Main
 July 1st is always a date to look forward to on the NHL calendar as it usually brings with it the feeling of hope, new beginnings and excitement, and after October those same notions more often than not, rapidly become unfulfilled expectations, let-downs, and bitter dissapointment. This summer obviously has brought us more of the same.
The Detroit Red Wings obviously made the biggest news this week, with their short-term marriage with free agent prize Marian Hossa. Hossa who was a singular thorn in their side in the Stanley Cup Final while facing off against them as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins was difficult to overlook. Similarly, Hossa saw the team that dispatched him and his new team mates an easy path to winning and getting his name on the Stanley Cup. The Pittsburgh Penguins are apparently upset with the manner in which Hossa has quickly switched sides and joined the enemy, and one could hardly blame them. However, the Penguins have just finished locking up superstar winger Evgeni Malkin, defenceman Brooks Orpik, and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to long-term deals that will keep the franchise moving in the right direction. They also picked up forwards Miroslav Satan, and Ruslan Fedotenko to plug the gaps left by Hossa, Malone, and Ruutu. Wouldn't it be ironic if the Penguins and Red Wings meet once again in the Stanley Cup finals this year... and this time around the Penguins come out on top? Or perhaps it would be poetic.
 The Chicago Blackhawks landed defenceman Brian Campbell, the top blueline free agent to a multi-year deal in the $70 million range. They also signed free agent goaltender Cristobal Huet to a long term deal worth roughly $5 million per year. A curious move that could foreshadow the trade of current goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. Otherwise the Hawks will be carrying over $10 million in salary for their goaltending tandem. Either way the Blackhawks should be fighting for a playoff berth next season, as they had already made tremendous strides last year thanks in large part to the youth of their club, specifically Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.
The Edmonton Oilers made some big moves that should also have them battling for playoff contention as well. The Oil went the trade route and acquired star winger Erik Cole from the Carolina Hurricanes and defenceman Lubomir Visnovsky. With Visnovsky and Souray on the powerplay, the Edmonton Oilers will be a scary squad to take penalties against... although there have been some Souray trade rumors swirling. Edmonton is also on the Jaromir Jagr watch, and has apparently tendered the big winger a contract offer.
 The New York Rangers brought free agent defenceman Wade Redden to the Big Apple for a modest sum of $6.5 million a year over the next years and re-signed defenceman Michal Rosival to a 4 year deal worth $20 million. Redden had an awful season last year in Ottawa, but then again, so did everyone else on the Senators. GM Glen Sather is banking on Redden rediscovering his game... I hope he's right. The Rangers also acquired Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman. Jackets fans, you will enjoy Tyutin's play, and as for Backman... well you will enjoy Tyutin's play. The Rangers bid farewell to UFA pest Sean Avery who fled South to Dallas where he signed the multi-year deal he was looking for at nearly $4 million a season, and unfortunately may have also disrespected Jaromir Jagr enough to see him in another jersey next year, or maybe even another country.
The Washington Capitals picked up goaltender Jose Theodore for $9 million over the next pair of seasons, and locked up their stud blueliner Mike Green for $21 million over the next 4 years.
 The New Jersey Devils welcomed former Devils Bobby Holik and Brian Rolston back into the fold. Holik signed a one year deal worth $2.5 million and Rolston for $20.25 over the next four seasons. The Devils also re-signed Jay Pandolfo for $7.5 million over 3, and defenceman trade deadline pickup Bryce Salvador for $11.6 million for the next 4 years. I like what the Devils have done, and they are apparently still looking for more scoring and testing the waters on a few of the B-list wingers still available.
The Tampa Bay Lightning signed everyone. I kid you not. Forward Ryan Malone signed for $31.5 million for the next 7 years, and former Pens teammates Gary Roberts and Adam Hall followed suit by joining the Lightning. Tampa Bay signed forward Radim Vrbata for $9 million over the next three, and goaltender Olaf Kolzig to a one year deal worth $1.5 million. The new ownership has come out swinging, and stacked the forward lines, but they haven't addressed their blueline yet, and rumors are circling their one big gun in the back Dan Boyle. Regardless of what happens, the offensive corps will be a formidable one and this team doesn't look to be repeating last season where they finished in last place.
For an up to the minute look at all the transactions occurring in the NHL, check out the TSN Free Agent Tracker, as there is certainly much more to come.
 The two big fish still remain unsigned. Former Toronto Maple Leaf Mats Sundin, and former New York Ranger Jaromir Jagr. Both have already recieved lucrative deals, but both players have their own sticking points. Jagr is looking for more than one year, and Sundin is not sure if wants to continue playing. Both seem content to wait the summer out now and take time before making a final decision. The Vancouver Canucks reportedly offered Sundin a $20 million contract for 2 years, which would make him the highest paid player in the league, and he is rumored to also have recieved very competitive offers from the Habs and Rangers as well. It is looking more and more like he will either retire, or eventually rejoin the Leafs. As the summer rolls on, most teams will have to make decisions on their rosters long before he makes up his mind. The Leafs will most likely be the only club with the cap space available to sign him in August. For Montreal and Vancouver to gamble on waiting for him, could be disastrous. Jagr has a 3 year deal from a Russian club waiting for him at $35 million tax-free. I could hardly blame him for taking it. There are also reports that the Penguins are trying to lure him back to Steel-town. No matter where they end up, I do hope that both continue to play in the NHL. It would be a shame to see them retire.
Have a Happy 4th of July everyone! Remember to keep your beards away from the fuse.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Just a few weeks removed from losing their leading scorer, Shawn Horcoff for the remainder of the year, the Edmonton Oilers learned that they would also be without their prize free agent acquisition, defenceman Sheldon Souray for the rest of the season.
Souray had arthoscopic surgery performed on his shoulder last week. Hampered by the injury all year, Souray attempted to play through it, but ended up making the injury worse. Sheldon Souray played a meager 26 games for Edmonton this year, scoring 3 goals and 7 assists.
To the Oilers credit, they shouldered (no pun intended) through the news of a loss of another star player on their roster by defeating the Minnesota Wild 4-2 last night.
Quick Shave:
The Buffalo Sabres smacked the new-look Ottawa Senators (the first game for newcomers Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore) in the mouth last night with an impressive 5-1 win. Sabres forward Thomas Vanek joined the NHL Hat Trick club for the first time of his career and goaltender Ryan Miller made 25 saves to secure the win. After a very poor beginning to the year, the Buffalo Sabres now find themselves sitting in a playoff spot. On the other side of this week's big trade, the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Boston Bruins 3-2. Recently traded defenceman Joe Corvo picked up an assist by helping to set up the game winner by Sergei Samsonov.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The Edmonton Oiler recieved some devestating news yesterday, that they would be without their leading scorer Shawn Horcoff for the remainder of the season. Horcoff has been playing through a shoulder injury all year that was aggrivated during his All Star appearance after a collision with Daniel Alfredsson. An MRI revealed a tear in the shoulder and that it would require season ending surgery.
Rather than bask in dissapointment, the Oilers took it to the Calgary Flames last night, and former Edmonton netminder Curtis Joseph, who made his debut for the Flames last night after recently being signed. Fernando Pisani, Dustin Penner, Ales Hemsky, Steve Staios and Sam Gagner combined for 5 unanswered goals, and Oilers keeper Mathieu Garon made 24 saves to complete the 5-0 shutout victory.
Joseph allowed all 5 goals on 28 shots, and recieved no offensive support from his new club. The Calgary Flames are another team swirling in trade rumors. They are expected to announce the signing of their franchise defenceman Dion Phaneuf to a contract extension soon, and have been rumored to be looking for a trade partner for winger Alex Tanguay. Tanguay has a no-trade clause, so moving the under-achieving winger will be difficult, if not impossible.
 Quick Shave:
Things are very tight in the Eastern Conference. Nine points separate first place Ottawa (68 points) from 8th place Boston (59 points). The Atlantic Division is a log jam now, after the New Jersey Devils come from behind victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 last night. The Devils tied the game in the third with two quick goals in the third from Patrik Elias and David Clarkson, and Zach Parise iced the game early in overtime for the win. The Devils are now tied with the Philadelpia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins for the Division lead with 63 points.
Game of the Night:
Vancouver at Dallas
The Vancouver Canucks are on the outside looking in right now, and go up against the red hot Dallas Stars, who are second only to the Detroit Red Wings in the West. If the Canucks want an invite to the big dance this would be the game to begin lobbying for it. Enjoy the games.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Ryan Smyth comes home this evening..... or to his former home. The once Edmonton Oiler who spent 12 years with the club will visit under a new banner. After being traded at the deadline last season to the New York Islanders as a playoff rental when a long-term deal could not be worked out, Ryan Smyth chose to sign as an unrestricted free agent with the Colorado Avalanche.
Tonight's game will be filled with mixed emotions for both the Oiler's fans, who have watched a parade of their home grown stars head for the exits upon reaching free agency, and for Smyth who presumably wanted to play his whole career in Edmonton. This is your game of the night: Colorado at Edmonton 9:30 PM
Enjoy the games.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The Edmonton Oilers are rolling the dice on forward Anson Carter.
Carter who followed up a career in Vancouver two season ago saw his production (and his stock relatively) drop scoring 11 goals in 17 assists in 64 games last year while playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Carolina Hurricanes.
In Carter's first tour of duty with the Oilers (he was part of the Bill Guerin to Boston trade), he collected 175 points (69 goals, 88 assists) in 211 games. The Edmonton Oilers are banking on the hope that he may be able to rediscover that game.
While it's doubtful he will be as successful as he was in Vancouver 2 years ago, I still think Carter has something to offer and even more so on an offensively challenged (a possibly just plain offensive) team like the Edmonton Oilers are going to ice this season. I'd be surprised if he doesn't win a spot on their opening roster.
Quick Shave:
The injury bug has already hobbled the Anaheim Ducks. Newly acquired defenceman Mathieu Schneider will miss a month of action after breaking a bone in his ankle during a pre-season game against the playoff bound Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night. Right now Ducks GM Brian Burke is pounding on the door of Scott Niedermayer.
