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| June 2006 »
5 year deals for everyone! WOOHOO!
Bryan McCabe, Toronto's best defenseman last season (production wise), will be sticking around for another 5 seasons for between $5.5 million and $6 million per year. For more on this report visit TSN.ca.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Head Coach Wayne Gretzky will be back behind the bench for the Phoenix Coyotes till 2011. The Coyotes will have a press conference today to announce the new deal.
The Coyotes finished 1 game under .500, but had a decent season that may have been slightly derailed by the distractions that surfaced mid-season. Cujo had a terrific season for the Coyotes and he will be back in net for them in 2007. Gretzky had a decent year as a first time coach. Not great, but no where near as bad as everyone predicted. The soft spoken player, looked like a real hard ass at times, yelling at refs, sometimes benching players
and in Nedved and Lundmark's case, shipping them out of town! I think he will be a great coach in time, and now with his new contract has the opportunity to show that.
For more on this report click here.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
If not for Cam Ward in the first period the game would have been 18-0 in favor of the Sabres. Just kidding, but not really. The Sabres played with desperation, and the Hurricanes didn't. The Hurricanes didn't really play at all in the first, other than the aforementioned Ward. JP Dumont scored the only goal of the period.
In all fairness, both goaltenders put on a clinic. Ryan Miller, kept the game from being 1-1 late in the first period. Miller made 25 saves and Cam Ward saved 29 of 31 shots he faced.
After surviving a late attack by the Hurricanes, which saw them tie the game with less than 4 minutes in the game, the Sabres were lucky to make it to OT. Down to only 5 defenseman, which were obviously exhausted, after losing Teppo Numminen again (who tried to play but ended up re-injuring himself early in the game) looked as though they were just hanging on at the end of the game.
Daniel Briere to the rescue! Just 4 minutes into the extra period, Briere scored on a blooper that went over Ward's shoulder and bounced behind him into the net. The goal which was scored on the powerplay gave him his 19th point of the playoffs and an opportunity for Buffalo to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals with a game 7 matchup on Thursday in Raleigh. For more on the game, visit TSN.ca.
So finally after two rounds of playoffs we get another game 7! I think this extra game is going to really hurt the Oilers who are sitting in a holding pattern waiting to find out who their opponent will be. The curse of the early playoff finish is now on the Oilers. Will they break it?
Last night's score:
Carolina 1 Buffalo 2 F (OT)
The Hurricanes and Sabres face off for what could be the final time tonight. Carolina leads the series 3-2 and could finish off the Sabres and head to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in 4 years (I think it's been 4 years....against Detroit) and meet the Edmonton Oilers. However, I said this series would go 7 and be won by Buffalo, so tonight's game, I expect the boys from Western New York to do me proud and keep hope alive!
Laviolette is either a madman or a genius, but he is getting the very best from both of his goaltenders. Tonight will see Cam Ward between the pipes, the same man who was yanked and benched just 2 games ago. However his stellar performance may have been the difference between the Hurricanes being up 3-2 rather than being down 3-2 in the series.
My fellow 'PlayoffBeardians' have been bringing up some terrific points lately. The one comment I think that needs to be addressed was by Scotty, regarding Edmonton and the long layoff. I think it's going to hurt them. The one thing this team hasn't had is rest, and time to think. If the Sabres Hurricanes series goes 7 games, I suspect the Oilers will be very sluggish in the first game (and perhaps the second), much like Colorado, New Jersey, and Anaheim were.
I'd also like to give OLN some recognition. I think they've been doing a pretty damn good job on covering the NHL playoffs. They've also really embraced hockey. The hockey specials they've been broadcasting before and after the games have been terrific! I actually don't mind Bill Clement anymore either, and enjoy him as moderator between the periods (he and Gary Thorne used to make my ears bleed during their ESPN in game commentary). My only hope is that more people will be able to get the channel. I have a few friends that haven't seen most of the games, (except for the Saturday afternoon games on NBC) because OLN isn't part of their cable package. Other than that, keep it up!
Tonight's game:
Carolina at Buffalo 7:30 PM
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Two games after being replaced by Martin Gerber, Cam Ward found himself in a familiar position....coming in for relief again. This time it was possibly his biggest game. Gerber allowed 3 goals on 11 shots, and was yanked early in the second after surrendering the third goal on a breakaway to Lyndman. Ward came back in and stopped all 15 shots he faced, and allowed the Hurricanes to mount a comeback, to tie the game, and carry the team to OT.
Overtime. Cory Stillman scored on a powerplay goal, 8 minutes into the OT period to give the Hurricanes the 4-3 win, and 3-2 series lead. The Hurricanes can finish off the Sabres in Buffalo on Tuesday night. For more on this series visit TSN.ca.
