Main
 The New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens pulled off a big pre-UFA signing period deal this evening. The Rangers traded center Scott Gomez, winger Tom Pyatt, and defenceman Mike Busto to the Habs in exchange for forward Chris Higgins, and blueliners Doug Janik, Ryan McDonagh, and Pavel Valentenko.
Gomez is coming off a pedestrian season where he scored only 58 points. GM Bob Gainey is looking for him to rebound in Montreal. The Rangers managed to clear considerable cap space ($7.35 million) off of their roster heading into tomorrow's noon unrestricted free agent opening. One can safely assume that they will dive right back in a give some lucky player a contract of ridiculous proportions. Now if Sather could only find someone to want to trade Wade Redden for.
The Calgary Flames who acquired the exclusive negotiating rights to defenceman Jay Bouwmeester from the Florida Panthers several days ago, made the most of the opportunity. The Flames and JB agreed to a 5 year contract worth $6.6 million per year. There have been rumors that the Flames were looking to swap defenceman Dion Phaneuf to the Ottawa Senators straight up for disgruntled winger Dany Heatley. The Bouwmeester signing could be a prelude to that.
Tomorrow at noon the gates and checkbooks will open. Stay tuned!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The New York Rangers and New York Islanders both recieved a harsh lesson about playing a 60 minute game last night.
The Montreal Canadiens produced a 4 goal effort in the third period to complete their come from behind win over the Islander 5-4 last night. Forward Alexei Kovalev's second score of the game completed the comeback win for the Habs.
The New York Rangers got a major wake-up call from the never say die Toronto Maple Leafs who potted 5 goals in the final 5 minutes of the game. The Leafs quickly erased the Rangers 2-0 lead and kept on scoring to seal the 5-2 route of their Original Six rival. The Leafs who were predicted to be the worst team in the NHL by many this season are playing some inspired hockey under new head coach Ron Wilson and refuse to yield.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Montreal Canadiens acquired forward Robert Lang from the Chicago Blackhawks today in exchange for a second round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
The pick up of Robert Lang means that Mats Sundin will unlikely be wearing a Canadiens jersey this year. When asked if the Canadiens had moved on and that Sundin would not be a part of their future plans, General Manager Bob Gainey said yes.
The Rangers have also been rumored to have informed Sundin that he has until next Tuesday to make up his mind, otherwise they also will be moving on.
Back to Lang... in him, the Habs acquired a veteran forward who collected 54 points (21 goals, 33 assists) through 76 games with the Chicago Blackhawks last year. Lang should help bolster a young Canadiens team with both leadership as well as production.... and he's excited to join the Habs.
 The Carolina Hurricanes signed their super star forward Eric Staal yesterday to a monster long-term deal worth $57.5 million. The new contract will pay him an average of $8.25 million a year over the next 7 years. Staal is in the final year of his deal and would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer. He recorded 38 goals and 44 assists last season.
Speaking of unrestricted free agents... next summer their will be a few on the market worth looking at... more so for Fantasy Hockey Managers. It's no fluke that players in the final year of their contracts tend to play just a little bit harder in order to cash in over the summer. Those performances allow we the Fantasy GM's to be the beneficiaries. So here's a few worth looking at:
 Marian Gaborik. The Minnesota Wild are desperate to re-sign him, but I've heard rumors that he has no desire to play there anymore. Even though his production is solid, I think he feels stifled by Coach Jacques Lemaire's defense first system. Regardless of what style he plays, look for him to play lights out this year, and if he hasn't been extended by February, I wouldn't be surprised to see him traded at the deadline.
Marian Hossa. Hossa went to Detroit to win a Stanley Cup. He took a modest one year deal at $7.5 million (in contrast to the long term deals that were apparently floating around in the $10 million range) in order to come to Detroit and compete for a Cup. Hossa is banking on his skill, and club to not only land him a championship, but a ridiculous contract this summer. Don't be shocked if he is playing for his 4th club in two years by July, and it should be no surprise whatsoever that he is going to post huge numbers this year.
Henrik Zetterberg. I'm sure Detroit will re-sign him, and there's a chance he could be extended prior to the season opener, but what if they don't? What if he's imagining what he would be worth on the open market? Imagine if Zetterberg decides to test free agency come July? All that being said, imagine the season he's going to have. Regardless, signed or not, this guy is awesome.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The Jaromir Jagr era appears to be over in New York, as the Rangers have moved on and signed unrestricted free agent winger Markus Naslund to a two year deal worth $8 million. Jagr's inability to make a decision on his playing future and GM Glen Sather's lack of patience to wait for him to make up his mind forced the Rangers to pursue other alternatives. The Rangers also signed defenceman Dmitir Kalinin to a one year deal.
The San Jose Sharks prepared for life after Brian Campbell by signing veteran defenceman Rob Blake to a one year deal worth $5 million.
The Montreal Canadiens signed tough guy Georges Laraque to a three year deal worth $4.5 million. The Habs also signed buy-out casualty goaltender Marc Denis to a one year deal.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The Philadelphia Flyers hung on to defeat the Montreal Canadiens last 3-2... barely. The Montreal Canadiens mounted a furious comeback, and in the final moments of the third, pounded the Flyers with shots but were unable to solve goaltender Martin Biron for the second straight game.
Biron helped the Flyers climb back into the series on Saturday and last night helped them take a 2-1 series lead. Unfortunately for Habs goalie Carey Price, for every action there is an equal yet opposite reaction. Price was yanked in favor of back up Jaroslav Halak after surrendering the third goal to the Flyers.
Aside from this series, the rest of the games in this round are very one sided.
 The Pittsburgh Penguins have dominated the New York Rangers in the first two games of their series. The Rangers blew a commanding three goal lead Friday night and fell to the Penguins 5-4. On Sunday, they tightened up, and were shutout by Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. I can't say enough good things about this club right now. They overcome adversity, they play good team defense, and they have made Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist look ordinary. They have yet to lose thus far in the post season, and really look like a team of destiny right now.
Now for the bad. While I appreciate the effort, Sidney Crosby's playoff beard (term used very loosely) is undescribable. While teammates Ryan Malone, and Marian Hossa have brought the Beardgame, Crosby.... well he just can't. I will never take anything away from him as a player, but I have found his flaw. Pittsburgh fans.... we have found the new Jeff Friesen. Officer Crosby... the donuts are on us.
 I got some crap for my opinion on Joe Thornton last week, and my belief that he is not a big time playoff performer. Two games, 1 assist, two losses. The man has all the skills and tools necessary to carry this club to the promised land, but for some reason fails to do so, or at least has so far. On the positive side, the man does wield a formidable playoff beard... hopefully that facial magnificence will one day translate to Stanley Cup glory. The Dallas Stars look amazing. After knocking of the reigning Stanley Cup Champs, they look poised to easily dispatch the Stanley Cup favorite San Jose Sharks. They bring a 2-0 series lead back to Dallas tomorrow night. Marty Turco is the man.... and he is finally getting his due..... take a page from his playbook Joe.
 The sleeping giant has awoken in Detroit. After an amazing regular season, the Detroit Red Wings were tested in round 1 by the Nashville Predators, but now head to Denver with a 2-0 series lead, and look to continue their dominance over an injury depleted Colorado Avalanche lineup. The Red Wings have brought Avs goaltender Jose Theodore back down to earth and have made him look like the Theodore of old (not the MVP old Theodore... last years Rogaine Junkie Theodore). Rumors are abound that back up goaltender (formerly number one) Peter Budaj may start game 3 for the Avs. There is also a chance that Forsberg may return from the groin injury that has hampered him this round. Either way, the Avs better pulll something out of their hats.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Though the Montreal Canadiens are denying it, preliminary reports are saying that the Habs could lose their captain for up to four weeks.
Koivu was injured during Friday night's comeback 4-3 overtime victory over the Buffalo Sabres. During the game Koivu was hit by a shot in the foot. X-rays were to be taken today or tomorrow to determine the severity of the injury once the swelling went down.
Koivu now joins a injured list that continues to grow which includes defencemen Mark Streit (who was also injured during Friday's game) and Mike Komisarek.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Looks as though the future is now in Montreal as the Canadiens have dealt their former number one goaltender Cristobal Huet to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a second round pick.
This trade really shook up the gang at the trade center and may really send shockwaves throughout Montreal. For Washington, the Capitals get a solid presence in net, and gave up very little to get Huet.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Did I jinx Alexander Ovechkin by calling him the League MVP? Or did I light a fire under the butt of Evgeni Malkin?
It looks like Sidney Crosby's injury has become a blessing in disguise. Evgeni Malkin has blossomed into a true superstar over the past month, since taking over the role as team leader in Crosby's absence. Rather than fall apart, the Pittsburgh Penguins have climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. After last night's 5-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens, they share the Atlantic Division lead with the New Jersey Devils and sit in a three way tie for second in the East with the Habs, now just one point behind Eastern Conference leading Ottawa.
Malkin scored a goal and added two assists, which brought his NHL scoring lead total to 82 points. He now has 21 points in his last 9 games. Food for thought. How scary is this team going to be when Sidney Crosby does return?
Quick Shave:
The New York Islanders won their sixth straight last night as Rick Dipietro made 32 saves to complete the 1-0 shutout victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Islanders recent streak has now brought them within a point of the final playoff spot in the East. Isles forward Chris Simon returned to action after serving a 30 game suspension for tap dancing on Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jaarko Ruutu's leg. The Buffalo Sabres have clearly turned their season around and continue to pile on the points after an easy 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs (who have clearly given up). The Sabres are in seventh place in the East with 68 points. The Philadelphia Flyers are in freefall right now. They dropped their ninth straight last night to the San Jose Sharks 3-1, and dropped out of the playoff race into the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference. Flyers forward Simone Gagne is out for the rest of the season with concussion problems, and there will be no help coming from Peter Forsberg whose comeback is highly unlikely. Recent acquisitions Martin Biron in net, and Daniel Briere have not met expectations, and I perhaps cursed them by saying they would make the playoffs this year. Rumor has the Flyers desperate to make a deadline deal to help salvage their season and playoff hopes. Keep an eye on them.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Everyone in Ottawa can now breathe a collective sigh of relief. Your club is back.
To be more specific, your top line of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, and Dany Heatley have finally reunited after a month of injury related absences and picked up right where they left off. Last night Ottawa Senators forward Jason Spezza joined the NHL Hat Trick Club, and also added 3 assists for an incredible 6 point evening. Alfredsson added two goals and three assists, and winger Dany Heatley had an off night, scoring only 1 goal and three assists. 15 points between the three players.
The Senators destroyed the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 last night, who have been creeping on the Senators for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Last night they hardly looked like a club that could compete.
