The New York Islanders won the NHL Draft Lottery earlier this evening and will pick first in this years NHL Entry Draft. Unless the Islanders trade the pick (which is highly unlikely since Mike Milbury is no longer associated with the organization) forward John Tavares or Swedish defenceman Victor Hedman will be headed to New York. This club needs one of these players the same way Pittsburgh needed Crosby many years ago. A better ending to this nightmare season for the Islanders and their fans couldn't have been scripted.
Rick DiPietro has finally been put out of his misery as the New York Islanders have announced that their goaltender will be out for the rest of the season.
DiPietro has had a nightmare year, appearing in only five matches this year, trying to overcome complications from an October knee operation that has never fully healed. DiPietro has had swelling in the knee that has kept him out of the lineup for most of the year.
Rather than make the injury worse, and most likely because the Islanders aren't going anywhere (except perhaps Kansas City-more on that in a second) they've opted to rest their franchise netminder. DiPietro has12 years left on his $67.5 million contract.
On to the possible relocation of the Islanders....
News broke last week that the New York Islanders will be playing an exhibition match in Kansas City (where they have been actively courting the NHL for a club to relocate to) and rumors have been abound that the team may be looking to move. Charles Wang, owner of the team has been frustrated by the stall tactics Long Island officials have employed to slow the rebuilding and renovation process of Nassau Coliseum and it's surrounding land. The Coliseum is in desperate need of renovation. In truth the Islanders need a new facility, although that is highly unlikely. Wang is posturing right now, perhaps even threatening to move the club in order to motivate the politicians. Hopefully it works.
Judging by the clubs free fall the Islanders are primed to receive a top pick in this years NHL entry draft. Imagine if the club could land prized rookie John Tavares? He could be a panacea for the club, much in the same way that Sidney Crosby was for the Pittsburgh Penguins and their franchise. My fingers are crossed for the club. The once proud New York Islanders club needs to return to it's former glory, and I believe they can do so with a player like this.
Quick Shave:
It is the return of veteran (and I mean veteran) free agent players this week. Brendan Shanahan played his first game with the New Jersey Devils yesterday, and the club's newest acquisition payed immediate dividends as he opened the scoring and helped them to a 3-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. 43 year old Claude Lemieux has apparently beaten the odds and completed his comeback to the NHL. Lemieux has been recalled from the Worcester Sharks and will join the San Jose Sharks. I like this move from the Sharks. Clearly they are looking for as much playoff experience as possible and looking to make a serious run for the Stanley Cup this season. They are now stacked with proven Stanley Cup winners, adding Lemieux to a list that includes Dan Boyle, Rob Blake and Brad Lukowich. Peter Forsberg is planning on making another attempt to return to the NHL. Forsberg is skating again, testing out an ankle that has been an obstacle to him for the past several years. This could be his last try, and he has admitted that if he can't go, he will retire for good. I wish him luck.
The New York Islanders will be without their starting goaltender Rick DiPietro for the remainder of the season.
DiPietro underwent an MRI yesterday to determine the extent of a right hip problem. The injury will require surgery, and since the Islanders have fallen from playoff contention they have obviously decided to protect their 15 year investment in DiPietro and take care of the problem now rather than make it worse. DiPietro should be back in action and ready for the start of training camp next season.
DiPietro is one of a few big names that have been dropping like flies in the last week or so. The Blackhawks lost Martin Havlat, and the Philadelphia Flyers just lost defenceman Derian Hatcher to a broken leg for the season, as well as forward R.J. Umberger for the next two weeks with a sprained MCL.
The Pittsburgh Penguins expect forward Sidney Crosby to resume skating tomorrow and hope to see him return to their lineup before the end of the season.
Rick DiPietro has been a Ranger killer this season. In their previous 3 meetings the Rangers fell to the New York Islanders and DiPietro afforded his cross town rivals only 4 goals throughout. The Rangers doubled that figure last night.
Jaromir Jagr has begun to rediscover his scoring touch, potting his second goal in as many games. He also added an assist on a sweet tic tac toe pass to Martin Straka who fed Brandon Dubinsky for the insurance score. Chris Drury also scored a goal and an assist in the Rangers 4-2 win over the Islanders. DiPietro made 27 saves in the loss.
The Rangers now have 30 points and are now tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for the Atlantic Division lead. Quick Shave:
Is every Canadian team slumping right now or is it me? The Ottawa Senators, the Calgary Flames, the Toronto Maple Leafs.... what is going on? The Ottawa Senators lost their 5th straight last night in spectacular fashion to the Nashville Predators. The Sens overcame a two goal deficit late in the third period to tie the match 5-5, but got sloppy with less than half a minute to play and allowed Martin Erat to bury the game winner with 22 seconds to play. The Predators won 6-5. The Toronto Maple Leafs managed to take a little heat off of themselves and their highly scrutinized GM John Ferguson (out West currently enjoying the GM meetings) by defeating the Atlanta Thrashers 4-2. The Leafs can be thankful that their win will obviously shift the Canadian media towards their Ottawa neighbors for at least a day.
What I find humorous about the New York media (first that they are even talking about hockey) is that they were actually riding Bill Guerin about not scoring a goal this season. While the New York Islanders newest captain and free agent signing had yet to register a goal, he had assisted on 6, leading the team in that category.
Such is the measure of their new captain, Guerin led his team to a 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals (showcasing their reds last night.... this team got it right when it came to new jerseys) by scoring his first three goals of the year and officially joining the NHL Hat Trick Club. The Islanders power play continue's to hum, as they converted 3 of their 5 odd man advantages. Newly signed defenceman Bryan Berard potted his second of the year on the power play once again. Goaltender Rick DiPietro made 27 saves to complete the victory.
Quick Shave:
I love being right, and at the same time, I hate being right. The Philadelphia Flyers continued their torrid start (and at the same time making me look like a genius for calling them playoff bound) by blanking the New Jersey Devils 4-0. Flyers keeper Martin Biron recorded his second straight shutout victory making 38 saves against the Devils. The Devils still have yet to get going, and goaltender Martin Brodeur looks uncharacteristically soft as of late. Be wary of this team however, the Devils have been on the road for the month of October, and could be weary of the travel. Once they begin playing at home, I expect them to regain their form. The New York Rangers helped the Altanta Thrashers into the win column last night, dropping a 5-3 decision in the first game of the Don Waddell era. When the Rangers went on the free agent spending spree this summer, I was cautiously optimistic.... or perhaps pessimistic. Letting Michael Nylander leave as a free agent right now looks like a huge mistake, as Ranger's captain Jaromir Jagr hasn't found any chemistry with his new linemates, which change on an almost period by period basis if they don't yield rapid results. The rotating centers could be an early sign of panic..... oh well. The Toronto Maple Leafs played a little defense last night and managed a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers on a late goal by Nik Antropov (less than 30 seconds in the game late) and some solid play by goalie Vesa Toskala. The Boston Bruins have also quietly improved this season, and after a successful road trip out West, finished off the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 in their home opener. The Bruins are now sitting pretty in 4th overall in the Eastern Conference. It's probably too early for this, but have a look at the current standings. There are some major surprises up and down the board..... uggh.
I think alot of writers may have been wrong with their initial assessments of the New York Islanders. Myself included.
The New York Islanders looked pretty sharp last night in a back and forth battle with the Buffalo Sabres that saw the Isles capture a 6-4 win on the road in Western New York. The Islanders newly acquired top line of Ruslan Fedotenko (1 goal, 2 asssists), Bill Guerin (2 assists), and Mike Comrie (2 goals, 2 assists) immediately clicked last night. The Islanders power play provided three of the goals.
