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As one great goalie leaves Florida, a few days later another great one takes his place. Marc Denis of the Columbus Blue Jackets has been traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Fredrik Modin and goalie Fredrik Norrena (could we get another Frederik on this away team?).
Marc Denis who shared time with goalie Pascal LeClaire last season, was in a similiar situation to Luongo. Good goalie on a sub-par team. His numbers may not be as good as Luongo's but I think this guy is a terrific pickup for the Lightning. My only wish is that the Blue Jackets had dealt him at the trade deadline last year and helped by Fantasy goaltending numbers.
In Columbus, the Pascal LeClaire era has obviously begun, and the return for Denis in Frederik Modin is an excellent two way forward with some finishing skills (31 goals last year) and an awesome slap shot that could end up complementing Rick Nash. Great deal for both teams.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The McCabe Effect continues! Detroit has signed Norris Trophy winning defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom to a 2 year contract worth $7.6 million per and effectively keeping him off the free agent market which begins tonight at midnight. Good move by Detroit, you had to hold on to this guy, especially after the season he just had. For more on this visit TSN.ca.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Roberto Luongo has signed a $27 million contract with Canucks for the next 4 years. The contact contains a no-trade clause, for the final three years of the deal, and grows from $6 million the first year, to $7.5 million in the final year of the contract.
Roberto Luongo, has the deal he wants, and a team that has the potential to be a Stanley Cup contender, but the big question is, can he be a big time playoff goalie? Sure he's been great playing for crappy teams, in no pressure situations, but how will he respond when facing a game 7 elimination matchup? Having never played in a playoff game for his entire career, it will be very interesting to watch first, if he can help get the Canucks into the playoffs again, and second, can he help them get out of the first round?
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Ottawa has reportedly locked up defenceman Wade Redden to a 2 year $13 million contract, and the Senators fans can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Does this mean Chara is on his way out? Perhaps. He will most certainly seek, and find offers in the same range as Redden's deal if he isn't signed by tomorrow evening. For more on this report visit TSN.ca.
Stars waive Guerin
The only surprise here is that they didn't do this last year. Guerin will be a very affordable pickup for a team looking for a little extra offense. If he can find his game again, or learn to adapt to the new NHL then he would be a steal for someone.
Roberts wants a trade to Toronto
Apparently he wants to spend more time with his daughter. Whatever the reason, I see the Leafs jumping all over this one and trading a few first rounders in next years draft for him. Gary Roberts fits the prototypical mold of the aging, past prime, often injured, veteran type player that make up the Leafs. Expect to see him on the IR in Toronto next season.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Thanks to my buddy Jeff for sending this in! Chuck Norris reads Chuck Norris facts! His personal favorite at the end says it all! Long live the beard!
Click here to enjoy Mr. Norris wisdom.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
No surprise there. Everyone and their mother predicted he would be a first ballot hall of famer. Do I really need to say what a kick ass goaltender Patrick Roy was? I didn't think so.
Joining him, is some dude named Dick Duff, who has to have one of the coolest names I've ever heard. He was an original six forward who has been waiting some 30 years for his induction in to the Hall. The other inductee's are Harley Hotchkiss, an owner of the Flames and a chairman for the NHL's board of governors, and Herb Brooks, the man who brough respectability to American hockey.
I don't know anything about Duff, and Hotchkiss, but Roy and Brooks are no-brainers. Great choices, and worthy of the honor.
McCabe deal is going through
Looks like the deal that is going to force the Ottawa Senators to lose one of their UFA defenceman has been accepted. Bryan McCabe has resigned with the Toronto Maple Leafs for 5 more years and $5.75 million a year. Probably a bit more than he is worth, but Toronto had to secure him before the Free Agent deadline begins, or risk losing him to higher bidders. Either way, the market has been set, so I would expect to see Chara, Redden, and Lidstrom looking for $7 to $8 million per season.
Luongo ready to sign long-term with Canucks?
Looks that way. Reports are that the Canucks are looking to lock up Luongo to a 4 year deal worth $28 million. $7 million a year! With the salary of Bertuzzi no longer on their minds, looks like the Canucks are ready to solidify the crease for years to come. If they do go through with this, I can't imagine them not trading Dan Cloutier.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
It's looking that way! According to reports from New York Newsday, the Rangers and Islanders would play a regular season game outdoors at Yankee Stadium on New Years Day. This would be the second NHL outdoor game in 3 years, following the successful matchup between the Oilers and Canadiens in Edmonton November 2003.
This would be outstanding! The Heritage Classic, which was an old timers game between the Oilers greats and the Canadiens greats preceded the NHL game, and it was a lot of fun. It also gave me an excuse to start pounding Labatt Blue in the early afternoon. A game between these two New York teams would be a great step towards bringing the NHL some more attention! Make it happen Gary!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
This Saturday, July 1st marks the first free agency period since the ratification of the new CBA. This free agency, GM's will have a few more bucks to play with as the Salary Cap has been raised to $44 million per team, and the max player salary to $8.5 million (don't quote me on that one though, but I'm 15% sure).
Many of the biggest names available are defenceman, such as Wade Redden, Zdeno Chara (one of these guys will be staying, but not both, unless they plan on moving Havlat), Niklas Lidstrom (should be re-signed), Rob Blake, and Ed Jovanoski.
Blue Chip Forwards available include Patrick Elias, Sergei Samsonov, Fernando Pisani (he should be re-signed), Jamie Langenbrunner, Marc Savard (although I think this guy is a product of being lined with Kovalchuk), and Doug Weight. There are more, but I think these guys are probably the ones who will be most sought after.
Goaltender is the one position that is a little sparse free agent wise. Dwayne Roloson is the gem of the class, and will get a nice raise after his Stanley Cup run. Other free agents include Martin Gerber, Ed Belfour, Manny Legace, Patrick Lalime, and John Grahame. Talk about the best of what's left huh? I think David Aebischer and Dan Cloutier will be made available since they are currently making a lot of money and destined to be backups to better keepers this year, but time will tell.
Yzerman is expected to make a decision soon on his retirement, or resigning for one more year. Hang in there Jeff. I have a feeling we are gonna get one more year of Stevie Y, but in a more limited 3rd or 4th line role.
Marc Cuban and Dan Marino want to buy the Penguins? Wow! This would be great for Pittsburgh and outstanding for the NHL. Dan Marino is cool, but getting Mark Cuban involved in the NHL would be a huge boom for the sport. I get goosebumps thinking about how much attention he will bring to the league. Make it happen!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Here's what went down in Vancouver on Saturday:
Round 1
1. St. Louis Blues -- Erik Johnson, defense, U.S. National Under-18 Team
2. Pittsburgh Penguins -- Jordan Staal, center, Peterborough (OHL)
3. Chicago Blackhawks -- Jonathan Toews, center/wing, North Dakota (WCHA)
4. Washington Capitals -- Nicklas Backstrom, center, Brynas Gavle, Sweden
5. Boston Bruins -- Phil Kessel, center, Minnesota (WCHA)
6. Columbus Blue Jackets -- Derick Brassard, center, Drummondville (QMJHL)
7. New York Islanders -- Kyle Okposo, right wing, Des Moines (USHL)
8. Phoenix Coyotes -- Peter Mueller, center, Everett (WHL)
9. Minnesota Wild -- James Sheppard, center, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
10. Florida Panthers -- Michael Frolik, center/wing, Kladno (Czech Republic)
11. Los Angeles Kings -- Jonathan Bernier, goaltender, Lewiston (QMJHL)
12. Atlanta Thrashers -- Bryan Little, center, Barrie (OHL)
13. Toronto Maple Leafs -- Jiri Tlusty, center/wing, Kladno (Czech Republic)
14. Vancouver Canucks -- Michael Grabner, right wing, Spokane (WHL)
15. Tampa Bay Lightning -- Riku Helenius, goaltender, Ilves Tampere (Finland Jr.)
16. San Jose Sharks -- Ty Wishart, defense, Prince George (WHL)
17. Los Angeles Kings -- Trevor Lewis, center, Des Moines (USHL)
18. Colorado Avalanche -- Chris Stewart, right wing, Kingston (OHL)
19. Anaheim Ducks -- Mark Mitera, defense, Michigan (CCHA)
20. Montreal Canadiens -- David Fischer, defense, Apple Valley (Minn. High School)
21. New York Rangers -- Bobby Sanguinetti, defense, Owen Sound (OHL)
22. Philadelphia Flyers -- Claude Giroux, right wing, Gatineau (QMJHL)
23. Washington Capitals -- Semen Varlamov, goaltender, Yaroslavl-2 (Russia)
24. Buffalo Sabres -- Dennis Persson, defense, Vasteras (Sweden Jr.)
25. St. Louis Blues -- Patrik Berglund, center, Vasteras (Sweden Jr.)
26. Calgary Flames -- Leland Irving, goaltender, Everett (WHL)
27. Dallas Stars -- Ivan Vishnevskiy, defense, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
28. Ottawa Senators -- Nick Foligno, left wing, Sudbury (OHL)
29. Phoenix Coyotes -- Chris Summers, defense, U.S. National Under-18 Team
30. New Jersey Devils -- Matthew Corrente, defense, Saginaw (OHL)
So Eric Staal's little brother Jordan joins the Penguins, and what is shaping up to be a very high powered offence. The coolest thing about being a Penguin, is chances are this kid will start this year, and could perhaps be on a line with Malkin and Crosby! I'll default to my correspondent in the field Playoff Moustache for more on that one!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
I apologize for the downtime folks, I had some technical difficulties sponsored by the fine folks over at Verizon.