Is the ship now righted in Ottawa? For the time being I would say yes. If Ray Emery and Martin Gerber can provide some consistent goaltending this club should roll through the playoffs.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Montreal Canadiens power play is still humming, even without their quarterback Sheldon Souray manning the point. Habs defenceman Andrei Markov embraced that mantle and setup two power play goals.
Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu scored two power play including the game winner (the second effort by Chris Higgins to get the puck over to Koivu and set up the final score was excellent.... check the highlight film) a little over a minute into the overtime period and helped the Habs defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2.
While much of the talk this week was on rookie goaltender Carey Price making the Canadiens opening day roster it was veteran keeper Cristobal Huet who manned the pipes for Montreal last night. Huet turned aside 29 shots to help his club to the season opening win.
Quick Shave:
The Heat is on in Ottawa. Dany Heatley. Ok that was weak, but what's not is that the Ottawa Senators managed to lock up their star forward at the zero hour to a long term deal. The Sens will have Heatley in the fold for the next 6 years at a humbling $45 million (roughly $7.5 million per season). Heatley then went on to up-end the Toronto Maple Leafs by scoring two goals including the game winner in overtime to lift the Sens to a 4-3 win. Leafs coach Paul Maurice opted to start goaltender Andrew Raycroft in favor of newly acquired keeper Vesa Toskala.... a move that had Toronto media losing their minds (you should have heard Kypreos on the Rogers Sportsnet Radio show at noon yesterday... he made Pierre McGuire seem jolly). In any case, Maurice and the Leafs will be second guessed for the decision as Raycroft allowed 4 goals on 30 shots. Colorado Avalanche forward Paul Stastny put the finishing touches on his first ever career NHL Hat Trick midway through the second period last night. The Dallas Stars mounted a comeback but ultimately fell to the Avs 4-3. The Stars new jerseys.... what's up? Is it me or are they nothing more than practice sweaters? Solid white, with a small green star in the center of the chest? This is not the type of design that is going to have fans in Dallas or anywhere running out to get their new Reebok jersey. The Detroit Red Wings exacted some revenge from the Anaheim Ducks last night in their home opener as Jiri Hudler beat Bryzgalov for the only score in the shootout and help his club to the 3-2 win. Getzlaf, bro.... get a new shootout deke. Don't get me wrong it's cool, and sure it's worked a few times before, but I think keepers are getting an idea of what you are gonna do now pal.
Game of the Night:
Florida at NY Rangers 7:00 PM
Philadelphia at Calgary 10:00 PM
These games are all about discovery. I'm super curious to see how UFA additions Chris Drury and Scott Gomez fit in with the Blueshirts, and I'd like to see if my theory that the Philadelphia Flyers will make the playoffs this year holds any water as they face off against an always solid Calgary Flames team..... with a Keenan behind the bench..... fear the Keenan.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Montreal Canadiens latest goaltending phenom will be on display this season afterall.
Within a team that was already stacked in the net, the 20 year old goaltending star Carey Price made the final cuts yesterday. Rather than joining the Habs AHL affiliate in Hamilton, Price will backup veteran goaltender Cristobal Huet. Price's promotion also means that backup netminder Jaroslav Halak was sent down to the AHL.
The rumor mill's will be overheating on this one, as the San Jose Sharks have been very interested in acquiring Halak from the Canadiens. If Price performs well in his backup role, and solidifies his position with the big club, I think Halak will be dealt sooner than later.
Congratulations to Price for making it to the NHL.... and how glad am I and every other GM who drafted him this pre-season!
Quick Shave:
The Philadelphia Flyers named newly acquired defenceman Jason Smith the team's captain for the upcoming season. Smith was part of a trade this summer that saw he and forward Joffrey Lupul sent from the Edmonton Oilers for Flyers blueliner Joni Pitkanen.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Oily Souray? Doesn't that sound like the nickname for a procedure you'd request at a questionable massage parlor? Gimme the Oily Souray please. Anyone? Ok I'll quit while I'm ahead.
The Edmonton Oilers scored their big named free agent yesterday by scooping up former Habs blue liner Sheldon Souray. Souray signed with the Oilers for 5 years, $27 million and is looking forward to playing near home in Alberta.
Souray had a career year last season for the Montreal Canadiens posting up huge offensive numbers, scoring 26 goals, and 38 assists, with a record breaking 19 of those goals coming on the power play. Souray led the Habs in scoring for most of the season as well (which may explain why the Habs were so bad last season). His only downside, was his play on the defensive side of the puck. Souray finished the season with a -29. The Oilers may well have found their point man power play specialist replacement that they lost when the traded Chris Pronger away last year. Good move for both parties.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Did last night's game deliver or what? You don't have to answer. Bosh knows.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens wrapped up their regular season last night at the Air Canada Centre and provided a memorable affair to all who witnessed it. Unfortunately for the Habs, the 6-5 Leafs victory also wrapped up their season, and an opportunity to participate in the playoffs.
The Leafs jumped out to a solid 3-1 lead early in the second before they watched the wheels come off (again?! for the third straight game the Leafs allowed at least three goals in one period) as the Habs potted 4 goals and appeared poised to take the match. Maple Leafs goaltender Andrew Raycroft was yanked for the second time in a week, and it looked like the curtains would be closing on their playoff campaign. Trailing 5-4 going into the third, the Maple Leafs took advantage of Montreal's parade to the penalty box, cashing in on two power play opportunities early in the third and held on the rest of the way for win. Maple Leafs Captain Mats Sundin recorded three assists on the evening, and Habs forward Michael Ryder joined the NHL Hat Trick Club... in one period! Goaltending was not really a factor in this match.
The Maple Leafs, are now pencilled in as the 8th and final playoff spot holders and must wait to see if their 91 points will stand up. The outcome of the New York Islanders vs. New Jersey Devils game this afternoon at 3:30 will determine the immediate future of Toronto. The Islanders are holding in 9th place just one point behind the Leafs, and could take the last spot in the Eastern Conference with a victory. Can you say Game of the Night? I knew that you could.
Quick Shave:
The Buffalo Sabres clinched the President's Trophy last night with a 2-0 shutout win over the Washington Capitals, their 53rd victory of the season. The Vancouver Canucks defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-3 yesterday and clinched the Northwest Division title. The win was number 47 for Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo who tied Flyers goaltender Bernie Parent's record (which was broken by Martin Brodeur days ago). The Sharks loss also helped the Anaheim Ducks claim the Pacific Division title as they defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. The Ottawa Senators defeated the Boston Bruins 6-3 last night securing the 4th spot in the East and the home ice advantage that comes with it. Sens forward Dany Heatley scored his 50th goal of the season in the game and became the first player since Pavel Bure to pot back to back 50 goal seasons. The dream died for the Colorado Avalanche last night as they fell to the Nashville Predators 4-2 last night. The Avs will miss the playoffs for the first time since 1994. The opportunity for a sensational matchup today between the Avs and the Calgary Flames was there as the they lost to the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 last night. However, with the Avs loss, the Flames clinched the 8th and final spot in the Western Conference.
So the battle lines have been drawn (for the most part, with just the 8th seed in the East yet to be determined) and here's a look at the matchups for the first round of the playoffs:
Eastern Conference:
1. Buffalo Sabres vs. 8. Toronto Maple Leafs or New York Islanders
2. New Jersey Devils vs. 7. Tampa Bay Lightning
3. Atlanta Thrashers vs. 6. New York Rangers
4. Ottawa Senators vs. 5. Pittsburgh Penguins
Western Conference:
1. Detroit Red Wings vs. 8. Calgary Flames
2. Anaheim Ducks vs. 7. Minnesota Wild
3. Vancouver Canucks vs. 6. Dallas Stars
4. Nashville Predators vs. 5. San Jose Sharks
 Game of the YEAR:
NY Islanders at New Jersey 3:30 PM
The table is set for the New York Islanders to pull of the improbable today. Granted for them to do it and steal the 8th spot in the East from the Leafs, they will have defeat Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils. Not an easy task, but little more than a week ago, everyone had written them off. Win and yer in! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Big night in the NHL last night! So many storylines that could have written their final chapters yesterday did the opposite and left us with 'to be continued'. Which for most of us is a good thing (difficult to watch your team fighting for a playoff spot on the final game of the season..... I'll get to that shortly).
The New York Rangers clinched a playoff spot last night for the second year in a row with a 3-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens last night. Rangers forward Jaromir Jagr scored the game winner and his 30th goal of the season. Jagr has now scored 30 or more goals in 15 consecutive seasons. The Rangers with one game remaining against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday have a chance to clinch the 6th playoff spot, where they will meet either the Atlanta Thrashers or the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. If they fall to 7th, they will face the New Jersey Devils.
 The New York Islanders kept their playoff hopes by handing the Toronto Maple Leafs their second straight loss 5-2 (Raycroft has been lit up recently eh?). Isles forward Jason Blake scored his career high 40th goal of the season and the game winner, and goaltender Wade Dubielewicz had another huge night in net. Dubie made 28 saves and backstopped the Islanders to their second straight victory. Ryan Smyth started the bleeding with the opening score for the Islanders in the first, and then went back and forth with the Leafs until the wheels came off in the third. The Leafs surrendered three goals in one period again for the second straight game, and will now need to win in regulation on Saturday against the Habs in the final game of the season. The Habs can clinch a playoff spot with a win or overtime loss. If the Islanders win out and Toronto wins, they can steal the final playoff spot. Like I said this weekend will be fun.
The Pittsburgh Penguins stunned the Ottawa Senators with seconds remaining in the third period last night. Pens forward Maxime Talbot late (very late) in the game to give his club the 3-2 win and move them into a fourth place tie with the Senators. Both clubs have a game remaining and will play for home ice advantage. Regardless, the Penguins and Senators are going to meet in the first round of the playoffs, and what a series that should be. Does anyone still think the Penguins are going to be pushovers?
 Martin Broduer became the regular season's winningest goaltender record holder last night as he and the New Jersey Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 last night. The record was originally held by Flyers own Bernie Parent with 47. Brodeur made 34 saves for the win and helped the New Jersey Devils clinch their second straight Atlantic Division title.
Milan Hejduk, welcome to the NHL Hat Trick Club! He picked the perfect time to join. The Colorado Avalanche, much like the New York Islanders have kept their playoffs alive as well. The Avs defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 and pulled within 3 points of the Calgary Flames (who were dropped by the San Jose Sharks last night 4-3) and if they win out, can steal the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Calgary needs two points to clinch, and they face the Avs on the final game of the regular season! How sweet is that?! Pretty Sweet Bosh. Pretty Sweet.