How amazing is Eric Staal? What a season this kid has had. After last night's game, Staal had another assist which made his playoff point scoring streak 15 games. I'm happy to see that he has carried his amazing regular season play into the post season. Carolina has got a star on their hands.
Last night's score:
Buffalo 3 Carolina 4 F (OT)
Playoff Leaders:
Eric Staal 7 goals 13 assists 20 points
Daniel Briere 7 goals 10 assists 17 points
Chris Drury 9 goals 8 assists 17 points
Shawn Horcoff 5 goals 12 assists 17 points
Chriss Pronger 4 goals 13 assists 17 points
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
After 16 years the Oilers have returned to the finals. After last night's 2-1 victory over the Ducks, where the Oilers returned to form, and Dwayne Roloson became superhuman again, Edmonton closed the series 4-1. Anaheim played well, but were once again stifled by Dwayne Roloson, and Edmonton stingy defence. The Oilers have obviously taken the title of 'team with the hot goalie'. Roloson is having a Conn Symthe calibre playoffs right now.
How about that goal on a deflection by Raffi Torres? Talk about hand-eye coordination! Torres goal became the eventual game winner last night. For more on this series visit TSN.ca.
Last night's scores:
Edmonton 2 Anaheim 1 F
Tonight's game:
Buffalo at Carolina 7:30 PM
Enjoy the game, I know I will!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
My buddy Playoff Moustache has been commenting like a madman lately, and bringing some really great insight. So, I'm going to start bringing some more attention to him, because frankly the guy deserves it, and really, I hate to see his articles buried in the comment section....so provided this doesn't embarrass him too much, this will be the first of many Tales from the 'Stache! Enjoy!
Gerber was the fukinawa surprise last night, wasn't he? Wow, he looked sharp. Must be a nice feeling being on a team with two goalies that you can put that much faith into. I believe I was wrong in expecting the Sabres would have defensive depth in their organization just because they seem to have depth at every other position. The Canes definitely took the forecheck to them. On the other hand, credit Carolina's defense and especially their penalty kill. I'll agree Buffalo looked a little sluggish, but Carolina's defense was moving the puck really well out of their own zone (something they really struggled with against Montreal, I thought). How freaking great has Eric Staal been, too? He's everywhere and he seems to do a little bit of everything and do it all extremely well. So impressive. Would he be the Conn Smythe favorite if the Canes win the cup? Or maybe Brind'Amour? Tough call. Long way to go before that though.
Oh, Erik Cole's ruled out a return at all this season. Stinks for him after having such a great year and I would've LOVED to see him crashing around in this series against the Sabres. But gotta protect your health.
Smart move by Phoenix in locking up Cujo. You have to think that one of these years they're going to put all the pieces together and have a really good season and playoff run.
So...will Jiggy start tonight???
Playoff Moustache
The Hurricanes exploited the Sabres depeleted defense corps last night, and Martin Gerber got the start over rookie Cam Ward to complete a 4-0 shutout win. The Sabres called up minor league defencemen Doug Janik and Jeff Jillson to replace the injured Teppo Numminen, Dmitri Kalinin, and Henrik Tallinder and both had a rough night. I feel bad for Jillson who was burned twice, the first deflected off him, and Andrew Ladd escaped his coverage to get the second. Keep your head up kid, you will get another shot. We've all had games like that....hell I had one like it last week!
The Sabres were generally outplayed in ever aspect of the game. The Hurricanes did not give away too many short handed opportunities, and when they did, their penalty kill was strong. Martin Gerber was outstanding making 22 saves and recording the shutout. The Hurricanes have tied the series 2-2 and return to Raleigh for game 5 on Sunday night. For more on this game visit TSN.ca.
This one has to go 7. There is no way it can't. Last night's game wasn't as good as the last few, because I don't think Buffalo really put their best foot forward. I don't blame it on the young defencemen either. I think the whole team looked sluggish and were certainly a step (if not two) behind the Hurricanes all night. Lindy Ruff is probably still tearing his team a new one for their play last night right now.
Anaheim begins the long hard road to a 7 game series tonight. I really think they can do it too. Maybe not win, but I think winning the 4th game for Edmonton is going to be a chore. The Ducks have finally broken through Rolo, so I expect them to carry that momentum into tonight's game and shell the Oilers goalie like they did in game 4 (25 shots in the first period!). This is gonna be a great game! Desperation time!
Phoenix Coyotes re-sign Curtis Joseph
Cujo was rewarded for a great season last year with a shiny new $2 million one year contract. Great move by the Coyotes. Joseph was outstanding last year (he was my best fantasy goalie and I picked him up in the 7th round too) winning 32 games and a 2.91GAA and 4 shutouts. For more on this report visit TSN.ca.