A lot happened on Saturday....here's a quick rundown:
Atlanta sent Patrik Stefan (a #1 pick years ago, and their first draft pick ever if I'm not mistaken) and Jaroslav Modry to Dallas for Niko Kapanen and a 7th round pick.
Kings traded Pavol Demitra to the Minnesota Wild for Patrick O'Sullivan and their 1st round pick. The Kings used the pick to draft Trevor Lewis...who apparently is a bad ass from the USHL. Demitra should help Gaborik offensively, but this was definitely the WTF trade of the day. When it was announced the entire arena gasped. I did as well.
The Avalanche traded Alex Tanguay to Calgary for defenceman Jordan Leopold, a 2nd round pick, and an conditional pick in 2007 or 2008. Iginla finally gets his wingman. I expect these two to put up some impressive numbers next year. Now they just need a center to get them the puck......
Blackhawks buy out Matt Barnaby and Curtis Brown. No surprise there. They should buy out the management there, which next to Boston and the previously the Islanders (before the purge) is the worst in the league....and perhaps in sports.
Canadiens resign Cristobal Huet to a 2 year deal, which I guess means David Aebischer is now on the available goalie list. Perhaps they should wait and see, in case Huet goes into a Raycroft like slump in his sophomore year. What a segue! Raycroft got traded Saturday, but I can't remember to whom...nor do I really care.
Same goes for Dan Cloutier who I think is making way too much money to be a backup, since he will most certainly be waxing the bench while watching Luongo start.
Phoenix just traded defencemen Paul Mara and a pick to Boston for Nick Boyton and a pick.
Pronger is apparently on his way out of Edmonton. Where and when is the question. What do the Oilers need, and who needs a solid blueliner that can 75 minutes a game? Not too many teams right!
More to come!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
WOW! Talk about pre-draft blockbusters! The Florida Panthers have shipped goalie Roberto Luongo to Vancouver in exchange for power forward Todd Bertuzzi! Florida also traded Lukas Krajicek and their 2006 6th round pick and received Bryan Allen and goaltender Alexander Auld from Vancouver. A five player deal!
Luongo has been rumored to be on the block all season, and speculation really heated up this week when the L.A. Kings made a pitch for the goalie. The Canucks have been looking to dump Bertuzzi and his baggage for some time, and also were in dire need of #1 goalie (no offense Dan). Bertuzzi flourished under Keenan's eye in Vancouver and should fit in nicely with the Panthers, as well as playing in the East, he can remove himself from some of the controversy that follows him after his cheap shot on Steve Moore that ended the player's career.
I think this is a terrific trade for all parties. Vancouver gets a superior goaltender. Luongo gets traded to a potential contender. Bertuzzi gets a fresh start, and Florida gets a great power forward, if he can find his pre-lockout game again.
The only question is will Vancouver's GM Dave Nonis be able to sign Luongo to a long-term contract and make him the mainstay between the pipes. He can also move Dan Cloutier to free up salary cap room as well as fill other needs throughout his club.
Rod Brind'Amour signs a five year deal with the Hurricanes
Busy day. Selke Trophy, and Stanley Cup Winner Rod Brind'Amour just signed a five year deal with the Hurricanes worth $18 million. Not a bad way to wrap up the 2005-2006 campaign. The 35 year old centre will be in Red till he is 40 years old.
Pronger to be dealt today?
Rumors are abound that Chris Pronger of the Oilers has requested a trade. Kevin Lowe has called bravo sierra on this one, but even he can't deny the legs this story has. It started somewhere. I guess we'll find out later today.
2006 NHL Entry Draft
I can't really give you much on the draft, because unfortunatley, minor league hockey doesn't get it's due coverage here in Central Jersey (sometimes I feel the NHL doesn't here either, but that's a whole other story). TSN.ca has a terrific rundown on the top 30 picks, that I've been checking out. If you want to learn more about the draft and the potential players to be picked check this out. There is also a terrific breakdown by TSN Analyst Bob McKenzie, that you can check out here.
Here is the first round draft order:
1. St. Louis
2. Pittsburgh
3. Chicago
4. Washington
5. Boston
6. Columbus
7. N.Y. Islanders
8. Phoenix
9. Minnesota
10. Florida
11. Los Angeles
12. Atlanta
13. Toronto
14. Vancouver
15. Tampa Bay
16. Montreal
17. Minnesota (from Edmonton)
18. Colorado
19. Anaheim
20. San Jose
21. N.Y. Rangers
22. Philadelphia
23. Washington (from Nashville)
24. Buffalo
25. New Jersey
26. Calgary
27. Dallas
28. Ottawa
29. Detroit
30. St. Louis (from Carolina)
The 2006 NHL Entry Draft is tonight at 6 PM! See you there!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The boys from the Face Off Hockey Show have travelled to Vancouver to bring you coverage of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft! Tune in tonight at 6PM to listen to all that goodness. Covering the Draft, while drinking draft. Does life get better?
Tonight's Show:
June 23rd Show
It's the NHL Draft Show from Vancouver, British Columbia. We'll be giving you the latest up to date news and reports from the Draft. Lyle Richardson from Spector's Hockey will join us to talk about the possible trades that will take place on Draft day, as well as who could go where in aspects to the Draft order. Not only that, but we may have some special guest on as well. You'll just have to tune in at the special time of 6 PM ET.
TONIGHT AT 6PM EST!!
Click here to listen.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Once again the Boston Bruins fans had to watch one of their franchise players receive accolades and awards in a jersey that was anything but black and gold. In probably one of the worst trades in recent memory, The Bruins shipped Joe Thornton to San Jose, for three good players, and he did everything to make it known that they made a massive error in judgement. Joe Thornton propelled the San Jose Sharks into the playoffs, transformed Jonathan Cheechoo into a 50+ goal scorer and Rocket Richard Award winner, won himself the Art Ross Trophy for most points in a season, and capped the year off by winning the Hart Memorial Trophy for league MVP.
There weren't many surprises as the rest of the awards went pretty much to whom we all expected. Here's the rundown:
Hart Memorial Trophy Winner: Joe Thornton
Lester B. Pearson Award Winner: Jaromir Jagr
Vezina Trophy Winner: Mikka Kiprusoff
James Norris Memorial Trophy Winner: Nicklas Lidstrom
Calder Trophy Winner: Alexander Ovechkin
Frank J. Selke Trophy Winner: Rod Brind'Amour
Lad Byng Memorial Trophy Winner: I still don't care
Jack Adams Award Winner: Lindy Ruff
Chuck Norris Trophy: Brett Hedican
Alexander Ovechkin ended the evening winning the Calder Trophy for best rookie, and was then named to the NHL's first team All Stars. He is the first rookie to do that in 15 years since Eddie Belfour named in 1991 (although I suspect he may have bribed a Texas Sheriff with a thousand million dollars to get that nod). I can't wait to see what this kid does next year. Same goes for Sidney Crosby and Dion Phaneuf, who had amazing rookie campaigns. These kids will one day be the backbone of the new NHL.