Before the game the Islanders were asked what they would consider a successful season, and most provided the artificial canned answers, like making the playoffs, playing to the best of our abilities, etc.... but Isles goaltender nailed his point. "Winning the Stanley Cup. Anything else is a failure." You gotta love that guy.
The Buffalo Sabres looked pretty good last night on 5 on 5, but their penalty kill needs some work. They still pounce on turnovers and make their opponents pay for their mistakes (hence the 4 goals allowed by the Islanders) but they also provide many of their own. The Sabres should get big years from Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford (who both scored last night) and I expect that many of their games this season will be high scoring affairs like last nights. The Sabres and Islanders will face off again tonight in Uniondale, Long Island to wrap up the home and home series.
Quick Shave:
Remember in NHL 94 when Jeremy Roenick was unstoppable? You could do anything with him and you'd score.... especially that breakaway deke move that the goaltenders were never able to stop (personally I was a Theo Fluery man, but that's a story for another day). In any case, Roenick's signing by the San Jose Sharks was an afterthought over the summer, as an opportunity to acquire some affordable veteran leadership for their young team, and give Roenick the chance to eclipse the 500 goal mark that is within his reach. Before last night's game against the Vancouver Canucks, Roenick was five shy of the 500 club.... after the game however he found himself within 3. Yes, Jeremy Roenick led his San Jose Sharks to victory over the Canucks 3-1, providing two of the goals in the win. The Sharks did look pretty solid last night, and following the Anaheim Ducks template, are big, fast and very physical much to Vancouver's dismay. They will be a chore to beat this year. The Canucks didn't look bad, they just fell behind early and were never able to regain the lost ground. Rookie Ryan Shannon had 3 or 4 gift-wrapped opportunities but was unable to bury the chances.... this kid looked good, and was in the right place at the right time. Fantasy owners should watch list this kid, because once he learns how to finish he will start getting goals in bunches. The Canucks started slow last year, and didn't really find their offence till after Thanksgiving, so be patient... they will be there.
Game of the Night:
NY Rangers at Ottawa 7:00
If the Rangers want to win the Stanley Cup they are going to have to march through the Ottawa Senators to get there. Tonight is a great bench test for this club as well as the Sens. Enjoy the games!
You know it's gonna be a great season, when the New York Islanders and New York Rangers are already hating on one another. Last night's pre-season matchup in Uniondale, so the cross-town rivals battle more with their fists than with the puck. Over 100 minutes in penalties were awarded to the participants including a pair of game misconducts to the goalies.
Yep, former Playoff Beard of the Month winner and Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro dropped the gloves with young Rangers netminder Al Montoya and gave the crowd some old time hockey. This is gonna be a some series this season. Here's the fight for your viewing pleasure (thanks to Stache for digging this up):
The playoff hero for the New York Islanders get's his due.
The New York Islanders announced the re-signing of goaltender Wade Dubielewicz to a one year contract. It's hard to argue that without his amazing play in the final games of the Islanders season they would have been playing golf instead of joining the post season. This move most likely spells the end of backup goaltender Mike Dunham on Long Island.
Quick Shave:
Good news for the Toronto Maple Leafs fans as Mats Sundin will not require surgery on his hip. Sundin will also be happy because rumors out of the Canadian media that his injured labrum may be similiar to the career ending ailment that felled Alexander Mogilny, should now be squashed. The New Jersey Devils may have seen the last of Scott Gomez as the young forward plans to test the free agent market when he becomes unrestricted in July. Gomez will be one of the more highly sought after centers this summer, along with Buffalo Sabres' pivots Chris Drury, and Daniele Briere.
Playoff Beard Watch:
Here you go Duges!
With four teams left, there are several beards that are standing out thus far.
The Ottawa Senators Chris Phillips, and Tom Preissing are the Chuck Norris front runners for Canada's last remaining team. The Senators playoff beard average however dips slightly because of the fuzz that Daniel Alfreddson is still trying to produce on his upper lip. Dany Heatley, and Jason Spezza, while gifted offensively, are still have trouble in the chin mane production department.
The Buffalo Sabres have a few beauties, but the standout face mullet on this team has to be defenseman Brian Campbell. The Snow Job award will certainly be his this season (won and graciously accepted by the Edmonton Oilers Raffi Torres last season).
Anaheim Ducks. Scott Niedermayer. Yeah you could throw a bone to his brother Rob as he is also blessed with those same amazing Yeti genes, but Scott has transformed playoff beard growth into an art form. It will be on display in the Hall of Fame in Toronto one day, next to the hedge clippers necessary to trim that beast.
The Detroit Red Wings. This one just breaks my heart. Matthieu Schneider had a playoff beard during the second period of game 1 against the Flames that probably would have taken the cake. A broken wrist has knocked him out of the playoffs. However, if the man stays the course, and the Red Wings do indeed go the distance..... we may have a Chuck Norris Trophy surprise. Forward Tomas Holstrom actually got a phone call from Han Solo during the last series against the Sharks.... details about the conversation are fuzzy at this time, but sources say Solo stated "Chewie! Get us out of here!"
More to come tomorrow kids! Predictions, curses, beards! Does life get better? Oh it certainly does not! Shave not my friends! Especially you Alisson (playoff pits are all the rage afterall)!
This morning there are an army of happy fans in Buffalo, New York (and one semi-pleased young lady in Cincinatti, whose support of the playoff beard must continue for at least one more round) as their beloved Sabres advanced to the next round of the playoffs yesterday.
The Sabres defeated the Islander (staved if you will) 4-3 and closed out the series 4-1. The Islanders were once again in the game (aside from Game 1, which the Sabres dominated, the Islanders had an opportunity to win every game) and gave Buffalo quite a scare in the final period last night as they attempted to rally from 3 goals down. The Sabres hung on despite blowing a 4-1 lead, and goaltender Ryan Miller made some key saves late (except for 2) to conclude the series. Sabres forward Maxim Afinogenov scored the game winner and added a helper. The Sabres now wait to find out if they will face the Tampa Bay Lightning, or the New York Rangers.
For the Islanders, this season ends in dissappointment, but there are several positives. The team rallied at the end of the season to make the playoffs after everyone had written them off. Goaltender Rick DiPietro came into his own this season (can I use the word season more often? season, season!), and took a big step toward becoming an elite level keeper. Ted Nolan. Great to have him back in the game and I think he deserves Jack Adams consideration for his role in turning this club around. The Islanders now have an identity with him. Garth Snow, I laughed at you last summer, and I apologize for it. You have proved me wrong sir, as you have done a spectacular job as the GM of the Islanders. Your off season homework? Sign Jason Blake, and Ryan Smyth. You pull that off, and you can consider yourself 'the man'.
Quick Shave:
First off, allow me to give props to Tampa Bay Lightning Coach John Tortorella for his magnificent playoff beard (that beautiful chin mane was so thick I thought I actually saw him hand Wesley Snipes some anti-vampire weapons during the second period). But even Sweet T's beard couldn't stop the power of Brodeur. Unfortunately for the Lightning, the real Marty has arrived. The New Jersey Devils goaltender made 31 saves last night to shutout (the 22nd of his post season career, 1 behind Patrick Roy apparently) the Lightning 3-0, and take a 3-2 series lead. This game was colorful, especially at the end which included a good old fashioned donnybrook between Andre Roy and Mike Rupp, and another between Nolan Pratt and Jamie 'I'd like to buy a vowel' Langenbrunner. There was also a shouting match between the bearded one, Coach Tortorella and the pristinely shaven Devils assistant coach John MacLean across the benches. Looks like the Captain's Curse is taking hold in the West. Two teams I picked to win in the Western Conference have now been summarily executed. The Minnesota Wild who were ousted Thursday night, were joined by another Bosh favorite last night, the Nashville Predators. The Predators lost 3-2 last night to the San Jose Sharks and saw their playoffs go up in smoke. This is a huge let down (on level with the Thrashers) for the Predators who re-tooled for the post season, by adding J. P. Dumont, Jason Arnott over the summer, and picking up Peter Forsberg prior to the trade deadline (for quite a ransome, picks, players, beers, etc.). On a positive note, the Predators do look like they have tremendous support in Nashville as the packed stadium certainly showcased. I think once they translate their regular season success to the playoffs, they will strengthen the foundation for a solid fan base.
