The Washington Capitals and Alexander Ovechkin came to play last night and walked all over the Boston Bruins.
Ovechkin assisted early on a tally by Brooks Laich and scored twice more to help the Caps to an easy 4-1 win and paying immediate dividends to Fantasy Managers who were lucky enough to nab him.
The Montreal Canadiens rallied late to force overtime and eventually steal a 4-3 victory from the Toronto Maple Leafs last night. New Habs additions Mike Cammalleri (2 assists) and Brian Gionta (1 goal ) helped their new club to the opening night victory. Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta looked to be quickly rediscovering the chemistry they once had in New Jersey a few seasons ago. On that note... seeing Gomez in a Montreal Canadiens sweater is going to take some getting used to... especially considering I was just getting used to him wearing a New York Rangers jersey.
The biggest surprise last night had to be the San Jose Sharks... and how badly they crapped the bed. The Colorado Avalanche honored Joe Sakic by raising his number to the rafters of the Pepsi Center, then soundly defeating the Sharks 5-2. The only Shark that seemed to show up last night was Patrick Marleau who potted both goals for San Jose and is clearly showing now ill-effects to having his captaincy removed and handed off to defenceman Rob Blake. The Colorado Avalanche looked a much younger and faster club than the Sharks that looked like they were coming off a playoff hangover.
The Calgary Flames defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-3 last night, they're first opening night victory in 6 years. Flames goaltender made 39 saves to help his club to the win.
Quick Shave:
Brendan Shanahan removed himself for the New Jersey Devils lineup yesterday, announcing that he felt that he could not play at a level that he wanted to. I gotta give massive credit to Shanahan who could have coasted and just collected his paycheck for the season, but rather chose not to disrespect his club, the NHL or his legacy. Good man.
Couple of early afternoon deliveries arriving today from Europe as Florida Panther open up their season against the Chicago Blackhawks (I believe in Stockholm) and the Detroit Red Wings follow up against the St. Louis Blues in Helsinki... although those cities could be reversed... hard to say. Todays games get started at noon!
Been a big week for some of the NHL's all time greats.
Theo Fleury attempted a comeback after a 6 year hiatus from the NHL with the Calgary Flames. Fleury put up 4 points in 4 games with the club that had originally drafted him, but on Friday, the 41 year old was cut from the roster. Monday, an emotional Fleury formally announced his retirement from the NHL as a Calgary Flame.
Mats Sundin followed suit by doing the same early this morning at a press conference held in Sweden. After 18 season in the NHL Sundin ended any speculation of a possible return by announcing his retirement. Sundin came back midway through the 2009 season to play with the Vancouver Canucks.
Both players were dominant at their respective positions, and in my opinion will both be inducted into the Hall of Fame when the time comes.
The Philadelphia Flyers made sure their shakeup of the Eastern Conference landscape would not be for the short term.
Just a few weeks removed from their acquisition of defenceman Chris Pronger from the Anaheim Ducks, the Flyers locked up the monster blueliner for what will most likely be the remainder of his career. Pronger and the Flyers agreed to a 7 year contract worth $35 million, which includes a no-movement clause (so Pronger is not allowed to poop for the better part of decade... i know it was cheap but I had to take that one!).
The Flyers are going to be a formidable club with Pronger in the rear, as well as on the powerplay. Pronger recorded 11 goals and 37 assists last season.
Quick Shave:
The Toronto Maple Leafs makeover under new GM Brian Burke continued this week as they acquired defenceman Francois Beauchamin for the next three seasons at $3.8 million per. The Leafs also acquired Swedish free agent goaltender Jonas Gustavsson.
Gustavsson has been called the best goaltender not playing in the NHL, and was being aggressively courted by several NHL clubs including Colorado, San Jose, and Dallas. He will get the best opportunity to compete for the number one goaltender position in Toronto (although he probably would have had a decent shot in Colorado as well), and should he win the spot, I would expect the Leafs to move Vesa Toskala sometime during the upcoming season, if not sooner.
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.
I think Def Leppard should consider following Hasek and Drakes lead...
The Toronto Maple Leafs go into this season with nothing to lose, having bought out, traded, and basically sent packing every under performing high priced veteran (Sundin not included) and replaced them will a roster full of role players and grinders. That however was more than enough to spoil the Red Wings home opener (although Def Leppard definitely got an assist) in which Detroit raised it's Stanley Cup Championship banner.
The Leafs defeated the Red Wings 3-2. Defenceman Pavel Kubina, forwards Dominic Moore and Nikolai Kulemin (his first career NHL goal and game winner) scored and Vesa Toskala made 35 saves to complete the win.
The Toronto Maple Leafs finally traded defenceman Bryan McCabe to the Florida Panthers yesterday following a month of rumors that had the high-priced blueliner destined to be moved there.
The Panthers were reportedly waiting to make the deal official until the 1st of September, after McCabe was payed a bonus of $2 million by the Leafs... money they had no desire to be responsible for.
In exchange for McCabe, the Leafs recieve defenceman Mike Van Ryn and a 4th round pick in 2010.
Moving McCabe is perhaps the final cap on the roster-gutting interim GM Cliff Fletcher was brought in to oversee. The 2008-2009 Toronto Maple Leafs will look very different from the squad that was iced last season.
Remember in the film The Terminator, when Arnold Schwarzenegger took a stroll through a police station with a pair of assault rifles, and proceeded to casually mow them down? Toronto Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher is doing the same thing to his club's roster right now.
Over the past week, Goaltender Andrew Raycroft, and forward Kyle Wellwood were put on waivers; the preliminary step towards buying out a player's contract. Fletcher granted the Montreal Canadiens exclusive negotiating rights with soon to be UFA Mats Sundin, effectively putting an end to that era, and today placed forward Darcy Tucker on waivers... again taking a step towards his eventual buyout.
Kyle Wellwood was claimed off waivers by the Vancouver Canucks yesterday. Rumors have been swirling around defencemen Bryan McCabe and Pavel Kubina regarding their status with the team, and there is a very good possibility that Fletcher is not done yet.
Really no big surprises. Following the trade deadline in February, the Leafs attempted to move everyone, but all of the players exercised their no movement clauses, handcuffing Fletcher... till now. The buyouts, trades, and shake-ups were expected, and the gutting of this roster has begun. The Leafs will be a very different looking club come fall.
The Ottawa Senators also did what most expected and bought out the contract of their goaltender Ray Emery. Emery was the focus of much of the alleged turmoil within the Senators locker room that eventually saw their coach fired, their team collapse, and the Penguins sweep them in a quick four games in round 1. Emery is now eligible for unrestricted free agency next week on July 1st. He did lead his club to the Stanley Cup Finals a year ago, so the talent is obviously there.... along with the attitude. Defenceman Wade Redden who also had a disastrous season is not expected to be playing for Ottawa next year and could have a new home by next week as well.
The Tampa Bay Lightning made a nice move and signed their captain and franchise player Vinnie Lecavalier to a long term contract today. The new deal would keep Lecavalier in black and blue for the remainder of his professional career and pay him $77 million over the next 9 years. I can't wait to see him and Steven Stamkos breathe life back into this club. I'm sure their new head coach Barry Melrose is very pleased at the toys he has in his sandbox.
Who do you think is most dissapointed that Mats Sundin chose not to waive his no-trade clause? Leafs fans, or Senators fans?
The Toronto Maple Leafs, the NHL's media darlings exploded for 5 goals, 4 in the second period alone, and dismantled the Eastern Conference's second best team in the Ottawa Senators 5-0. The Sens sit in the number two spot behind the New Jersey Devils, but played like number two last night against the... dare I say... surging Maple Leafs?
Leafs forward Darcy Tucker scored twice and assisted on another, and Mats Sundin who refused to play for any club other than Toronto rewarded his club with the game winner and opening goal of the night. Leafs goaltender Vesa Toskala made 31 saves for the shutout win, his third of the regular season.
Ottawa Senators goaltender Ray Emery allowed 5 goals on 21 shots before being lifted for Martin Gerber. Will this loss stir the pot leading up to this afternoon's trade deadline? I would think so.
On the flip side, how interesting would it be if Sundin's refusal to waive his no-trade clause actually spurns the Leafs right into the playoffs? Stranger things have happened, and if you look at the current standings, the Leafs are only 6 points out of the playoffs. Unlikely... perhaps, but possible.
Quick Shave:
The Philadelphia Flyers have had a rough go of it lately. Dropping 10 in a row, and being spurned by UFA Peter Forsberg earlier in the day, who preferred to sign with his original club the Colorado Avalanche, feelings of joy were probably few and far between within this lineup. However the Flyers battled back from a 3 goal defecit to tie the Buffalo Sabres, and force OT and the shootout. Former Sabre, and highly criticized forward Daniel Briere potted the game winner in the shootout to give his new club the 4-3 win. Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Dan Boyle signed a long-term contract extension worth $40 million over the next 6 years, and effectively removed any chance of him being traded later today. The Lightning also shipped forward Vaclav Prospal to the Philadelphia Flyers for d-man Alexandre Picard and a pick.
The clock is ticking folks, and the landscape of the NHL could look dramatically different by 3:00 PM this afternoon. I'll keep you posted! Beard it up folks!
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin officially waved buh-bye to the notion of waiving his no-trade clause last night. Sundin informed interim GM Cliff Fletcher that he wishes to remain a Maple Leaf and not become a rental player, a concept he himself has never 'believed in'.
So the rumor machine will likely switch gears today from Sundin, to the Atlanta Thrashers Marian Hossa, who unless GM Don Waddell can get under a contract before Tuesday will most definitely be shopped. Hossa will become a UFA this summer and the Thrashers who are rapidly falling out of playoff contention will look to trade Hossa rather than risk losing him for nothing on the free agent market.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have also approached their star forward Brad Richards about waiving his no-trade clause as there is interest around the league in acquiring him. The Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Vancouver Canucks have all expressed interest and a few have tendered offers to the Lightning for the winger.