First Team All Stars:
Left Wing: Alexander Ovechkin
Center: Joe Thornton
Right Wing: Jaromir Jagr
Defenceman: Nicklas Lidstrom
Defenceman: Scott Niedermayer
Goalie: Mikka Kiprusoff
Second Team All Stars:
Left Wing: Daniel Alfredsson
Center: Eric Staal
Right Wing: Dany Heatley
Defenceman: Sergei Zubov
Defenceman: Zdeno Chara
Goalie: Martin Brodeur
All Rookie Team:
Left Wing: Alexander Ovechkin
Center: Sidney Crosby
Right Wing: Brad Boyes
Defenceman: Dion Phaneuf
Defenceman: Andrej Meszaros
Goalie: Henrik Lundqvist
Congratulations to all the award winners, and everyone on a terrific 2005-2006 NHL season!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 I think everyone would have to agree that this years crop of playoff beards was very impressive. Players entering the playoffs for the first time seem to look forward to the experience of not shaving. Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers was quoted as saying he couldn't wait to start growing his playoff beard (sadly for us Ranger fans he shaved his a week later). New comers and veterans alike put their best chin forward and truly gave us a parade of jaw fur we are not soon to forget.
Deciding on this year's Norris Trophy winner was difficult at first, but looking back to when I first noticed it, I realized this guy had it in the bag two weeks ago. This playoff beard was so thick that it looked like the gentleman sporting it, was actually wearing a bandana over his face. Lips seemed to be optional, and as I pointed out yesterday, he began losing parts of his equipment within his chin mullet. All this considered, my decision eventually became an easy one.
Please join me in congratulating Bret Hedican as this years 2006 Chuck Norris Trophy Winner!!
The NHL Awards ceremony is this evening so I've reposted the nominatees as well as my predictions.
Hart Memorial Trophy (League MVP)
Joe Thornton - San Jose
Jaromir Jagr - New York
Mikka Kiprusoff - Calgary
Playoff Beard Prediction: Jaromir Jagr. Without Jagr at the top of his game, the Rangers were a different team, this was clearly evident in the playoffs. Jagr helped resurrect the Rangers, and bring them to the playoffs for the first time in 7 seasons.
Lester B. Pearson Award (most outstanding player as voted by the NHL Players' Association)
Joe Thornton - San Jose
Jaromir Jagr - New York
Alexander Ovechkin - Washington
Playoff Beard Prediction: Alexander Ovechkin. I'm trying to get in the heads of the players here, but from what I've heard, the amount of admiration for this kid is overwhelming. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get the nod.
Vezina Trophy (Top Goaltender)
Mikka Kiprusoff - Calgary
Martin Brodeur - New Jersey
Henrik Lundqvist - New York
Playoff Beard Prediction: Mikka Kiprusoff. This guy must have had 20 shutouts this season and I think he was only scored on 3 or 4 times. Maybe 5. But no more than that.
James (The Other) Norris Memorial Trophy (Top Defenseman)
Nicklas Lidstrom - Detroit
Scott Niedermayer - Anaheim
Sergei Zubov - Dallas
Playoff Beard Prediction: Nicklas Lidstrom. I said this a few months ago, but I think it's time to rename this award the Lidstrom trophy.
Calder Trophy (Top Rookie)
Alexander Ovechkin - Washington
Dion Phaneuf - Calgary
Sidney Crosby - Pittsburgh
Playoff Beard Prediction: Alexander Ovechkin. See above.
Frank J. Selke Trophy (Top Defensive Forward)
Rod Brind'Amour - Carolina
Mike Fisher - Ottawa
Jere Lehtinen - Dallas
Playoff Beard Prediction: Rod Brind'Amour. This guy is a face off master, if you play that category in your fantasy leagues, grab this guy quick!
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct)
Pavel Datsyuk - Detroit
Patrick Marleau - San Jose
Brad Richards - Tampa Bay
Playoff Beard Prediction: Who cares.
Jack Adams Award (Top coach)
Peter Laviolette - Carolina
Tom Renney - New York
Lindy Ruff - Buffalo
Playoff Beard Prediction:Tom Renney. I'm going homer here, but I gotta give the love to a guy who helped bring my Rangers to the promised land. Frankly, I would give this award to all three of these guys if I could. Whoever wins this, will be a good choice. I still think Lou Lamoreillo should be up for this as well.
What a year Peter Laviolette had huh? I still stand by my pick, but as I said, all of these coaches had amazing seasons behind the bench.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Tonight's Show:
June 21st Show
The season may be over, but the fun never stops. We'll take a look back at the Cup Series and the year that was in the NHL. Lyle Richardson from Spector's Hockey will get us up to date on the free agents that could be hitting the market and who could be bought out of their contract this season. We'll have all the news and updates from the signing and hiring front, plus what the salary cap could look like next year. We'll talk about the Calder Cup finals, our Draft Show on Friday, and how you can buy Alex Ovechkin's Escalade.
TONIGHT AT 9PM EST!!
Click here to listen.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Chuck Norris Trophy finalist this year are impressive. Gone are the veteran playoff beards (and my picks) the likes of which included Scott Neidermayer (even though his playoff beard was amazing in round 1), Robert Esche, and Peter Forsberg...instead the torch has been passed to a new crop of facial hair....a new generation of playoff beards. Meet your 2006 Chuck Norris Trophy Finalists:
Mike Commodore
Truly the standout in this group. Rather than wait for the playoffs to begin, Mr. Commodore sports a regular season beard, then hones it to a calibre the likes of which we haven't seen since the days of Ray Borque, with a touch of Lanny MacDonald. Commodore also sports the optional playoff lid, to accompany his playoff beard....this man is Gillette's nemesis.
Doug Weight
Another guy who enjoys assecorizing. This time however the accessory is a black eye, sported by Doug Weight. The perfect addition to any playoff beard. Weight is one tough guy. Did anyone notice that he still lifted the Stanley Cup with a separated shoulder? I'll take a separated shoulder over a shaved playoff beard any day. Right Peca?
Raffi Torres
Raffi Torres grew on me throughout this entire series, not just through his physical play, which was outstanding, but his bright red beard. Leave it to my buddy Playoff Moustache to determine the most appropriate monicker for this Edmonton Oiler. Snow Job. What better way to describe Mr. Torres, than naming him after G.I. Joe's favorite red bearded artic trooper?
Erik Cole
Probably the biggest surprise of the playoffs, because no one expected to see him. Cole actually broke his neck months earlier during the regular season, and was all but written off for the season. Mr. Cole, not only returned to action, in remarkable form, but stepped onto the ice, with a playoff beard that would make a Just For Men commercial proud. The moral here folks, is that playoff beards can help speed the rehabilitation of injured vertabrae.
Fernando Pisani
Pisani scored a clutch goal in just about every game this series! What didn't this guy do for the Oilers this year? Shave. The Italian Stallion up North's playoff beard presents Kevin Lowe with more than enough reason to resign this guy in the off season...oh and he's a pretty good hockey player too.
Bret Hedican
Bret! Brother! Where did your face go? This has to be one of the strongest playoff beards I've seen this season. When a man's chin strap dissapears when it's buckled....that's a playoff beard. Hedican's beard is so thick, that he shuts off the television when it shows the Geico Cavemen commercial due to it's offensive nature.
Mark Recchi
Jim Rutherford is a genius. Like Doug Weight, Recchi was added at the trade deadline by the Carolina Hurricanes to increase their playoff beard depth. You can hardly say that these guys didn't contribute. Recchi's playoff beard was added to help replace the loss of Erik Cole's during the off season.
Sergei Samsonov
I think this pretty much says it all.
I haven't completely made up my mind, however, I do have a few favorites. I'm also undecided on whether the Norris Trophy should go to a player on the Cup winning team, which often happens in the case of the Conn Smythe (except when Giguere won it, great playoff beard, but that award belonged to Brodeur) Let me hear your thoughts my unshaven friends.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Just because the Finals have finished doesn't mean we are done. In fact this is probably going to be the busiest week at Playoff Beard .com since the start of the playoffs. Here's a look at this weeks upcoming schedule (and then some):
Wednesday June 21st
Finalists for the Norris Trophy will be announced
Thursday June 22nd
Winner of the Norris Trophy will be announced
NHL Awards Presentation (where that other Norris Trophy will be announced)
Saturday June 24th
2006 NHL Entry Draft
Wednesday June 28th
Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Meeting (i'm not sure if this the announcement of the inductees, or if the writers just get together and discuss the possible nominees)
Sunday July 1st
Free Agency Begins
We have lots to talk about and little time to do it. Stay Tuned to Spector's Hockey for the latest trade rumors and pre-draft movement and The Face Off Hockey Show for more Draft coverage than you can find at a keg party...anyone!? Anyone??!? I'm here all week!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Congratulations to the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes!