Last night's scores:
Carolina 4 Buffalo 0 F
Tonight's game:
Edmonton at Anaheim 9:00 PM
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Do or die last night for the Ducks, and the Ducks did. Ilya Bryzgalov the latest hot goalie in Anaheim found himself riding the pine in favor of the Ducks 2003 hot goaltender Jean Sebastien Giguere. Did the goalie change do much to spark the Ducks? Not really. I think there was a sense of urgency throughout the whole team, especially on the offense. For the second straight game, it seems that the Ducks have figured out how to score on Edmonton goalie Dwayne Roloson. Roloson who looked very ordinary last night surrendered 3 goals in the first period (the Ducks took 25 shots on him in the first, that's desperation!), and 2 more before being pulled in favor of the extra skater, which Anaheim forward Joffrey Lupul, quickly converted into an empty net goal, his second of the game. Anaheim finished off the Oilers 6-3.
Anaheim trails Edmonton in the series 3-1, but carry alot of momentum back to the pond ( didn't I say they need to do this? Shout out to the Ducks for listening to the bosher and visiting Playoff Beard!) and a ton of confidence. I still stand by my prediction that this one will go 7 games. For more on this series visit TSN.ca.
Last night's scores:
Anaheim 6 Edmonton 3 F
Tonight's game:
Carolina at Buffalo 7:30 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
I prayed to the Hockey gods last night that this Buffalo and Carolina series will go 7 games, because I don't want it to end. For the second straight night we were blessed with an entertaining game 3 of hockey. The Sabres and Hurricanes are putting on quite a show. Last night's 4-3 win over the Hurricanes, gives the Sabres a 2-1 series lead. Daniele Briere put on an offensive show, so did Cory Stillman. Did you see Commodore get flattened (by Lyndman i believe) and the Sabres countered to set up Kotalik with a goal? What a physical game! If my writing appears scattered and erratic it's because I still am following that game! The Hurricanes almost forced overtime too! Staal's late rush...Miller pancaking his face with the blocker! WOW. I only hope we get more of this, because this is great hockey! For a more level headed view of the game visit TSN.ca.
Edmonton can complete the sweep tonight against the Ducks. Anaheim is not in a favorable position, but win tonight and bring the series home and you never know what can happen.
Last night's scores:
Carolina 3 at Buffalo 4
Tonight's game:
Anaheim at Edmonton 8:00 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Tonight's Show:
May 24th Show
There is one team that can smell the finals, while two other teams are just getting started. We'll tell you about what's going on in the playoffs, with the spin only we can give. Lyle Richardson from Spector's Hockey will join us to talk about the signing of Brad Richards, what effect it could have in Tampa as well as the NHL, as well as other news and rumors throughout the league. We'll talk about the new King in Los Angeles' throne, the possible new GMs in the Mile High City and Beantown, plus who could make a re-appearance in the playoffs. All that, plus we'll give you the low-down on the minor league playoffs that are nearing its end.
TONIGHT AT 9PM EST!!
Click here to listen.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
For a moment, early in the third last night, I thought I was watching game 1 of the Senators and Sabres. Goal Explosion! This game was 1-0 till the third when Mike Peca (he's back!) scored a breakaway goal, and it seemed the flood gates were opened. The Oilers scored two more in just 2 minutes, to make it 4-0 and Georges Laraque man-handled Todd Fedoruk to seemingly ice the game and the Ducks. However the Ducks responded and put 3 goals past Roloson in just four minutes and it seemed the Ducks were going to turn it around till Fernando Pisani put away the eventual game winner and gave the Oilers a 5-3 lead. The Oilers went on to win the game 5-4 and take a 3-0 series lead. For more on this series visit TSN.ca.
That third period was insane. The first period was insane too, it looked like Slapshot the movie. The third period was filled with momentum changes. Michael Peca is making a late push to take the Conn Smythe from Dwayne Roloson (4 goals in 4 straight games, and points in his last 6). Didn't it look like every puck was just short of trickling into the net? Is it just an honor to get your ass kicked by Georges Laraque? That guy is a brute! Anaheim is obviously going to be discouraged, and the 3-0 defecit they need to climb out of will be a difficult task, but they did finally solve Roloson. Perhaps this is what they needed. Focus on one game at a time. For the Oilers. You are 1 win from the Stanley Cup finals. 16 years since your last visit, and honestly, it would be cool to see you back.
