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 Oh yeah!!! When these two boys aren't out entertaining at bachelor parties they are displaying exceptional skill, and a pair of the finest playoff beards seen North of the border. Or South of it frankly.
The Vancouver Canucks rise to supremacy in the Northwest as well as the Western Conference is due in large part to the play of these rising stars. In the month of March, aside from cultivating superior chin mullets, their play is second only to Joe Thorton (your Playoff Beard of the Month of October winner) and to each other. Within the last 30 days, Henrik Sedin has collected 19 points (2 goals 17 assists), and his brother Daniel 18 points (9 goals, 11 assists) and have helped the Canucks win so regularly that goaltender Roberto Luongo is flirting with Bernie Parent's 47 win season record. Is it any coincidence that Mr. Luongo is also a recipient of the coveted Playoff Beard of the Month Award for the month of January? I think not. Grow the beard, and the wins will come. If Martin Brodeur grew a playoff beard in October, the Devils would be undefeated right now (granted that is speculative, but I think the facts above more than prove my statement).
Please join me in congratulating Vancouver Canucks forwards, brothers, exotic dancers and facial hair champions Henrik and Daniel Sedin for the being the Playoff Beards of the Month of March!
 Quick Shave:
Gotta give it up for Tampa Bay Lightning forward Vincent Lecavalier for scoring his 50th goal of the season last in a 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Lecavalier also added 2 assists and helped his team leap frog the Rangers back into 6th place in the Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes, well they aren't doing so good. The Montreal Canadiens 5 game win streak came to a screeching halt last night against the Ottawa Senators. The Senators defeated the 8th place Habs 5-2, and the usual suspects recorded the tallies (Spezza, Heatley, etc.). No DiPietro looks like no way for the New York Islanders. Mike Dunham was stellar last night allowing 5 goals on 10 shots in the first period and was summarily executed by Ted Nolan.... I mean pulled. The Islanders did put up a vailant effort but ultimately fell to the Buffalo Sabres 6-4. Their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread and really on the return of their number one keeper. New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur only had to make 14 saves to secure a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. The win was his 45th of the season and much like Luongo has a legitimate shot to take Parent's wins record this season. The Detroit Red Wings lost to the Dallas Stars 4-3 in the shootout last night, but did gain a point. They are now 1 behind the Sabres with 106 for the league lead.
This month's Hockey News had a great article that polled some 283 players on a variety of topics. The most interesting question was who is the most overrated player. Sean Avery was the clear cut winner, followed by Bryan McCabe and Brad Richards. What made that poll so funny was that News gave Avery a chance to retort, to which he stated "I'm overrated? What about Shane Doan?" Priceless.
 Game of the Night:
Buffalo at Montreal 7:00 PM
Pittsburgh at Toronto 7:00 PM
Calgary at Vancouver 10:00 PM
Is there anything better than hockey on all day? The appropriate answer is No Bosh. There really isn't. Buffalo and Montreal has got to be one of the most exciting series all season, and I'm looking forward to seeing these two teams throw down again. Rumors of Cristobal Huet returning to action earlier this week might mean he will be showing up tonight.... we'll see if Carbonneau gives him a start of rides his young rookie Halak. Pens, Leafs is going to be awesome. Expect the Leafs (who desperately need these two points) to come out blood thirsty, and look for Crosby to score a header. The Pens are fighting the Devils for the Atlantic Division lead so I don't imagine they will be mailing this one in. And if you aren't too drunk, the all Canadian special with Northwest Division rivals doing battle should be fitting end to your evening. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla joined the NHL Hat Trick Club for the first time this season and helped lead his team to a 4-2 win over the Minnesota Wild.
The Flames lit up Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom, who's been rock solid for his team of late, scoring on both shots they took on him. Josh Harding replaced Backstrom and allowed two more.
The Calgary Flames have now won 5 in a row and opened a 7 point lead over the Colorado Avalanche for the 8th and final spot in the Western Conference. Barring total self destruction, the Flames have secured their post season berth. The Flames also moved within 4 points of the Western Conference's 98 point triumvirate. The Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks and Minnesota Wild, all sitting in 5th, 6th and 7th. The Minnesota Wild who had been on a ridiculous 9 game winning run, have now dropped two straight and fallen behind the now dominant Vancouver Canucks.
 Quick Shave:
The Detroit Red Wings refuse to give up that President's Trophy. Todd Bertuzzi assisted on both Red Wing goals and helped them defeat the Nashville Predators 2-1. The win puts them in a three way tie for the top spot again with the same Predators and the Buffalo Sabres. The Atlanta Thrashers stole the extra point from the Toronto Maple Leafs on a late overtime goal by Slava Kozlov. The Thrashers took the game 3-2 and extended their lead over Southeast Division rival Tampa Bay. The Leafs find themselves 1 point outside of the playoffs with 85. The Vancouver Canucks. I can't believe how good this team has become. The Canucks defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-2. Goaltender Roberto Luongo is now two wins shy of tying Bernie Parent's record of 47 in a season. The Kings debuted their rookie defenseman Jack Johnson last night. Johnson had one shot on net and finished a -1 rating for the night, he also was he recipient of a Jan Bulis check that upended the young defenceman. Ummm, the Pittsburgh Penguins are the Atlantic Division leaders. Yeah. After defeating the Boston Bruins 4-2 last night, the Penguins moved in to sole possession of the Atlantic and second overall in the Eastern Conference. I would love to say I predicted this, but wow! These kids are on fire. Sidney Crosby had three assists on the night and now has 116 points for the season.
 Game of the Night:
Montreal at Ottawa 7:30 PM
NY Islanders at Buffalo 8:00 PM
A good ole fashion Canadian style matchup. I hope that Center Ice broadcasts the game in French too, by the second period I usually understand what they are saying, and by the third (after 14 or so Labatts) I'm speaking the language fluently. The Habs look to continue their 5 game winning streak!The Islanders have a tough match against the Sabres as Ted Nolan returns to his old digs again. The Islanders may have DiPietro in the lineup tonight. Apparently the boys from the New York Hockey Report (a pretty cool local broadcast that airs prior to the Face Off Hockey Show) said that TSN over exaggerated the status of DiPietro's injuries (regarding his post concussion syndrome) and he may be between the pipes this evening. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
This was just sent my way, and I knew that my fellow beardians would find much interest in it.
Hockey: A People's History. Here, Michael McKinley explores hockey’s decisive developments, including the birth and impact of long-lost leagues, the rise and fall and rise again of women’s hockey, the internationalization of the game in the 1970s and 1980s, and the rewriting of the rules of the game in 2005.
But Hockey: A People’s History offers far more than accounts of events; at its heart it is the story of the men and woman who helped make the game what it is today, people such as John Starr, who invented the Spring Skate in 1865; bootlegger Bill Dwyer, who moved the Hamilton, Ontario, franchise to New York City in 1925 following a strike by the players; the Toronto Maple Leafs’ previously unheard of third consecutive Stanley Cup in 1949; the skills of the European players who reinvigorated the game in the 1980s, and the many legendary players, from one-eyed Frank McGee to Maurice “the Rocket” Richard to Wayne Gretzky.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 It's painfully obvious what happened here. The Carolina Hurricanes were looking past their opponents the Philadelphia Flyers last night, figuring on an easy two points. That was perhaps a large error.
Instead of moving into a tie for 8th with the Canadiens and the Lightning, the Hurricanes ran into a wall. Newly acquired, and recently signed Flyers goaltender Martin Biron stopped 23 of the 24 shots the Hurricanes threw at him, and led his team to a 5-1 win. Flyers defenceman Derian Hatcher is on a tear, potting his second goal this month and the game winner last night! Fantasy Owners, take a look at the big guy if you are looking to bolster your playoff rosters!
The Hurricanes have now lost two straight and are dangerously close to becoming part of the unfortunate club of Stanley Cup Championship teams that fail to make the playoffs in the following season. Carolina is tied for 9th place with the Leafs and the Islanders.
Quick Shave:
The one thing that really sucks about Fantasy Hockey is getting excited over a win by your team and then realizing that your goaltender, who should have been playing didn't start and had nothing to do with the victory. That happened to me twice last night. The Florida Panthers captured a shootout win over the Atlanta Thrashers last night on the heels of a 33 save performance by backup netminder Craig Anderson. The Anaheim Ducks stormed the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1, and recieved some solid goaltending from backup Ilya Bryzgalov who made 20 saves. Unfortunately I started J.S. Giguere in place of Bryzy so no love for Bosh. What is really sad is that I did start Cam Ward last night, whom the Carolina Hurricanes thought they should rest in favor of Grahame..... good idea there Laviolette. So much for the Bosher.
I'd also like to welcome our newcomers Teri and Amy to the fold. Good to have you on beard! I mean on board.
Game of the Night:
Toronto at Atlanta 7:00 PM
Calgary at Minnesota 8:00 PM
Detroit at Nashville 8:00 PM
Detroit and Nashville! How sweet is that game going to be? The Hockey Gods are pleased with us! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Tonight's Show:
March 28th Show
While the West is almost won, the East is wide open in the playoff race; we'll update you on all the scenarios. Lyle Richardson from Spector's Hockey will join us to talk about the signing of Jack Johnson, the future of J-S Giguere, and who's the odd-man out in Philly. Geoff Habicht from 180s will join us to talk about their new line of clothing and how it could help the hockey player in your family. We'll get into the WHL and FOHSHL playoffs along with all the fun stuff you have come to expect from us.