Wow! What a game! What a series! Game 7's rarely dissapoint and this one sure didn't. I'd like to congratulate both teams on an amazing playoffs and for helping to bring life back into this sport that was lost to us for a year. Thank you Edmonton, and Carolina you both did us proud!
Carolina need all 7 games to close this one out, and finally found their stride again after an embarrassing one sided game 6 loss in Edmonton. The Hurricanes took the Oilers game to them, and knocked them all over the ice. Cam Ward, was sensational (and was Captain Bosh's pick for the Conn Smythe by the way, click here if you don't believe me) and once again backstopped his team to yet another amazing win. The Hurricanes finished off the series with a 3-1 victory.
Nothing can be taken away from the Oilers. What a surprise, and what playoffs this team had. Led by Dwayne Roloson (he would have been my Conn Smythe pick for the Oilers, regardless of his injury shortened playoffs ) till Game 1 of the finals this team had championship written all over it. Kevin Lowe deserves a ton of credit for building a team within the new rules, and salary cap model that excelled beyond expectations. I only hope that he can keep the core together so they can make another run. Sign Samsonov, Pisani, and Roloson please!
Congratulations again to the Hurricanes and thank you for an amazing series. Thank Stanley hockey is back!
Tomorrow I will announce the finalists for the Chuck Norris Trophy and Wednesday we will announce the winner so keep checking back! Thanks for all the support!
Last night's scores:
Edmonton 1 Carolina 3 F
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Well, I guess Master Blaster does, or did rather. But tonight, in the spirit of possibly the worst movie sequel ever, two teams enter, and one team leaves. This is what hockey is all about! You couldn't have written a better script (neither could the producers of Mad Max3). A Game 7 Stanley Cup Final matchup! Get your Molson's on ice, and your beer pretzels at the ready.....your dots are about to be agitated!
Tonight's game:
Edmonton at Carolina 8:00 PM
Playoff Beard .com has received a lot of press over the last week, thanks mostly to the very generous Paul Newberry, who wrote an article about the playoff beard and our love for it. Thanks to him, we have lots of new visitors, who we welcome with open beards.
Some of my Playoff Beard regulars (Jeff from Detroit, Playoff Moustache from the Carolinas, and Wazz from Calgary) have suggested I repost the Playoff Beard Guide to Grading the Beard, to help familiarize you before the awarding of the Norris Trophy. The Norris Trophy as most of you know, is named after the father of the beard, the great Chuck Norris, and is given to the player with the best playoff beard.
The Playoff Beard Guide to Grading the Beard.
This simple and easy to follow guide will help you grade the Playoff Beards that you will bear witness to starting April 21st. Below you will find the five stages of the Beard during its transformation throughout the four rounds of the NHL playoffs.
STAGE 1: The Kristofferson
Round 1 of the playoffs offers some of the most exciting hockey, and a variety of playoff beards (although at this point they are still in the fetal stage of growth) . Starting with 16 teams, and often going to 7 games, this round gives us a chance to view beard potential, and future beards.... unfortunately, beard potential must also be followed up with skill, determination and teamwork on the ice, or one will find themselves shaving on the golf course....or in this instance helping Wesley Snipes fight Vampires.
STAGE 2: The Chaka
Towards the end of round 1 and entering round 2, those who have chosen to go natural will begin to emerge. Many players are beginning to look like the retarded half monkey / half ewok thing from 'Land of the Lost', or like Peter Forsberg does on a daily basis.
STAGE 3: The Mango Salsa
End of round 2, beginning of round 3, we start to see the real playoff beard veterans take center stage. We have officially entered the Ice Age, and players are now really fighting for survival, and for respect with that representative from Geico. At this point, you really shouldn't have much of an appetite. Thank you.
STAGE 4: The Castaway
WILSON!!! In this case however Wilson is not a finely manufactured piece of lawn sports equipment....it is a gleaming beacon of hope symbolized by one Stanley Cup. By the end of round 3, the best teams will be showcasing FedEx quality hair growth. If you think you see Jesus, it's ok, there is no need to call your priest.
STAGE 5: The Chewbacca
The Stanley Cup finals will bring us facial hair growth that only George Lucas could be proud of (and perhaps willing to sue for over copyright infringement). This is the time of year when Rob Neidermayer, and Ray Bourque, stop looking human, and resembled helmets stuffed with hair. Chewbacca would most likely retort with something poetic, only to have the entire cast laugh at him because they don't understand his language and feel more comfortable treating him like a stray dog, than an equal. He only flew the Millenium Falcon for love of pete! I digress,... perhaps the finest Playoff Beards will be on display in the final round. In the past, the legends of the sport, like Esche, Giguerre, and even St. Louis become wookies on ice.
WHEN BEARDS GO WRONG: The Freisen
Oh Jeff. Oh no. Perhaps the worst attempt ever at a playoff beard was the porn star / Wyatt Earp special that Jeff Freisen tried to pull off a few years ago. The effort was there. The genetics however...ooooh......in another line of work, his facial hair could have been put to good use. In the NHL however, it was misplaced. Better luck next time Officer Freisen!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Momentum has clearly swung like Marty McSorley's stick in the direction of the Oilers. The Hurricanes failed for the second time to close out the series and are now faced with a deciding Game 7 matchup Monday night back in Raleigh.
DId the Hurricanes even show up last night? I'll admit the surprising return of Erik Cole even got me excited. This guy hasn't played in months, but returned to action with a glorious playoff beard (It brought a tear to Captain Bosh's eye......that rolled down his cheek, and was swallowed up by his own prolific goatee). Even Cole's return, to replace the injured Doug Weight did little to inspire the Hurricanes. I can't really remember seeing a one-sided performance like this since the Ducks / Avs series.
Let's call it like it is. The Oilers knocked the playoff beards off of the Cane's last night. Everytime a Red player was on a puck, they were instantly swallowed up by Navy. This forced turnovers, which definitely created the second goal, which was a nice redirection by Playoff Beard favorite, Snow Job Torres (who really got under the nerves of the whole Hurricanes lineup, even Bret Hedican (another Playoff Beard finalist) went head hunting on him) off of some spectacular effort by Michael Peca (perhaps he has lifted the curse?). The Hurricanes only managed 16 shots on Jussi Markkenen who was equal to the task (that is such a Doc Emmerick thing to say) and helped complete the 4-0 shutout win and tie the series 3-3. The Oilers have really impressed me. Their never say die attitude, and their overall play last night was nothing short of dominant. They looked like Stanley Cup Champions last night. The Hurricanes have some serious regrouping to do before tommorrow evening.
Jeff I'd like to add another variable to your formula. If you make Pierre McGuires sin bin half as big, and add 5 Edmonton Oiler fans with silver Pom-Poms, how angry will he be?
Last night's scores:
Carolina 0 Edmonton 4 F
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 "And I looked, and behold, a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Clay Aiken, and Carolina followed with him."
-From the Book of Norris
Doug Weight will not play tonight for the Carolina Hurricanes. He sustained an injury (to one or both shoulders) during game 5 when he was double-teamed on hit led by Raffi Snow Job Torres. This is a huge loss for Carolina. Weight has been a big contributor when they needed clutch plays, and his playoff beard is one of the best I've seen. The Hurricanes are leaving the door open for him to return in game 7, but I think they would prefer to close things out tonight.
Thus far, I haven't heard anything on Aaron Ward. He was also injured in game 5 but returned to the bench with Weight in the third. Ward did play a few more shifts in the third where as Weight did not. He played the Teppo Numminen role that night.
Even though the Oilers face elimination, I think the pressure has clearly shifted to the Hurricanes. Carolina will need to have all it's stars step up, especially Rod Brind'Amour to close this out tonight. Game 5 was terrific, so I expect a battle tonight. Game 6 should be amazing.
Playoff Beard Prediction: If you remember, I called Carolina Hurricanes in 6. Tonight's the night, and I stand by that prediction. It won't be easy, but the Hurricanes will take the trophy tonight. If they lose tonight however, then I was just kidding.
Do you think if they made Pierre McGuire's sin-bin half as big, he'd be twice as angry? I think there is a mathematical formula for that somewhere.