Last night's scores:
Anaheim 4 Edmonton 5 F
Tonight's game:
Carolina at Buffalo 7:30 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
And the puns just keep on coming! Ray Whitney had another multi goal playoff performance and helped the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-3 win and a 1-1 series tie. The Hurricanes looked sharp last night, and very fast. The Sabres however still managed to keep the game tight, by capitalizing on their powerplay opportunities 3 times. The Sabres really have a knack for weathering storms and taking advantage of their opponents errors, and finishing. Look at what they did to Ottawa! For more on this series visit TSN.ca.
Did anyone see that save by Glen Wesley? That may have saved the game for the Hurricanes last night.
Last night's scores:
Buffalo 3 Carolina 4 F
Tonight's game:
Anaheim at Edmonton 8:00 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Crawford only spent a month on the unemployment line after his dismissal by the Vancouver Canucks before being scooped up by the L.A. Kings. Crawford will replace interim head coach Bull from Night Court who replaced Andy Murray who was sacked with only 12 games to go in the regular season. For more on this story visit TSN.ca.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
It seems the hot goaltender has shifted from Anaheim to the Oilers. Dwayne Roloson has been nothing short of magnificent, and last night he made 33 saves to help the Oilers win 3-1. Roloson and the Oilers have won 6 straight playoff games and now carry a 2-0 series lead back to Edmonton, where they can wrap up the series and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1990. Dwayne Roloson also got another assist thanks again to his linemate Michael Peca, who has also stepped it up a notch in the post season.
Anaheim has a rough road ahead of them, as they haven't won a game in Edmonton on their last 12 attempts. I still don't think this series is over. Anaheim has been playing great, they just haven't been able to penetrate the Oilers defence, or solve Roloson. I expect them to come out even stronger in game 3.
Last night's scores:
Edmonton 3 Anaheim 1 F
Tonight's game:
Buffalo at Carolina 7:30 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
After weathering an early first period storm (get it...storm...hurricanes...storm...eh? eh?) the Sabres counter attacked and got a goal from defenceman Henrik Timmander. Rod Brind'Amour answered the tally later in the first, firing a wristshot past Ryan Miller. Daniel Briere scored in the second and Jay McKee got the eventual game winner in the 3rd to help push the Sabres past the Hurricanes 3-2. The Sabres now have a 1-0 lead in the series over the Hurricanes.
The game to me looked very even. Although the Hurricanes seemed to carry the offense more, and keep the puck in the Sabres end, the Buffalo defenceman were very successful in keeping most of the play to the perimeter and the shots to the outside. The Sabres were able to counter on Hurricane errors and turnovers. I think this series is going to be the best one we have seen thus far. Eddie Olczyk must be visiting the Playoff Beard, because he also agrees with the Bosher that this one is going 7 games.
Anaheim looks to bounce back tonight against Edmonton, and I think they will. Expect the rust to be out of their legs, and for Roloson to really be tested. The Sharks had some early success against the Oilers by going right after Pronger, perhaps the Ducks should try that. The guy plays 30 minutes a game, make him work a little harder when he goes into the corners....I think.
Playoff Leaders:
Patrick Elias 6 goals 10 assists 16 points
Eric Staal 5 goals 11 assists 16 points
Shawn Horcoff 5 goals 10 assists 15 points
Jason Spezza 5 goals 9 assists 14 points
Patrick Marleau 9 goals 5 assists 14 points
Last night's score:
Buffalo 3 Carolina 2 F
Tonight's game:
Edmonton at Anaheim 9:00 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Is it me, or is Dwayne Roloson making Kevin Lowe look like the smartest GM in the NHL right now? Roloson was solid in net, but spectacular when he set up a breaking Michael Peca (who the hell does this guy think he is lately?) with a hail mary pass and that led to a short handed goal. Roloson has been solid for the Oilers throughout the playoffs and has helped give his team a chance to win every game. Ales Hemsky had an awesome goal off of a deflection from a Ryan Smyth slapshot. Hemsky batted it into the net in mid air, Todd Harvey (Todd Harvey? Yes Todd Harvey!) scored the empty netter in the third to finish off the Ducks 3-1 and take a 1-0 series lead.
How great was Peca's goal? How great has Peca been for the last couple of games? He is earning extra ice time, and it's well deserved. Melrose actually said he looks like the old Mike Peca from Buffalo right now. I can't disagree.
I think the Ducks were a bit flat, again another victim of a successful previous round, that gave them perhaps too long of a layoff. I expect them to bounce back hard in Game 2, and I still think this series will go the distance.
Playoff Beard Alert: One of my top five picks, Scott Neidermayer. Did anyone see him during the post game press conference last night? Neidermayer will be ready to join ZZTop in another game or so.
