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 The Washington Capitals and Alexander Ovechkin came to play last night and walked all over the Boston Bruins.
Ovechkin assisted early on a tally by Brooks Laich and scored twice more to help the Caps to an easy 4-1 win and paying immediate dividends to Fantasy Managers who were lucky enough to nab him.
The Montreal Canadiens rallied late to force overtime and eventually steal a 4-3 victory from the Toronto Maple Leafs last night. New Habs additions Mike Cammalleri (2 assists) and Brian Gionta (1 goal ) helped their new club to the opening night victory. Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta looked to be quickly rediscovering the chemistry they once had in New Jersey a few seasons ago. On that note... seeing Gomez in a Montreal Canadiens sweater is going to take some getting used to... especially considering I was just getting used to him wearing a New York Rangers jersey.
The biggest surprise last night had to be the San Jose Sharks... and how badly they crapped the bed. The Colorado Avalanche honored Joe Sakic by raising his number to the rafters of the Pepsi Center, then soundly defeating the Sharks 5-2. The only Shark that seemed to show up last night was Patrick Marleau who potted both goals for San Jose and is clearly showing now ill-effects to having his captaincy removed and handed off to defenceman Rob Blake. The Colorado Avalanche looked a much younger and faster club than the Sharks that looked like they were coming off a playoff hangover.
The Calgary Flames defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-3 last night, they're first opening night victory in 6 years. Flames goaltender made 39 saves to help his club to the win.
Quick Shave:
Brendan Shanahan removed himself for the New Jersey Devils lineup yesterday, announcing that he felt that he could not play at a level that he wanted to. I gotta give massive credit to Shanahan who could have coasted and just collected his paycheck for the season, but rather chose not to disrespect his club, the NHL or his legacy. Good man.
Couple of early afternoon deliveries arriving today from Europe as Florida Panther open up their season against the Chicago Blackhawks (I believe in Stockholm) and the Detroit Red Wings follow up against the St. Louis Blues in Helsinki... although those cities could be reversed... hard to say. Todays games get started at noon!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The Vancouver Canucks agreed to terms with Robert Luongo on a long term contract that will have him minding the nets for the next decade and then some.
Luongo signed a 12 year contract extension worth $64 million with the Canucks. He would have been an unrestricted free-agent next summer, and stated that he would negotiate a deal once training camp began. The Canucks and Luongo were clearly both motivated to get a deal done.
The new contract will keep him playing in Vancouver until the age of 43.
Quick Shave:
Ottawa Senators defenceman Jason Smith announced his retirement after 16 years in the NHL. Smith played 1,008 regular season games for the Devils, Maple Leafs, Oilers, Flyers and Senators. Smith's retirement takes the attention of the never-ending 'trade me' saga of Dany Heatley which has really gone no where at all this summer. It seems that unless GM Brian Murry agrees to accept less for Heatley, he will be in training camp which opens in 2 weeks.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 There is a good chance that we will see Mats Sundin make his long awaited debut this season for the Vancouver Canucks as they face off against the Edmonton Oilers tonight.
Sundin stated depending how he feels this morning following yesterday's second full practice with his new club, he plans to play. If not he expects to be on the ice at home Friday night against the St. Louis Blues.
Mats Sundin has been playing on a line with former Toronto Maple Leaf team mate Kyle Wellwood (who's been great this year) and forward Mason Raymond and will be part of the Canucks second power play unit.
Your friend on ice,
Captain bosh
Unrestricted Free Agent forward Mats Sundin agreed to a one year deal with the Vancouver Canucks this evening.
After months of speculation, and nearly a dozen suitors, Sundin chose to sign with Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks originally offered Sundin a 2 year deal worth $20 million in July, but Sundin waited till just a week before Christmas to make his final decision.
Sundin put up career numbers last year posting 78 points (32 goals, 46 assists) in 74 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Sundin's decision to join the Canucks makes the road to the Stanley Cup Finals that much more difficult in the West .
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 After last night's 4-0 drubbing of the Vancouver Canucks, the Minnesota Wild need only one more victory to clinch a playoff spot. The Wild now hold a three point advantage over the Calgary Flames and the Colorado Avalanche and are in prime position to take the Northwest Division title and the third seed in the Western Conference.
Last night was a rough outting for the Canucks. Goaltender Roberto Luongo returned from Florida after the birth of his child (congrats congrats) but unfortunately did not last long. Luongo was yanked for the second straight game and has now given up nine goals in the last two matches.