Quick Shave:
The Calgary Flames are grinding out win after win, and after last night's 2-1 win over the Minnesota Wild have pushed themselves into the top spot in the Northwest, as well as third place overall in the Western Conference. Flames goaltender Miikka 'I'd like to buy a vowel' Kiprusoff stopped 38 shots for the second consecutive game helped Calgary secure the win over the Wild. The New York Rangers rolled over the Florida Panthers last night 5-0. Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made 23 saves to record the shutout win, his 8th of the season.
A note to Rangers fans.... stop booing Marek Malik every time he touches the puck. You jackasses are only hindering him further. Malik was a big part of this franchise's turn around after nearly a decade of missing the playoffs. How quickly you all forget. Perhaps you'd like to see Kevin Hatcher and Stephane Quintal manning the blueline again?
Did Mats Sundin play his final game at the Air Canada Centre as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs last night?
With the NHL trade deadline looming roughly 48 hours away, the rumors are swirling around Sundin and the Leafs. Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher had a meeting two days ago with the Toronto captain to determine which NHL clubs he would accept a trade to, and also requested that Sundin waive his no-trade clause officially. It is believed Sundin asked for 24 hours to decide what to do, which means that some time today, we will find out. Many analysts believe that Sundin will now be dealt by Tuesday, as he has been unfairly pushed into this position and has little choice. Stay with the city he loves and be jeered by the fans for denying their franchise a chance to rebuild with some blue chip picks and prospects, or leave and perhaps win a championship with another club.
Unfortunately for Fletcher, his greatest assets all carry no-trade clauses, that means moving the likes of Darcy Tucker (who refuses to move), Bryan McCabe, or Tomas Kaberle cannot be done so without their consent. Kaberle was rumored to be moving to the Philadelphia Flyers last week, but he nixxed any deal that may have been on the table between the two organizations.
I would expect the Leafs to have a new look by Tuesday afternoon, and those that refused to accept trades, may find their remaining time with the club to be less than pleasurable. I wonder if Tucker would enjoy playing for the Marlies for the rest of the season?
Quick Shave:
I really want to call out the Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Pascal Leclaire who is very quietly putting together a Vezina calibre season for his club. Last night Leclaire made 31 saves to record the 3-0 shutout win over the Montreal Canadiens for the Blue Jackets. The NHL leading ninth shutout of the season. Leclaire is currently third in Goals Against Average with 2.12 and second only to Pittsburgh's Ty Conklin in Save Percentage with .924. Leclaire played for the first time ever in his hometown of Montreal and it was certaily worth the wait.
Looks as though after month's of speculation, Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. will finally be relieved of his duties sometime today.
According to TSN.ca, the Board of Directors of the Maple Leafs met yesterday and have decided to make a change. Former Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher is expected to become the team's interim General Manager for the remainder of the season.
UPDATE:
All of the above just happened shortly after noon today. The Leafs will being holding a press conference later today to announce the hiring of Cliff Fletcher as their new interim GM. Let the rumors begin.... last time this guy was in charge he cleaned house!
It's hard to ignore what's going on in Toronto right now. The Toronto Maple Leafs have had an up and down season, somewhat more down than up, and following a year where they missed the playoffs by a single point, every fan, broadcaster, and writer are demanding action.
Unfortunately, for Leafs GM John Ferguson, the finger is being pointed directly at him. Ownership has made no secret they are interviewing candidates to become his replacement. Earlier this week they asked the Phoenix Coyotes for permission to speak with former Leafs GM (1991-1997) Cliff Fletcher about his interest in returning to his post. Clearly, Ferguson is on his way out, it's a matter of when not if. Coach Paul Maurice's position may also be in jeopardy, and his fate could be the same as Ferguson's. Guaging the news in Toronto it really sounds like no one is safe.
The big question is what happens to Mats Sundin. The Leafs captain is having a great season, scoring 51 points (20 goals, 31 assists) and is a +10 in 47 games this season. He is also an unrestricted free-agent at season's end. Will the Leaf's deal him? Sundin will clearly fetch a huge price as a playoff rental if he is dangled before the league prior to the deadline. The Leafs could also re-sign him in the off-season if he chose to return. The hang up with all of this? Sundin has a no-trade clause. Would he be willing to waive it?
Let's say he does. Where will he go? I have to imagine the Leafs would prefer to send him West, to avoid having to face him as an opponent. Sundin would look pretty good centering his countrymen the Sedin twins in Vancouver. He also might be the scoring player Brett Hull is looking for to compliment Mike Modano (if one of them felt like playing wing) in Dallas. As a Red Wing, centering Zetterberg and Datsyuk? The possibilities are endless. February could be a very busy month for the Leafs and the NHL.
Quick Shave:
Anyone see what Rick Nash did last night against the Phoenix Coyotes? He took a bad penalty which allowed the Coyotes to tie the game 3-3 late in the third. Nash however had the opportunity to redeem himself, and scored the game winner (his second of the game) with less than half a minute to go, to give the Columbus Blue Jackets the 4-3 win. The goal itself, well have a look for yourself. Brilliant!
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin joined the NHL Hat Trick club for the first time in his career.
Malkin's scoring production was just a small part of the 6-2 thumping the Penguins put on the Toronto Maple Leafs last night. The Leafs who have looked vulnerable since their starting goaltender Vesa Toskala was place on IR, and have now lost 7 of their last 9 games.
The Pittsburgh Penguins returned to indoor hockey behind the solid goaltending of Ty Conklin who made 33 saves, and is now 6-0 as a starter since being called up to fill in for the injured Marc-Andre Fluery, and the incapable Dany Sabourin.
Quick Shave:Calgary Flames forward Jarome Iginla is unstoppable. Iginla scored his 30th, and 31st of the season last night, including the game winner which lifted the Flames 3-2 over the San Jose Sharks in overtime. The previous evening saw Iginla pot two in the Flames 4-3 win over the New York Rangers. Speaking of which, the Rangers who were without leading scorer Brendan Shanahan were unable to solve Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo last night. Luongo made 27 saves and help the Canucks to a 3-0 shutout win over the Rangers. The victory was his 6th of the season by shutout. The Colorado Avalanche are dealing with the injury bug lately. After losing captain Joe Sakic for the next few months, they will also be without free agent acquisition Ryan Smyth for 8 weeks due to a fractured ankle.
What a difference a week can make. It wasn't long ago that all of Leafs Nation was calling for the head of Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson (some may be still...) but now the gang up North has reason to celebrate. The Toronto Maple Leafs won their fourth straight game last night over a very sluggish New York Rangers club 6-2.
The Leafs have been offensively gifted all season, but their play on the defensive side of the puck was lacking. In the past 4 games, their goaltender Vesa Toskala who the club acquired from the San Jose Sharks over the summer has been playing like the number one netminder they had hoped he would be. Leafs forward Nik Antropov recorded his second career NHL Hat Trick, and helped chase New York Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist. Mats Sundin also scored in the win.
The Rangers after starting the season with great goaltending and stingy defense have now surrendered 10 goals in their last 2 games. I definitely jinxed them after their win over Ottawa last Saturday... but their is a bright side. Toskala and Antropov are on my fantasy team!
Quick Shave: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Vincent Lecavalier scored again... blah blah blah. This guy is definitely making his bid for the NHL Hart Trophy this year. Lecavalier potted his 19th of the year, and helped the Lightning to a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Newly annointed number one goaltender Carey Price made 24 saves to lift the Montreal Canadiens over the Boston Bruins 4-2 last night. I wonder what kind of goaltending controversy there will be in Montreal if Price goes on a lengthy win streak while incumbent number one Cristobal Huet recovers from his groin pull. Can anyone say trade rumors? Daniel Sedin scored a pair last night as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Nashville Predators 5-2. The Pittsburgh Penguins tour of Canada continues to roll on with success. The Pens battled back to tie the game late on a short handed goal by Ryan Malone, then went on to defeat the Calgary Flames in an extra round shoot out 3-2. As I write this the Los Angeles Kings have a modest 7-0 lead over the Buffalo Sabres (so far, everyone in a Kings uniform has scored), and my desire to watch the rest of the match.... well it's gone. With my luck, Buffalo will win 8-7.
This Thursday, Eric Lindros will make it official and call it a career.
After several injury plagued seasons with the New York Rangers, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Dallas Stars, Lindros will finally hang up his skates. Lindros never truly rediscovered the dominance he once exerted on the ice when centering the top line for the Philadelphia Flyers during the 90's. In his 13 year career he was never able to remain healthy enough to play a full season (he came close in New York), but still managed to capture the Hart Trophy in 1995 as the NHL MVP. Injuries unfortunately, most notably a never ending series of concussions kept Lindros from ever achieving his full potential.
In 760 games played, Eric Lindros amassed 856 points (372 goals, 493 assists) and was a +215. He also collected 1398 minutes in penalties. In his 53 playoff appearances, Lindros collected 57 points (24 goals, and 33 assists). It remains to be seen if his numbers will be good enough to garner him Hall of Fame consideration, but he will be difficult to overlook.
As a Ranger fan, I loved to hate him when he was a Flyer, but always enjoyed watching him play. He was one of the most intimidating forces on the ice in his prime. I honestly will miss the 'E' Train.
Quick Shave:
I wanted to send out my congratulations to Coach Al Arbour for coaching his 1500 game for the New York Islanders Saturday night, as well as picking up his 740th victory with the club as they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. Garth Snow, Ted Nolan, the New York Islanders, and their fans deserve a huge amount of credit for what they did in honoring Arbour. Miroslav Satan who scored the game winner Saturday night, repeated the effort last night against the New York Rangers topping of a 3 goal third period to lift his club to a 3-2 win. The Ottawa Senators own the NHL right now, especially the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Sens won their 13 game of the season over the Leafs 5-2 last night. The Atlanta Thrashers continue to roll on the winning side since Waddell became their head coach defeating the Washington Capitals 2-1 last night in the shootout.
Game of the Night:
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh 7:00 PM
Remember how Sidney Crosby and the Penguins owned the Flyers last season? I believe it was a season sweep. Think the Flyers will be looking for some payback? Tune in and enjoy the games!