Last night's scores:
Edmonton 3 Anaheim 1 F
Today's game:
Buffalo at Carolina 2:00 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
And then there were four. Edmonton has to be the biggest surprise of the bunch. Carolina is where I think everyone expected them to be, and I think people are beginning to see why Buffalo is so good. Anaheim has proven to be very adaptable, playing Calgary's very stingy style, to a wide open attack against the Avs.
Here are my predictions (lets hope I do better than last time):
Eastern Conference Finals:
Buffalo vs. Carolina
These two teams are almost perfectly matched. Great offense, great defense, terrific goalies, and two Jack Adams nominated coaches. I think this series is gonna go the distance. I'm finally going to jump on the Buffalo bandwagon. Any team that can pants Ottawa the way they did, cannot be taken for granted. I know Carolina shut down the Devils, but I think part of their success was due to some lucky bounces, a cold Brodeur, and some very undisciplined hockey by New Jersey. Buffalo kept Ottawa's high powered offense stifled throuhout the series (forget game 1). Playoff Beard Prediction: Buffalo in 7.
Oh and Moustache, the Buffalo curse is the inability of this city to grab a championship in both football and hockey when being just a mouse's fart away. Brett Hull is just part of that curse (and the curse of every fantasy team owner who drafted his ass this year).
Western Conference Finals:
Anaheim vs. Edmonton
Anaheim has been awesome. I think even better than their run three years ago, but the circumstances are so similiar. Ilya Bryzgalov has been solid and steady, and I love the fact that when he has a bad game (game 3), firstly his team is their to provide support for him, and he bounces back with a great effort in the next night. Selanne has been great, and Scott Neidermayer has been everything that the Ducks hoped he would be and more. I really like this team. However, Edmonton, is beginning to make a believer out of me as well. Knocking off Detroit can't be a fluke, and winning four straight against the Sharks is just impressive. Give some credit to MacTavish, one for having great hair, and two for him and his coaching staff identifying the weaknesses in the Sharks young defense (also giving extra time to Michael Peca when he must have packed his nose full of coke before Wednesday night's game, and came out like a madman!). The Oilers have a knack for adapting and also respong very well to adversity. Just when you think they are down and out, they come back. This series should be another long one.
Playoff Beard Prediction: Edmonton in 7.
Tonight's game:
Edmonton at Anaheim 9:00 PM
Enjoy the game!!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Oilers defeated the Sharks 2-0 last night, and won their fourth consecutive game to end the series in 6 games. The Oilers will go on to meet the Ducks in the Western Conference Finals.
Edmonton's Michael Peca came out hard last night and opened the scoring after on what looked like a hook to me on a young Shark defenceman (i want to say Hammond, but I'm not sure), then breaking free to put the puck past Vesa Toskala high and right. The goal would stand up as the game winner. Dwayne Roloson made 24 saves and Shawn Horcoff would give the Oliers some insurance, to help their team to a 2-0 victory.
The Sharks. Let's face it guys. The Sharks will never be a super team until they get Eddie Van Halen on guitar. Seriously, I think Neil Smith brought up some good points last night. The Sharks never faced adversity in the playoffs till meeting the Oilers and they were unable to adapt. Their goaltending went from amazing to okay, and their special teams collapsed both on the power play and the penalty kil, and they wear teal colored jerseys. Of course getting Eddie Van Halen couldn't hurt.
The matchups are set boys! Althought the NHL, may not be happy because of the smaller markets, I think as hockey fans we should be thrilled. I really like the final four teams, especially the Eastern Conference Finals with Buffalo and Carolina. That is gonna be good. The first matchup is tomorrow night at 9:00 between Anaheim and Edmonton. I may or may not give predictions, as I was awful this round only successfully picking the Ducks to move on. We'll see. Anything can happen here.
Playoff Leaders:
Patrick Elias 6 goals 10 assists 16 points
Eric Staal 5 goals 10 assists 15 points
Jason Spezza 5 goals 9 assists 14 points
Patrick Marleau 9 goals 5 assists 14 points
Shawn Horcoff 5 goals 9 assists 14 points
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Ok, if the Sharks lose tonight, not only will the Oilers finish the series in 6 games and head to the Western Conference Finals....but I will no longer be able to throw out these horrible Jaws themed headlines....perhaps that will be a blessing. Perhaps the Sharks, and especially Vesa Toskala should show up, otherwise it will be time to shave Joey T's gorgeous playoff beard.....Kyle MacKlaren's wolverine style playoff beard is all ready for the opening of X-men 3, and it would truly be a shame to see him have to shave it. I put it to you people....how can a team with a defenceman who has bones that are indestructible lose? I hope the Sharks win tonight, because a game 7 matchup would be sweeeeeet! Until then, Anaheim waits to see who they will face.