Here are the scores from the NHL Pre-Season last night:
Washington 3 Carolina4 F (OT)
Nashville 3 Columbus 1 F
Atlanta 3 St. Louis 1 F
Phoenix 2 Anaheim 1 F(SO)
Florida 3 Calgary 0 F
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Kevin Lowe and the Oilers get their man!
Declining to match a five year $21.5 million offer sheet for Dustin Penner, the Anaheim Ducks have bid farewell to their young winger. Penner is now the property of the Edmonton Oilers. The Ducks will receive compensation from the Oilers in their first, second, and third round draft picks.
Penner, in his first full NHL season with the Ducks last year scored 29 goals and 16 assists in 82 games. He also added 8 points in the Anaheim's 21 playoff games as they marched to their franchise's first Stanley Cup Championship.
I believe this is the first offer sheet tendered to not be matched (please correct me if I'm wrong). In the past the New York Rangers attempted to pry Joe Sakic from the Colorado Avalanche, and the Carolina Hurricanes signed then Detroit Red Wings forward Sergei Fedorov to an offer sheet, yet both were matched, by their respective clubs. More recently, during the post salary cap era, the Flyers former GM Bob Clarke signed Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler to a one year offer sheet that was reluctantly matched, and this season Lowe and the Oilers made two attempts. The first to Buffalo Sabres forward Thomas Vanek, that was quickly matched, and one month later his successful bid for the services of Ducks forward Dustin Penner.
Was Penner worth the massive contract? Right now I'd say no, but the youngster does have plenty of potential. It's more than likely Lowe saw something other than the cap loophole in Penner and he will blossom in a larger role in Edmonton. The gamble was not just financial, as Lowe may have burned several bridges with his off season tactics, and may find it difficult securing future trading partners. Time will tell, but the old guard had better learn that this is the new NHL, and all bets appear to be off. Good Luck with the Oil DP!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 It's sad to see a team collapse as the Edmonton Oilers have this season. Since the Ryan Smyth trade, the Oilers have gone winless in their last 11 games. Their loss last night to the Avalanche officially eliminated them from the playoffs.
The Colorado Avalanche who took advantage of the less than inspirational play of their opponents and pounded the Oilers 5-1. Captain Joe Sakic scored the game winner early in the game and Ian Laperriere added a pair in the win. The Avs have been on a tear, have now won 9 out of their last 10 games. They are also rapidly closing the gap on the Calgary Flames who only hold a 4 point advantage on the Avalanche. How important is this game:
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Colorado at Calgary 9:00 PM
I will be watching that one!
 Quick Shave:
Brendan Shanahan returned to the lineup last night for New York Rangers and assisted on two of his teams goals as they routed the Philadelphia Flyers 5-0 last night. Colton Orr knocked out Flyers forward Todd Fedoruk during an early scrum. Fedoruk had to be taken to the hospital after the fight, but is apparently doing well. The Rangers sit in 7th place with 83 points and are now 1 point behind the 6th place Tampa Bay Lightning. The Vancouver Canucks shut down the best team in the league last night in the Nashville Predators. Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo made 20 saves for the 2-0 shutout. With that loss, the Buffalo Sabres took over the lead for the President's Trophy with their 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals.
Game of the Night:
Columbus at Detroit 7:30 PM
Not the most exciting matchup, but we may get a glimpse of Todd Bertuzzi in Red and White tonight.... so all eyes should be on this one..... however there are also several playoff sensitive matches going on, so give some love to these games:
Montreal at Boston 7:00 PM
New Jersey at Tampa Bay 7:30 PM
Pittsburgh at NY Islanders 7:30 PM
Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Remember last season, when the Oilers made it into the playoffs on the final day of the regular season? While they've claimed to be in playoff mode since the All Star Break, they look as though they are actually beginning to walk the walk now.
Last night the Oilers defeated the Detroit Red Wings in the shootout 4-3, on the lone score from forward Ryan Smyth. Smyth also scored during regulation for the Oilers, who have now won two in a row, and as noted, look like they are beginning their climb to the post season. This time it may be a bit more difficult. I read in the Hockey News that the Oilers final 6 games of the season will be on the road since the city of Edmonton is hosting the World Curling Championships. Tough break..... but curling is pretty cool.
The loss was the first for the Red Wings at home in 13 games. Henrik Zetterberg did score, and appears curse free boys.
The Oilers sit in 9th place in the Western Conference, just 5 points behind the Calgary Flames who sit in 8th. In reality if the Oilers can string a few wins together, they could challenge Vancouver for first place in the Northwest, and the current third seed in the West. The Northwest is anyones to win right now. Vancouver (76 points) holds a narrow 3 point lead over the Minnesota Wild (73 points), and the Calgary Flames (71 points), and Edmonton Oilers (66 points) are trailing closely behind. It's a longshot but even the Colorado Avalanche (62 points) can pull off a shocker.
Quick Shave:
The Boston Bruins made a pretty big statement last night. Their win over the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 not only brought them 5 points out of a playoff spot, but may keep their current roster in tact. The Bruins tied with the New York Rangers now, are one of 8 teams battling for 4 spots. The Eastern Conference is going to be like the West was last season right down to the wire. If the Dallas Stars begin to collapse in the playoffs because of Marty Turco's play, how quick to you think Coach Tippett will yank him in favor of rookie Mike Smith? Smith made 24 saves last night to help take down the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 last night and helped bring the Stars within 5 points of the Atlantic Division leading Ducks. Smith started his 3rd in 7 games, and has won 4 out of his last 5. Tippett claims to be playing Smith more to keep Turco fresh for the playoffs, but I see a hidden agenda. Turco has never been stellar in the post season, actually he's been terrible. Maybe Tippett is trying to get Smith as much experience as possible leading up to the playoffs, in case Turco falls apart again? We'll see.
Game of the Night:
Buffalo at Ottawa 7:00 PM
Carolina at Atlanta 7:00 PM
Detroit at Nashville 8:00 PM
San Jose at Calgary 10:00 PM
My buddy Jeff is coming over tonight, and here's what we'll be watching. Everyone one of these games looks great, and after a few brews, I'm sure they will look that much better. Enjoy the games my friends!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 I guess it's fair to say now that the chemistry and success of the Sedin twins and Anson Carter last year, was due largely in part to the pair of Swedes. Carter who has struggled to find the same production he did last season in Vancouver, has posted 24 points (9 goals, 15 assists) in 46 games played this year. The Sedins in 53 games this season have scored 99 points (27 goals, 72 assists) collectively for the Canucks.
The Sedin's put on an offensive clinic last night in Edmonton, exploding for 9 points (as the title of this article clearly states!). Daniel Sedin joined the NHL Hat Trick Club and also added a pair of assists. Henrik Sedin set up a pair of brother Daniels goals, along with one by Naslund, and the game winner by linemate Taylor Pyatt. The Canucks dismantled the Oilers 5-2 last night, who gave away multiple power play opportunities to their opponents. Raffi Torres (who I'm sure will be sitting in MacT's dog house today) received an unsportsmanlike conduct in the second to give the Canucks a 5 on 3 man advantage....which Naslund buried (Naslund is really starting to put the lotion in the basket again....nice!).
Oilers goaltender Dwayne Roloson had a sweet save last night on a Jan Bulis breakaway during the second (pretty sure it was the second), and helped keep his team in the game till the wheels finally came off in the third.
Quick Shave:
General Mess? No pun intended, but that's the way things are in New York right now. The New York Rangers dropped another game last night in a shootout to the New Jersey Devils 3-2. The blue shirts have shown little ability to close out games lately, and are slowly but suring falling out of the playoff picture. Mark Messier announced his desire to one day succeed Glen Sather as the GM of the New York Rangers upon his retirement. Messier stated that he plans on speaking to Sather about that soon. Ummmm, wouldn't it have been a good idea to talk to Sather before announcing it to the press? Just a thought. The Anaheim Ducks pounded the San Jose Sharks 7-4 last night. The Ducks opened the game up in the second and made it 6-1 at one point, before the Sharks fought back in the third to make it somewhat interesting. The two teams will face each other again tonight. Check out the Sharks Parker.......Playoff Beard of the Month potential there or what? Phoenix Coyotes Curtis Joseph made 28 saves to record his 50th career shutout last night in a 3-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to show they are for real. Last night taking down the West's best in the Nashville Predators 4-1.
The Carolina Hurricanes finally won a game. They narrowly defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 last night. Sergei Samsonov of the Habs, who has been the poster boy for BUST this season was put on waivers yesterday. Martin Havlat of the Chicago Blackhawks scored two late goals in the third to force overtime against the Calgary Flames. The Hawks went on to take the shootout win 3-2.
Game of the Night:
Ottawa at Buffalo 7:00 PM
Phoenix at Detroit 7:30 PM
San Jose at Anaheim 10:00 PM
Pretty good lineup tonight huh? I think all of these games are worthy of your attention. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
I am having perhaps the worst week in Fantasy Hockey ever. Actually the last three weeks have been dreadful, but this week my squad is just flatlining, and my management of said roster could not be worst. Last evening was another fraught with game time decisions, who to start, who to sit, who's hot, who's not, and so on. Well Captain Bosh, made all the wrong choices last night. Let's start with my biggest one.
Starting Ilya Bryzgalov. The Anaheim Ducks backup goaltender who was thrust into the starting role after number one keeper Jean Sebastien Giguere went down with a groin injury, has been dreadful. Granted the star rookie from last season's playoffs has had his confidence all but destroyed by the maniacal efforts of Coach Carlyle this season. Earlier in the year, if he allowed a goal, he was yanked. Then he went down with an injury, and now he is playing so tight......that he can't play at all. Brygalov also does not have the benefit of playing behind top defensemen Chris Pronger, or Francois Beauchemin (I probably just murdered his name again), as Giguere did, and the team's play as of late is more than an indication of that.
Ok, off the soap box, and onto the ice. The Ducks carried a 1 goal into the second, and appeared to be comfortably sitting on it, until the Oilers tied it late in the period on a goal by Jason Smith. The wheels were probably already off at this point, but Oilers forward Toby Peterson made sure they stayed off at this point by scoring again less than half a minute later. How many times during this losing stretch have we seen the Ducks totally collapse like this (remember Columbus 2 weeks ago?)? After that, and I know it sounds hokey, but the Oilers never looked back as forward Ryan Smyth scored his 22nd, and 23rd of the season, to give his team the 4-1 victory.