Am I a Toronto Maple Leafs fan? No, definitely not. I do however have a vested interest in this club, as I have gambled much like the Leafs themselves, the fate of my fantasy roster on the stellar play of former San Jose Sharks goaltender Vesa Toskala. Needless to say, my goaltending stats are so bad, that I may as well bench the rest of my starters and surrender the netminding categories. In fairness to Toskala, he did face 39 shots.... so where is the defence in Toronto? Where indeed.
On a plus note for Leafs fans, Mats Sundin setup defenceman Bryan McCabe's first period powerplay goal, and recorded his 916th point as a Maple Leaf tying him with Darryl Sittler for the franchise's scoring record. Sadly that goal, would be the only one for Toronto, and that footnote, the only bright spot last night.
The Carolina Hurricanes torched the Leafs for 7 goals, by just about everyone. Four of the goals came on special teams by Jeff Hamilton, Scott Walker, Cory Stillman (who I dropped today because I thought he was injured.... yeah fantasy guru here), and Matt Cullen. A pretty interesting conversation between the broadcasters during the game stated that GM Jim Rutherford has actually re-assembled 17 of the original players from the Stanley Cup Championship team two years ago in an effort to re-kindle some of that chemistry..... ummm I think it might be working.
The Hurricanes were a vision of their former selves last night, and the Leafs.... well they look like they did last season.
The race for teams to re-sign their potential unrestricted free agents has begun.
The Toronto Maple Leafs re-signed their captain and forward Mats Sundin to a one year deal worth $5.5 million. The new contract includes and no trade clause.
The Leafs reportedly wanted to sign Sundin to a longer contract, but he preferred a shorter term deal. Sundin also gave the Leafs a home town discount from his previous deal which payed him $6.3 million last season. The shorter contract also means that his retirement is also on the horizon.
Sundin played in 75 games last season for the Leafs recording 76 points (27 goals, 49 assists).
The Detroit Red Wings announced the re-signing of their age defying defenseman Chris Chelios yesterday as well. Chelios and the Wings agreed on a one year contract worth $850,000 with incentive bonuses.
Chelios now 45, will turn 46 during his 24th season in the NHL, and needs just two more playoff games to pass goaltender Patrick Roy for most NHL post season games played.
Chelios has been a mainstay on the Red Wings blue line for the better part of a decade now, and he shows no sign of slowing down. He was a big part of the defence corp that helped pick up the slack during the playoffs after defenseman Mattheiu Schneider was sidelined with a broken wrist. For the money, it's hard to argue against the Red Wings keeping him in the fold.
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!
I'm almost loathe to write about this fearing the curse, but holy crap what a game last night! The first period was playoff calibre, the Garden was certainly playoff atmosphere and both teams appeared playoff bound. Toronto opened the scoring early, and the crowd that was fired up minutes earlier silenced (much like Game 3 against the Devils last year.... Elias score less that two minutes into that one, and pulled the plug on the Garden faithful), however Sean Avery tied it up minutes later and jump started the crowd.
The second period the Rangers broke it open in a huge way in the second. Two quick goals saw Andrew Raycroft pulled from the Leafs net less than 5 minutes into the period. Jean-Sebastien Aubin replaced Raycroft and allowed three more goals, including Sean Avery's second of the night. Sean Avery had an amazing game last night. He recorded the Gordie Howe Hatrick (Goal, Assist, Fight), and nearly joined the HTC. Jaromir Jagr had a goal and two helpers, Michael Nylander scored his 25th, and Martin Straka recorded his team leading 29th.
The Rangers went on to take the win and the coveted two points 7-2. They also moved past the Tampa Bay Lightning into 6th place in the Eastern Conference.
Quick Shave:
While the Carolina Hurricanes gained a valuable 2 points last night with their 4-3 overtime win over the Florida Panthers last night, their playoff hopes are fading. They sit two points out in 10th place. If they fail to gain ground in the next 7 days, it will be the first time ever that the two teams that played in the Stanley Cup Finals the season prior didn't make the playoffs the following year. First time ever. That isn't really a benchmark you'd go looking to hit. The Detroit Red Wings took the top spot in the league last night with their 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets..... which by the way, whoever the NBC executive was that thought that matchup should be deemed the game of the week should be beaten. The Red Wings have 108 points and a 1 point cushion over the Eastern Conference leading Buffalo Sabres. San Jose Sharks forward Jonathan Cheechoo scored three goals and joined the NHL Hat Trick Club for the third time this season. The Sharks went on to a 6-2 victory over the coasting Los Angeles Kings. The New Jersey Devils are getting their full compliment of players back into the fold, and are once again returning to their winning ways. Brian Gionta returned to the lineup yesterday after a month of absence due to a groin injury to score the game winner in a 3-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. Devils goaltender Martin Broduer is one victory shy of tying Bernie Parent's 47 win season record.
Game of the Night:
St. Louis at Dallas 8:00 PM
Well not really, but this is it folks. Monday's only game, and the start of the end of the last week in the regular season..... it all wraps up saturday. Enjoy the game!
Shouldn't it be the Toronto Maple Leaves? Ponder that one.
The Buffalo Sabres will be a tough team to beat this post season for many reasons. The biggest of those is their refusal to quit, regardless of how out of game they may appear. The Toronto Maple Leafs found that out the hard way last night.
The Toronto Maple Leafs took a 4-1 lead early in the third on a pair of scores by Boyd Devereaux, and more than less had the game in control. Then the Sabres turned it on, and mounted their comeback, the ninth time they've done so this season when trailing by more than two goals. Buffalo forwards, Thomas Vanek, Daniel Briere, Jason Pomminville rallied to tie that game and Drew Stafford potted the game winning tally with less than 6 minutes to play. Even though he had a rough night between the pipes, Ryan Miller was shelled throughout the game and had to make 40 saves, including a late try by Leafs captain Mats Sundin.
A little over 9 minutes was all it took for the Sabres to not only take the win, and the NHL league lead in points, but their miraculous comeback did seriuos damage to the Maple Leafs pursuit of a playoff berth. The best part about this game? It was the first part of a home and home. The Leafs will have another opportunity to try and complete a win tonight, as they and the Sabres travel north to Toronto. Can you say game of the night?
Quick Shave:
The Anaheim Ducks clinched a playoff spot last night with their 3-2 OT win over the Dallas Stars. Ducks defenceman Scott Niedermayer scored midway through the extra frame to seal the game for his team, and their invitation to the big dance. Ducks forward Chris Kunitz also had a pair of power play goals in the game. The Edmonton Oilers finally snapped their losing streak which had reached 12 games. Unfortunately the 4-3 shootout victory came against the Colorado Avalanche who are in desperate need of every point as they chase the Calgary Flames for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Everyone is apparently up in arms about fighting in the NHL, following the Colton Orr and Todd Fedoruk scrum that saw Fedoruk kissing the ice afterwards. The saddest thing about this, is that this is the only time the general media will discuss hockey. Fighting's bad, it's disgusting, it's bad for the kids to see, I'm appalled. I remember a time when this country had a pair (and that was a long time ago, now the United States has become a whipped, cowering, overly politically correct facsimile of itself).... now I'm disgusted and appalled with all of you.
I love this game, and everything it offers, and that includes the fighting. What these idiots don't get is that this fight between Orr and Fedoruk was predetermined more than a month ago, when Fedoruk and Hatcher took liberties with the Rangers skill players during their last meeting. A meeting in which Orr was a healthy scratch. The fighting isn't there as a means of brutally beating an opponent (which does happen on occasion as a result), but rather to police the sport from within. Physical play is legal and encouraged, but if you are going to check Jaromir Jagr, a player must understand that it will come with a heavy price. Most of the time following these fights, the combatants actually give each other a congratulatory nod or pat on the back. It's subtle but it's there. They know their role, and I don't believe their intent is to injure. I never want to see anyone hurt, and injuries for the most apart (aside from some bruised knuckles or a bloodied lip) never occur during a scrap.
If fighting was removed from the game, I think the NHL would have to go to a non-checking format. I'm not even kidding. Without fighting, players would be able to take runs at the league's stars and continue to do so with no repercussions. The result? Players like Crosby, and Ovechkin would see their careers become shortened to due to injury. I don't think that is what the NHL is looking for. That being said, why do you think the Washington Capitals signed Donald Brashear last off season, and the Penguins recently picked up Georges Laraque at the trade deadline? Sure, Laraque can play a mean saxaphone, and Brashear is a wizard in the kitchen (try the parfait) but both players bring an aura of protection to the stars of their respective teams. What player won't think twice about checking Crosby knowing that doing so will most certainly mean having to throw down with Laraque, and if you hit Ovechkin? Brashear is going to be hitting you. Alot. In the face.
My friend Jeff was once challenged with the fighting question in hockey and asked why he deemed it necessary. His answer nailed the point and shutdown the argument like Turco on a shootout breakaway.
Hockey is the only sport whose players carry a weapon.
I like that.
Game of the Night:
Buffalo at Toronto 7:00 PM
I expect to see a Toronto Maple Leafs team come out with a vengeance against the Sabres tonight at home (read above). If they don't, they may as well close up shop for the season. Enjoy the games!
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!
The New York Islanders appear to be in playoff mode already, and Rick DiPietro is without a doubt a in post-season mode. DiPietro stopped 39 shots last night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, including 16 in the third period. The Islanders only managed one shot on Raycroft in the third. I don't think I've ever seen the Islanders keeper more in the zone than he was last night. His hightlight reel save came early in the third (check the highlights for this one) off a Mats Sundin rebound that floated to Tomas Kaberle who had most of the net to shoot on.....DiPietro snatched the puck out of the air from near point blank range. His confidence was also high, as he began moving out of the crease challenging shooters (something Theodore doesn't do anymore) and severely cutting off their angles. The Islanders went on to take the game 3-2 in the shootout. The Islanders and Leafs are tied for 9th place in the East, just 2 points out of the 8th spot currently held by the struggling Habs.
If DiPietro can keep his play at this level, and the Islanders get into the playoffs, they are going to be dangerous....especially if they face the New Jersey Devils who have been owned by the New York club for the past two seasons.
