was practically leaping out of my skin to get the game started. So it comes time for the opening face off and what happens the screen freezes and starts and freezes a few more...
Avery lacerated his spleen and will miss the remainder of the playoffs.
Last night, the fans and everyone who believed the San Jose Sharks were different than years past, were once again disappointed.
Disappointed the Sharks lost, but more importantly, disappointed by the effort. Now because of last night's effort and a few bad breaks, the Sharks have their backs to the wall.
An 0-3 hole is the worst in sports, and it is nearly impossibl...
Phigment writes...
Flyers vs Habs - Game 4 - Flyers win - Lead series 3-1
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]1st Period:[/b]
Panic button pressed by Carbonneau. Going away from Price could be very bad for the Habs. It shows no confidence. What if Halak stinks? Can you go back to Price with confidence?
WTF was that call on Richards? Briere is horsecollared and no call - but a boarding call when the guy doesn't hit the boards? Are you kidding me?? People say there is...
First, let's make something very clear. I am happy for Daniel Briere and Martin Biron tonight. I loved them while they were in Buffalo, and I still love them. They're the type of guys I'm going to follow the rest of their careers, regardless of where they play. Also, kudos to the Flyers in general for coming up big when it mattered most in this pivotal game 4.
But.....
I'm not surrounded by many hockey fans where I work...but somehow I managed to get the Pens/Rags game on the tube to help pass time on a slow day. Let me tell ya it was much better than watching baseball...and the fact that the Pens held off the Rangers after erasing a 3-1 deficit made it all the better.
But I cannot ignore to mention the fact that a typical hit from b...
nephew23 writes...
Handshake Night Delayed, But STARS Still In Driver's Seat
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
There was much disappointment tonight as we filed out of the AAC. Unlike 24 hours earlier, when no one left there seats until Marty was the last one off the ice ... and people were waving their rally towels going down I-35! Tonight was filled with mostly silence, aside from the few Sharks' fans receiving a beating from some irate STARS' fans! (just kidding!) The sad th...
Important FLYERS WON!!!!!!!
pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157604818620488/detail/
Shout out to all the Flyers players who stopped!
THANK YOU ERICA!!!!! That was fun!
Shout outs to Theresa, Lou, HF, Rad, Erik, Nads, Roseann, Joyce, Bill, Brenda, Sharon's Dad, My drunk seat neighbors in 210A.
Video.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i...
sm623181 writes...
Flyers/Habs Game 4...The Flyers' Power Play is back..
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
...what a game! I must admit after Mike Richards' "boarding" call where the guy didn't even hit the boards...and Kukkonen's penalty for pushing players away from Biron...I was a little bit worried that we were headed down penalty road for a repeat of last game's parade to the penalty box...
The Flyer's killed them off though...and despite their obvious frustration with...
I would classify myself as being a news junkie and when it comes to sports, I make sure I get my daily fill from all available sources. What is surprising to me is how fans and media will not give credit to a deserving team. It’s more or less; how lucky the Flyers have been because of the amount of posts that have been hit, how they have been outshot and how they have ...
clarasax writes...
EARN MONEY AT HOME! (Preds offer season ticket referrals)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Are you struggling to make ends meet? Wondering how you will pay for your Nashville Predators season tickets next year?
Then I have a job for you! Earn money by recruiting your friends to be new season ticket holders for the Nashville Predators!
Seriously, folks, this is a really sweet deal that the Preds are offering their fans, and I urge everyone to take advanta...
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...
Growing up I was addicted to those 60's & 70's Scooby Doo cartoons. The Villains would almost always turn out to be the resident good guy in the episode. At the end the crew would pull the mask off to find out that this good guy was the evil character all along. How fitting, because at the end of last nights Rangers/Penguins game we found out that the possible MVP Malk...
...I've read alot of complaints on all teams in the playoffs so far.
...Really the only series have serious second round involvement in has been the Flyers/Habs and I can say that there has been some pretty one sided officiating. Montreal has had almost twice as many power plays. Am I to belive that while we were in the lead we were taking careless penalties all game....
Carbonneau isn't the only person showing no respect to the Flyers. The Capitals, the NHL media, and most fans have downed the way the team plays. The Flyers are a team that will allow you to possess the puck in their end on the perimeter. They will even let you shoot, however when they are on their game, you cannot bring the puck into the slot area without severe punish...
MusicCityMadness writes...
MusicCityMadness Musings --- Crowd Control & Respect
Posted Friday | Comments 0
After reading Julie Robenhymer’s great columns on her “fan” experiences I’ve been formulating my take on the state of respect, or lack of, that I have seen in my 30 plus years of attending sporting events at different venues around the country.
Baseball is my first love, followed closely by Hockey. I really prefer to go to hockey games for live action so maybe ...
It's all about faith. You gotta have faith. You cannot think the Sharks are out of it. The Sharks can definitly win tonight, and put the pressure on Dallas. The Sharks gotta have faith in each other too.
We, the fans, believe in this team. They need to believe in each other. Wednesday's night game showed that the Sharks can beat the Stars, and if the Sharks get hot toni...
It's all about faith. You gotta have faith. You cannot think the Sharks are out of it. The Sharks can definitly win tonight, and put the pressure on Dallas. The Sharks gotta have faith in each other too.
We, the fans, believe in this team. They need to believe in each other. Wednesday's night game showed that the Sharks can beat the Stars, and if the Sharks get hot toni...
It's all about faith. You gotta have faith. You cannot think the Sharks are out of it. The Sharks can definitly win tonight, and put the pressure on Dallas. The Sharks gotta have faith in each other too.
We, the fans, believe in this team. They need to believe in each other. Wednesday's night game showed that the Sharks can beat the Stars, and if the Sharks get hot toni...
Congratulations to the Montreal Canadiens and their fans. You are among the classiest organizations and fans in all of sports! I love that the fans did not boo its team and gave them the heroic but painful send off they deserved - they left nothing on the ice and played with incredible heart.
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/a8/fullj.7e7e4d0a099996c6174fcdf3f1c083a...
So the tides have apparently turned! Media and Sharks' fans alike have come alive and decided that San Jose is going to become the 3rd team ever to come back from a 0-3 hole. And they just might do so ... but I highly doubt it. The difference in this series is that Dallas has lost the last 2 games after taking a 3-0 lead, where as against Anaheim, they had leads of 2-0 ...
[b]1st Period[/b]
That was a good period. Some random notes.
*Fans are starting to boo Richards now too. They should be booing Umberger! Price made a great save on a 2 on 1 versus Richards.
*Nice tip-in on the Powerplay. Montreal 1-0
*Montreal is playing physically for the first time in the series. They are hitting consistently and taking the puck between the circ...
[code]
[/code] Huet
[code]
[/code] Price
[code]
[/code] Fleury
After the usual gratuitous 2 Habs pp goals donated on bad calls by the refs (seemed like every game this series), the Flyers took the bull by the horns in game 5 and just plain embarassed the #1 top ranked team of the big bad East.
This was a very sweet 6-4 elimination victory against a legacy hockey...
Congratulations to the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings for reaching their respective conference finals.
-The job that Flyers coach John Stevens has done in the playoffs is nothing short of spectacular. The guy had a team that was supposed to be road kill in round one and navigated it past two teams whose coaches were finalists for the Jack Adams. Since a 39 p...
I lost some steam in this round. After going 7-1 (only missing the Stars over Ducks) I set off to predict round 2. Well 2 series are complete in round 2. The Red Wings made me look bad. Not sure when the Avs got so banged up, but the Wings not only beat them, but they humiliated them. These games were blowouts and not even fun to watch. I would venture to guess that ...
This is an open letter to ask the "loyal" fans of the Montreal Canadiens.
How can you fans be confident with Carey Price proclaimed as the future of this storied franchise? Carey was shaky at best in this series. His lack of confidence was shattered that much more by the decision of Jack Adam's Award finalist Guy Carbonneau, to bench him for the service of Halak in ...
This is an open letter to ask the "loyal" fans of the Montreal Canadiens.
How can you fans be confident with Carey Price proclaimed as the future of this storied franchise? Carey was shaky at best in this series. His lack of confidence was shattered that much more by the decision of Jack Adam's Award finalist Guy Carbonneau, to bench him for the service of Halak in game...
After that amazing come from behind win on Friday over Dallas 3-2 are now back to where we all left off. The Sharks are again back to game 6 in the second round.
The real test.
The San Jose Sharks and all who love this team are right back to where the past 2 seasons have ended. The game 6.
Game 5 was amazing in San Jose, but as soon as the first puck is dropped to...
watching the Montreal - Philadelphia series I have to wonder why can the Canadiens have French language graphics on the ice as well as dasher boards while there are very few if any Spanish language text advertisements in the United States arenas???
In todays marketing 101, Español/Spanish speaking,reading and writing population is skyrocketing, everywhere we go we get ...
...so the results are in...it's the Flyers vs. the Pens....
...I was pretty thrilled with the Flyers come back last night...very impressive. I think what has been most impressive about these playoffs is the fact that there has been suck a balanced effort for our Flyers. There is only one forward that has played on a regular basis that hasn't scored (Thoresen). Tha...
It's the playoff series the Flyers fans and possibly the players have wanted since the end of the Regular Season. As we all remember back to that final Sunday game in Philadelphia where some media and players insinuated that the Pens threw the game to take the easy route to the Eastern Conference Finals. I would actually have cheered for this if I was a Pens fan, calling...
It almost seems that every year there is that one team that no one expects to make out of the first round but somehow manages to carry the "Cinderella" title all the way to the Cup finals, and I think we may be seeing that with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Two years ago we saw the Edmonton Oilers accomplish this task; finishing in 8th place in the West at the end of the reg...
I played in a tournament this weekend called the Wally Cup in Fort Erie, On. In our last game today we had a surprise opponent. Buffalo Sabre Dan Paille played on the other team. We were all shocked. You could really tell that he was going easy, he played defense and didn't take a shot. But he did make a couple amazing passes. I got my Picture taken with him after the game...
1st round I was: 6/8
2nd round: 2/4 (I missed the whole western conference)
So far, i'm at 8/12... not bad.
[b]Eastern Conference Finals[/b]
[u]2.Pittsburgh VS 6.Philadelphia[/u]
WOW! This is going to be a series, whether it's a sweep or goes to Game 7. If the Pens manage to win you have to wonder just how badly they're going to be beaten up before the win and if th...
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I looked it up and believe that the 2003-04 Calgary Flames are the only team to have ever gone to the Stanley Cup Finals by eliminating the 1, 2 and 3 seeds in their conference during the playoffs....
So if the Flyers pull it off against Pittsburgh, which I think they have a real solid shot of doing, they would be the first team in the Easte...
nephew23 writes...
Fitting End To An AWESOME Series! Morrow = Conn Smythe!
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It is 2:34am as I am finally home and headed to bed. I had to get a few thoughts in first ... there will be more tomorrow.
WOW ... that was one helluva game ... playoff hockey at its finest! Turco and Nabokov were OUTSTANDING! I cannot wait to watch the game on DVR and hear the call from Ralph and Razor! So much for the blowout ... but who knew Mr. Vezina would show...
Blamm writes...
Game 6, The Final Four (the NHL remix), and The Great Monkey
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Well, put that one in the books. You can tell the real fans from the "I'm just watching because the Mavs aren't playing" fans this morning by the red, cracked eyes. It took four overtimes in Game 6, but the Stars finally finished off the Sharks at 1:30 am Central with a 2-1 victory. When Morrow scored the game winner, we wondered if they would just review it out of habi...
If there's anything certain in this year's playoffs, it appears to be this: pray you're player didn't do a Stanley Cup promo. If you've watched any hockey this post season, you've undoubtedly seen the spots ending with various NHL stars stating, "and that's how the Cup changes everything." Let's see how these featured players are doing:
Roberto Luongo and his Canucks ...
The Bruins Eastern Conference predictions before the season were TSN 15th place, Hockeybuzz 15th place, ESPN 15th place, Bruins analyst Mike Millbury 13th place, and Hockey Journal 15th place. All but Millbury had the Bruins last before the season started, and all were miserably wrong. I would like to take some credit, because I had them 7th before the season started. T...
This is going to be one interesting series. The Flyers are a pretty hot team, right now. Then, you factor in the rivalry between the Pens and Flyers, which will likely elevate both teams, and it is going to get interesting. Biron has been solid in goal and he is not at revered as Lundqvist, but he is someone to pay attention to. Biron has a lot to prove and Fleury has ...
[i]But if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need[/i]
[img]http://www.poster.net/rolling-stones-the/rolling-stones-the-photo-xl-the-rolling-stones-6212539.jpg[/img]
Mick and the Boys beautifully expressed the quandary the Flyers (and Pens) find themselves with a four day layoff until the puck drops to begin to decide the Eastern Conference Champion...
Well I followed up a 7-1 first round with a 2-2 second round.
[b]Western Conference Finals[/b]
I like the Stars in a mild upset. They are playing great and getting the play in net they need from Turco. I think the Wings have cruised a bit too easily so far and the intensity of the Stars will allow them to jump out early in the series. It will be interesting to see...
Last night the San Jose Sharks layed everything out there and lost valiantly to the Dallas Stars in a 4OT game. Last night's game was intense, the Sharks showed true grit, determination, drive, and heart.
I just first want to say thank you to the San Jose Sharks for a great season, a Pacific Division title, and a fun playoff run.
The last 2 games the Sharks played we...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Blog Box Loses Their Blogfather: Botta Resigns from Isles
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
My first interaction with Chris was way back in 2000 when Wang just assumed ownership. I was just a regular overopinionated fan (like that has changed) and they had asked through the Isles website for questions and feedback. I had always found him pretty open and candid, even back then.
Flash forward to today, as I read the newsfeed at 5:45am where there is an article b...
Well now....I've been thinking about this series and reading up on what all the "experts" have been saying and I've made up my mind. I'm pretty sure having the experts vote is the kiss of death anyway...so let them predict away (they are after all, the ones who said Habs in 5).
The way I see it, the Pens have really coasted through the playoffs. They haven't been chal...
Well, I for one was surprised how quick each series ended, and really thought that the Rangers Penguins series would have been a bit closer. The San Jose Dallas series did go 6 games after Dallas got a quick 3-0 series lead, with a record 5 games being decided in the extra frame. Well lets get to what is currently at hand.
[i]Western Conference Finals[/i]
[b]1. Detroit...
[b]Pittsburgh Penguins [/b]
[u]Draft[/u]
2006 #2 overall pick [b]Jordan Staal[/b]
2005 #1 overall pick [b]Sidney Crosby[/b]
2005 #62 [b]Kris Letang[/b]
2004 #2 overall pick [b]Evgeni Malkin[/b]
2003 #1 overall pick [b]Marc-Andre Fleury[/b]
2002 #5 overall pick [b]Ryan Whitney[/b]
2002 #234 [b]Maxim Talbot[/b]
2000 #18 [b]Brooks Orpik [/b]
1999 #115 [b]Ryan Malo...
I have a question to all the Pens fans. Instead of sitting here typing about Goalies, Depth, and Scoring touch.
I want to know if any Pen Fans believe the Flyers have a chance to win.
It will be interesting to read all the responses.
Tough way to go out if you're a Ranger's fan. After a rough start and numerous highs and lows over the course of the season, the team looked good heading into the playoffs, just like last year. And just like last year, the team is done in the second round. Clearly things have to change to get over the hump and contend: Fortunately (I guess...) turnover in today's NHL is ra...
...I'm going to be in Europe from the 9th to the 16th...so i'll be missing the first 4 games of the series. Does anyone know a way I can watch abroad??? Help! I appreciate any ideas.
[b]Money for Nothing . . . and your chicks for free[/b]
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/moneyfornothing1.jpg[/img]
It seems that the Isles are much like beachcombers these days. They have become that old frizzled sun-gnarled guy, complete with one of those metal detectors that used to be a minute fad in the late 80s. You know the sort; the ones who shuffle arou...
We enter that time of the NHL season when I am torn.
You see, now that the playoffs are winding down, the hockey is getting better and better. The games are more intense, and we're just one step away from hockey's Holy Grail. The downside of all of this hockey goodness? Games are farther apart and fewer, and by this time next month, hockey will be pretty much done an...
The majority of sports pundits realize that when ever their is a change at a General Manager's position, a coaching change is also expected. This goes for almost all sports. All fans in Leafs Nation knew there was a GM change upcoming, and therefor the knowledgeable fans would realize that a coaching change would most likely be inorder.
However. . . in this situation, ...
It's still early in the Rangers off season,but never too early to explore off season options. This is a quick post just on some forwards the Rangers could take a run at.
1) Ryan Malone- Not only could the Rangers bring him in but he could also apologize to Chris Drury for costing them the series. He's a hell of a young player with good hands and hulking si...
Where did the Penguins come from? They were awful for a while, so bad that Jagr wanted to leave and was traded in one of the worst trades for both teams in history. Neither team made out well. The only good thing for the Pens in that deal was that they got rid of his salary. So now I am reading what a masterful job of building a team the Pens have done. Ok, I will giv...
[b][size=22]Flyers-Pens Eastern Conference Finals Series Preview[/size][/b]
[img]http://www.azhockey.com/images%20-%20logos/LogoNhlPhiladelphiaFlyers.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.trans-video.net/images/versus.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.azhockey.com/images%20-%20logos/LogoNhlPittsburghPenguins.jpg[/img]
[i][b]Schedule:[/b][/i]
Fri., May 9, 2008 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia ...
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...
grapes17 writes...
Conference finals preview: Wings, Flyers look to advance
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It is strange how nobody has talked about the Detroit Red Wings as Stanley Cup contenders for most of the season.
You know, the team that won the President's Trophy -- again. The team led by Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and Norris... err, I mean, Nicklas Lidstrom.
The team coached by coach of the year candidate Mike Babcock. The team with three Stanley Cups in a...
That's a lyric from the Kid Rock song "Wasting Time". Not my favorite song of his (I am a fan though) but a darn good lyric. And one representative of this year's version of the Detroit Red Wings.
Everyone in Detroit remembers Steve Yzerman lifting the Stanley Cup for the first time. Even if they didn't see it live or weren't old enough to really remember it. The image ...
We're down to the final round before the Stanley Cup. The remaining two teams after the Conference Finals will own some minor bragging rights to the East and the West, but the Cup is what defines it all. It defines every injury that was played through; every broken bone, blood gushing wound, any limp or ache: everything. And now we're only 14 games away from it all, at the...
I have been held silent long enough.
I want to personally thank many of you for backing me here. I have been talking to people and I believe Maggie's picks may be fixed. Notice how you see her spin the wheel and then the camera switches. She picked Pittsburgh and Detroit this round. (or so they would like you to believe) She spins a wheel! How lame! I ACTUALLY mak...
Well now....I've been thinking about this series and reading up on what all the "experts" have been saying and I've made up my mind. I'm pretty sure having the experts vote is the kiss of death anyway...so let them predict away (they are after all, the ones who said Habs in 5).
The way I see it, the Pens have really coasted through the playoffs. They haven't been challe...
[i]3 hours to go ... anybody else feeling that nervous energy?!?![/i]
There is no better way to sit down at the poker table than to be given chips on the house! There is a freedom that accompanies playing with free money ... no risk to your own bank account allows for uninhibited aggression and generally (for good players) leads to a better overall game. This is the s...
How else can anyone explain the resent egregious ticket price increase?
Some tickets almost doubled.
This is a team that has two top nine forwards in Kane and Toews.
This is a team that has one defenseman, Keith, who would beat out any of the defensemen left in the playoffs tonight.
This is a franchise that has missed the playoffs 9 out of 10 years and could ea...
1) The game is over by 9pm. Wow, what a difference it makes to have an opponent in your time zone.
2) The first two periods had me in "gulp" mode, but I think the Stars were somewhat shell-shocked at the start (though I can't really say why). However, a strong 3rd period showed more of the team we've seen in the first two rounds...so I'm feeling better now. I don't t...
...Kimmo Timmonen out with a blood clot in his foot...and all of a sudden people go from being extremely hopeful to completely defeated. What is wrong with you people!?!
...I love Timmonen, I really do. He is honestly one of the best defenseman I've ever seen and he has been nothing short of spectacular in the playoffs so far. The main factor that AO wasn't on a scor...
Phigment writes...
Flyers vs Penguins - Game 1 - Pens win 4-2 - lead series 1-0
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]Pregame:[/b]
Wow what a blow before the series starts. Losing Timonen is devastating blow on the eve of the big matchup. With all the fire power the Pens have, he was going to have to play 25 to 30 minutes to counteract their attack. Now Jason Smith, is going to have to play more meaningful minutes. I hope his ailments that have slowed him since January are healed....
Good thing I didn't write this last night as I had planned... because the loss of Kimmo Timmonen certainly could have that much of an impact.
Was the layoff between the series a bad thing?
I really don't think so. Sure the Flyers were on a roll, but so were the Penguins. And with guys like Hatcher, Smith and others who are older and dinged up as virtually everyone ...
We won! Yes Pens Fans, we won the game. It was a very physical game and the Penguins outplayed the Flyers hands down. Fleury was on tonight and played a wonderful game. Malkin had two goals and played a very physical game. At the end, when he was looking at his hand, it was his broken chain and cross not an injury. Crosby's goal was a great redirect off the heel of h...
Enjoy
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Have a great.
[b][u]PERIOD ONE[/u][/b]
One of the key problems Philadelphia had was Martin Biron wandering the boards. He coughed up the puck to the Pens more often than he helped his defense, and in fact it cost him a goal which allowed Pittsburgh to tie it at 2.
The second area where they had an issue was one of the keys to this series that I said they needed to pay attention ...
To say that the Penguins "powered past" the Flyers in Game 1 is absolutely wrong. Last night was one of those games where "they didn't win it, we lost it." The Flyers certainly can hang in this series based on last night's game. Look at the tape: ALL 4 PENGUINS GOALS resulted from FLYERS TURNOVERS. As I said in my keys for the Flyers to win this series (which can be re...
Olaf Kolzig has called it quits for the Washington Capitals, being that Kolzig did play a few years for Tri-City, and that Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price played for them as well, would the two work good together?
Consider this, Bob Gainey ( general manager for the Habs ) has what one might call an issue with his goal-tenders, Carey Price is the no.1, but Jaroslav...
flyersfan15 writes...
The Flyers Are No Fluke: For those Amateur Hockey Fans
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I need to get this out, but I'm very frustrated from what I've seen many Montreal posters write and other teams posters write.
This is NOT some damn fluke.
We're missing our best player in Simon Gagne right now. And we happen to have probably the 3 best well rounded lines in the NHL right now and they're only going to get better with Gags back and two of the NHL's el...
Wow!
That was a big sigh of relief you heard from every other team in the league when the Wings lost out in the Fabian Brunnstrom sweepstakes. No other team wants the Wings to have any more weapons.
But now this. The Wings don't sign a prospect, they sign a [i]bona fide[/i] star. And how did they do THAT under the radar?
[b]Ville Leino[/b], a forward, and this ...
Yet another inspiring and hard-fought Red Wings victory in the playoffs. Are the professional pundits [i]finally[/i] going to learn that the Wings ARE "physical enough" to get through this? Is anyone going to admit that the "Red Wings are too old" isn't going to fly anymore when the difference in average age between Detroit and Dallas is less than a year? No matter, rega...
The Maple Leafs and Canucks got an early jump on the off-season. Some thoughts:
-Toronto did the right thing in firing Paul Maurice. It gives him the whole summer to find a new job, and it also gives the new GM a free hand to name his own bench boss. It appears as if they Leafs will have that new GM in place before the draft. Obviously Dave Nonis is a candidate, but I'd...
There are un-confirmed rumours amongst Montrealer's that soon to be un- restricted free agent Mats Sundin has manifested some interest in the Montreal Canadiens. If this is true, what will it take to sign him?
At the trade deadline last February, Bob Gainey ( general manager of the Habs ) tried to acquire Mats Sundin from the Toronto Maple Leafs, but Sundin refused to w...
[b][u]PERIOD ONE[/u][/b]
Once again, the Pens come out with the advantage on the scoreboard, with just a 1-0 lead. It was an interesting period, as we shall see.
The last thing the Flyers needed was another defenseman to go down with injury. Already missing Timonen, Braden Coburn was a big minute player, and one who could actually move the puck. Now they are down o...
Phigment writes...
Flyers vs Penguins - Game 2 - Pens win 4-2 - lead series 2-0
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
What an effort by the Flyers tonight. 1 minute into the game their best defenseman goes down with a puck to the face. The other 5 remaining defensemen played hard. They held the top offense around to 0 even strength goals until the costly mistake by 4th line winger Steve Downie costs the Flyers dearly. He had full control of the puck and fumbled it at the blue line, se...
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...
With the off-season about to start for the Montreal Canadiens, putting rumours aside of course, there are a couple of players that wouldn't bust the bank, but might pay great dividends in the end.
One of those players is 6'5", 225 pound Paul Gaustad of the Buffalo Sabres. First off Gaustad is big, secondly he's a centre that can position himself in front of the net. Gau...
Already, news outlets are insisting that visors are the key to salvation. It's a cry that comes up on every big facial injury involving a high stick or a stray puck. [i]If only he wore a visor[/i] they say, shaking their heads. Of course we all know that it is impossible to make the claim that a visor would have absolutely prevented the injury suffered by Braydon Coburn...
This is a follow up to an early blog this season. I am still waiting to see if any fans are ready to put together the petition to bring back #16. If Sather lets Sean Avery walk, Aves will have no problem getting big market clubs to take him on.
Toronto- The hometown kid can not only replace #16 but put on Tuckers jersey as well. Avery could provide the leafs with...
I don't [b]think[/b] I am being disrespectful or overly assuming when I say that the odds are that, following a Game 2 loss, the Flyers season will be ending in the very near future. Based on that, I thought it might be a good idea to take a look at a specific move that I feel they can make that will do wonders for their future.
Ready? Here goes:
[b]GIVE AN OFFER S...
I'm afraid fans in Toronto are still delusional. They may have opened their eyes after having them closed for so long, but they are still blinded by the sun.
I cannot see any well respected and established General Manager taking a job with the Leafs. The team is currently coming off of a disaster of a season, with little help coming from within the organization. Top ...
What is the reason that I have not heard one complaint about Mike Ribeiro being fined and not suspended for his slash to Chris Osgood's chest? I thought maybe it was because Osgood has protection on, but then thought about how all players wear shoulder pads for protection. Next, I thought of what Barry Melrose said, talking about how Osgood "started" by butt ending Ribeiro...
Well the first open letter had so much success why not try it again.
Flyguys listen I know you can do this. I know you can win. I believe just as I believed this year and I believed you could turn it around last year.
Come on this is the rally cry
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2417843353/in/set-72157604565266662/
This is us showing we believe in you
h...
One of the worst things about the offseason is that there is a media blackout. In this cacophony of media silence, there will be slight reprieves as we approach the draft and then the leading up to the UFA period. But, most of us have either found themselves watching the playoffs or frustrating themselves with following baseball. Most hockey teams basically shut down and w...
[b]Game Notes[/b]
The loss of the two top defensemen is key for the showing so far. With Timmonen and Coburn, the Flyers were the underdog, but had a chance. Without them, the Pens are just toying with the Flyers. As the remaining 6 move up to play against better competition, they just cannot get the puck out cleanly. The Pens have to puck forever.
I hate to say ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Should Visors be Mandatory in the NHL???? Not so fast...
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.upstate.edu/cdb/grossanat/imgs/skullantmax2.jpg [/img]
If you listen carefully, you just might hear the sounds of knees jerking in a building in New York City. The powers that be in the NHL are cringing right now at another prime-time, graphic injury to one of its young players, perhaps even a budding star, during its showcase playoffs. [i]Those same p...
Jon Jordan writes...
The Coaching Carousel Could Soon Hit Full Spin Cycle
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
***This is a reprint of today's entry from my main page Lightning blog.***
Ron Wilson's ousting as head coach of the San Jose Sharks makes him the latest name to be added to the ever-growing list of NHL coaching candidates. Technically, there are six vacancies at present - Atlanta, Colorado, Florida, Ottawa, San Jose and Toronto - with three other intriguing situations ...
Rob McGowan writes...
Could Blake still be missing LI? Here we go again...
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
As recently reported per TSN, Blake is open to the possibility of being traded this summer.
There's no question that the Leafs had a very poor season and have spent too much money on players that were not worth the cash, Blake being one of them. His 40 goal season from two years ago was not a part of his game play this year, as he finished with 13 goals and 52 points. ...
I found an old video of my jazz band days when we played "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music. It made me think about this season and post season. Sure I had to shoehorn a couple words in there, but hey I am a drummer not a singer. Feel free to sing aloud. Enjoy.
Blood clots in ankles and pucks into faces.
Power play gaffes that send Malkin off to the races...
Coburn definitely Out
Parent In his place
Stevens said probable pairings to start are:
Jones/Hatcher
Parent/Smith
Modry/ Kukkonen
which are subject to change as the game goes on based on wear and tear of the older guys or other factors
No other line up changes... that means Downie will dress again
Stevens is giving him a chance to redeem himself tonight a...
Once again I took notes through the game and provide my opinions on what I saw here.
PERIOD ONE
Back to Philadelphia we go and the Flyers are down 2 games to 0. It's not how they wanted to be coming home and as this period has gone on, that energizing crowd has been fairly tame. I was expecting to be hearing the roof coming off regularly, and to be fair, the Pens g...
Let's face it folks, with both the East and West Conference Finals series' at 3-0 in favor of the Penguins and the Red Wings respectively, we know what the Stanley Cup Finals matchup will be already. With only two teams in history having come back from 3-0 deficits, the odds are astronomical that these two teams don't face off for Lord Stanley's prize. So let's look at t...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157605049851892/detail/
First Thank you erica! the ride to my car was so appreciated glad you were able to go with me again.
Shout out to Roseann, Karen, steph, Joyce, "hell if I know", Drew, Rad, TJG99, Kristin, Julie, Bettina, Theresa, Sandy, Brenda, HF and anyone else I was texting with.
I missed the whole first pe...
Why Not Us!!!
It’s a great line. Plus, I think its very fitting for this team. From last year to this year one can not argue that its one of the biggest turnarounds in professional sports. Holmgren did a fabulous job revamping the roster and the Flyers for the first time in several years have made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Now, we see our beloved team...
If this rumor of the Rangers exploring the possibility of brining Jay Bouwmeester to NY progresses, than I just want to get some feed back for both fan bases. I think the deal makes a lot of sense for both teams. The Panthers could use some young depth players to mesh with their young rising core. I would hate to loose him but Florida could ask for Brandon Dubinky wh...
nephew23 writes...
Missed Opportunities and Credit Where Credit is Due
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Tonight could mark the end of a fantastic season for the Dallas STARS. The fans in Dallas, including myself, and a few others around the world have been more than compensated for our time, money, and energy spent. It has been an awesome run filled with many memorable moments and a great sense of optimism for the future, and specifically the next few years. By no means a...
CaptPantalones writes...
Buffalo fans (and Florida too), would you do this?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
According to Eklund, theres a chance that the Florida Panthers may be making Jay Bowmeester available. He is in RFA who could command about 5.5 mil on the market. The Sabres have not had a true Number 1 d-man since the days of Mike Ramsey.
With the glut of forwards the Sabres have, especially on the wings, I propose this deal:
Jay Bouwmeester for Jason Pominville.
...
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...
Okay so the draft is a little over a month away, we know that this draft is headlined by one Steven Stamkos, but as far as I'm concerned, the NHL draft goes 7 rounds, not just 1 pick. I decided to break down all seven rounds of the NHL draft and offer up some of the possibilities. This mock draft is based on the CSB Final Rankings.
[u][b]Round 1 [/b][/u]
1. Lig...
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/18965609.html
Nice article on how far along the Flyers have come this year and how Holmgren didn't mortgage the future with his deadline deals this year.
It was the X-mas of 91-92 I was 12 years old and already bleeding Red,White,and Blue. Having started watching Ranger games with the names of Kisio,Mallette,Turcotte,Beezer,Jonnie "O",and Mullen in the mix. There was Domi and "Knuckles" Nylan fading out his career,while a fresh kid from team USA named Mike Richter was knocking on the door of greatness. In 89-90 Neil Smi...
Tonight is game 4 of the series against the Flyers. The Pens enter the game up 3-0 and tonigiht could be the possible sweep. It will not be an easy game by any means. The Flyers will not go down without a fight, especially at home. Tonight will be a battle with these two teams and such animosity between them, it could get ugly. The Flyers are fightinig to stay alive a...
The [b]NHL[/b] web site has posted the transcript of [b]Gary Bettman's[/b] remarks before the [b]Wings/Stars[/b] game on 05/15/08.
In them we learn that at least one reporter had the ability to ask "a fascinating question" to which no clear answer was ever given, when queried if it is good for the league to have a dominating team like [b]Detroit[/b].
One wonders wh...
B.D. Gallof writes...
NY Islanders Creating Dialogue And Accountability With Fans
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Last night, with both Ranger fan brothers in tow to do a dry run on something we will be working over the summer, we went to the sparsely attended, yet extremely insightful and inclusive new initiative of the NY Islanders. The Isles plan on having these meetings every month, the next is likely June 4th. At these meetings, you have the opportunity to intermingle and kibbutz...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Irresistible Force, List of FIRSTS and Pearl Harbour??
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Make that 3-0 at the break on a sweeeeeeet forehand to backhand chip shot in the crease over the sprawled MAF by Jeff Carter. This young man seems to be beginning to understand how big time a player he can be. He has all the tools - that is no surprise - but his mental toughness and sense of "clutch" plays is really developing. He has all the makings of an elite centerm...
For so many reasons, I want to love Versus.
You know, the network formerly known as OLN. The network that stepped in to the NHL's rescue when ESPN wanted to cut back games to a very small number, as well as put all of them on ESPN2.
And they did so many things right at the start. They added Mike Emrick -- aka Doc -- as a play-by-play man. Emrick's enthusiastic call o...
Here there be Flyers. My observations and commentaries on Game Four lay within.
[b][u]PERIOD ONE[/u][/b]
This is where it all comes down to effort, to tenacity, to energy. The Flyers need to come out quick and they need to control the game from the outset. Anything less and it'll be over quick.
And they do just that.
Coach Stevens has juggled the lines a b...
I noticed recently that someone posted a blog about the problems Versus has as a TV production, and I was going to simply comment on his blog, but I figured this is info that many people here might be interested in, so why not share it with anyone who cares.
The problem expressed about Versus was that their camera work is shot too tight, and moves too much, which does n...
First thank you Erica it was another great night and great adventure.
2nd shout outs to Roseann, Bill, Tina, Theresa, Rad, Brenda, Superfan aka Eric, Kristin and Rob
3rd Shout outs to the texting crew Amanda, #23, Jessica, Joyce, and Julie
4th Thanks to everyone who believed
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2493932398/in/set-72157605086813569/
I left work...
While the outlook may appear bleak, it's not completely hopeless. Heck, it's been done before. I'm not buying into San Jose's theory of every 33 years...I'm just saying this team has been special this post-season, so why the hell not?
One thing I noticed in VERY brief spurts during the first three games that I was finally able to confirm in game 4: Detroit plays incred...
HOCKEY GAME RANDOM THOUGHTS
I wrote this blog a long time ago thought we could some positive vibes. I know I posted this blog before but I thought it would be nice to remember what really important in life.
Have you ever noticed that when a hockey player goes crazy or makes a mistake it is on the tube for weeks? Every television station covers it, even the ones w...
flyersfan15 writes...
Around the Horn! Game 5 Preview, Memorial Cup, and More!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[i][b]Game 5 Preview of the Eastern Conference Finals, Memorial Cup, and More![/b][/i]
Sure everyone wants to bring this crazy idea about the 33 year old curse of a comeback from 3-0 and how Dallas and Philadelphia are both vying to be that team to do it. The thing I find freaky about the curse is that it was done to the Detroit Red Wings in 1942 by the Toronto Maple Le...
Go Habs Go writes...
My interest in the Playoffs have gone away with the Habs
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Is it just me, or is the Stanley Cup Playoffs just boring as hell? The Dallas-Detroit series is a total snooze-fest, and up until last night, so was the Philly-Pittsburgh series. The last time I payed this little of attention to the NHL in the middle of May, was May 2005, the year of the Lockout!
The only entertainment that the NHL has given me over the past 2 weeks, is...
Jsaquella writes...
Random Thoughts...Back Burner Rivalries and British Comedy
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I am a fan of a lot of British comedy. Basically, anything from Python, to Fawlty Towers to Eddie Izzard to Benny Hill. I nabbed a copy of "Shaun Of The Dead" on amazon.com for a dollar last week. Great bang for THAT buck. Anyhow....
-Rivalries. They spur the emotions, and get a nice level of blood lust going for fans. One thing I am seeing more and more of is the back ...
Enjoy my friends.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Go Flyers!
Full set
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157605111684829/detail/
Erica also went here is a link to her full set
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickilynn7/
I arrived at practice really early to wave at the players as they arrived. I had some pictures that I had printed to give to certain players if they should stop but I figured no one really would s...
They were made the second and third highest paid centers in the league. They were rewarded greatly for having accomplished nothing, their salaries coming as major investments into the future of the franchise. They were to step in and become the leaders of the team and take the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup. However, what was lost in all of the fanfare and glory of th...
Once again, and for the final time with this series, my period-by-period take on this Eastern Conference Finals Matchup.
[b][u]PERIOD ONE[/u][/b]
Philadelphia, for wanting to keep this series going, has begun by doing everything absolutely....wrong.
Giveaways in the first two games of this series were killers for the Flyers. Thus far they have turned the puck ...
[b][i]Good quote from Mikey-Mo...[/i]
[quote][i]"We've felt if we could get Game 6 at home, it would be a whole different animal," Modano said. "And then, who knows what can happen Wednesday in Detroit? But we don't want to get ahead of ourselves. We knew it would be an uphill battle. Nobody picked us to win this thing from the start. The last couple games, we've found ...
As a hockey fan in the USA, I've never had television coverage of the Memorial Cup before. Kudos to the NHL network for picking it up!
What a privelege it was to watch Spokane and Kitchener play this afternoon. Both teams showed high level of skill and defensive responsibility, but man was I impressed by the Spokane Chiefs. There's a reason this team went 16-5 in th...
[b]Optimist:[/b] Good morning, all! I'm Optimist!
[b]Pessimist:[/b] And I'm Pessimist. Today, we'll be breaking down the remainder of the Dallas / Detroit series.
[b]Optimist:[/b] That's right. On the verge of being swept, the Stars have come back from the edge and have made this a series! What exciting hockey to watch! I hope this series goes to seven games, regar...
First let me state that at the beginning of the year, I figured that this team would start slow, get things moving in December and make a frantic push for the playoffs. If they made it, they would be a stepping stone for the top seed. How wrong I was. This was a team that came together quickly, started fast, had a bad time in February and made a frantic push for the pla...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Nothing left to do but smile, smile smile...Kudos to Pens!!!
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_penguins-2.jpg[/img]
[img]http://insanekillerpenguins.com/db1/00085/insanekillerpenguins.com/_uimages/pic291681.gif[/img]
[u][b]Killer Penguins with a Bad Attitude[/b][/u]
While I am a little saddened at the way the Flyers went out, they were clearly dominated by a superior team that had a chip on its collecti...
Nothing would have beaten another win, but I could not be more proud of [i]my[/i] Dallas STARS! I hate being on the wrong side of the handshake ... but our boys deserved a great send-off ... and myself and the fans came through nicely! Detroit was no doubt the better team but Dallas gave them a run for their money. After 3 straight first-round exits, the STARS erased so...
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Dave Molinari reports the time is now for the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup, as several players will be free agents this summer and they'll lack the salary cap space to retain them all. The UFAs are "Marian Hossa, Ryan Malone, Jarkko Ruutu, Gary Roberts, Pascal Dupuis, Adam Hall, Georges Laraque, Jeff Taffe and Kris Beech, defensemen Brooks Orpik...
So the National Hockey League has released the schedule for this year's Stanley Cup Final:
[url]http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?service=page&page=SubseasonSchedule[/url]
Now although there are 3 Saturday Night games, (CBC has to be jumping for joy!), I don't see a reason why we have to wait 5 whole days for this freakin series to start! I know the main reason is to accomo...
I have watched a few of the Western Conference Finals games - including the decisive game 6 - and have come to the conclusion, like many other hockey writers and fans, that the Red Wings are a very tough team to beat.
In a conference believed to be the better of the two in the league (by just about everybody), the Wings have managed to dispatch of 3 opponents while losi...
SoCalSharksGirl writes...
One down...how many left? Thoughts on Sharks Free Agents...
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
There was great news at this years "State of the Sharks." Jeremy Roenick will return to San Jose for another year. The contract has still yet to be finalized, but the speculation is that he will get $1 million dollars for retuning, according to TSN.
So this begs the question. Now that we know the fate of one of the Free Agents on the team, what about the rest? Accor...
Canada, remember when you would check your rear-view mirrors and you would see the rest of the world well behind? Well check again because they're not there anymore, I would check beside you in your blind spots because they all caught up.
Canada loves to boast about its superior hockey talent, and historically it has been just that. The NHL over history has been domin...
VENGEANCE [i]{has to wait for}[/i] NOW!
This year the Flyers went through a lot. They started came out hot and went on a 6-1 tear, and from there on the team was very inconsistent. Injuries to [b]Simon Gagne[/b], [b]Mike Richards[/b], [b]Joffrey Lupul[/b], [b]Scottie Upshall[/b], and [b]RJ Umberger[/b] cost this team some scoring punch, and coupled with the teams inco...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157605182417844/detail/
Today was sorta sad. I hate seeing the team leaving for the summer. I know that they had a great season and deserve vacations too but the end of the season is always the hardest day.
We had a group of what I will call the regulars out there today waiting for the team as they came out. Many stop...
I have to say, although I was the one who was duped it was actually pretty clever, and I have to admit, one of the better pranks that I've witnessed. And I will have all of you know that I am not as gullible as you will soon think. I actually am typically the one who is doing the pranking.
For instance, a few years ago I had my friend who was the back-up goalie for my ...
Tracer785 writes...
The Sabres have options but have to make some moves....
Posted Friday | Comments 0
So Im a huge hockey fan and i support my hometown Buffalo Sabres. Now what will the sabes do this offseason? Thats a question ive been pondering a lot lately, I have seen many players linked to the sabres and im wondering who will Buffalo get? Whether its Gaborik, Jagr, or even Shannahan...the Sabres nees a little change. They were pretty streaky last season. Especially M...
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:KkcU7fWpIVfrVM:http://www.acc-tv.com/images/globalnews/gp_republican_1006.jpg[/img][img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:C9MhQbEeolU42M:http://www.acc-tv.com/images/globalnews/gp_democrat_1006.jpg[/img]
As if we've not been inundated enough with Politics already, there is a new issue looming on the horizon in the Philadelphia Me...
The [i]Pittsburgh Post-Gazette[/i] published a cartoon that showed the giant Uniroyal tire that is near Detroit Metro Airport adorned in Winged Wheel regalia. The air was going out of the tire and the caption was "Deflate the Wings."
In response, the [i]Detroit Free Press[/i] invited readers to submit their own posters to counteract the Penguin attack.
Currently, 28 ...
Seven games, decided by one goal in double overtime. And even then, it could go either way.
Yes, that is the prevailing thought for this year's Stanley Cup Finals between Detroit and Pittsburgh. Through three rounds, the Wings have lost just four games while the Penguins have just two defeats.
Two great teams that would be great teams at any point in the league's his...
Happy long weekend
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
enjoy
MrBigglesworth writes...
FLYERS DEFENCE : Free Agency Analysis & Predictions
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Randy Jones will get re-signed for $1.3 mill multi-yr deal.[/b]
[b]I predict Hatcher, Smith and Modry all off the books come next season.[/b] With Hatcher retiring/buyout and Smith/Modry leaving as FA's. Big Hatch does have 1 more yr left on his 3.5m contract, but I will go on a limb and point at Rathje to compare. Youngsters Parent and Kuks both played solid in t...
I think that the Vancouver Canucks might trade to get Steven Stamkos. Whether this includes Sedins or some major Prospects (Schneider, Hansen, Bourdon, Raymond, White) but they will try. If they do get it with the Sedins, then they drop 7.5 million to sign or trade for bigger, tougher guys. But, i can honestly see that their will be a big trade involving Tampa and Vancouve...
Since my better half is tired of hearing me whine about the Sharks' woes I'm going to follow her advice and put my two pennies on the blog table. This isn't an attempt to become a regular contributor, just an attempt to contribute.
[b]HEAD OF THE HOUSE [/b]
Since the only change to actually take place so far was the firing of Ron Wilson, I'll address the coaching ...
Join myself and the Wingnut (hockeybuzz blogger redavi9) for hockey talk. We will be discussing the Stanley Cup Finals, Colorado's new coach, if the Rangers want Jaromir Jagr, and Mats Sundin's tough decision. All of that and more at 5:30 PM today on talkshoe.
http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19975 or call in at 724-444-7444 call #19975
Here we go, the last "Outsiders Looking In" Edition of the summer, and with only two teams remaining there should be plenty of us, so let's start talking some Stanley Cup hockey.
[b]The Pittsburgh Penguins vs. The Detroit Red Wings[/b]
A battle of talent that at times is so good it's obscene. Strong, impressive goaltending on both ends, young and rising stars that ha...
Thanks to Larry Brooks stirring the pot just a little, there is now word circulating the internet that Avery could be an Islander come next year. We can all agree he loves being in New York and that he can spark a team, but is it really possible he will go to the Islanders? Many people say that if he doesn't get the money he wants from the Rangers, he could seek to stay in...
So for people like me who don't know a lot about the AHL coaches out there that may possibly become the next head coach of SJ, there was an article on http://www.sharkspage.com/ that gives a breakdown of three of the top contenders in the league: Kevin Dineen, Mike Haviland, and Roy Sommer.
The one that stood out to me the most was Haviland. In the article is a link t...
It's been a great ride for the Penguins in the 2007-2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
These guys have shown a lot of heart and character over the course of the first 3 rounds...and even through two scoreless games of the finals.
Even so, you can't help but get the feeling that time is running out on the Pens.
Two shutout losses in Detroit have demonstrated how complete a...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Call to Isles Fans: Town of Hempstead Town Hall 7pm Tonight!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=364301
Visit the Town of Hempstead Town Hall on May 27 at 7 pm to join your fellow Isles fan as the Town of Hempstead has it's 2nd Scoping session. This is where towns come out to support, complain or harp about issues. It is a good time for Isles fans to also make their presence known, to...
So the Latest from the NY Post has the Rangers walking away from Sean Avery. Are we missing something? Does Aves have pics of Sather in Marv Albert gear? Did Sather have his heart set on dating the Olsons? Well it looks like the closest Glen will get to one of them, is watching his Full House DVDs on the plane. What makes this situation even worse is that it looks Long Is...
The Series heads back to Pittsburgh for what could be the start of many years of seeing the Pens in the SCF or could be the last time that we see a SCF game played in Pittsburgh for a little while.
I will not go totally negative with the blog (just for you Jules) but history shows that the Pens have a long tough road to travel against these Wings in order to just get ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
HockeyBuzzard in withdrawal-You know you miss hockey when...
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:HQmXbk6cMb30RM:http://fc05.deviantart.com/fs18/f/2007/159/7/2/gasp_by_Grumpylump.jpg[/img]
I have the shakes. You know...the tremors, the horrors, shaking delirium. Not from alcohol or anything that mild, I have the Hockey Shakes and I've got it [b][i]bad[/i][/b].
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:vZgX20_mEq32CM:http://...
I've talked to some people in the Canucks Organization , and I had a brief talk with Former Canucks General Manager Pat Quinn. He was approached by Gilles Last week to take a Position as an Assistant Coach , 3rd slot.
Quinn has been interviewed by Senators General Manager Bryan Murray and Atlanta General Manager Don Waddel.
Apparently , he also spoke with Edmonton O...
When you hear Pens fans crow about how few Wings fans show up for games 3 and 4, they probably won't mention this little tidbit from Ticketmaster:
[b]Additional Information:
Mellon Arena is located in Pittsburgh, PA. Sales to this event will be restricted to residents of PA, OH, WV, MD, NY, NJ, DE, VA and the District of Columbia. Residency will be based on credit car...
Anne Hier writes...
Mum's The Word! Alex, Ozzie, and Dom, et al, Given Awards
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I have been to plenty of professional national conventions over the years. Though the usual rubber chicken [i]du jour[/i] at the awards luncheons is not worth remembering, the individual accomplishments of those so honored usually rates a line or two. But how does that work at the NHL?
Currently on the NHL website is a headline stating that Mats Sundin received the Ma...
Steve Willamson is my newest hockey hero.
The Orlando-based Tampa Bay Lightning fan completed every hockey fan's dream last winter, visiting all 30 NHL arenas in 30 nights.
Including Mellon Arena in Pittsbugh.
Why is that significant, you ask? It appears Williamson is not welcome in Mellon Arena. Neither are residents of New England, the South, the West, or much o...
After watching Sundin accept the Messier Award yesterday,I couldn't help but realize why the Rangers aren't mentioned in the " Mats sweepstakes". They will lose a few vets in Shannahan and possibly Straka. Malik and Mara could walk and the cap will increase. After reaping the rewards of the first award recipient ( Shanny) ,maybe the Rangers should follow up with the seco...
If you haven't heard yet, there is talk on the wires about Campbell looking likely to sign in SJ (And this isn't just coming from Eklund, there are reports on many different feeds about this). A recent article in the Ottawa Sun looks a little deeper into the possible transactions between the two teams. It's been known for a while now that the Senators GM has had an interes...
Former Dallas Stars GM Doug Armstrong has reached a five-year deal to become the Director of Player Personnel for the St. Louis Blues. An official announcement could come as early as today.
Armstrong will work in an assistant capacity to current Blues GM Larry Pleau for the next two years, and then will take over the GM duties once Pleau's contract is up with the Blues....
It's no secret that the Leafs contain a very limited number of promising prospects. However, it wasn't long ago that Alexander Steen and Kyle Wellwood were compared to the Flyers' young duo in Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. Three years into their respective NHL careers, the Leafs youngsters find themselves on the backburner after promising seasons.
While the difference ...
Enjoy
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Have a great weekend.
Well, this was a hard night for the Penguins. This was the first home loss since February 24th. This game was frustrating to watch, as a Pens' Fan, though I am sure the Wing's Fans loved at least the final two periods. The Penguins were deflated at the end of this game, as a group. One positive was in the post game press conferences, hope could still be heard in Sidney...
Last pre-season I was introduced to the fabulous world of hockey by my boyfriend. He's originally from the bay area and has been following the Sharks franchise since they started years ago. He took me to the Rookie Exhinition game between the Sharks and the Ducks at the Anahiem Ice training facility. Being in such an intimate environment really sparked something in me, and...
Lighthouse Project's scoping sessions seemed to go well. Unfortunately, yours truly could not make these sessions. However, with contacts in the Town of Hempstead and those who are in the know, I've been given a unique eagle eye view of the process thus far. And today I am going to share that by giving you Nick Giglia's observations from both Lighthouse scoping meetings. N...
I grew up in Pittsburgh and now live and work in Cleveland, OH. As I sit in my office at work in Cleveland, I originally was getting frustrated and upset with all of my co-workers, most in their 30s, 40s, and 50s (I am the only one in my 20s) coming by my office and say things like "Whats goin on with your Pens" or "How bout that game on Saturday." Some were being snide, o...
With the Playoffs underway and the Stanley Cup taking center stage, there hasn't been too much talk in Islander Country of what to expect at the draft or next season. It's been pretty quiet, and I'll admit I've been waiting for some news, good news in particular...and it seems that I'm still waiting.
[b]Wade Dubielewicz will hit the open market[/b]
It was stated in N...
As if it wasn't a big enough concern that the team I have all but worshiped for my whole life has missed the playoffs for 3 consecutive years, now I find myself worrying about the whole management situation that is an on-going mess in Toronto.
It is very troublesome that with an exceptionally crucial draft approaching, current interim GM Fletcher is apparently focussed ...
Just as the Detroit Red Wings seem to be continually overlooked as a Stanley Cup contender, Henrik Zetterberg has been continually overlooked as one of the NHL's best players.
There is no question the logjam at the top of the league, especially when it comes to young players, is tighter than at any point in the NHL's history. There is the obvious duo -- Alex Ovechkin an...
I thought this was pretty cool of the Phillies to have a Flyers night. I saw alot of people wearing Flyers shirts and gear (jerseys etc)
I got to the game and right as I walked in the Flyers were on the field.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2548096666/in/set-72157605406936564/
Biron threw out the first pitch
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/25472750...
Although I bleed Red,White,and Blue for my Rangers, the game of hockey always comes first. My dedication to the game and love for the sport continues to grow as I get older.But being a goaltender, I gain more and more respect for the warriors in the mask. Their helmets and equipment are not just an obsession but their own personal styles and techniques are an art with in ...
Yesterday/Early Today, all off us were caught up with the actual game held in real (really long) time. So it is understandable that many of you who participate in fantasy leagues might have missed Monday's good news:
The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari for [i]Major League Baseball Advanced Media v. CBC Distribution and Marketing[/i], 07-1099.
And even though ...
It was a great game to watch, easily the best game I've watched since the first round of the playoffs... it made the San Jose/Dallas overtime game look like a soccer match.
Now, the Pens and their loyal fans and bandwagon fans feel a run coming on, the same improbable run that Anaheim, Dallas, San Jose and Philly all thought their teams had in them... with none of the a...
grapes17 writes...
Sykora, Gonchar, Ruth, Baun -- this was one for the ages
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This is why we are hockey fans.
Monday night was a game for the ages, and if you do not believe that, consider the names of Bobby Baun and Babe Ruth were invoked sometime around the second or third overtime.
Pittsburgh defenseman Sergei Gonchar left the game early with an upper-body injury -- and this time, it really looked like the entire upper body -- after crashin...
Kings have aquired St.Louis Blues 2009 5th round draft pick for 20 yr old T.J. Fast. Fast spent last year in WHL.
Fast, 20, was selected by the Kings in the second-round (60th overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 71 games this past season with Tri-City of the Western Hockey League where he recorded 54 points (17-37=54) and 92 penalty minutes.
I think t...
I think my feelings are best summed up in a quote from [b][i]Anchorman[/i][/b]...
[i][Wes Mantooth to Ron Burgandy][/i][b][quote]From deep down in my stomach, with every inch of me, I pure, straight hate you. But dog-gone-it, do I respect you![/quote][/b]I sincerely hate the Red Wings, as any true-blooded fan of another team does ... but when the last save was made and...
What a great performance by the Wings. They are a super talented and well coached team. The pressure they put on the puck at all times is incredible. The talent they they have with the draft position they have had in the last 10 years is incredible. A model franchise and classy organization.
Congratulations to the team, management, and fans!! Enjoy the cup for the ...
Last night, before we were treated to another barnburner from two of the best in the NHL (I called Detroit in 6, by the way), I joined the Isles for another open house. This time it was the rolling out of the Business Club.
The description on their website nor emails did not quite touch how classy and a treat this would be. This food spread put the [i]Gallof hosted Blog...
Do you remember when hockey was fun to watch? You know, when we walked miles to to get to school; when there were no cars; you know, the dinosaur era when I was a young lad. The only difference, between the old NHL and the New NHL is that the NHL thinks they have put one over on us by saying we are in the new NHL era.
Every team has a designated thug or defensive forwa...
With recent news surfacing that Ron Wilson may be well on his way to becoming the Leafs' next head coach, I can't help but think this is -- yet again -- another step sideways for this stumbling organization.
While Wilson has coached over 1000 games in the NHL and has the most wins out of any coach available (an impressive 518-426-101-46 record) he is also someone who wa...
As he watched Marian Hossa's last second attempt to tie the game roll through the crease, Dan Cleary stood at the top of the crease with a stunned look.
The puck rolled across the crease -- it appeared to be a split second late anyway -- and Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood raised his hands to the hockey gods. The Detroit Red Wings had won their fourth Stanley Cup in jus...
Frankly, there is nothing like a Red Wings victory parade and one doubts that any other NHL team can do it any better than Detroit (although the Wings have had the opportunity to perfect the technique 4 times in the past 11 years). Fans started setting up positions before 6AM and everybody seemed to make it through temperatures pushing the 90s with a muggy dewpoint at 67...
The Rangers have the following picks this year:
Round 1: #20
Round 2: #51
Round 3: #75, #81
Round 5: #142
Round 7: #202
The picks from rounds 4 and 6 belong to St. Louis (Backman deal), Los Angeles (Avery deal) and Dallas (Mike Green deal).
I've seen all kinds of ranking sites, so this is a bit overwhelming, but let's see who's available in this draft:
[b]N...
I'll do an introductory blog later. I'm going to have some fun with this first one. I hope you will, too.
Every Playoffs, there is drama. There is no drama in any postseason, IMO, like an overtime goal in a Stanley Cup Playoff game. I was in the crowd for Game 1 of last year's conference quarterfinal between the Sharks and Preds, and I tell you, there's been nothing lik...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Is Langkow Worthy? And Can The Flames Get Olli or Marleau?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
For me, the past 45 days have been spent wanting the playoffs to go on as long as possible, to prolong the inevitably long offseason for the Calgary Flames. Oh, and because it makes for better hockey, but I digress. The offseason is finally here. And my first blog post since the Flames' elimination from the playoffs will focus on two important Flames rumors: Daymond Langko...
Happy Saturday hooligans.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
As usual enjoy.
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...
With 12 days separating us from the NHL Draft, I believe it's time for the Isles to start locking up some of their key RFA's, but with the exception of Tim Jackman they have yet to do so.
Jackman was a solid fourth liner when called upon, but his role is to serve a spot in the minors. That leaves us with Bergenheim, Colliton, Tambellini, Nielsen, Walter, Regier, Brenna...
While this is based squarely on potential, the talent in goaltending that could belong in the North-East Divison is both impressive and worrisome. It's very possible some of these prospects fall through the cracks and endure disappointing NHL careers compared to what was expected of them, but the prospect of having four star goaltenders in the same division is an enticing ...
[b]HOCKEY FANS IN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN[/b]
Today's blog idea came from a quote from a previous blog of mine. It is a quote by Brandon Felder from the blog Name one thing that is wrong with the NHL.
Brandon Felder
[b]I believe that the one thing wrong in hockey is the way other fans look down at each other. In my mind, it doesn't matter what team you root for, ...
I play "adult league" hockey with a good friend who I met back in 1998.
One day back in early 1999, my friend and I were talking before one of our games and he said that he was interested to see who the Pens would take in the upcomming draft. He told me that Greg Malone lived "next door" and he had been trying to find out what the teams draft plans were. My friend told ...
So we know what the fans all want. [b]Nikita Filatov[/b]. No matter the site, Filatov seems to be far and away the top choice of Isles fans. Now before all those Russian bashers all come flying in, lets talk about this kid who just turned 18 years of age.
Unlike some others, namely last year's Ranger's draft pick, he is know for a great work ethic. Filatov brings his to...
After watching hockey games 5-7 nights a week for 8 months, the finals and then the summer are tough on the "Nothing on TV Withdrawl"! It is a little depressing and there is even less to read on the web!
This is one of the strangest summers for the Flyers in recent memories. There are some big name players on the market and Philly isn't mentioned with any of them. ...
With free agency fast approaching, there are many questions for the Blues to answer. The team has five unrestricted free agents and two restricted free agents, and they have to figure out who to sign and who to dump. The list is as follows:
[b][u]UFAs:[/u][/b]
Martin Rucinsky
Ryan Johnson
Mike Johnson
Yan Stastny
Matt Walker
[b][u]RFAs:[/u][/b]
David Backes
...
[b]According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press[/b] and TSN, the Sharks have hired Red Wings assistant coach Todd McLellan as their next head coach, two weeks after letting Ron Wilson go. McLellan cancelled a scheduled meeting with Thrashers' GM Don Waddell to discuss their head coaching vacancy.
http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080611/BLOG09/806...
Tomorrow night is the NHL's version of The Oscars: The NHL Awards (boy, what a killjoy opening sentence).
I did one of these blogs a couple of years ago on my MySpace, with somewhat successful results. I went 4-for-8. You can read the predictions blog here:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=32863123&blogID=135769656&Mytoken=89AEB6AC-619E-...
This is a Great link...Very funny...PG13 rated. Whomever who put this on the attached website has a vivid imagination!
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/chris_osgood_gets_to_third_base
AlexanderScharf writes...
Teams Overpaying Free-Agents? This Is Just The Beginning
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The question comes into play during every off-season. Every signing is accompanied by speculation, more so on price than talent itself. After last off-season saw Chris Drury, Daniel Briere and Scott Gomez land contracts worth over $7 million per year, the question will be asked even more and the speculation will be even more intense. As we all know, though many like to “...
Just spoke to someone close to the Carter negotiations...
Contrary to rumors out today, the deal is NOT finalized yet, however they are close.
"Jeff's first priority is to stay with the Flyers," I was told.
Both sides are apparently working hard to getting a deal done before Carter would be eligible to receive offers from other teams on July 1st and I hear that we...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Things to do now that Hockey season is over...
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_Stanley_Cup.jpg[/img]
[b]Things to do now that Hockey season is over...[/b]
Now that the Wings have hoisted, dropped and cleaned the chili out of Lord Stanley's hardware, my thoughts wander as to how hockeybuzzards might [i][b]try[/b][/i] to return to being active, useful members of society, assuming they ever we...
Marty Brodeur may have had to have his best season to keep this Devils club stay in mix this year. His defense is a shell of it's championship days ,with two former devils d man winning cups in back to back years. Congrats to Scott Niedermayer and this years champ Brian Rafalski, good job Lou. With the likes of Rangers give away Karel Rachunek and Jonnie O' umm you bet...
[img]http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Video/080613/n_russert_specialreport2_080613.vsmall.jpg[/img]
If you haven't heard yet, Tim Russert, the host of NBC's Sunday morning political show, [i]Meet the Press[/i], and a Buffalo Sabres fan, died today at age 58. Russert collapsed at work whilst working on this Sunday's edition of the show, and couldn't be saved....
Happy Saturday.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Enjoy or hate as usual!!!
It seems I get more and more who hate the blog each week, I like it.
Since the end of the season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, all the focus has been placed on restructuring management and the coaching staff. Now with Burke all but cemented as this team's eventual GM (a Burke/Wilson combo is the best possible scenario Leaf fans could have hoped for..imo), Fletcher needs to go into overdrive restructuring this roster.
We can speculate on ...
As most of you know by now, Buffalo's own Tim Russert passed away Friday afternoon from what is being described as a "sudden cardiac death". The 58 year old South Buffalo born was best known for his 17 year stint as host of NBC's "Meet the Press" while serving as NBC News Washington Bureau chief. He was also a distinguished author with two best selling books "Big Russ a...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Tim Russert: Journalist, Political Commentator, hockey fan
Posted Monday | Comments 0
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Edmund Burke - British Statesman and Philosopher 1729-1797
Yes, this quote is as common on the WWW as the mistaken notion that the Chinese pictograph for Crisis having a dual meaning of Opportunity. It is easy to espouse and believe in the notion of being an involved, active bystander wit...
This years draft will be quite profitable for the Kings. 5 picks withing the 1st two rounds. What would your team do with all of these picks...??? We all know one thing..The Kings should not draft a goalie. Young goalies is what they have an abundance of and should pass on that position.
What I see they need is a solid left winger and some big defencemen.
Attached ...
It's been a couple days since we got the great news about the Sharks hiring of a new head coach, and now we have to wait until camp to find out what changes will be made. What we already know is that he's been coaching for 14 years (11 as a head coach, and 3 as an assistant) and that his teams have [i]never[/i] missed the play-offs, and even winning championships and Coac...
I received this email today...
[i]In the next week the NHL Fan Face Off team will be sending out a survey on NHL game attendance. In order to guarantee that we have a sufficient number of individuals attending games from each NHL team we need your help in recruiting new panelists for the NHL Fan Face Off Panel.
Please have your friends, family, colleagues, etc visit ...
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/eternalyashin.jpg[/img]
(Our hopes, dreams and our future fortunes are only possible if we forget our past. )
Let me all welcome you to the crossroads. The crossroads of where there is two different paths. One path is some hype and hopes, but likely mediocrity. The other is a tougher road ...
Ok,Ok this is just speculation but the Rangers and the Pens have a deep history of making trades. So no one can respond that the Pens would never move one of the best centers in the game to a division rival. But with hints in the air that Malkin may become expendable if Hossa signs back on in the Steel city,it's got to be explored.Looking back on past trades,the two teams...
Here's a switch from traditional thinking - A Canadian team that will accept missing the play-offs this year and a Florida team that MUST win or face potentially franchise threatening woes.
The set-up is there to see some deals done with the salary cap as a factor for both teams, but with needs on both sides that might see a decent fit.
Tampa has continually been loo...
For the first time since 2003, the Calgary Flames look like they have a viable 1st round draft pick with #17 in the first round. It looks as if the Flames will be looking for a forward in this slot and if the hype for D comes through, they could be staring at a pretty solid prospect being available when their time comes.
But let's look around the draft for a moment and ...
A source [Who is a friend] not to be named out of Boston has emailed this to me:
[quote]Hey [My real Name will not be shown],
I was working last night at the bar, and one of the Bruins walked in!
He was only there for about a half hour but the media that followed stayed longer.
I was talking to one of the media members, and he said he heard a rumor that would send Ke...
There was an interesting article on the Official Sharks site about the Scoutting staff preparing for the upcomming draft. Here's the link to the original article:
http://sharks.nhl.com/team/app/?service=pa...rticleid=366124
I wasn't aware of it before, because I was not a hockey fan at the time of last years draft, but the team didn't have a pick in the first round, ...
I don't usually do "Part 2" of anything here.
I usually try to say it all in "Part 1" and then move on.
In reading the recent rumors and apparent "truths" about the Ryan Malone situation, I heard some things that I wanted to comment a little more about (even if nobody else reads this!!!!)
The "negotiations" with Malone and the Pens, and I use that term loosely be...
[i][b]Criteria[/b][/i]
Under 35 UFA defenceman
[b][i]Legend[/i][/b]
Name age ; current salary/projected salary
[b]Name[/b] in bold are players I like most to sign w/ Flyers
[u][b]TOP TIER over 5mill[/b][/u]
[b]Redden [/b]age31 ; 6.5/6.5
[b]Campbell[/b] age29 ; 1.7/6.5
[b][u]MIDDLE TIER 2-4mill[/u][/b]
[b]Roszival[/b] age29 ; 2.1/4
Stuart age28 ; 3.5/4
...
millertime writes...
Sabres should consider big offer to acquire Jokinen
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Olli Jokinen could be just what the Buffalo Sabres need.
While everyone is focused on Buffalo's biggest, glaring needs this offseason - at defense and back-up goalie, with the forwards stocked up - the Sabres should do all in their power to acquire O.J.
When I read that Florida is looking for a first round pick and two young players, my interest intensified. Buffalo...
Willie Wilts writes...
LEAFS Accepting Defeat Before Puck Even Drops On '08-'09???
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With the latest class of youngsters ready to take their seats in Ottawa and wait to be called upon, Leaf Nation is being shaken by rumblings that the blue and white may already be conceding defeat before the zambonies are even gased up. Although it isn't a real big surprise to anyone that the Leafs will likely struggle in the new campaign it IS however disheartening to he...
http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080617.canucks18/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home
[quote][b]Gillis also hinted that players from Russia, who may be difficult to lure to North America, probably won't figure into Vancouver's plans.[/b][/quote]
Gillis is thinking that Russians who are hard to lure to North America wont fit, now this does not rule out all ...
With July 1st and the draft quickly approaching, rumors about every team in the NHL are flying, but I have read few involving my beloved Avalanche. What is not a rumor is that the 2008/9 Avalanche roster is largely up in the air.
Jose Theodore is supposedly ironing out the details of his contract.
Goaltending? Check
Fowards? Defense? Not so much.
Brunette...
According to the Ottawa Sun, SI.com, and XM Home Ice Radio, the Blues are trying to work a deal to get much-maligned goaltender Ray Emery out of Ottawa. One of the Blues' main targets this offseason is to find a suitable backup goaltender to starter Manny Legace.
The deal mentioned has Emery and offensive prospect Ilja Zubov going to the Blues for defenseman Jay McKee,...
Team1040 radio out of Vancouver is reporting that a source in Ottawa is sayin Malkin to L.A for 2nd overall pick and Cammilari.
Why is this canucks rated? Malkin+Kopitar=Force.
No Look Drop Pass writes...
Sens Madness and other things of that nature
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well, after having absolutely nothing to talk about (as I have no sources and don't really care about coaches a whole lot) since Ottawa got eliminated, I am hearing some rumblings about things I have rambled about in the past. Things like Malkin being traded and Spezza being traded...you know, crazy talk. But apparently NOW it isn't so crazy.
I wrote before that Pittsbu...
The Fan 590 out of Toronto reported earlier today that the Blues have been approached by the Pittsburgh Penguins about the possibility of trading for winger Yvgeni Malkin. The Penguins are asking for the Blues' number four pick in Friday's draft, along with two or three prospects.
Los Angeles is also one of the teams in the mix for Malkin.
This may be just a pipe dre...
Whether you think he'll be bought out, then signed as a Free agent or traded willingly, the general feeling is that Darcy Tucker will likely end next season on a different NHL team. Moving him really doesn't free up that much cap cash, but players like Tucker can be game-breakers, and as such, retains a good reputation among NHL coaches and GMs.
So, assuming there are t...
Before I get started with what to and not to expect this evening on Draft Day, I feel there are a few hot topics that should be addressed (and I know I'm a little late on these).
First off....Alexei Yashin. It's been causing massive hysteria on our island to think that our so-called youth movement may be quarterbacked on the frail shoulders of our former captain that w...
Flyers slated for #27 selection.
Previous draft comps..
2004 #29 Washington Mike Green
2003 #28 Anaheim Corey Perry
2003 #29 Ottawa Patrick Eaves
2001 #31 Buffalo Derek Roy
2000 #28 Philadelphia Justin Williams
1999 #26 Ottawa Martin Havlat
1998 #27 New Jersey Scott Gomez
1998 #29 San Jose Jonathan Cheechoo
There is a light at the end of the tunnel!
My w...
I believe this weekend, perhaps even today, will be the last of Maxim Afinogenov in a Buffalo Sabres sweater. Now, don't get me wrong, I am a Sabres fan of the utmost degree. My first game, albeit only six years ago or so, January 12, Sabres v. Islanders and Satan had put in his first goal in a long time ending a what came to be the norm - a slump. I have watched and li...
The draft is at 7pm which can be seen (hopefully) on Versus. Isles draft party doors open at 5:30pm. Two Blog Box members are in Ottawa on-hand. A gaggle of others, including yours truly will be on-hand at the Coliseum tonight. I have not decided if I will be live-blogging or just soaking it all in via camcorder and recorder, and then just doing a wrap-up later tonight or ...
Oh boy, Rumors Rumors Rumors!
What will we hear today at 4:00Pm Pacific?
The Canucks Have Drafted Kyle Beach.
The Canucks Have Traded the 10th pick and and player for the number 2 pick.
The Canucks Have Sent Ryan Kesler and the 10th pick for Olli Jokinen.
I am expecting the Canucks to take Kyle Beach, and [b][u][i]NOT[/i][/u][/b] make any [b][u][i]big[/i][/u][/b...
David Poile should play poker professionally. He should. I saw him on local news tow nights ago saying "I am not confident at all that we will be able to sign Dan Ellis. I think he wants to test the free agent market."
Well...I'll be jiggered if he didn't go and pull off a deal that cleared the way to get Ellis to sign by trading Mason away to the St. Louis Blues. This ...
Word around the Blues' front is that they're working on something major for tonight's draft. In the past day-and-a-half, they've traded longtime winger Jamal Mayers to Toronto for a third round pick, and acquired goalie Chris Mason from Nashville in exchange for a fourth round pick. The name I've been hearing bantered about the most is Ottawa's Jason Spezza.
Spezza is e...
I apologize for not posting this earlier than a few hours before the draft. Better late than never, right?
I used to scoff at those diehards who sat through the entire NHL draft (especially considering that typically, the first 5-10 picks aren't that hard to predict). But this year, the relative desperateness of the Flames' prospect pool - and future as a whole - has ca...
Well, here we go Leaf Nation. It's June 20, 2008 and suddenly we're collectively being hit with flashbacks of 1993. Fletch is back in charge of our beloved (cough) Maple Leafs and Cito Gaston is managing the Blue Jays. At the moment, the Toronto FC might just be the best franchise in town...omg, my world truly is upside down.
However, we need not fear. The march bac...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
With the 19th pick in the 2008 draft the Philadelphia Flyers
Posted Friday | Comments 0
select Luca Sbisa. This young man is projected to be the replacement for Kimmo Timonen on the powerplay in a few year's time. He is a puck moving, mobile defenseman with good hockey sense and lots of offensive upside. This Swiss Dman, from Lethbridge of the WHL, scored 6 goals, had 27 assists for 33 points lat year to go along with 63 penalty minutes. Sbisa led his tea...
First off... Initial thoughts are that there were a lot of winners in this years draft and not a whole lot of losers.
#1 Winner - Tampa Bay - but that is obvious
#2 Winner - LA - Doughty and the trade up to get Colten Teubert at the 12 spot makes their D very scary in the coming years.
Teams that I thought did very well for themselves aside from those teams is To...
Ron Guillet writes...
Meet the Leafs' Best New Prospect -- Schenn Connection?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
After Cliff Fletcher traded the Leafs' 7th overall pick -- along with conditional draft picks -- to the New York Islanders for their 5th overall selection, I had my suspicions he was after the highly coveted Russian sniper, Nikita Filatov. But nicer words were never spoken after the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Kelowna Rockets (OHL) defenseman, Luke Schenn.
In Schenn, t...
I don't claim to know Sundin's mind, but at the first round of the NHL Draft Fletcher indicated that the Canadiens have been granted "exclusive" negotiating rights until July 1. This suggests at the very least, some sort of gentleman's agreement between Gainey and Fletcher. Sure, Fletch may simply want a few extra days notice if Mats is going to leave....in such a case...
I did a bit of number crunching last evening. The Flyers face an interesting cap situation following day one of the NHL draft. Here's how things stand and what could happen next.
Cap hit currently stands at: $50,792,000
Players accounted for: Briere, Richards, Gagne, Hartnell, Knuble, Lupul, Upshall, Giroux, Downie, Timonen, Hatcher, Rathje, Coburn, Parent, Kukkonen,...
I try to be a realistic person.
I also try to be an optimistic person.
Sometimes these two things run a head on collision course for one another.
When it comes to the Penguins, and their ability to keep their Stanley Cup Finals roster "MOSTLY" in place, this is surely the case.
But today I am crossing my fingers.
I am holding out hope that some of the recent...
amidst tundra writes...
Stop the Moralizing: Why Fighting is a part of the game
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[i]Fighting in the NHL remains one of the most staunchly debated subjects in the world of the hockey and yet the argument barely divides supporters down the middle. Far from a modern topic, the recent incident with Patrick Roy’s son Jonathon has quickly risen fighting back to its usual grandstanded place. Now I’m not here to endorse stupidity like Roy’s kid or fighti...
So the draft is officially over and we know the names of the players we acquired:
Justin Daniels (3rd round)
Samuel Groulx (4th round)
Harri Sateri (4th round)
Julien Demers (5th round)
Tommy Wingels (6th round)
Jason Demers (7th round)
Drew Daniels (7th round)
Interesting notes on a couple of the guys we picked up: Apparently we acquired a set of twins in the ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Get Cammalleri, Dump Tanguay: Post Draft Thoughts
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Perhaps I underestimated Darryl Sutter. Minutes after he managed to get a 1st round (AND 2nd round, as I found out later) pick for disgruntled cap eater Alex Tanguay, Gord Miller reported as the Lightning prepared to take Steven Stamkos that there had already been a trade. I assumed he was confirming the Tanguay deal, but no, it was another trade with Calgary at the center...
Toronto in my opinion did the right thing in trading up to get Luke Schenn. They REALLY need a shutdown guy to build around, and to be honest he is not an offensive slouch and has stated he wants to concentrate on improving his offensive game more to become more well rounded, so it is a great move.
Most people did not like the idea of moving the other picks to jump thos...
[img]http://cdn.nhl.com/islanders/images/upload/2008/04/draft2008n.jpg[/img]
[i]Hi to every Habs and hockey fans who are taking time to read this blog! I hope you enjoyed the draft, as much as I enjoyed it! [/i]
Ok, the introduction had been done so, this is the time to talk about serious things. Before the 2008 entry draft, Montreal Canadiens GM Bob Gainey told the ...
The Flyers picked up young NHL D man, Steve Eminger in a draft day trade with Washington.
[img]http://dcpages.com/gallery/d/33188-4/16_copy.jpg[/img]
The Flyers paid a significant price in giving over a first rounder, the 27th overall pick, to the Caps for the 24 year old, but they did also get a 3rd round pick from them as well.
Though originally drafted a...
The Flames made a couple of transactions on the draft weekend that tell me that Sutter is beginning to retool the squad. First of all they traded Alex Tanguay along with their 5th rounder to the Montreal Canadians for first round pick this year and the 2nd next year.
Minutes later, they acquired LA Kings forward Michael Cammalleri and a 2nd rounder in the Conroy acqu...
So I'm sitting back on a lawn chair outside of the cheap motel my friends and I were staying at out in Montauk. Nothing special, just a nice weekend away with everyone on the beach....bonfires, beers, mallows....good times. As a few of us are sitting back with our cold brews, we listen intently to phone calls from home with updates of what's going on at the NHL draft. It w...
Acekicker123 writes...
Maple Leafs Draft 2008: Scouting Reports and Projections
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
This draft weekend was pretty much the only positive that Leaf fans could take away from the '07-'08 campaign. A disastrous season swept in the winds of change, and miracle of miracles: a high draft position. I will provide some thoughts and scouting reports, along with a "perfect-world projection".
Let's take a look the picks made, and some thoughts on each player:
...
stmaryshusky writes...
First round of the NHL draft, a town well represented
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
First I'd like to take the time to congradulate the first round picks a lot of time and effort but it finally paid off. Now I'd like to say congrats to the Clarington Trio that made the first round, where 1/10 of the players were from this municipality 40 minutes east of Toronto. Josh Bailey, Greg Nemisz and Tyler Cuma. I know Josh personally from high school and Greg from...
Everyone knows that Rounds 1 and 2 produce the most NHL caliber players.
This blog reveals my personal opinion of the 2008 draft rounds 3 thru 7 sleeper picks...
[u][b]Mr Big's Late Round Sleepers[/b][/u]
_____round 3
#63 Kings -Robert Czarnik (c)
#66 Islanders - David Toews (c)
#67 Flyers - Marc-Andre Bourdon (d)
#72 Islanders - Jyri Niemi (d)
#73 Islanders...
New blog. Old slogan.
This is the [b]Drive for Five[/b].
[img]http://nycya.com/5/images/CupBanners.jpg[/img]
Past, present and future guide to the Islanders
(and their fans) quest for a fifth Stanley Cup.
Stories, tales, lies and exaggerations from an Islanders Country expatriate, living in the heart of arch-enemy territory.
[url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/5[/url]
...
[i]The Tennessean is reporting that Shea Weber has signed a three year 13.5 million dollar deal to remain a Predator. Great signing...David Poile continues to work his magic and get things done. This sets up our blue line for the next three years. Weber and Suter are just going to get better and better! [/i]
[b]The first big hurdle[/b] in the hockey off-season took plac...
Looking into the Panthers draft day move that brought in two more young defenseman,they may be gearing up for a deal. With Jay Bouwmeester's status as an RFA the Panthers may be smelling a huge offer sheet or looking into dealing his rights for a new team to hammer out a contract. I was surprised they moved Jokinen for a deal involving two more D-men,but they may be co...
For Toronto fans, the Entry Draft 08’ signaled a new age. With the much vaunted clear out in the upcoming months, the draft had all the makings of a cornerstone with which the franchise could rebuild in the next few years.
Despite having 10 picks at their disposal, even after the eyebrow raising trade for Jamal Mayers, the Blue Nation was hoping that Toronto could buck...
ESPN analyst Barry Melrose will be introduced as the Tampa Bay Lightning's new head coach at a news conference Tuesday.
Melrose has been an ESPN analyst full-time since 1996. He had previously worked as a studio analyst for ESPN's Emmy Award-winning 1994 Stanley Cup playoff coverage and for ESPN and ESPN2 during the 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Melrose was the he...
You can get banned on here for talking about Eklund's foreskin, weird.
Just a follow up to the last blog, you actually CAN get banned for mentioning Eklund's disgusting foreskin.
To be honest, i'm just reporting the truth, something Eklund fails to ever do. What is wrong with this world, people speak the truth and get banned, while a fat greasy bastard bullshits every single day and get peoples hopes up thinking their favourite hockey tea...
Ok, I'm back. It took a little longer than anticipated to get over the loss in the Stanley Cup Finals, but I think I'm alright now. Every time I thought I was over it, something would happen or I'd see a highlight from the series and it just prolonged the entire healing process. Anyway, the draft is over and now free agency begins on July 1.
That being said, I've read s...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Isles Draft Analysis, including Matt Ebbs, from ISS Hockey
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
In days of yore, we'd be recovering from some sort of catastrophic calamity whose reverberations would be lasting years, not just days. Or in this case, one Friday evening. In the past, we'd wave goodbye to Luongo, the pick that was Spezza, the hulking brut of Chara, and sit and try convince ourselves that all would be ok. Even though, somewhere within us, we knew better. ...
[i]Did you feel it too?[/i]
That brief, awkwardly off balance moment. Like taking the extra step in the staircase that isn't there, or lifting the empty milk carton you thought was full.
Filatov! Schenn! Wilson? Filatov!
Trade!
[i]Wait, what?[/i]
Trade again!
[i]Really?[/i]
Josh Bailey!
[i]Who?[/i]
What just happened?
[i]I need to lie down.[/i]
[b]Someone call...
So if these latest reports hold water, I will officially want to quit my job and stand in front of all local media outlets looking for a gig. My blog a few months ago had Mats Sundin on the list and many people felt that NY was not in the mix. Now the NY Post has expressed that the Rangers are his first choice to land this summer. If the Rangers are kicking the tires on ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
The Mullet returns...7th Sign of the Apocalypse??
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/Barrycopy.jpg?t=1214272516[/img]
Isn't Barry Melrose, and his wind tunnel tested hairdo, returning behind the bench one of the 7 signs of the impending Apocalypse? I mean, it has to be right after locusts and rivers of blood, right?
I'm not quite sure of chapter and verse, but I swore I once read something akin to...
Yet another UFA day is rapidly approaching, now just a measley week away.
As usual, hockey fans across North America are gaining excitement as this day approaches and the calendar is about to flip July.
And from a personal point of view, I couldn't be more excited - as usual - to see what my beloved team, the Buffalo Sabres, will do.
A year of disappointment, only...
The Cloutier situation
By Rich Hammond on June 23, 2008 1:46 PM
Here's the deal, according to the Kings...
Before Cloutier was placed on waivers, he was examined by Dr. Ronald Kvitne, a highly respected orthopedic surgeon, who determined that Cloutier was healthy enough to play. Cloutier sought a second opinion, and that doctor also deemed him healthy enough to pla...
Part 2 of my outlook on the Calgary Flames off-season looking ahead to 08-09...
Sure enough, Daryl Sutter's quiet demeanor leading up to the draft was exactly what I thought it was... he was gearing up for a major deal.
As I pointed out in my pre-draft blog, the Flames are going to be up against the cap in a major way this year and desperately need to shed some sala...
I went to the first day of the Blues' development camp today. This is the second year of this event, where fans can watch some of the Blues' top prospects practice under the wings of some of the Blues' coaches and personnel. After watching the first day of practice, here are some of the things that stood out:
- Defenseman Jonas Junland definitely stood out from the rest...
David Pollack wrote a blog this week reporting that there will be no remaining bridges between the Ron Wilson era and the new regime of Todd McLellan. The press in Toronto has been reporting the two assistant coaches will be joining RW's staff on the Leafs and sources in San Jose have also confirmed it to be true. The move will be made upon contract approval.
Pollac...
I know this may not be a blog in the normal sense, but I am trying to figure out what hockey fans like when they watch NHL games on TV. Obviously everyone wants every game in HD, but in terms of the broadcast in general, what draws your attention? The TV crew cannot create a game, only the players can; however, during the first 5 minutes of the broadcast (called the Open...
I must begin by saying that this draft may go down in Devils history as the time when seeds were planted for the new era. Quite frankly, it’s about time. Defense alone will win you games, yes, but one needs simply to look back upon the last few playoff series where the Devils were eliminated to know that changes are necessary. In 2007 and 2008, the Devils were knocked ou...
In arguably the most important off-season that Toronto will see in the 'rebuilding years' to follow, Fletcher has stepped up and pressed the 'purge-system' button.
Fletcher has served notice that Darcy Tucker will be bought out, and has placed Andrew Raycroft on waivers along with teammate Kyle Wellwood and with Sundin's negotiating rights being bantered about, it is o...
After cooling off from yesterday's rant, I decided to come up with a wishlist of players I would like to see come to Pittsburgh. This is just meant to be something fun, since you all know you do the same thing with your own teams. Due to the number of guys that I'd like to see signed, I narrowed it down to 5. NOTE: These aren't in any particular order.
#5 John-Michael L...
Ever since the news of the return of Barry Melrose was announced I can't get it out of my head. I just find it odd. I think Barry made a fine contributor to ESPN's attempt to cover the NHL but there was something about the bloodshot eyes and the Sauve hair product dripping from his mullet that have me wondering if this is the right move by Tampa.
A few questions I have...
Here are some notes from day two of Blues development camp:
- Except for a select few, everyone came out skating hard today. Some looked like they had something to prove to the coaches and staff.
- It wasn't as full today as it was yesterday. If I had to estimate, I'd say there were about 35 people in the stands today.
- One thing about Anthony Peluso: For such a ...
Yesterday the Flyers traded Tristan Grant and a 7th Round Pick in 2009 for 26 year old Defenseman Janne Niskala. This trade is a low risk-high reward deal in my opinion. The Flyers lose a probably AHL lifer and a 7th Round Pick, but gain a defenseman who has loads of international experience and recently had an all-star caliber rookie season in the AHL. With two simple tra...
Today I had the chance to interview St. Louis Post-Dispatch Blues writer Jeremy Rutherford. Here's the transcript of the interview:
NB: What will be the biggest difference and/or change between last year's team and this year's team in your opinion?
JR: [i]Well I think it's one more step towards the youth movement. Last year you had kids like Erik Johnson and David ...
I had an interesting thought today, and really don't know if it is do-able under the CBA, but would certainly be a bold move...if it were possible.
This is pretty out there. Here's how it would work.
Cliff Fletcher announces this week that Darcy Tucker will be bought out.
Tucker is bought out and gets a nice little sum of $1 million or so a year for a few years. ...
I'm a little perplexed right now about what to think with this scenario. First I hear that Brooks Orpik doesn't like Michael Therrien. Now all of a sudden according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Orpik and the Penguins are sitting down in serious contract talks.
Let me explain my side of this.
Brooks Orpik is and has been one of my favorite Penguins players for qu...
Over the past few weeks Cliff Fletcher has started to completely dismantle the core of the "Toronto Maple Leafs".
I'm Gonna take a wild shot in the dark and say that captain Sundin is NOT going to be back in the blue and white next year, going to wherever he feels he has the best chance, and i say "Catch ya later" on the condition he doesn't screw the ...
***Updated at the bottom of the blog***
The announcement of these 3 players being put on waiver's to start the buy-out process comes as somewhat of a surprise to me, albeit, a very welcome and exciting surprise.
I've written recently that I didn't expect Daryl Sutter to exercise his right to buy out any of the gaudy contracts that were on the Flames books and really ...
[img]http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/12/blogtd5.png[/img]
[i]Hello everyone, I hope you are enjoying summer, your favorite team's draft picks and the most recent news in the wonderful world of hockey. Enough talk,let's go down into serious business...[/i]
Five days. This is the time remaining before the first of July, the starting moment of free agency signings. Per...
I'm a firm believer that things happen in groups of threes, for better or worse. I'm probably even tempting fate by writing this, but as far as I'm concerned we just got dealt two blows today.
Brooks Orpik has declined the Penguins first offer and former Penguin Martin Straka is heading home to play for his Czech team.
Both of these may not be as big a deal in the en...
The Calgary Flames put Rhett Warner, Anders Erickson, and Marcus Nilson on waivers. This leads me to wonder if there is a major move coming or a ufa signing. Either way, Sutter really had no choice but to do the move to improve their chances for the upcoming season.
The Flames would have had to put up with predictions of doom and gloom if they did not made changes for...
Now I know this was mentioned in the Marchell blog by sharkiesgirl, but I felt it deserved it's own thread...
Pollack made a small note that qualifying offers have been extended to Ryane Clowe, Christian Ehrhoff, and Marcel Goc.
http://www.mercurynews.com/sharks/ci_9697963?nclick_check=1
I'm happy that talks with Clowe are progressing. The team really needs him ba...
Here are some notes from day three of Blues Development Camp. Today was based solely upon endurance training.
- Today's training was maximum reps endurance skating. Players skate from goal line to goal line and are timed by a stop watch. It's basically a last man standing event to see who has the most endurance.
- Gold team was out first. They were split up into two ...
In addition to Eklund's rumor today that the Sabres are extremely interested in Brian Rolston - and why wouldn't they be based on the veteran leadership the team has lacked since Chris Drury departed - I found an interesting tidbit.
What do he and Thomas Vanek have in common?
Same agent.
Steve Bartlett of Rochester, N.Y., just down the Thruway from Buffalo, repres...
Yesterday, I had the chance to interview Blues' up-and-coming prospect TJ Oshie. Here's the transcript of the interview:
NB: TJ, you participated in this development camp last year. What's the biggest difference between last year and this year?
TJ: I think it's just being more confident and comfortable on the ice. Last year, I was new to everything and really didn'...
If there is one time of year when the NHL becomes a platform for stories of profound personal interest, the Entry Draft is that time. From the inspirational, brave and underdog style champion of the world tales to the heart warming and outright tragic, the Entry Draft is a narrative that runs a full gamut of emotions. Yet beyond the glitz of those first five or ten picks, ...
As usual enjoy or hate but as always thanks for reading.
http://flyerflies.com/blog/
Have a great weekend.
A fellow at YouTube named McKay4429061 (he's a big Randy McKay fan) has an account of 428 videos, dedicated to the Devils' Stanley Cup runs in 1995 and 2000. I'm sure he's working on 2003 as we speak. Here's his page:
http://www.youtube.com/user/McKay4429061
Enjoy!
Say what you want about the season itself, but perhaps the true defining moment of the Devils' 2007-08 season came long before the first puck ever dropped. While July 1, 2007 was a day of glory for some teams, for the Devils it was a day of hopelessness. Despite past offseasons where the shrewdness of GM Lou Lamoriello typically paid dividends, in the summer of 2007 it pro...
With the coming of Eminger, I do not expect the Flyers to land a Campbell, Liles or Roszival type UFA. As much as I'd like to think we could get an RFA like Boumeester, I dont see us signing anyone over 3mill.
--UFA--
UFA [b]Joe DiPenta[/b] - age 26, 6'4", 220lbs. Shoots Right.
6 points and +3 in 23 games, with 16 PIMs and 5 shots on goal, but he averaged ONLY 11 m...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Don't Expect A Big Splash From Flames; My UFA Wishlist
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I'll be plopped in front of TSN on Tuesday for the excitement, but if the Calgary Flames manage to make a big splash, it'll just be a bonus. Although the departure of Rhett Warrener, Marcus Nilson and Anders Eriksson cleared up a bit of cap space, the re-signings of Daymond Langkow, Craig Conroy, Curtis McElhinney and Eric Nystrom make huge grabs on the UFA market very unl...
The Flyers have signed recently acquired defenseman Steve Eminger to a one-year contract. At first I was skeptical about the Flyers trading the 27th pick for a sturggling defenseman and a 3rd round pick. After a few days of thinking it over, it seems like a good deal. Eminger might just need a change of scenery same as Coburn did. This deal is a bold move on Homer's part. ...
According to Montreal Canadiens' fan website "chfans.com", Mario Tremblay interviewed for the LA Kings head coaching job. He is seemingly competing with Mike Johnston, Dave Lewis, and John Tortorella.
Hopefully, he's learned from his Montreal experience (i.e. his feud with a certain Patrick Roy). Not that Torts would be any less volatile with star players! Good luck ...
So now that all the leaf fans have finally accepting a rebuilding project we should do it right because this is a rare occurrence and it is unlikely that we will get this opportunity in the near future. I'd like to say I agree with most of Fletcher's moves so far. He has added grit and it is pretty obvious the prototypical hockey player he is looking for. Yes Wellwood...
This is a new blog. These are just my opinions. Hope you find it insightful.
[b]Ryan Malone Signs 7/31mil in TB.[/b] In the past 3 years I would have disagreed drastically with this signing but I actually like this for TB. To me this is a good fit for a team that desperately needs top 6 wingers. Malone as shown in Pitsburgh is a nice complimentary player when surro...
Well this was a mild surprise at best. Ray Shero sent the rights to Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2009 4th round pick. Should Malone sign, this would become a 3rd rounder in 2009.
I am a little sad to see Malone go and a little angry from a fan's perspective that this deal didn't happen sooner. Here's why.
Since Malone's sophomore camp...
There is [i]some[/i] good news coming out of the Tank tonight....David Pollack is reporting than a tentative agreement has been reached with Ryan Clowe so it appears he will be staying in San Jose for at least a few more years
Although the contract has not been finalized as of yet, Clowe had stated that SJ is the only place he really wants to be. The only thing holdin...
[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.
...
Tampa so far wins the "Offseason Award". After adding a former Phoenix Scout the club stepped up and added much needed support on the wings. They not only brought in Ryan Malone,but added some extra veteran leadership with Gary Roberts.If people think that Malone had career year playing with Malkin,wait till he gets his shot to play with Vinny! I still can't imagine ho...
That's right. Forget about tomorrow (Tuesday July 1st) as a day that your team will get better. Darcy might try to make a splash by signing a UFA, but his bid will fall far short of what other ravenous teams out there will be offering.
Wait for Wednesday and Thursday to arrive, when the big money is off the table, and the Tier 2 UFA's are still around. I'm forecastin...
Friday, I had the chance to interview Blues' President John Davidson on a number of topics. Here's what he had to say:
NB: We're in year two of the Youth Movement. What can Blues' fans expect to see from this year's team with the additions of TJ Oshie and Patrik Berglund to the roster?
JD: I think we're in a position where we have veteran players who can give us mo...
doktordave writes...
Originally posted late June :King Clancy's Ghost says:
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Interesting to look back at my old blogs as the Sundin Magical Mystery Tours continues...and there is no hint of him starting training.
In two separate posts in late June, I offered my inside info from King Clancy's Ghost and 4 possible choices that Sundin might make. Below is the 4th suggestion, which may well prove to be the
June 30th: Possible UFA Targets fore Lea...
amidst tundra writes...
Breakin' What Don't Need Fixin': Scoring in the Boring NHL
Posted Monday | Comments 0
There seems to be a belief amongst NHL fans that the game is in a state of disrepair and far be it from me to disagree in some respects. There are far too many power play opportunities in the “new” NHL with much too little constituting a holding or hooking obstruction whilst the leagues marketing department has all the longevity of a kamikaze pilot on payday, but that ...
In this blog we'll go back to this time last year and get some hindsight analysis of the UFA signings from last season.
But first.
It should be noted that the UFA process is not a way in which GM's look to find bargains or good prices on players. It's an all-out bidding war for the services of players who have earned the right to seek "fair" market value for their w...
By this time tomorrow, many Isles fans may be sitting at their computers disappointed with lackluster results on the day of Free Agency...but many may not. Snow has all ready set up the safety net for the strong possibility of his club not signing any marquee free agents. We saw last year's Free Agency period kick start many Isles fans into an uproar, demanding refunds on ...
Today the Flyers made some minor moves that puzzled many. They traded recently acquired defenseman Janne Niskala to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 6th Round Pick in 2009. I was confident Niskala would be a good #5/#6 for the Flyers as soon as next year, hopefully he does well in Tampa Bay. Basically in the end the Flyers accomplished a two things out of this: 1) Acquiring ...
hey ya'll
my name is ryan and i am from syracuse, ny
i will be blogging on my takes about columbus bluejackets and the buffalo sabres....
also i will pretty much be exclusively giving my takes to the syracuse crunch of the AHL (minor league affiliate of the columbus bluejackets)
duvie westcott had his contract recently bought out and is now a free agent, also in the same interview he gave a syracuse area writer, westcott announced that joakim lindstrom was actively pursuing a possible contract to go to a home league in sweden.
if this is the case best of luck joakim.
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...
Nobody has discussed this so far, but it seems pretty obvious that with Sundin in doubt, Tucker gone and McCabe on thin ice, the Leafs will be looking for a new captain - very likely from the free agent ranks or a trade.
So with this in mind, I think the Leafs will have a close eye on these players in free agency.
(1) Brendan Shanahan - Might be willing to sign sho...
millertime12 writes...
Sabres lose chance at Liles, but Orpik's still out there
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So far, this "Free Agent Frenzy" has been more like a free agent bore. But there was no lack of re-signings before noon, including Aves Defensemen Liles. I personally was hoping the Sabres would pick up Liles and Orpik. Plan C is prabably Striet of Montreal. Only time can tell, but I can tell you one thing. If they do nothing HSBC Arena will be up in Flames. By the way, go...
According to TSN, the Canucks have signed Blues' forward David Backes to a three-year offer sheet at about $2.5 million per-year. The Blues have seven days to match, otherwise, they receive a second round pick from the Canucks as compensation.
Honestly, I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see the Blues match the offer sheet.
Stay tuned...
Nick Boston
[code]s...
The Ricky Deez one man show! This looks like it will be a rough one. If we add Weight it will be great (was that like "if the glove doesn't fit".....?). He is a vet presence that will help Neilsen develop and it would give us a secondary threat down the middle. Bailey with Comrie and 2 others a few years from now, we will need someone else over the next couple to step in. ...
Today the Flyers have announced the signings of three players: Ossi Vaananen, Glen Metropolit, Nate Currey and Nate Raduns. They also acquired Patrick Hersley and Ned Lukacevic in exchange for Denis Gautheir and a 2nd Round Pick in 2010. Ossi Vaananen, 6'4" 212 lbs, signed a one year deal at $1 million. This signing adds a veteran presence and physical play from the backen...
Today is one of those days where you almost pray your team does nothing because the amount of money being thrown around is down right ridiculous. There have only been a couple signings where I can honestly say the team got good value. The singings I like today include Fedorik at just over 1 mil per season, Brunette at 2.33mil and Vrbada at 3mil.
Jeff Finger by all acc...
I think the Flyers are better now, at least on paper, than they were one year ago.
Mike Richards and Jeff Carter coming off of up and down seasons, Joffrey Lupul coming in from a dreadful year in Edmonton, a huge lack of mobility and dependability on the back end, a starting goalie that had never seen a playoff game from the ice....
Now, 12 months later, Richards has...
NickBoston writes...
Canucks Offer for Backes Matched, but RJ is Gone...
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
As I mentioned in my previous blog not to be surprised if the Blues match the Canucks' offer for David Backes, they did.
Backes remains a Blue after the Blues matched the three-year, $7.5 million offer for the 23-year old winger. It was a smart move by the Blues, because as John Davidson said in an interview here in St. Louis, "Backes is a major part of our youth moveme...
According to sources close to Curtis Glencross, he has signed with the Calgary Flames. The deal took place around supper time, July 1st. The terms of the deal are reportedly 3 years, 3.2 million and won't be announced until tomorrow. Glencross was tops on my free agent list in terms of players I felt would come to Calgary.
The Flyers have announced that they have come to terms with RFA defenseman Randy Jones. The deal will leave the team with a $2.75 million cap hit and Jones will receive $2.5 million this year and $3 million next year. The contract is a little too much in my opinion, as I thought he should receive $2 million max. This leaves the Flyers with too many defenseman under contrac...
millertime12 writes...
Sabres sign Lalime, but only hope on D is Orpik
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Yesterday the Sabres signed goalie Patrick Lalime to a 2 year 1 million per deal. Lalime played for the Blackhawks last year, but is mostly known for being the starting goalie for the Senators before the lockout.
As for defesemen, the Sabres only chance is Orpik. With Striet signing with the Islanders, Rozival back to the Rangers, and and Commodore to Columbus, ...
Over the last few years the Rangers have made excellent moves in signing veterans.They signed Shanahan and his leadership had proved to be key in the development of the forwards. Shanny also took some of the pressure of Jagr in the locker room,allowing Jagr to concentrate on his Einstein books. The Rangers brought Jason Strudwick back in to the fold last year and his o...
The Flyers continue to tinker with their roster but most of the pieces are already in place. With the addition of Simon Gagne, if healthy, will make the team a lot better. They have already told him that he needs to come to camp in better shape since that could’ve contributed too his one long outstanding concussion that he had last year.
The forwards remain strong u...
Drive for Five writes...
'Streit' Jackets on sale now in the Islanders Store
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://nycya.com/5/images/streitjacket.jpg[/img]
With the recent signing of former Canadiens defenseman Mark Streit, what better way to make a buck off of the fans you've driven completely insane? The Islanders 'Streit' Jacket is here just in time to protect you from yourself and others. Yours for the low price of $71.08, to commerate the signing date of our new powe...
The reaction to the moves made by the Maple Leafs on July 1st has been understandably mixed. There has been more than enough posted regarding the virtues of the new acquisitions (Jeff Finger in particular) so I'll be focussing more on what seems to me to be the overall philosophy/strategy of the club.
The buyouts of Darcy Tucker and Andrew Raycroft indicate that Fletcher...
NYIsles16 writes...
NYI vs. NYR: Mark Streit vs. Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As we all know, I am an Islanders fan and I usually write only Islanders blogs, but I felt I should address the signing of Wade Redden as I see it. As July 1st came for the Islanders and the Rangers, I made sure that this year I would be better prepared for the sounds of crickets and mice running through the Coliseum, while also preparing myself to hear announcements all d...
Sundin 20 mil 2 years
Crazy.
Id love to see it, but hes going to hold out till August.
Quite frankly short but sweet
as a Canuck Fan...Im Scared for what the team will look like this coming season
- Chad
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Bye Bye Playoffs?: Evaluating The Flames, 2008 Edition
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As much as I scoffed at the money thrown at players like Cristobal Huet, Jeff Finger, Brian Campbell, Wade Redden and Mike Commodore, I was also very disheartened in the relative quiet on the Flames' front on July 1. Though today's signings of Jim Vandermeer and Curtis Glencross make the situation a little better, their inability to find a viable 2nd line still makes the p...
When GM Mike Gillis was hired not more than two months ago, I felt a sigh of relif. Not a lot of Canuck fans have filled the bandwagon here on the left coast, however, Gillis promised "bold" moves and yesterday he delivered a "bold" move.
WOW a GM in Vancouver sticking to his guns. For several years here we constantly heard "we were close"; "we almost had him" or "the ...
Ron Guillet writes...
Cliff Fletcher Gets My Applause -- And McCabe's Future
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
While fans around the NHL point and laugh at the US$14-million, four-year deal given to defenseman Jeff Finger, Cliff Fletcher is following a blueprint to ensure the Leafs a more promising future.
Let's start with the player that is discussed the most, Jeff Finger. An almost unknown commodity around the NHL, he's somewhat of an underrated player when you take a look at ...
[u][b]NOUS DEMENAGEONS !!!
http://www.alnh.tk/
Nous voulions un site plus complet que ce simple blog, je vous donne rendez-vous !
http://www.alnh.tk/
[/b][/u]
[i]*Veuillez notez que les mises a jour sont administrer par Marc-Antoine Perrault et Etienne Jolette.[/i]
[i]NB: les accents de fonctionnent pas[/i]
[u][b]Rumeurs[/b][/u]
-Ilya Nikulin est ...
Well these past two days have been rather uneventful for Pens nation. Unless you count the mass exodus that is going on as eventful, but I don't exactly find myself looking for my party hat as much as I am looking for the missing hair on my head and wondering why a bottle of tequila is empty.
Here I am a couple days from my vacation from work and instead of focusing on ...
The Calgary Flames have signed defensemen Jim Vandermeer and his brother, right winger Peter Vandermeer. The Flames did not stop there; they also inked winger Curtis Glencross.
So basically, Vandy will be in the slot of a fourth or fifth defenseman. Peter will be a Quad City roster spot depth move; do not expect him to fill a spot with the big club. Curtis will be...
The New York Islanders announced today the signing of Doug Weight to a one year, $1.75 Million contract. It is a bonus laden contract and could add up to $4.3 Million if he is to trigger every bonus. While many fans are already complaining of Weight being extremely past his prime, I will not argue with them in that light, but I will argue that it is a good signing for many...
I am not sure what to make of things. I was excited at the coming of UFA time but the lack of anything going on has left me a little bummed out. I read this comment from Doug Wilson “We’re a better team now than we were at the beginning of last season.”
Ok excellent...but how is San Jose a better team now than it was last year at this time? Bernier is not here...
Gagne-Briere-Lupul
Hartnell-Richards-Upshall
Giroux-Carter-Knuble
Cote-Metro-Downie
Timonen-Coburn
Jones-Hatcher
Eminger-Vaananen
Biron
Nitty
What do you guys think of this projected lineup for next year? Has the team gotten better? Has the team gotten worse? Have we simply just stayed where we were last year? Obviously the lines are up in the air I just thr...
Whenever a building is demolished by implosion the spectacle creates a horde of onlookers, feeding on a basic human attraction toward violent destruction. It is the same depraved impulse that causes so many to further the obstruction of traffic when they pass a wreck on the highway. Though the impact of such rearrangement is immediate and rife with dramatic imagery, few if...
Let me clear something up.
Now that Brooks Orpik has signed with Pittsburgh, some Sabres fans have looked back to Andrew Orpik's comments to the Buffalo News a few days ago and shaken their heads, comments they thought all but assured Buffalo was a likely destination for the d-man:
"Buffalo is a place he'd definitely want to come," Brooks' brother Andrew told the Buf...
Many Flyers fans who watched all of the free agent and trade craziness in the last few days are scratching their heads wondering why the Flyers have only made a handful of relatively minor moves.
The answer is...Addition thru Subtraction !
[b][i]Lets examine how this 'Final Four' team has improved in the off-season thus far...[/i][/b]
[u][b]Umberger out ; Giroux i...
The Islanders might finally be doing it right.
In adding defenseman Mark Streit to nurture an ailing power play on a 5-year deal for the [i][b]right[/b][/i] price, Garth Snow did his job well. This addresses a need and doesn't take away from any deserving youngster looking for ice time.
In bringing in cagey veteran Doug Weight to center the top line on a 1-year deal,...
http://www.postgazette.com/pg/08185/894617-100.stm
I am as disappointed as any Pens fan and season ticket holder about the loss of Marian Hossa.
You can also probably guess, judging from my name and picture, I am not the biggest Red Wings fan.
Nonetheless, Marian Hossa did something yesterday that is seldom, if ever, seen in professional sports.
At the end of the season, Hossa said that he would take less money to...
Stefan Ruzicka has decided to go back to Europe to play. The Flyers will still retain his rights since the transfer agreement is not in effect. WIth this loss the Phantoms will likely need another forward, I wouldn't be surprised if the Flyers signed one of their prospects in the coming days. Ruzicka is a great AHL player, but never seemed to be able to achieve in the NHL....
According to Andy Strickland of ESPN 1380 in St. Louis, the Blues have re-signed winger Yan Stastny to a two-year deal. Terms of the contract have not been disclosed. The first year of the deal is a two-way contract, and the second year is a one-way contract.
Stastny, 25, played in 12 games with the Blues, notching one goal and one assist. He's expected to fill the role...
AtLossForWords writes...
Has Gillis Made it a Summer to Forget Already?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
As of July 3rd, Mike Gillis and his Vancouver Canucks seem to have failed to make their team better when they have had so much cap space to spend. The Canucks have lost their captain Markus Naslund to the New York Rangers, which in the eyes of many means they have lost out on Mats Sundin and Pavol Demitra as well.
The Canucks did not go without making an addition to ...
If the 2008 NHL Entry Draft was going to be the linchpin onto which the Maple Leafs commenced its rebuild, then the July 1st free agency free-for-all was going to be a barometer with which to measure the organizations immediate ambitions.
Going into the first days of free agency, the Leafs had two options. The first was too play it frosty, pick up some low key, low cap h...
Welcome to my 1st blog at HockeyBuzz. I’m a life-long Oiler fan who surfs the net a lot reading the forums at hfboards.com, Sportsnet.ca, EdmontonOilers.com, and here at Hockeybuzz as well as other hockey news sites. I’ve never had the urge to create a user account before at any of these sites, but recently I started thinking that it would be fun to do some blogging to...
I am not going to go crazy about the Islanders draft or their free agent signings to this point because I am somewhat encouraged by what has gone down over the last few weeks. Garth Snow is nothing but honest. He said he would do things to facilitate the rebuilding process and help the club wins some more games. He did, albeit on a minor level. As currently constituted, I ...
A few seasons ago the Sharks used to be a very young group. I belive the oldest player was Nabby at the time followed by Patty and Thorton. Last season was starting up and JR came on board. I was very skeptical of this move, I didn't see him making a major impact on the teams he was playing for. As the season progressed I was very impressed. Enter the 08-09 season an...
In the summer of 2006, the Devils’ attempt to fill out their roster with 2000 Stanley Cup members Alexander Mogilny and Vladimir Malakhov did not exactly work out as planned. Malakhov barely played and was subsequently traded to San Jose the following offseason, while Mogilny was barely a shell of his former self before sustaining an injury which allowed the Devils to wi...
With three days all ready passed since the opening of Free Agency, the Islanders seem to be pretty settled with their signings. With the exception of a few possible signings for their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, it's safe to say the Isles are done.
First off, before I go on any further, I would like to say, did I call the Doug Weight signing, or did I c...
First of all, I want to thank everyone for all of the comments recently and especially the kind words when I broke the news of the Curtis Glencross signing and terms on July 1st. I appreciate all of the support and love to see as many comments as possible. I will continue to give as much Flames analysis and insight this off-season.
I have addressed what I felt Sutter ...
Its been quite interesting the past few days and I am quite excited that trades seem to be back. YAY!
[b]Leafs: [/b]I've noticed that alot of people HATE the moves that the leafs have made so far. And I cannot fully understand why. While I do agree that the leafs paid a fair bit for Finger and Hagman I don't think it has a negative effect on what the leafs are trying ...
With only a slim number of talented free agents remaining, fans can now take a look at their UFA acquisitions and either brag about the additions, or crawl into a dark corner pretending nothing happened. Of course, just because you landed yourself a Wade Redden doesn't mean you should be uncorking the champagne just yet, as the terms of the deal play a big part in determin...
Here's what Pat Brisson, Rob Blake's agent, had to say tonight about the way things went down between Blake and the Kings. It's lengthy, but if you've been following the saga today, you might find it to be a good read. As I told Pat tonight, all I'm trying to get is get the information out there. People can make up their minds based upon what they believe and read.
What a...
After all of the pissing and moaning by Sharks fans (myself included) on July 1st and 2nd for Doug Wilson "sitting on his hands," the last 24 hours have provided PLENTY of change in the Silicon Valley.
First Rob Blake was signed to a 1-year, $5 million deal yesterday. A couple hours later, rumors were rampant that this would not deter Doug Wilson from further pursuing ...
Update: Saturday 07/05/08 --- you can find the interview here: http://www.justagame.ca/audio/Kevin%20Lowe%20Full%20Interview%20July%204.mp3
On local radio in Edmonton this afternoon, Kevin Lowe was interviewed and finally fired back at Brian Burke. The interviewer asked K-Lowe what his thoughts were, on Burke's latest whining over high salaries (Corey Perry) and how Bur...
As of July 4, 2008, these are the players currently contracted by the leafs that have a shot at making the big club
[b]Forwards[/b]
Nik Antropov
Mark Bell
Jason Blake
Darryl Boyce
Boyd Devereaux
Robert Earl
Alex Foster
Mikhail Grabovski
Niklas Hagman
Nikolai Kulemin
Jamal Mayers
Dominic Moore
Alexei Ponikarovsky
Matt Stajan (Not yet signed, but i ...
Enjoy
http://flyerflies.com/blog/
Have a great weekend.
Ron Guillet writes...
The Los Angeles Kings Might Have Trouble Reaching Cap Floor
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
After a few crazy days of free agency, the dust is starting to settle and all that remains are second-tier players. In the midst of this, the LA Kings find themselves with a payroll of $US 28,340,000 million (thanks to Chip's Cap Central) going into next season. While they have six Restricted Free Agents to deal with, Jaret Stoll and Patrick O'Sullivan are the only ones of...
RyanGarnerSucks writes...
Sharks fans! Help me get Ryan Garner off the middle column!
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
How many Sharks fans love to come on to this great website and get the extra tidbits that the Mercury just doesn't provide? This is mainly what brings me here. Along with the rumors or other news around the NHL that is hard to get anywhere else.
What I run into however is very different... I find myself reading articles that eat at my insides because they tear apart the...
I would have thought that after July 1st, the Marleau going to wherever nonsense would have stopped! But apparently some people have not received the memo that he has a no trade clause in his contract that locked him up for the next two years that kicked in on the 1st of the month. I still keep seeing in multiple places people mentioning the idea of Marleau being traded a...
Now that we're a full week into free agency, some of the contracts handed out still stagger me.
Still, that's not to say that the signings will not help their new teams, just that I feel GM's were fast and loose with the checkbook.
Here's a team by team look at the East and How I grade their FA work:
Atlanta: [b]D-[/b]
Re-signed Johan Hedberg and added Ron Hain...
Wasn't that long ago when Pronger announced he wanted out of Edmonton after just signing a 6 year deal there. Pronger along with numerous other Oilers (Spacek, Peca, Samsanov, etc) formed a mass exodus out of Edmonton, the City, not the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club. A team just 4 weeks prior played in a 7th game of the Cup finals. Pronger had his problems personally, his...
Well on July 1st some teams were bragging about snagging some star player, some teams were crying because they weren't able to sign their teams prized player and then their was us. By us I mean Pred fans who were walloping around just waiting for the season to start as we all knew nothing was going to happen and nothing ever did. Their really wasn't any reason to party...
Marian Hossa has received a thorough drubbing in the Canadian media for signing with the Red Wings. The criticism has been across the continent from Vancouver to Toronto, and from TSN as well. The worst thus far seems to have issued from Damien Cox of the Toronto Star, hammering Hossa for wanting to seek a chamionship ring and " . . . play out of a smelly, crumbling Joe ...
Hello to all during a summer in which the news has been filled about rising fuel costs, job losses, flooding, a declining home market, forest fires, and a war that still will not end.
But in these times, there has been plenty of wonderful and fantastic news to all who are either die-hard fans or slight fans of the San Jose Sharks.
The moves Doug Wilson has made have ...
After going over player rosters and watching some of the Jackets Press conference on the Tyutin trade, I looked at the line up. I saw # 49 Fritsche in the Columbus fowards column.He's not on the Rangers roster anymore either. However there are no updates to his contract status. He was filing for arbitration and I'm not sure if Sather let Dan Walk back to Ohio.
Ok so...
I dislike the guy with a passion ... but I'm willing to give him a chance. The fact that he will be wearing green and white makes the past irrelevant, at least for now. We all know he can play the game well; he simply has to keep his mouth to a minimum. I think with Morrow in command and Hull's guidance from above, Avery can be an excellent addition to this team. This ...
If the Leafs stop adding Free Agents now, they'll carry enough cap space to bring Sundin back - should he decide to play. However, right now he isn't coming. Nobody has discussed this so far, but it seems pretty obvious that with Sundin in doubt, Tucker gone and McCabe on thin ice, the Leafs will be looking for a new captain - very likely from the free agent ranks or a tr...
According to TSN.ca, the Calgary Flames have signed recently bought-out RW Todd Bertuzzi to a one-year deal worth 1.95 million. The move comes just a day after the announcement that Owen Nolan has signed a 2-year pact with the Minnesota Wild for 5.5 million.
If anyone has read my previous blogs, they will know what a huge fan I was of Owen Nolan. A lot of people look ...
So for those of you who get lost sometimes in trades, I've tried to compile a good list of what Buffalo has given up and then gotten through trades in 2008:
[i][b]Trade Deadline Day 2008:[/b][/i]
[b]Sabres give up:[/b]
[20 Games of service from Brian Campbell]
7th round pick in 2008 Entry Draft [later became Drew Daniels (RW)]
[b]Sabres get:[/b]
Steve Bernier (...
For the third summer in a row, the Islanders and Sean Bergenheim continue to be on complete opposite sides when it comes to a contract. Obviously, Sean Bergenheim and his agent Marc Gandler feel that he has proven himself worthy of a long term, lucrative contract, while Garth Snow still feels Bergenheim has some proving to do and should receive either a one or two year, lo...
roenickscores08204 writes...
Holmgren gets 3-year extension, Asham signs multi-year deal
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Ed Snider announced today that the Flyers have reached an extension with current GM Paul Holmgren that will keep him for another three years. This is a great thing for the team and is easily our best signing of the year. Holmgren has done something that never happens in hockey. Through his great trades and signings he took a last place team to the Eastern Conference Finals...
July 8th, 2008
So the dust has setled, money has been thrown around as if it grows on trees, and we inch closer and closer to the 2008-2009 NHL season. It's the time of year when GM's, after months of analysing, scouting, and meticulous planning, get out their cell phones and start wooing agents and their clients to come play for their team. Massive contracts are being ...
[i]Hello everyone, I hope you enjoy each moments of the free agency frenzy, as always, this is a very thrilling and exciting moment for hockey fans.[/i]
Before the free agency period began, Bob Gainey said that he was looking for an impact player, looking at this year UFA bumper crop names like Hossa, Rolston, Huselius, Jagr and Sundin were the possible targets. So the ...
As the slow summer weeks pass, every day I hear fans, talk show host, and reporter’s talk about how "It's time to write off the Leafs", "They have no offence", "Team is full of 3rd and 4th liners". To a certain degree I would have to suck up my pride and agree, well I did until I started to think and research how they ranked last year. You would be surprised some of th...
Today, Flyers forward Patrick Thoreson has announced he is returning to Europe for next season. He will likely end up in Switzerland or Sweden. Before signing with the Oilers he played for Djurgarden and will likely return to play there. He will definitely be in the NHL in two years. He works his hardest on every shift and plays solid defense. If he can learn to bury his o...
The Blues signed RFA forward Steve Bernier to a one-year, $2.5 million contract today. The Vancouver Canucks have seven days to match the offer, or they will receive the Blues' second round draft pick in next year's draft as compensation.
Bernier, 23, totaled 32 points last season (16 goals, 16 assists) between the San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres. He was acquired via...
After today's announcement of the resigning of Jaroslav Halak to a 2 year deal worth a reported 1.55 million, the questions and rumors will no doubt begin again. How many games will he play? Will he be traded? Is he happy in his role as number 2? Personally i am a big Halak admirer. You have to respect a player who came in in the last stretch of the 2006-2007 season, in wh...
SoCalSharksGirl writes...
Latest Update on Ehrhoff, Clowe, Goc and.......Semenov?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So the tank has been quite for a few days now leaving us all to wonder the status of the remaining Free Agents that many people feel are crucial in re-signing to the team. The NHLPA has Ehrhoff listed as being signed for next year, but nothing has been officially announced on any feed that I can think of, and I was left to question if it's true. But leave it to David Pol...
With the recent reaction from the NHL to have the two feuding GM's cease and desist, I have come to ponder the real reason Kevin Lowe finally came out with a response to Brian Burke's one sided rants.
I am not here to say that either one of these GM's is accurate or correct in their assessments of each other as in business every decision is a risk. We hear the banter of...
It seems that Montreal has been tripped up in the free-agent chase early on, with the chase of Mats Sundin. What happens if Sundin continues to take his time?
(1) Alexi Yashin - A big step down from Sundin, but a player with a lot to prove and a desire to return to the NHL. He and Kovalev could be an interesting fit, BUT only if he's willing to swallow some pride and ta...
[i]Sabres fans, hockey fans, and all others:[/i]
This is my first chance to impress you with my opinions or bore you with my stupidity. UFAs and RFAs will come and go, and that is what you have to expect. It is no fun when its your favorite player (Drury, Grier,...ect.) and some times you just want to get rid of a guy (Kalinin). Its the busin...
As I have mentioned in a previous blog, I am a huge Leaf fan, have been for the past 26 years(entire life). Given my memories start back when Bester was the blue and white's net minder and they lost to the Blues in the first round of the playoffs(was at one of the games at the Gardens), I like to think I have a very open mind when it comes to hockey and the Leafs.
As ...
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...
tubbytreats writes...
Bernier Offer Sheet - Did Darcy really make the best deal?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Bernier was offered a 2.5m 1yr offer sheet by St. Louis, just mere days after Vancouver acquired him for a 2nd round pick in 2010 and 3rd round pick in 2009.
Since the offer sheet was in the 2.0mil to 3.0mil range, Buffalo (should St. Louis have filed the offer sheet) would have been entitled to St Louis' 1st and 3rd round picks in 2009.
Kinda stinky to see what coul...
First off, let's see how I did with my off-season move guesses (http://my.hockeybuzz.com/user.php?user_id=19560) and what Sutter did in comparison to my guesses:
1) [i]Trade Matthew Lombardi, Anders Eriksson, Andrej Taratukhin, and 2009 #2 Draft Pick to Florida for Olli Jokinen[/i]: [b]FAIL[/b]. Ok, so this big trade didn't happen, but that's not to say Sutter didn't try ...
Drive for Five writes...
Why We Deserve the Winter Classic at Yankee Stadium.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://nycya.com/5/images/wcsnoglobe.jpg[/img]
I can't get the thought of an Islanders Rangers Winter Classic at Yankee Stadium out of my head. I want it. Bad.
Ya know what else? I think we deserve it. All of us. Islanders fans, Rangers fans, hockey fans, baseball fans, New Yorkers, Long Islanders, Earthlings, and my dog.
We put up with a lot of garbage. On the...
Sharpen your edge on the competition visit www.hockeytalents.com
Sharpen your edge on the competition visit www.hockeytalents.com
Sharpen your edge on the competition visit www.hockeytalents.com
The world has come to an end. Well, not literally, but figuratively, with the signing of Big Burt. The Calgary Flames have signed Todd Bertuzzi to a one-year contract worth 1.95 million buckaroo's (I do know buckaroo's is not a word.)
The factor that makes this interesting is the call for mercy from the Flames. They are asking the fans to give Bert a second chance. T...
Will it be Burke or will it be Joe??
This is the new question cropping up in Leaf land. With the recent hiring of Joe Nieuwendyk as Cliff Fletchers assistant GM, there are whispers that Joe maybe the Leafs next GM in the next couple of years (if not before the 09/10 season). Mentoring under Cliff for possibly 2 seasons, learning the ropes, everything seems to be in pla...
Last week Jaromir Jagr confirmed he would be leaving the NHL to join Avangard Omsk of the Continental Hockey League, now 36 and with his heart set on an eventually return to his native Czech Republic and HC Kladno, the news all but certainly signals the end of Jagr’s oft brilliant, oft controversial NHL career after 17 years.
For anybody who grew up in the hockey world ...
According to XM Home Ice Radio, there is a rumor that the Blues, Kings, and Blackhawks are working on a possible deal. The rumored deal has the Kings acquiring goalie Nikolai Khabibulin from Chicago and defenseman Jay McKee from St. Louis; St. Louis would get defenseman Tom Preissing from Los Angeles and forward Martin Havlat from Chicago; and Chicago would get St. Louis' ...
QUICK NOTE: Radulov has agreed to opt out of his third year of his current rookie contract to sign with a Russian team.
http://allhockey.ru/news/33166
The Sundin saga is still undecided and only a few teams are still in the race. Detroit and the Rangers are out, due to cap space, Toronto seems to be a little bit erased, only Montreal and Vancouver seems to keep pushing very hard to land Sundin. The Canucks are rumored offering Mats a 2 years/20 millions deal, while the Canadiens offer stand to 2 years/15 to 16 millions.
...
http://flyerflies.com/blog/?p=171
Al Strachan of FoxSports.com has published a blistering criteria of the NHL's current financial status today, declaring that the NHL is still destroying itself from the inside out. This comes in the wake of a disappointingly bloated 2008 free agent market in which a number of high and mid-level players seemed to get far more in their n...
As the days towards the regular season draw closer and closer (three months away I know, I'm just comforting myself) the final rosters of many teams are set to go. When the off-season began, GM's around the league were busy re-shaping their rosters, and with that many teams will impose a bigger threat than last season.
I will begin with the [b][i]Eastern Conference[/i][...
It needs to be said...after all the hype and rumor and silly "connect the dots" conspiracy theories trotted out this Spring to suggest that Brian Burke wants to be the Leafs' next GM...somebody has to say it: "Why Burke?"
Even before Kevin Lowe leveled the boom with suggestions that Burke is more luck than genius, that he Left Dave Nonis with a mess in Vancouver; that ...
David Pollack dug around some to find out what the deal is with the one Shark we all want to have back next season, Ryan Clowe.
It all started when an article surfaced on sportsnet.ca about the future of the Sharks (link below). In it was a small statement basically stating that a deal was close to being reached since Doug Wilson and Ryan Clowe came to an agreement and ...
Okay, I've read through all the articles and all the comments, now here's my weigh-in on [b]The Great Radu-dini[/b]'s disappearing act from Nashville.
It may all be smoke and mirrors, but even if so, the smoke stinks and the mirrors reflect very badly for both the Nashville Predators and especially for one whose promise as a bright star in the NHL has now been all but ...
Hey, you guys, yeah I'm pointing at you in the media. It's time you stopped writing the same stuff over and over. I've started to get quite annoyed with the Toronto Hockey media the past few weeks because you continue to read the same things, printed in the paper and posted online, every day and every week. Okay, so Niklas Hagman, Jeff Finger and Curtis Joseph are not goin...
enjoy or hate
http://flyerflies.com/blog/
Have a great weekend.
I'm going to begin by saying I'm quite excited for the upcoming season and I really like the moves made by Jim Rutherford to retool the team and it's defence. The Canes have a new look, a few solid prospects, and this is the first season that I can remember where the primary news about the Hurricanes is not about the financial situation.
That said, how different are the...
Jerry Maguire.
Dan Boyle. Brian McCabe. Alexander Radulov. Nikita Filatov. Tommy Salo. Mike Milbury.
Brett Favre.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-farmer12-2008jul12,0,38150.story
As a new Packers fan I don't have the long term idolization most do, so Favre comes off kinda spoiled here when he says they didn't try hard enough to talk h...
nreeb21 writes...
Is the Re-build shot? What options do the Leafs Have?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
There has been much crash and bang about the Leafs moves so far this off season. Signings, buyouts and trades, especially of the draft picks involved. Here is my opinion of the moves thus far. Just keep in mind that an opinion is like an anus, everyone has one and you really only care about your own.....Now mine.
Buyouts:
[b]Tucker[/b] - $1 million cap hit for the...
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...
Rob McGowan writes...
Quiet on the Island With a Few Rumblings Here and There
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Since the start of free agency not much has occurred in Islander Country, but the media continues to draw attention to the Snow and Nolan rivalry, and it seems that there is definitely something brewing.
The early extension of Brendan Witt definitely raised a few eyebrows. Almost every fan I know was happy about this signing as Witt has been one of our most consistent ...
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...
this is wrong, a-channel in london is wrong and this must be retracted by tsn. williams has signed with sens i can guarantee you that my sources are never wrong
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=243386&lid=headline&lpos=secStory_nhl
wrong!
-SenSnippets(Eklund)
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...
I haven't gotten in on the Sundin debate, but I sure do read a lot about it. It's incredible how many theories, rumours and flip-flops we have to endure day to day. But for some reason this guy (meaning me) reads on and on.
Ok, for fun...I'll throw in my best guess...
Sundin will be a Hab.
It's been know within the organization for some time.
Grabovski was rumour...
The Associated Press is reporting Ted Nolan has been fired by the New York Islanders. The team's official Web site has confirmed the move.
General Manager Garth Snow on Nolan's ouster:
"Ted has helped us achieve some success over the last two seasons, however it has become clear that we have philosophical differences and have decided together to part ways," said Snow...
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...
[img]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20080714/nolan_47149.jpg[/img]
Ted Nolan's rocky reign as Islanders coach is now over. According to reports GM Garth Snow and Ted Nolan have decided to part ways. Kudos to Owner Charles Wang and Co. for giving Ted another go at an NHL bench and getting his foot back in the door, and at YoDingDong we wish Ted the best.
This is th...
Think back for a moment to the New Jersey Devils' three Stanley Cup championships in 1995, 2000, and 2003. In each of these cases, several important roster changes needed to be made in order to eventually lead the Devils to the promised land. And with two key free agent signings now under their belts, perhaps the 2008-09 Devils are one trade away from Stanley Cup number fo...
Ok so most of the non Rangers fans in the world continue to under estimate their young players. Enter Ryan Hollweg who virtually wrote his own release in game 3 of the Pens series. Although I didn't see the Leafs as an option, Holley will hit and grind it out up in T- DOT. I thought LA or Anaheim would have gambled on the fourth line winger, having been from Downy Calif...
Well i will get right to the point . All last season i heard from everyone and that blasted hockey news that we were gonna be a bomb out team in the 07-08 season . Well we did the exact opposite and had the best season for quite a long time . Now last seaosn i thought we would do better then we were projected but this season though optimistic I don't see us as the bonafide...
Aside from finishing school and being a free-lance aspiring writer I work at my buddies liquor store part time for some extra cash. We have a "regular" he buys McCormick Vodka, half-pints, daily. And during this past NHL season, knowing we are Flyer fans in the store, he would always ask me and my co-workers "When they gonna bring up Gauthier?" He was so set on it, he thou...
[i](WWSYFD is not an acronym for some new, horribly disfiguring communicable disease...at least not yet)[/i]
For those who have not crawled out from under their rock and read Julie's blog...please do so. [url]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=16214[/url]
Not only will it make you smarter, more attractive and almost irresistible to the opposite sex (and some...
iScoop writes...
Joey Kenward moves up to Vancouver Canucks from WHL Giants
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Great news!! I just received the following email from [b]WHL Vancouver Giants[/b] play-by-play broadcaster [b]Joey Kenward[/b]:
[quote]"Hello. Hope your summer is going well.....
"I wanted to let you know that I am taking a new path in my career. I will be leaving the Vancouver Giants at the end of this month. I have accepted a new job to be a [b]Vancouver Canucks ...
I just got back from the scrimmage and thought I would do a little write-up for all the Kings fans. I haven't see it, but I was told the broadcast was horrible so I hope this helps.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with how it was structured (since I had no clue before I went), there were two 25 minute games and if the score remained tied by the end of the 2nd, it wo...
On Monday, [b]Alexander Medvedev[/b] gave an exclusive interview to a correspondent of "Soviet Sport" paper in Russia regarding the transfer agreement situation. [url=http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://www.sovsport.ru/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search?q=sovetskiy+sport&hl=en&safe=off]Her...
Eric Desjardins has returned to the Flyers after just retiring two seasons ago, not as a player this time, but a coach. "Rico" will be working as a part-time developmental coach. He is expected to work closely with the prospects during the 8-day rookie camp that opens this Friday. With a veteran presence helping the young defensemen the Flyers have like Sbisa and Bourdon, ...
Red Wings forward, Dallas Drake, has announced his retirement today saying that he will not pull a Farve. This means that he is done with playing hockey in the NHL. He was a good, gritty journeyman and an intregral part for the Red Wings during the Stanely Cup Run.
I actually met Dallas. He played at Northern Michigan and ended up marrying a former classmate of mine ...
[b]First a little disclaimer: this blog won't be entirely different from my last as it concerns the addition of grit to the Avalanche in the upcoming season...thought you'd like to know now instead of later.
So, in the past few days, the Avs have resigned the "Cody Macs", that is Cody McLeod and Cody McCormick and now have added former Avs player Brian Willsie from the ...
To say I was expecting this would be a tremendous understatement. For the past two weeks I have been saying how we will not be seeing Nolan behind the bench to begin this season. There have been too many problems encompassing our poor Islanders this off-season, and now we've reached the pinnacle.
For a long time now, we have seen this tremendous (and public) debacle th...
nephew23 writes...
Dave Tippett Extended and a Classic Mid-Summer Classic!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The STARS rewarded Dave Tippett with a well-deserved 2-year extension, locking him up through the 2010-2011 season. Tip has one of the best, if not the best, regular season winning percentages of any coach in history. Under his guidance the STARS have been to the playoffs every year, and 2 wins from the Stanley Cup Finals last season. Tippett's success with the STARS pa...
I decided to write this blogg hoping maybe that Yelle would read it and return to the Flames. Just kidding, but I know that I would to see him return to the Flames to Center our Fourth line with the kids. Now Sutter I know has mentioned that he wishes Yelle the best, and said he will find a job in the nhl for sure. But I think maybe Sutter should think about resigning him ...
By Rich Hammond on July 16, 2008 1:21 PM
The Kings have signed restricted free agents Erik Ersberg, Gabe Gauthier, Matt Moulson and Joe Piskula to contracts for next season. I'll try to get the terms and money for these deals, particularly Ersberg, since he was headed for arbitration. I'd have to guess Ersberg agreed to a two-year contract, but that's just a guess.
...
[b]Current Events[/b]
So you thought it was going to be just another boring summer? As Isles fans well know, boring it never seems to be. Many Isles fan harp on that the coaching change is just another dreaded blemish to the cavalcade that have traipsed past us over the long and arduous years as Isles fans. Those dubious bruises to our fan egos that have hit us over and...
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...
mslepp writes...
Calgary Flames Sign Jamie Lundmark, UPDATED Grant Stevenson
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In what can only be described as an incredibly surprising move, Daryl Sutter has signed free agent forward Jamie Lundmark.
Lundmark had spent parts of two seasons with the Flames, his first of which after being acquired in the deal with the Coyotes for a fourth round pick. He was expected to add depth to our forwards for a playoff run and add some scoring. He did ju...
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...
Hey there to all my hockeybuzz brethren and sistren (is that a word? Sure, why not). So, this isn't a normal blog or anything just a call for help. I know that alot of you out there in hockeybuzz-land live in the greater Toronto area, and alot of the others have visited the area. So, my wife and I are making our first ever trip to the Toronto are in a couple weeks and othe...
[b]This blog is in response to the latest slew of rumors concerning the [former] Bulin Wall, Nikolai Khabibulin. Per EK's latest blog: "The Avalanche are currenty rumoured to be getting into the Khabibulin race." He goes on to say, "I frankly don't get it." Well that would make two of us, at least.
Let's take a look at some numbers, courtesy of NHLnumbers.com. The Avs c...
CAPMESS11 writes...
FORSBERG FOR X-MAS,COULD RANGERS LAND SWEDISH STAR?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Forsberg For X-mas, it just might happen. If predictions about Foppa's health stand pat, then he will be ready to get going sometime around the Holidays.The Rangers are currently holding out to see if they can land one more vet to accompany their young talent. Either they manage to pull one big rabbit out of a hat and grab Mats Sundin or bring back Brendan Shanahan for...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers Schedule...First Month of the '08-'09 Season
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I am so pumped for the start of the season. This is always one of my most favorite days during the summer. Here is the 08-09 Flyers schedule.
[url]http://flyers.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=SubseasonSchedule[/url]
I would like to take a look at the first month and my initial impressions:
Visitor Home
Sat Oct 11,...
Now, depending on who you read and which NHL insiders you trust, the next coach of the Islanders will be someone who is accepting of a massive youth movement. No, wait, he will have to be able to deal with disgruntled veterans. Hold it. That is not it either. I got it. I think.
He willl have to be a little crazy. Why? Besides the obvious reasons like a terrible arena, d...
Patch. Pacman. Max Pac. Whatever you want to call him, Max Pacioretty is the hot topic today as the Habs announced the 19 year old winger has signed a three-year entry level deal (financial terms not disclosed), effectively ending his college career. The move comes as a bit of a surprise-both Pacioretty and director of player recruitment and development Trevor Timmins were...
SoCalSharksGirl writes...
Sharks Development Camp and Possible Assistant Coaches...
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
There was an article on Tuesday on the Sharks site announcing that the Development Camp will be taking place for the next 5 days at Sharks Ice in San Jose. Unfortunate for us, the camp is closed to the media and the public, to allow for the guys to work without feeling judged.
McLellan will be there, but not on the ice. He will be observing and mentoring from a room abo...
After looking at the Red Wings schedule for the upcoming season I notice some very, very sweet weekends! As mentioned earlier in Mark Spizzirri's Red Wing blog here on Hockeybuzz, they have 2 tough road trips out west and of course everyone is talking about the New Years Day game vs. Chicago Blackhawks outdoors at Wriggley Field along with the unveiling of the Stanley Cup...
Two years ago, it was Sheldon Souray blasting shot after shot from his spot on the right point, taking Andrei Markov's passes and forcing teammates and opposition to duck for fear of having their heads ripped off by a piece of rubber flying at 100 mph.
Last year, the thought on everyone's mind was "What will we do without Souray?"..."The power-play is gonna be [i]brutal...
Last year, the Toronto Maple Leafs finished 7th last in the league after a dissappointing campaign that had high expectations. They failed to make the playoffs for a third straight year mainly because of poor defensive play and inconsistant back-up play by Andrew Raycroft.
Quite Frankly, I don't think Paul Maurice was quite up to the task of coaching in Toronto.
How...
[b]EK, on his latest blog, was suggesting the Avs have been linked to Pavel Kubina of the Leafs. He also states that the Avs are in the Jay Bouwmeester sweepstakes. Let's take a look at some numbers (per TSN stats):
Kubina, signed at $5M per until 2010:
Age 31, Games-664, Goals-83, Assists-187, Points-270, +/- of -86, PIM-827, Shots-1252
Boumeester, RFA, seeking clo...
[b]The Last Word[/b]
Authority. A yoke that fits some, and others not so well. When Ted Nolan and John Muckler clashed in Buffalo, stories littered the landscape in their wake. Hasek vs. Nolan and other more seedier tales that seemed terribly unfair. But perhaps not more unfair as the many years it took for Nolan to return.
When Snow and Nolan crossed swords, there ...
With the news that Ryan Miller has signed for a 5 yr deal i am sitting here excited for the upcoming season. people all over town have been going Enroth this Enroth that saying that we have no chance to sign miller, hes good as gone. Well to those people shame on you! hes here for 5 more years after this one at a reasonable 6.25 a year. Miller is smart to resign here becau...
Just when we thought the website war between the NHL and the NY Rangers was finished, the Rangers have struck back.
According to Newsday [url]http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/rangers/ny-sprang0718,0,5919151.story?track=rss[/url], the Rangers have asked the US District Judge to dismiss the case. here is the article.
[i]Madison Square Garden Thursday asked a ...
Mats could come to Nucks MG is trying to lure MS about the 2010 games
Well Shark fans, I know it is summer and the last echoes of the playoffs have trailed off, but there is still news to be had for Sharks fans? I know our bloggers are busy folks, but where have they gone Joe Dimaggio? Our teal nation turns it's lonely eyes to you.. What about camp? What about assistants? The big question is: What the hell is up with Ryan Clowe? All this tal...
roenickscores08204 writes...
Rumor: Flyers agree to four-year extension with Lupul
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Team 1260 in Edmonton is reporting that the Flyers have reached an agreement with Right Winger Joffrey Lupul. The deal is rumor to be a four-year extension and Sportnet is reporting that it will be about 4.25 million per year. Lupul finished last season with 46 points in just 56 games. He was on pace for well over 30 goals before an unfortunate collision with teammate Deri...
Happy Saturday Morning
http://flyerflies.com/blog/
Have a great weekend.
Its been 19 days since the the wave of blue and white faithful sat on edge waiting to see if Mats Sundin would sign on the dotted line with the Habs. Perhaps the Canucks would lure him with that huge 20 Mil. deal they waived.. wait, maybe he's gone to retirement.. Noone counted Sundin as a Leaf for the 08-09 schedule. Noone thought he'd ever come back to the lowly bottom...
The new schedule is out and you can view it on the sharks website. But I thought it might be nice to point out a few select dates and why they might be of interest to Sharks fans.
On October 17th, Eastern Conference powerhouse Philly visits. Sid the Kid (sorry, Captain Kid) and the mighty Pens visit the tank on Tuesday, October 28th in a Halloween preview. After all, ...
There's not much to say now about the Ted Nolan firing as it's all been taken care of. From my perspective I have to say that I am not happy that we have lost the best coach that we've had since Peter Laviolette. Teddy was one of the only few bright spots on this team, causing a team of underachievers and overrated veterans to actually be a competitive hockey team. But whe...
Here's a Swedish newspaper claiming that Sundin has chosen to play for the Vancouver Canucks next year. Could be just a rumour, could be true. Who knows, but fuel to the fire.
[url]http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=672&a=806514&rss=2216[/url]
Google translated page:
According to information provided to DN leaving Mats Sundin Toronto for Vancouver.
Sundin ...
The Flames have apparently signed the tough enforcer. This came out of left field. I really thought the Flames were beginning to look like the 04 flames. They said they were going to be younger this season. This is a contradicting to that phillosphy.
This move also adds another 4th liner for the Flames. But there could be another sinister plot in Sutter's mind. Co...
Lost in the shuffle of a busy offseason in Toronto is the status of Jason Blake. The drafting of Schenn, Sundin saga and the signings of Finger and Hagman have for better or worse received most of the attention of the media. The soon to be 35 year old American had a terrible year in 07/08 on a number of levels. We all know of the cancer scare he received and Jason has do...
Shout outs to
Karen, brooke, #23, Kristin, Donna, Theresa, Jeremy, Eric, and Erica.
They skated these kids very hard. At the end of the whole day several players jerseys were absolutely drenched all the way not in inch left unsweaty.
No one really stood out to me as head and shoulders above everyone else. Plus there was alot of skating drills as the Power Skati...
It is getting laughable of late with the continual flow of idiotic rumors about the future of Mats Sundin. The people who are pushing forward these "gems" are apparently doing so with the agenda of generating buzz. Whether for a blog or a Newspaper or a hockey themed show, Mats Sundin's story remains a "gravy train" for those seeking a boost in readers or ratings. The prob...
The Los Angeles Kings have re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Peter Harrold to a three-year contract, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today. Per club policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.
Harrold, 25, played in 25 games for the Kings last season, recording five points (2-3=5) and two penalty minutes. He scored his first c...
A short blog on today on the first day
Lalande, Kevin
Had a great day, his play has really improved. Kevin's lateral movement from side to side was very good. Still needs to work on his angles giving to much room for the shooter. But he is quicker than last year he looks like he has had a good summer working out.
Keetley, Matt
Looks like the old Matt as us...
The team looks good on paper and should go far
The mystery surrounding the resigning of Restricted Free Agent Ryane Clowe continues. As the summer drags on, no news comes forth about his status. We were led to believe from published reports that he had a "gentelmen's" agreement with Doug Wilson at the end of last season. The only outstanding issue had been length on contract as reported. So what is up? Since no news is...
As I was wasting more of my life on YouTube today I decided to watch one of the Rangers top, if not the top, prospect Alexei Cherepanov, aka the Siberian Express. Here's the link if you’re interested http://youtube.com/watch?v=KeanH3tLnoM. At one point in this video an analyst mentioned that the Rangers had already stitched Cherepanov in the back of the jersey. Now I'...
SoCalSharksGirl writes...
Sharks Assisstant Coaches to be Announced on Wednesday?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
For those of you who are not as up to date on the news coming out or going into San Jose, David Pollack of the Mercury News is reporting another name that was leaked for yet another possible assistant coach.
If you read my previous blog, you would know that we've already heard of Trent Yawney out of Chicago, and Jay Woodcroft out of Detroit, and now we have Todd Richar...
I've been passively flipping through some of the economic news of the day and have found several sources suggesting that we should not in any way be trading futures on oil and food. Sounds simple enough - why hoard the necessities of the day and drive up the price for those who simply can't afford it?
I also just saw that Dennis Wideman just got $15.75M over 4 years. ...
FuzE_gus writes...
Leafs honour Clark and Gilmour, but should they have?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
As reported by TSN: "The Toronto Maple Leafs will honour former captains Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour by raising their numbers to the rafters of the Air Canada Centre this season."
Both were great players without a doubt and both were classy guys as well. However, neither brought a championship to the Leafs, the ultimate model of greatness in any league. If these pla...
[i]Many Predator fans have been wondering where Pred's blogger PredJoe has been this off season. This article pulled from wire reports answers this question. [/i]
[b]Ufa Russia [/b]- While the international dispute continues over young Alexander Radulov and his NHL and KHL contracts one American is also seeing if, he too, can strike gold in Russia.
PredJoe has been b...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Drugs & the NHL-Just How Big is the Elephant in the Corner??
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200710/r191754_722844.jpg[/img]
Mark McGwire
Jose Canseco
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Andy Pettitte
Marion Jones
Floyd Landis
Chris Benoit
Bill Romanowski
Lyle Alzado...
The list goes on and on. Allegations of performance enhancing drug* use by professional athletes seems to be as common an occurrence on our...
The Detroit Red Wings are giving goaltending prospect, Jimmy Howard, all the confidence in the world even though is has not one but two battles on his hands this upcoming year. Howard will earn $600,000 if he makes the club or $200,000 if he is assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. He will not have to clear waivers if sent down. He will also earn a set salar...
[b]DAY 2 THE FORWARD AND DEFENCMEN COME TO CAMP
[/b]
Let me start out like this; I am telling you about this camp through my eyes. It is really hard to judge a rookie by a first day in camp. I can only tell you what I see. This is not a make-or-break statement about said rookies. Now, that being said, let's discuss the observations of camp day 2.
[b]
Group A[/b]
...
Rivalries between friends who share a passion for different hockey teams is a tireless tradition. Making fun of friends whose team has performed poorly is almost as fun as watching your own team win.
Blogging sites such as this one have allowed strangers to debate tirelessly on endless topics often escalating to virtual fighting.
As a Canadiens fan I have personally...
First off let me apologize to all of the Toronto Maple Leaf fans that were hoping Brian Burke was going to be their General Manager next year, but the writing is on the wall that he is staying with the Ducks.
What is that writing you may be asking yourself? Well, it’s the Ducks resigning of Randy Carlyle to a two year contract.
Now I'm sure you're asking yourself,...
As it has been rumored for the past week now, the names of the new assistant coaches in San Jose were officially announced today by Doug Wilson. Three of the names (Trent Yawney, Jay Woodcroft, and Todd Richards) were already leaked in the media over the last few days, but a couple new names were also mentioned in the press release. Of all the new additions, the one I'm ...
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 off-season moves made by the Leafs are puzzling to say the least. The strangest was the hiring of Ron Wilson as head coach. Wilson is a defense first, hard nosed, no nonsense coach. He will be able to install a system that the Leafs have needed for years.
Most of Leafs Nation would like to see the team finish last in order to get the top pick in the '09 draft, my...
ladynic writes...
7/23/08 Trial on the Isle, Flyers prospect camp event (pics)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Shout outs to Erica, Brenda, Karen, Julie, Brooke, Theresa, Donna, Bill and Scott
Thank you to all the Flyers prospects for a great day.
I missed the opening act for this day due to bad online directions. When I got there the players were doing group shots on the beach.
I believe they may have gotten done sooner then expected.
When talking to Jim McCrossin l...
[b]DAY 3 PROSPECTS CAMP[/b]
First of all, I am going to try to have a small write up on every prospect except Boyd; he is not really a prospect. I want to apologize for some criticisms, I am just commenting on how they played, not on the person.
[b]GROUP A
FORWARDS
75 John Armstrong
[/b]
I actually saw some light at the end of the tunnel for Armstrong. His...
doktordave writes...
Sundin Seen Eating Ice Cream - Canucks/Habs Camps Thrilled
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
How many dumb Sundin Rumors have you seen today? Personally, I'm starting to feel a little taken for granted with some of the ridiculous stuff out there. Today for example, Ek tossed out that some unnamed source in the Habs camp had indicated that there was additional excitement today surrounding Sundin. Considering what Sundin said a few short days ago, could this be any ...
Listening to "Leafs Lunch" on AM640 this after noon I heard some interesting things. Mike Seidel of THN and Chief Scout for North American Central Scouting mentioned that a source close to him and he considers very reliable told him that (and im paraphrasing) Sundin really wants to come back to Leafs but he also wanted former Leafs captain Doug Gilmore as an assistant coa...
While listening to HTM on XM radio this morning on my way to work, Ron Rimmer made mention that people were complaining about the Winter Classic. Didn't hear why but it made me think. If this is going to be an every year event, what can be done to spice it up.
First thing I thought was make it an Original 6 matchup every year. We have Det v Chi this year so why not Rang...
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 ...
[b]DAY 4 PROSPECTS CAMP[/b]
First of all, I am going to try to have a small write up on every prospect except Boyd; he is not really a prospect. I want to apologize for some criticisms, I am just commenting on how they played, not on the person.
[b]GROUP A[/b]
[b]FORWARDS[/b]
[b]75 John Armstrong[/b]
John continues to shine he is beginning to show why we d...
Toskala35 writes...
Anaheim's AHL Affiliate Sets up Best Publicity Stunt Ever
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The [b]Anaheim Ducks[/b] have a new [b]AHL[/b] affiliate, and what better way to bring buzz to the team with a good, ole fashion, publicity stunt. Well the [b]Iowa Chops[/b] have gone above and beyond any publicity stunt seen before... It may seem like I'm going way off topic here, but hold on:
The entire sports world is hanging onto every piece of news in the [b]Brett ...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Quick Hits: Isles Training Camp, Coach Interviews, Gervais Resigned
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Isles will be doing their training camp once again in Moncton later this summer.
Of course, this year will be without their favorite adopted son, Ted Nolan, who led their Moncton Wildcats before his 2 year stint with the Isles. Nolan has some saying will one day likely return there after being paid off this year.
The Isles sans-Nolan will be interesting for ticket ...
[b]Re-signed Chuck Kobasew[/b]
The Bruins re-signed Kobasew to a new 3-year deal with a 2.3 cap hit. I'm probably not the only one who believes that Chucky would have made a huge difference in our 7-game quarterfinal war against the Habs. He potted 22 goals in 73 games during the regular season on a team that was usually referred to as offensively handicapped. Despite ...
Ok so Sundin dosen't stink but the statement is true. If the Canucks do actually land this fat fish it may take up more room in the tank than we can afford.
Think about next year (because this is a two year deal) we have dome pretty big signings coming up i.e. Sedins, Edler. Ohlund, Krijacek, Burrows, Shannon, Pettinger, Bernier. Do you see any of these players taking a...
Anyone else think that the NHL, Executives, Players, and Agents alike use him to deflect the real goings-on in the NHL?
I think so.
His blogs are as reliable as a Ford Pinto, or less reliable. It's like bizarro blogging. Whatever he writes, just believe the opposite and it would stand a much better chance of becoming true.
Sundin going to Montreal or Toronto? well...
There are polar opinions on the Leafs decision to recognize two former players with a number honouring ceremony this season. Apparently, some hockey fans belive these players to be unworthy of recognition, for a multitude of reasons. I can respect your opinions, whatever they may be, I don't however, agree with them.
I have a confession to make first off. Doug Gilmou...
Here are 13 why reasons that Mats Sundin should sign with the Habs:
1. Sundin has a Stanley Cup drought of 17 years and the Hab have a drought of 15 years. They are in a position to help each other out.
2. Sundin would put himself to not only win a Stanley Cup, but to win it in the greatest hockey city on earth. When you win a cup in Carolina, you get a ring. When y...
[b]So as you will probably already know and as per the Denver Post, Marek Svatos has resigned with Colorado for 2 years, with a contract worth $4.1M (1.75/2.35). It is great to see Svatty back in our colors after all the talk surrounding possible trading partners like Chicago and Florida. Though I wouldn't rule those deals out, per se, for the time being, I'm really happy ...
Happy Saturday Morning
http://flyerflies.com/blog/?cat=109
Cheers
You know when you turn on the TV and hear an update from TSN telling you that Player X has signed a deal for just over 20million over 5 years and then it shows on the screen it was 20.4million? Is it just me or is the biggest joke that 400 thousand US can be considered just over. How many people who read this can make 400k in that 5 year span? Are we really losing persp...
Shout outs to everyone. I think I texted everyone who kept me informed all the days I could not go. I hope that I lived up to the expectations.
Today there was alot of switching back and forth between rinks. It made the time go much faster so that they didn't have to wait for the zamboni to finish.
Today's scrimmage was very high tempo and physical. There wer...
This year the North West division might be the closest and one of the most interesting divisions in hockey. Why you ask? Well because all 5 teams have a legitimate chance of winning the Division but all face certain questions that could make or break there season. But who really knows anyone could be a top three seed come April.
[u][b]Colorado Avalanche[/b][/u]
...
Well while the entire world ceases to function while awaiting Mat's decision, I thought I would look over the cap. How is your team looking? Lets look at the overs and close to overs first.
Saying the the ideal # of players is 22 on your big club roster. (1 extra forward and d and obviously 2 tenders). How many teams have backed themselves into corners.
1. The Anaheim Du...
Let me know what you think.. I put forth a few hours of effort into this one:
http://img507.imageshack.us/my.php?image=isleslighthousejerseycoup5.jpg
steal_your_faceoff writes...
The Law of Unintended Consequences: The Cap & Cost Certainty
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Law of Unintended Consequences states that any purposeful action will likely produce some unexpected or unintended consequences. These consequences are almost always divergent from the intended result and, often, the polar opposite.
Two words uttered by Gary Bettman, in 2004, radically changed the landscape of the National Hockey League forever. This notion plunge...
I would like to thank Mr. Spratt Personally he was a great to allow me some time with him. I can tell, what the Flames see in James Spratt you can tell a lot about man by his dad thanks so much again. I will posting another interview with Mr Severen in a couple of days both men deserve equal time.
...
With training camp about 6 weeks away the Calgary Flames sit at about 2.3 million over the salary cap (according to Cap Central). If you count the signing of Andre Roy, which was actually a one-way deal at 550,000, it puts the Flames nearly 3 million dollars over the cap.
GM Darryl Sutter has been seen on Canadian Media and read throughout local papers saying he's done...
The Montreal Canadiens are coming off of a Cinderella type season, where the so called experts picked them to finish anywhere between 10th and 13th in their conference. Instead, we saw the emergence of Kostitsyn and Plekanec, the resurgence of Alex Kovalev and the Good, the Bad and the Ugly side of Carey Price. The end result was a spectacular surprise first place in the...
With the summer coming to a close (as much as I want hockey season back, I hope this next month moves like a glacier) the Islanders are working hard to fill the vacancy left by Ted Nolan's removal.
The potential candidates have been mentioned constantly in the media. I am confident in who I think should be the next one to take the bench, but the list is filled with man...
millertime writes...
Latest problem in Pro Sports: Not honoring contracts
Posted Monday | Comments 0
You see it in the NFL. Currently, Buffalo Bills' Jason Peters is holding out of training camp until a new deal gets inked. He wants more money, even though he's already signed for the next three years.
You see it in MLB. Look no further than the whole Manny saga in Boston right now. And if you're not much familiar with that, here's the low-down: http://insider.espn....
Hi Folks the carnival is on as I reported previously. Tickets are now on sale. Here is the link to purchase the tickets.
http://www.cotecarnival.eventbrite.com/
Hope to see you there.
During the last few days, I've been pondering what the upcoming season will have in store for Les Habitants and I'm going to pre-emptively strike and deliver a late-July season preview (actually most of the major hockey preview magazines will be out in a few weeks and they have pretty much finished their season preview writing as well).
Although I have no proof, (much l...
FLAMESTR writes...
In Conversation wit a proud Father C.J. Severen's Dad
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]Interview with Mr. Severen
CJ's father[/b]
[b]FLAMESTR[/b]: You mentioned one thing yesterday that I want to start out with. He started out at what, four and a half?
[b]Severyn[/b]: He was rollerblading at three and a half, and at four and a half he stepped on the ice. The first time he stepped...
Earlier today on NHL Home Ice (XM Radio), they were discussing the five burning questions surrounding the New Jersey Devils as we head into the 2008-09 season. And from those five questions, they derived five incredibly biased answers. I love my XM and couldn’t live without it, but the truth is that they certainly make no attempt to hide their allegience to Leaf Nation�...
Thanks to HB's own Howard Berger http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=16358 , information about the many new team 3rd jerseys are leaking out. For Sharks fans, it looks like the return of the black jersey. A bit overdone, but it looks like the logo will be the full shark body logo. http://bp3.blogger.com/_r8tWGVHrjGI/SJBtoG-FxVI/AAAAAAAAFRs/H_x_FefGUtU/s1600-h/sjssha...
Ok so before Rangers fans panic at the Nedved button understand his invitation is only an insurance policy. In the event that the Sundin train pulls into MSG the club will have to clear cap room. Moving a center like Blair Betts plus to a club like LA who still needs to reach the cap floor is an option. What's attractive to opposing teams is that a few of the Rangers su...
Hope all the hockeyheads are enjoying the off-season...
For Flyers fans looking for an update on their team's status, THN's Coach of the Year John Stevens will be on with Harry Mayes and Dan Schwartzman tonight on 950ESPN in Philadelphia...
The coach is scheduled to call in at 8:25pm tonight...
If you miss it but want to hear the coach's thoughts, the podcast will...
I have posted this over in the forums too, but some people may not venture into that part of the board, so I felt I would dedicate an actual blog to the news.
Rich Hammond, the most reliable source for legitimate information on the team, has given a couple updates on the status of some of the players on the team.
First, there are two players at the top of the RFA lis...
I won't write what others have written about the Red Wings signing Valterri Filppula, however I will write about how much money he will will receive for the 5 year contract and what that means to some current Red Wings players.
Filppula's contract is:
2008-2009 $2 mil
2009-2010 $2.5 mil
2010-2013 $3.5 mil for the final three years
What this means is the Red Wing...
[b]OVERALL IMPRESSIONS OF THE FLAMES PROSPECTS CAMP[/b]
I was quite pleased when I went to this camp. It was really interesting to see the progress of the players. I love the talent; I had no idea of the ability of the prospects. The Flames will have a solid future for many years to come. Especially in the net, where they have plenty of depth.
What made it more fun...
I made this comment recently in response to someone saying that the Rangers are at the top of the list.
Look at logically:
As of right now the Rangers have less than a million in cap space left. Lets assume Sundin is commanding at least 7 milliion on the market to go to a 'contender'. That's a fair number since it is reportedly the same as Montreal's offer. Well the ...
In the world of sports, the playoffs are often referred to as the "second season." Hockey fans know that the current season never really ends until the puck is dropped for the first game of the next one. In this sense, one can look at the off-season as the "third season," which has been less exciting than the previous summer for the Anaheim Ducks (having won the greatest...
Wow! What a difference 12 hours make! Last night I came across a blog from one of the Sharks broadcaters, Randy Hahn, that gave some hope that Clowe would be re-siging with the team. Then, I checked out David Pollack's Blog, and he had a quote from Doug Wilson which simply stated “We have an understanding,” Wilson said this week of the stalled talks with Clowe, “a...
Wow! What a difference 12 hours make! Last night I came across a blog from one of the Sharks broadcaters, Randy Hahn, that gave some hope that Clowe would be re-siging with the team. Then, I checked out David Pollack's Blog, and he had a quote from Doug Wilson which simply stated "We have an understanding," Wilson said this week of the stalled talks with Clowe, "and we'...
It is becoming apparent that Mats really isn't excited about any of the choices being offered. One theory is that he'd really like to take a year off and return to a stronger Maple Leafs team - but after the lockout year, he knows full well the uncomfortable truth about being over 35 and being away from the NHL for a year - if you don't stay in absolute top shape, you fac...
I don't know if anyone will read this because it is in a list of many other bloggers...and to be honest, I don't know if anyone has said this because I read very few of the other blogs....
So...that being said....this is the quote that has done it for me:
"Mats is like Peter (Forsbeg) in that he would rather surprise than disappoint." -From a recent Eklund rumour -...
Hello. My name is tangent_man.
(pause for 'hello, tangent_man'...)
I'm a buzz-aholic. I check my hockey-buzz before I check my email in the morning. Is there anything I can do to alleviate the pain??
Please help me...
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...
One more word of thanks to those of you who took the time to read my first post, and special thanks to nephew23 for helping me clean up some "technical difficulties." Anyway, last time I noted that all future posts would be more condensed and follow a general format, so let's get right to it.
The latest signing by the Ducks is of a Norris Trophy winner, but before you ...
If this off season is as slow and arduous to any of you as it is to me I'm guessing many of you have already tried the same exercise that i'm about to do. In fact, i've seen many suggestions on the HB boards, and they have in part helped shape my perception of how the Leafs will look come opening night.
Now, keep in mind, there can still be changes to the roster within ...
Today, I picked up the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and saw a story about the competition in Rams training camp for the 3rd string quarterback position. So, I decided it was time to start writing about hockey, because I’m already sick of football and baseball. Since the Post-Dispatch isn’t going to satisfy my hockey craving, I’ve taken matters into my own hands. Today, bo...
During the weekend I asked myself why Bob Gainey called Sundin's Agent J-P Barry before the "August 1st deadline?" To be honest with all of you, neither I have found a logical or a "reasonable" answer on where Gainey is going. Perhaps, it's my French Canadian blood inside of me, that makes me think that it is useless and I arrived to the conclusion that fans from Quebec ar...
It was just a few years ago when Maxim Afinogenov was loved by many in Buffalo.
"MAX NATION" was a craze! You heard a loud "ahhhh" take over the HSBC (Hot Sauce, Blue Cheese) Arena every time he touched puck.
Now Max is fading in popularity with his in-ability to play defense which tends to lead him to the BOX. And his mis-conception of how big nhl defensemen really ar...
Isn't it obvious that Mats Sundin is playing TML? And who can blame him!? Think about it, If you were Mats right now, after being asked to waive your ntc after stating you don't want to be a rental player, wouldn't you be a little pissed off? I mean sure Fletcher was doing his job but for god sake, he already had said no, Mats had been loyal to the Leafs, they should show ...
It's fun when the team you cheer for has great propects and great prospect camps because you get to hope that they will crack the line up, this was the case recently in Calgary where some of the young talent made the fans think, "what if?".
"Flamstr" wrote a few great blogs on prospect camp and even interviewed the families of a couple (if you haven't read these it's wort...
This is an inside look into Mike Gillis, his past, his role, and the challenges that he has yet to face.
I am a long time canucks fan, and over the last few months have witnessed many Pro and Negative Gillis statements. This blog is for all canucks fans to take a step back and look at Mike Gillis in a different perspective. I hope it's also a different perspective f...
Although Canada will win the Gold Medal in 2010 (c'mon take your best shot!!) I thought it would be fun to name the team now and save everyone the wait! Of course you might not agree with my opinion here and I look forward to your input.
Let's start in the back for a change because this could be more muddy than we think. To me, hands down, it's Luongo. BUT he honestly d...
As a hockey fan in America, I sometimes find myself in a situation which I'm sure some of you have faced before as well. When talking sports with someone, you may happen to mention that your favorite sport is hockey, and in response you receive nothing but a blank stare. It's almost as if the other person is silently answering, "No, seriously, what sport?" It is indeed fru...
[img]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/EaglesWallpaper/sundinhospital-1.jpg[/img]
[b]My attempt at a comedic view of the Sundin Saga, might as well do something to pass the time, so read this:[/b]
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A Doctor paces the hallway of a transplant ward of a hospital. In his hands, a heart, it shows...
There is something called the right of first refusal in the C.B.A., if you read the paragraphs that deal with offer sheets you see this term a lot and it's important to remember.
Recently with Brian Burke and his latest calling out of Kevin Lowe and blaming him for the sky rocketing price of player salaries this argument raised it's ugly head again. I've read bloggers o...
CAPMESS11 writes...
RANGERS BEST OPTION FOR LATER COULD BE TO MOVE ROZSIVAL NOW
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It is inevitable that the Rangers will have to move some players to make room for Mats Sundin. I still think they should remain in the hunt,as the Rangers will need another scoring threat to compete in the East.For one or two years the Blue shirts would add much needed size to slow down the attack of the Pens,Flyers and beefed up Tampa.I think a line of Mats,Naslund,and...
As each day passes Leaf fans wonder what the hell is Mats Sundin thinking and when will he ever make up his mind on whether he wants to play or not and if yes where?
The question is will Sundin come back to the buds or has his time here passed?
I for one think Sundin might be leaning Toronto's way based on everything he has said in the past but lets not talk about th...
I swear, I love David Pollack!! The man never quits working, and is always keeping us Sharks fans fed with information about the team that no one else seems to get!
First off, he suggests that there could be an announcement coming soon that Marc-Edward Vlassic will be receiving a contract extension before next July when he becomes a RFA. Getting him locked up before h...
B.D. Gallof writes...
PuckDaddy Provides Summer Fun with Bettman Photoshop Contest
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Summer post Free Agency and draft is usually dog days to whip up hockey interest. Not on Greg Wyshynski's Puck Daddy blog, on Yahoo. Greg and Puck Daddy contributor, Sean Leahy (also of the excellent Going Five Hole Pens blog), came up with a brilliant contest this summer.
[b]The Puck Daddy Art Contest: Gary Bettman, Portraits in Heroism[/b]
http://sports.yahoo.com/...
Thanks to Brett Favre, Cowboys' training camp, and the [b][u][i]Texas Rangers actually still in the playoff hunt[/i][/u][/b], there is very little news about the STARS to report!
According to Mike Heika from the Dallas Morning News ... Les Jackson has told him that the STARS will not contact Mark Parrish about playing for Dallas this season. Apparently they are too clo...
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...
There are those who play in NY and those who play for NY. In the NY sports market there are the types who follow the money and not their hearts and crumble under the big lights. But then there are those that blend into the bright lights and become one with the city. From baseball to hockey we have seen players come here only to crash and burn . There was Theo Fleury wh...
Happy Saturday Morning hooligans.
Funny how the hockey world works. 10 years ago everybody was a monster like Lindros now the little guys like Kane, Giroux and Gagner are popping up all over the place.
Very weird by I’m not a big fan of Corona, just don’t like putting lime in my beer I guess.
Now a lime in my rye and ginger, now your talking.
Since we are o...
Happy Saturday Morning hooligans.
Funny how the hockey world works. 10 years ago everybody was a monster like Lindros now the little guys like Kane, Giroux and Gagner are popping up all over the place.
Very weird by I’m not a big fan of Corona, just don’t like putting lime in my beer I guess.
Now a lime in my rye and ginger, now your talking.
Since we are o...
Happy Saturday Morning hooligans.
Funny how the hockey world works. 10 years ago everybody was a monster like Lindros now the little guys like Kane, Giroux and Gagner are popping up all over the place.
Very weird by Im not a big fan of Corona, just dont like putting lime in my beer I guess.
Now a lime in my rye and ginger, now your talking.
Since we are on the ...
Few remember the promise that some scouts saw in this young behemoth when prior to his draft year, he led his country of Kazakhstan to a romp over Iceland in some international game in one of the low level groups. He scored 11 goals, 15 assists in a single game, and with that 6' 5" frame, and his youth, he seemed a sure bet for great things some day in the NHL.
Fast fo...
Not much to report concerning the Ducks this past week, or even the league in general, so this entry will focus more on speculation than hard news.
GM Brian Burke joined Wild founding owner Bob Naegele, Jr., former NHL defenseman Phil Housley, and Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay as recipients of this year's Lester Patrick Trophy. The award, named after the former Ranger play...
Ron Guillet writes...
McCabe's Departure Is Kubina's Gain; And The Captain Issue
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
After months of playing hard-ball, it appears Bryan McCabe is finally realizing his tenure in Toronto is tarnished, and the only way to continue with his career is to start anew.
According to The Toronto Star, McCabe's agent, Ian Pulver, has confirmed the two sides have been discussing the possibility of a trade. ''Bryan is starting to think about possibly getting his ...
goblades writes...
Soultion to Panthers: Return to 1996 Hardwork and Chemistry
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
So lately been thinking, why not give this blogging a try so I want to take a shot at it and will try to stick something up periodically, and possibly even on a weekly basis. So a quick little bit about myself, I have been a Panther and NHL fan since 1993 (Yup before they even had players), though have lived in the vast province of Saskatchewan. I like to think I have a pr...
Well. It's been a long, long offseason so far, but we're still alive, waiting for our Habs patiently. The waiting is painful, and we're all very hasted to see what our favorites are gonna do this year. Well, at least, there are several entertaining questions surrounding "Les Habitants". Will Sundin sign here? How will Tanguay do? Will Laraque have a good impact on the team...
With around five weeks until pre-season action kicks into gear, the Habs' talented core is training hard to try and repeat a successful season. Among those players lies an underrated defensive defenseman, one who I believe will get noticed (more so), and feared league wide by the end of next season.
The 7th overall pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft compiled some impressi...
How good of an NHL player will he be? Who knows but I'm sick and tired of people looking looking at www.hockeysfuture.com or www.russianprospects.com to find scouting reports that are 3 years old thinking that thats all the player could offer. I believe a year a go Anton Stralman was listed as i believe a 6.0 B or C which is a bottom pairing being the ceiling of his potent...
Let's start off with an introduction. I haven't been on this site, and posting a blog in a while. So, the name's Johnathan. I'm a 16-year-old highschooler from Toronto, Canada. I've probably already lost credibility in saying that, haven't I?
Well, how's this one - I'm writing this blog in the middle of night, my head pounding while eating a bad of Lays potato...
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...
I love looking back to see what kind of ramifications past trades hold on the present-time NHL. For example, in 1990 the Flames and Devils swapped a number of picks that gave the Flames the 11th pick (Trevor Kidd) and the Devils the 20th pick... which just happened to be Martin Brodeur. Bruins blogger Jesse Connolly wrote about the Cam Neely/Barry Pederson trade that, af...
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...
blues fan 257 writes...
Ovechkin vs. Crosby The Great Debate -- Year 3
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It is difficult to make a comparison on the 2007/2008 season with these two superstars due to the injury of Crosby, but here are some key points.
Ovechkin side--
Ovechkin averaged .79 goals per game and 1.37 points pergame to Crosby's .45 goals per game and 1.36 points per game. These statistics are more accurate than total numbers due to Crosby missing several games. ...
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 ...
After using hockeybuzz as a resource for hockey rumours and information for almost 5 months, I have finally decided to create my own blog, to discuss anything and everything primarily about the Toronto Maple Leafs.
To briefly introduce myself, I am a sixteen year old highschooler and live outside of Toronto, Canada. I play competitive hockey, and have always been a hu...
After a great blog by Mslepp on the Gilmore/ Leeman trade I was inspired to point out a few really poor trades in the club's history. You tell me what you think was the worst of the following or if you have one to add, by all means please do so!
First up has to be the aforementioned Trade:
Jamie Macoun, Ric Nattress, Kent Manderville, and Rick Wamsley FOR
Gary Leeman,...
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20017820&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18170&rfi=6
Since I have not seen it mentioned anywhere here on HockeyBuzz, the Penguins, City of Pittsburgh, SEA and all other relevant parties, including a few hundred Penguin Fans chanting "Let's Go Pens", held the official ground-breaking yesterday for the new arena that will probably be one of the finest arena's in all of professional hockey when it opens in the fall of 2010.
...
That’s right folks, it’s my favorite part of the summer…the part where you still have some time left before normal life resumes, yet hockey season is so close you can almost taste it. (In case you were wondering, it tastes like Cracker Jack.) And so, it is time for my 2008-09 predictions. I assure you that I purposely wrote and published this blog before so much as g...
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...
Can you believe it?
Good ol' Ek posted that a source (no e-rating)....is suggesting Sundin may want to play for the Rangers so baddly that he'll play for as little as $2 million. [my face is still sore from laughing at this one]
Never mind that Mats this week publicly stated that he's still wrestling with whether he want to play in the NHL this year and expects that ...
With even less news on the Ducks front over the last seven days than the previous week, we'll start of this entry by taking a look at the recent events surrounding Anaheim's new AHL affiliate, the Iowa... Chops... *ahem*.
The club formerly known as the Stars has done all it can to keep itself in the spotlight since adopting its new moniker, from the unveiling of the tea...
I'm relatively new on the hockeybuzz.com blog scene, but I am going to try and write at least one a week with the title above; "Is it just me..."
In this, the first installment, I am going to discuss the current Maple Leafs roster, as it stands today, and how it would fair this upcoming season.
Of course, as stated, this is how it stands today, so I am going to exclu...
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...
Ok as with the other blogs i spin and then give my opinion on tthe selected team .
Onto the spin....
and it's the Islanders
NYI is an interesting team to cover , as really much as i personally like the team I see them burning in the cellar this season . But onto the forwards.
Forwards
Guerin-Comrie-Okposo
Bergenheim-Weight-Hunter
Sim- Sillinger-Park
Tambelli...
So, being that this the first blog I have ever written on here, I wanted to stay somewhat neutral with my topic. That means no Sundin or McCabe talk, no Radulov and CHL talk, no trade rumors or speculations. Just something fun.
What I want to know is if you were to make a team, using one player from every team, who would you pick? Now let me add the restrictions. You mu...
Ok well you all know the drill , i spin my little roulette and it comes out on a team . I then precede to give me un-expert like run down on the team and what i think of it . Well and here we go onto the spin.
And we have the Vancouver Canucks.
Vancouver Canucks
Ok when we all hear the name Vancouver we generally don't think the following words. Goals , offence ,...
These are just for fun, and to get discussion going. If you disagree that's cool, just don't bash, as that always seems to happen on these boards.
EAST:
1.Pittsburgh Penguins
2.Montreal Canadiens
3.Washington Capitals
4.Philadelphia Flyers
5.New York Rangers
6.Ottawa Senators
7.Boston Bruins
8.New Jersey Devils
---------------
9.Carolina Hurricanes
10.Buffalo...
Though he's a Swedish citizen and never been involved in politics, sources suggest that Mats Sundin has been offered a spot on Barrak Obama's ticket as Vice Presidential candiate. Now we have 6 teams in North America and 1 political party pursuing the vaunted Swede. Sundin apparently has asked for a few days to think it over. Meanwhile, Republican John McCain is rumored to...
Most people argue and debate which is the best division, the toughest, weakest and toughest to win. But not many people have thought to see what was the most talented division and i will let you decide with the Allstar Teams for each division.
[u][b]Northwest All-Stars[/b][/u]
[u]Lineup[/u]
Iginla-Sakic-Gaborik
Smyth-Horcoff-Stastny
Sedin-Sedin-Hemsky
Gagne...
With nothing else to look forward to until Sundin says "Yes", "No", or "I quit",
we may as well look at some of the Canucks prospects. This is in know way whats going to happen, or what a "source" said.
Grabner is the only player i see making the team...
Continuing the blog as I said I would for all you loyal blog readers, and all comments, suggestions, etc are welcome and appreciated.
For this weeks blog, I want to know; is it just me... or are you as torn as I am as to what you want the Leafs to accomplish next season. Sure, finishing dead last would give us the best odds at drafting highly-touted John Tavares, howeve...
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...
Lets say hypothetically the rumoured McCabe for Van Ryn swap happens. Who do you like better as a hockey player. Lets put aside the contract situations, the infamous own goal brain cramp, the pure hatred Leaf fans have towards #24. Is this a good hockey trade for the Leafs? Is Van Ryn an upgrade or a downgrade? I'm curious to hear peoples opinions from a pure hockey p...
With just about every story not already covered by other outlets exhausted, this week's Duck Puck discusses a question that has been posed all summer long.
How will the Ducks get under the salary cap?
Currently, Anaheim's payroll for the 2008-09 season sits at roughly $59.9 million, or about $3.2 million over the new $56.7 million cap. While this alone seems like a ...
I participate in a 12 man fantasy league and we draft very early before every season. Our draft was conducted last weekend. The league is very competitive and is worth quite a bit of money by fantasy league standards or atleast by college student income standards, seeing as we are almost entirely composed of college students. The requirements of the league are also very in...
With the exception of Scott Gordon becoming the new head coach, Isles news has been pretty dry lately. However there has been one issue that has been on my mind lately, and that is the yet to be announced destination of 2008 first round draft pick Josh Bailey.
Word going around is that Bailey was asked by the Isles to move to Long Island. I haven't seen this published ...
Ok as with before I Spin the Roulette and do a run-down on the team it lands upon as it appears to my inexperienced eye. Onto the Spin!
.......
and we have the Senators.
Ok we all know the Sens were the powerhouse of the East since more or less the lockout. But last season we saw the enormous crash from the standings which resulted in the Sens barely making the play...
Ok so its' been a few weeks since my last post. The latest rumor has the Rangers moving Scott Gomez to make room for Mats Sudin and about 6 mill per year. If this holds water and the Canucks are looking into picking up the All-star center,they should be prepared to make a realistic offer. For years NY clubs have been exploited and held over the fires when trying to m...
The real truth of things would appear to be that Mats Sundin may indeed be leaning towards retirement. With all the press coverage on his situation the last word that I heard was that he still had not begun skating in August. For any NHLer, let alone a 37 year old, not hitting the ice going into the Labor Day weekend is surely considered as a bad sign. A player coming off ...
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...
Mats Sundin's value has dropped every day since july 1. Why? Because what you haven't heard is that he is not working out. In other words he kissed away 20 Million dollars
Although NHL training camps officially begin less than a month from now, from where we stand it feels like an eternity. ESPN's E.J. Hradek has found a clever way to pass the time, by going through all 30 teams and listing the franchise's all-time greatest player at forward, defenseman, and goaltender. To date, he has only completed the Pacific Division, so I'd like to do h...
As pre-season approaches we as hockey fans are faced with another aging vet, deciding IF he's gonna play another season and if so at what point of the season he is going to start again.
The ugly truth seems to be that Sundin is going to follow Scotty Nieds. and Teemu's path and delay the start of "thier" season till they decide. All summer J.P. Barry has given us "deadl...
Ok so as before I spin the roulette and give my opinion and run down on the team.Ok and onto the spin.
and it is......
The LA Kings
Well LA fans have been suffering in the dark of the cellar for quite a while . But in my opinion they appear to be coming towards the end of a long tunnel and are able to see a bright light . But onto the run down.
Forwards(Projected...
[i]With his latest Sundin blog, TSN's Darren Dreger cites the Isles as a dark horse. Has Garth stared too hard at Brett Farve from across the street? How does this follow the plan? Well, it doesn't.
[/i]
A quick word on the latest rumor du jour, before I head out for some R&R upstate.
Dreger on TSN: "[i]One thing is certain, Sundin won't be pushed. His future...
mslepp writes...
Quick Look Ahead, Oilers and Flames, Battle for the NW?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
What a great day for Hockey in Alberta as the joint bid between the cities of Calgary and Edmonton announced as the hosts of the 2012 WJHC, beating out a solid bid from the centre of the universe.
First, the Calgary Flames unveil their 5 biggest acquisitions this off-season at a presser earlier in the week, an email from a friend setting up our fantasy hockey draft da...
[u][b]Who Do You Choose? McCarty Or Chelios?[/b][/u]
The Detroit Red Wings have no cap space and with two big name guys still needing to be signed we may be seeing a few little moves by Detroit. The ings Chris Chelois 7 Darren McCarty are waiting for a home and unless we do something in the trade department, we're not going to have any room for them. So GM Ken Holland...
The popular mindset during this offseason is to be skeptical of the moves, or lackthereof, made by Glen Sather and the New York Rangers. The Rangers were a solid team that had made the playoffs for three straight years while maintaining a core of veteran players. When Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka and Brendan Shanahan did not re-sign with the club for the fourth post-lockout...
Interesting that Mats Sundin will be in Toronto Friday September 5th for the first ever Festival Cup charity hockey game. Certainly they couldn't ask for a bigger draw to get a crowd and lots of press coverage also. Hopefully his presence won't overshadow the charity aspect. There are still theories out there that Mats really wants to return to Toronto to end his career, b...
Today I got to get my picture taken with the cup. A guy that works with my wife is good friends with Red Wing's goalie coach, Jim Bedard. They arranged for the Cup to be at their office for an hour or so here in Niagara Falls. It went to a party afterwards.
Here are the pictures:
Stanley's Wheels!!
http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr349/burnison_2008/100_4384.jpg
...
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...
Well by now anyone that cares about the sitiuation has heard what transpired at the brief media meeting with Murray at the Bell Sensplex today. If not heres the link to tsn
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=247779&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_nhl
After recieving a phone call about the meeting, I raced down to catch the back half of what was a brief conference.
Rumors...
When the man works, he works! Yesterday, David Pollack gave us some detailed information on what Vlasic will be receiving over the duration of his four year extension, and today he feeds us hungry fans with even more information on some of the lingering questions we all have. Since all we've had to read over the past couple of weeks are stories by Staff Writers that rally...
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/20080829_High___Inside__Spectrum_of_memories.html
The invite has been placed and now it falls on the shoulders of Big E. I would like to see him attend because he brought this franchise back from doldrums that it was in the last few years before him.
In my first ever Hockeybuzz blog entry, I would like to look on the first five NHL Entry Drafts of the new millenium. I tried to list ten best picks from these years. This list doesn't mention neither Sid Crosby or Alex Ovechkin and others. Those aren't good picks, they are obvious picks. Rather, I have focused on the later rounds of draft and the giant pool of talent that...
I am sick of people talking about Crosby whining, and diving on this page.Just totally not giving him the respect he deserves. He plays harder than any player in the entire league, when you do that yeah you are going to get knocked down a bit more than the rest. The beating he recives every single game is something that HALL OF FAMERS are made of, its a shame of the jealou...
The past 24 hours have showed a lot of progress and speculation with regards to the Meszaros contract negotions. I'm going to write the two sides opinions(or at least what we know) and my opion of who is right, and than you can comment your opinion.
[b][i][u]Murrary: Bryan murray would like to have Meszaros back. He would prefer to have MEszaros on a short term contract...
Well, die-hard Dems that are also hockey fans will now have a tough choice. Gov. Palin is a self-proclaimed hockey mom.
Presumably, all the hockey folk on this list are one-issue voters (hockey) and are clamoring to vote for a ticket where at least one of the nominees actually knows what hockey is.
This has been quite the off-season for the Ottawa Senators and Andrej Meszaros.
After the Sens completely tanked the regular season and barely put up a fight in round 1 of the playoffs, possibly their top RFA refuses to sign a long-term contract with the club, pushing for as much money as possible.
Now the Ottawa Senators have shipped Andrej Meszaros to the Tampa B...
There's a reason that of the three Devils Stanley Cups, 1995 is by far my favorite. No, it's not because I was 10 years old and it somehow represents a happier time in my life. And no, it's not even for the better reason that it was the first one and therefore any one of those players will tell you it's the Cup that meant the most to them. It's because of all three Cups, 1...
With Mats Sundin holding the NHL hostage (how do you say "you have one month or I'll sign Yanic Perreault" in Swedish?), news is still at a crawl, so I thought I'd follow up on last week's entry after taking a quick look at the goings-on in Duck world.
The OC Register continues to be virtually the only outlet reporting on Anaheim hockey during the off-season, as its cov...
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 ...
This merry go round continues with the major question still being: Who will be able to land Mats Sundin? Considered to be the top player in this years free agent pool, Mats Sundin has had not only his agent in a tangle, but the media coming up with all different types of headlines and stories about if and where he might play. In recent rumors that have been stated by TSNs ...
This is the second part of my TOP10 draft picks chart, if you missed the first part, you can find it here:
[url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=50777&post_id=6017[/url]
[b]5th - 2001, 7th round (227th overall), Colorado Avalanche - M. Svatos[/b]
It took some time before Svatos could be promoted from AHL Hershey Bears to Denver, but his first full season w...
Alright guys just decided to write a blog about the upcoming lineup this season.enjoy!
So were all assuming Mats Sundin isnt coming back and for most of us we hope he doesnt for the good.(Tavares,Hedstrom,B.Schenn).And with the McCabe deal to be anounced in the next few days, and the rumored return to possibly be Van Ryn and Zednik for McCabe and Poni. This is how i wou...
Well as I sit waiting for dinner today on Labor Day I am surfing around looking for hockey news. I don't know if it is just me, but I feel this was the quietest summer of free agency ever. I cannot wait for training camp to start. I want daily hockey news again! I look daily at TSN, Hockeybuzz, etc. for news and see nothing new.
Now to my real passion. The Flyers ...
Well as I sit waiting for dinner today on Labor Day I am surfing around looking for hockey news. I don't know if it is just me, but I feel this was the quietest summer of free agency ever. I cannot wait for training camp to start. I want daily hockey news again! I look daily at TSN, Hockeybuzz, etc. for news and see nothing new.
Now to my real passion. The Flyers ...
Well as I sit waiting for dinner today on Labor Day I am surfing around looking for hockey news. I don't know if it is just me, but I feel this was the quietest summer of free agency ever. I cannot wait for training camp to start. I want daily hockey news again! I look daily at TSN, Hockeybuzz, etc. for news and see nothing new.
Now to my real passion. The Flyers ...
Pucked writes...
Hockey Buzz Chat Room Down For the Count - HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Folks. I'm a little peeved. For the last couple of weeks (and I may be selling this one short), the Hockey Buzz Chat Room is not working as it should. In order to see another person's remark, you need to hit the "refresh button" each time.
As a season ticket holder, part of what I pay for is the use of this room. Often times I can catch some of my favorite people there...
The Q Returns to Montreal
Junior hockey has been a tough sell in Montreal over the last couple of decades, but following 3 seasons as the St. John Fog Devils(and 5 seasons without a Major Junior team in Montreal), Montreal native Farrel Miller purchased the team and has moved them into the historical Verdun Auditorium as the new Montreal Juniors.
This is a fantasti...
The Bryan McCabe trade finally became official today as the Leafs ended an almost 8 year relationship with the 33 year old defenseman. So much has been written about McCabe in the last couple months but what do we know about the man the Leafs received in return? Mike Van Ryn has been a Leaf for under 12 hours and already people are speculating about his future (or lack t...
Mats Sundin. Yeah that's right I said it, a lot of us have been thinking it too. I know the media and hockey forums have to discuss something during the off season but by this point we should be discussing how Koivu and Sundin will play together or about his heroic return to the leafs...or even the up coming gomez trade since Sundin signed in N.Y.
Instead we get to read...
Today's headlines as we head into the new NHL season:
[b]Marian Gaborik and The Crystal Groin[/b]
Can a young star overcome all odds and finally remain healthy?
[b]Thunderstruck[/b]
Tampa Bay has made a lot of thunder, but is there any lightning?
[b]General Hospital[/b]
Peter Forsberg. (Need I say more?)
[b]Leafs Suck[/b]
again.
[b]The Mighty Pacific[/...
No, this blog is not about Datsyuk or Zetterberg's personal lives, this blog is about a statement coach Mike Babcock made in to The Detroit Free Press today about splitting up the "Euro Twins" Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg:
"Not maybe -- for sure," Babcock said Wednesday. "They're not playing together. It would be crazy to play them together. They both want to pl...
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_2231766672_fff7aebf1f.jpg[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_376718634_84ebfb0ca3.jpg[/img][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/letterc.jpg?t=1220497278[/img]
What's in a letter?
After A and B and just before D. The third letter in the alphabet... [img]http://i228.photobu...
Ok I am taking a break from the whole spin the roulette series just to post this up in anticipation of the season aproaching.I recently got into a debate with a friend as to which games in the NHL are the best match ups. In the end I was able to come up with my top five match ups. Tell me what you think.
5)Dallas Vs SanJose : Well I will be honest I wasn't much of...
Nashville - When his plane touched down in Nashville a tired and weary PredJoe looked around as if to be expecting a welcome committee. There was none there. No signs. No banners. Nothing to welcome him home after months in Russia trying to live his dream as a hockey blogger.
"It was something I had to try or I would regret it the rest of my life," said an unshaven Pred...
Here you go.
http://www.640toronto.com/HostsandShows/LeafsLunch/Podcast.aspx
Kings sign Stoll to a 4 yr 14.4 mill....In my opinion..too much money. I know you all will share your opinions....bring em...
Not much of a report here is the link to the pics
somehow I only took 17
How wild is that?
Players are skating week days only. Go early and watch! I was told they are off ice by 10 am.
Camp reports will come in the next couple weeks to watch for them
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157607115800608/
PuckeysMom writes...
Why CBJ Should Hire Me As Marketing Director! (Pt. 1)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets are transitioning into a new team - we have a new captain, a capable coach with a plan, a GM that is willing to shake things up, a Civil War-era cannon that commemorates the Blue Jackets' connection to Ohio's role in the Civil War. GREAT!!! So why stop there? Why be happy to remain mediocre?
Here is what I think (and I will disclose that some of thes...
While Steven Stamkos' name is being mentioned frequently when speaking of the Calder Trophy, it would be a mistake not to consider the likes of Patrik Berglund, Kyle Okposo, Shawn Matthias, Bobby Ryan, Fabian Brunnstrom and Kyle Turris, among others.
Turris, drafted third overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by Phoenix, is coming off a remarkable season with the Wisconsi...
I know what you are all thinking , another blog dedicated to hating on Mats Sundin. Though at times I have , this is not the purpose of my blog.
We are all painfully aware that Mats Sundin has yet to decide if he wants to play or not . We know this as we have had it rammed down our throats since July . But have we not opened our mouths as well, to enable it to be shoved...
I realize that many players, media and especially fans read Hockeybuzz on a daily basis, and I believe this may be the most efficient way to get this message across.
There is a HUGE difference between the fans and the media, and this was evident this week on the airwaves in Montreal. Jean-Charles Lajoie, a radio commentator on CKAC radio in Montreal managed to OUT-TWIT...
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...
I absolutely cannot wait for the NHL season to start, and I just might be more excited to draft some fantasy teams. October 4th cannot come soon enough, school is boring during the week nights and homework is just lame, I need the center ice package to deliver me from boredom. I decided to complete a "big board" type of list for a blog on hockeybuzz that I would like to ma...
I absolutely cannot wait for the NHL season to start, and I just might be more excited to draft some fantasy teams. October 4th cannot come soon enough, school is boring during the week nights and homework is just lame, I need the center ice package to deliver me from boredom. I decided to complete a "big board" type of list for a blog on hockeybuzz that I would like to ma...
chadkilger writes...
Entering Training Camp - Forward Line Combinations
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher recently announced that he is most likely sticking with his current roster until training camp starts and several pre-season games have been played. There are many questions with this 08/09 group of forwards, more than I can ever remember. For starters, there is no clear cut #1 Centre for the 1st time in over a decade. Mats Sundin is not on...
Were nearing the beginning of the season, still no word on sundin, so since hes not on the roster as of now, I won't use him. These are just my thoughts on the way the lines should be.
Line 1- Blake-Antropov-Hagman
I like this combination because it gives blake a chance to get his scoring touch back, it also gives hagman a chance ...
I've said it in different ways before, but we're really starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel here, folks. That said, this very brief edition of Duck Puck will focus on which Ducks you may want to add to your fantasy rosters, after a quick news roundup.
As we've finally reached a month in which NHL teams will hit the ice, the annual season previews are being rele...
Gatineau 5 - Montreal 4
[Sunday, 09/07/08] - The Montreal Juniors wrapped up their pre-season series of matchups versus the Gatineau Olympiques this afternoon with a 4-4 tie. The Olympiques eventually went on to win in a shootout(2-0). This afternoon’s game, in front of 2,224 spectators, marked the last of a 4 game series, in which both squads tuned up for their ...
Alright as with before I spin the roulette , it lands upon a team and I give my rather run down as it appears to my eye. Onto to the spin.
.........
The Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers are two season removed from their stanley cup final appearance . In that time they have gone through quite a bit. With the 07-08 season seeing the trade of their beloved captain and their ...
Just my .02
While rumors swirl in Ottawa about what moving Andrej Meszaros and (possibly others) might mean in terms of future additions to the Sens roster, let's not forget the trade that never was of this past summer: Nikolai Khabibulin to the Sens for something . . . like Chris Neil.
For the Hawks, it's a salary dump (needed to get under the cap) and loosens up a ...
While Fletcher has made some questionable trades this off-season, the addition of Grabovski to the Leafs' line-up is an intriguing one - one that is going to cost Toronto a 2nd round selection in 2010.
Grabovski is a bit of an unknown commodity. Having just 27 games of experience in his NHL career, (played 24 last season) he has shown strong offensive potential consider...
Ok as with before I spin the ol' roulette , it lands upon a team and I give my run down for it.Onto the spin!
.........
The Toronto Maple Leafs
With out question this is one of the most changed teams in the league. Fletcher swore he would chang the look of it, and has succeeded in doing that much in his short time with the franchise again. With the departure of se...
With the imposition of the salary cap taking some clout away from the financial Super Powers (or so they say), the “new” NHL focuses upon the importance of successful drafting and a constant flow of young players on cheap, entry-level contracts. With scouts now being dispatched to all corners of the globe, it’s getting to be quite a small world. The boundaries of t...
This morning some scientists cheered, others were thinking we were doomed. Not sure if anyone else has been following the story, but if you check CNN you will find one of the most interesting, and yet, disturbing, scientific stories in quite a while. One of the largest physics experiment ever conceived began just this morning as you were swilling down a Latte. Protons were...
Greetings hockey fans! I'm back from my summer hockey hiatus and ready to get down to the business.
I have to say that I'm sick of rumors about Sundin and don't even mention Forsberg. This time of year prompts a lot of speculation which in the end is generally useless. We're coming down to the wire and everyone wants to get their 2 cents in but there are only a few s...
Ok, so I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict the regular season standings before the season actually starts (particulalrly the teams who'll actually make the playoffs). Here we go!
EAST:
1) Pittsburgh*
2) Montreal*
3) Washington*
4) NY Rangers
5) New Jersey
6) Philadelphia
7) Ottawa
8) Tampa Bay
-----
9) Boston
10) Buffalo
11) Carolina
12) Toronto
...
Early morning hits, I wake up, slowly stretching like a fat old cat lying comfortably in the sun. I sense something is different today but I am too confused and tired to realize why. The smells of coffee and burnt toast fill the air of my place, and as I do every day, I walk over to the kitchen window and stare aimlessly outside at what is the end of another fun filled sum...
Sooner or later the powers to be have to wake up and publicly admit the NHL has a big problem in the U.S. gaining a fan base to compete with the NFL,MLB and even the NBA and NASCAR. You can't fix a problem you wont admit you have.
When poker shows on ESPN where out performing live primetime NHL broadcast
someone should have took notice and said "Toronto we have a pr...
Rebuild.
That was the game plan going in to the off-season after another abysmal season from our boys in Blue and White.
Given this arduous task was veteran GM Cliff Fletcher. I mean, it's not every day that MLSE realize their failure and place this kind of responsibility on their GM (or... is it?).
Fletcher got to work right away, trading a 3rd round selection in...
On Draft Day ‘08, the Toronto Maple Leafs made the bold move of trading up from the 7th selection to grab Kelowna Rockets defenseman Luke Schenn 5th overall.
Leaf fans have been waiting a long, long time for a young franchise calibre to fall into their lap, and they may finally have found one in Luke. Heading into the draft weekend, Schenn had the presitigious honor o...
On Draft Day ‘08, the Toronto Maple Leafs made the bold move of trading up from the 7th selection to grab Kelowna Rockets defenseman Luke Schenn 5th overall.
Leaf fans have been waiting a long, long time for a young franchise calibre to fall into their lap, and they may finally have found one in Luke. Heading into the draft weekend, Schenn had the presitigious honor o...
With the upcoming 2008/2009 NHL season upon us, there is a certain buzz in the air. Where better to enjoy this buzz then at this fine site? My hats off to Eklund for setting this forum up where we the real fans can share our information about our beloved team.
I will have many stories and updates for Leaf fans from these very pages. All I can say is, based on my talk...
Sure, Jason Pominville is no Eric Staal, but the timing of this 7-year extension for one of the NHL's brightest young stars could not have been worse for the Blue and Gold faithful.
7 years, $57.75 million is a lot of dough. That's $8.25 per season. You might say that this deal is the opposite of a hometown discount. I like Eric Staal, but I think that's a bit steep,...
hockeyfan89 writes...
Most Improved Teams. #1-30 : From Edmonton to Nashville.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well I noticed Ek the other day had the top five and five worst teams in the off-season out , and i decided to elaborate on it by creating in my eyes the top 30 . So from first to last here it is.
Remember this is not who has the better team , but rather who has improved signifigantly.
[b]1)[b]Edmonton[/b]-Added another further scoring threat in Cole , cont' developm...
Trader Cliff's opinion of the entry draft mirror's this neophytic blogger's feelings towards the constant worry over the logjam on the Leafs' blueline.
There isn't one. Nope. Not at all.
I think the reason for this perception stems from the fact that we've all been overwhelmed by the number of roster changes but a quick glance at the depth chart will alleviate our co...
[b]Basic Quick Facts[/b]
[i]Position[/i]: C
[i]Shoots[/i]: Left
[i]Height[/i]: 5-6
[i]Weight[/i]: 160 lbs
[i]Birth date[/i]: 1987-07-24
[i]Hometown[/i]: Oxford, Michigan
[i]Acquired[/i]: 5th round (142nd overall), 2005 NHL Draft
Nathan Gerbe, gives inspiration to small athletes every where. Here is a player I can't wait to see wearing a Sabres jerse...
I know this story has been told and told and told over again. Here I am adding another story to it. I haven't written a blog in quite some time, but it because I have been away working on making contacts so when I write a blog I have some substance behind what I am writing. Back to the story I started out writing. For the past 2 months I have been in almost daily con...
ladynic writes...
9/12/08 Philadelphia Flyers and Phantoms on ice workouts
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Shout outs to the practice crew
Sami it was very nice to make your acquaintance today.
On the Phantoms side they did some type of testing today. It looked like the type of things I have seen them do as part of Physicals. The players that were on this side going through things were mostly Phantoms players.
The Flyers side of the ice hosted a double feature.
Fi...
The Toronto Maple Leafs defense has by no means been full of all-star caliber players and has struggled on numerous occasions since the post-lockout era. Needless to say, it's never really been one of their strong points. This season however, their defense may be one of the few bright spots on a season that many are predicting to be more than abysmal.
The one thing the...
Gagne-Briere-Giroux
Hartnell-Richards-Lupul
Upshall-Carter-Knuble
Cote-Metro-Asham
Timonen-Vaananen
Coburn-Jones
Parent-Eminger
Kukkonen
Berard
discuss....
This is my first blog on hockeybuzz so here goes, I have been an avid blues fan since birth and this year has to be the most anticipated year of blues hockey that I can remember. I think John Davidson is taking this team in the right direction and if we as blues fans can be patient we might soon be seeing the blues raising a stanley cup banner of there own real soon.
[u]Depth Chart[/u]
C
Tim Connolly
Derek Roy
Paul Gaustad
Adam Mair
Jochen Hecht
Nathan Gerbe
Marek Zagrapan
LW
Thomas Vanek
Daniel Paille
Patrick Kaleta
Clarke MacArthur
Philippe Gogulla
RW
Drew Stafford
Jason Pominville
Ales Kotalik
Maxim Afinogenov
Andrew Peters
Mark Mancari
D
Jaroslav Spacek
Toni Lydman
Henrik Tallinder
Craig Rivet
Andre...
The Edmonton Oilers organization is hosting a prospect tournament in Camrose Alberta for the prospects of the Flames, Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. Last night, in the first meeting the Flames' prospects squeaked out a 1-0 victory over the Oilers Prospects, here is break down of a few of the standouts in my not so humble opinion.
OILERS:
Devan Dubnyk- Goalie: You can ...
Ive been away from the site for a bit "having a summer"... yes, some things do take presidence over the local rumours in sports, not many things, but there are a few. After reading up on the predictions for the Leafs season and watching the analysts analyze I thought there was nothing that could be added to: no sundin, no top6, no goals, no way (in the deepest hottest d...
Shout outs to my txting buddies for today since it was pretty much just me til rookie camp started.
I guess no one paid attention to my report from Friday but the Flyers are skating on their own and the Monday of Rookie on ice campwas no exception. I arrived @ 745 am to see the vets show their stuff.
Today's participants were
Vaananen, Timonen, Kukkonen, Gagne, Lupul...
It was an honor and a privilege to be selected as an inaugural member of the NYI Blog Box over a year ago. It was an absolute thrill to be asked to pen the debut feature on Ruslan Fedotenko's signing with the Islanders. As the only member of the bunch outside of the state of New York, it was a classy move for the organization I grew up loving simply to include me in the fi...
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...
My pet self-created rumor for the past three months has caught on the mainstream media. On Sunday, the Edmonton Journal's Jim Matheson speculated that instead of Mathieu Schneider, the Los Angeles Kings may trade for Adrian Aucoin. Such a trade would give Calgary as much as $4 million in cap space, and give the Kings an experienced, offensive defenceman to aid their young,...
Monday September 22nd will be the first preseason game for the boys in blue against the long time rivals from Buffalo. This will give fans their first glimpse of the new look Leafs, and provide a chance for them to marvel at some of the young prospects that are now emerging in Leaf land.
The most heralded of the newcomers will of course be Luke Schenn, the Leafs #1 p...
PuckStoppinDuck writes...
*FINAL UPDATE* Schneider Placed on Waivers, Clears
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This is the scene I imagine took place late last night...
[b]Kevin Lowe[/b]: You may be wondering why I called you all over here. Well, as you all know, my *ahem* good buddy Burkie is desperately trying to clear cap space by moving defenseman Mathieu Schneider so that he can sign Teemu Selanne. Well, you all did a great job with Phase 1 one of Operation: Duck Soup by ...
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...
If the lingering stench of getting nothing in return for Ilya Bryzgalov last season has worn off, then Brian Burke needs another reminder.
In two consecutive seasons, Burke has managed to give away top NHL talent and get ZERO in return. People can discuss all of the backroom negotiations and who offered what, but it will NEVER change the fact that the Anaheim Ducks j...
I will be honest I got the idea from a hockeynews blog that I read with a player from each division to watch . I liked the idea so much that I decided just to expand on it. So I will be naming a player of interest to watch this year from each team. The reason they are of interest vary and may be either ; contract value , potential , looking to break a record ect ect. So ...
There’s a little bit of the irony in the title because in fact, Christopher Didomenico has rarely been in the spotlight at all during his hockey career. He is the definition of an underdog, and a testament to what hard work and perserverance can lead to.
As a young Toronto native, he was passed over by the OHL draft, after playing just 4 games in 2 seasons with the No...
As repoted on Leaf's lunch on am640 "Schneider Clears Waivers". Now talking to my sources, they say its just a waiting game for LA. They want Schneider, but they want him at half price. When the Ducks bring him back up(which they will) LA will be first in line to grab him.
Schenn will play for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season.
I'm as sure of this as I am that Carlo Calaiacovo will get injured. While there is an abundance of defensemen competing for the two available positions (Kaberle, Kubina, Finger and Frogren will form the Leafs' top 4), Schenn will, at some point, stand-out from the majority of the group. Whether it's in training c...
"At Syracuse, they teach quarterbacks to protect the ball deep in their own end zone!"
Fifteen minutes into my run on the treadmill at the local gym, I was busy trash-talking Tony Romo. The Eagles were closing on the Cowboys in the second quarter of their Monday night game.
Away from Philadelphia for twenty years, I now live in Seattle. This isn't really a sports t...
sbkbghockey writes...
Three factors for the organization of low minor leagues
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I began thinking of this topic after seeing a topic on a hockey forum the other day. In the past few seasons the hockey world has seen the emergence of low level (self proclaimed A leagues). Many criticize theses leagues as nothing more than hyped up beer leagues, but in fact the level of play isn't that bad. Many players have college background, some of the top ACHA DI l...
Update, 3:30 p.m. EST: The entry I had posted here before is meaningless now! Pommer signs a 5-year extension this afternoon, reportedly between $5 and $6 mill per season. Thoughts? I think it's a great deal and I'm ecstatic to hear the news! No more distractions going into Camp. Let's get the season started, Sabres fans!
Sabres fans on pins and needles...Just wait...
We hav all be able to enjoy two sagas this summer. The Mats Sundin Saga , and now that it is finally losing its edge . The Radulov saga.
As we all know , Radulov bolted the NHL to the KHL for a boat load of money and all the vodka he can drink. In the confusion that followed no one was really sure exactly who was to blame ; Raddy for running for money , David Pollie not...
EDIT:Sorry about the wierd symbols and punctuation in this blog, I dont know why its doing this and I'm unsure how to fix it
It has to be a very slow news day for the NHL today. The top story this morning is Jesse Winchester practicing on the top-line with Heatley and Spezza.
I’m sure I’m not alone in Sens Nation wondering why this is big news, every year we go ...
It's time to list the best Calder Trophy candidates among the 2008-09 rookie crop. I hope this list helps you pick a few sleepers in your hockey pools.
1. Steven Stamkos TB C 82 games 32 G 35 A 67 points (Should have a Kane-like season)
2. Kyle Turris PHX C 77 games 20 G 35 A 60 points (Will center the Yotes 2nd line)
3. Nikita Filatov CBS LW 75 games 27 G 30 A 57 poi...
CSullivan10 writes...
Who will lead each of the major scoring categories?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I will update my fantasy top 50 closer to October, so for now I would like to predict the Top 10 scorers in each of the major statistical categories for the season that just seems to be taking forever to arrive. Keep in mind this is just my guess. We all know anything can happen in the NHL and I respect anyone else's opinion on this subject and will accept any criticism an...
After a period of no news coming out of the Tank, now we have a minor flood of information. First up is an article in the Mercury News by Mark Purdy in which he interviewed Todd McLellan and his ideas on what he plans to do with the team. I would provide a link to the article, but it has become for registered users only. Here are a couple quotes:
"Obviously," McLella...
After reading an article on Cody Hodgson from the Vancouver Province [url]http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=067ccf11-4598-4d09-9a0b-9dddec9fe1c0[/url] and hearing that he has advanced to the Canucks main camp. I am starting to wonder if Cody Hodgson might have a chance of making the Canucks this season. His 5 points and a plus 5 rating in 2 games ...
After initially deciding not to in the early summer, Flames assistant coach Wayne Fleming has left the team to take the head coaching job in Omsk of the Continental Hockey League.
Surprising news, especially this close to training camp. This is a move that adversely affects the Flames, and puts even more pressure on Mike Keenan and his staff.
With Fleming gone, the...
In just a couple of moves, the Flyers have gotten themselves back under the salary cap with plenty of time to spare before the season opens.
By putting Derian Hatcher on long term injury, his $3.5 million salary came off the cap. The club began the week at $59.2 million - that includes Steve Downie, Ryan Parent and Claude Giroux, all of whom I have on my pre-...
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, ...
First things first. The Nashville Predators have proven they have a good GM a good Coach and a good Hockey Team. They do a good job at the draft table, have a good AHL affiliate and have a good building to play in. So good. But is good,good enough for a team struggling to meet even minimum attendance goals and still has not managed to compete in the local media and local b...
It's time for Ponikarovsky to step up.
No more excuses. The now-Canadian citizen is going to have display his talent and prove to the Leafs why he should rejoin them in the long-term. The six-foot-four, 220 pound sniper has shown glimpses of being top-six forward quality, but that's as far as he goes before falling back into inconsistency.
In Ponikarovsky, the Leafs ...
Greatlakeswimmer writes...
Why LA passed on Schneider when he was on waivers
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Since Schneider was placed on waivers by the ducks and then clearing waivers there has been debate about why some teams, mainly why the Kings did not pick him up. I as well as a few others felt that it was because LA would rather trade for him. I brought up the idea here and elsewhere that it is because if they claimed Schneider on waivers they would not be able to trade h...
[img]http://philadelphia.about.com/library/gallery/lincoln39.JPG[/img]
The Spectrum. The little brown building at the corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia. The home of the legendary Broad Street Bullies. The structure that infected NHLers with the Philly Flu. The place where a blue collar town came to love the ultimate blue collar sport.
[...
...why the Leafs signed Jeff Finger?
Well, at least I got a Finger joke out of the way early on.
When the numbers 3.5 over 4 were first thrown around on the AM640, I figured it was a fantastic signing as Finger was one of the more underrated players in the league I hoped the Leafs would go after. I figured something in the range of $1.5-2M would be a great bargain, b...
It's Sunday morning and you spent all of last night basking in drink after drink. You were the life of the party, from what you remember anyway, and even that's a blur - almost seems like a lifetime ago. You're still gaining your senses this morning and you have a horrible feeling in the gut of your stomach. You don't want to do a THING today.
Now you know what the S...
If you want to win your hockey pool and I know you do then read and remember the following.
I won't name the obvious players such as Crosby, OV and the Thornton's of the world as we all know about them. All these predictions etc are based on healthy seasons for the players.
Pay attention as some players are for keepers reasons.
Players I love
Forwards
Eric S...
Flyers training camp opened this morning. Two morning sessions here.
We asked 5 questions for coach John
Stevens coming into today
Q- Looks like there are more ice time issues than spots to be won?
A - We’ve got some new players, frankly, we don’t know much about. There are some opportunities up for grabs on our team for more ice time, more responsibility....
The Oilers feel they can build from within the system. However, I've been reading "respectable" bloggers in regards to the 3rd line centre void. They have been bantering up ideas to bring in a Smolinski or a Marchant. So in my effort to silence the critics, so to speak, I for one strongly feel those statements are poorly executed. "IF" that were to be the case, why did the...
Let's be honest, being the GM of the NHL's most storied franchise during the most monumental season the team has ever prepared must give Bob Gainey fits. The pressure to be a part of this team as management or as a player in a "normal" year is enough to make people fizzle. (see Michael Ryder a la last year) In saying this, The pressure of performing in a hockey hotbed...
Shout outs to
Erica, Sandy, Amanda, #23, Liz, Jessica, Theresa, Donna, Matt, Mike, Jeremy, Roseann, Joyce, Bill, Eric, Joe, Lou, and anyone else I saw and talked to there were so many today.
Special Thanks to Karen and Brooke for my antics during meet the Flyers
Today was very very crowded and it was handled very well. The Flyers staff was ultra prepared and I felt...
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 ...
As the 4th month of the Sundin saga approaches there is still no end in sight. Sundin has displayed an unprecedented inabilty to make a decision if you factor the number of teams that have publicly expressed interest in his services.
He was quoted recently stating "I just can't give you a timeline right now as I still haven't made a decision whether I'm going to play o...
Montreal Juniors Vs. Quebec Remparts
Montreal, Saturday, September 20, 2008. The 3-2. The Juniors, who are replacing the 5-1. In front of a capacity crowd at the Colisée Pepsi, Montreal seemed gun-shy in their opening battle with the Remparts and were unable to mount a consistent, solid attack. Nick Layton scored the Juniors only goal with less than 7 minutes remain...
Montreal Juniors Vs. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Montreal, Sunday, September 21, 2008. Following an extremely hard fought battle with the Quebec Remparts last night at the Verdun Auditorium, which resulted in a Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 4 - Montreal Juniors 2
The Juniors, having 1 win and 2 losses in their first 3 games, started slowly against the Huskies. Montreal allowe...
Montreal Juniors Vs. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Montreal, Sunday, September 21, 2008. Following an extremely hard fought battle with the Quebec Remparts last night at the Verdun Auditorium, which resulted in a Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 4 - Montreal Juniors 2
The Juniors, having 1 win and 2 losses in their first 3 games, started slowly against the Huskies. Montreal allowe...
Kyle Okposo, Jeff Tambellini, Frans Nielsen, Sean Bergenheim, Blake Comeau, Chris Campoli, and Bruno Gervais.
What we have listed here are the members of the upcoming youth movement for the New York Islanders. Some of these names carry pressure filled shoulders, while others are looking forward to making their first real mark in the NHL, but I think it is important tha...
Day 1 of training camp was filled with boring physicals, and head shots for the game programs. *Yawn* Day 2 was the first full skate by the entire team, sans Schneider. Starting with drills at 9:45 and culminating with a 90 minute scrimmage game with all 50+ skaters, including 5 goalies. Below are my random and highly inaccurate thoughts:
[b]Teemu Selanne[/b] got the lo...
Ok I have held off to the last possible moment as to what I think the conference standings will look like this year . So here it goes.
Eastern Conference
1.Washington
2.Montreal
3.Philadelphia
4.Pittsburgh
5.Rangers
6.Sabres
7.Ottawa
8.Boston
9.Tampa Bay
10.New Jersey
11.Florida
12.Carolina
13.Toronto
14.Atlanta
15.Islanders
Western Conference
1.Det...
[img]http://i37.tinypic.com/m748r8.jpg[/img]
Recently I had the opportunity to spend some time with one of the newer Leafs, Jamal Mayers. I admittedly knew little about him before he was acquired by the Leafs and I was eager to get his thoughts on his new role with the club. Strolling around Toronto on a warm summer's day and getting thoughts from an NHL veteran was a...
Ron Guillet writes...
A Look At The Leafs' Line-up Tonight (Hockey's Back, Baby!)
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It has arrived. After months of psychiatric help and forcing myself to watch football, I can finally go back to destroying my social life and concentrating on hockey.
The Leafs are back in action and ready to make their pre-season debut. Many questions will begin to unfold and day-by-day the Leafs' final roster will take its form.
The Leafs lace 'em up against their...
NickBoston writes...
Blues to Look Outside Of Organization if EJ is out Long-Term
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I have read various reports about the status of defenseman Erik Johnson. Some have said he's fine, and others have said they've seen him walking around with a noticable limp. I honestly don't know what to expect, but if the MRI of Johnson's right knee tomorrow comes out not looking good, then expect the Blues to look elsewhere for help.
I just got done talking to a sour...
Let me apoloize for horrible writing but my heart was in the right place
TRAINING CAMP REPORT
We went to all of the Group A Session. I did miss half of group B, we left around 2 pm. So in all fairness, my Group B impression might not be as good. I am just writing on the players who made the best showing in the practice to me.
Rhett Warrener
Rhett looks in...
I spent some time studying Kyle Wellwood during last nights 4-3 SO game against the Oilers, and came to the conclusion that it doesn't matter whether he is in 'hockey shape' or not.
He was never once out of breath when he came back to the bench at the end of his shifts. Heck, I couldn't even detect a single bead of sweat on his brow thoughout the contest (and he played ...
NickBoston writes...
Erik Johnson Out 3-4 Months with Torn Ligament in Knee
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The news has come out regarding the status of Erik Johnson's knee, and it isn't good.
I just got done talking to a source within the organization that told me the Blues' defenseman is out 3-4 months. Doctors in Cleveland discovered a torn ligament in his right knee after taking an MRI.
Johnson injured his knee last week while on a team golf trip.
Expect the Blues...
I was out at the Dome today it appears that Backlund will start between Bert and Iggy
the other combos
Presut Nystom Primeau
boyd Lombardi Bourque
Glencross Lundmark Moss I think was the last one
Talked to Curtis McElhinney today told he was starting Matt Keetly to be the backup
other news
Mike Cammalleri got injured at practice was not there today also Lala...
It indeed has been a short summer for the Detroit Red Wings. By know everyone knows that the Wings added Marion Hossa to their lineup. He could have been the steal of the free agents especially since he signed quick and wanted to come play for Detroit. One thing I learned was that Hossa is good friends with Red Wings 4th liner, Tomas Kopecky. I expect this had a lot to...
Let me preface this by saying that Evgeni Malkin is my favorite player and I am glad he is with the Penguins.
So back to the end of last season and early this summer, rumors were swirling that Malkin could/should/would be traded. At the very least the idea of it was entertained by the fans, namely on this website. One such proposal that I heard that was actually offered...
ladynic writes...
A little off track at the moment Flyers reports updates
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Ok all. I am having laptop issues so thus pictures are behind in being uploaded and reports are way behind on being posted.
Monday when I went to Practice this is what I saw
pp unit
richards, Knubler, gagne, Briere timonen
Upshall, Carter, Hartnell, Coburn, Jones
regular lines
gagne, richards briere
kalinski, powe, Giroux
Cote, Downie, Asham
Upshall, Cart...
(After a 5 month absence from posting) I went to the game tonight against the Panthers, and these were my thoughts on some individual performances...
[u]The Good:[/u]
[b]Iginla: [/b]
-Looked in mid season form
-Scored a beauty off a Boyd feed
-Just hope he stays healthy and plays a full season *knock on wood*
[b]Boyd: [/b]
-Made a nice play on ...
If the Leafs wanted to mimic a team's success, it would probably be that of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens built their team around a superstar. Then more superstars. And even more superstars. There were a few surprises, but for the most part Crosby, Malkin, Staal and Fleury. Add Brooks Orpik, Kris Letang, Ryan Whitney and Pascal Dupuis to veterans Darryl Sydor, Ser...
Leaf fans know all too well the saga of Carlo Colaiacovo. A high Leaf draft pick with tons of expectations thrown his way, only to see his career sidelined by injury after injury. Still only 25 years of age, he hopes to put all the setbacks behind him and emerge as a new Leaf star on the blueline. With the recent departure of Bryan McCabe, Carlo should see plenty of ic...
Ok I wanted to get this blog out before regular season starts , as every season we go through the same motions.
From when the season starts leading up to deadline day .Their is an increase in rumors and blogs from Eklund all the way down to minor bloggers like myself. Now I have been reading hockeybuzz for a few years , and only recently started bloggng in the last few ...
Jsaquella writes...
The Little Brown Building:Tom Bladon Shoots Out The Lights
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This is the second in a series about memorable moments at the Spectrum in Philadelphia.
[img]http://www.dio.net/pictures_misc/a_special_from_the_spectrum_us_38100-3d_vhs_big.jpg[/img]
Dio poster
On December 11th, 1977, the lowly Cleveland Barons visited the Spectrum and were dealt a severe ass kicking. Flyers defenseman Tom Bladon had the night of his life, scoring ...
The Blues announced the folowing cuts today:
Nicholas Drazenovic, TJ Fast, Nikolai Lemtyugov, Tomas Kana, Eric Neilson, Cam Paddock, Thomas Potulny, Ryan Reaves, and Julian Talbot have been sent to Peoria.
Jake Allen, Mark Cundari, and Anthony Peluso have been assigned to their junior teams.
That leaves the following players:
[u]Forwards:[/u] Paul Kariya, Brad ...
The door bell rang the other day and as usual the dogs let me know about it. By the time I got there I heard the best sound in the world ... the UPS truck was driving away! Sure enough, the email I received just two days prior - telling me a package had been shipped - was, in fact, telling the truth. Since I mostly home office, the UPS driver frequently visits our home....
Dale Mitchell was picked in the 3rd round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, 74th overall. At the time of the selection, Mitchell garnered plenty of interest and pressure from the fans and media as the Leafs' first pick that year. They had traded away their 1st and 2nd round picks to San Jose as part of the Vesa Toskala trade earlier that day. A little over a year later, Mitchel...
Ok well I think I forgot most of what I wanted to write as my report. Now that I am caught up on pictures you will have many things to look at.
9/22/08
Flyers training Camp
the mood here was getting the kinks worked out. There was alot of different drills plus working on some individual things like faceoffs.
This was the first look at PK and PP units
http://...
What I have to say might sound crazy to some. But I'm going to pick my top nine teams in each conference to make the play offs. Top nine you say? Well considering that each season one of the divisions always appears a bit weaker than the others and nearly or completely blocks out a team with a better record.
Western Confernce:
Detriot- Though I think the road for ...
stoneford writes...
Does Mike Brophy of Hockeycentral know it's pre-season?!?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I know that he's put in his time. 14 years at a paper in Peterborough, 16 years at the hockeynews and now with Rogers Sportsnet's and the fan590 on Hockeycentral, but really, c'mon. The Leafs have played 2 pre-season games. 2. They've been in camp for all of a week. They've barely had a second to take in the city, let alone the media throng that is you and Howard.
...
Source's close to the Zetterberg camp said that they have been told that there will be no contact talks between Henrik and the Red Wings till after December. My source has told me that the Red Wings want no distractions coming in to this season that might hinder them from having a strong start to the season. Once the New Year comes Henrik Zetterberg will be the first Win...
As reported by Ek and confirmed by the Ducks, Brian Burke has finally found a new home for Mathieu Schneider in "Blueland." The full details of the trade are as follows:
[b]TO ATL:[/b]
D [b]Mathieu Schneider[/b] | Age 39 | Contract: 1 year, $5,625,000
[b]TO ANA:[/b]
D [b]Ken Klee[/b] | Age 37 | Contract: 1 year, $1,250,000
W [b]Brad Larsen[/b] |...
NHL Prospects Return To Lead Juniors To Victory
Opening the season at the Verdun Auditorium with 2 losses last weekend was not how the Montreal Juniors wanted to impress their new fans. Losing 3-2 to the Quebec Remparts and 4-2 to Rouyn-Noranda left the Juniors winless in their home debut and hungry to make their fans happy.
Enter the Saint John Sea Dogs.
Sain...
I've been trying to figure out an angle to write about regarding the Philadelphia Flyers recently. All the other blogs have their pre-season predictions, training camp reports, and the "pumped up for the hockey season" blog. Trust me, I could write 15 pages, single-spaced, on how excited I am for hockey to be back - this is the stuff I live for.
But when trying to find ...
[b]Camp Notes for the Week For the Flames[/b]
The Calgary Flames are 2-1 on the season losing to the Panthers 2-1 and beat the Coyotes twice. But overall, I think you have to be really impressed with the team as a whole. The Flames have surprised me this week by mostly using a veteran line-up.
The real battle is on defense, as Warrener, Erikisson, Pardy, and Vande...
It's hockey season my friends WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Mike Richards is the new captain of the Flyers, he's young but I love the faith they have in him.
I hate when I'm behind a car with a personalized license plate and I have no clue what it says, damn that bugs me.
That being said I was behind a van last weekend and the plate said "Goatboy" Who doesn't lov...
I had the opportunity to interview one of the longer serving Leafs and it was a very engaging discussion. Matt Stajan is a very well spoken, intelligent hockey player and his open and honest responses to my questions were a breath of fresh air. Since playing his first game as a Leaf in the 2002/2003 campaign, he has gained a loyal following of supporters both on and off ...
First we had the Phantoms.
First thing I notice here is none of the D are in black like for the Flyers. D men are wearing Red and Green. Forwards wore either White or Orange.
Most of the practices earlier in the week were run by Kjell and Neil. today's was run directly by Paddock.
They did pretty standard drills. the one that caught my attention the most had...
webbontheweb writes...
Allsports top 10 hockey blogs for sports on the web
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It is starting to get to be that time of year again. As the leaves start to change colour and fall from the trees some may look at it as autumn, while I on the other hand look at it as the beginning of another hockey season.
View the rest of this post here
“No Guts No Glory”
Walt Webb
All Sports on the Web
[url]http://allsportsontheweb.com
Instead of working on a team-by-team preview for the entire league, I wanted to zoom in a little closer, to the division I'm most familiar with. Arguably the most (if not second most) competitive division in hockey, the Atlantic Division enters 2008-09 with lots of unanswered questions, which I will now attempt to answer. I went through the teams in the reverse order of wh...
So the long awaited move has finally happened . Burke managed to unload Schneider to get his team under the cap. The trade looked liek this :
Anaheim aqcuired: Ken Klee (1.250), Brad Larsen (.560), Chad Painchaud(.100)
Atlanta acquired: Mathieu Schneider (5.625)
Now here comes the question . Who do you think won that trade?
We all know Anaheim's one intetion was ...
So, I lucked my way into a ticket because my sister in law couldn't go and my mother in law invited me, bless her heart!
So, I will first admit that this was my first Flyers game at the Spectrum and sadly I imagine it will be my last. But, it was an amazing experience. My mother in law has a good friend who has been a season ticket holder since 1969 and apparently has ...
The Canucks are now riding a 3-0 record, going un - beaten but was it a fluke? No way! Vancouver and it's prospects were working their butt off to win the last three games and that hard work has definitely been paying off. I mean, some prospects like Jannik Hansen (3 points in 2 preseason games) have been showing why they deserve to make this team while others like Matt Pe...
Current thinking seems to put Vancouver's top 2 lines as:
Sedin/Sedin/Bernier
Raymond/Dimitra/Pyatt
The Dimitra line above played as the first line last night against San Jose, and did pretty well (although they finished -1 as a line for the game).
If this line plays together for the whole year I suppose they [u]max[/u] out with the following point totals:
M. ...
The Blues have sent defensemen Alexander Hellstrom and Jim Jackson, and goaltenders Marek Schwarz and Ben Bishop to Peoria. The last line of cuts will come after after Monday and Wednesday's games against Toronto, which is a home-and-home series.
Nick Boston
Looks like Friesen has been held out of the last two games. As a long time season ticket holder and fan, would love to see Freeze back in teal, but coudl this hold out be a bad sign? Or is it just working the other prospects? Seems liek he has held his own when he played. Anyone have any insight? Please post here. Thanks.
- Pucked
Max Afinogenov is in the ultimate contract year. Not only is he in the last year of his contract, but he was shopped around in the offseason and is auditioning for all 30 other teams in the NHL either via trade during the season, jockeying for line placement on the Sabres or for his free agent contract following the season. Right now, it looks like we are going to go be ge...
[b]
Montreal. Sunday, September 28, 2008.[/b]The Juniors faced their pre-season rivals, the Gatineau Olympiques, for their first regular season encounter this afternoon at the Verdun Auditorium. Anticipated to be a heated contest due to the four pre-season encounters these teams endured, Montreal was a step ahead of the Olympiques all game long.
After four games in the...
It was a double does of hockey in Philly yesterday. Both Philly teams won.
While I did not attend both events personally I can still hook you all up with pictures from the Spectrum game.
Erica's pictures full set
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickilynn7/sets/72157607558870088/
Sandy's Pictures full set
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25870841@N07/sets/721576075...
One of the stronger divisions (and arguably the strongest) in hockey last season, the Atlantic sent four teams to the playoffs, three teams to the second round, and two teams to the conference finals. The scary thing is that the division may have gotten better.
[i]Penguins[/i]
Division winners Pittsburgh lost Marian Hossa, Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts, but signed vetera...
The panic for Canucks fans is finally stating to ebb as a jumbling bunch of youngsters has proven that they have skills to add to a team long in need of grit and offense.
The first half of the pre-season has seen the best record in the NHL and a nice crop of emerging talent in Hodgson, Grabner, Wellwood, Krog and Hansen. Granted Krog and Wellwood are not really 'emergi...
I think it's time we take a moment to commend one Kevin Weekes. Next in line in a revolving door of backups to Martin Brodeur, Weekes is by far the most talented of Marty's little helpers, and is also the most understanding and accepting of his situation.
Kevin Weekes is the epitome of class. His predecessor, Scott Clemmensen--now unfortunately a Devil once again--used ...
The season is approaching and preseason hockey continues to serve as an indicator for what is to come from the many new faces that compromise the '08-09 Leafs.
Going into the season, many questions are circulating around the struggling franchise. While expectations are low, getting embarrassed is not in the blueprint. The team could surprise, but the nucleus must take a...
Injuries are starting to pile up early into the year for the Blues' defense.
First was Erik Johnson's freak knee injury, then it was Jonas Junland injuring his shoulder in the first preseason game in Kansas City, and now comes word of another big injury.
Jeff Woywitka will be out for 4-6 weeks with a cracked bone in his right foot. The injury occurred after he blocke...
[url=http://ducks.freedomblogging.com/2008/09/29/ten-players-trimmed-from-camp-roster/] Ducks blog at OC Register[/url]
More cuts for the deep ducks roster after last night's game. Included was goalie [b]Jean-Philippe Levasseur[/b] who I thought looked decent but needs to work on his in-close game. He was rattled when there was traffic in the crease, and didn't handle t...
Tons of hype and mostly disappointing results.
On the surface, it would seem like Boston product Jimmy Hayes and the Toronto Maple Leafs were a match made in heaven.
All kidding aside, Hayes was drafted by Toronto in the 2nd round, 60th overall this past June. Once touted as a possible Top 10 pick in one of the deepest draft classes of the decade, Jimmy had an absolu...
Today the Islanders picked up Thomas Pock, a young offensive minded defenseman who in 59 games played in the NHL has recorded 7 goals and 7 assists for 14 points. In the AHL of last season, he ranked 11th in the league for assists by a defenseman with 37, tallying 44 points overall.
Not a bad pickup if you ask me. But what is the meaning behind this? We already had 7 de...
What's more disheveled than the status of the US economy these days? How about the Isles defensive core. Sutton is injured from training camp drills. Campoli from a crushing hit in a preseason game. What are those injuries and for how long....your guess is good as mine, because the Isles won't tell due to the newest slab of insular policy-making in the NHL. They don't have...
The Blues announced today they have assigned Trent Whitfield, Brad Winchester, Matt Foy, Charles Linglet, and Andy Wozniewski to Peoria.
The Blues also announced they have placed forward Cam Paddock on waivers. If Paddock clears (which is likely), he'll be sent to Peoria.
In Wednesday night's preseason finale against Toronto, Chris Mason is expected to start in goal ...
It's been a couple months now since the Stanley Cup was paraded around the Mellon Arena in the hands of the opponent. While the sting has subsided, the memory of that painful sight has not and you can bet it hasn't been forgotten by the likes of Sidney Crosby and Co.
Due to prior engagements, I will not be able to see much more than the puck drop on Saturday afternoon. ...
In one of the most action packed offseasons in Canucks history, this one blows everything else out of the water.
Roberto Luongo is named as the first goaltender in 61 years and risks "Captain Lou Albano" jokes for another 2 years.
Keeping in mind that Canucks hockey has been pretty interesting over the last few years, this year has been...incredible. Usually the hig...
Hello again!
So McLovin is being very vague about Jeff Friesens status. Saying
"he didn't hurt his chances last night" What exactly does that mean?
Our new coach seems to be a little less willing to give the media
information about the status of certain players. One would think that
with fr...
[b]Brian Burke[/b] has once again taken a left turn and stunned me. He dealt [b]Sean O'Donnell[/b] to the Kings for what basically amounts to nothing. A 3rd round conditional pick in 2009 [b]IF[/b] the Kings trade O'Donnell this season. If they keep him, the Ducks get nothing.
Now, I feel this is decent treatment of O'Donnell. He lives in Hermosa Beach which is close to...
A quick note, somewhat unrelated to hockey. In my first blog I
made a big mistake, I put down people who I look up to, and with-
out them I would not be posting these blogs. Mark Freitas, Ryan
Garner, and Danielle Marchelle. Now I may not agree with every-
thing in the posts(who does) but i respect each of you for what you
...
Yesterday was the game between the New York Rangers and SC Bern. I was there covering the event for a German speaking NHL community. The Rangers played solid and avoided making mistakes. After goals from Dan Girardi and Wade Redden the Rangers took a step back and allowed the Swiss club to take some shots on goalie Stephen Valiquette. After Travis Roche’s goal that cut t...
Been away from the Leaf's page the last couple of weeks, but i have returned. Talking to my source(who has some great connections to the Leafs) has told me that they are hearing that Cliff is still looking to move some body around. With the back log of D men the name of Carlo Colaiacovo has come up as a prospect that teams are really looking at. Word is that Cliff is loo...
hockeyfan89 writes...
3 stars for the Habs/What's to be done about Pacioretty?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well I had the rare treat of watching a Detroit -Montreal game last night . Each team didn't play their full rosters yet , but it was still a fantastic game.
Three players stood out for me last night who I think were the 3 stars for the Habs . Alexie Kovalev , Carey Price and Max Pacioretty.
First Alexie. Kovalev last night brought his full bag of tricks and was show...
Oh boy, we are just days away from the regular season now. I wanted to post the 2nd installment of FT50 before the regular season gets under way, you may notice a few changes. Any difference from the last, may be because of any announcements or rumours of line combinations that I have heard since the last post. Also the news of Gonchar's injury has dropped him off the list...
Going into this season, its pretty clear who will be at the top of the Central Division: The St. Louis Blues....
I kid, I kid...
It'll be Detroit hands down. It amazed methat they were able to re-sign Valteri Filppula to a 5 year deal that pays him only $3 million a season on average. On the free market, a guy like him would've yielded maybe double that or more. Thei...
This is a callout. This is to every Devils fan who is sick and tired of dealing with THE WORST marketing department in all of professional sports. This is to every Devils fan who is tired of seeing Rangers commercials that actually make people laugh and generate interest, instead of a 3 second clip followed by BUY TICKETS MONEY MONEY MONEY!!!
It's the little things that...
I do this every year, just for fun. The so-called hockey experts have their say, and I figure why not have mine? I'm a huge hockey fan, I've been following the league since a youngster - my earliest memories the 93-94 season and the infamous 7-game series between the NY Rangers and Vancouver. So here I go.
[b]Regular Season Predictions[/b]
[b][i]Western Conference[/b...
Shout out to everyone.
Before the game the Flyers hosted the season ticket holder BBQ. They had TV's set up so that people could watch the Phillies.
I went to the Caps end for warmups cause I was hoping that Either Ovechkin or Green would be playing and I could get some pics of them. No luck.
[url]http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2906637934/in/set-7215760...
Hey Everybody,
This is my first time making an NHL prediction, as I do not really like to throw myself out there, because it is almost a certainty to be wrong. However, I will give it a go this time, and I would like to see what everyone thinks about these picks.
[u]Eastern Conference[/u]
1. Montreal Canadiens
2. Philadelphia Flyers
3. Washington Capitals
4. Ne...
The New York Rangers have won the 1st Victoria Cup. The game against Metallurg Magnitogorsk was played at a very high tempo and a lot of intensity. The team from Russia got the better start when they were up 3-0 after 30 minutes. The Rangers rallied and were able to cut the deficit to 3-1. Thanks to goals from Dan Fritsche and Chris Drury (his second of the night) the Rang...
According to Flyers radio color man Chris Therien look for the Philadelphia Flyers to find a trading partner for D-Man Lasse Kukkonen. With the Flyers already 8-Man deep and negotiations underway with Bryan Berard it appears Kukkonen will be the odd man. Lasse a former captain in the Finnish Elite League never excelled at anything other than being an excellent shot blocker...
With three pre-season games to go, the Maple Leafs are making great strides towards a promising 2008/2009 campaign. Ron Wilson has juggled his lineup each and every game to get just the right mix of players all going towards one goal. Those who follow this team closely have seen significant bright spots and are real pleased with the team's progress to date. Here's just ...
The Blues are now in uncharted territory.
For the first time in a long time, the Blues are drafting and developing their own talent, and we'll start seeing the fruits of their labor.
Prior to the lockout, the last legitimate Blues first rounder that stayed in the organization and developed with the team is Barrett Jackman, drafted in 2000. That was 8 years ago. Whil...
I know, I know, everyone and their dog is doing predictions (although Bert is quite good at it I hear)...here goes more
Western Conference
1. Detroit
2. San Jose
3. Calgary
4. Anaheim
5. Dallas
6. Chicago
7. Minnesota
8. Edmonton
9. Colorado
10. Columbus
11. Vancouver
12. Phoenix
13. St. Louis
14. Nashville
15. Los Angeles
Eastern Conference
1. Mo...
CSullivan10 writes...
Why the Red Wings should trade Lilja and Samuelson.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
It is pretty well known that the Wings need to make some kind of a move, if not two moves in order to insure they can be under the cap not only this season but for the next couple seasons. They have an over-abundance of talent on offense and defense and that obviously gives Ken Holland many options with how to get his team there. As a long time Red Wings fan, growing up ju...
With the 2008/2009 NHL hockey season upon us with the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins preparing to take to the ice in Europe I figured it was about time to make my relatively crude predictions for the upcoming season!
Last year I had some misses (Canadiens missing the playoffs) and some hits (Capitals winning the SE) ...
These are just for fun, and to get discussion going. If you disagree that's cool, just don't bash, as that always seems to happen on these boards.
EAST:
1.Pittsburgh Penguins
2.Montreal Canadiens
3.Washington Capitals
4.Philadelphia Flyers
5.New York Rangers
6.Ottawa Senators
7.Boston Bruins
8.New Jersey Devils
---------------
9.Carolina Hurricanes
10.Buffalo...
These are just for fun, and to get discussion going. If you disagree that's cool, just don't bash, as that always seems to happen on these boards.
EAST:
1.Pittsburgh Penguins
2.Montreal Canadiens
3.Washington Capitals
4.Philadelphia Flyers
5.New York Rangers
6.Ottawa Senators
7.Boston Bruins
8.New Jersey Devils
---------------
9.Carolina Hurricanes
10.Buffalo...
With the 2008 pre-season almost drawing to a close, it's the time of year when every fan is filled with hope and optimism about their teams chances to look competitive or maybe do well or even take home the cup. Leaf fans get to predict that they will have a defense this year; Islander fans get to hope they have someone who scores at least 50 points; Shark fans get to bel...
East:
1.) Pittsburgh
2.) Montreal
3.) Washington
4.) Philadelphia
5.) NY Rangers
6.) Tampa Bay
7.) Toronto
8.) Ottawa
West:
1.) San Jose Sharks
2.) Detroit RedWings
3.) Edmonton Oilers
4.) Dallas Stars
5.) Minnesota Wild
6.) Anaheim Ducks
7.) Calgary Flames
8.) Vancouver Canucks
I'm not going to make Stanley Cup Predictions because its near impos...
Well just watching the Sens-Pitts game and enjoying hockey being back. With hockey returning comes a slew of questions that all fans think of : "Who will win the cup? , Who will win the division ? Who is the most underrated player?"..ect ..ect.
So let me ask you one question?
What do you think is the most imperative quality/characteristic a team needs to be succesful...
Eastern Conference:
1. Philadelphia- Their offense is arguably the best depth wise in the league, and they have some yound defensman that could really step up and do a good enough job to win the conference. And I think that Biron will do a good enough job as well.
2. Montreal- Fast, skilled, young, but I thinnk they will lose the conference by something as little ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Three Critical Questions: SKR's (Late) Flames Preview
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I don't care that my season preview is technically late. (I mean, the Europe games don't even count in my fantasy league or the HBSL so...) The pre-season is over and I have no questions about the Flames that I did not have on July 1. I'll recap these critical questions – the factors that will determine whether the Flames can finally get over the hump this year, and expl...
Berard and Dowd released due to the numbers game.
I think Dowd would've helped with his leadership but Berard was on borrowed time.
Chris Stewart has been cut from the Avs roster and will play for Lake Erie at the start of the season. You could see that coming. Stewart was, besides Per Ledin, the only player remaining on the Avs roster who has never participated in an NHL game. He did not have to clear waivers and is on a two-way contract which made the decision for coaches and management easier to sen...
FLAMESTR writes...
Flames Season Preview Like anyone cares about my prediction
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[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...
Here are my predictions for the 2008-09 season:
[b]Eastern Conference[/b]
1. Montreal
2. NY Rangers
3. Washington
4. Pittsburgh
5. Philadelphia
6. New Jersey
7. Ottawa
8. Carolina
9. Buffalo
10. Tampa Bay
11. Boston
12. Toronto
13. Florda
14. NY Islanders
15. Atlanta
[b]Western Conference[/b]
1. Detroit
2. San Jose
3. Calgary
4. Dallas
5. Chicag...
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...
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, ...
Sorry for the delay. I lost my internet conneection on Friday and just got it back.
Stockholm Game One:
This was a great way to open the season. It was a tough game and I was basically pleased with the Pens performance. Our power play needs a little more time to gel. With recently losing Gonchar to injury and this season now havin Staal taking Malone's old spot in ...
Preseason has concluded for the Toronto Maple Leafs. After 9 games of juggling line-ups and testing their young guns, the Leafs have finished with a 2-6-1 record. However, this blog does not have the objective to bash the Leafs and bring the fan base to a heaving sigh. Instead, let's take a different approach. Let's go into the season with our heads high. Let's go into the...
Greetings to all buzzers. Thanks for clicking on my maiden web log. If brevity is the soul of wit, I either have no wit or no soul. Thus, my season preview will be posted in two hefty installments.
With the trans-Atlantic set of games aside (and it was nice to see those Easterners learn what [b]real[/b] travel is like), I’m looking towards Thursday when the true fant...
This season looks to be a great one. It's the Habs' 100th year anniversary, there looks to be an emergence from teams like Edmonton, Chicago and Phoenix out West, and we as fans of this great game get to make our predictions of what we think might happen....So here are my predictions for the coming season.
East
1. Canadiens- Tanguay, Laraque and Lang. They will surely...
The Blues announced today that they have sent forward Chris Porter and defenseman Tyson Strachan to Peoria.
The roster as it stands going into the season opener October 10th looks like this:
[b][u]Forwards:[/u][/b]
Paul Kariya
Keith Tkachuk
Brad Boyes
Andy McDonald
Lee Stempniak
Jay McClement
David Backes
Patrik Berglund
TJ Oshie
Cam Janssen
Yan Stastny
D...
By Wednesday, October 8th, at 3pm Eastern the Stars must have their roster down from their current total of 28 to the 23 man maximum. Here is the current 28 man roster
Forwards
Sean Avery
Krys Barch
Fabian Brunnstrom
Chris Conner
BJ Crombeen
Loui Eriksson
Jere Lehtinen
Joel Lundqvist
Mike Modano
Brenden Morrow
James Neal
Steve Ott
Toby Petersen
Konstantin...
Ottawa owner Eugene Melnyk has said that European expansion is "...Happening, it's going to happen". He also added that he's in favor of it.
Granted the response was overwhelming-which is exactly what I'd expect. It's not as if Sweden doesn't have a rich hockey heritage of it's own, and a chance to see NHL teams certainly would be a very popular event.
The problems,...
This hockey season looks to be a great one. It's the Habs' 100th year anniversary, there looks to be an emergence from teams like Edmonton, Chicago and Phoenix out West, and we as fans of this great game get to make our predictions of what we think might happen....So here are my predictions for the coming season.
[u]East[/u]
1. Canadiens- Tanguay, Laraque and Lang. Th...
Heading into the 4th post-lockout season, I want to take a look at the Calgary Flames from top to bottom. Where do they stand in the NHL? What does the future hold for our team? And, what can we expect from this season?
Back in 2001 the Calgary Flames were mired in a slump that saw the team miss seven consecutive post-seasons. It was horrible. Although there's been...
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...
As reported by TSN and by Eklund, Leafs winger Mark Bell was placed on waivers this morning and my question to you all is:
Could the "Bell" be ringing in Nashville?
Knowing Predators Executive VP and GM, David Poile, probably not.
But in reality, Bell seems like a great fit for the Preds top 6 forward lines. Bell is 6 foot 4 and weighs in at 220 lbs. He plays a har...
Well it has just been reported on nhl.com , that Scott Walker will now join Justin Williams upon the injury list of the Hurricanes.
Walker it was reported will be sidelined for six-weeks to repair a torn ligament in his left hand.Add to that Justin Williams' minimum three months he will be out with a torn achilles tendon , and Carolina might be beggining soon to see t...
With the 19th pick in the 2008 draft the Philadelphia Flyers are proud to select...
[img]http://info.rsr.ch/xobix_media/images/tsr/2008/swisstxt20080621_9246395_4.jpg[/img]
18 year old Luca Sbisa.
Born January 30, 1990...just 24 hours before the first McDonalds opens in Russia.
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/Comradehamburglercopy-1.jpg?...
Tampa Bay gets:
Krajicek: A solid D-man who should develop further into a serviceable top 4 defenseman, Krajicek was a good bonus in the Luongo theivery. However he was sloppy and expendable by Vancouver. Let's face it, when it comes to moving assets, the Canucks D-corps is the way to go, but 3 of their top 6 have no trade clauses. Tampa got a guy who can log better...
Tucker, McCabe, Raycroft, Sundin.. what meaning do these names hold? They are the mainstays in what will come to be remembered for the forceable future as the last Leaf team that could compete. This years round-up sells itself considerably short in comparison to the band of jolly clowns that has missed the post season by a hair in each of the last 3 seasons. So where do...
Just a little nostalgia to get you in the mood to enjoy your reading.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjAPoN8qs0Q
Can anyone smell that? I'm talking about the mild aroma that is building in Anaheim. I'm hoping the autumn breezes and winter rains can wash it away and renew a freshness. I'm hoping for spring flowers and a summer Cup. However, this aroma has the potent...
While ago I wrote a blog on saving the Preds, this is the part 2 of the Series on saving the NHL. Today's Story is on saving the Islanders in the NHL. Please excuse my writing skills by no means am I a good writer, I just say how I feel now on with the Blog. The Flames Blog will later in the Week.
Flamestr
[b]Introduction[/b]
First of all, let me apologize...
Over this summer and much of last season there has been a great debate on how to turn the Leafs around. Everyone has an idea and everyone has an opinion. Finally after much of the same over the past few seasons the Leafs admitted that they had to stop, slow down and rebuild a very proud and storied franchise. Quick fixes have not worked. Every good team in the NHL has rebu...
The Philadelphia Flyers surprised everyone last year with a run to the Eastern Conference Finals, and there are a lot of people in Philadelphia who expect more of the same this year. Hell, with the Phillies' season coming to a close shortly (satisfyingly or otherwise) and the Eagles playing awfully at the Linc, the Flyers are going to feel the weight of the city on their ...
True, I've been waiting for this day to come ever since he coughed up the puck to Danny Briere opening night last season in the 'dome.
Anders Eriksson is officially an ex-Calgary Flame.
But I'll get back to that in a second.
First, I'd like to re-post what I wrote about Rhett Warrener when he was initially waived back in June. Sparking the notion that his time wi...
Jsaquella writes...
A Flash In The Pan-Robbie Moore Bursts On The Scene.
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
More Spectrum Retrospect:
[img]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/images/scoop/spectrum.jpg[/img]
When you think Flyers goalies, you usually think of the clutch brilliance of Bernie Parent, the grace and stellar reflexes of Pelle Lindbergh or the grit and toughness of Ron Hextall.
[img]http://www.hockeyforum.com/photopost/data/2/1974-75_bernie_parent_flyers_with_trophies....
As the 2008-2009 NHL regular season is about to dawn on the Toronto Maple Leafs' first rebuilding season in decades, it's time to get excited. There is a mysterious aspect to this team that hasn't been present for many years. The mystery, however, isn't where the Leafs will finish in the standings - you can definitively say they will finish in the bottom 6 (an envious plac...
CrawfordsHair writes...
Attention America: The NHL is back! (East Edition)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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 ...
[b]
Well, training camp is over and so is preseason. Cuts and roster moves have been made and really the only question remaining is: Isn't this the same team as last year?? Good question.
There has been a lot of hype (mostly negative) surrounding new, old head coach Tony Granto's decisions regarding his final roster moves. If you hadn't heard already TG sent TJ Hensick...
SabreCrazy07 writes...
SABRES BEGIN THE CRAIG RIVET ERA....#52 NEW BUFFALO CAPTAIN
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In a text received from the Buffalo Sabres they have named the newly aquired d-man as their newest captain. Also releaed was the news that Pominville, Hecht, Spacek & Numminen will all be named assistant captains. Probally they will be rotated. Since i believe that the league only allows 3 players to wear letters.
So Sabre fans what do you think? Me myself am relieved ...
You were thinking it as the Rangers boarded their Europe-bound jet. It was a lesson in how not to run a team, a proof that the core of a team can't be replaced in one season. You were smug or worried, depending on your team loyalties, that the end of the Jagr era in New York was premature and would be extremely detrimental.
The Rangers were also worried. They managed o...
I go into this season with a bit of a deja vu feeling. No...not the club next to the interstate with all the neon lights on the outside and poles on the inside but that uncomfortable feeling that I may see a repeat of something I have seen in the past. Is seems like only a year ago...wait...it was exactly a year ago...that the Preds were heading into the season with a new ...
Nashville Predators Shea Weber canceled his interview with NHL.com's "NHL Live" for the second time at the last minute today. It was apparent as the show went on that co host Don La Greca was quite miffed at Weber for leading the show into believing he was going to be a call-in guest. Then after they promoted his spot for 2/3 of the show he canceled for the second time.
...
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/politics/Palin_to_throw_out_puck_Saturday_night_.html
Politics and Sports are mixing again. I am not a fan of this at all. Politics should stay out of the Sports arena.
I hope they boo her!!!
Congratulations to Dustin Brown on being named the new Captain of the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings who are the 2nd youngest team by age (Hawks are the youngest) in the NHL also named Anze Kopitar and Matt Greene as the Assistant Captains. The youth movement is alive and growing in LA.
Brown, a native of Ithaca, New York, lead the NHL in hits last season and is a punis...
One player during the pre-saeson stood out as a guy who came into camp that was game to play. He wanted a spot on the roster and he got one... just maybe in a little while.
Dustin Boyd, leading pre-season scorer, was assigned to Quad city today...why?? Well the Answer is because Rhett Warrener is on injured reserve and until he can be declared a long term injury where h...
j19b0yle23 writes...
The times they are a changin, the AHL needs to follow suit
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The NHL draft class of 2008 was loaded with potential and filled with stars of the future. For some, it appears the future could be now. As the rest of the league gets set to drop the puck on the 2008-2009 season throughout the weekend some teams will find their average player age being pulled down by teenagers.
According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, [url]http://www.tsn.ca/...
Bill Meltzer did a fabulous job describing the game here
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=17111&blogger_id=45
I am not out to recreate that just to share my thoughts and observations.
BIG THANK YOUS TO
Zack Hill for being very awesome.
Scottie Upshall, Scott Hartnell, JS Aubin, Glen Metropolit, Aaron Asham, Steve Eminger, Jeff Carter, Riley Cote...
I 'm not sure what made me do it. But with curiosity the other day, I took at look at the Canucks playoff record. The Canucks have never gone beyond the 2nd round, save twice. Both those times they went to the Finals.
I've only been following the Canucks for a few years but if my memory serves me well they are a team that is notorious for choking.
In their serie...
It's NHL Eve, one of the most exciting days of the year north of the 49th parallel. Every day of since the end of the regular season has been X'd off: here we go again. I decided to purchase NHL Center Ice this season; I just can't get enough of the boys in blue. With this disgusting surplus of games being fed to me I decided to try my hand at blogging some of them. Th...
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...
[b]Northeast Division[/b]
[i]Canadiens[/i]
After a difficult 06-07 that saw the Canadiens barely miss the playoffs, GM Bob Gainey sat and did nothing in the offseason...and he was vilified for it. The Montreal media couldn't understand why Gainey wanted to put his youngsters in positions to make plays. Well it worked, and the Habs grabbed the #1 seed in the East last...
Friday marks the beginning of a new season for the Buffalo Sabres when they face off against the Montreal Canadiens at 7:30pm at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo. The two divisional rivals kick off the 2008-2009 season with a lot of questions open for discussion for both squads after disappointing finishes last year.
The Sabres are attempting to rebound from a season that foun...
Well alrighty.... that was a fun and interesting fiasco that was setting the final 23 (24) man roster.
Not often do you see players sent down to the Oklahoma City Blazers. Especially 2 players that are NHL ready. The stars had to get their roster down to 23 before they could get the LTIR for Sergei Zubo and his hip surgury fun. Once that was granted Chris Conner, who w...
Comme chaque annee, le temps est venu pour les experts, pseudo-experts, et amateurs de hockey de predire le classement final qui prevaudra dans la LNH au mois d'avril. J'ai moi aussi mis ma boule de crystal au travail et voici ce que je prévois comme classement de la Conférence Est. J'espere que j'aurai plus de succes que l'an dernier, alors que j'avais reussi à prevoir...
Want a set of predictions that are a little bit off the beaten path? how about...
1) New York Rangers
2) Carolina Hurricanes
3) Montreal Canadiens
4) Pittsburgh Pengiuns
5) Philadelphia Flyers
6) Ottawa Senators
7) Washington Capitals
8) Boston Bruins
9)Florida Panthers
10) Buffalo Sabres
11) New Jersey Devils
12) New York Islanders
13)Tampa Bay Lightning
1...
In an online chat Blues President John Davidson had with fans today, he mentioned that despite the injuries and the influx of young defensemen on the roster, there will be no waiver wire pickups being made by the Blues going into the season.
There had been some preliminary discussions between the Blues and the agents for both Bryan Berard and Kyle McLaren, but Davidson ...
[b][u]EAST[/u][/b]
1-Montreal Canadiens
2-New Jersey Devils
3-Carolina Hurricanes
4-Pittsburgh Penguins
5-Ottawa Senators
6-Tampa Bay Lightning
7-Boston Bruins
8-New York Islanders
----------------------------
9-Washington Capitals
10-Philadelphia Flyers
11-Buffalo Sabres
12-New York Rangers
13-Florida Panthers
14-Toronto Maple Leafs
15-Atlanta Thrashers
...
What follows is my meager attempt to fill in the black hole that is Avs coverage on Hockeybuzz.
Maybe Engblom will be back. Maybe not. But I can construct sentences. Mostly.
Alright, enough poking fun at Engblom's Hemingway-like sentence structure, let's get to it. I am nothing if not a procrastinator, so now that there's only a few hours of preseason left, thi...
All speculation is over on who is going to make it (the only one of significance in debate was Filatov), who we would lose on waivers (none), and would we pick up anyone (no).
We now have our team built by the architecture firm of H&H Architects. This team screams Hitchcock. With few exceptions, this team is big, strong and fast. All will compete, there will be no excep...
Western Conference
1. Detroit (Central Division champions). Take away a ten-game stretch late in the season, and last year's Wings were one of the best teams in NHL regular season history. This year's squad is better.
2. San Jose (Pacific Division champions). It is no secret Patrick Marleau and Ron Wilson did not see eye to eye the past couple of years. A coaching ch...
As I sit here gazing at the many fellow students trying to get inside their bus without getting soaking wet, I am reminded of the Leafs.
As I sit here typing up this article on my laptop, that I bought two years ago as one piece and is now breaking up into two separate pieces, I am reminded of the Leafs.
As I sit here trying to get through this chapter, which has a c...
onemoreastronaut writes...
Honestly, I was excited for the start of the season, really.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I was so excited for the start of this hockey season. Why exactly I cannot say. Season opening the last few years ever since the lockout has been an event I've barely noticed.
Tonight, however, a mild ankle sprain kept me out of the lineup for my rec floor hockey game, which was ok, because the temptation of the raising of Detroit's Stanley Cup banner, the Wings-Leafs g...
I always enjoy playing out big Sabres games just before they take place on my PS2...sort of "predicting" if you will. I set the rosters up so that they match the Game Day rosters, and I go at it.
Historically, I'd say I pick the winning team about 75% of the time whenever I do this, so it's pretty accurate. In fact, I've done playoff games in the past in which I get the...
First I would like to commend the Canuck organization for the impressive and sincere tribute to the late [url=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3108/2537906452_2730d20d83.jpg]Luc Bourdon[/url]. For those who didn't have the opportunity to see the heart-warming display it began with two massive portraits of Luc on the ice surface. Tom Cochraine and Red Rider performed "Big L...
I got to the tank about 7:10 and the energy in the building felt good. I was a little worried when the shark head did not come down for them to skate out of. I was a little worried that it could have been a bad omen. The into of the game was awesome, the graphics off the ice were mind blowing. I really liked watching the Pacific Division Champion banner show up on the ...
Yes, it was the first game of the season. And yes, the Flames were playing in a place they'd only won three out of eight contests the previous year despite clearly being the better team. And yes, it was made even harder by the fact the Canucks were dedicating their home opener to the late Luc Bourdon. But no matter when it happens, or under what circumstances, there aren't...
skerr33 writes...
The Good, the Bad, and the Fantastic - Leafs season opener
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Apparently spirit [i][b]is[/b][/i] everything.
Let's begin with a disclaimer that may not appear enough in Leafland: I still don't think the Leafs are making the playoffs, and I still don't think the Leafs are winning the Cup - and all this despite a fantastic, energized, fast-paced, defensively-sound game by the Blue and White over the defending Stanley Cup champions. ...
I look forward to the first regular season Leaf game each year and last night was no different. As I sat watching the Stanley Cup banner raised to the rafters, the chills went up my spine. The crowd was wild with enthusiasm for their hometown Wings, and everyone had "blowout" on their minds. The Leafs had other ideas.
Building upon the positive signs they showed dur...
One day while bored at work I was thinking about hockey and wondered if it made much difference if we weighed point production from a per minute basis. I decided to check the top 40 scorers last year and compare them by how many points that they produced by actual playing time. Of course there is always the debate about who is better, Ovechkin or Crosby. Lets see who is be...
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...
This is word-for-word from the first half of my regular Blog just posted, but I thought it deserved a spot all on it's own ...
The Canucks did just about everything right last night in the season opening 6-0 win over the Flames, but the part they pulled off without a hitch came before the game itself, during a moving, yet under-stated tribute to Luc Bourdon.
These...
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...
The Eastern Conference
1. Pittsburgh
2. Washington
3. Buffalo
4. Montreal
5. Philadelphia
6. NY Rangers
7. New Jersey
8. Carolina
9. Ottawa
10. Toronto
11. Tampa
12. Boston
13. Florida
14. Atlanta
15. NY Islanders
Western Conference.
1. Detroit
2. San Jose
3. Edmonton
4. Vancouver
5. Calgary
6. Chicago
7. Anaheim
8. Dallas
9. Colorado
10. ...
It's a rather atypical day for your hockey season to start. I've gone from freezing at night, wearing my footsie pajamas and electric blankets to wearing a short-sleeved shirt with the A/C running on my commute home from school.
I'm kidding, I don't own footsie pajamas, but I would look damn cute if I did.
But yes, back to the important stuff. Every year I would get...
Last night, Hawk Nation endured the spectacle of the Red Wings and Def Leppard cavorting with the Cup. Today is a new day, last season is now officially declared over, it is time to drop the puck. Here come the 2009 Hawks. Here's hoping "One Goal" doesn't become a snarky Comcast Sports Night tag line for our offense.
So...from the perspective of a season-ticket ho...
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...
I don't care what year, who is on the roster, or who might be coach. When it's the start of the season, there is an electricity in the air just the same. Even when Mad Mike was spinning us to oblivion like a Texas Twister, I still sat at this juncture with the same bustle and trepidation.
If you think about it, we came from a proverbial desert as sports fans. The late 9...
Paddock had the Phantoms do a pretty aggressive skate for a game day.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2929209009/in/set-72157607916870391/
Aubin skated with the Phantoms
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2929208059/in/set-72157607916870391/
Flyers seemed really really loose at practice. That makes me hopeful for the opener.
http://www.flickr.co...
Well finally the Flyers play their first game. I am so psyched to see a real game now.
[b]Summertime changes[/b]
In hockey so many things change from year to year. Even though the Flyers did not make many big moves and yet there are still many changes. We all know the guys that are gone, I am going to miss Umberger. I think he will become a major force in Colombu...
Eric Brewer holds the dubious distinction of being the man who was traded for Chris Pronger.
At first, fans rode Brewer hard, taking their anger from the trade out on him. Interestingly, Pronger himself was ridiculed for being “soft” and for terrible play after Mike Keenan traded Brendan Shanahan for him.
But while fans eventually came to love Pronger, not every...
Yes, this team is for real.
It is only two games, but look at what they've done.
An emotional 6-0 win (that one was for you Luc Bourdon) and then a 5-4 OT victory in hostile territory tonight. Northwest Division rival Calgary was the victim both times.
And I know how people say the preseason doesn't matter, but it's no fluke that the Canucks had one of the best r...
I wasn't intending to write a post after tonight's game. But considering this was a 5-4 overtime loss that was much more lopsided than the score, and considering this followed a 6-0 season-opening loss to the same team, I figured it was noteworthy enough. Only two games out of 82 may be in the books, but in short, the Flames look even worse than my most pessimistic state c...
So you tuned in to see Stamkos and he only plays 6 minutes, huh? Well, this is why:
I hate to admit it, but he looks a little scared out there. Maybe not scared, but timid. You cant always have the puck in open ice, flying through the neutral zone. He hasn't won battles against the boards, he makes nervous decisions with the puck in his own end, he gets knocked off the ...
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...
The Leafs find themselves in a interesting situation on defense as they have 9 defensemen on their roster and will need to clear a couple within a few weeks once Jeff Finger returns. Leafs 1st rounder Luke Scheen has not looked out of place in the big leagues even if he looked a tad slow against Montreal yesterday. Frogren also had a tough night but he has an edge to him w...
ladynic writes...
10/11/08 Rangers @ Flyers, 10/12/08 Phantoms Phan Club event
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Ok I am behind so only one post.
Thank you everyone I met or ran into last night at the Flyers games that said they saw my pics or thanked me for writing and posting. I guess I didn't realize how many people read and look at my things. It was greatly appreciated.
Flyers game
Warmups are starting to be helmet optional. Not sure where this trend started but it...
Since the turn of the new millenium, Leaf fans have grown accustomed to seeing a late twenties' Bryan McCabe take charge of what was predominantly a veteran laden defense core. We'd often see him bellowing out orders from the bench, sticking up for his teammates even when it probably wasn't in his best interest to do so (getting ragdolled by Chara comes to mind), or displa...
Ok Ok, I may be the minority here but...
The goal song really isn't THAT bad.
Personally it was fine. It had some guitar, a few HEY's, a chorus, and no sex offender attached.
BTW, did you know that the Devils have the same EXACT Gary Glitter goal song that we just got rid of? I don't know about you but don't want to have the same song as the Devils.
Kudos for ...
Well what can I say about this game. I feel it was a snoozer and it felt like neither team could find any type of rythem. Kaspars goal was nice to watch, poor guy didn't even know it was a goal until a good 5 seconds after it went in.
So the pluses I saw in this game:
I can feel comfy with Mr Backup in goal. Boucher had a good game and was right on when he complai...
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...
Three games into the season and the Toronto Maple Leafs have already embarked on an up and down ride.
After defeating the Detroit Red Wings in an aggressive, defensively responsible and convincing opening game, the Leafs are now spinning their tires. Saturday night's debacle at the ACC was an embarrassing display that saw the Leafs panic under attack, never regaining th...
I can't catch up with the last year and a half of non-blogging with all the Sabres news, but I will always have faith in this team, especially in Ruff's decisions and the Regier management, despite on the flak they get. With that said, welcome to the Buffalo Sabres 2008-2009 season of awesomeness.
I mean, is it bad to have expectations for the team? Ahhh well, playoff...
Good logo design is simple. Good logo design is strong. Good logo design quickly conveys an image that identifies a team.
Hockey has quite a few logos that fit that description, among them:
Red Wings
Maple Leafs
New Jersey Devils (clearly the most creative marriage of letter abbreviations and symbolic images representing a devil).
There are also some logos that a...
After a long weekend of following the Leafs and eating turkey, it seems the two were intertwined. After a spectacular showing Thursday night in Detroit, the Leafs came out flat on Saturday vs. the Habs, and then lost a heart breaker to a young upstart team from St. Louis.
These types of games can be expected from a young building club like the Leafs. Full of promise a...
[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...
BluesHockeyOhBaby! writes...
Blues Provide Excitement and Glimpse of Future
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Last year the Blues' roster was filled with underproductive guys, many of them being paid lots of money to score, but never amounting to much. So the Blues said goodbye to Doug Weight, Petr Cajanek, Martin Rucinsky, and others and welcomed the next generation of players, the future Blues.
And I don't know if it comes as a surprise or not that these players have stepped ...
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...
Last Friday night the season started with the hopes of a shining youth movement getting underway to a successful first game. We saw Okposo make a good attempt on a penalty shot with Joey MacDonald putting on a promising performance in a 2-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils. It wasn't a win, but it left optimism for the following night's home opener at the Coliseum against the...
[b]Blackhawks Goalie Graveyard?[/b]
Did Khabibulin fall victim to the same fate as Brian Boucher?
I started getting into hockey a couple of years ago when Boucher, playing for the Hawks, went 1-10-3. He ended up getting waived by the Blackhawks that year and played minimal games for the Blue Jackets.
Boucher holds the distinction for the longest consecutive st...
[u][b]Trends after the Canucks first 3 games:[/b][/u]
[b]Offense:[/b]
-The top line is working. Not only have all 3 put up points, but Bernier is a plus 3 with a spirited fight. Sedins: both have 5 points are are plus 4.
-The 2nd line is not. A collective minus 7 with 2 points. Raymond has missed the net 6 times. I predict that it'll eventually break out; t...
Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn both had good seasons for the Habs last year and this season looks to be their breakout years. In only three games this season, Sergei has obtained 5 points and looks dominating at times on the ice surface. As for his brother Andrei he only has 2 points but seems to have improved his game over the summer. Some might even say these two are well o...
Yes, they are.
It's a story that won't take long to develop. The emergence of the league's most storied franchise is undeniable and their stacked roster will only strengthen as the year's progress.
Right off the bat, let's take a look at the Habs' depth chart:
[b]Position[/b]
[b]Left Wing[/b]: A. Kostitsyn A. Tanguay S. Kostitsyn T. Kostopoulos
[b]Ce...
The Sabres are coming off a convincing 7-1 win against a lackluster, DiPietro-less New York Islanders team, though a pro hockey team nonetheless who was embarassed on their home ice and there's no excuse for that.
The Rangers are coming off, well, one of their best starts in franchise history. 5-0 out of the gate ties their best all-time feat, and with a win tomorrow n...
From Notes & quotes: Goalie Rick DiPietro underwent treatment for his undisclosed injury yesterday but is expected to return to practice today ...
Whom do we believe?
The Isles? (Any reason to believe them?)
or Newsday?
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 ...
If there's any game to watch tonight, it would be this one.
[img]http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/7535/drurytu7.jpg[/img]
If it all pans out, this should be a glimpse of the level and competitiveness of play we're going to see in the Eastern Conference playoffs in a few months. The Sabres are motivated by a) playing Drury and b) by virtue of being the Buffalo Sabr...
I did a little breakdown of the Sabres lineup from last year to see how we did when our big guns score. Last year we had 5 players that broke the 20 goal mark. Vanek-36, Roy-32, Pominville-27, Kotalik-23, and Hecht-22. I figured it by percentage of points secured in games that were scored in.
1. Roy - 25 games 19-4-2 80%
2. Kotalik - 20 games 14-5-1 ...
VANEK I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUU.
[img]http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/9230/vanekyb5.jpg[/img]
Oh HECK YES Buffalo Sabres.
I had to catch this game throughout a meeting and would burst out cheering randomly while everyone else looked at me; and to them, I'd say, "VANEK!!! SHORTHANDED!!!" And then they'd say, "What is wrong with you?"
Damn it feels good to be rocki...
Who knew the Preds were invited to a coming out party last night? I didn't...but that is exactly what happened. The Preds, and the rest of the NHL, got a look at the force that is Fabian Brunnstrom. The 23 year old Swedish talent became the third player in NHL history to net a hat trick in his first game and in the process has everyone wondering just how good this guy will...
First off, I would like to mention the tragic death of Avangard Omsk forward and New York Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov. His premature death is devastating to his friends, family and the hockey community. It is a shame that someone with so much potential was not able to fulfill it. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Cherepanov family on the loss of the boy who was,...
I can't begin to explain how good it felt to see the Isles give up a 2-0 lead and manage a win. Yeah I know...how can anyone be happy that their team gave up a 2-0 lead in the third period? It's pretty simple.
Dating back for say the past four or five years the Isles maintained this identity of "roll over and die" as opposed to the "never say die" Isles that they used t...
The ducks are looking for their first win. This will be game 5 and this has me thinking about a few things. First is how will the ducks come out? Will they be frustrated and target some of our players and try to run them over? My gut says "YES THEY WILL". Ducks have always been a physical team and I think they are going to throw there weight around as much as possible...
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...
Yeah my title was a tribute to Talladega nights Jean Girard and his "formula UN" and my clever segue (or not so clever as obvious) is that tonight's game is going to be a speed race with a lot of collisions...just like the real Talladega. Everyone was aware coming into this game that the Oilers has youth, speed and skill on at their side, if you haven't seen Lubomir Visnov...
I wanted to know what was the best stat to look for when determining playoff bound teams. I dug up team stats for the last 3 seasons and broke them down. What I found was not surprising but very intriguing. Defense, defense, defense.
Over the last 3 seasons GAA has been the biggest determination of who made the playoffs.
07-08 13/16 lowest GAA made playoffs ...
What a game What game. Sabres Fab Five is not on:
Thomas Vanek continues to dominate this opposition. One Goal and One Assist. That makes 6 goals in 4 games. Well on his way to the 50 Goal Campaign and leading this team back to the playoffs.
The power play i was tough on them during the first game. Well so far they have been very good in the last couple games.
...
[b]Montreal. Friday, October 17, 2008[/b]. The Juniors returned home from a 5 game road trip on Friday night to host the Huskies from Rouyn-Noranda. Montreal, weary from their recent stretch of 3 games in 3 nights(Oct. 10-12), were in desperate need of a goal as the Juniors had not scored since the 13th minute of their 3rd period of their 4-1 win over Halifax, a total of 1...
The Calgary Flames took way too many penalties and the Oilers made them pay tonight, as the Oil defeated the Flames 4-3. The Flames continue to make bad plays up the middle and play too loose in their zone.
The key point was the Oilers' awesome power play as they ripped three power play goals. The Flames continue their woes with silly penalties, which ultimately cost...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
No Need To Panic..Yet: Postgame Reactions/Week 1 Impressions
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Apologizing to Flamestr for kind of ripping off his blog title. Think of this as a sort of point/counterpoint thing.
On the strength of three consecutive second period powerplay goals, the Oilers beat the Flames 4-3 tonight in the first Battle of Alberta of the season. Aside from the powerplays alone, the Flames were generally dominated, being outshot 35-29 and being ou...
[img]http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/4100/vaneksz1.jpg[/img]
Four games. Four wins. Vanek as top star for all four.
[b]Quick stats:[/b]
1. Buffalo out-hits Vancouver 25 to 17. Kaleta is the pounding machine, with 8 hits by himself.
2. Faceoffs are tied for both teams at 24. (I seriously believe this is one of those forgotten-but-important stats, like blo...
As posted in the Kings forum:
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Kings have signed defenseman Matt Greene to a five-year contact extension that will carry into the 2013-14 season, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced Friday. Per club policy, terms of the agreement were not a...
Phantoms lost 5-4 and were out shot by a good bit.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2951710514/in/set-72157608136997054/
It seemed like former Phantom Darren Reid was everyone's favorite target of the night. not even a minute into the game he got pounded by new Phantom Jeff Szwez (I want to be on record that Szwez looks alot like Damon Trebuchet from the soap M...
Right from the start of training camp I have not liked the results of the top line of the Flyers. The trio of Briere, Richards, and Gagne have been great, but the results on the rest of the team have been devastating. Without a third top quality centerman, the 3rd line became bad and thus canceling the depth of the top 9 forwards on the Flyers. I am very glad to see the...
stljam writes...
Protective netting: focused on fans or just out of focus
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
With the start of a new hockey year and the opening of my hockeybuzz, I thought I would post an old blog of mine from many years ago without any alterations. I think about this blog the first time I walk into an arena during the start of every new season. I welcome everyone's comments on all my blogs and hope that you all find something in my writing. As the demands of...
Alex Ponikarovsky also know as Poni in Toronto has scored 60 goals the past three season for Toronto but does not seem to get understand the concept of keep your stick down. Poni took another lazy penalty against the Rangers last night because he stopped moving his feet, thanks to the stellar play of Toskala the Leafs managed to get a point out of another shootout loss but...
Todd Bertuzzi keeps his 82 goal pace, Langkow cashes in on another power play as the Calgary Flames made the Oilers pay for penalties in the first period. It was nice for a change to see the powerplay connect tonight. I have to say, I am so pleased with how well Todd Bertuzzi is playing tonight; he looks very good for the Flames. Bert leads the team in goals connecting e...
A lead blown. Three straight goals in the second period. Complete domination in the speed department. It was the same story in a different building tonight, as the Flames fell 3-2 tonight at Rexall Place, losing to the Oilers for the second straight night. I saw this game as simply a one period effort, with little promise shown.
After a 17-3 shot advantage and 2-0 lead ...
Phantoms lost 3-1.
This was the debut of the Phantoms new third Jerseys that are all purple.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2952835251/in/set-72157608155866404/
Game was not as chippy as vs the Bears but it has its' moments.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2953734778/in/set-72157608155866404/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2952894009/in/...
Boy, what a game! Our boys came out a little flat and undisiplined. Their legs were laboring a bit and not to mention they ran into eachother a few times but WOW; what a way to gut out a point! This team showed a lot of grit last night!
The first 20 minutes couldnt have gone worse. ATL peppered Lalime with shots from everywhere, and he absolutely stood on his hea...
Boy, what a game! Our boys came out a little flat and undisiplined. Their legs were laboring a bit and not to mention they ran into eachother a few times but WOW; what a way to gut out a point! This team showed a lot of grit last night!
The first 20 minutes couldnt have gone worse. ATL peppered Lalime with shots from everywhere, and he absolutely stood on his hea...
Boy, what a game! Our boys came out a little flat and undisiplined. Their legs were laboring a bit and not to mention they ran into eachother a few times but WOW; what a way to gut out a point! This team showed a lot of grit last night!
The first 20 minutes couldnt have gone worse. ATL peppered Lalime with shots from everywhere, and he absolutely stood on his hea...
Boy, what a game! Our boys came out a little flat and undisiplined. Their legs were laboring a bit and not to mention they ran into eachother a few times but WOW; what a way to gut out a point! This team showed a lot of grit last night!
The first 20 minutes couldnt have gone worse. ATL peppered Lalime with shots from everywhere, and he absolutely stood on his h...
It was the 6-1 red hot Rangers coming into Detroit to face the Stanley Cup Champion Red Wings who held a mediocre 2-1-1 record. Both teams showed up to play and turned out one of the most exciting hockey games of this season. At first it seemed to be devloping in to a one-sided affair, with the Wings capitalzing on the Rangers' slow start with two goals in the first four m...
Training camp started with the Flyers having a solid top 4 in place: Timonen, Coburn, Jones, and Parent. Yet things changed quickly when both Parent and Jones where lost to injuries for several months. This forced the team to elevate Luca Sbisa from a prospect to the second pairing on defense. Obviously this isn't good. Timonen and Coburn are top pairing material and Sbisa...
[b]Eagles Overwhelm Allen and Juniors[/b]
[b]Montreal. Saturday, October 17, 2008[/b]. Less than 24 hours after hanging onto an emotional 3-2 victory over the Huskies from Rouyn-Noranda, the Montreal Juniors faced the QMJHL’s 2nd best team(to date), the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. The Juniors entered the second of their back to back weekend games with the best r...
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...
With their top lines not producing, their goaltending looking spotty and their special teams non-existent, finding somewhere to lay the blame in Canucks land is pretty easy.
My share of blame would be sent to 2 areas: D and Penalty Killing.
The Canucks have long been one of the best penalty killing teams in the NHL. They were top of the league 2 years ago and did f...
I would like to see a summary feature of all the blogs, sometimes they are just too long and full of pork to really get a grasp of the meat of the blog
Hearing "The Washington Capitals” and “Alexander” in the same sentence, has for the last few seasons conjured up “the Great 8” Ovechkin for hockey fans. This year, however, a new Alexander has finally arrived in downtown DC. Yes, that’s right, Alexander Semin, #28, is finally producing the way all the scouts thought he could, and he is getting...
[b]First, I must share this with you:[/b]
[img]http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/3847/hockeylolhh8.jpg[/img]
[b]Second, Sabres at Thrashers post-game:[/b] I only caught the first half of this game on radio, so I had a friend text me the final score. Color me surprised when I heard that the game went to a shootout, albeit a loss.
The main thing to note is how Lal...
The day before the Sharks play the Flyers I am thinking about the last game. The last game I was sweating and on the edge of my seat. I LOVE games like that. We had fights we had good skating and just one hell of an exciting game.
A lot of people seem to be worried about the flyers. I have watched only this one game and have to say they looked fine to me. This next...
The pest that we all love to hate will be making his return to Coliseum ice this Thursday when the New York Islanders host the Dallas Stars. Last night he made a more notable return to Madison Square Garden to face the Rangers. I didn't expect him to be out of line when playing against his former team, and from the little I saw my prediction was proved correct. But as usua...
stljam writes...
How Can I Get My Girlfriend to Like Hockey, the Sequel?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I want to take this opportunity to thank Hockeybuzz's own Julie Robenhymer for writing a much needed blog, "How Can I Get My Girlfriend to Like Hockey?" (You can read her blog here: [url]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=16472[/url]). I wish I would have had that type of starter kit about 15 years ago but luckily it all worked out for me.
As you may have gue...
[b] Game Report[/b]
Jarome Iginla and Matthew Lombardi score two goals 1.42 minutes apart in the second period as the the Flames defeated the Caps 2-1. The Flames snapped a 2 game losing streak.
[b]The Good[/b]
The Calgary Flames were perfect on the penalty kill, including a 9 minute power play. Their defensive zone was much better, limiting the Capitals' scoring ...
If anybody has read any of my blogs they may have realized that I love stats. My day job has been pretty slow lately so I spend alot of time scanning NHL.com and hockeybuzz. My newest here is compiling a list of the early season power players. I have ranked them by counting goals as 2 points and assists as 1.
WP is weighted points
WP/G is weighted points per game
Pl...
[b]Post-game: Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins, 3-2 (OT)[/b]
[img]http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/8959/milleruy9.jpg[/img]
TWO BUNNIES FROM THE HAT!!!
If Lalime pulled a bunny from Saturday's game, Miller one-upped him with last night's performance. After another [i]slug[/i]gish start, it was again up to the goalie to keep his team in the game. Then when the s...
CAPMESS11 writes...
Cherepanov Tragedy Changes Rangers Plans : RIP # 17
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With all the Dollars and cents the KHL offers,it makes no sense that the hockey world lost one of its future stars. Regardless of his talents,not a single player should have their life in jeopardy playing pro hockey. With all the hazards the game brings naturally, ( Concussions,puck movement,stick infractions,and skate blades) to fight for your life on the bench seems ins...
Rob McGowan writes...
Tiger Tips: Parrish Plays With Tigers, Not the Islanders?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Islanders traded away Mark Parrish along with Brent Sopel to the LA Kings a few years back in return for Jeff Tambellini and Denis Grebeshkov. That year he missed a chunk of the season to a high ankle sprain but in 57 games with the Islanders he managed to put up 24 goals and 41 points, contributing as one of our more consistent forwards despite him being one of the st...
Its starting to get pretty clear that Shea Weber is really living up to the hype that has surrounded him for the last few years.
One memorable moment of mine was in the 2006 playoffs against San Jose when Shea absolutely laid out Milan Michalak. Shea went flying into his own bench and Michalak appeared to be shaken up.
Then in the 2007 playoffs, head coach Barry Tr...
The Leafs are six games into the year and fans around the globe are wondering will the Leafs be able to score any goals?. The Leafs have scored a grand total of 11 goals and are on pace for a grand total of 150 goals forward, take into consideration that the Leafs scored 3 goals against Detroit in the season opener and 3 at home against St. Louis so we have 5 in the 4 othe...
Full pics set (yes only 11 pictures)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157608279983830/
Luca was very impressive to me. He handled himself very very well.
He gave the group a few laughs too at one point talking about the Old Guys on the team.
He speaks 4 languages. He talked about missing his pets and rooming with the Cote's.
He was a great g...
As they say, every cloud has a silver lining. There was a decidedly sullen mood around Devil-land when Brian Rolston went down with a high-ankle sprain and Bobby Holik broke his finger. In two days time, there it went...all the money we spent over the offseason to make us a better team gone, out the window.
But as I said, there is a silver lining to this injury cloud, a...
Have you ever seen a kid at Christmas or do you remember when you were a kid at Christmas? Well, I got a neat reminder when I was at the Flames practice this morning. I guess you could say the Capitals' practice this morning when my boy and his two best friends were patiently waiting for the Capitals to come onto the ice. Well, they were just waiting for one player in pa...
From: http://capsstop.blogspot.com
Boudreau and the boys head into Thursday's game coming off a loss, Tuesday, to the Calgary Flames. The Caps are 3-2-1, tied for first in the Southeast Division with Carolina (7 pts.), heading into Thursday's game against Gretzky and the Coyotes. The Capitals desperately need to right the ship, to avoid losing three in a row for the fir...
Well we are nearing the end of the first month of action and lots of stories are emerging. Starting with my Sens---
As reported on TSN today, Gerbers days are numbered under Hartsburg. Auld will get the start friday against the struggling Ducks and if he turns in a performance similiar to his first against Pittsburg, then we as Sens will have beyond a Goalie contreversy...
AlexanderScharf writes...
Early Season Predictions: What Will Change and What Won't
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
There have been many surprises so far this season, and the following is judgement of which occurences are "real" so to speak and will continue throughout the season, and which are abberations and won't last very long:
[b]Thomas Vanek will lead the league in goals[/b]
This young star is off to a quick start and is the real deal. After scoring 43 goals in his sophmore se...
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 ...
[img:left]http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20081024/capt.738c262e1cf3423496b1292413cdaaa0.sabres_wild_hockey_mnpb103.jpg[/img]
Rising like a phoenix from the ashes, the Sabres came back from two goals down inside the last 5 minutes of the 3rd period to defeat the Minnesota Wild 4-3 in overtime.
The Sabres one line was the story of the night after scoring 3 out of the...
Dallas came to town with a thunderous ZZ Top crescendo. The Isles unfortunately channeled Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories as they gave away pucks to the Stars team as if they were going out of style. Add to all this is that Brendan Witt might be out for a spell. He left the game with a "Lower Body Injury" which looked a lot like a knee injury.
Don't let the 5 to 3 score fool y...
Sabres win it in OT, with a late third period run and a quick goal in the OT period to take down one of the last two undefeated teams in the league.
[img]http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/7260/millerqf2.jpg[/img]
[b]Quick stats:[/b]
1. Buffalo was excellent at staying out of the penalty box, with only three 2-minute minors. However, Miller's mistake happened on t...
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...
A good pass. Of course there are players who score their goals with impressive dekes and flashy moves, but those players are called stars...superstars. Not the Dallas Stars. But last night the Isles got trampled by Mike Rebeiro and his career-high four assists.
This brings me to my point. What does it take to score a goal? We know that the Isles were going to have trou...
airtsabes writes...
If the playoffs started today. Pre-premature playoff picks
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The current playoff teams if the season ended today are:
The Eastern Conference
1. Buffalo
2. NY Rangers
3. Carolina
4. Montreal
5. Pittsburgh
6. New Jersey
7. Washington
8. Boston
The Western Conference.
1. San Jose
2. Minnesota
3. Detroit
4. St. Louis
5. Edmonton
6. Colorado
7. Chicago
8. Calgary
Buffalo over Boston
NY Rangers over Washingto...
After being a frequent reader of Hockeybuzz for months, I've decided to try blogging a bit about the Flyers as well as other goings on around the hockey world. Just a bit of background information: I am currently playing college hockey in Boston and am in my junior season. I was born in Philadelphia and have been an avid Flyers fan for years. I have spent the majority ...
So, on to the Hurricanes, who have posted themselves a 3-2-1 record to kick off the season. A respectable record, having only played two home games thus far, but the team has seemed to regress as the season goes on, as opposed to getting better.
Obviously I can't recap every game for you here, so I will give you some +/- ratings for players on the season....
+'s
B...
[b]Juniors Reclaim 1st Place in Division[/b]
[b]Montreal. Friday, October 24, 2008.[/b] Heading into Friday night's action at the Verdun Auditorium the Montreal Juniors trailed the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies by one point for 1st place in the Telus Western Division. In order for Montreal to regain first place of their division they would have to beat the Gatineau Olympi...
BluemanGuruu writes...
What to Do: Fourth Line Questions to Ponder with the Rise
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
We're early into the season yet and but a few patterns have emerged. The obvious one being the Blues penchant for falling behind and the other being they usually come back. Another pattern is the inability of some of our defense to make a good breakout play or pass. None of the D-men seem to keen on rushing the puck or making the move on the intial forechecker but are q...
The Flyers sweep the Devils in a home and home? When was the last time that happened? I bet it was back when the Devils were still a "Mickey Mouse" team. Funny that team we could never beat with the goalie that owns the Flyers, gets beat by a team that hasn't won a game all year. Marty Brodeur never loses to the Flyers until this year, what changed? His mask has change...
I did a live blog for tonight's Wings/Hawks game...a 6-5 shootout win for Detroit.
Transcript is at [url]http://hawkeycentral.windycitizen.com[/url] if anyone would like to check it out. Would love to hear feedback.
By the way, good on the Sabres for getting another point out west. I completely missed the game being focused on the Hawks' one, but I followed it on N...
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...
After many laptop issues, some family matters to attend to, I'm finally back to blog again! It's been a few games since my last Leaf report and just when things were looking bleak, the Leafs have pulled it together the last 3 games to play some incredibly sound hockey.
Backtrack to a Friday night in New York, Carlo Colaiacovo is feeling glum because he's learned he's t...
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...
Sven_119H writes...
Juniors Scoring Returns with 7-3 Win over Victoriaville
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Captain Matt Fillier's Hat-trick leads the way
Montreal. Sunday, October 26, 2008. The Montreal Juniors entered this afternoon’s game versus the Victoriaville Tigres in search of their second straight home victory of the weekend and a chance to regain 1st place in the Telus Western Division. In their only prior match versus the Tigres, Montreal enjoyed their best of...
Oh boy... here we go again.
Another player out with a concussion after a great big shot to the head.
For those who havent seen it yet (which is highly improbable, as it's one of the biggest hits of the past couple seasons)....
[code][/code]
After I had a minute to cool down, as any fan would be upset watching their teams top prospect go down in such a way, I st...
JocelynCeleste writes...
Lucic's contacts help him make contact with the puck in win
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
It was a night of firsts at the Garden on Saturday night. The first multi-power play goal game for the Bruins, Stephane Yelle scored his first point as a Bruins, Shawn Thornton record his first point of the season with an assist on Yelle’s goal, Milan Lucic recorded his first career hat trick tonight – getting four points(the extra point for assisting David Krechji sco...
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....
Another week finished, another 5 pts. The Buffalo Sabres go 2-0-0-1 this week. This team is off to a hot start in the still young season and that is without many key players.
If I told you before the season started that Hecht, Connolly, Gaustad, and Rivet would miss 24 man games to injury in the first 8 and we would still go 6-0-0-2 who woulda laughed. I probably would o...
The Capitals are finally back home after a three game road trip out west. The Caps went one and three on their road trip to Calgary, Phoenix, and Dallas. They picked up two points on the trip, while they would have liked at least three points, they remain tied for first in the Southeast with Carolina. The Caps play the Nashville Predators Tuesday night at 7pm, however, the...
These are the 10 worst +/- players in the league:
Player Team GP G A P +/- TOI/G
Kris Draper DET 8 0 0 0 -6 11:46
Fabian Brunnstrom DAL 7 5 1 6 -6 13:18
Chris Phillips OTT 8 0 1 1 -6 21:44
Adrian Aucoin CGY 8 1 0 1 -6 15:43
Nick Foligno OTT 8 2 1 3 -6 13:54
Brent Sopel CHI 7 0 1 1 -6 15:14
Tom Preissing LAK 5 1 2 3 -6 18:29
Bre...
Ah, memories of my youth.
You remember the one I'm talking about. The first time you play with a Rubiks Cube is always the worst, because it doesn't matter what your friend or parents tell you. You think it will be easy. And after 4 frustrating hours, tears and throwing the damn thing against the floor, you hope...pray...that this move will be the one.
And then ev...
[b]POST-GAME[/b]
There were two mindsets in the locker room. One was the Isles were victimized by bad breaks and bounces. it was a close game until near the end. This is true, but good teams make their own luck or overcome.
Isles coach [b]Scott Gordon[/b] and team captain [b]Bill Guerin[/b] had another take: Isles lost when people broke from the system, out of positi...
It told us we still have offense. It showed what happens when we have a decent time in the transition game. BUT...oh yes the but. But in the end Florida was pretty sluggish and did not truly resemble the team I'd seen this season. Their forecheck was not as strong as it usually was and that still means seeing the turnovers throughout the game that the Blues major issue...
There's some sarcasm in the title. I know why there are so many officials but I no longer know why they are all on the ice. Maybe the NHL should consider putting an official either between the penalty boxes or between the benches.
What, why? If you watch as much hockey as me you've probably noticed how manytimes the officials get in the way of the play or can't bel...
[b]The Good[/b]
Murray - He was on fire last night. He's really playing hard every night it seems. His shorthanded breakaway, with 2 shot attempts really shows something. (how many guys have we seen skate off into the corner after their 1st shot on the break-away.) Murray, rather, shoots at the rebound, then goes behind the net, steals the puck, and has the presence to pa...
The Sabres hockeybuzz fans have been sort of quiet since the loss to Ottawa on Monday, and I don't blame them. The only good thing for me is that Teppo is on my fantasy team, but then again, I also wagered that it would take him a lot longer to score his first goal of the season. Spezza is also on my fantasy team, so I am conflicted as to whether I should be happy or sad...
[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 ...
After checking the stats of defenseman on NHL.com I decided that the most accurate way to rate the top Dmen are through points, +/-, and minutes played. When we look at the top 20 in each of these categories there are only 4 players who appear in all of them.
Mike Green 8pts +4 27:33
Nicklas Lidstrom 7pts +6 26:04
Brian Campbell 6pts +5 27:09
Andrei Markov 10pts +4 2...
http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators battled back and forth like prize heavy-weight fighters in DC on Tuesday night, trading goals on three different occasions. It was Michael Nylander who delivered the knockout blow for the Capitals in the fourth round of a shootout. The Caps never trailed and head to Buffalo with a big two point...
From: http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators battled back and forth like prize heavy-weight fighters in DC on Tuesday night, trading goals on three different occasions. It was Michael Nylander who delivered the knockout blow for the Capitals in the fourth round of a shootout. The Caps never trailed and head to Buffalo with a big two...
The first year I got into hockey and became a lunatic was the 1992-1993 season. I broke my finger on a field trip when I was in 8th grade and refused to let my mother take me to the hospital because the Islanders were playing game 7 in Pittsburgh that night. So, I sat in my room on that Friday night with my hand soaked in ice incredibly nervous but also confident. ...
Larry Brooks, of the New York Post is reporting, Brendan Shanahan has apparently told his agent to consider all open offers. Shanahan told his agent he is tired of waiting for a roster spot to open up with the Rangers. It looks like he will probably not be going back to the Rangers then.
Shanahan has always been considered an offensive threat, but as he has aged he has ...
for gerz et all,
there are two sites on the internet from which you can steam sports from around the world, and i have found them to be streaming quite well (minimal to no lagging or buffering) this season. In terms of the Senators, for games that our usual channels are not broadcasting, you will be able to watch the feed from the opponents home tv station.
here are ...
It was Chris Drury on Monday night. Two nights earlier it was Nikolai Zherdev. Since October 4th it has been Scott Gomez, Brandon Dubinsky, Markus Naslund, and Henrik Lundqvist among others. And while common sense would seem to dictate that teams without 35+ goal scorers are lost, the 9-2-1 Rangers are proving that scoring by committee can be just as effective. It is true ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
The Philadephia Phillies are the 2008 World Series Champs!!!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
(forgive the non-hockey post my puckhead bretheren)
Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!
Been a long time....since 1980. I wasn't sure I was going to see one anytime soon. I was 12 when they last won it and will never forget Tug McGraw slapping the mitt on his leg as the city went into pandemonium.
Fast forward to Brad Lidge as...
Rob McGowan writes...
Okposo Needs To Play - Plus My First Blog Box Experience
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
This past Monday was the first Islander-Ranger game of the season, so I figured, what better a game to get my first taste of the NYI Blog Box? Unfortunately the Isles didn't finish with the expectations that I had hoped, but it was an exciting game that showed areas of promise...and areas of concern.
Joey MacDonald cannot be blamed for the Isles poor start. That has to ...
A crazy night in Jersey, the kind of game where team chemistry is built, leaders emerge and heroes are born.
Taking the game in with Carlo Colaiacovo as he sit out yet another game was very difficult. Carlo is keeping a good attitude, but is very disappointed that he's not getting the chance to play for this team. He was the first guy jumping up and down and high-fi...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Oh Atlanta, A Touchdown and Flyers Lessons Learned
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[u][b]Oh Atlanta...got to get back to you[/b][/u]
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b3/Little_Feat_-_Feats_Don%27t_Fail_Me_Now.jpg[/img][img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:WeWCWF99sb00fM:https://admin.imodules.com/s/324/images/editor/Thrashers%2520logo%25201.gif[/img]
I bet if you listened closely you could almost hear Joffrey Lupul, Mike Knuble, S...
C4LL4W4Y writes...
Rangers' Rissmiller and Re-entry waivers: Hockey Limbo
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
2008-2009 was supposed to be Patrick Rismiller's 3rd full season in the National Hockey League. He played 176 regular season and 30 playoff games with San Jose from 2006-2008. While not a gifted goal scorer, Rissmiller filled the grinder role for Ron Wilson's Sharks and adapted well to a defensive system that was also quite capable of moving the puck quickly through the ...
The Sabres are back in action tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They are looking to rebound from their pathetic perfomance aginst the Senators.
How the Teams Stack Up:
[b]Power Play[/b]
Buffalo: 21.6% - 7th in the league
Tampa Bay: 10.8% - 29th in the league
[b]Penalty Kill[/b]
Buffalo: 90.2% - 4th in the league
Tampa Bay: 84.3% - 11th in the league
...
I'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 ...
After a stressful week (and another stressful week coming up), I was ALL SET for this game. I got back to my apartment at 4pm, made some food, drank some wine, and put on my Miller tshirt. Yes, I'm a bit of a hockey geek, but I look forward to Sabres games, especially like tonight when I was able to catch the whole game.
Things couldn't be better. I listen to the pre...
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 ...
[b]The Good[/b]
Nash @ Center ends quickly, as he is moved back to his normal LW position after getting caught out of position and taking an interference penalty because of it.
As a result, Chimmy is rejoined with the kids and the Goat line produces another solid night.
Toughness... Avs bring in goon Tucker... Dorsett and Tucker go toe to toe with some quick jabs ...
[img]http://assets.espn.go.com/media/apphoto/5c43aae9-502d-4ac7-9d76-2b43c8a8f4cc.jpg[/img]
The Rangers (10-2-1) beat the Atlanta Thrashers (2-6-2) last night 3-2 in a battle that wasn't pretty at times, but ultimately turned out to be a succesful 2 points in the standings.
The power play was again relatively lackluster (sure the 2nd goal came on the man-advantage ...
It is a question that you face very often. It is often posed to you by a frustrated mother, wife and/or girlfriend, and sometime even by yourself. And while this question is often asked in rhetorical fashion and meant only yo ridicule your obsession, it is valid and must be pondered. The following blog is an investigation of the counter-intuitive relationship between fan a...
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,...
I am a little upset at the selfishness of the Calgary Flames organization, I just want to write some blogs and voice my opinion on how I would change things. I think it is ludicrous they won't give me one thing to write about.
Is it so much to ask to just have the power play fail at least so I can continue my call for new special teams coaching? But nooooo, they have t...
http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Washington Capitals, minus Alexander Ovechkin, head to Buffalo for a Saturday night match-up with the Sabres. The Sabres (6-2-2) come into Saturday nights game having lost three straight. The Capitals (5-3-1) will try and build on the win against Nashville, a 4-3 shootout victory, from Tuesday night. This will mark the second straight ...
To nobody's surprise, Stephen Valiquette will start in goal. From early indications it looks as if Dan Fritsche will get the nod alongside Chris Drury and Markus Naslund. I don't really understand it - or the fact that Tom Renney sees so much need to keep shuffling the line combinations despite the relative success the Rangers have had. Traditional wisdom says that play...
[b]10/30/08 Isles @ Flyers[/b]
Shout outs to Erica, Roseann, Karen, Brooke, Jess, Amanda, Matt, Eric, HF, Sandy, Theresa, Debbie, and anyone else playing along with Tim Ramholt got traded for Gratton.
Ok I think everyone knows, I have seen the Flyers play the Isles WAY TOO MANY TIMES!
For a while I think that was to the only team in my game plan.
Erica wanted t...
YAY, A WIN! AN ACTUAL WIN IN REGULATION!
[b]Quick stats + notes:[/b]
1. Giveaways are horrendous. Buffalo had TWENTY-SIX, while Washington had seven. If anyone was watching the sluggish PP, I'm sure you saw several of the 26 giveaways then.
2. Speaking of PP, Sabres went 1 for 8 (Caps were 0 for 5). I know Roy slid one past Theodore on the 5-on-3, but for a go...
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...
While bloggers galore attempt to understand what kind of team the Canucks are this season, I'd like to weigh in on a positive note that has been overlooked to date.
As many will attest to, the Canucks lacked 2 scoring lines last year. The 3rd line did well and the Sedin's did what they've been doing for 3 years, but the contributions from the other lines and the defens...
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...
Big Bert has been nothing short of spectacular, this season. He has the strength of an ox. He has great hands, including one of the best behind-the-back passes to Iggy tonight. It was a spectacular, no-look pass. The goal he scored was a great deke on Gigy as he breezed into the Ducks zone. He has great strength and will not be taken off the puck.
The problem tonight is...
This is just so amazing to me considering we rarely, if ever, heard such things coming from RW. But once again, McLellan attributed the trouble the Sharks encountered in the third to a mistake he made behind the bench:
[quote]Coach Todd McLellan volunteered afterward that one reason his team didn't have the legs to compete in the third period was his bench management, ...
http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Buffalo Sabres showed the Washington Capitals on Saturday night that speed kills. The Capitals came out flat and got absolutely blown away, 5-0. Apparently, after the game coach Bruce Boudreau of the Capitals was as mad as he has ever been, since taking over the reigns last November.
The Capitals looked flat from the start. Thomas Van...
Week 3 started pretty rough for the Sabres. 2 dismal 5-2 losses to the Senators and Lightning. They looked like they did not deserve to be playing in the NHL. Then when you get down on them they throw you a 5-0 domination over Washington. Lindy got them back to basics with the defense first style and it paid big dividends. So they finish the week 1-2 with Gaustad and Conno...
Favor to ask of you kind folks....
.... for any of you that watched the [b]Flyers/Oilers[/b] game yesterday SNET (I think thats the network you have), apparently there was a part of the pre-game show that had a Flyers' [b]Craig MacTavish[/b] jersey on it.
Well, that jersey is mine.
MacTavish has been my favorite hockey player since I was eight and...
Let's look around the league to some serious head scratchers this year, I'm no expert but even the experts were picking these guys to be a lot more productive, feel free to share your own or comment on mine.
Nick Backstrom- Caps- 4 points in 10 games. This kid is getting some serious sophmore jinx this year and it show because the next guy has way less than people thoug...
So the Isles go into the third period against R.J. Umberger and the Columbus Blue Jackets with a 3-0 lead...very reminiscent of the 4-1 lead the Isles held going into the third against the Montreal Canadiens...but the Isles couldn't blow a 3-goal lead in two consecutive home games...could they?
...yes...yes they could.
And they did. Going into the third period the Is...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
The Wayback Machine: Who or what you pay to see??
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_TicketPicture.jpg[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_poker.jpg[/img]
In the days leading up to the World Series clinching victory for the Philadelphia Phillies, websites like StubHug, Ebay, etc... were purportedly selling very good seats at Citizen's Bank Park for upwards of $2,000. I don't...
I ACTUALLY WENT TO THIS GAME!
Admittedly, not the most exciting game ever. The penalties in the 2nd made the game slow down considerably and the 3rd period was an overwhelmingly defensive period for the Sabres.
[b]Quick stats:[/b]
1. Craig Rivet is back after missing 5 games. This means the last person left on the injury list is Jochen Hecht, who did travel with t...
Twelve games into the NHL season and the Leafs have garnered a 5-4-3 record. Considering NHL critics predicted the Maple Leafs to get humiliated this season, they are one of the biggest surprises so far.
While they battled with a 5-game losing streak early on, the Leafs displayed a ton of heart during the losing skid. In fact, most of those losses were one-goal deficits...
Over the last 3 seasons 100 points or more has been scored by players 16 times.
2 in 2007-08
7 in 2006-07
7 in 2005-06
Alexander Ovechkin – 2
Sidney Crosby – 2
Joe Thornton – 2
Dany Heatley – 2
Evgeni Malkin
Vincent Lecavalier
Martin St. Louis
Marian Hossa
Joe Sakic
Jaromir Jagr
Daniel Alfredsson
Eric Staal
So far this season there are 14 pl...
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?
Craig Conroy, you are the latest winner on "take a seat!", a game show for players that do there very best to make an individual effort to lose a game for their team! After letting Shane Doan walk past you while you checked for dirt under your nails and after you stopped skating to let Stephan Reinprect walk in on your goalie un-checked you also win... saneopinion making f...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/electiondaywin.jpg[/img]
There are always a few factions after an election day. Those happy or at least satisfied. Another angry, with bitter canned rhetoric looking for anything that can assuage that sour taste in their mouth. Politics can bring out the best and worst of us.
I think any reaction to the election is valid and true to ...
One would have to wonder with the steady decline of the canadian dollar dropping from roughly $1.07 high in October of last year and staying above par with the US dollar for most of last year. Down to current levels of $.82 - $.85 which works out to around a drop of $.15 - $.23 average. If last year Canada's six NHL teams ticket sales made up for 1/3 of the NHL total tick...
Rob McGowan writes...
It's a Win, It's a Streak, But Isles Still Look Weak
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
You will never hear me complain of the New York Islanders beating the New York Rangers. Ever. Although the rivalry may have died down on the ice over the years, it has not died down for the fans, and a win is a win however they may come. Despite the Isles being on a two game winning streak after playing back to back games, the Isles were lucky to come out with a "W" after ...
I've been an Alexander Steen supporter even since he debuted with the Leafs back in the 2005-06 campaign. Since that time, Steen has made no progress offensively, posting 35-45 points a season in his short NHL career thus far.
That has to change. No ifs, ands or buts. Steen has been radiating top-six forward potential every season, and then he falls into a coma once mor...
Allen Leads Juniors To Victory
Montreal. Wednesday, November 5, 2008. In a rare weekday start at home, the Juniors de Montreal welcomed the Foreurs de Val D’Or to the Verdum Auditorium in front of a young and excited audience. Among the spectators on Wednesday night, the Juniors were pleased to welcome the students of Royal Vale High School. In participation with th...
So I finally found out how to blog on this great site and lucky for you it just happens to be on a night where I have a few things to say. Edmonton played the Blue jackets tonight and lost. Guess who was in net???? Matty Garon....nope because I'm pretty sure if he had then the 4 goals Edmonton scored would have been enough to win the game, guess again. Jeff Drouin-Deslauri...
One would have to wonder with the steady decline of the canadian dollar dropping from roughly $1.07 high in October of last year and staying above par with the US dollar for most of last year. Down to current levels of $.82 - $.85 which works out to around a drop of $.15 - $.23 average. If last year Canada's six NHL teams ticket sales made up for 1/3 of the NHL total ticke...
[i]This was written on another forum in response to a discussion that took place on ticketing strategies for teams that fail to fill their arena on a consistent basis. Some of you may know that I am a Rangers fan, and while I wholeheartedly root against New Jersey when the NYR play them, I believe getting more fans into the Prudential Center on a regular basis is of the u...
Dustin Boyd practiced with the number one line, and while Keenan isn't known for sticking to one line all game, it does show that the Flames' drafting has improved since Sutter took over.
A quick look at the roster for this current year will show that the drafting done since Sutter took over is helping the team. Nystrom first round 10th overall, Prust third round 70th o...
NickBoston writes...
Karyia Becomes the Latest Casuality on Injury Front
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Can it get any worse for the Blues?
The rash of injuries the Blues have had early on this season has now spread to Paul Kariya. He is flying back to St. Louis to have an MRI taken on what is being called a "lower body injury" by the team. Kariya was injured in the second period of last night's game against Anaheim, and didn't return. While nothing has been leaked about ...
NickBoston writes...
Karyia Becomes the Latest Casuality on Injury Front
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Can it get any worse for the Blues?
The rash of injuries the Blues have had early on this season has now spread to Paul Kariya. He is flying back to St. Louis to have an MRI taken on what is being called a "lower body injury" by the team. Kariya was injured in the second period of last night's game against Anaheim, and didn't return. While nothing has been leaked about ...
NickBoston writes...
Karyia Becomes the Latest Casuality on Injury Front
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Can it get any worse for the Blues?
The rash of injuries the Blues have had early on this season has now spread to Paul Kariya. He is flying back to St. Louis to have an MRI taken on what is being called a "lower body injury" by the team. Kariya was injured in the second period of last night's game against Anaheim, and didn't return. While nothing has been leaked about ...
NickBoston writes...
Kariya Becomes the Latest Casuality on Injury Front
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Can it get any worse for the Blues?
The rash of injuries the Blues have had early on this season has now spread to Paul Kariya. He is flying back to St. Louis to have an MRI taken on what is being called a "lower body injury" by the team. Kariya was injured in the second period of last night's game against Anaheim, and didn't return. While nothing has been leaked about ...
[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...
Lets start with the most overdrawn annoying story in hockey.
Sundin-- I keep repeating I don't care what happens with this except i hope he doesnt want to play in Ottawa.
And while I'm going to probably take flack for this, Montreal isn't a possible destination, Gainey said he has no interest in Sundin at this point and with how good Montreal is doing it'd be retard...
Lets start with the most overdrawn annoying story in hockey.
Sundin-- I keep repeating I don't care what happens with this except i hope he doesnt want to play in Ottawa.
And while I'm going to probably take flack for this, Montreal isn't a possible destination, Gainey said he has no interest in Sundin at this point and with how good Montreal is doing it'd be retard...
Lets start with the most overdrawn annoying story in hockey.
Sundin-- I keep repeating I don't care what happens with this except i hope he doesnt want to play in Ottawa.
And while I'm going to probably take flack for this, Montreal isn't a possible destination, Gainey said he has no interest in Sundin at this point and with how good Montreal is doing it'd be retard...
It seems obvious to me that Craig Conroy is an avid hockeybuzz reader because after I ripped into him after last game he came out and had his best game of the season.
The game tonight had everything you would want as a hockey fan, the second period alone had 5 goals, 2 fights and a massive hit by Sarich. The game had fights, goals, big saves, bad refing...really bad, b...
SoCalSharksGirl writes...
Sharks Devastated in Final Play, Figuratively Speaking
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I know the title is dramatic, but this is a dramatic situation. So here it goes....
We'll start with a bit of a recap. IMO, the Blues have been the best test of the team so far. The way they clog the neutral zone and battle for pucks really forced the Sharks to fight for a victory in this one. I'm so happy Clowe is healthy and being the player we had knew he was capab...
[img]http://assets.espn.go.com/media/apphoto/e8cb78eb-64ba-4e5c-8061-30eefcb75f94.jpg[/img]
Chris Drury scored two power play goals and a shorthanded tally to power the Eastern Conference leading Rangers past Tampa Bay for the third time this season.
New York's power play has been ineffective for most of the season, operating at only 13.5% - including last night's 3 ...
airtsabes writes...
Goal scoring and the most exciting teams since the lockout.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.frymybacon.com/media/images/articles/article_0138_01.jpg[/img]
The year after the lockout saw the comeback of some wild scoring games with the more wide open gameplay. That season saw 11 players break the 40 goal plateau compared to only 3 the season before the lockout. Games played that year had an average of 6.05 goals scored. Unfortunately for fans the ...
I can't say that every Isles fan wanted a youth movement, but close to the majority did. The result thus far has been tough games with blown leads, merciful losses, and pounding headaches, but I hate to say it, this is what we asked for.
This is not a bad thing. It is what's to be expected. I'll admit, I myself was making those typical claims of 'trade this guy' or 'bri...
I wonder if the Oiler coaches and management are hearing this question from the back of the plane?
This question has a lot of meaning to me, mostly because I had to use it on my parents on the LONG drives from Regina to Calgary, well pretty much Regina to anywhere! This question has more than one meaning to the Edmonton Oilers.
First off, the road trip. Well kids it'...
OK, a little euphoria was certainly in order after some of those impressive wins in comeback fashion and everyone realized that the Leafs weren't going to be the total doormat that people expected. Schenn was a pleasant surprise, Hagman/Grabovski/Kulemin showed speed and flair, and it became clear that the Leafs were going to be a TTPA ("A tough team to play against.")
...
An arrogant, egotistical taskmaster touching down in the Toronto fishbowl, Ron Wilson’s appointment may not have been an obvious choice with so many candidates in the close season merry-go-round, yet with Wilson’s strategy of lowering expectations helping stick the mantra of underdog on a franchise so long riddled with media expectation, the Maple Leafs have proven man...
On a busy Thursday evening in the NHL an early season quirk in scheduling saw the leagues four bottom feeders come together in what could be glibly dubbed the battle for the wooden spoon. Of course none of the four teams entering their respective pre-thanksgiving matchups would be playing without designs on a playoff place with seventy or so games remaining. Indeed the fur...
Juniors Comeback for 2nd Straight Win
The Montreal Juniors surmounted a 3 goal deficit en route to a strong 6-3 road victory Friday night in Gatineau over the Olympiques.
Gatineau dominated the 1st period, scoring 3 goals on 17 shots, but would not hit the score sheet again as Montreal scored 6 unanswered goals, dominating in a strong road performance for the win. ...
Juniors Lose Close One 2-1 to Shawinigan
Montreal. Saturday, November 8, 2008. Entering Saturday afternoon's match at the Verdun Auditorium having won 2 games in a row, the Montreal Juniors were eager to extend their winning streak to 3 games against the league-leading Shawinigan Cataractes. Following their Friday night 6-3 win in Gatineau, the Juniors were only in ...
B.D. Gallof writes...
IMAGINE: Controversial Shoot Out Loss vs the Penguins
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[i]Imagine if 40 minutes meant anything. Imagine if 5 straight games, the Isles owned more than just the 1st and 2nd periods, Imagine if you could have seen under Dany Sabourin's 1/8 piece of blockers to see the puck which crossed the line for the tying Shoot Out goal.[/i]
The Isles led going into the 3rd period. Therein lied the problem. They have been unable to ment...
Shout outs to Karen, Krisitn, Roseann, Sandy, Jess, Amanda, Matt, Don, Rux, Eric, and all my regulars ;)
First the buzgate. I parked in the wachoia lot because I knew I was going to do my normal thing of waiting afterwards. I ran in to Scoop Cooper and walked over with him.
I could not believe the set up when I got over to the Buzzgate. The folks organizing this d...
It's looking like another November to remember for Canucks fans as the team has won 5 of its last 6, including a 3 win/shutout streak and sit atop the NorthWest division.
After looking great in the first week, the Nuck's settled into a lovely groove of mediocrity and were playing .500 hockey. Luongo looked mortal, special teams were on and off and the Sedins had gone c...
8-3-3 19pts H(4-2-1) A(4-1-2)
Week 4 started great and then got ugly. 1-1-1 with Miller starting all 3. He started the week with shutout and it all went downhill from there. Our guys decided to revert to their lazy defensive play of last year and it cost them. One can say that Lalime should have started one of the back to back games but I do not think it would hav...
In light of the economic "catastrophe" taking place I thought I'd take a look at which NHL clubs have put their eggs in the most profitable baskets.
In the pre-cap era NHL GM's needed to ensure that their payroll reflected the success of their team. For instance, the turn-of-the-century Rangers were a woefully overpaid under-achieving squad, routinely finishing in...
I've been asking myself who would be the best player to be captain and lead the Leafs moving forward, and I have come to the conclusion Scott Hartnell is the man. He is perfect, a gritty full of heart player who can pot you a few points and put slackers in their place. In addition he is under contract for 4 more years after the 08-09 season. The only problem...............
I am hearing all sorts of panic from the Flames fans. Yes, the sky is falling. Our defense is standing around. Our forwards are back to not helping the defense Kipper is back to being human. Generally, this team reminds me of Dr Jeckell and Mr Hyde. I just do not understand how this team can be so awesome one night and terrible the next.
This phenomenon does not go j...
Good god it feels great to see the Canucks on a winning streak. With gas in the tank, goals and a stingy offense the Canucks have been fun to watch and fun to follow.
But remembering again why I'm an armchair GM, one must always be looking to the future.
It is certain that GM MG has been kicking plenty of tires, more so, it seems, than his predecessors. What's more...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Veteran's Day Salute - A Near Frozen River in December, 1776
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.sar.org/ohssar/AmericanRevolutionaryWar.jpg[/img]
Midnight.
A howling wind screams across a frozen expanse of water. Blinding snow stings the already frostbitten skin as the men stamp their feet to try to stay warm. Heavy, woolen uniforms cake with ice as they ready the boats in bone chilling dampness. No fires. Can't let them know we are comin...
I have to say that watching the Leafs this season has been exciting, the team skates, it is now scoring and more importantly winning some games. This could mean its time to plan the Stanley Cup parade route, all joking aside i don't expect very much from this squad but that may be part of the reason i enjoy watching them so much this season. There is one thing that i have ...
It's pretty hard to believe, but I am currently in first place in the Fantasy Hockey Pool presented by KIA on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada! Ron McLean even said my name on TV!
I currently have a 2 point lead over second place, and am trying to keep a blog updated daily to show my progress.
http://rblight18.blog.ca/
Or check out the CBC website if you don't believ...
Coming from back-to-back wins in New Jersey and New York, where he blocked 77 of the 80 shots he received, Jean-François Drouin-Deslauriers is starting to turn heads.
The young Oilers netminder is slowly making a name for himself and vying for more starts in the NHL's only ménage à trois with Mathieu Garon and Dwayne Roloson.
In 4 games this season with the Oilers...
For the past few games we have watched this Isles squad play an impressive 40 minutes of hockey to conclude to the dismay of many fans with a 2 or 3-goal give-away resulting in a loss.
I was in Connecticut on Saturday and was unable to watch Satan and Fedotenko make their returns to Coliseum ice, but I got a text message from a buddy of mine that said it all in two wor...
nephew23 writes...
STARS Kicking It Old-School and Modano's 533rd Career Goal
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Just a few thoughts about tonight's game ... Stars in LA ... tied 2-2 after 2. The three remaining Stars that hoisted the Cup in 1999 have made an impact in the game tonight. Like a replay of 10 years past! Most importantly, Jere Lehtinen is back and looks pretty good. He scored the first goal of the game in his first game of the season. Zubov is also looking good in ...
I don't know about anybody else, but the officiating so far this season has been absolute crap!! I have Center Ice, and I've been to a number of games this season, and it has been absolutely horrendous!! So what's different this season and why am I complaining about it now? Because tonight, there were two critical calls that cost the Sharks the game against Nashville, a...
Buffalo Sabres 8-3-2 6th in East
St. Louis Blues 5-7-1 15th in West
Last week:
Sabres - 1-1-1
Blues - 0-2-1
Powerplay:
Sabres: 21.6% 5th
Blues: 27.1% 2nd
Penalty Kill:
Sabres: 88.7% 5th
Blues: 81.0% 15th
Goals per game:
Sabres: 2.93 t-16th
Blues: 3.00 t-10th
Goals against:
Sabres: 2.21 t-3rd
Blues: 3.38 25th
Team leaders:...
So Bill Daly was on TSN's Off the Record the other day and the main topic of discussion was, not surprisingly, the sustainability of a 2nd NHL team in Toronto.
Being a western Canadian myself, I really could care less about the Leafs or mainstream Canadian media's love affair with the city of Toronto. Onto the issue itself, there's no doubt that Toronto could hold anoth...
I'm fed up!! After the Sharks loss last night to Nashville, that could have very easily been a win had the refs done their freaking job right, something has to change! This game just happens to be the last straw. I've been watching a number of games this season since I have Center Ice, and it just as bad throughout the league. In every game I've seen there have be horrendo...
BURKE LEAVES DUCKS?!?
Yes it has happened. As reported by TSN and Ek, Ducks GM Brian Burke has indeed left his job after indicating that he was not looking to seek an extension with the team. Assistant GM Bob Murray will take over the reigns and much deservingly so. Murray has been around different organizations in different roles. He has had previous GM experience with...
I'll be the first to admit that I've been slacking in the blog department.
My last [i]real[/i] blog was back in July, "Addition thru Subtraction"
[url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=40071&post_id=5648[/url].
Having an 8 month old baby might have something to do with it =)
So here we are, about 1/5 of the way into this season, we find the Flyers with a 5-...
Too Little, Too Late
Montreal. Wednesday, November 12, 2008. The Juniors faced the Titans for the second time at home this season, having previously defeated the Titans 4-3 in a very close game which marked the debut of Angelo Esposito’s career as a Montreal Junior. Montreal entered Wednesday night trailing the Huskies by 4 points for 1st place in their division.
...
Say what you will regarding the Calary Flames team defense, the seconday scoring, which is critical this season is heating up. Yes that pun is completley intentional and I do will not apologize for it!
Here's a quick look at the pace of the secondary guys:
Boyd: 30 goals 10 assists
Moss: 10 goals 19 assists
Bourque: 14 goals 29 assists
Conroy: 14 goals 24 assists
G...
Itlan writes...
Season starts and all the Ducks bloggers hide in a cave
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Guilty!
I'm guilty of promising to blog, and failing to even write one blog since the start of the regular season. Mostly, it's been because I am (was) very busy with work.
But my intent was to let the Ducks try to work out any kinks in the works, and try to write a blog at about the 10 game mark. Unfortunately, I was wrong to assume there would be others to fill in ...
I don't have a whole lot to say this morning as I've been swamped the last little while with travel back and forth across the continent as well as a quick trip to Europe to see a kid play, but believe it Leaf fans, the Brian Burke era will begin shortly.
My quick phone conversation with Burke the other day pretty much had me convinced he'd be in the Leafs top position n...
Winners of the last 20 Stanley Cups and how they finished in their conference:
[img]http://hotpointshockey.com/images/stanleyCup2.jpg[/img]
07-08 Red Wings 1rst 115pts
06-07 Ducks 2nd 110pts
05-06 Hurricanes 2nd 112pts
03-04 Lightning 1rst 106pts
02-03 Devils 2nd 108pts
01-02 Red Wings 1rst 116pts
00-01 Avalanche 1rst 118pts
99-00 Devils 4th 103pts
98-...
Well Devils fans now what? Since Marty has gone done we are beginning to see how valuable he is with our sub-par defense. Don't get me wrong I think Kevin has played well over the past 4 starts but to be honest with you I feel he is truly a back up type of goaltender. Yes he went to the finals with the Canes a few years back, but that was in the old NHL (clutching, grab...
Jason Blake is in the dog house. His play of late has seemed uninspired and his antics may be destroying the moral in the dressing room.
The obvious option is to sit him and hope that lights a fire under his posterior, however that doesn't really solve the problem of him not fitting into the top two lines. Anther more aggressive option is to post him on waivers and then...
polastem writes...
Grabovski, Young Guns - More Than Leafs Bargained For
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Drafted in the 5th round by the Canadiens in 2004, dealt for a 2nd round pick in the 2009 Entry Draft and 5th round selection Greg Pateryn in 2008. Have the Leafs made the biggest impact trade of the season?
It was a bit of a slow start in the point production for the 24 year old rookie, but after not putting up a point in his first 7 games, Grabovski has found himself ...
The Calgary Flames were frankly an embarrassment tonight. They did
nothing right. They were not skating and not hitting and Kipper was,
well, not good. The forwards continue to stand still. The defense
continues to back up in their zone, they are just panicking every time
they touched the puck. Our defense is slow, plain and simple; we cannot
continue to be caught fla...
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...
Well it is still a day away from our next game but I can't help but write about what went on the last week and a half in Canuck land.
Luongo shook of the rust and lose of his hair to show every team why they should be worried when he is between the pipes. His play is something that I personally come to love from the elite goalies in the league. There is something absolu...
The Isles were down early against a struggling Ottawa Senators team last night. Sure, they were under .500 going into the game, but you cannot undermine the power of Heatley, Spezza, and Alfredsson. The early lead had many pundering how bad this game could get, but then the impossible happened...
A "stale" Kyle Okposo, (as described by head coach Scott Gordon), newly pa...
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...
After signing a 11-year, $85-million contract extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Lecavalier believed he would be happy in Tampa Bay for the rest of his career.
However, everything changed later during the summer as Barry Melrose became the new head coach of the Lightning after a 13-year hiatus away from an NHL bench.
After yesterday's loss to the Red Wings, the ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Hey you, don't help them to bury the light...PHI/PIT
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b][i]Hey you, don't help them to bury the light
Don't give in without a fight.[/i][/b]
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/2968617770_1c653664b4.jpg?t=1226672183[/img]
[u][b]Don't help them to bury the light[/b][/u]
3:51 into the second period, Sid the Kid just buried a pretty powerplay goal on the backhand and the Flyers find themselves down 3-0, ...
The Tampa bay Lightning have fired Barry Melrose because of a bunch of overpaid, whining, pretty boys who didn't like being called out for making EXTREME amounts of money and being LAZY.
This is a sad day for hockey. Melrose demanded his players skate hard every shift. He stated that they are an incredibly talented team, but that gets you nothing if you don't work har...
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 ...
If you look back to July and August the Leafs would have given Matt Stajan away for basically nothing. He was even a healthy scratch early into this season. Now however he is showing us what Pat Quinn and the Leaf's brass had noticed in his game. Taken in the second round 57 overall to his hometown Maple Leafs the pressure was on Matt right away. Scoring in his first N...
Isles have a shot of a home-at-home sweep of the Senators. More interestingly, Josh Bailey has a shot of sweeping out a vet as a mainstay this season if he performs well in the next handful of games.
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/sweeptheleg.jpg[/img]
Ottawa comes to town probably pretty hyped up over a few things. Their stinker at home in Ottawa where those...
Shout outs to PFFC volunteers, EK, EO and Julie.
This was a great event. Proceeds go to Charity plus it was a long overdue day with Stanley for Bill Clement.
Erica and I arrived at noon. This was the line that we were greeted with
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3032289223/in/set-72157609137296854/
It took us an hour and 15 minutes to get through the ...
There's nothing quite more satisfactory than scoring on the team that recently told you "We don't think you're quite worthy for this team, you're being put on waivers"
Mr. Kyle Wellwood got to feel this just a few hours ago when he lit the lamp against his former Toronto Maple Leafs, shoveling the puck past Vesa Toskala in the first period.
Quite frankly, I was one o...
Rob McGowan writes...
Mac'in Net: Joey Comes Up Big as Isles Win Two Straight
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Last night's game against Ottawa started off with a fearful barrage of shots from the Sens. Almost 6 1/2 minutes in the Isles were being outshot 7-1, forcing Joey MacDonald to commit with some big saves to keep the game at a scoreless tie. At the end of the first the ice was tilted in the Senators favor. I looked up to the score board to see the Sens were not out-shooting ...
Strong Shutout Performance by Juniors
Montreal. Friday, November 14, 2008. Deciding to give Montreal Juniors number 1 goalie Jake Allen the night off proved to be a stroke of genius for Head Coach Pascal Vincent. Backup netminder Jean-François Bérubé stopped all 30 shots he faced on Friday night and led the Juniors back into the winning column with a 1-0 shutout ov...
Gatineau Wins for First Time in 14 Games
Montreal. Saturday, November 15th, 2008. A late game meltdown by the Juniors defense cost Montreal their 12th loss of the season. Looking to build momentum following their 1-0 shutout win over P.E.I. last night,the Juniors instead gave up a 2-1 lead late in the third period, eventually losing 3-2, to the Gatineau Olympiques.
...
Montreal Beats the Unbeatable
Montreal. Sunday, November 16, 2008. The Montreal Juniors played their best game of the season thus far, handing the undefeated Moncton Wildcats their first regulation loss of the season, 3-2. Despite allowing 2 goals in the 3rd period, the Juniors outshot and outscored a potent Moncton offense 37-25.
Guillaume Asselin led the way f...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Joffrey Lupul - A Riddle, Wrapped in a mystery...
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Flyers returned to the friendly confines of the Bank Building after taking 5 of a possible six points on their highly successful three-game road trip. After manhandling the Montreal Canadiens, by the score of 2-1 at the Bell Centre last evening, the Flyers knew they were coming home to face the Atlanta Thrashers. Yes, the same Atlanta team they steamrolled 7-0 li...
Now I really did not know Pavel Demitra before this year. I knew who he was as a player on the ice and that he was not the healthiest of players. But as this year goes on I am becoming more and more impressed with him as a person. Sure the three assists in his first game back after cracked ribs that kept him out of the line up for 10 games is nice. But the complements this...
Sydor has been traded and I should have seen that coming wiwth his being a healthy scratch so often, as of late. Sydor had to waive his NTC for the trade to go through. In exchane the Pens get Phillipe Boucher, who like Sydor, is in the last year of a a 2.5 million contract. Boucher is -4 and has 3 points in 16 games this season. Hopefully, this will be just enough of ...
[b]9-5-3 21pts H(5-3-1) A(4-2-2)[/b]
[img]http://www.letsgosabres.com/images/players/photos/ryan_miller.jpg[/img]
Week 5. What a disappointment. 1-2 with Miller making an appearance in all 3. What happened to Patrick Lalime? 6 goals against on 23 shots. Miller was not a lot better. 7 goals against in just over 2 games.
So we picked up 2 more points in the standings...
From http://capsstop.blogspot.com
Today's post will be a just a random list of points to ponder over, feel free to comment along the way or email thoughts.
-The Capitals earned a point last night that they did not deserve in New Jersey, with the exception of Jose Theodore.
-The recent play of Brent Johnson has motivated Theo to play better and it has shown over th...
I love these ferry rides from Long Island back to school in Connecticut. They allow me to sit down and write up speculation pieces without worrying about having anything else to do. While most of my blogs usually contains facts or fun opinions, these ferry ride blogs are usually speculation pieces simply because I do not have internet, and I like to write down some fun tho...
HockeyBuzz so far has been great to me. Being able to share thoughts, opinions and other things with fellow hockey fans all across North America and even overseas is awesome. Hockeybuzz also is my first experience in blogging. I have written in and was editor-in-chief for my school newspaper in high school, managing different sections from time to time and eventually, the ...
Over the course of a season, every team wins a few that they shouldn't, and loses a few that they should win. The Avs have already had a few games that they "should" have won, so this 3-2 shootout win evens it out a bit. The shots were only 35 to 32 in favor of the Oilers, but they carried the play for the majority of the game. The Avs were able to generate some chances...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers' New Third Jersey - What's Old Is New
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_r8tWGVHrjGI/SO2YI7taj1I/AAAAAAAAGPU/Ol-yNB9U4CA/s400/phifront.jpg[/img][img]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_r8tWGVHrjGI/SO2YIwEQXiI/AAAAAAAAGPc/p4RYdVA7Zh4/s400/phirear.jpg[/img]
This third jersey is supposed to be unveiled on Friday, November 28th, against the Carolina Hurricanes, and should be flying off the shelves for your Orange and Black f...
The only way to possibly heal the emotional wounds this team has caused me is to rant. If I don't, I fear a heart attack is in order for the very near future.
I'll start with an issue that needs to be resolved, an issue that is causing me a loss of hair, an issue forcing me to listen to Simple Plan and lock myself in my room for days. That issue is the goaltending of V...
The Goal Whisperer
Jeff Carter is quietly making a name for himself around the league; in fact, he is so quiet that some teams do not even know it until they play him. His speed and gritty game allows him to stand his guard in front of the net to bang in the garbage goals, and his wrist shot is so powerful that he could zip it past you from the blue line as hard some gu...
I wrote a blog a little while back on violence in the NHL, so I thought I would hash it over again from another angle. I have heard media go over this topic over and over again; what it comes down to is the lack of respect the players have for each other. The issue that bothers me in particular is this hitting from behind, not the accidents. It’s the stick-in-the-bac...
From http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The NHL All Star Game has turned into a joke. This coming year the game will be played in Montreal. The Canadians and their fans are celebrating their centennial and the NHL felt it only right to reward them with the game during such a historic season. The only problem with the whole game is the process for who will start.
Less than ...
A quick take on Stastny's extension -
A nice signing by FG I think. Some people look at Stastny's numbers and think $6.6 per is too much, but I don't think so. It's just under Kopitar's $6.8 per. The Avs were able to buy out one of his UFA years and keep the sharks from circling during any future RFA periods. Sure he'll be a bit overpaid next year, but if he conti...
Ok two reports on post…
11/16/08 Thrashers @ Flyers
My friends and I had some fun with Lupul. We made him these signs.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3040202806/in/set-72157609353503805/
This was the reaction
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3039391261/in/set-72157609353503805/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3040230518/in/set-72157609353...
After their 6-1 embarrassment at the hands of the Sharks on Thursday, the Flames really couldn't have delivered a better birthday present to this blogger. In their most impressive effort yet, they fired 51 (!) shots at Peter Budaj, who preserved the game until Adrian Aucoin's game winning goal 12:28 into the 3rd. The final score was 4-1, a score far too generous to the Avs...
The Philadelphia Flyers have hit a new high when they showed the new 3rd jerseys at their annual "Meet and Greet" with the fans yesterday. If you go on to the Flyers main website, which is www.philadelphiaflyers.com, the first news story shows pictures and video of the new Flyers jersey.
Personally I was not expecting this good of a design or color scheme. The color...
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...
Months of uncertainty and speculation are likely to come to an end in the next week when Brian Burke and his associates meet with Richard Peddie and the MLSE. The groups have already spoken albeit lawyer to lawyer last weekend to confirm the Anaheim Ducks had signed papers allowing their former GM to talk with other teams and if reports are to be believed, groundwork was l...
The Isles shootout victory over the Vancouver Canucks Monday night lifted them to 12th place in the Eastern Conference. Sure, that's right around where this team finished last year, but keep in mind just a few days ago we were sitting at the bottom of the standings with thoughts of Tavares and Hedman swirling around our brains.
It's still a possibility (and a very good ...
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...
Have you ever been beat so badly at something that you couldn't wait for revenge? To put your heart and soul into doing anything to redeem yourself?
... I haven't...
But I imagine that is the way the avalanche feel, their own news outlets in Denver were highly critical of the team for it's performance in Calgary two nights ago as well as some outspoken members of...
Itlan writes...
How to keep BR in the NHL, or How Murray Can Keep His Job
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
In an effort that deserved a better outcome, the Ducks dropped a big game against a great Eastern team, the Washington Capitals. One game they should have controlled with the defense corps the Ducks have. But who didn't show up? The Defense. Who did show up? Bobby Ryan. BR was great last night against the Caps.
With style of play that is reminiscent of Corey Perry, sans...
I guess a lot of fans in Montreal now miss Mark Streit after his departure via free agency to Long Island.
Montreal had last year’s number one power play in the NHL, but they are now sitting 26th with a poor 14.6% success rate, while the Islanders power play has improved slightly from 29th to 25th overall. Streit has 12 points (he would be the Habs' 5th scorer) in 18 ...
And, oh yeah, who predicted that?
Mind checking my Oct. 2008 archives for my NHL season predictions?
Because if I recall, I was nearly crucified by the Hockeybuzz community for my "outlandish" remark that the Canucks would win the Northwest Division.
Granted, I know there's a lot of puck to be played, but take a look at those standings, and see if I had any brain ...
The reports around the NHL right now are that the Capitals are trying to move veteran center Michael Nylander. Nylander has two goals and ten assists this season and is a minus two. Recently, Boudreau has not been impressed with his play and subsequently made him a healthy scratch last week against New Jersey. He returned to the line up the next game, only because of recen...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Global Markets Down - NHL "Stock" Soaring Into the Black
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]Global Markets Down[/b]
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/primerate1.jpg?t=1227324887[/img]
I'm sure you've read the papers and heard the nightly news. On Wall Street, the Dow hits it lowest levels in 5 1/2 years. On Main Street, U.S. jobless claims hit a 16 year high. From the Great Wall to the Champs d'Elysee, global recession fears send Asi...
Turnovers and lack of physicality is what the Oilers identity has become this year. Seems to be game after game that a gawdy turnover just before the offensive blue line results in a scoring chance for the opposing team. It's worth noting that at this moment Hemsky ranks at number 15 in points but he is the only guy in the top 15 with a negative plus/minus. Hemsky is a ple...
No, this isn't a PSA for the American Red Cross; it's a statement of fact for a hockey team. The Nashville Predators need a transfusion -- fast.
As well as Barry Trotz' crew has played at times this season, there seems to be a fragility to this edition of Nashville's team that must be addressed soon, or there may not BE a team in Nashville in the not-too-distant future....
The Sabres continued their slide after a torrid start in a 4-2 loss Saturday night against the NY Islanders at home. The Islanders were out shot by 11 in the game, but came out on top with a good performance to bring the Sabres to a five game losing streak.
Andy Hilbert had 2 points for the Islanders and Mark Streit played a great game on the numerous power plays for th...
They've paid all the bills, and they've given some key personnel hefty raises, but at the one-quarter mark of 2008-2009, it's not paying dividends for the Buffalo Sabres.
It has to be highly disconcerting for Tom Golisano, Darcy Regier, and Co. to witness this promising young core underperform. They have to be scratching their heads, and as the Sabres' losing streak ha...
I am looking at the current standings and have a problem with the way games are settled. If you read my blog, you know I hate the shootout, but this is more about the mystery 3 point games. If you look closely at the standings, the real margin between teams is totally blurred by the OTL column of the standings.
Here is the current standings with a column that I added ...
Ninety percent of my fellow red-and-black bleeders, I think, would agree with that. Still, there's this bizarre contingent growing in ChiTown that insists on acting like Paris Hilton on a date to Old Country Buffet. They kept lobbying for home games on TV, now they want more games on WGN and the blackout lifted on Centre Ice. For years, they pined for the return of Pat ...
There are two teams in the league that most people would agree are the super elite. The Sharks and the Wings. After Calgary was creamed by San Jose in a one sided embarrasing loss they came back and looked to have the right idea but against a practice squad called the Avalanch.
So the talk was about taking what they learned after being spanked by San Jose and the two w...
Dateline: Last season
Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren needs to add mobility to his blueline, so he's shopping for a decent veteran guy who can move the rock and be a responsible two way player. The Flyers are playing well after dropping to last place the year before, and Holmgren wants a good playoff run.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired GM John Ferguson Jr, an...
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...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Want to incapacitate a player? Per the NHL... AIM LOWER
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/aimlower.jpg[/img]
[i]"I know it was to the head. I know Mike Mottau. He's not a dirty player, but it was a dirty hit. Thomas Pock is not a dirty player, but he had a dirty hit against Ottawa and he paid for it."[/i]
- Bill Guerin
When [b]Mike Mottau[/b] slammed into [b]Frans Neilsen[/b], it lit off a bright light on the ine...
9-8-3 21pts H(5-5-1) A(4-3-2)
Week 6. Wow, just where are the Sabres headed? 0-3 this week, and I do not know what to think of this team anymore. We gave up 14 goals and only scored 6. The lone bright spot of the week was AHL callup Mark Mancari. Scored a goal and was a +/- of 0. We pick up 0 points in the standings and now sit at 9th place in the East, out of the playo...