Quick Shave:
My other Fantasy Hockey decision last night was not to start Montreal Canadiens goaltender Cristobal Huet, against a very strong Atlanta Thrashers team. The Habs haven'tt looked great lately, and Huet has taken a beating in his last few games......so I thought there was good reasoning behind my choice. Montreal, and Huet however, decided to turn in one of their finest performances of the season. The Habs defeated the Thrashers 4-1, on a 44 save performance from Huet, and even got a goal from recently benched Sergei Samsonov. The Vancouver Canucks remained one of the hottest teams in the NHL, by edging the Ottawa Senators 2-1. The difference was Roberto Luongo who made 34 of 35 saves on the night. The Canucks only managed 14 shots on net?! And they still won! Near All Star defenceman Rory Fitzpatrick recorded his first goal of the season in the win. The Los Angeles Kings aquired goaltender Sean Burke on re-entry waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning yesterday. This is a move of desperation obviously as their starting goalies are pretty much done for a large part, or the entire season, and the rookie call-ups have been described as NHL ready. Burke however has seen little action during his AHL stint, and may not be NHL ready either....but for $350,000 I guess he is worth the gamble. Tampa Bay went on to defeat the New Jersey Devils last night 3-2 in the shootout on a goal by Brad Richards. Richards also scored both goals during regulation, and while not technically a hat trick, I will give him the guy nod. Well done sir.
Game of the Night:
Vancouver at Buffalo 8:00 PM
If the Canucks can defeat the Senators by taking only 14 shots on net, I'd like to see them defeat the Sabres by taking less than 10. Make'm count boys! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Has anyone else noticed that the goaltenders have been putting on a clinic this week? The number of shutouts has been impressive, if not stunning. The new rules instituted a year ago were supposed to produce more offence, but these titans of the crease have had other plans this year. The NHL should considering nominating only goaltenders as the Stars of the Week. Below are a list of the possible candidates.
Just last night, the New Jersey Devils Martin Brodeur shut down the Philadelphia Flyers, making 28 saves for the 2-0 victory. The shutout was Brodeur's fourth of the season, and the 84th of his career. The win, also tied him with Glen Hall for third place overall on the shutout list.
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Dwayne Roloson stopped all 22 shots the Dallas Stars fired at him last night, for the 2-0 shutout victory, and the second straight win by way of shutout this week. The shutout was the 21st of his career.
 Dallas Stars keeper Marty Turco, also had a pair of shutouts this week. Turco made 25 saves against the San Jose Sharks on Monday night for to lift his team to the 1-0 win, then two nights later blanked the Phoenix Coyotes for the 3-0 shutout win.
The Anaheim Ducks goaltender Jean Sebastien Giguere stopped all 21 Nashville Predator shots he faced on Wednesday night to secure the 4-0 shutout victory for his team. The win was his fourth this season by way of shutout.
The Columbus Blue Jackets backup goalie (although maybe not for much longer), Fredrik Norrena made an amazing 42 saves against the Colorado Avalanche Tuesday night, and helped the Blue Jackets to a 3-0 shutout win. What's more amazing, is that he was coming off of a 21 save, 4-0 shutout performance against the Edmonton Oilers Saturday night.
 The Calgary Flames man between the pipes Miikka Kiprusoff made 23 saves against the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes for the 3-0 shutout win. Kiprusoff is tied with Broduer, Giguere, Lehtonen, and Hasek with 4 shutout wins.
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Marc Denis rebounded behind an offensive explosion that his teammates provided, by stopping all 21 shots the Atlanta Thrashers tossed at him, to seal the 8-0 shutout win. The victory had to be a moral one for Denis who has all but lost his job to backup Johan Holmqvist.
Game of the Night:
NY Rangers at Ottawa 3:00 PM
Buffalo at Montreal 7:00 PM
Vancouver at Calgary 10:00 PM
I give you an appetizer, the main course, and some desert. We get ourselves a great early game in the afternoon matchup between the Rangers and Sens, followed by the rematch of a week ago between the Habs and Sabres, where both goaltenders put on a show, but Huet proved to be the winner, and finally a matchup between a Vancouver team that looks like they discovered their offence last night, and a Calgary team that also shutdown the champs a few nights ago. Grab your brew Ha Has and the remote, it's Hockey Night in Canada! May the beard be with you!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The Vancouver Canucks sale to Aquilini Investment Group was approved by the NHL yesterday, which now means the franchise is now entirely locally owned. The sale has done little to improve the Canucks inability to find the back of the net.
The effort was there last night, the Vancouver Canucks posted 36 shots against the Edmonton Oilers last night, but Dwayne Roloson turned everyone of those aside. The Oilers only shot 18 times, but Horcoff, Tjarnqvist, Lupul and Torres made them all count helping Roloson to his 20th career shutout. The Oilers went on to win 4-0.
So what's up with Vancouver? Why can't they score? Do Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison miss Todd Bertuzzi that much? The Canucks were unable to cash in on any of their power play opportunities last night, which the Oilers handed out often. Their powerplay is currently ranked 27th in the league and is an indicator that they miss the big man in front of the crease. The answers will need to come soon, as they are barely hanging on to the last play off spot in the West.
Quick Shave:
The Dallas Stars' Marty Turco got back in the win column last night stopping all 25 shots the San Jose Sharks threw at him, and making Mike Modano's goal stand up for the 1-0 victory. The 26th shutout of Turco's career ended the Sharks 5 game winning streak. The Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens decided not to play defense last night and lit up the score board with 11 goals. The Bruins got the extra one, defeating the Habs 6-5. Cristobal Huet let in 4 goals on 16 shots and was pulled in the second for David Aebischer. It looks like Huet may be a little exhausted after taking the bulk of the starts for the Canadiens over the past few weeks. A rest may be in order. The giant in the desert that is the Phoenix Coyotes claimed their latest victim in the Nashville Predators last night. The Coyotes broke a 2-2 tie midway through the third on a Patrick Fischer goal to win the game 3-2. The Carolina Hurricanes activated Cory Stillman and he is expected to be in the lineup against Calgary tonight. If he's still available in your fantasy leagues he's worth picking up. The Salary Cap is on the rise? According to Ted Saskin, the current increase in revenues should give GM's more room to manuever next season (or completely destroy their rosters by overpaying players) as the salary cap could go up to $47.5 million per team.
Game of the Night:
Ottawa at NY Islanders 7:30 PM
Carolina at Calgary 9:00 PM
Ottawa and New York should be a great game. It's time to see who's for real. The reigning Cup Champs take a trip out West, and hopefully ice Cory Stillman tonight in Calgary. And for you fans of Brett....
Detroit at St. Louis 8:00 PM
The St. Louis Blues will hang Hull's number 16 from the rafters tonight. The former Blue and Red Wing will be honored and then watch his two former clubs face off. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Chris Pronger returns to Edmonton tonight. Do I really need to say more?
For those of you living under a rock for the past year or so, Pronger was traded to the Oilers from St. Louis prior to the start of last season, and immediately help stabilize the Oilers defense, and lift them to the playoffs. Once there, he and the Oilers, made an unlikely push round after round towards the Stanley Cup, where they fell short by one game. Losing in a game 7 final to the Carolina Hurricanes. Had the Oilers won, Pronger would have certainly been the Conn Smythe Trophy winner (although I still think Roloson deserved it regardless of his game 1 injury), but it was just not to be. Days after the playoff run ended, rumors swirled that Pronger had demanded a trade from the Edmonton Oilers. Regrettably, Oilers GM Kevin Lowe complied and sent him out west to Anaheim for a package of picks, forward Joffrey Lupul, and defenceman Ladislav Smid.
Pronger's reason for requesting the trade has alway been for family reasons, but that has done little to extinguish the rage the Oiler's fans feel towards him....that same rage that will certainly be on dislpay tonight at Rexxal Place. The best revenge for Oilers and their fans? Win the game.
Quick Shave:
The Chicago Blackhawks joined the 'Let's fire our Head Coach' Club yesterday as they sent head coach Trent Yawney packing in favor of Denis Savard. The legendary Blackhawks player is expected to bring a more offensive minded system to the team, and looks to have Havlat back in the lineup by next week. Injuries have been the downfall of this team, not coaching, so it's unfortunate Yawney had to pay the price for the growing IR list.
The Detroit Red Wings took advantage of the Dallas Stars power play units and scored two short handed goals by Draper and Schneider to defeat them 2-1. San Jose Sharks forward Milan Michalek has joined his teammate Jonathan Cheechoo on the IR list this week. Michalek suffered an arm injury during the game against the Anaheim Ducks last week. The New York Islanders got some bad news on the MRI results of Alexei Yashin's knee. Yashin has a knee sprain and will be out of the Isles lineup for 2-4 weeks. Check out this great Fantasy Article from TSN.ca. Some nice gems to consider in there. How good are Los Angeles Kings forwards Kopitar and Frolov! New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur found out last night in the shootout as both young players deked him right out of the net. LA won the game 3-2.
Game of the Night:
Anaheim at Edmonton 9:00 PM
See above. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
With less than 2 minutes to play in the third, losing 3-1, the Edmonton Oilers pulled goalie Dwayne Roloson, and with the extra skater on, Petr Sykora rifled a shot between the circles to bring them in one goal of the Dallas Stars. Rallying, with 7 seconds remaining, Ryan Smyth (although TSN is reporting Ales Hemsky did, I still think it was Smyth) scored the game tying goal. Or did he? Inexplicably, Mick McGeough immediately waved off the goal, signaling a hand pass. One problem Mick. There was no hand pass, there was no penalty? So why no goal? Big Brother in Toronto right now is surely reviewing this one, but regardless of their conclusion, the Oilers got robbed big time last night.