The Minnesota Wild's Aaron Voros and Mikko Koivu opened the scoring and they never looked back. Minnesota's new tough guy line of Todd Fedoruk, Chris SImon and Derek Boogaard are providing the WIld with a much needed physical presence, and last night contributed on the scoreboard as Fedoruk finished a Marian Gaborik feed.
 Quick Shave:
Colorado Avalanche forward and captain may have single handedly broken the hearts of the Edmonton Oilers and perhaps finished their chances of making the post-seaon. The Edmonton Oilers were less than 6 sedonds away from victory and moving into a three way tie for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference (Predators and Canucks currently sit 8th), but Sakic tied the game late to force overtime. Sakic's heroics didn't end there, as he completed the comeback for the Avs with the game winner in the shootout. The San Jose Sharks clinched the Pacific Division title last night after their 3-1 victory over the rivals the Anaheim Ducks. Sharks backup goaltender made 23 saves to help secure the win. The New Jersey Devils have had some difficulty closing out games lately, and last night was the same old song. The Devils gave up the lead to the Philadelphia Flyers with less than a minute to play when forward Mike Knuble scored to force overtime. Fortunately for the Devils, goaltender Martin Biron was unable to silence their offence during the shootout, as all three forwards scored (Gionta, Elias, Parise) to close out the win 5-4. The Devils will not have the luxury of the shoot out in the post season, so they best get to finishing games and soon. The Carolina Hurricanes destroyed an Atlanta Thrashers club that appears ready to mail it in for the rest of the season, 7-1 last night. The Hurricanes scored a franchise record tying 5 powerplay goals last night and moved closer to clinching the Southeast Division title.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Vancouver Canucks who currently hold the final playoff spot in the Western Conference by a very narrow margin were hit with devestating news today.
Canucks forward Brendan Morrison will mis the rest of the year with a torn ACL. Morrison has missed a large part of the year because of injuries, and has only seen action in 38 games this season.
Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo left his club today to be with his wife in Florida who is expecting the couple's first child. For the Canucks and their fans this obviously a big dissappointment, losing their starting netminder, and arguably the best player on their club. For Luongo, I'm sure hockey is the last the thing on his mind at this moment, and I commend him on his decision.
All the best to the Luongo's.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
'Tis the season.....
With the first third of the season now in the books, this is usually the time of year when the war of attrition begins to take it's toll on the NHL players phsyically.
The Vancouver Canucks lost a pair this week, as their goaltender Roberto Luongo will be out of action (currently listed day to day) for the immediate future with a rib contusion, and the NHL's current Iron Man Brendan Morrison will end his streak of consecutive games played at 542 as he undergoes wrist surgery this week. The Canucks were beginning to get their game together after a slow start and made a push to the top of the Northwest Division. Obviously losing Luongo for any period of time is a crushing blow to this team, as he is the cornerstone of the franchise. Markus Naslund who has rediscovered his game back on a line with the dancing Sedins will have to continue his great play to weather Luongo's absence.
 The Pittsburgh Penguins will be doing without the services of their number one goaltender also as Marc-Andre Fleury will be out of the lineup for most of the next two months with a high ankle sprain. Fleury was injured on the Pens Western Canadia trip against the Calgary Flames. The injury comes at a time where many were questioning Fleury's ability in net to truly be their number one keeper, and rumors were abound that the Pens might be looking at signing veteran Curtis Joseph as a backup. For now, backup Dany Sabourin will have to shoulder the load.
The San Jose Sharks sent forwards Jonathan Cheechoo and Jeremy Roenick to the land of the injured reserve list this week. Cheechoo sustained a groin injury against the Buffalo Sabres last weekend. Cheechoo had off-season hernia surgery, and has obviously not recovered fully. Jeremy Roenick who has experience a rebirth with the Sharks this season will be out of the lineup with a knee injury.
