Mid-November saw Anaheim Ducks GM Brian Burke make a few maneuvers that sent a couple of players in Stanislav Chistov and Todd Fedoruk out East (to Boston and Philadelphia respectively) in return for a bag of future draft picks. Burke however did send one draft pick to Colorado to retrieve a player in return. George Parros.
Burke admitted the acquisition of Parros was because of his affinity for enforcers as he stated : ''I don't like playing without a heavyweight. I think everyone knows that.'' (quoted from TSN.ca) What GM Brian Burke didn't say, was the real reason he acquired the hulking winger. Playoff Beard Depth.
Sure Parros can open up a can of butt-kick (as he has now done twice for the Ducks, most recently to Cam Janssen of the New Jersey Devils who suffered a shoulder injury in the scrum), but it's his facial hair that was the driving force behind this deal. George Parros sports a playoff moustache the likes of which Jeff Friesen can only dream about. Not since the days of Lanny McDonald has the NHL witnessed a lip mullet of this stature. In 1881, Wyatt Earp would be handing the street-howitzer to George Parros and not Doc Holliday as they marched toward the O.K. Corral. Today, GM Brian Burke hands the playoff beard to Parros, as the Ducks march toward the Stanley Cup.
Quick Shave:
Maybe a coaching change was what the Chicago Blackhawks needed? Or perhaps the Dallas Stars are in line for one? Tuomo Ruutu scored the game winner with less that 2 minutes remaining to give Coach Savard, and the Chicago Blackhawks the 2-1 victory. The San Jose Sharks defeated the Minnesota Wild 2-1 last night. The goal was the first allowed by the Sharks in 2 games, whose goaltending tandem of Toskala and Nabokov have been very stingy lately (I think we should nickname them Tos-Nab, or Nab-Tos, just to make it easier....a kind of JayLo, A-Rod monicker if you will....anyone?). Nabokov only had to make 15 saves to secure the win. The Sharks are unstoppable, and are second only to Anaheim and Buffalo in the NHL with 38 points. I think this team is for real. The Nashville Predators handed the Philadelphia Flyers another loss last night. Martin Erat scored the game winner late in the third period to get the 3-2 win for the Predators. Predators call-up Alexander Radulov scored again, in his third straight game and may be making a case for his stay with the big team. Chris Mason also had a solid game in net for the Predators covering for the injured Vokoun. Prior to the game, Mike Knuble signed a two year contract extension with the Philadelpia Flyers worth $5.6 million....he also opened the scoring for the Flyers in thanks. Flyers goaltender Robert Esche had surgery on his groin (yep) and will be out of action for most of December. Edmonton Oilers forward Ales Hemsky will be having his shoulder x-rayed after being injured in the loss to Anaheim Tuesday night.
Game of the Night:
Montreal at Carolina 7:00 PM
First round rematch? Cristobal Huet is on, and I'd like to see if Cam Ward can match his efforts. The Hurricanes have stumbled a bit lately, and the Habs have been riding the hot netminding of Huet....both teams mirror each other so this should be a great match. Also, look for Alexander Frolov to join the HTC against Phoenix tonight. Enjoy the games!
You gotta love this kid, and if you don't, jump on board now, because Sidney Crosby is the man.
Out for the past three games with the NHL's most popular injury, a groin problem, Sidney Crosby returned to spark the Pittsburgh Penguins back into the win column. He also sparked winger Colby Armstrong into the scoring column by assisting on the right winger's first and second goals of the season.
The New York Islanders who are without Alexei Yashin now for the better part of December were unable to put the equalizer past Marc-Andre Fleury who made 33 saves on the evening. The Pittsburgh Penguins won the game on a shot banked off of DiPietro by Chris Thorburn for a 3-2 victory.
Quick Shave: Atlanta Thrashers forward Bobby Holik spoiled his former team's comeback by putting his own rebound in during the overtime period to lift his club 5-4 over the New York Rangers. It was a night of returns as former Carolina Hurricanes keeper Martin Gerber made 29 saves and help his new club the Ottawa Senators to a 4-1 victory. Could be a massive confidence booster for Gerber who has looked below average most of the year. One goalie who is really having a great run right now is the Montreal Canadien's Cristobal Huet. Huet stopped all 36 shots he faced and gave the Habs the 1-0 win over the Florida Panthers in the shootout, and now has the best GAG and save percentage in the NHL. Teemu Selanne waited till the last 16 seconds of the third to tie the game for the Anaheim Ducks and force overtime against the Edmonton Oilers. That was all Ryan Getzlaf needed, as he potted the game winner halfway through the extra time to give the Ducks the 3-2 OT win. Chris Pronger was booed when he first hopped to the ice, and everytime he played the puck thereafter. He should pretty much expect this welcome every time he returns to Rexall....as if that is a big surprise.
Game of the Night:
San Jose at Minnesota 8:00 PM
Second place in the Pacific, faces off against second place in the Northwest. The Minnesota Wild's star forward Marion Gaborik who has been out with a groin injury (go figure) has been practicing could make a return, but the club is being cautious with him. They will need all the star power they can to put the puck past the San Jose tandem that most recently blanked the Blues last night. Enjoy the games!
Chris Pronger returns to Edmonton tonight. Do I really need to say more?
For those of you living under a rock for the past year or so, Pronger was traded to the Oilers from St. Louis prior to the start of last season, and immediately help stabilize the Oilers defense, and lift them to the playoffs. Once there, he and the Oilers, made an unlikely push round after round towards the Stanley Cup, where they fell short by one game. Losing in a game 7 final to the Carolina Hurricanes. Had the Oilers won, Pronger would have certainly been the Conn Smythe Trophy winner (although I still think Roloson deserved it regardless of his game 1 injury), but it was just not to be. Days after the playoff run ended, rumors swirled that Pronger had demanded a trade from the Edmonton Oilers. Regrettably, Oilers GM Kevin Lowe complied and sent him out west to Anaheim for a package of picks, forward Joffrey Lupul, and defenceman Ladislav Smid.
Pronger's reason for requesting the trade has alway been for family reasons, but that has done little to extinguish the rage the Oiler's fans feel towards him....that same rage that will certainly be on dislpay tonight at Rexxal Place. The best revenge for Oilers and their fans? Win the game.
Quick Shave:
The Chicago Blackhawks joined the 'Let's fire our Head Coach' Club yesterday as they sent head coach Trent Yawney packing in favor of Denis Savard. The legendary Blackhawks player is expected to bring a more offensive minded system to the team, and looks to have Havlat back in the lineup by next week. Injuries have been the downfall of this team, not coaching, so it's unfortunate Yawney had to pay the price for the growing IR list.
The Detroit Red Wings took advantage of the Dallas Stars power play units and scored two short handed goals by Draper and Schneider to defeat them 2-1. San Jose Sharks forward Milan Michalek has joined his teammate Jonathan Cheechoo on the IR list this week. Michalek suffered an arm injury during the game against the Anaheim Ducks last week. The New York Islanders got some bad news on the MRI results of Alexei Yashin's knee. Yashin has a knee sprain and will be out of the Isles lineup for 2-4 weeks. Check out this great Fantasy Article from TSN.ca. Some nice gems to consider in there. How good are Los Angeles Kings forwards Kopitar and Frolov! New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur found out last night in the shootout as both young players deked him right out of the net. LA won the game 3-2.
With Anaheim's backup netminder Ilya Bryzgalov day to day with a 'lower body injury', and Jean Sebastien Giguere sidelined with a similiarly vague ailment, the Ducks went to the farm for support and called up rookie goaltender Michael Wall.
Wall had a solid first NHL start, but really a rookie keeper couldn't have asked for more favorable conditions. Playing behind one of the best defensive teams in the league, and playing against one of the more limited offensive clubs. Wall only faced 11 shots through the first 40 minutes and finished off the Flames with 19 saves for his first career victory 5-3.
Teemu Selanne made a bid to join the NHL HTC but was denied membership because of the that third elusive goal. Ryan Getzlaf also scored on the powerplay, and if he is available in your Fantasy Leagues, you may want to take a look at him. Getzlaf now has 16 points on the season (9 goals, 7 assists) and is a +5 rating. 8 of his points are from special teams play. Worth the pickup if he is still available.
Quick Shave:
The New York Rangers got close again, but still can't beat the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres once again finished off the Rangers in OT, this time on a Chris Drury deflection early in the extra period. Has Marc Denis lost his starting job in Tampa Bay? It looks like it. The Tampa Bay Lightning started 'backup' Johan Holmqvist against the Ottawa Senators yesterday and made 22 stops to help the Lightning win 3-1. The win was his 8th in his last 9 starts. Colorado Avalanche defenceman Jordan Leopold may be back in the lineup soon having recovered from his hernia surgery. Pierre Turgeon has also been practicing faceoffs which indicates his shoulder recovery is coming along nicely and could be back before the holidays. New York Islanders Alexei Yashin will have an MRI on his right knee today to see if there is any long term damage from the knee on knee hit he sustained against Washington Capitals Matt Bradley.
Game of the Night:
Dallas at Detroit 7:00 PM
Marty Turco is probably hoping that this week doesn't start off like last week, when he allowed two goals in on five shots and was yanked.....thus destroying all of his Fantasy Owner's goaltending stats (including the dude I played last week!). Big opportunity for MT to bounce back against the Wings. Enjoy the games!
The IR bug has hit Nashville hard this week. After recently losing center Jason Arnott with a knee injury for 6 weeks, the Nashville Predators how now lost their starting netminder, Tomas Vokoun as well.
Vokoun was injured in the Predators Thanksgiving Day 6-0 thrashing of the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday evening. Vokoun was lifted in the second period in favor of backup Chris Mason after apparently injuring his hand.
MRI results on the hand were less than favorable. Vokoun has a torn ligament in his left thumb, which will require surgery and keep him out of the Predators lineup for up to six weeks. Backup Chris Mason is expected to shoulder the bulk of the starts in Vokoun's absence (if he is still available in your Fantasy leagues, you may want to add him to your lineup.....I checked my leagues this morning, and he was picked up by all of them, so he is certainly a hot ticket right now), and has been solid for the Preds this year, most recently helping them defeat the Detroit Red Wings by making 30+ saves.
The loss of Vokoun last year to injury derailed the Predators playoff run, but this injury shouldn't hurt them too badly. Mason is a capable backup, and even without Arnott, the Predators have been very productive on the offensive side of the puck, scoring 30 goals in the last 7 games. I expect them to weather the injuries with little difficulty or a dip in the standings.
Quick Shave:
The New York Islanders and the New York Rangers are battling for supremacy in the Atlantic Division? No it's not 1980. Both teams have turned things around and after stringing a few victories together (including wins last night against Washington (for the Isles), and the Pens (the Rangers), the backyard rivals, have knocked their cross-river counterpart New Jersey Devils into second place. Speaking of the New Jersey Devils, the West Coast hasn't been kind to them. Last night they ran into a wall in San Jose Shark's goalie Evgeni Nabokov, who recorded his third victory by way of shutout 2-0. Ken Hitchcock got his first win as the new head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets as they defeated the Minnesota Wild 5-3. Sergei Federov had a 4 point evening (2 goals, 2 assists). The Philadelphia Flyers are fighting to save their season, and now have themselves a 2 game winning streak as they defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. Simon Gagne scored 2 goals and assist and Habs keeper David Aebischer seems to have fully solidified his position as a backup after losing his third straight start.
Game of the Night:
Buffalo at NY Rangers 7:00 PM
Calgary at Anaheim 8:00 PM
Third times the charm? Hopefully for the Rangers it is. They lost their first two meetings to the Sabres, and once again ride their win streak up against one of the NHL's best. The second game has treat written all over it. Flames! Ducks! Sounds like dinner! Enjoy the games my bearded friends!
Now that was a hockey game worthy of being thankful for!
The Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres gave us an amazing game of the night. The Buffalo Sabres carried a 1-0 lead for a good part of the match, till Saku Koivu found the equalizer mid way through the third. Montreal Canadiens goaltender Cristobal Huet was sharp. Very sharp. Huet stopped everything that was thrown at him, aside from the opening goal. The game ended tied 1-1 and the two teams went to overtime where defencemen and the Habs leading scorer joined the rush in the final seconds of the extra period and wristed a shot past Buffalo's Ryan Miller with 1 second remaining. 1 second! That's a NICE!
Quick Shave: Ottawa Senators forward Dany Heatley joined the NHL HTC last and his three tallies helped the Senators to a 6-4 win over the Florida Panther, and bring the club to a .500 record. Perhaps all is not lost in Ottawa? The Dallas Stars defenceman Philippe Boucher also punched his ticket to the HTC last night as he scored three of the Stars 5 goals en route to their 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings. St. Louis Blues netminder Manny Legace recieved a small measure of revenge against his old squad as he and the Blues defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in the shootout last night. Ken Hitchcock's first task as the new head coach of tthe Columbus Blue Jackets was to take his new club to face his old club the Philadelphia Flyers. Unfortunately, his presence did more to motivate his old team, as the Flyers defeated the Blue Jackets 3-2. The Pittsburgh Penguins appear lost without Sidney Crosby and are finding it difficult to generate offence. The Crosby-less Pens dropped their 2nd straight to the New York Islanders 3-1 yesterday. The Anaheim Ducks bounced back from a dissapointing shootout loss to Colorado Wednesday night to defeat the visiting New Jersey Devils 4-2. Carolina Hurricanes forward Cory Stillman who's missed the whole season thus far with a shoulder injury is eyeing a return to the Canes lineup sometime in December. Stillman had a monster year with 76 points (22 goals, 55 points) last season.