Game of the Night:
Calgary at Detroit 3:00 PM
Vancouver at Dallas 8:00 PM
Come on guys! Make Bosh proud. I wish there were some more games on, but sometimes quality over quantity is a good thing. Can Calgary continue their great play, or will they suck eggs on the road again? Turco! Luongo! Dallas! Vancouver! Cats and Dogs living together! Mass Hysteria! Enjoy the games!
Somewhere on Long Island, my buddy Mike is wearing a big smile today. Your goaltender has returned Mike, and with him.... hope.
Rick DiPietro returned to the New York Islanders line up last night against the Buffalo Sabres for Game 2, after being cleared to play on Friday. The Islanders netminder who had been missing in action for three weeks with multiple concussions, looked like his old self. DiPietro made 32 saves and helped inspire his club to a series tying 3-2 win over the Sabres.
The series continues on Long Island for Game 3. Game 2 was a big wake up call for the Sabres. As I stated last week, the Islanders are not a team to be overlooked. I expect to see a Sabres team executing with extreme prejudice on Monday night.
Playoff Beard Alert:
DiPietro is sporting a beautiful face mane right now, but he's had that look going since mid-season (when the Isles were playing their strongest.... coincidence? you know it's not), however if he lets that go... look out! Buffalo Sabres forward, Brian Campbell seems to be going after the GI Joe Snow Job award (won last year by Oilers forward Raffi Torres) as he is sporting some lovely red chin fur right now. Keep an eye on that guy!
Quick Shave:
Jeff you're right, that Senators goal was amazing (I think it was the second for them on the power play... a tic tac toe from Spezza, Heatley to Alfredsson), but it still wasn't enough to stop the CROS-BEARD! I don't quite see the hint of a beard yet, but Crosby's play, as well as the rest of the Penguins have brought the series to a 1-1 tie. The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-3 in another physical matchup that saw Pittsburgh's keeper Marc-Andre Fleury bounce back from a rough Game 1 outting, to make 34 saves and help secure the win. Sidney Crosby scored the game winner mid way through the final period and added an assist on Ryan Whitney's power play goal. The amusing thing to me is that no one is giving the Penguins a chance in this series (yeah Murray, your team is the underdog....). The Penguins converted 2 of their 3 power play opportunites. The Sens converted one of nine chances. This speaks volumes. The Penguins need to play more disciplined, and Senators, well they should play more disciplined too (since the Penguins don't need many opportuties to cash in on), and should work on their special teams. The Senators are feeling the pressure of being an early round knock out again...... underdogs? Righhhht. To make things even sweeter, Game 3 is in Pittsburgh, TONIGHT!! The New York Rangers took a 2-0 series lead over the Atlanta Thrashers yesterday afternoon with a 2-1 victory. Coach Bob Hartley started goalie Johan Hedberg in favor of youngster Kari Lehtonen for the Thrashers and the move while widely panned, could hardly be called a bad one after his performance yesterday. Hedberg made 37 saves last night and gave the Thrashers an opportunity to win the game, however Rangers keeper Henrik Lundqvist was equal to the task (I hate that phrase so much by the way) and secured the win by making 27 saves of his own. For the Rangers, I have to mention the presence of Sean Avery. This guy has changed the organization. He's added a level of grit, toughness, and skill that they haven't seen since Essa Tikkanen was a Ranger. Last night Avery delivered his trademark physical play, scored a goal, and as assist (took 9 shots on net ) and got Kovalchuk and Tkachuk so flustered in the final moments of the game they were both ready to pound him. The Rangers and Thrashers will meet in back to back games on Tuesday and Wednesday this week at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Tampa Bay Lightning thundered (got chils on how lame that was, sorry) back to tie their series with the New Jersey Devils on the legs of a 3-2 win last night. The Lightning's big boys delivered again as Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier both scored (Lecavalier the game winner) and goaltender Johan Holmqvist made 34 saves to secure the win.
I'd like to thank Jamie Mottram and Dan Steinberg from the Blog Show for highlighting Playoff Beard.com during their broadcast on Friday night. To view the Blog Show broadcast click here, or watch it below. Thanks again for the support guys!
Game of the Night:
Calgary at Detroit 1:00 PM
Ottawa at Pittsburgh 6:00 PM
Anaheim at Minnesota 8:00
Vancouver at Dallas 9:30 PM
Calgary and Minnesota need to get back into their series (especially Minnesota) and will have ample opportunity to do so today. All eyes will really be on the Sens / Pens series which should get ugly tonight. The third period last night started getting nasty, so look for the first periord today to look like the fourth period last night. That probably didn't make much sense but after a few Molson's you'll have a moment and go.... 'AAAHHHHH, that's what Bosh meant'. The goaltending duel continues in Dallas tonight as the Canucks visit the Stars in the late game. Enjoy the games my bearded fuzzies!
"I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of Maple Leafs fans suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."
-Obi Wan Kenobi, on the Islanders making the playoffs
The improbable, and unlikely, became the possible yesterday. The New York Islanders won their final game over the New Jersey Devils 3-2 by way of shootout and ejected the Toronto Maple Leafs from their short 17 and a half hour stay in the 8th playoff spot in the East. The Islanders looked like they had the victory sewn up until Devils forward John Madden decided to make things interesting late in the game. Madden scored with less than 5 minutes remaining in the third to draw the Devils within 1 goal, then tied the game with barely a second remaining. I'm sure things looked good in Toronto at this point.
Although blowing a two goal lead, the Islanders regained their composure and carried onward, battling the Devils to a tie and forcing a shootout. New York Islanders goaltender and playoff savior Wade Dubielewicz stood tall once again, allowing only Brian Gionta a score, and stopping Gionta and Brylin to secure the 3-2 win, and the 8th and final playoff spot. Satan and Kozlov scored in the shootout for the Islanders.
For the Islanders, perhaps they were fortunate that they didn't have to face the New Jersey Devils Martin Brodeur who was rested yesterday in favor of backup Scott Clemmensen. Perhaps, but this team has battled from some ridiculous odds over the past two weeks to achieve what many considered impossible. I thought it was over for them when DiPietro went down, but it's very cool how all the pressure in the world pressing down on the right pair of shoulders can produce something extraordinary. Hat's off to you Wade Dubielewicz, and congratulations Islanders!
Quick Shave: Colorado Avalanche forward Joe Sakic scored his 100 point last night, the game winner in a 6-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. A game that would have bounced the Flames from the playoffs had the Avs not dropped one against the Nashville Predators the evening prior. Sakic became the second oldest player at 37 years of age to reach the 100 point mark, second only to Gordie Howe, who scored 103 at age 40. Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby has won the Art Ross Trophy for capturing the NHL's scoring title with 120 points. At 19 years of age Crosby is the youngest ever recipient of the award. Crosby has an excellent shot at taking the Hart Trophy this year too, as the league MVP.