Wow.
Lee Stempniak exchanged for Alexander Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo.
I like it, and here's why:
Steen has plenty of potential. Ever since his 45-point rookie season Leafs fans have been anxiously awaiting his top-six winger potential to unleash on the NHL. Many, including myself, predicted Steen to establish himself as a 60-point guy who is responsible in his ow...
Well in my trolling for info on Luongo it appears the actual press conference will be help at 2PM PST and that the prognosis is somewhere from 4 to 8 weeks depending on what source you believe. Both reports so far are coming out of Montreal, so it may be from people connected to Luongo's family. We shall see for sure soon enough.
My two cents is that with the way the ...
It's the Quarter Pole and we're 25% through the season.
Week seven saw the Canucks do what they did in November last year: win. The Canucks are now 7-0-2 in their last 9 including a drubbing of New York and Luongo's annual November shut-out streak.
From an organizational perspective, the Canucks are emerging as an exciting well rounded contender. They are not in ...
The Capitals head to Minnesota tonight, a place they have not won at since 1993, to face a tough Wild team. The Caps are 11-6-3 and lead the Southeast with 25 points, while the Wild are 11-6-1 with 23 points. The game is an 8pm start on Versus. The Caps head to Minnesota coming off loses at LA and San Jose, while the Wild have also lost two straight.
For yet another gam...
[b]Crystal Ball Gazing[/b]
[i]A look at the Avs’ pipeline[/i]
While the Avalanche’s stars are starting to age, it is time to look at some of the prospects coming through the Avs’ pipeline. Prospects are listed based on NHL readiness. The number in parentheses is the estimated number of years to NHL readiness.
[b]Centers:[/b]
T.J. Galiardi- 6’2” 185 lb...
[b]Crystal Ball Gazing[/b]
A look at the Avs' pipeline
While the Avalanche's stars are aging (minus Paul Stastny and few others), it is time to look at some of the prospects coming through the Avs' pipeline. Prospects are listed based on NHL readiness. The number in parentheses is the estimated number of years to NHL readiness.
[b]Centers:[/b]
T.J. Galiardi- 6'...
The Leafs have traded away another two players from the non playoff clubs of the past three seasons, we can say goodbye to Steen and Colaiacovo as they pack their bags and head over to St. Louis while the Leafs get Lee Stempniak the 25 year old former 27 goal scorer. The Leafs who are getting closer and closer to the Brian Burke era seem to be content on a complete makeove...
Well for what it's worth they are saying Luongo is week to week. Apparently no tear, which is huge. The fact he is comfortable walking already is a great sign, and I think they have deemed it week to week as he has never had an injury like this before and so they are not sure how long he will be out, except more than one week. In the press conference there was a questio...
To many Vancouver fans, the Luongo injury was/ is bad news, but to those that have been following the team closely, many know that the team is a tight knit united that wasn't going to shake in its boots and collapse. This team had already won 2 games in a row with Sandman in net, and the red hot trio of Demitra and the Sedins has been looking like a fit that won't be broke...
Like a gut punch.
That's how it feels to have one of your good friends traded away from the team you love. It's been a rough first part of the season for Carlo Colaiacovo and now his brief tenure with his beloved Maple Leafs comes to a crashing halt.
Nothing had to be said between us as I saw Carlo yesterday afternoon. Watery eyes, a shrug of the shoulders, our e...
No, I haven't fallen off the bandwagon.
For three weeks in a row, the games have fallen on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. I have weekly meetings on Wednesday nights and have been travelling for three weekends in a row. I come home to a box score and a lot of disappointment. Because I haven't watched or listened to a single game in so long, I felt it would be unfair...
Well last night, the Flyers got a big win, as they defeated the Stars 4-3. The Flyers didn't play their best game last night, but the only thing that matters is the win. Watching this game last night, I felt really confident that the Flyers could win this game because of the fact that they have been able to win close games lately. This was a game that was going to be close...
We're 21 games into what has been a very up and down youth movement. This team started off with a 1-1 start, losing a close battle to the New Jersey Devils for a season opener, then winning their first home game of the season against the Blues, before being dismantled by the Buffalo Sabres a few days later. Fans got to see their beloved Isles at the bottom of the standings...
Like most cities in the United States (and I assume Canada), Philadelphia is facing a situation where the available funding for services is being stretched to the breaking point. In this situation, the city faces two choices, either raise taxes or cut services. Raising taxes in NEVER a popular option, and cuts to essential services is always met with public outcry, which...
Well the news for the Capitals has not gotten any better, yet again. In fact, it's worse. Captain Chris Clark has been put on long term IR again. Apparently, Clark is suffering from a stress fracture in his right forearm. This is just the latest in a rash of injuries that have stuck the Caps in the last two weeks. Originally it looked like it was the Carolina Hurricane...
Connie has his best game of the year. Bourque scores twice, Glencross gets three points - one goal and 2 assists, and Connie bags three assists. The three of them worked like a fine tuned machine, seemingly knowing where each other was constantly.
The Flames were basically all over them the whole game. I loved their legs. When this team skates, they are extreamly danger...
The Flyers look to win their sixth consecutive game as they take on the Hurricanes in Carolina tonight. In my opinion, I think this is going to be a fiesty type of game. The main reason why is that these two teams play each other in a home at home series starting tonight, and the 2nd game of the home at home on Friday, and as we have seen in the past, what happens in the f...
hockeyfan89 writes...
Can The Canadiens Pull a Rabbit Out of a Red Wing Hat?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well there is no denying it . The Canadiens are slumping . Due in part to a cascade of errors , defencive break downs, incomplete plays , shoddy goaltending(at times) and probably most key of all . A broken powerplay. The Canadiens since starting the season 8-1-1 and being one of the hottest teams in the league have been supplanted by Boston for North east division champ a...
neildo writes...
Is it time to push the panic button? part 1(team overview)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
First of all, let me introduce myself, I’m Neil Lapointe and I’ve been a Sens fan since the Quebec Nordiques left in 1995 and to me it was just unacceptable to cheer for Montreal Canadians. Due to the lack of blogs on the senators, I told to myself why not write by myself so that would be a great way to know what everybody is thinking on our famous Hockey club. I read ...
Simon Gagne scored two goals, including an empty net goal as time expired, and the Flyers defeated the Hurricanes, 3-1 tonight. Gags's first goal of the game was a chip shot, as there was a big scramble in front of the net, and Simon got open and scored to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead. In the second period, the Flyers struggled a little bit, as the Canes pressured the Flyers...
Obviously, today is Thanksgiving, and it is a day to be thankful for everything. Watching the Flyers the last few weeks or so, there have been a lot of things I have been thankful for. Here are the 5 things I am thankful for:
1.) Jeff Carter on fire- What a season Jeff has had so far. 15 goals, which is tied for first in the NHL this season. He is on fire right now and ...
Wow are the Flyers playing well. They look like they did at the end of last season. All of this without Briere too! I am just speculating here, but if they have to move salary, I think Briere is a possible. Knuble serves a role on the team, as does Upshall. Briere is a scorer and with Carter, Gagne, Knuble, Richards, etc. we don't really need scoring. If that shifty ...
The Flames are facing a huge home and home against their rivals the Vancouver Canucks and lets be clear...it's huge...did I say huge? I meant Godzilla size. Why? That's a great question, it's only a quarter of the way through the season, how big could it be?
Well the Flames have are 4-3-1 against divisional teams this year, barely over .500, the Canucks are 5-0-1 which...
The Habs' powerplay needs a shake-up.
Going from 3rd in the league in 07-08 (24.1% on the PP) to 22nd this season (18.6% on the PP) is unacceptable.
While the offensive presence of Mark Streit is missed, the Habs still own some talented offensive defenseman to fill the void. At the moment, however, experiments in the form of Alex Tanguay continue to fail. Tanguay bel...
I was looking at the All-Star game voting and have decided that Habs fans need to stop breaking the vote... I know you guys (and gals) are showing your team spirit, but you are ruining any enjoyment other fans can get from watching the All-Star game... the All-Star team carries 12 forwards, 6 defensemen and 3 goalies... that means 21 players... having six guys from the Can...
With what I have read and heard of Burke's intentions,
It's clear the team will be allowed to do a free fall this year in that process we're going to see some guys traded for prospects and young roster players. Here's who I see gone sometime this year(not because I don't like them but because a new manger will put their own identity on this team;
Toskala - Grade A Ro...
In a matinee matchup today, the Flyers look to extend their winning streak to seven games. This should be a great game for many reasons. Number one, the Flyers are going to be wearing their new third jerseys, which look tremendous. Number two, this is the second game of the home at home. I think this game is going to be a tough, physical game because this is what happens a...
As I posted in this blog over 2 weeks ago, Brian Burke is ready to step in as president and general manager of the Maple Leafs.
The timing couldn't be better for both Burke and the Leafs. Burke now has plenty of opportunity to assess the team, prepare for the trading deadline and prepare for next summer's draft. It seems that MLSE has finally got something right and h...
Today, the Flyers lost a tough game by the score of 3-2 in overtime against the Hurricanes. This was a game that the Flyers could have easily won, but Cam Ward just played one heck of a game. You gotta give credit where credit is due. In the second period, the Flyers had numerous opportunities to score against Ward, but he shut the Flyers down. In my pregame blog, I said t...
pokeyreddick writes...
Top 5 Worst Contracts In The League(in Honor of Jason Blake)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Inspired by Jason Blake's unmovable contract I thought I'd post the 5 Most untradeable contracts in the league.
5. Ryan Malone 4 more years @4.5 million- This was a toss up between him and Michael Ryder. Malone wins because his team is playing terrible. It doesn't matter if you're a playoff performer if you can't get your team to the playoffs.
4. Sean Avery 3 more y...
Juniors Win on the Road in Val D'Or 5-2
Montreal. Friday, November 29, 2008. The Juniors enjoyed a week off before returning to action on the road Friday night against the Foreurs in Val D'Or. Montreal, who had not played since defeating the Quebec Remparts 8-2 last Friday night, played another strong road game, winning 5-2.
The line of Luke Adam, Pier-Antoin Dion ...
After an overtime loss yesterday against Carolina, the Flyers look to begin a new winning streak when they take on the Leafs in Toronto tonight. There are going to be questions heading into this game. Will Jeff Carter play? That's the big question, after Jeff hurt his shoulder awkwardly into the boards yesterday. On Post game live on CSN yesterday, Jeff said he was fine, b...
True, the Blackhawks still have one game left, this afternoon against the Kings. Regardless of the outcome, this will have been the most successful "Circus Trip" in years. Here's your fun fact for the day: If the Hawks win this afternoon, they will have exceeded the points they picked up during the last two "Circus Trips" - combined! Here's how it's played out:
2005...
Brian Burke.
Surprise, eh?
Everyone knew it would be coming for about a week now, and now what to expect? I was never a fan of Brian Burke. I think his draft record stinks, I hate that he supposedly does not like Europeans, and I think he doesn’t know how to manage the cap. But that’s just my worthless opinion ;)
A look at his draft record could tell us exact...
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...
That's right, Josh Bailey is checking out. He's played nine NHL games and tonight will be his tenth, sending him packing.
I know you're all saying, "Wait...what?"
Yes...he's packing his bags and checking out of that hotel he's been living in for the past two months to live in a house with Okposo, Gervais, and Thompson since he now rightfully owns a roster spot with ...
The significance of Atlanta’s brief appearance in 2007’s Conference Quarter finals would not have been lost on the Blue Jackets board of governors. In a city obsessed with the Buckeyes hockey has been a hard sell and with Atlanta making the post season, Columbus were left as the only late 90’s expansion franchise not to make the cup run. With nearly 600 regular seaso...
Once again, the opposing goalie just shuts us down, and in this case, Vesa Toskala was on his game tonight. Unfortunately, the Flyers could not do much against Toskala as they lost 4-2 tonight. The Flyers just didn't seem to have the jump tonight. In some sorts, that is understandable. Six games in nine days will do that to do you. But at the end of the night, you have to ...
Rouyn-Noranda Bests Montreal in Overtime 4-3
Montreal. Saturday, November 30, 2008. The Montreal Juniors were visitors to the Huskies in Rouyn-Noranda on Saturday night for the second of back to back road games this weekend. Montreal, who trail Rouyn-Noranda for first place in the Telus Western Division, gave the home team all they could handle and more but came up sh...
Despite being outshot 30 to 19, which is not usually the case - in fact it was their lowest shot total of the season - and the Boston Bruins ran away with a 4-1 victory over the Stanley Cup Champs, Detroit Red Wings. Boston, second to only the Sharks in the current standings, are now holding an 8-1-1 record in their last 10 games, but the record has only been an example of...
The most boring snooze-fest happened this evening in the Pengrowth Saddledome. The game showed very little offense in the first two periods; I think I saw Kipper fall asleep in net a couple of times. The Canucks had two anemic power plays in the first period. The Calgary Flames had a horrible attempt themselves on the powerplay. The only saving grace this game had was that...
After watching the second-place team in my Yahoo fantasy pool catch up to within mere points of my team ( "erby's Dance Party" ), I've widened it back to a 50-point lead (1202 to 1152). Not bad.
Looks like Semin is in for the long-haul (his injury, I mean), but given the fact that it still isn't being reported as anything "too serious," there's no way I'm dropping him....
It was a Phantoms type of weekend
Shout outs to Brenda, Sandy, Jessica, Cody, Joyce, Karen, Erica, Steph and everyone else who played along....
I had to work Friday that meant no Flyers Phantoms double header for me.
I was hoping the Phantoms would again wear their new third jerseys but no luck.
The Falcons coming to town meant the return of former Flyers...
The old saying the squeeky wheels gets the grease( oilers in this case). The home team prevailed 4-3 against an Edmonton team who spotted Dallas two goals before twice tying the game. This has been the Stars problem all season can not hold a lead. Like crazed holiday shoppers they sprint to score but forget to defend. They have yet to produce a solid 60 minute game. San...
With our top blogger out for the season I make my long unawaited return to the MyHockeybuzz blog area thing. Although I originally intended on posting a regular blog, being in Mark Gage's shadow is no easy pill to swallow and it was clear with him on board there was no point in writing a blog that was not going to be read. However, that being said, Gage is gone, so hopef...
Essentially I see a lot of comments that talk about Leafs fans overvaluing players... and for the most part thats true... if you were to pick up the public sentiment two years ago, you'd think that Darcy Tucker was on the path to a Rocket Richard trophy before he got injured later in the campaign... if you think that's rough... you should have been in Toronto when Domi was...
11-9-3 25pts H(7-5-1) A(4-4-2)
Week 7. Riding a 5 game slump coming into the week who would have thought we could win 2 out of 3 from Boston, Pittsburgh, & Montreal. 2-1 this week, and they looked a lot better as of late. We gave up 8 goals and scored 9. We pick up 4 points in the standings and sit at 9th place in the East, still out of the playoffs but only by 1 p...
Slasher98 writes...
A look at Brian Burke's probable moves before the deadline
Posted Monday | Comments 0
During Saturday's press conference to the Toronto media, Brian Burke all but confirmed that the Leafs are officially out of the Sundin sweepstakes. “I don’t think we fit his profile as a team,” said Burke. He referred to the 2-year $20 million offer from the Vancouver Canucks, putting the emphasis on the fact that Sundin's comeback is not about money, but about playi...
Due to injuries and poor play, the Avs have made a change. It is a small change but one for the future. They put an "A" on the jersey of Paul Stastny.
Since made this club two years ago out of training camp, we knew he was the future. He was the guy to take the reigns from Joe Sakic. He was going to take this club into the forseeable future. What has this done?
In tw...
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,...
It was recently revealed that Columbus Blue Jacket prospect Stefan Legein has decided to resume his hockey career and attempt to make it back into his old form. It was about 3 or so months ago that the news first surfaced that feisty Blue Jacket prospect and Ice dog star had lost the passion for the game and had decided to hang up his skates. But now it appears the passio...
Tonight marked the first night the Dallas Stars looked like the Dallas Stars everyone is used to seeing; minus giving up 37 shots on net. And to solve that problem they had Marty Turco at his finest. He stole the game away for the Stars and did not give the home town Flames much all night.
The Flames stuck to their game plan all night, getting pressure on the forecheck ...
[IMG]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/EaglesWallpaper/dsfoigjh.jpg[/IMG]
[i](Photo Courtesy mapleleafs.nhl.com)[/i]
December 3, 2008
By Jon Cunningham
[b]"Wow"[/b]
That was the word constantly coming to my mind as I sit watching the Sharks take on my Maple Leafs. I have never seen a team that is more complete then this years edition of the Sharks from San Jo...
C4LL4W4Y writes...
NHL to Dallas - Sure, we'll help save your locker room!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Excuse me for thinking this whole thing sounds extremely fishy.
Here's a quick chronology:
1.) Sean Avery opens his mouth and tries to bait a Flames player into a tabloid war (again). He makes the claim that NHL players are after his "sloppy seconds" - which in a couple of cases, is actually correct.
2.) The media goes to Marty Turco, the maligned goaltender wh...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Holy Schniekie!!!! Victory Snatched from the Jaws of Defeat
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[u][b]Holy Schniekie!!!![/b][/u]
What a night!
With the Orange and Black up 3-1, on two Jeff Carter powerplay goals and one shortie by Mike Richards, the Lightining tie it in third with a missed rebound opportunity put back by Steve Downie, of all people. Then, with 16 seconds remining, Scottie Hartnell pulled a bush-league move of tossing his glove at the stick/p...
If the season ended today there are 16 teams in position to make the playoffs.
San Jose Sharks
Boston Bruins
Detroit Red Wings
New York Rangers
Montréal Canadiens
Pittsburgh Penguins
Anaheim Ducks
Vancouver Canucks
Minnesota Wild
Philadelphia Flyers
Calgary Flames
Washington Capitals
New Jersey Devils
Chicago Blackhawks
Nashville Predators
...
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 ...
Sakic is out now at least 6 weeks. Tucker is still out for a while. The Avs have been injury prone for the past few seasons. They have a lot of firepower but no desire to fire.
First and foremost I think Colorado needs to re-evaluate their coaching staff. Granato can still work well for them, but they need better defensive and special teams coaching. Seriously, look at ...
[b]Wow[/b], [b]what-a-loss[/b]. What an amazing team the Sharks are. Setoguchi is playing some great hockey, and I still can't believe the Bruins traded Thornton for what they did. I did have a feeling Patty Marleau would have a good night. A real winner they have in San Jose. I'm sure they went the extra mile to beat their former coach's first return to the silicon valley...
Your centers are Weight, Thompson, Bailey, and Sillinger...the Isles are up by a goal with less than a minute remaining in the third period with a face-off in their zone. Who do you put out there?
Mike Sillinger. His value on face-offs while with the Islanders has been paramount over the past two seasons and has been greatly missed in his absence. Weight and Nielsen ha...
[b]
The Colorado Avalanche suffered a big loss today, announcing that our heart and soul, our captain, Joe Sakic, will be on the shelf for AT LEAST 6 weeks with a herniated disk in his back. Ouch.
Alright, so let the rumors begin. With Joe out, the Avs have to shake things up...but how do they go about this?
One option is to stick with the current team and promote f...
Wow, it's like a bad movie week this week as the Toronto Maple Leafs saga comes to an end with Burke finally becoming the New General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Or, as I would like to call it, the worst kept secret in the NHL. What really bothers me with this incident was that there was really no doubt about this. With the Burke hiring, there was really no big ...
Guillaume Latendresse will likely be a healthy scratch tonight when the Canadiens face the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre. Latendresse was also a healthy scratched in Tuesday's contest against the Atlanta Thrashers.
It was not the first time that Latendresse was not dressed when healthy by Guy Carbonneau, but it's the first time #84 appeared confused in front of th...
First and foremost, my name is Justin and I am the Atlantic Division Blogger over at IslesNation ( [url]http://www.islesnation.com/justin.php[/url] ) I am a tremendous Islanders fan, however, I enjoy every minute of hockey that I can watch from every team throughout the league. I write very truthful, unbiased pieces of work, whether it be on the Islanders, the Rangers, or ...
neildo writes...
Is it time to push the panic button? part 2(Staff overview)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Is it time to push the panic button??? Part 2
Ok, I m back. Guess I underestimate you guys and though nobody would read it.
Coaching staff
Not a lot to say about them. Craig Hartsburg has not been exceptional but as not been bad either. I like the fact that he shuffle his lines in the first 20 games that ways he looks at every possible option but I d like to see h...
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 ...
Well, some of you will argue with me that I'm homer right now when I say that Bob Gainey is tonight the happiest GM in the NHL - see the happiest man in the world -. Well, every single decision taken by Gainey so far have paid a lot for the Montreal Canadiens.
There are seveeral parts in a GM's job. But Mr. Gainey has managed his team masterfully in every single way in ...
Nothing else to really say about this game, so I'll put it into classic bullet point form.
The good:
Ossi Vaananen had a very strong game tonight. Made the initial save on what turned out to be the Devils first goal. This dude just doesn't make mistakes. Reminds me of a bigger Petr Svoboda. He never gets noticed, just does his job and does it well.
Good game also ...
I know its been a few days since Sean Avery's mouth did a drive-by on the topic of his "sloppy seconds" but I think its good to examine whether he is of good to this league or not. Its a relevant idea considering some analysts have made the bold prediction that Avery will not see NHL ice again.
I definitely am not out here to defend him. His words were utterly disrespec...
I stumbled upon a site that breaks down NHL statistics in some very interesting ways. I have decided to use some of these formulas to decide who this team needs to get rid of. For anyone that’s interested and a source for my breakdown.
http://hockeyanalytics.com/Research.htm
Offense:
Offensive Engagement (OE) measures the degree to which players are involved in t...
The entire Sean "Sloppy Seconds" Avery saga is fascinating stuff, especially with a suspension for just spoken word and stupid comments. I looked in the current law dictionary and their is no definition for the term "sloppy seconds". The term could have multiple meanings and by itself is not a vulgarity as defined by the "7 dirty words".
Many have commented on the st...
Back when the 2008-09 season dawned, I was comfortable with Martin Biron as the Flyers goalie. I was content and hopeful that Biron and the team would come to terms on a contract extension that would lock up the entertaining backstop.
Sadly, that position has changed.
[img]http://stanleycupplayoffs2008.com/Assets/Photos/Biron%20action%20-%20PHI.jpg[/img]
I am not...
The Calgary Flames did not show up to play the Blues, as the Defense stood around and Kipper bailed out the team. The main concern I have is that this team has been like this all year. I thought they were snapping out of it, then they put on a game like this tonight. They were terrible in the first period, a period that was dominated by the Blues, who came out with a 2-0 ...
The news only got worse for Kyle Okposo yesterday...he was was expected to return to the lineup Thursday night to face Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, but unfortunately he will be out of the line-up for another 4-6 weeks with a sprained right wrist.
Whenever I hear that one of the core factions of the youth movement are going to be out for a significant...
As the circus get's ready to complete it's first week in Big D, the Stars were able to mix in a hockey game between Avery circus . Marty Turco posted the win stopping 27 shots; outdueling Peter Budaj. Not missed in all the saves was Marek Svatos he was all over the ice creating plenty of scoring chances. Scoring with 55 seconds left on a sweet pass from Paul Stastny to tie...
With the announcement of Brian Burke as Leafs GM, the trades are inevitable.
After all, this is not Burke's team, it's Cliff Fletcher's.
That's not a bad thing. In fact, Fletcher's acquisitions have instilled hope to a fanbase in dire of need of it - and I speak for all of Leaf Nation when I say it feels damn good to be building for the future.
That said, Burke's ...
Juniors Offense Denied
Montreal. Saturday, December 6, 2008. The Montreal Juniors squandered a great opportunity to gain ground on their divisional opponents Saturday afternoon in front of their home crowd, suffering a shutout to a surging Gatineau Olympiques team, 3-0.
Gatineau, who have now won 8 of their last 11 games, controlled the tempo of the game, contai...
Michael Cammalleri. Ten goals, eleven assists in 25 games and two game winning markers. The Flames are getting exactly what they asked for in this diminutive forward who has an eye for the net and a rougher side than most people think. He has a rifle of a shot and actually uses it, unlike the number 13 who plays for Les Habitants and used to dawn the Flaming C. He, along ...
Shout outs to the Phantoms crew
Phantoms won 5-2
Pat Maroon had a hat trick the final goal being an empty netter. He was also the game's first star.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3088068533/in/set-72157610839899392/
It initially looked as if the Phantoms were going to run away with this game. Then the B Sens changed goalies and it shifted the momentum ...
If you watch the Flyers regularly, you understand how important Jeff Carter is. I certainly understand how important he is to this team. When I mean important, I mean important. The numbers that Carts is putting up this season is over the charts. 19 goals this season, which leads the league. I can guarantee you that nobody thought that Jeff would be leading the league in g...
Before I even begin talking about the Sabres: THE BUFFALO BILLS WON THE MAC CHAMPIONSHIP, BEATING THE UNDEFEATED BALL STATE TEAM!!!
It is seriously the most uplifting story I've read in the longest time.
[url]http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/2008/12/06/2008-12-06_university_of_buffalo_goes_to_bowl_after.html[/url]
[i]Willie Evans was the starting halfback...
TML35 writes...
The Cost of Moving up in this Year's draft: Is it Worth it?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
It's tough to say what the price of moving up in a draft like this one would be. Moving even a few spots in the top ten could be quite expensive.
Garth Snow was demanding the Leafs pick along with two additional 2nd round picks(we ended up giving him a 2nd and 3rd) in last year's draft to move up two spots. This was the price in a draft not as strong as this one. With ...
Juniors Out-Gunned on the Road
Montreal. Sunday, December 7, 2008. The Shawinigan Cataractes tied a franchise record for most consecutive wins at home Sunday afternoon, beating the Montreal Juniors 5-2. The win brought the Cataractes home winning streak to 15 consecutive games, tying a franchise record that was established in 1982-83.
The Cataractes enjoyed a domi...
Time to start a lengthy conversation. Is it possible that the Flyers centers of Richards and Carter are approaching the top echelon of dominate players in the league. Unlike Crosby and Malkin, Richards and Carter do not play on the same line ever. Ovechkin and Semin can be considered but Semin is still not a top guy, this pair is all AO - who I consider the best player ...
FLAMESTR writes...
Flames Blank Rangers Kipper is Perfect but Adam is a Monster
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames played their best defensive game of the of the season. Kipper was outstanding, kicking out all 31 shots. Now you may say it sounds like Kipper stole the game, but the defense really did limit the scoring chances. The forwards really came back to help the defense. When the forwards do their part in the defensive zone, this team can be successful. The best...
We're about a third of the way through the season, so I figure it's about time I should issue my opinions of the Flyers (version 2008-09). The Flyers are sitting at 13-7-6. They have points in 73% of games, but only 62% of possible points. They also lead the league in overtime games, a stat that is bad for both my blood pressure and the team's chances in April and May. ...
Well we did not break it but almost, the buzzer in Chicago runs off a compressor that needs time to regenerate on our 7th goal the buzzer was audibly softer than the others. What a game, we passed the puck as good as any team I have ever seen, tape to tape over and over, I’ll post the link for the highlights as although Ilya Bryzgalov got shelled he actually did not play...
If there were doubts, at least in fans eyes, they were erased Saturday night. Somewhere in a horrific loss to Atlanta, a beacon on light turned on upon a youth who more fits the Isles plans than the young man who went to Bridgeport for a conditioning stint.
There is not a doubt in my mind that Jeff Tambellini simply does not fit the Isles needs whether he blooms or not....
Shout out to the practice crew
There was not alot of spectators there today but I did notice that there seemed to be a very young news crew doing a story and taking footage of Flyers practice. I thought that was kinda cool.
So anyway I always have some story.
Go to practice got in my spot and this lady started putting signs up all around me. Then she walked off...
This live blog is brought to you by the top two scorers in the league on the Pens , Malkin and Crosby, and a squeaked out victory against the Bolts. Also by pink lemonade.........I don't care that it is pink and quite possibly the most feminine of all drinks, I likes it and it is delicious.
First Period
The Sabres are in a tough spot but get a little bit of a break s...
13-1-3 29pts H(7-6-1) A(6-5-2)
Week 8 + Monday. (Added Monday because I was not at work yesterday and had no opportunity to do my report) Well, they let the first 2 games get away but came back strong in the second half of the week. 2-2 this week, and it seems like they might have some scoring touch back.. We gave up 10 goals and scored 9. We pick up 4 points in the sta...
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...
Twenty-six games into the season, and the Habs have recorded 35 points (15-6-5).
At first glance, it appears the Habs are performing nicely for their 100th anniversary, but dissecting the Habs' play will surface, for the most part, frustration amongst their fanbase.
That's not to say the Habs are playing poorly, but current indications suggest the Habs are not Stanle...
In today's new NHL the structure of the organization and the quality of the personnel manning the front offices are as important as the players that don the jerseys for the drop of the puck.
A team with meddling owners can wreak havoc to a team's chemistry and the coach's ability to lead the team in a common direction. In the classic example of a conflict of interest...
It has taken two years but the Avalanche and its fans finally got to see what Chris Stewart brings to an NHL team.
Tonight's game against the Kings showed us what to expect of Chris Stewart. Looks like we have another good first round pick to aid us in our rebuild.
Stewart put on a show tonight. In his first few games he was immediately cutting up the ice, getting ou...
It has taken two years but the Avalanche and its fans finally got to see what Chris Stewart brings to an NHL team.
Tonight's game against the Kings showed us what to expect of Chris Stewart. Looks like we have another good first round pick to aid us in our rebuild.
Stewart put on a show tonight. In his first few games he was immediately cutting up the ice, getting ou...
2-1-0 4pts
After the first loss of the season the team bounced back rather well with 2 wins against Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh on the road.
Vanek, Roy, and Kotalik are tied for the team lead with 2G each. Roy, Stafford, Mair, and Gaustad each have 2A. Roy leads the team with 4P.
Stafford leads the team in +- with a +4, meanwhile upcoming star Gerbe has a +3 after m...
Slasher98 writes...
Time for D'Agostini to get an apartment in Montreal
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img:right]http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/83938865.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF193003A50471BAAE0D5F0B6D46DD7BFFC0B8F198085993A39DE[/img]
After playing 20 games with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL, during which he recorded 14 goals and 11 assists for 25 points, forward Matt D'Agostini was recalled by the Montreal Canadiens on November 28th.
After watching...
I'm going to try to make this quick since I really should be studying for an exam.
Last night was god awful for the Preds. The team had no life on the ice and seemed drained from the previous night. The powerplay was dismal, esp. in the 3rd period. Yes they scored a PP goal...on a 5 on 3. Game was bad, Canucks were better. OK. Great.
Now on to the hits.
The Daviso...
Here we are, December 10th. Four months have elapsed since the first deadline of August 1st set by the Sundin camp, and we still await his decision. According to a tremendous number of media outlets, as well as Eklund himself, it appears as if the time has truly come upon us where Sundin will finally make his decision and join a team. I understand I could go many different...
ladynic writes...
12/10/08 Phantoms practice/ Flyers optional practice
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Shout out to the big crew at practice today!
Thank you Marty Biron for stopping today after practice!
Flyers had an optional practice
It was Parent, Powe, Nodl Carle and I am not sure whom else as I stayed with the Phantoms when someone told me that it was not the full Flyers team on the ice.
HEre are the couple pics I took of them
http://www.flickr.com/ph...
Montreal Hands League’s Best 4-1 Loss
Montreal. Wednesday, December 10, 2008. The Montreal Juniors enjoyed some revenge at the expense of the Shawinigan Cataractes Wednesday night, beating the best team in the QMJHL by a score of 4-1. Winning the second of home and home games with Shawinigan, Montreal continued their strong play at home in front of a strong cr...
It may come as a bit of a surprise to some, but as reported on Chris Botta's blog at Islanderspointblank.com, Jon Sim is officially on waivers and available to any of the other 29 teams in the NHL.
[img:left]http://www.cbc.ca/includes/promos/promo/sports/images/hockey-sim-jon_200.jpg[/img]So far this season Sim has 5 goals and 2 assists for a shallow 7 points. He was ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Drop Heartbreaker; Almost-Mid-December Thoughts
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
What had looked like their best effort of the season turned into the most heartbreaking loss of the year for the Calgary Flames tonight. Despite two two-goal leads, an unexpectedly valiant effort from Curtis McElhinney in net, and the best overall effort of the season, the Flames still lost 4-3 in overtime to the Red Wings.
There are two main reasons I see for this los...
Curtis McElhinney started in his second game of the year and third of his career. He played great stopping 35 shots but it still was not enough to earn him a win in the National Hockey League. Up 3-1 midway through the third period the Flames allowed the high powered Wings to score 2 goals in four minutes of play forcing the game into overtime. The Red Wings come at you no...
After a long hiatus due to user name and password issues, I am back and I have a beef.
How in the name of Gary Bettman can he have the player ted for the lead league in goals as a write in candidate for the NHL All-Star game. Jeff Carter is having a monster year and has barely any All-Star votes in comparison with your "superstars" of the league. I know he will be added...
First, I apologize for the lateness of this short but important blog. Yesterday, I went straight from work to United Centre, and this is the first chance I've had to get in front of a computer.
Anyway...
If you're a season-ticket holder planning to stay at the Hilton for the convention this summer, you DO NOT have to wait until 9:00 this morning to reserve your room...
The GM meetings just happened in Florida. Much of the groundwork for some winter trades gets laid during these meetings. [b]Garth Snow[/b] knows his team needs some adjustments and tweaks. With [b]Mike Comrie[/b] and others coming back on the horizon, he's going to need to crafty making room since he's chosen to have[b] Josh Bailey[/b] remain on Long Island. Thus, [b]Jon S...
Its been 10 years and 506 games since the Shawn Horcoff experiment began and people are still wondering whether this guy can be a first line center or not. Nobody has ever questioned his leadership or work ethic and Im not going to start now but honestly, Shawn Horcoff is not a first line center. Never has been never will be. If it wasnt for the magnificent cross seam pass...
Let's keep it on the ice at first, shall we?
The Avs 6-1 domination of the Kings on Tuesday night was fun to watch. For once the Avs came out flying in the first period. Svatos' goal was admittedly a bit of a lucky one, but that's why you go to the net. Immediately after the goal, Lappy took care of business with Zeiler for his hit from behind on Foote. This was a p...
Streaks are a funny thing, and no matter how your team is playing you can find a stat or a trend to either make you feel better or worse about them. The Canucks? Let's have a look:
The preview for Tuesday night's game in Nashville (a 3-1 victory for the Whale) stated that we were a slumping squad mired in a 1-3-1 funk on our current 7-game road trip. Combined with th...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
One for Ages - 4 goals down, Flyers win 6-5 in shootout
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Flyers completed the most amazing comeback I have ever witnessed in a single hockey game at the Bank Building this evening.
Down 5-1 to the Canes, who were using the Orange and Black to mop the ice in the second period, the Flyers came back to tie it in the third powered by Scottie Hartnell's hat-trick. Antero Niittymaki, while giving up 5 goals, make some absolute...
How does one take a bad loss? And I don't mean just any loss. But, a REALLY bad one. The kind that is like a karate kick to the gut after eating a bowl of chili and half an apple pie. The kind that leaves you just plain stumped. Numb. Daffy. Pissed. Furious. All of the above. Or none of the above, and just a bad case of gas.
There is no two ways about it. Last night wa...
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.)
...
I never want to see my team lose as bad as this...but it happens...hell, in Jagr's debut game for the Rangers they lost 9-1 to the Senators and I think Jagr was held to one assist (don't ask me how I remember things like this, I just do). The major problem with last night's loss was that there was no heart in the Isles game. They quit once they were down 3-1. Their shifts ...
[b]Juniors Backup Berube Wins Goaltending Duel[/b]
[b]Montreal. Friday, December 12, 2008. [/b]The Juniors beat the best team in the QMJHL on Sunday, a 5-2 win over the Shawinigan Cataractes, and then promptly lost number 1 centerman, Angelo Esposito, and number 1 netminder, Jake Allen, to Team Canada's World Junior training camp. Barring cuts, the 2 players wi...
January 1, 2009 will be a date in which a professional sport is overshadowed by the venue it is being played in. Detroit Red Wings at Chicago BlackHawks should be a game for the ages. Instead it will be a celebration of all things Wrigley instead of a celebration of the roots of the greatest game on Earth. The game could have been played at so many more worthy stadiums. So...
WOW! Finally something to cheer about and even put to paper ... or web page, as it is! The Dallas Stars shut down and defeated the mighty - and much hated - Detroit Red Wings! If nothing else comes of this season, we can celebrate this night as our (mini) Stanley Cup victory!
Clearly, the Stars have had very little to be happy about so far this season. That goes for...
First, fantasy hockey.
1. 1480.30 - erby's Dance Party (me!)
2. 1405.40 - Bomb Squad
3. 1378.40 - Jamaican Me Crazy
4. 1245.50 - Downward Spiral
... (9 teams total)
Look at that lead! Heck yeah!!!
New switch-ups: Kuba is back in (Kronwall was the problem, not him) and I traded in Arnott for Dubinsky.
Semin is back and racking up points already. Zherdev ha...
The Flyers look to beat the hated division rival in the Pittsburgh Penguins today at 1pm. After coming back from 4 goals down on Thursday night against the Hurricanes(thank god we don't play em' again), the Flyers definitely better not get down in this game because if they get down, the chances of them coming back are very slim. Everyone needs to remember that we picked ap...
Don't ever say again that Sidney Crosby is a great player, Malkin either. I just watched those two "great" players go through the motions all day as their collective butts were kicked by a better, deeper, and faster Flyers club. Those two players mailed the game in from Pittsburgh. The team should have save expenses on hotel rooms and left them behind. Other than a few...
The Flyers came out today and had the zip, right from the beginning. That was the key in the Flyers 6-3 victory today over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Obviously, the Flyers have not had great starts lately, but today that was a different story. It had looked like someone lit a fire up their you know what today. I was very, very impressed with the way the Flyers started the ga...
[b]The numbers:[/b]
1. Special teams: The Sabres went 2 for 2 on the PP and gave no PP opportunities to the Devils. Unbelievable!
2. Faceoffs: Devils 35, Sabres 21. Zubrus won 88% (15-2) for the Devils while Hecht was 25% (4-12) and Gaustad was 28% (5-13) on the draw. The only Sabre abve 50% was Derek Roy (8-5).
3. Shots: Sabres 34, Devils 22. Buffalo reall...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
December Forever - Reeling in the Years (ok...the Rangers)
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[img]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61fFParYYZL._SS500_.jpg[/img]
[b][u]December Forever:[/u][/b]
[b][i]Dear Flyers' Players.
Please don't be too quick to rip the wrapper off your 2009 version of the team calender!![/i][/b]
I think if Coach John Stevens had his Christmas wish, it would be to play the rest of the year like it was the 12th month of 2008! ...
BluesHockeyOhBaby! writes...
Time to Let Manny Legace go after the season?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Ok so I am writing this right now very frustrated after watching the Blues get handled in San Jose tonight. Granted the Sharks are a good team but the Blues gave the Sharks every chance to get back in the game and tie it (stupid penalties, turnovers, not scoring on 2 4-minute power-plays) and the Sharks just picked away at the Blues lead, went ahead, and then won it on a n...
Shout out to the whole crew at Yesterday's game.
I know quite a few of my crew were complaining about the afternoon game yesterday but sometimes it is nice to see the afternoon tilt.
As requested I took some video instead of doing pictures...
Here is my little bits of video from yesterday's game
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SfjaWfUtc4
Anyway I knew it...
[b]Streaking Juniors Score Six[/b]
[b]Montreal. Sunday, December 14, 2008.[/b] The Montreal Juniors won their 3rd straight game on Sunday afternoon, beating the Chicoutimi Saguenéens by a score of 6-4 and improving their record on the road to 6-8-1.
Montreal fell behind 3-0 early into the second period before battling back with 5 unanswered goals. The Juniors...
[b]
So, as everyone knows, Super Joe Sakic is out for the next three months thanks to his snowblower accident. Avs bloggers have already began talking about possibilities and so this blog is simply a continuation of their ideas.
If Colorado decides they need to trade for a center, it should be someone who is a great team player and a really good all-around player. Sco...
[i][b]Thoughts on the Flyers, the NHL, and ice hockey on the planet Earth[/b][/i]
Author's note: I've been wanting to start a blog here for quite some time so I'm going to take a shot. The Flyers will be my main focus, but I'm interested in the game itself and all things hockey, so I hope anyone who is a hockey fan will find something of interest within these pages.
...
The Flames roll into St. Louis on Tuesday to face the injury riddled Blues. With likes of key players such Paul Kariya , Manny Legace, Andy Mcdonald, Eric Brewer, D.J. King , and Erik Johnson all out of the line up. One would assume Calgary should easily be able to manhandle the basement dwellers of the western conference. St.Louis 's pains are Calgary's gains.
The rec...
As you may have read, Ek has suggested that the San Jose Sharks may be interested in the services of Mats Sundin. My first reaction to this is: Why would I want to screw up good team chemistry to add someone who may or may not fit into the current team camaraderie? After all, the ride so far has been pretty sweet. (Fingers crossed) We hope it will continue as is and the ri...
Coming out a phenomenal 2006-2007 hockey season, during which the Anahim Lake, B.C., native won the gold at the IIHF World Junior (U20) Ice Hockey Championship in Sweden (he was named the Tournament MVP) and the Calder Cup with the Hamilton Bulldogs (he was named playoffs MVP), expectations were very high at the beginning of last season in Montreal.
The 6-3, 212 lbs, bu...
I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but next offseason is going to be interesting. With the CAP not expected to move much next year and potentially could go down the following year, GMs have to be carful with their money
[b][u]Forwards[/u][/b]
Next year we have Briere, Richards, Gagne, Carter, Lupul, Hartnell, Metropolit, Asham, and Cote signed to 1-way contracts.
...
These last few days have been interesting, especially in regards to what Brian Burke has said about Tomas Kaberle.
In a very good interview with Steve Kouleas on the Score he said a few really key things that us Leafs fan were wondering about since Brian Burke took over.
He tackled all the talk about him not liking Europeans which he said was completely not true, [i]...
I've had enough of hearing and reading stupid "comments" and "soundbytes"
So this whole blog is my chance to vent on everything bugging me in hockey lately.
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Mats Sundin - Everyone is sick of this I agree, but I more sick of the media coverage of this guy. Every medium has said Sundin has or will sign with just about every t...
Ron Guillet writes...
Welcome Back, Toskala + The Future of Justin Pogge
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Vesa Toskala has reclaimed his role as the Leafs' top player.
Similar to last season, Toskala got off to a slow start, struggling to provide his team with solid goaltending. Looking at how the defense has performed this season, consistent goaltending is a necessity.
But have no fear, Toskala is here... finally.
The re-emergence of the Finnish goaltender is not onl...
I was just watching the TSN panel talk about Burke's moves for next season and one of the guys (Mr. Hockey Insider) was talking about the confirmed and approved trades Fletch got last year but was blocked by NTCs. It was a terrible reminder of how futile Fletch's trade deadline push was. For of you who don't remember or never heard about it:
Sundin Higgins, Grabovski &...
Jarome Iginla beat the St Louis Blues tonight. Immediately after he scored the first goal of the game off his elbow (maybe the weirdest goal he has ever scored), Iginla dominated the Blues shift after shift. Winning battles, sharp accurate passes and one laser “Patented Leg Kick” Iggy snap shot over the shoulder of Blues goalie Chris Mason proved to the world again tha...
I know how much all of you guys missed my posts as I was in Hawaii (insert guffaw from my dripping sarcasm here) but I have to tell you what I have been telling everyone else in my life... I'm always right and no one ever listens to me!
After the Wild (are you sure that name handle isn't lame enough?? what about the Minnesota craaaaaaazies!!! or the Minnesota angry bea...
[img:left]http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/Mats-Sundin-Photograph-C12544663.jpeg[/img]I can't start heavily criticizing Mats since he is not the first player to do what he is doing: sitting for half a season before deciding where he wants to play. But I have to say, it is completely wrong for athletes to do this.
I'll be the first to admit that I really do not know too ...
Recently Gary Bettman said Avery's remark offended him as a parent.
"To be perfectly honest I wouldn't want to have to explain to my 12-year-old daughter what he said," the commissioner said.
I find this humorous considering the NHL allows its teams and media partners to advertise viagra with a disclaimer: [i]in the rare event of an erection lasting more than 4 hours...
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 ...
C4LL4W4Y writes...
What to do with Zherdev? (Hope to get out of cap hell)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Nikolai Zherdev has been the Rangers' best forward in 08-09. So far he has 11 goals and 20 assists for a total of 31 points in 35 games. This is a good thing for the Rangers, right? Right now it is.
Zherdev is set to be a restricted free agent at the end of this season. At age 24, he has a bright future and could be the face of the New York Rangers organization for ...
On more than one occasion I have heard rumblings that the St. Louis Blues may be facing money problems in the very near future. Which begs the question: Do they panic and change course? Will they panic and change course?
The Blues have stressed patience, drafting and developing of a nucleus of young players, many of whom still have not reached the NHL.
How long ca...
We are now 31 games into the season and still struggling to find an identity. Our record is now 15-13-3, tied with Carolina at the 8th spot in the East(we have 15 wins to their 14). It is interesting to know(at least to me) that after 31 games last year we had exactly the same number of points, 33. It seems to me that we almost the same team as last year and it will pro...
The Bruins' first pick in the second round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft (63rd overall), David Krecji, 22, has climbed fast on the Bruins depth chart.
Currently the Bruins' third centre behind point-producer Marc Savard and proven youngster Patrice Bergeron, Krejci is quickly making his mark in the NHL. His new line-mates Blake Wheeler and Michael Ryder have perfectly cli...
3:01 Pacific Time: NHL Director of Corporate Communications Michael DiLorenzo posts on Twitter: @umassdilo "sundin to canucks"
3:01 Pacific Time: Radio personality Buzz Bishop posts on Twitter: @buzzbishop "just got the press release. it's official SUNDIN IS A CANUCK"
3:06 Pacific Time: TSN posts a short story saying Mats Sundin is a Canuck with few details
3:06 P...
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...
The 2008-2009 regular season officially began for Red Wings and their fans last night with the 6-0 win over the Sharks.
Awarding the Stanley Cup championship rings this week was absolutely the last celebration of the 2007-2008 season in Hockeytown. It is now back to nothing but business.
Frankly, it has been hard to get too concerned about the Wings so far this seas...
Look, I keep hearing about how Mats Sundin is going to take Vancouver to new heights and how he will affect the Flames in terms of head to head match ups. Mats is just a little bit better than Daymond Langkow, he's not the best thing since sliced bread, he just consistently good. Over the last two seasons Langkow and Sundin are only about 10 points apart roughly... and Gil...
Last season it was defense defense defense. The Atlanta Thrashers iced only one quality pairing in '07-'08, and the team's defensive success was nothing more than a 23 year old rookie surprise. The addition of Ron Hainsey, Mathieu Schneider, Zach Bogosian, Boris Valabik, and Nathan Oystrick, and an improved Garnet Exelby has turned Atlanta in to a team that can [code] ab...
[b]Gatineau Hands Juniors 5-3 Loss[/b]
[b]Montreal. Friday, December 19, 2008.[/b] The Montreal Juniors lost their final game before the holiday break on Friday night to the Gatineau Olympiques.
The Olympiques were led by Alex Quesnel and JP Chabot. Quesnel scored a hat-trick and added an assist while Chabot scored 2 goals including the game winner in the 3rd. The ...
The rematch between the Caps and the Flyers will begin at 1pm today at the Wachovia Center. These two teams faced each other in a great 7 game series this past season, where the Flyers won game 7 in overtime on a Joffrey Lupul goal. I'll tell you what, you want to see an entertaining game, you got it right here. Alex Ovechkin and his crew come here to Philly to take on the...
Blamm writes...
Get Two, Give One: OT and SO Wins May Hurt Dallas in the End
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I'm SOOOO glad to see the Stars putting together some wins, though I don't think any fan can honestly say they're comfortable with how Dallas is playing right now (just...less distressed, perhaps). Picking up points to get back into the playoff race is a good thing...don't get me wrong. As of right now, the Stars are only four points back from the Coyotes and Wild in the...
Holy Niitty! That is how you describe today's game. Antero Niittymaki made 47 saves, including 25 in the first period, and the Flyers trampled over the Capitals 7-1 today. Obviously, Niitty was the big key in this game, but Scott Hartnell also joined the party. He scored a hat trick in this game, which was his 4th hat trick in the calendar year. After the second goal, the ...
As a Vancouver Canucks fan, particularly one not living in the city of Vancouver. I find it difficult to get Canucks' news, without venturing online. So it's heartwarming to see how many fans across this great North American plane have so much to say and offer about my team. The nuggets of knowledge expressed, i often find unbiased and completely insightful, and it tota...
Lets pose this question not just to Flames fans but also to hockey fans. Dion's defensive play is being over shadowed by [i]Todd Bertuzzi's[/i] horrible +/- rating. Dion has the second worst +/- on the team, now some may say that's because he averages 28:03 in ice time so there is more of chance for goals against. If that was true then [i]Robyn Regher[/i] with his 22...
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...
Just some news that some may find interesting, especially goaltenders. TPS has been bought out, so prepare to see goaltenders who currently wear their equipment switch to other brands. There has been quite a bidding war going on for some of the soon-to-be-former TPS goalies, with Vaughn recently signing Josh Harding to a contract, and extending the current Vaughn wearer St...
The resurgence is in full swing. The team that started the season so poorly is one of the hottest teams in the league. Other than the Sharks and Bruins, no team is as hot as the Flyers!
Why are they hot?
Snipers:
Carter, Gagne, Lupul, Richards - not too many teams can boast 4 true snipers. And oh yeah, Briere has missed the entire season (almost)
Power Forward...
So it finally got done...Mats is a Canuck...
The truth is, I became a regular follower on this site because of the Mats soap opera. I hate to admit it, but it is true.
Legend had it he could sign in Montreal. It was the personal view of the proprietor of this site he could become a Hab. So month after month I ran to this site in the hopes of finally getting the ne...
It appears Vesa Toskala has been complaining of a sore groin for some time, and during the Leafs' 7-3 win over the Pens last night, the soreness had reached a limit. TSN is reporting that Toskala will be out of the lineup when the Leafs face the Thrashers on Monday.
For goaltending prospect Justin Pogge, this is the best news of the season (but he won't tell you that).
...
Shout outs to everyone.
This was a big hockey filled weekend.
I took in the Phantoms win Friday night over the Lowell Devils, The Flyers win over the Capitals and the Phantoms shootout loss to the Admirals on Saturday.
First I know you all want to see Randy Jones
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3121297625/in/set-72157611365592117/
http://www.flickr.co...
Well, happy holidays. Just a few ideas, that hopefully will spur a bit of conversation.
-I am one of those that don't care for the shootout, and I won't belabor the point, but I really hope if there is any change for next year, I hope that shootout wins are devalued for 2009-10.
-Maybe it's me, but why is Atlanta unable to come up with a jersey design that isn't hide...
From the very earliest evolutions of the game of hockey to the Sheffield forge where Lord Stanley's cup was crafted and the Regent Street silversmiths where the British Governor General of Canada Lord Walter Stanley bought the now sacred trophy, the United Kingdom has had a profound and often unrecognized influence on the early eras of the sport, the NHL and the Ontario Ho...
In the spirit of the Season I am posting some of the trades I'd like to see happen prior to the playoffs this year. In my opinion the Flames need to address a second line right winger and I think the Canadiens might move Kovalev as he is super under preforming and a UFA next year. You know Keenan would love to have him and he would fit nicely with langkow and Bertuzzi. Goi...
In a recent blog post, James Mirtle used a formula to determine rankings for NHL defensemen. I'm not going to pretend like I understand it. It's not that I don't appreciate statistical analyses when it comes to hockey - it just takes me several reads to understand that the combination of something I love (hockey) and something I hated (math) can actually work. Anyway, ...
Since the lockout, the NHL has both enacted and endured many changes. One of the most intriguing, and certainly the most disturbing is one that has overcome many members of the media who make a living covering the NHL.
According to many card-carrying members of the hockey-media, post lockout teams should be more than willing to throw entire seasons and lose "on-purpose"...
[b]DIVING IN THE NHL: IS IT A PROBLEM?
[/b]
The idea for today’s blog came from a friend of mine in the Chat room that I visit whose name is Brent: Diving: is it a problem, and can something be done about it?
[b]What is the infraction Diving?[/b]
Well I downloaded the NHL rulebook and found the infraction under 64.1, and I quote (and yes I don’t have much of ...
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v34/leafs4ever89/hockeycanada2.jpg[/IMG]
It's their final exhibition matchup of the pre-tournament and Canada looks to apply the same pressure they've produced in their first two meetings. Sunday night's game against Finland showed that this team can in fact change on the fly, and I'm not talking about the lines.
Canada's game a...
In honour of the original sports guy Bill Simmons and on the eve of the World Jrs we introduce the 1st Canadian Sports Guys NHL Power Poll of the season.
[b]The John Tavares Division[/b]
30-Tampa Bay Lightning SEEN STAMKOS?
One thing is for sure about this Lightning team, Barry Melrose or Janet Jones-Gretzky wont have any money riding on them anytime soon.
29-NY Isla...
Justin Pogge debuted his NHL career with a .905 SV% and a 2.00 GAA.
Not too shabby.
Pogge displayed an active glove hand, quick lateral movement, solid positioning and decent rebound control. An aspect of his game I was particularly impressed with was his ability to make himself look big. Possessing a 6'3, 205 pound frame, Pogge's size is best utilized when screened ...
The Calgary Flames gave their fans an early Christmas present with a hard-fought 4-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks Tuesday night. Of all the efforts from this game, the one that truly has to stand out is that of Brett Sutter, called up by his father Darryl to play on the fourth line, who scored the game-changing goal early in the third period and could not have played a bett...
Well by this point in time the teams are fully composed. Bad teams are bad, good teams are good, and mediocre teams are well, mediocre. So let's hand out a few awards at this point in the season.
I must be fair here. I have seen very few games from the Western teams. For this reason I will concentrate only on the Eastern Conference for these awesome, fictitious aw...
Was that a smile from Darryl Sutter?
It might have been as his son, Brett Sutter, scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game to tie the Flames with the Ducks 14 seconds after the Quackers took their first lead. Sutter, after shockingly being called up from the minors just days before Christmas, made an impact that few thought possible as he was flying all night and...
TML35 writes...
Christmas Wish List: Ten Things the Toronto Maple Leafs Need
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It's that time of the year again, and Leafs fans head into the holiday break with a sour taste after an 8-2 [b][u]OBLITERATION[/u][/b] by the Dallas Stars. That was simply embarrassing. Losing that bad to a team that has had just as much difficulty as us, possibly even more!
[img:left]http://blog.mlive.com/redwings_impact/2008/05/medium_turco15.JPG[/img]I find this curi...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all my HB Friends!!!!!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_Peter-Puck-Final_clip.jpg[/img]
May the Blessings of the Season find you and your loved ones well. May this brief respite from the daily grind offer us pause to reflect on those who are less fortunate than ourselves.
And remember...
[img]http://ronanjames.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/bumble1.jpg[/img]
Bumbles...
I originally thought that for this blog I would write a Christmas list to good'ol St. Nick listing all the necessary presents my Isles can use...but then I realized that list might be way too long. I have a list that not only addresses this season, but the years that follow. So instead, I broke it down to the basics, and it all comes down to one issue: this team needs work...
With yet another blow to the hockey team, losing Paul Stastny in the dying minutes of the game against Phoenix, the Avalanche have lost their top two centers on the team. The team has very little to hope for between the pipes, with Budaj showing his characteristic inconsistency and Raycroft trying to trick us into thinking he can hold down the number 1 job. With the team s...
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v34/leafs4ever89/hockeycanada2.jpg[/IMG]
The school break for Kindergarteners to University students; holiday vacation time for the employed; Christmas celebrations; and finally, the start of the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships. December never feels the same without it.
I've always appreciated the NHL. As a hockey fanatic...
Happy Holidays to all of my fellow HockeyHeads out there...
I Wish the best to all into the New Year which, for the NHL, begins at the corner of Clark and Addison for the 2nd Annual Winter Classic--which seems like an oxymoron, but I digress. In a very short time, the W.C. has unquestionably become one of the too few highlights for the NHL (regular season) that really ...
This was a disgraceful, very disgraceful effort that all Flyers fans had to watch tonight. It was a total disgrace. The Flyers lost 5-1 to the Blackhawks tonight. The Flyers had absolutely no jump tonight, the Flyers were in their own zone way too much tonight. The Flyers got into Chicago a little bit later than expected because of airplane problems, but that is not an exc...
[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...
Leadership is not about what you have done. It is about what you are doing. It is about instilling enough confidence in those around you to formidably face a challenge. It is about making responsible decisions and understanding when you have made a mistake. Most of all, however, it is about collectively teaching each other to learn from mistakes and come back even stro...
Sven_119H writes...
Shawinigan Opens New Rink With a 5-1 Win over Juniors
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]5 Unanswered Goals Shutdown Juniors[/b]
[b]
Montreal. Saturday, December 27, 2008.[/b] The Shawinigan Cataractes opened their new arena, the Amphithéâtre de Shawinigan, with a 5-1 victory over the Montreal Juniors on Saturday night.
Shawinigan wasted little time recording their first goal in the new state of the art facility as Matthew Pistils notched his 2...
Man oh man, this was another one of those games where the Flyers just had nothing. This time, it was against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason stopped 20 Flyers shots for his third shutout of this season. This kid is really, really good, and he's the future goalie for the Jackets. Nothing against Mason, but the Flyers just didn't have the energy and there wasn't a ton...
Two points. That's the stat that matters here. But, as Harry Neale put it, "The Sabres got two points the hard way, when they should've had them the easy way." Everyone at the HSBC Arena thought that Clarke MacArthur was the hero with his goal in the third period, as it gave Buffalo seeming insurance and a 3-1 lead. Key word: they [b]thought[/b] he was the hero....
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Briere and Parent/Jones for JayBo? In a NY Minute...
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[u][b]JayBo to Philadelphia? In a NY Minute![/b][/u]
With all due respect to Danny Briere, I would drive the face of the franchise for Homer's 2007/08 off-season acquisitions directly to the airport, speeding past cops on I-95 and waving them on to give me a police escort and give Ryan Parent or Randy Jones bus fare, two bucks for a cup of coffee an old copy of Maxim i...
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...
In a game that would have even Jeff Goldblum studdering, the Avs beat the Red Wings.
It was a wierd game, Saturday night, one that the Avs were supposed to lose. Thanks to Oli Jokinen and a snow blower, the Avs were without Paul Stastny and Joe Sakic, respectively. They had Tyler Arnason taking Paul Stastny's spot. They were starting Peter Budaj, who hasn't played well...
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 ...
Neither the Flyers nor the Phantoms had much success this weekend. Both teams lost Friday and Saturday. Saturday looked like both games might end by the same score but The Admirals seemed to turn and burn and the Phantoms ended up loosing 7-2.
I have faith that both teams will turn things around. Both teams have injuries to key players and the flu making rounds.
...
The Calgary Flames played one of the most dominating third periods of the season as they out shot the Sens 20-9 in the third period The Sens started the game with a 2-0 with goals by Philliips and Spezza.
Then Mr. Bourque took over this game by scoring 2 goals in a little over 60 seconds. Then Roy scores another a minute later as the Sens play as bad as they can to allo...
Pre-Game: Senators vs. Canucks
The Ottawa Senators are looking to avoid one streak and continue another as they face-off against the Vancouver Canucks tonight. The Luongo-less Canucks are 5-4-1 in their last ten games but have fallen short in their last two, including one to the Edmonton Oilers despite sporting a 10-5-1 record at home this season. The Senators are curre...
The effects of high altitude are well known in professional and amateur sports. On the plus side, the thin air means the athletes will be able to move with less drag and greater efficiency. However, unless trained or acclimated to altitude, most teams will not be able to perform at maximum level when playing in Denver. This is especially true when the athletes are hockey ...
1. 14 Goal scorers after the first 2 games.
2. Jamie Benn's hat trick.
3. John Tavares with 2 goals and 2 assists.
4. Canada ties all-time highest shutout goal total with 15.
5. Jamie Benn's unbelievably unselfish assist on Tyler Ennis' PP goal.
6. Ryan Ellis playing an incredible point shot position.
7. Chris DiDomenico's hands and cycling skills.
8. Goaltending is...
Spezza to Calgary?
Every year there seems to be someone putting out a rumor that leaves me laughing out loud. Since the lockout every expert panel from TSN to The Hockey News says Iginla needs a number one centre. Now I'm not here to debate if he needs the centre I'm here to debate the rumors. I was at last nights Ottawa vs. Calgary game and could say that...
[b]Montreal Rebounds 4-1 over Tigres[/b]
[b]Montreal. Sunday, December 28, 2008.[/b] The Montreal Juniors rebounded from a 5-1 loss to the Shawinigan Cataractes Saturday, beating the Victoriaville Tigres 4-1 on Sunday afternoon.
Barely 24 hours after suffering defeat to Shawinigan, the Juniors got back into the win column thanks to a breakout performan...
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...
Well Claude made it back. 2 way contract that has to be for league minimal is my guess as 1) Sharks don't have much free cap space 2) the guy is begging for a chance to come back.
This totally reminds me of Ozolinsh. Old NHLer on a comeback attempt. Don't get me wrong I really liked Ozolinsh but I wouldn't say it was an overly successfull project.
Now my question...
Renny needs to let out the hot air or before long, he'll float away. After telling the media and the world that he would start benching important players and standing his ground,he send Corey Potter and his bruising size to Hartford again!. His promises are becoming empty,it's like a kid crashing the car into the garage and still being able to go to the party. What mad...
The Mismanagement of Rick DiPietro
By: Steve Kotchek
Complete and utter frustration and disgust is the only way I can describe the saga that is Rick DiPietro’s 2008-2009 season. At this point, we all know that him backing up Joey MacDonald for the first few games of the season was a desperate public relations stunt gone horribly wrong. Any player who can sit on a ben...
Dan Ryder, who just came back from taking a year off of hockey and was once considered one of the Flames best prospects at center has been suspended again for "violation of team rules and conduct detrimental to the best interests of the team.".
If you are unaware who Dan Ryder is, he is the younger brother of the more famous Michael Ryder of the bruins. But to the organ...
[b]Voltigeurs Score 5 in Third to Down Juniors[/b]
[b]Montreal. Tuesday, December 30, 2008. [/b]The Juniors let victory slip away Tuesday evening in Drummondville as the Voltigeurs scored 5 goals in the 3rd period to earn a 5-4 win over Montreal.
The Juniors opened the scoring in the 2nd period on Nick Layton's 16th goal of the year, but fell behind early in ...
B.D. Gallof writes...
HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES: Why Are There Two Set Of Rules?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
When Mike Sillinger made his return from surgery, he was tested on a Bridgeport stint. The Isles were careful, applying the use of a conditioning stint to do just that, condition a player to the rigors of the AHL as a prelude to a return to the faster, stronger NHL. Bridgeport was then used for Jeff Tambellini to just to gain confidence, under the same idea. It is a tool f...
DP is hurt practically just as soon as he comes back from his umpteenth injury; Sillinger keeps bouncing to and from the IR; Martinek continues to hurt himself if he blows his nose too hard; Sutton blocks shots like an animal, but pays a price each year; and Nielsen is missing out on the first year of his NHL contract.
The list can go on and on. It's been hard to watch...
saneopinion writes...
Flames vs. Oilers...who gets the Champagne or just Pain?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I was hoping the Oilers would have beat the Sens last night, at least they wouldn't have the motivation of being beaten at home by one of the worst teams in the league to go on as they visit Calgary. They have beaten Calgary twice and you'd assume the Flames are looking for payback for the two losses suffered at the hands of their provincial rivals. The Oilers are looking ...
The Flyers got back on the winning track, as they defeated the Canucks 3-2 last night. I was very impressed with how the Flyers played last night. Unfortunately, one of the stars on the Flyers got hurt way too early in the game. About 15 seconds into the game, Simon Gagne got hurt when Kevin Bieska hit him near the boards. Simon left the game with an upper body injury. Rig...
1. How much money does the Freeman Group really have for the Preds?
2. After 11 years have the Preds fan base shown any significant growth?
3. Do the Preds have the talent in the system to get past the 1st round of the playoffs
in the next 3 years (this year included)?
4. If no was your answer to question 3 do you think the Preds will still be here after
3 years...
[img]http://pic.photobucket.com/sponsor/homepage/photobucket/newyear/background.jpg[/img]
Happy New Year one and all! May 2009 be better than the year that preceded it and may the blessings of good friends, family and health go out across the web to all my friends.
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_bear-green.jpg[/img]
Peace.
SYF
[img]http://...
Lets start off by wishing everyone a great 2009 and for Leaf fans a very interesting time as Brian Burke has had just about a month to evaluate the team and could be primed for some moves.
The question is who can you see Burkie trade package or waive as he continues the rebuilding process that Fletcher has commenced.
Here is a player by player breakdown of what might b...
First off I have to say that I am a die hard Maple Leaf fan, please don't hold that against me. More so I am a fan of the game, I can watch any game at anytime and find it enjoyable. So for those who are like me, if you could buy 1 crested jersey NOT from your favorite team who would it be and why? Which do you have already? Please do not include National team jerseys.
...
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...
Most of the time, third uniforms are a failure - in all sports. Lot's of teams will go with a color combo - usually to black - to look tough, one supposes. Or, they go with colors that are non-traditional for the team. Or, they find some "designer" to "update" the look.
Unfortunately, on the whole, one gets the impression that the creation of a third look is only d...
After a disappointing loss to the Ottawa Senators, who are brutal on the road, and a very bitter loss to their arch rivals on new years after blowing three leads the Edmonton Oilers Fans are officially angry.
As I alluded to in my last blog several friends of mine are Oiler fans and I did hear about it on new years with out even having a chance to gloat! I was receivin...
Let's begin with the vastly more entertaining game - USA's loss to Canada in the World Junior Championships.
With all of the hype of the Winter Classic in Chicago, the true classic got lost in the shufle. This was most entertaining hockey game I have watched in quite awhile. The skill, speed and emotion of all players for both teams made this game absolutely fantast...
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...
FLAMESTR writes...
THE FOLLOWING BLOG IS TOTAL NONSENSE RELAX AND HAVE A LAUGH
Posted Friday | Comments 0
My wife has often told me that there is no bad publicity; every good or bad act in hockey can be seen in any multimedia device or computer whatever the case may be. I have friends who get texted, or I dare say youtubed. My wife is the one who is explaining these terms to be. (Because I really don't know how to even operate a cell phone, let alone text messaging.)
Then...
Sven_119H writes...
Juniors Taste Revenge with 4-0 Shutout Win Over Drummondvill
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]Jake Allen's 38 Saves Lead Montreal to Victory[/b]
[b]
Montreal. Friday, January 2, 2009.[/b] The Montreal Juniors opened 2009 with a 4-0 shutout victory over the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Friday night. Having closed out 2008 with a loss on the road to the Voltigeurs, Montreal enjoyed some sweet revenge in front of their home fans and Jake Allen registered his...
After hearing the Canadian fans lustily cheering for Slovakia against Team USA at the WJC, I'll never root for Canada again. Despite being American, I always rooted for Canada when they weren't playing against the U.S. in the Worlds or Canada Cup. Perhaps this is indicative of how the rest of the world perceives America in political terms but nonetheless, we have long me...
So much for bottling that anger and frustration from the Canada game and pouring it out on Slovakia; more like the US dribbled it down their legs.
I don't want to be too hard on these kids - it's not like they weren't trying. The effort was certainly there. It was just one of those classic upset games. Like the cliched slow motion car crash - you could see it happeni...
I have seen this guy skate circles figure 8s avoid checks percipitosly but the final straw was today when he showed no pugnacity, no intensity, no emotion, no balls whatsoever they can't trade this guy soon enough but benching him would be a start.
Along with his lame play it was equal to watch the undisciplined Andropov to take a really stupid penalty but at the same t...
[url]http://www.flickr.com/photos/downtownatl/[/url]
[img]http://photoawards.com/05/DigitalEntries/resized/BC_13057_1.jpg[/img]
[b][i]Red Bull Gives You Wings[/i][/b]
Two men have received the majority of the blame for the ineptitude of the 2008-09 Rangers offense. After all, Chris Drury and Scott Gomez do eat up over 14 million dollars of the Rangers cap space, and their production has been far from comparable with othe...
Just six months ago many a grapevine was carrying rumor of NHL expansion while I lamented the integrity of a revenue bound salary cap. Even into the new season few had foreseen the sheer gravity of the global economic downturn and its impact on jobs, housing, businesses and every facet of life down to sport. Now as international markets stutter into a depression that many ...
This little blog takes involves many NHL teams however most of my proposed trades involve either the Leafs or the Canucks as they are the two teams that I know the most about. It is a pretty interesting read and I did do my research as far as caproom and contracts go.
When I take a look at the current standings it is fairly evident who some of the buyers and sellers...
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
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I have had experience playing goal and one thing I can tell you in that your body recovers much more quickly than your mind. If you play night after night you simply will get lapses in concentration and even if you respond quickly you might forget to do the little things that help you make a save like keeping you paddle on the ice in the butterfly.
If you think I'm blam...
Reunited for yesterday's match-up against the Florida Panthers, the Kostitsyn brothers, Andrei and Sergei, sparked the Habs' offense to a close 6-5 OT win over Peter DeBoer's team.
Lining up on a line with veteran Robert Land, the "Mullet line" produced three of the Canadiens' goals. Lang finished the afternoon with one goal and one assist (+2), while Andrei notched two...
I left objectivity out of this and concentrated only on the stats.
I started with players who have 30 pts this year.
I then removed any players with a +/- in the negative.
Then I whittled it down to players who play 20 min+ a game.
To be a great 2 way forward you have to play in all situations. So next players were eliminated with less than 1min/game on pk and 3 1/2m...
Every year there is a consistent trend that the Isles pick up. I'm not talking about the never ending changes to the Isles third jersey, (which actually looks mighty good this year) but the way they start and finish their games.
First they went through this stretch where they would score the first goal and establish a comfortable 2 or 3 goal lead and then blow it eithe...
I must tread lightly when speaking on this subject, but, what I offer is only my opinion. Count it for what you will, as it is based on my experiences, as they relate to hockey and to life. The reasons not in any particular order;
1. Politics, it may seem stupid and completely unrelated but it is what it is. The United States have disobeyed treaties (Nafta) , putting ma...
saneopinion writes...
Forget the Tavares rumors, where is Backlund going?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
There were some pretty high scoring players in this latest world junior, when I looked at Canada and Sweden I noticed something not very talked about. Behind Tavares (8), Eberle (6) and Hodgson (5) the guy with the most goals on the otherside was Flames prospect Backlund (5). Eberle and hodgson each had an empty netter tonight as well.
I think it would be fair to say th...
saneopinion writes...
Forget the Tavares rumors, where is Backlund going?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
There were some pretty high scoring players in this latest world junior, when I looked at Canada and Sweden I noticed something not very talked about. Behind Tavares (8), Eberle (6) and Hodgson (5) the guy with the most goals on the otherside was Flames prospect Backlund (5). Eberle and hodgson each had an empty netter tonight as well.
I think it would be fair to say th...
saneopinion writes...
All Stars or All stuffed? Is the game even necessary?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Listen, There is not even an argument that the first team all Stars should not be first team all stars. It used to mean something to be selected to the starting team, now it means that Montreal fans spend more on texting than Detroit fans.
If you, as a fan that stuffed the box, can really tell me that Toews deserves the starting center over Thornton then I would also a...
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...
I recently posted a blog about the all star game and I wrote the following paragraph:
"The All Star game is meant to show case the NHL's best, even if they weren't named to the first team most will still be there but when they play a meaningless game in an uninspired way it doesn't showcase anything to an American Audience that is, in all honesty, already uncaring."
...
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...
Today Sabre Prospects Nathan Gerbe & Tim Kennedy were named to the Planet-USA AHL All Star team. In fact Gerbe was named a starter.
[b]Gerbe [/b]currently has 25 points in 23 games for the Pirates so far this season. That total is good for fifth in the league amongst rookies.
[b]TK [/b]also has been named to the Planet USA team. He currently sits second in the "A" ro...
This is the time of year for New Year's resolutions. You know - the one where most people will try to not to eat people for the year. Well, that might be a bad example. I have decided to make resolutions for other people, since I am too perfect and do not need to improve at all. I think it is time someone pointed out some good new year resolutions for the poor misguided h...
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...
Record 9-5-2 H 4-3-1 A 5-2-1
GF – 52 3.25/g
GA – 42 2.63/g
Leaders:
Roy 21pts
Vanek 9G
Roy 13A
Stafford +7
Mair 29PM
Vanek 4PPG
Roy 5GWG
Lydman 34Hits
Against current playoff teams we are 2-3-1. Against non-playoff teams we are 7-2-1. Tallinder has 1pt in 16 games. If we extrapolate our current record out over the 58 game schedule we will fin...
Well the eastern roster is out and the habs, thanks to their loyal fans have 4 players in the starting lineup (they would have had 6 if it was not for pens fans). Lets look at the 4 players the habs have in the all star game (cant argue with Malkin and sid for starters)
# Pos Player GP G A P +/- PIM
79 D Andrei Markov 39 6 23 29 8 18
...
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...
He's back in the NHL and playing for the Canucks. He certainly gave Ek a lot of material to work with in terms of being the focus (somewhat) of the hockey universe for the last long while.
I really had been hoping for a larger build up to his return and really didn't get much. Living in the Vancouver area, I was kinda hoping for a little buzz about the guy but didn't g...
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...
Slasher98 writes...
Pacioretty And Gorges; a Look at Craig Rivet's Trade By Bob
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img]http://bleacherreport.com/images_root/image_pictures/0174/5572/75061_feature.jpg[/img]
On February 25 2007, the Montreal Canadiens veteran defenseman Craig Rivet and a 5th round selection in 2008 to the San Jose Sharks for young defenseman Josh Gorges and a 1st round selection in 2007 (Max Pacioretty).
Now a member of the Buffalo Sabres, Rivet helped the Sharks go...
Last night was a perfect example of why Real Flames Fans like Iginla.
Everyone has been on his case for not scoring in 6 games. For not scoring against San Jose. Asking questions like "What kind of a leader is he if he isn't scoring?"
Calgary's 5th goal against the Islanders was a perfect example. Iggy brings the puck around the back of the net while all the Islander...
[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...
For comparisons to the rest of the league I took the highest scoring center on each team for a total pool of 30 rather than the top 30 highest scoring centers in the league. So how does Derek Roy stack up?
14G t11th
24A t11th
38pts t8th
+2 t18th
21:45/g 4th
49.7%fo 19th
20PIM 20th
43Giveaways 29th
25Takeaways t15th
So in 5 categories he is in the top...
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...
Brian Burke made his first two moves as Leafs GM -- acquiring Brad May from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a conditional 6th round pick in 2010, and assigning Nikolai Kulemin to the Toronto Marlies.
Minor moves, but perhaps Burke has finished analyzing his team and is ready to reshape the roster to his liking.
With the NHL Trade Deadline fast approaching, just und...
As of January 10, 2009 the Toronto Maple Leafs are in familiar territory- no mans land.
Yknow that place in the standings where you are a ladder rung or 2 away from a playoff spot, but clearly not inept enough to be banking on a lottery pick in the draft. There is, at least a shred of understanding on my part for those who in the past three seasons felt that this was t...
In the event of Tomas Kaberle waiving his NTC on March 4th, I'd be willing to bet that his fellow countryman, and teammate, Pavel Kubina, would follow suit.
If the Leafs' top two offensive defensemen are subtracted from the lineup, not only will a wealthy amount of skill and potential be included to their farm system, but it'll pave the way for a top 5 pick at the 2009 ...
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...
Jeff Carter scored two goals to add on to his league leading 29 goals, and Marty Biron made 41 saves as the Flyers defeated the Leafs 4-1 tonight. I thought Marty had one of his best performances of the season. Marty made the big saves when needed, and he helped the Flyers get a big win. Obviously, if Marty can keep on playing this way, the Flyers will win a ton of games. ...
As the Leafs continue to lose hockey games the past few weeks, one can only wonder what is going through the mind of Brian Burke. Burke has added Brad May for a 6th round pick this past week, not for scoring ability and not for the future but for some grit and leadership purposes. This should win the Leafs a few more games this season but a playoff run with the teams curre...
With the Isles off for the next few days, I figured I'd discuss with you my thoughts on what is probably the most intriguing trade rumor that I have read thus far. Again, they are just rumors, and although Hockeybuzz gets these rumors from "reliable sources," they are still just rumors that may not develop into anything more than just food for thought. But here we go.
W...
Last night was a trip to the past. It was October of 2008 in Ottawa, and that was not good news for the hometown Senators. Because their opponent remembered that success was indeed the product of their hard work, and not a gift for the lazy. They remembered that they are more capable of winning low scoring than high scoring games. And they finally returned to their identit...
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...
icedog97 writes...
They Have Lost Their Way...They Have Lost Their Identity
Posted Monday | Comments 0
A couple of seasons ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins were a team filled with potential.
They had young talented players who were learning the ropes in the NHL. What they lacked in experience they made up for in desire and hard work.
Almost every game, you could see them gaining confidence...realizing with each day that they could compete and be successful in the NHL.
...
Coaches Corner maybe becoming increasingly irrelevant as the staunchly patriotic Don Cherry rambles about musings better suited to an age when every player was nicknamed “Butch” and that a Swede was something related to jokes about corners. But as Cherry provides the antithesis to contemporary hockey analysis I once more find myself agreeing with his misty eyed old sch...
The heavily-anticipated trade deadline is less than two-full months away, and it seems as if the Isles veterans can sense that their terms with the Islanders may be coming to a close. We all know that this year is the start of a long growing process for the younger players that are supposed to be the future of the franchise. The veterans that were brought over the last two...
Sven22 writes...
A letter about the all-star game from an imaginary NHLer
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Every season, there's controversy about the all-star game--who gets to play, who gets to start, who got snubbed, etc.--and to be honest, I'm kind of fed up with it. So, in order to deal with my feelings, I've created a proxy of myself, a phantom NHLer, who expresses my sentiments on the matter.
This phantom NHLer, we can assume, is a deserving but generic Western Confe...
* I can't let you read this blog without first apologizing for the title. Shameful, just shameful. *
Alexei Ponikarovsky is in the midst of a career season.
14 goals and 30 points in 42 games played – on pace for 26 goals and 58 points.
But who is responsible for this sudden jump in production?
Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the so-called back-stabbin...
As most Blues fans will tell you, the reason to watch the Blues isn't because they're going to win or make the playoffs. The excitement is watching the young talent on this team and salivating over the potential. Thank God for that shred of hope, because watching the Blues right now is maddening.
[b]The Good.[/b]
(In no particular order)
The emergence of David Backes ...
I have read some reports that the Bruins are looking for a top 4 defenseman.
We know the Penguins are looking for a goal scoring winger.
It seems to me that the Pens have what the Bruins want and the Bruins have what the Pens want.
Would the Bruins be open to a Whitney for Kessel deal?
Whitney would get to play professional hockey in his hometown...that would h...
The Flyers (23-10-9), in first place in the Atlantic Division, face a Penguins (20-18-4) team that has fallen to fourth in the division and two spots out of a playoff berth with a dreadful 2-8-0 run in their last 10 games.
The Penguins apparently are grasping at straws, sending down a fourth-line role player, rookie Tim Wallace, who was told the team was looking for an...
Last season I had a big post on what I think the leafs should do and it was pretty decent in predicting reality even though everyone in Leafland thought it appropriate to tear me a new one. Specifically, one of the "crazy" things I said was to trade Toskala and sign huet in his place. Alas that is what we should have done but we didn't and we may be paying for it a bit.
...
Last season I had a big post on what I think the leafs should do and it was pretty decent in predicting reality even though everyone in Leafland thought it appropriate to tear me a new one. Specifically, one of the "crazy" things I said was to trade Toskala and sign huet in his place. Alas that is what we should have done but we didn't and we may be paying for it a bit.
...
Last night a loud exhale could be heard across the Penguin Nation.
Finally, the Pens played a game with purpose and determination...and won.
There is hope that these guys can right the ship in time for the playoffs afterall.
The Penguins adopted a more conservative approach to last night's game, using a variation on the neutral zone trap...it really amounts to a 1...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We're toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in th...
All General managers have the dilemma of looking at their team when they are doing well and ask themselves honestly what they could use to move forward and hopefully take the big prize. When the team is doing poorly it is too hard to trade so when you are doing well is the time to make it happen.
The Flames are doing well.
So the question is what does this team need ...
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:wAngNR2wPZwBEM:http://images.teamsugar[/img]
In a season where everyone either predicted or was warned the Leafs would place bottom 5 in the East, I'm a little surprised the team was booed by the club's faithful fans in a tilt with the Nashville Predators.
As of today, right now, this very second… (this second too) the Leafs...
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...
March 5th will be a significant date for Anton Stralman.
Why?
He's going to be re-inserted into the Leafs' lineup, and finally serve the role he was intended to grasp as an offensive defenseman in the NHL.
That is, if Burke can manage to dislodge Kaberle and/or Kubina from the lineup.
It's currently unclear whether the duo of defensemen have a long-term future ...
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.
...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
One Haymaker is not Enough - Hockey Fights Cancer
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.geocities.com/psmith25/pics/domi1prob.gif[/img]
Bob Probert, Stu "The Grim Reaper" Grimson, Tony Twist, Dave "The Hammer" Schultz, Tie Domi, Dave Brown, Marty McSorely, Tim Hunter, Dave Semenko, Joey Kocur, Dave "Tiger" Williams...you get the picture. These men were among the most legendary, intimidating forces in the game and could change the momentum ...
[b]Timonen : A+[/b]
[i]6.3 mill/yr - signed thru 2012/13[/i]
Kimmo is this generations Mark Howe. If he stays healthy, he will outperform his stellar 07-08 season by 10 points. So far this season Timonen leads all Flyers defenders with 28 pts in 42 games (.67ppg). Those numbers rank him 13th overall in the league, keeping stride with elite players like Lidstrom, Campbe...
With Brendan Shanahan signing a 1-year $800,000 deal, of which he will receive $400,000 for playing the second half of the season, Shanahan has officially become a member of the team that drafted him over twenty years ago, the New Jersey Devils. Throughout the first half of the season, the Devils have had four solid lines, even when their lineup was plagued with injuries t...
[b]BEST GAME OF THE YEAR FLAMES BEAT SHARKS[/b]
There are games, and then there is the Flames and Sharks battle on January 15th as the two big guns battled it out. The Sharks score early as Ryan Clowe opens the scoring in the first minute. The Flames actually rebounded after the first goal quite nicely, keeping the Sharks to 1-0 at the end of the period.
The Flames a...
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...
* Inspired by Eric Engels' thought provoking question blogs*
Ten questions to ponder while you prepare for the Leafs - Thrashers tilt tonight:
1) If you were Brian Burke, who would you unload before the Trade Deadline?
2) Matt Stajan is on pace for 20 goals and 64 points (in 76 games). Trade him while his value is high, or lock him up as an integral piece to the L...
I have to admit I have been really guilty of walking around today and asking everyone if the saw the Flames/ Sharks game last night. So now that Flamestr and Vetter have both written on the subject I'll leave it alone and take a closer look at the North West. This is where I ask you to go read my previous blogs and I get to say I told you so...I love doing that.
I wrot...
This will serve as my technical midseason review, even though the Flames passed that mark two games ago. I'm splitting this post into two parts: first, a general review of the season so far, examining defense and offense, and then I will discuss if anything can - or needs - to be done to improve the team via trades. Now that we're approaching the heat of trade rumour seaso...
Simon Gagne scored the game winning goal in the shootout, Antero Niittymaki made 32 saves, and the Flyers defeated the Panthers 3-2 tonight. To be quite honest, this was an ugly game, the Flyers did not play their best hockey, but the most important thing was that the Flyers got the two desperate points that they needed. Obviously, the Flyers have been struggling the last ...
TML35 writes...
The True Blue and White: No more Exceeding Expectations
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Half the season is over, and the leafs are finally beginning to show their true colors.
Burke isn't surprised, although he denies that he and his staff are quote "tanking," he says that these losses are just the growing pains of icing a young team. Growing pains that will deliver us a much needed 1st round pick. As always with rebuilding, and any city that has undergon...
Through 45 games the abject tandem of Toskala and Joseph has combined for the worst team save percentage in the NHL and by an ever increasing margin. Where .900 is seen as a barometer for average net minding in the modern game, the Blueshirted duo has managed just .886 between them. Subsequently the hard work put into making the Leafs sixth in shots against with a 28.3 per...
Hooligans welcome back, lets’ rock.
I blog about sports mostly and sprinkle in some music and entertainment whenever possible. So I was thinking if hockey players were rock bands or rock stars who would they be.
Ovechkin-Red Hot Chili Peppers He’s everything that hockey players typically aren’t, he’s brash and he’s the King of the NHL, when it comes to tha...
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...
This is my first ever blog,
Thanks for Reading.
Based on how Toskala has been playing latly, it is fair to see he should go. I for one never like him and think Raycroft should have been our guy.
That aside, a lot of people would like to see Toskala gone.
In the NHL this year, who needs a decent goal tender, and who can afford him, not to mention what kind of re...
One positive to take from tonight. Lombardi scored.
I know, it seems like something from a fantasy novel, but yes, Lombardi defied all critics and scored a goal. It was a goal that we have all expected the last three years. Will it happen again? probably not, but, he will score again, just like Holmstrom will score again. I am happy for him.
But focusing on the gam...
One positive to take from tonight. Lombardi scored.
I know, it seems like something from a fantasy novel, but yes, Lombardi defied all critics and scored a goal. It was a goal that we have all expected the last three years. Will it happen again? probably not, but, he will score again, just like Holmstrom will score again. I am happy for him.
But focusing on the gam...
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...
I feel that Metropolit has been a major disappointment. To clear the room for Danny in terms of both money and personnel. I would waive Metropolit. He will get claimed which is fine.
The lines will look like this upon Danny's return:
Gagne - Richards - Knuble
Hartnell - Carter - Lupul
Upshall - Briere - Giroux
Cote - Powe - Asham
Not too bad. I like the new 3...
The Dallas Stars beat the Kings in a shootout 3-2. Dallas out shot the Kings, however Erik Ersberg stood tall stopping many good chances in the first two periods. Dustin Brown put the Kings up 1-0 in the third . Jere Lehtinen tied slicing through the defense . Mike Riebero put the Stars ahead 2-1. In what is a good summary of the Stars season the Kings pulled Ersberg and s...
The All Star Break can't come soon enough for Marty Turco. The Stars have had to ride Turco too much because of a slow start and a lack of confidence in backup netminder Tobias Stephan. to make matters worse having no AHL team to allow Stephan to get regular work compounds the problem. The third kink ( a hat trick of a problem) is they have no cap room to acquire a vetera...
Every Isles fan and hockey fan by now has to have come to a complete understanding in regards to this dismal year for the blue and orange. This season was designed to ignite a maturation process for all the young, inexperienced players; to learn from mistakes, to understand the game, yada yada yada. But in a youth movement, there are supposed to be signs of progress. Each ...
In a game that could be described as the answer to the question I posed in last night's postgame blog ("Is Kipper playing too much?") the Flames were whupped 6-2 in Colorado by the Avs tonight with Curtis McElhinney in net. Though this game looked virtually the same as yesterday's home loss to Phoenix, I still pin most of the blame on Curtis Mac, as I blamed Kiprusoff for ...
[b]GOALIES LEAVING ADDRESSES[/b]
The goalies are changing addresses and some may be on their way out more as the Pens and Oil say "let's make a deal". Goalies switching teams as Mathieu Garon goes for Dany Sabourin, Ryan Stone, and a fourth round draft pick. An interesting move by the Oil, as they trade one of their goalies yet get one back from the Pens. I expect Danny...
... is to get the eighth seed. Look at the Avs' schedule and you realize a pattern. January is a perfect example:
Wins: Chicago, Pittsburgh, Calgary, Nashville
Losses: Minnesota, Columbus (2x), Edmonton, St. Louis
Anyone else see a pattern? The Avs have been Detroit twice, played hard with San Jose and Boston but lost to teams like Columbus, Edmonton, Minnesota, F...
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 ...
*I'll be honest, I don't even know what the hell this title even means, but it gave me a chuckle, so I hope I get a cheap laugh out of ya'*
You know what really grinds my gears?
James Reimer has been a forgotten player amongst the Leafs' prospect cupboard.
Take a look at his statistics throughout his career thus far:
[b]Red Deer Rebels (WHL)
[/b]
2005-06: 34 ...
TML35 writes...
Maple Leafs Goaltending Dilemma: Justin Pogge gets his Shot
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It looks like after two weeks since the Leafs sent goaltending prospect, Justin Pogge, down to the minor leagues, they're gearing up to bring him back up to give him a prolonged stint in with the Buds.
Things have not been right for Maple Leafs goaltender Vesa Toskala. After coming of a strong season he wasn't able to put it together at all - at times he cost the Maple ...
On a day that the country paused to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, the St. Louis Blues went into the TD Bankworth Garden in Boston and stole two points right from under the skates of the Bruins.
It has to be because of the Monday afternoon holiday games this season for the Blues...there's no other explanation for it.
Remember back to October 13th of th...
NickBoston writes...
Blues' 2004 First Round Draft Pick Opts for Czech Republic
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Marek Schwarz, who was once considered to be the top goaltending prospect for the Blues, has left the Alaska Aces of the ECHL to play in his native Czech Republic, according to Aces' coach Keith McCambridge.
It's a sad story for a guy that the Blues spent a first round draft pick in 2004 on, and coming out of Sparta Praha of the Czech Republic was highly-touted as the n...
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 ...
CAPMESS11 writes...
DOC EMRICK DRINKING GAME! EDDIE NO CHECK CALL PENS LOVE FEST
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So the Rangers lose in Pittsburgh, and all you have to do is ask every other team what they think of the officiating when you play SID. It's almost predictable what happens ( sure the pens had some jump) the Pens get the first few spotted. Then when they have a few on the board the Rangers can have a turn . I hate these NBC Games and anything on VS involving NY. It'...
Florida currently sits in 8th place in the conference with several games in hand over several other rivals for the post-season performance. The Panthers were picked by many hockey experts to finish aroudn the bottom of the league , espeacilly after the controversial Jokinien trade. So up until this point in time , it was mostly thought that Bouwmeester would be dealt to a ...
[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...
The Leafs are looking to rebuild and a bit of that will come from the draft and drafting the correct pieces of the puzzle is always difficult. The Leafs have been known to trade a lot of picks away and have not been great draft day players and until this past draft in which they selected Luke Schenn 5th overall the last time the Leafs had a pick in the Top 5 was all the wa...
It's been over three months since the NHL season started, and besides the few surprises (Boston leading the East, Pittsburgh not, etc), taking a picture of the standings today pretty much leaves most of us happy with our predictions that we made at the beginning of the season. A few good stories, and a few nasty ones, but all in all, it's been what most realists expec...
Jesse Connolly's recent article, entitled "Why Alex Ovechkin Will Never Be the Face of the NHL" really got me pondering this question again, as I have so many times in my life. There has always been a player regarded as the face of the NHL, and that player was generally recognized as the best in the league at that time: Players like Richard, Howe, Orr, Gretzky and Lemieux ...
I am a very lucky guy.
I get to go see several leafs games every year, and I am thankful for the opportunity.
The one thing that really pushes my buttons about being there is that a good chunk of the lower bowl is corporate seating. The leafs sell out every game and the waiting list for season tickets is insanely long. We are talking 15 + years.
When corporate ...
The news just doesn't get any better for the Blues these days...
According to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Andy McDonald limped off the ice during practice at the United Center in Chicago today, with what appears to be another injury to the same ankle he broke in November.
McDonald slipped and fell in the corner of the ice, threw his stick down i...
The Dallas Stars are headed to the All-Star break after a solid 2 periods against the Florida Panthers. They finished the first half on a rare Florida road trip - Monday in Tampa Bay and tonight in Sunrise. The Stars had been stringing some wins and points together, but they blew a 2-1 lead late in the 3rd to the Bolts, and lost 4-2. Then tonight they skated out to play...
Give the Leafs a point, the fans will be happy for a day; teach the Leafs to score, and we'll be happy for years to come. This old adage works on so many levels, and clearly, our team hasn't reached the latter yet. Last night, I sat down and watched the game, and was pretty surprised with how the Leafs handled the Bruins for the first couple periods, then, after the s...
Now I know that a lot of people are saying that the team needs to just give up and let it sink. I don't feel this is really going to do anything! This team has a good roster, it just has had too many injuries to too many key players. Now the important thing to notice is that there have been no season ending injuries. Although some say Sakic's injury might be a season e...
The NHL All Star game is in need of a major adjustment. While I do enjoy the skills competition and the young stars game, the big show is more of a big disappointment. First of all not all of the games stars are there, albeit some of them are injured and that is understandable. I really dislike the fact that every team needs to be represented and fan balloting system is...
When I logged onto Hockeybuzz this morning, I discovered that B.D. Gallof has been completely erased from this site. No more past blogs. Obviously, nothing new. No mention or explanation as to why B.D. and his many blogs have been erased off this site. B.D.'s entire presence has been erased.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out exactly what's going on he...
When I logged onto Hockeybuzz this morning, I discovered that B.D. Gallof has been completely erased from this site. No more past blogs. Obviously, nothing new. No mention or explanation as to why B.D. and his many blogs have been erased off this site. B.D.'s entire presence has been erased.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out exactly what's going on here. ...
[img]http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/04S17sY9DY0lo/610x.jpg[/img]
All right grumpy Rangers fans, its time to start pulling on those belts because another stretch run is about to begin and its shaping up to be a doozy. Yes, the Rangers aren't the perfect team, and they have been criticized about their flaws more often than a teenager at a dermatologist.
But in al...
We continue our reviews of prior Leafs drafts with the 1984 draft held in Montreal on June 9, 1984.
Legend: GP=Games Played, G= Goals, A= Assists, PTS= Points,
W= Wins, L= Losses, T= Ties, GAA=Goals Against Average, SO= Shutouts
[b]4th Overall Pick- Al Iafrate (Defensemen)[/b]
Leafs Regular Season Stats: GP- 472 G- 81 A- 169 PTS- 250
Leafs Playoff Stats: GP- 29 ...
First of all let me introduce myself. My name is Jason and I have been a Predators season ticket holder for 10 years. I'm 33 years old and grew up watching hockey in Nashville, TN. That's right, you read correctly, grew up watching hockey; not only on TV but also in person. I use to go to the old Nashville Knights ECHL games and fell in love with hockey at an early age. My...
Don't look now, but Jason Blake is on pace for 25 goals and 56 points (in 78 games).
And don't give your eyes a rub, that's actually on your computer screen, folks.
While Don Cherry is red in the face over the coaching of Ron Wilson, Blake couldn't be happier. After registering a disappointing 15-goal (although he did have 51 points) campaign in 2007-08, Blake has ...
Obviously in any season, you are going to have your up's and down's, and the Flyers went through that a little bit so far this season. The Flyers failed to win a game in their first six games, as they lost 6 games(Sharks twice) to some elite teams. On opening night, the Flyers lost their home opener against the Rangers 4-3, then two nights later, they lost to Montreal 5-3....
Anyone wonder why we have the All Star game? Really, do we watch it because of the intensity? Do we watch it for the great defensive play? Do we come to watch the players, the big names? Well, maybe if some show up for the game. Unfortunately, the big names are dropping out of the game left and right. In fact, it begs the question: why the heck are we having this game? ...
Ok All I have the most busy hockey schedule ever over the last few weeks and have seen alot of hockey in the process.
First I would like to say my thoughts and prayers are with Garrett Klotz. I am not sure if anyone is aware that he suffered a seizure last night following a fight off the opening faceoff. I encourage everyone who reads this to send some positive ge...
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...
Or so Mr. Campbell claimed when quoted by TSN. "We've all got obligations to the fans, the rights holders -- this game is being televised around the world."
Well, exactly how many people in the large USA hockey market of greater Detroit will be watching any of the All-Star festivities now with no Wings on the roster? Hope the rights holders and sponsors appreciate the n...
[img:left]http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2008/0201/nhl_g_nantropov_200.jpg[/img]The Leafs and Nik Antropov head into the All-star break in a pretty big slump.
Good thing? Depends on what you think of tanking, but is it a bad thing? No.
Today we are a lot closer to having a successful rebuild then we were a few short weeks into the season. A high 1st round pick in t...
As we get ready for the second half of the season, I have my lead-pipe lock predictions for the second half. Some of my predictions will be positive, others will be negative.
1. The Columbus Blue Jackets will make the playoffs this season. Why? Steve Mason will single handedly lead them to the playoffs. Yes, I understand that he's a rookie and there is a possibility tha...
(Bettman on the phone)
"Well, no one seemed to stand out as much as in the past so just make Kovalev the MVP so the fans won't riot....."
(pause as the person on other end of the phone is talking)
"....I know St. Louis had the same stats and a higher plus minus...."
(other end again)
".... Yes, Tim Thomas had the highest save percentage among goalies and mad...
At the All-Star break, I have compiled remarks for all 30 NHL teams, each one being one sentance, and should sum each team up nicely.
Anaheim Ducks- A good solid team that has plenty of time to get it together, or to dismantle their establishment to rebuild for the future.
Atlanta Thrashers- They score a lot thanks to Illya Kovalchuk and Brian Little, but don't do mu...
Ring of Fire writes...
Journalism or not journalism? The hockey blog question
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[b]RING of FIRE[/b]
[img]http://www.tuthq.com/images/fire-1.jpg[/img]
#1
I was trying to think of the best way to do my first blog. I mean, what is a blog anyway? Its a bunch of words on the internet, right?
WIKI says
[i]A blog, a contraction of the term "Web log", is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, des...
Even though the rumors of the Blues being up for sale have been constantly denied by everyone within the Blues organization, some people apparently aren't buying it.
Sportsnet hockey analyst Mike Brophy was on Fan 590 in Toronto today, and said that Chris Pronger could be traded to the Blues because they "might be put up for sale" and that "a new owner would love to hav...
With John Tavares being the likely candidate to go first overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, there have been various people have been saying how this kid is possibly better than Sidney Crosby and how he may in fact be the true "next one". Bringing a kid like this into the NHL can do wonders for the team that drafts him and for the league. Look what Crosby and Ovechkin did...
Source tells me.
Rangers to place Dan Fritsche on wavers.
DOB: Jul 13, 1985
Age: 23
Place of Birth: Parma, OH, USA
HT: 6-1 WT: 202
Shoots: R
Drafted by Columbus in 2003 (2/46).
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...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Just Droppin' Like Flies: Silly Done For Year
Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
This week has been a little crazy. My break came to an end and I had to quickly shift gears from being that lazy bum that sat on a couch playing Call of Duty: World of War and NHL 2009 to a student again. So far, it's not going so well. I go to class, but start writing down line combinations in my notebook on what I think the team might look like next year or go over who m...
nephew23 writes...
35 for #35 ... is Marty back? Great Start to the 2nd Half
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[quote][i]I thought this was pretty funny and had to share. From the oh-so-obvious category --- I'm watching the Sabres/Oilers while I type this and after Buffalo scores their NINTH goal, one of the Oilers' announcers proclaims, "I said the lead was commanding [b]but it may be insurmountable at this point.[/b]" Almost as if it is really a question! LOL![/i][/quote]
The...
CAPMESS11 writes...
Fritsche ON WAIVERS, ISLANDERS? ROZSIVAL FOR PRONGER NEXT
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With the lack of flexibility in the lineup and the Rangers strong need to carry a 7th D-man, Dan Fritsche was placed on waivers. I'm almost positive that a team will claim him and his salary of 875 k isn't a back breaker. I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the Island as Mike Sillinger is done for the year. Dan would get tons of ice time and can play both wing and ...
Last night, the Flyers did not play a good game. They lost to the Florida Panthers 3-2. It was an inconsistent effort, where in the first period, the Flyers had energy and played well. However, the second period was a different story. They gave up two goals that period and they played terrible. Usually, the second period is the period where the Flyers play their best, but ...
Fristly this is kind of a re-post on my part. I wrote this blog back in July of Last year and wanted to re-post it. I re-posted because well it looks like "Tank Nation" is getting their wish this year with the boys in blue and white. I have been able to watch John Tavares play alot more since Chrismas at the Jr Tourny and then the trade to the Knights. Amazing player, ...
The title is very broad. What I am really asking is who is better right now, this season in your opinion. You cannot directly compare Elias and Parise overall for various reasons. Patrik Elias has played in the NHL over a decade, where he has competed in the "old" and "new" NHL, whereas this is Parise's fourth NHL season, all of which he has played in the post-lockout era....
Ron Guillet writes...
Random Thoughts As The Leafs' Buns Are Still Red Hot
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
* Justin Pogge got his "pants pulled down", plain and simple. Considering he was playing his second NHL game, and his teammates were displaying their best Andy Wozniewski impersonations, I'd say he's deserving of a mulligan. While a couple of the goals were stoppable, it begs the question if ANY goaltender could of garnered a solid performance with the abysmal performances...
N.H.L. All-Star Game Should Show-Case the Best That Hockey Has to Offer
All-Star Weekend is a chance for the National Hockey League to showcase this great game and all of its aspects. Currently, the All-star game itself is, well, monotonous. As fun as the weekend is said to be, if I were just new to the game of hockey, and the all-star game was the first hockey game I...
predram writes...
Preds win at the Garage+Sullivan, Sundin spotlight for TSN?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I was completely expecting a bore-fest at GM Place last night. The last few games between the Preds and Canucks have been exactly that. However, last night might have been the exception.
The Preds came into the game with a powerplay ranked 29th in the league. That kind of tells you how poor the team's top players have performed this year. OR it tells you how badly they ...
I knew some club would find value in Dan Fritsche. Minnesota general manager Doug Risebrough seemed to find some,recognizing Dans versatillity. The Rangers get back Eric Reitz a 26 year old D- Man from Michigan. With one goal in 31 games in Minnesota the Rangers will have depth on the blue line. The question is are the Rangers not yet ready to promote Hartford kids C...
drock24 writes...
Why prospects are worth more than money for the Leafs
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
In the NHL, having money is great, but it doesn't always mean success; well not on the ice that is. Take a look at the whack of free agents Tampa Bay signed in the off season, and look at them now. Anyway, as I sit here and take a look at the class of 2009 free agents; I am less than hopeful in what big splashes the Leafs will make July 1st. That's not to say there ar...
It's a question I have been pondering for quite some time. What truly makes a hockey game exciting, and what truly makes a hockey team exciting? The question first dawned after New Jersey's last game before the All-Star break, a 5-2 victory over the Habs. I remember after the game, I had a very happy debate with various Habs fans, along with one or two other Devils fans on...
Anaheim is in an awkward spot. Their former undisputed number one starter is struggling . Giguere this year in 31 games has posted a 12-12-6 record with 3.08GAA and .904% . A severe drop from his numbers last year.
Which has led to the emergence of once back up goalie Jonas Hiller to split the time with Giguere. Hiller this season sits at in 26 games playyed a 12-10-5...
Think fast: it's February 20th. You're the general manager of a middle-market NHL franchise. Your team has done poorly in the standings over the past five years, but this year is different. They have been playing decent hockey and lie 1 point inside of the 7th seed.
In the past, this time of year meant one thing: selling. You'd sell a couple of players to playoff-w...
What an amazing game it was tonight for the Flyers. Unbelievable. The Flyers scored three goals in the third period, as they put a beating on the Bolts 6-1 tonight. Going into this game, I didn't think that the Flyers were going to score six goals against Mike Smith. Obviously, I'm a huge Mike Smith fan, and I would love to see him in a Flyers uniform. Luckily for the Flye...
If there is one thing that I have learned about the Calgary Flames, it is that they can win ugly, boring, exciting; basically they can win any way they can win. Tonight they won with defense, which usually means totally boring. But tonight, there was a touch of exciting, meaning I liked a couple of goals the Flames scored tonight.
Before I mention the goals, let's ta...
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...
Part of me is a diehard Pens fan and I will cheer for them until the bitter end.
That part won't let me throw in the towel until the final horn sounds.
But...the other part...the rational one...tells me that this team is simply not good enough to make the playoffs.
Last night's 4-3 loss to the Devils was a crusher. Tonight's loss to the Leafs may have been the na...
First of all, I would like to say that I'm not happy at all with the effort and the way the Flyers played tonight. It was as craptastic of an effort that you could ever see from the Flyers. It was a bad, bad game for the Flyers as Chris Mason made 36 saves for his third shutout of the season to help the Blues beat the Flyers 4-0 tonight. Even though the Flyers had 36 shots...
After dwelling in the basement of the Western Conference for most of the season, including dead last at #15 only 19 games ago, the Dallas Stars have battled all the way back to the #7 seed. According to the NHL, the Players Association, and the Collective Bargaining Agreement ... that means the Stars are currently a playoff team! With their domination over Detroit this y...
The San Jose Sharks are arguably the best team in the NHL this season (sorry Boston fans). But is this a team that is playoff ready?
Before all the Sharks fans send me hate mail let me just quickly say that I am a Sharks fan too. Pittsburgh has always been my team, but since moving to California 10 years ago I have adopted the Sharks as well.
Now on to the facts.
...
... 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...
Before I start with the call-ups, I wanted to mention the game the Blues played last night against Philadelphia. This is exactly the type of game the Blues' fans were expecting to see from the Blues coming out of the All-Star Break. The Blues showed heart, intensity, desire, and passion...something that seemed to appear obsolete against Ottawa Thursday night. With the exce...
I'm from Calgary. I have lived my whole life living and dying with the Calgary Flames. I have seen more hockey games than many people see in a lifetime. I truly am blessed with the exposure I get to the greatest game on the planet. I came out east for University, in London, Ontario, and now am blessed with getting to see Tavares play whenever I want.
Over the weekend h...
Something's happening in Florida. They're winning. In their last ten games, the Florida Panthers have an impressive 6-2-2 record, and have been flip-flopping between seventh and tenth in the Eastern Conference, and 2nd and 3rd place in the Southeast Division. The Panthers currently have an above .500 record of 23-18-8, and in their surge through the standings, have defeate...
The mathematical answer is yes, of course. The realistic answer is who knows. In this, my first blog, I will examine what it will take. Coach Trotz said during the All Star break we need 4 points in every 3 games. I agree. In other words win 2 of every 3, or at least the equivalent. The Preds had 36 games remaining after the break so that would equal 48 points to be a...
I created a new site called PuckDrawn.com and it's pretty much geared towards the design geeks and those who love logo/jersey designs of the NHL. Feel free to stop by and let me know what you think. I'm not really a website/blog design guru, so i'll work out the kinks as I go...
[url]http://www.PuckDrawn.com[/url]
I think now is a good time to address the young defensive players for the Islanders and how they seem to be doing. There are several of young, developing forwards, but really only two main defense-man that stand out with the near future, and a third that may end up as a contributor later in his career: Chris Campoli, Bruno Gervais, and Jack Hillen.
[b]Chris Campoli[/b]
...
It's no secret that the Penguins need to find some help before the March 4 trade deadline. They're currently ranked 9th in the NHL and 5th in the Eastern Conference in Goals per Game at 3.02, which is respectable even for the new NHL (Detroit leads the league with 3.55).
But they also rank 23rd in the NHL (12th in Eastern Conference) in Goals Against per Game with 3.02....
FLAMESTR writes...
IMPORTANT DOCUMENT FOR FATHERS AT GAME MANDATORY TO READ
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]BASIC MANUAL FOR FATHERS/HUSBANDS WHEN TAKING
THE FAMILY TO AN NHL GAME
INTRODUCTION[/b]
This manual is for the use of comings and goings to a hockey game. But you can substitute any other sport or any other function that you are attending. This is all meant in fun and not intended to offend or to portray any person.
[b]ITINERARY
1.0 SPOUSE[/b]
I...
I was at the Joe last night for the Blues-Wings game and I couldn't help but be very impressed with the Blues and how they played. They out-hustled the Wings to every loose puck, their offensive forecheck was great and it created some Red Wings defensive zone turnovers, and I really like the Blues for the most part being very active and aggressive on defense.
I think th...
Another loss.
2 more points that we can't get back.
Another win by the 8th place Panthers, who have 3 more points than us and two games in hand.
Oh sure, we play the Panthers 3 more times this year, which means we can make up some of those points head to head, right?
At this point, we would have to win all three of those games, just to get 3 points ahead of Flo...
If Philadelphia intends to win the Atlantic Division, much less get a home playoff series...they have to post AT LEAST 14 of the 22 points available in the month of February. Looking at their schedule its possible, but there are some positives and a few negatives that need to be addressed:
1) [i]Philadelphia plays 7 home games in February against Boston, Ottawa, NY Isl...
According to a league source, The Blues are very close to finalizing a deal to open the 2009-10 season in Stockholm, Sweden.
The opponent for the Blues in this game...
The Detroit Red Wings.
This has been going about the rumor mill for a while, but it seems as if this is really going to happen. What an opportunity for the NHL, the Red Wings, and the Blues to be ab...
There is speculation-a-plenty around the league lately, as is the usual case in the days approaching the trade deadline.
With this at the fore-front of most discussions in NHL circles, I figured I'd put together a general compilation of what I figure each team will be doing between now and the deadline.
I figure I'll do this in segments, starting with the top-heavy S...
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 ...
(Okay, technically 52 games, but let's not get too technical.)
I've been away from blogging mostly because I haven't been in a blogging mood in awhile. However, now that I'm back home, I can catch all the games on tv and it's woonnddeerffful!
I planned on doing a mid-season report before the All-Star Game, but because that didn't happen, you get my Sabres rambling n...
[b]Getting defensive[/b]
The Avs are really stocked deep as far as defensemen go. They have a plethora of options as far as defense goes. In fact, it is not outrageous to suggest that in five years, not a single defenseman from the 2008-09 team will remain. Here is the list of defensemen currently in the Avs’ pipeline, listed alphabetically:
[b]Colby Cohen[/b]- 6�...
[b]Getting defensive[/b]
The Avs are really stocked deep as far as defensemen go. They have a plethora of options as far as defense goes. In fact, it is not outrageous to suggest that in five years, not a single defenseman from the 2008-09 team will remain. Here is the list of defensemen currently in the Avs' pipeline, listed alphabetically:
[b]Colby Cohen[/b]- 6'2" ...
As the regular season trudges on, as teams compete for division supremacy, as the standings continue to change constantly with teams rising and sinking, with each game becoming just as significant and vital as the previous one, the playoffs inch closer and closer as each day passes, which makes the constant playoff race tighter and more tense. This will go on until every t...
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...
Darkjester writes...
Would the Leafs be better off Drafting a Defenseman???
Posted Friday | Comments 0
With many Leaf fans looking forward and counting the days till Draft day where there beloved leafs will draft there franchise player who will bring the blue and white to the promise land. Some dream of JT after him leading Team Canada to Gold at the WJC. Others dream about Evander Kane and his amazing hands or Brayden Schenn who seems to be the Burke style player we all wo...
If you have been reading my blog for the greater portion of this season, you probably know that I have been holding onto my belief that the Rangers can win the Stanley Cup with the personnel that they currently possess. But after the Rangers imploded with a horrid 3 game losing streak beginning with a thrashing at the hands of Pittsburgh, my faith has deserted me. Yes, the...
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...
FLAMESTR writes...
My son got Curtis McElhinney's stick from practice and notes
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Curtis comes off the ice and says take that made my son's day wow what a day for the boy.
Now for the report
Hey guys got back from the practice it was an interesting one in that the players were in pretty good spirits. The practice tho short was rather loud they were hitting and hard drills. The lines up were
Bertuzzi Langkow Bourque
Cammy conroy Iggy
pr...
Huge huge huge huge huge awesome win for the Sabres. No, they didn't play outstanding, but their ability to get through the 1st period, score a couple goals in the 2nd, and hold on to the win in the 3rd against a division rival? Good enough for me at this point.
Yes, I think Canadiens really outplayed the Sabres. They seemed to have better control of the puck and wer...
[b]Devils 5, Thrashers 1[/b]
Zach Parise scored his 30th goal of the season, as the Devils rolled over the Southeast division bottom-feeders in the Atlanta Thrashers. Parise's 30th goal of the season came on the powerplay, and the young winger continues to get better and better. John Madden and Brian Gionta scored shorthanded goals for the Atlantic Division leading Devils...
Lindy Ruff took over the head coaching job in Buffalo in July 1997. Since then Buffalo has only made it to the finals once, and everyone knows how that one ended (cough cough...no goal...cough cough).
During that same time period, there have been 137 coaching changes in the NHL. That's 11.42 changes per year, or about one-third of all NHL teams.
Darcy Regier has als...
Having completed part one of my team by team speculation in the South East division, for part two I figured I would jump across the continent and hit the North West division.
The North West is arguably the tightest division in terms of competition in the league. There are only 13 points as of tonight separating first through firth in the division, a lead any of the four...
If you asked some people whether they thought the Flyers could come back from 3-1 after one period of play, they'd think you were crazy. Well the Flyers did just that, by coming back to beat the Bruins in overtime 4-3 today, on a Randy Jones goal. However, Jones's goal was not the cleanest of goals, but it worked very well. Three minutes into overtime, Jones took a wrist s...
The Calgary Flames dropped their fourth regulation loss in a row at home this afternoon in a frustrating 2-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. Despite the Flames generally having control of the game possession-wise following Bobby Ryan's opening goal, Curtis McElhinney was yet again denied his first NHL win. Even though I am always at least a little pessimistic, I am still not 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...
That was the worst slump I've seen in a while for a team boasting that much talent. Like it or not, the Canucks are no NHL powerhouse, but they are a team with plenty of good players including 4 superstars, half a dozen excellent players and a handful of possible future superstars.
When a team like that goes off the rails the speculation starts flying. The coach takes...
NickBoston writes...
Blues' Recent Success Has Fans, Team Thinking Playoffs
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The St. Louis Blues have been on quite a roll recently. They have won six out of their last 10 games, and have taken at least one point in nine of those 10. After defeating Colorado Saturday night 4-1, the Blues have crawled all the way back from seemingly nowhere to within five points of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
This has a lot of fan...
Well getting 4 points over the weekend without Richards and Upshall is huge for the boys from Philly. Coming back to beat what has been the best squad in the NHL after being down 3-1 with the depleted lineup should turnaround the team. Then going to Atlanta and beating Atlanta (as Forrest Gump would say).... again to validate the win in Boston was even bigger. If ever t...
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...
nephew23 writes...
Stars Obliterate Rangers, Shut Down Preds, and Serve Notice
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Smoking, blistering, red hot does not even come close to describing the roll the Dallas Stars are on right now. It is amazing and surreal. 30th place in the league for a while and counted down and out by many, the Stars have more than righted the ship and served notice to the entire NHL that their season has just begun!
Dallas, with 4 games in hand on Anaheim, sits 2n...
I keep reading articles about how he has really upped his marketability with his play this year. His Points-per-game average is 0.82 which is very slightly off of his career year with the Islanders (0.84). So I ask this question to other hockey buzzers: is there anyone interested in Jason Blake or has 'Tucker' syndrome infected the Toronto media again?
The St. Louis Blues announced today that they have signed center Andy McDonald to a four-year contract extension.
McDonald has played in 16 games this season with the Blues, tallying six goals and 12 assists. He has been sidelined since November 16th, when he broke his ankle in a game against Montreal. McDonald was set to become an unrestricted free agent after this sea...
We continue our reviews of prior Leafs drafts with the 1985 draft held in Toronto on June 15, 1985.
Legend: GP=Games Played, G= Goals, A= Assists, PTS= Points,
W= Wins, L= Losses, T= Ties, GAA=Goals Against Average, SO= Shutouts
[b]1st Overall Pick- Wendel Clark (Defensemen)[/b]
Leafs Regular Season Stats: GP- 608 G- 260 A- 181 PTS- 441
Leafs Playoff Stats: GP...
After missing the past 36 games with a broken ankle, Andy McDonald has been cleared to play and will be in the lineup tonight when the Blues take on the Vancouver Canucks.
McDonald practiced at full-speed this morning and everything checked ok, so coach Andy Murray and the Blues' trainers gave him the green light to return to the lineup.
However, McDonald will not be...
Tonight's shootout loss was a hard fought defeat to the Los Angeles Kings, a team that the Isles should hope to reflect one day. The Kings have a nucleus of young skaters ranging from Kopitar, Frolov, and O'Sullivan to Doughty and Johnson. For the past few seasons they have sat at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, frustrating themselves and their fan base. No...
I sat amongst a circle of friends last night, one of which was a Leaf fan. We were enjoying good conversation and the Leaf fan wanted to break from form and peek at the Leaf game on TV. To be honest, I had no interest in doing so but obliged him for a few moments. Then a typical Leaf/Hab jab moment ensued with him reminding me of last Saturday's drubbing of the Habs by ...
icedog97 writes...
Penguins Problems...Scoring Goals is NOT the Biggest
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I listen to sports talk shows and read hockey blogs and almost unanimously -- Penguin fans instst we need a scoring winger...or two...to get this team to where it needs to be.
There is no agruing the Pens would be a better team with at least one "more proven" goal scorer on the roster.
But, if you are like the majority of people that think that's why the Pens are h...
After a positive response to my last blog, I figured I would take another crack at one. And I decided to pick a topic that was near and dear to my heart, goaltending.
Many moons ago, (yes, MANY moons, Lisa), I used to be a decent puckstopper. I used to live for the feelings associated with stopping a breakaway, throwing up an unconventional two-pad stack, a rapid refl...
Many supporters of Leafs Nation have been truly skeptical of the career of Nik Antropov. It went from the Leafs taking him in the 1st Round, 10th overall, when many believed he would be an early second rounder. But he had a very dominant season in the second tier of then, RSL, and so the Leafs went out of their way to make him apart of their future. He went from being #11,...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Officially Concerned? Flames Continue Struggles In Anaheim
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Miikka Kiprusoff came very close, but couldn't quite save the Flames in Anaheim tonight, as they dropped their fifth loss in the last six games, 3-2 in overtime. After Saturday's home loss to Anaheim, I said that despite it being the Flames' fourth loss in a row, I still wasn't worried about the Flames. Now? I see somewhat disturbing trends in the Flames' 5 losses in the p...
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...
Slasher98 writes...
Time to Fire Guy Carbonneau: Montreal Canadiens Sinking Fast
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/106873/75061_feature.jpg[/img]
After the Canadiens' fourth consecutive loss against the Oilers yesterday, it is clear that the Canadiens players don't want to play for their coach anymore. They have lost nine of their past 11 games, during which they scored only 25 goals (2.27 GF per game) and surrendered an astounding 48 goal...
The second I saw Doug Weight flex his knee and slam his stick on the ice in frustration I knew right away that Isles fans were going to be hit with bad news once again. All I hoped was that it wouldn't be for an extensive period of time...but then today at work I get a text message from a friend of mine who is constantly sharing the same woes as I do when it comes to this ...
Yes, the Montreal Canadiens are playing their worst hockey of the season. Yes, Carey Price couldn't stop a beach ball if Wade Belak was shooting at him (assuming he hits the net). Yes, Kovalev has once again disappeared. Yes, yes, yes.
Are the Habs doomed? No. Atleast not in the long-term.
I won't sugarcoat it, the Habs are playing abysmal hockey. The penalty kill is...
Ok lets break down the Isles roster & see what's left for the 2009-10 season starting at the net & work our way out.
Ricky is our starter & lets say either Joey or Yan is our backup at 500,000. Where set in the net.
On defense, we let Hillen & Pock walk, & are left with these 7 signed & bring up a man from the farm when needed. Streit Sutton Witt Martinek Gervais Cam...
Here are the NHL's top rookies sorted by number of points....
Chris Versteeg(CHI)- 15 goals, 26 assists, and 41 points in 49 games played
Bobby Ryan(ANH)- 18 goals, 17 assists, and 35 points in only 39 games played
Patrik Berglund(STL)- 16 goals 19 assists, and 35 points in 49 games played
Blake Wheeler(BOS)- 15 goals, 18 assists, and 33 points in 55 games played
...
Will the real Carey Price please stand up please stand up. What a mess right now, that being said I fully believe he will turn it around.
We get hot wings and Cajun wings Wednesday after hockey, I don’t like the cajun wings, I just don’t.
The Niedermayers are first cousins with Jason Strudwick.
Glen Metropolit has played on 20 different teams in 14 years he’...
Let us all concede that the NY Islanders will get the first overall selection in the 2009 Entry draft. Now that Milbury is not in charge they will probably make the correct choice and go with John Tavares over Victor Hedman. So what do the Leafs do with that second overall pick? Keep it and take Hedman? Keep it and take some one out of place? Or do we trade it?
I say ...
Note: Nitty is out with the flu. Hopefully Marty takes advantage.
[b]1st Period[/b]
Much better start today as the team did not take any penalties and was able to get all lines rotated through their shifts. More energy and better gap control by all units.
Carter is a beast. He looks like a more focused Mats Sundin. He takes every puck to the scoring areas! T...
This team has been plagued with injuries to their top scorer at the time Stajan, their top shut down defenseman in Finger and their two top puck moving defensemen in Kaberle and VanRyan.
Had they stayed healthy and won 5 more games this team would be in a play-off spot but I think the coaching staff wanted this year to toughen these guys a bit more and their focus wasn'...
I am not writing this to start anything between fans of rival teams. I am not trying to be bias or suck up to anybody. As a fan of a rival team, I am just writing this as a fan of the sport and as a casual observer.
We all know that New York City is perhaps the hardest US city to play any sport in. You are expected to give nothing less than a 110% effort night in and ni...
Many of us who were watching last night's game witnessed Luke Schenn accidently score on his own net. Now this isn't the first time that has happened to the Leafs. Stralman scoring twice in one game on himself, and the most memorable being Mr.McCabe's OT winner, for the Sabres. Now what I was wondering to myself as I watched the replay of the puck slide along the ice throu...
It does not take a genius to figure out how I feel about the Flyers continued youth movement. Just look at my avatar. It has been that way since season’s start, save the removal of Steve Downie after his trade out. I stuck with Claude Giroux and Ryan Parent when they were not with the Flyers and now that they are I am happy as a clam! Why shouldn’t I be? They are both ...
Richie18 writes...
Four goal second period lifts Flyers past reeling Rangers
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Going into this game, I don't think anyone expected this to be a game where the Flyers just dominate the Rangers in every aspect of this game. However, the Flyers did just that and they dominated the Rangers today in a 5-2 win at MSG. If you watched this game, you saw a Flyers team that just jumped on the Rangers and outplayed them today. The Rangers were terrible in every...
Justin Pogge has been called up, and will play in his first career home game at the ACC on Tuesday, against the Sabres.
[i]According to Sportsnet.[/i]
Tomas Kaberle has officially waived his NTC, and will be presenting the Leafs will a list of 10 teams.
[i]According to Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun.[/i]
More to come involving Kubina.
Thanks for taking the t...
Lets start with the oft overlooked fact: The failure of this team is not completely the fault of the head coach. In fact, very little of the blame should be placed on Tom Renney. Most of it falls on the shoulders of the GM, who shall remain nameless, and the high paid "stars" who have done anything but shine during the season of underachievement. Yes, Renney is meant to be...
Well he is doing it again . Dustin Penner is back to playing the up-tempo physical game that first made Kevin Lowe to offer him that ridiculous offer sheet 2 years ago.Penner seems to always thrive at the end of the season.Last year in the 07-08 season, Penner played poorly for the first half of the season until just after half point ; where it seemed a fire had been lit ...
NickBoston writes...
The Rest of the Week Could Determine Blues' Playoff Chances
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Blues passed phase one tonight. They defeated the reeling New York Rangers 2-1 in front of a packed house at the Scottrade Center, thanks to BJ Crombeen's 10th goal of the season late in the third period.
Now comes phases two, three, and four: beat Columbus and Nashville on the road, and Nashville at home.
The way the schedule pans out this week, not only for the...
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...
For Devils fans and people who know him, the much anticipated return of Martin Brodeur may arrive as early as the end of the month. Along with his return comes the answers to the common questions that have been asked by Devils fans, analysts, bloggers, critics, and observers of the Devils. How will Brodeur be treated upon returning to the lineup? Who stays in net, who goes...
Sorry for the delay to anyone who was holding their breath in anticipation of the next division analysis, because I'm sure there were plenty of you.
I continue my team by team analysis by focussing my attention on the North East division. Once viewed as the most dangerous in the conference, and perhaps league, it has provided two of the worst teams, to date, league wid...
Sunday night’s blowout 8-4 loss to Atlanta could somehow be the best thing that happens to Anaheim this season. Every team has stinkers throughout the course of their season, but this one stings the most. After beating Calgary two games in a row and being at home against one of the worst teams in the NHL, it seemed to be time for the Ducks to finally string together a 3-...
Sunday night’s blowout 8-4 loss to Atlanta could somehow be the best thing that happens to Anaheim this season. Every team has stinkers throughout the course of their season, but this one stings the most. After beating Calgary two games in a row and being at home against one of the worst teams in the NHL, it seemed to be time for the Ducks to finally string together a ...
First, let's give the Avs some credit for the last two games against the Habs and the Wings. They played very well in both games, and both games were entertaining as hell. Can't ask for much more than that. Frustrating end to the Habs game as the Avs allow another late goal to lose (if you are still hoping for wins, I am not), but they seriously outplayed Montreal most ...
*The following is an opinion piece regarding the players who, I think, are on their way out of Toronto by March 4th (not the off-season)*
The Leafs are in the midst of, yet again, a mediocre season. Unlike previous years, however, the Leafs have refrained from the up-and-down, "I BeLeaf in 8th place" facade that was commonly grouped with the Leafs during the past few ye...
The Edmonton Oilers (29-23-4) are going into tonights game against the San Jose Sharks (37-8-9) on a 3-game win streak which saw them post wins against Montreal, L.A., and Phoenix just last night. The Oilers are 4-1-1 in their last 6 games, the Sharks however have been on a slide as of late going 1-2-4 in their last 7 games with 3 shootout losses and 1 OT loss. Edmonto...
...is tough. I am not talking about watching a team that fails to score, move the puck on the power play, or generate traffic in the slot (of the other team's zone). I am talking about the realization that the Rangers' current ownership and management structure forces its fans to watch a pathetic product night after night without any hope for changes.
Changes need t...
Despite a resurgent performance from Jarome Iginla, and an unbelievable performance from Miikka Kiprusoff, the Flames lost another heartbreaking game to the Vancouver Canucks, 4-3 in the shootout. When I use the word heartbreaking though, it doesn't necessarily mean the Flames deserved the game. Rather, the Flames lost this game because they threw it away in the third peri...
It's time for a new era in Montreal.
The notion of unloading Alexei Kovalev from the Habs' line-up may seem absurd to some fans of the team, but I believe this is a crucial step towards their path to the Stanley Cup.
Whether you're a fan of Kovalev or not, it's undeniable that he's a tremendous talent. The problem with him is that he only plays when he wants to, and ...
NickBoston writes...
Roman Polak On Road Trip, Could Play Thursday or Saturday
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Blues got some great news on the defensive front as Roman Polak, who has been out of action since breaking his foot almost a month ago, is on the team's current road trip and could be back in the lineup by Thursday at the earliest.
X-rays on Polak's foot Monday showed the broken bone in his foot is nearly healed. It's possible, though, that the Blues could hold him ...
Aside from Pittsburgh, I love the San Jose Sharks. Lately though I've become concerned about their playoff chances. Last nights win against Edmonton did more to convince me that the Sharks are in trouble than any of the past two weeks of overtime losses.
It seems that every time I watch or listen to a game the Sharks let themselves get dominated in the third period. Edm...
I'm positive I don't have to explain that the Leafs are going in to the March 4 trade deadline as sellers. As an avid reader and poster here on hockeybuzz, I have seen my fair share of lopsided proposals resulting in high draft picks and stellar prospects for our 2nd and 3rd strings of roster players.
With that in mind, I decided to analyze each team's prospect pool th...
Oh wait...This isn't the playoffs yet. But it's going to be hard to tell the difference when the Edmonton Oilers (29-24-4) take on the Dallas Stars (28-21-7). Once again this will be the Oilers most important game of the season. Funny how this keeps happening. The Oilers have the 7th best road record in the league and are looking to extend that record after suffering a los...
From TSN.ca
No. 3 - Philadelphia prospect James van Riemsdyk. The University of New Hampshire forward, picked second in 2007, has been linked to Atlanta in a deal that would see a goalie going to the Flyers.
No. 2 - Thrashers goalie Kari Lehtonen is of interest to the Flyers. If Atlanta GM Don Waddell continues to rebuild, swapping Lehtonen for a prospect such as Va...
This year's standings have probably seen a lot of activity in terms of teams moving up and down in their conferences and divisions. Despite the active movement, there are also enormous barriers between certain seedings that give certain teams very comfortable cushions. I think this year's playoffs will be just as unique as the season has been so far. One could say these ar...
Last night's 6-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes was a tough pill to swallow, and it's never easy to deal with losing to our LIRR rivals the New York Rangers, but this team is working towards something a little more important than adding points in the win column: this team is working towards building an identity.
Islander-Ranger games, which are always exciting for the ...
terpstradust writes...
Strange Hockey Facts, Hockey History, Hockey Day in Canada
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Alright I thought that with Hockey Day in Canada coming up I would do a piece on it and dive into the origins of the game we all love. I also got an idea from my fiancee to put a list of strange facts about the game at the end of this article, so any thanks for that piece go to her.
Now we can debate all day as to where our national passtime began, like whether it was i...
Steve Stamkos with the trick last week, welcome to the NHL kid.
Alexi Kovalev sent home for being Alexi Kovalev. Sending him home won't work, Alexi is a flake you just have to deal with it.
Ain't no party like a Kostitsyn brothers party because a Kostitsyn brother party don't stop. Get those two with the Staal brothers and we have trouble.
Have you ever hit black ...
General Manager Garth Snow decided to pull the trigger on a deal yesterday instead of waiting until the heavily anticipated March 4th trade deadline madness. In a deal with the Ottawa Senators receiving young defense-man Chris Campoli and center Mike Comrie, the Isles got back in return left-wing Dean McAmmond and San Jose's first round pick in this year's draft.
With ...
Strange, passionate game today by both teams. There were 2 goals by each team that were flukey. The Flyers scored two goals after the Pens broke sticks. The Pens scored a goal on a play that looked really offsides and the last goal was just an awful play by Biron.
My complaint is the FSN announcers. I know the majority of the viewers are from Pittsburgh, but they ar...
Richie18 writes...
Marty Biron's gaffe is difference in 5-4 Flyers loss
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
As wild and crazy as this game was today, the Flyers had a chance to win this game. Down 3-1, the Flyers battled back to tie the game at 4, but late in the third period, a costly mistake ended up hurting the Flyers. Marty Biron went out of the net, way out of the net for that matter, and misplayed the puck. Sidney Crosby was there to get the puck and score the game winning...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Another Big 2 Points In Edmonton, But Injuries Pile Up
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
With two AHL players playing significant minutes, and Jim Vandermeer playing second-pairing defense, the Calgary Flames managed to win the fifth Battle of Alberta in Edmonton, 3-2 in the shootout. Matthew Lombardi roofed a great shot with a screen in front with 1:10 remaining to tie the game, and then Todd Bertuzzi scored the shootout winner with a neat move on the first ...
Brian Burke the Leafs general manager finds himself in a very interesting position as he tries to reshape this roster, rumours continue to swirl that he will move just about anyone on this roster but is not only open to taking on big contracts if they include some draft picks but also some key players to help speed up this rebuilding plan. Burke would love to be able to la...
HI everyone it has been a long time since I posted anything. Mostly I have barely had time for me then to even get something in writing and up for you guys too.
Anyway..... I had quite a full hockey weekend.
I saw the Flyers thursday, Phantoms Friday and both Flyers and Phantoms on Saturday in different locations. Then the crown jewel of the weekend was the Flyer...
Recently, things have been eventful for the teams in the Atlantic Division on and off the ice. Here are a couple of thoughts I have for each team.
I just found out a couple of minutes ago that the New York Rangers have fired Tom Renney. I'm sure most Ranger fans would say the wrong guy got fired, but the way the Rangers have been playing, a change was imminent. Sather h...
I got a FREE upgrade on my tickets tonight! I'll be sitting on the first row directly behind the Sharks bench tonight at the AAC! Section 118 ... regularly $135 seats! [b][url]http://stars.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=8599[/url][/b] I actually dislike sitting down low ... the true fans are up top and I enjoy watching the entire ice. However...
[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...
Dir Mr. Sather,
I am further from a New York Rangers fan than Vancouverites in 1994, but fire Tom Renney. [/i][b]Really?
Lets go back to that era when you quoted that if I had the spending abilities the New York Rangers had I would win the Stanley Cup every year. Well you did for seven years until the salary cap, and you sucked! You are probably against the salary ca...
Why is it so easy for teams to fire coaches? I mean, the moment the team starts losing its edge, it is always the coach that gets the ax before the gm. I think it is really hypercritical. Think about it - who is the guy who hired the coach in the first place? Now come on, what are you saying about yourself when you fire the person you hired? This kind of reminds me about...
With the trade deadline just over a week away, there will no doubt be an altered Leafs lineup next Thursday when the team visits the Capitals. Here is my take on the most talked about Leafs and whether they should stay or go.
[b]Jason Blake:[/b] He's playing very well this season, but his contract and attitude make him an anchor. I'd like to see him moved, but it's l...
The Blues made a minor move today, placing forward Yan Stastny on waivers.
Stastny was just recalled yesterday after his two-week conditioning assignment with Peoria. Stastny broke his thumb in early January and missed almost a month of action.
The Blues will find out by 11 AM Wednesday if Stastny has been claimed by another team, which is not expected to be the case...
[img:left]http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/sports/photos/2009/02/03/danis-yann-ap-090203.jpg&usg=AFQjCNF2jQ4J8TjnDJSvhyq6xgplJIE1fw[/img]Yann Danis came to an Islanders team that had two goalies signed with one-way contracts, one of which belonged to Rick DiPietro who is here for the next decade and then some. It was all but ...
When the Penguins lost Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts, and Jarkko Ruutu to free agency last summer, many observers thought that the team had lost too much grit to be successful this season.
Personally, when those players left, I wasn't immediately inclined to buy into that belief...I took the "wait and see" approach.
Well, I have waited...
and now I have seen...
[b]thos...
Current records for West vs. East:
West: 123-72-21
East: 93-100-23
To me, these numbers clearly show that the West is still dominate in the NHL. There have been talks of the torch being passed over to the East, but it appears that is not happening yet atleast. The Top 3 East teams have a combined 21-19-2 vs. the West. The Top 3 West teams have a combined 28-7-5 a...
Cam Janssen received a $2,500 fine from the NHL after his hit on Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Zbynek Michalek last night.
Janssen left his feet and got an elbow up on Michalek behind the Phoenix net during the first period of the Blues' 2-1 victory over the Coyotes last night.
The NHL stated, however, that he will not be suspended for the hit.
The hit that Janssen l...
robert08 writes...
Fire the Owner, who Hired the GM, who Fired the Coach
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
How many fans have to suffer at the fault of owners that just don't get it? Can any one name the owner of the Atlanta Thrashers? - Exactly! - Its actually a group (the Atlanta Spirit LLC) who is still fueding... In the meantime, Ilya K and the gang and the fans get to wallow in the mire while the Atlanta Spirit LLC figures it out. I'd never want to call for anyone's head,...
[IMG]http://g.imagehost.org/0469/blog1.jpg[/IMG]
Salut salut,
Premièrement, je voudrais souligner que je suis un grand fan de HockeyBuzz. Je fréquente le site depuis longtemps et je le considère comme une excellente source d'information sur le hockey.
Je suis, comme vous l'avez surement deviné, partisan du CH. Je suis loin d'être un expert, mais j'ai une op...
Today's trade of Ryan Whitney for Chris Kunitz and prospect Eric Tangradi may have left some Penguins fans asking the question:
[b]This is the scoring winger we are getting to play with Sid?[/b]
While the initial reaction might be to assume Shero expects Kunitz to play on Sid's wing, in a role similar to what Marian Hossa's was, the comments from both Shero and coach...
Tomas Kaberle will be traded on March 4th. I guarantee it.
Kaberle, who's dawned the Leafs uniform for a decade, would be wise to waive his no-trade clause at the NHL Trade Deadline. This would allow him to control his fate, rather than have Burke decide it for him when his contract nullifies his NTC in the off-season due to the Leafs' failure to make the post-season th...
With both teams fighting for home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs, the Canadiens square off against the Flyers tonight at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. The Canadiens will line up against a Flyers offense that has been scoring at will as of late, and who will only get stronger with the long awaited return of Daniel Briere. Briere will look to seamles...
Quick Update: [url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2009/02/27/avery_reentry_waivers/] Avery going on re-entry waivers according to Sportsnet [/url]
2 games. 2 goals scored. And another 2 losses. Anybody expecting the firing of Tom Renney and the addition of John Tortorella to have an immediate impact is sure disappointed. By no means did he do a bad job during his first ...
Many people in the Hockey community are not aware of the tragedy that struck two St. Louis Blues fans and a future St. Louis Blues fan a week ago. As reported by the St. Louis Post Dispatch ( http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/1D2B34AF39C85DB686257565001231FF?OpenDocument ), "a man and his pregnant wife were killed Saturday afternoon in a...
Check out Saturday's scoreboard...
Panthers...7-2 losers to the Devils
Sabres...2-0 losers to the Islanders
Hurricanes...5-3 losers on 4 goals by the Thrashers in the 3rd period
Aside from the Rangers crushing a reeling Avalanche team 6-1, just about everything that could go right for the Penguins did go right for the Penguins.
Tomorrow the Pens face a Dallas St...
The Avs faced the Rangers, and wound up taking part in possibly their most embarrassing loss of the season. The game was out of hand from the get-go and unfortunately the return of Paul Stastny to the lineup hasn't been the spark plug fans had hoped for. The question we ask ourselves now is; what now?
With the trade deadline fast approaching, and a GM who has possibly t...
The Avs faced the Rangers, and wound up taking part in possibly their most embarrassing loss of the season. The game was out of hand from the get-go and unfortunately the return of Paul Stastny to the lineup hasn't been the spark plug fans had hoped for. The question we ask ourselves now is; what now?
With the trade deadline fast approaching, and a GM who has possibly t...
There aren’t a lot of people that have yet to come to terms with the state of the Toronto Maple Leafs at the present time. Maybe children who haven’t yet experienced their first Leafs playoff game, or well....idiots, but other than that, we all know where the Leafs are destined to end up the next couple seasons. A lot of good has come from all of this though, and I for...
After a pair of losses, the Flyers look to be a team needing help and solidification to a number of aspects to their game. And while I won't attempt to make excuses for the two losses, it is actually isn't all that surprising that the Flyers lost.
The Flyers lost to Montreal because of a 3 minute lapse in judgement and a couple of crazy bounces. To top it all off, the...
It's really quite simple. The salary cap (and Sather's spending) has ruined this team for the mid-long term. It would be great if the cap was, I dunno, $70 million, but that's not going to happen in this economy, and with 30 teams.
So why Avery? Well, I'm a numbers guy, and Avery's numbers are impressive with his time on the Rangers, both season and post season.
[b...
Over the last 15 years or so, I cannot figure out why the Devils hold such control over the Flyers. The only constant is Brodeur, and even the shutout today, he was not amazing. He played solid and had a easy shutout.
The Flyers looked awful today and totally unfocused with all the personnel moves of the last week. They better get things moving forward soon!
It could have been predicted that Jarome Iginla would get his 400th goal and pass Theoren Fleury to become the Flames' all-time points leader at 831 points tonight. What could not have been predicted, however, was that Iginla's four point night would not be enough to beat the lowly Lightning; that he would be outscored by Mark Recchi, of all people, that Jim Vandermeer wou...
The big question in Chicago this week will not be the ongoing goalie Soap Opera (now starring a new player, unorthodox Finnish import, Antti Niemi).
It won't be the running debate between Hawk fans as to whether 2005 first round pick Jack Skille is the second coming of Bobby Hull or Ken Yaremchuk.
It won't even be rumored minor deals for the likes of Dominic Moore, N...
There is plenty to discuss when it comes to the New York Islanders lately; tonight they host the all but forgotten 2007 trade deadline acquisition of Ryan Smyth and the Colorado Avalanche; our captain is floating in trade limbo as March 4th approaches; Sean Bergenheim is elevating his game to a potential leadership role; and of course, more trades are probably on the way. ...
Darryl Sutter has never been much into the hype of Trade Day. He's known for making all his moves in the post-season and doing a fairly good job of it. On trade deadline days, his past has seen him maybe pick up a depth defenseman, a depth forward, and possibly a back-up goal-tender. He’s said before that the available players are not worth the price teams have to pay. T...
An interesting question was posed to me: Why do you bother trying chasing rumors all over the place? I mean, in reality, do we really know what a GM is thinking? The two I find hardest to read General Managers are Sutter and Gainey. Yet we keep trying to do this all year around. The headaches are maddening.
For one thing, I live here in Calgary. Trying to figure out...
I thought I'd give this a shot ... maybe SOMEONE in EK's staff could at the VERY LEAST address the players as to what is going on and when they estimate all will be up and running correctly. A simple update note is really not asking too much.
[b]ANY WORD FROM EK AND STAFF WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED BY ALL INVOLVED![/b]
Thanks!
From 1980-2004 the St. Louis Blues were a staple in the NHL playoffs. Now after a 4 year layoff(counting the lockout year of 2004-2005) I like many other Blues fans are hoping the Blues can make the most of their last twenty games, continue their strong play, and win themselves a playoff spot.
It was only a few weeks back that the Blues seemed a lock to finish ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
The Final Countdown & Beasts to Leasts in the East
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b][i]It's the final countdown...[/i][/b]
[img]http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p26/n0mem0ry/timebomb.jpg[/img]
You can almost hear the screaming lyrics from the 1980s, Swedish glam rock, [b]Mega-group[/b], [i][b]Europe[/b][/i] (??)
[u]OK...retraction [/u]
How about the one hit wonder group, [i]Europe[/i].(better?)
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/e...
Its quite a challenge to remain cool, calm and collected as you watch your struggling team score a season high 6 goals. It is nigh impossible to not roam the streets of NYC screaming on the top of your lungs after your teams pounds their opponent, both physically and figuratively, after having won merely three games since the All Star Break. And it takes perfect self restr...
I had prepared to write this blog a few days ago after the Stars had lost their 5th straight game ... the original title was to be [i]Is this the Beginning of the End for the Dallas Stars?[/i] But for some reason I never took the time to sit down and finish it. But I'm glad I didn't, because after the first period at the Shark Tank tonight I've seen enough to tell me tha...
So its midnight, and officially it is deadline day, and that means the Avs should be in for an all night day-er. With the best impending UFA goalie off the market the Avs really need to look into making a trade to secure their crease next year. Raycroft and Budaj are both free agents, but with Budaj being RFA we can retain him and reserve the bench for him, hoping he can e...
Look for Biron, Lupul, Jones, vanRiemsdyk, some defenseman and picks.
Who wants Jones, my thought is Hitchcock in Columbus, especially if we include van riemsdyk, we are likely to get a cheaper, good skating defenseman, with size, still cheap like Methot but they may want NHL ready like Upshall or Asham
Lupes only gets traded if we get a big time defenseman back, by...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Sutter Swings For The Fences With Jokinen And Leopold On TDD
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
After about five years at least of rumours, many dismissals, much skepticism, and about 800 different e-scale ratings, Olli Jokinen is a member of the Calgary Flames. Wow. I still haven't gotten used to the idea; after I expressed varying levels of skepticism for months, I expressed an audible “HOLY ****” when I saw the trade on the front page of TSN around noon. Darry...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Sutter Swings For The Fences With Jokinen And Leopold On TDD
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
After about five years at least of rumours, many dismissals, much skepticism, and about 800 different e-scale ratings, Olli Jokinen is a member of the Calgary Flames. Wow. I still haven't gotten used to the idea; after I expressed varying levels of skepticism for months, I expressed an audible “HOLY ****” when I saw the trade on the front page of TSN around noon. Darry...
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 ...
[b]The Toronto Maple Leafs acquire a second-round draft pick and a conditional draft pick from the New York Rangers for Nik Antropov.[/b]
Is that it? I will admit that I am totally disappointed by what Nik Antropov brought in trade. I will admit to being curious about what the conditional pick might entail but with the sheer volume of second round picks flying around (9...
[img:left]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m31/tonyjetblue/89and13.jpg[/img]Besides the swap of Comrie and Campoli to Ottawa for Dean McAmmond and San Jose's first round pick, the Islanders were quiet today on the trade front. I'm sure Snow had a few other offers on the table for other players on his roster, but the only deal in which Garth pulled the trigger sent Captai...
[img:left]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m31/tonyjetblue/89and13.jpg[/img]Besides the swap of Comrie and Campoli to Ottawa for Dean McAmmond and San Jose's first round pick, the Islanders were quiet today on the trade front. I'm sure Snow had a few other offers on the table for other players on his roster, but the only deal in which Garth pulled the trigger sent Captai...
[img:left]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m31/tonyjetblue/89and13.jpg[/img]Besides the swap of Comrie and Campoli to Ottawa for Dean McAmmond and San Jose's first round pick, the Islanders were quiet today on the trade front. I'm sure Snow had a few other offers on the table for other players on his roster, but the only deal in which Garth pulled the trigger sent Captai...
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...
Sorry Leafs Nation, Brian Burke didn’t splurge on a deal to give Leafs Nation the false hope of a playoff spot. What a shame…
Instead, Burke traded Nik Antropov, Dominic Moore and the Toronto Marlies’ Richard Petiot for two 2nd round picks (BUF and NYR), a conditional pick (NYR), Olaf Kolzig (our next savior), Jamie Heward and Andy Rogers. Also, he picked up Marti...
[i]The following is a 'review' I wrote of my first (and last) trip to Nassau Coliseum, for the Rangers vs. Islanders game on 3/5/09[/i]
I'm walking up to it from the abomination of a parking lot, and the first thing that catches my eye is that they are pimping the lighthouse project with banners all over the outside of the arena. Smart idea I guess. I walk up to the ...
I know, he did not trade Wade Redden, but nothing short of a miracle deal could have bested the moves made by Glen Sather at the March 4 trade deadline. He improved the team tremendously for this season, and was able to open up space to re-sign key players during the coming offseason. The most impressive feat was that Sather accurately evaluated the skills of each player i...
The first game with Jokinen is in the books and was a success, that line will not be that great every night but it did look very solid! Having said that, and assuming the Flames will win the Stanley cup (7-1 odds in Vegas right now) then a quick look into the summer might be worth while.
The players that could leave are Cammalleri, Bertuzzi, Roy, Moss, Aucoin and Leop...
Miller who?
Of course, I say that facetiously. Ryan Miller is the key to the Sabres hopes if they can pull it together to get into the playoffs.
But who would have expected Patrick Lalime to step up the way he has in Miller's absence?
He's done exactly what you want from your backup goaltender - step in and give your team a chance to win every single night he pla...
Great game tonight by the Flyers. All played well. Biron is showing the form from last season's playoffs. I am not sure why, but the team plays much more as a cohesive unit without Danny this year. It makes no sense.
Now my beef tonight is the fighting in the NHL. [b]I love a good fight[/b] however there are two types of fights that I hate and they both occurred ...
The National Hockey League (NHL) is the largest-scale professional ice hockey league in the world. Its ability to attract the most talented players from around the world has enabled it to grow from a small, six team, regional league in the 1950s to the thirty franchise NHL of present day. Notwithstanding the League’s concerted effort at continued growth and expansion, ...
A lot of Leafs fans after looking at what we grabbed on March 4th were disappointed, and thought Burke had failed in what he tried to do.
What did he try to do though? Leading up to the deadline he said that he really liked Kaberle and that he would not want to trade him, yet the media still acted as if he was on the market. He said that Kubina would not be available fo...
With the first selsction in the 2009 NHL draft the Islanders select...Listen guys/gals there is no guarantee that they will obtain the first selection let alone draft the guy you want.I understand its a bitter sweet process having a good chance at selecting first overall, but it also meens you need more help then that one pick can do for you.That being said it looks like ...
There is time when life is far more important, I mean seriously hockey is just a game. David Moss lost his Grand Father and missed the game on Sunday. Even though I know he is not reading this blog, I for one would like to him to know that his hockey fan thinks enough of him that he is my thought during his time bereavement sometimes hockey is just a game we love ya David...
There is time when life is far more important, I mean seriously hockey is just a game. David Moss lost his Grand Father and missed the game on Sunday. Even though I know he is not reading this blog, I for one would like to him to know that his hockey fan thinks enough of him that he is my thought during his time bereavement sometimes hockey is just a game we love ya David...
Since John Tortorella took over the head coaching job of the New York Rangers, the once struggling team went 3-1-1, getting 7 out of 10 possible points after picking up only 7 points in the entire month of February while Tom Renney was the coach. The three wins have been consecutive and the winning streak is still going into Monday night when Carolina hosts the Blueshirts....
That rumble that you have been hearing since last Tuesday, from around 3 pm EST, has been the collective groan of the TANK NATION - those that believe that the Toronto Maple Leafs should be bottoming out in search for one of the top 5 picks in this year's entry draft.
Admittedly, membership to the TANK Nation has, of whom Michael "From Buffalo" Augello is mayor and chi...
Curtis Joseph gets the nod against the Ottawa Senators tonight. And his two wins have got me confident!
Let's lay it on the table right away, the Leafs owe Martin Gerber nothing, and judging from his play this season (and the fact that he was acquired through re-entry waivers), he has done nothing to earn the role as a starting goaltender. Under the circumstances, Gerbe...
Takhar7 writes...
Gainey gives Carbonneau the boot! + van Ryn out for season.
Posted Monday | Comments 0
A good friend of mine, a die-hard Habs fan and a habitual pain in my rear when the Leafs and Canadien play each other in their mammoth hockey clashes, uttered words of shock and horror just moments after he had found out about the Montreal Canadiens firing Carbonneau.
If you haven't heard - Guy Carbonneau has been fired by the Montreal Canadiens, with Bob Gainey taking ...
I do agree that AHL playoff experience can help some of the eligible players, but I don’t think it’s a good idea - just like Bailey not playing for Canada in the WJC. Some of these guys wont gain anything by playing in the AHL playoffs that will directly translate to NHL success. A player like Jesse Joenssou is a different story, the more competitive hockey he plays t...
And yet, so accurate.
I freaking HATE the Flyers.
This isn't your garden-variety hate, like your 8 year old who hates peas.
It's a deep-seated hatred, as in when the Flyers plane crashes at the end of my block on their way out of Buffalo, I immediately run down to the end of my block to: A....make sure it really happened, and B.....dance on the wreckage.
And ye...
Rob McGowan writes...
Okposo vs. Bergenheim...Who Will Lead the Isles In Goals?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Who would've thought that near season's end we would be discussing Sean Bergenheim and Kyle Okposo in a battle for leading the Islanders in the goal scoring department? Of course we can't forget Mark Streit, the very talented veteran defenseman who is only two goals shy from tying the previously mentioned.
Although Streit is a defenseman, he definitely cannot be counte...
I wish I could tell you what a real fan is and what it means to be a fan to your team. I mean, I know what it is like to pull for a team or root for them. But as a fan, you certainly have the right to boo a team. But how far are you aloud to go? I mean, I have seriously heard people insult the player’s intelligence and his upbringing. I am just as bad as the others. I am...
On January 17 the Pittsburgh Penguins traded Dany Sabourin, Ryan Stone and a 4th round pick in 2011 to Edmonton for Oilers back-up goalie Matheui Garon. My question was, and still is, why??
Since joining the birds Garon has played one game. He allowed five goals on 21 shots in a loss at Toronto and looked like a quality backup for an AHL or ECHL team. In his defense, Ve...
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 ...
The Calgary Flames never showed up and were terrible. Again, the defense and netminding were again suspect. But the forward continued not to come back and there was no hitting, no anything. The defensive zone coverage was adequate, but again they just did not finish their checks. I may sound like a broken record, but when they continue to play the same song, it gets a lit...
Sabrefan28 writes...
Sabres need a wake-up call....going on 2 years now
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I think I have finally reached my breaking point...
It's time for people to be held accountable and there is plenty of blame to go around...
I think [b]Lindy Ruff[/b] is a good coach, but clearly after the last two years, he isn't getting the message through. You could argue that the talent isn't there, but these players don't even seem to care that they are losing....
I grew up in the late 1970's as a fan of the Philadelphia Flyers.
[img]http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/PHO/AAEO021~Gary-Dornhoefer-Dave-Schultz-Reggie-Leach-Broad-Street-Bullies-Posters.jpg[/img]
Yep. [i]Those guys[/i]. The ones who fought their way to a couple of Stanley Cups and who still get labeled as goons by lazy journalists today. Some people for...
It is amazing how one loss can put previous success in such perspective. John Tortorella and the new-look Rangers seem to have what it takes to make noise in the playoffs, but the loss to Carolina on Monday night, a shutout no less, has me wondering if this team has what it takes to make the playoffs. Maybe its caused by being out of a playoff spot and sitting in 9th place...
This is a funny city we seem to live in, the same media who bad mouths the Leafs when they don't sign a free agent or make the better trade or are not able to win more games against Montreal or Ottawa now has turned their attention to wanting the Leafs to tank and finish last in the league.
I find it ridiculous that in reading a couple of daily papers, last night's game a...
Obviously not literally......but it kind of feels that way.
This Sabres team that looked to have found themselves last week in wins over the Canadiens and Coyotes has looked nothing like a playoff team in the last two outings. They've fallen to four points out of eighth place, currently held by tonight's opponent, the Florida Panthers. And with each of the teams ahead...
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say something that many of you will find to be absolutely ludicrous: Glen Sather has done a fantastic job since 07.
Yes, THAT Sather. I will go as far to say that Sather made only two glaring post-lockout mistakes: signing TWO free agent centers in the summer of 07 and inking Redden.
In the 07 offseason, Sather probably shoul...
I was really deeply saddened when I heard the announcement of Gary Roberts retiring. Don’t get me wrong, it was not the announcement per se, it was the way it came about. Meaning I would have liked Gary to go out on his terms, something he has earned. Being put on waivers without even warning him shows a lack of respect to him. Gary Roberts, being a warrior, should accu...
An update on Matt Gilroy, the Leafs' next savior!
Joking of course, but the 24 year-old offensive defenseman, who is undrafted by the NHL, is lighting up the NCAA with 8 goals and 29 points in 36 games played.
Brian Burke has expressed interest the North Bellmore native before.
The way we've drafted, we've got to try and sign as many college free agents as we can,...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Giving Fans a Reason to Look Forward to Next Year
Posted Friday | Comments 0
They are winners of five in their past seven; Kyle Okposo leads the team with 16 goals; the original third-string goalie is playing at the level of a number one starter; Bailey, Okposo, Nielsen, Comeau, and Bergenheim are all in the same point range; Gervais is starting to look like a real defense-man playing along Mark Streit; Mike Iggulden comes up and has a very impress...
So the Rangers are playing better than they have during the last four months of the season. It is obvious that John Tortorella is the biggest cause of the turnaround; after losing his first two games behind the bench, the new coach has led the Blueshirts to four victories in five games. He is clearly a motivator, as evidenced by the effectiveness of his locker room rant on...
The Claude Giroux that everybody has been raving about for 2 years has arrived, enjoy Flyer fans he's special.
I don't mean special like Steve Downie either!
Did you know that Kari Lehtonen's nickname is "The Hamburgler" he use to eat Mcdonalds before every game in his rookie season.
Paul Holmgren please trade for the rights to Josh Harding, he is the answer you s...
1. I saw a Bruins/Rangers game, that happened to be the only game Wayne Gretsky had missed in over 4 years, He retired that year, i never saw him play(that was also the game that Ken Belanger checked Ulf Sammuelsson into the boards and they took Ulf off on a stretcher, I've never heard any sports arena cheer louder)
2. The last 3 times i've been admitted to the E.R. , i...
Like many other hockey fans, I've been considering over the last few days where Martin Brodeur's latest accomplishments place him on the true list of the all-time greats. And as I did the research and put in the thought, an opinion I've long held was reinforced: there's a difference between the greatness of a player and the greatness of a career.
That's not to say that ...
So we are into the nailbiting time of the season. Every game matters. Can we do it? Use this link to follow the preds chances.
http://www.sportsclubstats.com/NHL/Western/Central/Predators.html
The one thing I do believe, is that regardless of whether we can make the playoffs, we are not a playoff hockey team. If we make it it, it will be more b/c of what others ...
Good efforts over the weekend. There were two crucial mistakes by the Flyers Sunday in New York. Briere got caught on the ice and could not make the long change. He was tired and took a dumb penalty. Coburn made the mistake by thinking about himself over the team and going for retaliation and he got caught.
Random thoughts....
Claude Giroux is a special playmak...
Over the last 3 games, Sean Avery has been the best player on the Rangers. Not all-star goalie Henrik Lundqvist who wrote history by sealing his 4th consecutive 30 win season in his fourth season in the NHL. Not Chris Drury or Scott Gomez who are each earning more than 3 1/2 times the much maligned winger's salary. Not Nik Zherdev. Not Nik Antropov. And certainly not Wade ...
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...
Hey guys sorry for the report never got home until now after the practice. The players were not in a good mood this morning as Keenan did a bunch of drills. The most interesting one was helping the defense pass the puck out, of the zone and the forwards coming back to help. Doing one on one skating drills, having the players skate after the puck and shoot (with the empa...
As of right now the Blues have a chance to be in the 8th spot come late Tuesday night.
Sunday
Needed the Ducks to lose. Got it
Monday:
Need the Preds to lose
Tuesday:
Need to win. Need the Wild to lose
Wednesday:
Need the Ducks to beat the Sexual Predators.
Thursday: Need to win to keep the spot or need Oilers(vs AVS) and Predators(vs SJS) to lose. Both...
It seems as if the rest of the Islanders season will conclude without any player donning the heralded "C" over their heart. It's very possible that head coach Scott Gordon will appoint one of the current roster players the captaincy, but with only 12 games remaining, I have a feeling that Gordon is going to see which of his players seem fit to handle the responsibility at ...
Having finally let up from their 2001 Seattle Mariners pace, the Sharks have crashed back down to earth. With each loss to a team fighting to make the playoffs, doubt grows stronger for all those who don the teal and orange. Before the season, we were all calling Blake "washed-up", Marleau "terrible", and Lemieux "retired".
Then the Sharks piled up wins in 22 of their...
Ok so now this is in no way bashing shootouts. I'm fine with the shootouts. But, why not make the game more interesting, and make teams fight for every game by eliminating the extra point for the OTL or Shootout loss? Looking at this year it would not effect the standings much, maybe a spot or 2 here or there, but if the extra point was eliminated, the Standings would look...
He should stay. Period.
Mikhail Grabovski is a pending Restricted Free Agent this summer. Brian Burke will have exclusive rights to discuss an extension with the Belorussian, but it remains to be seen if he wants to retain him. Decisions, decisions…
Many have tagged Grabovski as a head-case whose attitude is a detriment inside the locker room (well, that's what Mon...
The Thrashers have had some shotty goaltending in the early half of the regular season with people doubting the teams goalies. Then Atlanta's main man Kari was sidelined with back issues and then came another question. Could the man known as "Moose" get, and keep this team on track? Well, after a month of continous pressure on the veteran, he ended up with a record that mo...
I just can’t figure the Sabres out. 13 shots? A 2-0 lead turns into a 4-2 loss? I think what disturbed me more than anything was watching this team suddenly decide with about two minutes left and a 4-2 deficit that it was time to play desperate hockey. This team apparently has no heart or leadership - I can’t imagine how they can seem as disinterested as they have t...
Maybe it’s too early to determine, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt… for now (dun, dun, duunnn).
Lee Stempniak, who was acquired via trade from the St.Louis Blues for Alexander Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo , has a total of 13 goals and 39 points in 65 games this season - scoring 10 goals and 26 points in 51 of those games with the Leafs.
Many critics ha...
It is tough to write up much during a postseason run without becoming repetitive. So I am just going throw out my predictions for the final standings in the East. Let me know what you think.
1. Devils- Have been playing great all year and Brodeur has been solid.
2. Bruins- In a controlled free-fall right now and have all the signs of a "one-and-done" team.
3. Capitals...
The Islanders seem to be having the time of their lives; having a fun time enjoying playing hockey. Young players have been getting their chance in the NHL. I wonder how they feel about trying to tank every game for the rest of the season. Of late, I have heard fans yelling and being happy about losing a game, with their teams being out of the playoffs. I can understand th...
I hate 3 point games, I hate them. Why is a 4-1 win regulation worth a total of 2 points but a 3-2 win in OT worth a total of 3? That is just stupid.
Some people hate OV's celebrations, I actually don't mind them for 78 games, the 4 games against the Flyers I'm not a fan.
OV's Jimi Hendrix burning stick celebration was for his 50th goal, who cares it was fun so chill...
What had been a battle for the 7th and 8th seeds in the West now looks more like a fight for 8th, as the Oilers have started pulling away from the pack. There's still time for the Stars to make a push for that 7th spot...but it's looking less likely after Edmonton tacked on points 78 and 79 in their shootout win over the 'Hawks.
Do the Stars (at 74 points) have a shot ...
Let's make some big leaps of faith and assume Dallas wins the 8th seed going into the post season. Who would you want to be in that #1 slot for Round One? Here's why I ask: I think most of us would prefer to face San Jose over Detroit, though the Stars have silenced some of those Joe Louis demons this season. So, since that requires the Sharks to overtake the Red Wings...
Let me introduce myself since this being my first blog here, my name is Tom and I'm a hardcore Flyers fan, even more a hockey fan. I hate the Penguins with a passion, one much great to describe yet I [b]hate[/b] Sidney Crosby even more. That's a quick little intro to me.
As it stands right now, my Flyers are standing fourth in the conference - tied with those pansies ...
Bruno Gervais has always been one of the players on the Isles roster that has given his free time to charity and/or social events while also being very vocal and outgoing with the fans. However, after not scoring a goal in 100+ games and at times looking out of position and frustrated on the ice, Gervais was becoming a question mark for the Isles future on the blue line.
...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Face Huge Mountain To Climb To Prove Themselves
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames caught a fairly big break last night, as the Vancouver Canucks were whipped in Phoenix by the floundering Coyotes, ensuring the Flames keep for the time being their slim three point lead on the Northwest Division. How much does the Canucks blowing an easy opportunity and lowering the magic number by two points mean for the Flames? It helps a small bit, b...
ThrashFanatic writes...
Ilya Kovalchuk - Does He Want Atlanta As Much As We Do?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Ilya Kovalchuk is well, a superstar. He can snipe, check and can handle the puck like it's nothing. He's amazed not just Thrasher fans, but Russian people as well with his huge performances with them in the Olympics. People love him everywhere. But with those skills, shouldn't he be winning Stanley Cups? Like I said before, me and all of Thrasher nation loves him, but he d...
They say, "It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings." Well, she may not be singing yet, but I saw her warming up backstage.
The Stars season is on life support after a dismal road trip through the Northwest. Tack on Richards' broken hand (the OTHER hand) and you couldn't be faulted for scheduling April tee times for the Dallas crew.
There is hope, though. (Not much, ...
With all of Stars' woes of late, it's amazing that they're still in this hunt at all. But, with a little help from the hockey gods, that eighth seed is still within reach. We've seen this team go on runs this season (both good and bad), so it's not impossible...but it won't be easy.
The obvious question, however, is does this team have enough for one last push? And, ...
hockeycore writes...
Does Don Cherry's opinion even matter anymore?(03/24/09)
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
First off, I will not BS you, I am on Ovechkin's side in this little saga, so yes, there is bias in this Blog.
We all know about Don Cherry recent criticism toward Alexander Ovechkin for his 50th goal celebration...if you've watched Coach's Corner(or Coach's Room as OV likes to call it) in the last three weeks you will know about this, heck if you've watched TSN, Versus...
EAST
--------------
114 Bruins
106 Devils
105 Caps
101 Flyers
98 Pens
97 Canes
94 Rags
92 Panthers
-----------------
91 Habs
Bruins vs Panthers = Bruins in 6
Devils vs Rangers = Devils in 5
Caps vs Canes = Caps in 5
Flyers vs Penguins = Flyers in 7 (Yens vs Yoos = YOOS WIN!)
Bruins vs Flyers = Flyers in 6
Devils vs Caps = Caps in 7
Fl...
I understand the need to fit Briere into the roster but at the expense of the captain, leading scorer, and Selke candidate seems a bit odd. Richards is in the top ten in the league for pts/gm and putting him with 3rd line calibre line-mates is a waste. He is still getting top powerplay time which is smart, but at even strength his talent is being wasted.
Claude Giroux was the Flyers first round pick (22nd overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
If you're a Flyers fan, by now, you know who Claude Giroux is. If you live and die hockey, you know who Claude Giroux is. If you're just an average fan or you just follow one team without really knowing what goes on around the league, well this blog will let you know who Cl...
[code]
Claude Giroux was the Flyers first round pick (22nd overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
If you're a Flyers fan, by now, you know who Claude Giroux is. If you live and die hockey, you know who Claude Giroux is. If you're just an average fan or you just follow one team without really knowing what goes on around the league, well this blog will let you know wh...
The buzz around Alex Ovechkin's 5oth goal celebration won't die. The problem isn't that AO celebrated after scoring a goal, everybody does. Some celebrations are subtle; Mario Lemieux always seemed to be cool and collected while he calmly pumped his fist, Sidney Crosby of late has followed that model, some are elaborate; Theo Fleury once rode his stick across the rink to c...
For anyone who cares. I'm and huge Montreal fan and I live out on the far eastern side of Canada. For some history look up Nova Scotia Voyageurs or Halifax Citadels. That is all besides the point as now all we have is a QMJHL team, the Mooseheads (Did not do too well this year). So I bought center ice so I can watch all the Habs games (In English) . This would be a...
Don Cherry decides that Alexander Ovechkin went overboard on his celebration. I really do not understand why this is an issue. What is wrong with a player celebrating scoring their 50th goal? Pretending his stick is hot when scoring his 50th goal for the third straight year seems to have become a crime. I say it's great for the NHL to have a superstar with character. Chara...
Well its that time of year again and the quest for the postseason is heating up. I have yet to see the infamous Brad Ratgen playoff quest blogs so I decided to chip in with my own picks.
Here are the current standings:
Western Conference
1. Y - San Jose 107
2. X - Detroit 107
3. Calgary 90
4. Chicago 89
5. Vancouver 87
6. Columbus 83
7. Anaheim 80
8. E...
You've read about the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, you've read about the Leafs' current predicament, and you've read about Howard Berger getting "pwned" by Ron Wilson. Let’s take a gander into the Leafs' crystal ball and see what awaits the club next season, shall we?
Let's make this clear; the Leafs will not make the playoffs this season. You can subtract, divide, multi...
It's time for Martin Brodeur to step down from his throne. Because of his torn bicep, Brodeur missed most of the season. It would be an insult to the other 59+ goaltenders that have played this year if Brodeur did win his third-straight and fifth career Vezina.
I'm not saying Brodeur is not the best goaltender, but he wasn't the best this year. You can't be the best if ...
I will start out by saying that I have yet to see Kyle Okposo play a game with as much intensity, energy, and fire in his short time spent wearing an Islanders jersey as I did last night against the Wild. All it took was for him to see his linemate Blake Comeau get drilled by one of the Minnesota players and suddenly fans had flashes of Dan Cloutier challenging the Islande...
I think we can all agree that Sunday was a resurgance of the Bruins dominance in the East that we had seen throughout November and December. The Bruins were skating hard, hitting even harder, and taking advantage of a very human-looking Marty Brodeur. The B's left the ice that afternoon with a 4-1 victory over the 2nd place Devils in their back pocket (yes, i'm aware tha...
I stopped counting at zero for seven on the power play. Then I noticed the penalty kill has let two in as well. I started thinking of catchy slogans like, "zero for seven fire Preston!!" or , "Penalty killers are slow let Preston Go".
The fact is in the playoffs there a few things you need to win. You need an incredible goalie to steal games for you, Kipper WILL do that...
John Tortorella has given new hope to New York City. He has led a team that was once labeled offensively inept to a total of eight victories in 14 games, seven of them coming via a 4+ goal night. He has coached a club that was notorious for falling behind early in games to a +10 goal differential in the first period. The middle frame had been almost as strong with the bulk...
With 7 games left in the season, the Avs sit dead last in the Western Conference, coming in second only to the Islanders as the worst team in the league. Most years this would be disappointing, however,with the team lacking any true direction, this situation forces their hand slightly.
The consensus first overall pick is John Tavares, with Viktor Hedman coming in a clos...
Welcome to the No Ground Beef allowed Blog, I believe it is self explainitory....
Ok, most of you know that I am not a part of tank nation even though I know finishing as low in the standings gives the team a better chance at finding the next one. I just can't hope for a loss, can't do it, tried it, got sick to my stomach, end of story.
However that being said, ...
It appears Curtis Joseph, who let in four goals on nine shots last night, is not the second-coming of Christ. Justin Pogge, who replaced Joseph mid-way through the second period, made 14 saves, allowing one goal in the 23 minutes and 30 seconds he played.
You what that means? It's Pogge time against the Boston Bruins tonight! If Pogge can hold the fort, he'll likely get...
[i]As a quick notation; I’ve never met Keith Primeau, he’s never snubbed me or my child and, as a person, I only know what I’ve seen on TV, read in print and heard on the radio. As far as I’m concerned he may be the most wonderful husband, father, brother, son or in-law on the face of this earth and I have no ground to comment on any of that. This is my view of h...
Now, it’s important that we realize where the Flyers franchise stood in the league. They were on their fourth coach in four years having just embarrassingly dismissed Roger Neilson as he fought cancer. In the summer, Lindros was exiled, awaiting a trade that wouldn’t come for more than a year. The Flyers were tagged as the most dysfunctional franchise in all of sports....
Recchi and Primeau were the only two forwards who had off years, dropping 13 and 25 points respectively. It seemed to me at the time he was taking his frustrations out on what he knew was a lame duck coach who had lost his wife less then six months earlier. He dropped his own failures at Barber’s feet. After he inflicted the damage to his coach and with the stipulation t...
[b]The Legend?[/b]
Ken Hitchcock sat in his office and for weeks watched the incumbent Captain of his new team walk quietly by his door. His Captain was a coach killer by his own admission [url]http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/cup/2004-05-13-flyers-hitchcock_x.htm[/url]. Primeau saw the writing on the wall. He was on his way out. A new coach cleaned players like him ...
Since we have not heard anything from Matt, I decided to chime in and get the discussion started.
Last night's win was, I think, defining for this Canes team. After starting a bit slow and giving up a late 1st period goal on an odd man rush, the Hurricanes played an absolutely solid game in. They bided their time and outskated the Devils until the tide turned. Once t...
Since we have not heard anything from Matt, I decided to chime in and get the discussion started.
Last night's win was, I think, defining for this Canes team. After starting a bit slow and giving up a late 1st period goal on an odd man rush, the Hurricanes played an absolutely solid game in. They bided their time and outskated the Devils until the tide turned. Once the ...
In a season that started out with mixed vets and kids heading for a downward spiral to the bottom of the standings pretty much from the get-go, to a release of some "bad apples" and increased reliance on prospects and AHL fill-ins, the year is coming to a rapid close with only seven games remaining. During the usual fun-filled playoffs, 16 teams will compete for a chance t...
Practice a lot more attention on detail on how to get the puck out of the
zone.
- A lot of passing drills on passes from tape to tape, especially the receiving
the pass.
- Concentrating on keeping the puck in the offensive zone, defense get the
shot on the net.
- Forwards skating back to help the defense skating drills.
- Went to the point of having groups of ...
We have all heard NHL bloggers, announcers, beat writers, and fans refer to the omni-present "HOCKEY GODS". These unseen forces, that protect the integrity and well being of the game as we know it, have been offended! Thats Right fellow Hockey Fans, the same City (Montreal) and its fans, who in the past paid homage to the HOCKEY GODS have sinned against the Gods in 2008-20...
At a certain point you have to get sick and tired of people harping on Carey Price. The only reason that everyone gets down on him is that he was made out to be the next great thing. This year the kid will be 22 years of age, and still has ton of potential and could have a great career in the NHL. This is unless our brilliant fans run him out of the building first. ...
It is not hard to get lost in the circus that is the New York Rangers. After all, the only thing that hockey analysts seem to associate with the Rangers these days is Sean Avery. Of course John Tortorella seems to be at the center of attention as well. And the deadline acquisitions also get some much deserved attention. This is no surprise considering the team followed a 3...
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...
Out of all the athletes, I am very happy my son likes hockey players. You may ask “Why?” which is really a legit question. Why does my son like those hockey players? Let me tell you a secret. It is really not so complicated. It’s because of his experiences with hockey players.
My son has met plenty of players, each with their own personal story. I have met many pl...
March 10th, 2009
Having played 67 games, the New York Rangers are flirting with the unthinkable yet very real possbility of not making the Stanley Cup Playoffs because despite a solid veteran lineup and the solid goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist this is a team of chronic underachievers (yet again).
Proven Star players and Team leaders Scott Gomez(-5), Chris Drury(...
There are reports, the Leafs have signed free agent forward Tyler Bozak from the University of Denver Pioneers. The 23 year old Regina native is being compared to Colarado's Paul Stastny
As Reported on AM640 at 7:33am
So, Brian Burke plans on changing the Toronto Maple Leafs. And he's started already.
Never in the nineteen years of my existence have I been so proud of a Leafs General Manager. No more signings to avoid the inevitable rebuild, no more trading away prospects and draft picks for mediocre/washed-up players, and most importantly, no more of those lame jokes about how old t...
First off let me just say that watching John Tavares play here in London since his trade I have come to see that he is an exceptional talent..........So was Alexandre Daigle. I am not saying that Tavares will be a bust like Daigle, just that talent alone will not make you a star in the NHL. Daigle did not have the heart to play nigh in and night out at the NHL level and ...
Gilmore.Tuttle writes...
Briere will be X factor for Flyers in Playoffs
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Its that time of year for Flyers Fans to start the "nail-biting" in regards to our goaltending issues. Biron is INCONSISTENT and cannot be relied upon to stop the puck in the playoffs. When he does make a save he is guilty of kicking the rebounds directly into the slot, resulting in incremental scoring opportunities. Last year Biron was the "X" factor in the Flyers post se...
FIRST PRACTICE NOTES
- The first note this is the first practice that was a fun one players joking and laughing.
- Keenan and Iggy and Bertuzzi and Kipper were not there.
- They mostly practiced on exiting the defensive zone to the offensive zone.
- Working with Mac on his skills of covering rebounds and on being screened.
- Defense really working on keeping...
FLAMESTR writes...
Heart to Heart Conversation to Canucks and Observations
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THE PAYATT FAMILY[/b]
[b]
When you think of hockey, it’s just a game. Just a game. I, for one, was deeply saddened by the news of Taylor Pyatt losing his fiancé. My heart and condolences go out to Taylor’s family and to all the Canucks fans. We may cheer against them, but that’s just part of the game. God be with you, Taylor, the fans ar...
[b][quote]Right now the Rangers have a 54.3% chance of making the playoffs.
If the Rangers win that changes to 73.7%.
If the Rangers lose that changes to 33.8%[/quote][/b]
[i]-SportsClubStats.com[/i]
Important is the wrong word. Important is back in March when you are hovering around sixth place. Once you get to April and you are tied for the final playoff spot, it i...
Rob McGowan writes...
Not Weighting Around; Doug Extended For Next Season
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Before I begin, I just want to inform my readers that my former username was TopRtLW76. Being that I write for the NYI Blog Box, I felt it would be more appropriate to have my real name displayed instead. Sorry if this has caused any confusion.
But yes, Doug Weight has been extended for the 2009-2010 season. This is a great signing and one that fans should be happy to s...
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 ...
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 ...
[b]Remaining Schedules[/b]
[u]Boston[/u]
Doesn't matter they are #1
[u]Washington[/u]
TB- Win
Panthers - Loss
[b]108 points[/b]
[u]NJD[/u]
Sens - Win
Canes - Loss
[b]104 points[/b]
[u]PHI[/u]
NYR - OT Loss
NYI - Win
NYR - Win
[b]102 points[/b]
[u]CAR[/u]
Buff - Loss (trap game)
NJD - Win
[b]99 points[/b]
[u]Pitt[/u]
NYI - Win
Montreal - ...
Sparked by a readers comments, about who would the Avs be shopping for this offseason when it comes to management, I became intrigued at the opportunity to investigate.
Current GM Francois Giguere has had one of the worst starts a GM could have when handed an elite franchise, like the Avs were post lockout. Unlike our rival RedWings, the Avs have not been fans of the ca...
OK, I know the playoffs are around the corner and everyone is all hyped up about that. However, I already gave my playoff picks a couple weeks ago, and,,,, I figure now is as good a time as any to look ahead and give my 2 cents for next seasons lineup, since my predictions came very close last time.
Heres whats gunna happen, and, yes, you can quote me this, cuz its mon...
Another NHL season is drawing to a close and, once again, the Blue and White find themselves out of contention for the playoffs. There are few among us that would have predicted otherwise as the 2008-09 NHL season began. A dismal team on paper has shown on some nights that it is just that, while on other nights they exude confidence and commitment to the positive work ethi...
The playoffs are upon us and the Stanley Cup is up for grabs. It’s surprising when you think about how many teams are legitimate contenders. It used to be that the Sharks and Bruins were huge favorites, but now I am not too sure. That is why we play the game. It’s a fun time to watch.
[b]
THE EAST
[/b]
When you think of the teams in east that could challenge ...
Since Dan Bylsma's take over of the Pittsburgh Penguins they have gone 17-3-4 for a total of 38 points. Bylsma's charasmatic attitude and tweaking of the Penguins systems and game play has turned what looked to be like a head start toward the golf course into a playoff contender. With that said tonight Bylsma may make history. With a Penguins win tonight Bylsma would equal...
The season has ended for the Thrashers, with most fans going home dissapointed once again. Some things did improve, but a lot more things stayed broken and I'm here to help good ol' DW out. I'm going to go through the three positions (forward, defense, goalie) and review them, with some other little tid bits as well. So hang on for the ride as this is the first ever Thra...
Romano's 2:00 Update
Happy Easter everybody, plenty of hockey to talk about and I am going to start with our under the radar Trenton Devils..
ECHL- The Devils beat the Jackals last night 6-5.Right now the team has 6 point per game players, and 4 players with over a point per game. Now that's what I call balanced scoring. The most noticeable players so far have been T...
The first edition of the Battle of California is finally here. No two California teams have faced each other in the modern era (since the [b]Sharks [/b]and [b]Ducks [/b]entered the league). The [b]Oakland Seals [/b]faced the [b]Los Angeles Kings [/b]in 1969, the [b]Kings [/b]were victorious in 7 games.
This is the run down of all possible playoff series that never happe...
[u][b]Eastern Conference[/b][/u]
[b]Boston vs Montreal[/b]
The Bruins are too good and Montreal is not stable in goal. Bruins win in 5.
[b]Washington vs NY Rangers[/b]
Too much Ovechkin and Greene for Lundqvist to steal the series. Caps in 6.
[b]New Jersey vs Carolina[/b]
This one is tough. Jersey sort of limped in before the playoffs and Carolina was hot! Both ...
Much is made regarding the importance of being hot going into the playoffs, but how often does good play late in the regular season translate to playoff success?
First we have to establish a definition of 'good play'. Unfortunately there are many intangibles that go into a team's performance on any given night that make good play very difficult to measure. For simplic...
I know, everyone and their mother (or in some cases, dog) have predictions but here we go anyway:
[b][u]Eastern Conference[/u]
[/b]
[b]Boston vs. Montreal[/b] - Boston will ride Timmy Thomas as long as they can - Bruins in 6
[b]Washington vs. New York Rangers[/b] - Alex the Great and that cannon from Greene on the point should carry them - Caps in 5
[b]New Jersey vs...
Please read all the way to the bottom. This shootout needs to be abolished due to the overall impact that the "skills competition" that is being used to decide NHL hockey games during the season. While the "non-fans" love the shootout, the desired impact is nothing. ESPN still ignores hockey.
Final Eastern Conference Standings
Team Pts Adjusted Poin...
Alright Isles fans...take a collective sigh of relief. We've made it through 82 games...82 long, injury riddled games. Some were exciting, some were let downs, and some just plain ol' sucked. But there seems to be a very bright light at the end of the tunnel with the draft lottery tomorrow night on Versus.
I know, we're all salivating over the possibility of drafting J...
[u]EAST:[/u]
[b]BOS over MON in 5[/b] (Price has a playoff meltdown while BOS defence flourish)
[b]NYR over WAS in 7[/b] (a hard-faught battle with Lundqvist besting Theodore)
[b]PHI over PIT in 6[/b] (Philly's toughness gets the best of Crosby & Fleury)
[b]NJD over CAR in 6[/b] (Brodeur is back to post-season form, but CAR puts in four solid one-goal games)
[u]WEST...
-Bourque skated very well played with iggy and olli
- Roy Skated this morning also skated with Nystrom and Lundmark
- Boyd back up with Peters and Sutter
- Warrener taking regular shift looks very fresh I think he is ready to go
- Worked on the power play for 30 minuets with top players Moss was on the pp with Bertuzzi and Lanks.
-Spifically power play time...
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...
I was sitting and talking with a few friends about the NHL yesterday. One thing we could all agree on was that the Sharks, Red Wings and Boston all were the most consistant teams through the course of the season.
All were legitimate contenders for the Presidents Trophy for most, if not the entire year.
But that was it....thats all we agreed upon...the rest ...
[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...
In my previous blog ([url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=24712&post_id=7562[/url]), I applied what I called the '15 Game Test' to the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs' first round matchups. Simply put, in each series I predicted a winner based on the amount of points each team obtained in its last 15 regular season games.
At the suggestion of another writer, I ha...
Last year Philly came into the playoff series against the Penguins with the intention of pounding them into the boards on every shift - and it the process - they hoped to pound the life out of Pittsburgh.
The result...Pens won the series in 5 games.
A couple of years earlier, in a regular season match-up in Philly, Derrian Hatcher pounded on the face of, then rookie,...
Random thoughts as we all prepare for the first night of the NHL Playoffs. Can't wait!
- So, Mikhail Grabovski wants the money, does he? According to Burke, negotiations have "not been successful" and he wouldn't be surprised if arbitration is required. The Leafs may have to overpay for Grabovski, but even through arbitration, he won't garner anything close to a lucrati...
EASTERN CONFERENCE
#1 Boston Bruins vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens
Boston thoroughly dominated the season series 5-1. Montreal is quite banged up. Top defensemen Alexei Markov is going to miss at least the first 3 games of the series for the Habs and no one knows how much they are going to get out of offensive minded Mathieu Schneider. Boston has some young unproven talen...
As we have moved through the season, I've had an eye toward the playoffs with my Flyers and have noticed a few shortcomings which I felt would prevent them from being able to get out of the conference to challenge for the Stanley Cup to be real contenders; [i]not [/i]pretenders as they are now.
Don't get me wrong. Coming off of a season where the home team couldn't eve...
Here is my opinion for all eight first round matchups.
[b][u]EASTERN CONFERENCE[/u][/b]
[i]Boston vs Montreal[/i]
Boston takes on the ghosts of the old forum and wins this one in seven. Carey Price has been too unstable in goal this year, and Bob Gainey just hasn't been able to get this team playing any better with him than they were with Guy Carbonneau. I say it ...
Okay I'll admit right away that I have not been able to watch all the games of the post season, but I have seen enough to make me want to write this.
We all know by now that the post season is a time when things get ridiculous in the National Hockey League. Emotions are running high, play gets more physical and tempers start to flare. If you thought the officials had a ...
Good God, what is happening to the NHL? Suspensions for "sending a message"? This has been part of the game since the beginning of time. What exactly is "sending a message"? The ultimate purpose of every hockey fight is to "send a message". Will fighting result in automatic suspensions?
Don't get me wrong, I believe that players that use their sticks as club weapons in...
First off, I would like to thank the New York Islanders for running the NYI Blog Box for a second straight year and allowing me to be a part of it this season. Over the course of the year I have met a lot of great people that helped me get adjusted to something that was very new to me while never making me feel like that "new guy." Despite the season being a long, hard sea...
I apologize to anyone who reads this, as i do not have enough time to say everything i need to say right now, but i will say this:
The Bad
--Big Joes fist shot on goal came with about 1 minute left in the entire game
-- Little Joe did not seem to do enough...neither did his line
-- there was nothing special about our special teams
-- i canno...
I have to admit that when Campbell issued a "warning" to the Flyers last season about injuring players I was pretty pissed. The spent the rest of the season paying for it with penalty after penalty. Pretty brutal to put a team under the microscope a month before playoffs. I thought that they were getting too involved but figured it was a one time thing.
Needless to say...
[img]http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2009/04/17/01/530Ducks_Sharks_Hockey.sff.embedded.prod_affiliate.138.jpg[/img]
[b]The Same Old Sharks[/b]
What is it that the Sharks have been accused of being for the past few seasons (besides chokers)? The answer: [b]Soft.[/b] All year long members of the Sharks organization have been claiming that this is a different ...
After watching the NHL playoffs, I am seeing a disturbing trend that is rewarding players for unsportsmanlike conduct. This trend is players fabricating penalties. This is just as bad as players diving. During game 2 in Pittsburgh, there were 2 blatant unsportsmanlike plays performed by Pittsburgh players that lead directly to powerplays. The first call was a high stic...
ladynic writes...
I am alive & why the Phantoms shouldn't go to Glens Falls
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Yes folks I do still live.
I don't have much time these days to myself much less hockey blogging.
Things I know that are wanted.....
Pix of JVR as a Phantom
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3419535875/in/set-72157616534644099/
Future Flyers to watch
Jonathan Matsumoto
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3419536635/in/set-72157604512865050/
Rob...
No, not that one. I'm not anonymous by choice, just don't have much to say that hasn't been already said or adds any value. But I started a blog to mostly discuss/share my music interests, but wrote down some thoughts and since it was hockey related, I thought I'd post it here. Long time listener, first time caller here.
General Thoughts:
Overall the playoffs hav...
The Rangers return to Madison Square Garden tonight with a 2-0 series lead and the chance to put a stranglehold on the #2 seeded Washington Capitals. While there is little doubt that Henrik Lundqvist is the main reason for the last two victories, key shot-blocking and puck retrieval were also responsible for stifling the Capitals’ high powered offense.
Normally I wou...
I didn’t need the first few playoff games to learn that the NHL needs some officiating changes and a better policy on disciplining players. I have said numerous times going back through past instances whether it be Todd Bertuzzi or Alexander Perezhogin, that we need consistent strict rules on suspensions. The memo sent out this postseason was that the NHL did not want ...
It is much more than just a loss. All of the confidence the Rangers seemed to have after taking two games in Washington is gone. All of the frustrations experienced by the Capitals have dissipated. Look at the players and at the coaches and it is obvious which team is believes and expects to win, and which team is just hoping. Despite being up 2-1 in the series, the backs ...
FLAMESTR writes...
Observations of the week as Normal An Apology to Amercians
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
There is only one thing on my mind. Well, two, but both basically stem from the same problem. I really kind of hoped that violence in the League would have at least cooled down for the playoffs. Well, to my disgust, there have been three major incidents, and probably could have been more.
The three major incidents that I am talking about during the playoffs are the ...
Stars update. The Penguins' Evgeni Malkin and Crosby have combined for 12 points (five goals, seven assists), while Jeff Carter and Mike Richards have three points (two goals, one assist).
I like this stat…
It shows the dependence one team has on there star players versus the balance of depth the other team has within their top lines.
Agree or disagree?
It also r...
I typically try to write thought provoking blogs. This time I just decided to write down the random things bouncing around in my head.
- Why do the Sharks turn back to Dr. Jekyll at game 83? Please turn back to Mr. Hyde.
- How does AO still not have a goal in the Caps / Rangers series?
- Is it just me or are penalties ruining playoff hockey? In the Caps / Range...
It seems we have discussed dirty hits and suspension at nauseum, I can't remember a playoffs that didn't involve Marchment with this much publicity about nothing. Mike Cammalleri did not get suspended, partly because he was already punished with a roughing penalty!! Listen, there is a penalty you receive in the N.H.L. for punching a guy in the face and Cammalleri served hi...
Brian Burke steps in front of the media last week and comes right out and lets everyone know that he is targeting John Tavares the potential first overall pick in this years NHL entry draft. Leaf fans jump for joy but when you sit back and think about it, what would the Leafs give up for the #1 overall pick. The guess here is at least two first rounders this years and next...
Just finished watching the Sharks/Ducks game, and all I can say is wow! It is so nice watching the other teams play where you can enjoy it to it's fullest, but later on tonight will not be the case. The all important Game 4 between New York and Washington. The Rangers have had a couple days to recover from their 4-0 loss in Game 3. Now all Rangers fans can do is ask the sa...
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...
A few things occured to me while I was gnawing on my Devils "terrible towel" during game 4 of this Devils/Canes series.
First off, this is best series being played in the NHL right now. You've got 2 former Stanley Cup champs battling it out with a Hall of Fame goaltender vs probably the best young, most underrated goaltender in the NHL. Stanley Cup rookie MVP anyone?? 3 o...
Yeah Boyes writes...
Controversial Disallowing of Goal is too much for Blues
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Blues applied their best pressure of the series late in the second period last night. They tied the score at 2-2 with two goals and again had the puck in front of the net and close to the goal line. Luongo never appeared to have the puck covered as it was sliding around in the crease area and eventually crossed the line and into the net.
It was ruled that the puck h...
Rob McGowan writes...
Let's Back Up Here, MacDonald? Danis? Or Neither?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
For the overwhelming majority of the season the Islanders played their back-up and third string goaltenders, Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis. DP's injury forced him to pretty much sit out the entire season allowing these two net-minders to have a quality chance at proving themselves at the NHL level. But which one will be back next year to serve the role that was initially i...
Last night the Brandon Wheat Kings gave a valiant effort but eventually lost a hard fought effort to the Calgary Hitmen (who are sailing through the W.H.L. playoffs) and are now one game away from being eliminated by the Hitmen. Keith Aulie is their captain, has a goal in this series and is one of Calgary's top defense prospects. At 6'6" and 220 lbs this isn't your normal ...
Looking back on the Centennial season, the first emotions that come to mind are disappointment and frustration.
Did the Canadiens overachieve last year? Probably. Did they underachieve this year? Not in my opinion, if you consider the facts and the obstacles the 2008-09 Canadiens had to face all season long.
First of all, the team's President, Pierre Boivin, has n...
That was the worst finish I've ever seen in my life for a series-clinching game in the NHL playoffs. What a joke! All the many calls let go and the linesman decides to make that ridiculous call at that critical moment of the game. Pathetic! The Blue Jackets deserved better. The linesmen should be embarrassed ... the refs should be embarrassed ... and the league should...
Game 5 proved to be the pinnacle of goaltending in the playoffs so far. Ward was better than Marty in my opinion, but what do i know, Ive only been a goalie since I was 6. 86 shots, 1 goal. And that goal by Clarkson was maybe his best goal of the year. Clarkson 2 goals, Staal 2 goals, hold on wait, what? Marty made a statement tonight with a career high 44 save shutoot, a...
[url]http://videocallroom.oovoo.com/room/embeded/herman2[/url]
Sean Avery and John Tortorella have entered a new phase in their relationship, Parent-child. Avery was put in a time-out tonight by his coach after taking two selfish penalties at the end of game four almost costing the Rangers the lead. Avery has had 10 shots, 8 penalties , and has been a minus one in his four games in the playoffs. Torttorella finally had enough after ...
The story is known around the league. A team left for dead at the halfway point by bloggers, journalists, and insiders alike. A team depleted by injuries mid way through their rebuild. Fans are talking Tavares vs. Hedman and if the Western Conference cellar dwellers will play as bad as the East to get a shot at the Canadian Sniper or the Swedish Pronger.
Enter the Manny...
ThrashFanatic writes...
Kovy Not Only Thrasher Impressing In Russia - Championship ?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Once 8 years of pass after drafting a player and still not seeing him play in any of the teams affiliates, the player slips off your radar and never usually gets back on. It's different with a kid named Ilya Nikulin. He has had never shown up on the stats side of things like most defenseman so I had never cared to follow him or his Russian teams but today I followed his ...
Unless you’re watching a Vancouver Canucks or Anaheim Ducks game, you don’t usually think about how many amazing brother combinations can be found throughout the NHL. At the moment, we can only see the Sedins and Niedermayers playing together — but what if all of the siblings across the league were all on the same team? Who would make the NHL "All-Brother" Team?
I...
This off season the Maple Leafs must decide to spend during free-agency or stay the course. I believe the Leafs should make a giant move and sign Marian Hossa to a contract of something like $9 million/5-6 years, or avoid all other UFA's. While I believe the Sedin twins are talented, they aren't Marian Hossa.
My other reason for Hossa or bust would be the better UFA's...
That word about sums up the Flyers season. That is the reason why they got the 5th seed when they could have achieved more, and ultimately why they lost this series. They look like Stanley Cup contenders one game, scrubs the next.
Jeff Carter. 46 goals in the regular season, 1 in the postseason. The successor to John LeClair, I suppose. They say he was playing hurt, but...
This isn't sarcasm. I truly am a Penguins fan congratulating my hated rivals. The Flyers had a good season and they battled hard in the playoffs. They deserved far better than a first round playoff exit.
I hope Martin Biron stays in net next year, and that they can at least keep their blue line intact. Flyer fans may disagree with me, but I think that a little stability...
Just a quick observation:
It seems to me that the Rangers' series against the Caps has been somewhat of a microcosm of their entire season.
Part A: The fast start. The Rangers jumped out 2-0 on the caps, away from home, much as they seemed unstoppable for the first month of the regular season.
Part B: The slow down/collapse. Despite the huge advantage, the Rangers...
Lets see, where do I begin. Lets start with Devils/Canes series. Can game 6 possibly be better than the first 5? The answer is yes, but we'll see tonight. We have had everything in this one so far, great goalies, scoring chances, organized hockey, and everything you wanted out of 2 loud arenas. Looks like the captain is in tonight, Holik "The Caveman" out.
Chicago/Calgar...
After watching this team play up and down all year, I am convinced that the team needs a better defined role as forward lines. Richards who was drafted to be the shutdown guy has blossomed into a big time scorer. So now Philly has Carter, Richards, and Giroux down the middle. Too many scorers. They need a shutdown line. A group like Otto, Klatt and Podein that knows t...
There is not much else to say about this series. The Capitals are far superior to the Rangers. The edge held by the Rangers has disappeared. The decisive Game 7 is in Washington. And the Rangers are going to lose.
Game 7. The thing about these games is that any team can win on any night and that holds true for the ultimate game of the playoffs series. The Rangers aren'...
Can the National Hockey League really expect it's teams to take it seriously when it says things like "no message sending" and "no confrontations with fans" when it doesn't even act on most of the dirty things that happen on the ice?
Ok, yes, they suspended Daniel Carcillo for his "hit" on Max Talbot (I still question whether or not that was intentional), and Andre Roy ...
It recently dawned on me that our former captain will be searching for a new home once his playoff run comes to an end with the Pittsburgh Penguins, whenever that may be. The trade that sent him to the Pens has been finalized with that conditional fifth round pick going from a fifth, to a fourth, and finally to a third with them advancing to the second round of the playoff...
As Blair Betts lay on the ice yesterday afternoon, again the Gary Bettman Gestapo neglected to make a legit call in favor of the Rangers. It's become, predictable that the officials will miss a Capital crosscheck to the back of Avery. They failed blatantly in game 4 to rescue themselves as Callahan hit the ice with a trip and 18,000 fans managed to witness the crime. B...
I honestly dont think it matters what happens in the East bracket, [b]the Red Wings are unstoppable![/b]... even by Tim Thomas and the Big Bad Bruins.
This is not an easy pill to swallow, coming from a guy whos inlaws are from Michigan, and whos wife's cousin married a Michigan State hockey fanatic dubbed simply as "the Angry Guy". Beckster and I go out there ever year...
Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton were reunited on the top line for San Jose in game five, and it worked! Thornton had a goal and two assists and Marleau, who already had an assist, added the game-winning goal on Thornton's overtime wraparound attempt that playoff rookie Jonas Hiller couldn't cover.
It has been pointed out in the media that Todd McLellan called his two s...
I'm sure you all heard this during yesterday's Rangers vs Capitals game on NBC, when Mike Millbury came out and called Sean Avery an idiot, then the announcers had a good chuckle about it.
So let me get this straight. It's cool for Millbury to call Avery an idiot on a channel 4, [b]NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAME[/b] but if Avery says "sloppy seconds" in Canada, it's a suspen...
nephew23 writes...
Hope Ducks are prepared to defeat the Sharks and the Refs
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Gonna be a long night since its obvious the league is really "hoping" for a game 7. Three penalties in the first 10 minutes. The directive has been issued! Ducks better really play smart and strong.
Make that 4 -2 . . .
Oops! Looks like the Ducks were prepared. But its far from over. I can hear Bettman screaming from here!
The Blackhawks deserved the series win. That is the first thing all Flames fans should admit to themselves and we can not say "only if" or "but the refs called this or that". We can not say if we had Regehr we would have won, as Jim Rome likes to say, "If. if.if. If my aunt had junk she'd be my uncle but she doesn't." The fact is the depth we all thought we had wasn't deep...
The Blackhawks deserved the series win. That is the first thing all Flames fans should admit to themselves and we can not say "only if" or "but the refs called this or that". We can not say if we had Regehr we would have won, as Jim Rome likes to say, "If. if.if. If my aunt had junk she'd be my uncle but she doesn't." The fact is the depth we all thought we had wasn't deep...
After embarassing themselves yet again in post-season play the question on the table now is what do you change in San Jose. Here are my answers:
[i]1.) Trade Evgeni Nabokov[/i]
Sharks fans will hate me for saying this, and I agree with their love for Nabby. The problem is he just doesn't steal games in the playoffs. In game five he allowed the Ducks back into the gam...
Its eerily quiet in Newark this morning as I walk past the arena to work. Im not going to lie to you, I got a little chill thinking what was going to take place later on. A lot of nervous energy.
Game 7 of round 1, who thought there could be this much drama in the 1st round? The Devils need to get straight, quick. Game 7's are about Captains, and Langenbrunner has to hav...
You may recall that, last spring, Capitals owner [b]Ted Leonsis[/b], who gets full marks for enthusiasm and accessibility, used the platform of his blog on USAToday.com to post his "Take" on the fans of Philadelphia:
=====
[i][b]Day 6: Tuesday, April 15 (Flyers 6, Capitals 3)[/b]
My family and partners traveled to Philadelphia —the city of brotherly love. After ...
I see a lot of calls to send off Big Joe and Patty. What about the rest of the team? If the criteria for keeping a player are they come up big in the playoffs then it sounds like the whole roster needs to be thrown away.
I don't subscribe to that line of thinking. The Sharks at the start of the season had all the lines working well, scoring came from everywhere. Thi...
Well, the inevitable finally occurred. After dropping the first two games at home, we were all almost certain it was over. Another playoff, another disappointment. I promise this is the last time I'll talk about this Sharks season, but humor me and follow along to the biggest heartbreaks (yes, I consider myself lucky to have a game be the source of my biggest let-downs)...
What can I say? Good season?
That would be a lie.
I'm proud of this team?
That's not true either.
All I can say is that it is over. After the Rangers tore our hearts out on multiple occasions this season, the mortal blow has finally come down.
Five months until the Rangers play again.
Maybe I will write a real blog when/if I feel better.
It's over.
...
I have never seen that in my life! 2 goals in the final 1:20 to advance to the next round instead of the golf course. Crazy! What effort by Gleason to keep the puck in for Jokinen to tie it ... and Staal has been simply incredible the entire series. TWO teams come back from 3-1 series deficits to win the series. That should change some percentages a bit.
GREAT NIGH...
let me gather my notes and thoughts and all the alcohol i have left in my house. a great blog to break down game 7 coming tomorrow no doubt. i was there, i witnessed what happened and its anybody but marty's fault. the guy played his a$$ off. stunnnned.
FLAMESTR writes...
A Fond Farewell to the Flames and Summary of the first round
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Before we discuss the second round, I wanted to talk to you about a discussion between a dad and a son. My son always reminds me that the players are very human and they make mistakes and really they don’t set out to lose. He had to remind me of this over and over again as the Hawks were eliminating my Flames.
I have had conversations with my son reminding me the F...
The 2008-2009 version of the Calgary Flames was very unique. Probably the most talented group of players ever collected in cow town since 1989. So why did they once again get bounced out in the first round? How did they blow a huge lead in the division? Should Rich Preston still behind the bench after the power play went 0 for 40 to finish the regular season? Why was Ander...
So I was 7 for 8 in 1st round predictions (Sharks....tsk tsk tsk). Not only did they screw up my predictions but my playoff pools are done!
On to Round 2:
[b]Boston (1) vs. Carolina (6) -[/b] This will be a great series. I like Carolina but Boston, after disposing of the Canadiens in 4 straight are riding high with confidence - I'll go [b]Bruins in 6[/b].
[b]Was...
MichaelBernard writes...
Worst Loss in Devil's Playoff History, What a Disgrace.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Now that Ive had time to digest last night’s loss to Carolina, I can say this. Worst loss in Devil’s playoff history. No you say? You think the loss to Colorado was worse, you’re wrong. After a great season of chasing Boston for the top spot in the east with a backup goalie in net for most of the season, and records being shattered, it wasn’t supposed to end like t...
First, and foremost, please do not judge this article as coming from the opinion of an Islanders fan. I am as unbiased as humanly possible in this aspect, and I truly tell it how it is. It is for this reason that I felt obligated to put together a little piece on the Rangers, and how the toughest part for them, and their management, actually begins now. Granted, they just ...
The Leafs are in a rare situation in the NHL as most of the teams are going to loose money the Leafs are going to continue making money so if I were the Manager I would make the following moves that frankly I think Burke will.
First the UFAs that he will go after are the following:
H. Sedin, D. Sedin because Burke has a history and they are solid top 6 forward
...
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...
Like everyone else, I’ll give my predictions for this upcoming 2nd playoff round of the greatest sport on planet earth. Let me get one thing off my chest before we start. Goalies will make and break everyone of these matchups, and are MY key to who I think wins each series.
[i][b]Pens vs Caps: [/b][/i]
Everyone sees Ovechkin and thinks this one is gonna be close. I...
If your interested in tickets for the Wings/Ducks match up in So Cal!!! Go to Stubhub.com. There are thousands of tickets for sale on the site. Most of them are good seats. Looks like a wings home game in So Cal!!!
I just sold mine...I'm out of town..Going to Pittsburg.
Joining the rest of my fellow hockey buzz enthusiasts, here are my predictions for Round Two as well as a review of Round One.
[b]Round One[/b]
I'll take a 6-1-1 record into the second round. I correctly predicted wins for Boston, Washington, Pittsburgh (even got the games right), Detroit, Vancouver, and Chicago. San Jose let me down, just like pretty much everyone e...
Jeff Quirin writes...
Outside Perspective: Blame Joe Thornton? Trade Joe Thornton?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Just put this up on my site, [url=http://thebluenotezone.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/thought-of-the-day-04-29-09/]Link Here[/url] thought I would share here as well.
Once again the San Jose Sharks have flopped out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A Coaching change was made, key veteran additions were made, and sadly San Jose met the same outcome. Is it possible that it is not ...
Well fellow losers, we come to that time of year again where we expect to turn off the hockey games early. After all, the amazing season and President's Cup win means zilch, zip and nada as we suffer another humiliating loss to the Quacks of Anaheim. You have to hand it to the Ducks though. They pulled a mediocre season into a great run so far. Hiller has been amazing and ...
Before the season began I had these teams making the playoffs: Stars, [b]Red Wings[/b], [b]Sharks[/b], [b]Ducks[/b], [b]Flames[/b], Oilers, [b]Blackhawks[/b], Wild, [b]Penguins[/b], [b]Capitals[/b], [b]Devils[/b], [b]Rangers[/b], [b]Canadiens[/b], [b]Flyers[/b], Lightening, and Sabres. I didn't even have the Bruins making the playoffs ... LOL!
Before the playoffs star...
With 55 days until the one of the biggest drafts in Islanders history, the Islanders were helped out by the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks this week. Last Saturday the Penguins ended the Flyers season guaranteeing the Islanders a third round pick. And Anaheim’s victory on Monday over the San Jose Sharks guaranteed them the Sharks 26th pick in the draft. So while G...
Rob McGowan writes...
First Overall: A Definite? A Gamble? Or Wishful Thinking?
Posted Friday | Comments 4
The Isles have the first overall pick...blah blah blah blah....Tavares or Hedman? Yada yada yada...we all know this by now. So what's with all the talk? The Isles are going to either draft a franchise defenseman or forward...right?
As usual during this time frame, there are a lot of rumors swirling around the pollen infested air to catch our attention and think, hmm, wh...
I normally I do not write this quick between blogs, but a mystery has occurred. I am perplexed and I need some help with a problem. Maybe some of you can help me.
The Red Wings seem to think that its alright to hit and run the Ducks goalie, Hiller, and the NHL seems to agree with them. Interesting -- when is running a goalie a penalty or not a penalty? It seems that ...
Brown's "controversial" hit on Hudler in game 1 of the Detroit vs Anaheim series was legal and clean. It was shoulder to shoulder and Hudler got rid of the puck less than 2 seconds before. It didn't help Hudler that he wasn't paying attention, or was slightly bent over as he was turning up the ice. [b]The problem is that Hudler was skating in one direction, but playing the...
What a crazy start to the second round for the Ducks and Wings. The game featured some great hockey action, and some controversial calls and non-calls.
In particular, I am referring to the huge open ice hit on Jiri Hudler by Mike Brown. In my opinion (and also the league), it was a clean hit that ended with Hudler being cut over the eye. It also ended with Brown assesse...
[img:left]http://images.theglobeandmail.com/archives/RTGAM/images/20071215/wspt-leafs-habs15/Kostitsyn.jpg[/img]
I've been really excited about the talent level of Andrei Kostitsyn ever since he was drafted 10th overall by the Montreal Canadiens. The 2003 NHL entry draft, in my opinion, was the best draft year the NHL has ever seen. Andrei Kostitsyn was considered ea...
After losing 4-3 and falling into a 2-0 hole to the Washington Capitals many may think it is time to panic for the Pittsburgh Penguins. I disagree. Watching the game tonight I saw exactly what I expected to see: Ovechkin versus Crosby in a fast-paced, hard hitting matchup. Both teams controlled the puck well in the offensive zone and at times it seemed like the ice was tit...
One week after being ousted out of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Calgary Flames have packed up their bags and headed off to their respected off season homes. Let’s talk about the front office and bench bosses for the Flaming C.
Darryl Sutter was brought into the organization in 2002 to be the Flames head coach and General Manager. In his first full season in 03-...
I guess I am going crazy again. I am amazed by Mr. Campbell’s knowledge of what is a penalty and what isn’t. I love the hitting, but this is really getting maddening. Again, I really do not care who wins the cup, but we have to stop running goalie interference. The League has to protect the goalies better. How is a cross check to the neck not called? These incide...
I don't know why, but it seems like in every playoff game this year I've seen at least one goal called off because the referee was not in position to make the call or seen a team called offsides by a line judge trying to catch up or who got in the way of a clearing attempt.
Tonight it was Detroit's Marian Hossa who scored the game-tying-goal with just over a minute left...
MichaelBernard writes...
Versus doesn't show National Anthem in Chicago?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Versus dropped the ball last night missing the National Anthem in Chicago. They interview Sharp before the game and he says he can't wait for the anthem, then they don't show it. Get with it Versus. I mean, its no Wayne Messmer from '91 All Star Game, (see below) but still, they should have showed it.
MB
Wayne Messmer = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvpxVE_kQXg
Another disappointing end to what was looking like a promising season. But I have to admit, the effect and anticipation for the playoffs has worn off. I've had to brace myself for early departures in each of the last 3 seasons as it truly seemed inevitable.
My season-long problem was Mike Keenan. He proved early and often that he's about 10 years removed from b...
I have been talking with my boyfriend about the goaltending situation where Nabby's the #1, and Boucher is an after thought, only really relied on if Nabby gets hurt. We both think that Nabby's become somewhat complacent in his role, and his drop off in production could be in part because he's not feeling challenged for the starting spot.
Think about it, back when To...
MichaelBernard writes...
Devils Offseason '09: The Shape of Things to Come
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
After one of the most disappointing endings in the playoffs in recent history for the New Jersey Devils, fans may have something or someone to look forward to. The Devils’ website had headlines thanking the fans for the enormous support that was shown this regular season and especially in the playoffs. One thing is for sure though, if the Devils make a big move on the f...
Can we really hang this years early playoff exit on Sutter? The guy who has brought our beloved Flames to the post season for five straight seasons, and one of them to the Stanley Cup Finals? The guy who created what I think is one of the most talented teams we Calgarians has seen since the 80's? I say no. Here's why.
Our team was performing well up until February. We t...
After the Penguins fell into a 2-0 series hole to the Washington Capitals, I wrote a blog about how it wasn't time to panic yet for the birds. Crosby had been spectacular, and they were getting scoring from stay-at-home defenseman Mark Eaton (who?). But there were things the Penguins needed to work on.
One of those things was puck posession. The Pens had not been good o...
There is a lot of obvious attention being paid to the playoff series' that are at hand, and when it comes to Islander country most are focused on the possibility of obtaining John Tavares. But today I am going to take a look at the impending UFA's on the roster and give my reasons for why they should or should not return.
The first two that I will rule out are Yann Dani...
If you play Detroit 7 games straight, you're going to let up 6 goals one of those games. I hear the whispers from you Ducks fans about Hiller. Of course you'll give a bad rebound here and there, Zetterburg, Hossa, and Datsyuk are shooting on you. You'de be lucky to give up rebounds period. Its a tough feat to bring down the Sharks and then face the Red Wings, think about ...
1) [u]Coaching[/u] – My first engagement in the Flames’ off-season moves would be to make a coaching change. But, unlike most of the outcry from Flames fans and media, I would not fire Mike Keenan as head coach. I know most fans are calling for Keenan’s head I believe that (other than the constant line-juggling and “strong encouragement” to have Kipper play all ...
I wish I had more time to write, but it's HNIC (Hockey Night in Cranford) and we've got games on in like a half hour. No call on Ovi's hit? Horrible. 2 minutes is nothing. The hold on Chara? Not that it would have mattered, Carolina is Dominating, notice the capital D. Playoff experience I guess. I was wrong on my second round calls, but it happens. I dont think Boston wi...
Jim Balsillie is at it again as he tries once again to bring the NHL to southern Ontario. You have to give him marks for determination, once again making an offer to buy the Phoenix Coyotes. This being the third attempt to buy a team to bring them to Hamilton.
I really have nothing against Jim; heck, I do not even know him. Obviously he is a huge hockey fan. He is a ver...
You have to admit, you're waiting for it.
Yes, Darryl Sutter met for one-on-one's last week with the Calgary media but did little to dispel the one thing we were all waiting for.
The fate of Mike Keenan.
Sutter never came out and openly backed Keenan, but he sure as heck never gave us an inkling of how he really feels on the situation. He's mastered the art of,...
Is anybody really surprised this series is tied at 3 and heading toward a game 7 thriller Wednesday night in DC?
I'm not.
In fact, through 6 games we have seen just about everything we expected to see.
Great offensive playmaking and goals.
Great skill and determination by the 3 best forwards in the league.
Key contributions from 2nd, 3rd and 4th line players...
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....
BryanM writes...
League Needs to Assert Itself Now or Lose Control Forever
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Versus showed the aftermath of the Detroit Red Wings-Anaheim Ducks Game 6 during the first intermission of tonight's game 7 between Pittsburgh and Washington. After watching it I can't help but think that the NHL has lost control of these playoffs. Maybe it's just because they have two of the dirtiest teams in the league playing each other, or maybe it's because Colin Camb...
[b]The Save[/b]
I wrote a couple of days back that Marc Andre Fleury needed to be in #1 star form for the Penguins to advance in the playoffs. That he had to find a way to play his BEST in game 7.
Fleury ended up being the #3 star in the game...and as it turns out, he really didn't need to be #1 with the way the rest of his team handled the Capitals on Wednesday night...
Another successful [i]regular season[/i], another abrupt [i]playoff[/i] exit. Anyone seeing a trend here? Ever since the Devils won their last Stanley Cup in 2003, the dry New Jersey Devil fan base (which I must say did show up for the playoffs this year), has been treated to the same redundant pattern year in and year out. This year was no exception. The only difference s...
So, here we are. Game Seven. "All of the marbles." "Win or go home." "The whole enchilada" "Play like there's no tomorrow." "Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'."
There are endless cliches you could use to describe the intensity surrounding the Bruins-Hurricanes matchup in Boston tonight (8pm, NESN, TSN, RIS; bonus coverage on Versus following the Wings-Ducks concl...
As has been pointed out numberous times by NHL.com, the Associated Press, ESPN and some of the bloggers here on Hockeybuzz.com, Pittsburgh's 6-2 rout of their playoff rival Washington Capitals was an anticlimatic end to an otherwise amazing series.
Looking at the series by the numbers we could not have asked for anything more from the leauges brightest stars - Alexande...
I was wrong on my Boston in 4 predicition, but who wouldn't have thought the B's were gonna roll through Carolina after their dismantling of Montreal like they did. Down 3-1 in the series, I thought for sure Boston was done. When Boston tied it up 2-2 in game 7 that changed my mind a bit. Then came overtime. What pure domination Carolina showed through the first 10 minutes...
This NHL post-season must be a dream come true for Gary Bettman. His marketing team hasn't had to do any real work to sell these playoffs; they've sold themselves. Look at the excitement of the first round where we watched Boston against Montreal in an original six rivalry match, Pittsburgh against their hated rival Philadelphia, San Jose and archrival Anaheim in the first...
After an exciting second round of playoff action that saw three series go the distance and pitted the league’s top young stars - Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby - against each other. Many thought there would be a let-down after the excitement of the Conference Semifinals, but the four teams that advanced have offered enough storylines to at least keep us mildly inte...
Sorry to all the fans of the Wings and Penguins. I have been slightly under 500 this year on picks.
I am taking the Wings and Penguins to replay the finals from last year. So there is a great chance of an upset now!
The Chicago Black Hawks made me a believer once again as they passed the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the playoffs. Mr. Patrick Kane showed to the hockey world why he is one of the best players in the world. Particularly, the seventh goal in game 6 was sick. It was terrific back hand.
While I am at it, that game six was one of the most entertaining games I ...
As we try to cope with yet another early off season, different people find different ways to occupy themselves to pass the time. As someone on a CBS Sports forum said, this is one of the worst times of year. You don't hear any rumors about your team, and for fans of 26 other teams, the only NHL hockey on is the conference finals. Still, fans prowl hockeybuzz, hoping to sal...
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...
amerk626 writes...
What the Rangers, Devils, and Flyers all have in common
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Obviously, the main theme amongst these three Atlantic Division rivals is a solid above .500 season that always results in an early playoff exit for the same and different reasons. You could sit here and blame the referees, one player, or injuries, but good teams play through instances like that and overcome the adversity such obstacles present.
The Pittsburgh Penguins ...
As soon as the last crushing horn sounded on the Calgary Flames' season I immediately started looking, like many others, to next season and what we have coming down the pipe that could hopefully heal some wounds.
The Memorial Cup is usually a great place to check on prospects and to also check in on some of the guys you can look forward to seeing drafted in the followin...
First off, I want to explain that I am aware that it has been almost two weeks since I wrote my last blog. Being that we are in the month of May, although that means fans are in store for intense games of hockey during the NHL playoffs, it also means final research papers and exams are due, and I simply did not have the time to write about my beloved Islanders.
But now...
All is quiet in the world of the Devils right now. Fans and players alike have one eye on next season while the other looks back at the year that was with a disgruntled groan of frustration. There has been a distinctly empty stretch since the team cleaned out their lockers, not that this is unexpected. So while Devils fans watch their lesser sports and wait for some news, ...
I have thought long and hard about this. It has been something I have been pondering for almost half of a year now.
Yes, the time has come for me to put away the keyboard and retire from my "position" here at MyHockeyBuzz.
Let me explain.
Next year I am going off to college, starting a new stage in my life. With big changes like leaving home and moving into a do...
Since Lou Lamoriello took over as Devils General Manager in 1987, the Devils have earned a reputation as one of the best evaluators of draft talent in the NHL. Between Lamoriello and Director of Scouting David Conte—whom Lamoriello would contend really runs the show on draft day—save for an unfortunate stretch between 1999 and 2002, the Devils have always come through ...
Yes, it's true.
Over the past week, cloud cover has been increasing in Calgary and area as the whole city waited for some light to finally be shed on a couple different things.
Firstly, the weather's been absolutely horrible. And, working outdoors nearly every day for long hours was beginning to make me crazy. With the exception of some spurts here and there on (Ca...
Rumours continue to swirl about the possibility of Brian Burke landing both Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin should the pair opt for unrestricted free agency this off-season. My take on the rumour? Don't do it, Burke!
Let me begin by stating that the Sedin twins are indeed offensive weapons, and are valuable commodities to any team; but only under the right circumstances--...
mslepp writes...
Back to Basics for the Flames? Memorial Cup and Wings/Hawks
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[b]The Calgary Flame Coaching Carousel[/b]
It wasn't quite as big of a jolt as the hiring of Mike Keenan, but the firing did come as a bit of a surprise. Not because of Iron Mike's firing, but because it was leaked to the media, late Friday afternoon. The timing alone tells you this is not what Darryl Sutter wanted, but the whole Keenan "era" (mess might be a better w...
In the midst of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, perhaps it's a little early to discuss the possibility of the Toronto Maple Leafs splurging in this year's Unrestricted Free Agent crop by acquiring Mike Komisarek. But hey, four consecutive years of missing the post-season will do that, and speculation is always fun, so let's discuss!
Komisarek has been a serviceable defen...
Memo to Bettman:
Don't move up the Stanley Cup Finals without checking Yanni's schedule at the Igloo,first.
And where is that Pan Flute guy playing these days?
And don't forget the WWF. Your pals back at the NBA had to pay big bucks to resolve that conflict with the wrestlers in Denver.
In all honesty, I have attempted to write this blog more than a handful of times, but I either got frustrated just thinking about it and Xed out, or I could not organize my thoughts properly. Rather start with a tacky intro, I'll get to the point.
Since the lockout, the best way I can describe a typical New Jersey Devil's regular season is like drinking a red bull. It t...
(I apologize for the title, I like the lame ones, what can I say?)
July 1st and onward should be marked with an abundance of quality signings, but I'm hoping the Toronto Maple Leafs invest in a minor signing that could pay major dividends. Colton Orr is the perfect enforcer for the Leafs, let's bring him to Toronto, Brian Burke!
While Andre Deveaux has proved to be a...
At least they got swept. Holik OUT, Havelid OUT! Im ready for the home opener. Bring on Phaneuf!! Good Call Ek. Rest in Peace Peter Zezel.
Down with the Wings.
So, here we are. The draft is coming up, and the Blues sit with a plethora of capable defensemen, and not so much offensive pure scoring depth. I think we can all agree one more potent scorer would put this team over the top. Tampa Bay sits at the #2 pick, and are seeking some high caliber defensemen in exchange for the #2 (or Lecavalier, for that matter).
The Island...
With the firing of Mike Keenan and the letting go of the rest of the coaching staff, the Flames now sit with a vacant coaching staff. In Sutter’s press conference yesterday he mentioned that there are three qualified people in line for the Head Coach position and a fourth, Darryl himself. He stated that he was the best candidate for the position and if he can not find a...
This will be short and sweet. I've decided, upon the contemplation of my HB sabbatical and working on my own Isles site, www.IslandersIndependent.com, that for now...that is exactly where I want to be.
I thank Eklund and the many excellent bloggers here for their friendship and support. Everyone was swell, and it was a pleasure being here for almost two years.
I am...
FLAMESTR writes...
COULD THE OIL HAVE THE BEST COACHES ? AND MORE THOUGHTS
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Edmonton Oilers decided to go to with a veteran coach in Pat Quinn, who I think is a great coach. He loves a fluent, offensive game, which fits the Oilers to a tea. Quinn proved himself with the Team Canada. Not only did the Oilers pick a perfect head coach, they found the perfect coach in Tom Renney, who should have never been fired from the Rangers in the first place...
Rewind a year to Ottawa, when interim GM Cliff Fletcher was preparing to make his last great splash. Trading up to secure hard hitting blueliner Luke Schenn, a player unto which the Leafs hoped to bank their revival, set in motion a summer of upheaval paving the way for Brian Burke to step in mid-season. For many the draft of 2008 marked an era of realization, that change ...
mslepp writes...
Calgary, Get Used to Darryl Sutter: Analysis of the GM
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I've been waiting for Ken King or the ownership group of the Calgary Flames to come out and publicly back Darryl Sutter ever since the season ended.
If you are one of the folks who, for some reason or another, think that Darryl Sutter should have been on the chopping block for what happened this season, I urge you to give your head a shake.
I am a staunch Sutter su...
[b]Yes his gameplay this year wasn't up to expectations, but can the Canadiens permit themselves to lose Mike Komisarek? [/b]
Granted, if he did refuse a 4M$ deal, it leaves Montreal in the uncomfortable position of either overpaying the 6'4'' behemoth or letting him go in the hopes of signing a F.A. that can support prime minutes. Looking at this summer's available unr...
With the finals just hours away it is time for me to weigh on in what looks to be one of the best Stanley Cup matchups since 1984 (the last time the NHL had a finals rematch). Before I tell everyone my pick, here's the way I break down these two teams.
Each category is based on a scale of ten. A score of 5-5 is a push, no advantage for either team.
[b]Forwards[/b]
[...
Wow, no penalty shot! Biggest thing of the night. Detroit got away with one on that when Zetterberg closed his hand on the puck in the crease. And no call!!! It still amazes me how the refs rarely call that.
Biggest complaint for me.....SOMEONE SUSPEND KRONWALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why, why, why, why, why has this guy not been suspended. Keep your skates on the ice whe...
While it is an exciting time to be an Islander because of the tremendous hustle and bustle regarding the first overall pick, you can bet your ass no one is having more fun than Penguin and Red Wing fans. For the second year in a row, the Penguins and Red Wings will be facing off in the Stanley Cup Final, and you can bet that both teams will be even more prepared for each o...
Listen up all you Penguin-haters! This blog is for you!
It hasn't even been 12 hours since the game ended, and already I've seen multiple stories suggesting that this series is a repeat of last year's Cup Finals. That the result will be the same and there is nothing the Penguins can do about it. They can't win four out of five against Detroit.
It's time for all of us...
Aside from figuring out what free agents he wants to try to sign and re-sign, how to handle the upcoming draft, and what direction to steer this seemingly broken Devils team towards, Devils GM Lou Lamoriello may be faced with another problem if head coach Brent Sutter decides to step down from his post and part ways with the Devils.
I think the hiring of Brent Sutter w...
Watching the Stanley Cup Finals now, I can't help but think how it should be us. We should be watching the Devils battle the Red Wings right now, and we very well might be had the team not decided to sit back as if they still had the likes of Stevens and Daneyko to save the day. But now that the offseason is unfortunately upon us, I'd like to try placing myself in the GM's...
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 ...
Today Darryl Sutter confirmed he is keeping the 2009 first round pick, he had the option of giving phoenix this pick or the 2010 pick in the Jokinen deal. This draft is generally considered deeper than next years draft which some are saying could be as bad as the '99 draft but having said that is the 20th over all pick going to be that great?
At number 20 the Flames cou...
Laplante writes...
Bob Gainey on how to pull off a perfect Kansas City Shuffle
Posted Monday | Comments 0
''Its a blindfold kick back type of a game
Called the Kansas City Shuffle
Whereas you look left and they fall right
Into the Kansas City Shuffle
Its a they-think you-think you don't know
Type of Kansas City hustle
Where you take your time
Wait your turn
And hang them up, and out to dry''
It was just last night that I was watching the movie [i]Lucky Number Slevin...
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.
1) Glad to see that Malkin didn't get suspended. When you have two skaters who don't have their shirts tied down it is hard to label either a "fighter." Although, Zetterberg did serve in the Swedish army for a few months and it looked like he had a pretty good uppercut technique and could have landed a few good ones if the refs had let him. But for what purpose after the ...
2014. It will be critical year for the flames franchise, Iginla's contract will be expired at the end of 2013, same for Regehr, following the 2014 season Dion and Kipper will be UFA as well. One other major piece will be the home they all live in, the Saddledome, will also be expired.
The "'dome", as it is more commonly known, has been a fixture of Calgary landscapes s...
TSN reports that the Bruins today signed [b]David Krejci [/b]to a 3 year, $11.25 million dollar deal, which answers at least one glaring question for B’s fans from this off-season. Of the nine free agents for the Bruins this season, Krejci has to be towards, or at the top, of the list of players to re-sign.
Krejci, the Bruins 2nd-leading scorer this year with 73 point...
In the MLSE land of unreasonable expectations, even a superstar troupe like Burke and Wilson will not be afforded another record breaking season; at least not if said record is a fifth consecutive season of playoff free hockey. Subsequently Burke is going to be looking for a catalyst to the rebuilding project come summer and the most obvious route will arrive in early July...
I'm not one that welcomes change. I believe in tradition, sentimental values, and fear taking things in the present for granted, but want to appreciate them when they're not around to appreciate anymore. Change is constant and you have no choice to embrace and deal with it, especially the inevitable changes. When Martin Brodeur was injured for a three month stretch this se...
What a game! Just when it looked like Detroit was going to run away to a 3-0 series lead, Brooks Orpik lands a big hit on Darren Helm and the Penguins begin a relentless third period attack (with the help of six skaters on the ice for almost 30 seconds and a clueless Red Wings bench).
With the Penguins now on the board in the series, here are five things they need to do...
This is the first time I am posting a blog so forgive me if I offend anyone.
First and foremost I am a rabid Sabres fan. I get anxious every summer waiting for Hockey to start again. I have been to HSBC to watch the the pre-season practices all the way to playoff games. Sadly those days are gone. Now the closest I can get is TV or WGR Radio online. BTW- WGR is the best...
Ray Emery. Say that name since Comcast Sportsnet's Tim Panaccio broke the news that it's almost a done deal that Sugar Ray is headed to the Flyers and Flyers fans have recoiled like Dracula from garlic. There have even been people who say the thought of Emery in Orange and Black makes them sick.
I am stupefied at this reaction. The Flyers have a history of rolling the ...
Ray Emery. Say that name since Comcast Sportsnet's Tim Panaccio broke the news that it's almost a done deal that Sugar Ray is headed to the Flyers and Flyers fans have recoiled like Dracula from garlic. There have even been people who say the thought of Emery in Orange and Black makes them sick.
I am stupefied at this reaction. The Flyers have a history of rolling the ...
If you asked any hockey fan who was going to win the Stanley Cup in February there was only 1 answer: The New Jersey Devils. It was a shock to everyone that the Rock fell silent as Eric Staal capped game 7 and carried his team to the second round and the Devils made an early exit. Thankfully that is all over. 5 thing the Devils need to do:
[b]1. Release Madden and Gion...
The Montreal Canadians surprised a lot of people with the hiring of Jacques Martin. Can two cooks run the kitchen? Or can two Rosters run the coop if you prefer? Mr. Martin was the General Manager in Florida; can he take orders from Gainey? Can he take get back to coaching?
Many questions in Montreal. I really thought they would hire Bob Hartly, I even heard Patrick Roy...
It's been a little dry here on the Island, despite the continuous rainfall that has me worried about my upcoming weekend get-a-way to Montauk in two weeks, thus making it a tad difficult to find something to talk about in regards to the Isles.
I typically try to stay away from the Lighthouse talk. I share the same concerns and opinions of most of my fellow bloggers, but...
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/
With the playoffs drawing to an end, a lot of questions surround the New Jersey Devils as the beginning of the off-season nears. The major questions being asked by fans, bloggers, and analysts are mainly routine questions that come up every year, but there are a few that stand out more than others, whose outcomes can affect this Devils team in different ways.
[b]What is...
Okay folks, time to play GM once again and figure out what the team is going to look like next season...
[u][b]Under Contract Cap Hits[/b][/u]
(all numbers in Millions)
[i]Forwards[/i]
Eric Staal- $8.25m
Rod Brind'amour- $3.6
Ray Whitney- $3.55
Matt Cullen- $2.875
Sergei Samsonov- $2.533
Scott Walker- $2.5
Patrick Eaves- $1.4
Brandon Sutter- $1.04
Zac Boy...
I have a new blog that I'm waiting on because now is not the right time to publish it. So until that time arrives, I thought I'd fill the gap with a discussion on the Devils and retired numbers.
Now nobody can debate the legitimacy of retiring Scott Stevens' #4. He's either the first or second best Devil of all time, and there is no debating that. Without his leadership...
I did not expect to have to write about this, at least not until the summer of 2010, but the powers that be have forced my hand. Today, Brent Sutter has announced that he has resigned from the head coaching position for the Devils, deciding that he'd rather hang around Alberta and save his dying junior hockey team. Now as a statement on its own, that's perfectly reasonable...
As this is my first blog post on this site, allow me to briefly introduce myself. I am Glen and I am a die hard Rangers fan from Southern California who has never even been to Manhattan. As a kid I fell in love with the play of "THE CAPTAIN," (and yes all caps are neccessary when typing that). I've been hooked ever since. I shell out the cash every year for the NHL Center ...
Before the media has a chance to jump off the Red Wings bandwagon (again), I'll put in my two cents on Game 6.
First of all, Detroit was asleep at the wheel in the first period. With the exception of Chris Osgood, the Wings really did look like the older, more exhausted team. The one positive they can take away from the first 20 minutes is that Pittsburgh did not score ...
Whether it be Pierre's and Milbury's red ties in game 5 and Milbury's red tie tonight. Or Pierre's and Olczyk's MULTIPLE assessments on the NUMEROUS times the Penguins should have been called for interference, or that the Red Wings should not have been called. Or them belaboring Malkin's cross check on Filppula when, a millisecond before, Kronwall planted [Fedotenko?]'s ...
Rob McGowan writes...
So It All Comes Down to One Game, Plus Some Isles Chatter
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
So after six games we are heading back to Detroit to watch the final game of NHL hockey of the year, with Pittsburgh fighting to win their first cup in over a decade.
Like I predicted, the series has relied heavily on the positive effects of home ice. If it continues to play out as the past six games have, then Detroit will skate away as champions once again. I'm still...
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...
The Buffalo Sabres are in desperate need of an upgrade in talent and Lecavalier or Heatley would be the perfect fit. Derek Roy, Jochen Hecht, and quite a few other players as well as any future first round draft choice should be on the table. It is time to shake things up and move forward.
Most Devils fans would like a coach who could stay for 5-6 years behind the bench without Lou firing them or quiting because they are "home sick." There are a few coaching opions who are overlooked that would make good choices. I do not want Lemaire back, he didnt work out for the Wild, I do not want him to come here. Sorry Devils fasn who wanted him back.
Pat Burns: B...
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 ...
Hi! I'm Will! I love hockey!
There's an introduction to me. I'm pretty awesome. So yeah.
Oh, and check out my youtube channel! www.youtube.com/willytheleaf
Thanks all! I'll be writing here as draft day comes closer, and what I think the league, and the Leafs should do! Yay!
Since the resignation of Brent Sutter, many names have been tossed about as far as prospective replacements, from the expected (John MacLean), to the qualified (Peter Laviolette), to the downright strange (Ted Nolan). But if the Lamoriello-run Devils are notorious for anything, it's going off the board. When everyone at the 1990 draft loved Trevor Kidd, the Devils loved Ma...
This is a pivotal off season for the New Jersey Devils. After another "red bull" season, the Devil's weaknesses were exposed greatly after the trade deadline and in the playoffs. This, along with the need to hire a head coach, handling the upcoming draft, and his annual free agent situation puts a lot on Lou's plate. This off season may be the most important one for the De...
I thought we would play fantasy hockey; pretend that we are all fantasy general managers (in my case it is really fantasy). What would you give up to get the Heater? Is Danny the franchise player, or better yet, does he make the players around him better?
Well, first of all, you can bet the Sens would like to get a top dman and number one prospect. Also, maybe another ...
Just saying it or hearing it said, conveys everything you need to know.
[i][b]It's do or die.[/b][/i]
And in this case...game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals...[i][b]it's the end of the line for BOTH teams.[/b][/i]
After tonight, one team will have the summer to enjoy the hardware...and one team will have the summer to ponder "what might have been".
The Penguins ar...
I will be watching game 7 of tonight's Detroit vs. Pittsburgh game on NBC.
Not CBC.
Yes, it has taken me the entire season to get to this point. But I just can't hack it anymore.
I love Ron MacLean. I LOVE Don Cherry; I mean, I don't always agree with him, but his segments are always entertaining and I appreciate his patriotism and his passion for hockey. He sa...
nephew23 writes...
Guerin, Boucher, and the Pittsburg Penguins are Cup Champs!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Happy congratulations to Billy Guerin, Philippe Boucher, and the newly crowned Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburg Penguins!!![/b] I'm sincerely happy for Billy G. and Philippe Boucher, as they both spent several quality years here with the Dallas Stars. As a rookie with the New Jersey Devils in 1995, Guerin raised his first Cup at the age of 24. Tonight, 14 years later, ...
So here we are again, us the true hockey junkies, resorting to watching the NHL network and maybe even popping in some old game videos on VHS tapes, just to get our “fix”. Which, as always, makes for some long summer months ahead. Many of you know the feeling, as the final seconds ticked away during tonight’s game 7, the thought of no more hockey for months just beca...
First things first, congratulations to captain Sidney Crosby and his Penguins for winning the 2009 Stanley Cup. Well done, guys, you put on quite a show. It was a hard fought series, right until the final seconds when goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury had to dive across the crease to rob Detroit captain Niklas Lidstrom of a sure goal. Wondering what Fleury was thinking when all...
Bah! I had a nice long blog full of coverage on tonight's game and more but it all went away when Internet Explorer unexpectedly quit on me. I should really start doing these on Word documents and they copy-paste them.
Anyways, I'll try my best to replicate that previous effort.
[b]
The Flightless Birds fly high[/b]
Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins on the...
look i'm a huge flyers fan and i absolutely hate the entire penguins roster minus stall cant hate that guy, but anyway i truely belive that malkin doesnt deserve the MVP as much as Fluery does the penguins dont make it to the finals let alone a game 7 without him, Marc Andre stepped up HUGE!!!! in the playoffs stealing games for the pens left and right, i understand malkin...
Now that the Hockey Offseason has kicked off, I would like to propose some deals that I believe make many teams better. Feel free to post your counteroffers or tell me If you think I am completely out to lunch on any of these trades.
#1 – The Heatley Sweepstakes
With rumours swirling about Danny Heatley wanting out of Ottawa, here is offer I would propose if I am t...
So they young Pens finally crested the proverbial mountain and overcame 2 - 0 and 3 - 2 series defecits to conquer the Wings and win the first (of what could be many) Stanley Cup of the Sidney Crosby era. As a Rangers fan I am not obligated to feel anything other than disgust and envy when a hated division rival succeeds where the Rangers have failed for the last 14 season...
gkmkiller writes...
With the 1st pick in the '09 draft, the Rangers select......
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Now that the Stanley Cup Finals have concluded, its time for us fans to start looking at the offseason and how are we going to improve our rosters so we can compete for a cup next year. I'm going to put a little different spin on that thought by discussing what I would do if I was GM of the Rangers and we had the first overall pick in this year's draft instead of the Isles...
There is no doubt that John Tavares is offensively gifted and has the hands of a magician. But for a team that is in serious rebuild mode, is Tavares the wisest selection for the Islanders to make? As time goes on I'm becoming less sure.
I've always believed the standard for a winner is building from the net out. And with DiPietro lock up for the next 30+ years, it only...
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 ...
The woes of the New Jersey Devils; but doesn't every team have them? Trade this guy, sign that guy, buy him out, waive that guy, fire him, he should retire, blah blah blah. I swear if we the fans dictated what moves our teams made, we'd see more people come and go than on the Apprentice.
Since The Devil's 2008-2009 "Red Bull" campaign ended, the same ideas and opinions ...
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...
Paper Champions
Since he entered the NHL, Crosby was destined, anointed, and given the road to the Stanley Cup. As it has been written, he is the youngest captain to ever win the Cup. Bettman has been wanting, and willing this to happen since the day he was drafted. To many this is very sad because the game should be bigger than one person but reality as many of us ...
just going to share a few thoughts on issues the oilers are facing this off season.
new coaches: i like the hiring of quinn and renney is an underrated hire as well. it will be interesting to see how they handle the current roster and what they decide to do with it. a couple questions as to what they will do with a guy like penner, do they give him another chance or get...
The NHL Entry Draft will soon be upon us and the Blues are looking to have another strong draft weekend.
The Blues have an amazing prospect cool, but it could stand to get better. After take the time to analyze team needs and prospects that could be available at the given times the team will be selecting players.
Round one: Given Jarmo's track record with late 1st r...
As I've bemoaned in a previous blog and something that is an acknowledged belief of all Rangers fans, Glen Sather has painted the team into a real corner as it pertains to the salary cap. With the UFA additions and/or re-signings of Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival and Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers have approximately $32.78 million dollars per year ag...
Another NHL season is in the books. The Pittsburgh Peguins are the 150th Stanley Cup Champion since the trophy's creation in 1893, the Detroit Red Wings became the only franchise in the history of the NHL to lose more than one Game 7 at home in the Cup Final (1945 and 2009). The Blackhawks and Blues returned to the post-season, and the NHL saw its first all-California play...
I have read a lot of comments lately...many unhappy "non Penguin" fans out there.
A lot of them are angry at Sid for the "Handshake Debacle".
Honestly...I think Sid should have been at the front of the line and he wasn't. Shame on him for that. He was clearly too caught up in the moment.
Do I think he PURPOSEFULLY skipped certain players...NO. I do think he should...
This will be the future headline in all the newspapers, tv stations and the internet once the free agent period begins on July 1, 2009. Brian Burke looks to place his own big stamp on the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer and rebuild this team back into a playoff contender this off season when the UFA period begins. The questions many Maple Leaf fans have, myself included is...
For the record, I'm not saying I don't like Jacques Lemaire or think he's a bad coach. Any coach that wins a Stanley Cup and has coached as long as he has is good enough in my book. I just think at this point and time Lemaire isn't the right coach the Devils need, especially if Lou is looking to hire someone long term. He would not be in my top five choices but is not my 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...
The June 26th NHL Entry Draft is not far away and now that the Stanley Cup Finals have come to an end, the hockey world now shifts its focus to the draft. Here are my predictions for who will go in the top 15.
[b]15. Anaheim Ducks – RW Scott Glennie (Brandon-WHL). [/b]Glennie has made amazing strides in the last year or so. He is definitely a bonafide goal scorer but...
mslepp writes...
Calgary Flames: Recent Activity and Addressing the Rumours
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]Who Will be at the Helm?[/b]
This is the major cloud that's been looming over Calgary for the last couple weeks.
Darryl or Brent?
Sutter or Sutter?
Even with the firing of Dave Tippett in Dallas (which doesn't make a whole lotta sense, but is an issue for another day), the Calgary Flames have been super quiet about what's going on in the search for a head ...
So the “Next One”, “Sid the Kid”, “Cindy Crysby”, whatever you want to call him made one of the major NHL foopahs as he did not shake hands with BARELY ANY of the Detroit Red Wings after the Pens won the CUP. As Henrik Zetterberg said it best it was downright “disrespectful.”
I can understand being caught up in the moment of winning the Stanley Cup. Ho...
Dear Mike Gillis,
First of all Mr. Gillis I would like to take deep exception to the fact you signed Burrows to an extension that clearly makes sense. As a Calgary Flames Fan I am used to other division General Managers (cough lowe cough cough) making horribly large and exorbitant signings that greatly increase our chances and this clearly goes against everything I was ...
Look for this years NHL Entry Draft to be a mirror reflection of last years draft (from a leafs perspective). When we all consider the possible moves that Brian Burke can make, one seems to make the most sense. He claims he does not want to give up too much, but we all know the steep price that comes with getting into the top 3. However, another significant jump from 7th t...
With the 2009 NHL Draft now just days away, most fans are practically salivating with the anticipation of adding premium talent to their respective teams. Like most fans, I will be scouring the list of players that my team drafts looking for the next stars and assuming that each of our draft picks will ultimately help the NHL club achieve on-ice success. Before we go makin...
FLAMESTR writes...
Winter Classic In Calgary and Fantasy GM Who wants Hossa
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
ell another week has already passed. I thought I would like to open this blog up by offering my congratulations to the Pens on becoming the Stanley Cup Champions. Simply put, Malkin was awesome in the victory for Pit, he deserved for MVP for the playoffs.
This series was a classic, but I must admit that when the Wings took the game 5 zip, I for one, did not give the Pen...
There are a LOT of rumours going around that the islanders are gonna draft Hedman..... that they're gonna take Duchene, but in all seriousness, as it stands now, the top 4 draft picks will be picked in that order.... the respective teams cant afford not to.
New York Islanders- They NEED Tavares, he may not be a defensman but he is still a strong player, he is also one o...
A little while back I completed my mock Draft and now that the draft is less than a week away I thought I'd look back and see if there were any changes. Here is the Old Draft order (note this was before standings were final)
1 New York Islanders C John Tavares
2 Colorado Avalanche D Victor Hedman
3 Tampa Bay Lightning D Jared Cowen
4 Atlanta Thrashers C Matt Duchene...
Celebrating a decade of squandered potential and faded dreams, the draft of 1999 turned out shallower than an infant’s paddling pool, yet despite being regarded as an acrimonious footnote in league history the draft of ’99 also served as an unlikely backdrop to one of the most meticulously engineered pre-draft coups ever.
Having only entered the Vancouver office si...
Unlike the awards that are given to forwards, which recognize both offensive and defensive aspects of the game, the Norris is the ONLY award given to defensmen. (OK...technically the Art Ross and Maurice Richard awards go to the forward OR defenseman with the most points or goals...but when was the last time a defenseman was at the top in those categories?)
I think it's...
In the Dark Knight, Aaron Eckhart said "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain". Metaphorically speaking, I think there is a lot of justification behind this quote and of course I can relate it to hockey and my New Jersey Devils. For the better part of two decades, Martin Broduer has been the face of the New Jersey Devils and GM Lou La...
Alot of people have been wondering who the Islanders will select 1st overall in the upcoming 2009 NHL Entry Draft. There have been some rumblings lately that Matt Duchene will be the pick. Should we believe them? I dont think so.
The bottom line is, when the Islanders select a player 1st overall on friday night, that player should be and will be John Tavares. When you a...
The artist formerly known as "The Long Distance Islander" relocated to the main page as your Tampa Bay Lightning correspondent over two years ago.
Please see my work there: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?blogger_id=90
JJ
Hello Sens fans!
Just some interesting stuff most of you probably know.
*Heatley
Bryan Murray has set a deadline for the trade to be completed. Murray want the deal done by the draft this upcoming weekend. Murray said if the organization has to give any more money to heatley then he will be playing in Ottawa in the fall. Murray also said there is one team that is v...
If Barack Obama is the people’s President, Judge Wapner was head of The People’s Court, and The Rock is the People’s Champion, then surely Steve Yzerman is the People’s Captain.
Yzerman had a long, 23-year NHL career. Not all of it was pretty, not all of it was good, but Yzerman left the game in 2006 as one of the most beloved players to have ever laced up a pa...
I consider Holmgren to be a smart guy, and a pretty good GM. Typically, smart people learn from mistakes, and Homer has a biiiiiiggg mistake staring him in the face. Obviously this is his cap managment. So as the title of my blog poses...
[b]*** What will it take to obtain JBo, and why would you do it? ***[/b]
Before i go into detail, this is a question i ask ...
We all know Sutter likes to make a splash at the draft, we also know in deep drafts he has traditionally traded down for more picks. What makes this draft a little different is that there is no first round pick next year to bank on. The schools of thought being trade down and get two okay guys or trade up and get a sure fire blue chip prospect.
In addition the Flames h...
Moving into the Calgary Flames thirtieth season, we as fans have been given hope for a chance to move forward from a disappointing end to a very promising season. Today at 3PM local Darryl Sutter has announced a new coaching staff for the Calgary Flames, bringing in his brother Brent Sutter, Former flames Dave Lowry and Jamie McLennan, and Former head coach of the Quad Cit...
Does the hiring of Brent Sutter really require another blog?
Probably not. I mean, this is one of those "worst-kept secrets" that gets attached with any story being leaked these days.
But the hiring of Brent Sutter is gonna get a blog.
Why?
Because this may go down as one of the most important moves Darryl Sutter has made during his tenure with the Calgary...
As the New York Islanders embark on a tough decision with the first pick in the draft, John Tavares will likely be heading to Long Island. The pressure on Garth Snow, the Islanders GM, will be great. With Snow being questioned about his qualifications to be a GM plus having control of a franchise whose future in Nassau County is up in the air. So the question is....do you ...
Brent Sutter was introduced as the new Head Coach of the Calgary Flames today; the 4th Head Coach in the past 5 seasons. As well Ryan McGill, Dave Lowry, and Jamie McClennan were named as Assistant coaches. A decision met with a lot of scepticism by the local media and fanbase, the Flames now have 5 Sutter’s working within the organization. General Manager Darryl, Dire...
As the draft seemingly slowly approaches it is the biggest question in Islanders Country, who will be the 1st overall pick? With rumors of John Tavaras dancing in most Islanders fan's heads and the hope that he will bring a cup to Long Island, it could be clouding what is really behind the exteriors of the "Big 3". Lets take a quick look at each of the "Big 3" in my eyes....
According to a recent post by Eklund the Rangers may be close to acquiring Dany Heatley from Ottawa. Here is what Eklund had to say, "* The Rangers are reportedly offering a deal that may include Chris Drury to the Sens for Dany Heatley. A source close to the scene in NY said that "There are major wheels in motion, and I believe Heatley to be a Ranger by Sunday."
Person...
approximately 2 days from now we'll know who the Leafs drafted with their first round selection. I have all the faith in Burkie (hence my Burke leafs jersey I purchased before he was announced as GM/President) but I do think he has a very tough task to complete in Montreal.
For Starters with all the media attention he has received over his stay up until now I can surel...
Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock will be named as Team Canada's head coach for the Mens Olympic hockey team at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. The decision was made by one of Babcock's former players, executive director, Steve Yzerman.
This had to be a lock with or without the presence of Stevie Y. Babcock has proven himself at the NHL level. He's been to the Cup ...
thejerseydevil writes...
An Open Letter to the Future Coach of the New Jersey Devils
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
An open letter to the future coach of the New Jersey Devils
Dear Future Coach,
First of all, welcome! You have just signed on for a job that requires seemingly no good reason to be fired. In fact, no Devils coach has lasted more than three years since Jacques Lemaire stepped down in 1998. Incidentally, if you happen to be Jacques Lemaire, welcome back—and please kn...
As we approach the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, I thought it might be fun to look back at Ranger’s drafts past. As we can all attest given the abysmal seasons in the late ‘90’s and early 2000’s, the Rangers haven’t always done a very good job of drafting and developing talent. Along the way though they drafted the pieces that helped bring the Stanley Cup to Manhattan. H...
5:45am
According to www.eliteprospects.com Sergei Fedorov has signed a two-year deal with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL.
source 1: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=da&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.metallurg.ru/news/48165/&rurl=translate.google.com
source 2: http://www.hockeysverige.se/news_show_nu-ar-det-klart---fjodorov-till-khl.html?id=7974389
gkmkiller writes...
Are the Leafs Really Considering Trading for Redden?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
According to a report in the Wednesday edition of the Toronto Globe and Mail, the Leafs may have an interest in Rangers over-priced Defenseman Wade Redden and also Boston forward Peter Schaefer. The report mentions that the the Leafs have the cap room necessary to accomodate both players and also that the interest in Redden might mean they are close to dealing Tomas Kaberl...
Please read this drivel before reading on:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2009/06/25/kelley_sutter_devil/
Let me respond if I may do so.
I'd be a whole lot more comfortable with your reaction if everything you wrote was not an anti Calgary blog or you worked for a network that has a slew of Oiler fans working for it. First of all, and I know this might be hard to ...
I here every one talking about a big trade or move coming the blues way. I think what’s on most of the fans minds are will it include sticking to the plan or straying from it. what I mean by that is will the blues be throwing some draft picks another teams way or will they put one of the young players up in a deal. I think most people who call them self a blues fan would...
"Sources tell TSN the Toronto Maple Leafs have received what the team considers to be a significant offer for defenceman Tomas Kaberle."
[url]http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=282846[/url]
Kaberle has been rumoured to a few teams in the past.
The Kaberle to San Jose rumours have been active for few years now.
This morning TSN reported that Toronto was interested in...
willytheleaf writes...
Just in case... Don't freak out if the Leafs trade down...
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It is my belief that the Leafs will not be trading up in this draft. The teams in front of them are just too desperate to get a highly touted prospect... The Islanders will go for the option of selling tickets before looking for the future of the franchise, and Tavares will probably go first... Even though to me, it looks like Duchene and Hedman look like they will develop...
July 1st is less than a week away and the NHL Entry Draft is hours away. Rumors seem abundant for 29 other teams in the NHL, while what little news regarding the Devils is scarce and broad. Is this another instance of the Devils living up to their reputation of confidentiality or Lou sitting on his you know what picking his fingernails?
I digress.
We all know who the...
There seems to be tons of blogs surrounding the Leafs/GM Brian Burke's pursuit of a higher pick ahead of Friday's NHL Entry Draft - very few of those blogs are actually analyzing the work that Burke has done thus far.
With the regular season coming to a close, Burke stated to the mass media that he would do anything and everything in his power to land the Islander's to...
Thanks for the welcomes on the first blog. In this one, I will take a relatively brief look at who the Rangers have drafted recently (see Gmkiller’s blog for a more detailed look at the draft over the years) and some prior 19th picks; how our recent selections might impact who we draft this year; possible candidates for the 19th pick and my choice.
[i][u][b]Prior Draf...
Thanks for the welcomes on the first blog. In this one, I will take a relatively brief look at who the Rangers have drafted recently (see Gmkiller’s blog for a more detailed look at the draft over the years) and some prior 19th picks; how our recent selections might impact who we draft this year; possible candidates for the 19th pick and my choice.
[i][u][b]Prior Draf...
landsharkhockey writes...
Falling Stars - Disappointing 2008 Performances
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Looking back again at the 2008-09 NHL season, there were a number of players who failed to deliver on fantasy hockey expectations. We'll ignore the situations that were due largely to injuries (Zubov, Brodeur, etc.). That's a topic for another day. These guys tanked unexpectedly and can't blame the medics. Here are the top 11 fantasy disappointments of 08:
[b]1. ...
This is only my second blog on this site and has to be short and sweet since I do not have much time. I just wanted to share my thoughts about which players the Sharks should keep, as well as hear some input from other Sharks fans.
I think there are only three players that I would be really upset to see go and they are:
1 - Dan Boyle: He is my choice for Captain next...
Tonight the heavily anticipated NHL entry draft will be held with the Islanders set to make their first overall pick. The three top candidates are well-known by now: John Tavares, Victor Hedman, and Matt Duchene.
The order in which they should be listed has been debated over the past several weeks with them shifting over and over again. My personal take is that if we dr...
Tonight at approximately 7:17 Eastern time, the Coliseum erupted. That was because Islanders GM Garth Snow announced to the world that the Islanders were selecting John Tavares first overall in the 2009 NHL Draft. The 10,000 people at the Coliseum shook the Coliseum like it hasnt been shaken in years. However, that was just the first step.
Now its time to get John to th...
Acquiring Chris Pronger seals up the back-end for next season. He is exactly what the FLyers missed this year: someone to clear out the middle and score goals from the point. Holmgren paid a steep price but realize that he did it to win now. Luca Sbisa will be missed, but ultimately was deemed expendable when Homer said he had reached a deal with MA Bourdon. Sbisa was proj...
It came as no surprise, Daryl Sutter trading down to the 23rd pick from 20 to pick up an additional 3rd round pick. This is interesting for a few reasons, Calgary already had two 3rd round picks and no 2nd round picks, they must have been comfortable that the guy they wanted would still be there three picks away so they traded. As soon as that trade went down, with guys li...
The Flyers mad a big splash today and landed Chris Pronger in a trade.
Smart move for the Flyers.
Flyer fans will start salivating the moment they hear of this news...visions of Crobsy getting crunched by Pronger along the boards...or Malkin getting hip checked as he tries to cruise through the middle of the ice.
Yep...they certainly have reason to think he will m...
I am just curious to know how many Canucks fans want the Sedins back and what your thoughts are on them signing a 12 year deal?
Also I still don't believe that Gaborik rumors, he is highly skilled. But Gillis likes grit and Gaborik has been prone to injury.
I have a weird feeling that Sundin will be back next season. I'd really like to see Wellwood back with a 2 ye...
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...
It is perhaps the most eniviable position to be in on draft day to be sitting at the table farthest from the draft stage. At that table sits the Stanley Cup champion. This year it was my beloved Penguins who had that honor, but I was not impressed with what they did from that position.
To be fair, I know little about the players that were selected by Pittsburgh. None of...
It is perhaps the most eniviable position to be in on draft day to be sitting at the table farthest from the draft stage. At that table sits the Stanley Cup champion. This year it was my beloved Penguins who had that honor, but I was not impressed with what they did from that position.
To be fair, I know little about the players that were selected by Pittsburgh. None of...
I have to start by saying that the 2009 Draft was the first one where I actually did some research beyond the top five prospects. I went full on, putting together a list of the players that I liked in the order I liked them, as if I was prepared to walk out to the draft table myself. The reason for this, aside from the fact that its summer and I find myself with quite a bi...
I dont see any possible way the Red Wings can retain Hossa without loosing significant assets in the form of Hudler, Fillpula & Stuart and only have 20 names on the roster every night. I am one of these long time Wings Fans that is ready for significant change.
I would like to see Draper and Holmstrom traded, as well as Maltby waived (cause no one would pay for him) an...
The 2009 NHL Entry Draft has the possibility of going down in the record books as a major turning point the turning point for the New York Islanders franchise. For a franchise who’s tank has been running on empty for quite some time, this draft brought along several things that the Islanders needed so direly: excitement, possibility, and relevance. Excitement, in the sen...
It's that dreaded time of the year when the excitement of the draft is over and the anticipation of July 1st for Free Agency day is just starting to kick in.
It should be a day of even more nervousness for Canucks fans, as it could be the end of an era here in Vancouver should the Sedin twins hit the open market and sign with another team. It's suspected that long-time ...
Ryane Clowe is apparently being shopped around by San Jose, and he is just the sort of guy who would fit into Brian Burke's mold for Toronto.
He's going to be 27 this year.
At 6' 2" 225lbs, a player who goes to the front of the net, does hit and often scores in bunches.
He has played first and second line duties and is very aware of checking responsibilities. Plus he h...
[img]http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2009/06/27/alg_tavares-cap.jpg[/img]A collective sigh, or booming scream from the 10,000 plus Coliseum crowd, was let out all at once when Garth Snow stood up at the podium to announce that the Islanders have selected John Tavares as the number one pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
From all the years the Islanders have walked up t...
Three seasons ago, it seemed pretty obvious where the best teams in the NHL lived...the Western Conference.
The Ducks had just beaten the Senators in 5 games to win their first cup. They appeared to be a team that could easily repeat. They were physical...mean even...and could score goals to boot.
While the Ducks did not repeat as champions, the Detroit Red Wings fin...
The draft is now over and despite Director of Player Personnel Gordie Clark’s belief that the Rangers would need to move up in the draft to secure the player the Rangers were targeting, no move up was made. As it turns out the Rangers didn’t need to move up as the player they were targeting, Chris Kreider, fell to them at #19 overall. The Rangers did make one trade bri...
Now that the dust and shockwaves have settled from the Pronger trade, now the Flyers must determine how to fill out the roster for 2009 - 2010. The glaring needs at the moment are backup goaltending, a 2nd or 3rd line right wing and a 4th line center who can actually win a faceoff. Compounding the complexity of the situation is the fact that the Flyers are only 4.5 - 5 m...
The Flyers headed into the offseason after a disappointing 1st round loss to the Penguins in the playoffs, perilously close to the salary cap ceiling and looking to add the pieces neccesary to compete with the Penguins in the years to come. GM Paul Holmgren felt comfortable with his forwards and addressed the goaltending position by adding KHL refugee Ray Emery. The Flyers...
Brian Burke has not publicly stated who he'll be targeting on July 1st, but logic dictates his focus will be deadlocked on Unrestricted Free Agents Mike Cammalleri or the Sedins.
After many critics--fans and writers alike--expressed their discontent towards Burke's inactivity at the NHL Entry Draft last weekend, you can bet Burke will be looking to make a big splash onc...
Rumors coming out of Newark are that Lou has negged Oduya's agent on the first round of offers. Too long of a contract from what I hear. Look for 2.5 to 3 TOPS for Johnny and around 4 years. His agent thinks he is Paul Coffey though, so this might be sticky. Its also been on the hush hush, even in Newark, as to who the Devils are looking to sign once free agency starts. Th...
While the highly anticipated trades, wheelings, and dealings that were expected at the NHL Entry Draft last Friday never materialized, there was a sense that a lot of teams ended up a lot closer to understanding just what they need to do come July 1st, the opening of the NHL's free agency transaction period.
Brian Burke, so frustrated at the lack of movement at the pro...
He’s been highly touted as the “best goaltender outside of the NHL” and has been rumoured to be coming over to the NHL to play next season. The 24 year-old has apparently been in contact with the Maple Leafs, Avalanche, Sharks, and Stars. We still don’t know where he’s going to end up, and it’s almost July 1st. Now, I’ve watched as much tape as I could possib...
I like the bold move in acquiring Pronger. Many people are saying that Philly overpaid for him. I do not agree in that assessment.
[b]What did they give up?[/b]
Lupul is an offensively skilled/defensively challenged winger on a team that has 9+ guys that can score. With Briere back Lupuls production is easily picked up since Danny is a much better scorer. Sbisa is...
So Rob Blake has re-signed in San Jose for 1 year, 3.5 million dollars.
I think it's a good deal. He is now making about the same as Vlasic and Ehrhoff, 1 million more than Doug Murray, and half as much as Dan Boyle.
This basically solidifies the San Jose defense with the following top 6 guys:
Boyle
Blake
Ehrhoff
Vlasic
Murray
Lukowich
I also think Blak...
Just wondering through written word, what my beloved hockey team will look like next season. With their reluctance to ever sign impact UFA's from other teams over the summer and their hesitation to tender contracts to their own UFA's thus far I dont see a marked improvement on last season. Unless some speculated signings are actually executed, this is not going to be a pre...
It's been confirmed by David Pollak that Rob Blake has agreed to a one year contract to return to the Sharks for the price of $3.5 mill.
[quote]Marcel Goc may be out the door, but Rob Blake is coming back for a second season with the Sharks.
The team signed the 39-year-old defenseman to a one-year deal that will pay him $3.5 million next season, according to a team s...
July 1st is tomorrow, folks. Where has the time gone? Not complaining, though, I couldn't be happier as I prepare to bask in the excitement of the Free Agency Frenzy.
Oh, and it's also Canada Day, too.
Brian Burke, after failing to make his mark at the NHL Entry Draft, will presumably have big plans for tomorrow. He loves the limelight, after all, so it wouldn't surpr...
Hey everybody, i've been on hockeybuzz for a while but rarely post. But after reading EVERYWHERE about all these "offseason plans" that people are coming up with its just ridiculous. Lets get real. We have no money to spend. The odds of trading Drury, Gomez, Redden and/or Rozsival are very slim to say the least. The only realistic one that could be moved may be Rozsival. D...
While he would never admit it, Ontario native Nazem Kadri must of felt a twinge of anger at how the biggest day in his life panned out. Treated like a high steak pawn at the 2009 draft where the dreams he worked so hard to achieve were to be realized, Kadri watched as a bitter Brian Burke failed to secure the vaunted trade northwards, then faced the ignominy of TSN analyst...
"The Monster" wants to wait past July 1 to decide - my take, he's hoping to see if one of his favored teams is active ....it could mean he wants to see who will play in front of him, or if it will be a Swede friendly dressing room, or which team will have the most available cash to offer him. It could also be a question of who is in front of him. I don't see Dallas making ...
Now I'm going to ask you guys, due to the harsh questions on my last blog. Okay, first you have to understand that I am NOT Glen Sather, a GM, or a hockey analyst. I am only a 12 year old kid, so no harsh comments on ANY blogs. Secondly, I have to ask you guys. Now the question is.... What would you do with the free agency for the Rangers?
Please post your comments belo...
Word is just coming in; Scott Gomez's time on Manhattan is at an end. Gomez was dealt today to the Montreal Canadiens with F Tom Pyatt and D Michael Busto in exchange for RFA Forward Chris Higgins and D Ryan McDonagh and D Pavel Valentenko. The Canadiens were known to be actively looking for a #1 Center and after exploring trade options for Vinny Lecavalier, appear to have...
Any other Sabre fans felling uneasy about what is about to go down @ high noon on July 1, 2009?
Well first off I think it is a complete joke that this week's guest on Sabres Lunch Express is none other than GM Darcy Regier. My first thought probally like most Buffalo Fan's is $#Y%@&%$#. You gotta be kidding me. Shouldn't this guy be earning his paycheck? NHL GM's h...
Just because Detroit lost this year, doesn't mean it won't happen again within the next 5 years with the solid core of players signed through that time period. Hossa needs to quit chasing the dream and settle down with a winning team.
I don't blame him for jumping ship last year on the Penguins. At that time, Detroit was the better team and every player was coming back...
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...
It would seem that what we have with the Dany Heatley situation is a high stakes game of chicken between Ottawa, the Rangers and Dany Heatley. Yesterday the Oilers agreed to trade a package of Andrew Cogliano, Ladislav Smid and Dustin Penner to the Senators in exchange for Heatley. According to TSN's Bob Mackenzie, Heatley has not yet agreed to waive his No Movement Clause...
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...
Since before the March 4 trade deadline the big question has been where will Jay Bouwmeester end up? The 25-year-old defenceman was involved in trade rumors that had him going to Philadelphia, but the deal never materialized. Then the question was with whom would he sign? Then we paused and remembered his rights could be traded at the draft for picks, which is exactly what...
MichaelBernard writes...
Extra!! Extra!! Devils Free Up $16 Million!!!!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Extra Extra!!! read all about it, Devils free up $16 Million!!! Lou has been slow playing the free agent market and I feel a youth movement in the works. Bringing it back to the old school, and making the "no names" New Jersey household names. Gio has been on the decline and I still dont know how Ebay isnt going under with all those extra Gionta jerseys floating around. M...
Ok, first I would like to say that resigning the Sedin twins was clearly the right move to make. Working on this extension with Lou, also a great idea and a huge piece of the puzzle. Now these were difinitely my main concerns with our team is the future of those huge components. Now, that being said where is the improvement? Gabs....gone Mike Cam....gone Brian Gionta....go...
What a difference a day makes, eh? Wow. I am still not really sure how I feel about all of the moves that Bob Gainey made over the last 48 hours. To be honest, I'm not sure what I expected Gainey to do. I guess if there's one thing I've learned over Gainey's tenure, its that you should always expect the unexpected!
Gainey seems to have a knack of zigging when you ...
I didn't expect much from Philly on day 1. Their big splash was made with the Pronger trade at the draft and quite frankly he was the biggest impact player to move over the last week.
Boucher is a great backup goalie can dominate and is a great insurance policy in case Emery is not the goalie he was a few years back. Ian Lapierre is a hard nose tough player that mak...
After comparing the stunning game 7 loss the Devils suffered to the Carolina Hurricanes and the events that occurred...well didn't occur at yesterday's free agency opening, I couldn't figure out when I was more speechless. Like many Devils fans yesterday, I experienced a whirlpool of emotions, emotions that lasted into today. I was frustrated, outraged, upset, stunned, mor...
I wrote a blog a few days after the draft, and quite harshly got ridiculed for suggesting that the Leafs would not be after the top-end talent available during yesterday's NHL free agent frenzy.
I suggested that Brian Burke, in all his common sense, would realize that now is not the time for the Leafs to sign big, while taking smaller, more rational steps would be the ...
Is that a knife in my back, or are you just happy to leave me? And by me, I mean us...and by us I mean Habs fans.
As much as the loss of Komisarek from the Canadiens lineup is hard to swallow, the way in which it was done makes it all the more painful. Now that the details are coming out, it is looking like Komisarek went to Toronto for a measley 2.5 million more than...
A great thing happened for the long-suffering fans of the Chicago Blackhawks last season. After years of futility brought about by poor management and a chintzy owner, the Hawks after capitalizing on several high draft choices and a few astute trades and free agent signings, qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Not only did they qualify for the playoffs but they made a ...
Heatley has asked for a trade, just not to Edmonton. Bouwmeester wanted to come to Alberta, just not to Edmonton. Those are the latest two players to put further black marks on the city of champions, a trend that started with Chris Pronger and his exodus from Edmonton.
This is not a rant about how much Edmonton sucks, because it doesn't, but there is a truth out there ...
I remember when only the best of the best could control potential movement. I remember when GMs would fight hard against the agent for a no trade clause and I remember when the media would yell and scream at the GM on behalf of the fans for not caving on the no trade clause.
Fast forward and just about every contract of significant value comes complete with a NO MOVE...
Though the 2009 NHL free agency period is just a day old, it's already become clear what the Devils' message is going forward.
Every year since the lockout, the trend has been the same. Have an outstanding regular season, clinch a playoff spot, possibly win the division, then proceed to play like garbage in the playoffs, leading to a first or second round exit. It's a b...
The big news in Ranger-Land yesterday was obviously the signing of former Minnesota Wild star sniper Marian Gaborik to a 5 year, $37.5 million contract. Here is the superstar forward that we need to help get us deep into the playoffs. The kind of offensive threat we missed from our lineup last year after the departure of Jaromir Jagr to the KHL. Look, $7.5 million-a-year i...
With Brashear and Gaborik signed to contracts, as it stands today, the Rangers have about $13.7 million of cap space to work with. This is what should happen with that money if we want to be Stanley Cup contenders.
-Sign the RFA's. This is a reasonable amount for each RFA.
Zherdev-2 years $3.25million per yr.
Higgins-4 years $2 million per yr.
Korpikoski-1 year $...
When John Ferguson Jr. took over as General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs I was hoping that he would bring the Leafs back to glory.....that didn't really happen. His first year saw the Leafs miss the playoffs for the first time since 1998, and long-time coach Pat Quinn fired after missing the playoffs by one point. It also saw Toronto buy out the contract of long-ti...
Or is the team a lot closer than most people seem to think?
This is just a rough draft ... sorry for misspellings (if any), but to me, this team isn't that far off top 6 in the conference!
Blake Grabovski Stajan
Tlusty Ponikarovsky Kulemin
Stempniak Bozak Mitchell
Orr Mayers Hanson
Kaberle Komisarek
Schenn Exelby
Van Ryn Finger
Toskala
Pogge*
*=if no...
As I was preparing to write up part two for the Islanders draft recap, I received an email from one of the readers of New York Islanders Net who knows our sixth round pick, Anders Lee, personally. Instead of keeping the draft recap a three part series, I decided to make it a four part series, with this entry focusing only on Anders Lee, and then picking up from there. Here...
With all the hype circulating around the draft, many, like myself, almost forgot that free agency was looming just a few days later. The Islanders were heading into July 1st with one real major concern, and that was finding a suitable back-up goaltender for Rick DiPietro. They did just that with Dwayne Roloson.
At first I was unsure of how I felt with the signing. He's ...
Maybe saying the flames are the next redwings might be a bit of stretch but there roster is looking good for many years. This years line up should contend for the cup and like the wings there team starts with a solid defense. Is boumeester, phanuef and regher, compariable to lidstrom, rafalski and krownwall ? or maybe the question should can they develop into that trio? go...
With news breaking about the Chicago Blackhawks possibly making a critical error in filing qualifying offers to Restricted Free Agents Cam Barker, Kris Versteeg, Ben Eager, Colin Fraser, Aaron Johnson and Troy Brouwer, I can’t help but think Brian Burke is salivating at the thought of acquiring two players who would strenghten the Leafs' core in an instant.
Those two ...
This all began about 4 weeks ago, when Dany Heatley requested to be traded out of Ottawa. He gave the Senators a list of teams he wished to be traded to. On that list, was the Rangers, Sharks, Kings, Bruins, Blues, Red Wings, Black Hawks, and Canucks. There was a ton of interest in the sniper, but Sens GM Bryan Murray claimed he "hadn't recieved a leginimate offer" for Hea...
[b]DANNY HEATLEY SAGA[/b]
NHLPA is standing behind Heatley. Well, technically he is not doing anything wrong. Morally is another story. When it comes to pure talent, I am one of his biggest fans. I love watching Heater play. I am a huge fan of his play, but right now I am not a fan of his attitude. When it comes to a player, I would like to be a fan of the hockey pla...
Well, this is my first "blog" on MyHockeyBuzz, so bare with me.
So for my first blog, I want to talk about what Mr. Gainey has done so far this off season.
The first day of free agency (as well as the day before) Gainey went on a spending spree improving this hockey team. There are some that believe that Gainey "overpaid" for the players that he brought in. But, when...
This is my first blog and I live and breathe flyers hockey so cut me some slack. haha After a disappointing first round exit at the hands of the pens, that saw the flyers get beat defensively and in goaltending, their main goal coming into the offseason was to improve the goaltending and blue line. Like many flyers' fans i was awestruck, angry, and about to start a lynch m...
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...
I know it is still early in the off-season, there are still lots of UFA signings and trades to be made plus all of the RFA’s need to be dealt with, but I thought it was still a good time to work on the “Off-Season Progress Reports for every team. I am only going to include the impact additions and subtractions. Today I start with the Eastern Conference, South Eastern D...
Jiri Tlusty.
Since the 20 year-old was drafted 13th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Leafs fans have had high hopes that Tlusty would be a diamond in the rough, and would eventually play a crucial role in the Leafs' top-six.
However, Tlusty has struggled somewhat at the NHL level, posting a disappointing 10 goals and 20 points in 72 games played. But, it's not as...
1. Dustin Boyd:
He's shown he can score, 11G and 11A in a limited 4th line grinder role, Can he play top 6?
2. The Flames D:
Seeing as it is very much stacked...
Nuef-J.Bo
Regher-Sarich
Pardy-Gio
Pelech
Can we afford to trade away Cory Sarich and his big contract? I mean I love the guy, but shedding salary, and maybe picking up a top 6 forward.
3 Lack of of...
Yet again we find ourselves four days beyond the start of the NHL Free Agency period, and yet again Sabres fans find themselves with very little encouragement to purchase tickets for the next season.
The story in previous years was that the Sabres need to not only make it to the playoffs, but also go multiple rounds for it to be possible to break even or potentially pro...
I remember when only the best of the best could control potential movement. I remember when GMs would fight hard against the agent for a no trade clause and I remember when the media would yell and scream at the GM on behalf of the fans for not caving on the no trade clause.
Fast forward and just about every contract of significant value comes complete with a NO MOVEMEN...
Let us take a quick look at the 09/10 Leafs depth chart and possible moves;
Goal
Toskala
Pogge
Defence
Komisarek Schenn
Kaberle Finger
White Exelby
Van Ryn Stralman
Oreskovic Frogren
Forwards
Hagman Grabovski Kulimen
Tlusty Stajan Ponikarovsky
Stempniak J. Mitchell Blake
O...
This is the second in a series of NHL Off-Season Progress Reports. Today I look at the Northeast Division and assign grades based on what has already been done and what still needs to be done. Of course there is still plenty of time for teams to plug holes so I’ll analyze what still needs to be done and how much cap room the team has left to fill those holes.
Boston
...
HabAve37 writes...
The New York Yankees of Hockey...tough to stomach for Habs
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[b]In Bob I trust...[/b]
It is a phrase that I have used over the past six years more than anyone else in this city. Unfortunately, no more. The truth is, Bob Gainey got rotten luck. He put together a team that should have competed for a Stanley Cup, filled with talent on all sides. Unfortunately, injuries, distractions, and regressions from young players led to yet ano...
Vesa Toskala will rebound after his abysmal display of goaltending last season.
The Finnish goaltender was among fan favorites in Toronto during his first season with the Leafs. His flashy, acrobatic style of goaltending proved to be succesful, as he was arguably the Leafs’ most valuable player in the 2007-08 campaign -- even ahead of Mats Sundin. Leafs fans were sing...
I conclude the Eastern Conference portion of Off-Season Progress Reports with the Atlantic Division. The Atlantic produced 4 playoff teams and the Stanley Cup Champions last season and once again some of the higher profile off-season moves were made in this division. Here’s my take on the progress of all 5 Atlantic Division clubs to date.
New Jersey Devils
In: Andrew...
sbtricky writes...
Ohh Canada - Early Predictions for Canada's '10 Olympic Team
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The "list" has been released, and save for a few surprise (and glaring!) omissions, most of the list is what any Canadian hockey fan expected to see. Sidney Crosby, Vinny Lecavalier, Chris Pronger, Roberto Luongo - just to name a few of the expected "locks" for the team. How will the rest of the team shape up after a disappointing 7th place showing in Turin, Italy?
Her...
Now that the Fourth of July weekend has come and gone, and what a great weekend it was all around, it is time to settle back into the work week, and more importantly, some Islander talk. That being said, let’s take a look at Part III of our Draft Recap: the goaltenders. Part I covered John Tavares and Calvin de Haan, while Part II focused solely on 6th Round Pick Anders ...
Montreal trades Christopher Higgins, Ryan McDonagh, Pavel Valentenko & Doug Janik to New York for Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt and Mike Busto.
Montreal landed their long sought-after #1 Centre on Tuesday, but it wasn't the Flying Frenchman that everyone expected. GM Bob Gainey felt the price was too high for Vincent Lecavalier and instead settled for an overpaid, underac...
There has been a lot of comparison lately between the summer of Sundin and this summer - the summer of "the Monster". But make no mistake about it, this is one heck of a tough decision for Gustavsson to make. The young goalie is still young...don't over-look that. At age 24, he has lost both parents - his mother very recently. He's been getting huge credit in Sweden for ...
Spacepawn writes...
Habs RFAs and UFAs Forwards Are Worth Less - Part 1 of 2
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens had the most players to re-sign or seek out this 2009 off-season. Might be a new NHL record to add to the list of Habs records. The team's GM, Bob Gainey, at the time of the NHL Draft, had 11 players signed and $33 million of cap space remaining. While some teams will be opting for minimum cap this coming season, Montreal will remain a contender for ...
Bob Gainey has almost finished his signings ( he’s apparently looking for another d-man and support player). With the arrivals of Gomez, Cammaleri, Gionta, Spacek and Gill, i feel the Habs decided a change of air in the player’s room was more than necessary.
Considering the team never really clicked last year, i don’t see these signings as negative impact chemistry...
Alexei Kovalev, formerly of the Habs, is the best remaining NHL free agent of the crop. Although it was widely reported on July 1 that he had agreed to a 2-year deal with Montreal with an annual salary of $4.4 or $4.5 million, this is clearly not the case. Monitreal has assembled their first line (Gomez/Gionta/Cammalleri) through free agency, and their is no room for Koval...
As I conclude my work day, I thought I'd kill off the last little with some random thoughts on various goings on in the NHL over the last few days.
Kovalev signing in Ottawa:
I think that might mean Heatley is going to be moved. Kovy's cap hit is going to make it almost impossible to stay under the cap unless they do. Too much money for Kovalev too.
Beauchemin signs...
NickBoston writes...
Thoughts on the Blues Offseason So Far, and NHL Free Agency
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Blues, coming off of last season's remarkable stetch run that led to their first playoff appearance since 2004, followed by a crash-and-burn effect in the first round of the playoffs against Vancouver, have seemed to be relatively quiet this offseason. Other than the typical few moves here and there to bolster depth, nothing has really stood out to me in what they've d...
Finally, part four of a four part series that has seen us recap the Islanders 2009 NHL Entry Draft. While it was somewhat successful for the most part, the two players we will look at today were somewhat off the charts for the Islanders and many other teams, however, they apparently have tremendous upside. Doesn’t it always seem as if the Islanders are taking the flyer p...
The ongoing issue pertaining to the Blackhawks and the delivery of RFA tenders has certainly piqued the interest of many, me included. However my interest doesn’t stem from my desire to necessarily add any of these RFA’s to my team; my interest is solely in the precedent that this decision will set. I can virtually assure you that this issue will rear its head again ei...
It is very difficult to predict how a team will perform during a season. I think this holds true for the New York Rangers. They were able to rid themselves of under-achieving Scott Gomez and were able to pick up Marian Gaborik and Chris Higgins which were two great moves for the team. These were good acquisitions but the signing of Donald Brashear for $1.4 million ...
[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2553/3699747582_f2a36b03b9.jpg?v=0[/img]
Pretty much sums up what most Flyers fans are thinking, huh?
With the recent signings of Cam Barker and Kris Versteeg to nearly identical 3 year contracts worth more than $9 million each, it appears that the Hawks have dodged the proverbial bullet with regards to the NHLPA grievance over the Hawks handling of the RFA tender notices. After all, if the players had any desire to test the market and consider offers from other teams they...
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
- ...
predram writes...
Pred Offense - Less stable than a Cowboys' practice facility
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Its safe to say that the Nashville Predators will once again be scrounging for goals, this for the 2nd straight season.
While the obvious next move for GM David Poile would obviously be a top 6 forward, its very clear that a move like such will not happen in the next few months. See, there I could have easily said that last sentence without "in the next few months". Mor...
HabAve37 writes...
A look back at last off-season, and ahead at disappointment
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I hate to be the bearer of bad news to Habs fans out there. Especially on the heels of such an emotional 24-hours in which we lost our inspirational captain, and our flame of offensive passion. It seems like just yesterday that I, for the first time in my short life, felt like I was in the presence of a true Stanley Cup Contender going into a season. Compared to the excite...
Spacepawn writes...
Habs RFAs and UFAs Forwards Are Worth Less - Part 2 of 2
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This is part 2 and final of a two-piece article writing about the value of Montreal Canadiens UFAs and RFAs from the 2008-09 season.
In part 1, I covered the big name Habs UFAs and compared them to the new recruits. In short, the value of the UFAs were on average lower than that of the new signings. And as the new signings are more or less all younger (exception is Ale...
Why is Zherdev looking for more money. $3.25 million is enough for an enigmatic forward who plays his hardest for about 1/4 of the games. He should put up with the money the money the Rangers qualified him at. If he refuses to sign for the $3.25 million I and the Rangers won't be expecting him back in Broadway Blue. I'll keep you posted as the Rangers RFA situation slowly ...
The New York Rangers sent qualifying offers to RFA's Dubinsky, Callahan, Korpikoski, and Zherdev. Callahan and Zherdev are scheduled to go into arbitration at the months end. A Swedish source close to the Korpikoski camp said the former 1st round pick was disgusted with the Rangers offer. Disgusted, if anyone should feel this way it is Blair Betts who the Rangers Faithful ...
We are now one full week into free agency and I thought it was a good time to take a look at where the Rangers are at as a team and in what directions they may look to further improve the team. To date, the Rangers have traded high-priced Center Scott Gomez to the Canadiens in a six player deal that landed the Rangers Forward Christopher Higgins and defense prospect Ryan M...
There are certain times of the year that I dread. Everyone has them. Unfortunately, mine coincide with hockey every year. The first time of year i dread is the NHL trade deadline. The second, came one week ago today, free agency in the NHL.
Being a loyal fan of the Sabres, I always get my hopes up. I think that the Sabres will do something to improve the team. However, ...
As expected, the John Tavares Press Conference today went rather smoothly and involved very little Q and A with the press. A very pleasing crowd of 350 fans arrived for the first free press conference the Islanders have held, while there was also a fairly large number of media and photographers. Situated right next to the opposing team's bench were Greg Logan of Newsday an...
Alright, time to get some frustrations of mine off my mind.
I've been browsing around the Canadiens' facebook groups recently, and I've been noticing people bashing #84.
The arguments about him is that he has not improved in three NHL seasons thus far. Um, last time I checked he was 22 years old, with size and plenty of upside. Give the guy time. Patience seems to b...
hockeyfan89 writes...
Canadiens get face lift , but still not looking that great
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well the dust has settled , and the once cloudy future of the Montreal Canadiens has become a bit clearer. With the clarity though comes a none to welcome sight . The Montreal Canadiens , after years of conservative spending , have for once spent to much .
With the handing out of several large contracts, the most notable being the 5 year 25 million dollar contract to G...
Although I did enjoy watching the Blackhawks have a great run this year, especially considering I am a huge fan of Patrick Kane, I was still keeping a close eye on the RFA situation that has been playing out over the past several days in hopes that it could benefit the Islanders. I am sure many of you have been doing the same as well. Yes, call me selfish all you want for ...
It's been a little while since I've posted a blog... and I have a number of ideas and thoughts on the current state of the Calgary Flames that I would like to address when I find the time...
For now, I want to focus on the tampering allegations toward the Toronto Maple Leafs in regards to the Sedin twins.
I really feel these allegations by the Vancouver Canucks ha...
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...
I tend to be a very stubborn guy typically, one who has trouble reconsidering my opinion once I feel strongly enough about something to have one. Imagine my surprise as that is precisely what I’ve found myself doing over the last couple of days; I’m reconsidering my take on Nik Zherdev. As recently as 3 days ago I was ready to watch Little Nikky leave town with his tai...
As I looked at NHL.com to check the free agent tracker, and with anticipation, saw that Buffalo had made a move. Then I saw, that it was Matt Ellis who had returned to Buffalo for another season.
I was impressed with Ellis last season. When he was on the ice, he gave 110%. He may not score a ton of goals, but no one can argue the effort he puts forth on the ice. Ellis ...
As a small time blogger, I often hear what is wrong with the League and what fans want to do fix it. What do you think was the biggest complaint I heard? Out of all the dangers in the League, people had the most problems is with the inconsistency of the refereeing.
The biggest problem that the fans are having with the refs how can one play earn a penalty one game and n...
Alright guys, bear with me here, this is my first time blogging so I may make some mistakes here and there, but I figured, hey, why not start out with a topic that I love? That topic being the Nashville Predators.
Now, moving on to the specific topic itself:
In my honest opinion, I believe the Predators have positioned themselves quite well so far this offseason. ...
HI everyone I hope you are having good summers.
If you are in hockey withdrawal, I would like to suggest attending your local prospect camp. These camps are generally free to watch. You get to see your future players and new draft picks.
Flyers prospect camp as a special event at the Jersey shore. It is called Trial on the Isle.
The players split into 3 grou...
Do we even have one....I mean common were going to be way under the cap.....with all these rumors going aroun....frankily I'm getting sick of it.....do something....we have holes fill them
When we look at the projected Islanders line-up for next season, we are able to notice two things: several important overall changes and several gaping holes that still remain. Obviously the addition of John Tavares will be a pleasant change to an offensively starved lineup, as long as he can transcend his OHL scoring abilities to the NHL level. Besides his marketability, ...
Incase any of you WNY or Southern Ontario Flyers or Leafs fans are interested. Bernie Parent is signing autographs tonight @ Sports Collectors corner in the Fashion out let mall in Niagara Falls, NY (USA)
here is a link for details. Thought i would pass it on.
[url]http://buffalo.craigslist.org/eve/1259975758.html[/url]
With the most recent signing of two Swedes by Burke and the need remaining appearing to be scoring and penalty killing, look at the following names.
Huselius is apparently on the block in Columbus for a puck moving defenceman.
The sticking point is that the Jackets want to save salary after doing the big Nash deal.
A checking player with speed, possibly Blair Bet...
RinkLighter writes...
The Biggest Change for the Flames Isn't that New D-man...
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The biggest change this year for the Flames isn't going to be the loss of Cammy and Bertuzzi. Or Aucoin. (And certainly not Vandermeer.) Or the dependence on youngsters due to cap issues.
It isn't even going to be the signing of J. Bo.
It's going to be Brent Sutter.
He's going to (hopefully) bring the structured system and accountability this team has been so...
Blog #3, maybe this one will actually appear on ‘myhockeybuzz’ or on Eric Engals’ page!
Basically, I am here to continue my unfortunate stream of pessamistic emails, and to tell you exactly why I believe that the Montreal Canadiens will not win a cup in the next five years, and why exactly I hated the Gomez trade.
First of all though, I will say that I liked th...
gou23 writes...
Eastern Conference Standings for 2010 Who's Up, Who's Down
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Eastern Conference final stadings from last year
1 -Boston 116
2 -Washington 108
3 -New Jersey 106
4 -Pittsburgh 99
5 -Philadelphia 99
6 -Carolina 97
7 -NY Rangers 95
8 -Montreal 93
9 Florida 93
10 Buffalo 91
11 Ottawa 83
12 Toronto 81
13 Atlanta 76
14 Tampa Bay 66
15 NY Islanders 61
This year we should see a few teams flip flop with some new...
First off, let me just say that Eklund's rumours have some truth to them. The truth lies in that, assuming his sources are good, a certain team has interest in a certain player and has contacted the player or the team owning the rights to that player. Whether talks or counter-offers are part of it will up the rating on the "E system". For example, when the rumours of Ovech...
I just want to start by saying that some of you sabre fans should really be ashamed of yourself. People are being very critical of the Sabres Brain trust which is very understandable, but you really look at everything that has Transpired since the Lockout, the Sabres have had a plan. they established a team out of the lockout that was structured for the new NHL and play...
HI everyone Flyers prospect camp fell during my busiest week of the summer.
I had the pleasure to go Friday and Sunday.
Friday the Orange team again beat the very talented black 2-1.
Today the black team won in a shoot out care of Mr Dingle.
Pat Maroon continues to dominate during this camp. He really is a presence there.
Riopel and Morrison did excel...
I just got back from vacation to see the horrid Kotalik signing. Sather just shot the Rangers in the foot (more like heart) with this move. That should have been used to sign a center, not an underachiever.
Now what should the dummy do? We need a center, but that doesn't get through his thick skull. I mean Kotalik has a lethal shot and will fit into the Torts system but...
I apologize for being away from the site all weekend. It was a very nice weekend here on Long Island, and I made sure to take advantage of it to the fullest. While I was gone, I did receive a decent number of emails asking for some opinions on some things related to the Islanders, so I figured instead of answering each one individually; I would answer them through the blog...
By Glen Miller
Today I thought it would be fun to look at some of this week’s UFA signings and how they may impact this coming season. Granted, most of the top signings occurred in the first 3 – 4 days of unrestricted free agency, but there were some interesting signings this week; some that affect the Rangers....
To read the rest of this article, please go to Ne...
I understand the Islanders wanting/needing to rebuild with young talent. The problem is that they have very little young "talent". If you look past Bailey, Okposo and Tavares, there is absolutely no young talent what-so-ever.
Bergy is nothing that we thought he would be, Neilsen is OK at best and Tambo is a complete failure. I don't mind these guys being on the team,...
Garth Snow and the New York Islanders entered the offseason with quite a bang. The anticipation and excitement leading up to the draft party, the draft party itself, the selection of John Tavares, and the signing of a quality netminder in Dwayne Roloson all helped to give Islander fans a sense of rejuvenation and renaissance. However, since then, all has been pretty quiet ...
Does it really Feel like Ten Years ago When our Hearts Were Broken by a Foot. Even Though it was Game 6 it just Felt if the Sabres were Able to Stave off Elimination that the Cup would have been ours.
Brett Hull- two words NO GOAL
Many people say that sabres fans should quit making such a big deal about this, well Im going to revisit this Fiasco. If in fact th...
Kamal Panesar writes...
A Farewell to Kings - Goodbye Koivu and thank you....
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Saku Koivu era, in Montreal, is officially over. Sadly, he went out with a whimper and not a roar. Left unsigned and not tendered an offer by the only organization that he had ever played for, Koivu had no choice but to ride off into the sunset. Not by his choosing, of course, as Saku would still be a part of the Montreal Canadiens organization if it was up to him.
...
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 ...
With the dust seemingly settling around the NHL, I figure what better time than the present to evaluate the Leafs roster and make some predictions, as it stands today, heading into next season. If nothing else, should be entertaining.
I'll play Burke and build from the net out.
[b]Toskala[/b] - After a year shortened by an injury that many argue affected his play, To...
Terms of deal are unknown but he has re-signed with the team. Good news finally for us Ranger fans.
On May 13, 2006, during the first overtime of game 5, Jason Pominville sped past Daniel Alfredsson while Jay McKee was in the penalty box, and scored on Ray Emery to send the Sabres into the Eastern Conference Finals. However, disaster loomed for the Sabres, as 4 of Buffalo's 6 starting defensemen would become injured during that the series against Carolina.
Now, I'm no...
Enver Lisin is now a NY Ranger. He comes from Phoenix for Lauri Korpikoski, who never hit his stride as a Ranger. Lisin netted 13 goals and put up 8 helpers on a financialy troubled and offensively lousy Coyotes team. In my opinion it is a great move by Glen Sather. Lisin is an RFA and can be used as trade bait to lure in the #1 center to feed Gaborik the puck. I do believ...
The latest information to hit my desk!
According to Mr. Leopold a Hockey Rumor Buzz Correspondent Simon Gagne of the Philadelphia Flyers 29 years old, may be heading to the Hab's, but for who, for what he makes no mention of. If Gagane is moved at all I ask what is his worth to Montreal. Leopold raises the fact that a Gagne move to Montreal could cost the Flyers another...
With the coming and passing of the prospect development camp, Pred Nation has buzzed and talked highly of the caliber of the prospects present this summer. This prospect class has been deemed as a group full of talent and potential and seemed to impress everyone from the coaches to the fans. Through the work of Paul and Brandon, even those who were not able to make an ap...
By Glen Miller
Today the New Jersey Devils have announced the hiring of Jacques Lemaire to take over the reins of the club that he originally led to their first Stanley Cup, which was won in 1995. This was long rumored since Lemaire left the Wild organization after coaching that program since its inception in 2000 and also since Brent Sutter left his post as Devils head...
Off the top I'd Like to say that I Love the Winter classic and I will watch no matter what teams are playing, but with that said the game should be directed towards the non-typical hockey fans and Markets. The NHL doesnt have the Luxury of having 15 to 20 National games a week, the have 15 to 20 national games a YEAR, so having this game in the National Spot light is hug...
Michael Lindow
July 14, 2009.
Toronto – It has been less that a year since Brian Burke took the reigns as the Toronto Maple Leafs President and General Manager but already the team has a new look and some much needed optimism in a city that was starved for it. Having to clean up the mess left behind by the previous GMs John Ferguson Jr. and Cliff Fletcher Burke stil...
Hey guys! Just wondering what you guys would think about bringing back Brendan Shanahan. Maybe 1 year 1 million. Tell me what you think.
For my inaugural blog I want to start things off with a radical headline such as:
“Stanley Returning to Oil Country in 2010”
Unfortunately a title that unbelievable would only appeal to fans living in a fantasy world and, since Edmonton doesn’t look much like middle earth last I checked, I’ve been struggling to think up a more realistic headline.
“Why...
Michael Lindow
July 14, 2009.
With Tomas Kaberle being the last of the “Muskoka Five” to remain with the Toronto it is time to turn the chapter and move him and put the past Leaf horrors behind us. Mats Sundin, Darcy Tucker, Bryan McCabe and now Pavel Kubina are all but a distant memory leaving us with just Grant Exelby, Colin Stuart and Mike Van Ryn to show for wh...
[img]http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs130.snc1/5573_660449596708_15724929_38449161_3910193_n.jpg[/img]
Rule #1: Success Breeds Success
This seems to be a rule that Sabres GM Darcy Regier has forgotten. For the past two seasons, Regier has failed to recognize that veteran leadership is so crucial to the success of a hockey team. The Sabres are a prime ex...
Ah, mid-July. The time of year when its very easy to get away from all things hockey related. Free agency has died down to a trickle, and most players and executives are on vacation. It's the time of year when a mid-scrimmage fight at prospects camp becomes the top headline on a team's website. Except of course, if you're the New Jersey Devils, who still did not have a hea...
LW C RW
Higgins Dubinsky Gaborik
Callahan Drury Kotalik
Grachev Anisimov Avery
Lisin Boyle Brashear
D D
Staal Girardi
Roszival Redden
Gilroy Del Zotto
This ...
LW C RW
Higgins Dubinsky Gaborik
Callahan Drury Kotalik
Grachev Anisimov Avery
Lisin Boyle Brashear
D D
Staal Girardi
Roszival Redden
Gilroy Del Zotto
This ...
LW C RW
Higgins Dubinsky Gaborik
Callahan Drury Kotalik
Grachev Anisimov Avery
Lisin Boyle Brashear
D D
Staal Girardi
Roszival Redden
Gilroy Del Zotto
This ...
A few years ago Darcy Regier faced some important decisions when addressing his pending unrestricted free agents. The first test was Drury and Briere then a season later it was Brian Campbell. The final test came when he matched the Edmonton Oilers offer sheet for Vanek.
Looking at back at all the scenerio's Darcy paid the one guy that was worth the money he signed ...
http://islesnet.blogspot.com
As you can tell, it has been quite the confusing day or two for Islanders fans in terms of the Alex Tanguay race. As of yesterday morning, there were about ten different opinions floating around the hockey blogosphere as to which teams were still in contact with Tanguay and his agent. I figured it would be an appropriate time to organize the...
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been active in the free agency period to say the least. Signing Komisarek, Beauchemin, Orr, Gustavsson, Wallin, and Kadri. Trading Kubina and Stapleton for Exelby and Stuart. And of course the makeover of certain staff led by arguably the best goalie coach in Francois Allaire. However do not think for one second that Burke is done. Not even clo...
[img]http://www.thehockeynews.com/imgs/dynamique/photos/original/article_12553_2.jpg[/img]
Someone asked me a fair question the other day: Is Buffalo Sabres #26 Thomas Vanek a superstar? After 4 years of NHL play, can Vanek be considered in the same league as Ovechkin, Crosby, Datsyuk, Malkin, Zetterberg or Iginla? To that question, I'd have to say, "No". But can he g...
Checked out the Sabres development camp last week, here's some quick thoughts:
-Myers and Weber were a defensive pairing throughout camp, and both played like, you guessed it, "men among boys". Calm, cool and collective, they looked NHL ready.
-Butler also played very well, and after his call up last season, looks to be an obvious lock for a roster spot next seaso...
Danny Heatley will not be making a decision today. I have conformation that Heatley will not be making a decision tonight and probably not in the near future. Danny still wants to explore every option before making a decision on Edmonton.Reports are that Edmonton has set a deadline for Heatley to accept a trade to the team bringing up rumours that Heatley would make his de...
Article taken from:
New York Islanders Net - http://islesnet.blogspot.com
Although the dog days of summer are here, it has been quite easy to continue the hockey talk considering the number of free agents that are still available, and the numerous trade winds that all seem to be blowing in the New York Islanders direction. Obviously, as I mentioned in a previous articl...
Today I have to ask you guys what you think we can get out of Nik Zherdev in a trade. I have 10 trade possibilities. Here they are.....
1. Rozsival, Zherdev, Locke, Dupont 2010 2nd round to Dallas for Brad Richards and Stephane Robidas.
2. Zherdev, Roszival, Crowder to Atlanta for Bryan Little and Eric Boulton.
3. Zherdev, Rozsival, Dupont to Florida for Cory Stil...
Hockey is a business, you hear it all the time and it is true at least at the professional level.
As team President, John McDonough is directly responsible to Rocky Wirtz. He oversees the administrative side of the Hawks. Wirtz is the Chairman of the Board, the man with the money as it were. Wirtz delegates the responsibility of running the organization to McD and becau...
Perhaps life in Edmonton is cold in winter, but I am one Oil fan who would rather live without a Heater.
There is no way to know just what exactly the Oilers and Dany Heatley are waiting for. Media reports suggest that Dany hasn't given a definitive yes or no to playing in Edmonton - That his reaction to the attempted trade was on hold until more teams made offers to Ot...
2007 Blues' first round draft pick, and highly-touted defensive prospect Ian Cole has decided to stay at the University of Notre Dame for his Junior year, instead of joining the St. Louis Blues for the upcoming 2009-10 season.
Cole recently had a meeting with General Manager Larry Pleau, Team President John Devidson, and team scout Al MacInnis to discuss his immediate f...
Boston gm has said he has no plans on trading Kessel. The problem with that is they only have 3.5 million in cap space with 21 players signed. In order to keep him they must get rid of contracts to clear up the money. My bets are on Kessel is traded this summer. I really do not expect it to be soon though. Boston will carefully consider all options and will wait until they...
Dallas gm Nieuwendyk has suggested that Zubov could be offered a contract from the team if he can pass a few tests first.
The defenseman's agent claimed nine teams have expressed interest in his client. I wont rule out zubovs return to Dallas but im hearing the Islanders have become very interested
1. Washington-Ovie will want revenge. Team still intact but even better.
2. Philadelphia- With the addition of Pronger on the blue line, they will be tough to beat.
3. Boston- Recchi wants one last chance although the Bs need to sign Kessel and Yelle.
4. Pittsburgh- Pronger will haunt but not enough to quiet Sid, Malkin, and the defending champs.
5. NY Rangers- Goodbye...
KUNITZ. CROSBY. GUERIN
FEDOTENKO. MALKIN. ADAMS (TALBOT when he returns)
COOKE. STAAL. KENNEDY
DUPUIS. RUPP. GODARD (ADAMS when TALBOT returns)
GONCHAR. ORPIK
LETANG. MCKEE
GOLIGOSKI. EATON
FLEURY. CURRY
(MCKEE-ORPIK) would be a replacement line for (GILL. SCUDERI)
[img]http://www.darcyregiersucks.com/images/tx.regier.jpg[/img]
Two weeks of free agency now completed! Buffalo has done little to improve their chances of making the playoffs this year. General Manager Darcy Regier has made two moves since the free agency period has started. While all the other teams are making numerous moves and acquiring all of these big name playe...
With the recent pick ups of Fredrik Sjostrom, Brian McGrattan and now it looks like Nigel Dawes, Darryl Sutter is following his usual routine of sneaky pick ups during the summer season.
Looking at the three less than flashy pickups, as opposed to J-Bo, each one can offer a great upgrade at their position.
Knowing Sutter’s history over the past five plus seasons h...
Rumor has it, The Vancouver Canucks are in trade talks with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Newly appointed GM Bowman is looking to make a few changes, and free up some highly needed cap space.
Speculating what might be sent in return for these two,
To Hawks,
Cory Schneider
Rick Rypien
1st round pick 2010
To Canucks,
Barker
Byfuglien
Why the canucks would do ...
All fans anticipated the release of the 2009-2010 season schedule. Again, the Buffalo Sabres have an intriguing schedule ahead of them. Numerous exciting match-ups lay ahead in the upcoming months.
There are a few clutch points in this season that will make or break Buffalo's season. The months of December and March contain the most games for Buffalo. This will test Bu...
This is from my blog at hfboards......
"I don't know why the Rangers aren't considering this...... How about Derek Roy? The dude puts up 30 goals a year and has a set of wheels. How about this....
Rozsival, Zherdev, Anisimov, Sauer to the Sabres for Derek Roy(4 mil) and Nathan (1 mil)Paetsch. The Rags shed about $7 million and take $5 million, leaving $6million to si...
FLAMESTR writes...
Weekly notes ( Flames, Oilers, Habs, Hawks, Leafs,Panthers)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]Edmonton Oilers
[/b]
To much of my disapproval, the Oilers did not get Hossa , nor has Heatley consented to becoming an Oiler. Which really surprises me, because I really thought that one of those two players would have become an Oiler. The Oilers did pick a solid goalie, though, in Khabby. It was really refreshing to hear a player wanting to go there. The Oilers real...
gonna keep the pissing and whining relatively short and sweet ... but gotta love how 99% of blog feedback on this site is negative ... keep it up guys ... like obviously you enjoy reading other people's thoughts and views or you wouldn't be doing it ... or wouldn't be on this site at all .... but the fact that all i got on the last blog "player by player" that i wrote was ...
Rebuilding, back stepping, reloading, call it what you want. It is evident the Devils approached this off season with the intentions of instilling a youth movement and seem to be going through with it. Fans were outraged as players like Brian Gionta and John Madden signed elsewhere, while the Devils stood pat since July 1st. After realizing Lou Lamoriello's plans for the t...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Habs 2009-2010 NHL Schedule: Lots of storylines....
Posted Friday | Comments 0
So the 2009-2010 NHL schedule has been released and all the happenings in Montreal, over the last 12 months, mean that there are a ton of games to look forward to and a ton of story lines to follow. All of the games, listed below, are ones where the storyline exists due to the presence of one player. Here is my take on a few games that stand out:
Thurs, Oct. 1, 2009 -...
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...
It's becoming obvious that Oilers management are losing their patience with the Dany Heatley situation, as they have began signing their RFA's.
While Edmonton made the qualifying offers they needed to, the bigger names are still yet to be signed. The only significant cap hit to sign is Denis Grebeshkov, and he has filed for arbitration. My guess is that the Oilers and G...
Hi everyone. This is my first blog on Hockeybuzz. I plan to write one or two blogs per week, one on the Maple Leafs, and one on the Blackhawks. Well, enough of that. I believe the Maple Leafs have a decent chance of making the play-offs this season. I mean, I don't expect them to be at the top of the conference, but I could see them finishing 7th or 8th. Their defense shou...
I'm sure many of you would agree with me? Dale Tallon took the Hawks from one of the worst teams in the league, to one of the best. He completely re-built the Hawks the professional way, and deserves full credit for it. However, the only thing he got was a stab in the back. I understand that John McDonough believes Bowman is the man for the job, but statistics don't lie, t...
Rumors persist that Burke has offers for other Dmen not named Kaberle coming in.
It would seem wise to retain Kaberle at his cap hit and given the lackluster offensive abilities of Toronto's truculent defense. The key is to turn a 4-10 defenceman with other parts into a "top 6" forward
Given Chicago's cap situation and the recent firing of Tallon regarding that cap ...
Eklund has suggested that a deal trading Kaberle to Vancouver is almost complete. I like this move for the Canucks but can only wonder: what are the Leafs actually getting out of this? Assuming that the Leafs are in the market for a young top-six forward, it confuses me when I don't actually see any such players on the Vancouver roster not named Cody Hodgson.
Apologie...
Many Sabres fans are wondering these days, who if anyone is running (ruining) the Buffalo Sabres team. After another dissapointing free agency period, Buffalo came away with no names worth getting too excited about. Trades can still be possible, in fact I can almost guarantee the Sabres will make a move or two. Probably soon. But for right now, this is the Sabres line...
A noted sports journalist in Edmonton commented recently that the team may be forced into beginning the upcoming season with their current roster. For Oil fans, the thought of watching the Oilers go through another season like last is as appealing to watch as a Celine Dion concert marathon in HD on Valentine's Day, when your mother-in-law is in town. But the question is, w...
Hello Hockeybuzz world!
My name's Andrew - I am a hardcore Pittsburgh Penguins fan, obviously very excited for our Cup win this past year and in general happy about the direction of our team! I am also a fan of the Phoenix Coyotes (YES, PHOENIX... not any other city, thank you). I live in a small suburb of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area that is within 15 miles of Jobing...
The summer started off with the possibility of the Islanders not selecting John Tavares first overall and taking either Victor Hedman or Matt Duchene. But they did what was right and took the kid who has been watched and predicted for the past four years to go at the top with their first choice. Since then the Isles have been rumored to be in on the Sedin twins, Mike Komis...
I figured I would be like everybody else and talk about the schedule. So, for all of the Sabres fans, here is a quick look at the upcoming year.
The Buffalo Sabres will open the regular season on Saturday, October 3rd against Montreal. Buffalo will quickly get to see Jaroslav Spacek back at HSBC arena. The first road game of the season will be the following Saturday whe...
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...
With all the hysteria by a few Canucks fans on the Leaf Blogs these past few days, I thought I might try to inject my 7% solution into the potential trade of Kaberle to the Canucks.
First, my take on Kaberle: HOLY CRAP!!! GET HIM, GET HIM, GET HIM, GET HIM!!!!!!!!
Uh sorry, did I say that out loud? Oops. Anyway, about Kaberle: He is not just a 'puck moving defenseman...
So I log into Hockeybuzz this morning and read a massive apology regarding Tanguay to Florida, and the (e5) rating given to the potential signing. By the third paragraph, I couldn't believe my eyes.
One of the things that has always confused me about this web page is the amount of bashing contributing writers get. Thanks to the concept of democracy and freedom of speech...
Here are 3 deals that will help out the Rangers.....
1. Rangers get: Patrick Sharp, Kris Versteeg
Blackhawks get: Michal Rozsival, Nikolai Zherdev, Brodie Dupont
2. Rangers get: Matt Stajan, Ian White
MapleLeafs get: Nikolai Zherdev, Dan Girardi, 2nd round pick
The last one is a three way
3. Rangers get: Mikko Koivu, Antti Miettenen
Senators get:...
A lot of rumors have been swirling lately about the state of the Calgary Flames. With Darryl Sutter making moves left and right this off-season, most notably the acquisition of Jay Bouwmeester, fans and analysts alike have raised the question 'is Dion Phaneuf on his way out of Calgary?'
Now before we jump to conclusions let's review the situation the Calgary Flames are ...
Daniel Briere has been a member of the Philadelphia Flyers for 2 seasons now. Over the last two years, many Flyers fans have been debating and quarreling over whether or not Briere is a) living up to his contract and b) whether or not the Flyers should deal him. Currently, Briere has 6 seasons left at an average of 6.5 mill on his hefty contract, and many are still wonderi...
BUFFALO — This October the cold, brisk air will surround HSBC Arena. The 2009-10 Buffalo Sabres will be on the ice in front of their typical sold-out crowd. All 18,690 will be in their seats while viewers across Western New York and beyond will be tuning in to Rick Jeanneret. The whistle will blow, the puck will drop and Sabres hockey will begin again!
But not yet.
...
Flames fans are excited again. The excitement flows from the off season moves by the Flames management team and it's acquisition of recognizable names, even if most of the names are just bound for Abbotsford. Some of the questions that we will likely get the answer to soon are:
Q: Is Cammalleri's scoring replaceable on the power play?
A: The hope would be the power pl...
Michael Lindow
July 20, 2009.
Being a Leaf fan it is impossible not to get emotionally attached to players wearing the blue and white. Jerseys with Palmateer and Roberts names on the back still hang in my closet with Gustavsson about to join the ranks. Salming, Markov, Sittler and Zezel all stir up emotion when their names are mentioned but for the life of me I will ne...
The hockey world is pretty much at a stand still right now so I decided to take a page out of Eric Engels' book and pose 5 questions for the Preds this upcoming season, all of which you are more than welcome to answer.
1. Will the Predators add a top 6 forward between now and the 2010 trade deadline?
2. How long do either David Poile or Barry Trotz last, in months (f...
I took some time this morning to listen to an interview between Oilers Assistant GM Kevin Prendergast and Dan Tencer, from the voice of the Oilers, 630 CHED radio. Entertaining? Perhaps. Enlightening? No.
Slightly below the interview link the Oilers have also posted a blog written by Bob Stauffer, Color Analyst from 630 CHED. His piece is more entertaining than the Tenc...
NickBoston writes...
A Look at Free-Agent Defensemen...Are the Blues Interested?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It's the question Blues' fans seem to be asking these days...
What about the defense, and are the Blues going to trade for/sign a puck-moving defenseman?
It's something the Blues have sorely missed since the days of Chris Pronger and Al MacInnis. Let's face it...they haven't had one since that time. The draft pick of Erik Johnson in 2007 was specifically designed to...
As the off-season winds on we are starting to see more teams signing veteran journeymen to provide organizational depth. Much like the Rangers earlier signing of Tyler Arnason, these moves may not pay dividends to the NHL roster but can provide teams with veteran role players to fill in at the NHL level in case of injury and also offer AHL prospects a veteran mentor to sho...
[b]By Glen Miller[/b]
New York Islanders Net
Compared to most teams, the Islanders’ off-season has been very quiet. While that might upset some Islanders fans and would certainly upset the fans of most every other NHL club, this is certainly the best move for the team. After several years of losing and trying to bring in veteran players to boost the club’s fortunes...
As reported in the [i]Star Ledger[/i], with no agreement in sight, it looks like the Devils and Travis Zajac are headed for arbitration this Friday. 24-year old Travis Zajac is coming off a career year after tallying 20 goals and 62 points. He's been lauded for his astounding chemistry with Zach Parise, and is rendered as someone who would be in Jersey long term.
How ma...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Sanford to Montreal...a depth move or something more?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
On the surface, the Habs picking up Curtis Sanford, on a two-way contract, appears to be a solid depth move. Sanford has shown that he can be a capable back-up goaltender in the NHL while also being at a level where he is comfortable going up and down between the NHL and AHL. While I'm sure playing in Hamilton is not his first choice, right now that looks like the place ...
Greetings fellow Hawks Fans! I apologize for the length of this blog in advance as it is directed mainly towards fans who may not know what's been going on with the cap situation. Feel free to read or not to read. And that wasn't a question.
I write to you this morning to express my shared excitement for one awesome hockey club out of the windy city. Not only should fan...
The Blues and defenseman Steve Wagner have come to terms on a one-year contract.
The new deal is a two-way contract, which means he'll earn $575,000 in the NHL with the Blues, or $75,000 in the AHL with Peoria.
The 25-year old defenseman will most likely begin the season in Peoria. At times, though, he has shown flashes of being a capable defenseman at the NHL level....
Canes bloggers are now active daily on Canes Country. Where's Matt during the dog days of summer. We miss the commentary! There is a lot to discuss.
So as it turns out, Martin Biron was indeed able to find a home before the end of the off season.....
Unfortunately, he found his home with one of the worst clubs in the NHL...
Yes, the Islanders are in the middle of a "rebuilding phase," but I, for one, am having a tough time trying to reason the signing of a THIRD veteran goaltender to a team that has less than ade...
- 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...
KevinJames writes...
The Difference Between Lalime and Biron: 400K For 25 Wins
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7Ukm-B3o-WI/ReR310YSOMI/AAAAAAAAAks/x-Gg9gWv0So/s320/MartinBironAction.jpg[/img]
Biron Signs With Islanders, 1 YR at 1.4 M. Sabres Management Caught With Their Head In The Sand
Going into the summer, the Sabres had two glaring issues to deal with:
First, the Sabres desperately needed to acquire a few veteran defenseman. The Sabres took...
One has to wonder, with a defensive corps half signed to long term contracts and a glut of great young defensive prospects, where and when will the Flames fit them in?
Sarich signed until June of 2012
Phaneuf and Bouwmeester signed June of 2014
Regehr signed until June of 2013
That leaves two spots.
Giordano and Pardy, who most would say are two young and good (...
According to Howard Berger and Eklund, Kaberle is indeed on the block and the Canucks are sniffing around. A peek at some of the comments after Eklund’s blog presented some pretty far-fetched, ambitious –and ultimately delusional—propositions for the Czech’s services. Kaberle would no doubt improve the surprisingly fragile and porous Canucks D, but he is not wor...
Phil [i]Freaking[/i] Kessel!
Could the Canucks actually have a chance to grab Phil Kessel from the Big Bad Bruins?
You betcha we could. We’d just have to be willing to give up a package of prospects (the Bruins can't really afford roster players in their cap situation) starting, but certainly not ending with Jordan Schroeder, for a 22 year old with the potential t...
Very sad news for Eklund today and I really feel his loss being a pet owner and having lost a few to cancer and old age. Reading through the posts most were very nice and then some were pretty mean spirited. Its kind of sad that we live in a world where someone would rather take time to post something negative then to say sorry for your lost.
As I was reading some of ...
Numerous players have already signed extensive deals for the 09-10 season. However, one starts to wonder how much these players are just playing for money, instead of love of the game.
One of the perks of going to a division III college was Friday and Saturday nights at the hockey rink. I was the play-by-play broadcaster, and had the chance to get to know the players. T...
First off, I would like to personally send out my condolences to Eklund on the passing of his good friend, Burt the dog.
We're all thinking about you, Ek...thoughts and prayers to you and your family.
Now to NHL talk...
A minor move was made today between the Hurricanes and Bruins. The Hurricanes acquired defenseman Aaron Ward from the Bruins in exchange ...
I'll start off today's post by passing on my condolances to Eklund and family for the loss of their beloved dog Burt. My name on Hockeybuzz, "Maxbone," is in honor of my dog Max who died approximately five years ago. From the time my family got him, I called him Maxbone, as he reminded me of the Wishbone dog on tv that went around telling stories and recalling world histor...
It feels good to talk about how well run the Redwings are as an organization. You'll find no shortage of praise for Ken Holland or Brian Burke and the like. It's much more fun to rip apart the organizations that just don't seem to get it. So in the spirit of being cruel (summer is tough on a hockey fanatic), here are the Top 5 Worst run NHL franchises.
#5 - NY Ranger...
According to Mike McMahon of the Eagle Tribune out of Boston, free agent defenseman Derek Morris has apparently agreed to terms on a contract with the Boston Bruins.
McMahon attributes the report from two sources close to the situation saying that Morris, 30, agreed in principal to terms of the deal. However, Morris' agent, Brad Devine, has told various media outlets th...
KickHisAssSeabass writes...
Mr. Glass departs Beantown for Eaves and 4th Rounder
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Not sure that anyone has even seen "unbreakable", so that reference may be totally lost on you.
However, I was quite dissapointed that I was checking Hockeybuzz.com all day yesterday awaiting any Kessel news (to which there still isn't any), and not seeing anything pop up about the Ward trade. I actually learned about it watching the 6 o'clock evening news. At that p...
The Blues today make a depth move, signing free agent defenseman Bryce Lampman to an AHL contract.
He will report to Peoria's training camp in September.
Nick Boston
During the first season after the lockout and of the new CBA, I had occasion to take the inaugural NHL Scouting and Management course offered through Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW). It was definitely interesting and well worth the price of admission. We had weekly chats moderated by ESPN’s E.J. Hradek that also including Barry Madigan who runs a highly respected Goal...
Continuing my series of scouting reports on goaltenders who have yet to make the NHL, I have decided to do Erie Otters starting goaltender Jaroslav Janus. Janus was drafted in the sixth round, 162nd overall in this past NHL entry draft, taken by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Many people know him because of his sensational performance at the 2009 World Junior Championships. He w...
Another off season going by, another opportunity the Devils have passed on to obtain that top 2 defenseman the blue line has lacked. Unless the Devils execute a trade, which is unlikely (just because I have no recollection of the Devils ever making a significant move between now and the beginning of the season), it looks like they'll have to work with what they've got. The...
So maybe the Montreal Canadiens will not win the Stanley Cup this year, and maybe not for a while, but it certainly has been an interesting off-season. The more I look at this new, revamped roster, the more I try to forget the anger I felt for Bob on June 30, when I found out that he had mortgaged our future to acquire an overpaid, small centerman to replace the beloved Sa...
I thought I would do a blog on a much more positive note, something we need once in a while, don’t ya think? I want to talk about the underdog players and why they make good ambassadors for the game? I know it’s a purely objective, but I am writing, and you are all wrong if you disagree with me. I know some of them may be slightly obvious, but I might just surprise y...
After quite the busy and hectic weekend, I am very happy to be sitting down and just getting back to what I love to do: discussing hockey.
The hockey world seems to have come to quite the standstill over the past few days, with media outlets and bloggers alike scratching their heads for an idea to write about. These are the days when we begin to see prospect articles on...
Hey all, I know I said my next blog was going to be about Sergei Kostitsyn, but I saw a video yesterday that bumped Sergei down a rung. Sorry Sergei, looks like you'll have to wait one more week!
Ok, so down to business...well, believe it or not, training camp is now less than two months away and it is looking, and sounding more and more like the Montreal Canadiens wil...
Ever since I named myself the unofficial Oilers blogger on Hockeybuzz, I have been considering potential topics to discuss. Obviously much of the conversation will revolve around trades and player moves that could potentially improve the team. Also worthy of discussion are the players and prospects, and what should be happening with them in the organization as the season c...
Myself, along with many other Flyer fans, are hoping that our boys from Philly will continuously turn on the red light over and over, game after game throughout the upcoming 2009-2010 NHL season.
Realistically, what fan of an NHL team doesn't want that?
When I make proclamation, "Many Goals for the 2009-2010 Season," I am mainly referring to aspects of the Flyer's ga...
Former Boston Bruins' winger PJ Axelsson has signed with Frolunda of the Swedish Elite League, this according to their official site.
The deal is a four-year contract. Terms of the deal were undisclosed.
Last season, in 75 games, he tallied six goals and 24 assists, along with 16 penalty minutes.
The Ottawa Senators were a team that had interest in signing Axelsso...
how you say that is beyond me.. really.. it makes no sence.. crosby plays with malkin, and the majority of his goals are tap ins.. you talk about all around players, lets loook at the stats...
when ovechkin is on the ice you fear him.. you fear his shot, his scoring, his hitting... that fear is not there for crosby.. crosby is great sure, but best player in the world.....
how you say that is beyond me.. really.. it makes no sence.. crosby plays with malkin, and the majority of his goals are tap ins.. you talk about all around players, lets loook at the stats...
when ovechkin is on the ice you fear him.. you fear his shot, his scoring, his hitting... that fear is not there for crosby.. crosby is great sure, but best player in the world.....
New York Islanders Net
http://islesnet.blogspot.com
Do you recall about two to three years ago when a simple look at the Islanders prospects would bring about a nauseating feeling? Between lack of depth and lack of quality, the Islanders were truly a team without any hope to compete in the future. After his first two seasons as general manager were quite unsuccessful...
It has been reported recently that the Flyers, along with a few other NHL teams, are very interested in the possibility of signing unrestricted free agents [b]Miroslav Satan[/b] or [b]Petr Sykora.[/b]
Both players have offensive skill. Both players have great veteran experience. Both players are getting old...
Satan is 34 and Sykora is 32. Both players still have som...
I think it's safe to say this is the most drab time of year in hockey world. A time when news is scarce, the free agent frenzy has been reduced to leftovers, and the only thing to do is count down the days until training camp starts. Scarce news doesn't necessarily mean there's nothing to talk about because I'm sure you can point out something about each team that's be wor...
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 ...
To this point in the summer, the New Jersey Devils have laid out their plans and executed. The gameplan this summer is youth movement, and save for the Cory Murphy signing, that is exactly what's happened. The signing of Murphy gives the Devils 8 defensemen who could potentially play with the big club this season, and that's ignoring the fact that a strong training camp fr...
landsharkhockey writes...
Finishing Strong - Players who ended last season on a tear
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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 ...
I can hardly wait for the season to start so Ive been looking at it on and off and this is how i see our Calgary Flames roster shaping up;
Scoring line:[b]Nigel Dawes ~ Olli Jokinen ~ Jarome Iginla [/b]
Scoring line:[b]Rene Bourque ~ Daymond Langkow ~ Jamie Lundmark[/b]
Energy line:[b]Curtis Glencross ~ Dustin Boyd ~ David Moss[/b]
Momentum line:[b]Eric Nystrom ~ Cra...
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...
If the season were to start tonight, with the players we currently have, how would you think the lineup would look? These are my personal thoughts.
our "first" (and i use that term loosely, it qualifies as a second line for most teams) line
Kulemin- Grabovski- poni
last year i liked this line better than the one with hagman, so thats why i went with it. Plus hagman...
I love lists. I mean, who doesn’t like reading a list? Easy to write, easy to read; makes for conversation…
It’s time for a little day dreaming. In the words of Borat, “why not?” The last few days of July have been hot and lazy here in Alberta; perfect weather to lie on the grass on your back, and stare up at the clouds. Perfect weather to play pretend Oilers ...
habsteen26 writes...
Patrick Marleau...the new Vincent Lecavalier? and 2010 lines
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It appears that Patrick Marleau is the new Vincent Lecavalier. With the trade rumors swirling, one has to ask... will San Jose's captain end up in La Belle Province? My answer? Yes. According to Rogers Sportsnet, Patrick Marleau and Evgeni Nabokov were asked by Sharks GM Doug Wilson to waive their No Trade Clauses, in the same report it was revealed that the both agreed. T...
Apparently I am not the only one wondering why the Flyers have not re-signed defenseman Danny Syvret.
http://lfpress.ca/cgi-bin/publish.cgi?p=271224&x=articles&s=knights
We have seen that Flyers sign quite a few players in the last few weeks and I think that this article that I have linked above brings up the best of the points. Syvret is ours and we don'...
It's clear that the Canadiens have made MAJOR changes to their roster this summer, but as always, one question still seems to rattle my brain; do we finally have a team that can actually "play" with the Leafs?
Don't get me wrong, like every "Montrealer" I am a die-hard Habs fan, but year after year, I find myself coming home from the arena or the bar (or even just upsta...
There is a lot of buzz about the Flyers moving Randy Jones. It makes some sense. He is a pretty big cap hit for a 4-5 dman. That is all well and good. Move Jones, make room to bring in "someone". Rumore has it that someone would be Sykora. A winger. Add some scoring back after loosing Lupul and Knuble. Again, makes sense.
Only one problem. If the Flyers move ...
[b]Chicago Blackhawks[/b]
In Chicago we now a better understanding on how Dale Tallon lost his job. He probably should forced Marion Hossa saga taking a physical before he signed the dotted line do you think?
Let me ask you this question did Hossa know that he had a injury when he signed on that dotted line. Did he take the Hawks for a ride or better yet does he ha...
As with any team in a rebuilding mode, taking baby steps is required.
The Leafs under the tutelage of Brian Burke have done an excellent job of re-tooling an empty prospect cuboard and a team largely devoid of any real toughness.
Beginning with deadline deals for Antropov and Moore, Burke parlayed 2 pending UFAs which he did not intend to retain into two 2nd round ...
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...
Hi friends. I wasn't planning on writing a blog today, but I couldn't resist with all the names swirling about. The lines are buzzing in respect to potential trades and free agent movement. Plus, writing about hockey gives me a chance to talk about something other than the mouse problem I discovered in the farm house I just moved into. Yuck. I haven't seen so much crap in ...
I'm not on the NHL competition committee (yet), but if I were, one area that I would want to revisit is the puck over the glass rule. It doesn't seem like the punishment fits the crime when a defenseman inadvertently clears the puck over the glass and has to sit for 2 minutes. Is that really equal to an elbow to the face or hauling down a player from behind? The idea of...
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps...
The day has arrived for Nicky Zherdev's arbitration hearing, and the hockey world is abuzz with speculation. The arbitration process of setting player salaries is comparable to my method of predicting the Oilers future. Only instead of me dumping a bag of chicken bones on an Oilers logo, a judge dumps a bag of chicken bones on the players ba...
Would anyone have expected the then-Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to be perennial elites of the league when the expansion franchise was granted in 1993?
Their uniforms were atrocious. Their lineup was laughable. They owed their existence to a campy Disney movie.
Hardly the makings of a champion franchise.
Even the Kariya-Rucchin-Selanne line, easily among the best forw...
It is a Friday night during the summer and I am watching Sci Fi no surprises there.
My ponderance of the evening is player fan relations in the NHL. I think most of you know me. I am one of the diehards that waits for the Flyers players mostly after games but often after practices too. I have a jersey project the jersey is for me and me alone. I intend to frame it a...
The Blues made a depth move on defense today, signing defenseman Brendan Bell to a one-year, two-way contract.
Bell, 26, scored six goals along with 15 assists in 53 games with the Ottawa Senators last season. In his career, Bell has tallied seven goals and 21 assists for Ottawa and the Phoenix Coyotes.
This move gives the Blues an experienced blueliner that can be p...
Happy August everybody! The 2009 Free Agent Frenzy is a month old today, a month of excitement, frustrations, surprises, and disappointments for the fans of the 30 NHL teams. We haven't watched a live game of hockey since the conclusion of the 2008-2009 season in June, but have been entertained by the Entry Draft, Free Agent Frenzy, and the occasional trade, hiring, or fi...
I feel like borrowing the "Blues Clues" title from Andy Strickland today. Because seriously, I'd like to have more of a clue of what the Oilers are up to right now. Things have went from strange to downright confusing in the last 24 hours.
Was I the only one who found it really strange that the Oil had a press conference on Friday to announce that they no longer wanted ...
If Phil Kessel is indeed dealt over the next 48 hours or so I find myself scouring the Bruins roster to see who actually can "Phil" Kessel's goal production void?
I know that Phil has had his droughts in his first three professional seasons, but since his benching in the 1st round of the 2008 playoffs Phil has scored 45 goals in 85 games while missing some time due to t...
[u]Inching Along[/u]
[img]http://www.thehockeynews.com/imgs/dynamique/photos/original/article_16260_2.jpg[/img]
It's been a slow, rainy summer this year in Buffalo. That mood has seemingly set the tone for the Sabres this off season as well.
On Saturday, the Sabres signed former Colorado Avalanche center Cody McCormick to a one year deal worth 550K. McCormick is a...
We've reached the end of a decade, so it's time to consider who was the best championship team over the last ten years. But since it's also the start of the 21st century, we can go one step further. So, over the next few posts, we will be working our way towards naming the Team of the Millennium. We've had 9 Stanley Cup champions, thanks to the 2005 lockout, but only...
Well, we are truly into the dog days of summer, from a hockey persepctive. Apart from the continual rumour mongering there really isn't a lot to talk about in the hockey world. That being said, I think that the new-look Habs have a bunch of interesting storlines that will playout this season, most of which will begin at training camp. Notwithstanding any changes that Ga...
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...
As mentioned a few days ago on The Pipeline, the Edmonton Oilers are interested in acquiring Zherdev from the New York Rangers. It was also suggested that the Oilers could be part of the three-team deal, where Dany Heatley is moved to a different team, and Cogliano, Smid, and Penner end up being dealt to the Ottawa Senators. I'll tell ya, friends, the chicken bones never l...
Leafs nation has been all a-buzz since draft day when a rumour leaked that Kaberle would be sent to Boston for Phil Kessel. The GM's had thier wires crossed. Clearly. That deal has fallen out and since then nothing has come of it. Burke has built a wall of defenders in front of Vesa Toskala. The group looks strong with Kaberle, Schenn, Komisarek, Beauchemin, Exelby and, Mi...
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...
Fly'n Phil Goalie nightmare Kessel, what are the Bruins going to do without you? Move on!!!
It seems unfair that with Kessel hanging in limbo there are other players that could be moved to make room for him under the cap. In making these moves it could disprupt the togetherness of the team. Especially if PC has to move more than one of his rostered players. Granted, Kess...
Inevitably, as soon as the Rangers decided to walk away from Zherdev the cries from Leaf Nation went up for Burke to complete his last obvious step which was to bring in another top 6 forward.
While the Leafs do have the cap space to absorb another roughly $4million a season for the 24 year old Zherdev...is it worth it?
While many would place Zherdev in the top tie...
It has been reported and posted on the New York Rangers website that the team has walked away from the arbitration awarded amount of $3.9mil for Nicky Zherdev. This makes him an unrestricted free agent, free to sign with any team. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal is reporting that the Oilers are not interested in trying to sign Zherdev. He played under Coach Tom Renney...
On draft day I was one of many thinking Burke would move up in the draft. To grab JT or Brayden Schenn. I was dissapointed to see the Kings draft Brayden. So the leafs selected Nazem Kadri at which point I cursed in disgust. But the more and more I look at it, the better it seems. Kadri was only cut from the world junior team last year because of a broken jaw. Even though ...
As I live in Saskatoon SK, where the camp is bieng held I will be watching the Red and White scrimmage and providing thoughts and analysis Sunday night. Stay Tuned
Kenny
It sure is a good thing that the Phillies are playing well. I cannot wait for the season to start. I like some of the moves that the Flyers have made, and not as thrilled about others.
Recently the signing of Olie who? Why? They have 6 defensemen on the NHL roster, have a few serviceable guys in the AHL. Why add another guy to the mix. I have honestly never heard...
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...
For the first time since the PPG line of 2006-2007, the Ducks have legitimate secondary scoring.
The signing of Saku Koivu and the shipping of Chris Pronger to Philadelphia for Joffrey Lupul (and Luca Sbisa + Draft picks) accomplishes something that has been sorely lacking in Anaheim since Edmonton snatched Dustin Penner with a huge offer sheet and Andy McDonald was shi...
Although the season prior to lockout would prove the Maple Leafs last playoff foray in half a decade, neither year that straddled the infamous labor disputes would be remembered with any particular fondness. Ushering in the reign of John Ferguson Jr., 2003-04 became, in hindsight, a defining landmark in an era of decline when overblown hype would manifest a country club ma...
New York Hockey Net
(http://islesnet.blogspot.com)
Commissioner Gary Bettman stepped to the podium yesterday at the Adam’s Playhouse, received a tremendous ovation from the 1,150 citizens in attendance, thanked the good officiating from the night before for the ovation (a joke, obviously), and then he proceeded to deliver a well-articulated speech. In his speech, Bet...
Repoted done
We certainly hope so.
Most have forgotten the leafs first round draft pick all the way back in 2006 Jiri Tlusty. He hasn't had an impact with the big club just yet. Luke Schenn, the leafs first rounder in 2008 made the team and at times was thier best d-man.
Tlusty however, has had an impressive season with the Marlies. Scoring an even point per game. Tlusty's break ...
Bozak last season with U of Denver
19 GP 8 G 15 A 23 Pts 10 PIMs
Hanson last season with U of Notre Dame
37 GP 16 G 15 A 31 GP 28 PIMs
Who will put up better numbers?
What will those numbers be?
Leafs or Marlies?
Kenny
All through the signings during the off season, Brian Burke has said he will still be working on getting a top six forward. It's great to see all the defensive signings of Komisarek, Beauchemin, and Exelby but there is little cap space left and a big gap to fill. Stepniak was a dissapointment, Blake had a great year and Kulemin and Grabovski had great breakout seasons last...
#1 Nazem Kadri - London Knights
#2 Jiri Tlusty - Toronto Marlies
#3 Mikhail Stefanovich - Quebec Remparts
#4 Chris DiDomenico - Drummondville Voltigeurs
#5 Dale Mitchell - Windsor Spitfires
#6 Jerome Flaake - Cologne
#7 Kenny Ryan - U.S. U-18
#8 Joel Champagne - P.E.I.
#9 Viktor Stalberg - U of Vermont
#10 Jesse Blacker - Windsor Spitfires
Noteables - Grant Rol...
In the next few days I will be writing prospect profiles on my list of the Top Ten Leafs Prospects. Begining with number ten Jesse Blacker counting up to number one Nazem Kadri. Stay Tuned
Kenny
(Lame title, I know, but you know you like it.)
So Nik Zherdev is officially an Unrestricted Free Agent. And of course, the Toronto Maple Leafs are rumored to be interested in the streaky 24 year-old forward--when are they not rumored to be interested in a specific player? I don't know what the consensus of Leafs Nation is, but this Leafs fan is hoping Brian Burke doesn...
NickBoston writes...
Blues' Defenseman Johnson Recieves Medical Clearance
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Blues' defenseman Erik Johnson, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL in his right knee, has officially recieved full medical clearance from his doctors to resume on-ice hockey activities, according to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The 21-year old star blueliner was injured before the 2008-09 season even began, while on a team bonding golf t...
It's been widely reported that Ryan Getzlaf underwent surgery in Philadelphia for a lingering sports' hernia, but the O.C. Register is now reporting that Getzlaf could miss the start of training camp.
[url]http://ducks.freedomblogging.com/2009/08/03/ducks-getzlaf-could-miss-start-of-camp/16991/[/url]
Will this hurt the Ducks start to the season? As the article notes,...
Let’s start today’s Pipeline by sending out congratulations to the New Jersey Devils for signing Brendan Shanahan. He may be 40, but he will contribute on and off the ice. Every team should have a guy like Shanny.
Also, I want to say thank you to everyone for their reading and support of The Pipeline. It has been a blast writing about hockey and my beloved Oilers, a...
There's been a lot of grumbling in Sabretown. Granted, a trip from a President's Trophy-winning season to two consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs - without major free agency splashes - would reasonably cause even the most diehard of Sabres fans to wonder what in heck Regier is doing to earn his paycheck.
At least, it seems reasonable.
What free agent moves ar...
While conducting research for the Statistical Analysis in the NHL blog which was posted in July, I became acutely interested in the potential of this “science” as it pertains to player evaluation. Statistical Analysis is now fairly prevalent in the baseball world as a number of General Managers either have backgrounds in the field and/or have started departments within...
I recently read the article about the Sabres building the team they have to be competitive. The pieces are there, according the Darcy Regier. There is a comfort level of the roster. I don't deny that the team has talent. It's there. However, for the past two seasons, the team has missed the playoffs with these players. Could a piece be missing?
There is the ability to d...
I just read an article, on tsn.ca, about Carey Price and I have to say that it put a smile on my face. There is nothing that makes me happier than to see/hear a professional athlete take his lumps like a man, and by reading this article, that is exactly what Carey did! Here take a look for yourselves:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=286872
Without getting into all ...
In the last post, we covered round 1 of the Champions from the past decade. Here were the results:
2001 Colorado Avalanche defeated the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins
2002 Detroit Redwings defeated the 2008 Detroit Redwings
2007 Anaheim Ducks defeated the 2003 NJ Devils
2006 Carolina Hurricanes defeated the 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning
[b]Round 2:[/b]
[u]2001 Colorado...
In the 2008 season Jesse Blacker had limited ice time. Only appeared in 17 games.
This year his totals and ice time have jumped with 21 pointsfor the powerhouse Windsor Spitfires.
Blacker was picked by the Leafs in the second round #58th overall.
Blacker is expected to play one more year with Windsor then make the jump to Marlies or Leafs.
Blacker plays a solid defensi...
Stahlberg had 27 goals, 26 assists and 89 PIMs playing for the Frölunda Indians in the Swedish Jr. league in 2005-06.
Now playing with the U of Vermont Stalberg has developed into what could be a solid 3rdliner in the NHL.
Stalber is a big player with great speed. Accelerates really well and reaches full speed very fast. Forechecks successfully and plays with good inten...
So there I was, laying in my bathtub at 1am, trying to think about what to write in today’s blog. Much of my best thinking is done in the tub; back in the day I studied for many a college exam while enjoying warm Satsuma bubbles as they squished in between my toes. My notebook, slightly soggy, carried the only words that came to mind: Quinn Renney.