Quick Shave:
How about Mark Recchi? Placed on waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins and picked up by the Atlanta Thrashers on re-entry waivers, Recchi played his first game with his new club this season, and the results were very positive. Recchi scored twice for the Thrashers last night in a losing effort as they fell to the Boston Bruins 5-3. Bruins new goaltender Alex Auld won his third straight for the club making 23 saves. If he's available in your fantasy leagues, grab the kid, and ride him while he's hot. Ryan Miller made 28 saves last night for the Buffalo Sabres as they defeated the New York Islanders 5-3. Jason Pominville had three assists, Maxim Afinogenov had a pair of helpers, and Ales Kotalik recorded a goal and an assist. For the Sabres to return to the dance, they need all of these guys to play like this night in and out. The New York Rangers forward Brendan Shanahan did all he could to get his team back in the game last night against the Washington Capitals last night. In the third period Shanny setup Straka for a score, and then tied the game himself 4-4. In overtime however he lost his edge, and the Caps took a two on one down the ice where Mike Green deposited the game winner. The Ottawa Senators have their game back. They thumped the Carolina Hurricanes 6-0 last night thanks to a Dany Heatley who had a pair of goals, and 31 save performance by Martin Gerber. Goaltender Ray Emery left in the first period because he felt soreness in his hip. No word yet on how badly injured he was but it was said by Sens officials that he could have returned in an emergency (a Gerber collapse).
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Todd Bertuzzi will return this evening to face his old team the Vancouver Canucks.
Now three teams removed since being traded by the Canucks to the Florida Panthers for goaltender Roberto Luongo (then traded later last year to the Detroit Red Wings), Bertuzzi visit's his former home now as an Anahiem Duck. While Luongo has gone on to flourish, Bertuzzi has been stuck in neutral, hampered by injuries, this season's latest a concussion, which has sidelined him since October 15th. His return to the lineup is perhaps a bigger deal for the Anaheim Ducks.
These homecomings of sorts for players nowadays are more common place, but still seem to tug at our heart strings, and most certainly our curiousity. I'm sure many will be watching this match tonight, but is it really that big of a deal? I watched the Ryan Smyth return last month to Edmonton.... and it was exactly what I expected it to be. Smyth was blubbering uncontrollably prior to the match, and wasn't much of a factor during the game itself. The return is more about the fans. How will they receive the high priced merc that walks through their doors in another squads colors? Ask Chris Pronger if he felt slighted that he didn't get a reception similar to the one Smyth received.
Tonight's Prediction: Bertuzzi wells up, as fans serenade him with praise (except for the real fans up top who will give him the real 411), and then he will go pointless tonight, -2 rating, and 4 minutes in penalties. Regardless of my pessimisstic view, I still snagged him on one my fantasy rosters.
Quick Shave:
The city of Philadelphia is loaded with idiots. That much is certain. The Philadelphia Flyers are a personification.... or rather a celebration of those idiots. What the hell is wrong with this club. I'm all for physical hockey, don't get me wrong, but I'm for hockey first and foremost. This season, the Flyers have set a standard, that when they see an opponent's skull they must smash it with a stick, or an elbow, or thrust said cranium into the boards. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU GUYS! No need to answer, because I know. You are from Philadelphia. Last night, Flyer's forward Scott Hartnell hit Andrew Alberts face first into the boards (eerily similar to the way Jones hit Bergeron last month). Hartnell recieved a game misconduct (which will surely be followed by a suspension of some sort today or tomorrow) and Alberts left the game with a head injury (deemed unspecified....huh?). In any case, the Boston Bruins while they didn't out muscle the Flyers, they did outplay them. The Bruins won 6-3 on a two goal evening from Glen Murray, and rookie goaltender Tuuka Rask won his second game in as many starts. The Dallas Stars have been unstoppable since they relieved Doug Armstrong of the GM duties. Last night, the Stars defeated the New York Islanders 3-2 in overtime on a game winner by Mike Modano, his second of the game. The Stars have now won 6 in a row, and are at the top of the Pacific Division.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 This is the Los Angeles Kings team I was talking about! The one I predicted would battle their way into the playoffs.
The Kings, in my opinion are one piece away from being that playoff team I predicted. That piece was there last night in net..... goaltender Jason LaBarbera. LaBarbera made 26 saves last night to shut down the Vancouver Canucks and help his Kings to a 4-2 win on the road. If LaBarbera can continue to play like he did last night, the Kings should be in great shape.
The Kings offense is explosive right now. Center Michael Cammalleri scored his league leading 8th goal during the second period which was part of a three goal outburst in little over 5 minutes. His goal was bookended by scores from Alexander Frolov, and defenseman Jack Johnson (the first of his career). Cammalleri's goal was setup by sophomore Anze Kopitar who is also poised to have a great season (at least my fantasy roster is banking on that).