Quick Shave: Florida Panthers goaltender Ed Belfour made 24 saves against the Montreal Canadiens and made defenceman Jay Bouwmeester's lone goal stand for the 1-0 win. The victory was Belfour's 76th shutout of his NHL career. Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas made 32 saves to blank the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 last night. The win was Thomas' second by shutout this season. Recently acquired forward Brandon Bochenski (formerly of the Ottawa Senators, and Chicago Blackhawks....I think Don Cherry even annointed him as a possible Calder Trophy winner prior to last season) scored his 4th goal in 4 games with the B's. Colorado Avalanche goaltender Peter Budaj had an excellent rebound game last night against the Anaheim Ducks (who last night I found out, have the second worst record in the NHL since late December....how scary is that?). Budaj who was lit up for 4 goals against the Dallas Stars the other night responded by blanking the Ducks 2-0 for his second shutout win of the season. St. Louis Blues forward Bill Guerin joined the HTC last night in a 6-5 losing effort to the San Jose Sharks. Stache mentioned there are rumors swirling about him joining the Carolina Hurricanes..... which couldn't be too far from the truth as the Blues are stacked with plenty of veteran playoff rentals including him, Tkachuk, Weight, Rucinsky, and Dvorak. Don't be surprised if any or all of these guys are playing elsewhere next week. For more on rumors drop by Spector's Hockey, he covers all trade rumors.
Quick Shave:
Montreal at New Jersey 7:30 PM
San Jose at Nashville 8:00 PM
Detroit at Dallas 8:30 PM
Since we are coming down to the wire, more and more of these games are becoming very important. The Habs have been on quite a slide lately, and now find themselves barely holding on to the last playoff spot in the East. It's definitely desperation time in Montreal. The other two games are clearly pre-playoff matchups, and should be outstanding matches. Look for Detroit to come out hard after their recent thumping at the hands of the Flyers. Enjoy the games!
All it too was one turnover, and Mats Sundin on a breakaway to end the Rangers winning streak.
Tied at 1 goal a peice in the third, Sundin took a pass from Ian White and scored on the breakaway beating countryman Henrik Lundqvist, to give the Leafs the eventual 2-1 win last night at the Garden. The Leafs have now won 5 of their last 6 games and are now tied with the Rangers for 9tth place in the Eastern Conference.
Brendan Shanahan ripped into the referees last night for the lack of calls on the liberties taken on Jaromir Jagr. His response to said action was very passionate, as well as lengthy, and you can read it here. I can't recall anything blatant last night, but from Shanahan's view point, he may see things we don't. Jagr for some reason is hated around the league, at least by the fans, and is booed no matter where he goes. That makes no sense to me, but hey it's your dollar. I'm not sure if the referees have an agenda against him, but there will obviously be a closer watch on the officiating during the next Rangers game.
Quick Shave:
The Phoenix Coyotes almost pulled it off last night, largely in part to their goaltender Curtis Joseph. Cujo kept the Anaheim Ducks off the board till they finally broke through midway through the third period. Moen and McDonald scored two goals less than 2 minutes apart to take the win 2-1. The Coyotes are for real. Yeah, they lost, but they did hang tough with one of the best in the league last night.....and now that I've celebrated their greatness expect them to go on a 9 game losing streak. The Edmonton Oilers stopped the Columbus Blue Jackets winning streak at 4 games last night. The Oilers defeated the Jackets 5-2 last night.
Game of the Night:
Nashville at Phoenix 9:00 PM
Dallas at San Jose 10:30 PM
Go West my friends! Yeah I wanna watch Phoenix do battle again, against the best. This time its' the Western Conference Leading Nashville Predators. The second game is the rematch of the Home and Home between Dallas and San Jose. Dallas stole the game from the Sharks Wednesday night, so look for some retribution from San Jose. Enjoy the games!
Friday night's loss to the Chicago Blackhawks was more than a hit in the standings for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Forward Michael Peca was injured following a collision with Blackhawks defenceman Jim Vandermeer. Peca suffered a fractured tibia as a result of the contact.
Yesterday Peca had surgery on the fractured leg, which required screws and plating to secure multiple fractures across the bone. The surgery was successful, but the minimum downtime for such an injury is three months, and it is unlikely he will be back on the ice for the Leafs this year unless they make the post season. And that is looking less likely every day.
Quick Shave:
Way to go Phoenix! This was either a case of the Phoenix Coyotes playing way over their heads, or the Anaheim Ducks taking them for granted. Regardless, Shane Doan and Fredrik Sjostrom scored two goals 13 seconds apart late in the third to defeat the Ducks 2-0, and give the Yotes faithful, a very nice Christimas present. Another team delivering a holiday surprise to their fans this week, as well as last night are the St. Louis Blues. The Blues dumped the Eastern Conference's best team in the Buffalo Sabres last night 3-2 in overtime. Bill Guerin potted a pair of goals including the game winner. So two of the worst teams in the league (statistically speaking of course) defeated the two best teams in the NHL last night! Another team in the spirit of giving last night was the Nashville Predators, as they put 7 pucks in the Los Angeles Kings stockings. The Predators shutdown the Kings for the 7-0 win. The San Jose Sharks defeated the Calgary Flames 4-1 last night. Sharks keeper Evgeni Nabokov made 21 saves on the evening and has won his last four starts. The New York Rangers have now lost 5 in a row, and their second consecutive when entering the third with a lead. The Rangers gave up a 3-0 lead last night to the Tampa Bay Lightning and allowed Dan Boyle to join the HTC and help his club to the 4-3 win. New York Islanders Rick DiPietro is really answering the bell after signing his 15 year contract. Last night the Isles netminder stopped all 26 Columbus Blue Jackets shots he faced for the 4-0 win, and his third victory by way of shutout this season. The Islanders are now just 2 points behind the 1st place Devils, and 1 point behind the second place Rangers.
Well I guess that's it for today. I want to wish all my boys Happy Holidays and thanks as always for the support!
Before I begin.....allow me a moment to make a request. NHL Center Ice, please for the Love of Jagr....please, please, please change that porn music you play during the intermissions. It is killing me!!! I started it humming it to myself today, so your master plan to take over my mind has been realized. Please pick some new music.....anything! Thank you.
Last night, Marian Hossa joined the exclusive organization known only as the NHL Hat Trick Club as he peppered the Toronto Maple Leafs with three goals, and a helper to fully annihilate our friends from the North 5-0. Oh. Did I mention Mr. Hossa's teammate and goaltender Kari Lehtonen stopped all 36 shots thrown at him to also contribute to the Atlanta Thrasher's win? No? Well I just did.
According to TSN.ca, Hossa has had a difficult time scoring against the Leafs in his past, I wonder if this was because of the unfortunate incident that occurred when his stick punctured Bryan Berard's eye many years ago. If you remember, it took Hossa some time to recover from that as a player. He didn't become the prolific forward that he is today, untill two seasons later. Regardless, he seems to have beaten whatever demons he may have had with the Leafs last night, and now leads the NHL scoring race with 39 points.
The shutout was Lehtonen's fourth of the season, and the loss was the third straight for Toronto.
Quick Shave:
The Ottawa Senators dumped the Florida Panthers last night 6-0, but I think it's way too early for anyone to get excited about this team. They are still hovering around .500 and have yet to show any consistency. Heatley had 2 goals against the Panthers, who he used to join the HTC last week. Just a few days after being verbally trashed, and benched by his coach Wayne Gretzky, Ladislav Nagy returned to score a goal and 3 assists to help the Phoenix Coyotes defeat the Los Angeles Kings 7-4. Now all Gretzky has to do is bench the entire team next game, and tell the press they all suck after the game.....then it's Stanley Cup City! Washington Capitals keeper Olaf Kolzig made 365 saves last night to help his team defeat the Dallas Stars 4-3. How great has Kolzig been this year? Has he faced less than 30 shots in a game this year? I doubt it. This marked the first time that Kolzig has ever defeated the Dallas Stars. Speaking of which, I was kind of joking about a coaching change in Dallas, but has now lost 4 in a row. HMMMMM....does the Captain's theory have legs? or skates? The Pittsburgh Penguins placed former all-star winger John LeClair on waivers yesterday. The 37 year old has certainly fallen from grace since his Legion of Doom line days in Philly. It's doubtful he will be claimed even on re-entry waivers. The Carolina Hurricanes finally found a way to penetrate the Montreal Canadiens wall known as Huet. The Habs keeper was hoping to continue his torrid pace but fell short as they fell to the Hurricanes 4-2. Eric Cole made his bid to join the HTC but was one goal short. The Boston Bruins are quietly stringing victories together and have played about three less games than everyone in the East. Last night they fought back to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 by way of shootout. The Colorado Avalanche destroyed the Edmonton Oilers last night 7-3.....Oilers keeper Dwayne Roloson was chased in the second and Avs forward Tyler Arnason was one shy of joining the NHL HTC. Did Chris Pronger take a dump in every Canadian's bowl of cheerios? Pronger was booed in Vancouver all evening as the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Canucks 2-1 last night. I think he was treated worse there than in Edmonton.
Game of the Night:
NY Rangers at Buffalo 8:00 PM
I know the Rangers can do it! They have to beat the Sabres at least once this year! The Sabres have taken all of the previous meetings, and the last two by overtime winners. All I have to say....Jagr joins the HTC tonight. Enjoy the games my friends!
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!
The Toronto Maple Leafs handed the Buffalo Sabres their first regulation loss last night, due in large part to the efforts of their Captain. Mats Sundin, set up Darcy Tucker for the game tying goal, and then scored two more himself, along with Jeff O'Neill in the second period to get the 4-1 victory. Leafs goaltender Andrew Raycroft stopped 29 shots, including 16 in the final period. Tomas Kaberle continued his relentless attack on the scoresheet, by recording an assist on Tucker's goal, his 10th point in 5 games.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been on a tear since their 7-2 drubbing at the hands of the Ottawa Senators, and have since won 4 of their last 5 games.