Tonight's game:
Carolina at Edmonton 8:00 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Tommorrow evening, could very well be our last installment of In the Tent with Clement for the 2006 season. Over the past year, Mr. Clement has grown on me, like the ample fur that covers his playoff chest. Prior to his arrival to OLN, we shared a love / hate relationship, that consisted of a bit more of the latter, and less of the former. His emergence from the shadow of Gary Thorne, and pairing with Keith Jones has been good for him and us. Mr. Clement has grown out of his simple color man persona, to a 'dungeon master' style moderator. His tent has seen many visitors, the likes of which included Eddie Olcyzk, Brian Engblom, Mark Messier, Chicken Parm, Neil Smith, Pierre McGuire, and of course celebrity guest hosts Rick DiPietro and Mike Knuble. I'm looking forward to seeing him on the Versus channel next year. Clothed and without his signature bug spray.
IR storm hits the Hurricanes?
Possibly? Reports are saying that Aaron Ward and Doug Weight may not be available for game 6 tomorrow night. That would be a big loss for the Hurricanes, and I suspect that is why they tried to gut it out in a failed attempt to close the series on Wednesday night. Aaron Ward looked like he was hurting up top, and down below after blocking a slapshot off the ankle. Weight has to have some sort of shoulder injury. It wouldn't be surprising to me to discover he had dislocated both of them, after that hit by Snow Job. Of course both will be a game time decision, but I expect to see both of them on the bench, even if their roles are limited to a 'Teppo Numminen' Rah Rah capacity in game 6. Cortizone gentleman. Take a sip and pass it on. For more on this report visit TSN.ca.
My thanks to Jeff for bringing this to my attention. Apparently the Sporting News picked up that AP article written by Paul Newberry! Playoff Beard .com has been getting a lot of new visitors because of it, and I'd like to welcome you all aboard! I hope all of you continue to visit and join the party! To check out the story click here.
By the way a new visitor last night, sent me a comment that he had a 'Friesen'....I'm still laughing about it. It's ok bro, keep your chin up!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Cory, Cory, Cory. Buddy. My grandmother could have made a better pass than that, and the woman has been dead for 13 years. Cory Stillman's pass was picked off by Fernando Pisani just a few minutes into the overtime period, and he quickly skated in free on Cam Ward and roofed it into right corner to give the Edmonton Oilers the 4-3 win. The Oilers now trail the Hurricanes 3-2 in the series as the return home to Edmonton for game 6 (which is where I said the Canes would finish the series, sorry PM) on Saturday night.
This had to be the best game I've seen in the playoffs so far. The Oilers were playing with desperation, and the Hurricanes seemed like they were as well. The Hurricanes were able to convert 2 powerplay opportunities, Eric Staal was fantastic scoring two goals (how great is his post-goal dance? the kid looks like he loses all ability to skate), Mike Peca was brutal, hitting just about everyone (he still shouldn't have trimmed the playoff beard)
Carolina began to lose players, as Aaron Ward left in the second period and Doug Weight got crushed on a sandwich hit that was led by Raffi 'Snow Job' Torres early in the third which forced him to leave for part of the period. Both returned in the third, which seemed to spark the Hurricanes (I wonder if this was in an effort to close the series out, because this team appears to be battered and fear losing a long to attrition). If not for Stillman's turnover (granted he was being harassed by Snow Job Torres, but I think he still could have put a little more on that pass.....and another thing....how often did we get yelled at by our coaches about long passes over the middle in our own zone?) I think the Hurricanes would have won last night. Stillman's pass actually was the breakout before a powerplay that could have put the icing on the cake.....or the shaving cream on the chin. For more on the game click here.
When playoff beards collide:
Snow Job Torres and Mark Recchi were slamming into each other all night. There appeared to be some sort of grudge match going on between the two. These two guys shared such intimate contact last night that I think one of them owes the other a dinner this evening. Snow Job appeared to get the best of Recchi late in the game, as their last meeting, Recchi's gloves were knocked off (and I think he lost some playoff beard as well) as he was pancaked to the ice.
I'd like to thank Paul Newberry from the Associated Press for making mention of Playoff Beard .com. You can read his article by clicking here.
I'd like to welcome all of you newcomers to the land of the unshaven. Please feel free to join in the discussion. To help familiarize yourself with Playoff Beard .com, I'd like to refer you all to Our Playoff Beard . com's Guide to Grading the Beard. Thanks for dropping by and for all of the support!
Playoff Leaders:
Eric Staal 9 goals 18 assists 27 points
Cory Stillman 9 goals 16 assists 25 points 1 really bad turnover
Chris Pronger 5 goals 16 assists 21 points
Daniel Briere 8 goals 11 assists 19 points
Chris Drury 9 goals 9 assists 18 points
Rod Brind'Amour 12 goals 6 assists 18 points
Shawn Horcoff 6 goals 12 assists 18 points
Last night's score:
Edmonton 4 Carolina 3 F (OT)
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Tonight's Show:
June 14th Show
We're past the half-way point of the Cup Finals and could be closer to the end of the NHL season than many thought. We'll give you all our thoughts on the Series so far and up to date action, so turn down the TV sound. Lyle Richardson from Spector's Hockey will join us to talk about some moving and shaking in the for the Draft already, the goaltending future for the Red Wings, and if Marian Gaborik is reaching in his next contract. Also, we'll give you all the hiring's this week in the front office and who could be next out the door. The UHL is dwindling in teams this season and it may not be as good as some would think. Also, we'll give you the update from the AHL's final series. All that, plus a whole lot more.....or less, depending on your prerogative.
TONIGHT AT 9PM EST!!
Click here to listen.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Game 5. The Carolina Hurricanes have 3 wins, the Oilers 1. The Hurricanes could hoist the Cup tonight at home in a very loud RBC Center in Raleigh. It would be great if the Oilers could extend the series, and take it to 7, but I don't think it's going to happen. I do think there will extra pressure on the Hurricanes tonight to close it out, even though the Oilers are facing elimination. I think Playoff Moustache may have called this one on the money. Carolina in 5.
In case the Hurricanes do win tonight, we need to talk Conn Smythe. A lot of people are talking Rod Brind'Amour (who appears to be the front runner), and TSN.ca is calling out for Cory Stillman to receive some recognition. You could also make a case for young super star Eric Staal who along with Stillman share the playoff points lead with 24. My call however, is Cam Ward. This 22 year old has solidified a terrific Hurricanes defense and provided must needed saves when the Hurricanes weren't playing their best for periods. He's stolen several games throughout the playoffs, and has even responded well when yanked during the Buffalo series. Playoff Beard Prediction: Cam Ward - Conn Smythe Trophy.
Tonight's game:
Edmonton at Carolina 8:00 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
At a press conference earlier today, the New Jersey Devils presented their new head coach Claude Julien. Julien was the Montreal Canadiens last season before he was fired in January, and replaced by Bob Gainey.
Interesting pick up. Surprising though. There were rumors that Johnny MacLean would be the new head coach after assisting Lou Lamoriello. Personally I think he would have been a better choice. Granted he doesn't have the head coaching experience of Julien, but I think Mac would have brought a little more energy to the bench.
For more on this report visit TSN.ca.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Mark Recchi and his fabulous playoff beard scored the game winner last night in Edmonton, to give the Carolina Hurricanes the 2-1 victory, and a 3-1 series lead. The Hurricanes can take it all Wednesday night when they return home to Raleigh.
Another tight game, and a very exciting one. Even though the score was low, the chances and opportunities were there. These teams really match up well with one another, and I think game 3 and 4 were examples of what I was expecting when they met. I think Jussi Markkenen has done an outstanding job filling in for Dwayne Roloson, unfortunately he hasn't been able to get the goal support needed to secure the wins. Cam Ward has been a wall for the Hurricanes, but he also benefits from a team that really shields him from the puck...very similiar to the 90's Devils and Martin Brodeur. For more on the game visit TSN.ca.
I would love to see this series go 7, but I don't think that's gonna happen. The Hurricanes really could have swept, as I think they were in a great position to win game 3, but they return home tomorrow with a ridiculous amount of momentum, and Bill Clement. What else do you need? The desire to win the Stanley Cup at home has got to be overwhelming. Could be added pressure for the Hurricanes, but I still think they will wrap things up Wednesday. Moustache's 5 game prediction is looking pretty sweet right now!
 Oh and by the way I found a photo of Raffi Torres....or perhaps it's Mike Commodore? We may never know unless he removes that handsome parka he's sporting! My apologies for not putting Commodore in the playoff beard watch list yesterday......my goodness is that guy woooly!
