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Sixteen teams are about to explore uncharted territory. Whatever’s behind them doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is the treasure ahead – somewhere, to be found. No one has any idea what it will take to get there. Some think they might, but there’s no way of knowing the exact path, knowing what's ahead.
It all starts tonight. The 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
[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...
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...
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....
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 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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
With Michael Ryder signing for just under $3 million, The $4 mill Kevin Lowe offered RFA Dustin Penner now looks even more ridiculous. Burke must have had a big fat mile when he saw that.
Both players hit around 30 goals, with Ryder out performing in the assists department. Also, Penner is entering his second NHL year, and while he displays great potential, he hasn't...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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. ...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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 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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
ExtraB writes...
From Gretzky to Lemieux... he scores! O Canada Hockey Cards!
Posted Sunday | Comments 1
-
"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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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
...
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...
[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...
[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, ...
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...
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 ...
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...
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 -->
[...
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.....
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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!
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...
(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...
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 ...
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...
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.
...
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...
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...
[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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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!
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?
...
[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 ...
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 ...
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]"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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
DucksFan07 writes...
Ducks Lose, Dead Weight, and Carlyle Lays and Egg
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Ducks gave one away in the 3rd period last night in Phoenix. The hard part was trying to determine if they were playing "prevent defense" to hold on to the lead or if they were actually trying to win the game by playing offensively and attacking. Lately, with the total lack of scoring, it is often difficult to know which is which. Either way, they let a 2 -0 lead tu...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
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...
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...
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....
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...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Lose Heartbreaker To Oil; Winning Out Would Win NW
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I just did not have the energy to muster a blog post late last night, after the Calgary Flames' 2-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers at home. So I'll briefly summarize this huge game before detailing how it affects the Flames' division hopes. This game was, in my view, simply a heartbreaker for the Flames, who outshot, outchanced, and had more puck control for the entire game t...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Forget The Division, Flames Have To Just Get In Playoffs Now
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The aftermath of the Calgary Flames' 6-2 embarrassment at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks last night (the game itself really requires no explanation or analysis), should be as clear as day, even to the most tragically optimistic Flames fans: far from winning the division, the Flames must now, just as they did last season, focus their efforts and worries primarily on sim...
jesus the northwest is crazy - if calgary beats minny tomorrow, then THREE teams can win the division title with their last game remaining
Option 1 - CGY beats MIN, CGY beats VAN, COL Beats MIN (Calgary wins Title)
Option 2 - CGY beats MIN, CGY loses to VAN, COL Beats MIN (Colorado wins Title)
Option 3 - CGY beats MIN, CGY beats VAN, MIN beats COL (Minnesota wins Titl...
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...
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....
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:...
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...
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]------------------------------...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
[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....
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...
As usual enjoy or hate but as always thanks for reading.
http://flyerflies.com/blog/
Have a great weekend.
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
enjoy or hate
http://flyerflies.com/blog/
Have a great weekend.
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 ...
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...
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...
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'...
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...
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...
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
...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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, ...
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...
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,...
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...
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.
...
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...
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. ...
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...
[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...
Kyle has never been a workout kind of guy, and that followed him all the way to the West Coast. Went in to camp not in top form. It's really starting to hurt a very skilled hockey player
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...
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...
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...
[i]This is an actual conversation that happened over instant message between two Pred fans who work together. [/i]
[b](11:04:36 AM) Joe[/b]: I hated that the game was not on last night
[b](11:04:52 AM) Joe[/b]: but it might have been for the best...sounded very frustrating
[b](11:05:51 AM) Jason[/b]: yea I don't know. I listen for a bit during the 1st period and then ...
I leave the country for a week and this is what happens?
I came back looking forward to watching the 4 games I'd Tivo'd, but all I got was a huge turd sandwich.
Streaky you say? All you have to do is look at the titles to this post and the last. The last one said 5 in a row. And the Avs started off by losing their first 3. If they are to have any hope at all of m...
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 878
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
As expected, the injured Dana Tyrell has been replaced with the WHL's Evander Kane, and Team Canada prepares for their second exhibition game tonight against Team Finland.
Evander Kane of the Vancouver Giants was a surprise cut from the team last week; fast forward to now and he’s where he rightfully belongs. The 2009 draft eligible forward is playing a comfortable se...
[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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
Colleen Howe, wife of NHL legend Gordie Howe, passed away Friday at the age of 76. She is survived by her husband and their four children: Mark, Marty, Murray and Cathy.
Below is a link to the story on NHL.com.
[url]http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=412714[/url]
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....
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 ...
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...
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, ...
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...
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, ...
Rob McGowan writes...
Not Weighting Around; Doug Extended For Next Season
Posted Tuesday | Comments 827
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...
Rob McGowan writes...
Bill Guerin: Returning To The Island This Summer?
Posted Monday | Comments 721
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...
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!
"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...
Multiple sources are saying that soon-to-be RFA Ryan Clowe of the Sharks is on the trade block. Clowe finished last season with 22 goals and 52 points in 71 games. Eleven of those goals came on the power play. With the Rangers ineffectiveness on the power play a well known fact, would it make sense for the Rangers to at least inquire on Ryan Clowe?