 Quick Shave:
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Pascal Leclaire recorded his third shutout of the season last night stopping all 21 shots the Buffalo Sabres fired at him. Leclaire's play in net, and goals from Rick Nash and Michael Peca helped the Jackets to the 3-0 shutout win. The Pittsburgh Penguins are starting to look like themselves again, after a slow start. The Pens defeated the new and improved Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in the shootout last night on a winning goal by Sidney Crosby. The Chicago Blackhawks young guns are lighting it up. Rookie Patrick Kane recorded his first NHL goal and added two assists to help the Hawks defeat the Colorado Avalanche 5-3. Hawks rookie Jonathan Toews picked up his second of the season in the win.
Game of the Night:
Carolina at Philadelphia 7:00
I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I'm really enjoying the Philadelphia Flyers play this season. They look sharp thus far, and tonight's game is another bench test to determine if they are for real, or just off to a lucky fast start, against a Carolina Hurricanes team which has a huge chip on it's shoulder after last season's dissapointment. Breath. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 And on his farm, Andy McDonald had three goals, and an assist, a 5-1 win, and a 1-0 series lead. Wow!
Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo was torched for three goals on the first nine shots he faced in the first period. McDonald recorded two, Teemu Selanne added the other and an assist, and Chris Kunitz assisted on all three. Ryan Getzlaf scored to further cushion the Ducks lead in the last period, and Andy McDonald joined the NHL Playoff Hat Trick Club with his third tally late in the game.
Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 26 saves and opened the game by shutting down Canucks forward Markus Naslund who was sprung early on a breakaway. Vancouver's Jeff Cowan opened the scoring for the Canucks mid way through the first but it was all Ducks after that.
The Anaheim Ducks have a 1-0 series lead over the Canucks.
Quick Shave:
Across the country, earlier last night, the Battle for New York was on. A battle that was won convincingly by the Buffalo Sabres. The New York Rangers got into penalty trouble late in the first, and then continued their undisciplined play throughout the second when Sabres forward Thomas Vanek opened the scoring on a power play. Over the next 4 minutes, the Sabres scored twice more on a goal by Ales Kotalik, and Vanek's second. The Rangers got goals from Marcel Hossa, and Brendan Shanahan but it was too little too late as the Sabres went on to win 5-2 and take a 1-0 series lead. Throughout the stands in Buffalo I kept seeing signs that said "These guys are scary good".... I can hardly argue. The Sabres transition from defense to attack so quickly it is scary. Turnovers are rapidly turned into scoring opportunities, and eventually converted into goals. The Rangers have their work cut out for them, especially if they continue to give up power plays. They only allowed one power play goal to Buffalo, but that was 16 minutes of ice time that the Rangers top line of Jagr, Nylander and Hossa could have used. The Buffalo Sabres now have a 1-0 series lead over the Rangers.
Game of the Night:
Ottawa at New Jersey 7:00 PM
San Jose at Detroit 7:30 PM
Just a good night of hockey folks! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 It took Vancouver Canucks 8 periods to finally find a way to put the puck past Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco.
Canucks forward Henrik Sedin tied the game late in the second period to finally score on Turco who had shutout Vancouver for the past two games. Midway through the third Henrik Sedin set up the eventual game winner, a deflection by Trevor LInden. Taylor Pyatt and Bryan Smolinski added late third period empty netters and helped Vancouver defeat the Dallas Stars 4-1 and finally closed out the series in 7 games.
For Dallas, this one has to burn, but I have to give them full credit for fighting back in this one. Down 3 games to 1, is a daunting task for any team. They certainly gave the Canucks quite a wake up call, and could have doomed their progress in the next round because of the long series. My greatest prediction this post season.... Marty Turco. Regardless of the outcome, this was one of the finest playoff performances by a goaltender I've seen in recent time. Three shutouts. I think Turco can finally shed the 'bust in the post season' tag.
Quick Shave:
Congratulations to the New Jersey Devils and the Detroit Red Wings. Sunday, both teams closed out their series in 6 games against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Calgary Flames respectively. They also helped Bosh redeem himself slightly... especially in the West. For those keeping score....
Picked Buffalo, but I gave the Islanders 3 wins..... that one almost feels like a loss.
Took Pittsburgh over the Sens in 6, and we know how that one turned out..... no Crosbeard this year.
I picked the Devils over the Lightning in 5 games, they took one extra.