My buddy Jeff, emailed me this article, and it is hilarious....and very true:
Bruins Sign Future Flyers All-Star To Three-Year Deal
BOSTON-The Bruins agreed to terms Monday with 2005 second-round draft pick Petr Kalus, signing him to a three-year contract that NHL insiders predict will be just long enough for Kalus to evolve into an All-Star-caliber player before his inevitable trade to the perennial playoff contender Philadelphia Flyers. The Czech Republic native will follow former Bruin greats Sergei Samsonov and Joe Thornton in continuing the tradition of Boston players who were traded immediately before their breakout season. "We look forward to obstructing Petr's development during his three frustrating years in Boston, although we certainly dread watching his much better career after he blossoms into the Flyers' top point scorer," Bruins interim GM Jeff Gorton said. "I wouldn't be surprised to see him score 30 goals in a season, many of them against us." Over his three years in Boston, Kalus is expected to endure a brief stint in the minors, be called up by the cellar-dwelling Bruins, battle a series of avoidable minor injuries, get traded for two draft picks and a player to be named later to Philadelphia, and begin his run at being named MVP in 2009, 2010, and 2013.
Tonight's game:
San Jose at Edmonton 8:00 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Tonight's Show:
May 17th Show
We're getting down to the nitty-gritty with only five teams remaining, possibly four by the end of the night. We'll dissect the series that have happened and what could happen next. Lyle Richardson from Spector's Hockey will join us to talk about what the Senators will do next, what Patrik Elias's plans are, and if the Isles can buyout Alexei Yashin. We welcome Evan Eldredge from NHL 94 as he comes on to talk about the phenomena that is NHL '94 and why it is still popular to this very day. In addition, we'll tell you how many doctors are making money from the Flyers' surgery carousel, what's going down in Colorado, and who's taking over the Leafs as bench boss.
TONIGHT AT 9PM EST!!
Click here to listen.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Amazing. It seems like every time I check the news, another Flyer is going under the knife. Goaltender Robert Esche, and defenceman Mike Rathje both underwent hip surgery. The hip has been the most popular injury amongst Flyers, with three, the two above and Simone Gagne. The knee has been next with both defenceman Derian Hatcher and winger Turner Stevenson have surgeries on theirs. FInally, the ankle, which could technically be tied with the knee, because Forsberg is having both of his worked on. Forsberg will be sidelined until January of next season.
The more I read, it seems that there really should be no surprise that the Flyers got knocked out in round 1, and the more I think about it, it's actually impressive they managed to win two of the games over the Sabres. If this team gets healthy, adds a faster puck moving defenceman (or 2), and decides on a number 1 goalie, I think they can be a legitimate threat. Bob Clarke should stop trying to build teams based on size, and learn to adapt the Flyers to the new NHL.
As for the next round, I'm excited. I know the markets aren't the biggest, so the ratings will certainly be a little lower, but I think we are watching some outstanding hockey. Carolina and Buffalo are playing great, and how cool is it that the two Jack Adams Nominees are battling each other in the conference finals? My hats off to both of these guys! Anaheim is fun team to watch, and I really enjoying the play of Scott Neidermayer. Having seen him for so many years in New Jersey, I think it was good to see him get some exposure in the West. RIght now I think there are few that can doubt his ability. The Ducks are also riding another hot goalie in Ilya Bryzgalov, it will be interesting to see how far he can carry this team.
The Sharks and Oilers will meet up for game 6 tomorrow night. I"m torn on this one. I'd like to see the Oilers pull this out, because their tenacity and energy remind me of the Sabres (i'd love to see a Pronger Neidermayer matchup), and I think it's good to have a Canadian team in the hunt. I'm very partial to their broadcasts (I've beaten that horse so much it's been ressuscitated)....and man do I love their beer.
On a final note, I apologize for the lateness of my posts for the last few days, I've been very busy with my family. My wife just gave birth to our first baby boy on Mother's Day. Captain Bosh, has a little Corporal Bosh to help him out now!
Thanks as always for reading, and for the support!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Yep it's all over. The magic ride that started with a coaching change, and the return of Patrick Elias back in January came to an end last night in Raleigh. The Hurricanes made quick work of the Devils again last night in a 4-1 won victory, and finished the series in just 5 games. The biggest reasons, I feel, that Martin Brodeur was rather ordinary in this series, as was his defense, and the offense fell silent. Really, the Devils offense was kept quiet, by the Hurricanes defense. Brian Gionta was kept off the board till last night's game, and it proved to be meaningless. Brodeur was never able to steal a game for his team, and his counterpart Cam Ward bounced back to close the doors on New Jersey. Cam Ward actually looked more like Brodeur, than Brodeur did. Say that 3 times real fast. The Hurricanes will meet the very surprising Sabres in what should an excellent Eastern Conference Finals!