There are many Oile...
I know its August 6th, but lets look at October, because really its only 53 days away…
How much does October mean to the Flames? Is the first game of the season really indicative of whether or not they will be raising Lord Stanley’s Mug nine months later? The answer simply is no. But, the first meaningful hockey game of the season is usually the most highly anticipa...
mapleleafsforever writes...
Balsillie Blah Blah Blah... Coyotes Blah Blah Blah...
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Did I get your attention? Great.
I've been reading some pretty hilarious stuff since the ruling by Judge Redfield T. Baum regarding the September 10th auction for the Phoenix Coyotes Franchise. If you haven't heard the ruling you must tell me how you fit your computer under that rock which you must surely reside beneath. Essentially, the Judge has declared that all b...
I've always thought about blogging. Then I thought, who could really care about my inane thoughts about hockey...or anything else for that matter. Really, aren't bloggers just enthusiasts without press credentials? Perhaps. I do know that I visit this site several times each day. What I've come to realize about bloggers is that, although they may not have access to the...
jnizza writes...
The Lighthouse Project.....A Long Island Rangers Fan's View
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Potvin may indeed suck.....but not as badly as the economy on Long Island.
Despite being the 8th most affluent county in the United States, Nassau County is essentially broke ([url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highest-income_counties_in_the_United_States[/url]). For people not familiar with Long Island, it is a collection of great contradictions. There is almost incom...
If the last 10 years are any indication, we should expect a few coaching changes over the upcoming season. There were 11 coaching changes so far since the calendar turned to 2009. That means over 1/3 of the teams have a new guy behind the bench. So, is there anyone left to fire? Also consider, there are only 2 coaches left in the league who have been in place for more ...
This is my first in-depth look at the cap...so bear with me. As of today, the cap numbers being supplied from NHLSCAP.com state that the Rangers have about $2.9 million left for the 2009-2010 season. There are a few updates to make to that number and a few items left on Slat's "to-do" list that will have impact.
Here's where I think we are...
First, the additions.....
174 games in the NHL. 23 points. 110 PIM.
Hardly the statistics you'd see on an all-star player - but that's what Joe DiPenta is: a locker-room all-star.
The 6'2" 202 pound defender - who won a Cup with Anaheim in 2007 - is still fondly remembered in Anaheim not for his presence on the ice, but off it. Even after leaving the Ducks, he continued to do charity work for...
A little comparison shopping for hockey fans of the Northwest Division…
Someone suggested to me the other day that the Oilers were going to win the Division this year. Ummm, I love the Oilers, but no, not with this line-up. They definitely will not win the Division, and likely won’t make the playoffs. It’s not that the Oilers are a bad team – This division is ac...
It is becoming obvious that the NHL board aren't going to play ball with Balsillie, no matter how much sense it makes economically to give a franchise to a keen business mind, with a passion for the game and a home rink in a strong, under-served hockey market. What is the answer for "Billion-dollar Jim"? Simple....apply to the KHL for a North American expansion team...may...
Joel Champagne has finished his final year in the CHL with the PEI Rocket. He uses his size to work corners and in front of net but lacks scoring ability.
Blessed with great size, Champagne already has the physical makeup of a professional hockey player. However, appearances can be deceiving and despite his visible attributes, he is very much a project. Willing to use his...
Quick update. I am told the scouts are experimenting with Nazem Kadri centering Brandon Kozun and Taylor Hall. A line they believe will put pucks in the net.
For the record I am still working on my DVR for off season it is at a hefty 58%. Tonight I am catching up on Burn Notice.
Most of you know I am the picture girl. I take tons of pictures I love trying to pick out some new thing to try and capture about hockey players on the ice. Famous sets I have are
Happy Camper (pix of players laughing or smiling)
http://ww...
Let's get right to the argument, shall we? There are two major points:
[b]The signing makes good short-term sense.[/b]
I don't love Jason Williams, and I wasn't particularly sad to see him go. But, he isn't a bad player by any stretch of the imagination. Last year he put up 29 points in 39 games with Columbus (after a rough patch with Atlanta) and the year before tha...
2008-09: Played for the US National U-18 Team Development Program, scoring 20 goals and 16 assists in 49 games.
Ryan is a goal scorer, and works hard to get pucks as well.
He is committed to Boston College in the fall of 2009.
Kenny
Now, I've officially seen everything...
Former NHL goaltender Ed Belfour has been hired by the St. Louis Blues to become their minor-league goaltending consultant on a part-time basis, according to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The job became available when Dave Rook left that same position to become the golatender coach of the Columbus Blue Jacke...
Eric Engels posted ten perfect questions for his Hab followers on Thursday, i thought i would come up with my own ten for my beloved Flames......is nothing original anymore?
1. Who will score more goals this season, Rene Bourque or Daymond Langkow?
2. Which of these categories would you be most [b]pleased[/b] to see Jay Bouwmeester lead the rest of the Calgary Flam...
Flaake took the DNL, Germany's top junior league, by storm this season, finishing as the top scorer with 80 points in only 36 games. He also managed another six points in four playoff games. His 2007-08 season ended up being quite a long one, as he put in time playing for both the U18 and U20 national teams as well as a 30-game introduction to the DEL, Germany's top men's ...
I think Saturday is going to be my news and notes day here on Hockeybuzz. It's time to jump around the NHL and offer some random opinions.
- Like most newspapers in Canada today, the Edmonton Journal ran pictures of Sidney Crosby celebrating his birthday in Halifax with the Stanley Cup and 30,000 of his friends. Yuck. I have no real explanation for it, but I can't stand...
Whether you dislike Mats Sundin or not, you knew something wasn't quite right with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. The Leafs opted to not appoint a team captain for the 2008-09 campaign, and went with a revolving group of alternate captains instead. Personally, I thought that was the right decision. But heading into next season, is it now the time to name a new capta...
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...
We're halfway through Gary Bettman's 15th year as the first ever Commissioner of the National Hockey League.
Bettman has been labeled in hockey circles as "controversial", an acceptable moniker considering the decisions Bettman has made pertaining to the NHL.
Like him or hate him, he's lived up to that moniker quite well.
With the latest news coming out that the ...
I finally had a chance to watch practice and the Red vs. White Game today. Practice was just some drills and the players shooting on the goalies. Matt Duchene's stick skills are some of the best I've seen.
The Games
Final Scroe: 5 to 3 for the Red Team
Shawn Lalonde scored twice in 43 seconds late in the second period to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 advantage as Red ...
Small, bullish, and with a low center of gravity, Mitchell is hard to knock off the puck. And once he has it in his possession, he knows what to do with it.
Dale Mitchell won a memorial cup with the Windsor Spitfires
Chris went undrafted in the OHL draft.
DiDomenico is on the small side at 5'11 and only 165 pounds but has overcome his size deficiencies so far with excellent hockey sense. Though his skating is only average, he is excellent on faceoffs and is a good penalty killer. If he is able to add muscle to his frame and continue to play a smart, two-way game he could surprise.
Di...
On paper, Stefanovich looks to have all the tools that teams look for: a blend of scoring ability and size. Stefanovich’s sharpshooting abilities and offensive instincts are top notch, but his effort is inconsistent at best. Though he is willing to drive to the net, Stefanovich is a player who mainly fights through contact but doesn’t initiate physical play. His skatin...
On October 25, 2007, Tlustý played his first regular season NHL game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring two goals in his début. His first goal was originally a shot by Alex Steen, but it deflected off of Tlustý's backside and went in the net. Thirty-five seconds later, he scored with a wrist shot from the wing. He earned his first assist on November 2. When he got...
2006-07: This was Kadri's rookie season with the Kitchener Rangers (OHL). In 62 games, the center recorded 22 points (7g+15a), adding another two assists in nine playoff games.
2007-08: Kadri improved on his numbers from last season, netting 25 goals and another 40 assists in 68 games with Kitchener (OHL). He excelled in the postseason as well, recording 26 points (9g+1...
1. Who will score more goals this season, Rene Bourque or Daymond Langkow?
Bourque. The only issue i am, have or will ever be concerned about is his health. Not sure when the last time was where he did play all 82 games but if he does, he is a force going to the net and would easily score 30 goals each healthy season.
2. What category would you be most pleased to see...
It dawned on me. There are times when I'll be hanging out with friends and the topic of sports comes up in conversation. 9 times out of 10, they talk about baseball, football, basketball, even nascar. Whenever I mention hockey, they look at me like I have 2 heads, or start saying hockey stinks, it's boring to watch, baseball's better, and blah blah blah. Living in New York...
Does anyone remember the days of Trader Phil? The moniker the media gave to Phil Esposito when he was a GM, because he made so many deals? Well, today, I am Trader Richard. As the new GM of the Oilers, I am trying to answer the conundrum, “how do we improve the Oilers forward lines?” The following are some trade and UFA possibilities.
Marc Savard, Boston – Why? H...
New York Hockey Net
http://islesnet.blogspot.com
With the great success of the Lighthouse Conference past us, it’s time for the speculative fun to begin. Here at New York Hockey Net, I can tell you that the minds are drying with topics to write about as the hottest days of August arrive. Here, and everywhere around the league, it is a sure-fire bet that you will star...
When one is obsessed, when does one cross the line? I wondered if I am a little crazy with my hockey. Can one become to obsessive about hockey? I think not. But pretty please, do not ask my wife; she seems to take things to personally when it comes to hockey.
She seems to think that throwing things at the TV and yelling at the players for days on end seems to be a li...
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...
The recently announced spin off of Cablevision's Madison Square Garden unit, which includes the all the sports teams, the arena, the MSG network, and various other live entertainment properties, makes perfect sense. Media companies have become so diversified that it's almost impossible for investors to compare "apples-to-apples". How do you compare the stock value of Cabl...
The other day I decided to start writing an encyclopedia specific to NHL terms. Here's what I have written so far. Feel free to comment and add some new terms.
According to the NHL Encyclopedia:
Energy Player – A player who has very little talent, and is in the line-up to fill out the roster. Usually energy players are asked to go out there and hit and/or fight, to...
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...
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...
The more that I surf the web looking for the newest in Advanced Statistics in Hockey, the more I realize how much I really like the Puck Prospectus website and the Behind the Net website. The people at those sites are creative and just plain brilliant. The latest and greatest was offered up by Robert Vollman on Puck Prospectus and it is called Goals Versus Salary (GVS). In...
Before everyone jumps on me all at once to kick the crap out of me for providing false hope in regards to the Isles actually making the post-season, let me just say I don't see it happening either. This is just a thought that maybe Garth has higher expectations for this team, or maybe he's just doing some smart planning ahead.
I'd also like to say yes, I am well aware ...
With the departure of Jaroslav Spacek, Max Afinogenov, Teppo Numminen, Al Kotalik, and most likely Dominic Moore and Andrew Peters, and the addition of Mike Grier, Cody McCormick, and Steve Montador, the Sabres will surely have a "new" look this coming season. The past 2 seasons have left us fans asking "Where is the grit?", and finally Darcy has addressed the issue....
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...
NickBoston writes...
A Look at the 2009-10 St. Louis Blues - Part 1: Goaltending
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Blues fans, we are just over four weeks away from training camp, which means one thing...
St. Louis Blues hockey is fast approaching for the 2009-10 season!
Coming off of a 2008-09 season filled with excitement, drama, ups and downs, and an unbelievable stretch run that catapulted the Blues into the NHL playoffs for the first time since 2004, I'm sure Blues fans are ...
At 38, I am approximately half way to death. Yes, I know, it sounds negative when I put it that way. But it's okay, honest. The thought of being half-dead is fine, because I know I have 38 more years of Oilers hockey yet to come.
Some of you readers are old timers like I am; some of you were babes when Gretzky and company were lighting it up in Edmonton. Have you ever c...
Not unlike Arthur Miller's famous 1949 script, "The Death of a Salesman", many an NHL prospect has failed to taste success and so falls by the wayside!
The summer month of August certainly drains the life out of most talk hockey!
Come September we will be gearing up for prospect tourneys, training camps, and pre-season!
An earlier start to the regular season du...
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...
The Buffalo Sabres and AHL-affiliate Portland Pirates announced the name of the Pirates' new play-by-play announcer today. Mark Jeanneret. Sound familiar? If you call yourself a Sabres fan from the Buffalo area it should. Mark Jeanneret is the son of the Sabres' play-by-play man Rick Jeanneret.
Mr. Jeanneret came to the Sabres in 1971 after doing color and play-by...
With the great success of the Lighthouse Conference past us, it’s time for the speculative fun to begin. Here at New York Hockey Net, I can tell you that the minds are drying with topics to write about as the hottest days of August arrive. Here, and everywhere around the league, it is a sure-fire bet that you will start seeing speculative pieces about the thirty respecti...
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......
Kamal Panesar writes...
The Hockey News predicts Montreal to finish 8th...safe bet?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
So The Hockey News website is doing a ranking of where they think all 30 teams will finish this season, from last to first, and in the 8th spot overall – in the East – they have chosen the Montreal Canadiens.
[url]http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/27434-The-Hockey-News-200910-NHL-regular-season-predictions-No-8.html[/url]
Looking at this prediction, I’d h...
gkmkiller writes...
What Is The Hockey News Thinking, Rangers 13th?!?!?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Every year The Hockey News publishes their yearbook which includes their predictions on the final placements of each team within their conference for the upcoming season. This year they are posting on their website, http://thehockeynews.com, their predictions one place at a time. Needless to say I was quite surprised that they picked the Rangers to finish 13th in the East....
Kaberle's NTC is void for 2 more days. Will he be traded. Not likely.
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...
I know that my posts are usually a bit more introspective than this one is going to be, but it's the middle of August, a period during the NHL offseason where yesterday's Evgeni Artyukin for Drew Miller trade was the top hockey story. Mid-August is when the hockey fan reaches the point where anything that even mentions the word hockey piques their interest. And so, with th...
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
This Friday I have a caught up DVR accept for ace of Cakes. Amazing what getting injured in hockey tournaments does for your DVR.
The last couple weeks I have covered hockey withdrawal and Player fan interaction.
I appreciate the feedback you all have given. I love hearing everyone’s stories.
The AHL schedule came out this week. I think you all know that i...
THN recently came out with theirs , so I thought I would do my own as well . Except that sinne I lack telepathic ability , I will give a range as to where I think a team can land. From their highest to their lowest.
So lets' get the ball rolling.
.
Atlanta Thrashers
6th-15th
The Thrashers seem to be rallying a bit. Bringing in support for lone super star Ilya Kova...
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 ...
Danny Heatley is running out of options. In reality, he has to reconsider his decision to demand to be traded to certain cities. I have heard only rumors on which team he has on his list. But for someone who wants to leave Ottawa, he sure is making it hard on himself. Think about it, don’t you think that if you wanted out of somewhere, you would be as accommodating as yo...
Stanley Cups, Vezinas, gold medals, broken records...this is the gist of what Martin Brodeur has accomplished throughout his decorated 15-year career. Like him or hate him, you have to admit he's one of the greatest goaltenders to ever play the game and is arguably still one of the best. To say Marty has nothing to prove anymore is a debatable topic that I contradict with ...
gkmkiller writes...
Rangers Add Prospal and Bring Back the Captain....Finally
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Apparently Glen Sather and John Tortorella agreed with me in regards to Vinny Prospal. In a previous post I floated the idea of the Rangers looking at Prospal to address their lack of depth at the Center position. When I first mentioned the idea I met with some comments that gently reminded me that Prospal and Tortorella didn’t necessarily get along in their time togethe...
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...
puck-off writes...
The 2009-2010 edition of the Leafs are Play-off bound!
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It doesn't take a rocket scientist nor an arm chair GM operating in his Mom's basement much to understand that the Leafs will make the play-offs this year.
How you might ask?
The Leafs defense on paper is second to no one in the east and is top 3 in the west.
Their goaltending has youth and depth with proven performers as Joey MacDonald, Gustavvson and Toskala 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...
First i want to dedicate this post to all the bashers, i just want to put these few numbers out there because I've been seeing alot of bashing of the habs and if people actuall looked into the upgrades montreal has made they would be suprised. This is a comparrison of the top three forwards and D that were let go and picked up. Gainey removed Kovy, Koivu and Tanguay and aq...
gkmkiller writes...
Marleau Stripped of Captaincy, Cue the Trade Rumors
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Now that it was officially announced that Sharks Head Coach Scott McLellan has stripped Patrick Marleau of the captaincy of the team I expect that rumors will begin again of Marleau being shipped out of San Jose. As is usually the case with either high-profile free agents or trade targets, the Rangers will almost assuredly be linked to the potential acquisition of Marleau....
I've been quiet this offseason because I've decided to keep myself busy playing hockey outside rather than comment on free agent signings, especially since the Penguins haven't made any really big moves.
However the news of Patrick Marleau being ousted as the captain going into training camp, with not successor named, has given me cause to post again.
I fully support...
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...
No question....Mark Messier is one of the most important personalities in the New York hockey landscape.
No question....a lot of players could learn a lot from Messier about playing the game and commitment.
No question.....he'd make a great coach/executive. Well....there may be a few....or more.
Let me preface my thoughts by saying that it is good to have Messier...
Hi friends, and welcome back to The Pipeline. Thanks for all the kind comments on my blogs, as your support is truly appreciated. Sooner or later, I will be made an official blogger here, which I'd welcome because the incentives are great. I have it on good authority that "official" bloggers receive annually a 2-pound bag of salt water taffy, a year's supply of Body Shop P...
Hello Sabre fans this is my first blog, been holding off but had to make my voice heard I've read tons of blogs this summer about how the Sabres have done nothing this offseason and that they won't make the playoffs. First off I'd like to start off with saying this team would have made the playoffs last year if not for Scott gomezs slu foot on Ryan Miller. Our playoffs hop...
I initially thought this was a no brainer, but now have reason to believe otherwise. I speculated the Devil's second line would include Patrik Elias and Nicklas Bergfors at the wings and Brian Rolston giving center another shot. Jacques Lemaire stated in an interview with Tom Gulitti that he felt Rolston played best at wing, but was unclear whether or not he'll try him at ...
Rob McGowan writes...
The 2009-2010 Islanders: How They'll Look and What to Expect
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Although many are holding on to that thin thread of UFA hope where the Islanders will sign an enforcer as well as some type of play-maker/scorer, it seems that the Islanders roster is all but set.
Here are my line predictions. They may look somewhat similar to other bloggers, but I have a few scenarios in mind that may come into play over the year.
(In order)
...
There you are, my pretties. It’s time for me to talk about something that is more relevant than scoring goals, icing pucks, or oiling up Jarome Iginla for a Sports Illustrated cover photo. Hell-oooo!
Now don’t be getting all needy. You wish you were oh so fabulous like I am, Maxbone Blackwell. Perhaps you can not tell from my writing that I am the epitome of trendy,...
landsharkhockey writes...
Western Conference Playoff Bubble - Who's In and Out in 2010
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Last season, 14 teams had a legitimate go at the post-season up through the final month of the season. With so much parity in the West, we could be looking at a huge turnover in playoff participants, or we could be looking at the same 8 again next year. Even the Avalanche can't be written off. Here's our best guess at what to expect when it all shakes down next April:
...
As the lazy days of summer begin to fade away, NHL teams will soon begin to reconvene for training camp. So, in that spirit, I'd like to throw my 2009-10 final standings predictions out there. Nothing detailed, just straight to the point. I'll get back into the swing of heavy analysis next time around when I take a closer look at the Atlantic Division. Of course, predictio...
Can someone tell me why Brian Propp is not in the Hockey Hall of Fame? He played 16 NHL Seasons, played in 1016 games, 425 Goals, 579 Assists, for 1004 points. In NHL history he has the ,ost points by a left wing in the NHL playoffs (64 goals, 84 assists for 148 points). He played in the Stanley Cup Finals 5 times in those 16 seasons. He is a totally class act that ha...
Looking at the rankings for this coming season, I'm surprised at how lowly ranked the Sabres are by the people who are doing it. I, by no means, believe that the Sabres are a Stanley Cup contender, but I do see a playoff team in the current roster. This team has the potential to finish anywhere as high as the 6th seed and is 100% capable of winning a playoff round.
By t...
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...
Being a small-time blogger has it advantages, as I can pretty much say anything I want and no one cares. I know a lot of the players, but they do not know I am a blogger and do not follow me anyway. So it is not really putting myself out by saying what I wish would happen this season. But what do I know? I am just a small-time blogger, and like I said no-one is really r...
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...
Every summer as camps are about to break, conversation in some circles turns to who will be the most enigmatic rookie performer in the forthcoming season.
Last year's Calder Trophy winner Steve Mason didn't even start playing until after the season had started but made a huge impression by taking his team to their first ever postseason berth and leading the league in s...
I'm a homer, I will not even try defending myself when accused of it, but I have to seriously wonder if the Flames aren't projected first by default! Not to say they will be so good they can compare to the Detroit and San Jose's of the world...or even Chicago in my opinion (except in net). My Friends and I discussed this and some interesting N.W. division questions came up...
It’s fall, and that means this year’s new television line-up is due to start any day. Any of you who are regular tv watchers know that Hollywood Execs and Producers ran out of good new show ideas a long time ago. But never fear, Maxbone is here. Get a load of these new NHL-inspired television series:
Need a good laugh? Check out this year’s new top rated improv-ga...
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 ...
Here we go again... The boys are all in town and prediction season is officially upon us as Canadians from all corners of this great country of ours begin the arduous task of trying to figure out what our Olympic team will look like. The fact is when you’re a nation like ours whose history, literally, can be traced along side this game we all love, it doesn’t get much ...
One thing's for certain when it comes to assembling Team Canada for the upcoming Olympics. Steve Yzerman has his work cut out for him when it comes to making the cuts at the center position. Canada is so stacked at this position, that they could leave their top 8 centers at home and still have 4 of the best players remaining at that position. In fact, of the 25 forwards...
I still believe the Rangers are in for another major move. Sather is just lying in the tall grass waiting to strike. Slithering around. Waiting for other deals to fall apart. From what I've read, the hang-up with Dubinsky's deal seems to be term NOT money. Why would they be afraid to give him a 3 or 4 year deal? Shouldn't he be a building block? Despite the cap issues, I ...
East
1-Washington- Ovechkin, Semin, Backstom, Green, Poti..... Amazing 5... Nuff Said
2-Pittsburgh- Stanley Cup Champs, with two franchise players who easily break 100 pts.
3-Boston- Savard, Bergeron, and others will all score 20 goals, and their all-star defense will lift them to home ice advantage.
4-NY Rangers- Gaborik is coming off surgery and will be healt...
In an apparent attempt to apply pressure the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and more specifically presiding Judge Redfield T. Baum to rule in his favor, Jim Balsillie has submitted an amended proposal to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes. The amended proposal sets a deadline of September 14th for Judge Baum to accept Balsillie’s bid of $212.5 million for the team. He also asks that Ju...
Word is the Heatley camp has indicated a new willingness to go to Edmonton.
Why, after all the previous rejection? Perhaps because Dany finally realizes he looks like a dope to hockey fans across the globe? Perhaps because he is not a lock for the Olympic team because of questions over his character? Perhaps it is because he finally realizes that no other team can make...
Rangers in Talks with UFA D Dennis Seidenberg; is a Trade for Heatley in the Works Then?
According to reports from both Steve Zipay of Newsday and The Hockey News, a story out of Germany says that the New York Rangers are one of two teams engaged in discussions with the agent for UFA Defenseman Dennis Seidenberg on a contract. The other team is reportedly the Florida Pa...
While it may seem silly to ask such a question considering Matt Stajan produced 55 points last season, his role on the Toronto Maple Leafs is not set in stone.
Stajan, who had his best season as a Maple Leaf in 2008-09, proved to be a reliable two-way forward, and found his place among the top-six. However, many critics have pondered whether last season was simply a fl...
Today I am going to write a general hockey blog avoiding the DP talks, Tavares interests, and disappointing predictions that many have for the Islanders next season. Instead I'm going to write about what I was just doing on my laptop, and it's something I frequently find myself doing when I'm bored. Or when it's the school year, I usually do this when I have to write a pap...
The days keep winding down to the open of the 2009-10 season and myself like many Maple Leafs sit pondering who will score this season for the Leafs and will any Maple Leaf actually crack the 30 goal mark? The last time that this has happened in Leafland with a player not named Mats Sundin, we have to go all the way back to the 2002-03 season when Alex Mogilny scored 33. T...
The NHL players should be playing NHL hockey - not the Olympics. I hate it now, I hated it the first time, I hated the NBA Dream Team. The Olympics should include non-NHL players for hockey. They could use AHL or Major Canadian Junior or College Players. Think about how great the Junior World Championships are and how good the hockey is, that is all we want for the Oly...
Today was a pretty crazy day for me. At about 2 o'clock my cell phone was going off the hook with text messages about my favorite hockey player, Simon Gagne. These texts lasted for about 2 hours.
The first text I got told me Simon had hurt himself at the first day of Canada Camp. As more texts came the story began to further itself that he had hurt his groin. This then ...
The Devils will wear a different jersey this season? yes, the old school red/green/white jersey from the original season will be worn next season - for one game.
March 17th, while we host the Cup Champion Penguins the jersey will make an appearance.
Great idea but only one game? That is a bit of a turn off as I would have liked to see it more often. Maybe I can get ...
NU13Flyers12 writes...
Northeastern Huskies: Matthew's Arena Renovations.
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
My boss has been uploading pictures all through the summer of the renovations being done at Matthew's Arena, the oldest standing Hockey Rink in the US.
Here is a link to pics and videos... PLEASE COMMENT!
http://matthewnareski.shutterfly.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rGgpzFxhyc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrbipbu7OCg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...
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.
...
The Atlantic Division proved to be one of the toughest divisions in hockey last year, with four of five teams making the playoffs and one winning the Stanley Cup. This year things don't look any easier for the New York Rangers, with division rivals adding key assets to their teams. Here are my predictions for the Atlantic Division.
1. [b]Philadelphia Flyers[/b]
After...
If you thought my blog yesterday was ridiculous, wait till you read this...
A new name has been mentioned in respect to a center that Dany Heatley would be willing to play with in Edmonton. Mats Sundin.
As it was last season, rumors are beginning to surface that Mats has an interest in playing NHL hockey again this season. The Vancouver Experiment last season; or sho...
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...
Many people seem to be writing the Toronto Maple Leafs off to miss the playoffs again for the 5th consecutive season. The reason being that the Maple Leafs offense and goaltending are both huge question marks, but after the off season that the Leafs had, I find it hard to write the Leafs off yet.
People are complaining the Leafs lack a goal scorer and with no big na...
Eastern Conference:
1.Pittsburgh Penguins
2.Washington Capitals
2.Boston Bruins
4.New Jersey Devils
5.Montreal Canadiens
6.Carolina Hurricanes
7.New York Rangers
8.Ottawa Senators
-------------------------
9.Philadelphia Flyers
10.Tampa Bay Lightning
11.Toronto Maple Leafs
12. New York Islanders
13.Florida Panthers
14.Buffalo Sabres
15.Atlanta Thrashers
...
As training camp approaches, there will be no shortage of forwards rumoured to be heading to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for one of their excess defensemen. The two players currently being mentioned in the rumour mill, however, will command a little more than a spare part.
Those two players are Patrick Marleau, and Patrick Sharp.
Marleau enjoyed a comeback se...
First time blogger. I see a lot of people rip other predictions, so give mine your best shot. Here we go...
Eastern Conference:
1. Washington
2. Boston
3. Philadelphia
4. Pittsburgh
5. Carolina
6. New Jersey
7. Montreal
8. NY Rangers
9. Ottawa
10. Tampa Bay
11. Toronto
12. Florida
13. NY Islanders
14. Buffalo
15. Atlanta
Western Conference
1. Chi...
Very soon, Maxbone will be no more...
Relax, my 3 and a half regular readers - I am not going anywhere. I am just going to start posting under my real name, as it looks like I am going to be a regular Oilers contributer here. I am still negotiating things with Eklund, and it appears contract talks have stalled. For one thing, I want a No Trade Clause, as I don't want to...
The Toronto Maple Leafs will enter the 2009-10 season with 11 pending unrestricted free agents, and eight restricted free agents.
Among the group of UFA’s: Alexei Ponikarovsky, Lee Stempniak, Matt Stajan, Wayne Primeau, Jamal Mayers, Ben Ondrus, Mike Van Ryn, Jonas Frogren, Garnet Exelby, Joey Macdonald and Vesa Toskala.
Among the group of RFA’s: Nikolai Kulemin,...
Eastern Conference:
1. Washington Capitals
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
3. Boston Bruins
4. Philadelphia Flyers
5. New Jersey Devils
6. Montreal Canadians
7. Buffalo Sabres
8. Tampa Bay Lightning
---------------------------------
9. Ottawa Senators
10. Carolina Hurricanes
11. Toronto Maple Leafs
12. New York Rangers
13. Florida Panthers
14. New York Islanders
1...
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 ...
Training camp is just around the corner, and that means it's time to look back at the teams that have been in rebuild mode all summer. Here are some of the best and worst rebuilds of the summer:
[u][b]Best[/b][/u]
Tampa Bay Lightning - Tampa didn't go overboard with changes this summer. Despite an uncertain ownership situation the Bolts managed to hang on to the core...
It's Friday, so let's have some fun. Here are 10 Random Predictions for the 2009/2010 season:
1. Dany Heatley will play this season in Ottawa. The Rangers, Sharks, Oilers, and Wild have been mentioned as teams trying to acquire Dany, but only the Oilers put together a feasible offer, and Heatley doesn’t want to play there. However, he’s already been paid $4 million ...
Flamstr wrote a blog as well regarding this that I commented on but for some reason hockeybuzz gods don't like when I comment and often leave them blank... hint hint Ek.
Anyway... a few thoughts I had being there...
Crosby and Nash look good together, I'm not convinced Iggy meshes but it seems like Iginla is hard to get chemistry with period.
Nash was incredible,...
I don’t know if any of you have caught this blog series on Puck Daddy’s blog
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy?keyword=5+Reasons+I+Love+Hockey
I have been thoroughly enjoying reading why other people love hockey.
I will say that it made me think if I had to knock it down to just 5 reasons what would I put about why I love hockey so much.
1. Eg...
I realize its only August and the Olympics are still 6 months away, but after watching the Red/White Canada scrimmage last night I have to admit I am very excited about the upcoming season.
A few takes on the scrimmage itself - please be aware I watched it over the internet, so the quality wasnt the greatest and the screen size was small and with no play-by-play it was...
Throughout much of this off-season, the bulk of the media-generated discussion surrounding the Maple Leafs rebuilding has focused on the solid moves of GM Brian Burke, and rightfully so. For the hard-core members of Leaf Nation, the internet blog discussions have covered a variety of areas, but when the discussion turns towards the Leafs young 'top six' potential for the ...
A short Oilers blog for the faithful on this Saturday...
As reported in the Edmonton Journal today, the rumors involving Mike Comrie signing in Edmonton are false. With so many small forwards on the Oil, Comrie is not the solution the Oilers need. Well, that and the fact that the Oilers have no cap room to add anyone unless someone is moved first.
It is likely that t...
Marc Savard. Assuming the Bruins dont resign his the leafs MUST! He would immediately be our best forward. The bruins have a back up plan for Marc departure. It's David Krejic. So im hopefull the Bruins don't re-sign him at which point he'll be UFA. Immediately the Leafs need to sign him. 6 years at least 30 million. Also I would love for them to sign Pat Kane as I believe...
September is right around the corner, so it's time to take a look at what the Atlantic Division will look like for the 2009-10 season. This is written with the knowledge that rosters are not completely set, and rumors are still abound about a few of these teams...but comments are made based on how the teams stand right now. Even though nobody paid attention to it last time...
As a self-proclaimed advocate of Statistical Analysis and its potential in the world of hockey I must now defend the practice after a recent blog authored by former Minnesota Wild Assistant GM Tom Lynn was published on The Hockey News on August 28th. For those of you who may be interested in reading the whole post, here is the link: http://thehockeynews.com/articles/27659-...
Someone informed me this week that there is a rumor that Eklund and I are the same person. According to my psychologist, I have six different personalities, and none of them are named Eklund. So there.
I have never met Mr. Eklund, but I assume considering his name that he resides in the Philadelphia area. Philly is a wonderful city: Home of so much important American hi...
With more than a half dozen teams falling further down the hole and a few others making marginal improvements this is what I see happening this year.
1. Washington is going to make a big push this year and become the dominant team of the East and NHL. They have the pieces in place and also have a couple of good runs and are prepared to make the push. In my opinion they...
Here are my Eastern Conferene predictions:
1. Boston
2. Washington
3. Rangers
4. Pittsburgh
5. Carolina
6. Philadelphia
7. Buffalo
8. Toronto
---------------------
9. Montreal
10. New Jersey
11. Florida
12. Atlanta
13. Tampa Bay
14. Islanders
15. Ottawa
Boston:
Solid team. I expect a repeat performance from last year. They led the league i...
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...
So, after a summer of waiting on the sidelines, Alex Tanguay has finally signed, with the Tampa Bay Lightning and I think that is a GREAT move for them.
When Gary Bettman said, at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, that he had a trade to announce and that it was Tanguay to Montreal for a 1st and 2nd round pick, I was ecstatic! Tanguay has always been a solid contributor to wh...
Okay so i'm not even gonna try to do Eastern Conference because i don't see a lot of their games, and i notice that when people try to do both conferences on this site they really mess up the one they don't watch, anyways im gonna try and give some reasons for my picks but please comment and tell me what you think
1. Calgary Flames
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. St. Louis B...
It's the last day of August, and Northern Alberta is going through it's most significant heat wave of the summer. Perhaps Mother Nature knows hockey season and training camp are soon to get underway, and is giving the players a chance to get in some golf before all the work begins.
Oil Country is buzzing with the Kessel rumors. In my opinion, Kessel would be a better ad...
As the season approaches....
Here are a few things I've been thinking about...
Heatley - Don't care. Enough already, trade him to a Russian team.
'Yotes - Don't care, it's stupid at this point. Let's keep a team in the league that is losing tons of money. Sorry 'Yotes fans.
Previous Cup Winners - Don't care. It's time for the new season to be upon us.
Thi...
Heatly - NY Rangers for Dubinsky, Rozsival, Voros, and a 1st
Kessel - Will not move
Kaberle - Chicago for Brian Campbell and a 3rd
Satan - NY Islanders at 2.4 mil over 2 years
Comrie - Ottawa at 1.1 mil over 1 year
Seidenberg - NY Rangers at 2 mil over 2 years
Afinogenov - KHL for a ridiculous amount of money
Zherdev - KHL for even more money
Sundin - Tampa Bay at ...
hplayer11389 writes...
My Keys to the Sabres Success and Making the Playoffs
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I know many people disagree with this statement, but I fully believe it, and will vehemently defend it; the Buffalo Sabres are a playoff team. They have the scoring depth, they have the goaltending, and they have right system. Again, many people do not agree, and see the Sabres as a two player team depending on the success of Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek. This is an uneduc...
East
1. Pittsburgh
2. Boston
3. Carolina
4. Philadelphia
5. Washington
6.Montreal
7. New Jersey
8. Tampa Bay
Out: Florida, Buffalo, Toronto, NY Rangers, Ottawa, Atlanta, NY Islanders
West
1. Detroit
2. Vancouver
3. Anaheim
4. Chicago
5. Dallas
6. San Jose
7. Columbus
8. Calgary
Out: Nashville, St. Louis, Edmonton, LA, Minnesota, Phoenix, Colora...
Booo to Comcast. They are at it again. They refuse to play with others. They are trying to create a monopoly in Philadelphia broadcasting. They are so paranoid about satellite TV that they have kept CSN off the DirecTV since it's inception. They claim that they are not capable of broadcasting to satellite.
Now they have increased the price of Versus to make it un...
Yahoo finally opened up fantasy hockey season today, so I'm sure many of you will be signing up shortly to get in on the action. After all, draft time is the most exciting time of the year for fantasy hockey fanatics. There are a variety of formats out there from Yahoo and others. But which one is best? I've been managing a fantasy hockey league for 18 years now, and w...
[b] Predictions/Expectations [/b]
Hey everyone, I thought for my first post it would be right to start off with my introduction and prediction. Hi… My name is Ed I’m college student in North Carolina and a huge Rangers fan. I grew up in New York and recently moved to North Carolina. I try to watch and go to as many gam...
With the 2010 NHL training camps only a few weeks away, I think that Habs fans are excited about the upcoming season but with all the changes over the summer, left feeling a little lost too. The question is, why? Why was this summer's upheaval so traumatic? Why do we feel like we are floating in the wind waiting for the breeze to deposit us somewhere? I'll tell you why...
I think I figured out Glen Sather’s trick to being a GM. He follows the rule “If you can’t beat them, SIGN them”. Over the past few years Sather has made many different changes to the Rangers organization. With every decision the response from Rangers fans usually starts with “Why?” Glen Sather is not in good standing with many Rangers fans. Reason...
Is no news good news?
The top story on the Oilers webpage today is an article promoting the Bryan Adams concert on Friday at Telus Field. Yeah. Actually I had the idea once for the Gag Me with a Canadian Music Tour featuring Celine Dion, with Bryan Adams and Shania Twain as the warm-up acts. Talk about a hat trick no one would ever want to score.
I feel like making ...
Tomas Kaberle has been with the Leafs since day 1. He signed a contract with a NTC, in which he's lived by. He's been the franchises best player for a number of years now. He's made the Olympics, All-Star teams and yet he continues to be bashed by the fans and the media for years. He had a chance to wave his NTC and he didn't. His heart is here in Toronto. Sure it ...
CANUCKS
The Vancouver Canucks have signed Roberto Luongo to a 12-year $64 million contract, making him a lifetime Canuck. Unless he gets signed as a 64 year free agent - okay that is little sarcastic, but you get the point. Luongo is a lifetime Canuck, and is one of the best goalies in the League. The Canucks have been a very busy team this week, acquiring two vets on t...
One question that looms over the Canada hockey right now is, Who will be the Captain in Vancouver? Who will lead the Canadians to Gold? Or better yet, who CAN lead them to the gold?
Let’s look at the list of suitable candidates.
Jarome Iginla: Iginla represented Canada at the last two Olympic games in Turin and Salt Lake City. He wore an “A” in Turin and was in...
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....
Evening hockey fans,
I'll be starting a hockey blog, and be aiming to blog once a week or so on topical news around the NHL. This week, Luongo's 12 year 64 million dollar contract and a visit to the Toronto Maple Leafs rookie training camp at the Kitchener Auditorium this coming Sunday. On tap, the Leafs (or Marlies, Knights, Spitfires etc.) of Toronto take on the Pengu...
Former NHLPA Executive Director Paul Kelly finally broke his silence yesterday following his firing early Monday morning. In a vicious 24 hours that also witnessed Glenn Healy's resignation, Kelly was forced to defend himself against allegations he misused his office having reputedly been caught reading a confidential transcript from a players meeting.
For his part, Ke...
The Blues have invited free agent defenseman Darryl Sydor and left winger Ryan Bayda to training camp on a professional tryout, sources have confirmed.
Sydor, 37, tallied three goals and 12 assists in 73 games played with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Dallas Stars last season.
Bayda, 28, had five goals and seven assists in 70 games played with the Carolina Hurricanes i...
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...
With under two weeks until the pre-season debuts, many fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to ponder which players will make the cut come opening night against the Montreal Canadiens. Players like Jiri Tlusty, Tyler Bozak, Christian Hanson, Nazim Kadri and others will be competing for employment at the National Hockey League level. However, the rigors of the NHL regul...
TSN has reported that Burke has re-aquired his 2nd round choice in next years draft. Meaning he has all the tools to offer Phil Kessel a contract. The yays and nays have been cast out. I say to Burke. DO IT! A future 40 plus goal scorer. Pull the trigger Burkie. I finally see all his planning with the Stralman trade coming to fruition. So Kessel would put on a leafs jersey...
I have a hockey draft this afternoon and I'm bored this morning so..........
Leafs traded for the Hawks 2nd round pick next year.They now have a 1st,2nd and 3rd for next season. Phil Kessel here is your offer sheet, the Bruins are over the cap I believe so they are screwed.
David Tyree nice catch in the Superbowl, that being said best of luck finding a new job.
Ha...
Beware to all the DirecTV people out there that are NHL fans. You will not see any games on Versus this year. This means that if your team plays a game on Versus, that game will not be shown on CenterIce. Versus has EXCLUSIVE broadcast rights for those games within the US and judging by the way they negotiate with satellite providers, they will not relinquish those righ...
I was at the Leafs/Pens rookie game in Kitchener earlier, so I have decided to try and write a blog about it. This is my first one ever, so any criticism and advice would be helpful. Here we go.
[u][b]Final Score:[/b][/u]
Leafs Rookies 3, Penguins Rookies 1
[u][b]Goals:[/b][/u]
[u]Toronto:[/u]
1st Period - Viktor Stalberg - Tyler Bozak and Christian Hanson
...
Ok, I know, it’s not an original concept for a blog post but I still want to get my predictions on record before the season starts. Feel free to disagree about any of my choices. Anything can change between now and the end of the regular season, injuries and trades for example but I’ll still stand by these. Today I post the West and the East will follow later this week...
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!
I will admit it; I don’t know about most of you but I am a fantasy addict. I play fantasy baseball, football and especially hockey. In fact, this year I have joined 3 leagues, two of which are keeper leagues. This will be my first foray into a keeper hockey league so I am looking forward to it. In one of the keeper leagues, the league manager paired up all of the teams a...
These are the days that are difficult to be an NHL blogger. Just what am I suppose to be talking about?
The Oilers signed Rob Schremp on Friday, and he was the last remaining RFA requiring a contract. Yippee. That’s all there is folks. There’s really nothing else to say right now.
It’s hard not to be a little down on the team before the first puck drop of the s...
Who says the draft is so important? Sure, the overwhelming majority of players enter the NHL through traditional means. But, there is a lot of talent in the NHL right now that never heard their name called at the draft table. You could assemble quite a team from these overlooked gems. Maybe Jim Balsillie can start his own squad by sifting through the junior ranks and E...
With training camp only a few days away and the Habs rookie camp already underway, there is no doubt that hockey is in the air....and I'm lovin' it! Given that the 2010 season is almost upon us, it got me thinking about the new-look Habs and what their chances of success are, this season. While I'm not brave enough to make a prediction, I think that I can say that I am c...
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...
In order for a successful season for the Flyers some of the following items must be true
[b]Forwards:[/b]
Claude Giroux continues to become a star pivot and develop chemistry with Briere.
Briere must be healthy and an offensive force that we signed 2 years ago.
Richards needs to be more focused on being a shutdown center.
[b]Defense:[/b]
Pronger and Parent be...
ladynic writes...
Flyers Veterans Unofficial Practice/ Flyers Rookie Camp
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Rookie pictures are still uploading to Flickr here is the link for the vets
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157622202651155/
The Veterans looked very good. Backlund was finally there and we saw his new mask
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3905187223/in/set-72157622202651155/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3905967706/in/set-7215762220265...
Just two days till camp and there are still many questions to be answered. Hype for the season is beginning to build and the ice is starting to freeze in arenas around the league. So where do we stand?
Recap: Here is the list of guys we picked up this offseason who will likely start
Donald Brasher
Marian Gaborik
Chris Higgins
Ales Kotalik
Enver Lisin
Vi...
Since everyone's official team bloggers have begun posting this year's training camp rosters, I'm going to go ahead and post the Devils' roster since it hasn't been done yet.
[b]Goaltenders[/b]
30 - Martin Brodeur
31 - Jeff Frazee
35 - Yann Danis
40 - Mike McKenna
50 - Gerald Coleman
60 - Dave Caruso
70 - Jeff Lerg
[b]Defensemen[/b]
2 - Jay Leach
5 - Colin W...
I realize Edmonton gets cold in winter, but I didn't think hell just froze over.
Mike Comrie today signed a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers. How cool is that? I actually am pleased with the move. Yes, I hear you doubters saying, "another small centre?" Yep. And he's also another small centre that scored 30 goals one season in Edmonton. He improves the team. But w...
Some random thoughts to ponder before my official 09/10 return on Monday.
The name Redfield T. Baum is becoming legendary like Kenesaw Mountain Landis. Both for the wrong reasons. My take on both, move the Coyotes for the Love of God, and Buck Weaver, only innocent man 90 years ago of the eight. Re-Instate Buck.
Marc Savard assisted on 22 of Phil Kessel's 36 goals la...
First off today, allow me to comment on the alleged potential deal between Ottawa/San Jose and Los Angeles involving Dany Heatley: Who comes up with this stuff?
Alright, settle down…Of course I am being facetious. The truth is, there has to be at least a little something to this rumor. Maybe a team official was heard in the back of one of the NHL rinks during his smo...
I’m always talking about this new up-tempo style Tortorella will provide. John Tortorella has a proven style of hockey, after all he lead the Lighting to the 2004 Stanley Cup Championship. In an interview by Newsday.com Vinny Prospal said, “ I always played my best hockey under him”. Hearing this I’m very confident that his coaching will help this team. This year I...
Few things are more frustrating for a hockey fan than to see your team draft a great prospect, watch him come up through the ranks to become a star, only to then see him leave as a free agent or trade. It's the reality of the NHL, but imagine if it wasn't so. Imagine a world where your team could keep every player it ever drafted. How different would the NHL landscape b...
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...
I think that the Leafs must have some sort of agreement in place with Kessel either that or a good scoop that he wants to play for the leafs.
At anytime now a rival team can offer Kessel an offer sheet and scoop the player if Boston decides to match.
Remember that Charelli can not trade Kessel for a year if he has to match. This would mean Charelli would have to dem...
With training camp set to open soon with the start of the regular season just weeks behind, you would think fans would be gearing up and getting amped to watch Islanders hockey.
For some, that really isn't the case.
I have said it before and I will say it again, I am not one for politics. I am not well-versed in the matter (although I know I should be and have been ...
Saturday, September 12, 2009...Dany Heatley gets traded finally, Zherdev rumors to Edmonton begin to fly again, and my game of golf planned for this afternoon gets cancelled due to an unfortunate allergic reaction to allergy medication, of all things. I might as well write a blog.
The Dany Heatley deal looks terribly one-sided. In Heatley, San Jose gets one of the top 3...
Dany Heatly has officially been traded. The summer-long soap opera of the poster-boy for millionaire crybabies is over, but was it really a good deal for all involved?
The Sharks traded two solid (not superstar, but reliable) players worth $7 million for one former superstar worth $7.5 million. I rarely agree with Ryan Garner's blogs, but he brings up a solid point in h...
So, continuing in my 5 part series on what will (or won't) make the Habs successful this season, I want to start off by replying to one of the comments from my last post. In my previous post, I had said that I define the Habs' success as finishing anywhere between 4th and 8th, in the East. The poster, 'flamminghead', wondered why not 1st, 2nd, or 3rd? Well, the answer i...
Open training camp began on Sunday September 13th at 8:30AM, for the Calgary Flames, one day after completing their fitness testing. There has been a lot of buzz around camp this year for multiple reasons; first there are 57 players attending which is a huge group of players, second there are many new additions (many of whom have 1-way deals) who are fighting for the last ...
Are the Oilers truly capped out? It's an interesting question to ask. There still are free agents available, such as Nikolai Zherdev and Petr Sykora, that could improve the Oilers team. Could they take a run at adding another UFA before the season begins?
Before getting into this, it should be noted that the Oilers presently have 48 players under contract, two below the...
I was not able to attend on Friday for Veterans unofficial practice and the rookie game. My friend Sandy did here are the links to her pictures
Veterans Practice
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25870841@N07/sets/72157622348278282/
Rookie's practice
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25870841@N07/sets/72157622348412030/
Winter Classic Jersey unveiling
http://www.flickr....
With training camp in full swing, it's time for a few Quick Hits.
- The Oilers are progressing well at training camp, and there is optimism in Edmonton. Players being interviewed are now opening up a bit about being releaved the MacT era came to an end.
- Dustin Penner came into camp in great shape, both physically and mentally. He more than anyone else needed a fre...
In my post yesterday I mentioned that I think the Flyers really have the hang of things with training camp here is one of my prime exampled
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3920706599/in/set-72157622247610191/
There was only a fraction of the fans at today's camp session but still a pretty good turn out for a monday.
A few people have asked for some details...
Wow, I know that Gary Bettman has been busy with the Coyotes mess, but no response from the NHL for over 2 weeks that Versus and DirecTV have split ways. This means a 25% DROP in viewership for all Versus NHL games. I wonder if the sponsors of those games are getting a discount?
Here is what the Commish needs to do...
1. He needs to get Versus back on DirecTV or h...
Kamal Panesar writes...
5 Keys to Habs' Season - Part 3 - Mike Cammalleri
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Greetings all! Hope eveyone is enjoying my take on what I believe the Habs will need in order for them to have a successful year. For part 3, in this series, I turn my attention to our shiny new sniper, Mike Cammalleri.
[b]Mike Cammalleri[/b]
For a few years in a row now, there has been talk of Gainey fishing for three players around the league; Vinny Lecavalier, Pat...
With all this talk of trading a glut of high draft picks for Phil Kessel (1st round, 5th overall), discussion of 'draft pick value' seems to be the rage. I can't really beat the work Scott Cullen at TSN has done in analyzing the statistical odds a draft pick will make the 'big show' but I can throw in my two cents as to the value of draft picks to the Leafs.
When peopl...
The Montreal Canadiens have signed free-agent forward Philippe Lefebvre to a three-year contract.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Lefebvre, 18, won the 2009 QMJHL Championship with the Drummondville Voltigeurs at the Memorial Cup Tournament. In 2008-09, the Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, naitive finished sixth among Drummondville skaters with a plus- 3...
It took sometime to manifest, prolonged in the wake of shoulder surgery and stunted contract talks, but the September 10th news that negotiations between the Boston Bruins, Wade Arnott and Phil Kessel had come to an impasse reignited the rumor mill that has surrounded the Leafs and the Madison, Wisconsin sniper since Brian Burke first tabled Tomas Kaberle in the infamous d...
It was a good start for the Oilers last night, with a pre-season win over the Calgary Flames. Patrick O’Sullivan scored twice for Edmonton, and Shawn Horcoff added an empty-net goal to seal the deal. Oiler fans will be thrilled to see O’Sullivan contribute, as he didn’t look comfortable last season in Edmonton. Playing with Horcoff and Hemsky this year could bring ou...
Quick. What do you think of when you hear these names:
Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, NY Islanders, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Mapleleafs.
Teams likely to miss the playoffs? (SJ doesn't quite fit)
Cool Jerseys? (Islanders are kind a lame)
Teams that disappointed last season? (True, though Toronto didn't have high expectations)
If you read ...
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...
The rumors are back. We had previous rumors from Ek on Tanguay and Frolov and neither of those came to fruition. No real concrete deal is being speculated here as to what the Preds would give up.
Jeff Marek from CBC Sports was just on the TEAM 1040. He hinted that Brad Boyes could very well be a Penguin by the end of the year and more importantly that Phil Kessel will ...
You can't see me, but I am tapping my watch. It isn't September 17 yet; or at least, it isn't where I live, but after tonight's Oilers game I wanted to throw a new blog on to discuss how things are progressing.
Two pre-season games in, and the players are giving Coaches Quinn and Renney plenty to think about. Two players tonight offered food for thought: Jordan Eberle ...
While it has long been thought that pre-season is an irrelevant showcase and tune-up for 19 out of 22 players and an intense battle between some 30 others for the last 3 spots, I find myself thinking it to be a little more important. In particular, for the Toronto Maple Leafs after 4 seasons of non-playoff hockey!
With the Leafs, the obvious logjam at defense has been ...
The Toronto Maple Leafs may not win a lot of games this season, but the opposition won’t be leaving the rinks with a full set of teeth.
A team that Brian Burke envisioned as truculent, belligerent and pugnacious hit the ice last night in a no holds barred match-up. There were five fights by the end of the game; the Leafs winning three of them. Surprisingly, pugilist C...
Kamal Panesar writes...
5 Keys to Habs' Season - Part 4 - Andrei Kostitsyn
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Back again, and in the home stretch with part 4 of 5, in this series.
Training camp is in full effect and the new look Habs hit the ice tonight against Florida, in Montreal. Gomez asks Lapierre if he thinks it will be a sold out tonight.
Hehe.....good one Scott. In a few short hours, you will experience, 1st hand, what it feels like to be a home boy in the larges...
Canadiens' lineup
Forwards
Mike Cammalleri - Scott Gomez - Andrei Kostitsyn
Guillaume Latendresse – Maxim Lapierre – Matt D’Agostini
Gregory Stewart – Mikael Johansson – Brock Trotter
Mathieu Darche – David Desharnais – Ryan White
Defensemen
Andrei Markov – Josh Gorges
Jaroslav Spacek – Ryan O’Byrne
André Benoit – P.K. Subban
Goaltend...
I suppose this is a case of better late than never since I was supposed to have had this up a week ago. Anyway, after careful deliberation I’ve concluded that 7 of the 8 playoff teams from a year ago make it again this year. The lone non-playoff team to crack the top 8 will be Tampa. I’m sure you’ll find some of my choices debatable. That’s fine, feel free to disag...
Alright...here is my attempt to revive a blog that I lost a few weeks ago. It's my own fault really. I wrote a blog of about maybe six paragraphs about three players I thought fans might want to keep an eye on throughout the year, to hit submit on the tab and realize that my connection to the wireless router was lost. Just freakin' dandy.
So here we go, with a little ad...
Today the Rangers trimmed their roster down to 34 and competition for the last few spots are going to get tougher. The Rangers sent 15 players to the AHL Wolf Pack team including Nigel Williams, Miika Wikman, Mike Sauer, Brodie Dupont and Sam Kllassen. They also sent five junior players to their junior teams. Five other players (Arnason, Byers, Locke, Owens and Rissmiller...
Tonight, the Bulin Wall rises in Edmonton. It should be a fun game. Mike Comrie also makes his hometown return. Will the fans boo and heckle? I don't think so. Comrie has looked decent so far in pre-season play, and the sense of optimism that surrounded the Oilers at the beginning of last season has suddenly returned. Many feel that the Oil have real potential to surprise ...
The playoffs are in full swing and the Flames are rocking the Islanders after game one!! What's that? It's the pre-season? You would never know it if you were at the game last night, the crowd was on another level of excitement after hearing that Theo Fluery was playing in addition to J-Bo, Backlund, Jokinen, Dawes and several other players we want to see. The only let dow...
TSN is reporting that the Leafs and Bruins have reached agreement on a deal that will bring Phil Kessel to the Leafs this season.
Details to follow...
I just got home from this game and have to say I didn't really like the first 1 1/2 periods at all. With the game being 5 to 0 at this point really made me want to pack my stuff and head back home and play EA NHL 10.
Thomas Greiss did not look good tonight. With 11 shots there were 5 goals and most of these goals looked very stoppable. After a few more shots at Greiss A...
Edmonton vs Florida, Friday, September 18. Mike Comrie, the player that you'd never believe would be an Oiler again, gathers four assists, participates in a fight, and leaves the ice to a standing ovation, and the chants of, "Comrie, Comrie..." Weird.
Don't get me wrong, I am happy Mike is back in Edmonton, and even happier that he looks to be playing the best hockey of...
With some transactions since my last post, and since a bunch of the predictions were a combination of bias and an experiment to see comments ... I have decided to redo that blog in a shorter format with basic predictions for the opening night roster, and some point predictions for that roster... enjoy!
Sorry in advance for the format, I tried my best to keep it simple!
...
The Maple Leafs were $2 million under the cap before the trade for Kessel. They now sit $3 million over. I know Burke said he had the cap room to make this trade, but it is hard to see how. He does have some bonus cushion but not enough to make up the difference. Don't forget how important it is to have a little cap cushion. The Flames couldn't even get a full rost...
[img:right]http://www.nationalsportsbeat.com/images/logos/nhl/Philadelphia_Flyers.jpg[/img]
[b]PREVIEW( my attempt at a bill blog)[/b]
Hopefully the Flyers bounce back from Thursday's debacle in London vs. the Leafs with a strong effort something they have not shown so far this preseason. The for us fans all eyes will be on Pronger and Emery as this is the first time w...
Good game from Nashville. Preds come back from a 2 goal deficit and score the final 3. Sullivan left the game in the 1st. Later it was released it was a groin injury and was held out as a precaution. Just yesterday Sully mentioned "his groin" on his twitter account:
"ice bags all day today on the groins".
Enough of the groin talk lets get to the game.
[b]Over...
The Toronto Maple Leafs are now riding a three-game winning streak after defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime on Saturday night by a score of 5-4.
Yes, it’s pre-season, but who cares? It’s hockey, and we’re winning. Enough said.
Here’s some random thoughts about the game:
* Jason Allison, do not quit your day job. For every play he executes, he ma...
This is my first blog on hockeybuzz, but I've been coming here multiple times daily for longer than i care to admit. I'm a leafs fan that's lived in Ottawa for 10 years, and this means that I'm usually starving for leafs news. If there's no news, then just a new Leafs blog is usually fine. But there's never enough. I'm addicted to TML, and I think there are others out ther...
Reading the Tennessean, John Glennon reported Poile made an equal offer but they couldn't match what Toronto was willing to pay Kessel. If they made the trade then they would have been in the same situation as Boston and wouldn't have been able to sign Kessel.
Poile still says he is looking to add someone if the right person becomes available.
Each and every year, I decide it is humorous to put myself on the line here (and at the wrath of every single individual), and put forth my predictions for the final standings. While I am only a blogger, I like to think of myself as somewhat of a smart hockey-mind, and I understand that I will be ripped apart by fans of all backgrounds who feel that I betrayed them by not...
gkmkiller writes...
Dubinsky Re-signs finally - 2 Years, $3.7 million though!?!?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Call me confused. Don’t get me wrong; I am stoked that the Rangers and Glen Sather finally came to their senses and gave Dubinsky enough money to entice him to re-sign. The problem I have is with the money they gave him, especially if the reports I have read are true.
We know that pressure had been building on Dubinsky’s side to get the player into camp. John Tortor...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Habs training camp: Little guys making big impression...
Posted Monday | Comments 0
So the Canadiens were beaten, 2 - 1, by the Boston Bruins last night, in Quebec City. It is exhibition season, and with player like Glumac, White and Pyatt in the line-up, who really cares what the score was? What was impressive, however, was the little guys: Gionta and Desharnais.
Gionta, is a proven commodity, and Habs fans are going to love this guy. Man is he fas...
I think the team for game 1 barring injuries will be...
[b]Centers:[/b]
Richards, Carter, Giroux, Betts
[b]Wings:[/b]
Gagne, Hartnell, Asham, Lapierre, JVR, Powe, Bell, Briere
[b]Defense:[/b]
Pronger, Timonen, Coburn, Carle, Jones, Parent, Toleffson.
Syvret makes the team if they can trade Randy Jones. He needs to play and would be called up in a long term ...
Update: The Oilers placed three players on waivers Monday - Dean Arsene, Ryan Potulny and Chris Minard. The difficult cuts have begun in Edmonton.
The Oilers on Sunday lost to the New York Islanders, but after five games in six nights, the loss is fairly understandable. Highlights for Edmonton included yet another goal from Patrick O' Sullivan, and continued offensive b...
After a slew of 4 games in 4 nights and the first cut, the Leafs roster is beginning to take shape.
After the Kessel trade, the top 6 becomes a little more crowded but not until November!
With Ron Wilson’s comments indicating that Nazem Kadri is all but assured to go back to London not because of his play but because of his youth, we can now assume the Leafs will ...
In the fantasy hotspot, we evaluate players who are experiencing a boost in production (or potential production), due solely to the linemates that have landed with. At least for the short term, it's worth picking up one of these guys and riding the wave that comes with being paired up with top talent, or with added power play time. Here are a few players going into the s...
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 ...
The Edmonton Oilers aren't wasting time shortening the Pre-Season bench. After waviers are cleared by certain players, the Oilers roster will be down to 32.
Today the roster was trimmed by eight players:
Sent to Springfield of the AHL - Defensemen Alex Plante, Jake Taylor and Bryan Young, and Winger Ryan O'Marra. Forwards Ryan Potulny and Chris Minard, along with Def...
I am off all week and will have several reports.
Goaltending coach Jeff Reese worked all 3 goalies before practice with the help of Braydon Coburn, Danny Syvret, Jason Ward and James Van Reimsdyk.
Jeff Reese
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3943210222/in/set-72157622428886754/
Backlund
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3943207356/in/set-721576224288867...
Okay, I'm obviously not some great hockey expert writing about all the little nuances of the game I love. But I do know that finely-tuned athletic machines should not be getting hurt so easily in training camp.
Today I wake up to find Adam Burrish's name added to the list of players who will not make the season opener and I am forced to ask, what is going on here? Okay,...
When asked what the keys to the Rangers upcoming season are, most fans would point to the obvious: the health of both Marian Gaborik and Henrik Lundqvist; a return to form by Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden; and the ability of coach John Tortorella to implement the up-tempo playing style and the high-level conditioning he favors are answers I would expect to hear.
There...
A few days ago, Kyle Okposo was the recipient of a devastating open ice hit in a pre-season game against the Calgary Flames, delivered by none other than Dion Phaneuf. Since then he has returned to New York for further testing for what has been diagnosed as a mild concussion. After watching the hit several times, I will state my opinion: it was clean. Perfectly clean. He n...
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...
The Oilers are about to play their biggest game of the season tonight against the Calgary Flames. Biggest game? It's still September, right? Welcome to the 2009/2010 training camp.
In an interview yesterday, Oilers Coach Pat Quinn discussed how jobs are up for grabs still on this year's team, and some of the veterns - the people penciled into the roster at the start of ...
This is part 5 of 5 in this series, and I just want to thank everyone for the feedback and emails! The support and feedback, whether negative or positive, is always appreciated!
So without further ado....
[b]Carey Price[/b]
When Carey Price was drafted, 5th overall, in the 2005 NHL entry draft, a lot of people were unsure as to why the Habs grabbed this kid. As go...
chparkes writes...
Ready the Reinforcements: The Leafs Roster Solution
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With the regular season only one week away and the Leafs needing to trim their roster to a maximum of 23 players, the debate rages on as to whether to play the youngster or to stick with the veterans assembled over the course of the last 2-3 years who actually produced a respectable offensive output last season. What makes this decision difficult is that the temptation to ...
First Kimmo Timonen was not on the ice for today's practice. I am sure the beat writer guys will comment on that
Colors
Dark blue- Gagne, Richards, Pyorala
White- Briere, Carter, Hartnell
Orange- JVR, Giroux ,Asham
Yellow- Maroon, Ward, Laliberte
Green- Cote, Kaspar, Betts
Red- Powe, Lappy, Carcillo
D
Pronger -Carle/Syvret
Parent - Coburn/Syvret
Jones ...
Has anyone noticed the flux in Newsday reporters, I mean hacks, trying to make a name for themselves by bashing the Islanders, isn't newsday a long island paper? Unfortunately instead of reporting they've taken the Post route and are quickly becoming a tabloid......I got use to the Eden Laiken? crap a while ago on her Lighthouse reporting, but in the past few days I've no...
Last night, it was deju vu all over again. The Oilers as a team completely mailed in an effort. Welcome back, last season.
I suppose it's a little hard to get motivated to play in the pre-season. The people who needed to show up, Dustin Penner and JF Jacques, both had great games. Jacques in particular was great, scoring once with the puck, and once with his hand by fla...
Only 7 days until the NHL season kicks off with all the teams in action. I am so looking forward to the drop of the puck as the 2009-10 season gets underway. As a long time Flyers fan, the additions of Pronger, Emery and Boucher has me very excited!
I am a firm believer in pecking order within a team. Teams that can maintain their pecking order during the season and...
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...
I know it's only pre-season and all, but after last night's game, I need to do some whining.
Denis Grebeshkov flat-out stunk last night. He wasn't physical, he didn't move the puck well, his defensive zone coverage was suspect, and he appears to be allergic to shooting. I also seem to remember him coughing it up a few times, leading to Lightning chances to score. He did...
With the homestretch coming for the season, here are some predictions for the Flyers.
1. The Pronger trade will prove to be a great move for the Flyers. He creates the matchup advantage that the Flyers have not had for years. Teams can try to avoid Pronger at home, but they will likely get Timonen as the matchup. Not what they want either. My suggestion is to split...
Dumont gets the goal and everybody gets ready to start singing "I like it", then huh. What is that? A new goal song in Nashville. From the few folks around me they didn't seem to like the change. Tradition is tough to alter. We will see if this follows through to the regular season.
After the Canes win here are my thoughts on a couple players.
JP Dumont - Good g...
I don't know that I need to rehash the game. Pre season is more about shaking off the rust and I can't complain too much about scoring goals on the Devils.
Maroon
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3952603876/in/set-72157622451556374/
Pronger
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3952599348/in/set-72157622451556374/
Emery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat...
After winning their final pre-season game of the year, the Edmonton Oilers made their "final cuts" before the season begins. Although, the cutting was made a little easier thanks to four injuries on the roster.
The Oilers ultimately decided now was not the time for Jordan Eberle, and they returned him to the Regina Pats of the WHL. Eberle, who looked great in Oilers pre...
Kamal Panesar writes...
You got slapped! Wake-up call comes early for S. Kostitsyn.
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Back in August I wrote a blog about Sergei Kostitsyn entitled 'Sergei Kostitsyn: Superstar or Superbrat?'
Here's the link, FYI:
http://habsaddict.blogspot.com/2009/08/sergei-kotitsyn-superstar-or-superbrat.html
In this article, I talked about how I wasn't sure how or where Sergei fit in the lineup of the 2010, Canadiens. How he seems like he has top-6 skill, but he...
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 appears as though certain players have been placed on waivers that we are hearing about and it's tough to see as it means some kids who had really good camps will not catch a break this year due to the one way contracts already doled out.
Jamie Lundmark, Colin Stuart and Jason Jaffray
Jaffray in particular I am sad to see go, as far as this pre-season I liked his ...
With training camp over, and a slew of exhibition games that probably should have been cut in half if the league knew what was good for them (I mean, auditioning new guys is one thing, but by the end, the coaches know who’s staying and going, and they’re just playing whoever they don’t care about hurting), it’s time to face reality. The blue and white came out with...
As I was carefully selecting the sharpest and jaggiest stones for the public sacrifice of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Vesa Toskala, I thought of something.
Pre-season.
Yup, that’s right. It was just pre-season. The reaction the 32-year-old has garnered throughout Leaf Nation might suggest otherwise, but yes, these games were basically meaningless—except for a sele...
Alright, its almost October and Im eagerly anticipating the upcoming season. To help facilitate my excitement, I decided to watch last years playoffs between the Flyers and Penguins. It was easily apparent the Penguins were targeting the Flyer d-men, especially Timonen, by physically pounding them at every opportunity. I saw Kunitz and Cooke teeing off on the smaller Flyer...
You won’t find much about hockey in this blog but rather some words of wisdom that may save you the pain we have endured over the last 24 hours.
I hope you all are as lucky as I am to have found a special someone who not only humors your passions in life but truly shares in them as well. Much to my surprise, my bride of more than 10 years suggested that we take a much...
I listen each week on XM to the HomeIce show that Commissioner Bettman hosts and people bash the Versus coverage of the game all the time. The Commish is smart. He listens to these complaints that beg to get the NHL on ESPN, and he lets the fan rant, and then he calmly dispels the fan by saying how Versus is doing a great job, the NHL gets exclusive coverage, the channel...
sstrang writes...
Time for Another Talentless, Own Knowledge Predictions Blog
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Skipping the pleasantries:
[b]Eastern Conference[/b]
1. Boston
2. Philadelphia
3. Washington
4. Pittsburgh
5. Carolina
6. New Jersey
7. Montreal
8. NY Rangers
9. Tampa Bay
10. Toronto
11. Buffalo
12. Ottawa
13. Florida
14. Atlanta
15. NY Islanders
[b]
Western Conference[/b]
1. San Jose
2. Detroit
3. Calgary
4. Vancouver
5. Chicago
6. Anahe...
While the news of Mats Sundins' decision to retire will undoubtedly be met with a wide range of responses, I for one cannot help but feel saddened by it. Say what you will, the NHL lost one of its greatest competitors today.
Over his 13 years in the blue and white Sundin was the epitome of class and competitiveness, and exhibited all of the qualities that made him one ...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Edmonton? Chicago? Who else would want Sergei Kostitsyn?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Let me start by saying, "I called it!" re: the Sergei Kostitsyn situation. Hooray. Nice for me. Ok, enough patting myself on the back...
After being demoted to the AHL but a) refusing to report to the Bulldogs and b) requesting to be traded, it appears that Sergei 'lil-punk' Kostitsyn's time in Montreal is over. I can't say that I am sad about it but definitely disap...
As a DirecTV subscriber, I was all set to see the Wings Swedish opener this Friday on Versus. But, because of the cut-throat, in-bred telecommunications world, I have to make other plans.
So I miss my team's opener. Too bad for me. Too bad for Wings fans. Really too bad for hockey. However, I have no intention of calling up DirecTV to complain or rearrange my life by...
I will only make one “bold” prediction before the Flames open their season – they will lose their opening game Thursday night at home against the Canucks. Why? Simply because I can’t remember the last time the Flames won their opening game, and they have had a great deal of frustration the past few years with the Canucks, who have taken the mantle of true #1 rival ...
Hi Flyer fans, thank goodness its finally October and the 2009-10 season has started. All things are good again now that the hockey season is officially upon us! Im really looking forward to this season as this years Flyers team looks strong enough to compete with the rest of the big boys in the East. In addition, the upcoming Olympics in Vancouver promises to be one of th...
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...
EAST
1. Washington
2. Pittsburgh
3. Boston
4. Philadelphia
5. Carolina
6. New Jersey
7. NY Rangers
8. Ottawa
9. Montreal
10. Florida
11. Buffalo
12. Toronto
13. Tampa Bay
14. Atlanta
15. NY Islanders
WEST
1. Detroit
2. San Jose
3. Vancouver
4. Chicago
5. Anaheim
6. Calgary
7. Minnesota
8. St. Louis
9. Dallas
10. Columbus
11. Edmonton
12. N...
WarHero writes...
Game Day: Montreal - vs - Toronto - Let the Battle Begin!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Hockey is Back!! Get out your jersey, put that puppy on and let the battles begin!
My name is Anthony and I'm a Montreal Canadiens fan. As much as I can this year I am going to try live blogging the Habs games. I am quite new to blogging and will gladly accept any feedback. So here we go ...
TV Station: CBC Canada
The Leafs are being announced now, not much of of ...
That time is here. Face off is almost 48 hours away between the Habs and the Sabres. What awaits for the loyal fans of Buffalo this season?
After looking through what happened in the off-season, I feel that Buffalo is yet again, not prepared or ready for the season to start. Looking at the final roster, I don't feel this team is any better than the team last year. There...
HOCKEY!!!!
Sorry, I had to get that out of my system.
:-)
Just like all of you out there, I am incredibly happy to be able to watch a hockey game that counts. I'd love to say that it was one for the ages...a classic that will go down in the annals of hockey history and which we will be talking about for years. Unfortunately, that was just not the case. While it...
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)...
The day that all Rangers fans have been anxiously awaiting for since the disappointing end to our playoff run last season is finally upon us. Tonight is game 1 of 82 in the 2009-2010 NHL regular season. Not only do we have the excitement of the puck dropping on the new season but what better way to start than for the Rangers to open on the road against the defending Stanle...
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...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Finally Win A Season Opener Thanks To Kipper
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Apologies for the late post…
The Flames won their first season opener in six seasons Thursday with a 5-3 win over the Canucks at home. After a sizzling start led to an early 3-0 lead, the Flames slowed down the next two periods, and eventually Miikka Kiprusoff had to bail out the team in the third period to preserve the win. Nevertheless, there were some good things t...
What a nice start to the season for the Flyers. But let's temper the parade routes until they play some games in the playoffs.
[b]What did I like tonight?[/b]
Offense
The powerplay was very good. 2 quick goals. It was nice to see Carter and Richards get off to a good quick start. The lines wee a nice balance and stable all night long. Carter centered Hartnell and...
For those of you reading this, keep in mind I am a fan in the San Diego area, so all of my perspectives are from watching the games on television. Im saving up for the Olympics, therefore will not be able to attend any Flyer games in person this year. Hope you enjoy my take on tonights game:
Well the first game is in the books and we in Flyerdom have to be pretty happy...
I can't remember the last time the Islanders had their first game of the season be their home opener. If my memory serves me correctly, they usually started on the road, but tonight they have the privilege of opening up in front of their home town fans. Lucky for us we get to watch them start against the defending Stanley Cup champs.
The lines are predicted as follows:...
The Flyers are using the same lineup tonight as game 1 with the same lines and combinations. As a Flyers fan, it is really hard to listen to Mike Emerick and Chico Resch. They are such homer announcers and both have a deep dislike for the Flyers – even though they both were former Flyers.
1st Period
I didn’t see the foul on Carter that made it a 5 on 3 for 2 fu...
The Predators did something they don't do very often. Beat the Dallas Stars in Dallas. Two very important points for the Predators. This win though came at a price. The Preds lost JP Dumont to an injury in the second period when he was hit hard into the boards on a 2 on 1. It looked like a concussion, but no official word yet from the Predators. The Preds can't affor...
The Iceman writes...
The Games They Play: What Happens If The Islanders Move?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
This is the 1st time I have ever written a blog on this site so bare with me. Being an Islanders fan since I was 4 years old (that being 18 years) I have seen some crazy and stupid things when in regards to what has happened to this once great and feared franchise. Like many of us, we have been increasingly frustrated with what the previous powers that be in the front offi...
Another season has begun with the Battle of Alberta. All and all a good game, unless of course you play on the Oiler's PK units. The Oilers did show more "crust" as Coach Quinn likes to call it. A couple of fights, one involving Sam Gagner(?!?), and there were good solid checks being thrown.
The Pre-Game show was highlighted by a full out bag pipe entourage and acroba...
Well I have to admit, I did not like the Flyers chances in this game given it was the hated Devils IN New Jersey, it was their home opener, and it was Brodeur's 1000th game. Good thing I was totally wrong. After the first couple of shifts, the Flyers settled down and played a solid game overall.
[b]First Period[/b]
Devils look sharp to start the game. Flyers having dif...
I am a US hockey fan, and I can not state emphatically enough that there is NO reason to "Make it Seven".
It should be MAKE IT TEN
Southern markets in the United States, despite some very vocal and passionate fans, are largely failures. The two teams in the state of Florida have had their successes, but have been in terrible financial straits and have seen far more d...
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...
I just wanted to post a few quick thoughts on Saturday night's Texas Stars home opener in Cedar Park. The
1) Nothing against Krahn, but I'm just a huge Climie fan. He's fun to watch. I'm not sure he deserved 1st Star honors, but he was a large part of this win.
2) I was pleasantly surprised to see Brad Lukowich in the Texas Stars lineup. The Canucks apparently had...
I have been lucky enough to live in the Detroit area since I was 5. Well I don't know how lucky I really am given the economy of the city the last 5 years but one thing is for sure, it has been great being a Red Wing fan.
Growing up there was definitely some down times. I remember my father getting calls from Mike Illitch himself back in the 80's practically begg...
I'm sure some of you will be surprised that my first blog of the new NHL season is on the Edmonton Oilers. However, I feel it's completely warranted as this team is somewhat of an enigma to me. I'll explain:
First of all, it's nice to see the Edmonton fans of this site get a regular blogger, something that was really lacking recently. And, regardless of Mr. Vetter's ...
I took the drive this weekend to see the Phantoms new home. It is a classic old AHL barn. It was not a bad place to see a game. Saturday night's game sold out and had a ton of people doing the standing room only thing.
Randy Jones
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3983825432/in/set-72157622400203853/
Mormina
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3983773140...
Rob McGowan writes...
Although They Lost, Isles Home Opener Was A Success
Posted Monday | Comments 0
...and I am not just saying that because John Tavares scored.
The Isles were playing host to the defending Stanley Cup champions, a roster that includes Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Marc-Andre Fluery, Chris Letang, and so on. After the first period we were tied at one and John Tavares had his first NHL point. And let me tell you, the second that kid touc...
[i]They have a promising future.[/i]
That is the phrase we have heard often over the past four seasons. There was hope that an upstart team that reached its first postseason in 8 years would develop into a league power. There was evidence that a squad that came within 7.7 seconds of a liklely trip to the Eastern Conference Finals would break through in the near future....
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...
Just found this great site that list all the free agents for the summer of 2010 with top ten Rankings you should check it out.
Pretty cool site.
[url]http://www.nhlfreeagents.com[/url]
Now that was how the game of hockey is designed to be played! Two very good hockey teams that played one hell of an exciting game, it might even have been the best game I have ever seen in October.
Since the game was on Versus and many of you missed the game, here are some notes that I saw tonight. Matt Carle is playing with confidence, knowing he has Pronger with h...
Michael Crabtree, the 10th overall pick in this year's NFL Entry Draft, had a face-to-face meeting with the San Francisco 49ers who drafted him. What does this have to do with hockey? Nothing really, except to highlight how lucky we are to have such a great developmental system for hockey.
The 49ers offered their top pick a 5-year, $20 million contract with $16 million ...
Hi friends. I apologize for my brief blogging hiatus. I've been rather sick in recent days. Not sure if it is Bird Flu, Swine Flu, Ukraine Soup Flu...anyway, I've been out of action, and today is the first time I've been able to lift my head enough to see the keyboard on my computer.
So, I've been named the official Oilers Blogger on HockeyBuzz. The following is my acce...
Saying that our fourth line was good for the first game was one thing. The second game, impressive. The third straight game in which the fourth line outperforms the other three is astounding and re-iterates the immense amount of depth on this Flames squad.
Let’s look at the stats for the first 3 games:
Sjostrom- 2 A, and a Plus 3
Nystrom- 2 G, 1A, a plus 5, and 1 f...
So far the Maple leafs have not looked like the same team that had the impressive run in the pre-season so far. And ther is a simple reason.....
Folks it's because this is not the same team not even close.
By removing the line of Stahlberg-Bozak-Hanson line Ron Wilson simply has a watered down version of what he had last year.
What frustrates me most right now is...
WarHero writes...
Game Day - 07/10/09: Mtl - vs - Van - Let the Battle Begin!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well, I am back from my trip to Waterloo and ready to go folks! The sad thing about being in Waterloo is that I could not watch the Habs game last night due to RDS [b][u][i]NOT[/i][/u][/b] existing in Waterloo.
But I digress ...
This should be a great game tonight folks! I can sense it will be a battle of the goaltenders. Price finally gets the chance to start in hi...
I think we all know while I could do the game analysis that all of you have rehashed last night's game to death at this point in the day. So let's just do the pictures and call it a day.
The most requested pix in msgs to me today
Richards and Ovechkin
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3991864276/in/set-72157622415044485/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325...
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...
The Battle of Alberta, round 2, goes tonight in Edmonton.
Actually the Battle of Alberta, round 2, started this morning when I found six inches of snow on the ground. The 10 minute drive to work turned into 30 minutes of sliding on an ice cube. Welcome to Northern Alberta, where the men are men, and the Oilers are a bunch of Europeans.
That’s not exactly true. I wa...
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...
The Toronto Maple Leafs have started the season as many non Maple Leaf fans would have hoped for losing their first three games with the possibility of making it four when the defending Stanley Cup Champions come to town on Saturday. The Maple Leafs have scored eight goals in these three games but is their any forward on the Leafs that scares any opposing team that faces t...
Please read and post your thoughts and what you like/dislike or what you'd change.
Well, it's early... and it's very safe to say that Power Rankings at this point in time in the season don't mean very much. They're mostly a combination of last year's finish and this year's promise.
I like James Duthie's column on TSN.ca about Premature Evaluation, in reference to ju...
After the season opener, the Islanders proved that they were capable of coming out strong. To prove that it was not a home opening fluke, they needed to start tonight's game the same way that they did last Saturday. For the most part that is exactly what the Islanders did; they came out with energy and chances in the first ten minutes or so, but that fell short once the Se...
With the Predators 3 to 2 win, they now have won their first two games of the season. The top line of Arnott/Sullivan/Hornqvist at times dominated the play. Hornqvist digging the puck out of the corners and getting in front of the net, Sully's vision and passing, Arnott with the bomb. Tremendous play by that line.
Notables from the game:
Hornqvist (A-) - Really ...
So…the Flames go in to Edmonton last Saturday and “steal” 2 points when Khabibulin flubs a clearing attempt and Moss pots the game winner. Fast forward 5 days later. Rene Bourque tips a Jay Bouwmeester point shot with less than 2 seconds left in regulation to send it to extra time, leading to a shootout win. Not to mention the Oilers get a man advantage in the OT an...
Some quick hits:
If the Pens, Capitals and Flyers are the elite teams in the Eastern Conference let's make one thing clear...
Their defense needs a little work on all the teams.
All the teams need to re-shape their defensive schemes unless they want to play pond hockey all year long.
Beware, this will mostly just be a rant.
I really now believe that the negativity and gloom that has surrounded Detroit the last couple years has finally started to effect our sports teams. The Lions have always sucked but the Tigers, Pistons, and of course the Red Wings have been relatively dominant teams in their respective leagues. The Pistons fell apart last year by...
Pat Quinn was fined today for his comments after last night's Flames-Oilers game. Quinn called Jarome Iginla's trip on Sheldon Souray a "dirty play." Having watched the video on NHL.com and read the words myself, I can't say I blame the NHL for the decision to fine Quinn for his comments, but I also can't say that what Quinn said was wrong.
Players today are taking more...
Thursday night was by and far the worst game I think I have seen the Flyer play this season. They seemed very out of sync with each other and the hockey itself. Hopefully that will remedy itself tonight vs the Ducks.
Giroux faceoff
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3997211783/in/set-72157622554300080/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3997972484/in/set-721...
I am a fan of breaking the season down into segments and refraining from doing too much analysis outside of those segments. I like the 10 segment system with 8 8 game segments and 2 nine game segments. Makes the marking periods short but also makes for a better chance of getting a true baseline.
That said, a newsgroup post that I read was looking at the first four ...
Sorry Im a couple days late on writing this blog. Time has been in short supply lately, but here it goes.
First, I have a complaint about Versus. Being a Flyer fan in San Diego, it makes it very difficult to watch the games live. Thank God for the DVR, as I can now see the game when I get home. Usually the time alotted for the game is more than enough as NHL Center Ice ...
WarHero writes...
Game Day - 10/10/09: Mtl - vs - Edm - Let the Battle Begin!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It's Saturday night, my wife is baking Thanksgiving goods and we have another all Canadian match-up between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens coming up on CBC.
How Canadian!
The Oilers will begin to have a sense of what Montreal is going through after losing Sheldon Souray in the Calgary game. He suffered a mild concussion after an unfortunate incident ...
Once again these two monster corporations have unwillingly conspired together to stop NHL fans on DirecTV away from watching the Flyers and Ducks tonight.
My normal blog has to be postponed from tonight since I couldn't see the game. Thanks again to the people from these 2 organizations for stopping me from seeing this great matchup between these 2 powerhouse teams.
...
The Sabres behind Ryan Miller's 25 saves shutdown the Preds 1 to 0. Rinne on the other end made 41 out of 42 saves, but gave up his only goal with a little over 3 minutes remaining in the 3rd on a rebound goal by Grier.
Notabales from the game:
No Offense (D) - Every line really didn't produce many scoring chances. Just overall a bad night offensively. Erat with ...
A quick hit on this Sunday morning about the state of Calgary’s backup goalie situation. Curtis McElhinney might just not be good enough to play for the Flames. He has a whopping total of one win in the year and a half he has been with the team and constantly disappoints every time he gets between the pipes. He does not make the saves that Kipper does and unfortunately f...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091011/thumb.bed21253d478472186ec7ad266d65949.sabres_predators_hockey_tnmh121.jpg[/img]
Buffalo has began their season by scoring four goals in the first three games of the season. For most teams, this would be a huge problem. The Sabres managed to escape with five out of a possible six points to start the year.
Buffalo's real test wil...
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 ...
I am not here to rehash this game but I will say that it was a shame to have them tie in the final minute and then loose in a shoot out.
Person I blame the guy behind me who with 2 minutes left starts yelling "No Shoot out". Game was not even tied at that point.
Good Signs for a Saturday game with this one being my favorite then the rest....
http://www.flickr.c...
WarHero writes...
Andrei Kostitsyn: Can a 3rd period benching really help?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I never mentioned this last night but during the 3rd period of the game last night Andrei Kostitsyn didn't play one freaking shift!
Fans to Jacques: WTF are you doing? Trying to ruin the kid?
If Habs management think that benching a player who actually has the ability to score a clutch goal is the right way to motivate him then they better start re-thinking their gam...
The rate of injuries to significant fantasy hockey players seems to be pretty high this season compared to most years. Many key names have gone down, some of which will be out for a significant stretch of time. This can wreck a fantasy hockey team, particularly if you own several of these players in your lineup. Here's a look at the key injuries so far, and what it mean...
Another abysmal display = outcry for change...
what are your suggestions myhockeybuzz blog world!
The Preds decided not to show up and the Oilers took it to them scoring 6 goals, en route to a 6 to 1 win. This game spoiled Colin Wilson's debut for the Preds, who finished with a minus 1 with 1 SOG. Again, we still haven't seen a goal scored in regulation/OT from any other line than the top line.
Notables:
Klein/Hammer (F) - This pair has struggled. They where...
Watching the Flames blow a lead like that should not be surprising for any true Flames fan. We watch year after year, game after game as the Flames jump out to early leads and either wind up blowing them, giving up last minute goals or barely hanging on. And there are some prime examples only six games into this very young season.
The opener against Vancouver where the...
Well it looks like the Flyers failed in their first test to see if they can match up with the Stanley Cup Champion Penguins. The Flyers shot themselves in the foot right from the beginning of the game giving up a PP goal to Malkin within the few minutes. Then once they tie the game and get the momentum, it is quickly given away as Stall scores on the next shift. The Flyers...
[img]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20070420/sabres_77895.jpg[/img]
The day Buffalo wins the Stanley Cup.....will shock the hockey world.
The loyal fans of Buffalo have been waiting, and still are, for the Sabres to win their first Stanley Cup. It has been almost 40 years, and the team has yet to win it all.
They have come close a few times over the years:
...
Well, it happened. Why is it the Flames always find a way to do this? They came out like gangbusters and managed to lose the game, in what became the biggest comeback in league history. I'm not going to say I knew they'd blow the 5-0 lead, but one thought did cross my mind after the fifth goal - "Is five goals enough for the flames?" Just as I thought 3 goals wasn't enough...
It's finally happened. The Sabres have scored more than the Buffalo Bills in a single 60 minute game. The scary thing is, the Sabres are still playing.
Unfortunately, I was unable to actually sit down and watch the Sabres play up until tonight. Aren't weddings wonderful? I saw bits and pieces of the Coyotes game. Other than that, I haven't been able to see a game.
T...
And no, I'm not talking about the amount of work they will have to do IF the Lighthouse Project ever passes.
The Islanders had a typical let down Saturday, scoring three goals in a solid 50 minutes of hockey to watch it fade away in the final 10, losing in the shootout to a team they had all but beaten in regulation.
Monday they had a chance to make up for it with a...
While maybe not as dramatic as last night, this hockey game was basically the same story. Came out hard and physical and got the all to familiar lead in the first period, only to slowly back off and allow the Jackets back into the hockey game. Missed passes, giveaways, lazy defensive zone play, and penalties spelled the end. Kipper stood on his head again, but the guy need...
Well, a game removed from the biggest collapse in NHL history and the Flames should come out angry as all hell, right? Wrong
The Flames were out shot 33-23 and if it were not for Kiprusoff, this game would have been 6-1. Kipper made several tremendous saves to keep the Flames up 1-0, but finally succumbed to the pressure of a 5 on 3 powerplay and let in two goals in jus...
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...
What started out as a great game ended in a frustrating shootout loss that left a stale taste. It doesnt help that the Flyers have to wait almost a full week before their next game. Here are my game notes:
[b] First Period [/b]
Good overall period by the Orange and Black as they lead 1-0 off another power play goal by Mike Richards. It is his 6th of this young season a...
Deja Vu for the Preds. This is the second straight game giving up 6 goals. They have now been outscored 13 to 1 in the last 3 games. So far this season only the top line has a point. The Preds have now given up 8 goals in the last two first periods.
Game Notables:
Predators Team / Coaching Staff (F) - No longer can I single any player or coach out. This whole ...
What do you we know so far? Well, safe to say most of us are wondering if some of these teams are contenders or pretenders. The Atlantic Division is going to be TOUGH. Injuries are taking their toll around the league, and Toronto has lost 6 straight; believe me, all of Canada knows the Leafs have lost 6 straight. Should I say it again? The Leafs have lost 6 straight. ...
Sounds like a great title for a movie doesn’t it? Oh wait, someone has already used it? Darn! Regardless, it is an appropriate title for our King Henrik. Up until last night’s meeting with an improving Kings club, the King hadn’t been asked to win a game virtually all on his own. The Rangers had played their style to a tee and had consistently pressured the oppositio...
WarHero writes...
Game Day - 15/10/09: Mtl - vs - Col - Let the Battle Begin!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
At last folks ... the home opener! How appropriate that we play Colorado with all the recent talk about reserrecting the Nordiques!! For the opening they had all the Habs say "Je Suis" followed by their name. Was nice to hear ... here we go!
1st Period:
20:00 - Start of Period
19:21 - Avs with a chance, Habs with some great defensive work
19:10 - Habs with a chance...
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...
Ugh. This was the closest Montreal has come so far, in this young season, to playing a full 60 minutes. However, sadly, they decided to take the 2nd period off and as a result ended up losing the game. Yes, both Colorado goals were lucky bounces, butt hey resulted from work. They simply out-worked Montreal in the 2nd and were rewarded with two lucky goals. Here are a ...
The Preds continue to struggle scoring losing 3 to 1 in Nashville to the Blackhawks. The Preds only could muster 2 shots in the third period and a total of 13 for the game. On the other side they gave up 30 shots. This team is just simply struggling and going down fast. I kept on hearing this team is getting scoring chances, they are, but the problem is this team doesn...
On tap tonight: The Vancouver Canucks.
The Flames have a lot to prove tonight. A big rivalry game should be all the fuel needed to re-stoke the fire under this hockey team, but with this group you just never know. Brent Sutter has been surprisingly calm and collected over the past week and is preaching patience with the new system. If this pace continues, however, you ...
Welcome to week 3 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (10/19 through 10/25).
[u]Week 2 Review[/u]
A few surprising starts seem to be continuing in the West as Colorado and Phoenix haven't slowed down a bit in week 2. The entire Pacific division seems to be upside down from top to bottom, with the Coyotes and Kings on top an...
5.25 MILLION
That should buy you a lot in the NHL, a top tier player, a player that is a huge threat and compliments your team. Jokinen is in a contract year, has never really proven himself to be a game breaker and has zero chemistry with Iginla. That doesn't mean that a huge number 1 center doesn't have trade value though, in fact Jokinen could garner a lot of intere...
[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 ...
First off, sorry for taking so much time to start writing again, I had Swine Flu and im obviously still alive :)
1. Will the Leafs make the playoffs?
2.Will the Canadiens make a trade?
3.How many shut-outs will Pascal Leclaire get?
4.Does Vancouver beat out Calgary for the NW title?
5.Will the Flames make it past the first round if they make the playoffs?
6.Should ...
First off, sorry for taking so much time to start writing again, I had Swine Flu and im obviously still alive :)
1. Will the Leafs make the playoffs?
2.Will the Canadiens make a trade?
3.How many shut-outs will Pascal Leclaire get?
4.Does Vancouver beat out Calgary for the NW title?
5.Will the Flames make it past the first round if they make the playoffs?
6.Should ...
After such a long layoff you had to expect some rust in the Flyer game. Flyers appeared a step behind for most of the night and couldnt execute enough to beat the lowly Panthers. Wish we had another game right away, but the Flyers have to wait another 5 days between games. I would not be surprised to see another similar effort.
[b]First Period[/b]
Aside from a couple g...
Another win, and another siting of Jeckyl and Hyde. Giving up 2 late goals to make it close is not really my concern, I am sure the officials had bet the game over allowing 3 straight minors to the Flames. The concern is how come they let off the gas, this is a division rival and a team we fought to the last weekend for that title last season, step on the gas, choke the l...
Well, I believe Mr. Dion Phaneuf must have been reading this blog because he took my advice and gave his body up for the team to save a goal. Good for you “Neon Dion”, you did yourself proud! Not to mention a +2 on the night; a vast improvement from prior games for #3.
In other news the Flames managed to play their most complete game of the season last night, beati...
The Preds finally scored 2 goals again, but it wasn't enough as Ovechkin had two goals, including the shootout winner.
Compared to previous games, this was a much better effort against a great team. In the first period, the Preds missed two breakways by Ward and Weber on the PK. They got good scoring chances and did a good job of only allowing 2 goals to this offensiv...
Let's put it this way folks; there are only two full weeks left in October and the Isles have seven games left to play. So far they've played six and have done everything but win. Throw in the fact that both goalies have combined to let in 10 goals in the past two games and the same forwards are the only ones contributing on a nightly basis.
TIME TO WAKE UP GUYS!
The...
[img]http://www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Buffalo+Sabres+v+Philadelphia+Flyers+JuXj3BdrXvTm.jpg[/img]
[i][u]Question[/u][/i]: Should Ryan Miller have played for the Sabres last night in Atlanta?
That question is on everyone's mind after a 4-2 loss against the Thrashers Saturday night at the HSBC. While it's important for Miller to get his rest, and for backup goaltende...
Finally this season, I was able to get to a Buffalo Sabres game. What's even more incredible is that I talked my girlfriend into going to two games, back to back. I'm not sure she liked me taking notes on my cell phone. SO, here is a recap of two very different games played at HSBC arena this weekend.
New York Islanders, 10/16/2009
This was a great effort by the Buff...
Bridgeport CT is closer then Glens Falls NY. I will be doing closer games vs going to Glens Falls this season.
Phantoms won 4-2. They believe it or not rolled all 4 lines for the whole game.
Randy Jones did not play for the Phantoms but Brian Boucher did.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/4026178848/
Kevin Marshall looked very strong on D
http://www...
It seems to me like most of the early successes and failures of other NHL franchises are drowning out any positive feed back of a surprising Oilers team.
If you by chance live outside of Alberta you would have probably not known that 2 of Edmonton's tops scorers are those players deemed to small for an already small team!
Even more surprising is the play of one Dustin P...
As per Islanders trend each year, the roster currently includes an extra skater for the defensive department. The core consists of Mark Streit, Bruno Gervais, Andy Sutton, Freddy Meyer, Brendan Witt, Radek Martinek, and Jack Hillen. With an extra d-man, Gordon has been sitting Bruno for the past two games in order to get Hillen some playing time. Although injuries always s...
Vancouver fly's into town having not won a game on the road, and in my opinion they should have come out with win in that game. Khabibulin was the difference again this time stopping 39 of 40! The Oilers were outclassed by the 'Nucks in every aspect of this game, pinning Edmonton in their own zone for a ridiculous amount of time! Now some positives. Dustin Penner is starti...
I have always been a Penner fan even in the first 2 years in edmonton. i have been a firm believer that Mac-T was a terrible coach, and his constant ripping and torture of Penner did nothing but destroy the confidence of DP! with that said he never really showed up to camp in shape. the first year was a stanley cup hangover, but last year......well.... that was last year, ...
The Flames came out firing (no pun intended) on the Blue Jackets tonight. A well rested team hungry to re pay Columbus for a loss one week ago, the Flames took control of the game from the drop of the puck. Except for getting into some penalty trouble at the beginning and end of the second stanza, the Flames controlled much of the 5 on 5 play and came out with a the win.
...
Here's a new look:
Canadian franchises are in danger, not because they aren't drawing enough crowds or making enough money. No, Canadian franchises are in danger because the game as a whole is struggling.
When 80% of the league is based in either a non-hockey market (boy have we heard that phrase a lot this summer) or in a struggling economy (sorry neighbors to the s...
Ever since Alexei Semenov backed out of an agreement with the Rangers to be their 7th defenseman, it was thought that the team would pursue another veteran blue liner to fill that role; whether by trade or free agency. Salary cap restrictions and the lack of quality UFA’s on the market made it a difficult task for Glen Sather and his staff to find the right kind of fit f...
Iggy's Back...A solid effort by the Flames last night, and they were led by their Captain Jarome Iginla. After last game where Iginla played hard and had chances, you knew this was coming. Skating down the right wing and letting go an absolute bomb of a wrist shot top corner right off the bar. Vintage. Classic. Standard. Call it what you want, it was a beauty. Add that to ...
Ek has posted a rumor saying the oil are in talks with preds about a possible deal involving penner or cogliano! well i am gonna say that source who told him that is full of (you know what), Penner is the best oiler so far this year so he is not going anywhere! another reason to count out this rumor is the fact that Nashville has the same needs the oilers do. so this possi...
I am just making sure that the Flyers were not dropped from the NHL. I have seen 1 game played by the Flyers in the last 11 days! Who makes the schedule for the league and why do the Flyers play the fewest games during October and November every year. At the moment, the Penguins have played 50% more games (9 vs 6) games compared to the Flyers. This means simply that d...
A list of things that MLSE needs to do differently, top to bottom, to make this franchise a proud one once again.
[b]Mentality [/b]
- [i]Successfully[/i] instill the mentality that playing in Toronto isn't a right, it is a privilege. Brian Burke insisted he would send non-performers through waivers. I have regrouped and am not quite ready to hit the panic button quit...
Ok, let me start by saying....WTF????!!!?! What is going on with Sergei Kostitsyn? This saga is developing into a drama the likes of which Bill Shakespeare would be proud of. But seriously, wtf? He comes to camp and acts like a punk so he gets demoted to Hamilton. Then he refuses to report to Hamilton and gets suspended by the Habs. Then he changes his mind, report...
What's the date? Are we still in October? We are! And the Isles won a hockey game?!
Pinch me, I must be dreaming.
Wait, no I'm not...the Isles still managed to give up a two goal lead late in the third period and went to the shootout, once again.
Being in the Blog Box last night provided for some gut-wrenching moments. One in particular was when John Tavares was...
What have we learned so far? Let's face it, in order to thrive in the "new" NHL, you have to do a number of things well. This week, the top team's show us how important it is to draft (or acquire) young talent that can start and make an impact right away. This has been a key for teams that have won the cup in each of the last 4 seasons and by the looks of it, this trend...
Are you seeing what I’m seeing? Off in the distance…something is eerily descending from the heavens…is that Falcon Heene? Oh no, never mind, it’s actually the sky falling.
Six games into the 2009-2010 Philadelphia Flyers season, doom and gloom has reared its ugly head again. Like the vexatious Republican uncle (every family has one), sentiments from outside the...
As I fought the stomach bug that has been traveling through, I wasn't able to comment immediately on Paille's trade. Now that I bring up his trade, my gut is starting to gurgle again.
I find this trade rather surprising. Now, I'll be the first to admit that Dan Paille has been a minor disappointment for a first round draft pick. However, Darcy Regier's explanation of ha...
Given this game was broadcast on the NHL network and not the Center Ice package, I had to resort to watching the game online. I want to send a special thank you to ustream.tv and slimebox for making the game available online for free.
It was good to see the Flyers come out with a much needed win tonight and end the three game losing streak. While the Flyers did not pla...
Welcome to week of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (10/26through 11/2).
[u]Week 4 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 5 Games:[/b] NY Islanders, Phoenix
[b]Teams with 4 Games:[/b] Colorado, Edmonton, Minnesota, Montreal, NY Rangers, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington
[b]Teams with 2 Games:[/b] Atlanta, Calgary
Despite decent start...
Oilersfan27 writes...
It feels like skyrockets in flight if you've seen anchorman
Posted Friday | Comments 0
So as the it nears the end of the second period the oil are down 4-1, i start thinking that i am watching this oil team relapse in to Mac-T mode. Then i see the teachings of Quinn come into play, his motivation and coaching style take hold of the game and we witness 5 straight goals to win 6-4.
The new top line.
pens, gags, and hemmers clicked just 58 seconds into the...
What a game last night
The Blue jackets are a really good team and the Oilers Squeeked one out lead by none other then Penner, Gagne and Hemsky. Thats right the new #1 line. Go figure. So seriously, did we really need to go after Heatly or Jagr or Hossa. Nope the answer was there all along just nobody planted the seeds, gave it water and sun, and got it to grow. "Yes th...
It is about time that Stevens started moving players around the Flyers lines. I have stated all summer that I believe that the Flyers should have 3 lines of talented pairs and a banger on each line. My early suggestions were the following:
Hartnell – Carter – JVR
Asham – Giroux - Briere
Gagne – Richards – Lapierre
Carcillo – Betts – Powe
The banger...
Big win for Philadelphia tonight as they get closer to playing a full 60-minute game. For the most part the Flyers were up on their skates and initiating contact while pursuing the puck, however, the Panthers looked like they were just trying to get out of town after the big Richards hit on Booth.
[b]First Period[/b]
Back and forth game as both teams have several scor...
The Devils looked GREAT tonight. This was a huge statement win to show that the Devils will continue to contend in the Atlantic. They are now 5-0 on the road and are off to a 6-3 start. Here are some notes from the win:
-The power play looked very, very good. I don't think the second power play line had scored all year, but they moved the puck well, and eventually a...
What else can you say about another win in the "Battle of Alberta", 3 games vs the Oilers in the first 10 games of the season and another victory. This time there will be no witty retorts from Oiler fans about, Khabibulin handling the puck, last second tying goal. No this time it was a great 60 minute effort by the Flames, who, except for giving up too many penalties and 2...
For the last couple years the Edmonton Oilers had their way physically with the Calgary Flames. Steve MacIntyre would run amok on the ice and bowl over anyone that stood in his way.
Enter Brian McGrattan. Cue one the best fights of the year and McGrattan landing some of biggest bombs you will ever see NOT drop a human being to his knees. A heavyweight tilt that lived u...
Once again, Isles fans are getting to see an Islanders team that is incapable of holding a lead. I cannot stress enough that this is a result of having a young squad, but it is also due to the fact that some of these guys should not be playing in the NHL. But of course, fans are starting to point fingers, looking for a scapegoat.
Let's start with the fourth-liners, and...
As I sat down last night thinking that I would mainly be watching baseball. I was surprised to find out that the ALCS game was rained out, and I'd have to wait another night. This meant, bring on the Sabres. However, the Sabres game was a little scary.
I noticed numerous things against Tampa. I'm amazed I have made it this far without saying this, I was disconcerted wit...
Well a disappointing loss tonight to the San Jose Sharks as the Flyers played decently, but not well enough to win. San Jose did a great job blocking pucks and being positionally sound all game, especially in the second and third periods as they limited the Flyer chances. Philly never was able to establish its game and the attacks were quite often of the one-and-done varie...
After 8 games of NHL play, the question surrounding Tyler Myers' future with the Sabres this season needs to be decided after the next contest with New Jersey. I will admit that, in the beginning of the season, I believed that the best thing for Myers' growth would be to have a test run with the Sabres until his time limit expired and then to rejoin his junior team in Kelo...
It's not often that a team can pull out a valuable player from the ashes of the waiver wire, but when they do, it's like getting something for nothing. The past decade saw a big switch in how this process works. Prior to the new CBA, there was a waiver draft held each year just before the season started. Now, it's not uncommon to see players being claimed off waivers t...
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...
Almost two weeks ago, I was at Galleria Mall with my girlfriend, killing time before the Buffalo Sabres game. As I stood looking at something in a store, I heard a voice behind me saying "There must be a Sabres game tonight." I replied that there was. "I know," she stated, "I see a lot of Sabres jerseys.
What that young woman may not have understood, is that it didn't n...
First off, another good win for the Habs tonight. Nice to see Hamrlik getting to goal on OT. He's been really stepping it up since Markov's injury.
I apologize for the lack of live game blogs lately and should be back for the next game against the Pens on Wednesday! Prediction: Price get the start.
So ... 11 games down and the Habs are 6-5-0 (12 pts) after winning 4 ...
After 3 consecutive losses and having only recorded 1 point out of a possible 6, it was nice to get back into the win column last night against a surprisingly tough Phoenix squad. Marian Gaborik again showed why he is easily worth $7.5 million annually when he is healthy by potting 2 goals (#’s 9 and 10 for the season) and also assisting on Vinny Prospal’s 4th goal of ...
What a great game. These 2 teams are so evenly matched and so physical that these games are a joy to watch for all fans. The first matchup was a barn-burner with the Flyers winning in OT. Tonight the Caps outlasted the Flyers with a great comeback. It looked like Philly had the game in control with a 2-0 lead. Within 2 minutes the Caps had tied the game and taken cont...
I am guessing that when the season began not many expected the Colorado Avalanche to have only 1 regulation loss through 11 games and be leading the Western Conference. A team that was scheduled to be occupying the cellar of the west for most of the year has come out of the gate on fire due to some stellar goaltending from journeyman tender Craig Anderson. Toiling in the C...
While watching the Vancouver Canucks Vs. Detroit Red Wings game i noticed something, by the end of the second period the score was 2-1 for the canucks but yet the the shots were 28-16 for the Red Wings. Now some might have a different opinion on the matter but to me it didn't seem like bobby luo was that busy, the canucks seemed to dominate the first two periods of play in...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Habs story so far PLUS big test in Pittsburgh tonight
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It is hump day today, and with their 4 and 2 home stand behind them, and a Halloween home tustle against the Leafs ahead of them, Montreal prepares to take on the defending Stanley Cup champions Penguins, in Pittsburgh.
After an 11 game segment that has seen some highs and lows, Montreal seems to be hitting their stride. Yes, the only 'real' test they have faced so far...
Nidder14 writes...
Gameday: Northwest Division leaders, Colorado Avalanche
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well, after yet another long break, the Flames are finally back in action tonight against probably the biggest suprise team of the season to date. The Colorado Avalanch are in town, bringing with them a plethora of young talent and the hottest goalie in the league. With a 9-1-2 record the Avs sit atop the NW division, five points up on the Flames, however the Flames ha...
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 ...
The Devils looked horrible tonight in all possible ways. The score could have been worse than 4-1, as the Devils never got it going tonight at home. They are now 1-4 at 'The Rock'. Some observations from the loss:
-I don't think the Devils were awake when the puck dropped. Buffalo, from the get-go, poured shots on Brodeur, as the Devils struggled to even touch the p...
Just a few quick thoughts before I hit my pillow…
The Flames have no problem starting games anymore; it is simply playing the rest of the 60 minute game that they seem to have issues with. Leading 2-0 a minute into the game and the Flames stepped off the gas pedal and idled in neutral for most of the game. They were so close to running Anderson from the net, yet they ...
Welcome to week of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (11/3 through 11/8).
[u]Week 5 Matchups[/u]
Teams with 4 Games: Atlanta
Teams with 2 Games: Chicago, Edmonton, LA, Minnesota, Nashville, Ottawa, Philadelphia
It's a well balanced lineup on the schedule next week, with every team but one having 2 or 3 games. Altanta is...
I attended last night's first Islander/Ranger tilt not as a blogger, but as a fan. At times in the blog box I may shout or slam my first on the table, but for the most part, I try to keep myself contained since I'm representing the Islanders as a member of the media. But as a fan, I get to let loose.
And boy, did I enjoy this one. The perspective you get as a blogger in...
Rob McGowan writes...
Catching Up With Islanders Draft Pick Travis Hamonic
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
This past Wednesday I had the privilege of catching up with Travis Hamonic, the Isles 53rd overall selection in the 2nd round of the 2008 NHL entry draft. He is currently playing for the Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL up in Canada. Right now he leads the league in scoring as a defenseman. He’s played in 15 games, scoring 7 goals, 13 assists, and is a +3 with 23 PIMs. I th...
The Predators had a really good team game with Erat (scratched) and Arnott (injured) not playing. Solid goaltending by Rinne stopping all 22 shots he faced. He virtually gave zero rebounds. He was a human vacuum. The Preds defensively were very sound. Good job of back checking by the forwards and good job by the dman to shut down Kane. Especially Weber who laid the...
The Devs road success continues, as they beat the Bruins in Boston in a thrilling game to improve to 6-0-0 on the road. It was a great contest, and a huge win for the Devils. Here are some observations from this one:
-Finally, the Devils got out to a fast start. And this was before the first goal. From the get-go, the Devils jumped on any opportunities they saw. Th...
I'm trying to made heads and tails out of the injuries that the Flyers have had already this year.
I this will sound like a rant and it very well could be because I'm getting tired of seeing the Flyers constantly have groin and hip problems. Please tell me that the other 29 teams have the same problems year and year out.
When do you start looking at the training...
The NHL is celebrating Jacques Plante becoming the first goaltender to wear a mask, but as usual the league has screwed everything up.
It is true that Plante popularized the mask, first wearing it 50 years ago Sunday, but the NHL actually began in 1917. This date is important because on February 20, 1930 Clint Benedict returned from a broken nose wearing the first mask....
WarHero writes...
Game 11 - 30/10/09: Mtl - vs - Chi - Let the Battle Begin!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Welcome back folks! It's been awhile and I apologize for my absence.
Carey Price is starting for the first time in 5 games. He saw limited action in the 3rd period against Pittsburg and surrendered 2 goals (1 breakaway, 1 pp). This will be a very good test of Prices' mental game as the Hawks are an extremely talented, high scoring, explosive team.
I expect Neime to s...
I sat down Friday night to watch the Sabres pound Toronto. On paper, it looked very simple. Buffalo, vs Toronto. Buffalo should have run away with this one before it began. Surprise, it didn't happen.
Buffalo had fairly good pressure all night long. However, Gustavsson was impressive, but Buffalo couldn't put it home. Numerous attempts failed, and the evening culminated...
The Predators played another really good defensive game. They blocked many of the Stars shots and out shot the Stars 33 to 29. The forwards did a good job of back checking to limit second chances by the Stars. On offense the Preds finally got another goal from Steve Sullivan and P. Hornqvist. The Preds offense had many chances and easily could have had 1 or 2 more goa...
Wow. What a game. The usual hype of a Saturday night tilt between the Habs and the Leafs played out, in all its spendor last night. While Montreal should probably have won this game in regulation, going to a shoot out made the end all that much more exciting for the 21,000+ fans in attendance - of which I was one!
A few things I noticed/enjoyed about the game:
1 - L...
Well the wigs have been put away, the pumpkin in ready to go to the landfill. Yes Halloween and October are over, the NHL season is 12 games old and the Flames are 7-4-1. I was optimistic that a 5-5-2 start would have been ok considering a new coach and a new system, the 4 regulation losses except for the Dallas game (5-2) were close games that the Flames deserved a bette...
With the rumour that will not just go away. I suggested this scenario back in the summer and apparently as per Mr. Lebrum the storm is about to converge.
Phil Kessel is about to make his Leaf debut this week and in the process the Leafs will have a little surplus of forwards and with the fact that there are no fewer than 4 forwards in their last year of a contract and w...
The month of October played out like a typical Flames game. Out of the gate with a bang; 4 straight wins, 3 in the division, and a power play running just under a 50% clip. But, just like they did so many times this month, the Flames wandered off the winning path, and gave some points back to the field. Slowly becoming the team that gives up leads, the Flames gave up numer...
After a weekend away in Vegas (for my daughter’s showcase softball tournament, not just for fun) and a brief hiatus from the blogosphere, I am ready to return. I can’t think of a better way to return than to do so the day after Gaborik’s triumphant return. Gabby scored the only goal in a 1 – 0 home win against the Boston Bruins in a Sunday afternoon matinee at MSG....
landsharkhockey writes...
Top 10 Unforgettable Playoff Moments of the Decade
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
As we continue with the decade in review, it's time to look back at most memorable moments from the Stanley Cup playoffs over the past 10 years. Here are the plays and incidents that will be remembered for years to come.
10. (2006) - In game 1 of the Cup finals between the Hurricanes and Oilers, the Canes overcame a 3 goal deficit to win the game. Towards the end of t...
Ouch. Groan. Blech. Another day and another weak performance by the Montreal Canadiens. Three days after barely beating the Toronto Maple Leafs, our beloved Habs lost to the Kovalchuk-less Atlanta Thrashers and man was it ugly! From top to bottom, Montreal was disorganized and discombobulated. From sloppy defensive zone coverage to bad turnovers. From inconsistent g...
Well maybe not the return, but possibly the “Coming out Party” of the Mac. Calgary’s back-up goaltender Curtis McElhinney started tonight’s game after Kiprusoff was sent back to the hotel with the evil flu bug. In a huge statement game for the Flames, after two disappointing home losses, the Flames squeaked out an overtime win over the Dallas Stars on the shoulders...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091105/capt.9b3a594a46c74bba91f2a9b29324310b.islanders_sabres_hockey_nydh108.jpg[/img]
Miller vs. Marty: Round 2
Ryan Miller and Martin Biron faced each other this past Saturday, with Biron getting a 38 save shutout. At the other end, Miller was pulled midway through the game and sat on the bench watching the rest. The Islanders beat b...
[img]http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/sp/v/nhl/teams/1/50x50w/buf_2.jpg[/img]
The Sabres shutout the Islanders last night 3-0, avenging their 5-0 loss at the Island Saturday night.
My partner Kevin already gave a recap of the last night's game, but here are some quick thoughts on the game, and some insight on a few key players:
[b]Thomas Vanek: "On Switch" Has Been Flipp...
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 ...
Rob McGowan writes...
Streak Comes To An End With A Rough November Ahead
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Last night the Islanders completed a trade with the Buffalo Sabres. A swap of shut-outs between Ryan Miller and Marty Biron as the Isles lost 3-0 in their visit up north.
The Islanders did not play their best game. As a matter of fact, you can see the expression on Okposo's face in the post-game that he was very disappointed with his play, as well as the rest of the te...
Following the 6 game, Eastern Conference semi-final loss to the Buffalo Sabres in the 2006/2007 playoffs, many Rangers fans and NHL followers felt that the Rangers were close to being a serious Stanley Cup contender. After all, they had come within just 7 seconds of winning game 5 and taking a 3 – 2 series lead against the Sabres; a loss which may have proven to have bee...
Two nights, two cities, two goaltenders, two overtime wins. For the second straight night the Flames managed to win an overtime game on the road, due in part to the goaltending they received on both occasions.
Miikka Kiprusoff, who had been battling the flu for the past while, came into the net tonight and shut the door on the St. Louis Blues. Stopping 30 of all 31 shot...
Well the injury bug has finally lost its patience with the Islanders and has decided to bite our d-core right in the ass once again. Islanders fans knew that it was inevitable that Martinek would go down with an injury at some point...unfortunately it will sideline him for the rest of the season.
Freddy Meyer, welcome back to the line-up. He never really deserved to si...
WarHero writes...
Game Day - 07/11/09: Mtl - vs - Tbl - Let the Battle Begin!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Habs are fresh off their first road win since October 3rd, a shootout over the Boston Bruins, thanks to some brilliant goal tending from Carey Price while the Lighting are fresh off an overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators. Montreal has had trouble finding the net recently due to a sever lack of secondary scoring while Steven Stamkos just keeps filling it. Add in the re...
Phigment writes...
Flyers win 2 Shoutouts in a row - what the hell is going on?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Offense:
The Flyers offense has been solid all season. The 5 on 5 scoring is over-rated. In many of the games this year, the Flyers powerplay has scored early and they have been playing the attacking defense for most of the game. Even with the losses of Gagne and Briere, the Flyers roles are clearly defined and that is why they are playing so well. I am a huge believe...
Re-visiting a question previously mentioned on Rangers’ posts, would it behoove the Rangers to bring back veteran, play-making Center Michael Nylander? According to Steve Hindle, the Capitals blogger on Hockeybuzz, the team has place Nylander on waivers. This move in and of itself is more complicated than it would seem.
Because of Nylander’s No Movement Clause (NMC)...
This is my submission into the Journalism Dream Contest for the Globe and Mail. Go Here and vote for me:
http://journalismdream.theglobeandmail.com/entry_article.asp?id=826
The number 12 jersey slung on over his shoulder pads, the captains "C" prominently displayed over his heart.
All that embodies leadership, courage and the eternal drive to win is present in everyt...
Once again the unbalanced schedule by the NHL has some teams playing many more games than others at this point in the season. At times it gives very unrealistic views of teams. For example, the Senators have 16 points (as of 11/9/09) and appear out of the playoff picture at the moment, when in fact which has gathered those points in just 14 games. By reorganizing the st...
Martin Havlat- This guy is the crown jewel of the Wild offseason signings, meant to bring offense in as the team goes through a new mentality. He has been horrible with 7 points in 14 games, isn't he supposed to be a star?
Olli Jokinen- For a guy who is supposed to be a #1 center his 8 points in 15 games is extremely poor, what makes this more confusing is that it's a c...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Lack of proper player development is killing the Habs
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Having been a Habs fan for my entire life and watched the supposed renaissance of the team, under Gainey, it is apparent that something is amiss. Well, many things are amiss, actually, but the thing that stands out the most to me is our seeming lack of proper player development. I don't know if it is because of the media pressure in this city or the nightlife that makes ...
The play to date of Vinny Prospal certainly ranks among the bigger surprises of the NHL season. After being cast off by the Lightning in the off-season, Prospal wondered if his NHL career had reached its conclusion. Fortunately for himself and for the Rangers, New York GM Glen Sather reached out to Vinny and convinced him to come to the Big Apple to re-joing his former coa...
WarHero writes...
Game Day - 10/11/09: Mtl - vs - Cgy - Let the Battle Begin!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Welcome back!
It' a beautiful Tuesday night here in Ottawa and the Habs are once on good ole' faithful RDS!
Their opponent tonight, the Calgary Flames, are currently riding a 3 game winning steak thanks to the improved play of their captian Jarome Iginla. Iginla has 5 points in the last 3, most of hose goals, and has also stepped up his defensive play.
The Habs l...
This was not a typical 1-0 win, it was exciting with end to end action, great goaltending, hard hits and great action all night long. This was not a Jacques Lemaire 1-0 Minnesota Wild game, even though the Habs retro sweater looked like a Wild sweater, this was a very entertaining game to watch.
Jerome Iginla scored yet another game winning goal, his 9th of the season. ...
Three Star Flames players authored very influential performances Tuesday night in the Bell Centre: Mikka Kiprusoff, Jarome Iginla and Dion Phaneuf.
For the fourth straight game the Flames received great, if not amazing, goaltending and subsequently extended their winning streak to four games. Kiprusoff was simply brilliant between the pipes on Tuesday night stopping ev...
As each game passes, the General Manager in me can't help but wonder about the decisions Ron Wilson makes concerning the youth in Toronto. For years, fans have been demanding a makeover, and finally during this offseason, they were granted one. Brian Burke and company made some key moves and changed the face of the organization.
Or did they?
If you were to take a qui...
Rob McGowan writes...
Lift The Puck! Isles Lose to Caps In 11-Round Shootout
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Islanders managed to get a quick 3-1 lead after being scored on within the first eight seconds of the first period against the Washington Capitals tonight. However, the score was eventually 4-3 Caps by the end of the second period. The Isles were granted two late powerplays, the latter resulting in the game tying goal that got the Isles that point that they would have ...
Tonight's 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks is the Devil's sixth consecutive win, tying them for the division lead, while getting them one win shy of becoming .500 at home. The Devils have gone 12-2 since their worrisome 0-2 start, which I acknowledge my frequent bringing up of for good reason. Record aside, it looked as if the two winless games forecasted a long and misf...
As we continue to look back at the past decade in the NHL, there were a number of rule changes that have significantly affected the state of the game today. Many of these were positive changes, but a few were downright awful. Most of the changes in the last 10 years happened as a direct result of the lockout. Here's a look at the 4 best and 4 worst rule changes over the...
Much has been made about Bob Gainey's changes this off-season. From optimistic to apocalyptic predictions about the team, it's all fairly inconsequential until game 82. But who are the Montreal Canadiens?
Currently holding an 8-10-0 record, having played as many or more games than any other team in the East we sit in a pretty dissapointing 11th place, and as much as I l...
WarHero writes...
Game Day - 12/11/09: Mtl - vs - Phx - Let the Battle Begin!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Welcome back folks! It's a chilly night here in Ottawa but at least the Habs are on and the Sens are loosing to Ray Emery! Yay!
The Habs take on Phoenix tonight in what should be a decent game provided the Habs can actually score some goals. The games features brother --vs- brother (The Pyatts), Cousin -vs- Cousin (Price, Doan) and, the one and only, Robert Lang.
Gam...
Montreal was finally able to spin out of their offensive lethargy last night by beating the Phoenix Coyotes 4 - 2 IN REGULATION! Yes, in regulation. For the record and in case anyone is counting, that is only their second regulation win this season. A frightening stat for even those with the most stable hearts. Ok, on with the observations:
1 - Tomas Plekanec has no...
Welcome to week 7 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (11/16 through 11/22).
[u]Week 7 Matchups[/u]
Teams with 4 Games: Florida, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Tampa Bay
Teams with 2 Games: Minnesota, NY Rangers, Vancouver
This is the week to ride the Coyotes. Phoenix has 4 games, including matchups with Tampa Bay, Minnesota, a...
Yeah, I know the Meat Loaf song goes "Two out of three ain't bad," but three out of four is even better.
The Isles started off their road trip with an over-time loss in the shootout, an 11-round one at that, to the Washington Capitals. It was a game in which the Isles let the Ovenchkin-less Caps back in after gaining a 3-1 lead in the first period. Last night the Isles ...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091114/capt.36df281e5b144d3fbca20df904c74148.flames_sabres_hockey_nyd101.jpg[/img]
Calgary (11-4-1) vs. Buffalo (10-4-1)
What more could you ask for in this game? It's too bad these teams only meet once a season.
It was as advertised. These two teams played extremely well, making this game have the feel of a playoff atmosphere.
T...
WarHero writes...
Game Day - 14/11/09: Mtl - vs - Nsh - Let the Battle Begin!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Welcome back everyone!! Another beautiful night here in Ottawa!
The Habs are coming off a big win over Phoenix on Thursday and will face the Preds who have been on the rise of late. This should prove to be a good game!
Game Notes:
Game Time: 8:00 (Est)
National TV: RDS (French)
Price will make the start for the Habs. Spacek will be a game time decision after s...
Miikka Kiprusoff, Miikka Kiprusoff, Miikka Kiprusoff, Miikka Kiprusoff, Miikka Kiprusoff. 5 times, because he has been that damn good.
The solitary reason the Flames snatched three of four points over the weekend. The only reason the Flames did not get beat by the 29th ranked Toronto Maple Flakes.
Kipper has been an impenetrable force over these first 18 games this ...
Well the 3 game road trip through eastern Canada (Sorry Buffalo, but alot of your fans live in Hamilton) and with a 2-0-1 record you would think things in Sutterville would be all rosy. BUT they aren't. The numbers in the 3 games look like this;
Montreal 1-0 win, pp 1-3, pk 3-3, Shots for 31 against 25
Buffalo 2-1 SO loss, pp 0-4, pk 3-4, Shots for 26 against 33
Toront...
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...
landsharkhockey writes...
Best of the Decade Awards: Vezina, Norris and Hart
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Each year, the experts get together and vote on the best players in the game. As part of my decade in review, I'd like to look back at the last 10 years and award the Vezina, Norris, and Hart Trophies to best candidates, covering their play over the entire decade. Some worthy candidates were passed over in these categories, because they only played a handful of seasons, ...
Rob McGowan writes...
It Wasn't a Hat Trick, But Isles Walk Away With Two Points
Posted Monday | Comments 0
"It's weird!" - This was Matt Moulson's post-game answer when asked how it felt to win a game in regulation on the road.
Well, it should feel weird considering that the Islanders have gone to over-time or the shoot-out in their past three away games. From 3 points, to 4, to now 6 points taken out of a possible 8 and the team moves to 7-2-2 in their past 11 games.
N...
The Flyers played another really solid, smothering effort against another top team in the Eastern Conference tonight. The Flyers beat the Devils 3-2. This is the 2nd time these 2 teams have met, with the Flyers wining both games. Against the other beasts of the East, the Flyers have split with both Washington and Buffalo in the early part of the season, and lost the onl...
WarHero writes...
Game Day - 17/11/09: Mtl - vs - Car - Let the Battle Begin!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's 7:22 and my rabbits are going crazy with Hab fever! Welcome back everyone!
Tonight, the Habs will face off against a team who we can actually say is doing worse than the Habs. The Carolina Hurricanes have not been able to find the form that took them to the conference finals in last years playoffs. Couple that with an injury to starting goaltender Cam Ward and a fl...
The Preds played another solid game against the Sharks and this time they were rewarded with two points.
The first period for the Preds had 14 shots, by 14 different players. A very odd stat. Really good game by the top line and Leggy's line.
The Preds were 2 for 4 on the powerplay. Without the PP scoring I have a feeling this would have gone to the Sharks.
O...
A battle for first place in the Northwest division turned out to be a bit of a snoozer. Coming off a 3 game road trip in which they secured 5 of 6 possible points, the Flames came out looking tired. Getting beat to numerous pucks, the Flames could never find their groove in a loss to the Avalanche. For the second time this season on home ice, the Flames fell 3-2 to the Avs...
Blech. This team is freaking weak. Sorry guys (and gals), but its true. For sure they have the very real excuse of having a boat load of injuries to key guys, but still. This is just a weak team and they are showing that unless their goalie stands on their head - which Price has done the last three games he played - they don't have any chance of winning. Consequently,...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091119/capt.c966f6e06a1e4aa783d698acfbb82b8b.panthers_sabres_hockey_nydh103.jpg[/img]
Buffalo (12-4-1) vs. Florida (7-9-2)
The score did not resemble the game at all. For about 50 minutes, it was a one goal game. Here is how it happened:
Drew Stafford scored the first goal of the game late in the first period, his sixth of the seaso...
It's been a while since I've written anything on here. It's really been more of a change in lifestyle than a lack of things to say. Since the hockey season started, I've become a part-time student with a full-time job instead of the other way around. As such, my days begin at 7:55 AM as opposed to 2 PM. I'll write when I have time, which is not that often, but I have some ...
I have spent years being an opinionated Oilers fan. I grew up with the underachieving Oilers teams of the mid-90's. I watched the team miss the playoffs year after year, and when they did make it to the playoffs, it seemed like they were perpetually matched up to the Dallas Stars and the one man wrecking machine known as Mike Modano.
Through out the years, there is one t...
I know I know... one fight with the coach does not not a trade rumor justify. In case you weren't aware several media outlets have blogged (but not reported) on a shouting match Between Dion Phaneuf And Brent Sutter. Some blogs say it may or may not have been Sutter or may or may not have been Phanuef but with a -2 on the night and the shouting about being selfish apparent...
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...
The Nashville Predators continue to play their best hockey of the season as they beat the New Jersey Devils 3 to 2 in a shootout.
Santorelli and Erat scored in the shootout to lift the Predators to victory.
The Preds 2 goals in regulation came from Jason Arnott. Including 1 on the powerplay. The Preds finished the night 1 for 2 on the PP. While the PK stopped both...
Well the Flames came out looking good against the Hawks tonight…no, let me start again. The Flames special teams were outstanding tonight…wait, lets try it one more time. The Flames stunk up the Saddledome in one of the most humiliating losses on home ice in recent memory. There, that sums it up better.
In a game that was reasonably close through half the game, tu...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Exposed At Home By Hawks; How To Turn It Around?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Any misconceptions “pundits” had about the Flames being a legitimate contender the last few weeks were proven to be so tonight. The bane of their existence, the Chicago Blackhawks, issued a beating that exposed every one of the Flames’ glaring weaknesses, swept under the rug by miracle wins the last few weeks. At a point in the season where the Flames have turned aro...
As our Montreal Canadiens get ready to take on the Washington Capitals, in Washington, there are some interesting rumblings that are percolating in the city this Friday morning. Aside from the fact that Montreal will be getting reinforcements in the form of Ryan O'Byrne (yay!) and George Laraque (who cares) back for tonight's game, I am starting to hear a lot of people men...
Welcome to week 8 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (11/23 through 11/29).
[u]Week 8 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 Games[/b]: Anaheim, Boston, Carolina, Calgary, Columbus, Colorado, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Florida, Nashville, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Phoenix, St. Louis
[b]Teams with 2 Games[/b]: LA, Montreal, New Jerse...
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...
There are not too many Friday night games for the Islanders, and that's usually a good thing for me. Being that I am 21 years old, I usually like to go out on my Friday's. I also work until 9 and will miss most of the game since they usually start at 7, and being that I work with people who despise hockey, I will not get to watch it on TV.
But I will get to watch tonigh...
Vancouver:
22 Points= 11 wins, 10 losses, 0 Over time losses
Team Leaders:
Henrik Sedin, 23 points, 12 goals and 11 assists.
Ryan Keslar, 19 points, 5 goals, 14 assists.
Mikael Samuellson, 15 points, 8 goals, 7 assists.
Goaltending:
Roberto Luongo: 7 wins, 7 losses. 2.69 GAA, .906% on his saves.
Summary:
Another team that has been dealing with the l...
*Disclaimer: The following is a purely hypothetical and fictional re-creation of the summer of 2008. It is unknown to me whether any of that summer’s UFA’s that I bind to the Rangers now would have signed with New York then for the same terms which they signed with their actual teams.
It seems to me that the wrong Glen was in charge of the New York Rangers in the su...
The Islanders gave away a win last night that they should have easily held on to. The Wild were playing with a depleted roster that is trying to perform under a new system, much like the Islanders of last year. Despite gaining a 2-1 lead after being down a goal in the first period, the Isles failed to hold on in the final minute as Owen Nolan buried the puck passed Biron. ...
As leafs fans we find ourselves asking this question far too much as of late. Truth is, yes the team is struggling, and yes, the season may be lost. But would it not be sensible to suggest there might be more to gain from a season many are claiming to be over for the Leafs?
One of the biggest issues this season has to be the acquisition of Phil Kessel. Why have fans ...
So the overtime/shootout streak has been broken. Sad, but it was bound to happen. After winning 8 games in either shootout or overtime, this season, the Detroit Red Wings, led by Datsyuk and Zetterberg brought this dramatic night to a close. Looking at this game and the great comeback by the Habs, I really think that if it wasn't for Laraque's useless string of penalties i...
apsunick writes...
Make it 5, Preds Win 5th Straight Over Blue Jackets in SO
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Preds are playing good hockey and not even some bad breaks could knock this team off of its winning ways. The Preds topped the Blue Jackets 4 to 3 in a SO.
The first goal by the Blue Jackets was initially ruled no goal by the on ice official. After review the reversed the call. I have no clue how Toronto could have overturned the call. There is supposed to be ...
What the heck happened in Edmonton tonight?
Chicago Blackhawks put together another display of hockey as it was meant to be played. The Oilers put together another display of how not to play the game of hockey. Let's look at the two teams. Chicago, crisp clean short and fast passing, excellent transition game, lots of desire and willingness to go into the dirty areas to g...
This column will cover topics that may not typically be discussed on this website. My purpose is primarily twofold: to discuss topics in hockey (mainly Buffalo Sabres) history, and for the writer’s own pleasure. If you want to find quality cutting-edge commentary, read Mike Augello’s Maple Leaf blog. The articles that will be found in my column may not be everyone�...
On a Saturday afternoon in mid November, Jarome Iginla showed why he is considered one of the most dangerous players in the NHL. Netting his 9th career hat trick in the Flames 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, Iginla dominated from start to finish.
A mere 13 seconds into the contest, as Kings and Flames fans alike were still getting comfortable in their seats, Ig...
Of late I have tried posting blogs that discuss more than just Ranger game recaps and previews. The reason for this is obvious; Jan Levine already does such a great job doing that and most of us watch the games anyhow so what’s the point in me writing up another game analysis. It’s especially tough, when the team is losing, to rehash what went wrong or what needs to be...
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 ...
With the recent struggles of the Toronto Maple Leafs, many fans are wondering what is happening to this once proud franchise. Leafs’ fans often claim to be the most faithful fans in the sport, and while this may be true, is it really what the team needs? Fans are present at every game; no matter what city the team is playing in there will often be at least on fan in at...
It's a thought that most hockey fans ponder from time to time. What would you do if you owned and operated your own franchise? What if you could buy your favorite team and do things your way? What would you do differently? Being a hockey fan myself, I too have pondered such a question. And here are a few things that I came up with, in that magical fairytale world wher...
So the Islanders have not gained a point on this second leg of their first real road trip of the season. Tonight the Islanders and John Tavares make an appearance in Toronto. And of course, the media is going to have all their attention on JT’s first return to his home on ice.
Hopefully Tavs will put on such a good show that Brian Burke will want to find Garth Snow a...
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...
For the tenth straight time in the regular season the Flames failed to beat the Anaheim Ducks in the Honda Center. Not sure if it is the mystical aroma or the echo you get when you drop a pin in the stadium, but the Flames have constantly had trouble winning in Disneyland.
Tonight the Flames outplayed the Ducks in the 1st and 3rd periods outshooting them 33-13 during t...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Ho-hum another boring Monday in Montreal...or was it?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
With the weather starting to slowly feel like winter outside and the sky getting a little gloomy on a sleepy Monday morning, the Montreal Canadiens had a flurry of activity to wake everyone up. Latendresse was traded to the Minnesota wild for Benoit Pouliot, Sergei Kostitsyn was recalled from Hamilton, Carey Price was named the 2nd star of the week by the NHL and Georges L...
Here are Predator players who are in the top 50 in the league for a specific category. Weber leads the way. This is through Nov 22.
J. Smithson Tied 1st - 2 SH Goals
P. Hornqvist Tied 14th - 73 SOG
R. Suter Tied 18th - 24:20 TOI/G
S. Weber Tied 28th - 23:46 TOI/G
S. Weber Tied 5th - 5 Goals by Defenseman
S. Weber 23rd - 12 Points by Defenseman
S. W...
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'...
It's not hard to look up and down the rosters in the NHL and identify a handful of contracts that each team would like to take back. This past decade saw a ridiculous jump in the amount of money and term being handed out to players as GMs try to woo the top free agents to their market. While a number of these bad deals ran wild in the era of free spending, the salary cap...
The Flames needed a win at home, and they did exactly that; gaining a decisive 2-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes. Not the prettiest game in the world to watch but a win is a win anyway you slice it.
With two of the better goaltenders going head to head, one could have guessed that this would have been a low scoring affair. Let’s compare their stats after tonight�...
Despite the Blues needing a shootout to beat the Dallas Stars 4-3 Wednesday night, they completely dominated the play for the majority of the game. Their forecheck was exceptional, aggressive and relentless. Just like it should be. As a result, they forced the Stars d-men to turn the puck over, which turned into scoring chances.
What impressed me about the game was how ...
Last night, the banged-up Pittsburgh Penguins beat the even more banged-up Montreal Canadiens 3 - 1, in regulation. The streak is dead. Long live the streak! Ok, it was a meager streak but the way things have gone so far this year, you have to make each baby step a celebration or you'll be waiting too long to rejoice! So without further ado, here are a few observations fro...
According to RDS, Markov skated yesterday and for about 10 minutes today and is ahead of schedule, from a healing perspective. If things keep going on the right track he could actually come back around late December which would put him about 4-8 weeks ahead of schedule. He will be interviewed by the press today. Here is the rds link (French only):
http://www.rds.ca/c...
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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...
Welcome to week 9 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (11/30 through 12/6).
[u]Week 8 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 Games[/b]: Anaheim, Columbus, Colorado, Detroit, Florida, Nashville, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Toronto
[b]Teams with 2 Games[/b]: Carolina, Edmonton, NY Islanders, Philadelphia, Phoenix
Not a good week to be starti...
Another day, another injury for the Devils, who, despite the growing list of injured players, have remained at the top of the Eastern Conference. This last one, however, may really come back to hurt them. Clarkson had seven goals and eight assists so far this season, and was doing a great job on the Devs' third line (for most of the year, he was on that line). He is goi...
Wow, what a game and what a comeback and what an unfortunate tying goal by Caps with 11 seconds to go and what a heartbreaking loss in the shootout. Ummm, ya. The Habs baiscally came out flat in the first period and Washington used their speed to back up the Montreal defence. It resulted in a 2 - 0 Caps lead, and it would have been even worse had Price not played another s...
John Tortorella, Sean Avery, Donald Brashear... do I really need to say more? Okay I'll add in Matt Cooke just for laughs.
Tortorella complained to reporters after his Rangers lost 8-3 to the defending Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday night that Cooke intentionally hit Rangers forward Artem Anisimov in the head and that the linesman who got hit several times tr...
The Flames went into two arenas that have been quite unfriendly in the past and walked away with 4 points. First, the Flames shut out the two time defending Western Conference Champion Red Wings in Joe Louis Arena, which is no easy task. For the first time since 1977, the Red Wings were shutout twice in a row at home; the Flames being the back half of that equation. The fo...
I was brought up understanding that all men are created equal, regardless of who you are. This should be true for the NHL. Regardless of whether you play for the worst team in the NHL, or the best team in the NHL, the top scorer in the league, or you struggle to get one point each season, you should be treated with the same.
What I said in my introduction is not the cas...
I am not a alarmist on most items. However I think plenty of time has been giving to John Stevens as the coach of the Flyers. I know that there are lots of injuries, but every team has injuries. Perhaps the injuries are the results of the practice schedule, practice drills, or maybe the training regiment. To me all of these items fall under the perview of the head coac...
The Islanders finished the month of November with a 6-6-2 record, bringing them to an overall record of 10-10-7 with 27 points at 11th place, just one point out of the final playoff spot. I’m sure many fans would agree that if anyone said over the summer that the Islanders would be a .500 team on the cusp of a playoff berth by the start of December that they would have t...
All of the following questions in part one of this quiz have four correct answers. In part two, there are more than four correct answers, but only four are necessary to answer each question correctly. In both sections give yourself 2 points for 2 correct answers; 3 points for 3 correct answers; and 5 points if all 4 answers are given. Knowing only 0 or 1 answer does not...
Cape Breton Bruins writes...
A look at MY picks for Team Canada-Part 1-Centers
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
With the NHL season finally underway, and with the chrisp winter air starting to decend on much of Canada(Snow in Alberta, Yikes), we are now only three months away from what promises to be the most memorable olympic games in the history of this country since pro's became eligible to participate in the hockey tournament starting at the Nagano games in 1998.
Everybody re...
pix
Legin since everyone want to see Legin
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/4143154886/in/set-72157622897593702/
Dingle since everyone likes his name
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/4143156454/in/set-72157622897593702/
Maroon
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/4142413437/in/set-72157622897593702/
Laliberte
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat132...
November; a month that the Flames wished had more days in it. After a respectable opening month of October going 7-4-1, the Flames dominated the month of November going 10-2-2 asserting themselves as one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference. The Flames also hold the best road record in the league going 10-1-3 over 14 games away from the dome. With tonight’s 5-...
The NHL season is ten weeks old, so I decided to post my rankings of the 30 teams so far. Stats are through Sunday, Nov. 29.
Rank.......Team.......Record
1.) San Jose 18-6-4
It's hard to argue against San Jose as the best team in the league, especially when you consider they've played only ten of 28 at home.
2.) Chicago 16-6-3
The Blackhawks were playing gr...
Tonight, the Habs took on the Toronto Maple Leafs in Montreal, to kick of the week of celebration in honour of 100 years of the Montreal Canadiens organization. Sadly, the currenty edition of the Habs laid a goose egg and looked like a tired, disorganized and overall bad team in the process. Hey, when the Leafs make your team look bad, you know things are bad.
From the...
This blog will basically break down a bunch of numbers associated with Shawn Horcoff since the lock-out, and look at comparable players/contracts.
[u][b]Horcoff since the lockout:[/b][/u]
09/10: 11P/23GP =0.48P/GP Playing injured, now w/o Hemsky
08/09: 53P/80GP =0.66P/GP Roughly 0.7
07/08: 50P/53GP =0.94P/GP Roughly 1
06/07: 51P/80GP =0.64P/GP Roughly 0.7
05/06: 73...
As we continue to look back at the best and worst of the past decade, let's consider the top forward lines of the past 10 years. It's not often any more that a team will stick with consistent lines over a period of time, but there are a few notable entries to be found. For the most part, I tried to avoid great duos who were mixed with interchangeable parts, unless the pl...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Is there something rotten in the state of Habland?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Sorry about that weak Shakespeare referrence, but it was my attempt at cleverness. Guess it didn't work out too well, eh? Much like Kyle Chipchura's career with Montreal didn't work out too well.
Nice segue! Heh. But I digress...
Kyle Chipchura - selected 18th overall in the 1st round of the 2004 NHL draft - was picked by Montreal as much for his tangible as his inta...
I have realized over the past few days I tend to be biased toward certain groups of players. With biased opinions being having a strong presence in any fan base, it does not surprise me that I tend to want these players to succeed more than others, even if the logo on their sweater dictates I should think otherwise. There are a few attributes that would make a fan apprec...
I'm sorry... I must have misheard. You must be mistaken. 4.3 million cap hit for Savard? The guy is capable of 90 points and he cost less against the cap than Horcoff?
I would like to take this opportunity to let all elite center men know that Calgary would like to sign you for the amazing high salary of 5 million a year. Hell... we'll give you 5.5 million, as long...
Rick DiPietro will be playing in net for a professional hockey team for the first time in over a year this coming Saturday for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. All I have to say is ...FINALLY!
It's been a long time since Isles fans have seen Ricky on the ice in game action. Since his absence began, Joey MacDonald, Yann Danis, and the newly acquired pair of Dwayne Roloson an...
Today as I was browsing ESPN.com's NHL rumors, I stumbled upon a shocker. The NHL is considering adding another franchise in Canada.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said at a Reuter's forum, "The fact is we're not seeking to relocate any franchises and as a result expansion would be the way to satisfy that interest. But in this economic climate, I'm not exactly comfortabl...
Looking at the recent extensions in Chicago, this this make the rumored deals involving Sopel of Sharp coming to the Leafs that much more possible? I wouldn't rule either out. Even though the Leafs are looking better as of late, a lot can still be done to make this team look a lot better, and Sharp is a great place to start. Question is who would the leafs need to give ...
[b]As reported by TSN, the Toronto Maple Leafs dealt winger Jiri Tlusty to the Carolina Hurricanes for prospect Philippe Paradis.[/b]
Both players are former first round picks with Tlusty going 13th overall in 2006 while Paradis was Carolina's first pick (27th overall) in the 2009 Entry Draft.
Tlusty's development had seemingly stalled this season and he has been pa...
Cam Neely was the prototype power forward in hockey. He could skate, fight, cause chaos in the crease, and SCORE(LOOCH hope you read this).
He came to the Bruins in a trade with Vancouver during the 1986-1987 season. The Bruins shipped over Barry Pederson to the Canucks for Neely and the third overall pick in the ’87 draft which became Boston blue liner, Glen Wesley....
Unfortunately, the amazing run away from home ice had to end sometime. With tonight’s 2-1 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, the Flames failed to pick up a point on the road for the first time since October 13th, when they fell 2-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Another streak ended tonight as Miikka Kiprusoff allowed a goal for the first time in 159 minutes and 10 seconds aft...
As the game wound down, it seemed to be just another night where the Blues gave an all-out strong effort yet came up short.
It happened Monday night in Columbus, as the Blues came back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game and control the action. But a goal in the third deflated them for good, and the Jackets added two empty netters, which made the game's box score look m...
Welcome to week 10 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (12/7 through 12/13).
[url]Week 10 Matchups[/url]
[b]Teams with 4 Games:[/b] Atlanta, Buffalo, Carolina, Calgary, Colorado, Florida, LA, Minnesota, Montreal, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Washington
[b]Teams with 2 Games[/b]: Boston, NY Rangers
The Av...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091201/capt.b69d37411aab4325a67bcc5009d5bbe4.bruins_savard_hockey_ny178.jpg[/img]
The Boston Bruins signed Marc Savard to a seven year extension worth just over 28 million. There are many reasons why this is an amazing deal for Boston.
First off, Savard is 32. They signed him through the 2016-2017 season, when Savard will then be 39 ...
With all the centennial celebrations taking place, I couldn't help but feel that Saku should have been there tonight. There was something wrong about him not taking part in the ceremonies. With that in mind and how much Koivu did for the Habs organization, is he someone who's jersey should be retired once HE retires? What do you think? Vote in the poll on Habs to the Top, ...
Wow. Just wow. What a prefectly stupendious night at the Bell Centre last night. Starting with the beaufitul pre-game ceremonies to commemorate the 100th birthday of the Montreal Canadiens and culminating with the rousing play of the current edition of the team, resutling in a 5-1 thumping of the Boston Bruins. For the purposes of this post I'll stick to the game, rather t...
It’s no news about the intentions general manager Lou Lamoriello had going into the 2009 summer for his New Jersey Devils. He believed it would be in the team’s best interest to part ways with the team’s unrestricted free agent class so certain rookies and young players in the organization to step in, while having the veterans on the team increase their roles. Lamori...
It’s about time! I agree on the decision to remove Stevens as the head coach. He was virtually mute in the dressing room and locker room. He said the same thing daily after a win and a loss. I am not inside the locker room, but I am positive by the reaction of the team on the ice, that the players felt the same way.
I am not a huge fan of Laviolette, but he does c...
I told you so.
The Oilers were coming together as a team and what do you know. The beat the Wings and the Stars, both teams who the Oilers haven’t had much success against in the past years.
The Oilers are still in the running for a lottery pick and still have some glaring weaknesses but as apposed to the past few seasons at least we can say that they are moving in...
What a bunch of crap the call was in the Flyers vs Caps game last night. The game was 1-1 in the first period with the Flyers playing very tentative with the new coach behind the bench. Carcillo was clearly charged and dodged the hit – he retaliated with a cross-check –high stick move; which was dumb as most moves Carcillo makes during a hockey game! So as Bradley p...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Fall to Lightning, DP Makes It Through 40 Minutes
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Last night the Islanders lost 4-0 to a team that had played the night before and did not return until very early Saturday morning after their flight back from New Jersey. It was also a showdown of Victor Hedman vs. John Tavares, two draft picks that that will be debated for many years to come.
It would only be fitting for Hedman to score his first NHL goal when he woul...
All of the following questions in part one of this quiz have four correct answers. In part two, there are more than four correct answers, but only four are necessary to answer each question correctly. In both sections give yourself 2 points for 2 correct answers; 3 points for 3 correct answers; and 5 points if all 4 answers are given. Knowing only 0 or 1 answer does not wa...
First and foremost what Carcillo did was stupid. The Flyers just tied the score and the game was getting interesting and he goes out and screws his own team. You don't wait around to fight someone. He deserved all the minutes he got but with Bradley dropping his gloves, he should've picked up something. I've never heard of a 9 min power play. The trade that brought Ca...
Every NHL season inevitably brings us many twists and turns that no expert could have seen coming. If this weren't the case, it wouldn't be very interesting to watch. This year is certainly no exception. We're about 1/3 of the way through the 09-10 campaign, and here are a handful of the biggest surprises so far:
[u]The Good[/u]
[b]Strong Starts Out West[/b]
It'...
Every NHL season inevitably brings us many twists and turns that no expert could have seen coming. If this weren't the case, it wouldn't be very interesting to watch. This year is certainly no exception. We're about 1/3 of the way through the 09-10 campaign, and here are a handful of the biggest surprises so far:
[u]The Good[/u]
[b]Strong Starts Out West[/b]
It'...
Buffalo (16-8-2) vs. New Jersey (19-7-1)
[img]http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2006/12/26/PH2006122601149.jpg[/img]
Perhaps the goaltender matchup we will see in the Olympics.
Ryan Miller vs. Martin Brodeur
Buffalo had a chance to move back into first place in the division with a win.
Not tonight. The Devils were all over the Sabres. Buffa...
For all Boston Fans, it has come to a time where we hit the dilemma that, I'll admit it, probably every single hockey team wishes it could face: which goaltender is better out of two great goaltenders, and which one should get the permanent nod. In this case, 29 games into the season, the B's stand atop the NE division, 1 point ahead of buffalo, who has 2 games in hand. Ti...
The home futility continues for the St. Louis Blues. If they could play all of their games on the road I bet they would consider it at this point. It's a completely different Blues team on the ice at home than on the road, which is quite frustrating for Blues fans...and like Monday night, can get quite embarrassing.
The Blues came out flat against the Avs but seemed lik...
The Flames finished off their six game road trip with two stops in California. On Saturday night, they played a gritty game and came away with an impressive 2-1 victory over the league leading San Jose Sharks. The Flames played a tough road game and pounced on their opportunities, as was evident with Langkow’s game winning goal. Tonight, however, they were not as fortuna...
After the beautiful cenntenial ceremonies and great hockey game, on Friday, I wish I could tell you that tonight's game was one for the ages too. One of those historic, earth shatter games that everyone is talking about for years to come. Sadly, that was not the case. Well, that's not entirely true because this was a historic game in that the shot totals were 15-13 for Ph...
Currently the Avs sit in the number one position in the NW division and the number two slot in the Western Conference. The sit number two in the West thanks to the LA Kings and their win over Calgary. I expect this to be a fight for that division title down to the end, the flames are a VERY capable team.
Vancouver currently sits 4 wins away from being able to gain the...
Even with a few the Leafs most talented young players already with the big club there is still a fair amount of what looks like mid to high level talent coming up in the next few years.
I'm going to touch on some of the top prospects not with the club at the moment and provide some stats. Now I acknowledge that I have limited or no knowledge about other teams prospect d...
It had been leaked on the Internet that Garth Snow is looking to add a mobile, veteran defenseman to the Islanders thin blue-line. If Snow finds a willing trade partner, he might want to add someone with size, grit and the willingness to stick up for his teammates.
The Islanders lost a tough one tonight, 6-2 to the Flyers. It's never encouraging to see your team let up ...
Don't look now, but your Montreal Canadiens have a three game winning streak going! Not only that, but all three wins have come in regulation. Not only that, but their penalty killing unit has become the backbone of this team. Not only that, but their powerplay is slowly starting to get its act together. Not only that, but they seem to have 2, yes that's right, 2, starting...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Who is the best agitator in the league? POLL RESULTS ARE IN!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Who is the best(most effective) agitator in the league?
RDS was talking about the league's agitators on a broadcast recently, and that made me think about who YOU think is the best - meaning most effective - agitator in the league.
Vote, in the poll on the right side of the screen at Habs To The Top, to let us know who you think should be named champion! You love th...
Buffalo (16-9-2) vs. Washington (19-5-6)
It looked like a no-brainer. The caps were easily the favored team against the Sabres. With Buffalo scoring one goal in their past two games, Washington looked like the best bet in this one.
The Capitals came into the game first in points, goals, and power play percentage.
Wednesday night, Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres...
Why is it that media and the rest of the hockey world seems to consistently overlook Ian White?
So far this year, he has helped his team put pucks in the net(16 Pts), helped his team keep pucks out of their own net ( 49 Blocked Shots, +11 ) , and most of all, he comes to work hard each and every game. (Which he averages 22:40 ToI\G.)
To have 16 points and be a plus ...
The Flames returned home, after their longest road trip of the season, to face the much improved Atlanta Thrashers on Wednesday night. The Flames did not disappoint their fans as they played a solid game and won 3-1 for their second consecutive win at home, after losing 4 of their previous 5 on home ice. The old cliché of ‘having their best players play like their best...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Secondary Scoring Remains As A Major Problem
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
As is the case with most young teams, the Islanders have had many interesting third periods in which they either lost the lead, or fought their way back after being down early. (Ahem…hence the abundance of overtime losses). Last night was a case of the latter, but not all late efforts will be rewarded, and Jason Blake made sure to remind us that with his late goal with ...
Wow, not THAT was an interesting game to watch. As I sit looking outside at this cold, windy Friday morning I am basking in the afterglow of last night's Habs game vs. the Pens. Not basking in a win, mind you, but rather in a 3-2 regulation loss, one in which the Habs probably deserved a better fate. While on the one hand, Montreal got what the deserved, again being outsho...
I thought I would take a look at the Detroit Red Wings, and how some things never last...
Dynasties in sports are something to behold. The Yankees, the Bulls, and the Patriots all have held this title in their respective sports. The Detroit Red Wings have held this title in the NHL for the better part of the last 13 years. However, the Red Wings are a team on the decl...
[quote]I asked McLellan if tonight’s game had any more significance because the Kings were only four points behind the Sharks in the Pacific Division, or if it was too soon to be paying attention to that.
“I have a sneaking suspicion there are going to be teams behind us or in front of us this year and they’re going to be within four or six or eight points,” he ...
I am going to break from the usual analysis of games and try to have a good hockey conversation. I am going to ask a series of questions, all of them related to hockey. If any of you who read this can come up with a question that relates to this blog, ask it. What I would like to see is the hockey lore that we can come up with as a hockeybuzz fan base. Should be a lot...
So over the last couple days a rumor has broken out about the Flames, this in itself makes me question it because Sutter (Darryl) is a guy who does not react kindly to leaks, about Dion Phanuef.
The meat of the rumor is that Dion would go to the Islanders for something along the lines of Tavares or Okposo (who he almost killed in an open ice hit in pre-season) or a firs...
The Flames lost to the Minnesota Wild Friday night by a score of 2-1. They lost in overtime. The Flames scored the first goal of the game. All this being said, the Flames were severely outplayed by Minnesota and were out shot 46-23. They failed to register a shot until the 14th minute of play and only mustered 3 shots on net in the first period; the Wild fired 19 Kiprusoff...
[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...
[img]http://www.flickr.com/photos/sabre11richard/3362526735/[/img]
A two goal game may not be a career night for many players, but for Patrick Kaleta it was just that.
Buffalo was up for another big challenge on Saturday night. Although the Sabres had Ryan Miller in net, the Rangers have had a day off in between games. The Sabres played their third game in four night...
In my last blog, I felt the Islanders should give players like Trevor Smith or Jesse Joensuu a chance to play with the big club if they were going to continuously sit guys like Comeau and Tambellini over fourth liners such as Jon Sim. The next day Jesse Joensuu was called up from Bridgeport and played his first NHL game of the season.
"It was awesome. It's part of livin...
Don't forget to check out oilnutz.com
Well, Well, Well…
Where are all the trade them now guys??? Have you all put away your panic buttons and maybe even relized that Hemsky alone isn’t going to make this team team great.
All I can say is that it was another great week for the team. The GBP line was clicking (especially against the Blues). Horcoff is playing gr...
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 ...
The year 2009 is coming quickly to an end and I have decided to take a look at the best Toronto Maple Leaf player on a decade by decade basis covering Toronto clubs from 1920-2009. The Maple Leafs were known as the Toronto St. Pats until the 1927 season when the team was purchased by Conn Smythe and the named changed to the Toronto Maple Leafs. This organization has had ma...
As I turned on Sportsnet the other day, I happened to see the guys on Hockeycentral during a phone interview with Matt Stajan, concluded with them both agreeing that they liked Stajan, but that he is just further up in the lineup than he would be on another team. I think that's a fair assumption, but only because of his numbers the past couple years. Remember though, last ...
Toronto is currently in 13th in the East. They are only 2 points back of 8th place Montreal with a game in hand. While there are teams between the Leafs and 8th with games in hand as well, this is an undeniable turnaround for the franchise this season. Makes one wonder if they are a playoff team. I'm sticking with my preseason prediction that the team will finish 7th in th...
Today is the 15th of December and as we hit the official half-way point of the month we also hit the half-way mark of the Habs' 17 games in 28 nights. And how have our beloved Habs fared so far? Hmmmm, looks like a win one/lose one trend, much like the rest of the year has been for them. Sadly, this team could have a lot more points that it currently has (33 in 34 games) i...
The laundry list of Islanders problems can start at the top of a 12-story building and flow all the way down to the pavement at Charles Wang's feet. It can start from way back when the Islanders chose to trade away players such as McCabe, Chara and the first-round pick that turned into Spezza, to the constant Lighthouse debacles.
This team has been struggling for what ...
Well, I have been away for a while and have just decided to rejoin the world of Hockeybuzz.com. As most of you know that know me, I am a Leaf diehard. We saw our Buds get off to a rough start this season but they have been heating it up as of late and now sit a mere 2 points from the 8th spot in the east. I thought I'd drop a few interesting tidbits that have been bounc...
I was a fool to take the Flyers win last night against the Bruins as a sign of hope. A sign that maybe the Flyers would turn things around with the roster that got off to an impressive 12-5 start this season.
Oh what a fool I was.
Apparently firing Stevens wasn't enough. Towards the end of the losing streak shortly before his termination, I began to think that yes, g...
In front of a packed house at the Scottrade Center on Brett Hull night, the Blues pulled out a rare home victory on a beautiful late goal by T.J. Oshie. It was a great play set up by the forecheck of David Backes, allowing Paul Kariya to take the puck and feed Oshie with a beautiful pass that Oshie roofed.
Another rarity, the Blues scored a power-play goal. That unit st...
SoCalSharksGirl writes...
Should the Sharks Have Traded Vlasic Instead?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I was putting together a poll the other day about who people thought would take home the Norris Trophy, and I came across what was an insane stat to me. Christian Ehrhoff is leading all defensemen in +/- with a +16!?! Not only that, but he has 7 goals and 11 assists for 18 points on the season so far (3 of which are PP points). Most amazingly of all, he has 70 SOG with a 1...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Daily Habs Links - Leblanc, Brodeur, Halak....
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As a new feature on Habs To The Top, I compile all of the links and news stories that I read, about the Habs, in one easy to find location....Habs To The Top! So, if you are looking for Habs news just bookmark http://www.HabsAddict.com, to get your daily Habs news!
http://www.habsaddict.com/2009/12/daily-habs-links-dec-16-2009.html
[img]http://golfinginapril.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/dapns.png?w=300&h=73[/img]
There have been many great captain’s over the years…and that spot is still up for grabs on the current edition of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Coming into the season, Ron Wilson said that the captaincy ’situation’ would be revisited in November, after Tomas Kaberle, Mike Komisarek and Fr...
First and foremost, this blog is simply to provide a fun conversation as well as enjoying some of the rumors that are going on.
It is no secret that the Flyers are struggling, and in the cap era this seems to be the only time that major trades really have any traction. For the most part this also brings about big dealings at the deadline. In relation to the Flyers I ...
[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...
BryanM writes...
More outdoor games and other ideas floating around the NHL
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Here are some ideas that are floating around the NHL right now, and my take on each of them:
[u][b]1.) Another outdoor game[/b][/u]
Gary Bettman spoke with the NHL's Board of Governors about the possibility of another outdoor game for next season. This isn't a new idea, more of a gauging of interest for the league. Over the summer the NHL worked on putting together a...
Thirty-five games into the season, more games played than any other team, the Montreal Canadiens find themselves a mere 2 points out of 29th spot overall. That’s more than enough reason to think this team is not a Stanley Cup contender. And in this modern NHL salary cap era that’s enough reason to rebuild for next season.
A common, successful strategy to rebuild is...
[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...
Who knew, when Brodeur was selected 20th overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 1990 NHL draft, that he would go on to have such a prolific career. Clearly, he was a good player to have been selected so high in the draft but even at that I don't think anyone would have been able to predict the brilliance that this man has displayed year after year. And in continuing to pa...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Daily Habs Links - Gionta, Hamrlik, Brodeur, Wild...
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The daily links are up. Hamrlik is out for tonight's game, Gionta has started skating again, Weber recalled from Hamilton and the return of Latendresse!
Check it out:
http://www.habsaddict.com/2009/12/daily-habs-links-dec-17-2009-gionta.html
UPDATE:
Just added a great fantasy piece about a potential Halak trade.
K.
The Leafs have once again recalled one of the media-named Frat Pack in Viktor Stalberg, and it should be interesting to see if he can translate some of his AHL success to the NHL (unlike Christian Hanson). Stalberg played okay near the beginning of the season, but we have to remember that he went into a slump during a time when everyone on the team was slumping. Stalberg l...
more to come....
After three straight losses, the Flames came back and beat, what was statistically, the best team in the Western Conference. Coming off of a mini two game road trip where the Flames failed to earn a point, they were determined to gain some sort of momentum heading into an elongated amount of games on home ice. However, they did not manage to exactly blow the Los Angeles K...
Another day, another loss. It seems that us Habs fans are getting used to the idea. We're not happy about it, mind you, but we are definitely getting used to the heart break. You could tell, in the third period last night, how unhappy the fans were as their boos changed focus from Latendresse to their beloved Habs. The booing started with about three minutes left in the ga...
Welcome to week 12 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (12/21 through 12/27).
[u]Week 12 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 Games[/b]: Buffalo, Chicago, NY Isles, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Toronto
[b]Teams with 2 Games[/b]: Calgary, Detroit, NJ, Washington
[b]Teams with 1 Game[/b]: LA
L.A. is enjoying a nice Christmas break ...
Although I didn't write it in a previous blog, I PROMISE you that I believed that the Islanders were going to split the home-and-home series with the Rangers, and that the visiting team would win each game. Yeah, I know that sounds like complete BS since I am speaking in retrospect, but that WAS my prediction.
The first game at the Garden was a well-played game by the I...
Kamal Panesar writes...
The Return of the King: Andrei Markov to play Saturday
Posted Friday | Comments 0
He's baaaaack! RDS has confirm that Andrei has been given the green light by the Habs medical staff and will play Saturday night versus the Islanders!
Go to Habs To The Top for all the details:
http://www.habsaddict.com/2009/12/daily-habs-links-dec-18-2009-5-losses.html
http://www.HabsAddict.com
K.
Ok I am only home due to snow.
I thought I would share my pictures from the game. I had great seats 6 rows off the ice.
First signage....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/4197576546/in/set-72157623030117206/
Carter
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/4196800157/in/set-72157623030117206/
Richards
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/4196805085/in...
Thanks to everyone that voted. The fans have voted and the result is that 50% of the voters chose Cammalleri to be the next captain of the Habs. Go to Habs To The Top to see complete results:
http://www.HabsAddict.com
K.
Remember to check Habs To The Top daily for all your Habs links!
http://www.habsaddict.com/2009/12/daily-habs-links-markov-isles.html - Daily...
We are seeing a tremendous year of hockey. Tight standings, fun play and a division/conference that is up for grabs. Currently we have three teams that are in a fight for the western conference lead with 47 points apiece, L.A., Chicago, and San Jose. However, Chicago has earned those 47 in just 33 games. Nashville stands alone at 45 points, but stands to move up if they...
In a rare afternoon affair at the Saddledome, the Flames failed to gain any momentum on their current home stand by falling to the Nashville Predators 5 to 3. Losers of 4 of their last 5, the Flames, seemingly, were still asleep for the first 15 minutes of this game. Looking sluggish and disjointed from the drop of the puck, save Rene Bourque, the Flames were in a hole dow...
Oh my…something needs to happen
Let’s see what do I see wrong with the Flyers. Richards is a player that does not pass the puck. Carter is a player that does not pass the puck. Giroux is a player that passes the puck all the time. None of them are playing like NHL centers. NHL centers are unpredictable. The Flyers top 3 centers are playing a very predictable g...
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...
[url=http://bluenotezone.com/2009/12/20/how-i-would-fix-the-blues/]How I Would Fix the Blues[/url]
Fans of the St. Louis Blues have been crying for change most of the season. Some of it hasty, some of it on point. The call has increased recently. Even after Owner Dave Checketts "Get you butt in gear" speech in mid November, the Blues are still consistently inconsistent....
Nine games into Peter Laviolette’s stint behind the Flyers’ bench as head coach and the team is a measly 2-6-1, playing the same uninspired brand of hockey that put John Stevens out of a job.
Laviolette has come in and done some things differently than Stevens – players are being held accountable at practice for in-game stupidity, for one. Is it helping? Nope. ...
The return of Andrei Markov was the storyline of the night and the game - a 3-0 win by the Habs - could be summed up as great goaltending, great special teams and a very special player. While Markov's two-goal performance warmed the cockles of Habs fans everywhere, the real hero this evening was Jaroslav Halak who in turning in a 40 save shutout performance continues to ra...
Since the big team is not really giving us much to talk about lately I thought I'd check on the up and comers.
Quietly Mikael Backlund has risen to third in team scoring with the Heat with 8 goals and 8 assists after starting the season very slow. It is nice to see his balanced attack is starting to pay dividends, Backlund has a tremendous shot and great passing with v...
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...
[i]OK, first off: I don’t often respond to stupid trade rumors from other hockey “news” blogs – which I realize is a complete redundancy in terms.
But please, stop it with these “Duchene and O’Reilly to Atlanta for Kovalchuk” and “O’Reilly and Liles and Wilson and half the Denver Mint for a couple of underachieving Philadelphia Flyers” rumors.
Repeat ...
Now that's the way the Blues should play every game. Against the best home team in the NHL, the Blues came out and completely out-worked Vancouver. They were faster, stronger, dove for loose pucks, and blocked shots during crucial penalty kills.
It's that type of game the Blues should strive to play every single game. Despite being dead last in the West heading into Sun...
Twas the night before Christmas when all through the Dome,
Not a creature was stirring, not even Jarome.
The Jerseys were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Stanley soon would be there.
The Flames were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of hockey pucks danced in their heads.
And Sutter in his ‘kerchief, and King in his cap,
Had just sett...
gkmkiller writes...
Don't Look now But the Rangers Are On a Bit of a Roll
Posted Monday | Comments 0
As Rangers fans, we probably shouldn’t get too excited about tonight’s 3 – 1 win over Carolina. After all, the Hurricanes entered tonight with the fewest points (by far) in the NHL with 24 in 35 games. They have scored the second fewest goals (tied with Boston and ahead of Tampa Bay) in the Eastern Conference (88) while giving up the most (128).
Yes, the Hurrican...
Twas the night before Christmas when all through the Dome,
Not a creature was stirring, not even Jarome.
The Jerseys were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Stanley soon would be there.
The Flames were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of hockey pucks danced in their heads.
And Sutter in his ‘kerchief, and King in his cap,
Had just sett...
It's been a pretty good year so far for job security in the NHL ranks compared to recent history, but nothing lasts forever. Last season, 1/3 of the teams changed coaches. This year, (not counting Gretzky "stepping down"), only one coach has been fired so far, and the results of that move haven't been spectacular. So, it remains to be seen how many more dominoes will fa...
Habs win! Habs win! Long live the streak! A two-game streak that is. But, after losing 5 in a row, we'll take it. Last night in Atlanta, the Canadiens once again played the role of thieves, stealing two points from the suddenly within reach, Thrashers. Before last night's game, Montreal (35 points) were four points back of Atlanta (39). With the overtime win, the Habs gain...
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)
pj50 writes...
Oilers, the shame of things that are and that are to come.
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Well Oiler fans wasn't that a stinker of a game. Way to go Oilers! That's really showing the pride you have for the logo on your sweater and the city you call home during the season. I hope you are all holding your heads up with pride, after all you must be proud as you keep on cashing in those pay cheques. Now if there was any thing positive to take away from the game I'm...
If Ilya doesn't sign in Atlanta and the Thrashers put him on the market there would be interest from a host of teams around the league. The "roomered" asking price (according to Ek) is "a pick, a player that can help Atlanta now, and a top, top NHL prospect".
Now if I'm Darryl, there are only a couple of pure prospects in the cupboard that I could even consider "top, to...
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
It is that time of the season when we take our tv remotes and change the channel from Tim Allens dreadful Santa Claus movies and switch on over to TSN for the World Junior U20 Hockey Championship, and from the perspective of an Oiler fan, it couldn't come at a better time.
Edmonton, after raising the hopes of Oil nation with a five game road winning streak, have knocked o...
San Jose Sharks fans learned last year exactly why you don't want to win the President's Trophy (unless you're the Red Wings). Since the trophy's inception in the 1980s, no team has won a Stanley Cup in the same season as earning the President's Trophy for the first time in franchise history. Good news for Sharks fans, only one team has failed to win the Cup in the same se...
I had the opportunity to be at the Garage for last night's game and while I enjoyed what went on in the stands, I did not enjoy what I saw on the ice.
I wouldn't say that the Canucks dominated but they were persistent. They did everything the Preds should have done. They got traffic in front of Dan Ellis, they put shots on net whenever they could and they took pucks har...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20091224/i/r95991619.jpg[/img]
Buffalo (22-10-3) vs. Washington (22-8-6)
The Sabres are coming off of a overtime win in Toronto, in which the team played without Thomas Vanek and Patrick Kaleta. The Capitals have not played since Saturday, when they scored four times in the third to defeat Edmonton.
The Capitals have 130 goals score...
The Calgary Flames are officially in a slump. They are not playing desperate hockey and are not playing well. After a nice three day break where they could take some time to work out some of the kinks that have been bothering them over this stretch, it seemed as if this would be a perfect game to bounce back in. The Blues, after coming off of big wins in both Edmonton and ...
After waiting for 64 years the Habs finally won a December 23rd road game. I always find little stats like that pretty useless but as human beings we seem to track even the minutest of details. And as such, it is good to know that "the curse" has been broken. Ummm....ya.
In demolishing the Canes 5 to 1, the Habs extended their winning streak to three games and are now 4...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Daily Habs Links - Olympics, Markov, Kostitsyn Brothers...
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Andrei Markov officially named to the Russian Olympic team, the Kostitsyn brothers named to Belarussian Olympic team, analysis of Russian Olympic team.
http://www.HabsAddict.com
Happy holidays all!
As I start this blog there are only 28 minutes left on Christmas. The last blog I wrote was a week ago on the 18th and I am actually annoyed at myself for not having a chance to write in the mean time. But I will say it has been a hectic week as I'm sure it was all the other bloggers and readers out there.
During this week, yours truly finished all of his assignments a...
Wow, it's been a loooooooong time since I last had the time to sit down and write one of these. Unfortunately it will be extremely brief...
For a lot of hockey fans, Boxing Day through the New Year holiday is considered sacred, especially for Canadians. It's the most magical time of year when the best of the best from around the world come together to fight for World Ju...
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...
Gionta could be back vs. Sens playing with Gomez and Pouliot, Leafs' post-game stuff and much, much more....
http://www.habsaddict.com/2009/12/daily-habs-links-giontas-comeback-leafs.html
If you had asked me at the start of this 8 game home stand if I would be happy with the Canucks winning 6 of 8 I would have said sure. And while the two they lost should have been ones they won handily, overall it was a pretty decent run. With the Olympic road trip from hell looming, the Canucks need to continue to get as many points as possible at home, and hope that they...
Fresh off a decisive 4-1 win over the slumping Edmonton Oilers to wrap up an 8 game home stand which saw them go 6-2, the Canucks are right back at it in a huge game tonight against the Flames at the Pengrowth Saddledome. With a win, the Canucks can vault past the Flames into 2nd in the Northwest and 7th place in the Western Conference. It certainly isn't going to be an ea...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091228/capt.16fb2ef16d5f44d7af63e2ec402fdc41.sabres_blues_hockey_motg101.jpg[/img]
Sabres (22-11-4) at Blues (17-15-5)
Sunday marked the only meeting between these two teams. Buffalo edged out a 4-3 victory in their lone meeting last year. The Sabres are coming off of a overtime loss against Ottawa while the Blues beat Minnesota on Sat...
I am being realistic here; I know the Flyers have won 3 games in a row. I am not overly excited yet since they beat Tampa Bay, Carolina, and the Islanders. All of these teams will be in the lottery this coming spring and Carolina scored 3 goals in the last 11 minutes to tie the game last night. But 3 weeks ago these would have all been losses. Here is my take on the ca...
The Calgary Flames are moving in the wrong direction in the Western Conference standings. After tonight’s dreadful loss at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks, the Flames now sit in 8th spot in the West, only 2 points up on Detroit. The Flames are falling faster than Tiger Woods bank balance. With only 1 win in the last 7 contests, the Flames continue to play horrifying a...
[img]http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=media%2Fapphoto%2F16fb2ef1-6d5f-44d7-af63-e2ec402fdc41.jpg&w=512&h=407[/img]
Home sweet home for the Blues....or anything like it. The Blues-Sabres game tonight went like a classic home game for the Blues. They battle for about two periods, take a lead and tease the hometown fans....then completely fall apart by game's end. While...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Daily Habs Links - Gionta AND Hamrlik back? Sens...
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Could Gionta and Hamrlik be back tonight vs. Sens? ESPN.com game preview.
http://www.HabsAddict.com
Welcome to week 13 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (12/28 through 1/3).
[url]Week 13 Matchups[/url]
Teams with 4 games: Anaheim, Atlanta, Calgary, Chicago, Columbus, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Montreal, New Jersey, Ottawa, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Jose
Teams with 2 games: Florida, Toronto
Not a strong week to ...
The Islanders lost a rough one to the Flyers yesterday for their matinee game on a Sunday afternoon. It was a tough loss to swallow, especially for Marty Biron, a goaltender looking for just his third win of the season. Although the Isles played hard, it was frustrating to watch them make a pass that should have been a shot or struggle to carry the puck out of their own zo...
As the 2009 calender year comes to a close with the Maple Leafs three points behind a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Brian Burke will need to look at making some decisions in 2010 and the first one on his list needs to be the resigning of defensemen Ian White. The 25 year old on many nights this season has been the teams best rearguard and overall it's not much of...
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...
So finally the Flames get a win in what seems like an eternity and it comes against the Oilers. Getting a win against the Oilers is like getting three wins normally for us fans but even in winning the Flames looked really poor. The Oilers are a team, who like the Flames, have been struggeling lately and on paper the score should have been what it was. The only problem is t...
Pittsburgh (26-12-1) at Buffalo (23-11-4)
The Sabres entered tonight's game trailing the Penguins by three points in the Eastern Conference. Buffalo is coming off of a big win in St. Louis where Patrick Lalime earned a 5-3 win for Buffalo. Pittsburgh is coming off of a tough loss against Toronto. The Penguins tied the game late in the third, but Ian White scored with ju...
Six of twelve participating countries have announced their rosters, five more (including Canada) will be announced tomorrow (Dec. 30) with the lone holdout being Team USA which will announce during the Winter Classic on Jan. 1. With that in mind here is my take on the rosters so far:
[b]Latvia[/b]
This will be a team to watch. They probably won't win a medal, but the...
The Habs 4-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators, on Monday, marked the official mid-point of their season. Having now played 41 games and with ALMOST the entire team healthy, I thought it was a good time to review the 1st half of the season. I have provided an overall review, a look at special teams and grades for each player CURRENTLY on the roster broken down by position. Final...
So the team has been named, the moment Canadians had been waiting for since the last Olympics ended in 2006. Now the debate can begin on who should be there and who shouldn’t be there, why this team will win, why this team won’t win, and all the other fun topics. As it concerns the Flames, the debate will be about whether or not Phaneuf, Bouwmeester or Regehr should ...
John Michael Liles is a player who has shown the ability to consistently achieve 40 point seasons. That is nothing to snuff at by any means. Sacco thinks he can do better, and so do I. We as fans all kind of have this collective feeling that he is worth more than he is putting out.
I do however feel that he has a somewhat fragile ego. We could look back at his perfo...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Daily Habs Links - Post-game, Plekanec, Panthers Game Day
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Plekanec is overtime hero, Price's strong play, Habs beat lightning...read all about it:
http://www.HabsAddict.com
Don't forget to check out the Habs To The Top Mid-Season Report Card:
http://www.habsaddict.com/2009/12/habs-mid-season-grades.html
Agree, disagree? Let me know! Happy New Year all!
This evening, I was blessed to watch a dandy of a hockey game between the rivaling nations, USA and Canada. Right from the outset, the Canadian atmosphere combined with the on-ice action itself made the last junior game of the decade easily the game of the tournament. This game was even better than the New Year's thriller last year. Both teams clearly expressed the desi...
Dear NHL,
Next time you have a super competitive game without penalties on National TV, tell the referees to keep their whistles away at both ends of the ice. It was really nice to watch the game and I cannot believe still that a penalty for tripping was called on Timonen for diving at the puck and knocking a player down in front of his own net. Then a call is made f...
The Canucks (aka the coach killers) take their much improved road show to Big D this morning (grumble grumble)for an 11am PST match against the Stars. The Canucks pulled off a gutsy comeback on NYE against the bafflingly bad at home St. Louis Blues, and now hope to move their road record to 1 game under .500 with a win today.
Dallas is a hard team to figure out as we si...
tml1967 writes...
Toronto Maple Leafs turn for Winter Classic and we know where
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Winter Classic has come and gone once again and this time at Fenway Park was another spectacle to watch, there is nothing like watching professional players, playing outdoors in what can come across to us as a game of shinny. We can all relate to that growing up and going into our backyards or the local community rink with temperatures below zero, the frost coming out ...
Disclaimer: I don't know much about the contracts of each of the players. I know there are a good # that are FA but I'm not sure who they all are. This is a scenario built around the fact that the FA pool isn't very good this year and assuming many of these guys are re-signed cause there won't be many great options in the FA market.
I was going through all the players t...
So we finally have all 12 rosters for the Olympics. Below is my opinion of the rosters that were announced Dec. 30 and Jan. 1.
Switzerland
The Swiss will not win a medal unless they really get going offensively. The other teams have just too much skill and certainly plenty of will to match. The strength of this team will be goaltending, which means they could upset s...
Why is it that the NHL looks at every goal to make sure it was a good goal, and yet can still miss the application of a simple rule on a “good goal”? This is directly due to the fact that the NHL thinks that its referees do not need the benefit of replay to call the game correctly. I listen to Bettman on his weekly XM Radio show and he states that the game is too fl...
Why is it that the NHL looks at every goal to make sure it was a good goal, and yet can still miss the application of a simple rule on a “good goal”? This is directly due to the fact that the NHL thinks that its referees do not need the benefit of replay to call the game correctly. I listen to Bettman on his weekly XM Radio show and he states that the game is too fl...
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
#36 Patrick Kaleta
He is known as one of the biggests agitator's in the NHL. He was drafted by the Sabres in the 6th round (176th overall) in 2004. The Buffalo native is becoming known for his hits on opponents. In Buffalo, the company "Carubba Collision" sponsors the hit of the game: they have for years. Due to Kaleta's physical play and since he has the hit of the gam...
So today is going to be an interesting game for Canada against the Swiss for a couple reasons. There's a positive and a negative side to playing Switzerland again. Let's start with the negatives.
The Canadians like to make pretty plays and a lot of individual efforts to get the puck into the offensive zone. They do dump it in, but on many occasions try to carry it in. U...
You had to know with the way that the National Anthem was sung that this game was going to be ugly and at times filled with disappointment. Before I even get to the way the game was played, the Islanders might want to start having try-outs before they let just anyone sing on the ice. The woman that sang had such a hardcore accent that it was hard to understand her, and whe...
Welcome to week 14 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (1/4 through 1/10).
[u]Week 14 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Anaheim, Boston, Calgary, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, NY Rangers, Ottawa, Toronto
[b]Teams with 2 games:[/b] Edmonton
Although 3 of their 4 games this week are on the road, the Flames have the mo...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Daily Habs Links - Sabres, Post-game, Caps, Kostitsyns
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Sabres shutout Habs, Capitals, are the Kostitsyn brothers good to go?
http://www.HabsAddict.com
My support for the Philadelphia Flyers, a team that was once considered one of the top cup contenders for this season, is slowly waning.
After watching a team finish a road trip 4-1-1 where they crushed a division rival 6-0 and then later played another conference rival where they played a terrible first period, pretty great second period and then another terrible third...
Canada looks great this year, the U.S. team looks fantastic as well, I'm really looking forward to the game tomorrow! Led by Derek Stepan ( N.Y. Rangers) the U.S. has more than a few weapons to worry about, I love their speed and finally seeing creativity out of the U.S. program.
To be a World Champion you have to be in a sport that the world participates in and beat o...
So today's the big day. Record break...or heartbreak.
New Years Eve was a game where many Canadian fans were close to the same nervous feelings as last year against Russia...maybe not quite as dramatic, since elimination wasn't on the line...but still a very important match.
When Canada and the USA met on New Years Eve it was like hitting a brick wall for the Canadia...
Going into tonight's game against the American's there were a few things that Canada HAD to do...
1) Effective PP
2) Little to no individual free wheeling plays
3) Solid goaltending
Let's recap shall we...
1) Canada was 1 for 3 tonight...which isn't really that bad..however against a team where special teams WILL make a difference, they needed. Of course the 1 p...
While the US's John Carlson may be saying his OT winner was a 'lucky shot', the fact that the US team left Saskatoon with the gold around their necks had very little to do with luck. As we saw in the New Years Eve tilt, Canada had little answer for both the American's speed, giving up numerous odd man rushes throughout the game, and their superior defensive ability. All ni...
Hands up if you called the score in this one? Yeah, no one could have predicted this one, even as bad as the Blue Jackets have been lately I don't think anyone would have foreseen this. Especially they way they found themselves up 2-0 early in the first. Instead of seizing the opportunity, the Jackets looked bewildered, and a mere 29 seconds after Kristian Huselius made it...
Some thoughts I needed to share. Panic looms with every loss especially the ones at home. The Rangers are constantly under pressure even if they win. Look at them now instead of looking at our 6-2-2 record in the past ten games as pretty good. The constant woes of lack of scoring and home ice advantage seem to take center ice. Which I think falls heavily on the team....
1. New Jersey - Great team, no weaknesses
2. Chicago - Another great team, but is feeding on a weak Central Divison
3. San Jose - Is this the best one line team in hockey?
4. Buffalo - Miller for Vezina
5. Washington - Offense is covering weak goaltending
6. Pittsburgh - Still very good, but not dominant.
7. Vancouver - Great 5 on 5 play and Power Play
8. Calgary - ...
Buffalo (26-11-4) vs. Tampa Bay (16-15-10)
The Sabres began a three game homestand tonight, beginning with Tampa Bay. These teams have met once before this season, with Buffalo edging out the Lightning in overtime for the victory.
Buffalo struck the Lightning with a fast start to open the game. Lindy Ruff has been on the Sabres to try an play better in the first peri...
HunterRules writes...
Did you miss this? Schremp's Baseball Goal vs Avs
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBcKHrTyG0I[/url]
[img]http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/3967/schremp.jpg[/img]
More proof that the REAL problem was the players....the Blues lose another game in classic fashion. They lead for most of the way, but inevitably give up the game-tying goal and eventually lose the game. If the Blues thought they could beat San Jose in their own building, with a single goal, they had to be crazy. This was not going to be a 1-0 game, and the Blues sat back ...
The schedule finally seems to be wearing on the flames. Last night they looked tired.
To be honest, I don't blame them. Back to back contests are physically draining, and the flames are in the middle of an 11 game stretch that only contains 1 game that is not part of a back to back situation (Jan 2, against the Leafs).
The game on Friday at home against Columbus is...
There is a country full of Canadian men who wish they had been good enough at hockey to have a shot at the NHL...even a shot. Most of us grunts would even say a life of riding buses in the AHL playing hockey and still making okay money would be something else, in fact my best hockey memory is a sweeping glove save I made on an ex-NHL player, a save that made me have dreams...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Avoid Snowballs, Robbie Schremp With Goal Of The Year?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Alright...it is a bold argument to make being that 2010 is just a wee seven days old, but if anyone saw Robbie Schremp's goal last night, they would understand why he might have a case for the best goal of 2010.
Over the course of his young career, Schremp has had a very difficult time finding his way onto an NHL line-up. If you watch him play, it is evident that the k...
Matt Reed recaps the World Juniors and discusses a few things we may have learned and have yet to learn...
http://www.TheReedReview.com/Blogs.php
After watching the Rangers, and specifically Mr.Avery dismantle the stars last night,the Olympics can't come quick enough.
The goals that were scored were soft,and Turco,once again didn't show up....Mike Ribeiro was accidentally shanked by Chris Higgins and will be out 4-6 weeks with a neck contusion.
I don't see how showing up for the first five minutes of each ...
Everybody makes mistakes. Some are just more prominent, embarrassing, and harmful than other. Looking back on the year in the NHL, there's no doubt certain individuals would like to have a do-over on few of their decisions. On many decisions, it's far too early to tell just how bad (or perhaps good) a move will ultimately be. Inevitably, years from now, we'll look back...
Toronto (15-20-9) at Buffalo (27-11-4)
Buffalo had a chance to extend their five game winning streak on Friday with a win against Toronto. The Sabres were also also looking to beat the Maple Leafs for the tenth straight time. Buffalo has outscored the Leafs 15-6 in the four games played this season.
Everything looked to be in favor the Sabres for Friday's game. It is...
Turco finally showed up (I Think),but this time it was for the last 5 minutes of the game..
The guys from the Islanders TV (MSG) nailed it on the head- Turco is feeling the pressure of a contract season,and he has ZERO confidence..heck Robidas made better saves in the last few minutes.
Rick DiPietro made his first star since Jan 2,2008 and he looked like he did way ba...
Listen Flyers fans, while it would have been nice for the Lightning to move the game up to 5:00 pm so that the Flyers can play before the Eagles game. Don't be mad at the Lightning for saying no thanks to this request by the Flyers. This was a BIG REQUEST since the Lightning were playing Friday night in Jersey and cutting 2 hours between games is a lot especially when th...
Ok, so I was going to write a blog about the debate over trading and keeping Thomas Kaberle...but after last nights game against Buffalo, something had to be written.
When you outshoot your opponent 50-31 you should really put a few pucks in the net...however when the other goalie is Ryan Miller that number drops quite drastically...especially since he comes out of nowh...
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...
Great win this afternoon at the TD Banknorth Garden by the Rangers. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a dominating performance but it was solid. Boston controlled the play for stretches but all-in-all the Rangers did a good job of making sure a Bruins team missing key players came up on the short end of the stick.
Lundqvist was great today. He made some great saves foll...
gkmkiller writes...
Re-visiting My Preseason Predictions: Eastern Conference
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Interestingly enough, I found myself reviewing my preseason predictions for the final standings in both the East and the West. In several instances, I was dead on; unfortunately, in others, I was way off. That’s usually the case in these matters.
Just for kicks here’s the links to those posts:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=65941&post_id=8516
http://m...
From the Philadelphia Inquirer:
[i]An NHL executive said last night that replay officials in Toronto were not given the proper replays by Fox Sports in Pittsburgh on Thursday, when they ruled that Simon Gagne's goal did not count against the host Penguins.
Gagne swatted a second-period rebound that Penguins goalie Brent Johnson smothered and appeared to carry into th...
Welcome to week 14 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (1/11 through 1/17).
[u]Week 15 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Calgary, Detroit, Minnesota, NY Rangers, Pittsburgh, Washington
[b]Teams with 2 games:[/b] Buffalo, Colorado, NY Isles
The Rangers get the prize for most favorable schedule this week, with thre...
Has anyone taken time to notice how effective Dan Carcillo has been playing? Yes he has taken poor penalties at bad times during important games. Yes he needs better discipline.
But he has had a positive impact on this team. When the Flyers were in their APATHETIC fog, Number 13 continued to hustle, finish his checks, and get under other teams skin. LAV even had him on ...
First some of the other topics....
The hit on Pat Maroon if you didn't see it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKDeWpc9ah8
Here is the latest article this kid has a great attitude it is good to see.
http://poststar.com/sports/article_4f26d346-fc11-11de-9bbc-001cc4c002e0.html
Everyone loves Lappy I think that this is your chance to show it. It's all about ...
So Theo has come out and said that Conroy should be held accountable for not scoring in 37 games, and that the Flames should trade Regehr. His most outlandish statement was that "stupid people" run hockey and one could say that he meant the Sutters in Calgary. Personally I'm not offended by what he said, if Conroy was not such a likeable guy and someone you just want to ro...
Rob McGowan writes...
Chris Osgood and Kenny Jonsson Return To The Coliseum
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Being that the Islanders are going to play host to the Detroit Red Wings tonight, I knew right away that Chris Osgood would be in the building. It was then posted on Twitter and Chris Botta's blog at Islanders Point Blank that Ozzie will not be the only former Islander returning to the Coliseum tonight. Kenny Jonsson will be in attendance as a fan to support his former tea...
Everyone has been doing their analysis on team Canada so I decided to do one also. Now that the world juniors is over, congratulations to the USA for winning, all international hockey eyes focuses on the Olympics. Here are my line ups would be and I doubt the fourth line would be used as if playing NHL game where they only used for 5 minutes they would get their fair s...
Flyers vs Stars
The recent play by the Flyers is the way this team was built to be played. Laviolette has provided the players with stability in the lineup and with some time to adjust to the new system, the players have responded. Tonight they drubbed Dallas 6-3 and the game was not that close. Dallas scored 2 goals in the last 9 minutes to get 3. The Stars look in d...
Disclaimer: this is not a blog about hockey...
Baseball...the professional sport...is like an onion...
Peel back one layer of deception and sure enough, there is another rotten one just below it.
The recent comments made by Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco and Tony LaRussa are a glaring example of this.
McGwire finally admits to using steroids...although he said he ...
icedog97 writes...
Olympic Peace Summit...Penguins and Flyers Fans Unite?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Let's face it...Penguins and Flyers fans love TWO things...
1) Their respective teams...
and
2) to dislike, dare I say hate, the OTHER team/team's fans
But in February, both sides will be put into an akward position as the 2010 Olympics open.
Both teams fans, of mostly US origin, will have (most likely) their favorite players on the roster for Team Canada - Mike...
Matt Reed reports on the latest on the Burrows referee incident.
http://www.TheReedReview.com/Blogs.php
Last night was a hoot for me.It was my first Stars game in 2 years.I took in all the stares,comments,and bad goals for my team.I knew it wasn't going to be pretty,and to say I survived is an understatement.Two whole days after the football games had ended,I looked forward to this death wish.
I had a sinking suspicion the good guys weren't going to w...
With the way the Leafs have performed since the lockout...more specifically last season and this season...many people have called for trades of pretty much everyone.
There's some players that just CANNOT be traded. Blake and Finger have contracts that no team in their right mind would take...especially when the Leafs are one of the few teams in the NHL even CAPABLE of t...
Anytime you win a game against an opponent by the score of 6-0, you will obviously have plenty of positives to talk about, but the most important part of this Isles win is that the younger players are owning the score sheet.
Chris Osgood was forced to return in net at the Nassau Coliseum last night. He heard a few cheers from the crowd that remember him from his brief ...
tml1967 writes...
The Leafs waddling through their worst month since lockout
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Toronto Maple Leafs continue on their waddling days of January which has been the teams worst month statistically since the lockout, if the team is to succeed in its quest to make the playoffs again then they need to come to grips with one of the coldest months of the year in Canada. The team is 1-5-0 so far this month and continue to struggle in their penalty kill and...
Thomas Vanek was drafted by the Sabres in 5th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, making him the highest draft pick in Austrian history.
Vanek signed a three-year deal with Buffalo on September 3, 2004, and began playing for the Sabres in 2005-2006 after a season with their AHL affiliate. He had a promising rookie season with 25 goals and 48 points in 81 games for the ...
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,...
Everybody is quick to jump all over Gainey for the habs misfortunes. I for one, am guilty of this homerness.
Lets take a look at what he has done:
2003 (the beginning of the Kovalev era), Bob Gainey takes over the GM position from Andre Savard.
Bob Gainey acquires Alexai Kovalev for Josef Balej and a 2nd round pick at the trade deadline.
I don't have to retell ...
The Calgary Flames lost tonight to the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Stricken by a slew of bad penalties and untimely giveaways, the Flames could not handle the strength and of a better Penguins club. The Penguins are faster, bigger, stronger and compete harder in every battle, and it showed on the scoreboard. Despite being able to outshoot the Pengui...
Okay many of us have spoken out in reference to Burrows and Auger and althoug Burrow should've have publicly stated his opinion, I still think it was the right course of action. Finally a player stated what everyone else (fans) thought in how a referee could have it out to a player. Its a darn shame the NHL chose to fine the player and not the ref. Oh well...
Contrac...
Buffalo (28-11-5) at Atlanta (20-19-6)
Tonight, Buffalo began a seven game road trip that will last two weeks, beginning in Atlanta. The Sabres have struggled against the Thrashers lately, but did defeat them 4-3, despite being down 3-0 on January 1st.
Atlanta is 12-3-3 all time against the Sabres at home, so Buffalo had to bring their best if they wanted to win the ...
Welcome to week 16 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (1/18 through 1/24).
[u]Week 16 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Atlanta, Buffalo, Carolina, Columbus, Dallas, Florida, New Jersey, NY Isles, Ottawa, Philadelphia, San Jose, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Toronto
[b]Teams with 2 games:[/b] Calgary
It's a pretty full ...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Daily Habs Links - Stars, Laraque, Price, Gionta's 500th
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Habs Post-Game break down, Laraque scores 1st goal in Habs uniform on his 2nd shot of the season, Price shaken but unstirred, Gionta's 500th career game, Metro's 100th career assist and more...
http://www.HabsAddict.com
K.
Remember to check Habs To The Top daily for all your Habs links!
http://www.HabsAddict.com - Habs To The Top blog
http://www.facebook.com/pag...
[b]Game Summary: [/b]
After four long days off the Habs finally got back into action last night and defeated the Dallas Stars 5 - 3 in regulation. While they won the game by two goals, they made it much harder on themselves than it needed to be. From the start of the game, the Habs looked like a team playing with the rust of four days of rest. Up and down the lineup - ex...
Hey everyone...
As many of you know, the first major trade rumor regarding the Isles has been spread about all over the web, and it involves Ilya Kovalchuk of the Atlanta Thrashers.
If you want to read my thoughts on the subject, go to http://thehockeywriters.com/isles-in-on-kovalchuk/ as I wrote a blog all about it.
As you can see, I have started blogging for The...
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...
The Bruins could really struggle to play .500 hockey for the rest of the year unless they can make a serious trade, and obviously I’m talking about Ilya Kovalchuk.
The loss of Marc Savard to a torn MCL could force Boston to use one of their valuable draft picks they received in the Kessel trade far earlier than they imagined. In fact, as bad as Toronto is playing, the...
The Bruins could really struggle to play .500 hockey for the rest of the year unless they can make a serious trade, and obviously I’m talking about Ilya Kovalchuk.
The loss of Marc Savard to a torn MCL could force Boston to use one of their valuable draft picks they received in the Kessel trade far earlier than they imagined. In fact, as bad as Toronto is playing, the...
What a frustrating game last night.
As I mentioned in my last post, the Bruins are severely undermanned (not in quantity, but quality) and will need to be extremely opportunistic in order to win games. The inconsistency in the lines and the minor league call-ups on defense mean that the Bruins will invariably give up more opportunities than they generate, and when those...
The three and a half hours of sleep I received before work this morning were well worth it — Around 1:30 a.m. (on the East coast), big Zdeno Chara bore down San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov and unleashed his 105 M.P.H. cannon from 20 feet out.
Chara’s lone goal in the shootout completed a 65+ minute effort for the Black and Gold last night in San Jose and g...
I'll be honest, I've never really been one to look at the nhl numbers closely, but this season is different. We have Tomas Plekanec who is an upcoming UFA, and we have very little cap room to re-sign him. Word around the water cooler is that he'll be looking for 4.5-6 Million for 5 years. Problem with that is with all the money being freed up in the offseason, the habs are...
"Hot" goalies-Just so we are all clear, this is the N.H.L., all of the goalies are good...even the bad ones are really good. If you can't score it's not because you ran into a hot goalie it's because you have been figured out and have not adapted your play. After a few games it gets really hard to hear the Flames didn't score because Fleury was hot or because Ellis was hot...
Buffalo (29-11-5) at Islanders (20-19-8)
With a 7-1-2 record, the Sabres headed onto Long Island looking to win their second of seventh game on the road trip. The Islanders came in having won their last two, including a convincing 6-0 win over Detroit.
Rick DiPietro started in net for the first time in over a year at Nassau Coliseum. There no surprise seeing Ryan Mil...
The Flames lost again last night. The Flames have now lost 5 of their last 6 games. The Flames were shutout last night for the first time all season. They are averaging only 1.33 goals per game over this slide. Iginla is pointless in the last 6 games and a -3 over that span. All in all, there are very few positive things coming out of Flames land these days. About the only...
The Leighton experiment should end today. Emery was signed to be the number 1 guy, played like the number 1 guy, stole a few games early, and got injured. Leighton played against a series of bad teams, played ok, lots of pucks have gotten through him and missed the net, were stopped by defenders, and the Flyers started scoring goals.
When Boucher played he played great,...
Rick DiPietro made his first return on Coliseum ice last night against the Buffalo Sabres, the second placed team in the East with 64 points and a 29-11-6 record. It took Overtime and a shootout for a decision to be made, but DP shined in a 3-2 win and a shootout that lasted 8 rounds.
It only took a matter of 20 seconds or so before Ricky made his first save of the gam...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Daily Habs Links-Rangers, Halak, playoff picture, post game
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Habs let another two points slip away last night against the Rangers, Halak not to blame, Habs need winning record to make playoffs, post-game...
http://www.HabsAddict.com
K.
Kamal Panesar writes...
Win 1, Lose 1 Habs back at .500 - Habs system explained
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It is Monday morning in the frozen city of Montreal. After a week of decent (for January) weather, it has been colder the last few days, in this city, and not just because of the temperature. After two back-to-back 4 point games this weekend, that Habs are no better in the standings. Two games, two losses, two bad efforts - the second worse than the 1st - and your beloved ...
Some things have happened in the hockey world lately that have done nothing but get me extremely upset. Since it's pouring rain here in California today I've decided it's the perfect time to get them off my chest.
Laser Pointers - By now everyone has heard of the laser pointer incident involving the Vancouver Canucks. I agree with Brent Sutter's assessment that there is...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Win Four In A Row And Hamonic Visits The Coliseum
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Islanders hosted the 2nd placed New Jersey Devils today at the Nassau Coliseum and won a decisive 4-0 victory for Rick DiPietro's first shutout of the year in only his third game played, putting the Isles to 9-2-1 over their past 12 games.
You can tell that the Isles 15-year man is regaining his confidence in net. At least twice he was seen catching the puck with h...
[img]http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=media%2Fgettyphoto%2FGYI0059328895.jpg&w=715&h=477[/img]
It was a hard fought game through two periods, and you couldn't help but feel good with the Blues only down a goal going into the third period. But getting the next goal was critical for the Blues and it just did not happen.
Erik Johnson committed a cardinal si...
Embarrassing. Humiliating. Disgusting. Oilers-esque. just a few adjectives to describe what Flames fans are feeling today. Looking at the score you can't help but think of the fish slap dance from Monty Python, it is very fitting and if I was more computer savvy I would have inserted a picture to accompany this blog.
9-1 is a score the best team in the league should h...
doormat247 writes...
The Boiling Point: A Rant from a fan of Oiler Hockey
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I don't blog very often for good reason, I rarely have much of value to say and when I do I would much rather have a beverage or two then sit down and write. Sadly, after yet another uninspired performance by the Oilers last night, alcohol only dulled the frustrations rather then extinguished them like usual.
Yeah, I know...its not healthy to drink away the anger, tel...
Everybody raise your hand if you thought that the 7-1 beat down on November 19th against the Chicago Blackhawks would be low point in the season? I would venture to guess that most everyone’s hands would be in the air. Well, the Flames have shocked us once again with their ability to look like a minor affiliate. 9-1…was that a rouge we scored? Was that a football game?...
Recent injuries can either wreck your fantasy hockey team's season, or provide an opportunity for you to cash in on another's misfortune. Here is what you need to react to some of the biggest IR news in the NHL:
[b]Teemu Selanne (F - ANA)[/b]
With Selanne being out of NHL action until after the Olympics, many owners will be tempted to dump him (if they haven't already...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Daily Habs Links - Blues, Darche recalled, Price, Haiti...
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Gameday previews, player audio interviews, Darche recalled, Price in nets?
Read it all and more at Habs To The Top:
http://www.HabsAddict.com
UPDATE: Habs media departement announces donations to Haiti relief. Details on Habs To The Top.
K.
If the Maple Leafs were an amusement park they'd be one of the best around. I don't think I've seen a more consistently inconsistent team game ever. The roller-coaster just doesn't end.
Let's start in net. Vesa Toskala is a goalie to make you scratch your head. He can on occasion (a rare occasion) be briliant and stop some tough shots. Unfortunately the more common of t...
Just a quick note, I noticed Conroy is centering Iginla at practice again... are Langkow or Jokinen hurt?? That is embarrassing. Wish they would stop going back to this junk. Conroy is a third or fourth line guy now... that you drag off the bench to take a face off ...period. His first line days are long gone.
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RFA and UFA issues face the flames this ...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Daily Habs Links - Blues, Laraque bought out, Price...
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Habs rally falls short, Habs BUYOUT LARAQUE's contract, Price gets into fight...
http://www.HabsAddict.com
K.
[b]Game Summary:[/b]
I can't do it....no wait...maybe I can...I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, ummmm, ya....errr....nope, I can't. That is probably the best way to describe the Habs 3-4 overtime loss to the Blues last night. There were bad, they were good, they were up, they were down, they were losing, they came back but ultimately lost it all on a weak goal ...
Buffalo (30-12-6) at Los Angeles (27-19-3)
The Sabres and Kings met for the only time this season. Last time they met, Ryan Miller shutout Los Angeles in a 5-0 win.
The Sabres almost made quite a comeback in their last game against Anaheim. Buffalo quickly fell behind 4-0 in the first period with Patrick Lalime in net. The Sabres came out in the second, narrowing the...
Well, despite a stronger effort the Flames lost for the 6th straight time and the 8th time in 9 outings. This was also the 3rd straight loss to the Blackhawks this season and 7th straight, not including the post season. That was the Flames 5th straight loss at home to boot; the last win coming on January 2nd against the Toronto Marlies. To think, this team should have come...
An Interesting Look at Who Has the Hat-Tricks This Season
We are more than halfway through the 2009-2010 season, and there are many teams that have surprised fans. What may be more surprising is which teams have recorded hat tricks this season. There are eight teams left who have not done it yet this season.
The league leading Chicago Blackhawks are one of those eigh...
If you haven't heard by now - and I'm sure you have - the Montreal Canadiens publically announced that they are parting ways with tough guy Georges Laraque, yesterday. While I can't say that this is a completely shocking move by the Canadiens, it did come as a surprise none the less and no one was taken aback more than Laraque himself. When initially - and very quickly I m...
[b]Richards vs. The Media[/b]
I have to fall on the side of Mike Richards on this one. The Philadelphia media loves to talk negative about all their teams to generate call-in buzz for the sports talk radio fanatics. When the team (regardless of the sport) wins, they are great. When they lose, they suck! I left the Philadelphia area in the late 1980s and I do not carry...
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...
Buffalo (30-12-7) at San Jose (34-10-8)
The last time these two teams met was on February 13th, when flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Even though the NHL offered to postpone the game, the Sabres chose to play.
Buffalo went out to a four goal lead, only to see San Jose come back and score five goals. Jason Pominville tied the game up wit...
[img]http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=media%2Fapphoto%2Fc58d240a-e197-499f-92cc-467f3d3b4afc.jpg&w=512&h=312[/img]
I don't think there is a better word to describe what the St. Louis Blues have been able to do, or not do, when holding a big lead in the third period than "collapse". Perhaps the most epic of collapses, based on the playoff magnitude of the ga...
[b]Game Summary:[/b]
What a difference a week makes. Two weekends with back-to-back games with two completely different outcomes. While after last weekend, many of the Habs faithful were ready to throw in the towel, this weekend many are hoping that the Habs have turned a corner. I have to caution that until the Habs get on a roll and start putting some separation between...
Buffalo had an amazing pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft when they chose 6 foot 8 inches Tyler Myers. The 19 year old rookie made an impression the moment he started playing for the Sabres.
Buffalo traded up one spot with the L.A. Kings in order to get Myers. They wanted him on the team badly. If they hadn't trade, there is a good chance he would not be on the Buffalo Sa...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Fall To Devils In First Loss At Home In Seven Games
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
At this point of the season, every game needs to be looked at as if it is a playoff game if the Islanders hope to make it passed 82 games for 2010. Last night the Devils came back with a point to prove; they are at the top of the standings in the East for a reason, and after being shutout by the Isles 4-0 last week, it had to be expected that they were going to come out st...
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...
Conroy is back at centering Iginla again in practice. Hasn't worked in 9 games, might as well stick with it. Lundmark actually looked alright on that line, give the guy some time, Conroy is not an option anymore.
****
When Sutter says he doesn't see how the flames could get Kovulchuk is he kidding? Most armchair g.m.'s know that you have 5 mil off the books if you simp...
Hey ladies and Gentlemen its been forever since i have written my last article. I have been very busy with academics but considering that this is a make or break season for the san jose sharks i think i should comment on the last couple of games and what the sharks need to do looking forward.
considering that i along with many other fans in the nhl have noticed the infl...
Flames have offered the Los Angeles Kings Olli Jokinen for a bag of pucks and their water boy, apparently the Kings are unwilling to make this deal as they think their bag of pucks will find the back of the net eventually more than Jokinen and the water boy at least shows up to work and doesn't have a gay biker handlebar mustache.
>>>>>
In other news the Flames have ...
[b]BREAKING NEWS:[/b]
[b]UPDATE: Jan 26, 2010 - 3:30 pm[/b]
RDS confirms that Laraque is interested in AIK
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/291462.html
Habs Inside/Out explains further:
http://www.habsinsideout.com/main/28201
[b]UPDATE: Jan 26, 2010 - 2:00 pm[/b]
During email correspondance with a Swedish source they said that they have been in touch with...
Question: What is the difference between a falling tree and the Calgary Flames?
Answer: A tree never gets booed out of its own forest.
Lucky consecutive loss number 7 for the Flames tonight, as they were shut out for the 2nd time in 3 games on home ice. They have scored a staggering 2 goals in their last 4 games at the Saddledome. They must be reading the Tiger Woods...
hplayer11389 writes...
Prognosis After the Road Trip: It's Not as Bad as You Think
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
All I hear in Buffalo is, "Why do the Sabres keep losing?" The answer, folks, is not because of poor play. Sure, coming home after the team's lengthiest road trip of the season every fan, including myself, would like to have come out with more than 6 of a possible 14 points, but when you look hard at the trip, specifically the tail end, it's really not as bad as the record...
The Islanders had recent success against some of their more challenging opponents in the Red Wings, Sabres and Devils over the past week but have been unable to stay on board that train to the end of January. First they lost a tough one to the New Jersey Devils, and last night they were embarrassed by Alexander Semin and the Washington Capitals.
It was a rough one to w...
Wow, that was ugly.
After a glorious weekend that saw the Habs down the Devils in Jersey and obliterate the Rangers in Montreal, the Habs have come back down to Earth with a terrible effort in Florida. In losing 2-1 to the Nathan Horton-less and David Booth-less Panthers last night, the Habs show that they are truly a Jekyll and Hyde team. One day they are handily beat...
Backlund is the right guy to call up IF:
A) He plays on the power play.
B) He plays on the top two lines.
This morning he practiced with Glencross and Nystrom, if they wanted an energy grinder they should have called up Jaffray.
>>>>>
Lots of comments on how barren the Flames system is and the blame lies with Daryl Sutter, allow me to play devils advocate... W...
Heartbroken. Disappointed. Frustrated.
All words that describe how the Flames must feel right now. The Flames lost their 8th consecutive game tonight despite holding a lead going into the final period. They fought hard in the 2nd, arguably their best period, but let one squeak by them with only 24 seconds left in the period to cut their lead in half. This event, one of...
I heard on the radio this morning Darren Dreger say that the Flames, "..just ran into a hot goalie.." last night in Dallas. Apparently he hasn't read the papers here, the Flames are MAKING goalies hot. Conklin, Auld...it doesn't matter, if you want their confidence up stick 'em in net against the Flames.
>>>>>
After the Burrows incident it becomes really easy to look a...
So here we are as hockey fans in late January. There are only a few short months of hockey left, and shortly we'll be able to tell if our teams are poised for a playoff run, or for golf season. It's this time of the year that teams must make a good run in order to establish prime playoff position.
The Sabres, for the past couple weeks, have not looked like the playo...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Montreal-Tampa: Habs Lay Another Egg in 3-0 Loss
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The state of Florida was not kind to the Habs over the last two days. Despite the sunny weather, there is a grey cloud that has formed over the Habs' heads and they are struggling to shake it. After a dismal performance against the Panthers on Tuesday, the Habs were in Tampa yesterday, to play the Lightning. They did so through whispers of locker room dissent and rumours o...
Slump Busters.....not quite. The big guns for Calgary: Phaneuf, Iginla and Jokinen all scored while others like Lundmark chipped in with a nice assist. It was not enough. Once again, some unlucky bounces did the Flames in. Not making excuses here at all, but when two unlucky goals go in after being up 3-1, for a fragile team like they are now, it's hard to recover. That do...
BluesHockeyOhBaby! writes...
Blues In Good Position For Now And The Future
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img]http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=media%2Fgettyphoto%2FGYI0059435216.jpg&w=715&h=476[/img]
I've been thinking all night about how much the Blues are actually underachieving up to this point in the season, and I think they're right where they should be.
Last year's blistering finish to claim the sixth spot in the playoffs created high expectations for this team...
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...
Outside the box:
Backlund on the top line from here on out, this is why they drafted him, let him do it, just with Jokinen on one wing and Iginla on the other.
Phanuef on the wing, if he wants to go mainly offensive maybe it's time to stop holding him back, a guy named Buyfuglien did this prior so it's not unprecedented. Giordano has proven he is not a fluke, this i...
Domaju writes...
The Main Attraction in Leaf Land: The Team Coaster Part 2
Posted Friday | Comments 0
When it comes to having fun, a roller coaster is above all one of the best. I think someone needs to tell the forwards on the Toronto Maple Leafs that the same doesn't apply to a roller coaster of a season.
As it stands the Leafs are being led by a defenseman in points. Of course Tomas Kaberle is a very offensive player, but no team should ever be led by a d-man if you ...
Buffalo hosted the Bruins looking for its second win in a row. Boston will have Marc Savard back in the lineup, which is a big relief for the Bruins. Without Savard, the team went 1-6-1 and only scored 13 goals.
Boston has won the first two meetings between these teams, but trail Buffalo by 15 points. Despite being 11th in the conference, Boston can jump all the way up ...
Well if this is not the perfect time to face the lowly Oilers, I do not know what is. Coming off of 9, yes 9, consecutive losses, the Flames look to ‘bump the slump’ against the worst team in the NHL on Saturday night. The only solace Flames fans have these days is the fact that the Oilers have lost more in a row (12) and occupy the very bottom of the NHL standings (Ou...
Line Changes: I see that the Flyers are looking for a spark out of a few players on the offense. Other than Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux, the entire Flyers offense has been rotating sporadically around the locker room – but not at a fast enough rate. The defense has chipped in at times at a rate much higher than last year. Of the Flyers 3 centers (Carter, Richards, ...
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...
Earlier this morning the Leafs made one heck of a move. One that could end up being looked at as an incredibly stupid one.
Brian Burke was able to take Dion Phaneuf away from the Calgary Flames, and move that I was excited about...until I saw what they traded. I was ok with giving up Mayers and Stajan, but Hagman and White are not sitting well with me.
Niklas Hagman ...
When you talk about cleaning house in hockey it's usually not as intense as what Burke has done.
Rarely in todays world do you see a 7 player blockbuster like the one made earlier with the Calgary Flames. And now they've made another big trade. They've cleared off more cap space by somehow managing to convince Anaheim to take Jason Blakes contract basically for nothing....
The Islanders have had Joel "The Wrecker" Rechlicz sitting in the minors but have felt that he needed time to develop his game, as an enforcer, in the AHL before he could be considered as a legitimate NHL fighter.
Trevor Gillies, an AHL journeyman, has been playing with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers this season as well. Last year he played in 30 games with the Albany Riv...
Toronto Maple Leafs fans went to bed last night with a bitter taste in their mouths after watching their beloved Leafs blow a 3-0 lead against the Vancouver Canucks on Hockey Day in Canada. This morning many started their Sunday as they normally would but what most fans did not expect was to get hit all of a sudden by a Burkie Blast. Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke...
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...
To Toronto:
Dion Phaneuf- 7mill
Fredrik Sjostrom- .750 Million
Keith Aulie- Prospect
Total $: 7.750 Million
To Calgary
Niklas Hagman- 3 Mill +2 yrs
Matt Stajan- 1.75 mill-UFA
Ian White-.950 mill-RFA
Jamal Mayers-1.4 mill-UFA
Total: $7.1 Million
When I first heard about the deal I went through a series of emotions from shock, to anger, to curiosity,...
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...
Before I get started, I want to take a minute to bask in the glory of the deals today by Toronto.
Sure we gave up over 1/3 of our goals for this year, but frankly, with Phaneuf now wearing blue and white, this team is now set up to have one of the top defensive corps 1 through 4 for years to come. In addition, there are three outcomes (all liveable) with Giguere, realiz...
"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...
In evauluating the trades, any hockey pundit will tell you that you need to wait for an extended period of time down the road to see who 'wins' a trade.
I on the other hand see a way to evaluate this trade right now, I think there is a simple way to look at this from a Leafs fan perspective and be more than happy with it.
For starters, let me say that I think Phaneuf...
[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...
After back to back wins at home, the Sabres headed into Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins for the third time this year. The teams have split the first two meetings of the season, both with one goal wins.
For a while, it looked as if the Sabres had a chance to take first place in the Conference. With the Capitals winning ten in a row, the Sabres are nine points out of t...
Last Night Daryl Sutter traded Ollie Jokinen and Brandon Prust for Ales Kotalik and Chris Higgins, upsetting Flames fans because now we can't bug Olier fans about having a player names alice...er...ales.
>>>>>
The broad side of the barn is upset with Adam Pardy after missing the net last night on a short handed chance five feet in front of the netting claiming, "....
#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...
The Flames have officially pressed the panic button.
Losing 10 of your last 11 games is not fun and usually signals change on a professional sports team. To add into the fact that you play in a Canadian fish bowl where every move is over-scrutinized to the extreme, you cannot help but think that the Calgary Flames GM Darryl Sutter made a move that he did not necessaril...
I 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...
Just hypothetical now, but would you flip Phaneuf to Los Angeles right now, if the return were Brayden Schenn, Ted Purcell and a first round pick?
The Leafs might have to toss in Stempniak or a Ponikarovski rental....and take back a salary like Randy Jones' $3 million.... but IF that were available - would you want it?
Phaneuf in Hollywood with his girlfriend Elisha ...
Here we are with a just a few games left before the Olympic Break and the Islanders roster is in a spin-cycle. As of today, Marty Biron has been sent down to Bridgeport for a conditioning stint that will last out for the weekend, Brendan Witt may be close to a return, and Trevor Gillies previously passed through waivers and has returned to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
...
There's no doubt that tonigth the Leafs looked great with the new additions. Let's take a look at each and then the future.
Fredrik Sjorstrom isn't supposed to be an offensive player, so an assist tonight on Kulemin's 11th of the season is a huge bonus. But the best thing about him jumping into the offensive side of the game is that it didn't hinder his defensive game a...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Halak shines in Canadiens 3-2 Win over Canucks
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well that was unexpected, don't you think?
The city of Montreal has been buzzing about the Canadiens, recently, and for all of the wrong reasons. While Mike Cammalleri's knee injury - he will not require surgery but will be out for six weeks - has been the talk of the town, it certainly hasn't been the only topic of discussion.
In addition to Cammalleri, the city ha...
As we approach the Olympic break, it's time to start making those last minute tweaks to your fantasy hockey roster to prepare for the playoffs. Often times, one of the toughest decisions facing a GM is letting go of a guy that was drafted high but having a subpar season. Sometimes we'll hang on to him simple because of his name and the foolish hope that surely he has to ...
Every Islander fan has seen that Garth Snow is capable of making a shake-up when the time is right. Last year he moved from the bottom of the first round all the way up to the 12th overall pick to select defenseman, Calvin de Haan. The year before that he moved down from the 5th overall pick to the 9th to take Josh Bailey. And in his first year as General Manager, Garth Sn...
While I haven't used this blog as much as i would like its definitely time to post again. Tonight the Caps enter the Garden on a 11 game win streak. The Rangers however are coming off of a 1 and 2 west coast trip. What's the goal ?
As far as the trade goes I was on board. To me there is no point having a player who just gets scratched every night. I t...
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...
Forget that Stajan got the game winning goal, forget that Mayers provided some spark and that Kotalik didn't fall on his face, forget that White didn't make any massive blunders or "dions" as they call them, forget that Higgins was solid and that Hagman looks dangerous... sorry I forgot where I was going with that.
>>>>>
Backlund is points magic, he doesn't even have...
I can hear it now:
"Not to be out done in stealing the spotlight, Brian Burke this morning announced that he has signed both Mats Sundin and Peter Forsbeg to contracts for the NHL minimum to end this season."
Naw....never happen. But you have to wonder if GMs out there are looking for ways to top or equal the latest move by the Devils.
There really aren't many big bi...
Is There Any Chance for other Eastern Teams?
With the massive news today of the Kovalchuk to New Jersey trade, I find myself asking an intriguing question: Are there any teams in the East that can compete with the top 3?
Now by top 3, I am not referring to the division leaders in Washington, New Jersey, and Buffalo, I am referring to the Capitals, Devils, and Pengui...
[img]http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=media%2Fapphoto%2Fc70cfebc-f290-4fce-9c39-48940666083e.jpg&w=512&h=358[/img]
Another classic Blues loss Thursday at home against San Jose. Blues rally back to within a goal, but then give up a nail-in-the-coffin goal that puts them away. Conklin has to make that save on the shot from the side by Nichol. It was not re-di...
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...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Groundhog Day as Jaroslav Halak Steals Another Game
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Still waiting for the other shoe to drop? Me too. But that is what the Habs have gotten their fans used to this year. Last night's game was one that the Habs had no business winning. But hey, don't look a gift Halak in the mouth!
In beating the Boston Bruins 3-2 in Boston, the Habs are now on a modest 2-game winning streak while the Bruins are on a horrific 9-game losin...
This week I will hit on a few short topics and skip the Flyers game recaps – since they played out West and I was sleeping! I watched the games on TiVo and not the same opinions are arrived in knowing the outcomes.
Use of Video Replay: This week I would like to examine the possibility of the NHL using video replay in an expanded role. If you listen to the explanatio...
This week I will hit on a few short topics and skip the Flyers game recaps – since they played out West and I was sleeping! I watched the games on TiVo and not the same opinions are arrived in knowing the outcomes.
Use of Video Replay: This week I would like to examine the possibility of the NHL using video replay in an expanded role. If you listen to the explanatio...
These two teams have only met once so far this season, with three more to go. Buffalo won that meeting 5-1, scoring all their goals in the third period. The Sabres are just 2-5-1 in its last eight games.
Carolina took a 1-0 lead when Aaron Ward scored his first goal of the season. After being outshot 8-4, Buffalo got on the board towards the end of the first. Andrej Sek...
I am a father.
I have four children who are individually and collectively the biggest and brightest pieces of my life. I ache because I cannot do more for them. Sometimes, as children do, they can be testy and they can push me to my limits of patience. Sometimes I yell. Yet no matter what, these are my little flashes of light, and the joy they bring me is immeasurable. ...
Hey everyone,
Today I attended the Islanders morning skate and had the opportunity to interview John Tavares, one-on-one, after their practice, courtesy of the Islanders PR staff Seth Sylvan and Kimber Auerbach.
If you would like to check it out, head over to this link:
http://thehockeywriters.com/one-on-one-with-john-tavares/
Feel free to leave comments and se...
The Sabres were hoping to snap a three game losing streak against Columbus. The last time these teams met was in 2008, when Columbus crushed Buffalo by a 6-1 score.
First place may be out of reach since Washington is on a 13 game winning streak, but the Sabres only trail the Devils by three points for 2nd place. Patrick Lalime is expected to get the start in net tonight...
Rob McGowan writes...
As Isles Start To Sink, Joensuu and Martin Get The Call
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Seven losses in a row, folks. That's how many consecutive games the Islanders have surrendered to their opponents in a stretch where they have only scored nine goals. Secondary scoring has always been an issue with this team, but when the top guys of Tavares, Okposo and Moulson aren't getting the job done, and Josh Bailey is on the Injured Reserve, this team will really st...
I went into HSBC Arena Friday thinking that the Sabres were going to turn around their bad luck. I mean, they were playing Carolina, tied for last place in the East. In the end, I was surprised, and extremely disappointed.
Early in the week, Buffalo did play some powerful teams in the Penguins and the Senators. Brief periods of lackadaisical play killed them in the end....
The Flames fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in overtime tonight by a score of 2-1. A hurtful reminder of the last time Calgary lost 2-1 in the St. Pete Times Forum. For those who do not know, it was game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Final, a loss that Flames fans will not soon forget.
Two goals by Ruslan Fedotenko was all the Lightning needed that night, as the Flames ran ...
As the midway point of the season came and went, the Buffalo Sabres were sitting comfortably atop the Northeast Division. Boston was the closest team team, but still trailed Buffalo by 12 points. Now, the Sabres have hit the biggest road bump of the season.
The west coast trip was just the beginning of the Sabres recent woes. The team has gone 2-8-1 in its last 11 games...
The Flyers are struggling to score goals – again. This is due to the simple fact that the Flyers generate offense from a structured team approach, not true offensive talent. The Flyers have only a couple of truly gifted offensive players; Jeff Carter, Claude Giroux, Simon Gagne, and Danny Briere are the only natural offensive players. Players such as Mike Richards, Sc...
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...
eklund before posted in a blog that the new york rangers and the florida panthers supposedly have a mega deal going on. unless the rangers are looking to make a deal with the panthers to dump one of the r&r boys salary than they cannot make a move because of there salary cap space of only 356,000. unless the rangers somehow dump one of the r&r boys salary than th...
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...
yesterday in practice marian gaborik was cut on the leg by the skate of henrik lundqvist and recieved several stitches.tonight at msg the broadway blueshirts will face the nashville predators. the rangers are again stuggling in the offense and without gaborik[six goals in his last five games] will be struggling even more. gaborik is questionable but might not play and miss...
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog talking about how Oklahoma City has had a good tradition of hockey in our city. Well guess what, yesterday the Edmonton Oilers and the American Hockey League along with a local ownership group by the name of Prodigal Hockey announced that we will be he AHL affiliate team of the Edmonton Oilers starting in October 2010.
The te...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Bob Gainey Made Mistakes: Will Pierre Gauthier be better?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Over the last few months, there has been a lot of talk in the city of Montreal about Bob Gainey's failings as a GM. Not about him as a person, mind you, as Gainey is a classy, respectful individual through and through. No, talk has been more of an indictment of his professional skills. So yesterday, when news broke that he was stepping aside, the Canadiens fan base was ene...
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...
As Antti Niemi turned aside all shooters to take an overtime victory over Dallas, dominoes began to fall. Those dominoes included the trade of Thrashers goalie Kari Lehtonen to those same Stars. So what's next? Quite possibly the removal of long time Stars netminder Marty Turco or last years Vezina winner Tim Thomas, and the Blackhawks may be the ones listening. The fact i...
With only two games remaining before the Olympic break and less than 48 hours until the roster freeze, the Rangers have two very important games coming up. After tonight's loss against Nashville, sans Marion Gaborik, the Rangers managed one goal. With that loss the Rangers sit in 11th place, and four points behind the 8th seeded Lightning, who the they will play Sunday aft...
If you creep around Flames forums and sites as much as I do, it's not rocket science to notice the majority of Flames fans think there's another major trade coming from the the bizzare mind of Darryl Sutter; if not "major", then at least a few minor tweaks. Let's look at where the Flames are at right now, and where they need to be...
Right now, the Flames are sitting at...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Montreal-Washington: Habs Win Wild One Over Caps in OT
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well, hello! Dr. Jekyll, I presume?
And so the zig-when-you-expect-them-to-zag Canadiens defeated the mighty, streaking Washington Capitals last night, 6-5 in overtime. True to the form that we have gotten used to, the Habs kept their fans guessing by doing the opposite of what the majority expect. Perhaps that is our own fault and we should just learn to expect the une...
Buffalo got off to a quick start on Thursday night with a goal from Derek Roy. Later in the first, Jochen Hecht scored to give the Sabres a two goal lead. The shot went off of a Carolina player and into the net as Hecht earned his first goal in 11 games. Hecht didn't have any other options, so he shot it from a tough angle and it ended up going in. It's never a bad idea to...
I feel like I am in the F$%&ing twilight zone every time I watch this Flames team play hockey. Every game is the same, regardless of who the opponent is. Every goalie is a Vezina trophy winner and every defence is the second coming of the 1995 New Jersey Devils. This Flames team has such ineptitude to scoring goals; you have to wonder if they could find the net agains...
Sayros writes...
3 Maple Leafs in Top 10 Scoring that aren't in the Olympics
Posted Friday | Comments 0
As of tonight, there are three Canadians in the top 10 in NHL scoring that will not be heading to Vancouver for the Olympics. Here's how your top 10 breaks down by Nationality:1 Russian, 2 Swedes, 6 Canadians, 1 Slovak. Of the 6 Canadians in the top 10, Brad Richards, Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis are not currently Olympians. To begin with, I find it interesting that...
Ny Rangers get Jodi Shelley from the Sharks for a draft pick reports Steve Zippy from Newsday.
Shelley has played in 36 games and has registered 3 assists. I dont really know what to think about this
I don't like to look back and say, "what if" because it becomes a ridiculous exercise and as Jim Rome likes to say, "if if if...if my aunt had a package she's be my uncle...but she doesn't... so there's not point in going down that road."
Having said that, I have a few what if's...
What if Calgary beat Colorado six times instead of the other way around. What if Calg...
Rob McGowan writes...
Live Blog From Nassau Coliseum: Isles vs. Lightning
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
For anyone who is watching the Isles/Lightning matinee tilt that is at Nassau Coliseum today, I have been live blogging from the NYI Blog Box in Section 201. Head over to The Checking Line.
The direct link is as follows: http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/live-blog-nassau-coliseum-isles-vs-lightning
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
h...
The Flames not only won, but they dominated for most of the game tonight beating the Anaheim Ducks 3-1. Jarome Iginla led the way scoring back to back goals in the 2nd period; his 26th and 27th goals of the season. Iginla is now rolling with 5 points in his past 3 contests. He rose to the occasion the way a Captain should. He was skating hard, he was shooting the puck with...
Welcome back to Broad Street, for a weekly look at some NHL topics and a review of the Flyers. This week I will examine the standings as the Olympic break begins after Sunday’s games. I keep hearing how close the standings are this year. If you look back since the inception of the “3 point game” this has been the case. This has less to do with the parity of the t...
Let's be real now...the way things have been going for these New Jersey Devils, the Olympic break couldn't have come any sooner. Since January, the Devils have gone 9-13, losing eleven of those thirteen in regulation, and were shut out four times. Over the course of these twenty-two games, the Devils have barely averaged over two goals a game and save a significantly tight...
The Islanders have gone 2-9-0 in their past 11 games heading into the Olympic break, lowering their spot in the standings to a disappointing 13th seed with 58 points, trailing the 8th place Montreal Canadiens by 6 points while only maintaining 3-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes.
"It would have definitely been more enjoyable if we had a bunch of wins before the b...
The Olympics may have officially begun competition on Saturday, but it's today that for most of Canada the games really start.
HOCKEY!!!!!!!!
What more could you ask for than to see the best players in the world compete. I know some people that have actually said "I don't see the difference between this and the World Championship, it happens every year". To those peo...
Canadian fans everywhere rejoiced tonight as Jarome Iginla led Team Canada past Team Norway in the opener of 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic games. Iginla, who officially scored 2 goals (most thought he tipped in another), found his way to the top line with Sidney Crosby and Rick Nash after starting the game on the third line with Morrow and Toews. Not that Morrow and Toews ...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Men's Olympic Hockey: Team Canada, Team Russia, Team USA
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
After all of the anticipation and the months, if not years, of waiting, we got to watch some Men's Olympic Hockey yesterday, and what a treat it was!
The three games on the menu showcased three Olympic hockey contenders: Team USA, Team Russia, and Team Canada.
No disrespect intended to any of the other teams out there, but there are only a few medal hopefuls in this...
I saw on TSN today that they compared their pre-season rankings to the current standings in the NHL, so I thought I would do the same.
October predictions
1. Washington
2. Pittsburgh
3. Boston
4. Philadelphia
5. Carolina
6. New Jersey
7. NY Rangers
8. Ottawa
9. Montreal
10. Florida
11. Buffalo
12. Toronto
13. Tampa Bay
14. Atlanta
15. NY Islanders
1....
Kamal Panesar writes...
Men's Olympic Hockey: Canada Exorcises Demons v. Swiss
Posted Friday | Comments 0
In defeating Team Switzerland 3-2 in a shootout, yesterday, Canada pulled one out of the fire.
While early on, the game looked like it was going to be a repeat of Team Canada's 8-0 thumping of Team Norway only two days earlier, things changed quickly for the hometown heroes.
Making the score 2-0 only 35 seconds into the second on goals by Heatley and Marleau the Can...
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...
Leafs fans finally got their wish-the player most villified in recent years, (mostly by Leaf fans who expected more of the player, listened to media reports, or simply followed the typical Leaf fan trend - put all energies in to hating a guy until he is run out of town and then believing it was their behind the scenes, radio call in, and blogging efforts that actually made...
who do you think will come out on top in today's game?I feel that USA will come away with a victory,Or at least im hoping they win. They are a team with a lot of hard workers and heart and soul players.They are the underdogs here which might make them work a little harder especially since it team Canada were playing here.If they do win, it definatley won't be an easy one. ...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Olympic Hockey: Anticipation Peaks on Super Sunday
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Can you feel it? Can you taste it? That palpable anticipation and excitement that is building in Vancouver and is echoing across the hockey world?
It’s growing. And with each minute that passes the anticipation will continue to build on one of the biggest, most important days in international hockey history.
With five hours before the puck drops on what is being c...
With all the Olympics going on and the NHL on freeze this gives a lot of time for the GM's to talk about various trades. You know how this time of the season gets right before trade deadline, there is a lot of trade talk going around"SILLY SEASON".
The BRUINS Rumors: who seem to be trying to get the most out of this deadline they are looking at Defensemen Dan Hamhuis fo...
Ok, so 1 3/4 of a season has past us by and The Maple Leafs still have not named a captain. The current circumstances that the teams three alternates find themselves in, have almost eliminated the chances of the "C" being stitch on their jerseys.
Thomas Kaberle season has been good statistically. He went into the Olympic break with 46 points and sits third in the l...
This game could be the most important game of the tournament for Team Canada. A Win and they're into the Quarter Finals. A loss and who knows what could happen.
If Canada and the US go to OT/Shootout and Canada win they'll be tied with points, but Canada has a higher goal differential than the US so they would be placed in 1st. If Canada loses in any scenario disaster c...
I've been saying to people all along that the USA is going to be a much tougher team than anyone was giving them credit for.
With the loss today Team Canada has a VERY tough road ahead of them. Germany may not be a tough opponent to have to get past, but after that it's an unreal Russian squad. But before we get into that, let's analyze the ton of things wrong I found w...
Lets just start off by saying "WHOOOOOAAAAA".That was one of the most intense games i have ever seen. One of the best games i ever seen ,An to come out on top makes it even better.The Rangers players Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury who tallied a goal played awesome real good style of defensive hockey blocking shot and finishing checks. Then you have Brain Rafalski had Two bi...
As I sat down with anxiousness prior to the game, I hoped that USA would pull out an upset, much like they did 30 years ago against the Soviets. However, I did know that despite all the hype around Canada's team, I knew there was a weakness. An all-star roster, is just that.
I watched a GREAT game. I emphasis that despite the fact that I was pulling for the US. It was b...
[b]Pronger and Niedermayer or Phanuef and Bouwmeester?[/b]
I'm not going to say I know more than Yzerman about hockey but I saw the Olympics in 2006 and what I saw was that some of the older guys were losing us the game. Pronger especially was a pylon, later finding out he was injured doesn't make it better. I thought if you want a player that can be gritty and hit then...
This is my first HockeyBuzz blog. I couldn't sit quiet anymore.
Marty out, Roberto in please hockey Canada.
I love Martin Brodeur. What honest hockey fan doesn't admire the guy for everything he has meant to the game for the past two decades? Great Job Marty!
But you had a bad game last night.
If they give you another chance, is it possible you turn it around and b...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Ryan Miller Shines, Team USA wins 5-3 over Team Canada
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Thirty years minus a day from the anniversary of the US's 'Miracle on Ice', the 2010 edition of Team USA did their country proud and honored that memory with a 5-3 win over the hometown Canadians.
With three spectacular games on 'Super Sunday', the crown jewel of the day was the Canada-USA match scheduled in the 7:30 PM EST primetime slot. With Russia already having def...
When the Leafs made the deal to acquire Dion Phaneuf (as well as Aulie and Sjostrom), there were comments of realism and nonsense. Some heard the big name on the radio or saw it in headlines and thought Phaneuf= another major piece to the puzzle. Others commented on the number of goals the Leafs sent the other way. And surprisingly, some experts (people who are actually p...
Did I just jump into the Delorian and go back to the year 2006?
The Canadian Men’s Hockey team lost early in the tournament. They are having trouble scoring goals. They will now have to go through Russia to get to the Semi Finals? Turin sure is lovely this time of year.
The Canadians are in a bit of a pickle.
What is the problem you ask? Well, they must now win...
Drafting. A first line center. The power play. Scoring depth.
Too many things ail the current version of the Flames to make me really believe that they have a legitimate shot at anything this year. That includes making the playoffs.
If the drafting is atrocious, which it has been only producing grinders and fourth liners, then perhaps it's time to circumvent the conv...
First off let me say what a game between Switzerland and Belarus.I didn't know who was going to be on the menu for USA tomorrow. The Switz beat Belarus in a Shootout making the final score 3-2. Tomorrow is going to be a good one, i have to say USA will not be the underdog here. They are lading the tournament in points, but not to say its going to be a easy game to play. If...
Coming into tonight's game against the Germans, there was little doubt that Canada wouldn't come out flying. I said after the USA game that they would come out like they had something to prove. They'd play hard, play well, and keep up the pressure. And they did exactly that.
Right off the bat Canada was outshooting the Germans 9-0. If there was any doubt of a shattered ...
I purposely did not put an "equals" sign at the end of that equation for two reasons. One - I was never good at math and definitely do not plan on solving it or using any algorithm's where I can substitute numbers to come up with an answer; Two - because the end result is yet to be determined, and although DP and KO are not part of this year's winter Olympics, I still hope...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Men's Olympic Hockey: Team Canada Spanks Germany 8-2, Russia
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Like a cat sharpening its claws before the hunt, Canada warmed up on the Germans yesterday in preparation for today's monstrously huge quarterfinal game versus Russia.
In handily defeating the German team 8-2, Canada qualified for the medal round. In doing so, they generated a little more cohesion on the ice.
While Monday morning saw Team Canada as a nation in the th...
Postgame Recap Quaterfinals
Wow what a day of hockey and what a day for results. Im still stunned on how this day went with every game.I was surprised that Switz gave USA a run for there money, even though we came through with the Win. I still can't get over the Russia vs Canada game who would have thought Canada was going to make it a blowout. I don't think anyone coul...
Last night was definitely something NOBODY saw coming. Before the Canada game with Russia I said it was going to be a close game and predicted a 5-4 Canada win...I wasn't alone in thinking it would be close. Most analysts agreed, however it turned out to not even be a contest.
I knew for sure Canada would come out strong on the puck and forecheck hard, but I never imagi...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Men's Olympic Hockey: Team Canada Steamrolls Team Russia 7-3
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Yesterday's quarterfinal matchup between Canada and Russia had a lot of hype surrounding it. And why not?
Canada versus Russia, where Canada has not beaten the Russians in Olympic competition for 50 years.
Sidney Crosby versus Alex Ovechkin, where the two best players in the world collide after their monumental playoff clash last year.
Canada versus Russia, where ...
TRADE RUMORS: "SILLY SEASON" Part 3
Calgary:as i reported the other day they are Very much in on Horton from FLA
Penguins: Back in on Whitney
Rangers:Horton/Booth/possibly colorado Defensemen Liles
.
Bruins:still Dan Hamhuis /Keith Tkachuk/Whitney/Now Souray
LA Kings:Now back on Whitney vs Pens/Bruins
Capitals:Hamhuis/possible a foreign player no names ye...
Semi Finals analysis
USA vs Finland
This will be a great game to watch of course(because USA is playing). No but seriously i believe USA might not be a powerhouse in this game. They are playing a real good offensive team with a lot of high skilled shooters and playmakers. But like the USA have been doing, to win they will just have to fight hard for the puck and stay...
Sutter came out and said he doesn't expect too much activity at the deadline from the Flames. This can also be translated as: Like I would tell you Mr. Journalist if we are going to be busy, i lie to the media about player movement on purpose because I don't give a flying crap about you.
Simply the Flames have too many forwards and logic dictates some have to go. In add...
POSTGAME ANALYSIS:
USA vs Finland
Well i can't say i could have called the game to be like that(A Blowout).But i can say i called the game.USA just showed the world that they not only deserve to be in Gold Medal game,But that they are ready to take it. The game got out of hand real fast with 6 goals in the first period.Forcing Finland to change there Goalie with 4 goa...
Oilersfan27 writes...
Canadian womens celebration that brings controversy
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
First off i believe one hundred percent that those who were angered and offended by the beers, and the stogies are just upset they're great american team ran into a canadian squad destined for greatness. It seems like having lost the last three onlympics has soured the fans of the womens olympic squad. this is canada and here we celebrate wins, births, weddings, graduation...
Back to work.
It has been a most enjoyable two weeks of Olympic hockey. But now, it's time to get back to the NHL. With roughly 20 games to go in the season, the first few strokes have been painted on the playoff picture. So let's take a look ahead and who's going to be dancing in April on the East Coast:
[u]Who's In: [/u]
[b]Washington, New Jersey, Ottawa, Pittsbu...
"SILLY SEASON".
Transactions already made:
Thrashers Acquire Evgeny Artyukhin from Anaheim for Nathan Oystrick and a Conditional Draft Choice in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft
Oilers have dealt Grebeshkov to Nashville for a second round pick.
Florida trades Jordan Leopold to Pittsburgh for a 2nd round pick in 2010
Matt Stajan has agreed to terms with Calgary Flame...
Why the media has a bad name: When we last left the Flyers they had just swept back to back home and home series against one of the toughest rivals in Flyers history (the Devils) and then against the Canadians. I have already recapped these four games in an earlier blog. However, since then I have become aware of some comments made on a Montreal newspaper blog site. I h...
doktordave writes...
TRADE DEADLINE - Thoughts and Possible Moves - #2 TAMPA
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
(2) The Lightning apparently have their owner's permission to spend at the deadline, though realistically, they will have to move out some salary to add anything significant.
Vinny is NOT going to move, get that out of your mind in this Cap-restricted NHL, at least not at a time when the Bolts are struggling for a play-off appearance and buyers would have to dismantle t...
Gold Medal Finals:USA VS CAN
This is the match up of the Century.We all were routing against Canada in the last mins of Slovakia game, But deep in our heart we all wanted to see this match up. I believe this going to be a great game, No blowout . There are Great goalies that will be playing(Miller,Loungo).There is going to be alot of Defense i feel more than the first g...
Time to end all the speculation….did anyone notice that after Canada won the gold medal that Chris Pronger was shown standing there with his arm around Mike Richards. I thought that the media said that these two players did not get along. They sure didn’t seem like that. This was not just a simple hug between teammates; this was a genuine hug between a player that ...
Reminiscent of Salt Lake City in 2002, the final event of the winter games came down to the US and Canada. In the end, Canada won. I just heard on TV that this win may be considered the best moment in Canadian sports history. I strongly disagree. This Canadian team may have been very good, but not the best in these Olympic games.
On paper, Canada had the best team. They...
I've always been disinterested with the Summer/Winter Olympics, (excluding Men's hockey) as I'm sure many people are. To me it just always seemed kind of lame (for lack of a better word). While I always respected the tremendous athletes that show up to these events, I've never found it to be anything but outdated......until 2010.
What with all the commercials we've see...
So if that wasn’t the most exciting, intense, stressful, awesome, amazing, breathtaking, edge of your seat hockey entertainment, I am not sure what is! This tournament provided some amazing hockey and one of the best finishes ever! You could not write a story better than that! Sidney Crosby scoring the overtime winning goal will go down with Paul Henderson’s goal in 7...
I originally planned to post a general post-gold-medal game, pre-deadline blog this afternoon. However, though I expected an epic game, I had no idea just how epic. I genuinely was not expecting Sidney Crosby and Jarome Iginla to give Canada a truly generational hockey moment.
The goal will be discussed for years; it instantly joined the pantheon of legendary moments i...
I'd like to point out, because the focus has obviously been on the win, that the U.S. played an amazing game and have solidified themselves as a major hockey power, I know they were disappointed but I hope they don't hang their heads too low. They won with dignity and they lost the medal game with dignity, I think all Americans can be incredibly proud of their team.
>>>...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Destiny on Ice Fulfilled, as Team Canada Wins 3-2 over USA
Posted Monday | Comments 0
As I sit here sipping my third glass of wine and watching Sidney Crosby skate around the ice surface of GM Place waving an oversized Canadian flag from a pole, I am reminded of how proud I am to be Canadian.
The emotion that surrounded Canada's dramatic overtime win today was palpable over the course of the weekend.
Every person I talked to, every store I went into a...
Rick DiPietro is out indefinitely with swelling of his left knee and was unable to practice this morning at Syosset as a result.
Check out my article at The Hockey Writers to read up all about it!
http://thehockeywriters.com/rick-is-out-once-again/
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/RoMac76
I know this is a little late but after a game like the Canada-USA game, I had to compose myself before writing about it.
Going into the game one of biggest questions was "who can score first". Throughout the tournament leading up to the final game 26 or the 29 teams to score first won. In any hockey game the first goal is always important, but in this tournament it was ...
Dear Mr. Bettman,
I have read numerous articles regarding the plans for the 2014 Olympic games. I understand that you are toying with the idea of not letting the NHL players participate, and going back to the old format used prior to the 1998 Nagano Olympics.
I plead that you don't do this. The 2010 Olympics was better than any all-star game that could be put togethe...
The Calgary Flames signed Matt Stajan and Rene Bourque to long contract extensions. In my opinion, both do not make a lot of sense.
As much as I like him as a player, Rene Bourque has been injury riddled since he started his NHL career. Only once has he played over 70 games in a season; his rookie campaign in Chicago when he played 77 games and recorded 34 points. The f...
We tackled the East on Saturday, so let's take a look at how things will shake down in the mighty West over the next six weeks.
[u]Who's In:[/u]
[b]San Jose and Chicago [/b]- Only two teams have enough breathing room to look over their shoulder at this point.
[u]Who's Out:[/u]
[b]Edmonton and Columbus [/b]- Let the firesale begin for the Oilers and Jackets as they ...
NickBoston writes...
Kariya On His Way Out, and a Former Blues' Star Returning?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's looking more and more likely that the Paul Kariya era in St. Louis is about to end.
There have been rumors floating around St. Louis from varying sources (including one very reputable source) that Blues winger Paul Kariya is on his way out of St. Louis, and is headed up north to play for his hometown Vancouver Canucks. These same sources have said that Kariya has w...
A few random thoughts are rattling around my head this Monday morning, as I bask in the everlasting glow of the 2010 Olympics and await tonight's Habs tilt versus the Bruins.
For me, the 2010 Olympic ice hockey tournament was some of the best hockey I have seen in my life.
Exciting, fast-paced competition with shots, hits, incredible passes, highlight reel goals and ...
According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the Blues front office sent out an e-mail today to the other 29 teams notifying them that winger Brad Boyes is availabe for trade.
The Blues did the same thing last week in regards to defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo.
Boyes does not have a no-trade clause in his contract, so moving him would be much easier than someone like ...
NickBoston writes...
Only Minor Moves Made as Blues Head Into Home Stretch
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
After all of the speculation concerning the possible movement of Paul Kariya, Keith Tkachuk, Brad Boyes, and Carlo Colaiacovo, the Blues listened to the offers given but said "Thanks, but no thanks".
Instead, the Blues kept their main roster together as they head into the final 20 games of the season, and potentially a spot in the playoffs.
Rumor had it that Kariya w...
I'll trade you...
Staios- 2.7. millioncap hit sloted as #6 d . 36 yearls old -22
Toskala- 4 Million cap hit, is 7 and 12, 30 years old -36% win rate
For
Boyd- 650 thousand cap hit, on pace for 10 goals and 14 assists, 23 years old +5
Johnson- 525 thousand cap hit #7 defensman, 26 years old and is even.
Mchelhinney- 500 thousand cap hit, is 3 and 4, 26 years...
Trade deadline was flatline in Big D. Broke people can only window shop or hit the thrift store. A team who has no chips can come to the table to play. No extra draft picks no surplus of young talent. Game over. Stars GM Joe Niewendyk pays for his predecessors mistakes ( Sean Avery , Ladaslov Nagy, etc ) and a tight budget. Probably could have got a low pick for Alex Auld ...
The Flames couldn’t have been expected to make blockbusters necessarily, having already made the two biggest trades of the year a month earlier. However, it was fair to at least expect some additional tinkering by Darryl Sutter. He had a large surplus of forwards (albeit, mostly mediocre ones). The team itself was facing a very tight playoff race, with a sense of urgency...
I can see the line-up at the hospital for broken ankles is getting pretty long, as people have been jumping off of the bandwagon at a tremendous pace.
Fresh off one of the worst sets of trades I have ever witnessed, the Calgary Flames lay a massive egg on the ice tonight against the Minnesota Wild. Fortunately I did not have to bear witness to this game tonight so I re...
Any hockey fan looking at what the Bruins were trying to accomplish at the trade deadline would grade Peter Chiarelli’s deadline transactions as incomplete. For Bruins fans, this was a tough pill to swallow. I mean, this has been a disappointing season to date and Bruins fans were hoping to acquire players at the deadline to put their current woes to the side. But loo...
Yes, for fans who were expecting a grand fireworks finale coming off the Olympic high, Trade Deadline Day was a bit of a let down. To the casual fan, not a single trade made yesterday would register more than an "Oh. Is he any good?" However, to the fantasy hockey nut (which I assume you are, since you're reading this), there was plenty of fallout from what did, and wha...
The Trade Deadline has passed. The Oilers dropped some salary (which isn't that tough when you look at some of the contracts the Oilers handed out over the years), did they improve the club though? In the long run..maybe. In the short term..absolutely not.
But here is the question that has to be asked for the rest of the season is this: Have the Oilers made themselves w...
[img]http://media.canada.com/bdbffb02-dc75-420e-8b09-c7871e3d0f7a/2511cory2.jpg[/img]
With the trade deadline now past and the Blues currently on a great five-game win streak, I want to take a brief look back a few days to the trade deadline and a few thoughts I have on the matter.
I can't help but be disappointed about two things the Blues did approaching the deadli...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Montreal-San Jose: Price Shines in Habs 3-2 Loss to Sharks
Posted Friday | Comments 0
They say that a loss is a loss no matter how well a team play. On paper there is no question that last night's 3-2 loss to the Sharks hurt the Habs tremendously in the standings. That being said, there were no shortage of positive and encouraging signs for the Habs but unfortunately you don't get points for effort in the NHL.
Both teams had their chances in the first pe...
So here we are, two days after the glitz, glamour and ru-ha-ha of the always exciting NHL trade deadline. The dust has settled and traded players are dawning new colors and settling into new digs. Ryan Jones debuted against the Blackhawks Wednesday night, Ryan Whitney and Aaron Jones will wear their new numbers, 6 and 2 respectively, in their debuts tonight against Minne...
So now that the trade deadline is over and there's no more hope for getting any better, the focus now comes on making the playoffs. Most everyone who will read this will know how important making the playoffs is for the Flames, they lack draft picks in the upcoming draft and have essentially put their eggs into the basket of "win today".
Currently the Flames are 13 poin...
First blog in a long while. Lets get to it.
Well the trade deadline has come and gone and its time to look back at what changed with the Preds roster.
[b]EDM trades:
D Denis Grebeshkov
NSH trades:
2010 2nd round pick
Thoughts: [/b]I had a mixed reaction. When I got a text from a colleague and friend from a news source informing of this trade, I said to myself ...
They have timing don't they? I write a blog that outlines how little the Flames have scored lately and they come and show me that they have four lines that can score in a 5-3 win over the Devils. I always hope they do well, I am a fan after all, and if I'm going to point out their shortcomings I guess it's fair to give them props for last night. They were physical, went to...
In an hour the Islanders will be hosting the Boston Bruins, the seventh placed team in the East that sit seven points ahead of the orange and blue. The Isles are only six points out of the playoff race but only have 18 games remaining, including this afternoon's tilt.
Here's the long and short of it: If they play today's game the way they played the Atlanta Thrashers T...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Montreal-Los Angeles: Habs Strong Play Delivers Win v. Kings
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Olympic break seems to have done a lot of good for the Montreal Canadiens.
Not only did they get their walking wounded back from injuries -- with the exception of Michael Cammalleri and Marc-Andre Bergeron -- but they seem invigorated for the stretch run.
Despite losing to the Sharks the other night the Habs played some great hockey against one of the league's po...
It is great to have the NHL back in full swing. The games are coming fast and furious and they all mean something. My soapbox for this week is the standings in the NHL. Just like the Olympics the NHL should adopt the 3 point game for all games. A win in regulation is worth 3 points, after 60 minutes the shootout is used to determine the winner with 2 points and the los...
Maybe they were listening when everyone in the hockey world was laying into them for the horrible moves they made at the trade deadline and the atrocious game they followed with that night. The Calgary Flames (32-24-9) were a team that could not score. They have suddenly turned on the afterburners with ten goals in 2 games.
Leading the way is Jarome Iginla who recorded...
That is the sense I get from this Flyer team.
Almost there.
The offense is starting to play with a greater level of consistency than I've seen for most of the year.
It might take some time after the Olympic break for the defensive pairs to gel as a cohesive unit., but it seems like they're getting there.
As for the goaltending, I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised...
On September 19, 2009 the Toronto Maple Leafs traded away their first and second round picks in the 2010 draft along with their 2011 first round pick to acquire 36 goal scorer Phil Kessel from the Boston Bruins. Leafs Nation for the most part jumped for joy as the team had acquired a 21 year old sniper and top six forward for the squad. The Toronto Sports papers, radio sta...
Though most likely no one will read this little blog I have mustered up (justly so), I’d like to voice my opinion on the magnificent reign of Gary Bettman (insert sarcastic face emoticon here).
Upon finishing up an outline for an upcoming term paper, I visited my twitter account. Low and behold, one of the best articles I’ve read on the infamous Gary Bu..ettman mad...
For the record, I like Matt Cooke. I think he's a player that brings a good combination of grit and skill to the rink on a daily basis. The Penguins are a better team with him in the line-up.
That said, Cooke's hit on Marc Savard the other night is unacceptable.
Even if Cooke had kept his arm against his body, in what would have been a completely legal play, I still ...
As I have discussed this with another HB blogger (Ice), we are on the same page in reference to Cooke.
As Ice noted in the larger sense what needs to end is the INTENT from the players. We can also throw in the lack of respect that the players have for each other as well. I originally mentioned INTENT because in all the hits the intent appears to be to injure the play...
D-Men, new money and the future.
Here is how the new optimism works for me and the new revamped Leafs (I know Leaf fans are forever optimistic but I believe there is truth in my words). To assess the situation of Leafland we need to start from the net out. Giggy is expensive (but a proven performer) and "The Monster" is unproven. We have $6 mill freed up in 2011 if Gigg...
Rob McGowan writes...
Two Points Fly By As Isles Still Have Growing Pains
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
If the Islanders were looking to make a statement, tonight was the night. If the Isles were looking to prove that they were due for a win on the road as they have lost their last seven road games in a row, tonight was the night. If the Isles really wanted to end a 14-game losing streak against the Philadelphia Flyers, tonight was the night. If the Isles wanted to win in an...
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...
It's been a relatively slow season in terms of significant rookie impact in the fantasy hockey realm this year. The past few seasons have been extraordinary in terms of rookie showings. Consider: Steve Mason and Bobby Ryan in 09. Patrick Kane and Nicklas Backstrom in 08. Malkin and Stastny in 07. And, of course, Ovechkin and Crosby in 06. All of these players were m...
8-5-3.
That is what it takes as of today for the Flames to make the playoffs as far as I can tell. I've stated that 94 points historically will get you in so in keeping with that the flames need 19 points however anything less than that could be disastrous. For instance a .500 record here on out would give them a straight 16 points and even though it's just a three poi...
The Calgary Flames won their 4th game in a row tonight for the first time since early January when they strung together 5 straight victories.
Mikka Kiprusoff blanked the Ottawa Senators 2-0, for his 4th shutout of the season and his first since November 30th; when he shutout the Nashville Predators 5-0. Kiprusoff was sharp all night long as he blocked all 33 shots the ...
Welcome to week 22 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (3/15 through 3/21).
[u]Week 22 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Carolina, Calgary, Dallas, Edmonton, Florida, Minnesota, Nashville, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Jose, St. Louis, Tampa Bay
[b]Teams with 2 games: [/b] LA, Montr...
Jonathan Bernier getting the Start for the Kings against the Stars...
Justin Williams back after 11 weeks from a broken leg...wow.
WIth the ride of the uneventful trade deadline now more than a week over, Leaf fans have gotten a glimpse of their "new look" team. A 3-1-1 record without Ponikarovsky and Stempniak in the line up is a step in the right direction- but a baby one at best. The Leafs managed to clear out some players who were part of or did nothing to change around the losing culture that ha...
A blog written by Leaf reporter Howard Berger entitled "Close encounters Along the Way" about his memories celebrating 30 years in the business, inspired me to reflect on my very brief sports writing "career"- a full 3 MONTHS in the business. Reading Howard's stories were quite interesting and gave a personal side to reporter's lives who, in most cases, sports viewers k...
As the Isles playoff hopes became more and more of a dream rather than a reality, the team decided to do what's best for one of the most respected leaders in the game. Team Captain Doug Weight will miss the remainder of the season with surgery in his left shoulder to repair a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff. He had been battling the injuries since November.
"If Thursd...
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...
March can be a very troubling month for hockey fans. It's this time of year that roughly 1/4 of fans are placed in the unfair position of outwardly cheering for their team to win, while inwardly, (almost subconsciously) almost hoping they lose. This irks me. And I hate being irked. Especially in March.
So why do we tolerate this? Or the better question may be: Why ...
There was a point in the season when #57 would not be seen on the ice, but over a recent stretch that extends beyond the Olympic break, Blake Comeau has been finding a way to make each of his shifts count.
He currently has 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points, a new career high in all three categories. Those may not be top-six forward numbers, but Comeau has emerged a...
One play can often be the turning point in a game, but rarely do you see one play possibly be the turning point in a season.
That might have been the case this evening.
Tonight, in front of a sold out crowd at the Pengrowth Saddledome, Curtis Glencross was awarded a penalty shot with 1:30 remaining in the 2nd period. He skated back towards Kiprusoff who was smiling...
Months after Phil Kessel was dealt from the Boston Bruins to the Toronto Maple Leafs the trade talks are still bothering me. I’m really tired of hearing both sides bitching and complaining about who got or who is getting the better deal.
After reading many of Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins fans blogs, tweets, and comments on TSN.ca, I can’t help but observe the comm...
Buffalo (36-21-10) at Atlanta (28-29-11)
The Sabres visited the Thrashers Tuesday night as the second game of a current five game road trip. Buffalo was coming off of back to back losses against Minnesota and Detroit.
Just 33 seconds into the game, Nik Antropov put Atlanta in the lead. The Sabres fell behind by a pair of goals in the two games prior to this one, and ...
The big talk lately is all about the Toronto Maple Leafs trading away this years and next years first round draft pick to the Boston Bruins, some fans have accepted this, some fans are not sure what to think and others are mad as hell based on the Leafs current position in the NHL. I have decided to do some research on a team by team basis to see which teams in the NHL hav...
There were many storylines coming into tonights game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators. The usual Battle of Ontario Buzz was alive and well, coupled with the new-found Orr-Carkner feud, as well as the Maple Leafs 3 game win streak against the Senators. As Coach Ron Wilson mentioned in his post-game press conference, the Leafs played a very solid roa...
I guess "frustrated" would be the best way to sum it up right now.
I'm frustrated because the hill to climb seems too steep to make the playoffs, and I'm frustrated because I know this version of the Flames will tease me right until the end of the season, winning a few where they can and getting close.
I'm frustrated because I know they will miss the playoffs by pro...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Send Gold Medalist To The Bench, Silence Media
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Put that as your headline, Vancouver.
Last night the Islanders visited the Canucks and defeated them 5-2, ending their seven game home winning streak. John Tavares exploded with a five point effort, a new career high that paved the way for the win.
The Islanders started the game with a very strong first period, coming away with a 2-0 lead on eight shots. The goals c...
Aside from some fire from defenseman Mark Stuart, I thought I was watching a home video of an eighth grade dance, and not a hockey game between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers on March 11. You know, girls on one side of the dance floor, boys on the other, and nary the twain shall meet.
There was nothing special about Stuart’s fights with Dan Carcillo and Ian L...
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...
The score in tonight’s Avs-Flames game was 3-2 for 5th time this season.
It’s as if no other outcome is possible.
However, this time, the Calgary Flames finally beat the Colorado Avalanche on the back of a stand out performance by Miikka...err Vesa Toskala?
Is Calgary the place to go when you are Finnish, a goalie, and not performing how you should? Is Darry...
This time of year everyone is ranking teams and trying to handicap the most productive teams in the playoffs. I have been watching a stat that might be as good an indicator as any. Here I will rank the teams in each conference based on goal differential. This stat is a good indicator because it shows how many easy games a team has had during the season. Too many easy g...
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...
I've noticed frustration seems to be a growing trend amongst Hockeybuzz bloggers. Most of it is probably warranted. The impression I get lately by reading this site is there are alot of teams straight up playing like garbage. So many reads of 'This team has no heart whatsoever", or "Cue the generic post game interview".
Don't get me wrong here, I really enjoy the bloggi...
Under Achievers:
Daymond Langkow: 4.5 million cap hit- In the last 4 years Langkow has gotten 33, 30, 21 and now on pace for 15. At 4.5 million his "all around" game isn't worth it anymore. He's not Calgary's best face off center, he's not the best goal scorer or assist guy. He's not the best +/- center. What is he but expensive? If the trend continues he is going to co...
Welcome to week 23 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (3/22through 3/28). Only three weeks left to go in the regular season, so not much time for those final roster tweaks.
[u]Week 23 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Calgary, Columbus, Detroit, Montreal, New Jersey, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Toront...
Frustrating. That about sums up how the Isles and head coach Scott Gordon felt after last night's collapse to the Anaheim Ducks. Gordon was so frustrated that when MSG Network's Rob Carlin questioned him about the team's third period let downs throughout the year, he walked away without giving an answer during the live post-game show.
That can be seen as a sign of a co...
Continuing with my belief that the New York Rangers’ season is over, today I am going to look at a change the organization should make though most of us as fans don’t believe it will. Glen Sather has had nearly 10 years to set this team straight. He has failed for the most part. Sure, the Rangers are one of only two teams to qualify for the postseason every year since ...
I know, I know... He's suckling a cool mil' of our hit for an eon, but nobody wanted to go down that road except the senile Cliff. Sure Darcy is on his downside but that could be a silver lining. He'd love to return to this spotlight where we would welcome him back with open arms, thus signing for peanuts.
Another mil' plus what he's owed ain't bad...
Quick question. Would you dig a hole if you didn't have enough dirt to fill it? That is precisely what Leaf management would be doing if they finally trade Tomas Kaberle when his no trade clause is lifted during the off season. Most leaf fans and Leaf reporters see it as a no brainer to rid themselves of # 15. Their points (somewhat valid) are as follows: (1).Kaberle will ...
This is the final meeting between these two teams for the regular season. The Hurricanes have won two of the first three, despite being towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Tim Connolly began the scoring with a power play goal to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead. Buffalo played a solid first period, only allowing six shots on goal.
In the second period, Jochen Hec...
There are 11 games left in the season. The Flames are playing one of the four opponents that they definitely should beat. Miikka Kiprusoff is the Flames MVP and starting goalie. Vesa Toskala, the Flames back-up, starts in between the pipes.
Can someone please explain this to me?
I don’t care about Brent Sutter’s hunches that Miikka can’t play the Wild and tha...
After suffering another consecutive loss and descending to the .500 mark in games played after the Olympic break, my frustrations and concerns have risen for this New Jersey Devils team. This is the second game in a row that the offense has failed to maintain any productive consistency or convert on the power play for the sixth consecutive game. I normally like to abide by...
THE FACTS
The Penguins currently sit 2 points ahead of the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Atlantic Division.
The Devils have a game in hand on the Penguins.
Without getting into specific scenarios (and assuming the teams play to the same W/L records the rest of the way), if the Devils win that "game in hand" they will win the division based on the NHL ti...
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'...
So I spent about 4 hours today (seriously) obsessing over the playoffs and clinching scenarios, etc. and thought it would be an even worse waste of time if I didn't post a summary of my conclusions.
Here's the dealio, Sabres are at 88 points with 11 games left and can possibly achieve 110 points with a clean sweep of the rest of the season.
Ottawa, 81 points, 9 games ...
The Flames did what they had to do tonight beating the Anaheim Ducks 3-1. In the process they once again pulled within two points of the Detroit Red Wings for 8th place in the West.
Driving the Flames to victory was Niklas Hagman who had his coming out party wearing the red, yellow and black. Calgary also had two point nights from Iginla and Bouwmeester for the Flames ...
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...
Last night's 4-3 shootout loss to the league leading Washington Capitals was, oddly enough, a welcomed sight to many Pens fans.
Of course, after the "sleepwalking" effort they put forth Monday night against the Red Wings, anything resembling a "conscious" attempt to compete last night would have been a marked improvement.
Even so, and without question, last night's g...
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...
Shhhh, don’t tell anyone in Rangers’ management about this. I happened across this top secret document on Craig’s List and traded my old Sega Genesis for it. I’ve done some research and I believe this is the only confirmed copy to escape the tight clutches of the personnel at 2 Pennsylvania Plaza.
For those of you that want to know the secret to Rangers’ legen...
Wednesday night’s game against Montreal was the perfect of example of a time when fans should not leave a hockey game early. If the Chris Drury goal with 7.7 seconds left to go against the Rangers in the playoffs taught Buffalo fans anything, it was just that.
Though, how many empty seats were there as the clock began to run down? Just how many people got up to leave ...
“You're not, you're not good, Al. You stink.”
That was Ty Webb referring to Al Czervik’s golf game in Caddyshack.
He might as well have been referring to the 2009-10 version of the Calgary Flames as they all but sealed there playoff fate Thursday night on the Island with a 3-2 loss to the third worst team in the league.
With only eight games remaining and ...
Inhale...exhale...inhale... scream in frustration...inhale.
I'll be fair, I waited a long time to post this because I wanted to not write while still upset over the Islander loss. I wanted to step back and look at things logically, maybe speak to some people who have an outside point of view, surprisingly some Oiler fan friends of mine are being pretty classy about it a...
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 'we'll be better next year' mantra has already started on Long Island. The season has 8 games remaining on 2009-2010, and the Islanders have almost solidified themselves with either a top-3 or top-5 pick in this year's upcoming draft. Throw in to the mix that Rick DiPietro has yet to play another game, allowing many to assume that his come back year may be shut down pr...
Grier was drafted by the St.Louis blues in the ninth round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. Although he was drafted, he wasn’t expected to make that team. It was a long shot for him to do so. While playing at Boston University, Grier’s rights were traded to the Edmonton Oilers, giving him an opportunity to play at the NHL level.
Once he completed college, Grier became a...
ok.the rangers are in 10th place{due to there lack of scoring and soft defense} behind atlanta{2pts}and boston/philly{4pts}the rangers schedule is easy on the way out.the last 2 games of the season are against philly .those 2 games could decide who gets the 8 spot.personally i hope the rangers dont make the play offs.i wish for this because it could mean the end of sather,...
The Bettman Point
NHL is not seeing parity in the league at the moment, the “close playoff races” have always existed in the NHL, and the big difference now is that the number of teams involved is increased due to the “Bettman Point”. This is the point that is given to a team that loses a game. Just take a look at the standings and subtract the OTL points from t...
Even the most delusional of Flames fans have to have given up by now. Even if the Flames managed to win all six of their remaining games, which the Flames have given no reason to believe they would be able to, they would still only have a 70% chance of making the playoffs (unlike Eklund, I will cite SportsClubStats.com for these numbers). The only thing Flames fans can loo...
When the Toronto Maple Leafs began the '09-10 season 0-7-1, it was determined that even though they were not as bad as their record indicated, the horror movie like start demonstrated they could not compete when points "mattered most". Lately, nearing the end of a 5th straight non-playoff year, the Leafs (as has been their season ending trend) have been on a tear; their 7...
I know that historical analogies, especially in the sporting universe, are a risky proposition. But Todd McLelland’s second season in San Jose reminds me a lot of Mike Babcock’s second season in Detroit.
Babcock, as you’ll recall, was brought in at the beginning of the lockout to replace Dave Lewis and bring the tough, dominating personality that the Red Wings had...
According to Sportsclubstats.com the Calgary Flames have a 4.7% chance of making the postseason. A slim, faint, flicker of hope, but hope nonetheless.
The schedule is not very easy but the Flames have no other options than to run the table for the rest of the season, and even then they need help to get into the tournament.
If they win all six remaining games then ...
The talk has been about what the plan would be in the off season should the Flames capitulate and not make the playoffs, it can be tough to see what a player is really worth unless you are outside looking in or are an actual professional scout. Having said that the Flames have a few guys that could be shipped so here are some comparables to let you know what they MIGHT be ...
The Sabres came into Boston coming off of a 7-1 victory over Tampa Bay two nights before. The Sabres were without Thomas Vanek, Tim Connolly, Raffi Torres, and Patrick Kaleta.
Head Coach Lindy Ruff wasn't worried a bit about the team. He had confidence in the players that were recalled from Portland.
Nathan Gerbe, Tyler Ennis, and Mark Mancari all be replaced the inj...
Last night the Islanders faced off against the New York Rangers for the last time this season at Nassau Coliseum, losing 4-3 in regulation. After a strong start where the Islanders scored a power play goal early and then added to it with another tally before the end of the first twenty minutes, the Isles would come out flat in the second and fail to connect on a 5-on-3 opp...
When the Ottawa Senators were ahead of the Buffalo Sabres going into the Olympic break, everyone was very upset. After two straight losses to Pittsburgh and Washington along with a somewhat, disappointing trade deadline people started to panic. Questions like, “Is Raffi Torres enough for what this team needs? Is the defense falling apart? Are Pominville and Roy still ...
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...
Here is your final edition of the Fantasy Planner for this year's regular season, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (4/4 through 4/11). If you made it this far, that means you're in the finals and may have room for one last tweak to that roster.
[u]Week 25 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Colorado, Edmo...
Alright fellow Philly fans. It's time for me to make some rash statements about our favorite hockey club. It's time to make a final prediction for the season and do some speculating regarding roster moves for the summer.
First of all, the Flyers have signed another random 3rd string goalie to make a ridiculous attempt at fulfilling sports' toughest position in order f...
saneopinion writes...
uh... Hawks kick the Flames out of the playoffs again.
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
It wasn't lack of effort although the 2nd period kind of was a sleep walk. There were a ton of chances, the system provided a lot of opportunity for the Flames to manage some goals. The real issue here is lack of finish and lack of skill.
Mathematically the Flames can still make the playoffs and if you read my blog you'll know that I have stated the Flames will tickle ...
As an avid Flames fan I sit here and wonder why is it all the great and exciting teams today in the NHL have that "it" factor then it hits me no exciting european. (All do respect to Kotalik who really is not that good now that we have seen him play out west) For now we have to wait on Backlund and Hagman who do have upside there no Ovie and Geno or Datsyuk or I hate to sa...
According to Dictionary.com a ‘nemesis’ is defined as an opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.
Well, the Blackhawks are, by definition, the nemesis of the Calgary Flames.
A team they have not beaten, in the regular season, since the 2007-08 campaign. A team that ousted the Flames in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last year, and...
Hockey players are some of the most athletic, flexible and well-built athletes in professional sports. Not only are they trained in strength and endurance, but they also have to have the ability to skate; a skill that is not easy to acquire. Think about it: hockey players add the skills they develop with their hands to the use of a hockey stick, and then combine speed, agi...
Tuesday...Pens and Caps at the Igloo...7:30
The Caps have to play the Bruins tonight...the Pens will be fresh tomorrow, a couple of days after a come from behind win against the Thrashers.
The Pens should win easily...ok...kidding...
The Capitals have had a GREAT regular season...and they are the President's Trophy winners. They have won 51 games (to date) and wil...
It's hard not to get too ahead of one's self when it comes to speculating for the upcoming season, especially when your favorite team falls victim to a string of injuries, specifically a string of injuries to one particular position: goaltending.
The Philadelphia Flyers are still in the playoff race. If they continue their play from the last two games, chances are, they...
The Sabres currently sit third in the Eastern Conference, although they are not far behind New Jersey for second, who they trail by just a point. Buffalo is well on its way to the playoffs, but some people don’t expect them to go very far.
Is there room for improvement on the Sabres team? Normally, a team that finishes third in the Conference would seem to be a good b...
When the Ottawa Senators were ahead of the Buffalo Sabres going into the Olympic break, everyone was very upset. After two straight losses to Pittsburgh and Washington along with a somewhat, disappointing trade deadline people started to panic. Questions like, “Is Raffi Torres enough for what this team needs? Is the defense falling apart? Are Pominville and Roy still ...
[img]http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2010/02/17/alg_olympics_ryan_miller.jpg[/img]
[quote][u][b]That is the question![/b][/u][/quote]
For the first time since 2006-2007, the Buffalo Sabres will reach the post season. They are on their way to clinching the Northeast Division (albeit a weak one), and Olympic All Star goalie Ryan Miller can pass the 40 win mark for ...
As a child, which was before YouTube , the NHL channel, and massive communication monoliths such as Comcast and Verizon were around, I used to scour NHL boxscores to see who fought in the previous night’s games.
I was always excited when a new name began appearing regularly in the box scores.
I was always curious to see whether the names of the pugilists read as toug...
The stage was set and everything was in place Tuesday night for the Sabres to clinch the Northeast Division. Buffalo had taken two out of the first three meetings this season, but the Rangers were expected to be desperate for points.
Buffalo gave New York a severe blow by defeating them 5-2, making it look easy. The Rangers tied the game at two, but that was all they co...
After weeks of uncertainty the Calgary Flames are officially eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff contention. This ends days, weeks and months of faint hope and un-needed stress for most Flames fans who still wanted to believe this team was destined for the big dance.
It was the 3rd overall pick in the 2009 draft, Matt Duchene, who officially eliminated the Flames, when...
Last night was another example of the Penguins NOT "getting to their game" against a quality opponent.
Against division leaders this year the Pens have routinely not gotten to "their game", going a remarkable 3-11-3 in those contests (all 3 wins vs the Sabres).
That's the record of LAST YEAR'S Stanley Cup Champions against THIS YEAR'S Stanley Cup Finals favorites.
...
I have my scalpel, I'm ready to do the post mortem.
8:45 A.M April 7th
My first incision into this body that represents the Flames organization is where I would typically find something wrong, the brains. I'm seeing some slight decay where the contract negotiation cluster is and also some decay in the trade stem.
Conclusion:
Darryl Sutter's 2010 season will go ...
doktordave writes...
The State of Leafs Heading to the Off Season - Not there Yet
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
A lot of thrills over the past few weeks as the Leafs played well before running out of gas this last week. Yet... yet in all the exciting hockey, one thing seemed to be overlooked. The Leafs were winning close games, shoot-outs and over-time games. Even when stringing the wins together, it was a team that was NOT dominating any team on the scoreboard. What we saw was a t...
The days of the Penguins playing in the Igloo are numbered.
3 games for sure...1 in the regular season...beyond that, we won't know until we see what kind of playoff team we have this year.
Tonight IS the last regular season game in the "old barn".
Mellon Arena, formerly, the Civic Arena, has been around since 1961. In 1967 the Penguins started playing there, and ...
With three games left in their regular season, the Bruins are fighting for their playoff lives and unlike the teams they're currently sandwiched around they don't control their own fate. With the Rangers and Flyers finishing the season with a home and home series the pressing need for both of those teams would be at the very least to take points in both of games. That coul...
The OttoMan writes...
Historical Novels/Essays/Testimonies- 1972 Summit Series
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I'm looking to do a 2000+ word Historical Investigation on the 1972 Summit Series and its influence on Canadian Nationalism/The Cold War. Does anyone know of any good novels or essays or any historical information on the Summit Series? Interviews especially welcome. I know the basics but I wasn't alive at the time, so I need some first hand information.
Also: If anyone ...
You just can't win in fantasy hockey if you don't draft strong goaltending. That rule is doubled when it comes to playoff pools. More than any position, you really have to do your homework and make sure you're picking the right guys to protect the net. To make things more interesting this season, it seems that about half of the potential starters out there have little t...
Buffalo headed to Boston Thursday night to take on the Bruins, who have won three out of the five meetings coming in. Each team gained six points in those five games.
The Sabres were coming off of a 5-2 in which they clinched the Northeast Division. The Bruins came into Thursday with a one point lead over the Rangers for eighth place.
The Sabres have had a rough time...
It is crunch time in the NHL Eastern Conference – at least as long as the “Loser Point” is still in place. Without the loser point, when a win was a win and a loss was a loss the Eastern Standings would be as follows.
Washington 106
New Jersey 92
Buffalo 88
Pittsburgh 92
Ottawa 88
Philly 80
Montreal 76
NYR 74
Boston 74
So Boston and the Rangers ...
No, this isn't one of those scandalous stories with pictures of the Flyers getting wild at parties.
Any Flyers fan can tell you that it's been a frustrating year of high expectations and largely disappointing performance from the guys in Orange and Black. A roster full of talent with the scoring consistency of Sami Kapanen (sorry Sami, I love ya but...).
One can...
Here are my deals:
To Boston:
Iginla
Sarich ( Yes Boston has the space to take on this salary.)
3rd pick
To Calgary:
TOR 1st
Wheeler (RFA)
Colborne
Ryder
To STL:
Kiprusoff (they lose mason)
Langkow ( add on)
Irving
White
Moss
To CGY:
Pieterangelo
1st pick
Boyes ( add on)
Allen or Bishop
To COL, WSH or LA:
Regher
Dawes
3rd round pick
T...
Lets Start off by saying im wrong. I know it not usual, but i dont think im the only one.We all were pretty sure that when the Rangers Lost to the Bruins last meeting that the season was pretty much Over. well they proved me and most fans wrong. By coming back with a bang winning most of there games in the final attempt to make something of the season.
So What it comes ...
Many of you probably looked at the headline and said, "Uh, who?" But many Islander fans know plenty about Michael Haley and are very excited to see him dress in an Islanders uniform for the first time when they face-off against the New Jersey Devils tonight at the Prudential Center.
Haley is a pugilist at 5'11 and 198 pounds that loves to drop the gloves, sticks up for...
Two years ago, in an otherwise completely meaningless Game 82, the playoff-bound Flames met the Canucks at GM Place. Since the Canucks had just been eliminated from playoff contention two nights before, the only thing on the line was Jarome Iginla finishing off his second career 50-goal campaign. The Flames eventually got the captain his 50th in what amounted to a pond hoc...
The Sabres have passed the 100 point threshold, and that is truly a remarkable accomplishment. I've ragged on this team all season long. I, more than anyone else, have been very critical of this Sabres squad. Yet, I'll be the first to admit that I'm truly impressed at what this team has done.
They're bringing playoff hockey back to Buffalo after all these years. Finally...
All season long, hockey writers and commentators have been bad-mouthing the East and praising the West. They've joked about how the battle for a playoff spot out West was so tight, while there are so many weak teams in the East. Now that the standings have been decided and we're faced with the top 8 on each side, the balance of power does not seem so slanted. The East b...
The silver lining in this cold harsh April winter here in Edmonton is that either Hall or Seguin will be wearing the copper and blue mere months from now. These are two men who are expected to become franchise cornerstones for years, and one of them will, in all likelihood, be an Edmonton Oiler starting June 25 in Los Angeles.
"The Fall For Hall" and "Beggin' for Segui...
Head over to The Hockey Writers to see my blog about the last Islanders home game of the season with a few quotes and opinions about the direction of this young hockey team!
http://thehockeywriters.com/the-isles-have-a-bright-future-in-sight/
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
After showing promise after the Olympic break and a couple of high-profile trades the Maple Leafs have little right to take anything for granted and need to make continued changes in the off-season if they want to guarantee themselves a playoff spot and not a tee time in April.
1) The Ponikarovsky Deal
While I was disappointed to see Poni shipped to the Pens he is a pe...
saneopinion writes...
Sutter's Statements in the Obvious are Frustrating.
Posted Monday | Comments 0
As a testament to how dumb we are Darryl Sutter has now told us, in all of his wisdom, why the Flames did not make the playoffs. Apparently, and unbeknownst to us, the Flames had a bad home record and the goal scorers did not score! In other Darryl news the name of the hockey team is the "Flames" and they play in Calgary. I don't have to be a G.M. to also tell you the powe...
doktordave writes...
Phaneuf a Winger? Solves two problems for the Leafs.
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
OK, here we go... Two big issues face the Leafs this off-season :
(1) What to do with Tomas Kaberle ?
(2) How does Burke land a quality power forward?
Other things to consider:
(1) a weak pool of UFA forwards this summer,
(2) a trade market for Kaberle that may be reduced due to his quiet end of the season, and the possibility of other quality defencemen being on th...
While the Eastern Conference matchups seem to be a bit predictable, good luck making any sense out of the situation in the West. There are some impressive favorites at the top, but you could make a case for any team out West to go far, and you wouldn't get much argument from me. Any one of these 8 teams could ultimately find themselves in the finals without surprising to...
[u][i][b]HEY, IT'S YOU KNOW WHO!!! JUST TRYING OUT THIS BLOG THING SINCE I'VE BEEN GONE FOR A WHILE!!! FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, ALL MY ACCOUNTS EITHER NEED A NEW CELL PHONE NUMBER OR HAVE BEEN BANNED TIL 2012!!! IT JUST SEEMS THAT A CERTAIN MASKED "ANONYMOUS" BLOGGER AND HIS CRONIES CAN'T HANDLE MY TRUTH SPEAKING!!! I CAN'T SAY IF I WILL BE BACK BEFORE MY BANS ARE UP...
Hey if you're in a pool please, for the love of god, do not talk to me about it unless we're in it together. Do not be fooled, no one wants to hear you talk about your pool, it ranks right behind hearing your warcraft dungeon raid stories and right before your high school football stories.
****
Playoff predictions are impossible and annoying. I heard this mornin...
The playoffs are about to start, but it is never too early to look ahead to next year, especially depending on what happens in the playoffs, so here's my take on what to do with the Sabres roster next season.
[b]NOTE:[/b] [i]There will be no speculation of trades in this post, just salary figures on who is committed to contracts and assumptions of what some Free Agent r...
Fingers were crossed and prayers to the hockey Gods were made, but it all came down to the luck of the draw - something the Islanders did not have land in their favor. The draft lottery was conducted last night and the Isles went in with the 5th worst record in the NHL. That gave them an 8.1% chance of moving up to grab the first overall pick. Instead, they ended up standi...
Well, the season finally comes to an end and the Calgary Flames have missed the playoffs for the first time since 2003. What is wrong? What needs to be done? What has transpired that led to this? Well to diagnose the problem we must go back to the beginning.
The season opened in early October with a much hyped match-up between the Flames and their arch rival Vancouver ...
Wednesday night...4/14/2010...the alarm sounds at 7pm.
The playoffs started for the Penguins and the team woke up from what seems like a season long slumber.
Well...for about 10 minutes.
That's about how long they "got to their game" on Wednesday.
Long enough to bang some bodies...draw a penalty...and score an early power play goal to go up 1-0 in game one.
...
The media is sometimes a little laughable.
The Calgary Herald headline: "Willing To Waive" with a picture if Iginla
The Calgary Sun headline: "Iggy Believes!"...sound different?
I listen to the question, it was, (I'm paraphrasing here), "Iggy, there has been a lot of speculation regarding you being traded, can you give us your thoughts on that?"
He responded (...
There are some UFA's that are available this summer that would make a fan salivate at the thought of seeing their name on the back of your favorite jersey like the Kovulchucks of the world. Having said that I always like seeing who is RFA, even better yet who is RFA on a team that is cap tight?
The first thing you have to do is identify the cap tight teams for next year...
With credit to Damian Cox of the Toronto Star, TSN.ca reported last night that the New York Rangers have agreed to a deal with, what some consider the under sized Mats Zuccarello-Aasen. Zuccarello-Aasen hails from Norway, and in the 2010 Olympic Games he lead his nation in scoring in their four games in the tournament.
In 55 games for Modo in the Swedish Elite League t...
Check out my seasonal review for the New York Islanders at The Hockey Writers!
http://thehockeywriters.com/2010-islanders-seasonal-review/
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Yes, I am FULLY aware that the playoffs are going on right now. About every other blogger on this site is having a field day with playoff blogs - and I don't blame them. Whether or not their respective teams are in it, they are doing a great job providing their perspectives on the most exciting time of the year for the NHL.
I am still rooting for the Hawks, Kings, Coyo...
I don't know if I am more frustrated with the Devils or the officials from game 3. The Devils were graced with 3 PPs in the first 7 minutes and the PP could have put the game out of reach early, but it only struck once. On the road the first goal is key, but it made no difference in this game because the Flyers always seem to score on the PP when they need it. The Flyers s...
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...
Quick, Rinne, Anderson, Boucher, Halak, Varlamov, Rask and Elliot.
Here is a list of Goalies that are not up for a Vezina yet have their teams in the playoffs, in some cases they even took their team there seemingly by themselves. When asked about trading Jarome Iginla most Flames fans like to think what would be brought back but don't actually want that trigger pulled...
While cycling through some old fight tapes last week, I came across a spirited 1986 fight between the Flyers’ Dave Brown and Winnipeg Jets’ Jim Kyte. Brown landed close to six straight unanswered lefts to Kyte’s face before big Jim lowered the boom on Brownie with a single right that ended the fight. [i]Hmm …[/i] I thought to myself, [i]who won that fight,[/i] Br...
A MESSAGE TO ALL SHARKS FANS:
The other day I read somewhere, the idea that one of the reasons the Sharks have trouble getting over the hump, is because the fans boo them. Whether this is true of not, I can't tell you, but I can't imagine it feeling very good when the "home" crowd turns against you cause you can't seem to get things going. It adds another element of pre...
It seems Doug Risebrough is in the rumor mill as a replacement for Sather possibly, he's a really nice guy and I had a run in with him one time.
A long time ago Doug Risebrough came through my shop when he was the G.M. of the Minnesota Wild, I called my buddy up and told him Riser was here and he suggested I make the following offer to him:
Gaborik... for the rights ...
I am writing this post in the obvious glow of having the Flyers dispatch the Devils in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Even though the Devils were the #2 seed and had home ice, I felt the Flyers were the favorites going into the series. I picked the Flyers to win the series and didn’t consider it a risky or homer pick. In the last 16 games versus Marty Brodeur a...
Whichever way you cut it, the Leafs endured a torrid season that no statistical tinkering can mend. Regardless, if there is one thing most opposing NHL fans can agree on it’s the increasing need for an overhaul in the leagues points’ structure and the farcical awarding of points in the overall standings.
Where once every game had two points at stake, either by means...
The Sabres made it look easy Friday against as they defeated the Bruins 4-1 at HSBC Arena. The crowd was electrifying the entire time and chants of “tuuuuuuuuka” emerged quickly after Rask allowed a goal on the first shot.
Unlike the other games in this series, the Sabres didn’t let up. They added another in the first period, then one more in the second. A late ra...
BluemanGuruu writes...
Some Intial Thoughts concerning the Blues' Draft
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
There's a lot of interesting players in this draft. As always it depends on who is drafting in front of you and who they chose and how you have your draft board ranked.
I'm of the opinion that you go for skill heavily balanced with character. You only break from character in later rounds looking for home-run picks, the kind which can gain value in a potential trade.
...
No matter what happens tomorrow night in Boston or Wednesday night in Buffalo, the Boston Bruins front office has work to do. You see, whether the Bruins win this series or not is kind of irrelevant. This team might have what it takes to get past these Sabres but probably not Sid the Kid and Pittsburgh, and certainly not Ovie's Capitals. At least not in 2010. But armed wit...
Or, perhaps a better (but longer) question may be: [i]Is it possible for Howard to play just good enough for Detroit to win in game 7, but bad enough to put doubts in the minds of his teammates?[/i] Despite allowing 5 more goals to an incredibly weak Phoenix offense, it would be shocking to see Detroit change direction going into game 7. After all, it was largely Howard...
For the first few games of the Sabres-Bruins series (besides on NESN, man those guys can't say anything positive about other teams) things were relatively quiet when it came to coaches, players, and commentators taking shots back and forth at each other over scrums and other things that hockey players tend to be involved in. Then, game 4 happened. Yes, officiating was horr...
Entering the 2010 NHL Playoffs, the Buffalo Sabres had every reason for confidence heading into their quarterfinal matchup with the Boston Bruins. After all, the Sabres had a very successful season winning the Northeast division easily by sixteen points, nineteen more than the Bruins.
The Bruins, who only secured a spot in the playoffs the last week of the season, were...
Here are my picks for some of the major awards from the 2009-10 NHL season. Each of the awards has three finalists selected by the NHL. The actual winners will be announced over the summer in Las Vegas.
Norris Trophy- Top Defenseman
Duncan Keith (Chicago Blackhawks)- Keith edges out other finalists Drew Doughty (LAK), and Mike Green (WAS) because of his strong defen...
The first round of the playoffs is complete and it was full of surprises. This is what makes the NHL playoffs so exciting to watch because you never know what can happen.
This year’s playoffs have shocked many fans, especially those in the Eastern Conference. Here at SHC, we already discussed whether the Sabres/Bruins series was an upset or not (you can view that arti...
HockeyGalMke writes...
Montreal wins game seven to eliminate Washington...wait, WHAT?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Did I really just see Montreal eliminate Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals from the Stanley Cup playoffs?
I'm going to be quite honest with you. I pride myself on knowing a thing or two about pro hockey, and I like to think I have a knack for filling out brackets (not that my NCAA bracket this year would reflect that statement...), but I did NOT see this coming...
With the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs entering its second leg tomorrow night, I thought it would be interesting to look at some former Calgary Flames that are thriving in this years big dance.
The obvious one, right off the bat, is Montreal forward Mike Cammalleri. He signed in Montreal for 5 years at $6 million per season, after leading the Flames in goals last season wi...
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...
The Canadiens have completed an improbable (some might have said a week ago that it was "impossible" ) comeback from down 3-1 to defeat the Washington Capitals 4 games to 3.
In so many ways, it really was a case of David slaying Goliath.
To defeat a powerful offensive club like the Capitals takes a lot of hard work and determination.
To do it with a team that is m...
I am impressed by this post by Ted Leonsis on his blog. I had to share!
http://www.tedstake.com/2010/04/29/congratulations-to-montreal/
In a search for a number one center, the Calgary Flames might be staring the solution in the face everyday.
Backlund? No, maybe one day though.
Langkow? Too inconsistent and small.
Stajan...hahaha no.
How about Jarome Iginla? Instead of finding someone to play with the most prolific scorer on the team why not find a winger for him! Think it's crazy? Hear me out...
The path has certainly been plowed for the Penguins to make a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup finals. All three of the division winners have been eliminated, leaving Pittsburgh as the clear favorite to move on.
[u]Pittsburgh Penguins (4) -vs- Montreal Canadiens (8)[/u]
Can lightning strike twice? Montreal pulled off one of the biggest upsets of all time by t...
Here are my picks for the second round, which kicks off tonight in Pittsburgh. The fourth seeded Penguins will host eight seeded Montreal. Boston, the six seed, and Philadelphia, the seven seed, will meet in the other Eastern Conference duel. Out west, the top seeded Sharks will host the Detroit Red Wings, and the Canucks (3 seed) will travel to Chicago to face the Blackha...
KnucklePuck writes...
Bruins vs. Flyers Series Preview/Player Comparison
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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...
After a dissappointing finish in the first round, it is apparent that the culture of our team needs a bit of a shake. I think we have a very skilled team, but there are quite a few changes that need to be made. Mostly we need more players that will be more accountable and play a leadership role. We have a team of boys but we need a team of men. In making this blog,...
After a dissappointing finish in the first round, it is apparent that the culture of our team needs a bit of a shake. I think we have a very skilled team, but there are quite a few changes that need to be made. Mostly we need more players that will be more accountable and play a leadership role. We have a team of boys but we need a team of men. In making this blog, I t...
Round 2 is off the ground, so it seems like a good opportunity to start throwing out names for consideration for the coveted MVP of the postseason. Here are the early favorites, with a skewed chunk of bias against players unlikely to make it through to rounds 3 and 4. (sorry Halak).
[b]1. Sidney Crosby[/b]
To the surprise of absolutely nobody in the world, Crosby is ...
The 2009-10 Montreal Canadiens...Masters of Deception?
For several games during these playoffs, against the Capitals and now at least once against the Penguins, the Canadiens have shown a...dare I say "magic"?...that is tough to deny.
It goes something like this...
Let the other team get the majority of the shots and scoring chances...we'll just wait and capitaliz...
I know this is a little late since the second round has already started...but here is what I think could happen in the second round of the playoffs.
Western Conference
---------------------------
(1) San Jose
vs.
(5) Detroit
[b]Prediction: San Jose in 6[/b]
[i]Synopsis[/i]: Even knowing that San Jose is up 2-0 in the series, I unfortunately think that Detroit'...
Doug Weight is the current captain of the New York Islanders, but for how long?
Weight appeared in only 36 games this year due to injuries to his shoulder that eventually forced him into shutdown mode since his ailments required surgery. In that short time-frame, he scored 1 goal and 16 assists for 17 points. Despite having a solid outing on offense the year before, th...
(2) Chicago
vs.
(3) Vancouver
[b]Prediction: Canucks in 7[/b]
[i]Synopsis[/i]: Game 1 was an absolute blowout for the Canucks, but the youth and talent of Chicago will definitely be able to mount a comeback in the series. Roberto Luongo struggled early in the playoffs, but now looks like he is back to gold-medal form. What a season it would be for Roberto to win the ...
(4) Pittsburgh
vs.
(8) Montreal
[b]Prediction: Pittsburgh in 5[/b]
[i]Synopsis[/i]: Listen, I don't understand how Jaroslav Halak is playing so well...but it can't last. The Penguins were dealt a huge blow when Jordan Staal went down in game 1, and they understandably had a huge letdown in game 2. Halak played on his head, but his play can't keep up, and even if it d...
(6) Bruins
vs.
(7) Flyers
[b]Prediction: Flyers in 7[/b]
[i]Synopsis[/i]: Both teams are dealing with some significant injuries. The Bruins get Savard back, but lose one of their only pure goal-scorers in Marco Sturm. Meanwhile, the Flyers are still without the services of Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter...both of whom would be first line players on the Bruins. The Bruin...
There’s always next year. The infamous phrase heard around Buffalo has been said again this year after the Sabres were knocked out in the first round to end the season.
Fans in Buffalo were disappointed again after what looked like a promising season. The Sabres made the playoffs for the first time since winning the President’s Trophy in 2007, but were then bounced ...
At the start of the playoffs, you might have figured that the player with the most points would be a superstar like Sidney Crosby, and you wouldn’t have been wrong with that assertion. What many people did not see coming were the two players that follow Crosby in that category: Joe Pavelski and Mike Cammalleri.
The San Jose Sharks have been desperately searching over...
I took French in high school...but was never very good at speaking it and don't remember much of it (I know, some French Canadien is saying to himself "Stupid American!" ). But I do know what the popular culture translation of "Touché" is...
Sometimes, as the saying goes, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em...".
While not exactly what the Penguins did on Tuesday night ...
So now it's a best of 3.
After dominating the first two periods of game 4, and leading 2-1 to start the third, the Penguins did the unthinkable: They lost control of the game, and maybe the series, by surrendering 2 goals in the third period to the Canadiens.
If you had fallen asleep at the end of the second period and woke up at the end of the game, you might not ha...
As I said before, Flyers in 7. There would be nothing better for me than to see the Bruins blow a 3-0 series lead and lose in 7 games.
Tonight Philly tries to avoid a sweep at home. Everyone saw the beating Detroit gave San Jose tonight, and Philly must have a similar effort if they are going to fend off the Bruins.
Prediction for tonights game:
Flyers 6, Bruins ...
So the Oilers want to go ahead and draft one of the OHL's best players?
Well in what appears to be a smart move, Darryl Sutter has signed Bryan Cameron of the Barrie Colts. Who's Bryan Cameron?
Bryan is a notable signing as he led the OHL in goals this year, not Seguin, not Hall but Cameron. 52 goals. Haven't heard of him? I'm not surprised, neither have I. The prob...
The Bullies
This week I am going to write about the HBO special on the Flyers of the 1970s. This was my team growing up. I spent many nights at the Spectrum watching games live and waiting to get autographs after the game. This group of players is my favorite group of players from any sports team ever! They were fun to watch, super talented, and the nicest guys to kid...
with the playoffs coming near to the end the off-season will begin.the rangers have many decisions to make this year.1.resign prospal?2.bring back the whole 4th line?attempt to move r&r?bring back zherdev?..knowing sather he will do none of these and instead sign or trade for vets that have a yr or 2 left in them...also do you sign sergei gonchar or let him slip away ...
Ron Wilson, an alumnus from Providence College, was playing for Davos in the Swiss National League A in 1985 when pivotal Minnesota North Stars defenseman Craig Hartsburg was injured. Embroiled in a battle for a playoff spot, Minnesota were in tough to find a stabilizing replacement to hold down the North Stars backend whilst Hartsburg recovered. Ron Wilson, a standout col...
Retire31Pelle writes...
TIME TO OFFICALLY RETIRE 31 FOR THE PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I just gave my retire 31 petition site a nice facelift!
Please visit and join the on going movement!
We are at 1700 Petition Signatures and Still Going Strong.
[url]http://retire31pelle.tripod.com/[/url]
[img]http://a1.twimg.com/profile_images/465464218/1382369218_l.jpg[/img]
Good Evening, Ny Name Is Justin Marion and I am from the Online Campaign Movement t...
I was going to call this blog..."Just Not As Good As Last Year" when describing what I thought of the Penguins after last night's 4-3 loss in Game 6 to the Canadiens.
But then I looked back over the first two rounds from last year again...and realized that sometimes our minds play tricks on us.
We remember watching the raising of the Cup in Detroit...and then we kind...
I try to justify the Dion Phanuef and Jokinen trades over and over again. I still think Dion was a fair trade, we gave them a player who has a ton of upside (debatable) and we took one of their best d-men and two of their best goal scorers in return. Jokinen returned a former 30 goal scorer and a player who had been maligned by his coach and needed a move.
Now I read th...
The wounds of suffering a third consecutive first round exit aren't as painful as they were a few weeks ago, but still persist. With the team's future, along with general manager Lou Lamoriello's intentions uncertain going into the off season, a lot of question marks surround this Devils team. Some fans still ask what went wrong and what has to be done to snap the Devils o...
What defines a Cinderella team when it comes to the NHL playoffs?
I would have to say that the team finished the regular season in either 6th, 7th or 8th place and managed to come on top with multiple upset victories in the playoffs, pushing the franchise to the Stanley Cup Finals. In recent years, fans have seen the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oi...
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 ...
The 2010 playoffs have shocked the NHL, and there are still two rounds remaining. The saying “anything can happen in playoffs” has certainly been proved once again this year, especially in the Eastern Conference.
All three division winners in the East were knocked out in the first round. Even with earning the home-ice advantage, they still were unable to win the ser...
The year was 1993. Health Care Reform was the big issue dominating news. In sports, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a losing season and the Penguins were poised to make their 3rd straight appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. Somebody hit the gas on that DeLorean and let's get it up to 88 MPH…
Having grown up in Pittsburgh, I've been blessed to see some of the greatest ...
People will point to the downfall of the Penguins against the Canadiens and site numerous different reasons for the failure.
Halak stole the show
Fleury didn't step up
Cammaleri could not be contained
Crosby and Malkin couldn't score
The Habs took advantage of Penguin mistakes
The Penguins couldn't take advantage of the Canadien's mistakes
The Habs defense stifled...
lonerogue writes...
Canada has no team in the NHL, not even the Canadiens
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
By Aaron Wrotkowski
With the Conferences Finals for the Stanley Cup set to begin on Sunday, it seems that NHL viewers have been captivated by the Cinderella run of the Montreal Canadiens. Defeating the President’s Trophy winner and the defending Stanley Cup champions with a game strategy that seemed to put most of the pressure on a hot goaltender and well instructed ...
In terms of excitement and surprise, Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs did not disappoint. It also presented us with a mixed bag of candidates for this year's Conn Smythe Trophy. Most of the early favorites have been eliminated, paving the road for some unlikely heroes as we look ahead to Round 3.
[b]1. Jaroslav Halak[/b]
If Halak can keep this level of play up thr...
I can't believe it, but I am actually...just a little...excited to watch the Flyers play tonight.
As a lifelong Pens fan, I have been down the "HATE THE FLYERS WITH A PASSION" road more than a few times. Especially in my younger years.
Of course, as we get older (and have finally won a series or two against the Flyers)...we supposedly get wiser...and I have learned t...
A microcosm of the entire series in 3 hours
The Flyers and Bruins have been battling for almost 2 weeks. However the 3 hours of game 7 told the entire story of the epic series. The entire rollercoaster of emotions was on display in one of the greatest non-overtime game 7’s of all time.
6:59pm: nervous energy as the game comes on. As a Flyers fan I was supremely co...
As I look back on this season, 2009/2010 can't be called anything but a success. I can't help but look at the Kings and think about the years of prosperity that are on the horizon for this franchise. Look around the NHL at a team like Vancouver (my hometown team) and I see a 2-3 year window for a winning season before the core gets too old. Both the Sedin duo and Luongo...
Dustin Brown, what a captain. He hits, he scores, he passes, this guy is the real deal. I can honestly say that I am thrilled that he is a member of the Los Angeles Kings. He is the best choice for captain on the team, even at his young age. He plays with grit, speed, strength, and scoring touch, but most of all he plays with heart. Every captain in the league needs t...
The Philadelphia Flyers are going to be the toughest opponents that the Montreal Canadiens have faced thus far in this year’s playoffs. That’s not only because Peter Laviolette’s 2010 squad is somewhat reminiscent of the old school Broad Street Bullies, but because they are a team that wins by out-working their opponents and doesn’t rely on raw talents like Ovechki...
As I said in my earlier post...[b]FLYERS IN 7![/b]
What an unbelievable comeback. To go down 3-0 in the series, and THEN 3-0 in game 7 and to come back and win is just unreal.
For the Bruins, it is simply unacceptable. This collapse was truly the worst in the history of all of sports.
I don't want to hear the injuries excuse, because the Flyers played the entire s...
[b]PREDICTION: SAN JOSE IN 6[/b]
[i]Offense[/i]: This series should be an explosive one offensively. Both teams have a slaughterhouse full of ammo. The fact is, San Jose has Thornton-Marleau-Heatley, but Pavelski leads the team in scoring. The fact that they are getting secondary scoring is huge. Meanwhile, Toews leads the NHL in playoff scoring, as expected. But c...
I have to wonder why the flames have not made an announcement regarding anything lately.
There is a public perception out there that the evaluation is not just about the on ice personal but also about the office guys, namely King and Sutter. One might take it that a signing of a junior player to a free agent contract is a move, and it is, but is it a significant one?
...
Zeus, a warrior, what more needs to be said? What a player. This is probably going to be a very one sided review as I have a lot of respect and admiration for what Michal brings to the Kings both on and off the ice. I think that we can attribute the success of the Kings to the veterans in the room. They have taught the younger guys what it takes to win. I look at O'Do...
After the disappointing last day failure against the flyers. As a Rangers fan I need to find some sort of hope for a better season. So I turned to two things, the draft lottery and a potential Winter Classic appearance. For a while it looked as if things might turn our way. We got a top 10-pick draft pick. The Capitols and Pittsburgh were knocked out early and the playoffs...
With the post season being as entertaining as ever, not much has been in the news regarding a busy offseason ahead for the Oilers of Edmonton.
With Sheldon Souray most likely gone at the draft and the same can be said for Moreau and either Nillson or O’Sullivan. The attention has now turned to what would be a welcome return or even better what could be a steal. ...
Watching the Flyers play the Canadiens in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals has made sick.
Every goal that has been scored, every save that has been made, each shift that has been played...has taken me one step closer to wanting to "hurl" on my living room floor.
As a lifelong Penguins fan, isn't that the natural reaction you would expect from watc...
Let me Clarify this I will respond to slander against my Source but if you legit questions I will answer them to my best ability.
Last time I did one of these blogs, I really paid for it. It made me wish I had never done it. Like most of the world (if you have not heard it, where have you been living? Under a ant hill?) I have heard silly Iggy rumours which are pret...
What Kelly Kisio would bring to the Flames is a popular question right now.
The Calgary Hitmen are in the Memorial cup and over the past few years have been perennial contenders in the WHL and there is a very simple reason for that. Drafting and trading. The Globe and mail is reporting that Kisio has a job waiting for him after the Memorial Cup and to be honest I like i...
The truth of the matter is I know how frustrating it is sitting and waiting for the Flames to make some sort reaction to a bitter season, But what is it that we (Flames Fans) want to hear? Really?
Think about it!! Yes Sutter made a couple of knee-jerk deals, But If the Jokinen deal had worked out and say he had scored 40 goals and then they lost out in the playoffs, a...
Have you ever had an inkling or a feeling that something is going to happen to a player? Because I am having one of those today. This really bugs me, because I consider him a friend. Eric Nystrom is in line for a huge pay day. Not only is he a useful third liner, he is a great penalty killer. You want to talk about speed, he has that to burn. So where do I think would be a...
More on the Bullies…
“Disgrace to hockey….Despicable…To the disgust of hockey purists…a savage spectacle… the bullies would bloody the face of the NHL….“
These are quotes in the first 3 minutes of the Broad Street Bullies special on HBO. Could they be any more disrespectful? The only nice things said about the Championship teams were made by the team ...
History has been made in the 2010 Playoffs, and we might not have seen it all yet.
The East has had its share of surprises and has been nothing short of terrific hockey. Whether it’s the third ever 3-0 series comeback by the Flyers, or the surprising Canadiens - eliminating both the President’s Trophy winning Capitals and defending Stanley Cup Champion, Penguins,...
Has there been a better 'owner' of a sports franchise in Philadelphia over the past fifty years than Mr. Snider?
[i]*He had the faith in the city to learn and embrace a sport new to most of them and went out and found the backing and ignored the risks... And made it happen.
*He brought in the right people and for the most part has succeeded to maintain a quality man...
After the first few round of the playoffs, it is clear that in the new NHL there is a comparable amount of skill in each team. Who would've thought that the high powered Sharks, who have an unreal team, would get SWEPT by the Blackhawks.
As I said in my prediction before, not only did i not think this series would be lopsided, I thought the Sharks would win.
This spe...
Right now, plenty of Leaf fans are wondering about what sort of return MIGHT Brian Burke get for Thomas Kaberle once the trade window opens on his contract. Last year, he was a potentially valuable chip. In December 2009, he was playing some of the best hockey of his career and many hoped that he might be traded to speed along a re-build if the Leafs could not get back in...
The Flyers are in the Stanley Cup Finals! Congrats to all the Flyer faithful, and even those who had their moments of doubt and pain.
Mike Richards is becoming a leader before our eyes. His taking the game into his own hands against Boston, when he demolished Krejci, reminded me of Scott Stevens (only cleaner) on Lindros. As a Flyer fan who was psychologically injured ...
The Windsor Spitfires won their second straight Memorial Cup on Sunday night beating the host Brandon Wheat Kings by a score of 9-1 in the final; a real barn burner of an affair.
The Wheat Kings qualified for the final by beating the WHL Champion Calgary Hitmen in an overtime thriller. The Wheat Kings qualified for the tournament by having the right address.
The lo...
The Winter Classic has been played in the NHL on January 1st of each of the last three seasons. It's a showcase game, designed to spotlight the sport on New Year's Day. Whether its focus is on star players, historical rivalries, or both, the Classic has, thus far, been a huge success for the NHL.
In its short history, the Classic has produced an exciting hockey event......
Jarome Iginla will get 30 goals this year. You heard it here first, it is probably the safest prediction I have made to date considering he's always got 30 in recent memory. My other prediction is that Calgary will not have a number one center for him no matter what.
You may think this is another easy prediction considering the salary cap of the Flames and their inabili...
After two rounds of play, the playoffs gave us some surprising candidates at the top of the list (Halak, Cammalleri, Pavelski). Now that we're down to 2 teams, the candidates are more of the expected variety for each team. The one unknown factor here, is how do you deal with Philly's goaltending situation? If Leighton rattles off 3 more shutouts, is it conceivable to gi...
NHL fans are constantly debating the effectiveness of their team's captains.
Let's face it, unless you are in the city that wins the cup (and sometimes even that's not enough), you are likely to find a good number of people who will argue that the current team captain (--->insert your favorite whipping boy here
In the next couple of weeks, a long Cup draught will finally come to an end. So which one will it be? At the start of the season, these two teams were picked by many to meet in the big dance; however, the road by which we got here wasn't at all foreseeable. The Hawks took care of business, as expected, in the West, with little fanfare. The Flyers have had a run for the...
One consistent problem with the Flames over the course of the past couple seasons is their brutal power play.
What can be done to fix something so basic. In essence the first thing minor coaches will tell players is that there is an extra man out there, find him! The next thing they say is don't stand still because the opposing team will box out and use active sticks...
''What we want to do here is put an end to the death watch; to other people's speculation. We move forward.'' – Ken King, CEO and President of the Calgary Flames-
The ‘Death Watch’ he was referring to was that of Darryl Sutter’s relationship with the Calgary Flames organization and whether or not he would be the General Manager of the team for the upcoming 2010-...
leafs4f4 writes...
The Beginning of a Busy Burke Summer:Leafs Sign German D-man
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The 2010 Leafs off-season might seem short of news lately, but Brian Burke is definitely hard at work.
Having already inked a pair of goaltenders last month – Finnish netminder Jussi Rynnas and NCAA standout, Ben Scrivens of Cornell University- the Leafs President and General Manager announced another signing; this one in the form of German blueliner Korbinian Holzer....
Killing It
The NHL has beaten the Crosby v Ovechkin “rivalry” to the end. Now they look to do the same with the Winter Classic. To me the Winter Classic was taking on a persona as the rare meeting of two teams in a unique enviorment. Something no other sport really does. As a fan I felt that if I have to wait a few years just to see my team in the classic that’s...
[b]Analysis of How the Flyers 2010 Were Built[/b]
You hear it all the time, build through the draft and let the team grow up together. The Flyers of the 70s and 80s were built this way, however in the 90s they became focused on winning now and built mostly through free agency and trades. This team is built in a very interesting way. All of the star players except for ...
The reflective introspective is done. After meditating in front of their version of Buddha, which is actually just a picture of Gary Bettman in a towel, the Flames have started addressing the shortcomings of their feeder system.
After signing Bryan Cameron, a junior scorer who could not comes to terms with L.A., the flames have now set about replacing Keith Aulie's hulk...
“Ken came out and said that, but it wasn’t important for me to have that publicly. It’s more important what happens internally.”
Darryl Sutter made these comments in response to Ken King coming out last week and publicly endorsing the Flames GM. We all are aware of Sutter’s dealings with the media and how he, how do I say this, would rather eat hot garbage tha...
Volchenkov is an aggressive defenseman who could definitely add to a teams depth to try to win a cup.
Most likely to go to: [b]a Contender[/b]
Possible Teams: [b]Pittsburgh or Washington[/b]
Summary:
Isn't it funny how the Penguins and Capitals seem to be turning into the Red Sox and Yankees in the way of adding pieces to their puzzles? It seems every high-end ...
The Chicago Blackhawks.
The Chicago Blackhawks are a team two games away from winning the Stanley Cup. I don’t think it is a big surprise that they are in this position. They were supposed to do that. Many pundits picked them to hoist the cup this year after showing a promising and educational jaunt through the playoffs last year. And if they capture the Cup, then thi...
The Calgary Flames have, for better or worse, decided to stay the ship. And staying the ship means keeping Daryl Sutter. They have decided that radical changes are not needed. In their infinite wisdom, they are not going to trade any of the top players or prospects to get a number one pick. Unless, of course, Mr. Sutter can hypnotize one of the general managers into tak...
On a Toronto radio station earlier this week, Leafs GM Brian Burke indicated that defenseman Tomas Kaberle is generating some interest throughout the league. Local Toronto radio is reporting that Buffalo was one of two teams that have contacted Brian Burke about acquiring defenseman Tomas Kaberle.
This is a move by the Sabres that makes a great deal of sense. Kaberle i...
I'm going to highlight some of the habs needs and the players they can potentially draft to help meet those needs.
The habs had a great post season run. Until they ran into the much larger Philly team. Montreal's skilled (yet small forwards) tried to compete but had trouble finding the open room in the offensive zone. It is clear that Montreal needs some size and skill...
Dunny777 writes...
Kulemin's contract stinginess implying something greater?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Just behind Kaberle trade rumours, the most prominent issue being discussed in Leaf nation right now is how contract talks are proceeding between the buds and Kulemin. As we are all too painfully aware, the two sides are not seeing eye to eye at the moment. Many sources report that Kulemin is asking for money in the $3 million per year range while Burke is imagining someth...
leafs4f4 writes...
Uniforms Coming Sooner Than Anticipated and the Kaberle Saga
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
What a week, Leafs Nation.
After a slow start to the off-season, news sure picked up this week.
The last entry discussed this summer’s events for the blue and white, and surprisingly, the past seven days managed to hit on a couple of them.
The most significant was revealed yesterday by Howard Berger, regarding a certain press conference. As expected, the Leaf...
Is it possible that the Semin deal involves Calgary and a 'star goaltender most think is untouchable'?
Think about it...
If we could get back Semin, a blue chipper and Varlamov, isn't Kipper and Sarich (or even Regehr) worth it?
There are a few UFA goalies that we could pick up as well...
This 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:
...
Deal with Buffalo ? - Doubtful. Other than Kassian and Luke, their players and prospects don't really fit the Burke mold. Pick # 23 might be affordable and interesting - especially if it comes with one of the previously mentioned prospects, in a Kaberle deal, but I expect Buffalo will want to shed some salary in a deal, and THAT might kill any offer to Toronto.
Deal wi...
Hey everyone, remember me? Yes, it has been almost a month since I've posted a blog. I got very busy with finals around the end of May. But I will also admit that I have been enjoying some time off to myself to relax a little after completing my first semester of Graduate school. For those interested, I got a 4.0.
It has been relatively quiet in Islander country lately...
Monday's can be painful aweful days, days where you look to the week ahead and groan. I just came off a long weekend where I went to Edmonton to watch my Fiancé graduate with her Bachelor of Science in nutrition and food sciences from the Uof A, aside from being super proud of her, it was a nice reprieve from the working stiff world I live in. Then this morning I get a bo...
Traditions are important. The names of the Conferences and Divisions should have been left alone. But that was done only to try and draw in and keep fans. The NHL will do anything to try and woo Americans into not just loving their home team but to want to watch hockey in general. For example: Fox and their 'glowing' puck experiment; or the over explanation of what all the...
There's a record in Calgary that has been skipping since Joe Nieuwendyk was traded to the Dallas Stars in 1995.
We need a number one center.....we need a number one center...we need a number one center. It's like the unofficial anthem of the Flames. If an anthem does ever get written it will be something like,"Star Spangled Center" or "O'centermen" or "God save our cent...
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.
Throughout these playoffs, I have read time and time again how this team doesn’t match up with this team and that team has better depth than this team.
In the end, it’s the game itself and how it’s played.
I for one like to see the game played 5 on 5, I don’t want to have the game tarnished by seeing a winning goal scored on the Power Play. Even if it�...
What are the chances Patty Kane took a cab home last night after landing in Chicago??? What?? I'm just saying...
Now that the Blackhawks have won the cup, congratulations Chicago fans, they can now look forward to clearing out salary. It's too bad they can't keep this team together but that gaff by Tallon when he didn't get the offers to his restricted free agents in ti...
This time of year is always the hardest time on me, because it marks the sad anniversary of my father's passing. A few years back, I wrote a blog on nostalgia, and got some huge reviews of it. So on with another blog on the golden years of hockey, in honour of my father.
I remember the Canada Cup in 1976. One of my favorite players was Daryl Sittler, who was the cap...
What a run!
I have kind of avoided writing about the Flyers during the 2010 playoffs. I have limited the current content. This team and Chicago were the popular picks to play in the Finals before the season started. The Blackhawks played great all year and deserve congratulations for their season and Cup win! Enjoy the silver Chicago. It is truly the hardest champion...
Sometimes life hands you a perfect solution.
Ian White is really under rated and he knows it, he was 8th in goals by a defenseman last year and 29th in points by a defenseman, no one talks about it but that is really good. As his agent you would look at comparables right? Who also had 38 points and what do they get paid? I'll tell you.
Campbell- $7.1 Million
Kubina...
Perhaps the most anti-climatic goal in playoff overtime history, but it still counts. The Chicago Blackhawks had an unbelievable ride to the top this past season and they deserved to win the Stanley Cup.
Just a few days later, it's already time to start looking ahead to next season. The NHL draft is only a couple of weeks away, as well as the award ceremony. On June 22n...
I'm tired of hearing year after year, "were going to stick with rebuilding and not sign anyone this year." We have a good young core of players now, we need a shut down defenseman and a forward like Tomas Plekanec or even Maxim Afinogenov.
Basically we should've never traded Chris Pronger, and we would have been in the playoffs for the last three years, and then to put ...
We all know about the bad press that constantly surrounded the Flames last season. I can understand it, with the Flames not making the playoffs. The last time the Flames did not make the playoffs was the 2003 season. I see two major issues that need to improve next season, one being the offense, and the other being too many defensive breakdowns in their own zone.
So ...
If the Flames had an info-mercial for the draft it would sound like this:
A guy with a "NHL GM" name tag picks up the phone and says, "Gee... I wish I could improve my team right away instead of drafting, I think we can win now but just are missing a few pieces..." sigh.
(appearing out of nowhere and obviously reading off queue cards) D.Sutter, "WELL... fear not my...
Dwayne Roloson answered any question that lingered about who would be the Isles starter by the end of the 2009-2010 season. During last year's off-season, the Islanders signed Roly to a two-year deal to be Rick DiPietro's 1-A back-up that could handle a heavy work load if he were to injure himself for the umpteenth time. However it became clear that Rick wouldn't be ready ...
In three years from now, the Buffalo Sabres will be a completely different team, but that could be said about any team. The Sabres have a big couple of years ahead of them that will prove whether or not they will be a contender come playoff time.
The management will likely change soon, which may not be a bad thing. Lindy Ruff had and will face criticism regardless of wh...
With the draft only days away now and July 1st fast approaching I thought it was an ideal time to take a closer look at the Flames overall situation when it pertains to the talent on the ice and what Darryl Sutter needs to do in order to assure that he keeps his job past April of 2011.
First off, Gary Bettman announced that the Salary Cap for the 2011-12 will increase ...
Yesterday it was finally made official, #3 Dion Phaneuf was named the 18th captain in Toronto Maple Leafs History, or the 22nd in Toronto history if you include the Arenas and St. Pats.
There has been talk of Dion being named captain for months now. There's no hiding that Wilson loved what Dion brought to the table, even with all the rumours coming out of Calgary. Those...
So the 2009-2010 season is done and gone. The Chicago Blackhawks are the Stanley Cup Champions, and that may just be a good thing for Leafs fans. Despite leaving us as both the only original six team that has not won a Stanley Cup post expansion, and at present the team in the NHL that is currently on the longest Stanley Cup drought.
Hopefully an important step to ending ...
After dissecting the backend and goaltending situation of the Calgary Flames I thought I would conclude by taking a further look into the quagmire of grinders and checkers that are the Flames forwards.
Currently the Flames have 10 forwards signed at $28,954,166. The rundown of players looks like this:
Jarome Iginla –Age 31, $7,000,000
Daymond Langkow-Age 32, $4,5...
Being a Habs fan, I can certainly understand why many of you are outraged at this trade. I, on the other hand am not. In fact, my respect for Pierre Gauthier just went up another notch for the kahonies he displayed by making this trade.
I will agree that Halak was fantastic in the playoffs but I will not agree that he was the only reason the Habs made it to the 3rd roun...
I've never posted an online blog but here it goes. In 700 word or less, I will try to give you my input on the Jaroslav Halak saga.
So what do I think about this whole ordeal? Well there are many things that have to be taken into consideration. Am I happy Halak was traded even though we stilled owned his rights? With most other teams I would’ve said no but as he had e...
What does it mean when Sutter signs Breen and Cameron as UFA prospects? It means that they are his 1st and 2nd round picks in essence.
Cameron had more goals than any other CHL player, more than Hall, more than Seguin, more than Eberle, more than Beach even more than number 10 on the list, and Flames prospect, Ryan Howse.
Flames fans, Cameron IS our first round pick. H...
Don in St. Pete writes...
New Lightning Owner Jeff Vinik backing words with action!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
New Tampa Bay Lightning Owner Jeff Vinik has consistently mentioned his desire to build a "World Class" organization in Tampa. His actions suggest loudly, that he's not kidding. For the past 2 seasons, Lightning news has more often than not been more appropriate for a Supermarket Rag than the Hockey News. Vinik has successfully reversed those days in Tampa Bay in a big ...
I don’t want to go too far in to examining the recent trade involving Halak to the Blues, rather I’m curious as to what it means to the ‘big picture’ for Gauthier and company.
If we take a look, it seems that the Canadiens have a young hockey team.
Below is a list of players that played for the Habs this past season, and I am assuming they are the players pr...
[img]http://futureconsiderationsdotca.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/hall3.jpg[/img]
Hockey is a team game, but you'd have to think Windsor Spitfires forward Taylor Hall was out to prove something of an individual nature during the 2010 Memorial Cup, which ended Sunday with the Spits claiming their second consecutive major-junior hockey title in a 9-1 drubbing of the host ...
Somebody should be hired to be a translator for the Calgary Flames General Manager Daryl Sutter. Seriously, we should develop a new language called Suttereze. If we had a translator, then we could understand than what the Flames General Manager means. Daryl has been telling everyone that will listen that he is not trading any of his good players. Does he really mean i...
The NHL and the Buffalo Sabres have officially released their schedules for the upcoming 2010-2011 season. The Sabres will begin its campaign on Friday, October 8 in Ottawa. Buffalo will then return home the next night to host the New York Rangers.
The Sabres longest home stand of the season will take place in February. Buffalo will host six teams in ten days, including...
It’s been a LONG time since I wrote a hockey blog of any sort. Actually, as far as I can recall, the last blog I wrote on hockey or the Oilers was the day after Ryan Smyth was traded to the Island.
That’s a long time for me.
But, the itch to hold an open forum to air out my thoughts on the game as been fed, and now needs to be scratched. (If that makes any sense)...
When talking about Scott Niedermayer, where does one begin. From being drafted 3rd overall, to his 4 Stanley Cups and 2 gold medals (the only player to win that many of each), to being the only player in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup, Gold Medal, World Cup, World Championship, World Junior Championship, and World Cup. He is a workhorse, constantly playing averaging ov...
What a letdown! I am not talking about the result of the finals. I go through this every summer. From October through early June we are conditioned to watch hockey. Almost a game every day and then once we are seriously hooked they start the playoffs and the games get better! Then we get to witness the ultimate an OT goal to win the Cup and the next day we must quit �...
doktordave writes...
Hockey's Shame: Pat Burns Snubbed! Paul Henderson still out
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The title says it all.
Decades of contributing to hockey. More than 500 wins. Many great teams.
A week of hockey that shook the hockey world and shaped an entire generation.
Not worthy of the Hall?
Both men in poor health these days.
Shameful. Clear house with the election committee - they don't know hockey, nor class.
doktordave writes...
Hockey's Shame: Pat Burns Snubbed! Paul Henderson still out
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The title says it all.
Decades of contributing to hockey. More than 500 wins. Many great teams.
A week of hockey that shook the hockey world and shaped an entire generation.
Not worthy of the Hall?
Both men in poor health these days.
Shameful. Clear house with the election committee - they don't know hockey, nor class.
Annotated Mock NHL Draft 2010
V-3.0
1. EDMONTON OILERS TAYLOR HALL – F
*Halfway between Stamkos and Taveres as an NHL prospect *
Edmonton’s rabid fans are salivating at the ‘idea’ of getting Taylor Hall, and Steve Tamballini is not going to let them down.
Yes, the Oilers really, really need a top line center, but Hall is just too good to pass up...
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...
If you haven't bought your tickets, now is the time...the Islanders draft party is set for this Friday at the Nassau Coliseum with the 5th overall selection solely in Garth Snow's hands. Yours truly, (as usual every year) will be unable to attend due to work obligations...but here is a brief primer of the scenario's that I think might go down on draft day.
In order...
...
Ok Taylor Vs Tyler, Tambs Vs Pete. Well here we are It's Wed and well the draft is not here yet hurry up! now that that's outta the way it looks to me Edmonton Won't be trading the #1 pick unless there's a HUGE offer I know I Just Pointed out the obvious but lets have a look of whats gone on in the last 2 weeks. Edm & Bos are both saying we would be happy with either ...
Earlier this week, the San Jose Sharks announced that they will not re-sign goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. The Russian goaltender has been with the Sharks since 1999, posting just less than 300 wins. Nabokov earned 5.3 million this past season, but General manager Doug Wilson has his reasons for letting him walk.
“If you look at the trends in this league the last four or ...
[img]http://fromthepoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Hall-and-Seguin.jpg[/img]
For the last few month since January when everyone pretty much knew that the Edmonton Oilers were going to finish out of the playoffs and most likely in 30th Place in the NHL. Everyone’s been wondering who the Oilers were going to take, Taylor or Tyler. Some have said the Oilers would ...
By mid-afternoon yesterday, I had a savvy blog constructed for my inaugural post here on HockeyBuzz. It was all about the Hawks' cap plight, and included the pros and cons of the players whose names have been tossed around in all of the trade commotion. It was a well thought-out, snappy piece of writing. I even incorporated Bluto Blutarsky quotes. Solid gold.
Then ...
[img]http://www.itsallaboutlappy.com/2008_09pics/blackhawks10_5.jpg[/img]
The Edmonton Oilers mad a solid depth move last night by acquiring Centre Colin Fraser from the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks for a 6th round pick, 151 Overall. Fraser, who played junior hockey with Brent Sutter’s Red Deer Rebels, was the Hawks’ fourth-line centre much of this past s...
This years NHL Draft is one of the most intresting in years. Over the last few years, the number one pick was pretty much a forgone conclusion. Ovechkin in 04, Crosby in 05, Johnson in 06, Kane 07, Stamkos 08, and last year John Tavares going #1, everyone knew that was the pick for the whole season. This year is different as the drama at the top of the board this year of c...
Been a little more then 8 months since I last wrote a blog, and since we are just under 24 hours from the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. I have been keeping tabs on many of the mock drafts and many bloggers predictions on what the 1st round will look like. Most especially the top 10. We all know Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin will be the 1st 2 players selected come friday night, but...
Only a few hours remain until draft and I am having difficulty containing my excitement. I didn't sleep much last night but that isn't much of a big deal. I was reading some of the blogs on here, and Eklund who is the one who updates regularly on rumors regarding FA's, UFA's, and possible trades said in his post late last night to keep a VERY close eye on garth snow and th...
Well, it's been a little over a week since Mr. Gauthier sent our Slovakian playoff wonderboy out of La Belle Province and off to St. Louis for... Lars Eller (He's danish...yummy) and Ian Shultz (No not the D-man who was a +50 for the Caps, that was his brother) and consequently sending the city into an outrage while rekindling that old nickname our GM was crowned with in A...
6/24/10 - This time of the season is the most exciting to me. It’s where champions are built. Darcy Regeir always says that he will build his team in the off-season. Darcy Regeir’s time to make a move is NOW. We have some key ingredients, including an all-world goalie, a number 1 defenseman, and a 40 goal scoring winger. We have some very important third and four...
Check out my post at The Hockey Writers talking about the newest addition to the New York Islanders, 2010 5th overall pick, Nino Niederreiter!
http://thehockeywriters.com/el-nino-storms-into-long-island/
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
WarHero writes...
Habs trade up for 22nd pick, take D-Man, Jarred Tinordi!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Folks, The Habs Brass has impressed me yet again!
Montreal GM Pierre Gauthier saw an opportunity to move up in the draft and jumped on it! The Habs traded 1st(27) and 2nd rounds picks to Phoenix for 1st(22) and 4th round picks, all 2010.
According to various sources, the player Vancouver was waiting for was in fact, Jarred Tinordi. I can only assume that Gauthier c...
Leafsf4cup writes...
Leafs looking to sign Sweedish prospect D Brandon Aquino
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Undrafted D Brandon Aquino set to ink 3 year entry level contract with the Buds after a stellar season with BK Farjestad in Sweden last season. He will be playing in their AHL affiliate Marlies next season and will hopefully to come up into the Leafs line up late in the regular season.
Well that was Vanilla.
Calgary has made no significant moves at the draft as of yet after 5 rounds unless you count the acquisition of Henrik Karlsson from san jose, he a huge Swedish goalie, for a late round pick at this draft. He's 26 and you'd imagine he's the top spot for the #2 position in Calgary this year.
The biggest and most mind boggling blunder was when Ka...
[img]http://cdn.nhl.com/oilers/images/upload/2010/06/20100625_hall-325b.jpg[/img]
New Edmonton Oiler Taylor Hall
Not so long ago, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle were both wearing Team Canada jerseys and making their mark at the 2010 world junior hockey championship.
Now they’ll get a chance to help rebuild the Edmonton Oilers!!!
Jordan Eberle said he was...
There were 4 players that most fans felt the Islanders would end up with at the 2010 draft with the 5th overall pick. Every mock draft had the Isles taking one of either Gormley, Gundbranson, Connolly or Fowler. when Garth Snow walked up to the podium at the Staples Center on Friday night, he proved that every mock draft, every fan, (including me) and every pundit was dead...
With not a single pick in the top 60, expectations could not have been that high for the Flames at this year’s entry draft. The rumour mill buzzed with far-fetched rumours about players like Jordan Staal, Jason Spezza and even Ilya Kovalchuk that some desperate Flames fans (including myself) ate up. But all the Flames came away with after two days in Los Angeles was a po...
As you all know by now, on day 1 of the draft Habs GM Pierre Gauthier traded up for the 22nd pick to take towering defencemen Jarred Tinordi.
Let's now take a look at who the Habs picked on day 2.
Pick #113: Mark MacMillan
MacMillan is a 6'0", 150 pound, 18 year old forward from the Alberni Valley Bulldogs of the BCHL. During the 2009/2010 season, MacMillan tallie...
Yesterday Los Angeles wrapped up its 2010 NHL entry draft with a fizzle, as quickly as it came teams from around the league wheeled and dealed for picks and players after that big question was finally answered. Who comes first? Seguin or Hall? Though both the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins got great players as it was almost a toss-up, other teams had to rely on a bit ...
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...
Looking back, Evgeny Artyukhin, Raffi Torres, and Cheechoo are still out there, If any of these guys get an offer, it is going to be a cheap one. The bulk of pundits think Torres may get an offer once the Kaberle situation is clarified. The other two seem to be on nobody's radar as of Aug 1. Savard has the best chance of going someplace like Calgary, if he goes anyplace at...
There is going to be major reshuffling on the back end of the Canucks this year... with a long term deal in place for the Sedins... Kesler... Burrows... Edler... Ballard... and of course Luongo - the time is now for the Nucks to correct the insufficient defensive corps.
Picture the players who will remain: Ballard - Edler - Ehrhoff ... of course Bieksa and Salo are gone...
Today I will look at the Rangers in free agency as it pertains to their own guys. Here’s a break down of several of the Blue Shirts top UFA’s and RFA’s. I’ve included last year’s stats, salary and free agency status along with arguments for and against retaining the player plus my final take on the situation. In no particular order here we go.
Vinny Prospal �...
The offseason in sports is normally a bittersweet time for us fans. A lot of energy is expended looking at rumor websites, watching highlights, and contemplating the needs of their beloved team for an upcoming season. If your team happens to have won a championship (as the Chicago Blackhawks did this year) an offseason may be filled with higher highs than a fan could hav...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Create Roster Space, Changes Coming July 1st?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Islanders have decided to not tend qualifying offers to Sean Bergenheim and Jeff Tambellini, making them set to become Unrestricted Free Agents on July 1st. Nathan Lawson, Dylan Reese, Dustin Kohn, Rob Schremp and Matt Moulson were tendered their offers, extending the Islanders rights to keep them with the big club. You can expect that they are likely to accept their o...
The first week of July is always a busy time in the hockey universe in terms of player movement. It has evolved into a Mini Me of the Trade Deadline. While the top stories this year will center around the likes of Kovalchuk, Gonchar and Hamhuis, in terms of fantasy hockey, these deals will have little impact on where those players will rank on your draft list. The real ...
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 ...
I would just like to start off by thanking a few teams, Florida, Columbus, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Atlanta, Minnesota, New York Rangers, and Dallas. Thanks for not drafting Cam Fowler. By doing so, you allowed the Ducks to take arguably the best Defensive Prospect in the draft. As I am typing this, I have the biggest grin on my face, knowing that we cou...
I haven't shared my thoughts with the fine readers of Hockeybuzz for quite some time but I've recently been quite impressed with the amount of response given to the Flames bloggers and the great debates and speculation that has taken place.
Unfortunately, I feel that some of the Flames faithful have set the bar too high in their expectations of Sutter during this offsea...
Well first off i woke today and read that : Patrick O'Sullivan, Ethan Moreau & Robert Nillson were all placed on waivers today and Mr.Lebrun from ESPN just confirmed they have been bought out.Now I don't have exact numbers but Patty was a Cap hit of $2.95Mil and Moreau & Bobby were both $2Mil so thats about $7 mil of dead wood gone don't get me wrong they're all better hoc...
[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 ...
On Tuesday, June 29th, 2010 the Habs traded disgruntled forward Sergei Kostitsyn and "future considerations" to the Nashville Predators for forward Dustin Boyd, Goaltender Dan Ellis and "future considerations".
What an awesome trade folks! Gauthier and the Habs brass impress me yet again this off-season.
Dustin Boyd:
If he decides to sign, Boyd will be a great 3rd...
Hey, guys, I just heard early this morning that Burke may be looking Los Angela's way. The latest rumor coming out of Toronto is that Burke is looking to unite the Schenn Brothers. To LA goes Tomas Kaberle and either Mikhail Grabovski or Nik Kulemin and to Toronto goes Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds and a 2nd rounder in 2011. This is just another rumor, remember, it cou...
I will have to admit, in the past I have been very critical of David Poile and the Predators have not taking a high-end risk. (Yes, the Forsberg trade was a high-end risk.) I think a move like the acquisition of Sergei Kostitsyn from Montreal for a goaltender you had no interest in keeping as a UFA and a 4th, or at most a 3rd line center, who is a RFA and future considerat...
UFA Day is fast approaching. We’re less than 24 hours away from what has turned into the most exciting time of the year for fans of the NHL. Fans of every team wake up on July 1st in great anticipation to see what their team does. Many fans are thrilled at the end of the day while others are grossly disappointed.
Rangers’ fans have been subjected to a mixed bag over...
Pick #89: Michael Chaput, C, Lewiston (QMJHL)
The Flyers started off their draft by selecting Michael Chaput of the MAINEiacs.Chaput was ranked 81st in The Hockey News Draft Preview. Chaput had a solid season for Lewiston in the Q, with 28 goals and 27 assists in 68 games. He finished 2nd in point and 1st in goals for the MAINEiacs. Chaput put up a good amount of points ...
killerbs writes...
What pieces if any will the Bruins be adding tomorrow?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
July 1st is the other Christmas Day in Canada and it looks to be very interesting for the Yellow and Gold. Right now it seems the Bruins will be looking to add a top 4 dman and a bottom 6 forward either through free agency or trade. Some of the names i have been hearing linked to the Bruins are Arron Asham who provides some much needed grit and some scoring ability and wil...
Here is a list of the top free-agent forwards and where I think they will go:
Ilya Kovalchuck: LA Kings
Ray Whitney: Colorado
Saku Koivu: Ducks (re-sign)
Matt Cullen: Toronto Maple Leafs
Paul Kariya: Ducks (what a reunion)
Colby Armstrong: Toronto Maple Leafs
Chris Higgins: New York Islanders
Mike Modano: Minnesota Wild
Alexander Frolov: New York Islanders
Olli...
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...
Here are some quick little nuggets of news pertaining to the Blues on this, the first day of free agency...
- The Blues got a real bargain in re-signing Alex Steen for what they did. The Blues were expecting to have to pay a lot more than the $3 million per season they signed him for today. This now frees up money for other uses the Blues may need in free agency.
- I...
David, David, David... (tist, tist, tist...) Jonas Andersson, Jonas (FREAKIN') Andersson...
Okay, I'm thoroughly confused. First, you traded Hamhuis (UFA) for Ryan Parent. Basically, 2nd pair defenseman with experience for a 3rd pair defenseman with less experience. Second, you traded Arnott to NJ for a prospect and a 2nd round pick next year. I'm good with that, you...
First, how come there's at least 5-6 guys on here that regularly blog for the Flames but the oiler fans are only passionate enough to comment on other people's blogs?? Just saying... I get that you guys got Hall and are making some good moves but one of you wrote on Vetter's blog about the cup... c'mon!!
****
Okay so everyone is all thinking Sutter is all going insa...
There is no doubt the rumors now begin that Vancouver Canucks will trade a defenseman now that they’ve acquired Dan Hamhuis, and the name on everyone’s tongue is Kevin Bieksa. This doesn’t really make much sense in a short-term or long-term view.
Mason Raymond is at this time without a contract. It is safe to assume he is probably looking at a 3 year deal worth ...
Breathe in...breathe out....
I have been on several Islander message boards and blogs—and there are some pretty irate, zany, wacky and down-right pissed Islander fans throughout Long Island. Trouble is—I can't quite understand why.
Okay–I know today was July 1, and I know everybody figured the Isles would do something to address the holes in the line-up, but ...
I woke up on Canada Day feeling like it was Christmas day as the NHL Free Agent Frenzy was upon us and all sorts of excitement was about to unfold. Some big moves right off the bat that saw Gonchar sign with the Sens. I saw that Vancouver had thrown a pile of money at Manny Malhotra. I had to look twice when I saw that New York gave Derek Boogaard $6.5 million over 4 years...