TONIGHT AT 9PM EST!!
Click here to listen.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 It's happened folks. The Pittsburgh Penguins have clinched a playoff spot, following their 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals last night. A feat that no one so possible, except for yours truly.
Let's take a look back at what Bosh said in October....
"My playoff team prediction surprise is the Pittsburgh Penguins. Yes I'm being laughed at by everyone right now, but I think these kids will have what it takes to capture a playoff berth."
Time to line up and kiss the beard my friends.
Sidney Crosby now has 113 points and leads the NHL in scoring. Crosby is also leading the Pittsburgh Penguins back to the post season for the first time since 2001. I would like to introduce all of you to the face pelt that young Sid will be sporting in the playoffs (more likely in 5 years), a gorgeous avalanche of chin fur knowns as the Cros-beard! A playoff beard of epic proportions (and I said, probably unattainable until the lad actually begins shaving)!
Can the Pittsburgh Penguins sustain this drive and possibly take the Atlantic Divsion title? Will the Penguins be able to deal with the grind and pressure of the playoffs? Will anyone on this team aside from Gary Roberts be able to grow a playoff beard? These questions and more will be answered in little less than 2 weeks!
 Quick Shave:
The regular season is really winding down, as more and more teams clinch playoff spots, less opportunities become available for those at the bottom fighting to get in. Last night the New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, and San Jose Sharks all joined the Penguins in clinching playoff berths. Things got much tighter in the Eastern Conference as the Montreal Canadiens won their fifth straight by defeating the New York Rangers 6-4. The Habs moved into 8th place with 86 points. The Toronto Maple Leafs kept pace by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 6-1 and are now locked in a three way tie for 9th with the Canes and Islanders. The Vancouver Canucks win over the Colorado Avalanche was a costly one for the Avs. They fell 7 points behind the Calgary Flames for the final playoff spot in the West as the Flames stretched their lead with a 1-0 win over the Minnesota Wild. Unless the Flames totally collapse, the Wester Conference has it's players, now it is just a matter of positioning. Vancouver, Dallas, San Jose, and Minnesota are all separated by a single point. The Wild could conceivably go from 7th to 3rd. In the West, it is still anyone's game, and likely the playoff picture for the 6th, 7th, and 8th spots won't be made clear until the final game of the season. The Montreal Canadiens may have themselves a goaltending controversy by week's end. Cristobal Huet is looking to return by the weekend from a hamstring injury that had him sidelined since February, but the Habs are riding their hot rookie netminder Jaroslav Halak who has been a huge part of their turnaround. Will Huet be the odd man out? How many NHL ready goaltenders can the Canadiens actually produce?
 Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo, and New Jersey Devils keeper Martin Brodeur are both within striking distance of Bernie Parent's win record of 47. Parent backstopped the Philadelphia Flyers to 47 wins in 1973-74. That is sweet. Luongo has really come through huge for the Canucks this year, and New Jersey should rename the franchise to the New Jersey Broduers.
Game of the Night:
New Jersey at Buffalo 7:00 PM
OH YEAH!
 We could be looking at an Eastern Conference Finals preview tonight.... unless you look at my original predictions where I said it would be the Rangers vs. the Hurricanes.... blew it on that one. The Devils and Sabres are the top two teams in the East (alongside Ottawa and Pittsburgh) and should make a ton of noise in the post season, as well as making a ton tonight. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The Islanders playoff drive will have to continue on without their backbone in net Rick DiPietro who is out indefinitely.
DiPietro is suffering from post-concussion syndrome resulting from an injury he sustained two weeks ago when he collided with Habs forward Steve Begin. The Islanders goaltender failed a neuro-psychological exam and will remain out of the lineup until he can pass it.
For the Islanders this sucks. Once again the fading playoff hopes of a club rest squarely on the shoulders of goaltender Mike Dunham. I don't mean to give this guy a hard time, but when it comes to breaking out in big games, Dunham has done nothing but break down and collapse. His poor performance in net last season cost the Atlanta Thrashers their first ever franchise playoff bid. I hope I'm wrong, and the guy responds. He's got the opportunity to carry the Islanders to the playoffs, and it begins tonight against the Devils. A. B. C. A, Always. B, Be. C, Closing. Always be closing Mike.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The Detroit Red Wings ripped off a 1-0 win in a tight contest against the Anaheim Ducks last night. Forward Pavel Datsyuk, had the only score on the night, and Red Wings goaltender Dominik Hasek made 25 saves for his 7th shut out of the season, and the 75th of his career.
The win launched the Red Wings into a three way tie with 103 points atop the NHL with the Nashville Predators, and the Buffalo Sabres. Pretty huge victory for the Red Wings who have been chasing the Predators for some time now, and have now reeled them in.
Interesting note. The Red Wings have once again clinched a playoff spot, for what is now the 16th straight season. The longest such playoff streak in North American professional sports. The New York Yankees have the second longest streak at 12. The Red Wings are about winning plain and simple.
Quick Shave:
Looks like Jack Johnson will be going to the big league this season afterall. Reports are that Michigan defenceman has agreed to a contract with the Los Angeles Kings and may join the team for Thursday night's game against the Vancouver Canucks. I know this is a bummer for you Michigan fans (Paul, Jeff....hug accordingly) but this should be a nice boost for the Kings just to get a glimpse of the future of their blue line. The Philadelphia Flyers are looking to lock up their newly acquired goaltender Martin Biron. Reports are that Biron will sign for 2 years for $6.8 million. Good move by the Flyers, who would have lost Biron to the free agent market had they not signed him, and he's helped the Flyers game since his arrival. The New Jersey Devils should welcome back captain Patrik Elias as they face the New York Islanders tonight. The Devils are tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the Atlantic Division lead. Gary Bettman made a statement about fighting yesterday, since it's been a hot topic in the NHL over the past week (really? I hadn't heard much about that?). Bettman stated that "Fighting is part of the game, so suck it up", then the commissioner moved to the press area and kicked the crap out of a dozen reporters. Go GB! Click here to view the melee and the report.
Game of the Night:
NY Rangers at Montreal 7:30 PM
New Jersey at NY Islanders 7:30 PM
Carolina at Toronto 7:30 PM
Calgary at Minnesota 8:00 PM
Yo Battle! The playoffs are here and now. All of these games should provide spectacular action and excitement! How much would you pay for all of these games? WAIT! Don't answer yet because there's more!
Vancouver at Colorado 9:00 PM
NOW HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY! Ok I'm losing it. You really can't go wrong as far as hockey tonight. Most of the games have playoff consequences. Enjoy!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The struggle for post season berths in the East has been raging for more than a month now, and while the teams outside the bubble began to make their push, several within began to fall off.
The Tampa Bay Lightning (congratulations to Vinny Lecavalier for being the first Lightning player to hit the 100 point mark..... and if luck will have it perhaps the 50 goal mark as well?) and Atlanta Thrashers have dropped off so dramatically that now it looks as though the team that leads the Southeast division will have the third seed, and the other might be out of the playoffs. The Atlanta Thrashers have a 2 point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning and sit 3rd overall in the East. The Lightning's 86 points are now only good enough for 7th. The Rangers hold 6th with 87, and the Hurricanes with 84 (also tied with the Islanders and the Canadiens with 84). The Toronto Maple Leafs are just outside with 82 in 11th place.
So what does that mean? Six teams fighting for three spots. Really we could say seven teams fighting for 4 spots since the Atlanta Thrashers are just barely holding onto third, but that's for Tampa Bay to decide. Most teams have between 6 and 7 games remaining, and it looks like the positions may be decided on the final day of the season. Nice!
I'd like to give a big congratulations to the P-boys (Marc and Jonny) of the Face Off Hockey Show. Both have made it to the finals of the first annual Playoff Beard Fantasy Hockey Tournament, and will be playing for the championship over the next week and change. I'd expect both to have full beards by the weekend. Congratulations and good luck boys!
Game of the Night:
Anaheim at Detroit 7:00 PM
The NHL takes a break tonight, because after this evening the rest of the week is packed with excitment. It's a full schedule. Tonight, the Detroit Red Wings and Anaheim Ducks battle for the President's Trophy and they both trail Buffalo and Nashville by 2 and 3 points. This should be a great preview for two teams that are likely to meet in the late rounds of the playoffs..... unless they both choke because I've just cursed them. We'll see. Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Shouldn't it be the Toronto Maple Leaves? Ponder that one.
The Buffalo Sabres will be a tough team to beat this post season for many reasons. The biggest of those is their refusal to quit, regardless of how out of game they may appear. The Toronto Maple Leafs found that out the hard way last night.
The Toronto Maple Leafs took a 4-1 lead early in the third on a pair of scores by Boyd Devereaux, and more than less had the game in control. Then the Sabres turned it on, and mounted their comeback, the ninth time they've done so this season when trailing by more than two goals. Buffalo forwards, Thomas Vanek, Daniel Briere, Jason Pomminville rallied to tie that game and Drew Stafford potted the game winning tally with less than 6 minutes to play. Even though he had a rough night between the pipes, Ryan Miller was shelled throughout the game and had to make 40 saves, including a late try by Leafs captain Mats Sundin.