He can't stay down with 3 barrels in him, not with 3 he can't!!
The Sharks better hope that's true, because after leading the series 2-0, the Oilers have bounced back like Chief Brody with a rifle, and are on the verge of blowing the Sharks out of the water. Okay no more Jaws references I promise! I didn't see last night's game, but for the second straight game the Oilers defeated the Sharks 6-3, and took the 3-2 series lead. Vesa where are you baby!? For more on this series visit TSN.ca.
Last night's scores:
New Jersey 1 at Carolina 4
Edmonton 6 at San Jose 3
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Devils came out hard and didn't let up, defeating the Hurricanes 5-1, and also staving (there it is again) off elimination to force a game 5 in Carolina. The Devils scored three first period goals, and it seems like the bounces finally started going there way, especially on Gomez's first goal which rebounded off a skate past Cam Ward. Ward was eventually pulled in favor of Gerber after surrendering the 5th goal. Regardless, this may be too little too late for the Devils. I guess we'll see if they can ride this momentum for 3 more games. For more on this series visit TSN.ca.
 Playoff Beard Alert:It seems that a few seasons with the Devils was all it took to leave an impression. I talk about the playoff beard master Jeff Freisen of course. Last night while watching the bench, it appears that several Devils are sporting the Freisen Playoff Moustache. Scott Gomez and Colin White are obviously devout followers of the Freisen.
The Sabres finally finished off the Senators. I can't even believe i'm typing that. Everyone picked the Senators (except for my man Playoff Moustache who picked them before the playoffs to challenge for the cup) to beat the Sabres handily, but it turned out to be the other way around. The Sabres beat the Senators 3-2 in OT last night to finish off the series 4-1. For more on this series visit TSN.ca.
Last night's scores:
Carolina 1 New Jersey 5 F
Buffalo 3 Ottawa 2 F (OT)
Tonight's games:
New Jersey at Carolina 7:00 PM
Edmonton at San Jose 10:00 PM
Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Sorry, can't stop pulling quotes from Jaws.....anyhow....The Oilers got some luck in a post, and great stick save by Pronger to survive a San Jose flurry....and potted a quick goal by Mike Peca to bring the score to 3-2. Then end the end of a penalty kill minutes later, Pronger (who's having a great playoff's by the way, and playing almost 30 minutes a night!) lifted a hail mary pass to Sergei Samsonov (who was serving the minor)......what happened next was just awesome! Sharks goalie Vesa Toskala raced from his net to beat Samsonov to the puck, but when he cleared it, it bounced off Samsonov, who quickly gathered it, and softly backhanded it into the net. 3-3.
After that the third period was all Oilers, who scored three more goals (5 in a row) to defeat the Sharks 6-3 and bring the series to a 2-2 tie. For more on this story visit TSN.ca.
GM Pierre Lacroix steps down
One of the best GM's in the NHL gave his notice yesterday. Lacroix helped transform the Avalanche into a consistent Stanley Cup Contender, and a two-time Stanley Cup winner. He has always been a GM that we all expect to make a splash at the trade deadline, .and this years Jose Theodore trade helped them beat the Dallas Stars in round 1. Lacroix is expected to stay on as president but hand the GM duties over to someone else.
This is purely speculation, but I wonder if he may give his son Eric Lacroix the job. He retired several years ago from playing and took a back office job with the Avalanche. Perhaps he has been groomed by his father to take over as GM? Or will they go with someone with more experience....Neil Smith?
Last night's scores:
San Jose 3 Edmonton 6 F
Tonight's games:
Carolina at New Jersey 3:00 PM
Buffalo at Ottawa 7:00 PM
Do or die for the Sens and Devs tonight! Make something happen boys, or shave the playoff beards! Vegetable MEDLEY!!!!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Thanks to my buddy Jeff for emailing this to me. It's a great video, and a terrific trip back in time. I think Trottier last comment is more of compliment rather than an insult, but I'll let you guys decide.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7087099771269561926&q=type
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Well speculation is over. Teemu Selanne's clone, Paul Maurice will be named the new head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs at a news conference this morning. You can see it at TSN.ca.