Quick Shave:
Are the Philadelphia Flyers really this bad? The Washington Capitals joined a growing group of teams that have recently pounded the boys from Philly. Alexander Ovechkin scored two goals in the first to lift the Capitals to a 5-3 win over the Flyers. He now has 16 points on the season. The Flyers have only 3 wins this season and sit at the bottom of the league with 7 points. Part of their problem may be their power play. Their special teams unit has converted only 7 opportunities in 80 tries, and is the worst in the NHL right now. The rumor mill in Philly will definitely be kicking into high gear soon, and come March this team is going to look like a half-price sale at K-mart. The Phoenix Coyotes may be rising from the ashes.....maybe? Newly acquired center Yanic Perreault had 2 assists for his new team, and helped them to a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. The Carolina Hurricanes looked awesome in the third period, completely out playing the Ottawa Senators and handing them their third straight loss 3-2. The Calgary Flames got off the skids last night, by defeating the St. Louis Blues 3-2. Jarome Iginla who is on a tear right now (even though his team isn't) scored the game winner late in the third. Bill Guerin has apparently found his game in St. Louis, and scored his 7th goal of the season last night. Zdeno Chara scored the game tying goal in the waning moments of the third period for the Boston Bruins and Glenn Murray buried the game winner in OT moments later to complete the comeback win over the Lightning 6-5. The San Jose Sharks may have discovered the formula to stop the Pittsburgh Penguins last night. Pound them, and keep pounding them. The Sharks pressed the Pens physically all game and kept Evgeni Malkin from scoring in his 7th straight game, as well as effectively shutting down Sidney Crosby. The Sharks won the game 3-2.
Game of the Night:
Buffalo at NY Rangers 5:00 PM
Only one on the card today, but this should be a good one. The Rangers get a rematch with the Sabres who slapped the crap out of them 2 weeks ago 7-3 (i'm pretty sure on that score, although the Rangers may have only gotten 2, regardless they got beat badly). Tom Renney is apparently being coy about who he will be starting in net. Tough decision as Kevin Weekes has played solid in his last two starts, and the Rangers have played equally well in front of him. Enjoy the games!
The Atlanta Thrashers perhaps still flying after their victory over undefeated Buffalo Sabres Saturday night, came crashing back down to earth, in a special teams showdown with the Toronto Maple Leafs last night. A penalty filled first period, saw Atlanta quickly gain the advantage from a 5 on 3 powerplay goal by Ilya Kovalchuk, but then give it away to the Leafs by rewarding them with a 5 on 3 powerplay of their own. The Leafs capitalized on that opportunity with a goal by Darcy Tucker, then in consesecutive power plays they scored two more in less thatn a minute on goals by Tomas Kaberle, and again by Darcy Tucker. Mats Sundin assisted on all three power play goals, tying a Toronto Maple Leaf record.
Quick Shave:
Good news for Pittsburgh Penguins fans, Jordan Staal has earned his spot on the team, and will not be returned to the OHL, as originally expected by many. This is a great move by the Penguins organization as Staal has certainly shown that he can compete in the league, and has been invaluable as a penalty killer for the club, already tallying 3 short handers. Peter Forsberg is determined to lift the Philadelphia Flyers out of the cellar, and last night recorded two goals for his team against the Chicago Blackhawks. Robert Esche made 26 saves to record his first win of the season by way of 3-0 shutout. Richard Zednik scored 2 goals, and once again Olaf Kolzig faced his 30+ shots (38 to be exact) to help defeat the Calgary Flames 4-2 last night. Calgary has dropped 2 of their last 3 games, and have already lost 3 games now at home.....last season they only lost 7 (according to the announcers, which is really impressive). The Anaheim Ducks still remain unbeaten in regulation as they defeated the St. Louis Blues 6-5 in the shootout on goals by Teemu Selanne and Ryan Getzlaf. TSN.ca just released their latest Power Rankings, and the list is loaded with some surprise teams....most notably Pittsburgh at 8th, and Washington at 15th. Bet no one thought they'd be hanging tough at this point. To check out the complete list click here. The Los Angeles Kings embarassed and completely outworked the New York Rangers 4-1 last night. Defenceman Brent Sopel had 2 goals on the evening, and goaltender Mathieu Garon was stellar in net, stopping all but 1 of the shots the Rangers threw at him.
Game of the Night:
Ottawa at Montreal 7:30 PM
All Canadian action tonight! Can Ottawa sustain the offence it's been putting up lately, and can whoever gets the call for the Habs (Aebischer, or Huet) handle the attack if the Senators provide it? I guess we'll find out my bearded friends! Enjoy the games!
The NHL Hat Trick Club added two new members last night. The first coming from Tampa Bay Lightning forward and former NHL MVP Martin St. Louis. St. Louis broke the team record (which he set) for the fastest hat trick scored. St. Louis scored the three goals during the second period in 6 minutes and 17 seconds, and helped his team defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 (which look like they are having some troubles....and Cam Ward is looking very ordinary.....). The Tampa Bay Lightning have been a team under the rumor focus as of late, especially with the Great Purge in Philly.....could John Tortorella be on his way out if the Lightning don't start getting it done? For more on these rumors check out Spector's Hockey.
Our second addition to the NHLHTC (nice right?) is young Dany Heatley of the Ottawa Senators. Another team who's awful start was overshadowed by the play of the Philadelphia Flyer, has certainly seemed to turn the corner for good. Since blowing out the Devils 8-1 last Saturday, the Senators offence is on fire. The Ottawa Senators crushed the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second game in a row 7-2. Dany Heatley scored three goals for the hat trick, and Jason Spezza who has also left his scoring slump behind had 5 points on the match. Coach Bryan Murray, and GM John Muckler are certainly breathing a little easier after this week, for if the Sens hadn't straightened out their play, they could be playing golf with Hitch and Clarke by now.
Quick Shave:
The Buffalo Sabres have tied the record for most wins in a row to start a season, set by the Leafs in 1994 with 10. While their 10th win came against the punchless Islanders (perhaps Dunham should return to the crease), the Sabres show no sign of letting up. They can break the record with their 11th win, on Saturday night if they can defeat the Atlanta Thrashers....a team that is beginning to look and play alot like the Sabres. Game of the Night all over that one! After a couple of rough outtings, New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur responded with 29 save performance and helped his team shutout the Florida Panthers 3-0. The shutout was Brodeur's 82nd, which ties him with Jacques Plante for fourth overall on the shutout list. Peter Forsberg and Simone Gagne helped the Philadelphia Flyers to their second win of the season, and perhaps the turning point of the club under new head coach John Stevens. The Flyers defeated the Thrashers 3-2 in the shootout. Coach Hartley of the Thrashers pulled netminder Hedberg in favor of Lehtonen for the shootout (Kari Lehtonen, prior to last night was 6-1 on the shootout....but I believe he was the goalie in net during the game, not in relief), while on paper it may have looked like a good move, Lehtonen appeared cold, and was only able to stop one goal. It appears the sleeping giant in the desert has awakened! The unstoppable, playoff bound, Stanley Cup Contending Phoenix Coyotes mauled the Edmonton Oilers 6-2 last night. Most of the last sentence was nonsense....other than the score....the Oilers actually did lose to the Yotes. San Jose Shark's goalie Vesa Toskala lost his first game of the season to the Nashville Predators last night 4-3. Predators rookie Alexander Radulov scored his first career NHL goal....is it fantasy pick up time yet.....no not yet, but I'd put him on your watch list.
Game of the Night:
Anaheim at Minnesota 8:00 PM
Two powerhouses do battle in the West. Minnesota looks stellar so far, and playing the Ducks should be a solid bench test for them. Enjoy the beard!
This will probably go down in history as a week that most goaltenders would like to forget. Yes folks, it's Hat Trick Week in the NHL! After Detroit's Matthieu Schneider kicked it off on Wednesday with the first 3 goal game of the week, Thursday saw, New Jersey's Brian Gionta, Edmonton's Ryan Smyth, and San Jose's Jonathan Cheechoo all record hat tricks. So why stop there? Buffalo Sabre's forward Chris Drury did his part in a 7-4 drubbing of the New York Rangers, which leads us up to our man of the hour. Mats Sundin.
The Toronto Maple Leaf Captain, Mats Sundin scored 3 goals this evening against the usually very stingy Calgary Flames. His third goal and game winner was less than a minute into extra time which lifted the Leafs to a 5-4 win. The icing on the evening, was that not only was it the game winner, or in overtime, or even that it was a short handed opportunity, it was that the final tallie of the hat trick was Mats Sundin's 500th career goal.
While Mikka Kipprusoff let in more than his usual 1 goal, the Calgary Flames did find some offence tonight. Although it was against a defensively soft Leafs team, and an off night for goaltender Raycroft, the Flames got goals from Giordano, Lombardi and Langkow. Perhaps this is a step towards something positive?
Quick Shave:
As I said above, the Buffalo Sabres crushed the New York Rangers 7-4, who really look like a team that forgot about it's defense first philosophy that brought them out of the cellar a year ago. Chris Drury celebrated a hat trick in the win. Brian Gionta of the New Jersey Devils is on a tear again. He scored the game winner in the 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. So much for my Game of the Night! Minnesota remained undefeated by hammering the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-0. The New York Islanders have lost their 15 year man to a groin injury for an undetermined amount of time........but no problem there, because backup Mike Dunham has won two straight for the Isles.
Game of the Night:
Dallas at Anaheim 8:00 PM
Only one game on the card tonight, but man is it a good one! The Ducks vs. the Stars! Two power-house teams in the West face off (man am I laying it on thick!!). Enjoy the game!
The reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner was on his way to making the Edmonton Oilers pay early this morning. Jonathan Cheechoo lit the lamp three times for his first hat trick of the young season. Down 4-2, the Oilers mounted an unlikely comeback in the third period. Powered by Ryan Smyth, and his hat trick, the Oilers scored 4 unanswered goals to beat the San Jose Sharks 6-4.
Ryan Smyth broke Wayne Gretzky's record (set in '88 if I heard correctly), for the fastest three goals by an Edmonton Oilers player. Smyth potted the first two on the power play 14 seconds apart, and nabbed the third less than a minute later.
What a hockey game! It really looked as though the Sharks had this one in the bag, and apparently they did too, and came out way too complacent in the third. The Oilers stormed Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov who faced multiple breakaways (one of which Ales Hemsky finished the scoring on) and odd man opportunites, and looked as though he was left to fend for himself. Edmonton looked like the same refuse to die team we all witnessed in last years playoffs. Dwayne Roloson looked like the playoff version of himself, weathering the Sharks attack for the final period with little difficulty. Two Hat Tricks in one game! That's nice.