Game of the Night:
Detroit at Nashville 8:00 PM
Central Division rivals face off tonight. The first place Predators welcome the second place Red Wings for a battle of epic proportions. Ok, I'm hamming that up just a bit, but this should be a good one. The Predators are coming off a solid old school beating of the Canucks on Thanksgiving night and the Red Wings are coming off a loss to those very same Canucks. Enjoy the games!
Pick a Thanksgiving Day pun. Whichever you choose, will be more than appropriate. The Vancouver Canucks played like a steaming pile of........holiday vegetables last night.
Rookie callup Alexander Radulov opened the scoring early in the first for the Nashville Predators and they never looked back. They pounded the Vancouver Canucks with 5 more goals, to completely shutdown, and shutout the Vancouver Canucks 6-0.
Predators forward Paul Kariya had three assists on the night, and Scott Hartnell almost joined the HTC with a pair of goals and an assist. Goaltenders Tomas Vokoun and Chris Mason made 34 saves to complete the shutout. Vokoun took a puck in the hand during the second and was replaced by Mason for the final period because he was unable to hold his stick. He will be having it examined later today.
All in all, it was a terrible game. I was looking for a just a bit of competition from the Canucks, but would unfortunately be let down. This game ended about 5 minutes into the first as the Predators took their 2-0 lead over a lifeless Canucks team. My only consolation was that today at noon, there is a hockey marathon on that will fun till about midnight tonight.......sweet.
Quick Shave:
Washington Capital's enforcer Donald Brashear has been suspended for three games, following Wednesday evening's game against the Atlanta Thrashers. Brashear was involved in an altercation with Vitaly Vishnevski in the final minutes of the game, and according to NHL rules, any instigator in a fight during the final 5 minutes of a game will be suspended for one game and fined $10,000. Brashear got the other two games for his good looks I would assume. Detroit Red Wings defenceman Niklas Kronwall had a great Thanksgiving. He and the Red Wings agreed on a 5 year contract extension worth $15 million.
Game of the Night:
Montreal at Buffalo 8:00 PM
Can Cristobal Huet weather the storm in Buffalo? He's certainly been playing his best hockey of late, and looks like he's found his game that propelled him to number one last season. Against a Sabres team that will surely test him and the rest of the Habs, this is a bench test, gut check game for the Habs. For the Sabres, its another team that they would like to rollover. Other than this there are a ton of games on today starting at noon with Carolina facing off agains Boston, and then they come at you evey hour thereafter. Enjoy the games, and the rest of your day!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'd like to wish everyone a very happy holiday, and let all of you know how thankful I am for your continued support. Ok, enough with the lovefest and onto the hockey.....
Teemu Selanne is thankful today, as he recorded the 500th goal of his NHL career last night and opened the scoring for the Anaheim Ducks last night as they faced the Colorado Avalanche. Prior to his goal, the Ducks fell behind to the Colorado Avalanche 2-0 in the first period. After Selanne converted the powerplay score with less than 6 left in the second, Dustin Penner scored less than two minutes later to tie the game. The Ducks appeared to had taken the lead moments after, on a goal by Chris Kunitz but it was later waived off after a review that determined he used a kicking motion to put the puck past Theodore.
The game went on as a draw throughout the rest ofregulation and the overtime period as a 2-2 draw to finally force a shootout. J.S. Giguere stopped the first shooters but was pantsed by Joe Sakic on the backhand. Jose Theodore is thankful that he watched the highlight reel of the shootout goal Ryan Getzlaf used last month. Getzlaf tried the same power stop to back hand shot, and Theodore followed it the entire way to make the game winning save. The Colorado Avalanche were thankful to take the 3-2 victory over the Western Conference leading Anaheim Ducks.
Congratulations on 500 Teemu!
Quick Shave: The Columbus Blue Jackets are thankful today after signing Ken Hitchcock to a 3 year deal to become their newest head coach. Hitchcock will be coaching his first practice with the BJ's sometime today. The Vancouver Canucks are thankful that Markus Naslund is starting to score goals in bunches again. Naslund scored his 10th of the season, and Brendan Morrison (who is thankful he hasn't been traded yet) scored two, including the game winner in OT to lift the Canucks past the Detroit Red Wings 4-3. It was a week of career milestones this week as Bobby Holik potted the 300th goal of his career which the Atlanta Thrashers were thankful for as they were able to battle back and defeat the Washington Capitals 4-2. The Ottawa Senators are thankful that defenceman Wade Redden has finally returned from injury. Redden scored the game winner in overtime to help his club beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. The Flyers are thankful they got a point out of the game. The Montreal Canadiens are thankful that the Minnesota Wild didn't ice their superstar forwards Pavol Demitra and Marion Gaborik who are out with injuries (probably groins) as they barely held them off for the 3-2 victory. The Leafs are thankful that the Buffalo Sabres only scored 7 goals on them last night, winning a back and forth game 7-4 (well it was back and forth for two periods, then just forth for the Sabres. Darcy Tucker is not thanking anyone as he had another 2 goal game, but was denied entry once again to the NHL HTC. The Dallas Stars are thankful they have a rookie goaltender in Mike Smith who refuses to let pucks go in the net. Smith made 17 saves last night against the Predators and recorded his second straight victory, this one by way of shutout 1-0. Goaltending controversy in Texas? The Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward was thankful to get a rest last night. The New York Islanders were thankful that his backup John Grahame was manning the pipes as they put 4 pucks past him ( in all fairness the guy faced 20 shots in the first period, and did have a decent game) for the 4-2 victory. The Boston Bruins are thankful they didn't have to face the Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby last night as they defeated the Pens by way of shootout 4-3 last night. The Tampa Bay Lightning are thankful that their losing streak in which they let in 11 goals stopped at just two games as they beat their cross state rival Florida Panthers 6-4. The Phoenix Coyotes are thankful that the New Jersey Devils were suffereing from jet lag as they toasted the Devils 3-1. The New Jersey Devils are thankful that forward Scott Gomez has returned to the lineup from his groin injury. Buy three groins. Get one free! The San Jose Sharks are thankful that even while star forward Jonathan Cheechoo is on IR they are having little difficulty finding the back of the net....as long as they aren't playing the Ducks that is....however against the Los Angeles Kings....different story. Patrick Marleau is thankful that he scored his 200th goal tonight. Pretty impressive that three players achieved career marks all on the same evening. Selanne with 500, Holik with 300, and Marleau with 200. I find myself massaging my goatee pondering this remarkable evening in the NHL. Congratulations to all three players. Finally, the Calgary Flames are thankful to be back to winning, after a bump in the road in Edmonton. The Flames bounced back to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1.
Game of the Night:
Vancouver at Nashville 8:00 PM
Only game on tonight, but I'm thankful I'll be able to relax on the couch with a Labatt Blue or nine and enjoy an excellent matchup. Vancouver should be riding high after their big win over the Red Wings, and the Preds will be looking to find their offence. Enjoy the game, your holiday and put that razor down!
In what had to be the premiere showdown in the NHL last night, the two top teams in the Western Conference faced off in an epic contest. Well, for one period anyway.
The San Jose Sharks visited the Honda Center to meet their division rivals the Anaheim Ducks for the first time this season, and played to a draw in the first period. That was the last period the Sharks looked like an equal to their counterparts, who began to take them apart in the second. Duck's defenceman Chris Pronger and forward Ryan Getzlaf opened the scoring, and Anaheim never looked backed. San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov recieved no offensive support and little defensive help as he was lit up for 5 goals on 44 shots. Duck's goalie Jean Sebastien Giguere saved all 23 shots he faced and recorded his third shutout of the season, to help his team to the 5-0 rout.
Anaheim's Teemu Selanne scored his 498th, and 499th goals of his career. I know, I know, just one shy of joining the NHL Hat Trick Club.....and the not as esteemed 500 Goal Club (which Mats Sundin joined earlier this season, while silmutaneously joining the NHL HTC). Teemu will have ample opportunity to pot his 500th tomorrow night against the Colorado Avalanche, and if Jose Theodore is in net, most certainly the HTC.....several Ducks players may join the HTC tomorrow night.
Quick Shave:
Bad news for the Nashville Predators, as they lose their hulking center Jason Arnott for almost 6 weeks. Arnott was injured in Columbus on Monday night, and will have to have his knee scoped. I think it's safe to say Jaromir Jagr's shoulder is 100%. The New York Ranger's captain scored 2 goals and goalie Henrik Lundqvist stopped 34 shots to shutout the defending Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes 4-0. Ranger's forward Jed Ortmeyer has been cleared to resume practicing (non contact) with the club after being out all season with a pulmonary embolism. Good news for the young player who brought tons of energy to the Rangers last season. Petr Sykora scored 2 goals for the Edmonton Oilers to lift them over the Calgary Flames 2-1. Sykora is having a solid season for the Oil this year, scoring 20 points (9 goals, 11 assists). The Toronto Maple Leafs may get their captain, Mats Sundin back as early as this Saturday as they face off against the Boston Bruins. Sundin has be recovering from a tear in an elbow ligament.
Game of the Night:
Toronto at Buffalo 7:00 PM
Vancouver at Detroit 7:30 PM
Nashville at Dallas 8:30 PM
There are so many good games to be thankful for leading up to this Thanksgiving Day, that I decided to present you with a horn of plenty.....plenty of great games that is. Last time the Leafs and Sabres faced off, the Sabres left with their first regulation loss, and were handily defeated. Perhaps a bit of grudge match? Vancouver and Detroit just looks like it could be fun. Luongo has yet to really be the difference maker the Canucks had hoped he be this season. Beating Detroit would make a good case for him. Even without Arnott, Nashville is a formidable team, and they have called up their wonder baby Alexander Radulov to cover for him. They face off against a Dallas team that had a great come from behind win against the Avs on Monday, and also lost a key player in their captain Brendan Morrow......to what you ask. GROIN GROIN GROIN! Big surprise. Enjoy the games, and hopefully many cold ones my friends!
We haven't talked much at all about Eric Lindros, but that hasn't kept him from quietly contributing to the Dallas Stars sucess thus far this season. Lindros has 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in 19 games this season, and helped his new team fight back into a game last night against the Colorado Avalanche.
The Avs scored 2 quick goals on their first 5 shots early in the game that saw Dallas Star's netminder Marty Turco get the hook. Captain Brendan Morrow drew the Stars even with 2 late scores in the first, but left the game in the second period with an apparent groin injury. Colorado again gained the advantage, but Dallas tied the game on a late third period goal by Eric Lindros from a centering pass by Mike Modano. Minutes later Antti Miettinen got the game winner for Dallas to complete the victory 5-4.
What's the story inbetween the pipes in Colorado? Peter Budaj, up until last night had played outstanding in net for the Avs in place of Jose Theodore who has been less than spectacular. Actually he's sucked. Theodore's confidence, has to be at an all time low, and the entire Colorado Avalanche organization can't be very confident in the tandem of keepers on the whole. Goaltending controversy in Colorado? With Pierre Lacroix no longer manning the helm at the Pepsi Center, will his successor GM Francois Giguere pull the trigger on a move to strengthen his goaltending?
Quick Shave: Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Marc Denis set an NHL Record (I heard this on In the Tent with Clement) for allowing 7 goals in one period. 7 goals on 13 shots. Of course Captain Bosh started him tonight, so my goaltending stats are completely shot this week. Thank you Mr. Denis! The Buffalo Sabres kicked the stuffing out of the Lightning 7-2. The Nashville Predators defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, again, 3-1. Columbus is apparently considering Ken Hitchcock (duh), and Andy Murray (wha?) for their head coaching position. What they are waiting on is beyond me. I think they will be mathematically eliminated next week. Ottawa Senators goalie Ray Emery is back, and so are the Senators. Emery stopped 42 shots to help the Sens defeat the Minnesota Wild 5-3 last night. The groin is the injury of choice still this season. Perhaps some of the trainers should advise their players to stretch during the pre-game skate? Just a thought. Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Andrew Raycroft, who was in the groin club (hmmmmm), returned from missing three games, and made 19 saves to lift the Leafs to a 4-2 win over the New York Islanders. The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Philadelphia Flyers again, for the fourth time this season last night 5-3, but the victory may have been a costly one. Sidney Crosby left the game in the second and did not return, having suffered a...you guessed it! A groin injury. The Penguins hopes rest on their young superstar, so hopefully he will not be missing from action for too long. The Boston Bruins 4 game win streak came to a halt last night against the Florida Panthers. Panthers keeper Alex Auld made 29 saves to give his club the 3-2 win.
Game of the Night:
Carolina at NY Rangers 7:00 PM
Calgary at Edmonton 9:00 PM
San Jose at Anaheim 10:00 PM
Ok, all three of these games rock, and really you can watch them all, since they are layerd chronologically. Set up the ole NHL Center Ice Package and relax! Enjoy the games my furry friends!
After two lackluster showings, the New York Rangers top line of Jaromir Jagr, Michael Nylander, and Martin Straka woke up, and decisively defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jagr, Staka, and Nylander each scored a goal, and two assists. Jaromir Jagr opened the scoring for the Rangers early in the first. The goal was the 600th marker of his career.
Brendan Shanahan, also scored for the Rangers, and recorded his 600th goal earlier in the season. It is the first time in NHL history that two teammates have achieved the milestone during the same season. The Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1.