A little over 9 minutes was all it took for the Sabres to not only take the win, and the NHL league lead in points, but their miraculous comeback did seriuos damage to the Maple Leafs pursuit of a playoff berth. The best part about this game? It was the first part of a home and home. The Leafs will have another opportunity to try and complete a win tonight, as they and the Sabres travel north to Toronto. Can you say game of the night?
Quick Shave:
The Anaheim Ducks clinched a playoff spot last night with their 3-2 OT win over the Dallas Stars. Ducks defenceman Scott Niedermayer scored midway through the extra frame to seal the game for his team, and their invitation to the big dance. Ducks forward Chris Kunitz also had a pair of power play goals in the game. The Edmonton Oilers finally snapped their losing streak which had reached 12 games. Unfortunately the 4-3 shootout victory came against the Colorado Avalanche who are in desperate need of every point as they chase the Calgary Flames for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Everyone is apparently up in arms about fighting in the NHL, following the Colton Orr and Todd Fedoruk scrum that saw Fedoruk kissing the ice afterwards. The saddest thing about this, is that this is the only time the general media will discuss hockey. Fighting's bad, it's disgusting, it's bad for the kids to see, I'm appalled. I remember a time when this country had a pair (and that was a long time ago, now the United States has become a whipped, cowering, overly politically correct facsimile of itself).... now I'm disgusted and appalled with all of you.
I love this game, and everything it offers, and that includes the fighting. What these idiots don't get is that this fight between Orr and Fedoruk was predetermined more than a month ago, when Fedoruk and Hatcher took liberties with the Rangers skill players during their last meeting. A meeting in which Orr was a healthy scratch. The fighting isn't there as a means of brutally beating an opponent (which does happen on occasion as a result), but rather to police the sport from within. Physical play is legal and encouraged, but if you are going to check Jaromir Jagr, a player must understand that it will come with a heavy price. Most of the time following these fights, the combatants actually give each other a congratulatory nod or pat on the back. It's subtle but it's there. They know their role, and I don't believe their intent is to injure. I never want to see anyone hurt, and injuries for the most apart (aside from some bruised knuckles or a bloodied lip) never occur during a scrap.
If fighting was removed from the game, I think the NHL would have to go to a non-checking format. I'm not even kidding. Without fighting, players would be able to take runs at the league's stars and continue to do so with no repercussions. The result? Players like Crosby, and Ovechkin would see their careers become shortened to due to injury. I don't think that is what the NHL is looking for. That being said, why do you think the Washington Capitals signed Donald Brashear last off season, and the Penguins recently picked up Georges Laraque at the trade deadline? Sure, Laraque can play a mean saxaphone, and Brashear is a wizard in the kitchen (try the parfait) but both players bring an aura of protection to the stars of their respective teams. What player won't think twice about checking Crosby knowing that doing so will most certainly mean having to throw down with Laraque, and if you hit Ovechkin? Brashear is going to be hitting you. Alot. In the face.
My friend Jeff was once challenged with the fighting question in hockey and asked why he deemed it necessary. His answer nailed the point and shutdown the argument like Turco on a shootout breakaway.
Hockey is the only sport whose players carry a weapon.
I like that.
Game of the Night:
Buffalo at Toronto 7:00 PM
I expect to see a Toronto Maple Leafs team come out with a vengeance against the Sabres tonight at home (read above). If they don't, they may as well close up shop for the season. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Why am I quoting a Steely Dan tune? No idea, but it was in my head, so hopefully you will be humming it to yourself all day now. Share my torture.
Without Rick DiPietro the New York Islanders collapsed. Backup goaltender Mike Dunham took the helm in his absence (which I pointed out he doesnt fare well at this time of year.... he helped the Atlanta Thrashers pack their bags for the golf courses following a disastrous appearance against the Washington Capitals in the final game of the season).... the Islanders would have been served better by leaving the net empty and playing with the 6th skater.
Goaltender Rick DiPietro returned to form last night against the Pittsburgh Penguins, stopping 35 of the 36 shots he faced, and leading his team to a 3-1 victory. With the win the Islanders moved back towards the playoff bubble, with 81 points. Good enough for 10th place, and just 1 point out behind the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Montreal Canadiens.
The Islanders have some games in hand on the teams in front of them, and also have a pivotal matchup against the New York Rangers on Sunday afternoon. A massive two points will be on the board.
 Quick Shave:
The Carolina Hurricanes faced only 10 shots last night from the Washington Capitals, and they almost lost! Probably because John Grahame was in net (tell me the Hurricanes and Islanders aren't going to go hunting for new backups this off season). Grahame let 3 goals in on 6 shots! He was pulled and goaltender Cam Ward returned for the first time since having his knee lacerated in the third period. Ward made four saves, and Eric Staal and Andrew Ladd scored early in the third to take the win 4-3. The Hurricanes remain in 8th place overall in the Eastern Conference. The Montreal Canadiens are really scrapping to remain in the playoff hunt as well. They exploded in the second half of the game to take down the Boston Bruins 6-3 last night. The Habs sit in 9th place in the East. The Minnesota Wild who won their 8th straight last night, 5-2 over the St. Louis Blues are 1 point behind the Northwest Division leading Vancouver Canucks, and the third seed in the West. In fact, if the Anaheim Ducks keeps playing as poorly as they have lately (they fell to the Phoenix Coyotes last night 2-1), then Vancouver and the Wild have a legitimate shot at the 2nd seed, which they are just two points shy of now. The San Jose Sharks hammered the Atlanta Thrashers 5-1 last night on the heels of a dominant performance from their top line. Jonathan Cheechoo joined the NHL Hat Trick club, Milan Michalek had a goal and two helpers, and Joey T. assisted on three... in fact everyone on the Sharks scored last night. The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-1 last night and moved with 2 points of the Thrashers for the Southeast Division lead. Martin St. Louis potted two, and past the 40 goal mark.
Game of the Night:
Toronto at Buffalo 8:00 PM
Dallas at Anaheim 10:00 PM
Do or die time for the Leafs tonight, and they face no easy opponent in the Buffalo Sabres. The Ducks have been one of those teams at the top that seem to have been mailing it in for the last few weeks, and certainly need to up their game before the post season, or its gonna be first round and out for a lot of these guys. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 It's sad to see a team collapse as the Edmonton Oilers have this season. Since the Ryan Smyth trade, the Oilers have gone winless in their last 11 games. Their loss last night to the Avalanche officially eliminated them from the playoffs.
The Colorado Avalanche who took advantage of the less than inspirational play of their opponents and pounded the Oilers 5-1. Captain Joe Sakic scored the game winner early in the game and Ian Laperriere added a pair in the win. The Avs have been on a tear, have now won 9 out of their last 10 games. They are also rapidly closing the gap on the Calgary Flames who only hold a 4 point advantage on the Avalanche. How important is this game:
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Colorado at Calgary 9:00 PM
I will be watching that one!
 Quick Shave:
Brendan Shanahan returned to the lineup last night for New York Rangers and assisted on two of his teams goals as they routed the Philadelphia Flyers 5-0 last night. Colton Orr knocked out Flyers forward Todd Fedoruk during an early scrum. Fedoruk had to be taken to the hospital after the fight, but is apparently doing well. The Rangers sit in 7th place with 83 points and are now 1 point behind the 6th place Tampa Bay Lightning. The Vancouver Canucks shut down the best team in the league last night in the Nashville Predators. Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo made 20 saves for the 2-0 shutout. With that loss, the Buffalo Sabres took over the lead for the President's Trophy with their 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals.
Game of the Night:
Columbus at Detroit 7:30 PM
Not the most exciting matchup, but we may get a glimpse of Todd Bertuzzi in Red and White tonight.... so all eyes should be on this one..... however there are also several playoff sensitive matches going on, so give some love to these games:
Montreal at Boston 7:00 PM
New Jersey at Tampa Bay 7:30 PM
Pittsburgh at NY Islanders 7:30 PM
Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Eastern Conference is tearing a page from the Western Conference regular season finish last year, as 5 teams battle for the final 2 playoff spots.
 The New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders are all separated by one point in the Standings. Huge wins last night for the Leafs and the Habs have them tied for 8th in the Eastern Conference with the Carolina Hurricanes. In fact all five of these teams have been battling so hard for their playoff lives, that they now have the Tampa Bay Lightning in sight, who site 6th in the East with 84 points.
The Toronto Maple Leafs moved into 8th place after an emotional yet close match against the New Jersey Devils. The last time the teams met, Tomas Kaberle was lost for an indefinite period after an apparent late hit by Devils tough guy Cam Janssen. The Leafs Wade Belak and Devils Cam Janssen had themselves an old fashioned donnybrook.... they are actually still fighting now. After quenching their thirst for revenge the Leafs got down to business and collected their two points for the win, by defeating the Devils 2-1. Goaltender Andrew Raycroft bested Martin Brodeur by one save, as they both faced 25 shots, and Leafs Captain Mats Sundin added two assists on the night for his 900th point in the blue and white. Congrats Mats..... that rhymes! I'm good. Sundin has been a point streak of late, so if you in the fantasy playoffs, make certain you are starting him.