The purported asking ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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:
...
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...
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...
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...
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'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 ...
Please read and post your thoughts and what you like/dislike or what you'd change.
Well, it's early... and it's very safe to say that Power Rankings at this point in time in the season don't mean very much. They're mostly a combination of last year's finish and this year's promise.
I like James Duthie's column on TSN.ca about Premature Evaluation, in reference to ju...
So…the Flames go in to Edmonton last Saturday and “steal” 2 points when Khabibulin flubs a clearing attempt and Moss pots the game winner. Fast forward 5 days later. Rene Bourque tips a Jay Bouwmeester point shot with less than 2 seconds left in regulation to send it to extra time, leading to a shootout win. Not to mention the Oilers get a man advantage in the OT an...
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. ...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
[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 ...
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...
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 - ...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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...
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...
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...
[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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Hockeygirl101 writes...
Ryane Clowe Leads The Sharks To An OT Victory Over The Hawks
Posted Sunday | Comments 7417
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
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.
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.
...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
With Andrei Markov out of the lineup Montreal has struggled on the power play switching between who was scoring goals ( Camelleri, Subban, Wisniewski) they just couldn't get the puck in the net on the power play as much as they could have. With Markov coming back in the line up If he plays healthy and like he used to for Montreal look for Subban, Cammy, Plekanec goal cou...
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...
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...
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 ...
FLYERSROCK! writes...
2011/2012 NHL Predictions: Part 1 of 8: East Standings
Posted Thursday | Comments 3
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...
FLYERSROCK! writes...
2011/2012 NHL Predictions: Part 2 of 8: West Standings
Posted Saturday | Comments 6
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 ...
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 ...
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.[...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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.*
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The Nashville Predators d-man Shea Weber practiced without contact on Tuesday for the first time since suffering the injury on December 23 2011 againts the Dallas Stars, Says ESPN.
The 26 year-old had skated with his teammates in a public practice in Franklin, but Nashville coach Barry Trotz maintains that there is still not a realistic time line for when the Predators ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning 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...
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 ...
[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...
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...
[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...
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...
[b]For everything hockey 24/7 follow me on TWITTER @DailyNHLGrind[/b]
[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...
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...
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 ...
hallandebs writes...
2012- 2013 Western Conference Standings Predictions
Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
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 ...
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 ...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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. ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
At the dawn of yet another preseason of Devils hockey, the Devils look to improve upon an injury riddled lockout shortened season. With both additions and subtractions at key positions predicting the success of the Devils will prove to be enigmatic. The big loss of the offseason is clearly Kovalchuck, while his goal scoring will be missed the Devils added a ton of depth an...
[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 ...
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...
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.
...
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...
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...
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...
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 58
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. ...
NEEDSMORHORCOFF writes...
Oilers fan banned from Rexall for a year for protest
Posted Monday | Comments 2
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...
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....
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
[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...
[b]Please follow me at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
[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...
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...
MintEdition writes...
The Ducks got the flu - the Bourdreu bug has arrived
Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
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 ...
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...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- General Thoughts on All Star Game and My Predictions
Posted Monday | Comments 4
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 ...
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 ...
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...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Answering Questions Fans Asked Jackets' Writers
Posted Thursday | Comments 7
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...
WCH: Is Tortorella the 2016 Version of Herb Brooks?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
With the preliminary matchups wrapping up in the World Cup of Hockey, not much has been discussed about Team USA besides head coach John Tortorella and his methods.
First, he asked a question in regards to an issue that occurred in another sport- about the controversy of the National Anthem. His response- he "would bench anyone who sits during the anthem." This call fo...
The official start to the tournament starts today and goes until October 1, but nothing gets a conversation going like an opinion. So let's start.
Division One
United States of America
Canada
Czech Republic
Europe
Division Two
Sweden
Russia
Finland
North America
Canada and USA will advance. The Czech and Europe are two of the weaker t...
The official start to the tournament starts today and goes until October 1, but nothing gets a conversation going like an opinion. So let's start.
Division One
United States of America
Canada
Czech Republic
Europe
Division Two
Sweden
Russia
Finland
North America
Canada and USA will advance. The Czech and Europe are two of the weaker t...
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 ...
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
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...
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...
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...
[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...
Jeremy Laura writes...
What are Blashill and Yzerman doing with Madison Bowey?
Posted Monday | Comments 6
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...
Jeremy Laura writes...
Madison Bowey gets an opportunity against Anaheim
Posted Tuesday | Comments 38
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’...
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 ...
Dale Hawerchuk a legend who deservedly walks among the greats from his era, Gretzky, Savard, Yzerman, Bossy, Lemieux, etc...
He was pivotal in Canada winning the Canada Cup in the 80s. He was the guy who setup the goal Gretzky to Lemieux.
Beloved in two cities Winnipeg and Buffalo. Went to the finals with Philadelphia. Came close to winning it all. Calder trophy wi...
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-...