Quick Shave
Not to be out done, Brian Gionta of the New Jersey Devils joined Mattheiu Schneider, Jonathan Cheechoo, and Ryan Smyth in this week's Hat Trick Club by helping his team climb back into the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs last night. Gionta, just re-signed by the Devils last week, potted three goals in the third to tie the game 6-6, and force overtime, and the eventual shootout where New Jersey won 7-6. The Calgary Flames still can't find the offence they long for, but their opponents aren't able to find any when facing Miikka Kiprusoff. Jarome Iginla scored the only goal of the game, and that was all the Flames needed as Kiprusoff shut the door on the Ottawa Senator, stopping all 33 shots he faced for the 1-0 win. The Pittsburgh Penguins are showing signs of the juggernaut they are destined to become. The Penguins had a back and forth matchup against the New York Rangers that saw Sidney Crosby have a 4 point evening including the game winning power play goal with seconds remaining to give his team the 6-5 win. Jordan Staal, the younger brother of Hurricanes forward Eric Staal potted his first ever NHL goal on a beautiful shorthanded breakway against Rangers keeper Henrik Lundqvist. The second overall pick in this years Entry Draft, had a terrific game and is giving the Penguins all the reason in the world to keep him on the team. The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Nashville Predators for the second time in two weeks, and kept them from finding their first win. Martin Havlat, whom the Blackhawks picked up in a trade from Ottawa, and signed for the long term has really answered the bell. Havlat had a goal last night against the Predators and in 3 games has 8 points (4 goals, 4 assists). The Minnesota Wild are still unbeaten after taking it to the Washington Capitals in a shootout victory 3-2. UFA acquisition defenceman Kim Johnsson potted both goals in regualtion on the powerplay.
Game of the Night:
Buffalo at Detroit 7:00 PM
A Friday the 13th matchup! This one is for you Jeff! The unbeaten Buffalo Sabres storm in to Detroit tonight to face off agains the Red Wings. This is a great test for both teams. The Red Wings have the opportunity to answer the critics against one of the hottest teams in the league. Enjoy the games!
On a night where the Carolina Hurricanes raised their Stanley Cup Banner to celebrate their 2005-2006 season, the Buffalo Sabres were only thinking about how they fell one game short to the same team only months ago in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Buffalo Sabres weathered an early storm (no pun intended) of shots by the Hurricanes on opening night, till Pomminville opened the scoring for the Sabres halfway through the first. Staal evened the score minutes later for the Hurricanes. Both teams traded goals on scores by the Hurricanes Erik Cole, and Buffalo's Chris Drury. After that it was all goaltending.
Buffalo's Ryan Miller made 32 saves while Cam Ward stopped 30 shots, till the game went to OT, and the inevitable shootout. The Sabres Daniel Briere scored the only goal during the shoot out, and Ryan Miller shut down the Canes to take the first win of the NHL season 3-2.
Senators level Leafs
The Maple Leafs need goal scoring. They also need defense, and perhaps goaltending. The only Leafs goal was provided by Mats Sundin on a penalty shot. Other than that it was all Ottawa. Patrick Eaves, Chris Neil, Christoph Schubert, and Daniel Alfredsson all recorded tallies in the 4-1 victory over the Maple Leafs.
Dallas stuns Colorado
WOW! Dallas looked horrible all game, and in fact didn't even show up till the third. If not for Turco, they would have been down far more than 2-0 to the Avs. In the third however, Theodore didn't show up, and let two quick goals by in the opening minutes. The game went to OT, where the Avs started on a power play which they failed to convert. As the penalty ended, Turco fed a sweet pass to Darryl Sydor who was just out of the sin bin and broke free to wrist one over Theodore's right shoulder and help Dallas to a 3-2 OT victory!
Game of the night:
Vancouver at Detroit 7:00 PM
Calgary at Edmonton 10:00 PM
I give you two, because I'm generous. I'm really interested to see the new looks of all four of these teams. Vancouver's new goalie in Roberto Luongo, and will Naslund lineup with the Sedin boys? How will Detroit fare in the post Yzerman / Shanahan era.....and how will Hasek be in net for the Wings? In Calgary, has Iginla finally found the scoring linemate he has so desperately been seeking in Tanguay, and how will Edmonton respond after coming within a game of winning the Stanley Cup? All these questions will be answered tonight! Probably not all tonight, but some perhaps. Regardless, both matches look to be the most exciting ones on the card! Enjoy the games!
The 2006-2007 NHL Season officially begins tonight, and what better way to kick start than with a rematch of the Eastern Conference finalists Buffalo Sabres, facing off against the team that beat them in game 7 and went on to become the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes? Both teams have had some turnover during the off season, but the core players that took them to the promised land last season remain. Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes will look to improve upon his 100 point (45 goals, 55 assists) regular season in 2005-2006, and help his team defend their title. Staal led all player in the playoffs last season with 28 points (9 goals, 19 assists).
The Buffalo Sabres spent most of the summer battling arbitraters and for the most part came out on top. Daniel Briere will be out to prove that his $5 million arbitration award was deserved and help bring his Sabres over the hump. This should be an awesome matchup and the launchpad for one of the newest rivalries. I'm definitely calling this one my Game of the Night!
Also on the card this evening is Ottawa travelling to meet the Leafs in Toronto. No Hasek? No Chara? No Problem. A younger squad of Sens will surely test the new blue line corps of the Leafs tonite, and see if all that money they threw at Hal Gil, and Pavel Kubina was worth it.
The late game is another playoff rematch from last season between the Dallas Stars, who were handily whipped by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round. All eyes will be on Stars goaltender Marty Turco, to see if he can shake off the sting of yet another dissapointing playoffs. Keep an eye on Marek Svatos of the Avs....the kid can fly and hopefully won't fall into a sophomore slump.
Tonight's Games:
Buffalo at Carolina 7:00 PM
Ottawa at Toronto 7:30 PM
Dallas at Colorado 10:00 PM
Tonight's Show:
October 4th Show
Drop the puck, it's time to go. The NHL season gets underway tonight and we'll give you the latest from the first night of hockey. Lyle Richardson from Spector's Hockey will join us to talk about Lou Lamoriello's deal with the Devils and the moves on the last week of camps. Michael Dolan from FHM Magazine will join us to talk about the FHM NHL Preview, the happenings on the website, and how much damage the crew did at the FHM/NHL Party last Wednesday. All that, plus the beginning of the FOHSHL Report and more from the WHL in the WHL Report. We're chocked full of action and it's just night one.
The pre-season has been tough on a lot teams so far. Injuries are abound and the season hasn't even begun yet. So far it appears the groin is the most popular ailment. Here's a list of the wounded:
Toronto Maple Leafs
Kyle Wellwood - groin
Michael Peca - groin
Darcy Tucker - unknown
Ben Ondrus - unknown
Wade Belak - groin
Tomas Kaberle - unknown
Brendan Bell - bone bruise
San Jose Sharks
Jonathan Cheechoo - groin
Joe Thornton - bruised foot
Nashville Predators
Jason Arnott - groin
Atlanta Thrashers
Vitaly Vishnevski - groin
Steve Rucchin -groin
Buffalo Sabres
Daniel Breire - hip flexor
Carolina Hurricanes
Oleg Tverdovsky - groin
Chicago Blackhawks
Tuomo Ruutu - knee
Michal Handzus -shoulder
Mikael Holmqvist - groin
James Wisniewski - back
Dallas Stars
Eric Lindros - groin
Detroit Red Wings
Danny Markov - knee
Greg Johnson - heart (abnormal EKG)
Florida Panthers
Ville Peltonen - shoulder
Philadelphia Flyers
Antero Niittymaki - hip
Ummmm, does anyone stretch before they play hockey anymore? Come on guys! Either that or the NHL needs to look into getting some better trainers. This is ridiculous!
Toronto Maple Leafs forward and enforcer Tie Domi is expected to announce his retirement later today. At 36 years of age, a recently bought out contract, and no new deal on the table Domi has decided to retire. Domi scored only five goals last season, and the landscape of the new NHL doesn't support fighters the way it used to, thus leaving the Leafs enforcer without a role on the club.
Domi spent 11 years with the Maple Leafs, and in over 1000 games played with them, the Rangers, and Jets, he has accumulated over 3500 minutes in penalties (4th in the NHL).
Damn! Did everyone in the NHL forget the new rules in the offseason? In the last two days I've heard nothing but conga lines headed to the penalty box and consequently teams being eviscerated by their opponents power plays.
Last night saw the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres combine for 18 penalties! Of course the Sabres capitalized on 4 of those power play opportunities, and the Maple Leafs went 0 for 7. The Leafs also debuted their new number one goalie Andrew Raycroft who was shelled in his first outing. Raycroft is apparently the first Leaf to wear the #1 in over a decade. His number may be #1, but the Leafs played like #2.
The Dallas Stars were another team to benefit from their opponent's lack of discipline. The Atlanta Thrashers allowed the Stars to bury two powerplay goals enroute to a 5-2 win. The Thrashers were able to score on one of their chances, but squandered 5 others.
So much for Anaheim's defense. Well, in fairness the Ducks Dynamic Duo of Neidermayer and Pronger were scratched for todays game, and the team that played tonight proved that they will certainly need them to provide quality minutes this season. The Los Angeles Kings torched the Ducks 7-1, scoring 3 goals on the powerplay in another penalty filled game.
Hooking and Tripping appear to be the most popular infractions early in the pre-season, with the occassional seasoning of interference and holding. Everyone is going to have to brush up on the basics, or it could be another slow frustrating start for many teams out of the gate. Goals will certainly be in abundance, especially for teams with monster power play units.
One day after losing Eric Lindros to the Dallas Stars, the Maple Leafs have found his successor in Michael Peca. An announcement expected later today, Michael Peca has reportedly agreed to a one year $2.5 million contract.