The beneficiaries of the bad officiating were of course the Dallas Stars, who barely hung on to win, but did take the game by a final score of 3-2. The win was Marty Turco's 146th (pretty sure on that, I'm recalling quite a bit of the numbers that were tossed at me), which put him second all time in victories for the Dallas Stars franchise. He trails only Ed Belfour who holds the franchise record with 160. Turco stopped 24 shots to record the victory.
Quick Shave:
The Calgary Flames can't buy a win. On a night where they were able to score 4 goals, the usually very stingy defense they are known for was nowhere to be found, and allowed the Columbus Blue Jackets to score 4 themselves. The Flames eventually fell in a marathon shootout on a goal by Manny Malholtra 5-4. Jarome Iginla seems like the only one generating offence for the Flames of late....he has scored 5 goals, and 3 assists in 6 games. The Flames have lost their last 4. The Atlanta Thrashers got off their losing skid last night....barely. Falling behind 2-0 to the Capitals early, the Thrashers battled back to win 4-3. The Phoenix Coyote's put on another defensive show last night, only allowing 6 goals to the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks won 6-2.
Dragons Report:
The boys in dark (red, blue and black), put on a show last night against their rivals the Coyotes (not the ones from Phoenix, but I bet we could even give them a game) defeating them handily 10-1. Jose Alicea back from his 'upper body' injury stopped all but one of the shots he faced (he claims he was screened on the one goal, but dude...come on....my mother could have saved that). The Mike Line of Mike Feeney, Mike McCarthy, and Mike Rems all recorded tallies for the Dragons. Chuck Kojsza, and Fran Montalbano also had multiple point evenings recording goals, assists, and points for good looks. Captain Bosh ended the evening in the + rating column and had a solid open rink hit on teammate Mike Rems (second hit on Mike this season). Mark Giordano was scratched from the lineup and sent to the Dragon's Atlanta affiliate for a conditioning assignment. He hopes to be back in the lineup in a week.
Game of the Night:
Pittsburgh at San Jose 10:30 PM
I love Saturday night in the NHL. So many games, so little time. There really are a ton of good ones to watch, but I'm going homer on the Penguins again. I'm looking forward to see how they fare against a real powerhouse. San Jose has the number one rated power play, great goaltending, great defense, Joe Thornton, and Jonathan Cheechoo. It's time to find out if the kids from Pittsburgh are for real or not. Enjoy the games my beared friends!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
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!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Edmonton Oilers have signed forward Petr Sykora to a one year deal. Sykora passed an MRI exam and physical on his groin before the deal was confirmed yesterday.
Petr Sykora scored 51 points with Anaheim and New York last season during the regular season. Sykora was unable to help the Rangers out of the first round of the playoffs last year (along with the rest of the team), and failed to bury some very juicy opportunities. He was perhaps unfairly blamed as one of the reasons for the defeat, and thus not offered a new contract by the Rangers, who aquired free agent Brendan Shanahan earlier this summer.
Rangers Classic
Tomorrow night, the Garden will be replaying a classic matchup of 1983 Game 3 between the Rangers vs. Isles. Here's the scoop:
Aug. 13, 8 PM - Rangers vs. Isles/Trent Tucker meets Herb Brooks
See Game 3 of the 1983 Patrick Division Finals between the Isles and Rangers, followed by one of the most bizarre -- but fascinating -- features you'd want to see. Rangers coach Herb Brooks goes back to his former University of Minnesota stomping grounds and interviews Knicks 1982 first round pick Trent Tucker. Then, catch Tucker’s 4-pont play vs. Chicago in the 1989 playoffs and part of MLK day on Jan. 15, 1990 when he hits a three-pointer to win the game with 0.1 left!
Guest appearance by Dave Maloney
The Dragons
The boys in red and white (soon to be blue and white) had a solid game last night against the Vultures defeating them 5-4, and putting us in 2nd place in the division. Defenceman Paul Mazsa was the first star of the game scoring 2 goals, while Mike Feeney potted his league leading 12th goal of the season. Goaltender Jose Alicea was solid in net and came up huge in the third period and closed the door on the Vultures! Great job fellas!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Oilers and Sabres managed to lighten their arbitration load today. Well Buffalo did slightly. They locked up defenceman Henrik Tallinder and avoided bringing his case to arbitration slated for next week. Terms of his deal were not disclosed. Tallinder was a rock for Buffalo during the playoffs with a +14 rating that was tied for league best. Buffalo still has 9 more players to sign in order to avoid their arbitration hearings. The list includes:
Maxim Afinogenov
Daniel Briere
Tim Connolly
J.P. Dumont
Paul Gaustad
Ales Kotalik
Toni Lydman
Adam Mair
Jason Pominville
The Oilers made news by signing center Jarret Stoll to a $4.4 million contract over 2 years. Stoll's case would have gone to arbitration on Monday. Stoll finished the regular season with 22 goals and 46 assists. During 24 games in the playoffs he had 4 goals, and 6 assists.
Edmonton has only one player remaining headed to arbitration in Ales Hemsky. His case is slated for July 28th, and I expect the Oilers to sign him well before then (unless his demands are unreasonable) like they did with Stoll, and Shawn Horcoff.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Shawn Horcoff and the Oilers avoided salary arbitration as both parties agreed to a 3 year deal worth $10.8 million. Horcoff had a career year this season, scoring 22 goals and 51 assists in 79 games. He had 19 points during the Oilers playoff run that saw them miss winning the Stanley Cup by one game. He was a big part of that run and will remain a big part of the Oilers future for a few years.
Kevin Lowe in a very short amount of time has become one of the premiere GM's in the league. I think that his limited budget during the pre-salary cap NHL has really given him a leg up on his counterparts. I expect the Oilers to be a contender for years to come with this guy at the helm.
Flyers re-sign Pitkanen
The Flyers have re-signed defenceman Joni Pitkanen to a one year deal. Pitkanen has consistantly improved into a top 4 defenceman and last year had a career season with 13 goals and 33 assists.
Capitals sign Brashear
NHL tough guy Donald Brashear has found a new home. Many thought the big man would not be re-signed, but the Capitals have aquired the pugilist to toughen up their ranks as well as give their star forward Alexander Ovechkin some extra breathing room. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, so I suspect DB is getting the league minimum.
Panthers sign three
The Florida Panther signed Alexander Auld, a satellite in the Bertuzzi / Luongo deal last month, to a one year $1.475 million contract. Auld was steady for the Canucks last year, and should do well for the Panthers, but I think Keenan will probably look to deal for another netminder. The Florida Panthers also resigned forward Stephen Weiss and defenceman Alexei Semenov.
Who wants some Lindros?
Apparently Eric Lindros has plenty of suitors. A shadow of his former self, and a player who has not competed in an entire season in over a decade (thats a guess, but I'm thinking it's a pretty good one) is still a very attractive free agent to some teams. The Dallas Stars, the most vocal of these, have been trying to sign Lindros to become their second line center. There are also rumors that the Islanders have interest in him and he also had a meeting with Kevin Lowe and the Oilers, which Lowe of course vehemently denied.....yeah, and Chris Pronger didn't ask for a trade right? When healthy (big issue), Lindros can still compete. The guy started off great for the Leafs before succumbing to wrist injuries. If he is willing to swallow some pride and sign an incentive laden contract, I think he could be a great pickup for some teams. Any of the above mentioned teams would be great for him. Dallas would be a great fit.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Defenceman Chris Pronger got his wish, and was traded from Edmonton to the Anaheim Ducks, in exchange for Joffrey Lupul, prospect Ladislav Smid, and a 1st round pick in 2007. Edmonton gets a forward who is a prototypical Oilers forward, Lupul, and hopefully a can't miss prospect in Smid. Anaheim gets arguably one of the best defenseman in the league and can now boast one of the best pairings with Pronger now complementing Scott Neidermayer. As I said yesterday, Pronger's only achilles' heel is his playoff beard.
Guerin lands in St. Louis
Did I call this one or what? Bill Guerin signed a one year deal with St. Louis less than a week after he was bought out by the Dallas Stars. He joins his Team USA linemates Keith Tkachuk, and Doug Weight.
Brendan Witt signs with Islanders
The Islanders have signed defenceman Brendan Witt to a 3 year deal, and have obtained one of the largest defenceman on the free agent market (after Chara). Great pickup for the Isles, and I really like what Neil Smith is doing so far with this team. No big splashes but solid character guys that will help younger players grow.
Teppo Numminen re-ups with Sabres
If it isn't broken.....Numminen re-signed with the Buffalo Sabres for one more year. Numminen was a big part of their Stanley Cup playoffs run, and when he was injured his loss was one that was glaring.
Thrashers sign Steve Rucchin
Steve Rucchin has just signed a 3 year deal that will grow from $1.85 million the first year to $4.25 million in the final year of the contract.
Rangers continue to mine Stanley Cup Champs
A few days after signing teammate Matt Cullen, the Rangers have signed defenceman Aaron Ward to a 2 year deal worth $5.5 million. Another pivotal player in the Carolina's Stanley Cup run, Ward will definitely be a welcome addition to the Ranger's blueline.
Shark Attack
The San Jose Sharks have added so much needed grit in Mike Grier and Curtis Brown. Mike Grier has signed a three year deal worth $1.775 a season. Nice pickup, Grier is one of those guys you would love to have on your team, and I really hoped the Rangers would grab him. Grier is the second player to leave the Sabres via free agency following Jay Mckee leaving for St. Louis.
Anyone else like what John Davidson is doing to revamp the St. Louis Blues?
Happy 4th of July!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
I apologize for the downtime folks, I had some technical difficulties sponsored by the fine folks over at Verizon.
A lot happened on Saturday....here's a quick rundown:
Atlanta sent Patrik Stefan (a #1 pick years ago, and their first draft pick ever if I'm not mistaken) and Jaroslav Modry to Dallas for Niko Kapanen and a 7th round pick.
Kings traded Pavol Demitra to the Minnesota Wild for Patrick O'Sullivan and their 1st round pick. The Kings used the pick to draft Trevor Lewis...who apparently is a bad ass from the USHL. Demitra should help Gaborik offensively, but this was definitely the WTF trade of the day. When it was announced the entire arena gasped. I did as well.