Many Sabres fans, including myself, became furious over the fact the Regier hadn't made any moves on July 1st. With every signing, it seemed like the Sabres chances of improving became slimmer.
Before free agency even began, the only thing Regier did was re-sign Mike Grier, which is a solid move. That still left six unrestricted free agents on the team, leaving around $...
Most of the major off season moves this summer were obviously made with an eye towards capturing the Cup. The Penguins and Devils restructured their defense in a big way and role players were shifted all around the league. While these deals will play a big role in the fortunes of these NHL franchises, they barely register on the radar in terms of fantasy hockey impact. ...
I don't know if anybody else heard it yesterday... a loud and resonant “WTF???"(Why the face?) emanating from the general Flames fan-wagon. I heard it echo from my living room moments after passing my lips also, but the more I think about it, the more I agree with the move. Sure, Olli Jokinen was overpaid and “underperformed” last year for the Flames, and I still w...
So if Kotalik can be "persuaded" to play in Russia and Langkow can be buried in the IR as to not count against the cap due to his broken vertebrae in his neck...and White re-signs then what does Sutter do with the space he has left? Still too many D!!! It's almost universal everyone wants Robyn "Rocket" Regehr gone now as well as Sarich for the most part. Staios can stay, ...
The Flames gave notice when they waived Kotalik that losing was no longer an option. But in a somewhat surprise move, they put Nigel Dawes on waivers. The Flames inform the media that his contract would be bought out if there was no claim. This move really confused me. Why waste someone with 14 goals? If he would have played full time, he would have scored 20 goals.
...
TheRat14 writes...
Fantasy Hockey Enthusiasts - The FHL Wants You! 4 Openings
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Update: And then there were four. Four franchises left so it's not too late to grab one for the upcoming season. See contact information below.
Welcome to the Federal Hockey League. The FHL has been setup to provide a simulation for lovers of the greatest sport on earth, ice hockey. The league homepage can be found here: [url]www.greytowergames.com[/url]
You as t...
I find my self dragging my feet this evening, upon hearing the news that long time beloved flyer simon gange could be traded, has left somwhat of an empty sick feeling in my stomach, allthough i am only saying this as a die hard fan of the flyers and gange (i am sure there are a few teams that would paw at the chance for him).
Even though he has had a ruff last couple ...
Hello,
My name is Ryan Smith. I am 21 years old and a huge Flyers fan for life. This is my first article writing about the Flyers (and really about anything) so I don't expect much, but I do expect to get better as I go along.
[b]Thoughts on the Free Agency Frenzy:
[/b]
Just before the free agency frenzy began at noon on the 1st of July, it was announced that ...
The Flyers Prospect Camp roster and schedule have been announced. With a few of the Flyers forwards on the trading block look for a young guy to step in as a regular for the big club.
Roster
Forwards
Michael Chaput
Shane Harper
Ben Holmstrom
Dave Labrecque
Tye McGinn
Luke Pither
Brendan Ranford
Zac Rinaldo
Andrew Rowe
Mike Testwuide
Eric Wellwood
Defens...
New post at The Hockey Writers discussing the rumors of Ilya Kovalchuk and a 10-year $100-million deal.
Check it out!
http://thehockeywriters.com/is-kovalchuk-island-bound/
and please, feel free to leave comments there too!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
No sports athlete is really "worth" most of the salaries they are being paid. On that front, we can agree. Not Jeter. Not Tiger. Not A-Rod. No one. That includes Kovalchuk. But I think that you are purchasing a lot more then a single player for the on-ice product for $100 million—that is if indeed, the Islanders should win the Kovalchuk sweeps.
ON THE ICE
Perhaps a ...
July 1st has come and gone with some surprising events and some not-so-surprising. There were a slew of signings but there were many good players still left searching for their new team; including star winger Ilya Kovalchuk, former Shark tender Evgeny Nabokov and veteran netminder Marty Turco.
This year’s UFA frenzy seems to be moving slower than in years past. This i...
Now that Souray cleared waivers, it's clear that a suitable trade isn't available. It's likely the Oilers will need to accept a poor contract and possibly an undesirable player to boot. Leading to another problem of it's own, a trade that could haunt the Oilers for years to come. However, in the best interest of the Oilers, they shouldn't make that trade...not yet anyways....
You are Flames Management, you are at the entry draft and looking for solid prospects to fill your cupboards and you don't have a first or second round pick but you do have a lot of later round picks. One school of thought says that you could draft guys that have shown promise in their first eligible year, like Max Reinhardt who had a terrific last half of the season. The ...
So, Why Not Canada?
That is the question TSN and the Globe and Mail are asking. There is a lot passion in Canadian hockey fans. We all know what's best for the game, we feel strongly when we've been wronged. We get mad at the Commish when he goes on TV during an interview and says that he didn't want the Jets to leave Winnipeg. Really Gary?? That's so nice of you to sa...
Darcy Regier may have surprised many fans with this signing. Rob Niedermayer has agreed to a one year, one million dollar contract with the Buffalo Sabres.
Niedermayer has been in the league for 16 seasons, and is playing for Buffalo in this next one. Although he has a career plus/minus of -115, Niedermayer brings in more grit and experience to the team. He has 450 poin...
First, my apologies to David Poile and all of those in Predland that were offended by my last entry/rant. Now that my blood pressure has returned to acceptable levels and my wife and I are speaking to each other again, let us get back to the point at hand. I give David Poile an "A" for the Matthew Lombardi signing, 10.5 over 3 years, not bad for this caliber of player. ...
Check out my piece at The Checking Line discussing the Isles actions thus far in Free Agency! And if you're not already a member, sign up! It's free and there are plenty of blogs to read covering all topics around the league. Or check out the Fan Forum where you can share your thoughts as well!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/grading-isles...
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 is a legitimate numbers game going on with the current Flames lineup, no one thinks Sutter is done making some moves but it's hard to tell where he'd move from and what he'd want back. Aside from Cap restrictions the positions are all out of whack if you consider that players are most proficient when playing from their comfort position.
At Center:
Jokinen, Langko...
[b]Opinion on Nikolai Zherdev
[/b]
So Wednesday afternoon I come home from work, and splashed all over my twitter account is the possible signing of Nikolai Zherdev. Immediately I thought of him playing with the Blue Jackets getting 60 points. He could very well be a great addition to our team, and finally someone that could work with the JVR-Giroux line. Although I’d...
On a hot, sweltering Toronto afternoon, I meet up with the Leafs 2009 top pick Nazem Kadri. This was the 2nd time I have met the young budding star and to say I was surprised is putting it mildly. The first time I met Nazem was September 2009, a scrawny young kid listed at 170lbs. I doubted he'd tip 165 in a wet suit when I first met him. This time around I was blown away....
saneopinion writes...
Flames scouting director goes through the opinion translator
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
So today the Herald finally picked up that the Flames have let go their head of amateur scouting and two other scouts, well for regular readers of my blog you read it here July 2nd. I am not ashamed to tell you when I think I'm ahead of the curve because it only happens a few times a century!
In political, talk to the media type of talk Tod Button, head of scouting addr...
Hmmm... Jay Feaster is the new Flames assistant GM... or is that assistant TO the GM?
Could it be that after swapping out the amateur scouts they've now realized that Sutter is at the very least in need of some "assistance"? Perhaps his first order of business should be to show Darryl where the door is and pass on the old axiom about letting it hit him on the way out. ...
The Ducks have been quietly busy the last couple of days. They placed Carter on waivers Thursday morning, and made a trade Friday morning. Usually these types of deals lead up to something bigger. The Ducks have been tied to several rumors, Kabrele, Gagne, and Bieksa. I personally think something is going to go down for Bieksa. The Ducks need Dmen and would not have traded...
The Kovalchuk shoe is apparently about to drop and Leaf fans everywhere are waiting for Brian Burke to pick up that shoe and run away with it himself. This is surely not a man who is afraid of making big moves - as has been overly blogged and discussed. All of which has left Leaf nation refreshing computer screens on strict bi-hourly schedules - in July. Things have cert...
This is a question that many news reporters and Leafs fans are wondering when it comes to the Tomas Kaberle saga, is it possible for Leafs general manager Brian Burke to switch gears and move the younger Luke Schenn for a top forward instead of the veteran blueliner. The one thing that most NHL teams covet is a puck moving offensive defensemen and Tomas Kaberle more then f...
Welcome to the offseason! What a crazy time since the finals have ended. The season and post season have been written about and then what seemed like the next day the team is being totally rebuilt. So here I will take a look at the moves that have been made so far and what I think should be done the rest of the summer.
• Trade of Ryan Parent – A+ for Holmgren for...
Who: Martin Brodeur
From July 09,2010
Martin Brodeur has never been an unrestricted free agent, but the Devils' goaltender thinks he knows what Ilya Kovalchuk is going through.
Like Devils management and most fans, he is anxious to hear Kovalchuk's decision about where he will play next season.
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"I'm sure Kovy is not feeling good about what is goi...
So rumor has it that Ilya Kovalchuk may settle for something less then a billion dollars over 2 years. Apparently, the Flyers have shown direct interest in signing this 50 goal scorer. But with cap issues already a problem, this may be a little more difficult then it appears.
With Simon Gagne rumored to be on his way out, this will bring the Eastern Conference Champions t...
10 year deal.....12 year deal.....15 year deal.....17 year deal.
Which of these deals is related to the New York Islanders? Any and all would be the correct answer in a previous year—but not in 2010.
How many of you fans have come onto these boards and poked fun of, cried, and lamented about how pathetic our team owner—Charles Wang has become. And that lame brain...
Check out my article at The Hockey Writers with quotes from the future stars of Long Island including Nino Niederreiter, Travis Hamonic, Brock Nelson and Kirill Kabanov!
Here's the link: http://thehockeywriters.com/isles-prospects-shine-in-summer-scrimmage/
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
From The NHL Network
Kovalchuk visiting L.A.
07.11.10 /7:40 PM ET
Ilya Kovalchuk is on his way Los Angeles, although he isn't a member of the Kings just yet.
According to TSN and the NHL Network's Darren Dreger, the unrestricted free agent is visiting Southern California for some face-to-face negotiations with Kings GM Dean Lombardi. Rumors are also swirling that...
Article from LA Times By Derrick Lightfoot
The World Cup is over, and I'm not that big into baseball, so the only thing I can cling to sports wise right now is the Kovalchuk saga—but it's safe to say most want this story to end (the New York Post even reported a Canadian national TV outlet has proposed a LeBron-esque one-hour special as to where he will play, but thi...
I for one think so...I think KOVIGREED may be using the devils as a way for other teams to give him more...Honestly we have all known Lou..and Lou doesn't leak stuff out...All the BS that we have heard in the past weeks about 12yr deal 17 year deal by the Devils are probably Kovigreeds/Jaygreeds plan to make the Kings give him what he wants...I for one think Lou should jus...
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...
As we sit here waiting for the Kovalchuk sweepstakes to end, the rumors continue to circulate the NHL. Once he is signed, the dominoes are expected to begin falling. Teams will be trading and signing free agents again, filling up the roster with any unused cap space.
For now, General Managers are sitting still, waiting for someone to sign the Russian forward. How much i...
Darcy Regier has made a few moves this offseason, but he is far from done. Buffalo still has about eight million left to spent before it reaches the maximum salary cup.
Everything has slowed down around the NHL recently, due to the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes. Once that is over, expect Regier and the Sabres to make a few more moves.
Buffalo has already seen the additi...
Darcy Zajac signed two-year deal with Devils' Albany (AHL) team
Darcy Zajac, the 23-year old younger brother of Devils center Travis Zajac, said he had several teams interested before he signed a two-year contract with Albany (AHL) this summer.
Source: NJ.com
John MacLean turned out to be a pushover in his first day on the ice as Devils head
bill-kostrounAP.jpgBill Kostroun/APLarry Robinson was back as an assistant coach as the Devils opened prospects camp.
coach.
He cancelled a scheduled scrimmage as prospects camp opened today at the Prudential Center, but players shouldn't get a false sense of comfor...
jsiha writes...
Is Ilya Kovalchuk moving closer to signing with Los Angeles?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Source NJ.com
Nothing new on the Ilya Kovalchuk front, says Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello.
"Everything is the same as it was the last three or four days," Lamoriello claimed. "Nothing changed. I don't have anything to add to that."
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Actually, the Los Angeles Kings might be moving closer to signing the left winger.
According to the Los Ange...
Given my relative age the guys I saw play over the years or read about that really showed me toughness were the following guys:
1. Wendel Clark - he could score lead and fight the best all around player.
2. Doug Gilmour- he would never back down never give up never allowed himself to be beat up.
3. Darryl Sittler- he could score fight and lead both by example and ...
The Hawks kept one of their best up and coming Defenseman today as they matched the San Jose Sharks offer sheet to Niklas Hjalmarsson, a 4 year, $14 million contract. Some say they overpaid to keep the 23 year old but he has the potential to be better. The problem is that of the cap hit this will cause on the Blackhawks and what happens with contract talks with Antii Nie...
jsiha writes...
Has Kovalchuck lost his footing with New Jersey Devils Fans?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
After weeks of back and forth a lot of Devils fans are ready to put Kovalchuck back on the shelf and walk to the next item for sale.
Not only have the devils fans been patient with the 27-yr old winger but have shown Kovigreed that they would like for him to remain part of the Devils organization. But after 2 weeks of 12 yr deals, 17yr deals, 6 yr deals and the Kings ...
[img]http://www.rds.ca/images/chroniques/302489.jpg?20100713090433 [/img]
Finally, the Montreal Canadiens have announced today the signing of Maxim Lapierre for 1 year worth almost 900K.
It seems a good decision to me regarding the terms of the deal because Lappy has something to prove an we know that he's going work to very hard to get to stay a couple more seasons...
At approximately 3:30 p.m Eastern Time yesterday, the first real pangs of worry hit me like a freight train.
While many fair-weather Hawks fans and career Hawks haters alike have been overreacting to Stan Bowman’s off-season moves in one way or another, I have generally remained calm this summer. To this point, sacrificing second and third-tier scoring and role guys ...
Mike Morreale NHL.com
NEWARK -- New Jersey Devils forward Patrik Elias knows the stress that comes as an unrestricted free agent.
To that end, he understands what Ilya Kovalchuk has been going through. Then again, he never thought a decision would take this long.
Kovalchuk, of course, is still unsure where he'll be playing in 2010-11, although the Devils and Los A...
By Eric Marin
Their chemistry produced one of the greatest goals in Devils history, and Patrik Elias hopes Jason Arnott’s second tour in New Jersey proves just as sweet.
It was Elias who set up Arnott’s winning tally in double overtime of Game 6 to clinch the Stanley Cup versus Dallas in 2000. Together, they were two-thirds of the famed “A Line” with Petr...
As Burke has built our team from the mesh out, I will talk about the future of our team the mesh out.
Giggy, our six mill a year net minder, was a brilliant acquisition by Burke. Shedding Jason Blakes ridiculous contract and, the transparent between the pipes, Vesa Toskala for a goalie who could stop a puck let alone a beach ball was genius.
It’s important to note ...
Before reading on i would like to introduce the Calgary Flames Drinking Game, it's pretty simple, every time there is a Flames press conferance you do a shot when Sutter says, "To be honest". Prepare for a hangover my friends....
on to the blog...
I feel confused. At first I thought I have just lost some perception, sometimes it's hard to take a step back and see wha...
"Mr. Kovalchuk! Please!!! Just sign with someone already!! The suspense is too much!!"
Isn't that what every hockey fan has been thinking lately?
This saga has taken WAY too long. What everyone thought would happen is that the Los Angeles Kings would pick up Kovalchuk on July 1st. Didn't happen.
Then everyone thought Lou and the Devils would re-sign him. D...
With the 43rd pick overall, the Toronto Maple Leafs are pleased to select from the Portland Winter Hawks, Bradley Ross. Many casual Leafs fans would have replied with a resounding "who?" at that moment, but those in the know realize what a coup this was for Brian Burke. Ryan Johansen and Nino Niederrieter who went 4th and 5th respectively in this year's draft were on a lin...
Another day has passed with lots of speculation but no official word about where Ilya Kovalchuk (pictured at left) will end up or when he will decide where he will play next season.
Thursday will mark the two-week point since the start of free agency and 10 days since Kovalchuk's agent, Jay Grossman, last made a public comment. Grossman said July 5 that the high-scoring...
jsiha writes...
Kovalchuk Looking Less and Less Likely for New Jersey Devils
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Source: http://www.nfl-2010.com/
In what seems very unorthothodox to most people who have followed the New Jersey Devils, GM Lou Lamoriello has remained emphatic that the Devils are still “in the mix” to sign LW Ilya Kovalchuk to a free agent deal. While it seems more and more apparent to all that Kovalchuk likely wants to be a King, it still hasn’t happened tw...
jsiha writes...
Kovalchuk desperately wants to be the highest paid Russian!!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Kovalchuk desperately wants to be the highest paid Russian player and best archrival Alexander Ovechkin’s annual salary of $9.58 million per season.
And while Kovalchuk’s talent is, at times, on par with the “Great No. 8,” it’s likely that the only place that Kovy’s going to get $10 million per season is in the Kontinenal Hockey League, where a club in St. P...
jsiha writes...
Devils don't offer veteran center Eric Chouinard a contract
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Source Nj.com
Veteran center Eric Chouinard, who attended the Devils' prospects camp for four days hoping to get a contract, will be going back to Germany to play hockey this season.
Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said no contract offer was made.
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"He's going to be going back to Europe," Lamoriello said. "He did very well, but we could not at t...
Source NJ.com
The Devils weren't Anton Volchenkov's first choice.
The hard-hitting defenseman, signed as an unrestricted free agent July 1, would have preferred to stay with the Ottawa Senators.
"I would have liked to stay in Ottawa. My next choice was to find a good place for me," Volchenkov said today as he visited the Prudential Center.
So why didn't he re-s...
Source NHL.com
John MacLean has already given the A-Train an A-plus.
The new head coach met one of the newest members of his defense on Thursday when Anton Volchenkov rumbled through Prudential Center for a visit. The Russian blueliner was in town to work out family arrangements for his move to New Jersey.
“Nice kid, looking forward to it,” MacLean said Thursd...
[IMG]http://i32.tinypic.com/14t6jnr.jpg[/IMG]
While it wasn't Maverick, Ice Man, and Goose (not to mention Kelly McGillis--talk about your young guns), a good time was had by the 2,200 and change inside the SPTimes Forum last Wednesday for the Lightning "Young Guns" event.
What a great idea. Showcase new talent, generate a bit of revenue, and stir up the faithful....
jsiha writes...
Are Ilya Kovalchuk's salary demands tied to Alex Ovechkin?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
By Greg Wyshynski
source: Yahoo Sports
CBC's Elliotte Friedman wrote his final "30 Thoughts" column of the summer today (a temporary loss for all hockey fans, to be sure) and focused on Ilya Kovalchuk's(notes) continued lingering on the free-agent market. It included this interesting bit of scuttlebutt about his demands:
A couple teams called about shorter-ter...
jsiha writes...
Newly-signed Tyler Eckford wants to play his way into a job
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Free agents Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder got the multi-million dollar deals from the Devils this summer.
Rookie defenseman Tyler Eckford is just hoping for a chance.
The question is whether Eckford, who signed a one-year, two-way contract on Thursday that would pay him $500,000 if he plays in the NHL, is ready to make the jump.
"Of course I'd like to th...
source MSG
By: StanFischler
The poet Robert Browning once wrote something akin to, "Your reach should exceed your grasp; or what's a Heaven for?"
In terms of the New Jersey Devils, boss Lou Lamoriello certainly has reached out to Ilya Kovalchuk.
Nobody knows the true details, but you can assume that the contract offer was -- is! -- long and fat.
Just 10 day...
Maybe it was indicative of how fragile the Leafs psyche had become after relinquishing such an unexpectedly high draft pick to the Bruins, or maybe it was just a reaction to the mid-summer boredom brought upon as the Kovalchuk saga stop-gaped the NHL trade wires, but the recent trade rumours surrounding Luke Schenn suggests a seismic shift has taken place in Leafs Nation w...
First off... props to Richard C for his great blogs!
After watching the Oilers pump up their farm system I have come to realize that there are only going to be two of the rookie forwards making the Oilers this year... and there are three main reasons that I can see:
1) The Oilers need to fulfill a commitment to Oklahoma in regards to providing a quality product that...
jsiha writes...
Kings believed they had a 50-50 chance of signing Kovinuts
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
what happen??? we went from very near to this...
The Kings reportedly have been solving differences with Kovalchuk, while one source said the Kings believed they had a 50-50 chance of signing the 27-year-old.
so throughout this offseason so far i've heard all the rumors you could possibly hear and most of them are ridiculous. It is going to be another offseason where we wait around for anothe superstar (kovalchuk) to make a decision which could take him all summer (just like the Heatley trade last year).
But i am not here to complain about that. As a proud Sharks fan (no m...
If you're a Sabres fan, you probably find yourself predicting the outcomes of games before they start. Well, now you have the chance to submit your predictions and win prizes based on how well you do.
Sabreshockeycentral.com has introduced a Buffalo Sabres prediction challenge that will test the knowledge of many fans.
All you have to do is predict the winner and sco...
Recently Sutter came out and said that he was willing to go to 1 or 2 year contracts, this flies in the face of the Hossa like deals that are ranging 10,12 even 15 years in length. My question is why? If Sutter is only giving out one or two year contracts is that because ownership is only giving him that amount of time to turn this around? Most of Sutter's contracts have b...
Recently I had the opportunity to relax at a luxurious cottage in Muskoka with my better half Jessie, and a group of young Leafs. Warm summer days and nights enjoying cool water over bare skin, hot food roasted over an open fire and refreshing cold beer down a parched throat. These are the memories you take with you forever.
The first day there, as I emerged from the ...
source nj.com
The signing of Ilya Kovalchuk isn't the last big move for the Devils this summer.
Now general manager Lou Lamoriello has to find a way to fit the left winger's salary under the cap. And that may not be easy without making some significant trades.
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"It looks like they're going to be over the cap, so (roster moves) that's the only thing t...
jsiha writes...
Devils' signing of Ilya Kovalchuk puts a smile on John Mac!!
Posted Monday | Comments 0
source nj.com
The best news John MacLean received this summer was getting hired to coach the Devils.
However, the signing of Ilya Kovalchuk today ranks a close second.
"I have a smile on my face," MacLean said.
Now it will be MacLean's job to fit a talented individual into the Devils' team concept.
"We all know that, even looking at him on another team, that...
First lets all take a deep breath and say "FINALLY". We have been waiting on Kovalchuck for 19 days and quite frankly getting a little tired of this saga.
With Kovy finally putting pen to paper in thr Swamp, this has already affected the fantasy hockey world. Had Kovy signed in Los Angelas as had been rumoured many times it could have been a fanatsy bonanza for may Ki...
When I was about 15, My mom let me cut school. My birthday is on December 20th, and so she let me cut school a day before x-mas break to do my x-mas shopping. After getting gifts for everyone (my brother got socks, Muaha!) We went into Models to get some more hockey sticks. While there, I saw it....
Number 12- Simon Gagne
A jersey, sitting on a rack right in front...
When the Flames gave up three or more goals, they only won 10 of 37 games; proof that scoring goals was a serious issue for the team. However, despite the inability of the Calgary Flames to put pucks into the opposing net, rarely did they have too many issues with keeping the puck out of their own net. They ranked 5th in the league in ‘goals against per game’ with 2.48...
Hello black and gold fans. When it comes to dealing a player in these times many factors are in play. I for one would not trade either of these players at least not now. IF I could play GM I would hold on to both and if I needed to make a change I would wait til trade deadline 2011 then it would be just Savard You will receive more for Savard than Thomas now anyway. If ...
jsiha writes...
Dainius Zubrus: signing Ilya Kovalchuk was to shake up the Devils
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Source: nj.com
Much of the hockey world wonders if the decision to break the bank for unrestricted free agent Ilya Kovalchuk was general manager Lou Lamoriello's move or if owner Jeff Vanderbeek stepped in.
It is, after all, an uncharacteristic signing by the Devils.
Nevertheless, veteran forward Dainius Zubrus said he wasn't surprised by what is believed to be ...
We all know that the nightmare is finally over...
Now what??? who will go???
My top Three:
Rolston (Please Please Please)
Zubrus
Salvador
What might happen with trades....just a theory....
Rolston and Zubrus or salvador to LA for frolov
Rolston and Zubrus or salvador for Kaberle
Big news in the NHL today as Kovy finally decided on where he wanted to spend the balance of his career. The fact it was New Jersey which offered the most in terms of money was somewhat surprising as most pundits figured the LA Kings would go all-out to add a marquee talent to it’s roster to augment the impressive, young core already in place. New Jersey’s offer of a 1...
I told myself I would most assuredly start blogging on hockeybuzz immediately after Ilya Kovalchuk signed on somewhere. I said that yesterday. About three hours before the news actually broke.. so I was unprepared. I figured I would have another week. At least a few more days. I was wrong. My thoughts were there, but they were unharnessed. I knew what I was going to say, b...
Veteran forward Brian Rolston could be one of the bodies on the move -- he has two years left on his deal at $5 million per season, and his cap hit this coming season is $5.062 million.
"It looks like they're going to be over the cap, so (roster moves) that's the only thing that makes sense," Rolston said to NJ.com on Monday afternoon. "I don't know what my involvement ...
Source: www.inlouwetrust.com
by John Fischer
Apologies for the clumsy headline, but one of the big issues that the Ilya Kovalchuk re-signing raises is the salary cap. Assuming the initial reports are true, and I'm using this post from Tom Gulitti as reference, Kovalchuk's contract will be $102 million over 17 years, or a $6 million/year cap hit. As a result, the...
jsiha writes...
Left winger Ilya Kovalchuk, there is significance to #17
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
If 17 years seems like an odd number, consider that Kovalchuk wears No. 17 in honor of legendary Russian left winger Valeri Kharlamov. He never met Kharlamov, who died in a 1981 car crash at age 33.
Kovalchuck:
"He was my dad's favorite," Kovalchuk told me. "I never saw him play live, but I have a lot of videotapes at home. My dad and I would watch tapes of his games...
The winds of change have finally caught up with the NJ Devils and they have caught the mother of all storms. After years of watching a franchise buck the trend and be successful at playing their game and their system and not succumbing to the ways of the NHL. Captain Lou has finally lost his mind and took the plunge into the abyss and followed the great example of Charles...
The winds of change have finally caught up with the NJ Devils and they have caught the mother of all storms. After years of watching a franchise buck the trend and be successful at playing their game and their system and not succumbing to the ways of the NHL. Captain Lou has finally lost his mind and took the plunge into the abyss and followed the great example of Charles ...
I believe the best oppurtunity for the Oilers to trade the disgruntled Sheldon Souray is to the Buffalo Sabres for Tim Connolly. That would be the core of the trade.
The Sabres have over $8million in cap space, so taking Souray's $5.4million would not be disastrous. Souray also gives Buffalo something they desperately need; a top 4 defender, who can play significant pow...
In my Gagne article last night (this morning) I failed to mention my one of my favorite Gags stories. Although, in reality, it just makes me mad. It's only one of my favorites mainly because A: i was right, and B: al morganti was wrong.
I remember near the trade deadline a few years back (maybe more than a few), Al Morganti was on Flyers post game live saying that Bobby...
[img:left]http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/1109/132477360.jpg[/img] So ever since the acquisition of Nikolai Zherdev, we all knew someone on the Flyers was on the move. Eventually, it came down to Simon Gagne, the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers playoff hero. For weeks now, we were wondering when is this trade going to happen? Who/ what are we going to get? Posting on my twitte...
IF the rumors are true (espn and the hockey news both say so) The Kolvy Devils deal has been denied by the NHL.
…
Really now? The NHL, who is still, according to reports, investigating how many licks it takes to get to the center of the CBA, is going to deny this contract. 17 years = too long. 15 Years is ok. Before people start to say, look at the age, I would li...
Probably the most interesting story to all Leaf fans this summer is whether Tomas Kaberle will be dealt or if he will stick with the Buds. More importantly, if he is dealt, what kind of talent will Brian Burke get in return. Now that Ilya Kovalchuk has finally signed a contract (maybe I spoke too soon???), the Kaberle saga should soon come to an end.
Brian Burke has b...
jsiha writes...
Once Kovalchuk's deal is settled, attention to Zach!!!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
source nj.com
After the Devils resolve the current contract situation with Ilya Kovalchuk, they can turn their attention toward locking up their other young superstar: Zach Parise.
Parise, who recorded 38 goals and 82 points last season, is entering the final year of a four-year, $12.5 million pact he signed in 2007. The Devils’ first-round draft pick in 2003, Pari...
jsiha writes...
NHL doesn't believe Ilya Kovalchuk will stay untill Age 44
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Source NJ.com
His critics have sometimes called him "Loophole Lou," but Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello may have lost that nickname now that the NHL has rejected the team's 17-year, $102 million contract with Ilya Kovalchuk.
Lamoriello's biggest mid-summer problems should have been his efforts to complete a trade or two in order to shed some salary, thereby ena...
jsiha writes...
contracts similar to Ilya Kovalchuk's deal with Devils
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Ilya Kovalchuk’s 17-year, $102 million contract was rejected by the NHL late last night because it “circumvented the league’s salary cap.”
Here are a pair of similar contracts that were signed last season. The NHL investigated each contract, before eventually approving both. The league cited that it could not prove that the contracts were not agreed to upon in g...
I really should have started blogging earlier. I missed out on writing about so much (winter classic, trade deadline, playoffs, and the draft.. for the love of god!!! the draft!!).. but hey, all that means is I get to write about that stuff next season.
It's also too late to talk about the Shelley and O'Donnell signings, or the Meszaros trade. But I'll cover that when t...
The National Hockey League Players' Association has issued a statement in light of last night's rejection of Ilya Kovalchuk's contract with the Devils by the NHL.
Per NHLPA spokesman Jonathan Weatherdon: "The NHLPA is currently analyzing the basis upon which the NHLrejected the contract between the New Jersey Devils and Ilya Kovalchuk.We are evaluating the options avai...
In my best Bones McCoy voice: Damn it... I'm a blogger not a journalist!!
What does this mean? It means that A: journalists will not bear my foul stench or even acknowledge my existence and B: I am not even as accountable as them for vetting things. This is basically awesome.
I get to write about my favorite team and make up crazy trades ideas and get smacked down b...
source: NHL.com
New Jersey Devils President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello issued the following statement Wednesday in response to the National Hockey League's rejection of the team's contract with Ilya Kovalchuk:
"We are extremely disappointed that the NHL has decided to reject the contract of Ilya
Kovalchuk. The contract complies with the terms of the Collecti...
Sooooo.... what exactly is going on in New Jersey? Obviously Lou Lamoriello isn't the type of GM who would be giving out 17 year contracts that could hamper the team salary wise going forward, go against the general spirit of the league and set (more like reset) an already poor precedent. Remember this is still the Lou Lamoriello who yes, did have a high payroll back when ...
So the Kings lost out on Kovalchuk (unless now they get back in it with this recent fiasco).
But do they need to add someone of this significance to their roster? No. Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Ryan Smyth, Wayne Simmonds, Jarrett Stoll and Justin Williams are all capable top six forwards, and signing Kovalchuk would have done nothing but hamstring the Kings a year fro...
So the Kings lost out on Kovalchuk (unless now they get back in it with this recent fiasco).
But do they need to add someone of this significance to their roster? No. Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Ryan Smyth, Wayne Simmonds, Jarrett Stoll and Justin Williams are all capable top six forwards, and signing Kovalchuk would have done nothing but hamstring the Kings a year fro...
Ok, once again we are in a situation where Kovalchuk reigns supreme in the headlines. I thought we had finally rid ourselves of this 3 week dog an pony show. Now 17 years and a 102 million dollars on the surface seems no different then Loungo, Zetterberg, Hossa and DiPietro. But here is where you are wrong. This is different and shady all in the same breath.
Yes we ...
Source Vancover Sun:
VANCOUVER — The National Hockey League is clearly trying to draw a line in the sand, but may not have a legal leg to stand on in its rejection of Ilya Kovalchuk's 17-year, $102-million US contract with the New Jersey Devils, one prominent agent said Wednesday.
J.P. Barry of CAA Sports, whose large roster of clients includes Vancouver Canuck...
I grew up in the Buffalo NY that was hard working and proud of it. The city was overcast gray from the smoke emitted out of the huge stacks from a busy Bethlehem Steel and the Ford Plant was rolling with 3 full shifts a day. The Queen City had life. The Bills were the only game in town until the Knox family brought the Sabres to Buffalo for the 1970-71 season.
Right fr...
Lou Lamoriello was not anxious to discuss the NHL's decision to reject the 17-year, $102 million contract signed by Ilya Kovalchuk.
But when contacted Wednesday night, the Devils general manager seemed to suggest the team is not currently reworking the contract but waiting for help from the NHL Players' Association.
"We just have to wait for the process right now w...
Source: Fox Sports
n Tuesday afternoon, the New Jersey Devils held a press conference to officially announce the signing of Russian forward Ilya Kovalchuk to a mammoth 17-year, $102 million contract. And just a few hours later, word leaked out that the National Hockey League had rejected the contract on the grounds that it was designed to circumvent the salary cap.
B...
[url]http://kings.nhl.com/club/podcastplayer.htm?pid=51&iid=23800&navid=DL[/url]
turdadactyl writes...
NHL's Rejection of Kovalchuk Deal a Line in the Sand
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With the NHL’s rejection of Ilya Kovalchuk’s deal with the Devils, the debate has broken out as to what constitutes circumvention of the CBA and what’s a fair deal. Hockeybuzz’s Sam Woo sees the rejection as evidence of a double standard in the NHL’s policies and a misstep that casts the NHL as a “Mickey Mouse organization.” Admittedly, any line drawn in th...
The Sabres have not fared well against the Stars over the past decade or so, and it began to show during a game in Dallas a couple of seasons ago. Buffalo made a trip to Dallas to take on the Stars in mid January and started off with some struggles.
Buffalo’s problems began when Drew Stafford took two straight penalties, both of which resulted in a goal for the Stars....
John_Anderson writes...
Afinogenov, Potential Blue and White Candidate??
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I believe that Afinogenov would be a great pick up on free agency for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Give him a chance to bring in a veteran presence for the young top 6 forwards, since he is now in his Early 30s.
He may have had a great season last year, but that could've been a fluke if you look at his stats the previous two seasons, where he didn't even mass a total combin...
While I hope Sutter does have something up his sleeve for all Flames fans to rejoice over, i really wouldn't mind going into next season with the current line-up. Each line has some size and speed, should be more responsible in their own end and has some scoring touch. I'm also another one who doesn't mind seeing Kotilik in a Flames jersey, when he got into that fight afte...
When D.Sutter came from San Jose he made a habit of trading for players he knew from that system, we all appreciate the Kirpusoff trade but the players that followed like Lynn Loyns, Bryan marchment, Mark Smith and Jeff Friesen indicate that Sutter like to trade or sign what is familiar to him. Darryl is not the first G.M. to trade for what he knows, but it does make us th...
Talk about crazy! I could not believe what I was reading when the Devils signed Kovalchuk to a 17 year contract. I thought Lou must have gone crazy. Then I started to see details and didn’t like what I saw right away. I know Pronger, Hossa, and others have contracts that back down on money at the end to lower the average cap hit, but not 7 years worth! That length is...
Pierce the Veil is one of my favorite bands (I will freely admit that I have an inordinate amount of favorite bands) and on their new album [i]Selfish Machines[/i], one line sort of summed up our trading of Simon Gagne for me.
[i]
[quote]Sometimes love dies like a dog.[/quote][/i]
10 seasons of astutely played hockey, and we trade him RIGHT as we stand on the verge of a...
[img]http://i28.tinypic.com/168u5jr.jpg[/img]
The Kid. The Next One. Sidney Crosby. All monikers for one of the most talented players in the league and the first of a series of non-Leaf related interviews that I'll be conducting throughout the season. Hockey fans around the world know the stats. Born on August 7th, 1987. 8/7/87. 22 going on 23 and the hockey world at hi...
As most of us know, the first 8 games last season played a large role in the eventual further dismantling of the roster by Brian Burke and the team missing the playoffs yet again. With that in mind I figured it would be fitting to take a glance at the first 8 this season, and throw out some predictions.
We'll start by reviewing last seasons first 8.
Game 1 vs Mtl. 4-...
As everyone knows, the contract of Ilya Kovalchuk was denied by the NHL which to be honest is no surprise to me and maybe devil fans. With Only around 2 million of available cap space remaining, how would it even be possible for Lou to sign such an elite sniper.
Also, as a gm of a team, i don't believe many players by the age of 44 can still play. Over the years, the d...
We have heard a lot from our friends to the North about their development camp, how it got sold out because people wanted to see the likes of Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paarvi. You can't disagree the copper and blue have a fair amount of young talent coming up in their system but what about the Flames? It has been said the Flames cupboard is empty and that they ...
[b]Powe/Betts:[/b]
I feel like I didn’t talk enough about Powe and Betts yesterday. For this, I am ashamed.
Stars are fun to watch, but grit wins games. Darroll Powe is gritty. As far as important depth guys, he’s top 5 in the conference (I legitimately have lists of things like this that I’ll break out one day when I have nothing else to talk about.) He plays ...
All indications are the NHL Players' Association will file a grievance by Monday at 5 p.m. over the league rejecting the 17-year, $102-million contract signed by Ilya Kovalchuk and the New Jersey Devils.
A source told sportsnet.ca that the only way a grievance would not be filed was if the Devils and Kovalchuk restructure the deal. However, the source also said that eve...
Hello ranger fans and well hockey fans in general. My name is Ian and when it comes to hockey especially the rangers i have a lot to say.
Lets get started with talking about the insanely ridiculous contract of Wade Redden. As if giving him 6.5 million dollars a year isn't bad enough, (when watching him 82+ games a year he is clearly worth 1.5-2.4 million area), Sather...
It’s no new news that the NHL rejected the seventeen-year $102 million contract the New Jersey Devils awarded superstar left wing Ilya Kovalchuk, due to allegations that it doesn’t comply with the current collective bargaining agreement and a high amount of skepticism that Kovalchuk won’t be playing until he’s forty-four, which is how old he’ll be when the deal e...
Source NYpost
First, know this about Gary Bettman and his capricious prosecution of circumvention against the Devils and Ilya Kovalchuk -- it's personal with the commissioner, the way it was personal when he and the Board of Governors canceled a season in order to get rid of Bob Goodenow.
It's personal because Bettman had been telling NHL general managers for months ...
I've recently heard speculations of the Columbus Blue Jackets trying to make a deal with the Oilers. In the deal....
The Oilers would acquire RJ Umberger and Mike Commodore
The Blue Jackets would obtain Cogliano and Souray
I believe that this deal would be beneficial for the Oilers only because they would be receiving Umberger. Umberger brings to the Oilers an arse...
tnotarianni writes...
Taking a look at the Leafs Roster and Cap Situation
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Toronto Maple Leafs ended last season with a 10-5-3 record after the Olympic break, giving them the fourth best record in the Eastern Conference for that time period. Many people consider this garbage time, when the games don’t matter, but the team put up this record playing against teams whose games meant a hell of a lot. Now I do not think the Leafs will finish in...
Source NJ.com
The NHL Players' Association likely will file a grievance today on behalf of Ilya Kovalchuk, whose 17-year, $102 million contract was rejected by the league.
The union has until 5 p.m. to file the grievance or the Russian left winger will once again become an unrestricted free agent.
Kovalchuk, 27, signed the longest contract in NHL history but the...
February 13th, 2009 was a lot more than just a game between the Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks. A plane crash in Clarence Center left the entire city of Buffalo devastated. The National Hockey League questioned whether or not the game should be played.
A few of the Sabres had family and friends that lived in the area, and many people knew some of the victims that di...
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...
I have often asked myself, why cant a team ice 4 lines that can score? Well the obvious reason now would be 4 number 1 lines would be a crazy cap hit. The old school thought of 2 scoring lines 1 checking and 1 fighting/energy line scheme is gone (tell that to some gm's...sutter) so what can, or should teams be doing.
Look at what the blackhawks did this last season, no ...
Source NJ.com
Are NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello now at war?
Considering that Lamoriello has been a key figure in Bettman's past labor battles against the players, such a war seemed unlikely not too long ago.
But the Devils' decision to hold a press conference last Tuesday announcing the signing of a 17-year, $102 milli...
It's interesting how we are judging the prospects after watching them only for an hour at day one in the camp. But as bloggers, that is what we do. I hesitate to judge the prospects too harshly as they go through the motions for the coaches. I sat there watching some of the players this afternoon, trying to figure out which ones to pick out for my blog. I cannot go throu...
This is less of a blog and more of an article on Nyren that I wrote for another website. Thought it had some local flavour and might give some more insight into another potential Flames propspect.
Calgary Hitmen defenceman Giffen Nyren does not belong to any National Hockey League team; not yet at least.
After being invited to the Minnesota Wild camp last summer, he...
Decision on Kovalchuk is expected to be made as early as next week. Process of choosing arbitrator started last night and will cont today.
more as i get it
Over that past few days I have heard over and over that Burke will begin to entertain offers for Kaberle once the Kovalchuk situation gets ironed out. To a certain degree I agree with this thinking, because I do believe that if the Kings do not get Kovalchuk (which I do not believe they will), then I feel that Kaberle will be a King and I truly believe Wayne Simmons will ...
Much has been made of Daryll Sutter's strange decision to bring Olli Jokinen back into the fold. Pundits and fans across the hockey world blasted the move, some speculating that he had gone crazy. Bringing back Jokinen may have its pitfalls, but it is not the worst move Sutter has ever made.
That distinction belongs to the decision to let Kristian Huselius walk in favou...
Hello Hockey Buzzers!
Being as as this is my first blog and all, i thought that i would write about something that i am infinitely familiar with: Sports disappointment. After another summer of (mostly) lackluster moves, the Sabres (and dont even mention the Bills) are seemingly not much better than they were last year. I suppose i should prefice this with the following
...
The Sabres lineup has not seen many moves since the beginning of the off-season. The loss of Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman didn’t surprise many fans. The addition of Jordan Leopold and the expected call up of Mike Weber will replace the openings those openings.
The Sabres have depth at forward but do they have enough scoring power remains the question. The team is ...
Its not a matter of [b]if[/b] but [b]when[/b] kovy is offically a devil again. but after kovy signs, what do the devils do after that. do they dump some salery with a trade, or do they look for that 1 more peice of the puzzle. What players can be traded, names being thrown around are rolston, salvador, zubrus, Langenbrunner, Zajac, i even heard marty's name but its highly ...
Notes from Day 2
Mikael Backlund
Backlund continues to be the best prospect on the team. He proved it again today. He was awesome today. His skating skills were particularly strong, he was smooth and fast. He has a great shot and terrific speed and vision.
John Negrin
Negrin continued to shine today. His skating skills are best by far among all the defenseman. ...
Now I know that this would be a long shot for the Penguins to pull off but..........why not attempt to trade Alex Goligoski to the Ducks for Bobby Ryan? It looks like the Ducks are not willing to give Ryan the contract he is looking for (somewhere in the range they are paying Getzlaf). With the subtraction of Pronger last season and the retirement of Scott Niedermayer, t...
jsiha writes...
Kovalchuk contract could be restructured by arbitrator
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
When the NHL Players’ Association filed a grievance Monday to dispute the NHL’s rejection of Ilya Kovalchuk’s 17-year, $102 million contract with the New Jersey Devils, it ran the risk of having an arbitrator restructure the contract if he or she sides with the NHL in the matter.
One source close to the situation told THN.com that one of the possibilities would be...
Yann Danis has reportedly signed a deal with the KHL's Amur Khabarovsk.
Mark Fraser agrees to a one-year/$500,000 contract with the New Jersey Devils.
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...
It's funny when you look at how a few decisions can have a massive butterfly affect on a team. Release a player here, trade a player there, draft this player instead of that player. When the dust settles, sometimes years from a certain move, you either win the Stanley Cup or you draft first.
There have been some major things the Flames organization has done that spring...
Rob McGowan writes...
Whom Should The Isles Target? Are The Isles Finished?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Check out my post at The Checking Line, talking about the Isles current roster and how I see them producing! Register and leave comments!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/your-2011-new-york-islanders
And also, check out my post at The Hockey Writers, taking a look at the remaining NHL Free Agents and whom I think the Isles should target!...
Once again the league is featuring the Penguins in the Winter Classic. If this doesn't show that Bettman's favorite team is the Pens then I don't know what does.
I get the feeling he thinks Cindy is the only marketable player in the NHL because everything he does somehow seems to involve him or his team. I would rather see another Max Talbot "you can call me superst...
After a flurry of activity in the first couple days of the free agent season, the market cooled off, leaving a lot of players sitting on the sidelines waiting for their phones to ring. There was a sense that everyone was waiting for Ilya Kovalchuk to sign and then the remaining pieces would start to fall into place. Well we are approaching August and although Kovalchuk is...
flyerscup2011 writes...
Flyers overlooked when it comes to awards/ credit
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I was reading a post a week or so ago about the 10 General Managers your team should want to rebuild your team. Based on the fact that Paul Holmgren took the team that finished dead last in the entire NHL only to take his team to the Eastern Conference Finals the following season only to lose to the stacked Penguins. How does that not make him top 5 maybe even top 3 or b...
jsiha writes...
Newly-signed Mark Fraser vows to be 'mean, physical Player
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Devils signed a pair of veteran defensemen this summer in Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder, but Mark Fraser is certain he will earn a spot among the top six this fall.
"I really felt I gained a lot of confidence last year," Fraser said. "Overall, I'm really happy with the way my rookie year went. More than anything I'm just anxious to get back and continue wher...
It’s no secret that Tyler Myers had a terrific rookie season last year with the Buffalo Sabres. He recorded 11 goals and 37 assists and played in all 82 games. To complete the phenomenal season, he was awarded with the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year.
The 20 year old towering defenseman played just as big as his height as he lead the team in ice time per game. Mye...
I have been bored out of my mind over the last two weeks, the entry draft is far behind us, free agency has slowed to a crawl, arbitration hearings are the last exiting thing that remains. And we all know how boring arbitration is. Case-48 hours-decision-48hours-another decision. kill me now! So while this summer drags on I have been thinking of how Pierre Gauthier seems t...
To make a long story short, for those who have not seen the summer blockbuster Inception (which I highly recommend you do), a totem is an object that separates reality from dream. The totem distinguishes reality from dream because it takes on different characteristics in a dream state. Therefore, if the owner of the totem knows their totem well enough, they should be able ...
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...
Since joining the Toronto Maple Leafs, Brian Burke has worked feverishly to distance the club from the atmosphere of mediocrity which pervaded during the years of mismanagement that came before.
While upgrading the playing staff and reducing the age demographic of the locker room are the two most apparent hallmarks Burke has placed upon the Leafs, his backstage upgradin...
The countdown begins.... August 15th approaches us & no Kaberle move yet. Don't think for one second that Burke doesn't have a trick or two left up his sleeve. With just over 2 weeks left until Kaberle's No-No Claus, expect talks to heat up in great fashion.
Who Burke can get for Kaberle......
The most frequently mentioned by fans are Penner (EDM), Ryan (ANA), N...
Sportsnet has learned that an arbitrator has been agreed upon by the NHL/PA for the Ilya Kovalchuk case.
The hearing is expected to start as soon as next week, with a decision to come by the end of the week.
Kovalchuk had signed a US$102 million, 17-year contract with the New Jersey Devils earlier in the month.
But the NHL felt the Devils went too far in giving...
Hearing from source that: Source Fire And ICe
Kovalchuk planned to return to Russia to begin working out with his trainer there to get ready for the season. so it’s possible he won’t be at his hearing.
Also in the mix: Source Fire And Ice
There was also speculation that a representative of the Los Angeles Kings, who had lengthy discussions with Kovalchuk bef...
With the dismal season the Oilers had last season, you can't help but wonder how the youngsters such as Hall, Eberle, Paajarvi-Svensson & Omark are going to do.
Hall is one of the most hyped first overall picks of the new millenium. That's a lot of pressure to put on the kid's shoulders. His years in Windsor made him more of a hot commodity than the new iPhone 4 t...
It was a rough afternoon at the prospects camp this afternoon. Whether it was the ice or the players themselves, it was real chippy practice. The rookies were put through a light workout, as they were finished about a hour earlier today.
The defence were having some troubles controlling the puck in the offensive zone. But in the defensive zone, a couple of Defensemen...
Many people around hockeybuzz who talk about a rebuild don't look far enough into the future to project what a team will look like when a rebuild is complete and said team is actually a contender. A lot of people including our very oilers blogger Richard Cloutier often project the entire roster in 3 years time to be made up of all current oilers or prospects but if you loo...
The arbitrator - Richard Bloch - is a New Jersey native and finished high school in NJ. I don't think that the arbitrator will be biased but we could get an idea that Bloch will lean toward NJ because he was born here, and because no one could do anything about it! No one is allowed to go against his decisions.
Check out my post at The Checking Line regarding the New York Islanders most recent trade acquisition in James Wisniewski! Please register and leave comments! It's a great site with a new fan base that could use a few Isles fans that could share their thoughts with hockey fans around the globe!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/wizzing-isles...
jsiha writes...
Association agree on arbitrator to rule on Ilya Kovalchuk
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Source NJ.com
An independent ruling on whether Ilya Kovalchuk's 17-year, $102 million contract with the Devils is valid will be made late next week now that the NHL Players' Association and the league have agreed on an arbitrator to hear the grievance filed by the union.
Two NHL sources, neither with the authority to speak about the arbitrator or scheduled hearing, c...
There has been a fair amount of Habs news to discuss since last night. With Louis Leblanc choosing to leave Harvard to play for the Montreal Junior, Pierre Gauthier signing Alexandre Picard, and much more, it was definitely time to put together some thoughts.
What does Leblanc's return to Montreal mean for his career and for the Montreal Canadiens? Why did the Canadiens...
After reading in a post today on TSN, it was identified that Taylor will not attend the summer evaluation camp for Hockey Canada. By skipping the camp by rule, he will be ineligible to play in Buffalo this Christmas. Which in turn basically states he will be playing top six minutes in Edmonton come this fall. Is this a good thing for both parties? Is Hall ready for a y...
With rumors surrounding the Chicago organization is ready to sign Marty Turco to a 1 yr 1.5 mil contract if they decide they can't/won't afford to keep Antti Niemi, all Hawks fans will be watching this situation closely over the next 24 hours. Niemi was awarded a 1 yr, 2.75 mil contract in arbitration and with the Hawks tight cap situation, more moves will likely be in ord...
It's no secret, the Flyers need an upgrade between the pipes. It's also no secret that the Panthers need a superstar. One way to fill those needs? How about trading with eachother? Here's my hypothetical trade:
[b]Panthers Get:[/b]
Jeff Carter
Brian Boucher
Picks
[b]Flyers Get:[/b]
Tomas Vokoun
Michael Frolik
Picks
Let's look at this from both teams perspe...
Today another piece of the puzzle that formed the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks has left the nest. Today, Blackhawks GM, Stan Bowman, decided to use his right to walk away from awarding the 1 year, $2.75million contract set by an arbitrator to Antti Niemi.
On the flipside, the Blackhawks have also come to terms with ex-Dallas Star goalie, Marty Turco. T...
I have friends in low places but they tell me that the Leafs have offered Kabby, Beauchemin and Finger for Savvy and Wheeler whether or not this is the actual deal it is interesting that a group of Leaf defenders for 2 forwards. Interesting because if it does go through they'll go from having a glut on d to having a shortage in one grand swoop but they will have depth in t...
wangzhiyuan writes...
If you often drive to unfamiliar places for business or plea
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
If you often drive to unfamiliar places for business or pleasure then you should make sure you get a top of the range system.
This means all you have to [url=http://www.dunkshoes100.com]dunk shoes[/url] do is follow the audio instructions given from the system and you will be taken to the postcode or destination you input into the Sat Nav at the beginning of the journe...
source nj.com
Ilya Kovalchuk has delayed a trip home to Russia in order to be present during the hearing at which the NHL and NHLPA will argue the validity of his 17-year, $102-million contract signed last month with the Devils. The hearing will be held in Boston on Wednesday and Thursday, according to northjersey.com.
Kovalchuk's presence increases the likelihood th...
Some of you already know this, but the Devils will wear their “retro” red, white and green jerseys during their March 18 home game against Washington.
Although the Devils have been advertising the March 18 game as the “retro” jersey game in season-ticket package sales, they have not announced it otherwise to the public.
During the 2009-10 season, the Devils w...
In my previous posts I've indicated that I do not think much of a major shake up is going to happen prior to next season with the Flames, unless you call assigning veterans to the minor league a major a shake up. However having said that I'm a fan and like all fans I like to play the what if game with the rumors that are being circulated. The reason Hockeybuzz is fun to me...
Check out my blog over at The Checking Line discussing Jon Sim's contract renewal with the New York Islanders! Register and leave comments!! They are ALWAYS appreciated, whether positive or negative!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-take-simple-route
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
I've been fairly quiet for quite awhile. I sat and watched Buffalo exit the playoffs in the first round with a lackluster effort against the Bruins. I thought to myself, "Well, at least we made it to the playoffs, and won the Northeast Division". I thought back to the Sabres who got into the playoffs, got eliminated in the first round, reassessed what needed to be done, an...
This article gives you tips on how to cope.Rely On Others - When there is a new arrival in the family, family should be there to help you out and make sure things are easier.When having a new baby, you really [url=http://www.dunkshoes100.com]nike sb shoes[/url] do not realise how much work it is until they arrive.If your family offer to clean for you or cook for you - acc...
[img]http://chievo.theoffside.com/files/2009/05/gabble2.jpg[/img]
Okay now im hearing the decision will come Monday...Ahhhhhhhh!!!!...come on...
Some facts on Bloch:
*experienced in both public and private sector labor arbitration and mediation
*has been involved with the Devils before
*He ruled that Scott Gomez deserved $5 million for the 2006-07 season
*Blo...
I'm going to take a little break from the Flames for a day, unless this becomes a trade day, and take a look at some of the issues going on right now.
Have you ever bought a lotto ticket and wondered what would happen if you washed it or something and it won? Or if you answered the skill question wrong and they pulled the plug on your ticket? Have you wondered how despe...
I really hate the off-season, because it's really hard to write a blog at this time of year. In fact, it makes it almost impossible to write one right now. Please bear with me as I try to figure out what to write. You think I am joking? I have already deleted this column 3 times!
I thought I would write about someone who does not get written about, and talk about th...
According to Regier's latest press conference, the Sabres may head into training camp with a 22 man roster instead of the allotted 23 man roster, which most teams opt for. There are many things wrong with this picture, both explicitly and implicitly.
Now, it's understandable to do this for a few reasons, mostly financially speaking. However, when you have that extra sp...
Forbes has recently put out a list of the best fans for the four major sports leagues in North America (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL). The list includes the top four teams from each of the leagues. The NHL is represented by the following teams:
3. Detroit Red Wings
6. Pittsburgh Penguins
11. Montreal Canadiens
16. Chicago Blackhawks
This excerpt from the Forbes article e...
This has been a quiet off season for the Toronto Maple Leafs when it comes to the unrestricted free agent market. The Leafs signed Colby Armstrong when the gate opened July 1st and Brett Lebda on July 7th, they also look to have loaded up the Marlies with a few other minor signings but the biggest move of this off season will not be a free agent signing and may just be the...
It seems like the odds are greatly in favour of Burke trading Kaberle by the 15th (likely on the few days leading up to their deadline) and it has been indicated that there are somewhere between 5 and 8 offers. First I'll explain why, then we'll go through some options, with no potential team left behind.
Kaberle is the longest serving Leaf and the only player who has b...
wangzhiyuan writes...
Contact your local DIY store for more information on these
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Contact your local DIY store for more information on these.All you need to do next is to make a little investment in something called draft excluders.The first step is to go outside and take a walk around your home and [url=http://www.airjordanssale.com]air jordan shoes[/url] pay attention to the details of your home's construction work.Areas needing improvements are usual...
The Sabres and Oilers had nearly identical records when they played each other for the lone meeting of the 2008-2009 season. Thomas Vanek was the only Sabres player to go to the all star game, with much thanks to his 28 goals.
This game got out of hand early and it remained that way for the rest of the night. Just ten seconds into the game, Drew Stafford took a shot the...
New at The Checking Line, I analyze and rank the seasons of the Canadiens top six forwards, assigning each a letter grade and sharing my expectations for each for this upcoming season.
Where did each player land? How good were they? Read the blog to find out at the link below!
[url=http://thecheckingline.com/blog/george-prax/montreal-canadiens/off-season-analysis-t...
As the systemic dismantling of this summer’s Stanley Cup champions continues in earnest, league watchers are crying foul. Where detractors of the current, hard revenue based cap once denounced the communistic, unilateral sharing of league revenue as the prime illustration of illogic in the CBA (alongside the long-long term contract loopholes), Monday’s exit of Antti Ni...
landsharkhockey writes...
Top Fantasy Goalie Rankings and Draft Strategy for 2010-11
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Years ago, drafting goalies was easy. Every season, you could argue over order, but you couldn't go wrong with Roy, Brodeur or Hasek. These days, it's much harder to predict who will be the elite fantasy goalies from year to year. Consider this: the top 5 fantasy scorers from 2008 included the likes of: Tim Thomas, Niklas Backstrom, Steve Mason, and Cam Ward. If you s...
Jim Dowd's 13th annual Shore High School All-Star Hockey Game between Ocean and Monmouth will be played Sunday at Red Bank Armory in Red Bank.
Tickets for the charity event, which begins at 5:30 p.m., are $10 and will be sold at the door. Proceeds will benefit the Brick Stars “Special Need” Challengers Ice Hockey program.
Dowd is a former Devils and Flyers center...
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 ...
I thought this one one would be a great for Hockeybuzz...I was reading nj.com and saw this post by a fellow devils fan..mmmmmm.....I for one dont believe it..but i thought id share...
Source NJ.com
NJ.com Devils fan ****** has cooked up an interesting conspiracy theory that couldn't possibly be true, could it?
This may soound strange, but I think this is a set...
I've been reading blogs and their comments for awhile now and find some funny as to bragging about past exploits of their favorite team, where teams should be and not be and find some of the reasoning to be a bit tired and not at all accurate with reality so I put this little history lesson together for my first blog on HB for others to enjoy, learn some hockey facts and f...
Since the Buffalo Sabres are coming upon its 40th anniversary season, I decided I would reflect on the past 39 years of the team's history. The franchise began in 1970 and the Sabres have made two Stanley cup final appearances, but lost both of them.
The Sabres have given the fans in Buffalo great entertainment. However, fans are becoming restless as Buffalo remains wit...
NHLNumbers writes...
Best Draft Years Between 1998 - Present (Anaheim to Detroit)
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Total Games Played and Player Quality Considered - All results are open to debate
Anaheim Ducks 2003 Draft
Rd 1. Ryan Getzlaf
Rd 1. Corey Perry
Rd 6. Drew Miller
Rd 8. Shane O'Brian
Atlanta Thrashers 2000 Draft
Rd 1. Dany Heatley
Rd 6. Darcy Hordichuck
Boston Bruins 2006 Draft
Rd 1. Phil Kessel
Rd 2. Milan Lucic
Rd 3. Brad Marchand
Buffalo Sabres ...
detwiler007 writes...
If Kovalchuk = UFA, what does it mean to the Sabres?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Long story short, nothing. And everything.
Nothing because there is not a single chance in the world that the Sabres would do something as ridiculous as sign Kovalchuk. The Sabres already have 2 contracts like that: Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville. On a quick aside, I would be very inclined to say that dumping either of those at the right price would be a very intell...
TheRat14 writes...
Fantasy Hockey Enthusiasts - The FHL Wants You! 4 Openings
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Update: And then there were four. Twenty-six filled and four franchises left so it's not too late to grab one for the upcoming season. See details below:
Welcome to the Federal Hockey League. The FHL has been setup to provide a simulation for lovers of the greatest sport on earth, ice hockey. The league homepage can be found here: www.greytowergames.com
You as the ge...
Check out my interview with Josh Bailey over at The Hockey Writers! Please feel free to leave comments!
http://thehockeywriters.com/one-on-one-with-josh-bailey/
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
[i]Marty: "Oh, this is heavy, Doc. I mean, it's like I was just here yesterday."
Doc: "You were here yesterday, Marty, you were."[/i]
Remember this? When Marty and the Doc were forced to go back to 1955 to steal back the ‘Grey’s Sports Almanac’ from young Biff so that he wouldn’t become rich and powerful and eventually kill Marty’s Dad George and marry Marty...
landsharkhockey writes...
Top Fantasy Defensemen Rankings and Draft Strategy
Posted Monday | Comments 0
When it comes to formulating your draft strategy, take some time to carefully consider your approach to defense. More than any other position, defensive scoring can vary dramatically from league to league. Some leagues value scoring by a defenseman higher than forwards, while others lump them together. This can dramatically change your approach in terms of when to draft...
The arbitration decision over Ilya Kovalchuk's monster contract with the New Jersey Devils will be announced Monday, as expected.
It would have been surprising if arbitrator Richard Bloch made his decision public over the weekend but there was a chance, however slim, that it could have come. Now we're left holding our breath for another day.
Bloch must deliver his ru...
Hello everyone. My name is François Simard and I will be blogging on Habs and hockey activities. I am new at this, but I will be looking for feedbacks and comments.
In the recent years, the Habs pool of offensive prospects has been almost dry. No one came up the ladder and put some decent numbers (apart from Latendresse). The offensive leaders in Hamilton (Maxwell...
This afternoon it was reported that the Detroit Red Wings signed veteran defenseman Ruslan Salei. Ken Holland has been saying he'd look at a veteran for the third defensive pairing, and opted for Salei. Essentially, Salei is a very similar player to Andreas Lilja. He provides little offense - though certainly a bit more than Lilja would - and is a steady player in his own ...
This is my first time writing but I have been following daily. I'm pretty sure the rest of the Bruins fans out there would agree that the bruins are foolish to even consider trading Marc Savard. While I understand that he is the easiest player to trade and it frees up 4 million dollars or so they finished last in the league in scoring!!! It doesnt seem right to trade un...
Okay first off, The NHL and the NHLPA both missed the PR boat by not getting the Kovalchuk thing done on TV. They could have has live streaming of who gets to be the arbitrator between Judge Joe Brown and Judge Judy, then they could have had a fan vote and a reality TV program. A show that follows Kovalchuk's wife on a shopping spree when the credit card gets declined, Kov...
Wayne Gretzky's lowest point total in the 80's was his NHL rookie debut, 137 points. He topped out at 215 points, he also had 212 and 205 point totals. Ridiculous. Todays NHL the max out has been 125 points by "Big Joe" Thornton. Why are point totals so much lower? I mean Crosby is portrayed as the closest thing to Gretz, but I can only see him matching Messier, Crosby wou...
LeafsFanInOTT writes...
Why a Richards-for-Kaberle swap makes sense (for Toronto)
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This blog is written with no knowledge of any real discussions between general managers. It isn't written with the help of any "sources". It's written, based on a large number of online, hopeful fans.
Furthermore, it's written solely from a Pro-Toronto bias. Not watching very much Western Conference hockey, I would not know how much of an impact Tomas Kaberle would h...
I heard a caller on the radio this afternoon talk about the effect that the Phil Kessel trade has had and will make on the Toronto Maple Leafs. I was a proponent of the Phil Kessel trade but I didn't think Brian Burke needed to give up 2 first round picks to do it since he essentially had Chiarelli cornered with the threat of the offer sheet (I know Burke lashed out at Ke...
The Flames and Roger’s Sportsnet just announced a deal on Tuesday that would see the cable outlet broadcast Flames games until the year 2020. They will broadcast at least 58 Flames games every year and be the clubs Official Television Broadcaster and digitial service provider. It was also announced that fans won’t have to “rely” on Flames Pay-per view for games no...
yideboit writes...
Why the Leafs would be better off without Kaberle ...
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I'm putting out my official and final prediction that kaberle will NOT be moved ... but here is my reasoning why he should...
First off .. he was a team worst -16 among defenders last season. This team moving forward, in Burke's mold, is a defense first team. In my eyes, in the right situation with the right pairing, Kaberle is adequate in his own end, but I don't feel ...
landsharkhockey writes...
Top Fantasy Forward Rankings and Draft Strategy for 2010
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
For a solid fantasy hockey draft strategy, there is much to consider for goalies and defensemen. When it comes to forwards, it's a much simpler proposition. First off, get to know your point system. This can make a huge difference in ranking your players. For example, if your league counts goals and assists equally (join a new league), then guys like Joe Thornton and ...
FredoXV writes...
Hendry and (Allegedly) Boynton in the Fold for 'Hawks
Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
Things are starting to take shape, Chicago.
Earlier this morning, numerous media outlets reported that Jordan Hendry has re-signed with the Chicago Blackhawks for one year and $600K. Hendry saw ample time in the 2009-10 regular season and 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Interestingly enough, CapGeek is also currently showing that veteran defenseman Nick Boynton is sign...
Line combinations
Here are the lines that I like and why for the start of the season. Now they will change during the year with injuries and hot/cold streaks.
JVR – Richards – Carter
Hartnell – Briere – Leino
Carcillo – Giroux – Zherdev
Shelley/Powe – Betts/Powe – Lappierre
Here is my rationale. First Briere proved that he is a big producer in t...
Craig Conroy signing is actually very interesting on so many levels. The cap level, the number of roster spots level, his performance level. Very interesting. What isn't interesting is that it's Craig Conroy, a 4th line center, it's the ramifications that we all enjoy. I haven't heard if this is two way or not which would be really interesting to know.
Cap Level: This s...
As already reported “Soviet Sport”, on Tuesday an independent arbitrator found 17-year contract Ilya Kovalchuk with the “New Jersey” at 102 million dollars in illegitimate because of attempts to circumvent the collective agreement.. And the striker once again became a free agent. А So, again, a chance that Kovalchuk will continue career in Russia. В пите�...
Rick Kowalsky, who spent the last four seasons coaching Trenton (ECHL), was promoted to head coach of the Devils’ AHL affiliate in Albany, N.Y.
Kevin Dean will replace Kowlasky as head coach at Trenton while former Devils assistant coach Tommy Albelin will be an assistant coach at Albany.
Vince Williams will remain as assistant coach at Trenton.
“A commitment ...
As expected, I figured Buffalo would come out with a new third jersey this season. However, what I do find a little disconcerting, is all the talk about how starting next season, Buffalo will be switching jersey's, again.
Over the past 14 years, Buffalo has had, well it's hard to count. At the end of the 1996 season, Buffalo switched from the classic jerseys of the blu...
The Flames signed Craig Conroy to a two-way contract today. He will make the league minimum $500,000 if he plays in the NHL.
He is 38 years old and in the twilight of his career. He scored all of THREE goals last season in 63 appearances.
Now, I don’t mind that the Flames stay loyal to someone, but stay loyal to him by making him a coach or a consultant or somethi...
Source: NYPOST
By MARK EVERSON
Last Updated: 5:18 AM, August 12, 2010
Posted: 4:28 AM, August 12, 2010
It's really what late Devils owner John McMullen meant when he said "You don't want 50-goal scorers. Then you have to pay them." The update is you have a huge cap hit.
It was a nice try, elegant even, and the Devils' attempt to keep Ilya Kovalchuk's cap hit...
Forbes Magazine in the NHL most valuable hockey teams. Not bad for a team stuck between a really tough market.
Metro area population: 19,007,000
Devils local revenue per fan: $14
Rangers local revenue per fan: $22
Islanders local revenue per fan: $9
Figures again from Forbes are based on Stadium and local media revenue generated per person in the metro area...
Recently, before the major earth shaking signing of a certain Craig Conroy distracted me, I was being called out a little for putting up the hockey news prediction of the Oilers finishing last. The Hockey News has in the past bashed Edmonton a little, they published a survey that said Edmonton and Buffalo were the two worst cities to play pro hockey in according to the Pla...
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...
Let me start this by saying, I am not a Capitals fan. I am also not a Red Wings fan. I am on the opposite side of the hockey world as a Penguins fan. I do also have respect for great hockey teams and a greater respect for great organizations, so while I don't like the Wings and Caps, I do respect them. The Red Wings have been a dominant team for years and will continue tha...
This is my first blog with Hockeybuzz and I'm choosing to speculate on a topic which has been discussed for several years now, that being the eventual departure of long time Maple Leaf Tomas Kaberle.
I write eventual departure because I do believe that come the August 15th deadline, before Kaberle's no-trade clause comes back into effect, he will be moved. Never in the...
After reading Jon Walters’ 40th anniversary team on Sabreshockeycentral.com, I was inspired to walk down memory lane and design my own. While many players that I loved made the list (like my all time favorite: Donald Audette) I found myself wondering where players like Rob Ray, Ric Seiling and Gerry Korab were.
So I came up with an idea. Why not make a 40th anniversa...
Check out my new post at The Hockey Writers discussing the teams' contract issues as many of the players on the current roster will be looking for long-term contracts after next season!
http://thehockeywriters.com/garth-snows-toughest-job-lies-ahead/
Please feel free to leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
comment on your final prediction as to his destination and we'll tally them up as we go ...
Ill start ... toronto
--
Toronto - 1
Before I begin, I want to say that I am not like a lot of other Leafs fans. In other words, I am not going to sit here and tell you that the Maple Leafs are going to make the playoffs and maybe even win the Stanley Cup just because they haven't for so long now. With that being said, if you disagree with what I am about to say than don't comment saying that I am just someon...
Would the Devils be able to pull of getting Tomas Kaberle and Ilya Kovalchuk? If they did that would cap off an already great free agency for the Devils that the fans of New Jersey aren't used to seeing from their team.
Although the chances seem very slim, nothing is impossible. Rolston, White, and Langenbrunner combine for a $10.86 million cap hit. If the Devils could...
[img]http://ryannellis.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/nhllogowallpapers.jpg[/img]
Instead of annoying board-posters, I will now post my own hockeybuzz blogs. If you'd like to catch up on what we've been talking about over at sabretake, you can visit us at http://sabretake.com
Now, onto our latest article:
Now that our “Down the Road” segment is out of its misery(...
yideboit writes...
Where does it leave the Leafs... and SMALL predictions
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Sure the majority of Leafs fans saw the value of a trade Tomas Kaberle, and dreamed of a top line starring countless players from around the league paired with Kessel and Bozak/Versteeg (depending on said players position), but alas, it wasn't to be, and Kaberle remains a Leaf for another year. Now, the question to be asked, where to the Leafs stand.
In my eyes, the Lea...
For everyone saying Toronto did the worse thing by trading Kaberle I suggest they think again. Burke truly knows who was offered and what he wanted. Worse case scenario is Toronto get 1 year service from him and he leaves. The Leafs current top 6 without Kaberle would amount to Phaneuf, Komisarek, Beauchemin, Schenn, Gunnarson, and Lebda. Which for a rebuilding team is not...
Now that the anger and confusion surrounding the latest Tim Kennedy arbitration fiasco has begun to subside, I think it’s time for the team and city to move on and forget about the whole ordeal. It stings to see a young, home grown player with such a feisty game be thrown to the curb, especially in the midst of an uneventful off-season that saw no major changes to a team...
Two years ago, the Blues fleeced the Maple Leafs in a deal that sent Lee Stempniak to Toronto for Alex Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo. At the time, I might have been the only person in St. Louis who liked that deal. I felt Stempniak was a flash in the pan, and that either Steen or Cola straight up would have been a good trade. But Stempniak was a fan favorite in the STL, proba...
With training camp right around the bend in another month, I decided to do a division by divisionpreview and what to expect from each team this season. Here is the South East Division outlook:
Washington: Look for the Capitals to dominate the weak South East division again this year. Alexander Ovechkin and the high powered offense of the Caps is still there and will con...
More contract rumors are coming up now...the latest 90 million over 10-13 years...
can't confirm just yet
[url]http://www.online-translator.com/site_Translation.aspx?direction=re&from=adv&template=General&autotranslate=on&transliterate=on&flw=1&showvariants=&viewModeSelected=result&sourceURL=http://news.sport-express.ru/2010-08-16/381424[/url]
Ilja Kovalchuk continues to prepare for a season in Moscow while behind ocean the question concerning its future contract is solved...
So Montreal trade their top AHL prospect goalie to the Lightening for Karri Ramo who is playing in the KHL. Their current top goalie on the team is Alex Auld since Carey Price is not signed with the Habs. So now they have the rights to Ramo and Sanford. So does this mean Sanford and Auld battle for the starters job so long as Price holds out. At this rate Montreal...A driv...
Check out my post at The Checking Line discussing Rick DiPietro's next step in his road to recovery with the New York Islanders! Please register and leave comments!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/dipietro-shoulders-weight-next-season
Also be sure to check out the article on the front page of the New York Islanders official web-site dis...
I have taken some time over the past week to sit back and wait to see how the Kaberle and potentially the Kovalchuk situation would play out before writing my next blog. Well one of the shoes dropped on the weekend with Kaberle remaining a Leaf. I know this has set off a firestorm in Leaf Nation as to whether this move was correct. At this point it is irrelevant because...
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...
Okay here is the latest...
Rumor has it that Lou has submitted a new contract to the NHL its supposdley over 10 years im guessing 13 or 14 max...still trying to confirm
michael_sousa writes...
Define Great Defenseman in the NHL? Kaberle follow-up...
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
First off, I am your prototypical diehard Toronto Maple Leafs fan that hopes every year will be different and we will win the Stanley Cup. I really thought Kaberle would be traded before midnight deadline on August 15th. I did not necessarily want Kaberle dealt, but Burke made certain deals and moves that suggested a changing of the guard. He first named Phaneuf the tea...
In preparing for your upcoming fantasy hockey drafts, one of the keys to watch for are players who are poised for a breakout season. These are guys who have yet to reach the upper levels of fantasy hockey players, but could get into that territory by season's end. If you draft purely off of last season's stats, you're always going to miss out on some of the best perfo...
Every year some average Nhl player or young stud who hasent lived up to expectations has a huge breakout season. Jussi Jokinen went from a waiver pickup to a 30 goal 65 point player. Genrally younger players tend to breakout in their 3rd or fourth campaign. In this blog i shall post up 10 players who i think will breakout this year . Here are my top 10 breakout players for...
Another day with no news..Actually today was a pretty quite day.....
Lets go down the list:
Rumor that news will come out tomorow about Kovi's new contract...
[b]Thats anyone one guess right now like I said everything has been quite on the front.[/b]
I was asked about the Devils getting fines by the NHL..
I don't believe that the NHL will fine the Devils...t...
New Jersey- The Devils made some great moves in the offseason to already improve a team that finished 2nd in the Eastern Conference last season. The Devils added Anton Volchenkov and former Sabre Henrik Tallinder. Along with those two big defenseman, the Devils also acquired Johan Hedberg, who will backup Martin Brodeur, and Jason Arnott, who is now in his second stint wit...
I hate laptops first and foremost but here it goes Giguere has been the best goalie over the past 10 years and is one of the most poised guys in the dressing just ask anyone who's played with him.
Having said that it appears more and more that BB wants to win now what how much they are going to win has a lot to do with what kind of studs he brings up front. If somehow B...
Source NHL.com
Article By: Mike G. Morreale
What happens when a team expected to make some noise in the Stanley Cup Playoffs instead goes quietly in a third consecutive opening-round upset?
Well, for starters, it's time to buck the trend.
That's precisely what Devils owners Jeff Vanderbeek and Mike Gilfillan and General Manager Lou Lamoriello thought they had don...
Recently I had the pleasure of spending a day with the Toronto Maple Leafs during a workout and massage session. I was thrilled for the opportunity to be around this group of finely tuned young guys. I was especially eager to "learn the ropes" and see what a day in the life of an athletic therapist is like.
I came away VERY envious of these men and the fine job th...
Source: Adam Rotter
site: http://www.snyrangersblog.com
According to Tom Gulitti of the Record, the Devils and Ilya Kovalchuk are “status quo” on a new contract but the Devils are still actively trying to re-sign him.
Kovalchuk’s 17 year deal worth $102 million was ruled invalid by the NHL.
….At some point, the two sides will come to terms on a deal. Kov...
What did arbitrator Richard Bloch accomplish, in the big picture, in upholding the NHL's rejection of Ilya Kovalchuk's 17-year, $102-million contract and ruling against the NHLPA?
As Nicholas Cotsonika wrote "What, exactly, are the rules? They aren't clear. At least they aren't clear enough."
If a 44-year-old Kovalchuk playing in the NHL is "not impossible, but it i...
stinger67 writes...
Disagreement among fans or just a shock of generations?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
(Please keep in mind that english is a second language for me, so I apologize in advance for every mistake or misused word. Thanks)
Throughout the summer, we could witness a rollercoaster ride of emotions among Habs fans. With Halak gone, some of them are asking for Gauthier's head on a platter. We can witness a true difference of opinions.
I think it's normal. I me...
Source: [/url]http://www.todayinhockey.com/tag/viktor-tikhonov/[url]
The New Jersey Devils would like to add a puck-moving defenseman if possible. This is just pure speculation, but you have to believe they would be interested in Marc-Andre Bergeron as he is a cheap and productive option.
[b]I haven't heard this one yet...but i thought Id share..[/b]
Dmitry Chesnokov of Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Ilya Kovalchuk’s Russian agent has received no indication that Kovalchuk will even consider the KHL. As a Devils fan that is good news as that shows that he is committed to playing in the NHL and would like to sign in New Jersey.
An important key to winning any fantasy hockey league is nabbing one or two steals in the draft. It's a wonderful feeling to call out a name late in the draft and then hear a guy or two mumbling about how they forgot about him on their list. These players may be overlooked or undervalued by other managers for a variety of reasons. Some of these guys had below average se...
In part one of my 2010-2011 fantasy report I looked at 10 forwards who'm I expect to breakt out. In this report I will look at 5 Defencemen and 5 Goaltenders Who are expected to produce and break out. I will give an ion depth analysis on every player. Without further ado.
Defencemen:
1. [b]Eric Johnson [/b](St-Louis Blues) Johnson did not play a sinlge game in 08-0...
With the addition Wednesday of Michel Goulet as their Western Professional Scout, the Calgary Flames have slowly surrounded Darryl Sutter with some much needed help for the upcoming season.
Sutter has been on the hot seat with many fans, including myself, since the end of the season due to the Flames disappointing finish in last years regular season. With the addition o...
saneopinion writes...
Hockey watching tips dealing with your significant other
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I think it's kind of fun to be able to watch your farm team play a few games here and there for an average fan to really get an idea of what you have in the system. Since the Heat will be on TV a few times, against Toronto every time, we will be able to see what is cooking down there, if anything. If you are lucky you may even catch a Jim Playfair melt down! The problem wi...
Carey Price has been used as a scapegoat for this Montreal Canadiens team. Ever since the ever contreversial trade of Jaroslav Halak to St Louis Price has been tabed as the number one netminder by Pierre Gauthier. This tactic though has obviously backfired as Price has yet to sign a contract. Word out there is that Price wants 3 years at 3 million plus and Montreal wants 2...
The Washington Capitals were far and away the best regular season team last year. The Caps scored 36 more goals than any other team in the league, with a home record of 30-5-6, winning the Eastern conference by over 15 points. In a conference that was considered “weak”, a team with those credentials should have, and was considered a favourite, to go very deep into the ...
Okay now the rumors are coming out listen to this one
Former #Devils fitness coach Vladimir Bure told SovSport he thinks the #NJD will move Elias to make room for Kovalchuk.
Source twitter
http://twitter.com/dchesnokov/status/21695062255
Wow if this is true ill be really shocked..I for one dont believe this one for a minute...
On the Kovi rumor about the Dev...
Source : www.hockeytracker.net
ESPN is reporting that the Devils are placing Patrick Elias on the trading block. It is going to be extremely difficult to move the player due to his monstrous contract and the no movement clause attached to it. Sources as of now indicate that the club has not yet asked the player to waive his NMC, so he would still have to approve a pos...
Great article we found on the thought we'd share....
Source: http://thehockeywriters.com
Amidst Silence, Questions Surround Devils in Wake of Kovalchuk Saga
Welcome to The Hockey Writers (THW), one of the most popular hockey sites around. Featuring behind the scenes information, player profiles, draft guides and much more. To stay right on top of our Best Storie...
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...
Some sources are stating that:
Brian Burke Testified Against Ilya Kovalchuk Contract???
Statement by Columnists / Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun
Hello Flames Fans, look at your number one center, It's Jokinen. Sadly it's not Savard, but if he recaptures his past form he could be almost as good. Look down, you stepped in something, that's gross. Back up, you're in Edmonton and now you know why there's something on your shoe. Look down, back up, where are you? You're in the Dome looking at Savard playing with Iginla ...
ATLANTIC CITY — Area hockey fans were thrilled to hear these six words: Hockey is back at the Hall.
The New Jersey Devils this season will bring to Boardwalk Hall five minor-league games, which are being sponsored by the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority and Caesars Atlantic City. An official announcement will be made at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Boardwa...
When news broke out that the Sabres would be unveiling a new alternate jersey this upcoming season, it left fans wondering what could be the next marketing scheme that Golisano and company had in store for us. We’ve seen our share of new jerseys in the past. From what I can gather, the goat head was generally accepted. “The Slug”, although ranked at the top in sales ...
jsiha writes...
Patrik Elias could be moved to sign fellow winger Zach Paris
Posted Monday | Comments 0
There hasn’t been a lot of change on this front. Kovalchuk remains an UFA and the New Jersey Devils are still hoping to work out a contract with him. He also supposedly talked to the KHL, but it doesn’t look like he is headed over there.
Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello is not commenting on the situation until a deal is reached.
The End of Elias?
The ...
Just in from a very reliable source on twitter : Dmitry Chesnokov
As I know, at Monday-Tuesday (Monday most likely) Ilya Kovalchuk will sign the new contract with NJ.
URL: http://twitter.com/dchesnokov
Reports out of Russia say Iyla Kovalchuk and the New Jersey Devils will announce a new contract as early as today.
Framework of deal between Kovalchuk, Devils believed to be finalized. Some in the know hinting deal will be 12-13 yrs in range of $84-$91MM
Devils have Added the following players for the 2010-2011 season
Mattias Tedenby
Jacob Josefson
David McIntyre
Mark Fayne
Dan Kelly
Matt Taormina
[url]http://devils.nhl.com/club/roster.htm[/url]
RT @EJHradek_ESPN: NJ owner Jeff Vanderbeek, Lou Lamoriello and Kovalchuk's agent Jay Grossman met with NHL execs at NY office today. Hmmm?
Mattbritton1976 writes...
Lay off the Hate towards The Flames. You don't know Jack
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It is not even what would qualify as the pre season , yet, Everyone from the casual blogger, to the Ultimate Fake who I will not even mention who has a 1 for 5 record in rumors, seem to love harping on the Flames for how things have gone post season.
I though am not among the haters. I love what the Flames have done in the post season.
1) The Phaneuf Trade. We got mo...
Tomas Kaberle needs to step up to the microphone and speak for himself. Rick Curran, Kaberle's agent, complained publicly about the way Brian Burke has put his client in the spotlight during the limited window of opportunity in which his contract allows for Tomas to be moved. Days later, Kaberle's father hardly fell short of requesting a trade on his son's behalf. Rational...
[img]http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2008/11/05/alg_brodeur.jpg[/img]
Let’s break out the Delorean, dust her off, and put the pedal to the stainless steel floor. We’re cruising at 88 MPH and about to take a little trip back in time to … 2003? Yeah. We’ll go to 2003.
When 2003 began, Eminem was on top of the charts with “Lose Yourself”. Eminem would go on...
Contract said to be 13 years 91 million
[url]http://www.news12.com/articleDetail.jsp?articleId=228129&position=1&news_type=news[/url]
Source NYPOST
A source said Lamoriello is working hard at dealing worthy defenseman Bryce Salvador, who would be an important member of the team if his lack of a no-trade clause, coupled with his $2.9 million salary, did not make him a target to be moved to gain cap space.
Another source suggested the Stars as a likely destination for Salvador.
Sabrefan28 writes...
NHL Rejection of Kovalchuk’s Deal: Better Late than Never...
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[u]NHL Rejection of Kovalchuk’s Deal: Better Late than Never on Nixing Bogus NHL Deals.[/u]
If you like/dislike this blog post please participate in the forum at my new website below:
[url]http://watercoolersportstalk.weebly.com/#/[/url]
While this isn’t exactly NEW news, I think it’s very important news for hockey fans. The NHL rejected the Devils, 17 ye...
Hey hockey fans! This seems to be the ideal place to blog if you're a Leaf fan so this is where I'll start my journey. I guess I'll give you some background so most of you will be able to relate to my mindset and the level of my disgrunt within Leafs Nation.
I've been a Leaf fan my entire life, or at least for as long as I can remember. I'm a product of the 70's and a c...
Rob McGowan writes...
Rob Hisey: Potential Goal Scorer Finds Way To Isles
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Check out my recent post at The Hockey Writers, taking a look at Rob Hisey and his value to the New York Islanders line-up! Leave comments!
http://thehockeywriters.com/rob-hisey-potential-goal-scorer-finds-way-to-isles/
Also check out islanders.nhl.com to see featured articles from the Blog Box that were recently written by Dee Karl, Ken Dick and myself!
-Rob McGo...
Well it looks like the NHL is at it again. Frame work for the new Kovalchuck contract was rejected. It looks like that any contract over 10 years will be a no go in the NHL now. Details of the new contract haven't been released yet.
And really this isn't about the Devils and Kovalchuck anymore...I quote dchesnokov via twitter "My personal opinion is that Bloch's rulin...
Finishing in the season near the top of your league can be gratifying, but if you're reading this, you're probably in it to win. And in order to win, you sometimes have to roll the dice on a gamble or two and hope you cash in. You certainly don't want to load up too much on these guys, as the chances of them all panning out is small. Here are a handful of guys that coul...
Is it too early to anoint Steve Yzerman as GM of the Year? [img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-Gy8Dx2EjPY/THTAK4ErpfI/AAAAAAAAARE/9T2NqBHNQAg/s1600/yzerman19.jpg[/img]
Well of course it is. It's far too early. [i](edit for clarity)[/i] We haven’t even dropped the puck on the 2010-11 NHL season yet; hell, training camp hasn’t even opened yet. But that isn’t going to sto...
Source Fire & Ice
The Devils and Ilya Kovalchuk’s agent, Jay Grossman, are back at work trying to find a contract structure that is acceptable to them and to the NHL after the league rejected their most recent proposal—made Monday at the league’s Manhattan office.
When I reached him this morning, Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello continued his stance o...
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman denied reports that the NHL rejected a second attempt by the New Jersey Devils to bring star winger Ilya Kovalchuk under contract.
Kovalchuk
Kovalchuk
The New York Post reported Wednesday that the league rejected a second proposal from the Devils and Kovalchuk's representatives.
"In order for a contract to be rejected, there would ha...
[b]Quick note on Kaberle: [/b]
I heard from a source at the hotel hosting the NHL's research, development and orientation camp last week who ran into Florida GM Dale Tallon. He asked him why Kaberle wasn't dealt and Tallon said because he's a potential UFA next year and just simply too soft a defenseman for any team to offer what Burke was asking. He also said the best ...
With time now dwindling before training camp, it’s becoming increasingly likely that the Devils and Ilya Kovalchuk will have to play hardball right back at the NHL.
To get the two-time 52-goal scorer back on-ice in New Jersey for the Sept. 17 start of training camp, the Devils might have to attempt to unclench the league’s new hard-line stance through what would amo...
Every year as the summer winds down i throw my golf clubs in the garage and get my seat ready for the regular sesaon, always full of hope and optimism. As a leafs fan it seems like the same thing every year shiny new players shadow what the roster really looks like. Yes on paper our goaltending is solid and our d core is top notch, then you hit the forward core, it's reall...
Dmitry Chesnokov reported about 36 minutes ago via twitter:
Nothing new to report, unfortunately, on the Kovalchuk-KHL developments. KHL is still offering 1-3 year contract.
It seems unlikely that Kovalchuck will take a 3 year deal in Russia hes looking for long term
flamesfan!! writes...
What to expect from the flames next season? Part 2
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Many flames fans are already giving up on the season. Some are even hoping for the team to tank this season which would spell the demise of Darryl Sutter. Is this approach towards the 2010-11 season justified? Lets look at the various reasons as to why this season is considered to be over before opening night faceoff by the fans
Last I looked at the Ales Kotalik Trade
...
The Blogger vs. Mainstream Media debate continues and still there's no end in sight. Sometimes there's respect and sometimes there's not. Basically the main difference is one gets paid to do a job, one does it out of pure passion. The new debate circles around if bloggers should get media credentials and access to players etc after a game, for the N.H.L.'s position on it r...
[img]http://www.portlandpirates.com/photos/news/Pirates-logo-on-black.gif[/img]
As the season draws near for us crazy Sabres fans, we tend to forget that another season of Pirates hockey is about to unfold as well. Then again, can you blame someone for forgetting about a farm team in Portland, Maine(apologies to all our Portland, Maine visitors)? It was this question that...
I was fairly close to the output I expected from a few players last year, also with a couple that I was somewhat distant on so I'm looking to improve this time around.
First I'll start with the lineup as it stands today that could conceivably represent Toronto on opening night, then I'll briefly discuss how wide-open the North East is and then move on to individual Mapl...
lately i have noticed a stupid an really unfounded string of Souray haters guys like richard cloutier who are really low balling the talented defense man. After a month or so i believe these "haters" will change their tune watching the guy with hardest shot in the game on the oil PP scoring goals and being a assist machine (if ANYONE on the oilers can tip). His first pass...
Why Guerin?
-Veteran player to help the likes of Roy/Vanek become better all around players. Learn to better professionals on/off the ice.
-Stanley Cup winner. Adds another veteran player.
-Help the power play. Prove PP performer.
-Plays right wing. A position in the Top 6 most feel the Sabres need.
-Cheap signing. 1 year- 1.5 mil
Why not Guerin?
-Old. I agr...
Just a few hours ago the Net blow up with tweets of the devils submitting a new contract to the NHL:
dchesnokov
The latest (last?) Kovalchuk proposal was submitted to the League a couple of hours ago.
Now rumors have it that the NHL has approved the contract.
Contract is said to be 15 years 100 million. Also note: The NHL stated earlier today that the con...
WarHero writes...
Montreal Canadiens - Player Points Predictions - Centers
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Here we are ... about 40 days away from the drop of the puck.
Is anyone as antsy as I am for the season to start?
It's not that I don't like summer, but watching baseball just doesn't do it for me. But at least there's some Canadian Football to tide me over. Speaking of which, Ottawa is supposed to get a team for next season. But I digress ...
Since the Habs ros...
Hi all, I am new to the blogging world so bear with me!
I have been a huge leafs fan all my life, but that will not cloud my judgement on how I think they will perform this year (well ok maybe a little bit ;). Obviously I would love it,as would any other Leaf fan, for them to end the dreadful stanley cup drought, or even their post-lockout playoff drought, but lets be ho...
Hey puckheads. So starting today, I'll post a new NHL Who Am I? trivia every Friday. You guys smashed the first one the other day, but they won't always be as easy as that.
I'll post the answer and details of the previous NHL Who Am I? before posting the new one.
[b]NHL Who Am I? #1 - Ed Olczyk[/b]
1. I was drafted 3rd overall by an Original Six team.
-He ...
So it looks as if the summer of kovalchuk has at long last coming to an end. After a couple failed attempts to get a deal done with the Kings, a surprise offer from the Islanders for 10 years $100 million dollars that was nothing more then a false rumor that was created by a writer at the LA Times and spread like a virus all through the internet in less then 24 hours. And ...
saneopinion writes...
Kariya/Oilers Goalie Options/Flames who have low socks.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
There was a time around 95-2000 where Paul Kariya was a major pick in our pool, maybe a top 5 at one point. A high quality goal scorer, terrific speed, incredibly classy and now it appears his career might be over due to a head injury. I feel kind of sad about it, I felt the same way when Pat Lafontaine went down with head issues, just so much fun to watch but the eggshell...
Check out my new post at The Checking Line discussing who may be the likely candidate to have a breakout season in 2010-2011! Register and leave comments, feedback is always appreciated!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/who-will-be-next-unsung-hero-isles
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
I've also start...
Here is a little thing I like to do annually, but I began to post this on HB last year. Though they we're weird...perhaps a tad crazy, most came true. So I decided to post them again. Here's what I think the 2010-2011 NHL Regular Season will look like,Some of them are pretty obvious, some of them have you rubbing your chin, and some just make you angry for some reason. Enj...
Some teams have cap space right now and can make a trade. Having cap space doesn't mean a team will make a trade though. In fact the biggest indicator of a teams willingness to make a trade is expectations. There are few teams with that right combination of cap space and high expectations that have voids that need to be filled...possibly by Calgary who is definitely consid...
Did you ever wonder what it would be like if NHL players and personalities were cast in major movie roles? Well, I’m going to answer that question today by listing some of the greatest movie quotes of all-time and inserting which NHL personality would have been best-suited to be cast in that role, a few perhaps with some minor modifications. Sources say some famous quo...
I "Beleaf" this year will prove that Brian Burke know's what he's doing. And will also finally silence doubters. If all goes well, the statistics and line-up will look like this.
LW/C/RW
Kris Versteeg/Tyler Bozak/Phil Kessel
Clarke Macarthur/Mikhail Grabovski/Colby Armstrong
Nikolai Kulemin/John Mitchell/Marcel Mueller
Fredrik Sjostrom/Christian Hanson/Luca Caputi
...
Slovakian blueliner Andrej Sekera has played parts of four seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, but has yet to prove anything to anyone. Sekera is a talented skater and passer and could be the offensive defenseman the Sabres have needed since Brian Campbell left in 2008. Sekera is currently penciled in as the Sabres’ 6th and final defenseman, but it is in his hands to mainta...
Two years 4.55 million 2.225 cap it and per year pay out.
Hey all, new here and just figuring out how all of this works. I have been reading for a long time, and just now decided to sign up. Avid Ducks, Flames, and somewhat Caps fan, so I will be randomly blogging on one of the three at any given time. Considering there is no Ducks blogger here, I figured I may as well fill the hole a bit. First blog to come eventually, ahaha.
...
When preparing for your fantasy hockey draft, the lazy man's plan is to pull out last year's stats and pick the guy who had the most points. Many bad assumptions go into that philosophy. You ultimately end up with a roster of one-hit wonders and miss out on rising players. The players identified below likely peaked last year or had a fluke of a great season. While most o...
Source NYPOST
It's difficult to fathom, but rumors are floating that Travis Zajac may be among the players the Devils will eventually sacrifice to get under the salary cap if Ilya Kovalchuk's $100 million, 15-year contract is approved by the NHL.
Conventional wisdom suggests Bryce Salvador ($2.9 million) and Dainius Zubrus ($3.4 million) are the obvious candidates to...
jsiha writes...
NHL finally approves Devils’ contract, but Kovalchuk retires
Posted Monday | Comments 0
This is a pretty funny article about the entire Kovi saga...
Source: http://intenttoblow.com/?p=956
The National Hockey League at long last approved a 15-year contract that would send Ilya Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils Monday, only to have Kovalchuk retire immediately afterwards at the age of 42.
“It was really exciting to hear we had finally gotten it done...
Hello everyone,
First blog, very excited. But I am more excited because the upcoming season is just a few more weeks away, and I am anxious to see how the habs will fare this season. After a wonderful run in the playoffs last season, it's back to the start for Montreal and they must start all over again with 30 teams in the running. In the offseason, Pierre Gauthier tra...
First Edition, if there is success, it will be brought back.
Enjoy
Stanley Cup: Vancouver Canucks
Reason: It looks like the 'Nucks are shaping up to be the new Hawks, with the stacked roster, all the way to the cap issues..
Presidents: Washington Capitals
Reason: 1 abbreviation: A.O
Maurice Richard: Alexander Ovechkin
Reason: Look for A.O to bounce back from ...
Stanley Cup: NJD
Reason: All hinges on Brodeur, but with a more competent backup (The Moose), he will get more rest in the regular season and with the wicked supporting cast NJ has, I can definitely see them taking it all if Brodeur steps up his post-season play.
Presidents: Washington Capitals
Reason: Is a reason needed?
Maurice Richard: Alexander Ovechkin
Reason...
Courtesy of http://www.etownhockey.com/2010/08/oilers-defense-review-and-where-leafs.html
The Oilers are coming off their worst season in franchise history. Some of the work Tambellini has accomplished this offseason has been a staggering over haul, but mostly on the front end. The forwards are looking promising for the future, but how about the defense?
Name - age...
Source Fire & Ice
After spending Monday reviewing the 15-year, $100 million contract Ilya Kovalchuk signed with the Devils on Friday, the NHL did not announce a decision on whether it was going to approve or reject the deal.
Although a source said the league did not officially inform the Devils of a decision on the contract—that would come in the form of a let...
Interesting rumor surfaced lastnight via twitter. The Devils might be in on Niemi but no confirmation on either. Now this would be really interesting...Again just a rumor...
Follow us on [url]http://fb.me/GTF4jkYf[/url]
Update:
Via Twitter NHL news: According to ESPN, Antti Niemi could sign a contract within 48 hours.
Every fantasy hockey league is different. Even if you're Biff Tannen and you know exactly how many points each player will score next season, it's no guarantee for fantasy victory if you don't fashion your draft strategy to the league you're in. In this post, I'll give you some tips and guidance on how to draft (and win) in a standard CBS fantasy hockey league.
Point...
As Sabres fans look at this year’s team after the offseason moves (or lack of them), most likely they will be disappointed. Fans have been very critical of the management’s moves over recent years. With a deeper look at the team, has the team improved? A quick comparison may not look better, but even with the lack of acquisitions, the Sabres may be set for a deep run ...
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...
Check out my recent article at The Hockey Writers as Doug Weight's contract is finalized for the 2010-2011 season! Leave comments under the blog, it's always appreciated!
http://thehockeywriters.com/isles-keep-on-the-weight/
P.S. Check out my Facebook fan page for my blogs and add it to one of your pages!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rob-McGowans-Islanders-Blogs/13...
I really don't understand where all the hate for Price comes from. It's always the same story in Montreal, a youngster comes up, he's the savior (i.e. Jesus Price) and after 2 years he's nothing, a piece of garbage, a bust (Latendresse, Pacioretty, D'agostini, Price, McDonagh). What's going to happen if ever Subban has a bad season?!
Young players (especially goalies a...
BuddyBrier writes...
September Predictions for 2010 (Who will make the playoffs?)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Hello
This is the Moose Review and I’m Buddy Brier
Now that it’s September, it’s about time we take a look at the upcoming 2010/11 NHL season
We’ll start with my predictions of the teams that make the playoffs for the end of the upcoming season.
In the west, I’m predicting the standings will look like this:
1st - Detroit
2nd - Vancouver
3rd - Sa...
Well another hockey season is upon us and all the hopes and dreams of any fan of any team are all equal. Having said that I am one of them but I do see some teams tanking it big time with the changes they made and other teams making big gains.
The following are the teams about to fall into the bottom of the Eastern conference;
1. Montreal who was a Cinderella story ...
This piece from one of our admins on our NJ Devils Blog on Facebook...If your on facebook and are a Devils fan you should follow us.
The NHL has proven this summer that they want to stand up for their rules. And they have proven that no matter how poorly the expected publicity paints league officials and the NHL, in their minds any publicity is good publicity. Howe...
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...
There has been a lot of criticism of Craig Rivet’s play over this past season, and let’s be honest: most of it had merit. There has also been some recent unrest in his captaincy and leadership of the team. Should Rivet be the Captain? How has he done so far? And who could take his place? Let’s take a look.
Craig Rivet came to the Sabres in the summer of 2008 after...
All around the I see passionate Devil fans being called "Cry Babies"...Really well lets get one thing straight, were not crying here were just frustated with theis entire process...we are trying to sign one of the top scores in the NHL while trying to make moves to fit his new contract. Also we have to worry about our star player Zach next year....So I don't think the outc...
As per HabsInsideOut:
The Canadiens have signed goaltender Carey Price to a two-year contract.
No word yet on the terms of the contract, which will take him to the end of the 2011-12 season.
From the team's press release:
MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens general manager Pierre Gauthier announced today the signing of goaltender Carey Price to a two-year contract...
With the recent off season waives, trades and signings, the acquisition of Hall and pulling up two other good (supposedly phenomenal) rookies via Eberle and Paajarvi, it looks like the rebuilding of the Oiler’s may be close to complete.
Are they going to be able to go from Dead Last in the league to 8th or higher in the West?
Right now. I’m going to say no .
...
Source TG Fire And Ice
There have been so many deadline days during the Ilya Kovalchuk saga, I’ve lost track. We’ve got another one coming on Friday. The question is, will it be the last?
After the NHL and NHL Players’ Association mutually agreed to a 48-hour pushback of Wednesday’s 5 p.m. deadline for the league to approve or reject Kovalchuk’s 15-year, $1...
Update Via Twitter: TSN's DarrenDreger Good
discussions Thurs between NHL and PA, but no settlement. Kovy deal is
tied to this, so postponement today seems likely at this point.
Were seeing that more than likely another extension will be announced today. We would be really shocked if the NHL actually has a decision today on the Kovalchuck contract....
All good things eventually come to an end. When it comes to drafting a winning fantasy hockey roster, it's important to know when the end has come, or at least, know when it's approaching. As much as we hate to acknowledge it, hockey players can only stay on top for so long before they start to slide. If you draft with your heart and pay too much attention to history an...
Well it looks like from sources around the net that the NHL will probably once again extend the deadline. Why? who knows..
The NHL knows if they reject the contract this time around and it goes before an arbitrator the Devils have a good chance on winning the case. The NHL is running out of time...and they know the Devils and Kovalchuck are too..so why not drag it out a...
Well its 1:30PM and yet no word on the Kovalchuck Decision.
No surprise here...but we have found out that the NHLPA began preparing grievance for Kovy II on Tuesday in case NHL did reject contract.....The question is will the NHL come out on top this time...
And the story continues.....
WarHero writes...
Montreal Canadiens - Player Points Predictions - Wingers
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Well folks, its 34 days till the season starts, but training camp is right around the corner!
Finally! Let’s get back to some hockey!
Living in Ottawa gives me a unique opportunity to watch 3 brands of hockey. Besides the Sens, I can also take in either an Ottawa 67’s (OHL) or Gautineau Olympiques (QMJHL) game. This year I will be doing both so I can catch Jarred...
We all remember how this season ended, but many may not be aware of how the Sabres actually got to the finals during the 1998-1999 season. The Sabres were not expected to do well at all that year.
Just one year prior, Miroslav Satan led the team with just 46 points. The Sabres draft picks before the start of the season didn’t fare too well, either. They included Andre...
Hey Blogolites! Happy Labour Day. I hope you all enjoy it. You know what I love about Labour Day? Besides the fact we get day off, it means that NHL training camps are right around the corner. And thank God because this off-season seems like it's lasted forever. At least it has to me....what about you?
On that note, let's get to another NHL Who Am I? trivia. I k...
I'm starting a new weekly bolg. I will be writing about the NHL in general and sometimes, more specifically, the Habs. The post post-season saw the trade of playoff hero Jaroslav Halak to the Blues for Lars Eller and Ian Schultz. Eller, who should be the third line center this year, has good playmaking ability and isn't afraid to play in rough spots. Schultz is probably a ...
Information is key if you want to dominate your fantasy hockey draft. Here are some players with major risk factors, that you should be wary of drafting, and in some cases, you should strike him from your list completely.
Offense
Maxim Afinogenov ATL
Afinogenov signed on to play in the KHL. So you may want to avoid drafting him, eh?
Paul Kariya UFA
O...
If you’re a Sabres fan, you probably find yourself predicting the outcomes of games before they start. Well, now you have the chance to submit your predictions and win prizes based on how well you do.
Sabreshockeycentral.com has introduced a Buffalo Sabres prediction challenge that will test the knowledge of many fans.
All you have to do is predict the winner and s...
it appears as if Taylor Hall has picked his number. Sportsnet is reporting that he has chosen the number 4, previously worn by now president of hockey operations Kevin Lowe. an official announcement is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.
The San Jose Sharks are a machine when it comes to the regular season. A well oiled, mean, machine at that, and a perennial division and conference contender in the challenging Western conference.
And yet each year, they seem to fall short of expectations by fans, media, and the team itself.
Since the lockout, the Sharks have not finished lower than 5th place in the...
In the wake of the Quebec governement announcing that they will put forth 45% of the cost for a new arena in in the Quebec capital, I believe it's time for the city to get a team. The first major issue is finding the new Ramparts. The Coyotes, Panthers, Islanders, Predators and Thrashers are all in financial trouble and could all very well be moved. There are many suitors ...
New post up over at The Hockey Writers looking for YOUR predictions as the Islanders head into the 2011 season. Will they make the playoffs? Will they get better production from their offense? What are your thoughts on Rick DiPietro continuing his come back?
http://thehockeywriters.com/nyi-2011-a-playoff-team/
Leave comments under the blog, they are always appreciate...
This is how I think the Kings season will go.
1. Martin Jones, Brandon Kozun, Jordan Weal, and Brayden Schenn all make the Monarchs, earning the AHL affiliate a new nickname: "The 2009-10 WHL All-Stars!"
2. Jones DAZZLES in Manchester, earning himself a call-up.
3. Ersberg is traded for Niklas Hagman, who posts average numbers on a struggling Calgary team. H...
The summer of 2010 may not have seen much head-turning activity on the part of Sabres management, but they still managed to make plenty of moves to shake things up in the roster. Changes made to the defense have garnered the most interest, as certain veteran players were put on the market, while fresh faces were brought in to fill their roles.
The combinations of defens...
As a follow up to my previous article on CBS Fantasy Hockey Draft Strategy, I wanted to come back with a breakdown of how you should approach drafting in a standard head-to-head Yahoo league. Many of the principals are the same as CBS (and any league for that matter), so if you missed it, check it out here:
http://www.landsharkhockey.com/post/2010/08/31/CBS-Fantasy-Hoc...
People who know me or read my blog, understand that I do not care much for Darryl Sutter and the way he has chosen to run this franchise.
Well, Sutter’s comments on Thursday at the Flames Charity Golf tournament struck a chord with me, as they tend to do.
Before I rant though, let’s start with a good quote from the farmer himself:
[i]"This is going to be th...
1. Jose Theodore - Back to back 30 win seasons and above .900 save percentage.
2. Miro Satan - 10 points in 13 playoff games last year and still 20 goals capable.
3. Bill Guerin - coming off another 20+ goal season and 9 points in 11 playoff games, someone needs a veteran leader.
4. Marc-Andre Bergeron - QB of your PP, defensive liability at times
who, with the right...
Sabres are looking to do some good stuff this year. Got a pretty kick ass kid in Myers. Miller is good too. They play in Buffalo where Patrick Kane is from.
Well its getting close to training camp time in the NHL, and that means it time for some preaseason predictions and rankings. I'll be putting my conference and award predictions up soon and here is my ranking of the top 60 players in the NHL.
1. Sidney Crosby - No brainer here.
2. Alex Ovechkin - Doesn't quite have the championship pedigree to reach Crosby, defenseman ...
C Brayden Schenn got a scare when he injured his knee during training with his junior team, the Brandon Wheat Kings. Schenn, who was off the ice for part of the summer while recovering from a knee injury, is not expected to miss significant time, although his ability to make the Kings' roster out of training camp might be impacted if he is unable to fully participate in ca...
Check out my post at The Checking Line discussing the possibility of Nino Niederreiter making the Islanders roster out of training camp! Register and leave comments to talk about whether or not you think he should make the team!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/will-el-nino-rain-down-long-island-year
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!...
Just a small town girl
Living in a lonely world
She took the midnight train going anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train going anywhere
A singer in a smoky room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on
Strangers, waiting, up and down the boulevard
Thei...
With rookie camp opening on Monday it is the right time to take a look at the battles that will be taking place this September. Much of the roster is set and there will probably be few surprises. However there is a chance for upsets and underdogs.
There is a top-6 forward spot up for grabs. There are also 2 defensive spots and 2 bottom-6 forward roles open for competiti...
Darryl Sutter's Cookie-cutter Comments:
It's another year and already its become clear that Flames fans need to brace for more of the same from Darryl Sutter.
After having quite possibly one of the worst seasons a GM can possibly put together without actually [i]trying[/i] to screw up, Sutter is back with the same-old shenanigans.
Late last week an article in the ...
The new Collective Bargaining Agreement that was reached during the canceled 2004-05 NHL season brought with it some new rules and concepts which have changed the way team personnel are managed, and the league was dubbed the “New NHL”. The majority of these rules were financial based and have largely impacted the general managers in the league, limiting the high spendi...
When the second round of the 2010 draft was coming to a close, I kept hearing the talking heads all comment on how Krill Kabanov, a world class talent had slipped so far out of round one, and now what appeared to be round 2. At that moment, I began thinking, here is a player who is destined to be an Islander.
My take on Krill v2.0 and the "incident"
http://hockeyinde...
With the season just around the corner, I thought I would run down the roster on the Flames one player at a time and prognosticate, if I may, about what lies ahead for each individual player. I would like to start this 22 part series by looking at the one, the only, Jarome Iginla.
The Captain. The team’s life blood. The franchise.
These are some of the words used ...
One important factor to consider as you're putting the finishing touches on your draft list, is how well the players performed down the stretch last season. Consider two guys who finished last season with 48 points: Lee Stempniak stormed the castle down the stretch, racking up 14 goals in his last 19 games. Meanwhile, David Backes limped across the plate with just 10 po...
WarHero writes...
Montreal Canadiens - Player Points Predictions - Defensemen
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Welcome back to the final installment of my Montreal Canadiens player points predictions series. We are now a mere 22 days away from the drop of the puck with the rookie currently going and the big camp just around the corner.
Let’s just drop the puck and get-er going!!
The hot topic of the last few days has been the signing of Jeff Halpern as the 23rd man on the H...
Eastern Conference
1. Washington Capitals - Similar situation as last year, scary-good offense, young and developing defensemen, questonable goaltending. Look for 1 or both of young blueliners John Carlson and Karl Alzner to step up and help carry the load on defense.
2. Boston Bruins - Last season they couldn't score, they addressed that in the offseason with the trade...
It stings right? All that we hear about the Oilers and their youth and even sitting their best three prospects they trounce the Flames prospects.
Sitting Hall, Eberle, and Svensson was a chicken move for a few reasons. One, it's a no lose situation if the oil lose then hey... The big three weren't playing. If they win then it's extra gloat time. Secondly they were shelt...
Last year, the Calgary Flames traded for Jay Bouwmeester’s negotiating rights two days before the free agency period had opened and subsequently signed him to a 5-year deal with a cap hit of $6.68 million dollars per season.
Jay Bouwmeester WAS the biggest off-season acquisition of last summer. A big ticket, free-wheeling defenceman who could quarterback a power play...
#20- Chris Drury- He only played in Buffalo for three seasons,but he was a true captain on and off the ice. He scored that goal when it was needed most. His timely, clutch goals, are why he is on the ice in the last few minutes of a game.
The hit that he received against Ottawa a few years back is what
sparked the Sabres/Sens brawl
. His biggest goal in Buffal...
So I wrote an abbreviated blog from my i-phone, it's difficult to navigate the world of Hockeybuzz, spell correctly and get all of thoughts across so I wanted to elaborate on the last blog.
This is a tournament. You come to win.
I keep hearing, why would they play their best players against Calgary, what if they got injured? It's a legitimate question. I guess then ...
Drafting goalies is a risky proposition. More than any position, this choice can make or break the fate of your fantasy hockey team. One of the biggest factors you need to consider is how often a goalie is going to play. Some netminders can be counted on to get 70+ starts a season, while others will sharing the net with another man. In short, you want to avoid the spli...
When talking about players who were drafted in the 7th Round of an NHL draft, not many players really stick out at you. Sure, there are the Henrik Zetterberg’s(7th Round in 1999) or Pavel Datsyuk’s(6th Round in 1998) of the world, but for the most part the best a late-rounder will be is a third line grinder or bottom tier defenceman.
Enter David Moss, drafted #220...
There is little doubt in my mind that the two Rookie games are more or less meaningless in the grand scheme of the 2010-11 NHL season, the position the Isles will finish, or the state of the franchise as a whole. It would have been nice to win both games, see some more scoring and dominate the “baby bruins.” Though the Islander rooks managed to lose both games — last...
Before we get underway with all the prospect/training camp/ fitness stuff I wanted to reflect on the importance of perspective with regards to the game. The Bill Masterton Trophy gets overlooked a lot because it's not as sexy as the Hart trophy or the Conn Smyth. This trophy is "...awarded for dedication, sportsmanship, and perseverance." Now doesn't that sound like the ki...
[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...
[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...
[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 ...
[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] Darryl Sutter (GM) Brent Sutter (Head Coach)
[b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 40W 32L 10OTL 90PTS
[b]Place:[/b] 3rd Northwest, 10th West, 16th NHL
[b]Top Scorer:[/b] Jarome Iginla – 82GP 32G 37A 69P
[b]Captains[/b]: Jarome Iginla (C), Craig Conroy (A), Jay Bouwmeester (A)
[b]OFF-SEASON MOVES
OUT:[/b]
Chris Higgins (Signed with Florida)
Eric ...
Check out my post at The Hockey Writers discussing who may or may not surprise Islanders fans with a chance to be part of the starting line up at the Islanders home opener on October 9th!
http://thehockeywriters.com/islanders-training-camp-roster-spots-are-open/
Leave comments in the comments section under the blog!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on twitter!
http://tw...
[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]
...
It's late in the draft and you're starting to lose focus. You've got one spot left to fill and all the good ones have been taken. At this point, you take the next guy on the list with the most points and call it a day. I'm here to tell you that there's a better way. It's called the "Specialist".
In general, when ranking your players, you want to focus on guys who ...
Let’s do some role-play.
Robyn Regehr plays Maverick , Jordan Leopold is Goose, and Dion Phaneuf is the Iceman. Maverick and Goose were a great pair, as documented, but once Goose was blown up (traded) Maverick has never been able to find that perfect wingman.
“You can be my wingman anytime.” Iceman finally accepts Maverick, and vice-versa, at the end of Top ...
2,098. That’s the number of shots Ryan Miller faced last season. 150 of those shots got past Miller and into the back of the net. Miller won the Vezina Trophy as the most outstanding goaltender during the regualar season, but can he do it again this year?
Martin Brodeur will likely be the biggest challenge (again) for Miller. Even though Brodeur is approaching 40, he ...
The preseason has already started, and we are two weeks away from the Sabres regular season opener.
If you’re a Sabres fan, or just an NHL fan, you probably find yourself predicting the outcomes of games before they start. Well, now you have the chance to submit your predictions and win prizes based on how well you do.
Sabreshockeycentral.com has introduced a Buffa...
Tonight is the first of three pre-season match-ups for the "Battle of Ontario", and perhaps for the first time since the pre-lockout era, the games could live up to that title.
Leafs fans will be happy to know that almost all of their new additions will make their way on the ice tonight. Only recently signed free agent forward Clarke MacArthur will sit out tonight's gam...
Raitis Ivanans and Tim Jackman.
When Sutter made these signings I couldn’t help but scratch my head.
Jackman is 6’4” and 210lbs.
Ivanans is 6’4” and 240-256 lbs, depending on which website you look at.
Jackman had 98 PIM, 4 goals, and 5 assists last year in 54 games, while Ivanans had 136 PIM, 0 goals, and 0 assists in 61 games last season.
Bot...
Make no mistake about it. Alex Tanguay at 1.7 million for 1 season is a solid signing, if not a bargain.
However, let's go back and look at the events that led up to the original trade for Tanguay, his tenure with the Flames and the eventual (or inevitable) falling out.
[b]2005 - 2006[/b]
My first season as a Calgary Flames season ticket holder. I was fortunate ...
Check out my post at The Checking Line with predictions for the Atlantic Division for the 2010-2011 season. I'm sure many of you will either see where I'm coming from or completely disagree - and I want to hear it on The Checking Line! Register and leave your comments at the end of my blog!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/atlantic-division...
"Split Squads" aside from being a really really great porn title it is also the reality for the Flames tonight. Every pre-season they play all of their top guys together, which is great, except they always lose against the opponent's prospect team. Vancouver is a team that I actually think has a great mix of veterans and good prospects, pretty solid defense and overall a g...
The young Leafs need a Killer of a coach not a lame duck. He blames his players but takes no responsibility and from any reporter that covers him he's a prick to boot.
El Nino to Long Island
A summer mini camp, a rookie training camp and two all-rookie games into his Islander career, Nino Neiderreiter has been signed to an entry level contract by the New York Islanders brass. Upon learning the news this afternoon, it did make sense to me for this signing to occur.
And whats with Charles Wang?
Charles Wang used today’s presser to ...
landsharkhockey writes...
Fantasy Hockey - Players on the Rise for 2010-11
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Like playing the stock market, when it comes to winning at fantasy hockey, it is critical to identify players who are on the rise. These players are all but guaranteed to improve their numbers over last season. Which means that your average opponent may tend to undervalue these options.
Offense
Niclas Bergfors ATL
Bergfors was the prize coming back to Atlan...
It is June 12, 2009. The Pittsburgh Penguins have just walked into Joe Louis Arena and beaten the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings, exacting their revenge on the team that robbed them one year prior. Move ahead one year to the 2009-10season, where the Penguins finished the season in fourth place in the Eastern conference, only to run into a hot goalie and b...
Brought back from the depths of darkness, Alex Tanguay is back in a city he loves and playing with a player, Jarome Iginla, which he dearly missed.
Tanguay spent the last year wallowing away in Tampa Bay, getting ever so slowly pushed out of the team picture. By the time the season ended, it was clear that Tanguay did not want to be in Tampa, and Tampa did not want any ...
[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)
...
This is why you sign three number two centermen! In case two get injured you line up doesn't really change!! I am fearful of one thing though and that is Conroy on the top line, it happens every year and it hasn't worked in several so I'm hoping against hope that Conroy stays in the bottom six where he does his best work. With Stajan's Injury and Langkow dealing with a slo...
Answer: Trevor Kidd, Niklas Sunblad, Cory Stillman, Jesper Mattsson, Chris Dingman, Denis Gauthier, Derek Morris, Daniel Tkaczuk, Rico Fata, Oleg Saprykin, Brent Krahn, Chuck Kobasew, Eric Nystrom, Dion Phaneuf, Kris Chucko, Matt Pelech, Leland Irving, Mikael Backlund, Greg Nemisz, and Tim Erixon.
Question: Name the Calgary Flames first round picks for the last 20 year...
landsharkhockey writes...
Fantasy Drafts Trends: Overdrafted and Underdrafted
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Now that a good many fantasy hockey drafts have taken place, it's a good opportunity to step back and take a look at some trends. When you're dealing with the masses out there, you have a large number of uninformed players making bad decisions, which you can benefit from. After participating in many drafts myself, I'm seeing a host of players being taken way before thei...
Coming over in “The Trade” from the Toronto in late January of last season, Niklas Hagman was considered to be the most highly skilled player that took the westbound trip to Calgary.
A six foot tall, quick, Finnish forward with loads of unused potential was bound to help the Calgary offence going forward.
The following 27 games didn’t exactly yield the projec...
We're well into training camp and I'm sure I can speak for all hockey fans when I say how excited I am that hockey's back. Although we're in the stages of exhibition hockey, consider it your fix to help ease the anxiety that comes with the anticipation of waiting for October's arrival. After a summer where the New Jersey Devils were among the more relevant teams in the hoc...
Hagman... injured? Apparently Hagman had the flu but came back and played one game in the pre-season, scored a goal and has promptly fallen off the map again. When Langkow hurts his neck we are told, "He hurt his neck". When Stajan Separates his shoulder we are told, "Separated shoulder, out indefinitely". Hagman get injured and we're told ... nothing? Maintenance. hmmm. T...
There's a new post up at the new and improved "The Checking Line" web-site! If you haven't already, you need to register and get involved on the forums and comment on the blogs of this site as it continues to head in a great direction!
Here's the link to my most recent post: http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/sending-message-kabanov
Leave ...
Andrej Sekera started the scoring with a shot off the crossbar that went in. Tyler Ennis scored Buffalo’s second goal on a 2 on 1. The Sabres third goal came from Rob Niedermayer. Towards the end of the second period, Toronto broke the shutout after Nikolai Kulemin scored.
Ryan Miller played the first 30 minutes of the game, making all nine saves. Jhonas Enroth made 1...
Here are some brief thoughts and opinions I had while watching tonights pre-season game:
First off: Wow! It’s great to have hockey again. I thought the long, lame summer would never end. So now that the honeymoon is over we can talk about how the Sabres looked. Before that, I would like to go on record as saying I like what the Leafs have done. They will be very good ...
Preseason Hockey!
It’s about time. While I enjoy the summer months, I much prefer to watch hockey and the time from the presentation of the Cup until the season cranks up the next fall is too long for my taste!
The Flyers have again reloaded for the 2010-11 season. Holmgren gets a lot of blame for not being patient, but his deals have been solid. So let’s look...
Just some quick thoughts on the Flames and some of the players.
As for the team itself I think they have to be happy with the result overall yesterday. Tampa Bay dressed a roster that will be close to what they open the regular season with, yet they were clearly outplayed by the Flames and their rookie-laden roster for most of the night. The power-play, although suc...
Rob McGowan writes...
Streit Out Of Luck, D-Man To Miss Six Months Of Action
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Check out my latest post over at The Checking Line discussing Mark Streit's injury and the affect it will have on the upcoming season for the New York Islanders!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/streit-out-luck-d-man-miss-six-months-action
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
We are nearing the end of training camp, which means the season is right around the corner. Here are my impressions on some of the youngsters and newbies at camp.
Taylor Beck: Good skater, but looked really nervous. On the power play he really didn't seem to know where to go. He sort of floated around. He also couldn't get shots off fast enough. Not ready for the ...
For the most part, I encourage fantasy hockey players to largely ignore what goes on in the pre-season. Ryan Craig got a hat trick for the Pens, so should I draft him as a sleeper? (no, you shouldn't). However, the one thing that you should not ignore at this time of year is the injury news. Preseason or not, those things don't just go away when October 10th rolls arou...
This is the time of year, right before the opening of the NHL’s regular season, when every fan indulges in dreams of Stanley Cup glory. It doesn’t matter how improbable or unrealistic said dream is; we still fantasize how our current roster will defy all of the odds and preseason prognostications and bring Lord Stanley’s chalice home to their fans.
As a Rangers�...
A back and forth battle ended with Toronto on top. Nikolai Kulemin’s 2nd goal of the night turned out to be the game winner as the Maple Leafs won 5-4.
Nathan Gerbe scored on a penalty shot in the third period, narrowing the deficit to one and allowing Buffalo over eight minutes to tie the game.
With the goaltender pulled, the Sabres weren’t able to draw even. Bu...
The goaltending position in Calgary has never been a worry for the past half decade, and considering Flames fans tend to worry about pretty much everything else, it’s nice to have one less thing. This season, Calgary looks to have its strongest tandem to date in between the pipes with Miikka Kiprusoff and newcomer Henrik Karlsson manning the 4X6.
Kipper for his part,...
jt-nuck writes...
Competitive Camp, a tell-tale sign of a real contender
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
While every team in the NHL begins the pre-season camp and schedule with the goal of putting the best team on the ice not every team is faced with the same realities. Many perenial contenders and former champs of the upper echelons of the NHL have suffered high turn-over in various aspects of their rosters.
Chicago, the reigning cup champ was forced to sacrifice many k...
I just asked a source close to the team who he felt had the best chance to start the season with Henrik and Daniel on the Canucks top line and he believes it will be Mikael Samuelson. I'm not sure what this means for the available second line spot but he also mentioned that in his opinion "...can't see Hordi not making it."
I would love to see Cody Hodgson be given the...
In just under a week the Islanders went from a team feeling optimistic about their chances of making a serious run at a playoff spot, to a non playoff team and then finally what fans are starting to call a "count the days to the april draft lottery team". Top defenseman Mark Striet will be out till march at the very least with a torn rotator cuff, and a torn labrum in his ...
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...
Brodie and Pelech. Then there were two. The other obvious up and comer would have been Negrin but he's all heating it up in Abbotsford ( I hope that's their slogan, if it isn't you're welcome.). Brodie the Offensive D-man and Pelech the stalwart stay at home guy who no one likes to go near.
So who makes it? The power play last year sucked and having a guy on hand who c...
flamesfan!! writes...
What to expect from the flames next season? Part 3
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Many flames fans are already giving up on the season. Some are even hoping for the team to tank this season which would spell the demise of Darryl Sutter. Is this approach towards the 2010-11 season justified? Lets look at the various reasons as to why this season is considered to be over before opening night faceoff by the fans
Last I looked at the Ales Kotalik Trade a...
Is it just me or am I starting to hate Drew Stafford less on this roster? Stafford had his struggles last year. They are well chronicled and frequently talked about. I was ready to throw in the towel on the much maligned power forward. He just couldn’t seem to get it together and bring a consistent effort every night. I did however, have a addendum to my surrender.
Th...
With the news that Olli Jokinen has suffered a minor injury in last night’s pre-season tilt with the Phoenix Coyotes, I thought it was time to look deeper into the man they call the Joker.
If you read my column, and I believe there is maybe one person out there who does (Hi Dad!), you know I have never, how can I best put it, enjoyed having Olli Jokinen troll the ice ...
Last night I got to watch my first hockey game on TV for this season. I was excited.
I watched Sabres vs Sens @ the Hockeyville, in Dundas, Ontario. The Sabres came on strong. Even when on the PK. The newly signed grey beard Rob Niedermayer scored about halfway throught the first, while on the penalty kill. Nieds put on great offensive pressure, and ended up stripping ...
mslepp writes...
Telling Night for Potential/Past Calgary Flames Backups
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It was a successful night for the Calgary Flames last night, and has been a successful pre-season thus far.
I had hoped when going to the Tampa game on Saturday night (to check out my new, and slightly downgraded :( seats at the 'dome) that Henrik Karlsson would get the nod so I could see him live and get a good read on his game. But, I never got the chance... fortunat...
If you study my fantasy hockey cheatsheets, you may notice a distinct lack of rookie presence, particularly on offense. There's a good reason for that. As a rule, there's too much risk to spend an early pick on a guy who may not even make an NHL roster. Trying to predict where a rookie will finish is a total crapshoot, particularly when you've never seen them play. Th...
djthrash writes...
Roenick public enemy number one in Blueland / New Season
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Before J.R. opened his mouth to criticize the Atlanta Thrashers on letting Dustin Byfuglien move back to his native position of defenseman, most likely nobody had a problem with him. In fact, like myself, they were probably Roenick fans prior to his comments made during a recent discussion he was involved in. His words are as follows...
“That might be the stupide...
Hey Pucksters! I hope you are all as excited as I am for the puck to finally drop for the 2010/2011 NHL season. It's been a long summer.
With the start of every new season, as some of you know, comes my ultra-fun annual $100 million salary cap pool. If any of you are interested in joining, leave your email in the comments section, my inbox or email it to me at phenom...
Every year the NHL has individuals that surpass a milestone, like having scored the most goals on Tuesdays in the month of November … on the road in afternoon games. So let’s look ahead and see what kind of movement we’ll see on the all-time lists going into this season.
Martin Brodeur is often referred to as the best goalie of all time. It’s a valid argument to...
It has been a pretty good pre-season thus far. Unbeaten and seeing some surprising faces score is certainly encouraging but enthusiasm for the upcoming season can often put the blinders on reality. For instance it is nice to see Kotalik trying, I did say we should give him a chance a long time ago, however he will not out score Iginla in the regular season. In pre-season h...
This is our first of many Sabres monthly wallpapers that we will be releasing. One of our designers, Chris Downey, has created this one for October.
The Sabres will play face Atlanta, Ottawa, Chicago, and New Jersey twice during the month of October. The Sabres have four sets of games on back-to back nights, and have three games in four nights three times.
This is no...
“You may say that I’m a dreamer. But I’m not the only one.”- John Lennon
What if...
What if the Flames won the Stanley Cup this year?
What if the Flames don’t make the playoffs this year?
What if Darryl Sutter doesn’t make it through the season?
What if Iginla scores 50 again?
What if Olli scores 40?
What if Olli scores 10?
What if...
Announced today, the Chicago Blackhawks have assigned five more youngsters to AHL affiliate Rockford, cutting the current active roster down to 26 players. Players sent to Rockford are as follows: Igor Makarov, Brian Connelly, Brandon Pirri, Ben Smith, and off-season (quasi)fan-favorite Kyle Beach.
The only mild surprise in this group is Makarov, who generated some in...
Darcy Tucker has officially called it a career. "After spending the whole summer anticipating I would play, it got to a point where I knew it was time."
"I just knew, during workouts I didn't have that same feeling," Tucker told TSN, "and I needed to be fair with my family."
Darcy Tucker had a successful career playing the role of a grinding pest. After beginning hi...
Hey there, stranger. Long time no see.
Yes, we’ve been M.I.A. for quite a while. Mike, Trevor and I have been busy with life, so we haven’t been able to keep this blog as updated as we would like. However, on my day off, I’m going to give my prediction for the Buffalo Sabres this year. Hopefully, they see this post and decide to contribute their own predictions as...
Hey all....there's been great interest in my $100 million salary cap pool so far. It looks like it's going to be a very exciting season! If interested, leave your emal in the comments section or in my inbox or email me at [email protected]. Now onto the next NHL Who Am I? trivia....
[u][b]NHL Who Am I? #4[/b][/u]
1. I was drafted 120th overall.
2. I won t...
Frazier writes...
My Two Cents: Underrated Rookie of 09-10, and Rookie Preview
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The 2009-2010 season wasn't a very good year for rookies. No star breakouts.
Being a Buffalo fan, I love Tyler Myers. And I believe he did deserve to be the rookie of the year. However, I think that someone that could really have given him a run for his money is (*Cough* Tyler Ennis *Cough*) the NY Islanders' own John Tavares.
Let me break this down into why he's an...
All Haters Beware...you will Discover and get used to the Taste of your own Feet. Want Ketchup or Barbecue Sauce with them? I am sure either will improve the bitter taste of De"Feat"
Flames proved in the PRe Season, with their 7-0-0 Record, capped off by a Shut out by Netminder Miikka Kiprusoff, That This Flames Team Can play to win, as a team, and can still win, in spi...
We got a pretty good feel for what the flames will look like come Thursday
Tanugay-Jokinin-Iggy
Hagman-Backlund-Bourque
Glencross-Mayer-for the moment Jackman
Ivanans-conroy-sutter
When was the last time Calgary actually had a legitimate looking to 6? Throw in a healthy Stajan and kotalik and its actually a pretty solid looking top 9. With a bottom 5 of Mayers,...
mslepp writes...
CalgaryFlames: Roster Battles & Subsequent Trade Speculation
Posted Monday | Comments 0
With the announcement of Cam Cunning and Matt Pelech on waivers for the Flames, we now get a real look at the players who have the final shot at making the team for the start of the regular season. Of course - this could all end up being thrown out depending on the injury status' of both Ales Kotalik and David Moss who were to be fixtures on the third line with Glencross....
We're just days away from the start of the season, so it's time for our first weekly installment of the Fantasy Planner. Depending on your league, week 1 may be very short, or very long, since the first games are on a Thursday. We'll combine the games from this week, along with the full next week for this edition (10/7 to 10/17).
Week 1 Matchups
Teams with 3 Games...
Trans4md Thundrcat writes...
Beauchemin vs Finger, Beauchemin Ain't All That
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr346/HumanEraser2/fingervsbeauchemin.jpg?t=1286235955[/img]
click to enlarge and zoom
this is so simple that it can be found on nhl.com.
finger hardly played last year, but i'll use it as a comparison anyways.
as you can see finger played in 39 games and beauchemin played in all 82.
[b]Finger[/b]
in just 39 games hav...
Brendan Morrison. I sat in the dome in '04, Flames vs. Canucks in a pivotal game 6. If the Canucks won it was going back to Vancouver for game 7 and along with it the home crowd advantage Calgary enjoyed. They turned the beer off after the 2nd period so by the third overtime we are basically hung over. Our seats weren't directly behind Kipper but they were just off center ...
[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)...
For a summer that included no transactions involving superstar hockey players, fans are showing a lot of interest in how the revamped Sabres roster will perform this year; just ask the near 17,000 that showed up at HSBC Arena for the first preseason game.
There has been plenty of impressive work done by the Sabres in the exhibitions thus far, but like in most profession...
[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 ...
With the regular season on our doorstep my goal of profiling every single player on the Flames roster came up a little short. But with that being said I will run down, quickly, those players I missed and share my thoughts on the signing of Brendan Morrison.
The Rest of the Healthy Forward Core:
Bourque, Glencross, Conroy, and Meyer
Bourque is coming off a career...
The preseason wouldn't be complete without a healthy dose of meaningless predictions. As always, I'm here to serve. Feel free to laugh and hold me accountable if nothing I say comes to pass.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic: Pittsburgh Penguins
The Devils and Flyers will certainly contend, but there's no touching what Pittsburgh has assembled this season. I don't ...
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...
kplaza1987 writes...
The next Moulson, Schremph? Introducing Mr. Michael Grabner.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Yesterday morning Garth Snow made another one of his low risk high reward acquisitions by claiming Michael Grabner from the Florida Panthers. This is a move that helps bring some skill to the Islanders opening day lineup with the recent injuries to Kyle Okposo, Rob Schremph and Mark Streit.
Mr.Snow has made some good pickups recently by basically signing other teams tras...
The predictions I'm seeing for this year just don't make any sense to me, so I'm going to give this a shot on my own... We'll see how it shakes out at the end of the year.
1. Vancouver Canucks
It pains me to say this, but when I look at the rosters in the West, Vancouver just seems to be the strongest bottom to top this year. The weakness with this team is defense, b...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Grab A Waiver Pick Up And Head For Opening Night
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Check out my two most recent posts:
Here at The Checking Line I take a look at the Islanders recent pick up in Michael Grabner. This site has taken off over the past year and has really developed into a solid and entertaining hockey site. Register and become a member so you can enjoy the forum and leave comments on each blog that you read!
http://thecheckingline.com/...
Devs' moves: Salvador on LTIR. Salmela designated as injured non-roster player. Taormina assigned to Albany. Henrique recalled.
Will the Calgary Flames make the playoffs?
That seems to be the question I hear more than any other when I watch TSN, Sportsnet, TheScore, or drop in on conversations at the local watering hole.
So, will they?
Well it’s a little more complicated than that. It involves beating out seven other teams in a very, very competitive Western Conference.
I could go...
The season is upon us. In 12 hours time, the puck will be dropped to kick off the 2010-11 season for the flames.
This pre-season has been both a good and a bad one for the flames even though they end it with a perfect 7-0 record.
Positives
- TJ Brodie
He was considered to be one of the better defense prospects for the team, but was also considered to be a year or t...
I really think the only thing I can contribute to a blog site such as this is some insight into the world of NHL bettors.
Throughout the week, I'll post a quick blog if I see some nice Sportsbook lines or opportunities for a Pro-Line parlay.
Please, feel free to leave your picks in the comments section and I'd love to know people's thoughts on the games I've chosen...
Game 1 of the 2010-11 season! Game 1 of this season's "Battle of Alberta," it's about time! Hell yeah! Finally, we get to see how these kids are going to perform on the big stage.
I'm particularly interested in seeing how the Oiler coaching staff manages ice time between the top 3 lines that all have to potential to put up some decent numbers. I'm also interested in wa...
What a start to the 2010-11 National Hockey League season for the Calgary Flames.
They looked fast, they looked hungry, and their power play was really clicking. Oh, no wait, that was the Edmonton Oilers. Damn.
I don’t really know where to begin.
How do you describe such a pathetic effort? How do you wait five and a half months to redeem yourself for a disappo...
saneopinion writes...
It's my team pa...give me the gun, i'll put it down.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
That second period last night was awesome!! I don't recall a first or third though...
I have to say Jordan Eberle... my hat is off to you, crazy goal there and I thought the best player on the ice last time the Flames and Oilers met in pre-season.
What as Flames fans can we take from that game last night? I don't want to be just another guys who goes crazy after a ...
Hey all.....just a reminder, anyone interested in joining the PhenomPool $100 million Salary Cap Pool, the deadline is tonight. Leave a comment or email me with any questions or concerns.
Here we go with another Friday NHL Who Am I? Trivia. I'm sure you guys will get this one quick too. You guys are hard to stump!
[u][b]NHL Who Am I? #5[/b][/u]
1. I was a 6th ...
Western---
1)San Jose
2)Vancouver
3)Chicago
4)St. Louis
5)LA
6)Edmonton
7)Nashville
8) Colorado
Eastern---
8) New York Rangers
7) Carolina
6) Buffalo
5) Toronto
4)Pittsburg
3)Philly
2)Boston
1)Washington
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?
http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=35&id=77834
Roy with 2 goals, Ennis with 2 assists. 'Nuff said.
Follow me on Twitter: http://Twitter.com/The_Frazier
The Anaheim Ducks managed to goon it up in the Red Wings home opener to the point that they goaded the four-time Lady Byng winner Pavel Datsyuk into a fighting major. The result boded well for the Wings, but you can't read too much into that. They looked sloppy at times and committed some bad turnovers. Jimmy Howard got a shutout as much by the luck of how the calls went...
Tonight the Islanders open their season at home against the Dallas Stars in what starts year 3 of the slow painful rebuild and also year 1 of the remaining 5 years on the lease at the once glorious Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. As we all know owner Charles Wang stated at the Islanders media day last month that he will no longer be silent or keep the media and fans in ...
If there was one player who you would have predicted to score a hat trick tonight, Derek Stepan may have been the last choice.
In his first career NHL game, Stepan scored three times on Ryan Miller, leading the Rangers to a 6-3 victory over Buffalo on Saturday night at HSBC arena. Stepan became the fourth player in NHL history to score a hat trick in his first career ga...
The Red Wings pulled another one out tonight, almost in spite of themselves. Taking three penalties late in the third period proved that the Wings have a decent penalty kill, but it's best not to try to give games away. Detroit's boys escaped with another two points against a Central Division rival that may prove critical down the stretch, but it wasn't pretty.
The Re...
Losing a 3-2 game...where we had a late lead...and then seemed to fall apart at the seams...is way too familiar when it comes to playng against the Canadiens.
And this time...we can't even blame it on Halak.
But after watching the Penguins through two games...I can't help but think there is something missing.
No...it's not Gonchar...he was there last year when the...
Today I will be doing a live blog for the Islanders/Rangers game today from the press-box at Nassau Coliseum for The Checking Line!
Stop by a little before 1 PM to join in on the chatter! http://bit.ly/9JHL85
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
It was a good news bad news type of week for the Calgary Flames.
Good news: They recorded their first win
Bad news: They recorded their first loss
Good: They scored a power play goal
Bad: The goal was scored into an empty net and was one of twelve chances in two games
Good: Calgary beat a very good team in the LA Kings
Bad: Calgary was clobbered by the O...
WarHero writes...
Exciting times ahead, stay tuned for more news! - *UPDATED*
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Well folks....
In regards to that Hockey news, I took a chance and because of it, I have been asked to write both live game blogs and non-live blogs for the OTTAWA 67'S!! No, it's not an NHL club but it certainly is a step in the right direction and to be honest, I [b]LOVE[/b] OHL hockey!
My first game blog will be on Friday, October 22nd against the Brampton Battali...
Just a quick hit this morning in reference to the latest blind side hits.
Ryan Miller wants the league to send a message to let all the players know that blind side hits should not be tolerated anymore. I applaud his stance on the subject.
What I have an issue about is that the league can fine, suspend all of the players but in the end the players themselves have to...
The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to visit the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at the Consol Energy Arena. The Penguins have yet to win at home this season and get another opportunity to erase that stat tonight against a Leafs team that is hoping to remain undefeated.
[b]A few fun stats regarding tonight's teams:[/b]
Phil Kessel: 2GP 2G 1A 3P is on pace for 82 goals and 1...
Was hoping to see some blogs about the goalies and those who have been moved down.
Watching the 2 games I am pretty happy to see Mitchell looking like he is getting some of his game back. Anyone else have any surprises?
Welcome to Hourihan 27's Blog. This week I will give you early season noticables about all 30 NHL teams. Here are the first 5 (Teams in Alphabetical Order):
[b]Anaheim[/b]: The Ducks are not winning games so they are banging skulls. Interesting fights between their two games with the Wings and Blues are Perry vs Datsyuk and Ryan vs Perron. Ryan manhandled Perron....
The Sabres dropped their third straight game (all at home), falling to the Devils 1-0 in overtime.
New Jersey earned their first win of the season. They have been playing with 15 skaters due to cap space. Well, it worked out for them. Ilya Kovalchuk's quick shot beat Ryan Miller to give New Jersey the victory.
The Devils played their usual, slow and boring game of ho...
Heading into tonight’s game with the perennial bottom dwelling Florida Panthers, the Calgary Flames are faced with a few interesting decisions.
1. Which veteran defenceman will suit up in place of Adam Pardy: Sarich or Staios?
Well I have to believe Cory Sarich gets the nod here but I have been wrong before. I personally don’t like either option and would rather...
If you have read my previous blogs...and chances are good that you haven't...then you will know that I have recently, and frequently, questioned the Penguins aggressive approach to playing hockey.
In a nutshell...the Penguins are supposed to take the game to other team...keep the puck in their end...generate scoring chances...and either score goals or cause the other te...
It’s not very often that a building containing 18,000 people will almost go silent for a few minutes, but the injury to Jason Pominville made that happen at HSBC Arena on Monday.
Thankfully, Pominville is in much better condition than what many expected after watching him lay in a crumpled heap on the ice after Nicklas Hjalmarsson’s hit from behind. Pominville was a...
Week 1 is just about under our belts and there are many story lines to the fantasy hockey season. No time to panic (yet). We'll save that for next week. Here is what you need to know for week 2 (10/18 to 10/24):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Detroit, Edmonton, Florida, Montreal, Philadelphia, Phoenix
Teams with 4 Games: Calgary, Chicago, Nashville, NY Rangers, San J...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers discussing the Isles recent loss to the Washington Capitals and Nino Niederreiter's first NHL goal!
http://thehockeywriters.com/el-nino-strikes-in-washington/
Leave comments in the comments section under the blog if you think Nino will end up remaining an Islander for the rest of the year!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on...
saneopinion writes...
The Jokinen around Sutter's neck/ Morrison vs. Backlund
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Stajan is back so Morrison has moved to the right wing, when Bourque, Moss or Kotalik come back we will find ourselves in an interesting dilemma. Do you keep Backlund or lose him to the minors when Morrison goes to third line center? For me Backlund is the star forward when it comes to turn overs, he's a little Datsyuk out there, it's amazing. Morrison has been given seco...
Toronto fans know this all to well as JF Jr. put them here until possibly this past season . He's not the only one to do this Sather in New york, Nashville (arguably due to Trotz getting the most out of his players), Florida, and Edmonton (all teams which have finished in the middle of the conference but not getting a top 5 pick, consistently.
Flames may enter purgator...
“SHUT UP! Enough already, Ballstein! Who cares about Derek Zoolander anyway? The man has only one look, for Christ's sake! Blue Steel? Ferrari? Le Tigra? They're the same face! Doesn't anybody notice this?” – Mugatu
This is how I feel.
The Calgary Flames are Derek Zoolander. Derek Zoolander is the Calgary Flames. Regardless of the grammatical nightmare that ...
"I love winning, man. It's like, better than losing."
-Tim Robbins as Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh, Bull Durham
That's probably what the remaining Leafs from opening night last season are quietly thinking to themselves. I doubt they'd say it aloud though, in fear of jinxing the you-know-what. But it is such a good feeling for Leaf fans too. Yes, we realize the season...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line with a recap and thoughts on the Islanders OT loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins: http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-force-ot-cant-get-w
Register and leave comments in the comments section under the blog!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Like my Facebook p...
Maybe Davis Payne should bring Mariano Rivera in to lecture the Blues on how to finish goals and games.
After scoring two in the first four minutes, the Blues couldn't find the net the rest of the game and let 2 points slip away in a 3-2 shootout loss to Dallas.
But they had plenty of chances.
Patrik Berglund hit the crossbar on a beautiful move during a power-p...
If you go and review film and or notice while watching the games, you'll see that Jeff Carter is cleary more effective offensively when working from the left side versus the right. If you look at what Jeff likes to do on the attack, it's either rush the puck up ice and unleash the wrister or take the puck off the wall or from behind the net, loop around to the circle and...
Well I can't say I am surprised at a loss tonight. The Thrashers are 5 games into the season and have solid start and have played 4 games so far going 2-2. The Sharks have played 2 games in Europe and that is it. My feeling is the European start to the season is not a good thing as tonight they didn't look crisp and full of energy as most teams would after a week off....
In Detroit's recent trio of games against Colorado, Dallas, and Phoenix, their performance has ranged from a step behind all the way to highly competitive. The bottom line is inconsistency. Some of that is still early-season rust being shaken off, compounded by yet another spate of injuries that have taken out Jonathan Ericsson, Brian Rafalski, and Johan Franzen.
The...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers that takes a look at how Trevor Gillies and Zenon Konopka are doing what they do best and helping the Islanders win hockey games...leave comments under the blog in the comments section!
http://bit.ly/aAa4lF
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
I think we've had a reasonable amount of games to discern a few things for ourselves about this Flames team and the individual players on it. After a hard fought win last night it was clear where the weak spots were and where the bright spots were. Rinklighter commented he was in the 300's on Vetter's blog and could see the face off domination. I could see a few things fro...
Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs will play host to the New York Islanders as they search for the fifth straight win to open the season. The Islanders are searching for their first road win of the season and hope to earn it tonight by crashing the Leafs winning party.
Tyler Bozak, who took a Phil Kessel puck to the face at practice yesterday, seems to be fine and will be...
During the first few days of the season, when players don't perform exactly how they were supposed to according to your draft list, the constant message is "Don't panic yet. Give it time.". It's never wise to overreact and make poor decisions based on just a few days worth of results. So, when exactly is it time to panic? How long is enough time to look at a player and...
Tonight's loss to the Hawks must really sting for the Blues.
They played tight defense and shut down the champs for about 54 minutes and Jaroslav Halak was showing exactly why the Blues gave up a former first-round pick for him.
But naturally the Blackhawks stormed back and won it in overtime. The second straight game the Blues have lost in OT after leading 2-0.
...
Kipper got his first shutout of the season as the flames blanked the preds 1-0. A really physical game that saw some big hits thrown by either sides.
The Positives
Kiprusoff
Kipper with an amazing effort blanked the preds with 34 saves on the night. Kipper has been playing tremendously and 5 games in, he seems to already be in midseason form.
Sarich
With a few...
Turn over turn over and turn over. Oh look another turn over. Neimi is not looking Neimi like and scoring just 2 goals isn't going to cut it. What went right. Anyone anyone anyone?
My prediction will be 1 more bad game and then some yelling and screaming followed by a collective getting there crap together.
Thursday we get to head off to Colorado and see the...
I have been saying since the lock-out the the NHL needs to change up its divisions.
Just to make the travel a little more fair for every team. It would be a tough sell to the NHL governers, but saying that it could make sence if done properly.
You would have 5 conferences instead of six, North(Canadian),south, east,mid west, and west. here is how they would look:...
tml1967 writes...
Which Maple Leafs should have a statue outside the ACC?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their impressive performance to start the season taking 9 out of a possible 10 points as the club looks to break their longest playoff drought in club history. The team is oozing confidence, looks faster and has one of the better back ends in all of hockey but there is something else brewing.... with the opening of Maple Leaf Square the cl...
The Sabres dispatched Kovalchukless Atlanta by a final score of 4-1. Buffalo completely dominated the Thrashers, pouring 42 shots on Steve Mason. Atlanta could only whimper back, putting up a paltry 18 shots on Mr. All Star Ryan Miller.
Here are some quick thoughts on tonight's game:
-Butler may have played his best game as a Sabre tonight. He was excellent. Fantast...
"You don't have to worry about that. He's not going down there to get confidence. But he's an awesome kid. He's a farm kid, and you know clearly what direction he's going.”
-- Darryl Sutter’s comments regarding TJ Brodie and his demotion to the AHL.
The question I pose is this: What is it that makes farm kids such good hockey players? Are they seemingly toughe...
Luongo. There are guys in the NHL who play for the money and those that play to win. I have to wonder where Luongo falls with these guys. He was the captain of the team, that means he must have that drive right? Yet after signing a long term contract he had a noticeable slump in his play, I know Vancouver fans are going to jump on this but if you're happy with his performa...
It may seem when things aren't going so well that I am more of a "glass is half empty" than a "glass is half full" kind of guy.
Three games into this season...and after watching some mistake filled play...I was already calling for benching Malkin and Crosby...like that was really going to happen.
I have a tendency, from years of playing sports..and really hating to l...
Two weeks into the season. You should have some idea if your team is on the right track or not at this point. Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 3 (10/25 to 10/31):
Matchups
Teams with 1 Game: Vancouver
Teams with 2 Games: Boston, Detroit, Nashville, San Jose, St. Louis, Tampa Bay
Teams with 4 Games: Los Angeles, Montreal, ...
Watching the game on my iphone via slingbox last night with my friend who is a die hard Avs fan was an interesting experience. We see a small black thing on the screen in the net...but wait its just a spec of dust. :)
Finally looked like the Sharks were starting to get things going. To me Mitchell's line was great, they were all over the place and giving the Avs a h...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line discussing the latest injury to the Islanders defense. Register and leave comments under the blog!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/macdonald-out-four-six-weeks
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
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 ...
When my fantasy hockey league started this season, I forgot about the draft. The autodraft picked up Stamkos for me, and never before have I been happier with technology, until it used my second pick to draft Spezza, and then my third to pick up Hank Lundqvist. I was quickly reminded of why I dislike most technology. Give me radio and a TV with only NHL Centre Ice, and I'm...
Going into tonight's game in Dallas the Preds are still unbeaten this season. I'll take 3-0-3 over 2-3-1, which is where the Flyers, Stanley Cup finalists last year currently sit after 6 games. The injury bug has been flying around and it's not a good thing, hopefully we can weather the storm and the dam doesn't burst.
Now onto my favoraite subject, the Canadian press...
[b]Vanek scores twice, Sabres earn two points in 6-1 victory over New Jersey[/b]
What a difference 10 days can make. Last Wednesday, the Sabres were shutout 1-0 by the Devils. On Saturday night, Buffalo went into New Jersey and made it look easy, winning 6-1 at the Prudential Center.
Martin Brodeur was expected to get the night off, since the the Devils were playing ...
Check out my recent post at The Hockey Writers discussing John Tavares' first NHL hat trick in the Islanders loss to Florida last night. Leave comments!
http://bit.ly/cwnHL4
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Another flames win, another two goals for Bourque, another shutout for Kipper another point for Morrisson. The flames are shaking off their inability to score stigma by the buckets. Goals from three different lines and the Glencross line also had some tremendous opportunities.
The Good
Kipper
What a game by Kiprusoff. The guy seems to have x-ray vision in being abl...
Who the hell are these guys and what did they do with the Calgary Flames? You know who I’m talking about right? The team that finished 2nd last in goal scoring last season and was averaging less than two goals a game heading into Friday night -- yeah that would be them.
Well, something happened to change the tides and now the Flames are looking like world beaters ever...
"Whoa Whoa Whoa... Whoa....Whoa... This is not my batman mug."- Peter Griffin (family Guy) interrupting a conversation about something completely different.
I thought about that quote when I hear the conversations going on right now about the Flames. Everyone is talking about how great they are doing and how much they score... They did have a couple of good games on t...
I know, two blogs in one day is overkill but I can't help myself.
D. Sutter has been under heat for a while, this dates back to his Phaneuf trade and the Jokinen trade that brought Kotalik here. I'm not saying that they were great moves but in retrospect we're kind of eating our words aren't we?
On Phaneuf, and Leaf fans you can't reverse facts here. Since going to ...
Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs are set to host the Florida Panthers at the ACC, and are looking to erase a three game losing streak. While the team has lacked an ability to score after their first two games, Phil Kessel and Clarke MacArthur continue to be the team's offensive powers with little to no help around them. This has sparked line-up changes from head coach Ron...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line discussing Parenteau's latest hot streak as he leads the Islanders in points!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/pa-parenteau-finds-success-isles-uniform
Register and leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
The gm Darcy Regier and the coaching staff keep on saying that the sabres are going in the right direction to win the stanley cup. The question is When ? Because so far the play of this team this season from the start right now has been inconsistent, sloppy, and non physical play. Oh and a powerless powerplay . When is the time going to come when theyre going to make a blo...
In what was a pretty interesting game with huge leads and come backs, fights from guys who don't normally fight and teams trying to score on them selves one debatable point has been over looked. Taylor Hall was hip checked cleanly by Marc Giordano, this prompted Colin Fraser to speed over and take on Giordano. The thinking that Hall has to be protected and if you check him...
Every season, a handful of players jump out of the gate and exceed expectations in the first few weeks of the season, leading to a mad run on the waiver wire. But how many of these players will still be valuable fantasy contributors two months from now? Years ago, Brian Savage was infamous for having huge numbers in October, only to crash and burn and disappear by Christ...
Yo, dudes, check it out. So I was over at my friend Chad's place last night. We don't call him "Chad" we call him "Nads" because that's what he's like. A big set of nads. Anyway, I was over at Nads place and we were drinking sum Axe, which we always do on Wednesday because it makes you feel real dizzy n' stuff. And after about the third can, Chad said to me something like,...
Well, at least the problem isn’t scoring goals anymore.
The Calgary Flames, after averaging less than two goals for their first half dozen games, have become an offensive powerhouse reminiscent of the 84’ Oilers – averaging nearly four and a half goals per game.
It’s simply ironic that once the Flames start scoring, the defence decides to take a break. They...
Soon the calendar will be turning to November and you should have a decent idea of how solid your roster is for the season. Last week, we urged you to load up on Canadiens, based on their favorable schedule. Hopefully you listened... Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 4 (11/1 to 11/7):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Calgary,...
Last nights loss was about small things. How many times have you heard Don Cherry say, "Get your sticks outta the way there!!" when talking about defending shots? It's beaten into player from an early age, let the goalie see the shot and take the body. On the winning goal Ian White got burned AGAIN after tipping a pretty harmless shot. He stuck his stick out, the puck defl...
If there’s one criticism that probably won’t apply to Sabres fans this year, it’s the idea that they’ll be harboring unrealistic expectations for their team; not after what occurred in the first month of the regular season.
Loyal followers of the blue and gold have likely realized that this current Sabres team has plenty of struggles to still overcome. After a t...
This NHL season has been unpredictable so far to say the least. Here are some thoughts as to what has been going on with the Sabres.
Buffalo are currently ranked 27th in the NHL with just seven points through 10 games. Derek Roy has been the hottest player on the team, scoring 11 points (5G, 6A) to begin the season.
Thomas Vanek has recently picked up the pace. It fe...
Stop by at The Checking Line for my Isles/Habs live-blog tonight from the press box at Nassau Coliseum around 7 PM. The Isles look to take a win after being defeated in Montreal, as the two teams will conclude their home-and-home series tonight on Long Island!
Here's the link: http://thecheckingline.com/calendar/habs-isles-liveblog
Hope to see you all there!
-Rob ...
This blog will be a recap of the Flyers games through October 29 versus Pittsburgh. I have been really busy and have not had time to blog regularly during the first month of the season.
[b]Positives[/b]
• It has been great to see a couple of forwards pick up with their games that they had in the playoffs. Forwards Briere, Hartnell, Leino, and Giroux have led the Flye...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers covering Matt Martin's first NHL goal with my take on why the Isles have hit a 3-game losing streak:
http://bit.ly/9gzWEg
Feel free to leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
For the third time this season (and this month) the New York Rangers will clash with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In their first two meetings (4-3 OT win Leafs / 2-1 win Rangers), each have conquered the other on the road. Toronto will look to avoid recent history repeating by earning the victory in this match-up at home.
Toronto has scored just 7 goals in their last 5 gam...
The obvious statement is that a 7-2 loss at home against the Capitals may have been the worst game of Hockey I have ever witnessed. The 2nd period will for sure hold a title of the worst period of all time, maybe of any club.
Getting past the obvious though there may be some things that are more disconcerting. After what has to be a low point in many of the Flames' car...
Now, although I cover the Tampa Bay Lightning in my blogs, and they are one of my favourite teams (I've always loved teams that play in Southern areas. No idea why, but I always have a soft spot for them), but I grew up and lived in Leaf nation until a few short months ago when I moved to Newfoundland. St. John's is actually a place that has no favourite team. There are Ha...
Every NHL season begins with uncertainty, but if you look at different teams in the league there are always opportunities for new players to emerge. This is particularly important to all fantasy hockey players[http://www.landsharkhockey.com/Home.aspx] and how they are able to ice the best line-up. This season began with New Jersey as a fantasy juggernaut, so far, not so mu...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers as I take a look at the recent four game losing streak that has the Islanders in a slump:
http://bit.ly/chvweL
Leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
So it appears as though the “real” Toronto Maple Leafs have descended back to earth and have taken to the Air Canada Centre ice. Or at least that’s what most Leaf-haters would tell you amid their laughter and delight. The Leafs, after having smashed through the gates to start the season 4-0, have since gone 1-4-1 and have been shut out the past two games.
With ...
The trade rumors for Bruins center Marc Savard continued today, specifically pertaining to the Bruins shipping their star center off to the desert with the Phoenix Coyotes. Savard, who easily could never be back to his prime form, has been the Bruins leading scorer each full season since he was acquired after the 2005-2006 season. He has been a leader for the B's and in so...
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...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line as I report about Rob Schremp's season debut tonight as they visit the Carolina Hurricanes!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/rob-schremp-returns-isles-line
Register and leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
“In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate.”
Is that Jarome Iginla? Well, it’s entirely possible.
A man who is both chastised for what he doesn’t do, but loved for what he does. It’s a fascinating situation to be in and now that November is upon us it is historically Jarome’s, and the ...
My son is in his third season playing ice hockey. We live is Southeastern Pennsylvania. He started in 5th grade playing Middle School Hockey. While this is the lowest level of organized hockey outside of house leagues it may also be the most dangerous as 5th graders often find themselves lined up against 8th graders. They can find themselves facing competitors four years t...
If one looks at the individual stats on the Calgary Flames for the past six NHL seasons ('03-'10), they will find that Jarome Iginla has been the team's uncontested scoring leader during each one. Only twice in those past six seasons has the #2 scorer tallied more than 66 points. Once, in the 06-07 campaign when Alex Tanguay had 81 (followed by Huselius and Langkow with ...
Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 5 (11/8 to 11/14):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Columbus, Dallas, LA, Nashville, New Jersey, Philadelphia
Teams with 4 Games: Anaheim, Atlanta, Edmonton, Phoenix, Tampa Bay, Washington
Not that you needed another reason to avoid playing your Devils this week (if you have any that are act...
Lots of Iginla talk lately, not by anyone on hockey circles so much but from fans and the media. I think this is a good thing, to mentally prepare ourselves for an Iginla-less Flames team. Iginla has been this teams top scorer for so long it's hard to get used to the idea, how could we win without him right? Well 30 other teams do it every night, and a lot of clubs have wo...
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
There it is again. The Sabres had one of their betterperformances of the season, but in the end, it’s just another loss. Another one goal loss, too.
Buffalo fell to 0-6-1 at home this year, losing 3-2 to Montreal at HSBC Arena on Friday night. Mike Grier scored his first goal of the season and Jordan Leopold added his fourth. Buffalo had two separate one goal leads, b...
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
The Flames perennial leader in goals and points, Jarome Iginla is on pace for a measly 12 goals and 37 assists giving him a total of 49 points in the season. Is this just a lousy start for the notoriously slow starting Flames captain? Or is this something else?
It is widely believed that Iginla has had a history of starting slow and finally finding his groove in the mon...
This is my first blog on here so let me take a minute to introduce myself to all of you.
My name is Mike and I am a DIE HARD Islanders fan. One of the few remaining since the golden era of hockey here on Long Island.
I tried not to get caught up in all the hype to start the season with the Islanders making a miracle run to start things off. I will be the first to a...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line with a preview of tonight's grudge match between the Islanders and Flyers!
Register and leave comments!!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-will-look-revenge
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Hello folks!
Please visit the following link to view the article and Happy Halloween!!! May it be safe for everyone!
http://ottawa67shub.com/2010/11/06/after-17-games-%E2%80%93-player-points-projections-re-visited/
Thank you for reading!!
Anthony
This will be a different type of blog. I was on travel this week and only got to listen to a couple of games via internet radio, except last night versus the Islanders which I did get to watch. Let’s look at the 3 games this week.
Win versus Carolina: Scott Hartnell dominated and is looking more and more like a top left wing. He scored a couple of really pretty go...
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
You can't help but think there is just something special happening with the Blues.
This isn't the same team that would cough up third-period leads last year, or would get caught watching the play, getting pushed off the puck, or getting pushed around physically.
No, this is a Blues team that has flipped last year's script and are doing to opponents what they fell vic...
Do you remember the scene from National Lampoon’s European Vacation when the Griswold’s enter a traffic circle and then gets stuck in it and goes around and around and around and around, unable to break through and drive in another direction?
Well, the Calgary Flames are the Griswold’s and are stuck in said traffic circle.
With every gut-wrenching 2-1 loss, wi...
Our poor Calgary Flames.
I'm now on the side that a rebuild in the very near future is inevitable. This year, or next, what's the difference? They aren't contenders. This is an aging team of mostly past-their-prime/underachieving/overpaid vets. I don't see it magically getting better. (But I'd love to be wrong).
I also no longer believe the mythical trade for a 1st l...
Great article today at http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/20101109_Fred_Shero_deserves_place_in_Hockey_Hall_of_Fame.html?viewAll=y
Fred Shero should be a Hall of Fame Coach. Read the article he was truly a pioneer of coaching in the NHL. The only reason I see him excluded is because he was the coach of the Broad Street Bullies. If he won those titles with the ...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line as the Isles embark on their annual West Coast road trip looking to shake off their seven game losing streak:
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-head-out-west
Register and leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
What do you think the hottest topic with the Calgary Flames is this season? Everywhere you go, if they are talking the Flames, they are talking Iginila. Whether they are talking what is wrong with Iggy, or about the rumours of Iggy being traded to LA or the Rangers, or saying that Iggy should turn over the torch. Then again, there is talk about how Iggy has always started ...
Since the Devil's bloggers are nowhere to be found these days, I figured I would fill in. The struggling Devils host the struggling Sabres tonight in what can only be explained as a war of attrition. Tonight's goalie matchup with feature Johan Hedberg and Jhonas Enroth. Miller will be the emergency backup goalie for the Sabres and it is still unclear who will be Hedberg's ...
Newman is on hiatus for about a week, so I'll be trying to fill the daily negative, I mean reality-check based, Flames' blogs that he is so aptly known for.
Last night the Flames gave up the first goal of the game for the first time in as long as I can remember. Maybe we should get back into the Delorean and get it up to 88 mph ... nope, I'll just use the internet. It ...
The third period against the Bruins tonight was exactly that.
For a team that was supposed to have improved defensively since last season, the Penguins seem to have all the same exact problems they had last season when it comes to defending.
Since beating Nashville on October 21 by a score of 4-3, the Penguins have gone 2-5-1 and have given up 27 goals.
The goals...
Head over to The Hockey Writers to read my latest post discussing whether or not it is time for Garth Snow to shake things up as the Islanders losing streak has now hit eight games.
http://bit.ly/aEMWIj
Leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
It's funny when you look at perceived value versus reality. Right now, in reality, Iginla is a serviceable second line winger. His perceived value as a super star is the exact opposite. Iginla has a lot of qualities that make him hyper attractive for a lot of markets. He does still have an incredible shot and can change games when motivated, he can lead and is a huge marke...
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...
Over the years that Flyers have had many quality goalies that have put up big numbers. And I am amazed at the speed in which Bob moves and recovers. In the 70s we were blessed to have one of the best goalies in the game, ever. Bernie delivered 2 Stanley Cups. But quite frankly since then it is not like we have had a bunch of bums in the net. Let’s take a look at s...
1. There’s a lot of ways to make sure you come out as the victor in a one-goal decision; but one guaranteed strategy is to maintain strong special teams. Prior to the game in Toronto, the Sabres were 3-9-2, with a lot of those losses being by a single goal. A lot of those losses also featured a miserable penalty kill, which at one point was ranked 27th in the NHL.
It ...
Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 6 (11/15 to 11/21):
Matchups
Teams with 4 Games: Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo, Colorado, LA, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, San Jose, St. Louis, Vancouver
Every team is looking at a full schedule this week, with either 3 or 4 games each. The Bruins look to have it particularly good, with 3 of 4 at...
Some observations I have seen lately:
As Kessel goes so do the Leafs, it is no coincidence that Kessel's pointless streak pretty much goes hand in hand with the Leaf's losing streak. I think Burke has actually made some good moves with Versteeg and Armstrong, at the very least the Leafs are respectable but that scoring punch is lacking still. Macarthur is a good player ...
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...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line as I take a look at the Isles goaltending situation and whether or not Rick should play the last game on their current west coast road trip!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/when-does-gordon-bring-back-dp
Register and leave comments at The Checking Line!!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitt...
44 minutes to puck drop.
The flames take on the desert dogs tonight in Phoenix. The desert dogs last season were the huge underdogs throughout and had a tremendous season crossing 50 win and 100 point plateau.
The coyotes, though, have had a rocky start to the season (much like the flames) and the last year's surprise factor has disappeared. They still have a solid goa...
It would be hard to find another game this season that was as well played from start to finish by the Penguins.
True, the Lightning played last night...and are missing key guys named Lecavalier, Gagne and Downey...but even so, the Penguins have been in similar situations recently and they have lost games like this...games they should have won.
Tonight they got good, ...
A few weeks ago I remember reading an article on WGR’s website about how the Bills keep mismanaging running backs in the same way every few years.
It reminded me a little bit a about how the Sabres have functioned with their defensemen, so I did a little digging. Patterns are pretty simple to find when you know where to look.
I will be examining several defensemen ...
saneopinion writes...
Silver linings for the Flames after loss to Phoenix
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
If you want to be despondent about last nights game I certainly understand. The negative story lines are more than the positive. Iginla a minus 4 and zero shots, the final score being flattering as the game was out of reach etc...
One thing we can take away is a new legit first line. I have been imploring everyone to shift their paradigm and start thinking that Iginla's...
The Red Wings have come on strong in the last five games. They have actually played the puck possession game and dominated opponents. Their sluggish start to the season left me a little worried, but they have gelled, switched up lines to increase offense production, and played the solid defensive game that Detroit is known for.
I am enthused to see the recent r...
With a spot in the bottom 5 league wide freshly secured, the fear of giving up 2 lottery picks to a divisional rival because more of a reality. It also becomes more difficult to right the ship and end the free-fall. The team lacks confidence, can't score consistently, has horribly timed defensive lapses, sporadic weak goals, increasingly ineffective special teams and only ...
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!!
...
This is Burke's team, this is Burke's mess. Brian Burke had a hand in acquiring every player on our roster except Kaberle, Schenn, Gunarsson, and Kulemin.
When Brian Burke was brought on board as the Maple Leafs' GM, he had an aura about him. He was big and boisterous, he was confident and charismatic. He was our savior that was to lead us out of the JFJ years. Whateve...
Hockeycrazed writes...
Iginla is the key to restoreing the flickering flames
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I was going to right earlier today about the exact same crap as before, to old lots of talent even more NTC, at the end of the day the team lives and dies with iggy. I think it can be agreed that this group of players isn't the right group to get it done, and will be together for awhile thanks to the aforementioned NTC's.
I think its time to trade Iginla (gasp unthinka...
The NHL has all kinds of players.
Some are skilled scorers.
Some are in your face competitors.
Some are there just to throw punches.
Sean Avery is a rare breed. He posses a little bit of each of these qualities, which in today's NHL makes him a valuable member to his team...well...on most night's anyway.
Yesterday Avery proved again why even though he can b...
Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Nashville Predators at the ACC and are looking to finally sever their connection with their mistress – Ms. Losestreak. Nashville enters the match-up looking to extend a small winning streak to three games, while Toronto has lost their last four games at home. Their last win at home was also their last 2 point game prior to the st...
First off, apologies for a title that sounds like it was written by a 12 year old girl. But maybe that's how I feel. There comes a point in certain relationships when you just can't take it any more. You've been burned so many times that you've had enough, and it's time to break up and move on with your life.
And so it is with me and certain NHL players in the fantas...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers discussing Jack Capuano's recent promotion as head coach of the New York Islanders!
http://bit.ly/bZPZNH
Leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Originally posted at [url]http://www.sportsblognetwork.net/an-entire-leaf-nation-rejoices/[/url]
The Toronto Maple Leafs were finally able to exorcise some demons in a thrilling 5-4 come from behind victory over the Nashville Predators at the Air Canada Center last night, and the Leaf Nation faithful collectively breathed a sigh of relief. The Leafs team that started th...
In the wake of a wave of unsubstantiated Jarome Iginla speculation, Darryl Sutter decided to distract Flames fans by making another trade to complain about. Ian White and his facial hair as well as Brett Sutter are gone, replaced by Anton Babchuk and Tom Kostopoulos. My immediate knee-jerk biased reaction: it looks to me like an about equal trade in value, but a trade that...
I’m baaaaaaaack!!!!
After spending a week talking about whether Man U could really win the premiership this year or whether the England victory over Australia will really shake the foundation of the rugby world, I am back in North America to talk about the sport we all know and love: ice hockey (or at least that’s what everyone kept calling it over in jolly old Engl...
Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 7 (11/22 to 11/28):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Anaheim, NY Islanders, Phoenix, Vancouver
Teams with 4 Games: Boston, Calgary, Columbus, Dallas, Florida, Montreal, Nashville, New Jersey, NY Rangers, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Washington
If you of the mind that the Sout...
It was not long ago when Daryl Sutter was regarded as The Saviour here in The Stampede City. It seems that we've all forgotten to thank the man for giving us a competitive hockey team for the last 8 years. We are such a passionate city when it comes to sports, but as soon as the cards fall, we start pointing fingers and demand heads to roll. Together as a city, as a com...
What if. It is a small phrase that usually pre-cursers everything I find annoying. What if Gelina's goal had counted in '04. What if Dion got traded for a 1st. What if they didn't trade a 1st for Jokinen...or trade to get him back again...or trade him for Kotalik. What if what if what if. As Jim Rome is fond of saying, " if...if my aunt had junk, she'd be uncle. But she do...
New Isles post over at The Checking Line! Check it out here as I take a look at the Islanders recent struggles:
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/will-it-reach-12
Register and leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Rob McGowan writes...
Looking For Help From Within; Isles Call Up Joensuu
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers as the Isles have called up Jesse Joensuu in search for offense as they face the Florida Panthers tonight at the Nassau Coliseum!
http://bit.ly/bTtcJa
Also be sure to stop by The Checking Line tonight as I will be contributing to the live blog George Prax will be hosting with updates from the press box at Nassau Coliseum...
thought I would do a blog on some news I received. Last time I reported breaking news: well, let's not go there. Most of this news is not new, but it kind of adds to the drama. I have news on three teams: Calgary, Edmonton, and Tampa Bay.
Edmonton Oilers
I tweeted the info earlier. This much I know: the Oilers' names have been leaked in the NJ trade. Cogs, Penner, an...
Rob McGowan writes...
"We Had A Couple of Passengers Tonight." Isles Lose No. 12
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers as the Islanders have now lost twelve straight games in a row and head to Atlanta, looking to avoid loss number 13.
http://bit.ly/coTzRG
Leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Why can they not stay out of the game?
The Flyers have played three entertaining games this past week. The first game was a great matchup between two red hot teams, Montreal vs. Philadelphia. So guess what happens during a 1-0 game in the second period, the zebras show up and call 19 penalties in the last 2 periods to ruin all the flow of a great game. Next Philly pla...
[u][b]Leafs vs Habs Real-Time Random Thoughts[/b][/u]
7:00 - Here we go....cue Hockey Night In Canada. Win or lose, should be a great game. I’m excited!
7:12 – R.I.P. Burnsy. You were a helluva coach and an even better man.
7:23 - Good fast pace to start the game. I expect a tight, low-scoring game. Shootout maybe???
7:32 – Ugh, why are the Leafs so ...
I was very sad to hear of the passing of Pat Burns, a great and powerful coach in the NHL. He will always be remembered for his fiery spirit. I remember when he was brought in as the Habs' coach, with the rep of strict, red-hot-tempered coach who would keep the Habs players in line.
My first memory of Pat Burns was in the 1988-89 season, when he led the Habs to the fin...
From satisfaction to utter shock.
What just happened? Did that just happen? Did I just witness that?
Surely, some of the many responses from shocked Flames fans after they blew a late two goal lead in Detroit to lose 5-4 to the Red Wings.
But really, they didn’t do the things necessary to win the game. They took too many bad penalties (see Stajan tackling Filp...
The Calgary Flames lost 2-1 to the New York Rangers tonight.
The Flames had their chances to tie the game, but were stymied by the post, Martin Biron’s pads/glove, or a combination of both.
This is an all too familiar tale.
So what else can I say that hasn’t be said already. Nothing really, and so instead I will look at some individual efforts that have stu...
saneopinion writes...
Staal's Hit Deemed Clean/ Re-build All that Much Worse?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Matt Stajan got creamed last night by Marc Staal and the hit has been reviewed and was legal. Given Staal's history and the circumstances of the hit I would have been surprised if he received more than a game anyway but with Colin Campbell you have to wonder if he thinks Stajan is "a little faker", guess so. The controversy behind the hit is that Stall doesn't appear to le...
Quarter Point of the Season
The Flyers have played 22 games now this season already which is over ¼ of the season. After watching the play this season here is the lineup that I would like to see sent to the ice by Peter Laviolette.
Forwards:
Zherdev – Giroux – Carter (this is a scoring line that Giroux could distribute the puck to either wing)
Hartnell – Br...
In an era of hockey that epitomizes the youth movement, Detroit strays from the norm. Maybe its because of their lack of high draft picks, or first round picks at all, maybe its because of the style coach Mike Babcock preaches, or maybe their just getting all the right 30 something year olds. Either way, its working. Boasting a 14 man, 30 and over roster, 8 of which exceed...
“I’ve been on a lot of different teams the past few years” – Jordan Leopold
The exact number of NHL teams is five in the last eight years, if you count this season with the Buffalo Sabres. Jordan Leopold first broke into the NHL in late 2002 with the Calgary Flames, where he played for three years, including an especially strong 2003-04 campaign during which the...
Stop by for tomorrow's Isles/Devils matinee game as I will be hosting a live blog, along with George Prax, for The Checking Line from the press-box at Nassau Coliseum! Be there for the start at 12:45!
http://thecheckingline.com/calendar/isles-vs-devils-liveblog-special-1245pm-start
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
For the last few games the Toronto Maple Leafs have been playing quite well, there's no question about that. But they need to continue working hard and developing chemistry to keep up any sort of success.
All the focus has been on Toronto's scoring, how well Luke Schenn has been playing, and the great play of Jonas Gustavsson. But there's something that I've noticed, bu...
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...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers as the Islanders have loaned Josh Bailey to their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers...
http://bit.ly/dIGra8
Leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 8 (11/29 to 12/5):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Buffalo, New Jersey
Teams with 4 Games: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Minnesota, NY Rangers, Phoenix, St. Louis
After just 2 games last week, Anaheim comes back with 4 matches this week that should favor their fantasy players. The Ducks hav...
[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...
Drafted 1st overall in the 2008 draft, Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos has quickly emerged as one of the league’s top performers.
The talk has been all about Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby over the last few years, but now it is time to consider Stamkos as well.
He’s too good to ignore. Stamkos has is proving that last year’s 51 goals was no fluk...
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...
Head over to The Hockey Writers for my latest post as the Islanders have ended the 14-game losing streak with a 2-0 shutout victory of the New Jersey Devils this afternoon
http://bit.ly/hQcuYW
Leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Today I am doing another part of the Flames Questions. Here are the answers from Brad Windsor, a very good blogger from Myhockeybuzz, who follows the Flames:
Which area do we fix first? You have 3 options
A. Coach - Do we need to send Coach Sutter on his way? Is the system the problem?
B. First Line Centre for Iggy - Do we need a Centre for Iggy? Would he succeed ...
The Sabres came out of the locker room sporting their vintage third jerseys, but as the players looked up in the stands, there was a good chance they were seeing just as much blue and white as blue and gold.
The Sabres put on a solid performance for their fans, defeating Toronto 3-1 Friday at HSBC arena.
The fans were easily drawn into the game early on due to the hi...
The Flames beat the best the league had to offer, or at least the best in terms of points coming into today, downing the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in a shootout.
The win didn’t come without its share of controversy as the Flyers had an apparent winning goal disallowed in overtime due to Chris Pronger doing his best impersoation of Sean Avery. With the Flyers on a power...
I'll keep this short and to the point.
Thanksgiving is over, yet the Blues felt the need to give that game away like a three-button coat at the Salvation Army.
They struggle SO MUCH to score any goals, yet let in garbage like that.
This was their game, but instead of going home with 2 points and a chance to sweep the home and home, they're going home dejected. J...
After a solid performance and a 3-1 victory over the Leafs on Friday, the Sabres were unable to win their second straight games against a division opponent on Saturday. Brian Gionta’s two goals led Montreal to its third victory over Buffalo this season.
The Sabres looked flat, and the Canadiens took advantage of it, outshooting Buffalo 20-8 in the opening period. Buff...
Here are some numbers from the five game road-trip the Flames just came back from:
A record of 1-2-2.
Outscored 14-9.
Average of 2.8 goals against per game.
Average of 1.8 goals for per game.
Outshot 161-146.
1 for 15 on the PP or 6.67% completion, including going 0 for 12 in the final four games.
16 for 21 on the PK or 76.19% efficiency
1 -1...
A five day break between games may be just what the Sabres need. Now is a good time for them to fix up all the problems on and off the ice.
With a slow start to the season, the Sabres have a lot of work to do in order to make the playoffs. There are quite a few problems that need to fixed before the team goes anywhere. Here are their biggest concerns as they head into D...
TORONTO (Nov. 29) Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager Steve Yzerman was handing out Bauer skates, gloves, and helmets to children at Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Centre in Toronto today. Yzerman, along with Lightning standout Steven Stamkos, have been named ambassadors to the grassroots hockey program RBC Play Hockey. The program is a multi-year commitment that will see $1 ...
With the win tonight the Flames finished the month of November with a 4-7-2 record – a far cry from last year’s 10-2-2 domination over the month of Moustaches.
For his part, Jarome Iginla continued his November tirade scoring eight goals and adding five assists in 13 games. Not only did he score more, but Iginla began asserting himself more in the play. He was the ...
With Marc Savard and Marco Sturm on the cusp of returning to the Bruins’ lineup, it has been well-known that there needs to be some changes in order to clear up salary-cap space.
The first move in what should be a long line of chess moves happened late Monday night for the Boston Bruins.
General Manager Peter Chiarelli shipped defenseman Matt Hunwick to the Colorado A...
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 (...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers that takes a look at the Islanders offensive struggles as Jack Hillen and Andrew MacDonald are close to returning to the line-up
http://bit.ly/gGoVL2
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
I think the perfect storm for angry Flames fans is when the Oilers win and are two points back of catching the Flames (with a game in hand) and the Flames get blown out by the Vancouver Canucks on the same night. That is simply like pouring salt and lemon juice on our open heart surgery.
There are fans clamoring for heads to roll however which heads and in what order i...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line as the Isles prepare to square off against the New York Rangers tonight at 7 PM!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/time-restore-rivalry
Register and leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
The Penguins have been playing some lights out hockey over the past couple of weeks. The significant problems that seemed to be plaguing this bunch have started to improve and the results are proof.
Defensive zone coverage: The Penguins defensive zone coverage earlier in the year left much to be desired. An incredible amount of passes were starting to find their wa...
Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 9 (12/6 to 12/12):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Carolina, Chicago, LA, NY Isles, Phoenix, St. Louis
Teams with 4 Games: Anaheim, Dallas, Detroit, San Jose, Toronto, Washington
This promises to be a high-scoring fantasy week, as many of the top scoring teams have 4 games on the radar (Dal...
There's the question.. Will the Leafs pick in 2011 be a lottery pick. If so Bruin Fans can thank Mr Burke for single handedly pushing the bears over the top into contention.. 2 top 5 picks in 2 years? WOW.. Thats penguin material, Cap material... Oiler traveled ground... In my time on this earth I cant think of a more helpless time for Leaf Nation. Where would we be if t...
The Iceman writes...
Islanders Lack Offensive Attack, And Protection In Own Zone.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
With the Isles set to concluded there home and home mini series with the Rangers tonight at MSG, they are once again trying to dig themselves out of a hole that they themselves have dug. A sloppy yet gut wrenching 6-5 loss last night at the coliseum can be blamed on turnovers, countless defensive lapses, failure to clear the puck, failure to protect the puck, failure to cl...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers as the Isles have completed their home-and-home series with the New York Rangers!
http://bit.ly/eJz3u7
Leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Just a few things I wanted to touch upon following the Flames 3-2 shootout win over the Minnesota Wild.
Thing #1: Darryl Sutter and his claim that goals against are the Flames big problem
Yes, the Flames rank 24th in the league in goals against per game. But, if you dig a little deeper you will see that these numbers are quickly skewed due to a couple blow out games...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers that takes a look at Sidney Crosby finally earning the right to be in the same conversation at Mario Lemieux: http://bit.ly/gQECY9
-Mike Colligan
You can follow me on Twitter at [url]http://twitter.com/mikecolligan[/url]
KevinJames writes...
Miller's Shutout Overshadowed by Buffalo's Solid Game
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
If the Sabres only played once a week they might be the best team in the league.
After five days of rest, the Sabres played their most complete game of the season, defeating Columbus 5-0 on Friday at HSBC Arena.
The victory marked the first time the Sabres have defeated the Blue Jackets since 2004.
There was not much more you could ask for out of the Sabres on F...
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...
projp1 writes...
Patrick Kaleta fight. Sabres vs. Blue Jackets. New Owner?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Did anyone see that fight at about 10 minutes or so left in the 3rd period in the Sabres and Blue Jackets game? Talk about a beating. Kaleta literally made contact on pretty much every punch he took and then after the fight he dusted off his hands and the crowd went CRAZY. Let's just say Buffalo had a good night.
Now if anyone has seen my last blog than you know I am...
Is anyone else excited about D1 hockey for Penn State? I AM! It is going to be beyond sick! I really think they can turn Penn State into a power house and really boast hockey in the state of Pennsylvania. Me being from PA and all. I really think this could be big! He did a great thing for Penn State with scholarships and creating opportunities for all these players. I love...
Tonight the Maple Leafs will take on an always tough opponent in the Boston Bruins. No trades yet as we inch closer to Burkes self appointed trade freeze. Rumours are swirling but I would be surprised if we see anything before the new year.
As for the lineup tonight, Lebda and Mitchell take a seat in the press box with Dion and co. as Aulie and Rosehill fill their spo...
Devil fans you tell us who will let go, stay, trade, waivers or let him walk:
Andy Greene
Contract:
Salary: 737,500
Status: UFA in 2011-2012 season(next season), No NTC, NO NMC.
Means: Andy Green can chose to sign with any team. Example (Paul Martin)
So tell us Trade him now, keep him, waivers, let him sign somewhere else.
Devil fans you tell us who will let go, stay, trade, waivers or let him walk:
Langs
Contract:
Salary: 2,800,000
Status: UFA in 2011-2012 season(next season), No NTC, NO NMC.(after this year
Means: Langs can chose to sign with any team. Example (Paul Martin)
So tell us Trade him now, keep him, waivers, let him sign somewhere else.
Jason Arnott
Contract:
Salary: $4,500,000
Status: UFA in 2011-2012 season(next season), No NTC, NO NMC.(after this year
Means: Jason Arnott can chose to sign with any team. Example (Paul Martin)
So tell us Trade him now, keep him, waivers, let him sign somewhere else.
Zajac, Travis »
Contract:
Salary: 3,887,500
Status: UFA in 2013-2014. No NTC, NO NMC.
Means: He still has 3 years under his contract, He could bring back a good D man if traded.
So tell us Trade him now, keep him, waivers.
Parise, Zach »
Contract:
Salary: $3,125,000
Status: RFA in 2011-2012. No NTC, NO NMC.
Means: The current team must extend a "qualifying offer" to a restricted free agent to retain negotiating rights to that player.
Keep him (which I vote for and I know Lou wont let him get away) Trade him, waivers, let him walk
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line with a fun little bet between myself and Mark Trible, the Flyers blogger at TCL, after the Isles lost to their division rivals 3-2 in their Sunday matinee match-up.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/orange-and-black-years-end
Register and leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitte...
Tonight the Devils take on the red hot Pens. Will this be the big turn around game or will it be a horrible blowout? With all the rumors going around if the devils don't pull a victory out this might also be J Mac last game has devils head coach.
The Penguins are coming off yet another win, the latest in impressive fashion over the listless Blue Jackets 7-2 on Saturday night. The Penguins opponent, the New Jersey Devils are coming off another loss as their early season woes continue. They lost Saturday to the Flyers by a score of 5-3. A video shot of Jamie Langenbrunner at the end of the game could probably sum ...
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 ...
Two years ago Craig Rivet arrived in Buffalo and was given as daunting of a task as there could be for a professional hockey player; Captaining a timid, lost Sabres club that was still reeling from the loss of Daniel Briere and Chris Drury.
It didn’t help Rivet any that he spent the last couple of seasons beforehand on the back lines of the San Jose Sharks, and was ye...
I can't help but see Darryl Sutter's face sloppily super-imposed on the body of Bill Murray as he turns over in his bed to slap his alarm clock at the beginning of another day in the film "Groundhog Day".
[IMG]http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w151/mslepp/darrylgroundhog-1.jpg[/IMG]
That's what it seems like in Calgary, year after year.
Yes - I used to be a stau...
On a day in which Sylvester Stallone got elected into the boxing hall of fame (huh?) and Graham James gets out on bail(you have to be kidding me right?), the Calgary Flames climbed out of last place – at least for the time being.
With the Oilers shootout loss, the Flames sit one point ahead of the junior high school misfits, but unfortunately the Flames have played o...
The Toronto Maple Leafs (10-12-4) will visit the Consol Energy Center to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins (19-8-2). This is the second meeting between these two teams this season. They first met on Oct.13, Toronto winning that game 4-3. Per Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Fleury and Gustavsson are supposed to start for their respective teams.
The Penguins will continue their h...
Head over to The Hockey Writers for my latest blog about the Islanders, discussing the effect the lack of a veteran presence in the current line-up can have on the development of the younger players
http://bit.ly/eriC4N
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 10 (12/13 to 12/19):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Edmonton, Florida, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Vancouver
Teams with 4 Games: Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus, Colorado, Dallas, Detroit, LA, Nashville, Ottawa, San Jose
Lots of teams with 4 games on the schedule heading into the Christma...
Obviously, if you (the readers) are avid fans of HockeyBuzz, you should know that almost everyday eklund is writing about possible leaf trades. I know most of these blogs aren't true. For example, the blog about Cory Schnieder being traded said that the leafs were interested.
Cmon... why would Burke go after a mid-level goalie when he has the former stanley cup winner...
After what could be argued as the best Sharks game this season, the team will have to put it out of their mind quickly and get right back to work against the Buffalo Sabres.
The Sabres are placed 9th in their conference, and 3rd in their division, but as with the Sharks, those numbers can be deceiving. Before their loss to Boston, Ryan Miller posted back to back shuto...
One night after the Sharks rallied to win from a 4-1 deficit, San Jose found themselves in a similar position. Buffalo took a 3-0 lead over the Sharks Thursday night at HSBC arena, but the Sharks didn’t have enough to come back and win it.
Paul Gaustad and Thomas Vanek put Buffalo up 2-0. Jason Pominville upped the lead after scoring shorthanded on a breakaway. Toward...
The Sharks worsened their HSBC Arena record to 1-13-1, losing to Buffalo tonight by a final score of 6-3. Flukes and turnovers mixed with a tired San Jose squad to spell a loss to end their road trip.
The scoring was opened at 12:18 of the 1st period with a fluke goal off a faceoff being shot by Cody McCormick, deflecting into the air off Paul Gaustad's skate, and hitt...
Oh my. Looks like another loss, which means a win tonight and the record will probably keep skipping. In the meantime everyone is calling for Sutter's head on a platter for putting together a loser team with one of the highest salaries.
Let's look at this calmly though. Sutter was made Executive Vice President this summer. Does that tell you that ownership wants him go...
California dreamin’ or California nightmare?
I’d say the latter was a more apt description of the result of the two game road trip. Two games, one point – simply put, it’s just not good enough.
Despite late charges in both games, the Flames fell short in each game – stretching it to the shootout in Anaheim while falling in regulation in LA.
They fall be...
Hockeygirl101 writes...
Ryane Clowe Leads The Sharks To An OT Victory Over The Hawks
Posted Sunday | Comments 26
Ryane Clowe led the Sharks to victory in a rare low scoring affair Saturday night against the Blackhawks in San Jose. The Sharks showed some character in this one, battling through the last two periods after giving up a soft goal to the Hawks late in the first.
The first period contained the only two regulation goals, the first coming at 9:16 by Ryane Clowe for the Shar...
It's hard to pin-point one reason as to why the Pittsburgh Penguins just captured their 12th straight win last night at HSBC Arena in Buffalo. You can point the finger at Sir Sidney, maybe you could turn around and marvel at the great goaltending Marc-Andre Fluery has shown us, or maybe just maybe, you can look at the whole entire team and say to yourself, yeah their play...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers as the Isles fell last night to the Atlanta Thrashers in a 5-4 loss, but there were some unsuspecting visitors at the Coliseum last night that made the building a rocking place to be...
http://bit.ly/dVtavP
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
You guys usually blast right through these.....hopefully I can make you think, at least for a couple of minutes.
[b][u]NHL Who Am I? #7[/u][/b]
1. I was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings
2. I have won 2 Stanley Cups with different teams.
3. I was a star with the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL.
4. I had one 50-goal season in the NHL.
5. I won the Stanley Cup and...
A non-call on a Logan Couture shootout goal mixed with a poor shootout effort to spell the Sharks 15th loss of the season, putting them back on the .500 line.
The game got off to a slow start, but at 6:17 Jamie Benn broke the tie, giving Dallas a 1-0 lead through 20 minutes.
Derek Joslin scored for the Sharks at 6:56 of the second to even things up, and 2 minutes la...
FelixBester writes...
Toronto Maple Leafs: Ten years of trading away draft picks
Posted Tuesday | Comments 29
With so much attention and discussion around the Phil Kessel trade and the repercussions it may have on the future of the Maple Leafs, I thought it would be interesting to go back 10 years or so and see what impact the first round draft picks of the last decade have played in the team's overall success and with the benefit of hindsight, has the trading of picks helped to p...
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames will face off on Thursday night at the Dome.
You would think a game between the 22nd and 26th ranked team in the league wouldn’t exactly be a must see affair, but this upcoming tilt between two cellar dwellers has a little more oomph than your run of the mill basement clash.
Did I mention Dion Phaneuf will be making his ...
A third period collapse by the Sharks leads them to a losing record for the 8th separate time this season, putting them back outside the playoff picture at 9th in the conference and 4th in the division.
The game started with a fast pace, but not many quality chances, until Niclas Wallin of the Sharks fired a hard shot past Anders Lindback to make the game 1-0 Sharks aft...
It's a date most Flames fans had circled the very day the NHL schedule was released.
My first thought back in July in regards to his return was that Calgary Flames fans will boo Dion mercifully.
When I thought about his return in September when my season tickets were delivered, I laughed again to myself, "oh man, are people gonna boo this guy."
But, today, when ...
In light of the Flames facing off against Toronto tonight, the team they partnered off with to make last year's blockbuster deal, I thought it would be interesting to look at some of the Flames options moving forward.
The Flames have issues. That’s clearly apparent. But fixing those issues -- therein lies the true work of art.
How do you get yourself out from under...
Short schedule this week with two days off for Christmas. All over the board, from 1 game to 4 by team:
Matchups
Teams with 1 Game: NY Rangers, Philadelphia
Teams with 4 Games: Atlanta, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Vancouver
More than any other week this season, it's important to pay attention to the schedule next week. If you've got Rangers or Flyers in yo...
Thursday, December 16, 2010, New York Rangers vs. Phoenix Coyotes:
Yesterday evening, the New York Rangers came back to the Garden in search for their third straight win. After their impressive wins over NHL powerhouses, Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins, respectively, the Rangers were coming home with all the momentum. All that stood in their way was, Western...
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
Ever since the beloved Winnipeg Jets,pulled the plug and high tailed it to the desert the city has been awaiting the arrival of a new NHL franchise. The chances of the NHL returning to Winnipeg any time in the near future is highly unlikely and here are a few reasons why>>>>>>>>>
#1: Lets first look at sports that are in Winnipeg already, the Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball ...
Well another Christmas Season is upon, it means Santa is loading up is sleigh and bringing Gold Silver & Bronze to Buffalo New York for the 2011 World Junior Championships, Team USA is going to defend the Gold Medal on home ice, after a heart breaking loss in the gold medal game last year the Canadian boys will be lookng for redemption, they will h...
The New Jersey Devils, NHL powerhouse and dynasty, are going to move into the doghouse and become a dud-nasty if they keep going the way they are going. The Devils have the greatest golatender to possibly stand in an NHL crease in Martin Brodeur, they have veterns all through the line up and have one of the most powerful General Managers in hockey, ...
*** First of all let’s take a look at Nik Zherdev. He is exactly what he was signed to be. Here are the stats to back up my assertion from Philly.com:
• Zherdev is averaging 12 minutes, 11 seconds of ice time per game. That put him 554th in the league.
• Yet, he was tied for 20th in the NHL in goals heading into Saturday night's games.
• He was scoring at a hi...
A season that started with so much hope and promise is officially on life support as the New Jersey Devils find themselves just two points ahead of the lowly Islanders for last place in the NHL just days before Christmas.
While it has been difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for their demise one thing that remains evident is the current combination of aging veterans...
Well things in LEaf Nation are not any better then they were last year, perhaps Burke is still trying to clean up his blunders and the remains blunders left over from Fergie. Burke has done so far what he can to try and help the Leafs win some more games, he has upgraded the blue line and the goaltending, he has dealt player and got players and yes he has d...
I wanted to sit down tonight and really try to discern why the Flames are a last place team because there is no way they should be. On paper this team is a good team. I don't want to hear about Kotalik and Jokinen etc. Those guys should get 20-30 goals even being defensively awful. Besides it's not as though shipping one of them would fix this team.
I have to admit I'm ...
“Do you struggle to save the puck? Are you having trouble stopping that little black piece of rubber from going in the net? Do you find yourself riding the pine more than you think you should? If so, we believe we have the answer for you. Come on over the Calgary where the Flames will show you what true hospitality is all about. Their under-achieving band of overpaid hoc...
Well we are getting on to the New Year, and I am started my 1st Annual Draft Update, this will be a further posted year after year on this blog, and the first update is a big one with the biggest draft picks since Sid the Kid and Alexander the Great. Lets face the facts that there is a ton of pressure put on these kids when it comes to being drafted into ...
Even with the loss for the Flames tonight again in Columbus there will be no coaching or general manager change. Sorry if you were expecting it. I have been the ownership is not happy either, but they trust the Sutters. They trust that the rebuild will done right. I know the fans do not like the idea of this team dropping out of the playoff race, but I think its time to re...
There is no doubt in my mind, and in the minds of all Islanders fans, that Dwayne Roloson is playing like an all-star lately. He has had to carry the team for the past few years, and has always been a great fit for this team. What might be very troubling to the fans is the fact that rumors have been surfacing of a possible trade for Rolie. In my honest opinion, trading him...
Read my latest about Josh Bailey's return to the NHL after a succesful demotion to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at The Hockey Writers!
http://bit.ly/h0I1sS
Happy Holiday's everyone!
-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
Well, it's boxing day in Canada, which means it's time to take all of those unwanted presents back to the store and cash them in for something useful. Now wouldn’t be spectacular if you had that option with your fantasy hockey team? After all, I'm sure there a few picks that you were feeling warm and tingly over when you opened them in October, only to find out that th...
The blizzard worked in the Islanders favor as they continue to snowball along after a big win against the Montreal Canadiens tonight at Nassau Coliseum...check out my post at The Hockey Writers for more!
http://bit.ly/gNM5ny
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
After their performance against Florida last week, I thought about writing an angry article, ripping the team and explaining how they are going nowhere. But then I reconsidered the fact that they came back from three goals down.
That was the biggest thing I took out of that game. It wasn’t the fact that there was no call on the Myers trip or that Buffalo couldn’t ma...
Rob McGowan writes...
The Kids Are Alright, Isles Youngsters Aren't The Problem
Posted Monday | Comments 19
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line, taking a look at the current core of this team and how the 2011 year has been treating them statistically
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/kids-are-alright-isles-youngsters-arent-problem
Register and leave comments! Also be sure to check out Better With Popcorn (BWP) at betterwithpopcorn.com...
As New Year Day fast approaches, there are many teams and players in the NHL who would like a fresh New Years start.
I'll start out with one of the bigger stories in this NHL season, New Jerseys inability to win. The Devils have been a long time power house in the Eastern Conference, who have always achieved success by playing a strong defensive game. However this year...
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 ...
Everyone is back from their Christmas break, and getting into the rythm of the hockey season again- except for the Sharks, who looked like their heads were still in the midst of the holiday hustle and bustle. They came out with one of their poorest efforts yet, getting shut out for the 5th time this season and losing an important 2 points needed to pull ahead of Los Angele...
The Flames are on a roll – sort of.
Winners of their last two games, and four of their last five under the Dome, the Flames climbed to within six points of 8th spot in the western conference. Let’s just ignore the fact that the Flames have played more games than pretty well everyone else in the conference save the Ducks.
Olli Jokinen has six goals in his last ni...
landsharkhockey writes...
Top 10 Events of 2010 that Shaped Fantasy Hockey
Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
It's not right to end the year without a pointless top 10 list. And since fantasy hockey is what we do here, here is my contribution, as I present the events that had the biggest impact on fantasy hockey in the year 2010:
10. Stempniak to Phoenix
A deal that largely went unnoticed at the time quickly became the most significant fantasy trade of the season. On Marc...
Goosebumps can be caused by many things. Being scared, excited, nervous, cold, anxious, etc.
So is it wrong that I had them running down my arms when I heard the news that Darryl Sutter was no longer the General Manager of the Calgary Flames today?
To say I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time would be an understatement. It all happened so fast. One minute...
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
[img]http://www.thehdcrowd.com/screenshots/office_space_25.png[/img]
With the anticipated passing of the scepter, er sword, whatever, from TommyG to Terry Pegula, Sabres fans are licking their chops at the prospect of ditching our itinerant king for one that will give a flying you know what about the affairs of state at the foot of Washington Street. Thanks for the save...
Before you start making accusations: Yes, Chris Osgood is my avatar. Yes, I'm a Red Wings fan. Yes, that means I'm biased. But I am trying to be fair.
And I do believe that Chris Osgood deserves to be in the hall of fame. Was he ever the best in the world at his position? No, but he was close (much closer, I think, than most people will give him credit for), and his num...
...has the Sharks at 7th place in the Western Conference, one point away from being left out of the playoff picture again.
The high-scoring affair got started at 7:08 of the first period, when Kyle Brodziak scored a power play goal for the Wild. Joe Thornton later tied it on a San Jose power play to make it 1-1 after 20 minutes.
The second period picked back up where...
As you sit back on Saturday and (hopefully) enjoy the Winter Classic, don't forget to give your fantasy roster a little attention. Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 14 (1/3 to 1/9):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Montreal, Ottawa, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Washington
Teams with 4 Games: Carolina, Chicago, Florida, Minnesota, ...
Hockeygirl101 writes...
Another Chicago Matchup, Another Much Needed Victory.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Sharks powered past a 2nd period breakdown to beat the Chicago Blackhawks for the third time in three tries this season. It's refreshing to see the team pull together late instead of bowing to defeat, and as a reward they gather an important two points that put them in 5th place in the West as they head to Los Angeles to play the weary Kings for the second time this we...
In early December, waffles were thrown after a Leaf game. Since then, waffles have become a bit of a statement in the Maple Leafs community. The media has called it “The Year of the Waffle” and “Waffle-Gate”, and at a mid-December meeting between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Atlanta Thrashers, one fan in particular felt the need to express his disapproval of the...
Check out my latest post over at The Hockey Writers as the Islanders head into the second half of the season riding a two-game winning streak and having gone 6-3-1 in their last ten!
http://bit.ly/e73mBS
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Hello again, friends.
It has long been my contention that, while gimmicks such as the shootout or the "regulation tie/overtime loss point" may (depending on your point of view) make overtime more exciting, the old W-L-T format is the best and most fair way to rank teams during the regular season.
The NHL playoffs do not have shootouts, and you don't get half a win fo...
Hard-earned point tonight but a disappointment nonetheless with tonight's 2 - 1 loss to Tampa. I'll keep this brief so we can get back to the bantering on Jan's blog. I would have just included this as a comment but it is a little too long for that.
First on MZA: I think we can all agree we like this kid. He battles hard and works along the boards. He shows good instinc...
What a way to start the new year. On a night when the Sabres honored two greats into the Hall of fame, Buffalo put on a show. (Alexander Mogilny and Jim Kelley were inducted into the Buffalo Hall of Fame.) The Sabres and Bruins put on quite an offensive performance, but the Sabres came out on top.
Drew Stafford was easily the star of the night as he scored three goals (...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line as I take a look at Garth Snow's recent move of trading Dwayne Roloson to the Tampa Bay Lightning
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/roloson-dealt-tampa
Register and leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
tml1967 writes...
The Greatest Toronto Maple Leafs Defensemen of All Time
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The boys in blue and white continue to falter as they look headed to another missed post season unless they somehow can turn it around. A new year is upon us once again and I though it would better to have my first blog of 2011 take a look at some better moments and memories in Leafs history, so hear goes Leafs Nation as we take a stab at the Greatest Toronto Maple Leafs d...
The New York Islanders have became a little younger as Islanders GM Garth Snow sent veteran goaltender Dwayne Roloson to Tampa Bay for 22 year old D-man Ty Wishart.
This deal provides the Lightning with some goaltending stability which the club very much needs. So far Tampa Bay has gone with Mike Smith and Dan Ellis, both of whom have not been able to claim the number o...
landsharkhockey writes...
Pre-Season Predictions Revisited (and Revised?)
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Making predictions is a dangerous endeavor, as they very rarely pan out, and more often than not do little but make the writer look like a fool. But since it is the time of season for starting over, I'm taking the liberty of looking back on my mistakes and resolving to make them right as we start the new year. I'm dragging out my pre-season predictions to see which ones ...
The west is very tight with 4 points being the difference between 4th and 11th place. The Sharks have 47 points (21 14 5) trailing Vancouver's 55 (25 8 5) and have never had a really strong streak that we have grown accustomed to over the past few seasons. Many people I know have said various things along the lines of "I've written this season off" and "Its time to blow ...
First and foremost, I wish everyone a happy 2011!
After ending the 2010 year with a modest 3-1 defeat over the Atlanta Thrashers, a year during which the Devils went 30-42-9, they stumbled hard into 2011, getting crushed by the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3. Going into tonight's game (1/4/2011) against the Minnesota Wild, there have been a number of intriguing events that tr...
LeightonH55 writes...
2011 World Junior Canada vs. Russia Gold Medal Game...
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This is my first blog here on HockeyBuzz and I was hoping it was going to be about the Canada winning the gold medal at the 2011 IIHF World Juniors in Buffalo, but in stand I'm going to write about how they lost the gold medal.
First - Now I loved the play of Brayden Schenn and Ryan Ellis, but they have so many talented players on that team, like Sean Couturier, Brett Con...
41 games down, 41 games to go – and they are going to be long 41 games at that.
Sitting 14th in the Western Conference, six points back of 8th place, hopes for a miracle run are fading in a hurry. It doesn’t help the situation when a majority of teams ahead of the Flames have played fewer games than them, making it doubly hard to gain any sort of ground.
Did I...
Lets see what was it a 6-3 loss in Buffalo? I honestly don't remember much of this game in Buffalo as I try to block bad memorys.
Ryane Clowe was extreemly upset with the loss to the Canucks. The Sharks didn't play poorly in the gave vs Vancouver but they didn't earn the win. With some of the Sharks players being down right PO'ed help us tonight to crush the Sabres...
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
Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 15 (1/10 to 1/16):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Atlanta, Dallas, New Jersey
Teams with 4 Games: Boston, Edmonton, Nashville, NY Rangers, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Phoenix, St. Louis, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington
Ride those Canucks this week as Vancouver cannot do wrong right now. They've g...
Check out my recent post at The Hockey Writers as Kevin Poulin makes his NHL debut with Rick DiPietro sidelined with another injury
http://bit.ly/e2gq1o
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Being an Oilers' Fan for all of my life I must admit that seeing the Flames woes has given me a little bit of satisfaction. I think this is mainly because of the fact that I live in Calgary now and this is the first year since I have moved here that I haven't had to put up with listening to cocky Flames fans going on about how their perennial mediocre team was so great an...
The Islanders have extended a one-year contract for one of their defenseman and recalled a familiar face from Bridgeport. Head over to The Checking Line to read the article!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/jurcina-extended-and-colliton-recalled
Register and leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/Isl...
Sabres Hockey Central now features text alerts to keep fans updated on the Sabres action. They are free of charge and can be customized to your liking. You can even be notified when there is a new post on the site.
Click below for more information
[url]http://sabreshockeycentral.com/2011/01/07/text-alerts/[/url]
The One Dimensional Player
I am confused about the perception of one-dimensional player in the NHL. A forward that is a specialty player like Blair Betts on face-offs and penalty killing is valuable to the team. Coaches love these guys as they block shots and kill penalties. However, these guys are virtually useless on the ice offensively. Yeah they score occasionall...
So the fire sale may have been. We traded Langs in order to give kids more playing time. Yet the Devs scratch Mattias Tedenby???!!! What gives?
The time is now for the young players to prove if they are ready. I understand the Flyers are a very physical team. I understand Tedenby gets pushed around and needs to mature and get more physical. But his time is now.
Are ...
It’s no longer December but we’re all still recovering from our various food induced comas over the holiday break. Why not sit back and do what Sabres fans do best, look toward the future.
I mentioned it was December because Mike Weber turned 23 on December 16th and it looks like he can celebrate that birthday as a honest-to-goodness NHL defenseman.
Weber entered...
18-18-5. Probably not where most fans thought the Sabres would be halfway through the season. Buffalo is in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Once Derek Roy was ruled out for the season, many fans were expecting a collapse or a panic mode, but the Sabres scored 11 goals in the next two games and have earned nine out of ten points since.
Despite going 4-0-1 in the pa...
Midseason Grades
Front Office
Holmgren analyzed his team very well after the Finals appearance and filled all the holes very nicely. He moved salary in the Gagne move, he added stability on the defense with Meszaros and O’Donnell. He added offense up front with Zherdev and promoted the well-developed Nodl from the Phantoms. He did however sign a much unneeded Jody ...
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...
Rangers trade Micheal Roszival to the Phoenix Coyotes for Wojtek Wolski
What do you think of this deal?
Phoenix recieves a young budding defenceman who has the talent to be a playmaker and scorer, and the Rangers recieve a forward who has proven himself to be quite the point producer in past years, but is just having an off-season. With Frolov out for the remainder of...
The Pittsburgh Penguins are looking for help on the wing (as always). They have recently inquired about Nikita Filatov, Kris Versteeg, and David Booth.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are trying to bring in a puck moving defenceman from the Eastern Conference. Mike Commodore cleared waivers, and will soon hit re-entry waivers.
The Boston Bruins are not shopping Marc Savard...
After an off-season that included two signifigant trades, the 2011-12 Calgary Flames take to the ice in a season full of optimism. Head over to The Sports Roundup to get a glimpse into the future!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/01/calgary-flames-october-two-thousand-and.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
www.thesportsroundup.com
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers as the Kevin Poulin is giving Nathan Lawson a run for his money to remain with the team once Rick DiPietro returns to the line-up
http://bit.ly/gLhtTE
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 16 (1/17 to 1/23):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Chicago
Teams with 4 Games: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Carolina, Calgary, Florida, LA, Montreal, NJ, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Tampa Bay
It's worth noting that Chicago is the only team with a mere 2 games on the schedule, and they come against ...
I'm sure I won't stump you guys, but here goes anyway......
[u][b]NHL Who Am I? #8[/b][/u]
1. I was a 1982 1st round draft pick.
2. I played for 9 NHL teams in my 21-year career.
3. I made the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1983.
4. I’ve never won the Stanley Cup.
5. I made it to the finals only once, but lost to the Detroit Red Wings.
6. I hold the NHL re...
A very small percentage of making the playoffs, yet the team must still charge forward. Head on over to the Sports Roundup for the latest musings as the Flames look forward to playing the Sens and the Leafs this weekend.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/01/dwindling-playoff-hopes-for-flames.html
Also check out why a certain blogger at TSR dislikes the Toronto Ma...
The Sharks current losing streak has me really frustrated. The interview with Thorton made me a little angrier; he said they were playing well just not getting the goals. It made me think back to the past games, sure the other goalie was given the first star in a number of these games, however I don't think the Sharks lost those games due to a hot goalie. The turn overs...
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 ...
Personally, I think the All-Star game should stay for many reasons and here is why. As a die hard hockey fan it is always fun to watch the best of the best from each conference go head-to-head and showcase there talents. It is a fun filled weekend for everybody and it allows the players to let loose for a few days and have fun. I am really excited for the new changes they ...
Christmas came a week or two early for the Buffalo Sabres and Thomas Vanek on December 8th, 2008 in Pittsburgh. The Sabres were paying a visit to the Penguins inside Mellon Arena, a stadium where Buffalo had not won in three trips to.
For the first half of the game, it seemed that the streak would extend to four losses in a row at Mellon. Ruslan Fedotenko opened the sco...
Check out my latest post at THW discussing John Tavares recent scoring streak
http://bit.ly/eF8wqS
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Hey Y'All...
So this is my first blog ever in general so let's see if I can get off to a good start (besides for my easy to see grammatical mistakes)
Thought from last night...
Leafs and Flames
Boring boring boring game.... to me there was not a good pace in that game and until the last minute if you were a leafs fan u must of been bored like me (thank god for ...
The Sabres are on the outside looking in. They sit 10th in the East; 8 points out of 8th place. They have lost Derek Roy for the season.
Tyler Myers and Ryan Miller are having disappointing seasons and the veteran leadership has been deemed unfit to play. How can the Sabres possibly make the playoffs? There is a way, but it isn’t pretty.
A start with the look at th...
Feel free to refer ESPN's, TSN's, and CBS's Power Rankings for Week 16, as linked below. If you'd like a much less subjective ranking, however, please continue reading...
[url]http://espn.go.com/nhl/powerrankings[/url]
[url]http://www.tsn.ca/fantasy_news/rankings/nhl/[/url]
[url]http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/powerrankings[/url]
So, last week (Week 15), I took a ...
Despite an off season overhaul and the appointment of Dion Phaneuf as the 18th captain in club history, the Maple Leafs have yet to turn around a sinking ship and prove that they can in fact become playoff contenders.
An early season winning streak that saw the Leafs record a 4-0 record out of the gate created false hope for Leaf fans and team management that the team w...
Hey Y'all
Being a Maple Leafs fan as long as I've been I had the opportunity to see some of the good days and the bad days which have extended into the past 5 seasons... also with that I have been able to notice the one thing missing... HEART
Seriously can you remember the last time they made the playoffs they had Roberts, Tucker and Joe N. giving everything they ha...
Despite being down four goals in the middle of the second period the Flames clawed back to gain a very valuable point. Head on over to The Sports Roundup to find out what this means for the surging Flames!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/01/flames-show-resiliency-in-comeback.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
www.thesportsroundup.com
The boys in Maroon and Blue really enjoy keeping the Avs fans on the edge, right until the very end. It has become a common trend to see more competitiveness amongst the teams in the NHL, especially from the Western Conference. Last year the Avs clinched the final spot in the West just five points ahead of the 90 point Blues and Flames. This year it seems to be even closer...
Who would have ever thought that at this point in the season an Oiler rookie Taylor Hall would be leading the team in goals with 14! I am also really impressed with Linus Omark this far, no he does not score lots but he does all the little things right weather it be speed or forechecking to cause a turnover very well done. Another player that has taken alot of heat in Oil ...
Although residents of Buffalo are proud of their city being one of America’s big hockey towns, it’s still rare to see visitors at an art gallery dressed in any kind of hockey apparel.
But from November of 2010 through early January 2011, that became a regular sight at the Albright Knox Art Gallery on Elmwood Avenue as it hosted Forty: The Sabres in the NHL, an exhib...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers as Kyle Okposo will make his season debut tomorrow night against the Washington Capitals
http://bit.ly/eLJH3q
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Rob McGowan writes...
What Does Matt Moulson Mean To The New York Islanders?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Check out my most recent post at The Checking Line discussing the rumors that are swirling around Matt Moulson's future with the New York Islanders
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/what-does-matt-moulson-mean-new-york-islanders
Register and leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Hello folks!
Please visit the following link to view the blog.
http://liveblog.ottawa67shub.com/?p=441
Thank you for reading!!
Anthony
The Flames got smoked 6-0 by the Minnesota Wild? Are you joking me? Lot of broken ankles this morning jumping off the Flames resurgence bandwagon. Come on over to The Sports Roundup to get a quick look at the what the Flames are facing now. Plus the Flames could have had Fleischmann for Regehr, would you have done it? Post your comments here:
http://www.thesportsround...
Nothing has ever come easy to Jonas Gustavsson in his hockey career. He has had to work for everything that he has achieved and has strived to prove naysayers that he is capable of being a starting goaltender in the NHL.
After displaying a dominant performance in his final season with Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League, which included a 1.96 goals against average, 0....
The Philadelphia Flyers are the beast of the east right now and any team that flies into the Wells Fargo Area gets scared. The Flyers are a very talented team with the likes of Chris Pronger, Jeff Carter just to name a few, nobody ever expected them to make the run they did last season going all the way to a game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final then falling short, to a speedy H...
Head over to www.thecheckingline.com tonight for my live blog as the Islanders will host the Washington Capitals in Kyle Okposo's season debut!
Don't miss it!!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
So because Sutter was so hated we could not wait to have him gone. It was obvious that a whole serious of wrong turns accumulated in his firing. The Jokinen trade for Kotalik, the Stajan deal etc. We all know where he went wrong and we assume that Feaster can see the issues and correct them.
It's being made clear to fans that Feaster is actually of Sutter's mindset.
...
Short week coming up with the All-Star Break. Make sure you pay attention to the schedule as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 17 (1/24 to 1/30):
Matchups
Teams with 1 Games: Anaheim, Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, Minnesota, Montreal, New Jersey, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Tampa Bay
The other half of the league has two g...
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...
I think the Habs get a lot of injuries because they are too small, and not tough enough, so teams take liberties against them with no fear of retribution. I like the fact that the Habs finally called up Ryan White. They have been missing this spunk all year. Moen was cheap shotted and at least White did something about it. That's what teams do for each other. Problem ...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers as the Islanders have claimed Evgeni Nabokov off waivers for the remainder of the season!
http://bit.ly/gUu5Tb
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Tim Connolly was born on May 7th, 1981 just outside of Syracuse in Baldwinsville, New York. He was selected 5th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1999 Entry Draft. Connolly had played two years for the Erie Otters of the OHL, where he produced at well over a point-per-game pace before being drafted.
After two mediocre (but not terrible for a rookie, by any means)...
I can't seem to vent enough about this and this isn't as a Red Wings fan. I think they'll be fine either way, and I'd be just as pissed as if this were the Caps, Avs or Tampa signing him only to lose to the Islanders.
The Islanders claiming Nabokov off waivers was flat-out disrespectful to the guy. Say what you want about his stats in the playoffs, but he put in 9 yea...
The past two games may have been the Avs worst combined performances all year. Colorado is now outside the playoff race at No. 9 with 54 points, 1 back of No. 8 San Jose, and 2 back of No. 7 Chicago.
With a 5-1 and 6-2 lose to the Preds and Bruins respectively, it appeared that the Avs were sloppy and defeated at every position on the ice. With the exception of Matt Du...
Name: Carl Dunlop
Born: Calgary Alberta
Thats all you need to know…….
I`ve wanted to do this for some time. Letting my thought be known about what I know best. Two words…….Calgary Flames. Im not saying that everything I say about the Calgary flames is right, but it basically is. Im not going to lie, I love this team. I love sports, its what I know bes...
Here are my NHL Power Rankings for Week 17... Please refer back to my last post for Week 16, and a description of the fields...
[img]http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/j354/meckelangelo/Week17.png[/img]
Again, let me know if you have any questions.
Flyers are coming off HOT right now. They are coming off a 6 game wining streak and are continuing to show the dominance in the Eastern League. Tonight they will play a minor rival known as the Habs.
The Habs are a great team with Gomez and Plekanec. Only one thing might stand in the way of the Flyers coming away with an easy win and that is Price. Price has had a few ...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line as Evgeni Nabokov has been suspended by the New York Islanders for not reporting to the team!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/its-official-nabokov-has-been-suspended
Also check out some other great articles with plenty of thoughts on the All-Star game:
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/matt-...
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...
The last bunch of games have been a roller coaster for this young Avs roster. The boys in Burgundy and Blue simply have to be better and more consistent if they would like to stay in the playoff picture.
Goaltending has been extremely shaky. Anderson had a solid game, followed by complete disasters. The one game vs. the Wild, he was poised, controlled and making those s...
Ever wonder why this day has such importance in the hockey world. Head on over to the Sports Roundup for a look into why it has become such a red letter day in sports history.
http://bit.ly/i1OT5J
As President Obama was finishing up adressing the nation, the Buffalo Sabres were putting the finishing touches on the Ottawa Senators. the 3-2 win in Kanata Tuesday night put the Sabres at 51 points, 4 behind eighth place Atlanta. We have reached the All-Star break, which marks the half way point of the season for most of us. Buffalo can easily catch Atlanta, who has p...
Phigment writes...
All Star Break - at least it is shorter than the Olympics!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
All-Star Break Time
It sure has been a long time since the Flyers have been this consistent for the entire season to this point. For while they would start great, struggle around the holidays and then finish the season. Those down segments of the season would always cost the team a playoff position or seed for the run towards the elusive title.
Jack Adams Winner
Thi...
The Flames are rolling into the All Star break with four straight wins and now sit only two points out of a playoff spot. Head on over to the Sports Roundup to read more about the Flames impressive string of play.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/01/flames-roll-into-break.html
Newman
@TSRNewman
www.thesportsroundup.com
www.thecheckingline.com
HunterRules writes...
NHL Guardian Project.. aka The Guardians of CORRUPTION
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Islander has been put up for vote numbers of times, only to lose out by slim margins, but was the vote actually legit? It Appears the Answer was NO.
The Guardian Website suffered a slipup today and some Islander fans caught their Reveal today of the Islander Guardian, but that is where this story turns to Corruption:
[img]http://i54.tinypic.com/2he991w.jpg[/img]
...
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 ...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line as the Islanders have signed Matt Moulson to a three-year contract extension
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/moulson-extended-three-years
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
whizkid99 writes...
Time For Tambellini To Throw In The Towel on Stortini?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I am a die hard Oiler fan, and hate to knock my team, but after Zack Stortini decided to "dance" with Dallas Star grinder Krys Barch you would think it would be a quick wrestling match and the game would continue. Well not exactly Barch gave Stortini a few good shots and the tied each other up for a bit then Barch fed him his lunch. The tipping point for me was Zack Storti...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers discussing Josh Bailey's season and what his future may have in store for him
http://thehockeywriters.com/whats-buggin-bailey/
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
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,...
The NHL All-Star game happening this weekend in Raleigh, and during the broadcast of the All-Star draft, TSN mentioned that the salary cap numbers for both of All-Star rosters where over $100 million! This got me thinking about what type of All-Star team could I put together using the NHL Salary Cap floor of $43.4 million.
This team will be made up of 12 Forwards, 6 D...
Changes to the Game
I read an article from Bob McKenzie and Scott Bowman about some changes that Scott Bowman suggests that the NHL should make. Bowman is a hockey genius and those people that are old enough to remember the Detroit vs. Philly finals, knows that Bowman watched everyone try to stop Philly physically and fail miserably against Lindros and company. So the g...
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...
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...
Coming off the All-Star break, most leagues feature a slightly shorter game schedule, so once again, it's important to pay attention to the schedule. Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 18 ():
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Anaheim, Buffalo, Chicago
Teams with 4 Games: Montreal, New Jersey, Pittsburgh
Only three teams featu...
Has it already been a year since the infamous PANIC button was hit? Who won this deal? Come on over to TSR and weigh in on who YOU think won this deal.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/01/year-ago-today-dion-was-dealt.html
Newman
www.thesportsroundup.com
www.thecheckingline.com
twitter.com/TSRNewman
As far as I am concerned, biggest All Star snub was Tomas Plekanec. He is in the conversation with Ryan Kesler and Pavel Datsyuk as best two-way forward in the NHL.
Reasons why Plekanec is an ALL STAR:
-Top Line center who still ends up playing against top lines and best D-men pairings
-Producing despite lack of production from linemates (leads team in goals, assist...
The Islanders kick off the second half of the season against the Atlanta Thrashers on Tuesday night, game #50.
So what should we expect to see from this team in the remaining 33 games?
In my opinion we are going to see the Islanders improve. I think their second half record will be a nice improvement from the first half. I also feel that this second half will be a...
If you haven't gotten the drill by now, here's some information... I'm doing Power Rankings. However, unlike most websites, I don't pull names out of a hat, or collect votes among "experts". I actually use a system. Mathematics. I'm aware that the hockey analysts of the world love numbers, but seem to hate math. Well... Nonetheless, here are the Week 18 Power Rankings.
...
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...
First off, WELCOME back Kyle Okposo. He picked up his first two goals of the season. Travis Hamonic also grabbed his first of the year and first of his career. So it was a great night for the first timers.
I will keep this short. It was a great night all around. A few minor breakdowns and 1 fluke goal. I'd say if they keep up this play and this strong effort they will p...
As a society we are obsessed with comparison. Our insecurity is palpable and on display in a very public way. Social media like Twitter and Facebook while marketed as tools of openness and connection provide greater concealment as they are devoid of real intimacy, an essential component of most meaningful relationships. However, while they allow us to hide behind a veil...
as we know the new york rangers are getting healthier with the returns of dubinsky,callahan and girardi last night against pittsburgh and vinny prospal tomorrow against new jersey,as christensen and fedo are 7-10 days away.we have had trouble getting past 3 goals in recent weeks due to the fact callahan was deeply missed for his timely goals and good forechecking and playe...
So thats 12. Did you see the stats on Sportsnet about Khabibulin on goals allowed? If you missed them I happened to have these stats on hand:
GA Games
2 2
3 6
4 1
5 1
6 1
So that brings him to a total of 37 goals in 11 games add today's game and that's 40 in 12. Maybe Khabby is trying to retire on some sort of high note but with numbers like this is may be to...
So after listening to all the feedback from last nights game I have thought long and hard about what I would say on here today.
I realize a little extra caution is necessary since I am the new kid on the block. So allow me to express my opinion and not use a single vulgar word in the process.......this time.
I am as big of an Islanders fan as anyone out there. I am a...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers, taking a look at Rick DiPietro's season thus far...
http://thehockeywriters.com/?p=24101
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
The Flames finally won a game in Atlanta. First time EVER. They keep pace in the playoff chase. Come on over to TSR and read up on the latest from your home town heroes.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/02/calgary-flames-finally-win-in-atl.html
Newman
www.thecheckingline.com
www.thesportsroundup.com
twitter.com/TSRNewman
Ragingpikey writes...
Is it possible to grade coaches? Abolish the Jack Adams?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Concerning NHL year-end awards, deciding who is the most deserving candidate to take home (x) awards, is always a fickle question. Take the James Norris, for example. Some people would argue that unless a younger player was unquestionably the most dominant patroller of the back end, the trophy should otherwise be awarded to a previous winner. In other words, in tight races...
The word is spreading like a wild fire, Rick DiPietro's selfish flashy play once again bites the Islanders in the butt and this time the pain will last 4-6 weeks.
I can't say I am all that unhappy, I am glad Poulin should get the nod as starter.
I have been following the blogs, tweets, and other forums and people seemed to have mixed reviews on the fight the other ...
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 ...
Head over to The Checking Line as I report about Rick DiPietro's latest injury and the questions it creates for the goaltender's future for this season and the one that follows
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-between-pipes
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
first of all I have The Hockey news to thank for the idea of a third team but the rest is all my own thoughts.
For the First All Star Team you get ten sports writers to pick their top 21 top players and these are your "First All Stars". I don't mean just anyone either, people like Bob Mckenzie and Mike Milbury will pick this team. So this would be the team to b...
Ding Dong, the witch is dead! The Sabres have been sold and all will be right with the world! This is the current sentiment in the Sabres fan base. Change is coming, this is undeniably true. But when, who and how much has yet to be determined.
Many believe new owner Terry Pegula to be a mythical owner from heaven sent to overspend and create a new Stanley Cup dynasty ...
Head over to The Checking Line (www.thecheckingline.com) for a live blog of the Islanders/Senators match-up, as well as the Philadelphia Flyers vs. the Dallas Stars, all starting at 6:45 PM!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Head over to The Hockey Writers for my interview with Matt Moulson after the Islanders 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators!
http://thehockeywriters.com/?p=24164
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
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...
First I want to apologize for the late post. We were celebrating my 30th birthday and what an ending to an awesome night.
The game was action packed from start to finish.
I was lucky enough to be sitting in section 118, so I got an up close look at Matt Martin pounding Z. Smith of Ottawa.
So during the week people were taking jabs at the Isles saying they lack hea...
mcefalu writes...
Post V-Day Battle vs Florida Teams Must-wins for Flyers
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It's no secret that the Flyers have played strong hockey at a very consistent pace all season long. Only a few times have the Fly-guys come out flat after a long break or struggled to get their game legs moving during the second night of a back to back pair contests. Overall, they have done extremely well against almost every team in the league, hence their conference lead...
The New York Rangers have entered into unfamiliar territory after dropping their 4th game in a row. During a time that was supposed to be one where the Rangers thrived after getting 4 regulars back into the lineup, they have instead played the inconsistent hockey that has plagued them the past few seasons. It's too quick to jump to conclusions and say that this team is the...
Here is why the NY Rangers should not panic and make a trade they will regret later to try to save this season:
This is another rebuilding year. We cannot lose sight of that fact. They have played better than most thought they would this year and we should be glad about that and enjoy it. Yes, they are slumping. Yes, it is hard to watch at times. Finally, yes, we sh...
First off, while I love broadcasting legend Bob Cole, Mike Emrick of NBC and Devils radio is the best in the business at the moment. I love the creativity and dark tones Emrick brings to the games, while his sidekicks, Eddy Olczyk and Pierre Mcguire are always amusing and insightful. I say this as I enjoy taking in the NBC game of the week: Pens V. Caps! Sure to be a b...
Isles suffered yet another goaltender injury, with Kevin Poulin hurting himself during warmups. He will have an MRI tomorrow, and will likely miss the opportunity to play in his hometown, Montreal when the Islanders take on the Canadiens Thursday night. AHLer Mikko Koskinen was forced into the starting role, and if there were any questions about whether this kid was NHL re...
Isles suffered yet another goaltender injury, with Kevin Poulin hurting himself during warmups. He will have an MRI tomorrow, and will likely miss the opportunity to play in his hometown, Montreal when the Islanders take on the Canadiens Thursday night. AHLer Mikko Koskinen was forced into the starting role, and if there were any questions about whether this kid was NHL re...
As the NHL trade deadline grows nearer and nearer, misconceptions about trades grow larger and larger. The evidence?
A recent rumour stated: Hemsky for Ellis.
Sorry Canadian die hards, Ryan Ellis is not the stud that Pierre Mcguire makes him out to be. In fact, he may be the most overrated prospect of all time. His small stature, ankle skating, and childish attitude...
Hey everyone. I've been following Hockeybuzz for a little while now (used to be mostly on trade deadline days, or weeks leading up to it), but I now find myself visiting at least 3-5 times daily.
Let me introduce myself. My name is Jeremy, and I'm a 29 year old male living in Edmonton, and as most people, I'm a homer. I love the Oilers. Always have, always will.
I f...
There has been alot of talk that the Kings have serious interest in Dustin Penner, so I say the two teams make it happen.
It's simple, Dustin Penner to LA and Wayne Simmonds to EDM.
You can agree or disagree, I don't really care, but this deal would make the Oilers a much better team. I can see it happening, because Lombardi has made some silly deals in the past,and ...
The Flames can't be stopped. They roll past the Sens 5-2 to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race. Come over to the Sports Roundup to read the latest on the home town heroes.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/02/different-strokes-flames-and-sens.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
www.thesportsroundup.com
www.thecheckingline.com
Right off the hop I would like to tip my cap to Peter Tessier... He does a great job of contributing to Nuck Nation. Unfortunately I am a huge leech and it is about time I see if there this is the right soil to seed some of my own passion for my life long team of which now I am 38.
A bit on where my perspective comes from. I played hockey competitively until my second ...
thomas_vanek26 writes...
Sabres Trade Owners (and hopefully some players too)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well, Terry Pegula did it. The Buffalo Sabres newest owner acquired the team from Tom Golisano and will take over on February 22nd, less than one week away from the NHL trade deadline. This should be an interesting situation. Pegula may try to make a splash and please the fan base. He may be content to play Darcy-puck and sit still at the deadline. Only time will tell...
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
With the move of Skill, Jessiman, and Pacan to Florida for Frolik and Salak the hawks look to be in a bit better shape. With the addition of Frolik Sharp can go back to his natural position at the wing and Frolik will take over as our second line center. One issue that needs to be addressed is the lack of production from Marian Hossa.
He looks tentative during game ...
Just a couple weeks left before the trade deadline shakes things up a bit. Here is what you need to know as you set your fantasy hockey roster for week 20 (2/14 to 2/20):
Matchups
Teams with 2 Games: Atlanta, Columbus, Pittsburgh
Teams with 4 Games: Buffalo, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Vancouver, Washington
Only three teams are facing the short schedule this week. ...
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 ...
Head over to The Checking Line tonight for my live blog from the Coliseum press box as the Islanders and Penguins go head-to-head at 7 PM!
www.thecheckingline.com
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
What a 2 days it has been. I didn't blog about last nights game because my goal wasn't to do a blog after each and every game breaking down the periods. I wanna write about what is happening with this team.
I have said a million times we are building a winner. I have been laughed at, made fun of and insulted. I have tried explaining to people the transition that the tea...
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
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line with a full recap of all that transpired in last night's grudge match between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/pummeling-penguins-isles-win-9-3-fight-filled-match
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
The Sabres have 57 points and are just 3 points back of the eighth and final playoff spot heading into this Sundays afternoon game vs. the Islanders. They have 2 games in hand on Carolina who sits 9th and play them three times. Atlanta now sits 8th at 60 points after beating the Rangers 3-2 Friday night. We have 4 games in hand on Atlanta and the Rangers who hold 7th wi...
My son’s world is covered with ice. There’s no doubt about where he really belongs. His happiness and sense of self are tied to his time on ice. Nowhere does he show as much aptitude or love. The cold, the skates, the ice, the wind in his hair, the smile on his face… his place is there, on the frozen water with the containing wooden boards.
There, he’s more. Mo...
Check out the new post. The Pens, their owners and their fans are such little babies and I have fun with that
http://nyi247.blogspot.com/2011/02/21310-pre-game-post.html
I am not a fan of brawls. Never have been. They are the ultimate way for a lesser team to equalize themselves with a better team.
But why all the blame on the Islanders? Are they not just another team that has had to compete in a league that is so uncoodinated with discipline and suspensions that it encourages teams to handle things themselves?
After all, the...
The past few weeks I have been watching the Oilers very closely. Even though they have been losing of late, they are not playing bad overall the team seems to be gaining more confidence as the season progresses. A few forwards that have impressed me of late, Linus Omark who more and more every game seems to look more comfortable especially with fellow country men Magnus Pa...
This guy has some nerve coming out and BASHING the league and the Islanders for what took place Friday night.
Learning starts at home, and this idiot signs a weekly paycheck to probably the dirtiest player in the NHL.
I don't like what Gillies did. I will say that first. It was careless and tasteless. Had he taken a shot like that at Cooke I would be singing a diff...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line discussing Mario Lemieux's stance on Friday night's game between the Pens and Isles, including Zenon Konopka's reaction
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/lemieux-laces-isles
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Yesterday afternoons game between the flyers and kings was a well played game and wound up being a 1-0 defeat for the Flyers. I am not concerned with the outcome of the game but a particular call within the game. Entering the last 7 minutes of the game Pronger was hit into the boards from behind questionably. Pronger was square to the boards and hit hard from behind sendin...
I have been a long time supporter of the "rebuild" in Edmonton, but I was under the blinded faith that we would see a team lose a bunch this season (I had them pegged as 12-14 in the West) but at least we would see a team give it everything they had each and every night.
Watching the Oilers play the last 3 or 4 games it is starting to look eerily similar to last seaso...
Hey, I'm just another armchair GM and fan, but if I'm Calgary's Jay Feaster, I'm really looking to bulk up for a serious playoff push. With the way Calgary have turned their season around since the departure of Darryl Sutter, I suspect Calgary will squeak into the playoffs.
And, I’d hate to be the guy to say “anything can happen in the playoffs”, but… ANYTHING C...
With all that has gone on in Hockey Town this season there has been one player who has been a steady force in the Wings Line-up. The contribution is coming from the most unlikely of source... #44 Todd Bertuzzi. Ever since his incident with Colorado, Big Bert has not played like himself or the way he can. Maybe it was nagging injuries or the fit was just not right in Calgar...
To eliminate myself from any bias, allow me start off by saying I was born and raised a Toronto Maple Leafs fan idolizing Mats Sundin. Based on his contributions to my favourite team, he's my favourite player of all time.
Having said that, the greatest Swede ever is retiring today. Something I calculated on my own time that I think a lot of people overlook is that only ...
By now, you've most likely heard about a rather bold move that was made last night by Paul Holmgren in order to add even more forward depth to a skilled Flyers lineup.
Homer has been known to make these kinds of moves, which Flyers fans can certainly appreciate as it's obvious how serious management is about winning the cup this year.
Flyers acquire Kris Versteeg from ...
This is a Joke...
If I watch another game tonight like the the past two then I'll start cheering for ...gulp...Calgary. At least their management was able to identify a problem and rectify it.
The biggest problem with this team is not the Powerplay, lack of a decent center or is leadership. Want to know why Stamkos developed so well and Traverse hasn't??? Look at the...
OK. We knew Beauchemin and Versteeg was top of the trade list for the Leafs, but whose next? Obviously, Burke has to trade Kaberle before the 28th of February or he will lose him for nothing come July 1st. Kaberle is gone then, that's for sure.
So, where's Kab going? Well, pretty easy to guess considering Kab's agent gave Burke only one team to talk to - the Boston Brui...
What an ending!!!!
I am ALMOST at a loss for words right now. 2 months ago this would have been another loss however this new and improved version of the Islanders continues to shock and awe people.
Michael "The Rocket" Grabner scored AGAIN and Josh Bailey notched his first goal in 20+ games.
This team continues to amaze me. I can't say I am all that surprised how...
What an ending!!!!
I am ALMOST at a loss for words right now. 2 months ago this would have been another loss however this new and improved version of the Islanders continues to shock and awe people.
Michael "The Rocket" Grabner scored AGAIN and Josh Bailey notched his first goal in 20+ games.
This team continues to amaze me. I can't say I am all that surprised how...
I find it quite interesting the resurgence in New Jersey and Calgary.
On one hand, a coaching change. On the other, a GM change. No major personnel changes. Same result. Two of the hottest teams in the league. In New Jersey, the importance of the "right" coach is stressed... in Calgary, the coach is somewhat downplayed.
Bottom line: The players have sucked it...
Unlike many writers, who hide their inner fan behind a thin veneer of professionalism, I enjoy the world of the possible…and impossible. Rumors, the life blood of any fantasy artist. I often hear local radio hacks suggesting a show about rumors and possible trade options is a show wasted on the lowest common denominator. I say hogwash! It is you sir’s who are a was...
When trying to identify value in daily hockey, or when considering waivers and trades, it's critical to know what players have been doing lately. Blindly following the leading scorers to date will give you a host of bad information.
The leading scorers over the past 2 months are dramatically different than those who led the league through the first 2 months of the seas...
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
...
The Atlanta Thrashers "Sense of Urgency" should have nothing to do with the ownership & their cash problems. The real urgency is in the standings and the Schedule. With 24 games left, now is the time to make a move. After the March 27th game, against the cellar dwelling Ottawa Senators, all the remaining games are against a team that is above them in the standings as ...
It’s plain and simple. The Carolina Hurricanes have to make the play-offs this year. And, the good news is …they are knocking on the door.
So, with the trade deadline fast approaching, it is not surprising to hear that Jim Rutherford, the Canes GM, is busy trying to make some moves. Reports suggest the Canes were among three teams that had a real shot at Ottawa’s...
Check out my latest blog at The Checking Line as P.A. Parenteau has been extended by the New York Islanders beyond this season
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/parenteau-pay-off
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Before I launch into my game analysis I just wanna thank everyone who took the time to introduce themselves to me at the game tonight. I also want to say what a pleasure it was to meet the one and only Dee Karl. I also had the honor of meeting Dani, the NY Islanders social media manager. A true professional. Oh and I got to meet Stan Fischler. I even took a picture with hi...
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...
[b]LEAFS LOSE[/b]
Francois Beachemin
Kris Versteeg
Tomas Kaberle
Mikhail Stefanovich
7th Round conditional pick
*It hurts to see Kaberle go, but it was inevitable. Weird to think now, that the longest serving Leafs currently on our roster are Kulemin and Grabovski. As for Kris Versteeg, it was never really working out. He fits a team like cup contender like Philad...
Joslin has been moved to Carolina and the Sharks get future considerations. So hopefully this is making some room for an upcoming trade.
Joslin had 1 goal and 3 assists in 17 games this season.
I can't wait to see what is coming up.....hope something is coming up.
Those of you still holding a bloody stick from beating the dead horse that was the Phil Kessel trade, this is for you. All your talk about the importance of draft picks has finally come back to bite you in the buttocks.
Brian Burke is a fucking magician.
Pardon my french, but did he just get 2 first round picks and a potential second for Kaberle's expiring contract?...
You know how every single time something that you are doing is coming to an end you reflect back and imagine a million ways you could have made it better? Well the 2010-2011 season is coming to a close and looking back at all the ups and downs of the season so far, I have made a top 10 list of things I wish would happen in the 2011-2012 season.
List is subject to chang...
The trade deadline is still two weeks away, but GMs seemed to have moved the calendar forward a bit this season. The deals that went down last night may ultimately overshadow anything that transpires at the end of the month. So what does all this mean from a fantasy hockey perspective? I'll break down a few here:
Anderson (COL) for Elliott (OTT)
I speculated at the ...
[img:left]http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200905/shero1_500.jpg[/img]
Ray Shero assumed the General Manager role of the Penguins on May 25, 2006. Fast-forward almost five years later and you'll find that Shero hasn't really changed his way of doing things. One of his greatest traits would have to be the identification of talent by him and his scouts. This knack fo...
Is it just me, but I think it is painfully obvious that Brian Burke is going gangbusters after Parise. A team wishing to obtain Parise would have to have the assets, Toronto has just stock piled many in the last 12 months (Kadri, Colborne, Gardiner, 2 firsts etc...), and they would need a lot of cap room to sign a guy that is going to command close to the league max, Toro...
The despair grows even more intense on the east bank of the Hudson River. Another year closer to death, another year with nothing to show for the commitment. Once again, we have been deemed unsuitable, the untouchables of hockey's caste system; not for having the least success but for creating the most heartbreak. While the road to the playoffs is far from over, 22 gruelin...
[u][b]NHL Who Am I? #9[/b][/u]
1. I was born in Brandon, Manitoba.
2. I played for 3 different NHL teams in my 13-year career.
3. I began and ended my career with the same team.
4. I have 1 career playoff goal.
5. I’ve been to the Stanley Cup Finals twice, but lost both times.
6. I have 3 family members that have also played in the NHL.
7. I am currently ...
[b]Heritage Classic[/b]
Let's get something straight right off the bat.
There are two reasons for the Heritage Classic:
1) It makes the NHL a helluva lotta cash. That much we know for sure.
but, more importantly to you and me;
2) The fans LOVE it. And that might be an understatement.
Reading the Globe and Mail this morning, I was quite disappointed bu...
The NHL Trade Deadline is exactly one week away, and already there have been some major moves. The Pittsburgh Penguins became a lot stronger today with the acquisitions of forward James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen. But, what does this add for the Pens? Well, at 23, Neal is a strong power forward at the left wing position (a pretty thin scoring spot with Pascal Dupuis...
It's no secret the Toronto Maple Leafs have got a lot thinner on the blue line in the past couple of weeks, shipping out Francois Beauchemin and fan favourite Tomas Kaberle. Beauchemin's value has turned out to be quite good for Toronto, as Lupul has made his presence known on the top line alongside Phil Kessel (assists on Kessel's last four goals). The Leafs can also look...
TheRollingPuck writes...
Wish Upon a Shooting Star: Penguins trade for Neal
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Ray Shero finally joined the trade deadline party by doing business with the Dallas Stars. News surfaced amongst various twitters yesterday that the Penguins and Stars were in talks regarding a possible deal. By late afternoon the deal had been confirmed. The trade is as follows....
To Pittsburgh:
[b]LW James Neal[/b]
[b]D Matt Niskanen[/b]
To Dallas:
[b]D ...
Most of you probably read that headline and thought, "Thanks tips."
Yes, we all know Darryl Sutter left us with very little to go with on the farm in terms of prospects.
And, we all know that we don't have a 2nd or 3rd round pick this year. The 2nd was thrown in on the Primeau/Stralman deal for god knows why and even more mystifying was the 3rd being thrown in t...
Over the past few days we have continued to see the Islanders keep their hot pace going. They are slowly creeping up the standings at a pace of 2 points a night. Right now the main focus is on the Devils but keep watching the Islanders, as they have one of the best records in the second half so far.
I was fortunate enough to secure my $20 tickets early however I was on...
There have been some big moves already before the deadline -- maybe the most we've seen this early since the NHL lockout -- and certainly, more to come. It seems the most intriguing targets for most teams are the players that will be UFAs at season's end. And, this off-season boasts some of the biggest names around the league, however, some of them will most likely re-sign...
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...
“Terry-Terry-Terry!” was the chant being uttered by the sold-out crowd at HSBC Arena prior to the contest. The same man that Sabres fans were cheering for, Terry Pegula, then stepped out onto the ice with his two sons, and the crowd hollered even louder.
An appearance by the French Connection- Gilbert Perreault, Rene Robert and Rick Martin- also thrilled the Sabres ...
Many believe that Hemsky and Penner are at their highest value on Monday morning. Arguments can definitely be made to support this. But think of the value these players give the Oilers based on return perceived...
Big guy, largest in the forward corps of the Oilers who can score 30 goals per year... who is out there Tambellini could get back and from who? Penner is t...
The Sabres improved to 2-0 under new owner Terry Pegula with a 4-2 victory over Ottawa on Friday. After a 47 save shutout performance in his debut with Ottawa, Craig Anderson earned his first loss as a Senator.
Mike Grier put Buffalo on the board six and a half minutes in, converting on a breakaway. The Sabres went up by two midway through the second period when Cody Mc...
Sens lost again. Buffalo wins against the AHL-Senators. Four Sens players picked up points today. Yay offensive depth. Marek Svatos played his first with the Sens after being picked up on waivers. He didn't do anything. Good old Sens.
Interesting thought for tonight. Notice any writings, projections, articles, blogs, or other works about the Boston Bruins playoff chance...
In my travels, I come across a lot of information, and most of it turns out to be wrong. So, in a personal quest to continue the trend of putting out wrong opinions, innuendo and vile gossip, I decided to write my first blog, and give you my opinion on certain issues. Of course, I will not know the answers about what will happen with the Oilers on Trade Deadline day, no on...
Hey folks, my name is Kenny Brewster.
[b]I am writing this today with a humble request for your help.[/b]
I am a finalist in a contest to win a 55" Toshiba HDTV, but I can't win without your votes.
I have produced a short audio clip that is less than 2 minutes long, it is a spoof of the old "I AM CANADIAN" commercials. In the audio, I talk about how the Internet an...
Head over to www.thecheckingline.com tonight for a live blog from the Nassau Coliseum press box as the New York Islanders host the Washington Capitals tonight at 7 PM!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Well Long Island wasn't a happy place to be tonight.
I was totally amped up to attend tonights game after the amazing ending to the Philly game on Thursday. I thought for sure the team would come out on fire against the caps who got tossed around by the Rangers last night 6-0.
On Thursday they didn't play their best hockey of the season but their heart and determinat...
** wrote this a couple weeks ago, I realize recent rumours have hemsky as the most likely to go. Nevertheless here is my (first ever)blog about Dustin Penner
2007
I remember that summer of turmoil well, a year removed from game seven of the stanley cup finals. Chris Pronger, though I loathe him for obvious reasons, is the best defensemen I’ve seen in Oiler silks....
It's 6:15 am out here on the west coast, and I'm sitting here with a cup of tea glued to the television flicking channels between Sportsnet and TSN...not much going on so far. But, there have been some key signings over the last couple of days, with Brent Seabrook staying with the Chicago Blackhawks re-signing for 5 years and Chris Phillips is staying in Ottawa re-signing ...
The biggest name at this year's deadline is Dallas Stars center, Brad Richards. According to TSN's Darren Dreger, Richards will only be willing to move his no-trade-clause if GM Joe Nieuwendyk can work out a deal with the New York Rangers. The Kings and Leafs were said to be highly interested in Richards, but obviously the asking price is too much -- it was rumoured that B...
Montreal Canadians are moving!
They are in the process of trading Scott Gomez, PK Subban and Louis Leblanc to Tampa Bay, in return they will get Vinny Lecavalier. Rumor says that they will bring down Beliveau #4 jersey from the Bell Center ceiling and give it to Vinny Lecavalier.
With just under two hours to the 3 pm ET trade deadline, there hasn't been much action around the NHL. A couple of playoff contenders are still looking to add some strength to their roster and prepare for a long playoff push come April. The Edmonton Oilers are expected to be busy today, potentially moving two key forwards off their roster -- Ales Hemsky and Dustin Penner -...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line covering what did and did not happen for the Islanders before today's trade deadline
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/quiet-day-garth-snows-office
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
As new ownership presented itself in Buffalo, I like all Buffalo fans, sat in anticipation as to what was to come on February 28, 2011. However, I was extremely disappointed, and now it's time for me to say what no one else is...
Buffalo is currently smack in the middle of the playoff race, a place that not many expected them to be in, including myself. Buffalo had nume...
thomas_vanek26 writes...
How Brad Boyes will Affect the Sabres Postseason Chances
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Sabres acquired for Blues forward Brad Boyes late Sunday evening for a 2nd round pick in next year's draft. The move has garnered quite a bit of attention in both markets involved. It's obvious the Sabres were in need of a top 6 forward who can score, skate hard, and check harder. Boyes can backcheck and forecheck with the best of them. He skates with intensity that I ...
Following perhaps the most uneventful trade deadline day in a decade, fantasy owners are left to wonder what impact (if any) will the 16 trades have on the remainder of the fantasy season. As last season proved, some of those low-profile deals can have a huge impact on the stretch, if you can snatch up the one or two players who most benefit from a change of address. Las...
With the addition of Brad Boyes in the roster the Sabres appear to have a very good chance to make the playoffs. Buffalo are just two points out of the eighth spot with two games in hand.
The Carolina Hurricanes are the team that the Sabres are chasing and were pretty quiet at the deadline. The Hurricanes made one move to acquire a solid defenseman in Bryan Allen, but g...
mslepp writes...
Calgary Flames: Succesfully Unsuccessful Trade Deadline
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Honestly, there's really not a whole lot to address. Jay Feaster went out and did what he said he wanted to do.
Add depth.
To address my headline: Feaster did what he said he would do and it improves the team just a little bit. More importantly, it keep the target on Hagman's back. If he slips, Modin will be in. And, Modin is more than capable of taking up a spot...
Sabres Sabremetrics: by Joey Pezzino
Here is my thesis to the Buffalo Sabres in 2010-11: I believe that for this current Buffalo Sabres team to have maximum success moving forward, that we will need to see Paul Gaustad and Andrej Sekera step up and play more consistently. I really do believe that their success will equal overall team success and I have some stats to p...
So news today is Niemi has been signed for 4 years. All in all I do like that they have signed him, but 3.8 million isn't sitting right with me yet. I would have prefered to see him signed for 3.8 for 2 years or 4 years for something closer to 3 million per year.
Niemi has gotten hot since the all star break and the team feels like its back on track, Niemi is a huge ...
Brad Boyes had a powerplay goal and logged just under 15 minutes of ice time in his Sabres debut; and Ryan Miller recorded 29 saves on 31 shots to earn his 27th win of the season.
Tyler Myers scored first, late in the first period on the powerplay to put the Sabres up 1-0. Thomas Vanek was planted in front of the net and Tyler Myers took a snapshot from the point that b...
I want to take this opportunity to let you know that tiger blood will drip from the Flames chest in their quest for a playoff spot.
Direct Charlie Sheen reference there sorry.
In early January I was on www.sportsclubstats.com checking the chances of the Flames making the playoffs, my memory is fuzzy but I believe it was like 2.7% or something. They would have to win...
So the trade deadline has come and gone, and with the Dustin Penner trade pulled off by Steve Tambelini, I think you can start to understand the map outlining the course that is potentially to be the Oilers rebuild. It has been known that the Oilers are set on building through the draft, last year made this very clear.... but the fact that Tambelini did not bring in a NHL ...
[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...
The Flames hit a speed bump Wednesday night as they fell to the Chicago Blackhawks. Come on over to the Sports Roundup to read more:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/03/calgary-flames-hit-speed-bump-in-chi.html#more
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
www.thesportsroundup.com
www.thecheckingline.com
Some people seem to think that something good always comes away from something bad.
Well that just may be what happened to the Islanders after Tuesdays tough loss in the winding down seconds of the third period and ultimately finalized in OT.
Holding a 1-0 lead with just a few seconds remaining to the game they gave up the tying goal and later in OT Ovechkin sealed t...
This years trade deadline definitely left me wanting more, as is the case for everyone I imagine. Spending hours waiting for something to happen and when it was all said and done, Dustin Penner was the only person being shipped out of Edmonton. Since then I have gone back and fourth on whether I thought it was a good trade or not. Initially I thought it was a great for us ...
Rob McGowan writes...
Trevor's In Trouble: Gillies Faces Another Likely Suspension
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Head over to my article at The Checking Line to read more!
http://bit.ly/gSK7Cy
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
captain.serious writes...
Jonathan Toews - The HART and Soul of the Blackhawks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
After another dominating effort on Wednesday night against Calgary, it became even clearer that Toews should not only be a finalist for the Hart Memorial trophy, rewarded annually to the league's Most Valuable Player, but he should be taking the hardware home.
Had Crosby not gone down with a concussion, this conversation may not be happening, as he was going to run away...
With the Sabres’ overtime loss Thursday night, coupled with a New York Rangers loss, the Buffalo Sabres not only have recorded at least a point in their last five games, but they remain two points out of eighth.
Don’t worry, the news gets better from there. The New York Rangers currently sit eighth with 70 points and they have played three more games than the Sabres...
landsharkhockey writes...
Fantasy Planner: Preparing for the Playoff Push
Posted Friday | Comments 0
We're down to the final month or so in the fantasy hockey season, which means playoffs are just around the corner. If you're still paying attention at this point, that means you're probably still in the running to win. You've done your homework all season long, and there's no point going to sleep now. There are still some valuable waiver options and last minute tweaks t...
Come on over to the Sports Roundup to listen in on TSR's inaugural podcast. We talk about Morrison, Iginla's hall of fame chances and the flames post-season chances. Come check it out!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/03/inaugural-podcast-march-4-2011.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
www.thesportsroundup.com
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...
Come stop by at www.thecheckingline.com for a live blog from the Nassau Coliseum press-box as I will be covering the Islanders matinee against the visiting St. Louis Blues!
Join in at any time during the game to talk about what's happening on the ice or anything that's going on in the hockey world!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Brad Boyes and the Buffalo Sabres proved how much they wanted to win with a comeback victory against the top team in the Eastern Conference. The Sabres rallied for five goals in the final two periods to defeat Philadelphia 5-3.
Andrej Sekera and Brad Boyes each collected two points on the day as they continued their hot streaks. Thomas Vanek and Paul Gaustad both had a ...
New post over at The Checking Line covering the Islanders 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues this afternoon at the Nassau Coliseum
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-defenders-tune-out-blues-5-2-win
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
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...
Well another phenomenal weekend in the Islanders world has come and gone.
On Saturday we were witness to the destruction of another west coast team, the St. Louis Blues.
The game started with a highlight reel goal by John Tavares (1G, 1A-2 Points) breaking his 9 game goal slump. Mark my words, that will be a top 10 finalist when they vote for the best goals of the se...
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...
The Flames are rolling! Thanks to Jarome Iginla and two special teams units that are firing on all cylinders. Come over to the Sports Roundup to read more and stay tuned for a podcast later in the day!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/03/flames-win-iginla-and-special-teams.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
www.thesportsroundup.com
www.thecheckingline.com
It took until March for everything to feel quasi-stable in my hockey universe, but I can’t complain. As of today, the Blackhawks sit in fourth place in the embattled Western Conference, and despite the logjam, one would be hard-pressed to argue against their chances of making it to the dance. They are playing great hockey right now and showing glimpses of that four-li...
The Philadelphia Flyers have reached a crossroads regarding their identity as a team. This identity involves things like purpose, intensity, drive, pop, those types of things all sort of rolled up together.
Facing a challenge of regrouping after a 4 game skid, the Flyers, as well as their fans, are looking for answers for their incredibly poor play. Many agree that it i...
http://nyi247.blogspot.com/ GOTTA SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT
Come on over to the Sports Roundup to listen to our podcast for March 7, 2011!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/03/podcast-march-7-2011.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
Rob Niedermayer scores his 2nd is as many games after going scoreless for the entire season and the Sabres have gone up 1-0 against the Pens. Goal was eerily similar to Stafford's OT winner on Sunday. Sabres are driving hard to the net and fore-checking like madmen. Strong start for the newest Eastern Conference 8th seed.
More to come from Pittsburgh.
Sabres just wasted away their first power play of the game by taking a careless penalty after struggling to establish a good shot or scoring chance in the first minute. They can't get the puck into Pitt's zone efficiently, nor can they get off a good shot once they are inside the blue line. This must change before the playoffs begin.
Addendum:
Niedermayer takes a pen...
Just like that, Neal and Michalek score back to back within 3:17 of each other. Neal's goal was the result of good passing and the inability of Millsy to cover the far side of the net. Michalek's was the result of a deflection of his point shot off of a Buffalo d-man's leg. End result: 2-1 Pens lead.
On a side note, Buffalo just took a penalty at 5:54 in the 2nd.
A...
The Buffalo Sabres, who reached the 8th playoff spot in their last game versus the Minnesota Wild, will have to push a little harder to sustain their position, earning zero points tonight after a loss against the Penguins.
With key players such as Thomas Vanek, Jochen Hecht, Mike Grier, and Patrick Kaleta out with injuries (minus Vanek who has the flu) the team made the...
It was February 6th, 2008, and Western New York was stilllocked in the grip of Winter. Weathermen predicted that a storm would pass through Buffalo that night, but instead of snow, the city was pounded by a blizzard of sheer ice.
While most residents chose to stay off the frozen streets, there were a few that found it better to make their way to HSBC Arena. Rather than ...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line discussing the possibilities and consequences of Garth Snow's ability to sign Devils forward Zach Parise to an offer sheet this summer.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/will-garth-snow-sign-zach-parise-offer-sheet
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
The Flames keep winning. Is it any surprise that Kipper is playing out of his mind? Come on over to The Sports Roundup to read more!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/03/flames-beat-stars-on-back-of-kiprusoff.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
thesportsroundup.com
thecheckingline.com
[b]On Chara[/b] - This is a tough one to call when it comes to intent.
The result is obviously disasterous ...BUT...a few more feet up the boards and it likely would have only been a body check that Pacioretty would have gotten up from.
The much more important question is...
If a player injures another player via a penalty...like a late hit in this case...shouldn't...
After reading Richard Cloutier's blog on the state of the NHL after the Chara-Patches incident, I figured I too needed to rant a little bit. In this rant, I will touch on favouritism, how Bettman is an idiot, and how everyone else is saying the exact same thing as me.
Honestly though, you would be hard-pressed to find a legitimate hockey fan who thinks this is the right...
Ok, so he's not really enigmatic. I just like the sound of the title. Makes it seem like I have something profound to say...
I don't.
Anyway, here is the story of the week the Flames traded for Matt "My Wife Is Hot and That's ALL I Have Going for Me" Stajan as seen through my life experiences.
Be prepared. This is long. Oh, but it makes fun of the Leafs AND Oile...
The Sabres entered the night with a 3-1-1 record on the season against division rival Boston. It looked bleak at times, and it took a serious gut-check at one point, but Buffalo improved that record to 4-1-1 at the end of the contest.
A rather uneventful first period started out on an exciting note with a fight between Cody McCormick and Boston’s Gregory Campbell. The...
Nine games into the Terry Pegula era and the Buffalo Sabresboast a 6-1-2 record under new ownership. Coincidence? I think not.
Ever since Pegula officially took over the ownership of the Sabres, they have been a different team. If you remember correctly, one of Pegula’s first quotes as the owner was, “Winning is not a goal. It is a belief.”
The Buffalo Sabres h...
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).
...
Today we weigh the Flames playoff chances after a tough loss last night to the Coyotes. Come on over to TSR and have a listen!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/03/podcast-march-11-2011.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line covering the Isles/Bruins game last night where the Islanders came back for a 4-2 win
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-come-back-and-defeat-bruins-4-2
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Hi fellow hockey nuts!
my name is will, i am a life long of the great game of hockey as im sure all of you are. i have loved the toronto maple leafs, pittsburgh penguins and the winnipeg jets(not coyotes) for as long as i can remember. i am very opinionated when it comes to the game and have been booted from addicted hockey fans united for being too opinionated. i love am...
The Sabres were unable to finish off the road trip with a victory, losing 4-3 to Toronto on Saturday night. Buffalo, who were 17-1-2 leading after two periods, allowed the Maple Leafs to score two goals in the third period to win the game.
Buffalo outshot the Leafs 42-29 on the night, but were unable to tie the game in the latter half of the third period. Despite the lo...
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 ...
So as an Oilers fan the one thing we have to look forward to is the upcoming draft, so I figure I would give my predictions. Let me know if you agree or what you would change. I am only going to do the top 10 based on the current bottom 10 teams.
1)EDM: Adam Larsson - huge need for an all around defensive force with huge upside
2)OTT: Gabriel Landeskog - power fo...
As the season comes to a close and the Islanders off season quickly approaches, the issue of the new arena will once again become a talking point. I decided to take a little road trip over to Jersey and check out the new arena.
In my life I have been fortunate enough to visit several Baseball stadiums across the U.S. . In my travels I made it a point to visit Wrigley F...
Former Buffalo Sabres forward and “French Connection” line member Rick Martin was killed in a car crash on Sunday, according to a source.
The accident occurred at Main Street and Salt Road in Clarence around noon Sunday. Eyewitnesses say Martin’s car crossed a lane of traffic and hit a pole.
State police responded to the scene and are expected to provide more det...
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...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line discussing the possibilities on whether or not Jack Capuano will return as head coach for the New York Islanders next season
http://bit.ly/eo6AN9
Also keep a look out at The Checking Line (www.thecheckingline.com) for a contest that will be starting tomorrow if you follow our twitter and facebook pages! Prizes will be re...
When I was nine the Flyers won the Stanley Cup. People bought shirts, bumper stickers, soda cans, anything with the Flyer's logo on it. We didn't have a lot of money then. My father was a steel worker and money wasn't just pinched, it was wrung, but I had my eye on something. A glass. It wasn't empty, it was filled by some company with some milk product my father wouldn't ...
The Sabres have had a busy month. With the change in ownership, the addition of Brad Boyes and the current race back into the playoff picture there has been a lot of optimism. I hope, though, that fans are taking just a moment to stop and look back at one of the other big moves during deadline week.
Captain Craig Rivet was claimed off waivers by the Columbus Blue Jacket...
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...
Ask any Rangers fan about the core of the team, present and future, and the answer will always begin the same way. “Callahan and Dubinsky.” Their names, always juxtaposed, are synonymous with change, hope and any other unachievable ideal promised by the POTUS. But political humor aside, these two players represent the direction this franchise has wanted to take ever si...
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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...
It was just that kind of night for the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres dominated most of this game blasting shots from everywhere but Cam Ward stood his ground and led his Carolina Hurricanes to a 1-0 shutout victory.
Entering tonight’s game the Hurricanes were four points behind the Sabres and wasted no time as they were far and away the better team in the first eight min...
http://nyi247.blogspot.com/
The Buffalo Sabres were in the midst of one of their most successful seasons in franchise history, and were looking to tie a historical achievement on this night at HSBC arena.
The Sabres jumped out to an early lead on a goal by Derek Roy at 2:14, which was followed by a score for the Islanders by Jason Blake to tie it at one.Thomas Vanek, two goals by Chris Drury and one...
Many Sabres fans, including myself, were a bit premature after Buffalo moved into 7th place last week. I was already thinking about who the Sabres should play in the first round. Well, after a 1-0 loss to Carolina, Buffalo is the team that everyone is looking to beat.
It’s not over until it’s over. New Jersey knows a little something about that this season. Former S...
Rob McGowan writes...
Islanders Agree To Terms With Prospect Aaron Ness
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Check out my latest article at The Checking Line as the Islanders have agreed to terms on a contract with 2008 2nd round pick, Aaron Ness
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/islanders-agree-terms-prospect-aaron-ness
Also be sure to check out the facebook and twitter contest that is going at The Checking Line! Prizes are available!
http:/...
A well deserved 2 game suspension for Heatley for an elbow to Otts head last night. This is one of the dumbest things I have seen Heatley do. There was very little need to throw this elbow (I am a fan of anyone who smacks Ott around but not like this). Overall I do wish some team would give the Sharks a real nice offer for Heatley, he is a good player but nowhere worth ...
As the NHL playoffs are approaching, many teams are still in playoff contention and are battling to move up in the rankings. 16 of the 30 teams will make the postseason, but is it better to be battling for one of the lower spots?
Sabres fans saw what happened during the President’s Trophy-winning season in 2006-2007. Although they had a great team, they were upset by ...
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 ...
Ek wrote a good column about keeping Crosby off the ice for the rest of this season and the playoffs.
If we take what we know about Crosby's situation...and assume that his concussion has kept him out of action for this length of time, then Ek's points are well taken and what he recommends is probably the best plan of action...shut Crosby down.
I have a theory, which...
The last time Ray Emery was in the Ponda Center, June 6th 2007, I was standing on my seat serenading Emery and laughing my head off when he scored on himself playing for the Ottawa Senators. (http://videosift.com/video/Stanely-Cup-Game-5-Chris-Phillips-Own-Goal)
We (Anaheim fans atleast) knew that the Ducks were going to with the cup much earlier then this. With Teemus ...
Head over to The Checking Line for my latest piece as Rick DiPietro will likely be starting one of the next two games for the New York Islanders
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/dipietro-ready-return-line
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Check out my blog http://nyi247.blogspot.com/
I spoke with Stu Siegel today, former Long Islander and current owner of the Florida Panthers.
Stu set the bar for NHL owners by donating $10,000 to the Japan relief fund.
follow him on twitter @StuSiegel . Tell him you heard about his donation and send him some love.
I hope my NY Islanders step up.
Lets see w...
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 ...
After three days of rest and a visit from Dominik Hasek, the Sabres came out with an offensive mindset. A three-goal first period would be all the Sabres would need as they went on to frustrate the Thrashers all game long.
Buffalo defeated Atlanta 8-2 at HSBC Arena on Saturday night.
Jason Pominville opened the scoring with a goal just 24 seconds into the game. Evand...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line as DiPietro made his return to action as the Islanders downed the Panthers 4-3 in the shootout!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-tame-panthers-shootout-win
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Hey guys...I'm looking to help promote The Checking Line, as well as the Islanders blogs that I post there. I am the head Islanders blogger for the site and have a facebook page where I post links to all of my blogs. Be sure to click the link and "like" it so you can keep up throughout the year!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rob-McGowans-Islanders-Blogs/137174856326185
...
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...
How many games should Cooke be suspended for this time? Click the link below and post a comment.
[url]http://sabreshockeycentral.com/2011/03/20/matt-cooke-up-for-suspension/[/url]
After a 1-0 loss to Carolina last week, the Sabres earned a pair of much needed victories against Atlanta and Nashville this weekend. A three-goal second period would be the only scoring for Buffalo, but it wasn’t enough.
Despite falling behind 3-1, Nashville put together a late comeback and scored three unanswered goals to win the game, 4-3.
The Sabres came out wi...
Those of you that have read my blogs before know that I think Matt Cooke has some skill as a hockey player -- he serves a useful purpose as an agitator/checking forward, is a great penalty killer and also has some offensive skill.
You also know that I wrote a blog back when Cooke hit Savard and called for a suspension even though, at the time, Cooke's hit was considered...
With another week of Buffalo Sabres hockey in the book, it is time for the Buffalo Sabres week in review!
Games Played:
- 3/15/11 – Sabres fall to the Carolina Hurricanes, 1-0.
- 3/19/11 – Sabres defeated the Atlanta Thrashers, 8-2.
- 3/20/11 – Sabres fall to the Nashville Predators, 4-3, in overtime.
Points Earned:
- The Buffalo Sabres earned three out of ...
Raise you hand if you figured the Sabres were dead in the water by the end of December. Excuse me while remove my hand from the air, as I find that many fans are probably eating their words right now, as the Sabres are just a good 12-game stretch from making the playoffs.
Watching the team before January 1st was a maddening experience. Cruising to a record of 14-19-4 i...
Well, I certainly picked the wrong time to get mad at the Red Wings and turn the TV off in utter frustration. The Wings looked real sharp for the first 6-7 minutes, especially the Young Guns, in Helm, Abdelkader, and Miller. I've especially liked Miller's play of late. he's really battling hard to try earn that permanent spot and get out of that dreaded game-by-game rot...
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...
The Sabres collapse against the Nashville Predators on Sunday is always going to be a nasty memory for the players and the fans. But if there’s any guaranteed way to alleviate that pain, it’s the complete stifling of a bitter division rival two nights later.
A loud and passionate crowd filled Montreal’s Bell Centre, which cheered whenever the Habs initiated any so...
Matt Cooke came out with a few statements yesterday saying he needs to change and that he will follow up those words with actions. In fact, he stated a few times that his "future" actions would speak for him. We all know his past actions have too, in ways that were less than flattering.
As someone who has watched him play for the past 3 years, I would like to think he c...
I know I'm probably the only one thinking about this right now, being 3 weeks removed from the trade deadline, and another three weeks from the start of the playoffs, but it's just been something I've been kicking around lately, especially given the opinions of the some of the other folks I've heard lately.
The Red Wings stood still at the trade deadline, as is their M....
As the 4-1 victory against the Edmonton Oilers was the most disappointing win of the season, last night's fall to the Washington Capitals 5-4 in a shootout was definitely the most satisfying loss this year for the Philadelphia Flyers.
This entire week, with games against Washington, Pittsburgh, and Boston, is pivotal for playoff placement, and we will all see just how...
xpdonahue writes...
HARD COR! (from nhl.com. really? who writes that garbage?)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Ducks dont get anything easy. Nashville, Phoenix, LA... they all keep putting points on the standings (even though LA cant put very many goals on the scoreboard. 3 goals in 3 games... just saying.)
Saturday night the Ducks traveled up to LA for a huge Saturday night match. I'll be honest. Those are the two teams I watch the most and I can say without a doubt I see no ...
New post over at The Checking Line that takes a look at Frans Nielsen's season with the New York Islanders that may warrant consideration for the trophy that is awarded to the best defensive forward of the year.
http://t.co/NwesXnd
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
The Flames have put themselves in a massive hole with 6 losses in their last 7 games. Come over to the The Sports Roundup to see hear more.
www.thesportsroundup.com
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
I know it’s a little late for a post-game wrap-up, but better late than never, I guess. The Red Wings dropped a heartbreaker to the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday and I have a few theories…
The first is a little convoluted. I think maybe the Red Wings have a little stage fright. I haven’t checked the numbers (and maybe I should), but I think the Wings have a lo...
It took only a few minutes for Sergei Bobrovsky to establish himself as the hardest working member of this hockey team.
Everyone else was essentially a no-show last night.
Bob has received tremendous recognition for his ability to bounce back last night against a hardworking Pens team by stopping 30 shots. He has also shown improvement in the shootout, which, despite...
What else can be said about that game last night? Bummer we lost in the shoot out but that game was awesome. My brand new puppy was howling (more of a long bark) wondering why I was hopping up and down on the couch as Patty scored with about 3 seconds left, the 3 seconds that the Sharks asked to be put back on the clock.
Patrick Marleau, has gotten even hotter. Last...
Head over to The Checking Line for my latest post discussing Zenon Konopka's impact on this team and why he should be resigned for next season
http://bit.ly/fF1hJl
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
When the Florida Panthers rolled into Buffalo, they had the 29th ranked power play in the league, had gone two full games without scoring a goal, and were essentially out of contention for a playoff position.
But a desperate team with nothing to lose is just as dangerous as one racing for a postseason berth, as Lindy Ruff will always attest to.
The Panthers must have...
It is safe to say that the Sabres have recovered from a poor start to the season. Sabres Hockey Central took a look back at what the viewpoints were during the first half of the season.
In an article earlier this season, Sabres Hockey Central stated the following:
Last year, Montreal finished in eighth with 88 points. If that holds true this season, the Sabres would ...
The Calgary Flames need to win their remaining six games and get some help from both the Ducks and Stars to even have a chance and playing hockey past April 9th. How did this all happen? Come on over to the Sports Roundup and read more. Be sure to follow me on Twitter as well at twitter.com/TSRNewman
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/03/flames-have-run-out-of-time.ht...
Check out my blog http://nyi247.blogspot.com/
Follow me on Twitter @nyi247
I have been discussing Zenon Konopka's role on the Islanders for a pretty long time now and as the season wraps up there are more and more people discussing his future on Long Island.
There is no denying what he has brought to this team over the past season and how big of an impact he has h...
According to sportclubstats the Kings chance of making the playoffs is at 96.1%. Calgary is 5 pts behind them while Dallas is now 6. Only 7 games remain - 2 against the Ducks, 1 in van, ed, and sj, then phx and stars at home. but then this happened...
http://video.kings.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=729&id=105080
This is brutal. Your #1 goal scorer (who only has ...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line as the Islanders lost a hard fought battle last night to the Philadelphia Flyers
http://bit.ly/ekBdp8
Also, The Checking Line is working on putting together a team of Isles writers. So far, I am the only Islanders blogger on the site so I am looking to see if anyone else would consider joining our team. Send me a messag...
check out my blog http://nyi247.blogspot.com/
Now that the Islanders are officially out of the playoff race it is time to start looking towards next season and see what improvements need to be made to become a contender next year.
First let me say, I think this season was a huge success. Sounds crazy, I'll explain. As last season concluded, myself and many other fans...
With a playoff berth all but locked up for the New York Rangers, we look forward toward potential playoff match-ups. Of course, we have mostly forgotten our bold proclamations that expectations would be met and thirsts quenched with nothing more than a playoff appearance. But as is human nature, greed follows accumulation of wealth and we all want more; some are even bold ...
The role of the enforcer in the NHL is a tough one. It has all the benefits of boxing and you’re still expected to do all the other things that good hockey players are supposed to.
Cody McCormick is one of the men who has taken this road to the NHL and now he is in a battle to prove that he’s still useful.
On Thursday night against Boston McCormick fought Gregory...
There are rumors going around that Derek Roy will be ready to play if the Sabres go deep in the playoffs. While those rumors may be true, do the Sabres want him back at that point in the season.
The team has improved significantly since he went down, but would brining him back help or hurt the team? What if Roy does come back and further aggravates his injury, forcing h...
This point in the season is possibly the worst time for there to be any doubt about whether or not the Flyers have bought into Laviolette's system.
The Flyers have 7 games left in the regular season. Yes, I agree with many that despite the Flyers recent struggles, they are still in better shape than they were at this time last season, which is commonly accompanied by th...
Let’s start by saying that I really enjoy watching the Red Wings and Blackhawks square up. It seems that there’s a different kind of energy between the two that is brought out only when these Original Six foes square off, even from Playoff hockey. I’m not saying it’s better, it’s [i]different[/i]. It’s one of a kind. Couple that with Nick Lidstrom’s signa...
[b][i]Watched the Chicago and Detroit game last night[/i][/b]...that was fun. Those teams really went at one another and the result was hockey like it's meant to be played. The points were important to both teams, moreso the Hawks than the Wings, but it never really seemed like either was playing for the point/points. It was more about beating the "rival"...and that's the ...
Andrej Sekera was drafted in the 2004 Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres, with the 71st overall pick. Being a third-round pick, there were some expectations for Sekera to develop into a decent NHL defenseman.
Sekera signed a three-year entry level deal with the Buffalo Sabres after posting 55 points in the OHL with the Owen Sound Attack , while boasting an impressive plu...
There is a lot of differences of opinion on who the best goalies in the league are from year to year. I dug deep into the numbers to see who the cream of the crop really has been over the last 5 years. Most of these will be expected but there may be a couple that surprise some. I pulled the stats for GAA and SV% for the last 5 years and averaged out their numbers to find t...
Head over to The Checking Line to see all about the news as Al Montoya will be kept in an Islanders uniform through the 2011-2012 season!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/al-montoya-extended-one-year-contract
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Does Tim Connolly deserve a contract extension? I am pretty sure that there are few Sabres fans that believe Timmy is worth the $4,500,000 we are paying him for his 36 pts this season. So if he is not worth that much money how much is he worth? Using player stats collected before last nights games I compared other centers in the league that have within 7pts(20%) of Connoll...
Head over to The Checking Line for my latest post that takes a look at prospect Matt Donovan and his first professional contract wit the Islanders
http://bit.ly/fW9rhd
Don't forget to check back tonight at TCL for Daniel Friedman's post-game blog of the Isles Devils game and definitely stop back tomorrow night for a LIVE BLOG for the Islanders/Rangers game, coming to...
Head over to The Checking Line at 7 PM for a live blog of the Islanders/Rangers game at 7 PM coming to you from the Nassau Coliseum press-box!
http://t.co/L1ynuyS
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Really?
10-3?
The only thing I want to know is how many busted hockey sticks the custodial staff had to clean up from the visitors' dressing room at Scottrade Center... I hope it was a lot. It's time to get mad....
The last set of a long, hard workout is always the hardest. After minutes of breaking down muscle, your entire body is ready to quit. Faced with a choice of doing it well or copping out, lesser men often take the latter option. The easy way out. But looking back, the last set more often than not determines if the entire workout was a success or failure. It builds muscle, y...
The Calgary Flames playoff hopes are cooked. After an impressive run, they will fall short for the second consecutive year. come over to the Sports Roundup to read more.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/04/flames-are-cooked.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
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...
gkmkiller writes...
The Morning After: One Fan's Day Following a Horrific Loss
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Hey, I'm sure I'm not the only one that's gone through something similar. But for those of you that may not know what I am talking about, please continue reading. Every one of us probably handles it differently when our team loses in embarrassing fashion as the Rangers did last night to the Islanders. Not to take anything away from an Islanders team playing pretty good hoc...
On a night where Washington had its 100th consecutive shutout, a sluggish start had the Sabres in a 2-0 hole less than five minutes into the game. Mike Knuble put home his 22nd goal of the season just 37 seconds into the game. Alexander Semin banked in a rebound for the Capitals second goal, which Alex Ovechkin recorded his 50th assists on.
Lindy Ruff had to settle thin...
The first twenty minutes of tonight’s game may have been the worst we have seen from the San Jose Sharks this season. Fortunately, for the Sharks and their fans there are sixty minutes to a game and when you are as well coached and as talented as San Jose is, you can pull off big wins by showing up for the last forty minutes.
“You have to give them credit they ca...
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...
Head over to The Checking Line for my latest post, taking a look at the Islanders defense and it's depth that has helped the team through it's injury struggles throughout the season.
http://bit.ly/dHnJGk
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
I am quite aware that I am late to the party (or blogsphere I guess) when it comes to the regards of our much beloved (and maybe maligned) Oilers, but after a majority of a season expressing my views to friends and co-workers; someone finally stepped up and said share your views with people who care. You see I do not live in Edmonton, and as such I am a vast minority here...
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 ...
Having watched the Penguins "transform" from a team that was likely to beat you 5-4 to one that's more likely to win by a score of 1-0...I find myself asking the question: [b]Is This Team Playoff Ready?[/b]
Last year's team headed into the post season, never quite achieving that level of play that many people thought they needed to defend their Stanley Cup championship....
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...
With another successful week of Buffalo Sabres hockey in the book, it is time for the Buffalo Sabres: Week in Review!
Games Played
- 3/29/11 – Sabres fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3.
- 3/30/11 – Sabres defeated the New York Rangers, 1-0.
- 4/2/11 – Sabres fell to the Washington Capitals, 5-4, in overtime.
-4/3/11 – Sabres defeated the Carolina Hurricane...
This weekend I cant count how many fictional articles I wrote in my head. How the ducks and kings would clinch playoff spots for the first time in history. how the stars where the only team in the pacific to not make the playoffs. while all this still may happen.. we are going to have to wait.
Saturday saw the Kings face the Stars while the Ducks were in San Jose, I al...
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...
What am I? Nuts? So the Flames aren't totally out of it yet. Yes there is little to no hope, but there is still a little which has a lot of fans grasping at straws to cheer this team to the bitter end. Come to the Sports Roundup to read on.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/04/hope-its-horrible-thing.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
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...
Who is the favorite to win it all this year?
In the last 5 years the cup has been raised by, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Anaheim, and Carolina. What do all these teams have in common?
Defense:
GA (reg season) for these teams ranged from 184(Detroit) to 260(Carolina)
Offense:
GF (reg season) for these teams ranged from 257(Detroit) to 294(Carolina)
With the ...
Between school and work and my novel and just blatant laziness, I've neglected my blog. But alas, I'm back. I figured coinciding my return with Michael Leighton's impending return would be a good PR move.
Which means some things:
--No more will you have to deal with sub-par hockey blogging.
--I'm back. and I'm going to stay back.
--and... probably most importantly...
Rob McGowan writes...
Could Haley Be Next Year's Konopka For The Islanders?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Head over to The Checking Line (and register and leave comments for your thoughts on the matter) for my take on whether or not Micheal Haley will have Zenon Konopka's job next season.
http://bit.ly/huL2qg
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
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...
A first place team plays worse hockey than their minor league affiliate (who've won 28 out of 75 games thus far.)
If I'm Peter Laviolette, Leights starts the next two games.
As I said in my last post, having him on the big-boy roster, if nothing else, will show Bouchrovsky that:
--they are in fact, expendable..
--that there is a reason why an undrafted rookie an...
Check out my interview with top Islanders prospect, Nino Niederreiter at The Checking Line!
http://bit.ly/gT1Uun
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Check out my interview with top Islanders prospect, Nino Niederreiter at The Checking Line!
http://bit.ly/gT1Uun
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
In case you missed it I was on the CBC Homestretch this afternoon talking about the Flames playoff chances. Come to The Sports Roundup to have a listen.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/04/tsr-talks-to-cbcs-homestretch.html
Newman
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/TSRNewman
This was a game in which most people thought was the turning point for the Buffalo Sabres in the 2008-2009 season. With just a handful of games remaining and the Sabres sitting six points out of a playoff spot, it was do or die against the Florida Panthers.
The Sabres were originally thought to have solidified the 6th spot in the East until goaltender Ryan Miller went d...
I've been watching Corey Perry since '05, the post lock out Mighty Ducks of Anaheim but I was much more fixated on watching Scott Neidermayer and his mighty beard dance around the ice.
Year after year I would watch Teemu, Penner, Getzlaf, Kunitz, McDonald, Beauch, Pronger, Pahlsson, Giguere, Bryz, the list goes on (seriously how unreal was the '07 group?) and Perry was...
I guess it's time for another NHL Who Am I? It's been a while, hasn't it??? So, without further ado, let's get to it......
[u][b]NHL Who Am I? #10[/b][/u]
1. I was drafted by an Original Six team.
2. I became a coach after my playing career was over.
3. I played for 3 NHL teams in my 17-year career.
4. I won a Stanley Cup with the 2nd team I played for, als...
Sometime last september the hockey gods (or the old guys who plan the complex NHL schedule) thought it would be a good idea to have the Ducks and Kings play a home and home for the final weekend of the regular season. Usually this hasn't meant much. In the 17 years since the incarnation of the Duck the two teams have never made the playoffs together. We'll its finally happ...
Thanks to Terry Pegula, 80 former Sabres were in thebuilding as the Sabres were looking to clinch a playoff spot for the second consecutive season. In order to do so, Buffalo would have to find a way to get past the Flyers, who are second in the Eastern Conference.
The Sabres were caught standing still as Philadelphia opened the scoring with Scott Hartnell’s 22nd goal...
The Islanders and Penguins had their final meet of the season that ended in a 4-3 SO loss for the home team. Rob McGowan reports.
http://bit.ly/gclFJ2
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
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...
Well, after a last game collapse by Carolina, then Chicago, then Dallas the playoffs are set. Time for predictions!
QUARTERFINALS
WASHINGTON over NY Rangers in 6
BUFFALO over Philadelphia in 7
BOSTON over Montreal in 6
TAMPA BAY over Pittsburgh in 7
VANCOUVER over Chicago in 5
SAN JOSE over Los Angeles in 6
DETROIT over Phoenix in 7
ANAHEIM over Nashville in ...
If you followed March Madness this spring, you know that this year was a wide open field and resulted in some big time surprises all the way to the Finals. Looking at the field for this year's NHL Stanley Cup Finals, you get the sense that maybe there's a theme for 2011. Consider the following:
• Last year's champs defaulted into the final spot in the West
• The...
TSR makes our first round predictions and I'm thinking I might have been hopped up on something when I made mine. I think a couple of first round upsets are in order in the east. Maybe I'm way off, but this is more fun!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/04/first-round-nhl-playoff-predictions.html#more
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
The Islanders season has sadly come to an end, but there are plenty of reasons for optimism heading into next season...and concerns as well.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-2011-end-year-review
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgYl_v0GfGo
So, as we all know, the oilers officially got their 1st overall pick in the draft lottery the other night. However, it makes me wonder what we can do with it. Obviously we can draft whoever we want, and fix the holes in the team through young draft picks. Or, we can trade the pick to get an already proven player in the league to help us out, but with numerous options, its ...
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 ...
If there was ever a time for Ryan Miller to come back from injury and earn a shutout, this was the perfect night for it. Miller looked liked the Vezina winner he was a year ago, as he led the Sabres to a 1-0 shutout victory.
Patrick Kaleta scored the lone goal of the game and it was all the Sabres would need as they were able to keep the powerful offense of the Flyers o...
The Flyers played one of their best all-around games in several weeks last night. They were hungry for the puck, won a majority of the battles along the boards and played very solid defense in their own end. The forecheck was aggressive and they avoided costly penalties. Bob played the kind of game that the Flyers need him to play in order to be successful in the post se...
April 22nd, 2006 was one to remember in the history of the Buffalo Sabres. After three losing seasons by the Sabres and a year-long lockout, HSBC Arena finally hosted an NHL playoff game.
18,690 fans sold out the building in downtown Buffalo to see the Sabres take on the Philadelphia Flyers in the first game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
They would get the...
Here are some thoughts on the 1st game of the playoffs:
The Sabres should not have won this game. There were several factors that gave them the edge they needed to capture home ice advantage in this series.
Ryan Miller is back, I missed him. He was the goaltender we saw last season and in the olympics. He was a stablizing presence, coving his angles and not letting r...
All of Buffalo woke up this morning elated after the Sabres stole Game one away from the Philadelphia Flyers last night in the Eastern Conference Quarter Finals series.
It was a game in which Philadelphia dictated much of the tempo for the majority of the game, forcing Ryan Miller to stand on his head time and time again in front of a typically raucous, sold out crowd a...
Game 1 of Buffalo and Philadelphia in the 2011 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals was pretty tedious. In fact, it got downright boring at times.
Game 2 was neither. It began as exhilarating, and, at least for Sabres fans, eventually degenerated into something infuriating.
The first period took over 51 minutes to complete between a bevy of scrums, ten minor penalties an...
Garth Snow will have his hands full when it comes to retaining the core of his team as there are several RFA's heading into this summer's off-season
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-rfas-who-will-stay
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Two nights after a tough 5-4 loss in Philadelphia, the Buffalo Sabres will be taking the ice at the HSBC Arena, looking to take a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Here are four keys to victory for tonight's game in Buffalo:
- The Sabres must play better defensive hockey.
Sabres' goaltender Ryan Miller has faced...
The Flames season is over. So lets take a look back at what went wrong. Come on over to the Sports Roundup to read more!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/04/calgary-flames-post-mortem.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
The good news is there is plenty of hockey to be played in this series. The earlier you fall behind, the more time you have to catch up.
The bad news is the Flyers have taken control of the series, and have regained their home ice advantage. It was the first home playoff game in the Pegula era and the Sabres had a chance to go up 2-1.
Despite the home fans rockin’ ...
There are three rookies who have scored over 30 goal this season, one of which will be awarded the Calder Trophy. The trophy is awarded annually to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League.
Calder Trophy Nominees:
# POS PLAYER GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG
53 C JEFF SKINNER 82 31 32 63 3...
I, like many other Sabres’ fans, was disappointed with the result of the team’s playoff game against the Flyers.
I was not expecting a 4-2 loss in the third game of a playoff series, especially after the Sabres stole one of the first two games in Philadelphia, bringing home a split.
The atmosphere in and outside of HSBC Arena was great. Fans inside were excited f...
Remember when Ryan Miller had a dominant 35 save shutout to steal game one? Well, his performance on Wednesday night may have even been better as the Sabres tied the series at two game apiece.
It was a must win for Buffalo and they came through. Even though it looked like the Flyers were going to tie it, the Sabres found a way to survive, with Miller doing most of the w...
Jay Feaster is the acting GM of the Flames. When will the tag be removed or will it be removed? Come over to The Sprots Roundup to read more and feel free to comment on what you think might happen.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/04/jay-feaster-acting-to-be-or-not-to-be.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
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 ...
HSBC Arena erupted Wednesday night as 18,690 fans rose out of their seats in complete unison, awestruck by Ryan Miller’s phenomenal performance.
Chants of “Ry-an Mil-ler, Ry-an Mil-ler” rang out amongst the electric crowd who had once again witnessed brilliance as their franchise goalie stood on his head right before their very eyes.
The sound that roared throu...
I'm divorcing Hockeybuzz... once and for all.
*For anyone from Edmonton who happens to stumble onto this blog accidentally, swan song in this case means my last post (figured I'd save you the google search).*
Quickly, I can't stand the website anymore. It started when Eklund attempted to set up a meeting with me to discuss writing for the site, then, never followed...
First, this series is not over. I want to be clear on that. Obviously the chances of us winning took a severe hit with Wednesday night's loss. But, if we take it one game at a time, this Rangers club is capable of winning 3 games in a row.
This post is going to look at something else that's been close to the minds of Rangers fans. It's actually something we've talked ab...
This installment of the Vancouver Canucks is an absolute joke.
Not because they haven't been able to close out the Hawks.
Not because they have been completely outclassed losing Game 4, 7-2.
Not because they were completely outclassed in Game 5, losing 5-0.
And not because they can't handle the pressure.
No, none of the above is the reason this Canucks team is...
so which of these is worth of a suspension in the "new" NHL?
torres on seabrook
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nomG4dU-mTk
or Ruutu on erat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPd8LJvIpgI
The Torres hit is WAY worse. Elbow to the head. Ruutu doesnt even make contact with Erats head! He goes flying like the was sniped from the rafters. The refs didnt even call a p...
PickDaddy writes...
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 ...
...
For those that read Devils posts on here, I'm the one known as Intern Mike. Sam's been relatively busy as of late so I'll take the liberty of continuing to submit my posts to read.
With the Devil's off-season starting a little earlier than we're used to, they are surrounded by a bunch of question marks yet again. I was fortunate to get some time from my good friend Todd...
The Sabres came out and controlled the first half of the opening period, and Tyler Ennis began the scoring spree with a shot that he banked off Philadelphia goaltender Brian Boucher.
Just a couple minutes later, Thomas Vanek did the same thing from behind the Flyers’ net and Buffalo were out to a fast 2-0 lead. Fans in Philly were already beginning to turn on their te...
"Sorry Mom, I won't be able to make it this Sunday."
A sentence that has today become all too familiar for the mothers of hockey fans all over Western New York.
Today is a very special Saturday, not because it is Easter Eve, but because Buffalo Sabres fans are ecstatic following a Game 5 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers -- a huge win which puts the Sabres up thre...
"I'm going to sleep on it, and probably give you nothing," Coach Laviolette said to reporters after Friday's heartbreaking loss in Philadelphia. The assembled crowd laughed, and then someone said, "So it's business as usual, then," which brought more laughter and a confirmation from Peter Laviolette. "Business as usual," he agreed.
That statement was in reference to...
There are some nights when I think Don Cherry has lost his mind - and suits and ties do nothing to convince me otherwise. That being said, Don Cherry was 100%, absolutely spot on tonight.
The four points Grapes made tonight were brilliant:
1) What the hell was Hamhuis doing taking a dirty, cheap shot at Bolland's head?
2) Bryzgalov is a joker and should keep his ...
It is amazing to think that only a few months ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded their 'star' defenceman to Boston for Joe Colborne(1st round pick), a first round pick, and a conditional pick - when now, Tomas Kaberle is luck to even see ice time in their latest playoff game against the Habs.
12 D KABERLE, TOMAS 1 1 [b]21:10 [/b]28 00:45 03:46 00:00 [b]17:24 [/...
"I'm going to sleep on it, and probably give you nothing," Coach Laviolette said to reporters after Friday's heartbreaking loss in Philadelphia. The assembled crowd laughed, and then someone said, "So it's business as usual, then," which brought more laughter and a confirmation from Peter Laviolette. "Business as usual," he agreed.
That statement was in reference to...
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...
What are the Flyers doing???
Hind sight is 50/50 - Yes - but why start Leighton???
I still don't understand why they didn't ride Bobrovsky. Sure he let in a few stinkers but he had one heck of a season. He is young - he is a rookie - why not get him the playoff experience.
Will be interesting to see how Bobrovsky's confidence is after being a healthy scratch for t...
For Leafs fans, Mike Komisarek is the new Bryan McCabe. To an extent at least. He is an overpaid defensemen who really can't play defence really well. To be fair, that isn't really true. He's had his good years, and was one of the more solid shutdown d-men in the NHL until Lucic messed him up. But you think he'd be healthy by now. It's been two and a half years since the i...
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...
I saw a joke the other day on the internet; a bar graph titled: WHEN AN ATHEIST BELIEVES IN GOD. And it showed bars with various categories like: in an argument, running late to work, didn't study, etc... with various percentages. The only category with 100% was 'Watching a Sporting Event'...
I feel like, as far as jokes go, this couldn't be truer.
I won't get into ...
PickDaddy writes...
You've Got To Assume Luongo is Done in Vancouver After This
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
He won't like that he didn't get the start. That is a huge slap in the face. He is one of the best goalies in the league - how do you not play him?
In big games, you want your best players to rise to the opportunity and win the game for you.
Vancouver didn't give Luongo the chance and you can bet he is taking this personally.
He played net and won a gold medal for...
I know I haven't really spoke up on here all season but I am now. I'm sick of both teams whining about each other. Both teams have been dealt some bad breaks and some uneven and/or make up calls. When it comes right down to it, it doesn't matter.
The Flyers can whine all they want about games 1 and 5 and being over penalized but the fact is that they didn't score a...
There’s no reason you shouldn’t be excited for Game seven on Tuesday in Philadelphia. Yes, the Sabres had a chance to finish off the Flyers Sunday afternoon in Buffalo, but blew yet a another two goal lead this season.
Flashback to December, when the Sabres were 10 points out of a playoff spot and struggling to string together wins. If you would have told me that th...
Many of us, including myself, have recovered from the devastating loss that took place in HSBC Arena on Sunday evening. From what I have gathered, it sounds like Lindy Ruff and the Sabres are more ready than ever to disappoint Flyers fans on Tuesday night.
Derek Roy expects to play, and says he is 100 percent ready.
“Its great. I’ve put in a lot of hard work. Its...
I write this article, as an unbiased fan. I write this, as someone who loves the sport of hockey. This first-round of the 2011 playoffs has been exciting, and nothing but dull. 6 of the 8 playoff series have gone at least 6 games. However, there is something amiss in the NHL.
I plan on using 3 examples in this situation.
First: Game 3 of the Vancouver vs Chicago se...
The Penguins are [b]TOAST[/b].
I'm as big a fan as anyone...and I desperately want them to win Game 7 on Wednesday night...but my gut tells me this series is [b]OVER[/b].
After watching them get outscored 12-4 and outplayed by almost the same amount in games 5 and 6, there is nothing I see that tells me this team will win game 7.
Without Sid and Geno...with a rece...
Congrats to the Canucks for their win. Well deserved. A few high level comments on the game:
1) Why did the Canucks change their style in the 3rd? They started to hang back and let Chicago gain the offensive zone. Chicago could not get into the Canucks zone the first 2 periods. Then in the 3rd Vancouver started to hang back and defend the lead and Chicago started to ca...
It’s 2010 all over again as the Detroit Red Wings will meet the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Semifinals. The seeding remains the same too, as the Sharks secured home ice advantage once again for this series.
The Red Wings have been resting up for over a week after sweeping the Phoenix Coyotes last Wednesday, and have been able to mend their bumps and bru...
Let me start by saying...
I hope the Pens win tonight...get Crosby back at some point in round 2...and maybe even Malkin...and go on to win their 4th cup. Given everything they have gone through this year, that would be awesome.
OK...now that I got that out of the way...
Realistically speaking...I don't think all 4 of those things can happen because I think step 1...
I imagine a giant map on a wall in a secret NHL room, probably somewhere near the "War Room" in Toronto where the geniuses gather to review goals (seemingly without the aid of HD).
On this map is a representation of a recent national broadcast's viewership. The brighter spots on the map represent high viewership, and you can guess where they are. In between are thousan...
This is interesting new territory for me, personally. I’ve never before come out of a Blackhawks playoff series loss with any feeling of accomplishment. Usually, there is just emptiness, angst and the early symptoms of summertime boredom, which is certain to be in full throw in mid-July.
All of those feelings are certainly present. However this morning, and even la...
They like to find turning points.
Distinct moments when the tide turned, for better or worse. Moments that were the beginning of the end for a given hockey club.
Had Tampa Bay not beaten Carolina on the penultimate day of the season, they would have said it was the 3-0 loss to the Thrashers two days earlier.[img:right]http://stupidhockey.typepad.com/.a/6a0133ee99c85a...
The first round was epic. Can the second round provide the same drama? Come over to TSR for our second round thoughts and predictions.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/04/round-two-2011-nhl-playoff-predictions.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
Most people will look back at the 2010-11 Penguins season and think the season was a success.
Given the well documented injuries to Crosby, Malkin and other important players on this team (Staal missing the first ½ of the season) I would have to agree that finishing the regular season with one of the highest point totals in the team’s history was a true success. I do...
The Detroit Red Wings dropped their first game of the Western Conference Semifinals to the San Jose Sharks in overtime by a score of 2-1.
They also answered a few questions which have been flying around the last week. “Will 8 days of rest be too much for the Red Wings?” Not in the end. The Wings started slow, almost sloppy, and it took a penalty kill which allowe...
Ok here we go……..
When I look at the Sabs I see potential for a great, great team. One like Boston has now. We have the parts of a team that are the most difficult to obtain (goaltending, a number one d-man, depth forwards who can add scoring, coaching, and sniping wingers). The main thing we need is centers (duh).
So here is what I would try and do today, this ...
The Detroit Red Wings head back to Joe Louis Arena down 2 games to the San Jose Sharks after losing 2-1 on Sunday afternoon.
The loss was catalyzed by a complete lack of discipline by one of the least penalized teams in the regular season. The San Jose Sharks must have taken notice of Jimmy Howard’s reaction to Joe Pavelski’s snow shower in Game 1 and decided to tr...
Conroy might be able to provide two Flames players with some perspective this offseason. Come read more at the Sports Roundup!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/05/craig-conroy-common-denominator-for.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
It's 15 minutes to game time, and we know more about how Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan than what's up with Flyers' defenseman Chris Pronger.
Apparently, Pronger is not playing tonight's pivotal Game 2 as the Flyers try to even things with the Bruins before the series shifts to Boston. Asked why by a reporter before the game, GM Paul Holmgren reportedly said "Th...
Three of the four remaining playoff series are currently sitting at 2 games to none.
[i][b]Detroit, Philadelphia and Washington all find themselves in the uncomfortable position of having the NONE part of the expression.[/b][/i]
[b]Judging by the way the playoffs have gone so far, none of these teams should be counted out simply because they are down by a couple of g...
During the 2009-10 playoffs we saw the emergence of Philadelphia Flyers forward [b]Claude Giroux[/b].
Giroux scored 21 points in 23 playoff games after scoring just 47 points in 82 games during the regular season.
[b]Seeing a player jump from .57 points per game to .913 during the playoffs, when scoring is usually at a premium, is like a red light going on behind the...
The Sabres’ season was not all for not, even though they
The future looks bright for the Sabres' young squad.
did not reach their final prize of winning Lord Stanley, there were many positives throughout the season. The Sabres are expected to have one of their busiest summers in years.
With the recent re-signing of Lindy Ruff to a multi-year extension,we know that t...
For many Sabres fans, a sense of disappointment may still linger after the Sabres dreadful Game 7 exit to the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the playoffs.
And rightly so.
It was as if the Sabres had left their starting lineup back in Buffalo and instead dressed a band of junior-league misfits to take their place.
Either way, it was apparent the team had...
Despite Peter Laviolette's proclamation that the pressure is now on Boston, those of us based in reality understand the Flyers are truly feeling the heat of an 0-2 hole as the Eastern Conference semifinals shift to Beantown.
This is very different from last year. In 2010, the Flyers were taking an 0-2 deficit to Philadelphia, not on the road. On top of that, they were g...
[i]In Part Two of this blog series, we look at current Rangers and analyze which ones should make the 2011-2012 squad. [/i]
To start, we need to get a sense of how much cap room the Rangers have before any transactions are made. For simplicity's sake, we will determine cap room by subtracting the cap hit of the players on the roster from the regular season cap ceiling. ...
Round 1 of the playoffs was pretty exciting.
[i][b]Half of the eight series went to game 7[/b].[/i]
Two teams faced elimination more than once to win their series.
One team came back from 3-0 to force an OT in game 7.
One team came back from 3-1 to win.
By comparison...so far at least...[b][i]Round 2 is a snooze-fest.[/i][/b]
[b]One series is done[/b]...t...
A year ago it was different. A year ago there were three hotly contested games, a goaltender the Flyers appeared able to score on, and a certain will and determination cast after months of scrapping their way into the playoffs.
Last night, after two goals before the ice had a chance to start melting, we're left with a different impression. The Philadelphia Flyers are a ...
Not only is it frustrating, but it’s getting a little eerie too. Exactly like 2010, the Detroit Red Wings enter their two home games down to the San Jose Sharks, and they lose a third period lead and drop Game 3 in overtime. This, of course, after beating the Phoenix Coyotes in the Quarterfinals.
And that’s not all…elsewhere in the League, the Boston Bruins take...
Should I buy a broom? The overhyped Philadelphia Flyers who are allergic to solid goaltending are on the brink of getting swept out of the second round. Now, the analysts will tell you they saw it coming to where the diehard fan might say different.
Me?
Once the league figured out BOB, the Flyers were doomed. Boosh is solid back up but not one to carry the load....
So I've been wrong before, but never like this. The Caps were a strange team this year and the sweep at the hands of the Lightning have their coach on the hot seat. Come read more here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/05/washington-capitals.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
TheSabresTaco writes...
Taco Time - Adding double meat to the offseason!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well, it was inevitable. Any legit Sabres fan knew our biggest flaws running into these playoffs. Sure, we didn't have our "#1" center in Derek Roy, we had an injured Tim Connolly, Brad Boyes; who shouldn't ever play center, Robbie Neidermeyer, and Paul Gaustad up the middle. Compare that to Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Danny Briere, and Blaire Betts (a less talented Goose)...
When netminder Sergei Bobrovsky was pegged the starter for the season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins, there was a faint hope in the minds of Flyers fans that they had finally found their true, number one goaltender. The young Russian goaltender has needless to say, come out of nowhere. Winning 28 games this season, and having a superb first half of the season (much...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line that takes a look at Sean Bergenheim's recent success and how Josh Bailey's future should be considered when comparing him to the former Islander.
http://bit.ly/iGWFFs
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
I didn't spend yesterday night watching my team get swept.
I've said this continuously since the Bruins scored their 5th goal. That Flyers team was not my team. My team played the Chicago Blackhawks in the Finals last year; My team was tearing into the the entire league in January; and then they stopped playing. Just fell off the face of the earth. Frankly, I've been l...
Friday night was a big night for the Detroit Red Wings, as they force a Game 5 by besting the San Jose Sharks by a score of 4-3. The bounces went their way. That's about it. The same reason the Sharks have won the previous three games.
There isn't a whole lot to say besides rehashing the same factors over and over again. Good goaltending, fowards were better on the ...
The Detroit Red Wings clawed their way back from a 2-goal deficit to force a Game 6 in Detroit with a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Sunday night.
Through a stellar third period, the Red Wings scored 3 unanswered goals and left the Sharks shocked and shaken. The Sharks dominated play from the opening face-off right up until the start of the third period. Go...
Please read this blog
http://hempstevensloves.com/the-new-boys-of-summer-why-the-nhl-should-begin-in-august/
Thank you
The O.Fitz
P.S. Have a Nice Day :)
After missing the playoffs yet again, it is time for the Toronto Maple Leafs to start focusing on the offseason tasks. Leaf Nation should be expecting an active summer. However, I would like to focus on one task. That task is the situation concerning Clarke MacArthur.
Clarke MacArthur is one of many Restricted Free Agents that Toronto will have to deal with t...
Rob McGowan writes...
Have The Islanders Finally Gotten Their New Arena?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Islanders are holding a press-conference tomorrow with Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano about a plan to renovate the Nassau Coliseum. Head over to The Checking Line to read my take on the news that is at hand
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/have-islanders-finally-gotten-their-new-arena
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http:/...
The Flames new manager actually only has a few things to take care of and any credible G.M. should be able to get these things done.
Let’s touch on the G.M. bit for a second first. The fact Feaster hasn’t been anointed the holy one speaks to the probability of at least a due diligence search for a G.M. That search could involve Jim Nill, the assistant in Detroit. Le...
The Detroit Red Wings, at one point down 3-0 in its series against San Jose, have forced a decisive Game 7 with a 3-1 victory last night at Joe Louis Arena.
Finally…the Red Wings were able to put together 60 full minutes of solid play from all ends of the ice. Jimmy Howard was solid in goaltending again, only letting in one fluky goal between the pads from Logan Cout...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Fans Will Vote To Decide Fate Of Arena Proposal
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Read my latest post at The Checking Line covering the press conference today from Nassau Coliseum as Islanders fans have been given the opportunity to decide the fate on the new arena proposal
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-fans-will-vote-decide-fate-arena-proposal
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
I've been reading just about all the articles I can find regarding tonight's Game 7 between the Sharks and the Wings and I'm seeing a pattern here that makes me wonder.
Most every article mentions how the odds are very long indeed against the Red Wings mounting this historic comeback and winning tonight.
To me, that mountian has already been climbed. Detroit already...
Well…… That didn’t end the way Philadelphia Flyers fans had hoped. Swept in the second round by the Boston Bruins. We’ve all read the stories of what went wrong. The injuries, goaltending issues, coach and captain not talking, lack of leadership etc.
So instead let’s take a look towards next season and let me tell you what i think. Who will be here? Who won’...
The Morweena Miracle – By Ty Dilello
A Google search of Morweena, Manitoba does not tell you much. It is a small Mennonite village just outside of Arborg and about 150 kilometers north of Winnipeg with a population of around 150. It is also home to James Reimer, the very humble goaltender who led a late season charge that almost sent the Toronto Maple Leafs to the pl...
The Detroit Red Wings ended their season with a 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks at HP Pavilion last night. It was a very exciting game to watch and both teams played well. The Sharks just played that much better. It seems that the best players from each team stepped up. Just look at the scoresheet…Setoguchi, Couture, Marleau, Zetterberg, Datsyuk. Several articles f...
Over the next week, Sabres Hockey Central will be releasing the staff selections for the seven categories making up the 2010-2011 Sabres year in review. The posts will be published here at 8 a.m. every day through Thursday the 19th.
The first award is “Sabre of the year”. Saturday morning’s post will feature the staff’s selections for “biggest surprise player ...
As the NHL playoffs continue without Buffalo, the Sabres and their fans are already looking forward to next season. Watching the San Jose vs. Detroit series, I realized that there is no way the Sabres could compete in a game, or series, of that intensity, which may be a key factor in why they lost to the Flyers in Game 7 and have won only one in the history of the franchis...
Offseason moves are not made in a vacuum. Every trade, signing and draft pick is affected by what the team has already done and what they plan to do. For instance, if the Rangers sign Brad Richards, they probably won’t try to trade for an elite scorer, and vice versa. [img:right]http://cdn.nhl.com/rangers/images/upload/2011/02/Prospal_V_0213_Ins1.jpg [/img]So at this poi...
Now that two rounds are complete and we're off and running with the Conference Finals, it seems an opportune time to start mapping out the early favorites for this season's Conn Smythe Trophy winner. This year may be one of the most challenging to predict in the early going. Many of the best individual performers so far have already been eliminated, while many of the to...
Glencross took a hometown discount to stay on a team and in a city that he is comfortable with. Also, Feaster is officially the team's GM. Read more here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/05/flames-sign-glencross-and-make-feaster.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
Rob McGowan writes...
Right Now Commitment Is Key For The New York Islanders
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Check out my latest post discussing which RFA the Islanders should look to sign next as well as a recent run-in with an ex-Islanders defenseman.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/right-now-commitment-key-new-york-islanders
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
The Sabres lit the lamp 245 times this past regular season, but here are a few that are worth taking another look at. These are not ranked or posted in any particular order.
Click below to check out the videos:
[url]http://sabreshockeycentral.com/2011/05/18/goals-of-the-year-2010-2011/[/url]
Since Jay Feaster was announced the active g.m. as opposed to the acting g.m. and a major contract was just signed in Curtis Glencross I decided it was about time to focus...on the draft. Feaster said this is Tod Button's draft which makes me think he had less input than we may have realized previously, in addition the Flames have had their new amateur scouts on the ground...
Looking back on the season, there are so many memorable moments, but we’ve created a list of the top 10 games of the season for your viewing pleasure. Take a look and let us know what you think.
Click below to continue reading:
[url]http://sabreshockeycentral.com/2011/05/19/top-10-games-of-the-year/[/url]
Evgeni Nabokov's agent has stated that his client will be reporting to Islanders training camp in September. Head over to my post at The Checking Line to read more...
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/will-evgeni-be-ready
Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
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]
The reports are becoming more and more numerous that the Atlanta Thrashers organization will be (or already has been) sold to True North Sports and Entertainment, which would move the team up to Winnipeg. There has been a lot of speculation as to how the Conferences will shuffle to make room for a team going from the Southeast Division in the Eastern conference to (ostens...
Dropping the gloves in the NHL has become somewhat of an art-form in today’s game. Whether it be the endless marathon, total beat-down or even the occasional all-out brawl, nothing gets the blood of hockey fans pumping better than two players tossing hay-makers.
The Buffalo Sabres racked up 30 fighting majors this season — many of which resulted in a Sabre skating t...
With the Western Conference Semi-Finals now in the books, the NHL’s final four is set in stone. And while the remaining 26 franchises who weren’t as fortunate as their counterparts witness the conclusion of the postseason from the tee box, their respective fans are left with nothing to look forward to — aside from viewing what is likely to be some great hockey – ot...
Rob McGowan writes...
Islanders Fans Urged To Rally at Tomorrow's Hearing
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Tomorrow the Nassau County Legislative hearing will be held to determine if the arena proposal will be turned to a public referendum on August 1st. Read on more at my post at The Checking Line to learn more
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/islanders-fans-urged-rally-tomorrows-hearing
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter....
[b]The Refs[/b]
Eric Engels wrote about the differences in officiating between the regular season and the playoffs.
He made a good point about how the refs seemed to have put their whistles away during some of these playoff games.
I know that some people have an issue with this...and rightfully so to some degree...but from my point of view...if the competition lev...
The move of the Thrashers to Winnipeg is all but complete at this point. Since this would mean one more team in the Western Conference than in the Eastern Conference, a division realignment is due.
Instead of taking my preference into this process, I decided to take two objective approaches. The first method I tried to have each division only include one time zone and w...
electric81 writes...
A Red Wings Fan's Guide to Brian Rafalski and the Sharks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The last couple of days have been pretty eventful in the hockey world, and for a Red Wings fan, there’s some thought-provoking conversation fodder out there.
So Brian Rafalski has announced his retirement with one year remaining on his contract, and the San Jose Sharks were defeated in 5 games by the Vancouver Canucks on a loopy, lucky, double-OT goal by Kevin Bieks...
Normally around this time of year most Blues fans would feel mad cause we got knocked out of the playoff's by Detroit, Vancouver, or someone else. However for the last five years that has went the other way. One playoff apperence in 5 years and now trying to find a second new owner since the lockout, not since 1983 when the team was up for possible relocation to Saskatchew...
[u][b]NHL Who Am I? #11[/b][/u]
1. I was drafted in the first round of the 1984 Entry Draft by a Canadian team.
2. I’ve played over 1200 NHL games with 6 different teams.
3. I won the Memorial Cup with the Ottawa 67’s.
4. I had one 50-goal season and one 40-goal season, both with the same team.
5. I won the Stanley Cup with the team that drafted me.
6. ...
Hi my name is Mike Rizzo I am a frequent visitor to Hockeybuzz.com and I have read a lot of these blogs all of them are fantastic by the way, and I just want to give my opinions on my favorite team the Detroit Red Wings. What better way to start my first blog then to tlk about a great career that just ended Brian Rafalski.
Brian Rafalski officially retired on Wednesday a...
Finally, the Stanley Cup Finals are set. While that means two weeks of excitement and anticipation for the fans of the Bruins and Canucks, the fans of the other 28 teams in the league may feel a bit left out. So, like good people, we want to get involved, take sides, and go to war, so to speak. But just what side should you take.
Below is a comprehensive guide to who yo...
Hockey season came to a halt sooner than most Sabres fans probably would have liked this year. While the NHL Playoffs rage on, the Buffalo Sabres are anticipating one of the most eventful off-seasons in recent memory as new owner Terry Pegula brings his winning attitude and deep pockets to the table.
And so I thought: while we're stuck watching the remainder of the tour...
Canucks vs. Bruins. Who you got? Come on over to the Sports Roundup to read my quick take on the final and where my cheering allegiance lies.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/05/stanley-cup-final-predictions.html
Newman
This coming summer is going to be a big one for the Buffalo Sabres. With many fans expecting big changes due to the ownership change and a year that fell short of expectations it will be interesting to see what Darcy Regier has up his sleeve.
With a bigger bankroll and a somewhat improved team image, the idea would be to draw some bigger name free agents. Fans are also ...
Read my latest post at The Checking Line discussing the busy week that just passed for the New York Islanders and what might be the next move made by Isles GM Garth Snow
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/islanders-are-making-noise-early-off-season
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
It makes you cringe, as a Rangers fan, just a tiny bit.
It is not even June and the next door Islanders have already made a splash on the restricted free agent market, re-signing core young guns Michael Grabner and Kyle Okposo to five year deals. It is even worse when you see that the Islanders - yes those Islanders with the worn down stadium and the uncertain future in...
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...
"Going to Winnipeg!" But how long can it last this time. The Rev takes a harsh look at the reality of keeping hockey afloat in a very small market. Also, the Flames lost a coveted prospect in Tim Erixon, but did they even have a choice in the matter? Come to the Sports Roundup to read more on these two topics.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/06/welcome-to-winnipe...
hexagenia writes...
On Losing One's Team: A Thrashers Hockey Fans Testament
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Above all, we love the game. For its speed, for its precision, for its grace, for its grit, for its passion, for its power to bring out the best in player and fan alike.
We have now lost two NHL franchises, both equally devastating experiences. As fans, many of us recently went to extraordinary lengths to support the Thrashers. In both instances, the ownership group of ...
It is the start of summer the flames have traded away a blue chip prospect and a 5th rounder for two 2nd round picks and from what I know of Roman Horak a career AHLer. we all know the prospect is Tim Erixon who's father Jan played for the Rangers his entire career racking up 57 goals and 216 points. Apparently the entire family loves the city and organization which meant ...
Mr. Pegula should take note on the recent news that True North will NOT retain Rick Dudley as their GM.
I truely believe Duds would be a great asset to the Sabres Organization. He has ties to the community as a former player & coach. He also still resides in the area. But the ties to the oraganization is not the main reason to hire him. Here are just a few reasons he sh...
Hockey fans across the New York area sat down this morning with coffee and a copy the New York Post. As they flipped through the sports section, past coverage of early season baseball and the NBA Finals, they found themselves looking at the weekly [i]Slapshots [/i]column written by Rangers beat writer Larry Brooks. At first glance, [url=http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/range...
I am a diehard Atlanta Thrashers fan (R.I.P. Icebirds) who now finds myself at a couple of crossroads. My team is gone and Atlanta will likely never get another opportunity to host the NHL in Atlanta again, though Eklund seems to think we do have a chance. While I'll always hold out hope that someone like Anson Carter, Tom Glavine or an unknown person gets a group togeth...
The Islanders are just weeks away from selecting another top prospect with the fifth overall pick at this year's NHL Draft. Whom might Garth Snow choose? Head over to The Checking Line to find out!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-look-another-big-draft-day
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Willie Wilts writes...
LEAFS – Richards or Stamkos Possibility? Is Vinny The Key?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The debate over where Dallas superstar center Brad Richards will play next season is heating up again after Richards basically said goodbye to the Dallas fans via twitter Saturday night. Many teams are in the hunt for his services of course but the Leafs and Rangers were thought to be the front runners. That is until it became known Brad preferred to play in a less Media...
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...
Its coming close to draft and free agency time and it's time to bring up the age old question! Will the Leafs ever find their #1 centre they desperately need?
In this day and age its definetly hard to find that #1 centre via trade without giving up an abundance of youth and picks to get said player, but its not impossible. The Leafs have been linked to many #1 centre'...
[img]http://leafshq.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Brian_Burke.jpg[/img]
Its coming close to draft and free agency time and it's time to bring up the age old question! Will the Leafs ever find their #1 centre they desperately need?
In this day and age its definetly hard to find that #1 centre via trade without giving up an abundance of youth and picks to get said ...
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 ...
[img]http://cdn.nhl.com/oilers/images/upload/2008/08/tambellini_steve.jpg[/img]
The Edmonton Oilers hold the first overall pick and General Manager Steve Tambellini has publicly stated that he would move the pick if he got the best deal for his team. Do you think he should move this pick or should he stay the course and keep the pick?
I think if he gets a hell of ...
As we move closer to the draft, Brian Burke and Dave Nonis are working hard at keeping our team competative and the fans as a side effect are gleaming with hope and pride. James Reimer evoked something that sits inside all leafs fans and up until last year, had been lurking in the depths of our collective stomachs, waiting to be unleashed. As we sat and watched the relat...
johnkriegs writes...
Chris Drury bought out by Rags? Sabres look to improve.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Richards...
Well, as many of you know, Drury will likely be bought out by the Rangers to make room for Richards. And yes, the Rangers are the team that will sign Richards. I say there is 90% chance that that will happen. So good for the Rangers, another soon to be overpaid player on their team.
On the Sabres...
Now that means that Drury would beco...
It’s no secret that the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win in professional sports. Any player will do whatever it takes to hoist it. That’s a proven fact given what has happened through the first four games of the series.
I’m tired of Canuck fans and Bruin fans complaining about the calls. It’s the FINALS! First off, I really don’t think the refs have ...
With just 2 or 3 games left to be played, it's fair to say that the battle for the Conn Smythe Trophy has been effectively narrowed down to 3 candidates. At this point, the winner will largely be determined by which team can win 2 more games.
Before we meet the candidates, let's review our history. Only 1 man in the last 20 years has won the award while playing for th...
Check out this interview at The Checking Line with New York Islanders forward Blake Comeau, as we discuss playoff hockey, the arena proposal and his off-season plans!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/one-one-blake-comeau
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
As you read you will see that I kind of get "tuned" up and no matter how hard I try not to be just a "homer", I just can't agree with the way some of the calls and non calls go. Sometimes I watch the game and get cr@p from my da for criticizing the Nuck players for penalties not called against them, but by and large the most obvious non calls are quite often replayed by th...
Hey! I’m Justen and yes, I spelled my username wrong haha. I’ve been visiting HockeyBuzz.com for years now. Mostly to look for the newest GARTH blog to get my Sabres fix, and/or rummaging through the forums. I love talking Sabres hockey and I’m here to do just that.
After a Dismal 1st half of the year due to a Tallinder-less Tyler Myers, a Lydm...
Marinus1103 writes...
An improved NHL - a view from the other side of the Ocean..
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I have loved and followed hockey ever since the ´88 olympics in Calgary.. This is just the best game ever invented.
As a European fan - having lived only 1 year in Toronto - it is hard to get a proper connection and information feed on the most honourable and dynamic professional sports existing, although the internet has brought significant improvements with regards ...
I can't stand them. The other thing that pisses me off is that a lot of people in Calgary including a lot of the bars are supporting them. It makes me so angry but seeing them lose tonight was so great. Come read why here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/06/why-i-dont-like-canucks.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
After the Vancouver Canucks won the first two games of the 2010-11 Stanley Cup Finals, a lot of people were saying things like...
[b]The Canucks have too much talent...
The Canucks are the deeper team...
It's the Canucks year...
[/b]
It was difficult to argue against those comments because in both games it seemed that the Canucks just looked like the better team.
...
Another Positive step for the leafs offseason. Carl gunnersson being signed over the next two years helps us keep our young and talented blue line intact. The large and smooth skating defensmen has shown us all that he is capable of manning a number two power play unit and I look forward to watching him continue to grow.
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 ...
8 days remain to the start of the 2011 NHL entry draft and 2 weeks remain to the the opening of the NHL free agency period. Burke has defined the number one off-season priority as being a true no. 1 centre to play with Kessel. Ideally, come July 1st Brad Richards would don the blue and white and for years to come would be the set-up man to help Kessel reach his goal-scorin...
I just got off the phone with a source of mine in Colorado who tells me a Huge trade might happen soon between the Av's & Leafs.
[u][b]To Colorado[/b][/u]: Gustavsson, Lebda, 25th & 30th Picks in 1st Round (2011), Leafs 3rd Round Pick (2011) & Boston's 2nd Round Pick in (2012)
[b][u]To Toronto[/u][/b]: Paul Stastny & John-Michael Liles
I hope t...
Stanley Cup Break Down
First off, congratulations to the Boston Bruins, they truly deserve it. Also I’d like to say congratulations to a Hall of Fame career to Mark Recci, who has been my favorite player. It’s sad to see a guy who can still play like a 30 year old hang his skates. He defiantly has a few years left in his tank.
Where did it all go wrong for the C...
[u][b]NHL Who am I? #12[/b][/u]
1. I was drafted in the 2nd round in 1983.
2. I’ve won the Stanley Cup more than once.
3. I was involved in a 3-way trade with two ex-Leafs, but Toronto was not part of the deal.
4. I won my first Cup with the team that drafted me.
5. My brother was drafted by St. Louis. We played 1 year together.
6. I have won one major ind...
This summer will be a key time as the Toronto Maple Leafs strive to break a drought that has seen them absent from the past six consecutive post seasons. The farm has been rejuvenated with the likes of Greg McKegg, Jesse Blacker, Jake Gardiner and Joe Colborne joining top prospect Nazem Kadri. However, the Leafs remain without a number one play making center and are still ...
In the 2009-2010 season, Tampa Bay Lightning was having a hard time. After their magical cup run in 03-04 they just never found their magic again. Making it once to the playoffs but losing in the first round, then missing the playoffs for the next three seasons. Finishing in last, 2nd last, and 6th last in the following three seasons. Something had to be done. Owner...
The draft week is starting off with good news already, the cap is being raised by close to five million for next season and with that the floor is also being raised as well. This has a two fold benefit for our Flames, first it gives the team breathing room to make some important signings or at least be able to pursue one major free agent July first. The second benefit woul...
The Calgary Tower is back! Well it never really left, but you know what I mean. Karlsson re-signed with the Flames for another two years today. Read more here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
In acquiring the negotiating rights to goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, the Flyers addressed an area of concern that experts had called an organizational black hole since the heyday of Ron Hextall in the late 1980's. I disagree with black hole, however, the Flyers had not made goaltending a top priority since then.
By trading for Bryzgalov's rights, and according to most repo...
Come on people do they really think there any other name for the new team in Winnipeg?
Like there is no hockey history that was totally taken by the little elf and now the little elf has even said the NHL would allow the team to be available at no charge clearly a guilty conscience on the part of the little elf so True North get into the program and design a new shirt ...
wingfan23 writes...
The Week ahead and Award Show Preview and Prediction
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
On Monday Red Wings fans everywhere rejoiced as Nicklas Lidstrom announced he was coming back for a 20th season. With Rafalski already retiring this season Lidstrom retiring would have been a huge blow to the Red Wings. Now the question is what do the Wings do in Free Agency as I will discuss more next week my opinion is they sign Ed Jovonoski to 2 yr 8 million dollar de...
Whenever I hear someone mention the name Jaromir Jagr with regard to the Penguins, one of two images pops into my head:
Most of the time it's the 1992 Stanley Cup Final game 1 goal he scored against the Chicago Blackhawks. The one where he weaved his way through players from the half wall to the net and scored on Eddie Belfour.
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha...
SabreHess writes...
Sabres and Richards...a match made in hockey heaven
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I doubt very many will see this blog as it is my first on hockeybuzz.com. All the same i want to get my opinion out there in the cloud so to speak.
Eklund himself is on record as of this morning proclaiming the Sabres are one of the secondary teams in the Brad Richards extravaganza. This isn't the first time that notion has been intimated, but i guess this time it h...
I’m going to put these up for fun and feel free to rip me a new one but in my fantasy g.m. brain here is what I would do given what the Flames have to work with right now. Erixon going to the Rangers for two 2nd round picks changed the game because now they have all of the picks they would have anyway, if there was a silver lining to that fiasco this is it. So armed with...
With all the hoopla surrounding the need for a 1st line centre in Toronto, a key idea is being missed.
It's true: Brian Burke [i]needs[/i] to acquire a legitimate, 1st-line centre this offseason if he wants any shot at even making the playoffs this year.
However, I'd like to point out, that the Leafs are still missing a much-needed cog to any playoff teams chances: A p...
Well only 1 day until the draft and there is alot of speculation on who the habs should draft.
In my opinion it's time to go after that illusive big power forward. With the 17th overall pick, the habs should be able to find a good solid power forward with the draft as deep as it is this year. I know montreal's theory is take the best player available, I say let's take the...
What a day for hockey fans! Regehr could be headed to Buffalo if he agrees to waive his no trade clause. What does this mean for the Flames? Come to TSR to read more:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/06/bye-bye-birdie-robyn-on-his-way-out-of.html
Newman
twitter/TSRNewman
EDM: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
COL: Huberdeay
FLO: Landeskog
NJ: Larsson
NYI: Hamilton
OTT: Strome
WIN: Couturier
PHI: Beaulieu
BOS: Murphy
MIN:Zinebejad
AVS: Brodin
CAR: Bartschi
CAL: McNeil
DAL: Armia
NYR: Grimaldi
BUF: Siemens
MTL: Saad
CHI: Oleskiak
EDM: Gibson
PHX: Klefbom
OTT: Jensen
ANA: Jenner
PIT: Rattie
DET: Musil
TOR: Puempel
WAS: ...
First off, this is my first blog. Just fyi.
Today, the Flyers made two big deals. Carter too Columbus for a pair of picks and Jakub Voracek. They also sent Mike Richards too the Kings for Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds and a 2nd round pick (overpayment imo). So how do these two trades affect Toronto and there train of thought going into the draft?
The first trade onl...
First off, this is my first blog. Just fyi.
Today, the Flyers made two big deals. Carter too Columbus for a pair of picks and Jakub Voracek. They also sent Mike Richards too the Kings for Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds and a 2nd round pick (overpayment imo). So how do these two trades affect Toronto and there train of thought going into the draft?
The first trade onl...
Anyone remember the Comcast Sportsnet commercial with Flyers Beat Writer Tim Panaccio and a Flyer Fan? The fan cuts off Panaccio and begins to blab nonsense, "The Flyers are an F5 tornado" he says. That is an understatement today as the Flyers not only shocked Flyerdom, but also the entire NHL as well. The Flyers began to turn heads when they announced that they had tr...
With more than 10 million in cap space will the Leafs do a mega offer to Stamkos in excess of 10 million?
Burke did say he has no problem with term if the player is young. So look for 10 years at 10 million per year something TBay has no hope to match.
They were paying 6 million for Giguere alone now he's gone and the Leafs desperately need a prolific goal scorer and...
MikeInSauga writes...
Mock Draft - All Thirty Selections The Night Before
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
THis is before any trades occur with the first 30 picks.
1. Edmonton - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
2. Colorado - Gabriel Landeskog
3. Florida - Adam Larsson
4. New Jersey- Jonathan Huberdeau
5. New York Islanders - Ryan Strome
6. Ottawa - Sean Couturier
7. Winnipeg - Dougie Hamilton
8. Philadelphia (via Colombus) - Ryan Murphy
9. Boston (via Toronto) - Nathan Beaulie...
The Iceman writes...
Pre-draft Trades. Will Isles Make Huge Noise 10 Years Later?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
We are just 15 hours away from the 1st round of the 2011 NHL Entry draft. Already some major moves have been made by the Philadelphia Flyers. Moves that quite frankly shocked myself, and the rest of the hockey world on the eve of the draft. The flyers first traded Jeff Carter to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the 8th overall pick, Jakub Voracek, and a 3rd round pick. Carter...
due to the high possability of some trades that could occur between today and july here are some trades that are possible.
Robyn Regehr to Buffalo
Great story here Robyn gets an opportunity to leave Calgary for the good of the team and goes to become one of the best defensemen in the league in Buffalo
Zach Parise to Toronto
Brian Burke and Lou Lameriello have been...
Personnally I don't feel that the leafs have missed out on Carter or Richards, neither player are the type of guy that any of us thought we needed. While both are very talented Richards is unpredictable and is still prone to taking terrible penaltied at bad times that hurt his team in late stages of the game and in the playoffs, and Carter is as pure a sniper as Kessel is...
Paul Holmgren, for better or worse, has done it in Philadelphia.
When the Flyers traded for the right's to free agent goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, everybody knew they were serious...finally...about addressing their question mark in goal.
Everybody also knew that signing Bryzgalov to a new contract would require some type of sacrifice from the current roster in order t...
What Holmgren did was not to simply create salary cap room. One does not trade the faces of his franchise in order to lock up a new goalie. The Flyers could have kept both of the players they traded away yesterday afteroon and signed Ilya Bryzgalov to the same contract and made the numbers work by moving other players.
He chose to change not just the face of his hockey ...
Hi everyone! Welcome to my first Hockey Buzz blog post! As a New Jersey Devils fan, you will find that my postings will typically revolve around issues affecting the Devils in particular, and the Atlantic Division in general. But of course as with any huge NHL fan I may stray from time to time!
Anyway - lets begin by talking about the bold move Paul Holmgren just ...
Happy Friday!
As anticipation grows with the looming draft tonight, like most Leafs fans, I'm hopeful that big Burke can live up to his reputation and pull the trigger on a trade that will shed the limelight on the city that eats, sleeps and lives the Leafs!
In wandering my way through the many credible tweeters today, it doesn't appear there is much life to many r...
As most of us know by now, Flyers welcomed several new players yesterday in lieu of their blockbuster deals which sent former captain Mike Richards to LA and leading goal scorer Jeff Carter to Columbus.
Here's my rundown:
1. Carter - The guy has a killer wrist shot. There's no doubt in anyone's mind that his scoring prowess will be sorely missed. Despite the fact tha...
I believe I picked the right day to start my blogging adventure...yesterday at about 2:00, I went onto Hockeybuzz to look if any trade rumors concerned the Flyers. The only rumor I saw was Robyn Regher possibly waiving his NTC to go to Buffalo. Thinking nothing will happen in the next 20 minutes (Who would've thought something did happen?) I go to get cleaned up for the ...
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...
MikeInSauga writes...
Combining the Kessel and Kaberle Deals. Who Wins?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Both trade calls went through and both were accepted. But with some of those draft picks in today's draft, these trades weren't completed done until today. And so, with the players picked, who wins? First, it needs too be summarized:
To Boston :
Tomas Kaberle
Jared Knight
Tyler Segiun
Dougie Hamilton
To Toronto:
John-Michael Liles
Tyler Biggs
Phil Kessel
Joe ...
If you are like me you sat there glued to the television waiting for the big announcement last night... you know the one that didn't happen. Once again Brian Burke was unable to find anyone willing to trade with, I wonder if i it is because people around the league believe that the leafs players aren't worthy of much. Is Brian Burke overvaluing the prospects and draft p...
Today, I read Eklund's 3:46am post about the salary floor. He talks about teams struggling to get to the salary floor and how an unmovable salary like Brian Campbell's was able to be moved to Florida, since Florida needs to get to the floor.
I must say, it amazes me at how poorly some of these teams manage the cap. Tallon in Florida just doesn't get it. Edmonton seems...
Today, I read Eklund's 3:46am post about the salary floor. He talks about teams struggling to get to the salary floor and how an unmovable salary like Brian Campbell's was able to be moved to Florida, since Florida needs to get to the floor.
I must say, it amazes me at how poorly some of these teams manage the cap. Tallon in Florida just doesn't get it. Edmonton seems...
I am getting really annoyed with the smack talk going on about Robyn Regehr taking too long to make up his mind. The guy was drafted by Calgary, played his entire career there, and due to his loyalty and respect for the team, earned a NMC with his contract. Now, obviously Calgary wanted to get rid of some salary (all to resign Alex Tanguay and make a trade for Ryan Smyth...
[img]http://i54.tinypic.com/64kvn8.jpg[/img]
I just finnish-ed(get it?) watching the Sabres recent first round draft pick Joel Armia of the Finnish Elite League, meet the media. A few answers to questions he had really kind of irked me:
Q: “Do you get much exposure to the NHL in Finland?
JA: “No, not much”
Q: “Do you know much about the Buffalo Sabres?”...
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...
This blog may come too soon, we may still see a Ryan Smyth trade, we may see more signings or we may even see a new assistant G.M.
To Summarize the weekend I think we have to break it down into a few different categories. They are the Draft itself, the trades, Smyth, and Tanguay's Contract.
The Draft: I do not think anyone really thinks Bartschi at 13 was a bad pick,...
puck-off writes...
Why isn't the jets logo on the top of either NHL.com or HB
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I guess it's too expensive to make the changes in these crappy economic times!
puck-off writes...
Why isn't the jets logo on the top of either NHL.com or HB
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I guess it's too expensive to make the changes in these crappy economic times!
Check out my coverage of this year's Islanders activity at the NHL Entry Draft with a look at 5th overall pick Ryan Strome and more!
http://t.co/T1muBIv
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
It's a hot topic.
Apparently there's a major realignment coming thanks to the move to Winnipeg.
4 divisions, 7 in two divisions (in the West), 8 in the other two (in the East).
How do you think it'd look?
I have it:
[b]Western Conference[/b]
[u]Gretzky Division[/u]
Vancouver
Calgary
Edmonton
San Jose
Anaheim
Los Angeles
Phoenix* (But for how long.....
Since the NHL's departure from Atlanta to Winnipeg the question has been on everyone's mind as to how the New divisions would look. That answer has been put off one year by the NHL, as the Winnipeg Jets will be playing in the SOUTHeast division with the likes of Carolina, Florida, Tampa Bay and Washington.
There have been rumors floating around about a new 4 division ...
Robyn is gone. Tanguay is back and the Flames no longer have to worry about Ales Kotalik sucking it up on the ice. Come to TSR where I look at what the impact of the both the trade and the signing mean to the Flames
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/06/regehr-traded-and-tanguay-signs.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
The draft came and went a bit more anti-climatic than expected. The Sabres did well for themselves adding the agile Finnish winger Joel Armia (though i would have preferred Mark McNeill) and the exciting Daniel Catenacci but to expect either of these players to have in impact in the 2011-2012 season is unrealistic. This years draft was to continue stocking the cupboard ...
Who are Paul Byron and Chris Butler? Most Calgarians have no idea. Well here is a closer look with the help of a Buffalo Sabres expert that gives us some more insight on what we can expect from the two players the Flames got in return for Robyn Regehr.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/06/chris-butler-and-paul-byron-newest.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
Read the latest at The Checking Line with updates from Micheal Haley, Travis Hamonic and Matt Moulson as to their thoughts on Ryan Strome and what they have planned for the summer!
http://t.co/B1X18Ae
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
P.S. I apologize for the multiple posts of the Strome article, my browser was not working properly.
Since the NHL's departure from Atlanta to Winnipeg the question has been on everyone's mind as to how the New divisions would look. That answer has been put off one year by the NHL, as the Winnipeg Jets will be playing in the SOUTHeast division with the likes of Carolina, Florida, Tampa Bay and Washington.