Quick Shave:
The NHL HTC has been busy this week! This week's newest member, Anaheim Duck's forward Chris Kunitz joins, Staal, and Jokinen. Kunitz scored his first career NHL hat trick, potting three goals, in the Ducks 6-4 win over the Phoenix Coyotes. Yanic Perreault scored again for the Coyotes and has been a solid pickup for the team, already providing 7 points (5 goals, 2 assists), in the 7 games he's appeared in. The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 for the third game of the night. Even the Hawks lost, they should feel encouraged by the return and play of goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin as of late. He kept the game close for his team, and looks like he has returned to his Stanley Cup winning play of several seasons ago. If they can get Havlat back soon, this team will start to string some victories together.
Let's talk about the upcoming Thanksgiving Day Holiday. While there is a solid match available that evening, Vancouver at Nashville -8:00 PM, it's the day after Thanksgiving I want to bring to your attention. This Friday November 24th, is a day you should mark on the calendar. Take a look at the schedule, starting at Noon (yes Noon!):
Carolina at Boston 12:00 PM
Columbus at Philadelphia 1:00 PM
Phoenix at Minnesota 2:00 PM
Pittsburgh at NY Islanders 2:00 PM
New Jersey at Anaheim 4:00 PM
Toronto at Washington 7:00 PM
St. Louis at Detroit 7:30 PM
Ottawa at Florida 7:30 PM
Montreal at Buffalo 8:00 PM
Atlanta at Tampa Bay 8:00 PM
Los Angeles at Dallas 8:30 PM
Chicago at Edmonton 9:00 PM
Now, if all goes well, we should be wearing nice big smiles by 4:00, just as the Devils and Ducks are getting ready to face off (which is great matchup as if I needed to remind you....), but if not, don't worry....because you aren't even half way through this day on ice. The last face off is at 9:00, and if you aren't face down on the carpet by this point, you should be good to go till 12:00 AM. 12 solid hours of hockey.....and beer! Because of this unprecedented lineup.....I would expect Saturday's article to be just a touch late.....but perhaps not, since most of you will be rising around the same time. Oh and by the way, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is offering a cornacopia of games as well. Really, this is a few days we should all be thankful for.
Game of the Night:
NY Islanders at Toronto 7:30 PM
There's a lot of history between these two teams, and both teams are brimming with confidence, so why not recommend a viewing as they butt heads? Enjoy the games my bearded friends!
While it wasn't a natural hat trick, it was a hat trick none the less. Eric Staal put the icing on the cake for the Carolina Hurricanes as they beat the Dallas Stars 5-4 in a wild and exciting game.
The Dallas Stars who put themselves behind early by taking repeated penalties, gave the Hurricanes ample opportunity to capitalize as Eric Staal converted two of the power play chances. The Hurricanes held a 3-1 advantage at one point in the game till Dallas fought back to draw the game even. With less than 7 minutes remaining in the third period Justin Williams snapped a beauty from the left circle over the near side of Turco to give the Hurricanes a 4-3 lead. Staal closed the door on the game, and his hat trick with an empty netter late in the game. Dallas actually got a late goal with 1 second remaining from Jaroslav Modry, but it was way too little, and much too late. The Carolina Hurricanes took the match 5-4.
Quick Shave:
Ok, let's talk some Alexander Frolov. The Los Angelse Kings forward in the last three games, has scored 2 goals in each game. That is outstanding! This kid has three opportunities to join the HTC, but has missed in three chances. He's knocking at the door! For the third consecutive game, Frolov added two tallies and this time, had some help from Craig Conroy to help lift the Los Angeles Kings over the Phoenix Coyotes 5-3. Yeah Cristobal! Huet is making a huge statement of late that he should the Montreal Canadiens number one goalie as he made 39 saves last night to hand the Atlanta Thrashers their fourth straight loss 3-1. SInce Huet is my boy, I hope this happens. Il est un tres bon goalie! Are the Ottawa Senators back, or are the Buffalo Sabres falling apart? In their game in 4 days against the Sabres, the Senators have fought back to defeat their opponents twice. Last night by a score 4-1. The Sens beat Buffalo 4-2 on Wednesday evening. The New York Rangers pretty much handed the game to the Pittsburgh Penguins last night, serving on a slue of penalties, and three two-man advantages. The Penguins capitalized on two of the powerplays and buried the Rangers 3-1. Mark Recchi scored two of the goals. The Boston Bruins won their fourth game in row defeating the Washington Capitals 3-1 in OT last night. Glen Murray seems to be rebounding from his loss of Thornton this season, and scored the game winner in OT on the powerplay for the B's. Martin Brodeur is once again the man. This guy can have an awful game, and the next team he faces will pay the price. Last night, the Leafs were the unfortunate victims of 'bounce back' Brodeur and he made 33 saves to lift the New Jersey Devils over the Leafs 2-1. Sometime today, Ken Hitchcock will be putting on his Sunday best, waxing his playoff moustache (no copyright infringement I hope), and officially interviewing with the Columbus Blue Jackets about their head coaching position. This interview should last all of 10 seconds, with one question asked of Kenny. When can you start? The Blue Jackets lost again last night to the Nashville Predators 4-2. According to TSN.ca the Phoenix Coyotes may be trying to deal defenceman Ed Jovanovski to the San Jose Sharks for goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. The only problem with said deal, is the Nabokov has a no-trade clause to waive. Will he do so to join the lowly Yotes? I doubt it.
Game of the Night:
Tampa Bay at NY Rangers 7:00 PM
I'm going homer here. The Ranger have lost two straight, and have only scored 2 goals in those two games. The Lightning have won 5 in a row (i think, Sam Rosen was talking about how great they have been playing, so I'm paraphrasing a touch here) and will look to continue that streak against the boys in blue. Enjoy the games my bearded friends!
The Calgary Flames have now won 6 in a row. Last night's victory over the Detroit Red Wings was punctuation mark on the win streak, that began several weeks ago, following a loss to the very same team. The Red Wings have been on a tear of their own this season, winning nine in a row prior to last night's 4-1 loss.
Miika Kipprusoff made 29 saves against the Red Wings and the Flames scored 4 goals on 25 shots. Their last meeting, the Flames only managed 13 shots on net....and their offense, was, well offensive. The Flames received scoring from Kristian Huselius, Matthew Lombardi, Daymond Langkow and sophomore defenceman Dion Phaneuf. The Calder Trophy runner up is having a great season for the Flames. Phaneuf has scored 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) and is a +10 through 17 games this season.
Quick Shave:
Since setting an NHL record for most points to start a season before a regulation loss, the Anaheim Ducks have surrendered victories to two of the NHL's bottom feeders. Firstly, their 7-4 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers several nights ago, and last night's loss the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks defeated the Ducks 4-3, as Nikolai Khabibulin made 42 saves, returning from a broken finger that saw him miss the last 9 games. Markus Naslund potted a pair to help the Vancouver Canucks get off a three game losing streak by defeating the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Former first round pick, and first player selected ever by the Atlanta Thrashers, Patrik Stefan returned to his former home and helped the Dallas Stars to a 5-3 win. Stefan recorded a goal and two assists in the victory. Maxim Afinogenov returned to the lineup for the Buffalo Sabres, much to the dismay of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Afinogenov had a goal and an assist and led the Sabres to a 4-2 win. Columbus, hire Hitchcock now! The Columbus Blue Jackets fell to the Colorado Avalanche 3-0, as backup Peter Budaj made 25 saves to get the shutout.
Quick Shave:
Dallas at Carolina 7:00 PM
Do I really need to explain this one? The Stars are playing really well (unless I'm jinxing them when the play the Isles), and Cam Ward and the Hurricanes are back to their Stanley Cup Winning form. This should be a great matchup! Enjoy the games!
The NHL Hat Trick Club welcomed it's newest member of the season last night, in Florida Panther's forward Olli Jokinen. Much to the dismay of the Canadiens, Jokinen brought the Florida Panthers from a 1-0 to deficit and lifted them to a 5-1 surplus...or win rather. Jokinen scored his first two goals in the second period, and the capper in the third.
Eddie Belfour kept his team in the game by making 13 saves in the first period, and keeping the game close. When the Florida Panthers did finally wake, Habs netminder David Aebischer didn't stand a chance, surrendering 4 goals on 24 shots. He was pulled and replaced by Cristobal Huet in the third who allowed one goal on 15 shots. Montreal Coach Guy Carbonneau has been rotating his keepers in a manner similiar to Coach Wilson in San Jose, however, his goalies play 2 games on, then 2 off, rather than the every other game system the Sharks employ. Huet has been the stronger of the two Habs goalies as of late......and since he's one of my starters, hopefully he will get some more icetime! Guy, help a brother out!
Quick Shave:
The Boston Bruins defeated their Original Six rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 last night, on an overtime goal by sophomore Patrice Bergeron. The Phoenix Coyotes have themselves a win streak! No seriously. The Coyotes won their second straight game by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks in the shootout 3-2. Yanic Perreault who has been a nice pickup for the Yotes so far, scored in the shootout. Curtis Joseph was big in net again last night stopping 482 shots. My Game of the Night pick was pretty exciting, unless you are a fan of defense. 12 goals were scored (not counting the shootout winner), and 90 shots recorded. The Predators (who looked like their old selves from the beginning of the season), surrendered a 6-3 lead to the Wild who fought back to tie the game and force extra time. The Minnesota Wild won 7-6 on a Brian Rolston (who does this guy think he is this season? What a year he's having!) shootout goal. The Philadelphia Flyers must like the air in California. The Flyers defeated their second West Coast opponent in consecutive nights last night with a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings. R.J. Umberger scored the game tying, and game winning goals for the Flyers. The Anaheim win was huge, and beating the Kings the next day is pretty impressive for a team that has looked like a steaming pile of ....well you know, all season. The road trip will certainly be doing a lot for their confidence. Ryan Smyth is an animal. Smyth is having an outstanding season for the Edmonton Oilers, and returned from his charley horse injury (which saw him miss no time) to score 2 goals for the second straight game and help put the St. Louis Blues away 6-2.
Game of the Night:
Dallas at Atlanta 7:30 PM
Pittsburgh at Buffalo 8:00 PM
Detroit at Calgary 9:00 PM
I give you a three....because Bosh loves you. Dallas and Atlanta are two elite teams, and I would just like to see these two giants butt heads. The Pittsburgh Penguins get to size themselves up against and elite team in the Sabres. Let's see if these kids are for real or not. I was almost loathe to pick this one, because the last time they met, Calgary posted 14 shots on the Wings. However, this is a new Flames team riding a 5 game win streak, so maybe they will get 16 shots tonight. Hopefully it will be more exciting, and if it isn't watch the other two! Enjoy the games my bearded friends!
Trust in Bosh...Bosh is good, Bosh is wise. I told you the Islanders could take the Stars yesterday (which is detailed in yesterday's Game of the Night)....and take them they did. Those boys from the Island have the 'Luck of the Iroc'......
Obviously looking to start this road trip off on better note than the last one (The Isles opened the season out West, and lost their first three (could have been four) by a large margin), the Islanders turned in a huge effort against the Western juggernaut Dallas Stars. The Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro stopped all 35 shots he faced, and helped his team to the 3-0 shutout win over the Stars. Mike York, Jason Blake and Trent Hunter recorded the tallies for the Isles.
Quick Shave:
The Pittsburgh Penguins can all relax. Evgeni Malkin is here to stay after a U.S. District court judge told Malkin's former team to eat it. Mettalurg had requested an injunction to prevent Malkin from playing in the NHL this season, and that request has been denied. Whether they will continue to pursue further action remains up in the air. Does it matter if they do? Really? Give it up, the kid is here. It's over Johnny. Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Smyth returned to practice today putting to rest the worries that he may have been more seriously injured the other night against Colorado. The Nashville Predators defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 last night ruining the debut of their new head coach Gary Agnew. Agnew shouldn't worry too much as his stay behind the bench may be a short one as the Blue Jackets are rumored to be agressively interviewing replacements for recently fired Gerard Gallant whom he replaced. Rod Brind'Amour scored the game winner for the Caronlina Hurricanes to lift them to a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers. Brind'Amour is riding a six game point scoring streak and is having a very nice season with 25 points (7 goals, 18 assists). The Ottawa Senators got a big win tonight as Ray Emery returned for them between the pipes. The win is actually a huge one if you consider that the Sens downed the unstoppable Buffalo Sabres 4-2. Emery made 27 saves in the win. Speaking of surprising wins, the Philadelphia Flyers stunned the league leading Anaheim Ducks 7-4 last night. Let me say that again. The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Anaheim Ducks 7-4. Hey Coach Carlyle, I guess karma bit you hard tonight huh? J. S. Giguere surrenders 5 goals on 11 shots before you yank him? Nice work guy. Truly nice work.
Game of the Night:
Minnesota at Nashville 8:00 PM
How about a little Midwest action tonight? Both teams practically mirror one another and are separated by one point thus far in the season. Brian Rolston of the Minnesota Wild is having a career season this year, and this matchup should be a good one. Darcy Tucker will get his first ever career hat trick tomorrow night against the Boston Bruins and officially join the NHL HTC. Enjoy the games my bearded friends!
November 15th Show
It was a week of changes and injuries in the world of hockey. We'll get to who's on the IR and how long they'll be there. Lyle Richardson from Spector's Hockey will join us to talk about what the Anaheim Ducks have been up to, as well as when certain teams may pull the trigger on some deals. Columbus had a shake-up this week; we'll tell you who's out and who could be in for the Blue Jackets. All-Star Balloting will be available this week; we'll tell you who's on there and what you could do to rock the vote....per se. Another new Award is given out by the NHL and it is linked to Lay's Potato Chips; but in a leadership kind of way; we'll explain. Also, the old favorites in Jimmy Chunkybutter and the Pick 'Em Segment.