The Avalanche traded Alex Tanguay to Calgary for defenceman Jordan Leopold, a 2nd round pick, and an conditional pick in 2007 or 2008. Iginla finally gets his wingman. I expect these two to put up some impressive numbers next year. Now they just need a center to get them the puck......
Blackhawks buy out Matt Barnaby and Curtis Brown. No surprise there. They should buy out the management there, which next to Boston and the previously the Islanders (before the purge) is the worst in the league....and perhaps in sports.
Canadiens resign Cristobal Huet to a 2 year deal, which I guess means David Aebischer is now on the available goalie list. Perhaps they should wait and see, in case Huet goes into a Raycroft like slump in his sophomore year. What a segue! Raycroft got traded Saturday, but I can't remember to whom...nor do I really care.
Same goes for Dan Cloutier who I think is making way too much money to be a backup, since he will most certainly be waxing the bench while watching Luongo start.
Phoenix just traded defencemen Paul Mara and a pick to Boston for Nick Boyton and a pick.
Pronger is apparently on his way out of Edmonton. Where and when is the question. What do the Oilers need, and who needs a solid blueliner that can 75 minutes a game? Not too many teams right!
More to come!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
WOW! Talk about pre-draft blockbusters! The Florida Panthers have shipped goalie Roberto Luongo to Vancouver in exchange for power forward Todd Bertuzzi! Florida also traded Lukas Krajicek and their 2006 6th round pick and received Bryan Allen and goaltender Alexander Auld from Vancouver. A five player deal!
Luongo has been rumored to be on the block all season, and speculation really heated up this week when the L.A. Kings made a pitch for the goalie. The Canucks have been looking to dump Bertuzzi and his baggage for some time, and also were in dire need of #1 goalie (no offense Dan). Bertuzzi flourished under Keenan's eye in Vancouver and should fit in nicely with the Panthers, as well as playing in the East, he can remove himself from some of the controversy that follows him after his cheap shot on Steve Moore that ended the player's career.
I think this is a terrific trade for all parties. Vancouver gets a superior goaltender. Luongo gets traded to a potential contender. Bertuzzi gets a fresh start, and Florida gets a great power forward, if he can find his pre-lockout game again.
The only question is will Vancouver's GM Dave Nonis be able to sign Luongo to a long-term contract and make him the mainstay between the pipes. He can also move Dan Cloutier to free up salary cap room as well as fill other needs throughout his club.
Rod Brind'Amour signs a five year deal with the Hurricanes
Busy day. Selke Trophy, and Stanley Cup Winner Rod Brind'Amour just signed a five year deal with the Hurricanes worth $18 million. Not a bad way to wrap up the 2005-2006 campaign. The 35 year old centre will be in Red till he is 40 years old.
Pronger to be dealt today?
Rumors are abound that Chris Pronger of the Oilers has requested a trade. Kevin Lowe has called bravo sierra on this one, but even he can't deny the legs this story has. It started somewhere. I guess we'll find out later today.
2006 NHL Entry Draft
I can't really give you much on the draft, because unfortunatley, minor league hockey doesn't get it's due coverage here in Central Jersey (sometimes I feel the NHL doesn't here either, but that's a whole other story). TSN.ca has a terrific rundown on the top 30 picks, that I've been checking out. If you want to learn more about the draft and the potential players to be picked check this out. There is also a terrific breakdown by TSN Analyst Bob McKenzie, that you can check out here.
Here is the first round draft order:
1. St. Louis
2. Pittsburgh
3. Chicago
4. Washington
5. Boston
6. Columbus
7. N.Y. Islanders
8. Phoenix
9. Minnesota
10. Florida
11. Los Angeles
12. Atlanta
13. Toronto
14. Vancouver
15. Tampa Bay
16. Montreal
17. Minnesota (from Edmonton)
18. Colorado
19. Anaheim
20. San Jose
21. N.Y. Rangers
22. Philadelphia
23. Washington (from Nashville)
24. Buffalo
25. New Jersey
26. Calgary
27. Dallas
28. Ottawa
29. Detroit
30. St. Louis (from Carolina)
The 2006 NHL Entry Draft is tonight at 6 PM! See you there!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Well, I guess Master Blaster does, or did rather. But tonight, in the spirit of possibly the worst movie sequel ever, two teams enter, and one team leaves. This is what hockey is all about! You couldn't have written a better script (neither could the producers of Mad Max3). A Game 7 Stanley Cup Final matchup! Get your Molson's on ice, and your beer pretzels at the ready.....your dots are about to be agitated!
Tonight's game:
Edmonton at Carolina 8:00 PM
Playoff Beard .com has received a lot of press over the last week, thanks mostly to the very generous Paul Newberry, who wrote an article about the playoff beard and our love for it. Thanks to him, we have lots of new visitors, who we welcome with open beards.
Some of my Playoff Beard regulars (Jeff from Detroit, Playoff Moustache from the Carolinas, and Wazz from Calgary) have suggested I repost the Playoff Beard Guide to Grading the Beard, to help familiarize you before the awarding of the Norris Trophy. The Norris Trophy as most of you know, is named after the father of the beard, the great Chuck Norris, and is given to the player with the best playoff beard.
The Playoff Beard Guide to Grading the Beard.
This simple and easy to follow guide will help you grade the Playoff Beards that you will bear witness to starting April 21st. Below you will find the five stages of the Beard during its transformation throughout the four rounds of the NHL playoffs.
STAGE 1: The Kristofferson
Round 1 of the playoffs offers some of the most exciting hockey, and a variety of playoff beards (although at this point they are still in the fetal stage of growth) . Starting with 16 teams, and often going to 7 games, this round gives us a chance to view beard potential, and future beards.... unfortunately, beard potential must also be followed up with skill, determination and teamwork on the ice, or one will find themselves shaving on the golf course....or in this instance helping Wesley Snipes fight Vampires.
STAGE 2: The Chaka
Towards the end of round 1 and entering round 2, those who have chosen to go natural will begin to emerge. Many players are beginning to look like the retarded half monkey / half ewok thing from 'Land of the Lost', or like Peter Forsberg does on a daily basis.
STAGE 3: The Mango Salsa
End of round 2, beginning of round 3, we start to see the real playoff beard veterans take center stage. We have officially entered the Ice Age, and players are now really fighting for survival, and for respect with that representative from Geico. At this point, you really shouldn't have much of an appetite. Thank you.
STAGE 4: The Castaway
WILSON!!! In this case however Wilson is not a finely manufactured piece of lawn sports equipment....it is a gleaming beacon of hope symbolized by one Stanley Cup. By the end of round 3, the best teams will be showcasing FedEx quality hair growth. If you think you see Jesus, it's ok, there is no need to call your priest.
STAGE 5: The Chewbacca
The Stanley Cup finals will bring us facial hair growth that only George Lucas could be proud of (and perhaps willing to sue for over copyright infringement). This is the time of year when Rob Neidermayer, and Ray Bourque, stop looking human, and resembled helmets stuffed with hair. Chewbacca would most likely retort with something poetic, only to have the entire cast laugh at him because they don't understand his language and feel more comfortable treating him like a stray dog, than an equal. He only flew the Millenium Falcon for love of pete! I digress,... perhaps the finest Playoff Beards will be on display in the final round. In the past, the legends of the sport, like Esche, Giguerre, and even St. Louis become wookies on ice.
WHEN BEARDS GO WRONG: The Freisen
Oh Jeff. Oh no. Perhaps the worst attempt ever at a playoff beard was the porn star / Wyatt Earp special that Jeff Freisen tried to pull off a few years ago. The effort was there. The genetics however...ooooh......in another line of work, his facial hair could have been put to good use. In the NHL however, it was misplaced. Better luck next time Officer Freisen!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Momentum has clearly swung like Marty McSorley's stick in the direction of the Oilers. The Hurricanes failed for the second time to close out the series and are now faced with a deciding Game 7 matchup Monday night back in Raleigh.
DId the Hurricanes even show up last night? I'll admit the surprising return of Erik Cole even got me excited. This guy hasn't played in months, but returned to action with a glorious playoff beard (It brought a tear to Captain Bosh's eye......that rolled down his cheek, and was swallowed up by his own prolific goatee). Even Cole's return, to replace the injured Doug Weight did little to inspire the Hurricanes. I can't really remember seeing a one-sided performance like this since the Ducks / Avs series.
Let's call it like it is. The Oilers knocked the playoff beards off of the Cane's last night. Everytime a Red player was on a puck, they were instantly swallowed up by Navy. This forced turnovers, which definitely created the second goal, which was a nice redirection by Playoff Beard favorite, Snow Job Torres (who really got under the nerves of the whole Hurricanes lineup, even Bret Hedican (another Playoff Beard finalist) went head hunting on him) off of some spectacular effort by Michael Peca (perhaps he has lifted the curse?). The Hurricanes only managed 16 shots on Jussi Markkenen who was equal to the task (that is such a Doc Emmerick thing to say) and helped complete the 4-0 shutout win and tie the series 3-3. The Oilers have really impressed me. Their never say die attitude, and their overall play last night was nothing short of dominant. They looked like Stanley Cup Champions last night. The Hurricanes have some serious regrouping to do before tommorrow evening.
Jeff I'd like to add another variable to your formula. If you make Pierre McGuires sin bin half as big, and add 5 Edmonton Oiler fans with silver Pom-Poms, how angry will he be?
Last night's scores:
Carolina 0 Edmonton 4 F
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 "And I looked, and behold, a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Clay Aiken, and Carolina followed with him."
-From the Book of Norris
Doug Weight will not play tonight for the Carolina Hurricanes. He sustained an injury (to one or both shoulders) during game 5 when he was double-teamed on hit led by Raffi Snow Job Torres. This is a huge loss for Carolina. Weight has been a big contributor when they needed clutch plays, and his playoff beard is one of the best I've seen. The Hurricanes are leaving the door open for him to return in game 7, but I think they would prefer to close things out tonight.
Thus far, I haven't heard anything on Aaron Ward. He was also injured in game 5 but returned to the bench with Weight in the third. Ward did play a few more shifts in the third where as Weight did not. He played the Teppo Numminen role that night.