There have been rumors floating around about a new 4 division ...
This may be the busiest week of the year for General Manager Ray Shero. He still has a lot to do before Christmas in July begins this Friday. One thing that we just found out a few hours ago is that Shero did not offer winger Tyler Kennedy a Qualifying Offer, which will make him an unrestricted free agent this Friday. I am happy with this move, or lack thereof, because ...
jeffgreig writes...
Can there really be a "HUGE" free agent landing in Toronto
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I don't believe that there will be any "HUGE" signing this summer from Brian Burke. I believe that perhaps Andy Mac may be an option, but is he available? Mr Augello wrote that he would be a nice fit, I also think that Andy would be a great fit. Not only would he be a relative bargain due to injuries, but he could actually end up being the type of guy that Kessel needs...
The addition of Mike Richards has made the Kings tougher up the middle, but the loss of Simmonds leaves a void to an already thin area on the team: Toughness. The Kings lack the kind of toughness that will enable them to go far in the playoffs.
Dean Lombardi needs to bring in an animal to play on the back-end, a tough forward willing to drop the gloves to fill in for...
I’ve read some blog posts recently and the replies them that seem to indicate a strong feeling that the Flames have no prospects, that other teams have youth on their side and seem to imply that the Flames are destined to be a last place team. There are a couple things to look at here, are the Flames really that old? Do they really have no prospects?
Of the players si...
For a few weeks now many Penguin fans have been discussing and debating the possible return of Jaromir Jagr to the Penguins.
Some people don't see the point in signing a 39 year old who hasn't played in the NHL for 3 seasons to a $3M contract (word on the street).
I look at the recent signing of Brooks Laich to a 6 year, $27M contract by the Washington Capitals as mo...
It's summer time in New Jersey - that means that the New Jersey Devils are probably conducting their almost-annual coaching search!
Some interesting names have been floating around: Ken Hitchcock, Craig Ramsay, Marc Crawford, Mike Keenan, Mike Haviland, Michel Therrien, Bob Hartley, and Mike Eaves to name a few. But one thing we know for sure from past experience - the ...
There are only two days until the Free Agency period begins and one of the most highly touted players in hockey is yet to be signed. Tonight at 5 pm ET marks the time where teams may begin negotiating with other clubs’ RFA’s, although offer sheets cannot be officially submitted until Friday. Until this week, I was extremely hesitant regarding the idea that Steven Stamk...
While the[b] Islanders[/b] made a move. They traded for the [b]rights to Christain Ehrhoff's contract[/b]. Ehrhoff is fresh off of a run to the Stanley Cup Finals with the Vancouver Canucks and the 28 year old Defenseman will be an[b] UFA[/b] on the First of July. The Isles received these rights after giving up their [b]fourth round pick[/b] in the [b]2012[/b] draft to ...
This is my first blog.
There, now that's out of the way down to business.
Edmonton Oilers...
The news on the possibility of the Oilers acquiring Cam Barker intrigues me. This former 3rd overall selection of the Chicago Blackhawks has had some injury troubles but is young and I believe he was not put into a big enough role in Minnie or Chicago. His 1yr 3mill. contra...
TOP DEFENCEMEN OVER THE AGE OF 35
Roman Hamrlik
Sami Salo
Niclas Wallin
Bryan McCabe
TOP DEFENSIVE
Scott Hannan
Brent Sopel
TOP OFFENSIVE DEFENCEMEN
Ed Jovanovski
Christian Ehrhoff
Tomas Kaberle
FORWARDS
TOP SNIPERS
Andrew Brunette
Erik Cole
Simon Gagne
Jussi Jokinen
Scottie Upshall
“Set Up Artists”
Tim Connolly
Vil...
After a long absence, I'm back...
It's been a while since I've written a blog, but with the July 1st "Free Agent Frenzy" upon the horizon, I felt it was a fitting time to return to what I enjoy...writing about my hometown St. Louis Blues.
From now through the entirety of the upcoming free agent period, look for updates regarding player movement as it pertains to the ...
The Devils have three MAJOR UFAs.
Adam Mair.
Andy Greene.
Johan Hedberg.
When it comes to Mair I'm sure all the Devils fans are happy and thankful to his contributions to the team last year. I myself believe he is a great player but I don't think he is going to be resigned.
Andy Greene I think should definitely be resigned. He is an all around great blueliner....
2011 Devils Draft/ Free Agents Possibilities
RESTRICTED
Parise
Vasyunov
Zharkov
Corrente
Salmela
Taormina
Fraser
UNRESTRICTED
Greene
Hedberg
Mair
Mills
POSSIBLE DRAFT CANIDATES FOR FIRST ROUND
Jonathan Huberdeau C QMJHL
Dougie Hamilton D OHL
Sean Couturier C/LW N/A
**Edmonton will pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
The Devils First Pick was D...
First off I would give some props to Dale Tallon for the quick signing of Tomas Kopecky for some offense (stats below), albeit I think he overpaid a bit a 4 years 12 million (especially since Kopecky made 1.2 mil last year). They could have gotten him for a bit cheaper but there trying to reach the cap floor with a little over 20 million left to spend and Kopecky was a big...
The drum roll will have to wait, well, because we are all still waiting. Jaromir Jagr has had travel problems and the decision will have to wait until tomorrow. There is all kinds of speculation running rampant about what happened to Jagr. Some are saying he missed his flight. Some are saying there were turtles on the runway which caused his flight to be delayed. No o...
Upon the retirement of the great Hall of Famer Scott Stevens the Devs have struggled to find a solid captain. They tried Elias, and Langenbrunner and in between, the position was left vacant. When Jamie was shipped off to Dallas at the deadline the position of captain was left vacant once again. The Devils' management wisely decided their were more important things than...
The St. Louis Blues announced this morning they have re-signed forward TJ Oshie to a one-year contract worth $2.35 million.
Oshie, 24, played in 49 games last season, registering 12 goals and 22 assists with a +10 rating. Oshie missed significant time after breaking his ankle in a scrum during the end of a game against Columbus last October.
In three seasons with the...
According to Eklund there are many rumors of Parise being traded. The team most recently added was the Rangers. As all o you know, The Devils and Rangers hate each other. Very Much. It seems to stupid to send your star player to your rival.
In my opinion, The Devils will NOT let him go. I dont see why they would. Im sure if a trade goes down between the Devils and any ...
Im sure you have all heard of the rumors of a trade involving Parise. The rumors involve an Eastern Canadian team who is believed to be Toronto. Vancouver. And The Rangers.
Now Im sure the Devils would not give up their star player. Second of all to any of these teams. Toronto (a minor rival) and NYR (A major rival!). But just because of those reasons we cant count tho...
ZACH PARISE/RFA
VLADIMIR ZHARKOV/RFA
ADAM MAIR/UFA
MATT CORRENTE/RFA
ANSSI SALMELA/RFA
MATT TAORMINA/RFA
MARK FRASER/RFA
ANDY GREENE/UFA
JAY LEACH/UFA
JOHAN HEDBERG/UFA
BUYOUTS--ANDREW PETERS/JAY PANDOLFO
www.HockeyBuzz.com
www.NHL.com
www.CapGeek.com
www.NHLPA.com
to track your favorite team: www.*teamname*.nhl.com
A quick update for you all...
There seems to be some growing interest in the Blues' front office in signing one of either Jamie Langenbrunner or Tomas Fleischmann.
Langenbrunner's interest is obviously because of the connection he and General Manager Doug Armstrong had when both were in Dallas.
Langenbrunner, as I mentioned in a previous blog, would provide some...
In all likelihood, the Rangers will sign Brad Richards. I am very disappointed about this because the Rangers were on the right track. They have a nice young core, have built the team through the draft and have good players on the horizon. Now the cap space is gone. We have another buyout in waiting.
Does Brad Richards make the Rangers better for the next couple of year...
Jagr Watch is officially out of hand if you ask me. I do not have anything against Jaromir Jagr for taking time to make what he feels is the best career move. I do have a problem with all of the false news stories. As of right now, it seems as if Jaromir has not given any indication of which team he would like to play for next year. He wants to make the perfect decisio...
Lost in Jagrwatch, is Ray Shero mismanaging assets. I am still lost as to why, he did not tender offer Tyler Kennedy allowing him a fast track to UFA status. If they tendered the offer, TK would file for arbitration, and then they would have until Aug to sign him. If they lost the arbitration, they could chose to walk away and in turn get a compensatory pick in the upcomi...
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...
Quick update before I go back to work...
The Blues are finalizing a deal that would bring back forward Matt D'Agostini.
The deal should be announced soon, but sources indicate it's a two-year contract.
More to come,
Nick Boston
http://twitter.com/Nick_Boston
Like the last three years, the first day of the NHL Free Agency Period is met with the same response from Blues' fanantics around 4 PM CT.
They're losing their minds.
Frustration, anger, disgust...
Those would be three of many words that could be used to describe the Blues and their activity (or lack thereof) in the free agent market.
This year more than ever,...
Quick Update:
The Blues have signed goaltender Brian Elliott to a one-year, two-way contract.
Elliott, 26, played in 55 games with Ottawa and Colorado last season, tallying a record of 15-27-9 with a 3.34 GAA and an .893 save percentage. Elliott also had three shutouts last season.
Elliott is expected to battle with goalie Ben Bishop for the backup goaltender job ...
Well I think we have to lead off one last time talking about Jaromir Jagr. He signed a 1 year deal for $3.3 million with the rival Philadelphia Flyers. At first, I was very upset. I am 20 years old and I played hockey my entire life. Jaromir Jagr was my childhood idle and I wanted nothing more than to watch him play in a Penguins' jersey one last time. I wanted the Pe...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Get Reasonable, Sign Marty Reasoner to Two Year Deal
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Check out my take on the Reasoner signing for the Isles this afternoon as free agency continues at The Checking Line
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/%5Bfield_full_story_ref-title-raw%5D/isles-get-reasonable-sign-marty-reasoner-two-year-
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
The Pens signed RW Steve Sullivan today to a 1 year 1.5 million dollar contract. The Pens also signed Forward Colin Macdonald to a 1 year 550K contract. The Pens also Re-signed Foward Tyler Kennedy. To a 2 year 2 million dollar contract. The Pens don't have that much money left so I think they won't make any more deals for a while.
The Pens signed RW Steve Sullivan today to a 1 year 1.5 million dollar contract. The Pens also signed Forward Colin Macdonald to a 1 year 550K contract. The Pens also Re-signed Foward Tyler Kennedy. To a 2 year 2 million dollar contract. The Pens don't have that much money left so I think they won't make any more deals for a while.
Before I start, I don't claim to be an expert. I have my own opinions, and don't claim to know everything about hockey. If you find any inaccuracies or have any comments, please respectably leave them below or in my Inbox.
Since I last saw my Flyers in May, a lot have transactions obviously have occurred. I was pissed off at the end of the season, and called it the ...
SabreHess writes...
Sabres add Leino, re-up McCormick....Ehrhoff Thoughts
Posted Friday | Comments 0
With the handcuffs off Darcy Regier is proving to be resourceful and more aggressive than myself and most Sabres fans have ever given him credit for. Signing Ehrhoff was a great move to add a durable blueline presence who can command the Sabres PP until Myers or Gragnani is ready and chip in 30-35 assists for the next decade. People are complaining about the term of the ...
Welcome to Hard Disc Hockey; our blog of all things NHL, and bits of info from other areas of the sport of hockey. I hope you enjoy, hate or otherwise react to the comments posted here. I look forward to your discussion of these posts.
Well here we go! Today is July 1st, the day all NHL GMs and fanbases believe is the beginning of a Stanley Cup Championship. For one...
The 2011 free agent class was the weakest group of ufa's that I have seen in a very long time but none the less moves were made and their were still winners and losers which I will give you all my opinion on the moves that all 30 teams made thus far including moves made before the draft. As always comments good and bad are welcomed as I do want your opinion of how you all...
With Ilya Bryzgalov signed to a 9 year deal, Sergei Bobrovsky becomes one of the more expensive backups in the NHL. At 23 years old come September, he is a developing goalie who is anticipated to only get better. Subsequently, a raise will come at the end of his contract in 2013. Considering Bryzgalov is only 30 now, he has at least 4, 5, maybe 6 good years left. Would you...
First things first this has been the craziest off season I can ever remember.. That being said alot of people think the Flyers took a Huge step back.... I disagree maybe a small step back but not a big one... Richards and Carter will be missed... however we did get some good pieces back.. Voracek and Simmonds are young and capabale of having Career years this year, now the...
[b]On Richie:[/b]
Anyone who says anything about Mike Richards' play or leadership hasn't watched enough Flyers hockey, especially in the past two seasons. The man will be sorely missed, regardless of what you want to say now that he's gone.
He was easily one of the best two way forwards in hockey, and Los Angeles gets him at that all-too-cheap 5.4 million dollar cap ...
[img:right]http://www.nhlhockeyportal.com/edmontonoilers/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/EdmontonOILERSlogo.gif[/img]
[b]On Friday, I though there was going to be little or no signing by the Oilers turned out that the Oilers were one of the busyer teams. As I was listening to alot of the Brad Richard crap on TSN the Oilers were busy making there team better. He is what...
The buffalo sabres entered this off season with two goals, strengthening our defense, and finding a first line centre. I think Darcy did an excellent job at building us one of the best D collections in the league. Regher and Ehrhoff along with Leopold and Myers will without a doubt make Ryan Millers job a lot easier. But as happy as I am about our defence being strengthene...
Assuming they re-sign Enroth, Weber, Gragnani, and bring up either Kassian or Adam to fill the final roster spot:
Vanek - Roy - Stafford
Ennis - Leino - Pominville
Gerbe - Gaustad - Boyes
Hecht - McCormick - Kaleta
Kotalik, Kassian/Adam
Regehr - Leopold
Ehrhoff - Gragnani
Myers - Weber
Morrisonn
Miller
Enroth
The Blues yesterday afternoon announced the signing of defenseman Kent Huskins to a one-year, $1 Million contract.
Huskins, 32, played in 50 games last season with the San Jose Sharks, registering two goals and eight assists and had a +8 rating.
Huskins gives the Blues another left-handed shot on defense that they've been rumored to be looking for.
[u]Other r...
Before I begin I would like to preface this post by saying a sincere to thank you to the Pegula Family, as well as the entire sabres organization for arguably one of the most exciting off seasons in team history. The future of this franchise is brighter than it has ever been.
With that being said. It seems for now that the Buffalo Sabres are re-enacting an old slogan...
Before I begin I would like to preface this post by saying a sincere to thank you to the Pegula Family, as well as the entire sabres organization for arguably one of the most exciting off seasons in team history. The future of this franchise is brighter than it has ever been.
With that being said. It seems for now that the Buffalo Sabres are re-enacting an old slogan...
Before I begin I would like to preface this post by saying a sincere to thank you to the Pegula Family, as well as the entire sabres organization for arguably one of the most exciting off seasons in team history. The future of this franchise is brighter than it has ever been.
With that being said. It seems for now that the Buffalo Sabres are re-enacting an old slogan...
Before I begin I would like to preface this post by saying a sincere to thank you to the Pegula Family, as well as the entire sabres organization for arguably one of the most exciting off seasons in team history. The future of this franchise is brighter than it has ever been.
With that being said. It seems for now that the Buffalo Sabres are re-enacting an old slogan...
The 2011 unrestricted free agency period appears that it will be remembered as the year of inflated contracts and a poor man's rendition of Lebron James's 'The Decision' of last summer. However, despite Florida's aggressive spending, Brad Richard's antics, and Jagr's mullet, the summer of 2011 had, in my estimation, some incredible bargains and steals that could wind up pa...
What a day free agency frenzy must have been for Mikael Backlund hey? With a nine year offer for Brad Richards on the table the flames affectively told Backlund that they did not believe he has the potential to be a number one center. There are a glut of centers but Backlund seemed to have an edge looking at training camp. Langkow is older, hasn't really played on a year a...
Making the assumption that Darcy Regier has stopped tinkering, and by tinkering I mean doing it with a sledgehammer, the Sabres have their team set for the 2011-12 NHL season. The only exceptions to this being signing Enroth, Gragnani, and Weber. The final spot on the roster I probably foresee being designated to bringing up one of the forwards from Rochester. Luke Adam ha...
For NHL teams, most seasons can be defined by one factor. One segment of the team that made the season a success or a failure. For the 2011 Bruins, Tim Thomas was that factor. He was the difference maker for them, the biggest reason why Boston is celebrating yet another major sports title. The same goes for teams that failed; the Rangers’ season can very well be defined...
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�...
So as everyone is trying to figure out what Holmgren has been doing over the last two weeks, I found a quote in an article that seems to wrap it all up into a cohesive plan. The quote from Peter Luukko from an article on Philly.com is “Our whole goal in the off-season was to strengthen the goaltending, keep the defense intact, and get bigger, faster and stronger up fron...
psycomkl writes...
New York Islanders = NHL Laughingstock? Only to fans...
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Everyone has heard the jokes about the Islanders, their General Manager, their Owner, the players, building, and so on. The people cracking these jokes are on message boards, in bars, blogs, etc. They are the fans of the NHL, both of the Isles themselves and of other teams. The people not cracking jokes? The coaches and players of other NHL franchises.
"But, if that...
Based on our team now, here would be our opening lines:
Neal-Crosby-Dupuis
Kunitz-Malkin-Sullivan
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Adams-Letestu-Asham
Letang-Oprik
Martin-Michalek
Niskanen-Lovejoy
Fleury
Johnson
The lines might be different but these are in essence our guys heading in. There are a few things that strike me when i look at our team.
1. Our forwards a...
What a choice to have to make. I believe that if this combo would get Stamkos to Toronto it would get done immediately. I love Luke Schenn and would dearly miss watching him grow into the player he is already close to being. That being said, players like Stamkos don't come along very often, and when there is an opportunity to add one then you do it. Burke has said he does...
1st Round- 8th Overall
C- Sean Couturier-Drummondville, QMJHL
Getting Sean Couturier with the 8th overall pick is a steal. Couturier, who was named the number one draft eligible prospect by International Scouting Services in December, is a player who is often compared to Jordan Staal. While he had the most points per game of any player in this draft, 1.66, he might n...
So...Tomas or not Tomas? No, I'm not a headline writer for NHL.com or the guy who titles episodes of The Simpsons (I'm convinced they are the same person, go ahead prove me wrong). I'm just a man trying to answer what is really the last remaining big question surrounding the 2011-2012 edition of the Boston Bruins. In a recent Boston Globe poll, over 67% of people indicated...
P_Lenehan55 writes...
Leafs are making all the right moves..... with more to come
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Well Leaf fans, after a dismal and disappointing July 1 many of us were left shaking our heads wondering 'what gives'? We have the most cap space we have had in years, are slowly becoming more appealing to big ticket free agents, and had many depth holes to fill up front. And we are the only team in the NHL not to make a splash on day one? C'mon.
Well, it is no...
[img]http://1.cdn.nhle.com/flames/images/upload/2011/07/109844431.jpg[/img]
Today Calgary finally managed to land defenceman [b]Anton Babchuk[/b] back in a 2 year contract worth $2.5 million per year. It is believed that this negotiation was stalled until now because Calgary was trying to keep Cap room for Brad Richards. Saturday night news spread of New York Rangers si...
So I guess we will start out with the end of our playoffs. To me these play offs were just ok. I never felt like the sharks were going to dominate a series. We almost dominated the wings but we all know how that went. To me the sharks were relying on their size and puck possession as the only offense. This can work well but isn't the hardest thing to defend when you kn...
Most have lauded the Sabres organization over the past few days for recognizing they weren't going to land Brad Richards and immediately snatching the next best playmaker on the open market in Ville Leino. In terms of ability the Sabres are upgrading their forward corps by adding a solid two way player with soft hands, great vision, and proven playoff performance. Howeve...
I’ve heard both sides of the argument about Babchuck. Is he worth 2.5 million a year? Is he the minus 4 player in Carolina or the plus 14 player in Calgary? Is he defensively sound? One of the most compelling arguments I have heard that is that Babchuck played sheltered minutes, Kent Wilson of flamesnation.com brought this up first.
I think what that basically means ...
The Flames decided not to go ballistic this weekend and probably for the best. Feaster, I thought, made some sound moves and really good non-moves. Come read my thoughts and remember to follow me on Twitter:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/07/non-moves-flames-strategy.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
Two signings the Blues have made today...
The Blues Tuesday afternoon signed center Scott Nichol to a one-year, $600,000 contract.
The 36-year old veteran played in 56 games last season with the San Jose Sharks, tallying four goals and three assists. Nichol has also spent time in his 12-year career with Buffalo, Clagary, Chicago, and Nashville.
Nichol is known ar...
Wherever and however you are reading this today, thank you for making the Gray Area part of your day. This is the first ever blog written on the Hockey Buzz website. My goal is to reach more hockey fans around the world through this site. I think you will find I write very upfront about what I think about the teams around the league and grade my favorites the harshest of ...
The Blues today signed forwards Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner to one-year contracts.
Both players signed for $2.5 million, with bonuses adding up to potentially $2.8 million.
Langenbrunner, 35, played in 70 games with New Jersey and Dallas last season, registering nine goals and 23 assists. The former Devils' captain was also the team captain of the 2010 USA O...
As Burke finishes signing the remaining RFAs, it has come to the attention of many fans that the Leafs are slowly developing a surplus of bodies on both forward and defense. Hypothetically, if the season started tomorrow, the Leafs project line-up could look like this:
Lupul – Connolly – Kessel
MacArthur – Grabovski – Kulemin
Kadri – Bozak – Armstrong
Orr...
As Burke finishes signing the remaining RFAs, it has come to the attention of many fans that the Leafs are slowly developing a surplus of bodies on both forward and defense. Hypothetically, if the season started tomorrow, the Leafs project line-up could look like this:
Lupul – Connolly – Kessel
MacArthur – Grabovski – Kulemin
Kadri – Bozak – Armstrong
Orr...
As Burke finishes signing the remaining RFAs, it has come to the attention of many fans that the Leafs are slowly developing a surplus of bodies on both forward and defense. Hypothetically, if the season started tomorrow, the Leafs project line-up could look like this:
Lupul – Connolly – Kessel
MacArthur – Grabovski – Kulemin
Kadri – Bozak – Armstrong
Orr...
As the sixth day of NHL free agency comes to a close the Devils look nearly identical to the team that defeated the Boston Bruins on the final day of the regular season in front of a sell-out crowd full of the Nordique Nation. The Devils watched Arnott sign with the Blues today and they let Eckford sign with the Coyotes.
All Lou has done thus far is resign Defenseman A...
As it sits, the salary cap for the 2011-2012 season is set at $64.3 million dollars. The only way they could get the salary cap that high is to raise the salary cap floor. The salary cap floor is set at $48.3 million. Look, I am all for the salary cap. I think it makes the league more fair in a way that no team can "pay for championships." I do not like how some teams...
TonyFerrari16 writes...
My First Blog! Me, Toronto, Optimism and outlook on the NHL!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Hello to all hockey fans that read this blog and any of my future blogs! I am a student of Hockey! I have been a hockey fan since the day I was conceived! (I know it sounds impossible but I came out in a Leafs sweater!) I play pick up, mostly because I was never good enough to actually play and couldn't afford to play when I was a child. I love the sport. I am new to ...
jeffgreig writes...
Steve Simmons vs. Brian Burke and other neat things
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Is it just me or does everything that Steve Simmons say sound the same? Further more everything he writes seems to directly involve Brian Burke's innability to get the hockey team into the playoffs. I honestly don't believe that there is a less intelligent and more negative individual in the Toronto media. The questions this guy asks are irrelavent and offending, only S...
I keep reading about the hoopla that is sorrounding him and I have to ask myself some important questions. The first one being, is he really as good as the numbers say he is or is he the benefactor of having St. Louis, Lecavalier, and this year Gagne already on his team? Is he really the man on the Tampa Bay roster or is he part of the bigger entity? The Flyers had somethi...
goleafsgo17 writes...
Who Do You Want/Think Will Be The Leafs #1 Center.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I'm aware that this may be a bit too early in discussing this but, for arguments sake let's talk about this subject anyway.
Right now the leafs currently have 5 centers on their main roster with Bozak, Grabovski, Connolly, Lombardi and Boyce(RFA). Unless Something changes, such as Boyce not being resigned by the leafs and/or a trade of one of those 5, these players are ...
goleafsgo17 writes...
Who Do You Want/Think Will Be The Leafs #1 Center.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I'm aware that this may be a bit too early in discussing this but, for arguments sake let's talk about this subject anyway.
Right now the leafs currently have 5 centers on their main roster with Bozak, Grabovski, Connolly, Lombardi and Boyce(RFA). Unless Something changes, such as Boyce not being resigned by the leafs and/or a trade of one of those 5, these players are ...
goleafsgo17 writes...
Who Do You Want/Think Will Be The Leafs #1 Center.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I'm aware that this may be a bit too early in discussing this but, for arguments sake let's talk about this subject anyway.
Right now the leafs currently have 5 centers on their main roster with Bozak, Grabovski, Connolly, Lombardi and Boyce(RFA). Unless Something changes, such as Boyce not being resigned by the leafs and/or a trade of one of those 5, these players are ...
goleafsgo17 writes...
Who Do You Want/Think Will Be The Leafs #1 Center.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I'm aware that this may be a bit too early in discussing this but, for arguments sake let's talk about this subject anyway.
Right now the leafs currently have 5 centers on their main roster with Bozak, Grabovski, Connolly, Lombardi and Boyce(RFA). Unless Something changes, such as Boyce not being resigned by the leafs and/or a trade of one of those 5, these players are ...
goleafsgo17 writes...
Who Do You Want/Think Will Be The Leafs #1 Center
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I'm aware that this may be a bit too early in discussing this but, for arguments sake let's talk about this subject anyway.
Right now the leafs currently have 5 centers on their main roster with Bozak, Grabovski, Connolly, Lombardi and Boyce(RFA). Unless Something changes, such as Boyce not being resigned by the leafs and/or a trade of one of those 5, these players are ...
goleafsgo17 writes...
Who Do You Want/Think Will Be The Leafs #1 Center.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I'm aware that this may be a bit too early in discussing this but, for arguments sake let's talk about this subject anyway.
Right now the leafs currently have 5 centers on their main roster with Bozak, Grabovski, Connolly, Lombardi and Boyce(RFA). Unless Something changes, such as Boyce not being resigned by the leafs and/or a trade of one of those 5, these players are ...
goleafsgo17 writes...
Who Do You Want/Think Will Be The Leafs #1 Center.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=112991Thu, 07 Jul 2011 21:14:37 -0400
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=11507
I'm aware that this may be a bit too early in discussing this but, for arguments sake let's talk about this subject anyway.
Right now the leafs currently have 5 centers on their main roster with Bozak, Grabovski, Connolly, Lombardi a...
With Sean O'Donnell's departure, Andreas Lilja's signing at $737,500 sounds good at first sight to round out the defense, with Oskars Bartulis ready as a 7th defender or possibly taking his spot at training camp. There are a few problems I see with this signing:
1. [b] Andreas Lilja hasn't played a 70 game season since 2007-2008.[/b]
This concerns me a lot. He has only...
Noticed that I haven't posted in almost a year... well, here it goes.
1) Do you like the Brad Richards contract? How many points will he get? Will he be a big NYR bust?
2) Do you like the Erhoff contract?
3) Will Tim Connolly stay healthy in Toronto?
4) Erik Cole: Yay or Nay?
5) Who will will the Art Ross and the Richard Trophies next season?
6) Flyers: ...
You know, I’ve been pretty quiet during the whole Stamkos fiasco. If I were to don an NHL jersey it would be of the blue and white variety, but I try to keep a level head when projecting where the Leafs will go with respect to trades, free agency, draft etc. Burke has clearly upgraded over last year’s squad already. With the addition of Connolly at center and the wh...
Now that the initial free agent frenzy is over, I'd like to review some contracts that have been handed out in order to assess the value of 3.5 to 4.5 million dollars on the open market. Or more importantly, to see how NHL franchises value that dollar range differently. Below are a list of forwards who have signed AFTER July 1st 2011 to contracts that will have an annual...
I am hearng more and more that Brian Burke has been in contact with Carolina re: Stall.
Now it would be interesting to hear what Carolina would want in return & what Burke is willing to part with. Could be that Carolina gets Kadri, Blacker & 2012 first round pick.
Is Stall worth that much? Would you make that deal?
Let me know.
Jermz13
Will it be Mark Streit? Kyle Okposo? John Tavares? Or could it possibly be some else? Head over to my post at The Checking Line for a look at who might be next to captain the New York Islanders.
http://t.co/J8juNlB
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
[img]http://oi52.tinypic.com/scrjvm.jpg[/img]
February 22nd will be remembered by Sabre fans as the day the Terry Pegula bought the Buffalo Sabres. Tom Galisano turned over the key to HSBC arena along with a key for a cage that held his poodle, Darcy Regier. Pegula unlocked the cage and out came a charging, foaming from the mouth, Cujo. Mr. Pegula then gave his new pet...
The Devils are yet to hire a coach.
Most fans and experts say (including Eklund) Michael Therrien will become the coach.
But Ken Hitchcock former Flyer coach is a HIGH possibility as well.
NOW PARISE....
Parise, the Devils organization, and the fans all together would love to avoid arbitration.
I think Parise and the Devils will avoid it and will come up w...
The Blues today signed forward Jonathan Cheechoo to a one-year, two-way contract.
Cheechoo, 30, played in 55 games last season with Worchester of the AHL, totaling 18 goals and 29 assists. The former 56-goal scorer last played in the NHL in 2009-10 with the Ottawa Senators.
Cheechoo will make $600,000 on the NHL roster, and $225,000 in the minors with Peoria of the ...
Well thank you to Chris H. for commenting on my last blog you got to decide what I talk about in this one and you suggested doing the Top 10 Players in the NHL today so here it goes starting from 10 and ending at 1:
10. Joe Thorton- The reason Big Joe is so low on my list is because of his playoff failures. Whether its bad luck or he just fails in the big moments I d...
Now that the Caps have traded away Eric Fehr to reduce from the salary cap when will they sign young Defender Karl Alzner who had a break out year last year. Questions still remain before opening training camp. Does Tom Poti retire? Will the Caps trade either Mike Green or Alexander Semin? If Poti goes on LTIR that will solve some of the problems. I heard today Green going...
[img:left]http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg32/scaled.php?server=32&filename=1aaaabryzgalov2.jpg&res=medium[/img]
The following are reasons on why I believe the Flyers will win the Stanley Cup in the 2011/ 2012 season. Within the next few days, you will see my reasons on why the Flyers will miss the playoffs, to even out everything else.
The Flyers forwards & leadershi...
[b]Ryan White Signs 1 year deal with Montreal[/b]
First of all, congratulations to Ryan White for signing a one year deal with the Habs. Good signing for the Habs. White plays with a lot of poise and is one of maybe 2 players who will drop the gloves at any moment so they need a guy like him to play physical for them. He has a year to prove he belongs because there are ...
I like what the Oilers have done since July 1. I like them bringing Smytty back more than I can express with meer characters in a text box. I loved watching the Oilers when Smytty was here. I love Smytty. He just seems like such a genuine guy who clearly loves this city and the proud history of this organization. I can buy into that. I hope some of that rubs off on the bab...
As you have probably heard. P.L.L. Leblond was sent to the Flames for a 5th Rounder in 2012.
There are rumors of Bouwmeester coming to New Jersey.
With the trading opening with Calgary this can lead to GOOD NEWS.
Only thing is the Flames are interested in Parise.
It’s 7-14-11, and to Buffalo Sabres Fans, that can only mean one thing –
It is FRENCH CONNECTION day.
The numbers 7, 14, and 11 hang grouped together in the rafters of HSBC arena in tribute to three hockey players who were arguably one of the greatest line combinations in NHL history.
With the late Richard Martin (#7) at left wing (Rest in Peace, Rico), Re...
The Devils have inked to "TOUGH GUYS."
Former Devil/Blue Cam Janssen
Former Thrasher(JET)/SABRE ERIC BOULTON.
PLUS ADAM LAARSON IS SIGNED!
The Devils have inked to "TOUGH GUYS."
Former Devil/Blue Cam Janssen
Former Thrasher(JET)/SABRE ERIC BOULTON.
PLUS ADAM LAARSON IS SIGNED!
The Blues today re-signed forward Ryan Reaves to a one-year, two-way contract.
The 24-year old enforcer agreed to a deal that will pay him $525,000 on the NHL roster, and $105,000 with Peoria of the AHL.
Reaves is penciled in to be the team's fourth-line tough guy, replacing Cam Janssen, who signed with the New Jersey Devils late last week.
Last season, Reaves pla...
Check out what's new at The Checking Line to read about the Islanders prospect scrimmage which included Kirill Kabanov, Nino Niederreiter and Ryan Strome's highlight reel breakaway goal
http://thecheckingline.com/node/4353
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Hey all,
Now, I realize that with a bit of common sense and realistic expectations it's pretty easy to take a stab at what the Leafs will look like next season. Yet I frequently see people making odd guesses/ projections for the team to then defend themselves till their blue in the face...
So I'm just going to write down the lines I believe most likely to be put out...
landsharkhockey writes...
Fantasy Hockey Lessons Learned (2010-11 Season)
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's been a couple of months now since the fantasy hockey season ended. Plenty of time to gloat in your championships or lick your wounds (I've done a little of both, being in so many leagues). Now that the dust has settled, it's a good opportunity to look back on this past season and draw out some lessons from the past season. If you've been playing fantasy hockey for ...
[b]Oilers NHL Depth Chart: Centre
[/b]
Looking at the Oilers roster heading into the 2011-2012 season there seems to be one spot open down the middle...though a certain 1st overall draft pick may have something to say about that.
[b]Sam Gagner[/b] - This is a big season for Gagner and it will be a make it or break it year for him as an Oiler. While Gagner has see...
According to the most important man on Hockey Buzz. Eklund. Peter DeBoer from Florida will be named the Devils' head coach this afternoon. I say at around 5 to 6 PM.
According to the most important man on Hockey Buzz. Eklund. Peter DeBoer former Panthers Coach will be named Head Coach this afternoon. I say 5 to 6 PM
Peter DeBoer has been named HEAD COACH!
Just after I write the blog of Eklund's Rumor DeBoer is named HEAD COACH.
CONGRATULATIONS PETER DONT LET US DOWN!
LIGHTNING AGREE TO TERMS WITH FORWARD STEVEN STAMKOS
Leading Goal-Scorer Returns to Bolts with Five-Year Contract
TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have agreed to terms with restricted free agent Steven Stamkos on a five-year contract today, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced.
“Steven is extremely important to this franchise an...
Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood retired today after 17 seasons in the NHL. Now comes what is sure to be a great and very hostile arguement over Osgoods hall of fame chances. I will give you all my opinion at the end of this blog but I am going to make a list of reasons why he should be in the hall of fame and reasons he should not be. Without further ado here are the ...
The Calgary Flames have made some small moves in the last week or so. But were they good moves and moves they really needed to make? Come over to TSR and read more
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/07/calgary-flames-in-july.html
Also remember to follow me on Twitter at: @TSRNewman
Newman
Forwards:
Eric Boulton--33?
David Clarkson--23
Patrik Elias--26--A
Cam Janssen--25---------HEALTHY SCRATCH
Jacob Josefson--16
Ilya Kovalchuk--17--A
Nick Palmeri--32
Zach Parise--9--A
Rod Pelley--10
Brian Rolston--12--A
David Steckel--25
Mattias Tedenby--21
Travis Zajac--19--A
Vladimir Zharkov--18------HEALTHY SCRATCH
Dainius Zubrus--8--A
Defencemen:
...
Clarkson is now a player who is in the talks of being traded.
Mr. Todd Cordell's blog had talked about this.
Clarkson who is recieving about $3 million seems like the perfect escape.
Most people say "TRADE ROLSTON!"
Well...Rolston has a NTC.
White?!...NTC
Rolston who I think has a hell of a slapshot hasnt been doing much. We are paying him for 25 goals......
It’s really hot here today, like it is everywhere else in the country (I even heard that people in Alaska have actually unzipped their winter parkas). What better way to beat the heat than by talking a little hockey. I haven’t posted at all since the Cup was awarded and there have been a few key happenings since then on which I’d like to comment. So bear with me�...
After 20 Years of announcing...Mike "Doc" Emrick has decided to step down from his position of the Devils' Play By Play announcer.
What does this lead to?
Who will be the guy to replace him? Steve Cangilosi? Matt Loughlin?
We still have former goalie Glenn "Chico" Resch.
But what does the future have in store?
Good Bye Doc.
We will miss you!
Doc Emrick announced earlier today that his 21 year hall-of-fame run as the play-by-play announcer for the New Jersey Devils television broadcast has come to its end. The 64 year old has grabbed the hearts of so many Devil's fans through the years with his distinctive nasally voice and his tremendous ability to keep any hockey game entertaining. What will be missed just ...
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 ...
Is a team about ownership or the fans? This question on if the Jets will honour the jersey numbers retired before them is perplexing in my mind.
If the team came back as The Winnipeg Storm or the Winnipeg Mosquitos (trust me they are terrifying) then I could see why they wouldn’t honour the old Jets. Winnipeg people loved their Jets so much any other name would have b...
Hi All! Hope all of you on the East Coast are enjoying this brutally hot stretch of weather! As I sit here and observe the temperature outside rising to over 100 degrees, I figured this would be a perfect time to try to predict the final standings in the Atlantic Division.
Now granted, it is VERY early and there are certainly still roster decisions to be made by each ...
Okay so there seems to be a general panic in Leafs' Nation. From what I understand, this has been cause by the Leafs' inability to acquire a first line centreman. With the likes of Brad Richards and Steven Stamkos no longer available, the monkey working the big red panic button now has to work overtime. But what is Toronto didn't NEED a top line centreman? It now seems mor...
Okay so there seems to be a general panic in Leafs' Nation. From what I understand, this has been cause by the Leafs' inability to acquire a first line centreman. With the likes of Brad Richards and Steven Stamkos no longer available, the monkey working the big red panic button now has to work overtime. But what is Toronto didn't NEED a top line centreman? It now seems mor...
What if there was never an 87 in black and gold? How would that team shape up? What if the Ducks won the lottery and chose Sidney Crosby? Can you imagine Sid with a Ducks' sweater on his back? What would the Penguins look like today?
The Penguins would obviously be a very different team. They would not be nearly as good but to be honest, but they would still be a g...
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...
Lately, I have been hearing that there is a good chance Hemsky could be dealt in the next few days. However, it is not to the teams you have been hearing about. I have been hearing that Winnipeg is high on Hemsky and believe his injuries the past couple of years have just been flukes. If this deal goes down, it could look something like this:
Oilers- Hemsky
Winnipeg-...
Lately, I have been hearing that there is a good chance Hemsky could be dealt in the next few days. However, it is not to the teams you have been hearing about. I have been hearing that Winnipeg is high on Hemsky and believe his injuries the past couple of years have just been flukes. If this deal goes down, it could look something like this:
Oilers- Hemsky
Winnipeg-...
Lately, I have been hearing that there is a good chance Hemsky could be dealt in the next few days. However, it is not to the teams you have been hearing about. I have been hearing that Winnipeg is high on Hemsky and believe his injuries the past couple of years have just been flukes. If this deal goes down, it could look something like this:
Oilers- Hemsky
Winnipeg-...
Lately, I have been hearing that there is a good chance Hemsky could be dealt in the next few days. However, it is not to the teams you have been hearing about. I have been hearing that Winnipeg is high on Hemsky and believe his injuries the past couple of years have just been flukes. If this deal goes down, it could look something like this:
Oilers- Hemsky
Winnipeg-...
With an 82 game schedule this upcoming season for the young Colorado Avalanche here is a look at the big showdowns heading into the 2011-2012 season. As always games will become more important throughout the season based on standings and previous meetings between the clubs.
If you see another stellar tilt on the calendar add some reasons why fans should mark it down and...
The Northeast Division has an impressive crop of young defensemen that are about to enter into their prime. Spearheaded by Tyler Myers, P.K. Subban, Luke Schenn, and Erik Karlsson, and they likely will be joined by Dougie Hamilton in another year or two. There has been much debate as to which one of these guys is the best rearguard, but i'm going to keep this strictly ab...
So you are a Jets fan, good, so am I.
Even though I have some issues with some of their players, Winnipeg is my second home.
But I want to know what you think about the Jets going after homegrown talent.
Anyone that has spent some time in Winnipeg in the winter knows what is in store, something that can only be compared to in an NHL city by the name of Edmonton (...
So you are a Jets fan, good, so am I.
Even though I have some issues with some of their players, Winnipeg is my second home.
But I want to know what you think about the Jets going after homegrown talent.
Anyone that has spent some time in Winnipeg in the winter knows what is in store, something that can only be compared to in an NHL city by the name of Edmonton (...
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...
Here are a few quick thoughts about some happenings around the NHL.
[b][u]Draper Retires[/u][/b]
And so the NHL bids farewell to one of its fiercest competitors. Few would dispute that age was finally catching up to Draper these past couple seasons. However, his recent difficulties cannot tarnish a brilliant career that saw him help the Wings to four Stanley Cups, take...
Not sure if some of you realize this but Buffalo and Washington are over the NHL's cap limit.
Buffalo is over the cap by $3,595,357. Already an exorbitant number, it will more than likely go up since they still have yet to sign defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani. Gragnani made $500,000 last season so you could expect some sort of raise. This would put Buffalo above $4 milli...
Kris Draper’s announcement of retirement on Tuesday makes the third such landmark resignation by in the past 2 months. While I was a big fan of Chris Osgood and Brian Rafalski, there’s something about Drapes’s retirement that stands out. I’ve been trying to figure out exactly why…
I loved watching Draper play. No offense to Drew Miller or Patrick Eaves, but...
Maple Leafs fans we are just a few weeks from training camp, thats right Leafs Nation just a few weeks away from September and another run by our beloved Buds to end this playoff misery that we having been suffering from since the end of the lockout.
The Leafs have made a few changes from the club that ended the season in April:
In: Tim Connolly, Matthew Lombardi, Co...
Now that the initial adrenaline rush of free agency is behind us we can gain perspective on the off-season thus far. Now of course every signing and trade comes with a measure of risk, but these are the 5 that i have identified to be the riskiest. Without further ado:
[b]Buffalo Sabres sign Ville Leino for 6yrs/27$mil (4.5mil annual cap hit)[/b]
If you read my Vill...
Stats. Is it just me or are they getting out of hand? I have read more and more articles dealing with “adjusted corsi” dealing with zone starts and different line mate combinations etc lately. I do think there is a place for all stats however all stats are subjective to the million variables that go into an average day in this world. Stats will never tell a whole story...
Forwards:
Eric Boulton--33?
David Clarkson--23
Patrik Elias--26--A
Cam Janssen--35?---------HEALTHY SCRATCH
Jacob Josefson--16
Ilya Kovalchuk--17--A
Nick Palmeri--32
Zach Parise--9--A
Rod Pelley--10
Brian Rolston--12--A
David Steckel--25
Mattias Tedenby--21
Travis Zajac--19--A
Vladimir Zharkov--18------HEALTHY SCRATCH
Dainius Zubrus--8--A
Defencemen:
...
Forwards:
Eric Boulton--33?
David Clarkson--23
Patrik Elias--26--A
Jacob Josefson--16
Ilya Kovalchuk--17--A
Nick Palmeri--32
Zach Parise--9--A
Rod Pelley--10
Brian Rolston--12--A
David Steckel--25
Mattias Tedenby--21
Travis Zajac--19--A
Vladimir Zharkov--18------HEALTHY SCRATCH
Dainius Zubrus--8--A
Defencemen:
Mark Fayne--34
Andy Greene--6
Adam Lars...
Read my latest at The Checking Line as I take a look at the Trent Hunter/Brian Rolston trade with the New Jersey Devils
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/islanders-acquire-brian-rolston-devils
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
I have a few predictions, some realistic, some fun and outlandish, for the Leafs from now till the end of next season.
Enjoy!
1) Komisarek is gone, he will be traded. If the asset is a 7th rounder in 2015 I think the Leafs accept, and someone will give up a 5th for this guy in next years draft.
2) Kadri will end up on a line with Kessel and Connolly and have 60 p...
All reports are leading to the Winnipeg Jets talking contract with the agent for talented forward Nik Zherdev.
As most have probably read or heard by now Zherdev is a talented forward that can dazzle you with skill one game and not show up the next.
I believe that this is more made up by the media in Philly and New York because zherdev did not fit into the coaches sy...
duckyjets writes...
Round 2: Jets finish higher then both the Rangers and Flyers
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Since my last post collected so much interest I thought I'd turn it up a notch and predict that my Jets finish in a better position in the East then both the Flyers and Rangers.
This is a pretty bold prediction to say the least and I'm going to back it up with some facts thoughts to why I believe the Jets will beat the Flyers and Rangers in the standings.
[b][u]Phill...
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
Well the Devils and Zach Parise finally agreed to a 1 year deal. With the Devils opting to file for salary arbitration there was no chance that Parise could entertain an offer sheet, so him coming back was a certainty. The only question was - could they get him signed to a long term deal - and the answer right now is no.
Having said that - barring any trades the ros...
Welcome back for another installment of habsteen26's 10 questions!
First off, I would like to talk about my name. While I realize it is stupid, my username for virtually everything besides twitter, 'habsguy26' was already taken. So was 'habsman26' and along with 'gohabsgo26'. So, I regretfully took 'habsteen26'. And I am regretting it. Did I already say that?
Becaus...
Another week has come and gone and the New Jersey Devils are business as usual. Of course the week started promising with another hearty round of rumor mongering and speculation gone wild. Ultimately leading to the surprising removal of the giant white elephant in the locker room in the form of an inflated Brian Rolston contract, perhaps the worst in franchise history.
...
I direct messaged Kent Wilson after I posted my last blog, not to pick a fight, but as a matter of congeniality in a blogosphere that seems to lack respect sometimes. Kent took the time to read my blog and respond in kind here: [url]http://blogs.thescore.com/nhl/2011/07/31/common-misconceptions-about-statisitical-analysis/#more-28434[/url]
While I can appreciate his con...
Although I would not declare myself a regular blogger to the sport of hockey, I felt I should take advantage of what seemed to be a slight monopoly on the discussion of the Winnipeg Jets.
First of all I grew up as a Leafs fan and only have vauge rememberence of the old Jets cruising around in the NHL. But like many other Leaf fans being as disgruntled as we have become...
As we start to ramp up for another action packed NHL season we also start to see/hear the many couch experts (myself included) start offering their opinions and projections for the race to April and what it will bring. Who’s going to jump out early.. who’s going to suffer the xmas slump.. Who has all the pieces to go all the way? It is worth noting that it is always su...
One thing I love about Baseball is how much time you can spend dissecting the statistics. No sport lends itself better to be broken down by the numbers than baseball. Not that statistics ever tell the whole story, far from it, but they sure give us plenty to talk about between games, and during the off-season. The other great thing baseball has done is add newer statist...
Taking a look back into last year and the seasons before we have seen some night and day goaltenders, but im taking a close look into team build and how the goaltender has progressed over thier careers. Here is my list ...
[b][u]1. Tim Thomas - Boston Bruins - $5 million cap hit - 37 years old[/u][/b]
08-09 he posted great numbers while splitting duties with Manny Fer...
AdamBanks writes...
Gordon Bombay to Toronto (e4) Clearing up Parise talk
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Parise. Zach Parise. Yes, he signed for only a 1 year deal, which surely means his days as a Devil are numbered.. as a Rangers faithful has repeatedly told me joyfully (as joyful as if Wade Reddens contract never happened...)
Yes, as a die hard Devils fan Parise's long term fate is certainly a concern. To me, Parise is an example of everything a player should be. He do...
AdamBanks writes...
Gordon Bombay to Toronto (e4) Clearing up Parise talk
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Parise. Zach Parise. Yes, he signed for only a 1 year deal, which surely means his days as a Devil are numbered.. as a Rangers faithful has repeatedly told me joyfully (as joyful as if Wade Reddens contract never happened...)
Yes, as a die hard Devils fan Parise's long term fate is certainly a concern. To me, Parise is an example of everything a player should be. He do...
bamdoucet writes...
Predictions for 2011-2012 Standings ! Playoffs ! Trophy's !
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Might as well be a month ahead of everyone's blogs saying whose gonna finish where and whatnot...not like anyone cares, but this is for my own sake and something official when a team makes the playoffs that no one even considered, i might be the one who told u so and have it officially out there, but anyways, i say 50% of what im about to write will come true! if not, i wi...
I’ve always maintained my opinion is just that, an opinion. Sometimes this opinion break with traditional views, my views can sometimes elicit anger and emotional responses. To be honest there are times I play devil’s advocate just to get us thinking a different way and I invite this sort of response.
The latest couple blogs have had to do with my opposition to a F...
In my last blog i wrote about how i feel the NHL needs newer more innovative statistics and introduced my first new stat of the year the Shift Impact Percentage or SIP%. I'm not going to recap what the statistic is composed of, for that see my previous blog. Instead i'm going to delve right into the numbers and start applying the stat so we can start to gauge what is a g...
[img]http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/262528_208887039160652_105210636194960_519018_1739599_n.jpg[/img]
saneopinion writes...
2012 Flames Free Agent Targets/ Summer of change
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
For Flames fans ready for a change 2012 is a year to look forward to. No less than 10 current roster players will be unrestricted free agents in the 2012 season and the free agent pool as it stands has some pretty good depth to it. During the course of the season obviously trades happen, extensions could be signed and injuries could take a player out. The Flames will have ...
"Oh man. I forgot about him." Inevitably, you will hear this curse several times at any fantasy hockey draft. It typically comes from the guy whose draft preparation consisted of printing off last year's stats. That guy always overlooks the players who missed a good chunk of time, or even the whole season, due to injury. It seems like 2010-11 had an unusually high num...
Read any hockey articles on the internet from markets outside Buffalo and you'll notice a common trend. Yes the rest of the league has taken notice that Buffalo is improved from last year, but they also are quick to point out the folly of the Sabres new-found spending prowess. I'd like to debunk that myth right here and now.
Let's get the 800lb gorrilla in the room o...
If you have followed any of my online posts in Cam Gore's blogs you will know that I have been very outspoken about the moves that the Sharks have made this off-season. More to the point I have been very disappointed with our off-season so far.
While I will say that I like Brent Burns a lot, I still cannot believe that it took essentially Three first round picks to acqu...
If you have followed any of my online posts in Cam Gore's blogs you will know that I have been very outspoken about the moves that the Sharks have made this off-season. More to the point I have been very disappointed with our off-season so far.
While I will say that I like Brent Burns a lot, I still cannot believe that it took essentially Three first round picks to acqu...
This is purely my opinion and that is based on observations over the past 20 years or so that I can clearly say I was a full blood member of the Leafs Nation.
1. The New york Yankee syndrom: From what most people say they hate that the leafs would buy their way into the playoffs, and clearly there is no point in saying otherwise because it is very true. It seemed as t...
The August 1st referendum failed, Blake Comeau has been re-signed, the realm of uncertainty looms about the aging Coliseum and a third jersey has been leaked on the Internet. Read my latest piece at The Checking Line as I report what has been happening on the Island.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-fans-ask-whats-next
-Rob McGowan...
So, it feels good. I've been debating for a good part of two years now to start a blog, and here I am, finally starting. Ah, it's a good day. So let me fill all you readers in on personal info. I will be covering the Montreal Canadiens. I live in Hamilton, Ontario and am a season ticket holder for the Hamilton Bulldogs. I love playing, watching, and doing anything involvin...
You guys are always good at these. I hope I can stump you for at least 3.5 seconds this time!
[u][b]NHL Who Am I? #13[/b][/u]
1. I was drafted by an Original Six team.
2. I won 1 Stanley Cup in my career, with my hometown team.
3. I’ve had four 90-point seasons, but never scored more than 40 goals.
4. I only played for one U.S. franchise.
5. I signed with...
puck-off writes...
Why is Mike from Buffalo the only pontificator on TO
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
People while I may not be the greatest blogger and make the proper grammatical riddle I do find my Leaf bloggers with a lot of smoke and no fire. So my challenge to the Buzzers write something but for the hell lets get someone from the big smoke to write something not the smoke screen who scours any other blogger and steals ideas and entire concepts but I digress I welcome...
puck-off writes...
Why is Mike from Buffalo the only pontificator on TO
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
People while I may not be the greatest blogger and make the proper grammatical riddle I do find my Leaf bloggers with a lot of smoke and no fire. So my challenge to the Buzzers write something but for the hell lets get someone from the big smoke to write something not the smoke screen who scours any other blogger and steals ideas and entire concepts but I digress I welcome...
Mark Scheifele the first ever pick for the new Winnipeg Jets is turning some heads at the under 20 development camp for Team Canada.
When being interviewed on 1290 Radio by Hustler and Lawless Ray Ferrero had this to say about the young Centerman. " He has a huge shot an absolute cannon". Ferrero when asked about the forwards chances of making the NHL ferrero has this ...
There have been a number of blogs written about Hemsky over the years and very few them have been negative. There’s a reason for that. Ales Hemsky is a good Hockey player. He’s obviously a great talent and his most well known fault is that he is injury prone. How many times have Oilers fans said “If Hemsky was healthy last year he would have scored so many more point...
Looking for sleeper picks in your upcoming fantasy draft or interested in who to look for as possible up-and-comers next season? You've come to the right place. After hours of statistical analysis, I have compiled a top-10 list (featuring video evidence) of rookies/prospects who are likely to breakout next season as bonafide NHLers or even superstars.
For the purposes...
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...
Hello all. My name is Aarif Deen. I am currently a Junior studying at University of Michigan. My major is Broadcast Journalism and I'm minoring in Print Journalism. My main focus is hockey. My life long dream is to stand in front of a camera and talk hockey for living. Analyzing the great sport we all grew to love. My first step in reaching the dream is to get my nam...
Over the past several seasons, we have seen an enormous amount of transition in the Blues franchise. Since 2004, the Blues have seen 2 owners, 3 Head Coaches, and 2 GM's and now the franchise is for sale yet again. How has this affected the team?
Well, beginning in 05-06, the Blues have wound up with 57, 81, 79, 92, 90, and 89 points in each season respectively, whic...
So if anyone was wondering what Chicago is getting in Dan Carcillo, he did not hesitate to let people know in his press conference. While some thought it was funny, some it made nervous and others thought “this is the kind of guy they need,” it certainly got the attention of hockey fans around the league.
Forget the fact that he had no idea that Raffi Torres and ...
saneopinion writes...
Dollar store of Hockey. Skill vs Pay- Does it matter?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The issue I feel we run into since the new collective bargaining agreement came into effect is that our internal G.M. often argues with the real life scenarios that take place.
I read trade ideas, in fact I am guilty of making them, and hear how simple it would be to fix this team. We Blame Sutter for quite a bit, maybe rightfully, but we also seem to forget what he did...
Following the Anaheim Ducks in line is the Atlanta Thrash... I mean Boston Bruins.
2011 Review:
Ladies and gentlemen! Your 2010-11 Stanley Cup Champions! No but seriously. Can anyone have a better ending to their season than the Stanley Cup Champions? The Bruins, similar to the Penguins two years ago went down 2-0 and 3-2 in the finals before ending it away from ho...
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 3 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Buffalo Sabres Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.[/b]...
Last season the Vancouver Canucks ran away with their division, earning them the presidents trophy in the process, and rode that momentum all the way to game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals where it was promptly halted by Tim Thomas and the boys from Beantown. Though you could make the argument that momentum died the moment Aaron Rome cheap shot Nathan Horton. The Buffalo Sa...
With high expectations from the fans, much of the success or failure of this season for the St. Louis Blues rides on the shoulders of David Backes.
Named to the All-Star Game last season, Backes racked up a very solid 31 goals and 62 points last season, all the while amassing 93 PIMS and a +32 rating. While not exactly the season many were hoping for from the team, Bac...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 4 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Calgary Flames Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.
[/...
[u][b]NHL Who Am I? #14[/b][/u]
1. I was drafted by a Southeast Division team.
2. I have over 500 goals in my career.
3. I have played for 4 NHL teams.
4. I have won the same category at the Skills Competition twice.
5. I was traded to a Canadian team after 14 years with the team that drafted me.
6. I’m a two-time 50-goal scorer.
7. I scored 7 goals, incl...
Looking at the Edmonton Oilers roster and watching America's Got Talent gave me an idea. I have combined the two into one wicked blog posting. I will look at 3 acts on the Edmonton Oilers and view them from Howie, Sharon and Piers points of view imagining they know something about the game we love. Howie might have some knowledge based on his place of origin, but I don'...
The NHL is entering into its last season under the current collective bargaining agreement. The NBA has currently locked out its own players. This is an amazing opportunity for the NHL to grow the game and expand to an audience that doesn't know what they are missing. I have a feeling that the NBA situation will not resolve itself quickly leaving many people in "non-tradit...
As we inch closer to the regular season, Oilers fans such as myself are anticipating great things. The Canada Red-White game last night was another testament to Edmonton's recent draft success. Although, Dillon Simpson is a longshot to make the team, the oilers boasted a star forward, potential number one goaltender and a potential puck moving defenceman.
The youth on d...
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...
I hadn't gotten into the blogging game until after this season has ended. But I have had a lot of NHL opinions bottled up inside for many years. Though most of my blogs have been (and will continue to be) based more on statistics, I figured since I leave for vacation tomorrow let me just pop the cork and let some bottled NHL rants come flying out. No stats, just unfilte...
As you might have heard thanks to Todd Cordell... The Devs have signed Peter Harrold.
After seeing this I immediately searched Peter Harrold.
I looked at the normal things like Stats, Bio, etc.
After reading I am a fan of this signing.
Harrold (if he plays) will be a great offensive-defenceman addition.
As you might have heard thanks to Todd Cordell... The Devs have signed Peter Harrold.
After seeing this I immediately searched Peter Harrold.
I looked at the normal things like Stats, Bio, etc.
After reading I am a fan of this signing.
Harrold (if he plays) will be a great offensive-defenceman addition.
The Flames signed Scott Hannan to a one year deal worth one million dollars. It's an okay signing but the Flames are stuck once again doing the exact same thing. Come read more here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/08/scott-hannan-new-flame-but-same-old.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 5 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Carolina Hurricanes Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please...
The Islanders have made some adjustments to their forward lines but have been quiet when it comes to shaking up the defense. Could Garth Snow make a few changes before the start of the season? Rob McGowan reports at The Checking Line.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/look-defense-island
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitt...
It is always a sad in the world let alone Hockey when a young person dies, Rick Rypien clearly was a person who not only fought others but had a big battle in his own head somehow the NHL is failing these guys to find the help they need. It's no secret that tough guys are always put in the spotlight to fight but that pressure more than any other guy is proven to be the mos...
Sad news out of the NHL today. 27 year old forward Rick Rypien has passed away.
Rypien, a heart and soul player for the Canucks for the past 6 seasons, took time off from the game close to the end of the 2010-2011 season to deal with some personal issues not related to substance abuse.
At 5'11 190lbs, Rypien was said to be undersized yet he took on players as big as...
Jeff Woywitka is now a Canadian. Montreal signed the defender to a one-year, two-way deal. Woywitka spent the 2010-2011 season with the Dallas Stars where he had 2 goals and 9 assists for 11 points in 63 games.
The former 1st rounder has been through the AHL and NHL in the past few years. This is a great addition for the Canadians. Woywitka has played 251 career N...
Over the past few days there has been a lot of discussion about the New York Islanders "viewing party" that is planned for the August 19th replay of the fight filled February game they played against the Penguins.
Some people think that it's wrong for the Islanders to sponsor such an event, given the game it celebrates was one the league, in a lot of ways, would rather ...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 6 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Chicago Blackhawks Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]
Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please....
Before we start, I'd like to send out my thoughts, prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Rick Rypien. He was a great player who had a bright future in the NHL and also a player who knew his role and played it tremendously. He will be deeply missed in the hockey community. The speculation is that Rypien committed suicide. Having gone through this with family ...
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 7 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Colorado Avalanche Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please....
New rules are part of the NHL’s mandate to increase scoring and it’s fan base. New rules make traditionalists cringe and create frustrated feeling in fans that have already bought in. In the end the idea is that the league feels scoring equals entertainment which equals money.
How are the nets? Too big? Too small? Shrink the goalie equipment, enlarge the nets, creat...
Today Brian Rolston and I discussed his anticipated role with the New York Islanders for the upcoming season, his past experiences with the New Jersey Devils and his thoughts on the possible changes to the game that the NHL is currently considering.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/one-one-brian-rolston
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitt...
FLYERSROCK! writes...
2011/2012 NHL Predictions: Part 1 of 8: East Standings
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Hi! I'm Flyersrock, and right now I'm bored, so I'm going to be starting a "series" of blogs with my opinion on what I think the 2011/2012 NHL season will look like. There are going to be 8 parts of this "series". This will include how i think the East Standings, West Standings, East playoffs, west playoffs, and the Stanley Cup Final will turn out. The other 4 blogs will b...
Happy retirement to Chris Drury. I really was hoping Montreal could've picked him up. Class act and a great player.
Okay, so here we go with part 2. If you haven't seen part 1, go to my profile and check it out if it still isn't on homepage. What I'm doing here is a 5 part series of blogs. Part 1, Western Conference standings predictions. Part 2, Eastern Conference. Par...
You'd be hard pressed to find a Sabres fan who wasn't enamored with Chris Drury during his tenure, and I'm no different. Sure he left on bad terms, as he did with the Rangers but looking back I give him a ton of credit for bringing the Sabres back to legitimacy and teaching the young guys (Pominville, Roy, Vanek, Gaustad) what it takes to win.
Many of you recall his ...
FLYERSROCK! writes...
2011/2012 NHL Predictions: Part 2 of 8: West Standings
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Ya, not going to do any shout outs here, because that's not the type of guy that I am.(joke) Although I do think "Rangers"(saw a guy post in the NYR blog that he doesn't like it when people call them "Rags" fans) fans are being a little tough on Drury. The guy thought he would get signed somewhere. If your boss said "here's a raise for you before you leave", would you say ...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 8 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Columbus Blue Jackets Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]
Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport plea...
I've done this for 3 years now, with varying success, and mostly do it for entertainment... So flamers fire up your torches!
Granted, this is assuming Luke Schenn is signed for the start of the regular season, and banking on the roster staying as-is outside of that, but this is my lineup and predictions for each individual this year.
Also, I know I wrote a blog with ...
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]
...
The Sabres have had the busiest off season in recent memory. The question is who is packing their bags now The Feel Good Summer is almost over. Morrison has already asked to be traded and Kotalik, part of the Regher trade, has been widely seen as the other logical choice. Where will they go?
I will suggest Phoenix for Kotalik. They have become experts in reclamation pro...
The Sabres have had the busiest off season in recent memory. The question is who is packing their bags now The Feel Good Summer is almost over. Morrison has already asked to be traded and Kotalik, part of the Regher trade, has been widely seen as the other logical choice. Where will they go?
I will suggest Phoenix for Kotalik. They have become experts in reclamation pro...
Hello Everyone.
This is my debut hockey blog on, well, any website. My opinions might be skewered, in your opinion. I’m aware of the fact that anything I might say could be something that might sound ridiculous to one, yet completely sensible to the other. Anyways, seeing how this is my first blog, I’ll start off with something easy, right? I’ll be doing an analys...
FLYERSROCK! writes...
2012 NHL Predictions: Part 3 of 8: East Playoff Predictions
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
What the hell! They didn't give me enough space for my title! Well tonight i'm going to do my predictions for how I think the East playoffs will finish. Here we go! Happy readings!
[u][b]ROUND 1[/b][/u]
1. Washington vs. 8. NY Rangers- Washington in 6. Why?: Washington re-loaded this off-season, and finally got their #1 goalie, much like the Flyers did. The reason I ...
The Sabres have had the busiest off season in recent memory. The question is who is packing their bags now The Feel Good Summer is almost over. Morrison has already asked to be traded and Kotalik, part of the Regher trade, has been widely seen as the other logical choice. Where will they go?
I will suggest Phoenix for Kotalik. They have become experts in reclamation pro...
Hey everyone, new to this site and writing my first blog and what better way then to predict where my favourite team (Edmonton Oilers) will finish this year in the standings. To figure this process out I will do process of of elimination to determine where the other teams in the Western Conference will finish.
In no particular order, the top six teams in the west our V...
The Sabres have had the busiest off season in recent memory. The question is who is packing their bags now The Feel Good Summer is almost over. Morrison has already asked to be traded and Kotalik, part of the Regher trade, has been widely seen as the other logical choice. Where will they go?
I will suggest Phoenix for Kotalik. They have become experts in reclamation pro...
The Sabres have had the busiest off season in recent memory. The question is who is packing their bags now The Feel Good Summer is almost over. Morrison has already asked to be traded and Kotalik, part of the Regher trade, has been widely seen as the other logical choice. Where will they go?
I will suggest Phoenix for Kotalik. They have become experts in reclamation pro...
The Sabres have had the busiest off season in recent memory. The question is who is packing their bags now The Feel Good Summer is almost over. Morrison has already asked to be traded and Kotalik, part of the Regher trade, has been widely seen as the other logical choice. Where will they go?
I will suggest Phoenix for Kotalik. They have become experts in reclamation pro...
Calgary and Buffalo, Buffalo and Calgary just another match made in heaven. Whether trading for Drury or just recently trading for Regher these two teams have come to accommodate each either. Whether it is a mutual hatred for Edmonton or long lost sister cities they getter done. Now it is rumored that they are not finished. What could they be up too?
Everyone in Buff...
biggs36 writes...
Oiler 2011/2012 Stat Predictions and line combinations
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This is my Edmonton Oilers stat predictions, line combinations and my awards for the 2011/2012 season.
OILERS 11-12 STAT PREDICTIONS
NAME GP G A PST PIM +/-
T.HALL 80 31 37 68 37 6
A.HEMSKY 68 23 43 66 30 4
J.EBERLE 82 22 37 59 28 -1
S.GAGNER 82 20 34 54 42 -1
R.WHITNEY 82 6 43 49 66 14
S.HORCOFF 78 15 29 44 82 1
R.SMYTH 82 23 21 44 47 -4
M.PAAJA...
The goalie position has become the hardest by far to predict with certainty. The leading fantasy scorers fluctuate dramatically from season to season. While the top 10 here seem to be your safest bets for starting goalies, you could easily make a case for about 5 other guys to finish as this year's top scorer. That complicates your draft strategy. Typically, goalies w...
We all know that an earthquake in Virginia was felt throughout Long Island yesterday, but the question on most minds of Islanders fans is if Nino Niederreiter will be cracking the line-up this season.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/will-el-nino-strike-island
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
There is much optimism in Sabreland right now. Though the team is not without holes, the off-season additions have fans chomping at the bit for the season to start and I'm sure the players are anxious to get back on the ice and make a run at dethroning their division rival Bruins. Are they the deepest team in the league? Probably not, but at this point the Sabres are cl...
First a little bit about me... My name is Brad, made this account some time ago but just currently got to a place in life where i might be able to contribute to it regularly.
Born just beyond the south towns of Buffalo in no mans land... Had no real loves in life till i caught my first sabres game in the colored rows of the old Aud been hooked ever since.
Moved to florid...
This is the first blog I've ever written on the Calgary Flames, so please excuse any factual errors and if my grammar ain't so good.
After five consecutive years of spring hockey in Calgary, the last two seasons have ended prematurely. Many pundits and so-called experts are predicting the same disappointment for the Flames this coming season. However, those of us who wa...
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 10 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Detroit Red Wings Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please....
Let me get a few important things out of the way...
First off, I want Crosby back and playing hockey in the NHL as badly as anyone else who enjoys watching the best skilled players play the game. I think he is important to the game, right now at least, because he was viewed by many as the best player in the game prior to his concussion(s) suffered last year. How can he ...
landsharkhockey writes...
Top 10 Fantasy Hockey Defensemen Rankings for 2011-12
Posted Friday | Comments 0
What to do about defense? The importance of this position, much more so than any other, varies dramatically from league to league. In some formats, defense can win you a championship. In others, it's completely an afterthought. So before worrying about who to rank where, find out how much you should care.
The good news when it comes to this position, is that it's mu...
With hockey enthusiasts left to count the days until the puck drops again, I believe it would be a good time to share my predictions as to what will unfold between now and next April. Enjoy.
Eastern Conference:
1. Washington Capitals
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
3. Boston Bruins
4. New York Rangers
5. Tampa Bay Lightning
6. Buffalo Sabres
7. Montreal Canadiens
8. Phil...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 11 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Edmonton Oilers Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.[/...
You guys are way too good at these....and I hope you aren't wiki-cheating.....but here we go with another Who Am I?
[u][b]NHL Who Am I? #15[/b][/u]
1. I was drafted by an expansion franchise.
2. I was the first freshman to win the Hobey Baker Award.
3. I had two 100-point seasons for the team that drafted me.
4. I played for 4 NHL teams.
5. I’ve won th...
In the Western Conference this year there are no guarantees, but I am going to make some. There are only eight playoff spots for 15 teams in a RIDICULOUSLY competitive Western Conference. If the Edmonton Oilers played in the Eastern Conference I would say their chances at the playoffs are significantly better. Alas, this is not the case.
Back to the West. With eight...
It's been a while since I posted a blog here. In fact, I haven't posted anything in ages!
I decided to write a bit about the situation that prevails here in Quebec City regarding the new arena and everything that revolves around it.
First off, I think I speak for everyone here in Quebec when I say Congratulations to Winnipeg! It is so amazing that you got your team b...
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.[...
Hey everyone! The start of the season is almost here I am very much looking forward to being able to share my thoughts throughout the season. A little bit about me: My name is Anthony, I am 23 years old and I live in Dallas, TX. I am originally from the Bay Area and will be moving back there at some point in the future. I have been a Sharks fan since I can remember and lov...
I have compiled a list of comeback players and break out candidates for the 2011-2012 season. These guys should help any fantasy pool, especially down the stretch.
Don't call it a comeback this is a throwback and a showdown!
1. Alex Ovechkin - 85 pts is a bad season when your the GR 8. Expect him to win the Art Ross this year 115pts.
2. Nicklas Backstrom - 65pts i...
I have compiled a list of comeback players and break out candidates for the 2011-2012 season. These guys should help any fantasy pool, especially down the stretch.
Don't call it a comeback this is a throwback and a showdown!
1. Alex Ovechkin - 85 pts is a bad season when your the GR 8. Expect him to win the Art Ross this year 115pts.
2. Nicklas Backstrom - 65pts i...
[img]http://www.cyberpresse.ca/images/bizphotos/435x290/200910/30/120459-maire-sortant-regis-labeaume-multiplie.jpg[/img]
There has been alot of people complaining about the fact that Quebec City's new arena would be built using mainly public money.
When we take a look at the situation it is easy to end up with this conclusion, but there is more to it than what it lo...
Langkow was traded for Lee Stempniak. What does the move mean for the Flames? Did Jay Feaster make the right move? Follow the link!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/08/langk-you-very-much-daymond-langkow.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
With one of the greatest minor league affiliates in Hamilton, the Canadiens have a list of great young talent moving forward. There are three that played with the big boys last year that I expect to have breakout years.
Max Pacioretty
Last year, his season was cut short due to a spinal injury but he showed flashes of a positive future with a season that saw him play in...
This is intended as a reference only, but I thought I'd crunch the numbers for you all so you don't have to.
What I did was take the top 20 Goal Scorers from each NHL season since the lockout, and added their goal totals, ONLY IN THOSE SEASONS IN WHICH THEY FINISHED AMONG THE TOP 20. I think this approach gives you a better idea of how each player fares in comparison t...
FLYERSROCK! writes...
2012 NHL Predictions: Part 4 of 8: West Playoff Predictions
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Well I guess I sort of lied when I said it'd be 2-3 days for the next blog, as it's now 6 days after... my bad. :)
Today as you could tell by the title, i'm doing how I think the West playoffs will turn out this year! Cheers!
[u][b]ROUND 1[/b][/u]
1. Vancouver vs. 8. Calgary- Vancouver in 5. Why?: Simple: Vancouver has everything. Great offence, great defence, and a...
Flames GM Jay Feaster has continued his purging of big contracts by shipping out center Daymond Langkow in return for the unpredictable RW/LW Lee Stempniak.
Langkow was acquired during the lockout year of 2004, basically replacing Craig Conroy who then GM Darryl Sutter let walk via free agency. The mantra at the time was "bigger and younger" and Langkow managed to fill ...
habsteen26 writes...
2011-2012 Predictions: Part 3: Western Conference Playoffs
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Well, here we go.
This is Part 3 of the series and I can't believe we're almost done!!! If you have no idea whats going on, I highly suggest you click onto my profile and read Part 1 and Part 2 and leave a comment telling me what you think! Part 1 of the series was dedicated to the Western Conference Regular season standings, while Part 2 was dedicated to the Eastern C...
The center position is where you make your money, so you want to be sure and snag a superstar here. The position is also very deep, so you won't see a horrible drop off beyond the top ten. The other good news here, is that compared to other positions, the top centers are fairly predictable from year to year. With few exceptions, you can draft these guys with confidence ...
...I think Brendan Shanahan will do a great job as the new league disciplinarian. He has the combination of playing experience, intelligence and common sense to understand how the game should be played and officiated.
...I'm NOT REALLY DIGGING the new Predators home uniforms. Maybe when I see them in game action my mind will change, but right now, I'm reminded too much ...
I'm new here...JUST registered.
I've always had this thought...not sure if it's new or not, and I have no idea how a person would go about getting an idea like this to the league, but....
I always felt that a player who just won the Stanley Cup should be recognized for it for the whole year. I know they all get rings, but I mean [u]on the ice[/u].
So...let's take ...
We've heard it before. We reacted the same each and every time.
It may have been a family member, friend, co-worker, or anyone in our lives.
You hear stories about the son of so-and-so who was found hanging in the kitchen, or whats-her-name's dad turned the car on in the garage and went to sleep.
Every time the reaction is the same.
Yet, it keeps happening.
We hav...
FLYERSROCK! writes...
2012 NHL Predictions- Part 5 of 7: Stanley Cup Finals
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
First off, I'd like to say that I've had a pretty miserable week so far. 1st with going bcck to school. Then on Tuesday I found out that my great grandpa, who was a former scout for the NJ Devils, had passed away. My grandma and grandpa got a call from Lou Lamoriello, who gave his condolences to our family. He was also still paying him, even though he retired about 5 years...
The cupboard is stocked with fantasy talent at the wings. As you prepare for your fantasy draft, be sure to know you league's system. Some leagues group wingers together, others discern between left and right wing, and others still group all offense together. If your league drafts by position, be sure to focus on the left wing position. Aside from the elite (Ovechkin/S...
habsteen26 writes...
2011-2012 Predictions: Part 4: Eastern Conference Playoffs
Posted Friday | Comments 0
What is going on here? Wade Belak, the happiest man on this planet, committed suicide. I know exactly what Wade's family is going through right now and what they're thinking. "Is it my fault?", "Why wasn't he happy enough?", "How could he do this to us?". My thoughts, prayers and condolences are with the Belak family in their time of need.
Okay, lets talk predictions. T...
It's been a wild and crazy off season... It's taken some adjusting to, especially as a Buffalo fan. I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong, I'm just not used to it. Buffalo signing players they should, trying to improve the team? FINALLY!!!!!
Now, I've seen a lot of people making predictions as to what is going to happen with the upcoming season. I stand by this right ...
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!!!
cuppacoldtea writes...
Banning Bare-Knuckle Boxing and Changing the Culture
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
One of my favourite youtube videos of all time was Larry Robinson coming back on to the ice during a preseason beach clearing brawl to find Dave Schultz and beat the snot out of him. Like all hockey fans, violence has always been a part of the game for me and I am just as guilty as anyone for condoning and encouraging it.
Having said that, I have to admit that a few ye...
Upon my dismal performance in my usual fantasy hockey league last year I have tried to prepare myself better for this coming year. Although I did succumb to some awful luck. I drafted 9th overall, and took Praise. Luckily do to the dismal start of the Devil I packaged him and Zajac and jumped all over my first offer of Lecavliver and Nash. All in all, I finished dead last...
Upon my dismal performance in my usual fantasy hockey league last year I have tried to prepare myself better for this coming year. Although I did succumb to some awful luck. I drafted 9th overall, and took Praise. Luckily do to the dismal start of the Devil I packaged him and Zajac and jumped all over my first offer of Lecavliver and Nash. All in all, I finished dead last...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line as former New Jersey Devils forward Jay Pandolfo will be attending the Islanders training camp on a tryout basis.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/jay-pandolfo-gets-try-out-islanders
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Check out my new website dedicated to giving you all the best and most up to date fantasy information for the upcoming NHL Season.http://fantasyhockeytalkandtips.weebly.com/
Here we go! Tell me your thoughts and why. Please try to be an adult this blog isnt meant to hurt anyone its purely for fun.
[u][b]Western Conference[/b][/u]
1. Van
2. LA
3. Chi
4. SJ
5. STL
6. Det
7. Nsh
8. Col
9. Clb
10. Min
11. Ana
12. Cgy
13. Dal
14. Edm
15. Phx
[u][b]Eastern Conference[/b][/u]
1. TB
2. Buf
3. Pit
4. NYR
5. Was
6. Bos...
Hey all.....happy Labour Day to my fellow Hockeybuzzards!!! I wish you well and all the best with your friends and loved ones.
Here we go with another NHL Who Am I? You guys usually smash these in no time at all, so I'm gonna try to make them harder.....and maybe a little trickier. You guys are hard to stump though. Good luck!
[u][b]NHL Who Am I? #16[/b][/u]
...
rockthered24 writes...
Injury woes haunt the Devs once again as Zajac has surgery
Posted Monday | Comments 0
For a team that managed only twenty-one points over the course of the first 41 games last season, the last thing the Devils wanted was yet another summer that would leave the Devils short on opening night. However, their nightmare became a reality when the Devils released that their star center Travis Zajac will be out of hockey for 8-10 weeks after having surgery. Zajac...
Welcome to my first blog! Hopefully I will bring a fresh perspective to your Buzz experience.
Here is what I promise. I will spell check my blog. I will speak from experience, in what I know and not how I can impress you. I am not an insider, don't pretend to know all the players nick names and if I don't won't disrespect the player by giving him a new one. I won't ...
11 Forwards
Alex Ovechkin : A constant threat to score 50 goals and 100 points there has been no one with more consistent point production and health in recent memory. need I say more?
Steven Stamkos: Will he score 50 goals? It’s either that or high 40s there is not much mystery to what his goal and point totals will be and that’s always a good thing.
Henrik Sedin...
11 Forwards
Alex Ovechkin : A constant threat to score 50 goals and 100 points there has been no one with more consistent point production and health in recent memory. need I say more?
Steven Stamkos: Will he score 50 goals? It’s either that or high 40s there is not much mystery to what his goal and point totals will be and that’s always a good thing.
Henrik Sedin...
If you've played fantasy hockey (or any fantasy sport) for long, you know that you don't typically win a season based on those first few rounds of picking superstars. For the most part, those picks all even out. It's the sleepers that can take an ordinary team and propel it to greatness. Finding that hidden gem, late in the draft, that finishes in the top 10 can make al...
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 13 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Los Angeles Kings Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please....
11 Forwards
1. Alex Ovechkin : A constant threat to score 50 goals and 100 points there has been no one with more consistent point production and health in recent memory. need I say more?
2. Steven Stamkos: Will he score 50 goals? It’s either that or high 40s there is not much mystery to what his goal and point totals will be and that’s always a good thing.
3. He...
I had a chance to look at the Jets new jersey's and I'm disappointed only in the fact that there isn't very much red (aside from the logo there is none) in the jersey.
I think, like a lot of people, I wanted to see an updated version of the last Jets jersey's. Of course, as has been noted elsewhere on this site, maybe it was that expectation, along with the name, that m...
The dust is starting to settle. The pain of another baffling 'shot-yourselves-in-the-foot' playoff ouster is starting to subside. We're not even to training camp yet, but we've had a chance to reflect on a season that was disappointing in result but promising to build on. If you feel like you've had that thought before about the Sharks, you aren't alone. But reflecting on ...
So anyone out there in need of a website that not only gives you the in and outs of the hockey world? I mean not just the major teams in the leagues I mean even the low traffic teams like the hurricanes Panthers and Columbus Blue Jackets. All the teams have fantasy relevant players and sleepers that everyone should be able to find out about. So have a peek at the newest we...
This week in hockey
Well I am going to start a weekly blog outlining the happenings around the NHL. I know that probably no one will ever read this aside from my wife and I but figured what the heck. It has always been sort of a pipedream of mine to become a sports journalist but with life and bills getting in the way it could never become more than that. Hopefully this b...
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 ...
PhReAk0909 writes...
My 2012 NHL Eastern Conference Standings and reasons
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Well, i have been an avid reader of hockey buzz for many years now.. i finally decided to write a quick blog on how i think the Eastern conference 2012 season will play out:
[b]East[/b]
1. Pitsburgh
[i]Reason:[/i] I firmly believe that this is the team to beat in the east... having done what they did last season without crosby for the better part of the season and wit...
As die hard Buffalo Sabres fans, we have certainly had to suffer through our share of disappointments. Beyond that, we have also hung on every word of hope sent to us from owners and managers. Who could forget John Rigas standing before a crowd in downtown Buffalo, declaring that he was going to supply the tools to "get the job done" Looking back, I am not quite sure ex...
Josh Bailey is the last impending RFA for the New York Islanders that still is without a contract for next season. Will he be reporting to training camp? Or will he be without a job in 2012? Check out my report at The Checking Line.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/baileys-clock-ticking
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitt...
FLYERSROCK! writes...
2012 NHL Predictions- Part 6 of 7: League Leaders
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I decided to cut out the Draft predictions, as that would just be a waste of a blog, and too short. So now I am onto who I think will be the league leaders in the major stats catagories. It will include the Points leader, Goals winner, Assists champ, GAA leader, Save % leader, Wins leader, and shutouts leader.
Well then, here we go!
[u][b]TOP 10 POINT GETTERS [/b][/u]
...
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...
Welcome to the final part of my 5 part series. But, before we start I have 3 things I want to say.
1) I dedicate this post to the victims of the tragic 9/11 terrorist attack. As all of you know, today marks the 10th anniversary of the horrific event. I actually have a personal connection to a victim. My aunt was actually a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 1...
1. San Jose Sharks:
Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks:
Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks:
Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks:
Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks:
Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks:
Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks:
Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks:
Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks:
Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks:
Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks:
Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
I sat down at my computer last night, excited to watch some hockey. It had been months since the last time I saw the puck drop. After a summer filled with horrible hockey occurrences, it was nice to see some hockey action. Unfortunately, it came in the form of a 6 - 1 drubbing of the Calgary Flames, from the San Jose Sharks at the rookie tournament.
The Flames started o...
The New Jersey Devils are still looking to rebound from one of their toughest seasons in franchise history. Aside from having their fifteen year playoff streak come to an end, the Devils came to realize a devastating reality: Marty Brodeur is getting old. Though he played well in the latter part of this past season, the all-time winningest goalie was shaken by various in...
With today being the release of EA's NHL 12, and amidst everyone's "top 5 hockey games" lists I'd thought I'd put my 2 cents in as well. For those of you not into video games, skip the next paragraph.
The most underrated hockey video game of all time was NHL Stanley Cup for SNES. Everyone says that about whatever their favorite game was growing up, but that was mine. ...
You won't get very far in fantasy hockey by drafting purely on last season's stats. For one thing, you'll be sure to miss out on a key segment of the fantasy world: the rising star. These are the guys on the upward trend, who are due to see a significant uptick in their fantasy value over previous seasons. We've targeted a number of players with a strong chance of hitti...
Being a Sharks fan requires a tough stomach.
Every year, we watch our team fail when it should succeed. We follow every big trade Doug Wilson makes and consistently say 'Ah! We overpaid!' Sometimes those trades work(Thornton/Boyle), sometimes they don't(Campbell/Guerin/Heatley). We're hoping for the best with Havlat/Burns. We never land big free agents.
These predic...
IanCunninghamTB writes...
2011-12 Campaign Could Be Most Important in Bolts History
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
After a season which many observers would label as overachieving, the Bolts now find themselves in the unenviable forum of heightened expectations. Coming within one victory of the Stanley Cup Finals has many hockey fans in the Sunshine State envisioning a return to glory for Vinny and Co. While this is well within the realm of possibility, members of the Eastern Confere...
Prospect camp is on. Generally I like the format and I like seeing how the prospects play amongst guys at a similar development level. I hate seeing incidents like with Kyle Greentree a couple years back where he was challenging to be a late cut but at the prospect tourney gets run from behind by an Oiler plug missing his shot. For what?
So who’s been bad and good? Th...
Rob McGowan writes...
Tavares Nets Six Year Contract Extension With Isles
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The New York Islanders have locked up number one center, John Tavares to a six-year contract extension that will keep him with the organization through the 2017-2018 season. Rob McGowan reports.
Head over to The Checking Line to read more!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/tavares-nets-six-year-contract-extension-isles
-Rob McGowan
...
After the conclusion of the Flyers-Caps rookie game, several determinations come to mind:
1. Sean Couturier is not ready for the NHL
The bottom line is that he needs to add muscle to his advantageous frame. If he can get his weight above 200, maybe even 210, I think we'll see a significant improvement in his battles along the boards and in the corners. There is no do...
So with all the free time ive had on my hands at work with business slowing down /summer coming to an end im usually left with countless hours to surf the net. Unfortunatley all of the good sites are blocked ( Youtube, Yahoo, Hotmail etc) which means im left looking up meaningless stats and reading NHL blogs for the majority of my 8 hour shift. I might as well put all of t...
IanCunninghamTB writes...
Lightning Hit The Ice in Brandon This Weekend
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
The Tampa Bay Lightning Training Camp is officially under way!! After a day full of physicals and off-ice assessments, the team will travel to the Brandon Ice Sports Forum for their typical on-ice sessions and Blue/White games.
The on-ice workouts begin at 10 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. As always, the practices an...
I believe with Ehrhoff we have a case of the "Anson Carter effect", A player with inflated point totals due to the players he's playing with.
28/50 points had the Sedin's involved.
Goals
PPG - Christian Ehrhoff (1) Wrist Shot - Assists: D. Sedin (1) & H. Sedin (1)
PPG - Christian Ehrhoff (2) Slap Shot - Assists: A. Edler (2) & D. Sedin (2)
Christian ...
Last year, when rumours were rampant that the Thrashers would be leaving Atlanta, the majority of analysts believed that the team would be moved to one of two markets; Quebec or Winnipeg. The other possibility was a third Ontario team to be located in Hamilton. It is interesting to note that there were no US cities or states mentioned as possible new homes.
In my view,...
mat_latourelle writes...
10 rookies to watch during training camp (Part 1)
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[b]Ryan Nugent Hopkins
(Edmonton Oilers)[/b]
Ryan Nugent Hopkins is this year’s first overall and like the many players taken at first overall before him, he plans on making the team right away. In fact, the last first overall pick not to start in the NHL the season that he was drafted was Erik Johnson in 2006. History of course is on his side, but do the Edmont...
mat_latourelle writes...
10 rookies to watch during training camp (Part 1)
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[b]Ryan Nugent Hopkins
(Edmonton Oilers)[/b]
Ryan Nugent Hopkins is this year’s first overall and like the many players taken at first overall before him, he plans on making the team right away. In fact, the last first overall pick not to start in the NHL the season that he was drafted was Erik Johnson in 2006. History of course is on his side, but do the Edmont...
Training camp has started. Wait, that means hockey is right around the corner. Oh, thank God. I don't know if I can stomach any more baseball.
Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson is no stranger to the trade market, and today we're going to look in to whether this has been for the better of the team or not and what to look for as the season progresses. Wilson has long ...
As training camp concludes and the Avalanche inch ever-forward toward the regular season, many doubts still abound in the Rocky Mountains, but could there be hope in the mile-high city?
If you’re among those following analysts around the league, the outlook for the Avalanche this season seems pretty grim. Don’t judge them too harshly, however, as there is ample re...
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...
4 days after training camps start and Drew Doughty has already had $100,000 taken off his offer from the LA Kings setting it currently at an impressive 6.7 million USD.
Many people are wondering why Doughty hasnt signed yet? LA has a talented squad who are going to be legitimate contenders this year. Lombardi has come out and said that he will not move Doughty as he "wi...
4 days after training camps start and Drew Doughty has already had $100,000 taken off his offer from the LA Kings setting it currently at an impressive 6.7 million USD.
Many people are wondering why Doughty hasnt signed yet? LA has a talented squad who are going to be legitimate contenders this year. Lombardi has come out and said that he will not move Doughty as he "wi...
4 days after training camps start and Drew Doughty has already had $100,000 taken off his offer from the LA Kings setting it currently at an impressive 6.7 million USD.
Many people are wondering why Doughty hasnt signed yet? LA has a talented squad who are going to be legitimate contenders this year. Lombardi has come out and said that he will not move Doughty as he "wi...
4 days after training camps start and Drew Doughty has already had $100,000 taken off his offer from the LA Kings setting it currently at an impressive 6.7 million USD.
Many people are wondering why Doughty hasnt signed yet? LA has a talented squad who are going to be legitimate contenders this year. Lombardi has come out and said that he will not move Doughty as he "wi...
The 2012 season is just around the corner as the Islanders prepare to embark on the year that will hopefully be different than the previous three of the rebuild. Check out my post at The Checking Line that provides an insightful look at the upcoming season.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/and-islanders-will-finish
The 2012 season is just around the corner as the Islanders prepare to embark on the year that will hopefully be different than the previous three of the rebuild. Check out my post at The Checking Line that provides an insightful look at the upcoming season.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/and-islanders-will-finish
-Rob McGowan
Follow...
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 ...
I love a shutout win as much as the next guy, but I think we can all agree that the Flyers' 4-0 preseason victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight was more about recognizing several standout players for the purpose of evaluating the final roster, rather than the cohesiveness of the team's play as a whole.
The good news is that there is a whole lotta upside to the Fl...
Following the abrupt ending to what was a dream run, and a fantastic playoff ride for the Vancouver Canucks and their fans, I sat on the sidewalk on Granville Street, Head in hands fighting back tears as I watched my city burn. After a trip to the pub with my good buddy and fellow "browntobure" blogger, where we disccussed all the things that went wrong, what could have b...
Today's fantasy hockey stats and formulas can provide more information than one person can possibly interpret at one time. It's becoming easier every year to get lost in the numbers.
I used to go thru some pretty intense number crunching when trying to predict how well players would perform in the upcoming season. Getting data from previous seasons and computing differe...
djvoiz writes...
Bill 204 adopted: Quebec's hopes reaching new heights
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It's such a great day for everyone who dreams of the return of the Nordiques in Quebec, like myself.
I have been dreaming about this for so long and now, its unreal to take a moment and realize that a new NHL-ready arena will be built and delivered during the 2015 summer.
The "Assemblée nationale" voted for Bill 204 today, which means that it secures the deal betwee...
With the flames kicking off their pre-season with a doubleheader against the Canucks tonight, the flames faithful are out and about showing off the team colors. The season is knocking on the door, but the question is will the flames answer early or will it be the usual early season woes.
The flames find themselves with a lot of options to play in the middle going into the...
Well it’s been a long summer. Actually it’s been 95 days since Zdeno Chara lifted the Cup over his head. It’s also been the worst summer in hockey history as the hockey world was plagued by death. This season will be a season for mourning of Derrick Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak and all those on the Russian Lokomotiv team. It hasn’t been easy to digest.
...
I realize this isn't regarding the Flames, but it's a story that needs to be heard. I recently joined forces with Ritch Winter, a player agent who represents such players as Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky. The site is designed to give the hockey agent community a voice.
He was very close to a couple of players that perished in the Russian plane crash and this is his e...
I realize this isn't regarding the Flames, but it's a story that needs to be heard. I recently joined forces with Ritch Winter, a player agent who represents such players as Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky. The site is designed to give the hockey agent community a voice.
He was very close to a couple of players that perished in the Russian plane crash and this is his e...
I realize this isn't regarding the Flames, but it's a story that needs to be heard. I recently joined forces with Ritch Winter, a player agent who represents such players as Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky. The site is designed to give the hockey agent community a voice.
He was very close to a couple of players that perished in the Russian plane crash and this is his e...
IanCunninghamTB writes...
Lightning Play in Orlando; On Jerseys and Gilroy
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
September 22, 2011--The Tampa Bay Lightning are off to a slow start in the 2011 pre-season, dropping back-to-back decisions to the St. Louis Blues, 3-1 and 4-3. The two teams played a home and home set of games, with the latter taking place in Orlando's New Amway Center, home of the Orlando Magic. It was the first hockey game...
Yesterday the Islanders announced the new captain of the team, but there was also something else to report: a new proposal for the Nassau Coliseum. Head over to The Checking Line to read more:
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-files-new-captain-new-arena-proposal
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
A throw back to there 1960's Leaf jersey is going to be worn opening night!
http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=589427
Check it out!
Before the anxiety and paranoia sets in that the Hawks season is officially doomed, please let's try to be a little more rational about analyzing tonight's loss by the Hawks at the hands of the Pens, 4-1.
Yes, there were some unfortunate plays here and there, especially on the defensive side of things, but let's remember that this is still the preseason. Guys like McLea...
rather than try to retell the whole story ill just assume everyone has heard of this and to those who havnt direct you to espn.com to check it out.
basically a banana was thrown from the stands at Wayne simmonds during a shootout attempt.
This is my first blog and done from my Iphone so cut me some slack. that being out of the way lets jump into this.
first up th...
The banana peel throwing incident from last night's Flyer's game is the most recent event that has me fuming at how completely ignorant and stupid some people are.
And it's a problem that only seems to be getting worse.
Maybe I am way too old fashioned, but whatever happened to the adage:
"If you don't have anything nice to say...then keep your ****ing mouth shut!"
...
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 14 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Minnesota Wild Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.[/b...
As the start of a new season approaches and the 23 best players on each team battle to secure roster spots, hockey discussion is dominated by projected line combinations. There is open season on any player for any spot, from the #1 defenseman, to the 4th line right wing, to the healthy scratch.
But for the New York Rangers, what really matters is the top forward line. ...
Pittsburgh area native Brandon Saad will be playing in his 3rd straight Hawks preseason game tonight against Washington at the UC and Andrew Brunette also makes his debut as a Hawk tonight.
Chicago's number one netminder, Corey Crawford, will take his place between the pipes for the Hawks tonight for the first time this preseason.
Click here to read more of my Haw...
With the preseason in full gear, we have gotten to see a preview of what to expect in this defining 2012 NHL season. I know that lately my blogs have been focused on all 30 teams, but today I'm just going to talk Habs. This blog will be (obviously) about what I expect from the players (stat wise) and the team's opening night lines. Also, I'll write a blurb on a few of the ...
mcefalu writes...
Hawks-Capitals Recap; Hawks Preseason Gameday @ Red Wings
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Friday night's Hawks' victory over the Washington Capitals provided a thrilling show for nearly 20,000 Chicagoans at the UC. Hawks received goals from Viktor Stalberg (2) and the gamewinner from youngster Brandon Saad (plus 1 assist). Jonathan Toews finished the game with two assists.
Hawks matchup against Red Wings at The Joe with a slightly different roster makeup tha...
The Flyers have improved to 2-1-1 in their first four games of the post season.
As I've reported in my previous blog, the Flyers would re-evaluate on Saturday and they did just that.
At 3:01 PM the Flyers have cut 17 Players.
Goalie Johan Backlund was a notable name. Backlund has struggled since his surgery and hasn't been the same when the Flyers signed him as "The g...
A quick look at the Yahoo! NHL front page shows this as the main article
Same Old Story - New and improved Matt Cooke boards a guy
[url]http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/New-and-improved-Matt-Cooke-boards-a-guy;_ylt=AijT3EETh3umNq2YGz92hut7vLYF?urn=nhl-wp13351[/url]
Those of you that read my blog...(I think 5 now?) know I have spoken out against Cooke...
[b]Looking Back[/b]
Many were surprised that Pavel Valentenko did not survive the first round of cuts. The 23 year old defenseman, who came over from Montreal in the Scott Gomez deal, was one of the final players cut during last year’s training camp. This year, he did not even outlast fellow blueliners Stu Bickel, Brendan Bell, and Blake Parlett, all long shots to mak...
IanCunninghamTB writes...
Bolts Cut Roster in Half. Travel to La Belle Province.
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
The Tampa Bay Lightning trimmed their active roster down to 27 yesterday, sending 26 players packing in the process. This round of cuts sets up the difficult decision still remaining for Steve Yzerman and Co., with four more players set to be released. Thus, trimming the active roster down to the required 23 spots.
The foll...
Hey all! The 2011/2012 NHL season is just around the corner (finally!) and with that as always comes PhenomPool's annual NHL $100 million Salary Cap Pool. If any of you are interested in joining, send me an email at [email protected] or leave your email address in the comments section and I will forward you a copy of the file. There's a $25 entry fee and the deadl...
The recent hubub surrounding Blackhawks' star right winger, Patrick Kane, has nothing to do with indulging in the fruits of Chicago's night life, nor does it concern Kane's encounters with any Buffalo cab drivers. This Patrick Kane tale mostly has to do with the recent Hawks experiment of placing him at Center ice.
Click here for my piece on Kane's potential move to C...
Well this should be interesting being this is my first blog on this site, but I am ready to be criticized.
The Winter Classic is obviously a long way off from today's date, but I don't see why we can't talk about it now. Considering that my twitter feed is filled with Winter Classic updates (lawlzitscasey) I think the NHL has already given it a lot of thought by now.
I k...
I'm sorry but this year's Winter Classic is a joke. It's all about the marketing and nothing to do with the hockey this year, and I hate to see the NHL waste one of it's few opportunities to rope in casual hockey fans by overexposing the same U.S. media markets. What does the state of Pennsylvania have on Gary Bettman? I mean 4 Winter Classic appearances combined betwee...
The war of words is already in full force among fans of the NHL, more specifically supporters of the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers. "Wayne Simmonds is a hypocrite." "Sean Avery is a scumbag." "(Insert player of choice) committed the worse crime."
Comparisons to other cases of unsportsmanlike conduct have been made.
But the truth is that derogatory and di...
IanCunninghamTB writes...
Bolts Have Cleared Waivers. Fold Laundry With a Purpose!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
Of note, forwards Mike Angelidis, Michel Ouellet, Alex Picard, Trevor Smith and J.T. Wyman, and defensemen Richard Petiot and Mike Vernace have all cleared waivers. These seven players are now assigned to the training camp of the AHL's Norfolk Admirals.
With the remaining members of the Lightning's main camp fully settled i...
It's been rainy and thundery in Jersey today and it was rainy and thundery for Ben Smith of the Chicago Blackhawks.
In yesterdays pre-season bout between the Hawks and the Red Wings, second year player Ben Smith tied up the game at 3 a piece but did not get to see the end of the game after he was hit in the head by Brendan Smith's shoulder. Ben made a nice dipsy doodle ...
I'm going to take a more straightfoward and simplistic approach to my reaction from last night's Hawks' victory over a mostly AHL roster of Red Wings players. Ultimately, because Chicago came away with a win, there were obvious positives. The biggest questions from last night surround Patrick Kane's effectiveness at Center and the defensive breakdowns that led to three Red...
saneopinion writes...
Pending UFA trade bait on teams likely to miss the dance
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The weekend before the regular season, the time of year where hockey pools are firing up and Canada celebrates New Year, not really, but close. Trade Deadline, July 1st and the Draft are now ahead of us, not behind us. We remind ourselves why we hate the Oilers and Canucks. E-bay is getting more time as tickets start coming out. Hockey is here.
****
Trade deadline t...
There was quite a controversy here in the Capital Region (Albany, NY) in the past week.
On last Thursday, 9/22, a writer for the largest local paper, the Albany Times Union, decided to step out of her normal job as the writer of a parenting guide, and into the shoes of a sports writer (and debatable into her Patriots footie pajamas).
As I read it last week, I thought...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line as the Islanders have made a few decisions regarding the roster as training camp and pre-season are quickly coming to a close
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-files-inching-closer-season
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Can Roman Horak stick with the big club? And for how long? It's been the surprise of Flames TC. Come over TSR to read more
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/09/roman-empire-horak-looks-to-stick-with.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
Seems like no one is blogging for Winnipeg so figured it is about time. Few things heading into the opener.
1) Schiefle: Will he make the team? The kid has performed greater than anyone could have predicted. I was sure they would send him back to Barrie for one more season and play for Canada at the World Juniors but I am not sure anymore. He has played above and beyond...
Prospects who could be seen this season:
FWDS:
Nathan Perkovich 6'5 215
Adam Henrique 6'0 200
Petr Vrana (recently put on hold from his other team) 5'10 175
DEFENCE:
Adam Larsson 6'3 197
Alexander Urbom 6'5 215
Tyler Eckford 6'1 205
GOALTENDERS:
Mike McKenna 6'3 195
*Palmeri, Fayne, Tedenby, Josefson, and Larsson will all play more than 25 game...
well let me start off by saying this is my first blog so spare me!
I've been wanting to start a hockey blog for quite some time but i couldn't figure out what to start with.. so being a sharks fan, I'm going to start with discussing the sharks moves in the off season and how i think it will impact the team.
so the sharks first big move of the off season which probab...
well let me start off by saying this is my first blog so spare me!
I've been wanting to start a hockey blog for quite some time but i couldn't figure out what to start with.. so being a sharks fan, I'm going to start with discussing the sharks moves in the off season and how i think it will impact the team.
so the sharks first big move of the off season which probab...
Several promising Rangers prospects fell victim to the second round of cuts on Saturday, as the roster was trimmed to 25 players. It seems like the club will at least start the year with only one rookie on the roster, and Stu Bickel does not figure to see much of the ice. This is a turnaround from last season when the opening night lineup included rookies Michael Sauer and...
Ok...keeper league...everybody has 1 forward keeper...rank these players (projected top 20 picks)...GO!
Pavel Datsyuk
Anze Kopitar
John Tavares
Jeff Carter
Henrik Zetterberg
Brad Richards
Marian Gaborik
Bobby Ryan
Mike Richards
Jonathan Toews
Derek Roy
Joe Thornton
Ilya Kovalchuk
Patrick Marleau
Loui Eriksson
Jarome Iginla
Rick Nash
Matt Duchene
Dany H...
tml1967 writes...
30 Insane Predictions for the Maple Leafs upcoming season
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The 2011/12 Maple Leafs season is two days away against our arch rivals the Montreal Canadiens, the Buds will be looking to make the post season for the first time since the lockout. The club is one of only two clubs to have failed to do so (Florida Panthers the other) and will be looking to charge into the post season. Can the club score enough goals? Will the penalty kil...
The New York Islanders have signed Jay Pandolfo and Ryan Strome just in time before the start of the 2011-2012 season. Rob McGowan takes a look at the contracts and what they could mean for the rest of the roster.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/strome-and-pandolfo-earn-contracts-islanders
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://...
Realignment 2012 is happening. The board of Governors along with the GM's announced publicly that realignment would be sorted out before the new year and that those changes would be put into effect at the start of the 2012-2013 season. That's all fine and dandy... except for the fact that we have no clue which team will end up in which conference/division come next season....
The Flames are a borderline playoff contender. You can call this a prediction if you want or you can call it total B.S. but it is hard to argue with. Saying they are borderline does not imply that should they reach the post season they couldn’t do some damage, I do think that if the opponent is the right one they could do damage. Borderline just means they will have to f...
The Red Wings have closed out the regular season with a record of 4-3-1, which of course doesn’t mean much, but it’s the best way I could think of to start this blog.
The Wings roster was rounded out this past week with the signing of Fabian Brunnstrom and Cory Emmerton to their respective posts, filling the holes that were left from Kris Draper and Mike Modano. ...
I spoke about the Red Wings in the last entry, but now it’s time to take a ppek at the rest of the Western Conference. For the most part, the teams seem to be improving. There are a few teams to note though.
Lots of folks have been hanging on San Jose to be the all-out favorite this year, having brought in defenseman Brent Burns and forward Martin Havlat from Minnes...
AlexanderScharf writes...
The Rangers Can Win The Atlantic - Response To Eklund Hate
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Last night on the HockeyBuzz Podcast, Leafs writer Mike Augello picked the New York Rangers to win the Atlantic Division. The founder of this site responded in disbelief, comparing such a prediction to picking the Leafs to win the Northeast. But this reaction is unsurprising, if you have read Eklund’s Atlantic Divison preview, in which he questions the Rangers’ chemist...
Boston's pregame ceremony recognizing their Stanley Cup championship lasted longer than it took the Flyers to trade Mike Richards and Jeff Carter.
A goaltender other teams actually fear between the pipes, wearing orange and black.
Jaromir Jagr sitting on the bench with his familiar "68" across his back - and unfamliar Flyers' crest across his front.
Yes, it's a b...
gerbstomped writes...
Pommer Now the Mayor of the Population and Other Thoughts
Posted Friday | Comments 0
So Lindy has pulled the proverbial wool over our eyes and gave the C to Jason Pomminville. While most of us expected Thomas Vanek to assume the role, I am shocked to see the reaction to this appointment. I have heard several people have a jumping-off-the-bridge mentality saying that, "Once again, the Sabres dropped the ball." I couldn't have felt any more opposite. But bef...
[img]http://www.newyoungworld.com/images/Nhl_logo.jpg[/img]
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.[/b]
Yesterday, the long awaited opening night of the new National Hockey League season finally got underway. Three great games involving six great teams. The Former Cup Champions and the very team they beat. Two of Canada’s biggest teams went head to head...
Last year, the Chicago Blackhawks lost a grind-it-out battle against the Colorado Avalanche in OT from Paul Stastny's game winning goal in their season opener in Colorado. This year, the Blackhawks hope to avoid a similar fate tonight when they face off against Mike RiBeiro and the Dallas Stars.
Highlights from last year's Blackhawks Season Opener:
http://www.youtub...
Growing up, my father told me of the bumper stickers that became popular in Philadelphia in the 1970s.
"Only God saves more than Bernie."
The sticker, in reference to Bernie Parent, the only goalkeeper in the Flyers' franchise history to win a Stanley Cup, has likely been copied and used in cities across the country. Just enter your goalkeeper's name and it works.
...
The question that many Carolina Hurricanes' fans are asking as we look ahead to the upcoming 2011-2012 season is, “Did the Canes strengthen themselves sufficiently with the summer moves to claw back into the post-season, after missing by a single point last year?”
No question the moves were encouraging. The Canes headed into free agency with a number of key players...
andydrmm writes...
Sabres vs Ducks 10/7/11 A good win, but not a "dominate" win
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I rushed home from work to catch today’s Sabres game. How often are the Sabres going to start their season in Finland? Plus, OPENING DAY!!! As I’m sure everyone knows already, the Sabres won their opening contest 4-1. However, as one of my counterparts on this site stated; “Sabres dominate for 60 minutes”, I will strongly disagree. Like every game, there’s numero...
Can't make it to the game? Be sure to head over to The Checking Line for a live blog coming to you straight from the Nassau Coliseum press-box at 8 PM, covering the Islanders home opener against the Florida Panthers!
Both Panthers and Islanders fans are welcome, as well as all fans from any team!
www.thecheckingline.com
I will also be on Blog Talk Radio tonight fo...
The 0-2 Rangers are finished their whirlwind trip through Europe, and get a week off before beginning the remaining 80 games of the season. There are a lot of positives and negatives to take from the two regular season games, an OT loss to the Kings and a SO loss to the Ducks. Let’s get right to it.
[b]Positives[/b]
[i]Goaltending: [/i]
Even though he didn’t pick ...
When the Jets left 15 years ago, few if any held out hope that the small, western-canadian city would ever get the chance to have an NHL franchise play in their city without it being an exhibition game. The city was told that they were not capable of supporting an NHL franchise. Now, lest we forget, the canadian dollar was worthless, the salaries were horrendous, and the...
The Islanders fell short in a disappointing 2-0 loss for their home opener against the Florida Panthers. Rob McGowan reports.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-fall-home-opener-vs-panthers
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Welcome back for another installment of 10 questions! I'm your host, habsteen26. So without further ado, here we go!
1) Which coach will get canned first? Ron Wilson, Bruce Boudreau, or Alain Vigneault?
2) Chris Campoli?
3) Which Canadian 'bubble' team is most likely to make the playoffs? Winnipeg, Calgary, or Toronto?
4) Who will have the highest +/- this ...
April 6, 2010. The Philadelphia Flyers were fighting for their playoff lives. They'd recently lost seven of eight, but were fresh off a 4-3 win over Detroit. They were scrapping, scoreboard watching, and on this day shutting out the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Claude Giroux scored on the power play in the first period. Mike Richards added an empty netter. Daniel Carcillo and A...
the Flames were soundly beat last night. Sign of things to come? Or just a prime example of how far the Flames are from being a good team. Read more here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/10/flames-downed-in-opener.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
...The Tomas Vokoun signing in Washington appears now to be about as much like the Ilya Bryzgalov signing in Philadelphia as their two salaries are for 2011...which is to say "not much". Initially people compared the two with the idea being that both clubs were obtaining "top" netminders to make them legitimate cup contenders. Washington seemed to get the better deal becau...
Well that went about as well as could be expected eh? Not only did the Sabres return from their European business trip with a valuable 4 out of 4 points, but they did so in a dominating fashion. I liked the fact that despite the distractions of sightseeing in Europe, when that puck dropped in Helsinki on Friday night the Sabres were focused on hockey and nothing else.
...
By Aakash Gulati
One game into the season. Hockey is back and the Flames are here.
Having previously looked at the flames centre depth, it is time to look at who will be flanking the Flames centres. A consistent theme with all the flames wingers is their consistency issues.
Iginla
With over 900 points and flames top leading scorer for the last 11 seasons, Iginla has ...
Two games into the new look Flyers' season it appears that they seem comfortable with one another.
In fact if you had no clue what was going with the team, you may have thought that they've been playing together for awhile now.
Just two regular season games and two wins have many fans that were feeling doubtful with this summer's moves, having a change of heart.
Thurs...
After a nine-day wait to begin the regular season, the Jets looked sloppy and out of sync with each other in a 5-1 loss to the Habs on Sunday. Now that all the hooplah surrounding the return of the team has subsided somewhat, the team is leaving on its first road trip of the season.
Time for this team to spend some time together and do a little bonding. I suspect a li...
I admit, the season’s already started, and I should have already entered this little discussion beforehand, but hey, life gets in the way…
As I have done with my Western Conference preview, I won’t discuss all the teams, just a few highlights, and then follow it up with a guess at the standings come season’s end. So away we go…
New York Rangers
The Bluesh...
Dirty rumour that Sid-the-Kid will be back in line-up shortly. This is strictly a rumour at this point. Crosby has not yet been cleared for contact, and he is still wearing the red jersey in practise.
That being said, the line has opened up on Sidney Crosby's games played this year. Vegas bookrunners have the odds at exactly 50 / 50. On the over under for games played t...
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...
The Islanders managed to pull out a win against the Minnesota Wild on Monday but have struggled to get pucks to the net. Rob McGowan takes an in depth look at the Isles offensive struggles.
http://thecheckingline.com/node/4745
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
mcefalu writes...
Hawks Thoughts - Top Prospect Saad Returned to OHL Team
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
On Wednesday, the Chicago Blackhawks sent arguably their top organizational prospect in Brandon Saad (sorry Kyle Beach) back to his OHL team, the Saginaw Spirit. Though Saad registered no points in his two games with the Blackhawks in the early regular season, he did play well during the preseason against several division rivals, which included getting time on a line wit...
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...
Hello everyone,
I am currently a college student at Montana State University, but am origionally from San Dimas, Ca and was born and raised a Ducks fan. I live and breath Ducks hockey during the NHL season, ask any one of my room mates or people that have lived a floor below me. Anyways I would love to start writing a blog on the Ducks, to express my joy and frustr...
So there will be a few things I will be looking for in tonight's matchup against the Blackhawks.
- Does the team show more energy than they had in their season opener ?
- Will any of the lines show any chemistry at all, and if not can head coach Claude Noel do enough mixing and matching to get anyone going ?
- How well will Mark Scheifele deal with being in a h...
Flames thoughts:
Turris- There has been mixed opinion on this kid. He hasn’t put up star numbers but has a load of talent and potential. Turris Played the 11 season getting 5 more points than his previous NHL stint in 09 and improving from minus 15 to even plus/minus. He did improve, although marginally. His average ice time was not great so it makes sense his point t...
Yes, we're only three games in and, yes, the Flyers have taken six of a possible six points. We're all happy in Flyerville.
But.
Yes, in Philly sports, there is always a but. Right now, it's defensive zone communication. It's a problem I noted in the Flyers' win over Boston, one they seemed to do much better with against New Jersey, but Wednesday night against Vancou...
When the puck dropped to begin the game, many Devils fans put the hands over their face and muttered to themselves "Here we go again". In the first ten minutes of the game the Devils were absolutely dominated. They were out-skated, out-shot, out-scored, and out-coached. Gagne was able to capitalize for the high-powered Kings' offense early in the game and this one looke...
Welcome to a new feature on the blog, "Wind Sprints." Much like the endurance-building exercise of a hockey team, we'll do four notes - blue line, red line, far blue line and goal line.
At the end, instead of being exhausted, you'll be better informed. Or both.
[b]Blue Line
[/b]It's going to be an odd site watching Mike Richards skate on Wells Fargo ice Saturday.
...
Okay.........so I was off on the score by one goal.........so sue me.
All-in-all the game was pretty much what I expected it to be. The Jets were pretty much dominated throughout the game and the score really doesn't reflect that. The Jets have a really bad habit of giving the puck up in the worst possible areas of the ice. They remind me way to much of what Ales Hem...
[img]http://wwwcache.wralsportsfan.com/asset/racing/nascar/2008/09/25/3611612/25368-nhl-400x300.jpg[/img]
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.[/b]
We are now 8 days into the new NHL season. We’ve got goals, fights, suspensions (with videos), shutouts, and yes! The first classless act of the season from Mr. Arron Asham (albeit he’s a good guy, and ma...
IanCunninghamTB writes...
Too Early To Assess Bolts; Renovated Forum Ready To Shine
Posted Friday | Comments 0
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
The Tampa Bay Lightning sit below the .500 mark for the first time under Guy Boucher’s tenure as head coach of the hockey club. The team has allowed at least four goals against in the past three contests, the end result being one point of a possible six. This after starting the season with a convincing 5-1 victory over a ...
Flames won their first game of the season against Montreal and that too by a decent margin of 4-1. After two stinking losses against the pens and the blues, finding the win column is definitely a good feeling. Going into Toronto with a win will be a feel good factor. In Toronto we will be up against ex-flames Phaneuf and Lombardi and the game should be a fun one for a Satu...
Ok, I'm at home sick, so I'm gonna leave this blog up for 2-3 days, ask me absolutely anything, and I will answer truthfully.
Edit: and yes, I did get this idea from my hero, Adam French.
Have at it!
*I will post the answers on a separate/maybe the same blog in 2-3 days.*
So Mr. Cherry versus the pukes, eh?†is the main story this week as I start my column off. I have a couple of comments here. First of all, the players deny saying what Cherry said they did. Plus, in my opinion, fighting has not been the problem with the NHL. The fighting issue has taken a second seat to head shots. So far as I am concerned, Cherry's comments on f...
I just wanted to comment on what Brooks Laich had to say about the NHL's new rules about player protection. Brooks just wants to play the game. He's tired of people telling him what he has to do in certain situations for the betterment of the players.
In my opinion he couldn't be more right. Secondly I applaud him for going on record during such a tumultuous time. T...
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...
The Islanders top line has started to click with Moulson, Tavares and Parenteau finding the back of the net. But will the rest of the team be able to keep up? Head to The Checking Line for a look at the team's offensive depth.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/where-isles-second-act
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.co...
Watching the Edmonton Oilers play Saturday night brought a couple thoughts to mind, good and bad. Needless to say, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is here to stay. Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle are very, very good hockey players and by the end of the season 'great' may be a more fitting adjective. They have tons of young offensive pieces in place with Paajarvi, Gagner, Hemsky, Omark a...
Watching the Edmonton Oilers play Saturday night brought a couple thoughts to mind, good and bad. Needless to say, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is here to stay. Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle are very, very good hockey players and by the end of the season 'great' may be a more fitting adjective. They have tons of young offensive pieces in place with Paajarvi, Gagner, Hemsky, Omark a...
Watching the Edmonton Oilers play Saturday night brought a couple thoughts to mind, good and bad. Needless to say, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is here to stay. Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle are very, very good hockey players and by the end of the season 'great' may be a more fitting adjective. They have tons of young offensive pieces in place with Paajarvi, Gagner, Hemsky, Omark a...
Watching the Edmonton Oilers play Saturday night brought a couple thoughts to mind, good and bad. Needless to say, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is here to stay. Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle are very, very good hockey players and by the end of the season 'great' may be a more fitting adjective. They have tons of young offensive pieces in place with Paajarvi, Gagner, Hemsky, Omark a...
A brutal 1-3 start has lots of fans wondering if we're in for another playoff-less season in Calgary. Should we be worried or is it too early to tell? Come read for yourselves, and I swear I try to be positive...
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/10/should-calgary-flames-fans-be-worried.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
Despite reports to the contrary Malkin and Crosby will not be in the line up tonight when the Jets host the Pens.
Why would they be ?
There is absolutely nobody on this planet right now that thinks the Jets will beat the Pens regardless of whether or not the two superstars are in the line up. If you don't need them to win, why not give them another day off.
Eve...
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...
In the history of the Hart Trophy, presented to the MVP of the National Hockey League, there are only 3 players who have won the award who are not presently inducted into the Hall of Fame. One is Eric Lindros, a bubble player who could find himself enshrined amongst the greats of the game. Another is Tommy Anderson. Given that he was a defenseman of the 30s and 40s who jus...
From 1997 to 2006, the Vancouver Canucks must have used around a million different netminders, and never found a clear #1 since Kirk Mclean. What I mean by this is they never had a goaltender after that, that was "the guy", well, they did have Dan Cloutier who was probably one of the better regular season goaltenders out there at the time, but at best good for a round in t...
3 games + 5 goals = No wins. It seems simple enough: once again the Rangers have scoring issues. The reason is no longer lack of talent up front, instead the cause is far more painful because it is self-inflicted, not Sather-inflicted. The Rangers should be winning games. They outscore opponents at a 1.25:1 ratio at even strength. Unfortunately, they have spent 9:40 per ga...
Who the heck are these guys ?
Wow. So far this season the Jets had yet to show ANY kind of jump. Whatever Claude Noel said to the team appears to have got through. I don't think the Pens registered a shot on goal through the first 10 minutes of that period.
Alex Burmistrov was easily the best Jet out there. So slick with the puck. He registered an assist on each...
2-1 Jets after 40 minutes.
Fantastic chances for both teams in the period. Pavelec has been unbelievable. This must be that goaltender that I heard about in the early part of last season, holy smokes. This could easily be a 5-5 game if the teams had buried the plethora of chances they have gotten.
Refs pooched a goalie interference call (or should I say non-call) ...
So it appears my prediction of a Penguins laugher was somewhat off.
You really can't blame me for thinking it would be a cakewalk for the Pens after what the Jets had shown over the course of their first three games. I don't really know if this was the Jets team we can expect to see throughout the rest of the season or if it was just an anomaly.
Here are some of the...
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 Hawks are well on their way towards being a great regular season team provided they can pick up a few of the missing pieces before reaching the mid-season mark. Patrick Kane continues to be an offensive force with 6 pts in 4 games playing at Center, winning 56.5% of his faceoffs, and he has not hurt his team defensively.
Corey Crawford has also played well thus f...
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
Roman Hamrlik of the Washington Capitals recently played in his 1,315th game in the NHL, making him the leader in games played by an Eastern European born player. The Czech defenseman started his career with the expansion 1992-93 Tampa Bay Lightning. Hamrlik remembers the challenges of making the transition to the North Ame...
During the waning minutes of the Jets game against the Pens last night Pens defenseman Kris Letang hit Jets forward Alex Burmistrov from behind, driving him into the side wall. A two minute penalty was assessed to Letang and the young Russian forward came away from the hit for the most part unscathed. The hit was from behind.....there is no denying that. Some say that B...
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
The Lightning penalty kill looked abhorent over the weekend in a home-and-home series with state rival, the Florida Panthers. In total, the Panthers struck seven times on the power play, along with one short handed marker for eight special teams goals in two games. Florida has only one power play goal in its other two conte...
So the Penguins best defenseman has been suspended 2 games for his hit on Jets forward Alex Burmistrov during the Pen's 2-1 loss to the Jets. Burmistrov was not injured on the play and Letang received a 2-minute minor for boarding.
This was the first suspension under the "Shanahan Regime" that involved a star player.
What are your thoughts on the suspension ? Too...
Hey everyone...if you like reading my work at TCL, make sure you like the new official page on Facebook! "The Checking Line - Isles Edition"!
Here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Checking-Line-Isles-Edition/189290674480375
Liking the page will bring my work as well as Brian Bock's, Evan Pivnick's and John Madonia's right to your news feed with all your...
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...
60 minutes in a game.
12 minutes 29 seconds shorthanded.
[img:right]http://ipadvideo.thescore.com/source/10182011_LUNDQVIST_WITH_BROADWAY_HAT_thumbM.jpg [/img]And if Henrik Lundqvist didn't turn into the Great Wall of China last night in Vancouver, it would have been 4 losses to open the Rangers' season. Luckily, the King was focused all night, determined to earn t...
So with the off-season signings by Buffalo, the general attacks around Hockeybuzz has been that Buffalo is going the (failed) route of the Rangers and other teams and is trying to "buy themselves a title".
I decided to look into the team to prove how inaccurate that accusation is.
Of the 20 players who have played for Buffalo this season, 14 of these players were d...
RickDixon writes...
Jets gameday vs Leafs and the newly named G.S.T. line
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Jets head east tonight to take on the Leafs tonight in what should prove to be a bit of a barometer for the club. If they expect to be in the running for a playoff spot, Toronto is one of the clubs they will just have to find a way to beat.
[b]The Newly Named G.S.T. Line[/b]
The line of Tanner Glass, Chris Thorburn, and Jim Slater has been dubbed by Winnipeg...
P.A. Parenteau has been impressive so far on the season, but what will happen to his spot on the top line when Nino Niederreiter rejoins the Islanders line-up? Rob McGowan takes a look at what might unfold as the season rolls along.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/pa-perfect
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/Isle...
The scene: The Oilers Taylor Hall at a Draft Lottery Party one year after he himself was drafted first over all. The management has thought it a good idea to send him out with the commoners to see what the reaction would be if the Oilers won the draft lottery. As it turns out they did not even win that, a fact almost forgotten. The New Jersey Devils won the lottery however...
Here we are on October 19th, 6 games into the Canucks regular season, and local sports talk shows are flooded with calls by the usual boneheaded people about the teams 2-3-1 start, and of course, Roberto Luongo. It's not a debate or argument if Luongo isnt involved, not in this city. What really gets me is the fact that the team infront of Luongo last night owned 50 mins o...
IanCunninghamTB writes...
Limited Options For Yzerman to Bolster Blueline
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
Last night on the NHL on TSN, Pierre Lebrun mentioned that Tampa GM Steve Yzerman is looking to add a top-four defenseman in the near future. Lebrun is the latest addition to TSN’s expert panel of NHL Insiders, joining fellow Insiders Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie, along with host James Duthie. This group forms unarguab...
RickDixon writes...
Scheifele's 1st NHL goal not quite enough....4-3 Leafs
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Whether or not Mark Sceifele stays with the Jets through the 9-game mark remains to be seen. He has been invisible in a few of the games so far this season and also has seen reduced ice time in close games. One thing is certain though for the young kid from Ontario. The puck is starting to find him.
In the preseason Jets fans thought they might have found themsel...
With the sole intent of expressing my opinion and to raise enough eyebrows to thwart nasty responses; I have decided to write a blog about the Canucks as a whole. The organization, the fans, the forwards, the D, the coaches and oh yeah, the goalie..(s). I will break it up into a two-part series.
To be honest, for the better part of the last few years the Canucks have be...
Before the season started, there was so much hope that this year would be different with the likes of Carter, Wisnewski and Prospal joining the club. Hopes that maybe this will be the year that Steve Mason finally plays like he did in his rookie year. The excitement has been replaced with calls for the heads of everyone from Howson to Arniel to Mason to Nash. I guess that ...
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
Coming off an impressive 7-2 win that snapped a losing streak in Ottawa that spanned several presidential elections, the Philadelphia Flyers return home tonight to face the Washington Capitals.
And Alex Ovechkin.
Not necessarily in that order.
The series between these two teams has been tight in recent seasons. Since the 2007-08 season (the first season following...
A lot's been made out of Luongo's recent play on certain goals. I may have, in certain public forums and Facebook pages, called for him to be moved, shut down, pulled or at least replaced with Schneider in a wig, make-up and Lu's jersey.
Those have been momentary reactions and I want to apologize, I really do. There's more to life than hockey and I'm watching a team tha...
So 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 ?...
The only thing missing from the Avalanche Game was the home team advantage. Sorry but I am going to say it one of the best teams in the league (for the moment) have a horrible fan base. Never in my life have I been to a home game and heard the away team chant... And the worst part was that the home team chants where swiftly overcome by "Lets go Blackhawks." Absolutely terr...
CHIKEN FINGERS
[IMG]http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/sports/photos/2010/03/04/584-booth-david-091024.jpg[/IMG]
Hey peeps.....hope you have enjoyed the beginning of the 2011/2012 season of the Coolest Game On Earth. Here's another NHL Who Am I? to whet your appetite a little more. It might not be as easy as some of the others. Then again, you guys are good.
[u][b]NHL Who Am I? #18[/b][/u]
1. I was drafted by the Stanley Cup Champions.
2. I was involved in one of the most...
First and foremost, thank you to hockeybuzz for providing a forum where I could write about my opinions and also facts.
Secondly I feel like I need to inform people that in no way do i have any writing experience or formal training (as you will be able to tell through my writing style), I am just a fan of the game and a fan of the Toronto maple leafs, have been since...
So lets start by saying Hello, to my fellow bloggers.
This is my First Blog ever, so bare with me. Unfortunately for all you Vancouver Canucks haters, i am not one. I have been a fan for as long as i can possibly remember. Lets get down to business.
There is a lifetime of Luongo things that can and will be written, along with cody Hodgson, the twins production and al...
The Islanders have fallen to .500 after losing two straight in Florida. Is it time for head coach Jack Capuano to shuffle up the lines? Rob McGowan takes a look at the Islanders' play over the past six games.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/are-isles-better-500
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Like us...
In a snoozefest of a hockey game, the Flames dropped their second straight Saturday afternoon. But did they necessarily play that bad? And what about the revised goaltending philosophy in Calgary. These things will be debated...
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/10/no-afternoon-delight-flames-lose-second.html
Newman
Follow me: Twitter.com/TSRNewman
The plan. I have heard this term a few times now from the management and coaches of the Flames. The plan was to have Kipper play less and have the back up come in and win a few. I think we now have enough of a look at Karlsson to make an accurate assessment of his play and that is he is not the right guy. The plan only works when things fall into place and sometimes that p...
In April, when the Rangers are battling for position in the Eastern Conference, nobody is going to care [i]how[/i] they got points in October. All that will matter is how many games were won, lost, and lost in extra time. So when asked if this road trip to Western Canada can be a success, with a win tonight in Winnipeg, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” Yes, they strug...
The Montreal Canadiens are 1-5-2 as of right now. What the hell is happening right now? bad luck?, no talent? Oh My Goodness, is it too early for a major trade? I know it doesn't work like that but something is going to happen for sure. A step up from a leader, big aquisition who knows, rumours fly everywhere! and from what we hear it's almost never what anybody thought......
After the completion of a home and home with surprising Western Conference foe, Colorado, the Blackhawks came away with 3 out of 4 possible points. Hawks are now a commendable 4-1-2 on the season, good for 5th in the West. Chicago also boasts a goal differential of +6, which is tied for 2nd in the West, as well.
Make no mistake, Blackhawks should come poised to jump rig...
The Montreal Canadiens are 1-5-2 as of right now. What the hell is happening right now? bad luck?, no talent? Oh My Goodness, is it too early for a major trade? I know it doesn't work like that but something is going to happen for sure. A step up from a leader, big aquisition who knows, rumours fly everywhere! and from what we hear it's almost never what anybody thought......
The Red Wings seem to be just the nicest team in the NHL these days. In two straight games, they’ve to put their own aspirations in the drawer. They stepped aside and allowed Washington to be the lone undefeated team. Last night they also decided that enough is enough, and Columbus should have a victory too. Remember your dinner table manners and that nobody can have...
First let me say this is my first blog on this site, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!
I know it's not even one month into the season, and a lot of fans may be upset reading this, but remember it is only my opinion.
This season is looking more and more like a complete right-off. This team is going nowhere fast, and even if by some miracle we do sneak int...
The Flames stuck to their guns on Wednesday night and pulled out a much needed win. A run down of the game and a look at what the play of Horak means for the team going forward.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/10/flames-bury-avalanche.html
Newman
Tired of your hockey team having bad chemistry?
Sick of spending hours making line combinations that may actually work?
There is a solution to all of your problems: The iTorts Shuffle.
Based on the most popular Apple product, the iPod Shuffle, which plays your music in a random order, the iTorts Shuffle picks a line combination for you. It is effortless, and it i...
The season is 8 games old, but issues with the Minnesota Wild are obvious. The transformation into coach Mike Yeo’s system isn’t complete, but skill and grit aren’t related to system, and so far the Wild simply don’t have enough of either.
Just one guys observations:
- [b]Veteran d-man look like they are at the end of their careers[/b]. Zidlicky is the most dis...
While geneticists on Terra Nova hope to head off global warming (oops! Climate change nowadays) by discovering the insidious Luongo genome, NBA owners and players are at an impasse over whether or not Booby Lu is in fact responsible for all of the woes facing pro sports today.
A bit of a stretch you say? Well, considering that callers to Vancouver sports radio shows are...
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...
On the night where many thought to believe that this could be a make or break game for the Bruins they once again didn't show up for a full 60 min of hockey against the hated rival Canadiens. With 5 days off after there disappointing game against the Sharks many believed that this was a time for the team to rest and shake off this "hangover" people keep talking about. Appa...
Blackhawks fans will remember one thing from last game against the Anaheim Ducks:
That Patrick Kane Spin-O-Rama pass.
The Chicago Blackhawks came away with a 3-2 SO victory over the Anaheim Ducks at the United Center on Tuesday night. After going down 1-0 and then 2-1, it was amazing to see the Hawks battle back to tie the game and keep themselves in the battle for...
Curious as to what is new with top Islanders prospect, Ryan Strome? Well there is plenty, and you can find it all out in my interview at The Checking Line!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/one-one-ryan-strome
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Be sure to "like" The Checking Line's new Islanders Facebook ...
The Iceman writes...
Could the rebuild be failing? Was the 08 draft good overall?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
When I look at teams who have gone through the task of tearing it all down and going into the 3-5 year rebuilding program there should be noticeable strides by year 3 and 4. When teams go through the 3 year plan they usually have acquired numerous picks, prospects and other pieces along the way and are usually a top 5 pick or two from being ready to play into late april an...
I have nothing note-worthy to say, other than I am very excited to watch Habs-Bruins tonight. I was vacationing in Florida the past three weeks, time shares didn't have NHL Network or CBC! No surprise though, I was reading through the morning papers each day to keep up with my hockey pool with my friends, and went through about eight total pages of Baseball and Football, b...
The Islanders played a full 60-minute hockey game last night but lost in overtime due to a questionable call on Travis Hamonic. Rob McGowan provides the post-game report at The Checking Line.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/islanders-get-hammered-sharks
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Be sure to "lik...
I'd like to begin my blog by saying hello. This Is is my first blog and I'd like to warn all other bloggers that I may be stealing their readers cause I am about as good at writing as Ovechkin is scoring goals. My favorite team is the e 1st place oilers and the majority of my blogs will be about them. So let's get down to busieness.
The oilers play yet another home gam...
I'd like to begin my blog by saying hello. This Is is my first blog and I'd like to warn all other bloggers that I may be stealing their readers cause I am about as good at writing as Ovechkin is scoring goals. My favorite team is the e 1st place oilers and the majority of my blogs will be about them. So let's get down to busieness.
The oilers play yet another home gam...
I'd like to begin my blog by saying hello. This Is is my first blog and I'd like to warn all other bloggers that I may be stealing their readers cause I am about as good at writing as Ovechkin is scoring goals. My favorite team is the e 1st place oilers and the majority of my blogs will be about them. So let's get down to busieness.
The oilers play yet another home gam...
I'd like to begin my blog by saying hello. This Is is my first blog and I'd like to warn all other bloggers that I may be stealing their readers cause I am about as good at writing as Ovechkin is scoring goals. My favorite team is the e 1st place oilers and the majority of my blogs will be about them. So let's get down to busieness.
The oilers play yet another home gam...
I'd like to begin my blog by saying hello. This Is is my first blog and I'd like to warn all other bloggers that I may be stealing their readers cause I am about as good at writing as Ovechkin is scoring goals. My favorite team is the e 1st place oilers and the majority of my blogs will be about them. So let's get down to busieness.
The oilers play yet another home gam...
I'd like to begin my blog by saying hello. This Is is my first blog and I'd like to warn all other bloggers that I may be stealing their readers cause I am about as good at writing as Ovechkin is scoring goals. My favorite team is the e 1st place oilers and the majority of my blogs will be about them. So let's get down to busieness.
The oilers play yet another home gam...
I'd like to begin my blog by saying hello. This Is is my first blog and I'd like to warn all other bloggers that I may be stealing their readers cause I am about as good at writing as Ovechkin is scoring goals. My favorite team is the e 1st place oilers and the majority of my blogs will be about them. So let's get down to busieness.
The oilers play yet another home gam...
Now that the long road trip is over and the Rangers still seem incapable of playing a full game of good hockey, fans turn to the next excuse for failure. The defense has been struggling without its leader Marc Staal, that is undeniable. However, the suggestion that a miraculous return by Staal would put an end to the Rangers’ struggles seems a bit misguided. He would cer...
The word is out that Lindy Ruff has decided to mix things up with his top lines. Leino will be skating alongside Vanek and Pominville, while the rookie Luke Adam will play on a line with Roy, and Stafford. The changes shouldn't come as a surprise, given the slow start by nearly every top 6 forward not named Thomas or Jason. Yes Luke Adam got off to a hot start, but he h...
The Flyers attempted to enact a new media policy which would limit access to goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, whose highly self critical rant following the Flyers recent 9-8 loss to the Winnipeg Jets sparked commentary from just about every segment of the hockey media world.
The policy originally would have Bryzgalov available after games, only. Then it was later amended to limit...
Rob McGowan writes...
Nino Niederreiter and Trevor Gillies Assigned to AHL
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Read my latest at The Checking Line to see the latest transactions made by the New York Islanders
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/nino-niederreiter-and-trevor-gillies-assigned-ahl
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Be sure to "like" The Checking Line's official Islanders Facebook page to keep track all ...
So the Capitals have put together a good solid team, more depth then I have ever seen before, however is it just me or does coach Bruce have no idea of how to put lines together? I don't understand why he is trying to change everything up, I mean the third line has better players on it then the second line. Semin, Johansson, and Eakin in the last game........ Why is Brouwe...
Did you watch the game last night? I did. And yes, I think Mikko Koivu should have definitely been called for his chippy hit on Kronwall. That aside, though, it’s starting to get really frustrating that the Red Wings can’t score. They did garner a point out of the ordeal against the Wild last night, but I’m sure that is no solace to the team who has scored only ...
I am going to take a look at the Flames last ten years of first round draft picks and tell you if I think it was a bust or not.
Chuck Kobasew 2001 1st rd. 14th overall.
Kobasew wasn’t the only player from the 2001 draft that became a regular NHLer for the Flames. David Moss was the other player but besides those the rest of the draft has become a bust. Kobasew ...
I am going to take a look at the Flames last ten years of first round draft picks and tell you if I think it was a bust or not.
Chuck Kobasew 2001 1st rd. 14th overall.
Kobasew wasn’t the only player from the 2001 draft that became a regular NHLer for the Flames. David Moss was the other player but besides those the rest of the draft has become a bust. Kobasew ...
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
There has been an abundant amount of speculation the past week or so regarding the Tampa Bay Lightning’s goaltending situation. Namely, that a change is needed to keep the hockey club competitive with increasingly difficult Eastern Conference squads. The NHL Standings as of November 1st read more like science fiction com...
Well I work on this during the intermissions of the Flyers game, and finally finished... here are some funs NHL Stats guys! :thumbsup:
[u]Eastern Conference[/u]
[u]Atlantic: 53 GP[/u]
Pits: 13 GP, 18 P
Phil: 11 GP, 13 P
NYR: 10 GP, 11 P
NJD: 10 GP, 9 P
NYI: 9 GP, 8 P
[u]Northeast: 54 GP[/u]
Tor: 11 GP, 15 P
Ott: 12 GP, 14 P
Buf: 10 GP, 12 P
Mon: 11 GP, 1...
Since nobody has posted any Tampa Bay Lightning content in a long time I figured I would take a crack at covering the team and the current rumors around them.
Starting with Eklund's rumor yesterday tying the Lightning to the recently demoted Linus Omark.
Omark has incredible offensive upside tallying 27 pts in 57 career NHL games (yet he is a minus 18), but many for...
icedog97 writes...
Lovejoy...Will Pens EVER Be Healthy?...Fantasy Follow-up
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Ben Lovejoy is a likeable guy.
That almost sounds like I am trying for a joke...but I'm not.
Last night Lovejoy went awkwardly into the boards during a collision with a Sharks player and immediately you could tell something was wrong.
The grimace on his face...the reaction of the trainer on the bench while feeling Lovejoy's wrist...the quick exit he made to the t...
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...
[u][b]NHL Who AM I? #19[/b][/u]
1. I scored 1200 points in the NHL.
2. I played for 5 teams in my 19-year career.
3. I had seven 40+ goal seasons.
4. I made it to the Stanley Cup finals my rookie year, but lost.
5. I made it back 14 years later with a different team only to lose again.
6. My jersey has been retired by an OHL team.
7. I spent 8 ½ seasons wi...
We are now almost a month into the 2011-12 NHL season, so I decided to take a look at the top performers thus far and create the First Month All-Star team. The rules are simple every team must have a representative. Once each team has their rep then the best players are selected. I have selected the top 24 forwards, 12 defenseman and 6 goaltenders, while also selecting an ...
leafer91 writes...
Next Couple Drafts Could Bring One Team A Solid Future
Posted Friday | Comments 0
From the 2001-2002 season to the 2003-2004, the Pittsburgh Penguins found themselves at the bottom of the Atlantic Division three years in a row. Placing so low in the standings allowed Pittsburgh to draft the likes of: Marc-Andre Fleury, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal. Drafting these players has taken the Pittsburgh Penguins from being the laughing stock of...
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 ...
4blindmice writes...
Never underestimate the value of a proper NHL snarl!!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Obviously fans and coaches alike appreciate grit and the willingness to go into the tough areas of the ice, but what seems to be equally valuable, even if it is at a sub-conscious level, is the ability to curl the upper lip and stare right through a player as though you’re going to rip his heart out.
More than one NHLer has backed away from Kevin Bieksa after realizin...
4blindmice writes...
DON CHERRY = BLUSTER OVER SUBSTANCE TIME & TIME AGAIN
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Wouldn’t it be nice if just once Ron MacLean actually challenged one of Don Cherry’s outlandish assertions and made him support it with some substance?
Seriously though, if you throw in a few Cherry-wanna-be’s, like Mike Milbury or Doug MacLean, the so-called expert analysis segment of your favourite hockey program is filled to the brim with unsupported rhetoric f...
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...
Since winning the Calder Memorial Trophy for being the top rookie in 2008-09 Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets has been downright terrible. Mason had a terrific rookie year posting a 2.29 GAA with a .916 save percentage to go along with an incredible 10 shutouts. But since that fabulous debut Mason has posted a GAA of over 3 with a save percentage of .901 along wit...
jamesparker_7 writes...
Goaltender Market - Part 3 - Theodore and Clemmensen
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Florida Panthers have a problem in nets, a problem that every team in the NHL wishes they had. Their problem is that their prospect goaltender is NHL ready before they thought he would be. Top goaltending prospect Jacob Markstrom has played in just five games this season but he has played incredibly well posting a 2.05 GAA and a .940 save percentage.
The problem for...
Jonathan Bernier was supposed to be the goalie of the future for the Los Angeles Kings, but apparently Jonathan Quick didn’t get the memo.
Quick has proven that he is an above average NHL starting goaltender, and because of that Bernier will probably not get his shot at earning the Kings starting job unless Quick gets injured.
So what does a team do with two goalie...
After a tumultuous start to his New York Islanders career Nabokov showed up to training camp this year and have proved that he is still capable of being a strong NHL goaltender.
Couple that with the emergence last season of Al Montoya and the forever under contract Rick DiPietro and the Islanders have three goaltenders that could be the team’s starter.
If the Islan...
Recently Eklund has posted a rumor suggesting that the Columbus Blue Jackets are interested in Chris Mason and/or Antero Niittymaki.
Now while I don't doubt the Blue Jackets have interest in both goalies, and all goalies for that matter, I do doubt the fact that they will be able to get either of these goalies.
Lets start with Chris Mason, who is currently injured bu...
Brian Rolston said he would play better if used on the top two lines; in his first game on the second unit, Rolston scored his first goal of the season and played on the most succesful line against the Washington Capitals last night. Rob McGowan reports.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/time-brian-rolston-revival
Like TCL's Islanders Fac...
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...
mcefalu writes...
Hawks Thoughts - Hawks Special Teams Remain Rather Ordinary
Posted Monday | Comments 0
When your team only manages 2 goals from its bottom six forwards against a conference rival with the second best power play in the NHL, you're generally not giving yourself a good chance to win.
The Blackhawks did just that (and then some) in "aiding" the Vancouver Canucks to a dominating 6-2 win over Chicago Sunday night at the United Center. Yuck.
Click here to r...
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
Three games into November, the Tampa Bay Lightning have managed to secure four of a possible six points, capped off by a thrilling come from behind shootout victory in Florida. Although the Bolts surrendered three points to division rivals Carolina and Florida, the focus at this point in the season is on gathering points, r...
The Washington Capitals should trade Mike Green this season, if he gets healthy enough to string together a few games. Yes, Mike Green is one of the best offensive defenseman ever, I am in complete support of his abilities, my problem is that he is injury prone and the Capitals can spend their money better elsewhere.
I would have never made this argument last year but w...
I saw earlier that the gauntlet was thrown down in regards to fighting in the NHL. I’m glad that the fights have cooled off in the NHL. However, lets be honest. No one is going to get killed, and fighting will not be banned in the NHL.
First, how does one define a fight in the NHL? I look at it as when 2 players drop the gloves, and start throwing punches. Simple eno...
- Fighting in hockey isn't going anywhere because too many people who are part of the legislative process of the game want fighting to stay. The question of whether or not it is an integral part of the game is a tough one to answer because as long as it's allowed, it's a part of the game. I would offer that if it was removed from the game, the biggest losers would be play...
Last night in Pegulaville City Hall the FN Center the night started with an emotional induction of Dale Hawerchuk and RJ into the Sabres Hall of Fame. The Sabres however didn't come out motivated and resulted in the worst possible start for Miller with a qucik 2-0 Jets lead. I give Lindy credit for sticking with Ryan and not oulling out the quick hook. Buffalo pulled ou...
Man, is it painful watching the Carolina Hurricanes these days.
You can sugarcoat it all you want. The Hurricanes suck right now. This past week-end put an excalmation mark on that sentiment. No doubt, Jeff Daniels' Charlotte Checkers would have put up a better fight. At least the effort would have been there.
But, hey. Maybe now that Jim Rutherford is a part-o...
Rob McGowan takes a look at the current goalie rotation that is currently plaguing the Isles ability to win hockey games.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/montoya-minutes-al-needs-play
Follow us on twitter @TCLIsles (twitter.com/TCLIsles) and like our Facebook page with all of our Islanders blogs and more!
www.facebook.com/TCLIsles
...
One thing has become dreadfully apparent with this Jet team. They have shown an unbelieveable lack of discipline. With 12 penalty kills against Buffalo, the Jets gave the Sabres a gift-wrapped win, especially when your PK is as poor as the Jets" is. They missed an opportunity during this road trip to post a winning record despite having many regulars out of the line up....
....at the option of the team management.
For the life of me I cannot understand this debate. Team management determines a course of training for its players, diet, game plans, travel plans. etc. Why should they not have a say in protection? Let's not be naive here. Players are "assets" with values that affect the balance sheets of their teams. The salary cap only emp...
What did Slats see that Lou didn't? This guy was at Devil's camp and couldn't crack their lineup. Really? Have you watched the Devil's transition game? Surely they could use another cheap puck moving d-man.
Given McDonagh's rapidly expanding offensive prowess and Del Zotto's return to form (well.....close enough) was it really necessary to burn $900k on this guy? Who si...
With things all quiet in Hockey Heaven I figured today I'd talk about some other news around the league. First I will touch on the events in Tampa last night. Someone finally stood up to the defensive tactics that are destroying the game. NJ started it and were successful with tactic the Lightning use and so were the Bruins last season. What does the NHL do from here? ...
Hagman on waivers. Backlund is back. Byron up, Brodie up. Babchuk and Bmo out. Check out a quick recap of the Flames recent moves and tell me what you think as the Flames just got a helluva lot younger.
Click below:
[url]http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/11/flames-moves-youth-movement.html[/url]
Newman
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...
Are you syked for the Winter Classic? I'm not particularly. It's a distraction in a season that's already had its share. If the league wants to create a holiday spectacle...it shouldn't have any bearing on the standings.
I'm just sort of "outdoor-gamed" out. Snow....rain...fog....bad ice...HBO.....fedoras.....vintage white uniforms.....the novelty was worn thin on me. ...
Ok Hawks fans, thats what the doctor ordered!
The Hawks pretty much dominated the Jackets from the drop of the puck.
Thats twice now this season that the Hawks have lost a game 3-0 (Canes and Blues) prior to playing the Boo Jackets and went into Columbus and whipped the Jackets apart. Although this game was not perfect, it was nice to watch.
Observations:
Coach Q...
Sully8303 writes...
Battle of the back ups: Ben Scrivens vs Jonas Gustavsson
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson's recent decision to start 'Big Ben' instead of 'The Monster' against the St Louis Blues played out as nothing short of an inspired choice. Scrivens was undeniably excellent on a night when the Leafs came out strong, fell asleep for 35 minutes, and then awoke for the final few minutes and overtime to earn the W. What does this decision ultima...
Blake Comeau was the subject of several trade rumors for the Islanders this summer and has been struggling offensively this season. With certain prospects pushing for roster spots, will Blake Comeau make it to the end of the year as a New York Islander? Rob McGowan reports.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/comeau-gonna-go
Want a chance t...
I’ve watched the replay numerous times. One thing needs to be done... and a clear message needs to be sent.
Milan Lucic needs to be suspended, or have SOME type of consequence for his hit on Miller tonight.
There’s no question. No matter how many times that I see the hit on Miller, Lucic intended to hurt him, and didn’t need to. The intent to hurt was clear. ...
There is no nice way to say this after the Sabres vs Bruins game from TD Garden Place tonight. The Buffalo Sabres deserved to lose.
Just about anytime that the Sabres made a turnover, anywhere on the ice, the Bruins capitalized. Buffalo’s passing was lackadaisical throughout the course of the game. The team lacked energy, despite having scored the first goal of the n...
Lose one. Win one. It's been the story of the season for the Flames. Paul Byron showed some jump tonight. Come read more here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/11/flames-split-back-to-back.html
Newman
So I woke up today looked in the mirror and saw Brian Burke staring back at me? Weird, I know, but I figure now that I look like him I may have the chance to scratch one item off my wish-list, which is to be the GM of the Leafs! Now, I don’t know how long this is going to last, so I am going to have to act fast if I want to make a difference. So to cut to the chase, I am...
Well I had a blog half way done and then the Lucic no suspension word came out and I scrapped the initial plans. What a choke job AGAIN by Colin Campbell, I mean Brendan Shannahan. As far as I'm concerned there's no difference in the two. Shanny started off on fire suspending any questionable and deserving hit, but someone got into his ear. Someone reminded Shanny that...
It's over. Hagman is finally leaving Calgary. Come to the The Sports Roundup to find out what it means and a little more about his run in cow town.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/11/hagman-claimed-by-ducks.html
Newman
Rob McGowan reports the latest Isles news at The Checking Line as Nino Niederreiter has been recalled from his conditioning stint with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/el-nino-way
Be sure to read Brian Bock's post-game report for last night's game against the Vancouver Canucks as well!
http://thecheckinglin...
Well, I missed the live broadcast of the Hawks game last night and had to settle watching it on DVR. No problem, right?
The Mighty Blackhawks were trying to give themselves a bit of a cushion in the standings and succeeded before heading out for their annual circus road trip that start Wednesday in Canucklehead land.
A quick recap of the game against the Oilers, the...
[i] Author's note: Hit the "Discuss" link to comment on any individual topic in a regular Hockeybuzz forum [/i]
The Rangers have not lost a game since recalling Sean Avery from the Connecticut Whale on October 31. Contrast the 4-0 record with him in the lineup against the 5-3-3 record with him off the ice, and it looks pretty good for the agitator. This continues a long...
After their Stanley Cup Victory last June the Boston Bruins racked up a whopping $156,000 bar tab in just one of their many celebrations, that seemingly didn't stop until sometime in early November. Now you can add a Miller Lite to that tab, a 180lb soaking wet Ryan Miller to be exact. Saturday night Ryan Miller of the Sabres came way out of his net to play a puck and af...
Ken Campbell is wrong. Very, very wrong. In his latest gem of an article he proclaimed that the Leafs have never had a "true superstar" on the team, that Sundin doesn't belong in the HHOF in his first year of eligibility, and the HHOF is biased towards Toronto players.
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/42947-Campbell-Hall-of-Fame-Leafs-bias-will-benefit-Sundin.htm...
Right now the Buffalo Sabres remind me of Cerberus the three headed hound from Greek mythology. In this case however, instead of a menacing multi-headed beast guarding the entrance to the Underworld, the Sabres have their own triple threat in Vanek, Roy, and Pominville.
Thomas Vanek (11g, 11a, 22pts) is tied for second in the NHL in scoring, despite averaging less time...
Once again, we have witnessed a Boston Bruin escape any external discipline for his violent on ice transgression. I'm not one of these people that are screaming collusion or inequity of discipline. I'm simply looking at events in front of me and trying to make sense of the NHL actions.
First, let's travel back in time to March 8, 2011 and the infamous Pacioretty hit. ...
A night after I was killing my team for 40 minutes of uninspired and awful play in the Bell Centre followed by 20 minutes of dominance and a W via the shootout, I took a look at the standings this morning as per usual. Wait a second...the Buffalo Sabres are in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference 1 pt behind Philly and first in the NE Division. Now raise your hand if you ...
It has been over 2 years since Kessel has been traded to the Blue & White, and ever since trade day (T-Day) Phil has been put under the spotlight by fans, media, and alike. I have no interest in evaluating the deal, as it has already been done to death, and the fact of the matter is that all players involved are either too young/inexperienced to play in the NHL as of ...
There are 20 forwards in the NHL with larger cap hits than Brad Richards. Most are the elite players of the league, like Alexander Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos. Some are just wildly overpaid, most notably, Scott Gomez. But they are the benchmark to use when evaluating the performance of the Rangers alternate captain.
It is early into the season, or so it seems. However, ...
The Hawks placed Rostislav Olesz on waivers today. NHL teams have 24 hours to claim Olesz and if he isn't picked up by another team could be headed to Rockford of the AHL.
Olesz was aquired when the Hawks traded Campbell and his $7 million-plus salary per season to Florida. If Olesz heads to Rockford, the Hawks would still be on the hook for his salary of $3.4 million, ...
A terrible strech of games hasent ended yet as the Ducks fall again, this time in a Shootout to division rivals, the LA Kings.
A terrible strech of games hasent ended yet as the Ducks fall again, this time in a Shootout to division rivals, the LA Kings.
I wanted to wait to post this blog after the results of the hearing on Chris Stewart for his hit on Niklas Kronwall Tuesday night. It certainly was a dirty hit and the immediate response of a major penalty plus a game misconduct was appropriate. It was also announced yesterday that Stewart would receive a 3-game suspension without pay, a little over $46,000.
I di...
Call it revenge, call it payback beyotch, I don't care, you pick. The Hawks were able to avenge their 6-2 loss to the Canucklheads ten days ago, as they came into Vancouver and beat the em last night 5-1. The Hawks played a very disciplined game, got timely scoring and strong goaltending to skate to victory over the Canucks in front of a stunned, towel waving, early leav...
Last night's 5-1 Blackhawks' victory over rival Vancouver was the perfect example of how a successful powerplay can seriously steal the momentum for your team. The Blackhawks did a great job of exposing the Canucks lack of offensive depth last night at Rogers Arena.
Click here for my thoughts on last night's Blackhawks victory over Vancouver -
http://thecheckingli...
Rostislav Olesz has cleared waivers on and has been sent to Rockford.
In his place, the Hawks have recalled Ben Smith from Rockford. Smith had 10 points (six goals, four assists) in nine games with the IceHogs this year.
As you know, obviously Olesz was a non-factor for the Hawks roster this year. Smith’s contributions at the end of last year during the playoffs ag...
stephenkjanes writes...
[RECAP] Ducks Battle, But Lose in SO 2-1 to Kings
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Anytime you lose to a close rival, you tend to feel sick afterwards.
Last night, in front of a sold-out crowd at the Staples Center, the Ducks fell 2-1 to the Los Angeles Kings in the first game of the Freeway Series. The Ducks and Kings will go at it again tonight, this time at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
The Ducks trailed 1-0 until very late in the third period, ...
stephenkjanes writes...
[RECAP] Ducks Battle, But Lose in SO 2-1 to Kings
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Anytime you lose to a close rival, you tend to feel sick afterwards.
Last night, in front of a sold-out crowd at the Staples Center, the Ducks fell 2-1 to the Los Angeles Kings in the first game of the Freeway Series. The Ducks and Kings will go at it again tonight, this time at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
The Ducks trailed 1-0 until very late in the third period, ...
stephenkjanes writes...
[RECAP] Ducks Battle, But Lose in SO 2-1 to Kings
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Anytime you lose to a close rival, you tend to feel sick afterwards.
Last night, in front of a sold-out crowd at the Staples Center, the Ducks fell 2-1 to the Los Angeles Kings in the first game of the Freeway Series. The Ducks and Kings will go at it again tonight, this time at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
The Ducks trailed 1-0 until very late in the third period, ...
Iban3z writes...
NHL:Miller, the "1-3-1" Flyers Winning ways, Howe HOF Speech
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I’m a little behind in my blogs. I apologize for that. A lot has been going on throughout the hockey world.
I want to touch a little bit on the Milan Lucic hit on Sabres’ goaltender Ryan Miller. Lucic wasn’t suspended nor fined for the hit however, this has left plenty of fans upset. NHL Dean of discipline, Brendan Shanahan has a shot of having consistency when i...
There was a little shuffling of the deck in the Blackhawks lineup these last few days. Everyone saw this coming a mile away, but overpaid and under-talented winger Rostislav Olesz and his $3 million salary was placed on waivers, and then sent to Rockford. Ben Smith joined the team on Thursday and is expected to play on Friday, mainly because…Frolik is injured. Seabs miss...
Evgeni Nabokov appeared to be on the trading block before suffering a groin injury Thursday night that put him on the Injured Reserve. Rob McGowan explains how this may actually increase his value later on in the season.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/nabokovs-injury-may-increase-his-value
I will also be appearing on Hockey This Week ...
The Flames torched the Hawks last night and ended the Hawks four game winning streak last night so what does this mean? The Hawks get a chance to start a new one tonight in Edmonton against an Oilers team that has lost four straight. Games like last night's seems to be demonstrate the need for more heart, energy, piss and vinegar on the roster than that which was added in...
Daniil Zharkov, 17 year old Left Winger of the Ontario Hockey Leagues Belleville Bulls is beginning to turn heads with his recent play. Zharkov has 5 goals and 1 assist on the season. Not impressed?, What if I told you his season only began five games ago?. That is right, Zharkov has been sidelined since the preseason with a broken left clavicle.
Zharkov was Belleville...
I had the perk of sitting in the 200 level on Saturday during the Sabres game, just behind the Sabres goal. As I watched, I noticed that while Buffalo got some very good opportunities throughout the game, Buffalo’s defense needs to stop holding up “Welcome All” as their opponents are on the rush. Plus, I noticed very few odd man rushes for Buffalo, last night, and al...
It's being reported in various places today...
It will be interesting to see the affect this has on the team and how much he actually plays.
While he is known as a workout fanatic and is said to be in great condition...games are a whole different animal.
That said...hope he's back to stay.
Rob McGowan writes...
Their Worst Game Of The Season, Isles Lose 6-0 To The Bruins
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Rob McGowan provides the post-game report at The Checking Line as the Islanders were victimized in an effortless 6-0 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champs, the Boston Bruins.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/their-worst-game-season-isles-lose-6-0-bruins
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://twitter....
The Detroit Red Wings boarded Red Bird III last night after beating the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 at the Honda Center. The win garners Detroit 4 points out of a possible 8 on their recent road trip. 4 points is respectable, although I think the Wings would have been a little more satisfied with 5 or maybe 6. A better performance against St. Louis on Tuesday could have given the...
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...
The most underrated player currently in a Leaf Jersey would have to be #19 Joffrey Lupul. Effective in all areas of the ice, the Lupster (trying out the nickname) has managed to keep up over a point per game pace so far through ¼ of the regular season. His play thus far has been overshadowed by that of Phil Kessel, but in the end, some time out of the spot-light may have ...
This morning Ruff announced Tyler Myers will be out about a month due to surgery on a broken wrist. A big blow to a D-core who wasn't playing all that well as it was and the big bad Bruins coming into a hyped up matchup Wednesday. Once I noticed Myers missed the entire 3rd period Saturday night I went and took a look at the Amerks roster. Two D-men caught my attention, ...
I read Garth’s blog earlier about the upcoming matchup with Boston (See Chowds Have Another Thing Coming). Dear God, I don’t know what else to say to this. I don’t know if he’s been watching the same games as the rest of us, but it was pretty presumptuous.
Buffalo should not be worried about extracting revenge on Lucic. Will someone take a run at him? I’d lik...
The winning streak was going to end. They all do, just don't tell that to the red hot Bruins. But for the Rangers, this loss was a long time coming. In fact, it is shocking that the club was able to go on such a run despite sitting dead last in the league in shots on goal. "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take," said Wayne Gretzky, in one of his glorious mathem...
So I was watching the Pittsburgh game last night and just got onto thinking of what Dan Bylsma was able to accomplish over the past year and a half, while missing his top 2 players (Crosby and Malkin) for a significant portion of time. It got me thinking how much I would love to have a guy like this running the Leaf’s bench and then it got me thinking even more. Currentl...
You know in the dark cold mornings when you get out of bed to slap the alarm and have to turn on the first painful stinging light? That realization that the snooze button can’t actually delay the reality of having to get up and face the day. It hurts at first but as you grow accustomed to it you can start to look forward instead of looking back. We are at that point in t...
At differing points each year, I like to get out the spreadsheet and calculate how the standings might look if the NHL reweighted its points system. These adjustments must always be taken with a grain of salt -- changing the points system invariably would change team strategies, especially late in games -- but I do think they provide additional perspective that can help us...
Rob McGowan takes a look at the current state of the New York Islanders as well as providing some suggestions as to what needs to be done for both the long and short term benefits of this hockey team.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/where-have-isles-gone
-Rob McGowan
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://twitter.com/TCLIsles
www.faceboo...
Apparently, some people (Garth) didn’t get it when I wrote my blog yesterday looking forward to the Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins game tomorrow night. Let me try, one more time.
First off, I see that Garth feels the Sabres should “run Seguin or Bergeron”. Then, he writes in that Shanahan, “God” of NHL discipline, will be watching the game very carefully. To...
I had the chance to speak at length with Neil Sheehy, a former Flame and now hockey agent, about his playing career and his transformation into a hockey player agent. Click the link below to read more:
http://www.theagentsofchange.com/2011/11/neil-sheehy-agent-of-change.html
Newman
To at least save some face in the eyes of hockey fans everywhere! Hallellujah to that! Whilst we still have our challenges here in the northern most NHL city of Edmonton, things are definately looking up. The change from last years team to this years team is almost too good to be true. But I (and everyone else here) hopes that it all lasts. I'm not going to jump my guns an...
The rumors have been coming and going about Sam Gagner. Is he a long term 2nd line centre. Maybe, He has had at least 40 points in each of his four NHL seasons. Is he a better choice then future star Tyler Pitlick who has been compared to Ryan Kesler many times. No, probably not. But what about oilers future centre man lineup like this. Nuge, Gags, Lander, Martindale. Nuge...
OK .
Where do i start.
Do you know what is sad? When a Die-hard Avs fan like myself has to witness so many bad played games by the Avs that i consider not cheering for them anymore. But i cant do that, because that means i would have to stop liking hockey altogether. And honestly, i still love the Avs.
So i was thinking on my way home after the 3-0 loss t...
Okay to start it off. Did you see Gagners fight the other night? It was awesome.
Good on ya Sammy. Ok now back to the blog. These or MY line combanations for the upcoming game. Enjoy and leave comments.
1
Hall Nuge ...
I watched an extremely entertaining hockey game last night. Buffalo showed up to play, and meant business as well. I think Boston was probably surprised at Buffalo’s style of play last night. Despite the fact that Buffalo lost in the shoot out, it was a good loss for Buffalo, and should be a boost to their confidence.
Last night, Buffalo started to show the type of po...
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 ...
So here we are AGAIN. The trade possibility talk about the Flames top players. I want to be as clear as possible so everyone knows my stance in regards to the top guys everyone talks about.
Iginla- Iginla is the last chance this club has for a massive return, Dion’s trade was a blown opportunity, Iginla has to be traded for something. Management has said he won’t be...
Rob McGowan writes...
Still Without Power On The Island; Isles Lose 1-0 To Devils
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Rob McGowan brings you the post-game report at The Checking Line as the Islanders have been shutout for the sixth time this season
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/still-without-power-island-isles-lose-1-0-devils
-Rob McGowan
Follow our Isles staff on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/TCLIsles
So I thought I would get a few thoughts from readers as to who exactly the Jets could do without and who would bring them the most upside in a possible deal.
There are rumours that the Jets have been contacted about Bryan Little and a "D" man for a trade.
Lets break down the current defensive roster for the Jets.
[b]Dustin Byfuglien[/b]
There is no question tha...
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 (
Rob McGowan shares his latest on the current situation surrounding Nino Niederreiter and why he might not have been playing the past few games.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/where-world-nino-niederreiter
-Rob McGowan
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://twitter.com/TCLIsles
The struggling Washington Capitals have fired Bruce Boudreau, replacing him with London Knights coach Dale Hunter. Hunter joins the Capitals after a successful run with the London Knights of the OHL.
The 51-year-old Hunter becomes the 15th coach in Capitals' history.
He is slated to make his debut behind the bench Tuesday when the Capitals host the St. Louis Blues a...
The tale of two different teams showed over the last weekend. Nobody showed up in Columbus per usual in that building, but Saturday the Sabres/Amerks were responsible for getting Boudreau fired after a 5-1 beat down. With 9 regulars out of the line-up the kids came to play and took it to the underachieving and uninspired Washington Capitals. Kassian got his first NHL go...
The Rangers were challenged to beat two of the most talented clubs in the Eastern Conference. To do so, they needed to overcome a two game slump, amid claims that their prior seven game winning streak was more a result of weak opponents than good play. They rose to the occasion, outscoring Washington and Philadelphia by a total of 8-3, while recording 30+ shots in back to ...
Captain Serious, a.k.a. Jonathan Toews, gets paid the big bucks for many reasons. He scores goals, he sets up plays, he digs out the puck in corners in order to set up said plays and he shuts down some of the most lethal opposing offensive threats in the NHL.
Of course, you already knew that.
Good players in the NHL can provide offense for their teams throughout th...
Stafford, Regher, and Kaleta will return tonight leaving the Sabres with only 6 regulars out. Ennis should be back Friday, Miller will take part in his first full practice tomorrow probably meaning another week or so for him, Weber and McCormick both skated today. As the Sabres get healthier will they start to climb the eastern conference again? I think they are startin...
I know this is a little late, and after a lot of other bloggers have posted their quarter milestone reviews, but I just now got the opportunity. So here ‘tis!
As of today, the Red Wings sit fourth in the Western Conference with 29 point, which is a pace set for 116 by seasons’ end. They are only 2 points behind the leaders, and justifying how their recent swing is...
I did not provide a recap on the Circus Trip so here a quick one...As I previously wrote, I had set the goal for the Hawks to take 7 of 12 points and they came home with 6 points. I can live with that. The Circus Trip started great with an a$$ whooping of the Canuckleheads. Next came the "Alberta Swing" where the Hawks looked like they’d never played hockey before. Th...
Michael_Stuart writes...
The Evolution of Steven Stamkos as an Even Strength Force
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
When Steven Stamkos rips his one-timer from the half boards, fans cheer; the puck is travelling so quickly that is always has a chance to score. Since his NHL career started, Stamkos has been labeled a bit of a one dimensional player by some. Well, this season, Stamkos is turning himself into an even strength force.
Consider last season when 17 of Stamkos’ 45 goals ...
It’s been a tough week for the Flyers. They played 5 games in eight days going 2-3-0. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Flyers lost Andreas Lijia to injury for six weeks, JVR for 1-2 weeks, Jagr has been Day-to-Day and Chris Pronger will miss the next four weeks following successful knee surgery. The Flyers also waived streaky forward, Andreas Nodl who was picked up by th...
Is this group better than a 10th place team? You bet it is. This season hasn’t started off as planned for the high powered Lightning. Whether mired in goaltending issues, defensive woes or a 1-3-1 “scandal” or sorts, the Lightning have yet to get on a nice run. Like a lot of teams, consistency seems to be the main issue here; specifically, defensive consistency.
...
The 1-3-1 trap has been used in hockey for decades. While it’s not the most exciting thing to watch, it shuts opponents down and does indeed give the trappers a chance to win. Guy Boucher knows that.
The ugly incident in the Philadelphia game had the entire league talking about the 1-3-1 trap and how Tampa was “ruining the game” and it was “their fault” an...
Bobby Ryan seems to be heading everywhere and nowhere, as the Ducks are in desperate need of a puck moving defenseman and flexibility with the cap. Some of the teams mentioned most often are Toronto, Philadephia and columbus, none of whom really seem to have quite the pieces in place to pull off a deal. Burke in Toronto seems like a good trade partner, he drafted Ryan and ...
Going into this season, the Bluejackets made a splash, trading for Jeff Carter, signing Prospal and Wisniewski, kids like Clitsome and Johanson coming on, mixed with stud Rick Nash and carry overs Vermette, Mason, Umberger and Brassard.The CBJ actually going into the season have a top six payroll, and looked likely to compete for a bottom three playoff spot.
well, i...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Yzerman Returns to Detroit as Bolts Challenge Wings
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Lightning continue their mini road-trip tonight against the Detroit Red Wings. This is a real test for the team as it attempts to bounce back from the deflating Minnesota loss. The storyline for this game is intriguing as the Lightning have been unable to beat the Wings in the two teams’ last five meetings.
The wings are red (no pun intended) hot right now as ...
Lots of speculation in Anaheim right now on the kind of move they need to make in order to snap out of the tailspin that they have found themselves in. There are usually three paths to take during such a time:
1. [b]Fire the coach:[/b] "It's easier to change one person than trade 3 or 4."
Even with the poor start it seems unlikely considering Carlyle signed his ...
rockthered24 writes...
Boudreau done in capital: Do we blame Ovechkin?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Earlier this week, the news came out of the nation's capital that Bruce Boudreau, the head coach of the Ovechkin-led Washington Capitals since November of 2007 had been fired. Instantly, reports flowed in that his firing was in large part due to Alexander Ovechkin's unhappiness with his own performance as well as with Bruce Boudreau himself.
Bloggers and columnists ...
Still think Chicago should make that bid for Bobby Ryan?
Right.
Be sure to check out TCL's newest Blackhawks' writer Maggie Avila's game recap from last night here -
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/maggie-avila/chicago-blackhawks/chicago-blackhawks-home-sick-or-sick-home
Here's a brief goal analysis of last night's joke of a 60 minute effort by your Chicago ...
Sabres42 writes...
Hello Inconsistentcy...Miller Clarifys and Bobby Ryan
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Inconsistency seems to be theme in Hockey Heaven these days. After another home loss to the struggling Islanders, with the Sabres putting up 1 goal on Al Montoya it may be time to worry. Roy, Stafford, and Leino continue to be ice cold and struggle. Roy had 2 point blank chances to tie it on a 5 on 3 and was stoned once and missed the net on the second chance. Leino ha...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Breaking News: Lightning Re-Sign Hedman to 5 Year Pact
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Here with a quick update. The Lightning have signed Victor Hedman to a 5 year $20million contract extension. Hedman, who is second on the team in ice time this season, has struggled offensively this season. Though, the talent is there and it should only be a matter of time before points start to come.
[b]My Thoughts on the Deal:[/b]
With this being the last year o...
There’s been a lot of trade talk recently, and the Sabres have been mentioned. How accurate these rumors are, I have no idea. However, I definitely think that a move or two may help Buffalo out.
As I’ve said, Buffalo needs to be aggressive in their own end. The recent call ups for Buffalo have done really well, and are playing excellent physical hockey. I’ve love...
Rob McGowan shares his latest at The Checking Line, discussing the recent play of rookie forward, David Ullstrom since his call up to the New York Islanders.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/ullstrom-making-most-opportunity-isles
-Rob McGowan
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://twitter.com/TCLIsles
www.facebook.com/TCLIsles
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts Lose to Wings at the Joe in Emotional Game
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Despite losing having lost tonight’s game, the Lightning shouldn’t be feeling too down on themselves. For me, tonight’s contest had a really positive atmosphere starting with the video tribute to Steve Yzerman and the standing ovation given to him. You could practically feel the raw emotion coming from all parties at the Joe. This guy is a legend.
The Red Wings...
Eklund has been heralding a possible move of Alexander Semin the last few days with the Detroit Red Wings being one of the top contenders. A few thoughts…
Semin hasn’t been in his top form since 2009-2010 where he posted 28 goals and 26 assists. He’s been decent enough this season, with 5 and 5. I haven’t been paying too close attention to the Capitals but ob...
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 ...
It is hard to complain, it really is.
After winning 10 of the last 12 games. After silencing critics who pointed to an easy schedule, by beating Washington, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh in consecutive games. After finally showing up for 60 minutes a night. After finally getting shots on net, and secondary scoring, and solid defense.
But there is still one problem tha...
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
The Tampa Bay Lightning recorded a record of 6-7 in the month of November, dropping three spots to eleventh in the fifteen team Eastern Conference. In the process, Tampa surrendered eleven of a possible eighteen points available to Eastern Conference opponents, including six points to three teams that were below the Bolts i...
Sabres42 writes...
An Early Look at The Potential Trade Deadline Movers
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It's December 1st and all the Bobby Ryan chatter over the last few days I couldn't help but notice the NHL Deadline is less than 3 months away. Another intriguing factor of this year's deadline is all the potential stars that could be on the move. Parise, Ryan, Iginla, Luongo, Nash, Carter, Weber, Suter, Hemsky, Alfredsson, Spezza, Stastny, Lecavalier, Semin, Bouwmeester...
With the Lightning off for a couple of days, I have time to sit back and enjoy some other hockey games. That being said, there’s always chatter and things going on in the Lightning world so I do my best to keep my readers posted. Here are some news and notes on the Lightning to begin December.
- Guy Boucher is really trying to push speed. An article posted today in...
As last nights game vs the wild came to an end I sat there at rexall place pondering some questions!!!!!! Let's go back to the Nashville game.
In a 1-1 game were Khabby is playing another great game and the oil are hanging in there in a tight game versus the always frustrating preds,Sam gagner is up against the boards and sends a pass to the middle of the ice and is pic...
The Flames blew a 3-1 lead with less than 5 minutes left in the third. You wanna hear a rant...well here it is because I'm pissed off!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/12/new-low-flames-lose-to-jackets.html
Newman
My favorite Wing as a kid was Danny Grant, came over from the North Stars for Henry Boucha, playing on a line with Redmond and Dionne had fifty goals one year, injuries derailed his career shorty after.
After that, it became Ogrodnick. Man could he shoot. Quiet, graceful player, when he was dealt to Quebec for Brent Ashton I was entering adulthood, 18 years old but st...
The Chicago Blackhawks will look to rebound tonight from their previous 4-1 trouncing by the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes when they get ready to face the struggling New York Islanders at the United Center. This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season.
Corey Crawford, who is expected to get the start tonight, has somewhat unfortunate statistics i...
Brassards agent rips Arniel for leaving him in the locker room as a healthy scratch again, saying Arniel is making Brassard the scapegoat for the teams wretched start. Well......
Rumors have it columbus is trying to trade Brassard. Two ways to fascilitate this, one, play them and feature their skills to prespective bidders. Two, sit them and hope that absence makes...
Hey All,
I'll be back here ready to go for the Sabres game tonight. Get my take on the game as it unfolds tonight. Stay tuned!
In order to win here, 5 minutes prior to puck drop, Buffalo needs to defend their end aggressively. Zetterberg leads this offense, and pose a serious threat if Buffalo gives them the blue line. Hopefully they have fast break outs of their own...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Breaking News: Lightning Make Minor Trade with Panthers
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers have made a small trade.
[b]To Florida[/b]
James Wright (F)
Michael Vernace (D)
[b]To Tampa[/b]
Mike Kostka (D)
Evan Oberg (D)
In Oberg the Lightning are getting a developing D-man who has NHL potential. He didn't exactly struggle in Vancouver but his trade was necessary for the Canucks to bring in Chris Higgins....
I understand the frustration fans are having with the way the season which began with so much promise is starting to get away from them, it begs the question, should the sabres trade Ryan Miller? And if so, to whom and for what? It is a soft goalie market, I dont think you could get close to market value, but what does this Sabres team need to right the ship?
Michael_Stuart writes...
10 Bold Predictions for Rangers vs. Lightning Game
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Last time John Tortorella and Brad Richards were at the St. Pete Times Forum it was a very happy time for the Lightning. Fresh off winning the Stanley Cup and heading into the lock-out, things looked good for the franchise moving forward. That was until the dreaded SALARY CAP…..ugh…..took hold of this team and forced Jay Feaster to rip the team apart. Richards was o...
The Chicago Blackhawks will look to continue their winning ways tonight when they matchup with the St. Louis Blues at Scottrade Center. The Blackhawks are coming off of an exciting 5-4 shootout win against the struggling New York Islanders last night and look to build on that success.
This will be the second matchup of the season for these two teams, with the Blues ta...
Hello everyone, welcome to the first installment of Trade Wars: Habsteen26 vs Nucker101! You may already be familiar with this series, as hockeybuzz bloggers Dan Cloutier and Travis Yost did the exact same thing a while ago.
As for the rules, they will be very similar to Travis and Dan's rules. I, will be the acting GM for every team in the Eastern Conference while my ...
Al Montoya has been playing excellent lately, making himself the team's number one goaltender. But with Rick DiPietro's contract keeping him here for many more years to come, how long will Montoya's run last?
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/have-isles-become-montoyas-team
-Rob McGowan
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://twitter.com/TCLI...
Your're reminded of it every time you go to a Sabres home game. They play it loud and clear over the P.A. system.
"From this day foward, the Buffalo Sabres reason for existence is to win the Stanley Cup".
Minutes later the puck drops and the action begins. Not long after that it becomes obvious that you've been duped into thinking this home game would be any differen...
For the Hawks, I hope they are not singing the blues as the Hawks head to St. Louis to take on the Blues.
But first, a quick look at last night’s game against the Islanders. The Hawks escaped with a 5-4 SO win. Let me repeat the word “escaped.” Captain Serious continues to be a leader on this team and stepped up and scored the game winner in the shoot out as the ...
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...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Lose to Rangers: My Prediction Round Up
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Well, the Ranger game is now over and I suppose it’s time to go over my downright dreadful predictions. Without further ado, my post-game recap.
1. Lightning dominate the game but the score is close until the final buzzer. The Rangers are red hot but the Lightning have all the intangibles necessary to beat this team. The final score? 5-4 Lightning. [b]Okay, so I didn...
The wings are rolling over opponents, after losing the first two on a four game west coast trip, Jimmy Howard said the players rededicated themselves to playing tougher, the results? Seven wins in a row. Nonetheless, the Wings are a little short on the outside, Hudler has been Hudler, Cleary is way off his game, Bert and Homer are showing their age, Abdelkader isnt devel...
We have some big news to deliver to our readers at The Checking Line. Make sure to read this letter as you won't want to miss what is in store for you!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/letter-our-readers
-Rob McGowan
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://twitter.com/TCLIsles
www.facebook.com/TCLIsles
[i]You cannot beat them in a box.
You cannot beat them with a fox
You cannot beat them in a house
You cannot beat them with a mouse
You cannot beat them here or there.
You cannot beat them anywhere.
You cannot beat the Rangers, man.
You cannot beat them, Sid or Stamm.[/i]
[i]-Paraphrase of Dr. Seuss[/i]
Ho hum. Another game, another win for the New York Rangers....
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 ...
Matt Moulson has been named the NHL's First Star of the Week. Rob McGowan reports for The Checking Line: Islanders Edition with that and more!
http://islanders.thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/moulson-seeing-stars
-Rob McGowan
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://twitter.com/TCLIsles
http://islanders.thecheckingline.com
www.facebook.com/TCLIsl...
Less then a week ago the Yotes came into town and gave the Hawks who were returning home for the first time after a two week road trip a 4-1 a$$ whoopin. After chewing up and spitting out the Hawks, the Yotes went up to Winnipeg and lost 1-0 then went home and lost to the Flyers 4-2. Hmm. makes you wonder doesn't it?
Look for Corey Crawford to start tonight but he mus...
Rob McGowan writes...
Drawing The Line: Isles Will Move To "Conference D" Next Sea
Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
The NHL Board of Governors voted in favor of a very dramatic change to the set up of the NHL's Conferences for next season. Rob McGowan reports for The Checking Line on how this may effect the New York Islanders and the rest of the league.
http://islanders.thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/drawing-line-isles-will-move-conference-d-next-season
-R...
The NHL announced yesterday that for the 2012-2013 season, the teams would be shuffled into a four-conference league. This is a huge win for the Detroit Red Wings organization and for their fans. For years, Mike Ilitch and Company has been yearning for a ticket into the Eastern Conference, and they thought they might have their chance when Atlanta moved north. They now ...
I have been watching the leafs for 12 years now (the better part of my life) and I can honestly say, without any doubt in my mind, that a group of hockey players must have kidnapped the Leafs, stolen their jerseys, and played out the entire first period of Toronto’s 3-2 win over the Rags, before letting the real Leafs back on the ice in the 2nd. There is no other explana...
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 NHL and the Board of Governors has approved a plan that will dramatically change the landscape of the NHL regular season and playoffs. With any new plan there are going to be pros and cons. Unfortunately for me I feel that the cons dominate the pros in the new setup.
Here is some of the fallout from the changes:
[b]Creating divisional rivalries:[/b] The sche...
Rob McGowan writes...
Drawing The Line: Isles Will Move To "Conference D"
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Rob McGowan takes a look at where the New York Islanders will fall into the new Conference changes as well as what it might mean for the team and the rest of the league.
http://islanders.thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/drawing-line-isles-will-move-conference-d-next-season
-Rob McGowan
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://twitter.com/TCLIsles
...
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...
By Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
A 5-1 drubbing at the hands of the league’s lowest scoring team, the New York Islanders, has left the Lightning coaching staff shaking their heads in disbelief. Is this the same team that stymied opponents routinely down the stretch and in the post-season last year? While the personnel have not turned over to any great d...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Simply Embarassing: Lightning Drop 5th Straight to Islanders
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Simply embarrassing. To be honest, that’s the only way I can really sum up the last few games for the Lightning. When this little 3 games in 4 nights started, I said that three wins were very possible and that two was the absolute minimum. Well, the Lightning came out and delivered exactly 0 wins.
Losing to the Rangers? Okay that’s fine. Losing to the Senators...
Rob McGowan writes...
Hit On Nino Warrants Suspsension For Stars Defenseman
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Islanders won a hard fought 5-4 victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night, and it can be termed hard fought for many reasons; the Isles saw a three-goal lead get washed away to a tie in the second period; Rick DiPietro pulled his groin, forcing Al Montoya to start the third period; the Stars kept coming back on the score board; and last but not least, Nino Nieder...
Rob McGowan writes...
Hit On Nino Warrants Suspension For Stars Defenseman
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Islanders won a hard fought 5-4 victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night, and it can be termed hard fought for many reasons; the Isles saw a three-goal lead get washed away to a tie in the second period; Rick DiPietro pulled his groin, forcing Al Montoya to start the third period; the Stars kept coming back on the score board; and last but not least, Nino Nieder...
The title of this blog, pretty much sums it up. If you can’t play 60 minutes, you will lose. Every. Time. I’m starting to run out of excuses for Buffalo’s bad play. I’m holding off on the coaching... for now. Tonight, it was the fact that Buffalo couldn’t play 60 minutes.
Buffalo had a simply excellent first period. I haven’t seen Buffalo play that well in ...
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...
Thats a big question. Think about it for a moment... The beloved Hawks are not as good as their record. Let me repeat that, the beloved Hawks are not as good as their record. I know, I know some of you may be upset at this realization but unfortunately its true. (Move to "Tonight's Game" below if you are afraid to read the next paragraph and face reality).
If you...
Maybe this is a bad time to write this.
I'm always pretty harsh on my Sharks, but sorting out my thoughts on them during a skid that has repeatedly exposed every flaw that this team has to offer is a terrible idea. I'm supposed to be thinking positive and productive thoughts, not coming down from a bender, weeping in my unlit apartment alone with no shirt and just a pai...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Beat Rangers to End Losing Streak - Mixed Bag
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
So who would have thought that the second Marty St. Louis gets injured, the Lightning win a game? Show of hands? Well safe to say that I wasn’t expecting the result we got tonight. The game was an interesting display of emotion from two teams with high expectations on them. Lots of penalties and a different game than I was expecting.
After 5 straight losses, the L...
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...
43.1 Checking from Behind – A check from behind is a check delivered on a player who is not aware of the impending hit, therefore unable to protect or defend himself, and contact is made on the back part of the body
I agree, to a degree, with the suspension of Leino. Pushing the envelope a little bit, given Shanny's track record this season. I've watched the video a l...
When the Tampa Bay Lighting came into lower Manhattan to face the New York Rangers, they were expecting a war. But when Artem Anisimov scored a shorthanded goal in the second period, things got a little too literal for Vincent Lecavalier and company.
After a few seconds of celebrating with his arms in the air, Anisimov turned toward the Lightning end of the ice, preten...
Last night was one of the few games of late this season when Blackhawks' team captain Jonathan Toews was not responsible for carrying his team on his shoulder in an effort to come away with two points.
Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa both had a goal and 2 assists a piece en route to a 3-2 overtime win for Chicago over the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum.
Ray...
[img]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/2011/11/17/kabs_65373.jpg[/img]
As per NHL.com the Carolina Hurricanes have found a dance partner in Montreal Canadians and managed to trade a problem player for a recently injured player. The deal as reported is just a straight player for player trade involving no picks or other players.
With any luck Kaberle can find some wa...
I asked the yesterday, "Which Hawks teams show up tonight?" and the question was answered as I hoped. The Hawks had solid effort last night against the Islanders from the Razor last night and Hossa and Sharpie provided the offense in a Hawks 3-2 victory. It was nice to see the Hawks score first and play well except for a few minor spots during the game that I will touch on...
The Islanders, who are boasting the worst offense in the league with only a dismal 59 goals for (the second worst team is the L.A. Kings with 63), were heavily criticized for one specific thing over the past three months; not scoring enough goals. (Shocking, right?)
After being shutout several times this year, the Isles were becoming a one-trick pony; if the line of Mou...
Michael_Stuart writes...
The 1-3-1 Returns: Flyers Take on Bolts at Wells Fargo
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The game we’ve all been waiting for. It’s game day for the Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Normally, this would just be another game, but tonight, things are different. Tonight marks the first match-up for these two teams since the whole 1-3-1 incident.
It will be interesting to see what Peter Laviolette does tonight in his own barn. My guess? Ab...
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...
Hello all,
Most of you have known me on here for quite some time as one of the Islanders bloggers on the site, via My Hockeybuzz. I have very much enjoyed my time posting here, getting to know some of you and exchanging thoughts about the New York Islanders, whatever the topic might be.
However, most of my posts will not be showing up on the main page anymore as I a...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Fall to Flyers: The Slot Looks Like a Drive-Thru
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I’d be lying if I told you that I don’t think the Flyers are a good team. They have offensive depth, solid goaltending and arguably the most complete forward in the game (Claude Giroux). I know I’ll get a lot of heat from Crosby fans for saying that, but I really like Giroux’s game. He didn’t burst onto the scene like Sidney did, but man is he ever good. Even...
Brian Rolston, Jay Pandolfo, Marty Reasoner and Steve Staios were added to this Islanders team during the off-season to provide veteran stability throughout the line-up; Rolston was acquired for cap room and an added offensive punch over Trent Hunter, Pandolfo and Reasoner were brought in for defensive support on the bottom line, and Staios added grit and experience to a r...
This is my first blog so please bear with me folks.
This season, the Devils have quite the built up system for the first time in many, many years as far as depth goes. We're getting thinner at forward than normal, more talented at defense, and finally and justifiably building up goalie prospects. This is all great news for the near and even far future for call ups with...
The Devils (14-13-1) visit the Bolts (12-15-2), who are reeling in a bad way. This game should be an excellent opportunity for the Devs to get 2 points in regulation for the first time since Nov. 25. The last time these 2 met, the Devils jumped out to a 3-0 lead, I was there and boy was it impressive! The last 10 minutes of the game however were not, as the Devils very nea...
NJD (14-13-1) @ TBL (12-15-2) St. Pete Times Forum 7pm VS/TSN2
Hedberg (300th start of his career!) vs Roloson
(side note, Devils have acquired D Kurtis Foster, and G prospect Timo Pielmeier for C Pelley, D Fraser and a 7th round pick in 2012. A great trade for guys who have been placed on waivers twice, getting a solid blueline shot and 40+ point scorer in Foster as...
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...
For once, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, Garth has a decent point. Buffalo brass does need to sit down and have a nice long evaluation of the direction that the Sabres are headed in at this point in the season.
However, I can already tell you the excuse that the brass will use to explain the recent play of the Sabres.
Injuries.
Thats it. I can hear Da...
Taking a look at virtually a brand new and young offense this offseason, I think it was safe to say many assumed the Flyers would be a middle-of-the-pack team, some cynics saying they'd be lucky to get themselves a playoff spot. I know it's still a young season, but 28 games in did anyone expect them to sit atop the Eastern Conference with 39 points already? Probably not. ...
So apparently the game plan was lost in the mail on its way from New York to Philadelphia and then from Philly back to Tampa. Not to worry though, things are going to be fine soon enough. Okay, so that may be a little bit of an optimistic view on things. This post-game wrap up is all about one thing; one VERY big thing.
I have lowered my expectations for this team ...
vowswithin writes...
Gameday in Smashville: Can we keep the streak alive!?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/b9/fullj.5cfadff89c55c7892381ab0fe12523c4/5cfadff89c55c7892381ab0fe12523c4-getty-135478954.jpg[/img]
Well here we are, after having 2 days off in a row the flames are back to the grind. Tonight we get to watch the flames play the Predators on the road. In their last 10 meetings the flames have managed 6 wins against the predators. The...
Sidney Crosby is out indefinitely with reoccurring concussion like symptoms. Words that all Penguin fans and most civil hockey fans find terrible and concerning.
8 games into his first comeback attempt he started experiencing symptoms that he knows all too well and decided to act on the side of caution and shut it down. All fans of 87 knew there was the potential of s...
As head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ron Wilson has had his shares of ups and downs in his three seasons....mostly downs. Being under the spotlight for a losing franchise in hockey's biggest market, Wilson has been constantly bashed and disregarded for an otherwise decent job as coach. Although not having appeared in the playoffs, Wilson has implemented a fast paced g...
Fast, skilled, great hands. These are the components that make up Nazem Kadri of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization's game. Some believe that he has earned his right to play in the National Hockey League full time as he has nothing to prove on the farm team. While his game is ready, he is not ready to be the face of the franchise. Ever since being draft 7th overall in a ...
Phil Kessel leads the league in goals, 2nd in points, and has been everything advertised when brought to the Maple Leafs from the Bruins. Although he has been one of the best forwards in the league if not the best, Leafs MVP award a third of the season is Dion Phaneuf. The Leafs are in a position to make the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons has a huge part beca...
NJD 15-13-1, 31 points @ FLA 16-9-5, 37 points
Bank Atlantic Center 7:30pm EST MSG+, FSFL (HD)
Martin Brodeur NJD vs Jose Theodore FLA
Acquired yesterday in a trade, D Kurtis Foster will indeed play tonight, grouped with Salvador. Urbom and Palmieri will both sit, and Janssen will play tonight.
I'm very curious how this team will come off putting up 5 goals, ...
No Crosby, Letang and Michalek are banged up, Staal is in sorry shape, Malkin is sick, kinda takes a bit of the bloom off the rose, looking forward to this game for a while. Lets hope the Wings take advantage of a wounded anima and start righting the ship on the road.
When the Flyers traded Mike Richards to the LA Kings in exchange for Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn, they really were rolling the dice. They knew Simmonds has the potential to net in 20 goals and be effective on the PP as well as play very physically and protect his team mates, but with Schenn it was a gamble.
Scouts described Schenn as the best prospect in and the b...
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...
Nice win tonite, the last three games the Wings have outscored the opposition 16-4. A few things I noticed.
Malkin was amazing tonite, got the goal late in the first when Kronwall pinched in and allowed a breakaway. Seems like he fired the puck twenty times tonite.
Datsyuk was the wings best player, assisted ona goal then killed a penalty minutes later. Grea...
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 ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Talk: Defensemen to Target in Free Agent Frenzy
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
So what is the biggest problem with the Lightning right now? Is it offense, goaltending, defense? Pick your poison if you will. There is room for improvement in all positions. Tonight, we’ll take a look at some of the free agent defenseman available at year’s end to see who I feel would fit in with the Lightning moving forward. You know things are bad with the tea...
Two goals, including the winner in overtime against the Carolina Hurricanes. Not bad for a former Buffalo Sabres outcast whom was subject to ridicule in his multiple seasons with their organization. Injuries, inconsistency, and turnovers were the reasons the Sabres opted to not resign him for this upcoming season. They say another man's garbage is another's treasure. This ...
vowswithin writes...
Flames Extinguished, Plus Referee Walkom plows Timonen
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.welive2ski.com/20080415_4318-.jpg[/img]
Disappointment!
Well here we are again folks, falling again to a very beatable opponent!
When looking back, the flames gave an alright effort but nothing more then that. When Playing against a team like Nashville with its shut down back end we need to be in the offensive zone most of the time.
Like I sa...
mapleleaf1389 writes...
Leafs-Canes: Leafs show poise, PK still needs work
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I will start this by stating due to personal obligations I missed the first half of the game due to other obligations. Due to the bipolar nature of the media in and regarding Toronto, I can't tell whether this was an amazing game by Toronto which Cam Ward earned the Hurricanes a point, or the Leafs squeaked by with a win. I will stick to the third period of this one.
...
Since the beginning of the 2011-2012 season, Claude Giroux, Sidney Crosby, Jeff Skinner, Brayden Schenn, Daniel Paille, Peter Muller, Joey Hishon, Radek Martinek, Marek Zidlicky, Nino Niederreriter, Michael Sauer, Milan Michalek, Zbynek Michalek, Kris Letang and Andy Mcdonald have all been diagnosed with concussions.
While the NHL attempts to remove hits to the head, ...
Hey everyone,
As it turns out I will be linking only from here. You can see an excerpt from my blog below and the link adjoing it. I encourage to follow @tsrnewman and @sanehockey for updates on this site.
I have written on the hockeybuzz website for many years now and have been asked repeatedly to change to other sites but have declined mostly or in one case I acce...
The Islanders announced on their home page yesterday that goaltender Evgeni Nabokov was close to making his return to the Islanders line-up.
Per the Isles official web-site:
“Nabby is close,” Islanders Head Coach Jack Capuano said after practice at Iceworks. “He’s been practicing. Yesterday and today, he had good days.”
Read more at The Checking Line - I...
Tonight the beloved Hawks take on the Western Conference leading Minnesota Wild in St. Paul. The Hawks come into tonight's game with a record of 4-0-1 in their last five games and are 6-1-1 in their last eight. The Wild, a team that has greatly exceeded all expectations to date, has gone 7-3-0 in their last ten games losing Tuesday night after winning seven straight cont...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Flames/Bolts Preview + A Little "What If?" Scenario
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It’s game day for the Lightning as the Calgary Flames come to town for the only meeting of the year between these two teams. When I look at both teams, I see disasters. Neither team is playing well right now. That being said, at least the Lightning have a future. We have young, talented players who should be able to carry this team for a really long time. In Calgary...
Every team finds itself with a few injuries over the course of a seaon, maybe 6 or 7, with most not missing a serious amount of action. There is always that one team every year though that seems to get the injury bug, and this year it is none other than the Philadelphia Flyers. The following is a list of players who have gone down so far this season for the Flyers (in...
So been bored and decided to browse what some of the recently built arena's cost to be built and what they would cost to build now. As we all know the arena referendum would've given the isles $350 million to build a new arena. And that raises a question. Why that much cash for a arena? Now I was all for the referendum as any die hard would've been, but looking back did we...
The concussions have started to officially pile up at an alarming rate to top end skill players in the NHL. Crosby, Giroux, Milan Michalek, Skinner, all in the past week and a half That includes the best hockey player in the world, the NHL points leader, the NHL goal leader, and one of the best young stars in the game. That is not to leave out players like Pronger, Letang...
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...
The list of players having recieved a concussion this season hit 23 this morning, according to a Globe and Mail report. This is concerning for a lot of reasons, none larger than the names that have made the list. Sidney Crosby, Ryan Miller, Claude Giroux all have found themselves on the shelf for some time this season with the dreaded C word. Consider that 2 of the top ...
1. Former Head Coach and GM Darryl Sutter has been rumored to be the next Head Coach for the Los Angeles Kings. King’s GM Dean Lombardi recently fired Terry Murray and is seeking a permanent successor. There is an old connection between Lombardi and Sutter, dating back to their days in San Jose that has fueled the speculation of Sutters imminent hiring.
2. Time for a...
1. Jake Gardiner continues to climb the team’s depth chart. In the month of December he is second overall in team average ice time with 23:30 per game. In 27 games he has 8 points, all assists, and has an even plus/minus.
2. The Leafs are undefeated when going into the third period with a lead.
3. Leafs Director of Player Personnel Rick Dudley was scouting the Na...
[img]http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/1564/eruption5.jpg[/img]
Welcome Back!
Tonight's game is the first game that Jay Feaster will get the play against his former team the Tampa Lightning. It was in 2008 that Jay Feaster decided to resign from his position as GM of the Lightning and he will be looking for the win. As much as I wish I could say this team would be m...
Colorado, the youngest team in the league, has a bright future. But that future is not being fast-tracked under the direction of GM Greg Sherman or Head coach Joe Sacco. Sherman in order to save his own skin needs to make two moves immediately. One, is fire Sacco and bring in a coach that can work with the young players. Two, is to move Paul Stastny for a solid mix of vete...
A Concussion Epidemic?! - 12/15/11
This week may have been the worse week for the NHL in terms of Concussions that it has ever experienced. The Hurricanes have lost Jeff Skinner and Joni Pitkanen. The Flyers have lost Chris Pronger and Claude Giroux. The Ottawa Senators have lost Milan Michalek. The Wild have seen the return of power forward Guillaume Latendresse, only ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts Squeeze By Flames Thanks to Dominant Second Period
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Was that offense I saw? Wow, how nice it is to see the Lightning score goals and get solid performances from a lot of key sources. It’s like my entire Christmas wish list was answered in one night. Thanks Santa! Alright, so the goals may not have been the prettiest what with all the deflections and all, but a win is a win is a win and this team will take whatever it ...
pdg123 writes...
Concussion Daily: What the Pronger Announcement Means...
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]...for the Philadelphia Flyers: [/b]
They now know they will be at least 52 more regular season games without their top defender and captain, Chris Pronger. Although the efforts of Marc-Andre Bourdon and Kevin Marshall have sufficed, this cannot be effective over a long-term span, and a trade for a proven defender is necessary if the Flyers are serious about a St...
The Chicago Blackhawks get set to square off for the third time this season against their distant neighbors from the west coast when they host the Anaheim Ducks tonight at the United Center.
The last meeting between the Blackhawks and the Ducks saw Hawks' captain Jonathan Toews carry his team to a rallying 6-5 win with his 5 point effort. Anaheim will look to avoid the ...
Yesterday I wrote a missive about the similarities in the evolution of concussion treatment and diagnoses in sports, and that in other areas of medicine and society. Last night shortly after it was announced that Chris Pronger would be sidelined for the remainder of the NHL season and playoffs, agent Allen Walsh issued a very direct verbal attack on the NHL and the lack o...
Chuck_Murphy writes...
Leafs have been excellent defensively 5-on-5 recently
Posted Friday | Comments 0
It's always amusing when the media is really eager to jump all over any negative stat out there, and at the same time ignore some positive ones. Everyone knows the Leafs penalty kill is struggling and regardless if they win, it will make headlines the next day if they allow even a single power play goal – as was the case after Tuesday’s game vs. Carolina.
What's puz...
[IMG]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRE0Z5NGiZAZvUkr5OBYCXq0LXiK7qozOMZFMj61j3NugzfJhV_-g[/IMG]
Thanks to those who have been reading my blogs the past two weeks, I am trying to help fill the void since we only have one official blogger for the Flames this year.
Due to this being an early game this will be a short blog. The Flames find themselves facing off ...
Rob McGowan reports on the recent accusation against former Islanders GM Mike Milbury; assault and battery on a twelve-year old child
http://islanders.thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/former-isles-gm-mike-milbury-accused-assault
-Rob McGowan
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://twitter.com/TCLIsles
www.facebook.com/TCLIsles
I'm taking another shot at the live blog. Tonight, Buffalo takes on the Leafs.
If Buffalo wants to win, they need to play 60 minutes. This Maple Leaf team will eat them alive if they don't.
As one of my counterparts pointed out on here, Buffalo is ahead of their pace from last season point wise. However, what I don't think he's looked at is the fact that Buffalo co...
RickDixon writes...
Teemu Selanne, and what this night means to Jet fans
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
There is no denying that the Winnipeg Jets have had a few star players in their franchise, and by that I mean the original, although the former Atlanta Thrashers have had a couple as well. The names Bobby Hull, Anders Hedberg, Thomas Steen, and Dale Hawerchuck come to mind right away. All of these players are revered in Winnipeg, of that there is no question. But the fe...
For the Lightning, the future starts now. Look at the core of this team and it’s pretty obvious. What makes a winner? It’s the ability to draft well, develop players and sign key free agents at the right time. You can bet that Steve Yzerman is doing his best to model the Bolts after the Detroit Red Wings. So, since Yzerman’s own retirement from the Motor City, w...
Amazing, last night Buffalo comes out with a great effort against the Maple Leafs. Buffalo almost looked like a team that could make the playoffs last night. Tonight, is not the case, and Pittsburgh is doing to Buffalo what I said would happen if Buffalo continued to play soft, weak, pathetic hockey.
I’m going to break down Buffalo’s defense and offense, and in ton...
In the words of one Charlie Sheen: “Winning!”
Could the Lightning be onto something right now? With two wins in a row, the team is finally starting to show that hunger and tenacity that we all came to know and love last season. Yes, it was only the Columbus Blue Jackets but a win is a win is a win. Every two points in this league count and these ones may go a lon...
Many positives can be taken from Minnesota's rise to the top of the league. Among those is the emergence of rookie blueliner Marco Scandella. Scandella is playing his first full season as a member of the Wild after spending time between the Wild and Houston (AHL) in the previous season.
The Montreal native was selected by the Wild in the second round (55th overall) of ...
Having taken points from each of their last seven games, the Chicago Blackhawks will look to continue that success against a recently surging Calgary Flames club tonight at the United Center.
The Chicago Blackhawks come into this game with an impressive 20-8-4 overall record and 8-1-1 in their last ten games. The Calgary Flames, however, hold a mediocre 14-14-4 overall ...
vowswithin writes...
GAME DAY/WEEK IN REVIEW: Hoping to end a skid.. SUTTER SIGNS
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/sports/photos/2009/04/13/blackhawks-flames-090205.jpg[/img]
Im baccckkkkkk
Well its been a bit of a trying week, first we saw the flames fall at the hands of the Nashville predators, then we saw the Tampa Bay Lightening and Florida Panthers both push Calgary out to only 1 point. What can we take away from this? Well the positive spin...
After a close-call win against the conference dwelling Hurricanes, the Maple Leafs dropped two hard fought games this weekend against two good teams, Buffalo & Vancouver, who for the most part, played a little better than Toronto did over the 60 minute span.
Yes, both games had glaring errors. Neutral zone turnovers, horrible PK, a couple soft goals, HORRIBLE refer...
The annual canadien west coast trip, followed by a revenge game with Nashville to finish the trip. How many points do we need to get for the trip to be a success? I think five is the magic number, any less is a bad trip, and more a gift. Road blues are still a problem this year, hopefully this trip takes care of it.........
[i] Rags2Riches' regular blogs will return after the holidays [/i]
It is hard to figure out the real meaning of the standings when teams have played different amount of games. Its impossible to predict what a team will do with games at hand, so that analysis may be faulty. The point-per-game tool is handy but less simplistic than the regular points system and again base...
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
Since there is a lot of talk on our threads regarding the horrendous play of our D (this and most every season), I thought I'd break down 2 of the biggest offenders on the team who seem to be the goats all the time.
Andrej Sekera:
32 Games, 8 Points (2G, 6A), +2, 20 Hits, 46 Blocks, 19:11 TOI/G
Marc-Andre Gragnani:
30 Games, 9 Points (1G, 8A), +11, 7 Hits, 20 Block...
Last nights match, although tough to bear at some points, was one of the more entertaining games I have seen from the Leafs in a while. There were a lot of positives coming out of the game, but the negatives were the same as they have been for the last few years.
I prefer ending on a good note, so let’s start with [b]the bad[/b]:
1) Not my biggest beef with the t...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Why the Lightning WILL make the Playoffs This Season
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Over the past few days I’ve been reading a lot of hockey coverage, listening to a lot of hockey talk, and watching a lot of hockey. Not a bad way to spend a few days if you ask me. Now, the consensus I’ve heard from most people is that the Lightning don’t have much of a shot to make the playoffs this season. I thought about of myself, and I think those people are ...
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. ...
I’ve been slowly subtly pointing out what I think the root cause of the Sabres sloppy play this season in my past blogs. However, tonight, I’m going to just say it, point blank, what the problem is.
The problem is...
Coaching.
Again, to Lindy Ruff fans, I apologize. I’m a huge fan of him. He’s done great things for Buffalo hockey. But at this juncture, it...
Is it just me, or has a wave of dread washed over Flyerdom? A few concerns I have heard are: Pronger is out for the season and playoffs, Claude Giroux was concussed and is rushing back too soon, Ilya Bryzgalov has not played like the all star he was in Phoenix, and the list goes on and on.
I have one word for the fans: RELAX! If you are a Flyers fan like me, you view ...
Read my latest at The Checking Line (Isles Edition) where I take a look at the recent injuries to the Islanders and explain what it might mean for the team as the season moves along.
http://islanders.thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-injuries-starting-mount
-Rob McGowan
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://twitter.com/TCLIsles
www.facebook...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Embarrassed by Sharks in San Jose: U-G-L-Y
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
That was quite possibly the most embarrassing game I’ve ever seen. In fact, embarrassing isn’t a strong enough word. The Lightning were absolutely brutal tonight in a game that I considered to be one of the very key games this season. Why, why, why? How can a team come out so flat and give up so many goals in one period. A goal every 4 minutes for the Sharks? Tha...
Is there any question that Claude Giroux is feeling better? With 1 goal and 3 assists in last night’s contest in Dallas, the young center’s play was as fiery as his hair. If you observed the injury to his head last week, you probably started seeing visions of another Pronger-like catastrophe. During the intermission report, Bill Clement gave some insight on knee to ...
vowswithin writes...
Game Day: Flames vs Wings, + The Most Awesome BULLDOG!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/390310_10150417679757293_500697292_8615052_2062699810_n.jpg[/img]
Christmas Time!
Sorry for not getting a blog up sooner as I had expected to yesterday at some point. Christmas time is here and I have plenty of shopping still left. I will be traveling to Toronto, Ottawa and Kingston (kind of like a hockey road trip)...
It is the time of year to give and receive gifts from friends, relatives, and Santa. It is no exception for NHL teams. The following provides the wish lists that all 30 NHL teams have given Santa.
[b]Anaheim:[/b] Where to begin here? Anaheim is going to have an Eric Cartman sized Xmas list this year. Getting the RPG line on track, getting Visnovsky in the lineup re...
After last night’s brutal loss to the San Jose Sharks, it’s time for the Tampa Bay Lightning Holiday Multiple Choice survey! No answer is a wrong answer; this is just to get a perspective from each and every single one of you. Without further ado, here we go.
[b]1. What should Steve Yzerman’s next move be?[/b]
[b]A: Fire Guy Boucher[/b]
When teams struggle, ...
[img]http://www.commongrounds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/santasleigh.jpg[/img]
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the Dome
Not a Player was hanging, not even Jarome.
Their equipment was hung in their lockers with care,
In hopes that Jay Feaster would manage them fair.
The players were home with their families in bed,
While thoughts of a playo...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Risky Business: Victor Hedman and Other Top-5 D-Men
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
It’s early Christmas morning and I have time on my hands. Over the past few weeks I’ve been researching a topic and coming up with stats and facts to back my point of view. As the title of this blog says, I feel like there is a downside to picking defensemen with very high draft picks. It’s a well-known fact that defenseman take longer to develop and often don’t...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Flyers vs. Bolts Shaping Up to be a Great Game -- Preview
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The holiday break is already over as NHL hockey starts again tonight. It’s funny how long this holiday break feels when you don’t get to see a game for a couple days. It makes me cringe when I think about a season with the possibility of no playoffs. Thank goodness the golfing is good everywhere that time of year. A little too cynical for the holiday season? All t...
My latest post at TCL - Isles Edition takes a look at the play of P.A. Parenteau and how he has been one of the best Islanders skaters so far this season
http://islanders.thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/pa-parenteau-isles-unsung-hero
-Rob McGowan
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://twitter.com/TCLIsles
www.facebook.com/TCLIsles
It appears that the Chicago Blackhawks defensive issues are no longer much of an issue at all.
The Chicago Blackhawks used a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center to maintain first place in the NHL with 50 points.
Red-hot Viktor Stalberg scored two goals, Dave Bolland and Marian Hossa posted two points apiece and the Blackhawks won their sec...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Next 6 Games Vital for Lightning + My Predictions
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
For teams in the playoff picture, the stretch run starts somewhere in that last month or so of the season. For teams that are not fortunate enough to be in one of the elusive top 8 spots, the stretch is never ending. In my mind, the next weeks, which contain 6 games, are the most important weeks of the season for this Lightning club. Success is vital in these 6 games if...
When Leafs forward Nazem Kadri was called up from the Marlies last week, many thought it would be the last chance he would get to show what he was capable of at the NHL level. Many felt that the seventh overall pick in 2009 has had enough chances to prove himself, and at this stage in his career he should already be making an impact on a big league roster. Kadri has larg...
Dare I say it; what a game! This tilt had a little bit of everything in it. There was a great deal of animosity, some great goals, solid goaltending from Garon and a whole bunch more. Like my game preview stated, this shaped up to be one of the best games of the year (despite the lack of chances). Of course, from the Lightning perspective, it helps that we kicked off t...
It’s been a long time since I posted anything (which is to say it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to watch a Red Wings game in its entirety). Ironically enough, the last game I was able to watch was December 6 at St. Louis.
It appears the tables have turned in the steadily-heating rivalry against the St. Louis Blues with the Wings taking this battle 3-2. ...
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...
Is Tom Renney the right man for the job?
I don't believe so. He may be a good coach and a great teacher but at some point the Oilers will need someone who gets the most out of his players. I don't believe Renney does. If you look at the Chicago Blackhawks, one of the pivotal moves that made that team champions was firing Denis Savard and bringing in Joel Quenville....
Michael_Stuart writes...
A Tale of Two Underperforming Teams: Bolts vs. Canadiens
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Canadiens come to town in what is shaping up to be a tale of two underperforming teams heading in opposite directions. The Lightning have put together a couple of really solid efforts that have us looking upwards towards greener pastures. The Canadiens are still so enigmatic that it is so hard to read. On the one had, you think that they might do something still thi...
Finally!! When the schedule makers came up with the idea of pushing the Chicago/detroit series off until this late in the season, could they have known how much it would be anticipated? Chicago with 50 points, Detroit with 47, the Blues playing like annoying little brother wanting to play with the big boys, all together three of the best teams in hockey.
Chicago is o...
It was the kind of game Blackhawks fans knew they could win if Chicago could just break through with a goal before the start of the third period.
Didn't happen.
Jonathan Quick stopped all 38 shots by the Blackhawks and Trent Hunter and Jarret Stoll scored a dirty goal each en route to their 2-0 victory over Chicago last night. Los Angeles won their second straight an...
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...
Here is an update on the Islanders top prospect, Ryan Strome as he continues his strong play for Team Canada in this year's World Junior's Tournament
http://islanders.thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/strome-looks-home-world-juniors
-Rob McGowan
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://twitter.com/TCLIsles
www.facebook.com/TCLIsles
[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6593768465_4fc6277974_b.jpg[/img]
Christmas time
Let me start by saying Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays to you all. I had a great Christmas and spent time visiting relatives all over Ontario, and stuffing my face. The best gift aside from the time with everyone? Box seats, center ice, for the Calgary versus Ottawa game! Now th...
What is four out of five? Four is the place the Flyers sit at, out of the Top 5 teams in the Eastern Conference. Four out of the last five Flyer injuries were “head” injuries. Finally, four out of five represents the current Flyers five game span, four losses. (Before Pittsburgh Game)
Many fans have some concern and are asking questions. Is our defense missing Prong...
Michael_Stuart writes...
A V for Vinny, a V for Victory: Bolts Down Habs 4-3
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Although the effort wasn’t as strong as it had been in the last two, you’ve got to like the Lightning’s comeback from 3-1 down. It was a game that had a little bit of emotion, some nice offensive play and a lot of excitement. Overall, while I wasn’t totally impressed with everything from the Bolts tonight, it was nice to see a victory after falling behind early. ...
It's hard to believe that halfway through the regular season, the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings are just now meeting for the first of six times tonight when the Hawks host the Wings at the United Center.
Over the last ten games, statistically speaking, the Blackhawks and Red Wings share virtually identical stats all around. Both teams have played very well of...
Yellowknife, NT
[img:left]http://nyrnation.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/sean_avery-300x3001.jpg[/img]
Welcome to the first rendition of the Broadway Blueshirt Blogger. You will have to forgive me as I am not a professional writer or journalist. I am simply a die hard New York Rangers fan. I signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent fan on July 21, 1996 alon...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts/Canes Preview + HB Hotstove Response + Rumor Update
Posted Friday | Comments 0
It’s amazing how gratifying two wins can feel. After beating up on the Flyers and squeezing by the Canadiens, the Lightning close out this current three game home stand with a tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes. If there was ever a game the team wanted to play on home ice, this would be it. The Bolts’ problems haven’t been at the newly re-named Tampa Bay Times F...
Jerome Iginla is on the verge of getting his 500th goal both in his career and as a flame but the team is out of the playoffs and have missed for the last two years. Iggy as he has come to be known by flames fans was drafted by the Dallas Stars 11th overall in 1995 but was quickly traded to Calgary after the draft for Joe Nieuwendyk the Stars won the cup with Nieuwendyk bu...
First and foremost, happy holidays everyone! I hope everyone had a great holiday season, culminating tonight with the start of 2012. I took a brief hiatus from writing over the holiday season, but continued to follow the boys in blue and gold closely. So now, back to business.
In his last blog, Garth posted a video with the heading of “Jason Pominville is at a loss f...
The Isles would go on to win 4-1 over the Edmonton Oilers on Ken Morrow night. The Checking Line - Isles Edition provides you with the post-game coverage.
http://islanders.thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-strike-oil-4-1-win-over-edmonton
-Rob McGowan
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://twitter.com/TCLIsles
www.facebook.com/TCLIsles
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Defeat 'Canes 5-2 on Phil Esposito Night
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Victories breed confidence and there is no doubting that this Lightning team is a confident group. Now, with 3 key wins in a row, the Lightning seem to have a sort of swagger that hasn’t been seen all season. Every two points hold so much weight in this league. There is so much parity that you need to make every game count. Right now, the Lightning are doing exactly ...
Sidney Crosby's last update has been about 15 days ago. Penguins captian Sidney Crosby's health has been a real big talk in the NHL and mostly in the Penguins franchise. Some of his teamates well all of them are very concerned. The 24 year old superstar is still having concussion symptoms but they are not believed to be as severe as they where in the past. The Penguins wil...
The Chicago Blackhawks are the top-ranked team but GM Stan Bowman is prepared for trade talks anytime now as the trade deadline is soon coming up. Some concern that Bowman has is his secondary scoring.
The Hawks have great players to begin with and they are showing the numbers. Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa always put a good game on and than you have you...
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,...
The habs have signed defenseman josh Gorges to a six year extension worth 23 million
(source RDS)
Habs defensemen Josh Gorges has received a six year contract extension worth 23 million.
Habs defensemen Josh Gorges has received a six year contract extension worth 23 million.
Michael_Stuart writes...
Leafs vs. Bolts: Two Teams Headed in Opposite Directions
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It’s funny to consider just how far the Toronto Maple Leafs have fallen from the tree that is the cream of the crop in the NHL. What a witty little analogy that was. To start the season, everything that could go right for the Leafs, was going right for the Leafs. They were getting solid goaltending from James Reimer, timely scoring from the top line and great defensiv...
RickDixon writes...
What to expect from the Jets for the rest of the season
Posted Monday | Comments 0
So the Jets finished the year on a positive note with a 3-2 win over the Leafs. A great win to say the least as the Jets are in the thick of the battle for a playoff spot in the very tight Eastern Conference.
Yes the Jets are currently holding a playoff berth in their hands, but many have stated that this is due to the fact that they played a sickening amount of games ...
Habs defensemen Josh Gorges has received a six year contract extension worth 23 million.
Montreal Canadiens general manager has finally made a good move signing Josh Gores to a six year contract extension worth 23 million.In 307 games with the habs Gorges scored 59 points (9 goals 50 assists) going +16 with 150 penalty minutes.
Montreal Canadiens general manager has finally made a good move signing Josh Gores to a six year contract extension worth 23 million.In 307 games with the habs Gorges scored 59 points (9 goals 50 assists) going +16 with 150 penalty minutes.
Montreal Canadiens general manager has finally made a good move signing Josh Gores to a six year contract extension worth 23 million.In 307 games with the habs Gorges scored 59 points (9 goals 50 assists) going +16 with 150 penalty minutes.
Montreal Canadiens general manager has finally made a good move signing Josh Gores to a six year contract extension worth 23 million.In 307 games with the habs Gorges scored 59 points (9 goals 50 assists) going +16 with 150 penalty minutes.
I’ve been asked a few times as to where Buffalo would go with a new coach. Personally, I think there is only one answer to this, as for this season.
Ron Rolston, as interim coach, to finish the season.
One of the benefits I have is living where I can get to both Sabres and Amerks games on a regular basis. I’ve watched Rochester numerous times this season. They ...
Yellowknife, NT
[img:left]http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/p/sp/getty/aa/fullj.62fe0168591164499a23e1265e45da05/62fe0168591164499a23e1265e45da05-getty-136322072.jpg[/img]
The New York Rangers have long been known for their deep wallet and infamous free agent signings. Some of the worst Ranger signings in history include the likes of Bobby Holik, Darius Kasparitus, Theoren...
Hey Q, put this on the white board “9-2”. This is all the motivation the Hawks should need tonight. Welcome to the Madhouse on Madison, Oilers!
The last time these two teams met the Hawks were licking their wounds and wondering how the hell a mediocre team like Edmonton had managed to put 9 (yes, NINE) goals.
Since that game, the Hawks turned things decidedly f...
40 games in the season the Flames sit in 12th spot in the west. What's been good so far this season. Read more here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2012/01/calgary-flames-mid-season-report.html
Newman
Michael_Stuart writes...
Steven Stamkos is the Most Marketable Player in the Game
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Since Sidney Crosby’s concussion and Alex Ovechkin’s fall from grace, the National Hockey League has been in dire need of a new star. The league needs a face that every fan can get excited about. What I’m about to argue will irk a lot of the hockey world. Obviously, as a Bolts fan, I’m a little bit biased. That said, I believe that Steven Stamkos is the most ma...
It is January 2nd, and the Canucks are 2 points out of first place in the NHL. I`m sure anyone who has been a Canucks fan for as long as I have been, must be truly happy with the state of the Franchise, this has been the best back to back seasons of hockey we have ever seen. I plan on sharing my thoughts, and opinions through this blog, and see if it is something I will be...
After watching the Winter Classic I'm a little concerned with the Flyers inability to put 3 periods together and close out games. I love the 2-0 record against the pens but I'm a little concerned about the 0-3 record against the rags. I thought they looked great in the 2nd, aggressive forechecking, constant pressure, which resulted in 2 goals in the span of a minute or s...
After watching the Winter Classic I'm a little concerned with the Flyers inability to put 3 periods together and close out games. I love the 2-0 record against the pens but I'm a little concerned about the 0-3 record against the rags. I thought they looked great in the 2nd, aggressive forechecking, constant pressure, which resulted in 2 goals in the span of a minute or s...
After watching the Winter Classic I'm a little concerned with the Flyers inability to put 3 periods together and close out games. I love the 2-0 record against the pens but I'm a little concerned about the 0-3 record against the rags. I thought they looked great in the 2nd, aggressive forechecking, constant pressure, which resulted in 2 goals in the span of a minute or s...
After watching the Winter Classic I'm a little concerned with the Flyers inability to put 3 periods together and close out games. I love the 2-0 record against the pens but I'm a little concerned about the 0-3 record against the rags. I thought they looked great in the 2nd, aggressive forechecking, constant pressure, which resulted in 2 goals in the span of a minute or s...
After watching the Winter Classic I'm a little concerned with the Flyers inability to put 3 periods together and close out games. I love the 2-0 record against the pens but I'm a little concerned about the 0-3 record against the rags. I thought they looked great in the 2nd, aggressive forechecking, constant pressure, which resulted in 2 goals in the span of a minute or s...
After watching the Winter Classic I'm a little concerned with the Flyers inability to put 3 periods together and close out games. I love the 2-0 record against the pens but I'm a little concerned about the 0-3 record against the rags. I thought they looked great in the 2nd, aggressive forechecking, constant pressure, which resulted in 2 goals in the span of a minute or s...
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...
Fire Ruff? Come on...I love these people who think by firing one of the best coaches in the NHL you somehow make Derek Roy a better player. We have seen these guys sell us "next year" and excuses for how many years now?
It is time for Pegula to make good on his promise and make the necessary changes to get this team closer to a Stanley Cup. And he has to do so by t...
Fire Ruff? Come on...I love these people who think by firing one of the best coaches in the NHL you somehow make Derek Roy a better player. We have seen these guys sell us "next year" and excuses for how many years now?
It is time for Pegula to make good on his promise and make the necessary changes to get this team closer to a Stanley Cup. And he has to do so by t...
[img] http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/377538_10150453288332293_500697292_8764872_728421700_n.jpg[/img]
WJC
It's official Canada gets its rematch against Russia, but this time its not for gold. After coming through the first round of the tournament Canada won every weighted game that they played along the way. Where does this leave us? We received a bu...
Tonight is the big game. Re-match from the World Junior Gold Medal game last year in Buffalo. As a Canadian, I was really cheering the Czech's on last tonight against Russia. In such a tight game, Grigori Zheldakov scored the game-winner for Russia following a power-play from the Czech's. Daniel Krejci was hit on the follow through of a Russian players stick, and stayed do...
So the bench boss went on record with the media by saying that the performance of Eric Fehr has to be better. Noel pulled no punches in his interview and put his point across as a matter-of-factly as one possibly could.
I suppose the ball is now in Fehr's court and many Jets fans are waiting to see what the big forward will do after being singled out in such a manner.
...
The Wings have sent Conner down to get his injured wrist rehabbed, but also it frees up cap space, there is a chance that it is a precurser to a deal. Hemsky for Kindl???
h
I will be the first one to admit that I was a little more than miffed at the Russian tender for saying the idiotic things that he did about Winnipeg. Yes, I can understand why he would say those things, but they were unfounded opinions which he later recanted before his first visit to the Manitoba capital city. At the time he made the statements I thought to myself "scre...
Ring around the goalie, pocket full of? Nothing rhymes with goalie that would sound relevant. However, some may look at the Flyers current goalie situation as a ring around. To begin, Bryz started off the season playing very well going 3-1-1 in his first five games which included a shutout, something the Flyers didn’t see last season. Then Bryz began to slowly decline an...
I breathed a sigh of relief as the horn sounded at First Niagara Center tonight and Buffalo finished the game on top, for a change. However, this was far from perfect. Buffalo played a bipolar style of game. There were moments during the game when Edmonton was in control, despite having played in Chicago last night. Most importantly, Buffalo crawled away with 2 points.
...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Defeated by Leafs: Game Review + "The Issues"
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Heading into this game, everything seemed right for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts had just come off a 3-0-0 run at the Tampa Bay Times Forum (I try to plug it as much as possible just to get used to it) and were looking for a fourth straight victory in Toronto. Say what you want about tonight’s game, but it’s pretty hard to argue that, on paper, this wasn’t a ...
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 Blackhawks have recalled defenseman Dylan Olsen from the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs, and placed forward Marcus Kruger and defenseman Steve Montador on Injured Reserve. Additionally, forward Andrew Shaw has been added to the active roster.
Olsen, 21, was the Blackhawks first selection (28th overall) in the 2009 National Hockey League Entry Draft. He...
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 ...
It's hard being an Oilers fan where losing to win seems to be the new school of thought. Where the present doesn't matter it's the belief that better days are coming. This past year has been no different, it's the same management in control of the same losing record. Let's take a look at some of the changes which occured in this past calendar year.
January 1st 2011 saw ...
Trade rumors are the dominant discussion in rumor boards, especially on HockeyBuzz. It's always an entertaining topic, but it makes more sense for some teams over others. Frankly, good teams potentially trading away players doesn't make sense to me.
This is why I'm wondering why the Penguins are looking to make trades. I'm going to assume that the rumors I've read ar...
Trade rumors are the dominant discussion in rumor boards, especially on HockeyBuzz. It's always an entertaining topic, but it makes more sense for some teams over others. Frankly, good teams potentially trading away players doesn't make sense to me.
This is why I'm wondering why the Penguins are looking to make trades. I'm going to assume that the rumors I've read ar...
Trade rumors are the dominant discussion in rumor boards, especially on HockeyBuzz. It's always an entertaining topic, but it makes more sense for some teams over others. Frankly, good teams potentially trading away players doesn't make sense to me.
This is why I'm wondering why the Penguins are looking to make trades. I'm going to assume that the rumors I've read ar...
Jackets GM Scott Howson has mentioned that he is going to make his last-placed club and make it a top 10 team. He has also mentioned that his team will be shaken up in the up comming weeks leading to the Febuary, 27 trade dealine.
Now the Columbus Dispatch has mentioned that the Blue Jackets' players are feeling some sort of effects that moves are comming up and they a...
Well in my last post I was talking about the Jackets and in that there where some rumors of Jeff Carter being shiped off to Toronto. Now the Leafs would and I know for a fact go for this. The Leafs are 19-15-5 and are 10th in the Eastern Confrence 1 pt behind the red hot Devils. Now the Leafs could possibley offer Kadri, Grabovski and a pick for Carter. That sounds reasona...
Michael_Stuart writes...
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...
Rick DiPietro was sent home for medical evaluations, despite already being on the Injured Reserve, before the Islanders began their road trip last night in Carolina. Click the link below to read more at The Checking Line - Isles Edition.
http://islanders.thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/dipietro-salt-open-wound
-Rob McGowan
http://twitter.com/...
It has yet not been confirmed but it will be within the next few days to the next week. But the Detroit Red Wings will be hosting the 2013 Winter Classic, and the Toronto Maple Leafs will be visiting. There will also be a HBO 24/7 Road To The Winter Classic special. There really hasn't been much to say other than what has been leaked but the Leafs GM Brain Burke tweeted sa...
Moments ago the NHL handed the Car Bomb (Dan Carcillo ) a seven game suspension for his boarding hit on Edmonton Oilers blueliner Tom Gilbert in Monday night's game.
The Buffalo Sabers should be very excited. D-man Tyler Myers has been out since suffering a broken wrist Nov. 19, he said today he is fully healed and is hopeful of returning Friday when the Sabres visit Carolina. Today at the First Niagara Center Myers said to the press that he hopes he is ready to go by friday.
He also said that he has no physcial pain on his writst...
Oh, to be a top-flight hockey referee. To keep pace with players 25 years your juniors; to feel the wind in your helmet/helmet-like hair as you fly down the ice. To have crowds cheer you…when you slip and fall. To bring TV viewers off their couches and to their feet…as they scream obscenities at your image on the screen. To live your life knowing that at any given ...
Bob Murray has recently made comments saying that anybody is available for trade on the Ducks roster with the exception of Selanne and Koivu (both have NTC and are not expected to waive).
This hypothetically would mean that Getzlaf, Perry, and Ryan would all be available on the trade market.
Any potential move with those core players I perceive as a desperate attempt...
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...
The Maple Leafs are in an all familiar spot in the standings since the lockout, out of a playoff position once again thanks in part to a dismal month of December that saw the club go 4-6-3 and in a tight Eastern Conference that sees 10 points separating 3rd place from 12th place in the Conference the Buds need to get their game back on track
The team plays nine out of t...
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’...
Hawks vs Flyers Recap:
[u]The Negatives:[/u]
- The Hawks allowed 46 shots (21 in the second period) in an uneven performance defensively that should have general manager Stan Bowman stepping up his efforts to find defensive help. I have been stating this for some time now. Stan are you listening?
- Razor was exposed by a team that had the skill and patience to get hi...
Tonight, the Hawks will try to climb out of a 2 game losing skid, going 1-3-0 in their last 4 games. How quickly things change for a team that had a dominant December. The Avs are currently one of the NHL's hottest teams right now and invade the Madhouse on Madison. With an 8-2 record in their last 10 games and a three-game winning streak, it's clear things are clicking ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts in Montreal to Take on Canadiens: An Interesting Test
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Tomorrow, the Lightning are in Montreal to take on the Canadiens. If our Bolts cannot get up for this one, I will officially consider this season a write-off. It’s always exciting for this group to play in Montreal. Few teams have the French connection that the Bolts do. Guys like Marty St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier typically put in that extra little bit to play wel...
vowswithin writes...
Calgary shits the bed, Rumors start flying! DOOM AND GLOOM!!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FsjRzf68I0s/TdOxz6uVlTI/AAAAAAAAAzM/QntEDfnHxno/s1600/elephant20shit1.jpg[/img]
With an effort last night that can only be described as "Worse that anything I have squiged out of my Ass", the Calgary Flames managed to drop their fifth game in a row last night 9-0.
I SAID NINE NOTHING!! A shut out vs nine goals.
This is disgus...
This game, was almost painful to watch. I can’t describe it any better than that. Carolina, the worst team in the Eastern Conference, takes out Buffalo 4-2, in a game whose score indicated it was a lot closer than it actually was.
“Mark this date, 1/4/12, down as the day that the fortunes of the Sabres, and for that matter, the remainder of their season season, has...
It would appear as if in the last five years Montreal has become a veterans grave. It seems that word has been spread around how if your an overpaid, underachieving veteran, Montreal's the place to go, it has to stop. A sacred franchise is fast becoming a joke due to its shockingly bad trades and unnecessary signings such as Scott Gomez for Ryan McDonagh, and the signing o...
You know, lately I’ve done a lot of harping on the system in Buffalo. I still stand by it. Buffalo’s system isn’t working as Buffalo continues to spiral out of control towards dead last in the east.
However, the person in charge with shaking things up on a higher level is Darcy Regier.
This is from John Vogl, reporter for the Buffalo News. Everyone’s read i...
Semyon Varlamov stopped all 25 Chicago Blackhawks shots he faced en route to Colorado Avalanche's dominating 4-0 victory last night.
Simply put, the Blackhawks were out-skated at almost all parts of the ice and Corey Crawford was no where near as sharp as his opponent, Varlamov, was at the United Center last night.
The Blackhawks did have some decent scoring chances ...
Grab your pen and paper parents.... Next Christmas's number #1 hit will be the next edition in Activision's première video game series... Call of Duty 9: Hockey Warfare 1!!
I am stoked!! Activision has sent me a few prototype trailers, and it is appears to be the real thing!!
So like the preceding editions of this game, you take on the views of varios facets of the...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Outwit, Outplay, Outlast: Bolts Downed by Habs in Montreal
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Outwit, Outplay, Outlast. While that may be the tagline for CBS’s popular show, Survivor, it is also exactly what the Montreal Canadiens did to the Tampa Bay Lightning last night. That loss, giving the Bolts a record of 3-3 on my little stretch, all but puts the Lightning out of contention. Unless drastic changes are made, we aren’t going to be seeing playoff hockey...
What a guy! Isn't he beautiful?!
I have chosen to write my next blog about one of my favourite sports personalities of all time.
Nothing irritates me more then people who constantly berate and chastise Don Cherry when they don't even know the guy.
Off-screen, what does Don do? Spends his time helping the hockey community in every way he can. He visits hospitals...
The Chicago Blackhawks just got a little too cautious at the end of the game last night against the Detroit Red Wings leading 2-1 with less than five minutes to play in the third period.
In only their second season matchup against division rival, Detroit, the Blackhawks were looking to break out of a 3 game slump that started on January 2nd, 2012, only to extend it with...
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...
Wow what a rough weekend for the Blackhawks. On Friday, the Hawks could not escape the Avalanche at the UC and were shutout 4-0 and last night they gave up a two goal lead to the Deadwings and lost 3-2 OT. During last night's game with the Wings, Sharpie absorbed a slash on his left arm as he scored the second Hawks goal. No penalty was called. Moments ago we learned t...
Jarome Iginla joined the exclusive 500 goal club on Saturday night. Now, there are talks of him once again leaving town. I don't think it's going to happen though. Come over to The Checking Line to read more!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/newman/calgary-flames/mr-500-jarome-iginla
Newman
Here is an excerpt from my latest blog:
...Calgary needs a great goalie to be a decent club, not sure if that is an indictment of the system being played but it is safe to say that if Kipper leaves a replacement will have to be found. Irving played decent up here and won against the Canucks which made him beloved by fans but his stats are not great after that Boston gam...
Boston.
Beantown, Hub, The Walking City.
So many cute nicknames these arrogant Chowd's have for their city, but everyone knows the best nicknames aren't given to ones self, but rather thrust upon you by others. Allow me to introduce to you, Boston, The Centre For Mass Hypocrisy.
Our blue collared, working class heroes to the east have thrown quite the party the past fe...
It’s been the story of the Flyers’ life this season. Bad bounces + deflections = a goal past Ilya Bryzgalov.
Nothing changed during last night’s finale of a Home-and-Home series against the Ottawa Senators.
With just 1:11 left in the third, Filip Kuba took a shot from the point that changed direction and went passed Bryzgalov. That was the 2nd time that game ...
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...
The Hawks are on a four-game losing streak and have dropped five of their last six overall and tonight they face the Blue Jackets and the debut of interim coach Todd Richards, who took over for the fired Scott Arniel on Monday. Usually, when playing a team that has just changed coaches you worry about that teams players coming out with so much piss and vinegar to try and...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Canucks vs. Lightning Game Preview + Guy Boucher Contract
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
First and foremost I’d just like to apologize for getting this up a little late. It’s been a busy couple of days with travel and whatnot. That said, I’m here with the Bolts game preview for tonight’s tilt at the Tampa Bay Times Forum against the Western Conference powerhouse, Vancouver Canucks. Also in this blog I’ll be addressing a Guy Boucher question brough...
vowswithin writes...
Flames vs Devils: The Devil inside me Gameday + Jarome's 500
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://screencrave.frsucrave.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/The-Last-Exorcism-The-Wall-Crawler-27-8-10-kc.jpg[/img]
Yesterday The Boston Bruin's Brad Marchand received a 5 game suspension for his hit on Sammy Salo. Finally a few of the bad hits that the Bruins make (like 2 out of 1000) are being called. Sure this is great and makes us feel a little bette...
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...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Canucks Beat Bolts in Showcase of Offensive Talent
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
People often say that history tends to repeat itself. After watching this game, another offensive classic, between the Vancouver Canucks and Tampa Bay Lightning, it’s hard to disagree. For the second time in two meetings, the Bolts and Canucks played a back and forth match that ended with a 5-4 decision in extra time for the visiting team. Here are my rough game notes...
As Montreal struggles to climb into a playoff spot its apparent they're lacking in more than a few areas of expertise. This year however the PP, offense and the teams toughness and grit have been among the teams problems. However with one move they can drastically improve the teams grit and strength, Colton Orr. Montreal needs a player who can stand up for their superstars...
14 of the past 19 on the road, an absolutely brutal, brutal stretch, the last three games the Wings havent had their legs, falling behind early by two or more all three times. I nice week at home, games every other day, plenty of rest and home cooking for this years best home team, Datsyuk healing, Jimmy Howard rested up. currently sitting in third place, two points behi...
Dear New York Islanders Players, Organization and Fans-
First, I want to congratulate you on your victory against the Detroit Red Wings last night. A 5-1 score is very respectable against any team in today’s NHL. Also, it’s a great feeling to garner a solid victory at home after a disappointing road trip. Your goaltender seems to have shaken the cobwebs away. Yo...
When a team endures a poor stretch of play...and the subsequent losses that are the result of that play...things can start to unravel in a hurry.
Heading into last night's game against the Ottawa Senators, the Penguins were spiraling down the Eastern Conference standings...thanks to a 4 game losing streak...and in desperate need of some positive results.
Injuries hav...
HokkeyNutt writes...
Stalberg Would Love to Play 82 Games Against the Jackets!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Last night, Blackhawks winger Viktor Stalberg recorded a Hat Trick giving him seven goals this season against the Jackets. He only has twelve on the season and was quoted after the game, "I wish it was like that every night!" I am sure he was referring to his goal output and not playing the 82 games against the Jackets. The Hawks PK killed all five of the Jackets power ...
I'll be honest. The Sabres more than concern me. They scare me. I remember back on July 1st, the post I saw most often was "drop the puck already". I have not seen that much excitement in Buffalo since Gilbert Perreault or Pat LaFontaine. No one would have predicted that they would be 18-19-5 at this point in the season. Can they turn it around? I have no idea.
S...
Whats going on with the Washington Capitals? There’s a question I think every hockey fan and analyst are asking themselves these days, especially when you look at the southeast standings. The Florida Panthers have a four point lead over the Caps for the division lead, something I would think no hockey analyst would ever have guessed at the start of this campaign. Ovechki...
At this point in the season, with the Lightning in their current rut, it’s tough to put a value on the importance of a game. Are we chasing a playoff spot, or is this season completely done? As I’ve voiced to many of you before, the onus lies on management to come out and update a fan base that is so curious. All Steve Yzerman has to do is come out and tell us that ...
After readings the comments to my last post, it’s now clear to me that the impression I intended to make was not translated to those who read it. It was never my intention to “bash” the New York Islanders. I was actually “bashing” the Detroit Red Wings. I did not wish to insinuate that, had they played with the intensity they normally do, the Red Wings would h...
The Penguins lost their 6th game in a row last night, this time at the hands of the Washington Capitals by a score of 1-0.
It was a physical game filled with lots of hits:
79 to the body, according to the official stats
several punches landed between Craig Adams and Matt Hendricks
a few pucks off of goal posts
one puck that managed to hit the back of either net
...
[i]This was brought to my attention via an email received earlier today and I wanted to share it with all of you. First let me state that, the Mighty Blackhawks do an outstanding job of supporting and honoring our military, and tonight will provide another example of the organization helping a veteran and raising awareness for a great cause.[/i]
At each home Blackhawks...
Tonight at the Madhouse on Madison the beloved Blackhawks take on the Minnesota Wild. Wow how a few weeks change things in the NHL. In mid December when the two teams met, the Wild were first in the Conference and the Hawks were slumping. When that game was all said and done, Kaner had just completed undressing Wild netminder Niklas Backstrom in the shootout and was lead...
Michael_Stuart writes...
A Negatively Written Rant on the Tampa Bay Lightning
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It’s not that difficult to understand what’s going on with this Lightning group right now. After another lackluster effort, this time against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Bolts find themselves in the unenviable position of having to decide whether or not to be ‘buyers’ or ‘sellers’ at the trade deadline. With about a month and a half to go before the pivotal ...
The Habs got Mike Cammalleri's huge contract off the books on Thursday. The Habs traded Cammy, along with Karri Ramo, who is playing in the KHL, and a 5th round pick to the Calgary Flames for forward Rene Bourque, prospect Patrick Holland, and a 2nd round pick in 2013.
It is interesting to note that this trade happened a little more than 24 hours after he made critical...
OK so after dropping a 2-0 decision to the Sharks the Jets have dropped to 1-4 in January and find themselves on the outside looking in at a playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
At the beginning of the roadtrip that saw them visit Montreal, Toronto, Buffalo and Boston, I really thought it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that this team could go 3-1 on the t...
It's becoming harder and harder to whine and complain about the Habs. The painful reality of what is has set in. I've said for many years, regardless of the organisation, leadership and success is a culture. And that culture starts at the top. Not in the locker room. Not in the history books. At the top of an active, dynamic stack of people.
It's become clear that the c...
[b]Pregame:[/b]
Toronto is about to step into HSBC Arena for the 2nd time this week. There is no doubt in my mind that Buffalo is going to be craving for a win against the Leafs considering the recent slide they have seen in the standings and the fact that the team they used to be able to write off as a win in their schedule, has finally started showing up to play.
...
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...
41 games down. 41 games to go.
The first half of the year has been special for the New York Rangers. A trip across Europe. A feature on HBO’s 24/7. A Winter Classic victory. And, most importantly, a spot atop the Eastern Conference standings.
But all of this is just a means to a greater end. No matter how many special moments a season contains, it is only truly val...
PHARLING writes...
Are the Toronto Maple Leafs About to Make a Major Trade?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Leafs GM Brian Burke recently was a guest on the fan590 Prime Time Sports, and On ESPN, and was very candid in response to questions if he was close to making a significant deal. "We are listening to a lot right now, and there is a good chance something will happen…" Burke said. “Am I done making deals…the answer is no. If I can improve this team tomorrow, I’m gonn...
PHARLING writes...
Are the Toronto Maple Leafs About to Make a Major Trade?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
By: Peter Harling
Leafs GM Brian Burke recently was a guest on the fan590 Prime Time Sports, and On ESPN, and was very candid in response to questions if he was close to making a significant deal. "We are listening to a lot right now, and there is a good chance something will happen…" Burke said. “Am I done making deals…the answer is no. If I can improve this team t...
RyanZabizewski writes...
Montreal Trades Disgruntled Cammalleri For slouching Bourque
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Last night the Habs(16-20-7) lost 2-1 to the Bruins(28-11-1) but that wasn't the main story. less than 24 hours after Mike Cammalleri called the team a bunch of "Losers" he was nowhere to be seen in the 3rd period, the commentators thought he might have been injured. Then tweets from Dave stubbs, Mckenzie, Duthie said possibility that Cammalleri could have been traded.
...
With the team mired in its recent slump, many are calling for drastic action. Logical approaches can be made for and against such decisions, as clearly this team is in need of a spark. Whether that spark can be drawn from players already in the organization, as Ray Shero suggests, or must be brought in via trade, is still up for debate. Personally, I believe the best cours...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Uninspired Bolts Head to Washington Looking for Change
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Lightning are in DC tonight to take on the Washington Capitals. Despite not being the powerhouse group that haunted the league only a few short years ago, the Washington Capitals boast some great offensive weapons that shouldn’t have any problem feasting on weak defense and spotty goaltending. As Ian Esplen, the Canucks blogger here at Hockeybuzz, always says, “r...
Thats a question to be answered by the Hawks on Saturday and Sunday. Coming off two 5-2 victories over Columbus and Minnesota, the Hawks now get a chance to test out their new lineup and (possibly) improved defense against two of the NHL's elite teams: at Detroit against the Deadwings on Saturday and Sunday at the Madhouse on Madison versus San Jose Sharks.
Just a few ...
There’s a lot of rumors circulating regarding trades, especially one that would send Tyler Myers to Anaheim, and bring Ryan Getzlaf to Buffalo. However, unfortunately, this deal isn’t as simple as that.
If it was as simple as Anaheim giving Buffalo Getzlaf, and Buffalo giving Anaheim Myers, given the current state of things, that’s simple;
Do it. Pull the trig...
There are those out there who are coming down on Mike Cammalleri for making his statements about the current state of affairs in the Montreal dressing room.
Why ?
Nobody can deny that the diminutive forward has always been known as a pretty class act and stand-up guy. His comments were bang-on in my assumption and the fact that he said them to the media does nothing...
HabsFan4Always writes...
How Long is the Dark Tunnel of the Montreal Canadiens?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens are an organization driving along in a dark tunnel without functional headlights. You do not fire your head coach, fire an assistant coach, trade a player with a 6 million dollar salary cap hit mid-game and have the worst power play in the league all before the All-Star Break if things are going well. But just how long is this dark tunnel and is th...
One might say that things are "pretty even" between the Chicago Blackhawks and their division neighbors, the Detroit Red Wings.
They're so even, in fact, that the Blackhawks only hold a slight edge over the Motor City by two points in the standings and Detroit has one game in hand.
The two teams will meet for the third time this season in Detroit tomorrow at 11:30 AM...
Who needs success when resiliency that leads to failure is a perfectly good option? Once again, the Lightning started out slower than a turtle in a pivotal game. You would have thought that the team would be better prepared to take on the high flying Capitals. In my pre-game report, I mentioned that Ovechkin was a sleeping giant; I also mentioned that I’m terrible at ...
So with a very important stretch of games ahead for the Jets, it will be interesting to see what GM Kevin Cheveldayoff does with this team nearing the deadline if they are out of reach of the playoffs. Lets look at a few of the factors that currently haunt this team and how they might be rectified.
Defense -
Believe it or not, the Jets roster has some pretty good ta...
Wow, so going to write a blog about the lowly Edmonton Oilers eh? Well If there were only 30 Oilers bloggers I would definitely be at the very bottom of the standings. Bear with me and maybe some of what I say will be interesting (probably not).
So out of some stroke of luck I've managed to make it to two regular season games this year, a terrible loss to the Senators w...
Steve Yzerman, the worst GM in the league? I don’t think so, Barry. Unfortunately, you are way off base here. In just a short amount of time with the Lightning, Yzerman has done much more than make a few roster changes; he has created a culture. It’s the culture and aura that followed him around in Detroit and with Hockey Canada. The Tampa Bay Lightning franchise ...
After dropping a 2-1 decision to the Devils the Winnipeg Jets brass has to look at their team and decide whether or not they are going to address the issues that currently plague this line up. Namely offense and effort.
For the entire game this team looked absolutely useless offensively. he Jets lone goal was scored by Andrew Ladd on a shot that martin Brodeur is goin...
First off I'd like to introduce myself as this is my first blog ever on this site. My name is Zachary MacKrell and I am a die hard Sabres fan from Youngstown, NY. I've been a Sabres fan all my life, all 19 years of it. It may not seem long compared to the longevity of a lot of other fans, but I assure you I am every bit as emotionally committed to this team.
Now lets ge...
I took last nights loss extremely hard. After getting a much needed win against the division rival Toronto Maple Leafs I felt it was time for the Buffalo Sabres to finally right the ship and make a push towards the playoffs. I was hoping for the awakening of Derek Roy, Drew Stafford, Ville Leino, and Marc Andre Gragnani. All players who we have seen be productive in the pa...
Something neeeds to be done to this buffalo sabres hockey team. I myself have always been a Lindy supporter, but if he believes that this core of players can take this city to the promise land, then i believe that it is time for a change.
Rumors have been swirling around this Sabres hockey team of potential trading partners and trading for certain players (all of which w...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Frustration Mounts as Malkin and Pens Defeat Bolts
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Once again the alarm clock failed to wake the Tampa Bay Lightning until it was too late. The Bolts found themselves down 2-0 fairly early in the game. It was then that the team woke up. Frustration, disappointment and fight finally made appearances for this group. We saw a team that was pissed off with losing, a team that wanted to win. However, we also saw a team tha...
I know this is an old subject, however I have not had the chance to post this as of yet. So here it is.
This is my tribute to one of the best captains, and most talented players in NHL history.
To start off, I’d like to say congratulations to Jarome Iginla, for scoring his 500th goal – a feat performed by only 42 other NHL players. It may not have been the prett...
Now I realize this will be posted on the Flames site, but this is a fascinating INSIDE look into the Edmonton Oilers from an agent who deals with the team on a regular basis. In another installment of Agents of Change, Ritch Winter takes an in depth look into the current predicament in Edmonton and whether or not Tom Renney is the right fit at Head Coach of the young team....
RickDixon writes...
The Jets are like my wife's new curio cabinet....I'm serious
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I can hear what you are thinking right now. "What the hell is this guy talking about ?!!"
Let me explain.
During the summer my wife and I purchased a curio cabinet that was at a yard sale. She had always wanted a curio cabinet and so when she saw how nice it was she just had to have it.
Thing is, it was chalk full of knick-knacks and bawbles that the owner sai...
Last summer, Lou Lamoriello decided to take player Zach Parise to arbitration, which was the beginning of the end of Parise's tenure in New Jersey. The eventual one-year-deal signed left Parise opened to unrestricted free agency next season with 30 potential suitors as he's one of the most coveted forwards in the league. Who wouldn't want this guy in front of their net, ...
Last summer, Lou Lamoriello decided to take player Zach Parise to arbitration, which was the beginning of the end of Parise's tenure in New Jersey. The eventual one-year-deal signed left Parise opened to unrestricted free agency next season with 30 potential suitors as he's one of the most coveted forwards in the league. Who wouldn't want this guy in front of their net, ...
Last summer, Lou Lamoriello decided to take player Zach Parise to arbitration, which was the beginning of the end of Parise's tenure in New Jersey. The eventual one-year-deal signed left Parise opened to unrestricted free agency next season with 30 potential suitors as he's one of the most coveted forwards in the league. Who wouldn't want this guy in front of their net, ...
Last summer, Lou Lamoriello decided to take player Zach Parise to arbitration, which was the beginning of the end of Parise's tenure in New Jersey. The eventual one-year-deal signed left Parise opened to unrestricted free agency next season with 30 potential suitors as he's one of the most coveted forwards in the league. Who wouldn't want this guy in front of their net, ...
Tonight marks a chance for the Buffalo Sabres to try and get back on track. Ryan Miller will be back in net tonight. If he plays like the Ryan Miller of old the Sabres could steal one tonight and lift the burden of this road losing streak off their backs.
Now Miller can play as well as he wants but the forwards and the defense need to give him the support he needs. They...
Hitch would have freaked out. He would have absolutely lost his mind. No one pinching. No one forechecking. Open passing lanes. Open in front of the net. I was losing my mind watching the Hawks and Wings on Saturday afternoon.
The St. Louis Blues play a gritty style of hockey. They take no shifts off. They put the opponent under pressure from the get-go and neve...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Ready for Bruins? + Rumor du Jour + Your Questions
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Lightning finish off a busy couple of weeks with a visit from the big, bruising, Boston Bruins tomorrow night. It should be an interesting game between two teams who have gone in opposite directions since a meeting in last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs. I would argue that that series was largely dominated by the Lightning. Last season, when the Bolts were successf...
I’ve written about this debacle in Buffalo for many weeks now. The Sabres are spiraling out of control, and nothing seems to be happening to fix the situation.
I loved Jerry Sullivan’s article in the Buffalo News from today, tearing into Terry Pegula and the Sabres. He points out how Buffalo is 5 points out of 8th place, but also 5 points out of last place...
Le...
First off, hats off the the Detroit Red Wings for setting a franchise record 15 straight wins at home.
Now down to business. As the old saying goes, "When it rains it pours." I'd say at this point it is flooding for the Buffalo Sabres. A 5-0 dismantlement of a Sabres team who is finding it impossible to find itself. And by that I mean this Sabres team just doesnt have a...
Over the past few weeks, I've received numerous tweets and emails asking me the same question. "What should Calgary do" and "Should Iginla be traded". This is not an easy question to answer, and therefore I have decided to write about it. The organization will be analyzed as a whole, and I'll give MY opinions on what the Flames' should do.
I think that for the best inte...
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...
Even a broken clock is right twice a day, a blind squirrel occasionally finds a nut...there are a million colloquialisms that could be used to describe Jeremy Roenick's broadcast career. However in this case, I'm going with he hit the nail on the head.
Read the full article on prohockeytalk.com here: [url]http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/17/trade-talk-makes-f...
The Blues and Stars played one of the toughest games I've watched in a long time. Gritty, old school hockey was the name of the game. The goalies, especially Halak, were absolutely huge. Both teams crowded the other out the whole game. An inch or two here and there was going to make the difference. Tough game indeed.
The Stars played with a bit of an edge. They we...
Figured I'd right a quick blog about what happened with Ryan Miller before I head off to work. Miller got pulled after allowing 5 goals through roughly 25 minutes of play in front of his friends and family who were in attendance.
After the game we saw the same type of fire and emotion from Ryan Miller when he got ran by Milan Lucic. When asked about if the Sabres player...
I just read Garth’s... “rebuttal” to the Jeremy Roenick and Mike Keenan interview from last night on NBC Sports Network.
I agree with the part Garth said about blaming Miller. Plus, as I listened, I don’t think I heard them blame Miller. The main focus was that things need to change in Buffalo. They aren’t on the same page, just like Roenick pointed out. I d...
The Chicago Blackhawks face one of two possibilities tomorrow night when they host the struggling Buffalo Sabres at the United Center-
Either they recognize and capitalize on the recently unfortunate play of the Buffalo Sabres...
Or, they shrug off the Sabres as any kind of real challenge, come out flat and succumb to the dreaded "trap game" against their unfamiliar ...
Something the Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot of. Well…maybe that’s not the right term. ‘Excess Depth’ may describe the situation a bit better. My point is, the team has a lot of players with high cap hits, which I just don’t think they need. But the thing is, they all have value were they to be traded. A couple of the names may surprise people, but bear with me. ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Strike Bruins + Rumor Round-Up + Answers
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
There’s a jam packed blog here for you folks tonight full of my post-game thoughts, a rumor update, and the answers to the questions you submitted to me. Speaking of the game, it’s really funny to think that this is the exact same team we saw play Pittsburgh just a couple nights ago. Maybe all that mumbo-jumbo I was saying about frustration really did make a differen...
It has now been made public that the Sabres GM Darcy Regier is shopping forwards Derek Roy, Drew Stafford, and Brad Boyes around to many teams. Which teams, we do not know, but this information comes per ESPN's Pierre LeBrun. Regier is reportedly shopping these top 6 forwards in hope of getting another top 6 forward in return.
Derek Roy is the player I would be the most...
The Flames put in a valiant effort tonight against the Sharks but came up just short. Lots of positives to take out of tonight though.
So why don't you head on over to The Checking Line- West to read more! A brand new sub site to The Checking Line that will be your go to for Flames, Oilers, Canucks, and Jets news! Come check it out!
http://west.thecheckingline.com/b...
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...
February 3, 2011:
“Starting today,” Pegula said, “there will be no financial mandates on the Buffalo Sabres hockey department,” in their effort to fulfill his dream of winning multiple Stanley Cups. “There is no salary cap in the National Hockey League on scouting budgets and player development budgets.”
“A clarion call should go out to the league and t...
Three wins in a row...two in the Sunshine state where we've definitely taken our lumps over the years...and one against the Hurricanes - who also give us fits...has Penguin fans feeling a lot better than a week ago.
Without exaggeration...we needed those wins badly.
I wouldn't say all of the Penguins ills have been cured...but it is safe to say that they seem to be ...
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...
Tonight the beloved Blackhawks take on the Buffalo Sabres at the Madhouse on Madison. This past weekend the Hawks proved to themselves that they can skate with the Big Boys in the Western Conference (losing to the Hot Wings 3-2 SO and beating the Sharks 4-3) although their power play was 0-6. Tonight's game appears to be a "trap" game for the Hawks as the Sabres have been...
The Buffalo Sabres are spiraling down into a pit of despair. They can’t score goals and they can’t stop goals. The defense gives the puck away constantly, like that’s what they’re paid to do. The goaltender has little to no confidence in himself and the players in front of him. The coach has run out of answers for the terrible play that we fans watch every single g...
RickDixon writes...
Jets talk...............let the trade discussion begin !!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
There are many Jets fans crying for various heads right now and with the way the team is playing it is completely understandable.
The team is not playing particularly well at the moment with the exeption of the shutout against Ottawa, and find themselves lucky that the teams they are battling with for that 8th-and-final playoff spot are also not putting up wins.
Yes,...
Having a couple days off can be great for getting healthy, getting rejuvenated, and getting hungry.....but it can also be great for getting lazy. Tonight is one of those cliché "trap games" everyone always talks about. A bad team coming into your barn where you're the best in the league looking to make a statement without 3 of their top 4 scorers against a red-hot goalt...
The Blackhawks routed the Buffalo Sabres, who are in a complete tailspin, 6-2 last night at the Madhouse on Madison. With a route like that, you would have thought that one Hawks' player would be a lock to be on the score sheet. I am talking about Kaner. Once again, Kaner did not score last night. Kane has just ten goals on the year, and has only found the back of the n...
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...
It appears my entry did work, several times in fact. Apologies on that, I`ll try and avoid that in the future. I`ll try this again before Saturdays tilt with Sharks. The Canucks have had a medium sized let down since the Bruins game. I think the next few days will allow them to re-focus. I hope so, because the last two games have been less then fun to watch.
Until next ti...
vowswithin writes...
Flames vs Kings Gameday: + Picture of Halls leather face!!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://nationalpostsports.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/0119hall.jpg[/img]
Taylor Hall was Injured in practice the other night and ended up taking a bunch of stitches. He is out for a few days at least but luckily didn't loose an eye. Scary injury that turned out as good at you can hope. Wishing him a quick recovery!
As you may or may not know the Calgary flames...
On paper this Buffalo Sabres team should be challenging for the top spot in the league. After starting the season with two wins in Europe, This team looked like it could not be beat. Then on November 12 the Bruins Milan Lucic slammed into Ryan Miller giving him a concussion. Simply put Ryan has not been the same since. Jhonus Enroth stepped in to take over for him whil...
How long ago does October feel with all the hype for the coming season? It feels like an eternity if you ask me. From those two convincing wins in Europe to whatever this is you want to call it now. The Sabres have quickly become one of the weakest teams in the league, and the boys on NBC Sports Network did not hold back when they spoke about the struggles in Buffalo.
F...
So I'll be the first to admit that I have never been a huge fan of Blake Wheeler. He just never seemed to do anything that truly impressed me - until last night.
After missing a couple of games due to taking a puck in the throat Blake Wheeler returned to the line up against the Sabres. Boy did he return.
Wheeler was a force all night long and made not only the Sabr...
After coming out of LA and San Jose with 3 out of 4 points, and taking both games to a shootout, I've come to realize that Feaster does not deserve all of this criticism he is receiving. Feaster and the Flames have impressed me this year.They've battled through adversity, and have showed that the Flames' organization does infact have some NHL-ready prospects.
After the ...
The Blues need Andy McDonald right now. There's no way they can keep this kind of winning up. 1-0 after dominating the WHOLE FREAKING GAME is crazy. They had at least 15 shots before the Oilers got their first. That sort of thing just doesn't happen. And it also shouldn't be that the Blues can have that many shots 10 minutes into the first period without a goal to sho...
Rumours around Mtl is Getzlaf for Subban, and Plecks.
Here are the reasons why I would not pull the trigger.
We are not in contention nor are we anywhere near being in contention for a cup. So why would we go and acquire Getzlaf? Getz would only be helping us now, but we dont need help now, in fact we need to tank now. If we were to acquire such a big name/big center, ...
Hello Blackhawk fans. Tonight, at the Madhouse on Madison the Blackhawks take on the ex-Hawks known as the Florida Panthers. The Panthers, last played on Wednesday night blowing a 3-1 third period lead in Colorado and lost in overtime 4-3 to the Avs. The Panthers are now 11-0-4 when leading after two periods. The Panthers have received a bit of good news as former Blac...
I'm a diehard Flames fan. I hate the Oilers. So who better to dissect the team from northern Alberta than their enemy?
Come over to The Checking Line -West for to read more!
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/newman/edmonton-oilers/lowly-edmonton-oilers-flames-fan-perspective
Newman
Twitter.com/TCLNewman
The Flames' get out shot 32-25 against the surging Los Angeles Kings, and again can't score, however the overall game was a solid performance by Calgary. Here are some notes on last nights' game, as well as some others leading up to tomorrows' game against Edmonton.
- Jarome Iginla was a beast last night. Scoring a Powerplay goal, and coming in 2nd on the team for total...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Hold off Stars for 2-1 Victory + Rumors
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Lightning went into the American Airlines Center in Dallas to take on a Stars team that is one of the hardest working, energized groups in the league. Looking for their second straight victory, the Lightning took to the ice knowing what they had to do. They played with pride, emotion and strength for a good portion of the game. It was enough to lead the group to vic...
Game two of this Western Conference back-to-back road trip is tonight with the Bolts taking on the Phoenix Coyotes. As a result of the quick turnaround time, the Bolts will probably be a little bit tired in Phoenix. The key for the Bolts is to remain disciplined as they search for their 3rd win in a row. If history means anything, the Bolts come into this one having won...
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] ...
vowswithin writes...
This is for you Oilers! Gameday: The battle of Albeta
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[img]http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/396165_10150496555357293_500697292_8929549_435481295_n.jpg[/img]
When asked to comment on his feelings towards the Oilers, Sullivan felt actions spoke louder then words! This one is dedicated to All Mighty Oil, who I promised I would post more pictures of my dog for.
Why don't we talk about injuries?
Oiler fans...
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...
It's always nice to beat the crap out of the Oilers, and the Flames have done it a lot lately. Come over to The Checking Line -West to get a full run down of the game and where the Flames go from here. Check it out!
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/newman/calgary-flames/flames-pound-oilersagain
Newman
Well there's another one in the books folks. The Calgary Flames' defeat the young and vibrant Edmonton Oilers, 6 - 2 in what did not look like a 'Battle of Alberta'. Although the shots (23-23) would indicate a fair game, it was far from it.
[b]A few things from the game to note:[/b]
- Lee Stempniak was a monster, scoring 3 G, adding 1 A for a total of 4 points. He a...
Depth down the middle is a key ingredient to success in the NHL. The most consistent teams in the league over the past 5 years have definately benefitted from having a strong top 3 centreman in the top 9 scoring-line scheme.
Pitt: Crosby, Malkin, Staal
LA: Kopitar, Richards, Stoll
...
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...
(Disclaimer- I am not an English Major. You have been warned)
So what to do now? The Flyers have played 8 rookies versus the Bruins and it goes to a shootout. 8 Rookies.. 8.. and took the team that is considered one of the toughest to a shootout. This speaks volumes of the heart of one of the best, hardest working blue collar teams (Flyers). With all of that bein...
(Disclaimer- I am not an English Major. You have been warned)
So what to do now? The Flyers have played 8 rookies versus the Bruins and it goes to a shootout. 8 Rookies.. 8.. and took the team that is considered one of the toughest to a shootout. This speaks volumes of the heart of one of the best, hardest working blue collar teams (Flyers). With all of that bein...
(Disclaimer- I am not an English Major. You have been warned)
So what to do now? The Flyers have played 8 rookies versus the Bruins and it goes to a shootout. 8 Rookies.. 8.. and took the team that is considered one of the toughest to a shootout. This speaks volumes of the heart of one of the best, hardest working blue collar teams (Flyers). With all of that bein...
(Disclaimer- I am not an English Major. You have been warned)
So what to do now? The Flyers have played 8 rookies versus the Bruins and it goes to a shootout. 8 Rookies.. 8.. and took the team that is considered one of the toughest to a shootout. This speaks volumes of the heart of one of the best, hardest working blue collar teams (Flyers). With all of that bein...
"I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People."
"This was not about politics"
Really Tim?
If it's not about politics then what exactly were you talking about in the first quote, in which you defended your decision to not show up to the white house with your fellow teammates?
If it's not ab...
Word on the street (New york Post) is that the New Jersey Devil are in talks with the NHL to get a cash advance if you will because they are losing money and losing money fast.
[quote]
"Vanderbeek, who owns 47 percent of the team, does not have the money to fund losses, while billionaire Ray Chambers, who also owns 47 percent, no longer wants to fund the team.
Las...
It's becoming more apparent everyday that the Chicago Blackhawks need to do something to bolster their depth on the blue line and for the team all around in a general sense. This sounds ridiculous (I second guess myself sometimes) when the hawks have 6 players with 10+ goals, but the most deceiving and most important stat in hockey isn't goals and assists, its plus/...
The Blues are going to have to cherish their break. Only one guy is going to the All Star Game and that's the "backup" goaler. Everyone else gets to play around, rest up, get healthy, and refocus for the second half of the year. If it was me, I'd be spending some time on my couch....because that couch is going to be lonely the rest of the season. February is pretty spl...
Jimmy Howard has turned into the modern day version of Billy Smith, intense, focused and God help you if you enter HIS crease. Last year in the playoffs against San Jose I felt he entered his own, even though we lost. Pavelski and his constant snow showers, Howard refused to back down and played a whale of a series.
He is 27, entering his prime. I have to admit I wa...
Tonight's game against Nashville Predators is the last one before the All-Star break, and for the Hawks, Shooter and Captain Marvel are out. The Hawks lost Saturday 5-2 to the Preds and appeared to have tired legs in that game (they arrived at their hotel at 3am). However, this is hockey and there are no excuses for the lack of effort the Hawks displayed Saturday night. ...
New at The Agents of Change, hockey agent Ritch Winter looks at how teams deal with LTIR. Check it out and don't be afraid to comment on the site!
http://www.theagentsofchange.com/2012/01/ritch-responds-ltir-insurance.html
Newman
So as the Jets get set to take on the first-place Rangers this evening many Jets fans are hanging their collective heads over the teams lack of offense. One question.
What did you really expect ?
This team has some potentially good players. Evander Kane, Dustin Byfuglien (If he were healthy), and Zach Bogosian are all top-notch players. Players like Alex Burmistro...
[b]It's NIEMI time!![/b]
What else can I say. Niemi put on a show during the game. Stopping Tanguay on a breakway not once, but twice - along with many other stellar saves. Don't take anything away from Kipper, as he played extremely well too. It was a battle of the goaltenders.
The first two periods of the game were rather equal and quite boring. The third period, ...
The Sabres rolled into New Jersey losers of 5 in a row and 12 straight on the road. Advantage Devils right?
But low and behold something we Sabres fans have all be yearning for quite sometime a big much needed W.
Leopold got things started by being Johnny on the spot to tap in Gerbe slapshot that ricochets off the glass and bounced right in the crease for an easy ta...
The Flames head into the break with the exact same record through 50 games as last season. We all know what happened there. But will this year be any different? Come over to TCL-West and find out!
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/newman/calgary-flames/flames-shut-out-sharks
Newman
RobFlyers#1 writes...
Flyers trade deadline talk. What should they do?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It's that time of year once again. As each day passes we get closer to the NHL trade deadline. This is where the majority of teams make some of the worse trades in a hope to hoist the cup. The team selling most often does much better this time of year because they stock pile prospects and or picks for the future. An example of this would be the Flyers acquiring Braydon Cob...
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...
XxFLY3RSFAN48xX writes...
BIG TRADE RUMOURS BETWEEN TORONTO AND THE BLUE JACKETS
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I have been recieving phone calls over the past few weeks about the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Columbus Blue Jackets talking trade. Some of my sources say the Jackets and Leafs are coming to agreement soon, other sources say a deal will take place at the deadline. The Leafs apear to be after Jeff Carter, now the asking price will be high but Burke seems to be very intre...
[b][i]
If you missed the other sections of this 5 part series, follow the links below to catch up:
[url=http://bit.ly/z6opJG] Part 2 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/AedyZf] Part 3 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/yI5u6B] Part 4 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/zpmgaQ] Part 5 [/url] [/b][/i]
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So, you want to be a contender?...
As everyone knows by now, Buffalo finally won a game on the road on Tuesday, squeaking out of New Jersey with a 2-1 shoot out victory.
This game may have just cost Buffalo getting back into the playoff race this season.
This win, as nice as it was to see Buffalo have more points than their opponent when it’s all said and done, gave management the excuse not to do ...
It is the time for the rumour mill to pump out all kinds of possible trades. Some plausible, others, insane!
As a Hab fan, I really believe that they need to make more changes. I also think that winning against Detroit could be detrimental to them in the long run. Geoff Molson, as much as he says he is hands off and he lets the hockey people run the operation, needs to...
There have been a lot of talk about Parise lately and where he'll end up. We heard from site to site different stories ranging from him resigning with the Devils to being traded at the deadline to almost every team in the NHL. So last night I started thinking, which doesn't happen much at my age, and started to look around the league to find a right partner for Parise if a...
Before I get into the blog, let it be known, that it's just that, a blog. A semi-whimsical place to put my thoughts on what I think is going on with the Wild.
Now that that's out of the way, let's get down to business. At the All Star break, the Wild sit in the 8th seed in the playoff picture. Also as it stands, I would see the Wild getting bounced in the first round i...
Is it just me or did the all star break come out of nowhere? With less than 35 games left for each team we are getting into crunch time! First of all I'm going to talk about the first two thirds of the season. A lot of surprises regarding the leafs! I've had the pleasure of watching every leaf game this year and have come to one conclusion, were building something great he...
Is it just me or did the all star break come out of nowhere? With less than 35 games left for each team we are getting into crunch time! First of all I'm going to talk about the first two thirds of the season. A lot of surprises regarding the leafs! I've had the pleasure of watching every leaf game this year and have come to one conclusion, were building something great he...
Is it just me or did the all star break come out of nowhere? With less than 35 games left for each team we are getting into crunch time! First of all I'm going to talk about the first two thirds of the season. A lot of surprises regarding the leafs! I've had the pleasure of watching every leaf game this year and have come to one conclusion, were building something great he...
Is it just me or did the all star break come out of nowhere? With less than 35 games left for each team we are getting into crunch time! First of all I'm going to talk about the first two thirds of the season. A lot of surprises regarding the leafs! I've had the pleasure of watching every leaf game this year and have come to one conclusion, were building something great he...
Is it just me or did the all star break come out of nowhere? With less than 35 games left for each team we are getting into crunch time! First of all I'm going to talk about the first two thirds of the season. A lot of surprises regarding the leafs! I've had the pleasure of watching every leaf game this year and have come to one conclusion, were building something great he...
Is it just me or did the all star break come out of nowhere? With less than 35 games left for each team we are getting into crunch time! First of all I'm going to talk about the first two thirds of the season. A lot of surprises regarding the leafs! I've had the pleasure of watching every leaf game this year and have come to one conclusion, were building something great he...
A look at the Sabres next five opponents
Montreal Canadiens: The Habs shocked everyone by rag dolling the Detroit Red Wings in the last game before the All Star Break, 7-2!! That snapped the Red Wings win streak of 7 in a row. The Habs are 9-9-7 at home while the Sabres who will finally be completing what will ultimately be a long disappointing road trip are currently 1...
[b][i] If you missed the other sections of this 5 part series, follow the links below to catch up:
[url=http://bit.ly/zd1ldc] Part 1 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/AedyZf] Part 3 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/yI5u6B] Part 4 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/zpmgaQ] Part 5 [/url] [/b][/i]
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So, you want to be a contender? We...
As we hit the all-star break this weekend with the Fantasy Draft kicking things off this evening at 8 P.M., the 2011-’12 NHL season has officially reached it’s mid-point. There have been many surprises — and equally as many disappointments — across the league this season on both an individual and team basis. In anticipation of the second half of the season, slated ...
Is it just me or did the all star break come out of nowhere? With less than 35 games left for each team we are getting into crunch time! First of all I'm going to talk about the first two thirds of the season. A lot of surprises regarding the leafs! I've had the pleasure of watching every leaf game this year and have come to one conclusion, were building something great he...
Most Leafs’ fans are getting excited with the possibility of a playoff berth for the first time since the lock-out, and who can really blame them? While I think it is Burke’s intention for the team to make it to the post-season this year, I have also heard the GM mention on several occasions that the cup is his primary target, and a first-round exit is not his goal.
...
Most Habs fans and media believe that the Canadiens should retool at the deadline. I am of the same opinion. I really think this is the time for the Habs to retool, not rebuild.
I would like to see this happen under the watchful eye of a new management team and would love to see Gauthier and Gainey let go. As much as I respect Gainey, I don't think he made the right cho...
So the All-Star draft is over and done with. Yes, Alfredson picked all Sens, Yes Chara picked all Bruins, and Yes the Sedins are going to play together. All of which could have been predicted by any of us who didn't take the time to watch the draft. Not many surprises came about last night. I think the biggest was that Rookie All-Star Colin Greening of the Sens is on "Team...
So I realize a lot of people like to crap on the All-Star Game because it has no meaning, no intensity, and nobody really cares about it anymore. But I like it, I always have. Why? Because it’s an NHL event and I enjoy watching hockey players display their talents and I love seeing different players from different teams playing and interacting with each other. I like...
vowswithin writes...
BMO to the Hawks, could this be the first in a series?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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Brendan Morrison was just traded to the Chicago BlackHawks for prospect Brian Connelly who is a 5'10 and scored 52 points over the last 80 games. Morrison was a UFA this year and was not going to be resigned. With the number of forwards we have this was the best move since it gives him a chance to win a cup this year. One can only wonder if t...
RyanHolmerB writes...
Morrison to Chicago...Who is this Connelly kid anyways?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Morrison was traded tonight to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Brian Connelly, a name that surely no one has heard of.
After doing some research, and watching some footage, this Connelly kid is quite impressive. At only 5'10, he may not be as intimidating as some defensemen, however with 52 points in 80 games last season, and a AHL All-Star, who according to some...
While Garth is boo-hooing that Pominville was taken too late in the fantasy draft, the rest of us are getting ready for the “game” known as the NHL All-Star Game.
Now, I’m not upset that Buffalo is under represented. There’s not really anyone from Buffalo who deserve to be in the game. Thomas Vanek is the only other Sabre that I could argue should be in the gam...
For years now people have been complaining that the NHL Allstar game has worn out is luster and that it needs to go. With players seemingly opting out any chance they get and the much maligned fact that it does not resemble a real NHL game, it's a fair take. I for one though believe that it's much ado about nothing.
When i was growing up I always tuned in to see the S...
The Flames disposed of veteran forward Brendan Morrison on the weekend sending him to the Chicago Blackhawks for Brian Connelly. Good or bad? Come over to TCL-West to read more:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/newman/calgary-flames/brendan-morrison-traded
Newman
[b][i]
If you missed the previous sections of this 5 part series, follow the links below to catch up:
[url=http://bit.ly/zd1ldc] Part 1 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/z6opJG] Part 2 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/yI5u6B] Part 4 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/zpmgaQ] Part 5 [/url] [/b][/i]
************************************************************
So, you want to be a contender...
So the Winnipeg Sun has gone ahead and predicted that the Jets WILL in fact make the playoffs. They have stated that the team will go 21-8-3 after the All-Star break to reach the neccessary point total.
I am not sure what the hell they are trying to do, but I know I don't like it.
The city already has fallen in love with this group of players (save Evander Kane), so...
Have you ever wondered what it is like behind the scenes in the NHL? What would it be like to meet and interview the biggest stars in the NHL? I recently had the chance to find out as I had access to the NHL All-Star media event at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa during the All-Star weekend. Here is an account of my experiences with the biggest names in the NHL.
As I walked ...
[b][i]
If you missed the previous sections of this 5 part series, follow the links below to catch up:
[url=http://bit.ly/zd1ldc] Part 1 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/z6opJG] Part 2 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/AedyZf] Part 3 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/zpmgaQ] Part 5 [/url] [/b][/i]
************************************************************
So, you want to be a contende...
In his latest blog response, hockey agent Ritch Winter takes a look at issues with the press and the problems with objectivity in sports journalism.
Check it out:
http://www.theagentsofchange.com/2012/01/ritch-responds-press.html
The Nashville Predators are coming up on an incredibly important crossroads in their franchises history, one that could make or break the fans trust in the team, and thus their rooting interests.
The Predators are fortunate to currently possess two of the top defensemen in the league in Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. They are also fortunate to have a top end goaltender in ...
Well, here we are with the most important month for the habs only a day away. This is it. Right here, right now. I think they have what it takes, all hands on deck and they could do some serious damage. Remember 2009? They fought hard just to make it in, they played playoff hockey for the last two months of the season and just kept it going right to the conference finals. ...
Well, here we are with the most important month for the habs only a day away. This is it. Right here, right now. I think they have what it takes, all hands on deck and they could do some serious damage. Remember 2009? They fought hard just to make it in, they played playoff hockey for the last two months of the season and just kept it going right to the conference finals. ...
[b][i]
If you missed the previous sections of this 5 part series, follow the links below to catch up:
[url=http://bit.ly/yI5u6B] Part 4 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/AedyZf] Part 3 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/z6opJG] Part 2 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/zd1ldc] Part 1 [/url] [/b][/i]
************************************************************
So, you want to be a contender...
Andy McDonald.......you're close, you're really close to making every St. Louis Blues fan very happy. Your speed, your vision, your finishing touch, your experience.....oh how we've missed you. You are the missing component in making the Blues go from a contender to a legitimate favorite come playoff time. Your impact on the ice will echo a great deal off the ice where ...
Sabres rolled into Montreal refreshed and raring to go after the All Star weekend. Sabres defeated the Habs 3-1
The Habs jumped into a 1-0 lead at 4:09 mark of the first period courtesy of Pacioretty, Sabres responded early in the 2nd at the 4:01 courtesy of the man we have all been waiting for to step up and put the puck in the net Ville Leino, just the 4th of the seas...
RyanZabizewski writes...
After Game Blog Jan 31 Buffalo vs Montreal Update 11:39
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The "Habs" lost 3-1 to Buffalo Tuesday night. So do you want the bad news or the good news? How about both...
[b]Good News[/b]
Now it's hard for anything good coming out of that game but there was a couple things I liked.
[u]Carey Price [/u]
Played amazing tonight making 37 saves on 39 shots but once again overpaid players who can't score and lack of effort made us...
RyanHolmerB writes...
Flame's Lose a Tough one to Detroit : Post-Game Notes
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Flames' struggles for offensive production continued tonight, as they lost 3 - 1 to the Detroit Red Wings. A common theme since the beginning of the season, and for the past few seasons at that. The dump-and-chase system that Calgary has so long employed is stagnant, and has clearly not produced results.
Detroit outplayed Calgary in the first, and was up 1 - 0 headi...
mcefalu writes...
Hawks Can't Solve Schneider, Lose 3-2 in OT to Canucks
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It was one of those teeth-grinding, frustrating type of overtime losses. The kind of loss that creeps into your subconscious just as you wake up the following morning, not just as a player, but as a fan.
The Chicago Blackhawks played well enough to decisively come away with two points against their heated rivals, the Vancouver Canucks. However, one major road-block stoo...
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...
The goal scoring issue is coming to boiling point and the Flames, more then ever, need to start scoring or they can kiss those playoff pipe dreams good bye. Check out the re-cap at TCL-West!
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/newman/calgary-flames/wings-dispose-flames
Newman
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Look to Strike Down Jets in Thursday's Tilt
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Lightning are poised to take on the Winnipeg Jets at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Thursday with one thing in mind, two points. Belief is starting to set in that this team could very well be a playoff bound team. As it stands right now, the Lightning sit in 11th place with 48 points while the Jets have 52 points in 10th place. That four point gap could be narrowed to...
The Minnesota seemed poised to win their first game post all star break against the Nashville Predators. Dany Heatley scored two goals in the first, the second being a pretty power play goal in which he grabbed it and as he was dropping it to the ice, swatted it out of midair into the net.
The first period was all Wild, the unleashed a relentless forecheck that led to ...
Sabres in search for another win tonight versues the Rangers but didnt get exactly what they wanted although it was fisty hard fought game.
Things got off to a rough start for Kelly Sutherland who took a puck to the face
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe3kABCdWmY&feature=youtu.be
1st Period: Miller was clutch in goal stopping everything that came his and bai...
The final score from tonight, shockingly, is 1-0 Rangers, but Buffalo did play a solid game. Last night, good effort against the Habs, but again, it’s the Habs, and they aren’t exactly setting the world on fire this season (sorry Montreal).
Ryan Miller has been a god send. He has looked simply stellar and back on his game lately. He has stood on his head. Also, the...
This summer, I took part in a charity ice hockey tournament called Checking For Charity. Although it was a painful way to learn just how badly my skills have deteriorated since the last time I played regularly, it was one of the most fulfilling weekend experiences of my life. I discovered the event around the same time that I learned about Defending The Blueline(DTBL), a...
[img]http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/dEhP1eNtUUhJ8RlJ.v25Ow--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnhlexperts/GRABBBBBBs.jpg[/img]
As you might know I decided to get twitter, and its proved to be lots of fun.
Follow me @vowswithinhb
[i]#Update: Well looks like Stempniak will be out for 6 week now,
+ Kolanos will wear #8 for the ...
Tonight the Mighty Blackhawks will play game two of their nine game road trip, facing the Edmonton Oilers in their final meeting of the season. The Oilers lead the season series, three games to one. The Hawks will be looking to end many bad streaks tonight; a three game losing streak and trying to keep pace with division leading Detroit Dead Wings, and the Hawks will als...
Maybe I'm thinking about the Blues' scoring woes the wrong way. Maybe they don't need a scorer via trade. Maybe Andy McDonald and Alex Steen aren't as essential as I originally thought. Maybe they need a defenseman or two to change the offense. Maybe....
Pietrangelo is becoming a legitimate #1 defenseman. Shattenkirk isn't far behind but he's more an offensive play...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Great Effort from Bolts isn't Enough to Ground Jets
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Six game win streaks are always nice, aren’t they? Unfortunately, the Lightning didn’t manage to get to that elusive sixth straight W. Instead, they walked out of the Tampa Bay Times Forum with one point to keep pace with “the pack”. Two would have been nice; but by no means are the Lightning out of the race. What matters right now is that the Bolts continue to...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts/Panthers Preview + Rumors + Standings Research
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The month of February is shaping up to be one of vital importance for the Tampa Bay Lightning. With 12 games until the February 27th trade deadline, the Lightning are looking at a schedule that will have a huge impact on whether or not the team makes the playoffs this season. In this blog, I’ll take a look at the Panthers game coming up on Saturday, some rumors making ...
Hey Stan, the Hawks need to fill their holes now. They are falling fast in the West after another embarrassing loss in Edmonton. The Crow played one of his worst games of the season, blowing a 2-0 second period lead and getting pulled in the third. The Crow looked like a fish out of water in his crease all night and may now take a seat behind Razor, who is expected to g...
As the NHL trade deadline quickly approaches, trade rumors in Leaf land are at a fever pitch. It is commonly believed Brian Burke is targeting a significant player. A big top line player, in particular a center that has size, skill, and playoff experience. Ryan Getzlaf and Eric Staal are the two players at the top of most Leaf fans wish list. While it is highly unlikely, b...
As the NHL trade deadline quickly approaches, trade rumors in Leaf land are at a fever pitch. It is commonly believed Brian Burke is targeting a significant player. A big top line player, in particular a center that has size, skill, and playoff experience. Ryan Getzlaf and Eric Staal are the two players at the top of most Leaf fans wish list. While it is highly unlikely, b...
HokkeyNutt writes...
Grab the Paddles boys, time to revive the lifeless Hawks!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Tonight, we will see how the Hawks respond to a humiliating 8-4 loss last night to a team 20 points beneath then in the standings when the visit the Calgary Flames. This will be the third road game of a nine game road trip. The Hawks are sixth in the Western Conference with 65 points, one point out of fourth and five points ahead of seventh. The alarm clocks should be buz...
If you were to ask around for opinions about Pierre Gauthier, general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, most of the Habs faithful fans would probably sing you a couple of lines from the old classic by Ray Charles: [i]“Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more”[/i]. So in the spirit of fun, let’s take a look at the many songs of...
As of late the play of Mikhail Grabovski has brought some attention to whether throw him on the trade block or extend him. Either would can bring good value. Another two guys they could put in the mix is Cody Franson and Luke Schenn. Talented young defenders that could bring a nice top six forward to the club. In all honestly though I doubt they will move Grabo at the dead...
As of late the play of Mikhail Grabovski has brought some attention to whether throw him on the trade block or extend him. Either would can bring good value. Another two guys they could put in the mix is Cody Franson and Luke Schenn. Talented young defenders that could bring a nice top six forward to the club. In all honestly though I doubt they will move Grabo at the dead...
Another game, another loss. Give the Avs credit, they played a solid game but the issue of scoring keeps coming up. Right now, the Avs just dont have that extra shooter that can be a difference maker for this team. Mueller's play has been a spark, no doubt, Duchene is still hurt, but even when both come back this teams loaded down the middle but lacking a true sniper on th...
Chalk up another two points for the boys in blue. What a story the last 7 games has been for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now, the Lightning find themselves in a true race with some tough opponents for just a couple playoff spots. Tonight’s post-game report will have a short synopsis of the game itself and then a larger feature on individual pieces and how they relate to ...
I can't believe the nads on Mario Lemieux, kidnapping Sam Gagner and posing as him for a couple games just to finally break one of Gretzky's records......gotta hand it to the Magnificent One though, he looks pretty good hanging with those kids.
Seriously though, imagine if Brian Burke has been talking to Edmonton about Gagner before all this, as has been mildly rumoured...
Buffalo surprised their fans last night with a dramatic comeback on the Isle to walk away with 2 points. Over the last 4 games, Buffalo has 7 of a possible 8 points. Things are looking up, but a real test comes up on Wednesday against the Bruins.
Buffalo was in an early hole, due to sloppy defensive play, which, continued all night long. As Garth said, “Miller made 3...
I have decided on a trade that would work pretty well
From Buffalo: From Tampa Bay:
Ryan Miller Victor Hedman
As we all know, Tampa Bay is in need of a goalie very badly. Ryan Miller is obviously someone who can pay the bill. And with Hed...
It’s always a treat when my two favorite teams get together to play a good ol’ fashioned game of hockey. That’s exactly what’s going to happen when the Los Angeles Kings come to town to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday evening. For two teams that don’t see each other often, there is certainly an abundance of storylines to follow prior to puck drop. T...
I wonder how worried Deanno is about losing his job if the Kings a)Lose in the first round, or b) don’t make the playoffs?
I don’t know too much about Dean’s tenure in San Jose, but after listening to Craig Button a little while back, it seems as though Dean managed the Sharks the same way as he is currently managing the Kings by not making the right moves, let al...
Canucks Hitting Snooze
Posted by BrowntoBure, Feb 06, 2012 · 35 views
We're just now entering what are known as 'the dog days' of the NHL season, but for the Vancouver Canucks it seems to have started much earlier this year.
At first glance at the standings you may think that is just a typical Vancouverite looking for something to complain about, but when...
Blue chip prospects are running all over the NHL this year. With the 2010-11 season a little past the half-way point, now is a good time to catch up with the top five of the 2011 draft class and get a progress report of how our young hot-shots are doing.
[b]Ryan Nugent-Hopkins[/b] was undoubtedly the most highly touted prospect in the 2011 NHL draft. The crafty left ha...
Everyone who watches hockey loves Saturday night hockey, there is just something special about it. What could be better than Saturday night hockey, with the potential of a record being broken. This Saturday night was no different, and Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres reached a milestone in his career with the Sabres. In a 4-3 Shootout win over the New York Islanders, Mill...
Feb. 6—The Red Wings dropped a loss tonight to the Phoenix Coyotes. The game was closer than the 3-1 score reflected because of the empty net goal of Martin Hanzal at the end of the game.
Joey MacDonald had a decent game with 22 saves, but there is already talk of shopping for another goalie while all-star starter Jimmy Howard recovers from a broken finger. Evgeni Nab...
When will the losing in this stupid city end? They had their chances to end the 13 game losing streak in Anaheim but once again lost to the Ducks. Make it 14 and counting. They needed the points...
Read more here:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/newman/calgary-flames/flames-dont-disneyland
Newman
The matchup tonight at MSG features a Devils (30-19-3) squad that is now surging with big wins over the Flyers, Penguins, and Rangers and are looking for their first five game winning streak of this season versus the Rangers (33-12-5), who coming off of a strong physical performance against the Flyers on Super Bowl Sunday, and are looking to revenge their shootout loss at...
As the trade deadline approaches there is much speculation, anticipation, and reservation to go around, depending on where your rooting interests lie. Sometimes it is easy to predict the players that will be traded, but where they go and for who can be a little tougher to pick. Instead of trying to figure the future out, I am going to revisit some recent trades that invo...
In my lifetime I've seen the St. Louis Blues play hundreds of games. I've seen them at the Checkerdome/Arena/Greatest Place Of All Time. I've seen them at the Kiel Center/Savvis Center/Scottrade Center. I saw them play last season in Buffalo at the HSBC Arena. Nothing compared to what I saw at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Predator fans are definitely one-of-a-k...
There are not many words to describe the frustration that last nights game brought upon me. I've been one of the biggest advocates of not only Feaster, but Sutter. I've defended them countless times. The game in Anaheim was the tipping point for me.
Although Calgary did come back and tie it - it was one of the worst games I've seen them play in a long time. With the exc...
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...
Or will that Hawks continue to roll down hill? Those are the questions to be answered by the Hawks tonight who are currently on a five game losing streak and have lost the first three games of the nine game road trip. The Hawks face the Colorado Avalanche who are also on a five game losing streak. Tonight one of these teams breaks their cherry and will get the "W". For ...
After being picked 1st overall by the Nordi[i][/i]cks and then dominating the NHL for years, even Jagr was jealous in the 90s, Nolan has announced that he will retire.
Nolan was surprised this season when he approached habs GM Gauthier with his intent to play for the habs, Gauthier said habs were getting big enough with Cole and didn't need a washed up ex-maple-laugh. ...
For the Chicago Blackhawks, it gets to a point when the same old excuses become more than tiresome cliches:
"The *insert excuse here* just didn't get it done tonight."
Despite Chicago maintaining a 2-2 tie heading into the third period, David Jones had a three point night and Paul Stastny put up two assists as Colorado skated away with a 5-2 win over the Blackhawks.
...
The Devils were able to escape MSG with a 1-0 victory and earn their second victory in eight days over the Rangers. However just like the previous game between these two bitter rivals the end was not one that many Ranger fans will be able to swallow with ease. This time it was a late goalie interference penalty, that negated the potentially tying goal, on Gaborick which pr...
Part two of revisiting some of the recent bigger deals in the NHL involves the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Philadelphia Flyers. They got together on one of the bigger deals that happened in the summer of 2011:
[img]http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/001/404/296/129037043_crop_650x440.jpg?1318893095[/img]
[img]http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/...
Make that four losses in row on this nine game road trip and it would appear that the Hawks are in trouble as they continue their downward spiral in the Western Conference. The Hawks finished their season series with Colorado, Edmonton and Calgary with a record of 4-7-1... nothing to be proud of. To make matter worse, the Hawks will finish the road trip against some of t...
I read a brief "what if" that suggested Jeff Carter might get traded for Alex Semin.
There are virtually NO RUMORS to support this particular trade...at least that I have seen or heard.
All that we know for sure is that both players have been mentioned as available.
I thought about this for about 2 minutes and realized this is the no-brainer trade that HAS to be m...
After the difficult loss at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche last night, we are able to sit back and get a better idea of what this team needs. No, this team does not need a goaltender. While people love to jump all over Crawford and Emery, it is the core of six D in front of him that should worry hawk faithful the most. So, we begin with a number 4 defenseman. Kei...
Well seeing how Buffalo as of late have been on a winning streak, not to mention all of the trade rumors around Pegulaville; Buffalo is in search of a trade. [b]Here are my thoughts:[/b]
Trade: Roy,Stafford,Sekera,Gragnani, 1st rnd pick, 2nd rnd pick (conditional)
to Nashville for
Weber, Wilson, and 3rd & 4th rnd...
Buffalo has been in the rumor alot lately and here are my thoughts........
[i]Buf trades Stafford, Roy, Sekera, Gragnani, 1st rnd pick & conditional 2nd rnd pick
to Nashville for
Weber, Wilson(their #2 line center) and conditional 3rd & 4th rnd picks[/i]
[b]THESE ARE JUST MY THOUGHTS.......crazy as usual[/b]
I came home from work tonight and expected to watch a decent hockey game. To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes for the Sabres tonight. I personally think the Bruins have the best chance at the Cup this season. Don’t get me wrong, I want Buffalo to win every game during the season. And I'm always in one of my many jersey's come game time. But, I’m also a realist, an...
The Detroit Red Wings will head into this weekend with the home win streak of 18 games and the NHL home win record of 20 consecutive games on the line. The current record of 20 consecutive home wins is held by the 1929-30 Boson Bruins and the 1976 Philadelphia Flyers. The record would be a wonderful thing but the Wings may have bigger fish to fry.
By bigger fish, I mean...
Ever since the Canucks drafted Henrik and Daniel Sedin in the 1999 entry draft, people knew that then GM Brian Burke had drafted two kids who were one day gonna be special players in this league offensively, and that they were. In the first few years of their NHL careers, fans, media and NHL analysts across North America weren't seeing what was previously advertised. In th...
After two demoralizing losses for the Tampa Bay Lightning, nobody is going to fault the odd fan or two for falling off the bandwagon here. In all likelihood, the Lightning will be sellers by the February 27th with their playoff dreams shattered, but, my name is Mr. Optimism and positivity is my game. The Bolts aren’t out of this race quite yet. They have games in hand...
Tonight the Hawks are in San Jose looking to get back on track. This past week has been a tough one of sorts for the Hawks including Tuesday's loss to the Avs and a flu bug knocking a quartet of Hawks players out of practice on Wednesday (Hjalmarsson, Leddy, Stalberg and Bicks).
For all the talk over the Hawk's porous defense, their offense has disappeared and has comp...
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. ...
He scored a goal last night and got an assist on another.....but I'm getting really irritated by Chris Stewart. He can be fairly lazy out there. The Deveils' second goal was on him. He was flat-footed, lethargic, uninspired in going to Henrique after being picked on his way to the puck. He didn't care. He didn't think anything would happen. Well.....dammit......Henri...
The debate rages on about who the greatest NHL defenseman of all time may be. Names like Paul Coffey, Raymond Bourque, and Chris Chelios come to mind. These were all great players in their own right, but the conversation always seems to boil down to two elite players, Bobby Orr and Nicklas Lidstrom.
This season Nicklas Lidstrom will move post Alex Delvecchio for tenth o...
The debate rages on about who the greatest NHL defenseman of all time may be. Names like Paul Coffey, Raymond Bourque, and Chris Chelios come to mind. These were all great players in their own right, but the conversation always seems to boil down to two elite players, Bobby Orr and Nicklas Lidstrom.
This season Nicklas Lidstrom will move post Alex Delvecchio for tenth o...
The debate rages on about who the greatest NHL defenseman of all time may be. Names like Paul Coffey, Raymond Bourque, and Chris Chelios come to mind. These were all great players in their own right, but the conversation always seems to boil down to two elite players, Bobby Orr and Nicklas Lidstrom.
This season Nicklas Lidstrom will move post Alex Delvecchio for tenth o...
ProphetofHockey writes...
2012 NHL Trade Deadline and the Toronto Maple Leafs
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It seems that every year Toronto is home to what seems like thousands of rumours regarding "big deals", "a top 6 forward", and a "blockbuster deal". This year however seems to be even worse, and more drastic, there is no question that the Leafs organization are still in the re-building process, but Leafs Nation is quite happy with the results this season thus far.
As a...
ProphetofHockey writes...
2012 NHL Trade Deadline and the Toronto Maple Leafs
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It seems that every year Toronto is home to what seems like thousands of rumours regarding "big deals", "a top 6 forward", and a "blockbuster deal". This year however seems to be even worse, and more drastic, there is no question that the Leafs organization are still in the re-building process, but Leafs Nation is quite happy with the results this season thus far.
As a...
mcefalu writes...
Blackhawks Still Looking to Right Sinking Ship in Phoenix
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It seems like eons since the Chicago Blackhawks have won a game, particularly on the road. They will hope to add a much needed two points to their total in the standings tonight when they're hosted by the Phoenix Coyotes.
After last night's defeat to the San Jose Sharks, the Blackhawks are now winless in their last seven games. A slump such as this comes at possibly the...
The debate rages on about who the greatest NHL defenseman of all time may be. Names like Paul Coffey, Raymond Bourque, and Chris Chelios come to mind. These were all great players in their own right, but the conversation always seems to boil down to two elite players, Bobby Orr and Nicklas Lidstrom.
Until recently there was no argument. The greatest defenseman in NHL h...
So, not that I was expecting the Jets to come out of Pittsburgh with a win yesterday afternoon, but after a defensive showing as poor as that more than a few questions are being raised.
Firstly, can Dustin Byfuglien pull his head out of his posterior and play the game in a manner befitting someone receiving 5.2 million dollars a year ?
Secondly, what exactly is the c...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Defeat Sabres in Tight Tilt + Penguins Preview
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Only in the NHL is it possible to be one of the best teams over a ten game stretch and not make up any ground. That’s exactly what’s happening to the Tampa Bay Lightning right now. 7-1-2 in their last ten, the Bolts have been playing some inspired hockey. Whether it’s players fighting for jobs, looking to get traded to a contender or just simply fighting for a pla...
The mood for most of hawk nation following the 3-0 loss to the Pheonix Coyotes is one of shock, wonder and utter confusion. Just a little while ago we were singing the hawks praises and turning up Chelsea Dagger in the background. Now, we have are head in our hands asking ourselves, "What has happened to this team?" I have one answer for you, this team is going to go...
Gunner Staal writes...
Part III Trades revisited: Richards to the West Coast
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Part three of revisiting some of the recent bigger deals in the NHL involves the Philadelphia Flyers (again) and the Los Angeles Kings. This was the 2nd impact deal the Flyers made in the summer of 2011.
[img]http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/p/sp/getty/2b/fullj.9c415908a0d3b6187d6156a0916a2f57/9c415908a0d3b6187d6156a0916a2f57-getty-138838397.jpg [/img]
[img]http://nyrbl...
hipcheck_goalie writes...
NHL trade deadline will resemble NBA trade deadline
Posted Monday | Comments 0
As hockey fans of your favorite team, we all suggest trading the bad contracts away (Paul Martin, any takers) for players that have expiring contracts or even better yet, entry level contracts. The days of this happening are going to be as rare as a Gomez or Parros goal. GM's will not sacrifice their teams future because fans are too knowledgeable and gate revenue is way m...
hipcheck_goalie writes...
NHL trade deadline will resemble NBA trade deadline
Posted Monday | Comments 0
As hockey fans of your favorite team, we all suggest trading the bad contracts away (Paul Martin, any takers) for players that have expiring contracts or even better yet, entry level contracts. The days of this happening are going to be as rare as a Gomez or Parros goal. GM's will not sacrifice their teams future because fans are too knowledgeable and gate revenue is way m...
Andy McDonald came back with a vengeance last night at home against the Sharks. The Blues looked instantly charged up. They looked faster. They looked tougher. They definitely didn't look like a team who played the night before. The previously absent power play showed up. The Blues looked better. Andy McDonald.....you are the man.
Does that mean that Doug Armstro...
It’s been talked about since captain Chris Pronger went down for the season in December, but now the question resonates louder than it ever has before.
Who are they going to get?
With the February 27 trade deadline quickly approaching, rumors have been swirling as to what the Philadelphia Flyers plan to do to make their promising team a legitimate contender in the ...
One of this seasons biggest surprises has been the St. Louis Blues. With the hiring of Hitchcock, they have been one of the best defensive teams in the league. They have signed backup Brian Elliot to a two year extension giving them two more years of affordable goal tending. There defense at one time was said to be lacking a veteran, but do you mess with the succes...
[img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k0Vz_Y5pA_A/TJLEjq7DMVI/AAAAAAAAAA0/8WxV8Au3Rl4/s1600/nash.jpg[/img]
It just might be that time. Will Columbus do the right thing for their franchise as well as their franchise player? This of course would be trading Rick Nash. Speaking as a hockey fan I think that most would agree, Rick Nash deserves better and NHL fans would benefit i...
The Detroit Red Wings made history on Tuesday Feb. 14 by winning 21 home games in a row and breaking the NHL record for most consecutive home wins in a single season.
The talking heads are already downplaying the Wings’ accomplishment by pointing out that winning 21 consecutive home games is much easier in today’s NHL because after the NHL lockout the league went t...
The Detroit Red Wings made history on Tuesday Feb. 14 by winning 21 home games in a row and breaking the NHL record for most consecutive home wins in a single season.
The talking heads are already downplaying the Wings’ accomplishment by pointing out that winning 21 consecutive home games is much easier in today’s NHL because after the NHL lockout the league went t...
The Sabres put together a little hot streak after the All-Star break. However, the past 2 games, they have gone right back to where they were before.
Can Buffalo make the playoffs? Yes. Is it a long shot? It doesn’t have to be, but the way Buffalo is playing, [b]yes[/b].
Which now begs the question, what should Buffalo do over the next two weeks with the trade de...
To the Blues Management and Coaching Staff,
Please do something with Chris Stewart. He's not helping the team. He's not a good player right now. He's not producing. He's not working. He's not a Blue. It's way past time for something drastic. Was today the day?
Reports from practice today are coming in as positive as ever for #25. Hitch, good job in putting hi...
Last night's "game 7 mentality" idea went a long way. The Blackhawks for 3 periods played responsible defensively and controlled most of the game. What hurts most following last nights effort is the fact that the streak has reached 9 in a row and you cant leave it out there much better than the hawks did last night. One glaring issue that puts the hawks over the hump in th...
Last night's "game 7 mentality" idea went a long way. The Blackhawks for 3 periods played responsible defensively and controlled most of the game. What hurts most following last nights effort is the fact that the streak has reached 9 in a row and you cant leave it out there much better than the hawks did last night. One glaring issue that puts the hawks over the hump in th...
Last night's "game 7 mentality" idea went a long way. The Blackhawks for 3 periods played responsible defensively and controlled most of the game. What hurts most following last nights effort is the fact that the streak has reached 9 in a row and you cant leave it out there much better than the hawks did last night. One glaring issue that puts the hawks over the hump in th...
Brad Marchand needs to just go shoulder to shoulder with guys regardless of his height. By trying to up end guys in that manor will always result in clipping because of his height. Brad is way too good a player to take the chance of getting suspended again and hurting his team. The hit on Emelin tonight in Montreal was pointless, and if Brad saw one of his own teammates ge...
The Chicago Blackhawks will face one of the biggest tests of the final third of the regular season when they visit the best team in the Eastern Conference at Madison Square Garden to face the New York Rangers.
This will be the first of two meetings between the teams this season. The last time the clubs faced each other, the Rangers finished off the Hawks 3-2 at the Gard...
Tonight the Hawks are in New York to take on one of the NHL's elite teams, the New York Rangers. This does not bode well for the Hawks. The Rangers have stayed relatively consistent through the month of January and the first half of February and might be able to put a string together with five straight wins with a victory over the struggling Hawks. The Rangers have won ...
This is, plain and simple, unacceptable hockey from the Buffalo Sabres. I can’t reiterate this enough, but [b]NO LEAD IN HOCKEY IS SAFE[/b]. I don’t care if you’re up by 2, 5, or 20. All it takes is a split second, and boom, someone’s back in the game.
Now, certain people on here are blind to this... Let’s just be honest. I can love line combinations too, but...
Pre-game I was talking to a good friend of mine, we both agreed. Buffalo could win tonight. They have been playing fairly well. Philly is banged up. Enroth is well rested. Let's get a W.
We were reassured in the first twenty. Buffalo jumped ahead to a great 2 nothing lead off the stick of our best two players. Our ONLY two players who can score now a days. Pommer. From ...
Ok, this time of year brings out all the g.m's, even the ones that don't get paid, so...... here's a few moves I think would benefit the leafs that I haven't heard talked about by anyone. I would like to see the leafs try and pick up Steve Ott of the Dallas Stars. This is the type of player who you hate to play against but love on your team. I remember how much I couldn't ...
Ok, this time of year brings out all the g.m's, even the ones that don't get paid, so...... here's a few moves I think would benefit the leafs that I haven't heard talked about by anyone. I would like to see the leafs try and pick up Steve Ott of the Dallas Stars. This is the type of player who you hate to play against but love on your team. I remember how much I couldn't ...
Ok, this time of year brings out all the g.m's, even the ones that don't get paid, so...... here's a few moves I think would benefit the leafs that I haven't heard talked about by anyone. I would like to see the leafs try and pick up Steve Ott of the Dallas Stars. This is the type of player who you hate to play against but love on your team. I remember how much I couldn't ...
Wanna hear about the day Glen Sather punched Ritch Winter and why Ritch deserved it? Come to the Agents of Change to find out.
http://www.theagentsofchange.com/2012/02/ritch-responds-day-glen-sather-punched.html
A huge late goal by Cammalleri last night earned the Flames a much needed point. Come to TCL-West to read more:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/newman/calgary-flames/cammalleri-ties-it-late-flames-get-point
Newman
Something is happening this year with the St. Louis Blues. Something is different. Things are changing. A 5-1 victory, in years past, would call for a parade down market. Nothing but good feelings. No matter how the team would have played the score would have dominated the coverage, the reaction from the fans, even the players and how they talk about the game. This y...
This Sabres script has been written before and the story, for me , is getting very old. Since 1997 the Sabres have made the playoffs or just missed them 12 out of 13 years. And I, for one, don‘t want them to win more then 10 games over the next 2 months. It in no way helps them to just miss the playoffs a 5th year. In fact, losing the rest of our games gives us a g...
This Sabres script has been written before and the story, for me , is getting very old. Since 1997 the Sabres have made the playoffs or just missed them 12 out of 13 years. And I, for one, don‘t want them to win more then 10 games over the next 2 months. It in no way helps them to just miss the playoffs a 5th year. In fact, losing the rest of our games gives us a g...
The Hawks took the ice at MSG on Thursday and took it to the best team in the Eastern Conference. Out of the gates the Hawks were playing with energy and a purpose that carried over from their spirited effort in Nashville. Losing nine in a row had all of hawk nation in a stir. If it were up to the fans Kane would have been traded to Buffalo for Ryan Miller, Q would have be...
Mike Richards you can say hasn't been the same player since his head injury this year, and not having great line mates most of the time (i.e. Penner) can't help either, but is there something more behind it? Is Los Angeles where good hockey players go to die? Some people have said there is less pressure playing in Los Angeles than let's say Philadelphia, New York or Boston...
mcefalu writes...
Blackhawks Look to Maintain Dominance Over Blue Jackets
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The dreaded nine-game losing streak endured by a severely frustrated Chicago Blackhawks team came to an end on Thursday night with a victory over the best team in the Eastern Conference, the New York Rangers.
Chicago now prepares to avoid a similar fate tomorrow afternoon when they are hosted by the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets. This will be the fifth of six meetings bet...
This game can be summed up as a game that Buffalo should have won. Don’t look at the stats, don’t look at the standings... Buffalo should have won this game. Montreal is struggling this season, and is right next to Buffalo (well they were) at the bottom of the East.
Again, I don’t care about whether Myers played in his 200th game, and got his 100th point with a g...
Ive been holding out hope for the Buffalo Sabres to make a run at the playoffs this season but with this weekends loses to the Flyers and Canadians that hope is all but gone. Lets look at the numbers, Toronto currently sits in 8th with 64 points. That is 9 points ahead of the Sabres who sit in the 15th and final spot in the east. The Maple Leafs are on pace to finish this ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Quick Lightning Update - Are the playoffs in reach?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Sometimes, with a non-playoff team, you sit, you watch and you wonder how on earth it isn’t more competitive on a night-to-night basis? That’s exactly what happened with the Bolts tonight. With the parity in the National Hockey League, talent doesn’t necessarily mean everything. In today’s game, it’s all about work ethic and effort. In my opinion, the Bolts w...
Every January, February, and March is painful for Flyers fans like myself. It seems like after every Christmas, this team self-destruct and stumble into the playoffs. Every year they have us folk who bleed orange and black biting our nails, hoping the team holds on to a playoff spot. Every year it's the same case. The goalie is worn out and easily beaten, and the team...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Down Caps + The Competition + Trade Deadline
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
It’s tough to argue with results. As right now, the Lightning have narrowed the gap between themselves and the playoffs to a mere six points. There was a time at which the gap was around ten points and Bolts fans would take heat for saying that we still had a chance this year. Now, the Bolts are proving all the critics wrong.....
[b]Read the entire blog over at my...
As silly season reaches a fever pitch around the NHL the Maple Leafs are in the midst of a bed crapping to end all bed crappings and this should be seen as a reason to not go out and sell the farm to just squeak into the playoffs. I would love to see them go out and land a premiere center but at what cost, reducing a already questionable defense corps? Will Getzlaf or Cart...
As silly season reaches a fever pitch around the NHL the Maple Leafs are in the midst of a bed crapping to end all bed crappings and this should be seen as a reason to not go out and sell the farm to just squeak into the playoffs. I would love to see them go out and land a premiere center but at what cost, reducing a already questionable defense corps? Will Getzlaf or Cart...
As silly season reaches a fever pitch around the NHL the Maple Leafs are in the midst of a bed crapping to end all bed crappings and this should be seen as a reason to not go out and sell the farm to just squeak into the playoffs. I would love to see them go out and land a premiere center but at what cost, reducing a already questionable defense corps? Will Getzlaf or Cart...
As silly season reaches a fever pitch around the NHL the Maple Leafs are in the midst of a bed crapping to end all bed crappings and this should be seen as a reason to not go out and sell the farm to just squeak into the playoffs. I would love to see them go out and land a premiere center but at what cost, reducing a already questionable defense corps? Will Getzlaf or Cart...
Let me first premise my analysis on a Leafs-Nash trade by saying that it would take a lot of work on the Leafs part and a whole lot of luck.
That being said I believe that Brian Burke is not interested in making it to the playoffs and losing in the first round, second round or even the conference finals. It is all about winning a Stanley Cup in Toronto and thus if the ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Analyzing the Lightning Trades - Moore and Kubina
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
It’s Hockey Day in America and, you guessed it, the Lightning are not playing. After last night’s hard-fought win against the Capitals, and with a couple of days off, it’s time to take a look at the two trades the Lightning have made so far. Expect a flurry of movement as we move closer to the February 27th trade deadline; it should be mighty exciting.....
[b]Re...
As the final seconds tick off the clock at Joe Louis Arena it almost seems a ritual that the Red Wings skate off the ice with a W in the column. What Detroit has been able to do at home is remarkable. Very few teams have been able to be so dominating at home in one season. With their NHL record longest home winning streak hitting [i]23 games[/i] after their victory over th...
The Chicago Blackhawks have rebounded nicely after losing nine straight games, some of those to division opponents, and added a solid team effort against their rivals to the south by defeating the Blues 3-1 at the United Center.
There was no magical formula consumed by the Hawks a la "Space Jam" to bring about this recent successful play - pretty simply, the Blackhawks'...
If someone had walked up to me and my fiancé as we walked into First Niagara Center Sunday and said that Buffalo was going to win, I wouldn’t have believed them. I was pleasantly surprised, and pumped as time expired, and Buffalo had disposed of the Penguins.
I was very pleased with the effort today from the Sabres. This was the balanced scoring attack that Buffalo ...
A week to go, decision time is here. Best record in hockey, slowly pulling away from the Blues, eyeballing the nucks for the conference crown, go with what we have or make a deal?
We need one more solid forward, period. I LOVE the Miller, Abdelkader and Helm line, never been a Abdelkader fan but these three have something. They really should be a fourth line though, ...
So after losing against the Islanders in what most considered a must win game, the Jets have posted a road win against the Wild and two straight home wins against the Bruins and Avs.
In all three of those wins they have recorded at least four goals per game. Yes, you heard me right, four goals per game.
An outpouring of offense such as this is reason to celebrate in...
It’s a quiet night in the NHL tonight with only two games on the schedule. One of those games has a huge impact on the Bolts as they move forward. The Washington Capitals are taking on the Carolina Hurricanes tonight in a game that will have huge playoff implications for many other teams. If the Capitals win, it’s another two points to make up. If the Capitals lose...
It almost comes as no surprise really but [b]Ty Conklin[/b] has been placed on [u]waivers[/u] by the Detroit Red Wings. This is coming after Joey MacDonald shocked and stole the hearts of all those in Detroit. He also stole a roster spot as the number two goaltender from Ty. Jimmy Howard is finally back after missing the past 8 games with a broken finger, thus making it ma...
[img:right]http://media.mlive.com/redwings_impact/photo/10581756-large.jpg[/img]
Detroit, who has been unbeatable at home since December took the reigns to the top spot in this week's NHL Power Rankings. They dethroned the New York Rangers who continue to win but aren't dominating like that team from Hockeytown. The Red Wings broke the NHL single season record of most c...
The Flames moved into a playoff spot in Saturday for the first time all season with a 1-0 shutout win. Kipper continues to play out of his mind but the PP is all of a sudden stuck in neutral. What gives? Read more here:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/derrick-newman/calgary-flames/flames-playoff-spot-pp-struggling
Newman
The world of hockey rumors and trades is a fascinating one.
Today, so many rumors circulate in cyberspace that...
"It's hard to recognize the real thing
It comes along once in a while
Like a rare and precious metal beneath a ton of rock
It takes some time and trouble to separate from the stock
You sometimes have to listen to a lot of useless talk" *
When I fir...
Gonna have Howard back in the lineup, cleary due to return as well. Nice little one day road trip before returning home for the next two. Catching a Chicago team that is trying to right the ship, and looked really good against the Blues a couple of nights ago.
The Wings are well rested. Six game homestand, no back to backs, a nice make up from the schedule makers for...
Let’s face it, with how inconsistent this team has been over the course of this year (and the last 2), we can basically be assured that Ron Wilson will not be the coach of the future for the Toronto Maple Leafs. His “systems” make for some exciting hockey, but the run n’ gun offense will not survive in today’s NHL. Players these days have far too much skill and a...
There is no denying the ability of Alex Ovechkin. Size, speed, power, he has all those things. There is one thing missing from the Great 8's game.
Character.
With the struggles of this team over the course of this season, it has become woefully apparent that Ovechkin is not exactly what you would call a team player. He is not doing the things that brings you the a...
Just in time for the Red Wings to get goaltender Jimmy Howard and forward Dan Cleary back from injuries news hit hard about superstar Pavel Datysuk getting arthroscopic surgery on his knee this morning. Datysuk, who is leading Detroit with 59 points in 59 games, is expected to miss the next couple of weeks.
General manager Ken Holland said the surgery was "minor" and he...
RobSkorochocki writes...
TAKING IN THE HUMONGOUS BIG GOALIE SITUATION IN PHILADELPHIA
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
When Ilya Bryzgalov signed a 9 year, $51 million dollar contract on June 23, it wasn’t even the biggest Flyers news of the day. The signing of the enigmatic Flyers netminder took a backseat to the trade of Jeff Carter to Columbus and the shocking blockbuster deal that sent Flyers fan favorite and captain Mike Richards to Los Angeles in return for Wayne Simmonds, highly t...
Tonight the Hawks take on their biggest rival, "The Detroit Scum", "Deadwings", or whatever you would like to refer to them as. Tonight, two big stars will be out of their respective line ups, Detroit's All-Star center Pavel Datsyuk will miss about two weeks following knee surgery and Captain Marvel is out for the Hawks with the infamous "Upper Body" injury. The Hawks wi...
The recent trade of Brandon Segal to Tampa Bay for Future Considerations could be clearing for a roster spot for a future trade. A name that could be a name for the Hawks is Steve Ott or Brendan Morrow from the Dallas Stars.
[img]http://2.cdn.nhle.com/lightning/v2/photos/mugs/8469755.jpg[/img]
The recent trade of Brandon Segal to Tampa Bay for Future Considerations could be clearing for a roster spot for a future trade. A name that could be a name for the Hawks is Steve Ott or Brendan Morrow from the Dallas Stars.
[img]http://2.cdn.nhle.com/lightning/v2/photos/mugs/8469755.jpg[/img]
Michael_Stuart writes...
Yzerman Sends Downie to Avalanche - Quick Update
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Steve Yzerman has continued his trade tirade today with moves sending Steve Downie to Colorado in exchange for Kyle Quincey, only to send Quincy to Detroit in exchange for Detroit’s 2012 first round draft pick and Sebastien Piche. Yzerman was not finished there; he then sent forward Matt Fornataro to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Brandon Segal. Here are some q...
I could be a long shot but a failing Buffalo Sabres team could be looking for a shakeup before the playoffs. Chicago is in need of a 2nd line center and Roy could be a nice fit for the Hawks 2nd line. If the Hawks were interested it could take Frolik, Pirri/Morin, pick, and then something.
The Lightning finished off their homestand tonight with a HUGE victory against the Anaheim Ducks. The Bolts may not have deserved the game, but good teams find ways to win. Right now, this group finds itself only 5 points out of the playoff picture. Many questions have yet to be answered.
[b]Read the game recap over at Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Buzz![/b]
[url]h...
It has been a while since my previous write up for the boys in red and black, so there is much to cover!
After tonight's grueling victory in Toronto over the Leafs in Overtime, the New Jersey Devils are on a four-game win streak, and are 35-20-4. Folks, that is a very impressive record for where this team was projected to end up. At this point last season, after 59 gam...
In a very surprising move by Detroit GM Ken Holland, who is known as one of the best in the league, a first round pick and a prospect ( Sebastien Piche) to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defensemen Kyle Quincey.
The move was part of a 3 way trade that involved Tampa Bay Lightning sending forward Steve Downie to the Colorado Avalanche, thus the Avs sending us the young defe...
As I watched the game last night, I was extremely worried towards the end. For a moment, it looked like Buffalo was going to be able to hang on to the victory. The Isles should have been an easy 2 points, especially since the Isles got creamed against the Senators the night before. However, Buffalo just got out of First Niagara Center with 2 points.
Buffalo played a me...
According to the Detroit Free Press the Red Wings are working on a two-year contract extension with forward Todd Bertuzzi. The contract is expected to be finalized before the weekend.
Bertuzzi is in his final season of his original two-year contract that pays him just under 2 millions dollars a season. The new contract is reported to bump his salary up over $2 million....
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts Head to Winnipeg for Game of the Season vs. Jets
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
All season, bloggers like myself have been preaching about “big games”. Well, tomorrow’s game against the Jets is the epitome of a big game. Playoff spots are on the line for the manager, ticket revenues are on the line for owners and jobs are on the line for players. This is a key time of a year; this game is shaping up to be the biggest of the season for the Tam...
Canadiens' fans worldwide hang and hide their heads in shame as the [i]Circ du Gauthier[/i] continues to embaress our proud organization. There is no doubt that the bottom has dropped out of whatever plan and rebuild Andre Savard had started and we have in fact returned to the days of Houle the Fool and Mario Trembley blindly leading the team through a mine field.
Once...
Kyle Quincey was the perfect pickup for the Wings. As I see them, here are the reasons...
1. Former Wing, knows the players, the system, wont disrupt chemistry.
2. You can never have enough d-men in the post season. This gives us eight.
3. Insurance with Stuart moving on.
4. Can quarterback the second power play unit, something we desperately need.
5. He paired with...
After I wrote my blog this morning, I realized that I had just scrapped the surface as to what is bugging Buffalo fans. So, let’s talk about this realistically.
I think everyone knows that Buffalo can make the playoffs. However, will this team go anywhere? Sure, Buffalo has beaten the Bruins and Penguins pretty badly recently. But in a best of 7 series? I don’t thi...
How would you feel, if someone came up to you, and said how happy they were that your favorite player was hurt? Probably, not too good. After reading Garth’s latest, I couldn’t ignore this. This happens to be an issue that I feel very strongly about.
“The Sabres just got a shot of positive news as their trek to grab the eighth and final playoff spot rages on. In M...
When I was young my vacations always revolved around one thing; my mothers love of history. Now usually they were incredibly boring for me, save for one, our trip to Philadelphia. Instead of going to see where the Declaration of Independence was signed or gazing upon the cracked beauty of the Liberty Bell, we all stayed cramped in our hotel room to watch t...
When I was young my vacations always revolved around one thing; my mothers love of history. Now usually they were incredibly boring for me, save for one, our trip to Philadelphia. Instead of going to see where the Declaration of Independence was signed or gazing upon the cracked beauty of the Liberty Bell, we all stayed cramped in our hotel room to watch t...
Okay, before I even start, I know this is totally far-fetched and would never happen in a million years and people will be jumping down my throat after they read this scenario. But the 2012 trade deadline is fast approaching and I was bored at work so I started daydreaming and came up with an exciting (and totally non-reality based) 3-way deal, including 18 bodies and f...
Everyone in Buffalo is currently wondering what the Sabres status is going to be heading into the deadline on Monday. Rebuild? Push for the playoffs? Cup run possible?
Let’s look at what’s apparent right now. This current Sabres team has played inconsistent hockey all year round. They string together some good games, and then look like a team who would lose to a pee...
The Maple Leafs have done a complete 180 degree turn from their usually post lockout performances and that is not a good thing Leafs Nation. The club has gone 4-6-2 since the all star game and an even worse 1-6-1 in their past 8 and as February 24/12 comes around the club looks like they will be sitting in a familiar spot post lockout..... out of a playoff spot.
The clu...
On a night when three of their division rivals played a game, the Chicago Blackhawks were the only team in their division that ended the evening without a point.
Steve Ott, Michael Ryder and Loui Eriksson each tallied for the Dallas Stars, as they downed the Blackhawks 3-1 at the United Center tonight.
Chicago started off slow in the first period, allowing Dallas t...
Something that seems lacking in this day and age is accountability. Maybe because it is getting harder and harder to make a buck. The average Joe does his perceived best day in and day out with the odd mistake along the way. Dinging the car beside him...oh, they won't notice. Missing the trash can...the cleaner will get that. They gave me back too much change...that b...
Without further ado...
1. Columbus- Nail Yakupov, LW, Sarnia Sting
- Columbus succeeds to 'Fail for Nail' and select the best player in this draft.
Comparable: Alex Ovechkin
2. Edmonton- Ryan Murray, D, Everett Silvertips
- Although most scouts believe Grigorenko will go second overall, the Oilers address their needs on defense by taking the best blueliner in th...
All this talk about Rick Nash in NY is driving me nuts. There is no need for a Nash in NY. Why not settle for a Derek Roy or a P.A Parenteau for less? No need to bust up our system with either of them. Roy (4 Million) needs a new place to play hockey and get back on track and produce like he's known to. Parenteau (1.25 Million) is playing well and would probably play bette...
[img]http://www.thesenatereform.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/MikeRichardsJeffCarter.jpg[/img]
Thursday evening Jeff Carter was reunited with his former teammate and captain Mike Richards as the LA Kings made the move to acquire his services.
[i]LA sent defensemen Jack Johnson and a conditional first round pick to Columbus (2012 or 2013) for Jeff Carter. [/i]
The...
A lot of speculation out there about two good right wingers. Well some call Nash a left winger, but on NHL.com, he's a right winger. I figured LA was going to trade Brown right away as soon as they got Richards, but they kept him... I didn't understand why they dealt for another captain type player, and now that their offense is leashed, they're starting to see it themse...
Like every fan who bleeds blue and white, I want nothing more than an invitation to the post season dance. I find myself dreaming of big trades and drawing up new lines all in hopes of filling the void of playoff absence. Then it happens.... A moment of clarity! I heard it summed up well today, Brian Burke didn't spend the last 4 years re-building this organization with yo...
Like every fan who bleeds blue and white, I want nothing more than an invitation to the post season dance. I find myself dreaming of big trades and drawing up new lines all in hopes of filling the void of playoff absence. Then it happens.... A moment of clarity! I heard it summed up well today, Brian Burke didn't spend the last 4 years re-building this organization with yo...
Like every fan who bleeds blue and white, I want nothing more than an invitation to the post season dance. I find myself dreaming of big trades and drawing up new lines all in hopes of filling the void of playoff absence. Then it happens.... A moment of clarity! I heard it summed up well today, Brian Burke didn't spend the last 4 years re-building this organization with yo...
Like every fan who bleeds blue and white, I want nothing more than an invitation to the post season dance. I find myself dreaming of big trades and drawing up new lines all in hopes of filling the void of playoff absence. Then it happens.... A moment of clarity! I heard it summed up well today, Brian Burke didn't spend the last 4 years re-building this organization with yo...
Like every fan who bleeds blue and white, I want nothing more than an invitation to the post season dance. I find myself dreaming of big trades and drawing up new lines all in hopes of filling the void of playoff absence. Then it happens.... A moment of clarity! I heard it summed up well today, Brian Burke didn't spend the last 4 years re-building this organization with yo...
andydrmm writes...
2-1 Sabres Final, in the Shootout, Much needed 2 points.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I'm doing something a little different tonight. After each period, I'm going to do a period recap as the game goes on... Talk to you after the first!
[b]0-0 End of 1[/b]
That was a pretty boring period. Both teams seem to be playing very cautious hockey. Yes, there are scoring chances for each team, but I wouldn't really call them exceptional. This seems to be the op...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Jets Dominate Lightning in Heartbreaker + Trade Rumors
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Lightning were in Winnipeg last night for a Southeast Division showdown. The team failed to show up and they got beaten as such. An inspiring comeback was not enough to save the Tampa Bay Lightning. They gave two points to their division rival and widened the gap between themselves and the playoffs. With only a 7.2% chance of making the playoffs, the Bolts need to ...
The Blackhawks four game winning streak came to an end on Thursday night when they provided the Dallas Stars with an opportunity to rally late in the third period and skated away with a much needed two points by both teams.
Chicago looks to regroup and get back on the winning track when they travel to Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon to face a recently offensively-impr...
It has come that time of year when everything thinks they can fool the (twitter) world by taking on the persona of different management types. Director of Player Personnel, General Manager, heck even Equipment Manager from time to time show up throughout twitter. But my real question to everyone is this: Do you actually believe what these fakers say? Let's take for example...
I understand why people don’t like the Hemsky contract; it’s a lot of money for an oft injured underperforming player. The thing that you have to remember is it's a short term deal for less than open market value. Additionally it puts the Oilers in a good cap situation going forward. Eberle, Hall and Paajarvi come out of ELC next summer where the Oil already have cap s...
"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...
There’s been a lot of talk lately as the Sabres (and fans) assess their organization. Again, the idea of creating a so called “Hockey Heaven” in Buffalo is pretty vague.
Management thinks that it is making it a great place to play hockey. The idea of selling Buffalo of as a great place to raise a family is fantastic too. The new locker rooms and upgrades to the a...
Jeff Carter was a stud in Philly with multi 30 plus goal seasons. To this day I still think the Flyers shot themselves in the foot getting rid of Richards and Carter. Getting Jeff Carter for Jack Johnson and a pick is a steal. Two years ago if the Kings ever tried to go after Carter while he was with the Flyers, they would have had to pay a steep price for the 30 goal scor...
Your coach calls you out...questions your contributions to the team.
Your team trades for the 'other half' of the Flyers former leadership duo.
Your name gets mentioned in numerous trade rumors...and you are the team's captain.
So what do you do?
Score a natural hat trick and add an assist through 1 and 1/2 periods against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Dustin Brow...
With a weekend of travel behind me, it’s time to take a look at the weekend and give a re-cap. Obviously there were two big games this weekend and thankfully the Bolts managed to pull out a win on Sunday. The Lightning are still “in” the playoff race but things are certainly getting a little more tense. Steve Yzerman has stated that he doesn’t believe he’ll be...
The Flames lost their third straight game on Saturday night and second straight in a shootout. What should they do before the trade deadline hits? Should they do anything? Come on over to TCL-West to debate!
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/derrick-newman/calgary-flames/flames-lose-third-straight-trade-deadline-looms
Nothing really happened on the Flames front except for the re-signing of Tim Jackman. Are you really surprised? Because you shouldn't be. With my spare time I took a quick look at the Canucks blockbuster sending Cody Hodgson to the Sabres for Zach Kassian. Read more:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/derrick-newman/vancouver-canucks/hodgson-kassian
WillGilligan writes...
Burke must be commended for not giving into temptation
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It must have been hard for Toronto Maple Leafs President and General Manager Brian Burke not to concede that the group that has seemingly kidnapped his team and played oh so poorly in their place since their win against Edmonton on February 6th had to be compelled with the power of the trade deadline.
However Burke has managed to see the forest for the trees and has...
WillGilligan writes...
Burke must be commended for not giving into temptation
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It must have been hard for Toronto Maple Leafs President and General Manager Brian Burke not to concede that the group that has seemingly kidnapped his team and played oh so poorly in their place since their win against Edmonton on February 6th had to be compelled with the power of the trade deadline.
However Burke has managed to see the forest for the trees and has...
WillGilligan writes...
Burke must be commended for not giving into temptation
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It must have been hard for Toronto Maple Leafs President and General Manager Brian Burke not to concede that the group that has seemingly kidnapped his team and played oh so poorly in their place since their win against Edmonton on February 6th had to be compelled with the power of the trade deadline.
However Burke has managed to see the forest for the trees and has...
FLAMES...
The Flames announced that they signed right wing Tim Jackman to a two-year, $1.25 million deal.
CANUCKS-SABRES swap...
Cody Hodgson is sent to Buffalo for Zack Kassian. This is certainly one of the biggest two deals of the day. Kassian has the potential to be a top power forward, while Hodgson is more advanced at this stage. He will help the Sabres, who we...
wgilligan writes...
Burke must be commended for not giving into temptation:
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It must have been hard for Toronto Maple Leafs President and General Manager Brian Burke not to concede that the group that has seemingly kidnapped his team and played oh so poorly in their place since their win against Edmonton on February 6th had to be compelled with the power of the trade deadline.
However Burke has managed to see the forest for the trees and has...
Cam Neely played hockey with the Ridge Meadows Hockey Association for the majority of his minor career and has been named to the Maple Ridge honorable people list. After a stellar season with the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League in which he led the team to the Memorial Cup Championship, he was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks ninth overall in the 1983 ent...
I’ve thought about this long and hard since I heard of the 2 trades that Buffalo has made. After some careful consideration, and looking at all of the stats, I’m not entirely sold on the deals that Buffalo has made. I’ll break it down to the two trades that were made today.
[b]Gaustad to Nashville[/b]
We all accepted this. I’m actually shocked that the Sabre...
Saturday, 06.14.2008 / 11:17 PM / 2008 Draft
Brampton Battalion center Cody Hodgson already is a student of the game of hockey. But he got a master's-level education during the Under-18 World Championships in April when he suited up for Team Canada at the event.
With long-time NHL coach Pat Quinn serving as professor, Hodgson earned high honors. As team captain, he l...
What the hell was that? The Flames looked terrible tonight against a much better Blues team. Read more here:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/derrick-newman/calgary-flames/flames-sing-blues
Newman
The Habs are in Tampa for a really important game tonight. The Bolts are only six points back of 8th place and, with their new look defense, you can bet they'll be ready to go. It should be a really exciting tilt as you know these two teams always get the best out of each other.
[b]There's a game preview blog over at TB HB![/b]
[url]http://tblhockeybuzz.blogspot....
Gunner Staal writes...
From apathy to ecstasy. A Sabres deadline day in review.
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img] http://welcometothe716.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/darcy-regier.jpg[/img]
Trade deadline day. One of two days a year where people in the hockey community will actually alter their work and education schedules to take in all the happenings on TSN, NHL Network, and Twitter. A big day from a fans perspective to get something done, anything. Trade deadline day is...
The answer is: only the GMs truly know.
I hear a bunch of media people saying, "Oh they're going to get a better deal during the summer" because their answer to everything is "wait and develop", yet I can name a whole bunch of summer deals that didn't pan out for the teams this year, LA and CBJ getting the Philly players within the hour last summer both turned out terri...
"...There is a faction that say as soon as something goes wrong the crazies come out and talk about trading Iginla or Kipper. I respond, why is it crazy when the same club, with the same players, goes through the exact same thing every year and never wins? Why is that crazy? Sutter is historically a coach that either misses the playoffs or goes out in the first round. Tha...
By adding Johnny Oduya to the Blackhawks' roster, Stan Bowman increased the defensive depth of this team. That's exactly what he said he wanted to do heading into the trade deadline. While I personally don't think that Oduya was number 1, or even number 2, on the Hawks' list of desirable defensemen, it is an improvement to what they previously had on the NHL roster. Howeve...
Well...the hawks beat three very good teams in NYR, DET, and STL. But, they are now sitting in another familiar spot. They have lost three consecutive games one at home and two in the state of California to two very hungry teams. They currently hold the sixth spot with 71 points and the Toronto Maple Leafs on deck for tomorrow night. When three o'clock rolled around yester...
The leafs lost another game, probably the most important game of the season. With the caps win tonight that leaves the leafs 4 pts out of 8th and sinking fast.
Yesterday, Burke elected to not make any roster moves, which he should have because in the past two seasons the team has responded well to a roster shake with great runs late in the season, now i believe Burke i...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Edge Closer to Playoff Spot with Victory Over Habs
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Sometimes, the referees do everything they can to change the outcome of a game. Occasionally, that's not enough. In last night's tilt between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Bolts got absolutely shafted by the officials. Those of you who read my blogs frequently know that I am not someone who harps on the referees often. In order for me to actua...
Dear Ron Wilson,
I along with most Leaf fans today feel your pain. Our team is not performing and it is frustrating as can be for fans, as well (I’m sure) for players and the coaches. You may feel that you are being unfairly blamed, as has been your feeling throughout your time in Leaf’s Nation. What I saw last night was pathetic. The players let you down early with...
- The whole Rick Nash saga played out about as I expected, although it may not be for exactly the reasons I described here [url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=6464&post_id=13064[/url]. I honestly think that Scott Howson really had no intention of dealing Nash unless someone was going to give up the house...and no one did. He did get a fair return for Jeff Carter...
ShudBeFamous writes...
Habs future: Current roster and who they should draft
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
First off, I do not beleive montreal needs to draft a Defencemen this upcoming draft, so I am writing this blog as if they will be drafting one of the top 4 offencive prospects that could go in the top 5 in Pittsburgh this June.
1. Nail Yakupov (5'11, 189lbs) - W - Sarnia Sting - 37GP/30G/35A/65PTS/26PIM
2. Mikhail Grigorenko (6'3, 200lbs) - C - Quebec Remparts - 57GP/...
I kept hearing all abound today by mass intelligence that is Toronto sports radio, how tough the leafs last 18 games are.
So I decided to look at the schedule and to my surprise it's not even bad, it's actually exactly what you would ask for if you could ask for it. Keeping in mind of course this is the NHL and you have to play different teams throughout the year. Clear...
I kept hearing all abound today by mass intelligence that is Toronto sports radio, how tough the leafs last 18 games are.
So I decided to look at the schedule and to my surprise it's not even bad, it's actually exactly what you would ask for if you could ask for it. Keeping in mind of course this is the NHL and you have to play different teams throughout the year. Clear...
I kept hearing all abound today by mass intelligence that is Toronto sports radio, how tough the leafs last 18 games are.
So I decided to look at the schedule and to my surprise it's not even bad, it's actually exactly what you would ask for if you could ask for it. Keeping in mind of course this is the NHL and you have to play different teams throughout the year. Clear...
I kept hearing all abound today by mass intelligence that is Toronto sports radio, how tough the leafs last 18 games are.
So I decided to look at the schedule and to my surprise it's not even bad, it's actually exactly what you would ask for if you could ask for it. Keeping in mind of course this is the NHL and you have to play different teams throughout the year. Clear...
I kept hearing all abound today by mass intelligence that is Toronto sports radio, how tough the leafs last 18 games are.
So I decided to look at the schedule and to my surprise it's not even bad, it's actually exactly what you would ask for if you could ask for it. Keeping in mind of course this is the NHL and you have to play different teams throughout the year. Clear...
I kept hearing all abound today by mass intelligence that is Toronto sports radio, how tough the leafs last 18 games are.
So I decided to look at the schedule and to my surprise it's not even bad, it's actually exactly what you would ask for if you could ask for it. Keeping in mind of course this is the NHL and you have to play different teams throughout the year. Clear...
Its been awhile for me writing a blog. Period. My last blog was March 5, 2010. My blog before that? January 15, 2010. Since I last blogged, we've seen 2 Stanley Cup winners hoist the Cup, Team Canada win gold at the Olympics, a riot in Vancouver, the passing of popular enforcers, the passing of an entire hockey team, hundreds of trades and signings, 2 Winter Classics, and ...