We've passed the one month mark in the 2006-2007 NHL season and I think a Fantasy Report Card is in order to mark the occassion. Thus far we've had a few surprises on the club level, but from an individual perspective, the names that are rising to the top aren't really a surprise. The ones falling to the bottom however, do raise a few eyebrows.
Is there any wonder why the Atlanta Thrashers are off to their best start in franchise history and are the third best team in the NHL with 27 points behind only Buffalo and Anaheim? Three forwards in the top 5 in scoring and a healthy Kari Lehtonen (we'll get to him more in a bit) are a big reason why this team should see their first ever post season action this year. Playoff Beards for everyone here please. While it's taken Jaromir Jagr some time to get the full strength of his shoulder back, his playmaking ability is still top shelf as his league leading 21 assists can confirm. It's also nice to Kovalchuk with an even rating, rather than in the minus column, which may mean that Hartley's efforts to get him to play defense may be getting through.
Defensemen
Tomas Kaberle TOR - 7 goals, 10 assists, 17 points +4 Bryan McCabe TOR - 4 goals, 12 assists, 16 points +6 Scott Niedermayer ANA - 5 goals, 10 assists, 15 points +4 Chris Pronger ANA - 3 goals, 12 assists, 15 points +10 Matthew Carle SJS - 3 goals, 11 assists, 14 points +6 Nicklas Lidstrom DET - 3 goals, 11assists, 14 points +17 Brian Campbell BUF - 2 goals, 12 assists, 14 points +11 Andrei Markov MON - 2 goals, 12 assists, 14 points +6
The Toronto Maple Leafs blue liners are getting it done big time this year. Bryan McCabe seems to have picked up where he left off last year where he had a career season with 68 points (19 goals, 49 assists) and Tomas Kaberle seems to be doing the same. He posted a career best 67 points (9 goals, 58 assists) last year for the Leafs and is off to another terrific start, and is 4 goals shy of his career best. Anaheim's two towers on defense have been as good as advertised. Scott Neidermayer and Chris Pronger sit in the top 5 of defensemen in scoring, and their efforts have lifted the Ducks to the top of the Western Conference with 30 points. Nicklas Lidstrom is consistently the best. His offensive stats are almost always forward worthy, but it's his +/- rating that always impresses me. Lidstrom is currently a +17 in 16 games played.
Goalies
Jean-Sebastien Giguere ANA - 10 wins, 2 shutouts Marty Turco DAL - 10 wins, 1 shutout Martin Brodeur NJD - 10 wins, 3 shutouts Andrew Raycroft TOR - 9 wins 1 shutout Ryan Miller BUF - 9 wins, 0 shutouts Kari Lehtonen ATL - 9 wins, 0 shutouts Cam Ward CAR - 9 wins, 1 shutout Manny Fernandez MIN- 9 wins, 1 shutout Vesa Toskala SJS- 9 wins, 1 shutout
While I'm still irritated as a Fantasy Owner of Coach Carlyle's handling of Anaheim's Ilya Bryzgalov, but there is no denying the fact that J.S. Giguere has rediscovered his Conn Smythe form of several seasons ago. Although there's no doubt playing behind the Ducks squad in front of him, particularly the defense has been beneficial, Giguere appears to be getting better by the game. Marty Turco has always been superb in the regular season, but he will be falling under a massive microscope come playoff time. If he fails to get it done this year he will be on the 'Manny Legace' train out of Texas. If Niklas Lidstrom played between the pipes, he would be called Martin Brodeur. Brodeur is always solid, and terrific at bouncing back after a rough start ( like tonight's game against the Rangers! WOO HOO). Raycroft has no doubt been a pleasant surprise for the Leafs. The former Calder Trophy winner who fell from grace, and Boston, has rebounded and played solid for Toronto this year. Ryan Miller is the man, and he's a big part of Buffalo's dominance this season. Kari Lehtonen after season's hampered by poor conditioning, and injuries has finally realized his full potential for the Atlanta Thrashers. Some recent weak play saw him benched for a few games watching backup Hedberg rack up a few wins was probably a good wake up call for him. Lehtonen is the key for the Thrashers this year. If he gets hurt, their playoff hopes will diminish rapidly. Cam Ward recovered from a few bad starts to open the season, and aside from being shelled by Buffalo Monday night, he's looked good. Manny Fernandez now the bonafide number one has embraced the role and helped turned the Minnesota Wild into a contender. Vesa Toskala although getting every other start with counterpart Evgeni Nablokov has thrived in the platoon system putting up solid numbers and most importantly wins for the San Jose Sharks.
Busts:
Daniel Alfredsson OTT - 4 goals, 10 asssists, 14 points even Rick Nash CLB - 4 goals, 7 assists, 11 points -6 Peter Forsberg PHI - 5 goals, 4 assists, 9 points -6 Simon Gagne PHI - 8 goals, 3 assists, 11 points -11 Patrick Elias NJD - 3 goals, 8 assists, 11 points -7 Markus Naslund VAN - 7 goals, 5 assists, 12 points even Henrik Zetterberg DET - 5 goals, 2 assists, 7 points +6 Wade Redden OTT - 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points +3
There are probably more, but these names scream out dissapointment to me. Most of these players were probably drafted in the top two rounds of most fantasy leagues and failed to produce the numbers most expected of them. Alfredsson is a stunner. He was incredible last season putting up 103 points (43 goals, 60 assists) but has failed to produce for Ottawa this season, and is a big reason why this team is collapsing. He and Wade Redden. Rick Nash. Finally he arrives to start a season healthy, and what happens? Nothing. Even after missing almost two months of last season, Nash still put up 54 points (31 goals, 23 assists). The Blue Jackets have been a big let down, and they are the second team in this young season to see their coach hit the bricks. Forsberg and Gagne, well those two are big pieces in the unsolvable puzzle that is the Philadelphia Flyers. Naslund perhaps misses being in those big warm arms of Bertuzzi. He hasn't played bad, but his numbers are less than average for a player of extraordinary magnitude. Elias is off to a slow start, but it's his -7 rating that is worrying me. Not only is he not producing offense, but has become a major liability on the defensive side of the puck. Zetterberg's play has probably been masked by the fact that he plays on a solid hockey team. Masked to everyone but my boy Jeff and everyone who drafted him onto their Fantasy Roster that is.
Quick Shave:
Fired one week, hired the next? Look's like Ken Hitchcock may not be out of work for too long (although I though he was still in the Flyers organization as a scout, but I could be mistaken). The Columbus Blue Jackets who just fired their head coach Gerard Gallant, have received permission from the Flyers organization to interview Ken Hitchcock for their coaching position currently held by interim Gary Agnew. Hitchcock might be exactly what the Blue Jackets need, but can this taskmaster whip the club into the post season? The Calgary Flames have won five straight. No seriously. Miikka Kiprusoff stopped all 24 shots he faced and helped the Flames to a 3-0 shutout win over the St. Louis Blues. 90 seconds is all it took for Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan to ruin Martin Brodeur's evening. The New York Rangers forwards scored 3 goals in under 2 minutes to defeat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 last night. Brendan Shanahan became the first winner of the monthly Mark Messier Award for team leadership (sorry Marty). The Detroit Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks gave us a terrific Game of the Night.....but it was just a little more terrific for the Red Wings as they downed the Canucks 3-2. Ryan Smyth of the Edmonton Oilers is expected to be re-evaluated today after Monday night's knee no knee with Avs defenceman John-Michael Liles. Officials are calling it a charley horse right now, and if that's all he got from that hit, I would say count your blessings. Not only did Rolston not join the NHL HTC last night, but the Wild couldn't even beat the Phoenix Coyotes. You gotta love it when Georges Laraque decides to motivate his team by beating the crap out of another player. Regardless of how you may feel about his actions, they worked. The Phoenix Coyotes erased a 2 goal deficit and defeated the Northwest leading Minnesota Wild 4-3. Nice work GL!
Game of the Night:
NY Islanders at Dallas 8:30 PM
It's time to give the boys on the Island their due. I think they can take the Stars. Ted Nolan has done a great job getting the most out of his team, and finally found a way to motivate Alexei Yashin into the player he used to be. Oh, and if you are up late..... look for Ryan Getzlaf to join the NHL Hat Trick Club against the Flyers late tonight. Enjoy the games my chin mullet wearing friends!
Following a rough west coast road trip, and dropping five straight, the Penguins were looking to stop the bleeding last night against the Flyers. A team they have owned in their previous two meetings.
Rookie scoring leader Evgeni Malkin scored with less than three minutes to play in the third to lift the Penguins over the Flyers 3-2. Malkin now has 9 goals on the season. The scoring was provided by all of Pittsburgh Penguins Young Guns. Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal got the early goals for the Pens. The Flyers fell for the sixth straight game.
During their skid, the Penguins were finding difficulty just taking shots. Sidney Crosby was kept from shooting for three straight games on their West Coast trip. My esteemed colleague Playoff Moustache commented that the Penguins were parading to the penalty box several nights ago, and players like Crosby and Malkin, who aren't penalty killers, were put to limited use during the game. A little discipline is always a good thing, especially when it means keeping your best players on the ice at all times.
Quick Shave: The NHL announced that they will be honoring Mark Messier with a monthly award given to the player with the best leadership. The Mark Messier Award. This is an amazing honor, if you really think about it. Wayne Gretzky, and Gordie Howe don't have awards....although there is the Gordie Howe Hat Trick (Goal, Assist, Fight), but that is more of a badge of honor. The leadership award named after Messier will be presented tonight at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers play host to the New Jersey Devils, and since no one on the Rangers truly deserves it, I have to assume it's going to Martin Brodeur, who got a couple of shutouts last month. Really, this trophy should be going to Chris Drury of the Buffalo Sabres, Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks, or J.S. Giguere of the Anaheim Ducks.....but if I'm right about Brodeur....I'll take that.
After years of abuse at the hands of Philadelphia Flyers fans, you'd think that if the tables were turned I'd be just as ruthless.....while critical I have been, I almost feel bad for them now. As bad as things have been in Philadelphia, they are equally bad across the border in Ottawa. If not for the situation in Philly, the Ottawa Senators would definitely had come under the microscope sooner. However, the axes have begun to fall early this season. The Columbus Blue Jackets dropped their coach Gerard Gallant yesterday, as they are another team that has begun the season with a horrendous start, and also a team that had much higher expectations. The Montreal Canadiens beat up on the Ottawa Senators last night 6-3, their 7th loss in 8 games and further fanned the rumor flames that change would be coming. My boy Cristobal Huet made 36 saves on the evening....(GUY keep starting this guy!!!). My other boy....Cam Ward, didn't fare as well. Our Game of the Night matchup rematch between the Buffalo Sabres and the Carolina Hurricanes was a blowout, then a tight game, then a blowout again as they dismantled the Canes 7-4. Ryan Smyth scored both goals for the Edmonton Oilers last night to give them the 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche. Smyth was the recipient of a nasty knee on knee hit from Avs d-man John-Michael Liles late in the third that upended the forward. Smyth who has had knee problems in the past had to be helped to the bench by goalie Dwayne Roloson. No word on his status yet. Los Angeles Kings forward Alexander Frolov lead the scoring for his team with 2 goals and an assist to lift his club to a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks.
Game of the Night:
New Jersey at NY Rangers 7:00 PM
Detroit at Vancouver 10:00 PM
Two fer Tuesday! Ok that was lame. Well we gotta watch the first game which i believe is on VS.....so Messier will on 'In the tent with Clement' to present his new honor tonight. Not a bad hockey game to watch either. The late game looks like a good one too. Wings and Canucks. Nice. Like Beer and Pretzels. 'Cept Canucks are saltier. Enjoy the games my bearded friends!
When pen was finally put to paper, and the new Collective Bargaining Agreement ratified, it not only brought hockey back to us, but it also introduced a new set of rules and guidelines that would change the game we knew forever.
For some the transition was easier than others. Players who's game was based on speed and skill blossomed. Those who thrived on the clutching and grabbing of the pre-lockout era, found the adjustment more difficult, and those unable to adapt, have begun to fall by the wayside.
The Philadelphia Flyers, a team that was always built on physical size, punished and intimidated opponents. Now, the former strength of the organization has become it's greatest weakness. Their once treasured physical dominance is now being exploited by smaller and much faster teams. The result is 3 wins, and a Flyers team that sits dead last in the league.
The poster boy for the Flyers failure this season has been Derian Hatcher. Acquired by the Philadelphia Flyers just days after the new C.B.A was signed, Hatcher has been the model example of larger defencemen who have had difficulty adjusting to the new NHL rules. While not entirely his fault, Hatcher's stats this season become progressively worse as the season goes on. He has yet to record a point in 16 games thus far and is a -16. I felt sorrow for the former Stanley Cup Champion on Saturday evening as he was easily skated by the Buffalo Sabres Paul Gaustad so badly that Hatcher looked like Van Damme on the ice following the goal. The Flyers downfall can't be blamed on just Hatcher however. The entire team has underachieved (or perhaps played to the best of their ability?) and has been a shocking dissapointment to just about everyone. Rany Robitaille leads the team in +/- with a +2. That pretty much says it all.
Has the new NHL passed Derian Hatcher and other players of his mold by or is there still a place for them? Have the new NHL rules crashed threw the roof of the Wachovia Center like a smouldering meteor and brought about the extinction of Hatcher and the rest of these lumbering giants?