Even though the Oilers face elimination, I think the pressure has clearly shifted to the Hurricanes. Carolina will need to have all it's stars step up, especially Rod Brind'Amour to close this out tonight. Game 5 was terrific, so I expect a battle tonight. Game 6 should be amazing.
Playoff Beard Prediction: If you remember, I called Carolina Hurricanes in 6. Tonight's the night, and I stand by that prediction. It won't be easy, but the Hurricanes will take the trophy tonight. If they lose tonight however, then I was just kidding.
Do you think if they made Pierre McGuire's sin-bin half as big, he'd be twice as angry? I think there is a mathematical formula for that somewhere.
Tonight's game:
Carolina at Edmonton 8:00 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Cory, Cory, Cory. Buddy. My grandmother could have made a better pass than that, and the woman has been dead for 13 years. Cory Stillman's pass was picked off by Fernando Pisani just a few minutes into the overtime period, and he quickly skated in free on Cam Ward and roofed it into right corner to give the Edmonton Oilers the 4-3 win. The Oilers now trail the Hurricanes 3-2 in the series as the return home to Edmonton for game 6 (which is where I said the Canes would finish the series, sorry PM) on Saturday night.
This had to be the best game I've seen in the playoffs so far. The Oilers were playing with desperation, and the Hurricanes seemed like they were as well. The Hurricanes were able to convert 2 powerplay opportunities, Eric Staal was fantastic scoring two goals (how great is his post-goal dance? the kid looks like he loses all ability to skate), Mike Peca was brutal, hitting just about everyone (he still shouldn't have trimmed the playoff beard)
Carolina began to lose players, as Aaron Ward left in the second period and Doug Weight got crushed on a sandwich hit that was led by Raffi 'Snow Job' Torres early in the third which forced him to leave for part of the period. Both returned in the third, which seemed to spark the Hurricanes (I wonder if this was in an effort to close the series out, because this team appears to be battered and fear losing a long to attrition). If not for Stillman's turnover (granted he was being harassed by Snow Job Torres, but I think he still could have put a little more on that pass.....and another thing....how often did we get yelled at by our coaches about long passes over the middle in our own zone?) I think the Hurricanes would have won last night. Stillman's pass actually was the breakout before a powerplay that could have put the icing on the cake.....or the shaving cream on the chin. For more on the game click here.
When playoff beards collide:
Snow Job Torres and Mark Recchi were slamming into each other all night. There appeared to be some sort of grudge match going on between the two. These two guys shared such intimate contact last night that I think one of them owes the other a dinner this evening. Snow Job appeared to get the best of Recchi late in the game, as their last meeting, Recchi's gloves were knocked off (and I think he lost some playoff beard as well) as he was pancaked to the ice.
I'd like to thank Paul Newberry from the Associated Press for making mention of Playoff Beard .com. You can read his article by clicking here.
I'd like to welcome all of you newcomers to the land of the unshaven. Please feel free to join in the discussion. To help familiarize yourself with Playoff Beard .com, I'd like to refer you all to Our Playoff Beard . com's Guide to Grading the Beard. Thanks for dropping by and for all of the support!
Playoff Leaders:
Eric Staal 9 goals 18 assists 27 points
Cory Stillman 9 goals 16 assists 25 points 1 really bad turnover
Chris Pronger 5 goals 16 assists 21 points
Daniel Briere 8 goals 11 assists 19 points
Chris Drury 9 goals 9 assists 18 points
Rod Brind'Amour 12 goals 6 assists 18 points
Shawn Horcoff 6 goals 12 assists 18 points
Last night's score:
Edmonton 4 Carolina 3 F (OT)
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Game 5. The Carolina Hurricanes have 3 wins, the Oilers 1. The Hurricanes could hoist the Cup tonight at home in a very loud RBC Center in Raleigh. It would be great if the Oilers could extend the series, and take it to 7, but I don't think it's going to happen. I do think there will extra pressure on the Hurricanes tonight to close it out, even though the Oilers are facing elimination. I think Playoff Moustache may have called this one on the money. Carolina in 5.
In case the Hurricanes do win tonight, we need to talk Conn Smythe. A lot of people are talking Rod Brind'Amour (who appears to be the front runner), and TSN.ca is calling out for Cory Stillman to receive some recognition. You could also make a case for young super star Eric Staal who along with Stillman share the playoff points lead with 24. My call however, is Cam Ward. This 22 year old has solidified a terrific Hurricanes defense and provided must needed saves when the Hurricanes weren't playing their best for periods. He's stolen several games throughout the playoffs, and has even responded well when yanked during the Buffalo series. Playoff Beard Prediction: Cam Ward - Conn Smythe Trophy.
Tonight's game:
Edmonton at Carolina 8:00 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Now that's what I'm talking about! It took them three games to do it, but it looks like the Oilers have re-discovered their game and we have a series again! All the things that got them to the finals, they did last night. Stingy tight defensive play. Disciplined hockey. Great penalty killing. Even great goaltending. I loved how the Peca line went to work on Brind'Amour and shut him down for most of the game, even though he scored, you could tell he was very frustrated out there. Ryan Smyth broke the 1-1 tie with only 3 minutes remaining to help the Oilers to a 2-1 win, and win their first of series to make it 2-1. Jussi Markkenen was terrific last night, making 24 saves, but really this was a team effort. The Oilers looked like themselves again. For more on this game and the series visit TSN.ca.
This was by far the best game in this series so far. Great hockey in every sense of the game. I hope the rest of the series is like this.
Last night's scores:
Carolina 1 Edmonton 2 F
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
I just got this comment from a very passionate Oilers fan (welcome aboard by the way), and I wanted to share it with the rest of my hairy chinned friends....here is 'Reality Check' from Edmonton:
I AM AN OILER FAN AND EDMONTON IS MY HOME.I ALSO AM A FAN OF THE CAROLINA HURRICANES AND CONGRATULATE THEM ON THEIR DESERVED SUCCESS! HOWEVER, LET US 'GRAB THE REINS" FOR A MOMENT AND FACE REALITY! THE TRUEST ATHLETE WANTS TO BEAT THE REAL CHAMPION AND NOT A WATERED DOWN VERSION OF WHO THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PREVAILING AGAINST. DWAYNE ROLOSON WAS THE CHEMICAL INGREDIENT THAT INSPIRED THAT GREAT OILER TEAM! ALL THIS SHOWS JUST HOW IMPORTANT AND UNDERRATED THE POSITION OF GOALIE TRULY IS!
WE, OF COURSE, DO NOT WANT TO BE WIMPS AND "MAKING UP EXCUSES". CAROLINA IS AN AWESOME TEAM AND THE ROLOSON INCIDENT AN UNFORTUNATE TRUE ACCIDENT! But let us CALL A SPAPDE A SPADE HERE! THE CANES WERE HANDED THE BREAK OF A HOCKEY LIFETIME WHEN ROLOSON WAS KNOCKED OUT OF THE SERIES SO EARLY IN THE CUP FINAL!
IMAGINE IF GUY LAFLEUR AND LARRY ROBINSON WERE LOST THROUGH INJURY IN GAME ONE OF THE CUP THAT SAW THE MONTREAL TEAM DE-THRONE THE PHILADELPHIA FLYERS BACK IN THE 1970S. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THAT WOULD HAVE COST MONTREAL THE CUP, ALL BRAVERY NOTWITHSTANDING! HOCKEY INTERVIEWS ARE FILLED WITH CLICHES AND JARGON! HONESTY IS OFTEN LOST IN THE SHUFFLE FOR VARIOUS OBVIOUS REASONS OF LOYALTY AND STATEGY. THE TRUTH IS THAT TO BEAT THIS OILER SQUAD IS NOT THE SAME TASK FACED BY DETROIT, SAN JOSE AND ANAHEIM! THE CAROLINA TEAM DESERVES A FAIRER AND BETTER TASTING VICTORY THAN THIS ! THE OILERS DESERVE A BETTER CHANCE TO WIN THAN THIS!
Thank you again for the comment 'Reality Check'. I understand your point of view, and agree Rolo was a big part of the reason that this team made it to the finals. However, the Oilers lost the first two games, more because of defensive let downs, turnovers, undisciplined penalties.....and the unbelievable play of Carolina's Cam Ward. I still think the Oiler's have a great chance to win this series, but only if they find the game that got them here. Otherwise, this series will be wrapped up in Edmonton. Thanks again for writing in!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Oilers return home to find themselves down 2 games to none, without their number one goalie, and only having scored 1 goal in the last 4 periods of hockey. Time for them to dig in and get back to what got them to the finals. In front of their home crowd tonight the Oilers should have ample inspiration to get back into the series.
Their biggest test will be solving Cam Ward. I think they can do it. They punched holes through Anaheim's Ilya Bryzgalov (who single handedly shutdown the Avs) and forced Anaheim to go back to J.S. Giguere. The Oilers have also been in the familiar 2 game hole before when they faced the Sharks. Returning home in that series was just what they needed to turn things around.
Look for the Oilers to come out strong tonight, and play tighter defensively, and much more disciplined (they better or the Hurricanes powerplay is going to punish them), and perhaps figure out what is up with their penalty kill? Oilers should make this an interesting series tonight.
World Cup
I know it's not hockey, but I love the World Cup. This year's World Cup is in Germany which is great, because the game times are more reasonable than they have been in the past (I remember watching USA beating Mexico at 4AM, and subsequently waking up the entire house), so you can watch a game at 9AM, 12PM, and 3PM (EST) and still enjoy a great hockey game in the evening. Every World Cup I look for improvement from the USA Men's team, and this year is no different. Last time they made the top 16, and I see no reason why they can't do that again, and fare even better. There first game is on Monday against the Czech Republic.
If you haven't ever watched before, give it a shot, you won't be dissapointed. Enjoy the games!
Tonight's game:
Carolina at Edmonton 8:00 PM
Your friend on ice (and turf),
Captain Bosh
During the pre-game interviews of Game 1, I spotted something, but either forgot about it, or it didn't really register as important at the time. Michael Peca of the Edmonton Oilers, who has had an outstanding playoffs for his team has shaved his playoff beard! He didn't go Gillette Fusion on us, but there was considerably more scruff following the Anaheim series than there is now. He has a Miami Vice thing going on now. This is unheard of. I'm all for guys trimming the edges and 'sculpting' the playoff beard, but trimming it to a desired length? That is a no no. Could Michael Peca's actions have cost his team? Look at what happened in game 1. If the Oilers lose the series could we blame it on a playoff beard? I submit that we can friends.