Last night's score:
Carolina 2 Edmonton 1 F
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
We are just a few days away from naming the Chuck Norris Trophy winner for best playoff beard. All of my top 5 have fallen victim to the razor, but there are have been some spectacular new playoff beards hanging off some new chins. All of you who had said Erik Cole would have won, if not for his injury should pat themselves on the back and enjoy the roast duck with the mango salsa. I think his playoff beard would have taken the Norris. Here are the standouts as I see them so far:
Carolina Hurricanes:
Brett Hedican - he came out of no where this series. In my opinion, this is the playoff beard to beat.
Doug Weight - very impresive. With the black eye that is fading to brown, all he needs is a mug and a street corner and his look will be complete
Mark Recchi - another surprise, but a lovely caveman style pl;ayoff beard.
Others worth watching are Ward, Cullen, the other Ward, and I have to give the pre-pubescent Eric Staal credit for his miniscule chin mullet, the effort is certainly there.....look for him in the future.
Edmonton Oilers
Sergei Samsonov - this guy looks like Chaka from Land of the Lost! What a playoff beard, and what a head!
Raffi Torres - ok, Raffi wins the award for trying to look like a 1960's G.I. Joe action figure, that red beard is awesome!
Michael Peca, still should be shot for trimming his playoff beard. I still think he has cursed his team!
For the record Scotty, I don't think the Oilers are back, I think they played their game and were back in Game 3. Carolina will still win this series in 6, and perhaps in 5. I wouldn't have been surprised if they stole game 3, and they almost did. Had it not been for Smyth's fluke goal they may have won the game. Rod Brind'Amour looked furious as did the rest of his team. The Hurricanes will be storming (I'm here till Thursday! Enjoy the veal! ) tonight at 7 P.MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. Just kidding. The game's at 8!
Tonight's game:
Carolina at Edmonton 8:00 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Now that's what I'm talking about! It took them three games to do it, but it looks like the Oilers have re-discovered their game and we have a series again! All the things that got them to the finals, they did last night. Stingy tight defensive play. Disciplined hockey. Great penalty killing. Even great goaltending. I loved how the Peca line went to work on Brind'Amour and shut him down for most of the game, even though he scored, you could tell he was very frustrated out there. Ryan Smyth broke the 1-1 tie with only 3 minutes remaining to help the Oilers to a 2-1 win, and win their first of series to make it 2-1. Jussi Markkenen was terrific last night, making 24 saves, but really this was a team effort. The Oilers looked like themselves again. For more on this game and the series visit TSN.ca.
This was by far the best game in this series so far. Great hockey in every sense of the game. I hope the rest of the series is like this.
Last night's scores:
Carolina 1 Edmonton 2 F
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
I just got this comment from a very passionate Oilers fan (welcome aboard by the way), and I wanted to share it with the rest of my hairy chinned friends....here is 'Reality Check' from Edmonton:
I AM AN OILER FAN AND EDMONTON IS MY HOME.I ALSO AM A FAN OF THE CAROLINA HURRICANES AND CONGRATULATE THEM ON THEIR DESERVED SUCCESS! HOWEVER, LET US 'GRAB THE REINS" FOR A MOMENT AND FACE REALITY! THE TRUEST ATHLETE WANTS TO BEAT THE REAL CHAMPION AND NOT A WATERED DOWN VERSION OF WHO THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PREVAILING AGAINST. DWAYNE ROLOSON WAS THE CHEMICAL INGREDIENT THAT INSPIRED THAT GREAT OILER TEAM! ALL THIS SHOWS JUST HOW IMPORTANT AND UNDERRATED THE POSITION OF GOALIE TRULY IS!
WE, OF COURSE, DO NOT WANT TO BE WIMPS AND "MAKING UP EXCUSES". CAROLINA IS AN AWESOME TEAM AND THE ROLOSON INCIDENT AN UNFORTUNATE TRUE ACCIDENT! But let us CALL A SPAPDE A SPADE HERE! THE CANES WERE HANDED THE BREAK OF A HOCKEY LIFETIME WHEN ROLOSON WAS KNOCKED OUT OF THE SERIES SO EARLY IN THE CUP FINAL!
IMAGINE IF GUY LAFLEUR AND LARRY ROBINSON WERE LOST THROUGH INJURY IN GAME ONE OF THE CUP THAT SAW THE MONTREAL TEAM DE-THRONE THE PHILADELPHIA FLYERS BACK IN THE 1970S. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THAT WOULD HAVE COST MONTREAL THE CUP, ALL BRAVERY NOTWITHSTANDING! HOCKEY INTERVIEWS ARE FILLED WITH CLICHES AND JARGON! HONESTY IS OFTEN LOST IN THE SHUFFLE FOR VARIOUS OBVIOUS REASONS OF LOYALTY AND STATEGY. THE TRUTH IS THAT TO BEAT THIS OILER SQUAD IS NOT THE SAME TASK FACED BY DETROIT, SAN JOSE AND ANAHEIM! THE CAROLINA TEAM DESERVES A FAIRER AND BETTER TASTING VICTORY THAN THIS ! THE OILERS DESERVE A BETTER CHANCE TO WIN THAN THIS!
Thank you again for the comment 'Reality Check'. I understand your point of view, and agree Rolo was a big part of the reason that this team made it to the finals. However, the Oilers lost the first two games, more because of defensive let downs, turnovers, undisciplined penalties.....and the unbelievable play of Carolina's Cam Ward. I still think the Oiler's have a great chance to win this series, but only if they find the game that got them here. Otherwise, this series will be wrapped up in Edmonton. Thanks again for writing in!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Oilers return home to find themselves down 2 games to none, without their number one goalie, and only having scored 1 goal in the last 4 periods of hockey. Time for them to dig in and get back to what got them to the finals. In front of their home crowd tonight the Oilers should have ample inspiration to get back into the series.
Their biggest test will be solving Cam Ward. I think they can do it. They punched holes through Anaheim's Ilya Bryzgalov (who single handedly shutdown the Avs) and forced Anaheim to go back to J.S. Giguere. The Oilers have also been in the familiar 2 game hole before when they faced the Sharks. Returning home in that series was just what they needed to turn things around.
Look for the Oilers to come out strong tonight, and play tighter defensively, and much more disciplined (they better or the Hurricanes powerplay is going to punish them), and perhaps figure out what is up with their penalty kill? Oilers should make this an interesting series tonight.
World Cup
I know it's not hockey, but I love the World Cup. This year's World Cup is in Germany which is great, because the game times are more reasonable than they have been in the past (I remember watching USA beating Mexico at 4AM, and subsequently waking up the entire house), so you can watch a game at 9AM, 12PM, and 3PM (EST) and still enjoy a great hockey game in the evening. Every World Cup I look for improvement from the USA Men's team, and this year is no different. Last time they made the top 16, and I see no reason why they can't do that again, and fare even better. There first game is on Monday against the Czech Republic.
If you haven't ever watched before, give it a shot, you won't be dissapointed. Enjoy the games!
Tonight's game:
Carolina at Edmonton 8:00 PM
Your friend on ice (and turf),
Captain Bosh
At a press conference yesterday the New York Islanders introduced their new General Manager Neil Smith and new head coach Ted Nolan.
Neil Smith had been working as an analyst most recently of OLN, during the In the tent with Clement segment. He was the former GM of the New York Rangers and the architect of the 1994 Stanley Cup Team. He originally started as a scout for the New York Islanders back in the early 80s.
Ted Nolan is back! After years of an apparent black balling from the NHL, he has got a second chance. When last we saw Nolan he was receiving the Jack Adams Trophy for best coach for his job done with the Buffalo Sabres in 1997. Since then he has been out of the NHL, but continued coaching his son's youth team and last year coached in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Probably the biggest move the Islanders made yesterday was finally saying goodbye to Mike Milbury. He will certainly go down in history as the worst GM in the NHL, if not the worst in sports...oh wait Isaih Thomas is fighting hard for that title (what's funny is I know nothing about Basketball, but the suck factor is so high on this guy that even I know about it...I wonder if basketball fans have heard of Milbury).....anyway, job well done, and congratulations Islanders fans. Now all we have to do is execute Harry Sinden and the NHL will be a place of joy again!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Cam Ward. If there is one thing you will remember. It is Cam Ward. This kid is good. He stopped 25 shots last night and to help the Hurricanes to a 5-0 shutout win over the Oilers, and take a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Finals. Was it all him? Certainly not. But it started in net and went out from there. I can't remember seeing a more selfless group of players in my life. Clogging the passing lanes, and laying down in front of shots (the number of blocked shots last night by Hurricane players was ridiculous, Glen Wesley has to be playing on broken legs right now) the Oilers were unable to establish any presence on the power play, and the shots that did get through, were quickly absorbed by Ward.