A big congratulations to 'It's Not a Toomah' for winning the first ever Playoff Beard.com Fantasy Hockey Tournament! Well done sir!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
The New York Islanders appear to be in playoff mode already, and Rick DiPietro is without a doubt a in post-season mode. DiPietro stopped 39 shots last night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, including 16 in the third period. The Islanders only managed one shot on Raycroft in the third. I don't think I've ever seen the Islanders keeper more in the zone than he was last night. His hightlight reel save came early in the third (check the highlights for this one) off a Mats Sundin rebound that floated to Tomas Kaberle who had most of the net to shoot on.....DiPietro snatched the puck out of the air from near point blank range. His confidence was also high, as he began moving out of the crease challenging shooters (something Theodore doesn't do anymore) and severely cutting off their angles. The Islanders went on to take the game 3-2 in the shootout. The Islanders and Leafs are tied for 9th place in the East, just 2 points out of the 8th spot currently held by the struggling Habs.
If DiPietro can keep his play at this level, and the Islanders get into the playoffs, they are going to be dangerous....especially if they face the New Jersey Devils who have been owned by the New York club for the past two seasons.
Quick Shave: Florida Panthers goaltender Ed Belfour made 24 saves against the Montreal Canadiens and made defenceman Jay Bouwmeester's lone goal stand for the 1-0 win. The victory was Belfour's 76th shutout of his NHL career. Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas made 32 saves to blank the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 last night. The win was Thomas' second by shutout this season. Recently acquired forward Brandon Bochenski (formerly of the Ottawa Senators, and Chicago Blackhawks....I think Don Cherry even annointed him as a possible Calder Trophy winner prior to last season) scored his 4th goal in 4 games with the B's. Colorado Avalanche goaltender Peter Budaj had an excellent rebound game last night against the Anaheim Ducks (who last night I found out, have the second worst record in the NHL since late December....how scary is that?). Budaj who was lit up for 4 goals against the Dallas Stars the other night responded by blanking the Ducks 2-0 for his second shutout win of the season. St. Louis Blues forward Bill Guerin joined the HTC last night in a 6-5 losing effort to the San Jose Sharks. Stache mentioned there are rumors swirling about him joining the Carolina Hurricanes..... which couldn't be too far from the truth as the Blues are stacked with plenty of veteran playoff rentals including him, Tkachuk, Weight, Rucinsky, and Dvorak. Don't be surprised if any or all of these guys are playing elsewhere next week. For more on rumors drop by Spector's Hockey, he covers all trade rumors.
Quick Shave:
Montreal at New Jersey 7:30 PM
San Jose at Nashville 8:00 PM
Detroit at Dallas 8:30 PM
Since we are coming down to the wire, more and more of these games are becoming very important. The Habs have been on quite a slide lately, and now find themselves barely holding on to the last playoff spot in the East. It's definitely desperation time in Montreal. The other two games are clearly pre-playoff matchups, and should be outstanding matches. Look for Detroit to come out hard after their recent thumping at the hands of the Flyers. Enjoy the games!
New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur was at it again last night. Brodeur stopped all 25 shots the New York Islanders threw at him last night and recorded his 10th win by shutout this season. The 2-1 shutout win was also the 90th of his career.
Martin Brodeur aside from having a Vezina Trophy calibre season, is now 13 shutouts away from tying the legendary Terry Sawchuk's record. Thanks in large part to his play, the New Jersey Devils are now just 4 points behind the Buffalo Sabres, whose command of the Eastern Conference's top seed is currently in danger.
The last time I celebrated Brodeur's accomplishments, he and the Devils took a 3 game nose dive...... so I apologize in advance to all of you Devils fans out there.
Quick Shave: Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby finally got a shootout goal last night! Crosby scored for the first time this season in the shootout to lift the Penguins over the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 last night. The Flyers have now lost 13 straight games..... man it must suck to be Flyers fan right now. The Penguins are now sitting pretty in 4th place overall in the Eastern Conference. Not bad for a team, no one aside from myself would do much this year. The Nashville Predators dropped the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 last night effectively ending their winning streak. The Ottawa Senators hammered the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 last night, thanks to a productive evening from forwards Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley. The Detroit Red Wings were shutout by the St. Louis Blues 1-0 last night. Blues goaltenders Manny Legace, and Curtis Sanford combined for the shutout win (Legace left the game with concussion like symptoms after being hit by Tomas Holstrom). In fairness, the Red Wings have played 9 games in the last 3 nights.....
Game of the Night:
Tampa Bay at NY Rangers 7:00 PM
If the Rangers don't start collecting some victories it is going to be a very long summer. The Rangers are well out of the playoff race sitting in 11th in the East. Tampa Bay has the 8th and final spot in the conference. Enjoy the games!
NY Islanders at NY Rangers 7:00 PM <
Our very own Playoff Beard of the Month Winner for December, Rick DiPietro, puts his perfect record on the line once again as he and the New York Islanders face off against the New York Rangers. The Isles have hit the skids recently dropping 5 in a row (it could be six, but who can count that high) but this season, always bring their best stuff when playing the Blueshirts. Alexei Yashin should be back at full steam after a very public benching by Coach Ted Nolan. For the Rangers, all eyes will be on Jaromir Jagr, who left during the second period of the game against Montreal on Saturday afternoon with a groin pull. Will he be back in the lineup? Will he be able to score (something he hasn't done in several matches)? Will the Rangers be able to beat the Islanders?
Anaheim at Nashville 8:00 PM
The Ducks are injured but they are still good. They ended their losing streak with a solid effort against the Detroit Red Wings and now look to test their mettle against the Nashville Predators. The Predators are without a doubt the most disrespected team in the NHL. They are a dominant force in the WEST, and no one talks about them. Right now they sit atop the Central, and are just 5 points behind Anaheim for the Western Conference lead. Beginning to see why this game is so big? The Predators have an opportunity to make a big push for the top seed and it begins tonight.
Phoenix at Dallas 8:30 PM
The Phoenix Coyotes could be for real after all. Six wins and counting as they visit the Dallas Stars who are fighting through the injury bug as well lately. A win by Phoenix tonight would bring them within 3 points of a playoff spot, and more importantly solidify my respect for them as a team.
Quick Shave:
Everyone should stop and take a look at the current standings in both the Eastern and Western Conferences. Notice anything? Aside from the Philadelphia Flyers, every team in the NHL has a shot to make the playoffs. It's that close. The Florida Panthers (currently 14th in the East with 39 points) are just 5 points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs who hold the 8th and final playoff spot in the East with 44. Between them are the Boston Bruins (43 points), the Pittsburgh Penguins (43 points), the Washington Capitals (43 points), and the Tampa Bay Lightning (41 points). And in the West....its anyone's game as far as I'm concerned. The St. Louis Blues (who hold the 15th spot in the West with 33 points), are 12 points behind the Minnesota Wild who sit in the 8th and final playoff spot with 45 points. Among them are the Colorado Avalanche (44 points), the Edmonton Oilers (44 points, thanks to the 2-1 OT win over the Kings last night), the Phoenix Coyotes (40 points), the Los Angeles Kings (38 points), and the Columbus Blue Jackets (36 points). So what does all of this mean to us? The playoffs will be starting just a little bit early this year.
Wow! What else can you say. Sidney Crosby's play this week has been nothing short of amazing. After lighting up the Flyers for 6 points Wednesday night, Crosby continued his NHL Player of the Week performance by potting a goal and set up all three of Ryan Malone's goals, for a 4 point evening. Welcome to the NHL Hat Trick Club Mr. Malone!