Who will Coach Craig MacTavish start in net tonight in place of the injured Dwayne Roloson? Still no word. Perhaps Ty Conklin would be the safe bet because he does have over 4 minutes of Stanley Cup Final Playoff experience....or is he so rattled by the game winning goal which he is being blamed for (even though it was Jason Smith's mistake not his) that his Game 2 performance could be worse. Or does MacTavish lean on Jussi Markkanen who has 1 playoff game under his belt,....well actually only 14 minutes of 1 game. Tough call. If I were MacTavish I would never wear a helmet, because my hair would be so fine, and I would start Conklin. I think this kid deserves a second chance after being thrown at the lions. Regardless, he should bench Peca so his evil doesn't spread.
Playoff Beard Alert: I've got a dark horse that no one has mentioned so far, and this guy could take the crown. Bret Hedican. I haven't seen a playoff beard of this scope since Ray Borque's. Truly impressive site to behold, and certainly pushes the playoff beard scale in favor of Carolina.
Tonight's game:
Edmonton at Carolina 8:00 PM
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
What the heck happened last night? That was one of the wildest games I have seen in ages.
Unfortunately for the Edmonton Oilers, their goaltending went from Conn Smythe to Conklin. Losing Dwayne Roloson with just minutes to play in a 4-4 game, for what looks like the remainder of the series, has to be a devestating blow to the Oilers. Craig Mactavish at the post game press conference tried to be positive, but the loss of his star goalie was too apparent to hide.
Whoever said the long layoff was gonna hurt the Oilers was a moron. The Oilers steamed to a 3-0 lead before Rod Brind'Amour got his team on the board, and in the game. After that it seemed like it was all Hurricanes. They scored 4 straight goals and were leading 4-3 in the third on goals by Whitney (2) and Williams. Ales Hemsky managed to get the Oilers back in the game with the tying goal. Then Roloson got injured. The Oilers protected Ty Conklin and really pressed the attack, only allowing two shots on the cold goalie, but an error on a clear behind the net, cost the Oilers the game. Now I'm gonna say that this was Jason Smith's fault, and not Conklins. He deflected the clear right into the path of Brind'Amour who quickly deposited the back hand goal. If Smith hadn't gotten in the way, the puck would have been cleared. Conklin did not cough the puck up!
Really had it not been for that fluke goal (which occurred with about 30 seconds remaining) , the Hurricanes and Oilers would have gone to OT, and I think the Oilers would have taken game 1. They really looked great last night, and the Hurricanes should be thanking Cam Ward for saving that game for them. This kid was unbelievable. He stopped a couple of Horcoff shots, that should have been goals. I still don't know how they didn't go in.
Without Roloson, the Oilers will have an uphill battle ahead of them, but I don't think they should get to down on themselves. For one thing. Roloson, wasn't great last night prior to his injury. I said he would have trouble with the Hurricanes attack and he did. The Oilers were terrific everywhere else, except for their power play which couldn't convert on the 5 on 3. MacTavish suggested they may platoon goalies between Conklin and Maarkenen at the press conference, but he also said it would be on merit and performance as well. Right now the big question mark for them is in net. TSN.ca is buzzing today, so check it out! Carolina leads the series 1-0.
In the Tent with Clement
I will not refer to OLN's new hockey channel as Versus. From this point forward, any segment in which Bill Clement is involved will be referred to as In the Tent with Clement! It was cool to see Messier sharing a little of the Deep Woods off with old Playoff Chest Clement (gotta give the nod to Moustache for that one) last night. Also, Bill, I know you get excited when you come up with a unique 'one-liner', but bro, don't beat it into the ground in the next 3 sentences. Your 'high wire act without a safety net' was a clever pull, but then you kept saying it over and over again. Remember when Scott Steven's was 'locked on' and had 'tone' after he pancaked Kariya? You used that one so many times I thought Top Gun was going to pay you royalties!
Last night's scores:
Edmonton 4 Carolina 5 F
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
After 16 years the Oilers have returned to the finals. After last night's 2-1 victory over the Ducks, where the Oilers returned to form, and Dwayne Roloson became superhuman again, Edmonton closed the series 4-1. Anaheim played well, but were once again stifled by Dwayne Roloson, and Edmonton stingy defence. The Oilers have obviously taken the title of 'team with the hot goalie'. Roloson is having a Conn Symthe calibre playoffs right now.
How about that goal on a deflection by Raffi Torres? Talk about hand-eye coordination! Torres goal became the eventual game winner last night. For more on this series visit TSN.ca.
Last night's scores:
Edmonton 2 Anaheim 1 F
Tonight's game:
Buffalo at Carolina 7:30 PM
Enjoy the game, I know I will!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
It seems the hot goaltender has shifted from Anaheim to the Oilers. Dwayne Roloson has been nothing short of magnificent, and last night he made 33 saves to help the Oilers win 3-1. Roloson and the Oilers have won 6 straight playoff games and now carry a 2-0 series lead back to Edmonton, where they can wrap up the series and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1990. Dwayne Roloson also got another assist thanks again to his linemate Michael Peca, who has also stepped it up a notch in the post season.
Anaheim has a rough road ahead of them, as they haven't won a game in Edmonton on their last 12 attempts. I still don't think this series is over. Anaheim has been playing great, they just haven't been able to penetrate the Oilers defence, or solve Roloson. I expect them to come out even stronger in game 3.
Last night's scores:
Edmonton 3 Anaheim 1 F
Tonight's game:
Buffalo at Carolina 7:30 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Is it me, or is Dwayne Roloson making Kevin Lowe look like the smartest GM in the NHL right now? Roloson was solid in net, but spectacular when he set up a breaking Michael Peca (who the hell does this guy think he is lately?) with a hail mary pass and that led to a short handed goal. Roloson has been solid for the Oilers throughout the playoffs and has helped give his team a chance to win every game. Ales Hemsky had an awesome goal off of a deflection from a Ryan Smyth slapshot. Hemsky batted it into the net in mid air, Todd Harvey (Todd Harvey? Yes Todd Harvey!) scored the empty netter in the third to finish off the Ducks 3-1 and take a 1-0 series lead.
How great was Peca's goal? How great has Peca been for the last couple of games? He is earning extra ice time, and it's well deserved. Melrose actually said he looks like the old Mike Peca from Buffalo right now. I can't disagree.
I think the Ducks were a bit flat, again another victim of a successful previous round, that gave them perhaps too long of a layoff. I expect them to bounce back hard in Game 2, and I still think this series will go the distance.
Playoff Beard Alert: One of my top five picks, Scott Neidermayer. Did anyone see him during the post game press conference last night? Neidermayer will be ready to join ZZTop in another game or so.
Last night's scores:
Edmonton 3 Anaheim 1 F
Today's game:
Buffalo at Carolina 2:00 PM
Enjoy the game!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Oilers defeated the Sharks 2-0 last night, and won their fourth consecutive game to end the series in 6 games. The Oilers will go on to meet the Ducks in the Western Conference Finals.
Edmonton's Michael Peca came out hard last night and opened the scoring after on what looked like a hook to me on a young Shark defenceman (i want to say Hammond, but I'm not sure), then breaking free to put the puck past Vesa Toskala high and right. The goal would stand up as the game winner. Dwayne Roloson made 24 saves and Shawn Horcoff would give the Oliers some insurance, to help their team to a 2-0 victory.
The Sharks. Let's face it guys. The Sharks will never be a super team until they get Eddie Van Halen on guitar. Seriously, I think Neil Smith brought up some good points last night. The Sharks never faced adversity in the playoffs till meeting the Oilers and they were unable to adapt. Their goaltending went from amazing to okay, and their special teams collapsed both on the power play and the penalty kil, and they wear teal colored jerseys. Of course getting Eddie Van Halen couldn't hurt.
The matchups are set boys! Althought the NHL, may not be happy because of the smaller markets, I think as hockey fans we should be thrilled. I really like the final four teams, especially the Eastern Conference Finals with Buffalo and Carolina. That is gonna be good. The first matchup is tomorrow night at 9:00 between Anaheim and Edmonton. I may or may not give predictions, as I was awful this round only successfully picking the Ducks to move on. We'll see. Anything can happen here.
Playoff Leaders:
Patrick Elias 6 goals 10 assists 16 points
Eric Staal 5 goals 10 assists 15 points
Jason Spezza 5 goals 9 assists 14 points
Patrick Marleau 9 goals 5 assists 14 points
Shawn Horcoff 5 goals 9 assists 14 points
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Sorry, can't stop pulling quotes from Jaws.....anyhow....The Oilers got some luck in a post, and great stick save by Pronger to survive a San Jose flurry....and potted a quick goal by Mike Peca to bring the score to 3-2. Then end the end of a penalty kill minutes later, Pronger (who's having a great playoff's by the way, and playing almost 30 minutes a night!) lifted a hail mary pass to Sergei Samsonov (who was serving the minor)......what happened next was just awesome! Sharks goalie Vesa Toskala raced from his net to beat Samsonov to the puck, but when he cleared it, it bounced off Samsonov, who quickly gathered it, and softly backhanded it into the net. 3-3.
After that the third period was all Oilers, who scored three more goals (5 in a row) to defeat the Sharks 6-3 and bring the series to a 2-2 tie. For more on this story visit TSN.ca.
GM Pierre Lacroix steps down
One of the best GM's in the NHL gave his notice yesterday. Lacroix helped transform the Avalanche into a consistent Stanley Cup Contender, and a two-time Stanley Cup winner. He has always been a GM that we all expect to make a splash at the trade deadline, .and this years Jose Theodore trade helped them beat the Dallas Stars in round 1. Lacroix is expected to stay on as president but hand the GM duties over to someone else.
This is purely speculation, but I wonder if he may give his son Eric Lacroix the job. He retired several years ago from playing and took a back office job with the Avalanche. Perhaps he has been groomed by his father to take over as GM? Or will they go with someone with more experience....Neil Smith?