Game of the Night:
Atlanta at Carolina 7:00 PM
Florida at Tampa Bay 8:00 PM
Anaheim at Dallas 8:30 PM
All of these are pretty big games, especially the Thrashers and Lightning games. Both teams are battling for the Southeast Division and the 3rd seed overall. The winner gets the third spot, the loser the 6th or 7th in the East, so wins at this point are extremely valuable. Anaheim's Pacific Division cushion has been widdled down to one point by the San Jose Sharks so they need to pad that if they want to remain in second seed. If they lose to Dallas, ans San Jose continues it's climb, they could drop to 5th. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Eastern Conference is tearing a page from the Western Conference regular season finish last year, as 5 teams battle for the final 2 playoff spots.
The New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders are all separated by one point in the Standings. Huge wins last night for the Leafs and the Habs have them tied for 8th in the Eastern Conference with the Carolina Hurricanes. In fact all five of these teams have been battling so hard for their playoff lives, that they now have the Tampa Bay Lightning in sight, who site 6th in the East with 84 points.
The Toronto Maple Leafs moved into 8th place after an emotional yet close match against the New Jersey Devils. The last time the teams met, Tomas Kaberle was lost for an indefinite period after an apparent late hit by Devils tough guy Cam Janssen. The Leafs Wade Belak and Devils Cam Janssen had themselves an old fashioned donnybrook.... they are actually still fighting now. After quenching their thirst for revenge the Leafs got down to business and collected their two points for the win, by defeating the Devils 2-1. Goaltender Andrew Raycroft bested Martin Brodeur by one save, as they both faced 25 shots, and Leafs Captain Mats Sundin added two assists on the night for his 900th point in the blue and white. Congrats Mats..... that rhymes! I'm good. Sundin has been a point streak of late, so if you in the fantasy playoffs, make certain you are starting him.
The Habs followed suit, and collected a much needed two points over the Boston Bruins (who are also fighting for a playoff spot, but are rapidly losing ground) with a 1-0 victory. Montreal Canadiens rookie goaltender Jaroslav Halak made 30 saves for his first NHL shutout, and rookie forward Guillaum Latendresse scored the lone goal and game winner late in the second to complete the win. One of the scary things about the Canadiens this season has been their lack of offense. Do you realize their leading goal scorer is defenceman Sheldon Souray with 24 goals? Scarier still, is that he is so focused on his goal scoring for his team that his defensive responsibilities have been neglected, and has collected a -23 rating for the year. I love defenseman that score (that sounds questionable) but not at the cost of defense. I digress... in any case the Habs are keeping pace with the East's playoff hungry and are now tied for 8th.
 The Calgary Flames had a fire lit under them last night. It's called the Colorado Avalanche. With their lead in the standings diminishing, the Flames took it to the Detroit Red Wings last night (who are tied for the second best record in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres, and just a point shy of the Nashville Predators who own the one spot with 100 points) for the 2-1 win. Goaltender Dominik Hasek attempted to draw a penalty with some theatrics but failed, and it cost him and the Wings a goal. What's funny is his explanation:
'Somebody bumped me in the head, I don't know it if was my teammate or their player, and I fell down on my back,'' the 42-year-old goaltender said. ''I was a little bit confused, I didn't know what was going on and before I got up, they scored that goal.'' (from TSN.ca)
and Red Wings Coach Mike Babcocks retort:
'It wasn't interference at all. Our goalie tried to draw the penalty and he dove and they shot it in the net,'' Babcock said bluntly. ''The bottom line is embellishment is something that happens in our games, probably too much, and when you try and draw a penalty and they shoot it in our net, it's a tough one.'' (from TSN.ca)
Ummm, Dominik me thinks you are lying sir. Anyway, he cost his team a win that could have propelled them into first for the Presidents Trophy Race. Flames keeper Miikka Kiprusoff made 30 saves to complet the 2-1 win and cushioned their lead on the Avs to 6 points. Good news (maybe) for the Red Wings as forward Todd Bertuzzi (please excuse my Bertuzzi as he is still wearing his Florida lid) may make an appearance for his new team on Thursday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. A little fine tuning prior to the playoffs perhaps?
Game of the Night:
Nashville at Vancouver 10:00 PM
The big boys in the West throw down tonight, as the Central Division and league leading Predators try to stay ahead of the Wings by defeating the Northwest Division leading Canucks who are also trying to stave off the Minnesota Wild (who have won 7 straight games by the way.... which is sweet, because I picked up Wild goaltender Nicklas Backstrom and he has been HUUUGE for me.... and he's helped the Wild a bit too). Enjoy the games brothers and sisters of the face pelt!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Big blow for the Montreal Canadiens playoff hopes yesterday.....or is it?
Montreal Canadiens number one goaltender Cristobal Huet will be out for at the very least the remainder of the NHL regular season following surgery to repair his left hamsting. Huet was injured during last weeks game against the New Jersey Devils when he fell akwardly trying to stop a shot. Cristobal Huet hopes to be ready to play for the Habs in the playoffs....if they make it.
In light of his recent injury, backup (or tandem keeper, you decide) David Aebischer was expected to shoulder the load of the starts while receiving support from call up Jaroslav Halak. Well it appears its going to be the other way around.
Halak won his second straight game for the Canadiens last night by helping his club defeat the Washington Capitals 5-3 last night. Coach Carbonneau promised that Halak would be in net for the Habs as they face the Western Conference leading Nashville Predators tomorrow night.
Mr. Huet was a mainstay on two of my Fantasy Rosters so this a big blow to the Bosher. I decided to drop the lad in favor of Nicklas Backstrom of the Minnesota Wild who appears to be having a solid season in relief of Manny Fernandez (he's out with a knee.... if not its' a groin). Hopefully he will bring me good fortune.
Quick Shave:
The New York Rangers can't beat the New Jersey Devils. While the game was spirited (including a little toe to toe action between Sean Avery and Martin Brodeur, I have to face facts. The Devils own the Rangers, and have figured out how to shut them down. Jaromir Jagr was held without a shot last night. If I remember correctly the last time the two teams met, Jagr had one shot late in the third period. The Devils took the game 2-1 on a goal by Zach Parise. Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins shutout the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-0 last night. The Bruins are fighting to remain in the playoff hunt, and Thomas 44 save performance helped them close the gap between them and the Leafs by 4 points. The Carolina Hurricanes are on playoff life support right now as well, following their 3-1 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers last night. The Canes have a 1 point lead on the New York Islanders for the 8th and final spot in the East. Will the Stanley Cup Champions not be at the post season dance to defend their title this year? The Ottawa Senators are a team on the rise, and the team they beat last night 4-3 (shootout win), the Edmonton Oilers are a team on the decline. The Oilers have a lot of ground to make up (8 points) to catch the Calgary Flames who hold the final spot in the West. The Western Conference is really opening up, and the only teams now that have a legitimate shot at the playoff in my opinion are the Colorado Avalanche (8 points out), the Oilers (also 8 points out), and the St. Louis Blues (no I'm not kidding, 9 points out). Given their current position perhaps they may not be sellers by next week and try to make the post season?
Game of the Night:
San Jose at Washington 7:00 PM
Chicago at Detroit 7:30 PM
Only two games on the menu tonight, so I give you them both. I'm a little more interested in the Red Wings vs. Blackhawks game because the Sharks and Caps have really been mailing it in lately. Frankly both teams need to find a way to break out of their slumps. Alexander Ovechkin has 1 goal in last 8 games? Come on bro, let's pick it up! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
When the hate you in Montreal.....they really hate you. Sidney Crosby is the newest player to wear the scarlet letter in the Bell Centre as the Canadiens crowd verbally assaulted him for most of the game.....their is but one way to silence them Sid...but coughing up the puck in overtime is not the way to do it.
Tomas Plekanec stole the puck from Sidney Crosby and set up Habs defenceman Sheldon Souray for the game winning score midway through the overtime period and give the Canadiens the 4-3 win. It was Souray's 5th game winning goal of the season, and his 44th point (18 goals, 26 assists). Souray leads the Montreal Canadiens in points and goals.
David Aebischer made 31 saves to preserve the victory for the Canadiens. Aebischer has been playing alot more lately, and I believe yesterday was his third start in four games. I wonder if Carbonneau is showcasing him prior to the trade deadline? Aebischer could be an affordable playoff rental for a team that is lacking confidence in their goaltending..... Tampa Bay perhaps?
Quick Shave:
The Washington Capitals dispatched the New York Islanders in a tight affair yesterday. The only other game on the pre Super Bowl schedule. Capitals forward Alexander Semin scored the only goal in the shootout to give his club the 2-1 win over the Islanders. Ovechkin was shutdown for most of the game and held to a single shot on net.
 Game of the Night:
Detroit at NY Rangers 7:00 PM
Only one game on the evening, but it should be a pretty good one. New York Rangers forward Brendan Shanahan welcomes his old team the Detroit Red Wings to his new home. The Red Wings as usual have taken care of business this season, while the New York Rangers have been given the business, and sit outside the playoff bubble. Tonight's match should be emotionally charged, and perhaps Shanny will give his old mates some chin music. Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Just about everyone will be watching the Colts and Bears kick it off this evening.....but the elite will be enjoying a rematch of Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens as they do battle for the second time this week.
The Penguins came away with the 5-4 shootout victory after blowing a 2 goal lead in the third to the Montreal Canadiens days ago in Pittsburgh. Their last meeting had fights, hits, and scoring galore, followed by Coaches slinging verbal assaults at each other and the referees. Today the Penguins travel North to the Bell Centre in Montreal to face their rivals today at 2:00 PM EST. Crack those brews open early kids and enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Two nights ago, I turned off the New York Islanders vs. Detroit Red Wings game too early. The Islanders had a healthy 3 goal lead on the Wings entering the third and for the most part looked like this was the Islanders game to blow. And blow it they did.
Last night, the Penguins had a 3-1 lead on the Habs, and I did the same thing.....however the force called me back, and I turned the game on late in the third to find the score 4-4. What I witnessed from that point forward was some of the best hockey I've seen this season. First off, you have to watch the highlights of this game (you can find them here) which from the start was deemed 'playoff' style hockey by Pierre McGuire (who sounded less angry than usual last night...perhaps they expanded his mini-sin bin?). The opening face off began with a Maxim Lapierre butt end to Sidney Crosby's ribs which dropped him to the ice (I think he over exaggerated the fall a bit, but he did take the hit)....the tone of the game was more or less set from that point forward. The Penguins as I said took a 2 goal lead, and that is when the Bosher decided to move on to more zambonied pastures.....much to my misfortune.