The Oilers didn't play a bad game. Actually I thought they played really well. So did Jussi Markkanen, who won the Oilers goaltending sweepstakes and started game 2. Unfortunately the Oilers didn't play mistake free hockey, and a couple of turnovers and undisciplined penalties were quickly converted by a Hurricanes offence that was clearly on fire. The Hurricanes powerplay was superb last night, converting 3 of their odd man opportunities.
Late in the game, obviously frustrated, the Oilers began to play more physical. I guess this was an attempt by MacTavish to wear down the Hurricanes for the later games, but really all it did was create a parade of Oilers players to the penalty box and provide more practice for the Hurricanes on their power play. In theory I guess it was a good idea, but in execution it was lacking.
The Hurricanes take their show on the road to Edmonton Saturday night for game 3. The Oilers have been down two games before, against the Sharks, so this isn't new ground for them. Perhaps some home ice will help get them in gear. The layoff blues should be over by now, so I would look for them to respond. For more on this series visit TSN.ca.
Last night also marked the final broadcast of OLN's coverage of the NHL. It also marked the last time as hockey fans we will see the channel called OLN. Moving to it's new name Versus (which I actually think is kind of cool) in the fall, they will continue to cover the NHL. I want to thank OLN for a job well done. They took on a product that nobody really wanted, and embraced it. They adapted throughout the season to provide better coverage (remember when the scoreboard was on the bottom of the screen?) every game. In the tent with Clement was actually great, (now that he is separated from his heterosexual lifemate Gary Thorne) along with his co-hosts Keith Jones (who I think is terrific), Brian Engblom, and occassional guest analysts Rick DiPietro and Mike Knuble. All in all it was a great season.
The only drawback is distribution of this channel. The NHL really has to lead the charge to get Versus (OLN) available to wider audience. Other than that, carry on.
Last night's scores:
Edmonton 0 Carolina 5 F
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Tonight's Show:
June 7th Show
We'll be two games deep into the Stanley Cup Finals once the show is done, so turn down the TV sound and tune into us. We'll give you all the up-to-date news and happenings from the Finals. Lyle Richardson from Spector's Hockey will join us to talk about the delay in the Bryan McCabe deal, if the Islanders could be seeing a familiar face as GM, plus why the "puck-over-the-glass" rule will be the death of him. There will be some hockey in a former NHL city, while another has some outside sources pitching to make a bid for one. We have all the minor league playoff news and notes, while the Draft quietly approaches under the cloak of shallowness. All this, plus some added surprises.....maybe.
TONIGHT AT 9PM EST!!
Click here to listen.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
During the pre-game interviews of Game 1, I spotted something, but either forgot about it, or it didn't really register as important at the time. Michael Peca of the Edmonton Oilers, who has had an outstanding playoffs for his team has shaved his playoff beard! He didn't go Gillette Fusion on us, but there was considerably more scruff following the Anaheim series than there is now. He has a Miami Vice thing going on now. This is unheard of. I'm all for guys trimming the edges and 'sculpting' the playoff beard, but trimming it to a desired length? That is a no no. Could Michael Peca's actions have cost his team? Look at what happened in game 1. If the Oilers lose the series could we blame it on a playoff beard? I submit that we can friends.
Who will Coach Craig MacTavish start in net tonight in place of the injured Dwayne Roloson? Still no word. Perhaps Ty Conklin would be the safe bet because he does have over 4 minutes of Stanley Cup Final Playoff experience....or is he so rattled by the game winning goal which he is being blamed for (even though it was Jason Smith's mistake not his) that his Game 2 performance could be worse. Or does MacTavish lean on Jussi Markkanen who has 1 playoff game under his belt,....well actually only 14 minutes of 1 game. Tough call. If I were MacTavish I would never wear a helmet, because my hair would be so fine, and I would start Conklin. I think this kid deserves a second chance after being thrown at the lions. Regardless, he should bench Peca so his evil doesn't spread.
Playoff Beard Alert: I've got a dark horse that no one has mentioned so far, and this guy could take the crown. Bret Hedican. I haven't seen a playoff beard of this scope since Ray Borque's. Truly impressive site to behold, and certainly pushes the playoff beard scale in favor of Carolina.
Tonight's game:
Edmonton at Carolina 8:00 PM
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
What the heck happened last night? That was one of the wildest games I have seen in ages.
Unfortunately for the Edmonton Oilers, their goaltending went from Conn Smythe to Conklin. Losing Dwayne Roloson with just minutes to play in a 4-4 game, for what looks like the remainder of the series, has to be a devestating blow to the Oilers. Craig Mactavish at the post game press conference tried to be positive, but the loss of his star goalie was too apparent to hide.
Whoever said the long layoff was gonna hurt the Oilers was a moron. The Oilers steamed to a 3-0 lead before Rod Brind'Amour got his team on the board, and in the game. After that it seemed like it was all Hurricanes. They scored 4 straight goals and were leading 4-3 in the third on goals by Whitney (2) and Williams. Ales Hemsky managed to get the Oilers back in the game with the tying goal. Then Roloson got injured. The Oilers protected Ty Conklin and really pressed the attack, only allowing two shots on the cold goalie, but an error on a clear behind the net, cost the Oilers the game. Now I'm gonna say that this was Jason Smith's fault, and not Conklins. He deflected the clear right into the path of Brind'Amour who quickly deposited the back hand goal. If Smith hadn't gotten in the way, the puck would have been cleared. Conklin did not cough the puck up!
Really had it not been for that fluke goal (which occurred with about 30 seconds remaining) , the Hurricanes and Oilers would have gone to OT, and I think the Oilers would have taken game 1. They really looked great last night, and the Hurricanes should be thanking Cam Ward for saving that game for them. This kid was unbelievable. He stopped a couple of Horcoff shots, that should have been goals. I still don't know how they didn't go in.
Without Roloson, the Oilers will have an uphill battle ahead of them, but I don't think they should get to down on themselves. For one thing. Roloson, wasn't great last night prior to his injury. I said he would have trouble with the Hurricanes attack and he did. The Oilers were terrific everywhere else, except for their power play which couldn't convert on the 5 on 3. MacTavish suggested they may platoon goalies between Conklin and Maarkenen at the press conference, but he also said it would be on merit and performance as well. Right now the big question mark for them is in net. TSN.ca is buzzing today, so check it out! Carolina leads the series 1-0.
In the Tent with Clement
I will not refer to OLN's new hockey channel as Versus. From this point forward, any segment in which Bill Clement is involved will be referred to as In the Tent with Clement! It was cool to see Messier sharing a little of the Deep Woods off with old Playoff Chest Clement (gotta give the nod to Moustache for that one) last night. Also, Bill, I know you get excited when you come up with a unique 'one-liner', but bro, don't beat it into the ground in the next 3 sentences. Your 'high wire act without a safety net' was a clever pull, but then you kept saying it over and over again. Remember when Scott Steven's was 'locked on' and had 'tone' after he pancaked Kariya? You used that one so many times I thought Top Gun was going to pay you royalties!
Last night's scores:
Edmonton 4 Carolina 5 F
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Yes! Another bad movie quote! I can't be stopped!
I think its' hard to lean one way or the other with these two teams. Both have great offence, great defence, great special teams, outstanding goaltending....and amazing playoff beards.
I'm leaning towards the Carolina Hurricanes. Two major reasons why. The long layoff. It's been 8 days since the Oilers played a hockey game. Over a week. This more than anything is going to kill this team's chances. Getting them to New York to adjust and practice in the Eastern Time Zone was a great move, but I still think the lack of action is going to be an issue for them.
The second reason, is Dwayne Roloson. I don't think he has faced an offence like the Hurricanes yet. The Oilers have been riding him all playoffs long, and he has been out standing. But take a look at what the Hurricanes have done. They have beaten three very good goaltenders in Cristobal Huet, Martin Brodeur, and Ryan Miller. Let's be honest...they embarrassed Brodeur, who is potentially the greatest goaltender the sport has ever seen. I think this series is going to be Roloson's wake up call.
That being said, I see the Oilers losing the first two, before getting it in gear, but by then it will be too late. This series won't be a short one, and by no means will it be a dominant one by the Hurricanes, but I see them taking the series. Playoff Beard Prediction: Carolina Hurricanes in 6.
I'd also like to comment on the playoff beards. Both teams are furry as hell. Did anyone else notice that GM's Kevin Lowe, and Jim Rutherford made deadline deals that actually improved their depth at playoff beard? Carolina's Mark Recchi, and Doug Weight and Edmonton's Dwayne Roloson, and Sergei Samsonov. Hell, if you got rid of Samsonov's stick and through him a spear he would look like and Ewok!