The Rangers were my homer pick, but I still gave the Thrashers two games.... they took neither.
The Western Conference..... ugh.
Bosh's worst pick ever... The Minnesota Wild over the Anaheim Ducks in 6 games.
My second worst, was the Predators over the Sharks in 7 games. I feel sick.
Detroit kind of redeemed me, but it got scary. I called for a sweep of the Flames. Calgary made it entertaining.
I also picked Dallas.... see above.
Perhaps Stache is right. When I make a pick, go the other way. That being said, I will have my picks ready for your consumption tomorrow!!! Round 2!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 120 minutes. That's how long it's been since the Vancouver Canucks recorded a goal in this series. Marty Turco made 21 saves to complete the 2-0 shutout win for the Dallas Stars, and tie the series at 3 games a piece. Game 7 here we come!
Turco's shutout was his second in a row, and third of the series against Vancouver (most of my picks were way off this post season, but you gotta give Bosh some credit for predicting Turco would be on.... actually I'm really surprised how solid he's been, but I'll take it).
Dallas Stars forward Mike Modano finally decided to show up last night. Apparently Modano has been crucified by the Dallas media for his lack of production this series, and he answered the bell for them last night. Modano converted a 5 on 3 powerplay for the Stars early in the first which would prove to be the game winner thanks to Turco's kung fu. Jeff Halpern capped the scoring for the Stars midway through the third.
 Monday night in Vancouver, our first game 7 of the playoffs! The Canucks have now dropped two straight and given up a 3-1 series lead. They've been unable to solve Stars goaltender Marty Turco for two games now. The Stars have never comeback from a 3-1 defecit in their franchise's history to force a game 7. It looks like this team is attempting to get that monkey off their back.
Quick Shave:
If this Detroit Red Wings and Calgary Flames series follows it's current pattern, the Wings will lose in Calgary tonight, and then win game 7 in Detroit on Tuesday. Why is it the Flames are so dominant at home, and completely useless on the road? Some of you Flames fans need to scalp some tickets for game 7, otherwise your boys will be going down in..... umm Flames (I feel dirty now). The Red Wings destroyed the Flames yesterday. In fairness, the Flames played a solid first period, holding the Wings at bay.... Detroit started the bleeding in the third period with 3 goals by Daniel Cleary, Henrik Zetterberg, and Chris Chelios. Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk closed out the scoring for the Red Wings as they defeated the Flames 5-1 and took a 3-2 series lead. Detroit goaltender Dominik Hasek made 23 saves on the night. The game got nasty towards the final moments, and it looks like there will be a ton of carry over for tonight's matchup. We can only hope.
Game of the Night:
New Jersey at Tampa Bay 1:00 PM
Detroit at Calgary 9:00 PM
I don't really need to say anything more about Game 6 in Calgary tonight do I? Tampa Bay looks to stave off elimination this afternoon as they welcome the New Jersey Devils for their game 6 matchup. Enjoy the games, and the staving.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
I had a feeling this guy was due.
Marty Turco looked impressive last night. The Dallas goaltender made 35 saves for the 2-0 shutout victory (the first playoff shutout of his career) and helped the Stars tie the Canucks 1-1 in the series.... which now travels to Dallas.
Stars forward Jeff Halpern scored less than half a minute into the game, and Joel Lundqvist (the twin brother of Ranger's goaltender Henrik Lundqvist..... I don't know why I mention that.... every time he touched the puck last night the announcers made a point to reference their relationship) potted the final goal of the game off of a sweet feed from Modano. What really impressed me about the Stars is how well they played in front of Turco. Their confidence in their keeper really soared last night, and it was very apparent in their play.
Playoff Beard Note:
Dallas forward Jeff Halpern, and defenceman Sergei Zubov are already laying the foundations for some great playoff beards. Keep an eye on these two.
 Quick Shave:
That Forsberg trade is certainly beginning to bear fruit for the Nashville Predators, but how about the off season pick up of J.P. Dumont?! Usually at this point in the first round we are all marvelling at the production of Martin Havlat (who would have 18 goals about now), but thus far it's all Predators. J.P. Dumont scored 2 goals for the Predators last night (he potted two in the first game), Peter Forsberg netted a pair, and rookie Alexander Radulov added a goal and an assist (his third goal of the post season) en route to a series tying 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. All three players are in the top 5 in playoff scoring as of now. The Anaheim Ducks defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-2 last night and took a 2-0 series lead as they travel to Minnesota for the next two games. Ilya Bryzgalov made 30 saves on the night for his second straight playoff victory.