Colby Armstrong took a run at Canadiens captain Saku Koivu and smeared him across the end boards......which Habs defenceman took exception to, and smeared Armstrong's face all over the ice by essentially beating the stuffing out of him. Souray was given the door, and ejected from the game. By the time I returned the Habs had tied the game up, and Pierre McGuire was preaching about how this game should be bottled and marketed by the NHL to the world. Corny expressions aside, the man was right. Intense, exciting, and passionate play was certainly on display.
I think NHL Center Ice needs to have a 'Red Zone' style channel similiar to NFL Ticket, that automatically switches your screen to the game that is most exciting (jumping between a night where 11 games are playing can be difficult.....thus my missing portions of this one).
Overtime was outstanding. How great is 4 on 4 hockey? Almost as good as 3 on 3, which part of the overtime consisted of, and that had to be the coolest thing I've seen. The big difference in this game, was Marc Andre Fleury, especially in overtime. He stopped several golden opportunities, and was solid in the shootout. Pittsburgh Penguins rookie Evgeni Malking scored the eventual game winner during the shootout. Sidney Crosby still hasn't potted one yet, missing again last night, going 0-7 on the season.....but let's be honest.....you don't throw away a Ferrari because it has a scratch on it. This kid is incredible, and finished the evening with 3 assists.
How's this for a pre-Superbowl appetizer? The Penguins visit the Habs Sunday at 2:00 PM. Talk about game of the night (day)!
Quick Shave:
I'm not going to curse this guy with my praise, but you have to give it up for Yanic Perreault. The Phoenix Coyotes forward who has become Captain Clutch this season, scored another game winner (he now has 5 on the season) late in the third, to help his team beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 last night. Huge win for the Coyotes. Their confidence has to be riding an all time high right now, and deservedly so. If Perreault is available in your leagues, grab him (I own him in two now). Vancouver Canucks forward Markus Naslund put the finishing touch on a 5-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers last night. Naslund's game winning goal was his 4th tally in 9 games and is showing signs of breaking out of his goal scoring slump (which is awesome since he is also on my roster). The Dallas Stars swept the home and home series with the San Jose Sharks by taking the second meeting 4-2 last night. What's going on with the Carolina Hurricanes? They can't seem to buy a win lately. Last night they were shutout by the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0. Lightning goaltender Johan Holmqvist made 31 saves for his first ever NHL shutout. The Buffalo Sabres beat up on the Boston Bruins again last night (doesn't seem like these two teams have played each other 20 times this season) 3-1. Chris Drury of the Sabres had two goals on the evening, and backup keeper Martin Biron made 33 save to complete the win. Recently traded Jamie Lundmark scored his first goal of the season last night for the Los Angeles Kings. Unfortunately the goal came in a losing effort to the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in overtime.
Game of the Night:
St. Louis at Detroit 7:30 PM
Columbus at Calgary 9:00 PM
Only two games on the card for tonight, but both look good to me. Two upstarts versus two powerhouses. Columbus and St. Louis have both been climbing and stringing victories together, but both are clearly under-dogs in these matches. Manny Legace will try to outduel his old team in Detroit, and Craig Conroy will try and make his reunion in Calgary continue in style. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo is becoming everything they had hoped he would be when they traded for him at last year's NHL Entry Draft.
Luongo spent Monday evening in the hospital after taking a Daniel Sedin shot to the throat during practice. He responded last night on little to no sleep by stopping all 30 Montreal Canadiens shots and help Vancouver to the 4-0 shutout win. The victory was his third this season by shutout. The Canucks win was their fifth in a row on the road, and they have now won nine of their last 10 games.
For a team that was finding difficulty putting the puck in the net a month ago, they are finding scoring everywhere now. Ryan Kesler, Josh Green, Jan Bulis, and Lukas Krajicek (who has one of the coolest names in the NHL) provided the tallies for the Canucks last night.
The Vancouver Canucks now hold sole possesion of first in the Northwest Division and the third seed in the Western Conference.
For Montreal, things probably couldn't look worse right now. The Habs have dropped nine of their last 13 games, and have had some trouble rebounding from the recent flu epidemic that devestated their line up a week ago. Forward Sergei Samsonov was scratched last night as his frustrating season continues to labor on. In 46 games this season, the UFA acquisition by the Canadiens has scored just 19 points (6 goals, 13 assists), and is a -2 rating.
 Quick Shave:
Marian Hossa does it again. The Atlanta Thrashers forward joined the NHL HTC for the second time this season, scoring three in his team's 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Kings keeper Yutaka Fukufuji as pulled early in the second period after allowing three goals on nine shots, in his first ever NHL start. Hang in there guy! Do you think Martin Brodeur and Dominik Hasek are having a shutout battle this season? The two veterans are making a huge case for the Vezina Trophy right now. Martin Brodeur continued his amazing campaign by shutting down the New York Rangers 1-0, for his 8th shutout of the season. The New Jersey Devils goaltender stopped all 26 shots he faced, and forward Jay Pandolfo shut down Jaromir Jagr successfully once again, allowing him to take only one shot on net. The Devils have the formula to stop the Rangers premier right wing, and the personell to execute it almost every time. Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins continues to light the lamp. Crosby netted a pair against the New York Islanders (who are losing often lately to everyone but the Rangers) and helped his club to the 5-2 win. Pittsburgh is now 3 points out of the 8th and final playoff spot, and Crosby extended his NHL scoring lead to 68 points (23 goals, 45 assists) in 41 games played this season. Imagine how good this kid is going to be when he hits 21! The Anaheim Ducks woes continue in the wake of their injured star players. The Ducks were hammered by the rising St. Louis Blues 6-2 last night, and Ilya Brysgalov did little to help his case with Coach Carlyle allowing 4 goals on 13 shots.....not to mention completely destroy my goaltending stats for the week! Little side note here....Fantasy Hockey is driving me insane lately! All of my players are either on IR, Day to Day, or mired in massive slumps......I thought this was supposed to be fun? The Ottawa Senators appear to have completely rebounded from their awful start, and have been laying waste to everyone they play. Last night's victim: the Washington Capitals, who the Sens handily defeated 5-2 on a pair of goals by new arrival Mike Comrie. The Senators have now won five in a row, and injured forward Jason Spezza has resumed skating and should be returning to the lineup soon.
Game of the Night:
Nashville at Detroit 7:30 PM
How about this one? The best of the Central Division get down tonight! Four points separate these two teams, and a win by Nashville tonight could put them in the top spot in the Western Conference! Maybe someone will recognize them then? Perhaps, if they can put a puck past Hasek. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Think Martin Brodeur is pissed he didn't win the Vezina Trophy last year? Judging by how he is playing, I would say he is making a solid case to take it this season.
Brodeur stopped all 28 shots the Montreal Canadiens delivered his way for the 3-0 victory, and his 87th career shutout. He now leads the league with 24 wins and collected his 6th win by shutout last night. The New Jersey Devils who been stifling the Rangers win streak have a healthy foothold on the Atlantic Division, and are within striking distance of the Atlanta Thrashers 2nd overall spot in the East. The Devils are hot right now, winning 8 of their last 11 games.
The Montreal Canadiens playing on back to back nights have been decimated by the flu, have now lost three straight. Cristobal Huet made 34 saves in the loss.
Quick Shave:
Is it too late to jump on the Phoenix Coyotes bandwagon? The Coyotes by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 last night have now one six straight. No I'm serious. Now what you probably don't know is that Coyotes have climbed out of the cellar and just 7 points out of a playoff berth. Phoenix has 38 points and currently sit in 12th place in the Western Conference. As it is in the West, the 7th and 8th spots held by the Calgary Flames and tthe Minnesota Wild are still available to any of the teams outside the bubble. The St. Louis Blues are just 12 points out, which is more than attainable with roughly 40 games to go. No one is safe, and it looks like we are going to see an all out sprint like we did last year. Ilya Bryzgalov and the Anaheim Ducks got back to winning again last night, ending their losing streak against the Detroit Red Wings with the 4-2 win. Bryzgalov made 33 saves in relief of the injured Jean Sebastien Giguere. Detroit has now dropped three straight. Whenever there is win streak in the NHL, there is a losing streak going on somewhere else. The Ottawa Senators upended the Philadelphia Flyers 6-1 yesterday, receiving multi-point games from forwards Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson. Hey Hey! I guess Markus Naslund reads the beard! My little write up yesterday on the decline of his skills finally woke up his offence as he potted his first goal for the Vancouver Canucks in 17 games. Roberto Luongo bested his old 'mates the Florida Panthers in a 4-3 shootout win.
Game of the Night:
Edmonton at Los Angeles 10:30 PM
Only game on the night for the NHL, so you have to watch it. Enjoy the game! I said Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
I have to admit at the start of the season I was really worried about Cristobal Huet. He had all of the symptoms early on that would indicate he would be embracing a sophomore slump. The boys on the Face Off Hockey Show had a great debate about this with Lyle Richardson from Spector's Hockey. They discussed how often keepers that have amazing first years, or incredible runs during the post season fall flat. The list was long and distinguished.....
Cristobal Huet of the Montreal Canadiens at one point was in danger of losing his starting role to backup goalie David Aebischer, but over the past month has more than ensured he will be number one in Montreal. Last night's performance, was yet another notch in his goal stick as he turned aside 42 Buffalo Sabres shots in a dominant 5-2 victory over the Eastern Conference's best club. The Habs have been one of the few teams that have had an answer for Buffalo's speed, defense, and goaltending (Ottawa being the other), and after trading several tight games with the Sabres, the Canadiens unleashed the KRACKEN!
Christopher Higgins who recently returned to the Habs lineup, scored twice, and Kovaleve, Lapierre and Bouillon also added tallies for the Habs. The Habs trail only the Buffalo Sabres in the Northeast, and would be in second place overall in the Eastern Conference if they weren't in the same division as their rivals.
Quick Shave:
Big night for the HTC. Boston Bruins forward Marco Sturm scored three goals to secure his place in the NHL HTC and help his club defeat the Ottawa Senators 7-2 last night. Zdeno Chara returned to Ottawa for the first time since leaving as a UFA. New York Islanders forward Jason Blake added three goals of his own to lift his team past the New York Rangers for the second time in 2 weeks 5-2....and of course was greeted by the NHL HTC for his efforts. Last night was a goal fest! Three of the winners scored 7 goals (Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, and Colorado Avalanche), three more scored 5 (Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay LIghtning, and Calgary Flames), and three more potted 4 (New York Islanders, St. Louis Blues...yes they finally won, and the Atlanta Thrashers). I guess the keepers took the night off....or the forwards were chugging espresso prior to the games.
Game of the Night:
Columbus at Detroit 7:30 PM
Nashville at Chicago 8:30 PM
Dallas at Anaheim 10:00 PM
The last one is obviously the big one, but all of the games on the Western Night look pretty fun to me. Look for Lindros to join the HTC with three against the Ducks tonight. Right! Enjoy the games my friends!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Now that was a hockey game worthy of being thankful for!
The Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres gave us an amazing game of the night. The Buffalo Sabres carried a 1-0 lead for a good part of the match, till Saku Koivu found the equalizer mid way through the third. Montreal Canadiens goaltender Cristobal Huet was sharp. Very sharp. Huet stopped everything that was thrown at him, aside from the opening goal. The game ended tied 1-1 and the two teams went to overtime where defencemen and the Habs leading scorer joined the rush in the final seconds of the extra period and wristed a shot past Buffalo's Ryan Miller with 1 second remaining. 1 second! That's a NICE!
Quick Shave:
Ottawa Senators forward Dany Heatley joined the NHL HTC last and his three tallies helped the Senators to a 6-4 win over the Florida Panther, and bring the club to a .500 record. Perhaps all is not lost in Ottawa? The Dallas Stars defenceman Philippe Boucher also punched his ticket to the HTC last night as he scored three of the Stars 5 goals en route to their 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings. St. Louis Blues netminder Manny Legace recieved a small measure of revenge against his old squad as he and the Blues defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in the shootout last night. Ken Hitchcock's first task as the new head coach of tthe Columbus Blue Jackets was to take his new club to face his old club the Philadelphia Flyers. Unfortunately, his presence did more to motivate his old team, as the Flyers defeated the Blue Jackets 3-2. The Pittsburgh Penguins appear lost without Sidney Crosby and are finding it difficult to generate offence. The Crosby-less Pens dropped their 2nd straight to the New York Islanders 3-1 yesterday. The Anaheim Ducks bounced back from a dissapointing shootout loss to Colorado Wednesday night to defeat the visiting New Jersey Devils 4-2. Carolina Hurricanes forward Cory Stillman who's missed the whole season thus far with a shoulder injury is eyeing a return to the Canes lineup sometime in December. Stillman had a monster year with 76 points (22 goals, 55 points) last season.
Game of the Night:
Detroit at Nashville 8:00 PM
Central Division rivals face off tonight. The first place Predators welcome the second place Red Wings for a battle of epic proportions. Ok, I'm hamming that up just a bit, but this should be a good one. The Predators are coming off a solid old school beating of the Canucks on Thanksgiving night and the Red Wings are coming off a loss to those very same Canucks. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The NHL Hat Trick Club welcomed it's newest member of the season last night, in Florida Panther's forward Olli Jokinen. Much to the dismay of the Canadiens, Jokinen brought the Florida Panthers from a 1-0 to deficit and lifted them to a 5-1 surplus...or win rather. Jokinen scored his first two goals in the second period, and the capper in the third.
Eddie Belfour kept his team in the game by making 13 saves in the first period, and keeping the game close. When the Florida Panthers did finally wake, Habs netminder David Aebischer didn't stand a chance, surrendering 4 goals on 24 shots. He was pulled and replaced by Cristobal Huet in the third who allowed one goal on 15 shots. Montreal Coach Guy Carbonneau has been rotating his keepers in a manner similiar to Coach Wilson in San Jose, however, his goalies play 2 games on, then 2 off, rather than the every other game system the Sharks employ. Huet has been the stronger of the two Habs goalies as of late......and since he's one of my starters, hopefully he will get some more icetime! Guy, help a brother out!
Quick Shave:
The Boston Bruins defeated their Original Six rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 last night, on an overtime goal by sophomore Patrice Bergeron. The Phoenix Coyotes have themselves a win streak! No seriously. The Coyotes won their second straight game by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks in the shootout 3-2. Yanic Perreault who has been a nice pickup for the Yotes so far, scored in the shootout. Curtis Joseph was big in net again last night stopping 482 shots. My Game of the Night pick was pretty exciting, unless you are a fan of defense. 12 goals were scored (not counting the shootout winner), and 90 shots recorded. The Predators (who looked like their old selves from the beginning of the season), surrendered a 6-3 lead to the Wild who fought back to tie the game and force extra time. The Minnesota Wild won 7-6 on a Brian Rolston (who does this guy think he is this season? What a year he's having!) shootout goal. The Philadelphia Flyers must like the air in California. The Flyers defeated their second West Coast opponent in consecutive nights last night with a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings. R.J. Umberger scored the game tying, and game winning goals for the Flyers. The Anaheim win was huge, and beating the Kings the next day is pretty impressive for a team that has looked like a steaming pile of ....well you know, all season. The road trip will certainly be doing a lot for their confidence. Ryan Smyth is an animal. Smyth is having an outstanding season for the Edmonton Oilers, and returned from his charley horse injury (which saw him miss no time) to score 2 goals for the second straight game and help put the St. Louis Blues away 6-2.
Game of the Night:
Dallas at Atlanta 7:30 PM
Pittsburgh at Buffalo 8:00 PM
Detroit at Calgary 9:00 PM
I give you a three....because Bosh loves you. Dallas and Atlanta are two elite teams, and I would just like to see these two giants butt heads. The Pittsburgh Penguins get to size themselves up against and elite team in the Sabres. Let's see if these kids are for real or not. I was almost loathe to pick this one, because the last time they met, Calgary posted 14 shots on the Wings. However, this is a new Flames team riding a 5 game win streak, so maybe they will get 16 shots tonight. Hopefully it will be more exciting, and if it isn't watch the other two! Enjoy the games my bearded friends!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The Maple Leafs blue line has been paying dividends lately, and been part of the club's recent resurrection. With Mats Sundin out for several weeks with an injured elbow, the pressure to produce has fallen on the remaining Leafs.
Defencemen Tomas Kaberle and Bryan McCabe did just that last night against the Montreal Canadiens putting up 6 points. Kaberle had a goal and two helpers, and McCabe scored 2 goals and got one assist. Tomas Kaberle has 15 points in his last 8 games and leads the NHL in scoring among defenseman with 17 (7 goals, 10 assists). Bryan McCabe is a step behind him with 16 (4 goals, 12 assists), and is on pace to pass his previous season's point total of 68 (19 goals, 49 assists). The Maple Leafs won their fourth straight game last night easily defeating the Habs 5-1. Toronto sits in second in the Northeast, just 4 points behind Buffalo.
Habs Goalie David Aebischer was pulled in favor of Cristobal Huet after surrendering the 4th goal......still no goaltending controversy? Perhaps not yet, but after this performance, Huet, who should get the next two starts has an opportunity to take hold of the reigns and impress Coach Carbenneau.
Quick Shave:
Well, Ottawa's one game winning streak was fun while it lasted. The Senators hit another wall as they lost to Zdeno Chara's Boston Bruins for the second time this season 4-3. Glen Murray scored two for the Bruins. At one point last night while flying through the Center Ice Package, I noticed that the Flyers were beating the Sabres 3-1. I quickly wiped my eyes, and realized that this was in fact true. The Buffalo Sabres who seem to enjoy handing the lead away to teams of late, of course tied it on a goal by Daniel Briere, and then won it OT.....on a goal by Daniel Briere. This almost seems like a set play now. They did the same thing to the Rangers a few nights ago. Speaking of the Philadelphia Flyers it seems that Holgrem is no longer the interim GM, but will hold the title and unfortunate position for the remainder of the year. How much manuever room will depend on the salary cap and owner Ed Snider. Both will be difficult to overcome in order to turn this team around. Olaf Kolzig of the Washington Capitals shined last night against the New York Rangers keeping them off the scoreboard till the final 2 minutes of the game. Alexander Ovechkin scored his 11th of the year. I think I jinxed the San Jose Sharks....or inspired the Phoenix Coyotes. Either way, the Sharks managed to barely secure the victory 2-1. Vesa Toskala replaced Evgeni Nabokov who had to leave the ice because of a stiff neck. Cujo has found his game again, as he stopped 37 of 39 shots he faced, but his team can't score....or play defense apparently....I mean come on, they allowed 39 shots on the poor guy. Are the Calgary Flames back? The Flames scored 3 consecutive goals to defeat the Vancouver Canuck 3-2 last night. Wasn't Roberto Luongo supposed to be the panacea for the Canucks? A 2 goal lead was something he rarely got in Florida, and in Vancouver, it seems something he is lately incapable of defending. Backup goalie Chris Mason made 42 saves for the Nashville Predators to hand Colorado the 1-0 shutout loss. The Carolina Hurricanes rolled over the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-2 last night (my Pens playoff pick is apparently crashing and burning right now). Cam Ward who has been stellar in net of late only had to make 18 saves for the victory while Pens netminder Jocelyn Thibault apparently made none.
Game of the Night:
Minnesota at Anaheim 8:00 PM
Best of the West matchup? Just about. First place divisional leaders Anaheim and Minnesota face off tonight for what should be a good one. Carlyle will of course be starting his heterosexual lifemate J. S. Giguere in net tonight as whipping boy (and hopefully traded to a team that will appreciate him) Ilya Bryzgalov will be riding the pine as usual. Regardless this should be a good one. There is also an early matchup between the Oilers and Blues in case the football on today is boring you at 2PM. Enjoy the games my follicaly friendly pals!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Cristobal Huet and Habs exacted a small amount of revenge from the Carolina Hurricanes last night by shutting down the reigning Stanley Cup Champs 4-0. Carolina knocked the Canadiens out of the first round of the playoffs last year in 6 games. Huet knocked the Canes out of the building in 60 minutes. Cristobal Huet made 31 saves en route to his first shutout of the season over the Hurricanes.
The Canes were coming off a 5-2 win over the Thrashers, the evening prior, and when the Habs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second, the wind seemed to come out of their sails. Defenceman Mike Komisarek opened the scoring, and Saku Koivu, Mike Johnson and Tomas Plekanec also recorded goals, in the shutout victory.
Quick Shave:
Either the Buffalo Sabres are that good....or the Boston Bruins just suck. The Bruins had the game wrapped up, with a 4-2 lead, with 8 minutes to play in the third.....and let the Sabres tie the game, force OT, and the eventual shootout where Buffalo rolled over Boston to get the 5-4 victory. Right now, the Flyers fans are laughing at Boston. Or are they? The Philadelphia Flyers got their clocks cleaned by the Tampa Bay Lightning last night 5-2......at least they are consistent. Kevin Weekes in his second straight start for the New York Rangers, defeated his second straight California team. Two nights ago he helped the Rangers to an overtime win over the Ducks, and last night stopped 29 shots and get the 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Goaltending controversy in New York? Probably not. I told you guys Tom Renney would start benching players, and Lundqvist who has been incredibly average so far this season, has earned some time on the pine. The New York Islanders look good. They owned the Devils last season, and looks like this year that trend will continue. The Islanders hammered the New Jersey Devils 5-2 last night, and Rick DiPietro only had to make 14 to saves for his team to get the win. The Islanders who started off the season shaky have gone 6-1-2 since losing their first 3 games, and now sit in a three way tie for first with the Rangers and believe it or not...the Penguins. The Minnesota Wild are also looking very good. After falling behind on two quick goals by the Canucks, the Wild stormed back, and got the win 5-2. Brian Rolston had a penalty shot during the game and rather than try and fancy dekes, he powered a slapshot past the flat footed Luongo who had little chance on the puck. That has to be one of the coolest things I've ever seen. The St. Louis Blues goalie Manny Legace shut the door on the Colorado Avalanche last night making 44 saves and helping his club to the 4-1 win. Bill Guerin scored 2 goals in the game. After not being re-signed by his former club, Eddie Belfour showed the Leafs why that may have been an error in judgement last night. Belfour stopped 23 shots, and his new team the Florida Panthers went on to defeat the Leafs 4-2.