Wednesday night at the United Center I sat in the 100 level and pondered the idea of not having Patrick Kane in a Blackhawk Jersey. What would we do? Without Toews, who do we look to? Granted, I'm thinking in the Kane for Miller spectrum, I realized the immense importance of Patrick Kane. Wednesday night when the puck dropped, kicking off an Original 6 Match up, I could no...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Steal Two Points from Conference Leading Rangers
Posted Friday | Comments 0
It didn’t take long for tonight’s game against the New York Rangers to have a playoff feel added to it. If the Bolts are to make the playoffs this season, there is a great chance that their first round opponent would be the Rangers. Based on what we’ve been treated to over the course of the season series, this blogger can’t complain. The Rangers are one of the t...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning in Carolina for Pivotal Tilt Against the 'Canes
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Tonight’s game is a big one. The Lightning are in Carolina to take on the Hurricanes in what is shaping up to be a very pivotal game in the race for a playoff spot. With neither the Jets nor the Capitals in action on this Saturday evening, the Lightning have a shot to move just two points back of 8th place. That’s a far cry from the distant gap that once stood betwe...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts Continue Playoff Push with Comeback Victory Over Canes
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Back-to-back games are never easy for a team in the National Hockey League. After beating the Rangers on Friday, the Bolts found themselves with another daunting challenge in Carolina. Less than 24 hours later, the Bolts were tasked with taking down a Hurricanes team that had been playing very well as of late. The big guys came in tired, Garon was playing for the second...
I’ll be 100% honest here, I didn’t really have high hopes for the Sabres as they headed towards the West Coast. I didn’t really expect Buffalo to do too well, and kind of figured that the playoff hunt was going to get a lot more difficult come Monday.
HOLY $^#$ AM I GLAD TO BE WRONG!!!!
I mean, who honestly saw this coming? I wasn’t as shocked with the wins ...
It’s Sunday March 4th and the Bolts have a couple days off. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding this team right now as it tries to complete the once unthinkable task of making the playoffs. The games are big; the stakes are high. Every player on the roster knows that he needs to play well in order to get this team into that number 8 seed. Here’s hoping that t...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Ready to Take on Senators in Key Tilt on Tuesday
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Eastern Conference standings are so tight right now; a win, tomorrow against the Ottawa Senators, is a must. At the time of writing, the Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets had not dropped the puck in their incredibly important tilt. With a Jets loss today and a Lightning win tomorrow, the Bolts would be sitting in 8th spot. That's right folks, barring the outcome of t...
" ... This summer is shaping up to be a very busy one for the Flames organization.
Should the Flames not make the playoffs as expected then it certainly seems likely that Brent Sutter will be fired, this will be more about his results than his ability. It should be noted that in my opinion no coach will be successful in Calgary until the entire culture of the organizat...
When interviewed after the second period in yesterdays 2-1 victory in Detroit, Patrick Kane noted he wasnt pleased with his play. Despite his late second period goal which proved to be the game winner, Kane also did a half hearted drive by in the first period which led to the Kronwall goal tying the game at 1. But lets evaluate Kaner's play over the last three games, all h...
I could do a few things with this blog tonight.
I could talk about how turnovers are a hockey teams worst enemy.
I could say how Buffalo has been on a hot streak, and were due to lose.
I could talk about how certain Buffalo players need to step up in a game like this.
I could talk about how Buffalo is completing a pretty long road trip, and that they just si...
I can already imagine the comments I will get on this piece, but regardless what I am told, I need to document my stance on this (as well as put this on record for when the prediction comes true :)).
Jonas Gustavsson has been under some serious heat from the moment he was signed by the Blue and White. Thought of as the soon-to-be goaltending saviour of the franchise, w...
At a point in time when points matter most in the standings, the Chicago Blackhawks were unable to match the work ethic and effort in a 5-1 loss to their division rivals, the St. Louis Blues at the Scottrade Center tonight.
The Blackhawks didn't do themselves any favors by allowing the Blues to skate circles around them for sixty minutes and leaving their goaltender, R...
I have contemplated writing this blog and I can only hope that it causes a stir. Again and again and again, this guy preys on the one guy on the ice who has his head down. Last night he put Jakub Voracek the talented young player from Philadelphia in a body bag. Granted Voracek left Kronwall licking his chops by reaching back with one hand. After watching three or four dif...
They've made the call that everyone has been waiting for. The start of a new era? Tough to say but it should be fun. Read more here:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/derrick-newman/calgary-flames/flames-call-sven-baertschi
Newman
Michael_Stuart writes...
Capitals Break Hearts by Defeating Bolts in Overtime
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Welcome to the National Hockey League, Dustin Tokarski. It was a big night for everyone on the ice tonight as the Tampa Bay Lightning took on the Washington Capitals. With two points up for grabs in the ever-tight Eastern Conference playoff race, the Lightning needed a good performance. Trailing the Capitals by two points heading into the tilt, the Lightning had a great...
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...
I used to think Dean Lombardi built the Kings without an identity. But, now, I realize that the Kings actually have an identity, one that is of a team that is wimpy, weak, soft, and energy-less. What you see live or on t.v. is exactly the identity Dean has built, and Sutter is an extension of that identity by telling his players not to fight or engage the opponent.
...
megamind writes...
Flyers depth will make them a dangerous team in the playoffs
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Consistency is typically an attribute that most people hope to have.
No matter the subject matter, to be consistent is usually viewed as a positive. That is of course unless you are being consistently, inconsistent.
For the Philadelphia Flyers, the one constant for their team this season has been just that.
However, not in the way that it sounds.
While the team...
As the clock wound down in the waning seconds of the game, the crowd at Wells Fargo Center rose to their feet.
It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence on Thursday night, but it was the final time that they had the chance to do so.
They planned to enjoy every moment of it.
With their Philadelphia Flyers leading the Florida Panthers by a score of 5-0, it proved to be the...
It's difficult to remember that it's understandable for a team to lose an important game against a significant divisional opponent at this point in the regular season, as everyone is vying for playoff position and overall points in the standings.
What might be more disconcerting is who the loss are coming against. The Blackhawks previous dismantling at the hand of the ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Carolina Hurricanes Preview
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Hockey Gods were with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night. Both the Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets failed to pick up much needed victories. If everything goes right for the Bolts tonight, they could go to bed Saturday sitting only one point back of 8th place in the Eastern Conference. On top of a Bolts win, the Capitals and Sabres would both have to lose. I...
megamind writes...
Everything Is Clicking For The Flyers Going Down The Stretch
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Playoff Dreams Shattered with Brutal Loss to Canes
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
If that’s the best performance the Tampa Bay Lightning are going to be able to turn out on this home stand, fans better be prepared for a wealth of disappointment. Tonight, the Hurricanes proved that you don’t need the most talented roster to win in the National Hockey League; all it takes is a little hard work and a good system. The Bolts had their playoff hopes das...
One thing really stood out to me tonight in Buffalo’s win against Ottawa... Ennis’s goal in the dying moments of the 2nd period.
For those of you who missed it, Buffalo gets the puck into the Ottawa end in the last 30 seconds of the 2nd period, down 2-1. Ennis is camped in front of the goal creating the screen on Bishop. Leino gets the puck back to Leopold who lets...
After putting in a grind-it-out effort against one of the league's top teams to down the New York Rangers 4-3 on Friday night, the Chicago Blackhawks will look to build off said effort when they host the Los Angeles Kings tonight at the United Center.
It's hard to believe that the Blackhawks have only scored two goals in three games against LA this year, and not since ...
I went with my fiancé last night to take in an Amerks game. Luckily, since the Sabres are now re-affiliated with the Amerks, I can talk her into going a lot more. Buffalo’s farm team is playing very well at the moment, and right now in the middle of a playoff race in the AHL, in case you're not following the Amerks closely. If the playoffs started today, the Amerks are ...
The hawks fell to a hungrier Kings team last night in a shootout at the United Center. My thoughts after this weekend are positive. Let's be honest, with the captain in the line-up last night the hawks get two points. Patrick Kane, while not a phenomenal effort, he made a difference. Marian Hossa played well and seems to be getting better every game. Viktor Stalberg...plea...
megamind writes...
Who are these guys and what have they done with the Flyers
Posted Monday | Comments 0
For fans of the Philadelphia Flyers, the last week has been like the world was shifted on its head.
With a group who has struggled all year to stifle an opponent’s offense, the fact that the team has recorded three shutouts in one week is an amazing accomplishment that never seemed possible.
In all honesty, it was actually kind of weird.
To make matters even str...
When reading The Hockey News’ preview for the 2011-2012 NHL season back in October, I laughed when they predicted the New York Rangers to finish first in the Atlantic Division. With the division being dominated by the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers in the late 1990s and early 2000s, along with the emergence of the Pittsburgh Penguins this past half decade, it...
Matt Stajan provided the heroics for the Flames 4:20 into overtime to give them a 3-2 win over the visiting Sharks. It was the team's fourth win in a row, there longest winning streak since December. Read more here:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/derrick-newman/calgary-flames/ragin-stajan-flames-sink-sharks-ot
Newman
Hawks 4 Blues 3 in a shootout and in what most would call a playoff type of game. The Blackhawks continue to step up in big games against solid opponents and get the job done. When looking back on the season, the Hawks have beaten the NHL's elite. As of late, they have been adjusting their perimeter, non-physical style to a more nuts and bolts style of hockey. Last night, ...
I just don’t get this. Words can’t explain what Buffalo has just done the past 2 games. Yes, I understand 3 points out of 4 the past 2 games. But blowing the game, in 3 seconds or less, in back to back games...
[b]UN-@#%ING-ACCEPTABLE!!!!![/b]
It’s great that Foligno is playing well. I’m glad for the kid. Stafford has also picked up his game lately. As for Ho...
Earlier this season, the Philadelphia Flyers allowed a lot of goals against.
The reasons for this varied depending upon whom you spoke to or read, but the overwhelming majority blamed Ilya Bryzgalov.
When discussing Bryzgalov, that too had a diverse set of thought processes as to why the free agent goaltender was struggling.
One of the more popular beliefs was tha...
[b]Follow me on Twitter for prospects news, analysis and Calgary Flames updates @RyanHB
[/b]
In this edition of my blog, I will look at a Calgary Flames' prospect, in Michael Ferland.
Over the past couple of years I've been watching Ferland play, and develop into the player he is today. I will go over his strengths, weaknesses and projected placement- in a precursor ...
So far this season, the Flyers have struggled mightily while playing during the day.
The team’s 3-8-1 record in afternoon games is proof enough of that.
Looking lethargic at times, the team’s lack of jump in day time hockey has resulted in sloppy play, which has allowed their opponents to outscore them 49-33 in those kinds of games.
Obviously, this is a trend ...
How can we find excuses? How can the team, or anyone for that matter, find an excuse for continued losses, at this point in the season? You can’t. No one can.
Tonight was another example of a game that Buffalo had to win, and should have won. What needs to happen for this team to move forward?
Let’s be honest. This team can’t move forward. If I hear how great...
The Chicago Blackhawks did just about everything necessary tonight to pad their sixth place playoff spot lead with another two points, while narrowing the gap between themselves and their division rivals, the Nashville Predators, who sit just two points ahead in the Western Conference race.
The Blackhawks played a consistent and focused hockey game en route to their 5-...
The Philadelphia Flyers are one of the most storied franchises in the history of the National Hockey League.
With star players ranging across every decade that the club has been in existence, the organization has had its fair share of players win a varying degree of individual awards.
However, there is one glaring absence.
No member of the Flyers has ever won the ...
[img]http://bluelinestation.com/files/2012/01/5194542.jpg[/img]
Nashville Predators GM David Poile is sending the message loud and clear to pending free agents Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. He is serious about winning a Cup and his moves in the last month are proving just that.
David Poile is probably in the toughest position of any GM in the league right now. He is d...
Wow, tonight was just what the doctor ordered. Buffalo controlled just about the entire game tonight against the Lightning. Everyone got involved tonight and several players joined in the scoring frenzy in Tampa.
The Stafford, Ennis, and Foligno line... unbelievable. This team has been in need of some serious chemistry this year. This three seem to have found it. Right...
Let's face it - this year's crop of free agents can be described as underwhelming ... at best. Brad Richards is really the only big name in the class and given the amount of teams reportedly in the running for the pivot, he'll likely fetch around $8 million per season mark and will get a long-term deal. That kind of contract doses cold water on the thought the club may tak...
Let's face it - this year's crop of free agents can be described as underwhelming ... at best. Brad Richards is really the only big name in the class and given the amount of teams reportedly in the running for the pivot, he'll likely fetch around $8 million per season mark and will get a long-term deal. That kind of contract doses cold water on the thought the club may tak...
Let's face it - this year's crop of free agents can be described as underwhelming ... at best. Brad Richards is really the only big name in the class and given the amount of teams reportedly in the running for the pivot, he'll likely fetch around $8 million per season mark and will get a long-term deal. That kind of contract doses cold water on the thought the club may tak...
Let's face it - this year's crop of free agents can be described as underwhelming ... at best. Brad Richards is really the only big name in the class and given the amount of teams reportedly in the running for the pivot, he'll likely fetch around $8 million per season mark and will get a long-term deal. That kind of contract doses cold water on the thought the club may tak...
Let's face it - this year's crop of free agents can be described as underwhelming ... at best. Brad Richards is really the only big name in the class and given the amount of teams reportedly in the running for the pivot, he'll likely fetch around $8 million per season mark and will get a long-term deal. That kind of contract doses cold water on the thought the club may tak...
Let's face it - this year's crop of free agents can be described as underwhelming ... at best. Brad Richards is really the only big name in the class and given the amount of teams reportedly in the running for the pivot, he'll likely fetch around $8 million per season mark and will get a long-term deal. That kind of contract doses cold water on the thought the club may tak...
mcefalu writes...
Blackhawks Look for Fourth Straight Win Against Blue Jackets
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
After winning three games in a row led by strong goaltending by netminder Corey Crawford, the Chicago Blackhawks look to capture their fourth straight victory when they travel to Columbus and attempt to maintain their dominance over a lowly Blue Jackets team.
This will be the Chicago Blackhawks' sixth meeting with the Blue Jackets this season, with Chicago capturing th...
Okay this current Red Wings slide just never seems to end.
After they broke the NHL record for the most consecutive home wins, it seems like an entirely differently hockey, well in most part it is because it is.
Let's take a quick run down of players that have missed a game of late: Pavel Datsyuk, Nick Lidstrom, Jimmy Howard, Todd Bertuzzi, Patrick Eaves, Dan Clear...
megamind writes...
Young Flyers gain valuable experience in playoffstyle hockey
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
For much of the season, fans of the Philadelphia Flyers have grown accustomed to high scoring games.
With a team loaded with offensive firepower in the form of 10 double-digit goal scorers and four 20 goal or more scorers, it hasn’t been uncommon for the team to unload a barrage of offensive firepower against their opponents.
However, those days appear to be in the...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning vs. Oilers Preview: A Victory is Needed
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Despite being all but out of the playoff race (barring a miracle), the Tampa Bay Lightning need a victory against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. Unless this team wants to absolutely tank the rest of the season, which is unlikely based on the culture Yzerman and Boucher have created, a victory is imperative for confidence and getting back on the right track. Let�...
Jay Feaster's hands were tied.
The Flames General Manager tried every possible angle to get defenceman Tim Erixon inked to an entry-level deal but as the 5:00 PM ET deadline crept closer, it became apparent there was nothing he could do to convince the 20 year-old to sign on.
If no deal was able to be made, Erixon would be put back into the NHL Entry Draft this mont...
No I’m not talking about tonights game. Another solid effort tonight from the Sabres. It’s good to see that they aren’t laying over and dying and are playing like they want to make it to the playoffs.
I’m glad that Hodgson is starting to find his way in Buffalo. 2 great goals from him tonight. Very impressive to see him starting to play to his potential. Miller...
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[b]Shots from around the league[/b]
The battle for the top seed in the Eastern Conference is heating up between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers. The Rangers gutted out a 2-1 overtime victory over the Det...
It appears as though the Chicago Blackhawks are peaking at just the right time.
Chicago's 2-1 overtime win over the Vancouver Canucks on Andrew Shaw's game-winning goal tonight marked their fifth win in a row, improving their record to 8-1-1 in their last ten games.
With the victory, the Blackhawks are now tied in points with Nashville for fifth place in the Western ...
I could not even here the anthem. It was a sold out playoff atmosphere at the United Center last night, and the game that followed, well, it was all anyone could ask for out of a Chi-Van affair.
Thoughts on the game: We will get to the chippy stuff a little later. This was an excellent hockey game. The physicality, the goaltender play mirrored the game 7 that took plac...
In a 30-team league where 16 teams make the playoffs, the policy of guaranteeing top-3 seeds (or even playoff spots, really) to division winners has always been stupid. But this season, more than any in recent memory, really drives the point home.
I’m writing this on Tuesday, March 22, 2012, with the regular season about 90 percent finished. Here’s the NHL top 10 by...
I'm a long time Kings fan. Living in northern Ontario, I don't get the coverage like all leafs/habs fans receive in this area which leads me to research on the internet anything KINGS! I do try to catch as many games streamed online as possible though! And with what I've seen, Los Angeles can pretty much play with anyone in this league! The jury is still out with the Pens ...
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)....
The Calgary Flames lost their fifth game in a row on Saturday afternoon in Dallas 4-1.
The season is all but over.
What's the problem though and why did they go on this slide?
In my opinion, it's a losing mentality that's ingrained in the dressing room starting with the coach.
Read more here: http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/derrick-newman/calgary-flames...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Beat Islanders: Worth Much More than Two Points
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It’s tough to measure the impact that one win can have on an NHL franchise. Still, last night’s Lightning win against the New York Islanders should be counted as a big one. It’s not a big one because it keeps the Bolts mathematically alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race; it’s a big one because it showed heart and resiliency from a group that could have ea...
Wild weekend of hockey for me the past 2 days. I spent Friday night in Rochester with my family taking in the Amerks vs Binghamton game. Saturday, my fiance and I ventured off to Buffalo for the Sabres vs Wild game, as Buffalo makes a push for the playoffs.
[b] Rochester Amerks [/b]
The Amerks are still looking like a solid squad. They may not have won on Friday nig...
Preds 6 Hawks 1. The streak was not going to last forever. But what this blowout on home ice suggests is that the Hawks are going to have a rough stretch without their captain and Norris trophy winning defensman. Is this an acceptable excuse for the Hawks uninspired play last night? No. But with a semi cozy spot in the sixth spot, a 3-2 record without Keith would solidify ...
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...
Buffalo has finally done it. They are finally in a position that a lot of us would like to see them in. They’re in that spot that I have been anxious about them getting into. With 5 games left in the season, Buffalo is now in charge.
As of right now, Buffalo is in complete control over whether they make the playoffs. Buffalo and Washington each have 5 games left. Buf...
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...
__________________________________________________...
Though not able to leave Jersey with two points the Hawks played a very solid game despite the first five minutes. For a newly offensive schemed team the Devils were impressive. Parise remains one of my favorite players to watch and I often ponder what kind of player it would take to get him in an Indian head. But nonetheless we learned a lot about this hawk team last nigh...
Yes, that Goalie John Grahame.. for the rest of this year... looks like Nabokov will get the rest of the season off after tweaking something in last nights game.
mcefalu writes...
Blackhawks Inch Closer to Playoff Spot with Win Over Blues
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Blackhawks made another important stride towards claiming a playoff spot tonight with their 4-3 shootout win over the St. Louis Blues at the United Center.
Bryan Bickell, Andrew Brunette and Patrick Sharp scored in regulation and Dave Bolland's shootout tally provided the game winner for Chicago over their division rivals. Corey Crawford made 20 saves for the Black...
As March nears it's end, the Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves in a familiar spot in the standings; near the bottom. The Leafs, who haven't made the playoffs since before the lockout, have been floundering in recent years, and seem no closer to postseason success now then they did at this time last year, or even two years ago. The one difference between this year and the...
When the Penguins face the Sabres tonight (3/30/2012), there's a lot on the line. And due to a couple of stinkers against the Islanders, the Penguins have more at stake in this game than some may realize.
For the Sabres, a win keeps them in the 8th playoff spot in the East (at least) and moves them 2 points ahead of the Capitals with both teams having 4 games remaining...
Two months ago, it seemed as though the Leafs were destined for their first playoff appearance since the lockout. Lupul and Kessel were clicking almost every night, and when they didn't, Grabovski and co. would pick up the slack. The defense was solid, and Jonas Gustavsson was playing his best hockey. Trips to the penalty box were few and far between. It was the best o...
I’m not ok with this loss. Buffalo needed this win, and needed to stay ahead of the Capitals. With a loss, Buffalo goes back into a “tie” for 8th. I’ll hit on what’s wrong with calling it a “tie” later.
Buffalo had a great game plan early in the game. Buffalo played Pittsburgh with a phenomenal physical manner. They attacked them hard, fought them in the ...
Tuesday night, playoff fever had hit Buffalo. Buffalo didn’t just beat the Capitals, they ran them over with a 5-1 win. Buffalo was in sole possession of 8th place, 2 points up on the Caps, with 5 games left for both teams. Buffalo was in control, and just had to keep playing solid hockey to get into the playoffs.
The Caps won on Thursday, making it clear that Buffal...
It is with a heavy heart that I must regrettably turn in my Pittsburgh Penguins' fan card. Despite being a fan since 1984 where I have been able to watch such wonderful moments in franchise history as Lemieux's 5 goals 5 ways against the Devils on 12/31/88, back-to-back Stanley Cups in 91 & 92, Mario Lemieux's victory over cancer, and the drafting of a nucleus of tale...
Saturday saw the Hawks make every fan sweat through their pants with an exhilarating 5-4 victory. Kane, Seabrook, Sharp, Stalberg and Bolland tallied for the Hawks. The Hawks played well and even though they let Nashville crawl back into the game and ultimately tie it up, only to be answered by a beautiful pass from Andrew Shaw to a streaking Brent Seabrook. This game show...
[b]Follow me on twitter:
@gunnerstaal[/b]
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For much of the season the race for the Vezina trophy was a one man contest. Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers was not only being mentioned for th...
Holy cow. I mean, who saw this happening after the 1st period?? What a game and what a motivation booster for the Sabres going into the final 2 games.
After the first period, down 3-0. I had Buffalo pegged for going down, but then after 2 quick ones for the Sabres, I started to think that they had another chance. Then, Buffalo went to sleep, Leaf’s capitalized again,...
Crawfish77 writes...
Buffalo's EPIC comeback via the hands of the Maple Leafs
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Who is ready for the NHL Playoffs? Although I think the, "Because its the cup" slogan for this years playoffs is a complete miss compared to the prior, "History Will Be Made" edition. The NHL playoffs are still very easy to get geared up for regardless. If you haven't seen the highlights or watched the Buffalo/Toronto game from last night, do it now! For my boy @Brimau5, a...
Three seasons with nothing to show for it. Is Brent Sutter's time in Calgary over? I think so. Read more here:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/derrick-newman/calgary-flames/brent-sutter-bell-tolls
Newman
Hello this is a new series I am starting,YES THE TITLE WILL BE THE SAME IN THE REGULAR SEASON NEXT YEAR!(These trades have nothing to do with other trades ie. Capitals could trade Ovi in 2 trades I list)
Trade 1-
Craig Anderson to Tampa for a 2012 2nd Round Pick
Well Obviously Tampa needs a goalie bad, so there is the reason for them.Ottawa would have Bishop starting ...
ssander writes...
Team by Team Worst Valued Contract (ANA-MTL) (Part 1)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
This is my first blog on Hockeybuzz and with the off-season approaching we should look into how the Amnesty Clause being rumoured to be apart of the new CBA. Reports have indicated that teams and owners are looking to incorporating an amnesty clause to buy out one-contract per team without it affecting that teams salary cap for the next season. In this 2 part blog are one ...
ssander writes...
Team by Team Worst Valued Contract (ANA-MTL) (Part 1)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
This is my first blog on Hockeybuzz and with the off-season approaching we should look into how the Amnesty Clause being rumoured to be apart of the new CBA. Reports have indicated that teams and owners are looking to incorporating an amnesty clause to buy out one-contract per team without it affecting that teams salary cap for the next season. In this 2 part blog are one ...
ssander writes...
Team by Team Worst Valued Contract (ANA-MTL) (Part 1)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
This is my first blog on Hockeybuzz and with the off-season approaching we should look into how the Amnesty Clause being rumoured to be apart of the new CBA. Reports have indicated that teams and owners are looking to incorporating an amnesty clause to buy out one-contract per team without it affecting that teams salary cap for the next season. In this 2 part blog are one ...
ssander writes...
Team by Team Worst Valued Contract (ANA-MTL) (Part 1)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
This is my first blog on Hockeybuzz and with the off-season approaching we should look into how the Amnesty Clause being rumoured to be apart of the new CBA. Reports have indicated that teams and owners are looking to incorporating an amnesty clause to buy out one-contract per team without it affecting that teams salary cap for the next season. In this 2 part blog are one ...
ssander writes...
Team by Team Worst Valued Contract (ANA-MTL) (Part 1)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=156400Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:43:41 -0400
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=13293
This is my first blog on Hockeybuzz and with the off-season approaching we should look into how the Amnesty Clause being rumoured to be apart of the new CBA. Reports have indicated that teams and owners are looking to incorporating an a...
I’m still sticking to the fact that Buffalo didn’t really want to make it this year. Look at the effort tonight, didn’t really strike you as a team that was playing desperate hockey, did it?
I waited to write this until the end of the Capitals game. It’s done, it’s over. The playoff race goes to Florida and Washington. Buffalo can’t catch either team now. Th...
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...
I have respect for John Tortorella as a coach.
He's a straightforward guy that has taken a team that has underachieved for many years (when you look at how much money they have spent versus victories) and led them to the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
There's a lot to like about the way he has handled the Rangers.
Of course, Tortorella has a Stanley Cup ring,...
Sven22 writes...
3-point games are insanity -- a (very) brief case study
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
CALGARY FLAMES
In games that ended in regulation:
Record: 32-29
Winning/points percentage: .[b]525[/b]
In games that ended after regulation:
Record: 5-16
Winning percentage: .238 (5 wins in 21 attempts)
Points percentage: .[b]619[/b] (26 out of 42 possible points)
So, just to be clear, going 5-16 in overtime is considered more successful and efficient than go...
The Tampa Bay Lightning took to the ice at the MTS Centre to close the season on Saturday night. There were three key storylines to follow in what turned out to be a great end to the season.
[b]To read the full game re-cap, and many more pieces on the Tampa Bay Lightning, head over to Between the Benches.[/b]
[url]http://betweenthebenches.com/?p=1073[/url]
Thanks...
The Chicago Blackhawks will face off with the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round of the 2012 playoffs. It is easy to overlook the ‘Yotes, as are most in Hawk nation, but,it is important to remember a couple of things. 1. Mike Smith has been sensational all year. He is a solid goaltender and has proven to the NHL that he is one of the NHL’s elite and don’t be surprise...
"... So we start with the overall questions, What’s next? After three seasons of no playoff hockey the Flames fans are mad. We all remember the season after season futility and it seems like those scars are now being opened. The 04 run is now long gone and all good will it generated is depleted. After so long losing there has to be a major shift in culture with the Flame...
Hello again.
As usual, my compulsions toward both hockey and numbers have led to to create a big ol' NHL spreadsheet, in which every team's record is broken down into its constituent components -- regulation wins, overtime wins, shootout wins, shootout loses, overtime loses and regulation loses.
With these numbers, I can run any kind of standings adjustment I choose....
Now that my team has been eliminated from the playoffs (as predicted) I can look at the playoffs objectively. Here's my take on the quarterfinal match ups in this years NHL playoffs.
I'm writing on this site, click on the link below to read the whole article.
http://betweenthebenches.com/?p=1103
Not to many people are talking about this because it seems everyone feels that Columbus will draft Yakopov first overall. I really don't feel this is the case. Its not that I feel Yakopov isn't worthy of being drafted first overall its that he is Russian and this is Columbus.
Columbus has had a horrible record with Russians; Filitov, Zherdev come to mind when you thin...
Not to many people are talking about this because it seems everyone feels that Columbus will draft Yakopov first overall. I really don't feel this is the case. Its not that I feel Yakopov isn't worthy of being drafted first overall its that he is Russian and this is Columbus.
Columbus has had a horrible record with Russians; Filitov, Zherdev come to mind when you thin...
It seems that I am the only Blue and White fan that actually enjoyed the presser this afternoon. Over the past week I have been listening to what Leaf fans wanted Burke to say, versus what they expected him to say. I full out believe that it didn’t matter what was said by the Leaf’s GM and that the failure of the season was enough to simply cast aside anything meaningf...
tml1967 writes...
Toronto Maple Leafs embarrass themselves and their fans
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This season is finally over and after a lot of promise and hope, the Maple Leafs collapse, which saw them go 7-18-4 from February 6th at the time they sat in 6th place in the Eastern Conference and dropped all the way down to 13th by the time the season ended, with the fifth worst record in hockey. What the hell happened?
We can point fingers at everyone in the organiza...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
Gunner Staal writes...
Quick hit stats for Penguins vs. Flyers matchup
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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[b]Follow me on twitter @gunnerstaal[/b]
Here are some quick hit stats for the much anticipated Penguins/Flyers first round matchup.
Penguins and Flyers both finished the regular season with identical 19.7% power plays.The Flyers were #1 in total PP time this ...
What would Calgary want? A first round draft pick would be the obvious starting point, what else that would be added to any potential trade would be totally up in the air. So in assuming that the Flames asking price is starting with a first, anything less would be not worth moving him, who’s first is most attractive? Obviously Edmonton’s but there is no way on both sid...
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 ...
If you're a fan of Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier, don't click on the link. It's not pretty nor pleasant for a fan of either. I do like Ruff, but his time in Buffalo should be done...
Still Here? Great, go check it out, and enjoy.
Most importantly, thanks for reading!! :)
http://betweenthebenches.com/?p=1244
BarDownBobo writes...
Why Steve Tambellini SHOULDN'T Trade The First Overall
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The second that it was announced that the Edmonton Oilers had won the right to select first overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft suggestions started pouring in that they should trade the pick off for some immediate help, likely defensively. However it is my belief that the Oilers would not be better off to trade the pick, instead should do the obvious thing and select Sarni...
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’...
The predictable parting of ways between the Calgary Flames and Brent Sutter happened today. Three years of playoff-less hockey and a team in desperate need of a new identity eventually sunk Sutter. So who's next? Come join the discussion:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/derrick-newman/calgary-flames/brent-sutter-and-flames-part-ways
Newman
I have grown fed up with the nonsense of this league. While I complain I will also offer some suggestions:
Refs rotate; they do not ref more than 2 playoff games in one series. This can be done; I hear computers are pretty good at making schedules. Who cares about the travel schedule.
Toronto should be able to call a specific game and overturn a bad call: the icing c...
[b]The best way to build a contender is through the draft so we'll start here.[/b]
Habs have the #3 pick, it's simple if he is available, draft Alex Galchenyuk. We need wingers on fwd more than anything but that doesn't matter Gally is a game changer, they won`t have many chances at a player like this.
[b]Sort out the contract mess[/b]
Re-sign Price at a reasonabl...
The history of NHL playoff series will tell you that being down 1-0 is not as catastrophic as most people on the losing end of the first game feel it is.
In fact, when the home team loses the first game of series, their chances of winning the series only drop about 4%.
But by the time the second game is concluded, if you haven't earned a tie in the series, your chanc...
It's been a little surprising how many explanations of why the Canucks lost game 1 are tinged with just a little disrespect towards the LA Kings.
A lot is said of what the Canucks DIDN'T do as opposed to what the Kings DID do. Well let me tell you one thing. The Kings had a far greater impact on game 1 than just that the Canucks didn't bring enough emotion and played ba...
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...
A Google search for the word ‘unraveled‘ shows definition number two as:
Become undone.
While the post game interviews from the Penguins locker room had guys talking about commitment to the team and each other, what happened on the ice sure looked a lot more like a team that has ‘become undone’.
While it may be surprising to some that this team faces elimina...
For those in the hockey world currently in their offices watching the playoffs. Which is, currently being seen on a international stage, they must be a little cautious with the use of the phrase "This is just playoff hockey". To be clear I am not the type of fan who believes that checking should be banned or that the players cannot defend themselves. You could define me a...
The two obvious choices to meet in the cup finals this year were, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Vancouver Canucks (sorry TSN, the monkey is looking way better now). Yet, both are less than 24 hours away from a trip to the golf course and to be quite honestly they deserve to be. Both team have 3 glaring reasons why they are now looking like the lower seed in their series'...
A TROLL...the online definition looks like this:
[b]In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory,[2] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[3] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.[4] [/b]
...
[img]http://cache.deadspin.com/assets/images/11/2011/09/medium_puck_daddy_chats_with_brendan_shanahan_about_making_suspension_videos_colin_campbell_criti.jpg[/img]
By Ryan Wilson
Follow me on Twitter [b]@gunnerstaal[/b]
As each day passes in the playoffs it seems that it also comes with a new disciplinary issue. The one thing that most people who are dire...
Rocky_Vaughn writes...
Can We Get Some Decent Announcers For The Playoffs?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Is it just me or is this one of the worst years for biased play-by-play and colour commentary? I understand that each team has their own announcer, whether on TV or on radio, for local broadcasts. What I'm talking about is the people doing nationally televised games on CBC , NBC, etc. Should these games not be called evenly for the benefit of all fans and not just fans ...
The Roberto Luongo era is coming to an end in Vancouver. Everything that has transpired over the past few days would indicate that Roberto Luongo is on his way out of Vancouver. Rewind the clock just two or three years ago and this notion would have been unthinkable. Now, with Cory Schneider all but dominating the Canucks’ crease, Roberto Luongo finds himself at a crossr...
Four games into the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals match-up between the Penguins and Flyers -- and [b]just about anybody that thought they had a clue how this series would turn out is simply at a loss for a reasonable explanation to what we have seen so far.[/b]
Each game has been it's own little anomaly.
Going into Wednesday night's 'do or die game' for the Pengu...
Vokoun is no longer welcome in Washington. Not because of his play (which has actually been just as excellent as his time in Florida), but simply because it's a numbers game. It should be pretty clear to everyone in the hockey world that Vokoun took a large salary cut to play for a potential cup-winning team instead of sticking it out with his bottom of the heap Florida Pa...
1. I think the oilers should draft yakupov and 32nd pick draft pick the best player available or try to trade that pick up to get someone better
2. Trade for Braden holtby. He is playing so awesome right now him and dubie can fight for starter buy out bulins contract and then trade for one of capitals top Dmen
3.sign Matt carle Or wideman sign jarret stoll get rid...
[b]"Big Splash"[/b]
So Ek reports today that the Leafs([i]Burke[/i]) are([i]is[/i]) yet again proclaiming to the hockey world that they will be making bold moves this off-season. Not only will they be doing whatever it takes to get Rick Nash out of Columbus but they will also be signing a high end free agent. Haven't we heard this all before?
Yes, of course we have ...
famousjon writes...
Predator history from the eyes of a younger brother
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Last night was the most significant win in the young history of the Nashville Predators.
It was not the best game the Predators ever played. It was not an upset or a comeback for the ages. It was not a dominant performance. It didn't include the greatest goals, saves, or hits in Predator history. It wasn't a game that will go down in the NHL history books for anyt...
I watched the Flyers vs Penguins series the most this year. I also was one of the few individuals who said that the Flyers would win this series, despite what was said on nhl.com, on here, in Sports Illustrated, everywhere pretty much. However, I stood by my pick, Flyers in 6.
http://betweenthebenches.com/?p=1517
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...
Last night Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers skated to a 3-2 victory at Scotia Bank Place in Ottawa to force a game 7 in their series with the Senators. The top seed in the East fought back from a deflating shutout loss at home in Game 5 and an early 1-0 deficit in game 6. The Atlantic Division champs had some help from an undisciplined Ottawa team who took several crucia...
RobSkorochocki writes...
HOLY HENRIK! CONTROVERSIAL GOAL OVERSHADOWS RANGERS WIN
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Once again, with just under a minute remaining in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Series between the top seeded New York Rangers and eighth seeded Ottawa Senators, we had some controversy in a game which already included a few questionable calls on both sides.
The Rangers were leading the Senators 3-1 when agitator Chris Neil (who faked being injured jus...
Why would Edmonton trade the 1st Overall pick? The second Edmonton won the Draft Lottery everyone started to compare them to the Quebec Nordiques who also got the 1st Overall pick three years in a row. Quebec would win the Stanley Cup five seasons later as the Colorado Avalanche, guess how many of those 1st Overall picks were on that Stanley Cup winning team. If your gue...
Why would Edmonton trade the 1st Overall pick? The second Edmonton won the Draft Lottery everyone started to compare them to the Quebec Nordiques who also got the 1st Overall pick three years in a row. Quebec would win the Stanley Cup five seasons later as the Colorado Avalanche, guess how many of those 1st Overall picks were on that Stanley Cup winning team. If your gue...
Why would Edmonton trade the 1st Overall pick? The second Edmonton won the Draft Lottery everyone started to compare them to the Quebec Nordiques who also got the 1st Overall pick three years in a row. Quebec would win the Stanley Cup five seasons later as the Colorado Avalanche, guess how many of those 1st Overall picks were on that Stanley Cup winning team. If your gue...
Colin Dambrauskas writes...
My thoughts on Luongo and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
After many conversations, it appears most Leaf fans feel that Luongo coming to Toronto either wont happen or is a bad idea primarily due to the length of his contract, and secondly because he might not even want to play there.
After having failed with the Gustavsson and Reimer duo, Burke is at a point where he is desperate for a legitimate starter for the 2012-2013 sea...
Well, this off-season has started much earlier then us Wing fans had hoped but with that happening most likely major changes will happen. My personal opinion as to what the Wings do is this and this is just my opinion and I would love to see your opinions in the comments. First I believe Stuart is leaving to the Kings or another California team to be closer to his family...
The second round of the NHL Playoffs start tonight and already the big name teams are gone Wings, Pens, Canucks, Shark, Hawks and the defending champ Bruins. Parity at its finest people. So without any further ado here are my predictions for the second round of the NHL playoffs:
Blues-Kings (Blues in 7)- This is going to be a very low scoring series in my opinion. I ...
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...
For the past 21 years, the Detroit Red Wings have been on a run of tremendous success that very few fans experience in a lifetime. It's been very special that I have been lucky enough to be a fan born into the success of the Detroit Red Wings. I was born in October 1990, and the Wings have made the playoffs every season that has been played since, a streak that has now rea...
there hasn't been a flames blog in awhile beside the vancouver blogger. So i decided to take a chance and voice my opinion on the change Calgary should do.
Its time to do something in calgary because it has not work for the past five seasons. Calgary has two big asset in captain Jarome Iginla and goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff.
Kipper would be easier to trade because there ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Defending Steven Stamkos' Hart Trophy Nomination
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It feels like the Lightning fan base has to constantly come to the defense of its star players. After seeing the reaction to the Hart Trophy nominations, this week has been no exception. There was so much backlash towards Steven Stamkos for being nominated as “he didn’t lead the Lightning to the playoffs” – No, he didn’t. What did he do though? Well, not only did...
Marc Bergevin has been announced as the new GM of the Montreal Canadiens. As tough a job as GM of the Habs is, he comes at the right time. Following Gauthier's reign makes for a chance to look great by comparison. Bergevin played nearly 1200 games in the NHL and followed up his playing career with a long stint in Chicago Blackhawks management. A team that had tremendous su...
Today, Jay Feaster announced the signing of the 26 year old Czech centre Roman Cervenka to a a 1-year contract worth US$3,775,000 including bonuses. The deal had been in place since Thursday, however Cervenka's contract ended on Monday.
Roman Cervenka recently led his team in points, registering 11 goals and 11 assist in 20 KHL playoff games. He is described as having...
With Draft day looming, a lot of questions are in play.
Do we draft A potential top 6 forward in (Grigorenko, Forsberg, Galchenyuk).
Do we trade up with Edmonton (Who is in dire need of depth at D, and could get it in Ryan Murray.).
Do we trade for rights to an upcoming UFA (Parise).
There is a lot to think about, with one solid line (Pacioretty, Cole, Deshairn...
saneopinion writes...
All things Flames, Draft, Cervanka, UFA's, Kipper/Iggy
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
.... You read it here first: Iginla and Kipper will start the season in Calgary.
A few more crystal ball gazing ideas come to you when you absorb this information.
The first being that Olli Jokinen will probably be re-signed. I know this flies in the face of what Eric Francis thinks but there are a few factors here to consider when discussing Jokinen. He was the be...
We would all rather be watching our Habs players play in the playoffs right now, but we can get a look at a few of them over the next couple of weeks in the World Championships. Although if the Habs were to lose a game in triple overtime like the Caps did last night I may have had a heart attack. The Canadiens will be sending four players over to Finland and Sweden for thi...
A couple days ago, I read Darren Dreger's comments in an interview he gave on Sportsradio 93-7 about the potentiality of trading Evgeni Malkin rather than Jordan Staal during the offseason. Understanding that a new CBA being negotiated could change this development for Penguins GM Ray Shero, this is an interesting and [or] disturbing thought for a few reasons.
Before I ...
Goaltending rumors are everywhere right now. Speak to anyone in Toronto, Chicago, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Vancouver and here in Tampa and it becomes abundantly clear that this could well be the “summer of the goaltender” in the NHL. Names that come up often have been well documented here and by the mainstream media. You have Schneider, Luongo, Bernier, Harding, Lindba...
Eklund recently posted a blog indicating that the rumors of Roberto Luongo to Tampa Bay are heating up and mentioned that the potential deal could be a Luongo for Lecavalier swap. The VL4/RL1 rumblings have been around for a few years now. Since the departure of Khabibulin, the Lightning have really struggled in the goaltending category. Roberto Luongo’s history in Flori...
What makes a Cup Champion? It's no longer what one may think. Just because someone has a super star, or 1 All-Star caliber line doesn't guarantee a Cup.
http://betweenthebenches.com/?p=1708
The Cole Audesirk 2012 Flyers Offseason Plan.
1. Letting Matt Carle Walk. : He is an UFA, who will be looking for a raise off of his current contract of about $3.5 million, plus his lackluster playoff play has left me wanting him to leave.
2. Let Pavel Kubina Walk. : Temporary aging defenseman, not needed in the long run.
3. Bury Andreas Lilja in the minors/Buy his co...
The Mens’ World Hockey Championships are well underway in Europe. Despite not having the same reputation as Olympic hockey over here in North America, the WHC does provide fans with a great look at some international talent. To be asked to play in this event is, and always will be, a great honor for players. Team Canada, this year, has iced a very strong roster from t...
Perhaps the biggest decision to be made by Marc Bergevin this summer will be what to pay current restricted free agents and future franchise cornerstones Carey Price and P.K. Subban. Both will demand huge raises from their current salaries, but with future CBA and salary cap uncertainty it is important to get them signed to the most modest deals possible. A year from now D...
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[img]http://athletes-celebrities.tseworld.com/cached/_images/maintainwidth/160x192/3289d6466a2cd8483042263f956c9f7d/shanahan-brendan-160-1933.jpg[/img]
Well here’s something each and every single one of us hockey fans have been aware of all season long. Brendan Shanahan—the head disciplinarian o...
There is a rumor circulating this morning that Larry Robinson would welcome a return to Montreal as an assistant coach. According to an article in the Toronto Sun, Robinson’s agent Don Cape says Larry would return to the Habs organization because he knows Marc Bergevin and the Molson family well and he believes the right people are in place in this organization. It is ni...
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 ...
With the off-season for the Lightning in full-swing, it can be tough for bloggers like myself to pick up on storylines to write about. Still, the last couple of days have brought fans a couple of key tidbits to pick up on. First of all, there are conflicting reports coming out of Sweden regarding Mattias Ohlund and his desire to retire. Secondly, the Tampa Tribune is re...
Michael_Stuart writes...
A Plea to Fans of the Lightning and the Canucks
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Amidst reports of Mattias Ohlund retiring and Roberto Luongo being on the trading block, I have a plea for the Vancouver Canucks and their fans to read, and take in. Call me sentimental, call me old-fashioned, but this could work out incredibly well for both sides. Tampa Bay Lightning fans had great reason to be happy when the Bolts signed Mattias Ohlund a couple years a...
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...
The round robin portion of the World Championships are complete and the Habs representing their respective countries this Spring have been largely impressive. The four Quarterfinal games will all be played on Thursday, followed by Semifinal Saturday and the medal games taking place on Sunday.
Lars Eller had the most disappointing tournament of the Canadiens as his team...
"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 ...
The 94th edition of the Memorial Cup featuring the best Junior hockey teams in Canada, begins Friday in Shawinigan. The Montreal Canadiens will be well represented with four of their prospects taking part in the premier event hosted by Shawinigan. The Habs two most recent first round picks will both be competing, Nathan Beaulieu for the Quebec League champion and defending...
Since there is a new CBA pending I thought of some things I would like to see changed in the NHL. Of course the CBA will focus on salaries and some minor rule changes,so my thoughts are complete fantasy. However these are the ways i would like to see the NHL changed.
1. Conference re-alignment: I know the NHL tried this already but their whole blow it up and start over ...
Quickly, as a disclaimer, the above title does not refer to the thorough New Jersey Devils victory from Wednesday night in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but more as a plea for New Jersey to stay out of the penalty box. The Devils won 3-2 and surrendered both goals on the power play, another of which came from Rangers über rookie Chris Kreider. The Devils contro...
For my first crack at blog writing in some time, I thought I would simply put together a list of my thoughts on the Leafs.
1. Nazem Kadri is in no way the bargaining piece Brian Burke would have us believe he is, nor is he the super star the Leafs need. In fact, I would argue that if he does not piece together the defence side of his game soon - and that includes limiti...
ISS released their new draft rankings yesterday. There are some surprises and the reason for the changes can be seen. Forsberg moved to the number 2 spot for his finish as top forward in the Under 18 tournament. However with that said Matt Dumba moved up but was ranked behind U-18 Dman Jacob Trouba. Dumba Lead the tournament in points and was selected as the number one...
Which is the greatest dynasty team in the history of the NHL? Is it the Edmonton Oilers of the late 80's? The Canadiens of, well, pick a decade other than the one we're in, or was it the Islanders of the early 80's? Another team perhaps?
I guess my point is that in the history of the NHL, there have been teams which have succeed for prolonged periods of time. And I'm no...
There is a #91 Tavares Jersey that is framed and hung on Eric Murphy's office wall on the set of HBO's "Entourage." It's ironic, considering the show had it's final season on HBO last year and the Islanders might not be far behind.
In August 2011, a referendum which would have allowed the Islanders to borrow up to $400 million to modernize the Nassau Coliseum failed in...
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...
Asset management is the top priority for every General Manager in hockey. Getting something for players you move keeps a franchise afloat, however getting nothing for an asset can set a franchise into ruin. Unfortunately for the Montreal Canadiens, Pierre Gauthier got a whole lot of nothing for many of his assets.
In today’s era of free agency, salary caps and money h...
So its been a while since I have writen a blog here, so for those one or two people that read it I appologize.
So after a disapponiting season many Sharks fans felt its time to really shake things up. So far that shake up has been a letter from the ownership saying that the season was unacceptable but Wilson is safe. Next we saw that head coach Todd McLellan was safe...
The Vancouver Canucks need to trade Roberto Luongo, right? He's old, washed up, mentally unstable, carries a contract until infinity, and guess what, Cory Schneider is right there, banging on the door (although some would argue that it is Luongo who is banging on Schneider's door now). Luongo out, Schneider in equals one cup to soothe the rioters, right?
Wrong. Cory Sch...
So three days in a row, I've written a blog. Three days in a row I've mentioned Jake Gardiner. But how can I not? By my estimate he is the sixth best defence man from the 2008 draft class thus far, and he's only played professional hockey for one year, as opposed to three or four. He's well liked, he's well educated, and, perhaps his most tantalizing prospect, he has conne...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Goaltending Woes: Is Andrei Vasilevski the Answer?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
When the 2011-12 season concluded for the Tampa Bay Lightning, it was incredibly apparent that the team lacked a true number one goaltender. Dwayne Roloson looked over-the-hill, Mathieu Garon served as a good back-up and Dustin Tokarski simply seemed too raw to make an impact at the NHL level. Last season's failures are well documented and they all come down to the same ...
There are a few questions the Flyers will need to address this offseason and the future beyond the 2012-13 season.
[u][b]Who will be the next Captain?[/b][/u]
Based on the reports lately on Chris Pronger's condition that little improvement has been made, his playing time seems more and more likely, although still uncertain, to be coming to an end. This almost inevitabl...
-Expect two questions to abound for New Jersey throughout the Stanley Cup Finals: 1. Will Martin Brodeur retire should the Devils win the Cup? 2: Where will Zach Parise be playing next season? (although, it's seeming more likely that he will be staying in New Jersey).
-How will the Devils adapt their style of play to Los Angeles after facing the passive approach of the ...
The Lethbridge Hurricanes for those who do not know is a Junior Hockey league team that plays in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League. This Division includes other such teams as the Red Deer Rebels, Calgary Hitmen, Kootney Ice, Edmonton Oil Kings and the Medicine Hat Tigers. All of these teams are yearly competators who rarely rebuild and constantly compete fo...
The 2006 NHL Draft will be remembered for the same reasons most drafts are, the superstars at the top, the first round busts and the diamonds in the rough such as 6th rounder Andrew Macdonald who was picked by the New York Islanders. Taking place in Vancouver, most Canucks fans will recall it as the day they finally got their franchise goaltender. New ‘Nucks GM Mike Gill...
1. Despite what a lot of people seem to be thinking about what will happen if the Oilers get a second line centre at the draft and thus free up Sam Gagner for trade, the Leafs should steer clear of him. If the Leafs were to land him, he's projected as the number one centre, and adding to that, he's a Toronto boy, and we all know how Brian Burke loves local boys (sarcasm). ...
The 2014 Olympics in Sochi will be a new turning point for Canadian professional hockey. A changing of the guards if you will. The team which represented Canada in Vancouver, while praised as one of the best Canadian national teams ever brought together for one event, was old. The captain of that team, Scott Niedermeyer, is gone, and other player's who played serious minut...
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...
Keep in mind that this article reflects my opinions and does not use any Draft Day rumours on any other persons blogs or news articles.
To start off the draft, the Edmonton Oilers faithful have been awarded with watching thier Team "Kick off" the Draft Day by selecting first overall for the third year in a row. A Pick widely considered to be used on Draft Day front Runn...
The Stanley Cup finals are upon us but I don't really care about it. Whether the Los Angeles Kings or the New Jersey Devils win, I could care less. I'm more interested in what's going to happen at the draft. Not too long ago a rumor surfaced that the Edmonton Oilers were entertaining the idea of trading the 1st overall pick to Columbus in a package deal including the 2n...
Devils scored a fluky one against the LA Kings to tie up game 1 in the 2nd period of the Stanley Cup Finals, and now it's in intermission and i've got an itchin' to write a blog.
On HockeyBuzz's homepage I came across another blogger's article on Team Canada at the Sochi Olympics. Everyone has a right to their opinion, and while i disagreed with my fellow blogger, s/he ...
Anze Kopitar is hardly the skater a goaltender wants to see bearing down on him in overtime with yards of unimpeded ice. Kopitar's slick hands, put on display during the St. Louis series, waited out Martin Brodeur and snagged Los Angeles a 2-1 victory in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals Wednesday evening, giving the Kings home-ice advantage in the process.
In a physical...
Hello all first off this will be the first bit of any sort of writing since high school so bare with me.
Coaching situation
Ever since the WHC there has been rumors of Brent Sutter becoming the next coach of the Oilers. I highly doubt that rumor will come true. Dont get me wrong Sutters a solid coach but I think he'll sign with another team thats closer to a contend...
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...
Hey there HockeyBuzzards!
I'm introducing a new attraction for the summer, maybe every weekend, where I post a funny NHL-themed picture for the HB community to take some amusement in, comment on and have a little fun with. It's just a way you can all have a few laughs amidst all the bantering about trades and drafts and free agent signings. Some of these rumour blog...
zigomanis92 writes...
Leafs Off-Season: A City With it's Head in the Clouds
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Bros,
Many Torontonians find themselves qualified to do the job of Brian Burke. Toronto and the surrounding GTA is infected by a plague of arm-chair GM's who believe themselves to be educated and well versed on the inner-workings of the National Hockey Leaue. I happen to be one of these "arm-chair GM's" yet wish to bring a more level headed perspective to the situation....
Tim Thomas had one of the best goaltending seasons of all time in
2010-2011, and in the Stanley Cup Finals he posted a .967 save
percentage (a cup record). Thomas was the biggest part to the Boston
Bruins winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in 39 years. He was
great with the fans, and the media, always answering questions in his
own quirky way (of course until ...
Not since the late 80s has a team thoroughly dominated the NHL like the Oilers. There was a 5 year period where they won 4 Stanley Cups. The Oilers organization took what youth they had and expended as much from them as possible. Ever since the Oilers of the 80s, there has not been another team that ran through its opponents so easily. I would call the Oilers of the 80s a ...
Hello all first off this will be the first bit of any sort of writing since high school so bare with me.
Coaching situation
Ever since the WHC there has been rumors of Brent Sutter becoming the next coach of the Oilers. I highly doubt that rumor will come true. Dont get me wrong Sutters a solid coach but I think he'll sign with another team thats closer to a contend...
Hello all first off this will be the first bit of any sort of writing since high school so bare with me.
Coaching situation
Ever since the WHC there has been rumors of Brent Sutter becoming the next coach of the Oilers. I highly doubt that rumor will come true. Dont get me wrong Sutters a solid coach but I think he'll sign with another team thats closer to a contend...
With the 2012 NHL draft creeping up quite fast and the Finals almost over, draft / trade speculation is going to start like a wildfire. So, I thought I would write a small piece about who Burke should draft (1st round), in my opinion of course.
1) Draft either Galchenyuk or Grigorenko, whichever of the two will be available. Galchenyuk, from what I've read, is the bett...
Hello, My name is Matt Rankin. As a first time user of My Hockeybuzz, my introduction would be simply say that I have been a huge Habs fan ever since I was born. I was raised in Montreal and have never missed a game in the last ten years and I would like to think my overall hockey sense and writing abilities are up to par.
My opinion and observation of the Habs this y...
Brian Burke sure has his fair share of work to do this coming off-season. Now currently owning the longest drought without a cup AND the only team that hasn't made the playoffs since the Lockout, fans are starting to get upset. Ownership doesn't have a problem, just as long as they keep selling tickets, and I think that gives Burke some leeway when it comes to this season....
Allow me to set the scene for you. It is the second round of the 2002 Playoffs, the 8th seeded Montreal Canadiens have already upset the best team in the Eastern Conference in a six game battle against the rival Boston Bruins. They are now at home in game four of the second round series against the Carolina Hurricanes, already up 2-1 in the best of seven series and winning...
mochoson writes...
Crowded Creases; Several Young Goalies Likely on the Move
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It is often said that the most important position in sports is that of the goal-tender. While not every sport has a goal-tending position, you’d be hard pressed to find a player, coach, or member of management in sport’s like hockey and soccer that would disagree with the above. In the NHL, General Managers looking to build their team from the ground-up will agree that...
hockeyjunkie05 writes...
Leafs Plan from 2012 Entry Draft Forward..Or what it shud be
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
With the 2012 NHL Entry Draft less than 2 weeks away i thought it would be a good time to post my first blog and look at what I think Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs should do to improve their team. In the last few months the Leafs have been linked to several players and prospects but none moreso than Rick Nash, Roberto Luongo and most recently both top prospects N...
Phenom writes...
Phenom's Phunny Photos #2 - The (High) Definition of Karma
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Hey HockeyBuzzards,
I'm back with the second instalment of Phenom's Phunny Photos, my humble attempt to embrace the lighter side of the sport we love amidst all the bantering and heated discussions leading up to the Draft and free agency.
In January of this year, Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas made headlines when he decided to decline an invitation by U.S. Preside...
Few can argue that Martin Brodeur has had a magical NHL career. Over his brilliant 18 years in the league, he is a three time Stanley Cup winner, four time Vezina Trophy winner, the all time wins leader, and all time shut out leader. He has led Team Canada to Olympic Gold, and has been the the face of the New Jersey Devils Franchise for the better part of 20 years. And has...
Honestly, I couldn't think of a better story for the 2012 NHL season. An 8th place team barely makes the playoffs after having an abysmal year were they couldn't score to save their lives. It took a head coach change, a huge trade and a lot of luck to even accomplish this. And yet, here we are, congratulating the LA Kings! It's quite amazing really, I had them picked every...
Few can argue that Martin Brodeur has had a magical NHL career. Over his brilliant 18 years in the league, he is a three time Stanley Cup winner, four time Vezina Trophy winner, the all time wins leader, and all time shut out leader. He has led Team Canada to Olympic Gold, and has been the the face of the New Jersey Devils Franchise for the better part of 20 years. And has...
Hey, this is my first blog and I would appreciate any feedback or [u]constructive[/u] criticism. I have always enjoyed the draft and the speculation and trades it brings. And the opportunity for all us fans to play NHL GMs for a day (or months before). I have only watched 3 of these guys live and only 2 of them several times for consistency so I am not pretending to be an ...
With the draft coming up, the thought on most Oiler fans minds is do we take a defenseman (Ryan Murray) instead of Yakupov to fill our need on the blueline. But will it even help?
The thing to consider is that this team is not a contender. We are in year 3 of the rebuild and just starting to climb out of the basement. Therefore, there's no need to do anything drastic. ...
Trevor Timmins took over as Montreal’s Director of Player Development at the beginning of the 2002-03 season. His main responsibility is drafting and of course developing the next wave of Montreal Canadiens. The most important piece of business for Timmins to take care of every year is the NHL Draft. The upcoming draft in Pittsburgh will be his tenth as the mastermind be...
With the draft approaching, there is a lot of talk about what Brian Burke could possibly be up to, in order to better the club for the upcoming season and the future. There have been many scenarios bounced around over the past few weeks and every option discussed seems to have a bevy of supporters, regardless how different the path may be. After watching some of these conv...
I don't believe that Brian Burke and his management team have ever faced as important a time during his tenure as GM of the maple leafs as these next seven days. Tasked with improving his club enough to make the playoffs in the upcoming season, Now more than ever I believe Burke is willing to do whatever it takes to put the buds into the postseason. In addressing where thi...
Back in February, I wrote a blog about Jeff Carter being traded to the Kings and how I felt it was a huge steal for Los Angeles. Carter in any other year would have been tough to trade for with out having to give up more players/prospects, but the Kings hit perfect timing in grabbing him from a team (Columbus) who wanted nothing more to do with him. I thought Carter would ...
Ok so the Oilers draft Yakupov on the 22nd. How does that impact the rest of the Oilers Top Six?
In this past season the Oilers top six consisted of Hall, RNH, Eberle, Gagner, Hemsky and for at least the first part of the season Smyth. Just replace Smyth with Yakupov and bang, the Oilers now have an awesome top six, right? Nope I don't think so. It takes more than sk...
What do you do if you're Predator's GM David Poile? Sure, he's trying to lock up Ryan Suter, but he can't [i]make[/i] Suter sign anything. He knows that Detroit, among others, will be backing the money-truck up to Suter's front door come July 1st, driving up the cost of Shea Weber at this time next year.
So what do you do? Do you risk losing Suter for nothing, do y...
I wrote another blog where I talked about how I could see Brian Burke pulling off some big deals to make Toronto into a legitimate playoff team. Another way I could see Toronto’s offseason going, one that would take more patience, is to trade up in the NHL draft to acquire some star power. We know Burke likes those big deals and isn’t afraid to go after some players he...
aaronjoseph writes...
Centre Of The Hockey Universe.......Burke Better Step Up!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Just like the New York Yankees are in baseball, Machester United in soccer, Dallas Cowboys are in football, the Toronto Maple Leafs are the centre of the hockey universe. It has been for many years now.
All of the teams i mentioned above have high revenues and don't hesitate when it comes to spending money on big name free agents or making trades for big time players....
Right winger Nail Yakupov is the consensus number one pick at this year draft. With Edmonton already possessing some big time offense, a star RW (Eberle), and a fairly small top six, they could very well trade down to round out their roster. I have created 3 different deals where the Oilers trade the 1st overall pick.
1) Yakupov and Oliver Roy (G) dealt to Ottawa for M...
Now that the draft is less than a week away, it’s time to start looking at the needs of the Buffalo Sabres.
2011-2012 was a disappointing season for the Buffalo Sabres. To say that the pieces were there for the Sabres, is an understatement. We can try to find excuses for why Buffalo didn’t deliver, but in the end, Buffalo was worse than in the season before, moving ...
Hello, this is my first blog at Hockeybuzz (obviously) and I should introduce myself. I go by Gator26 (Gator was my highschool handle) and I adore the Habs. Ever since child birth, I've seemed to enjoy to watch them play (maybe not last season) but nonetheless, they still have my heart. Recently just got ink'd actually, the logo is now part of my body. Sounds odd when I sa...
A few tidbits on a quiet Sunday afternoon......
*Roberto Luongo was apparently in Toronto over the past couple days to meet with the Leafs and look at houses, schools, etc. Take that for what you will, but it's starting to look more and more like Bobby Lu will be wearing blue and white next season.
*Speaking to a source close to the Subban family, it appears PK is...
Kenny_Mac writes...
What Type of Player Habs Can Expect With 3rd Overall Pick
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
In three short days Montreal will finally reveal who they will choose with the third overall pick in this year’s draft in Pittsburgh. To find out what can be expected of someone selected so high I took a look back and ranked the last 20 players to be picked at number three. (Technically the last 22 players but I didn’t include the 2 most recent, Jonathon Huberdeau and ...
The Philadelphia Flyers' defense was an obvious fault in their game, leading to their subsequent elimination by the New Jersey Devils in 5 games in the Conference Semi-Finals. This was a problem during the season, however it was masked by their winning ways, as well as the inconsistent play of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. During the season, the defense would bail him out of ...
FEFZONE28 writes...
Why the Avalanche Have a Better Shot at Ryan Suter
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
While a team like Detroit might be closer to winning a cup *now* don't you think if he was signing somewhere he would want the team to be competitive on the long term basis? I am not doubting that Detroit will be competitive because of their management but with Lidstrom retiring and Datsyuk and Zetterberg on the downswing of their careers, they are going in the opposite di...
Howard Berger tweeted yesterday that Toronto could be re-visiting talks for Stastny. We all know that Toronto was throwing deals at the Avs earlier in the season for Stastny that were just straight up ridiculous. They tried to offer us Nikolai Kulemin, Cody Franson and a third round draft pick in 2013 for Stastny. That would be a horrible deal so why not send one back a...
Just watching some TSN, and there is speculation that the Habs will trade P.K Subban and the 3rd overall pick to the Oilers for the 1st overall pick. Straight up, I think this is a bad deal for the Habs. Trading a young, semi-proven, future star in Subban and the 3rd overall pick for essentially Nail Yakupov (completely unproven) . I would totally take this deal if Edmonto...
Gotta say...I'm more than a little tired of hearing how Burkie dropped the ball in Leafville by not trading off his players for 1st rounders. I implore you...what possible sense would that have made?
Burkie said he had offers for his players. He said 1st rounders were offered. What he DIDN'T say was where those picks were. It's no secret that this is a weak draft. ...
With the 2012 NHL Entry Draft (finally!!!) upon us, there is wild trade speculation running rampant within NHL circles and fans and players alike are anxious to see what, if anything, goes down on the Draft floor tonight during round one in Pittsburgh…..or even tomorrow during the remainder of the Draft. There is all kinds of talk of teams moving up in the first round...
Just a quick hit on this.
Nash for Ryan...straight up! This is one scenario that I have not heard anyone (and I mean anyone) mention as a possibility. Why not? Cap wise it works and each team would get a great player.
Anyone have any thoughts on this that they would be willing to share?
Cheers!
For many seasons, the Flyers have always opted for the "quick fix" mentality. Signing a big name free agent, trading away draft picks and young prospects for more established players often on the back end of their career, and relying on high salaried players to get the job done. This strategy has come close to paying off several times. Trading away a huge chunk of the futu...
RGZALABAK writes...
Luongo to Hawks? A Better Fit Than You Might Think...
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Blackhawk fans, I have to warn you, you may want to grab something to vomit in before reading this article. Now that I have prepared you for a possible gut wrenching idea bear with me for the next few paragraphs. Believe me; I know it will be hard. I too have stood in the 300 level and booed this man mercilessly and my hatred for him boiled over so much during the 2011 ...
andydrmm writes...
Live, Uncensored, Draft Blog (posted after the 1st Round)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Before anyone freaks about the title of my blog, don’t worry. My goal with this, as I sit down at 7:50 pm (all times EST), to watch the NHL draft, is to throw my thoughts out about the draft as it unfolds. Unfortunately, you the reader will get to read it after the draft is over. Sorry! So, here we go, enjoy… And yes, I will be focusing my thoughts on the Sabres.
Le...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Draft Andrei Vasilevski and Slater Koekkoek
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
After a rather uneventful evening at the Tampa Bay Lightning draft table, the organization has come to acquire two very talented youngsters. Of course, the selections which took place at 10th overall and 19th overall were met with some controversy but as a whole, fans should be very happy with what transpired today! Get my thoughts on what happened with the Lightning ove...
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...
Schenn has been traded for James Van Reimsdyk. Big move for burke, proves the naysayers wrong.
Schenn has been traded for James Van Reimsdyk. Big move for burke, proves the naysayers wrong.
Schenn for JVR. Way to go Burke.
Schenn for JVR. Way to go Burke.
Schenn for JVR. Way to go Burke.
What excitement! At least from my perspective, this was a successful draft day for the Leafs. Not because of the picks, but because no stupid moves were made in order to "upgrade" the team.
Being able to hear Burke actually draft [b]Morgan Reilly[/b] was a relief. I was worried the pick may be traded before hand, as Burke likes to make bold and drastic moves like that....
The 2012 NHL Draft is now in the books, and reaction is pouring in from fans all around the league. As in any draft, there were surprises. Scouts' rankings were all over the board and that made for a very exciting weekend, as we saw players drop and rise. Now, with all 30 teams having made all 211 picks, allow me to list and explain a few teams that won big in the draft, a...
On the heels of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, it seems clear that Brian Burke and The Toronto Maple Leafs had a clear strategy of what they were going to do. They would draft the best players available and fill the holes in the line-up through trade as evidenced by their selection of two defensemen in rounds one and two. They subsequently traded a defenseman, Luke Schenn t...
So, with the NHL 2012 Draft now officially over the week-long wait til free agency begins. The Rangers did not make any real noise at the draft and the rumors of a Rick Nash trade continue to swirl overhead. One potential suitor for Nash, or Bobby Ryan, has been very active, as the Flyers traded away both James van Riemsdyk and Sergei Bobrovsky in separate deals. Whether H...
[b]The Mike Ribeiro trade is a strange situation. Not because it was a surprise or because it was a bad trade for either team.[/b]
It's a strange sitaution simply for the reasons that it had to happen. Normally a team makes a trade because they think they can make their team better through it. Whether that means immediately or down the road during a rebuild. The Dalla...
B_Chapman writes...
Coach Glen Gulutzan: Will He Learn From His Mistakes?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[b]When you look back at the 2011-2012 season and try to grade the team and its coach, one thing is easy to pick up on. They missed the playoffs. It is easy to say, “Well, he did great for a while, so obviously he has what it takes to coach in the NHL, right?”[/b]
Yes, you have to assume that because he was able to get his team playing first-place lights out hocke...
It is easy to say the Flyers should go after Bobby Ryan or sign Zack Parise but it certainly isn't that easy. Would these players make an impact with the team? Certainly, but it comes at a price.
If the Flyers sign Parise, it may preclude them from signing anyone else of significance. With few salary cap money left (depending on the new cap number), they still need to r...
With July 1st approaching quickly teams being posturing for the mad dash at a weak free agency class. Few teams win in these races, as it is in any sport, and we al write and comment on the impact of the new faces in new uniforms. The side that never gets talked about is the teams that lose.
Failed trades and salary cap dumps for a player that does not end up playing fo...
After announcing Chandler Stephenson Friday night in Pittsburgh, the Capitals waited 81 picks before George McPhee took the podium again.
This gave Washington ample time to deliberate who would complement their draft class best. Instead of following the hype of the “best defensive draft ever,” the Capitals were one of four teams to not draft a defensemen by the t...
Many of you flames fans out there including myself, are feeling very weary about managements goals that are said and un-said. Jay is a great hockey man, and may or may not have drafted the next Nieuwendyk, we'll just have to wait. Now clearly stuff needs to happen before on and after July first, beginning with the trade of failure Jay Bouwmeester. Jay hasn't even come clos...
Many of you flames fans out there including myself, are feeling very weary about managements goals that are said and un-said. Jay is a great hockey man, and may or may not have drafted the next Nieuwendyk, we'll just have to wait. Now clearly stuff needs to happen before on and after July first, beginning with the trade of failure Jay Bouwmeester. Jay hasn't even come clos...
As usual, Fred Shero was not voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
I certainly am not surprised by this since I don't think they'll ever enshrine Fred into the Hall of Fame. I heard there are some people highly opposed to his enshrinement.
I guess it has to do with the whole "Broad Street Bullies" era of the Flyers. I was a small kid at the time and don't remember a l...
HopintheCordoba writes...
In Shero We Trust---but do we trust our blueliners?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As we get closer to Sunday fans cannot seem to contain their excitement, expectations and fears. It is that time of the year again. The draft has concluded and each team's fanbase awaits news from the front about who their team is pursuing. Free agency will be upon us. For some teams, there is new found money to spend. Exits from the playoffs put strain on GMs to rethink ...
Nail Yakupov was simply the guy Edmonton HAD to take with the first overall pick. He was unanimously ranked number one in all the ratings and the Oilers did not pass up the future start.
The Russian born winger dishes out passes that make him look like Claude Giroux and plays at a 1.5 point per game pace stocking up about even totals in goals and assists (always favori...
“We want the cup” rained down on the Madison Square Garden ice for the final ten minutes of game seven of the Eastern Conference semi finals.
Roman Hamrlik would steal Henrik Lundqvist’s shut out, but while eager fans were hanging on the edge of their section trying not to fall from anticipation, Dennis Wideman was parked on the bench.
Playing a season-low 15:1...
I'm sure that if you're reading this blog by now you've heard of Justin Schultz, but for those who haven't, Schultz is an uber-talented offensive-defenseman who just finished his Junior year at the University of Wisconsin. While a Badger, he shared the blueline with the likes of Ryan McDonagh, Jake Gardiner (of the Leafs) and Brendan Smith (of the Wings), all of whom are o...
You guys are hilarious. The page I was banned on had two posters calling each other idiots and retards, but I got banned for saying lol @ Flames.
lol @ you.
You guys are hilarious. The page I was banned on had two posters calling each other idiots and retards, but I got banned for saying lol @ Flames.
lol @ you.
rgreco40 writes...
Flames Bring Back Sarich Refusing to Admit the Need to Rebui
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Flames Bring Back Sarich Refusing to Admit the Need to Rebuild
Cory Sarich agreed to a two-year, two million dollar contract to return to the Calgary Flames this morning.
Bringing Sarich back puts some more size at the blue line, but it shows Calgary’s lack of commitment to rebuilding.
They lost prized Swedish defender Tim Erixon to the Rangers in the Scott Gome...
There isn't anyone out there in the hockey world right now who doesn't know who Justin Schultz is.
As an Oilers Blogger, I am quiet aware of the hype and Alure of having someone of his Calibre play for the "home" team, although no-one really knows who's team he's going to play for.
During the last week Justin has released a list of 5 teams that he would love to be ap...
Hey HockeyBuzzards,
It’s going to be a fantastic, exciting weekend as we countdown the minutes to the opening of NHL Free Agency (or Christmas, as we die-hards know it) and we can end months of speculation as to who is going where and what dominoes will ensue. I hope No-trade-a Clause brings all of you (well, some of you anyway) what you’re hoping for.
Also, H...
As Christmas in July approaches for hockey fans, we anxiously await news of our favorite team signing that player who can turn the franchise around and take our team to the Promise Land. This summer, there are a couple players in an otherwise weak free agent class that can be that player for an NHL team. Here is my list of the Top 20 free agents and the destination I feel ...
With Nicklas Lidstrom off to a retirement home and the Red Wings looking to "rebuild", this off-season could be a big one for Red Wings fans. The Red Wings have a good core group of players and have a lot of cap room to sign some intriguing free agents. Here is what Ken Holland should do, in my opinion:
-Re-sign Justin Abdelkader: three years, $5.4 million ($1.8 mil AAV...
TheJerseyDevil1 writes...
Why the Avalanche Need to Make a Strong Push for Semin
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Hello all,
As it finally turns to open season for UFA hunting, despite the array of recent signings, Colorado still sits with a roster of just 16. So where does Sherman go from here?
The Av's have 8 forwards, 6 defensemen, and 2 goalies signed as of July 1st. There are still a couple notable RFA's who should reach deals like Erik Johnson and Jamie McGinn. With some ...
I am new to the site, and plan on giving a different perspective on Buffalo Sabres hockey. My knowledge of the Sabres is extensive as my 20 year hockey career. Today is as fitting a day as ever as it was 5 years ago today that the Sabres lost Briere and Drury. New ownership, a different looking team, but the same diehard fans. Here is to a great 2012-2013 season!
Don't ...
JasonPanov writes...
Free Agent Signing to Add Energy to Detroit Goalie Corps
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I know I promised (on Facebook) that I wouldn't make any Monster jokes, but I couldn't help myself. Wings have inked former Toronto backstop Jonas Gustavsson to a 2 year deal. Gustavsson went 39-45-15 in 107 appearances with the Maple Leafs over the past three seasons with a 298 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage. To be honest, I’m not terribly exci...
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.
...
JasonPanov writes...
Detroit Red Wings have Signed Ryan Suter and Zach Parise
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Relax, this is just a little trick I picked up in Colorado. In what could be the oddest news of the opening day of NHL free agency, the Avalanche and the Islanders have both signed Matt Carkner. Unfortunately, Gary Bettman has ruled that two teams cannot share a player, and since Matt Carkner only actually signed with New York, they get him. An interesting tactic, thoug...
I am neither surprised nor offended that Schultz did not sign with the Red Wings. Already being coined by some as the best player not playing in the NHL, it really wouldn’t make sense to sign with a team that would promptly ship him off to the AHL. We all know how long Kenny likes to develop his players (and I’m certainly not complaining about that), so I never even ...
I am not trying to lend credence to any unverified rumors, but in anticipation of working a double shift tomorrow with no access to any hockey news, I wanted to put my thoughts on these “reports” out there.
[b]Parise/Suter[/b]
I would be ecstatic if both were signed. If I had to pick one: Suter. I haven’t found a single intelli...
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...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Philadelphia Flyers entered July 1st searching for three players:
[b]
[ ] 1 Top 6/Top 9 Winger
[ ] 1 Defender
[X]A backup goaltender. [/b]
As you have read already, only one of the three was achieved. Michael Leighton, the man who lead the Flyers to the 2010 Finals, was signed as the presumed backup to Ilya Bryzgalov at a small price tag of $900k. This ...
As I write this, Ryan Suter has yet to make an announcement as to where he'll play next season. But earlier tonight, Josh Yohe, Pens beat writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweeted:
"I can confirm that the Penguins and Ryan Suter's agent, Neil Sheehy, had a conversation today. So far, apparently no offer was made."
This is disturbing to me. How in th...
Pretty quiet July 1st for the Rangers this year. It was heartbreaking to watch Brandon Prust sign elsewhere, but good for him getting the contract and secondary city that he wanted. I don't mind the Arron Asham signing to help ease the pain. Asham is one of those guys you hate to play against. He toes the line on being dirty at times, but does his job well and will drop th...
First of all Bergevin addressed one of the biggest needs the Canadiens have had for the last few years and that is team toughness. Over the last two years the only guys willing to stand up for their teammates was White, Moen and Staubitz. Even though these guys are gamers they did not put a lot of fear in opposing players, and the other teams would run around which has c...
First of all Bergevin addressed one of the biggest needs the Canadiens have had for the last few years and that is team toughness. Over the last two years the only guys willing to stand up for their teammates was White, Moen and Staubitz. Even though these guys are gamers they did not put a lot of fear in opposing players, and the other teams would run around which has c...
[b]The Stars were one of the few teams that made some moves on day one of free agency. While the Avalenche in my mind not only made the most noise but also made the best moves, the Stars in my summation didn’t do so bad themselves. Let’s take a look at each of the two players they picked up in short order. Starting with the least important piece…[/b]
Aaron Rome is...
The moment has finally arrived. The moment when Ryan Suter, or Zach Parise, or possibly both, announce the teams that they will likely finish up their careers with, barring any future trades. As I refreshed the NHL.com list of free agent signings, a screen I hadn’t seen before appeared. No longer was the spreadsheet style list, but an error message in its place. Netw...
Why does every year feel more and more painful as a Leaf fan? I think that after this year the new CBA will work to the advantage of the leafs or at least put the on a level playing field with the rest of the NHL teams. Burke doesn't believe in these long term contracts, and even though it sucks to see big names pass up Toronto year after year, there is a method to his mad...
I don't see why everybody wants the flyers to get parise, nash, ryan, or even re sign carle, his cost will be much highier than his worth, he is at best a 4th defenceman. There is a fine line between a 3rd and a 4th, a 3rd guy can carry a lesser talented player(which would be a 5 or 6), carle cannot do this for 82 games then 16-24 possible grueling playoff games.
Let hi...
I don't see why everybody wants the flyers to get parise, nash, ryan, or even re sign carle, his cost will be much highier than his worth, he is at best a 4th defenceman. There is a fine line between a 3rd and a 4th, a 3rd guy can carry a lesser talented player(which would be a 5 or 6), carle cannot do this for 82 games then 16-24 possible grueling playoff games.
Let hi...
Tony Dean writes...
MN Wild 2012-2013 Opening Day Lineups Optimal Scenario
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
On the night before #Parisewatch could come to a close I am inspired to lay out an opening game lineup look with explanation. I submit these ideas without the benefit of much information given that it is July 3rd but going to lay it out now.
OPTIMAL OPENING DAY LINEUP
LINE 1
LW-Parise/C-Koivu/RW-Heatley
LINE 2
LW-Cullen/C-Granlund/RW-Setogucci
LINE 3
LW-Coyle/C-...
Zach Parise loves breakfast cereal. He just can't decide which bowl he'd rather have this morning with the media gawking through the window and all. They're all enticing offers. Brand A offers 10 grams of protein and 50% of his daily fiber intake. Brand B offers slightly less protein at 9 grams, but 65% of his daily fiber intake. Brand C offers very little protein and alm...
As we wait for the two big name players to decide on their future teams, lets take a look at the newest Blackhawk, Sheldon Brookbank.
Although it is safe to say Sheldon is no Ryan Suter, adding the 6'2"" Canadian blue liner is a positive addition for Chicago.
If I were to compare Sheldon to a current hawk it would have to be Johnny Oduya, also a new Hawk who Bowman wa...
The Philadelphia Flyers were unable to sign Jaromir Jagr by July 1st due to obvious differences. The Flyers are putting their eggs in the Zach Parise/Ryan Suter baskets. I'm not saying the Flyers would have signed Jagr if they weren't in this limbo, he was unhappy with playing time and wanted more money than last year, but they would have certainly given more attention to ...
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 ...
What a day for the Minnesota Wild.
On the fourth day of the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter chase, and America's birthday, the Wild completely transformed their franchise. Both Parise and Suter, who are childhood friends, decided to accept matching 13 year/$98M contracts to play in the "state of hockey." Instantly the Wild emerge as a viable playoff team in the West.
At...
As the chatter goes on regarding free agency and making big trades the Oilers stay the course and build primarily through the draft adding select pieces to bridge between what they are and what they will become. Naturally everyone wants to be a Cup contender every year but quite frankly that isn't realistic. Managing contracts and payrolls is critical these days if you w...
Well, I have not posted an article/blog on this site for a while, and am returning. I figured why not return by answering a short question/answer forum.
I asked people via twitter to send in some questions, and I will answer here.
@ChrisBowenYYC asks: "What do you think the make up of the blue line will be come opening night"
- Well its tough to tell right now. Jay ...
As I woke up this morning from my drunken stupor the night before, at around 9:30am, I began checking Twitter and the rumor mill for early news on Parise and Suter. Sure enough, around 11am, Dave Molinari, Pens beat writer for the Post Gazette, tweeted that the Penguins are "officially out" on Zach Parise.
And by lunch time that was confirmed when Mike Russo, Wild ...
Oh well, the Devils moved up to 17 and farmed a great player to become a great captain just so that they can prep him for his home state and he can wave back at the organization like a kid walking off to college after this team made all the right decisions about his development.
He shouldn't be expecting any phone calls on how he's doing.
Harsh realities of a busines...
Is there one piece still missing ? With over 17 million left in Cap space, O'Reilly will get a raise somewhere around the 3+ million mark Jamie McGinn should get a raise probably around 1.5-2 million area. Leaving close to 12+ Left so Im thinking between 3-4 million on another top 6 forward would be a bonus plus you must lose salary with a D-man going somewhere hate to say...
[img]http://dildeepsingh.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/backlund.jpg[/img]
As it was just announced several minutes ago that Mikael Backlund has signed a 1 year 1-way contract with the Flames with a Cap hit of $725,000. This is even less then Roman Horak, T.J Brodie and Derek Smith will make this year.
Backlund is nothing but upside at the age of 23, despite his injury...
mcefalu writes...
Bowman, Hawks Look to Move On After Parise/Suter Rejection
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Despite receiving the cold shoulder from top NHL free agents forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter, Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman, like several other rejected general managers, is optimistic he can continue to improve the Chicago Blackhawks in other ways.
Although this summer's pool of free agent talent is somewhat shallow by typical standards, there are still quit...
RyanHolmerB writes...
Flames' Sign Backlund - Opportunity to Prove Himself
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Today, Mikael Backlund was signed to a one-year, one-way deal worth $725,000. Up until yesterday, negotiations had gone nowhere. JP Barry, Backlunds' agent told me "We have not yet made any progress". Just a few hours later, I get a text from him "Progress is being made".
When I checked with him this morning, he said a one-year deal is on the table, ready to be accepte...
So far this summer, we have seen the Canadiens take some steps to make the team a lot tougher to play against now, and possibly one of the contenders in the East starting in 2 or 3 years. Here is what I think of the signings and what the depth chart will look like for the Canadiens as it stands right now.
Brandon Prust-
I absolutely love this signing. This was an abso...
The sabres fanbase, myself included, has attachments to many players on thw current roster for reasons other than talent. Being from Angola, NY and going to the same high school as patrick kaleta, I obviously love seeing him on the squad. Nathan Gerbe is the personification of perseverance and is known for giving his all every night. But do they fit on the newly minted ros...
PensSkinny writes...
Exploring the Possibility of a Semin/Penguins Marriage
Posted Friday | Comments 0
By now, I'm sure that you all have heard that Zach Parise & Ryan Suter chose the Minnesota Wild. And to further complicate things for the Pens, they allowed Steve "Sully" Sullivan to walk away, and sign a one year deal in Phoenix. This certainly leaves Ray Shero in quite the predicament, as he needs to find a top-6 winger to play alongside Sidney Crosby.
A lo...
After a busy off-season last summer, the Washington Capitals have had a relatively quiet summer in 2012. With the strong possibility of losing Alexander Semin to free agency, many fans were expecting GM George McPhee to make a big more or two and sign some high-profile free agents to address glaring needs. I'm sure Jack Hillen and Joey Crabb are good guys, but they are cer...
[img]http://img.deniksport.cz/img/2/article/416977_sport-hokej-extraliga-slavia-sparta-cervenka-crop-crop-crop.jpg[/img]
There has been a lot of talk about Roman Cervenka and questions as to what he was offered in his contract and what it actually means to the team and cap in real world dollars. The following is my attempt to explain and debunk it.
Roman Cervenka w...
So here goes....
I am [b]NOT[/b] an NHL Insider. I don't have any inside sources or unparalleled accesses. If I do post about breaking news or rumors, I guarantee it will be second-hand information.
Here you will [b]NOT[/b] find trade and free agent rumors that you've not heard before, exclusive interviews with NHL Pros and Executives, or behind the scenes photos...
Although, admittedly, my favorite memories of the Pittsburgh Penguins have come while the team was winning, in retrospect, I (unlike most of city of the Pittsburgh) actually enjoyed the Pre-Sidney Crosby "Dark Years". I can say I enjoyed them now, although at the time the future of the team was in serious jeopardy, but without these down years, the Pens wouldn't have been ...
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...
Who are the greatest Penguins blue-liners of all time? You'd probably say Paul Coffey, Larry Murphy, or Randy Carlyle. Maybe more recent players make your list like Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik or Rob Scuderi. But what about D!ck Tarnstrom? What if I told you that Tarnstrom accomplished something that none of the previously mentioned players ever did? In 2003-04, D!ck Tar...
First off, on behalf of all of the province of Vancouver I apologize for the lackluster effort put forth by the Canucks in refusing to win 16 straight games to win their first Stanley Cup for the third time. We can only blame Roberto Luongo for so long for failing to win the cup in 012, 94, or 82 where i heard he actually [i]didn't even watch one game[/i] of the FINALS b...
http://burestripledeke.blogspot.ca/2012/05/wayne-gretzky-bobby-orrhenrik-sedin.html
Did everyone miss the headline at the end of the regular season last month? With 67 assists in 2011-12, Henrik Sedin became just the 5th player in NHL history to lead the league in that category for three consecutive years.¹ The other four? Joe Thornton (2005-08), Wayne Gretzky (1979...
: On #DallasStars: source says as of RIGHT NOW they are the team with the highest $$$ offer ON THE TABLE for Doan. Hearing 5.75M/2years.
: On #DallasStars: source says as of RIGHT NOW they are the team with the highest $$$ offer ON THE TABLE for Doan. Hearing 5.75M/2years.
illdeliveries writes...
Which prospect are the Sens willing to part with?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Much has been made about the prospect depth that Ottawa's front office has assembled through quality drafting. This has allowed both the fans and team optimism for the future, especially within the top six. However, it also enables trade flexibility (such as the Rundblad for Turris deal) and the opportunity to be a factor during free agency.
Ottawa has allegedly been v...
illdeliveries writes...
Which prospect are the Sens willing to part with?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Much has been made about the prospect depth that Ottawa's front office has assembled through quality drafting. This has allowed both the fans and team optimism for the future, especially within the top six. However, it also enables trade flexibility (such as the Rundblad for Turris deal) and the opportunity to be a factor during free agency.
Ottawa has allegedly been v...
I love it. Pat Kane would light up the lamp for us. The rumour (per Hockeybuzz writer John Jaeckel) is Pat Kane and Nick Hjalmarsson for Tomas Plekanec and P.K Subban. Not only does this deal make sense for both teams, it is a PURE hockey trade at its finest.
Hawks need a second line centre and an OFD with edginess. They get exactly that with Plekanec and Subban. Montr...
When I look at the Sabres roster for next year, the one glaring thing that sticks out is the number of d-men they have.
As it stand right now they have Ehrhoff, Regher, Myers, Leopold, Weber, Sekera, Sulzer, McNabb, and Pardy. Thats 9 NHL Dman. Somethings gotta give, somebody's goina get moved out. The big question is who, and for what?
First of all, let's look at w...
Montreal fans have been talking about next year since before the calendar flipped to 2012. With the draft and opening frenzy of free agency behind us, it is finally time everyone in the NHL starts to focus on next year. Obviously, the focus of the Canadiens is to climb out of the cellar of the Eastern Conference. The best way to do this is to realize what landed them in th...
Title pretty much says it all.
According to a Twitter hockey insider there is a possibility of Darcy Regier going after Shane Doan to possibly replace Thomas Vaneknif he's used in a trade which looks like it would be for Paul Stastny. Buffalo has talked to Doan's agent and has also had multiple talks with the Avalanche. In my eyes, Buffalo should do whatever it takes to grab Stastny with giving up a to...
According to a Twitter hockey insider there is a possibility of Darcy Regier going after Shane Doan to possibly replace Thomas Vaneknif he's used in a trade which looks like it would be for Paul Stastny. Buffalo has talked to Doan's agent and has also had multiple talks with the Avalanche. In my eyes, Buffalo should do whatever it takes to grab Stastny with giving up a to...
I was pleased to see the Senators organization extend Chris Neil's contract. I feel this was a no brainer for head office due to the relatively low contract and the influence #25 has in the nation's capital. Bringing a tough guy presence with a 30+ point upside is certainly worth 3 years at 5.75M.
While Ottawa Paul MacLeaned its way into a new era, it is important to k...
[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...
There are plenty of topics regarding the Union Blue that I could pinpoint in my first piece for this site. That, in large part, is because the 2011-2012 season of Blue Jackets hockey was like that scene in [i]The Strangers[/i] where the record player begins to skip as Liv Tyler painstakingly searches her dark cabin for maniacs. The point being: there’s work here to be do...
With most of the big guns of the free agency class spoken for nearly two weeks in to the frenzy, the Habs are left still looking to add a few goals to next year’s opening night roster. What started out as a relatively weak UFA class has been watered down considerably but a few interesting options still remain for the Canadiens. Let’s take a look at the top 5 offensive ...
3 Years. 7 Months. 14 Days. This is how long it has been since Brian Burke took over the reigns from interim GM Cliff Fletcher. Needless to say, the team Burke inherited on Nov 28 2008 bears little resemblance to the team that ended the 2011/2012 season.
Opinions of what Burke has accomplished with his team, up to this point, are mixed to say the least. I do not preten...
I find it funny how people are saying that Habs gm Marc Bergevin didn`t do enough on Free Agent Frenzy Canada Day July, 1 2012. Bergevin addressed the need of "team guys" and "gritty players" by adding Colby Armstrong, Francis Bouillon and Brandon Prust. Let`s look at what else Bergevin has done since being hired.
A list of hirings by Bergevin since taking office : ...
It's about time that the Leafs make the right moves with reasonable mutual moves its clear that the Nucks are asking too much Bernier may make a good move for the Leafs and provide a 1 2 punch.
As for talent within they have assets thaty need to take initiative to build themselves up to the next level.
Kadri, Colbourne, Frattin all could elevate their game to top 6 i...
Please take some time to check out this article and all of my Dallas Stars coverage over at www.betweenthebenches.com
Following the heavily publicized rumors that the St. Louis Blues were targetting Morrow for a trade, GM Joe Nieuwendyk came out to Mike Heika from the Dallas Morning News by saying...
“We had a good talk the other day, and I told him I very much bel...
According to NHL.com writer Dan Rosen, the Pittsburgh Penguins are one of six teams that Rick Nash has added to his approved trade list along with the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers. In a recent article, Rosen handicapped these six potential destinations for the All-Star winger, highlighting what pieces could mo...
Hey HockeyBuzzards,
Today, PPP will phocus on a few recent re-signings in sunny California.
Firstly, the San Jose Sharks re-signed 25-year-old Marc-Edouard Vlasic, one of their most dependable defensemen to a five-year extension, keeping him locked up until the 2017-18 season. Vlasic has quietly become one of the steadiest young rearguards in the Western Conferenc...
The Bruins are just a year removed from a Stanley Cup victory, and finished second in the East in the 2011-2012 season before a first round fizzle-out. They should be a team ready to go.
Wrong.
The Bruins over the past 3 seasons have seemed to fill voids from within while creating new ones at the same time. In 09-10, they couldn't score. In 10-11, they figured out ho...
The Bruins are just a year removed from a Stanley Cup victory, and finished second in the East in the 2011-2012 season before a first round fizzle-out. They should be a team ready to go.
Wrong.
The Bruins over the past 3 seasons have seemed to fill voids from within while creating new ones at the same time. In 09-10, they couldn't score. In 10-11, they figured out ho...
As most people know, Mike Green rejected a 1 year 5 mil offer from the Caps.
Does This mean he will not return to Washington?
They could Trade him to a defense-needing team.
They could take compensation.
BUT if George McPhee is wise he will resign him
Leave Thoughts
~~SEXY OMLET 43
This summer has already dragged on to long. I love the great weather but miss hockey to much. I enjoy the CFL but it is not quite enough to get me through. So far this off season I am happy with what the Montreal Canadiens have done. The office staff is rounding out quite nice, the team is a little tougher. But being stuck with a few bad contracts is really holding them ba...
a-mak15 writes...
Brian Burke's inactivity should not be lauded and tolerated
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's been an inescapably quiet summer for Brian Burke and his boys in blue. The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently being shut out on the trade front, have whiffed on every prized free agent on the market and, as is customary with the franchise, the team has largely ignored addressing its unmistakably glaring needs for a top-line center and a quality goaltender.
If the n...
Now I know the lean on Shane Doan is either in Phoenix or some way out there East Coast team (or for some of you, right in your backyard home team or favorite). The truth is right next Richards and Carter on the Kings 1A line is where he fits best.
Three reasons -
1. It is here on the westside of things, not far from where he has been and easy to move the family 400 ...
Lets talk about Nash in terms of what he brings to the table and what he doesn't .
Overrate: Nash is a stud power forward with soft hands and a hard accurate shot. Nash makes any team he goes to a contender ( mostly due to the list of teams he wants to be traded to ) . Nash on a line with a play maker could net you 40-45 goals. The only real impact scoring winger still...
Lets talk about Nash in terms of what he brings to the table and what he doesn't .
Overrate: Nash is a stud power forward with soft hands and a hard accurate shot. Nash makes any team he goes to a contender ( mostly due to the list of teams he wants to be traded to ) . Nash on a line with a play maker could net you 40-45 goals. The only real impact scoring winger still...
[IMG]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u182/legacy1436/mad-hockey-goalie-thumb1801053.jpg[/IMG]
Matthew Barry has made an excellent point in his blog on Bernier to Toronto for Frattin and a 3rd rounder (http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Matthew-Barry/Frattin-and-a-3rd-for-Bernier/125/45651)
Barry's quote -
[i]Yeah, Bernier's been moaning like a kid whose parents won't t...
hallandebs writes...
2012- 2013 Western Conference Standings Predictions
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With just under 100 days remaining until the season opener against the hated Vancouver Canucks, two teams that are at drastically different points in their roster development. The Canucks have a very solid team led by the Sedin twins, Kesler, and Burrows on offence, complemented by a very capable defense backstopped by Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler, and the newly acquired ...
[img:left]http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/4336/weber.png [/img]Shea Weber, also known as one of the best defenseman currently in the National Hockey League, has agreed to a contract worth around $110 million for 14 years with the
Philadelphia Flyers. Although Nashville has until 11:30pm on Wednesday July 25th 2012, due to financial reasons, the offer may not be matc...
The title of this blog says it all. What if… Ott is it? I’m looking at a couple of things with this blog. First, what if Buffalo’s only move this year is the Ott move. After all of this time, and with Darcy Regier’s track record, everyone’s thinking it, I’m just saying it. Second, game plan for if Ott is it, and prep for the oncoming 2012-2013 season for Buffal...
This is my first blog and i am just going to discuss what i think of the Oilers roster as of now and some thoughts on what i would like to see happen over the next few months. When i analyze whats going on with a team, i like to break it down into line combinations, gives the best idea of whats going on with the team. This is what we have going for the Oilers so far:
Ha...
For most Detroit Red Wings fans, this off-season has been a complete disaster. I even heard an interview on the radio, that suggested it was an absolute meltdown in the front office and Ken Holland should be fired immediately. This is just ludicrous. Sure you could look at it from one perspective, we lost one of the best defenseman to ever lace them up in Nick Lidstrom. We...
It seems that the NY Rangers were mentioned as contenders in every big prize during the lead up to the Draft and the FA period. But it seems between the huge moves made by the Penguins and the Wild, the Rangers (along with most the rest of the NHL) were left debating on making passes at Shane Doan, rolling the dice on Alexander Semin and recently seem to have let the idea...
It seems that the NY Rangers were mentioned as contenders in every big prize during the lead up to the Draft and the FA period. But it seems between the huge moves made by the Penguins and the Wild, the Rangers (along with most the rest of the NHL) were left debating on making passes at Shane Doan, rolling the dice on Alexander Semin and recently seem to have let the idea...
It seems that the NY Rangers were mentioned as contenders in every big prize during the lead up to the Draft and the FA period. But it seems between the huge moves made by the Penguins and the Wild, the Rangers (along with most the rest of the NHL) were left debating on making passes at Shane Doan, rolling the dice on Alexander Semin and recently seem to have let the idea...
It seems that the NY Rangers were mentioned as contenders in every big prize during the lead up to the Draft and the FA period. But it seems between the huge moves made by the Penguins and the Wild, the Rangers (along with most the rest of the NHL) were left debating on making passes at Shane Doan, rolling the dice on Alexander Semin and recently seem to have let the idea...
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...
When the Flyers signed Shea Weber to an offer sheet they did all they could to try and prevent the Predators from matching the offer with the crazy bonus money. The thinking was Nashville would not be in a position to shell out that kind of money. Well I hope this is the case but why would you take that kind of chance and wait to see if they match? Franchise defenseman of ...
So it's come to this, folks. We've missed out on the Suter/Parise sweepstakes. We lost Wideman to Calgary (though with the contract, this should be considered a relief), Garrison to Vancouver, and Carle to the greatest man to ever lace up as a member of the Winged Wheel. Ken Holland, it would seem, is running out of options. However, the man is a wizard, and I present this...
This Offseason, the penguins have work to do to get ready for the upcoming season. They've already made some splashes sending Jordan Staal to Carolina for Sutter, Pouliot, and Brian Dumoulin. They signed Tanner Glass who is perfect to fill in for Asham. They traded Michalek and signed some low key guys. . ...
It sure has been a quiet offseason for the Flyers. That was however, up until July 18 when the Flyers signed RFA Shea Weber to a huge offer sheet. With just a day remaining for Nashville to match, one has to wonder what the Flyers are going to do with offense. If Nashville does not match and the Flyers get Weber without having to work out a trade, the Flyers will have $4....
Scoutski writes...
Calgary Flames: Burning Bright or Being Snuffed Out? (1/7)
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Jay Feaster has come under heavy scrutiny since taking over as “acting” general manager of the Calgary Flames on December 28th 2010, however questions of his direction and lack of stated strategy have fans feeling confused and unsure of where the Flames are headed. The major question then is “Are things getting better or worse for the Calgary Flames hockey club?”.
...
Once an offer sheet is laid out by a team all of the other team’s fans start to wonder why their team is not doing it.
Jamie Benn, Suban, or however you want to talk about are not going to be let go via offer sheet, it’s very rare. If they do get the sheet they don’t move very often, most clubs will match and trade later when they can control the return.
So are...
Ok so i don't write very much and this is not really my thing but with that being said i thought that i might weigh in on my beloved Flyers.
With Shea Weber staying in nashville what are the flyers going to do now??? seems to be the big question everyone in flyer nation has been pondering, and yes i know that Homer will most likely come up with something i hea...
Ok so i don't write very much and this is not really my thing but with that being said i thought that i might weigh in on my beloved Flyers.
With Shea Weber staying in nashville what are the flyers going to do now??? seems to be the big question everyone in flyer nation has been pondering, and yes i know that Homer will most likely come up with something i hea...
Trade Talks Washington and Anaheim
90 Marcus Johansson 6' 1" 205 Oct 6, 1990 21 Landskrona, SWE [:thumbsup:]
Drafted: WSH / 2009 NHL Entry Draft
Round: 1st (24th overall)
81 Dmitry Orlov 6' 0" 210 Jul 23, 1991 21 Novokuznetsk, RUS
Drafted: WSH / 2009 NHL Entry Draft
Round: 2nd (55th overall)
1 round draft pick.
###################...
The number 160. It is either a small number or a big number depending on how you’re looking at it. If you were looking at purchasing the newest electronic gadget, like the new Google Nexus tablet, you may consider it to be a small number. If you were looking at the NHL scoring race of 1992-93, you would consider it to be a huge number. For this specific season, this num...
Well hello everyone, my name is Jason and I will try and blog as much I as can. Let me start off by telling you about me, I'm 30, married and have three girls. I have a been a leaf fan for a long time and felt I should start a blog. Since there's has not been a lot of big news for leafs nation I figure I'll talk about the Rick Nash deal. At first I was like a lot of peopl...
First time blogger, enjoy! Follow me on Twitter @PHI_Flyers
Everyone under the sun knows that the Flyers have been one giant "swing and a miss" so far this offseason. We let Jagr go (I don't think he is worth the money he is making in Dallas, so good riddance) We let Carle walk to a big signing in Tampa Bay (I know most Flyer fans really hated Carle, but there would be...
dkroll16 writes...
Why Claude Giroux SHOULD NOT be the next Flyers Captain
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Follow me on Twitter @PHI_Flyers
First off, in case you didn't hear.. the Flyers sent an official trade offer to the Ducks for Bobby Ryan. Philly would be shipping off Meszaros, Read, Laughton, and a 1st Rd pick in '13. Ultimately, I would be okay with this trade. Matt Read had a great rookie season and I don't see him following in the footsteps of Leino in a product...
Follow me on Twitter @PHI_Flyers
Today I thought would be fun to look at a Flyer in depth. I was thinking Danny B, but lets save him for tomorrow and look at the newest Flyer to resign, Jakub Voracek.
Before the details come out, just by watching him skate this past year, here is his OBVIOUS pros and cons
PROS- very fast, excellent passer, amazing control over th...
I'm an American. I like to consider myself more liberal than most of my countrymen. But, I also recognize that there are going to be people that disagree with me about my social and political beliefs. I just want to go on record and say that I believe this is a good thing. We need contention in society, or else nothing can be addressed and improved or fixed.
Along those...
New blogger please give me your feedback! also follow me on twitter @jcimms9
After a disappointing end to what had seemed to be a good season, it is more apparent than ever the needs of this young leafs team. Although James Reimer has shown that he has the talent to be a number one goalie he has not shown the consistency that comes with that duty.
Therefore obtainin...
By the title I know most Sabres fans will think I'm crazy but let's look at Leino for a second. I'll admit when I heard that Buffalo had signed him I was excited and thinking he might do good in Buffalo, then I heard the price. A 6-year deal for $27,000,000 with 4.5M cap hit. That's the definition of overpaid, he had one good season putting up 19G 34A 54 PTS +14 but to me ...
I'm not sure about you, but I am so sick of hearing about the needs of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. Every off-season, trade deadline or rumor has to do with Toronto filling those much needed areas to make the club a playoff team. But here is my issue, a proper rebuilding plan (that I thought they were doing...) will take at the very least, 3-4 more seasons.
For...
Been with HB since '06, first blog :) Any feedback welcomed. @Feltzer89
It was so obvious at the end of last season, even the management group admitted the team needs a 1C and a proven 1A goaltender with experience to have any chance at success. There are options available to fill both of these holes, but for some reason I get the feeling it's not going to be address...
The past few days on Twitter have been crazy about the possible moves that teams are making for Anaheim forward Bobby Ryan. The one thing I hate about twitter is you never know what deals are actually true and which are fake. I've heard Philadelphia , Buffalo, and Boston have all made offers to Anaheim for Bobby Ryan, Lets go more in depth on these possible trades.
Let...
[quote]BUFFALO, N.Y. (July 31, 2012) --- Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier today announced the team has signed forward Patrick Kaleta to a new, multi-year contract.
Kaleta (6’1”, 206 lbs., 6/8/86) led the team in 2011-12 with 116 PIM and led all forwards with 139 hits. Through 63 games played last season, Kaleta recorded 10 points (5+5).
A Buffalo nativ...
I don't ever post but I'd like to point out something nobody has seemed to touch on since Loungo's name as been on the trading block.
Maybe halfway through last season reports began to come out that both the owners and players liked the idea of an amnesty clause in the next cba. Amnesty would allow owners to rid themselves of bad cap hits while the player gets compensa...
I don't ever post but I'd like to point out something nobody has seemed to touch on since Loungo's name as been on the trading block.
Maybe halfway through last season reports began to come out that both the owners and players liked the idea of an amnesty clause in the next cba. Amnesty would allow owners to rid themselves of bad cap hits while the player gets compensa...
I don't ever post but I'd like to point out something nobody has seemed to touch on since Loungo's name as been on the trading block.
Maybe halfway through last season reports began to come out that both the owners and players liked the idea of an amnesty clause in the next cba. Amnesty would allow owners to rid themselves of bad cap hits while the player gets compensa...
I don't ever post but I'd like to point out something nobody has seemed to touch on since Loungo's name as been on the trading block.
Maybe halfway through last season reports began to come out that both the owners and players liked the idea of an amnesty clause in the next cba. Amnesty would allow owners to rid themselves of bad cap hits while the player gets compensa...
I don't ever post but I'd like to point out something nobody has seemed to touch on since Loungo's name as been on the trading block.
Maybe halfway through last season reports began to come out that both the owners and players liked the idea of an amnesty clause in the next cba. Amnesty would allow owners to rid themselves of bad cap hits while the player gets compensa...
dkroll16 writes...
If You Could Have Any Player... Who Would You Choose?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Follow me on twitter @PHI_Flyers
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Okay so I have not blogged in a few days and I thought that it would be fun to blog today about something people could debate and argue for days.
First I want to start with players under the age of 23. If you were the GM of the Flyers and could have ANY PLAYER UNDER 23 YEARS OLD, wit...
MintEdition writes...
The future looks bright for the swedish defense setup!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In many ways you could say that the future is already here. When Erik Karlsson picked up his first Norris Trophy last season it has gone no less than one year after Lidstrom settled with his last and seventh, one shy of Bobby Orr's record eight. As one living in Sweden I know the Swedish hockey fraternity were all in smiles. Is there a new era of domination for (Swedish) d...
This is my first blog so here goes nothin'
[b][u]Mike Gillis' Plan[/u][/b]
I just thought I would put this down on "paper" to see what the team would look like this year if Gillis had his way over the next few weeks so here goes:
SEDIN/SEDIN/BURROWS
BOOTH/KESLER/DOAN
HIGGINS/ARNOTT/RAYMOND OR HANSEN
LAPIERRE/BJUGSTAD/KASSIAN
GARRISON/EDLER
BIEKSA/HAMHUIS
T...
How can the Habs prepare for future success?
Heading into the 2012-2013 season a lot of uncertainty faces the Montreal Canadiens. The organizations fans would have you believe that they are a move or two away from contending for the cup. This however, is not the case.
After a disappointing basement finish, the organization needs to address several needs. The 2011-20...
The 2012-2013 NHL regular season is rapidly approaching and the Philadelphia Flyers have failed to make a major splash in the free agent market for the first time in a long, long time. Since Paul Holmgren took over as the Flyers General Manager in 2006 after Bobby Clarke resigned one month into the season, the team has been a major contender for practically every big name ...
Follow me on twitter @PHI_Flyers
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We are only a little more than a month away from the start of pre season action! While there still will be more signings and possibles trades, I thought that today I would make predictions of the Atlantic Division if the season started tomorrow. I will look into the other divisions and con...
[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...
In a recent Richard Cloutier blog surprisingly void of Eric Belanger insults, a trade scenario was presented in which the Oilers and the Habs would swap two stars straight-up. Subban for Yakupov in a pure 1-for-1 hockey deal. I just thought I woud weigh in to the conversation with my thoughts on a deal that could rock the hockey world.
I have long been an advocate of th...
Reasons for optamism these days seem low sourrounding our lowly Canucks. Everything from the Luongo trade debates, the Doan "DECISION" and ofcourse the ongoing he said/ she said battle between Mike Gillis and the Ryan Kesler Party. Amongst all these and the somewhat obvious upcoming lock out, I'll try my best to brighten up your day with a few reasons to smile regarding ...
First blog in quite awhile for me. But today I am going to be doing my predictions for every notable player on the Flyers roster today. Please note that these are if every player plays 82 games, which will NOT be happening. So give/take 5-10 Goals less! I will also be including the players +/- stat.
[u][b]FORWARDS[/b][/u]
[b]Giroux[/b]: 30 G, 75 A, 105 P, +13
[b]Hart...
Alright, 2nd blog today, but this a fun one. I will be doing my all-prospect team today. These prospects can only have a MAX of 1 year under their belt. They must also play their respective position. I will be doing 12 FW, 6 D and 2 G.
Yakupov-RNH-Landeskog
Schenn-Galchenyuk-Kreider
Johansen-Couts-Forsberg
Granlund-Hodgson-Connolly
Larsson-Gardiner
Gudbranson-Ha...
The NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement will soon expire leaving both NHL owners and the NHLPA (NHL Players' Association) scrambling to get a new deal done that satisfies both parties. The first proposal showed the serious issues between the owners and the players and while the initial proposal is clearly one-sided, it can be worked out in time for the next NHL season. T...
QuebecPride writes...
My Habs prospect rankings (20-16) and a few updates
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
First off let's start with a few updates.
1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015.
http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1
2)Looks like the Habs...
QuebecPride writes...
My Habs prospect rankings (20-16) and a few updates
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
First off let's start with a few updates.
1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015.
http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1
2)Looks like the Habs...
QuebecPride writes...
My Habs prospect rankings (20-16) and a few updates
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
First off let's start with a few updates.
1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015.
http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1
2)Looks like the Habs...
QuebecPride writes...
My Habs prospect rankings (20-16) and a few updates
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
First off let's start with a few updates.
1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015.
http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1
2)Looks like the Habs...
QuebecPride writes...
My Habs prospect rankings (20-16) and a few updates
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
First off let's start with a few updates.
1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015.
http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1
2)Looks like the Habs...
Okay so its August and on paper The Red Wings look worse then the team that lost in the first round to Nashville. However the encouraging aspect of the Wings is GM Ken Holland always finds a way to find talent, and with Mike Babcock behind the bench, there will be chemistry with the core of Datsyuk and Zetterberg.
We should still be in the playoff picture, hopefully St...
[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]
LINK TO PART ONE: [url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=13838&user_id=131735[/url]
Today is day two of a six-day series that will look at the job done by the 30 GM’s around the league. Fr...
[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]
LINK TO PART ONE: [url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=13838&user_id=131735[/url]
LINK TO PART TWO: [url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=131735&post_id=13858[/url]
[b...
Ice_Hawk writes...
The Flames Direction: Maligned by Many, Understood by Few.
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Yes indeed, it was yet another 'dollar short and day late' season for the Flames after missing the playoffs by a mere three wins. The casual observer and even some knowledgeable fans and media members have concluded the Flames’ owners are ‘crazy’ wanting to forego an all-out rebuild keeping their goaltender and captain and the 2012-2013 season will just be more of th...
Eric Mellin writes...
Washington Capitals: All Quiet On The Eastern Front
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Washington Capitals have been rather quiet in the last few weeks of this summer. They shot out of the cannon on Draft Day by acquiring centerman Mike Ribeiro from the Dallas Stars for winger/prospect Cody Eakin. Unlike last summer when General Manager George McPhee (GMGM) went on a spree with goaltender Tomas Vokoun, wingers Troy Brouwer and Joel Ward, centerman Je...
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Looking through the rosters of many of the teams in the NHL I noticed how many teams lacked a top line forward. By top line I mean a talent player that you would realistically call a top 3 forward. I consider a front line, top 3 forward as a player who is a legitimate 30+ goal scorer and point per game player. Not a player who can have a 30 goal or point a game over a whol...
First of all I would like to respond to the posters who commented on my last blog. I tried to use the comments section but my posts showed up blank.
Hi guys, thanks for taking the time to read and comment on my blog.
@HopintheCordoba. Yeah, that pick caught a lot of people off guard including me. Even though ISS/CS etc. had Jankowski rated lower, Craig Button had hi...
Today Eklund made my day by saying the Oilers and Sabres were working on a major deal. As an Oilers fan this summer has been a big let down. Other than the signing justin Schultz the only other thing I could look forward to was 2 more months and then the season will hopefully start. So onto the rumor Eklund stated that the Oilers would want a significant D-man and right aw...
Eric Mellin writes...
Alex Semin May or May Not Rock You Like A Hurricane
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The mystery surrounding Alex Semin's future in the NHL finally came to end when he signed a one year, $7M contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. There was much speculation that Semin was going to sign with either Pittsburg or Detroit, but neither team wanted to offer Semin a muli-year contract, which is something he sought, or anything over $5M. The Hurricanes jumped on th...
Well, with the look of the Flyers roster becoming clearer as we approach opening day, here are my predictions for how the 2012-13 season will shake out for the Flyers. Will be fun to revisit these in June and see how close I got.
1. Paul Holmgren will sign Michal Rosival to a one year deal in an attempt to fill the hole on defense after the injury to Meszaros.
2. And...
Rumors have been floating around for a while on Different players Buffalo is chasing. Names like Stasney, Ryan, and most recently Gagner have all shown up in rumors. It turns out, Buffalo could be setting up something a little better than most would have thought.
Recently the Flyers lost another D due to injury. The Oilers and Ducks are in desperate need of a good ...
Just going to start by saying that this is my first blog so hopefully I dont make a mess of this. :)
Well as im sure we are all aware, Eklund reported a possible rumor between the Sabres and the Oilers. Ill attempt to break it down here.
Sabres: The Rumor suggests that the Sabres would be sending a "significant defenceman." Lets start by saying it wont be Myers or Eh...
Just going to start by saying that this is my first blog so hopefully I dont make a mess of this. :)
Well as im sure we are all aware, Eklund reported a possible rumor between the Sabres and the Oilers. Ill attempt to break it down here.
Sabres: The Rumor suggests that the Sabres would be sending a "significant defenceman." Lets start by saying it wont be Myers or Eh...
Feaster’s first player acquisition as acting GM was underwhelming and perhaps a token move to show he wanted to bolster the lineup without giving up much. With the Flames’ season winding down and a playoff spot looking less likely with each passing game, Feaster added a ‘broken down’ Fredrik Modin, giving up a seventh round pick at the deadline in 2011. Modin had l...
Ok, here we go!! There's been lots of speculation of a major deal between the Oilers and the Sabres. Most bloggers are insisting the main parts involve Gagner from Edmonton and Sekera from Buffalo. Now this is an interesting deal but I would not consider this "major" as stated by Eklund on this site.
I think any major deal involving these two clubs will obviously involv...
I am taking a departure from my in depth analysis of Jay Feaster’s first two seasons as the Flames' GM to comment on statistical analysis in hockey. Specifically as it pertains to the Calgary Flames.
The reason I am doing this is because I read a post on another site maligning the Wideman signing quoting (so-called) experts who called the Wideman signing the worst UFA...
With the closing of the 2012 summer games comes the passing of the torch and the countdown to the winter olympics in Sochi 2014. With the winter olympics hockey fans will get to see the greatest hockey tournament every four four years. The NHL's best players representing their country vying for Olympic gold.
Being a canadian winning gold in mens ice hockey means everyth...
Sorry guys. But my first blog in awhile is going to be somewhat negative. I also have to disclose that I'm a Leafs fan. Now with that out of the way, to the point at hand.
With Hasek wanting to return to the NHL (NHL or bust according to him) at 47 and the Leafs needing a veteran goaltender to backup Reimer (or Scrivens?) maybe there's a fit? Why not give him a try at t...
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...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Countdown of Best/Worst Trades in Habs History: 10th Worst
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
To begin the feature of counting down the top ten best and top ten worst trades in modern day Habs history, I decided to begin with the worst and rotate from 10th worst to 10th best and count down simultaneously. This way, as was so often the case in Habs history, we will finish with the best ever.
On the eve of the 2006-07 season, Montreal GM Bob Gainey would manufactu...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Countdown of Best/Worst Trades in Habs History: 10th Best
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
To continue our countdown of best/worst trades in the modern era of the Habs in order to help us get through August and into next season, we reveal the 10th best trade made by the Habs since the expansion of 1967.
June 26th 1975, Montreal trades defenceman Greg Hubick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for center Doug Jarvis.
Sam Pollock was the General Manager of the Canadi...
There has been a lot of talk about what Steve has done and even more about what he could have done this summer. We have all heard that talk that the choice to draft Yakupov was made by Katz. There was also talk the Sutter as coach was nixed by Katz as well. These two things were the best things the Oilers did this summer. The reasons:
Yakupov has become a fan sensat...
There has been a lot of talk about what Steve has done and even more about what he could have done this summer. We have all heard that talk that the choice to draft Yakupov was made by Katz. There was also talk the Sutter as coach was nixed by Katz as well. These two things were the best things the Oilers did this summer. The reasons:
Yakupov has become a fan sensat...
Corseting writes...
Exceeding Expectations - Fantasy players for 2012/2013
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I honestly can't believe we are almost at the start of another season. One that I promise you will begin with no lockout... just don't see it happening this time.
What I will be looking at is those players who I believe will surprise and contribute to your fantasy team (If not a "surprise" they will definitely improve from last year). This will be solely on [b]POINTS[/b...
In Jay Feaster’s second off-season, he was forced to eat a bit of humble pie when his pre-season guarantee of making the playoffs blew up in his face and the Flames missed out by just six points in an eerily similar fashion to the previous year.
The first dilemma facing the GM was whether or not to re-sign Brent Sutter. To me it was a no-brainer. Sutter may be a good ...
[u]I apologize for the late submission of part 4. I've been having trouble on this website getting this uploaded. Finally got it to work. Thanks for reading![/u]
[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]
[b]15. Los Angeles: [/b]
Lad...
This is my last installment on the examination of Jay Feaster’s tenure as Flames GM. I hope the series has been interesting, informative, entertaining or some combination of the three.
To wind things up I would like to look at the Flames 2012 draft selections. Although Feaster has minimal involvement with assembling the scouting list, it is a product of the scouting s...
I am one of the biggest hockey fans around, and I do believe the players and owners will get a deal done before shutting down for the whole season, however, I do think the season will be delayed, maybe halfway through October. I am with every hockey nut out there, and I will be very upset if there is no NHL this year.
Since we are on the subject, and the NHL lockout is...
Philadelphia fans have such a love-hate relationship with the man known to many as #HartnellDown. People say the player is a clown on skates or laying on the ice in many cases of the past. Scott Hartnell signed a 6-year contract extension with an average cap hit of 4.75 million dollars a season. This is a steal for the Flyers by only giving him a raise of 550,000 thousand ...
Although things could change, the current state of CBA negotiations is pointing to yet another lockout. If so, this would be a natural hat-trick.
Since the NHL owners slotted hired-gun Gary Bettman as their commish, the mood of player/ownership negotiations has gone from somewhat amicable to downright confrontational and even combative at times.
The financial state ...
cuppacoldtea writes...
Five Reasons to Look Forward to Losing a Year of Hockey
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Here are five positive things I will take away from a lockout, in descending order
5: The New Jersey Devils will save about 3 million dollars every two weeks in player's salaries. This should help them make their loan payments...seeing how four rounds of extra playoff revenue did not seem to to the job.
4: Vancouver have an extra year to work out a deal with Tor...
I’ve had this rattling around in my head the past few weeks, and just haven’t had the time to sit down and put it together. Maybe it’s due to the fact that I’m “signing” a long-term “contract” of my own when I get married next week. There’s been a lot of talk surrounding the length of contracts in the NHL, and it’s even a focal point in the current CBA ...
suraj1017 writes...
5 Reasons the New CBA Needs to Get Done Before September 15
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The NHL and NHLPA have reached a point of potentially experiencing a second NHL lockout in less than a decade.
There are significant losers if this does happen, and very limited winners as well.
So, why has it not been resolved?
That's for both parties to figure out, but it seems the difference in desires for the new CBA will continue to hinder the possibility o...
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 ...
The ideology that Canadian players are responsible for the success of any given team is common. Farm-born Saskatchewan kids can elevate their game and play clutch hockey when it really matters. But do local boys offer any discernable advantage over American or European players to a teams success? That's what this blog is going to be about. I'm going to find out.
To star...
When the 2012 offseason began Brian Burke promised the Maple Leafs’ real offseason would begin on July 1st. Free Agent frenzy did bring a few new names to the club but none of those names happen to be pinned to a top six slot let alone a first line center role. There is still time for a move but as it stands now, are the Leafs improved enough to snap the seven year abs...
To me, hockey is my escape. I am underemployed, I am struggling to put myself back through college, I have lost most of the luxuries I once enjoyed but I still had hockey.
Hockey to me is pure.
Imagine an office where 99% of the employees loved their jobs and gave it 100% everyday.
Imagine making hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars doing the job that you...
To me, hockey is my escape. I am underemployed, I am struggling to put myself back through college, I have lost most of the luxuries I once enjoyed but I still had hockey.
Hockey to me is pure.
Imagine an office where 99% of the employees loved their jobs and gave it 100% everyday.
Imagine making hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars doing the job that you...
To me, hockey is my escape. I am underemployed, I am struggling to put myself back through college, I have lost most of the luxuries I once enjoyed but I still had hockey.
Hockey to me is pure.
Imagine an office where 99% of the employees loved their jobs and gave it 100% everyday.
Imagine making hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars doing the job that you...
RobFlyers#1 writes...
Ranking Hockey Canada's Best (Part 2) Defence and Goalies
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
This is the second part of my rankings for Canada's best hockey players by position. I posted earlier my rankings for Canada's top 32 forwards and now it's time to rank the defense and the goalies going into the 2014 olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Canada has great depth on the blueline and in my opinion a changing of the guard so to speak. With Neidermayer retired and Chri...
Hello all and welcome to my second blog ever. Like i said in my first blog Im not the greatest writer so if it sucks please bear with me. Im open to suggestion and comments of all kinds.
Now to my blog, the Edmonton Oilers have done a bit of work this off season but they could have done alot more. Lets take a look at what the Oilers have done so far.
First off they s...
Hello all and welcome to my second blog ever. Like i said in my first blog Im not the greatest writer so if it sucks please bear with me. Im open to suggestion and comments of all kinds.
Now to my blog, the Edmonton Oilers have done a bit of work this off season but they could have done alot more. Lets take a look at what the Oilers have done so far.
First off they s...
Hello all and welcome to my second blog ever. Like i said in my first blog Im not the greatest writer so if it sucks please bear with me. Im open to suggestion and comments of all kinds.
Now to my blog, the Edmonton Oilers have done a bit of work this off season but they could have done alot more. Lets take a look at what the Oilers have done so far.
First off they s...
In the minds of many it seems a foregone conclusion that the Flames will miss the playoffs again if there is a 2012-2013 season. The reasons range from ‘lack of scoring’ to ‘an aging core’ to ‘the Flames will suck until they rebuild’ and pretty much everything in between.
Not so fast. Until the season begins it is impossible to accurately assess a team’s c...
This blog is to dissect the many moves, trades, free agent signings, and now current roster that is presented to us by the Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke. I will do a series of blogs looking at a multitude of subjects from the inherited Leafs, the turnover, the forwards, the D, and the goalies.
First, to truly understand how this current of the Leafs was built, I...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Countdown of Best/Worst Trades in Habs History: 9th Best
Posted Monday | Comments 0
March 2, 2004, Montreal trades Josef Balej and a 2nd round pick in the 2004 draft to the New York Rangers for Alex Kovalev.
The 2003-04 season was a very typical one for the Canadiens of the time, struggling to score goals and fighting like dogs to reach a playoff position. Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey went shopping at the trade deadline and struck a deal with t...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Countdown of Best/Worst Trades in Habs History: 9th Worst
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Continuing our countdown of best and worst trades in Habs modern history, we have reached the 9th worst trade.
March 10, 1999: Montreal trades Mark Recchi to the Philadelphia Flyers for Dainius Zubrus and a 2nd round pick in the 1999 draft.
The 1998-99 season was a difficult one for the Montreal Canadiens. Struggling terribly to score goals and well on their way to m...
I really haven't written anything since the Flyers were trying to sign Zach Parise/Ryan Suter so I thought I'd give my thoughts on the off-season and see where that leads the team into this uncertain season.
[u]Off-Season Events:[/u]
[b]1. Zach Parise/Ryan Suter Sweepstakes[/b]
This is not of fault for the Flyers brass at all, they simply did not have the most entic...
Corseting writes...
Exceeding Expectations - Fantasy goalies for 2012/2013
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This is Part 2 of my fantasy outlook blog, for those of you who missed Part 1 on [b]players[/b], please check it out here:
[url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=96143&post_id=13915[/url]
Wonderful.
So, just as a refresher, the basis of this blog is to assess those fantasy assets who I see taking a step up in the 2012/2013 season. Although that doesn'...
[b]Random Oilers Thoughts - The "[i]I forgot my password[/i]" edition. [/b]
Yes folks, I am back after taking a few months off. Why did I come back? I never wanted to leave actually. I forgot my password/user name. Lame. I'm sure a quick email to the site admin would of helped but for whatever reason never fired one off. Oh well, no doubt everyone has had their fill of ...
I don't know about you but I am getting really tired of sports taking the fans for granted. If it wasn't for us there would be no money to fight over. We support the teams. We buy the jerseys. We pay for the tickets and I am getting tired of both sides forgetting about the fans. I like most hockey fans will be very upset if the NHL and the NHLPA can't get the CBA deal done...
This Rumour was not mentioned on Hockeybuzz I know. But I was surfing twitter and I source that I believe to be accurate mentioned that the maple Leafs were looking to trade for Gagner. I found this interesting because I believe it could very well happen. So as I did for the Buffalo/Edmonton rumour I am going to break this down onto what I think the potential deal could lo...
Just saw this from Canadian Press:
"A large section of the roof blew off the top of Montreal's Maurice Richard Arena on Thursday, apparently by the force of powerful winds.
Part of the roof, about the size of a couple of school buses, tumbled down the side of an exterior wall onto some trees. Officials did not report any injuries."
Well, I guess there is no way th...
Overall, Buffalo Sabres general manager Darcy Regier is playing it smart as the NHL is amidst the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement. Only 2 players on the roster have a higher salary cap hit than $6 million for the next season (Ryan Miller-$6.3 M, Thomas Vanek-$7.1 M). In the case the $58 million salary cap is agreed upon, player movement to Rochest...
MontrealTheTime writes...
Predicting Points Totals for First-Line Players
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
In my recent spare time I've tried to make a magic process that can predict the amount of points a player will accumulate over any period of games. For accuracy's sake, this process will only apply to first-line players (using The Hockey News Depth Charts to define a player as ‘first-line’). Creating the steps has been a process of trial and error that has taken severa...
[b]Evander Kane[/b]- I have been told that Kane is closer to re-signing with the Jets then leaving, but there is some rumble about Pittsburgh throwing there 2 cents into the mix....
[b]Shane Doan[/b]- Doan is looking more and more like hes staying in Phoenix. there are plenty of teams looking for his services. Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Philly, and Vancouver are just a few....
For anybody who knows this player... this video will explain why he is my favorite player of all time....
http://youtu.be/Fq1iGxVzNgA
I wanted to get video to pop right up on the page put it was fighting me....
Eric Mellin writes...
NHL Quick Hits: Ovechkin Bald? The Summit Series and more.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
(This is from my blog at www.ihjjr.com)
Quick Hits
Ovechkin made an appearance today at Kettler Ice Plex with Backstrom, Orlov, Johansson, Ribeiro and a few other players to take part in some on ice practice. Ovie showed up with a shaved head, citing that he did in homage for his 700 or so 'brothers' who are about to make war with the NHL and its owners. He sent Twitte...
Probally one person will not read this as I don't know where it goes or what the deal with this blog thing is regardless it is even a chance to vent in my own way and for my own benefit. I didn't read the article and don't plan on it but someone posted a blog about so I think I got the gist of it. It ranks the maple leafs as the worst franchise in sports or something along...
Probally one person will not read this as I don't know where it goes or what the deal with this blog thing is regardless it is even a chance to vent in my own way and for my own benefit. I didn't read the article and don't plan on it but someone posted a blog about so I think I got the gist of it. It ranks the maple leafs as the worst franchise in sports or something along...
Probally one person will not read this as I don't know where it goes or what the deal with this blog thing is regardless it is even a chance to vent in my own way and for my own benefit. I didn't read the article and don't plan on it but someone posted a blog about so I think I got the gist of it. It ranks the maple leafs as the worst franchise in sports or something along...
Probally one person will not read this as I don't know where it goes or what the deal with this blog thing is regardless it is even a chance to vent in my own way and for my own benefit. I didn't read the article and don't plan on it but someone posted a blog about so I think I got the gist of it. It ranks the maple leafs as the worst franchise in sports or something along...
I wonder how the American government would run if the nation's laws shut down every 5 or 6 years while the Republicans and Democrats hammer out a new deal. Of course, it would take forever because both sides would have to invariably agree to everything.
Granted, the process isn't like politics or legislation of laws, but in comparing this CBA system to systems that p...
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...
Obviously everyone out in blogger world (for the NHL at least) is igniting this site with lock out news (we all know its looking grim for a normal season). So I figured A different blog could be beneficial to us who still want to discuss possible outcomes for the (hopeful) season.
I believe we Avs fans are on the verge of a season worth the wait considering how tough i...
Obviously everyone out in blogger world (for the NHL at least) is igniting this site with lock out news (we all know its looking grim for a normal season). So I figured A different blog could be beneficial to us who still want to discuss possible outcomes for the (hopeful) season.
I believe we Avs fans are on the verge of a season worth the wait considering how tough i...
Obviously everyone out in blogger world (for the NHL at least) is igniting this site with lock out news (we all know its looking grim for a normal season). So I figured A different blog could be beneficial to us who still want to discuss possible outcomes for the (hopeful) season.
I believe we Avs fans are on the verge of a season worth the wait considering how tough i...
If you grew up a hockey fan in the 90's theres an extremely high chance you watched the Emilio Estevez led Mighty Ducks trilogy from Disney. In these movies they went from a brat pack of kids to state champions to World Junior Games champions to the JV hockey team who beat the varsity team in this be all-end all of prep hockey in Minnesota. While I loved these movies as a ...
So the new NHL game came out and i saw another writer asking if people would like to see the Sabers simulated day by day and he would write about it. I personally thought it was a great idea and I'de like to offer the same thing. Let me know if you'd like to see the Blackhawks season simulated day by day and maybe see the same scores we will once the season actually stars....
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...
As a follow-up on my recent predictions of the Northeast division, I'll be weighing in today with my thoughts on possibly the best division in hockey. The Atlantic Division contained 4 playoff teams last year, or the number produced by the Southeast and Northeast divisions combined. The fact that the Eastern final was between two Atlantic teams, and didn't feature perenia...
I have been blasting on Twitter all night!! Nobody has sympathy for millionaires – or billionaires – on strike. Now they can all fly to Cabo and sulk, while waiting for their 5 digit weekly checks to roll in again. What about the people who just lost their jobs – and possibly their homes? – because of all of this…
Wealthy people do not often fraternize with no...
He saved the Penguins on the ice and raised two Cups as their captain. After his retirement, he saved them financially. He rolled what salary he deferred as a player a primary ownership share in the franchise. He also saved the team once more time by securing a new facility for the Penguins, which ultimately prevented them from moving cities.
All of the above-mentioned...
So I got married 18 days ago, and ventured off on my honeymoon. I left knowing that the risk of a lockout was coming up. For 10 days, I didn’t look for much information, mainly due to the fact that I was sitting in the middle of the Caribbean without cell phone signal. Plus, I didn’t want to pay the money for wi-fi on the boat. When I got back to Fort Lauderdale, and h...
PuckingOpinion writes...
If You Must Switch: How To Avoid The Bandwagon Title
Posted Friday | Comments 0
They're out there, and real fans hate them. The Bandwagon Jumpers.
How do we define a bandwagon jumper? It's really up to your own opinion I suppose, but I'm going to fill you in on my guidelines for a bandwagon jumper.
[i]
A Bandwagon Jumper is defined as a fan who displays a lack of loyalty and supports only winning teams, changing from team to team as success ris...
The Newmarket Hurricanes would finally take part in their home opener of the 2012-2013 season yesterday afternoon after starting this year’s campaign with a 6 game road trip and finishing up with a record of 4-1-1 and picking up 9 out of a possible 12 points. The Hurricanes opponents yesterday afternoon were the Cobourg Cougars who had beaten Newmarket on the previous ro...
With the St. Louis Blues home opener scheduled for less than a month away, we, as Blues fans, should be waiting for the NHL premiere of Vladimir Tarasenko and the proud moment when we get to lift a championship banner to the rafters, but instead Vladi is in Russia and the banner is probably getting hung up without a celebration.
So, what is there to do during the lockou...
andydrmm writes...
Who's Playing Overseas? Who Were We Supposed to Play Tonight
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
’m reading a lot of stuff regarding how a lot of NHL players are heading across the Atlantic to play hockey this year. That’s great. No, I’m not being sarcastic. I think if the guys have a chance to play, go for it.
Why should we get so excited about it though?
All the players going overseas says 1 thing, and 1 thing only to me.
Get ready for a nice, long, l...
Tonight’s action saw the hometown Hurricanes square off against the East Divisions Whitby Fury. Newmarket had one thing on their mind and that was redemption for their 4-0 loss to the Fury back on the 11th of this month. Tonight’s starting goalies would be Matt Wintjes in his 8th consecutive start for the hometown Newmarket Hurricanes and Tyler Feaver for the visiting ...
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...
Bettman is oft’ made out to be the bane of the NHL’s existence by some, and by others excused for simply trying to fulfill the owner’s mandate of selling the game in the U.S. market, ending labor unrest, completing expansion plans, and modernizing the views within the ownership groups.
[b]Let’s look at the body of work of Mr. Bettman.[/b]
Since the diminutiv...
I saw earlier today, the rumor (on several sites) that the NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, in all his infinite wisdom, may consider using replacement players should the NHL remain in a lockout come November. This is extremely risky, even just to have it be a rumor.
There are thousands of hockey players in the world who want a shot at the NHL. I went to college with a few...
After falling on Thursday to the Trenton Golden Hawks by a score of 3-2 the Hurricanes would go into this weekend looking to bounce back from their tough loss to the Hawks. Today’s action would see the Newmarket Hurricanes host former Hurricanes Matt Galati and Jeff Heard and their Pickering Panthers. Today’s starting goaltenders would be September Player of the Month ...
As frustrating as the lockout is for me and the many wonderful hockey fans, I had the realization that this affects many people in a much more personal manner. Without the NHL season many are out of work or have a reduced income.
As we all know the economy is not running strong at the moment and many struggle week to week or month to month already. The lockout has a tri...
They adopt a new system that hybridizes the marketplace and the cap approach, which theoretically allows a team to spend as much money as they want. “That’s what Goodenow wanted!”
But wait... let’s go over some limitations.
The new team structure would be presented as such, assuming a 50/50 split in revenue is reached (it’s really no secret the NHL offere...
Many times there are little things lost when playing sports such as 'pleases' and 'thank yous.' Hockey players often forget how much their parents give up for them so that they can play this game. We often forget to say 'thanks' for driving two and a half hours on a Saturday morning at 6 AM just so we can be in another part of the state in time for puck drop. We usually fo...
Man, I got to say this NHL lockout really does suck. The more time that passes the more I realize how much I am starting to miss that routine of getting back into a new hockey season. You know what I mean; September roles around and your thoughts begin to drift further and further into that beautiful abyss that is the NHL season. Your thinking about how trades and signings...
andydrmm writes...
Amerks 6- Crunch 5 Season Opener from Blue Cross Arena
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
After a little traffic delay on the I-490, my wife and I have made it home from the Amerks season opener vs the Syracuse Crunch. Needless to say, it was a great game, but there are a lot of concerns regarding the Amerks.
Due to the high amount of traffic coming to the arena (Thanks Gary, thanks for the lock out), we missed the first 3 minutes of the game. Corey Tropp st...
[i]Since I plan on watching every Sound Tigers game I can, even after the lockout (hopefully) ends this season, I thought I’d write about the games here and give my severely amateur views on some of the Isles’ top prospects for Isles fans who are not able to follow the Bridgeport squad. I haven’t watched much AHL hockey before, so bear with me if my observations see...
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers put forth a solid team effort from the net out to earn a 4-2 win in their home opener, battling from behind for the second straight night.
Nino Niederreiter scored his second goal in as many nights, and now leads the Sound Tigers with four points. Brock Nelson sits one point behind him after contributing an assist in the game on a shorthande...
Hi All, I’m getting sick of all this CBA talk and decided to write a blog going down the prospects route. The Oilers have an abundance of young talent and I found myself thinking, just who could be traded for some more immediate assets, and who just doesn’t have a price tag on them. Here are the Oilers top 5 untouchable prospects.
1) [b] Justin Schultz [/b]– He...
There’s a lot of buzz right now about there being a deal on the table between the NHL and NHLPA. I’ll believe it when they announce “There’s a deal we both agree on, and that we’re starting the season on _______ date.” For now, I’ll leave the speculation to everyone else, and write about something different (as well as a quick hit on Corey Tropp).
I’m no...
archromat writes...
Aftermath: The 50 Best Players going into 2012/2013
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Ladies and gentlemen, after I constructed a math system last year to try to project numbers and the worth of players in a mathematical spectrum, I made a couple of tweaks here and there and bring you a taste of what’s to come. Not only will I give you the best and the worst, I will be highlighting the players moving in deals to see which team wins according to a system ...
AarifDeen writes...
There's Two Separate parts to the CBA Negotiations
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]For everything hockey - 24/7 news updates, scores, humour, blogs, and everything else in between, please follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind.[/b]
Something that was already a given, has further been proven now with the latest updates of the CBA negotiations.
In case you haven’t heard the news yet (which obviously means you’ve probably b...
Yes, the NHL is locked out. However, I will still blog about the NHL and, more specifically, the Detroit Red Wings. Since they are not playing any games and I cannot complain about poor performance or how Brendan Smith is the “real deal”, I will discuss other topics relating to the Red Wings of the past. Hopefully the season will start soon with the recent 50/50 propos...
Much has been written about the NHL's latest offer to the NHLPA, tendered October 16. Instead of getting into the numbers [which require various assumptions] and debating the merits, I'll focus on the actual details of the offer and discuss whether they should be acceptable to the NHLPA. In no particular order:
[b]1. Term[/b]
The NHL proposes a 6-year CBA with a "mut...
This band is 2 parts Alberta and 1 part Ontario, They rock and can play some mean hockey too!!!
Hello, we are a rock band based out of Hamilton. We are called Flamingo Bay......
"Based out of Hamilton, Ontario; Flamingo Bay's sound falls into one category....Rock n Roll. With styles and influences that range from the 70's through the 90's they're always looking to ...
This band is 2 parts Alberta and 1 part Ontario, They rock and can play some mean hockey too!!!
Hello, we are a rock band based out of Hamilton. We are called Flamingo Bay......
"Based out of Hamilton, Ontario; Flamingo Bay's sound falls into one category....Rock n Roll. With styles and influences that range from the 70's through the 90's they're always looking to ...
This band is 2 parts Alberta and 1 part Ontario, They rock and can play some mean hockey too!!!
Hello, we are a rock band based out of Hamilton. We are called Flamingo Bay......
"Based out of Hamilton, Ontario; Flamingo Bay's sound falls into one category....Rock n Roll. With styles and influences that range from the 70's through the 90's they're always looking to ...
This band is 2 parts Alberta and 1 part Ontario, They rock and can play some mean hockey too!!!
Hello, we are a rock band based out of Hamilton. We are called Flamingo Bay......
"Based out of Hamilton, Ontario; Flamingo Bay's sound falls into one category....Rock n Roll. With styles and influences that range from the 70's through the 90's they're always looking to ...
This band is 2 parts Alberta and 1 part Ontario, They rock and can play some mean hockey too!!!
Hello, we are a rock band based out of Hamilton. We are called Flamingo Bay......
"Based out of Hamilton, Ontario; Flamingo Bay's sound falls into one category....Rock n Roll. With styles and influences that range from the 70's through the 90's they're always looking to ...
The NHL Entry Draft began in 1979, following 16 years of the NHL Amateur Draft. Here are the Top 10 Red Wings draft picks made since the first Amateur Draft in 1963.
1. [b]Steve Yzerman[/b] C, 1st Round 1983, #4 overall
2. [b]Marcel Dionne[/b] C, 1st Round 1971, #2 overall
3. [b]Nicklas Lidstrom[/b] D, 3rd Round 1989, #53 overall
4. [b]Sergei Fedorov[/b] C, 4th Round...
Next up is the Washington Capitals Top 10 draft picks. The Caps have indeed made other draft picks besides Alex Ovechkin. Here are the Washington Capitals’ top draft picks since their first draft in 1974.
1. [b]Mike Gartner[/b] RW, 1st Round 1979, #4 overall
2. [b]Alexander Ovechkin[/b] LW, 1st Round 2004, #1 overall
3. [b]Scott Stevens[/b] D, 1st Round 1982, #5 ove...
If forced to describe Theoren Fleury in one sentence during his NHL career, one would likely use the words troubled, conflicted, gifted and of course, mouthy. Most fans, journalists, fellow players and management couldn't stand Theoren Fleury, particularly Rangers and Blackhawks fans/brass. But one has to wonder, if we knew about Fleury's problems then, would many still de...
After this weeks great negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA, I needed another hockey fix. My wife and I ventured up to Blue Cross Arena to watch the Amerks try to snap their 2 game losing streak against the winless Griffins of Grand Rapids.
I was really glad that throughout the night, I saw the Amerk’s defense join the rush. There was great awareness to recognize w...
The following blog is published on my site. and the original URL is:
http://replacebettman.com/post/33933352781/nhl-proposal
I have posted the complete article here for you consideration.
October 19, 2012
Below is an Open Letter to both the NHL and NHLPA. I am telling each party in simple uncomplicated and straight foreword terms what my thoughts, feelings a...
First of all I would like to clarify that I was pro-ownership last lockout. Owners had bumped up salaries to the point the league’s finances were in rough shape. However, it was basically a few ownership groups who were driving the pay-escalation, and it was difficult to indict the group as a whole.
Some owners had been victims themselves and had come out and criticiz...
The visiting Bridgeport Sound Tigers never trailed in a game they could have easily lost if not for strong play from goaltender Kevin Poulin and some fortunate bounces at both ends of the ice.
Nino Niederreiter picked up his third goal and team-leading fifth point of the season in the 3-2 victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and Poulin turned aside 34 shots ...
I'm starting to wonder if the NHLPA resents that the NHL had a plan for a full 82 game schedule with a pretty good offer on the table.
In our culture, we seem to have this problem and resentment towards other people trying to make our decisions easier for us for our own good, even if the agenda isn't always pure. Unfortunately, when we start thinking that the helping h...
CripplerJB writes...
Newmarket takes Game 1 in Battle of Younge Street 2012-2013
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Today’s action saw the Hurricanes take on their rivals the Aurora Tigers in game 1 of this season Battle of Younge Street. Today’s starting goalies were Brett Sinclair for the visiting Tigers and of course Matt Wintjes for Newmarket who today made his 12th start of this year’s campaign. Going into today’s action the North Division leading Canes would have only a 1 ...
Next up is the San Jose Sharks Top 10 draft picks. While some of the Honorable Mentions are solid players today, they did not crack the Top 10 because they have had shorter careers relative to those in the Top 10. For example, when it is all said and done, Logan Couture will probably have had a better career than Jeff Friesen. But until then, he and his 130 career points w...
This installment of the Top 10 draft picks will focus on the Edmonton Oilers. They have plucked some serious talent from juniors since they joined the NHL in 1979. Wayne Gretzky was not drafted by the Oilers, or by anyone, so he will not be on the list. How will guys like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, and Nail Yakupov stack up against the high-flying Oilers from the 19...
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,...
While the NHL is disintegrating, some of the Red Wings have taken their talents elsewhere to stay fresh, make a living, or just play the game they enjoy. Thanks to [url]www.hockeydb.com[/url], you can see their stats from the different European leagues. Here is a list of the players who are overseas and their stats in case anyone wanted to know how [b]Henrik Zetterberg[/b]...
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...
tigran777 writes...
Enjoy!Watch Texas A&M vs Auburn live stream online NCAA 2012
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Do you want to watch Texas A&M vs Auburn live streaming online on pc?Searching for a good way to watch Texas A&M vs Auburn live streaming online today? You've come to the right place!We'll show you how to watch Texas A&M vs Auburn games live stream online in perfect high definition quality using any PC or Mac computer! It's possible! Now you can watch every ...
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...
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers sandwiched a hard-fought shootout win against the Springfield Falcons in between two forgettable losses against the Worcester Sharks this past weekend.
Kirill Kabanov had surgery on his wrist due to an injury sustained in Friday’s 5-1 loss in Worcester. The AHL Live video feed never really showed what happened aside from a brief shot of Ka...
I took the day off to day because I had a doctor’s appointment this morning. Plus, I didn’t want to go back to work afterwards. My wife and I then began to develop a plan for the day. We knew that the day would end at the Amerks game as they took on the Hamilton Bulldogs. It was another big adventure in Rochester at Blue Cross Arena.
The Amerks went on the power pl...
Storm-stricken Bridgeport Sound Tigers fans took some time off from assessing damage, waiting in line for gas and assisting loved ones, friends and even strangers to take advantage of a thoughtful gesture by the organization: free tickets to last night’s game against the Hershey Bears. And the team rewarded the sellout crowd with a solid effort and a victory that includ...
I’ll indulge in some Ilya Bryzgalov-like philosophizing and say that today’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins was perhaps the universe seeking balance.
Last time these two teams met, the Penguins controlled the majority of play, but lost the game due to stellar goaltending from Bridgeport’s Kevin Poulin and some fortunate b...
As the NHL lockout continues to drag on, there isn't much hockey news here in America that is really worth writing about. The AHL and many other minor and junior leagues are playing out their seasons as usual but are harder for many people in certain areas to attend.
On the heels of last nights election, I was in a bit of a patriotic mood and decided to do another hock...
UIF writes...
Bridgeport Earns 4-2 Win Over Norfolk in Wednesday Matinee
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Nino Niederreiter and Brock Nelson both scored as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers put forth a solid effort in a 4-2 victory over the Norfolk Admirals in a game that began in Wednesday’s a.m. hours.
The contest also saw its share of scraps, with enforcer Brett Gallant getting a fighting hat trick, sandwiching a close loss to former Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Jay Rosehill...
Last weekend, my wife and I decided to go to tonight’s Amerks game with my parents. We decided that we were going to try to go and reap the benefit of tonight’s Salute the Troops night (my dad is a former Marine).
The following, is the events that transpired in Rochester, NY, at Blue Cross Arena.
We decided to park a few blocks away due the heavy flow of traffi...
UIF writes...
Nilsson Comes Up Big in Bridgeport's 5-2 Win over Manchester
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
For two periods, last night’s game between the visiting Bridgeport Sound Tigers and the Manchester Monarchs came down to an impressive goaltender duel between Anders Nilsson and Martin Jones. But in the third, the Sound Tigers scored three of the period’s four goals to give Nilsson a 5-2 victory in his first start of the season.
Nino Niederreiter and Brock Nelson s...
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers scored three unanswered goals to complete a comeback against the rival Connecticut Whale, overcoming an early deficit caused in large part by former Sound Tiger Michael Haley.
Bridgeport played much of the home game with just 10 forwards, as Casey Cizikas left the ice hurt in the first period and did not return, and Colin McDonald received a ...
I decided to try to write a weekly blog on here just to vent my opinion. Well this is number 2 since July so I'm off to a roaring start. I wanted to get into it about the weekly games and how I was feeling about the NHL and the Habs. But here I am struggling to hold on to any kind of caring about hockey. I went from being mad at the owners, to being mad at the players to j...
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...
Every morning, I open the hockeybuzz website as well as other websites to get updated from the news around the NHL and around the world, and I see on TSN more and more players migrating to Europe, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to talk about this migration.
Now a lot of people are on the player's side, often because they've been part of unions or strikes ...
Here is more evidence that hockey players are the best shit-talkers in all of sports.
While I believe that both sides need to make concessions in order to reach a fair deal, you have to give Ian White some credit for speaking his mind and not holding back. White's comments are blowing up Twitter (to the extent that hockey can blow up Twitter). I'd like to see a NHL rep...
I was planning on coming home from work, quickly changing, and hopping on the I-90 to head to Rochester for the Amerks vs Heat game. So why am I writing this? My wife is feeling under the weather, and I’m taking care of her. In the end, that’s way more important than a hockey game. My back up plan? Watch the game on Time Warner Sports Network. Downside with that, they�...
Last night, I was pointed to a [url=http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/179740001.html]blog entry from Michael Russo at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune[/url]. In that posting, Russo states that he has copies of exhibits put forward by the NHL in discussions with the NHLPA illustrating the gap that really exists between both sides.
Based on the exhibits Russo shows, th...
Thanks to unnamed sources, I've obtained an exclusive transcript of tomorrow's meeting between the NHL and NHLPA. The following is a rush version; the full version will be available tomorrow.
[b]Bettman:[/b] We're still insisting on a 50/50 split of HRR, starting immediately, with limits on contract lengths, variation in salary by year.
[b]Fehr:[/b] We're still insist...
It's been a long time since I wrote anything here...sometimes life hands you more than you are ready to deal with and it takes a while to get caught up.
Too bad the NHL and NHLPA can't say that about this lockout.
Today is November 19th and there has yet to be an NHL game played in the 2012-13 season.
Everybody knew what is happening...would happen...right?
The...
As we all await (some eagerly, some for morbid curiosity) news of how the latest round of negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA have gone, I thought I'd discuss an oft-mentioned point in both the 2005 CBA and this year's CBA's discussions: the Players Share of HRR.
Many people have asked why various items aren't included in HRR, ranging from game-used merchandise to p...
[url=http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=48072&post_id=14164]I wrote a post last month[/url] that talked about how the media was incredibly optimistic that because the NHL and NHLPA were meeting, a deal could be close at hand. At that time, I didn't buy it because the two sides were too far apart on key issues. Fast foward about 4 weeks, and it's deja vu: the ...
Suffice it to say, I was shocked like everyone else was when news came out that talks had broken down between the NHL and NHLPA yet again. After hearing from some of the media about how progress was imminent and a breakthrough might be at hand, discovering that the NHL had yet again dismissed the NHLPA’s graciousness was … what’s the word, predictable?
The proble...
Now I used to get into a lot of arguments online, so I know a lot of the tricks that people do in order to gain the upper hand. One of them is being employed by both sides of the negotiation, and it came more to life yesterday.
Most arguments have to do with language, words (semantics), what meanings they package, and how they're contextually used. Since language is a...
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers entered last night’s game against the Adirondack Phantoms second in the league in penalties. They did all they could to take first place in that category, and paid for it by surrendering three power-play goals in a lopsided 5-1 loss in Glens Falls.
Bridgeport took seven minor penalties and added three fighting majors on the night. This is...
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers head into a three-game weekend in the midst of a three-game losing streak -- their first losing streak of the season.
The team will look for answers beginning tonight when it visits the Hershey Bears, a team Bridgeport beat 3-2 on Nov. 3 in an entertaining game that storm-stricken Bridgeport fans got to see for free thanks to a nice gesture...
If Bettman's suggestion goes through and Fehr and Bettman are lesioned from the situation with players and owners doing the raw negotiations, a deal will get done much faster so long as they keep it that way. It will. But one side will probably be a clear winner at the end of all of this because they'll quickly establish a language and the more persistent will probably o...
Instead of writing about the lockout, which seems to be the default for hockey journalists currently, I felt that I should write about the World Juniors, the most exciting annual IIHF event. So instead of versing in the prose of doom and gloom, I present to you my podium predictions for the 2012-2013 World Junior Championship, which will be held in Ufa, Russia.
1. Canad...
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers were unable to end their first losing streak of the season this past weekend, dropping all three of their games by a combined score of 13-6.
The team’s skid now stands at six games, although they earned a point in a shootout loss on Saturday to maintain possession of second place in the Northeast Division.
Winger David Ullstrom was injur...
I normally write a lot more. I just have been having a real difficult time coming up with topics right now due to there not being NHL games. A lot of the topics that I’m ready to dive into, I’d rather write about during the season. Plus, there’s real examples there to use, instead of just going back to the past.
It’s tough to write when there’s a lockout goin...
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers dropped their seventh straight game 4-2 last night against the Connecticut Whale, but anyone tuning in via AHL Live experienced only a choppy video feed and audio that cut in and out before it got so bad it virtually stopped working entirely.
I consider this another nail in the coffin for my AHL Live experience; dealing with a service that ch...
With the NHL stuck in an owner’s lockout, hockey fans have had to direct their attention to other leagues in order to scratch the itch for competitive games. The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) has drawn a lot of the fan attention that the NHL would normally consume. Here are some of the studs and duds to watch for in the CHL’s eastern league, the QMJHL.
Topping my lis...
The very constitution is about to be rewritten! They're trying to destroy our social liberties, the freedom we sacrificed countless lives to obtain! We knew this was going to happen! We knew that they were going to try to trick us as soon as we signed that last CBA that rolled back 24% of our salaries!
Rollback 24% more of our salaries, I tell you! We will NOT be limite...
Chip McCleary writes...
Unfounded Optimism, III - Maybe the Final Chapter
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well, here we are yet again – another round of the media proclaiming success and happiness was imminent, and yet another round of reality rearing its ugly head to stomp on all those dreams. Predictable, really – and yet, some people just can’t help but make themselves giddy hoping for things to happen, no matter the ultimate cost.
Myself, I’m thrilled that talk...
Of all the incredulous statements made on Thursday night (and there were a slew of them on both sides), one of the most striking was Bill Daly’s comment that a 5-year limit on contract lengths is “a hill we’re willing to die on.” It’s amazing that of all the things the owners could say they absolutely must have – of the things they say “we can’t leave home...
It’s Friday night, I’m at home watching... nothing. Well that’s not true. My wife is playing a Wii game while I sit here with a beer typing my blog. I’m reminded once again of the fact that there’s not NHL hockey on my TV, and the pain that it brings hockey fans.
I’m seriously concerned of the long term impacts that it looks like this lockout will have. I�...
Lets talk about numbers for a minute.
Sense the 2005-06 NHL season the NHL had 0% of its players holding out for a new deal when they where already under contract.
That is called honor and loyalty
Sense the 2005-06 season the NFL, NBA, MLB has had its players holding out for more money when they where already under contract
That is call no honor and no loyalty
...
With three minutes left in the first period of last night’s game in Albany against the Devils, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers were trailing 1-0 and had mustered a measly one shot on goal. They ended the first period with three shots, and at the 10-minute mark of the second period, they still had just six shots on net.
[i]See latest entry with better news on yesterday's ...
If you’re going to end a long and ugly losing streak, you might as well do it with an exclamation mark.
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers beat the East Division-leading Syracuse Crunch at home 7-2 and put a stop to their first losing streak of the season at eight games. Recently-announced captain Colin McDonald led the way with four points, and his linemates, Nino Niederre...
5/7 PCL
There is no reason way the owners should have put 5/7 year contract trem limit on the table
if the owners want a 5/7 year contract term limit then that is the owners responsabilty not the play. Basicly what i'm saying is that should be an agrement amongs the owners not the player. I do howerver agree that there should be a cap limit on length of contract term...
Is everybody healing up after the Probert-esk emotional pummeling dealt out by Donald Fehr? Good, now lets hit some high points of todays CBA talk.
I think a 10 year CBA is a horrible idea. That assures a work stoppage in 10 years time. I think if they have a shorter CBA, 4 years with a mutual option for 2 , it will allow the league and players an opportunity to...
As I sit and think about what I should be watching on a Tuesday night, (Sabres vs Senators), I’ve been scrolling through pictures of games that I’ve been at. I got to thinking about what games I’ve been to, and what games I wish I was at.
I figured I’d break this up into 2 questions. 1. What’s the best hockey game(s) that you ever went to? and 2. What game(s)...
Through the first two periods in Portland last night against the Pirates, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers did everything right but score. They finally broke through Portland goaltender Chad Johnson in the third, but that was only good enough to tie the contest after they had yielded a goal earlier in the frame. And in overtime, a familiar foe -- ill-timed penalties -- struck...
BrentD10 writes...
NHL Player Salaries in Comparison to "the Best of the Best"
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
First of all, I'd like to say thanks to all the people that have given me feedback about my first couple of posts on this blog. All comments and feedback are appreciated, pro and con. However, one comment captured my attention, and is worthy of a response. One person commented:
"People who state our hard earned money to pay for tickets, probably have never played hockey a...
So that I can stop hearing complaints about my owner's bias, I need to set the record straight. I am not biased for the owners: I'm biased for this version of the game.
Before that, let me take you through a little of my own history.
In the early 1990s, we used to play League Sim which was a program based on Wayne Gretzky's Hockey (an old hockey game for the compute...
weirdoh writes...
My blog that will probably leave both sides pretty pissed
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
You guys both suck. Fuck you.
As much as I hated to see it, the last NHL lockout made sense to me. The gap between haves and the have-nots was growing at a ridiculous rate, and truth be told, I was glad to see the NHL take action before it got too far out of control like it has in Major League Baseball. The results of that lockout speak for themselves. Parity has returned to the league and ultimately...
If there is one thing anyone who follows the NHL knows, even the mere mention of the name, "Gary Bettman" evokes a response. The NHL Commish is a polarizing figure, no more so than when a new CBA is being formed, and especially when there is a strike or lockout. Everyone, from the casual hockey fan, to the players in the League, has an opinion of "Bettman", and surely aren...
UIF writes...
Bridgeport Takes 3 of 4 Points Against Norfolk; Nelson Hurt
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers never trailed the Norfolk Admirals in the two games the teams played this weekend, but both teams exit action with three of a possible four points, with Bridgeport taking Friday's game in overtime and Norfolk taking Saturday's in the shootout.
Bridgeport’s second-leading scorer Brock Nelson picked up a goal and an assist Friday night in Nor...
Two Islanders’ prospects that might have cracked the big club this season had there not been a lockout scored two goals apiece as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers defeated the Albany Devils last night 4-3.
Casey Cizikas scored Bridgeport’s first and third goals while Matt Donovan scored the team’s second goal and game-winning fourth goal. Johan Sundstrom also had a ...
Hello everyone hope you all had a great Christmas and happy new year. For the average hockey fan its been a tough and disappinting season to say the least. Luckily some of the best hockey of the year can be found threw the holidays in the annual World junior tournaments. As my first blog on the sit ide like to do my personal opinion of the nhl draft rewind segment. Now pe...
Hello everyone hope you all had a great Christmas and happy new year. For the average hockey fan its been a tough and disappinting season to say the least. Luckily some of the best hockey of the year can be found threw the holidays in the annual World junior tournaments. As my first blog on the sit ide like to do my personal opinion of the nhl draft rewind segment. Now pe...
With Eklund breaking the news that the amnesty clause is back in the lastest proposal offered by the NHL, it's time to play who gets the gate.
This is not just for Sabres fans, as it's for any teams fans.
Which player would you amnesty from your favorite team?
You can give two choices, ranking them 1. and 2.
There are going to be obvious choices, like Gomez with ...
I have a bone to pick with the rules.
The situation rose again during the Canada-Slovak game the other day, where Canada had to kill off two five minute majors from trivial calls. Why rose again? Because NJ's season basically ended trying to kill a five minute boarding penalty.
Now when there's an illegal hit to the head, or a boarding, or a bad charging, I understa...
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers were sharp Saturday evening in their 4-1 victory over the Manchester Monarchs, building off of home-and-home wins over the rival Connecticut Whale earlier in the week.
Sean Backman scored twice for the Sound Tigers on Saturday, Casey Cizikas put in his ninth goal of the year, and Nino Niederreiter capped off the scoring in his first game back...
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers blew a three-goal lead on New Year’s Eve, but managed to skate out of Glens Falls, N.Y. with two points thanks to stellar goaltending by Kevin Poulin and three shootout goals.
In the team’s previous three games -- two wins against the Connecticut Whale and one against the Manchester Monarchs -- the Sound Tigers started early, scoring with...
Is there any doubt now? Collberg is the best player in hockey.
Who else could have pulled off that amazing deke? Certainly not Sidney Crosby.
He is tearing the WJHC a new asshole with [b]4 goal[/b] and [b]two[/b] assists... Simply unheard of talent.
He is just simply unstoppable there even rumours hes injured imagine if he was [b]100%[/b] He would be the best play...
PauljBoychuk writes...
A History of Trade with Leafs GM Brian Burke- TRADE #1
Posted Friday | Comments 0
In this blog I will be examining and breaking down, the trades that the Toronto Maple Leafs President and General Manager, Brian Burke has made. I will provide brief anaylisis for each deal, and examine what the club got, and what they gave a way.
I will only be examining trades of a certain level of significance. Unless everyone would like to me to regail in Burke's ma...
Morning all. I'm actually amazed that I'm up right now. I'm in my fleece hockey pants, and my 1980 USA jersey to watch the gold medal game between USA and Sweden. We all know how this works!!! I'll blog while I watch the game, and throw my thoughts in there. Thank god it was on at 8, there was no way I was going to wake up for a 4:30 am game.
The only difference betwee...
It’s almost comical to read the comments that inevitably follow online articles reporting on the NHL Lockout, especially those that are the, “That’s it! I’m done! I’ll never follow the NHL again!” variety. The funny part is when you read another article 3 days later, there’s the same person, with the same comment. And then, a week later, the same comment from...
[b]Every morning in which I have to pull myself out of bed before noon for work is a morning of disgruntled silence. If you speak to me to tell me, “good morning”, ask me a question of commit to any sort of communication what-so-ever you will be met with a grunt at best. It is not until my brain has had adequate time to warm up that my mouth starts to catch up with t...
[b]This is a question that every columnist or blogger in the hockey hemisphere is going to be asking its readers. How will the abreviated hockey season affect their team?[/b]
Naturally the true answer is, "Nobody knows". But like with any bit of news in any major sport, journalists are going to be paid to ask these theoreticals and try their best to give an edjucated ...
With the a 6-5 overtime loss to Russians, Canada's national junior team not only leaves Ufa with the disappointment of no gold medal, but also with the knowledge that they are the first Canadian team in fourteen years without a medal of any colour. That's a tough pill to swallow for anyone, let alone a bunch of teenagers who are faced with a level of expectation that most...
"[i]Guess who just got back today? Those wild eyes boys that had been away. Haven't changed, haven't much to say. But man I still think them cats are crazy[/i]"-Thin Lizzy
[i]The Boys Are Back In Town[/i], the obligatory song that will be played in every arena across the NHL at some point during opening warmups on Opening Day. Not that anyone is complaining because all ...
Imagine you are the crew chief of an Indy Car team, and you were just informed that this year’s Indianapolis 500 has been rescheduled as the “Indy 275”. That’s pretty much the challenge that has been put in front of NHL GMs, coaches, and players. With a 48 game schedule, this season will have a unique character. A hot streak will give that much more of an advantage...
I could do the overdone “Yay, lockout’s over!!” blog, but I won’t. There’s a few reasons, but those will be revealed more as time progresses towards the start of the season. However, I’m more concerned with how the NHL handles the next few days as teams head to camps.
First, is the development of a schedule. We’ve lost enough games, and people have paid d...
Welcome to my very first blog. I know that I am mostly writing to myself at this point in time but perhaps eventually 2 maybe even 3 people might stumble across one of my collections of ramblings.
I should start with a little bit about myself: I'm certainly not a writer by no stretch of the imagination. I have no professional background, I did the minimum English req...
Here we go boys. The Flyers took to the ice yesterday at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees. I know this because I saw an interview with Claude Giroux (as you know my favorite player) on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com after the team’s Tuesday morning skate. Even though I am now a “blogger” my mom still will not let me skip school to watch the Flyers practice.
Giroux sai...
Here we go boys. The Flyers took to the ice yesterday at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees. I know this because I saw an interview with Claude Giroux (as you know my favorite player) on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com after the team’s Tuesday morning skate. Even though I am now a “blogger” my mom still will not let me skip school to watch the Flyers practice.
Giroux sai...
The firing of Brian Burke in Toronto should serve as a clarion call to other executives and coaches in the NHL, alerting them to the fact that the natives are restless. As bizarre as the timing of the Leafs removing Burke is, it only serves to reinforce the heightened sense of urgency that many franchises have, not just the Maple Leafs. However, in the case of the Leafs, t...
UIF writes...
Bridgeport Notes: A Look at the Prospects as Lockout Ends
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As the NHL lockout mercifully comes to an end, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers have hit another bump in the road, dropping their first three games of 2013. Furthermore, they stand to lose some key parts of their club to the parent New York Islanders as the NHL season gets underway.
Monday night, the Sound Tigers got a point, but let two separate leads slip away, losing 4-3...
It looks like my man Giroux is going to be the next Flyers captain. I think that he is very deserving of this honor for many reasons. Giroux works very hard both on and off the ice and has a tremendous work ethic. His play is an example to all of the other players. The question is, will he be able to lead the Flyers? My answer to that is “yes”. Giroux always sti...
I swear I didn't take that title from anywhere. Anyways as many of you readers know already, Brian Burke was relieved of his duties as Gm and head of Hockey Operations by the two-headed behemoth that is Rogers and Bell, and Dave Nonis will replace (from here until who knows) him.
Now, I'm sure I'm not the only person who was at a loss of words. Burke was going into his...
I don't know Evander Kane. I don't pretend to. I have never met the man. That of course has not kept me from forming an opinion of the young forward during his brief stint as a member of the Winnipeg Jets. This opinion I have formed has come from watching him play a full season on the ice, as well as witnessing his antics on Twitter and hearing rumours (some unfounded,...
What a wonderful day, I'm playing a show tonight with my band [www.deathbyrobot.ca], I took the day off work, I'm sitting here with a hot cup of Timmy's and hockey talk is in full swing. What more could I ask for? Not a whole lot me thinks.
Anywho I figured today would be a good day to attempt a blog that actually discussed the Edmonton Oilers and my thoughts on the t...
So now that the season is finally about to get underway, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to what the Flyers lines will or should look like. I see Line 1 with Hartnell, Giroux and Voracek because I think they will produce a lot of points in scoring but will balance it out well with some good fights and some quality time in the box. For Line 2 I personally would like t...
As a hardcore fan of a sunbelt hockey franchise, you become accustomed to a certain unrefined resistance to its existence from those basically everywhere North of Columbus. Even after what will be 20 years of Dallas Stars hockey in the league, the "There's hockey in Texas?" joke is still making the rounds. But, to deny the status of Jamie Benn as one of the premier playe...
Forget my initial opening for this. I’m currently hiding with my father, from the baby shower (for my sister), which is taking place beneath our feet. We currently have plenty of beer in a snow bank outside to keep it cold because the fridge is in the middle of the party, and there’s no way that we’re going down there.
Why am I here? Few reasons; playoff football...
On January 9 the executives of MLSE made the decision to relieve Brian Burke as General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs with control of the team being handed over to, what many can consider, Burke’s understudy Dave Nonis. As many of you leafs fans remember when Burke was brought into Toronto there was a sense of renewed hope and a belief that he would turn this team i...
I wont believe that Derek Roy isn't a Sabre anymore until I see it Sunday 1/20/13 against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Sabres didn't make any moves for a true NHL caliber number 1 center, but I do like the moves that they made in the off-season (a very long off-season.) Buffalo Sabres traded Derek Roy for tough guy Steve Ott and dman Adam Pardy. They also acquired enf...
When Joe Nieuwendyk took over the General Manager position for the Dallas Stars in May of 2009, he took over a team with a prospect pool so shallow it was more akin to a shower. The Tom Hicks era left the team with very few prospects of note and after 2008, the winning ways stopped and this became more evident with those curtains pulled back.
Now Joe is a few seasons...
100 mile per hour slap shot. Hopefully this will help move us in the right direction. The Flyers are on the road to strengthening their hurting defense in the acquisition of Kurtis Foster. He fills the Flyers need for a sixth defenseman and brings some different skills to the Flyers’ defense. Foster has bounced around the league quite a bit due to injuries which make...
How is it that there could be a player making so much money that he couldn’t play in the NHL, and needed to be sent to the minors, and at the same time there could be a player making so much money, that he couldn’t be sent to the minors, and needed to play in the NHL? Well, that’s essentially the description of the more than slightly odd circumstances that Wade Redde...
Test Test Test
Everyone seems to be in scramble mode this week to pull together drafts, leaving very little time to prepare. If youre like me and play on various sites, its easy to forget the rules and nuances of each league. Blindly drafting without regard to the rules can be fatal. Even if youre Biff Tannen and you know exactly how many points each player will score next season, ...
As a follow up to my previous article on CBS Fantasy Hockey Draft Strategy, I wanted to come back with a breakdown of how you should approach drafting in a standard head-to-head Yahoo league. Many of the principals are the same as CBS (and any league for that matter).
For now, Ill focus on the specific things you need to know for Yahoo Fantasy Hockey leagues in order t...
Let’s face it. The last two years as a Blackhawks fan have been extreme disappointments. With two first round exits in the playoffs, and the stress of barely sneaking in thanks to a Dallas loss; fans are at the point of wonder as to what direction this team is headed. All off season (prior to the suspension of play) rumors circulated of the acquisition of a superstar ...
Let’s face it. The last two years as a Blackhawks fan have been extreme disappointments. With two first round exits in the playoffs, and the stress of barely sneaking in thanks to a Dallas loss; fans are at the point of wonder as to what direction this team is headed. All off season (prior to the suspension of play) rumors circulated of the acquisition of a superstar ...
Well, I’ve waited until the day before the season starts. I’ve thought about this a lot this week, and I’m sure my wife is tired of listening to me, but alas, the time is here. Sabres season preview time for 2013.
I’ve got one thought before I look at this season, that needs to be highlighted before I get started. Everyone already knows it, but still;
This s...
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...
I wasn’t going to initially write today. Take a day off, get ready for the season opener tomorrow. But then this happened;
Darcy Regier was awarded a [i]lovely[/i] little contract extension this morning.
Note the sarcasm.
Now, I’m not saying this out of maliciousness. Seriously. I have several reasons why Darcy should have been gone a long time ago. Let’s ...
I’m sure the first question many of you are asking yourselves is why I, a passionate Rangers fan, am writing a blog on MYHB about the Columbus Blue Jackets. In my nearly four years of contributions on this site I can only think of one time I wrote about a team or a player of another team that was in no way related to the Rangers. So why start now? I have a couple of rati...
Well, I’ll be completely honest; I am pleasantly surprised today. I really am. To be honest, I didn’t see the Sabres winning today. It wasn’t the best win in the world, but I, like every other Sabres fan, will take it.
After taking a frigid hike into the arena, we started scrounging for food, and realized that the arena couldn’t sell beer until noon. So, after ...
As it is with any team, good goaltending leads to good results. That was borne out Saturday in the Columbus Blue Jackets season opening tilt against division rival Nashville. New #1 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was solid stopping 32 of 34 shots in regulation and OT before besting five of six Predators in the shootout.
Derick Brassard tallied the shootout winner in the sixth...
I started my day off in Rochester at Blue Cross Arena to take in a Martin Luther King day matinee. The Amerks took on the Hamilton Bulldogs and while it wasn’t perfect, they walked away with a 6-3 win.
While the game was entertaining, most of the highlights were in the first period. On the first shot of the game by Kevin Sundher, the Amerks had a 1-0 lead only 13 sec...
An already difficult situation in Vancouver may have become even more complicated over this past weekend. There has been a bright spotlight placed on the goal crease at the Canucks end of the rink, and everyone has been paying close attention to the "Luongo Situation". It was all supposed to be quite simple; Roberto Luongo was supposed to be traded as soon as the ink was d...
'Well game one in the record books in this shortened season and its like a Gomez free 2011-2012. Carey Price was fantastic, he made some unreal saves as he usually does but as we have seen far to many times in the past he was almost the lone bright spot. The top line was completely silent and the rest of the team barley showed up. Toronto played an alright game but Montrea...
Well, the Flyers have played, and dropped, two games to start the season: the first against Pittsburgh and the second against the Buffalo Sabres. All in all, even though they lost both games, they didn’t look as bad as the record shows. They got some pretty rough calls by the refs especially in the Sabres game. Two Flyers goals were called back simply because the refs...
1/21/13
Game Recap:
Maple Leafs 1 vs. Buffalo Sabres 2
Ryan Miller simply stole this one for the Buffalo Sabres. I was shocked to hear from the Toronto announcers that Miller had lost his six straight previous trips to Toronto. Miller played as if it were truly a January 21st division match up. Despite his superb play between the pipes, he was clearly beaten twice, bu...
Before the lockout I thought the NHL was doing great and getting more and more popular by the year, I wasn't exactly right but not wrong either. The NHL hit record revenue with [b]$3.3 Billion [/b] in the 11-12 season. When the lockout finally ended I turned on ESPN, NESN, CSN, NBC expecting a panel of analysts talking hockey and big banner across the screen, but I was sho...
1/23/13
Game Recap:
Kings 1 @ Avalanche 3
Early in this one, the Kings looked to regain their Stanley Cup form over the young and speedy Avalanche. However, the Avalanche were able to stick close to the defending champs, finding a way similar to the Kings' playoff run to steal the victory.
A relentless fore-check led to several chances on Colorado netminder Semyo...
So game one the leafs could have lost easily in the dying seconds and game two they could have won in the dying seconds. Not only was the scenario a coplete opposite, in my opinion the leafs played a better game against Buffalo than Montreal. Congradulations Ryan Miller for coming out and spoiling a great team effort with a stellar night between the pipes. Wouldn't it be ...
Well that was much better. Again Carey Price was on top of his game, again a night with some highlight reel saves. The way this guy plays the puck is a part of his game that does not seem to get a lot of attention. Last nights game and in the game vs Toronto there was a play where he cleared that puck by shooting it at the glass by the blue line about a foot down. Tell me ...
After watching the Oilers/Sharks game last night and reading blogger and fan reaction here is my take on the situation. Devan Dubnyk did not have a very good game .I don’t dislike him, but I find he does not have the makings of a number one goaltender. Last night, it seemed like he had no fight, no desire to go out and make a big save. I find he lacks that competitive ed...
Columbus should consider themselves very fortunate to leave Monday night’s home opener with even a point. If not for the stellar performance of Bobrovsky (again) the Wings might have won by three or four goals. But thanks to Bob and some timely PP goals the Jackets were in position to come away with the win and two points in the standings before poor defensive coverage, ...
The Philadelphia Flyers find themselves 0-3 for the first time since 1995, in what was also a locked-out season. There have been many pitfalls for this team thusfar, and from what I've seen the team is playing worse and worse each game.
In the Pittsburgh game, the two goals Pittsburgh scored on Bryzgalov came immediately off of faceoffs, the first one a PP goal on 3 Pit...
TheKingsGarden writes...
JVR Nets a Pair as Leafs Spoil Home Opener for Penguins
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Maple Leafs Game Recap
1/23 Maple Leafs 5 @ Penguins 2
Make that a second straight road win for the Maple Leafs, both spoiling the opening night festivities in Montreal and now in Pittsburgh.
As I wrote in my first Maple Leaf entry the other night against Buffalo, many questions will be answered in this shortened 48-game schedule. Tonight, was one game for example,...
Where is the sharks blogger on this?
I like this signing as Gomez will fit on the 3rd line well and for the price (rumored 750K I think) its a good 1 year gamble. I have not seen much of his play as he was back east but his numbers are not bad and I don't see anyone else out there that can add to the sharks as much as Gomez can for this price.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and James Reimer were able to convincingly beat a sluggish Penguins squad that looked to be cruising on the coat tails of Malkin and Crosby. James Neal wasn't much of a factor at all as once again the leafs defensive zone coverage was very good at limiting second chances and forcing a rushed pass in most cases, which lead to many turnovers. Reimer ...
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...
As I was driving home from work tonight, getting into the mood for Sabres hockey, Enemies by Shinedown came on the radio. As I’m singing along in the car, I come across the lyric “You’re taking all that you please, you want more, but you’ll get nothing from me.” As much as I’d love for this to be the song the Sabres come out of the locker room to, there’s one...
Everyone is talking about the Jamie Benn signing. The 5.25 million dollar contract that spans 5 years was a surprise bit of news during the game against the Blackhawks at the AAC on Thursday night. The ovation on the other hand, wasn't surprising at all.
Benn isn't just an important player in terms of how the team performs on the ice, he is a figurehead for the Stars ...
This is pre-Phoenix, but I think the Edmonton game was a sign the Kings are headed back to last season's form/pattern. They've shook the cobwebs I mean the suds of the party/offseason off and are ready to be stingy on D and in net. The forwards can't score, yet, and that is how the Kings got it going last year. Great D and netminding, anemic offense.
Clifford is everyth...
This is pre-Phoenix, but I think the Edmonton game was a sign the Kings are headed back to last season's form/pattern. They've shook the cobwebs I mean the suds of the party/offseason off and are ready to be stingy on D and in net. The forwards can't score, yet, and that is how the Kings got it going last year. Great D and netminding, anemic offense.
Clifford is everyth...
TheKingsGarden writes...
Leafs Getting Softer; New York "Out-Muscles" Toronto
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Maple Leafs Recap:
1/26 @ New York Rangers
I am not going to beat a dead horse from Thursday's game against the Islanders. I didn't get to see much of the game, but saw enough as Scrivens allowed several more easy goals between the legs. Toronto had built a 3-1 lead all to be completely destroyed due to a spotty defensive effort and poor, inexperienced goaltending.
...
The Sabres play their 2nd of 11 Sunday games this season today at 3. They come into a Capitals team that is just as lost as they are. The sabres need to use their speed to get open looks and put pucks on the net.
The Capitals are 0-3-1 in their first 4. Sabres need to find their stride and get more scoring from other lines. As mentioned in my previous post the new ...
After a promising start in which the Blue Jackets earned three of a possible four points after two games, Columbus stumbled badly on a two-game road trip through Phoenix and Colorado dropping a 5 – 1 decision to the Coyotes and a 4 – 0 shutout loss at the hands of the Avalanche. They followed that up with a narrow 3 – 2 loss to the still unbeaten Chicago Blackhawks i...
It would take a lot but it could really improve the team. Toronto has a good young team with potential but as last night showed we need more to play against teams like the Rangers. Banging the leafs will knock them out. Our goaltending has been a pleasant surprise showing something more. It's probably a hair-brained idea and wouldn't happen, but I say the leafs go for both...
It would take a lot but it could really improve the team. Toronto has a good young team with potential but as last night showed we need more to play against teams like the Rangers. Banging the leafs will knock them out. Our goaltending has been a pleasant surprise showing something more. It's probably a hair-brained idea and wouldn't happen, but I say the leafs go for both...
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...
We're five games into the NHL season, and it's fair to say that the Islanders do look better than many, including myself, were expecting. I believe that if Capuano wants them to make a serious push for a playoff spot, which is still quite the task, the lines need to be shuffled slightly. The Isles cannot afford to blow games with dead weight taking up a roster spot.
Wi...
We're five games into the NHL season, and it's fair to say that the Islanders do look better than many, including myself, were expecting. I believe that if Capuano wants them to make a serious push for a playoff spot, which is still quite the task, the lines need to be shuffled slightly. The Isles cannot afford to blow games with dead weight taking up a roster spot.
Wi...
We're five games into the NHL season, and it's fair to say that the Islanders do look better than many, including myself, were expecting. I believe that if Capuano wants them to make a serious push for a playoff spot, which is still quite the task, the lines need to be shuffled slightly. The Isles cannot afford to blow games with dead weight taking up a roster spot.
Wi...
(sorry its been a long time since I have posted)
Wow a 6-0 start for the Mighty Blackhawks, can you believe it?
I don't, and I could not imagine the Hawks starting the 2013 campaign at 6-0. So it’s six in a row to start the year and now the beloved embark on a pretty nasty looking six game road trip (it looks even nastier with travelling to the undefeated Sharks o...
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 ...
I find it funny that the media thinks trading Kessel is a good idea because of his lack production so far this season.
Kessel is only in a slump; you know the same slump we see from him a few times a season. Just relax he will come out of it and put all this trade talk to bed just wait and see.
Kessel has not played a bad game hes just not getting the breaks. once he...
I find it funny that the media thinks trading Kessel is a good idea because of his lack production so far this season.
Kessel is only in a slump; you know the same slump we see from him a few times a season. Just relax he will come out of it and put all this trade talk to bed just wait and see.
Kessel has not played a bad game hes just not getting the breaks. once he...
I find it funny that the media thinks trading Kessel is a good idea because of his lack production so far this season.rnrnKessel is only in a slump; you know the same slump we see from him a few times a season. Just relax he will come out of it and put all this trade talk to bed just wait and see.rnrnKessel has not played a bad game hes just not getting the breaks. once he...
Well, it's early, perhaps too early to be writing this, but where would the fun be if we didn't jump in and make some observations at this point? As I wrote just prior to the season, the short season could result in some surprising results, for both individual players and for teams, both good and bad. As examples, I stated that some teams who would normally be a lock to be...
Im quite amazed and highly enjoying the higher than expected level of competitiveness from the players this early in the season.Heck didn't Betts ( Bettman) suggest that the quality of product might suffer or diminish because of a shortened season? I say not in fact I'm ready to shorten the season next year to 67 games. Yes and I'll tell you why. Playoff bonus money. That'...
The leafs really showed some character last night. they looked as though they were going to give in about halfway through the second period, but they managed to take complete control in the third and won a decisive victory.
The young guns are firing on all cylinders as the goals were scored by; JVR, Kulemin and matt Frattin iced the game again for the leafs. I reall...
The Flyers travel to Washington tonight for a crucial matchup with the Capitals. Both teams are reeling and going to come out of the gate desperate. The Flyers need to match that intensity level and not just weather the storm. These 2 points up for grabs tonight are key if they want to stay in the playoff race for the Atlantic division.
[b]Heavy is the Jersey with the 'C...
I was amazed at Buffalo’s win on Thursday night against the Bruins. I would have written sooner, but I was about ready to fall asleep after I watched it, so I went to sleep. I won’t focus on that game, lets just leave it at that Buffalo beat the Bruins, and picked up 2 much needed points.
What I’d rather do is take a look at the use of Grigorenko and Brennan in B...
Yesterday’s game... Wow, what can I say about that game in Montreal for the Sabres?
Nothing good. It was an abomination, and too be completely honest, this was a long time coming. How can I say this? Easily.
I’ve been watching the Sabres play this lazy style of defense for a long time. When Galchenyuk waltzed between all 5 Sabres on the ice, slid a pass to Eller...
Through seven games so far, the Kings have played far from the level it had been during the Stanley Cup run. There is too much talent for this club to be where it is now. I understand all of the accolades; the team is still hung over, they are not 100% with weary legs playing until mid-June, they have a target on their back and everyone's gunning for them...etc, etc!
Pe...
We all remember Terry Pegula’s emotional speech after he took over the Buffalo Sabres on February 22, 2011. We all know that he started his speech with “Who am I? I am a Sabre fan and have been since 1975.” He continued to go on with this speech by thanking Tom Golisano for “Saving my hockey team.” Then, he went on to turn to the great Gil Perreault and told him ...
2/4
Maple Leafs 1, Hurricanes 4
Why should I ever get my hopes up on the Toronto Maple Leafs?
The blue and white played well against Boston, despite getting outworked and out-muscled in the offensive zone. They did score a good goal that somehow was taken away from them. Chris Kelly plays for the Bruins, just in case you referee's did not know that. Besides the fa...
TheKingsGarden writes...
Leafs and Kings Get Job Done on Road; Comments
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]Toronto Still Work in Progress, LA Fights Back. [/b]
[i]2/5
Kings 4 @ Blue Jackets 2; Maple Leafs 3 @ Capitals 2[/i]
It was quite a bit of fun going back and forth between the Leafs and Kings games, both playing at the same time tonight in eastern time zone. It was also exciting to see both teams hang onto 3-2 leads late, then equally satisfying to see both teams...
I’m seeing the debate rage on amongst Buffalonians as to what the problem seems to be with the Sabres. Currently, they’re in the bottom 5 of the entire NHL, and 14th place in the Eastern Conference. However, most people are mystified as to what the problem is. The number 1 question;
[b]Is this on the players or the coaches?[/b]
I’ll admit, and I’m sure if you...
TheKingsGarden writes...
Prime Time for Kessel; Kings Shutout in Nashville
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
February 7th
[b]Kessel Finally Lights the Lamp with Game Winner; Kings Throw in Towel[/b]
[i]Maple Leafs 3 @ Winnipeg Jets 2; Kings 0 @ Nashville Predators 3[/i]
While the Toronto Maple Leafs were in the midst of a huge come from behind victory tonight in Manitoba, the defending champion Los Angeles Kings were pretty much throwing up the white flag after two perio...
Another up and down week for the Orange and Black. On Tuesday night they looked great defensively and in net against a very good Lightning squad and came out with a 2-1 W, thanks to Tom Sestito. Last night they lost a tough shootout to the Florida Panthers. It looked like they might have been able to win the game in OT but failed to capitalize on any of their chances.
...
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...
This isn’t your typical “they’re over playing Miller” blog. The way the Sabres are currently playing, there’s a different element in play here. There’s a huge mental element that I feel may come back to bite Buffalo in the rear.
While I missed last nights game, I saw the highlights as well as how Miller bailed out the team last night, big time. After gettin...
Maybe Don Cherry was right when he boldly stated that the Leafs new toughness is the reason for a much steadier and confident game play by the young team. I can remember thinking so many times last year..."IF Colton Orr were here that guy wouldn't be hacking Kessel to ice everytime he touched the puck". And when you look at the 1-0 loss to the bruins this year it was a c...
February 10, 2013
[b]A Tale of Two Cities; Leafs Dressed for Battle, Kings Relinquish the Sword[/b]
In December of 2011, I took in my first Maple Leaf game in Toronto against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. At the time, the Kings had been struggling mightily and had just fired their coach Terry Murray and had yet to replace them with Darryl Sutte...
#1. The Bryzgalov everyone in Philadelphia expected back in June 2011 seems to have finally surfaced and is putting up solid numbers so far this season (2.27 GAA, .921 SV%). It has been 9 games since Bryz has let more than 3 past him and he has been more solid than the Flyers 5-6-1 record would indicate. On the other side of the ice the James Reimer that Toronto fans saw a...
[b]February 10, 2013[/b]
[i]Maple Leafs 5, Flyers 2; Kings 4 @ Blues 1[/i]
What can I say, the Maple Leafs are on fire right now! And the Kings actually looked like a championship caliber team.
First, let's begin with the Kings who needed a good performance after yesterday's killer defeat.
Darryl Sutter finally played Jonathan Bernier, who helped give incumben...
The Rangers face off against the big bad Bruins at 7:30 tonight. To be honest, I always look forward to playing the B's. Original Six matchup aside, Rangers vs. Bruins games promise to be a hard fought, close checking spectacle. On this night, though, I am particularly excited.rn I feel like the Rangers have really started to click since their 3-2 win at Tampa Bay te...
I’ve felt for awhile that there’s something missing this season. Normally, our home feels very tense come game day. I’m ready for the games, edge of my seat, and pumped up when the game starts. Once the game starts, generally there’s a lot of cheering for when Buffalo scores, and a lot of profanity for the rest of the game.
As I watch the Sabres games this year...
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...
Recently Edmonton’s Arena deal moved forward finally after long and bitter negotiations between the Katz group and The City. The final deal ends up being that the city will get roughly 4 Million a year from the club, which is about double what the currently pay. The total amount of the project is going to be in the vicinity of 600 million dollars, a hefty sum no doubt, a...
I will not try to calculate cap or anything, this is for fun, and what I believe could potentially be an ultimate team. I will pick 4 lines, 3 sets of d, and two goalies. The point is to create a team not of superstars but together will play as a team.rnrn1st UnitrnJames Van Riemsdyke - Sidney Crosby - Steven StamkosrnrnThis unit will have JVR is front of the net, and Cros...
[img]http://blog.nj.com/devils_main/2009/03/medium_kip310.jpg[/img]
It has been a scorching rumour and topic in Calgary for the past year or so now in Calgary- What should the Flames do with Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff? As per Capgeek.com, the Flames have five UFA’s and four RFA’s this upcoming off-season. There’s no secret that the Flames are a team cons...
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...
[b]February 14, 2013[/b]
[i]Maple Leafs 1 @ Carolina Hurricanes 3[/i]
[b]Hurricanes bring out worst in Maple Leafs for second time this season[/b]
I am not so sure anyone can call that a hockey game on behalf of the Maple Leafs. Almost the same can be said for the Carolina Hurricanes, playing their first game on home ice after a successful long road trip. But cred...
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 ...
It's the quarter mark of the Nhl shortened season, so here is my prediction.
Eastern Conference
1. Boston Bruins
2. New Jersey Devils
3. Carolina Hurricanes
4. Pittsburgh Penguins
5. New York Rangers
6. Toronto Maple Leafs
7. Montreal Canadiens
8. Philadelphia Flyers
9. Washington Capitals
10. Tampa Bay Lightning
11. Winnipeg Jets
12. Ottawa Senators
13. ...
This is seemingly assuredly, the Avs don't want to pay his contract and need something in return. The reason for hiatus is that they want O'Rielly for his center ice play. This gives a major advantage for the leafs.
Reason:
Tyler Bozak.
Now I like Tyler Bozak, he has been good for us, not #1 center but good, and I know he is no Ryan O-Rielly.
Here's why I think he...
If we look at the New York Rangers roster since the start of the season we have seen the likes of Ferriero, Bickel, Eminger, Newbury, Segal, and Kreider. All are now either riding the pine or the bus back to Connecticut. With all these move with the Rangers squad, I feel, has finally settled into a roster that Tortorella is confident with. The Rangers have been experimenti...
If we look at the New York Rangers roster since the start of the season we have seen the likes of Ferriero, Bickel, Eminger, Newbury, Segal, and Kreider. All are now either riding the pine or the bus back to Connecticut. With all these move with the Rangers squad, I feel, has finally settled into a roster that Tortorella is confident with. The Rangers have been experimenti...
If we look at the New York Rangers roster since the start of the season we have seen the likes of Ferriero, Bickel, Eminger, Newbury, Segal, and Kreider. All are now either riding the pine or the bus back to Connecticut. With all these move with the Rangers squad, I feel, has finally settled into a roster that Tortorella is confident with. The Rangers have been experimenti...
icechiphockey writes...
NHL Prospects Who Could Make An Impact Next Season
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Shortened 2013 NHL season might have just started, but there is already some decent buzz surrounding the upcoming draft after the season. While the focus seems to mostly be on mock drafts and projectability, here is a look at three players who could make an impact for a NHL team next fall.rnrnSean MonahanrnMonahan has the size (6’2”, 195 pounds) and experience (thr...
I'm by no means the first person to mention that the Flames would do well to offer sheet O'Reilly and give up their 1st and 3rd for him. This is not a unique idea and the good guys over at Flames Nation have already laid out why it is such a good idea here:[url]http://flamesnation.ca/2013/1/15/outside-the-box-sign-ryan-oreilly-to-an-offer-sheet[/url]
Before I continue i...
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...
TheKingsGarden writes...
Scrivens Silences Senators; Kings Head to Chicago
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]February 16, 2013[/b]
[u][i]Maple Leafs 3, Ottawa Senators 0[/i][/u]
Did I say Ottawa Senators at the top? I meant to say the Binghamton Senators, as the visitors were playing without several of its key players like Erik Karlsson, Jason Spezza, Peter Regin and Guillaume Latendresse.
Well perhaps maybe not so much the last two names listed above, but definitely...
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...
Blueliner17 writes...
Cody Hodgson Showing Offensive Abilities but Defensive Woes
Posted Monday | Comments 0
When the Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier traded for Cody Hodgson on trade deadline day of the 2011-2012 season, he was planning to fill the void at center. It was awhile before hitting the scoresheet but in the 2013 season, he has produced regularly while centering the top line between a hot Thomas Vanek (LW) and steady captain, Jason Pominville (RW). The consistency in sco...
TheKingsGarden writes...
Kings Flat in Chicago; Maple Leafs Cruise to the Sun Belt
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[b]President's Day Blog![/b]
Enjoy the day off...well for those who are teacher's like me got the day off!
I am sure others did too...hopefully.
Some comments on the Kings game at the United Center on Sunday...
[u][i]Kings 2 @ Chicago Blackhawks 3[/i][/u]
I was expecting a team like the Kings, who are defending champions, or so technically speaking they are,...
[b]The NHL's New Realignment Plan[/b]
Otherwise known as, getting the Winnipeg Jets into the appropriate division and conference!
As of right now the NHL has the following plan to divide the league into four conferences, thus eliminating the East and West as we know it.
Western Conference includes: Los Angeles, San Jose, Anaheim, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Phoe...
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...
The Flyers just pulled off probably the biggest win of the season against the Islanders today. I think I speak for most Flyers fans when I say it's about time they got a win, especially in blowout fashion. The Flyers needed goals, and badly. Up until today, the boys were having trouble scoring more than one goal per game. The Flyers have definitely been lacking scoring...
TheKingsGarden writes...
The Good (Leaf) and the Bad (Leaf) From Florida
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]February 19[/b]
[i][b]Opportunities Arise, but Toronto Only Able to Take Just Two Points from Sunshine State[/b][/i]
[u][i]Maple Leafs 2 @ Tampa Bay Lightning 4[/i][/u]
I hate to say it, but this loss can be chalked up to poor goaltending. Since James Reimer went down with a sprained MCL, Ben Scrivens had stood tall and became the "iron curtain" for the Leafs. ...
The Devils are now 16 games into this shortened season and have exceeded most people's expectations. However, one aspect that remains while many of us thought it would have been dealt with by this point, is the plethora of defenesmen the Devils have on their roster. The Devils have eight NHL level defensemen on their roster which means that two of them are healthy scratche...
This was written at around 5:30 on my dinner break. (Can’t post while at work). I wrote it, e-mailed it home, and am posting now.
It’s finally happened. Those of you who read my blogs regularly know that I’ve been calling for this for quite a long time. Recently, the question “Will this day ever come?” has crossed a lot of people’s minds. However, it’s fin...
TheKingsGarden writes...
Kings Conquer Alberta; Leafs Keep Sabres Dull (and boring)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]February 21[/b]
[u][i]Maple Leafs 3, Buffalo Sabres 1[/i][/u]
I will start tonight with the Maple Leafs victory over the Buffalo Sabres at Air Canada Centre while it's most fresh in my mind...
I had expected for the Sabres to come out with a little more emotion after their long time bench boss was relieved of his duties the night before. Although they got the f...
[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...
It is fair to say that anyone expecting a brand new performance from the Buffalo Sabres after the firing of Lindy Ruff would be unreasonable. Remember, the same players, especially those who are underperforming (Stafford and Myers primarily), remain on the roster.
Does this mean these players are done for? No.
It means that Rolston had less than 12 hours to intill ...
Well this is more like it! A lot more of what I expected out of the Habs this year, building a lead through two periods and blowing it in the third. I know it’s a pessimistic point of view, but one thing I’ve learned from Les Habitants is to never count your chickens before they hatch. My one key to this game was to shutdown Tavares and Moulson, the only offensive punc...
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...
Gomez needs to stay on the 4th line. Tmac....well he needs to be fired, he can't adjust his game plan enough to squeeze wins out of this team. Way I see it anyone is fair game to be traded right now to bring in some youth and talent. Havlat definatly needs to go HOLY MOLY that's an expensive guy for no real production.
Who would you like to see traded out and what ...
Let’s do a little free association shall we? I’ll say a word, and then you say the first thing that comes to mind. No hesitation ok? Let’s give it a try.
Awful- “Sabres”
Sloppy- “Sabres”
Lackadaisical - “Sabres”
Passive- “Sabres”
Hmm, you seem to be preoccupied with the Sabres, and you seem to have a negative view towards them at the m...
TheKingsGarden writes...
Kings Back in Power; Leafs, Scrivens Can't Hold On To Sens
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[b]February 23rd[/b]
[i][b]All Hail, Trevor Lewis![/b][/i]
[u][i]Kings 4, Colorado Avalanche 1[/i][/u]
After a disastrous opening 30 minutes in Chicago last Sunday, the LA Kings have woken up and are once again playing up to its capabilities.
Okay, so the defending champs have won three in a row against the youthful Oilers, the weak Flames and the fragile Avala...
Sorry, but for those who may know me before as TheKingsGarden, I had to change my profile around due to a blue screen crash my laptop suffered last night.
When I get those, my computer automatically resets everything and I must log back into everything on the internet. Unfortunately, I must have failed to record my registration information because I could not get back ...
The Phoenix Coyotes took on the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames on back to back nights this weekend. I will be pretty brief in my explanations of the games because I did not see enough of them to give what I believe to be a high-quality analysis. Also, I am not a huge fan of writing a lot after losses because sometimes there is not much positive to say.
First off, t...
A long time ago I wrote a, “What would Iginla asking price be” for the Flames. Of course it was met with a lot of vitriol. No one wants to think that their best prospect may be included for an aging star like Iginla but make no mistake, if the trade happens the Flames will only do it if the return is an overpayment, otherwise why do it?
Iginla will only go to a team...
Most other fan bases don't understand the suffering involved in being a loyal Maple Leafs fan. I couldn't possibly count the number of times someone has taunted me with, "1967". I cringe every time there is a team honoured at the ACC, because there will be only black and white footage, and people will be sure to point that out. A newsflash for all fans of other teams that ...
First off, it's been a while since I've written an article (here or anywhere), so I thought I'd go for it again. Hi to all those I don't get the chance to "chat" with anymore!
With that out of the way, I went back to check the box score of all of the games so far this season to check out how the Sabres have been playing from a period-to-period perspective.In looking ba...
[b]Tale of the Tape[/b]
BOS 11-2-2 NYI 8-10-1
Goals For: BOS 2.87 NYI 2.90
Goals Against: BOS 2.20 NYI 3.37
Special Teams BOS: PP 14.9%(23rd) PK 94.8%(1st)
Special Teams NYI: PP 24.4% (5th) PK 84.1% (9th)
Bruins Road Record 7-1-1
Islanders Home Record 2-7-0
Season Series: 1-0 Boston (4-2 January 25th)
Currently Riding: BOS 3W NYI 1L
[b]Pr...
Really Michel Therrien? Brian Gionta. Brian fucking Gionta. One of the coldest players in our line up right now and you put the game on his stick. So how did that work out for you? Oh, he didn’t even get a shot off? Quick, can anyone think of a couple players you would rather see out there in the fourth round of a shoot out before Gionta? I can bang out a few off the top...
It's something that probably should have been done last year, but teams and fans are getting the first look at what could be the new NHL realignment plan. As with every situation and idea, not everyone is going to be happy about it and not everyone is going to be upset. Here is the proposed realignment, courtesy of TSN.ca-
[b]West:[/b]
Pacific- Anaheim, Calgary, Ed...
Several issues are facing the Sabres today. There’s so many disasters in Buffalo right now and there’s several voices looking at this. I figured instead of doing a “Here’s another night of disappointment” blog after the Sabres game (1-1 right now), I’d look at some of the issues facing the Sabres.
[b]Power Play[/b]
Say what you will, the power play again...
The score does not do this game justice. It’s not too often you can sit down and enjoy a 4-1 loss, but this was the exception.
The first period saw both teams come out physical early on, trading hits and matching each other’s physical agenda. Isles head coach Jack Capuano did his best at the beginning of the frame to avoid the Tavares-Chara match-up that, apparently...
The NHLs two most storied franchises square off for the third time this season in what is surely to be a big game for both teams. The Habs are on a roll of late, not losing in regulation since the 6 - 0 drubbing they got from the Leafs on Feb 9th. They would probably like to exact revenge for not only the score, but the physical beatdown the Leafs put on them that night. T...
One of the things that irks me (and most teams in the East) about the new proposed realignment is the fact that the East would have 16 teams, and the West has 14. One prevailing rumor is that there will be two expansion teams added to the league shortly after this realignment. It's not news to most that Seattle is the front runner if expansion happens, but the way this rea...
HBDean writes...
The Woeful Rangers and Why Their Woes Are No Surprise
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Coming into this season as Stantley Cup favorites in many eyes, the New York Rangers have been a disappointment thus far. Are they just in a funk? Are they not as good as we thought? Was last season just a tease? What are they missing?
Offense - Check: well... at least on paper. With Richards, Nash, Gaborik, Callahan, and Del Zotto from the point, things look solid, add...
It's an off day, so why not talk about Charles Wang? He's always worth a few words.
Two weeks ago the NY Post came out with a story regarding Charles Wang and his interest in selling the Islanders.
It’s been no secret for the past few seasons that Wang was entertaining the thought of selling the storied franchise, but it’s also been no secret that he’s asking f...
The young Toronto Maple Leafs look to bounce back from another disappointing effort when they take on the New York Islanders on the island tonight.
There is a lot of talk about the reffing in last nights game against the Canadiens with a terrible call on a Mike Brown hit in the 1st period that saw the Buds down a man for 5 mins, and Brown ejected from the game, as well ...
[b]Update[/b]
[i]Boulton IN, Ullstrom OUT
Cizikas/McDonald to 3rd Line
Reasoner/Boulton to 4th Line
Martinek OUT, Finley IN[/i]
[b]Tale of the Tape[/b]
TOR 12-9-0 NYI 8-11-1
Goals For: TOR 2.81 NYI 2.80
Goals Against: TOR 2.43 NYI 3.40
Special Teams TOR: PP 16.5%(19th) PK 81.7%(15th)
Special Teams NYI: PP 23.5% (6th) PK 84.9% (7th)
Leafs Road R...
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 ...
[b][i]Three Games, Three Cities, Four Nights; Could have been worse...[/i][/b]
[u][i]Maple Leafs 4 @ Philadelphia Flyers 2[/i][/u]
After suffering a bad loss in Ottawa on Saturday, the Toronto Maple Leafs headed to Philadelphia to take on another 'Jekyll and Hyde' type of team in the Flyers.
Philly continues to struggle in their own zone keeping teams from scoring...
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...
After fighting back from a two goal deficit, the Islanders came away with a point after Dion Phaneuf scored in overtime to win it for the Leafs.
Both teams came out very physical in the first period, with hits totalling 16-13 in favour of the Maple Leafs. For comparison, hits were 21-16 at the end of the Boston game and that was a physical one.
Kyle Okposo made a sli...
I will start off on a positive note: Kadri is lighting it up, leading the Leafs in scoring... from the 3rd line! Yesterday he put the team on his back and got his first NHL hat trick against the Islanders in a 5 - 4 overtime win. Don Cherry would beam about this and say, "I told ya so!", but I'm of the opinion that Kadri has developed into the player he is right now becasu...
Rick DiPietro probably couldn't imagine a worse way to begin his AHL stint.
In his first start this season for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, he yielded two goals on the first two shots he faced from the Connecticut Whale. Before the first period was 11 minutes old, the score was 3-0. And by the time the opening frame was over, the Sound Tigers were down 5-0 and DiPietr...
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...
I’ve really had to wrap my head around this blog. It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve had something even remotely positive to write about with this team. Well, the Sabres finally delivered something mildly positive to bring a glimmer of hope to the fans of Buffalo.
Remember, it’s just a glimmer.
Buffalo has gotten 6 much needed points the last 3 game...
[b]Tale of the Tape[/b]
OTT 12-7-3 NYI 8-11-2
Goals For: OTT 2.14 NYI 2.86
Goals Against: OTT 1.82 NYI 3.48
Special Teams: OTT PP 15.8%(20th) OTT PK 89.2%(3rd)
NYI PP 23.5% (5th) NYI PK 84.9% (7th)
Senators Road Record 3-6-1
Islanders Home Record 2-8-1
Season Series: 1-0 Ottawa (3-1 February 21st)
Currently Riding: OTT 1L NYI 3L
[b]Projected Lines[/b]
[i...
It looked like it was going to be another rough night for Rick DiPietro and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
The home crowd was restless. Fans grumbled when DiPietro took a delay of game penalty a little over four minutes in for playing the puck outside the trapezoid. At 8:30 of the first period, the visiting Adirondack Phantoms scored their first goal, and it was not the...
Leafsfan88 writes...
Why The Leafs' Holzer and Kostka are Getting So Many Minutes
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
After looking a bit deeper into what got these guys into Randy Carlyle's good books while John-Michael Liles, who hasn't played all that bad, sits on the sideline I discovered that both Holzer and Kostka are right-handed.
While this doesn't seem to be earth-shattering news, of the Leafs NHL defensemen, only Holzer, Kostka, Cody Franson, and Mike Komisarek are right han...
Yesterday the Islanders were able to stop a three game skid by beating the Ottawa Senators on home ice. No, it’s not a typo. The Islanders actually won a game on home ice. I caught only bits and pieces of the game. Afternoon games are not made for people with kids, unless you’re at the game.
Brad Boyes got the Islanders on the board first with a nice shot over the g...
What is wrong with the Devils? That is the question that all Devil's fan's are asking right now. After such a strong start, the Devil's have faltered in the last couple of weeks and have slid from 1st in the east all the way to 7th. There are several possible causes for the slide but I have highlighted below the few that I believe are the most pressing.
Scoring-With Pari...
First and foremost, this isn’t going to be an article complaining about how Kaleta was suspended. He deserved the suspension, to a degree. I’m also going to look at Kaleta’s roll with the Sabres, because despite arguments, I wouldn’t want to see him on another team.
We all saw what happened, and I don’t think anyone denies that Kaleta was going to be suspende...
[b]March 4th[/b]
[b][i][u]Maple Leafs 4, New Jersey Devils 2[/u][/i][/b]
For forty minutes, it was men against boys.
James Reimer was sharp, but still was beaten four times; twice by Marek Zidlicky and twice saved by iron.
Forty minutes, it was the defending Eastern champions against the adolescent Maple Leafs, a team who had not made the playoffs since 2004.
...
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 ...
Kiprusoff- Return and potential partners
My last entry regarding Iginla and his value is being discussed once again on Colin`s blog if you want to head over there and put your two cents in.
You can see that original entry here:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=33826&post_id=14517
and you can see Colin`s here:
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Colin-Da...
[b]Tale of the Tape[/b]
MTL 14-4-4 NYI 9-11-2
Goals For: MTL 3.04 NYI 2.82
Goals Against: MTL 2.32 NYI 3.41
Special Teams: MTL PP 19.0%(11th) MTL PK 82.6%(15th)
NYI PP 22.1% (5th) NYI PK 84.2% (10th)
Canadiens Road Record 6-1-2
Islanders Home Record 3-8-1
Season Series: 1-0 New York (4-3(OT) February 21st)
Currently Riding: MTL 1W NYI 1W
[b]Projected Lines[...
Im sorry but what?rnrnhow the hell did kaleta get a 5 game suspension for a nudge?
that hit was barely a hit, Richards fell more than he was pushed, especially the day before the air jump on lundin was only a 4 gamer. to me this makes no sense
What will happen to Ville Leino?
well Regier needs to figure out what is going on with his 2011 off-season flop.
Leino had a stellar career high 53 points with the flyers before he came to buffalo but can he repeat it? no i dont think so nor do most.
last year he missed 11 games due to injury and played a mediocre season being demoted to the 3rd line. Ruff trie...
The Islanders kept up with the Canadiens and battled their way to a 6-3 victory, their second win in as many games at home. A more balanced attack by Capuano and Co. led to fresh legs that were able to keep up with the speedy Canadiens. The Islanders offense is scoring at a rate that keeps them in the tops in the league, possibly something that Montreal didn't consider and...
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...
As the Sabres have hit the half way mark of the regular season they currently sit on the outside looking in. They have underachieved during the first 24 games and now making the post season seams almost impossible. The rangers currently hold the 8th spot with 4 points but contain a 3 game in hand edge over dull sabres.
[u]whats the issue?[/u]
-Well Miller has be...
As the Sabres have hit the half way mark of the regular season they currently sit on the outside looking in. They have underachieved during the first 24 games and now making the post season seams almost impossible. The rangers currently hold the 8th spot with 4 points but contain a 3 game in hand edge over dull sabres.
[u]whats the issue?[/u]
-Well Miller has be...
[b]March 6th[/b]
[u][i]Kings 6, St. Louis Blues 4[/i][/u]
Wow! What a game!
Watching this one late into the night was even better than popping by DVD copy of "Slapshot" in the player...
To be honest, I was not at all surprised that the Kings made this sort of comeback. To me, it was the defending champions toying with the Blues all night. They may have just ska...
[b]March 6th[/b]
[u][i]Maple Leafs 5, Ottawa Senators 4[/i][/u]
This game came down to goaltending, and clearly James Reimer was the better netminder at his end of the ice, turning aside 38 of 43 Senator shots, helping the Leafs hang on to a 5-4 victory over their provincial rivals.
I recent years since the arrival of Reimer, I am sure all Leafs fans out there are...
Oilers4Life14 writes...
[Oilers] Trading our 1st overall pick for 2013.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I know what you guys are saying, that I am a troll, or for me to get off this website, but think about this for a second. Think about what we can get for it. We'll lose a prospect for next year but we can also gain two devolped veteran's, Example, Joe Thornton, we could even throw Whitney in there just to drop a 4 million contract.
[b]Tale of the Tape[/b]
NYR 11-8-2 NYI 10-11-2
Goals For: NYR 2.52 NYI 2.96
Goals Against: NYR 2.43 NYI 3.39
Special Teams: NYR PP 14.7%(24th) NYR PK 83.3%(11th)
NYI PP 23.1% (5th) NYI PK 82.7% (14th)
Rangers Road Record 2-4-1
Islanders Home Record 4-8-1
Season Series: 1-1 (4-1(NYR) February 7th , 4-3(SO)(NYI) February 14th)
Currently Riding: NY...
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...
I’m starting this with a quote from [i]Moneyball[/i]. Yes, I know it’s a baseball movie. No, I don’t care.
“The problem we’re trying to solve is that there are rich teams and there are poor teams, then there’s fifty feet of crap, and then there’s us.”
Brad Pitt’s character is describing his ball club, the Oakland A’s. Based on this, I propose th...
ggarritty11 writes...
Oilers Rebuild vs. Blackhawks Rebuild (5 year rebuild)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Edmonton Oilers are constantly being compared to the Chicago Blackhawks based on the rebuild route they have chosen. Rebuilding is FINE, but don't be convinced that this is the same type of rebuild as the Chicago Blackhawks. I'm going to go over the breakdown of the Chicago rebuild in comparison to the Edmonton rebuild. CHICAGO MISSED THE POST SEASON FROM 02/03 - 07/08...
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 ...
The Montreal Canadiens have finished the first half of their regular season and are possibly the most pleasant surprise in the entire league. Sure, Chicago going this long without losing in regulation is hard to believe, but no one is surprised that they are the top team in the league. With all the injuries in Ottawa, it is hard to believe they keep winning, but they were ...
So, the historic run has finally come to an end. The Hawks lost. What does it mean? Nothing. Not a damn thing.
They still set the record for the most consecutive games with a point to start a season and the franchise record for longest winning streak. More importantly, they did it in a compressed schedule with less time between games and with ten of their first twe...
A season with so much promise, looks bleak now as we near the end of an afwul nine game road trip (thanks Brier). rnrnAs I watch my favorite team night after night, its becoming clear that this team lacks leadership and that may be why they are struggling. There is so much pressure on the kids to carry this team to the promise land and I think they can and will at some poi...
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 Edmonton Oilers will be the recipients of the first overall draft pick until they assemble an entire roster of first overall draft picks. The league has virtually ensured this as now all fourteen teams that miss the playoffs have a chance to win the first overall pick. Plus we all know that the Oilers aren't making the playoffs anytime soon. They also managed to pry...
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 Montreal Canadiens have finished the first half of their regular season and are possibly the most pleasant surprise in the entire league. Sure, Chicago going this long without losing in regulation is hard to believe, but no one is surprised that they are the top team in the league. With all the injuries in Ottawa, it is hard to believe they keep winning, but they were ...
With the New York Islanders just past the midpoint of their lockout-shortened season, it’s as good a time as any to evaluate the three Bridgeport Sound Tigers that made the jump to the big club this season (four if you count Kevin Poulin) -- and to talk about some who might be ready for a quick look sooner than later.
Back when the lockout was just coming to a close, ...
[b]March 10[/b]
[b][i]Thoughts on the 4-2 loss to Boston...[/i][/b]
It has been a very busy last few days for me. My 7th and 8th grade basketball teams that I help coach at the middle school where I teach out in the Southwest Suburbs of Chicago were playing in a season finale conference tournament, while at the same time Toronto and Los Angeles both played Thursday. ...
[b]March 10[/b]
Defending Staples appeared to hit a road bump on Thursday, as the Dallas Stars used a three-goal third period to defeat the defending champion Kings 5-2.
Dallas also got two goals from ageless wonder, Jaromir Jagr, who beat Quick on an early power play and then added an insurance goal at the 9:40 mark of the third.
Perhaps the Kings were a little ...
The time has come for the Sabres to commence an overhaul. No more waiting for that breakthrough year from team-drafted players. No more counting on primary offensive players to provide secondary scoring. No more patience with veterans who simply do not perform. The core of this group will simply not get it done.
The needs and shortcomings of this team have been glaring...
First, my disclaimer, I have been a Sabres fan since as long as I can remember. My first phrase as a child, as far as I've been told, was "I wanna watch hockeysabres" Yes as one word. I do live in Maryland now as I had to sadly move from Buffalo to pursue my career.
The Sabres efforts have been lackadaisical as of late. Everyone from as high up as Pomminville all the w...
That was a question recently asked by an associate of mine.
Over the past few years the #Detroit Redwings have lost a considerable amount of talent (Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Brad Stuart, Jiri Hudler and a few others) and haven't been able to replace those players. So the question must be asked.... "Has Ken Holland lost his mojo?"
As a lifelong Detroit ...
MintEdition writes...
The first and second tier of real franchise players - Cream
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]I am[/b] one who looks from the outside when I follow the NHL circus from the other side of the Atlantic sea. To be more precise I try to watch as much as I can even thou the games start in the middle of the night when you live in Sweden and have a full time job.
One concept that is a bit fascinating are the idea of a team or a franchise having one of their own so ca...
royalgardens writes...
Pavelec, Jets Frustrate Leafs; Holzer AHL Bound?; Iginla?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]March 12[/b]
[i][b]Maple Leafs 2 @ Winnipeg Jets 5[/b][/i]
Oh boy, where should I start with this one...?
After witnessing the first two periods, I was about to give most of the credit to Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec, and then build a rant up against the officials from this one, but since the Maple Leafs completely fell apart in the third period, I will just chal...
BMAN22314 writes...
Playoffs A Possibility, Another Leafs Mid Season Slump
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It has been too many years since the Toronto Maple Leafs have been to the playoffs and after their loss last night are on their first 3 game losing streak of the year with Pittsburgh up next. Is this the typical slump Leaf fans have been seeing year after year that ruin our chances at the playoffs. I hope not. There are certain things the Leafs need to do in the second hal...
The Montreal Canadiens return to the Bell Centre tonight to face the Ottawa Senators following a very successful 5 game road trip. The only blemish on the trip came in New York against an Islanders team desperate to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The loss was a tough one for Carey Price especially, who had allowed at least 5 goals in back to back starts. Price would b...
Please dont let that a**hole Ben Hankinson get anything from that poorly timed, and clearly moronic, tweet. Grow up people! Lupul is going to be back soon, Opening a roster spot for him would mean sending Holzer down as he is the only current Leaf who wouldn't be exposed to waivers. Gardiner will be a leaf, a very good one at that, but it needs to happen through the tradin...
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...
Writing about the Philadelphia Flyers is almost impossible this year for me. I could list you a complete sheet of all the dismal stats that show how pathetic this team is this year. To cut it short, this team has greatly underachieved thus far this season.
Believe me, I know there is not enough talent on this team to win the Eastern Conference; and they should not have...
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...
Hello,I am a Leafs fan, a life long Leafs fan.
Remember when Brain Burke said this was "the Vatican of hockey"? He wasn't wrong. Not to say that this is the mecca of hockey, Montreal probably holds that title. But, this is a team you either love and worship or want to declare jihad against. It is beaten into you at a young age: This is the only team that matters, Stanl...
Hello, minimal number of readers! Long time no blog!
Well. as you all know, the trade deadline is coming up in a matter of weeks and with the volume of opinionated posts I've been pasting all across the forums (the Oilers' forum in particular) this past while, I thought I may as well write a blog about it! And to all your dismay, here it is!
The aforementioned trade...
I realize this may sound a little bit like andydrmm's recent blog which I had not read until I wrote this:
The Trade Deadline approaches!
[img]http://www.nickmendola.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Darcy_Regier_325x183.jpg[/img]
Let's look at this glass half full. The young kids, or "585 line", are tearing it up. Brian Flynn has 3 points in just 3 games! Foligno has f...
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 ...
Randy Carlyle is very close to going from hero to goat in Leafland if the results don't change and soon. The team was 15-9-0 and in 5th place just a short time ago and all was well, but a recent 0-3-1 slide has the microscope focusing on the bench boss and a few of his curious decisions. It is difficult to be too hard on Randy, however, this Leafs team has played a much mo...
[b]The Ides of March[/b]
[b][i]Leafs Lose Again, et tu LA?[/i][/b]
I apologize for not working on this last night after the game, but it has almost become unbearable to stay up later in the evening, having to watch both the Leafs and defending champion Kings find ways to lose.
Although I am not as much concerned about the Kings, however I am beginning to worry abo...
Now that I have your attention... It’s only in my dreams that this were real headline. Several moves were made today by the Buffalo Sabres, and it’s just simply mind numbing the way that these things went down. I would have written this sooner, but I decided that I needed to watch a good hockey game tonight. So my wife and I went to the Rochester Amerks game.
Discla...
MintEdition writes...
This year the Leafs won’t fall like it’s the autumn…
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I actually think that the Leafs could finally make the playoff!
Yes I said it, it seems like on an odd or sometimes even day they come thru in some fashion. I my mind thou there isn’t any reason to spill time on pondering if whether they could escape first round or even (god is laughing) make it further.
[b]So do I have any kind of claim for this kind of thesis?[/b...
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...
It was a night of many firsts for the Montreal Canadiens. Everyone knew coming into the contest against the New Jersey Devils that it would be the first game of Jarred Tinordi’s (hopefully long) NHL career. Halfway through the first period of play, Colby Armstrong would (finally) score his first goal in a Canadiens sweater. Later, midway through the third, Tinordi would ...
Tonight, due to injury of Sabres defenseman, Andrej Sekera, would have normally seen extra defenseman, T.J. Brennan, as the replacement. That has all changed as Brennan was traded to the Florida Panthers for a fifth-round pick of the 2013 draft. And as Brennan scored in his first game with the team, seeing over 22 minutes of ice-time, Sabres fans have been critical of the ...
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...
The flyers have had a rocky season the whole year, currently in 23rd place and most teams have games in hand on them don't look like they are going in the right direction. They have been poor on defense the whole season, offense has been inconsistent, and 5 on 5 of late has been a struggle. Teams have succeed against the flyers when they played a 5 on 5 game against them. ...
The Plight of this team
This season has been nothing but horribly sad for us fans in "Hockey Heaven". Last night as I sat screaming in the Verizon Center next to fellow Sabres fans in the D.C. area...it hit me. This team is horrible. From top to bottom. Watching a team that was behind us in the standings, who also played the day before, dance around us in our own zon...
Kenny_Mac writes...
David Desharnais: Undersized Center Earns Huge Contract
Posted Monday | Comments 0
David Desharnais has overcome adversity every year of his hockey career, proving himself at every level of competition before finally cashing in with the Montreal Canadiens. The 4 year, 14 million dollar contract is a huge deal for the undersized center, but he has been defeating the odds since before his junior career began and will prove he is worth every penny. (Or ever...
The Sabres should look into a trade with the St.Louis Blues. The Blues have alot of young great talent, both on offense and defense. They also hav alot of players who will be restricted free agents after the season, while the Sabres have some assets that the Blues could use for a deep playoff run this year. Darcy should look into a trade that sends [u][u]Stafford and Re...
royalgardens writes...
Toronto: Where's the Leadership? Kings host Coyotes for Two
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[b][b]March 18[/b]
[b][i]Leafs Lack of Leadership Hampering Results?[/b][/i][/b]
Well, another big game for the Leafs on Saturday fell the way side once again.
Toronto got a promising start from a nice backhand goal from Joffrey Lupul, who finally returned to the lineup after missing 25 games. But the Maple Leafs could not build on the early lead and completely f...
I'd say the Wild are starting to come full circle. After weeks of questioning the team chemistry and increasingly mounting question marks in coach Yeo, and this team is starting to look like what Wild fans were expecting with the off season acquisitions of Parise and Suter along with a bevy of young talented players making their mark in a shortened season.
Backstrom ha...
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 ...
Chris Stewart plays the game with power and finesse. Often when talking about a particular player it is custom to make a comparison in order to paint a clearer picture. No two players are alike, but if comparisons are a must, Chris Stewart’s game resembles that of Cam Neely, Todd Bertuzzi and Jarome Iginla.
The big righty with good hands and a great shot can score. It...
TheHockeyDaily writes...
Does Anyone Care About The Columbus Blue Jackets?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
There are about nine teams in the Western Conference that certainly care about the Columbus Blue Jackets right now. Perennial losers they may be but CBJ are not letting their past stop them from making a serious push for the playoffs this season. Since February 26 the Jackets have gone 6-0-5, earning points in eleven straight games.
The streak has allowed the Jackets t...
In the midst of a 5 game losing streak, the Leafs battled the Lightning on Wednesday night at the ACC in front of a crowd of 19,433. The leafs got on the board early in the first with Lupul's 3rd on a beautiful pass by Kadri, Lupul's 3rd in 2 games since his comeback from injury. Under a minute into the 2nd period Dion Phaneuf scored his 5th of the year with a slap shot fr...
royalgardens writes...
Leafs Cough Up Extra Point; Kings Seek 'Heavenly' Revenge
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]March 21
[i]Sabres Steal Key Point from Lazy Leafs[/b][/i]
Before I get into this one, I just want to make one thing clear about both of these teams on the ice; all weaknesses were greatly magnified throughout this game.
The Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs are two teams going absolutely nowhere this season. Both teams are lazy, they cough the puck up at ...
In the midst of a playoff race the Dallas Stars may be fielding some phone calls for their legendary winger Jaromir Jagr. The Great Jaromir has had success everywhere he’s played and what a motivating factor it would be to win a Cup for JR, who last won the prize in 1992 when most of the players in the league were learning how to ride a bike.
In his eighteen seasons i...
Tonight the Calgary Flames play head to head with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The rumours surrounding the future of Jarome Iginla as a member of the Calgary Flames make this game a little more interesting than your average epic Flames/Blue Jackets showdown.
Over the next two weeks the Flames and Iginla will receive some very tempting offers that will greatly affect the f...
Not looking for an answer here. So don’t try to give me one (“Too late”, says my wife as I proof read it to her. She answered “no” for those of you who were curious.). I’ll admit that it’s very tempting to get caught up in the rush of the past 2 Sabres games. Winning in Montreal and then beating Toronto in what may have been the best game Buffalo’s played t...
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...
royalgardens writes...
Leafs Bend, Don't Break vs. Bruins; Kings Return to Chicago
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[b]March 24[/b]
[i][b]Maple Leafs 3, Boston Bruins 2[/b][/i]
Perhaps the Maple Leafs caught a break facing Anton Khudobin instead of Tukkka Rask? Be as it may, Khudobin came into the game with a 6-2 record and a sparkling 2.14 GAA and a save percentage of 92.5%.
Toronto also may have caught the Bruins at a good time, as Boston played with some inexperience on its ...
We're now 15 games into Ron Rolston's time as coach, and I grabbed some numbers to see some form of comparison between he and Ruff's tenure this year. I thought I'd start with goaltending and get a sense of our overall defensive numbers.
Let's start with the 2 coaches' records:
Ruff: 6-10-1
Rolston: 7-5-3
Rolston started rough, 0-2 start from a lousy team who cou...
No one is really talking about it but the Montreal Canadiens must be considered a Stanley Cup contender at this point. Sure the Boston Bruins are big, bad and won it all two years ago but we’ve seen many times before that the Canadiens are capable of beating the Bruins in the playoffs. In fact, two seasons ago when the B’s won the Cup they barely got by the Habs in a f...
I know that there’s a lot of buzz surrounding the Sabres right now. Personally, I’m a little miffed by this. However, I can understand why Sabres fans are very excited with the upcoming games. There’s thoughts of adding to the Sabres win streak with their next 3 opponents. They may even hit the season high win streak of 4 games! Sabres fans are starting to get excite...
royalgardens writes...
Defending Champs Knock off Hawks at UC; Leafs Battle Boston
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]March 25[/b]
[b][i]A Tale of Two Teams, and Two Captains[/i][/b]
Before I depart my southwestern Chicago suburb home for bright and sunny Orlando, Florida, I will post one more blog before I head out for Spring Break away from my fun-loving 8th graders!
[i][b]Kings 5 @ Chicago Blackhawks 4[/b][/i]
Tonight, the Kings had no choice but to come out hitting hard...
So trade deadline is coming up in 8 days, so I decided to make a blog.
Edmonton Oilers need to win 13 of their next 17 games, 13-4 run. It's not going to happen, sorry. But we are still in the running for a first overall pick.
But in all honestly, we need to trade that to get more vetreans for next year, where we can make a playoff run. So here is my answer to what w...
Been awhile since this has been updated due to school and work but here we go!
Last nights 5-2 loss essentially ended any type of hope the Flyers had at making the playoffs barring any sort of immaculate intervention (and no, Joseph Gordon Levitt will not be waving his arms at the games making angels appear to perform incredible feats). With the trade deadline a week aw...
If I was in charge of the Buffalo Sabres, I would take a wrecking ball to the team and start over. The dream has vanished. Playoffs are not happening people. Ever since losing Briere and Drury, this team has struggled year after year. The drive and skill are lacking in the locker room. Ron Rolston's comments last night proves that coaching is not the issue, it's the b...
Look, it certainly seems like the Penguins are going to be the team strolling through the playoffs en route to the Stanley Cup this year. I mean what is going to stop them?rnrnThey are on a 13 game winning streak, they have two of the top two scoring centers in the league, their goaltending have been excellent as of late, and they've done some work to solidify the blueline...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Once Again, Habs Show They Belong With Class of the East
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Since the puck finally dropped on this shortened season, followers of the NHL have been pointing to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins as the top teams to beat in the Eastern Conference. While the Penguins and Bruins have certainly performed well enough to deserve such credit, there is a third team in the East that has separated themselves from the rest of the pack....
Kenny_Mac writes...
Nathan Beaulieu Makes NHL Debut as Habs Host Rangers
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens close out their March schedule tonight as they face the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre. It has been a very successful month for the Habs thus far as they enter tonight’s contest with an 8-3-2 record in March.
It will be the third meeting of the season between the original six rivals and Montreal is looking for a clean sweep after posting 3-...
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...
Oh Me Oh My, theres a LOT of work to be done this summer. I would like annnounce that this is what I would do, I'm not saying Holmgren will do anything like this. First I'll address the defense, then the upcoming draft, then offense, then .... *Dun Dun Dun Duh* Goaltending. Finally I will give you what my roster would look like.
[b]DEFENSE[/b]
Okay so first I want t...
The trade deadline is days away and there have been talks all around the league with numerous teams. The New Jersey Devils are obviously struggling without Ilya Kovalchuk in the lineup. Drastic changes don't need to be made; he will eventually return. But what if he returns too late and the Devils don't make the playoffs. This HAS to be something Lou Lamoriello has thought...
Follow me on Twitter: @flamesfan1981
With the recent trading of Flames icon and captain Jarome Iginla, there is no doubt that Calgary management have made it clear they intend to rebuild or "retool" as they calling it. Bouwmeester will almost certainly yield a larger return for the Flames than Iginla and here's why
Jay Bouwmeester is arguably one of the best defence...
flamesfan1981 writes...
Feaster Famine: Analyzing Feaster's Tenure As Flames GM
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Follow me on twitter @flamesfan1981
When I originally began writing this article it was before the recent moves by Feaster in the trading of Flames icon Jarome Iginla and their top defender in Jay Bouwmeester. Some of my opinions will certainly change based off of these 2 moves.
On December 28, 2010, Darryl Sutter resigned as the General Manager of the Calgary Flame...
With the NHL’s trade deadline less than 24 hours away the Montreal Canadiens have played their way into a position of being a buyer instead of selling off assets like they did a year ago. As the deadline approaches, the Habs will be sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference, only trailing the now Crosby-less Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins have added signif...
royalgardens writes...
Planes, TRADES, Automobiles; Maple Leafs-Flames Discussions
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]April 2nd
[i]Trade Deadline Thoughts[/b][/i]
First, regarding the "potential" deal or rumor of Miikka Kiprusoff to the Maple Leafs...Why not Curtis Glencross or perhaps Dennis Wideman?
The only way this makes sense for Toronto to acquire the 36 year-old veteran backstop, who's best seasons are already in the books is if GM Dave Nonis and company share very litt...
Miikka Kiprusoff will most likely go down as one of the Flames all time best goalies in franchise history. He's been a solid goalie for the past few years and a workhorse. Despite having a subpar year (could be attributed to not going to play anywhere during the lockout, along with a list of other things) some people think he may have some left in the tank, which he absolu...
I have to agree with what a lot of hockey analyst's are saying.
The Leafs are a team still in re-building their winning ways and striving to make the playoffs in 8 years.
Why risk that and make a trade for Luongo. He is a number 1 goalie but he has those streaks where he STINKS he really STINKS, not to mention the size of his contract.
The Leafs looking to be h...
I’m currently sitting at my desk in my office, thinking over the Buffalo Sabres trade deadline moves this year (will fine tune this once I get home, it’s a work in progress). At the end of the day, Jason Pominville is headed to Minnesota. Buffalo receives 2 young prospects as well as Minnesota’s first round draft pick in 2013 and their second round pick in 2014.
...
Alright so definitely an interesting trade deadline day in Buffalo.
Moving Pomminville, Regher, and Leopold was a great idea without a doubt. Am I completely happy with the return on those players? Not yet. I know that getting two prospects and a first rounder and a second rounder for Pomminville seems great. The problem is do we trust Darcy and this administration ...
ajm7719 writes...
Looking Ahead: Playoff Chances and A Crucial Offseason
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]Playoffs?[/b]
The Flyers have climbed back into the playoff race collecting 7 points out of a possible 10 during a 5-game home-stand. Even with injuries mounting, the team has managed to pull it together late in games and get the job done. They currently sit 4 points out of 8th place with 12 to play. It will be an interesting final few weeks of the season if the Orange...
Upon writing this, the Flyers just won their fourth game in a row and sit only two points out of the final playoff spot in the East. Somehow, despite key injury after key injury, this team has been finding ways to win hockey games and very well could find themselves in one of the final playoff spots in a few weeks. With that being said, I want to spend this blog analyzing ...
MintEdition writes...
GMGM doing a GM (grand mistake) - The Filip Forsberg trade
Posted Friday | Comments 0
When I first saw this on the blocks I thought to my self "no way that was a good deal for the caps"!
I saw some people posting their arguments. They said that Forsberg, still only 18 only plays in the second league of Sweden and also that since he is so young there is still many years left before we know his NHL caliber
My comeback would be:
[b]Yes [/b]- still young...
Between March 17th and the 31st the Bruins are 3-4-1, which represents a struggling span of time for a team that is not only struggling to amass points, but goals, as well.
Over the same stretch the team averaged 2.25 goals for, had limited power-play success, defensive gaffs, third period collapses, and yet remained to exemplify outstanding goaltending. Tuukka Rask an...
At the beginning of the season there were a lot of experts, and people in general tagging the Rangers as the eastern champs and advancing to the cup finals. Some even had the Blueshirts winning the cup. And for those who put money on it... well they are probably sweating more than a fat girl chasing a cupcake. BUT!! It might not be too late for the Rangers as they had a v...
flamesfan1981 writes...
What should the Flames strategy be moving forward?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Follow me on Twitter @flamesfan1981
It's no secret that the Flames organization is in need of a full rebuild. By full rebuild I mean a full tear it down completely and rebuild from the ground-up type of rebuild. With the recent trades of Jarome Iginla, Jay Bouwmeester and attempting to move Kiprusoff; all fans were under the assumption the Flames organization were doin...
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...
The Montreal Canadiens look to continue their winning ways tonight as they host the suddenly surging Washington Capitals. Winners of 5 out of their last 6, Montreal currently resides in second place in the Eastern Conference, three points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins and only one point ahead of division rival Boston Bruins.
The Capitals are the third seed in the East...
flamesfan1981 writes...
2014 Olympics: My Canadian Men's Ice Hockey Roster
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Follow me on Twitter: @flamesfan1981
While watching Hockey Night In Canada last weekend on CBC, the broadcast mentioned that the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia are exactly 10 months away. The first thought that popped into my head and most likely any Canadian hockey fan, was memories of the 2010 Olympics in which Sidney Crosby took a feed from Jarome Iginla in OT of th...
Is Alex Ovechkin now a candidate for the Hart Trophy?
If you told me after the first couple weeks of the start of the season that the Washington Capitals would be sitting atop the Southeast with 8 games left I would have laughed at said, "Maybe". If you told me that Alex Ovechkin would be tied for the league lead in goals I would have laughed a little harder and said, "...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Canadiens Led by Re-signed Budaj Set to Face Sabres
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The two teams that have given the Montreal Canadiens the most trouble thus far during their successful season would be the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs. It just so happens that the pair of division rivals will be their next two opponents as the Habs travel to Buffalo tonight followed by a Saturday night meeting with the Leafs.
These two games come on the h...
Snowmanonfire writes...
The Nucks are at the cap ceiling no room for U/RFAs
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Next Season poses some difficult choices to be made in Nuck land and I blame Gillis for this monumental blunder. In the cap world he signed Luongo to that albatross of a contract that he tries to say is equatable or an asset, in what parallel universe?
Not only will they have to just let Luongo go they may have to take a bad contract back with fewer years but they will ...
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...
How many times have we seen the Buffalo Sabres do what they’ve done this week?
The Sabres came up with 3 great wins against the Penguins, Senators, and Devils. They pulled themselves into a great position, having gotten within 4 points of the elusive 8th place seed in the Eastern Conference. Hope, for the fans of Buffalo, had been restored.
Heading into Tuesday ni...
flamesfan1981 writes...
Flames: Why the Flames need to draft Nathan MacKinnon!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Follow me on twitter: @flamesfan1981
For the past two decades the Calgary Flames franchise has attempted to fill their to center positions with low cost or washed up bandaid solutions that simply weren't the answer. To put this into better perspective, the Flames top 2 scoring Centerman since the 1996 season have been Robert Reichel (354 points in 425 games) and Craig ...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Canadiens Sprint to Finish Begins Against Oldest Rival
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
With a playoff berth officially clinched following a dominating win over the Buffalo Sabres, the sprint for playoff positioning now begins for the Montreal Canadiens. With eight games remaining for both Montreal and division rival Boston Bruins and only one point separating them, the division champ will be crowned based on who finishes the season the hottest.
The sprint...
First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers to the families impacted by today’s tragic events in Boston. In moments of tragedy, hopefully people can find inspiration in the actions of those who didn’t run away from disaster, but ran towards it in an effort to help. [b]Those individuals truly are heroes. [/b]
My family and I attended the Sabres vs Flyers game on Sa...
shauntyler writes...
5 Most Emotional National Anthems in Buffalo Sports History
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Top Five Most Emotional National Anthems in Buffalo Sports HistoryrnShaun Chojnackirnrn#5 NHL All Star Game 1991rnJanuary 19th 1991rn• The Gulf War had just begun and emotions were incredibly high.rn• The game was broadcasted worldwide and drew the highest television audience for an NHL All Star game at the time.rn• The uncertainty of war was looming as the build...
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...
Yes, I know I’m a week early. I know that Buffalo’s final game of this season is next Friday against the Islanders. But that matters not, since the Sabres have lost to the New York Rangers tonight. Another must win game for the Sabres that they failed to rise to the occasion for.
And doesn’t that sum up the Buffalo Sabres for the past few years?
The past few s...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Montreal Looks to Keep Momentum Going Against Capitals
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens finally rediscovered the win column against the Tamp Bay Lightning after suffering their three ugliest losses of the season. With a little luck and a huge game from the man who was handed the blame for the losing streak, Habs fans can sigh a bit of relief before facing the Washington Capitals tonight.
The Lightning had countless chances to open t...
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...
Since the Flyers acquired backup goaltender Steve Mason from the Columbus Blue Jackets at the trade deadline, the buzz among local Philly beat writers is whether Bryzgalov or Mason will be the starter next season, and if this spells an abrupt end for Ilya in a Flyer jersey via compliance buyout.
Since the deadline, Mason has signed a 1-year extension at $1.5 million, ma...
If the draft was to start right now, we'd be pick 5th. Nashville and Carolina are two points back of Edmonton with 39. And our next 4 games aren't easy. We play: Anahiem, which we've only managed to score 2 goals in 2 games this years. Chicago, who has the best record in the league, but the last 2 games at home we've won by more then 8, Minnesota, away, who we've beat once...
As a long time Oilers fan in the heart of Leaf country thanks to that great team with Messier and Gretzky I am thinking that the next 18 months are crucial for a long lasting team core. Let me explain right now there is a great coach available who thrives on coaching in smaller markets with younger players and that coach is Lindy Ruff and he would fit right in given he's g...
As a long time Oilers fan in the heart of Leaf country thanks to that great team with Messier and Gretzky I am thinking that the next 18 months are crucial for a long lasting team core. Let me explain right now there is a great coach available who thrives on coaching in smaller markets with younger players and that coach is Lindy Ruff and he would fit right in given he's g...
Those of you who have read my blogs for quite sometime know that I’m not a fan of Darcy Regier, and I haven’t been for quite some time. There’s a lot of talk about his future in Buffalo, especially as the Sabres will once again miss out on the playoffs. 2013 has seen Lindy Ruff leave the Buffalo Sabres organization, and it’s time for Darcy to leave too.
Let’s...
How to improve the Oilers Defense through Trades and through the draft
Well since the goal of this blog is as the header states, I will rule out Free Agency as an explorable option. With what appears to be a pretty high draft pick in 2013, some might say we can simply pick a defenseman and insert him into the line up, but that to me is folly, especially if the team is ent...
There are only six days remaining in the regular season but many questions are left to be answered in the Eastern Conference. The number of potential playoff teams has been narrowed to just nine but aside from the Pittsburgh Penguins securing the number one seed, no one’s position is guaranteed.
The race for the Northeast Division title and second overall throughout t...
Well, it's no surprise, Oilers, as of late, have only had 3+ goals in the last 10 games (8-2 W over Calgary, 5-3 L to Minnesota, 4-1 W over Colorado). 7 of those games we've scored 1 or less. I do not know what it is, what the problem is with scoring, perhaps it was all used against Calgary? Ralph Kruger needs to remake the lines, something line this:
Line 1:
Hall-Nu...
Well, it's no surprise, Oilers, as of late, have only had 3+ goals in the last 10 games (8-2 W over Calgary, 5-3 L to Minnesota, 4-1 W over Colorado). 7 of those games we've scored 1 or less. I do not know what it is, what the problem is with scoring, perhaps it was all used against Calgary? Ralph Kruger needs to remake the lines, something line this:
Line 1:
Hall-Nu...
Well, it's no surprise, Oilers, as of late, have only had 3+ goals in the last 10 games (8-2 W over Calgary, 5-3 L to Minnesota, 4-1 W over Colorado). 7 of those games we've scored 1 or less. I do not know what it is, what the problem is with scoring, perhaps it was all used against Calgary? Ralph Kruger needs to remake the lines, something line this:
Line 1:
Hall-Nu...
Well, it's no surprise, Oilers, as of late, have only had 3+ goals in the last 10 games (8-2 W over Calgary, 5-3 L to Minnesota, 4-1 W over Colorado). 7 of those games we've scored 1 or less. I do not know what it is, what the problem is with scoring, perhaps it was all used against Calgary? Ralph Kruger needs to remake the lines, something line this:
Line 1:
Hall-Nu...
Multiple headlines making the waves today in the hockey world due to last nights interviews and player reactions. There is no doubt that media plays an enormous role in today's sports world and sometimes, like today, it's too much.
Let's start with Duncan Keith, who is being accused of being sexist due to his comment toward a Team 1040 reporter in Vancouver. The rep...
Pittsburgh vs Islanders - Pittsburgh ----Pittsburgh--------Pittsburgh
Boston vs Rangers - Rangers
Capitals vs Ottawa - Ottawa
Canadiens vs Toronto - Toronto-----------Toronto
Pittsburgh vs Islanders - Pittsburgh ----Pittsburgh--------Pittsburgh
Boston vs Rangers - Rangers
Capitals vs Ottawa - Ottawa
Canadiens vs Toronto - Toronto-----------Toronto
Follow me @Oilers4Life14 on Twitter
After like 13 years playing at Xcel Energy Center, Oilers finally won their first game there, 6-1. Yak had a big night so did Eberle and Hall. Potter, even a trade bait player had 2 goals. Now this last game versus Vancouver, as well as Minnesota vs Edmonton was just for pride, also bumping us in the standings. Which is bad for th...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Canadiens Dominate Maple Leafs; Await First Round Opponent
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Tonight’s game started like far too many for the Montreal Canadiens recently. Behind 1-0 in the first period and having to battle their way back to stay alive in the race for the Northeast Division title. More often than not over the last two weeks, Montreal would let the 1-0 deficit become 2-0 before finding the back of the opponent’s net but that would not be the cas...
Wow. All I can say is wow. If we played like that all season, we easily would've made the playoffs. But no reason to stress, we have four Canadian teams in the playoffs, hopefully Montreal wins. But anyway, this season may of sucked because we didn't make the playoffs, but other stats were good.
Out of our four Northwest Division rivals, we won 3 series out of four. Van...
Kiks52 writes...
Maple Leafs Finish Regular Season With Disappointing Loss
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[img:right]http://i.imgur.com/k6DlcxF.png[/img]When the Toronto Maple Leafs skated on to the ice at Air Canada Centre before an ecstatic, jam-packed crowd of 19,730, the largest crowd of the shortened season, it was a monumental moment in the history of the franchise. After all, after eight straight seasons of falling short, the Leafs had managed to earn a hard-fought fift...
At the end of every season, I like to crunch the numbers and see what the standings would look like under a number of different overtime and point allocation scenarios.
Of course, any adjustments should be taken with a grain of salt (as changing the points system would likely change the coaching strategy, altering the results). Nonetheless, I think this is a good exerci...
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...
In breaking news....It has been made official that Darcy Regier will be the GM next season. Well that kills my hope for change. Darcy remains GM to fix his own mess of a team. After a second straight season with no playoffs, looking worse than before, and the same lousy excuse for a general manager the Sabres organization sees it fit to raise ticket prices...THIS IS MAD...
It's that time of the year...Stanley Cup Playoffs. Also a perfect time to write my first blog.
I may be a penguins fan but I am going to attack this from a non-biased approach. There are a couple teams this year that I believe have a legitimate chance at winning the cup and also a couple who have little to no shot of getting anywhere close to lord Stanley's cup. So ...
I think my title speaks for itself. I was convinced that today was the day that Darcy’s reign of terror in Buffalo came to an end. I was wrong. However, I didn’t think that things would take the turn that it did during the press conference at First Niagara Center.
There’s one direction that the Sabres are headed in right now. Straight down. The fans don’t even ...
The Montreal Canadiens return to the postseason after a one year hiatus and will face their division rival Ottawa Senators in the opening round. Just a year ago, the Canadiens season ended early after finishing 15th in the Eastern Conference standings and 28th overall in the 30 team National Hockey League. Montreal was able to pull themselves out of the cellar of the East ...
adamgallant writes...
Stacking up the Oilers season, and some playoff picks
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Hello folks, and welcome to my first blog on HockeyBuzz! Just to start, my name is Adam Gallant, and I live for the Edmonton Oilers. As many other Oilers fans feel, I see this season as a letdown; not a major letdown, but one nonetheless. Many thought this would be the year that the Oil creep into the playoffs; we did not expect a Northwest division title, a 7th or 8th see...
royalgardens writes...
Playoff Time: Do Leafs Have a Chance? Quick Gift to Steen!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]Playoff Time
[i]Kings vs. Blues[/b][/i]
[i]Game One...[/i]
Los Angeles was lucky to be alive and playing into overtime; thanks in large part to the outstanding play of Jonathan Quick, who gave the Kings a chance to steal the opening game from a St. Louis team who could not have played any better.
Call it a chip on their shoulder, or old fashioned revenge, th...
The following is simply a list of my picks for the various NHL awards, not predictions.
Hart Memorial Trophy:
Alex Ovechkin - Sid the Kid was hands down the MVP for the first 3/4 of the season, but after his injury, it turned into the Ovi Show. If Crosby had remained healthy he would most likely be handed this award, or if Sergei Bobrovsky's Blue Jackets had made the p...
I write this blog while listening to Abbey Road - you know, the album by The Beatles. Starts off with the song "Come Together". Maybe the Leafs need a little bit of that "Beatles" therapy right now.
Last night started out well for Leafs' Nation. It was exactly as the pro-Leaf pundits such as myself had predicted: A bold forecheck leading to bad penalties against the...
After watching Game 1 between the Penguins and Islanders, every Islanders has the right to be a bit nervous about how the team will play in Game 2 and the rest of this series. I'm hoping the team only needed one game to try and adjust themselves to playoff hockey and be comfortable. Not only did they seem nervous, but like an entirely different team compared to the one tha...
MintEdition writes...
Playtime of the season – Playoff time is finally here!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I to will do the famous “prediction section” as to
• Who will be the MVP
• Which team will fold like napkin and be tossed away
• Who will be the most hated guy
• Which team going ride the lucky plucky ride
• And lastly, who is actually taking the Lord Stanley home for dinner and a drink?
Lets start with the quickie matchup rundown [i](teams/games/tho...
MintEdition writes...
Playtime of the season – Playoff time is finally here!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I to will do the famous “prediction section” as to
• Who will be the MVP
• Which team will fold like napkin and be tossed away
• Who will be the most hated guy
• Which team going ride the lucky plucky ride
• And lastly, who is actually taking the Lord Stanley home for dinner and a drink?
Lets start with the quickie matchup rundown [i](teams/games/t...
As an Oilers fan, you don't get to see a lot of playoff hockey, it sucks yes, but this, Ottawa against Montreal, is a series you need to watch. Even if you are American. Apparently to Team 1200, the two refs that we reffing the game, are "The most experienced refs the NHL have." It didn't show. The refs called a total of 236 penalty minutes in the game, which is a lot, obv...
What a game last night. What a game.
We were sitting in the Group Sales Suite Scotiabank Place last night. A couple of free beers. Free pizza. A private washroom and television. A private booth is absolutely the way to go to enjoy a good ol' fashioned playoff hockey game. I highly recommend it. :)
Gentlemen, the Habs lost it last night. We saw it all first-...
[b]May 6th[/b]
If the defending champion Kings are going to turn around and take this quarterfinal series against the St. Louis Blues as originally expected, then some big guns need to step things up a bit.
Through the first three games, the Kings have scored a grand total of three goals, and one of them has been by a defenseman. One goal a game is not going to get t...
I can’t say that the end of the Buffalo Sabres season has been that painful. To be completely honest, I’m not really looking forward to next season. However, in the mean time, I’ve been enjoying some extremely entertaining hockey in the first round of the 2013 NHL playoffs.
Unfortunately, things are getting out of control.
It seems like every playoff season, ...
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. ...
The Toronto Maple Leafs are the perfect team for the city which they represent - loud, in-your-face, truculent.
The Maple Leafs - like the city of Toronto - is rife with talent and undiscovered gems separated by long stretches of blah, grey, and mismanaged public transportation. A Torontonian knows first-hand what it is like battling traffic, whether it's on the Gard...
I am an optimistic person at heart.
I usually look for the good in a situation and believe all things are possible...with the right determination and effort.
I'll keep fighting to the end if the cause is right.
But...I am also a realistic person.
I can look at a situation and see it for what it is (most of the time).
When I watch the Penguins play...playoff ...
I want to start by saying there are numerous reasons the Oiler's arena has been looking like it wouldn't work. Most people believe it is money and who would pay the money. Others believe it is municiple politics. Both of these play a part and I will touch on that but the final hurdle has been the Calgary Flames.
Let us start with Katz and his role in this. When buyi...
Captain_Kurtz writes...
Captains of The 30 NHL teams and ranking out of 10. part 1
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
What makes a good captain? Is a good captain your best player offensively or is a good captain the heart and soul of the team? You decide. [u]Anaheim Ducks-Ryan Getzlaf[/u] Ryan Getzlaf was drafted by the Ducks 1st round (19th overall) in the 2003 entry draft. He was named captain by the team prior too the 2010-2011 season. Despite a horrible 2011-2012 season when he had 5...
This is a plea to the supporters of all the teams trailing in their series. rnInstead of saying we just stayed alive in the series, it should be: our team forces game 6, game 7. Instead of struggling to keep up with the other team, it should be: our team is about to exploit their weaknesses. Instead of blaming and focusing on a single mistake, it should be our responsibil...
The Avalanched have taken the first few steps needed in order to turn around this franchise. Sacco being fired and winning the lottery (albeit by chance) take the first 2 spots, but the biggest and possibly the most crucial move came when the club announced that Josh Kroenke and Joe Sakic will be replacing the Lacroix's who previously held the President and VP positions. C...
The Avalanched have taken the first few steps needed in order to turn around this franchise. Sacco being fired and winning the lottery (albeit by chance) take the first 2 spots, but the biggest and possibly the most crucial move came when the club announced that Josh Kroenke and Joe Sakic will be replacing the Lacroix's who previously held the President and VP positions. C...
The Avalanched have taken the first few steps needed in order to turn around this franchise. Sacco being fired and winning the lottery (albeit by chance) take the first 2 spots, but the biggest and possibly the most crucial move came when the club announced that Josh Kroenke and Joe Sakic will be replacing the Lacroix's who previously held the President and VP positions. C...
This is the start of my off season assessment of the Buffalo Sabres players. I figured I would start with two on again, off again line mates in Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno. On paper, these are 2 completely different players. Ennis is 5’9”, 157 lbs while Foligno is 6’3” and 226 lbs. However, both of them can add a lot to the Sabres.
Before I kick this off, I�...
I know its Raffi but old habits die hard.
So over the years it has been between Torres and Tootoo for my most hated player ever. Torres with his buggy eyes and history of penalties and suspensions made me really question what the hell Wilson was thinking by bringing this guy in. Torres I have to say has 100% amazed me so far in the playoff. I think (have no...
[b]Sharks - Kings Preview[/b]
Well, Sharks' Fans got their wish. Thank you Detroit. Now, the Sharks don't have to play the Blackhawks in the Second Round. That's the Good News.
The Bad News, is that they will have to play the Los Angeles Kings instead. Out of the frying pan, and into the proverbial fire as it were.
This is going to be a tough series for the ...
With the Oilers drafting 7th this season, there are plenty of different outcomes that could happen. It is very plausible that new General Manager Craig McTavish will trade the pick, or move down in order to bring in veteran talent. For the sake of this blog let's say they don't move. Jones, Drouin, Barkov, Mackinnon will all be gone in the top 4 but it gets fuzzier after t...
I did not write this!rnrnA Blogger for the Kings wrote this! A jealous blogger deleted it! rnProps to the Red Wings but leave it to the Ducks to screw up a showdown with the Kings in what might be Teemu Selanne’s final season.How can the Ducks lose to THAT defense?I’ll tell you how.Bruce Boudreau in the post season:rnThis is his record with an amazing Washington team:r...
I did not write this!rnrnA Blogger for the Kings wrote this! A jealous blogger deleted it! rnProps to the Red Wings but leave it to the Ducks to screw up a showdown with the Kings in what might be Teemu Selanne’s final season.How can the Ducks lose to THAT defense?I’ll tell you how.Bruce Boudreau in the post season:rnThis is his record with an amazing Washington team:r...
Did you know that $24 Million dollars can buy you a gently used 2007 Gulfstream G450 private jet, or Katherine Hepburn’s oceanfront estate in Connecticut (if you were willing to negotiate a bit), or even the Archduke Joseph 76 carat, D color, flawless diamond (Sotheby’s estimate $15 - $25 Million $U.S.)?
And $24 Million can also buy Charles Wang his freedom from not...
thehockeypooler writes...
The Worldwide Heartbreak felt by the Leafs' Loss
Posted Thursday | Comments 1
I have been grieving over this loss for three straight days now. I can't get over it. But, finally, I am starting to understand my pain.
Allow me to explain:
The Overall Happiness Quotient (OHQ) in the Universe was affected by this game. More so, I would argue, than any other Sporting Event in History.
Think about it. When Germany loses in the semi-finals ...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Disappointing Playoffs Overshadow Successful Rebirth of Habs
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens began this shortened season with the lowest of expectations. Following such a disastrous 2011-12 campaign, the lockout that delayed the start of this season was seen almost as a blessing to some Habs fans, who were fearing another season as embarrassing as the last.
Canadiens fans would be disappointed in the Habs season when it finished, but not ...
[i]Ryan Leong filling in for Cam Gore who is on assignment. Cam will be back for Game 4.[/i]rnrnLogan Couture is coming of age.rnrnCouture has been mentioned numerous times on this blog how important he is to this team and this game only punctuates how he is the unquestioned 'leader' now. Sure the Sharks still have Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau but even the fans are awa...
[i]Ryan Leong filling in for Cam Gore who is on assignment. Cam will be back for Game 4.[/i]
Logan Couture is coming of age.
Couture has been mentioned numerous times on this blog how important he is to this team and this game only punctuates how he is the unquestioned 'leader' now. Sure the Sharks still have Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau but even the fans are awa...
First blog, here goes nothing!
With the Flyers holding the 11th pick in this years draft, there are a lot of possible ways this thing could shake out. If no trades are made, and that is pretty doubtful, I see the top 12 picks going like this:
1. COL Jones
2. FLA MacKinnon
3. TB Drouin
4. NAS Barkov
5. CAR Monahan
6. CAL Lindholm
7. EDM Nurse
8. BUF Horvat (may b...
[b]May 19[/b]
Now that my heart and soul has recovered somewhat from the Maple Leafs' monumental game 7 collapse in Boston, I think I can finally chime in with some post-series comments.
First of all, give the Maple Leafs all the credit in the world for bringing out the best in the Boston Bruins. As I originally predicted, I thought Toronto would have been lucky enou...
royalgardens writes...
Kings-Sharks; Shame on you Officials, Doug Wilson!
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
May 19
The Battle of California.
Round Two.
Defending champion Los Angeles Kings vs. perennial power house San Jose Sharks.
Three games into this epic series, none of the above are the main headlines. Instead, it is the officials who are throwing a money wrench into what should be a great series between two strong teams who have hated each other since the early...
A lot of people are sick of the Oilers losing every year and think they should make a move to improve immediately. These are the people that are tired of year after year last place and waiting for the rebuild to be complete. To be honest, I don't blame them. But the future is bright in Edmonton and it's actually good that they're not trying to speed up the rebuild and m...
Hey all, my first blog post here and I'll be covering the St. Louis Blues. Looking forward to writing blogs and connecting with people on this website!
If the playoffs taught us anything, it's that the Blues are sorely lacking in the offensive department. 10 goals in 6 games is simply unacceptable if we want to make a deep cup run in the future. Yes, I do realize Quick ...
Tyler Myers.
I already know that just by saying his name, a lot of people’s attention just caught this blog. He’s been with the Sabres his entire NHL career, and after having a dazzling rookie career, he seems to be struggling.
Prompting the question...
What happened to Tyler Myers??
First off, his point totals have significantly decreased since his rooki...
The Oilers are rich in depth of prospect defenseman. But only 2 of them are ready to start next year (With potential). Edmonton needs size on the center, because Gagner cannot win a faceoff, nor can Nuge. They both did make an improvement in defense this year. So what do we draft? Dubynk can show that he can stand on his head when the Oilers need him, our top six is great,...
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...
[u]Teams that won a playoff round last season:[/u]
Flyers: Missed playoffs. Nobody saying fire Lavy.
Devils: Missed playoffs. Nobody saying fire Deboer
Coyotes: Missed playoffs. Nobody saying fire Tippett
Predators: Missed playoffs. Nobody saying fire Trotz
Blues: Lost in round 1. Nobody saying fire Hitchcock
Caps: Lost in round 1. Nobody saying fire Oate...
In my last blog (http://my.hockeybuzz.com/...&user_id=183597I) I partially talked about the possibility of Nino Neiderreiter being traded to the Oilers this summer to bring more size to the top 6 (6' 2'') and to get a more legitimate top six left winger. Granted, Paajarvi is bigger than Nino (6'3'' vs. 6'2'') but this past year Paajarvi has become a good power forward and ...
So, Oilers blogger Richard Cloutier (@rdcloutier on twitter) wrote a blog today suggesting that MacT will be trying to trade up a couple spots so that he can pick Sasha Barkov. Considering the recent news that Valery Nichushkin has decided to come to North America, I can definately see the possibility of Barkov being available around the 4 or 5 spot.
I wr...
I was thinking about the President's Trophy and its curse. Past winners and losers, etc., so I decided to do some research and figure out what each Cup winners' (since 1986) regular season final ranking was. There are two lists of rankings. One by final conference rank, one by overall.
Regular season final ranking (Overall NHL standings) and number of Cup winners p...
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...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Canadiens Free Agents: Who Returns and Who Leaves Montreal
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens have some tough decision to make when it comes to deciding which free agents should be re-signed and which should be allowed to test the market. Montreal’s current unrestricted free agents are Michael Ryder, Colby Armstrong, Jeff Halpern, and Davis Drewiske. Their restricted free agents include Ryan White, Gabriel Dumont, Michael Blunden and Yannic...
My first blog will be pretty straight forward; I am convinced the flyers will use their compliance buy out on Ilya Bryzgalov. Not too much of a shocker for most, really. For those who do not know, the salary cap is dropping to roughly 67 million in the 2013-2014 season, which poses problems for certain clubs, including the flyers. To remedy this, the NHL gave each team two...
Hey everybody, in this blog i'm gonna be doing a live blog covering the memorial cup final between the Halifax Mooseheads and the Portland Winterhawks. It's gonna be a good game and I hope you enjoy it.
To start out I'm gonna do a prediction and do a little talking about the 2 teams. In this game we have the projected top 3 picks in this draft (Jones, MacKinnon, Droui...
“I need a new start” said New York Rangers’ center, Brad Richards. Richards is 6 feet tall, 198 pounds. A perfect center man for the Oilers. Sam Gagner, the current 2nd line center is 5’11, 199 pounds could be the idle Left Wing that the Oilers need, or he could be moved for a natural left wing. Oilers pick 7th this year, they can move that pick for an NHL-ready Le...
Just going to make an update about several Blues related topics.
- Looks like Adam Cracknell has been signed to a 1 year contract worth 600k. Well deserved for him, the CPR line was a treat to watch down the stretch, and I'm more than happy to be able to see Cracknell back in the note in October. He knows how to use his body to shield the puck, and can lay out devastati...
flamesfan1981 writes...
Flames: Best Case Scenario at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Follow me on Twitter @flamesfan1981 and please note I will be Tweeting LIVE FROM THE PRUDENTIAL CENTER at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft!
Thanks to the Flames partial fire-sale during the season, they are in a unique position of owning three 1st round draft picks in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft taking place in New Jersey. The draft is deemed by many scouts and hockey experts to ...
[b]May 27[/b]
I've always thought that the better team of the series needs to win that one big game on the road. On Saturday, the LA Kings were the better team on the ice, yet still could not find a way to win at the Shark Tank, where things never seem to go the Kings' way, similar to the United Center, where if the defending champions stay alive tomorrow, should be hea...
This is my first attempt at writing a blog so all constructive criticism and opinions are welcome. Ill write with some depth on the top ten picks, and then just make the rest quick with little explanation and based on current standings because the playoffs are not finished yet.rnrnThis year in hockey has been full of ups and downs for Oilers fans, our season was over quick...
This is my first attempt at writing a blog so all constructive criticism and opinions are welcome. Ill write with some depth on the top ten picks, and then just make the rest quick with little explanation and based on current standings because the playoffs are not finished yet.rnrnThis year in hockey has been full of ups and downs for Oilers fans, our season was over quick...
Hey everybody!
While watching the Halifax Mooseheads all season and especially during the memorial cup I couldn't help but notice how well MacKinnon and Drouin play together. They are ranked 2 and 3 on the NHL's central scouting report and after they leave Halifax, they will proberly never play together again. But while I was watching the memorial cup final on Sunday ...
There’s one name that has been surrounded with controversy this past season with the Buffalo Sabres. That man, is Mikhail Grigorenko. The number one draft pick for the Sabres had very high expectations placed upon him. The way [i]some[/i] people wrote about him, I have expected him to show up in a cape, looking like a super hero. He could do no wrong according to some.
...
[b]1. Colorado - Nathan Mackinnon[/b]
A big showing in the memorial cup + the hiring of Patrick Roy makes Nathan Mackinnon too much to pass up. COL's prospect pool is stronger on D than up front and Mackinnon, Duchene, Landeskog are the avs answer to RNH Hall Eberle
[b]2. Florida - Seth Jones[/b]
Panthers go for BPA - Seth Jones and Gudbranson will be a ridiculo...
Before I start with Oil Drop Episode 3, I’d like to say best of luck to Richard Cloutier on getting his dream job.
As much as everyone hates your blog, you as a person, you’re alright. So best of luck!
(Just don’t become a GM, we don’t want another rebuild.)
The draft is 32 days away, we pick 7th, as many people know. According to my sources (Richard C...
So I am randomly doing this because I am bored and I have time, but I am going to start a new series call “Trade Proposals with Oilers4Life” (Something like that.)
So here we go:
VAN: Tanev
EDM: Paarjavi
Paarjavi isn’t the greatest ever, and can be easy replaced. All we need to do is get Richards if he’s bought out, move Gagner to the Left Wing, sign ...
Since the Blues season ended a while back I've been meaning to make a blog about grading each players performances. I will be taking into account the regular season as well as the playoffs. Today will be the forwards, and the other half will be the D and goalies.
[b]Forwards:[/b]
[b]David Backes: B-[/b]
There's no denying that Backes had a down year, managing only ...
[img:left]http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Disturbed_Guy_7481.jpg[/img] To all my devoted and beloved followers on this site... please comment if you want me to be the newest part of the family to wear the stripes. I strongly believe I would make a great, fair, unbiased, hybrid-referee in both the Leafs and Habs threads to fill in whenever Dozz, LM, Howrad, ...
[b]June 2[/b]
Alright, I think I get it now.
It's not okay for Dustin Penner to grab Michal Handzus and throw him out of a scrum to protect his goaltender Jonathan Quick.
It's also not okay for Dustin Penner to finish his check on a speedy Blackhawk and keep him out of the play.
But it's okay for Dave Bolland to all of a sudden take a run at Mike Richards behin...
We all know the story of the 1991 NHL Draft and Eric Lindros's famous refusal to play for the Quebec Nordiques and the following trade to the Philadelphia Flyers. Lindros excelled in Philly for years and was a beloved player for his kick-your-ass style of play and the amount of points he put up while wearing the Orange and Black. Sadly his career in Philly was cut short by...
Your 2013-2014 Toronto Maple Leafs
The whole city of Toronto and those of us in the die-hard “Leafs Nation” fan base were on top of the world with just over ten minutes to play in the third period of a crucial game 7 against our rival, the Boston Bruins. We were taunting Boston fans, we were criticizing all the analysts who had the Bruins beating us in four or fiv...
Your 2013-2014 Toronto Maple Leafs
The whole city of Toronto and those of us in the die-hard “Leafs Nation” fan base were on top of the world with just over ten minutes to play in the third period of a crucial game 7 against our rival, the Boston Bruins. We were taunting Boston fans, we were criticizing all the analysts who had the Bruins beating us in four or fiv...
Every year the draft is filled with more and more speculation in regards to player trades and teams moving picks. Most especially since the trade deadline becomes more and more a moot point in the salary cap era.
Patrick Roy has come out and hinted that he as***Coach*** yes coach and VP hockey operations, may move the first overall (What a disrespectful move the Roy...
Apparently the Vancouver Canucks and New York Islanders are talking trades. The Islanders have inquired about Roberto Luongo and are interested in the following type of deal. The New York Islanders would move Rick DiPietro and possibly Evgeni Nabokov and some sort of prospect and draft pick for Roberto Luongo.
TSNBobMcKenzie: "It’s believed NYI would, under right cir...
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...
NHL Rumors and Speculations page. This page is devoted only to rumors and speculations that are not confirmed unless stated ‘Confirmed Source’.
Brad Richards (Under Contract): The New York Rangers could explore options (compliance buy-out) to rid Brad Richards humongous big contract he signed a couple of summers ago. Richards was used as a fourth liner and was scrat...
The rest of the hockey world is laughing at you, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
They say that the ALL STAR team assembled in Pittsburgh, stock full of Hall of Fame like talent is an elite bunch of brats and when crunch time comes, they fold like an old picnic table.
After watching the first two games of the series against the Bruins, where it seems like the Penguins are mo...
As we're getting ready for what should be a very exciting and eventful offseason, this season should see a lot of goalie movement. I will list off all the Goalies of importance (aka not backups) who i think will be moved, or sign somewhere else
Buffalo: Miller (trade)
Calgary: Kipper (retire)
Chicago: Emery (UFA)
LAK: Bernier (RFA)
Minny: Backstrom (UFA)
NYI: Nabak...
The Oilers made a move this week. Yes, I said they made a move. This is what it's gonna be like now, no more Mr. Nothing Tambelini. MacT is actually gonna make moves to try to improve the team. MacTavish is going to try to make the team better but he's not going to make any moves that are gonna screw us in the future. In summary, he's not gonna masively over-pay for a...
Edited June 7th
While watching the Halifax Mooseheads all season and especially during the memorial cup I couldn't help but notice how well MacKinnon and Drouin play together. They are ranked 2 and 3 on the NHL's central scouting report and after they leave Halifax, they will proberly never play together again. But while I was watching the memorial cup final on Sunday I...
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...
Ilya Kovalchuk, Travis Zajac, Stefan Matteau, Steve Bernier, Ryan Carter, Krys Barch and Stephen Gionta.
These seven are the only non-free agent forwards on Jersey's roster (Henrique, Josefson and Loktionov are restricted). On top of that, their defensive core is a jumbled mess. Fayne, Tallinder, Larsson, Volchenkov and Harrold were switched in and out of the lineup all...
There was a thread on the Oiler's Blogger board about 12 Bold things the Oilers will do, and I decided to add my predictions, based on what seems the most logical. Unfortunately, that board often degenerates into a personal playground for several regulars, so the truly useful posts about actual hockey and the Edmonton Oilers get brushed to the wayside.
So, I decided in...
There was a thread on the Oiler's Blogger board about 12 Bold things the Oilers will do, and I decided to add my predictions, based on what seems the most logical. Unfortunately, that board often degenerates into a personal playground for several regulars, so the truly useful posts about actual hockey and the Edmonton Oilers get brushed to the wayside. So, I decided instea...
There was a thread on the Oiler's Blogger board about 12 Bold things the Oilers will do, and I decided to add my predictions, based on what seems the most logical. Unfortunately, that board often degenerates into a personal playground for several regulars, so the truly useful posts about actual hockey and the Edmonton Oilers get brushed to the wayside. So, I decided instea...
There was a thread on the Oiler's Blogger board about 12 Bold things the Oilers will do, and I decided to add my predictions, based on what seems the most logical. Unfortunately, that board often degenerates into a personal playground for several regulars, so the truly useful posts about actual hockey and the Edmonton Oilers get brushed to the wayside. So, I decided instea...
There was a thread on the Oiler's Blogger board about 12 Bold things the Oilers will do, and I decided to add my predictions, based on what seems the most logical. Unfortunately, that board often degenerates into a personal playground for several regulars, so the truly useful posts about actual hockey and the Edmonton Oilers get brushed to the wayside. So, I decided instea...
There was a thread on the Oiler's Blogger board about 12 Bold things the Oilers will do, and I decided to add my predictions, based on what seems the most logical. Unfortunately, that board often degenerates into a personal playground for several regulars, so the truly useful posts about actual hockey and the Edmonton Oilers get brushed to the wayside. So, I decided instea...
There was a thread on the Oiler's Blogger board about 12 Bold things the Oilers will do, and I decided to add my predictions, based on what seems the most logical. Unfortunately, that board often degenerates into a personal playground for several regulars, so the truly useful posts about actual hockey and the Edmonton Oilers get brushed to the wayside. So, I decided instea...
This is my first post on Hockeybuzz and I plan on doing it regularly. I've followed this site for 4 years and enjoy reading rumors, predictions and thoughts. I've been a habs fan since 1992. I was 9 years old and made the travel team in a small town in southwestern Ontario. My coach suggested to watch the nhl to gain an hockey iq. Back then I only had public access t.v....
The HABS have some interesting choices to make in this upcoming draft? They have 3 second round and 2 third round picks. I believe they will put together a package to try and move up to the top 15. By trading their first and one of their seconds might give them this opportunity. Anyone care to share their opinion?
-[b]For[/b] the last year I've been reading comment after comment regarding what the oilers need to do to improve and take the next step. "We need to get tougher" "Top 6 forward, #1 Dman and 2 bottom 6 gritty vets with size" "Were not going to be able to this and that because we wont move our younger core players".
-[b]For [/b]me, going into next...
-[b]For[/b] the last year I've been reading comment after comment regarding what the oilers need to do to improve and take the next step. "We need to get tougher" "Top 6 forward, #1 Dman and 2 bottom 6 gritty vets with size" "Were not going to be able to this and that because we wont move our younger core players".
-[b]For [/b]me, going into next...
As Tuuka Rask caught a point shot at the buzzer from Jarome Iginla and the Boston Bruins officially swept the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference finals last night; the hockey world immediately began to ask the question "What went wrong?" Fans, media, and experts have pointed to things such as lack of production from star players, goaltending instability, and...
There has been WAY too much going on in Edmonton. Basically, EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING. Here's part one of the week that was in Oil Country.
It was announced yesterday that GM Craig MacTavish has fired Head Coach Ralph Krueger. A bit of a surprise, considering that MacT gave Krueger a vote of confidence when hired in late April. At the press conference, MacT adm...
There has been WAY too much going on in Edmonton. Basically, EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING. Here's part one of the week that was in Oil Country.
It was announced yesterday that GM Craig MacTavish has fired Head Coach Ralph Krueger. A bit of a surprise, considering that MacT gave Krueger a vote of confidence when hired in late April. At the press conference, MacT adm...
There has been WAY too much going on in Edmonton. Basically, EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING. Here's part one of the week that was in Oil Country.rnrn It was announced yesterday that GM Craig MacTavish has fired Head Coach Ralph Krueger. A bit of a surprise, considering that MacT gave Krueger a vote of confidence when hired in late April. At the press conference, MacT adm...
Snowmanonfire writes...
Komorov signs with Moscow sign of more domestic players?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
With Komorov leaving for Moscow Dinamo is it now time to increase the percentage of Canadian and American players back in the NHL?
We all know the KHL is a cash league but the hockey lifestyle has a lot to be desired according to most who've played there. But like Komo there are a lot of foreign born guys that want more money this may make way to develop and retain home...
Going into the offseason, the St. Louis Blues are in an interesting position. They have a few key RFA's they need to get signed. Beyond that, it will be tough for them to improve the team, and likely they will go into next season hoping that the maturing of their young players combined with Ken Hitchcock getting his first shot at a full training camp and season with the te...
Anyone who has paid significant attention to the Pittsburgh Penguins since their most recent Cup win knows full well that there are several reasons that Head Coach Dan Bylsma ('HCDB') should be behind a different bench next season.
Bylsma lucked into a Cup win in 2009 following an entire 2 months of experience as an NHL head coach. When a harsh, strict disciplinarian (M...
Jayo1808 writes...
Oil Country Exploding!!!!! Part II: Offseason Targets
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Before I get started here, I'm going to apologize for my last blog. for some reason, it didn't register any paragraph separation when it posted. I will try to make sure the format of this one is proper before I post it. Again, my apologies. On with the show.
Oilers GM Craig MacTavish has wastes no time making his mark on this franchise. He has already re...
There is no doubt the Rangers took a step backwards in 2012-2013. Glen Sather shook up the entire team with many offseason moves last summer. As we saw they were moves that destroyed team chemistry and divided a locker room. Now add in the shortened season because of the lockout and it spelled disaster for the Rangers from top to bottom. John Tortorella lack of patience an...
Damn.
This is a big blow for Edmonton's bottom 6. Temmu Hartikainen has signed a contract with Ufa in the KHL and is leaving the Oilers organization. This sucks for the Oilers because Hartikainen was a big young physical presence that was ready to start playing on the 3rd line next year and was going to be a big part of their future for years to come. And I just lear...
Well the Oilers fired Kruger on Saturday and I must say, I'm a bit surprised. I wasn't a very big Kruger fan and I didn't really like him but the players seemed to like him and by the sounds of it I thought MacTavish liked him too.
But I actually don't think it was actually that they wanted to fire Kruger but they wanted to hire the Toronto Marlies coach Dallas Eakins....
I am new to the whole blog game. But not afraid to share an opinion. So to start a little bit about myself. I am an avid fan of the NHL, I live it and breath it. I love talking about it, only problem, no one close to me really is into it as much as I am. So that is why I have come here to share my views (and yes some may be biased more towards Vancouver as I have been rais...
Dallas Vancouver and the Rangers are in need of a coach. Here are my ideas on best fits. In Dallas I would look at Scott Arneil or Lindy Ruff. Arneil has potential as much as he had a not so great time in Columbus. I do believe though that he has what it takes and the Stars team is lacking so it could really show what he is made of. Lindy Ruff for the reason that I view Da...
Coming off a wildly disappointing season that saw Philadelphia miss the playoffs for the first time since 2007, we all knew that Paul Holmgren would have his hands full this summer. With the cap dropping $6M and the Flyers already needing to shed a hefty contract just in order to be compliant, Homer is stuck with a tricky deck to work with.
So what's in the cards with P...
Ok so im sure this will change closer to the draft, but here is my mock draft from now! (please note by placing Bruins 29th and Hawks 30th doesnt mean i think Hawks win it, they have the better record hence worse pick)
1. [img]http://1.cdn.nhle.com/avalanche/images/logos/medium.png[/img] D Seth Jones
2. [img]http://1.cdn.nhle.com/panthers/images/logos/medium.png[/img] C ...
Some random hits on the Oil.
[b]On Kristians Pelss[/b]
A very unfortunate story out of Latvia yesterday and today. In case you haven't heard, Oilers prospect and former Edmonton Oil Kings forward Kristians Pelss was reported as missing. Some media outlets in Latvia reported he had drowned after falling/jumping off a bridge into a river near Riga, while the offici...
Bluesbreaker writes...
Does Bob Murray's Plans include Hiller, Selanne, Koivu?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Anaheim GM has already made in clear in the exit interviews he plans to shake up his team for 2014. Having already signed Getzlaf and Perry to big contracts, it would seem the scariest times are over.
But...
Can Anaheim weather the storm if Selanne and Koivu hang 'em up? Many consider that Selanne was too tired this shortened season to continue for one more year. Koi...
For New Jersey Devils defenseman Marek Zidlicky, this offseason should be filled with a lot of time searching for a new home, because he should not be returning to the Devils next season.
The free agent veteran had said many times at he wants to return to the garden state next year, but there are plenty of reasons why Lou Lamoriello should just let Zidlicky go.
First...
As the Stanley Cup Finals reminds us that the shortened season of 2013 is coming to a close, thoughts turn to the draft in New Jersey. However, as Buffalo fans, we were looking towards the draft about halfway through the season when it was apparent that the Sabres just wasn’t that good.
Now, we sit a mere 2 weeks away from the 2013 NHL draft. This year promises to be...
The Flyers seem to be recognized league-wide for their abundance of young, talented forwards. Of course, whether we’re talking about development, ceiling, or prime trade bait in acquiring an upgrade on the blueline or a proven sniper on the wing, the two names that get tossed around the most are recent first-round picks Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn.
Often more di...
I'd like to see if the Leafs can move up but only time will tell with rumors swirling that in taking a bad contract they may land a late first round pick it'd be intriguing if they did that my hope is that they get a couple of pieces to there puzzle. The Leafs are young and lets see if some of the guys they have now can develop.
I've seen many different mock drafts an...
So, with the season almost over, everyone will hope to fill needs through the draft, trades and free agency. My love of this season and all it brings gets me thinking what can a team do, so how does your cap fit? Today Edmonton! As per Cap Geek the Oil have 10f 6d and 1 g signed for a cap hit of just over $54,100,000. So around 10 mil to lock up 3-4 f 1 d and a new back ...
So, with the season almost over, everyone will hope to fill needs through the draft, trades and free agency. My love of this season and all it brings gets me thinking what can a team do, so how does your cap fit? Today Edmonton! As per Cap Geek the Oil have 10f 6d and 1 g signed for a cap hit of just over $54,100,000. So around 10 mil to lock up 3-4 f 1 d and a new back ...
-- The Boston Bruins are making the Chicago Blackhawks look a lot like the Penguins did in the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 4 is huge for the Hawks (says Captain Obvious) but it will be even more difficult to win if Marian Hossa is out of the line-up again. Either way, it will be interesting to see if Chicago can make any adjustments to help them out of the sleeper hold...
First off, follow me on twitter @PHI_Flyers to talk some hockey
I thought it would be fun to steer away from everyone dissecting one team for the offseason coming up and look at players trade values. I'm going to break down each team and put their key players into either ELITE value, HIGH Value, and AVG value. Im not going to include every player so if you feel there is...
I'd like to see if the Leafs can move up but only time will tell with rumors swirling that in taking a bad contract they may land a late first round pick it'd be intriguing if they did that my hope is that they get a couple of pieces to there puzzle. The Leafs are young and lets see if some of the guys they have now can develop.
I've seen many different mock drafts an...
I'd like to see if the Leafs can move up but only time will tell with rumors swirling that in taking a bad contract they may land a late first round pick it'd be intriguing if they did that my hope is that they get a couple of pieces to there puzzle. The Leafs are young and lets see if some of the guys they have now can develop.
I've seen many different mock drafts an...
As we draw closer to the draft, more and more news and speculation leaks out about possible transactions that may occur this offseason. With the General Managers meetings going down in Boston this week, the gossip has hit a fever pitch. Here are some of the more juicy tidbits.
- Joe Sakic told the Denver Post that the Avalanche will NOT be selecting top rated prosp...
Yes as you can see its still June 20th... but close enough :lol: This is my 2nd last Mock draft, my last one will come the 29th or 30th... please refer to my last blog to see how many spots changed! (Link to June 14th mock: http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=14944&user_id=51280)
[1][img]http://1.cdn.nhle.com/avalanche/images/logos/medium.png[/img] C Nate MacKi...
We are just a few weeks away from my favorite time during the year. NHL draft baby. As a kid I would always purchase my hockey news draft preview magazine and sit through the hours and hours of waiting and analysis from the boys at TSN. This year should be no different. Usually I prepare my own mock draft around this time and this year I wanted to share my thoughts with ...
We are just a few weeks away from my favorite time during the year. NHL draft baby. As a kid I would always purchase my hockey news draft preview magazine and sit through the hours and hours of waiting and analysis from the boys at TSN. This year should be no different. Usually I prepare my own mock draft around this time and this year I wanted to share my thoughts with ...
We are just a few weeks away from my favorite time during the year. NHL draft baby. As a kid I would always purchase my hockey news draft preview magazine and sit through the hours and hours of waiting and analysis from the boys at TSN. This year should be no different. Usually I prepare my own mock draft around this time and this year I wanted to share my thoughts with ...
ajm7719 writes...
Eugooglizing Danny Briere's Flyers Career and Trade Rumors
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Friends, fans and upper management we gather here today to look back upon the Flyers career of the only player we know who can actually flick a switch when games matter.
Danny Briere came to the Flyers in July of 2007 and gave this organization hope, that even after an abysmal season star players still wished to play in the City of Brotherly Love. We had all hoped for ...
[i][b]June 21[/b][/i]
The first official day of summer brings joy to many.
School is finally out.
The Stanley Cup playoffs are in full swing.
Baseball season is hitting its serious curve.
But yikes, another Toronto Maple Leaf offseason is about to get underway. And from the sound of things, I am getting a bad feeling in my gut.
With the numerous reports ...
royalgardens writes...
Kings Offseason Agenda = Optimism Getting Back to the Cup
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[i][b]June 21[/b][/i]
Now, shifting over to the Los Angeles Kings, who I hope are resting and healing fast for the real upcoming 82-game season starting in October...
The pending trade of backup, yet capable #1 goaltender Jonathan Bernier is obviously the most important next step for GM Dean Lombardi.
With the Toronto Maple Leafs emerging as front runners as of ri...
Everybody knows that size matters.
I’m talking about the one that gives you the reach to get to the puck first or take it away from a player, the one that makes you less likely to get tossed away from the puck or that you can use to toss smaller players from it, the one that hurts when you bodycheck a player and the one that makes it less likely to get hurt or tired whe...
iHeartHockey31 writes...
The Goalie Tandem vs The 'Starter' and 'Backup' or 1A and 1B
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Stuff I Don't Understand About HockeyThe NHL it's players, teams, the fans & the sport of hockey itself carry with it long storied histories filled with traditions. Often those same long-standing traditions that make the sport so great are the very things that can impede on the games progression over time. As with any aspects of life, there's an unwillingness to change b...
With the draft only 8 days away (!) I'm sure we are all wondering what our Fly Guys will be doing with their first-round pick. Will they draft by need (defenseman, big-bodied forward?) or will they opt to go with their traditional "best player available" approach? We won't really know the answer to this for a little over a week, but it's still fun to speculate!
I put ...
As we approach the start of free agency and the draft, a lot of people are up in the air as to what is going to happen with the Buffalo Sabres.
Despite how some of my blogs come off, I’m a huge fan of the Sabres. I always have been, and I always will be. Regardless of what this team does, I’m still rooting for them. However, there has to be a certain disconnect wit...
[i][b]June 23[/b][/i]
I will admit that whenever the two teams you like or support get together and make a deal, it is always fun and interesting. This is especially true when they both go head-to-head during the season.
The bottom line of this trade is that the Los Angeles Kings had a small window in which to find the best deal for their top-notch buried goaltender ...
Draft Predictions At Number Six (Flames)
Hi everyone, over the last few days I’ve been asking twitter followers of mine who they think the Calgary Flames will pick at number six in their own opinion.
So let’s hear what they said.
Ryan Smiley (@BacklundFan11)
- Im gonna have to say I’d pick Max Domi of the London Knights (OHL).
He’s probably one of ...
Mock Draft 2013 By @Justinbeatty777:
#1 – Colorado – Seth Jones
Why: All-Star future number one defenseman who could pass him up.
Avs need a number one dmen for their future plans. But however Roy has a future with Nathan and has watched him a lot and loves his play so it could go either way.
#2 – Florida – Nathan MacKinnon
Why: A beauty to watch, a workh...
So the season is over and the off season is starting with a fury. The Flyers will buy out Danny Briere and SHOULD buy out Bryzgalov in the next few days. I say this for the following reason, the salary cap has the Flyers pinned down and they need to exercise the relief that they can with the greatest impact. These decisions have less to do with performance and more to d...
So the season is over and the off season is starting with a fury. The Flyers will buy out Danny Briere and SHOULD buy out Bryzgalov in the next few days. I say this for the following reason, the salary cap has the Flyers pinned down and they need to exercise the relief that they can with the greatest impact. These decisions have less to do with performance and more to d...
With one of the better Stanley Cup Finals of recent memory now in the rear view mirror, the attention of the hockey world now turns to the Draft, which is less than a week away. This year's crop is considered the deepest in a decade, and there is sure to be plenty of excitement when the picks are made June 30th in New Jersey. As hockey executives and enthusiasts prepare fo...
With one of the better Stanley Cup Finals of recent memory now in the rear view mirror, the attention of the hockey world now turns to the Draft, which is less than a week away. This year's crop is considered the deepest in a decade, and there is sure to be plenty of excitement when the picks are made June 30th in New Jersey. As hockey executives and enthusiasts prepare fo...
Everytime around this time of the year, I spend each of my days (and most of their hours) going through what the Edmonton Oilers are going to do on draft day and who they should select.
The Edmonton Oilers, unlike the last 3 years are unfortunatley not in a position to pick the best possible player available in the draft and will rely on the selections on 6 teams (one b...
Patrick Berglund has agreed to a 1 year contract in principle at $3.25 million. He will still be an RFA after the contract is up.
My thoughts on this deal? No complaints.
Berglund is an enigma of sorts, he has the ability to be an immovable tank or just simply a ghost. Berglund's tenure thus far in the note has been a rollercoaster ride, literally. Coming off a bril...
Just some late night trade possibilities. Canucks trade Roberto Luongo, Jannik Hansen, 1st round pick and 3rd round pick TO the Islanders for Nino Niederreiter, Josh Bailey, Rick Dipietro, 1st rounder and 2nd rounder. Maybe a deal that doesn't or cant take off but I could see it being a good deal? It would suck to see Hansen go but to bring back Niederreiter and Bailey wou...
ajm7719 writes...
Bryzgalov's Gone and Rumor Central Heading Into The Draft
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]Hey, hey, hey, Goodbye[/b]
What a whirlwind off-season for the Flyers thus far! First Danny Briere met the unemployment ax and now the lightning rod for criticism in net has been given his walking papers. Ilya Bryzgalov was informed by the Flyers management yesterday that they would use their second compliance buyout on him. This is great news for their salary cap situ...
CanesTR writes...
Deal or no deal? – Carolina Hurricanes 2013 Draft Preview
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well, with the Stanley Cup Play-offs finally done, we can finally turn our attention to the upcoming draft. With the No.5 pick overall, rumors are rampant as to how the Carolina Hurricanes will play it this year. And, to quote TV game-show host, Howie Mandel, “Deal or no deal?” That is the question Jim Rutherford must be ruminating on as we head into this weekend...
Quick Hit Mock Draft top 10
1. Avs- Mackinnon- Because Top tier talent like his at forward with his size is an undeniable play.
2. Panthers- Drouin- Drouinand Huberdeau woul make up their Kane Toews and they know it.
3. Lightening- Barkov- Jones is a huge temptation but they drafted their stud D already, they will need Centre help and scoring with Vinny likely on his ...
The Leafs have started there off season retooling with the Johnathon Bernier, they still have some big moves and holes to fill.
Dave Nonis has to decide what to do with James Reimer now that Bernier is in the fold. There are a few teams that may be looking at adding a goalie. Philadelphia, Phoenix and the Islanders are for sure looking for a goalie. With Reports that Ki...
With the Cup Finals over and teams officially able to use their compliance buy outs, there should be plenty of activity before free agency opens up. I'm being asked fairly often who I think will be out in the free agent pool after the amnesty period. Well, I actually don't believe there will be a ton of buy outs - at least not during this summer.
I think teams will ...
flamesfan1981 writes...
Flames: Rounds 1-7 on who the Flames should draft
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Follow me on Twitter @flamesfan1981
There have been plenty of 1st round mock drafts in which we all have ideas on what player will be drafted in what range.
In this blog I am going to break down all of the Flames picks, from rounds 1 through 7 and determine who should be drafted at that position based on the Flames strategy of "best player available".
Here are the...
For more on the Flyers draft/prospects, follow @FlyerProspects on twitter.[url]www.twitter.com/flyerprospects[/url]
With the 11th overall pick in the NHL draft, the Flyers will have a lot of top end talent to choose from. Here are some of the players that might hear their name called by Paul Holmgren come draft day
[b]Rasmus Ristolainen, D, TPS, SM-Liiga [/b]
Rist...
Welcome back!
In the 3rd installement of my series "Oilers Draft Possibilities" I'm going to discuss the possibility of the Oilers drafting Sean Monahan, the 2 way beast. Monahan could be the solution to our center crisis and could add the much needed size to our top 6.
Sean Monahan is projected to go 6th overall to Calgary by most analysts because Calgary has a ga...
This off season figures to be an exciting one for Leaf fans. With one significant trade already completed (Bernier) and an exciting draft and free agency ahead of us, there should be plenty to talk about in the weeks ahead.
First, I want to look at the goaltenders.
This appears to be set already, as Bernier and Reimer give us a good 1-2 punch where both have solids sta...
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...
trolleytracks writes...
I Got Banned For Calling Klefbom A Shitty Prospect
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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Your posting privileges have been revoked until June 29, 2013 @ 8:02 AM. The post that you have been banned for has been posted below. If you feel that this ban may have been handed out in error, please contact support at [email protected].
OFFENDING POST:
From one stupid blog to another. You're just on auto-pilot today aren't you Clouts?
Bottom ...
For my blog today, I decided that I would write a bit about what I think about the European Goalie Situation with the Canadian Hockey League.
For me, the love of hockey came in the Junior league (WHL) at the will of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Being raised an Edmonton Oiler fan in southern Alberta, I never really got to see many games (none actually) of the NHL calibre, ...
There's nothing I enjoy more than the days leading up to the NHL Draft. Last year was the first time in the past 3 years I didn't write my mock draft, and it just didn't feel right. So this year, I'm back again to share my thoughts on how the 2013 NHL Draft might go. This is a strong year in my eyes, with 5 players who could dramatically change the fortunes of a few lucky ...
There's nothing I enjoy more than the days leading up to the NHL Draft. Last year was the first time in the past 3 years I didn't write my mock draft, and it just didn't feel right. So this year, I'm back again to share my thoughts on how the 2013 NHL Draft might go. This is a strong year in my eyes, with 5 players who could dramatically change the fortunes of a few lucky ...
Welcome to the final installement of my series "Oilers Draft Possibilities". In this blog I'm going to discuss the possibility of Lindholm being drafted by the Oilers. He is a centerman that would be perfect on Edmonton's 2nd line with Yakupov. Even though he's small he's compared to Forsberg by a lot of scouts and it's hard to get a player of that calibur.
Lindholm ...
[b]Ilya Bryzgalov, 33 - Philadelphia[/b]
Contract: $51.0m/9yrs
Buyout: $23.0m/14yrs
This contract is the definition of what the power of having a union can do for you. For most people who are fired or let go they are lucky to get severance and even if they do, that severance is almost nothing to kick back on and retire early with. Meet Ilya Bryzgalov.
The epitome o...
dal_johnson writes...
Carolina Wants to Trade the 5th? Flames should go after it.
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
If Carolina is looking to trade the 5th pick, as a Flames fan I think that they should go all out to try and get it.
For the Flames, the ideal is to get Nathan MacKinnon. But there is no way that is going to happen. At least not while completely crippling the roster. While MacKinnon will be a franchise somewhere, the steps needed to get to that pick will set the re...
Philadelphia Flyers are throwing Braydon Coburns name in trade talks teams that are believed interested are Edmonton Oilers, Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks and several more. The asking price is a young forward who can replace Danny Briere or a prospect with a pick.
Jay Feaster said today that Mike Cammalleri is available for trade Feaster said he still hasn't received any offers on Cammalleri but expects it to pick up closer to the Draft. A list of teams believed to be interested are Los angles, Vancouver , Detroit, Nashville, Toronto and Carolina
Many reports out of New jersey today are showing Tampa is interested in Tyler Seguin. With the departure of Lecavalier on thursday, there is a big hole to fill for the lightning at the 2nd line centre position. Lets look at what it possibly would take to land Seguin and where he would fit into the lightning lineup. rnrnCost:rnSeguin was formerly a 2nd overall pick in 2010....
royalgardens writes...
Losing Mark Fraser Would Be a Mistake; Other Toronto Targets
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[i][b]June 29[/b][/i]
Nearly on the Eve of the first day of free agency...
Just some quick thoughts on the Maple Leafs before the real offseason frenzy begins...
News today that Mark Fraser has rejected Toronto's two-way qualifying offer. I am a little disappointed to hear that, because I think that the soon to be 27-year old proved that he deserves to be a solid ...
The NHL draft is coming up in a couple hours and there is a lot of controversy over who the Oilers should pick and if they should make any trades at the draft. I'm going to put in my two cents and talk about some rumors that are swirling about the Oilers.
Edmonton has the 7th overall pick this year and need to add some center prospects and if they can, get a 2nd line c...
When the Capitals lost in the first round to the New York Rangers in 7 games in the first round, the Capitals knew they had work to do in the Draft. Their biggest need is a Defensemen. Their power play was ranked 4th in the NHL last year. Also, they signed Braden Holtby to a two year extension during the season, so they are good in those areas.
With the 23rd overall pi...
Well. That was dissappointing.
Not only was it one of the most boring and least eventful drafts in NHL history, but MacTavish went complete Tambellini on us! All throughout the draft he picked useless players and longshot players that more than likely will NEVER make the AHL much less the NHL! And then the trades! Arghhhh. The 1st trade I almost threw a medicine b...
“And the Edmonton Oilers, with the 7th pick, picks Darnell Nurse!”
But that is not the talk of the NHL today. It was the trade between the New Jersey Devils and the Vancouver Canucks. As people know, the New Jersey Devils traded their 2013 first overall pick to the Canucks for Cory Schneider. Who won this trade? I’d say the Canucks. Dumps cap salary, still has a...
Craig MacTavish was a semi-decent coach who became disliked and disrespected by the Edmonton Oilers fan base. When he came back as the new General Manager he promised swift action to create an Oilers team that would start to compete. Unfortunatley putting yourself in the rumors to recieve players in Trades means nothing if you don't even follow through on a single one. Onc...
First I would like to apologize for not following up on my last blog sooner to the many who were waiting with baited breath...mom. But I have been back in CGY and got caught up helping in-law flood victims. I will get to it as soon as possible.
But since this is a rumour board and I heard a rumour I thought I would pass it on. As anyone who reads my blogs knows I don't ...
After another relatively quiet draft day the leafs were quietly able to bolster their line-up by exploiting other teams cap constraints adding veteran depth at center. The leafs were able to acquire center Dave Bolland from Chicago for their 2nd and 4th round picks in this years draft and a 4th round pick in the 2014 entry draft.
In Nonis' second deal of the off-season...
The New Jersey Devils stole the show yesterday at the 2013 NHL Draft held at the Prudential Center in Newark. They traded away their first round draft pick to the Vancouver Canucks for goaltender Cory Schneider. With Schneider now coming to New Jersey it makes their goaltending situation for the future less questionable than before. The organization is extremely excited fo...
The Oilers traded down twice to collect 10 players in the draft. Some are questionable picks and others have some great upsides. Here is a list of all of them along with a professional scouting report.
18 year old Canadian D – 6’5 192 Lbs
Darnell Nurse GP 68 G 12 A 29 P 41 -15
Darnell Nurse is a big, mobile, gifted blueliner who has a lot of Chris Pronger in...
The St. Louis Blues entered the 2013 NHL Entry Draft with 6 picks. They left with 4 thanks to a couple moves by Doug Armstrong. Let's take a look at the prospects.
[b]Tommy Vannelli D (2nd round, 47th overall)[/b]
An interesting pick to say the least. Almost every Blues fan was praying for Armstrong to snag a center at this position, someone like John Hayden, Jimmy Lod...
Sunday, my wife and I ventured off to Buffalo for lunch with her mother, and then for the ever popular Sabres Draft Party. This blog is going to cover the Sabres draft, and the atmosphere in First Niagara Center as the day progressed.
Like many others, we arrived at FNC and I was on my phone following up on every rumor that I could find. I had donned my Taro Tsumimoto ...
Hey all, I am back with another blog. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to follow me on
Twitter @NewfieMikey
The Oilers had an interesting day at the Draft, MacT was in on a lot of players but did something we Oiler fans are quite used to...Got close to but didn't land a number of
immediate roster players. Apparantly he was trying to get Cal Clutterbuck (who wen...
After a disappointing draft day for the Oilers the one upside is listening to the post draft jokes that everyone's making about MacTavish. I just wanted to share my favorite with you......
On the day of the 2013 NHL draft, Edmonton Oilers owner Darrell Katz gives GM Craig MacTavish 1 brand new gold looney.
MacTavish then trades the new looney for 2 shiney quarters.
...
WOW your stupid!
How did you ever get a job as a GM in the NHL? Brian Burke was smarter than you! Brian Burke! The guy that made the Kessel trade! Is it even possible to be a bigger idiot than him?
I'm not making fun of you because I'm an Oilers fan and your the Flames GM. I'm just honestly just woundering how you could be so idiotic. Watching the draft yesterd...
Who is Myles Bell? I believe that was every New Jersey Devils fan's reaction when he was drafted in the sixth round, 160th overall, on Sunday. If you look up his stats from the past season, you will find that he was recently converted from defense to forward, he had 38 goals, 55 assists for a total of 93 points in just 69 games. That is A LOT of points for someone taken i...
flamesfan1981 writes...
Flames: Who they drafted versus who they should've drafted
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Follow me on Twitter: @flamesfan1981
The 2013 NHL Entry Draft was probably the single most important draft in the history of the Calgary Flames franchise. Flames brask has made it clear they intend to rebuild the team properly and made the promise to fans they would draft the 'Best Player Available' in order to fulfill the needs of the organization. Did Jay Feaster an...
I won’t take anything away from right wing David Clarkson. When he deploys his A-game, Clarkson is a rugged power forward with tons of offensive upside, the type of player any team would want. With that said, I cannot put enough emphasis on the wording of that previous sentence, more particularly, the first five words of it, an allusion to the glaring shortcomings that h...
Tgerhardt writes...
The Flyers continue to confuse some and impress others
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
In the past few days our friend Eklund reported the flyers were the favorites to land Lecavalier. I didn't believe but as the hours past I jumped on board. This is a smart move for this hockey team for many reason. Lets start with the leadership, yes they lost the beloved Danny boy but they gained another former captain whose has won a Stanley Cup. The second is the size h...
It's the thought on most Oilers fans minds right now.
Going into draft day Oilers fans expected big things from MacT after the pre-draft day promises he made. But 2 days and a bunch of wasted picks later Oilers fans are full of dissappointement over MacT's empty promises.
Going into the draft there where multiple holes on Edmonton's roster and every single one of th...
As of midnight today, teams around the NHL are able to start talking to unrestricted free agents. With no deal being done yet for right winger David Clarkson, it is pretty much almost certain that he will not be returning to New Jersey next season. If he does choose to leave, the Devils will certainly need replace his scoring help on the wings.
To be honest, I did not ...
[b]The Draft…[/b]
I guess you could blame the roof that is coming down and all the minding of whom to buyout for this years draft being kind of a boring one. Nothing to hype, the media try to make a hen out of an egg of the “Jones getting picked at nr 4”-kind of thing. That issue was really nothing to debate, teams seems to address their needs and so the shuffle jus...
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...
Yup.
As they say in literature, " If there's a will, there's a way." There is always a way for a team in the NHL to win a cup. Even Calgary if Feaster wanted to. The GM just has to know what he's doing and make smart moves. I'm not saying the Oilers should do this because I'm completly opposed to half the moves I'll suggest in this blog, but I'm trying to state th...
The Bruins enter the offseason with a few question marks, those questions mainly being what to do about the RW position. Nathan Horton sent shockwaves through the HUb when he announced he was moving on from Boston in order to pursue a quieter lifestyle. Along with Horton, the Bruins decided to walk away from Jaromir Jagr another key contributor on the right side. With the ...
Free agency begins tomorrow around the National Hockey League. The Buffalo Sabres have begun their offseason by making a couple small moves. First, the Sabres drafted a couple of talented, young defenseman in Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov. Overall, they had one of the best drafts for any team in the NHL. Also on draft day, the Sabres traded defenseman Andr...
These are my predictions on where the top free agents will go.
Jarome Iginla will sign with Calgary Flames (Signed with Boston) X
David Clarkson will sign with Toronto Maple Leafs ***
Danny Briere will sign with New Jersey Devils (Signed by Montreal) X
Patrik Elias will sign with St. Louis Blues (Resigned with New jersey) X
Mike Ribeiro will sign with Dallas Stars ...
royalgardens writes...
Resigning of Tyler Bozak Imminent? (Updated 10:35 PM)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Happy 4th of July to everyone in the United States...and a belated Canada Day Week to folks in our near North!
Just a couple of thoughts before I head up to Lake Geneva for the day from the Chicago area...
Good news hearing the Maple Leafs have decided to buyout Mikhail Grabovski to free themselves of the decent size cap hit the Belarusian cost over the next four mor...
The Maple Leafs have gone ahead and bought out Grabovski and have now left themselves almost 24 million dollars to spend. With the almost certain resignings of Kadri, Bernier, Franson, and Gunnarson the Leafs have far better options than resigning their 1st line centre (by default) for 1st line money. If we look at the money that will be spent on the RFA's that were just m...
As July 5th approaches, Don't expect the Detroit Redwings to be in on many of the available free agents. Why? Because, The Redwings already have a 20 players signed for next season and they still need to sign some of their own RFA's. Brendan Smith, Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Anderson still need contracts. These are players the Redwings want to keep in the fold. Sign...
With already 22 contracts, and the soon to be signed MacKinnon, the Avalanche already had a full roster making for a slow free agency season. The Avs put both Hunwick and Zanon on waivers with the hopes that one or both would get picked up by another team. No one was interested, leading to Zanon being bought out earlier today. The Avs did not use one or their two complianc...
Daniel Briere, as reported by Pierre LeBrun, has agreed to terms to a 2-year $8 million deal with the Montreal Canadiens. With that in mind, I thought I'd weigh in with my thoughts on the deal.
I actually like the deal. Briere, though no spring chicken at 34, is still a useful winger who can play top six minutes. Despite his age, he can still produce offence, as evidenc...
MacT I love ya.
Not in a gay way but you know what I mean. You where able to trade Shawn Horcoff for something other than a bag of gym socks. Miracle. Philip Larsson and a 7th rounder. I didn't think we could even get a seventh for him! Miracle worker, I repeat a miracle worker.
Again, I have nothing against Horcoff the player, except that he has no hands. He's...
Well with the free agent market opening tomorrow I'm thinking a lot about who the Oilers should sign and if they should make any trades. With MacTavish trading Horcoff today he lifted the spirits of fans but he still has a lot of work to do.
The Oilers have 16 players under contract as of right now with 40, 791, 666$ tied up with them. They have 21, 860, 233$ of cap sp...
Along with possible Clowe and Horton deals to New Jersey and Columbus respectively, TSN's Bob McKenzie also says that Ray Emery will sign with the Flyers shortly after noon eastern today. Complete 180 turn from a few days ago when it was reported that he was close to a contract extension with the Chicago Blackhawks.
In 29 games with the Flyers in 2009-2010, he was 16-11...
Along with possible Clowe and Horton deals to New Jersey and Columbus respectively, TSN's Bob McKenzie also says that Ray Emery will sign with the Flyers shortly after noon eastern today. Complete 180 turn from a few days ago when it was reported that he was close to a contract extension with the Chicago Blackhawks.
In 29 games with the Flyers in 2009-2010, he was 16-11...
Now that the leafs have handed out the massive contract to Clarkson and resigned center Tyler Bozak the leafs roster looks to be pretty near set in stone. Barring any major trades or changes on the blue line, the leafs have yet again been led on the path of size and "truculence" (in the words of former gm Brian Burke) as opposed to speed and skill.
As pointed out earli...
Rumors are vanek and miller for Niklas Backstrom and a first round pick from Washington.
Hearing Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek for Niklas Backstrom and a first round pick from Washington
With the news today that the Sabres have resigned Alexander Sulzer it raises the question is the blueline too crowded?
Assuming no further trades happen, the defense stacks up like this:
Ehrhoff-Sulzer
Myers-???
Weber-Mcbain
If Mcbain does make the opening night roster he will be a #6/#7 defensmen. So that leaves 1 possibly 2 spots to fill. With only 2 spots ...
The New Jersey Devils agreed with free agent power forward Ryane Clowe on a 5 year $24.25 million contract on Friday.
When I woke up on Friday morning, checked twitter and I saw that the Devils were the front runners to sign Clowe because they knew that Clarkson was not coming back, I had mixed feelings. Not because I wanted Clarkson back because I certainly did not. ...
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...
Despite losing David Clarkson, who parted ways with the Devils for greener pastures and a chance to play for his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, the Devils efficiently utilized the opening of the unrestricted free agent period by supplementing their offensive depth. As we all know, the Devils brought in wingers Ryane Clowe, Michael Ryder, and Rostislav Olesz, respectively si...
Darcy Regier was not kidding when he said he would remain quiet during the free agency period. The only news the team made was signing AHLer, Drew Bagnall, and re-signing defenseman, Alexander Sulzer. Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek are still members of the Buffalo Sabres, for now. Talks between Buffalo and the St. Louis Blues ended when the price for Ryan Miller was ...
The devils are beginning to look good now, the signing of Clowe, Ryder and Olsez is a very good start. The issue has been the ability to score, and that seems to be going away especially with Ryder, Kovie and Ryder would in theory make a good pair with Zajac in the middle. What worries me is on Defense, Green and Volchenkov had fairly good seasons last year but there is st...
I have been waiting to discuss free agency/trades for something to happen with Buffalo. Alas, I can wait no more. Yes I know free agency is still on going, and trades can happen at anytime. However, the initial excitement has come to a close.
The Buffalo faithful have been wondering where Darcy Regier has been. There was even several tweets on Twitter with the hashtag ...
The Flyers made a big splash in free agency when they acquired former Tampa Bay Lightning star Vincent Lecavalier after being a victim of a compliance buy out. The terms of the deal were for 5 years and $22.5M - an annual cap hit of $4.5M.
While more people than not seem to be in favor of this acquisition, there are still some echoes - and even the occasional ridicul...
GM Doug Armstrong and the Bluenote brass have done what they set out to do. No, they didn't sign the top 4 centers available to solidify the position where we diehards have placed this offseason blame, but they did address an obvious need. In the span of three days we (and yes I say we. At this point so much sorrow shared by such a large group of people can only be descri...
The Leafs were one of the more active teams on the first day of free agency, as was expected with the buyout of Grabovski and the glut of cap space. As always, the market prices were inflated, which should be taken into consideration when evaluating the moves made.
I was a fan of Grabo, and was looking towards a bounce back season from him since he would be returning to...
MacTavish continues to impress after the dissappointing draft. Signing Ference, Boyd, LaBarbara and The Finnish guy is a good start to filling some of the roster holes on the Oilers squad. But there's still lots more to be done to fill the rest of the holes on Edmonton's roster and MacTavish still has his work cut out for him. After day 1 of Free Agency the Oilers roste...
This weekend Jaromir Jagr narrowed his list of teams down to 3. Edmonton, New Jersey and Les Canadiens. Since The Oilers are in the sweepstakes I wanted to put in my 2 cents on why the Oilers should sign him and where he'ld fit into the line up next year.
Back in 07 or 08 or whenever he went to the KHL, Jagr told the Oilers organization that if he ever came back to pl...
[b]July 7[/b]
First of all, I would like to thank all those who responded to my latest post (especially Roadrunner!) Great to talk hockey with you folks!...Also, cannot pass up the opportunity to have some fun with a Flyers fan, whose organization throws around money like its candy and whines about it later!
And oh, how the once mighty and class of the East has falle...
Hello everyone and welcome!
I've been an Oilers fan since about 1982. Many years ago, I had the pleasure of hanging out one evening each with Gretzky and Messier. As a kid, I used to go to those games and remember watching Gretz and Company score. Then after Messier left, I stepped away. The playoff wins against Dallas were fun. The 2006 Cup run was amazing and li...
BuffaJoe writes...
Tallinder, McBain, Sulzer, and the Sabres' logjam on defense
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Since it's the most recent development, I'll start off by saying that I think bringing Tallinder back into the fold was a great move by Darcy and the Sabres. Not only has he had a solid career as a defensive defenseman, but he is exactly the kind of hard-working professional that the young Sabres need as a role model. The most interesting aspect of this move, however, is w...
After being one of the more active teams come the free agency frenzy, the leafs have settled down into a quieter role. Looking at what they accomplished so far, its hard to argue that the leafs have not become a more attractive team then they once were just a few short months ago. The leafs brought in a tough, scoring winger in [b]David Clarkson[/b] into their top 6....
After being one of the more active teams come the free agency frenzy, the leafs have settled down into a quieter role. Looking at what they accomplished so far, its hard to argue that the leafs have not become a more attractive team then they once were just a few short months ago. The leafs brought in a tough, scoring winger in [b]David Clarkson[/b] into their top 6....
After being one of the more active teams come the free agency frenzy, the leafs have settled down into a quieter role. Looking at what they accomplished so far, its hard to argue that the leafs have not become a more attractive team then they once were just a few short months ago. The leafs brought in a tough, scoring winger in [b]David Clarkson[/b] into their top 6....
After being one of the more active teams come the free agency frenzy, the leafs have settled down into a quieter role. Looking at what they accomplished so far, its hard to argue that the leafs have not become a more attractive team then they once were just a few short months ago. The leafs brought in a tough, scoring winger in [b]David Clarkson[/b] into their top 6....
While most fans in the Hub were celebrating the 4th of July with barbecue's, fun in the sun, and fireworks, Peter Chiarelli was orchestrating one of the bigger trades the Bruins organization had seen in recent years. He traded away what most considered one of the Bruins prized possessions, Tyler Seguin. Seguin, 21, was shipped to Dallas with fellow teammate Rich Peverley f...
Last season marks the 1st time the Flyers have missed the playoffs under GM Paul Holmgren (Not Counting his half season after Bob Clarke Resigned). Now we will start off on things that went wrong in the 2012-2013 that lead them to missing the playoffs. The most obvious issue was Defense.
First thing is the Defense Core all struggled last season. On most nights you woul...
George Laraque spoke to the La Presse in MTL today about Bergevins decision to bring in Parros. Laraque has been negative towards the Canadiens since they told him to leave halfway into his 3 year contract. I do believe it is jealously. 7th round pick and a terrible prospect for a 6'5 228 pound fighter whose won a cup is a great deal. Parros won't be playing every night as...
andrewhitson writes...
Motown Musings: Wings Roll into Development Camp
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Exciting times ahead in Motown. The Wings were active on FA Day bringing in much needed top six depth while staying away from costly trades or ill-timed signings.
I've seen a lot of fans chime in on line combinations lately, and without a doubt Mr. Babcock has plenty of options to play with. But, for the thrill of the guess, i'll post my idea of an ideal situation on op...
For more on Flyers Prosects, follow @FlyerProspects on Twitter
[url]https://twitter.com/FlyerProspects[/url]
[img]http://media.philly.com/images/063013-samuel-morin-600.jpg[/img]
[b]1st Round, Pick #11- D, Samuel Morin, Rimouski, QMJHL[/b]
With the 11th overall pick the Flyers selected Samuel Morin from Rimouski. Morin is a big defender at 6'6 205, who climbed hi...
oilersrule66 writes...
How the Perron Trade could be even better for the Oilers
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well, the trade was already good. The Oilers got their 2nd line LWer and they only had to give up a 2nd and Paajarvi. I liked Paajarvi but Perron is a great player with a no quit attitude. Exactly what Edmonton wants.
Now this trade is already good but I thought of a way this trade could become awesome. Wanna hear? Good.....
Paajarvi's a RFA right? The whole po...
rockthered24 writes...
A Predictably Active Off-Season for Jersey's Team
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
A frenzied off-season for the New Jersey Devils began not on July 5th as unrestricted free agents became free to explore and sign with new teams, but in their own arena five days prior with a blockbuster trade at the 2013 NHL Draft. The question that has been looming around the devils for the past five seasons was finally answered as it seems the team has finally accepted...
In stunning news today, Ilya Kovalchuk retired from the NHL. He is leaving the Devils with 12 years left on his current deal and $77 million left on the table. Kovalchuk will go back to Russia and now probably play in the KHL.
So where does that leave the Devils? Their leading scorer is now gone, they re-signed an aging (but still very talented) Patrick Eli...
andrewhitson writes...
Motown Musings: Development Camp off to a flying start
Posted Friday | Comments 0
It's day two in Traverse City. That means we've seen Red Wings picks from the past few seasons on the ice together for two days. So what have we learned so far?
1) Little Bertuzzi is a pain to play against: just ask Nick Jenson who got into a scrap with the second round pick during day one. Bertuzzi got the best of him and now Jenson is nursing a shoulder tweak and mis...
Some moves that would help the Oilers
[b]Ales Hemsky[/b] 5 million cap hit (final year of contract) for [b]Matt Martin[/b] 1 million cap hit (signed until 15/16) and a conditional second or third round pick if the Oilers make the playoffs (still up in the air if the Oilers can make it even with the new additions)
This works great for both teams. The Islan...
Hi there. I've been a long-time reader but never bothered to make an account. I figured I'd try my hand in voicing my opinion on things now that it's the off-season and there isn't much Shark talk happening.
[b]On Draft/Free Agency:
[/b]
It's no secret that the Sharks have been actively inactive during the off-season. It's for a good reason, though.
San Jose spent ...
[b]Twitter : @ProspectReport[/b]
I checked out the Calgary Flames' scrimmage today, and just felt it necessary to post a few thoughts, going over who impressed, and who didn't. It's going to be a quick blog. For those who don't follow me on twitter, I run my own scouting service, and cover the Flames for a few sites - just starting to post here as well.
Mark Jankowsk...
andrewhitson writes...
Motown Musings: Five prospects that are worth talking about
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
While we're in Development camp mode, I wanted to dive a little deeper and look at five Wing prospects that have great potential to either play in Detroit or Grand Rapids this season. The future is bright for the Wings and I wouldn't be surprised if the Griffins went for a repeat next year.
With Nyquist, Tatar, Andersson and DeKeyser likely making the jump to full ti...
This is my first blog and I hope to have many more. I wanted to get a feel how Leafs Nation thinks the team will do this year. Will Lupul stay healthy and have a successful year?Will Kessel be consistent? Will the defense fold under scrutiny and pressure? All these are legitimate questions. Last year saw the buds play very well under Randy's system. Do they repeat over an ...
The Sharks Dev Camp wrapped up a few days ago and the organization couldn't wait to feast their eyes on first round choice Mirco Mueller.
Both Bob McKenzie and Craig Button selected Mueller 16th in their Mock Drafts, while ISS Hockey had Mueller ranked in the 2nd round.
Mirco is 6'3", 184lbs (per hockeydb.com) and came second only to Seth Jones in rookie defenseman ...
ScottyHuck writes...
Buffalo, Calgary and Columbus First Round Draft Results
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I know it has been a while since the 2013 NHL Draft came to a close, but this is something I have been meaning to comment on for a while and simply haven't gotten around to writing. Since its been a while, here is a list of who picked whom and in which position.
6th Overall - Calgary - Sean Monahan
Center - 6'2"/185 lbs
8th Overall - Buffalo - Rasmus Ristolainen
D...
Adams writes...
Is Mac really that many moves away from a starting roster?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Everything I read about the Oilers is the same. They NEED a top pairing d-man. They NEED to deal Hemsky for a third line winger. They NEED to get rid of Smid or N. Schultz. rnrnrnThey might have too many defensemen. That's usually a really big problem for teams around the trade deadline, right? They need a Top pairing d-man. Someone will trade them a stud right? No. The gu...
With the NHL and IOC (supposedly) close to an agreement to include the world's best players to play in Sochi on February, there will be much debate on who will be representing their respective countries on the world's biggest stage. In this series of blogs, I will tell you who I would have on my team if I was choosing and why. Just like most championship teams, I'll s...
It seems the Sabres may be done with free agency and trades for the upcoming year. Honestly I am ok with that. I wish we could have picked up a veteran forward to help score goals and help the youngers guys but all in all I am looking into the season with optomism. Do I think the Sabres have a contending team? No. Do I think they are a borderline playoff team? No. To me th...
Hey I have some more moves that could help the Oilers be a playoff team this coming year.
I'm still hoping for a [b]Ales Hemsky[/b] for [b]Matt Matin[/b] trade, seems like a great fit for both teams. Skilled second line winger and set up man for a third line ball of hate, both teams fill a need.
[b]Ryan Malone[/b] 33 6-4 225 LW/RW 4.5 million cap hit signed until 14/...
Aside from the recent front office change (welcome back, Hexy!) things have been pretty slow on the Flyers front and probably will be since their biggest splashes have already been made. What I’m being asked about now focuses on the prospects, the young guys, who makes the team, etc.
Before I get into that, let’s assume that the following players open the year with...
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...
Salutations, First off, I’d like to give a little background about myself in order to allow you all to either consider my thoughts coming from a valid source or choose to ignore me right off the bat. I am a twenty-eight year old male who was born in raised in the Rochester area. I have been a Buffalo sports fan for as long as I’ve been alive. I have never played org...
Who is Jesse Joensuu?
I have become fascinated with the Islanders former second round pick and one of the newest members of the Edmonton Oilers. 'The Hockey News' website always offers great talent analysis on players, what is communicated to us Oilers fans should excite us, at least it excited me
Assets: Has great size and some scoring ability. Is aggressive on the...
For more on the Flyers Prospects follow [url]www.twitter.com/FlyerProspects[/url]
[b]Jason Akeson[/b]
[img]http://www.phantomshockey.com/Graphics/Layout/MainStory/Story/Photogallery/akeson3.jpg[/img]
Akeson's first NHL goal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kROOd0z9--k
Akeson is somewhat of a curious case, as he started the season in the ECHL and ended it in the...
The Red Wing finished up a solid development camp. We've got some good players coming through Grand Rapids next year. But perhaps the most important thing that I noticed at Development Camp was the progression of goaltender and 3rd round pick Jake Paterson. (Not to be confused with Jake Patterson, who was also at camp on a tryout basis and looked decent)
I'll admit afte...
With Matt Duchene now locked up for another five years after this season, I think this could be the beginning of the end for O'reilly in Colorado. People cant forget how distracting the situation was last year with the contract talks, it affected the team in a negative way since they had to answer all those questions. One that I taught, that was affected by it, was Duchene...
I'm writing a quick blog about my thoughts on the Wings lineup for the opener against Buffalo. And addressing why I think this is the best lineup to get points.
Franzen/Datsyuk/Zetterberg
Nyquist/Weiss/Alfredsson
Abdelkader/Helm/Tatar
Miller/Andersson/Eaves
Ericsson/Kronwall
Smith/Kindl
DeKeyser/Quincy
Lashoff
Injury call ups: Emmerton, Jurco, Jarnkrok, Sh...
When it comes right down to it, the NHL draft is always a crapshoot. Always. For every Sidney Crosby there is an Alexandre Daigle. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan. With respect to Daigle and Stefan, both carved out a decent little hockey career that most 18 year old players would be lucky to get, however it's not the expected return on a first overall pick...
Hello, my name is Daniel Jackson, i am 22 years old and i have been reading this site for 3-4 years now. i am quite interested in writing blogs and i plan on writing many here. I am a HUGE avalanche fan, so you will see many directed to them, but i would like to cover every team in a "look to the season" with projections, lineups, breakout players and whats to come for the...
Brayton writes...
Evaluating the Schedule and the Upcoming Season for Buffalo
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
For the first time since the 2011-12 season, the Sabres will be playing a full 82 games. The schedule was released yesterday afternoon, just hours after the NHL had announced that NHL players would be allowed to play in the Sochi Olympics in February of 2014. Here are some of the dates to look forward to this season:
Oct. 2 @ Detroit
Oct. 4 vs. Ottawa
Oct. 12 @...
I am a bit saddened of the fact that many fans and the media are saying that they are still waiting for Craig Mactavish's self-anticipated "bold" move. Hasn't he done a few already?rn"Bold" is defined in the English dictionary as the ability to take risks, to be courageous....rnrnIt is not defined as "making moves that the fans or other people like", it is not even defined...
Well this years biggest fish in Free Agency landed with the leafs and the fans and media have drooled all over the signing. David Clarkson is a hulking, moderately young winger, who can bang, and score at a good pace. I feel like its irrelavent to sit here and worry about the contract since teams have proved that it is possible to trade long contracts see: Flyers and also ...
oilersrule66 writes...
Welcome Back Grebeshkov + Where do the Oilers go from here?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Do you remember him? Played for the Oilers a few years ago, wasn't half bad. Got a good pick for him when they traded him to Nashville. He fleed to the KHL and made Nashville look stupid. Well, now he's back in blue and orange. Like it or not.
This signing confuses me. Grebeshkov is a good player and is a good addition to Edmonton's roster but the Oilers already h...
Every year since 1975 Flyers fans have been stuck asking "is this our year?" or muttering the phrase come spring time "there's always next season." Many times over the years Flyers fans have watched the Orange and Black come so close to reclaiming Lord Stanley but falling short in the end. While factoring in injuries and 'down' seasons I'm going to look at the case for the...
Everyone keeps speculating that Ryan O'reilly will be moved at the trade deadline, due to his contract debacle and offer sheet snafu of last season. However, I don't agree. The old management is gone (who caused that contract debacle in the first place), so there old ways of doing business should be gone too (trading players when they hold out for more money, or make a c...
Many in Buffalo are still wondering, why in the world are Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek still on this team? Well it's not an easy question to answer. There is little logical sense to keeping to aging stars with only a year left on their contracts for a team that has publicly said that it is time for a rebuild. Time for a rebuild means tearing down the core that you previous...
The Oilers are a team of the future. So they have to plan for the future. You look at their top 6 and you see 6 guys. under 26. So the top 6 is set for the next 15 years but their bottom 6 is full of older support players. Whats their plan going forward?
The only bottom 6 players that will still be there in a couple years is Lander and maybe Joensuu. Lander will be...
For those who did not attend, I got a huge problem with top prospect Mikhail Grigorenko after what I saw at the scrimmage at First Niagara Center. Mikhail Grigorenko, last year's 12th overall pick, centered the top line on Team Gold and had the chance to stand out amongst the other prospects. That is not what happened. Fellow first rounder Zemgus Girgensons centered the to...
Five members of the 2013-14 Avalanche squad received an invitation to their country’s Olympic camp earlier today. Matt Duchene will be the sole representative for the Avs at the Team Canada camp, joining 24 other highly skilled forwards. I hate to be writing this but Duchene’s chances to have a spot on a Center position seem slim, with the likes of Crosby, Stamkos, Ber...
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 Oilers are a team of the future, blah blah blah. If you want the intro read my last blog.
On defense the Oilers prospect depth is stacked. There's so many that eventually we'll just have to start trading the ones we can't use for draft picks. Like really it's rediculous how many good D prospects the Oil have. Must of drafted a ton because the defense sucked ever...
With the NHL finally agreeing to send their players to Sochi, I began thinking of the potential roster Canada could put forth. It is crazy to think that while most of the defending gold medalists could be back, the 2010 Olympic team did not have current superstars like Stamkos, Tavares and Giroux. The firepower on this upcoming team will be extraordinary.
One big change...
So Mike Babcock is going to coach Team Canada. That's a shocker. Seriously though, lets talk about something that hasn't been known for the past year. It isn't news folks.
How about we mock up some lines for Team Canada, that's always fun.
Here's what I got lining up on Forward:
Towes/Crosby/Stamkos
Perry/Giroux/Getzlaf
Nash/Tavares/Staal
Couture/Bergeron/...
West:
1. Chicago
2. Los Angeles
3. St.Louis
4. Dallas
5. Anaheim
6. Vancouver
7. San Jose
8. Edmonton
9. Minnesota
10. Phoenix
11. Winnipeg
12. Nashville
13 Colorado
14. Calgary
Teams:
Last Season: Pacific:
Los Angeles
Anaheim
2.Anaheim Vancouver
13Calgary San Jose -- Wild Card
1Chicago Edmonton – Wild Card ...
Remember almost 4 years ago when Ryan Miller was probably the world's best goaltender? Not only was he the Vezina Trophy winner that year, but he was also the MVP of the Vancouver Olympics and almost led Team USA to the gold medal over Team Canada. It seemed like Ryan Miller was unstoppable and was gonna lead Buffalo to glory.
Almost 4 years later, Ryan Mill...
I know I’ve been quiet for awhile. I have been racking my brain as to what is going on with the Sabres, and whether anything is even taking place at First Niagara Center. Unfortunately, not much is going on aside from a few signings of restricted free agents.
However, as July comes to a close, a sense of hockey is in the air. The Sabres development camp has come to a...
[img]http://cdn.rapidmanager.com/echl/files/MarcelNoebelsTrenton1213.jpg[/img]
[b]Marcel Noebels[/b]
In the 4th round of the 2011 entry draft, the Flyers selected the Tornisvorst, Germany native, Marcel Noebels. Noebels had come over from DEL, German Ice Hockey League, the season before and played for a bad Seattle Thunderbirds team in the WHL. Noebels had a decent r...
Please feel free to correct me on any grammar or vocabulary mistakes.
Today I got a message to research two players, Akim Aliu and Wojket Wolski. I'll start with Akim Aliu.
Akim Aliu is 6'3, 225 pounds, plays right wing and 24 years of age. He was born in Okene Nigeria. But moved to Ukraine early in his life. He then moved to Canada when his parents where nervous of ...
MirkoJ writes...
Of course Habs need grit/heart/character/toughness/size.....
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
More importantly, they need talented grit/heart/character/toughness/size. Briere was signed to simply satisfy the french media/fans. Parros was signed to simply satisfy the angry fans who are sick of their beloved Habs being pushed and bullied around by the majority of NHL teams. These signings are irrelevant and fail to address any real need since both players are past th...
The Sabres are in a difficult spot with Vanek and Miller. First things first what is Darcy doing right now? I think we all agree that it is a time to rebuild in buffalo but with a team stacked in defensive prospects and players why would he draft two defensemen and then add tallinder? On my count we have 12 blueliners that will be NHL ready in 3ish years. On the other side...
royalgardens writes...
Nonis' Blue Line Problems; All the Kings Men Set? UPDATED
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]July 26 [/b]
[b][i][i]Nonis and Maple Leafs getting into defensive trouble?[/i][/i][/b]
After the signings of Tyler Bozak (5 years, $21 million) and David Clarkson (7 years, $36.75 million), and the trade for another hot shot young goaltender in Jonathan Bernier, I thought the Maple Leafs were well on their way to becoming a legit Stanley Cup contender over the n...
Mason Raymond should not be overlooked when talking about the slim free agent pool left and the forward position. Look for Raymond to be signed almost immediately following the signings of Grabo, Brunner, Morrow. Raymond is rumoured to be considered a backup plan/2nd option for a depth forward behing the previously mentioned forwards. ...
As per Darren Dreger, RFA Cody Franson of the Maple Leafs is asking for more money than Toronto can pay, considering their cap situation. Having just above 6 million with Nazem Kadri and Mark Fraser also needing to re-sign, both RFAs, and would then need one more player to have 23 on the roster.
Dreger reported the Leafs would be looking for a pick and a prospect for Fr...
I am the GM of the old West & East Conference and I can only trade players out of their conferences , those are the 15 deals that I am proposing. ( Salary Cap , Team Needs, Depth Areas and Years Remaining on the contract are all factors included).
1. MTL - ANA Andrei Markov for Emerson Etem 1st round draft pick (2014)
( Explanation: Someone that can mentor Cam Fo...
Well the Oilers made a bizarre move today by signing Darnell Nurse today to a 3 year entry level deal. Nurse is a few years away from the NHL so why would you sign him now?
A team doesn't have to sign one of their draftees until 2 years after they're drafted. Or pretty much when they're done Junior. The only reason a team would sign a player before the 2 years are up...
I thought I would go through the lines I would use for the major Olympic teams in the upcoming Olympics in Sochi. I figured I would start with the team I am rooting for so let’s get into this.
My team USA
Zach Parise Derek Stephan Patrick Kane
I’ll start with the two easy guys and they both happen to be some of my favorite players. Zach Parise is one of the ...
to EDM: Weber(7.8m), Gaustad(3.2m), Taylor Beck(.9m) ___________________________ to NSH: Smid(3.5m), Petry(1.7m), Hemsky(5m), Marincin(.9), Rajala(.8)_______________ _____________________________________________________________________ The salaries work out well for both. The positional depth works out well for both teams even better. Check it out on cap geek's cap calcula...
[i]Follow [url]www.twitter.com/flyerprospects[/url] for more on the Flyers Prospects![/i]
Tye McGinn might be the most NHL ready prospect the Flyers have right now. He may not have as much potential as a Scott Laughton, but he has shown that he is more than capable of playing in the NHL as a 4th liner. He was chosen by the Flyers in the 4th round of the 2010 draft, and ...
Well the Oilers made a bizarre move today by signing Darnell Nurse today to a 3 year entry level deal. Nurse is a few years away from the NHL so why would you sign him now?
A team doesn't have to sign one of their draftees until 2 years after they're drafted. Or pretty much when they're done Junior. The only reason a team would sign a player before the 2 years are up i...
oilersrule66 writes...
Paajarvi will be in an Oilers Uniform on Opening Night
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Who cares if we just traded him? Paajarvi will be in an Oilers uniform on opening night in October. Here's how...
First off I should tell you why I think Edmonton needs Paajarvi back in the first place. You look at Edmonton's front line and you see there's pretty much only 1 hole left, 3rd line LWer. Isn't that where Paajarvi was? You bet ya. Paajarvi will re-fill the ...
[i]"Thunder only happens when it's raining
Players only love you when they're playing"[/i]
Ah, Fleetwood Mac, sometimes you just get me. Lots of rumours swirling around the internet surrounding the Winged Wheel. Talk of Tootoo going back to the Music City...and really, why not? I'd trade him for a bag of pucks just to get a few more dollars back. Let's be honest, he is...
Most fans believe that the Oilers still have a few more moves that they're going to make before the season starts given that they have holes on the 3rd line and have too many defensemen. And with Hemsky still here even after MacTavish said he was going to trade him. But what if MacTavish is all done for the summer and is happy with the lines he has now?
If MacTavish i...
With the winter olympics in Sochi coming up in February I thought I would predict what I think the lines will be. There is so many players good enough in Canada that we could make 5 teams that could compete for a medal. But since we can only make 1, here are my picks for the 2014 canadian olympic team....
Giroux- Stamkos- St Louis
Neal - Crosby - Staal
Hall - Ta...
Losing my post v-card, here we go...
We all know Grabovski had some choice words for the Leafs organization and staff, but considering how he was used by Carlyle, can you really blame him? We all know players in his situation are thinking it, but it actually takes balls to say it! You have to commemorate him for holding it all in during the season and showing up every ...
Hey everyone,
Let me start off by saying I love having Holmgren as a GM, at least there's never a dull moment and you can't blame him for not trying! As long as we don't have to sit through 5 years of a painful, embarrassing rebuild I'm okay with it... and I do think we're closer to winning a cup with Schenn, Simmonds, Voracek, and Couturier than Carter and Richie (it w...
The Sharks raised a few eyebrows when they gave Joe Pavelski the identical deal that Logan Couture received. Each player got a nice raise, going to $6M per for five seasons on their respective extensions.
The purpose of this blog is to calm the naysayers about Pavelski's new deal.
Here are the stats for the last three seasons for each player.
[b]Couture[/b]
[i]...
I can't believe that MacTavish would be done for the summer on defense given that the Oilers have a surplus of NHL calibur defensemen with 10. With Schultz x2, Smid, Petry, Ference, Grebeshkov, Belov, Larsson, Klefbom and Potter they have too many 3/4/5/6 and no clear no. 1. And with them signing Nurse to a contract does that mean MacTavish expects him to play next year t...
Here's a little known fact: The Sharks have been a playoff team in 14 of the last 15 NHL seasons. The only other NHL team that boasts that consistency? The Detroit Red Wings. The only problem is that there were 11 different Stanley Cup winners during that 15 year period, and none of them are named the Sharks.
In the 8 years of the previous CBA, the Sharks made the playo...
The past couple days I wrote 2 blogs talking about what the lines would be in Edmonton if MacTavish was done making moves for the summer. Now here's what I think MacTavish should do to make the bottom 6 better and more experienced.
The lines going into next season look pretty much like this right now.....
Hall - Nuge - Eberle
Perron - Gagner - Yakupov
Joensuu ...
Hey everyone,
Let's jump right into it shall we?
Calder - Drouin
Lady Byng - St. Louis
Vezina - Rinne
Art Ross - Sid the kid
Rocket Richard - Stamkos
James Norris - Letang
Ted Lindsay - Crosby
Hart - Giroux (had to be a little bias, forsee a 100 pt season - 30 more than the next Flyer)
Jack Adams - Patrick Roy
Big year for the Lightning (offensively), Ben ...
I've talked a lot about the dealing one, two or three of San Jose's key players lately. I'm not saying I agree with shipping them all out, but I am saying that the interest of the organizations future has to be considered when re-signing players. Say you re-sign the 37-year-old Dan Boyle for two years instead of shipping him out at the deadline for a first+prospect, or mor...
The Oilers defense isn't actually that bad at the moment. The past 3 or 4 years Edmonton's defense was the laughing stock of the league. But this summer MacTavish signed players like Ference, Belov and Grebeshkov and now Edmonton's backend is pretty good. But these new additions open up new problems. Edmonton has 10 NHL defensemen and only 1 true 1st pairing defenseman...
[i]Follow [url]www.twitter.com/flyerprospects[/url] for more on the Flyers Prospects![/i]
Another free agent acquisition by Paul Holmgren has a chance to prove himself this upcoming year. Petr Straka is a 92 born Czech forward, who was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2nd round of the 2010 entry draft. Before being drafted, Straka was coming off a great rooki...
For the first time the other day, I took the 10 minute drive from my house to Rayzor's Hot Dog Stand in Springville, NY. Rob Ray has done an excellent job with the place and the food was pretty good as well. Inside, Rob has his own "penalty box" gallery with many pictures of himself as a Buffalo Sabre. There he had a picture of one of his memorable fights against B...
It’s tough being a Sabres fan these days. There’s not a lot of hope or optimism surrounding the team. The Sabres website did a great job the other day playing up the NHL.com article on Rick Jeanneret’s infamous “May Day” call. I started thinking about some of my favorite memories watching the Buffalo Sabres.
Now I have to emphasize this, these are 2 of my fav...
The Bruins lost a forward from every line this summer. During the salary cap era, teams are going to require immediate results from players. The Bruins may understand this better than any team in the league. They have let players walk into free agency, and dealt underachieving players for assets that will help the team in the long run. The most recent of these dealing, b...
With the summer silence still in effect around the league, here are some random thoughts.
[b]99 Problems But A Russian's Not One[/b]
[i]If you look at the roster listed on sharks.NHL.com you'll see a full list of Americans and Canadians, with one Swede, a Fin and a Czech. The thoughts of any player bolting to the KHL aren't a worry for San Jose.[/i]
[b]Smooth Sche...
As the name suggests...
Nash - Crosby - Stamkos
Sharp - Toews - Giroux
E. Staal - Getzlaf - Perry
Richards - Bergeron - Carter
Tavares
Pietrangelo - Weber
Seabrook - Keith
Doughty - Subban
Alzner - Letang
Crawford - Price - Luongo (I say Crawford because he knows how to win on good teams and winning on good teams vs winning on bad teams is very different)
...
There are several sites/posts around that will tell you that placing Martin Havlat on the LTIR list will magically fix the cap problem for this season. They'll also try to convince you that Havlat on LTIR creates this magical bag of cap space for the Sharks to head to the mall and use as they see fit.
They're wrong.
Martin Havlat being placed on the LTIR, as the cap ...
The 1st decade of the 21st century can be split into 2 parts for the Toronto Maple Leafs. From 2000 to 2004 the Leafs were a Stanley Cup Contender making the conference finals, but after the lockout season the leafs missed the playoffs from 2006-2010.
The Salary cap hit the Leafs hard causing a lot of change over after the lockout and took until this past season to get...