Peca played terrible last year, but rumor has it he begged MacT not to trade him at the deadline, and turned his season around....just in time to help the Oiler's march for the cup. Michael Peca had a strong playoffs, scoring 6 goals and 5 asssists during the Oilers' run, but his real strength was in his physical play, which really set the tone for the team.
Sure he's great physically, and defensively, but offensively, I don't really see him filling the role that Lindros, and Jason Allison once occupied for the Leafs. Both were projects for the Leafs that turned out decent results, particularly Allison, who scored 17 goals, and 43 assists in 66 games. Granted he was a -18, but who on the Leafs wasn't last year? Peca has some big shoes to fill in Toronto, and like Lindros desired a return to his home town. Perhaps he will stay longer than a Molson.
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!
Bryan McCabe, Toronto's best defenseman last season (production wise), will be sticking around for another 5 seasons for between $5.5 million and $6 million per year. For more on this report visit TSN.ca.
Toronto Maple Leafs name Paul Maurice new head coach
Well speculation is over. Teemu Selanne's clone, Paul Maurice will be named the new head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs at a news conference this morning. You can see it at TSN.ca.
Paul Maurice was coaching the Toronto Marlies, the Leafs farm club and he has been rumored to be the new head coach for some time, even before Pat Quinn was fired. Prior to the Marlies he coached the Whalers / Hurricanes for 9 seasons and led the Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup appearance against Detroit 4 years ago.
I guess the writing was on the wall....especially with the vote of confidence by GM Ferguson back in January. Pat Quinn was fired as coach of the Maple Leafs this morning. Quinn spent 7 years behind the bench for the Leafs and was never able to get them to the Stanley Cup finals. For more on this story visit TSN.ca.
Toronto showed up, but it was a little too late. Their 5-1 victory over the Senators kept their hopes alive, but only for about 9 minutes as the Tampa Bay Lightning (who Leafs needed to lose to stay alive) went on to defeat the Carolina Hurrincanes in OT 3-2. For more on this story visit TSN.ca.
The Rangers may have blown their chances at winning the Atlantic Division by getting thoroughly dominated by the Flyers last night. The Flyers looked like the team everyone thought they would be last night, especially Forsberg, as they easily beat the Rangers 4-1 last night. The Flyers and the Devils both have an opportunity to take the Division now. See the Game of the night!
Last night's scores:
Boston 3 Atlanta 4 F
Minnesota 3 Dallas 4 F (OT)
NY Rangers 1 Philadelphia 4 F
Anaheim 3 San Jose 6 F
Chicago 2 Columbus 5 F Buffalo 4 Montreal 2 F
Pittsburgh 4 NY Islanders 5 F (SO)
Ottawa 1 Toronto 5 F Washington 2 Florida 1 F (SO)
Carolina 2 Tampa Bay 3 F (OT)
Phoenix 1 Nashville 5 F Detroit 3 St. Louis 2 F
Colorado 3 Vancouver 4 F (OT)
Calgary 1 Los Angeles 2 F (SO)
Game of the night:
Philadelphia at New Jersey 1:00 PM
Another Atlantic Division battle. If the Flyers win, they overtake the Rangers. If the Devils win, they pull into a second place tie with the Flyers with 99 points, 1 point behind the Rangers. Enjoy the games!
According to TSN.ca Jason Allison is out for six weeks following surgery on his left hand Wednesday. Unless the Leafs make the playoffs, Allison's season is over. That being said, Allison's season is over.
All in all, Jason Allison has had a terrific year. Returning from a career threatening series of concussions, Allison was given little chance or opportunity to prove he still had it. Fortunately for him the Leafs gave him a shot and I think he's proven he still has game (unlike another Leaf with concussion issues). If there were an award for 'Comeback Player of the Year', I'd have to give it to him (there is technically an Espy Award for it, but since ESPN has turned it's back on hockey it's doubtful he will get much consideration for it. In fact, Ovechkin should get the Espy for play of the year, but we know that won't happen, but I digress). Allison is second on the Leafs in scoring with 60 points in 66 games (17 goals and 43 assists). Hopefully he can build on this for next year.
Crash landed really. Ed Belfour's season ended Thursday. The Toronto Maple Leafs placed Belfour on Injured Reserve because of problems with his back. This puts the icing on what has been a very dissapointing season for the 40 year old goaltender. He had a 22-22-4 record this season, and last played against the Islanders on March 10.
Mikael Tellqvist, the Maple Leafs new number one goaltender was welcomed into the role prison style. Tellqvist was pounded by the Montreal Canadiens giving up 4 first period goals, ultimately going on to lose to the Canadiens 5-1. The writing has been on the wall all season for the Leafs unfortunately. A team predominantly made up of aging veterans, and chronically injured players has led to a very dissapointing season. The Leafs bid for the final playoff spot will be a Herculean task (nice word usage eh?). For more on this story visit TSN.ca.
Last night's scores:
New Jersey 5 Atlanta 6 F (OT)
San Jose 0 Detroit 4 F
Toronto 1 Montreal 5 F
Washington 3 Tampa Bay 4 F (OT) Calgary 7 St. Louis 2 F
Chicago 3 Phoenix 4 F
Edmonton 3 Vancouver 4 F (SO)
Game of the night:
Ottawa at Buffalo 8:00 PM
I think i picked this matchup last week. Buffalo is still chasing Ottawa for first in the Northeast and is looking to rebound from a 5-0 thrashing (i'm here all week!) at the hands of Atlanta last week. Ottawa is second overall in the NHL with 100 points. Two behind Detroit. Enjoy the games jungle friends!
Since we are nearing the completion of the 2005-2006 NHL Season, I thought I would start breaking down the awards, and those who I feel will have a good chance of winning them.
The Norris trophy. Awarded to the best defenseman, and the individual with the best beard and roundhouse kick. This year we have a busload of possibilities. I'm going to give you my top three, and hopefully pick the winner (I picked Sweden to win the Gold and the Rangers to make the playoffs this year, so I'm not doing to shabby this year!!). Here are my top three, in no particular order:
Matt Schneider of the Detroit Red Wings
What a season Schneider is having. 21 goals, 31 assists, and an amazing +26. If he's on the ice, chances are he's scoring, helping someone else to score, and keeping you away from his net. He's no Mary either. Schneider has always played with a certain level of ferocity (ever since he was a Ranger, man I can understand that, cuz we were all pissed back then. Side Note....one of Sather's biggest blunders was not resigning this guy, he was a great New York Ranger), and has amassed 76 minutes in penalties. Schneider also has 25 power play points and 4 game winning goals. Fortunately Schneider is a big part of my first place fantasy squad.
Lubomir Visnovsky of the Los Angeles Kings
Visnovsky is having a stellar campaign. 17 goals, 43 assists, and a very nice +14. Visnovsky has been making his living on the power play this year with 37 points and has recorded 3 game winning goals. If you drafted him in your fantasy team this year, then you are happier than Frederica Bimmell at a seamstress convention. Visnovsky is a huge part of LA's powerhouse season.
Niklas Lidstrom
It's hard to not name this guy. Lidstrom is always up for or winning this award (he's won it 3 times (2000-2001, 2001-2002, 2002-2003)). It won't be long before we have to rename this the Lidstrom trophy. This year is no different. Lidstrom has 13 goals, and 54 assists and is a +13. He has 44 points on the power play and 2 game winning goals. If Lidstrom wins it this year, no one will be shocked. This guy is the model of consistency.
Here are a few other guys worth looking at, but I don't think they will make the final three due to weaknesses that these fellas above really don't have. Bryan McCabe is having an outstanding year point wise for the Leafs, especially on the PP, but he is a -1. Wade Redden is having a career year as well. 46 points and a +33, but his point totals don't come near my top 3. Dion Phaneuf, your years will come my man. This youngster has had an amazing season, and if not for the depth of the rookie class he'd be raising the Calder Trophy this year and having tea with Ms. MacGill. Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Sergei Zubov, and Zedeno Chara, are all playing world class hockey this year.
I think the winner is going to be a toss up between Lidstrom and Schneider. If you went on points alone you have to give it to Lidstrom, but I think Schneider has had a better all-around season. I'm going to say Matt Schneider wins the Norris Trophy. PlayoffBeard Alert: Schneider grows a beauty in the post season. His beard would make Kris Kristofferson weep, and order the roast duck with the mango salsa.
Last night's scores:
Philadelphia 4 Florida 0 F
Anaheim 1 Detroit 3 F
Columbus 2 Chicago 3 F
Game of the night:
NY Islanders at Atlanta 7:00 PM
Let's give the Islander's there due. Milbury tried to sink this team like the Andrea Doria, but they have refused to quit and are on a 4 game winning streak. Unfortunately the lost Alexei Zhitnik the other night to a broken ankle for the rest of the season but I think they are used to this kind of adversity. Atlanta wants the last playoff spot. So do the Isles. This should have a playoff type feel to it. DiPietro has been playing like a man possessed lately as well. The Olympics actually did a player good (he played for USA so in fairness their was plenty of time to rest). Enjoy the games!
A day after acquiring defenceman Ken Klee from Toronto, the Devils have picked up defenceman Brad Lukowich from the New York Islanders for a 3rd round pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. More to come.
The San Jose Sharks have acquired forward Ville Niemene from the New York Rangers for a third round pick in the 2006 NHL Draft.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired defenseman Luke Richardson from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a fifth round pick and conditional fourth round pick.
The Los Angeles Kings have acquired forward Mark Parrish and defenceman Brent Sopel from the New York Islanders for defenceman Denis Grebeshkov, and forward Jeff Tambellini and a conditional third round pick.
BREAKING NEWS
Just heard on MSG, that the Colorado Avalanche have traded David Aebischerr to Montreal for Jose Theodore!. More to come on this.
The Capitals are not dressing Brendan Witt this evening. This is almost a certainty that he will be dealt in the coming hours.
Derrick Morris has signed a contract extension with the Phoenix Coyotes.
Lindros re-tore the surgically repaired tendon in his wrist last night in an emotional 4-2 loss to the Senators, which all but spells doom to the Leafs. For more on this story visit TSN.ca.