Game of the Night:
Dallas at Edmonton 9:30 PM
There's alot of history between these two clubs, and both teams are definitely on top of their games so far this season and should be a terrific matchup. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The scoring machine that was the Ottawa Senators has broken down again. After leaving Boston with just one goal, last night they could only get two past Montreal Canadiens netminder David Aebischer who stopped the other 31 shots.
The Montreal Canadiens, emerging from some controversy last week over Sergei Samsonov's demotion to the fourth line (the guy hasn't exactly produced, so why was he surprised), and the trade rumors that blossomed from the roster adjustment, responded with a solid game. Samsonov united with countrymen Alexei Kovalev and Alexander Perezhogin assisted on Kovalev's second period score. The Habs new Russian trio line has had two strong showings in a row, and perhaps it is a sign of things to come. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-2, handing the Sens their second loss in a row, and maybe re-igniting rumors in the Canadian Capital.
David Aebischer may also be pushing Habs hero of last season Cristobal Huet back into his role as the no. 2 netminder. If Aebischer's play continues at the current level it will be difficult for Coach Carbonneau to keep from giving him starts. Goaltending controversy anyone? Maybe, but this season, we are bearing witness to a shift in the NHL from bonafide no. 1 and no. 2 goaltenders but rather tandoms that share the load. Aside from Montreal, the San Jose Sharks have made no secret about giving Evgeni Nabokov and Vesa Toskala equal playing time, the Florida Panthers are splitting starts between Alex Auld and Ed Belfour, Ottawa seems to be sharing time between Ray Emery, and Martin Gerber (although Emery is emerging as the favorite), and St. Louis has Manny Legace and Curtis Sanford sharing the workload.
Quick Shave:
The Philadelphia Flyers have offered their General Manager position to NHL Executive Colin Campbell. Thus far Campbell has yet to comment on his interest, but according to reports at TSN.ca, a decision will be made in the next 2 days. The GM position with the Flyers can't be the most attractive opportunity available, because there is a big mess that needs to be cleaned up, and in the salary cap era, little room to do so. Campbell may be happy to remain where he is. The San Jose Sharks waited till the waning moments of the third period to strike, and defeated the Florida Panthers 2-1 on a power play opportunity by defenceman Christian Erhoff. If you remember, they were nicknamed the Cardiac Kids last season, because they had a tendency to keep their fans biting their nails till the end of every game. The Chicago Blackhawks have officially fallen from grace. Unfortunately, hit hard by injuries they have now lost 6 in a row, the last being at the hands of the New York Islanders 5-2. Rick DiPietro has begun to finally find his game for the Islanders, as he stopped 30 shots last night. The New York Rangers have sent defenceman Darius Kasparitis down to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolfpack for a 10-day conditioning assignment. Kasparitis missed the first 5 games of the season because Coach Tom Renney felt he was physically unfit to play. This could be the first of many moves Renney makes in an effort to ignite the very uninspired play of the Rangers so far this season. Don't be surprised to see more healthy scratches and benchings soon.
Game of the Night:
Calgary at Detroit 7:30 PM
Detroit is hot. Calgary, well, they've been better. Right now a road trip is probably what they need after dropping 2 of 3 at home, the last to the upstart Capitals. Enjoy the games my furry faced friends!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Janne Niinimaa predicted a win tonight. Chris Drury and the Buffalo Sabres gave him one. Niinimaa's prediction that the Sabres undefeated streak would end in Montreal last night fell apart when Buffalo continued to show why they have dominated so far through speed, stingy defense, and great goaltending.
Chirs Drury's NHL leading 10th goal, a short-handed tally, gave the Sabres a 2-0 lead and they never looked back, finishing off the Montreal Canadiens 4-1. Goaltender Ryan Miller stopped all but one of the 28 shots he faced and is tied for the NHL lead with 6 wins, but is the only keeper in that group not in the Loss column. The Buffalo Sabres have now started the season 9-0 and are just one victory away from tying the record for undefeated starts with 10 set by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1994. The Buffalo Sabres carry their win streak to Long Island where they will face the Islanders on Thursday night.
Not surprisingly, the Sabres players are topping the NHL leader board. The top three scorers in the NHL are Maxim Afinogenov(5 goals, 9 assists) and Chris Drury(10 goals, 4 assists) with 14 points, and Thomas Vanek(6 goals, 7 assists) with 13 points. Captain Daniel Briere has 12 points (2 goals, 10 assists).
Quick Shave:
Vesa Toskala of the San Jose Sharks is making a strong bid that he should be the number one keeper. The Sharks have been platooning (I love that term) goalies Vesa Toskala and Evgeni Nabokov since the season's start, and Toskala has yet to yield a loss for his team. Last night he shut out the Columbus Blue Jackets enroute to a 3-0 victory. Atlanta Thrashers star forward Ilya Kovalchuk has bounced back from a slow start and is starting to put the puck in the net. Kovalchuk was the latest player to join the NHL Hat Trick club as his three scores helped his team to a 6-3 victory over the Florida Panthers. The Colorado Avalanche rebounded from a rough showing in Montreal Saturday night and the L.A. Kings payed the price. Milan Hejduk scored 2 goals, and Peter Budaj, in relief of the recently shelled Jose Theodore backstopped the Avs to a 6-1 victory, making 27 saves in the match. Joe Sakic had two assists and is one point away from joining the 1,500 club.
Game of the Night:
New Jersey at Pittsburgh 7:00 PM
Ottawa at Toronto 7:30 PM
I'm a little torn here. The Penguins are just so much fun to watch, and Malkin so far has answered the hype, scoring 3 goals in his first 3 games. Martin Broduer will be looking to return to form after being yanked Saturday night against the Senators. Speaking of the Senators, was their goal outburst Saturday a fluke, or a return to normalcy? I guess we'll find out agains the Maple Leafs tonight. Canadian broadcasts are the best.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Can anything stop the Buffalo Sabres? Not even mother nature! After a surprising weather front dumped over a foot of snow on the Western New York community, the Sabres responded by dumping 16 goals in the net against the Rangers and Flyers! Right now the Sabres look like they are playing against high school teams. I'm not even close to exaggerating. Last night, in what was their sixth consecutive victory, the Buffalo Sabres embarrassed the Philadelphia Flyers 9-1 (the score got so high that in an effort to not run the score up, Coach Lindy Ruff mandated that his forwards only score on headers).
Flyers goaltender Robert Esche who was left in net to fend for himself, actually kept his team in the game for the first period, making a couple of beautiful saves, including a Maxim Afinogenov shot from the door step. The wheels came flying off in the second, and he was eventually pounded for the 9 goals on the 37 shots he faced (I actually can't remember a goalie being left in after being lit up like that since Patty Roy was with the Habs....who coincidentally demanded a trade from Montreal following the game). While the entire Sabres lineup chipped in, team scoring leader from last year, Maxim Afinogenov continues his crusade this season, and contributed a goal and four assists in the game. His goal exemplified why the Flyers are falling apart right now, as he skated the entire team, including splitting the defensemen and finished by walking in on Esche untouched and completely pantsing him.
The Flyers who have won only one game so far, have a lot of work to do. Their power play sucks. They can't set it up, and can barely gain the zone (granted they were playing the Sabres who are just on top of their game right now, but the Flyers stats on special teams were dreadful prior to this game). The new 'slimmed down' Derian Hatcher should keep on slimming, because his 12 pounds of lost weight did little to help him keep up with the speed of the Sabres forward corps. Much work to do in Philly.
Quick Shave:
Vive le Habs! Everyonce in a while NHL Center Ice tosses us the French broadcast of the Montreal Canadiens games, and last night was just such an evening. It's very cool listening to the game in another language and really only takes a minute to adjust before you understand what they are saying. The Habs and Flames provided a barn burner last night, which saw the Canadiens win 5-4. The Calgary Flames did find some scoring in the game, but once again fell short. What I find odd is that when the game is tight and the Flames can't buy a goal, Kipprusoff shuts the door on their opponents, but when they do light the lamp, Kipprusoff is average at best. I think their is a mathematical formula for that (similiar to the equation which compares Pierre MacGuire's anger to the size of his mini-sin bin between the benches on Hockey Night in Canada). The Phoenix Coyotes made thier second appearance in the win column last night.....they beat the St. Louis Blues....yeah. The Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers traded home and home wins by identical scores this week.
Game of the Night:
New Jersey at Pittsburgh 7:30 PM
Malkin returns tonight! Come on, you have to watch this game! The much travelled son of the Penguins makes his NHL debut this evening against the New Jersey Devils. As my boy Stache said the other day, its up to Marty Brodeur to break in another young Penguin superstar. Good Luck Marty! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Do you think Todd Bertuzzi had something to prove last night? He certainly silenced some of his critics last night with his 4 point night which included the first goal of the season for himself, and for the Florida Panthers.
The game was close till the second period, then the Panthers went on a goal parade, scoring 5 unanswered tallies to defeat the new look Boston Bruins (new players, same great taste) 8-3.
Alex Auld who came over in the trade with Bertuzzi was outstanding, stopping 34 shots. The Panthers spread the scoring around as Mike Van Ryn, Juraj Kolnik, Nathan Horton (fantasy owners, keep an eye on this kid, I think this is gonna be his year), Chris Gratton, Olli Jokinen, and Joe Niewendyk all potted goals. Niewendyk's goal was his 561st, and passed Guy LaFleur on the NHL scoring list....he now sits 19th. Boston's Zdeno Chara was an even rating for the night and did provide 2 assists for Boston, while their other big name acquisition, Marc Savard got his first point on an assist the Bruins.