The Pittsburgh Penguins dominated the Islanders until the third period, where even Mark Recchi admitted they got a little lazy, but still went on to defeat the New York Islanders 7-4. Islander goaltender Rick DiPietro allowed 5 goals on 29 shots (way to blow up my goalie stats bro), and backup Mike Dunham did his share by allowing 2 more on 6 shots. Penguins keeper Jocelyn Thibault made 28 saves on the evening.
The Pittsburgh Penguins passed the Islanders for 3rd place in the Atlantic Division and are now in 6th place overall in the Eastern Conference. My prediction that we would see Sidney Crosby sporting a playoff beard this year doesn't seem so ridiculous now does it?
Quick Shave:
The Washington Capitals are another team that is riding on the shoulders of their young superstar. Alexander Ovechking scored the game-tying goal against the Atlanta Thrashers with less than a minute remaining, then just seconds into the overtime period potted the game winner. The final goal was his third of the game, and although the three didn't come during regulation, I submit that Ovechkin should be admitted into the NHL HTC. That being said....CONGRATULATIONS TO STACHE! Playoff Moustache called the AO hatrick, and will now recieve a drawing of Ovechkin, or another player if he wishes. Well done sir! Well done indeed! The Toronto Maple Leafs barely avoided another third period implosion against the Carolin Hurricanes last night. Leading the Canes 3-1, the Leafs allowed 2 goals, and it appeared they would let another lead slip away, until forward Alexander Steen scored the eventual game winner with 6 minutes to play. Has Jose Theodore lost his starting goaltending job in Colorado? It appears so. Former backup Peter Budaj made his third consecutive start and 18 saves to propel the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
Game of the Night:
Anaheim at San Jose 10:30 PM
Although the early game of Pittsburgh visiting Montreal to play the Habs looks good, this game is the main event. The two monsters of the West throw down for what should be an awesome game, and certain playoff matchup. Iginla gets my nod for the HTC as he and the Flames visit the Phoenix Coyotes. Enjoy the games!
The opening match of the season between two of the greatest rivals in the NHL began last night, and provided lot's of offence, little goaltending, and even less defense.
The Islanders showed up for the first period. The Rangers didn't. The Rangers showed up in the second. The Islanders didn't. The third period became a duel between Islanders forward Vktor Kozlov, and Rangers forward Brendan Shanahan. Both players joined the NHL Hat Trick club. Viktor Kozlov scored 4 goals on the evening, scoring the final two goals of the game, to complete a 7-4 win over the New York Rangers and take sole command of first place Atlantic Place.
Goaltender Rick DiPietro made 39 saves on the evening, although he allowed the Rangers back into the game during the second, the Islanders took the lead late in the second and never looked back. DiPietro is sporting an impressive playoff beard of late and the Islanders have won 5 of their last 7 games. Coincidence? Or Playoff Beard Phenomenon?
The Islanders look outstanding, and for a team that played in Pittsburgh the evening prior really took it to the Rangers. The Rangers appear to be collapsing into that no defensive responsiblity mode they were playing in during the start of the season. They need to protect their end of the ice better and stop allowing so many scoring opportunities. The Islanders and Ted Nolan, should keep doing what they are doing, and Kozlov seems to be thriving in the center position in relief of the injured Alexei Yashin.
Quick Shave:
The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Anaheim Ducks last night 3-2. L.A. forward Alexander Frolov had yet another 2 goal performance, and Dan Cloutier made 27 saves and helped take the second game of the home and home from their state rivals. Anaheim Ducks goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov who just came back from the IR, re-injured himself midway through the 3rd period and was replaced by Giguere.
Game of the Night:
Boston at Montreal 7:00 PM
Let's give Boston a look tonight. The Bruins have played better this season after a dreadful start, and goaltend Tim Thomas is the latest hero between the pipes in Boston. The Habs are playing great, and coming off an emotional come from behind victory over the Leafs. Enjoy the games my friends!
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!
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!
Little shakin', little tenderizin', ....down you go
The San Jose Sharks are beginning to realize their potential this season, and are lining up the giants of the West and knocking them down one by one. Just two nights removed from shutting out the undefeated Dallas Stars, 2-0, the Sharks took advantage of a penalty filled game to score 5 power play goals, and win their sixth game over the Detroit Red wings 5-1.
Joe Thornton who had been quiet for a few games finally hit paydirt (thank you! he's my first rounder in one league!) by setting up winger Jonathan Cheechoo on the powerplay, and assisting on another. Patrick Marleau had two goals on the night (and seems to be blossoming in his second line center position), as did Milan Michalek, Mark Bell, and the aforementioned Cheechoo.
The Sharks have been platooning the goaltending between Vesa Toskala and Evgeni Nabokov since the start of the season. Both have responded well to the every other game starts. Nabokov has already pitched to shutouts, and Toskala responded last night by making 21 saves against the Red Wings.
Quick Shave:
As if things couldn't get worse for the Philadelphia Flyers. After watching 13 goals go by them in the last two games, and three of their own get sent down to the farm, they lost captain Peter Forsberg to a wrist injury for at least the next game. This was bound to happen sooner or later. Or sooner than later. The Flyers were dismantled by the Lightning 4-1 last night and don't appear to show any signs of life. The Pittsburgh Penguins and their young guns Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin stole a game from the Islanders in OT last night 4-3. Malkin scored his second goal of the season, in his second game of the season and just looks special out there. Crosby had three assists on the night. The New York Islanders have looked solid with Mike Dunham in net and for the fourth straight game have managed to secure a point in the standings. I think these guys are gonna be alright.....but what happens when DiPietro returns? Whats up with the Ottawa Senators? This is the biggest shock that has been quietly swept under the carpet....until now!!! BOSH is draggin' it back out. The Senators have lost 4 straight, and what's worse....they can't score. Dany Heatley got his first goal last night. First goal? He, Daniel Alfreddson, and Jason Spezza have been scarily quiet. There are rumors that GM John Muckler is looking into acquiring Yanic Perrault (from Hockey Night in Canada, and Spector on the Face Off Hockey Show), but I'm not sure that he will be the panacea for this team. Another team up north, the Calgary Flames are having a rough start too. Still unable to find the offence they long for, they are now having trouble getting the same goaltending they got a season ago from Vezina winner Miikka Kiprusoff.
Game of the Night:
Carolina at Buffalo 8:00 PM
Oh hell yeah! Rematch of the season opener and I think the Hurricanes will be ready. If anyone can topple the monsters from West New York its the boys from Raleigh! Enjoy the games!!!
The New York Rangers hoped for big things from Brendan Shanahan, and he has failed to dissapoint thus far. Shanahan has been the bright spot on a team that is still trying to recover from last seasons free fall and total playoff collapse. In his sixth game as a blue shirt, Brendan Shanahan delivered his league leading seventh goal, and helped the Rangers break free from their 3 game losing streak, and hopefully right the ship.
The Rangers defeated their cross river rival the New Jersey Devils 4-2 last night. In what is usually a game that helps to jump start the Devils, this time the Rangers may have found the launch pad needed to re-discover the discipline that propelled them last year. They face a big test against the re-tooled Nashville Predators who have shown signs of improvement following their sluggish start on Wednesday night. Henrik Lundqvist also found his game last night stopping 34 Devil shots and being named the first star of the game.