Last night's scores:
San Jose 3 Edmonton 6 F
Tonight's games:
Carolina at New Jersey 3:00 PM
Buffalo at Ottawa 7:00 PM
Do or die for the Sens and Devs tonight! Make something happen boys, or shave the playoff beards! Vegetable MEDLEY!!!!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Edmonton completed the unbelievable last night. After coming from behind twice, Ales Hemsky tied the game on a goal that required goal review (it looked to me like Nik Lidstrom shoved him into the net after puck landed in Hemsky crotch, thus forcing it into the net). Hemsky got the game winner minutes later off a beautiful (it was sweet) give and go feed from Sergei Samsonov with just over a minute to play. The Oilers hung on to defeat the Red Wings 4-3 and take the series in 6 games. For more on this visit TSN.ca.
For the Presidents Trophy winning Red Wings this has to be a dissappointment. They were the first seed and were knocked out by the eight seed, and again in the first round. I'm not sure if this was because of goaltending, or the monkey on their back that they have faltered in the first round in the past few years, or if they were simply out played by the Oilers. Regardless, last night's 3rd period was some very exciting hockey. Even my wife got into it.
The Ducks, on the heels of playoff beard veteran Scott Neidermayer scored the game winner late in the 3rd to force a game 7 against the Calgary Flames. Ilya Bryzgalov starting in place of Giguere made 21 saves and kept the Anaheim Ducks alive. Game 7 will be on Wednesday night. For more on this visit TSN.ca.
Last night's scores:
Detroit 3 Edmonton 4 F
Calgary 1 Anaheim 2 F
Tonight's games:
Carolina at Montreal 7:00 PM
Buffalo at Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Jarret Stoll put a rebound past Manny Legace after stopping Samsonov to help the Oilers to a 4-3 double overtime victory over the Red Wings and a 2-1 series lead. The Red Wings appeared to had it won 15 minutes into the first overtime, but the puck actually slid under the side of the net as Roloson bumped the goal off its moorings. The video replay obviously took some wind out of the Red Wings sails.
It looks like the Red Wings are having some difficulty containing the speed of the Oilers. They are not completely outmatched, but it is certainly an advantage. Dwayne Roloson has been playing exceptionally as well, and perhaps is proving Kevin Lowe right in making the move for him (although I still think he gave up too much for him, but if Rolo can take the Oil on a run.....I'll eat those words). For more on this story visit TSN.ca.
Wade Redden returned (with a goal and 2 assists), and so did the Ottawa Senators, as they slammed the Lighting 8-4 last night and took control of the series 2-1. The Senators brought a physical game along with their offense last night, so much so that Dany Heatley and Zdeno Chara dropped the gloves against their counterparts from Tampa Bay. Chara had Lecavalier pinned to the ice and held the hammer over his head but didn't drop it! Lucky for him! For more on this visit TSN.ca.
Flames roast Ducks! Anything? Anything? Well they did! Calgary went on the road to Anaheim and hammered the Ducks 5-2. I tried to watch this game, but it appeared to be out of hand so I limited my channel jockeying to Sharks / Preds and Wings / Oilers. Calgary has not really been an offensive juggernaut this year but their powerplay seemed to click last night and Giguere was a little soft last night. I wonder if Byzgalov will return for Thursdays match? Calgary now leads the series 2-1. For more on this visit TSN.ca.
The Sharks look like they have found their game. Defeating the Predators at home 4-1, the Sharks took a 2-1 series lead. Patrick Marleau scored 2 of the goals and continues to prosper in the shadow of Joe Thornton. Chris Mason was solid in net despite giving up 4 goals, he really made some nice saves.
Playoff Beard Alert: Three notables in this series. Joe Thornton is already sporting a beauty. This guy goes another round, he's ordering the Roast Duck with the Mango Salsa. Chris Mason is also growing an excellent beard, one that the Amish would be proud of. My favorite, and perhaps complete surprise is Kyle McKlaren! This guy looks like Wolverine right now!
For more on this game and series visit TSN.ca.
My best wishes to Wade Redden and his family on their loss.
Last night's scores:
Ottawa 8 Tampa Bay 4 F
Calgary 5 Anaheim 2 F
Detroit 3 Edmonton 4 F (2OT)
Nashville 1 San Jose 4 F
Tonight's games:
Carolina at Montreal 7:00 PM
New Jersey at NY Rangers 7:00 PM
Buffalo at Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Dallas at Colorado 9:30 PM
Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
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!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
5 days ago Dwayne Roloson was in Minnesota, the second half of a fairly succesful goalie tandem involving Manny Fernandez. Today Roloson finds himself the number one goalie in Edmonton, and the holder of 3 consecutive losses. His failure to keep the puck out of the net has the Oilers falling faster than Harry Hamlin's career. Edmonton is now in a tie for the 8th and final playoff spot with Anaheim. Roloson has allowed 13 goals in 3 games against. Not a terrific start. If he doesn't pick his game up soon, he may lose his starting role, and much of the blame will fall to Kevin Lowe, for picking him up and giving up so much to get him. Time is running out....the Oilers have 17 games remaining.
In the words of Captain Kirk..."I don't believe in the no-win scenario....I don't like to lose."
Last night's scores:
Calgary 0 Colorado 3 F
Ottawa 5 Washington 2 F
Boston 2 Buffalo 6 F
Atlanta 3 NY Rangers 2 F (OT)
Detroit 5 Chicago 3 F
Edmonton 3 Minnesota 4 F
Philadelphia 0 Pittsburgh 2 F
Phoenix 2 Anaheim 5 F
Game of the night:
Colorado at Calgary 9:00 PM
Peter Budaj shutout the Flames yesterday....let's see how the Avs do in the second half of this home and home. Calgary is great defensive team, but they are having a hard time finding the net. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
As usual there was a ton of action before 3PM yesterday. Perhaps more than expected, due to the new CBA and salary cap restrictions.
The Edmonton Oilers, were among the busiest. They got their number 1 goalie in Dwayne Roloson (although he did little to help against the Sharks last night) and very fast winger in Sergei Samsonov. If he can stay injury free and fullfill some of his potential then Kevin Lowe did a terrific job yesterday.
The Vancouver Canucks were hemorraging defenseman with injuries to Jovanoski, Salo, and Ohlund, so they did a great job in filling that need. Vancouver was probably the busiest team during the last 24 hours acquiring defencemen Ketih Carney, Sean Brown and Eric Weinrich, as well as a support goaltender in Mika Noronen. They definitely addressed their issues.
The Carolina Hurricanes were unfortunately forced to make a deadline move because of a sever and regular season ending injury to star winger Erik Cole. Otherwise I believe they would have stood their ground. However, all things being equal, they went out and acquired Mark Recchi from the Pens. He's definitely not the player that Cole is, but will provide solid second line support.
I absolutely love what the Rangers did. They had a serious hole on the powerplay, and needed a solid puck moving defenceman, and one who could quarterback the powerplay. The Rangers got that and more in Sandis Ozolinsh.
Mike Milbury. Once again you have dismantled and destroyed another team. Well done sir. At least you are consistent. Islander fans, I'm sorry, I really think your team could have made a push for the playoffs. Be thankful that this is the last season Milbury will be driving the train.
We're in the final stretch people....prepare to toss those razors away....the beard is almost upon us.
Last night's scores:
Montreal 3 Boston 0 F
Tampa Bay 5 Buffalo 8 F
Phoenix 4 Columbus 5 F
Los Angeles 3 Detroit 7 F
Colorado 2 Chicago 1 F
Dallas 0 Calgary 1 F
Nashville 3 Vancouver 2 F (OT)
Edmonton 2 San Jose 5 F
Game of the night:
New Jersey at Washington 7:00 PM
Just watch Ovechkin. He has sublime buttocks....seriously this kid rocks. Get used to hearing his name.
Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Calgary Flames acquire Jamie Lundmark from the Phoenix Coyotes for a draft pick.
Vancouver Canucks acquire Eric Weinrich from the Blues for a prospect and a pick.
Phoenix Coyotes acquire Oleg Kvasha from the Islanders for a third round pick.
Dallas Stars acquire defenceman Willie Mitchell and a 2007 2nd round pick from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenceman Martin Skoula and Shawne Belle.
Philadelphia Flyers acquire forward Nikos Dimitrakos from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a third round draft pick.
Colorado Avalanche acquire forward Jim Dowd from the Blackhawks in exchange for a fourth round pick.
Ottawa Senators acquire forward Tyler Arnason from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Brandon Bochenski and a pick.
Edmonton Oilers acquire forward Sergei Samsonov from the Boston Bruins in exchange for forward Marty Reasoner, a second round pick and a minor league player.
Atlanta Thrashers acquire defenceman Steve McCarthy from the Canucks in exchange for a condition pick in 2007.
Detroit Red Wings acquire defenceman Cory Cross from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a fourth rounder.
Nashville Predators acquire Brendan Witt from the Caps in exchange for a first round pick and forward Kris Beech.
New York Rangers acquire defenceman Sandis Ozolinsh from the Ducks in exchange for a third round pick.
Phoenix Coyotes acquire defencemen Jamie Rivers from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a seventh round pick in 2007.
Damn! A whole lotta action! I'll give you guys some breakdowns, plus winners and losers tomorrow!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Oilers have been looking for a number 1 goalie all season, and they found one, ironically in a guy that wanted to be a number 1. Dwayne Roloson has been a tandem goalie with the Minnesota Wild's Manny Fernandez for several years now. However, since Fernandez recently signed a long term deal, it has been rumored that Roloson would become trade bait.
Minnesota received a first round draft pick and a conditional pick from the Oilers in Exchange for Roloson. For more on this trade visit TSN.ca.
In other moves, the Boston Bruins picked up Mariusz Czerkawski off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs. More on this also at TSN.ca.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Guide to Grading the Playoff Beard | About the Beard | Beard of the Month
Fantasy Hockey | The Face Off Hockey Show | The Dragons | Contact | Home
Copyright © 2006 Playoff Beard .com. All rights reserved.
|