As promised, I reviewed the epic Youngblood for all you hockey fanatics out there! Please click here to enjoy the review!
Stanley Cup Finals Game 1
Edmonton at Carolina 8:00 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Well my buddy Jeff, dropped a great breakdown of tomorrow night's series, and I really thought it was worthy of everyone's attention, so enjoy! Thanks Jeff!
I've got a prediction to make as well. Here's how I see it breaking down:
Offence: Carolina.
So...while there's no doubt that the 'Canes are have the better offense. Yes, the Oilers have had big production from the likes of Hemsky, Horcoff, Smyth, and Pisani. But the Canes have just had amzing production this playoff. There are so many names you could say with people who have been awesome this playoff. Brind'Amore, Commodore, Staal, Hedican, Recchi. The list just goes on. You gotta go with the Canes on offense.
Defence: Oilers.
This is where the Oilers have the depth, and of course there is one that stands above the rest: Pronger. I really think he and Roloson could have beaten the Red Wings by themselves. The man has 17 points this playoff, and only 18 minutes in the sin bin (c'mon, the Pronger of old would have 30-40 by now.) Watching the Oiler defence simply shut down any kind of offense has just been incredible. They stopped the Detroit's skill and they stopped San Jose's speed, so I don't know if we'll be seeing the high scores that the Canes have been showing lately.
Goaltending: Oilers
...but only just. Cam Ward has been amazing this playoff run. After watching him shut down the Sabres forwards on breakaways, I can't see a lot getting past him this series. However...Not only has Rolly the Goalie been denying forwards...he's making them look silly. Making three saves with players laying on top of his legs, making diving leaps to keep errent bounces out of the net, glove-saves, blocker-saves, pad-saves, stick-saves, helmet-saves, holy-shit-how-did-he -do-that-saves. Not to mention he's got two assists this playoff, so he's an offensive threat as well as a brick wall.
Playoff Beards:Oilers
Yes, there is veritable plethora of amazing facial hair on the Hurricanes, not least of which is the amazing Afro-beard of Commodore, but when the captian doesn't have so much as peach fuzz on his chin...sorry. But that's unforgivable.
Prediction: Oilers in 7
I loved watching the Canes, but I gotta believe that Rolly will continue his habit of embarassing offensemen. And when you add the stellar defensive performances the Oilers have been putting up... Granted, Carolina is the best offense that the Oilers will have seen by far, but they've stopped everything else that's been thrown at them...I can't imagine that changing this series. Give them a game or two to get back on their feet after the layoff, and I think they'll go back to shutting other teams down peice by peice.
It has been a long but really great year. Now that this season is 7 games from being in the books, I have to say it's been a great one. Perhaps it's because there was no hockey a year ago? I still find it hard to believe that we lost a whole year of hockey, in 2004-2005, it seems rather like a blur (by they way hat's off to the boys from the Face Off Hockey Show and Spector for keeping me entertained for that whole year). Yes I was jonesing for hockey, as I'm sure many of you were, but this has been a fun year. Why? Well I think the new rules have helped the game for one. Speed and skill are obviously the new recipe for success in the league. Discipline as well, and great special teams don't hurt either. I think we have definitely seen a changing of the guard, with the emergence of several young players, who have really taken the league by storm, thus ensuring us of a terrific future for this sport. The Rangers making the playoffs for the first time since 1997 didn't really hurt either.
 My fantasy teams both made the post season, but both pulled off their best Ottawa Senators impressions and went down like a Value Jet. This site, which started out as a work project, has really turned out to be a ton of fun for me (and hopefully for you poor bastards reading). The biggest surprise this season, was that the Bosher put the lotion in the basket twice this season! For me that is huge ( my game has been described as being fashioned after Joe Thornton and Todd Bertuzzi.....except without all of that pesky skill and skating ability)! I'm what you would call a 'should have stayed at home' defenceman.
The Oilers and Hurricanes. The Hurricanes, really not so much of a surprise. They kicked ass this year, and continue to do so in the playoffs. The Oilers are a surprise (to me anyway), just barely making it into the playoffs, but full marks again to the boys from the FOHS, as they pointed out that the playoffs started for the Oilers in early March. And march they did. Right over the Wings, the Sharks, and the Ducks. The Oilers have spent the past few days training in New York (Rangers facility, in Westchester I believe) getting themselves adjusted to the Eastern Time Zone for game 1 on Monday. Good move. Kevin Lowe has done a terrific job building his club. I still think the layoff is going to hurt them but perhaps they did need it. Time will tell.
Playoff Beard predictions tomorrow!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The NHL Entry Draft will begin in Vancouver on June 24th, but this weekend in Toronto, NHL scouts get to see their potential draft picks workout at the NHL Combine. The reason I bring this up, is that I couldn't tell you the name of one kid coming up this year. I've heard nothing. Which to me, makes me believe that this draft is pretty weak (or not the deepest draft ever...perhaps it is the most shallow?). However, TSN.ca has put up an article covering this and it will hopefully give me, and you some insight on who may be the next superstars of the NHL. Who will join the list of stellar first round picks Alexander Daigle, Patrick Stefan, Pavel Brendl and Jamie Lundmark? Click here to check this report out.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The two best team in the East, certainly gave us the best playoff series to date. It's a shame only one of the two could advance, but if you have to go out, this is the way to do it. The Hurricanes defeated the Sabres 4-2 and won the series 4 games to 3. Losing 2-1 headed into the third period, Doug Weight tied the game, to make it 2-2. Following a delay of game penalty, Rod Brind'Amour pounced on a loose puck to score the eventual game winner. Justin Williams later added an insurance goal and the Hurricanes are onto face the Oilers.
Buffalo has nothing to be ashamed of. What an amazing run. With a depleted lineup they still managed to stretch this series to 7 games and look at who they beat! Ottawa and Philly! Ottawa was everyone's pick to be in the finals, and Philly was certainly a favorite after picking up Forsberg. Way to go Buffalo, great season!
What I find ironic is that Buffalo lost the game on a Delay of game penalty. All season long, I heard people bitching and moaning about the call (an automatic 2 minute penalty will be assessed to any player who deliberately, or inadvertantly shoots the puck into the stands) and even remember hearing that this was gonna cost a team in an important game in the playoffs. It breaks my heart that it had to be Buffalo. After they got hosed on the Brett Hull call 6 years ago, they get screwed again. The funny thing is that they did away with the crease rule after that season, and I'm willing to bet that the 'delay of game' penalty will be removed, or altered, perhaps to ref's discretion rather than an automatic.
Thanks for a great series guys!
Carolina and Edmonton face off Monday night at 8:00 in Raleigh. I'm looking forward to another great series, as I'm sure you all are!
Last night's scores:
Buffalo 2 Carolina 4 F
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
TSN.ca is reporting that Buffalo defenseman Jay McKee will be sitting out tonight's game 7 matchup due to an infected shin. McKee joins the list of injured Buffalo d-men that includes Teppo Numminen, Henrik Tallinder, and Dmitri Kalinin. This one has got to hurt, but Buffalo has proved to very resilient. Can they tough this one out?
Lace'em up Jillson!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
This could potentially be the best game we have seen this entire post season. What makes it even better is that your Captain said it would go 7 (and if Buffalo wins tonight I will look like an uber-genius) and here we are. Both teams have provided some great hockey, and are more evenly matched than any other series played so far, which, apparently is why they have provided us with said great hockey!
Questions for tonight's game. Who will be in net for Carolina? I'm thinking Cam Ward, he had a great game 6, even though they lost, but Laviolette has thrown a few surprises at us. Teppo Numminen's status. Will he suit up and try to give it a go? Even though he couldn't play most of game 6, I can't imagine his support on the bench hurt...however, some fresh legs on defense wouldn't hurt the Sabres late in the game either.....unless those legs belong to Jilson.....but perhaps he's ready to rebound from his first playoff game performance....man is this the longest run on sentence ever?
Special thanks to OLN for the Youngblood marathon last night. Poor substitute for playoff hockey, but man that is an 'A' for effort. Youngblood is probably the poorest example of a hockey film ever, but it is hilarious for all the wrong reasons. I plan on doing a review of that movie soon on Bad Movie Knights, so if you guys are fans of awful cinema, check it out!
Tonight's game
Buffalo at Carolina 7:30 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
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