Quick Shave:
The St. Louis Blues stopped their three game losing streak at the expense of the Edmonton Oilers on a pair of Martin Rucinsky goals to win yesterday afternoon 5-3. The Oilers just snapped their 4 game losing streakFriday evening against Columbus. While the Chicago Blackhawks have had difficulty scoring without their all star forward Martin Havlat, one goal was all they needed last night. Brian Boucher who has replaced the injured Khabibulin made 28 saves to lift the Blackhawks to a 1-0 shutout victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. After losing their first game in regulation to the Calgary Flames Friday, the Anaheim Ducks bounced back into the win column by defeating the Minnesota Wild 3-2. Scott Niedermayer scored the game winner on the power play. The rumor mill has already begun in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Flyers have plenty of teams vying for the services of Peter Forsberg. The Red Wings are one of the teams interested. For a bunch of really interesting trade rumors check out TSN.ca.
Game of the Night:
Buffalo at Carolina 7:00 PM
REMATCH! Buffalo's taken the first two, but I have a feeling the Hurricanes are going to be ready this time. The Sabres have been very soft defensively early as of late, but have been ridiculously strong later in games. Cam Ward has been playing his best hockey for the Canes and that's why you have to watch this game. It's a homework assignment! Enjoy the games!
The Maple Leafs blue line has been paying dividends lately, and been part of the club's recent resurrection. With Mats Sundin out for several weeks with an injured elbow, the pressure to produce has fallen on the remaining Leafs.
Defencemen Tomas Kaberle and Bryan McCabe did just that last night against the Montreal Canadiens putting up 6 points. Kaberle had a goal and two helpers, and McCabe scored 2 goals and got one assist. Tomas Kaberle has 15 points in his last 8 games and leads the NHL in scoring among defenseman with 17 (7 goals, 10 assists). Bryan McCabe is a step behind him with 16 (4 goals, 12 assists), and is on pace to pass his previous season's point total of 68 (19 goals, 49 assists). The Maple Leafs won their fourth straight game last night easily defeating the Habs 5-1. Toronto sits in second in the Northeast, just 4 points behind Buffalo.
Habs Goalie David Aebischer was pulled in favor of Cristobal Huet after surrendering the 4th goal......still no goaltending controversy? Perhaps not yet, but after this performance, Huet, who should get the next two starts has an opportunity to take hold of the reigns and impress Coach Carbenneau.
Quick Shave:
Well, Ottawa's one game winning streak was fun while it lasted. The Senators hit another wall as they lost to Zdeno Chara's Boston Bruins for the second time this season 4-3. Glen Murray scored two for the Bruins. At one point last night while flying through the Center Ice Package, I noticed that the Flyers were beating the Sabres 3-1. I quickly wiped my eyes, and realized that this was in fact true. The Buffalo Sabres who seem to enjoy handing the lead away to teams of late, of course tied it on a goal by Daniel Briere, and then won it OT.....on a goal by Daniel Briere. This almost seems like a set play now. They did the same thing to the Rangers a few nights ago. Speaking of the Philadelphia Flyers it seems that Holgrem is no longer the interim GM, but will hold the title and unfortunate position for the remainder of the year. How much manuever room will depend on the salary cap and owner Ed Snider. Both will be difficult to overcome in order to turn this team around. Olaf Kolzig of the Washington Capitals shined last night against the New York Rangers keeping them off the scoreboard till the final 2 minutes of the game. Alexander Ovechkin scored his 11th of the year. I think I jinxed the San Jose Sharks....or inspired the Phoenix Coyotes. Either way, the Sharks managed to barely secure the victory 2-1. Vesa Toskala replaced Evgeni Nabokov who had to leave the ice because of a stiff neck. Cujo has found his game again, as he stopped 37 of 39 shots he faced, but his team can't score....or play defense apparently....I mean come on, they allowed 39 shots on the poor guy. Are the Calgary Flames back? The Flames scored 3 consecutive goals to defeat the Vancouver Canuck 3-2 last night. Wasn't Roberto Luongo supposed to be the panacea for the Canucks? A 2 goal lead was something he rarely got in Florida, and in Vancouver, it seems something he is lately incapable of defending. Backup goalie Chris Mason made 42 saves for the Nashville Predators to hand Colorado the 1-0 shutout loss. The Carolina Hurricanes rolled over the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-2 last night (my Pens playoff pick is apparently crashing and burning right now). Cam Ward who has been stellar in net of late only had to make 18 saves for the victory while Pens netminder Jocelyn Thibault apparently made none.
Game of the Night:
Minnesota at Anaheim 8:00 PM
Best of the West matchup? Just about. First place divisional leaders Anaheim and Minnesota face off tonight for what should be a good one. Carlyle will of course be starting his heterosexual lifemate J. S. Giguere in net tonight as whipping boy (and hopefully traded to a team that will appreciate him) Ilya Bryzgalov will be riding the pine as usual. Regardless this should be a good one. There is also an early matchup between the Oilers and Blues in case the football on today is boring you at 2PM. Enjoy the games my follicaly friendly pals!
I'd like to start by sending my thanks to Coach Carlyle for yanking Ilya Bryzgalov after letting in 2 goals, and replacing him with Giguere to start the second period. Not only did you destroy every Fantasy Hockey team's goaltending stats with your lack of patience last night, but your plan to erradicate every shred of confidence in the keeper who carried your team to the Western Conference Finals last season is almost complete. That being said, I'm glad you lost last night.
Congratulations to the Calgary Flames and to the reigning Vezina Trophy Winner Miikka Kiprusoff for making 37 saves and helping defeat the Anaheim Ducks 3-0 for the shutout win. The loss was the first (of many to come for the Ducks until Carlyle is fired) for the Ducks in regulation time this season. Langkow and Tony Amonte (who's apparently rediscovered his nose for the net in the last few games) opened the scoring, and Lombardi sealed the deal with an empty net goal.
Despite the loss the Anaheim Ducks still lead the NHL with 28 points and have a 4 point lead over the Dallas Stars in the Pacific Division (Dallas, as you know, is one of the finest coastal cities in the country).
Quick Shave:
Well, my bid for Jaromir Jagr to join the NHL Hat Trick Club last night was not to be, but the New York Rangers captain did offer three assists, 2 of which were on Nylander scores during the 5-2 spanking of the Atlanta Thrashers last night. The Rangers power play unit is finally starting to click and they have now scored 7 goals in the past three games on the man advantage. Dominik Hasek is still the man. Hasek made 21 saves last night against the Nashville Predators to lift the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 and his second straight shutout. Hasek hasn't allowed a goal in 153 minutes and 28 seconds. The Red Wings look like their old selves again....unbeatable. Even without Ryan Miller, the Buffalo Sabres are going to be a chore to defeat as the Florida Panthers discovered last night. Martin Biron who was less than average in net allowed 4 goals to Florida, but the Sabre rallied from 2 goals down to force OT and take the game 5-4. The Sabres defense of late hasn't been great (even when Miller was in net) and they seem to be starting games behind the 8-ball lately. Playing from behind may be working so far, but I think it may bite them hard later. The Ottawa Senators got of their losing streak by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3 last night, and the Edmonton Oilers did likewise by defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1. What happened to the Blue Jackets? I thought this team was gonna make a playoff push? They are only pushing one thing right now....and it stinks. Come on NASH! Let's go guy.
Game of the Night:
Montreal at Toronto 7:00 PM
Calgary at Vancouver 10:00 PM
How about an all Canadian evening? Maybe if we're lucky NHL Center Ice will give us the French broadcast of the Habs / Leafs broadcast. Maybe if I'm not too drunk, I'll still be concious by the second game? Maybe? Enjoy the games my soup catching friends!
Some of Game of the Night huh? Well if you are a Hurricanes fan that is.
The Carolina Hurricanes took on the Washington Capitals last night who have been playing some outstanding hockey led by their young superstars Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin. The Carolina Hurricanes responded with an equalizing effort from a pair their young superstars. Cam Ward stopped all 20 shots he faced, and forward Erik Cole joined the NHL Hat Trick club with three goals to help the 'Canes take the 5-0 win easily.
After a rough start, the Carolina Hurricanes have begun to re-discover their Stanley Cup Winning form, and now sit second in the Southeast behind on the Atlanta Thrashers (who are unstoppable right now, and have 27 points on the season...they are first in the East!).
Quick Shave:
The Anaheim Ducks crushed the Vancouver Canucks 6-0 last night and set an NHL record for remaining unbeaten in regulation time for 16 straight games. Is this team everything we'd thought it would or what? Jean-Sebastien Giguere got the shutout and counterpart Roberto Luongo got pulled after letting in 3 goals on 6 shots. Before I go further, allow me to also welcome Patrick Marleau to the NHL Hat Trick Club (I was reprimanded for leaving Kozlov's 3 goal evening unmentioned, so I am loathe to repeat that mistake) which was just a small contribution to the San Jose Sharks 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Cheechoo added a pair of goals, and rotating keeper Vesa Toskala made 35 saves on the night. The Dallas Stars were only able to penetrate the rock, solid, desert blueline of the Phoenix Coyotes once, on a tally by Brendan Morrow. Marty Turco was able to hold on for the mostt difficult shutout of his career by stopping a relentless 13 shots. I'm laying the sarcasm on so thick here I'm ready to choke. What the hell is going on Phoenix? Cujo made 34 saves, and you guys couldn't even get him a goal? Blow this team up. While you are at blow the Flyers up, and what the heck, nuke the Sens. Enough is enough. Ok, nobody really expected much from the Coyotes, but 13 shots? Calgary puts more on net than...oh wait no they don't. Speaking of the Philadelphia Flyers...they lost again. The New York Islanders responded after a few rough outtings and slapped the Flyers around 3-1. It's funny how the Flyers have become the team, that other teams use to get back on track. Provided he is healthy, Forsberg will be traded to a contender by the deadline, if not sooner.
Game of the Night:
NY Rangers at Atlanta 7:30 PM
Can the New York Rangers topple the Southern Juggernaut! I hope so! There actually a bunch of great games on tonight which is rare for a Friday night, but since the Thrashers are playing so well, I'm curious to see how my blueshirts stack up against them. Enjoy the games!
Wade Redden has just one assist in 10 games this season. He's also, only a +1 rating. Compare this with his 50 point season of last year, and +35 rating, and you pinpoint just one of the many problems the Ottawa Senators are currently having.
It took Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, and Daniel Alfredsson time to finally get their game going, but it is a poor facsimilie of the torrid pace they set last year. Perhaps trading Martin Havlat and Brian Smolinskin away wasn't the greatest move? Was Zdeno Chara a bigger factor on defense that Redden, and perhaps shouldn't have been allowed to walk through the UFA door? Goaltending? Martin Gerber hasn't been the panacea the Senators had hoped he would be, and just as Ray Emery seemed ready to take the number one spot, he gets injured in practice.
Perhaps it's too early to panic, but looked what just happened in Philadelpia two weeks ago. Like the Philadelphia Flyers, the Ottawa Senators have been huge dissapointments, and like the Flyers, the Senators may be seeing some changes in the very near future. The Flyers purged their front office, and sent some vets down to the minors. GM John Muckler and Coach Bryan Murray can't be too confident about their jobs right now, considering after their 5th straight loss last night to the Atlanta Thrashers, the Ottawa Senators are in 4th place in the Northeast, and are 13th in the Eastern Conference with just 11 points. 5 wins! That's it!
Quick Shave:
The Detroit Red Wings slapped the Edmonton Oilers to the tune of a 3-0 shutout. Hasek earned his 70th career shutout, and only had to make 16 saves in the effort. After a rough west coast road trip, the Red Wings have quietly assumed possession of first place in the Central Division, and sit second only behind Anaheim in the West. Detroit forward Jason Williams, was carried off by stretcher after being checked in the face by Playoff Beard finalist Raffi Torres (aka Snow Job).The New York Rangers defeated the Florida Panthers 4-3 in the shootout last night, that saw Henrik Lundqvist return to the net. Lundqvist stoned all three Panthers forwards in the shootout, and Nylander pants'd Ed Belfour for the win. The Pittsburgh Penguins have fallen back to earth, after they lost their 3rd in a row (pretty sure on that one), to the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 last night. Penguins forward Nils Ekman joined the NHL Hat Trick club last night. Toronto Maple Leafs Captain Mats Sundin will be out about a month with ligament tear in his elbow. The injury occurred against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night.
Game of the Night:
Washington at Carolina 7:00 PM
The Capitals are on tear at the moment, and the Hurricanes are starting to look good too. If you haven't seen the Zander's play (Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin) then tonight you have no excuse. Enjoy the games my bearded friends!
Aloha face carpets! I’m finally back from an extended vacation hunting the elusive lipsquatch (half-man, half-ape, all moustache) in the woods of northern West Virginia, and though the fellas and I were unable to bag us a ‘squatch good times were still had by all. Well, almost. There was that one night where I was awoken in my tent to the sounds of rustling leaves, brush, sticks, timber, and foliage. Naturally, I made the assumption that it was either the lipsquatch or the Blair Witch, so I grabbed my sawed off, put on a coat over my red flannel onesie, and exited the tent. Upon exiting, yours truly was nearly punched in the perfectly-groomed stache by a flailing limb from the beast which was rolling to and fro’ across the mossy earth, nearly hurling itself into the campfire embers which were still glowing strong. Scared though I was, I somehow managed to pump the sawed off and fire a quick blast into the night sky (incidentally, at daylight I found an owl with its head blown off near where I had aimed…), and soon the beast settled. When the flailing had ceased, imagine my surprise to learn it was just Charlie Ray and Ray Charlie wrestling over the recent NHL goalie controversies! Well, needless to say I was saddened and disappointed to see such good friends tearing at each other over whether Vesa Toskala was in fact a better netminder than Evgeni Nabokov. I made a pledge to them both that night that I would return from West Virginia and use my power of words to settle these controversies once and for all. No more blood shall be shed needlessly. Not on my watch.