Game of the Night:
NY Rangers at Atlanta 3:00 PM
Pittsburgh at Ottawa 3:00 PM
Tampa Bay at New Jersey 7:00 PM
NY Islanders at Buffalo 7:30 PM
All day playoff hockey. Very nice, although I would have spread these games out just a pinch more so the bosher doesn't have to break his thumb on the remote control.... but few care about my needs. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Nice work Bosh. Every team I picked to take the first round.... well they all took a beating. Either the Captain's Curse is alive and well, or my picks were just bad, bad, bad.
The Vancouver Canucks took a 1-0 series lead over the Dallas Stars last night in a game that lasted nearly 140 minutes. The Sedin twins which are used to entertaining at bachelor parties for much longer periods of time combined (Daniel fed Henrik from behind the net) to score the game winner with less than two to go in the fourth overtime period and give the Canucks the 5-4 win.
While dissapointing for the Dallas Stars, I think they can come away with some positives. While he did allow 4 goals, the Dallas Stars certainly got a good game from Marty Turco who made 51 saves on the night. The Stars also fought back from a two goal defecit to force overtime. It's only game 1 boys.
For Vancouver, I think it's safe to assume that Roberto Luongo won't have any playoff jitters. The man made 72 saves last! Yes he and his team did blow a two goal lead in the third, but there also some positives. First, they won. Secondly, Markus Naslund started off the playoffs on the good foot, notching a goal and assisting on Mattias Ohlund's power play score. Finally, the Sedin brothers. These guys just don't stop. Each had a goal and an assist on the night, and look like they are going to continue their terrific regular season campaigns right into the playoffs.
Quick Shave:
The Ottawa Senators welcomed the Pittsburgh Penguins to the playoffs in a rough series opener, that the Sens won convincingly 6-3. Pens goaltender Marc Andre Fleury was pulled after allowing the Senators 6th goal and was replaced by Jocelyn Thibault. The Penguins got into penalty trouble early in the game and looked like they were unable to mount any attack. The Senators had a pair of 5-3 power play opportunities but the Penguins were able to kill off both. The Senators physical play early in the game also seem to take the Penguins by surprise. On a good note, the Penguins did pot a pair of power play scores late in the game and perhaps will carry some of that momentum into game 2. The San Jose Sharks won their playoff opener against the Nashville Predators 5-4. Sharks Patrick Rissmiller scored the game winner about mid way through the second overtime period to give his team the 1-0 series lead. The Sharks blew a two goal lead to the Predators who battled back in the third to tie the game and force overtime. On a somber note, the San Jose Sharks may have lost their star forward Jonathan Cheechoo for the rest of the post season because of a knee injury he sustained in the second period while colliding with Nashville's Scott Hartnell. The Predators Alexander Radulov and J.P. Dumont each scored twice for the Predators last night. The Anaheim Ducks took a 1-0 series lead over the Minnesota Wild last night as they won 2-1. Ducks forward Dustin Penner scored late in the third after Wild defenceman Kim Johnsson (way to go KJ!) knocked over his goaltender Backstrom. Penner collected the loose puck and put the lotion in the basket. Ilya Bryzgalov started in net for the Ducks making 24 saves for the win. Best wishes to Jean Sebastien Giguere, his wife and their new born son Maxime.
Game of the Night:
NY Rangers at Atlanta 7:00 PM
Calgary at Detroit 7:00 PM
Tampa Bay at New Jersey 7:30 PM
NY Islanders at Buffalo 8:00 PM
My remote control may self destruct tonight with all the channel jockeying I'll be doing.... but it's all for a good cause. We get alot of East, a pinch of West tonight, and all goodness! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 What happened yesterday? Defense was thrown out the window and goaltending..... well there wasn't much of that to be found on the ice either.
Let's start off with the biggest shocker. Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils may have delivered the worst game of his life yesterday afternoon. The Carolina Hurricanes pounded the future Hall of Famer for 4 goals on 12 shots, and he was immediately pulled in favor of backup goaltender Scott Clemmensen, who allowed 3 more. The Hurricanes defeated the Devils 7-2 and moved into sole possession of the 7th seed in the East. The good news for New Jersey is that when Brodeur falters like this, he rebounds rapidly and for lengthy periods of time. Expect several shutouts next week.