Quick Shave: The Stanley Cup Champs are playing like Stanley Cup Champs again. The Carolina Hurricanes playing off another solid outing by goaltender Cam Ward, who made 34 stops, pounded the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-1 last night. Justin Williams joined the ever growing NHL Hat Trick club by putting the lotion in the basket three times. Yes another hat trick! What the heck is going on with Mike Dunham? I have to give this guy credit. After a couple of average season's with the Rangers, and a lackluster year with the Atlanta Thrashers (including the game that he collapsed against the Caps last year that saw the Thrashers miss their first playoff appearance by 2 points), Dunham was floating in limbo uncertain that he would be playing again. After being offered at tryout with the Islanders, making the roster, and taking over for Rick DiPietro with a groin injury, Dunham has shined. In three starts, the New York Islanders remain unbeaten in regulation, 2 wins, and last nights shootout loss to the Preds. Mike Dunham stopped 32 shots, and ensured the Islanders get a point in the standings for their effort. The Chicago Blackhawks look pretty good so far....don't they realize they are supposed to suck? Perhaps Martin Havlat didn't get that memo, because he's leading the league in scoring with 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists).
Game of the Night:
Philadelphia at Buffalo 7:00 PM
Dallas at San Jose 10:30 PM
An early game and a late game, so you can watch both...that is how generous the Bosher is. Philadelphia is off to a very slow start with only 1 win so far, and Buffalo is well....in the words of Ivan Drago's manager from Rocky IV..."whatever they hit....they destroy!" Buffalo took care of the Flyers in the first round of the playoffs last year, and I bet R.J. Umberger is still shuddering from the skull crushing hit he recieved from Brian Campbell. How much you wanna bet his head will be up when enters the neutral zone? This should be a great test for the Flyers, and another chance for the Sabres to show everyone they are the real deal. Dallas and San Jose? Do I really need to explain why this game should be accompanied by a large cooler full of ice cold Labatt Blues? Enjoy the games my razor hating friends!
Crosby and company came out tonight and made Bosh look pretty good in picking them to make the playoffs this year. Yes Sidney Crosby looked great and scored a goal and an assist in the 4-0 shutout victory, but the real hero of the evening was Marc-Andre Fleury.
The Penguins were outshot 40-21 in the game, but Fleury stopped them all and even killed of two, powerplays where the Flyers carried a two man advantage. I would say this kid thrives on adversity. Having all but lost his starting job to veteran Jocelyn Thibault, Fleury was named the number 1 goalie in the Penguins final pre-season game. Fleury responded with an amazing effort, and his team finished it for him and their new prospective owner, Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie, who was in attendence and had to love what he saw.
Eric Staal's younger brother and Pittsburgh's first round draft pick Jordan Staal made his NHL debut tonight and is expected to remain with the team at least until the return of center Evgeni Malkin is able to return.
Shanahan scores his 600th in Ranger debut
The New York Rangers officially introduced forward Jaromir Jagr as the 24th captain in franchise history, and he responded by opening the scoring 29 seconds into the game. After that Shanahan made his presence known in his New York Ranger debut by potting two goals, his 599th, and 600th of his career. Shanahan becomes the 15th player to join the elite goal scorers club. The Rangers went on to defeat the Washington Capitals 5-2.
Luongo shines for Vancouver
Another debut, and another success. Roberto Luongo played his first game between the pipes for the Vancouver Canucks, stopping 27 shots and helping his new team defeat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1.
Havlat and Chicago defeat Nashville in goalfest
An evening of debuts that for the moment appear to be looking for the teams that have acquired them, continued in Nashville tonight. Chicago's newest forward Martin Havlat scored 2 goals and 2 asssist in his Blackhawks debut, and helped Chicago come from behind twice to defeat the Predators in a wild 8-6 win.
Islanders fall hard in Phoenix
Ok, not all debuts were easy one's tonight. Ted Nolan's return to coaching after nearly a decade is one he would probably like to forget. The Islanders $65 million dollar goalie Rick DiPietro was lit up early and often by the Coyotes who went on to defeat their New York counterparts 6-3. DiPietro was eventually pulled in favor of his backup Mike Dunham who started the third. Wayne Gretzky's team looked good at even strength and on the powerplay, and forwards Doan, Nagy and Reinprecht were all over the scoresheet.
The Late Game!
I don't want you West Coasters not to feel the love from the Bosher, so I stayed up and watched an unbelievable game between the St. Louis Blues and the San Jose Sharks. This match was back and forth with Mark Bell looking like he had sealed the game with a goal to make it 4-3 in the final minutes, but the relentless Blues kept up the attack, pulled Legace from the net, got a fortunate half-man advantage from Ville Nieminen's broken stick and tied the game on a Keith Tkachuk goal with seconds remaining. The match went to OT where Curtis Brown buried the game winner halfway through the extra period! What a game!
The first two nights have come and gone in the NHL, and I feel like the NHL Center Ice package has already paid for itself. If you haven't gotten it yet, they are running a free preview which I'm pretty sure is running till next week. Give it a look. If you are a hockey fan, this is the best investment you can make! If you order early, I think they will knock $20 off the price. Tell them Captain Bosh sent you (just so you can hear them say 'Who?').
Jagr is expected to play again tonight against Boston, the Rangers final pre-season game before they open up their season against the Washington Capitals next Thursday night.
Dragons torch Coyotes
Well, not really. Unfortunately most of the Coyotes were out drinking, and only three of their boys showed and were forced to forfeit. So rather than waste rink time, a few Dragons swapped jerseys and joined the Coyotes for an exhibition match that could only be called the Mark Giordano Highlight Reel Special! Mr. Giordano, suiting up against his own team, scored 19 goals, 23 assists and finished the evening +45 (no penalty minutes as Mark is a perrenial Lady Byng Trophy Winner). Giordano is either the greatest hockey player in New Jersey, or the Dragons play defense like the Penguins last year......which is to say, not so good.
No this isn't a joke. There were rumors about this earlier in the year when Mike Milbury was still at the helm, but I thought it would have died with him. This however, is not the case. The New York Islanders will announce the signing of their goaltender Rick DiPietro to a 15 year deal, worth $67.5 million dollars. Yes, 15 years, $67.5 million.
Rick DiPietro will turn 25 before the start of this season, so his new contract will keep him with the Islanders till he is 40 years old. DiPietro will earn $4.5 million per season for the life of the contract.
From where I stand this is ridiculous. DiPietro, is a good keeper, and perhaps you could convince me that he is worth $4.5 million per season, but for the next 15 years? The deal definitely favors DiPietro, especially in the twilight of his career, but once again the Islanders are taking an uneccessary risk by tying themselves to a player for the extreme long term which may end up biting them in the.....well you know. Look at what happened with the Alexei Yashin deal. The Islanders are stuck paying a guy top dollar who barely breaks the 20 goal mark each year, and 2 seasons ago was demoted to 4th line minutes. For more on this deal, and report visit TSN.ca.
Islanders owner Charles Wang was apparently the architect of this deal. I wonder how much, if any input Garth Snow had in the deal.
Isles to sign Viktor Kozlov
Garth and Chuck have been busy boys today! The Islanders are also expected to sign Viktor Kozlov to a one year deal.....why not sign him for 12 years? Kozlov will add some more size up front for the Islanders and yet another Russian teammate to hopefully jump start the woeful Yashin.
The Islanders lost 4th round pick Stefan Blaho to a car accident this week. Stefan Blaho was 21 years old and had just finished scoring a goal for MsHK Zilina, the Slovak Champions and was about to sign a contract with. Blaho played several seasons in the OHL and was drafted by the Islanders in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
I'd like to wish his family and friends all the best.