“But Stache!” you ask, to which I respond, “Please, it sounds like you’re saying I have a moustache on my butt. Try again.” To which you respond, “Okay. Umm…Stache! How will you be able to resolve these controversies of the crease when the NHL coaches themselves seem unsure of whom their better goaltender is?” To which I will then respond, “Cripes, man! Get a hold of yourself! I know what I’m doing. Trust me for once in your pathetic little life.” And as you calm down and catch your BBQ Frito and Mountain Dew flavored breath, I will produce a magic object of clairvoyance from the small pocket inside my suit coat where I normally keep my tiny moustache comb. This object will glimmer in the light and catch your slightly out of sync eyes with its shimmering gleam. You will be transfixed and instantly understand its power.
This object, faithful readers, is a quarter. And I shall flip it and thus this matter will be over. (Best 2 out of 3, of course.)
Let’s start in Atlanta where a few weeks ago keeper Kari Lehtonen was the poster boy for the hot out of the gate Thrashers, but two losses to Carolina, a loss to Toronto, and a shootout-only loss to Philadelphia has allowed Johan Hedberg to come in and start the last three games. Which he won. And has some great numbers to go with it. The “Moose” (who earned his nickname by eating an entire moose in one sitting as a pre-teen) is looking pretty with a GAA of 2.01 and a save % of .920. Are these numbers the byproduct of a stingy Atlanta defense or is Hedberg making a case for the top job? The quarter will decide. Heads Kari, Tails Moose. And the starting goalie for the rest of the season is……………….The Moose! Tails have it 2-1!!! Way to go Johan! May I suggest you celebrate by not eating another moose? Great!
Next we head to Anaheim where Jean-Sebastien Giguere seems to have a solid lock on the #1 job starting twelve games and going 8-0-4, silencing all the Jiggy-haters out there who thought he stole a Conn Smythe award a few years back. Giguere’s numbers are mostly outstanding, but let’s not forget it was Ilya Bryzgalov who backstopped this team to three (count ‘em, three!) consecutive shut outs during last year’s playoff run. Bryzgalov, who not only has one of the cooler names in hockey but is also on your’s truly fantasy team, has only four starts this year. But guess what? He won three of those, one of them a shutout, and is riding a 1.44 GAA and a save % of .944. The one game Bryzgalov started and didn’t win, was a game against Dallas where he was pulled 29 minutes into the contest after giving up guess how many goals? 4? 5? A Robert Escheian 9? No. Two. Dude gave up two goals and coach Randy Carlyle pulled him. Why? Because they were apparently short-side goals and Carlyle “doesn’t like short-side goals.” Well you know what? I’m not 100% in love with his tone right now. And what did Jiggy do when he went in relieving Bryzgalov of his two measly goals? He gave up a goal himself and then couldn’t get the job done in the shootout. Nice move, Carlyle. I don’t even need to flip a quarter for this one. Bryzgalov is obviously the better goalie and as a starter would elevate the Ducks (and my fantasy team) to new heights. But screw it. I’ll flip the damn quarter. Fate knows I’m right. Here goes. Heads Jiggy, tails Bryzgy………..Damnit. It’s Jiggy. Hold on, I’m going to go get a new quarter.
Okay, I’m back and we’re going to Buffalo where pretty much everyone knows Ryan Miller is the starter, but backup Martin Biron could be the starter for many a struggling team elsewhere. Plus, he has very freaky eyes. Have you ever seen those things? It’s like two wolves crawled inside his pupils and made a kind of love that produced a pigment, which then became the color of his eyes. Scary. Evil. But talented. The Sabres have finally suffered some bad luck of late and have pretty consistently been outshot in most of their games. Perhaps a goalie change would mix things up a bit? Let’s ask the quarter. Heads Biron, tails Miller. It’s flipping time…….And sorry wolf love juice eyes. The quarter says it’s Miller. Maybe you should have your agent call Philadelphia.
Which speaking of, the Flyers woes are many. The good news is that they have two goalies who both can shoulder the blame. Trust me, it’s easier that way. Robert Esche has been scored on more than the entire female branch of the Hilton family tree. Antero Nittymaki may sound like something you’d order at a sushi restaurant, but it’s his playing which has stunk like raw fish. These two dorks couldn’t stop a stop sign. Those of you stuck with either on your fantasy teams, you have my condolences. You also have my laughter, because oh man you’ve got to be living a life of great regret over that one! Anyway, look I found a quarter. Let me flip it. Heads…you know what? Who Cares? They both lose.
Things are only slightly better in Boston where netminders Hannu Toivonen and Tim Thomas can at least blame their puck-stopping failures on the distraction that is Zdeno Chara’s freakish stature. Seriously, has anyone tested that guy for lipsquatch DNA? There’s something wrong with him. And his goalies. Hannu’s 2-3-0 and Thomas is a drastically better 2-3-2. Way to go. My gut says it will be Thomas who gets the most starts this year, but then I can’t flip my gut like I’m about to flip this quarter. So hold tight……….Well, well, well. My quarter says it’s Hannu. Probably only because it’s fun to say “Hannu” though, so be warned Boston fans. Or rather, fan.
Let’s climb a mountain, shall we? How ‘bout the Rockies? Sounds good to me. In Colorado the natives are restless (and listening to John Denver) about whether or not the Avs can win with Jose Theodore. If not, then is Peter Budaj the goalie of the future? One on hand, Theodore has some serious trophies in his trophy armoire. On the other, Budaj has Ned Flanders on the back of his helmet. So that’s a tough call. Best to ask the quarter……And, wow, the quarter is apparently a Simpsons fan. Looks like the snowstorm will be rolling with Budaj this year.
In Los Angeles, movie stars are firing their agents because they can’t get them the inside scoop on whether it will be Dan Cloutier or Mathieu Garon in net on any given night. Well, sleep soundly mighty celebrities. Pappa Stache is hear with some great news: it probably doesn’t matter. The Kings are rebuilding and Cloutier is building a house in Malibu because Marc Crawford is in love with him and got him some Matchbox 20 money. They’re going to lose a lot of games either way. That said, this quarter over here is jumping up and down so I better give him what he wants………..And the quarter apparently wants an invite to a Wayans Bros. premiere with Dan Cloutier because Clouts won 2-0. There. Settled.
You know what? These goalies are giving me a headache. There are so many controversies it almost makes me want to fight someone! I’m just going to flip the quarter over here and put things to rest for you and help keep my pythons in their cage. Huet in Montreal, Emery in Ottawa, Weekes in New York, DiPietro in Long Island, and Nabokov in San Jose. Whew. The quarter is totally panting right now, I wish you could see him. Very cute. Anyway, I hope this takes care of all those lingering doubts out there and will prevent any further episodes like the one with Ray Charlie and Charlie Ray. They’re good guys, like most of these goalies, but occasionally they slip from grace and do something embarrassing. When that happens, Ray Charlie and Charlie Ray do what these goalies should do: blame the coach. And the defense. And the forwards, camping out at the other blueline instead of playing team defense. And the refs for not calling interference. And the fans for yelling “Huuuuuuuueeeeettttttt.” And Martin Brodeur. Because he gets to be on top of the world for having Scott Stevens in front of him for 15 years. Like you couldn’t be the best goalie if you had Scott Stevens on your team and played a boring trap style game that limited your shots against to single digits every night. How hard is that? Please. Give me a break. Blame everybody, because they’re probably doing something to screw with you even if they don’t know it.
Just don’t blame me. And don’t blame my quarter.
Until they make a razor with twelve blades and the toenail of a lipsquatch,
-Stache
It took him a few games to get going (I believe it was 8 before he recorded his first goal), but Ilya Kovalchuk is firing on all cylinders now (is that the most overused sports expression next to 'We're going to bring our 'A' Game ? ). Kovalchuk recorded his first hat trick of the season, and the three goals, now have him tied for second overall in thee league in scoring with 23 (Jaromir Jagr also has 23). Only teammate Marian Hossa has more with 24 points.
Kovalchuk was deadly on the powerplay last night where he scored all of his very similiar looking goals. His teammates kept feeding him the puck, and he kept bombing shots from the point.....and they kept going in. Atlanta went on to defeat the Boston Bruins 5-3. Johan Hedberg won his third straight start, and I wonder if we are having the beginnings of a goaltending controversy, or is Bob Hartley considering the new flavor of the month of platooning his netminders that is the new norm in the NHL? Lehtonen played badly last week, and Hedberg played so well, that Hartley has begun to ride him. Could be interesting to see what happens, however, no matter how you look at it, at least goaltending isn't an issue in Atlanta this season.
Quick Shave:
Alexander Ovechkin, and Captain Chris Clark of the Washington Capitals completed a comeback win over the Ottawa Senators last night in OT. Trailing by 2 goals, Ovechkin scored 2, to force OT, where Semin fed Clark for a breakaway to put the game away. The Senators have now lost 4 in a row....and Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun is surely calling for Muckler's and Murray's heads. The Anaheim Ducks showed they were the better birds, and team, by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in OT. Teemu Selanne scored the game winner. Sidney Crosby has not recorded a shot in his last three games. The Tampa Bay Lightning hammered the New York Islanders 5-1 last night. Martin St. Louis who also started the season slowly is now riding a 9 game point scoring streak. The Philadelphia Flyers lost again. This time to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 who skated circles around them. It almost looks as though the Flyers have given up, and if that is the case, it's time to blow this team up sooner rather than later.
Games of the Night:
Carolina at New Jersey 7:00 PM
Edmonton at Montreal 7:30 PM
Minnesota at San Jose 10:30 PM
I rarely do this, but can you blame me? These all look like great games to watch....so I give them all to you! Who loves you. That's right....Bosh does. May the beard be with you.
The New York Rangers still can't solve the Buffalo Sabres. Almost, but not quite. A Sabres team that not only played the evening prior in Toronto, but 3 games in the their last four nights, and a club that is beginning to feel the sting of the injury bug. That same bug that derailed them from earning a Stanley Cup Championship. Forward Maxim Afinogenov will be on the shelf for ab out 2 weeks, with an undisclosed upper body injury. Rumor has it, that it's a separated shoulder.
Even without their most explosive forward, and with Marty Biron, their backup netminder, manning the the net, the Sabres are still a formidable opponent. The Rangers who have begun to play some of their best hockey of late, with Kevin Weekes starting the last three games (goaltending controversy now? he's secured 5 out of a possible 6 points), the Rangers fell to the Buffalo Sabres in overtime 4-3, on a game winner by Daniel Briere, his second tally of the evening.
Ranger's captain Jaromir Jagr had a goal and two assists on the game and now leads the league in scoring with 23 points.
Game of the Night:
Dallas at Vancouver 10:00 PM
Great goaltending match-up between Turco and Luongo, and two great teams....although Vancouver could step it up a bit, and tonight they have the chance. Enjoy the games!
The Toronto Maple Leafs handed the Buffalo Sabres their first regulation loss last night, due in large part to the efforts of their Captain. Mats Sundin, set up Darcy Tucker for the game tying goal, and then scored two more himself, along with Jeff O'Neill in the second period to get the 4-1 victory. Leafs goaltender Andrew Raycroft stopped 29 shots, including 16 in the final period. Tomas Kaberle continued his relentless attack on the scoresheet, by recording an assist on Tucker's goal, his 10th point in 5 games.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been on a tear since their 7-2 drubbing at the hands of the Ottawa Senators, and have since won 4 of their last 5 games.
Quick Shave:
Are the Philadelphia Flyers really this bad? The Washington Capitals joined a growing group of teams that have recently pounded the boys from Philly. Alexander Ovechkin scored two goals in the first to lift the Capitals to a 5-3 win over the Flyers. He now has 16 points on the season. The Flyers have only 3 wins this season and sit at the bottom of the league with 7 points. Part of their problem may be their power play. Their special teams unit has converted only 7 opportunities in 80 tries, and is the worst in the NHL right now. The rumor mill in Philly will definitely be kicking into high gear soon, and come March this team is going to look like a half-price sale at K-mart. The Phoenix Coyotes may be rising from the ashes.....maybe? Newly acquired center Yanic Perreault had 2 assists for his new team, and helped them to a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. The Carolina Hurricanes looked awesome in the third period, completely out playing the Ottawa Senators and handing them their third straight loss 3-2. The Calgary Flames got off the skids last night, by defeating the St. Louis Blues 3-2. Jarome Iginla who is on a tear right now (even though his team isn't) scored the game winner late in the third. Bill Guerin has apparently found his game in St. Louis, and scored his 7th goal of the season last night. Zdeno Chara scored the game tying goal in the waning moments of the third period for the Boston Bruins and Glenn Murray buried the game winner in OT moments later to complete the comeback win over the Lightning 6-5. The San Jose Sharks may have discovered the formula to stop the Pittsburgh Penguins last night. Pound them, and keep pounding them. The Sharks pressed the Pens physically all game and kept Evgeni Malkin from scoring in his 7th straight game, as well as effectively shutting down Sidney Crosby. The Sharks won the game 3-2.