 Tell me the New York Islanders aren't missing Rick DiPietro. Since he's been out with a neck injury the Islanders have allowed 18 goals in three games. Backup goaltender Mike Dunham gave up 6 goals on 33 shots last night to the Florida Panthers. Panthers keeper Ed Belfour didn't fare much better but fortunately for him, he only allowed 5. The Panthers won the game 8-5, as captain Olli Jokinen scored a pair in the third to break the game open and help his team into 12th place with 73 points, just 6 points out of the playoffs. The Islanders, unable to keep pace are now tied for 9th, with Toronto and Montreal with 78 points.
 At Madison Square Garden, the Bruins had a rough evening last night as well. They started off the game looking good, peppering New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist with 13 shots in the first.... till the wheels came flying off in the second. Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas was yanked after giving up three consecutive goals and was replaced by Joey MacDonald..... who let in four more, and was replaced by Thomas..... everyone got that? The Ranger defeated the Bruins 7-0 and took control of the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference. Henrik Lundqvist made 30 saves on the evening for his 6th career shutout.
In Phoenix (thats pronounced PUH - HO - Nixx), Curtis Joseph was lit up for 6 goals as the Colorado Avalanche had their way with him and the Coyotes. Captain Joe Sakic scored two goals, as did rookie Paul Stastny, who is really starting to give Pittsburgh Penguins rookie Evgeni Malkin a run for the Calder Trophy. The Avalanche won the game 6-3 and continued their recent playoff push. They are now 6 points out of the playoffs behind the Calgary Flames.
Dominik Hasek and the Detroit Red Wings had an off evening as well. Usually the Red Wings don't allow more than 20 shots, and in some case less than 15. The rest Hasek takes care of. The Vancouver Canucks launched 38 at the Red Wings keeper, and put three past him (wasnt' there a game earlier in the season where they were only able to put 11 shots in total on net the entire game?). The Canucks won the game 4-1 on a 33 save performance by Roberto Luongo and kept their control of the Northwest Division over Minnesota by 1 point. Detroits loss combined with Nashville's win dropped them back into 4th place in the West but still with the second best record in the League.
Game of the Night:
Ottawa at Pittsburgh 7:30 PM
The last time these two teams faced off it was awesome! Ottawa had the game in hand, so I turned it off. Pittsburgh of course waited till they knew I wasn't watching and came back to win the game in the shootout. I'd expect a similiar offensive treat. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Captain’s Curse struck again last night. However this time I will happily share the blame with Stache. The Curse took a trip out west last night, and completely shut down the Tampa Bay Lightning’s offense. Vincent Lecavalier did manage to put one up on the board (his 44th of the season, and league leading tally as well) but he ended the evening a -1 rating. Is teammate Martin St. Louis was held to 1 shot all night. Still doubt the curse?
Did Roberto Luongo have anything to do with the 5-1 Vancouver Canucks victory. No. It was all curse. Luongo only need to make 17 saves for his franchise record tying win (38th of the season, a mark held by Kirk McLean in 1992)...and the curse took care of the rest.
Vancouver forward Jeff Cowan, who was picked up off of waivers from the Los Angeles Kings has now scored 5 goals in the last three games with his new club. Cowan potted two scores last night.
Fantasy Hockey Note: One thing that makes me nuts, is that when I see a lopsided victory like this, I always jump to check the box score, to see how my roster players may have contributed (in this case Naslund), only to discover they had nothing to do with the win. Not a goal, or an assist. Not even a + rating. How about a penalty minute. Nope. Naslund may as well have stayed home last night. Thanks brother. Thanks a lot.