As if things couldn't get any worse for the Islanders and their fans. New Islanders GM Garth Snow has according to Larry Brooks, of the NY Post, not even begun contract negotiations with star goalie and restricted free agent Rick DiPietro. The reason being that the Islanders owner, Charles Wang is on vacation and has instructed his staff to hold off negotiations with DiPietro's agents until his return, near the end of August. This will leave about two weeks for DiPietro to sign with the team, and according to Wang's policy, no player will be signed after training camp opens.....thus force DiPietro into holdout for the entire season. This has the making of a disaster written all over it. If DiPietro isn't re-signed prior to camp, the Islanders hopes will rest on Wade Dubielewicz.
Garth Milbury, I mean Snow, has to make his first personnel decision since taking the Islander's General Manager position. Islanders forward Mike York was awarded a one year deal worth $2.85 million for next season by an arbitrator and the Isles have 48 hours to accept the offer or decline it which will immediately make Mike York an unrestricted free agent.
Garth Snow had this to say following the arbitrators award (from TSN.ca):
''We respect the arbitrator's decision and appreciate the process that led to the one-year award for Mike, a player we think the world of,'' Islanders general manager Garth Snow said in a statement. ''It was our intention prior to the hearing to sign him to a long-term deal, and it remains our hope to have Mike York in an Islanders uniform for years to come.''
As far as testing the GM waters, this has to be the easiest decision Snow will ever make. Mike York made $2.05 million last year, and at a slight bump to $2.85 is still a bargain. You sign this kid, it's a no brainer. If Snow let's him walk he will be picked up by the end of the week as a UFA. Trading Mike York to Edmonton was probably the worst move Glen Sather has made as GM of the New York Rangers (and he has made a truck load of them)....I would love to see this kid come back home.
Bufalo Sabres forward Daniele Briere's arbitration award is expected some time today, and that would could hit $6 million.
Thanks to my buddy Jeff for the headline.....actually I have a month's worth from him....so as long as Garth Milbury keeps making news.....the entertainment will never stop.
Pat LaFontaine is the latest casualty on Long Island. Reports from TSN.ca are that he tendered his resignation to Charles Wang following the press conference detailing the dismissal of Neil Smith. There is only that is 100% certain right now.
Ok now I'm shocked! WHOAH! Milbury is definitely still running the show, because this is ridiculous! Charles Wang was really impressed with Garth Snow's passion and knowledge.
Right now, all I have to say is that this screams puppet! Milbury must have talked Wang into the move for two reasons. First, Neil Smith most likely had his own agenda, and went about building the Islanders in his vision, taking little to no direction from Milbury. Second, what the hell does Garth Snow know about being a GM?!?! Snow was undoubtedly praised by Milbury to Wang, who eventually saw fit to hire him. Snow, will no doubt be the face of Milbury's madness. The NHL's own version of Master Blaster.
Here are Wangs comments on why Neil Smith was let go (from ESPN.com)
Wang said a difference in philosophy led to Smith's dismissal.
"As I made clear at the press conference last month, we are running this as a business, incorporating the opinions of our hockey operations staff -- including Ted Nolan, Bryan Trottier and Pat LaFontaine. Despite Neil's commitment to me that he could work in this environment, he later expressed to me on a number of occasions his philosophical opposition to our business model.
"In light of our differences, I felt that I had no choice but to make this decision in the best interests of the Islanders and our fans. I'm very proud of our draft and the roster additions our staff made this month. Our fans should know that with Ted, Garth, Bryan and Pat helping to lead the way, the Islanders are in very good hands."
and here is the un-edited version:
Wang said a difference in philosophy (with Milbury) led to Smith's dismissal.
"As I made clear at the press conference last month, we are running this as a business, incorporating the opinions of our hockey operations staff -- including Ted Nolan, Bryan Trottier and Pat LaFontaine (and especially Mike Milbury). Despite Neil's commitment to me that he could work in this environment (under the watchful gaze of Milbury), he later expressed to me on a number of occasions his philosophical opposition to our business model (Milbury).
"In light of our differences (with Milbury), I felt that I had no choice but to make this decision in the best interests of the Islanders and our fans (and Mike Milbury). I'm very proud of our draft and the roster additions our staff (Milbury) made this month. Our fans should know that with Ted, Garth, Bryan and Pat helping to lead the way, the Islanders are in very good hands (Milbury's)."
Islander fans, I'm sorry. I thought you guys were out of the woods finally, but you just got dragged right back into it and appear ready to reap the rewards of another joke GM. Milbury cannot be stopped....at least not with conventional weapons!
General Manager Neil Smith, who was hired by the New York Islanders to replace Mike Milbury has apparently been fired. No details of why are known as of yet, but you can find out more about the story at TSN.ca.
As shocking as this story should be to me, it doesn't really surprise. Mike Milbury although not the GM is still part of the organization, and when he is around, nothing should come really surprise us. This man has made a career out of destroying this organization. I can only assume that he has Charles Wang's family held hostage somewhere.
Defenceman Chris Pronger got his wish, and was traded from Edmonton to the Anaheim Ducks, in exchange for Joffrey Lupul, prospect Ladislav Smid, and a 1st round pick in 2007. Edmonton gets a forward who is a prototypical Oilers forward, Lupul, and hopefully a can't miss prospect in Smid. Anaheim gets arguably one of the best defenseman in the league and can now boast one of the best pairings with Pronger now complementing Scott Neidermayer. As I said yesterday, Pronger's only achilles' heel is his playoff beard.
Guerin lands in St. Louis
Did I call this one or what? Bill Guerin signed a one year deal with St. Louis less than a week after he was bought out by the Dallas Stars. He joins his Team USA linemates Keith Tkachuk, and Doug Weight.
Brendan Witt signs with Islanders
The Islanders have signed defenceman Brendan Witt to a 3 year deal, and have obtained one of the largest defenceman on the free agent market (after Chara). Great pickup for the Isles, and I really like what Neil Smith is doing so far with this team. No big splashes but solid character guys that will help younger players grow.
Teppo Numminen re-ups with Sabres
If it isn't broken.....Numminen re-signed with the Buffalo Sabres for one more year. Numminen was a big part of their Stanley Cup playoffs run, and when he was injured his loss was one that was glaring.
Thrashers sign Steve Rucchin
Steve Rucchin has just signed a 3 year deal that will grow from $1.85 million the first year to $4.25 million in the final year of the contract.
Rangers continue to mine Stanley Cup Champs
A few days after signing teammate Matt Cullen, the Rangers have signed defenceman Aaron Ward to a 2 year deal worth $5.5 million. Another pivotal player in the Carolina's Stanley Cup run, Ward will definitely be a welcome addition to the Ranger's blueline.
Shark Attack
The San Jose Sharks have added so much needed grit in Mike Grier and Curtis Brown. Mike Grier has signed a three year deal worth $1.775 a season. Nice pickup, Grier is one of those guys you would love to have on your team, and I really hoped the Rangers would grab him. Grier is the second player to leave the Sabres via free agency following Jay Mckee leaving for St. Louis.
Anyone else like what John Davidson is doing to revamp the St. Louis Blues?
It's looking that way! According to reports from New York Newsday, the Rangers and Islanders would play a regular season game outdoors at Yankee Stadium on New Years Day. This would be the second NHL outdoor game in 3 years, following the successful matchup between the Oilers and Canadiens in Edmonton November 2003.
This would be outstanding! The Heritage Classic, which was an old timers game between the Oilers greats and the Canadiens greats preceded the NHL game, and it was a lot of fun. It also gave me an excuse to start pounding Labatt Blue in the early afternoon. A game between these two New York teams would be a great step towards bringing the NHL some more attention! Make it happen Gary!
At a press conference yesterday the New York Islanders introduced their new General Manager Neil Smith and new head coach Ted Nolan.