Game of the Night:
Buffalo at NY Rangers 5:00 PM
Only one on the card today, but this should be a good one. The Rangers get a rematch with the Sabres who slapped the crap out of them 2 weeks ago 7-3 (i'm pretty sure on that score, although the Rangers may have only gotten 2, regardless they got beat badly). Tom Renney is apparently being coy about who he will be starting in net. Tough decision as Kevin Weekes has played solid in his last two starts, and the Rangers have played equally well in front of him. Enjoy the games!
With less than 2 minutes to play in the third, losing 3-1, the Edmonton Oilers pulled goalie Dwayne Roloson, and with the extra skater on, Petr Sykora rifled a shot between the circles to bring them in one goal of the Dallas Stars. Rallying, with 7 seconds remaining, Ryan Smyth (although TSN is reporting Ales Hemsky did, I still think it was Smyth) scored the game tying goal. Or did he? Inexplicably, Mick McGeough immediately waved off the goal, signaling a hand pass. One problem Mick. There was no hand pass, there was no penalty? So why no goal? Big Brother in Toronto right now is surely reviewing this one, but regardless of their conclusion, the Oilers got robbed big time last night.
The beneficiaries of the bad officiating were of course the Dallas Stars, who barely hung on to win, but did take the game by a final score of 3-2. The win was Marty Turco's 146th (pretty sure on that, I'm recalling quite a bit of the numbers that were tossed at me), which put him second all time in victories for the Dallas Stars franchise. He trails only Ed Belfour who holds the franchise record with 160. Turco stopped 24 shots to record the victory.
Quick Shave:
The Calgary Flames can't buy a win. On a night where they were able to score 4 goals, the usually very stingy defense they are known for was nowhere to be found, and allowed the Columbus Blue Jackets to score 4 themselves. The Flames eventually fell in a marathon shootout on a goal by Manny Malholtra 5-4. Jarome Iginla seems like the only one generating offence for the Flames of late....he has scored 5 goals, and 3 assists in 6 games. The Flames have lost their last 4. The Atlanta Thrashers got off their losing skid last night....barely. Falling behind 2-0 to the Capitals early, the Thrashers battled back to win 4-3. The Phoenix Coyote's put on another defensive show last night, only allowing 6 goals to the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks won 6-2.
Dragons Report:
The boys in dark (red, blue and black), put on a show last night against their rivals the Coyotes (not the ones from Phoenix, but I bet we could even give them a game) defeating them handily 10-1. Jose Alicea back from his 'upper body' injury stopped all but one of the shots he faced (he claims he was screened on the one goal, but dude...come on....my mother could have saved that). The Mike Line of Mike Feeney, Mike McCarthy, and Mike Rems all recorded tallies for the Dragons. Chuck Kojsza, and Fran Montalbano also had multiple point evenings recording goals, assists, and points for good looks. Captain Bosh ended the evening in the + rating column and had a solid open rink hit on teammate Mike Rems (second hit on Mike this season). Mark Giordano was scratched from the lineup and sent to the Dragon's Atlanta affiliate for a conditioning assignment. He hopes to be back in the lineup in a week.
Game of the Night:
Pittsburgh at San Jose 10:30 PM
I love Saturday night in the NHL. So many games, so little time. There really are a ton of good ones to watch, but I'm going homer on the Penguins again. I'm looking forward to see how they fare against a real powerhouse. San Jose has the number one rated power play, great goaltending, great defense, Joe Thornton, and Jonathan Cheechoo. It's time to find out if the kids from Pittsburgh are for real or not. Enjoy the games my beared friends!
Cristobal Huet and Habs exacted a small amount of revenge from the Carolina Hurricanes last night by shutting down the reigning Stanley Cup Champs 4-0. Carolina knocked the Canadiens out of the first round of the playoffs last year in 6 games. Huet knocked the Canes out of the building in 60 minutes. Cristobal Huet made 31 saves en route to his first shutout of the season over the Hurricanes.
The Canes were coming off a 5-2 win over the Thrashers, the evening prior, and when the Habs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second, the wind seemed to come out of their sails. Defenceman Mike Komisarek opened the scoring, and Saku Koivu, Mike Johnson and Tomas Plekanec also recorded goals, in the shutout victory.
Quick Shave:
Either the Buffalo Sabres are that good....or the Boston Bruins just suck. The Bruins had the game wrapped up, with a 4-2 lead, with 8 minutes to play in the third.....and let the Sabres tie the game, force OT, and the eventual shootout where Buffalo rolled over Boston to get the 5-4 victory. Right now, the Flyers fans are laughing at Boston. Or are they? The Philadelphia Flyers got their clocks cleaned by the Tampa Bay Lightning last night 5-2......at least they are consistent. Kevin Weekes in his second straight start for the New York Rangers, defeated his second straight California team. Two nights ago he helped the Rangers to an overtime win over the Ducks, and last night stopped 29 shots and get the 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Goaltending controversy in New York? Probably not. I told you guys Tom Renney would start benching players, and Lundqvist who has been incredibly average so far this season, has earned some time on the pine. The New York Islanders look good. They owned the Devils last season, and looks like this year that trend will continue. The Islanders hammered the New Jersey Devils 5-2 last night, and Rick DiPietro only had to make 14 to saves for his team to get the win. The Islanders who started off the season shaky have gone 6-1-2 since losing their first 3 games, and now sit in a three way tie for first with the Rangers and believe it or not...the Penguins. The Minnesota Wild are also looking very good. After falling behind on two quick goals by the Canucks, the Wild stormed back, and got the win 5-2. Brian Rolston had a penalty shot during the game and rather than try and fancy dekes, he powered a slapshot past the flat footed Luongo who had little chance on the puck. That has to be one of the coolest things I've ever seen. The St. Louis Blues goalie Manny Legace shut the door on the Colorado Avalanche last night making 44 saves and helping his club to the 4-1 win. Bill Guerin scored 2 goals in the game. After not being re-signed by his former club, Eddie Belfour showed the Leafs why that may have been an error in judgement last night. Belfour stopped 23 shots, and his new team the Florida Panthers went on to defeat the Leafs 4-2.
Game of the Night:
Dallas at Edmonton 9:30 PM
There's alot of history between these two clubs, and both teams are definitely on top of their games so far this season and should be a terrific matchup. Enjoy the games!
Pittsburgh Penguins forward, Evgeni Malkin has collected his first of what will most certainly be many accolades by being named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for October. Malkin became the first player to record goals in each of his first 5 games, which was last done in 1992-1993. Last night he got his 6th and 7th goals in his 6th NHL career game, a feat that hasn't occurred since 1917. Malkin has more than answered the hype surrounding him, and is on his way to establishing himself as the newest superstar in the game. For more on this visit TSN.ca.
The Anaheim Ducks still remain unbeaten in regulation, along with the Buffalo Sabres. They did however receive their 4th OT loss at the hands of the New York Rangers, who rebounded from a dreadfull performance against the L.A. Kings two nights ago.
Jaromir Jagr scored his 104th game winner last night against the Ducks to help the Rangers to a 4-3 overtime victory. Jagr tied teammate Brendan Shannahan on the all time game winner list, and the pair sit fourth behind Brett Hull (104), Espo (118), and Gordie Howe (121). The win was certainly a bench test for the Rangers, who defeated one of the premiere teams in the NHL, and showed what they are capable of when consistent, hard working and disciplined. The good teams, always seem to find a way to capitalize on their opponent's mistakes, and Anaheim made Marek Malik pay for two turnovers, on goals by Chris Pronger and Ryan Getzlaf. The Rangers were able to rally, and force OT, where Jagr took care of the rest. The Rangers complete their West Coast road trip against the San Jose Sharks tonight.
Quick Shave:
I think I found out why the Calgary Flames aren't scoring. Because they arent' shooting! 15 shots? Come on guys. Hasek wasn't even on his game last night, but only had to make 13 saves to get the 3-2 win for the Detroit Red Wings. The Flames have now dropped three in a row.....and I believe this is the 4th win in a row for the Wings (jeff correct me if I'm wrong). Evgeni Malkin is the greatest rookie ever! Well, maybe I'm exaggerating, but Malkin tied a rookie record for scoring his sixth goal, in his sixth game to start a career. He ended the evening, but scoring his 7th, and game winner in OT to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 over the L.A. Kings. This kid is awesome....this team is awesome. Crosby had a quiet evening, only assisting on three of the teams goals. The Nashville Predators ended the Oilers unbeaten streak at home by way of a 5-3 win. Paul Kariya had a 3 assist evening. Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes seems to be regaining his Conn Smythe form, as he backstopped his team with 40 saves and helped them defeat the Atlanta Thrashers 5-2. Atlanta has now lost two in a row since handing the Sabres their first loss of the season. The Florida Panthers are going to lose Todd Bertuzzi for about 8 weeks. The big forward needs surgery to repair a herniated disc which has hampered his play.
Game of the Night:
Montreal at Carolina 7:00 PM
NY Rangers at San Jose 10:30 PM
Huet gets the nod to see if he find the fire that helped the Habs into the playoffs last year, against the Canes who knocked them out of the first round last year. If you remember the Canes lost the first two, then responded and won four straight to take the series in 6. The second game is Bosher going homer. I want to see how my boys in blue play against the Sharks who have looked awesome. Playoff Beard of the Month winner for October Joe Thornton will be looking to get his second goal of the season. Enjoy the games!
The scoring machine that was the Ottawa Senators has broken down again. After leaving Boston with just one goal, last night they could only get two past Montreal Canadiens netminder David Aebischer who stopped the other 31 shots.
The Montreal Canadiens, emerging from some controversy last week over Sergei Samsonov's demotion to the fourth line (the guy hasn't exactly produced, so why was he surprised), and the trade rumors that blossomed from the roster adjustment, responded with a solid game. Samsonov united with countrymen Alexei Kovalev and Alexander Perezhogin assisted on Kovalev's second period score. The Habs new Russian trio line has had two strong showings in a row, and perhaps it is a sign of things to come. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-2, handing the Sens their second loss in a row, and maybe re-igniting rumors in the Canadian Capital.
David Aebischer may also be pushing Habs hero of last season Cristobal Huet back into his role as the no. 2 netminder. If Aebischer's play continues at the current level it will be difficult for Coach Carbonneau to keep from giving him starts. Goaltending controversy anyone? Maybe, but this season, we are bearing witness to a shift in the NHL from bonafide no. 1 and no. 2 goaltenders but rather tandoms that share the load. Aside from Montreal, the San Jose Sharks have made no secret about giving Evgeni Nabokov and Vesa Toskala equal playing time, the Florida Panthers are splitting starts between Alex Auld and Ed Belfour, Ottawa seems to be sharing time between Ray Emery, and Martin Gerber (although Emery is emerging as the favorite), and St. Louis has Manny Legace and Curtis Sanford sharing the workload.
Quick Shave:
The Philadelphia Flyers have offered their General Manager position to NHL Executive Colin Campbell. Thus far Campbell has yet to comment on his interest, but according to reports at TSN.ca, a decision will be made in the next 2 days. The GM position with the Flyers can't be the most attractive opportunity available, because there is a big mess that needs to be cleaned up, and in the salary cap era, little room to do so. Campbell may be happy to remain where he is. The San Jose Sharks waited till the waning moments of the third period to strike, and defeated the Florida Panthers 2-1 on a power play opportunity by defenceman Christian Erhoff. If you remember, they were nicknamed the Cardiac Kids last season, because they had a tendency to keep their fans biting their nails till the end of every game. The Chicago Blackhawks have officially fallen from grace. Unfortunately, hit hard by injuries they have now lost 6 in a row, the last being at the hands of the New York Islanders 5-2. Rick DiPietro has begun to finally find his game for the Islanders, as he stopped 30 shots last night. The New York Rangers have sent defenceman Darius Kasparitis down to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolfpack for a 10-day conditioning assignment. Kasparitis missed the first 5 games of the season because Coach Tom Renney felt he was physically unfit to play. This could be the first of many moves Renney makes in an effort to ignite the very uninspired play of the Rangers so far this season. Don't be surprised to see more healthy scratches and benchings soon.
Game of the Night:
Calgary at Detroit 7:30 PM
Detroit is hot. Calgary, well, they've been better. Right now a road trip is probably what they need after dropping 2 of 3 at home, the last to the upstart Capitals. Enjoy the games my furry faced friends!
Mid-November saw Anaheim Ducks GM Brian Burke make a few maneuvers that sent a couple of players in Stanislav Chistov and Todd Fedoruk out East (to Boston and Philadelphia respectively) in return for a bag of future draft picks. Burke however did send one draft pick to Colorado to retrieve a player in return. George Parros.
You gotta love this kid, and if you don't, jump on board now, because Sidney Crosby is the man.
Atlanta Thrashers forward Bobby Holik spoiled his former team's comeback by putting his own rebound in during the overtime period to lift his club 5-4 over the New York Rangers. It was a night of returns as former Carolina Hurricanes keeper Martin Gerber made 29 saves and help his new club the Ottawa Senators to a 4-1 victory. Could be a massive confidence booster for Gerber who has looked below average most of the year. One goalie who is really having a great run right now is the Montreal Canadien's Cristobal Huet. Huet stopped all 36 shots he faced and gave the Habs the 1-0 win over the Florida Panthers in the shootout, and now has the best GAG and save percentage in the NHL. Teemu Selanne waited till the last 16 seconds of the third to tie the game for the Anaheim Ducks and force overtime against the Edmonton Oilers. That was all Ryan Getzlaf needed, as he potted the game winner halfway through the extra time to give the Ducks the 3-2 OT win. Chris Pronger was booed when he first hopped to the ice, and everytime he played the puck thereafter. He should pretty much expect this welcome every time he returns to Rexall....as if that is a big surprise.