Paul Maurice was coaching the Toronto Marlies, the Leafs farm club and he has been rumored to be the new head coach for some time, even before Pat Quinn was fired. Prior to the Marlies he coached the Whalers / Hurricanes for 9 seasons and led the Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup appearance against Detroit 4 years ago.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Bryzgalov. Ilya Bryzgalov. The Anaheim Mighty Ducks can breathe a sigh of relief. Not only did they sweep the Avs last night, but their hot goalie returned to form last night and stopped 40 shots on the way to a 4-1 win and series clincher. Bryzgalov surrendered 3 goals the previous game, but thanks to the heroics of teammate Joffrey Lupul, the Ducks managed to win anyway. Aside from Game 3, the Avs were never really in this series. They were kept off the scoreboard in games 1 and 2, and last night only managed a meager amount of offense. Credit has to go to the Ducks defence in silencing the Avs forwards, especially Hejduk, Sakic and Tanguay. The Bosher nailed this one, although I did give the Avs one game. For more on this series visit TSN.ca.
The Sens managed to stave off elimination last night. When's the last time you staved off something? Try staving this weekend, you may find it as rewarding as the Senators. Wade Redden got the game winner and Ray Emery made 29 saves to give the Sabres the 2-1 victory and keep the series alive for the Senators. According to TSN.ca, Dominik Hasek is close to making his return. I wonder if this is a good move for the Sens. I had a discussion with the boys from the Face Off Hockey Show about this subject just last week. Is putting in a very cold goaltender a good move right now? Do the Senators have anything to lose being one game away from elimination? Interesting situation. The Sabres and Senators series goes back to Ottawa for game 5 on Saturday. Sabres lead the series 3-1.
I'd like to tip my hat to Mike Knuble, last evenings OLN Celebrity Guest Analyst. It seems like every time Knuble had to answer a question to Bill 'Deep Woods Off' Clement it was always "Yeah Bill, thats how the Sabres kicked our asses too". That couldn't have been to easy. However all in all, I think he did a pretty good job, and was able to take his eyes off of sweet Bill from time to time.
By the way, because I love you guys.....enjoy Bill in all his shirtless glory here:
http://www.billclement.com/video.htm#
UPDATE: Completely forgot to mention this! Did anyone see Teppo Numminen shove the linesman last night during the final minutes of the game? I guess he thought it was a Senator at first, but he delivered a pretty nice shot!
Last night's scores:
Ottawa 2 Buffalo 1 F
Anaheim 4 Colorado 1 F
Tonight's games:
San Jose at Edmonton 8:00 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
What the hell is going on in Round 2? The Senators, Devils, and Avalanche are one game from shaving their playoff beards! The Avalanche, I expected to be in this position, but the Senators and Devils? I'm beginning to believe in the Hurricanes and Sabres, and I really think the doubters (Playoff Moustache has been on the Sabres band wagon since the playoffs started, hats off to you sir) are beginning to show faith.
Ottawa just isn't scoring enough. It's funny, I was channel jockeying last night during pre-game, and everyone was ripping Alfredsson and Heatley apart. Especially Alfredsson....perhaps because of his mustache....or perhaps because he hasn't really been much of a factor. Heatley I think has done pretty well, especially for a kid with no playoff experience whatsoever. However, the point is mute. The Sabres, needing to fill in a big hole with the loss
of Tim Connolly and apparently addressed it....they defeated Ottawa again, in OT on a goal by JP Dumont winning 3-2. The Sabres have a commanding 3-0 series lead. For more on this visit TSN.ca.
After the embarrassing the New York Rangers, the New Jersey Devils are one game from sharing similiar shame. The Hurricanes have discovered how to beat Brodeur.....bounce the puck off every single players leg and stick prior to hitting the net....and it will go in. Rod Brind'Amour scored the game winner last night to give the Hurricanes the 3-2 win, but only because he touched it last.....it started as and Eric Staal shot, and hit everyone and the mother before going in. The bounces are most certainly not with the Devils. The Carolina Hurricanes have a 3-0 series lead and can finish the sweep in New Jersey on Saturday. For more on this series visit TSN.ca.
Looks like the Oilers needed a bigger boat (get it? uggh).....and they got one last night! I tried to stay and watch this game, but at 2:30 AM I had to call it quits. While I was sleeping the Oilers finally woke up (that's not really fair, they have played great) and beat the Sharks in OT. Triple OT that is. Horcoff got the game winner 2 minutes into the third OT to help Edmonton to a 3-2 victory (see any similiarities in last night's scores.....coincidence...or psychic phenomenon?) and bring the series to 2-1 in favor of the Sharks. For more on the series visit TSN.ca.
Last night's scores:
Ottawa 2 Buffalo 3 F (OT)
Carolina 3 New Jersey 2 F
San Jose 2 Edmonton 3 F (3OT)
Tonight's games:
Ottawa at Buffalo 7:00 PM
Anaheim at Colorado 10:00 PM
Do or die time for both the Sens and the Avs....time to go big or go home boys! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
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