 The Habs followed suit, and collected a much needed two points over the Boston Bruins (who are also fighting for a playoff spot, but are rapidly losing ground) with a 1-0 victory. Montreal Canadiens rookie goaltender Jaroslav Halak made 30 saves for his first NHL shutout, and rookie forward Guillaum Latendresse scored the lone goal and game winner late in the second to complete the win. One of the scary things about the Canadiens this season has been their lack of offense. Do you realize their leading goal scorer is defenceman Sheldon Souray with 24 goals? Scarier still, is that he is so focused on his goal scoring for his team that his defensive responsibilities have been neglected, and has collected a -23 rating for the year. I love defenseman that score (that sounds questionable) but not at the cost of defense. I digress... in any case the Habs are keeping pace with the East's playoff hungry and are now tied for 8th.
The Calgary Flames had a fire lit under them last night. It's called the Colorado Avalanche. With their lead in the standings diminishing, the Flames took it to the Detroit Red Wings last night (who are tied for the second best record in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres, and just a point shy of the Nashville Predators who own the one spot with 100 points) for the 2-1 win. Goaltender Dominik Hasek attempted to draw a penalty with some theatrics but failed, and it cost him and the Wings a goal. What's funny is his explanation:
'Somebody bumped me in the head, I don't know it if was my teammate or their player, and I fell down on my back,'' the 42-year-old goaltender said. ''I was a little bit confused, I didn't know what was going on and before I got up, they scored that goal.'' (from TSN.ca)
and Red Wings Coach Mike Babcocks retort:
'It wasn't interference at all. Our goalie tried to draw the penalty and he dove and they shot it in the net,'' Babcock said bluntly. ''The bottom line is embellishment is something that happens in our games, probably too much, and when you try and draw a penalty and they shoot it in our net, it's a tough one.'' (from TSN.ca)
Ummm, Dominik me thinks you are lying sir. Anyway, he cost his team a win that could have propelled them into first for the Presidents Trophy Race. Flames keeper Miikka Kiprusoff made 30 saves to complet the 2-1 win and cushioned their lead on the Avs to 6 points. Good news (maybe) for the Red Wings as forward Todd Bertuzzi (please excuse my Bertuzzi as he is still wearing his Florida lid) may make an appearance for his new team on Thursday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. A little fine tuning prior to the playoffs perhaps?
Game of the Night:
Nashville at Vancouver 10:00 PM
The big boys in the West throw down tonight, as the Central Division and league leading Predators try to stay ahead of the Wings by defeating the Northwest Division leading Canucks who are also trying to stave off the Minnesota Wild (who have won 7 straight games by the way.... which is sweet, because I picked up Wild goaltender Nicklas Backstrom and he has been HUUUGE for me.... and he's helped the Wild a bit too). Enjoy the games brothers and sisters of the face pelt!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The best way to avoid the dreaded two goal lead? Don't lead by two goals.
The Rangers and Penguins played a tight game yesterday... and Pittsburgh goalie Jocelyn Thibault was big in net for his team again. Thibault stopped 39 of 40 shots last night keeping the game tied 1-1. The 42nd shot by Jaromir Jagr with less than a minute to play in the game proved to be the back breaker. The shot was actually a feed to Nylander but deflected of a Pens defenceman's stick and went past Thibault. A goal however, is a goal, and the Rangers took the much needed two points in the 2-1 win.
The Rangers are now sitting in 7th place in the Eastern Conference with 81 points, and sit just one point behind 6th place Tampa Bay, and one ahead of 8th place Carolina. The pressure has now shifted to the Islanders, Leafs and Habs who all sit tied in 9th with 78 points.
Game of the Night:
Boston at Montreal 7:00 PM
NY Islanders at Tampa Bay 7:30 PM
New Jersey at Toronto 7:30 PM
Detroit at Calgary 9:00 PM
Lot's of pressure on the bubble boys tonight. Everyone is in control of their own destiny at the moment, so win and you're in. The beard may be 20 days away, but the playoffs are already on! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Playoff Beard continues it's growth!
My buddy Chris and our friends over at The NHL Arena are putting on a great contest in celebration of the Playoff Beard! They are encouraging everyone to join in the fray by ditching their razors and letting the facial hair reign supreme. To find out more about the contest and check out the site click here!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The trade for Keith Tkachuk was widely panned by everyone (including myself), but I have to give GM Don Waddell some credit. Yes, he gave up a lot to get the big forward, but he's getting a lot back in return.
Keith Tkachuk scored with less than a minute remaining in the overtime period to lift the Atlanta Thrashers over the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. The win was Atlanta's seventh in a row on home ice, and extended their Southeast Division lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning by 6 points.
The game winner was Tkachuk's 6th goal as a member of the Atlanta Thrashers and his presence (which is huge in front of the net, especially on the power play) seems to have righted this team in playoff bound direction.
Quick Shave:
Let's talk about the Colorado Avalanche for moment. The Avs fought back from a two goal defecit to steal a win from the San Jose Sharks 4-3 last night. That in itself is pretty sweet. Joe Sakic also assisted on all four Avalanche scores, again really cool. What is borderline outstanding, is that the Avs have won 8 of their last 9 games (and beaten some formidable opponents along that stretch) and are now just 4 points out of a playoff spot, held by the Calgary Flames. The Avs and Flames face off twice more before the end of the season.... how great are those games going to be? If the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators meet in the first round of the playoffs it will likely be one of the best series available. The Penguins bested the Sens again with a 4-3 win in the shootout and are now just 2 points behind the New Jersey Devils for the Atlantic Division lead. The only flaw I really see in the Penguins is this. They are winning a lot of their games lately by shootout. Unfortunately that contest is not available in the post season. If the Penguins do anything over this final stretch, it should be working on closing out their games early during regulation or the overtime period. The ability is certainly there, time to execute. Alexander Semin scored a hat trick yesterday afternoon to help the Washington Capitals defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-1. Defeat really isn't a strong enough word. Semin and the Caps knocked the Bolts around.... Semin nearly knocked me out of my Fantasy Hockey playoffs with his production. The Lightning have no goaltending... and I think they realize that, especially after yesterday. They are going to have to count on their big line of Lecavalier, St. Louis, and Richards an awful lot in the playoffs..... and if their opponent can shut down that trio..... life may be easy.
Game of the Night:
Pittsburgh at NY Rangers 7:00 PM
Yeah it's on. Pens are fighting for the Atlantic Division lead, and the Rangers are fighting for their playoff lives. This game should be intense. Crosby at the Garden also means showtime. The kid performs well on the big stage, so look for an exhibition. Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
What happened yesterday? Defense was thrown out the window and goaltending..... well there wasn't much of that to be found on the ice either.
Let's start off with the biggest shocker. Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils may have delivered the worst game of his life yesterday afternoon. The Carolina Hurricanes pounded the future Hall of Famer for 4 goals on 12 shots, and he was immediately pulled in favor of backup goaltender Scott Clemmensen, who allowed 3 more. The Hurricanes defeated the Devils 7-2 and moved into sole possession of the 7th seed in the East. The good news for New Jersey is that when Brodeur falters like this, he rebounds rapidly and for lengthy periods of time. Expect several shutouts next week.
 Tell me the New York Islanders aren't missing Rick DiPietro. Since he's been out with a neck injury the Islanders have allowed 18 goals in three games. Backup goaltender Mike Dunham gave up 6 goals on 33 shots last night to the Florida Panthers. Panthers keeper Ed Belfour didn't fare much better but fortunately for him, he only allowed 5. The Panthers won the game 8-5, as captain Olli Jokinen scored a pair in the third to break the game open and help his team into 12th place with 73 points, just 6 points out of the playoffs. The Islanders, unable to keep pace are now tied for 9th, with Toronto and Montreal with 78 points.
 At Madison Square Garden, the Bruins had a rough evening last night as well. They started off the game looking good, peppering New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist with 13 shots in the first.... till the wheels came flying off in the second. Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas was yanked after giving up three consecutive goals and was replaced by Joey MacDonald..... who let in four more, and was replaced by Thomas..... everyone got that? The Ranger defeated the Bruins 7-0 and took control of the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference. Henrik Lundqvist made 30 saves on the evening for his 6th career shutout.
In Phoenix (thats pronounced PUH - HO - Nixx), Curtis Joseph was lit up for 6 goals as the Colorado Avalanche had their way with him and the Coyotes. Captain Joe Sakic scored two goals, as did rookie Paul Stastny, who is really starting to give Pittsburgh Penguins rookie Evgeni Malkin a run for the Calder Trophy. The Avalanche won the game 6-3 and continued their recent playoff push. They are now 6 points out of the playoffs behind the Calgary Flames.
Dominik Hasek and the Detroit Red Wings had an off evening as well. Usually the Red Wings don't allow more than 20 shots, and in some case less than 15. The rest Hasek takes care of. The Vancouver Canucks launched 38 at the Red Wings keeper, and put three past him (wasnt' there a game earlier in the season where they were only able to put 11 shots in total on net the entire game?). The Canucks won the game 4-1 on a 33 save performance by Roberto Luongo and kept their control of the Northwest Division over Minnesota by 1 point. Detroits loss combined with Nashville's win dropped them back into 4th place in the West but still with the second best record in the League.