Sorry for the delay in returning. Taking a much needed holiday has kept me from my blog. Originally I was going to look at Mr. Feaster's possible off-season moves, but I think I pretty much missed the boat on that one.
So now I am going to turn my attention to Junior Camp for the WJC and talk a bit about my impressions of some of Canada's hopefuls, concentrating on Flam...
The pre-season can't come quick enough.
The Sharks lineup should look relatively the same as far as personnel go, but there could be some rotations in the make up of the lines.
Here are my 2013/14 Sharks projected lines:
[b]Forwards[/b]
Marleau - Couture - Pavelski
Wingels - Thornton - Burns
Torres - Kennedy - Hertl
Sheppard - Desjardins - Burish
[...
This is the second of my installments based on the the Junior Development Camp in Lake Placid.
Game 2: Canada:7 Sweden:3
Canada's starting lineup:
Poirier-Gauthier-Jankowski
Horvat-Monahan-Lazar
Domi-McDavid-Hudon
Rupert-Gaunce-Rychel
Mantha
Sweden came out flying in this one. They were undefeated so far in the tournament in four previous starts, and had bee...
Team USA has chosen to bring 48 players to orientation camp, which is basically a meet and great golf tournament.
Of those 48 players that were selected for camp, only 25 will be chosen to make the trip to Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Olympics. 20 of those players will dress for each game, leaving five in the pressbox. Here’s my roster for Team USA in Sochi, based on th...
This past season in the KHL a format was introduced to non-playoff teams vying for top spot in the KHL Draft. The teams that failed to reach the post season would do battle in a consolation tournament, with the winner being awarded the first overall pick.
What if the NHL did that?
It would almost certainly increase competition and avoid “tanking” during the regul...
Hello, In my first blog I thought I would talk about the concerns Flyers fans have about our cap situation. As we all know the cap has dropped to $64.3 million and most hockey writers and bloggers are quick to point out that the flyers as of now sit $2,053,522 over that limit, however none seem to include the fact that that is for 25 players. According to the "Hockey Opera...
Here is my final installement of the evaluation camp from Lake Placid.
Game 3: Canada 1 USA 5
Lines:
Monahan-Gauthier-Lazar
Horvat-Laughton-Shinkaruk
Domi-McDavid-Reinhart
Leipsic-Petan-Wilson
Girardr
USA notables for Flames fans:
Gillies-Goal Sieloff-Defense
This game was a in stark contrast to the previous two Canadian tilts. The previous two teams (Fin...
Team Canada enters the Olympics like they enter any International tournament, the favorites to win.
After winning a nail-biting Gold Medal in 2010 on home ice, the Canadians will bring a younger roster to Sochi in hopes of a repeat. There are probably around three forward lines and two defense lines worth of players that are going and are really non-negotiable. The fina...
A lot of controversy erupted when the Flames chose Emil Poirier over hometown prospect Hunter Shinkaruk in the 2013 draft. But after watching the games at the US development camp, I think it became obvious why. Poirier is a more complete player with better size and speed.
But what about Morgan Klimchuk? What if the Flames would have taken Klimchuk ahead of Shinkaruk?
...
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...
Hello, In my second blog I thought I would talk about "the one that got away", Shea Weber, and the possibility(if any) that he could someday wear the orange and black. When the Flyers signed Weber to that offer sheet all of flyers land nervously rejoiced. We knew it wasn't 100%, but if it worked we would have in my opinion one of the two best defencemen in the NHL(Chara Be...
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...
The Calgary Flames’ lack of a true #1 center has been the focus of many sports writers and fans for close to twenty years…and rightly so.
The fact that the Flames have not managed to acquire this most basic piece of the puzzle, shows how completely inept the organization’s hockey operations department has been. It has been a disgrace. But at least current manageme...
Going into the season it was pretty much a general consensus that Ales Hemsky wouldn't be in an Oilers uniform on opening night. But after MacTavish's numorous attempts to trade him and there being no viable return of any sort a lot of people expect him to be in an Oilers uniform on opening night. So if there really is no way to trade him, where will he fit into the line...
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...
It is clear we have a couple holes on the Canucks depth chart. In my eyes we need 1 physical stay at home D-Man and 1 grinder who can score when needed to. With only $4.5 mil our options are fairly few, but I feel there is an opportunity here to get exactly who we need and stay under the cap. Now Gillis just needs to pull the trigger before they get snatched up.
My tak...
In my third blog, I thought for fun I would give my point projections for the players this upcoming season. These projections are for 12 forwards, 6 defensemen and 2 goalies over 82 games, injuries will happen but as they are for the most part hard to predict, I will not try(although some are easy to predict, see Tim Connolly).
Forward
Claude Giroux
last season - 4...
There's an elephant in the room that keeps getting a giant blanket thrown over it.
Brent Burns.
For starters, I'm a Brent Burns fan. I think he's a good player who attracts no negative attention to himself off the ice, or on the ice, as a person. The problem, for me, is that Burns' play doesn't merit his $5.76M per season salary within the Sharks system.
San Jos...
“I point the finger squarely on (NHL agent) JP Barry, the man who blessed us with the (Dany) Heatley mess.”
Doesn’t it feel like every time the Senators hit center stage in the NHL world Eugene Melnyk is quoted saying something as blasphemous as this?
I mean if it’s not his personal vendetta against Matt Cooke being publicly announced after his top defense m...
This comes from me watching a recent NHL Network replay of the Leafs @ Bruins Game 7 aka "game of the year".***I was crushed..... Wow, I just got those chills again. But, as Leafs fans, we saw it coming. We've seen it before, too many times.WAIT A MINUTE... Who in the world had the Leafs winning this series? Back to the game 7 loss. You could just sense it, see it, feel it...
While I may be a Flyers fan, the Oilers will always be my 2nd favorite team, and they have been since the day I was born. I've decided to mix it up and write a blog for a different team.
Today I will sum up the Oilers offseason to date. That includes everything from the Draft, Free Agent signings, re-signings, trades, and management changes.
[b][u]Management Changes [...
oilersrule66 writes...
Will Smyth have a permanent roster spot in 2013-14?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Ryan Smyth is a part of Oilers history. He was one of the best Oilers in the early to mid 2000's and lead them to the stanley cup final in 06. He will always be remembered by Oilers fans. But that was half a decade ago and now he just has to give up and retire from his playing career. He's old, slow and can't keep up with todays game.
The problem with Smyth isn't h...
Creating a blog like this will bring obvious controversy, agreements and disagreements. I know that. However, the Oilers are without a captain for the 13/14 season, so why not blog about it? The Oilers could always go the 3 assistant captains route, however, i feel that with all the young players the Oilers have, they will put a C on one of their younger players sweaters. ...
Hello, in my first blog we took a look at the Flyers cap issues with the upcoming season, I felt I would take it a bit further and talk about the cap issues we may face following this season. Alot of people are concerned that with Girouxs new contract extention exceding $8 million, along with having to most likley give pay raises to B.Schenn and Matt Read, the Flyers will ...
The Avalanche invested further in their young captain by shelling out $39 million over the course of seven years.
Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic are trying to work with their current roster as no major moves were made in free agency to sign any available players. Other players were acquired through trades and picking up any free agents seems unlikely as the owners are choosi...
As many of you know, MacT recently unload Oiler captain Shawn Horcoff to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Phillip Larssen and a 7th round pick. Which I personally think was a great deal because the Oilers were not forced to keep any of Horcoff's salary and we added a young depth defenseman. I digress, the main issue of this blog is to discuss the problem created by moving...
[i]"If you can accept losing, you can't win." -- Vince Lombardi[/i]
The vacancy in the captain's chair in Edmonton is a prestigious one, despite recent franchise inadequacy. The city has experienced both the most legendary dynasty and the bleakest futility in league history, each in seven year periods. Great expectations of a prodigal team from a deserving fan base must...
Here is the Leafs line up as it is today. How would you make it better? I have listed pleayers who need to go or are foing this year. I have also listed the best Marlies prospects in order as well. I am interested in thoughts as to how to make this team better via trade.
Lupul (R)-------Bozak (R)-------Kessel (R)
JVR (L)---------Kadri (L)-------Clarkson (R)
Colborne...
The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia are approaching quickly. Bitter rivalries, intensity, dedication and honour are just some of the great reasons to be excited for this tournament. I find the roster selection and the thought of all these great stars playing side by side very interesting. Does a team like Canada throw a bunch of offensive players on their roster and...
First off I would like to say fairwell to Richard Cloutier. You were one of the best writers on Hockeybuzz and you will be missed by everybody. Even Iggysbuff. And contrary to popular belief you actually DID know stuff about hockey and weren't just some troll living in his parents basement. Your welcome.
Now for some Oilers talk. Going into training camp the Oil st...
Time for my 3rd blog on the Oilers in the past 3 days! In this feature I will be guessing how many points I think the Oilers players will get during the upcoming 2013/2014 NHL season.
I believe some players are due for a breakout season, or atleast a bounceback season. Of course, roster spots could still change.
I will be doing the top 9 Forwards, top 5 Defense, and the...
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...
Tim Chiasson writes...
Shark Talk: Jersey Teasers, Travel and Drug Testing
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Sharks released two video clips on Instagram account, one yesterday and one today, of the new jersey for the 2013/14 season. The black armor jersey will remain the same, with only the home/away jerseys getting minor changes. Here are the still frame shots of the clips.
[img]http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5347/9545452649_84f3ccd049.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www-thescor...
A few changes here, and a cross your fingers and hope a lot of the young players improve. I definitely think they are a better team than last year, but playoffs? That I am not buying just yet. Big question mark for me at 3rd line center, they must think Lander is ready, I like the kid but he did not show he was near being ready last year, if one of Hopkins, Gagner or Boyd...
I decided to write a little something to keep my fellow oiler posters entertained while they find a new oiler blogger. If you do like it, I may write another. If you don't like it, then I'm never showing my face here again.
Let’s start with the big move of the summer. LW Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson(MPS) and a 2nd round pick in 2014 to St. Louis for LW David Perron. I m...
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...
Due to this being a great idea and most popular demand by Oiler fans, today's blog will focus on how the Oilers can improve their bottom 6 FW.
When you look at the Oilers bottom 6 you currently have these 7 players...
3rd line: Smyth-Gordon-Hemsky
4th line: Jones-Lander-Joensuu/Brown
To me that isn't a terrible bottom 6, but you definitely have a very weird and ...
Hey everyone,
Right now, the Flyers line up something like this:
Hartnell - Giroux - Voracek
B. Schenn - Lecavalier - Simmonds
Laughton - Courturier - Read
McGinn - Talbot - Rinaldo
Rosehill - Hall
Not a bad forward group right? And the D line up like so:
Coburn - Timmonen
Meszaros - Streit
Grossmann - Schenn
Gustaffsson
Mason
Emery
Whe...
You may have come here for the Omark, Boyes and the Cap part of the blog, but I'm going to make you stare at the complete new jersey's first.
[b]Away[/b]
[img]http://2.cdn.nhle.com/sharks/images/upload/2013/08/SJS_WEB_NewJerseyAway_950x741.jpg[/img]
[b]Home[/b]
[img]http://1.cdn.nhle.com/sharks/images/upload/2013/08/SJS_WEB_NewJerseyHome_950x741v2.jpg[/img]
...
I was at one time a frequent Hockeybuzz poster. Now, I'm more a frequent reader - I lurk...I linger. I am intrigued with the opportunity to perhaps make a comeback of sorts, with the sudden departure of Cloutier, as a writer and relayer of useless information (that's what Clouts did right?). When the Oilers last made the playoffs and went to the 7th game of the Stanley...
I was at one time a frequent Hockeybuzz poster. Now, I'm more a frequent reader - I lurk...I linger. I am intrigued with the opportunity to perhaps make a comeback of sorts, with the sudden departure of Cloutier, as a writer and relayer of useless information (that's what Clouts did right?).
When the Oilers last made the playoffs and went to the 7th game of the Stanl...
oilcity1988 writes...
Best/Worst Case for the 2013-2014 Edmonton Oilers - D/Goal
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This is part 2, forwards can be found in my previous blog. As with the forward blog, first paragraph is best case and second is worst case.
Defense
Smid – Petry – Return to their form from 2011-2012 and improve some as they are a formidable shutdown pair. Petry gets some time on the power play and improves his point totals slightly, while Smid is in the top 3...
For defensemen to succeed on the big, Olympic-sized ice you have to look for a few main tools- A smooth, fluid skater who is mobile at both ends of the ice so if he makes a mistake he an high tail it back to make up for it- You have to be smart and have good vision to see developing plays and attacks as well as having the ability to break out of your own zone with a blink ...
Note: I can't seem to post comments so bare with me. I can only post short words, but not full sentences.
The Avalanche are very much stocked up with centers and their defensive woes are bound to bite back.
Here is their current line-up on D:
[b]Erik Johnson[/b]:
The former #1 draft pick will be making this his fourth year with the Avs after being traded by...
Hi all,
Amidst the lack of stuff going on with Edmonton Oilers I've decided I write a blog focusing on the prospects. The oilers have done great recently in acquiring top end talent through the draft. It's only a matter of time before the talent from the backend begins to shine and the oilers become a solid cup contender, here is my list of the top 5 oilers prospects....
1st round draft picks are a commodity that should never be taken lightly. They are the primary source of the game's elite superstars. In one selection, a franchise can select a legendary cornerstone, or miss a golden opportunity that will be ridiculed for decades.
In 2004, the Edmonton Oilers passed up Alexander Radulov, Travis Zajac, Wojtek Wolski, Andrej Meszaros, Mik...
Expectations. We are closing in on the end of August here in Alberta and with that hockey has become a topic of conversation because the cool wind is a reminder that training camps is just around the corner. Now being an Oiler fan has not been easy the last couple years, this time every year it has been the same thing. Hockey fans have all been saying the same thing about ...
Who are the Dirtiest Oilers players of all time? A collection of cheap shot artists, pricks, and whiners as determined by the rules....which are quite simple, as they are mine! The player had to be a dirty Oiler, proudly wearing the blue and orange on his elbow, and the player, at some point in his Oilers career, had to make me personally cringe at the thought that I was c...
Kovy, as he was known, scored 120 goals for the team, including 17 playoff markers. Kovalev quickly became a fan favourite in Montreal after the team acquired him from the New York Rangers on March 2, 2004 for the low price of Josef Balej and a third-round draft choice that didn’t pan out. Fans nicknamed Kovalev "The Artist" for his impressive stickhandling abilities and...
The Edmonton Oilers enter the coming season with high, but measured, expectations. The sky is the limit for this young squad, but putting it all together is easier said than done. Both Hall and Eberle are proving to be star talents in the league with Yakupov not far behind them. Questions surround RNH's health and size, however nobody will second guess the pure skill and v...
Ok Ok we all know that the market is a little dry and maybe looking like the Sahara Desert right now, but there are still plenty of NHLers out there without jobs. We have seen the top end talent go but there are still some warriors out there, some depth out there, heck even some projects out there. C'mon, hockey is these peoples careers and would definitely not take a club...
24IsNotEnough writes...
Que le mois d'octobre arrive!...et ma candidature
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Les mois d'été sont superbes pour le soleil que nous avons en si petite quantité et pour la chaleur qui nous manque durant environ 8 mois au Québec, mais restons toutefois honnêtes et avouons que le manque d'actualités sur le hockey de ces temps-ci nous donne vivement hâte au retour du froid pour voir les Glorieux en pleine action.
La nouvelle qui retient l'att...
I grew up in rural Canada by playing hockey against our bitter rivals from the big city an hour away. Well, to us it was a big city, 3 times the size of our town though still only a little over 20,000 people lived there. Like I said, it was rural. The nearest NHL team were the Boston Bruins about 1100km, the Montreal Canadiens were about 10 kilometres further west. The pro...
If you follow the oilers, it should come as no surprise that EDM will more than likely be without their 1C, Nugent-Hopkins, to start the season and are pretty thin at C already. The 4C job will be up for grabs between Lander and Will Acton. Acton having never played an NHL game.
Here’s a few possibilities on how I see the F depth chart to start the season:
Option ...
C-Flo writes...
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (Body BrEakins)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[i]The tough of the track
With the wind
And the rain that's beating down on
Your back
Your heart's beating loud
And goes on getting louder
And goes on even more 'til the
Sound is ringing in your head[/i]
Who remembers Body Break? With Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod? They were 90 second PSAs that aired in Canada and encouraged active, healthy living. The one where ...
Devan Dubynk, the Big Easy as some would like to call him or Dubey as I like to call him. The big goalie that has never seemed to get the complete trust from fans to take the team to the next level. He always seems to let in that one goal that can deflate the whole team. But he is capable of making that big save but at times it always seemed too late. Every year he has bee...
Tim Chiasson writes...
Shark Talk: NHL14, Broadcast Schedule, Quick Notes
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The NHL14 Demo is out and I'm impressed.
I was disappointed in the game last year with not much new added, save for the skating engine. This year they've upped the fighting engine, smoothed out the skating engine and it appears that speed is more realistic.
I'm a huge fan of the fighting engine. It's extremely more realistic. You can heave haymakers, uppercuts and g...
Would you call them mistakes?
Personally, I like Bernier's potential and Clarkson's play. Not a big fan of Bolland, he's injured a lot and reminds me of Kaleta (rodent pest on the ice).
For the lost souls, I loved Frattin, would have molded into a great replacement for Kulemin (oh, he's gone for sure). As for Scrivens, I wish him the best.
The main issue I have wit...
The Penguins have made some changes in their coaching staff during this off season and based on last years sweep by the Bruins, we expect to see some of those changes reflected in how they play the game on the ice.
I think it's pretty clear the hiring of Jacques Martin is a sign that Ray Shero wants his team to be able to respond better in situations where their origina...
[b]Well Canucks fans, Mike Gillis has done it again...[/b]
The Montreal Canadiens were reportedly interested in one of our D-Men. (I'm gonna assume Edler or Tanev)
If it WAS Edler, he had a chance to shed some salary from the back end which lets be honest, we need to do. Edler IS probably the best D-man we have...BUT we have quite a few solid guys back there and Edl...
The Oilers 2013/2014 is going to be a wild ride one way or another. After 7 years of dwelling in the basement the fans are hoping this is the year they will be rewarded for their patience with a playoff appearance. After reading over my previous two blogs, I believe there are a few things that need to happen for the Oilers to be in the second season for the first time si...
I've decided to go back in time and select an Oilers dream team from the year 2000 and up. There are a couple requirements I took into consideration.
1) No rental players - so no deadline day acquisitions that left the year after
2) None of our young guns on the team today (lets bring up the past to make it a little tougher) So no Hall, Nuge, Ebs, Yaks, Shultz
Feel ...
Premièrement, j'aimerais annoncer que j'aime beaucoup la signature de Douglas Murray hier. Il s'agit d'un défenseur avec des lacunes en ce qui concerne la vitesse, mais le Canadiens devait absolument se trouver un peu de muscle pour la ligne bleue. L'addition de Douglas Murray hier veut dire que le Canadiens de Montréal se retrouve dans la même situation que l'an derni...
Tim Chiasson writes...
Off The Ice: Olympics, SF Bulls, Young Stars Classic
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Ek posted a poll about NHL participation beyond Sochi, so I thought I'd have a few thoughts on the topic.
The reason the NHL players go to the Olympics is because they want to. They want to represent their countries in their sport on the biggest international sports event in the world.
The only thing holding up Olympic participation in any year has been the owners an...
First of all, I have to say that I am quite happy with the acquisition of Douglas Murray. rnSure, he may not be the most complete player with speed lacking sorely in his game, but the Canadiens absolutely needed to add a little bit of grit on the back end with Emelin for the better part of the first half of the season. Oddly enough, the Murray addition means that the Canad...
nayefj writes...
What will it take for the Avs to make a serious Cup run?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]I still can't seem to post any comments on MyHockeybuzz without the words "mySQL Error in statement" appearing and my comment not showing up. Just to let you know I'm not ignoring anyone's comments.[/b]
Liles was mentioned a couple of times in the comments so I'd like to address this point for a bit.
Sure, Liles was great with the Avs during his time in Denver. No...
The IIHF released the results of a survey they did encompassing all 62 member countries regarding the number of registered hockey players in their systems.
The international government of hockey said that the number of players has increased by almost 40,000 since last year, an increase of almost 2.5%, bringing to the total world-wide to over 1.6 million players.
Cana...
Have you heard the knews?! Dun Dun Dun...Another one bites the dust. One more for the list of players the Oilers have mismanaged. What's this list you may ask? Well follow me down the rabbit hole into a world of disappointment, heartbreak, remorse, disgust, and woe (Thanks Thesaurus.com!).
The List (Feel free to make your own or add to the one provided.)
Sheldon Sour...
As soon as Toni Rajala told Craig MacTavish that Gus dies at the end of Season 4, the writing was on the wall.
I mean, it's the sort of thing you just don't do. You're a talent with tremendous upside, but you're also 163 pounds. 163! You're already on the bubble, at best. And then you go and blab about Walt poisoning that kid when he swore to Jesse that he didn't. The p...
Apologies if this ends up being posted twice. Someone asked for a translation of my French blog, tried about 12 hours ago and it still hasn't shown up so here goes! First of all, I'd like to state that I am a fan of the Douglas Murray signing. Sure, this is a veteran that might be lacking in the speed department, but the Canadiens really needed to add a little muscle on th...
The San Jose Sharks have a trio of "big fish" for the trade market this year. When the season starts Dan Boyle, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau will all begin collecting paychecks for the last year of their current contracts, with no extension for any of the three. You can consider this season, from opening night until the trade deadline, an evaluation year.
I can't e...
When the Montreal Canadiens lost to the Ottawa Senators in round 1 of last seasons Stanley Cup playoff matchup, a couple of the teams short comings become unavoidable. While those holes were evident even before then, they seemed to just get bigger. Those two areas were the teams overall toughness and size, but also the teams leadership. It seemed the Habs lacked that type ...
Hello! I figured since I loved Hockey so much, and the NY Rangers, i'd try my hand at writing a few things about the game when i had the motivation. Thanks to John Marzan for turning me on to this site.
I'm pretty excited about the upcoming season. There's a lot of changes in the Rangers camp but most of them are for the better. I think they did well 2 seasons ago and mi...
We're now only 39 days away from the start of the Buffalo Sabres season! Training camp is days away and the preseason begins in another 22 days. As I drove past the First Niagara Center on the I-190 yesterday, seeing the construction of the Harbor Center as well, I started to feel the anticipation of the season coming. I'm really eager to see how this young group o...
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...
As the Edmonton Oilers celebrate the 30th anniversary of their first Stanley Cup, it's remarkable watching history repeat itself.
Once again we have an exciting young team that everyone agrees is destined for greatness. But more than that, it's amazing how similar these players are to their predecessors. It's essentially a casting call for a re-imagining of the original...
Abeltshauser has been quietly enjoying success in the shadow of Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin while he finished out his junior career in Halifax.
The 6'5", 225lb German native was part of the 2013 Mastercard Memorial Cup winning Mooseheads this past season. He was named to the tournament all-star team and collected two goals and a helper in the final game.
In ...
The new hockey season is upon us with only 37 days away from puck drop. The Capitals will find themselves in a new division with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets. Safe to say, this division will be one of the better divisions in the league with teams like Col...
Sold! To __________ for ___________. Now we have to fill in the blanks with the best team/ player possible! Sounds like fun, right? The problem is, no team really wants Hemsky. So what do the Oilers do?
First, they have to find a team that,
1) Has enough cap space to bring in a 5.5 million dollar contract, and
2) Needs a top 6 forward.
Then they have to...
For those of you who don't follow me on Twitter and Don't know me, My name is Josh Rimer and I'm excited to join Hockey Buzz. I've been in the Hockey Biz since I was 16 years old. Spent half my life in Canada and the other half in the US. I got some great ideas that I'm going to be writing about in this space, and I'm pretty sure that you will enjoy it! My first piece ...
While Doug Wilson has done a fantastic job of assembling a competitive roster year in, year out, there has been much left to the imagination via the NHL Entry Draft for the Sharks.
San Jose has a history of owning a weaker amateur scouting group, which has led to less than intriguing first round picks. There are exceptions, of course, with the likes of Logan Couture, bu...
Hockey Pool season is almost upon us and I hope most of you have a solid group of guys/gals that you try to win money from every year. We gather in homes/garages/bars wearing jerseys and engage in drinking, chirping, and eating until the heartburn makes us hate ourselves more than picking Dany Heatly.
Everyone can usually handle the first 2-3 rounds picking the league...
Hockey Pool season is almost upon us and I hope most of you have a solid group of guys/gals that you try to win money from every year. We gather in homes/garages/bars wearing jerseys and engage in drinking, chirping, and eating until the heartburn makes us hate ourselves more than picking Dany Heatly.
Everyone can usually handle the first 2-3 rounds picking the league...
Hockey Pool season is almost upon us and I hope most of you have a solid group of guys/gals that you try to win money from every year. We gather in homes/garages/bars wearing jerseys and engage in drinking, chirping, and eating until the heartburn makes us hate ourselves more than picking Dany Heatly.
Everyone can usually handle the first 2-3 rounds picking the league...
How ya getting on readers?
Been a die hard Leafs fan since birth. I remember watching the 93 playoffs, in an old run down community in Placentia Bay, NL when I was like 5. My dad used to have the TV hooked up to an old car battery, once the fellow who owned the generator used to shut her down for the night. Anyways, just a little background story.
The current Leafs. ...
C-Flo writes...
Linus Loses His Security Blanket And Signs For Peanuts
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Linus Omark had one of the most dazzling debuts in NHL history, winning the game in front of a delirious Rexall crowd with the most perfectly executed shootout goal you'll see this side of Pavel Datsyuk.
Instant superstar? I thought so. I was ready to buy his jersey. But then, suddenly, his opportunity was ripped away from him like a Lucy-held football. He was sent down...
I believe that is the mainstream media debate we are participating in, is it not? Should we send a team of absolute all-stars (we could probably send two teams) or should we try to assemble a roster of players who enjoy great chemistry with each other whilst playing in the NHL. Well let's do both and see how it turns out, shall we?
All-Star Team Canada
Goalies:
Ro...
And so it begins. The predictions on who will be suiting up for the Toronto Maple Leafs on opening night in Montreal against the Habs. I know there are going to be quite a few of these articles being posted across the internet over the course of the next month so I figured I would get the jump on some of the other bloggers in the world and make my thoughts known before cam...
TheWad87 writes...
Do the Leafs Have a Goaltending Controversy Brewing?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
When the Leafs acquired goaltender Jonathan Bernier from the Los Angeles Kings this past summer, two things were made clear by this move. One, the Leafs would have one heck of a goaltending duo this upcoming season—and two, the Leafs will more than likely have a goaltending controversy on their hands at the end of all of this.
I've always said its never a bad thing to...
It's official! September 12th is the day training camp begins for the Sabres! Now there are 15 days until training camp, 18 days until the first preseason game in Montreal, and 35 days until Buffalo opens the season in Detroit.
The Sabres defense is stock-piled again like last year. Last year there were many questions on who will play and who will be in Roc...
kelholtz writes...
All-Star Team Canada Or All-Chemisty Team Canada Part 2
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
So my previous blog tackled the idea of sending a team of all-stars to Sochi to compete for gold. Today we're gonna look at the possibility of a Team Canada built upon player Chemistry. So let's do this!
Goalies:
Corey Crawford
Braden Holtby
Carey Pricern
Bear with me here. Crawford-Keith-Seabrook, a Stanley Cup Trifecta. Holtby-Green-Alzner, Capital punishment....
It's that time of the year again. The Toronto Maple Leafs open their pre-season schedule September 15th at 6:00 PM in London as the Philadelphia Flyers play host to the Leafs.
With current holdouts Nazem Kadri and Cody Franson still question marks to begin the season with the team, the Leafs prospect pool might be getting a long look this upcoming training camp.
With...
I'm on vacation right now, if you didn't figure that out from the title. There is zero Sharks news as of the moment so I decided I'd throw a bunch of random thoughts out. Forgive any grammar and spelling errors, I'm using one of those newfangled iPads.
- Linus Omark, as it has been reported a few days ago, is going to make a case for himself on the Oilers roster this ye...
So Ek says Ken Hitchcock is willing to do whatever it takes to get Hank and Danny out of Vancouver. Not likely to happen but it's a fun thought. But for 2 players of their calibre, St.Louis WILL have to pay pretty heavily.
[u]IF[/u] it was to happen what is a fair price?
I for one have loved [b]Chris Stewart's [/b]game for a long time.
He fills that RW hole we ha...
I always find it preposterous when people compare athletes from today to athletes from yesteryear. Today's competitors have so many advantages nutritionally, pharmaceutically, and in their training methods that it's a real apples and oranges situation. I have no doubt that the Oilers franchise is no different from the other teams in the league, in that they are cutting edg...
It’s been awhile since I’ve written. Part of the struggle right now, for just about all Sabres fans, is things don’t look too good for the Sabres at this point in time. It’s not a good position that they are setting themselves in for the upcoming season.
Buffalo is in the same position they find themselves in just about every year- stuck in the painful middle p...
I completely understand peoples views on the buffalo sabres. what direction are they going in? what is to happen to our stars? who are able to step up? how good can our prospects play? how well will rolston do in his first full season as an nhl coach?
this is the issue with this team, wayyyyyyy too many questions. But i am here to try to answer most of them
On m...
Now this subject has been talked about a lot this summer but not until recent news this might actually be legitimate.
buffalo has inquired about players on the Colorado Avalanche, Patrick Roy is apparently interested in acquiring Ryan Miller. This seams to be growing and growing with certainty.
why this can work? well the avs currently have way too many skilled ce...
Continuing on a theme first written about in my earlier blog Parallels, it's fascinating to see how these young Oilers bear striking similarities to other people in history. Let's examine in this quick post. If you'd like to read Parallels, comparing the 13-14 Oilers to the 83-84 Oilers, it's here: http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=211317&post_id=15448
[b]T...
Let the talks heat up again as Ryan Miller is, apparently, back on the trading blocks. Eklund first reported that talks between the Sabres and Avalanche involving Ryan Miller were heating up once again as training camp quickly approaches. Then another outlet reported the same thing that Miller talks in Colorado were beginning to brew. Then, Garth told us yesterday ...
Today's challenge:
To come up with one stupendous word to describe whatever I feel like describing, and to use it in a sentence.
[b]Devan Dubnyk:[/b] His potential for being bad is abyssopelagic.
[b]Ales Hemsky:[/b] Unless he's scoring a highlight reel goal, he looks like a somnambulist.
[b]Ryan Nugent-Hopkins:[/b] His perspicaciousness more than makes up for ...
I'm starting that twitter thing, you should follow me: [b]@oilersaddict6[/b]
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MacTavish, MacTavish, MacTavish. Why do you keep confusing everybody? You go out and kill the contract of the highly skilled and promising Toni Rajala, and then the next day you go out and re-sign the skilled, but attitud...
TheWad87 writes...
The Importance of Cody Franson and Why He Needs To Sign
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Coming into the league, Cody Franson was never the best skater, he was really never the best defender, but one thing was certain with Franson, he had a very electric and accurate shot.
Whether it was a slapshot from the slot, or a snapping wrist shot from the blueline, Franson's accuracy with his shot is nearly unmatched.
In junior, Franson—who played with the Vanc...
Follow me on twitter: @oilersaddict6
With the 2013-14 season approaching there is a lot of pressure on the Oilers to climb out of the league basement and challenge for a playoff spot. After 7 years of hard-core sucking a lot of fans think the Oilers are ready for a return to the post-season. And they aren't far off. The Oilers have a young core of highly skilled play...
Linus Omark never should have been sent down to the minors.
He never should have gotten injured while down there. He never should have been exiled for mysterious reasons. He never should have been hung out to dry like laundry flapping in the wind. He never should have scored all those points in Switzerland when he could have been scoring them for the Oilers.
MacTavi...
Follow me on Twitter @jcimms9
September has arrived and we are but days away from training camps beginning to open and unless things change fast there will be two very noticeable faces missing for the Leafs.
RFA's Cody Franson and Nazem Kadri have yet to ink a deal with the blue and white after coming off both players most impressive season performances to date.
...
I was thinking about the Sharks roster while I was on vacation, and I thought about who the top players on the team were. Then I thought about who were the most important players, not necessarily the best players. Here are my top 5 most important Sharks players for the upcoming season.
[b]5. Matt Irwin[/b]
[i]The biggest question, for me, is whether or not Irwin can...
The past few months have dragged for Devils fans, who are ready to see their team on the ice, fighting to get back in the playoffs; instead of headlining breaking offseason news.
It's time for one last look back. Here are the three things that disappointed me the most over the offseason, and the three things that made it even harder to wait for October
[u]The Worst
...
The past few months have dragged for Devils fans, who are ready to see their team on the ice, fighting to get back in the playoffs; instead of headlining breaking offseason news.
It's time for one last look back. Here are the three things that disappointed me the most over the offseason, and the three things that made it even harder to wait for October
[u]The Worst
...
The past few months have dragged for Devils fans, who are ready to see their team on the ice, fighting to get back in the playoffs; instead of headlining breaking offseason news. rnrnIt's time for one last look back. Here are the three things that disappointed me the most over the offseason, and the three things that made it even harder to wait for Octoberrnrn[u]The Worstr...
Recent reports have indicated that Nazim Kadri is currently seeking a "John Tavares" type contract from the Toronto Maple Leafs which would be 6 years and 5.5 Million dollars.... In my opinion Kadri is not in the same stratosphere as Tavares who has played around 200 more games and recorded around 200 more points in that period.
Kadri reflects a contract much closer to ...
The past few months have dragged for Devils fans, who are ready to see their team on the ice, fighting to get back in the playoffs; instead of headlining breaking offseason news.
It's time for one last look back. Here are the three things that disappointed me the most over the offseason, and the three things that made it even harder to wait for October.
[u]The Worst...
The past few months have dragged for Devils fans, who are ready to see their team on the ice, fighting to get back in the playoffs; instead of headlining breaking offseason news.
It's time for one last look back. Here are the three things that disappointed me the most over the offseason, and the three things that made it even harder to wait for October.
[u]The Worst...
The past few months have dragged for Devils fans, who are ready to see their team on the ice, fighting to get back in the playoffs; instead of headlining breaking offseason news.
It's time for one last look back. Here are the three things that disappointed me the most over the offseason, and the three things that made it even harder to wait for October.
The Worst
...
oilersrule66 writes...
Does Philip Larsen have a future with the Oilers?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Follow me on twitter: [b]@oilersaddict6[/b]
Every Oilers fan was ecstatic when MacTavish announced the Shawn Horcoff trade. It was an absolute steal for the Oilers as they were able to get rid of Horcoff without having to bring back a bad contract, and were able to acquire a young up and coming defenseman in Philip Larsen. But the question I'm asking is, does Philip L...
Today the Sabres, well, Steve Ott, revealed the new 3rd jersey to the public via Twitter. After two months of sneak peaks and clues about the 3rd jersey, the jersey has been unveiled to some harsh criticism. When I saw the jersey, all I thought was, "um..."
Here's what they look like:
[b]http://sabres.nhl.com/club/gallery.htm?id=37853&navid=DL|BUF|home[/b]
...
Now on Twitter, follow me @NewEraAvs
Mark Kiszla says the Avalanche has no shot at making the playoffs this year without Ryan Miller. Adrian Dater says there is nothing to the rumors of a Stastny-Miller swap. Seems like there’s an internal feud at the Denver Post. The trade on paper makes perfect sense. Both are position of needs on each team. Both have expiring contr...
tonylynch15 writes...
Rangers Season Starts With A Trip To Traverse City
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.kare11.com/images/640/360/2/assetpool/images/130426112048_Danny_Kristo_1280.jpg[/img]
Danny Kristo photo by Getty Images
[b]By Tony Lynch (@TonyLynchSaid)[/b]
[i]Blueshirt Off My Back is a series of NY Rangers related thoughts, musings and reflections by Tony Lynch.[/i]
Labor Day may mean that Summer is over, but it also signals the return of hock...
Humans hold grudges. Most of us have a strong desire to hold people accountable for not treating us well. And if you want to not treat another GM well in the NHL, I recommend tendering an offer sheet for one of their RFAs.
Ever since the Oilers swooped in and scooped up Dustin Penner, offering him 10 times his old salary, there has been bad blood between Burke and the ...
First time for this, so be gentle
A month away from the start of the season and I couldn't be more excited. A full season of games, an outdoor game every other weekend and 3am Olympic Hockey! Only one thing troubles me and it is the same thing every year.
Drum roll please....
Extended drum roll....
ESPN's continued neglect of anything Hockey. From 35 second ga...
Recently I read a post on Hockey Buzz suggesting the New York Rangers require a "culture change" within that dressing room.... Is it just me or has this team witnessed more changes than any team in the league?
Firstly, the biggest change is they have moved on from John Tortorella who in my opinion ran this team right into the ground.
Secondly, they have already made ...
Usually at this time of year the main questions in net are for the Flyers, but never have I seen a more convoluted goaltending situation than there is in Calgary.
As I mentioned in my last blog Calgary is in tough at center, with no #1 or #2 center going into camp. As scary as that is, if Kipper retires (nearly assured) Calgary has no proven #1 goalie either.
The Fl...
Follow me on twitter: @oilersaddict6
Finally! Hockey season is finally upon us after 2 months of agonizing waiting. NHLers are reporting to camp, CHL and Jr. A across the country is starting up and all the kids in minor hockey are stepping on the ice for the first time since April. Good times, good times. Amougnst all these events there is a tournement in Penticton,...
The Oilers lost another decisive game to Winnipeg tonight 7-2 in the Rookie tournament lending an answer to the question "Who Does the Oiler's Really have for Prospects?" Their defense are suppose to be some of the best non NHL players in any franchise and yet main stream media is picking them apart after the two losses in this meaningless tournament.
The truth is that...
Here is my offering regarding game two of the prospects tourney.
Flames lineup was changed for this game, with more of a ‘B’ team look on both defense and up front with the tryout guys getting a shot:
Reinhart-Jooris-Penner
Ferland-Monahan-Smoskowitz
Hanowski-Granlund-Poirier
Elson-Knight-Baertschi
Kanzig-Culkin
Davies-Wotherspoon
Roy-Ramagern
Ortio
...
Over/Under is a blog series that will analyze players around the league who fall into one of two categories: Overrated, or Underrated. First up is Sean Couturier of the Philadelphia Flyers. Wait, isn't he too young to fall into one of these categories? Not whatsoever. Let the analysis being!
Sean Couturier, a 20 year old center for the Philadelphia Flyers, is best known...
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 will be relentless with the rock. We will dominate time of possession with the rock. If we lose the rock, we will be like honey badgers trying to get it back. We will have the highest level of compete. We will run the most offensive plays you've ever seen. And you will tire out long before we do.
The rock could be a puck or a football. The team could be the Edmonton...
first off. Our captaincy. i think it is really down to two players. Ott and Vanek. they are both one of the oldest on the team. thye have experience and are both leaders. Now it all boils down to if Vanek is staying or not. if he leaves so be it, Ott gets the C, if not then its going to be a tough choice.
I personally think Regier feels he has screwed up with the huge...
first off. Our captaincy. i think it is really down to two players. Ott and Vanek. they are both one of the oldest on the team. thye have experience and are both leaders. Now it all boils down to if Vanek is staying or not. if he leaves so be it, Ott gets the C, if not then its going to be a tough choice.
I personally think Regier feels he has screwed up with the huge...
Follow me on twitter: [b]@oilersaddict6[/b]
Well, according to MacTavish's press conference this week, Ales Hemsky is officially off the market. At least, that's what MacTavish is saying publicly. What this press conference is actually telling fans is, "We couldn't find a team stupid enough to give us anything of value for Hemsky so he's starting the season in Edmonto...
In a six second Vine yesterday, Cody Hodgson addressed the Buffalo Sabres fan base that he was going to be a Sabre for six more years. Hodgson and the Sabres have been talking for months about a new deal, and finally came to a deal yesterday afternoon. The terms of the deal are six years at $24.5 million, which is an annual base of $4.25 million a year. That shrink...
During training camp, today, Jaromir Jagr left early with "soreness".
As we know, "soreness" is usually media speak for injury. In the case that he is injured, the Devils have a few options to work with.
1.) Damien Brunner - His name has alredy been worn out, but none the less, he would be a likely replacement if Jagr is predicted to be injured into the regular sea...
This is my first attempt ever to write a blog, errors will be made and all this is my outside opinion, will not have proof for any of my statements just thoughts and point of view from a fan outside of Columbus area.
With 2013 camp opening yesterday I would like to give my insight to which rookies will survive the cut and the dream of becoming an NHL player becomes a re...
It's early in the morning here at Sabres training camp, day number three. Since being a college kid does not allow me time to enjoy what I want to enjoy, I missed part of the second day yesterday. Made it just in time to see the scrimmage between Team Gold and Team Gray and for session three. Session three included players such as[b] Tyler Ennis, Drew Stafford, Joh...
Anyone who follows the edmonton oilers knows thar their bottom six needs help. I feel that simon gagne is the perfect low risk, high reward 3rd line option. Let me mske my case. I know what you will all say, ""we dont need an older, injury prone forward!" Sure he comes with injury issues, but as of right now is there a better 3rd line option within the orgsnization? ...
The Leafs begin their quest for redemption this season as the club opens their 2013-14 preseason schedule tonight in London against the Philadelphia Flyers.
After their horrendous game seven collapse at the hands of Patrice Bergeron and the Boston Bruins this past spring, the Leafs re-tooled and brought a new found edge to the team that was sorely lacking in some instan...
By Tony Lynch (@tonylynchsaid)
The Rangers' preseason officially kicks off tonight when the Rags take the ice against the Devils in Newark. Before they take the ice, here's a recap of how the Rangers prospects fared in the annual Traverse City Prospect Tournament. Though the team did not fare well in the standings at the tournament, finishing 1-2-1, a number of players ...
Carolina Hurricanes
Look for Carolina to improve this year.
Carolina is relying on a mixture of veterans and unproven rookies when they compete this year. Their top line might again feature the two Staal brothers playing with Semin. This line was able to put up a fair number of points considering their poor finish last year. The problem before is that they weren�...
[b]Rasmus Ristolainen[/b] got his first shot at the NHL on Sunday against Montreal. In the game, Ristolainen had two shots and an assist in 23:22 TOI. The defensive group in Buffalo is stacked, and it would be a tough road for Ristolainen to make the Sabres. The Sabres are giving the 18-year old every chance they can for him to make the NHL roster. So does Rasmus ...
Tonight is the first preseason game at the First Niagara Center since September of 2011. The lineups are set, and once again more young talent will be displayed tonight in Downtown Buffalo. The lineup looks like this:
[u][b]Forwards:[/b][/u]
[b]Vanek-Hodgson-Armia[/b]
[b]Ennis-Grigorenko-Flynn[/b]
[b]Tropp-Larsson-Leino[/b]
[b]Gillies-Porter-Adam[/b]
[u][b...
You remember going to your first dance as a kid? I remember my first dance, because my parents forced me to go. The one thing that got me to go is how my father explained to me about how going to a dance was an opportunity to ask a girl to dance with me that normally I wouldn’t talk to. Now I was in grade 6 when I attended my first dance, and the thing about being in gra...
The Buffalo Sabres are now 3-0 in the preseason with an impressive 5-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes. In front of 17.626 fans at the First Niagara Center, there was a lot of good things to take from the game last night. Some players took a step back, but some players made a statement with their performances.
Carolina got the first goal of the game with...
Hey Everybody! Follow me on twitter! @oilersrule66
Here's some of the thoughts I have of the Oilers Training camp so far.
* Darnell Nurse is impressing after a disappointing training camp. He is looking NHL ready and could work his way onto the Oilers roster for the first 9 games of the season but is still likely gonna be sent down as the Oilers have a logjam of d...
Here are one man's picks for where every team will finish this season. It goes without saying that most will be end up being wrong! If there's one thing I've learned in 40+ years as an NHL fan, its that every season is pretty much unpredictable!
*teams will make the playoffs!
Metropolitan (BTW, I still think that's a stupid name for a division!)
1. Pittsburgh*: Th...
willschulme writes...
Why Today's Game vs. the Islanders is so Important
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
At 7:00 PM EST the Devils will greet the Isles in their future home at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn. For the Devils, this is a very important game: 1.) Today, Schneider has a chance to claim the starting role. Although it will always be said that Brodeur is the #1 goalie, if Schneider displays anything like his game against the Rangers, Brodeur will have to step off. ...
It's only been 2 meaningless pre-season games so far, and most players have only appeared in one game so it's hard to put too much stock into anything. Especially with the coaching staff and team still trying to get on the same page and for all the players to understand the system. Other factors include not being familiar with teammates, linemates and also just plain old n...
It's only been 2 meaningless pre-season games so far, and most players have only appeared in one game so it's hard to put too much stock into anything. Especially with the coaching staff and team still trying to get on the same page and for all the players to understand the system. Other factors include not being familiar with teammates, linemates and also just plain old n...
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...
Hey everyone!
Hope you are all excited for the upcoming season! I know I sure am! For me, its a feeling g akin to the lead up to Christmas, your excited for all the surprises and fun nights coming up.
Anyways, let's muse about Les Canadiens.
So far in the preseason I think there's been a couple reasons to be very excited about the prospects and I'm going to ...
Hey everyone!
Hope you are all excited for the upcoming season! I know I sure am! For me, its a feeling g akin to the lead up to Christmas, your excited for all the surprises and fun nights coming up.
Anyways, let's muse about Les Canadiens.
So far in the preseason I think there's been a couple reasons to be very excited about the prospects and I'm going to ...
Nucker101 writes...
Vancouver -When It Rains It Pours: The (Negative) What-Ifs?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
With the season lurking upon us and the talk of rookies and young players being discussed and scrutinized like Global Warming in the year 2000 I thought it would be fun to look at a few what-if scenarios. Since the Vancouver Canucks fanbase has a reputation for being pretty pessimistic and fickle(insert lame overused riot joke here) I thought I would start off with the neg...
Nucker101 writes...
Vancouver -When It Rains It Pours: The (Negative) What-Ifs?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
With the season lurking upon us and the talk of rookies and young players being discussed and scrutinized like Global Warming in the year 2000 I thought it would be fun to look at a few what-if scenarios. Since the Vancouver Canucks fanbase has a reputation for being pretty pessimistic and fickle(insert lame overused riot joke here) I thought I would start off with the neg...
TheWad87 writes...
Why John Scott Should Be Banned Longer Than David Clarkson
Posted Monday | Comments 0
You hear it all the time, "Who cares! It's preseason, the games mean nothing!".
Tell that to the members of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres.
The game itself was rather tame for the first two periods last night, but all hell broke lose in the third period after a fight between Leaf tough-guy hopeful Jamie DeVane, and Sabres winger Corey Tropp.
The fight ...
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...
Preseason is coming to an end and with the roster already trimmed I feel like I can make my predictions on the opening night lineup. rnrnStarting with just the roster: rnrn[u]Forwards[/u]rn10 MARIAN GABORIK rn17 BRANDON DUBINSKYrn42 ARTEM ANISIMOV rn13 CAM ATKINSON rn11 MATT CALVERT rn18 RJ UMBERGER rn71 NICK FOLIGNO rn19 RYAN JOHANSEN rn55 MARK LETESTU rn14 BLA...
Preseason is coming to an end and with the roster already trimmed I feel like I can make my predictions on the opening night lineup.
Starting with just the roster:
[u]Forwards[/u]
10 MARIAN GABORIK
17 BRANDON DUBINSKY
42 ARTEM ANISIMOV
13 CAM ATKINSON
11 MATT CALVERT
18 RJ UMBERGER
71 NICK FOLIGNO
19 RYAN JOHANSEN
55 MARK LETESTU
14 BLA...
Preseason is coming to an end and with the roster already trimmed I feel like I can make my predictions on the opening night lineup. rnrnStarting with just the roster: rnrn[u]Forwards[/u]rn10 MARIAN GABORIK rn17 BRANDON DUBINSKYrn42 ARTEM ANISIMOV rn13 CAM ATKINSON rn11 MATT CALVERT rn18 RJ UMBERGER rn71 NICK FOLIGNO rn19 RYAN JOHANSEN rn55 MARK LETESTU rn14 BLA...
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...
Preseason is coming to an end and with the roster already trimmed I feel like I can make my predictions on the opening night lineup. rnrnStarting with just the roster: rnrn[u]Forwards[/u]rn10 MARIAN GABORIK rn17 BRANDON DUBINSKYrn42 ARTEM ANISIMOV rn13 CAM ATKINSON rn11 MATT CALVERT rn18 RJ UMBERGER rn71 NICK FOLIGNO rn19 RYAN JOHANSEN rn55 MARK LETESTU rn14 BLA...
I am not talking about color of skin or race but there are some key building blocks.
You have to have a guy from Sweden on there. It is a must. Chicago has more than one. We moved our only guy, Omark to the minors.
Good goalies don't come from Regina, if they are born there, fine but they need to play minor league hockey in Quebec. We all know that. Chicago agai...
During the preseason, the NHL has tried to make the game more safe for the players. The NHL is currently testing [b]hybrid-icing[/b], and have cracked down on [b]taking helmets off before a fight[/b]. But is the NHL really doing enough to make the game more safe?
When it comes to it, it is basically a crapshoot. It seems like no one can predict what the NHL wi...
[u][b]Three Things That Are Wrong With The NHL[/b][/u]
1. The 20-year-old AHL Rule: If someone can explain to me what the difference between a 19-year-old kid and a 20-year-old kid is, please do. I'm all ears. Don't say maturity, because I don't want to be lied to. There isn't any magical switch that happens for a person between their 19th birthday and 20th where a ligh...
Five days. FIVE DAYS. That is all the separates us die-hards from the start of the NHL regular season. It’s hard to believe that this time last year we were wondering if there would even be a hockey season for the 2012-13 campaign. However, it is quite a different story this year. Thank God. With the regular season starting soon many Fantasy Hockey League drafts will be ...
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...
The San Jose Sharks currently have 32 players remaining at camp, meaning they will have to send off 9 more players before the roster deadline.
I'm going to make my predictions on who is going to be re-assigned.
[b]In Goal[/b]
Harri Sateri
[b]On Defence[/b]
Taylor Doherty
Matt Tennyson
[b]Up Front[/b]
John McCarthy
Matt Nieto
Bracken Kearns
Matt Pel...
[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...
Before I get into things I'll quickly mention that Nick Petrecki was sent to Worcester in the AHL yesterday afternoon, bringing the roster down to 31.
*****
The theme in last night's pre-season game between Phoenix and San Jose was similar to four of the previous five games this year: Close.
The Sharks record fell to 3-1-1 after losing in regulation to the Coyotes...
In preparation for the 2013-14 season, I thought I'd give you an overview of the team I expect to see. Jagr-Henrique-Ryder Elias-Zajac-Brunner Clowe-Loktionov-Zubrus Barch-Bernier-Carter Zidlicky-Volchenkov Greene-Harrold Larsson-Salvador A few notes: -Although the top two lines will probably be shuffled around on the regular basis, I'd like to see Jagr and Henrique...
Quick intro of myself since this is my first blog on Hockeybuzz...
I'm a college student at University of Connecticut and a huge NHL fan. I played junior A hockey since I was 16 years old, going back to my what would have been, second year of midgets. I played in the Atlantic Junior Hockey League, North American Hockey League for a few games, Eastern Junior Hockey Leagu...
Nucker101 writes...
The GM's Hat-trick: A Trade, A Signing and A Waiver Claim
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[u][b]The GM's Hat-trick: A Trade, A Signing and A Waiver Claim
[/b][/u]
It's been a busy 72 hours for Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis. Late Saturday night news broke that the Canucks had acquired forwards Zac Dalpe and Jeremy Walsh from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2014 4th Round Draft Pick and forward Kellan Tochkin. Then yesterday at around ...
The Sharks final cuts are in. Here are the players that have been assigned to Worcester in the AHL.
[i]Taylor Doherty
Bracken Kearns
John McCarthy
Harri Sateri
Matt Tennyson[/i]
And the one player who was assigned to San Francisco in the ECHL.
[i]Matt Pelech[/i]
Sharks.nhl.com also said that Anthony Stewart has been released and won't be offered a contract....
[u][b]Kids Sent Down, The Forgotten Ones and New Lineup[/b][/u]
With the recent acquisition of Zac Dalpe and an already crowded roster it's no surprise that shiny new rookies Bo Horvat and Hunter Shinkaruk were not in the team's plans for this season. I am a bit surprised that Hunter Shinkaruk didn't at least get a few games with the big club after showing some nice off...
[i]Before I get into the predictions, I've created an ESPN fantasy league in hopes of finding 9 other people willing to join. There are currently 7 teams left, so join up! Here's the link:[/i]
[url]http://games.espn.go.com/fhl/leagueoffice?leagueId=54437[/url]
[u][b]30 Teams, 30 Predictions[/b][/u]
Anaheim – A flavor of the shortened season, they fail to make pl...
Finally the NHL season is here.
While there only being three games tonight, it's enough to have all hockey fans excited for the new season to begin. Teams and management have worked hard to adjust to the new cap and prepare their teams for a full regular season grind.
Toronto and Montreal kick off the night with the first puck drop and couldn't be more of a classic...
Nucker101 writes...
The GM's Hat-Trick: A Trade, A Signing and A Waiver Claim
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[u][b]The GM's Hat-Trick: A Trade, A Signing and A Waiver Claim
[/b][/u]
It's been a busy few days for Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis. Late Saturday night news broke that the Canucks had acquired forwards Zac Dalpe and Jeremy Walsh from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2014 4th Round Draft Pick and forward Kellan Tochkin. Then Sunday at around noo...
BuffaJoe writes...
Drew Stafford Is Already Playing Himself Off the Roster
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The heat will be turned on high for every Sabre this season. Looking through the roster in the midst of the Sabres’ overhaul reveals a melting pot of players from different stages in their careers. Every player has a lofty set of individual challenges to face this season, and while the same can be said about all players at the beginning of a new NHL season, the effects a...
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...
The Chicago Blackhawks host the Washington Capitals in the opening night of NHL action between two of the NHL's top franchises. Who will come out on top? Find out in the highlights of today's featured game of the National Hockey League on EA Sports NHL 14 - play-by-play calling by Eric Munter.
[url]http://youtu.be/8HOY4pfwoJY[/url]
Thank god Hockey is back. I was getting antsy there. I was feeling like a man covered in honey standing by an anthill. Boy, am I ever glad that THAT is over.
I just walked into an A&W in Montreal, and the employees were checking their phones behind the counter. In French, I asked them the score and the guy said, "The Leafs won 4-3. But, I'm happy. I'm a Leafs...
[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 ...
[b][i]Update: Stuart will be sitting out tonight per David Pollak.[/i][/b]
The Sharks kick off the 2013/14 season tonight at home against the Vancouver Canucks. The two Pacific Division rivals met twice in the pre-season with the Sharks taking the first game 3-2 and the second 5-0, but as we all know, the pre-season means nothing.
Last season the Sharks were a perfec...
The 2013-14 NHL season has errupted in fighting and banging on the glass fashion. Little did anyone know that it would start off this way....oh I'm sorry I was trying not to laugh at that. When you take a temper prone hall of fame goal tender and put him behind the bench of a team that typically plays an "in your face" type game, and another coach who lost his coaching job...
Short Answer: Nothing.
I guess you'll be wanting more than a short answer, though. Especially when someone asks such a common question and responds with such an uncommon, illogical answer. I mean there has to be something wrong with the Flyers, right? There just [i]has[/i] to be.
Last night the Flyers opened their season on home ice at the Wells Fargo Center against ...
This is my first blog, so I figured to start off with a hotly contested subject as the new season starts. Just who is the best goaltender in the NHL. By all accounts I read through this summer, that distinction belongs to either Quick or Lundqvist. Lundqvist has played 3 more seasons than Quick, and since I am a Rangers fan I decided to reduce Henrik's numbers to only 5...
So just a couple things I saw from the Flames tonight:rnrn-Karri Ramo played well, better than I expected. It looked like he was over-committing at times but otherwise was positionally sound. He looked confident in net and I think that he's gonna be a good goaltender.rnrn-The team played very well in the 1st period (clearly) even though Holtby gave up two softies, the Flam...
RyanHolmerB writes...
Calgary Flames vs. Columbus Blue Jackets preview + RECAP
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]Twitter:[/b] @ProspectReport
After a long hiatus, I'm back to cover Calgary again.
What felt like an eternity, the summer is finally over and hockey is back. Calgary lost their opening night 5-4 to the Washington Capitals in a hard-fought game. There are a lot of positives to take away from last nights game. Calgary absolutely dominated the first period, and made...
Catch the highlights as the Detroit Red Wings as they hosted the Buffalo Sabres on October 2, 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/hA_GWhRIuWQ[/url]
Catch the highlights of the Pittsburgh Penguins as they hosted the New Jersey Devils on October 3, 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/S9eS2mHz1_g[/url]
CConlonDevil writes...
Devils Came Out Flying to Gain a Point and ONLY a Point
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The New Jersey Devils played their cross river rivals in the New York Islanders today in speedy fashion. But not so speedy as Michael Grabner with his three breakaway opportunities (two being tallies past Martin Brodeur). The Devils fell 4-3 in a 6 round shootout contest which saw many upsides and down sides in their overall game. The main downside was their defensive brea...
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...
It wasn't exactly pretty, and the Ducks clearly have a lot of things that they need to work on, but they walked away with 2 points and their 1st win of the season. And when it comes down to it, that's what counts.
The Ducks played a good game against Minnesota. It was by no means great, and there were a lot of holes, but it was good enough. I'm still trying to figure ou...
In 1988 the Winnipeg Jets selected a young Finnish player named Teemu Selanne with their 10th overall selection. It took a few years for him to come to the NHL, but he finally did in the 92-93 season, and boy, was it worth the wait. Teemu exploded onto the scene, scoring 76 goals and 132 points as a rookie, records that stand to this day, records that may never be broken. ...
The Anaheim Ducks played their only game in Winnipeg this season. And if these two teams do not meet in the playoffs, then this was Teemu Selanne's last game in the city that he began his career in.
This was easily the Ducks best game of the season. They played hard and competed for 60 minutes, and while there were still some issues, if they play like this, they are going...
NHL is back! So much excitement in the air at the start of the season...
It's always fun reading about the team predictions set by the “pros” and of course the projected points to make your witty picks for your hockey pool(s). With a slow schedule to start the season off, there have been some surprises and some disappointments. Most teams merely want to stay health...
Now that another youth hockey season is about to begin, the annual lamenting about the cost of the game gives rise to the topic of what exactly a young hockey player needs in the area of protective equipment.rnrnHere in northern Minnesota, where ice time is available duiring the winter months on any of the outdoor rinks, many parents bring their kids to the rink to sign up...
Well, many people could see this one coming after the poor start the Flyers had. I had a gut feeling this one was coming. Not even just because of a 0-3 start, but just how the team looks in general. I for one, had great optimism for the Flyers because of their offseason additions this year and felt they would get back on track with a training camp and full season. Now, ...
By the time that I finish writing this blog, Buffalo will have lost their 5th game in a row. It is 4-1 Columbus at this time, 5 minutes into the 2nd period.
Before reading this, I offer a disclaimer;
[b]I am not going to sugar coat this.[/b] No matter how much I hate having to write this, I’m keeping this grounded in reality.
I have heard a lot of dissent over...
Februrary 2013
The New York Rangers are floundering on the fringe of the playoff picture. The shortened season has thrown a wrench into the team supposedly on the verge of a Stanley Cup run. Expectations have never been higher, and the team continues to disappoint. Brad Richards seems to have lost his game. Rick Nash is not living up to his billing. Chris Kreider is ...
PucksOnPucks writes...
The Blame Game: Peter Laviolette vs. Paul Holmgren
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Peter Laviolette vs. Paul Holmgren
I wanted to give myself a few days to process what happened in Philadelphia before I started ranting and raving about the turn of events that transpired this past Monday morning. If you don’t already know, Peter Laviolette was relieved of his coaching duties just 3 games into the 2013-14 regular season. I don’t necessarily think hi...
Did they mention there would be suffering?
Never a good thought going into a season. Looking at the very young roster, however, one can think that suffering is not inevitable. Players like Armia, Gigrensons, Grigorenko, Ristolainen, Foligno, Larsson, and Porter are a fine display of young talent that should make this team a top contender for the East, or at least a te...
Catch the highlights of the Florida Panthers as they host the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 11, 2013. Who will come out on top? Find out in today's featured game of the National Hockey League on EA Sports NHL 14 - play-by-play calling by Eric Munter.
[url]http://youtu.be/Cb-c_q7yC6I[/url]
[b]Tomas Hertl[/b] has been one of the most surprising stories in the young NHL season. In Tuesday's game against the New York Rangers, the 19-year old Hertl scored four goals. In five total games this year, Hertl has seven goals and an assist. He has scored more goals than the Buffalo Sabres have scored in six games combined.
In Tuesday's game, Hertl scored a...
One of the things I was most interested to find out this season was how the West and East stacked up against one another. A number of fans have taken the perspective that the East may have caught up or even surpassed the West, especially now with swap of Detroit and Columbus.
Last season, there were no inter-conference games at all -- each conference operated essentiall...
Last night the Devils lost their sixth straight game on the young season and boy was it painful to watch. The only player that showed up last night was Cory Schneider and he gave the Devils a hell of a chance to win by stopping 32 of 34 shots. It should have been 32 of 33 but after the empty netter the team stopped playing and the Jets were able to get a garbage goal.
...
Last night the Devils lost their sixth straight game on the young season and boy was it painful to watch. The only player that showed up last night was Cory Schneider and he gave the Devils a hell of a chance to win by stopping 22 of 24 shots. It should have been 22 of 23 but after the empty netter the team stopped playing and the Jets were able to get a garbage goal.
...
Deep_Blue writes...
Why the Leafs (for the most part) deserve their 5-1 record
Posted Monday | Comments 0
As this is my first post, I'm not sure if it's displaying properly. If someone notices any issues, please let me know how I can fix them. Thanks.
Right now is a very odd time to be a Leafs fan for sure. Despite a 5-1 record, if you read the papers around town, listen to local sports radio, watch Canadian sports news stations or read almost any Leafs blogs, the universa...
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...
Meeqsb writes...
The Good, the Bad and the Outlook on All 30 Teams... Part 1!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
With the season having just started I figured now would be a good time to go through every team in the league and look at how they are doing and how they are headed. So without further ado.
[u]Anaheim[/u]
The good: This team has insane depth at Goalie with 2 nhl starters and 2 of the top rookie goaltenders in their system. The ducks have a lot of flexibility with wher...
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...
As many of you already are doing, I’m sitting here watching tonight’s Sabres vs Islanders game. We all know the record that’s on the line tonight. It’s not one that any Buffalo Sabres fan wants to see.
I don’t need to do an analysis of any of the first 7 games. We all know that things aren’t good in “Hockey Heaven” right now. The ruler, Terry Pegula, no...
Is it just me, or are the top teams in NHL completely overwhelming their competition? It looks as though the Sharks, Avs and Maple Leafs are the wrecking balls of the league. Or maybe I'm just completely distracted by how Brent Burns is morphing in to a cave man slowly but surely. In any case, last night the Sharks completely annihilated and outplayed the Blues. That's rig...
The rumors are flying all over about Nail Yakupov and his future with the Edmonton Oilers. While Yakupov has had a poor start with no points so far, he is arguably one of Edmonton's most talented players. The 1st overall pick in the 2012 draft has been scratched twice by new rookie head coach Dallas Eakins. Yakupov was not very happy about being scratched two games in a ...
While many of us attempt to get situated for this current year and hope to see a big turnaround, let’s pause for a moment and take a look into the future. Hop in the Delorean and let’s go to Oct 2015.
It’s 2015 and the Flyers are now ready to send Scott Laughton, Tye McGinn, Jason Akeson, Sam Morin and Anthony Stolarz out for opening night. The Flyers still have C...
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]
For as long as many of us can remember, the reputation of the Philadelphia Flyers is that of a big, physical team that won't be pushed around. [b]They will intimidate and impose their will on the competition[/b]. From the top of the organization down, there has been almost a mandate on upholding this reputation. All you have to do is look at the management team/coaching s...
Watching the Sabres this year has been akin to having a 3 hour root canal on most nights, especially in the first few games when coach Rolston's 'system' of choice was to sit back and hope nothing would go wrong rather than being proactive and trying to make something go right.
There seem to be two styles of play employed league wide, and I would always rather the attac...
Patience is a word that sits like a an oversized lump of rock stuck in all Sabres fans throats.
Would it be an easier digestion if that word was not coming from the mouth of one Darcy Regier? Most certainly, however, it's the sad reality for all Buffalo fans this year, and most likely for the next one to two years on top of that.
Feel free to throw up at any second.
...
Although you can still count the number of games played for each team on your hands, I thought I'd give my two cents in what I think will happen in the long run. The Stanley Cup Finals will be the San Jose Sharks vs. Detroit Red Wings in which SJ wins in 6. (To those that might remember a different prediction on a Toronto blog thread, I rethought it.) Why the Sharks? Beca...
Another night of Sufferin’ with the Sabres is underway at First Niagara Center. We all knew that this season wasn’t going to be pretty, but we didn’t think that it was going to be this bad. I’m editing a quote from the movie [i]“Moneyball”[/i] to sum up the Sabres season at this point;
“There are good teams, and there are bad teams. Then there’s 50 feet ...
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...
Always Mighty writes...
Ducks defeat Stars and stretch their win streak to 7 games
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The game was getting ugly fast, and quickly could have gotten out of control. But after losing Dustin Penner to a dirty hit, the Ducks rallied together and won their 7th game in a row!
The Ducks had another fast start, another explosive night offensively, and another strong performance from their netminder. While far from a perfect game (or a clean one for that matter),...
Okay, so I'm rather new to this blog thing, but here it goes.
(Fair warning: This article is a rant about people ranting and will be long and boring probably.)
I've been a fan of hockey, and in particular the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks for over 25 years (having grown up in between these two great hockey cities) now. My favorite team falls to the Detr...
While I was watching the Sabres game Saturday night, I was on Twitter live chatting like normal. As the team’s play, I guess the right terminology would be “improved” as the game reached its late stages, several reporters were mentioning the excuses that would be used for this game to justify the eventual loss.
I started having flashbacks at this point.
2 yea...
The Anaheim Ducks completed their 5 game homestand with a perfect 5-0 record and a 7 game winning streak. They are currently 7-1, the only loss being to Colorado in their home opener. While this is their best start in franchise history, the hunt for the playoffs is far from over. Tomorrow, the Ducks will embark on a 8 game road trip, their longest this season.
When the ...
The case for keeping Rielly with the Leafs beyond his 9-game tryout period is really pretty simple and straightforward. Proponents state that keeping Rielly with the Leafs will a) improve the team and b) hasten Rielly’s development as an NHL player. From the looks of it, Leafs fans have bought in on this as well. On the popular Leafs website http://theleafsnation.com,...
Paging Mr. Pegula, where are you? Your team is a wreck right now, your fans are getting relentless, and you are 1-9-1 in the first eleven games. The last time we had no clue where our owner was with this team was the last owner, who you bought the team from!
First thing is first, eleven games in and firing the general manager would not be the end of the world....
Last night was just another example of the Sabres failing to rise to the challenge of a “rivalry” game. There’s no love lost between Buffalo and Boston. I’d have hoped that Buffalo would have at least risen to the occasion, and played Boston hard. They even had a chance to win with the game 3-2 heading into the 3rd period. Instead, they failed to generate shots, an...
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...
It is long past time for Mike Milbury to wear clown shoes whenever he is on NBC covering a hockey game.
Last night, the great bastion of all that is holy in hockey suggested that Ron Rolston should be fired.
Upon hearing that, I was immediately overwhelmed by a queasy feeling as I thought the world might be ending due to my being in agreement with Mike, until I heard...
I thought it would be fun to break the Ducks season up into 10 game increments, and every 10 games make a post about how the team was doing. I'd look at stats over the course of the past 10 games and compare them to the entire season and see how the team was doing. The season being only 10 games old, this 1st entry will obviously have both of those parts be one and the sam...
Never have more words perhaps been written on a daily basis about a player by a teams fans than have been about Tyler Myers.
To that I thought, why not add more. Makes sense, right?
Tyler Myers burst upon the Sabres scene as a 19 year old playmaking force. For a player that was not even expected to make the team, let alone stick around, he had a tremendous year, scor...
The Ducks have signed goalie Frederik Andersen to a 2 year contract extension. It's a 1-way contract, so he will get paid his NHL salary with the Ducks or with the Admirals. He is signed for $1 million in the 1st season and $1.3 million in the 2nd season, for an annual cap hit of $1.15 million. With him signed for 2 more years, the Ducks goaltending situation is becoming a...
Tonight, the Sabres actually held the lead for almost a full 30 seconds as time dwindled away in the 3rd period after a nice 4 way passing play that ended with Vanek depositing the Foligno pass for a 2-1 score late.
Within 25 seconds, it was back to business as usual.
Vanek, instead of attempting to hold the puck in off the offensive zone faceoff, instead did nothing...
As I was getting ready to leave my parent’s house, celebrating my dad’s birthday, my phone starts blowing up. I start researching and immediately am greeted by Twitter blowing up with news that Thomas Vanek is no longer a Buffalo Sabre.
Let’s take a look at the actual deal that was made.
Buffalo Sabres send Thomas Vanek to the New York Islanders.
New York ...
After starting out their 8 game road trip 0-2, the Ducks have defeated both Ottawa and Columbus to get a .500 record half way through this trip. The game against Columbus has been the 1st game of this road trip that I have been able to watch in its entirety because all of the games on this road trip so far have started either at 4 or 4:30. While it wasn't the Ducks best ga...
A couple of years ago I wrote an article on the NHL’s concussion issue. As the NHL seems to become more of a “do what we say league,” their latest installment of rules has me scratching my head.
Last week Darren Dreger of TSN reported that the linesmen have been instructed to stop a fight if the players remove their helmets beforehand. Earlier in the season the NH...
What these Maple Leafs have lost since the offseason in speed and skill they have gained twice over in heart and leadership. The Maple Leafs now seem to take pride in wearing the blue and white. I understand that the leafs have only played well in 2 games this year (against Nashville and Pittsburgh) but they are competing for two points every game. This Leaf team is able t...
In recent years this so called "City of Champions" has been riddled with, I am sorry to say "losers". The city has seen it's storied NHL franchise celebrating the 1st overall pick like they have won Lord Stanley's Cup...
Every time I drive into Edmonton I want to hop out of my truck and change the sign from "City of Champions" to "City of RETIRED Champions"...sure Oiler...
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...
The Ducks finished the month of October with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins (a game that I missed because I was busy terrorizing the few kids that came by), and finished with a record of 10 wins, 3 losses, and one shootout loss in 14 games, good for 21 points. And before November starts up I thought it would be fun to go through the highs and the lows of the 1st ...
JasonHarrison writes...
Misery Loves Company - Everybody Sucks Sometimes ...
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I was just sitting here at work on a dreary Saturday morning doing everything but working, lamenting my beloved Oilers and wondering if things will ever get better. As there is nothing in the near future suggesting that it will, I decided to do some research into just how bad things have been for the Edmonton Oilers in the historical context of how all teams have faired s...
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 Anaheim Ducks faced the Buffalo Sabres tonight and came away with a 6-3 win. The thing is, for whatever reason, Buffalo has been a mess all season. They have 2 wins and 5 points, they have yet to win at home, and they have only scored the 1st goal in a game only once. To me, that is the perfect recipe for a desperate team that could come out and beat the Ducks if they ...
Phil Kessel of the Toronto Maple Leafs has consistently lead his team with one of, if not the highest points and goal totals since his tenure with the Leafs began. With this information alone you would be hard pressed to understand why then in a fan base so passionate about winning, many remain apprehensive in their support of this 26 year old goal scorer.
From the ver...
Not sure where this rant will end up but I just want to share my feeling on what I think could be one of the Oilers issues and it goes back to the old adage that 'Size does Matter'.
I was looking at the Oilers first round draft picks since around 2001 and something was apparent to me...the Oilers draft smaller forwards then most teams. I came to this conclusion without ...
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...
For those who are unaware of the situation in Lethbridge (Regardless of what Management believes), let me outline it for you before I couch GM a solution in just 5 easy steps.
I swear, one day I am going to start off one of these blogs in a good mood because the team I am writing about isn't an absolute nightmare. If you are reading this wondering,
[i]"Why are ...
He is north of 6 feet tall, has amazing skating ability, has a great pair of hands, can pass, and shoot. But, can he take a face-off? This question will be answered in the coming weeks. If van Riemsdyk is able to be close to 50% in the circle then the Leafs might have found what they were looking for.
The prototypical number 1 center has forever been described with the...
Last Friday some people headed out to the mall, the movies or simply stayed home to enjoy a relaxing night. Others headed down to the Wells Fargo Center to catch what they hoped would be a good hockey game. A win is always a plus but a good close hockey game is always entertaining. Keeping in mind that Ovechkin was out with an injury and that the Flyers were 3-8, there was...
Devan Dubnyk was the Oilers first pick in the 2004 draft being selected 14th overall from the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL in a year that he won gold at the World Under 18 Championships with a 3-3 record with 1 shutout and a 2.51 GAA and .917 SV%.
Dubby has had a tough start to his season this year after coming off what you could call his best stats year in the 2012-13 s...
There’s a lot of rumblings right now about Ron Rolston, and how he needs to be fired, even after last night’s surprise victory in San Jose. At this point in time, I really can’t jump on this bandwagon, nor do I plan on it. Rolston is starting to look more and more like a scapegoat to take the blame.
Why, you ask? I’ll get to that.
I’ve got several reasons...
The Drury-Briere era Sabres team has long become folklore in hockey heaven. This extremely short period of Sabres history saw a team that never gave up and made a habit of tying games in the waning seconds of playoff games and going on to win it in overtime. Not only has the dominance and never-say-die attitude disappeared from Buffalo's beloved hockey team, but also has...
The Drury-Briere era Sabres team has long become folklore in hockey heaven. This extremely short period of Sabres history saw a team that never gave up and made a habit of tying games in the waning seconds of playoff games and going on to win it in overtime. Not only has the dominance and never-say-die attitude disappeared from Buffalo's beloved hockey team, but also has...
The Drury-Briere era Sabres team has long become folklore in hockey heaven. This extremely short period of Sabres history saw a team that never gave up and made a habit of tying games in the waning seconds of playoff games and going on to win it in overtime. Not only has the dominance and never-say-die attitude disappeared from Buffalo's beloved hockey team, but also has...
Last night, the Anaheim Ducks returned home after a successful 8 game road trip. After dropping the 1st 2 games, the Ducks went 5-0-1 over the final 6 games, catapulting themselves to the top of the NHL standings. So many times, when a team returns from a long, successful road trip, the 1st home game back is disappointing, and often ends in a loss. Last night, the Ducks we...
So it was going well up till a few weeks ago, we had Cam, Ryan, and even Thirstyfin making posts on their views and news from the sharks. Where did y'all go? What do you see is going on with team and why they keep getting edged out in the end?
MattBranidis writes...
How The Canucks Are Ruining The NHL For The Rest Of Us
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I am going to do anyone who is reading this article a huge favour, go to youtube and type thunderous hockey hits. Then sit back and enjoy the lost and continually dying art of the body check. These days there are many available links to hockey highlights that purport to show a huge must see hit, yet rarely am I impressed. Recent rule changes and the over enforcement of old...
Always Mighty writes...
Ducks defeat Sabres and Canucks, injury news, Steckel signed
Posted Monday | Comments 0
After defeating the Phoenix Coyotes, the Ducks had 2 games left on their 3 game homestand against the Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks. They came away with victories in both games, extending their home record to a perfect 8-0 and extending their league leading point total to 31 with a record of 15-3-1. Frederik Andersen played in both games and improved his record ...
Before getting into a gameday preview, I'll voice my thoughts on the current slide to catch up.
After starting the season 8-0-1, the Sharks have spent their last 8 games polishing up a record of 2-2-4, hardly impressive, but is there cause for concern?
To put it simply, no, there isn't.
Out of the current 8-game stretch there isn't one game that concerns me. Sure,...
The New York Islanders come home from a road trip that was not to friendly to them playing 4 games and losing all 4 to gain not a single point. The Islanders who lost to Washington, Carolina, Columbus and Montreal respectfully and are actually the favorite to win due to the Nashville Predators coming to town who have lost their past 2 games and also being shut o...
[b]Ryan Miller[/b] has been the franchise goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres since the 2005-06 season. He has become the winningest goaltender in franchise history, and has played 495 games as a Buffalo Sabre. His name has been the talk of the town for numerous reasons in recent years, but this year it is has not been will Miller be traded, it is when will he be traded.
...
Tim Chiasson writes...
Back In The Win Column: Sharks Edge Flames In OT
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Let the air out of your lungs Sharks fans.
With an unusually eerie feeling heading into overtime against the Calgary Flames, the first thought that came to mind was 'Uh-oh'. As much as I believe in patience it's hard to avoid the thoughts of the last five games and how four of them were lost in the time exceeding regulation.
Recent history wouldn't repeat itself, tho...
I’m not used to getting up the morning after a Sabres game, and seeing them with another tally in the win column. I’m sure a lot of people in Buffalo aren’t used to that.
I return to my normal mantra, the Sabres didn’t win that game last night, Ryan Miller did and as much as I hate saying it, Jonathan Quick’s injury late in overtime helped as well. Scrivens, ...
This morning, I went to get my medical treatment and got plugged in for my infusion. I had just written my morning blog, which I normally do during my treatment, and had started watching Netflix. Suddenly, my phone went off stating that the Buffalo Sabres were having a “major” news conference at 10:30 am.
My mind of course starts racing as I hop on Twitter, which h...
Always Mighty writes...
Reviewing the Ducks past 10 games (games 11-20)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
And just like that, the 1st 20 games are on the books. Anaheim has a 15-4-1 record for 31 points, currently leading the league. As I did after the 1st 10 games of the season, I'll look back and see how the team has done over games 11-20, and see where they improved and where they regressed. I'm hoping that by breaking up the season like this I'll be able to get an idea of ...
Tonight's game marks the end of the season series between the Sharks and Canucks. It's pretty early to be ending a season series, but I'm sure these two teams have had enough of each other. Four of the Sharks first 19 games have been against Vancouver, as well as a few pre-season games and a four game sweep of the 'Nucks in last years playoffs.
The Sharks took the firs...
It's been a while. I apologize for those who have been wondering what happened to me...(Roadrunner especially!)
Compacted with some laptop computer issues ($875 and a little bit more for tech support via Geek Squad, that has finally been addressed), coaching both junior high and high school teams in the fall, as well as and other commitments, I have spent the month of O...
This quote by head coach Todd McLellan pretty much sums up the game for the Sharks.
[quote]"We weren't the better team tonight and we have been on the other end of that where we were the better team and found a way not to win it. Tonight we found a way to come back."[/quote]
The Sharks weren't the better team, fact. Vancouver dominated most of the play for 50 minutes...
Always Mighty writes...
Ducks trade Holland, Staubitz to Toronto for Blacker, picks
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Earlier today the Anaheim Ducks traded center Peter Holland and right winger Brad Staubitz to the Toronto Maple Leafs for defenceman Jesse Blacker, a 3rd round pick (which could become a 2nd round pick), and a 7th round pick.
Staubitz was on a 1 way contract, and had no place in Anaheim. As such, he has been playing in Norfolk this season, but the Ducks do not like to b...
Was this just a trade made out of necessity or is there more to it? The Leafs traded for Peter Holland and Nick Staubitz today in exchange for Jesse Blacker, a 7th round pick in 2014 (originally from Anaheim, acquired in the Steckel trade) and either a 2nd or 3rd round 2014 pick depending on Holland’s performance. Let’s break this down:
First off, Staubitz is a s...
In October I posted a prediction for each of the thirty teams. Now that we're just about 25% through the year, let's see how out to lunch I really was.
30 Teams, 30 Predictions
Anaheim – A flavor of the shortened season, they fail to make playoffs.
[b]Obviously this doesn't seem to be true thus far, with Anaheim 2nd in the West. I guess Bruce Boudreau wasn't ...
TheWad87 writes...
JML to Carolina?- Top Three Hurricanes the Leafs Can Acquire
Posted Monday | Comments 0
According to Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail, the Leafs and Carolina are discussing a trade that involves John Michael Liles. Earlier in the week, Darren Dreger reported the Leafs and Carolina were talking a Liles trade, but nothing was imminent.
Links: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Mike-Augello/Leafs-Holland-Not-A-Stop-Gap-Swapping-D-Men-Kessel-Has-The-Flu/120/5...
To the surprise of nobody, the Sabres and Pat LaFontaine have asked for permission, and received it, to talk with two of the hottest Gm candidates in the market: Jason Botterill and Jim Benning.
Both have strong resumes, have been building their skills by working their way up the hockey ladder the proper way, and are widely considered by all involved with the league to ...
Hockey fans who fancy fantasy leagues or the L.A. Kings may have found a place in their hearts for a new goaltender. Ben Scrivens has been stellar since arriving in California, starting in only 6 games but allowing only 9 goals. He has been very impressive, recording 3 shutouts so far this season. This is tremendous news for Kings fans, as Jonathan Quick is expected to ...
I've been a Blues fan for a long time now and it ceases to amaze me at how little attention the team gets, both in local and national news.rnrnrnrnI realize that St. Louis isn't considered a major market, when it's compared to cities like New York or Pittsburgh, but what does a team have to do to get some respect. Right now, the Blues are at the top of the Central Divisio...
If you were to physically illustrate the ups and downs that have defined my life as a Leafs fan, you would have yourself a picture of something resembling a ride at Canada’s Wonderland. From the ongoing frustrations of the JFJ era – moves like signing Jason Blake after a year we all knew he couldn’t repeat, to the excitement brought upon us by Burke and his unforesee...
Jonathan Bernier has been nothing short of spectacular for the Maple Leafs this season. Yet, it would seem every couple of games, a goal is scored that would only happen in E division men's league. Are these house league horn sounders a tell-tale sign of things to come or just bad luck.
Bernier is one of the most fundamentally sound goaltender in the NHL. For a small g...
It seems like distant memory since the announcement came that Buffalo Sabres fans were done with Darcy Regier. I am still lobbying for November 13 to be a paid holiday across Western New York. Unfortunately, the scoreboard still says that the Sabres are losing games.
I said this on my Twitter account earlier in the week. Every time Ted Nolan comes out and makes a state...
Sorry I haven't posted a game recap for a while. A combination of a busy life combined with most of the last several games starting early means that I haven't watched as much Ducks hockey as I would like. Having lost 5 in a row (including to Tampa last week), the Ducks were looking to get back in the win column and avenge the prior loss. Also, an injury update and a trade ...
5 years, $21 million dollars hardly sounds like a good deal for a center that many have called a ‘third-liner’. Calls from media sources and bloggers alike went on throughout the ensuing summer questioning the thinking of Dave Nonis in making the decision to use a compliance buyout on Mikhail Grabovski while re-signing Tyler Bozak to a contract which would overpay him...
Say what you will about the Stars' current season standings. They might once again continue their perennial placement on the bubble of the playoffs - perhaps they may even continue the playoff-drought that Stars fans have endured for half a decade now. But, to say that they haven't moved forward since last season would be a farce, despite sitting in the same positions th...
Check out the comments on any Devils blog and inevitably you'll find people calling for Peter Deboers head. I'll admit, I agreed with most of these people for a while. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that Deboer is actually doing a good job working with the players he's been given. Yes, the Devils struggle to score goals. And yes, they seem like they're d...
Check out the comments on any Devils blog and inevitably you'll find people calling for Peter Deboers head. I'll admit, I agreed with most of these people for a while. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that Deboer is actually doing a good job working with the players he's been given. Yes, the Devils struggle to score goals. And yes, they seem like they're d...
Check out the comments on any Devils blog and inevitably you'll find people calling for Peter Deboers head. I'll admit, I agreed with most of these people for a while. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that Deboer is actually doing a good job working with the players he's been given. Yes, the Devils struggle to score goals. And yes, they seem like they're d...
Check out the comments on any Devils blog and inevitably you'll find people calling for Peter Deboers head. I'll admit, I agreed with most of these people for a while. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that Deboer is actually doing a good job working with the players he's been given. Yes, the Devils struggle to score goals. And yes, they seem like they're d...
Always Mighty writes...
Ducks sign Bonino, injury news and roster moves
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Over the last week the Ducks have made several changes to their roster (primarily because of injuries) and signed one of their young centers to a 3 year extension.
The Ducks and center Nick Bonino have agreed on a 3 year contract extension worth $5.7 million for an annual cap hit of $1.9 million. This season, Bonino has appeared in every game for the Ducks and scored 7 ...
Although this season was somewhat predictable when it comes to how the Sabres would finish, last nights win against the Maple Leafs was a step moving forwards. The Sabres finally started playing with life and emotion. Ted Nolan has really changed the culture here, regardless of his record as Head Coach. He promised back at his first press conference that the culture in Buf...
royalgardens writes...
Testing the Leaf's Mettle: Time to Put Up or Shut Up!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]November 30th[/b]
Thank God in heaven that this is the last game for the Leafs in Buffalo (and also thank God that the Kings don't have to play another one there also!).
More importantly, is that the Maple Leaf struggles continue.
It is understandable that with so many guys in and out and back in and out of the lineup recently can cause some problems as far as...
After a solid effort against one of the easts top teams, the Lightning are ready to overcome their loss and avoid receiving back-to-back losses for only the 2nd time this season. With the help of solid goaltending and a team effort, it's hard not to like the lightning's chances heading into the first battle of these two teams.
Since the loss of Steven stamkos, the light...
As it stands right now, this summer looks to have a large selection of UFA's for every position. Teams will have tight budgets, some are in serious trouble already and others are losing tons of players, which will mean a scramble to create a roster. I understand that it is early and that a lot of these players will resign. However lets go with the assumption that they a...
We are losing a lot of good players to injuries from fights. I think there is a simple solution to stop most injuries in hockey fights. How about a 5 game suspension for grabbing jerseys during a fight. If you hold a jersey during a game you get a holding penalty (if the ref catches it), so why not a penalty if you do the same during a fight? If you look back at a lot of ...
The Ducks finished the month of November with a 4-3 shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks, a game that they were outplayed for the 1st 40 minutes of the game but utilized a great 3rd period to get the extra point. Overall, the Ducks played 15 games in November and had a record of 8-4-3, good for 19 points. As I did with Otober, I'll go through the highs and lows of the prev...
[b]December 2nd[/b]
[u][b]Kings Continue Dominance of Blues[/b][/u]
Finally, a nice easy win for the Kings at Staples Monday night. It also came against a very solid Blues team still looking to avenge its back-to-back first round ousting at the hands of the black and white.
LA seemed to be playing much more relaxed than Saturday night, but in a good way. They let...
[b]December 3[/b]
[u]Undermanned Maple Leafs Unable to Sink Sharks[/u]
The first big test of a tough and critical stretch of games for the confidence stricken Toronto Maple Leafs came tonight at Air Canada Centre against the San Jose Sharks, perhaps the best team in the NHL at the moment.
To be quite honest, the Leafs played a strong game despite being dominated f...
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Tampa has been shut out in 3 of the last 5 outings. Due to lack of goal scoring capabilities, the Lightning have managed some fine line shuffling for tonights til against the great white norths capital. I am a huge fan of these new lines. During practice yesterday, the new lines looked like this:
Peca Richard Hart
Ikonen Drouin Palat
Panik Johnson Killorn
Kucherov Mu...
[b]December 5th[/b]
[u]Welcome back to the scene Mr. Bernier and Mr. Kadri.[/u]
Tonight at the Air Canada Centre, the Maple Leafs got exactly what they were asking for when they traded for Jonathan Bernier. Bernier was a man on a mission tonight, and although he allowed the game-tying goal later in the third on an outstanding hand-eye coordination play by the savvy v...
No question, games 21-30 was the worst 10 game stretch for Anaheim so far this season. After going 15-4-1 through the 1st 20 games, the Ducks went 3-3-4 for 10 points in their last 10 games. The Ducks did improve their special teams play, but their overall play suffered, and injuries continue to be a huge concern for the team.
As always, I'll 1st start with individual s...
I know I’ve been quiet lately. I blame it on the holiday season being in the full effect. That and my job is a nightmare. The same can be said with the Buffalo Sabres to be completely honest.
Despite the new leadership, the team continues to struggle. The Buffalo Sabres may be playing with a lot more heart now, but they still can’t manage to put the puck in the back ...
[b]December 8[/b]
[u]Same Old Story, Different Night [/u]
Once again, the Boston Bruins continue to show why they are the team to beat in the East, and of course the Toronto Maple Leafs know this sentiment all to well.
As a matter of fact, just give the Boston Bruins the Atlantic Division crown right now. There is no way the Maple Leafs will keep them from achievi...
Up until the end of November, the Dallas Stars were the team with the fewest man games lost to injuries in the league.
Of course we knew that the luck in which the Stars had avoided practically any major/long term injuries would end at some point. However, the swiftness in which it all turned around was staggering. With Robidas going out for 4-6 months with a broken l...
royalgardens writes...
Kings Set Out to Conquer Canadian Strongholds MTL/TOR
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[b]December 9[/b]
Before the Kings and Maple Leafs meet at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Los Angeles will first face off against a strong Montreal Canadiens team at the Bell Centre Tuesday evening.
I can hardly remember the last time the Kings won at the Bell Centre or even Centre Molson. In fact, the Canadiens have won 12 of the last 13 meetings in Montreal sinc...
Well, I was finally able to watch most of a Ducks game (some electrical issues kept me blacked out through the 1st 12ish minutes), so I can finally do my next game write up. Last night, the New York Islanders came to the Pond. They had lost 9 straight road games, and the Ducks were coming home from a successful road trip that saw them pick up wins against 2 of the NHL's el...
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...
tylercastro writes...
Three Straight Games with 6+ Goals for Blackhawks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Chicago Blackhawks come off their third win in a row against the Philadelphia Flyers Wednesday night at the United Center in Chicago. A 7-2 win caps off 3 games in four nights, outscoring opponents 19-6. Antti Raanta has taken over for Corey Crawford and has let in 2 goals in each of his starts/reliefs. Raanta has stopped 64 of 70 total shots in three games. The two Pa...
Jay Feaster is now out as the Calgary Flames GM. As well as assistant general manager, John Weisbrod. The Flames went 92-80-33 under Feaster since the 2010-2011 season, failing to make the playoffs, yet staying over .500. Brian Burke, President of Hockey made the decision Thursday morning, where he then called a meeting for nearly everyone in the organization. Players sai...
royalgardens writes...
Back From Toronto; Kings Show What it Takes to Win
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]December 12[/b]
Toronto is a spectacular city. Full of great people, who take great pride in their town...and its teams, even though when they've hit rock bottom.
Watching TSN from my Bond Place Hotel room the other night, they broadcasted a bit from the MLB Winter Meetings from Lake Buena Vista Florida, (aka The Swan at the Walt Disney World Resorts where I ran i...
Mr. $36 million dollar man, David Clarkson, Toronto Maple Leafs forward, will sit out again from the Leaf's lineup. Clarkson has a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety for his sly shoulder to head of St. Louis Blues LW, Vladimir Sobotka. Clarkson, already suspended once this season for leaving the bench to assist in a fight. The automatically cost him not only ...
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...
tylercastro writes...
PIT vs. CHI Stadium Series Tickets Sold Out after One Day
Posted Friday | Comments 0
We all know the top dominating team's of each conference of today's NHL. The Pittsburgh Penguins of the east, and the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks of the west. As of today the Penguins are 2nd in the Eastern Conference (21-10-1 43 points), under the Boston Bruins with 43 points, and the Blackhawks are 23-6-5, 51 points, and 1st in the Western Conferenc...
The Pittsburgh Penguins showoff their new jersey for the game that will be played on March 1st of the new year against the Chicago Blackhawks. The jersey will an away white, like normal, with strops on the mid-sleeve and bottom of the sweater. A tweet that I read earlier in the day compared the jersey to a familiar rivals, Boston Bruins jersey. It made it a whole lot more ...
DavidCQuack writes...
St. Louis Blues at Columbus Blue Jackets Game Preview
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[Note: I think it's too bad that one of the best teams in the league is currently without a blogger. Therefore, I took it upon myself to preview the Blues upcoming game. If you do not like it, feel free to let me know in the comments section and I will not post anymore. Thanks for reading]
On Saturday night the St. Louis Blues (21-6-3) will travel to Columbus to take on...
Well last night I thought Maple Leafs right wing, David Clarkson, would get 5+ games for his hit to the head on Blues forward Vladimir Sobotka. I did feel wrong after I let that post out. I brought my thinking down to more like 3 games tops. Clarkson luckily for him and his team only received two games. But that doesn't take away the fact that Clarkson is now going to miss...
30 games into the season, the St. Louis Blues are 21-6-3, a record that most fans would be proud of. However, the Blues have struggled recently, particularly against teams in the California district. The Blues are 0-4 against these teams, with 2 losses to the Sharks, and 1 each to the Kings and Ducks. If the Blues want to finally make some noise in the postseason, they're ...
30 games into the season, the St. Louis Blues are 21-6-3, a record that most fans would be proud of. However, the Blues have struggled recently, particularly against teams in the California district. The Blues are 0-4 against these teams, with 2 losses to the Sharks, and 1 each to the Kings and Ducks. If the Blues want to finally make some noise in the postseason, they're ...
Yesterday was another long arduous day at work. I watched the snow fall outside my office and accumulate on the cars in the parking lot. Finally, 5 o’clock came, and I booked it for home where my wife was waiting. She was decked out in her fleece, and several layers, she continued to bundle up. I quickly shed the shirt and tie, and threw on my long johns. After grabbing ...
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...
tylercastro writes...
Chicago Blackhawks on the Other Side TOR 7 vs. CHI 3
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
For three straight games the Chicago Blackhawks scores 6+ goals in a game. The game against the Toronto Maple Leafs had a different story line to it. This match up was also about answering. The Maple Leafs answered the Blackhawk's goal 2 out of their 3. The first time Patrick Kane's second period goal was answered by Nikolai Kulemin 1:21 later. Next it was Phil Kessel answ...
royalgardens writes...
Where Did That Come From? Leafs Rout Chicago; Kings' Turn
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[b]December 15[/b]
Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs showed what it takes to have a chance at beating a team like Chicago. Not sure what happened to the Leafs, perhaps they were angry and completely unsatisfied at the effort on Thursday in St. Louis and they should be, but they took Chicago's game and threw it right back at them.
Remember what 1980 USA coach Herb ...
tylercastro writes...
Back to the W's; Raanta, Toews give Kings a Setback
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Chicago Blackhawks do what they do best and don't let a bad games get any further than the night it was played. After the 7-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Hawks come out with 3 first period goals against the Los Angeles Kings, which no team had scored any first period goals against the LA in 18 games! Where does that come from? But anyone knows if any team had ...
royalgardens writes...
Leafs Outplayed by Baby Penguins; Same Old Issues Return
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[b]December 16[/b]
Letdown?
No...don't think so.
This game tonight was downright lousy.
In fact, it was such a poor team game, it doesn't even fulfill the requirements of a letdown. A letdown usually refers to a tough loss in which things just do not go right even backed by a solid "team effort".
This disaster of a loss was not a team effort by any means.
...
A new thing i'm going to try is called, My "Team on the Move." This is going to be based on my opinion, of course. So my first team on the move is going to be... the Calgary Flames! Why not? The Flames have already played three games since the firing of Jay Feaster. They have earned at least 1 point in each of those three games. The exact record, 2-0-1. Calgary's leading s...
Consistently inconsistent, as they say. For stretches the Dallas Stars dominate opponents on the ice. But like clockwork the dominance ends as soon as it begins, never stretching beyond 3 games. After laying an egg against division rivals in Nashville, losing 2 huge points the Stars bounced back and scored a plethora of goals against the equally important Winnipeg Jets....
Through 36 games, the Ducks have played a league high 21 road games with a record of 11-7-3 away from the Pond (versus having only played 15 games at home, tied for 29th in the league). Those 11 wins are topped only by 2 other teams (Los Angeles and Chicago) and no team in the Eastern Conference has more than 10 wins. While the Ducks are not as good away from home (13-0-2)...
Rich Peverley has been one of the more consistent players on a Stars team that has grown notorious for its lack of consistency. So, why is it that we find the two way player moving up and down the line up and seeming to never play with the same forward group twice?
Perhaps it speaks to his versatility that head coach Lindy Ruff feels like his presence on any given line...
[b]December 21[/b]
[i]Kings Earn Shootout Victory in Battle with Avalanche[/i]
Happy Holidays to all you Kings (and hockey) fans out there!
In a rare afternoon matinee at Staples Center, fans in Los Angeles were treated to a very well-played, hard-fought game between the rising Colorado Avalanche and the experienced Kings.
Martin Jones once again came up big a f...
royalgardens writes...
Leafs "Top Line" Refuses to Play Defense; DET Earns SO Point
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]December 21[/b]
[i]Jekyll and Hyde Maple Leafs Battle Red Wings Down to the Wire[/i]
Happy Holidays all you hockey (Maple Leafs) fans out there!
Let me start with some of the good in tonight's Original Six match up between the Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings at the ACC...
After a horrible first period from the Maple Leafs, a team that played with no energy or ...
As the Flyers roller coaster season goes on, where some of it excites us while other parts just makes us fans sick, there is a question that needs to be answered. What are the Flyers going to do with Scott Hartnell?
Throughout the past seven seasons I’ve grown to love Hartnell. I loved him for his heart and his unwillingness to give up. He may have not found the score...
December 25
A very Merry Christmas to all you hockey fans out there!
As we have hit the Christmas break of the 2013-14 NHL season, let's take a quick gander at to what we have seen thus far.
In my opinion, the Anaheim Ducks are the best team in the league at the moment. The Ducks have also approached the midseason break with a nine game winning streak as a result...
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 ...
In the Ducks 1st 10 games of the season, they had 7 wins and 3 losses. I figured that would probably be their best 10 game stretch of the season. Hopefully they would equal that output again later in the season, but I wasn't expecting a better stretch. And then in their 2nd 10 game stretch of the season the Ducks went 8-1-1. Just 10 games later and the Ducks had already pu...
royalgardens writes...
Bozak Helps Leafs Return to Form; Stunned in Music City
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[b]December 29[/b]
[u][i]Jonathan Bernier and Tyler Bozak Lead Maple Leafs to Victory[/i][/u]
Perhaps I was a little too tough on Jonathan Bernier in my last blog. Toronto fans have been looking for a strong, young goaltender to lead the team back as a playoff fixture. I thought James Reimer did that last season, and was poised to do it again this season. Maybe that ...
BasedHockeyGod writes...
From an Oil Change to an Oil Spill - Halfway To Heart-Break
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Coming into the 2013-2014 season, I was rather impressed with the moves that newly appointed GM, Craig MacTavish, had made for the Oilers. Granted, he didn't bring in any huge names, but he also didn't sit idly by (see: Steve Tambellini). It seemed like a fresh this was finally going to be the year that the Oilers came out of the basement to play with the big boys. He also...
Word out there is that Leafs are coming real close to acquiring Jeff Skinner from the Hurricanes. Leafs may be sending Kadri and Reimer or Kadri and Gardiner in return. IMO, the first deal makes more sense for the Hurricanes as Kadri will replace Skinner and Reimer will help the Canes goalie problem. Although nothing has been set in stone, Carolina's earlier move today fre...
The Ducks enter the half way point of the season with a record of 28-8-5, and their 61 points tie them with Chicago for the top spot in the entire NHL (with Chicago winning tonight, they now sit 2nd overall, but at the 41 game mark, the 2 teams were tied in points). The Ducks currently hold a 5 point lead in the Pacific Division over the Sharks, and the Kings are 2 points ...
Another disappointing season with halfway to go. MacT nows the time for bold moves. Give oiler fans more hope and move some pieces and bring new ones in. Starting with Sam Gagner. He has struggled and his value will quickly fall of they wait too long. What do I suggest? Petry and 2016 first rounder for Keith yandle. Oilers need d help and coyotes need offense.
Next move ...
I just wanted to quickly write a quick congratulations to Cam Fowler for being named to the US Olympic Team! During the summer, he was named as one of the possibilities for Team USA, but I figured he was a long shot at best. While an excellent skater, his offense had all but dried up since his rookie season (1 goal and 11 points last season) and his defensive game still ha...
The Ducks finished the month of December with a 6-3 over the San Jose Sharks on New Years Eve. After the Sharks had ended the Ducks 10 game winning streak, the Ducks were looking to get revenge on their California rivals and did just that. Overall, the Ducks played 13 games in December and had a record of 11-1-1, good for 23 points! As with November and October, I'll go th...
Legend - MT - Must Trade, PT - Potential Trade, NT - No Trade yet rumoured
Anaheim: MT: None, team is playing together, PT: Cogliano (He may get a fair return to really improve the team)
Boston: MT: None, the epth is not one to mess with, PT: Erickson (he has not been as expected an could get moved for a more useful player), Soderburg (minus on Bruins, there could be...
Legend - MT - Must Trade, PT - Potential Trade, NT - No Trade yet rumoured
Anaheim: MT: None, team is playing together, PT: Cogliano (He may get a fair return to really improve the team)
Boston: MT: None, the epth is not one to mess with, PT: Erickson (he has not been as expected an could get moved for a more useful player), Soderburg (minus on Bruins, there could be...
The answer comes historically and from the present. Historically as GM he got the Oilers into the playoffs twice from 2001 -2009. He claims we are on our 5th year of our rebuild and that fans should be patient and yet the Oilers have done nothing since mortgaging their team 7 years ago.
He has brought in numerous coaches and GMs and still the Oilers finish last, sec...
First and foremost, Happy Belated Holidays to everyone. I know it’s been quite awhile since I was on here. Due to my work situation, and the Holidays which proved more interesting than normal, caused my absence. However, that hasn’t kept me from staying on top of the Sabres, and watching what has appeared to be an improved team attitude.
A lot has happened througho...
Last night the Ducks took on the Edmonton Oilers, a team that has been mired in misery for years now and have shown little improvement despite their several 1st overall draft picks. It should have been an easy game for the high flying Ducks, and the score of 5-2 would seem to indicate that, but the game, especially was the 1st period, was much more difficult that most woul...
The Anaheim Ducks have signed forward Andrew Cogliano to a 4 year deal worth $12 million. This is a great deal for both sides, but in particular for the Ducks. If Cogliano had become a UFA this season, he would probably command upwards of $3.5-$4 million a year, instead of the average of $3 million that he has been signed. And the 4 years and $12 million is nice for Coglia...
Karan2014 writes...
Gillis Says Canucks Are Not Interested in Rentals, Trades
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis says his team is not interested in acquiring a rental player or giving up one of their top prospects in a trade.
“We don’t like doing that [getting a rental player],” he told the TEAM 1040 on Thursday. “We’ve done it in the past, it hasn’t worked.
“We like players we think we can sign and keep that are going to ...
This recent Flyers win in Phoenix was amazing. After digging themselves into a 1-3 hole they pulled off a 5-3 victory. This is huge for Philadelphia because they are now second in the Metro division. They are still 17 points behind the Penguins, but are climbing out of their early season rut. It is good to see some of the Flyers top scorers putting the puck in the net. Sim...
The Ducks have been absolutely dominant at home this season, losing only twice, and never in regulation. The looked to extend that home dominance against the Canucks tonight, but ran into a goalie playing out of his mind, combine that with a terrible 1st period, and the Ducks almost lost the game. But a late goal in the 3rd tied the game, and then a goal with seconds left ...
Since Hemsky is going to be traded and we all know it, I think they should get rid of him and gagner before the deadline. I know the Colorado avalanche and ryan o'rielly want to be done with each other and he is a defensive centre who can also score, I say trade Hemsky to Colorado for him but that's not near enough so add either Fedun or Larsen and I think it would be fin...
A lot of people are picking their Canadian Olympic hockey team, so I thought I would give my input. rn First I will start with the forward lines;rn 1st Line: Tavares-Crosby-Stamkos (If he is healthy by Sochi) rn2nd Line: Getzlaf-Toews-Perry rn3rd Line: Couture-Thornton-Giroux rn4th Line: Sharp-Bergeron-Duchene rnExtras: ...
Hall Fan writes...
More Reasons Eakins is the Worst Coach ever to be in the NHL
Posted Monday | Comments 0
We all know the number Eakins has done on Yakupov this year. Nail coming off a big end to last season and then starting this season on line 3 with 4 minutes of ice time. Then being called out by the coach for his lack of point production with his limited ice time and sub par line contribution after only playing 48 games in the NHL. Then he sits Yak 4 times this season. ...
Everyone always says Canada could ice two hockey teams so I'm going to choose the other guys. The ones people are leaving off their teams. So first let's go over the locks for the real team canada.
Goalies Lunogo and Price. Crawford?
Defence Weber, Doughty, Keith, Pietranglo, Vasic?, Bowmeester?, Seabrook?, Subban ?
Forwards Crosby, Toews, Bergeron, Getzlaf, Perry, S...
[b]January 7[/b]
After an improbable victory (in a shootout mind you folks!) in the Winter Classic, things continue to get worse for a team who is extremely fragile minded. This is everyone's fault, from the ice, to the bench and to the press box.
It has been a while since I have written anything. Been on vacation while on winter break from teaching. I enjoyed the Sm...
Today, the Buffalo Sabres took a step towards the rebuild and hired the GM that Pat LaFontaine feels can lead the Sabres out of the darkness. Tim Murray has been brought in to assess talent and build the Stanley Cup champions that the Buffalo faithful deserve.
I was at work this morning when I received my notification stating that the press conference was scheduled for...
The Anaheim Ducks are sending 7 players to the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Cam Fowler was chosen for Team USA, Teemu Selanne and Sami Vatanen for Team Finland, Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf for Team Canada, Jonas Hiller for Team Switzerland, and Jakob Silfverberg for Team Sweden. I've already discussed Fowler, so I'll focus this post on the Ducks other 6 Olympians and...
royalgardens writes...
Kings Win Battle of Recent Champs; Leafs Quit in Carolina
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]January 10[/b]
I am going to start with something good tonight.
First of all, I really enjoyed the Boston Bruins-Los Angeles Kings game. I always like it when those two teams get together.
This game had a little bit of everything; two recent Stanley Cup Champions going head to head, hard hits, determined fore checking, pretty goals, some big saves at both ends...
[b]January 12[/b]
Jimmy Howard just proved why he deserves to be a member of the United States Olympic team.
Despite a tough year for him, mainly due to inconsistencies of play of the guys in front of him and injuries to several Red Wings players, Howard still remains an elite goaltender in the NHL and nearly single handedly defeated Chicago in the second round of t...
Last night the Winnipeg Jets lost 6-3 at home to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Watching the game it was pretty clear that there is little to no direction as to where this team is or where it's going. They were getting beat in every aspect in the game, whether it be a 1 on1 battle on the wall or just a race to open space and was really difficult to watch. The Jets are know 10...
Just moments before news broke with the firing of Winnipeg Jets head coach Claude Noel, I finished and submitted a blog stating that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff needed to make a move to appease Jets fans. Looks like he'd seen enough too after last night's poor showing and the home town team getting booed off the ice.
Now enter Paul Maurice, who has coached the Leafs and Hurri...
[b]January 12[/b]
[u][i]Bernier and Maple Leafs End Skid; Shake Off Poor Officiating[/i][/u]
At least the losing streak came to an end.
Still, I am very glad to see the Maple Leafs earn two points tonight, they played hard enough and deserved to win the game in regulation. Jonathan Bernier hung tough and helped his team snap the string of bad losses especially whe...
The Leafs finally win a game, an actual win…that’s if you think winning in a shootout should count that is. rnrnA boring hockey game, a boring result, but that’s exactly what the Devils do to you. The Leafs were outshot again and hemmed in their own zone for long periods of time and no this is not a recording its an actual fact and as Ovechkin would put it “I swe...
NEEDSMORHORCOFF writes...
Oilers fan banned from Rexall for a year for protest
Posted Monday | Comments 0
If you're an Oilers fan and haven't been living in a cave for the last week, chances are you've heard of a facebook page that's been gaining traction in the Edmonton media recently. Titled "Kevin Lowe has to go", the page has been steadily gaining likes and is currently poised to reach 8000 of them.
The pages creator, known as "John", was quoted by the Edmonton Sun rega...
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 ...
Always Mighty writes...
Reviewing the Ducks past 10 games (games 41-50)
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
After winning 10 games in a row, I knew that the Ducks would not be able to match that pace over their next 10 game stretch. But, the amazing this is, while they did lose 2 games, they still put up another 8 game winning streak and have won 18 of their last 20 games, easily the best stretch of regular season hockey in Ducks history. Besides the insane number of games that ...
[b]January 18th[/b]
Lots to write about following a (near) perfect week for the Toronto Maple Leafs (their AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies) and the Los Angeles Kings...
I was planning on writing up my recap from last night's Chicago Wolves-Toronto Marlies game, but when I returned home, I instantly crashed as my body hit the bed. It had been a very long, tiresome week ...
royalgardens writes...
Kings Fall in Boston; Leafs Embark on Key Western Swing
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[b]January 20th[/b]
[i][u]Bruins Return the Favor[/u][/i]
Another fantastic hockey game this afternoon in Boston between the Bruins and Kings. World class, championship-style hockey. It is a shame that these two teams will not face each other again this season...unless they meet in the Finals.
First and foremost, this was another frustrating loss for the Los Ang...
For every resounding fact that proves Dave Bolland is the heart of this team and a difference maker, there are opposites stats that prove otherwise about David Clarkson. Now I am not attempting to bash Clarkson, nor am I admitting he was a bad signing just yet. However, it's strange that with Clarkson in the lineup the Leafs seem to be a less productive team.
There are...
Lets call a spade a spade and let it be known that neither Edmonton or Calgary have a competitive enough hockey club to put a dent in the NHL standings. They are even total opposites as to the blueprint of the team. Lets get these owners in a room and combine forces to make a legitimate team that comes from Alberta that we can both be proud of.
Dont get your panties in ...
I'm really starting to get sick of Sam Gagner, I don't understand why they pay him 4+ million to be ineffective. I'm going to go ahead and list the players the should get rid of before next season. Unfortunately I think that the Oilers will have to deal one of Eberle or Yakupov to fix the teams other needs, if I had a choice I would move yakupov bcuz Eberle is best friends...
[b]Game day Preview:
Red Wings @ Flyers 1/28/14 RED WINGS (23-18-11) at FLYERS (25-22-6)[/b]
The Flyers have lost 4 straight, making it the worst losing streak since October. With The Stanley Cup Playoffs about 11 weeks away, and with the standings so closely bunched together in the Eastern Conference, each game seems like it will have serious postseason implications ...
[b]Flyers dominate Red Wings, win 5-0 [/b]
Before the game even started, most would have said it would not have ended well for the Philadelphia Flyers, even with the injures in Detroit. Steve Mason had other ideas and was superb for the Philadelphia Flyers, shutting out the Detroit Red Wings, leading the Flyers to a 5-0 win. Steve Mason made several highlight reel ...
Back on August 20th, the Anaheim Ducks signed defenseman Mark Fistric to a 1 year contract worth $900,000. At the time, I didn't think much of it. I didn't know much about Fistric other than he used his body effectively but wasn't a great skater. With Sheldon Souray sidelined until December or January, it was clear that the Ducks needed some help on the backend. Today, Sou...
Is anyone a season ticket holder at staples and not going to use their 2 tickets. I would like to take my dad to his last hockey because his days are limited.
The Philadelphia Flyers are 28 games away from the end of the regular season, and as it stands, their record is 26-22-6 in 54 games (58P), which is good enough for 3rd place in the Metropolitan Division, given they have played 1 more game than the Carolina Hurricanes (57P), and the Columbus Blue Jackets (56P). While they currently sit in a playoff spot, the two aforementio...
Believe it or not it is exciting to be a Sabre's fan. I have been all my hockey life and so much I named my daughter after the team back in 1999!
It's exciting because for the first time since the drafting of Thomas Vanek we will get to pick hiiiiiigh in the draft with a chance of getting the number 1 pick in the draft. Right now it's hard to say who to pick or if to tr...
The Ducks finished the month of January with a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, the only time this season (barring them meeting in the playoffs) that the Flyers will come to the Pond. The Ducks played 14 games this month and won 11 games. Overall, the Ducks had an 11-3 record for 22 points. While they didn't have the record breaking month that was December, the Ducks ...
[b]Game Day Preview: 2/1/14 - 4PM EST
FLYERS (26-23-6) at KINGS (30-20-6)[/b]
[img]http://imageshack.com/a/img836/4536/rfic.jpg[/img]
The Flyers continue their three-game California road trip looking to improve on the start, losing 5-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. The Flyers will look to improve their power play. They lead the NHL with most goals against w...
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...
[b]Mason, Flyers shutout Kings[/b]
[img]http://imageshack.com/a/img571/791/v9ww.jpg[/img]
Steve Mason made 35 saves & recorded his second shutout in his last three games as the Philadelphia Flyers blanked the Los Angeles Kings, 2-0.
"You've got to have a short-term memory," Steve Mason said. "People like to talk about negative things, and as players, you've just...
Well there was nothing to be proud of if your a sabres fan, (sabres in lower case because they played like little boys). I felt good for the first 7:36 seconds, it looked like the team was going to play a game but my body must have sensed something because I fell asleep.
But not to worry because MSN replays the game so I got to watch what looked like 20 Jasons slaughter w...
Well there was nothing to be proud of if your a sabres fan, (sabres in lower case because they played like little boys). I felt good for the first 7:36 seconds, it looked like the team was going to play a game but my body must have sensed something because I fell asleep.
But not to worry because MSN replays the game so I got to watch what looked like 20 Jasons slaughter w...
Terry Pegula, Terry Murry! pick up it's Mark calling with urgent business! If by any chance the Sabres and Ducks are tickling each others toes if I was Terry, either one I'd be asking about two ducklings by the name of Jakob Silfverberg & Nick Sorenson then I'd be calling Tampa Bay about Adam Erne. Seeing the talent pool is more like a pond in this years draft I'd be fishi...
This year out all others years has the biggest question mark in terms of trades and values of players. With the Olympic break starting at the end of this week there are many teams considering this almost as good a time to move their players than the actual deadline.
The reason is that if they move players going to the games in the Sochi then the team won't have to be ...
Plain and simple, it sucks!
I think teams should pick acording to how they finished the regular season not the bogus lottery system thats in place. Gary if it isn't broke don't fix it.
I think there would be two races in the league, one race to the cup and one slip 'n slide to the basement.
Speaking of the bottom dwellers my team, the Buffalo Sabres were at the F.N....
It seems as if the perfect storm is building in New York (no pun intended). The Rangers have traded away Del Zotto, are having trouble signing Callahan and seemingly will be unable to lock up Dan Girardi.
Enter the Maple Leafs, the Leafs have been looking to bolster their defence with a solid defensive minded defenceman and Girardi fits the bill. He is a top pairing d-m...
icedog97 writes...
Bortuzzo - Part of the Missing Playoff Pieces in 2014?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Last year in the playoff series against the Bruins there were a couple of incidents involving captain Sidney Crosby that for many viewers were not known about until after the short series was over.
Both incidents I am speaking of involved Bruin captain Zdeno Chara and both times Chara essentially punched a recently (and probably not entirely) healed Crosby in what had b...
I usually write about my team the Buffalo Sabres but today I'm going to blog about picking in the 1st rd because one of my commentators said to me how picking first works out well, just look at the Penguins (Crosby, Malkin).
I'm going to rebutt that by saying look at the Edmonton Oilers and how many consecutive 1st picks they've had recently and look where they still ar...
To be honest the only women's hockey I've heard of was when Tampa Bay had Manon Rhéaume play in goal in the preseason of 1992 and then an exhibition game in '93 against Boston. My eyes were extra wide open when I saw women's olympic hockey this year, these ladies are fast and good. I couldn't stop watching. Being from Buffalo, NY and seeing two new rinks being built in fr...
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...
This has been an interesting year for Edmonton Oiler fans. What was supposed to be the season where it all turned worked out has become exactly the opposite. The Oilers currently sit 2nd to last in the NHL only ahead of the pitiful Buffalo Sabres. The poor result has caused rookie General Manager Craig MacTavish to make some peculiar deals. With Smid and Dubnyk now gone it...
After winning 18 games in a 19 game stretch, it was clear that the Ducks were going to have a bit of a drop off in play. In today's NHL it is almost impossible to keep a streak like that going for long, and the fact that the Ducks have been able to have lengthy winning streaks this season is a testament to how well they have played this season. Over the last 10 games the D...
In light of the recent NHL hiatus I, like many hockey fans, have turned my attention towards the Winter Olympic Games that are currently taking place in Sochi, Russia. Similar to the food for thought being offered by legions of armchair GM’s around the world of hockey, I thought I would weigh in with my predictions of how this prestigious tournament will play itself out....
In light of the recent NHL hiatus I, like many hockey fans, have turned my attention towards the Winter Olympic Games that are currently taking place in Sochi, Russia. Similar to the food for thought being offered by legions of armchair GM’s around the world of hockey, I thought I would weigh in with my predictions of how this prestigious tournament will play itself out....
When looking at the standings coming out of the Olympic break, there are only a handful of teams that are considered to be sellers at the trade deadline. With so many 3 point games many more teams are in position to make the playoffs, 5 teams in the east 3 points out or less and 4 teams within 4 points in the west . The only teams that are sellers at the moment are the Sab...
Four centre's MacTavish should target
When I look at the Oilers roster and within their system they have some weaknesses. They need someone who can play a solid 2 way game for more than a limited minute role. They need someone big as the current Oilers have limited size. They need someone that will initiate contact. They need someone to be able to wins face off in their...
Four centre's MacTavish should target
When I look at the Oilers roster and within their system they have some weaknesses. They need someone who can play a solid 2 way game for more than a limited minute role. They need someone big as the current Oilers have limited size. They need someone that will initiate contact. They need someone to be able to wins face off in their...
Four centre's MacTavish should target
When I look at the Oilers roster and within their system they have some weaknesses. They need someone who can play a solid 2 way game for more than a limited minute role. They need someone big as the current Oilers have limited size. They need someone that will initiate contact. They need someone to be able to wins face off in their...
I love hockey as a sport in whole whether it be the NHL or pee wee league, hockey to me is the greatest sport on the planet and has the oldest professional trophy to compete for, Lord Stanley's cup.
But I'm blogging about player movement. Why? because it's that time of year where we all SPECULATE who may be traded and what players worth is. Now remember that what we as ...
Personally I love that the NHL sends players to the Olympics, although I truly believe that this will be the last installment that the NHL will participate in the winter games. With injuries to some key players and affecting the teams that pay their salary, the NHL has found out there are many cons, as apposed to pros, for sending their elite talent and closing business fo...
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...
7 Ducks returned from Sochi, 5 of them with medals. But all 7 had successful tournaments, in fact, one could argue that the 2 who didn't medal had just as good a tournament, if not better, than the 5 who did. I'll start with the non-medal winners, and then work my way from Bronze to Gold. I will also give a quick injury update at the end (players got healthy over the break...
Seeing as how there's a Sharks post every thousand days or so, I'll throw some quick thoughts out.
The NHL has finally returned to action. So, what did we learn from Sochi?
Well, we learned that Niemi is above-average at keeping the pine warm for Tukka Rask and that he should not be fatigued whatsoever when the Sharks take the ice again.
We also learned that Joe P...
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...
Longtime Buffalo Sabre's goaltender Ryan Miller & the ever so pesky Steve Ott are playoff bound in St. Louis. Today Buffalo G.M. Terry Murray pulled the trigger on this blockbuster deal that gave the Sabres highly regarded Chris Stewart, prospect William Carrier a 2015 first round pick and a 3rd round pick in 2016.
Western conference teams are on notice, the St. Louis B...
Friday, February 28, 2014 (or March 28, 2014 if you read the Buffalo News), marked the end of an era in Buffalo. It was an era that a lot of people didn’t necessarily want to see end, but we knew was coming, even if we didn’t want to admit it.
[b]Ryan Miller, is no longer the goalie for the Buffalo Sabres. [/b]
Miller has been haunted by trade rumors for the pas...
Do you think it's possible to super accelerate your rebuild into a cup contender?
Do you think you it's possible to resign Steve Ott, Ryan Miller, Matt Moulson (has to be traded to Ottawa) & Thomas Vanek by landing Bobby Ryan?
What do you think it would take to land B.R.? Then throw money at those u.f.a.'s
Ryan Miller 7m
Thomas Vanek 8m
Matt Moulson 5.5m
Steve Ot...
In just under 3 hours, NHL fans will be treated to another fantastic outdoor matchup. Jonathan Toews and Sid the Kid face-off in what seems to myself and many others as a battle of potential Stanley Cup finalists, as well as maybe the best offensive teams in their respective conferences.
I will say, to some degree it bothers me that this game is all hyped to Sid vs Toe...
So with the upcoming NHL trade deadline looming, there are a number of teams with holes to fill and questions to answer. This is by no means a professional hockey writer talking, just some of my personal view and opinions based on the rumors that I have seen.
-Winnipeg:
The Jets have some really good young talent on their team. Their main concerns are goal-t...
With the recent resignation of Pat LaFontaine being shrouded in almost total mystery with an over abundance of theories flying around the internet (mine is that he was merely a figurehead and when that reality hit, with the lack of power he had relative to the new GM, he decided being a rah-rah free agent recruiter wasn't the job for him), I thought the best way to leave t...
The Ducks finished off the month of February with a 1-0 win over the visiting St. Louis Blues in their 1st game since the Olympic break. Because of the Olympic break the Ducks played only 5 games and won 2 of them, this is the only month so far this season that the Ducks have finished with a record below .500.
The worst game for the Ducks in February was the 2-0 loss to...
The Hurricanes are going to miss the playoffs again.
This is less of a prediction and more of an inescapable reality at this point. One could spend days dissecting this team in an effort to understand why the Hurricanes have only made the playoffs once in the past 8 seasons but rather than sitting here and tossing blame about like the overzealous poo-flinging monkeys w...
Fans as the trade deadline approaches many GM's will ask themselves these questions do we go for it now? "or" do we keep an eye on the future?. The correct answer is both, but it's only possible if the GM and the Hockey staff have drafted well in previous years.
Two teams that I look at that have continually kept young talent in the pipeline are The Pittsbur...
Since the departure of Mats Sundin the Leafs have been barking loudly that they are on the hunt for a top line centre. From the sorry excuses of Nik Antropov, Matt Stajan and Joey Crabb, to the decent installment of Tyler Bozak the leafs have still not filled this gap.
I totally agree that the Leafs Defence needs to be upgraded. However, Rome wasn't built in a day. If ...
Long time Hurricanes writer, Luke DeCock says it's time to blow up the Canes. Ok, I get his reasoning. The Canes have been on the play-off fringe for years and, despite their higher investment level this year, nothing has changed. The fact is, they are just not good enough and haven't been for years. Might be time to look at the front office. Jim Rutherford is a brilliant ...
Always Mighty writes...
Ducks make 3 trades on the eve of the trade deadline
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Anaheim Ducks got an early jump on the trade deadline, making 3 trades that I believe improved the team. How much of an improvement is debatable, but I do believe that the Ducks tonight are better than they were this morning. And Bob Murray has put the Ducks in a position to make a big splash before the deadline hits tomorrow at noon Pacific.
In the 1st move of the ...
Yes, it's trade deadline day for the Sharks too, even though you'd never know it by reading the main blogs here. I digress with my disappointment.
I'll update this post when I can with fresh information.
[b]**Update 1:04 pm EST**[/b]
[i]All is quiet on the trade front for the Sharks. The Setoguchi play is still out there, but it seems to me that San Jose isn't int...
It's trade deadline 2014 as you know.
And I've noticed something in all of the discussions here on HockeyBuzz about the fans and seemingly the GM's too.
Nobody wants to trade their prospects. When some fan suggests a potential trade with another team that involves any of their prospects (especially their top prospects), fans from the other team immediately reply bot...
Say what you will about fans of the Montreal Canadiens. Sometimes they're overly optimistic. Sometimes they're irrationally pessimistic. But they're always passionate. News of the acquisition of Thomas Vanek sent Habs fans across the country into parade planning mode, and while the Cup may still be a pipedream for this club, Vanek gives this fanbase, which hasn't had all t...
There were no surprises out of San Jose today as the Sharks stood quietly on the sidelines as the trade market disintegrated around the league.
There were several big name players sent packing today, with most garnering a laughable return. I can't remember the last time this many quality players were dealt at the deadline for as little of a return as teams received. The...
The NHL Trade Deadline came and went, and most of the deals made today were not gross overpayments, and the Ducks followed that pattern. And because the Ducks weren't willing to overpay, the trade deadline passed rather quietly in Anaheim. One minor league deal was made, but other than that, the Ducks stood pat and feel like they already have a team that is good enough to ...
The Washington Capitals will not make the playoffs.
If you just come out and say it, it feels so much better. Cathartic.
The trade deadline was supposed to answer a few problems the Caps had within their team, and General Manager George McPhee answered a couple of those problems in trading Martin Erat and Michal Neuvirth. Both players expressed disinterest in their rol...
With the Flyers picking up their game after an abysmal start and catapulting into third place in the Metropolitan Division before the Olympic break, it was clear they were not going to be sellers this season. It is clear there is plenty of talent on this roster to win a sum of games, unlike inferior squads in Florida, Buffalo, and Long Island. However, they lack a few esse...
Blueliner17 writes...
Alex Tuch Should Be Under Watch by Sabres, Murray
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
As many know, the Ryan Miller/Steve Ott trade yielded a conditional draft pick for the Sabres. If situations arise where GM Tim Murray can use the Blue's 2014 first round pick, the scouting staff better be prepared. As there is a dire need at the wing position, Alex Tuch, a winger in the U.S National Develpment Program, should be on watch. I have not seen much of what he c...
I'm just going to come out and say it; Tim Murray is the man! Its bordering on a man crush. I love everything he did surrounding the trade deadline. WGR morning radio show host and fellow Syracuse alum Jeremy White hit the nail on the head: "everything he did I would have done." I could not agree more. He moved most of his expiring contracts for future assets, both pr...
As a sabres fan I was very pleased with how Tim Murray handled his first trade deadline with the Sabres. Over past years fans would watch the trade deadline come and go without the team making a splash (with the exception of the Hogdson trade). However this year it was different Murray was very active in the days up to the deadline, dealing miller and ott to the blues for ...
With the trade deadline firmly in the rear-view mirror and the dust settling after a flurry of activity, we are left with a handful of NHL rosters looking significantly different than the day just days earlier. One of the rosters to go through a shake-up is that of the Montreal Canadiens, who made one of the larger splashes of the day in their acquisition of Thomas Vanek. ...
Those Penguins fans expecting to plan a parade route later this year will likely be sorely disappointed. The Penguins got a severe taste of reality following the Olympic break, running into Chicago, Anaheim and San Jose. They were not very successful, although Marc Andre Fleury--a favorite lightning rod of mine--was able to steal 2 points for them from Anaheim.
This ...
“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...
The long awaited debut for Evgeny Kuznetsov will finally take place tonight in Washington against their rivals from Pittsburgh. Kuznetsov was drafted 26th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft. He has since been playing in the KHL for Traktor Chelyabinsk where he has 65 goals and 146 points in 210 games. Kuznetsov helped Russia win gold during the 2011 World Junior and took home t...
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...
Coming out of the Olympic break the Ducks had a 5 game homestand and a real opportunity to pull ahead from the rest of the NHL. Instead, the Ducks went 2-1-2 for 6 points, and in that time the St. Louis Blues have moved into 1st overall in the NHL and the San Jose Sharks find themselves just a couple of points behind the Pacific Division leaders. The Ducks won their 1st 2 ...
Let me start my first post by first giving you a bit of background on myself...rnrnI am a 25 year old recent graduate living in Tonawanda, NY and have been a diehard Sabres/Hockey fan for as long as I can remember. Watching the Sabres of the early 90s and a certain Goaltender named Dominik Hasek inspired me to begin playing myself.rnrnI remember being merely 10 years old ...
Let me start my first post by first giving you a bit of background on myself...rnrnI am a 25 year old recent graduate living in Tonawanda, NY and have been a diehard Sabres/Hockey fan for as long as I can remember. Watching the Sabres of the early 90s and a certain Goaltender named Dominik Hasek inspired me to begin playing myself.rnrnI remember being merely 10 years old ...
Let me start my first post by first giving you a bit of background on myself...rnrnI am a 25 year old recent graduate living in Tonawanda, NY and have been a diehard Sabres/Hockey fan for as long as I can remember. Watching the Sabres of the early 90s and a certain Goaltender named Dominik Hasek inspired me to begin playing myself.rnrnI remember being merely 10 years old ...
Let me start my first post by first giving you a bit of background on myself...rnrnI am a 25 year old recent graduate living in Tonawanda, NY and have been a diehard Sabres/Hockey fan for as long as I can remember. Watching the Sabres of the early 90s and a certain Goaltender named Dominik Hasek inspired me to begin playing myself.rnrnI remember being merely 10 years old ...
Boy, that cushion disappeared fast.
Once considered near locks for the playoffs, Montreal now find itself in one of the two wild card spots after a single win in their last five games. Over that stretch, backup Peter Budaj and AHL starter Dustin Tokarski have allowed eighteen goals, or 3.6 per game. At the time of year when playoff teams look to gain home ice and bubble...
[b]"[i]It may require some suffering."[/i][/b]--Darcy Regier, April 2013.
Truer words were never spoken than those uttered by our defamed, former General Manager last spring. Still it was a bitter pill to swallow for the beleaguered fans in our crusty post-industrial city, especially coming from the captain of the ship who, while not exactly crashing the franchise into...
As the season draws into its home stretch, I am once again struggling to come to grips with how the Penguins continue to lead the league in injuries on a yearly basis. While all teams go through a stretch of injuries, the Penguins run borders on the insane, given that they have had not just one but several important players out since the Winter Classic in 2011 when Crosby ...
As the season draws into its home stretch, I am once again struggling to come to grips with how the Penguins continue to lead the league in injuries on a yearly basis. While all teams go through a stretch of injuries, the Penguins run borders on the insane, given that they have had not just one but several important players out since the Winter Classic in 2011 when Crosby ...
As the season draws into its home stretch, I am once again struggling to come to grips with how the Penguins continue to lead the league in injuries on a yearly basis. While all teams go through a stretch of injuries, the Penguins run borders on the insane, given that they have had not just one but several important players out since the Winter Classic in 2011 when Crosby ...
Jeropotato writes...
How to change Edmontons defense from worst to first!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's obvious to most that Edmonton's biggest need is on the Blue line. With all the tinkering to the bottom 6 forwards, drafting of the high end skill forwards and masterful fixing of the goaltending, Mac T's biggest focus will be on the defense.rn It is highly unlikely that the Oilers will be able to fix the blueline in free agency, or that the prospects like Nurse,Klef...
[i][b]The Elusive Finn[/b][/i]
Building on the success of the [b]Where's Waldo[/b] franchise and catching on like wild fire across Sabres' Nation is the [b]Where's Leino[/b][b] Drinking Game[/b]. The elusive Finn has been rumored to have made appearances in various Arenas across the U.S and Canada and has accounted for a substantial Salary hit for the Sabres, but can...
Always Mighty writes...
Injuries to Fowler and Bonino leave holes for others to fill
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
On the eve of their biggest game of the season so far, the Ducks have announced that Cam Fowler, their best defenseman all season long, will be sidelined for the next 3 to 5 weeks with a sprained left MCL. Coming into this season it was unclear if Fowler would be able to take the next step and become a top pairing defenseman for the Ducks, and he has answered that with a r...
Craig MacTavish has made some interesting moves this past year. Some good (Perron, Scrivens, Fasth, Hendricks) and some meh but safe (Fraser). MacTavish knows we have to shore up the defense and change the top 6. But will he do anything about it?
Hemsky stated, as all Oiler fans have, we cannot keep playing merry-go-round in the bottom 6 and bottom pairing. If we do, he...
Always Mighty writes...
Reviewing the Ducks past 10 games (games 61-70)
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
After going 5-5 into the Olympic break, the Ducks came out strong, winning their 1st 2 games post Olympics, but then stumbled and only won 2 of their next 8 games, going 2-4-2 in the process. Overall, in the Ducks last 10 games the team went 4-4-2, good for 10 points and technically a record of .500, but this was the most difficult 10 game stretch of the season for the Duc...
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...
Always Mighty writes...
Anaheim Ducks qualify for Stanley Cup Playoffs!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Back on October 2nd, the Anaheim Ducks started out on a journey that is still far from over. The goal of that journey was a simple one. Over the course of an 82 game schedule where they would face every single team in the NHL, win enough games to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And with Dallas losing tonight, that goal was finally realized, and the Ducks still have 1...
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...
saneopinion writes...
Lowe Knows Winning- Why Flames Fans Feel Sorry for Oiler Fan
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
“And lastly I’ll say that there’s one other guy in hockey today that is still working in the game that has won more Stanley Cups than me. So I think I know a little bit about winning, if there’s ever a concern.”
Almost one year ago Lowe threw up that line onto reporters microphones, thereby providing ammunition for them and everyone else to take aim at in the ...
[b]March 27[/b]
It has been a while. There really has not been much to talk about, except watching the Toronto Maple Leafs revert to a team who plays with little clue of how to play the game of hockey. The team refuses to keep things simple. They have also tuned coach Randy Carlyle out completely.
It has also become very evident that the seven year extension for pse...
It is coming down to the wire in the NHL regular season. Many teams have already clinched playoff births, other teams are fighting for their lives in the playoff hunt.
With the end of the regular season coming, some teams are already looking ahead to June for the 2014 NHL Draft in Philadelphia. The Buffalo Sabres currently hold the number one pick in the draft followed ...
I know not everyone is an Oilers fan but few are fans of teams picking high this year. Now saying that Buffalo or Edmonton (who combined have a great chance on getting the first pick in the lottery) win. Does Edmonton trade down?
Ekblad is an amazing dman. He is huge and will be great one day. Many scouts put him as a number two guy that plays an amazing shut down role....
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...
Rewind forty seven years to that fateful day in 1967 when local business man Ed Snider forked up two million dollars to the National Hockey League to bring the Canadian Game of Hockey to the city of brotherly love.
The expansion draft would serve as the the beginning of the Flyers identity with Snider and Co. drafting what other's would call the league's throwaways, mi...
The Ducks finished the month of March with a wild come from behind victory over the visiting Winnipeg Jets. The Ducks were down 4-0 late in the 2nd, but scored once at the end of the 2nd period, 3 times in the 3rd, and once in overtime to give the Ducks their biggest come from behind victory in franchise history. It was also the teams 49th victory this season, also a new f...
The 2013-14 Flyers season began almost as abysmal as any in their long history. An 0-3 start lead to Peter Laviolette being shown the door. Players were complaining about lack of system knowledge due to a poor training camp, Ed Snider stated it was the worst run camp in his time as Owner and Fans could clearly see a team that did not prepare itself well for the regular sea...
Always Mighty writes...
Ducks struggle to find consistency during homestand
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Over the past week the Ducks went 2-1 during a 3 game homestand. Despite the Ducks winning ways all 3 games showed that the Ducks have some serious issues to work out before the playoffs begin. As the regular season winds down the Ducks need to focus on playing well. Not necessarily the best they've been all season, but they do need to be playing well and giving a full 60 ...
Yeah, I get it, the Pens are the most injured team in the NHL, and that continued with the news that Olli Maata and Jussi Jokinen joined the ranked of injured Penguins players. I also fully understand that the Penguins are post season bound, locked into the #2 seed in east, winning the ridiculously-named Metropolitan division.
BUT..... There is absolutely no excuse for ...
Yeah, I get it, the Pens are the most injured team in the NHL, and that continued with the news that Olli Maata and Jussi Jokinen joined the ranked of injured Penguins players. I also fully understand that the Penguins are post season bound, locked into the #2 seed in east, winning the ridiculously-named Metropolitan division.
BUT..... There is absolutely no excuse for ...
[img]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT7uWEEoG-n0v7xWud8yaUK7VigxXGs2o-Up57hO1TiQMgw_VxM[/img]
Ilya Kovalchuk is still a destructive thorn in the side of the New Jersey Devils franchise.
Kovalchuk perfectly executed a blueprint that would set the Devils back, costing them as much as possible.
First there was the notorious contract: 17 years for 1...
As the end of one of the worst seasons in the history of the Buffalo Sabres comes to a close, once again I start to wonder what the future holds. Like many other Buffalo fans I am optimistic in the offseason. It’s a chance to dream of a brighter future. One where the possibility of winning the Stanley Cup is attainable. After witnessing the struggles of this past year, a...
There is a lot of disagreement as to what the Oilers should do during the off season. There are some people that would like to see one of the young stars traded for so other star. Realistically, these trades are not that common.
Sometimes you will see a young prospect that is under performing (Paajarvi is an example) be traded for a player who had concussion problem...
For years the Flyers farm system has been viewed as one of the more weaker ones in the NHL. Part of the reason for this has been impatience with player development and jettisoning them for a proven veteran who only provides a few years of service versus an entire career. This has left the cupboard dry in recent years and have left many questioning the Flyers future. In goa...
I’ve been reading blogs on HB for years now and recently created a profile. I always wanted to throw out a comment or two when reading great analysis (see Yost, French around draft time, etc.) as well as when seeing comically bad team coverage (Richard Cloutier for one). However, I’m a bit emotional and get easily drawn into petty skirmishes with trolls – as well a...
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...
Hey guys, to commemorate this crazy season I will be doing a few top lists. First addressing the obvious problems. I'm running them 10-1 but they aren't necessarily in that order. Just doing them as they come to mind.................[b]10[/b]. [b]The absence of Terry Pegula.[/b] We've become of accustom to Mr Pegula being absent when the team isn't playing well. But for a ...
[i]You can follow me on twitter @jcimms9[/i]
After the leafs disappointing end to the season, they must quickly make decisions on the 11 players set to become FA’s on July 1.
I think we will see be a big turnover this year with most of the Maple Leafs free agents either walking or being traded. With the core of the team set for the forseeable future, I believe if...
[i]You can follow me on twitter @jcimms9[/i]
After the leafs disappointing end to the season, they must quickly make decisions on the 11 players set to become FA’s on July 1.
I think we will see be a big turnover this year with most of the Maple Leafs free agents either walking or being traded. With the core of the team set for the forseeable future, I believe if...
[i]You can follow me on twitter @jcimms9[/i]rnrnrnAfter the leafs disappointing end to the season, they must quickly make decisions on the 11 players set to become FA’s on July 1.rnrnI think we will see be a big turnover this year with most of the Maple Leafs free agents either walking or being traded. With the core of the team set for the forseeable future, I believe if...
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Ryan_Miller_skating_2011-10-15.JPG[/img]rn[img]http://twopadstack.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/nhl_g_miller01jr_576x324.jpg[/img]rnrnrnrnRyan Miller has a reputation of being an all-star goaltender, and was part of a trade this year that sent him from Buffalo to St. Louis. St. Louis wanted better goaltending in an ...
The NHL Playoffs are back again! Wednesday night kicks off the start of the playoffs once again in the NHL. The new NHL format has created some very good match ups in the first round of the playoffs, and are likely to create more great match ups as the playoffs move on.
Sixteen teams have earned their spot in the playoffs with one goal in mind: to win the Stanley Cup. H...
Well another season has come and gone. Another lottery finish, another season of failed expectations. Now comes every Oiler fans favourite part of the year. Summer. Hope is in the air and all of us armchair GM's can tinker, trade, and sign whomever we choose to improve this team.
The Oilers top 6 currently looks like this going into next year:
Hall-Nugent Hopkins-Eberl...
For starters I must confess that I am in the same boat as many Leaf fans. Staying positive and optimistic in the face of so much failure and heartache is quite difficult. The motto of “innocent until proven guilty” is reversed – “100% failure unless we finally win a Stanley Cup”. This leads to tons of unnecessary negativity and stress. Of course this is not menta...
Most writers and pundits have already concluded that it's a given that Randy will not be coaching the Leafs next year. Some are wondering why he hasn't been fired yet.
I don't get the passion about replacing Carlyle. This is a team that folded[b] 3 years in a row[/b] with the same core of players.
Soon you're going to hear that Ron Wilson is conspiring with Randy to mak...
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Ryan_Miller_skating_2011-10-15.JPG[/img]rnrn[img]http://twopadstack.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/nhl_g_miller01jr_576x324.jpg[/img]rnrnrnRyan Miller has a reputation of being an all-star goaltender, and was part of a trade this year that sent him from Buffalo to St. Louis. St. Louis wanted better goaltending in an ...
In anticipation of tonight PIVOTAL matchup between the Rangers and the Flyers I browsed the internet on various views of people leading into tonight's game..
For some reason I kept finding a RESOUNDING notion that the Flyers huge question mark now was ONCE again goaltending and were now at a deeper disadvantage having to rely on the services of Ray Emery....
Are you ...
As I was listening to the new and improved Hockeybuzzcast and hearing the sparkling reviews and praise for the Columbus Blue Jackets especially from Josh Rimer. I knew I had to check this series out.
Now, even though the Blue Jackets couldn't put together a full 60 minute effort and come out on top in this game, I was thoroughly impressed. And for a lot of reasons I ...
Hello everyone, before I begin this blog I'd like to introduce myself before I start, as this is my first time blogging on the site. I'm Joey and I would consider myself a big fan of the Sabres and of hockey in general. I do have season tickets to Buffalo Sabres' games so I (should) know my stuff. Enough about me for now. I'd like to thank Eklund and all of the...
[img]http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/YJBErx8hGR4/0.jpg[/img]rnrnrnThe hit by Chicago's Brent Seabrook on St. Louis captain David Backes in game 2 was a clean hit that resulted in a game misconduct, and three game suspension for Seabrook. rnrnBackes was coming around the boards from behind the net. He touched the puck, but flew by leaving it in the corner to be picked up by Chicago...
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 ...
Might as well join the onslaught of Sabres bloggers!
The gents at WGR raised a fine point last month about moving forward with Tyler Ennis and Cody Hodgson. They raised a very valid point that continuing with both simply wouldn't be possible. The Sabres need at least one better centericeman than either of them are or can become (some may say we need two). This would lea...
Might as well join the onslaught of Sabres bloggers!
The gents at WGR raised a fine point last month about moving forward with Tyler Ennis and Cody Hodgson. They raised a very valid point that continuing with both simply wouldn't be possible. The Sabres need at least one better centericeman than either of them are or can become (some may say they need two). This would l...
Fleury.
There I got that out of the way. We all know what happened last night late in the loss to the never quit Columbus Blue Jackets. Fleury gave up 2 very weak goals and the Penguins lost, but as we all know we can changed what has already happened so now its time to focus on the future. The future that we will unfortunately have to wait for until Saturday night.
...
The Sabres have many roster questions going into the 2014-15 season. As a college student going to school out of state it was very tough to watch such a bad team play all season. I am proud to say though that I stuck with this team all year, and hopefully will be rewarded this year and next year with some electric prospects. The question of Reinhart or Bennett is one I can...
royalgardens writes...
Many Decisions Lie Ahead in Toronto; Kings Game Six
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[b]April 27[/b]
[i]Do the Leafs need a new coach or new Philosophy? [/i]
First of all, I do not think that simply bringing in a new coach and continuing with the same exact roster for the most part will pay instant dividends.
First, the team needs to decide what it will do with its goaltending situation. Everyone thinks that Jonathan Bernier was a "savior" for th...
A 4-2 series victory over the Blue Jackets in round 1.
It's about what I expected.
Sure, like a lot of Penguin fans I would have loved to see a 4-0 series sweep...with dominating performances by our top guys and stellar goaltending by MAF.
But...this is the NHL. Two quality teams play each other and rarely does one dominate the other (no...I am not forgetting the...
The Los Angeles Kings were down 3 games to 0, in the first round of the playoffs to the San Jose Sharks. Last night they managed to climb all the way back to even the series at 3 games apiece. [code]rnrn[/code]The question is how? What changed? [code]rnrn[/code]After the first three games the Sharks looked not only superior, but dominant. They won the first three games...
For the fifth straight season the Red Wings will not be in the Conference Finals. No logical fan should be surprised by their first round ouster by the Bruins. The Bruins were the worst possible team for the Wings to play against in the playoffs in my opinion. Now the question is where do the Wings go from here? Their UFA's are Legwand, Samuelsson, Bertuzzi, Cleary, Al...
So the Oilers have another top 10 pick in the entry draft so here are players that the Oilers should look at drafting that arent named Ekblad.
[u]First Round[/u]
[b]Sam Bennett C (6' 180) 57GP 36G 55A 118PIM OHL Ranked 1st N.A.S[/b]
Everyone is calling him a clone of Doug Gilmore (even Doug Gilmore thinks so), Killer was a top line forward for most of his ...
Here are some off season moves that I believe will happen from the time that the 14’ Draft begins to end of July/August.
If the Buffalo Sabers are able to draft Aaron Ekblad (70/30 chance because Florida will do that Florida thing it does and not take the best player) with the second over all pick, expect to see [b]Christian Ehrhof[/b]f traded to the western conferenc...
Game One in Boston did not disappoint. The former Northeast (now Atlantic) division rivals traded blows with the Canadiens opening up a two-goal lead early in the second period on Rene Bourque's team leading fourth goal of the playoffs. The home-town Bruins roared back in the third, dominating the puck and out-shooting their opponents by a startling margin. This play e...
Game One in Boston did not disappoint. The former Northeast (now Atlantic) division rivals traded blows with the Canadiens opening up a two-goal lead early in the second period on Rene Bourque's team leading fourth goal of the playoffs. The home-town Bruins roared back in the third, dominating the puck and out-shooting their opponents by a startling margin. This play e...
Round 1 has officially come to a close, thus inaugurating the annual first wave of NHL Playoff MVP speculation. Undoubtedly, there are those who will claim that it’s simply to early to judge, but we’re pretty sure that even such purists secretly guess-timate as to which first round fire will keep burning. What can we say, we simply can’t help ourselves. With that, he...
You can check out this post and more Dallas Stars content on http://victorygreen.wordpress.com
[b]What’s next for the Dallas Stars?[/b]
Game 6 didn't end the way any of us thought it would after the Stars maintained a 2 goal lead in one way or another through 58 minutes of the game. Then the final two minutes happened and a few gaffs and some youthful inexperience...
Since Brian Burke took time to assess Jay Feaster before his dismissal, I thought I would take a while to evaluate the choice. Now that the season is over and a new GM has been hired the time seemed right.
I am not going to analyze every deal, signing and draft pick Feaster and Weisbrod made. That has been done to death, and many of the conclusions people have made are ...
claudeburgandy writes...
Philadelphia Flyers Playoffs: Good, Bad, and the Ugly Part I
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Recap of the Philadelphia Flyers playoff series with the New York Rangers.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Part I
The Good:
The Flyers faced an uphill battle almost the whole series or what seemed like it and kept battling back to force a game 7. Although some of these points are negative, the positive points here are the perseverance we would expect from a Flyers ...
With an absolutely amazing career and now turning free agent, one of the biggest, if not the biggest, questions of this upcoming offseason is where Marty Brodeur will end up. After spending his entire career with the New Jersey Devils, many applaud his great work and achievements that he's made over his 20 years in the NHL, however, there are many doubters that he is the ...
The Oilers as a team in the 2013-2014 season were terrible. Power Play was down; Penalty Kill was down after a spike in the 2012-2013 season. Oilers also were in the bottom 10 for goals this year. So how can MacT fix this, how can the Oilers become a cup contender?
So let’s look at the roster at this insistent.
Hall-Nugent-Hopkins-Eberle
Perron-Ga...
By the time a player becomes a UFA, their abilities have usually been on display for long enough for the team that was paying them to be able to make a decision on them. For the case of the Toronto Maple Leafs, I think they would love to have more time with a couple of their UFA's, and a lot less with others.
To start off the list, Nikolai Kulemin. Kulemin has been a so...
[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...
Jwat414 writes...
Oilers predicted off season moves and projected 14/15 roster
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The oilers have missed the post season for eight years straight and macT is going to be very busy this summer if he doesn't want the same fate at the end of next season. So I am going to predict some of the trades and signings he is going to make this offseason and ask what I would like to see him do.
First of- draft Leon draisaitl he could slide right in to the 2c role...
When the Penguins lost game four of their first round series to the Blue Jackets - in about as ugly a fashion as most fans of the team could imagine - I made the comment to several different people that I thought it was a good thing and maybe the best thing (in the long run) for the team would be to lose the series and exit the playoffs early.
I got the "Are you really...
The Flames need _____ (fill in the blank).
It is a pretty easy question, one most G.M.’s or Hockey Ops presidents are aware of the holes in their team.
It could be argued Calgary needs a number 1 goalie however Ramo showed enough to get a shot next year likely. His .911 sv% was comparable to several goalies you would consider #1’s like Hiller and Quick. This was...
Lets say, because he said it, that Sidney Crosby does not have an injury.
Let's also say, for all intents and purposes, he doesn't feel tired (although I kind of think he was worn out and won't admit it).
Why did the guy that a lot of people consider to be one of the most competitive guys in hockey...look so defeated throughout most of the playoffs?
Why did he not...
After eight years of this. After eight years of false promises, excuses, and mistakes. I think this is the one thing fans need to hear the most. The Edmonton Oilers have been a shining example of mediocrity for almost an entire decade. Yes, we have had the likes of Tambellini, Mactavish, and Lowe stand in front of media and say things like "obviously we aren't where we wan...
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...
Are Blues fans and the Blues organization read to put a lot of faith in Jake Allen to take the reins and try and lead the team to the holy grail?
Allen has been paying his dues in the AHL since 2010 while enjoying a successful February 2013 with the Blues. He's been a good organizational team player and seems ready to be given a bigger opportunity. I hope he is able t...
When Gary Bettman announced, over a loud chorus of "boos", at the Prudential Center that the New Jersey Devils had acquired goaltender Cory Schneider, it is understandable that the home-town crowd reacted with jubilation. Now, with a season with Jersey's Team under his belt, Cory Schneider is in the driver's seat for negotiations for a long-term contract. Many Devils fan...
The fun for Flames fans is this offseason that is coming up.
Who would make sense for the Flames to pursue? To trade for? To offer sheet? They have Cap, they have some trade bait in Beartschi, Hudler, their 4th overall pick, David Jones and Smid.
Nazim Kadri- Remember when Brian Burke shot down Brian Murray live on TSN in front of the nation at the draft when Murray...
Hey all, I know it's been awhile since I last blogged here but I wanted to talk about some of the rumours linking the Oilers to trading for the 1st overall. A US newspaper posted comments about Edmonton and Florida either swapping picks or the Oilers downright trading for the 1st overall and keeping the 3rd as well. This has really brought out the armchair gms throwing th...
The final four teams remain in the National Hockey League Playoffs with the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs coming to an end in early to mid June.
On June 15th, or 48 hours after the Stanley Cup has been awarded, the NHL compliance buyout period begins. All 30 NHL teams will have until June 30th to use a compliance buyout on up to two players on its roster. These buyouts wil...
So after an abysmal season that began full of hope, the Sens enter the summer knowing that they lost the 10th overall selection. To be honest, I am actually okay with losing that 10th overall pick, Stefan Noesen, and Jakub Silfverberg for Bobby Ryan. Not to say the Sens won`t have a pick. I can see them dealing someone, most likely Spezza for a mid-late first. I would love...
Hello out there! This is my first blog and any feedback would be appreciated! Here goes..
1: Trade Dion Phaneuf
Look, I'll be the first one to admit he is by far the team's best defenseman, but if upper management is as adamant about the "culture change" that must take place, then #3 has to go. There may not be a better time than now to trade the captain of t...
Is the 2014 offseason the biggest offseason for the Edmonton Oilers in recent memory? Sure, every oiler fan since 2007 has said this in April or May. But the challenges that face the rookie GM and coach are steep, and patience in Oil Country is running thinner then my hair. The challenges are plenty, but I would like to touch on a couple today.
1. Probably one of the ...
Hello to all who are reading, I'd like to introduce to you my series of Buffalo Sabres Report Cards for any prospects who have played int he 13-14 season. I won't just be covering players who played for the Sabres or Amerks but I'll also do it for juniors or college leagues etc. So, let's get started now... I figured I'd start with probably the best prospect in the orga...
Hello there folk been a while since I wrote a blog and on a rainy Sunday seems like a great idea to me.rnrnI've read countless articles suggesting the Edmonton Oilers trade for the 1st overall pick to get Ekblad. Personally unless the trade is extremely one sided in favor of the Oilers (which it will never be) trading for 1st overall is a waste of resources as well as a st...
We are officially less than one month away from the 2014 NHL Draft from Philadelphia. The NHL Combine has come to a close with some of the best draft prospects making some headlines. Tope prospects like Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, and Aaron Ekblad stood out from the other players at the Combine.
Now it is time to evaluate and prepare for the NHL Draft on June 27th. With ...
Senate_Speaker writes...
2014 Stanley Cup Final Breakdown: Who Has The Edge?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Day of Reckoning in the National Hockey League has arrived as Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Los Angeles Kings and the New York Rangers kicks off tonight. And it must be said again: what a dream match-up for the NHL, as its two biggest markets get set to do battle on its biggest stage. The league’s growth-and-revenue train just seems to keep on chugging....
Hello, after a interesting year that saw a coaching change just 3 games into the regular season, a subsequent recovery to make the playoffs, a disappointing first round exit, and a change of General Managers. I like many flyers fans, have chosen to put that behind me and begin looking forward to a new era... the Hextall era. I think that we can all agree that the Paul Hol...
JMDavies writes...
Ottawa Senators 2014 Off-Season: Advice for Bryan Murray-
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Hello all!
As an Ottawa Senators fan for the past 20+ years and self proclaimed armchair analyst I would like to share my thoughts on how I believe the team should handle itself in the 2014 offseason. Comments and feedback are highly encouraged!
[b]1. DO NOT part with Jason Spezza unless the deal is astoundingly good.[/b]
My greatest summer nightmare is the Ottawa Sen...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term."rnrn"I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy."rnrn"The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" rnrnThese, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Pe...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term." "I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy." "The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Penguins Gen...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term." "I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy." "The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Penguins Gen...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term." "I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy." "The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Penguins Gen...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term." "I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy." "The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Penguins Gen...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term." "I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy." "The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Penguins Gen...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term."
"I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy."
"The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?"
These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new ...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term."
"I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy."
"The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?"
These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new ...
So much talk about how to fix the Oilers but I keep hearing he same ideas. When you have been this bad for this long it is time to think out side the box so here are some suggestions on how to fix this real quick.rnrn1) Hire Mike Milbury as an Assistant GM and let him run development. Since development has not been a strong point for this team for so long, why do it. His k...
Let me start off this blog by telling anyone who reads this that I have had [b]difficulties separating my blogs into paragraphs[/b]rnrnThe Stanley Cup finals is in its final stretch of games and I find myself wondering about the upcoming summer. As a Oiler fan I've thought about countless scenarios that I thought would change the fortunes of this lowly franchise. However, ...
Of all the potential changes yet to occur in Leafland through possible trades, call-ups, free agency and the draft, I believe the biggest change has already occurred with the addition of Brendan Shanahan. For better or for worse, I believe Shanahan to be a person who will look to change how the organization is run and there will be plenty of changes behind the scenes and ...
Samoht1000 writes...
Offseason: What should be done for the Tampa Bay Lightning?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With an unfortunate elimination in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a bright future ahead of them, and have much to build on.
Looking back at the playoffs, it was no surprise that with a young, inexperiences team, the Lightning would have a tough opponent in the Montreal Canadiens. Although I did believe that the Lightning could...
So the rumor de jour for Flames fans is that Vincent Lecavalier could land in Stampede city. Tim Panaccio Brought this up recently and is the source of this rumor.
Why it makes sense: Burke identified a number 1 center as part of the off season targets, Lecavalier is now removed from being considered a #1 but as far as Flames skill level there are worse guys out there t...
Been a while, been replying mostly to posts from our Kings beat blogger Jason Lewis...what a great job he has done having taken over for the at times overbearing yet passionate Matthew Barry. Thanks for all of your work this season!
Some first period thoughts...lousy opening 20 for the Kings. Looking to finish the series on home ice in front of thousands of die hards I ...
http://nhlpenguins.sportsblog.com/posts/665899/penguins_realistic_free_agency_idea.html
http://nhlpenguins.sportsblog.com/posts/665899/penguins_realistic_free_agency_idea.html
As I sat and watched the Stanley Cup Finals the first three games weren't what I expected. After watching the Rags in the semi-finals I thought they had what it takes to win the cup. I was rooting for them, but in games 1 - 3 I watched the Kings toss around the Rangers like they were rags.
Where were Mike Richards, Marty St.Louis and with the exception of King Henrique t...
weirdoh writes...
The Leafs: What they should do and what they will do.
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
They should get rid of their mascot. I think Carlton the bear is a terrible mascot. This team is a pushover, and he doesn't help. He should be peddling Coke in a christmas commercial. This one time I was Toys R Us. I had my kids with me, they were younger...probably around 3 yrs for the boy and 5 for the girl. I asked them about these stuffed animals. There was a pol...
I would believe that most Flames fans are hoping for a terrible season, sounds crazy doesn't it? With Connor McDavid going to be the #1 pick in 2015 it would be in the Flames best interest to finish last. How would they do this? First the two names we are hearing locally as players the Flames could use from the draft are Ritchie and Virtanen not Bennett and Draisatl. I wou...
The Stanley Cup playoffs are over, and the Los Angeles Kings have claimed their second Stanley Cup championship in three years.
With the playoffs now over, the buyout period has begun and is in full swing. Also, many teams will begin to talk up trades and other moves before the NHL Draft and the beginning of the free agency period.
These moves made before the NHL Dra...
[u]SORRY ABOUT THE FORMAT OF THIS BLOG PARAGRAPHS WERE BEING A REAL PAIN[/u] [b]I[/b] have read multiple blogs, with outrageous ideas about what Edmonton should do during this off season and all I have to say to that is this isn't a Video game, this is a business and you can’t go get whatever you want whenever you want. With that being said let’s look at what the Oile...
[u]SORRY ABOUT THE FORMAT OF THIS BLOG PARAGRAPHS WERE BEING A REAL PAIN[/u] [b]I[/b] have read multiple blogs, with outrageous ideas about what Edmonton should do during this off season and all I have to say to that is this isn't a Video game, this is a business and you can’t go get whatever you want whenever you want. With that being said let’s look at what the Oile...
Tim Chiasson writes...
Cup Windows Closing (Or Have Closed) Fast For SJ/VAN
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Throughout their existence, teams go through periods of time which can be identified as their Stanley Cup Windows. In any season there are several teams who are being watched a little closer as their windows begin to slide closed with every turnover, birthday and injury.
The two biggest windows that are closing, or may have already been slammed shut after this year, are...
[b]Yak is a bust and they should have taken Murray[/b]
Yakupov was the unanimous top prospect (ranked 1st by Central scouting, ISS, The Hockey News, everyone’s favourite Craig Button, etc.). When picking 1st, you simply don’t draft for need, you draft the best player available. In his first season in Edmonton, he showed why he was ranked 1st by most by leadin...
With the departure of longtime assistant coach Geoff Ward, and the unpopular decision to move on from cult hero Shawn Thornton, the Boston Bruins need to do more than they seemingly will to change up their approach and philosophy for the up coming off-season. No longer can they afford to keep thinking that winning games purely on an 80% defense 20% offense mentality can ...
Okay so this I believe is my first blog and how this has come about is I was talking with a buddy of mine about the Leafs and what they should do this off-season (as I'm sure the majority of leafs fans are). So we were talking about trades and the recent rumours about O'Rielly, the 1st overall, and everything in between. Then we got talking about a series of trades that ...
andydrmm writes...
Return from Hiatus- Ready for NHL Draft and Sabres Hockey
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
First and foremost, my apologies from disappearing from the world for a bit. I With having my original job privatized, then getting a new job immediately afterwards, been a bit busy. However, I’m back for the 2014-2015 with renewed vigor.
We’re now officially a week away from the 2014 NHL draft. There’s one way to look at the past season;
You can’t get much ...
DirtyPierre writes...
Spezza to Blues, Kessler to Ducks and Thornton Options FTW
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Spezza will be on the St. Louis Blues for next season. Look for a return of Derek Roy and a 2nd round draft pick with a prospect in return. Spezza will fit in extremely well with the offense in St. Louis.
Kessler is in the cross hairs of Anaheim, and the Ducks wont let any other team snag him without having a good back door plan to add forward with heavy fire power.
...
Tim Thomas, Ilya Bryzgalov, Ray Emery. Under talked about and under appreciated potential difference makers in net for many teams. All three of these tenders could use a nice change of scenery, or if re-signed they need a confidence boost from their respected teams. These guys have potential to carry a good portion of the game load serving as back-up for any team, or they ...
The obvious choices for Ryan Miller are the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks. The only issue with Miller going to the Pens is his asking price, so a solid second option would be Hiller. The Capitals are in need of another tender, so which ever goalie the Pens don't go with between Miller and Hiller watch for Washington to try and court them to their team.
Penguins ...
With a little less than one week until the NHL draft, here are my current rankings of the Flyers prospects before Ron Hextall takes the stage in Philly:
[b]1. Scott Laughton (C, Oshawa Generals, OHL)
2012 1st round, 20th overall[/b]
Scott Laughton Highlights-[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YEoBOQEsvI[/url]
The choice between Laughton and Gostisbehere was p...
Hey all, I was bored tonight and I decided to throw together a blog on some ideas I think may help the Oilers next season as well as my draft prediction. I am only going to try and predict the first 10 picks and it's going to be a crapshoot at best.
1. Florida takes Aaron Ekblad 2. Buffalo takes Sam Reinhart 3. Edmonton takes Leon Draisaitl 4. Calgary takes Sam Bennett...
[b]The draft will be Ekblad or bust[/b]
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that Edmonton’s defence looks AHL quality. When a guy like Justin Schultz leads your defence in ice time, you’re not going to win many hockey games. While this is a glaring problem that needs to be addressed, drafting an 18-year-old Dman isn’t the answer. Year after year it ...
According to all the NHL sites we are seeing teams like Ottawa, Toronto, San Jose and Carolina are all not shying away from trading their Captain's. rnrnNew York Rangers already bought out and traded their 2014 Captains and Montreal has yet to resign their's. Buffalo and Columbus don't even have one.rnrnSo why is the role of the captain so important and prestigious if so m...
According to all the NHL sites we are seeing teams like Ottawa, Toronto, San Jose and Carolina are all not shying away from trading their Captain's. rnrnNew York Rangers already bought out and traded their 2014 Captains and Montreal has yet to resign their's. Buffalo and Columbus don't even have one.rnrnSo why is the role of the captain so important and prestigious if so m...
I was watching the press conference that the Avalanche held with Sakic and Roy just last week. The answer to every question was laid out with either Core, structure or both. The structure talking about finance - No one gets paid more than Matt Duchene, although that was clearly never stated it was never denied on behalf of Joe Sakic when asked point blank is this what stru...
Franklin Steele writes...
San Jose Sharks 2014 NHL Draft Targets - Forward Edition
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Almost all the chatter surrounding the San Jose Sharks lately has been about Joe Thornton and, to a lesser extent, Patrick Marleau. The former has expressed through his brother-agent that he *really* doesn't want to leave the Sharks, while Marleau doesn't believe that he'll be traded.rnrnUnless you're a fly on the wall of Doug Wilson's office, it's hard to know for sure wh...
Franklin Steele writes...
San Jose Sharks 2014 NHL Draft Targets - Forward Edition
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Almost all the chatter surrounding the San Jose Sharks lately has been about Joe Thornton and, to a lesser extent, Patrick Marleau. The former has expressed through his brother-agent that he *really* doesn't want to leave the Sharks, while Marleau doesn't believe that he'll be traded.
Unless you're a fly on the wall of Doug Wilson's office, it's hard to know for sure wh...
I just wanted to toss this out there, but what would one think of the Colorado Avalanche signing Marty Brodeur to a 1 year deal? When he and Patrick Roy were younger Marty lived in Roy's basement. As history played out, Roy became the NHL's all-time winner in regular and post-season, followed by much more. Game 7 - Roy and Marty went toe to toe for the cup, which we all re...
To say that this has been an uneventful offseason ALREADY for the Flyers is far from the truth. June 23rd strikes again, and I think this year, it was highly unexpected. I couldn't believe my eyes when I was at work on Monday at Noon, and I saw a Twitter notification flash on my phone, and just like that, the first major surprise in the Hextall era! Hartnell to the Blue Ja...
This is my first post and I would just like to preview it. I am looking forward to some NHL discussion not only about my favorite team (Chicago) but about all NHL talk.
ZzHockey writes...
Will a trade benefit Colorado more than signing a UFA?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With the St. Louis Blues having huge interest in Paul Stastny what will Colorado do?
When it comes down to it, the loss of a Centre is not really that big a deal to Colorado, they have an unbelievable amount of depth that no other team in the NHL has. Stastny would be a huge blow speaking of chemistry between Landeskog, MacKinnon and himself, but not something that can...
[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...
It has been a busy couple of months for Ron Francis, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, since he took control of hockey operations from Jim Rutherford. First order of business for Ronnie was to dismiss the coaching staff after the abysmal performance last year. Not much debate needed there. Kirk Muller, et al, never really got it done ...
There seems to be a buzz around Philadelphia regarding the Flyers and their potential liking to trade up to the #1 pick tonight.
The talk is there for a few reasons.
1) The draft is here in Philly; some Flyers fans would love to make that big splash.
2) Ron Hextall has been GM for a month and a half and has made it clear he’s not afraid to make moves. Hextall s...
DirtyPierre writes...
Nylander Over Ehlers?! Leafs Missed The Boat On This One
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Nikolaj Ehlers is a great young, proven skilled player who can play in the North American style of hockey. Ehlers aside from having proven independent skill, he's a great team player and a winger to boot and a left winger at that. He thrived on the Halifax Mooseheads playing with talent like Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin. He could easily fit in on a third or even se...
After a safe night at the draft table, gm Dave nonis did what most general managers would do. Take the best available player. William Nylander gives the leafs options going forward on the wing (with the likes of lupul gone soon)
Today he started off the day even better, by finally moving Carl gunnerson to St Louis for a large gritty Defenseman in Roman polak. Personally...
thebuds1987 writes...
My 2014-15 Leafs October Roster (if no more TML deals)
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[u][b]2014-15 TORONTO MAPLES LEAFS OPENING NIGHT ROSTER[/b][/u] -------*** If my fantastic format does not work (because based on the previews, it looks like one horribly long paragraph that will generate many negative comments), I apologize because I hate trying to read through that just as much as the next hockey nerd. ***--------- With the 2014 NHL Draft now complete an...
The 2014 draft had Colorado walk home with 7 new prospects. I can honestly say I was shocked when the Avalanche did not talk Brendan Lemieux when he was available at #23, a natural wing, in which Colorado depth wise is in need of. He grew up around the Avalanche, was born in Denver Colorado his favorite player is Ryan O'Reilly. Instead Colorado takes CONNER BLEACKLEY a pla...
Oilers have had a very busy week, numerous trades, and our Stanley Cup, the Draft.
On June 25th, the Oilers traded their 5th round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Nikita Nikitin. Oilers then signed Nikitin on June 26th to a 2 year, 4.5 million dollar contract. Nikitin put up 2-13-15 in 66 games played in the 2013-2014 season. His career high is 7-25-32...
The news that Sam Gagner was sent out of town for Ted Purcell. This trade is at its base a hockey trade. The oilers add a big winger who can provide secondary scoring but he's know more as a skill player than for his grit. I think he'd look just fine slotting in on the second line and taking some of the pressure off the kids. This leaves me with some questions.The oilers a...
After a rocky 2013-14 season with two MCL sprain injuries the Colorado Avalanche have decided to part ways with PA Parenteau. Colorado has traded PA and a 5th round pick in the 2015 draft to the Montreal Canadians for Forward Danny Briere.
Some comparison:
Adrian Dater of the Denver Post ranked Pa Parenteau a C for Colorado in 2013-14 (http://blogs.denverpost.com/av...
Many different opinions circled around after the Flames draft. Was it underwhelming? Was it a success? A failure? Did the Flames only draft on size? Why a Goalie?
The reality is that despite our individual opinions, these kids are Flames now. So lets look at them and make some comments.
[b]Sam Bennett[/b]:
I obviously watched the videos and read all of the scoutin...
[url]http://capitals.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=723988[/url]
So over the last few weeks leading up to the draft, like most Sens and/or all hockey fans, I was waiting for the announcement of Jason Spezza being traded. Over the past two weeks, I thought about who we would pick with the 1st rounder that we were, according to Bryan Murray, surely getting. Dreams of Nick Ritchie, Haydn Fleury, and maybe Nylander or Ehlers dropping flashe...
I wanted to start this on draft day, but that wasn't in the cards, so I'll take it from free agency on out. I'm going to start with a quick overview of each contracted guy on the roster (and a few on the Phantoms) which will include chances he makes the regular season roster. Then I'll head into moves we could, should and have to make. And then finally, what the roster cou...
Anyone else getting fucking sick of being a leafs fan??? Fuck. We are looking like a much worse team next year. Nonis must be praying every night for macdavid. Fucking stupid fat idiots.
July 1st 2014 began very horribly for Colorado Avalanche fans as they found out Centre Paul Stastny signed a 4 year (overpaid) contract with rival St. Louis Blues.
As the day went on, the Avalanche made a few moves that could be questionable yet could turn out to be great.
What Colorado got:
Jesse Winchester, 30, had 18 points (9g/9a) in 52 games for the Florida...
The Free Agency was today, and boy, was it fast and furious will all the signings. Let’s see what the Oilers did this July 1st.
Oilers signed Mark Fayne and Benoit Pouliot very early in the morning, one of the first signings in the morning and would also add Keith Aulie.
Benoit Pouliot:
Oilers signed Benoit Pouliot early Tuesday morning at 5 years, 4 million pe...
Today's FA extravaganza and the week or so leading up to it showed me a couple of things, as a Habs fan, that maybe the years of the two-headed soap opera that was the Gainey-Gauthier regime made me forget was even possible. I saw a management team go about the business of managing a professional sports team with the aim of making the team better, as well as more financial...
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...
This is the the way I see this ship veering. Perhaps with a few of my own thoughts and theories, however this is the path upon which I believe the Leafs are embarking.
In an attempt to add addition draft picks or in order to move up further into the top 10, Toronto General Manager Dave Nonis was hard at work pumping the phone lines and attempting to deal off some of hi...
Jarome Iginla made a huge impact on a 2013/14 Boston Bruins squad that many thought were destined for a second Stanley cup in four years. Ultimately though, the Bruins fell short as they were unable to get past their demons against Montreal in the second round. Iginla was a bright spot scoring 30 goals and 61 points in 78 games in a Br...
Tim Murray and the Buffalo Sabres made big news on Tuesday, the start of the NHL's Free Agency period. To kick it off they made a trade with the Montreal Canadiens to acquire defenseman Josh Gorges. Gorges, 29, was a former alternate captain on the Canadiens and was being actively shopped. Not many saw this one coming at all, including myself. Gorges had rejec...
Brian_Sloane writes...
Flyers Free Agency Thoughts / Giroux Being an Ass (Get it?)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Happy Independence Day! Here we are, a few days into Free Agency 2014, and guess what? The Flyers have not made any crazy big trade, or signed an aging free agent past his prime to a deal worth too much money. What is going on here!? This is what happens when the salary cap limit works against a team. We have not been used to seeing anything like this in a few years. Sure,...
Brian Burke dismissed Jay Feaster back on December 12, 2013 for reasons which were purposely left ambiguous. It wasn’t that long ago but a lot has transpired since then, so it might be time to take an early look at what has happened since.
Mr. Burke traded former first round pick, Greg Nemisz, to Carolina for Kevin Westgarth (pending UFA at the time). Nemisz had not p...
[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 title really isn't as far fetched as you may think. Many, ok most, think we are a bottom 5 team. It is hard to not agree based on what last year brought. Hell the past couple years of decline. But this year has the potential to be different, and by different I mean not as bleak as everyone thinks. Here's why:
-New management +/- 0 call it a wash
-New Coach with the...
With a little over 10 million left for the Avalanche cap space, Colorado continues to sign players even as they wait to sign pending contracts with Ryan O'Reilly, Tyson Barrie, Stefan Elliott, Joey Hishon and a few others.
Today Colorado announced they have signed 27 year old Defensemen Maxim Noreau to a 2 year 1-way contract at $1.25 million - $625k per season.
No...
The draft has come and gone, most free agents have found their new homes, and now there are just three months until October 8th when the Flyers open their 2014-2015 season in Boston.
However, during these next three months there are some questions that need answers for the orange and black. Here are three.
[b]Will Vinny Lecavalier still be a Flyer?[/b]
The word a...
vettaco writes...
Five guys who are UFA's that aren't signed and should be
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As of today there are still a few good free agents out there that teams should be looking at. I am not sure what the players are asking for but if they have been on the market this long then I am guessing their price has gone down. My five picks are below.rrnrn1. Devon Setguchi (RW)rnThis guy can skate, hit, score and play on a 2nd or 3rd line. He was magic one year in San...
This year was the first year I attended a Bruins development camp and it definitely was a fun experience. The Prospects only spent about an hour on the ice but there were a few standouts in my eyes.
David Pastrnak, the Bruins 2014 first round pick was very exciting to watch and brought some hope to the team’s prospect wing depth. The young Czech forward showed a lot o...
Attitude.
This should be the word trending in Buffalo this coming NHL season and it already has been a little. Savvy Sabres fans have either recognized the moves by Murray as mindset changers or at least they are trusting what the GM is saying. Whatever your position is on the moves made this offseason, this season has a different feel to it. No question.
The real qu...
A lot of questions remain for many including Colorado Avalanche fans after the unexpected off-season turned in by Executive Vice President's Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy.
Everyone right now are looking at the Avs and wondering and even publicly stating, "After this off-season, will the Avalanche even make the Playoffs?" It is a fair question and with-out any hesitation, a...
The Montreal Canadiens, especially general manager Marc Bergevin, are being praised for making the final four and finally becoming a major contender in the Eastern Conference. Even though the habs took huge steps forward with a much needed successful season, the pressure will surely mount as a hockey mad city is sure to have their expectations through the roof next season....
This will be the 4th season for the Jets 2.0 and the only roster moves made since the draft and free agency were letting Olli Jokinen walk and signing Mathieu Perreault. The Perreault signing IMO was a great move, but not enough of a significant impact to change their fortunes for the upcoming season. When you play in a division with Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas, Minnesota, ...
[b]Make your ultimate lineup with current salaries and with a $69M cap hit. Post in comments!![/b]
[b]DISCLAIMER!!!!! THIS IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT ONLY AND IS HEAVILY BAISED TOWARDS PLAYERS I LIKE.[/b]
Benn - Kopitar - Tarasenko
Landeskog - Pavelski - Saad
Ladd - Backes - Nyquist
Komarov - Jenner - Shaw
Doughty/Vlasic
Ekman-Larsson/Pietrangelo
Gardiner/Hamilton
...
So just sitting here bored and looking at the NHL divisions, thinking about what the standings will look like at the end of next year. So got talking with my buddy MHejduk and we've decided to write a blog for each division. I'll write for the east he'll right for the west. We will then write about the playoffs and eventually come up with a East champion and a West cham...
By Erik Caron
By now it is well documented that GM Peter Chiarelli and the Bruins are living in cap hell and aren’t going to find an easy way out. Sure there are other teams who are having cap struggles of their own but no one seems to be feeling it quite like Peter Chiarelli and company. After signing Matt Bartkowski and Jordan Caron to new one year deals this past w...
[b]AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT HIS CAREER AND THE ARBITRATION HEARING MOVING FORWARD[/b]
The Colorado Avalanche and Ryan O’Reilly are facing an arbitration hearing just six days away. The rare ‘club-elected’ hearing was set after the Avs refused to extend a 6.5 million dollar qualifying-offer to the young forward.rnrnIt’s a story that seems all a bit too familiar for the ...
I know what every bruins fan is thinking right now, when are we going to make a move other then signing unnecessary depth players such as Caron. There are two reasons we should have never signed Caron. 1st is Why would we want to keep Caron he has done absolutely nothing for us. 2nd is why would he want to stay in Boston where he has proven he hasn't reached his full poten...
jtallas7 writes...
Why The Bruins Off-Season Revolves Around Krug and Smith
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Bruins have been virtually non-existent during this off-season. We have signed a bunch of useless depth players who will hopefully never have to play a minute during the season. These signings have left us with around 3m left in cap space. This is barely enough to sign either of the top 2 priority's , Krug and Smith. The worst part about that is if you can only sign on...
My good friend BHTD9 came to me with the idea of coming up with some predictions for next season today and I have to say I was intrigued. To be fair, I'm not as solid on my western conference material. Guaranteed there'll be a few disagreements here. That said, lets give it a shot then.
Last Years Standings
Colorado - 112
St. Louis - 111
Chicago - 107
Minnesota - ...
bred20 writes...
Will the 2014/15 season be David Krejci’s last in Boston
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
By Erik Caron
The common theme this offseason has been the Bruins stay in cap hell and some have even suggested next offseason will be just as hard when the Bruins have more of their own key free agents to sign to new contracts. First line center David Krejci is just one of the Bruins upcoming pending free agents who will be looking for a deal in the summer of 2015. Asi...
Tomorrow will mark what happens to Ryan O'Reilly's situation with the Colorado Avalanche. Ryan is looking to stay in Colorado, long term. The only issue here is Ryan's long term is 8 years at nearly $7m per, while Joe Sakic's idea is more like - 5 years $5.5 per (give or take .0-.999)
We all go back to free agent frenzy day and beyond when a presser was held in Denver....
After a waiting and waiting, Colorado fans did not have to get news on Ryan O'Reilly from an arbitration stand point. O'Reilly and the Avs have agreed to a two year deal that nets a cap hit of $6M per. For Ryan it is broken up $5.8m year one an $6.2 in his second season.
There are still big questions here. Yes they were able to work out a deal however where does the bl...
AarifDeen writes...
Ryan O’Reilly Signs For Two Years: What It All Means
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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As first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Colorado Avalanche and Ryan O’Reilly both
confirmed Wednesday morning that the two sides agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth 12 million dollars. The contract will pay him 5.8M in 2014-15 and 6.2M in 2015-16. The deal was struck between Pat Morris and Joe Sakic in the w...
July 23rd 2014 marked a big moment for the Colorado Avalanche organization. Colorado and Executive Vice President Joe Sakic, General Manager Greg Sherman, Ryan O'Reilly and agent Pat Morris were able to settle a short-term bridge contract. O'Reilly was awarded a two-year deal worth $12M, $5.8 and $6.2 per, with a season cap hit of $6M per. It finally opened up a gate to bo...
More a discussion then really a blog, just wondering why the oil havent approached saku koivu (unless they have) about a short term contract to fill the void at center, are they that confident in arcobello? Or lander? I feel stupid even suggesting that last one
While it may not have been The Curious Case of Vladimir Sobotka, the closing of t he Roman Polak Door in St. Louis sure does appear to very curious, at least on the surface. While most hockey pundits had speculated about the Blues wanting to get tougher on the blue line this offseason, the Blues traded away one of their toughest blueliners for another puck moving, transit...
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 ...
With the 2014 NHL draft in the books, and summer development camps at a conclusion as well, I thought I would share my thoughts on the teams that did well at the draft, how the Calgary Flames stacked up against other organizations, and what the Flames came away with, as 6 new prospects were added to the talent pool. I know it’s already been a few months, however I feel s...
By Erik Caron
The last big fish is still swimming in the pond. The Avalanche came to terms with RFA forward Ryan O’Reilly last week while the Rangers came to terms with RFA forward Chris Kreider. The Toronto Maple Leafs signed RFA defenseman Jake Gardiner to a five year 20.25 million deal. None of those names though compare to the one big name that has yet to be sig...
The Blackhawks are 2.2 million over the cap (1.3 if you take away Teravainen), so they will need to find a way to reduce their salary before the start of the season.
Someone will not be in a Blackhawk uniform come the start of the season. Expect one or more of the following players to be dealt:
[b]Patrick Sharp[/b] 3yr, $5.9m AAV
The advantage to moving Sharp is tha...
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...
With Jake Gardiner signed and all players locked up, it's time to look at what the Leafs have done so far this off season and what I can only hope and wish for them to do now. Let's recap
New additions in their natural positions-
Leo Komarov-LW
David Booth-LW
Mike Santorelli-C
Petri Kontiola-C
Matt Frattin-RW
Daniel Winnik-C
Stephen Robidas-D
Roman Polak-D
Will...
-JCDC- writes...
Sabres and Islanders-rumored hiring of Bryan Trottier
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With the rumored hiring of Bryan Trottier, another chapter between Sabres and the Islanders is added. So much to review between the two teams, especially with the upcoming season, where as a Sabres fan, we are rooting obviously for the Islanders to be stale potato chip bad....to keep it limited to the Trottier hire.....by this logic, would Trotts be enemies or neutra...
We do a podcast for Bullet News Niagara on the Niagara Ice Dogs of the Ontario Hockey League. We also discuss the OHL at large as well in the podcast. For all OHL and Niagara Ice Dogs fans, it is a must listen! [url]http://www.bulletnewsniagara.ca/index.php?p=Sections&id=1957[/url] Visit us on twitter: [b]@NiagaraDogPound[/b]
so with all the recent speculation about a big trade coming from Chicago I decided to think about what the hawks should get for sharp. [b]patrick sharp $5,900,000 this year [/b] sharp is my pick to move because he has the highest cap hit and would bring Chicago the most the places I think he'd end up are Montreal, Nashville, Columbus, or Arizona, now its worth mentioning...
For NHL GM's the real challenge is, and always will be, getting your money's worth (or more) for your team.
The complex problem they face is this - who do you pay a 'premium' salary and who gets the 'average' salary?
Since Pascal Dupuis is a common target on the Penguins Hockeybuzz forum...I'll use him as an example. For this comparison I will use simple statistics f...
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 ...
30th.
Lowest salary in the league according to capgeek (and maybe their finishing spot in 2014/15). This is new area for the Flames who have been top four a few times in spending.
This is an era where David Jones is the Flames top paid player along with Jiri Hudler. An era where they do not have a strong right winger for the first time in recent memory.
The Flam...
As we get closer to the start of training camp, the Philadelphia Flyers prepare for a “bridge season” before their most prized defensive prospects are ready to don the orange and black. This past off-season has been a quiet one for the Flyers due to their cap problems but with the news of Kimmo Timonen's blood clots, they have recently signed Michael Del Zotto to a 1 y...
The Rangers have still not approached Mark Staal with an extension. Larry Brooks of the New York Post previously cited pending arbitration hearings/ RFA negotiations as concerns needing to be dealt leading to the lull in conversation. All of these issues resolved, there's still no news on the Staal front. One could posit that this is the result of potential shopping of ...
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...
If a tie is kissing your sister, shootout loss points are...
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
If a tie is like kissing your sister, then the points awarded for shootout losses seem like a consolation or attendance prize. I realize that the shootout is here to say. The league loves it. Casual fans love it. Traditional fans stand to watch it. Blah. Blah. Blah. I have resigned myself to accepting that the shootout is here to stay.
One of the things that I don't ...
I have been "Fantasy Hockey Blogging" for a few years now, and thought I would drop a small one on here!
I have been a (self-appointed) Fantasy Hockey Guru for a few years now. I play in some insanely competitive leagues that mimic all life like NHL systematics for Drafting, ELC's, Contract renewals etc... so after years of this I have always had a knack of planning, sc...
Back when I was a kid, Marvel Comic's used to publish a title called “What if?!!” The basic premise of the title was that in each issue they would identify a key moment in the Marvel Universe or one of it's characters and alter history, exploring the “Butterfly Effect” of this change in history.
Today I would like to explore the potential Butterfly effect of th...
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...
I'm looking forward to seeing the additions that MacT brought in action this fall. More specifically I want to see how the additions to the wing, Pouliot and Purcell perform. Both are secondary scorers who may not be an offensive juggernaut every night, but can chip in when needed.
Over the last couple seasons, the Oilers have almost had to completely rely on Hall, Nuge...
The San Jose Sharks are going to head to camp without any defined leadership.
Head Coach Todd McLellan revealed the news that letters were being removed from the captain group to give everyone a clean slate, an equal opportunity, heading into the new season.
I'm calling his bluff.
I'd be willing to bet that this is just another move by GM Doug Wilson to push Thorn...
Going into camp it's a pretty well known fact around the team that 19 year old Mirco Mueller is going to get more than his fair chance at making the San Jose Sharks roster for opening night.
Listed at 6'3" 195lbs on the Sharks website, Mueller is a steady, defensive defenseman who won't be lighting up the scoresheet anytime soon. That's OK, though, because Brent Burns i...
.................................................................................................................................. Here are my playoff predictions or better yet guesses for the upcoming season. I’ve also included some forecasts or guesses for some individual players. For general context, my idea for someone who will have a big year is an increase of say 1...
I’m going to start by saying, if you haven’t noticed already, that I don’t want to trade Thornton and Marleau. I don’t believe they are the problem with San Jose, but I’ll entertain Doug Wilson’s tyranny.
I’m going to trade both players in this blog.
First up on the chopping block is [b]Joe Thornton[/b]. This trade idea started with Matt Henderson’s p...
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[/b]
Last year’s newly formed Atlantic division was headlined by the 2012-13 Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins and the finally-turned-east Detroit Red Wings. The Bruins did in fact lead the pack but trailing right behind was the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens. The Red Wings were able to inch into the playoffs l...
9 of 12.
That's how many regular season away games the San Jose Sharks will be playing in the month of October. It's 11 of 14 if you include the final two pre-season games. For a team being forced to seek out a new identity, or any identity at all, it's not an easy start to a grueling 82-game campaign.
With, presumably, new leadership guiding the ship, the Sharks ros...
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[b]A Glance Back[/b]
I don’t think anybody could have predicted the outcome of the brutally nicknamed metro-terrible division last season. Columbus impressed while the Capitals faltered. The Penguins took a dip in the playoffs while the Rangers surprised many after a rough start. Other teams sort of slotted right into thei...
Last night Howard Bloom of sportsbusinessnews.com reported via Twitter that Quebec City, Toronto, Seattle and Las Vegas would become NHL expansion teams by 2017. Bloom even included that expansion fees would total $1.4 billion.
The tweet spread like wildfire on the social network and was making it’s way to television within mere hours. A respected journalist with sp...
[b]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...
By Erik Caron
The Bruins were supposed to be the team of destiny last season but were ultimately unable to get the job done as they were ousted by their rivals, the Montreal Canadiens in game seven in what was a very premature exit in the playoffs. There was plenty of blame to go around whether it was pesky Bruins forward Brad Marchand who hit enough posts to win the se...
Draft time for the kids from the Mighty Ducks franchise. (NHL games cannot come soon enough) I took the major players from the franchise and projected their NHL skill set and comparable players. I also predicted in which round they would be drafted.
Dean Portman- He will hit you. He will fight you. He will showboat after he beats you up. Dean Portman is the stereotypica...
[b]Follow me on Twitter @DailyNHLGrind[/b]
[b]A Glance Back[/b]
Looking back, it’s insane to think that this division didn’t win the Stanley Cup. The Blackhawks were amazing, the Blues were great, and the Avalanche were simply fantastic. They actually stole the title from St. Louis during the final days of the season.
Patrick Roy got the best out of pretty muc...
By Erik Caron
Follow me on Twitter @ErikCaron20
The Bruins are coming in to camp with “too many NHL defensemen” this season which is honestly something I never thought I’d hear ever.
The Bruins are out of cap space and officially handcuffed for the time being since they still have to resign two important pieces in Torey Krug and Reilly Smith. They could wait...
This is a precursor blog and will include my team I have assembled in the last 4 years. I will break down some of the rules each roster allows and will give you a deeper look into how in depth these leagues can get at a certain level.
First off, I will start at the roster and cap management. On the Major roster you are allowed 25 players that can accumulate points (head...
MrBeanTown writes...
Fantasy Island - Your Top 5 Left Wingers for 2014-15
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Seeing I have already rather the “Top 5 Goalies” for your fantasy leagues this year, I will move onto a position that seems to be lacking in comparison to others in the league. Here you will get your Top 5 Left Wingers for fantasy purposes in 2013-14.
To keep it in context, these are the scoring categories I base my rankings on:
[b]Skaters[/b]
Goal: 2
Assist:...
ScottyHuck writes...
Toronto Maple Leafs: Where Will Nylander Play Next Season?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a plethora of options to consider when deciding where William Nylander will begin his 2014-15 season. The situation is rather uncommon when dealing with high end draft picks, however the Leafs have the option to send Nylander back to Sweden where he would play for MODO of the SHL or keep him in North America to play in one of the NHL, AHL, or O...
Before I get into detail about my top 30 fantasy players, let me first show you the scoring setting my league uses.
Goals - 1
Assists - 1
SHP - 1
GWG - 1
Wins : 2
Losses : -1
Goal Allowed : -1
Shot against : 0.1
Shutout - 2
__________________________________________________
1: Tuukka Rask
2: Ben Bishop
3: Carey Price
4: Sergei Bobrovsky
5: Sidney Cro...
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Saku Koivu announced his retirement from hockey today after a long career spanning 18 years. Unlike others who have managed to stick around for nearly two decades, Koivu was not blessed with health his entire way through. He fought through things other players had never even thought about having to deal with.
Koivu is the epitome o...
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...
You can find me at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind
With training camp just weeks away, the amount of big name restricted free agents is seemingly a lot longer than years past. Even though award-winning players such as Ryan O’Reilly and PK Subban have already come to terms, the names highlighting the list of RFA’s this summer still without a contract are valuable t...
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The Western Conference also boasts a few good names still left unsigned. Jaden Schwartz headlines the group that includes a goalie that won a couple playoffs games this year and a young winger that scored a series-winning goal. The rest of the group all gained playoff experience except for the young Predators ...
After a long hiatus I am back to writing. I know that the NHL added some new rules this year. I like some changes and dislike others. I like the removal of the spin move on the shootout. This move always had the puck going away from the goal which is not the design of the shootout. I also like the move to speed up face-offs after an icing. This will keep the intended...
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...
mochoson writes...
Now What? Options moving forward for the Jackets, Johansen
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The case of arguably the most prominent restricted free agent remaining unsigned this summer took another turn yesterday. Columbus Blue Jackets President John Davidson chose to voice his displeasure surrounding the contract situation between the team and restricted free agent center Ryan Johansen. Not only did Davidson himself voice his displeasure on a personal level, he ...
As the St. Louis Blues training camp starts, I think we can all agree that, barring an injury situation, the Blues will carry 2 goalies, 7 defensemen, and 14 forwards on the 23 man roster. So who will those seven be?
You have to think there are six complete locks barring a trade with those being right handers Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk along with left hande...
stljam writes...
With the D list partly cloudy, the F roster is densely foggy
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
As I discussed in my prior blog, the picture for the Blues defensive corps for 2014-15 is fairly clear with Cole, Prosser and Butler fighting to sort out the scraps unless there are injuries or trades. The forward picture is a lot more crowded and a lot less clear with likely only fourteen roster spots available. Some might argue there are nineteen NHL capable or soon to...
Holy Crap! What is with all of these Restricted Free Agents missing their teams training camps because of contract disputes?!?! Torey Krug, Rielly Smith, Cody Eakin, Brendan Dillon, Ryan Ellis, Jaden Schwartz, and perhaps the biggest name in the group Ryan Johansen. All seven of these players are still negotiating new contracts with their clubs in September after becoming ...
The New Jersey Devils have their goalie of the future. This off-season they committed to Massachusetts-native Cory Schneider when they inked him to long-term contract. This decision came after Schneider poster sensational numbers playing around half of the team's games last year. Now, with Martin Brodeur gone and Schneider looking to fill the void, one question remains ...
landsharkhockey writes...
What the Fantasy Experts Got Wrong: Over-Rated Players
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
For the average fantasy hockey player, draft preparation consists of purchasing a magazine, turning to the last page and cracking open a beer 10 minutes before draft time. They may pull up an injury report while they're waiting for that last guy to drop off his kids and show up 10 minutes late for the draft. For those who put their fate entirely in the hands of the exper...
landsharkhockey writes...
What the Fantasy Experts Got Wrong: Under-Rated Players
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Part 2 of our look at where you can go wrong by drafting purely off a magazine draft list continues with our underrated players. (Part 1 called out those over-rated players).
[u]OFFENSE[/u]
[b]Nathan MacKinnon[/b] (Yahoo:25 / landsharkhockey:9)
If you trust Yahoo, you're missing the boat. MacKinnon will dominate for the next decade.
[b]Anze Kopitar[/b] (THN:29 ...
In a bit of a pattern developing in the preseason, the Blues didn't start playing at the drop of the puck and couldn't fully recover. They came out flat and allowed the first four goals to Columbus and came up a short at the end.
On the first goal, the puck almost gets out of the Blues zone but gets held at the line and Oshie's back side pressure on Nick Foligno isn't ...
With just over a week before the first puck drops, we're entering prime time for fantasy hockey drafts. If you're like me and play on various sites, it's easy to forget the rules and nuances of each league. Blindly drafting without regard to the rules can be fatal. Even if you're Biff Tannen and you know exactly how many points each player will score next season, it's ...
As a follow up to my previous article on CBS Fantasy Hockey Draft Strategy, I wanted to come back with a breakdown of how you should approach drafting in a standard head-to-head Yahoo league. Unfortunately, Yahoo has discontinued the Pro Leagues (probably due to their refusal to move off the rotisserie format).
Many of the principals are the same as CBS (and any league f...
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...
The Blues came out strong in the first period, outplaying and outshooting the Hurricanes fourteen to six in the first period with little to show for it. Even with their strong play, they were unable to get a puck past stingy netminder Cam Ward. They were however rewarded at the end of the period with Vladimir Tarasenko and David Backes drawing penalties, allowing them to...
FINAL UPDATE - The events and outcome of the game last night mattered little in perspective as a 34 year old female fan lost her life at the arena shortly after the game. According to various reports, she fell off a second floor escalator. I hope you will all keep her family, friends, and the other fans and Scottrade employees that witnessed this tragic event in your th...
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...
Update 1:18 pm
Reports are that Butler, Lindbohm and Jaskin have been assigned to Chicago and Fabbri back to juniors. I am trying to research how Lindbohm can go as it was my understanding that his Finland contract only had an NHL roster out. More to come on that front. JR is saying that Lindbohm choose to go to Chicago over Finland because he was told that he was c...
Along with a new season of hockey, starts the season of hockey betting. I use the site www.sportsinteration.com. There is a minimum of $2 per bet.
[b]Montreal at Toronto[/b]
Montreal +1.5 1.34 Toronto -1.5 3.35
Montreal 1.91 Toronto 1.91
Over 5.5 2.05 Under 5.5 1.80
I will be taking the over at $2.05
The first game...
[b]EASTERN CONFERENCE
[/b]Metropolitan Division
1. NY Rangers
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
3. Columbus Blue Jackets
[/b] Atlantic Division
1. Boston Bruins
2. Montreal Canadiens
3. Detroit Red Wings
[/b] Wild Card
1. Tampa Bay Lightning
2. New Jersey Devils
[b]WESTERN CONFERENCE
[/b] Central Division
1. Chicago Blackhawks
2. St. Louis Blues
3. Co...
[b][u]Analysis by Adam[/u][/b]
Hello all,
This will be a piece where I analyze the play of all 82 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs. I watch a lot of hockey and closely follow many teams but the Leafs always seem to be the most intriguing win or lose. Anyways, here we go.
[b][u]Toronto Maple Leafs Game #1
vs Montreal Canadiens 4-3 L (0-1-0)[/u][/b]
After a ...
I’m unbelievably high on what Barry Trotz can do for this team so let me start off by clearing that up. Two young men who are in the lineup for tonight’s season opener are going to reap the rewards of having a veteran coach, who for one of the first times in his career actually has a talent filled lineup and a chance to do damage with it.
Surrounded by a mix of ta...
So now that I’ve had the last couple days to over-analyze the Toronto Maple Leafs opening night loss to the Montreal Canadians (not to mention re-watch the game several times… thank you Leafs TV), It is safe to say the sky did not fall. I am disappointed in the loss; because it was to the Montreal Canadians (yuck) and also because I, along with thousands of other fans...
ETA: I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish all of our friends and relatives in Canada a wonderful Thanksgiving. Those of us here in the US are happy to have you as neighbors.
Original: The Flames couldn't handle the Blues Saturday night and showed their youth and inexperience with numerous fumbled pucks and chances.
The Blues jumped out to an early lead ...
Greetings,
If you're reading this, then like me you're a hopefully a Hab fan. I'm not a professional writer, nor am I a statistician. I'm going to call them as I see them, from the perspective of a pure fan.
FYI - the goal will be to post blogs on every single game from here on in.
[b]Game 1 - Habs vs Leafs[/b]
My initial thoughts were of jubilation, nothing ma...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
The Colorado Avalanche won their first game of the 2014-15 NHL season in Boston on Monday. The afternoon game ended with a 2-1 score after Daniel Briere scored the game-winning goal in the third period with less than a second left on the clock.
The teams played a hard fought offensive game for 60 minutes ...
Two of the four major sports in North America have challenges. Hockey is not one of those sports. After Baseball added challenges before the 2014 season it made me wonder; why doesn't hockey? After watching the game on Saturday between the Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers, it made you wonder, how is such an obvious call missed? For those whom are not aware, Alexan...
Greetings and happy Canadian Thanksgiving!
[b]Game 4 - Habs vs Bolts
[/b]
If you are like me, then you watched that train-wreck of a game until it was over. I'm sorry you had to see that. There are games that we enjoy as fans, and then there are those like tonight where our time would have been better spent cleansing our colons. The end result would have been the same...
The past 7 years, the Edmonton Oilers have seen 5 coaches. After some questionable line combinations by Eakins, it has some fans wondering… Will he be fired? Well there are a few key aspects to look at. For example, Eakins’ record as the Head Coach of the Edmonton Oilers is 29-46-10. That is not good enough to make the playoffs. Eakins also has not always handled delic...
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The Avs held on for as long as possible in Toronto but we're unable to come away with a victory. On their 40th shot of the night the Maple Leafs came away with a 3-2 overtime win off of Phil Kessels stick
The game started off the right away for the Avs. Right off the opening face off Duchene drew a pen...
There was a lot of debate regarding advanced analytics this past offseason. The debate was filled with passionate supporters on one side and adversaries who vehemently rejected the statistic as relevant on the other. This blog is not an extension of that debate and does not challenge the relevance or significance of advanced analytics such as Corsi; however, it does challe...
The problem with Toronto Maple Leafs “fans” and their rocky relationsihp with Phil Kessel is the vicious circle that’s created by the story-hungry media, and then perpetuated by this overreacting portion of the fan base.
One cross-ice pass that deflected off of Stuart Percy’s skate in the season-opener (he could be very good for a long time, by the way), and th...
The Oilers are terrible. Mac T tried to add to the line up in an effort to improve the club, but they are still garbage. This is fact. Now that I got that out of the way, I want to also that Mac T did indeed make some nice additions, but the team needs something much bigger, much [b]bolder[/b].
I'm going to suggest that 2 players can turn this team around. Not just player...
Greetings,
[b]Habs vs Bruins[/b]
Anyone else love the Dryden to Price torch hand-off?
In the world of sports there are very few rivalries that sparks such intense emotions than Bruins vs Habs. Am I happy with the outcome? Yes. Am I happy with how the game went? Nope. But let's break that down, shall we?
I'm getting this out of the way right away. I didn't like ...
AarifDeen writes...
GOALIES DOWN: Avs blow 3-1 lead - Lose Berra To Injury
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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The Ottawa Senators stormed the Avs in the third period to come away with a 5-3 victory on Thursday night. The Avs' loss came with rookie goaltender Calvin Pickard losing his first career NHL contest in his first appearance.
Earlier in the day the Avs announced starting goalie Semyon Varlamov would be a g...
Modern day Oilers fans will remember in the not too distant past they were in the Stanley Cup Finals facing off against a Carolina squad with a young upstart goalie by the name of Cam Ward. Names like Mike Morrison, Jussi Markkanen and Ty Conklin were all to familiar to Oilers fans, much to their chagrin. Little did the fans realize that when the trigger was pulled on a ...
Beautiful Disaster?: The Sabres re-organization plan
Its been five games into the Sabres 2014-2015 campaign and Sabres fans and people around the league are talking. Many people are saying "I told you so". Others are surprised at how similar the Sabres resemble last years historically bad squad. For me this begs the question, is Tim Murray is in control of this rebui...
Greetings,
[b]Habs [/b][b]vs [/b][b]Avs[/b]
Before I get into the actual game, I would like to say congrats to Pierre Gervais on 2500 games in the NHL. I've never heard of an equipment manger as loved, nor a team throwing one a ceremony before, but hats off to the Habs on celebrating what has been a hard working and accomplished career so far. Keep in mind he's won a...
royalgardens writes...
Maple Leafs Follies 2014-15; Cody Franson Must Go!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
More Maple Leafs follies as the 2014-15 season gets off and running here in October! Plenty of new faces, still the same problems...
However, let me start with some of the good: The team did make several smart moves in the off-season to strengthen the bottom six. Adding veterans like Mike Santorelli, Daniel Winnik and David Booth (although injured again) brought in a...
I was just thinking about anton stralman. I'm sitting on my couch and watching the vancouver vs tampa bay game and what do you know its anton stralman on the tbay team and playing pretty good!! Remember what he did with the rangers last year!! he was one of their top 3 d men!!! He kind of reminds me of Tomas kaberle! He's good on the point and sets people up!! Was this...
Greetings,
[b]Habs vs Wings[/b]
So this edition of the Habs has done something that hasn't been done since the 77/78 season, which is to win 6 of 7 to start a season. This torrid pace might not be sustainable for 82 games, but every point now is money in the bank when things get tight near the end of the season.
I'll be the first to admit I began to feel a little ...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs Drop 4-3 Contest in Overtime – Winless in Four
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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DENVER — The Avs hosted their second home game of the season Tuesday night but couldn’t come away with a victory. They were beat by the Panthers 4-3 in overtime despite using a big second period to erase a two-goal deficit against a low-scoring Panthers team.
They didn’t start the game off as stron...
It’s easy to write-off the Carolina Hurricanes already this season. Winless thus far, the Hurricanes head west for a critical western swing. Just what they need to put the final nail in the coffin, right? It has been a tough start to the season for the Canes, battling a raft of injuries to top players, decimating an already talent-light roster. And, trade rumors have b...
Update to add JR's projected lineup.
Just a quick hit for you all in case it wasn't posted around.
According to Canucks.com - Although an official announcement was not made, the early indications after yesterday's optional practice suggested that Miller would get the call for tonight's tilt.
With Miller in net, I really am disappointed I can't attend tonight's g...
In evaluating a long term plan for a team it is essential, and fairly obvious, to determine your core and players that make sense to build around. For the Calgary Flames and their plans to re-build, it seems fairly obvious they are planning on being in a playoff spot within three seasons after this one. Contract expiry is the biggest clue with only 7 players signed through...
The San Jose Sharks have started the 2014-15 NHL season with a 4-2-1 start and are currently tied for second in the Pacific Division along with the Los Angeles Kings. I figure it's about time we review each game so far.
[b]Game 1: San Jose Sharks (0-0-0) at Los Angeles Kings (0-0-0)[/b]
The Sharks started off their season against the team that ended their previous two, o...
AarifDeen writes...
A Night That Was Long Overdue – Avs Score 7 Goals, Route Van
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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It was only a matter of time. The Colorado Avalanche finally unleashed the offensive weapons and defeated the Vancouver Canucks 7-3. It was the night of story lines for the Avs. But more importantly, it was a night they desperately needed.
Coach Roy made it very clear after the loss Tuesday night tha...
Last night, the Winnipeg Jets lost another game to Steve Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. An all too familiar result for the Jets and their fans as they continue to struggle out of the gates this season. This loss however, was especially frustrating as the Jets out-shot outhit and essentially outplayed the Bolts for most of the game. So who's to blame for this unl...
I know there are a lot of people who think Brad Treliving has done a good job as Flames’ GM so far, but I would like to express my thoughts on why I question his performance.
When he was hired, I like many others, didn't know much about him beyond the obvious. I was somewhat wary of the decision to hire a rookie GM, but with seasoned veteran Brian ‘I look like I sle...
Greetings!
[b]Habs vs Rangers[/b]
Before I start I need to rant a little.
WTF is up with CBC/Sportsnet with only playing Leaf games on Hockey Night in Canada?!? Seriously, if I wanted to watch a mind numbing show I would turn on the Kardashians and slowly wait for my brain cells to die. It would hurt less...
Now on to the Habs.
You would have to go back 50 y...
The Sabres certainly didn't perform like they had jet lag flying out west to take on the Kings, Ducks and Sharks. Coming back to Buffalo 1-2 is a good thing for this team.
Over-all for this team it was a successful road trip.
We saw out west is what we haven't seen previously from Buffalo, a team doing the little things that count like winning battles along the boar...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs’ Overtime Loss hands Winnipeg Third Win of The Season
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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On a Sunday matinee in Winnipeg, the Jets scored twice to win the game but the Avs will need more than just two ice packs in the locker room to attend to the wounds from today’s battle.
The Jets outhit the Avs 27-23 and leading the way was big, rugged, 260 lb forward Dustin Byfuglien with eight. In the...
Sam Reinheart was selected #1 overall in the 2014 NHL Draft this year, As the young man has given Buffalo some light headed into this early young NHL season entering November. Sam Reinheart has earned his first point in the NHL last night as the Buffalo Sabers beat the San Jose Sharks by a final score of 2-1. In his 9th game with the Sabers Sam finally found himself on the...
I don't even know where to start with this except for just stating my opinion. I really don't think that Fucale is as good as everyone has been saying he is. Yes I know, start the criticizing please. I've said before to people that Fucale is only as good as the team that's playing around him. That being said, he's not a bad goalie by any means. I just feel that he is simpl...
After coming within a bounce of a second straight trip to the Stanley Cup Finals to face a team they'd have likely beaten, the Blackhawks have to have high hopes for this season. General Manager Stan Bowman stuck to his usual status quo during this past offseason, avoiding any huge personnel moves. Bowman either has a difficult job, as it's difficult to make big moves wi...
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...
A Night Of Firsts – MacKinnon, Fourth Line Lead Avs to SO
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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It was a night of firsts in Denver tonight. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the New York Islanders 5-0 for their first shutout of the season. The game-winning goal came off the stick of Cody McLeod early in the opening period and the Avs never looked back.
McLeod’s goal, which came off a nice setup from...
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...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
In a hard-hitting Sunday night matchup, the Avs tried to use a late surge to tie the game, but were unable to get a goal. They lost to the Ducks 3-2 after scoring the first goal of the game.
They continue to attempt to ride red-hot goaltender Semyon Varlamov and a penalty-killing unit that hasn’t surren...
Being "game ready" is more than just being physically fit to play hockey. It's about more than just having honed your body, stick-handling, passing and shooting skills. It also consists of being in the right mindset to play the game of hockey to one's best ability, and being motivated to continue to build upon the foundation that a player has already set for himself. You h...
I wondered how long it would take us to get here – how long until everyone in Chicago and around the country, including the great Jeremy Roenick would start blasting the lack in goal production of the Chicago Blackhawks to the rest of the Nation on national television. But there he was and there we continue to be – all of us collectively together starting to write of...
[b]FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind
[/b]
The Avalanche lost 5-2 to the Canucks on Tuesday after scoring the first two goals of the game.
They came out with an early jump and got on the board quick. John Mitchell received a nice pass from Alex Tanguay and lasered one past Ryan Miller for the goal just over a minute into the contest. It was his se...
I was prepared for an all-out war, a battle between the two teams I thought were going to be in the Stanley Cup Final last year. But as it turns out; Montreal didn’t show up to fight, only Carey Price did. There are a few things that could open articles this morning, I’ve seen a lot of them already, but I’d like to start with giving credit where credit is due. What a...
Happy Throwback Thursday Feather Faithful!
What better way to start "week 5’s around the dots" than with a throwback close to our own hearts here in the WINdy city. Last evening the Chicago Blackhawks unveiled their sweaters for the upcoming Bridgestone Winter Classic against the Washington Capitals on New Year’s Day. It will be the second Winter Classic the Hawks ...
[i][b]Twitter:TheDailyLeafHB[/b]:[/i] Recently, there has been some rumors of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers engaging in trade negotiations involving a Jake Gardiner for David Perron swap. This trade definitely makes sense for the Leafs, Perron (26 years old) is a young left winger who can play all different aspects of the game. Last year, with the Oilers ...
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...
When rebuilding a team you also have to include coaching and management personnel in that equation. I believe we have the right pieces in place in Tim Murray, Ted Nolan, Zemgus Girgensons and believe it or not, the Sabres goaltending.
The team also boasts one of the best prospect pools in the NHL right now to train and rebuild their roster from. Some of these players wi...
We've seen this before in Chicago sports and multiple times from the Blackhawks - let down. While some might find last night to be a telling effort in the negative categories, there again were a lot of positives - but glaring issues for the Hawks continue to be front and center for those of us watching and not playing. When a team, any sports team, has gone deep in the Pla...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs fall short of a Comeback, lose to Flyers in Philadelphia
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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The Avalanche was unable to complete a third period comeback and dropped a 4-3 contest to the Flyers. They scored three times in the third period, all coming from the bottom two lines, but were unable to capitalize on the last minute push.
Colorado’s goals from Max Talbot, Alex Tanguay, and Zach Redmond...
CHICAGO- The San Jose Sharks (8-5-2) will swim into the Madhouse this evening for a date with the Chicago Blackhawks (7-6-1) that will pit two Western Conference playoff contenders against each other for the first time this year. This will be the first Western Conference match-up for the Hawks since Winnipeg came into town last Sunday and stole two points, in literally one...
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When the Colorado Avalanche signed Jarome Iginla to a three-year contract this summer, they were looking for a player to replace Paul Stastny’s production offensively. Statstny had just signed in St. Louis while Iginla was coming off yet another 30-goal season with the Boston Bruins.
Iginla was always J...
When it comes to deciding the outcome of games, the Detroit Red Wings would rather fight than shoot it out.rnLooking at their numbers during the shootout, who can blame them?rn“I think a lot of guys are getting sick of it,” Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard said. In their latest game, Sunday’s 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Wings failed on all three shootout atte...
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...
Islanders shut out the Avalanche in a one-sided game
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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The Avalanche suffered a 6-0 loss on Tuesday night by the very same team they dominated just 12 days ago. On Veterans Day and on their last trip to the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Colorado was held win-less for the 13th time in 17 games.
Nick Leddy’s goal just 93 seconds into the game was the eve...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs battle for a shootout victory at Madison Square Garden
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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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...
AarifDeen writes...
Duchene scores late, Avs defeat Devils for second straight v
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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The Colorado Avalanche has strung together its first winning streak of the season. With Matt Duchene’s late third period goal, the Avs defeated the Devils 3-2. The teams were tied at 1 going into the final frame but the Devils scored before the Avs (6-8-5) eventually tied and won the game before the final ...
I wanted to break down what the Colorado Avalanche so far this season. The Avalanche have had a rough start that many people did not expect, although some expected a slower start, not many expected this slow of a start.
Breaking down the subtractions and additions to the roster as of 11/16/2014:
Paul Stastny; signed a 4 year deal with the St. Louis Blues. Stastny st...
Last season, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche were near identical in almost every aspect. They both had a top three pick at the 2013 NHL draft, Colorado selecting Nathan MacKinnon from the Halifax Mooseheads number one overall and Tampa Bay taking Jonathan Droiun (MacKinnon’s line mate) also from the Halifax Mooseheads.
Both teams went out and made a tr...
Raderstorf8 writes...
What better place than here!? What better time than now!?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
CHICAGO- It was a Saturday evening around 7:23 PM when I sat into my seat - beer in hand I looked around at the other 22,000 people doing the very same thing - thinking the very same thoughts. That's when the lights went out - that's when the decibels inside the Madhouse began to rise. The Chicago Blackhawks in recent years have become the epitome of what a professional sp...
Once again in less than 20 games for the Colorado Avalanche, goaltender Semyon Varlamov is injured. The first time Varly sustained a lower body injury during morning practice before the Avalanche took on the Ottawa Senators. In that game, less than three minutes in, backup goalie Reto Berra, would sustain a head injury after a collision with two players. This left young ro...
And that's the God damn truth!!!
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...
Ovechkin scores late, Capitals beat the Avs by one goal
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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Colorado was back on the ice Thursday night after four days off and was beaten by the Capitals 3-2. The Pepsi Center crowd, which was graced by the presence of Hall of Famer Peter Forsberg, witnessed a hard-hitting, back-and-forth contest that was decided when Ovechkin scored with under 6 minutes remaining o...
Yet again, The Toronto Maple Leafs were horded by an overwhelming force of reporters. And, yet again, the reporters attacked the leafs with questions about something they did wrong. However, this time, the leafs faced the media force after a solid 5-2 victory over a significantly stronger Lightning team.
So, what did they do wrong this time you ask?
They didnt raise ...
When I first heard that the Pittsburgh Penguins had acquired Steve Downie I was excited because he is a guy who can play in a bottom 6 role and even help put some pucks in the net. I still think he can put pucks in the net, however I am getting tired of him playing in the penalty box. He has a league high 78 PIMs which is not helping the Penguins at all. His selfish pen...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs erase slow start to defeat Carolina 4-3 with Pickard
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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Ladies and gentleman, the cardiac kids are back. Colorado was down two goals twice tonight and roared back to win 4-3 against the Hurricanes at the Pepsi Center. Reto Berra started the game but was pulled late in the first period after surrendering three goals on 10 shots. With Varlamov still suffering from ...
This past weekend was not a particularly good one for the Penguins. The New York Islanders defeated the Penguins both nights of their home and home series. What was more frustrating to see though was how the Islanders dictated puck possession and shots. The Penguins essentially played the majority of both games in their own end, a recipe for defeat.
With the loss o...
AarifDeen writes...
‘Cardiac Kids’ are here to stay—Avs erase three goal deficit
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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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...
TheKidBigKip writes...
Edmonton Trade Rumors: Breakdown of Perron for Anisimov
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Last weekend they were booed wildly in their home rink after their 7-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Tonight, Viktor Fasth was scored on from the neutral zone. It’s not a secret the Edmonton Oilers are bad.
Earlier this week the team cut ties with goaltending coach Fredric Chabot and with the way things are going, that won’t be the last organizational or roster ...
Quite a bit has changed for me personally in the past 5 years (separation/divorce)...death of family members and my sister's life threatening cancer...but when I read this blog again today...I knew it STILL applies.
From 2009 ---
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...
This is the center of most importance when it comes to winning the Cup in the NHL. Teams that are deep at center, even if they do not have what would be considered a true number 1, elite level player, are the teams that are most often in the final 4 and competing for the Cup. Certainly it helps to have that elite top of the line player, but it is not mandatory when you are...
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Colorado missed out on another opportunity to get back to 500 for the first the first time this season. After tying the game early in the third period, Colorado surrendered the game-winning goal with 5:17 remaining for the loss in front of a sold out Pepsi Center crowd.
Calvin Pickard started in net for t...
Hello everyone, this is my first blog, so I am going start with an introduction. My name is Brendan, one of the owners of @WTPHockeyFacts on Twitter. I am a young, but very knowledgeable hockey fan (take a look at our Twitter account for proof, many of those facts are found by myself, through research and my extensive hockey knowledge). I have been a hardcore Edmonton Oile...
Personally, I have seen enough. I am positive that I am not the only one in Oilers Land that feels this way. For myself, I have followed this team since I was 5 years old...29 years. I remember the days of Gretzky, Kurri, Messier, and yes even Kevin Lowe. I remember the "lesser" teams, if you'd like to call them that, of Jason Arnott, Doug Weight, and Curtis Joseph. I have...
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...
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Colorado won its ninth game of the season on Saturday after defeating the Stars 5-2 in Denver. They outshot the opposition 47-24 and kept their foot on the pedal until the very end. Alex Tanguay scored the game-winning goal late in the second period and Matt Duchene added a powerplay goal early in the third ...
I have noticed a lot of advanced stats guys put way too much stock into Corsi and Fenwick numbers, sometimes to the exclusion of more direct and conclusive metrics. The newly annointed 'advanced stats' are a useful metric, but they are not the be-all-and-end-all of hockey analysis and in my opinion are like +/- in some ways.
Although in previous use, the +/- stat came...
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The Avalanche lost to Montreal 4-3 Monday night in Denver and was denied a chance to reach .500 hockey once again. The game was tied at three heading into the third period but a late goal from Max Pacioretty gave the Canadiens the victory. Montreal won both contests against the Avs this season with Calvin Pi...
Although this is an exciting year for the St. Louis Blues with the emergence of an up and coming star in Vladimir Tarasenko, the core of the gritty hockey club seems to still produce average offensive numbers. ...
The Buffalo Sabres having won six out of their last seven games are now 9-14-2. This could mean two things. 1. the team if buying into Ted Nolans system and are playing with confidence and will continue to win games, and maybe, just maybe ( but probably not) playoffs are in sights. 2. this is just a phase and it will soon pass.
The question is which one is best for...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs blow another game in overtime, lose to Calgary at the Sa
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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Calgary scored twice in the third period to win its 17th game of the season. They defeated the Avalanche 4-3 in overtime and their two goals brought their third period total to a league leading 39 goals.
The Avalanche got their starting goalie back tonight but was still unable to play a solid 60-minute effort in...
Thanks For Reading.
I haven't posted one of these in a while so I hope I'm not too rusty. You can follow me @MiikeLuci. I'll try to follow back.
Remember when the Devils started the season 3-0 and the fan's biggest concerns were Larsson not starting the season in the lineup? Well twenty-three games and sixteen losses later, New Jersey's season has made a complete one eighty. The've endured...
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The Avalanche has hit rock bottom. After blowing a late lead last night in Calgary, Colorado had nothing going for them tonight. The Jets stormed out to score early an often en route to a 6-2 victory over the Avs. Bryan Little led the way with a hat-trick and they also received goals from Chris Thorburn, And...
I suppose for a first time blogger, a little history might help any readers to see where my biases and allegiances come from. I was born in Alberta in the early 80's the heyday of the battle of alberta. I have 2 older brothers and as one might expect, I wanted them to like me, so I cheered for the teams they cheered for, namely the Gretzky led Oilers.
When I was old en...
royalgardens writes...
Kings Fluttering Again; Big Night for Bernier in TO
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Another regular season, another Kings team, simply sliding their way through yet another 82 game schedule, hoping for the best and hoping for a chance to play further into spring.
I have seen enough of this group to draw the conclusion that they are constant underachievers in the regular season, but perhaps not overachievers when it comes to the second season of the NH...
What has happened to the Colorado Avalanche in this 2014-15 season?
You cannot say that the Avalanche have had it easy by any means, considering both the NHL has studied up on the team since their explosion last season that saw them #1 in the Central, #2 in the West and #3 in the entire NHL. A gutsy rookie that came into the league like he had something to prove, after ...
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Colorado’s season continues to dwindle after another shutout loss in Denver. The Predators came into the Pepsi Center and put one goal past Calvin Pickard. They would eventually add a couple of empty-net goals to finish off the struggling Avs 3-0.
Pickard was called up to start after Semyon Varlamov onc...
Just for fun. Here is my early season Sabres mock draft for the upcoming
1st pick (2nd overall)- [b]Jack Eichel[/b] (Center); The Sabres get their franchise centerman. Eichel will immediately step in and produce for one of the leagues worst offenses. The Sabres may be crowded at the center position but there is no doubt Eichel immediately jumps to the top of the dep...
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...
Yesterday reports from TSN’s Bob McKenzie surfaced regarding the 2016 NHL Winter Classic and Grandpa Bob says the league is in talks with the Boston Bruins for hosting the annual outdoor battle. If this turns out to be true, this is just another prime example as to how poorly the NHL handles their series of outdoor games and places their greed over dedication to some fa...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs and Blues put on a show, Oshie wins it in Overtime
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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Paul Stastny made his long awaited return to the Pepsi Center to play his former team tonight and came away with a victory after the Blues defeated Colorado 3-2 in overtime. The centerman signed a 4-year $28 million contract with St. Louis after spending eight years as an Av.
Stastny however was not a fac...
Do not plan the parade. One cannot blame Eakins on all of Edmonton's losses for the past two seasons. It's as much the players fault as it is Eakins' fault. With all the skill Edmonton has up front, one would not expect the Oilers to be shutout 4 times in 31 games; or to lose 14 of their 15 games, including an 11 games losing streak. As bad as Eakins record showed (...
Secondary scoring has been the staple amid the Flyers recent two game winning streak. That mixed in with two putrid opponents have allowed this lackluster Flyers team to outscore their opposition by the count of 9-2 to start their 4 game homestand. This may be just what the doctor ordered for a team that has had tremendous trouble scoring of late. Outside of Claude Giroux ...
What, on earth, do you do with this hockey club?
I hear a lot of "no-donts" online about them. Let's face it, the last time they had success, that success' name was Chris Pronger, and his wife nagged him to Anaheim. Since then, they've been nothing but a train-stop in a dead city.
I'm not going to give some pretentious thorough evaluation of the team. ...
This would be the barren wasteland of positions for the Sabres with regard to their prospects, their depth, and their current LW's with the big club are nothing fantastic either.
Overall, the LW position for the Sabres consists of two solid but unspectacular ancillary players at the NHL level, two hopeful prospects whose top end may only be in bottom 6 roles, a total wi...
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The Avs lost their second consecutive game in overtime Thursday night after Blake Comeau scored the only goal of the game 2:24 into the overtime period. Calvin Pickard faced 48 shots and saved all but one in front of a rowdy crowd in Pittsburgh.
The Avs fought valiantly through 40 minutes exchanging shots...
It's here. It's finally here.
After many long, cold, and miserable painstaking years, the end of days is finally here for the Edmonton Oilers. The firing of Eakins serves as a long overdue acceptance that this "rebuild" has failed. It is time to...rebuild...again
Rather than admit this fate was inevitable, the organization pressed on, trying to save our world one sma...
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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...
I have managed many fantasy teams and though it makes little sense to share my secrets with those who play in my leagues, in a forum such as this, I am finally free to reveal some of the tips, tricks, and secrets that have netted me success in the world of fantasy hockey. As the season goes on, I will offer advice periodically on whom you should consider picking up, dropp...
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They were once a couple of 18-year-old goaltenders waiting to get drafted into the National Hockey League. Calvin Pickard, the Seattle Thunderbirds goaltender, was ranked #1 by Central Scouting rankings among North American goalies. Petr Mrazek was a goalie playing in the Czech Extraliga. In fact, he was not...
The duel for back-up in Denver seems to be over, though it is not 100% sure what Colorado will do. Just a few weeks ago, Calvin Pickard was re-assigned to Lake Erie even though he had played out of him mind for the Colorado Avalanche. The young goaltender was sent back due to the fact that Semyon Varlamov was healthy and Reto Berra was their number two. Their other reason ...
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The Avalanche is back at .500 in time for the Christmas holidays. Colorado scored early and often as they shut out the Blues 5-0 Tuesday night in Denver. Semyon Varlamov returned after missing six games with a groin injury and recorded his second shutout of the season.
“It’s a big win for us. You know...
2ndTierOilerFan writes...
McDavid, Lindross, and the Edmonton Oilers Conspiracy.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Contrary to popular opinion; the Oilers front office is not full of incompetent fools. Arrogant, untrustworthy, two faced liars maybe, but not incompetent, and not fools. It pains me to say it, but when it comes to the Edmonton Oilers, the only fools are the fans and the media. The people who converse back and forth over a studio console or a bar room table all have ...
Hope everyone has had a wonderful, safe, and happy holidays. Taking time from unwrapping presents and being bombarded by questions from your relatives to check up on what the Flyers are up to. Heading into the holiday break the Flyers are on the heels of a 3 game winning streak that has seen them beginning to gain some momentum as we come close to the midpoint of the seaso...
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 ...
Flyers storm into the Music City tonight for an 8pm puck drop after the three day holiday break. This will be the 4th of a season long 8 game road trip in which they started out nicely with a 3 game winning steak. This also marks the first meeting with former bench boss Peter Laviolette since becoming the head coach of the Predators last summer. Lavy's return will remind F...
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It was an old fashion battle between two of the fastest up-tempo teams in the NHL Saturday night. The Avs and Hawks put on a show in front of an overcapacity sold out crowd at the Pepsi Center as Chicago came away with a 5-2 victory after an empty-netter sealed the deal late.
“Their powerplay was better...
Well here we are again ladies and gentlemen. Your bellies full of turkey, pajama pants on (or no pants, I don't judge) and watching the World Juniors to get a chance to actually see some wins and decide what players would look good in copper and blue next season.
The Oilers are a train wreck. I think if anyone told you that this team was going to be worse than last year...
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, ...
[b][i]S-N-D & Company Must Address Blue Line Quickly; Trade a Player like Kessel?[/i][/b]
Good luck to Brendan Shanahan, Dave Nonis, Kyle Dubas and company, or as I will identify them as S-N-D & Co. from here on out. There is so much work that needs to be done to at least make this Maple Leaf team playoff-level competitive, I highly doubt that anyone can completely figu...
The Leafs lead the NHL with 122 goals for, yet they've given up 108 goals. Their success this season can be attributed to their offense as it has masked their defensive issues while on nights like tonight, they're exposed. As December is ending, the Leafs are in a comfortable playoff position, yet the fans are feeling very uneasy.
The rest of the NHL tends to buckle do...
stricker518 writes...
BREAK HURTS FLYERS, LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK IN THE DESERT
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Another break in the schedule proves to be a costly one for the Flyers when they have gotten on a roll a few times this season. Entering the Christmas break having won three straight and enjoying a 6-1-3 stretch where they gained points in 9 of 10 games all came to a screeching halt in Nashville on Saturday night. Lavy's first game against his former team showed Flyers man...
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Tonight may very well go down as the final meeting ever between two NHL greats—Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur. With one of them a coach and the other nearing the end of his career as a player, Roy and Brodeur’s storied rivalry will go down as one of the best between two goaltenders in NHL history. Tonigh...
It’s hard to believe, but almost half of the NHL season is already in the books. At this moment, the Anaheim Ducks lead the league with 54 points. Tampa Bay leads the Eastern Conference. Montreal is currently #4 in the East, while Toronto is currently in playoff contention in the #7 spot. Winnipeg and Vancouver occupy the #6th and #7th spots respectively in the Western C...
Do the Kings want to play? Right now, they once again look like a team that really makes you wonder just how in God's green earth did THIS team win the Cup? A question I have asked quite a bit over the last couple of years despite the amazing success of this team come playoff time.
Just tuned into the game after getting back from seeing the new release "Unbroken", which...
In my last post, I discussed strategies for drafting your fantasy hockey team. Drafting well is critical to your team's success. If you play fantasy football, you know that sometimes if a team has an awesome draft, they will hardly need to touch the waiver wire all season, especially if their team crushes the competition week after week because even if they wanted to g...
royalgardens writes...
Better Effort, Bad Bounces Almost Unravel Leafs in Beantown
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[i]Quick hits from tonight's game in Boston:[/i]
• Much better effort, at least in the first forty minutes. At one point the shots were 17-11 before Boston was able to the tie game off two really unfortunate bounces. Bottom line, despite the third period in which the Bruins dominated, Toronto deserved to at least come away with a point, but got two via the shootout. N...
AarifDeen writes...
Ryan O’Reilly scores in overtime – Avs win last game of 2014
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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We’ve all heard the story before. A player dominates an entire game, fights for puck possession every single shift, hits a couple of posts, misses a couple of opportunities, and has nothing on the scoresheet to show for it. Until of course, overtime comes around.
That was Ryan O’Reilly today. The one ...
AarifDeen writes...
Avalanche shake off a desperate Oilers team with a shootout
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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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 ...
royalgardens writes...
Kings Goalies MIA vs. NSH; Leafs Suffer Once More
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Enough is enough...
The Kings sleepwalk their way into a 5-1 deficit against the Nashville Predators, who I really think could knock out the Chicago Blackhawks this time around, especially if the 'Hawks continue to go with Corey Crawford in net. You want to talk about a joke, Crawford is the leading vote getter in the All Star Game coming up at the end of the season, an...
AarifDeen writes...
Blue Jackets stun the Avs with last minute game-winning goal
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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Colorado suffered a heartbreaking loss Sunday night in Denver. It was a game they wanted to win, perhaps should have won, and more importantly—needed to win. David Savard took a shot from the point with 61 seconds remaining and it bounced past Varlamov off of Borna Rendulic. The Blue Jackets cemented their...
saneopinion writes...
Potential NHL moves to further dissuade tanking (Oilering)
Posted Monday | Comments 0
There is no Hippocratic oath in the NHL, there is no solemn swear to always try to win especially if the prize for losing is such a benefit. Conner Mcdavid, a “Generational Talent”, who can be the Crosby/Tavares/Stamkos type player for your organization. Failing first overall you get Jack Eichel who is projected to be a first line center.
Pretty sweet deal for bein...
Right Wing is perhaps the position with the most intrigue when it comes to the Sabres, unless you count the cold war era espionage level shroud of potential surrounding their goaltenders.
If you ask those that watch and evaluate prospects professionally, they will tell you that Buffalo has no less than 5 interesting to intriguing Right Wing prospects.
If you ask the ...
kingcong39 writes...
Yet Another Tyler Myers Blog Staring Nikita Zadorov
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Admittedly, the title of this blog was meant to mislead.
There have been more words wasted on the idea of trading Tyler Myers from a range of a bag of pucks that Sabres fans should be happy to get for him to nothing less than the three best players on the opposing team.
There is one, and only one, way in which you trade Tyler Myers if you are the Buffalo Sabres.
T...
In the last week, MacTavish has made a couple of moves, yet the Edmonton Oilers record this season is 9-22-9. Nineteen of those losses have been lost by only one goal. Since Todd Nelson has taken over the bench, the Oilers have gone 2-3-4 in nine games. Not great, but acceptable. Since the 4-1 lose to Calgary, Edmonton’s record is 2-0-2. A .750 point percentage. Compared...
royalgardens writes...
In Shanahan We Trust? Carlyle Clearly Not the Right Choice?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So Randy Carlyle has finally bitten the dust.
I had a good idea that one day I would be reading about the news here in Chicago at some point, but the timing to me makes no sense. The Leafs may as well bring in John Tortorella and really have some fun! I got a kick out of the TSN 1050 guys from this evenings chat talking about what a field day the media would have if To...
AarifDeen writes...
Two Days Later: Varlamov still haunts the Blackhawks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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You could sense a little uneasiness from Blackhawks fans before the puck dropped Tuesday night at the United Center. In fact, during the warm up one fan told me, “I hope they don’t fall behind early and play catch up hockey the rest of the way.” Unfortunately for him, that’s exactly what they did. An...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs moving in the right direction after another big win
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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Semyon Varlamov was at it again for the Avs. It seems the Blackhawks aren’t the only team wondering how to solve the goalie. The Senators put 38 shots on the Russian Olympian tonight and scored just twice. The Avs countered with five of its own en route to a convincing 5-2 victory Thursday night at the Pep...
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...
David Pastrnak, the 2014 Boston Bruins first-round draft pick posted his first career 2-goal game on January 10 against the Philadelphia Flyers. In fact, he came very close to scoring a hat-trick on an empty net chance. Nontheless, the 18-year old rookie winger, who was recently recalled again from Providence, has given the Bruins a much needed spark. Playing on the fir...
AarifDeen writes...
Colorado wins the big game, inching closer to playoff spot
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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It’s been hyped up around the team for days now. Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars in a divisional battle for the better positioning in the wildcard race. Colorado came in winners of two straight and they turned some heads with an impressive comeback win in front of a sold out Pepsi Center crowd. The Avs ...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs lose in Washington; Roy unhappy with penalty call
Posted Monday | Comments 0
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Colorado saw its three game winning streak come to an end Monday night after losing a 2-1 battle to the Capitals at Verizon Center. Washington won after scoring the first goal, which they have done so many times this season. The only team with a better winning percentage after scoring first is Montreal.
A...
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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...
royalgardens writes...
Maple Leafs 0 for Calif; LA in Danger of Missing Playoffs?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It sure is depressing coming back to the sub freezing temperatures of Chicago, especially from Los Angeles. The same can be said for the Maple Leafs’ current California trip, which has usually been rather successful in the last few seasons.
Monday night at Staples Center was truly a great experience however. My seats were just a few rows behind Darryl Evans, Nick Nic...
The writing is officially on the wall after a disastrous California road trip, and I think it's safe to say Leafs brass are smart enough to acknowledge the playoffs are a serious improbability now (at below 30%). It's not so much that they couldn't find a groove or go on another hot streak, but there simply isn't any space in the eastern conference playoff picture for them...
Rumors, rumors.....rumors galore! For those of you that haven't figured it out yet.....that's all they are. Smoke. No fire. Lets start with a guy like Taylor Hall. He plays like a bull in a china shop. Good player? You know he is. Reckless, Yup. Uncoachable? Nobody really knows. Nobody would really say until after he was traded....if he was traded. What are you going to ge...
royalgardens writes...
Leafs Management Mess; Richards for Phaneuf? Why Not?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Our "beloved" Maple Leafs return to the ACC Monday night against the lowly, yet always dangerous against Toronto, Carolina Hurricanes after a winless road trip against four of the perennially toughest Western Conference teams.
There is no shame in losing close games on the road against the Kings, Ducks, Sharks and Blues. What is a shame is that the Leafs lost to those ...
The Flames are in a very strange spot, sitting on the playoff bubble and having a look at the post season for the first time in a very long time. It’s strange not only due to the amount of time since they have had this kind of look but strange because of how they might have to approach this trade deadline.
The issue for the Flames is that they have a few players that...
In the recent past I’ve been spouting the need for the NHL to revise the point system to reflect a more accurate landscape when it come to teams who win in regulation. My idea for a point system would be 3 for a win, 2 for an O.T. win, 1 for a shoot out win, and zero for losers. I did my research on this prior to last night’s games so they’re already outdated but I w...
Ok the leafs ave shown the ability to score, and now to a point the ability for defense. Its eiter one or the other, why bad personnel tat don't mesh as a proper hockey team. The players are good but many missing factors. Want to improve it, its not a quick answer but a reset or 2-3 years as opposed to rebuild 4-5 years is all that is needed. Why here is a list of their st...
For the past several years, there has been a vocal contingent of loyal hockey fans clamouring for a new-and-improved point system. These fans claim that there is an inherent illogic underlying the current system. And it's hard not to agree; the idea that some games are valued at 3 points, while others at 2, is curious at best.Certainly, the most popular suggestion is to us...
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There are plenty of words that could describe the Avs’ recent five-game road trip. The simplest way to put it is ‘not good enough.’
Colorado went 1-2-2 in the five-game swing away from home with both OT losses coming in the shootout where they had won five straight coming in.
“Looking back at t...
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For the third time in four games the Avs received a late goal with Semyon Varlamov on the bench. In Tampa Nathan MacKinnon scored with 7 seconds left, at home against Boston Ryan O’Reilly scored with 1:45 remaining, and tonight, with just 36 seconds left on the clock, Nick Holden scored to tie the game at ...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs split with Nashville; Iginla records 1,200th point
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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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...
Since the All-star break the Winnipeg Jets have not been playing the same style of hockey that made them successful prior to the break. Everyone was devastated when the teams top 4 defenseman were sidelined with injury and many fans started cheering for the McDavid sweepstakes. However, Chevy worked the lines and made an exceptional trade acquiring Harrison for a 6th round...
To all the Leaf fans,rnrnThis is for all the true fans, the real fans, the fans that know and believe that sometimes taking one step back is the right step in the right direction to where we ultimately want to be; a team we can see excel year in and year out.rnrnWe need to take back what's rightfully ours. We can no longer allow a franchise which we so loyally love and fol...
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,...
rnrnMinors, majors, up and downs, career 4th liner to top line on one of the best teams in the Eastern Conferece - what has Dale Weise done to get there and stay there?rnrnBrought over in a trade from Vancouver for Raphael Diaz, Weise had been a grinder, sticking his chin into situations attempting to change momentum for his team. Drafted 111th overall in '08 by the Range...
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...
If you are not a Carolina Hurricanes fan, you likely view the Canes as another sad sack team struggling at the bottom of the standings. But, amidst all the trade rumors swirling around the Hurricanes these days, they have quietly put together an extended string of solid outings since the start of 2015 (9-3-3). Their latest effort was a hard-fought 5-4 win over the San Jo...
LazarBeam writes...
Buffalo loses Myers, Two Top Prospects for Evander Kane
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
To Buffalo:
Evander Kane
Zach Bogosian
Kasdorf
To Winnipeg:
Tyler Myers
Joel Armia
Brendan Lemieux
2015 1st rounder
Drew Stafford
This trade makes me angry.
I don't understand why Buffalo would risk so many great, young prospects for Kane and Bogosian.
Kane is a proven offensive force, don't get me wrong. Every team in the league could use a guy like K...
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 ...
Our readers and fans can spend the day going over the recent trades made by the Buffalo Sabres, but as I finish typing this post, the subject will have been well worn out. I am a long time Leafs fan, and have become accustomed to hearing over and over again, every insignificant gossip surrounding the organization.
I hope you are not speculating that this post is about t...
The Sedin twins are a bit odd to say the least. It’s evident that many players around the NHL, agree. Two players put their views out to the public on a local radio show, Stars’ Captain Jamie Benn and leading scorer Tyler Seguin. Benn said on the radio show “Who knows what else they do together,” when one of the host said he “heard the Sedins room together” to ...
There has been a lot of trade rumors about Evander Kane this season. The Vancouver native became a real problem for the Jets and it was only a matter of time before he’d be shipped off to another team. That team just so happened to be the lowly Buffalo Sabres. Sitting at last place in the NHL, Buffalo is king of the hill when it comes to trade rumors. Their most valuable...
It is clear that Tim Murray is not going to simply continue making picks and the team being terrible during the rebuild. He made that obvious with the trade that took place yesterday, however, there are two options the team could take regarding the 2015-2016 season. There is the slow but sure approach, and then there is the aggressive approach, like what he did with the tr...
I still am unsure why Adams continues to get playing time on this current Penguins team. Honeslty, I beleive all he is, is a puck pusher. His speed has declined and whatever is left of his skill set.
What I don't understand is why scratch Downie and not Adams. Most people would have thought after the Bylsma/Shero era that the Adams project would come to an end. Don't g...
ThePigeonHockey writes...
Franson and Santorelli return for Preds' playoff run
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Nashville Predators are hands down the NHL’s best team this season. Expecting to make a deep playoff run, the Predators decided to be buyers on the trade market. The Predators acquired two of their former draftees from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli. Franson was selected in the 3rd round by Nashville in 2005 and Santorelli in the 6th round ...
Former NHL defenseman was found dead at his Mississuaga home this morning. Montador played in the NHL last for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2011-12 season but also had stints with the Flames, Panthers, Ducks, Bruins, Sabres and Zagreb Medvescak (KHL). In his 10 seasons in the NHL, Montador recorded 33 goals, 131 points and 807 penalty minutes in 571 games. In the 2011-12 seas...
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 ...
The Toronto Maple Leafs finally began to steer their ship in the right direction on Sunday by sending Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli to Nashville for a 2015 1st rounder, Olli Jokinen, and prospect Brendan Leipsic. The return on the deal signals the start of the rebuild that the team has been in need of for some time now. An added bonus to the transaction is that ...
Florida Panthers’ defenseman Dmitry Kulikov injured Stars’ forward Tyler Seguin on Friday, February 13th. Kulikov was given a major penalty for clipping Seguin in the third period of the game. Seguin may be out 3-6 weeks with his injury. He was both the Stars’ leading point and goal scorer. It was announced earlier today by the NHL department of safety that Kulikov w...
Full Rebuild you say...... You’ll have to forgive this long suffering fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs for being just a little bit skeptical as this is unknown territory we are possibly entering. I have been around to hear terms like “retool”, “rebuild on the fly” among other things that have achieved little to no results over the years so the idea of the...
[code]Welcome, I have been reading every blog about the end of this season and the beginning of hope, along with all of you and thought I would throw my own hat in the ring. I will start at the Trade Deadline. ...
Full Rebuild you say...... You’ll have to forgive this long suffering fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs for being just a little bit skeptical as this is unknown territory we are possibly entering. I have been around to hear terms like “retool”, “rebuild on the fly” among other things that have achieved little to no results over the years so the idea of the MLSE boar...
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...
[b]Zack Kassian[/b]
Kassian is a player who could make a very big difference on a playoff team put in the right situation. He had a very great junior career outside of his discipline issues, putting up solid numbers on a over powered Spitfires team, but thats not a Kassian brings to the table. He can go toe to toe with almost any player in the league as well as give...
HarrisonHamm writes...
What should the Penguins do about the power play?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
In a 2-1 loss to Columbus Thursday night, Pittsburgh continued to struggle on the power play. They failed to score again in the defeat, going 0-2 with the man-advantage. They now have gone 21 opportunities without a goal, and it is becoming a concern for the Pens.
Despite having the star power to excel on the power play, Pittsburgh has been unable to do that recently...
How can a team with Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Perron, Kunitz, Hornqvist, and Bennett struggle so mightily to score goals? Do we in Pittsburgh over-value these guys? Perhaps for a couple of them, but on this list there are supposed to be elite level, generational talent. That talent level should never struggle to score goals, especially on the power play. So here's my take:
...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Three Penguins that need to improve their production
Posted Friday | Comments 0
1. Chris Kunitz: The winger has been a mainstay as a top-6 forward for years, and has produced greatly for the Penguins in that span. But Kunitz hasn't scored a goal in nine games, and that needs to change. If he can get in front of the net more frequently, then his production will go up noticeably. He is an important veteran piece for Pittsburgh heading into the stretch r...
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...
HarrisonHamm writes...
3 places the Penguins need to improve at the trade deadline
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Two-way defenseman: Since the loss of young offensive defenseman Olli Maata for the season, the Pens have been looking for somebody that can fill the need of a two-way defenseman. With Paul Martin likely to leave in free-agency this summer, Pittsburgh needs a replacement. A two-way defenseman would also shore up the blue line on the struggling power play. A D-man that ca...
The Bruins looked like they could start making a push late in the season to get out of the wildcard playoff spot last month. After last night though, it seems that the Bruins are going nowhere but downhill. The Bruins are losers of six straight and if the Panthers win tonight, would see themselves out of a playoff spot. The road doesn’t get any easier for Boston either. ...
I know what you're thinking. Madness! Insanity! The Penguins have the world's best player in Sidney Crosby. But hear me out before you start chartering my bus to the looney bin. People often praise Oakland Athletics' GM Billy Beane for being a trailblazer in the name of building a team outside the box. Pittsburgh Penguins' GM Jim Rutherford has an opportunity to c...
As I write this. the Boston Bruins are clinging to a playoff spot as we enter the stretch to the post season. Whether or not the Bruins make the playoffs or not, the team faces a lot of questions after the curtain falls on the 2014-15 NHL season:
1.WHO WILL BE AT THE HELM?-
Peter Chiarelli and Claude Julien find themselves in the line of fire after what can be deemed a...
The Penguins got a huge win Saturday night against the St. Louis Blues, one of the best teams in the National Hockey League. Pittsburgh won 4-2 on two goals from forward Blake Comeau, who, along with all other Pens forwards, was playing with a different line. Comeau played with Evgeni Malkin and Chris Kunitz on the second line, and they were clearly the most productive lin...
The Penguins came up with a huge non-conference win against St. Louis Saturday. The top reason for the convincing victory was some line shuffling by coach Mike Johnston. Pittsburgh needed a boost on offense after failing to win in four straight games despite stellar performances from goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. They got the boost with the reformed lines.
On line one, ...
AarifDeen writes...
MacKinnon scores a hat trick as Avs hold on to beat Tampa
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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For the first time in almost five years the Pepsi Center crowd was treated to a hat trick by a Colorado Avalanche player. Nathan MacKinnon, just 19 years, 174 days old, scored his first career three-goal game in the NHL to break out of a 14 game scoring drought. It was the youngest Avalanche hat trick in tea...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Penguins score three in the third, dismantle Florida 5-1
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The turnaround is on for Pittsburgh. After failing to win four straight games, the Pens won both games of a weekend back-to-back against one of the best teams in the NHL , the Blues, and a team ferociously fighting for a playoff spot, the Panthers.
The Pens defeated Florida at home Sunday night, led by another stellar performance by goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and two...
Young fourth-line forward Zach Sill gets a lot of criticism. Why? Because he isn’t a goal scorer. Instead, he is a tough, forechecking, winger that plays well along the boards and can kill penalties. So he isn’t a scorer. Don’t the Penguins have enough of those already? Let Zach Sill be who he is, not the entertaining, stat-filling player that every hockey fan wishes...
LazarBeam writes...
Post-Game Review: Turris' Three Points Lead Sens over FLA
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nhl/florida-panthers/hq5kye/picture10909145/ALTERNATES/LANDSCAPE_1140/Panthers%20Senators%20Hockey%20(3)[/img]
Final Score: 4 -1 Sens
The Sens ended their five game home-stand Saturday night with their third win, going 3-1-1. Over the last five games at home the Senators scored 22 goals, a 4.4 average well above their 2.8 on the...
CanesTR writes...
Trade Deadline Update - Hurricanes Ready to Pull the Trigger
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Amidst wild speculation that the Pittsburgh Penguins were in discussion with the Carolina Hurricanes about a possible deal to bring back Jordan Staal, Hurricanes GM Ron Francis moved quickly to deny any such thing was happening, pronouncing "We are not moving Jordan!" At the same time, Ronnie Franchise was quick to confirm that the disposition of the current UFAs, specifi...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Penguins acquire Winnik from Leafs for Sill, picks
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Penguins have made their first real trade since the Goc deal back in January as we approach the March trade deadline. The Pens acquired Maple Leafs forward Daniel Winnik for Zach Sill and a couple draft picks.
The picks are a 2015 fourth-rounder and a 2016 second-rounder.
Winnik, who isn't known as an offensive star, is an effective forechecker, is versatile, and...
The Penguins got a solid victory against bitter rival Washington Wednesday night. They avoided being swept by the Capitals in their always-competitive season series. Chris Kunitz knocked home a Blake Comeau rebound with 13 minutes remaining in the third period to give the Pens their decisive fourth goal.
That score gave Pittsburgh a 4-2 lead. With about four minutes to...
If the Toronto Maple Leafs are serious about rebuilding they need to be serious about the path they take in doing so. Sure, the return on a player like Daniel Winnik is going to be draft picks, but given the organisation's horrendous track record at the draft it needs to stop there.rnrnCan you recall the last all-star drafted by the Leafs? At this point the organization do...
DVSP got bumped quickly to the 2nd line last night in Columbus. He didn't do anything too exciting but a couple of nice chances, a few hits and some blocked shots (a -2 doesn't help but) you can't ask for much more in your first game.
The starting line is solid. Patches and Gallagher are here, signed up and locked in for a while. We could use an upgrade at top line cen...
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...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Should the Penguins scratch Steve Downie or Craig Adams?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Penguins have an extra forward, so they need a regular forward to be a healthy scratch. There are two players that are possibly candidates to become a regular healthy scratch: Steve Downie and Craig Adams. So which one should they use more often? Both players are solid players, with different pros and cons. It is a very difficult decision for coach Mike Johnston.
W...
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...
stljam writes...
Blues look to continue taking advantage of friendly Canada
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
As the Blues travel east through Canada, they look to add to their 7-3-1 record against Canadien teams, including a 3-1-0 road record in Canada. They also hope to add to the Oilers two game home losing streak
While the Oilers have improved in the last 10 games, it's like saying your kid improved in school by going from a 45% on their first test to a 55% on their second...
The Blues continued recent trends in their 2 -1 victory over the host Edmonton Oilers, winning their second road game in a row on Canadian soil and handing the Oilers their third straight home loss. it also kept Elliott undefeated against Canadian teams this year.
In the victory, the Blues failed to score more than two goals yet again even though they were facing an Oi...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Malkin continues hot streak, leads Penguins past Blue Jacket
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Evgeni Malkin scored three points for the third consecutive game, and the Penguins defeated the Blue Jackets at home on Sunday. The score was 5-3, and Malkin scored two of the goals and added an assist to lead Pittsburgh to their fourth straight win after a loss in Columbus on Feb. 19th. rnrnThe Pens’ power-play put up three goals in the second period alone to take contr...
In the final hours of the NHL trade deadline, dangling Lars Eller has not shown much interest with team looking to rebuild. The success of Jacob de Larose at center has made teams feel that the Canadien don't need Eller and should not attribute as much value to him. Lars is a proven playoff performer and has much more value as a number 3 center with the Canadien then with ...
Hey Guys,
The trade deadline is finally over, and I'm sure players all across the NHL are relieved. There have been numerous trade talks regarding the leafs and their core players for several weeks now. One trade that I was hoping to see today was captain Dion Phaneuf headed to the Detroit Red Wings, Unfortunately things fell through. The Red Wings decided to take the...
So another trade deadline has come and gone, and Leaf fans have come to expect the outcome under Nonis' watch, which this time was predictably trading off pending ufa's and standing pat with the rest of the group. One entirely amazing, unpredictable, smart move that has shocked many in the hockey world has seen David Clarkson shipped to a money conscious Columbus Blue Jac...
So another trade deadline has come and gone, and Leaf fans have come to expect the outcome under Nonis' watch, which this time was predictably trading off pending ufa's and standing pat with the rest of the group. One entirely amazing, unpredictable, smart move that has shocked many in the hockey world has seen David Clarkson shipped to a money conscious Columbus Blue Jac...
At the recent NHL trade deadline, the Penguins made two trades, both involving defenseman. The first trade they made was dealing Robert Bortuzzo and a draft pick to the Blues for defenseman Ian Cole. I can understand trading Bortuzzo, as the Penguins are wealthy in defensive prospects and don’t have a clear place for him. But the other trade they made, Simon Depres to An...
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...
Thursday night the Blues head to the city of brotherly love to take on the Flyers. This is a precursor for next Thursday's tilt at the Scottrade Center. The Flyers have been strong ta home posting a record of 18-8-6 while the Blues have been extremely strong on the road going 18-10-3 and finding ways to salvage points like the game in Vancouver.
Both teams have been...
The Penguins were defeated in Colorado Wednesday night by a score of 3-1. The Avalanche’s Gabriel Landeskog had a goal and two assists to lead the Avs to a win at the Pepsi Center.
Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov made 28 saves, including 12 in the third period, to lead his team to a victory against Pittsburgh, who had won four straight heading into a west coast r...
The trade deadline has passed, teams lineups are locked, and all eyes are set on the playoffs. There's just one thing, are you comfortable with the team GM Dale Tallon has put on the ice? With the departures of Forwards Sean Bergenheim, and Tomas Fleischmann, newly acquired Jaromir Jagr has been a glimmering star. His presence in the locker room and on the ice have changed...
New Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy made his 2015 Pittsburgh debut in his former city of Anaheim. Lovejoy and the Pens got the win over the streaking Ducks, who had won seven of eight games.
Patric Hornqvist scored two goals in the second period and Sidney Crosby got his elusive 21st goal (although it was an empty-netter) to lead the Penguins past the Ducks in the sec...
ETA - All of the trends continued with Steen getting three helpers, Oshie a goal and an assist and Backes with a goal and the Blues winning yet another game against a Canadian team.
After struggling in the city of brotherly love on Thursday, the Blues look to right the ship in the friendly confines of Canada. They hope to improve on their 8-3-1 overall and 4-1 road rec...
thesnirk writes...
Advance Stats: Making bad look good and good look bad.
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Oh the Advance stats. How far they have come. From a bunch of non-jocks writing blogs to the NHL publishing them on nhl.com. Some call it a major advancement. Other say who really cares.
I fall into the who cares side of it. While they might have some use, I think too much value is being put in these number. A good example of this is the Battle of Alberta. I live right...
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 ...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Fleury earns shutout as the Penguins win in OT over LA
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Marc-Andre Fleury, who was off in Anaheim on Friday, played possibly his best game of the season Saturday night in Los Angeles. He made 31 saves and kept the game from being a blowout, as the Penguins only managed 18 shots on Kings goalie Jonathan Quick. Although many of those 18 shots were solid chances, it was a season-low in shots for the Penguins.
"I didn't feel lik...
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...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Struggles against Sharks continue as Pens lose in SO
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
San Jose does not seem to be the Penguins favorite place. They lost their 12th straight game there Monday night, 2-1 in a shootout. They haven’t won there since 1997.
Tommy Wingels scored in the eighth round of the shootout and Antti Niemi stopped Steve Downie to give the Sharks the win. Niemi played amazingly, saving 39 of 40 shots in regulation and stopping seven of...
The contracts the Sabres have on the books for the 2015-2016 season, by position.
LW – E. Kane $5.25M, M. Moulson $5M, Foligno $1.875M, Deslauriers $.6375M (the only full position) [b]TOTAL $12.7625M[/b]
C – Z. Girgensons $.894167M, J. Larsson $.950M, C. McCormick $1.5M [b]TOTAL $3.344167M[/b]
RW – T. Ennis $4.6M, C. Hodgson $4.25M, B. Gionta $4.25M [b]TOTAL $13...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Pens blow 4-0 but score twice in third to beat Oilers 6-4
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It was a rocky road, but the Penguins would pull off a victory. After the Penguins scored three in the first period and another one a minute into the second, Edmonton, helped by the replacement of goaltender Ben Scrivens with Richard Bachman, roared back in the third period with four straight to knot the game up. The Pens would score twice in 66 seconds to take a 6-4 lead,...
Seeing the highlights of the Calgary Toronto game last night and the tremendous performance (amid the embarassment that is the Maple Leafs this season) of Sean Monahan and his line, it had me thinking back to the 2013 draft.
The Buffalo Sabres needed forward help in the worst way. The situation was dire, although in hindsight, dire would only be an applicable word to th...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Penguins shut out by Boston after losing Crosby, Malkin
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
This game was the exact opposite of the Penguins’ previous matchup. After winning a high-scoring 6-4 affair against the Oilers, they were shut out by goalie Tuuka Rask and the Boston Bruins, 2-0.
One of the main reasons for Pittsburgh’s offensive struggles was the loss of two of the NHL’s top five scoring leaders. Sidney Crosby, after looking perfectly fine in wa...
A day after both the Penguins and the Red Wings were handed disappointing losses, it was just the Penguins that had that happen to them again. Detroit creamed the Penguins by a score of 5-1 in a game in which tempers flared and the teams were on edge for most of the contest.
For the Penguins, they should have done better than they did against the Bruins Saturday afterno...
Johan Larsson’s career in the NHL had mimicked a yo-yo since the Buffalo Sabres traded for him from the Minnesota Wild. At the time of the trade, he was thought of on a wide ranging scale, from quality prospect destined to make an NHL impact to a pseudo throwaway with the Wild fans laughing that he wasn’t Zucker or Coyle. What was once thought of as a haul for Jason Po...
No luck of the Irish for the Penguins Tuesday night. They lost their third straight game against the New Jersey Devils, who are third-to-last in the Metropolitan Division. Not only did they lose, but they were shut out by the lowly Devils on St. Patrick’s day. 2-0 was the final thanks to an empty-netter with 48 seconds left in the game. Another tough game for the Penguin...
Another game, another loss for the Penguins. They dropped their fourth straight game in Dallas Thursday night by a score of 2-1.
Stars captain Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist, Kari Lehtonen stopped 31 of 32 shots to lead Dallas to a win over dropping Pittsburgh, who is now tied with the Washington Capitals for third in the Metropolitan Division.
Rookie Brett Ri...
Dearest Oiler fans,
I think this relationship needs some honesty. I know you're not the best at listening to it but I have to try anyway. I miss our battles, I miss when beating the Oilers meant something. I miss have a close head to head win loss count. I miss you being talented. I miss you having courageous fans.
How much does it burn (pun intended 100%) that Johnn...
I was a goalie. In the age of saw dust, horse hair and leather. My chest protector was a glorified catchers chest protector. My arm pats were not much better. My leg pads just rose to the bottom of my quads (and I was considered a cheater for that in my day). In my pads and gear I was about 3 inches wider at the shoulders or across the chest. Fast forward 30 years. ...
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...
First this great comment from a winning coach. My Favorite quote of the year.
"All those beautiful stats, they're not worth nothing once the score is up there and the game is over. That's the most important stat and tonight they got one goal more than us,"
Bob Hartley (as per TSN) after out shooting Columbus 40-26 and loosing in overtime.
Ok with that...
In the middle of true panic and hysteria setting in during the 3rd period of the Sabres Stars game last night when it looked like the Sabres were going to gain more useless points in their quest for a guaranteed top 2 pick, amid the joy of the Stars pulling out the regulation win, the Tyler Myers dead horse was revived and then beaten again.
Two important notes before I...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Steen scores OT winner as Blues beat Penguins 3-2
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Despite the solid play of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and the Penguins’ much better play in this game than in other recent games, the Pens failed to pull off a victory at home against the Blues. They had a 2-0 lead at 8:58 of the second period, but two former Pens negated that advantage.
After Steve Downie’s goal made it 2-0 midway through the second period, Blues ...
The Penguins, playing terrible of late, failed to defeat the lowly Hurricanes, who previously had six goals in their last seven games. Carolina won by a score of 5-2.
Carolina star center Eric Staal had a goal and two assists and was named first star of the game and goaltender Cam Ward made 27 saves as Carolina, currently in the cellar of the Metropolitan Division, defe...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Penguins earn an important victory against the Coyotes 3-2
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist were back in the lineup for a game that was important for two reasons: One was that the Pens had been playing horribly (losing to terrible Carolina on Thursday), and they needed a victory. They got it against another lowly team, the Arizona Coyotes.
Despite not scoring until 7:16 of the third period, when Daniel Winnik scored, the Peng...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Crosby scores 300th goal, but Penguins fall to Flyers 4-1
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Maybe the Penguins should stop playing the Flyers in Pittsburgh, because they can’t seem to beat them. Philadelphia is now 13-2-1, 11-1-1 in the regular season, against Pittsburgh at Consol Energy Center.
Brayden Schenn scored twice to lead the Flyers to a 4-1 win Wednesday night. Philadelphia, with a record of 31-29-17, have already been eliminated from the postseas...
One has to believe watching Carey play that the Stanley Cup is not too far off. It is a perfect script. He has done it all and then some. He now stands alone atop the Montreal Canadian goaltenders for total wins in a single season with 43 to date surpassing the likes of Plante and Dryden. What a remarkable achievement!
Since being drafted he has won a Calder Trophy, a g...
The Calgary Flames, clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2009 after beating the defending champions the LA Kings 3-1 last night. They clinched the playoff spot with one game to go in the season. For most of the final part of the season they battled with the Kings and the Winnipeg Jets for 3rd in the Pacific and the final wild card spot. This has been one of the...
[b]Does every NHL team have a drafting identity?? [/b]
When discussing prospects/potential selections I've heard multiple categories used to describe the reasonings for why an NHL team will select who they will select... these include:
1. BPA - Best Player Available
2. Organizational needs
3. Safe pick
4. Transferable NHL skills/size
5. Previous chemistry with othe...
Even the most reality-deprived hockey fans won't ever mistake Brendan Shanahan for Tommy Chong, but the Leafs have conveyed a similar message in the firing of Dave Nonis, Pete Horachek, and the entire coaching staff (aside from Steve Staios, who has been reassigned).
Nonis should be judged entirely on his own merits, and there is much blood-letting and ...
A few weeks ago I posed a question to my fellow flames fans “If the flames make the playoffs does the idea of a rebuild change?” This led to some heated discussions with some people throughout the thread that viewed the idea as completely ludicrous. For those who don’t know me I have a couple of values that I find to be very important, one never say something bad ab...
As a reward for winning the Atlantic Division and claiming home ice advantage for at least the first 2 rounds the Canadians get to face one of, if not, the hottest teams in the NHL. The Senators have been on a tear and against insurmountable odds completed an historic comeback claiming a spot in the 2015 playoffs. This alone is a tremendous story and everyone who loves spo...
In case you missed the Oilers year end press conference, allow me to save you 25 minutes of your life by summing it up:
Prepare for more of the same.
While the press conference was visually better than last years, not much was said which most oiler fans didn't already anticipate, and essentially consisted of Craig Mactavish blowing smoke up everyones ass.
Some o...
It's the middle of April! That, as every Oilers fan knows is the beginning of seeing every idiot with access to a computer begin to post their own plans on what they would do to improve the team. So without further adieu I present this idiots plan on what I would do to improve the team.
As it stands right now, this is the opening roster for next season (ignoring UFA's)
...
stefm45 writes...
Being a Hockey fan in Sunny South Africa (Yes South Africa)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
To say its difficult is an understatement. With the extremely early mornings or late nights (huge time difference) and the lack of coverage down here it is hard. I am writing this piece for my blog to give people in America and Canada and anywhere else (if you are South African... Wow) an insights into a fan's perspective who lives in a country that barely recognises Ice...
Reddevil45 writes...
NY Islanders against Washington Capitals:Series Prediction
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The second seeded Washington Capitals will face the third seeded New York Islanders. Both teams had players who were in the race for the Art Ross Trophy, Alexander Ovechkin (Capitals) and John Tavares (Islanders).Both players have got five points in the four games when these two have faced each other. Both teams didn’t make the playoffs the previous season but have rebou...
Reddevil45 writes...
Nashville Preds against Chicago Blackhawks:Series Prediction
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The first Western Conference series will be between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators. The Predators will have home ice in the series but looked shaky towards the end of the season. The Blackhawks will get a boost to their ever strong offense with Patrick Kane (64P, 61GP) back from injury. Both teams ended the season with only four wins in their last ten g...
Reddevil45 writes...
Calgary Flames against Vancouver Canucks:Series Prediction
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Two rivals from Western Canada surprised many by making the playoffs this season. They are the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames. Both teams haven’t won a playoff series since they made the Stanley Cup. The Canucks made it more recently in 2011 when they lost to the Boston Bruins and the Flames made it in 2004 when they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Flames ...
By now, in the myriad of news articles and videos; we can all see the damage done and we'll all fall on one side of the fence or another.
Here's an idea: Suspend Subban - not the league, but the team.
Sure, it's a little bit of a wild notion but it might help clear the air, focus on hockey and show the Senators just how strong the Habs are.
1) The Habs are very...
Cam Neely addressed the media yesterday from TD Garden. Just a mere few hours of delivering the news that longtime General Manager, Peter Chiarelli, had been fired from the Boston Bruins.
The main topic of the press conference was the future of Claude Julien. Claude has been the head coach in Boston since 2007, and this season was the first time the Bruins had misse...
Reddevil45 writes...
NY Rangers against Pittsburgh Penguins: Series Prediction
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
One of the only series predicted not to be very close is between the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Rangers come into this matchup as the Presidents’ Trophy winners (113P). The Penguins are on the opposite side in the playoffs with them just squeaking into the playoffs on the last day. Only the Flames had fewer points than the Penguins out of teams who...
Reddevil45 writes...
TB Lightning against Detroit Red Wings: Series Prediction
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
On one team there is a big question mark on who should be their starting goaltender and the other it is a no brainer. The Detroit Red Wings have put playoff rookie Petr Mrazek (.918Sv%, 2.38GAA) in net for game 1 of the season instead of veteran Jimmy Howard (.910Sv%, 2.44GAA). In the Tampa Bay Lightning net it won’t be difficult to decide who to play. Ben Bishop (.916Sv...
Reddevil45 writes...
St.Louis Blues against Minnesota Wild: Series Prediction
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
One of the biggest storylines of the season is the Minnesota Wild and Devan Dubnyk who will be facing off against Central Division leaders the St. Louis Blues. Dubnyk (.936Sv%, 178GAA with the Wild) started 39 out of the Wild’s last 40 games of the season. He took the Wild from miles out of the playoffs into clinching the top wild card spot in the West. Many thought Dubn...
Reddevil45 writes...
Anaheim Ducks against Winnipeg Jets: Series Prediction
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Winnipeg Jets will play in their first postseason since relocating back to Winnipeg. The Jets will hope that their goaltending (Ondrej Pavelec or Michael Hutchinson) will hold in the series against the Ducks young goalies Frederik Anderson and John Gibson. The Ducks will go with Anderson in net and the Jets with Pavelec. The Ducks finished top in the west finishing onl...
Hello HockeyWorld, ScottQ32 here. It's true tank nation is over and my Sabres have not won. The Edmonton Oilers will draft 1st overall. The Sabres will pick at second and will still get a generational player in Eichel but from my standpoint you can't help but think what could of been. I tried to see Connor in Erie at my birthday in November but he was injured. I also tried...
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...
saneopinion writes...
Conner won't Lindros the Oilers, he'll McJesus them
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So bitter.
Yes, it sucks that Edmonton won the draft lottery, outside of Edmonton they are reviled as a worthless loser of an organization and yet get the main prize of this generation. Or do they?
They get to draft Conner McDavid but that doesn’t guarantee a that McDavid plays a game for the Oilers. On TV the analysts looked downtrodden, the other G.M.’s rolled ...
[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 ...
Well it's been quite the week in Oil Country. Exactly one week ago, morale was about as low as it's ever been at the end of a season. The Oilers finished 28th overall, and while in previous years fans had been dissapointed, the draft was still a chance to look optimistically at the future. This year, even though this draft has been called one of the deepest drafts of the l...
Wow, the last 3 seasons have really flown by. It's hard to believe that four seasons ago this team was almost dead last. Words like "rebuild" and "developmental" were commonly seen on the Oiler threads. In the last three seasons we've seen this team narrowly miss out on a second round appearance, watch an exciting Western Conference final with the Winnipeg Jets, and of cou...
Reddevil45 writes...
NY Rangers against Washington Capitals: Series Prediction
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
In New York the Washington Capitals will stay. This time it is against the Rangers. The two goaltenders Henrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby have been two of the best goaltenders in the playoffs this season. Lundqvist has a Sv% of .939 and a GAA of 1.53. Holtby has a Sv% of .943 and a GAA of 1.63. Lundqvist conceded more than one goal in one game in a 4-3 loss to the Penguin...
Reddevil45 writes...
Calgary Flames against Anaheim Ducks:Series Prediction
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
After the Flames qualified for their first postseason since 2009 they won their first playoff round since they made the Stanley Cup Final in 2004. Their opponent this time is the Western Conference champions the Anaheim Ducks a team they have not beaten at the Honda Center in their last 20 straight regular season games (0-15-5) and 2 out of 3 in the 2006 playoffs. Both the...
Since I love to innovate and work on broken systems, I have yet another method to help "fix" the draft.
What was the worst team in the league last year? Well... it depends... what stat are you looking at?
Enter the problem. I'm a big fan of the Devils, admittedly, so I would like the idea of the Devils drafting a breakout forward to help fix the offensive woes that ...
Reddevil45 writes...
Montreal Canadiens against TB Lightning: Series Prediction
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round. The last time these two met was in last year’s Stanley Cup 1st round where The Canadiens swept the Lightning. When they met Ben Bishop missed the series due to a dislocated elbow, which proved to be one of the main reasons for them getting swept. Bishop didn’t play at his best in the 1st six games...
Reddevil45 writes...
Chicago Blackhawks against Minnesota Wild: Series Prediction
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Minnesota Wild will face the Chicago Blackhawks for the third straight post season. The Blackhawks have got the better of the Wild both times winning in 5 in 2013 (Round 1) and in 6 in 2014 (Round 2). It is also the second time in a row the Wild have beaten the Central Division champions (St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche last season) and faced the Blackhawks in t...
Regular Season Only!!!!
The Flames played well above what was expected of them this season. There are still people who can’t believe how the Flames made it to the playoffs. The Flames had a 44.43 SAT %(Corsi For %), shots on goal + shot attempts that missed the net + blocked shots, was 28th in the league and a 45.74 USAT %(Fenwick For %), shots on goal + shot attempts...
Normally I wouldn't write this many posts, but this was an exception.
There had been speculation that since the new owners were being tentative on their "state of things" conference at the end of the year that changes were coming. Lou said it was his idea to step down, but since the speculation was there, I think it's fair to say that the situation may have been a bi...
Hello, It has been a while since I wrote one of these, but with an important off-season looming, I felt it was as good a time as ever.
The 2014-15 Flyers were a disappointment. No way around that. However I am not sure if anyone was really shocked by this, the defense is old and slow, the secondary scoring is sporadic, and there seems to be team wide problem with consis...
As much as most fans have enjoyed the last few weeks and the changes being made to this organization, it is obvious this team has a long way to go before playoffs can be even considered. However there are also a few pieces of trade bait this organization can dangle to fulfil some of these needs, one key one being the second first round pick; 16th overall. With a draft that...
Wow. This last season hey. It did not go well. The season never really got going after a seemingly good start (4-0-1) it went downhill from there but for a strong showing in December going into January. We had only three bad losing streaks. The one being a four match losing streak and the other two, three matches. So we did not have any really really bad runs. But there w...
Reddevil45 writes...
NY Rangers against TB Lightning: Series Prediction
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Eastern Conference Finals pits the Tampa Bay Lightning against the New York Rangers who have made the Conference Finals for the third time in four years. This series will put many former players against each other. Ryan Callahan, who is a game time decision after his emergency appendectomy a few games ago, Martin St .Louis, Anton Stralman and Brian Boyle face their old...
I’ve been back and forth on whether or not I think getting Babcock is a “Must” for the leafs. One thing is for sure and that is Toronto needs a complete make over in how desirable they are to free agents, coaches, scouts and anyone else in the industry. I think about teams like the Yankees in baseball, players want to go to New York because it comes with an air of re...
LeafLove93 writes...
Off Season Targets for Shanahan (in a leaf fans eyes)
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Its no surprise to anyone that the Leafs roster will look significantly different come the start of next season, I thought it would be fun to throw my couch potato GM’ing out there for others to read about. Not all of these would work together but all would be improvement for both teams.
New York Islanders:
Target: Griffin Reinhart + Josh Ho-Sang + Nikolai Kulemin
...
I woke up to a text yesterday morning from a good friend that read, “WHO IS DAVE HAKSTOL?”
Admittedly, I had no idea but a mere second later when I opened Twitter I knew he had just become the 19th head coach in Philadelphia Flyers history.
In an off-season that is just over a month old for the Flyers, rumors swirled and swirled about former Sharks coach Todd M...
There are two paths the Sabres could take this offseason, and which one of the two is correct is up to the individual.
Path A is one of immediacy which consists of the Sabres looking to upgrade their top 6, specifically the right win position, ASAP. There are targets the team could make outside the almost endlessly mentioned obvious candidate who shall not be named to s...
Back by popular demand, it's the conclusion of my 29 defensemen blog. Once again, this is a blog to talk about defensemen I feel could be acquired [b]for the right price[/b]. The second first round pick was a piece I chose to simply start the conversation. In no way was I suggesting that Kris Russell is worth the 16th pick; or that the pick alone could get Brent Seabrook. ...
Directly in the midst of the Mike Babcock wildfire, the Philadelphia Flyers agreed to terms with defenseman Yevgeny Medvedev on Wednesday.
Medvedev hails from Chelyabinsk, Russia and has been a member of the KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan since 2007. During his eight seasons with the team he was named an All-Star three times and additionally won two Gagarin Cups (KHL’s Stanle...
Over the next few weeks, while the Stanley Cup is finishing up, I'm going to be writing about possible trades that might happen by or on draft day. Many will be suggesting trades on forums, but the perceived value of players is highly contested, even among GMs. A trade is actually more likely to happen when the value of a player is over-or-underestimated.
So discret...
The unethical week continued for the Philadelphia Flyers when they signed winger Aaron Palushaj on Thursday.
Palushaj (Puh-Loo-Shy), comes to the Flyers after spending the 2014-2015 in the KHL, marking the second time in as many days the orange and black have come to terms with a former player from the league.
At 25 years old, the two sides agreed to terms on a one-...
The NHL Draft is quickly approaching (June 26th and 27th) as the Conference Final playoff round heats up. Who might your favorite team be selecting in rounds 1-3?
[u]Round 1[/u]
1) Edmonton Oilers – C [b]Connor McDavid[/b], Erie
- The Oilers having been getting pieces and more pieces to the puzzle and now they can finish it off with the biggest of them all. ...
By now we know that the Flyers have a plethora of options when it comes to defensemen. But what about the last line of defense, behind them?
[b]Steve Mason[/b] is the guy, obviously. When your starter finishes with the 3rd best save percentage in the entire league (.928) and 7th in goals against average (2.25) it’s normally revered to as a pretty successful season.
...
Watching the Western Conference Final (and if you aren't then shame on you) makes it abundantly clear how far the Oilers are from being a Cup contender. We all know the work that needs to go in to improving the defence and the goal-tending. That is a given. Unfortunately it is the current makeup of forwards that is cause for concern as well. Anaheim is getting production f...
The long rumoured signing of arguably the best coach in the NHL today, Mike Babcock, by the Leafs must not change what the plan has been for the team. Shanahan had leafs fans committed to a long rebuild, which includes stripping it down to bare bones.
They said a lot of the right things at the press conference that it will be a long process, that there is pain in store ...
The Edmonton Oilers have the chance to add 4 players in the first two rounds of the draft this year. Among them is one of the highest acclaimed players of our generation. If he lives up to that hype or not, he will be expected when the Oilers are shopping to fill holes in their roster.
I think the Oilers might be in one of the most unique positions in NHL history. In...
Top 10 Habs Prospects, end of season edition.
[b]Nathan Beaulieu, Greg Pateryn & Jacob De la rose[/b] are expected to start the 2015-16 season in the NHL so they won't be included.
[b]1. Nikita Scherbak[/b]
The best prospects the Montreal Canadiens have. If there's anyone who can become an impact offensive forward in the NHL, it's him. He had another solid season in t...
Most Flames fans are salivating at the possibilities of our ever evolving hockey club. Last year, we made the playoffs and actually won a round! With the emergence of John Gaudreau(anyone notice his FB fan page?) as a top flight winger, Sean Monahan posting career highs in goals and points, Sam Bennett delivering some early post season magic, it begs the question, so far, ...
This year's draft looks particularly strong; the free agent pool looks exactly the opposite of that. But next year's free agents will make you salivate. Now, more than ever, teams are starting to prevent their players from bolting for free, since it damages their franchise too much when it does happen. Nobody wants to have the forward core of the NJ Devils right now.
...
We are now officially less than one month away from the [b]NHL Draft.[/b]
As of right now, the [b]Flyers[/b] currently hold two first round picks, sitting at [b]#7 and #29/30[/b] depending on whether the Lightning win the Stanley Cup or not. While the front office may be looking to shop one of the two, this installment focuses on seven option the Flyers could take with...
rnI was pointed to this article not long ago: http://www.broadstreethockey.com/2013/4/25/4262594/nhl-draft-pick-value-trading-up rn rnBased on the article, below are some possible trades the leafs could make if they were interested in moving down. rnrnI've included both Market (equal value) and High (20% premium) as noted by the article to present a range of trade values t...
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a big bag of mess, but with the likes of Shanahan and Babcock guiding two out of three of the most important positions I feel pretty comfortable we are moving in the right direction. The trade talks swirl around the core of the leafs and rightfully so, they haven't meshed the way they should or performed to the best of their capabilities. For me...
ianmcnamara558 writes...
Leafs Looking for Quality, Volume of Prospects in Pipeline
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Since the departure of Mats Sundin, the Maple Leafs have lacked a true No. 1 centre. Looking at successful clubs like Chicago, Los Angeles, Anaheim and Tampa Bay might make management envious; they can count on Jonathan Toews, Anze Kopitar, Ryan Getzlaf and Steven Stamkos to hold down their top position year in and year out. Which is why they could understandably feel co...
Well, here I am hanging out at home and I am feeling bored so I thought "Hey, why not write a quick blog so I can read responses that say either 1. How stupid I am, 2. Good read or maybe some random 3rd option"
So let me start off this with a quick statement, Eichel is not a better prospect than McDavid. Thanks and now on to the blog.
I decided to write a quick blurb...
The year will be fun as so much can play out. Leafs could potentially be competitive shortly now that we have Babcock and keep Phaneuf and Kessel but that will involve many ifs and the tea eventually doing another rebuild shortly as the team will deplete its prospect depth way to soon. For long term and guaranteed success they need to be traded as they are Toronto's best a...
Every team is looking to trade up. I mean, I had a choice when I looked into my freezer this morning: plain Eggos or Cinnamon Toast Eggos. The longer you look at them, the more tempted you are. You have to think it's always an option and virtually every team (except Edmonton) is a candidate.
Also, teams always seem to covet picks that are slated to go three to five...
First of all, i want to introduce myself, that you have a feeling who is going to write :D My name is Tom, 30 years and a native of Bavaria, Germany so please be not so hard on me if there are gramatical mistakes.
There were irritating rumors that the Oil own 5 of the first 63 picks, but our own 3rd round pick was traded and we have the 79th and 86th pick instead from ...
stricker518 writes...
Flyers Off-Season Review Part One: Hextall and Hakstol
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Part one of Broad Street Sports off-season review will focus on the out of nowhere hire of the Flyers new head coach Dave Hakstol as well as taking a look at the system he plans on putting in place and how he will fit this current roster to his vision.
First things first, why Hakstol? I as much as everybody else when they head the news of the hire said "who?". However ...
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...
This entire blog will be split into three: Forward, Defense and Goaltending. This blog will be about Edmonton's forwards.
In this blog I will be keeping track of Edmonton's cap salary remaining. Without signing anyone this yet, Edmonton is at 18 million remaining. Last season Edmonton had one of worst centre depth. This season it looks like they may have on of the b...
It’s no secret that the penguins are a position to capitalise on the ‘big four’: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury. At least not with some of the current crop they continue to renew and obtain every year.
Mike Johnson was unable to prove his worth this season. His coaching ability is not in question, neither is his team management. Hi...
There is no doubt that this year's playoffs have been a weird one. Eastern Conference favorites were bounced in consecutive rounds by a surprising Tampa Bay Lightning team. The Washington Capitals finally seemed like they were going to make it out of the second round again, only to lose three straight to the Rangers. Stanley Cup Champion goaltender Corey Crawford was ch...
For a die-hard Buffalo Sabres fan living in the hockey mad metropolis of Edmonton, Alberta…it couldn’t have gotten much worse than April 18th, 2015.
I figured suffering through back-to-back seasons of utter ineptitude resulting in two straight 30th place finishes…and knowing full well I would witness the Sabres also lose out on the 1st overall pick in the NHL entr...
Finally, the playoffs are over. Thank goodness. The drudgery!
Who cares? Make fun of me if you would like. I was bored to tears after the first round of the playoffs and I didn't watch many games thereafter. I've been bored after the first round of the playoffs for a long time. Truth be told, the three most exciting playoff teams I've ever watched were Toronto, Phi...
KIMMOOOOOOO!! Nothing made me more happier on Monday night than watching Kimmo graciously lift the cup over his head in absolute euphoria. The thing he's been working for his entire life which had eluded him up until now is finally his. He can finally call himself a champion. After a wonderful career in which he was a 5 time all-star (probably would have been a 6th if ther...
KIMMOOOOOOO!! Nothing made me more happier on Monday night than watching Kimmo graciously lift the cup over his head in absolute euphoria. The thing he's been working for his entire life which had eluded him up until now is finally his. He can finally call himself a champion. After a wonderful career in which he was a 5 time all-star (probably would have been a 6th if ther...
[i]Bare with me on this blog. It was written quickly as it has been a long time since HB's actual Oilers Blogger has said anything. A week before the Oilers make 5 picks early in the draft and the best rumors are found on TSN and their website sucks. Like it or not, someone had to say something at all about the club as this is truly a momentous time for the Oilers club t...
KABOOM.
Many have speculated and this week starts the changing of the guard in the NHL. The LA’s, Chicago’s, and Boston have run into a huge obstacle… Namely the salary cap. With so many teams rebuilding, retooling and shifting gears this week promises to be the beginning of the most active off season in over a decade. So what can we expect?
Anaheim – One mu...
Now before people go off half cocked just remember all of these teams had a chance to negotiate contracts with these players for fair market value before the day after the NHL draft or file for arbitration.
As soon as an offersheet is put down as an NHL GM i would look at the other RFA's on the team and find the one I like and put an offer sheet down.
So here is how ...
The most hyped NHL draft since 2005, and the deepest draft since arguably 2003 is two days away, the New York Rangers aren't scheduled to make a first round selection. They are however in the market for a first round pick. GM Glen Sather and his staff has been holding out hoping goaltender Cam Talbot can net them a late first round pick. But there is a rumor floating aroun...
JoeyNarsa50 writes...
Marner, Strome could be Ontario talent for Babcock and Leafs
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
If Mike Babcock and the Toronto Maple Leafs are serious about bringing talented Ontario born players to the club, the upcoming NHL Draft could be their biggest opportunity.
Friday in Sunrise, Fla., comes Toronto’s next chance to draft the first key piece to the rebuild and some believe they will concentrate on local talent, a notion that the new Leafs’ bench boss ha...
I have a dream.... that the Oilers can get impact young d-men to help with their cause now...rnrnSeem like a bit of a stretch? Maybe, but there might be a few trade scenarios that could work well for both sides, therefor making it a viable deal, even in this cap-crazy world we call the NHL.rnrnFirst off, let me just say that I love all the Oilers young forwards. I believe ...
BALUCHA writes...
What If Draft Selections…. Toronto Maple Leafs Edition
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Many websites and groups conduct mock re-drafts for certain years to see how the draft could have been if we knew how these young men (at the time) would have turned out.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are always a hot topic when it comes to draft picks (or their lack of), and with having the 4th overall pick in 2016, let’s revisit some of the most notable draft years and th...
The Boston Bruins have seen a noticeable slump since their Stanley Cup victory back in 2010-11. Prior to that, they made a number of trades, picks and acquisitions. But what could they have done differently? Despite their roster, most of the picks in the last 15 years have yet to wear a Bruins jersey, or even an NHL jersey for that matter.
Surprisingly, Boston has ha...
BALUCHA writes...
What If Draft Selections... Washington Capitals Edition
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Over the last 15 years, the Washington Capitals have amassed 21 first-round draft picks. Count ‘em, 21. Most of which are still with the team, others traded for other picks and considerations.
They could have made some better moves, but it goes to show first round picks success is a numbers game. The more you have, the better chances you have of landing a star. De...
Sorry Detroit fans, but this one is quite sad. Since the year 2000, the Detroit Red Wings have made 7 first-round selections. All others were traded off for assets and players, but to have only 7 picks in 15 years, considering the abundance of talent that has emerged since, is the main reason why Detroit isn’t the Dynasty Team they were in the days of Steve Yzerman.
...
Welcome to the new era of Calgary Flames hockey. Yesterday, a coup took place in the eyes of most of the hockey world. No, we didn't make a deal for the Oilers lottery pick, we didn't even pry the second pick from the Sabres. What we did was achieve the improbable, if not the impossible. We parlayed, what was a middling first round pick, coupled with two second round picks...
Oilers latest GM came with a lot of hype. Oilers Brass have changed everything from the President to the scouting staff. However the GM is the first one to show his stuff and he really was not amazing during the draft. Seems like the scouting staff did their job in terms of the 2 late picks he made but he mortgaged they Oilers future for magic beans.
The Oilers trade...
What is wrong with Glen Sather? Many Trades occuring on draft day and all around now. Good trades or bad trades? Sather, in my opinion made a huge mistake. ...
Draft McDavid - Check
Bring in Talbot without giving up too much - Check
Fix the Defense - Check?
Let's get right to it. It wasn't bad enough that Boston traded Hamilton to a team not named Edmonton, but it was Calgary, and they accepted less from them than what we supposedly offered. It was good to see that Chiarelli was right in the mix, obviously identifying what m...
I would like to preface this writing by stating I am by no means the best writer in the world. Having said that, here we go.
June 26, 2015. A day that will certainly be remarked as a memorable day for hockey history. The NHL got to see the selection of future franchise players who will undoubtedly change the face of their respective franchises. I would like to genuinely...
It’s been a wild weekend for the Buffalo Sabres franchise and fans, and things don’t look to be settling down anytime soon.
All of these additions to the team have lead to many people creating starting lineups. Of course, these are just speculations, as it’s likely head coach Dan Bylsma will try out new lineups at training camp later in the summer. But with all of...
Being a die-hard Toronto Maple Leafs fan, hockey life can't get much worse. After yet another disappointing year, and another embarrassing mid-season collapse, the Leafs are perceived as the laughing stock of the NHL and the Ottawa Senators went on a miraculous run to clinch a post season berth. (23-4-4 dating back to Feb10)
Great… Just what we needed; the final nail ...
[u][b]Evaluating The Canucks: Defense[/b][/u]
To put it frankly, the Canucks defense is about as mediocre and unexciting you can get. No on the roster can be considered a cornerstone franchise defenseman. They lack a flashy puck mover that can excite the fans. They don't have a prototypical physical shutdown d-man that intimidates the opposition and clears the net on ...
There's been a lot of buy-outs leading up to July 1. The Canes buying out Semin, Wings buying out Weiss, Sabres buying out Hodgson and much more.
Could the Leafs take advantage of these buyouts?
Yes, and they should.
They should do what they did with Winnik and Santorelli. Sign players to a short-term deal and flip them for picks and prospects at the deadline to ...
Hey Hockeyworld, Happy free-agency eve! I'm just getting around to this now because it's been weird to process all the big moves Murray made for us this past weekend! Darcy never made huge moves like this so it's really amazing to see what Tim Murray has done for us in such a short period of time. For July 1st I think these are some guys we could go after:
Johnny Oduya
...
The Rangers have made some big moves in the past 2 days. Viktor Stalberg 1.1 million dollar contract and bringing back Diaz with a 700K salary. Both great pickups and great players. Talks between the Rangers and Joel Ward continue... I hope he signs with the Rangers. Big, tall, standup team player that could potentially replace Tanner Glass' role on the team. This wou...
It is no secret, the Canucks are nowhere near as good as they were when they won back to back presidents' trophies back in 2011 and 2012. They have done nothing in the past four seasons to make us think otherwise. Poor drafting and team management has led the Canucks to the inevitable. That is of course, the dreaded rebuild. The time frame for the rebuild falls in sync...
The Oil once again went into free agency with a lot of talk. Their goal, the same as it has been for many years; grab a top tier defense man and a starting goalie. I know that we aren't aware of the options that the Oilers actually had. Maybe some players just refused higher money to play elsewhere. I think in a few years this will change but for now lets assume the Oi...
After the draft and a hectic beginning to free agency, teams are starting to settle in and we can get a better idea of what teams will look like going into training camp. The West once again looks ready to be the more impressive conference, with tough competition in both the Pacific and Central divisions. Today I want to focus on the Pacific Division. This year in particul...
1. Valeri Nichushkin: Forward / RW
Nichushkin is going to be a force for the Dallas Stars this upcoming season. He is a power forward with the offensive skills of an elite play maker. He is not going to be on many people's radar seeing as he only played 8 games this past season. In his rookie campaign in 2013-14, he put up 34 points in 79 games. He also managed to m...
It is more than likely that the NHL will be expanding. Now we don’t know where the league is expanding too yet, or how many teams it will be adding, but for this list let’s say two teams and their both in the west, (Sorry Quebec Nordiques fans). For this list I will be using the rules of the 2000 draft as well as a few additional rules.
---2000 NHL expansion dr...
Welcome to the GM Mode[code]Today I will be taking a look at the Buffalo Sabres and analyze a series of “hypothetical” moves that the Buffalo Sabres should make.Buffalo Sabres GM; Tim Murray is faced with many decisions since after the NHL Draft of 2015. He may not have had the first overall pick but the second pick (Jack Eichel) is a great starting point for a team t...
So I'm putting on my thinking fans hat here....
But it looks like the B's still need some work to define a better team going into next season. I'm going to breakdown several reasons why and some scenario's I think could help the cause.
1. Defence is still a mess: Given that they signed Irwin I'm hopeing this doesn't close the door on getting some talent like Cody ...
The following is a breakdown of potential Bruins trade bait and some thoughts for why this could be. Let's assume right off the bat the the bruins don't move either of their 1st round picks for the next draft.
1. Chris Kelly: He adds some leadership value to a 4th line group, he's pretty good on defensive zone faceoffs and plays well on the PK. 3M cap hit seems to mu...
ThomasBreen91 writes...
Are the Buffalo Sabres Contenders or Pretenders?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In a strange twist of events these past five months, the last place Buffalo Sabres have made drastic changes to their lineup. The Sabres went from having no true first-line players to having now two in Kane and O’Reilly, with a third and fourth (Reinhart/Eichel) on the way. Add in swift sniper Matt Moulson and speedy work-horse Tyler Ennis to the list and the Sabres have...
With the Leafs in the beginning of a rebuild and the shipping of their star sniper Phil Kessel, many questions arise about the future of the rest of the Leaf core players especially Tyler Bozak. Bozak would make sense to move since you can get a decent return for him despite the fact the Leafs may have to retain some salary as he makes $4.2 million for the next three years...
We are almost three weeks passed the start of free agency, and there are still some good players just sitting there waiting for a contract. The thing is contract spots are all but used up on most teams and the teams that do have contract spots open don’t have the cap to sign anyone else. For this blog is just going to be a quick reference guide to each team’s contracts...
What do the Bruins do now with their D-Core....
there's a couple options they have, some of them however make us Bruins fans a little nervous.
1. Stay Status Quo: With the number of bodies they have signed the Bruins could leave things status quo and see if the group of young guns can do. that would leave Chara, Seidenberg, Krug, Mcquaid as 4 of the top 6 leaving ...
With all the jubilation Buffalo felt after the first few minutes into the the first night of the draft on June 26th. Buffalo finally made the selecting of generational talent Jack Eichel official with the 2nd overall pick. The Sabres selection of Jack Eichel made the last 2 very painful and stressful years worth it.
Additional to the selection of Eichel prior to th...
5. Claude Giroux(73 points) and Jacub Voracek(81 points):
This duo is a little unlike the rest, as the Flyers have had very little success in the past few seasons. The team has absolutely no depth and is a fairly weak throughout the lineup. However, this duo is able to keep the team somewhat competitive night in and night out. They are going to be one of the most d...
In this short article, I will discuss the top centerman with regards to two way play. Modern day NHL is much more focused on a two way game, rather than just offensive statistics. Advanced statistics have shown us the importance of players who can contribute at both ends of the ice. These stats are especially important for centerman, as they have so much responsibility ...
We all know that Steven Stamkos is going to get paid, the question is by whom? Let me start this by saying that I really do think that the Lighting will resign Stamkos, the thing is how much is that one player worth to his team. The rumors out there are that a new contract for Stammer will be in the 10-12 million dollars per season range for 8 years. This agreement would ...
It is no secret that having an elite level defenseman has endless benefits. Modern day hockey involves a 5 player attack more than ever before. Having a smart, skilled player who can jump into the rush opens up a lot more options for the team. The position has evolved significantly, and offensive D-men are much more prevalent. However, in this article we will be focusi...
I am a Canucks fan and I look at their current roster and I can't help but think someone's gotta go.
Forwards
Daniel
Henrik
Vrbata
Burrows
Higgins
Bonino
Vey
Horvat
Hansen
Dorsett
Prust
Kenins
Baertschi (though still unsigned assumed he's a lock for the team)
Thats 13 one-way contracts at forward and team management saying they want to give Virtanen a ...
Trade:
Pens get Bonino, a 2nd and Clendening
Canucks get Sutter and a 3rd
Wow, immediately looks like a great deal for the Pens. After checking out the salary implications here this trade makes some sense. Sutter was once a top pick (11th) whereas Bonino was a 6th rounder. Sutter just had his 2nd 20-goal season, has never even hit 20-assists or 40-points, and has more...
In this article I will outline the top three teams' in the Eastern Conference entering the 2015-16 season. There's some moves still to be made, but I believe that the majority of the blockbuster deals are completed.
5. New York Islanders: ( 47-28-7 : 101 Points)
The Islanders finished the 2014-15 season with a first round elimination at the hands of the Washington...
Pending another addition on the blueline (cue hoards of Bruins fans with fingers crossed that one [b]Cody Franson[/b] will walk through those TD Garden doors) it seems as good a time as any to take in the Bruins offseason and see just where the needle is pointed for the Black & Gold.
To do this properly, one needs to cast their mind all the way back to the final month o...
According to Eklund’s post this morning, the Boston Bruins are making a BIG push for Winnipeg’s [b]Dustin Byfuglien[/b]. This is hardly the first rumor involving Byfuglien and Boston. It is yet another in a steady line of rumors indicating Boston GM [b]Don Sweeney[/b] is still in the market for proven NHL talent on the blueline.
For the Black & Gold, there’s a l...
Luke D
A lot of Leaf fans know that Dion Phaneuf isn't good enough to play for the team for now and the future and here's why. First off he is overpaid. He was given #1 Defenseman money (7 year, $49 million) by former GM Dave Nonis and hasn't lived up to it. Secondly, he is not a leader and he has proved that on numerous occassions. He could not lead the Leafs to a play...
Hard to believe we are already into August. For myself, thinking about how over a month of summer has gone by is an unhappy thought. Luckily, all I need to do to cheer myself up is think about we are that much closer to training camp and then, opening night. One thing I always look forward to in seeing in August is nhl.com’s 30 in 30 preview. It’s a great way to re...
The 2014-2015 season gave Habs fans a lot to think about, after the Regular Season success and a unwanted, but half expected early exit from the Playoffs.rnrnThis article will cover the play of Carey Price and how NHL Fans view the All Star.
The most common question revolves on the success of the Habs laying strictly on the Goaltender. If that is the case, the play of P...
If the Oilers want any hope of making the playoffs this season they need to beat more teams. Shocking, I know. Looking back last season though it’s pretty easy to see where they had the most trouble. Edmonton played each team in the East twice, and of those series they were unable to get points from just two teams, Detroit and Pittsburgh. Let’s compare that to thei...
There’s no argument, the biggest acquisition GM [b]Don Sweeney[/b] has made thus far in his first offseason is winger [b]Matt Beleskey[/b]. The former Anaheim Duck was signed to a four year contract worth $3.8mil / per. Coming off of a 22 goal performance (Beleksey’s first of 20 or more) in the 2014-2015 season the 27 year old was widely considered among the top forw...
In this article, I would like to outline some of the second year players who have caught my eye. They are not ranked by skill, and some key players may be left off the list. The purpose is not to compare, but rather to analyze players which will be highly discussed entering their second year.
1. Aaron Ekblad: Defense ; ( 81 GP, 12 G , 27 A , +12) Age: 19
I believe th...
Luke D
The Maple Leafs had one of their worst seasons in franchise history this year, finishing 27th Overall and missing the Playoffs for two consecutive years. This left Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan no choice but to start over and make some changes to both the management and the players.
It started with the addition of Mike Babcock. With Babcock at the he...
In this article I aim to outline the top goal scorers in the NHL today. Some players may be well established while others may be just coming into their prime hockey years. After looking over the list, I can already tell that many people will be upset by who made the cut and who did not. The top couple players were fairly easy, but the later picks became nearly impossibl...
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 & 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...
There has been an argument, who's voice has grown louder as we approach the beginning of the season, and that is if Chiarelli has done better than MacTavish. McDavid hype is still alive and well but drafting the 18 year old wunderkid was a task that a 6 year old could have accomplished.
To properly compare these two men, let's jump back to the end of the 2012-2013 seas...
To see more like this go to my website [url]http://lazarbeams.com/?cat=2[/url]!
This is the first of many players I'll be recommending as potentially very good picks that will often be available in later rounds of fantasy hockey drafts this season. I usually play in leagues that count shots, hits, PIM, PPP and the usual G, A, sometimes +/- and blocks too.
Here's why Ni...
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'...
First and foremost before I begin . I should introduce myself. No I'm not a writer . Maybe the more I type the more it will become obvious . Iam a union ironworkers so I am usually breaking my back instead of breaking a fingernail typing . Iam however a hockey fan . Like most fans of the game Iam constantly seeking anything to read , watch or listen to that relates to hoc...
I argue that the best predictor of someone's future performance is their behavior (rather than the traditional criteria such as scoring, +/- ratings, "hockey IQ" and/or "team fit").
Rating the frequency of key/causal/critical behavior... is as much as 7 times more predictive than using traditional methods and/or criteria.
For purposes of this blog, I will identify on...
rebel_deucer writes...
2015-2016 Early Playoff Predictions & Cup Champ
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
For the fun as the season has had several changes here are my early predictions.
NHL Atlantic Division:
rn1: Tampa Bayrn
2: Montrealrn
3: Detroitrn
4: Floridarn
5: Bostonrn
6: Ottawarn
7: Buffalorn
8: Torontorn
I predict a dog fight between Montreal and Tampa, Tampa will emergeduring the season, with Detroit not far behind as the quality is still there despite ne...
Here we are on a Tuesday night and, yes, summer is practically over. Of course, I couldn't be happier. Training camp is almost here and before you know it, television will be watchable again. Although news is slow, the league is alive as ever with teams rounding out their rosters and players ready to compete for Lord Stanley. Here are a few things that are on my mind cur...
I'm back again for another segment of no one's favourite quick take segment. When I write this blog I promise to do a few things. I will not bore you with stats that you will no doubt just graze your eyes over, or not even look at. I will not make trade rumours up. Anyone can simply look at a team's strengths and weaknesses. then find another team in the NHL that mat...
AarifDeen writes...
JT Compher Exclusive: “I’m Excited to join young Avs core"
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Follow me on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind
The opportunity to join an organization with a young core provides a lot of excitement for newly acquired Avs prospect JT Compher.
The third player acquired in the Ryan O’Reilly blockbuster deal, Compher believes he will “fit right in” with the Avalanche’s young players.
“It’s great anytime you j...
I'll be the first to tell you that I didn't necessarily go out and buy a Semin jersey when Marc Bergevin gave him a 1 year deal with Le Bleu Blanc et Rouge. Actually, I probably have the worst luck when buying Habs jerseys/T-shirts. After I purchase them, the player of choice for my new gear typically gets traded, sign elsewhere, or bought out (Prust, Komisarek, Laraque). ...
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 ...
I wouldn't normally post a blog like this but given the recent Bryce Salvador article at the players tribune website, remembering the suicides of Wade Belak and Rick Rypien, drug overdoses like Derek Boogard and the addiction problems of Theo Fleury, I wanted to share the following article. I have kept the original author anonymous as requested and changed some of the ide...
[code]Tampa Bay Lightning backup goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, 21, underwent a successful vascular surgery on Thursday, September 3, General Manager Steve Yzerman announced this morning. The surgery where performed to remove a blood clot from near his left collarbone and was successfully handled at the Tampa General Hospital, but will keep Vasylevskiy sidelined for 2-3 mo...
[img]http://1.cdn.nhle.com/nhl/images/upload/2015/02/EVANDER_KANE_672_BUF_PC.jpg[/img]
Check out more like this in the Fantasy talk section of 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. ...
We are 30 Days away from the beginning of the 2015-2016 NHL Season. Summer is coming to an end, and we are all looking forward to puck drop. We still need to go through the steps of the off season before we get excited. For Habs fans, we welcome the Golf Tournament, Medical Checks, Training Camp and Pre-Season Games. If we could fast forward to October 7th, and skip the ev...
[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...
The Marc Bergevin machine is now fully operational, next year we will see what he has been working on for some time. Alex Semin, Dale Weise, Tom Gilbert and yes, Thomas Plekanec will all be UFAs, Semin and Gilbert will most likely be let go making room for youth. However, with the way the organization is setup, Bergevin is now in a position of power, he can extend the cont...
[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...
And we're back! Enough talk of hypotheticals, possible point productions, and potential line combinations. We finally have some real hockey to see and discuss, happy times are here again! As we've discussed many times over the last few months, everything feels different about this team and training camp has been no different. The pace has appeared quicker, the coach, more ...
rangerdanger94 writes...
Hockeybuzz Fanstove: Who will win the Eastern Conference?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Welcome to the first edition of the Hockeybuzz Fanstove.
This series, inspired by the successful Hockeybuzz Hotstove, will share the views of regular posters.
For our first question, we will tackle the Hotstove’s most recent question: who will win the Eastern Conference?
[b]mdw7413[/b]
I think it will be a toss-up between the Rangers, Bolts and Penguins if th...
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....
This off-season brought major changes to the Edmonton Oilers. Todd Nelson left, Lowe fired and MacTavish was demoted to Assistant General Manager. While the team is confusing Chiarelli did make improvements to the team by signing Andrej Sekera and hiring Todd McLellan, but yet the defense still has massive holes that need attention and I will be exposing these holes.
Fo...
[b]Before this blog begins there is something I want to point out.
Firstly, I'm trying to figure out HOW I want to write blogs, seriously or jokingly and here I'm trying something new. Enjoy the blog and thank you for reading.[/b]
Standing at 6'8 280lb John Scott is one of the heftiest players in the NHL, and while he may seem useless due to stats I'm here to con...
The Vancovuer Canucks have gone from the leagues best team, to an outdated veteran roster that requires a serious rebuild. The team is still competitive, but is not capable of making a run for the Stanley Cup with their current roster. The core of the team is closing in on their last few NHL seasons.
The Sedin twins have been the best players on the Canucks roster f...
The Oilers have started the pre-season 6-0. Great! During the last game Jordan Eberle and his shoulder took a weird fall and he left the game... less great. However let's take a minute to look at this optimistically. Jump back to pre season of last year. If we were dealing with this injury then, most of us would already be looking ahead to the off season. A couple years ag...
The NHL has been in conversation about expanding the amount of teams from 30 to 32, and it’s closer than many believe. With these talks comes rumors and there are an abundance of them. In this blog, I will explain the three cities that, in my eyes, are top contenders. This is speculation of course and my view and I'm writing this blog solely to start a discussion u...
Out of all the players on the roster it HAD to be Jordan Eberle that went down with a shoulder injury. The Hockey Gods DO hate Edmonton, it couldn’t of been Luke Gazdic or Nikita Nikitin or any of the "meh" players in Edmonton, it's the best right wing or hell, maybe the best player on the team. It's already starting to feel like it'll be ten years without the playoffs, ...
Hockey is back and everything seems right again. In my opinion, preseason is one of the best times of the year. Seeing the prospects (and potential future of an organization) vying for a spot alongside guys in new sweaters and returning faces has always given me a fresh outlook and optimism for the upcoming season.
Coming into this year, I have the same optimism I hav...
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...
In this article, I will outline which teams I believe will ice the top special team's index's this upcoming season. For those who are unsure what a special team index is; It is a number developed by adding both the PK% and the PP% of a specific team. As a reference point, last season the St. Louis Blues had the best index at 106, while the Sabres posted the worst index a...
Luke D
When the Leafs traded for Joffrey Lupul, they knew they were getting a great top six forward who could also play on the 1st Line if needed. However, injury problems have prevented him from making a larger impact on the team but he still put up a good amount of points and had a strong work ethic when healthy.
Unfortunately for him, he had injury problems since h...
[b]Update 2[/b]: STL Post Distpatch's Tom Timmermann is reporting that the Blues signed Scottie Upshall today to a two-way deal and that the Blues are interested in a deal with Gomez (ugh). NOTE that this leaves the Blues with 14 forwards INCLUDING Berglund who by all accounts has not been placed on Injured Reserve as of yet but he will be. Infer what you will but this a...
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...
One word to best describe the Calgary Flames 2014/15 season is miraculous. Having finished 27th the previous year and no significant roster changes besides for Johnny Gaudreau and Jonas Hiller, the Flames managed to secure a playoff berth with one game to spare.
One of the main talking points of the season was the Flames inability to have the puck on their sticks more t...
The Pittsburgh Penguins have made it very clear that they are committed to dominating via an overpowering offence. They have a very deep core of forwards, many of which are able to play top six minutes. Unfortunately for some of these guys, this depth is going to drastically cut their ice time.
When we look at the top six for the Pens, we instantly notice the big tw...
The Blues start a very tough road trip (6 games in 10 days) by heading to Minnesota, hoping to begin avenging last seasons playoff loss and to begin asserting their dominance in the Central division. While the Blues and Wild split the regular season last year, the Blues fell to the Wild in 6 games in the first round of the playoffs.
In past regular seasons, the Blues h...
To make the playoffs again, the Flames will have a have to compete in not only a tough division but also a tough conference. The Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks and the Colorado Avalanche are all looking to get back into the playoffs after missing out last season. The Flames will have to beat them to have the best chance to make the playoffs. The Vancouver...
[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...
Yes, I am a die hard, life time Leafs fan. Yes, I love going to games however I do not enjoy paying top dollar to see a poor product. When I say a poor product I mean no disrespect to the players or the organization. What I mean is that management and ownership have stated this is a rebuild. That this will be a painful process. So if they can admit that then they can ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 5: Columbus Blue Jackets v. Toronto Maple Leafs
Posted Friday | Comments 0
In the first game of a back-to-back situation, the winless Blue Jackets will attempt to defend Nationwide Arena in a matchup against a struggling Toronto Maple Leafs squad. This is the first time both teams will meet in the regular season, and the Jackets have changed their lineup ups bit. David Clarkson is expected to debut against the team that traded his massive salary ...
Since the start of the 2015-2016 regular season, there have been talks around the league that Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Todd Richards could be on the hot seat or fired from his position. Richards was hired by Columbus in 2012, and helped lead the Jackets into the playoffs for only the second time in the club's history. He also coached the same team that won their fi...
Talk about ugly. Last night was tough to watch for Columbus Blue Jacket fans everywhere. The final score of the game was 6-3 for the Maple Leafs, which earned the Leafs their first win of the season and for new head coach Mike Babcock.
Leo Komarov scored twice, including an empty-netter. Also, Jake Gardiner, JVR, Nazem Kadri, and Joffery Lupul scored for the Maple Leaf...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 6- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Chicago Blackhawks
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Quick Notes
1. Its the first time these teams will face each other since the blockbuster trade this summer. It is the first time the Blackhawks will face Brandon Saad in a Blue Jackets uniform, and the first time the Jackets will face Artem Anisimov in a Hawks uniform.
2. Same Lineup, Different Goalie- After last night's loss and since it is two games in two nights, ...
Luke D
Tyler Bozak is certainly one of the Maple Leafs most interesting trade candidates. Since he's been signed as a undrafted free agent back in 2009, he has been productive in his tenure with the Maple Leafs, or so we thought. Despite his numbers, most critics say that playing on the top line with former Maple Leaf Phil Kessel is the only reason for his production. U...
The debut for Brandon Saad at United Center did not end up good for the Blue Jackets. The final score of the game was 4-1, bringing the Blue Jackets to their worst start in franchise history. The Jackets are now the only winless team in the league.
For the winning team, the Chicago Blackhawks scored 4 goals in the final 40 minutes of the game. Patrick Kane, Marian Hoss...
Over the summer, the Blue Jackets stood pat with their young backend. Six games into the regular season and it is still a problem, and bigger one now.
Ryan Murray has not developed as expected due to a number of injuries since being drafted in 2012.
David Savard is still unproven yet he signed a long-term deal.
Kevin Connuaton had one solid month of offensive p...
With rumors swirling in Columbus as result of a possible shakeup, John Tortorella and Guy Boucher have been mentioned as possible replacements for current head coach Todd Richards.
It is just really wrong for there to be so much blame on Richards since there are a couple reasons why his squad may not be off to the greatest start. He has had slow starts to the season wi...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 7- Columbus Blue Jackets v New York Islanders
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
In a quest for their first win of the young regular season, the Columbus Blue Jackets will try to do so at home against the New York Islanders.
The Jackets are going with a different lineup for the third straight game. Alex Wennberg is back in the lineup after suffering a concussion on the first game of the season. Rene Borque is also expected to be in after being a la...
Close but no Cigar.
Until the third period.
After a very good game last night played in Nationwide, the Columbus Blue Jackets left the ice in defeat. The New York Islanders shut out the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 4-0.
For the Islanders, Nikolay Kulemin Thomas Hickey, Cal Clutterbuck, and John Tavares scored. Nikolay's goal came off poor defensive...
Todd Richards: 2012-2015
John Tortorella: 2015-
For everyone that wanted something to happen, this happened. Todd Richards was fired and replaced by John Tortorella following a 4-0 shutout last night.
Personally, it's sad to see a really good coach leave a really good team because that is what this team is. Richards led this young squad to multiple 40 win seasons,...
The hunt for a defenseman is on for Columbus.
Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch suggests the Devils and the Jackets may be talking a trade. Porty reports interest in Adam Larsson for Columbus and Cam Atkinson for New Jersey. Apparently, New Jersey has been eyeing Atkinson for a couple of seasons. Last season, Todd Cordell of Hockeybuzz rumored Columbus and New J...
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...
Through 7 games CBJ is without a point in the season standings. The hockey world has waited with trepidation since Bob-O came out of the no-confidence closet. The hockey world waits again to see if Torts’ reform is the answer.
Tortorella has proven himself as a winner, and as a sore loser. Can Torts steer this ship back on course or will the elusiveness of a winn...
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...
Game No. 9- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Colorado Avalanche
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The road trip continues in Denver with a catch. Ryan Johansen will be out of the lineup due to an illness, which means other players will be seeing more ice time- primarily the centers of the club.
The Jackets come into this game winless and have different lineups because of Joey's illness. Tonight, Rene Borque is in.
As for the Colorado Avalanche, this is the firs...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Post-Game No. 9- Free At Last (From the Goose Egg)
Posted Monday | Comments 0
A victory at last. Saturday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Colorado Avalanche by a final score of 4-3.
The struggling Avalanche had goals by ex-Jacket Jack Skille (in the first); Jarome Iginla (in the second); and Nathan Mackinnon (in the second), my player to watch. Also, ex-Blue Jackets Nick Holden, Blake Comeau, and Francois Beauchmin each had helper...
What craziness around the league, huh? Let's just focus on Columbus here.
First thing first has to be star center Ryan Johansen. Joey did not play in Saturday's game due to an illness, and was flown back to Columbus for evaluations. Aaron Portzline reported Johansen was checked this summer for an accelerated heart rate. The agent of Johansen says his injury has nothing...
Anyone can say that the Oilers have been rebuilding since 2007 but have they? Sure they have added some big name talent in proven players such as Eberle, Hall, RNH and Nail. Plus hopefuls such as Reinhart, Nurse, Draisatl and even Schultz for some prospecting sites. Still this is the first real year of anything resembling an attempt to improve the franchise all around.
...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 10- Columbus Blue Jackets @ New Jersey Devils
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The road trip continues for the Columbus Blue Jackets, but they are closer to home now. Tonight will be a goalie battle between Columbus and the New Jersey Devils in Newark, New Jersey. The Jackets have not had much success at the Rock (Prudential Center), and only won once in that arena in franchise history (and that was last season).
The Devils are a very different t...
Back to Back. The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the New Jersey Devils by a final score of 3-1.
For the Devils, Kyle Palmieri scored the Devils' ice breaker with 3 minutes left in the game. Travis Zajac, my player to watch, had a helper on the power play goal. The Jackets only had 14 shots, and Cory Schneider stopped 11 of them for a 0.786 save percentage.
As for t...
The Columbus Blue Jackets are apparently underwhelmed by the offers for right winger Cam Atkinson. Atkinson has been rumored to be on the move since the trade deadline and has come close to being moved. At last year's trade deadline, Colorado, Boston, New York (Rangers), and Montreal were interested in him. Instead of getting moved, the Connecticut native signed a 3 year, ...
Joey Joining Fray
Apparently, Ryan Johansen is expected to return to the lineup on Friday in the Verizon Center. Johansen was out for both of the Jackets victories this season. Joey was supposedly ill and flew back to Columbus last week with a trainer. It was also reported by Aaron Portzline that Johansen was hospitalized this summer for an irregular heart rate. Hopef...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 11- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Washington Capitals
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The final game of the road trip brings Columbus Blue Jackets to the nation's capital where they play the Washington Capitals in the Verizon Center.
Tonight, like last game, may come down to a battle of goaltenders- Sergei Bobrovsky against Braden Holtby. Holtby broke out last year with Barry Trotz, and played 61 games last year, coming very (very) close to the Vezn...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 12: Columbus Blue Jackets v. Winnipeg Jets
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Tonight is the home opener for John Tortorella as the Columbus Blue Jackets take on the Winnipeg Jets. There are a couple of questions surrounding the Jackets tonight after last nights lost to Washington. Are they back to they played at the start of the year? Are there going to be any surprise healthy scratches? Is there really tension between Torts and Ryan Johansen? ...
Back-to-back loses hit the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday and Saturday nights. On Friday, the Jackets lose to the Washington Capitals by a final score 2-1. Last night, they lost to the Winnipeg Jets 3-2.
In both games, the Jackets didn't score first, and had to claw back in the game to make it close.
In D.C., summer acquisitions Justin Willams and T.J. Oshie scor...
Back-to-back loses hit the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday and Saturday nights. On Friday, the Jackets lose to the Washington Capitals by a final score 2-1. Last night, they lost to the Winnipeg Jets 3-2.
In both games, the Jackets didn't score first, and had to claw back in the game to make it close.
In D.C., summer acquisitions Justin Willams and T.J. Oshie scor...
With October now behind us, it is time to look back at a very hard month of hockey to watch.
After a very impressive preseason where the Jackets looked like a playoff team, a very slow start in the early stages of the regular season results in the removal of Todd Richards and the hiring of John Tortorella. With the new hiring of Torts, back-to-back wins result in b...
With October now behind us, it is time to look back at a very hard month of hockey to watch.
After a very impressive preseason where the Jackets looked like a playoff team, a very slow start in the early stages of the regular season results in the removal of Todd Richards and the hiring of John Tortorella. With the new hiring of Torts, back-to-back wins result in b...
A couple weeks ago, John Tortorella got approval to put the last names of the Jackets' players on their practice jerseys. Personally, I think this is a great move by the Jackets to listen to Torts on this idea. It is a great way to help the media identify who is on the ice, and help the fans see their favorite players in non-competitive action as practices are open to ...
With the Blue Jackets still on the market for a defenseman, Cam Fowler's name has been surfacing around the league as of late.
Fowler was drafted 12th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft. This year, he has 2 points in 11 games. Boston reportedly has interest in Fowler. Buffalo also appears to have interest in him as well as teammate Frederik Andersen.
But would Columb...
With the Blue Jackets still on the market for a defenseman, Cam Fowler's name has been surfacing around the league as of late.
Fowler was drafted 12th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft. This year, he has 2 points in 11 games. Boston reportedly has interest in Fowler. Buffalo also appears to have interest in him as well as teammate Frederik Andersen.
But would Columb...
With the Blue Jackets still on the market for a defenseman, Cam Fowler's name has been surfacing around the league as of late.
Fowler was drafted 12th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft. This year, he has 2 points in 11 games. Boston reportedly has interest in Fowler. Buffalo also appears to have interest in him as well as teammate Frederik Andersen.
But would Columb...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 13- Columbus Blue Jackets @ San Jose Sharks
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Let the California trip begin. First for the Columbus Blue Jackets is the San Jose Sharks in the Shark Tank (SAP Center). This is the first meeting between these teams this season, and what better way for each team to get a couple points by playing each other as they have not been hot as of late. The Sharks have only won 2 of their last 7 games where the Jackets have o...
Last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the San Jose Sharks by a final score of 5-2 in the SAP Center, where the Sharks usually dominate teams.
For San Jose, their captain scored both goals, putting Joe Pavelski at 8 goals this year. Other players that got points include Joe Thornton, Justin Braun, and Joonas Donskoi. My player to watch, Paul Martin, was a p...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 14- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Los Angeles Kings
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Game No. 14- CBJ @ LAK
The Cali trip continues with the Los Angeles Kings in the Staples Center. The Jackets are fresh off a win against the Sharks on Tuesday night, while the Kings blanked the St. Louis Blues in Missouri.
This is the first time these teams meet this year, and the Kings were filled with offseason changes after missing the playoffs. Robyn Regher reti...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 15- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Anaheim Ducks
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The final game in California brings the Jackets to Orange County to take on the struggling Ducks. The Ducks and Jackets have the same amount of wins this season: three. They also have the same expectations- playoffs. But different expectations into the playoffs. Last season, the Ducks were one game away from the Stanley Cup finals. The Jackets' upgrades in the offseaso...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 15- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Anaheim Ducks
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The final game in California brings the Jackets to Orange County to take on the struggling Ducks. The Ducks and Jackets have the same amount of wins this season: three. They also have the same expectations- playoffs. But different expectations into the playoffs. Last season, the Ducks were one game away from the Stanley Cup finals. The Jackets' upgrades in the offseaso...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 15- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Anaheim Ducks
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The final game in California brings the Jackets to Orange County to take on the struggling Ducks. The Ducks and Jackets have the same amount of wins this season: three. They also have the same expectations- playoffs. But different expectations into the playoffs. Last season, the Ducks were one game away from the Stanley Cup finals. The Jackets' upgrades in the offseaso...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game Recap- Game No. 14 (@LA) and Game No. 15: @ANA
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
On Thursday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Los Angeles Kings by a final score of 3-2. This improves the Jackets record to 4-10-0 on the season.
The game was a very physical game, including two fights and eight total minors. Captain Nick Folingo dropped the gloves with Kyle Clifford. Gregory Campbell fought Andy Andreoff. Also, each team had 26 hits e...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game Recap- Game No. 14 (@LA) and Game No. 15: @ANA
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
On Thursday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Los Angeles Kings by a final score of 3-2. This improves the Jackets record to 4-10-0 on the season.
The game was a very physical game, including two fights and eight total minors. Captain Nick Folingo dropped the gloves with Kyle Clifford. Gregory Campbell fought Andy Andreoff. Also, each team had 26 hits e...
rnrnThis week has been a relatively quiet week in terms of hockey news, but there was one major transaction and a big injury. rnrnAustin MadasikyrnrnEarlier this week, the Jackets placed defenseman Austin Madasiky on unconditional waivers for the purpose of termination of his contract. rnrnMadasiky was a 5th round pick of the Blue Jackets in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He sp...
This week has been a relatively quiet week in terms of hockey news, but there was one major transaction and a big injury.
Austin Madasiky
Earlier this week, the Jackets placed defenseman Austin Madasiky on unconditional waivers for the purpose of termination of his contract.
Madasiky was a 5th round pick of the Blue Jackets in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He spe...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 16- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Vancouver Canucks
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Hockey is back in the Buckeye State. Tonight, the Columbus Blue Jackets are hosting the Vancouver Canucks. The Jackets are just coming off a successful California trip, where they went (2-1-0), earning a possible 4 of 6 points. Now, they are poised they get their first home victory of the season. As for the Canucks, they are currently on a three game losing streak, and are...
Since this is HockeyBuzz it would be only suiting for me to talk about hockey in some way, shape, or form. So with that being brought to light I would like to share my thoughts on the NHL expansion and some NHL franchises in the picture at the moment.
First off, can we all agree that it would be a wise move for the NHL to actually execute this plan of expansion? To som...
On Tuesday night, Military Appreciation Night, the Columbus Blue Jackets lost to the Vancouver Canucks by a final score of 5-3. This is the first time John Tortorella played his former team, and the veterans of the opposing team avoided Columbus from getting their first home win of the season.
For the Canucks, the top line had four of the team's five goals- Jannik ...
Breakdown:
The last time these clubs squared off revealed some things in my opinion. First, the Devils aren't as bad as everyone and their mother predicted before the season started. Granted, they're in a rebuild type of transition since the departure of Lou Lamoriello and the arrival of Ray Shero. You have to give credit where credit is due and that credit deserves to go...
Fedorov Is First
Sergei Fedorov becomes the first player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame that played for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Federov had a legendary career in Detroit, playing offense and defense. He also played for the Might Ducks of Anaheim, Columbus, and Washington, before finishing his career back in Russia. For me, I only saw Fedorov as an older pl...
Is the NHL even watching the same game I am? (I know you guys miss me and my blogs, admit it).
Brian Burke has been a loud advocate of fixing a true problem in the game: scoring chances.
Watch a game... really closely. Teams are so obsessed with possession and collapsing defense these days that most shots are boring ones from the perimeter. Bigger nets and fixing g...
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...
It has been a while since I have written anything, because we all know what the Maple Leafs season is going to be like and for the West Coast Kings followers, well this season is Stanley Cup Finals or bust.
But here we go again with the Leafs in goal. James Reimer gets his goal back, plays out of his mind for two weeks and all of a sudden we got a win streak going for a...
So... is it draft day yet? As of today the Oilers once again find themselves in the familiar spot of last in the Western Conference. With a record of 6-12-0 it's becoming increasingly difficult to find arguments that this team is improving. With that being said, let's compare the first 12 loses of this season, with the first 12 from last season.
So far this season, of t...
Okay. Sorry Canucks fans but, this one falls on me. Watching the Canucks collapse and blow leads late has become routine latley, and quite honestly, its become pretty fun. The anticipation and build up really brings a new dimension to the whole 'Canuck' experience, exciting enough that one could argue the NHL shouldnt be worried at all about bigger nets or more goals...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 19- Columbus Blue Jackets v. St. Louis BlueS
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
What a battle of opposites tonight in Columbus. The rested Blue Jackets are battling the fatigued St. Louis Blues. The Jackets are on a roll, winning two in a row. The Blues are just coming off a win against the Winnipeg Jets last night.
This is the first time these teams are meeting this season, and the Blues made a couple interesting moves in the summer. They sur...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 19- The Young Streak Continues
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
What a victory for the home team last night. The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the St. Louis Blues by a final score of 3-1. This improved the Jackets record to 7-12-0. The Blues record sticks at 11-8-0.
For the Blues, their only goal scorer was Kevin Shattenkirk. Other players that got points include Magnus Paajarvi and Dmitri Jaskin. My player to watch, Colton Pa...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 19- The Young Streak Continues
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
What a victory for the home team last night. The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the St. Louis Blues by a final score of 3-1. This improved the Jackets record to 7-12-0. The Blues record sticks at 12-6-1.
For the Blues, their only goal scorer was Kevin Shattenkirk. Other players that got points include Magnus Paajarvi and Dmitri Jaskin. My player to watch, Colton Pa...
We're 6-12. Nope this isn't 2014..or 2013..and this isn't a joke that will end in some sort of comedic cymbal bash. This is reality. The Edmonton Oilers have stumbled out of the gate, and despite "visually" (insert throw up here) looking better they still can't seem to obtain results that matter.
With this morbidly depressing thought in mind, I wanted to start a featur...
My twitter feed exploded this afternoon, as super NHL reporter Darren Dreger dropped this bomb on oil country:
@DarrenDreger
Hamonic loves the Isles. This is personal. Wpg, Edmtn, Cgy and Van all preferred. Might expand to other west cities. Tough on Isles....
What does this mean? IS THE SKY FALLING?? DID HE MENTION EDM?!? As mere mortals we can only speculat...
The Columbus Blue Jackets' rumors have decreased as a result of consecutive wins; however, there is still discussion around the league of players' availability.
Let's start with the number one center. According to The Fourth Period, teams around the league called Columbus regarding Ryan Johansen. Simply, almost every talented superstar is somewhat discussed in trad...
Last night, it was reported of the trade request by New York Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic.
It is a surprise call by a young potent defenseman whom could improve from a top-4 to maybe a poor man's top-2 d-man. The apparent list includes Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver.
The Manitoba native's reasoning for the trade is family reasons, so nothing ...
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 �...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 21- Columbus Blue Jackets v Nashville Predators
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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The Jackets are finishing another back-to-back series at home tonight against the Nashville Predators. The Predators are a very offensive team with the coaching system they have in place, and as a result are one of the best teams in the division. As for the Jackets, they are still rebounding from a poor start and are getting better under John Tortorella.
This is t...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 21- Columbus Blue Jackets v Nashville Predators
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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The Jackets are finishing another back-to-back series at home tonight against the Nashville Predators. The Predators are a very offensive team with the coaching system they have in place, and as a result are one of the best teams in the division. As for the Jackets, they are still rebounding from a poor start and are getting better under John Tortorella.
This is t...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 21- Columbus Blue Jackets v Nashville Predators
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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The Jackets are finishing another back-to-back series at home tonight against the Nashville Predators. The Predators are a very offensive team with the coaching system they have in place, and as a result are one of the best teams in the division. As for the Jackets, they are still rebounding from a poor start and are getting better under John Tortorella.
This is t...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 21- Columbus Blue Jackets v Nashville Predators
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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The Jackets are finishing another back-to-back series at home tonight against the Nashville Predators. The Predators are a very offensive team with the coaching system they have in place, and as a result are one of the best teams in the division. As for the Jackets, they are still rebounding from a poor start and are getting better under John Tortorella.
This is t...
On Wednesday, the NHL announced a new realignment of the NHL All-Star Game for the upcoming game in Nashville, Tennessee.
Here is the new format...(via NHL press release)
*The 2016 Honda NHL® All-Star Game will be a three-game tournament played in a 3-on-3 format with a prize pool of $1 million to be paid in its entirety to the tournament’s winning team.
*...
During the past 48 hours, as crazy trade rumours surrounding Travis Hamonic have arisen, a name that has been used as a potentially interesting target for the Islanders is Darnell Nurse. Would I make that deal? Never, and this is why:
Darnell Nurse this summer was a little overshadowed (tough for a guy who could dunk on Shaq) by the lottery win, and the eventual draftin...
During the past 48 hours, as crazy trade rumors surrounding Travis Hamonic have arisen, a name that has been used as a potentially interesting target for the Islanders is Darnell Nurse. Would I make that deal? Never, and this is why:
Darnell Nurse this summer was a little overshadowed (tough for a guy who could dunk on Shaq) by the lottery win, and the eventual drafting...
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...
The NHL announced that each team will have a five-day bye week starting in the 2016-2017 regular season as a result of the 3-on-3 All Star Games. Each team's bye week will occur between the start of the new year and prior to the NHL Trade Deadline.
Some of it make sense as the players get some rest that they deserve, plus the inclusion the NHL sponsored World Cup n...
The NHL announced that each team will have a five-day bye week starting in the 2016-2017 regular season as a result of the 3-on-3 All Star Games. Each team's bye week will occur between the start of the new year and prior to the NHL Trade Deadline.
Some of it make sense as the players get some rest that they deserve, plus the inclusion the NHL sponsored World Cup n...
Fedor Tyutin is out with an upper-body injury sustained in the first period against the Nashville Predators. Tyutin's injury is a broken nose.
Cody Goloubef is out for several weeks with a broken jaw. He sustained the injury in the first period after blocking a wrist shot from the stick of Colin Wilson.
The Jackets have recalled defenseman Andrew Bodnarchuk fro...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 22- Columbus Blue Jackets v. San Jose Sharks
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The battle of fire is occurring tonight in Columbus as the red hot Blue Jackets battle the red hot and fatigued San José Sharks. The Sharks defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 last night without head coach Peter DeBoer. Columbus last played Thursday, and defeated Nashville 4-0. These two teams played earlier this month, with Columbus coming out on top in California. ...
The home game winning streak ends at three for the Columbus Blue Jackets, as the San Jose Sharks defeat the Jackets 5-3.
The Sharks got goals from Joe Pavelski (2), Brendan Dillon, Patrick Marleau, and Brent Burns. Other players with points include Joel Ward, Justin Braun, Marc- Edouard Vlasic, Joonas Donski, and Chris Tierney. Alex Stalock stopped 28 of 31 shots f...
It's time to fire up the cannon for quarter season thoughts of the Columbus Blue Jackets, as that's where we are right now.
The Jackets are currently 8-14-0 with a grand total of 16 points in 22 regular season games played. Their first eight games were part of a losing streak that ended the coaching career of Todd Richards in Columbus. Not long after his exit, gene...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 23- Columbus Blue Jackets v. New Jersey Devils
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
What a battle tonight in the rock for the Blue Jackets as they visit the New Jersey Devils in Newark, New Jersey. As we pass the quarter season, the Devils are a playoff team, while the Jackets have a mountain to climb. Last time these teams meet, John Tortorella earned his second win as coach of Columbus. That day was October 27, 2015, and it was a 3-1 win. Tonight, t...
MintEdition writes...
The Ducks got the flu - the Bourdreu bug has arrived
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Many are the thoughts on whats going on in the Ducks camp?
- Getzlaf has one goal
- Kesler one goal
- Perry has seven
- Goaltending stable but not decided - still three goalies in the mix
- New arrival Hagelin miss managed early out (now maybe out of the closet)
- Defence good - but is it playoff good - not in my mind
[b]What I would call all this is that the ...
Breathe in...
Breathe out...
Thanksgiving getting to me. Maybe. In this weird rumor blog, I discuss the Ryan Johansen rumors in Columbus
Let's start with the facts- Darren Dreger reported that Blue Jackets center Ryan Johansen might be available as teams have called Columbus about his availability. Also, one team said he is "softly" in play.
Let's state th...
Breathe in...
Breathe out...
Thanksgiving getting to me. Maybe. In this weird rumor blog, I discuss the Ryan Johansen rumors in Columbus
Let's start with the facts- Darren Dreger reported that Blue Jackets center Ryan Johansen might be available as teams have called Columbus about his availability. Also, one team said he is "softly" in play.
Let's state th...
The date is June 25th, 2010, an 11 year old just finished elementary school and he's excited to watch his first ever draft and he doesn't even have to stay up past his bedtime as Edmonton picks first. There has been a lot of buzz from sports media about the draft, especially "Taylor vs Tyler" and out of those two, he knows who he wants the Edmonton Oilers to pick. The play...
In Pittsburgh, there was an incident in the second period between Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Blue Jackets alternate captain Brandon Dubinsky.
During the incident, Dubinsky and Crosby were in front of the Penguins goalie. Dubinsky was playing the man and was trying to create space for himself to score a goal, and Crosby was putting pressure on him.
Dubin...
royalgardens writes...
Bernier on waivers?; Fellow Chicagoan Sparks Gets the Call!
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Leafs cannot just throw this guy on Waivers. Like one person said earlier, just letting him go could lead to a missed opportunity by not getting something at least for him. He still does have potential to be a solid #1 goaltender in the NHL but definitely not on the Maple Leafs or any other Eastern club. Like I said before, and even before the trade with the Kings took...
What good hockey for Columbus the past couple of days. The Jackets played three games in four nights, and in three different cities, and went 2 for 3 during the stretch. Here is what happened.
On Wednseday, the Jackets were in Newark battling the New Jersey Devils, and won 2-1. The Devils' goal came from Adam Henrique, and the only assist was from Mike Cammalieri. ...
What good hockey for Columbus the past couple of days. The Jackets played three games in four nights, and in three different cities, and went 2 for 3 during the stretch. Here is what happened.
On Wednseday, the Jackets were in Newark battling the New Jersey Devils, and won 2-1. The Devils' goal came from Adam Henrique, and the only assist was from Mike Cammalieri. ...
Over the weekend, it was discussed in a rumor blog that the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Islanders were in serious trade discussions. The apparent rumor is Ryan Johansen and a second round pick for Kyle Okposo, a first round pick, and Travis Hamonic (who would then be dealt to Calgary).
For the pieces the Islanders are giving up, that is a lot to give up...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 26- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Montréal Canadiens
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Bonjour tout la monde! This evening, the Columbus Blue Jackets travel to the Bell Centré to battle the Montréal Canadiens. The Habs currently sit atop of the Atlantic Division; the Jackets are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The last game these teams played (not against each other), the Habs lost to New Jersey in overtime; for Columbus, it was a regulation...
Bon matin mes amis. Hier soir, les Canadiens de Montréal à gagné encore. Le finale est 2-1. C'était un bon match de hockey pour les Canadiens et les Blue Jackets.
The Jackets stayed with Montréal until the end of the game, but the regulation loss doesn't help Columbus in their climb back up the standings.
The Habs got goals from Paul Byron and Max Pacioret...
Bon matin mes amis. Hier soir, les Canadiens de Montréal à gagné encore. Le finale est 2-1. C'était un bon match de hockey pour les Canadiens et les Blue Jackets.
The Jackets stayed with Montréal until the end of the game, but the regulation loss doesn't help Columbus in their climb back up the standings.
The Habs got goals from Paul Byron and Max Pacioret...
1st off, I've been following this site for years and have always enjoyed the perspective of other fans, even if I don't personally agree with them. The trade rumours are like hockey fans version of those "Who's Cheating on Who and Getting a Divorce" magazines you always see when checking out at the grocery store. Most of it is complete BS yet we always seem to come back.
...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 27- Florida Panthers v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The back-to-back series starts up again for the Blue Jackets. Tonight, the Jackets battle the Florida Panthers. Both teams have loads of young talent and are looking to make the playoffs in the coming years, and both teams have really good young pieces that can help themselves out. The Panthers are riding a five-game winning streak, which was extended last night agains...
Another successful back-to-back series has finished for the Blue Jackets, earning a three of possible four points over a 24 hour span.
On Friday night, the Jackets last to the Florida Panthers in a shootout. This loss is the Jackets first overtime loss of the season. The final score was 2-1. For Florida, Vincent Trocheck scored his goal after it hit off Justin Falk...
A quarter way through the season and no trades by the Blue Jackets to acquire a defenseman. With plenty of teams with defensemen on the market, here are some logical ones that may make some sense in Columbus.
1. Roman Polak, Toronto Maple Leafs. This should not come as a surprise to anybody. The Leafs are at the bottom of the league and are looking to rebuild. The ve...
Welcome to the Columbus version of the rumor chart. This is a very simple way to get fans the latest rumors of players that could head to Columbus. However, this chart will also show other teams that will be interested in players. This chart will also show players rumored to leave Columbus, and teams interested in them as well. The question now becomes who will be moved? W...
It has been a while since news of the Blue Jackets has been said. So here it goes.
Lake Erie Adds
With there being more injuries in Columbus, more players from Lake Erie have been recalled. Last week, Bill Zito signed former Blue Jacketd Manny Malhotra to an AHL tryout offer. Malhotra has previously played with Vancouver, San Jose, Carolina, and Montréal. Welco...
The LA Kings roster needs little tampering--their management, little explanation. The Kings’ roster, and the threat they convey to every other team in the league, has been consistent since Darryl Sutter took the reins in December of 2011. Amidst the Voynov and Richards contracts, Dean Lombardi has authored a master class for the craft of GM'ing.
Anze Kopitar is one ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 29- Los Angeles Kings v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
What a matchup in Columbus tonight. This evening, the Jackets host the Los Angeles Kings at Nationwide Arena. The Kings are in the midst of a four-game winning streak, and are starting a long-term road trip. Columbus has picked up points in two straight games, and are looking to make it three straight. This is the final meeting between these teams this year, until next...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 29- Los Angeles Kings v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
What a matchup in Columbus tonight. This evening, the Jackets host the Los Angeles Kings at Nationwide Arena. The Kings are in the midst of a four-game winning streak, and are starting a long-term road trip. Columbus has picked up points in two straight games, and are looking to make it three straight. This is the final meeting between these teams this year, until next...