Quick Shave
The Devils spanked the Hurricanes last night, using the same tactic the Cane's used in the playoffs to defeat them. Deflection, deflection, deflection. Every goal on Cam Ward last night was redirected in front of him and easily found the back of the net. Brodeur recorded his first win by way of shutout 4-0 over the Hurricanes. Watch out for the Sabres! As Playoff Moustache said the other day, this team looks like they are still playing playoff hockey. Last night was no different. Discouraged (actually furious) by some third period penalty calls, the Sabres rallied from a two goal defecit against the Habs on scores by Captain Daniel Briere and Maxim Afinogenov to tie the game late in the third. Ryan Miller and the Sabres went on to defeat the Montreal Canadiens for their second win of the season, again by shootout. The Sedin twins are at it again for Vancouver. Daniel and Henrik Sedin combined to tie the game 2-2 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and got together once more to finishe the game less than a minute into extra time. Roberto Luongo recorded his second win of the season for Vancouver. Blue Jackets goalie Pascal LeClair was solid stopping 41 of 44 shots. The Anaheim Ducks still have a little rust to work out, but hints of what the scariest powerplay in the NHL were clearly apparent last night. Watching Selanne and Pronger bomb shots from the points was impressive, and the way the forwards in front were able to cycle, retrieve and get the puck back to them to reload was outstanding. J.S. Giguere was outstanding in net, stopping 41 shots, as the Ducks beat the L.A. Kings 4-3.
Game of the Night:
NY Rangers at Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Buffalo at Ottawa 7:00 PM
Saturday night is great! There are a ton of games to choose from, but I feel these two, especially the playoff rematch between Buffalo and Ottawa will be outstanding. Buffalo looks terrific, and despite the criticism, I like the new jerseys. I love the players numbers on the right breast, it gives them a 'soccer' look and feel. Hopefully Spezza will score a goal for Stache tonight. The Flyers are coming off a humiliating defeat against the Pens two nights ago, and should be ready to go against their hated rivals the Rangers tonight. I expect this game to be nasty....however no Brashear, and a possibly scratched Darius Kasparitus (coach Tom Renney has been unhappy with his conditioning and scratched him the first game, which Kaspar was pissed about, but guess what buddy....this is the new Rangers...no more free rides! I hope Renney continues to lay down the law like this) may not be as ugly as previous engagements. Enjoy the games my fellow bearders!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
I know it's early, and I know it's only pre-season, but it's nice to see the Rangers getting off on the right foot after a lackluster finish to their promising season. The Rangers came out blazing and stunned the New Jersey Devil's Martin Brodeur for 3 goals in the first 8 minutes of the game. Blair Betts, recently acquired Adam Hall (traded in a three way deal with Nashville and Pittsburgh for Dominic Moore), and youngster Brandon Dubinsky (who's efforts to make the roster are looking better by the day) recorded the tallies for the New York Rangers. Goaltenders Al Montoya and Stephen Valiquette allowed only one goal on 25 shots.
Koivu's sights are set
Even thought the Habs fell to the Bruins tonight 5-2, the team was apparently thrilled with Saku Koivu who's eye ailment did little to prevent him from playing and assisting on a goal by Michael Ryder. It would seem that Koivu has once again persevered.
Minnesota's offseason already paying dividends
Minnesota Wild forward Marion Gaborik scored two goals including the game winner to help the Wild to a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Draft day trade acquisition, Pavol Demitra scored the other helper.
Penguins Malkin to make debut
With or without the blessing of the Russian hockey federation, Pittsburgh Penguins much travelled forward Evgeni Malkin will make his debut tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers. A lot of eyes will be on this game, and I'm certain it won't be just to check out Malkin's play.
I'm still hearing alot of power play opportunities are being given away. It looks like the clubs with discipline and / or polished special teams are going to be flying out the gates this season. One night after winning with superb power play units, Dallas did the exact opposite, and let the Colorado Avalanche showcase their special teams, scoring three. Every coach in the NHL must be losing his mind right now.
Tonight's Games:
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh 6:30 PM
Florida at Atlanta 7:00 PM
New Jersey at NY Rangers 7:00 PM
Tampa Bay at Washington 7:00 PM
Boston at Montreal 7:30 PM
Toronto at Ottawa 7:30 PM
San Jose at Anaheim 10:00 PM
Dallas at Phoenix 10:00 PM
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Alexander Ovechkin has told the Washington Capitals that he is not ready to Captain the team yet.....huge emphasis on yet. This kid has made massive strides as a player, a leader, and an ambassador for the NHL. I believe in making this decision, he has made another huge move. Claiming that his English is not good enough to be a captain yet (although he has apparently made amazing strides in learning the English language) and believes that any good leader needs to address his teammates clearly. You have to love Ovechkin. Not only did he light up the league last year, but continues to impress with his actions off the ice. The captaincy is going to be his one day. It is only a matter of time.
Forsberg on ice
And for once its a sheet of ice, and not a bag covering one of his many ailments. Peter Forsberg skated yesterday for the first time after having his ankle surgically repaired. He has a little over a week to test and work the ankle, but is optimistic he will be available for Philadelphia Flyers training camp which opens on September 15th. Considering the original forecast for his return was January 2007, I would say there is plenty to be optimistic about.
Koivu still concerned about eye
Although he will be in camp when it opens for the Montreal Canadiens, Saku Koivu still has some concern regarding his injured eye. His eye which was struck by an errant stick during the playoffs against the Canes still is not open fully and appears red. Koivu plans on testing the eye during camp to see how it will react during game type situations.
Bell arrested for DWI
Great way to start fresh with a new team! This is driving me crazy! Mark Bell would have been a great late round fantasy pickup, especially considering he was slated to be the third man in on the Thornton / Cheechoo express....now however that is all up in the air. Not only was he allegedly driving under the influence, but apparently was responsible for a hit and run.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The biggest name left on the board has finally found a home. The Montreal Canadiens have signed free agent forward Sergei Samsonov to a two year deal. What a compliment this guy will be to fellow Russian winger Alexei Kovalev. If he can remain healthy, this pair should be explosive next season.
The Habs also re-signed goalie David Aebischer to a one year deal worth $1.9 million. This is a good move in many aspects. Aebischer had a good season for the Avs and the Habs, until Cristobal Huet took over the reigns. However the sophomore curse could strike Huet (even though he is hardly a sophomore) and Aebischer will be good to have around in case he falters. If he doesn't, Aebischer will be a much sought after by other teams seeking an upgrade in net (see Detroit, and Toronto...no offense to Raycroft....unless he can stop said offense).
Why stop there? The Canadiens also traded Richard Zednik to the Washington Capitals for a 3rd round pick in next years draft, and also acquired forward Mike Johnson from the Phoenix Coyotes for a 4th rounder next year.
Concussions forcing Primeau towards retirement?
Hopefully not, but the big man is apparently still suffering from post-concussion syndrome and is being forced to make a decision soon due to the cap space he currently occupies on the Flyer's roster. Perhaps, some of Forsberg's good luck will rub off on him.
Darryl Sutter steps down as coach of Flames
Darryl Sutter has handed the coaching reigns to assistant Jim Playfair, so he can focus on his general management duties. Sutter maintains that he will still be very vocal about the on ice product with Playfair. I think the combo GM / Coach position is going to be a thing of the past in the new NHL. Managing a team, and a salary cap, and coaching is really too much responsibility for one individual to handle, effectively anway. Sutter's move is a good one for the organization and a very selfless move.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed their stud defenseman and former first round pick Mike Komisarek to a a one year contract. Komisarek is a bruiser, and from what I've been told an excellent dancer. This kid has the potential to develop into one of the league's best defensemen. And dancers.
The New Jersey Devils re-signed defenseman Colin White to a 6 year $18 million deal. What's up with Lou Lamoriello? He's been handing out Mike Milbury sized contracts lately. Elias for 7 years (if I remember correctly) and now White for 6? I wonder how he is going to fit Gionta and Gomez under the cap. Can you spell TRADE?
Chris Simon to the Isles
The New York Islanders just signed left wing Chris Simon to a one year deal. The move obviously makes the Islanders a tougher team. Along with Brendan Witt, it seems as though Neil Smith is sculpting this squad to be a more physical bunch.
Blackhawks sign Havlat
My thanks to Moustache for sending this my way. The Blackhawks after trading for Martin Havlat have signed him to a 3 year $18 million deal. This is baffling. The guy is a decent player, but he doesn't deserve this kind of money. He did have a great playoffs, but it still doesn't put him on the same level with the Alex Tanguays and Joe Sakics of the league. The guy played 18 games last season!?
Hasek and Belfour
TSN.ca is reporting that Ken Holland is mulling over his goaltending options which now include Dominik Hasek. Which one of these guys will the Red Wings sign? The guy with the gimpy back, or the guy with gimpy groin? The Red Wings would be better off trading for David Aebischer at this point, rather than raiding the old age home.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
No surprise there. Everyone and their mother predicted he would be a first ballot hall of famer. Do I really need to say what a kick ass goaltender Patrick Roy was? I didn't think so.
Joining him, is some dude named Dick Duff, who has to have one of the coolest names I've ever heard. He was an original six forward who has been waiting some 30 years for his induction in to the Hall. The other inductee's are Harley Hotchkiss, an owner of the Flames and a chairman for the NHL's board of governors, and Herb Brooks, the man who brough respectability to American hockey.
I don't know anything about Duff, and Hotchkiss, but Roy and Brooks are no-brainers. Great choices, and worthy of the honor.
McCabe deal is going through
Looks like the deal that is going to force the Ottawa Senators to lose one of their UFA defenceman has been accepted. Bryan McCabe has resigned with the Toronto Maple Leafs for 5 more years and $5.75 million a year. Probably a bit more than he is worth, but Toronto had to secure him before the Free Agent deadline begins, or risk losing him to higher bidders. Either way, the market has been set, so I would expect to see Chara, Redden, and Lidstrom looking for $7 to $8 million per season.
Luongo ready to sign long-term with Canucks?
Looks that way. Reports are that the Canucks are looking to lock up Luongo to a 4 year deal worth $28 million. $7 million a year! With the salary of Bertuzzi no longer on their minds, looks like the Canucks are ready to solidify the crease for years to come. If they do go through with this, I can't imagine them not trading Dan Cloutier.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
I apologize for the downtime folks, I had some technical difficulties sponsored by the fine folks over at Verizon.
A lot happened on Saturday....here's a quick rundown:
Atlanta sent Patrik Stefan (a #1 pick years ago, and their first draft pick ever if I'm not mistaken) and Jaroslav Modry to Dallas for Niko Kapanen and a 7th round pick.
Kings traded Pavol Demitra to the Minnesota Wild for Patrick O'Sullivan and their 1st round pick. The Kings used the pick to draft Trevor Lewis...who apparently is a bad ass from the USHL. Demitra should help Gaborik offensively, but this was definitely the WTF trade of the day. When it was announced the entire arena gasped. I did as well.