Game of the Night:
Ottawa at Pittsburgh 7:30 PM
The last time these two teams faced off it was awesome! Ottawa had the game in hand, so I turned it off. Pittsburgh of course waited till they knew I wasn't watching and came back to win the game in the shootout. I'd expect a similiar offensive treat. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Philadelphia Flyers have dominated the Atlanta Thrashers this season, and after last night's 3-2 win, have successfully completed a sweep of the games. No this is not 1999.
Amazing. Actually, this week's game not so much. Earlier in the season I don't know what happened to Atlanta, but now, it's all about the Flyers. Since the trade deadline, much like the St. Louis Blues they are playing much better. Newly acquired goaltender Martin Biron has really settled into the number one spot and has 4 wins in his first 7 starts. He also stopped 37 shots last night. The Flyers should do everything than can to secure this guy for a few years. Defenceman Derian Hatcher also scored last night for the Flyers. Perhaps more shocking that Jocelyn Thibault recording a shutout for the Pens, for the first time in over a year, Hatcher put the lotion in the basket. Well done sir!
The Flyers will have around $24 million of free cap space to work with (I learned that from Lyle of Spector's Hockey, and the Face Off Hockey Show boys) and should be able to attract some unrestricted free agents their way.
Game of the Night:
Toronto at Washington 7:00 PM
NY Rangers at Atlanta 7:30 PM
Montreal at Pittsburgh 7:30 PM
Playoff implications on the line for all. Toronto, New York, and Montreal are all battling for that last playoff spot, so all will be looking to take home wins tonight. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Home and home. Win and win for the Detroit Red Wings over the Nashville Predators. For the second straight game the Wings defeated the Predators last night 4-2 and captured another 2 points from their division and conference rivals. With those 4 points secured in the last two games, the Detroit Red Wings took sole possesion over the Central Division lead, control of the Western Conference, and now boast the best record (by way of points) in the league.
Red Wings forward Jiri Hudler (sorry boys, I don't have a portrait of the lad thus far) had a big night for his team potting two goals, including the game winner, while Nicklas Lidstrom and Kirk Maltby bookended his goals to complete the win. Dominik Hasek was in net once again, making 27 saves on the night. Detroit has owned the Predators this season defeating them 5 times now in regulation and will play them once more at the end of March.
Quick Shave:
The Pittsburgh Penguins are proving they can play with the best, and I don't think they will be the cake-walk in the post season that many predict they will be. After defeating the Sabres last night, the Pens shutout and shutdown the New Jersey Devils to the tune of a 3-0 win. Backup goalie Jocelyn Thibault made 25 saves for the shutout win. The Penguins are now just 4 points shy of the Devils and are challenging their lead for the Atlantic Division, and 6 points behind the Buffalo Sabres for the Eastern Conference lead. Who saw that? Bosh did.
Game of the Night:
NY Islanders at Ottawa 7:30 PM
This is a pretty big game, and a lot of eyes will be on Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro who will be a game time decision for his club. The Islanders are teetering precariously close to the edge of not making the post season, and they will need him in net to stop the Ottawa Senators whose Heatley / Spezza line, which has been lethal. They both are carrying some ridiculous point scoring streaks right now..... will they continue. If Dunham is in net, absolutely. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Tonight's Show:
March 14th Show
A little bit of old and...well....more old this week. Lyle Richardson from Spector's Hockey will talk about the woes in Washington, fallout in Phoenix, and maybe we'll get to some trades we forgot. John Buccigross from ESPN will join us to talk about the Penguins situation, the Chris Simon Incident, and what more you can do with a wrench. We'll talk about the changes to the Draft and Olympics, as well as get into much more unscripted stuff. All that, plus the usual suspects on this week's FOHS.
TONIGHT AT 9PM EST!!
Click here to listen.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Another milestone for the 2006-2007 season! This is amazing. I'm really asking, has there ever been a year like this before? Here's the tally of achievements so far (and I may forget a few, because there have been so many):
Brendan Shanahan - 600th goal
Jaromir Jagr - 600th goal and 1500th point
Joe Sakic - 600th goal
Mats Sundin - 500th goal
Peter Bondra - 500th goal
Teemu Selanne -500th goal
Bobby Holik - 300th goal
Patrick Marleau - 200th goal
Ian LaPerrier - 100th goal
Sidney Crosby - 200th point
Last night, Mike Modano joined this exclusive (yet really it's not that exclusive this season) group of players that have set career milestones this season by scoring the game winner for the Dallas Stars. The goal lifted his club over the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2, and more importantly was Modano's 500th goal of his career. Modano became the 2nd United States born player to accomplish the feat, and sits just two behind Joey Mullen for the career lead by American players. Congratulations Mike!
Quick Shave:
Was it me or was last night's schedule like the first round of the playoffs? Some big wins for some, and huge losses for others. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the upstart Florida Panthers 3-1 last night, and regained control of the 8th playoff spot. The New York Rangers blew another two goal lead (AGAIN!) to the Ottawa Senators and lost 3-2 to surrender that spot and drop to 10th place. The Toronto Maple Leafs moved into 9th with their 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Montreal Canadiens fought back to defeat the New York Islanders 5-3 and are now tied with the Rangers for 10th. Goaltender Rick DiPietro was injured last night during a collission with Steve Begin, which is a huge concern for the 7th place Islanders right now. That means their hopes will rest on Mike Dunham, and we all saw how he carried the Atlanta Thrashers into the post-season last year..... yeah not so much. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Nashville Predators 5-2 and are now a point shy of the NHL lead, currently held by the Predators. The Pittsburgh Penguins took down another foe in the shootout, last night it was the Eastern Conference leading Buffalo Sabres 5-4. The Minnesota Wild fought back to defeat the Vancouver Canucks in the final minutes of the third last night 3-2 to pull within a point of the Northwest Division leader.
Game of the Night:
Nashville at Detroit 7:30 PM
Pittsburgh at New Jersey 7:30 PM
Home and home! Nashville and Detroit part 2, as well as a sweet Devils / Penguins matchup! Nice! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 I tell you, I am getting a ton of mileage out of this Sidney Crosby portrait. I think he's becoming the poster boy for Playoff Beard .com as well as the Pittsburgh Penguins and the NHL. Ok.... on to the good news.
Today, prior to their game against the Buffalo Sabres (which should be suhhhweeeet), the Pittsburgh Penguins will announce a deal on their new arena which will keep the Penguins in the Steel City for the next 30 years. According to reports on TSN.ca, the Penguins have reached an agreement with the city for the financing of a new $290 million dollar facility. The financial particulars of the deal can be found here.
Awesome news. It really would have been a devestating blow to Pittsburgh fans to see their young team leave and possibly pull a Quebec Nordiques / Colorado Avalanche and win a Stanley Cup just a year removed from their departure (although it may take them more than a year, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did) from their origin. Now everyone can breathe a sigh of relief.... especially goaltender Marc-Andre Fluery whose house is still being finished (I saw the fully stocked wet bar he was installing in his basement on Hockey Night in Canada last weekend .... YO Marc, when's the first party bro?) and can make his first mortgage payment rather than pack his bags.
 Quick Shave:
Did my Game of the Night pick deliver or what? The St. Louis Blues battled the Calgary Flames to a shootout last night where they were eventually felled on scores by Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla and lost 5-4. The Flames win has helped to create a larger bottleneck in the West as they now sit in 8th with 84 points behind the Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks, and the Minnesota Wild all tied with 85 points. They are also just three points shy of the Vancouver Canucks and their Northwest Division lead. The Los Angeles Kings layed a whooping on the Edmonton Oilers last night 5-1, sending them to their 8th straight loss. Everyone on the Kings scored last night. Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin responded to some recent criticism yesterday by scoring both goals for his club. Unfortunately the Atlanta Thrashers scored four to defeat them 4-2. Bobby Holik scored an Ovechkin style on the stomach goal in the game as well. Check out the highlights, it worth the view. New acquisition Keith Tkachuk scored again, and helped the Thrashers regain control of the Southeast Division and third place overall in the Eastern Conference.
NHL Center Ice Online
This juicy tidbit landed in my email box late last night (or early this morning, depending on your perspective), and I had to share it. For the less fortunate, whose cable service does not offer the NHL Center Ice package will affords the rest of the opportunity to enjoy all the fruits that the NHL has to offer, your prayers have now been answered. NHL Center Ice will now be available over the internet through NHL Center Ice Online (obvious and simple... thanks Bosh)! As an NHL Center Ice subscriber I can tell you that this is a must have (and I'm not receiving a penny for this endorsement) as a hockey fan, especially with the postseason less than a month away. To find out more information and to sign up click here. Also on a very positive note, NHL Center Ice has changed their intermission style music that permeates the air pre and post game. Another solid bonus!
Game of the Night:
Florida at Carolina 7:00 PM
Ottawa at NY Rangers 7:00 PM
NY Islanders at Montreal 7:30 PM
Buffalo at Pittsburgh 7:30 PM
Tampa Bay at Toronto 7:30 PM
Detroit at Nashville 8:00 PM
Minnesota at Vancouver 10:00 PM
 Ok what a night! Seriously the remote is going to be on fire by the end of this evening. Everyone of these games is huge! HUGE! The funny thing is, that most of the games will have ramifications with the others, especially the Eastern Conference matchups. Do you realize how awesome some of the first round matchups would be if the regular season ended today? Just take a wishful thinking gander at the current layout of the league and let your mouth water in anticipation. Good stuff..... it's gonna go down smooth. Enjoy the games my fuzzy friends, and get ready to throw away those Gillette Fusion Mach 3's, 4's, and 5's!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The New York Rangers waited till the end of the regular season, but they seem to have finally discovered some fortitude. The Rangers hung on in a tight match against the Carolina Hurricanes who held a one point lead over them in the standings, and managed to leave with the 2 points.