Chris Pronger returns to Edmonton tonight. Do I really need to say more?
With Anaheim's backup netminder Ilya Bryzgalov day to day with a 'lower body injury', and Jean Sebastien Giguere sidelined with a similiarly vague ailment, the Ducks went to the farm for support and called up rookie goaltender Michael Wall.
The IR bug has hit Nashville hard this week. After recently losing center Jason Arnott with a knee injury for 6 weeks, the Nashville Predators how now lost their starting netminder, Tomas Vokoun as well.
Now that was a hockey game worthy of being thankful for!
Ottawa Senators forward Dany Heatley joined the NHL HTC last and his three tallies helped the Senators to a 6-4 win over the Florida Panther, and bring the club to a .500 record. Perhaps all is not lost in Ottawa? The Dallas Stars defenceman Philippe Boucher also punched his ticket to the HTC last night as he scored three of the Stars 5 goals en route to their 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings. St. Louis Blues netminder Manny Legace recieved a small measure of revenge against his old squad as he and the Blues defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in the shootout last night. Ken Hitchcock's first task as the new head coach of tthe Columbus Blue Jackets was to take his new club to face his old club the Philadelphia Flyers. Unfortunately, his presence did more to motivate his old team, as the Flyers defeated the Blue Jackets 3-2. The Pittsburgh Penguins appear lost without Sidney Crosby and are finding it difficult to generate offence. The Crosby-less Pens dropped their 2nd straight to the New York Islanders 3-1 yesterday. The Anaheim Ducks bounced back from a dissapointing shootout loss to Colorado Wednesday night to defeat the visiting New Jersey Devils 4-2. Carolina Hurricanes forward Cory Stillman who's missed the whole season thus far with a shoulder injury is eyeing a return to the Canes lineup sometime in December. Stillman had a monster year with 76 points (22 goals, 55 points) last season.
Pick a Thanksgiving Day pun. Whichever you choose, will be more than appropriate. The Vancouver Canucks played like a steaming pile of........holiday vegetables last night. 
The Columbus Blue Jackets are thankful today after signing Ken Hitchcock to a 3 year deal to become their newest head coach. Hitchcock will be coaching his first practice with the BJ's sometime today. The Vancouver Canucks are thankful that Markus Naslund is starting to score goals in bunches again. Naslund scored his 10th of the season, and Brendan Morrison (who is thankful he hasn't been traded yet) scored two, including the game winner in OT to lift the Canucks past the Detroit Red Wings 4-3. It was a week of career milestones this week as Bobby Holik potted the 300th goal of his career which the Atlanta Thrashers were thankful for as they were able to battle back and defeat the Washington Capitals 4-2. The Ottawa Senators are thankful that defenceman Wade Redden has finally returned from injury. Redden scored the game winner in overtime to help his club beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. The Flyers are thankful they got a point out of the game. The Montreal Canadiens are thankful that the Minnesota Wild didn't ice their superstar forwards Pavol Demitra and Marion Gaborik who are out with injuries (probably groins) as they barely held them off for the 3-2 victory. The Leafs are thankful that the Buffalo Sabres only scored 7 goals on them last night, winning a back and forth game 7-4 (well it was back and forth for two periods, then just forth for the Sabres. Darcy Tucker is not thanking anyone as he had another 2 goal game, but was denied entry once again to the NHL HTC. The Dallas Stars are thankful they have a rookie goaltender in Mike Smith who refuses to let pucks go in the net. Smith made 17 saves last night against the Predators and recorded his second straight victory, this one by way of shutout 1-0. Goaltending controversy in Texas? The Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward was thankful to get a rest last night. The New York Islanders were thankful that his backup John Grahame was manning the pipes as they put 4 pucks past him ( in all fairness the guy faced 20 shots in the first period, and did have a decent game) for the 4-2 victory. The Boston Bruins are thankful they didn't have to face the Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby last night as they defeated the Pens by way of shootout 4-3 last night. The Tampa Bay Lightning are thankful that their losing streak in which they let in 11 goals stopped at just two games as they beat their cross state rival Florida Panthers 6-4. The Phoenix Coyotes are thankful that the New Jersey Devils were suffereing from jet lag as they toasted the Devils 3-1. The New Jersey Devils are thankful that forward Scott Gomez has returned to the lineup from his groin injury. Buy three groins. Get one free! The San Jose Sharks are thankful that even while star forward Jonathan Cheechoo is on IR they are having little difficulty finding the back of the net....as long as they aren't playing the Ducks that is....however against the Los Angeles Kings....different story. Patrick Marleau is thankful that he scored his 200th goal tonight. Pretty impressive that three players achieved career marks all on the same evening. Selanne with 500, Holik with 300, and Marleau with 200. I find myself massaging my goatee pondering this remarkable evening in the NHL. Congratulations to all three players. Finally, the Calgary Flames are thankful to be back to winning, after a bump in the road in Edmonton. The Flames bounced back to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. 
In what had to be the premiere showdown in the NHL last night, the two top teams in the Western Conference faced off in an epic contest. Well, for one period anyway. 
We haven't talked much at all about Eric Lindros, but that hasn't kept him from quietly contributing to the Dallas Stars sucess thus far this season. Lindros has 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in 19 games this season, and helped his new team fight back into a game last night against the Colorado Avalanche.
After two lackluster showings, the New York Rangers top line of Jaromir Jagr, Michael Nylander, and Martin Straka woke up, and decisively defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jagr, Staka, and Nylander each scored a goal, and two assists. Jaromir Jagr opened the scoring for the Rangers early in the first. The goal was the 600th marker of his career.
While it wasn't a natural hat trick, it was a hat trick none the less. Eric Staal put the icing on the cake for the Carolina Hurricanes as they beat the Dallas Stars 5-4 in a wild and exciting game.
The Calgary Flames have now won 6 in a row. Last night's victory over the Detroit Red Wings was punctuation mark on the win streak, that began several weeks ago, following a loss to the very same team. The Red Wings have been on a tear of their own this season, winning nine in a row prior to last night's 4-1 loss.
The NHL Hat Trick Club welcomed it's newest member of the season last night, in Florida Panther's forward Olli Jokinen. Much to the dismay of the Canadiens, Jokinen brought the Florida Panthers from a 1-0 to deficit and lifted them to a 5-1 surplus...or win rather. Jokinen scored his first two goals in the second period, and the capper in the third.
Trust in Bosh...Bosh is good, Bosh is wise. I told you the Islanders could take the Stars yesterday (which is detailed in yesterday's Game of the Night)....and take them they did. Those boys from the Island have the 'Luck of the Iroc'......
Is there any wonder why the Atlanta Thrashers are off to their best start in franchise history and are the third best team in the NHL with 27 points behind only Buffalo and Anaheim? Three forwards in the top 5 in scoring and a healthy Kari Lehtonen (we'll get to him more in a bit) are a big reason why this team should see their first ever post season action this year. Playoff Beards for everyone here please. While it's taken Jaromir Jagr some time to get the full strength of his shoulder back, his playmaking ability is still top shelf as his league leading 21 assists can confirm. It's also nice to Kovalchuk with an even rating, rather than in the minus column, which may mean that Hartley's efforts to get him to play defense may be getting through.
There are probably more, but these names scream out dissapointment to me. Most of these players were probably drafted in the top two rounds of most fantasy leagues and failed to produce the numbers most expected of them. Alfredsson is a stunner. He was incredible last season putting up 103 points (43 goals, 60 assists) but has failed to produce for Ottawa this season, and is a big reason why this team is collapsing. He and Wade Redden. Rick Nash. Finally he arrives to start a season healthy, and what happens? Nothing. Even after missing almost two months of last season, Nash still put up 54 points (31 goals, 23 assists). The Blue Jackets have been a big let down, and they are the second team in this young season to see their coach hit the bricks. Forsberg and Gagne, well those two are big pieces in the unsolvable puzzle that is the Philadelphia Flyers. Naslund perhaps misses being in those big warm arms of Bertuzzi. He hasn't played bad, but his numbers are less than average for a player of extraordinary magnitude. Elias is off to a slow start, but it's his -7 rating that is worrying me. Not only is he not producing offense, but has become a major liability on the defensive side of the puck. Zetterberg's play has probably been masked by the fact that he plays on a solid hockey team. Masked to everyone but my boy Jeff and everyone who drafted him onto their Fantasy Roster that is.
Following a rough west coast road trip, and dropping five straight, the Penguins were looking to stop the bleeding last night against the Flyers. A team they have owned in their previous two meetings.
The NHL announced that they will be honoring Mark Messier with a monthly award given to the player with the best leadership. The Mark Messier Award. This is an amazing honor, if you really think about it. Wayne Gretzky, and Gordie Howe don't have awards....although there is the Gordie Howe Hat Trick (Goal, Assist, Fight), but that is more of a badge of honor. The leadership award named after Messier will be presented tonight at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers play host to the New Jersey Devils, and since no one on the Rangers truly deserves it, I have to assume it's going to Martin Brodeur, who got a couple of shutouts last month. Really, this trophy should be going to Chris Drury of the Buffalo Sabres, Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks, or J.S. Giguere of the Anaheim Ducks.....but if I'm right about Brodeur....I'll take that.
When pen was finally put to paper, and the new Collective Bargaining Agreement ratified, it not only brought hockey back to us, but it also introduced a new set of rules and guidelines that would change the game we knew forever.
The Maple Leafs blue line has been paying dividends lately, and been part of the club's recent resurrection. With Mats Sundin out for several weeks with an injured elbow, the pressure to produce has fallen on the remaining Leafs.
I'd like to start by sending my thanks to Coach Carlyle for yanking Ilya Bryzgalov after letting in 2 goals, and replacing him with Giguere to start the second period. Not only did you destroy every Fantasy Hockey team's goaltending stats with your lack of patience last night, but your plan to erradicate every shred of confidence in the keeper who carried your team to the Western Conference Finals last season is almost complete. That being said, I'm glad you lost last night.
Some of Game of the Night huh? Well if you are a Hurricanes fan that is.
Wade Redden has just one assist in 10 games this season. He's also, only a +1 rating. Compare this with his 50 point season of last year, and +35 rating, and you pinpoint just one of the many problems the Ottawa Senators are currently having. 
Aloha face carpets! I’m finally back from an extended vacation hunting the elusive lipsquatch (half-man, half-ape, all moustache) in the woods of northern West Virginia, and though the fellas and I were unable to bag us a ‘squatch good times were still had by all. Well, almost. There was that one night where I was awoken in my tent to the sounds of rustling leaves, brush, sticks, timber, and foliage. Naturally, I made the assumption that it was either the lipsquatch or the Blair Witch, so I grabbed my sawed off, put on a coat over my red flannel onesie, and exited the tent. Upon exiting, yours truly was nearly punched in the perfectly-groomed stache by a flailing limb from the beast which was rolling to and fro’ across the mossy earth, nearly hurling itself into the campfire embers which were still glowing strong. Scared though I was, I somehow managed to pump the sawed off and fire a quick blast into the night sky (incidentally, at daylight I found an owl with its head blown off near where I had aimed…), and soon the beast settled. When the flailing had ceased, imagine my surprise to learn it was just Charlie Ray and Ray Charlie wrestling over the recent NHL goalie controversies! Well, needless to say I was saddened and disappointed to see such good friends tearing at each other over whether Vesa Toskala was in fact a better netminder than Evgeni Nabokov. I made a pledge to them both that night that I would return from West Virginia and use my power of words to settle these controversies once and for all. No more blood shall be shed needlessly. Not on my watch.
It took him a few games to get going (I believe it was 8 before he recorded his first goal), but Ilya Kovalchuk is firing on all cylinders now (is that the most overused sports expression next to 'We're going to bring our 'A' Game ? ). Kovalchuk recorded his first hat trick of the season, and the three goals, now have him tied for second overall in thee league in scoring with 23 (Jaromir Jagr also has 23). Only teammate Marian Hossa has more with 24 points.
The New York Rangers still can't solve the Buffalo Sabres. Almost, but not quite. A Sabres team that not only played the evening prior in Toronto, but 3 games in the their last four nights, and a club that is beginning to feel the sting of the injury bug. That same bug that derailed them from earning a Stanley Cup Championship. Forward Maxim Afinogenov will be on the shelf for ab out 2 weeks, with an undisclosed upper body injury. Rumor has it, that it's a separated shoulder.
The Toronto Maple Leafs handed the Buffalo Sabres their first regulation loss last night, due in large part to the efforts of their Captain. Mats Sundin, set up Darcy Tucker for the game tying goal, and then scored two more himself, along with Jeff O'Neill in the second period to get the 4-1 victory. Leafs goaltender Andrew Raycroft stopped 29 shots, including 16 in the final period. Tomas Kaberle continued his relentless attack on the scoresheet, by recording an assist on Tucker's goal, his 10th point in 5 games.
Quick Shave:
With less than 2 minutes to play in the third, losing 3-1, the Edmonton Oilers pulled goalie Dwayne Roloson, and with the extra skater on, Petr Sykora rifled a shot between the circles to bring them in one goal of the Dallas Stars. Rallying, with 7 seconds remaining, Ryan Smyth (although 
The scoring machine that was the Ottawa Senators has broken down again. After leaving Boston with just one goal, last night they could only get two past Montreal Canadiens netminder David Aebischer who stopped the other 31 shots.