Oh boy, that was tough to watch. The Los Angeles Kings extended their streak to five games in an 3-2 overtime victory against Columbus.
The Kings got goals by Christian Ehrhoff, Jeff Carter, and Alec Martinez. They also got helpers by Alec Martinez, Milan Lucic, Nick Shore, and Dustin Brown (my player to watch). Jonathan Quick stopped 21 of 33 Jacket shots for a 0....
Oh boy, that was tough to watch. The Los Angeles Kings extended their streak to five games in an 3-2 overtime victory against Columbus.
The Kings got goals by Christian Ehrhoff, Jeff Carter, and Alec Martinez. They also got helpers by Alec Martinez, Milan Lucic, Nick Shore, and Dustin Brown (my player to watch). Jonathan Quick stopped 21 of 33 Jacket shots for a 0....
In the late stages of Tuesday night's game against the Los Angeles Kings, Sergei Bobrovsky sustained an apparent lower-body injury. According to Torts, he is "day to day". The Jackets recalled Joonas Korpisalo from the Lake Erie Monsters. He apparently ranks 7th in save percentage at 0.913 save percentage. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a game in this week during B...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Multiple Players On Waivers- Claim Them for Nothing
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
This afternoon, the Edmonton Oilers placed defenseman Mark Fayne on waivers on the purpose of assisgnement. If he clears, he would be assigned to the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League. Earlier this season, there was discussion of a potential Fayne-Hartnell swap. Fayne has one assist in 24 games this season. If he were to come to Columbus, he may surpas...
The Lightning are dancing on fire... cool imagery.
Not so cool if they lose a former first overall for, to put it bluntly, sweet **** all.
Take it from a Devils fan... it hurts (thanks, Kovy).
So now the Media are overblowing a story about Stamkos "liking" a tweet about the possibility of him coming to Toronto. Meanwhile Stamkos is probably like, "All I did w...
A topic that has been discussed more as of late with the owners meeting is the possible expansion. A huge road block being discussed is whether players with NTC's and NMC's will be made available for expansion teams. Another will likely be the salary cap as the last expansion was before it was implemented. As a whole, I think the expansion could benefit all parties involve...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 30- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Winnipeg Jets
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Buuurrr ehh? Columbus is in Manitoba tonight to battle the Winnipeg Jets. Both teams are very similar- youth, non-playoff teams, and plenty of injuries. The Jets have very young stars in all positions- winger Nikolaj Ehlers, defenseman Jacob Trouba, and goalie Connor Hellebuyck. For Columbus, they have center Alex Wennberg, defenseman Ryan Murray, and goalie Joonas Kor...
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On Saturday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets battled the New York Islanders in Nationwide Arena. The final score was a close one, 3-2 overtime.
The Islanders got goals from Kyle Okposo (2), and Frans Nielsen. They also got points from Nick Leddy and Josh Bailey. Jaroslav Halak stopped 28 of 30 Blue Jackets' shots for a 0.933 save percentage (93.3%)
For the Jac...
Does Jarmo have the upper hand when he's listening to offers for Johansen because of how strong we are down the middle even without him? Dubi, Wild Bill, Wennie, Soupy (with Jens, Fligs, and Chaput able to step in) = stacked.
On Tuesday, Aaron Portzline answered fans' questions through an online chat. It is amazing he can do what he does. He is an amazing writer. Ho...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 32- Tampa Bay Lightning v Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Monday | Comments 0
When in need, you need a spark. Or in tonight's case, a bolt. Tonight, the Lightning travel to Columbus to play the Blue Jackets. The Jackets last played Saturday and suffered an overtime loss to the Islanders. The Bolts last played Saturday and suffered a regulation loss to the Capitals. Both teams are starting back to back match ups- Columbus plays in Dallas tomorrow...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 33- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Dallas Stars
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Yeee-yahh. In Dallas tonight, the league best Stars battle a fatigued Blue Jackets team, in the second half of back-to-back games for the Blue Jackets. Dallas last played Saturday, suffering their first shutout loss of the season to divisional rival St. Louis, 3-0. Columbus played last night, suffering a 2-1 regulation loss to the Bolts.
This offseason turned out t...
In Dallas, the Blue Jackets were dominated by the Stars, 5-1. A slow start by both teams, Dallas pulled through the tired Blue Jackets. The league's best team gets better, and the league's worst team stays at the bottom.
The Stars got goals from Tyler Seguin (2), Johnny Oduya, Alex Goligoski, and Mattias Janmark. Other players with points include Ales Hemsky, Jamie...
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...
Luke D
It looks like Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Steven Stamkos is going to test free agency next year. Many teams will be in line to sign him and the Toronto Maple Leafs should be one of those teams for a good number of reasons.
First of all, he is one of the best players in the NHL right now. Ever since his rookie year, he has taken the league by storm with three...
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...
As a Canucks fan I've been looking forward to this years entry draft a fair amount and keep thinking how much better off the Canucks would be if Jared McCann and Jake Virtanen could be learning in the Ahl but alas they played junior hockey in the Chl and aren't allowed to make that jump yet. So they are stuck playing 8-10 min a night in the NHL because they aren't quite re...
Sidney Crosby does not look like a confident hockey player.
He needs to find his confidence again.
It's really that simple.
But it's also really...that complicated.
When Crosby entered the league he was 18...he was Sid The Kid.
He led by example.
His example was powerful because he simply enjoyed playing the game of hockey and he was one of the best in t...
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 ...
Let the excitement begin now for an event next year. As many now, the NHL is bringing back the World Cup of Hockey next year in Toronto. Today, the league announced training camp sessions and pre-game action prior to the event. Major cities were picked globally to present these activities, including Columbus, Ohio; Washington, DC; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Montréal, Q...
With the World Cup of Hockey in about 9 months, why not look now to see who may make each team. Instead of focusing on the entire league, and being a Columbus. Blue Jackets blogger, lets look at this roster before the entire league gets involved in my predictions.
Team USA.
1. Brandon Dubinsky- His play earlier this year may got the attention of Dean Lombardi. ...
With the World Cup of Hockey in about 9 months, why not look now to see who may make each team. Instead of focusing on the entire league, and being a Columbus. Blue Jackets blogger, lets look at this roster before the entire league gets involved in my predictions.
Team USA.
1. Brandon Dubinsky- His play earlier this year may got the attention of Dean Lombardi. ...
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 Post-Game No. 35- Flying High in the Shootout
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Roughhouse hockey was key in a huge shootout victory for the Columbus Blue Jackets against the Philadelphia Flyers. The final score of the matchup was 3-2.
The Flyers got goals from Jakub Voracek and Scott Laughton. In the shootout, they got a goal from Wayne Simmonds. Other players with points include Matt Read, Nick Schultz, Sean Couturier, and Shayne Gostisbehe...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 35- Flying High in the Shootout
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Roughhouse hockey was key in a huge shootout victory for the Columbus Blue Jackets against the Philadelphia Flyers. The final score of the matchup was 3-2.
The Flyers got goals from Jakub Voracek and Scott Laughton. In the shootout, they got a goal from Wayne Simmonds. Other players with points include Matt Read, Nick Schultz, Sean Couturier, and Shayne Gostisbehe...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 35- Flying High in the Shootout
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Roughhouse hockey was key in a huge shootout victory for the Columbus Blue Jackets against the Philadelphia Flyers. The final score of the matchup was 3-2.
The Flyers got goals from Jakub Voracek and Scott Laughton. In the shootout, they got a goal from Wayne Simmonds. Other players with points include Matt Read, Nick Schultz, Sean Couturier, and Shayne Gostisbehe...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 35- Flying High in the Shootout
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Roughhouse hockey was key in a huge shootout victory for the Columbus Blue Jackets against the Philadelphia Flyers. The final score of the matchup was 3-2.
The Flyers got goals from Jakub Voracek and Scott Laughton. In the shootout, they got a goal from Wayne Simmonds. Other players with points include Matt Read, Nick Schultz, Sean Couturier, and Shayne Gostisbehe...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 36- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Pittsburgh Penguins
Posted Monday | Comments 0
In Pittsburgh, two struggling teams are on the ice tonight. The injury stricken Pens battle the inconsistent Columbus Blue Jackets. The last time these teams played, Dubinsky sustained a suspension by cross-checking Sidney Crosby. Tonight, there is no Crosby, Fleury, and Letang for Pitt; however, the Pens hired Mike Sullivan and acquired Trevor Daley from Chicago for R...
Welcome to the Columbus version of the rumor chart. This is a very simple way to get fans the latest rumors of players that could head to Columbus. However, this chart will also show other teams that will be interested in players. This chart will also show players rumored to leave Columbus, and teams interested in them as well. The question now becomes who will be move...
[b]WARNING: SPOILER ALERT![/b]
Kings vs. Leafs and STAR WARS! All in the same night in downtown Toronto...couldn't get any better than that!
However, the night did come with several surprises although I am still not sure which one captured the essence of Saturday night in Toronto. Perhaps is was the Maple Leafs playing a near flawless game against a Stanley Cup champ...
As we are in the midst of the holiday season and looking ahead both to 2016 and The Winter Classic, here are 12 takes on The Boston Bruins season thus far.
1-6:
[b]Claude Julien - Coach of the Year[/b]
For my money, [b]Claude Julien[/b] has to be the front runner for coach of the year honors in the NHL this season. Are there really any other clubs having unexp...
royalgardens writes...
Bernier Struggles Again; Leafs Continue to Play Well
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Welcome back the real Jonathan Bernier.
Tonight, the Maple Leafs take it to the Coyotes in the desert. All pressure on a youngster in goal Louis Domingue, who ultimately stole the show (and the win) for Arizona.
The Leafs played perhaps even better than they did Saturday evening against Los Angeles, but were in much more control than they were in Denver last night, a...
With the holiday season in full bloom, here are some things that the Columbus Blue Jackets players, coaches, and management might be asking for for this time of year.
1. A time machine. This bad start of the season is the reason why they are in a big hole, at the bottom of the league. If Tortorella was here since the start of the season, the Jackets would be above ...
Lets just say the Flames stay the course and not do anything crazy trade wise and Macdonald or Ortio actually grow into a true NHL number 1 goalie grown in the organization.
After this year I am to hope Monahan signs longish term 5+ maybe 7 even somewhere around $5.25-$4.75 the year after when Johnny is RFA that could be $6? Bennett if he continues to stay and play for ...
[b][i]BREAKING:[/i][/b] Bruins center [b]David Krejci[/b] was seen today leaving the TD Garden with his arm in a sling. According to head coach [b]Claude Julien[/b], Krejci is considered “week-to-week” and will most certainly miss the Winter Classic. This is a big time blow for Boston, losers of their last two. As far as I'm concerned, Krejci is one of three "must ha...
[b]The Eight Spoked Blog[/b]
Holiday Edition Part II
[b][i]BREAKING:[/i][/b] Bruins center [b]David Krejci[/b] was seen today leaving the TD Garden with his arm in a sling. According to head coach [b]Claude Julien[/b], Krejci is considered “week-to-week” and will most certainly miss the Winter Classic. This is a big time blow for Boston, losers of their last two....
Luke D
It is never to early to get excited about the draft, especially if
you are a Leafs fan.
In 2015, the new-look Maple Leafs clearly showed that they are good at drafting because they went for skill and speed instead of size and grit and traded one of their most overpaid players, (Phil Kessel) for future picks and prospects. The 2015 draft was clearly a success...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 37-9: Florida Swing a Disaster/Upset @ NWA
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Things have not changed yet in Columbus, and it still shows for the Blue Jackets after the Christmas break in Florida.
In Tampa, the Bolts won 5-2. The Lightning got goals from Steven Stamkos (2), Nikita Kucherov, Mike Blunden, and Jason Garrison. Ben Bishop stopped 30 of 32 shots for a 0.938 save percentage (93.8%). Columbus got goals from Rene Borque and Scott Ha...
Many hockey fans, including myself, had written off the Canes playoff chances a while back and had started to put our attention elsewhere, looking at possible moves the Canes could make at the trade deadline and possibilities for the upcoming 2016 draft.
Was highly sought after Eric Staal going or staying? Was Cam Ward a good choice for play-off bound teams seeking goa...
Luke D
There is always room for improvement for most players no matter who’s coaching. However, this will be the last chance for certain players to improve themselves under coach Babcock. These players have played under former leaf coaches Randy Carlyle and Peter Horachek but haven’t been able to meet expectations under either one. With that being said, here are the...
Those of us who follow the Carolina Hurricanes closely continue to be pleasantly surprised by the consistent, high quality play of the Canes defence grouping. We keep waiting for the shoe to drop, but guess what? Not going to happen. Outsiders look at a “D” group of Faulk, Hainsey, Liles, Hanifin, Pesce, and Slavin and say “who?”, dismissing them as light weight an...
This is a list of 15 things to remember from the Columbus Blue Jackets through a bizzare year for the franchise.
The Big Bonus: The NHL All-Star Game. This was such an amazing thing for the city. The cannon going off after each goal scored. The festivities in the NWA and around the arena. It just boosts the city and shows that they can be a big hockey city. The W...
Those of us who follow the Carolina Hurricanes closely continue to be pleasantly surprised by the consistent, high quality play of the Canes defence grouping. We keep waiting for the shoe to drop, but guess what? Not going to happen. Outsiders look at a “D” group of Faulk, Hainsey, Liles, Hanifin, Pesce, and Slavin and say “who?”, dismissing them as light weight an...
On Saturday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets edged the Washington Capitals by a final score of 5-4 overtime shootout.
The Caps got goals from Evgeny Kuznetsov, Marcus Johansson, TJ Oshie, and Jason Chimera. In the shootout, Oshie scored a beauty on Anton Forsberg. Other players with points include Nicklas Backstrom, Matt Niskanen, Tom Wilson, and Karl Alzner. Brayd...
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...
Welcome to the Columbus version of the rumor chart. This is a very simple way to get fans the latest rumors of players that could head to Columbus. However, this chart will also show other teams that will be interested in players. This chart will also show players rumored to leave Columbus, and teams interested in them as well. The question now becomes who will be move...
Welcome to the Columbus version of the rumor chart. This is a very simple way to get fans the latest rumors of players that could head to Columbus. However, this chart will also show other teams that will be interested in players. This chart will also show players rumored to leave Columbus, and teams interested in them as well. The question now becomes who will be move...
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...
The latest deferment of news and happenings is back to start the new year. Today's will discuss the World Junior Championships, trade rumors, injuries, and more.
WJC
Congrats to Team USA and captain (and Blue Jacket prospect) Zach Werenski and winger Sonny Milano on winning bronze in an 8-3 route on (CBJ prospect) Gabriel Cleasson's Team Sweden.
Here are som...
The latest deferment of news and happenings is back to start the new year. Today's will discuss the World Junior Championships, trade rumors, injuries, and more.
WJC
Congrats to Team USA and captain (and Blue Jacket prospect) Zach Werenski and winger Sonny Milano on winning bronze in an 8-3 route on (CBJ prospect) Gabriel Cleasson's Team Sweden.
Here are som...
The latest deferment of news and happenings is back to start the new year. Today's will discuss the World Junior Championships, trade rumors, injuries, and more.
WJC
Congrats to Team USA and captain (and Blue Jacket prospect) Zach Werenski and winger Sonny Milano on winning bronze in an 8-3 route on (CBJ prospect) Gabriel Cleasson's Team Sweden.
Here are som...
The latest deferment of news and happenings is back to start the new year. Today's will discuss the World Junior Championships, trade rumors, injuries, and more.
WJC
Congrats to Team USA and captain (and Blue Jacket prospect) Zach Werenski and winger Sonny Milano on winning bronze in an 8-3 route on (CBJ prospect) Gabriel Cleasson's Team Sweden.
Here are som...
The latest deferment of news and happenings is back to start the new year. Today's will discuss the World Junior Championships, trade rumors, injuries, and more.
WJC
Congrats to Team USA and captain (and Blue Jacket prospect) Zach Werenski and winger Sonny Milano on winning bronze in an 8-3 route on (CBJ prospect) Gabriel Cleasson's Team Sweden.
Here are som...
Boom! Boom! Boom! Was yesterday the trade deadline with all the transactions occurring? The Jackets finally made the trade they were looking for, in a gutsy one for one trade with a talented Western Conference squad in Tennessee.
To Nashville: C Ryan Johansen
Ryan Johansen is an extremely talented number one center on any team in the NHL; however, he has not had...
2013 was a big draft, with plenty of names, including Nate MacKinnon, Alex Barkov, and Seth Jones around the league; and Alex Wennberg, Kerby Rychel, and Marko Dano in Columbus. This was a great draft with plenty of first rounders making it to the NHL. Now, there are two guys that have not cracked their roster yet, and are looking for new addresses as a result. With bo...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Rumor Chart (Updated Following Day of Trades)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Welcome to the Columbus version of the rumor chart. This is a very simple way to get fans the latest rumors of players that could head to Columbus. However, this chart will also show other teams that will be interested in players. This chart will also show players rumored to leave Columbus, and teams interested in them as well. The question now becomes who will be move...
Kerby Rychel may not be as high profiled as the case of Jonathan Drouin, but plenty of teams around the NHL have expressed interest in Columbus Blue Jackets prospect. According to multiple reports the 21 year old Rychel requested a trade prior to the 2015-2016 season.
Teams such as Calgary Flames, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks...
Now, while seeing the wheels completely come off in the second period against San Jose (who really cares, I just refer to the Sharks as the team who has lost the battle of California to the Ducks and Kings, the insignificant California club in my opinion) we cannot forget the resurgence of goaltender Jonathan Bernier. Although allowing four goals on 11 shots in this period...
On Friday night, the Carolina Hurricanes spoiled Seth Jones' Blue Jackets debut in a 4-1 loss in Raleigh.
The Hurricanes got goals from Elias Lindholm (2), Chris Terry, and Jordan Staal. Other players with points include Kris Versteeg (2), Jeff Skinner, Riley Nash, Eric Staal, and Jacob Slavin. Cam Ward stopped 35 of 36 Blue Jackets shots for a 0.972 save percentag...
On Friday night, the Carolina Hurricanes spoiled Seth Jones' Blue Jackets debut in a 4-1 loss in Raleigh.
The Hurricanes got goals from Elias Lindholm (2), Chris Terry, and Jordan Staal. Other players with points include Kris Versteeg (2), Jeff Skinner, Riley Nash, Eric Staal, and Jacob Slavin. Cam Ward stopped 35 of 36 Blue Jackets shots for a 0.972 save percentag...
This afternoon, the Columbus Blue Jackets have placed defenseman Kevin Connuaton on waivers for purpose of assignment to the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League (AHL). Connuaton, 25, was a third round pick of the Vancouver Canucks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He was dealt to the Dallas Stars in exchange for center man Derek Roy. Connuaton was claimed off w...
CBJ Post-Game No. 44/45- Columbus Loses Powerball
With the lottery breaking a record of 1.5 billion dollars (US), the title seems fitting doesn't it? The Blue Jackets went one for two in a battle of back to back match ups in two different cities- Brooklyn and Toronto.
On Tuesday night, the Blue Jackets fell to the Islanders in their alternate black colored jerseys b...
stljam writes...
Blues vs. Carolina Hurricanes - 1/14/16 game day preview
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Blues vs. Carolina Hurricanes - 1/14/16 game day preview
The Blues continue their home stand against their second consecutive Eastern conference team when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes at the Scottrade Center at 7pm tonight. The Hurricanes come in on a hot streak, winners of their last 3 games and taking points in 8 of their last team. Even with the hot streak...
Every team in the NHL has now played 41 games in the 2015-2016 NHL regular season.
Columbus ranks dead last in the NHL with 36 points. They are on pace for at least 70 points by the time the season ends, keeping them close to or at the bottom come April.
The Jackets current leading point scorers (top 3) are Scott Hartnell (31), Brandon Saad (30), and Cam Atkins...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 46- Colorado Avalanche v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
At Nationwide tonight is a battle of East v. West. Both teams are in a fight to avoid the bottom of the league. Columbus is there now. Colorado is on their way. The Avs are loaded with former Blue Jackets on their active roster- Andrew Bodnarchuk, who they claimed off waivers recently; Jack Skille, who signed with them over the summer; Nick Holden, whose been there for...
At Nationwide Arena, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Colorado Avalanche by a final score of 2-1.
Colorado got their lone goal from Chris Wagner, who they picked up from Anahiem off waivers earlier this season. Jarome Iginla and Chris Bigras had the helpers. Matt Duchene, my player to watch for Colorado, was a plus/minus -1 and had six shots on net. Speaking ...
Welcome to the Columbus version of the rumor chart. This is a very simple way to get fans the latest rumors of players that could head to Columbus. However, this chart will also show other teams that will be interested in players. This chart will also show players rumored to leave Columbus, and teams interested in them as well. The question now becomes who will be move...
In the latest installment of the Ottawa Sun, Bruce Garrioch wonders if the Blue Jackets could be interested in Canadiens center Lars Eller. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen drafted Eller when he was with the Blues. His reasoning is that he believes the Blue Jackets are in need of a number one center. You could agree with that, but the Jackets have wingers that could pl...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 47- Washington Capitals v Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets are staying at home to battle the Washington Capitals. The Jackets are well rested after taking a couple days off, even after a late win to the Avs. They also got their number one goalie back in the pipes, Sergei Bobrovsky, after missing near 20 games with a groin injury. The Caps just got Mike Richards into the fray, but lost Brayden Holtby to dehydra...
Last night, the Washington Capitals defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 6-3 in the return of Sergei Bobrovsky.
Washington got goals from Andre Burkavosky, Nick Backstrom (2), Alex Ovechkin, Marcus Johanson, and Jason Chimera. Other players with points include Evgney Kuznetsov (4), Matt Niskanen (2), Justin Williams (2), and TJ Oshie. Braden Holtb...
Last night, the Washington Capitals defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 6-3 in the return of Sergei Bobrovsky.
Washington got goals from Andre Burkavosky, Nick Backstrom (2), Alex Ovechkin, Marcus Johanson, and Jason Chimera. Other players with points include Evgney Kuznetsov (4), Matt Niskanen (2), Justin Williams (2), and TJ Oshie. Braden Holtb...
This is the first time in my life that the Leafs haven't been of general interest and importance in the city of Toronto. I have suffered through the teams of the 80's, the short lived glory days of Gilmour and friends in the early 90's, the Sundin wingerless era of mediocrity (with the exception of Gary Roberts, the toughest man in the world), the JFJ days, and the post lo...
Drouin's antics have exposed the hockey world yet again with lockout-esque humdrum in the media. Now the US vs. THEM attitude has people once against pinning PLAYERS against OWNERS.
Who is right? Who isn't? Let's take sides!
But just like the lockout, this has absolutely nothing to do with players vs. owners. It has everything to do with player agents vs. general m...
First I must commend Bob Hartley on demanding a strong work ethic and compete level in Calgary. These are not easy intangibles to build but with that being said the young Flames need a true tactician. A coach that can take these brilliant hockey minds like Monahan, Gaudreau, Bennett, and Hamilton and take them to the next level.
[b]Current Issues:[/b]
The Flames sit ...
First I must commend Bob Hartley on demanding a strong work ethic and compete level in Calgary. These are not easy intangibles to build but with that being said the young Flames need a true tactician. A coach that can take these brilliant hockey minds like Monahan, Gaudreau, Bennett, and Hamilton and take them to the next level.
[b]Current Issues:[/b]
The Flames sit ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 48- Calgary Flames @ Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
CBJ Game
Bad on road v. Bad at home. What an interesting battle at home tonight for the Jackets as they welcome the Flames as they looking for a start to an awful first half of the 2015-16 season. As mentioned through the first sentence of my blog, the Flames are not a good team away from the Scotiabank Saddledome. As for the second half of the intro, the Jackets have ...
With Columbus recently acquiring Seth Jones from the Nashville Predators, I look around the league at future top pairings in the league to see who could be really good and bad. These are also bold predictions as players' potentials are getting better and better, and there are some really good players left off as this is a look ahead. If you don't like what you see, ple...
With my recent blog of future defensive parings, I am doing one of other guys that may become valuable defenders.
Anahiem: Cam Fowler, Brendan Montour
Arizona: Jared Tinordi
Calgary: TJ Brodie
Carolina: Ryan Murphy, Hayden Fleury, Roland McKeown
Chicago: Ville Poka, Viktor Svedberg
Colorado: Duncan Siemens
Columbus: Zach Werenski, Dillon Heatheringto...
Welcome to the Columbus version of the rumor chart. This is a very simple way to get fans the latest rumors of players that could head to Columbus. However, this chart will also show other teams that will be interested in players. This chart will also show players rumored to leave Columbus, and teams interested in them as well. The question now becomes who will be move...
Last night, at home, the Columbus Blue Jackets were defeated by the Calgary Flames by a final score of 4-2.
The Flames got goals by Sam Bennett (2), Michael Frolik, and Johnny Gaudreau. Other players with points include Dougie Hamilton, Mark Giordano (2), TJ Brodie, Mikael Backlund (2), and Kris Russell. Johnny Hockey was my player to watch, and has his 20th goal t...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 49- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Boston Bruins
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
To TD Garden for the Blue Jackets tonight where they take on the Boston Bruins for the first time this year. Last year, there was vengeance as there was the Prout v. Lucic fight. This year thing are different. With the firing of GM Peter Chiarelli (whose now in Edmonton), new GM Don Sweeny moves Milan Lucic (LA), Dougie Hamilton (CGY), and Martin Jones (SJ) out for two...
How unlucky are the Oilers, pretty unlucky. I'm a 17-year-old journalist who started cheering for Edmonton when I was nine; I've never cheered for the Edmonton Oilers in the playoffs. Every year, myself and many other dedicated fans have one dream, to watch the Oilers break their playoff drought. Coming into the 2015-16 season, the belief was Edmonton should at least be f...
Over the weekend, the Boston Bruins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 3-2 in a shootout.
Boston got goals from David Pastrnak (my player to watch) and Brad Marhand in regulation. In the shootout, Boston got goals from Ryan Spooner and Torey Krug. Other players with points in 60 minutes include Spooner, David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, and Loui Eriks...
Luke D
With the trade deadline being one month away, the time is right to speculate about what's to come by deadline day.
As most of us know, the Maple Leafs are clearly sellers but to what degree; will they ship out players like Tyler Bozak and Joffrey Lupul or are they more focused on shipping out players with expiring contracts? I am not one hundred percent sure a...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 50- Montreal Canadiens v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Monday | Comments 0
What a treat for Columbus. The struggling Habs come to Columbus to battle here tonight prior to crossing the border tomorrow. The Jackets are still without head coach John Tortorella after suffering broken ribs during a practice outside at the a Winter Park, colliding with ex-Hab Rene Borque.
The Habs have been struggling lately in every position, and the biggest r...
Oh my goodness. Last night, the Blue Jackets snapped their losing streak to the Montreal Canadiens, by a final score of 5-2.
Montreal got goals from Brendan Gallagher and PK Subban. Other players with points include Andrei Markov and Jeff Petry. Lars Eller, my player to watch, played 15:22 last night with a plus/minus -1 rating and one shot on net. Mike Condon allowed...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 51: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Montreal Canadiens
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
CBJ Game No. 51: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Montreal Canadiens
Bonjour mes amies. Ce soir, les sont voyages à Québec. Hier soir, le est frappe les Canadiens, 5-2.
Tonight, revenge is on the mind of the Habs after losing to Columbus last night. The question is how tired are both teams.
Projected Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
Boone Jenner – Brandon Dubins...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 51: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Montreal Canadiens
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
CBJ Game No. 51: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Montreal Canadiens
Bonjour mes amies. Ce soir, les sont voyages à Québec. Hier soir, le est frappe les Canadiens, 5-2.
Tonight, revenge is on the mind of the Habs after losing to Columbus last night. The question is how tired are both teams.
Projected Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
Boone Jenner – Brandon Dubins...
CBJ Post-Game No. 51- Looking Up
The Jackets did it last night. They completed a home and home series that now has them inching up the standings. The final score was 5-2. They are now tied with Edmonton and Toronto, but they have played the most games.
Montreal got goals from Alex Galchenyuk (my player to watch) and Devante Smith-Pelly. Other players with points inc...
CBJ Post-Game No. 51- Looking Up
The Jackets did it last night. They completed a home and home series that now has them inching up the standings. The final score was 5-2. They are now tied with Edmonton and Toronto, but they have played the most games.
Montreal got goals from Alex Galchenyuk (my player to watch) and Devante Smith-Pelly. Other players with points inc...
Back in the summer of 2014, the Oilers traded Sam Gagner for Teddy Purcell. It was a move that had fans confused to say the least. While Gagner had his flaws, he, at that time anyway, was a capable scorer and one of two players the Oilers had capable of playing the position in the top 6. Trading him for a guy who not only didn't play centre, but didn't really fix any holes...
CBJ- Center of Attention
With the blockbuster trade of 2016 happening in Ohio's capital, the team's future goes from finding a number one defenseman to a new number one center. With a solid three man backend in Seth Jones, Ryan Murray, and Zach Werenski, the team seems to be okay for the future. With Brandon Dubinsky being the team's number one center followed behind by...
CBJ- All Star Game Predictions
With the All Star Game on Sunday and the skills competition on Saturday, I give to you my predictions to what will happen in the events.
1. Matt Duchene will win fastest player award.
2. A Hometown Nashville player will win the Breakway Challenge on the Hometown goalie
3. She's Weber will obliviously win the Hardest Shot
4. T...
CBJ- All Star Game Predictions
With the All Star Game on Sunday and the skills competition on Saturday, I give to you my predictions to what will happen in the events.
1. Matt Duchene will win fastest player award.
2. A Hometown Nashville player will win the Breakway Challenge on the Hometown goalie
3. She's Weber will obliviously win the Hardest Shot
4. T...
The Philadelphia Flyers are in the midst of a rebuild. This season we have seen the Flyers have their ups and downs but have still managed to keep themselves as a Playoff bubble team. Despite the fact that they could make the playoffs, the Flyers will not be buyers at the Trade Deadline, they will stand pat or Sell. So what are the Flyers best options for next season?
G...
1. Scott Hartnell for Colin Wilson will happen on trade deadline day.
2. Columbus will have a second half very much like last season's.
3. Curtis McElhinney will backup Jonas Korpisalo until Sergei Bobrovsky comes back.
4. Jared Boll will be waived and sent to the AHL.
5. Zach Werenski joins Columbus this season.
6. One or both of Dalton Prout and Jus...
What may have been a joke turned into a blessing in disguise John Scott. So this is where I came up with a great way to do the all star game. Keep the 3v3 and each division. Very entertaining.
Keep fan voting with a twist - Player must have played minimum 20 games. This prevents Ahlers and injured players. Otherwise fair game because anyone who plays in the NHL deserves...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- General Thoughts on All Star Game and My Predictions
Posted Monday | Comments 0
What a spectacle in Smashville. This weekend could not have worked out better for the city of Nashville and for the league. Let's look at my predictions again:
1. "Matt Duchene will win fastest player award.
2. A Hometown Nashville player will win the Breakway Challenge on the Hometown goalie
3. She's Weber will obliviously win the Hardest Shot
4. The skills ...
In an era of prequels and sequels, innovation sometimes comes to not be identified when presented to the masses. Yet it is this same backdrop that fosters the innovative spirit: the drive to create a comprehensive model. rnrn3-on-3 hockey is an amazing innovation. Not only does it add a new dimension (in which the benefits seem to outweigh the negatives) but it has dee...
John Scott is now a household name... Let that sink in for a minute. The gentle giant who was voted in as Captain of the All Star game last weekend turned everything on its ear, and made the "joke" a reality. He BECAME the All Star event, and gave everyone exactly what they were looking for.
One thing that a lot of people forget, is that the goons and 4th line players ...
Updated: Feb. 2, 2016
Welcome to the Columbus version of the rumor chart. This is a very simple way to get fans the latest rumors of players that could head to Columbus. However, this chart will also show other teams that will be interested in players. This chart will also show players rumored to leave Columbus, and teams interested in them as well. The question now bec...
Prior to the NHL All Star Weekend, Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman hit a referee from behind. The ref got up and seemed to be okay after the collision. Prior to the hit, Wideman was hit from behind by Nashville Predators winger Miikka Salomaki. Wideman appeared to be dazed, and immediately went to the bench holding his arm, but claimed he had a concussion.
Her...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 52- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Edmonton Oilers
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Hockey is back tonight, and the big headline is the return of Connor McDavid. Tonight, the Jackets battle him and his squad first in their swing against Western Canada.
Both teams have had forgettable first halves, and what better way to start the second half right against one of the worst teams in the league.
The Oilers have made a lot of changes since the summer....
Last night, hockey retuned to Columbus where they battled Edmonton, and suffered a 5-1 defeat in the return of Connor McDavid.
Edmonton got all their goals in the final 40 minutes, getting tallies from Eric Gryba, his first as an Oiler; McDavid (my player to watch); Benoit Pouliot; Leon Draisatil; and Jordan Eberle. Other players with points were Zach Kassian; ex-Blue ...
With my recent article of number one centers out there, a solution may have just appeared. Last week, rumors were out of center Tomas Hertl being available. The Sharks center was drafted 17th overall by this organization in 2012. Hertl has 26 points this year, and five away from the career high he had last year. He could end up with as much as 50 points this year, and that...
In an era of prequels and sequels, innovation sometimes comes to not be identified when presented to the masses. Yet it is this same backdrop that fosters the innovative spirit: the drive to create a comprehensive model. rnrn3-on-3 hockey is an amazing innovation. Not only does it add a new dimension (in which the benefits seem to outweigh the negatives) but it has deep ho...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 53- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Vancouver Canucks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Western Canada trip started on a sour note for the Blue Jackets, and look to rebound in a series of back-to-back match ups over the course of the next two nights. First for the Jackets, the transitioning Vancouver Canucks.
These two teams faced each other on Novemeber 10. For the Canucks, the top line had four of the team's five goals- Jannik Hansen, Daniel Sedin, ...
West:
Chicago Blackhawks - This team is a dynasty and no one can argue. Not many needs a good prospect cupboard headlined by Dano. A cheap top 9 rental and depth defenseman wouldnt hurt. Possible: Matthias or Gryba
Dallas Stars - You can make a team through trades, atleast thats what Burke was taught in Toronto, but Nill is a masterful trader. He acquired his top two c...
Trades:
Parenteau for 2nd rounder and prospect to Washington
Bozak to Nashville for 1st Rounder.
Bernier to Carolina for 3rd Rounder and Ward to clear space
Matthias to Hawks for 4th rounder
Grabner to Detroit for 4th rounder
Polak to Pittsburgh (Change conditional 1st to automatic, get 2nd rounder in 2017 and prospect)
Gardiner Edmonton for 2017 1st.
Offseason:...
The back-to-back was successful for the Columbus Blue Jackets as they defeated the Calgary Flame in the Scotiabank Saddledome by a final score of 2-1 in regulation. This makes their Western Canada trip a success as they went 2 for 3 against these clubs, falling only to Oilers.
The Flames' lone goal scorer was from Jiri Hudler, who is having a down year similar to Nick ...
Taking a look at the potential line up and who will be contributing to the overall rebuild next year and years to come it gives us a better idea of what trades will happen now and in the off season. I don't see any rush in trading guys with term left as I see them helping the kids in a mentor ship type role. Take Lupul and Bozak for example, we can almost guarantee Lupul...
On Friday night, after Columbus defeated Calgary in regulation and Carolina defeating Winnipeg in regulation, there was a six way tie for last place in the NHL. Those six teams- Columbus, Toronto, Edmonton, Buffalo, Calgary, and Winnipeg. All six of these teams are looking to improve between now and the end, and the parody leads to ask who is the worst team of these six, o...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 55- New York Islanders v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
After a couple days off from game action, the Columbus Blue Jackets are back on the ice tonight where they are taking on the New York Islanders. The Islanders last played Sunday in a dominating 8-1 performance against the West's worse team- the Edmonton Oilers.
On January 12, the last time these teams played each other, the Blue Jackets fell to the Islanders in their a...
A rumor came by this weekend that the Columbus Blue Jackets could be looking into acquiring winger Loui Eriksson from the Boston Bruins as he appears to be pricing himself out of Beantown. His price tag is one hard to grab as it varies between one of two things.
One day, it is a first round pick; next is a top four defenseman. If Boston truly wants a first round pick f...
Welcome to the Columbus version of the rumor chart. This is a very simple way to get fans the latest rumors of players that could head to Columbus. However, this chart will also show other teams that will be interested in players. This chart will also show players rumored to leave Columbus, and teams interested in them as well. The question now becomes who will be moved? W...
As it stands, the Florida Panthers have an 8 point lead in the Atlantic division. The Panthers have been playing great hockey and have been scoring a ton (4th most in the east, and only 2 goals back of being in second behind the Caps!). Shocking for anyone, let alone a Panthers fan. On top of that, they have the second lowest goals against thanks to a stellar season thu...
Last night, the Islanders struck early, late, and in extra time to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 3-2 in a shootout.
The Islanders got a goal from Ryan Strome (my player to watch) 56 seconds into the game. Three minutes into the final frame, Andres Lee ties the score on a power play goal. Other players with points were John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, a...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 56- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Anaheim Ducks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
CBJ Game No. 56- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Anaheim Ducks
Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
Boone Jenner - Brandon Dubinsky - Cam Atkinson
Brandon Saad - Alexander Wennberg - Scott Hartnell
Matt Calvert - William Karlsson - Nick Foligno
Kerby Rychel - Gregory Campbell - Rene Bourque
Ryan Murray - Seth Jones
Jack Johnson - Cody Goloubef
Fedor Tyutin - Dalton Prou...
The Columbus Blue Jackets and defenseman Ryan Murray have agreed to a two year bridge deal, worth about $5.65 million. The news broke last evening courtesy of TheFourthPeriod and TheHockeyNews.
His new contact shows that the team is committed to him, but are not ready to pay him a big salary just yet.
Murray was drafted second overall by the Jackets in the 2012 NHL...
Last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets managed a comeback victory over the Might Ducks of Anaheim by a final score of 4-3 in a shootout. This win pushes the Jackets further up the standings, putting them at 26th overall, and one point behind 25th (Winnipeg). This win for Columbus got Anaheim a point, which helps them creep closer and closer to second place in the Pacific Di...
That now seems to be the latest possibility. According to the Fourth Period, the Detroit Red Wings are interested in Fedor Tyutin. The veteran defenseman seems to have fallen out of favor in Columbus like last season with James Wisniewski- a big time salary that doesn't perform the way the club wants him to. According to the website, two scouts/former Red Wings, Kirk Maltb...
You can win OR you can cash in... should be Stamkos' choice. But...
You know, I really hate the precedence set by Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.
Let's not kid ourselves. The two of them are vital to the success of the Chicago Blackhawks. (Of course they are; they're the product of tanking). So now the GM can manoeuvre his team around these two guys and they'l...
Recent rumors have been that the Columbus Blue Jackets may be looking to dangle defenseman Jack Johnson. This article will explain why and why not to listen to the rumors.
First, here is a quick breakdown of his career. Johnson was drafted third overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. A couple months later, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings...
In early January, the Columbus Blue Jackets traded center Ryan Johansen to the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Seth Jones. Jones is a pending RFA at the end of this season, and will be expecting a major raise after two really good seasons with the Nashville Predators.
After seeing and hearing what he did for the Predators against the Blackhawks without ...
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...
With the Blue Jackets reportedly looking to trade defensemen Jack Johonson and Fedor Tyutin, they will need to find defensive replacements whether it's internally or externally. Here are a couple of guys on other teams that may intrigue the Blue Jackets.
[u]Justin Schultz[/u]
If Jack Johnson is on the trade block, there needs to be an offensive defenseman to replace...
[i]Disclaimer: this is an opinion piece; look elsewhere for advanced stats and rumors pulled out of a writers rear end. This is about venting, raging, and breathing fire over a variety of topics. So dear reader if your looking for anything other than a Don Cherry type I suggest you dig elsewhere, here be dragons.[/i] rnrnrn When watching the NHL in its 2015-2016 season I...
With the trade deadline coming up, this blog will look at which Blue Jackets could be moved, and what asking price might be. The order will go as I do with the lineups- forwards first, defensemen second, and goaltenders last.
Offense
Scott Hartnell (LW)
It seems like the reason current Flyers general manager Ron Hextall traded him here is the reason why the Blue Ja...
So I wrote my first actual blog on my shiny new blog site, lockerroomhero.com, about the Phaneuf trade, focusing less on the other players in the deal but more on Phaneuf himself. The blog has a few graphs and pictures that don't really go hand in hand with this format so I will list my conclusions on the deal but I encourage you to check out the actual read @ http://locke...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 58- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Boston Bruins
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The home stand for Columbus continues as the Blue Jackets battle the Boston Bruins. The B's have been red hot as of late. Watching the game on Valentine's Day between them and the Detroit Red Wings (who the Jackets play next week) was a game to watch for sure, with 11 goals scored in the game.
These teams played on January 23, 2016 and Boston won 3-2 in a shootout.
...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 58- More Points, Even In Losses
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets lost to the Boston Bruins in overtime, 2-1.
Boston got their regulation goal from Patrice Bergeron in the first period. He was a game-time decision for the B's last evening. His goal was his 22nd on the year, and was unassisted. 33 seconds into overtime, Loui Eriksson netted the game-winning goal. It was his 20th of the year. Torey...
Last season, it was around this time of the year where the team took it upon themselves to not tank and perform up to expectations. The same seems to be happening this year, and it is a great learning curve for the young prospects on this team. However, the difference between last year and this year is new players, injuries, and a new coach.
First up is the players. L...
Welcome to the Columbus version of the rumor chart. This is a very simple way to get fans the latest rumors of players that could head to Columbus. However, this chart will also show other teams that will be interested in players. This chart will also show players rumored to leave Columbus, and teams interested in them as well. The question now becomes who will be moved? W...
With the trade deadline inching closer and closer, it's that time of year for us hockey fans to think up those wild trade scenarios that just might make sense. The real key to these proposals it to try to justify it from all sides to make it almost believable. Does it fit the teams needs? Does it work with the cap? Is it a fair value of talent? etc.
What i came up with:...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 49- Buffalo Sabers v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The last game of the home stand is tonight for Columbus as they take on a young and struggling Buffalo Sabres club. With the trade deadline being 10 days away, both teams have similar approaches at the deadline as both teams are sellers; however, the difference is how each team will deal the players they wish to rid themselves of.
These two teams last played in early O...
Last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets were blanked by the Buffalo Sabres by a final score of 4-0.
Buffalo got goals from Jamie McGinn (2), David Legwand, and Sam Reinhart. Other players with points include Jack Eichel (2), Evander Kane, Zemgus Girgensons, and Rasmus Ristalonen. Robin Lehner stopped all 38 shots faced.
The Jackets were just off their game, but they ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL Trade Deadline Preview- Metropolitan Division
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
With the trade deadline being on February 29th, this article will be the beginning of a four part series of where I preview what each team needs, where they stand, and what they could acquire or move. The order of teams will go by where they stand in the standings. For February 20th, the Metro goes as follows:
1. Washington Capitals
2. New York Rangers
3. New York Isl...
Gretzky age 23-26.
Howe age 22-24, 27, 40
Jagr age 23, 26, 28, 33
Lemieux age 22, 23, 27, 29
Messier age 25, 26, 28
What are these ages? The ages in which these players had their highest point totals. I don't care what the accepted assumption is, forwards peak between 23-26 for points. Stamkos is 26. Not to say he can't have his best season next year, but do...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL Trade Deadline Preview Pt. 2- Atlantic Division
Posted Sunday | Comments 2
With the trade deadline being on February 29th, this article is the second of a four part series of where I preview what each team needs, where they stand, and what they could acquire or move. The order of teams will go by where they stand in the standings. For February 21st, the Atlantic goes as follows:
1. Florida Panthers
2. Boston Bruins
3. Tampa Bay Lightning
4....
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL Trade Deadline Preview Pt. 3- Central Division
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
With the trade deadline being on February 29th, this article is the second of a four part series of where I preview what each team needs, where they stand, and what they could acquire or move. The order of teams will go by where they stand in the standings. For February 21st, the Central goes as follows:
1. Chicago Blackhawks
2. Dallas Stars
3. St. Louis Blues
4. Col...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL Trade Deadline Preview Pt. 4: Pacific Division
Posted Monday | Comments 0
With the trade deadline being on February 29th, this article is the second of a four part series of where I preview what each team needs, where they stand, and what they could acquire or move. The order of teams will go by where they stand in the standings. For February 21st, the Pacific goes as follows:
1. Los Angeles Kings
2. Anaheim Ducks
3. San Jose Sharks
4. Ari...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 60- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Boston Bruins
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets are in Beantown tonight to take on Boston, which is also the first game of back to back match ups for the Blue Jackets. The Jackets are well rested, playing lost on Friday in a loss to the youthful Buffalo Sabres. The Bruins last played Saturday and whooped the Dallas Stars in their building.
These two teams played last week, and it resulted in a 3-2 o...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 60- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Boston Bruins
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets are in Beantown tonight to take on Boston, which is also the first game of back to back match ups for the Blue Jackets. The Jackets are well rested, playing lost on Friday in a loss to the youthful Buffalo Sabres. The Bruins last played Saturday and whooped the Dallas Stars in their building.
These two teams played last week, and it resulted in a 3-2 o...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 60- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Boston Bruins
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets are in Beantown tonight to take on Boston, which is also the first game of back to back match ups for the Blue Jackets. The Jackets are well rested, playing lost on Friday in a loss to the youthful Buffalo Sabres. The Bruins last played Saturday and whooped the Dallas Stars in their building.
These two teams played last week, and it resulted in a 3-2 o...
Last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Boston Bruins by a final score of 6-4.
The Bruins first goal came 15 seconds after the Jackets scored the first goal of the game. 11 minutes and 7 seconds into the game, Loui Eriksson scored his 22nd of the year, with helpers by Torey Krug and David Pastrnak. In the second frame, Matt Belesky scored his 10th of the sea...
TMLBird writes...
Why a Leafs/Blackhawks Deal makes great sense - CAP SPACE
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
While I have absolutely no league sources, or ties to the Toronto Maple Leafs, this blog is written purely from a fan. Said that, It's no secret that the Leafs are in full rebuild mode. They are unloading anything and everything with an expiring contact to stockpile and hoard draft picks and prospects. Now i know a lot of fans like myself wonder, well what do the leafs re...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ-Making A Case For An Outdoor Game In Central Ohio
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
With the recent announcements of outdoor games in 2017, and the recent outdoor games for 2016, is it time for the Columbus Blue Jackets to throw their hats into the ring?
First, let's go over the games for 2016. The Winter Classic was on New Year's Day between the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins. Not to down the city of Boston and the people of Massachusetts, b...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 61- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Detroit Red Wings
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
(NBCSN)
For the first time this season, the Columbus Blue Jackets battle the Detroit Red Wings, and face them three times in four weeks. For Columbus, this is the second of a back-to-back matchup for them. The Red Wings last played Sunday on NBCSN, and lost to the New York Rangers in overtime (1-0).
Looking at the stats, this is how the Wings are doing. They hold th...
As it sits today, the Leafs are in last place and with the greatest chance (20%) of landing the first overall pick for the first time since 1985 (Wendel Clark). Auston Matthews grew up playing in Scottsdale, AZ watching the then Phoenix Coyotes play. Currently the Coyotes are sitting in a position likely to get the 10th overall pick. My question to you is, would the Leafs ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 61- Comeback Costs Columbus Extra Point
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
What a game on NBC Sports Network last night. Columbus gets the national spotlight, despite being defeated by the Detroit Red Wings by a final score of 2-1 in a shootout. This point means Columbus has earned points in 11 of their last 13 games, whereas Detroit inches closer to the second seed in the Atlantic Division.
Detroit got their lone regulation goal in the secon...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post Game No. 61- Hatty Helps; Hurts Devils' Chances
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Sorry for not being able to get the pre-game coverage up like I normally do. It was a busy day yesterday. Same with around the league. I will do a reaction blog after the deadline. As for last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets dominated the New Jersey Devils by a final score of 6-1.
New Jersey got their lone goal in the early stages of the second period. Reid Boucher sc...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post Game No. 61- Hatty Helps; Hurts Devils' Chances
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Sorry for not being able to get the pre-game coverage up like I normally do. It was a busy day yesterday. Same with around the league. I will do a reaction blog after the deadline. As for last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets dominated the New Jersey Devils by a final score of 6-1.
New Jersey got their lone goal in the early stages of the second period. Reid Boucher sc...
The Lake Erie Monsters are looking to get stronger as they look towards a post season appearance. Columbus is looking to do that by placing defenseman Justin Falk for the purpose of player assignment.
Falk is on a two-way contract, but since there were injuries to the defensive core of the Jackets, he was called up early in the season. Now, the team is healthy, and is ...
The Lake Erie Monsters are looking to get stronger as they look towards a post season appearance. Columbus is looking to do that by placing defenseman Justin Falk for the purpose of player assignment.
Falk is on a two-way contract, but since there were injuries to the defensive core of the Jackets, he was called up early in the season. Now, the team is healthy, and is ...
In 2014, startling news shook the National Hockey League to the core, and none of it was positive. About two years ago, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, saying he had only $50,000 in necessities. Johnson stated his parents were to blame for spending money on present luxuries and gambling on the defenseman' future earnings.
...
Even though I have heard nothing in regards to trade rumors at this point in time, the Blue Jackets may have to look into their goaltending depth as a result of the hot streak of current goaltender Joonas Korpisalo.
The Jackets have a good amount of depth behind starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, even though most of them are prospects.
First is the veteran- Curt...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 63- Florida Panthers v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
CBJ Game No. 63- Florida Panthers v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Today's NHL Free Game of the Day on the App.
The Jackets stay at home today to take on the Florida Panthers in an afternoon tilt. Florida is on top of the Atlantic Division, and are looking to remain there by pulling a season sweep on the Jackets. The Panthers last played on Thursday against the Arizona Coyo...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 63- Florida Panthers v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
CBJ Game No. 63- Florida Panthers v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Today's NHL Free Game of the Day on the App.
The Jackets stay at home today to take on the Florida Panthers in an afternoon tilt. Florida is on top of the Atlantic Division, and are looking to remain there by pulling a season sweep on the Jackets. The Panthers last played on Thursday against the Arizona Coyo...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Columbus Trades Scott Hartnell to Nashville for Kevin Fiala
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
What an awesome trade this is for both teams. Scott Hartnell scored his 100th point as a Blue Jackets prior to his departure, and he reunites alongside Ryan Johansen. Kevin Fiala is Nashville's top prospect, and replaces Marko Dano on Columbus' depth pool. Fiala has had a tough top satisfying GM David Poile, and can now do what he pleases in Columbus. Fiala and Hartnell we...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 63- Hot Streak Continues via Comeback
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Columbus gets the win at home in what looks to have been Scott Hartnell's final game as a Blue Jackets. The game seemed to be outshined by big trades during the games, but the Jackets win 4-3 in a shootout, to avoid the season sweep.
Florida struck halfway through the first period on a goal by Alex Barkov. The goal was his 19th goal, and they got helpers by Jaromir Ja...
With so much criticism about his play this year, Thursday night's impressive performance may have eliminated the doubt in Columbus' captain Nick Foligno.
On Thursday night against the New Jersey Devils, the winger scored a hat-trick and added an assist. He has nine goals this season, but also had 23 assists, which is near the top for his team.
That is extremely impr...
Welcome to the Columbus version of the rumor chart. This is a very simple way to get fans the latest rumors of players that could head to Columbus. However, this chart will also show other teams that will be interested in players. This chart will also show players rumored to leave Columbus, and teams interested in them as well. The question now becomes who will be moved? W...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 64- Columbus Blue Jackets @ New York Rangers
Posted Monday | Comments 0
A quiet day for both Columbus and the Rangers on deadline day; however, the Blue Jackets are first up to challenge Eric Staal in a blue sweater. My blog will be out on that soon though, and the rest of the trades.
To the Garden tonight are the Jackets to take on the Rangers who are without Rick Nash, but are with Eric Staal. The Jackets send Kerby Rychel to the AHL; Re...
Zak MacMillan writes...
My Reactions to Trades- Deadline and Before (Longest Blog Pd
Posted Monday | Comments 0
SubTitle: My Longest Blog Ever
What is better than seeing and hearing about trades at the trade deadline? Reacting to the trades from the deadline. This blog is my thoughts on the trades that happened prior to and the day of the NHL Trade Deadline.
__________________________________________________________________
[b]During the Week[/b]
_____________________________...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Rumor Chart(2/29/16) Final Time Before the Draft.Enjoy!
Posted Monday | Comments 0
CBJ- Rumor Chart
Welcome to the Columbus version of the rumor chart. This is a very simple way to get fans the latest rumors of players that could head to Columbus. However, this chart will also show other teams that will be interested in players. This chart will also show players rumored to leave Columbus, and teams interested in them as well. The question now becomes ...
Originally I started writing this blog about how the Oilers were once again involved in a trade deadline where they only unloaded players but Chiarelli ruined that by actually adding things to improve the team.
I digress...
By now you all should know what deals went down so here is the Oiler's current roster.
Hall-Draisaitl-Kassian
Pouliot-McDavid-Eberle
Maroon-...
This trade deadline was one filled with rumors, and the first I have publicly covered. From a Columbus standpoint, this is the quietest deadline Jarmo Kekalainen has participated in.
There were rumors of Scott Hartnell, Fedor Tyutin, and Gregory Campbell being traded, and all remain in Columbus sweaters. For the players, it means they are safe, for now.
However, th...
The Columbus Blue Jackets were defeated by the New York Rangers in the Garden by a final score of 2-1, in regulation.
The Rangers scored with 2:19 left in the first period, and it came from Mats Zuccarello. The goal was Zucc's 21st of the season. Dan Boyle got a helper on the goal. With 2:48 remaining in the game, Derek Stepan scored a highlight reel goal on Joonas Kor...
February was a month to remember for the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets went 7-3-3 in the month, and it may be their best month of the season, and their best record in one month under John Tortorella.
The Jackets have also seen Boone Jenner sign a two year extension with the team. He will be paid an average of $2.9 million dollars per season.
The Jackets go...
DutchSenators writes...
The Hawks winning the Stanley cup again? Not a bad thing!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The trade deadline has passed and the Blackhawks have made some solid moves over the last few weeks. They acquired a legitimate 1LW in Andrew Ladd, solidified their bottom six with Weise and Fleischmann, and swapped Scuderi for Ehrhoff. With these additions the Chicago Blackhawks are set to win another Stanley Cup and become a true dynasty team.
Hitting and fighting is ...
The Jackets have completed about 75% of their games played this season, and they have moved out of the basement. They rank 24th, and are trying to get better and not tank.
Here is who they have left to play in March and April.
March 4- V. Edmonton
March 5- @ Philadelphia
March 8- V. Detroit
March 11- V. Pittsburgh
March 13- V. Tampa Bay
March 17- V. Detroit
M...
On Wednesday night, March 2nd 2016, there was the unveiling of the jerseys and preliminary rosters for all the teams competing in the World Cup of Hockey.
For the Blue Jackets, three players made it onto Team North America, a team that makes up the best players ranging between the ages of 18-23, but not over 24.
Ryan Murray, Seth Jones, and Brandon Saad are the thr...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 65- Edmonton Oilers v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The home stretch continues for Columbus tonight, where they take on the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers have some new faces on the team since the Jackets last met them, and have seen some other Oilers go. The Oilers traded goalie Andres Nilsson; winger Teddy Purcell; and Defensemen Justin Schultz and Martin Gerant. They have acquired wingers Patrick Maroon and Adam Cracknell; ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 65- Seesaw Battle for Young Guns of NHL
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
What an entertaining night in Columbus, where two of the youngest teams in the league battled back and forth for two points. Last night, in the final matchup of the season between Columbus and Edmonton, the Blue Jackets defeated the Oilers by a final score of 6-3.
Edmonton scored their three goals in the final two frames of the game. Less than five minutes into the sec...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 66- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Philadelphia Flyers
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The back to back continues for Columbus tonight where they travel to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers, who are looking to get into the playoffs. The Flyers made no moves at the deadline, but did move out Vinny Leclavier and Luke Schenn to Los Angeles in January.
The last time these teams played was December 19, 2015. The final score of the matchup was 3-2.
The F...
In Philadelphia, the Flyers blanked the Blue Jackets on the second half of a back to back night of game action for this young squad. The final score was 6-0.
The Flyers got two goals in each period, and the best player on the ice last night was defenseman Radko Gudas.
On the Flyers first shot, which came 3:40 into the game, he passed the puck to winger Michael Raff...
With the recent contract extensions to Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray, do fans around the league already know what the Blue Jackets will pay Seth Jones? Or, since he is a proven commodity from another team, could we see a Brandon Saad like deal for the defenseman?
Boone Jenner, 22, set a career high in goals with 22, and only managed a bridge deal that earns him under $3...
The most heard argument AGAINST a return of Ilya Kovalchuk in the NHL is that he really f*cked the New Jersey Devils by leaving them for the KHL, a couple of years into a huge contract. In 2010 the Devils acquired Kovalchuk (and defenseman Salmela) in a deal with the Atlanta Trashers for Oduya, Bergfors, Cormier and a 2010-1st round pick. Atlanta was unable to resign Koval...
The knock on the current Sabres from the fanbase has been happening due to the team's record. In prior posts in the Sabres thread, it was brought up how much better they're doing than last season, just to show a year-over-year improvement. I decided to break down the team's record in comparison to not only last year, but also the last time the Sabres were "good
The ra...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 67- Detroit Red Wings v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
After playing back to back nights over the weekend, the Blue Jackets are back on the ice to take on Detroit, who is fighting mightily to stay in the playoffs. It feels as if there are three teams fighting for two playoff spots- Detroit; Pittsburgh; and Philadelphia.
These teams last played February 23, 206 on NBCSN. The Wings came back to win in a shootout, 2-1.
Ri...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 67- What An Upset + Bobrovsky is Returning
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets upset the Detroit Red Wings by a final score of 5-3, further hurting hopes of 25 straight playoff appearances for the Wings.
Detroit got all their goals in the final 30 minutes of the game. Ten minutes into the second period (10:24), Team USA forward Justin Abdelkader scored his 16th goal of the season. Gustav Nquist and Mike Green...
Earlier this month, the Blue Jackets have witnessed the returns of David Clarkson and Jared Boll. These two provide secondary scoring and grit that this team needs.
To the injured reserve are Jack Johnson and Brandon Saad, two of the club's most important players. Johnson is a two way defenseman that will soon be the "veteran" on this team once they find a taker for Fe...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 68- Columbus Blue Jackets v Pittsburgh Penguins
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Rivalry night has arrived for Columbus fans when they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins come to Ohio's state capital in a fight for their playoff lives as the Wings and Flyers are collecting points.
There is drama headed into this game on both sides. Earlier this week, former Blue Jacket and current Penguin Tom Sesito called out Brandon Dubinsky because of ...
Don't let the title deceive you, I am a giant nerd and I love advanced stats but let's be honest here [b]Corsi stats have absolutely nothing to do with puck possession. Nothing. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada.[/b]
Corsi and her related statistics such as relative Corsi should be re-branded as shooting metrics simply because that is exactly what they are. They are not poss...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 68- Mr. Popper's Penguins Even Series
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Pittsburgh Penguins' comeback second period helped them defeat the home Columbus Blue Jackets and a healthy Columbus netminder by a final score of 3-2 in regulation.
The Penguins scored their three goals starting from late in the first period until early in the second. At 14:23, Kris Letang scored a power play goal for his career high 13th goal of the season; Evgeni...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 69- Columbus Blue Jackets v Tampa Bay Lightning
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
An early afternoon tilt for the Blue Jackets where they take on the Bolts. The Bolts appear to be a lock for the playoffs, but have lost twice to the Flyers recently. Revenge might be on their minds. The Jackets have made life for Detroit and Pittsburgh difficult, but not the Flyers.
Projected Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
Bonne Jenner - Brandon Dubinsky- Cam Atk...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 69- Blanked By Bolts; Tampa Sweeps Cbus
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The home stand of the Blue Jackets continues with another loss, and this time it was to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The final score of the contest was a 4-0 shutout.
Tampa Bay got their goals in the final 40 minutes, and two by the captain. Steve Stamkos' first goal came 5:25 into the second period, and it was his 30th of the season; Nikita Kucherov (player to watch) had ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Punch May Penalize Prout (But How Many Games??)
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The league is looking into an incident between Dalton Prout and Nikita Kucherov in the second period.
Midway through the second period, Ben Bishop (TBL Goalie) went behind his net to grab the puck, and CBJ captain Nick Foligno tripped him from behind leading to a scrum. Andrej Sustr and Nikita Kucherov were the first two to go after Foligno, and Prout came barreling in...
With ten games remaining, this year can once again be summarized for Oiler fans as a disappointment. While injuries have played a huge factor in the teams current position it cannot be denied that consistency and defensive woes have also played a huge roll. Now that we are a couple weeks past the trade deadline I thought now would be as good a time as any to look back on e...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 70- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Detroit Red Wings
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The home stand continues for the Columbus Blue Jackets where they battle Detroit for the third and final time of the season. These teams have met each other three times (including tonight) in the previous four weeks.
The season series is tied at one game a piece. They first played on NBCSN where the Red Wings won in a shootout (2-1). In Columbus, the Jackets beat the W...
The short answer yes, the real answer no. Now why do I say this. Well it's simple if all goes well leafs have a competitive shot. So here is a scenario to play out.
A. Leafs get Matthews and he plays lil Mcdavid or they sign stamens and get Matthews
B. Nylander's gets close to 60points same as Kadri and Jvr
C. bernier has a consistent straight thru solid year
D. zaitse...
Do I think the leafs will make the playoffs next year, no. That being said here is what I think the lineup could look like.
Forwards:
Komarov - Kadri - Soshnikov
Nylander - Matthews - Van Riemsdyke
Parenteau - Bozak - Brown
Michalek - Laich - Greening
Defense:
Rielly - Marincin
Zaitsev - Gardiner
Hunwick - Carrick
Extra - Corrado
Goalies:
Bernier
Gustavs...
Last night, the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 3-1.
Detroit got their first goal in the ten minutes from center Luke Glendening (5th of the season); Riley Sheahan and Andreas Anthansiou earned the assist. In the final frame, the Wings got two goals in five minutes. Captain Henrik Zetterberg scored his 13th goal of the season 7:...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 71- Columbus Blue Jackets v. New Jersey Devils
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
A milestone evening alongside the end of a home stand and the start of a back to back and home and home series is on tap for the Blue Jackets where they take on the New Jersey Devils.
Head coach John Tortorella is coaching in his 1,000 NHL game. This is an amazing milestone as he is the first Jackets to accomplish this feat. It's also to interesting to see an extremely...
phaneuf4norris writes...
Drafting Method-Dave Hunter- Quantity over quality
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Last years Maple Leaf approach to their upper level picks was to trade down to increase the amount of picks, to attain a higher total draft pick value. Basically, they traded the 24th overall pick for the 29th overall pick and 61st, then traded that 29th overall pick for the 34th and 68th. So, after a year, we can see how these prospects have developed, and get an initia...
CBJ Post-Game No. 71- Bjork Brings Back Win
On a milestone night for head coach John Tortorella, his Columbus Blue Jackets brought home a big win against the New Jersey. The final score was 6-3.
The Devils started scoring in the second period, with two power play goals in a span of 3:15. Kyle Palmieri potted the first goal in for his 26th of the season; Damon Severs...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 72- Columbus Blue Jackets @ New Jersey Devils
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
After playing each other last night, the Jackets and Devils travel to the rock to play each other yet again, but for the last time this season.
Projected Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
Scott Hartnell - Brandon Dubinsky - Nick Foligno
Brandon Saad - Boone Jenner - Cam Atkinson
Matt Calvert - Jared Boll - Oliver Bjorkstrand
William Karlsson - Michael Chaput - G...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 72- Devil Debuts Deflate Jackets
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Jackets have failed the season sweep to the New Jersey Devils, losing to them in the Rock by a final score of 2-1.
The Devils' goals came during the odd numbered periods of the game. In the first period, Reid Boucher scored his 7th goal of the season; Kyle Palmieri and Andy Greene had the assists. In the final frame, Devante Smith-Pelly scored his 13th goal of the ...
If one was to look at McLellan's list of areas his team needs to improve...well it would be a very long list. However, it's probably fairly safe to say that near the top of that list would be the PP.
One of the things that excited many people when it was announced that McLellan would be the Oilers next coach was what he could do for the PP. While in San Jose McLellan's ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 73-Flying High Over Flyers via Comeback
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets pulled off a major comeback upset victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in extra time. The final score of the game was 3-2 in a shootout.
Philadelphia had control of the game for most of the time, and scored two in the first 51 minutes of the game. In the first period, Captain Claude Giroux netted his 20th of the season at 11:46; Brayden Schenn...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Boll/Bellemare Incident Being Reviewed By League
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In last night's contest between Columbus and Philadelphia, winger Jared Boll interfered with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and got a 5 minute major for interference and a game misconduct. The question is whether or not the league will suspend him. Since this is not a face to face meeting, it will be less than five games. Boll was suspended almost a year ago today for an illegal...
We don’t get to hear the greatest broadcasting phrase in hockey enough these days but never fear – these obvious and totally simple to implement solutions will ensure a skyrocket in goals scored in the NHL and we’ll get to hear a lot more:
He shoots he scores!
Il lance il compte!
Стреляет Он забивает гол! - russian
Han skjuter han poäng...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Looking at OHL Playoffs + Predictions & Prospects
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Eastern Conference
1 KINGSTON FRONTENACS (46-17-5) vs
8 OSHAWA GENERALS (27-33-8)
Top Prospects
Kingston: LW Michael Dal Colle (NYI), LW Lawson Crouse (FLA), D Ronald McKeown (CAR), RW Spencer Watson (LA), Lucas Peressini
Oshawa: C Anthony Cirelli (TBL)
2 BARRIE COLTS (43-22-3) vs
7 MISSISSAUGA STEELHEADS (33-30-5)
Top Prospects
Barrie: RW Kevin ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Looking at the NCAA Ice Hockey Championships + Predictions
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Tonight is the start of the NCAA Ice Hockey Championships that are taking place in Tampa, Florida this year. Here are the match ups in round one.
Quinnipiac
V.
Rochester Inst.
Top Prospects
Quinnipiac- Travis St. Denis
Rochester
_____________________________________________
Yale
V.
U. Mass-Lowell
Top Prospects
Yale
U. Mass-Lowell- LW CJ Smit...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 74- Canes Collect Points @ Cbus; Boll Gone
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
CBJ Post-Game No. 74- Canes Collect Points From Columbus
Last night, the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 3-2 in regulation.
Carolina got all three goals in the third period. The Canes got all three goals in a span of less than two minutes. Viktor Rask scored his 17th goal of the season 52 seconds in. At 2:19, Chris Terry sc...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Which Guy is Right for Columbus in 2016 NHL Draft
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets will be looking forward to a long offseason, but for the upper management, it will be only the start of their work. Columbus has five draft picks in this year's draft- their first, second, third, sixth, and seventh. Their fourth round pick is in Chicago courtesy of the Brandon Saad blockbuster; their fifth is in St. Louis from the Jordan Leopold trade.
...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 75- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Nashville Predators
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Columbus travels to Nashville where Seth Jones is back to play the team that drafted him. The Jackets are looking to get back on track against a playoff team that will most likely play the winner of the Pacific Division.
Columbus and Nashville last played each other on November 20, 2015, at Nationwide Arena. The final score of the game was 4-0. Columbus got goals from ...
The Nashville Predators and their elite defensive group dominated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 5-1.
The Predators scored early and often, scoring twice in the first two frames and once in the final one. James Neal netted his 30th of the season 3 minutes in; Ryan Johansen (player to watch) and Roman Josi had the assists. At 17:33, Mattias Ekholm scored ...
As Oilers reach the final few games of the season, it is again time to look at the draft. The Oilers look to have another high pick but unless they win the lottery, they will be a footnote in this draft. This is the first draft in a while where there might be some trades in the top 10.
I am not going to mock draft this as the lottery can change and the standings are...
freelancer writes...
Turning the 16-17 Oilers into the 10-11 Bruins (Forwards)
Posted Monday | Comments 0
From Day 1, Chiarelli has had one consistent message regarding his vision of what he expects from his Oilers. Bigger. More physical. Tougher to play against. It doesn't take a genius (after all I'm the one writing this) to gather that Chiarelli wants to emulate how he built the Boston Bruins. As I sit here, recovering from an Easter dinner hangover I thought it'd be a fun ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 76- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Washington Capitals
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Columbus travels to the nation's capital to take on the league's best team- the Washington Capitals. One more win will earn the Capitals the President's Trophy for a team that has already clinched top spot in the East.
It has been a while since these two clubs have played, and the Capitals have made several changes to their team. The Caps acquired Mike Weber from the B...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 76- Washington Wins Winningest Trophy
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In the nation's capital, the Capitals defeated the Blue Jackets by a final score of 4-1 to win the President's Trophy.
The Captials scored most of their goals late, but did pot one early on. At 16:30 into the first period, Justin Williams scored his 22nd of the season; John Carlson had the lone assist. In the third period, they scored 3 goals in 14 minutes. At 3:46, T...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Russians Relocating? What Does This Mean For CBJ + NHL
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As you could tell by the title of the article, this article is about Russian hockey players and what in the world is going on with them. Hockey is a business and for the apparent stereotype for Russians is to be number one. The question is whether or not these Russians are looking at that at this point in there careers. This article will look at four Russians in particular...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 77- Brooklyn Blasts Through Blue Jackets
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The New York Islanders defeated the Cooumbus Blue Jackets to sweep them, 4-3.
The Islanders got the upper hand early on, scoring three goals in the first period. John Tavares scored his 28th of the season (7:25); Ryan Strome and Josh Bailey had the assists. Later on, Thomas Hickey scored his 5th of the season (17:51); Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen had the assists. 32 s...
CBJ- Zach Werenski Signs With Columbus
The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed their top prospect, defenseman Zach Werenski to a three year entry level deal. Also, the Lake Erie Monsters, the Jackets affiliate team, signed him to an amateur tryout offer.
Werenski was drafted eighth overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. The past two seasons, Werenski...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 78- "Brandon Happy" With Hat Trick
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets have defeated the Carolina Hurricanes by a final score of 5-1.
The Hurricanes lone goal was the first one of the game, which came in the first period. Jeff Skinner scored his 28th of the season; Jacon Slavin and Viktor Rask had the assists. Eddie Lack was the starting netminder for the Hurricanes, and he stopped 22 of 27 for a 0.915 save perce...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post Game No. 79- Empire State of Postseason; NYR Clinch
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The New York Rangers defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 4-2. With this win, the Rangers have earned a playoff spot.
The Rangers scored early and often. In the first frame, Chris Kreider scored his 20th of the season (16:17); Derek Stepan and Henrik Lundqvist got the helpers. At 5:28 of the second, Dan Boyle scored his 9th of the season. Late in the ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 80- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Toronto Maple Leafs
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Battle For Last is taking place in the Hockey Capita of the World tonight when the Blue Jackets head north to the Air Canada Center to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Puck drop is at 7'clock tonight.
Both teams have been battling tremendous difficulty for different reasons this season. With the Jackets, an early loosing streak got them down early, followed up with...
rebel_deucer writes...
Ranking all 30 NHL coaches... A statistical review
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The rankings will give a point 1 gets 30, and 30th gets point
Enhanced Stats: SAT
1. LA Kings, 2. Pittsburgh Penguins, 3. Anaheim Ducks, 4. Nashville, 5. Dallas, 6. Tampa, 7. St Louis, 8. Detroit, 9. Toronto, 10. San Jose, 11. Carolina, 12. Winnipeg, 13. Montreal, 14. Washington, 15. Chicago, 16, Philadelphia, 17. NYI, 18. Boston, 19. Edmonton, 20. Florida, 21. Calgary, ...
The Columbus Blue Jackets come to Canada and earn a comeback win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, winning by a final score of 5-1.
The Leafs' lone goal was the first one of the game. In the early stages of the 2nd period (1:43), Morgan Reilly scored a short handed goal for his 9th of the season; Frederik Gauthier and Brooks Laich had the assists. Garrett Sparks was in bet...
OHL Playoff Predictions Round 2
Series E (East)
1 KINGSTON vs. 4 NIAGARA
Game 1 - Thu Apr 7 7:00 PM Niagara at Kingston
Game 2 - Fri Apr 8 7:00 PM Niagara at Kingston
Game 3 - Sun Apr 10 2:00 PM Kingston at Niagara
Game 4 - Wed Apr 13 7:00 PM Kingston at Niagara
Game 5 - Fri Apr 15 7:00 PM * Niagara at Kingston
Game 6 - Mon Apr 18 7:00 PM * K...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Looking At Frozen Four and Who Will Win- My Predictions
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Source: NCAA.com
April 7 (Tampa, Florida)
Quinnipiac vs. Boston College (5:00; ESPN2)
North Dakota vs. Denver (8:30; ESPN2)
Championship: April 9 (Tampa, Florida) (8:00 ESPN2)
Predictions
North Dakota will beat Denver in regulation.
Quinnipiac will squeeze out a narrow victory against BC.
In the championship game, North Dakota will lose a close b...
In a season, once again filled with mediocrity there have been a few feel good stories for fans to rally behind. I would argue the biggest surprise was the emergence of Brandon Davidson as a legitimate defenseman but closely following that would have to be Leon Draisaitl.
When the Oilers drafted Leon in the summer of 2014, fans thought they were finally getting the skil...
The Oilers finished second last this season but how far off are they? There has never been a team like the Oilers in the history of the NHL. A team with incredibly talented forwards made up of some amazingly talented but very young players. Most have spent their NHL careers trying to use to new coaches and expectations each year. Combine this with many other factors an...
So Boston, a team with 42 wins, doesn't make the playoffs while other teams with 41 wins do because they've made the most of the consolation point. Especially disgusting among those three teams is Minnesota, with a meager 38 wins on the season.
Let's just change the point system... no 3 -2 -1, no 2 - 1. Wins are worth 1 point. Shootout losses and OT losses = 0 poin...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 81 & 82- Hope For Next Season After Win
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Work and illness have put me down the past couple of days but it did not slow down the Blue Jackets. The Jackets managed back to back wins, including a domination and a come back.
First, the Jackets defeated the Buffalo Sabres in First Niagara Center by a final score of 4-1.
Buffalo's lone goal came in the early stages of the second period. Sam Reinhart scored his ...
Eastern Conference
1 Brandon Wheat Kings v. 6 Moose Jaw Warriors
3 Red Deer Rebels v. 7 Regina Pats
Western Conference
1 Victoria Royals v. 2 Kelowna Rockets
3 Seattle Thunderbirds v. 5 Everett Silvertips
Predictions
Brandon will beat Moose Jaw in 6.
Regina will have a tough fight considering they have the league's top scorer in the regular season...
Round One
Eastern Conference
Washington Capitals v. Philadelphia Flyers
Tampa Bay Lightning v. Detroit Red Wings
New York Rangers v. Pittsburgh Penguins
New York Islanders v. Florida Panthers
Western Conference
Dallas Stars v. Minnesota Wild
St. Louis Blues v. Chicago Blackhawks
Anaheim Ducks v. Nashville Predators
Los Angeles Kings v. San Jos...
Eastern Conference:
Washington X-Factor - Kuznetsov, Why Ovechkin alone cannot carry a team, hes great always showed character in the playoffs and wants that cup, he needs the other Russian to prove that Russia can dominate in the playoffs and rise to the occasion for Washinton. Two .9 + pts per game over the playoffs is always better than 1.
Florida - Jagr - He is the...
This is going to be a long series and Game 1 did nothing to change my opinion of this prediction. These two teams are physical and have both proven capable of winning close games. This game was way closer than the 2-0 final. The late goal as Philadelphia was pressing to tie the game was not an indication of how the rest of game was played. Overall my perception watchin...
To all my readers,
This is a pre blog to my actual blog. As the Jackets are not in the playoffs, it is not as easy as it once was to right blogs on a regular basis as there was action regarding them. My plan for the offseason is to keep you up to date. I will continue making playoff predictions for the NHL and also for other leagues and tournaments, including playoffs i...
Playoffs have begun! While I would love to be able to sit here and talk about the Oilers playing in the playoffs, controversial offside calls, and all that fun, instead I get over-analyze the 2015-2016 Oilers roster and try and figure out who will and won't be back. Way more fun, right?
Over the next couple weeks I'm going to go through the Oilers roster, and look at th...
Moves happen every year with players. New teams appear in the playoffs each year as well. This article will list which playoff team has a former Blue Jacket for all you fans to keep track of at home.
Anaheim: Corey Tropp
Chicago: Tim Jackman, Artem Anisimov
Dallas:
Detroit:
Florida Panthers: Derek MacKenzie
Los Angeles: Jeff Carter, Marian Gaborik
Min...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Progression- Four to Twenty (My 4/20 Blog)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
To continue the last CBJ Progression article I did, this one continues the discussion of goal scoring in Columbus.
During the 2015-2016 season, the Jackets had two 30 goal scorers in Brandon Saad (31) and Boone Jenner (30). Also, they had two guys score over 20 goals, being the first team to have four players get to 20 goals.
Cam Atkinson and Scott Hartnell were th...
The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Gabriel Carlsson to a three year entry level deal. Carlsson was drafted 29th overall by the Jackets in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. This draft selection was the second first round the Jackets had in the draft, moving up in a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Per Elite Prospects: "Big stay-at-home defenseman with excellent...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL Playoff Thoughts: Politics, Fights, and Comebacks Coming
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs have been intense and physical thus far. There are multiple series that are three games to one, followed up with pushing, shoving, name-calling, and fist-flying. However, this blog will discuss the dominating issues in the game that have been trending over the past several days.
The major issue has come from the Chicago Blackhawks - St...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Blue Jackets' Associate Coach Craig Hartsburg Retires
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The associate coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets has retired to spend time with his family. Hartsburg, 52, has enjoyed three seasons in Columbus, including a postseason appearance. Hartsburg coached three games this year when John Tortorella was out with broken ribs, going 2-0-1.
With his retirement, this means Tortorella can go out and get a guy he likes, unless he p...
Last summer we saw Chiarelli trade Boyd Gordon for Korpikoski; a move which angered some people. Gordon was a great defensive centre, and a right shot to top it off. The Wagon Line of Hendricks, Gordon, Klinkhammer provided Edmonton with a great shutdown trio. Trading the pivot of that line for a 3rd/4th line winger with a bloated contract was... strange.
Or it least it...
The minor league team of the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Lake Erie Monsters, advance in the AHL Calder Cup playoffs to the Western Conference semifinals after sweeping the farm team of the Chicago Blackhawks, the Rockford Ice Hogs, 3 games to 0, in the best of five series.
In game one in Rockford, the Monsters beat the Ice Hogs, 5-2. For Rockford, they got goals from Ty...
Match Ups: Round One
Hershey Bears v. Portland Pirates
Toronto Marlies v. Bridgeport Sound Tigers
San Diego Gulls v. Texas Stars
Ontario Reign v. San Jose Barracuda
Lake Erie Monsters v. Rockford Ice Hogs
Millauawke v. Grand Rapids Griffins
Providence Bruins v. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Albany Devils v. Utica Comets
Predictions
Hershey i...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL Playoff Thoughts: Round Two Predictions and More
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs will draw to a close on Wednesday night, the same time the second round of the playoffs commences.
On Wednesday, the round one matchup (game 7) is between the Pacific Division winning Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the first wild card team Nashville Predators. The series has been a sea saw battle as these teams are on the sa...
In the NHL, the largest reason team consistently lose games, sign bad contracts and overpay for players, is the massive gap between player’s perceived value and their actual value. This is a major issue in the NHL. In days of the past, there were excuses for making decisions based on the “eye test”. But in reality, the eye test is not only useless, but also actually ...
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...
Most, if not all, will pick the Blues to advance to the Western Conference Finals. It's going to be tough for the boys in Victory green but not impossible. Here are 5 reasons I'd put my money on Dallas.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------...
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...
Njuice writes...
Marner’s a Longshot to Make Leafs in 2016-2017: Here’s Why
Posted Friday | Comments 0
First off let me make one thing clear – Mitchell Marner is amazing! Marner Magic is real folks and he will be a superstar in the NHL. Let us take that to the bank today and profit from the dividends for the next 15 years.
People say “Oh he’s way too fancy he’ll get killed in the NHL.” To those people I say please watch the games. Watch the OHL final and ...
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 ...
AHL:
Eastern Conference
Hershey Bears v. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Prediction: Bears in 6
Toronto Marlies v. Albany Devils
Prediction: Marlies in 5
Western Conference
Ontario Reign v. San Diego Gulls
Prediction: Gulls in 7
Lake Erie Monsters v. Grand Rapids Griffins
Prediction: Monsters in 7
OHL
London Knights v. Niagara Ice Dogs
...
Aside from the draft lottery occurring at the end of April, there is still hockey in session in early May.
In the Stanley Cup Playoffs:
San Jose leads Nashville 2-0
St. Louis and Dallas are tied 1-1
Pittsburgh and Washington are tied 1-1
Tampa Bay and New York are tied 1-1
In the CHL:
Seattle and Brandon are facing off for the WHL Championship, and mo...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ: Lottery Winner; Move Up From #5 to #3 In 2016 NHL Draft
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The odds were in the Blue Jackets winner on Saturday night. Because of the new NHL draft lottery, there could be a new order as any eliminated team has a chance to win picks 1, 2, or 3.
With the new lottery and the results of the lottery on Saturday, here is the new order.
1. Toronto
2. Winnipeg
3. Columbus
4. Edmonton
5. Vancouver
6. Calgary
7. Arizona
8. ...
The hockey world breathed a collective sigh of relief Saturday night when it was revealed that Edmonton would not be taking the 1st overall pick once again. I had mentioned in my previous blog that it was good for the game of hockey to spread out talent and I meant it.
Despite my own personal feelings regarding Toronto, the fact remains that they are in desperate need o...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Answering Questions Fans Asked Jackets' Writers
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Columbus Dispatch/Blue Jackets Aaron Portzline answered readers' questions during an hourlong Here's the transcript:
Note: Transcript is from April 13.
My answers will follow instead of his.
1. Do you think the NHL will adapt the AHL's standings system of winning percentage trumping points? In your view, does this help balance the impact of 3 point games?
I t...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Sign Defenseman Markus Nutivaara to Entry Level Contract
Posted Friday | Comments 0
After four years of draft eligibility, the Jackets' 2015 seventh round draft pick, Finnish defenseman Markus Nutivaara has signed a two year entry level deal with the organization. My guess is because of his age, he signed to a lesser term, but it is good to see the Jackets lock up a young defenseman. The funny part is all this is another Finn is buying into Finnish genera...
Welcome to another Q & A session of mine. This time, I answer questions from Rob Mixer from NHL.com and his Mailbag. These questions are posted through Twitter, which explains the hashtags.
What's a bigger need for the CBJ, improving the defense or finding help at center?
Both are very important things to look find at any time of year, and they are two of the h...
The Iceman writes...
Lack of scoring, killer instinct among what dooms Isles
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Frustrating, soul crushing, disappointing are just a few words that can be used to describe the feeling among all in Islander country after a 2-1 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in game 4 of this eastern conference semi-final matchup. The lightning now have a commanding 3-1 lead in this best of 7 series with a chance to close it out Sunday back in Tampa Bay. The I...
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.
...
Just to start quickly I actually want to see Phil Kessel lift the cup and prove that the leafs really did get ripped off AGAIN and even worse probably somehow screw up Austin Matthews, you would think its impossible I do not anyways!
I think to touch on Hartley getting dropped just like this shows little class based on BT as he gave him a big extension after winning t...
Tbuck1102 writes...
Brayden Point and Dryden Hunt; a rivalry for years to come
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Two Western Hockey League teammates that led their team in scoring this past season and their futures as NHL rivals.
Brayden Point has gained a lot of attention since being selected 79th overall in the 2014 NHL entry draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Point was called a "hidden gem" by many around the hockey community after he burst onto the prospect scene in 2013-14 wh...
There's speculation that Los Angeles Kings head coach Darryl Sutter is headed to Calgary to coach the Flames.
Of course, he has to be released by the Kings.
However, the prospect of Sutter going to his home province (Alberta) is real.
Despite winning two Stanley Cups during Sutter's tenure with the Kings, the past two season hasn't been happy times for L.A.
The...
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...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Progression- The Curious Case of John Tortorella
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Even though this may become my most controversial blog to date, my Blue Jackets progression article today discusses the upside that head coach John Tortorella has for this young club.
Tortorella is a proven winner. He is the winningest American hockey coach with 480 wins. He has won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 with guys including Brad Richards, M...
Hamonic. To many it was a done deal. When people discussed what the Oilers were going to do with their defense this summer; Hamonic was already penciled in.
Let me start by saying until I hear it from Hamonic's mouth that he doesn't want to be traded, I'm assuming this is all a ploy by Snow to try and increase the asking price.
Moving on.
It's only been a month si...
The Tampa Bay Lighting have some depth on their team, especially when it comes to goaltending.
With 7:35 to go in the opening period of Game One of the Eastern Conference Final, Lightning's starting goalie, Ben Bishop got injured.
In fact, Bishop had to be carried off the ice on a stretcher.
I thought that the Lightning's luck had ran out. I mean, the team have b...
Is Steven Stamkos going to be a New York Islander come July 1st? Well if you have a copy of the latest NHL video game, then yes he will be. It's time to address this rumor going around in regards to the one who will be the top UFA this summer. Well, more like bury this rumor that for whatever reason won't go away.
It began not long ago by Eklund, the annonyms one who r...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL Playoff Thoughts: Management Changes; Conference Finals
Posted Tuesday | 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...
Travis Yost posted an article on TSN's webpage trying to answer a question many of us have... What is the value of a top pick these days?
For those that missed it is here:
[url]http://www.tsn.ca/examining-the-true-value-of-toronto-s-first-overall-pick-1.491169[/url]
The article is by Travis Yost and he is not as bad as many when it comes to these things. I thi...
Western Conference
Lake Erie Monsters v. Ontario Reign
Eastern Conference
Toronto Marlies v. Hershey Bears
Predictions:
The Jackets and Kings have talented minor team squads. Last year, the Manchester Monarchs, the minor team of the Los Angeles Kings, won the Stanley Cup. This year, the Ontario Reign, the minor team of the Los Angeles Kings, are almost right...
Western Conference
Lake Erie Monsters v. Ontario Reign
Eastern Conference
Toronto Marlies v. Hershey Bears
Predictions:
The Jackets and Kings have talented minor team squads. Last year, the Manchester Monarchs, the minor team of the Los Angeles Kings, won the Stanley Cup. This year, the Ontario Reign, the minor team of the Los Angeles Kings, are almost right...
With both Steven Stamkos, Ben Bishop on the sidelines, I wonder how long Tampa is going to be competitive?
There's been rumours about Stamkos returning to the lineup before the third round is over, but he's not back yet.
The scary part is that Pittsburgh has a good chance of winning the cup and Phil Kessel winning the Conn Smyth Trophy. To a Toronto Maple Leaf fan, ...
This Is A Trade Idea That I've Come Up with.
To Blackhawks - Alex Pietrangelo
To Blues - Jonathan Toews
Toews Is great defensively, but not as defensive as Pietrangelo. The Blackhawks need defence, so they can get Defence, and i'm sure they're not Happy about his salary. Toews struggled this year, so with a fresh start, i think he can do better than he did this year...
Trade Idea.rnrnTo Montreal Canadiens To Columbus Blue Jacketsrn4th round pick in 2017 Lars EllerrnrnThe Blue Jackets Need 4th Line Help, and the Canadiens Don't need some of their players because they have too many guys that would normally be in the lineup.
I think the Tampa Bay Lightning will re-sign Steven Stamkos. he's their best player in my opinion, and they can be a great team without him, but can they get past the Penguins in this series?
I don't know.
2015-16 was supposed to be a rebuilding season. We weren't suppose to be good enough yet. Sure the Flyers were expected to be in the picture at least, but few thought they would actually make it in. Instead the expectation was they would fall 5 points or so shy of the last wildcard spot, and end up picking somewhere in the 7-10 range. We had prepared ourselves for this out...
Hello Blue Jackets fans. It's been a while since I wrote because of work and school and other things, but I am back with a bunch of mini articles for everyone as the Jackets are going through quite a quiet offseason thus far.
CBJ- Boedker As A Blue Jacket?
According to Pelle Eklund of Hockeybuzz, the Blue Jackets have a level of interest in Avalanche winger Mikkel B...
Going to try something a little bit different today. I'm going to talk about two different prospects that are members of different organizations. Both are 22; one is a defender, the other a forward. I'm going to go over their scouting reports, production, and any other relevant information. I want you, the reader to decide if this is a player you would want in the Oilers o...
Welcome to another edition of CBJ Progression, and today's blog will discuss the success of professional scouting. Even though we have seen guys like Artemi Pinarian, Sergei Plotkniov, Viktor Tikhonov, and Evgeny Mevedev appear this year, there are other under the radar guys that the Blue Jackets.
Right of the preseason, Swedish center William Karlsson made the Jackets...
Welcome to another edition of CBJ Progression, and today's blog will discuss the success of professional scouting. Even though we have seen guys like Artemi Pinarian, Sergei Plotkniov, Viktor Tikhonov, and Evgeny Mevedev appear this year, there are other under the radar guys that the Blue Jackets.
Right of the preseason, Swedish center William Karlsson made the Jackets...
With the Stanley Cup Finals about to get underway, we now have a handful of games remaining for the 2015-2016 hockey season. And with that comes one of the most exciting times for fanbases of teams who are looking to upgrade for next year, the offseason. First comes the draft which is roughly a little more than 3 weeks away. Followed by July 1st, aka free agency.
For ...
The Lake Erie Monsters have swept the Ontario Reign 4-0 in the best of 7 series. The Monsters' top six has really stepped up and has made themselves a force to reckon with against the Eastern Conference Champions.
The Monsters have a new leading point scorer- Lukas Sedlak, who has averaged a point per game in the playoffs (13 points in 13 games). On the defense, Zach We...
The Lake Erie Monsters have swept the Ontario Reign 4-0 in the best of 7 series. The Monsters' top six has really stepped up and has made themselves a force to reckon with against the Eastern Conference Champions.
The Monsters have a new leading point scorer- Lukas Sedlak, who has averaged a point per game in the playoffs (13 points in 13 games). On the defense, Zach We...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Thoughts: Pittsburgh v. San Jose
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
There was 30, and now there is 2. After the finish of the Conference Finals last night, the Stanley Cup Finals will be contested between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the San Jose Sharks.
The Penguins have been riding a hot streak since the hiring of coach Mike Sullivan. General Jim Rutherford has made gutsy moves by adding Phil Kessel, Nick Bonino, Carl Hagelin, Trevor ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Multiple Guys on World Cup Rosters/Several Snubs
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Some of the best players in the world will be playing in a competitive tournament representing their nations. There are eight teams in the World Cup of Hockey- USA, North America, Europe, Canada, Russia, Finland, Sweden, and Czech Republic. Out of all those teams, there are six Blue Jackets on the World Cup rosters.
Sergei Bobrovsky (Russia)
Brandon Dubinsky (USA)
...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Multiple Guys on World Cup Rosters/Several Snubs
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Some of the best players in the world will be playing in a competitive tournament representing their nations. There are eight teams in the World Cup of Hockey- USA, North America, Europe, Canada, Russia, Finland, Sweden, and Czech Republic. Out of all those teams, there are six Blue Jackets on the World Cup rosters.
Sergei Bobrovsky (Russia)
Brandon Dubinsky (USA)
...
The farewell tour begins for the St. Louis Blues bench boss. Ken Hitchock is coaching his final season in the NHL next year, with the Blues.
At the age of 64, Hitch has had quite a successful career, including a Stanley Cup. He won a Stanley Cup in 1999 with the Dallas Stars and the controversial Brett Hull goal.
Hitchcock also coached the Philadelphia Flyers when...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Calder Cup Final: Lake Erie Monsters v. Hershey Bears
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Calder Cup Finals start tonight, and the Hershey Bears take on the Lake Erie Monsters. This is a matchup between my two favorite minor league teams. Living in Hershey for about 14 years now, the Bears have won two Calder Cups (back to back), and could win another. Living in Columbus for about two years, and seeing the big team and guys that came up to join them, both t...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Calder Cup Final: Lake Erie Monsters v. Hershey Bears
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Calder Cup Finals start tonight, and the Hershey Bears take on the Lake Erie Monsters. This is a matchup between my two favorite minor league teams. Living in Hershey for about 14 years now, the Bears have won two Calder Cups (back to back), and could win another. Living in Columbus for about two years, and seeing the big team and guys that came up to join them, both t...
According to Hockeybuzz's very own John Jaeckel, the Chicago Blackhawks were pursuing KHL star Vadim Shipachyov as a free agent. Sadly, even if it was a serious consideration for Chicago, the chance has vanished into thin air. Multiple sources reported today that Shipachyov has resigned with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. Reports from habseyesontheprize.com say that talks ...
Matt Henderson wrote a great blog on how the Oilers should offer sheet Seth Jones. While there were many different opinions on the logistics of such a deal, the fact remains that there are going to be some teams with cap issues... which for the NHL really isn't anything new. In the salary cap world, every summer there are teams who have to make tough choices; and teams tha...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Detailed History of the 3rd Overall Pick- 2010-2015
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Looking around at summer ideas for blogging, Peter Tessier's idea of reviewing the history of top draft picks is one that got. Besides being a hockey fan, history is something I enjoy almost as much.
Since the Columbus Blue Jackets draft third in the 2016 NHL Draft, I will be looking back in the past to see who was draft in this spot in previous drafts.
Today, it w...
By Aaron Barrett
For the first time in years, the Toronto Maple Leafs are brimming with rosterable young talent. While being interviewed at the recent World Championships, Mike Babcock said: "We have too many young guys for the amount of jobs. Whoever we end up taking (in the NHL Draft) is going to be immersed with a bunch of kids. Not a few kids, a bunch of kids."
...
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 ...
Over the past couple of years, there have troubles around NHL players and law enforcement and court systems. Seymon Varlamov. Slava Voynov. Clayton Stoner. Sean Avery. Ian White. Aaron Ward. Dan LaCouture. Jack Johnson. Linden Vey. Mike Richards. Jarrett Stoll. Alex Galchenyuk. Devante Smith-Pelly. Garett Ross. Patrick Kane. Evander Kane. And the list continues to grow. ...
Over the past couple of years, there have troubles around NHL players and law enforcement and court systems. Seymon Varlamov. Slava Voynov. Clayton Stoner. Sean Avery. Ian White. Aaron Ward. Dan LaCouture. Jack Johnson. Linden Vey. Mike Richards. Jarrett Stoll. Alex Galchenyuk. Devante Smith-Pelly. Garett Ross. Patrick Kane. Evander Kane. And the list continues to grow. ...
We are less than four weeks away from the 2016 NHL Entry Draft...and the rumours are starting to fly!
There is a refreshing air of mystery around what Tim Murray and the Buffalo Sabres are going to do at this year's draft. The past two seasons saw the team, despite back-to-back last place finishes, drop to the number 2 spot. Last season, the Sabres surprised no one ...
As I've posted at the end of many of my blogs, some friends and I do a weekly podcast on all things hockey and Oilers. One point we discussed at length was the expansion draft and how the Oilers will be affected.
A few days ago it came out that players with NMC's who are set to be UFA will have to be protected. This means that as of right now, the Oilers will have to pr...
With the Leafs year one game plan working out as perfect as possible, its time to turn to year 2 of the plan. Now will be the tough part. Fans expected the tough season in rebuilding. We got rewarded with the first overall pick and a bunch of extra picks added in from shrewd trades.
Now is the time to continue being patience. The prospect cupboard is growing but still ...
nylander39 writes...
2016 NHL draft from the perspective of a crazy Leafs fan
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This is blog number 2. I got a few good comments so I decided to write again. Like before I welcome your comments and feedback.
When the leafs won the NHL draft lottery I went crazy, so crazy that I accidentally woke up my roommate. ( Whoops ) But really, what guy in his early 20s is asleep at like 8pm on a Saturday.
This draft has the ability to give the leafs the...
My two fave teams tied are the Rangers and the Islanders. i am writing about a possible NY Rangers offseason. they're going to start a rebuild, but who stays and who goes? i'd say Zuccarello is Definitely Staying, and even though McDonagh is a great player, i think it's time to trade him to Columbus for Pick number 3. The rangers need a 1st round pick, and the Blue Jackets...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Call For Controversy: What Is Wrong With the NHL
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Over the past couple of years, there have troubles around NHL players and law enforcement and court systems. Seymon Varlamov. Slava Voynov. Clayton Stoner. Sean Avery. Ian White. Aaron Ward. Dan LaCouture. Jack Johnson. Linden Vey. Mike Richards. Jarrett Stoll. Alex Galchenyuk. Devante Smith-Pelly. Garett Ross. Patrick Kane. Evander Kane. And the list continues to grow.
...
[i]If you have a golden chance to draft the next "Sedin Twins", you take it.[/i]
Maurice and Henri, Phil and Tony, or more recently; Marc, Jordan and Eric Staal, Jussi and Olli Jokinen, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Mikko and Saku Koivu. What do they have in common? Obviously they are all brothers that were able to have very
successful NHL careers.
Of those mentioned ab...
Zak MacMillan writes...
No. 1 CBJ Draft Target: RW Jesse Puljujarvi (Finland)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Jared Crozier, the Ottawa Senators of Hockeybuzz, started the idea of coming up with ideas of looking at who the Senators could target in the upcoming draft. Now, it's my turn to do so with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
It's already a forgone conclusion that Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine are the top two draft picks. Columbus at the third pick has options on the table...
After years of fighting for his life, his life has ended before our eyes. For what seems to be the first time that I can remember, the NHL has lost an all time great. Maybe the greatest player to have died has done so at the age of 88.
Gordie Howe's death comes out of the blue to many, but expectant and unsurprisingly to others. He has been in a battle for survival s...
After years of fighting for his life, his life has ended before our eyes. For what seems to be the first time that I can remember, the NHL has lost an all time great. Maybe the greatest player to have died has done so at the age of 88.
Gordie Howe's death comes out of the blue to many, but expectant and unsurprisingly to others. He has been in a battle for survival s...
We are just over a week until the NHL draft when hopefully things will happen so bloggers have new material to work with again. Until that point here are a few thoughts from around the NHL.
Gordie Howe... man 2016 has not been a kind year. When Muhammad Ali passed I thought it couldn't get any worse. I was very wrong. While I am far too young to share any personal stori...
We are just over a week until the NHL draft when hopefully things will happen so bloggers have new material to work with again. Until that point here are a few thoughts from around the NHL.
Gordie Howe... man 2016 has not been a kind year. When Muhammad Ali passed I thought it couldn't get any worse. I was very wrong. While I am far too young to share any personal stori...
Just announced... the Chicago Blackhawks have traded forwards Bryan Bickell and Tuevo Terevainen to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2nd round pick in the 2016 draft and a 3rd pick in the 2017 draft. The Hawks have freed up a ton of cap space by making this move. What could it mean? Well, it could mean that the Hawks can for sure bring back fan favorite Andrew Shaw. Also, the...
Hamonic, Vatanen, Faulk, Barrie. All defensemen who's names have been associated with the Oilers in the trade mill. All of whom are apparently now off the market. The most reason of which was this morning when the Ducks announced they had re-signed Sami Vatanen to a 4 year deal with 19.5 million dollars. While I do think that's an overpay he is a top powerplay option and p...
The job Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray has done since taking over the reins has, in my opinion, been largely underappreciated. Rebuilds aren’t easy. They often times can take a long time, with many wrong turns…ill-advised attempts to short-cut the process.
But just two years in…Murray’s got the Sabres flying back into contention. The roster is young, fast, a...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL Playoff Thoughts: Pittsburgh Wins Stanley Cup
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Pittsburgh Penguins have done it. For the first time in seven years and the fourth time in 50 years, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup. The series was 4 games to 2.
The San Jose Sharks made it farther they have ever gone in their franchise's 25 year century, to their first ever Stanley Cup Final appearance.
The Penguins and Sharks had successful seasons to say t...
The Lake Erie Monsters have done the unexpected. Winning is back in Cleveland. The Monsters defeated the Hershey Bears to win the Calder Cup. And it was not even close.
The hardest series for the Monsters was the second round, where it is usually the first for most teams.
First, they swept the Rockford IceHogs, the minor team for the Chicago Blackhawks.
In the...
According to @RumorBreak, a Twitter page run by Michael Grosso, the Columbus Blue Jackets made an an offer to the Toronto Maple Leafs to acquire the first overall pick of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
The deal apparently involved the third overall pick, other draft picks, and prospects.
If Columbus is giving up forward prospects, the deal makes more sense as the Blue J...
Zak MacMillan writes...
#2 CBJ Draft Target: C Logan Brown (Windsor Spitfires OHL)
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
With plenty of options on the board for Columbus, they have the room to do what they want.
One guy that has been on the ride is center Logan Brown, an underrated guy that could become a number one center.
At 6' 4" and coming out of the Ontario Hockey League, he has a chance to be a successful guy.
However, the Jackets seem to be high on him according to sev...
CBJ Rumor Chart- Offseason
This chart won't be that big but there are rumors and activities out there throughout the entire league. This chart brings those rumors to light in one place, with Blue Jackets guys and who is rumored to come to Columbus.
1. Scott Hartnell (Columbus Blue Jackets)- EDM, LA, OTT, FLA, BOS, STL, MIN, NJD,PIT, NSH
2. Nick Foligno (Columbus B...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Rumors- Captain and Other Players From Around the League
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
With my rumor chart live, I will also have tons of rumors ready for the week in paragraph view. Today, let's discuss who has been in the news lately.
Let's start with the captain. Sportsnet first reported that there could be some teams looking at Captain Nick Foligno. He makes $5.5 million per season, and comes off what might being one of his worst years of his career....
Calder Memorial "Rookie of the Year"
C Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
LW Artemi Panarin (Chicago Blackhawks)
D Shayne Gostisbehere (Philadelphia Flyers)
My Winner: McDavid.
Veznia Trophy "Best Goalie"
G Braden Holtby (Washington Capitals)
G Ben Bishop (Tampa Bay Lightning)
G Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings)
My Winner: Holtby.
Frank...
Calder Memorial "Rookie of the Year"
C Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
LW Artemi Panarin (Chicago Blackhawks)
D Shayne Gostisbehere (Philadelphia Flyers)
My Winner: McDavid.
Veznia Trophy "Best Goalie"
G Braden Holtby (Washington Capitals)
G Ben Bishop (Tampa Bay Lightning)
G Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings)
My Winner: Holtby.
Frank...
With the draft and free agency soon approaching, Peter Chiarelli has made it clear that the team is looking to improve its back end. More specifically the team is looking for a right shot defenceman. Should Eric Gryba or Mark Fayne be the top 6 guy on the right side next season?
Eric Gryba (28) was acquired from the Ottawa Senators at last years entry level draft in exc...
Looking at what the majority of writers have done in the offseason, they graded their players on the teams they covered. For one, I am not a fan of this because every player tries their best to perform to an A+ performance, but nobody is perfect. It is hard to judge an individual in a team sport. This game isn't the NBA or the NFL or the MLB, where stars dominate games an...
Justin Falk
Falk has been a tweener this year for Columbus. His huge frame causes fear, but he is not that fast. He can shoot and score from the backend, but doesn't do it often.
Grade: C
Cody Goloubef
He was injured half the season, and was also scratched as he was the team's 7th defenseman.
Grade: C-
Jack Johnson
Johnson is a talented defenseman a...
'Twas the night before Draftmas and through the NHL,
Was a group of GM's that were stuck in cap hell;
The scouts prepared all their draft pick selections,
A steal in round 6? Cue the erections;
The fans were crowded around phones and computers,
Hoping to hear their team has acquired a new shooter;
And Oiler fans everywhere were getting the sense,
That this might b...
Sergei Bobrovsky
Early into the season, we saw that he lost his confidence. He rebounded, but sustained long term groin injury. He needs to rebound and have a veznia caliber year next season.
Grade: C-
Anton Forsberg
It's Anton Forsberg. He is horrendous on the NHL level. The AHL, he is a beast.
Grade: D
Joonas Korpisalo
He carried the team duri...
1. Toronto Maple Leafs- Auston Matthews
2. Winnipeg Jets- Patrik Laine
3. Columbus Blue Jackets- Jesse Puljujarvi
4. Edmonton Oilers- Matthew Tkachuk
5. Vancouver Canucks- Oli Juolevi
6. Calgary Flames- Logan Brown
7. Arizona Coyotes- Alex Nylander
8. Buffalo Sabres- Jacob Chychrun
9. Montréal Canadiens- Pierre-Luc Dubois
10. Colorado Avala...
With Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine going one and two respectively, Columbus had the rest of the deck to draft whoever they wanted. The best player available according to many was Jesse Puljujarvi. Jarmo Kekalainen went with his list, which was a major off the grid move to acquire a center.
On his 18th birthday, a life changing move happened to Pierre-Luc Dubois by b...
dizzleskill writes...
leafs future 16/17 , 17/18 playoffs, stamkos? Dman?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
so looking through my blue and white goggles ive come up with a few scenarios that the leafs could take from now to the next season and see if maybe this team could be a playoff team/contender in 1-2 or 3 years down the road.
the most glaring need for this leafs team after the trade and signing of freddy anderson (G) is a top defender to go along side morgan rielly if w...
CBJ Rumor Chart- Offseason
This chart won't be that big but there are rumors and activities out there throughout the entire league. This chart brings those rumors to light in one place, with Blue Jackets guys and who is rumored to come to Columbus.
1. Scott Hartnell (Columbus Blue Jackets)- EDM, LA, OTT, FLA, BOS, STL, MIN, NJD,PIT, NSH
2. Nick Foligno (Columbus B...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Trade Kerby Rychel to TOR for Scott Harrington & Con 5th
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The rumors have finally ended surrounding Kerby Rychel. The former first round pick was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for defenseman Scott Harrington and a conditional fifth round draft choice in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
After years of being buried by young and emerging wingers, Rychel is now in a position to become a top six or top line winger with t...
- Seth Jones and Jacob Trouba are both receiving offer sheet interest from Bruins, Oilers, Leafs and Habs.
- The Minnesota Wild are a team that could be very busy this off-season as they want to add a forward.
- The Edmonton Oilers could make a big splash this week. Yakupov and RNH could be on the move in Edmonton.
- Several Teams are interested in David Perro...
Though the Detroit Red Wings' interest in Steven Stamkos is now well-known, that's not the only upgrade general manager Ken Holland is looking to make this offseason.
The Red Wings are looking to acquire a defenseman via trade, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, and Holland has already had discussions regarding two of the biggest names available.
...
I just want some D.
Is that really so much to ask for? Apparently so. The Oilers have been in need of a top defenceman since Pronger left town. We have seen different attempts at acquiring this defenceman that we so sorely need. There was Whitney, Souray, Visnovsky, Petry, and Gilbert. What did all these players have in common? None of them were top pairing defencemen, mo...
The New York Rangers owned six draft picks in the 2016 Draft, they did not have a pick on the first night of round one. On day two the Rangers lucked out big time and when their pick came up at 81 in the third round they wasted no time selecting Defenseman Sean Day from the OHL Mississauga Steelheads. Day,18 is a two way defender who possesses elite talent but has struggle...
The draft has come and gone. As usual there was plenty of speculation beforehand. Twitter exploded in the days leading up to the draft that the Oilers were pursuing Subban. Shattenkirk's agent stated he expected his client to be gone by the weekend. Once again there was plenty of hype, and once again the Oilers left the draft without a top defenseman.
Having said that, ...
One thing is for sure. July 1st in hockey season and the Rangers go together like peanut butter and jelly. The Rangers have always had a history of striking and landing the big fish on hockey's Christmas, Free Agency day one. This year is different. There is Steven Stamkos, a 26 year old franchise center on the market and he will have no shortage of teams looking to land ...
While most speculated that the Edmonton Oilers would be in on defenseman Jason Demers and left wing Milan Lucic, today we received confirmation that the two were in town meeting with the organization. Meeting and signing are two very different things and there are other teams also courting these guys (Lucic was just in Vancouver). The Oilers do have a bit of an advantage i...
It`s been an interesting year for RFA`s. There are a few curious names that did not receive a qualifying offer.
On the Edmonton side it`s not too surprising who is being released. Gazdic, Cracknell, Lundstrum, and Kessy were not part of the future. I am sad to see Jumanji (Gazdic, because he looks exactly like Robin Williams in Jumanji) go. I heard he was a very positi...
Two highly sought after free agents want to sign in Edmonton? Music! Dealing with the cap issues that will follow? Bad music... like country or something. If the Oilers bring in both Lucic and Demers here is what the team looks like without any other changes. In brackets I've included each players cap hit.
Hall (6) - RNH (6) - Eberle (6)
Lucic (6) - McDavid (3.775) - Y...
It took roughly 5 days for Islanders general manager (buffoon is more like it) garth snow to fail the team and his franchise center in John Tavares. Wednesday June 29th was ruled by a number of trades. Yet none stuck out more for the frustrated Islanders fan base than the trade of now former Edmonton Oilers winger Taylor Hall. The 1st overall pick in the 2010 entry draft w...
I'll tell you, and I won't be very popular with this one but I might actually have an idea of what GMs are thinking while a lot of people are stuck in the "stats la-la land" that focuses mostly on a genuinely useless stat (shots on goal).
It's funny that you want a society to get smarter in an abstract sense, but they sink into abstracts (shots on goal) while veering aw...
The 2016 NHL Draft was filled with interest and intrigue. In my review, I will provide who was selected by Columbus, and will let you, the reader, learn a little more about them. I will also be reviewing the whole draft as well, and letting you guys in on who I think were winners and losers of the draft.
Listed Players Selected
#3- C Pierre-Luc Dubois (Cape Breton...
Welcome to the Columbus version of the rumor chart. This is a very simple way to get fans the latest rumors of players that could head to Columbus. However, this chart will also show other teams that will be interested in players. This chart will also show players rumored to leave Columbus, and teams interested in them as well. The question now becomes who will be moved? W...
Reliving the glory of the dynasty oilers with Gretzky is all we oilers fans can do in present time until the oilers are competitive once again. There is a glimmer of a light at the end of the tunnel now with Connor McDavid in oil town and comparisons being made to Gretzky. While those may be lofty comparisons to the great one, it does give us hope. rnrnGretzky was the grea...
After collectively catching their breath (or exhaling a sigh of relief, depending on the perspective) Leafs Nation prepares for life after Stamkos. (Steven, we hardly knew ye, but it was fun to dream for the last year or two!) Now, the hard-hitting fact that the Shannaplan will go on as scheduled is inevitably sinking in.
The Bay St. Brain-Trust will ...
dizzleskill writes...
The Trade That Almost Changed The Draft And 3 Teams Futures
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
So i was talking to someone with direct knowledge of the situation that there was almost a 3 way trade done on day 1 of the draft just before it began.
They had mentioned that there was a trade in the works that would have sent the 3rd overall pick (clb) to calgary for the 6th overall pick + but that the blue jackets did not want to move to the 6th spot.
Enter the oi...
JosephOchs writes...
B's Offer Sheet For Trouba The Right Idea (At This Juncture)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Sending out an offer sheet for Jacob Trouba has been one of the more polarizing concepts heading into the 2016 edition of NHL Free Agency, due to the steep price as well as possible blowback for exercising a rarely utilized right of NHL execs. Because the Bruins used second and third round picks on Lee Stempniak and JM Liles, the B’s would have to offer Trouba $9.3 milli...
Welcome to the Columbus version of the rumor chart. This is a very simple way to get fans the latest rumors of players that could head to Columbus. However, this chart will also show other teams that will be interested in players. This chart will also show players rumored to leave Columbus, and teams interested in them as well. The question now becomes who will be moved? W...
July 1 came and went, and the Jackets are mostly the same roster, despite heavy rumors of big acquisitions. There were rumors of Frans Nielsen and David Backes (per Rob Mixer), Eric Staal (per Eklund and Kevin Allen), Sam Gagner (per Hockey Press and Eklund), and Jason Demers and Dan Hamhius (per Michael Grosso).
Nielsen, Backes, and Demers took long term deals with lo...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Ex Blue Jackets Signed And Those On The Open Market
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
D Kevin Connuaton (from Arizona to unrestricted free agency)
G Jeremy Smith (from Boston to Colorado)
D Justin Falk (from Columbus to Buffalo)
LW Jerry D'Amigo (from Buffalo to unrestricted free agency)
D James Wisniewski (from Carolina to unrestricted free agency)
RW Tim Jackman (from Chicago to unrestricted free agency)
G Michael Leighton (from Chicag...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Ex Blue Jackets Signed And Those On The Open Market
Posted Monday | Comments 0
D Kevin Connuaton (from Arizona to unrestricted free agency)
G Jeremy Smith (from Boston to Colorado)
D Justin Falk (from Columbus to Buffalo)
LW Jerry D'Amigo (from Buffalo to unrestricted free agency)
D James Wisniewski (from Carolina to unrestricted free agency)
RW Tim Jackman (from Chicago to unrestricted free agency)
G Michael Leighton (from Chicago ...
Taylor Hall
I’ve had made my peace now with the trade. On our podcast http://soundcloud.com/downtownhockey/episode-12 I finally, after almost a week got it off my chest. I think it’s time now to reflect.
For me Taylor Hall was the first truly talented player I witnessed develop. I am too young to remember the years of Gretzky, Messier, etc. I remember Doug Weigh...
I don't like the Adam Larsson trade. Almost everything I've read or heard talks about how this is a trade the Oilers lost badly and that everyone in New Jersey is laughing at us. While I don't want to sit here and talk about how everything is going to be fine in Oil Country I thought I would try and provide a different spin than many hear have read.
Who is Adam Larsson?...
While there will undoubtedly be fireworks this Fourth of July, they most likely won't come in the form that most Bruins fans would hope. Though Don Sweeney was busy on day one of free agency with the five-year, $30 million contract offered to David Backes (as well as depth signings Riley Nash, John Michael Liles, and Tim Schaller), he has yet to address the Bruins most gla...
RealNHLCritic writes...
Judging the controversial offseason moves by the Leafs
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Many Toronto Maple Leaf fans have flocked to the internet to voice their displeasure with the moves that have been made this offseason, which includes many pondering draft decisions as well. With so many fans losing faith in well-seasoned GM Lou Lamoriello, I’ve decided to breakdown the moves and shed light on it from a more well-rounded view which combines analytics as ...
Kris Russell, the probably number 2 UFA (Because Stamkos Re-Signed), [i]Still[/i] hasn't signed. why? probably number 1 (Okposo) has, but why not Russell?
Who Knows?
From the beloved Saku Koivu to the often detested Alex Kovalev, star players in Montreal have always received just a little extra love or hate from fans and media not only in the city itself, but across the league. When a team is as polarizing as the Canadiens, their biggest players are either praised or loathed equally.
Which brings us to PK Subban. As immense a pers...
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...
With the Ducks D Corps full to the brim with excellent NHL defensemen as well as great D prospects coming through the ranks, they can afford to let a stud like Hampus Lindholm go for the right price. I think the Leafs have the assets to make this trade happen! I love JVR but he is in his prime right now and can help a club like the Ducks who are in dire need of big and t...
What if we don’t get a Right Handed Power Play specialist?
There is a very real possibility right now that the Oilers will not be adding any other major pieces. The Oilers are currently sitting at 46 of 50 contracts. Generally you want to leave yourself some flexibility for future moves. So what happens when this is the roster we go into the season with?
I’m pure...
The Columbus Blue Jackets have made their biggest free agent acquisition in the month of August. While the news broke over the weekend of a deal being finalized, the Jackets have signed center iceman Sam Gagner. His cap hit is $650K. Wow.
Gagner was a former first round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. After management changes, the Oilers flippe...
The Columbus Blue Jackets have made their biggest free agent acquisition in the month of August. While the news broke over the weekend of a deal being finalized, the Jackets have signed center iceman Sam Gagner. His cap hit is $650K. Wow.
Gagner was a former first round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. After management changes, the Oilers flippe...
During free agency, the headlines are always dominated by the big name signings. Milan Lucic heading to Edmonton, Kyle Okposo going to the Sabres, Andrew Ladd signing with the Islanders. And while these types of signings usually have a big impact on the teams that they sign with, the smaller, low-key signings can be just as important. While Brett Connolly is no Lucic or Ok...
Trade-able Assets of Value. That is what this blog will be about. Please read on, it'll be worth it.
Okay. August is lame for us hockey fans(not me, I'm reffing AAA and Junior B tryouts). Every A-hole with a typewriter is forced to talk about a college UFA who may or may not become an NHL player that is better than a replaceable 3rd or 4th liner. If said player is ...
After one of the most successful regular seasons in franchise history, the Washington Capitals have a chance to repeat that same performance this season. Unlike most contending teams, the Capitals were able to retain almost every important roster player, with the biggest lose being letting Jason Chimera leave via free agency. But even with Chimera on the Islanders’ roste...
Top Current NHL Players (My opinion)
1 Ovechkin
2 McDavid
3 Doughty
4/5 Seguin
4/5 Kopitar
6 Tavares
Washington Capitals defender Karl Alzner is recovering from the sports hernia and groin injury he suffered from during the NHL playoffs this season. He got hurt during Game 6 in the second round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins but had slightly felt the injury for over a year.
"What happens typically, from my understanding, is you get some sort of instability in y...
This is another huge blog of mine, similar to the one I did at the draft. This blog will discuss the winners and losers of the free agency period, wrapping around who signed where and who was traded where.
What each time has done:
Anaheim Ducks
After an early first round exit from the playoffs, they let go of a slew of veteran forwards with salary in Brandon Pi...
The Eye of the Storm is almost upon us Caniac Nation. Next month we will be watching our future phenom, Sebastian Aho compete in the World Cup. Shortly after, our boys will be back in Raleigh, ready to turn the tide after 7 long years. Gone will be our former Captain, Eric Staal, Malone, Nash and Gerbe. Arriving will be new faces; Stempniak, Teravainen, Stalberg and Bickel...
With rumors swirling since the trade deadline, and the need for top six forwards around the league, the rumors of Scott Hartnell being traded are back for Columbus.
According to The Hockey Press, there were discussions between the Blue Jackets and the Senators involving his services. THP further discovered a potential deal may have involved Matt Pumpel (former 2011 1st...
With rumors swirling since the trade deadline, and the need for top six forwards around the league, the rumors of Scott Hartnell being traded are back for Columbus.
According to The Hockey Press, there were discussions between the Blue Jackets and the Senators involving his services. THP further discovered a potential deal may have involved Matt Pumpel (former 2011 1st...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Interested in Youth??? Or in a State of Unknown???
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Coming from Springfield, Massachusetts, the home of the former Blue Jackets affiliate, the Springfield Falcons.
According to multiple outlets, the Columbus Blue Jackets have expressed interest in the services of winger Jimmy Vessey, the highly sought after collegiate free agent. Vessey was a former draft pick of the Nashville Predators, and was flipped to the Buffalo S...
So where does hurler sign? he's still unsigned, and so's russell. two former flames who got traded at the deadline. but everyone's talking about Russell, so i will ask, where does hurler sign?
I think maybe Montreal.
mochoson writes...
Mock Expansion Part 1: 4th line, Depth Forwards, & Goalies
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
We still have an entire NHL season to play before next summer’s coming expansion draft. Unfortunately, we also still have quite a few weeks until even the World Cup preliminaries begin, let alone NHL hockey. At this point, you’ve more than likely read at least a handful of mock expansion drafts already. Well, guess what? Here’s another. Yes, I realize NHL rosters are...
The Calgary Flames Signed Sean Monahan To A 6 Year Contract For Way Too Much Money!
Sean Monahan re-signing i think is a great move by the flames. he is a great player, but Gaudreau is still unsigned ... but he'll sign, and what's so exciting about an RFA contract? we knew he would re-sign, so it's nothing. it's not really big news at all. we all knew he would sign, and...
What would you name the Las Vegas team? i like the idea of the Las Vegas ... really, i have no idea, but does anyone else have any idea of what the name would be? there is some pretty good possibilities. i'm not a big fan of the hawks or (k)nights idea, as is the something(k)nights or somethinghawks. not actually the word something, but something before knights/nights or h...
Well now that the Vesey sweepstakes are over and the B's didn't land the much sought after college free agent a lot of Bruins fans are wondering "what now?"
They lost Loui Eriksson to Vancouver, they didn't directly address the need on right wing by signing someone like Kyle Okposo. They brought in Backes but is he going to play center or right wing?
The good news ...
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...
You can rank them from 1 to 5 for who is more of a hockey fan. you may not vote for yourself, but you can vote. if you are one of these 5 posters on hockeybuzz.com, you can vote for the other 4 in order. each person can only vote once, and anyone other than me can vote.
The winner's prize is the fact that they are more of a hockey fan than the others, and this is how it...
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...
In a recent article written by The Hockey News, Sean McInode, or known on Twitter as @DownGoesBrown, wrote an article about five "ridiculous" trades that almost happened.
The one trade that was Columbus central was former first round pick Gilbert Brule to be flipped to the Vancouver Canucks for Cory Schneider.
Imagine Cory Schneider as the number one goalie in Colu...
Pronman has a new article ranking pipelines. Yesterday I had a link showing his rankings, but I can't find it now. Mine is different since I don't care if people have graduated to the NHL, I just collectively rank their last 5 drafts. I pretty much order the teams by the number of players under 20th highest ranked in their year, you'll likely want to move the teams that h...
09/02/2016
Hockey, Hockey, Hockey. I waste a lot of my life reading hockey articles, following hockey writers and researching hockey players. I’m at the point where I’ve decided to put my thoughts down on paper, even if they are just for me. I have always enjoyed writing, but could very well find out in a hurry that I am quite lousy at this blogging thing. Turnin...
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...
As the World Cup of Hockey slowly approaches, the Blue Jackets have been a busy team under the radar.
With the loss of Jared Bednar to the Colorado Avalanche organization, the Jackets named John Madden the head coach of the Cleveland Monsters. Madden is a NHL veteran from the New Jersey Devils and Minnesota Wild; and spent last season as an assistant coach for the Flor...
The United States defeat Canada in Nationwide Arena in the first preliminary games of the tournament. The final score was 4-2.
Zach Parise, Team USA and Minnesota Wild alternate captain, score the first goal of the game. (1-0)
Patrick Kane, the reigning Hart Trophy winner of the Chicago Blackhawks, made it 2-0.
Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins scored the f...
CanesTR writes...
Carolina Hurricanes – NHL Prospect Tournament 2016 Preview
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
As the Carolina Hurricanes approach the 2016-17 season, there are still a number of questions unanswered regarding the upcoming season. It is expected to be a spirited training camp with some key positions up for grabs. With that in mind, the upcoming NHL Prospect Tournament in Traverse City, September 16-20, will be a major opportunity for some of the exciting new talent ...
Ottawa Senators: - Pierre Dorion
No offence to Bryan Murray but his time was long overdue he did good for what he could but last couple years showed that the Senators needed a fresh face. Enter Dorion and at the moment we cannot say much about Dorion as he hasn't done much other than the coaching hire. I totally disagree with Murray's comments on Cameron as Cameron could...
Zak MacMillan writes...
WCH: Is Tortorella the 2016 Version of Herb Brooks?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With the preliminary matchups wrapping up in the World Cup of Hockey, not much has been discussed about Team USA besides head coach John Tortorella and his methods.
First, he asked a question in regards to an issue that occurred in another sport- about the controversy of the National Anthem. His response- he "would bench anyone who sits during the anthem." This call fo...
The Columbus Blue Jackets' best prospects will travel to Traverse City, Michigan to compete in a tournament against other teams' prospects. There are eight teams in the tournament including Columbus- Minnesota; Detroit; Carolina; New York Rangers; St. Louis; Chicago; and Dallas.
The tournament starts on Septetmber 16th and wraps up September 20, and features three of C...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ: Which Ex-Oiler Has A Shot of Making the Jackets
Posted Friday | Comments 0
With training camp coming out soon, the Jackets have signed three players to professional tryout offers, and all three are former Edmonton Oilers.
C Jarrett Stoll
D Marc- Andre Bergeron
RW Mike Brown
Stoll is a veteran center that can also play the wing. He has played with Edmonton; Los Angeles; New York Rangers; and Minnesota in his career. He won two ...
The official start to the tournament starts today and goes until October 1, but nothing gets a conversation going like an opinion. So let's start.
Division One
United States of America
Canada
Czech Republic
Europe
Division Two
Sweden
Russia
Finland
North America
Canada and USA will advance. The Czech and Europe are two of the weaker t...
The official start to the tournament starts today and goes until October 1, but nothing gets a conversation going like an opinion. So let's start.
Division One
United States of America
Canada
Czech Republic
Europe
Division Two
Sweden
Russia
Finland
North America
Canada and USA will advance. The Czech and Europe are two of the weaker t...
shawzy_111 writes...
How Russia Exploited Team North America's Exuberance
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
In the midst of seeing countless replays of the McDavid-Matthews connection against Team Russia yesterday, I came to the realization that there is something rather essential lacking in mainstream hockey coverage in this day and age.This missing ingredient is actual tactical analysis of how one team breaks down the other or stifles the opposition offence. At best we see a b...
World Cup of Hockey
The semifinals are starting soon for the World Cup, and Group A features Canada against Europe. Group B features Sweden and Russia, which means the only Blue Jacket remaining in the tournament is Sergei Bobrovsky. The players from Team North America and Team USA are expected to be home by the weekend.
Traverse City
The Blue Jackets could n...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ: Who to Watch; Who Could Make It; And Preseason Action!!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
With training camps officially opening up all across the league, and with the World Cup of Hockey in the semifinals, this creates an interesting scenario in Columbus.
With the USA and North America guys in question of coming straight into camp or taking a couple days off, this gives the youth movement in Columbus more time to impress, besides the Traverse City Tourname...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ: Who to Watch; Who Could Make It; And Preseason Action!!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
With training camps officially opening up all across the league, and with the World Cup of Hockey in the semifinals, this creates an interesting scenario in Columbus.
With the USA and North America guys in question of coming straight into camp or taking a couple days off, this gives the youth movement in Columbus more time to impress, besides the Traverse City Tourname...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Split-Squad: Columbus Blue Jackets v. St. Louis Blues
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Preseason hockey has arrived to the hockey world. For the Blue Jackets, they play a split squad matchup against the St. Louis Blues.
Since it's the first games, I will let you guys know who the Blues added, lost, and who is on PTOs before getting into the lineups, so you guys know whose there.
The Blues lost veteran players in Steve Ott (DET); Troy Brouwer (CGY); A...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Pre Season No. 3- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Boston Bruins
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Another game tonight for the Jackets as they travel to Beantown to take on the Boston Bruins. Because of the World Cup, the Bruins are without three of their top players in Brad Marchand; Patrice Bergeron; and captain Zdeno Chara.
Speaking of Marchand, he agreed to an eight year contact extension with the Bruins, $49 million total. For scoring over 30 goals last season...
Last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Boston Bruins by the final score of 3-2 in a shootout victory.
After a scoreless first period, Sonny Milano netted the first goal of the game on the power play in the second period. Because of no video editing, the play could not be reviewed, and the call was cut close as Milano celebrated first prior to the arrival of...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Pre-Season Game #4: Blue Jackets @ Nashville Predators
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Tonight, the Blue Jackets welcome the Nashville Predators in a highly anticipated game for the Jackets. Tonight is the preseason debut for Zach Werenski; Jack Johnson; and Brandon Dubinsky.
The Jackets are 1-2-0, only beating the Bruins, and losing to the Blues twice, so they are looking to get back to 0.500 hockey.
The Predators have changed their bottom six to pr...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Pre-Season Game #4: Blue Jackets @ Nashville Predators
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Tonight, the Blue Jackets welcome the Nashville Predators in a highly anticipated game for the Jackets. Tonight is the preseason debut for Zach Werenski; Jack Johnson; and Brandon Dubinsky.
The Jackets are 1-2-0, only beating the Bruins, and losing to the Blues twice, so they are looking to get back to 0.500 hockey.
The Predators have changed their bottom six to pr...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Pre-Season Game #4: Blue Jackets @ Nashville Predators
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Tonight, the Blue Jackets welcome the Nashville Predators in a highly anticipated game for the Jackets. Tonight is the preseason debut for Zach Werenski; Jack Johnson; and Brandon Dubinsky.
The Jackets are 1-2-0, only beating the Bruins, and losing to the Blues twice, so they are looking to get back to 0.500 hockey.
The Predators have changed their bottom six to pr...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- The Roster Cuts: Who Got Cut, and Where They Go
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
In the span of 24 hours, there have been plenty of cuts.
On Wednesday September 28, the Jackets cut the seven players, and announced the injuries to two of the team's top prospects-
1. Vitaily Abramov --> QMJHL
2. Sam Ruopp --> WHL
3. Kole Sherwood --> OHL
4. Calvin Thurkauf --> WHL
5. Francis Beauvillier --> UFA
6. Jeremy Brouder --> UFA
7. Stephen Gibson -->...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Preseason Game No. 4: Overtime Overpowers
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets have come back to defeat the Nashville Predators by a final score of 3-2 in overtime.
The Predators got both their goals last night from defensemen, continuing to prove that's their strongest suit. In the midst of the second period, defenseman Anthony Bitetto got a power play marker with assist from Matt Carle and Pontus Aberg. In the early s...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Preseason Game No. 4: Overtime Overpowers
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets have come back to defeat the Nashville Predators by a final score of 3-2 in overtime.
The Predators got both their goals last night from defensemen, continuing to prove that's their strongest suit. In the midst of the second period, defenseman Anthony Bitetto got a power play marker with assist from Matt Carle and Pontus Aberg. In the early s...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ P5: Columbus Blue Jackets v. Pittsburgh Penguins
Posted Monday | Comments 0
A thrilling Metropolitan Division matchup is coming to Columbus tonight where the Blue Jackets take on the defending Stanley Cup Champions- the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins' offseason was short and busy, but not with much activity. The Penguins lost defenseman Ben Lovejoy (NJ) and goalie Jeff Zatkoff (LA) to free agency; and traded winger Beau Bennett to the Devil...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ P5: Columbus Blue Jackets v. Pittsburgh Penguins
Posted Monday | Comments 0
A thrilling Metropolitan Division matchup is coming to Columbus tonight where the Blue Jackets take on the defending Stanley Cup Champions- the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins' offseason was short and busy, but not with much activity. The Penguins lost defenseman Ben Lovejoy (NJ) and goalie Jeff Zatkoff (LA) to free agency; and traded winger Beau Bennett to the Devil...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ P6: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Nashville Predators
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Jackets travel south to Tennessee to take on the Predators in the Bridgestone Arena.
Here are the projected rosters:
Nashville Predators
Colton Sissons
Mike Fisher
Craig Smith
James Neal
Calle Jarnkrok
Mikka Salomaki
Fredrick Gaudreau
Viktor Arvidsson
Vlaidslav Kamenev
Austin Watson
Kevin Fiala
Ryan Johansen
Anthony Bitetto
Yannick Weber...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ P6: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Nashville Predators
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Jackets travel south to Tennessee to take on the Predators in the Bridgestone Arena.
Here are the projected rosters:
Nashville Predators
Colton Sissons
Mike Fisher
Craig Smith
James Neal
Calle Jarnkrok
Mikka Salomaki
Fredrick Gaudreau
Viktor Arvidsson
Vlaidslav Kamenev
Austin Watson
Kevin Fiala
Ryan Johansen
Anthony Bitetto
Yannick Weber...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ P6: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Nashville Predators
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Jackets travel south to Tennessee to take on the Predators in the Bridgestone Arena.
Here are the projected rosters:
Nashville Predators
Colton Sissons
Mike Fisher
Craig Smith
James Neal
Calle Jarnkrok
Mikka Salomaki
Fredrick Gaudreau
Viktor Arvidsson
Vlaidslav Kamenev
Austin Watson
Kevin Fiala
Ryan Johansen
Anthony Bitetto
Yannick Weber...
In the span of 24 hours, there have been plenty of cuts.
On Wednesday September 28, the Jackets cut the seven players, and announced the injuries to two of the team's top prospects-
1. Vitaily Abramov --> QMJHL
2. Sam Ruopp --> WHL
3. Kole Sherwood --> OHL
4. Calvin Thurkauf --> WHL
5. Francis Beauvillier --> UFA
6. Jeremy Brouder --> UFA
7. Stephen Gibson -...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Postgame No. 6: Overtime Continues Successful Preseason
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Nashville Predators by a final score of 3-2 in overtime.
The Predators had goals both goals in the second half of the game. Their first goal came from newcomer P.K. Subban; the shorthanded tally was assisted by winger Kevin Fiala. The third period goal came from winger Victor Arvidsson; this goal was assisted by defens...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Postgame No. 6: Overtime Continues Successful Preseason
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Nashville Predators by a final score of 3-2 in overtime.
The Predators had goals both goals in the second half of the game. Their first goal came from newcomer P.K. Subban; the shorthanded tally was assisted by winger Kevin Fiala. The third period goal came from winger Victor Arvidsson; this goal was assisted by defens...
In the span of 24 hours, there have been plenty of cuts.
On Wednesday September 28, the Jackets cut the seven players, and announced the injuries to two of the team's top prospects-
1. Vitaily Abramov --> QMJHL
2. Sam Ruopp --> WHL
3. Kole Sherwood --> OHL
4. Calvin Thurkauf --> WHL
5. Francis Beauvillier --> UFA
6. Jeremy Brouder --> UFA
7. Stephen Gibson -->...
It's another preseason matchup between what I feel are potential rivals. But the matchup is in Nationwide Arena tonight as there teams are figuring out their final rosters. Here are the lineups/rosters for tonight.
Boston Bruins
Jake DeBrusk—Riley Nash—Seth Griffith
Matt Belesky —Auston Czarnik—Danton Heinen
Sean Kuraly—Dominic Moore—Jimmy Hayes
Tim...
It's another preseason matchup between what I feel are potential rivals. But the matchup is in Nationwide Arena tonight as there teams are figuring out their final rosters. Here are the lineups/rosters for tonight.
Boston Bruins
Jake DeBrusk—Riley Nash—Seth Griffith
Matt Belesky —Auston Czarnik—Danton Heinen
Sean Kuraly—Dominic Moore—Jimmy Hayes
Tim...
It's another preseason matchup between what I feel are potential rivals. But the matchup is in Nationwide Arena tonight as there teams are figuring out their final rosters. Here are the lineups/rosters for tonight.
Boston Bruins
Jake DeBrusk—Riley Nash—Seth Griffith
Matt Belesky —Auston Czarnik—Danton Heinen
Sean Kuraly—Dominic Moore—Jimmy Hayes
Tim S...
It's another preseason matchup between what I feel are potential rivals. But the matchup is in Nationwide Arena tonight as there teams are figuring out their final rosters. Here are the lineups/rosters for tonight.
Boston Bruins
Jake DeBrusk—Riley Nash—Seth Griffith
Matt Belesky —Auston Czarnik—Danton Heinen
Sean Kuraly—Dominic Moore—Jimmy Hayes
Tim S...
For many Oiler fans this was the year we had been looking forward to. There are many things that provided optimism. The second year of a management team is enough to give hope. Players often siting the different coaching styles as a hurdle. The Oilers young prospects showed signs of improving and this year, if healthy, there is no reason to not expect vast improvement ...
On Thursday, The Columbus Blue Jackets were defeated by the Boston Bruins by the final score of 2-1 in regulation.
The Bruins got a first period goal from winger Matt Belesky. The goal was assisted by defensemen Colin Miller and Christian Ehrhoff. The third period goal came winger Seth Griffith; defenseman Ryan O'Gara and winger Jake DeBrusk had the assists.
The on...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ P8: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Pittsburgh Penguins
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The preseason finale for the Columbus Blue Jackets is an afternoon matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the PPG Paints Arena.
Fresh off their appearance at the White House, the Penguins will see Sidney Crosby and Carl Haglein have their preseason debuts.
Both teams are using what they project to be their regular season lineups in this finale to get their best...
With all the players retiring this past week, I will go through who has left the game. The four players in age vary in age from the youthful age of 26 to the veteran of 39. Two were first round picks; one was undrafted. Two were forwards; two were defensemen.
Cody Hodgson announced his retirement from hockey to join the youth development and fan development programs in...
Over the weekend, the Edmonton Oilers have traded former a number one overall pick in exchange for a minor league prospect and a conditional draft pick, continue the question of what is going on in Edmonton.
Sticking with what recently happened, Russian winger Nail Yaukpov has been dealt to the St. Louis in exchange for center Zach Poricho and a conditional 2017 3rd ro...
According to the Hockey Press, the Boston Bruins could be interested in acquiring defenseman David Savard. Savard was a former late round draft pick of the Blue Jackets in 2009. Going back to junior, he won the WHL Defenseman of the year. Savard came up in the Blue Jackets organization by going through the old AHL farm club with the Springfield Falcons, so he has a bit of ...
Last night at 5pm, the 30 teams around the league announced their opening night rosters after weeks of training camps, preseason matchups, and competitive World Cup of Hockey.
The Blue Jackets have some guys that I did not expect to make the opening night rosters, including Lukas Sedlak; Markus Nutivaara; and Scott Harrington; however, they sent Gregory Campbell to t...
Last night at 5pm, the 30 teams around the league announced their opening night rosters after weeks of training camps, preseason matchups, and competitive World Cup of Hockey.
The Blue Jackets have some guys that I did not expect to make the opening night rosters, including Lukas Sedlak; Markus Nutivaara; and Scott Harrington; however, they sent Gregory Campbell to t...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 1: Columbus Blue Jackets v. Boston Bruins
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The regular season is here. For the Blue Jackets, their first game is tonight and they battle the Boston Bruins, a familiar foe as they have been playing each other in the preseason.
With both rosters finalized, the Bruins have some injuries to some key players in contrast to Columbus. The Bruins will be without center Patrice Bergeron; and defensemen Adam McQuaid and ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL: Predicting Standings- Who Makes and Misses Playoffs
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Pacific Division
1. Anahiem Ducks
2. Los Angeles Kings
3. San Jose Sharks
4. Arizona Coyotes
5. Calgary Flames
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Vancouver Canucks
Central Division
1. Dallas Stars
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Nashville Predators
4. St. Louis Blues (X)
5. Minnesota Wild (X)
6. Winnipeg Jets
7. Colorado Avalanche
Atlantic Division
1. Tampa B...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL: Predicting Standings- Who Makes and Misses Playoffs
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Pacific Division
1. Anahiem Ducks
2. Los Angeles Kings
3. San Jose Sharks
4. Arizona Coyotes
5. Calgary Flames
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Vancouver Canucks
Central Division
1. Dallas Stars
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Nashville Predators
4. St. Louis Blues (X)
5. Minnesota Wild (X)
6. Winnipeg Jets
7. Colorado Avalanche
Atlantic Division
1. Tampa B...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 1: Underrated Rivalry; Comeback Loss
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets suffered a loss in their home opener to the Boston Bruins, being doubled up by the final score of 6-3.
The Bruins' top line was superior as they had all six goals for their squad.
David Pasternak opened the scoring for his team in the second period, with Brad Marchand getting the lone assist; and scoring on the empty netter in the final mi...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 1: Underrated Rivalry; Comeback Loss
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets suffered a loss in their home opener to the Boston Bruins, being doubled up by the final score of 6-3.
The Bruins' top line was superior as they had all six goals for their squad.
David Pasternak opened the scoring for his team in the second period, with Brad Marchand getting the lone assist; and scoring on the empty netter in the final mi...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 2: Columbus Blue Jackets v. San Jose Sharks
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The second game of the season is at home for the Blue Jackets tonight where they take on the defending Western Conference Champions- the San Jose Sharks.
The Sharks were really impressive last season make it so far to the Stanley Cup Finals, being two games short of their first ever Stanley Cup. Over the course of the offseason, the Sharks made a few changes, adding to...
The San Jose Sharks downed the Columbus Blue Jackets by the final score of 3-2 in regulation.
The Sharks got two goals in the first period to make Columbus come back and battle later on in the game. Mikkel Boedker got his first goal as a Shark; Logan Couture and Brenden Dillon had the assists. Later on in the period, Joel Ward netted his first of the season. Brent Bu...
The situation between veteran center Gregory Campbell and the Columbus Blue Jackets has gone very sour, and the league had remained very quiet about it.
Gregory Campbell, an NHL veteran, has had a bottom six role with the Florida Panthers and the Boston Bruins, including winning a Stanley Cup, prior to joining Columbus.
This year, Campbell did not make the Blue Jac...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Notes from Around the League and the World
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
One week into the regular season, and the league has enjoyed excitement from all 30 teams. Since I mainly cover the Blue Jackets, this team will discuss one of those 30 teams.
Cleveland Monsters
The Lake Erie Monsters won their first two games of the season against the Rockford Ice Hogs, the affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. The Monsters saw production from for...
In a recently written article by "Down Goes Brown" on The Hockey News, Sean McInode writes who are five general managers besides Chuck Fletcher of the Minnesota Wild to be on the hot seat.
The very first one he mentions is Jarmo Kekalainen, stating: (via THN)
"On the one hand, you could argue that Kekalainen hasn't been given enough time in Columbus....
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 3- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Chicago Blackhawks
Posted Friday | Comments 0
After five days away from game competition, the Blue Jackets return to the United Center to take on the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks last year were an experienced team that picked up players at the deadline, and because of the cap, had to change up their roster. The Hawks let Andrew Ladd (NYI); Dale Weise (PHI); Matt Fraser (EU); and Drew MacIntyre (EU). They als...
Edmonton Oilers - Tale of two cities
- This team started as a team you question defensively as against Calgary they should have lost. Then you have the drubbing against the injury riddled Sabres. Looking bleak and the team tightens up and wins two fairly sound games. Also if this team does well I would like to point out it isn't Chiarelli, its him finding haystack and...
The Oilers are off to an impressive start. It is not really a surprise that McDavid and Eberle are leading the team in points. I think a lot of players are playing the way we expected. Strong start for Draisatl, Lucic and a bunch of players that really aren't surprising as the Oilers do have quality guys on their roster.
The Defense have been... underwhelming as a wh...
The Oilers are off to an impressive start. It is not really a surprise that McDavid and Eberle are leading the team in points. I think a lot of players are playing the way we expected. Strong start for Draisatl, Lucic and a bunch of players that really aren't surprising as the Oilers do have quality guys on their roster.
The Defense have been... underwhelming as a wh...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Weekend of Wins; California Trip for Game Number Five
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I'll do a quick wrapping of the weekend that I should've done but events came up. On Friday night, the Blue Jackets defeated the Blackhawks; and on Saturday, the Jackets beat the Stars.
The final score of the Blackhawks game was 3-2 for Columbus. The Jackets got goals from Zach Werenski; captain Nick Foligno; and Wild Bill. The Hawks got goals Tyler Motte and Richard...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Weekend of Wins; California Trip for Game Number Five
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I'll do a quick wrapping of the weekend that I should've done but events came up. On Friday night, the Blue Jackets defeated the Blackhawks; and on Saturday, the Jackets beat the Stars.
The final score of the Blackhawks game was 3-2 for Columbus. The Jackets got goals from Zach Werenski; captain Nick Foligno; and Wild Bill. The Hawks got goals Tyler Motte and Richard...
The Columbus Blue Jackets were defeated by the Los Angeles Kings by the final score of 3-2 in overtime.
The comeback Kings got their goal from in the second period new captain Anze Kopitar; his second goal of the season was assisted by veteran defenseman Tom Gilbert and young winger Tyler Toffoli. The game tying goal was scored by reigning Norris Trophy winner Drew Dou...
Let's take a look at a few stats to start your day feeling warm and fuzzy.
Last year it wasn't until January 2nd that Cam Talbot had 6 wins.
Edmonton's 4th win against the Western Conference last year came on March 16th.
The first 7 games last year Edmonton's Defense had 6 points this year they have 13.
And the most important stat of all the Oilers have gone from l...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 6: Columbus Blue Jackets @ San Jose Sharks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The final game of the season (Already) is happening tonight between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the San Jose Sharks, in the midst of their California trip.
The Jackets are looking to rebound after a rough loss to the weaker Los Angeles Kings against the defending Western Conference Champions.
The Sharks will look to get on top of the Pacific Division with a win, ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 6- Power Outage; Sharks bite Blue Jackets
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The San Jose Sharks defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 3-1.
The scoring started with early with Finnish winger Joonas Donskoi. The breakout from the playoffs netted his first goal of the season on the power play; the lone assist came from ex Devil and Coyote defenseman David Schlemko. In the final period, the Sharks got two goals from center Tomas H...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 7: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Anaheim Ducks
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The final game of the California trip takes place in Orange County for the first meeting of the season to take on the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
The Ducks have had quite the offseason after being pushed out of the playoffs in the final game of the first round against the Nashville Predators. They've fired head coach Bruce Broudreau and hired Randy Carlyle. They traded F...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 7- Strong Start Leads to Shutout; CBJ Win
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets have blanked the Anaheim Ducks by the final score of 4-0.
All the Jackets goals came in the first period, to the surprise of many, including me. All four were scored by two players.
The first two goals were scored 21 seconds apart. Sam Gagner scored his first goal was a Blue Jacket; Scott Hartnell and Lukas Sedlak had the assists. The seco...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 7- Strong Start Leads to Shutout; CBJ Win
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets have blanked the Anaheim Ducks by the final score of 4-0.
All the Jackets goals came in the first period, to the surprise of many, including me. All four were scored by two players.
The first two goals were scored 21 seconds apart. Sam Gagner scored his first goal was a Blue Jacket; Scott Hartnell and Lukas Sedlak had the assists. The seco...
[b][b]
Match-up – Philadelphia Flyers (3-5-1 )@ Carolina Hurricanes (2-3-1)
Road/Home records – 1-2-1 -------------------- 1-0-0
TV –TCN, FSCR
Puck drop - 8:00 PM ET
Season series - 1-0 Philadelphia; 6-3 in Philadelphia on October 22nd
Projected starting goalies –Mason/Neuvirth (PHI) –Unconfirmed v. Cam Ward (CAR) – Confirmed
Goals for/against per gam...
After Crosby made his seasonal debut, I wanted to see if it was a legitimate possability for him to win the Art Ross this year and started doing some research. 1st I looked at ppg under Mike Sullivan last year. He scored 66 points in 52 games. (1.27 ppg). I then took that number and and multiplied it over the remaining 73 games (93 pts) and added the 5 he has now. That...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 8- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Dallas Stars
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Happy November everyone. A 0.500 October brings to a fresh start a new month of hockey as the Jackets take on the injury riddled Dallas Stars. The two teams played a couple weeks ago, and the final score of was a 3-0 shutout for the Jackets. Josh Anderson; Scott Hartnell; and Matt Calvert had the goals.
The Stars have the most injury crippled roster in the entire leagu...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 8- Up and Down, Jackets Get Extra Point
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets have defeated the Dallas Stars by the final score of 3-2 in overtime. With the Jackets back in the eastern time zone, life is easier for me to watch the games to being everyone a better coverage of the game.
The first period was quiet on the scoreboard, but the shot count was eye popping. The Stars put 18 shots on the net, giving Bobrovsky the...
The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent four players to the minors in the last week- winger Sonny Milano; defenseman Cody Goloubef; defenseman John Ramage; and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo.
The Cleveland Monsters are a young successful team getting back better pieces, which is good news for rookie coach John Madden.
The Monsters offense is better now with Milano and Oli...
The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent four players to the minors in the last week- winger Sonny Milano; defenseman Cody Goloubef; defenseman John Ramage; and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo.
The Cleveland Monsters are a young successful team getting back better pieces, which is good news for rookie coach John Madden.
The Monsters offense is better now with Milano and Oli...
The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent four players to the minors in the last week- winger Sonny Milano; defenseman Cody Goloubef; defenseman John Ramage; and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo.
The Cleveland Monsters are a young successful team getting back better pieces, which is good news for rookie coach John Madden.
The Monsters offense is better now with Milano and Oli...
The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent four players to the minors in the last week- winger Sonny Milano; defenseman Cody Goloubef; defenseman John Ramage; and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo.
The Cleveland Monsters are a young successful team getting back better pieces, which is good news for rookie coach John Madden.
The Monsters offense is better now with Milano and Oli...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 9- Columbus Blue Jackets v Montreal Canadiens
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Bienvenue au Columbus. Ce soir, le au Columbus fait un match de hockey avec des Canadiens aux Montréal.
Tonight is the first meeting of the season, and as I usually do, I look over the offseason changes of the opposing team before any further breakdown. After the collapse of Carey Price, the Habs had an extremely subpar season, and drafted low as a result, making vas...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No 9- Double Digit Domination; 10-0 Win v Habs
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Je suis désolé Montréal, mais zut! 10 à 0. Finale.
The Montreal Canadiens, the league's best team was utterly dominated and destroyed and blanked by the Columbus Blue Jackets by the final score of 10-0.
Let's get through the goals in order since there is only one team to talk about on the score sheet.
The first goal of the game was one of four scored on t...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No 10- Columbus Blue Jackets @ St. Louis Blues
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets are at the Scottrade Center to battle the St. Louis Blues. Both teams are in different spectrums of direction. The Jackets have won their last three; the Blues lost their last two. The Jackets are also on the end of a back to back series, where the Blues are starting.
The Blues and Blue Jackets played in the preseason under split squad circums...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 10- Blue Jackets Get the Blues; OT Loss
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
"Holy jumping" as what Darren Pang would say. In St. Louis last night, the Blue Jackets suffered a 2-1 overtime defeat.
The Blues honored defenseman Jay Bowmeester for playing 1,000 NHL regular season games, and scored the team's first goal of the game, which was his first of the season. The only player with an assist on the goal was former Blue Jacket Scottie Upshall...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Seth Jones on IR with a Fractured Right Foot
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that defenseman Seth Jones will be out for three weeks a hairline fracture in his foot.
The injury came in the game Saturday night against the St. Louis Blues. Per Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch:
"#CBJ D Seth Jones out three weeks w a hairline fracture in a foot."
"#CBJ Seth Jones said a tie-up in front of the ne...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Seth Jones on IR with a Fractured Right Foot
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that defenseman Seth Jones will be out for three weeks a hairline fracture in his foot.
The injury came in the game Saturday night against the St. Louis Blues. Per Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch:
"#CBJ D Seth Jones out three weeks w a hairline fracture in a foot."
"#CBJ Seth Jones said a tie-up in front of the ne...
CBJ- Can the Offense Keep Up?
Looking at the current goal differential and stats of some of the Blue Jackets players, can the offensive production that they have keep up throughout the entire 82 game schedule?
Starting with the overall goal differential, the Jackets are currently a plus +11 and are a currently a non-playoff team.
Does that stat fade true to the ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 11- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Anaheim Ducks
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The series finale between the Blue Jackets and Anaheim Ducks concludes tonight at Nationwide Arena.
The Ducks have won their past two games, and getting an even bigger lift tonight when defenseman Hampus Lindholm makes his season debut after holding out and signing a long term extension. The Blue Jackets lost their last game played in overtime, and are without Brandon ...
The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Anaheim Ducks by the final score of 3-2 in overtime.
Just over a minute into the game, Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano attempts to clear the puck up the boards, but Boone Jenner keeps it in play, and passes the puck to a wide open Scott Hartnell, whose in front of John Gibson, who somehow saves the puck, and Boone Jenner slips it in...
Hall Fan writes...
Long Shot but with a Real GM They Could Still Win the Cup
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I will admit when I am wrong. Larsson shows some decent heads up play. He is not a top pairing guy and maybe not even a second pairing but I like his odds of being a solid 3-4 guy in the next couple years.
Lets forget what the Oilers traded to get this guy. Point is that Larsson wasn't the answer to the Oilers problem on the blue line. Larsson and Russel might hav...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 12- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Boston Bruins
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets travel to the TD Garden tonight to combat with the Boston Bruins, in what is one of the most underrated rivalries in the NHL.
This is the second half of the back of back games for Columbus after playing Anaheim last night, and winning in overtime. The Bruins last played on Tuesday, suffering a 3-2 regulation loss to the NHL best Montreal Canadiens.
...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 12- Fast and Furious Five: Unanswered Goal
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Boston Bruins wowed the Columbus Blue Jackets in a dominant first period effort, winning by a final score of 5-2.
Capitalizing off a Zdeno Chara turnover, Alex Wennberg got the puck to captain Nick Foligno, who potted his fifth goal of the season by beating Tukka Rask on the blocker side for a 1-0 lead. Wennberg's assist was 13th of the year and 9th in his past six...
Everyone has a memory of Lyndon Slewidge. Whether your like me and you remember going to a Sens game as kid and seeing him do his signature sign off as he finished the anthems. Or even as some one who goes casually to games, the man just sticks out. Lyndon Slewidge is as much a part of the Senators organization as Daniel Alfredsson or Chris Phillips. Bruce Garrioch broke n...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post Game Lucky No. 13- Home Domination Double Up
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets offensive success continues on a 8-4 onslaught against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.
The Jackets opened the scoring in the first period on a behind the net play from Lukas Sedlak. The AHL breakout was able to get to the puck first on a dump and chase play, got it to Scott Hartnell, who got it to the eventual scorer Sam Gagner, who cam...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game N. 14- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Washington Capitals
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets are finally playing a divisional team, being the last year's President Trophy winners. The Washington Capitals play here tonight and in Pittsburgh tomorrow, so the pressure is on.
The Capitals had a quiet offseason, but made their roster younger and more skilled in contrast to a veteran and grittier team. They lost Jason Chimera; Mike Moore; Sean Colli...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 14- Comeback Columbus Costs Capitals Point
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets woke up late in the third period to defeat the Washington Capitals by the final score of 2-1 in overtime.
The Capitals opened the scoring in the midst of the second period off a sniping shot from the usual passer in Nicolas Backstrom. The Swedish forward wristed a shot underneath Bobrovsky's glove for a 1-0 lead for the Caps for his second goa...
Let's get this story rolling. The title says it all. Even though there are many quality rookies in the NHL making debuts, Zach Werenski should get it after his performances so far this season.
He is currently sixth in the league in points with 13 points in 14 games. In the entire league. He has the most points with the least amount of games played in the top ten. That'...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 15: Columbus Blue Jackets v. New York Rangers
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The battle in the Metropolitan Division continues for the Jackets where they take on the high scoring New York Rangers tonight. The Rangers have been an absolutely dominate team all season long, dominating puck possession, which means more plays and more goals (+34).
The Rangers made the playoffs last year as an older club, but cap issues made them change to be younger...
For more information--- @PesekWill and @NHLPenaltyBox (Twitters)
It wasn't the start John Tavares and the Isles wanted. Many fans may argue the reasoning behind this is three homegrown players, Kyle Okposo, Matt Martin and Frans Nielsen have journeyed to different locations to continue their career. The loss of the three hurt the fan base but the signing of And...
The Islanders surrendered yet another loss, but this time they register a point. It was a very poor first period for the Isles trailing 1-0 after the opening frame. It was a strong second period for the Isles as Brock Nelson tallied his fifth of the year on the Powerplay. Just two minutes later, Anthony Beauvillier, picked pocketed a Pens defenseman, and undressed Matt Mur...
The Islanders surrendered yet another loss, but this time they register a point. It was a very poor first period for the Isles trailing 1-0 after the opening frame. It was a strong second period for the Isles as Brock Nelson tallied his fifth of the year on the Powerplay. Just two minutes later, Anthony Beauvillier, picked pocketed a Pens defenseman, and undressed Matt Mur...
The Islanders surrendered yet another loss, but this time they register a point. It was a very poor first period for the Isles trailing 1-0 after the opening frame. It was a strong second period for the Isles as Brock Nelson tallied his fifth of the year on the Powerplay. Just two minutes later, Anthony Beauvillier, picked pocketed a Pens defenseman, and undressed Matt Mur...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 15: Columbus Continues Streak
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The defense of the home streak reigns supreme over one of the hottest teams in the NHL. Last night, the Blue Jackets defeated the New York Rangers by the final score of 4-2.
A JT Miller turnover in center ice results in a William Karlsson slap shot beating Henrik Lundqvist in between the legs for a 1-0 Columbus lead. Wild Bill's goal was his third of the season.
A ...
After a bunch of frustrating loses between Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and most importantly the Florida game, where, Halak gave up the game-tying goal with 14 seconds left. During every home, the chants of "Fire Cappy" were reigning down from the rafters and when asked by reporters, Snow said "we have faith in the coaching staff......He [Capuano] was in the World Cup so that say...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 16- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Washington Capitals
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The start of a back to back for Columbus begins with an afternoon tilt in the nation's capital against the injury rattled Capitals. The contest begins at 12:30 pm.
The Jackets will look to continue their hot streak at home on the road, while the Capitals will look to find a way to win without some top players. In their most recent games against the Red Wings, they had ...
The Jackets maintain their composure to defeat the Capitals in the final minute of regulation, by the final score of 3-2.
In the first period, a Jack Johnson turnover to Nick Backstrom slips in between Sergei Bobrovsky's legs for a 1-0 Washington lead. The ice breaker was his fifth goal of the season.
In the second period, the Jackets even the score with a Nick Fol...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 17- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Colorado Avalanche
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The second game of back to back nights for Columbus brings them back home to take on the different looking Colorado Avalanche.
Going with the different look, the Avs made a lot of changes to the roster in the summer. Their former head coach, Patrick Roy, resigned from the team. They lost five players to European teams, including enforcer Patrick Bordeleau; former first...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 17- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Colorado Avalanche
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The second game of back to back nights for Columbus brings them back home to take on the different looking Colorado Avalanche.
Going with the different look, the Avs made a lot of changes to the roster in the summer. Their former head coach, Patrick Roy, resigned from the team. They lost five players to European teams, including enforcer Patrick Bordeleau; former first...
For more information follow @PesekWill and @NHLPenaltyBox {Twitter}
The Islanders have played majority of their games at home to start the year, and based off their record from last year at home, it was kind of a disappointment to start this year at home. Now after only registering 1 point on the road this year, in a heartbreaking OT loss to the Florida Panthers, they t...
The winning streak at home has come to an end by way of an overtime defeat to the Colorado Avalanche. The final score was Colorado 3, Columbus 2.
Nine minutes into the first period, the Jackets get a mini series of lucky bounces for a 1-0 lead. Cam Atkinson shot the puck from the side of the net; hitting off Nikita Zadarov's stick; and off Mikko Rantanen's skate to get...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 18- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Calgary Flames
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets busy week if games continue where they take on the struggling Calgary Flames.
The Flames are continuing to find a winning way after making the postseason two years ago. This summer, they fired veteran coach Bob Hartley for former Stars coach Glen Gulutzan. They traded Patrick Sieloff to Ottawa. They let a lot of experienced players walk, including goal...
Opening Note: My apologies for being away for a lengthy period of time. The long weekend of extra hours kept me unavailable to bring updates to you guys. It may end up being the same way coming up at Christmas time.
No onto the time that was for the Jackets.
Game 18: Shut Out Surprise
On Wednesday night, the Jackets suffered a surprising defeat to the strug...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 21- Columbus Blue Jackets v Tampa Bay Lightning
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets welcome the Bolts to the Nationwide Arena tonight. These two teams last played on Black Friday, and revenge might be on the mind of Tampa Bay.
The Lightning are a very explosive team, even with the loss of Steven Stamkos. The dynamic forward sustained a long term injury in a matchup against the Detroit Red Wings. They are also without former Blue Jacke...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 21- Columbus Blue Jackets v Tampa Bay Lightning
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets welcome the Bolts to the Nationwide Arena tonight. These two teams last played on Black Friday, and revenge might be on the mind of Tampa Bay.
The Lightning are a very explosive team, even with the loss of Steven Stamkos. The dynamic forward sustained a long term injury in a matchup against the Detroit Red Wings. They are also without former Blue Jacke...
For more information, follow @NHLPenaltyBox {Twitter}
When the Islanders selected Ryan Strome with the fifth overall pick in 2011, they felt he could be that "go to winger" for Tavares. After a dominant 2014-2015 rookie season, posting 50 points, he had a horrid run in 2015-2016 with only 20 points. Strome was scratched in the final two games for the Isles in the first...
The Columbus Blue Jackets scored five straight goals to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning by the final score of 5-1.
In the first period, the Blue Jackets opened the scoring off a snap shot from William Karlsson. Wild Bill sniped the puck on the blocker side of Andrei Vaslievisky for the goal. For Karlsson, it was his second goal of the season. Josh Anderson and Ryan Murr...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 22- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Colorado Avalanche
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Happy December everyone!!! The countdown to Christmas begins.
The Blue Jackets are back on the ice tonight in the Mile High City of Denver, Colorado to take on the Avalanche.
These two teams are playing each other for the first time since the trade they made late last week- swapping depth defensemen Cody Goloubef and Ryan Stanton.
These two squads also recently...
Keegan4401 writes...
Are the Chicago Blackhawks days numbered as contenders?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The short answer is no, but the Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of new faces this year such as Nick Schmaltz, Tyler Motte etc. Chicago still does have Johnny Toews and Patrick Kane which still makes a dangerous combination against any team in the NHL, plus you have Artem Anisimov and Artemi Panarin who are amazing offensive players in their own right. The Chicago Blackhawks ...
Buffalo--Sabres writes...
The Great Divide - Playoffs vs None. What does it mean?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Last evening the Sabres won what I consider their most exciting game in close to 10 years with a 3rd period comeback win over a very good NY Rangers team. I felt a level of excitement I haven't felt about the Sabres in about just as long and I know I'm not the only one. Through the TV could hear the crowd roar at the Key Bank Center(aka downtown arena) like they had in the...
For more information; follow @NHLPenaltyBox {Twitter}
After beating the Calgary Flames on Monday night, the Isles had a tough back to back approaching. They would play the defending cup champs, the Pittsburgh Penguins, then the following day, they would play the defending President's Trophy champs, the Washington Capitals. Fans knew that this determined the year, a win ...
CBJ Post-Game No. 22- Mile High Fun
The Columbus Blue Jackets managed to hold on and defeat the Colorado Avalanche, by the final score of 3-2.
The opening goal came just about five minutes into the game. Jack Johnson got the puck at the blue line, made a shot pass to Scott Hartnell, who lost control of it, and Brandon Saad found the puck, and got it last Varlamov fo...
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...
In their last four games, the Isles have been 3-0-1, earning points in each of their last four games. That's something they have done for the first time this year. It is baby steps as they dug themselves a pretty big hole, that almost made it impossible to dig out off. But, they are slowly digging their way out of it. The Isles are currently 9-10-5, one game below .500 wit...
It was the type of atmosphere, that the Isles had in the first and second rounds of the playoffs last year, and they did not let down their fans. The Isles advanced to 4-0-1 in in their last 5 games and starting to play like a playoff team. In the 5 game point streak the Isles went from 6-10-4 to 10-10-5 making their presence felt in the league again.
The day started o...
archromat writes...
When analyzing a trade, this is often overlooked...
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I read a few articles on bad trades that some teams made, and usually it's "all star" for some guy who has the ceiling but is a few years younger, and more often than not, the one who benefits is the one that gets the better player NOW rather than the future.
But it's like those games, where a team loses 4-3 in OT, and people rush back to thinking about that goal that...
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 ...
CBJ Post-Game No. 25: Winging It
The Blue Jackets defeated the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena by the final score of 4-1.
Cam Atkinson opened the scoring in the early portion of the first period off a short handed goal. Atkinson's goal was his ninth of the season.
In the second period, sophomore Dylan Larkin got the best of former teammate Zach Werenski on ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 27: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Edmonton Oilers
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets commence their three game road trip of Western Canada. Tonight, they battle the star studded Edmonton Oilers.
The Oilers continued their search for change in the offseason, and personally, in a very bad way. They traded Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils in a horrendous one for one deal for Adam Larsson. They also dealt the consistently scra...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 27- Pumping Oil (Winning Streak At Seven)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Jackets continue their winning streak efforts at seven consecutive games, defeating the Edmonton Oilers by the final score of 3-1.
The Oilers opened the scoring with a first period goal, and driven by the fourth line. Former Blue Jackets center Mark Letestu cycled the puck with former first rounder Zach Kassian, who got the puck to the driving Tyler Pitlick for the...
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Winning!!
Sticking with the times. Onto the serious stuff.
Hockey.
The Metropolitan Division is the best division in hockey. Personally, it's shocking, but is it expected?
Last season, the President Trophy winning Washington Capitals came from this division. The reigning Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins came from this division.
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During the Isles hot streak that lasted about a week or so, fans regained hope for this team but after two painful loses to the hot Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals, things began to unravel for the Islanders. As of December 15, the Isles are 12 points out of the 8th seed in the Eastern Conferen...
If someone were to tell you that after 32 games the Oilers would be 15-12-5 and sit 3rd in the Pacific you would probably have been quite happy with that. Unfortunately the devil is in the details and over the past few weeks the Oilers have left valuable points off the table. There is a very good chance that if the Oilers are out of the playoff race in March, this stretch ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 28- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Calgary Flames
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Western Canada road trip continues for the Jackets, as they continue their time in Alberta. Tonight, they battle the Flames.
The Flames have been a confusing team to watch this season. They were riding a six winning streak with Chad Johnson taking the reigns as the number one starter. Against Tampa Bay, they lost badly, and yanked Johnson.
The Flames goaltendin...
Isles fans have not had much news to celebrate over, but Friday they got good news (for some). Net-minder Jaroslav Halak who is statistically the "best goalie" in Islanders history was put on waivers. He was not claimed and was assigned to the AHL team the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Saturday. One of the reasons why he was not claimed was not because he is having a horrific...
The New York Islanders announced Thursday morning that Adam Pelech has been recalled from BST. This will result in tomorrows contest with the Colorado Avalanche as he will most likely play for veteran Dennis Seidenberg, because the Isles have a history of not playing veterans back to back. Or, this can result for the Isles to carry a 7th Dman before they head West and god ...
Happy 2017 folks!!! Ik it's not the greatest attention grabber, but it's been so long since I've been able to blog. I'm glad to be back. And I'm back in the thick of things in Ohio's state capital.
The Blue Jackets wrapped up the end of the month and the end of 2016 with a hot streak, and start the new year on the same streak. They have won 16 straight games:
1. T...
That seems like common sense doesn't it? After riding high on the 16 game winning streak, the Blue Jackets have lost their past two games.
CBJ Post-Game No. 37- Shutout
The Blue Jackets winning streak ended on Thursday night to the Washington Capitals by the final score of 5-0.
Daniel Winnik opened the scoring in the first period of a rebound attempt that beat S...
The Columbus Blue Jackets held on in a back to back situation to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers by the final score of 2-1 in overtime.
In the first period, Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald had a goal waived off by an interesting goalie interference chalk by John Tortorella. The call came with less than two minutes into the first period. The booming slap shot coming f...
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 Game No. 40- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Carolina Hurricanes
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Southern road trip for the Blue Jackets commences with a trip to Raleigh, North Carolina to take on the youthful Hurricanes. This is their first meeting of the season, and all three season meetings will be happening in the next 11 days. Crazy, isn't it? But that's how the schedule works.
Flashing back to the offseason, here's a quick look at what the Canes have don...
Nothing like a good pun right? Onto the serious stuff, the Columbus Blue Jackets lost to the Carolina Hurricanes by the final score of 5-3.
Cam Atkinson opened the scoring with less than two minutes, beating Cam Ward on a nice little deke from behind the net. His goal was his 20th of the season, becoming the third player in franchise history to score 20 goals in four s...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Cannon Shots: All Star Goalies, Trophy Picks, Rumors
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With a day off en route to Tampa, Florida, today will be a day to discuss about the NHL All Star Game, the new goalie tandem in Columbus, mid season picks, healthy scratches, playoff format, and trade rumors.
Over the past 48 hours, the National Hockey League has announced the All Star Rosters and coaches and jerseys. Representing the Jackets in the Metropolitan Divisi...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 41: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Tampa Bay Lightning
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets continue their Southern road trip with back to back matchups in Florida. First, the struggling Tampa Bay Lightning.
Tonight is a special night for the Bolts as they retire a legendary player for the franchise in Martin St. Louis. Number 26 will be raised to the rafters. The un drafted winger played most of his career with the Lightning, and wa...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 42- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Florida Panthers
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets road trip wraps up tonight with a flight to Sunrise to take on the miserable Florida Panthers.
This is the first time these two teams have meet since the firing of former head coach Gerald Gallant. The Panthers general manger Tom Rowe has been the head coach since late November/early December. They have seen Jaromir Jagr play like his age; Roberto Luon...
Ryan Getzlaf used to bring me out of my seat multiple times every game with his spectacular play-making. Those days are long gone. I'll grant you this: He's still a physical beast on the ice, and I don't think that shows too well on TV. But here are the major problems I see with the Ducks captain:rnrn1) Captain Yapping: On a Fox Sports special, his coach said he got t...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Update 2017: Southern Trip; Bobrovsky In and Out
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
CBJ Post-Game No. 41- Korpisalo
The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning by the final score of 3-1.
The Bolts opened the scoring on their home ice in the first period. Jonathan Drouin scored his 13th goal of the season. Valtteri Flippula and Ondrej Palat had the assists.
Josh Anderson evened the game for his 10th of the season. David Savard ha...
Once again we find ourselves approaching trade deadline and once again the Oilers find themselves in the exciting position of wondering if they can acquire second or third round picks for.... wait.... buyers you say? Ahem, moving on.
Here are some options on the right wing the Oilers should consider as rental players.
Patrick Eaves - Eaves is having one of his most p...
After the Islanders 7-4 loss to Carolina, the Islanders needed a shakeup-well, maybe they needed a shakeup from November. Thomas Greiss who played every game since Halak has been placed in BPT on December 30, struggled versus Carolina. Nothing happened, as expected. The Isles moved on to play the Boston Bruins who they beat on December 20. Greiss got the nod again for NY ...
The Islanders’ owners are “committed” to New York but are keeping their options open with regard to Barclays Center, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said during his news conference during the league’s All-Star Weekend.
“They’re committed to the franchise, they’re committed to New York and the great fan base that has followed the Islanders,” Bettman said, r...
As we discuss trade deadline targets in Edmonton, for the first time in what seems like 500 years, lets take a look at the silky mullet himself, Jaromir Jagr. Now the only reason I bring the name up, is because this type of transaction has Chiarelli's name written all over it. Deja vu much? Remeber that Chia dealt for the Czech ageless wonder in 2013, while he was GM of th...
CBJ Update: February Fever
The Columbus Blue Jackets have had a busy remainder of January since I last blogged. The last time I blogged was after a victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. This blog will cover the games they won throughout the remainder of February; the All Star Game; and injury updates on the back front—as well as trade rumors.
CBJ Post Game No. 4...
CBJ Update: February Fever
The Columbus Blue Jackets have had a busy remainder of January since I last blogged. The last time I blogged was after a victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. This blog will cover the games they won throughout the remainder of February; the All Star Game; and injury updates on the back front—as well as trade rumors.
CBJ Post Game No. 4...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 51: Columbus Blue Jackets v. New Jersey Devils
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets return to home ice tonight to combat the New Jersey Devils in their first meeting of the season. Isn’t it crazy that it comes with 60% of the season already in the books? The last time these teams met, Patrick Elias was still on the Devils. That’s how far back it has been for these two divisional squads.
Both teams are coming off back to ba...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 51: Columbus Blue Jackets v. New Jersey Devils
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets return to home ice tonight to combat the New Jersey Devils in their first meeting of the season. Isn’t it crazy that it comes with 60% of the season already in the books? The last time these teams met, Patrick Elias was still on the Devils. That’s how far back it has been for these two divisional squads.
Both teams are coming off back to ba...
The New Jersey Devils withstood the Columbus Blue Jackets in their first matchup of the season by the score of 5-1.
Taylor Hall, my player to watch, opened the scoring in the first period with his 12th goal of the season. Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri had the assists on the goal. Jacob Josefson extended his team’s lead with his first of the season in the early portio...
The New Jersey Devils withstood the Columbus Blue Jackets in their first matchup of the season by the score of 5-1.
Taylor Hall, my player to watch, opened the scoring in the first period with his 12th goal of the season. Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri had the assists on the goal. Jacob Josefson extended his team’s lead with his first of the season in the early portio...
urbandrew writes...
STOP COMPARING THE LEAFS TO THE BLACKHAWKS… try the PATRIOTS
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Ya I said it. We’re going to be a DYNASTY. Sure the Hawks had a few cups in a handful of years but in my life I’ve only witnessed two dynasties; The New England Patriots and Tiger Woods.
People love to compare Toews and Kane to Matthews and Marner and why not? All were drafted high, the centers are both known to play a strong defensive game, and the wingers are both...
As I alluded to in yesterday's blog, today is more or less about the Jackets, but more so about other talking points in a quick off day. Yes, I know the by week is coming up and there's where I should do that, but since there was an eventful sports weekend in the world, that will be discussed. Furthermore, I will talk about injury updates in Columbus, plus the winter park;...
If you asked any hockey fan in late October into mid November if the Isles would make the playoffs, they would say "not a chance". Well, guess what? The Isles are in the busiest time of year, battling for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. They sit 3 points out with 3 games in hand over the Flyers and almost everyone they are trying to chase.
Monday night's game v...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Pre-Game No. 52: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Detroit Red Wings
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets are back on the ice tonight to take on the Detroit Red Wings, in their final game in the Joe Louis Arena. The Blue Jackets history with the Red Wings has been short as they were an expansion franchise, but the Jackets do have some history at the Joe. They are 12-24-5 all time in the Joe, and they played each other so much over the years as a resul...
Rumor from a TSN correspondent covering the Oilers vs. Canadian game for radio consumption said that he heard the Oilers are looking to acquire a top 9 forward in a big way before the deadline.
Oilers have been hovering the middle of the top 8 in the Western Conference this season and there is a chance they could go either way. I really wouldn't put money on them mak...
The Columbus Blue Jackets held on to defeat the Detroit Red Wings by the final score of 3-2 in overtime.
The Red Wings opened the scoring in the early portion of the first period by defenseman Nick Jensen. The bottom pairing defenseman scored his second goal of the season. Dylan Larkin and Riley Sheahan had the assists.
Brandon Dubinsky evened the game with his seven...
The Columbus Blue Jackets held on to defeat the Detroit Red Wings by the final score of 3-2 in overtime.
The Red Wings opened the scoring in the early portion of the first period by defenseman Nick Jensen. The bottom pairing defenseman scored his second goal of the season. Dylan Larkin and Riley Sheahan had the assists.
Brandon Dubinsky evened the game with his seven...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Pre-Game No. 53: Columbus Blue Jackets v Vancouver Canucks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets return to home ice tonight to take on the previous team that John Tortorella coached in the Vancouver Canucks. Tort’s time with the Canucks was short and brief as they were a non-playoff team that season. The Canucks were able to select Jake Virtanen with the bad year they had under him, plus they hired current bench boss Willie Desjardins.
...
The Vancouver Canucks managed to shut out the Columbus Blue Jackets by the final score of 3-0.
Daniel Sedin opened the scoring in the second period with his 12th goal of the season. Brother Henrik Sedin and former Calgary Flames prospect Markus Granlund had the assists.
My player to watch for the Canucks added to his team’s lead. Former Boston Bruin Loui Eriksson s...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 54—Columbus Blue Jackets v. Detroit Red Wings
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets are back on home ice tonight to take on the Detroit Red Wings.
The Red Wings have suffered a tragic loss over the past 24 hours with the death of their owner, Mike Ilitch, at the age of 87. The long-time owner brought the Red Wings to the promise land, being at helm of four Stanley Cup victories, and helping management develop players the righ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 54—Columbus Blue Jackets v. Detroit Red Wings
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets are back on home ice tonight to take on the Detroit Red Wings.
The Red Wings have suffered a tragic loss over the past 24 hours with the death of their owner, Mike Ilitch, at the age of 87. The long-time owner brought the Red Wings to the promise land, being at helm of four Stanley Cup victories, and helping management develop players the righ...
The Columbus Blue Jackets held on to defeat the Detroit Red Wings by the final score of 2-1 in regulation.
Boone Jenner opened the scoring with his 10th goal of the season. Brandon Dubinsky got the lone assist.
Thomas Vanek evened the score at 1-1 with his team’s only goal in the matchup. The power play goal was his 14th goal of the season. Henrik Zetterberg and Da...
The Columbus Blue Jackets held on to defeat the Detroit Red Wings by the final score of 2-1 in regulation.
Boone Jenner opened the scoring with his 10th goal of the season. Brandon Dubinsky got the lone assist.
Thomas Vanek evened the score at 1-1 with his team’s only goal in the matchup. The power play goal was his 14th goal of the season. Henrik Zetterberg and Da...
The Islanders were defeated by the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon and they knew heading into Sunday that they needed to beat the Colorado Avalanche. JF Berube would start Sunday, as Thomas Greiss started Saturday. Joe Colborne, they former Flame got the ice-breaker in the first period giving the Avalanche a 1-0 lead and it looked like another blood bath for Berube, ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 55-- Columbus Blue Jackets v. New York Rangers
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets home stand continues tonight with a battle with the Blue Shirts. For the fourth time this season, the Blue Jackets take on the New York Rangers live from the Nationwide Arena.
The Jackets have won two of three meetings so far. The first contest was the one where Matt Calvert left the game and came back with stitches to score the game winning shorthande...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 55- Vessey Vessels Rangers Past Jackets
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The New York Rangers hold on to defeat the Blue Jackets by the narrow margin of 3-2 in regulation.
In the first period, the Blue Jackets' power play went to work. Brandon Saad found Brandon Dubinsky, and he beat Antti Raanta down below the shoulder to fire the cannon. Dubinsky's goal was his eighth this season. Seth Jones and Brandon Saad were credited with the assists...
Great to see the Oil get a convincing 5-2 win last night against the Arizona Coyotes; it helped calm the sea of fans screaming about the lack of secondary scoring as of late. The Oilers are 10th in the league in scoring even with players like Lucic, Nuge, Eberle, and Pouliot drastically underperforming. What's going on here?
Let's break it down by looking at the Oilers...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Pre-Game No. 56:Columbus Blue Jackets v Toronto Maple Leafs
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets return on the ice tonight to take on the league’s most covered team… the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both teams are very similar. They are both young teams that have playoff aspirations. Both teams are extremely impressive offensively. Both have young up and coming groups that are going to push them elite squads. Both teams have elite goaltending fro...
Hall Fan writes...
Top 20 Players Being Shopped - Mostly Oilers Perspective
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Okay maybe not shopped but this list comes from SN's top 20 and it is as good as any to look at. ([/url]http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/top-20-nhl-trade-deadline-candidates-dealt/[/url])
Oilers are in a great spot right now. They really did little so far to improve the team outside the draft. In fact they went out of their way to trade their previous best player f...
There is a lot of talk going on about how much the Oilers should pay if the player is possibly only a rental. Especially after the Flames just set the bar with Michael Stone. Flames gave up a third rounder and if Stone resigns they give up a 5th as well, both 2 years from now (according to TSN). Lets ignore the 5th rounder as that is a normal asking price for anyone's r...
When the Oilers signed Klefbom to a 7 year deal (worth 4.167 million a year) many thought it was a huge risk. His injury history alone was enough to cause alarm but while many penciled him in as the Oilers top left shot player on the backend before the season had started we had yet to see how he could handle being a top pairing defenseman.
So far he's knocking it out of...
The Columbus Blue Jackets continue their bye-week by not playing and relaxing, and watching the teams that are playing climb up the standings. The New York Rangers have now officially surpassed the Blue Jackets, placing them in the first place Wild Card spot. However, the Blue Jackets have two games in hand, and are only just one point behind. However, stats have shown la...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Pre-Game No.59: Columbus Blue Jackets v. New York Islanders
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The home stand for the Blue Jackets continues in a final matchup tonight with a battle with Brooklyn. The Blue Jackets are fresh off their mandatory five day bye week, and the team prepares itself to take on one of the hottest teams in the NHL. The Islanders switched head coaches from Jack Capuono to Doug Weight, and the team has benefited greatly from the change. The Isla...
Well it has been a very long time since I have done this, I always have good intentions but four kids and a job kind of cut into my blogging time. But here I go again, I will try to do this once a week at least and who knows maybe some day someone will read this.
Well it is a day before the trade deadline and the Habs have some work to do. Work that is going to be hard ...
Late on Tuesday, the Oilers made a trade that sent Brandon Davidson to the Canadiens in exchange for David Desharnais. From a managerial outlook I understand the trade. Brandon Davidson was almost certainly going to be lost to Vegas in the expansion draft and the team knew it. Desharnais is a couple seasons removed from his last productive season but Chiarelli and the Oile...
Hall Fan writes...
Oilers Post Deadline: The Good the Bad and the Ugly
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Lets end this on a good note and save the good. So the trade deadline for the Oilers overall. We did little. We added a center which is good. Some might say a winger is what we need as we do have Letestu, Nuge, Hendricks (technically), Lander, Samuelson (some were hoping he was the number 4 guy as Letestu has been playing really good and could be argued as a third line...
Late yesterday 259 to be precise Leafs made a deal Eric Fehr and a 4th round pick in exchange for Frankie Corrado what does this mean for Leafs nation it means nothing as he is a rental and wull be sent to Marlies along with new addition Mike Sislo who was added in a trade to san antonio for colin smith
Leafs will look to bounce back after a late 3-1 Loss to the sharks on tuesday night as tonight at 1030 est they try to knocj the kings off their thrown as the almighty Quick has returned and in full form he is as he battle Frederik Andersen on the other side for the blue and white goodluck Leafs
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Update: Canadiens and Trades! And PreGame v. Wild
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
CBJ Post-Game No. 61—So Close, But There’s A Price to Pay
The Columbus Blue Jackets sustained an overtime defeat by the hands of the Montreal Canadiens by the final score of 1-0 in overtime.
Last night was the debut for newly acquisition for defenseman Jordie Benn, who they got from the Dallas Stars in a trade for defenseman Greg Pateryn and a 2017 4th round draf...
Leafs choke another one tonight in a 3-2 shootout loss to the kings Quick and Andersen were excellent Matthews absolutely everywhere but thw kings got the upperhand lets comeback tomorrow as mcelhinny starts vs Bernier tomorrow 10pm in anaheim
Leafs fail once again to acquire a W and more then 1 point leafs return home tuesday to face the slumping wings leafs have lost 5 straight good luck Tuesday against thr wings
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 Islanders enter play on Tuesday sitting 1 point ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the last playoff spot in the East. After going 3-2-1 in the first six games of the road trip, the Isles remain in Western Canada to take on the Oilers. Goaltender Thomas Greiss has started all six games so far, despite getting pulled versus Columbus and Calgary and he has been superb. ...
Leafs take on the wings tonight Andersen will start for the leafs he has played 52 games as of tonight some may wonder if the netminder is burnt out playing more games then expected as he faces a well rested petr Mrazek the last 10 of 18 games on the leafs schedule is at home and its not easy feat 8 of the games are against teams that are either trying tk keep the leafs ou...
The leafs looked like it was a easy stomp of the wings last night but little did they know the wings would stirm back in the 2nd and almost tie in the thirs but Andersen stayed sharp even thou the D wasnt quite effective anyways leafs take 2 crucial points goodluck against phili tomorrow Go Leafs Go
Leafs take on the slowly dieing flyers in toronto tonight and Andersen gets the nod to start again and look to keep his prowess going Matthews and Marner have combined for 10 points in the the last 2 games can they continue to be futile tonight or will the flyers come away stealing another 2 points from leafs nation goodluck and go leafs go
Connor McDavid is kind of a big deal in case you are late to the party. He's unbelievably fast, has amazing vision, and while there is still plenty of debate on who the best player is in the NHL right now; he is by far the best playmaker. One thing McDavid is not, is a shooter.
Right now Malkin and Crosby are tied for second in the league in scoring with 31 and 36 goals...
I'll admit, I got a bit nervous as we moved toward the trade deadline, and Jerome Iginla was sitting there like low-hanging fruit, and just the kind the Sharks have enjoyed biting into in the past.
It's hard not to notice how disproportionately San Jose has been used (or used itself?) as a way station for players either just past their prime, or a bit further along – ...
After the absolute nail biter against Pitt they play something hopefully a little calmer against Boston tonight. The Saddledome should be completely wild with excitement and anticipation about 11.
Still 15 or so to play but it would be nice to see a battle of Alberta in the first round for the flames to actually get some sort of redemption from all season but most impo...
The theme of this post is one I’ll return to regularly -- a recap of current Sharks highlights . . . along with a lowlight or two.
So, let's jump to the former, with #1 -- Chris Tierney:
It has become evident over the past 20 games or so, that Tierney has developed and matured in poise and vision. He once clearly fit in that “bottom six forward” category (in th...
Tim Chiasson writes...
Vegas Golden Knights Are Auctioning Off Your Children
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Vegas Golden Knights have sent out a message to the rest of the league: they're going to have some fun with expansion.
From Elliotte Friedman's latest 30 Thoughts post:
[quote]1. Initially, the plan was to give Las Vegas 48 hours with the protected list before the expansion draft. That is being increased to 72. At the GM meetings, the Golden Knights’ George McP...
FreshIce writes...
Sharks Round one -- Who's Really the Worst Match-up?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I need to say I'm confused lately about all the talk out there that the Sharks would be so much better off against the Oilers than the Ducks, Kings or any of the other hopefuls they might meet in round one. I don't know if people haven't been watching the Oilers in recent months, or if they didn't notice the last game the Sharks played against them, or if they're thin...
The final 21 days of the 2016-2017 season is upon us and what a way to close it out. Three teams in the East, competing for 1 spot. The Lightning, Islanders and Maple Leafs. At this pace, cancel the Leafs and add the Bruins to the talk. No, the Leafs are not out of the race, they're just getting started. After the Leafs defeated the Bruins 4-2 on Monday, the Leafs cl...
After four straight losses while being out-scored a collective 10-4, are we seeing a team that has not only taken its foot off the gas pedal, but climbed into the backseat? Or is this simply the same Sharks team we see near the end of almost every season, once their playoff berth is virtually assured?
Brent Burns has noticeably cooled as teams are shutting down his lan...
If we’ve learned anything over the years, you never count out Getzlaf and Perry; and to the Ducks’ daunting d-corps, add in forwards the likes of Silfverberg, Rakell, and Eaves, and it’s only a matter of time until they start paddling – or is it swimming? – their way up the standings. I would expect no less of the Kings, although time is quickly running out on th...
With the poor play of backup goaltender JF Berube, the Isles had a decision to make. What do they do in the goalie position. Thomas Greiss is the obvious starter for the Isles after stealing the job away from Jaroslav Halak who was sent down to Bridgeport back in December. Since his designation to the AHL, the Isles have went from worst in the league to a playoff contender...
The 2nd stop in “Big ‘D’” on the same road trip – rather than redeeming the Sharks – spelled only double-trouble, double the pain and double the shame. I’ll be posting a piece on Marc Edouard Vlasic soon and I’m going to have to pre-empt myself by suggesting that if the Sharks are going to play like this, they might as well let him rest up for the playoffs ...
The 2nd stop in “Big ‘D’” on the same road trip – rather than redeeming the Sharks – spelled only double-trouble, double the pain and double the shame. I’ll be posting a piece on Marc Edouard Vlasic soon and I’m going to have to pre-empt myself by suggesting that if the Sharks are going to play like this, they might as well let him rest up for the playoffs ...
The 2nd stop in “Big ‘D’” on the same road trip – rather than redeeming the Sharks – spelled only double-trouble, double the pain and double the shame. I’ll be posting a piece on Marc Edouard Vlasic soon and I’m going to have to pre-empt myself by suggesting that if the Sharks are going to play like this, they might as well let him rest up for the playoffs ...
The 2nd stop in “Big ‘D’” on the same road trip – rather than redeeming the Sharks – spelled only double-trouble, double the pain and double the shame. I’ll be posting a piece on Marc Edouard Vlasic soon and I’m going to have to pre-empt myself by suggesting that if the Sharks are going to play like this, they might as well let him rest up for the playoffs ...
After the last two games – giving up 13 goals while scoring only a couple – there’s really not much to say about the Sharks right now. I half-joked about bringing the Barracuda up en masse in my last post, but now I say, what can it hurt?
I’ll be posting a piece on Marc Edouard Vlasic soon but I’m going to have to pre-empt myself by suggesting that if the Shar...
PEEEE- EWWWWW!!!! OMG! the stentch ! what's that NASTY skanky smell?
I'll tell you what it is, it's the Tonto Mable Leaves and their crappy pants fans after Robyn Lehner made save after save even fooling the goal judge who got fired.
I don't care if you made the playoffs, this is about tonights game in Buffalo. Your leaves stunk up the ice like an unbathed Tonto hooker...
Leafs got blown uo by buffalo but not only did they lose a crucial 2 points but they lost Mr Andersen down he went with what looked like a possible neck or back injury is this the end of the buds? Sparks has been recalled ranking 3rd in the AHL with an impressive. 927 sv % can he hold the fort or will mcelhinny be the man of the hour well just havr to wait and see
With the Islanders 6 points out of a playoff spot, the Islanders roller coaster season is likely over. The next closest thing for Isles fans is too look is the Expansion Draft and the entry draft. In terms of the Expansion Draft, the Islanders have some thinking to do. What players do they keep? What players do they leave available? Obviously, Tavares, Ladd, Lee and Bailey...
April 26, 2014, Marc-Edouard Vlasic left game five of the Stanley Cup playoffs after a Jarret Stoll hit, and the Sharks went on to lose that game and the next two against the Kings in a historic reverse sweep.
Vlasic is no Brian Campbell or flashy P.K. Subban, pulling spin-o-ramas and skate-arounds; he’s no Shea Weber bombing from the point or Jacob Trouba running aro...
With little under a week remaining in the NHL season, the Islanders remain alive, for now. With the Bruins winning both games this weekend with versus the Panthers and the Blackhawks, they pushed the Ottawa Senators back into the second wild card 6 points ahead of the Islanders. Jaroslav Halak has been the "hot" goalie if you want to call him that. 3-0 in in his first 3 st...
Last we heard reports of an eeeerie presence serenading in the halls of the Key Bank Center and locker room of the Buffalo Sabres....turn out the lights the parties over.
Now, the ghost of Jim Morrison has appeared before head coach Dan Abysmal in his office, effectively causing a nasty stink and a brown wet patch on Dan's pants. (that's not from him falling on the ice)...
archromat writes...
Six observations about Olympic Mess and Hockey World Cup
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Players have been reacting chiefly negatively to the NHL's decision to not participate in the Olympics.
1. [b]Evaluating the Strength of Tradition[/b]
NHL is trying to replace the Olympics with this "World Cup" device. Now let's put hockey world cup into context with football/soccer world cup. The World Cup of Football was started in 1930 in Uruguay and has been a ...
Eastern Conference:
Washington Vs Toronto
This is a series that many will think is a wash in the park for Washington, but if there is any team with the speed, skill and tenacity to beat Washington other than Pittsburgh it's the Maple Leafs. That being said, it's too early for the leafs. Washington wins in 6 games as the Leafs make it a series but never really stood a ...
It was old, but it was loved. It was beat-up, but we cherished every moment. It was ugly, but my God was it beautiful. The Joe Louis Arena embodied the true spirit of the hard-working, self-reviving city that it represented. It wasn’t just the home of the Red Wings, nor did it just reside in Detroit. The Joe Louis Arena was Detroit. When it opened in 1979, it was nothing...
Every year the media comes up with all these story-lines for the teams that eventually do succeed as if everyone should have known all along that they were going to. During Anaheim's miraculous 2003 run, it was that they won a lot of one goal games so they were used to playing under pressure. Some of the biggest miracle runs was not that one, but rather the Kings in 2012...
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...
Plenty of Blame... So lets get started.
I am going to take a step back and start with the obvious and the one that you won't hear on TV right now. Chiarelli. Many people will say it is easy to be an arm chair GM and to shout out opinions. Personally I say and I say it to any Oiler fan out there, go right ahead. Shout out what you think, write it, talk about it; sh...
Its been three days since the Montreal Canadiens got defeated by the New York Rangers in game 6, with all the glaring disappointment this team has had in the playoffs there are some bright spots with this team. Artturi Lehkonen, just 21 years of age and has already shown that he knows how to score goals in this league. Out of all Montreal Canadiens players he was third in ...
5-3 in the first round decent predictions. Best one is predicting the leafs to make a series with the caps but still ultimately lose.
Western
Preds Over Blues in 5
This was a toss up but the blues are not paying to their capabilities and the preds have decent forward and the BEST defense in all of the playoffs and a streaky goaltender.
Oilers Over Ducks in 6
I a...
Since the Oilers seem to eating away the time which we would normally talk about what they will do in the offseason to improve the team for next year by doing amazing in the playoffs. Lets take a quick look at what might, could and will happen.
The Oilers are having an extremely successful year. I think many of us remember commenting that we would have been happy if t...
Why do I think that Bill Daly has never played hockey in arenas other than multifaceted facilities? When Sidney Crosby was not pulled from the game after his collision with the end boards of PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Monday, Bill Daly gave an explanation that may explain a lot in terms of how hockey has been officiated over the past two decades. As explai...
I apologize for the unoriginal title and format of the blog but there really is two levels of bad to the Oiler's situation.
The Good
The Oilers did better than we all expected them to do. The proved that they could win without a solid blue line (especially in game six). It saw great season's from a bunch of players and confidence that very well might make the caree...
asdfasdf
When do you think the next NHL trade will happen?
The Oilers did great this year and had they played a consistent 60 minutes of hockey, they could have went far but what was the problem? Now obviously the coach comes under the spot light when a team breaks down like this but the Oilers finally made the playoffs so looks like he is going to get another year despite being ridiculously bad.
Truth is the Oilers did much...
archromat writes...
Is it time to alter the draft in the case of elite talent?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I have long enjoyed the managerial aspects of the game (certainly more than the game itself). To be able to try to construct your team by trading and managing assets, by developing talent, by installing the best guys behind the bench additionally to the best guys on the ice. They keep sites like this alive and energetic, whether we're making fun of absurd trade proposals...
It has been rumored that the Devils are interested in several players such as [b]Shattenkirk[/b], [b]Spooner[/b], and [b]Vatanen[/b]. Any one of these players can definitely improve the Devils' lineup in the short-run and long-run. But what other players can really boost the current players in the lineup?
[b]Jordan Eberle [/b]of the Edmonton Oilers can be a target for t...
Recently, there has been many rumors that Kovalchuck will be returning to the NHL next season. The Devils GM Ray Shero has mentioned numerous times that he will make the best decision possible for the Devils to benefit from this situation. San Jose, Toronto, and St Louis are the most desired locations deemed by Kovalchuck.
If Kovalchuck decides to stay in New Jersey this...
Every year Scott Cullen of TSN breaks down each NHL team. The successes and failures of the season, contributions of individual players, and then lastly creates a mock roster for what the team could look like going into the next season.
In the spirit of being lighthearted I've decided to take a look at what he has suggested... and promptly rip it to shreds.
Here are ...
The weeks leading up to the draft are an exciting time for the hardcore hockey fan. While the average fan probably knows who Nolan and Hischier are, it takes a particular type of person to know the details about Noel Hoefenmayer (probably a late 2nd-3rd round pick).
Scouting reports and a player's stats card paint a picture for what kind of NHL player a prospect [i]migh...
This is my first blog here at HockeyBuzz, so let me quickly introduce myself. I love the Leafs. I also love the game of hockey. Yes, I've played, and yes, I watch, just like many of you, but I would like to write with a style that encourages debate and discussion...if that's possible.
I believe that your opinion is only good if you can defend it, and "throwing" you...
The Minnesota Wild have traded forward, Tyler Graovac to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2018 5th round pick. To me, this is a good trade for both teams.
For Washington: they could use help on the lower lines, and have an extra guy come in and help them out if they are going to win the cup next year.
For Minnesota: The Wild don't really need Graovac, who wa...
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 title is kind of blunt, isn't it?
I remember watching it a few years. It wasn't exactly can't miss television.
Hey guys, I got a great idea... it's 26 degrees outside, so let's go inside and watch a bunch of hockey players pick up trophies with deadpan faces and speaking with all the emptiness you'd expect in a hockey interview during the intermission. "Uh, i...
This is a question a lot of Blues fans may be asking themselves about the events (or lack thereof) up to this point and time. Of course, this is still the beginning of the off season and there is still plenty of time left for him to do something, but we as fans are impatient. We want to see him makes some changes to fill holes that we see with the players we want and we wa...
I don't like the Eberle for Strome deal as of today. Full Stop.
The rest of the summer can change my mind but as of right now I view this as a massive step back for the team and in my opinion is an example of Oilers management mishandling their assets.
We are going to ignore the fact for a moment the Strome's best year was 1 point less than Eberle's worst year. We a...
royalgardens writes...
Niklas Hjalmarsson Deal A Big Miss For Chicago AND Toronto
Posted Friday | Comments 0
As a long time Toronto Maple Leaf supporter and Chicago Blackhawk season ticket holder since 2006 here in Chicago, I am very disappointed to see the Hawks making such rash (irrational) decisions with their current roster today. And with the Maple Leafs in such dire need to find at least 2 solid 1-4 defenseman (if they want to compete in the East next year and the next few ...
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...
At the bottom of this blog I will have the answers for "Would You Draft Me" original blog can be found here [url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=103583&post_id=17880[/url]
We are one day closer to the draft and one day closer to the horrifying realization that Chiarelli has no intention of "improving" the roster anymore than he has. To recap he has replac...
The Avalanche looked absolutely terrible this year. Roy's probably laughing at the team, but he shouldn't; he helped make this disaster. Roy and Sakic were stuck between two dynamics: Roy wanted a bigger team that was hard to play against and Sakic... I don't know what Sakic wants to do. I don't think Sakic knows what Sakic wants to do.
I can look at the Avalanche li...
As we approach July 1st, I'm sure that everyone is scanning the free agents and plotting how their team will pounce in the 1st minute and fill that gapping need that all teams have. The Leafs are no different. They have glut of wingers clogging up the system with a lack of quality centers outside the NHL or defence at all levels.
Everyone's big wish for the Leafs is...
By Tim Panaccio
I’ve been pretty nervous about the Flyers holes on the left side, especially after the trade of Brayden Schenn.
Thursday night’s re-signing of Jordan Weal makes a lot of Flyer fans feel a bit more relaxed.
I didn’t picture Jori Lehtera as a complete fix on the left side, nor did I see him as an adequate replacement for Schenn, who had the a...
Well as I watched TSN with Free agent day almost a complete total waste of air time, (kinda like trade deadline) The flames did something I believe every day before that for somewhere around 5 days, way to anti climatic BT haha, no seriously I approve how he works totally.
The only issue I have is really mike stone, I feel that might be a touch much value for him, more ...
Happy Fourth of July everyone! As Canada’s neighbors from the south celebrate our independence over the next few days, plenty of the NHL’s elite are celebrating new contracts and new places that they will call home.
In the last 24 hours alone, the Dallas Stars have signed Alexander Rudulox to a 5 year contract, Joe Thorton re-upped to the Sharks for one more year a...
How many July 1st's have we had where we all sat and either watched painfully or refreshed constantly only too see the blue and white come up short or Blake out on deals I really can't put my Finger on it but usually the Clarks-on us about how we take it all. Puns aside I don’t write much as you can tell but in this particular instance I figured maybe it was time to sit...
The Devils have acquired some much needed offence over the past week and now need to focus on their defence. With the amount of cap space left, the Devils will most definitely pick up a defencemen either through trade or the free agent market. Since there are few options left in the market, the best option may be to look for a trade.
Possible Free Agents
- Francois Bea...
Over the past couple weeks a divide has been formed between fans on the comment section at Hockeybuzz. On one side you have fans that are celebrating the successes of last season and believe that the team is trending upwards, and on the other side you have those who believe the team has overestimated certain things which is going to result in a drop off. I find myself in t...
IT was well known that Rutherford likes to be a gunslinger of sorts. It had to kill him this past year, with so much of a Cup winning roster returning, that he didnt need to make major trades, particularly at the deadline. I have to wonder if Botterill was able to reign that in, or if GMJR was just smart enough to resist the temptation to wheel and deal. With Botterill mo...
Flyers rookie/prospect camp opened over the weekend in Voorhees NJ. Hundreds of fans flocked to the Flyers’ Skate Zone to observe the future of the team hit the ice for drills, workouts and some scrimmaging. Although, 2nd overall pick Nolan Patrick could not participate, he was on hand to meet fans, the media and of course observe his future team mates as well. Patrick s...
It has been reported by the Journal de Montreal that GM Marc Bergevin has extended a contract offer to former Canadien Mark Streit. The report suggests that the contract would be at a value of 1.5M for one season, so this seems like a great idea at first sight. So, is Streit the answer in Montreal? Really, it depends on the question being asked.
Despite Streit’s caree...
For the elite few who have been reading my blogs (and for that I honestly do wish to say thank you) you know that I have been rather critical of the Oilers over the past several weeks. My reason is simple. For a team that has Connor McDavid on the last year of his ELC, they have made startling few changes to improve from last years success and instead banking on internal g...
The calgary flames need a top line RW that's no surprise but where can they find it? Look no further then the ageless wonder, Jaromir Jagr would fit the bill perfectly. He played with young talented players in Florida putting up very respectable numbers for a guy that is in his mid 40's. Whether Jagr is on the flames radar remains a mystery, but one could argue the flames ...
31 NHL teams equals 31 comments on the NHL. Let’s get started.
1. What exactly was George McPhee thinking when he drafted the expansion roster he did for the Vegas Golden Knights? If the idea was to put together a roster of younger talent that will develop into something over time, why wouldn’t he draft players like Matt Dumba from the Minnesota Wild? It seems like ...
As Flyers Prospect camp ended last week, we continue to look at the Flyers prospects in Part II of our series.
First, Nolan Patrick took to the ice on Monday. Well, that’s not the exciting news. The real exciting news is that the Flyers signed him to his three-year entry-level deal. He’ll earn $925,000 per season, but his contract does have bonuses. Those bonuses w...
Oilers fans, are you comfortable with this roster as the team heads into the 2017/2018 regular season? Please make the assumption Leon Draisaitl will be re-signed and on the roster for opening night. What will that opening night roster look like? There’s plenty of debate about it.
If Oilers management go with the players they have now, I suggest the opening night rost...
Yesterday was Klefbom, aka "Dem Abs" birthday and as such I felt this was a good time to look back at the breakout season that Oscar had. The short answer? It was really good. The simple numbers are 82GP 12-26-38. Klefbom was not only the highest scoring defenseman on the team, he was the highest scoring defenseman the Oilers have had since Sheldon Souray scored 53 points ...
This blog is Part 1 of a two-parter.
In yesterday’s blog, I discussed my belief that Oilers management are not done tinkering this off-season with the roster, and there are still moves that can be made before the season to improve the team. Thank you Hockeybuzz for posting that blog as a “regular” blog. I’ll keep writing these so we can see if my blogs can all ...
A year ago many people were predicting the Toronto Maple Leafs would finish at the bottom of the NHL East table. Instead, they were a playoff team, and during those playoffs they looked like a team that is very close to being great. The Leafs have super-kids – Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner – And thanks mostly to them few teams can compete with them...
I’ve spent a fair amount of time over the last year considering why the Oilers team that is now, with players like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Oscar Klefbom and Darnell Nurse turned out better than the team featuring Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Nail Yakupov and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
The benefit of being terrible from 2007 to 2016 was plenty of top shelf draft pick...
Oh, the rumor,
My lonely friend,
I have sought you out,
Asked for your truth,
And it came to an end.
You are a myth,
You are the sunset,
You disappear,
Only to come back again,
My only summer friend.
Unfortunately, real hockey does not exist right now, not for those of us that bleed our colors through the winter in a dance with the worlds most beautiful game....
I received some information Tuesday evening from someone close to the Leon Draisaitl contract negotiations situation. According to what I was told, the Edmonton Oilers and the Draisaitl camp are at a contract negotiation impasse. The source did not specify what exactly is the nature of the impasse, and so I have asked for clarification. While waiting to hear back, I will s...
Lineup #1:
Maroon McDavid Draisaitl
Lucic RNH Caggiula
Jokinen Strome Puljujarvi
Slepyshev Letestu Kassian
- This forward group brings back some continuity from last year so that the Oilers can jump out to a fast start and ring up some wins early in the year. The top line was so dominant at the end of the year so it makes sense to continue that chemistry. The RNH ce...
243. That's the magic number to discuss. That is the number of goals the Oilers scored last season. The number put them at #8 in the league and #3 in the West. The simple question here is; can they do it again?
For starters here are the players... and goals... that are no longer with the team.
[b]Jordan Eberle - 20 Goals
[/b]
The biggest loss on this list. Despite ...
When considering the long-term future for the Edmonton Oilers, it makes more sense to consider cap hits and contracts for the 2018/2019 season than for 2017/2018. Why? Because a good third of the roster this season have contracts that will end next summer. It is during the Summer of 2018 when Oilers management will need to make some hard decisions about who stays and who g...
Leon Draisaitl owes the Nashville Predator a few dollars as a thank you.
The other day, the Predators signed forward Ryan Johansen to an eight-season, $64 million contract. Average cap hit? $8 million.
Johansen is a fairly comparable player to Draisaitl. The problem Oilers management have is that Draisaitl is better, and Draisaitl’s people know he’s better.
...
Toronto -(August 2, 2017) Patrick Marleau is a talented player and well-respected in the NHL. A lot can be said about his notable accomplishments 2-time Olympic gold medalist, world champion, and in 20 years in the NHL Marleau has only failed to score at least 20 goals 5 times and one of those years was lockout shorten season. This article isn't about how good of a player ...
I have no idea what I want to write, so I am just going to share my Oilers thoughts off the top of my head, as they come to me.
1. Jack Eichel is about the get an eight-year extension from the Buffalo Sabres. Whatever money he gets should be roughly what Leon Draisaitl can ask for and get. Eichel and Draisaitl may or may not be comparable with respect to how they play, ...
Yes, it's me again. Thank you for those who read. Thank you to the one person commenting on a MH blog who noticed my wife is a total smoke show. She is. She was born in Toronto and grew up in Australia. She's a Maple Leafs fan, and I'm actually starting to like that team, too. There's something about Matthews/Nylander/Marner that make the Leafs worth watching suddenly. Whe...
We are into the throes of summer and looking around the league it appears as if most teams have made their moves. Aside from some training camp invites for players like Iginla and presumably Jagr it's time to look around the league and see how teams are going to perform this season.
I have made my opinions on the Oilers moves this summer known. Short answer; they didn't...
31 teams; 31 reasons to post a random comment. Let's go.
Anaheim Ducks – The Ducks are a conundrum for me. They have a good roster. They’ve won the Pacific Division something like five seasons in a row. There was very little change to their roster this summer. It seems like they can make the final four group in the playoffs on any given season, but ultimately, this ...
I search Twitter every morning to see what the world is saying about the Edmonton Oilers. Oh, and also check to see if they've signed Leon Draisaitl to a contract extension yet. It's still a world of no, Oilers fans. So frustrating. You know what's really frustrating about the Draisaitl situation? Neither side is saying anything. Where are Leakers when you need them, Jeff ...
Adam Larsson came into training camp last season in an unenviable position. He was not only the sole return from the Taylor Hall trade but he was also expected to be the top pair right shot defender the Oilers have coveted for over a decade. The results? He and Klefbom found great chemistry and the two of them look to be Edmonton's top pair.
Let's start with the positiv...
The issue:
He is not a play making center. His unique ability to not pass to his teammates allows him to barely have any primary assists or even assists in general for that matter. And for someone who does this, you'd expect them to take a lot of shots. Although he has bad shot generation. Some of you might feel it is because Canucks were a bad team last year. But he was ...
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 ...
The phrase “too much; too soon” is starting to come to mind.
Connor McDavid IS worth $12.5 million per season. At 20, he’s already the best player in the NHL. He’s a freak of nature. Running has Usain Bolt. Golf has Tiger Woods. Basketball has LeBron James. Baseball has that guy that throws stuff. Curling and football also have guys that throw stuff. My point is...
The Oilers announced today that they have signed Leon Draisaitl to an 8 year 8.5 million dollar deal.
The good news is the Oilers have inked Draisaitl now as opposed to training camp or later. With this signing the Oilers roster looks to be locked. The Oilers will have their second leading scorer from last season for the next eight years with Connor McDavid.
When the...
Oilers GM and President of Hockey Operations Peter Chiarelli has signed Leon Draisaitl and has hinted he’s done all he’s willing to do for this upcoming season. You can forget about the Oilers bringing in UFAs like Jaromir Jagr, Jarome Iginla or Thomas Vanek. Earlier in the summer Chiarelli hinted at some possible trades… Well, I guess you can forget about those, too...
Eklund is running a rumor that the Oilers and Canadiens are talking trade moving Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to Montreal. I thought I might spell out what that would look like, because I think some Oilers fans are going to get the wrong impression.
The only reason the Oilers would move Nugent-Hopkins is for long-term contract reasons. Edmonton does not have a salary cap issue t...
In a previous blog I wrote that I expected Edmonton to finish 2nd in the division, behind the Ducks with the Flames a close 3rd. The Battle Of Alberta has gone on for decades but both teams have had very little to celebrate over the past ten years. Chanting "my team is slightly not as bad as yours" doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Both teams have star players that a...
I read a really good blog the other day about Edmonton Oilers first round draft pick Kailer Yamamoto. In the blog, Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach Mike Babcock said, “Yamamoto is a really great skater, if not elite. He will definitely be an impact Top 6 forward in the years to come.”
American-born Yamamoto, who recently signed a contract with the Oilers, indicated he...
The Oilers lack of depth on the right side has been a point of contention over these past few months. If we plan for RNH and Draisaitl to both be playing in their natural position things look even worse. Strome, Puljujarvi, Slepyshev, Kassian... these are the Oilers top RW options. Kassian is most suited for the bottom 6, Strome could end up playing centre, and Puljujarvi ...
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...
There has been copious amounts of digital ink wasted discussing the Andrej Sekera injury and what issues it will cause the Oilers at the start of the year. One player in particular has an opportunity to prove he is a top 4 defenseman. Next up in this series of reasonable expectations is Darnell Nurse.
When Nurse was drafted 7th overall in 2013 many pundits believed the ...
Thank God the NHL pre-season is here soon. There have been so many Oilers blogs this summer about absolute nothing, as there’s been nothing to write about. It's never been in the plan to trade Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, or anyone else significant. There never was going to be a Jaromir Jagr or Jarome Iginla signing. There were three main tasks Oilers GM and President of Hockey ...
I hope everyone is enjoying their Friday. Another weekend is about to begin and with that we are ever closer to the beginning of the 2017-2018 Oilers home opener. As we are fast approaching October 4th I thought it would be fun to bring something new to the mix. Therefore this shall be the first Friday Five.
Here's the deal. Either write your questions in the comment se...
If you blindly walked into a room of NHL GMs and said "who wants a D-man that can bring you 50 points of offense?", every single one would probably raise their hand. Now, factor in the possibility of a small contract being attached to this player and you have a dream made in heaven... right?...Well, maybe not. Former Hurricane James Wisniewski is still a free agent looking...
Thank god it’s Friday? No, thank god it’s hockey.
But that being said, the Young Stars tournament that starts tonight involving the Oilers and some other much less significant teams is a truly meaningless exercise. It might be entertaining. It might give us bored fans something to watch. But truthfully, this is just a thing to get young players ready for the real tr...
While the off-season felt much shorter this season (funny how playoffs will do that) it still lasted too long. We are still a few weeks from the home opener but it's starting to feel like hockey has returned. For the Edmonton Oilers, last year has set a new bar; this is a playoff team. Less time will be spent in training camp on giving prospects and younger players opportu...
Tonight the Oilers played the Flames in Edmonton and at the same time we had the Oilers playing the Flames in Calgary. I debated on which game I wanted to zero in on and in the end I chose the Edmonton home game to see Strome with McDavid as well as to watch Jesse Puljujarvi. Here are the good and bad things from the game. Everything I am about to say should be preceded by...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Analysis: Columbus Counting on Youth Movement
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
After having the most successful regular season in franchise, the Columbus Blue Jackets look to add to that legacy this season. This article will go over the offseason moves that the Jackets have done.
Starting with the Expansion Draft, the Blue Jackets made a major salary dump by dealing David Clarkson, a 2017 first round pick, and a 2019 2nd round pick in exchange fo...
The biggest story to come out of the preseason so far has nothing to do with any specific player, injury, or prospect but instead has come from the league itself. In the games played thus there has been a comical increase in the amount of penalties called; specifically slashing and faceoff violations.
Let's use the Oilers home game against the Flames on Monday night as...
Brian Burke was Right about something now hold on before you abandon ship give my theory a chance. Like many of you I am excited the boys in blue and white are back on the ice, talking to the media and even the hockey shows have started to spin narrative for us to try and follow. That being said as summer winds down I go to thinking how did we arrive to where we are now, a...
The Jets had 6 of their top 8 scorers playing last night. The Oilers had 2. The Jets were playing their top goalie while the Oilers played their backup. On paper it should have been a bloodbath and the first period certainly reflected that. However some PP opportunities and stellar goaltending saw the Oil finish on top.
[b]Final Score 4-1 Edmonton[/b]
[b]GOOD THINGS[...
After a shorter off-season than usual, the Edmonton Oilers picked up right where they left off and played a nearly perfect game against their southern rivals.
FINAL SCORE 3-0 EDMONTON
Before getting into some notes I wanted to take a moment and say what a classy move it was for the organization for having Constable Mike Chernyk at centre ice before the game began. Th...
The Toronto Maple Leafs season got off to a dream start on Wednesday evening as they demolished the Jets by a score of 7-2. This was a thrilling game to watch and a satisfying way to kick off the NHL season (unless you're a Jets fan). The game started with an early onslaught from Winnipeg as they were gifted 3 powerplays in the early going thanks to a slow s...
"It's kind of fun eh? But its dumb." That is what coach Mike Babcock had to say about the wildly entertaining home opener for the Leafs. The high-flying offense continued to wear out the mesh, but poor defensive play raised concerns for the bench boss as well as the fanbase.
The blue and white opened the scoring 3 minutes in on a tip-in by former and current Leaf Domini...
Montreal scored a whole four goals in four games.
It's only four games in, surely! They're generating 38.8 shots per game! By my calculation, that leaves the team with a collective ~2.5% shooting percentage. So if stats guys are right, then their gambler's fallacy will tell them that this shooting percentage will shoot up to about 9-9.5% soon enough and they'll be sc...
The Buffalo Sabres are sitting at 0-2-1 and seem to be in a down spiral to start the season. The team is turning the puck over way to many times and the top players excluding Evander kane have failed to produce thus far. Goaltending has been suspect and the lack of big saves is troubling especially for a team playing a high tempo, high risk high reward game. The Sabres see...
Any delusions of the Maple Leafs cruising to a perfect 82-0 season were eliminated Wednesday night as the Devils handed them their first loss of the season by a score of 6-3. This was a rough game for the Leafs as the speed and relentlessness from the Devils forced them into a lot of critical mistakes.
Things started well enough with JVR slipping one between goalie Cor...
Over the past few weeks I have started and stopped writing this blog several times. I wanted to write about how all the woes the Edmonton Oilers are currently facing should not only have been expected, but were avoidable. Admittedly, the reason I held off was because I did not want to jump the gun and was hoping this team would prove me wrong.
That doesn't seem to be th...
After the abyssal beginning to the season, the Oilers have begun to scratch their way out of the hole. The team is 5-4-1 in their last 10 games as well as grabbed 5 of a possible 8 points on their recent Eastern road trip. With Tuesday's 8-2 smack-down of expansion team underdogs, The Golden Knights, some people may believe this team is ready to turn the corner.
Quick F...
"If you say something enough times, someone will believe you." And after tonight's performance by the Islanders in Tampa Bay it is time now that you all say to one another, "Scotty may just be right, these guys are effing good."rnrn Not only will this team win the division they will be in contention for the President's trophy.. Have you truly watched this team? To all ...
"The Oilers won against Calgary and are now going to turn the season around, everything is saved, yay."
[i]- Some Oiler Fans Right Now Probably[/i]
By now everyone who follows this team should have a fairly firm grasp on what issues plague this team. Here in my opinion is what the team's depth chart shou...
Before the 2017-2018 season started, a big part of the conversation of what would make the Oilers successful was about having a second line centre who could drive his own line. Most expected that to be Draisaitl however right now Ryan Nugent Hopkins is overshadowing him; having arguably his best season since entering the NHL.
Nuge's 19 points finds him in the same compa...
Discussing a potential Karlsson trade is easy low hanging fruit as far as writing topics go however it is also a nice change from the current state of affairs in Oil City.
Let me first state that I think Ottawa would be absolutely bonkers to trade Karlsson. Trading Karlsson should go in the same category as Crosby and McDavid; almost no return will equal the generationa...
So why is an Islanders fan writing a Hurricanes blog, well for a few reasons. My son has been a Hurricanes fan since they move to Carolina, never really said exactly why, but still roots for them today. (Maybe Grandma living there has something to do with it) I will probably be heading there in a few years to get away from all the expenses of Long Island, so naturally the...
The Oilers have significantly improved in the past few weeks. Since a 6-2 victory over the Red Wings on November 22nd the Oilers have gone 8-5 scoring 50 goals in 13 games. That is in the top tier of scoring and until I'm proven wrong is the most goals scored by any NHL team in the time period.
Don't believe me?
Tampa has scored 46 goals in that time
Winnipeg has s...
--So a happy New Year to everyone, and now how happy will it be in Carolina? Tonight is the first game in a brutal 2 week schedule for the boys from Raleigh, with 6 games in 10 days, 3 of them vs The Washington Caps, with Pittsburgh, red hot Boston, and Tampa squeezed between tonight's Cap game and a home and home tilt to wrap up the stretch.
So the going will get tough...
Fans were enjoying riding the high that was the 4 game winning streak. After that run the team had gone 7-3 in December. A run like that was essential to giving the team a fighting chance of playoff contention.
Unfortunately right after that we saw the consequences of the Bettman era point system. After two uninspiring games against the Jets (while the score was close ...
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,...
Let’s get one thing straight: the Carolina Hurricanes goaltending has been putrid.
The Canes poor netminding is the number one contributor to their position as only the final wildcard spot. That’s right – the Hurricanes should be higher. So let’s take a look at how to fix that problem.
Out of 50 goalies who have played at least 500 minutes at 5v5, Scott Darl...
Calgary Flames: Just who are these flames? Last year it looked as though the only issues were goaltending and blueline depth. Those issues looked to be shored only to have consistency plague them. No wonder Gulutzan went on a tirade. They need others to step up namely Bennett.
Edmonton Oilers: Simple, Chia Pet Chiarelli is at the helm. Still waiting for first domino, Ch...
Tim Chiasson writes...
Sebastian Aho Is A Superstar So Start Paying Attention
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
After a rookie season that saw him put up 49 points in 82 games, Sebastian Aho has elevated his game during his sophomore season to superstar forward level.
Aho is currently on pace for 66 points during his second NHL season at the ripe age of twenty years old. Impressive stuff from a player that many don’t pay attention to, and probably haven’t since he entered the...
It was only a couple short weeks ago I wrote a blog detailing how Edmonton could still make a playoff push. Unfortunetly the team decided to take a personal vendetta against me and decided to discredit me by scoring only 3 goals in their last 5 games.
Stick a fork in it people, the Oilers season is officially done.
There is going to be lots of talk about how things w...
The NHL challenge has been another addition to the game which follows the successful model in the NFL, giving another reason for anticipation for fans.
But its reach has not yet been refined.
Years ago, the "horseshoe" blue line allowed Matt Duchene to score a goal for the Avalanche, and yes, that was a blown non-call by the linesmen. It's a tough job, sometimes...
Travis Yost wrote a very revealing article a couple days ago. The link to it can be found here:
[url]https://www.tsn.ca/oilers-hampered-by-weakness-on-the-wing-1.963104[/url]
Here is the short and skinny; the Oilers wingers are really really bad. I know most people don't think an article needed to be written to know that but Yost delves much further. Looking at G/60 (g...
I appologize in advance. I am writing on a different site now and this blog isn't as well structured as it could be. Hopefully it is still worth reading.
Oilers Brass is scheduled to meet during the 5 day all start break. They are going to discuss whether there is any hope for them this season. TSN is quoting Chiarelli is not being optimistic about them deciding to ...
Stop me if you've heard this before; a player has a down year. The team gets anxious, thinking they need to move this player while they still have some value and in return acquire false dreams and bags of pucks in return. Said player then proceeds to go back to their normal ways and fans begin to wonder why we can't have nice things.
This has been a pattern for years in...
Over the next few weeks I'm going to run a bit of a series looking at some players that may be of interest to Edmonton. The first player on this list is Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens.
The Canadiens are one of the few teams that are in a worse position than the Oilers. Oiler fans were infuriated with the Taylor Hall trade but at least we still have Connor M...
“The Buffalo Sabres are a dumpster fire! How can you cheer for that team?” Says the guy who is currently a “die-hard” Tampa Bay Lightning fan…fresh off his two-year run as hardcore Penguins backer. We all know those guys. And while they are seemingly basking in championship glory year-after-year. Johnny Bandwagon will never get to experience the highs and th...
Quick fact about myself. I'm a big fan of the NHL video games. I can spend hours in Franchise Mode signing UFA's, making trades and creating the team I think would be a winner. During a season such as the Oilers are having this year; it's therapeutic.
I'm not sure about other people but when I'm building my team there is usually a couple players I always target to get o...
Been busy the last couple of weeks but I will start blogging with a bit more regularity for those who care. Here is a small piece to keep you occupied.
Last night the Oilers paid homage to the 1984-1985 Edmonton Oilers... in case anyone had forgottten in the last 20 minutes that they were a really good hockey team. It's the mantra this team follows religiously; Reward t...
Well these rumours are a surprise.
One deflected shot in the playoffs to win vs. Penguins, plus capitalizing on Rinne's terribad performance in the Stanley Cup Finals last year, the Sens win the cup with that Cinderella run.
Now they're burning on the other side of the rift of fire and screaming out to Lazarus, "Help, help! We're in tribulation!"
So is it a go...
The Stanley Cup playoffs are in view and all the teams in the league are finalizing their rosters. As Sharks fans we remember the ups and downs of trade deals of the past. The prospect of doing nothing may be worrisome. The prospect of acquiring a player that turns out like Jannik Hansen may be worse. It’s no surprise that this time of year is difficult for all Sharks fa...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
THE DEBATE - Episode 17 - 2018 NHL Trade Deadline Preview
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 17 - 2018 NHL Trade Deadline rnrnrnDebate 1 | Trade Reviews – A breakdown of all trades that have taken place leading up to NHL Trade DeadlinernDebate 2 | Trade Targets – What players will be on the move, and what teams will they end up on.rnrnThe NHL Trade Deadline is one day away. Brad Burud and Blake Friars breakdown all the t...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Flameout in Calgary, Canadian Media, and Panthers Alive
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 19
Flameout in Calgary, Canadian Media, and Panthers Alive and Well
Debate 1 | The Calgary Flameout
Debate 2 | Canadian Media Criticism
Debate 3 | Florida Panthers Alive and Well
Brad Burud and Blake Friars breakdown the Calgary Flames struggles and discuss the multitude of reasons for their drop in the standings. They...
I have been a casual fan of New Jersey Devils (NJD) since the 2011-2012 Stanley Cup Finals push and like to run small analysis on the team every now and then. I also am the fan that argues with friends trying to prove how NJD is better as a team than other teams.
Enough about me, lets dive into the reason why I have this Blog. The Final Push for playoffs. NJD have 15 g...
I was listening to Oilers Now on 630 Ched on Tuesday. Normally a great show but this one was brutul. They were talking about how some fans want to see heads roll after a season like this. Bob Nicholson was on the NHL Network saying how this season is part of their building process. To be honest, I question anyone that keeps Chiarelli at this point but Bob is untouchabl...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
THE DEBATE - Hockey Podcast - Episode 20 - Carolina Chaos
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 20
Carolina Chaos, NHL Player Poll, and No Playoff Surge
Debate 1 | Carolina removes Ron Francis at General Manager
Debate 2 | NHL Player Poll – Who are the players favorites
Debate 3 | What teams are playing themselves out of the playoffs.
Brad Burud and Blake Friars are ready to debate. What is going on in Carolina...
AarifDeen writes...
Is Carl Soderberg having an underrated offensive season?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
For NHL standards, 32-year-old Carl Soderberg is a grizzled old veteran waiting to be replaced by a young up-and-coming star. It also doesn’t help his case that he plays for a team that has preached developing younger players at the NHL level. The Colorado Avalanche are the youngest team in the NHL with an average age of 25. Soderberg is one of just two regulars on the t...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Inside Edge Hockey News Radio Show - Episode 7 - Flames Fall
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Inside Edge Hockey News Radio Show - Episode 7 -
Flames Fallout, New Taylor Hall, and Season Ticket Drives
The Inside Edge Hockey News Brad Burud discusses the struggles this year in Calgary. Will the Flames make big off-season moves if they fail to make the playoffs. Why is Taylor Hall thriving in New Jersey? How would Regina do with a season ticket drive?
[htt...
AarifDeen writes...
Where does Nathan MacKinnon's primary-point-production rank?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Nathan MacKinnon collected his fourth weekly NHL three-star honors this afternoon after posting six goals and two assists in four games for the Colorado Avalanche. MacKinnon’s eight points were one off of leader Alex Pietrangelo’s nine points. But as he’s been doing all season, MacKinnon has done a fantastic job collecting primary points. He scored six goals and adde...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 21 Rule Controversy
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 21
Rule Controversy, Serious Cup Contenders, and Playoff Format
Debate 1 | Offsides/Goalie Interference solutions – General Managers Meetings.
Debate 2 |Serious Stanley Cup Contenders
Debate 3 |NHL Stanley Cup Playoff formats – What system do you like?
Brad Burud and Blake Friars discuss offside controversy, and go...
AarifDeen writes...
MacKinnon deserve the Hart Trophy for his consistency
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Hart Trophy has been a hot topic around the NHL for the better part of this entire season. It seems like there’s a new name added to the list of potential nominees each week. While reporters everywhere have dug into all the reasons why certain players should win, I’ve decided to look at the consistency of these players throughout the year in regards to offensive pr...
Seems to be a popular title around the web. It seems rather obvious but many people go near the correct answer. It is three steps much easier said than done. I will go hardest to easiest.
1. Dump the players Chiarelli has signed as UFA's
2. Grab key UFA's
3. Dump Chiarelli (McLellan should go to if they want a cup but he can get them to the playoffs)
The first o...
The Oilers in March decided to finally put on a decent showing for it's fans, going 7-3-2 so far this month. Why the sudden change? Has it been the PK and PP finally clicking? No not really. Has it been Connor McDavid's one man show to try and earn his second straight Art Ross? Certainly hasn't hurt.
Some people are suggesting it is because of the new line combinations ...
This year's playoff hunt has now hit boiling point. In both conferences, x teams are vying for x - 1 spots, so two teams are going to lose their respective games of musical chairs.
I think what irritates me about this scenario is that both of these teams that fail to make the playoffs will quite likely end up with a higher than true 500 stat (that is 41+ wins) and es...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 22 Hart Trophy Race,
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 22
Hart Trophy Race, Burning ELC Contracts, and In or Out of Playoffs?
Debate 1 | The race for the Hart Trophy.
Debate 2 | Should teams burn a year on an entry level contract by having players play games after their college season ends.
Debate 3 | In or Out? The Playoff Race is on.
Brad Burud and Blake Friars discuss t...
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...
What if they sign Tavares and Kovalchuk in July?...
Is the Sainte-Flanelle a true contender next year!!?
By moving Max, are they a LHD puck mover away from being dangerous?
What’s troubling with this organization is player development. Through the Timmins’ drafting years, all you discover is this club’s inhability to develop true prospects!
It’s in my DNA 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...
Well that was a thing...
The 2017-2018 season came ending on Saturday night with everyone discussing the Sedin twins last game. It was a metaphorical end to the season; everyone was discussing everything except the Oilers. So... how the hell did we get here?
The Oilers entered the 2017-2018 as one of the Cup Favourites... not simply for Playoff Contention but to win ...
This will be a recurring and changing list as the summer progresses. The Oilers have some key areas they need to address. Some of these changes will be addressed internally while others will have to be acquired via trade or free agency.
Without taking into mind cap hits or chemistry. Here is how I personally believe how the Oilers current depth chart stands and where I ...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 23 2018 Stanley Cup P
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 23
2018 Stanley Cup Preview and Predictions
Debate 1 |2017-2018 Regular Season Prediction Recap
Debate 2 |2018 Western Conference Stanley Cup Playoff Preview/Predictions
Debate 3 |2018 Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Playoff Preview/Predictions
Brad Burud and Blake Friars are pumped and ready to get the Stanley Cup Playof...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Canucks Legends Retire and Humboldt Broncos Tragedy
Posted Friday | Comments 0
INSIDE EDGE HOCKEY NEWS – RADIO SHOW | EPISODE 8
Canucks Legends Retire and Humboldt Broncos Tragedy
Brad Burud is joined with guest Blake Friars to discuss Vancouver Canucks legends Daniel and Henrik Sedin. The Sedins announced their retirement two weeks prior to the end of the regular season, and the final games were very exciting and the tribute was amazing. We ...
Coaching expert Donald S. Cherry diagnosed the Edmonton Oilers in October, three games into their doomed 2017-18 season. This Coach’s Corner segment was broadcast on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017 and Cherry is in top form right from the start — “Do they have pool tables out in Red Deer?” — but the relevant bit arrives at 2:07, when Ron MacLean introduces “a little ...
Habsfan2017 writes...
The Incredible Sedin twins: Genetics and Hockey collide
Posted Friday | Comments 0
As a genetic counselor, I have always been fascinated with twins. When I meet twins, I love to talk to them and find out how similar and dissimilar they are. In the case of identical twins, I simply marvel at nature and how something so unique can happen. With fraternal twins, they are no different than siblings genetically, but I am amazed to sense the bond they share w...
Oooooooh boy it's going to be a long summer.
A few days ago Chiarelli had his media avail. I thought Todd McLellan did an admirable job. He took responsibility for his actions, spent time defending some decisions while apologizing for others, and overall gave an idea of what he expects of the team moving forward.
Everything that Chiarelli didn't do.
[b]Bye Bye Tod...
Quite a title isn't it? Now that I have your attention, what does this title really mean in terms of this time of the season? The answer is comparing last season's successes to this year's expectations. Specifically, the Washington Capitals and the Columbus Blue Jackets, and why this battle of "underdogs" is in existence and what could come from it from either side; and wh...
After a long hiatus, thousands of miles of pilgrimage and months of flogging at the altar of shame that is university, my sorry-ass has returned to begin actively writing about the Oilers! I'll be writing a long series of posts detailing my ideal (and less-than-ideal-but-still-solid) offseason targets I believe the Oilers would do well to pursue. In the process of doing so...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast - Stanley Cup Incidents and 2-0
Posted Monday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 24
Stanley Cup Incidents and 2-0 Series Leads
Debate 1 |Stanley Cup incidents – We review five incidents that took place in week one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Debate 2 |Eastern Conference Series Recap
Debate 3 |Western Conference Series Recap
Brad Burud and Blake Friars are all fired up about week one of the Stanle...
Now is the time for me to put my glasses a bit further down my nose, take out my best red pen and grade each individual Oiler on their season. I debated on the order of how I wanted to do these; alphabetically, point production, desire to make me throw things at my tv... I decided on descending jersey numbers so looks like Jesse Puljujarvi is up first.
[b]GRADE - C
[/b...
[b]Lars Eller[/b] breaks through for the Washington Capitals as they defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets by the final score of 3-2, in double overtime.
Three of the five goals were scored in the second period. Washington opened the scoring with help from defenseman Matt Niskanen, his first of the series. Tom Wilson and Alex Ovechkin got the assists.
Five minutes later, ...
If you were told at the beginning of this season that Connor McDavid would not only surpass his previous career high of 100 points, but that he would also do so by scoring 11 more goals, you would probably be thinking "playoffs are going to be fun this year."
Yeah about that....
[b]GRADE A+
[/b]
There is no other grade to give Connor McDavid another than this. He h...
MaximumBone writes...
Bone's Guide to: Unproven Atlantic division targets
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
As with last week, I'll be breaking down trade and UFA targets from Atlantic division teams but this time the aim will be to feature some more "out-of-the-box" thinking. Without further verbal-meandering, let's get to it!
[b]Boston:[/b]
C/RW, Austin Czarnik
[i]Small but talented playmaker with excellent playmaking ability. Plays with effort and has consistently ...
Before the Oilers draft 9th overall on June 22nd, before they make any UFA signings on July 1st the team needs to take care of signing the RFA players.
This is all the RFA players the Oilers have that currently have NHL contracts for the purpose of this blog I will not be discussing AHL level deals. Whether the Oilers choose to resign Kyle Platzer or Ben Betker will hav...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
THE DEBATE - Hockey Podcast -Stanley Cup Round Disappontment
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 25
Stanley Cup Round One Disappointment and NHL Coaches Shuffle
Debate 1 |NHL Coaches Shuffle
Debate 2 |Western Conference Round One Recap and Round Two Preview
Debate 3 |Eastern Conference Round One Recap and Round Two Preview
Brad Burud and Blake Friars debate the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Was it what ...
The most proven way for building a quality NHL roster while managing cap space effectively is through the draft. Drafted players are controlled for the longest period of time. A team's ability to draft NHL players through multiple rounds of the draft directly correlates to long term success.
For this endeavor I took a look at every roster in the Pacific Division from t...
MaximumBone writes...
Bone's Guide to: Proven Metropolitan division targets
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Next up, I'll be tackling proven players from teams in Metropolitan division in an effort to pilfer talent from a host of the deeper teams in the league.
[b]Carolina:[/b]
RD, Trevor Van Riemsdyk
[i]A brilliant example of an under-the-radar “3rd pairing Dman” who was nothing but effective this past season. Excelled in consistent minutes against 2nd pairing-le...
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 |Episode 13 High Scoring = Boring Hockey
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Instigator |Episode 13
High Scoring = Boring Hockey
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are off and running and goal scoring is at break neck pace. Is this good for the game? Does it make for more exciting games? Or does it make for really, really boring hockey? Fans have been screaming for more goals for years and years. Well you got that in round one of the Stanley Cup Pl...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
The Instigator - Draft Lottery a Missed Opportunity
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Instigator |Episode 14
Draft Lottery a Missed Opportunity
I really like the NHL Draft Lottery process, but I have a huge problem with how it was presented to the public this year. This is a made for television opportunity that the NHL wasted. So what should they have done, and how could they capitalize on this opportunity? Give a listen!
[https://www.spreaker....
The narrative around the Oilers off-season plans is focused on the acquisition of high end wingers and defensemen. Unfortunately the issues with the on ice talent extends much farther than the more prolific positions.
Acquiring and having cheap talent to plug and play is a practice that every NHL team incorporates. It becomes even more essential when a large amount of c...
freelancer writes...
On Chiarelli Shopping The Pick And Potential Scenarios
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Plenty of rumblings lately around the interwebs in regards to Chiarelli trading the Oilers 10th overall pick. Considering things didn't go so well the last time Chiarelli traded a first round pick (Griffin Reinhart had 12 points in 60 games in the AHL this year for those wondering) fans are reasonably concerned.
Here are a few facts about the Oilers organization.
1. ...
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...
As of now the Oilers are set to pick 10th overall in the 2018 Draft. The most debated subject right now in Oil Country is what should be done with the pick. Many trade suggestions have been given, the most recent coming from Ryan Rishaug being Klefbom and the 10th for Ristolainen... which would be a gross overpayment.
For many, the best option seems to be to hold on to ...
The new owner wants to change the team culture and is off to a running start in firing former GM Ron Francis. Bill Peters is gone to Calgary and Rod Brind'Amore and Don Waddell have been installed as the new coach and GM. Although as a hockey fan, I feel Francis did a great job building a solid foundation of defensive prospects, ie: Fleury, Bean, Hanifin and offensive pros...
rebel_deucer writes...
Vegas Golden Knights - The One Night Only Magic Trick?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
First off, the Cinderella season for the NHL that saw many teams make an unfathomable jump with continue. New Jersey, Colorado, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Vegas and some could say Washington all had way better or worse than expected seasons. The Golden Misfits as they are more appropriately branded are going to the Cup final. The question remains, was this a one night only Vegas ...
freelancer writes...
Trade Partners For Edmonton: The Carolina Hurricanes
Posted Friday | Comments 0
While the Buffalo Sabres came up big with the 1st overall pick and Rasmus Dahlin, the Hurricanes arguably had the best fortune with the Draft Lottery, moving from #11 to #2. With the #2 pick the Canes will likely be selecting Svechnikov.
So the obvious question here is.... how do the Oilers benefit from this?
Let's look at some of the players from the Hurricanes the ...
Well the news we have been expecting for the past couple weeks was finally made official today as the Oilers announce Glen Gulutzan, Trent Yawney, and Manny Viveiros as assistant coaches with Todd McLellan.
A couple quick notes from the press conference.
- McLellan has said that the special teams will be worked on collectively. However he expects Gulutzan and Viveiro...
freelancer writes...
Salary Cap Projections Must Be Properly Utilized By Edmonton
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Hello everyone,
I'm Sean Maloughney (Ma-lock-nee for those who are interested to know) and I'll be doing my best to keep you, the masses entertained for at least the time being (I'm still a freelancer after all). As Matt Henderson put in his own farewell quite eloquently, being a blogger is critical in this day and age of media. Those who are employed by the teams you c...
Today via his Instagram account, AHL goaltender Nick Ellis announced his retirement from professional hockey and his plans to start teaching and coaching with the Boys' Varsity Hockey and Lacrosse club of Cantebury School.
The young goaltender is 24 and came off a rougher season, sporting a .898 Sv% in 22 games played with the Bakersfield Condors. One does wonder whethe...
Ryan Nugent Hopkins is a player amidst an evolution. When he entered the league fans were impressed by his brilliant passing and moves on the powerplay. Over the years Nuge started looking less flashy but showed incredible poise for a young player on defense; on those earlier Oiler teams in particular someone had to play defense. Now Todd McLellan has let Nuge back off the...
Plenty going on in the NHL right now but nothing that I can't comment on in a few sentences or less. So in no particular order let's get to it.
Keegan Lowe signed a 2 year two way contract with the Oilers worth 675,000. At first glance it's easy to see the name Lowe and start seething however Lowe had a good showing with the Condors last season and certainly deserves an...
MaximumBone writes...
Bone's (Accelerated) Guide to: The Rest of the League
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Not that anyone gives a damn but, on account of the wholesale failure of my laptop, I'm now gonna fast track the remainder of my [i]Guides to Player Acquisition[/i] in an effort to stay on schedule. As such, I'll cover the remainder of my ideal targets in this blog!
[b]Carolina:[/b]
LW, Warren [b]GODDAM[/b] Foegele
[i]If you've followed my posts in the Oilers th...
With one single flip of a card...seven years of disappointment and ineptitude were seemingly washed away.
Now...less than two months later. Common sense has also seemingly been washed away.
With the anticipated addition of super-prospect, Rasmus Dahlin, the Sabres appear to have a bona-fide #1 defenseman on the horizon. For many, it seems as though the Stanley Cu...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Caps Hoist Cup, Island of the Unknown, and Draft Talk
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 27
Caps Hoist Cup, Island of the Unknown, and Draft Talk
Debate 1 |The Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup
Debate 2 |New Management for the New York Islanders
Debate 3 |Will the NHL Draft be an active trade day
The Washington Capitals have won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. How did they do it? Brad Bur...
The easy predictions are as follows:
1) Buffalo Sabres- Ramus Dahlin
2) Carolina Hurricanes- Andrei Svechnikov
3) Montreal Canadiens- Flip Zadina
4) Ottawa Senators - Brady Tkachuk
5) Arizona Coyotes- Noah Dobson
The less than likely draft predictions:
1) Carolina trades either Jeff Skinner, Justin Faulk, Victor Rask, or Scott Darling
for either a ...
The offseason is officially underway, and the Penguins are preparing for what figures to be a relatively routine Summer. Pittsburgh will enter the draft with the core of their squad under contract, and will no doubt be scouring the ranks of eligible prospects in hopes of adding impactful talent to a farm system relatively devoid of it. The Penguins will not have much cap r...
My intent in writing this list is to test the effectiveness of a predictive, statistical model that I value and- in doing so- confirm or deny the stances I've taken on these players. In conjunction with some limited viewings of these players (mostly through OHL Live and WHL Live), I want to put to the test the assumption that one needs to spend egregious amounts of time ph...
What we know for sure. Chiarelli is shopping the first round pick and he has also said that improving the blue line is his main goal. Actually he claimed they needed "tweaking" but that was the only thing he mentioned other than the players need to play better. He is not wrong.
Oilers need Talbot, Klefbom, Larsson, Lucic and Sekeras to simply be better. I would say ...
SeanyCanuck writes...
Caps win! Caps win! First blog for a fanatic Canuck fan.
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Hello all, my name is Sean Desjardins and I currently live in Fort St John, BC after moving from Vancouver three years ago. My favourite teams are the Canucks and the Lightning and I love aggressive, puck control, pinching teams like the Lightning and Nashville. I love hockey at all times of the season, but fully understand the draw of the playoffs as the effort and stak...
MaximumBone writes...
Oilers at the Entry Draft: Drafting a Forward 10th
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
As was stated in the first of this series of draft blogs, I'll be operating under this template (though it seems as though it might have shifted a tad the last few days):
[quote][i]Depending on who you ask, there's about a 10 player "top-tier" that generally goes as follows:
Dahlin #1
Svechnikov #2
Zadina, Tkachuk and Dobson #3-5
Hughes, Wahlstrom, Bouchard, Boqvist...
MaximumBone writes...
Oilers at the Entry Draft: Later Round Draft Targets
Posted Friday | Comments 0
To conclude my draft series, the following is list of a number of players I'd be pushing for the Oilers to pick. Last year's version of this list included names like Henri Jokiharju (CHI), Kole Lind (VAN), Kirill Maksimov (EDM) and Benjamin Jones (VGK).
[b][u]2nd round targets:[/u][/b]
Aside from my aforementioned targets in Hillis and Olofsson, a few other names I...
Many may say that Brooks Orpik isn’t what the New Jersey Devils need. He’s an aged veteran, that’s a bit slower than your average Devil these days.
[b]Or[/b]
Is Orpik just what the Devils lack at the moment. A defenseman that won’t be pushed around. He does the pushing, the checking, and the hitting. Something the Devils severely lacked on their blue line th...
I got quite a kick out of the initial reaction to the Hamilton trade on day-two of the draft. Everything from 'Worst trade in Flames' history' to 'Fire Treliving Immediately'. Holy over reaction Batperson!
Dougie's name had been popping up in rumours since the end of this dismal season and it was disclosed after the trade that the teams had been working on the deal for ...
With the news that players like Anthony Duclair and Tobias Rieder are heading toward UFA status, I've figured now would be as good a time as any to layout my idea of a reasonable offseason plan for the Oilers to (not) follow.
The primary focuses for the Oilers should be as follows:
[b]1.) Secure significant RFAs (Nurse, Strome and Benning)
2.) Pursue cheap skill
3....
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast - NHL Draft Shuffle,
Posted Monday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 29
NHL Draft Shuffle, Flames/Canes Trade and Top Targets
Debate 1 |NHL Draft – Winners and Losers
Debate 2 |Flames/Canes Blockbuster Trade
Debate 3 |NHL Free-Agents and Trade Targets
Its NHL Draft time and Brad Burud and Blake Friars breakdown the winners and losers, and what players moved up and what players fell in...
royalgardens writes...
Maple Leafs and John Tavares?; LA Kings Future?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Tavares to Leafs? Panarin to Kings?
Figured it was about time to start speaking up for a change.
First, congrats to the Washington Capitals on winning their first ever Stanley Cup title. It sure seemed bleak when it came down to the Caps vs. Vegas in the end; rooting for a perennial playoff choker to put an end to Mr. Bettman’s disgusting Vegas Cinderella story, b...
When todays trade news broke that toronto had sent Matt Martin to the Islanders for goaltender Eamon McAdam, a former 3rd round pick in 2013, I thought now would be a good time to access the leafs logjam of minor league goaltenders.
I think it is quite clear that this trade was nothing more than than a salary dump, as McAdam doesn't project as more than an ECHL goalie. ...
The Penguins lost Tom Kuhnhackl, Carter Rowney, and Josh Jooris via free agency this year. The Penguins PK was ranked 17th in the league out of 31. The biggest problem was that the bottom 6 was not producing offensively. In 69 games, Tom Kuhnhackl had only 8 points, and for Carter Rowney just a lousy 5 points in 41 games.
But, DAD IS BACK! Matt Cullen returned this off...
29 August, 2018
Hello Hockeyverse. I know it has been so long since I have last blogged, but now I have come back, with more rest and focus on getting the best work to you guys possible.
However, I am looking this year to continue my work with more than just the Blue Jackets, focusing on the entire league, and the other minor and developmental leagues.
Today, I will...
After a crazy ride of a year where two teams many predicted to not come close to a cup were in the final; it is time to follow that up with more predictions.
Western Conference:
Central:
1. Nashville Predators - 115 pts
A slight dip just because it can be difficult to maintain, but this is the team to beat in the Central.
2. Winnipeg Jets - 113 pts
A closer figh...
We're about a month away from puck drop, and I don't remember being more excited for October to arrive. It's a bit a of wierd statement coming from a Habs fan, considering the state of the team, so I figured I'd share my excitement with you guys.
First part : it could be quick...Wait, what could be quick? I'm talking about how the 2018-19 season is going to go for the ...
The NHL season starts in 23 days and it's a long way until April so here is my Playoff Prediction for the 2018-2019 Season.
Metropolitan: 1. Capitals 2. Penguins 3. Devils
Atlantic: 1. P-Lightning 2. Maple Leafs 3. Bruins
Wild card 1: Panthers Wild Card 2: Flyers
p* Presidents Trophy Winner
No playoffs for the Blue Jackets? Well, the distraction of Art...
With the Flames first preseason game in China less than a week away the long wait for the new season is almost over. It is a season that has many fans of the team optimistic about a playoff berth and maybe more. The new look squad will be competing this weekend against the highly regarded Boston Bruins. Although this matchup will feature watered down preseason squads it wi...
First off, lets rejoice, it's finally hockey time again!!
-
Here is one man's pick for the final 18-19 NHL standings (*wildcards):
EAST
Atlantic
1. Tampa 116
2. Toronto 113
3. Boston 105
4. Florida* 96
5. Buffalo 86
6. Ottawa 80
7. Montreal 78
8. Detroit 72
Metro
1. Pittsburgh 105
2. Philadelphia 101
3. Washington 100
4. Columbus* 97
5. Carolina 89
6...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
THE DEBATE Hockey Podcast -Predictions and Team Previes
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Brad Burud and Blake Friars are back for season two of THE DEBATE Hockey Podcast. The 31st episode is all about predictions and the NHL season ahead. They breakdown and debate which NHL teams are on the move up and which are on the move down. Then they talk Eastern and Western Conference and give you insight on who will win each division and most importantly the Stanley...
In this today, we will hit the news and noteworthy information on the contract extensions on the front office and coaching staff, and tournament and training camp notes.
Front Office staff and management were all given new contract extensions, including President John Davidson, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, and associate general manager Bill Zito.
Davidson has be...
Kevinmay7 writes...
The Sharks Better Than I Expected Now? Erik Karlsson To SJ
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
A few days ago, I predicted the sharks would miss the playoffs in 2019. I felt that Chicago would push up and have a comeback season after a disaster 2018 and that Colorado would have the other spot due to their young guys stepping up and Grubauer taking half the starts with Colorado's current starter Semyon Varlamov.
But as off today, Multiple reports have said that th...
Training camps for all 31 teams have opened up, with tryouts signed; players dealt; extensions handed out; and new faces coming aboard across
the entire league. For the Blue Jackets. The Jackets have one of the youngest rosters in the entire league, with plenty of open spots.
One big spot to look up front is third/fourth line center. The Jackets have three centers figh...
Tonight is the first contest of the preseason for the Blue Jackets, and tonight they take on the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo is coming into this season as a younger and stronger team. They made a lot of moves throughout the offseason. They dealt center Ryan O'Reilly to the St. Louis Blues in a blockbuster deal for wingers Patrik Berglund; Vladimir Sobotaka; center Tage Thompso...
Wh Keep Panarin is a Bad Idea
It was announced earlier today by TSN's Darren Dreger that the Blue Jackets have no interest in trading winger Artemi Panarin. Dreger added they were working to continue convincing him to stay with the team for the long haul. Panarin is a pending free agent, and is making $6 million dollars this season, and will seek a bigger raise on a new...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
20 Preseason Questions - THE DEBATE Hockey Podcast
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 32
20 Preseason Questions
Brad Burud and Blake Friars discuss the monster Erik Karlsson trade, Robin Lehner Mental Health struggles, and Humboldt closure. Then they dive into 20 preseason quesions. Who is this years biggest bust? Who is the biggest rivalry? How many Canadian teams will make the playoffs? The questions keep co...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Suckerpunch, Unsigned RFA’s, and Preseason Standouts
Posted Monday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 33
Suckerpunch, Unsigned RFA’s, and Preseason Standouts
Brad Burud and Blake Friars prep for the start of the NHL season by discussing preseason standouts. Lots of great young talented showcased in the preseason, and some will be taking roster spots. Domi suckerpunched Ekblad – the reaction and the results of this stupid ...
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...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
The Hot Seat, Injuries, and Young Roster Breakers
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 34
The Hot Seat, Injuries, and Young Roster Breakers
Brad Burud and Blake Friars prep for the start of the NHL regular season. What coaches and general managers are on the hot seat. There are definitely a few that better be looking over their shoulder. Injuries have already plagued some teams heading in to night one of the regu...
As the season begins (and the Nylander saga drags on), many Leaf fans find themselves searching for ways to reassure themselves that the Buds will be able to secure all of their core pieces long-term. While adding Tavares was undoubtedly an excellent move, it has certainly muddied the waters in terms of the club’s ability to lock down the trio of Matthews, Marner, and Ny...
October 4, 2018
The regular season for the Blue Jackets opened on the road against the Detroit Red Wings at the Little Caesar's Arena.
The Wings are a team in a full rebuild, focusing on youth as their older players either retire or continue to get injured. The Red Wings lost their captain, Henrik Zetterberg, to a career ending back injury, forcing him to leave his ...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
THE DEBATE Hockey Podcast - Hot Starts and Controversy
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The NHL season is one week old and its time for Brad Burud and Blake Friars to discuss what went down in week one of the season. Who is off to a hot start and who is struggling. Injuries are taking their toll on numerous teams. I think we are all in agreement when we say we are tired about hearing how great the Toronto Maple Leafs are…. we discuss. And, don’t forget th...
When the Capitals face a familiar foe on Wednesday at Capital One Arena in the Vegas Golden Knights, they will have a couple of new faces in the line-up. One looks to get back to regular minutes on the Caps back-end while another makes his Capitals debut.rnrnMichal Kempny returns after missing the first two games while recovering from a concussion suffered in the pre-seas...
When the Capitals face a familiar foe on Wednesday at Capital One Arena in the Vegas Golden Knights they will have a couple of new faces in the line-up. One looks to get back to regular minutes on the Caps backend while another makes his Capitals debut.
Michal Kempny returns after missing the first two games while recovering from a concussion suffered in the pre-season...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
The Instigator |Episode 16 1,260,162 Thank You’s to the NHL
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Instigator |Episode 16
1,260,162 Thank You’s to the NHL
Well the wildly overpaid goon for the Washington Capitals is back at it again, but this time the National Hockey League makes him pay for it. In the Capitals final preseason game, forward Tom Wilson landed a vicious head shot on St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist. The was needless and extremely danger...
For the second time in 4 games the Washington Capitals are facing another backend of back to back games on the road. After suffering a 7-6 OT loss last week to Pittsburgh on the second night, the Caps will look to win their first road game in New Jersey vs the Devils. The Caps have 10 remaining back to backs this season. The Caps where 21-15-5 on the road last season.
A...
For the second time in 4 games the Washington Capitals are facing another backend of back to back games on the road. After suffering a 7-6 OT loss last week to Pittsburgh on the second night, the Caps will look to win their first road game in New Jersey vs the Devils. The Caps have 10 remaining back to backs this season. The Caps where 21-15-5 on the road last season.
A...
October 11 2018---- Sorry for being super busy over the weekend. Other committmnets came in the way from producing any furhter articles over the weekend.
Firstly, I will catch everyone up with the game action, injury news, and then look at the competition this evening, with the return of two former Blue Jackets players.
The Blue Jackets opened the season on the road ag...
Written by Zak October 12 2018
The Columbus Blue Jackets held on to defeat the Florida Panthers by the final score of 5-4, in regulation.
Zach Werenski opened the scoring on the power play with his first of the season. Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson had the assists. Panarin added onto the lead with his third of the season; Pierre-Luc Dubois had the assis...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Player Survey, Calgary Flames, and Dirtiest Player
Posted Friday | Comments 0
INSIDE EDGE HOCKEY NEWS – RADIO SHOW | EPISODE 10
Player Survey, Calgary Flames Outlook, and Dirtiest Player
Brad Burud talks about a NHL player survey done by Kevin Allen of USA Today. What do players think about concussions, surprise teams, expansion, and the potential lockout. The answers may just surprise you. Then Auddie James joins the show to breakdown the C...
The Washington Capitals host the high scoring Toronto Maple Leafs at 7PM EST at Capital One Arena. While Washington has had the upper hand the last couple seasons on the Leafs including a playoff series victory in 2017 and a win in the Outdoor Classic, Toronto is a different team this season as they are 4-1 and have recorded three wins on the road so far while scoring at w...
October 15,2018
Written by: Zak MacMillan
The Tampa Bay Lightning routed the Columbus Blue Jackets by the final score of 8-2!
AH! WHAT DOES THIS MEAN??? Is it the end? Call for a shakeup! Deal the rentals! No no, stay calm. It's just one game against one of the top teams. First, let's go over the results, then analyze.
Starting in the first, the past came back to...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Matthews$, Offer Sheets, Pettersson Slam and Teams in Troubl
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 36
Matthews$, Offer Sheets, Pettersson Slam and Teams in Trouble
Brad Burud and Blake Friars are fired up to talk Austin Matthews money. Is his future in Toronto? How much will he get paid? Can the Leafs afford him? What is the chance of an offer sheet on him or William Nylander? Then they dive (or slam) into the Elias Petterss...
October 18, 2018
The Jackets are in a gritty metropolitan division battle tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers and Jackets are similar and different in a lot of ways. The Flyers and Jackets have young offensive groups, but they Flyers is stronger; they both have elite young defensemen, with the Jackets more prominent, and the Flyers having more in numbers...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
The Instigator |Episode 17 Death Threats…C’mon People
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Instigator |Episode 17
Death Threats…C’mon People
Well the Elias Pettersson hit from Florida Panthers defenseman Michael Matheson was one thing, but death threats is way out of line. The suspension was handed down from the NHL and it was two games. Was it a little much, yes maybe, but then in the week following Matheson has now received death threats from Van...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
The Instigator |Episode 18 Stop the Childish Celebration
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Instigator |Episode 18
Stop the Childish Celebration
I am all for having fun when you play hockey. That is why we play the game..but what the Carolina Hurricanes have been doing after wins at home has me shaking my head. What is happening to this league. This is the most childish celebrations I have ever seen. Just when you thought that was the extent of the cele...
INSIDE EDGE HOCKEY NEWS – RADIO SHOW | EPISODE 11
Goalie Outrage and Place your Bets
NHL goalies are outraged by the new equipment regulations and claim that the reduced size chest protectors are leaving them exposed to injury. Numerous goalies have spoken out about the bruises they are receiving and are pushing for changes. Brad Burud talks about the current situa...
It's been a breath of fresh air to have a team to cheer for again.
Our Habs this year have come flying out of the gate. They have had some hiccups along the way so far, but overall its been a fast and exciting team which has been night and day from last years roll over and die edition.
Early returns suggest that we won the Galchenyuk and Pacioretty trades hands down...
It has essentially been a great start for Canadian Teams. All teams are competing in some way for playoffs. That being said, we are seeing the senators fall as they should have. Other teams have been hot and cold. So what do we make of all this?
Let's start with the East.
Toronto Maple Leafs:
This team is always going to be the most hated and most liked, that will n...
The Instigator |Episode 19
Malkin Hit on Oshie | Overreaction?
When Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin drove his shoulder in to the head of Washington Capitals forward TJ Oshie the hockey world went crazy. Half of the people were screaming for a suspension and half thought the match penalty was outrageous. It was an interesting play and call. Brad Burud brea...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Nylander Sign or Trade and the Inconsistent Oilers
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE - Hockey Podcast - Episode 40 - Nylander Sign or Trade and the Inconsistent Oilers
Are you sick and tired of thinking and speculating what will happen with William Nylander. Brad Burud and Blake Friars are too. For the last time they break down possible trade scenarios for Nylander, and discuss the possibility that he still may sign with the Toronto Maple L...
Inside Edge Hockey News Radio Show - Episode 12 - Goaltending Disaster
The NHL season is one month old and one of the most surprising stories of this young season is the struggles that goaltenders are having thus far. The numbers are disastrous. Brad Burud discusses what goalies are struggling, and gives insight into why these struggles are taking place. He talks abo...
To all of my fellow HockeyBuzz people...
I have been visiting this website for close to 8 years.
I have created an account today out of pure disgust for the blogs that the head writers/sabres writers have been passing off as journalism for the past x amount of years (except Pachla, he's good).
Please stay tuned, I hope to start writing more and more as the season ...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Panic in Pittsburgh and Players Under the Radar
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE - Hockey Podcast - Episode 41 - Panic in Pittsburgh and Players Under the Radar
Brad Burud and Blake Friars talk Pittsburgh Penguins. Should there be panic in the "Steel City" or is all the panic premature. The Penguins find themselves in last place and the hockey world is so not used to seeing that. Then its time to breakdown all the players off to hot st...
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...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Nylander Saga Finally Ends and Wilson Antics
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 43
Nylander Saga Finally Ends and Wilson Antics
The William Nylander saga is now over in Toronto. What does this mean for the Leafs. What does it mean for their salary cap future, and what does it mean for pending RFA players. Brad Burud and Blake Friars are breaking it all down, and they are full of opinions. Then Tom Wilson i...
The Instigator |Episode 20
Reaves Night of Revenge
Vegas Golden Knights tough guy Ryan Reaves got his revenge on Washington Capitals enforcer Tom Wilson. It came with a vicious blind sided hit. Was it revenge for beating them in the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals or was it revenge for all of the dirty hits and players he has injured over the past few years. I am guessing th...
THE DEBATE - Hockey Podcast - Episode 44 - Seattle Joins the Party
The National Hockey League has officially announced the expansion of teams to thirty-two. Seattle will join the party for the 2021-2022 season. Brad Burud and Blake Friars give their thoughts on Seattle and talk about their odds of success and the hurdles that they will face. They then move topics to ...
For the first time in a very long time, the Buffalo Sabres could possible be BUYERS at the trade deadline.
No you read the correctly, I said Buyers...
At 12:00am on Thursday December 20th, the NHL will begin its Holiday Roster Freeze, and before that happens we have a lot of NHL teams that will either commit to salvaging their teams season, or commit to the race for ...
royalgardens writes...
Memo to Babcock/Dubas: Current Leafs Team Needs Shakeup
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Leafs are A Mess! A Shakeup Is Needed![/b]
Since the Toronto Maple Leafs finally were able to sign William Nylander to a deal, this club has instantly turned into a mess. A bad mess; whereas before the Nylander signing things were a good mess.
[b]Both Auston Matthews and William Nylander Hurting the Team, Nowhere Near 100%[/b]
I think the deal for Nylander is f...
As I listened to the broadcast last night, then watched the game when I arrived home. I feel that aside from the obvious exhaustion due to the game frequency, as well as players playing above there slotting, the ref's have too much influence on the game. While I delve deeper into these thoughts. I am going to go into the game killing, momentum changing Patrick Maroon...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 45
Philly Disaster and Bye Bye Berglund$
The Philadelphia Flyers are not in the Christmas spirit as they fire head coach Dave Hakstol. The team is in disarray and Brad Burud and Blake Frairs have their opinions, and they are not very nice. It seems like Philadelphia forgets how to be professional sometimes. Then Patrik Berg...
The Instigator |Episode 21
Winter Classic Rerun: Same Teams Every Year
The Winter Classic is set to play on New Years Day. A great tribute to how hockey began, outside, but…why in the world do we have to watch the same teams each year. This years matchup is the Chicago Blackhawks versus the Boston Bruins at historic Notre Dame Stadium. Sounds epic right, not so muc...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 46
Stars Blasted by Ownership
Dallas Stars ownership blasted superstars Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin in the media. The vulgar statements sent shock waves throughout the hockey world. Brad Burud and Blake Friars discuss the crazy situation, and give insight on what set off this tyraid and what will the ramifications be. Then the...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 47
Midseason Shockers and All-Stars Skip Out
The NHL has hit the midseason mark. Brad Burud and Blake Friars talk about the biggest surprises thus far. There are some very interesting ones. Can you believe the amount of goals scored? Then it is time to talk NHL All-Star Game, and players electing to skip out. With Alexander Ove...
With some of the problems the Leafs seems to be having on D and the booing of 51 I’m thinking the Leafs may have a way to improve the défense before they trade for an up grade with their current D. With 92’s improvement and 22’s struggles I see something that could help. If you put 22 down to the 3rd painting with 23 and bring 92 up with 51 I believe Jake will do be...
I'm not a hockey insider. I'm a fan. I don't understand or pay attention to the advanced analytical stats. I watch/play hockey for fun and enjoy it for what it is, a sport (but I am not naive that it is a business too). rnrnNHL '94 may be the greatest sports game ever created. rnrnIt is unbelievable that there has not been a CBJ blog on here since October of last year. rnr...
When the Oilers hired Peter Chiarelli, it reeked of desperation to the point where ownership thought that giving autonomy to someone who won a cup would guarantee a cup. They never did a background check nor looked as to why he may have been fired just said look there is a cup, he is perfect. His resume is that of talent degradation and he did just that again for Edmonton....
rebel_deucer writes...
I Say Keep The All Star Game... Here's Tip To Improve
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Look I know that many think the all star is stupid, a farce, hurts the league and doesn't belong. Many seem to forget this is mainly an event for kids and hence why the nhl keeps it and continues to try and improve it. Some of it has worked. Lately people seem to get into the 3 on 3 tournament. Here are some ideas I think would improve the game for the fans.
1st - Keep...
The Instigator |Episode 23
Columbus “Pull the Trigger”
Trade or not. Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky has put the Columbus Blue Jackets and General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen in a difficult position. Do you keep them for a playoff run or gather assets for the future and still take a playoff run?? Time for a decision. Brad Burud from Inside Edge Hockey News gives...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 52
Hey! We are fans too…
It is our most selfish episode ever, but a damn good one. Brad Burud and Blake Friars talk about what they love. It is time to talk about their favorite teams. Blake talks about why he is a Vancouver Canucks fan. Talks about his greatest moments as a Canucks fan and tells you why he thinks they wi...
First Move by Gretzky. Keith that is and a good one IMO.
Moving Cam Talbot to Philly in exchange for young tendy Anthony Stolarz was a good move.
Good for both goalies. We all know that the deal was to make cap space for Sekera’s return.
The Oil benefits from a younger tendy that can put compete on Koskinen. You don’t think Stolarz is going to want to prove hi...
It started with Chris Wagner, and it ended with Wagner.
Finishing off a California swing of three games in four nights, the Bruins completed the California sweep with a 6-5 overtime win over the Sharks. But the win didn’t come without drama and controversy.
In the first, Chris Wagner’s tip of a shot trickled past Martin Jones, but before the puck could, in real ...
archromat writes...
A Bunch of Questions: about offside, tavares, sabres, etc
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
In no particular order:
I notice goalies have been getting much taller lately; I also notice that the "slap shot" is going away. Is this all a result of those mega flex sticks that do the work for the player? If there was an insane reversion to the wood sticks, would the goalies get smaller again and would the slap shot make a comeback?
The Sabres looked really good...
Tim Chiasson writes...
Carolina Hurricanes Finally Getting Results They Deserve
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Have the Carolina Hurricanes turned a corner? Or have they simply been playing this good all year without results?
Spoiler alert: it’s the latter. Let’s start at the beginning of the year and go through the 31st of December.
The Hurricanes controlled 56.33% of shot attempts at 5v5 through the first 38 games of the year, yet they only sported a 16-7-5 record which...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 56
Playoff Format and Playoff Ready Goalies
It is very close to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Brad Burud and Blake Friars talk playoff format. Should it be 1-8 in the conference? Should it be choose your opponent? or Should it stay as is? They definitely have their opinions on this one. Then it is time to argue what goalies ar...
The Instigator |Episode 27
Who is the Right Captain?
How important is a good captain to the growth of a hockey franchise? What type of player makes the best captain? All questions that are critical to a teams success. Do all NHL teams have the correct person as captain or has the pressures to select the young goal scorers outweighed the importance of leadership. Brad...
The Instigator |Episode 28
Doughty: Criticism to Boost Your Ego
This week Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty set the hockey world a buzz with this comments prior to a game in Calgary. He praised Mark Giordano, but criticized Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson on their defensive capabilities. He then took aim at Matthew Tkachuk of the Calgary Flames. He claimed that...
Peter Chiarelli left the Oilers in terrible shape when he was fired as GM however the team is not far off of a playoff spot this year. I don't like the Oilers odds of making the playoffs but they are still competing with really only 3 good players and some filler. Still we know this and I will get to the point. The future might not be as dark as it looks for the Oilers ...
A lot of rabble rousing has occurred this season with Toronto and Boston headed on a third date, and know what third dates mean. It means Toronto fans get really unhappy because their team gets ... again.
So when the Toronto fan base is angry, it causes a rumble in the hockey world, largely because they have the greatest influence over the network that arguably still h...
Toronto Boston was supposed to be the talked-about series the next day... was among fans of those teams, I'm certain, but much of the talk was amount the Sharks' 5 minute power play after their captain hit their head on the ice.
I let this slide: I always thought passively that it was the right call, but on the wrong player, so whatever. Vegas is the team that couldn...
Tim Chiasson writes...
Carolina Hurricanes Could Benefit From Special Teams Changes
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Carolina Hurricanes are dominating the NHL playoffs at 5v5, but their special teams play has left much to be desired.
Carolina’s weakness in the playoffs has been their penalty kill and power play units struggling to find success. The Hurricanes poor special teams play nearly wasted a dominating possession performance against Washington.
Tampa found out just ho...
Nuttybynature writes...
Can Holland be the saviour Oilers desperately need?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
Is Holland a great GM or is Holland a terrible GM? Both statements are lies and both are truths. Why is that, like any other GMs and even his Oiler predecessor, he has had trouble during the cap era. The question is how much is his fault and how much has he learned.
One of the greatest things of his Red Wings dynasty days and passed was the ability to assess talent and ...
Oh the fun part when your team is eliminated. The blame game. The leafs is no different, and everyone will love to blame Babcock. Babcock this and Babcock that but the real question is how much is really on Babcock. This is a personal opinion from what I saw.
First, we will start with Babcock. As I havr already stated before, he does come with obvious flaws, but the mor...
Before I write this post, I will ask you to put these concepts in order of importance.
- Flawless Officiating
- Fun to play
- Entertaining
- Profitable
Now you might ask: "why can't we have them all?": but it's known when you try to accomplish everything, you more usually end up accomplishing nothing: see Theresa May's approach to Brexit as an example.
So now...
Been a while, [expletive removed for reasons]!
In honour of the latest bout of disappointment the Oilers chose to throw at us, I figured now would be a great time to review my targets from last offseason and quantify whether I'm more or less disappointing than my favourite team! First, we ought to set the bar: by how many criteria did the Oilers disappoint?
[b]1.)[...
Rookiefan writes...
Why Jacob Trouba is the Only RFA that NJD Should Offer Sheet
Posted Monday | Comments 0
New Jersey Devils (NJD) did not make it to the playoffs this season (2018-2019). Since then both Taylor Hall and Ray Shero have stated that NJD needs more talent. This prompted a lot of fans to look toward the UFA and the RFA class of 2019 in order to fill in the roster spots.
This article only looks at those few RFA players that the fan base wants to offer sheet. Ther...
The draft can not get here soon enough. Mostly as it should be the start of Holland fixing the Oilers. I can say this with certainty because they can't get anymore broken. Also the draft's arrival will stop sites like TSN.ca claiming that Kakko is "closing the gap" on Hughes. There is no actual gap. NJ is picking one player and that is going to be Hughes. Are they lo...
archromat writes...
A Trade is Like a Storm - On Marner, Subban, Trouba, etc.
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Storms are born near the equator of the planet and flow outwards. They are born from water currents in the oceans. They are born when low pressure systems get pinched by high pressure systems. They are born when accumulated water vapour creates conduction between two positive spheres in the planet, causing electrical exchange we know as lightning. (See Electric Univers...
This is a team breakdown for what strategy I'd take as every team.
I'm going to skip over the Devils and the Rangers at 1 and 2 since it's fairly obvious the Devils will take Hughes and the Rangers Kakko. I'm also going no farther than 16 because after that, the possibilities are endless and these combine interviews and scouts could have come up with anything.
Chi...
10. Patrick Laine
Of all the entries on this list, Laine’s inclusion is a bit of an oddity. It’s not like the young sniper had a terrible season. He still hit the 30-plus goal plateau and finished the year with a more than respectable 50 points. It’s just his numbers could have been so much better.
After a somewhat slow start to the season, Laine went absolutel...
I have been rather critical of several GMs in the past that have certainly proven me wrong - namely Sakic's situation a few years ago about how his team lacked an identity, and Yzerman's dealing with Stamkos even though I believe that situation was still handled clumsily - and I have defended some of Chiarelli's moves - that Griffin Reinhart deal with Barzal was available ...
Mitch Marner is awesome. He plays very well in space, creates space, and finds open players at an elite level. He competes hard on the back-check, is a good penalty killer, and has a very high IQ for the game. I really like Mitch Marner. I could just end my blog here with a rant about how we should keep him at all costs and Dubas needs to break the bank to sign him. B...
Liscio3 writes...
Why not try and dump Ceci and sign Gardiner to 1 year.
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Hello all, first time writer here and big time leaf fan! Given the leafs current cap crunch and the never ending Mitch Marner saga, i found it odd the leafs signed Ceci instead of attempting to walking away through arbitration and spend that 4.5M elsewhere? I get Gardiner can make HUGE head scratching blunders but he’s consistently titling the ice in the right direction ...
It has been a rough stretch in Motown. It is reminiscent of “Casey at the Bat”, a favorite childhood story. Casey could never strike out. He gets cocky and then boom, “There is no joy in Mudville, mighty Casey has struck out”. In relevant terms to Wings fans, “There is no joy in Motown, the (once) mighty Red Wings have struck out”. For the first time in decades...
Jeremy Laura writes...
Detroit Red Wings - Jan Levine is absolutely correct
Posted Friday | Comments 0
If you tuned into the buzz cast today https://youtu.be/W6ovFCy8REs there was some speculation regarding Jake Gardiner, and where he’ll end up. Buffalo, Montreal, even Pittsburgh seem like realistic landing places. And then, Detroit was mentioned. I cringed. Not because he wouldn’t make us better, Gardiner is a significant upgrade to our D. No, because as this ship slow...
After Steve Yzerman’s first draft as Detroit’s General Manager, you started to hear a theme. All of this year’s picks had “high compete levels”. Starting with Moritz Seider at 6th overall, Yzerman and company put their signatures on this team’s future.
This feels oddly Babcockian in nature, as that is still the drum he beats in Toronto. On a Maple Leafs te...
Jeremy Laura writes...
Eklund did me a solid, plus Detroit’s potential free agents
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
If you listened to the hockeybuzz podcast https://youtu.be/A7YJm5TQ2hU today (8/13) you may have heard something bizarre at around the 45 minute mark. Ek did me the world’s biggest solid and actually read part of my blog! I was shocked and delighted. My poor wife of almost 20 years (this Thursday the 15th) must have thought I’d received an award for my latest iTunes ...
Eklund and co broke some news for Detroit Red Wings fans near the end of the buzz cast today (8/14) First, Yzerman traded for Adam Erne. This one seems to be a head scratcher unless there is a player going out or that they plan to bury in GR. Erne still needs to sign a new deal, but Yzerman wouldn’t make the trade unless he was confident. This, to me, seems like he’s ...
Jeremy Laura writes...
Detroit will, literally, be half the team it is now
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
At this point in the summer, before prospects tournaments and training camps, I find myself pouring over Cap Friendly. Just for fun. Nerdy, time consuming fun. As this year stands, Detroit is at 47 contracts and 4 mil under the cap. Factor in Zetterburgh and Franzen on LTIR and it’s more like 14 mil. Enough contract space and cap space to sign a college free agent or tak...
The obvious answer is, of course. Trades can always happen, especially at the deadline when I expect the Wings to be out of contention. More pressing, however, is can Steve Yzerman make a significant move that will raise up the entire organization? This is one of those trades that will cost you. Someone is going to head out that could potentially become a difference maker...
In my last blog [/url]https://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=18273&user_id=260089 I looked at possible trades based on strong performances. While I’m not eager to see it ever happen, Athanasiou could be the strongest piece Steve Yzerman could part with to bring in a young defenseman who could help the team moving forward. I have a feeling this will be a career y...
Jeremy Laura writes...
Revisiting the Red Wings trade possibility via Mike Augello
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
A really good buzz cast this morning with Kevin Allen in tow. At 54:46, a question came in from a viewer named Lance regarding a potential Athanasiou trade for Ristolainen. Mike Augello commented on rumors of a Mantha for Ristolainen rumor that never came to fruition. The hypothetical cost for Zach Werenski would be Dylan Larkin, and that won’t happen. rnrnRistolainen is...
Jeremy Laura writes...
Quick Hit - Is Nielsen a possible fit in Edmonton?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
On the buzzcast today (8/21) Ek broke news that Derek Brassard may be going to Edmonton. Later, a different rumor came out that puts Brassard on Long Island. I’m hoping for the latter, and here’s why.
I still don’t understand a couple of moves made by Steve Yzerman. Forget about Moritz Seider, that kid may end up being really good. For me, Valterri Filppula doesn�...
Disturbing news shows that Evgeni Kuznetsov tested positive for cocaine. https://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Aivis-Kalnins/Evgeni-Kuznetsov-suspended-by-the-IIHF/246/101058 Enter the stream of “we don’t see this in the NHL like in other sports” commentary. And yet, we do see it. Every year. Being a Red Wings fan, I saw Bob Probert get in a LOT of trouble. We saw Mike...
Jeremy Laura writes...
If Eklund is right, Ristolainen could be on the way...
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Along with everyone else my eyebrows raised at Ek’s Friday rumor https://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Eklund/Rumor-WingsSabres-Talking-Major-Trade-e4-Update-5-players-involved/1/101066rnrnIn part, because I’ve been wondering about a scenario that would bring Ristolainen to Detroit. I believe with Kaski on the way, the signing of Filppula and some culture changes that the Sw...
Before the doors closed on Joe Louis Arena, there was still a feeling the Detroit really was “Hockeytown”. Those of us still believing in what Mike and Marian Illitch had built and looking with hope toward a team that could rise up again. But, they didn’t. The move to Little Caesars Arena was exciting, but confusing. At first, people were staying in the restaurants ...
There has been a back and forth debate on the retirement of #91. The sad part is, it isn’t merit based. It’s the burn after a bad breakup. Ken Holland help a boom box high over his head in the rain and played, “baby come back” but it turned out that all Fedorov heard was “Anthony’s song: I’m movin’ out”. Bitterness and pain. Enter Don Henley’s “Get ov...
Injuries. Every single year someone’s career gets a little derailed by getting hurt at either a prospect tournament, training camp, or in the preseason. It feels like that, anyway.
The prospects tournament in Traverse City is incredible. https://www.centreice.org/page/show/467296-nhl-prospect-tournament Take a look at that schedule. In 5 days (one day off in the mid...
Last week George Malik posted an entry regarding Magnus Paajarvi. http://themalikreport.com/2019/08/30/three-things-on-prospect-tournament-rosters-magnus-paajarvi-and-kraft-hockeyville-done-well/ Gunnar Svensson, Magnus’s father and Henrik Zetterburgh’s former agent, tweeted that an invitation of some kind had been extended. Paajarvi is big, can chip in 1o goals or so...
Detroit has 14 RFAs after this season. https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/redwings
6 of 7 listed on the main roster are arbitration eligible. That helps. Three of the RFAs listed as “in the system” (Hirose, Kuffner, Kaski) are interesting cases. Hirose made an immediate impact last year. Kuffner didn’t really get going but he may have a good year as well. Oliwer Ka...
Insane, I know.
I can only imagine the thoughts of many fans when they read a headline like this: "Let's see what this idiot has to say". It's like you're reading Vice.
But the way I see it, the Leafs' salary structure wasn't so much spoiled by Tavares, since he deserved a payday and he's obviously an elite center. Yet a one-two of Tavares and Matthews, while t...
Frank Seravalli wrote a good piece regarding the NHLPA potential opt out of the current CBA https://www.tsn.ca/nhlpa-weighing-risks-of-poking-the-bear-1.1360531 It reads pretty much as I expected. Escrow is the thorn in the players side. 12.5% of paychecks gone back to the league. It’s a bizarre groupon that the league owners managed to acquire with the revenue split of...
Kudos to George Malik for getting these out http://themalikreport.com/2019/09/05/some-quick-thoughts-regarding-the-red-wings-prospect-tournament-roster/
Although I’ve let it be known that I think there is too much for these prospects in terms of tourney/camp/preseason, I am excited about the actual tournament. Looking at the lineup I see Zadina, Hirose, Veleno, and Ku...
In a show of courtesy and generosity, all the games in Traverse City are being streamed this year. Click on this link: https://www.foxsports.com/southwest/story/watch-dallas-stars-compete-in-traverse-city-prospect-tournament-sept-6-10-live-streams-090519
8 teams including :Detroit, Toronto, Dallas, Minnesota, St. Louis, New York, Columbus and Chicago.
Obviously I�...
The first two games were a miniature version of what I expect from the season. Chicago dominated the Wings in the first period, Wings tied it, lose in overtime. Against St. Louis the guys were clicking better and won 7-3. Flashes of hope, talent on display, and moments you want to turn it off.
For the guys I wanted to see, three have really been easy to watch. First, J...
Jeremy Laura writes...
Obligatory “I told you so” Detroit Red Wings blog
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So far, the prospect’s tournament has been a breath of fresh air, for the most part. Detroit went 2-0-1 in 3 games, scoring 17 goals. A healthy dose for sure. There is, however, and “I told you so” moment for me here. Injuries. Alec Regula was taken out of last night’s game in the first period with a concussion.
There was no penalty on the play, it looked like ...
Jeremy Laura writes...
Detroit wins the prospects tourney for the 2nd time
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This was a surprise, for sure. I like the kids we have, and like what’s coming down the pipe. Joe Veleno surprised me, and I was expecting him to be really good. In 4 games he had 7 goals and 1 assist. One goal was an empty net in game 3, but in the other three games he had 2 goals. Good grief that’s consistent. And, it’s impressive. This kid wants a job right now wi...
Could the Leafs be about to troll the NHL?
Negotiations are usually a meet in the middle kind of thing, unless the middle is more than what the other side has to offer.
So the settlement? Four years at 9m/y. That is what I believe the final number will be around.
When you negotiate, what's "fair" usually isn't on the table, because people don't live in a fair wor...
Jeremy Laura writes...
Detroit Red Wings announce “teams” for training camp
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
https://mobile.twitter.com/DetroitRedWings/status/1172156625362272256
Worth checking out. When going to camp each year (until 3 years ago when I got injured) it was always interesting to see the teams posted. It helps to have the list because the rinks (there are 2 there) will post a schedule of which team is practicing or scrimmaging, etc. Usually there was one team yo...
The 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...
Hello everybody in support of the Union Blue. It has been a busy summer for myself, hence for my inexistence of writing blogs for the hockey world to see. Now that things have calmed down personally, I am back and returning to the rink just like the team is. So, let us get caught up with the team, shall we?
Let us start with a flashback and reflection on the past before...
Jeremy Laura writes...
Detroit’s lineup for tonight (9/17) versus Chicago
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Detroit Red Wings posted their projected lines on their website. They are as follows:
Hirose-Rasmussen-Svechnikov
Elson-Pearson-Puempel
Terry-Turgeon-FordrnGlendening-DeLaRose-Ehn
Nemeth-Hronek
Cholowski-Bowey
Hicketts-Mcllrath
What to watch for (personally) - injuries. Svechnikov needs a reclamation year. Rasmussen as well. Pearson has a decent shot. Look for h...
The Detroit Red Wings had back to back preseason games against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday 9/17 and Wednesday 9/18. In reality, the Grand Rapids Griffins had back to back games against the Rockford Ice Hogs. In pre season play, especially early on, guys are fighting to be the last ones sent down or released from tryouts. One guy who is desperate to reverse course on ...
The weekend tilt versus the Pittsburgh Penguins (aka wilkes-barre penguins) gave Wings fans a taste of what will be the highlight of this upcoming season. The line of Larkin/Mantha/Bertuzzi seems to be well bonded and symbiotic. On a night of a 3-2 win, Mantha had 1 goal, Bertuzzi had one goal, and Larkin had 2 assists. (Madison Bowey had a phenomenal night with 1 goal and...
Jeremy Laura writes...
Detroit Redwings head into final stretch of preseason
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
3 games in 3 nights. Insanity. First against the St Louis Blues for the Kraft Hockeyville game and then a home and home against Toronto. For all intents and purposes, I’m fairly certain management has seen what they need to in terms of who stays and who goes, save for Moritz Seider. He is very impressive, but may well head down to Grand Rapids due to the numbers, and it ...
I did some preseason predictions and have Mantha coming in at around 30 goals. Watching his preseason performance has been eye opening. He’s scored 4 goals in 3 games. Twice, he just fired a laser of a shot that flat out beat the goalie. His snapshot and slap shot are both way faster than I remember. Against St Louis he scored a beautiful breakaway goal. He’s battling,...
In my post last week https://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=260089&post_id=18302 I wrote that I hoped the wings would go 1-1-1 in the final 3 games of preseason. They did. And, while I should feel relieved, that number was based on guessing the cycle that the team seems to go through.
In short, one strong promising win is followed by a miracle effort by a goa...
Looking at the first week of action, I was trying to guess success/failure rate of the Wings early goings. Opening night against Nashville I have penned in as a loss. In Nashville, Rinne can shut you down. Duchene and RyJo up the middle can cause plenty of issues. Forsberg can be amazing, etc. Dallas could be a very similar issue. Ben Bishop does well against Detroit and t...
Jeremy Laura writes...
Detroit Redwings may have Larkin ready for Nashville
Posted Friday | Comments 0
A giant sigh of relief came when MLive published comments saying Larkin was “a definite possibility” for Saturday’s tilt against Nashville. https://www.mlive.com/redwings/2019/10/red-wings-dylan-larkin-a-definite-possibility-for-saturdays-opener.html
That is the frail state of the season. A season I, and others, expect to be rough could be disastrous if we lose an...
We are ready for the first game of the season for the Columbus blue jackets as they will be taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs live at the nationwide arena at 7:00 PM Eastern time on Fox sports Ohio and TSN .
Tonight‘s contest is the home opener and the first game of the season which means new roof and new experiences and moments for the blue jackets club, and their f...
So, all the nay saying aside, I am excited to watch our top line tonight. Athanasiou is still not a definite so I’m counting him as “out” for tonight.
Mlive penned a piece about the top line here: https://www.mlive.com/redwings/2019/10/red-wings-counting-on-top-line-to-be-one-of-leagues-elite.html
When that line is clicking, they are an absolute joy to watch. ...
Jeremy Laura writes...
I was wrong, Detroit beats Nashville in season opener.
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Of 5 goals scored for the Wings, the top line figured in on 4 of them. Bertuzzi with 2 goals and 2 assists. Mantha with 1 goal and 2 assists, Larkin with 1 goal and 1 assist, and Glendening with 1 goal and 1 assist. Jimmy Howard made 42 saves on 45 shots. That’s the key.
I know this team can score, and boy they did tonight. However, scoring 5 goals on 28 shots is not...
Trends from last year continue. While overall the team is looking better, there are two alarming trends that need to be fixed. First is the slow starts to get their bearings which luckily that could be due to opening season jitters. The season reared it's head yesterday, third period give ups to let the team win when they should not. That being said a 2 0 1 record I am hap...
Jeremy Laura writes...
Naming Detroit’s three headed monster - LAR-MAN-ZZI
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
In a quick post in October, I mentioned Detroit having a three headed monster as the top line - Larkin/Mantha/Bertuzzi. In the season opener it certainly seemed to be true. Each goal (apart from the empty net for Bertuzzi’s second) had a bit of a “wow” factor.
Tic tac goal for Bertuzzi with a quick shot. Mantha weaves inexplicably through Nashville’s defense an...
It’s been a weird start to the season. Mantha has 5 goals in 2 games, and 2 assists. Those numbers are, um, healthy. And unexpected.
I’m sure I underestimated big mo. https://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=260089&post_id=18303 The biggest surprise to me still is his ability to weave to the net. Again, on Sunday night 10/6 Mantha weaves through the defense and ...
Jeremy Laura writes...
What are Blashill and Yzerman doing with Madison Bowey?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
In the home opener at Little Caesars Arena, Trevor Daley went down in the first period with an injury. I expect a fairly regular carousel of blue line ailments this year, in keeping with what the team dealt with last year. My assumption was that Madison Bowey will get his chance to play, as he’s currently a healthy scratch. And then Yzerman made a trade.
We sent Davi...
It has been a short while friends, so let us recap on the pre-season that was, the first couple of games of the regular season, and previewing tonight's upcoming matchup against the Buffalo Sabres at the Nationwide Arena, back at home.
Let's look in the rearview before we do the preview.
Pre-Season: Final Cuts; Dubi Disappearance
The roster dwindled down to two ...
Alex Biega will get an early opportunity for some NHL action. The Wings traded for him today (10/7) and have already called him up. The blue line is down 2 with Daly and Ericsson both out. Oliwer Kaski was also brought up. This still leaves me wondering what is going on with Bowey, but part of the call up is probably to have an extra Dman available. Of interest, both of th...
According to MLive.com, Athanasiou will make his anxiously awaited debut tonight against Anaheim. https://www.mlive.com/redwings/2019/10/red-wings-welcome-back-andreas-athanasious-speed-scoring-to-lineup.html Centering a line with Glendening and Hirose.
I’ve had some misgivings about Glendening’s promotion, but his effort and impact are always evident. Especially ...
Jeremy Laura writes...
Madison Bowey gets an opportunity against Anaheim
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Along with the excitement of Athanasiou coming back into the fold, Madison Bowey will also get the nod tonight (10/8). https://www.nhl.com/news/c-309880588
I have wondered why Bowey has been on the sidelines. To be frank, I like his skating and his game. He is exactly the kind of defenseman you want to see develop. Right shot, big body, can move the puck. Trevor Daly’...
Filip Hronek scored unexpectedly at the end of the second period. The wings took a 1 goal lead into the third period. Anaheim quickly scored to tie it up. Anthony Mantha seemed to have regained the lead, but the goal was challenged successfully for an offside. Then, Detroit fell apart. Anaheim scores 2 more in 37 seconds. It was evident that the Red Wings didn’t have the...
The second week of the regular season has come and gone in the hockey world, and for the Blue Jackets, success has followed. Last week, the Blue Jackets got their first victories of the season, against some of the league’s early success stories.
The Jacket’s first victory of the season came over the Buffalo Sabres, by the final score of 4-3 in overtime. The Jackets ...
In my spare time, I pythoned up a sim, but part of that sim was creating a power ranking based on a self-invented hundred balance system (ie, 132 = 32% stronger than average; 75 = 25% weaker than average). This system is entirely statistically based with zero input, but I shall only explain why I "believe" the teams are where they are and what issues they might need to ad...
Greetings! I have returned for my next instalment of power rankings. If you have read the first one, then you'll be familiar with what I am about to say: these power rankings are based entirely on statistical performances and they are churned out by a python code that examines every game in the last ten regular season weeks played (bleeding into the last year for now). N...
In the spirit of Hallowe'en and All Saints Day comes this week's power rankings, which I'll now be making on a monthly basis.
I must repeat the disclaimer: the stats entirely determine the power ranking: I only try to rationalize what the stats are pointing out.
1. Boston Bruins 9-1-2 POWER 130 LW: 1
The Scary: Boston's dominance in both NFL and NH...
Similar to the Power Ranking on TSN, NHL SN, I will post a blog and show the changes. My rankings will be completely based on the NHL Standings at this point. This will show how much teams have climbed or dropped due to a winning streakor losing streak.
1. Washington Capitals - The Cup Champs 2 years prior are showing why they are still favourites.
2. St, Louis - The ...
Don Cherry was always an outspoken individual in terms of politics, so he made his remarks and Sportsnet said it's the last straw.
I always hated Sportsnet, and this is just an honest and candid opinion. As my friend put it, "it's like watching AHL level of broadcasting". TSN's hockey coverage rivaled American channels covering the NFL. I'm not going to hide behind...
James and Doug discuss the recent firing of Don Cherry, they break down the Leafs recent games vs Philadelphia and Chicago (20:00) , the ins and outs of why the Leafs seem to be struggling, the waiving of Hutchinson, the OJHL and the Markham Royals (1:02:40), Toronto Jr Canadiens (1:07:25) and the Toronto Patriots (1:10:55), and more! [url]https://soundcloud.com/offsidehoc...
[url]https://twitter.com/OFFSIDETALK/status/1194653568562806785[/url]
Lets try and get excited as a group for tonights game vs. the Knights and James from Offside can show you how.
[url]https://twitter.com/OFFSIDETALK/status/1196947269972611074[/url]
Join James as he walks through tonights game.
[url]https://twitter.com/OFFSIDETALK/status/1198279822356729857[/url]
The recent firing of Mike Babcock was celebrated in some circles and by certain players. It is always unfortunate when anyone loses their job; even if Babcock will be paid millions of dollars post firing - something most of us would never have the luxury of. “Keep Grinding” Babcock had his faults but also had his tried and tested methods. Example: his 17 minute to the...
MaximumBone writes...
The Problem With Oscar Klefbom (Don't Trade Darnell Nurse)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I'm gonna come right outta the gate and say what qualifies as sacrilege within the Oilers community: Darnell Nurse is the Oilers' best Dman and attempts to trade him under the pretense that his minutes could be replaced by Klefbom aren't just wrong, they're blind to statistically observable reality. I guess I should actually get to the evidence before asserting things so s...
[img]https://jetsnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/10/usatsi_10319841.jpg[/img]
The Winnipeg Jets are a relatively talented hockey team. Their top six forwards have as much finishing talent as any team in the NHL with Patrik Laine, Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Kyle Connor. They have the dominant pairing of Andrew Copp and Adam Lowry who can virtually shut...
[img]https://www.energycentral.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_body/public/ece/nodes/338636/atomicbomb.jpg?itok=ibR5hzqc[/img]That's the blog.
The Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves outside the playoffs, despite having one of their most talented rosters in a number of years. The young General Manager, Kyle Dubas, made it clear that he was more than willing to pay up for his extremely talented young core. However, in doing so, he has neglected the backup goalie position, and an injury to Freddy Andersen, has le...
In an extremely tight playoff race, the Canucks have managed to find themselves atop the Pacific division with a very unsettling three point lead. The young Canadian team finds themselves with 65 points, followed closely by the Oilers, Knights, Flames, and Coyotes who are all within 5 points of the Canucks. With five teams battling to win the Pacific division, none of t...
So it would appear that Dubas decided to make the trade for a goalie sooner rather than later, which was the correct call. I had anticipated a deal, but the Kings' Jack Campbell was not on my radar. The 28 year old American-born goaltender recently came into some additional games as the Kings have been treading through some difficult waters with their core has slowed down...
In the latest mud slinging from Feschuk, he throws Hutchinson under the bus and pretty much says he has got to go and enough of the sugar coating. I don't disagree that Hutchinson has not been a great back up but to take advantage of his position as a writer for the star and spew venom is uncalled for. Say he is not the answer, but stop playing with a human beings job. rn...
Michael OConnor writes...
Best Available Defenceman: Potential Winnipeg Jet?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
There is no question that the Winnipeg Jets have been lucky to find themselves in playoff contention given the multiple missing pieces on their blue line. It was no surprise that the big man, Tyler Myers left town in pursuit of a lucrative deal with the Canucks. However, the loss of Dustin Byfuglien was a bit more surprising. Despite having a number of good seasons with...
After tonight, there is no reason why the Sharks could not make a push into the playoffs. Sure, the division has many competitive teams, but none are taking control of their destiny. The Canucks lost to an outdated Minnesota roster, and to make things worse, Pettersson missed the game due to a lower body injury. Jay Beagle and Jake Virtanen were injured as well, but cam...
The Calgary Flames dropped there third straight decision Thursday night, in a disappointing loss to the Nashville Predators. A Nashville Team that came into the game three points back of the quickly falling Flames, is now a single point back of them with two games in advantage to boot. Calgary is quickly falling behind, and unless they start playing with some urgency and h...
Saturday night went quite well for the Calgary Flames, bulldozing the Vancouver Canucks 6-2 in enemy territory. It’s no secret this season has been tough for the Flames, especially after such a wonderful year last season, that saw them hit first in the Western Conference. They were a team with a killer instinct, and that finally cam alive against their divisional rival. ...
Just a few days past the Flames lost Captain and defensive rock Mark Giordano to a hamstring injury. Currently, he’s week to week so it’s hard to know when exactly he’ll be back and ready to go, but one thing for sure, is the Flames REALLY don’t need anyone else going down with an injury. Especially so close to the seasons end, with so many teams in the race for ...
The Calgary Flames have had hardly any help from their bottom six most of the season. Outside a couple contributors (Ryan/Dube) they haven’t had much, and to say it has been very concerning is an understatement. However, in the past two games that seems to be coming to an end. San Jose was pummeled 6-2 in their own building by the Calgary Flames Monday night, as the Fla...
The Calgary Flames ended their four-game road trip on a high note, beating the Anaheim Ducks 6-0. Despite the score, the Flames didn’t play great by any means, but the fact that the Ducks were terrible helped them out. Still, Anaheim peppered Cam Talbot with 44 shots, all of which he was able to turn aside. Calgary made the most of their chances, despite Anaheim dominati...
Blackhawks beat the Flames (who were channeling their inner Detroit Red Wing), into the Ice with EASE, by a score of 8-4. The entire game the Flames just couldn’t gain any ground. Every time the Flames looked as though they were starting to get back into, a defensive lapse would occur, they would leave someone all alone in front of the net, and would trail AGAIN. This wh...
With the trade deadline just one week away, I’m genuinely curious about what the Calgary Flames will do. On one hand, the Flames desperately need a top six winger. They’ve needed one for a long while and one has to think Brad Treliving will be adding one. Tyler Toffoli seems to be the guy linked to the Flames, but who really knows? Having said all that, one also has to...
JDB writes...
Granlund Scores with .1 seconds. Flames Lose to Predators
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Once again, the Flames find themselves unable to string together some wins, and once again they lose to a team they NEED to beat. A team that is right behind them in the standings. Once again, the Flames are unable to ring in some consistency and it’s cost them another game yet again. It’s all too predictable at this point with the Flames. They win one or two row and t...
The Calgary Flames marched into Tampa Bay looking to rebound from a disappointing loss to the Nashville Predators a few nights ago. A game in which while they weren’t awful, they weren’t good enough to win. They had some good looks, but with .1 seconds left let the Predators tied up the game. Overtime they went, and the Flames dropped the game. Perhaps they deserved a ...
It is officially Avalanche season and prepare yourselves folks, it's gonna be a long one. Name me another team that could be without Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, Nazem Kadri, Matt Calvert, Colin Wilson and starting goaltender (Gruby) and STILL keep rolling through the league... Don't worry i'll wait...
Sure it was the lowly and I mean LOWLY Detroit Redwings, but ask Le...
GMPM writes...
From the Desk of GMPM: The Catastrophic Cost of Cancellation
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
With the United States’ Center for Disease Control issuing a recommendation of a nationwide eight-week moratorium on gatherings of 50 or more people (and just to clarify, you need more than 50 people, even at minimum, to run empty-arena games), rumors abound of what the NHL can do, if anything, to save some form of 2019-2020 season while still remaining compliant with th...
1. Cancel the NHL draft (picks would just all move back a year, so if you have 3 1sts this year, you get them next year instead).
There was an opportunity in 2005 absolutely wasted. They could have simply cancelled the draft and changed the minimum draft age to 19*
*Every year, up to three to five players at 18 are NHL ready. Sometimes none are ready. Perhaps if y...
Nine years.
If you think where you were nine years ago...how much your life has changed...and how much you know now, that you didn’t know then...it really brings into question the [i]actual[/i] sanity of those who have called themselves a fan of the Buffalo Sabres since before that time.
- 691 games
- 431 ending in defeat
- 7 different coaches
- 4 different ...
kaptaan writes...
3peat - Calder nominees in 3 consecutive seasons - Canucks
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It's a testament to the drafting of the Canucks to get Calder nominees in 3 consecutive seasons without a first overall or even a top 3 pick.
It's the first time this has happened in the post 67' expansion era and the first time in over 50 years.
Also, the Canucks are the first team in the expansion era to have a Calder nominee in 3 straight years with at least one ...
Blame Dubas, Why did Keefe load up the first line? Dubois' fault for injuring Muzzin. None of these of the reasons. Did they help, no it did hurt but this team is flawed and many know it.
First, this team needs to mature in a different way. They need to realize what playoff hockey is. Losing to Washington and Boston both times was wow we gave it all we got they were the...
The Bubble Cup Tournament has crowned our 2020 Stanley Cup Champions during the crazy coronavirus pandemic. The winner has been the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts winning has shown the best team can win the sport's true prize.
Tampa was part of the round robin for conference seeding with Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington. The fallen foe Dallas Stars dealt with St. L...
The Columbus Blue Jackets fired the cannon on the draft day trades with the addition of center Max Domi and a 2020 3rd round pick (78th overall) in exchange for winger Josh Anderson.
Both players moved are pending restricted free agents. Both teams come out of this trade getting what they need. Montreal gets a middle six winger that can jump into the rush, be extremely...
It's a boring slog to watch but finally there is a mind shift with the pick ups the Maple Leafs have made. They're notable enough to have me make this blog. They're not flashy or huge and they may not be perfect but the additions of Jimmy Vesey, Joey Anderson, and Travis Boyd is a big shift. I say that because the fact the words "inconsistent" or "needs to shoot more" or "...
The Columbus Blue Jackets have had a busy offseason for themselves thus far, and it is yet to be over. The surrounding teams in their division were also extremely active as well. With that out of the way, lets focus on what was done within before going externally with reviews by team and where I think they will finish. Let's start at home...
The Columbus Blue Jackets ha...
hockeyaddict89 writes...
Will Matthews be like Mats and go the way of Sundin?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I thought this would be fun to see where everyone stands on this.
SO, do you think Mathews will go the way of Sundin? A great player who drives and leads play on the ice, but ultimately doesn't win a cup for them? Or is he going to take it home eventually a la Ovechkin.
While they are entirely different players, both were stars on their respective teams and were the...
Looking at the Habs offseason their focus was to add scoring depth and get tougher. They arguably have done that in Toffoli and Anderson.
But what do we expect these two to bring to the table? Lets see how they do:
[u][b]Playing a full season:[/b][/u]
Toffoli- I don't have much fear with him in this one. He played pretty much full seasons the last three years. He...
As I get my self acquainted with this new NHL I am taking a page out of Ek's book and writing some wacky predictions I think will happen this year (or like I am sure a lot of people are saying next year). I have never covered the entire league like this before. Hope you enjoy!
To be clear, with in these predictions I am working in a frame work that there will be 4 div...
I have to say I have always had a soft spot for Danault.
His acquisition is definitely one of the better Bergevin trades. He came from Chicago alongside a 2nd round pick for the likes of Tomas Fleischmann and Dale Weise in a year that the Habs were absolutely atrocious.
Both players sent to Chicago had no long term impact for the Habs despite their fairly respected ...
When the 2021 Sabres team finally hits the ice mid-January, at minimum, 310 days will have passed since the last time they stepped off as 3-2 SO winners over the Washington Capitals.
That team was just trying to get to the finish line of yet another playoff-less campaign. Eichel had done all he could to try and drag them into relevancy...but he would again come up short...
Additions/Subtractions
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
+C Grant, RD Shattenkirk, RD Welinski, C Lettieri
-- D Irwin, RW Sherwood, RW Sherwood, RD Gubdransson, G Boyle
Arizona Coyotes
+ GM Armstrong, C Hunt, LW Larsson, C Hayden, RW Pitlick, C Brassard,
-- 2020 2nd (sanctioned), 2021 1st (sanctioned), GM Chayka, RW Hinistroza, C Richardson, LW Hall, C Stepan
Boston Bruin...
Hockey eve is upon us, trade rumors surrounding young stars are circulating, some rumors leave us wondering what is credible? One of these young stars who has reportedly requested a trade is Pierre Luc-Dubois. Dubois has signed himself a brand new contract and still wants out. There are many teams in on the Dubois sweepstakes, lets analyze two potential destinations for PL...
Here are three reasons why the Habs will win the North Division! I dont think you can disagree on any of the below and if you do, please comment! rnrn1. Superior tendies:rnrnThe 2020-21 NHL season is a 56-game sprint with 11 back to backs for the Habs played over 116 days. Having two superior tendies is very key to a team’s success. The Habs have Carey Price (save %. 90...
The regular season kicks off tonight for the Columbus Blue Jackets where they do battle with the Nashville Predators at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee with a empty crowd. This is the how the season will go for the most part. Empty. Fanless. Temporarily. Talk is that may change in Tennessee. Tune into Fox Sports Ohio or Fox Sports TN for game feed and covera...
The start of the season wouldn’t be a normal season without an uphill battle for the Union Blue. Starting off on the road, they begin with the short end of the stick to the hosting Nashville Predators, by the final score of 3-1.
Columbus is improving off of last season with starting first on the scoresheet, with alternate captain Boone Jenner lighting the lamp with t...
CBJ Post-Game Numero Dos — Double Smashed
Once again, the Columbus Blue Jackets were pushed by the Nashville Predators by a final score of 5-2.
To repeat last night, Columbus scores first again, which was a major issue last season, but now seems to be their Achilles heel. Captain Nick Foligno scored the first goal of the evening.
Rocco Grimaldi evened the game...
It is truly a painful year to be a Boston Bruins fan, but that doesn't mean you leave your team in hard times. However, I have some displeasures with how this team has ended up.
Bruce Cassidy and his Bruins have played three games, ending up with the current record of 1 win, 1 loss, and 1 overtime loss. This team needs a serious shake-up, they do not have a single even-...
CBJ Post-Game Numero Trois- First of Many
It may have taken some time and patience, but after three games on the road, the Columbus Blue Jackets win their first game of the season, by the final score of 3-2 in regulation against the Detroit Red Wings. Happy 20 years, Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Day, and happy hockey Columbus. In their first televised game on the big N...
Jacko17 writes...
Dubois to Winnipeg, Laine/Roslovic to Columbus, a breakdown
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I still can't believe it happened, Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic to Columbus in exchange for Pierre Luc-Dubois and a 2022 3rd Round Pick. At the time of writing this, it has been 11 days since I wrote my blog titled 'Where could Dubois end up?'. I had a bit of an idea of what may have been included in the trade and the possible return both teams would've brought back. Jac...
Hershey, PA – January 26, 2021—
Franchise Blockbuster Deal Between Columbus, Winnipeg
Over the weekend, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Winnipeg Jets have completed a deal involving three former first round draft picks in a four-piece deal. On the 23rd of January 2021, the Blue Jackets have traded center ice-man Pierre-Luc Dubois with a 2022 third-round draft pic...
Another day, another article written fantasizing about Winnipeg's improved center core. The possibilities are endless, the addition of Dubois brings so many what-ifs scenarios, here I present 7 different forward lines the Jet's may use/experiment with.
1. The usual/predictable
Connor - Scheifele - Wheeler
Stastny - Dubois - Ehlers
Copp - Lowry - Appleton
Harkins - G...
We are almost a quarter into the season and it already has been filled with drama, heroes and zeros, and a ton of surprises.
Let's take a look at them:
[u][b]1) MARC ANDRE FLEURY[/b][/u]
After all the talk this off-season about potentially dealing him, he has had a great start to the season. It's only been three games played for him but he is sitting at:
3-0-0 ...
The Winnipeg Jets have a good problem, their center core looking better than in previous years. Little could've fulfilled that 2nd line center role, but he, unfortunately, was injured. The Jets lost Bryan Little to injury and Cody Eakin to free agency, the Jets have been searching for that 2nd line center for a while now. With the dust finally settling, Maurice now has thr...
I love hockey and if I didn't, I wouldn't be writing this. Every week on my podcast I always have something about the Laine/Dubois trade to talk about, and it never gets old. I'm sure by now we've seen the infamous video on the TSN_Official Instagram account where Laine gave a depressing thumbs up and a smile that almost looks forced. Another fun little part about that pos...
It was marvelous. The Oilers led by McDavid and Draisaitl didn't need to consistently put up 5+ goals to win games. Instead, led by not as many superhuman efforts, the team was capable of winning games 2-1 or 3-2, as they weren't concerned about the tandem of Smith and Koskinen fishing the puck out of the net after every third shot. This confidence also rolls into the play...
Jacko17 writes...
What should've came from the Oilers frustrating rebuild
Posted Friday | Comments 0
If somebody told you in 2009 that the Edmonton Oilers would have four first-overall draft picks in 6 years, you'd probably laugh at them. Well, we now live that horrendous reality, and only half of those players selected first-overall still play with the Oilers.
In order of years since 2010, Edmonton has selected in the first round;
Taylor Hall - Selected first-overall...
When Auston Matthews bolts for Arizona in the summer of 2025 I, a Toronto native and lifelong leafs fan, won't blame him one iota. Time was, scoring at a goal-per-game pace for 18 games (leading the league by half of the number scored by the next closest player in the process) got a guy some protection from diminutive Swedes – and anyone else who took liberties with him...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Columbus Fans Are Panicking, And Here's Why They Shouldn't
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Changes are a brewing in Ohio's capitol. Here we are, beginning of March 2021, with the Columbus Blue Jackets in a losing predicament in the wild west Central Division. The Blue Jackets currently have a 0.457 winning percentage, with a 8-10-5 record thus far into the season. They are only better than the Detroit Red Wings in winning percentage, and are tied with Nashville ...
Tanking for the first-overall pick has cursed the Buffalo Sabres, which landed them with second-overall. Sabres fans have seen great talent come and go because of Buffalo's player system, draft, destroy, tank. Players like; Nikita Zadorov, Brendan Lemieux, Tyler Myers, Ryan O'Reilly, Robin Lehner, Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian, have found themselves in the Sabres organizatio...
The rumors are beginning to swirl around the franchise that for the first time since the 2015-16 season that the postseason is not in their plans. In the surprising Central Division, they sit outside of the playoffs with the struggling Nashville and Detroit clubs. With their performance thus far, who could be moved?
Pierre-Luc Dubois. Kidding. That already happened.
...
Zak MacMillan writes...
No for 2 - Coaches Don't Get the Star That Is Patrik Laine
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
2 coaches. 2 cities. 2 systems. Same single problem. Both coaches John Tortorella and Paul Maruice have noticed and utilized the talent of winger Patrik Laine in the same exact way, and that is the power forward department.
Patrik Laine is the second overall pick behind Auston Matthews in the 2016 NHL entry draft. Laine has 6 goals and 4 helpers in 16 games with Columb...
This morning, it was announced by the Buffalo Sabres that Jack Eichel will not be available due to an upper-body injury. With this injury possibly being longer than originally expected, the media is now all over the possibility of Eichel being traded. There is no clarification at this time whether or not Eichel might've played his last game in a Sabres jersey, although I h...
Zak MacMillan writes...
What's Kraken - Who Makes Sense for Seattle on Columbus
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
With Columbus' rough stretch going on, let's venture into the expansion draft in July 2021. The Blue Jackets are in a much better predicament than 2017 came. Let's rewind:
The Columbus Blue Jackets dealt:
2017 1st Round Draft Pick (#24 -> LW Kristian Vesalainen)
2019 2nd Round Draft Pick (#50 -> LW Samuel Fageno)
RW David Clarkson (LTIR)
To Vegas Golden Knights
D...
spencervari writes...
Providence Bruins Vs. Hartford WolfPack Game Preview
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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 ...
The Boston Bruins returned home on Thursday as they took the ice against the New York Islanders. Coming into the game Jaroslav Halak would be getting the start with Dan Vladar serving as a back-up. Both Ondrej Kase and Tuukka Rask remained on the injured list. Zach Senyshyn would be getting his first NHL action of the year after being called up Thursday morning.
[u]1st...
The Providence Bruins took the ice Friday as they took on the Hartford Wolf Pack. The Bruins would win 5-2 after goals from Jakub Lauko, Anton Blidh, Karson Kuhlman, Jakub Lauko, and Cameron Hughes. The Bruins jump to a 9-2-1 record placing first in the Atlantic Division and third in the league. The Bruins will return to the ice on Monday when they take on the Bridgeport S...
Teams are working towards the second half push. Those teams who have depended on stick checks and fancy moves will likely win a few, but will be disappointed with some hard losses. I hope to have some insight soon as to who will flourish and who will falter.
The Senators outworked the Toronto Maple Leafs last night. Bad turnovers and lackluster play allowed a determined Ottawa team to win. This type of play has become common as the Leafs have dropped 5 of their last 6. The 4 days off may give them some time to reflect but if each player doesn't stop with the soft play the Jets and Oilers will be atop the North in no time. L...
Under normal circumstances, a long-term injury to captain and franchise centre Jack Eichel would be disastrous for the Buffalo Sabres – especially heading down the stretch run to the playoffs. Unlike the Edmonton Oilers (who have Leon Draisaitl to fall back on if Connor McDavid winds up on the injured reserve) or the Toronto Maple Leafs (who can turn to Mitch Marner, Joh...
The Bruins are coming back into action tonight at 7 pm when they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Bruins are currently 1-3-1 in their last 5 games, including the 4-1 to Pittsburgh on Monday. Although Tuukka Rask did travel with the team, he is still out due to injury. Jaroslav Halak played yesterday in the Bruins 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh so, Dan Vladar will be getting h...
No love or attention to some interesting teams, players and events these days. So here they are:
1) THE PANTHERS
Apparently Florida is only known for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Disney land. There is no such team named after the state. I really don't know what needs to be done for people to talk about them. They are off to their best start historically. Barkov and Hu...
The Bruins will be traveling to Buffalo tonight to take on the 6-18-4 Sabars, who are currently last in the league. The Bruins morning skate has been canceled this morning due to an unnamed player entering the Covid-Protocol list. However, expect Jaroslav Halak to get the start tonight with Dan Vladar serving as the backup. The Bruins have lost 5 of their last 8-games, so...
[i]Forgive me for brainstorming another Maple Leafs/Kings trade idea, but since both the clubs I have followed my entire life seem to come together and make a big deal almost every other season recently why not begin to contemplate another one, this time BOTH clubs benefit and get something that both really need.[/i]
[b]TO LOS ANGELES:[/b]
[u]LW/RW William Nylander[/...
As of writing the NHL has postponed 46 games due to covid, almost an entire teams worth of games (shortened season down to 56 games) have been postponed! Yet the NHL doesn’t seem to care nor do they seem like they want to. I see some pretty clear ways they could curve the spread of the virus, now given none of these are perfect nor will they fully stop the spread of Covi...
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 ...
Avalanche, Golden Knights and Lightning are extremely strong. Likely end of story. In the first round I predict two upsets. They will be Nashville over Carolina and Montreal over Toronto. Nashville over Carolina will be the result of playoff experience prevailing. Nashville still have some extremely talented players with a ton of playoff experience. Still will go 7 games. ...
NOTE: This blog was written after game 5. Though just now made the home screen.
Sorry, but not sorry.
Dominique Ducharme still needs to go. His failure to play the kids in lieu of veterans who will have no bearing on this team after the season is beyond crazy.
From game one he had fans collectively scratching their heads at him holding out Kotkaniemi, Romanov an...
Earlier today Brendan Shanahan stated that the Leafs "are going to get this done, with this group that we have." While as a fan of the team and a huge supporter of Marner and Matthews to say that is a possibility, here lies the issue. Albert Einstein once said "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results." The duo makes a combined $22,...
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...
It’s time to be realistic and focus on the present. The Blue Jackets are in another dilemma with another star with another expansion draft looming ahead.
The Blue Jackets retained the fifth overall selection for the upcoming draft, with two other first round picks to follow later this summer.
Patrick Laine is on an expiring deal with little update on the contract f...
The year was 2012 and Galchenyuk was selected No.3 overall by the Montreal Canadiens. Recognized as an offensive threat dating back to his days with the Sarnia Sting, Galchenyuk's ability to get on the scoresheet was undeniable. Defensively not as strong of a player, but sometimes the risk is worth the reward.
[u][b]OHL[/b][/u]
In 101 games with the Sting Galchenyuk p...
Another year and yet another loss. Every year it becomes more excuses. So here comes every leaf fan's favourite part. How to fix the leafs? To solve this problem, lets look at what happened.
The leafs had a great regular season of more consistency than usual. But throughout the season, small items looked to become bigger. Thornton was showing his age each day. Near the ...
Welcome to the second edition of the changes happening in Columbus this summer, and we are only halfway through the month of June. This series covers the coaching changes in the Metropolitan Division; the Final Four; Expansion and Entry Drafts; Currency; NHL Fan Choice Awards; trade rumors; changes in the hockey operations; and contract signings.
Staffing Changes
B...
Since the Leafs season ended in disappointment in a round one loss to the Montreal Canadiens, it has left many fans and management wondering and questioning what can be done to improve this roster? With the cap constraints as a result of the flat-cap, and the star forwards of this team, it will be interesting to see how the Leafs tackle on signing free agents of the team o...
Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 Draftkings Preview
Puck drops Monday night at 8pm eastern for game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the Lightning look to repeat as champions against the team nobody thought would be here and trying to complete a dream playoff run with their first cup in 28 years, the Montreal Canadiens. This is basically hockey’s version of Rocky 1, the Lightnin...
Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 DFS Review
Game 1 didn’t go exactly as planned, but that’s the way it goes in DFS. Hopefully some of you fared better than I did. Let’s review the strategies and plan to make some adjustments for game 2 tonight.
What did we want to happen: After going through all the games for both the Canadiens and the Lightning we determined that thi...
Stanley Cup Finals Game 2 Draftkings Preview
Game 1 is over, the Lightning won 5-1 and the guys who were supposed to handle their business, handled their business. Nikita Kucherov had 2 goals and 1 assist, Brayden Point had 3 assists and Adrei Vasilevski only allowed 1 goal on 19 shots. Meanwhile Carey Price had his worst outing of the post season allowing 5 goals on 27...
Stanley Cup Finals Game 2 Draftkings Review
The Lightning survived an early onslaught from the Canadiens and made the most of their opportunities to go up 2-0 in the series with a 3-1 win in Game 2. Tampa got goals from their not so usual suspects, Cirelli, Coleman and Palat tallied a goal a piece. Suzuki scored a power play goal for the Canadiens. Vasilevskiy was pheno...
Stanley Cup Game 3 Draftkings Preview
So far we’ve been middle of the road with our strategies but that’s how GPP strategies go, with a need to balance optimal production with slight differential in our lineups because when we win we want to get paid out and not split the top prize 10 ways. Also just to touch on some contest selection decisions, make sure whatever c...
Stanley Cup Finals Game 5 Draftkings Preview
All right everyone I hope you can forgive my absence for game 4, a very hectic pre-planned family vacation had me very busy. I hope all of you enjoyed the holiday weekend and got to spend time with friends and family. Well the Habs showed up desperate and determined not to let the Lightning celebrate with Lord Stanley’s C...
I have been thinking a lot about the likely inevitable trade of Jack Eichel (Jack) out of Buffalo. So having invested that time, This was initially written last week and posted only on Facebook (with a couple different versions) but I felt like telling someone whom might care about the proposed deal that I came up with after investing so much time coming up with it. Why no...
Bank Roll Management
Part 1 of my Daily Fantasy Sports Strategy Series
Starting in August I’m going to be putting out articles touching on some strategies to use while playing daily fantasy sports (DFS). We’ll cover bank roll management, contest selection, correlation techniques and how to approach chalk plays and contrarian plays. This first part will address ba...
Part 2 Contest Selection
This is part two of my series of daily fantasy sports strategies for an entire season. Earlier we covered bank roll management, establishing a budget and high percentage plays to build your bank roll. This week we’re going over contest selections. We’ll discuss the differences between contests, Mass Multi Entry (MME) vs Single Entry and Thre...
Living in southern Ontario I'm a hockey fan in general and I noticed the lack of Coyotes coverage on here. So I thought I could add a bi-weekly update on some hockey happenings for the team. With the recent trade of Christian Dvorak to Montreal the Coyotes now only have 6 players (3 Forwards and 3 Defense) signed to the roster beyond the 2021-2022 season. Plus they only ha...
The Calgary Flames are quite possibly one of the most frustrating teams to cheer for, just ask any fan. Why? Well, since their cup win in 1989, this team has been on a downward spiral, with bad coaches, bad GM’s and nearly zero playoff success outside of their miraculous run to the cup in 2004 which saw them lose in game 7 to the Tampa Bay Lightning, and a trip to the se...
EnedinaHam writes...
Thanks for the information provided! I was researching for t
Posted Friday | Comments 0
In this article, we are going to talk about how technology has increased productivity and improved health sector efficiency. The [url=https://www.case48.com/pestel-analysis/9892-Creo-Medical-Group-Plc]CREO Medical share price[/url] analysis tells how this company has improved patients’ health by providing them with innovative healthcare solutions.rnThe public health syst...
Atlantic - 1. Tampa Bay Lightning 2. Toronto Maple Leafs 3. Florida Panthers
Metropolitan - 1 Carolina Hurricanes 2. Washington Capitals 3. New York Islanders
Wild Cards - 1. Boston Bruins 2. New York Rangers
Playoffs Lightning VS Rangers - Lightning Wins in 5
Maple Leafs Vs Panthers - Maple Leafs Wins in 6
Hurricanes VS Bruins - Hurricanes Wins in 7
Capitals VS Isla...
The NHL season starts tonight with the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the back to back defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning followed by the Seattle Kraken making their NHL debut against a team who’s early success they’d love to replicate the Vegas Golden Knights. Throughout the season I’ll use this space to highlight the best games on the slate for fanta...
Night two of this NHL season brings us five games on the slate and plenty of questions. Alexander Ovechkin is a game-time decision, Nathan MacKinnon is in the COVID-19 protocol and Nicklas Backstrom is opening the season on long term injured reserve, Austin Mathews isn’t ready to return, so there’s going to be plenty of opportunities for other players to step up. We’...
Last night was a good example of our thought process of chasing volume and opportunities being correct but not delivering the desired results. We targeted the Montreal, Toronto game and the Vancouver, Edmonton game, despite the lackluster scores for both of those games I still believe they were the correct games to target. The Oilers and Canucks combined for 73 shots on th...
Last night’s slate was an absolute eruption in offensive game play, every game on the slate totaled at least five goals and five teams scored six or more goals on their own. For myself specifically it was a tale of two games, The New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes game probably couldn’t have gone any better. The four players I highlighted here in the breakdown ...
I wanted to start doing a second daily post to hold myself accountable, this one is just to run down what I said in my breakdown posts and see how things played out. Today I covered the game environments of all three games on the slate and highlighted some of the players I liked in each game.
Chicago Blackhawks @ New Jersey Devils
Players highlighted:
Jane Koukkan...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Tonight’s main slate featured 12 games, in my breakdown I highlighted the games I thought would be most conducive to fantasy scoring and some players I thought would be good plays. In the After Action Review I go back over the games and players I highlighted to hold myself accountable and see what adjustments I can make going forward.
Calgary Flames @ Edmonton Oilers
...
NHL Single Game Slate 1 Breakdown
There’s only one game on the slate tonight so that means it’s a single game breakdown. Now with single game slates individual plays are what we focus on as well as correlation of line mates and power play partners and what we believe the game script will be. Also with captains/MVPs scoring at the elevated point rate makes them the m...
Last nights battle of Alberta definitely lived up to the battle part as Calgary defenceman, Rasmus Andersson headbutted diminutive Oiler forward Kailer Yamamoto. Andersson was given a double minor on the play for elbowing and roughing, Yamamoto was not given any penalties. Today The NHL gave Rasmussen Andersson a 5000$ fine for the dirty play. So as a fine was given, the h...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
The After Action Review is my way of holding myself accountable and identifying adjustments going forward. Tonight’s slate only had four games and I picked out two that I believed would deliver potent fantasy environments.
New York Rangers @ Toronto Maple Leafs
Players Highlighted:
Nick Ritchie ($3,400 DK, $4,200 FD)
All Ritchie managed to do was record a shot ...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
After every slate I hold myself accountable and take a look at how my Breakdown takes panned out over the course of the slate. With 11 games on this slate I chose 3 games that I believed would set themselves apart and deliver fantasy ecstasy.
Dallas Stars @ Pittsburgh Penguins
Players Highlighted:
Evan Rodrigues ($3,500 DK, $4,600 FD)
I had high hopes for Rodrigu...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the breakdown we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities against (PPOA...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
TheMananimal writes...
Why the Leafs should have re-signed Jack Campbell
Posted Wednesday | Comments 16
Since the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Jack Campbell in February of the 2019 – 2020 season, Campbell has been nothing short of spectacular for the Leafs in goal. In a short sample during that season Campbell posted a record of 3-2-1 in the Blue & White with 2.63 GAA and .915 SV%. The Leafs ultimately were eliminated in the play-round of the playoffs with Frederik Anderse...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
If there is one thing that adds some excitement to the NHL season, it would be fantasy hockey. Going head to head against friends, colleagues, family and random hockey minds across the globe is certainly something that brings me joy. It always helps to add to the excitement by being successful and taking care of business week in, week out and eventually claiming the top ...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
The Crease Report finds the best goaltending values on a given slate by looking at a goalie’s own metrics and the quality of team defense played in front of them. Team shot maps, shots against (SA), scoring chances against (SCA) and high danger chances against (HDA) are all weighed and considered to determine the best matchups. In addition to the individual goaltenders a...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
In the Shot Attempts-Thru Percentage Model we’ll examine players that are getting a higher amount of shot attempts (SA) and their thru percentage (Thru%) to identify those players getting shot attempts to the net but aren’t scoring goals at a level consistent with with the number of attempts they’re taking. Shooting percentage (Shoot%) and shots on goal (S) will also...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
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 ...
Here in the environmental study we’re going to identify the games with the best fantasy scoring environments for everyday of the NHL season. To do this we’re going to look at teams’ scoring chances for (SCF), scoring chances against (SCA), high danger chances for (HDF), high danger chances against (HDA), power play opportunities (PPO) and power play opportunities aga...
Everyone has them, here's mine:
[b]EVANDER KANE WAS A GOOD SIGNING[/b]
Say what you will about the mans personal life, but you can't complain about his play. The team may still be battling to solidify it's playoff spot, but Kane has done his fair share to keep them in it. Holland is not a GM who should be given any kudos; like any at all, but he can get it here. Kane...
If you have been wondering how to get the best Toca Boca mod for Android, you've come to the right place. This game is a ranah anak's dream with its unique gameplay, graphics, and map. Now, you can enjoy premium features for free, and block the iklan in the game. Download the game to your Android device from the official website or use the mod to get an unlimited supply of...
Hello,
ever play that game where someone is reading their fortune from a fortune cookie and you just have to blurt out the words "in bed" at the end.
Well, playoff rhetoric and the Toronto Maple Leafs have a similar two word phrase that should dove tail every headline out there set to spark readership, subscriptions, and clicks. Those two words are "For Now".
There...
Hockey_Nutter writes...
Changes are needed... The question is what changes
Posted Monday | Comments 7
The curse lives on. The excuses live on. The reality is one thing, Toronto did not finish the job.
The stars and the famed core showed up. They played the way they should and did many good things that should have resulted in wins. Overall, Toronto was the better team by inches but they still lost.
This shows that changes are needed. All bets are off type of changes,...
During the 2021-22 season of the national hockey league, the Toronto Maple Leafs had a historic performance accomplishing 50 wins for the first time, 30 wins on home ice, finishing with 115 points, and setting three new franchise records.
With such an impressive season, the Leafs would secure home ice in round one of the playoffs for the first time since 2004, the year...
After getting sick and tired with fed up with being sick and tired of reading essentially the same detailed analyses of the same potential coaching candidates for the number of openings, I decided to through in my wide-brimmed extra shade sun hat into the rink. I’m going to suggest a different head coaching candidate. This former NHL player (1000+ games played) coached...
For the sixth consecutive year under the Auston Matthews era,’ the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, unlike in previous years the elimination this year left a positive feeling among many fans of “Leafsnation”. The Leafs managed to take the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning to a...
The Boston Bruins have canned Bruce Cassidy, which comes as a major shock to the fanbase as a whole. Cassidy took over midway through the 2016-17 season when Claude Julien was fired for a losing record of 26-23-6, Cassidy turned that team into 18-8-1 in his 27 games that season. Eventually, the Bruins would fall to the Senators in game 6 of the first round in the Stanley C...
SAN JOSE, CA - San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) interim General manager announced earlier today that the Sharks have signed North Bay Battalion forward Mitchell Russell. While per club policy, the terms of the contract were not disclosed, a lot of good things were said about the new Sharks prospect.
"Mitchell is a character player and leader on the ice with good product...
Kyle Dubas has traded for a player he once had playing for him with the Soo Greyhounds. The Leafs have added Matt Murray to their roster for Future Considerations. The full trade has a 3rd round pick in 23 and a 7th round pick in 24. Matt Murray is a risk for Dubas because injuries are a concern just like I had mentioned in my article for the Mrazek trade. We all know abou...
Well, here we are another free agency window has opened for Kyle Dubas and the Toronto Maple Leafs and it didn’t take long for Toronto to get to work. Literally minutes after the window opened Toronto announced that they had signed Ilya Samsonov to a one-year contract worth 1.8 million dollars. If you remember in my previous article where I talked about possible goaltend...
Toronto was back to work on the second day of free agency and added some help to their blue line. The team announced they had signed Defensemen Viktor Mette and Jordie Benn both for one season worth a league minimum at $750,000. Let’s start with discussing the Jordie Benn add to the roster. Benn who is 34 played last season as a member of the Minnesota Wild where he woul...
Another day and another Leafs signing, Friday night the Leafs announced that that had signed Forward Calle Jarnkrok to a four-year contract that carries an average annual value of 2.1 million dollars. Calle began last season as a member of the Seattle Kraken after being claimed from Nashville. As a member of the Kraken, he would collect a respectable 26 points in 49 games ...
The Buffalo Sabres. That’s who.
Even though it’s preseason I’d like to say it sure is good to have both the Sabres and Bills playing. Both teams help me forget what winter weather lies ahead.
Ok let’s talk hockey. The Buffalo Sabres put on a preseason clinic on puck possession, passing, defense and special teams in the form of a great penalty kill.
Buffalo...
The Buffalo Sabres. That’s who.rnrnEven though it’s preseason I’d like to say it sure is good to have both the Sabres and Bills playing. Both teams help me forget what winter weather lies ahead.rnrnOk let’s talk hockey. The Buffalo Sabres put on a preseason clinic on puck possession, passing, defense and special teams in the form of a great penalty kill.rnrnBuffalo...
The Boston Bruins will be playing the New Jersey Devils in tonight's preseason matchup. The team has announced tonight's roster on their website. The Forwards:John Beecher, Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic, AJ Greer, Joona Koppanen, Jakub Lauko, Vinni Lettieri, Marc McLaughlin, Tomas Nosek, Craig Smith, Oskar Steen and Jack Studnicka. Tonight's Defensemen: Jack Ahcan, Mike Ca...
Hockey on the rocks
The speed of the Edmonton Oilers is evident in this period . However the Sabres are counter balancing that by bartending, utilizing the “hockey on the rocks” play.
The play until now has been under wraps, tighter than the 11 herbs and spices Harland Sanders came up with.
The play saves energy by icing the puck, again and again and again, makes...
Well, it’s great to see the Sabres name on a league record.
Well, it’s great to see it coming from the uncontested leader of this team, Ras“Bobby”Dahlin.
So tonight “ Bobby” potted another one. 5g, 3a.
I believe Dahlin wants to see his name stand on league records long after he’s gone. If you want to try to break his record, Dahlin’s not going to mak...
Well, it’s great to see the Sabres name on a league record.rnWell, it’s great to see it coming from the uncontested leader of this team, Ras“Bobby”Dahlin. rnrnSo tonight “ Bobby” potted another one. 5g, 3a. rnI believe Dahlin wants to see his name stand on league records long after he’s gone. If you want to try to break his record, Dahlin’s not going to mak...
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The New York Islanders acquiring Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks is a significant trade that impacts both teams.
From the Islanders' perspective, acquiring Horvat provides the team with a talented, top-line center who can contribute both offensively and defensively. Horvat is a two-way player who has consistently produced at a high level, scoring over 20 goals in...
The New York Islanders acquiring Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks is a significant trade that impacts both teams.
From the Islanders' perspective, acquiring Horvat provides the team with a talented, top-line center who can contribute both offensively and defensively. Horvat is a two-way player who has consistently produced at a high level, scoring over 20 goals in...
The New York Islanders acquiring Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks is a significant trade that impacts both teams.
From the Islanders' perspective, acquiring Horvat provides the team with a talented, top-line center who can contribute both offensively and defensively. Horvat is a two-way player who has consistently produced at a high level, scoring over 20 goals ...
Tom Dusome writes...
Players for your bottom six without breaking the bank
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Here is a list of players I think could be on the move this trade deadline (unlike ivan barbashev) that will be keys to support a contender looking to better their bottom six add depth to their blueline or assurance in goal.
[u]Pending UFAs[/u]
Accairi
Blueger
Glendening
Kerfoot
Kessel
Lyon
Motte
Namestnikov
Stetcher
Sundqvist
Watson
[u]Players with term...
[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...
You must be too accustomed to the game Geometry Dash. On the [url=https://geometrydashscratch.io]Geometry Dash Scratch[/url] website, you can access further variations of this game if you're interested. Five video games in this collection were created by Swedish game developer Robert Topala and released by RobTop Games. In this game, you and your character will be forced t...
One of the most exciting moves of this pre-draft weekend is the one that never happened. Outlets far and wide reported that the St. Louis Blues would be receiving, from the Philadelphia Flyers, 31 year old center Kevin Hayes and 27 year old defenseman Travis Sanheim as well as salary retention in exchange for a late first round pick and a blue liner. By late Saturday afte...
ST. LOUIS –One of the most exciting moves of the 2023 pre-draft weekend was the one that never happened. Outlets far and wide reported that the St. Louis Blues would be receiving, from the Philadelphia Flyers, 31-year-old center Kevin Hayes and 27-year-old defenseman Travis Sanheim as well as salary retention in exchange for a late first round pick and a blue liner. By ...
With the season nearly at the halfway point, the New Jersey Devils find themselves sitting tied for 6th in the Metropolitan Division with 40 points, which puts them tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference, and outside of a playoff spot. Some will point out that they have multiple games in hand of several teams ahead of them in the standings, such as Tampa and Philly. How...
I am so sorry to learn that my long time friend, former Maine Mariner and Philadelphia Flyer defenseman Glen Cochrane, has passed after a noble battle with cancer at the age of just 65. Based in his native BC, he had been working for many years as a western amateur scout for the Anaheim Ducks.
Cocher’s way too early passing brings to mind several funny stories about ...
I am so sorry to learn that my long time friend, former Maine Mariner and Philadelphia Flyer defenseman Glen Cochrane, has passed after a noble battle with cancer at the age of just 65. Based in his native BC, he had been working for many years as a western amateur scout for the Anaheim Ducks.
Cocher’s way too early passing brings to mind several funny stories about ...
I am so sorry to learn that my long time friend, former Maine Mariner and Philadelphia Flyer defenseman Glen Cochrane, has passed after a noble battle with cancer at the age of just 65. Based in his native BC, he had been working for many years as a western amateur scout for the Anaheim Ducks.
Cocher’s way too early passing brings to mind several funny stories about ...
I am so sorry to learn that my long time friend, former Maine Mariner and Philadelphia Flyer defenseman Glen Cochrane, has passed after a noble battle with cancer at the age of just 65. Based in his native BC, he had been working for many years as a western amateur scout for the Anaheim Ducks.
Cocher’s way too early passing brings to mind several funny stories about ...
I am so sorry to learn that my long time friend, former Maine Mariner and Philadelphia Flyer defenseman Glen Cochrane, has passed after a noble battle with cancer at the age of just 65. Based in his native BC, he had been working for many years as a western amateur scout for the Anaheim Ducks.
Cocher’s way too early passing brings to mind several funny stories about ...
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Enhanced Coverage of the Montreal Canadiens on HockeyBuzz
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I may have been the only person planted firmly in my seat amongst a very exuberant crowd at the Bell Centre. Habs fans had erupted with emotion, wildly cheering and chanting the name of Louis Leblanc. The Montreal Canadiens had chosen their supposed number one centre with the 18th pick overall of the 2009 NHL Draft.
In my chair, it was hard to hide the disappointment that...
What a difference a couple of wins can make.
The Montreal Canadiens started their week with their fourth loss in a row to the New York Rangers Tuesday and suddenly, despite them still being very clearly in their rebuilding phase where bumps on the road should be expected, everything about this team was suddenly questioned.
[i]"Will Dach ever regain his form from last...
What a difference a couple of wins can make.
The Montreal Canadiens started their week with their fourth loss in a row to the New York Rangers Tuesday and suddenly, despite them still being very clearly in their rebuilding phase where bumps on the road should be expected, everything about this team was suddenly questioned.
[i]"Will Dach ever regain his form from last...