Jaromir Jagr set up defenceman Marek Malik (who really made a sweet play to split Carolina's defence, shoot, collect his rebound and backhand the puck past Cam Ward... who left the game in the second to recieve stitches after being cut over the knee from Isbister (i believe) skate after he was knocked down in the crease), and later in the shootout, potted the game winner past backup netminder John Grahame for the 2-1 win. The Rangers have now won four out of their last five games, and are now tied for 8th with the Carolina Hurricanes. They welcome the Ottawa Senators to the Garden on Tuesday.
 Quick Shave:
Teemu's kung fu is strong. Anaheim Ducks forward Teemu Selanne scored twice and an assisted on another (his linemate Andy McDonald did the same thing as well) to help lift his club over the red hot Vancouver Canucks 4-2 last night. Selanne also became the first NHL player over 35 years of age to have consecutive 40 goals seasons. New York Islanders forward Chris Simon finally recieved word on his suspension yesterday, and the news probably anticipated. Simon won't be back on the ice for the Islanders till next season. He is suspended for the remainder of the regular season, and the playoffs. If the Rangers play less than 10 playoff games his suspension will continue into next season. Speaking of suspensions, it appears NHLPA Executive Director Ted Saskin will finally be on his way out. This guy has been under a cloud since he took over for Bob Goodenow and it appears his actions may have finally sealed his fate. To read more about it, visit TSN.ca. San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov is putting his playoff game on the ice early. Hopefully he will have some left for the post season. The Sharks keeper made 22 saves against the Edmonton Oilers to capture the 3-0 shutout win. The shutout was his third in the last four games.
Fantasy Playoffs Begin!
First off, I'd like to congratulate the Playoff Beard .com Fantasy GM's for a great regular season. Unfortunately for myself, and Stache, we will not be making the post-season dance this year..... the two guys who eat hockey for breakfast, lunch and dinner, 7 days a week..... we suck. However, props are due to our top six, and they are as follows:
1- Slue_Foot
2- 6th Degree Assault
3- Pittsburgh Penguins
4- Jacq Wazz
5- It's Not a Toomah
6- FroztFire
For them and everyone else in the Fantasy World the playoffs begin tonight! Goodluck and congratulations again!
Game of the Night:
St. Louis at Calgary 9:00 PM
Most of the games on tonight are pretty weak. Calgary, and Atlanta are the only two playoff bound teams on the card tonight, so that's why I'm picking this one. Really it's more because of St. Louis. They have refused to quit, and have actually played better since the trade deadline when they dumped Tkachuk, and Guerin. Calgary won't have an easy go of it this evening. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
WHY!??!?!?! WHY?!?!?!? WHY!?!?!?!?
Why can't the New York Rangers convert a two goal lead going into the final frame of the game into a win? It's mind boggling! As you well know by now, the Rangers let a crucial two points in the standings slip away in the final 20 minutes of the game. The last team they pulled this feat off against was of course the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rather than finishing the win, the Rangers allowed the Penguins to once again, climb back into the game by ladeling powerplay opportunites on their opponents, which they happily converted, and lost the game in overtime 3-2.
Penguins forward Sidney Crosby scored the game tying goal in the third, reaching the 100 point mark for the second straight season. In doing so, Crosby became the youngest player ever to score 100 or more points in two NHL seasons. Good on this guy. Bad on the Rangers.
 Quick Shave:
Unfortunately for the Rangers, the Toronto Maple Leafs found a way to win last night against the Ottawa Senators. The Leafs fought back to tie and win the game 4-3 on a two goal evening by forward Darcy Tucker. Tucker scored the game winner in overtime, and helped the Leafs into a two way tie with the Carolina Hurricanes for 8th place in the East. The Florida Panthers, another team in the East in pursuit of one of the much coveted playoff spots continues it's rise. Last night they defeated the Atlanta Thrashers 3-2 and brought themselves within 4 points of the post season. The Montreal Canadiens kept their playoff hopes alive as well last night on a late goal by Alexei Kovalev (who is apparently not a Hab favorite since allegedly speaking openly to a Russian reporter about his club.... although he denies it) to lift them narrowly over the St. Louis Blues 4-3. The New Jersey Devils moved within a point of the Buffalo Sabres for control of the Eastern Conference by defeating them 3-2, on a big 31 save night for Martin Brodeur. The win was Brodeur's 41st victory of the season.... where he goes, so do the Devils.
Game of the Night:
Carolina at NY Rangers 12:30 PM
Vancouver at Anaheim 8:00 PM
A chance for redemption for the Rangers, and an opportunity for the Hurricanes to pad their playoff cushion. The second GOTN is a sweet West Coast matchup between the Northwest leading Canucks, and the Pacific leading Ducks. The Canucks have been so good lately, that they trail the Ducks by only 6 points in the West. Playoff implications are on the line for both games! Enjoy my friends!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 It's been a while since I called out this guy's name, but Cam Ward is worthy of the attention today.
The Carolina Hurricanes have been dropping like a rock for weeks and were in desperate need of a win. Coach Laviolette let his squad take two days off to rest and the results were quite obvious..... whatever he hits, he destroys. Sorry Rocky IV flashback. The Hurricanes responded with a big effort. Goaltender Cam Ward made 25 saves for the 3-0 win, his second career victory by shutout. The Canes also moved into sole possession of 8th place in the Eastern Conference, after sharing that spot with the Rangers and Leafs.
 Quick Shave:
The Vancouver Canucks have really turned things around. Remember earlier in the season when they couldn't buy a goal (my buddy Jeff and I watched them get destroyed by the Predators 6-0 on Thanksgiving Day... as we got destroyed on a case of Canada's finest). That issue, along with goaltender Roberto Luongo's shaky start to the season has apparently been corrected. Luongo made 25 saves and Henrik Sedin scored the game winner in overtime to lift the Canucks over the San Jose Sharks last night 2-1. The win was a franchise record for the Canucks new goaltender. The Edmonton Oilers are done. Kind of sad when you consider this team was 60 minutes from winning the Stanley Cup last season. Last night they were man-handled by the Anaheim Ducks 5-1. Ryan Getzlaf scored twice for the Ducks, and has really had a nice season for his team..... he Penner, and Perry were the only returns teams wanted to trade for at the deadline, which is probably why Burke didn't make a deal .... good on him. Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco was another keeper in the spotlight last night. Turco made 30 saves to lift Dallas over the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 and record his 29th career shutout win. The Minnesota Wild stunned the Buffalo Sabres 5-1 last night on a two goal evening for Dominic Moore (scooped up at the trade deadline for a late pick) and a 35 save performance by rookie goaltender Josh Harding. Harding has stopped 90 of 92 shots in four games! I wonder if Manny Fernandez is worried about his job now that Harding and Backstrom seemed to have filled in very nicely for him during his absence. Mikael Samuelsson returned to the Detroit Red Wings starting lineup last night for the first time in over a month and scored the game winner to help his club defeat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in overtime. Dominik Hasek was also back in net and had 24 saves on the night. Hasek was out for 3 games because of tightness in his thigh (TSN.ca), and my question is why was he in the game last night? Hasek should be resting. Tightness in the thigh is a precursor to the infamous groin injury that has felled him in the past. The Red Wings need to proceed cautiosly if they expect the aging netminder to carry them to the promised land this year. Play Osgood for love of beard!
 The Countdown Begins!
Alright lads, this is it! The Playoff Beard Clock has started, and its time to start prepping the facial follicles for launch. We are now 30 days away from retiring our razors (or playing golf, depending on your teams plans prior to April 8th), and letting our chin mullets roam free across that blank canvas we call a jaw. We have a variety of veterans who will be making their triumphant return to the Playoff Beard arena, as well as a host of newcomers.... some of which may not even shave yet! CAN YOU DIG IT!
Game of the Night:
NY Rangers at Pittsburgh 1:00 PM
New Jersey at Buffalo 7:00 PM
Ottawa at Toronto 7:00 PM
Atlanta at Florida 7:30 PM
Tampa Bay at Calgary 10:00 PM
What game isn't a game of the night at this point in the season? There are so many matches that require our attention it becomes difficult to choose. The meetings in the Eastern Conference are especially important as everyone is fighting for the final two spots. Of course I will be watching the Blue Shirts tackle the Pens this afternoon, but I really am looking forward to the Devils / Sabres matchup tonight. The Devils are in position to dethrone the the Sabres for top spot in the East. The Maple Leafs will be looking to respond to the beating Ottawa layed on the a few nights ago in their rematch, and the Panther who refuse to quit, will be taking on the Atlanta Thrashers who are trying to keep pace with the Tampa Bay Lightning..... who also have a tough test against the Calgary Flames this evening. Enjoy the games brothers and sisters of the beard!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
And man do I mean inch. Islanders fans, you got robbed. That was a goal last night, at least in my opinion. There is one shot where the puck was standing on edge, clearly over the line, but big brother in Toronto didn't see it that way. The goal would have tied the game 2-2 with less than half a minute to play and most likely forced overtimer for a second straight game. However, rather than being angry with the officials, you should direct your anger towards Chris Simon. He lost that game for you. The referees decided that Lundqvist made that save, along with 29 others to help the Rangers defeat the Islanders 2-1.