Lindros's injury and the loss spells almost certain doom for the Leafs who are now 7 points out of the final playoff spot, currently held by the Montreal Canadiens. Expect the rumors to start swirling in Toronto, particularly around McCabe and Belfour. For more on these and other trade rumors visit Spector's Hockey.
Last night's scores:
Columbus 2 Los Angeles 3 F
Washington 2 Atlanta 3 F (OT) Buffalo 3 Boston 2 F Ottawa 4 Toronto 2 F
NY Rangers 1 New Jersey 2 F Carolina 7 Pittsburgh 5 F Montreal 6 Tampa Bay 2 F
Colorado 3 Dallas 5 F
Philadelphia 2 NY Islanders 4 F Detroit 7 Phoenix 3 F
San Jose 0 Calgary 2 F
Game of the night:
Nashville at Edmonton 4:00 PM
4th seed Nashville visits 8th seed Edmonton for a matchup of speed. Did any of you catch Alex Hemsky's game winner against the Sharks in my previous Game of the Night this week. The Oliers and Predators are just fun to watch.....if it bleeds....we can kill it. Enjoy the games...DILLON!
The Toronto Maple Leafs fell hard to the Buffalo Sabres last night, where the celebration of the retirement of Pat LaFontaine's number 16, continued onto the ice for a final score of 6-2.
Currently five points out of the 8th and final playoff spot, the Leafs sit in 11th place, behind Atlanta and Boston. All signs currently point to them not making the playoffs this year and being sellers rather than buyers at the March 9th trade deadline. Toronto's play this year has been so discouraging, that rumors of trades involving mainstays Ed Belfour and Brian McCabe have begun to surface.
The Leafs followed the 96-04 Rangers plan of building a team consisting of high priced, overrated, and past their prime vets (so did you Pittsburgh). Jason Allison has worked out surprisingly well. Eric Lindros, has been what exactly what we all thought he would be. Physical and dominant when on the ice. When on the ice. Lindros has once again failed to play an entire season, because of injury. This year he lost 27 games to a wrist ailment. Toronto should have traded for him 5 years ago because he is now a shadow of his former self. Belfour has had a rocky year, but hasn't had much support in front of him. It really looks like the wheels have come off here.
However, on the bright side, a few good moves, can definitely help to acquire some blue chip prospects and draft picks. Goaltending and defense are always running at a high premium so I would be surprised if they aren't overwhelmed with offers. The next few game will really determine the fate of this team. Toronto plays Ottawa tonite, and if they don't have a good showing, expect Ferguson to be manning the phones early.
Last night's scores:
Florida 2 Carolina 5 F
Toronto 2 Buffalo 6 F Vancouver 5 Chicago 4 F (SO)
San Jose 2 Edmonton 3 F
Minnesota 2 Anaheim 4 F
Game of the night:
San Jose at Calgary 10:00 PM
Can Iggy keep it up? I love these late games, especially when it's Hockey Night in Canada! Enjoy the games!
There is panic in the air in Toronto...the Leafs have lost 8 straight going into tonights matchup against the Florida Panthers.
Pat Quinn's head is apparently on the chopping block, rumors of Sundin being traded, Jason Allison being traded to San Jose for Nabokov, cats and dogs living together MASS HYSTERIA!!!
This just in...Dallas has just won another game by shootout.
The Leafs sadly caught the injury bug, and have lost Eric Lindros (Lindros on IR, come on!?) the teams leading scorer and top defenceman Bryan McCabe and Darcy Tucker (he returned to play Saturday night and did register a goal). Ed Belfour is playing himself out of the line up, having been pulled several times during the losing streak.
General manager John Ferguson Jr. is in a tough spot. The Leafs do not have much salary cap room, and is trying to improve the team internally. Defensive depth has always been an issue, and now that weakness has been blatantly exposed. He has not said much in support of Quinn, but usually when GM's back a coach pubicly through the press, they end up firing them a week later, so a 'no vote of confidence' may actually be a good thing here for Quinn. Playoff Beard Alert: None really, but if they do make it to the playoffs, I like Belfour....he is a hairy beer drinking guy and belongs behind the wheel of a tractor trailer hauling rocket fuel.
I expect the Leafs to make a deal soon, for a defenseman or men (perhaps Leetch, who they shouldn't have let go in the first place) and a goalie (rumors about Nabokov have been floating, but I think we can also expect some movement involving Dwayne Roloson, Marc Denis, and one of the Sabres goalies).... Rumors are abound in Leaf nation, for a full rundown and further details, check out Spector's Hockey hosted by Lyle Richardson. Great site for all things hockey.
Also for some great hockey talk, check out the boys at the Face Off Hockey Show. They air live every Wednesday at 9:00pm EST over the internet. Drop by and check them out!
Last nights scores:
Tampa Bay 1 Washington 2 F Calgary 5 Chicago 3 F Edmonton 4 Phoenix 3 F (SO)
Game of the night:
Philadelphia at NY Rangers 7:00 PM
An Atlantic Division show down between the first place Flyers, and the second place Rangers (man who saw this coming?). What's better is that I will be there to see the action live, so look for me....I will be the guy wearing the Rangers jersey.
The Washington Capitals and Alexander Ovechkin came to play last night and walked all over the Boston Bruins.
Been a big week for some of the NHL's all time greats.
The Philadelphia Flyers made sure their shakeup of the Eastern Conference landscape would not be for the short term.
The New York Rangers and New York Islanders both recieved a harsh lesson about playing a 60 minute game last night.
The Toronto Maple Leafs finally traded defenceman Bryan McCabe to the Florida Panthers yesterday following a month of rumors that had the high-priced blueliner destined to be moved there.
Remember in the film The Terminator, when Arnold Schwarzenegger took a stroll through a police station with a pair of assault rifles, and proceeded to casually mow them down? Toronto Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher is doing the same thing to his club's roster right now.
The Ottawa Senators also did what most expected and bought out the contract of their goaltender Ray Emery. Emery was the focus of much of the alleged turmoil within the Senators locker room that eventually saw their coach fired, their team collapse, and the Penguins sweep them in a quick four games in round 1. Emery is now eligible for unrestricted free agency next week on July 1st. He did lead his club to the Stanley Cup Finals a year ago, so the talent is obviously there.... along with the attitude. Defenceman Wade Redden who also had a disastrous season is not expected to be playing for Ottawa next year and could have a new home by next week as well.
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Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin joined the NHL Hat Trick club for the first time in his career.
Quick Shave:Calgary Flames forward Jarome Iginla is unstoppable. Iginla scored his 30th, and 31st of the season last night, including the game winner which lifted the Flames 3-2 over the San Jose Sharks in overtime. The previous evening saw Iginla pot two in the Flames 4-3 win over the New York Rangers. Speaking of which, the Rangers who were without leading scorer Brendan Shanahan were unable to solve Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo last night. Luongo made 27 saves and help the Canucks to a 3-0 shutout win over the Rangers. The victory was his 6th of the season by shutout. The Colorado Avalanche are dealing with the injury bug lately. After losing captain Joe Sakic for the next few months, they will also be without free agent acquisition Ryan Smyth for 8 weeks due to a fractured ankle.
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This Thursday, Eric Lindros will make it official and call it a career.
Chelios now 45, will turn 46 during his 24th season in the NHL, and needs just two more playoff games to pass goaltender Patrick Roy for most NHL post season games played.
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Game of the YEAR:
I'm almost loathe to write about this fearing the curse, but holy crap what a game last night! The first period was playoff calibre, the Garden was certainly playoff atmosphere and both teams appeared playoff bound. Toronto opened the scoring early, and the crowd that was fired up minutes earlier silenced (much like Game 3 against the Devils last year.... Elias score less that two minutes into that one, and pulled the plug on the Garden faithful), however Sean Avery tied it up minutes later and jump started the crowd.
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Shouldn't it be the Toronto Maple Leaves? Ponder that one.
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:
What a night for goaltenders! 
Friday night's loss to the Chicago Blackhawks was more than a hit in the standings for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Forward Michael Peca was injured following a collision with Blackhawks defenceman Jim Vandermeer. Peca suffered a fractured tibia as a result of the contact.
Before I begin.....allow me a moment to make a request. NHL Center Ice, please for the Love of Jagr....please, please, please change that porn music you play during the intermissions. It is killing me!!! I started it humming it to myself today, so your master plan to take over my mind has been realized. Please pick some new music.....anything! Thank you.
The NHL Hat Trick Club added two new members last night. The first coming from Tampa Bay Lightning forward and former NHL MVP Martin St. Louis. St. Louis broke the team record (which he set) for the fastest hat trick scored. St. Louis scored the three goals during the second period in 6 minutes and 17 seconds, and helped his team defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 (which look like they are having some troubles....and Cam Ward is looking very ordinary.....). The Tampa Bay Lightning have been a team under the rumor focus as of late, especially with the Great Purge in Philly.....could John Tortorella be on his way out if the Lightning don't start getting it done? For more on these rumors check out 
The reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner was on his way to making the Edmonton Oilers pay early this morning. Jonathan Cheechoo lit the lamp three times for his first hat trick of the young season. Down 4-2, the Oilers mounted an unlikely comeback in the third period. Powered by Ryan Smyth, and his hat trick, the Oilers scored 4 unanswered goals to beat the San Jose Sharks 6-4.
The 2006-2007 NHL Season officially begins tonight, and what better way to kick start than with a rematch of the Eastern Conference finalists Buffalo Sabres, facing off against the team that beat them in game 7 and went on to become the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes? Both teams have had some turnover during the off season, but the core players that took them to the promised land last season remain. Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes will look to improve upon his 100 point (45 goals, 55 assists) regular season in 2005-2006, and help his team defend their title. Staal led all player in the playoffs last season with 28 points (9 goals, 19 assists). 
I guess the writing was on the wall....especially with the vote of confidence by GM Ferguson back in January. Pat Quinn was fired as coach of the Maple Leafs this morning. Quinn spent 7 years behind the bench for the Leafs and was never able to get them to the Stanley Cup finals. For more on this story visit 
The Toronto Maple Leafs fell hard to the Buffalo Sabres last night, where the celebration of the retirement of Pat LaFontaine's number 16, continued onto the ice for a final score of 6-2. 