The Avalanche traded Alex Tanguay to Calgary for defenceman Jordan Leopold, a 2nd round pick, and an conditional pick in 2007 or 2008. Iginla finally gets his wingman. I expect these two to put up some impressive numbers next year. Now they just need a center to get them the puck......
Blackhawks buy out Matt Barnaby and Curtis Brown. No surprise there. They should buy out the management there, which next to Boston and the previously the Islanders (before the purge) is the worst in the league....and perhaps in sports.
Canadiens resign Cristobal Huet to a 2 year deal, which I guess means David Aebischer is now on the available goalie list. Perhaps they should wait and see, in case Huet goes into a Raycroft like slump in his sophomore year. What a segue! Raycroft got traded Saturday, but I can't remember to whom...nor do I really care.
Same goes for Dan Cloutier who I think is making way too much money to be a backup, since he will most certainly be waxing the bench while watching Luongo start.
Phoenix just traded defencemen Paul Mara and a pick to Boston for Nick Boyton and a pick.
Pronger is apparently on his way out of Edmonton. Where and when is the question. What do the Oilers need, and who needs a solid blueliner that can 75 minutes a game? Not too many teams right!
More to come!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Habs lost more than a game to the Carolina Hurricanes last night. Apparenlty their captain Saku Koivu will be out for undetermined amount of time due to an eye injury which occurred when he was struck accidentally by Justin Williams stick. He is still in the hospital being tested. For more on this story visit TSN.ca.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
After a 5-3 victory over Ottawa last night, the Montreal Canadiens have just won their 8th straight! Just 3 weeks ago this team was barely hanging on to the 8th and final spot, but now find themselves tied for 6th overall in the East with New Jersey. The emergence of goaltender Cristobal Huet has to be the biggest reason for this turnaround (even though it was Aebischier who kept the lotion out of the basket last night). This is the longest winning streak for the Canadiens since the 1992 season. For more on this and the Habs check out TSN.ca.
Vancouver is now 2 points out of the playoffs, thanks to a huge 5-0 win by the San Jose Sharks over the L.A. Kings. San Jose has moved into a tie for 7th place with the Edmonton Oilers. San Jose also has a game in hand on Vancouver and Edmonton.
The Rangers pushed their lead over the Flyers to 5 points with a 3-1 victory over the Isles last night. Weekes was outstanding in net last night for his second straight start. The Rangers came out a little sluggish in the first and surrendered the lead to a very energetic young Islander team. Miroslav Satan opened the scoring midway through the first. Weekes kept the pucks out, while his boys found their game. Jarkko Immonen (part of the Leetch trade last year, along with Maxim Kondratiev, who was dealt this year for Petr Sykora), playing his first game in the NHL, and for the Rangers, found the back of the net less than a minute into the game. Straka potted 2 more to help the Rangers maintain their first place position in the Atlantic.
Last night's scores:
Toronto 2 Boston 3 F (SO)
NY Islanders 1 NY Rangers 3 F
Montreal 5 Ottawa 3 F
Atlanta 2 Tampa Bay 3 F (SO)
Edmonton 1 Minnesota 2 F (SO)
Nashville 3 St. Louis 0 F
Dallas 5 Anaheim 3 F
San Jose 5 Los Angeles 0 F
Game of the night:
Philadelphia at Buffalo 8:00 PM
All eyes in New York will be on this one. Philly is 5 points behind the Atlantic Division leading Rangers and they need to make up ground. Tough test against Buffalo, who hit the skids a few weeks back, seems to have found their game again, and since clinching a playoff berth, can begin building momentum for the playoffs. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Cristobol Huet. The NHL's latest surprise, Cristobal Huet has solidified Montreal's goaltending and is helping the Canadians secure a playoff birth. Huet made 36 saves last night to help the Habs defeat the Islanders 2-0, and record his sixth shutout of the season.
Huet seems to have been the 'Player to be named later' in the 2004 deal that brought Radek Bonk to Montreal for goaltender Mathieu Garon. The way Bonk has played this year, I would say that it's the other way around (Ottawa Senators traded Radek Bonk to the Los Angeles Kings for a 3rd round selection (Shawn Weller) in 2004 then the Kings traded Bonk to the Montreal Canadiens with Cristobal Huet for Mathieu Garon and a 3rd round selection (Paul Baier) in 2004.).
Huet is tearing a page out of the Martin St. Louis buried gems book. All but forgotten, in fact never really given a chance (reading TSN's evaluation of him: "Is physically limited and will never be more than a backup netminder in the NHL. Needs to learn shooters' tendencies better.") Cristobal Huet has exploded into NHL All Star form, and it couldn't have happened at a better time. The 30 year old, is an unrestricted free agent this year (I learned that from Pierre MacGuire on Hockey Night in Canada, thank you sir!) and will certainly grab a ton of attention if the Habs don't negotiate a deal with him prior to the free agent deadline. I'm sure they will. Aside from his stellar play, this guy has got probably the coolest hockey name since Guy Carbonneau.
Last night's scores:
San Jose 1 Columbus 4 F
Toronto 3 Philadelphia 2 F
NY Islanders 0 Montreal 2 F
New Jersey 3 Ottawa 2 F (SO)
Anaheim 3 Colorado 4 F
Minnesota 3 Edmonton 2 F
Nashville 3 Phoenix 5 F
Game of the night:
Los Angeles at Calgary 8:30 PM
Can Los Angeles, along with their new coach make one final push towards the playoffs? Can Calgary ever find the back of the net? Calgary just lost first place in the Northwest to Colorado last night, so I would say a fire has been lit under their most intimate of areas. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Big win for Montreal last night. Not only did it move them into 7th place in the East with a 1-0 victory over the Rangers (ummm blueshirts, can we find the net please? 4 goals in 4 games, what is going on?) Cristobal Huet looked solid in net and is making Gainey look like a genius.
The big story yesterday was the retirement of Bernard (Boom Boom) Geoffrion's no. 5 jersey to the Bell Centre's rafters. Sadly, Geoffrion died early yesterday, which made the ceremony bittersweet. His family members flew from Atlanta (where he died) to honor him and his legacy, rather than cancel the ceremony. Best wishes go out to them and especially to his wife who was on the verge of tears all night and celebrated her husbands memory.
Geffrion was a two time NHL scoring champion and led the Habs to six Stanley Cups. What a player.
Last night's scores:
Buffalo 6 Philadelphia 5 F
Nashville 2 San Jose 3 F (OT)
NY Islanders 3 Boston 1 F
Edmonton 3 Columbus 4 F (OT)
NY Rangers 0 Montreal 1 F
Tampa Bay 1 Toronto 5 F
Chicago 4 Detroit 6 F
Carolina 3 Florida 4 F (OT)
New Jersey 3 Pittsburgh 6 F
Los Angeles 2 St. Louis 1 F (SO)
Anaheim 5 Phoenix 3 F
Dallas 2 Vancouver 1 F
Game of the night:
Calgary at Colorado 3:00 PM
It's all up to Peter Budaj....can he hold till Theodore is ready to play and keep the Avs in the playoffs? If he plays like he did in the Olympics, then I say yes. Enjoy the games.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Canadiens have acquired Todd Simpson from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 6th round pick.
Interesting point by Bob McKenzie on TSN.ca is that the Habs are stockpiling players for a big trade to Vancouver for Todd Bertuzzi. I can't disagree with his assessment at all. The Habs have two great young goalies in Huet and Danis....Aebischer seems to be the odd man out right now, unless they deal one of the French boys. We'll know more before 3pm today!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Montreal Canadiens have dealt goaltender Jose Theodore to the Colorado Avalanche for goaltender David Aebischer! This would have been a great deal for Colorado if Theodore didn't have a broken foot. More on this later.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
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.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
According to TSN, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jose Theodore has tested positive for a banned substance....Propecia?! Supposedly Propecia acts as a masking agent for anabolic steroids. Why is a man with a full head of hair taking Propecia...or is this a testament to the product itself. Propecia works, whatever steroid he may be taking....well thats a different story.
The only thing I can say to the WADA, is how can he test positive for a performance enhancer, when his performance has been butt awful. Jose, you may play like ass....but you look good doing it kid!!
Somewhere in Ireland Theo is laughing.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
While enjoying NHL Center Ice last night, I came across the French broadcast of the Carolina Hurricanes vs. the Habs. It was pretty interesting listening to the game in another language but as the Hurricanes continued to score goal after goal, and Jose Theodore got the hook after letting in 5 on 10 shots, it was apparent that the mood of these broadcasters was less than stellar. The Hurricanes went on to win 8-2, and new addition Doug Weight scored all 8 goals in his debut. Just kidding, I erroneously reported in my Game of the Night pick that Weight would be in the lineup, but he apparently won't be with the team till the next game. In his absence the Hurricanes still managed to produce with 3 goals from Erik Cole and 2 goals from Eric Staal. Eric Staal is having an amazing year. He leads the 'Canes with 69 points and is currently in 3rd overall behind only Jaromir Jagr and Daniel Alfredsson. Whereever Weight does get placed in the lineup, the Hurricanes will be very deep at center, with him Staal, and Brind'Amour. Playoff Beard Alert: Erik Cole while being one of the Hurricanes most prolific scorers, is also one of the team's most prolific beard growers. By the end of their Cup run in 2001-2002, Cole looked like Tom Hanks from Castaway.
Last nights scores:
Washington 3 NY Islanders 5 F
Buffalo 5 Atlanta 2 F
Carolina 8 Montreal 2 F
Toronto 2 Tampa Bay 3 F (SO)
Minnesota 2 Colorado 3 F
Vancouver 7 Phoenix 4 F
Game of the night:
Ottawa at New Jersey 7:30 PM
Even though they are coming off a serious tuning up at the hands of the Bruins, the Senators are still one of the hottest teams in the league, and tonight they face off the hottest team in the month of January, the New Jersey Devils. The Devils have always had a hard time with the Senators, so this should be a great bench test for the team, and an exciting game to watch. The Devils need to improve their 5 on 5 play tonite, because they have been relying a little too much on the man-advantage. Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captian Bosh
Guide to Grading the Playoff Beard | About the Beard | Beard of the Month
Fantasy Hockey | The Face Off Hockey Show | The Dragons | Contact | Home
Copyright © 2006 Playoff Beard .com. All rights reserved.
|
The Montreal Canadiens playoff hopes took a serious smack in the mouth today as the club will be without two of it's biggest guns on the blueline. Mathieu Schneider will have to undergo season-ending surgery on his shoulder, and Andrei Markov will miss the better part of three weeks as he attempts to recover from a left knee injury. Both players were injured in Saturday's victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. A very costly win.