Neil Smith had been working as an analyst most recently of OLN, during the In the tent with Clement segment. He was the former GM of the New York Rangers and the architect of the 1994 Stanley Cup Team. He originally started as a scout for the New York Islanders back in the early 80s.
Ted Nolan is back! After years of an apparent black balling from the NHL, he has got a second chance. When last we saw Nolan he was receiving the Jack Adams Trophy for best coach for his job done with the Buffalo Sabres in 1997. Since then he has been out of the NHL, but continued coaching his son's youth team and last year coached in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Probably the biggest move the Islanders made yesterday was finally saying goodbye to Mike Milbury. He will certainly go down in history as the worst GM in the NHL, if not the worst in sports...oh wait Isaih Thomas is fighting hard for that title (what's funny is I know nothing about Basketball, but the suck factor is so high on this guy that even I know about it...I wonder if basketball fans have heard of Milbury).....anyway, job well done, and congratulations Islanders fans. Now all we have to do is execute Harry Sinden and the NHL will be a place of joy again!
As usual there was a ton of action before 3PM yesterday. Perhaps more than expected, due to the new CBA and salary cap restrictions.
The Edmonton Oilers, were among the busiest. They got their number 1 goalie in Dwayne Roloson (although he did little to help against the Sharks last night) and very fast winger in Sergei Samsonov. If he can stay injury free and fullfill some of his potential then Kevin Lowe did a terrific job yesterday.
The Vancouver Canucks were hemorraging defenseman with injuries to Jovanoski, Salo, and Ohlund, so they did a great job in filling that need. Vancouver was probably the busiest team during the last 24 hours acquiring defencemen Ketih Carney, Sean Brown and Eric Weinrich, as well as a support goaltender in Mika Noronen. They definitely addressed their issues.
The Carolina Hurricanes were unfortunately forced to make a deadline move because of a sever and regular season ending injury to star winger Erik Cole. Otherwise I believe they would have stood their ground. However, all things being equal, they went out and acquired Mark Recchi from the Pens. He's definitely not the player that Cole is, but will provide solid second line support.
I absolutely love what the Rangers did. They had a serious hole on the powerplay, and needed a solid puck moving defenceman, and one who could quarterback the powerplay. The Rangers got that and more in Sandis Ozolinsh.
Mike Milbury. Once again you have dismantled and destroyed another team. Well done sir. At least you are consistent. Islander fans, I'm sorry, I really think your team could have made a push for the playoffs. Be thankful that this is the last season Milbury will be driving the train.
We're in the final stretch people....prepare to toss those razors away....the beard is almost upon us.
Last night's scores:
Montreal 3 Boston 0 F
Tampa Bay 5 Buffalo 8 F
Phoenix 4 Columbus 5 F
Los Angeles 3 Detroit 7 F Colorado 2 Chicago 1 F
Dallas 0 Calgary 1 F Nashville 3 Vancouver 2 F (OT)
Edmonton 2 San Jose 5 F
Game of the night:
New Jersey at Washington 7:00 PM
Just watch Ovechkin. He has sublime buttocks....seriously this kid rocks. Get used to hearing his name.
Enjoy the games!
A day after acquiring defenceman Ken Klee from Toronto, the Devils have picked up defenceman Brad Lukowich from the New York Islanders for a 3rd round pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. More to come.
The San Jose Sharks have acquired forward Ville Niemene from the New York Rangers for a third round pick in the 2006 NHL Draft.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired defenseman Luke Richardson from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a fifth round pick and conditional fourth round pick.
The Los Angeles Kings have acquired forward Mark Parrish and defenceman Brent Sopel from the New York Islanders for defenceman Denis Grebeshkov, and forward Jeff Tambellini and a conditional third round pick.
BREAKING NEWS
Just heard on MSG, that the Colorado Avalanche have traded David Aebischerr to Montreal for Jose Theodore!. More to come on this.
The Capitals are not dressing Brendan Witt this evening. This is almost a certainty that he will be dealt in the coming hours.
Derrick Morris has signed a contract extension with the Phoenix Coyotes.
Rick DiPietro has finally been put out of his misery as the New York Islanders have announced that their goaltender will be out for the rest of the season.
Rick DiPietro has been a Ranger killer this season. In their previous 3 meetings the Rangers fell to the New York Islanders and DiPietro afforded his cross town rivals only 4 goals throughout. The Rangers doubled that figure last night.
What I find humorous about the New York media (first that they are even talking about hockey) is that they were actually riding Bill Guerin about not scoring a goal this season. While the New York Islanders newest captain and free agent signing had yet to register a goal, he had assisted on 6, leading the team in that category.
I think alot of writers may have been wrong with their initial assessments of the New York Islanders. Myself included.
Quick Shave:
The playoff hero for the New York Islanders get's his due. 
This morning there are an army of happy fans in Buffalo, New York (and one semi-pleased young lady in Cincinatti, whose support of the playoff beard must continue for at least one more round) as their beloved Sabres advanced to the next round of the playoffs yesterday.
Quick Shave:
Somewhere on Long Island, my buddy Mike is wearing a big smile today. Your goaltender has returned Mike, and with him.... hope.
Quick Shave:
Quick Shave:
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.
n 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.
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.
What's up Mikey B! We got ourselves a game of the night this evening on Versus.
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.
Quick Shave:
Anaheim at Nashville 8:00 PM 
Phoenix at Dallas 8:30 PM 
Wow! What else can you say. Sidney Crosby's play this week has been nothing short of amazing. After lighting up the Flyers for 6 points Wednesday night, Crosby continued his NHL Player of the Week performance by potting a goal and set up all three of Ryan Malone's goals, for a 4 point evening. Welcome to the NHL Hat Trick Club Mr. Malone!
Quick Shave:
The opening match of the season between two of the greatest rivals in the NHL began last night, and provided lot's of offence, little goaltending, and even less defense. 
The Islanders look outstanding, and for a team that played in Pittsburgh the evening prior really took it to the Rangers. The Rangers appear to be collapsing into that no defensive responsiblity mode they were playing in during the start of the season. They need to protect their end of the ice better and stop allowing so many scoring opportunities. The Islanders and Ted Nolan, should keep doing what they are doing, and Kozlov seems to be thriving in the center position in relief of the injured Alexei Yashin.
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.
The San Jose Sharks are beginning to realize their potential this season, and are lining up the giants of the West and knocking them down one by one. Just two nights removed from shutting out the undefeated Dallas Stars, 2-0, the Sharks took advantage of a penalty filled game to score 5 power play goals, and win their sixth game over the Detroit Red wings 5-1.
The Stanley Cup Champs are playing like Stanley Cup Champs again. The Carolina Hurricanes playing off another solid outing by goaltender Cam Ward, who made 34 stops, pounded the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-1 last night. Justin Williams joined the ever growing NHL Hat Trick club by putting the lotion in the basket three times. Yes another hat trick! What the heck is going on with Mike Dunham? I have to give this guy credit. After a couple of average season's with the Rangers, and a lackluster year with the Atlanta Thrashers (including the game that he collapsed against the Caps last year that saw the Thrashers miss their first playoff appearance by 2 points), Dunham was floating in limbo uncertain that he would be playing again. After being offered at tryout with the Islanders, making the roster, and taking over for Rick DiPietro with a groin injury, Dunham has shined. In three starts, the New York Islanders remain unbeaten in regulation, 2 wins, and last nights shootout loss to the Preds. Mike Dunham stopped 32 shots, and ensured the Islanders get a point in the standings for their effort. The Chicago Blackhawks look pretty good so far....don't they realize they are supposed to suck? Perhaps Martin Havlat didn't get that memo, because he's leading the league in scoring with 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists).