Late in the third period, Simon retaliated after being checked by Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg with a stick to his throat. Simon was ejected and the Rangers recieved a 5 minute power play as the result of his stupidity. Petr Prucha slipped an off-speed shot past DiPietro which would stand up as the eventual game winner. I wouldn't be shocked to see Simon suspended for the rest of the regular season, and perhaps the playoffs too. This had Marty McSorley written all over it.
The Rangers managed to sweep the home ane home series (barely) from the Islander with last night's 2-1 victory, and thanks to some help from the rest of the league (Toronto, Montreal, and Boston all lost last night ..... the Leafs and Habs in spectacular fashion as they were spanked last night by the Senators and Thrashers)now sit in the 8th spot in Eastern Conference (tied with Carolina and Toronto). The remainder of the season is going to be wild, as the Florida Panthers have made a late push now, and are now just 4 points from a playoff position as well. Seven teams (Islanders, Rangers, Hurricanes, Leafs, Habs, Bruins, and Panthers) fighting for two playoff spots! Does it get better than that?
Quick Shave:
Penguins, word of advice. On the shootout against Martin Brodeur, if all three of your shooters attempt the same shot, there is a good chance Marty will stop it every time. Not one of the Pittsburgh Penguins deked, or even attempted to deke the New Jersey Devils goaltender, and thus he shut them down in the shootout. Patrik Elias buried the puck past Fluery, and the Devils took the game 4-3. The Devils are now just three points behind the Eastern Conference leading Buffalo Sabres, and have a legitimates shot at taking the President's Trophy this season. The St. Louis Blues should turn their roster over more often. How good has this team been? The Dallas Stars obviously looking for a cake walk, had one smashed in their faces last night instead. The Blues defeated the Stars 5-3 on Doug Weight's two goal night. The Nashville Predators slammed the Calgary Flames 6-3 last night (one of three teams who handed out cans of butt kick). Jason Arnott scored two goals and an assist, to lead his injury depleted team to the win. His second goal was the 300th of his career, yet another milestone achieved in this amazing season.
Game of the Night:
Vancouver at San Jose 10:30 PM
Late Friday night game between to powerhouses. Vancouver has been on fire lately, and waiver pickup Jeff Cowan continues his goal scoring a torrid pace (he has 6 in his last 4 games). Will he score his seventh tonight? Probably not, now that I've called him out and effectively ladeled the curse upon him! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The Anaheim Ducks have lost their linchpin on defense again. Defenceman Chris Pronger will be out for roughly two weeks with a broken toe. The injury occured on Sunday following a 'post-game' workout. So he slipped in the shower?
The Anaheim Ducks have a commanding 9 point lead on the Pacific Division, but their pursuit of the President's Trophy has just become more difficult. Trailing the Nashville Predators (94 points) by 3, and the Detroit Red Wings (93 points) by 2, the climb to the top will not be as attainable without their top two defenceman.
Fantasy Note:
While Pronger's injury will only keep him out two weeks, that is devestating to most Fantasy managers. For most of us this is the final week in the regular season, and the playoffs will commence on Monday. While the regular season winds down for the NHL, it is really one of the most important times for Fantasy Hockey. This is the time of the year when the teams and players who have excelled throughout the season, and garnered comfortable leads for their teams begin to rest more in preparation for the playoffs. Coaches will give their players and goalies especially the night off. It is good to try and balance your roster with players from clubs that are trying to get into the playoffs, they have a good chance of being your more productive players. Pick up anyone on the Avalanche right now. That team is humming.
Quick Shave:
Let's keep talking about the Colorado Avalanche. This team refuses to die. After last night's 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres, their fifth in a row, they have now pulled within 6 points of the 8th spot in the West. Vincent Lecavalier shrugged off Captain Bosh's curse last night to score 2 goals and help the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 3-1 win over the collapsing Edmonton Oilers (they are finished). The Lightning are now tied with the Atlanta Thrashers for first place in the Southeast Division.
Game of the Night:
NY Rangers at NY Islanders 7:30 PM
Toronto at Ottawa 7:30 PM
New Jersey at Pittsburgh 7:30 PM
Calgary at Nashville 8:00 PM
I don't really think any of these need much in the way of an explanation as to why you should watch them. Again, the NHL Center Ice Red Zone idea would be perfect for this evening, cuz I'm sure I will turn one game off too early and miss an amazing ending. Keep one finger on the remote, and the other on your beer. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Captain’s Curse struck again last night. However this time I will happily share the blame with Stache. The Curse took a trip out west last night, and completely shut down the Tampa Bay Lightning’s offense. Vincent Lecavalier did manage to put one up on the board (his 44th of the season, and league leading tally as well) but he ended the evening a -1 rating. Is teammate Martin St. Louis was held to 1 shot all night. Still doubt the curse?
Did Roberto Luongo have anything to do with the 5-1 Vancouver Canucks victory. No. It was all curse. Luongo only need to make 17 saves for his franchise record tying win (38th of the season, a mark held by Kirk McLean in 1992)...and the curse took care of the rest.
Vancouver forward Jeff Cowan, who was picked up off of waivers from the Los Angeles Kings has now scored 5 goals in the last three games with his new club. Cowan potted two scores last night.
Fantasy Hockey Note: One thing that makes me nuts, is that when I see a lopsided victory like this, I always jump to check the box score, to see how my roster players may have contributed (in this case Naslund), only to discover they had nothing to do with the win. Not a goal, or an assist. Not even a + rating. How about a penalty minute. Nope. Naslund may as well have stayed home last night. Thanks brother. Thanks a lot.
Quick Shave:
Unfortunately the curse struck me last night. This is a new occurrence to me, but it's happened three times in the new year. Last night, the Pittsburgh Penguins were down 3-1 to the Ottawa Senators and the game appeared done.... or at least the Pens did. After turning the game off, not only did the Penguins get back into the game, but Sidney Crosby scored the game winner in the shootout for the third straight game to lift his club to the win 5-4. I will say it again. NHL Center Ice needs a 'Red Zone' feature so when morons like myself shut a game off because it looks over it will say "Hey Bosh, switch back to the Pens / Sens game.... jackass!" Don Waddell can breathe a little easier today. His trade deadline acquistion appears to be paying dividends already. Last night forward Keith Tkachuk scored two goals to help his new team the Atlanta Thrashers over the Florida Panthers 4-2. No Zetterberg, No Holstrom, No Hasek... NO PROBLEM! Jeff. Paul. Who loves you? Bosh does. I told you the Detroit Red Wings would be fine. Even with a depleted squad the Wings took down the Nashville Predators(who also missed some of their key players) 4-3 in a shootout win. What's going on in New Jersey? The New Jersey Devils dropped another game (their third straight) to the Philadelphia Flyers who won on a Simon Gagne goal during the shootout last night 5-4. Gotta hand it to the Flyers who refuse to quit and now are playing spoiler. San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov made 26 saves last night to record his second straight shutout, and the 3-0 win over the Minnesota Wild last night. Nikolai Khabibulin also made 26 saves last night to win his first game by way of shootout (first ever in a Blackhawks uniform) last night to lift the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
Game of the Night:
Colorado at Buffalo 7:00 PM
The Avs are looking to fight their way back into the playoffs, and tonight's game against the Buffalo Sabres should be a huge hurtle for them. Colorado sits 8 points behind the 8th place Minnesota Wild after last night's win over the Boston Bruins (and the Wilds loss to San Jose) and will be eager to continue their climb. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
First off, I have to acknowledge Rick DiPietro (Playoff Beard of the Month Winner for the Month of December), and tip my beard to the man. Last night's performance has got to be one of the finest I have ever witnessed by a goaltender, and it is a crime that your team couldn't provide you some more support on both the offensive and defensive side of the puck. DiPietro, made a record (Islanders) 56 saves last night. I know it seems ridiculous, but if you watched the game on In the Tent with Clement, you'd know it's true. Unfortunately for DiPietro, and the Islanders they lost. Finally.
 The New York Rangers took their first win of the season against the Islanders in a game they needed to have. It took just over 40 minutes for them to solve Rick DiPietro as Petr Prucha buried a juicy rebound off of a Jed Ortmeyer shot early in the third period. The Rangers then assaulted the Islanders' goaltender to try for the win, but could not get another shot past him. The match went to OT, and the eventual shootout where Rangers forward Matt Cullen's lone goal proved to be the game winner. The Rangers won 2-1, and grabbed the second point.
The Rangers victory gives them 71 points which has them tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 10th place. They are 1 point behind Montreal in 9th, and now just 2 points out of the final playoff spot held by the Carolina Hurricanes with 73 points. The Boston Bruins are just 4 points out in 12th, and the Florida Panthers actually have a chance to make it in as they sit in 13th with 67 points. Things are going to be very interesting over the next few weeks.
Game of the Night:
Nashville at Detroit 7:30 PM
Tampa Bay at Vancouver 10:00 PM
Stache was raving about the top line of Tampa Bay last week, so I thought it might be fun to watch them tonight. There are is also a battle for the top spot in the West as Nashville and Detroit collide.....you may be interested in that, as well as a variety of playoff hopefuls battling for position as well. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 What's up Mikey B! We got ourselves a game of the night this evening on Versus.
Another edition of In the Tent with Bill Clement. Old Playoff Chest himself brings us the only the game on the NHL schedule tonight, and it should be a good one. New York Rangers welcome their cross town rivals the New York Islanders to the Garden this evening. The Islanders have defeated the Rangers in the previous matches (i believe four meetings), and in most cases, very handily. The Islanders are also thundering towards the playoffs while currently holding the 7th spot in the East with 75 points. Rather than move their unrestricted free agents at the deadline last week, the Islanders appear to be going for it, after acquiring forward Ryan Smyth from Edmonton. The Rangers on the other hand, are watching their season on life support. Squeaking out a win over St. Louis on Saturday afternoon, the Rangers are tied for 11 with the Boston Bruins and 4 points out of the 8th and final spot owned by the Carolina Hurricanes.
Tonight's matchup is the first of a home and home. The Rangers will visit the Islanders on the Thursday night to complete the series. A huge 4 points is on the board, and important to both clubs.... look for playoff hockey tonight.
Quick Shave:
The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 last night. The win was the 8th of the season, and it marked the first time they have swept the season series from the Flyers. What a miserable year it's been for the Flyers and their fans...... believe me I know your pain. The Atlanta Thrashers appear to be working to save GM Don Waddell's job, and more importantly hockey in their city. The Thrashers won their 3rd game since the trade deadline defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 last night. The Thrashers moved into a tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place in the Southeast Division. Keith Tkachuk acquired from the St. Louis Blues (for 85 first round picks) last week recorded his first point as a Thrasher by setting up a Kovalchuk power play goal. The Hurricanes are in danger of joining the exclusive club whose membership requires missing the playoffs the year after winning a Stanley Cup. They would be only the third team in NHL history to pull off such a feat. I believe the Devils were the last to join. The Anaheim Ducks are starting to look like the club that dominated earlier this season. Taking out an injury depleted Nashville Predators (Forsberg sat out hurt.....man who saw that coming) 3-2 by way of shootout, the Ducks moved within 4 points of the Western leading Predators. The Boston Bruins who are currently tied with the Rangers in the East, are making a push for the playoffs as well. They made a big statement last night knocking off the New Jersey Devils 4-1 last night. The Devils will also be without the services of forward Cam Janssen for 3 games after his hit on the Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Tomas Kaberle. Janssen hit Kaberle high (and apparently late, although thats up for debate) and sent the defenceman pin-wheeling into the boards where he lay unconcious for minutes. Evgeni Nabovkov stopped all 26 shots the Dallas Stars sent his way to record the 4-0 shutout win for the San Jose Sharks. It was the 32nd shutout victory for the netminder.
Game of the Night:
See above. Enjoy the game! You too Mike!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Sidney Crosby became the youngest NHL player ever to reach the 200 point mark last night during a 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The 19 year old scored his 27 the goal, and 98th point of the season last night in the loss. Crosby is just 2 points shy of his second consecutive 100 point season (last seaon he scored 102 (39 goals, 63 assists) in 81 games last year). Can he be one of the youngest to be sporting a playoff beard this season? Can he grow a playoff beard? Does he shave? All this and more are sure to be discovered very soon.
Game of the Night:
Nashville at Anaheim 8:00 PM
The big boys clash tonight. Anaheim is 3 points behind the Nashville Predators who lead the Western Conference with 90 points. Should be an epic clash! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The game winning goal. Without a doubt one of the most coveted of all stats in fantasy hockey. If one of your roster players pots one, you are almost certain to win the category. Get two, and it's in the bag. As of last night, Vancouver Canucks forward Markus Naslund lifted his club over the Phoenix Coyotes, by putting the game winner past Cujo late in the game......giving me my third game winning goal. Three game winning goals! I should have that column in the bag right?
Well I don't. The bastage I'm playing also has three game winning goals. Now I know that next week, when I need a GWG, no one on my fantasy squad will be able to provide one, because they all gave this week. The crappiest thing is, that we have 6 gwg's combined, and if neither one of us scores another, we get a blank for the category. What a waste. Ahhh....I need to move on.
So the Canucks have righted the ship after being stunned by the Blues the other day, taking on another trade deadline seller in the Phoenix Coyotes. They almost blew this one. Naslund's score late in the third period gave the Canucks the 4-3 win. Daniel Sedin had a pair of goals in the win and new arrivals Brent Sopel, and Bryan Smolinski added assists.
Quick Shave:
The New York Rangers cannot close the deal in the third this year. In 1999-2000, my buddy Jeff and I witnessed on many night at the Garden a phenomenon known only as the 'dreaded two goal lead'. On at least 10 different occasions (it very well could have been more....but by mid-season I had to drink my face off just to watch that team...jeff too) we saw the Rangers carry their 2-0 lead into the third, only to blow it, and lose 3-2. More often than not, they lost 6-2. My point to all of this? The Rangers did the same thing again last night, and it appears the dreaded two goal lead has returned. Leading 2-0 going into the third, the Rangers let the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied on a pair of short handed goals, forced OT and stole the game in the shootout thanks in large part to Sidney Crosby (who appears to be getting better at the shootout). What's funnier still. Jeff was at the game last night! Ryan Smyth contributed in his first game with the New York Islanders, by assisting on a beautiful goal to linemate Mike Sillinger.....but it was all for naught. The Isles fell to the St. Louis Blues 3-2 last night in OT. Let's take a moment to give a hand to the Blues, who after selling off their two biggest forwards, have now gone 2-0 against two playoff bound teams in Vancouver and New York. You have to love the heart of this club. Their jerseys are pretty sweet too.
Playoff Beard Note:
I was explaining to my other buddy Jeff why I gave the Beard of the Month to Trent Hunter rather than Zetterberg yesterday. The BOTM award is performance based, but not on hockey performance. Facial hair performance. That is the key. All HZ has to do this month is let the soup catcher grow (not like Savard's....that thing is creepy) and he will earn his accolades! Honestly, with the work Garth Snow did over the last two months as GM of the Islanders I was going to award him the BOTM..... but his chin is clean (as far as I know)...... my runner up for February was Scott Parker of the Colorado Avalanche, formerly of the San Jose Sharks.
Game of the Night:
Ottawa at Atlanta 7:30 PM
San Jose at Anaheim 10:00 PM
Atlanta needs the game pretty bad, and taking it from the Senators will be no easy task. The Thrashers really are on the ropes, and if they don't put this in drive soon, they will be done. Not just for the season, but perhaps in Atlanta. There really is no reason why this team shouldn't be in the playoffs......but I think I spoke highly of them early in the season and cursed them. Its' the only explanation. San Jose will look to get some revenge on the Ducks after a loss earlier this week, and they will also showcase their new top liner Bill Guerin. Should be a fun game to watch. Enjoy the games my friends!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 February has been a good month for New York Islander forward Trent Hunter. Hunter has put together a solid run of production over the last 30 days, scoring 11 points (8 goals, 3 assists). Two of Hunter's goals were also game winners, and the big forward now has his team sitting 7th overall in the Eastern Conference.
Hunter's greatest contribution to the New York Islanders has not been his play however. This Islander's greatest asset is the beautiful 1960's Klingon Goatee from Star Trek that he has been sporting recently. Is there still a doubt between facial hair and on ice production? As well there should not be. Expect Hunter to be among the Islanders best in playoff beard growth this post season. In the meantime....
Congratulations Trent Hunter on being the Playoff Beard of the Month for February!
Quick Shave:
Let's stay with the New York Islanders for a moment and talk about their newest player Ryan Smyth. Smyth left Edmonton yesterday following a tearful press conference to hook up with his new team. Smyth should make his debut with the Islanders tonight as they face the St. Louis Blues. For everyone who is giving Kevin Lowe a hard time for this trade, back off for a second and think about it this. If Ryan Smyth really does love Edmonton as much as he stated in the press conference yesterday, he will re-sign with the Oilers in the off season. From what I heard, they were $300k apart..... in NHL terms, not too far. Then you get your 'heart and soul' player back to add to your two new prospects, and the first rounder you acquired from New York. If Smyth doesn't re-sign with the Oilers will your anger shift to him rather than Lowe? Bosh wonders. Jarome Iginla scored the game winner to give the Calgary Flames the 2-1 win over the Minnesota Wild last night. their first win by shootout this season. Wha?! Tell me Sutter isn't going to look into acquiring some shootout specialists this off season. The Ottawa Senators swept the home and home series against the Carolina Hurricanes last night. The Sens shutout out the Canes 2-0 on a 27 save night by goaltender Ray Emery. Dany Heatley and Spezza scored for the Senators. The two biggest movers prior to the trade deadline, the Nashville Predators (who picked up Forsberg), and the San Jose Sharks (Bill Guerin) faced off last night. Guerin made his debut for the Sharks last night but his presence did little to lift his team, as they fell the Predators 4-3 in the shootout last night.
Game of the Night:
Pittsburgh at NY Rangers 7:00 PM
I'm going homer on this one. The Rangers need this game big time. I'm also excited to see the 'new look' Pens tonight. Should be a great test for the Rangers, who took out the Habs 4-0 on Monday. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
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