 Quick Shave:
Unfortunately the curse struck me last night. This is a new occurrence to me, but it's happened three times in the new year. Last night, the Pittsburgh Penguins were down 3-1 to the Ottawa Senators and the game appeared done.... or at least the Pens did. After turning the game off, not only did the Penguins get back into the game, but Sidney Crosby scored the game winner in the shootout for the third straight game to lift his club to the win 5-4. I will say it again. NHL Center Ice needs a 'Red Zone' feature so when morons like myself shut a game off because it looks over it will say "Hey Bosh, switch back to the Pens / Sens game.... jackass!" Don Waddell can breathe a little easier today. His trade deadline acquistion appears to be paying dividends already. Last night forward Keith Tkachuk scored two goals to help his new team the Atlanta Thrashers over the Florida Panthers 4-2. No Zetterberg, No Holstrom, No Hasek... NO PROBLEM! Jeff. Paul. Who loves you? Bosh does. I told you the Detroit Red Wings would be fine. Even with a depleted squad the Wings took down the Nashville Predators(who also missed some of their key players) 4-3 in a shootout win. What's going on in New Jersey? The New Jersey Devils dropped another game (their third straight) to the Philadelphia Flyers who won on a Simon Gagne goal during the shootout last night 5-4. Gotta hand it to the Flyers who refuse to quit and now are playing spoiler. San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov made 26 saves last night to record his second straight shutout, and the 3-0 win over the Minnesota Wild last night. Nikolai Khabibulin also made 26 saves last night to win his first game by way of shootout (first ever in a Blackhawks uniform) last night to lift the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
Game of the Night:
Colorado at Buffalo 7:00 PM
The Avs are looking to fight their way back into the playoffs, and tonight's game against the Buffalo Sabres should be a huge hurtle for them. Colorado sits 8 points behind the 8th place Minnesota Wild after last night's win over the Boston Bruins (and the Wilds loss to San Jose) and will be eager to continue their climb. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The game winning goal. Without a doubt one of the most coveted of all stats in fantasy hockey. If one of your roster players pots one, you are almost certain to win the category. Get two, and it's in the bag. As of last night, Vancouver Canucks forward Markus Naslund lifted his club over the Phoenix Coyotes, by putting the game winner past Cujo late in the game......giving me my third game winning goal. Three game winning goals! I should have that column in the bag right?
Well I don't. The bastage I'm playing also has three game winning goals. Now I know that next week, when I need a GWG, no one on my fantasy squad will be able to provide one, because they all gave this week. The crappiest thing is, that we have 6 gwg's combined, and if neither one of us scores another, we get a blank for the category. What a waste. Ahhh....I need to move on.
So the Canucks have righted the ship after being stunned by the Blues the other day, taking on another trade deadline seller in the Phoenix Coyotes. They almost blew this one. Naslund's score late in the third period gave the Canucks the 4-3 win. Daniel Sedin had a pair of goals in the win and new arrivals Brent Sopel, and Bryan Smolinski added assists.
Quick Shave:
The New York Rangers cannot close the deal in the third this year. In 1999-2000, my buddy Jeff and I witnessed on many night at the Garden a phenomenon known only as the 'dreaded two goal lead'. On at least 10 different occasions (it very well could have been more....but by mid-season I had to drink my face off just to watch that team...jeff too) we saw the Rangers carry their 2-0 lead into the third, only to blow it, and lose 3-2. More often than not, they lost 6-2. My point to all of this? The Rangers did the same thing again last night, and it appears the dreaded two goal lead has returned. Leading 2-0 going into the third, the Rangers let the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied on a pair of short handed goals, forced OT and stole the game in the shootout thanks in large part to Sidney Crosby (who appears to be getting better at the shootout). What's funnier still. Jeff was at the game last night! Ryan Smyth contributed in his first game with the New York Islanders, by assisting on a beautiful goal to linemate Mike Sillinger.....but it was all for naught. The Isles fell to the St. Louis Blues 3-2 last night in OT. Let's take a moment to give a hand to the Blues, who after selling off their two biggest forwards, have now gone 2-0 against two playoff bound teams in Vancouver and New York. You have to love the heart of this club. Their jerseys are pretty sweet too.
Playoff Beard Note:
I was explaining to my other buddy Jeff why I gave the Beard of the Month to Trent Hunter rather than Zetterberg yesterday. The BOTM award is performance based, but not on hockey performance. Facial hair performance. That is the key. All HZ has to do this month is let the soup catcher grow (not like Savard's....that thing is creepy) and he will earn his accolades! Honestly, with the work Garth Snow did over the last two months as GM of the Islanders I was going to award him the BOTM..... but his chin is clean (as far as I know)...... my runner up for February was Scott Parker of the Colorado Avalanche, formerly of the San Jose Sharks.
Game of the Night:
Ottawa at Atlanta 7:30 PM
San Jose at Anaheim 10:00 PM
Atlanta needs the game pretty bad, and taking it from the Senators will be no easy task. The Thrashers really are on the ropes, and if they don't put this in drive soon, they will be done. Not just for the season, but perhaps in Atlanta. There really is no reason why this team shouldn't be in the playoffs......but I think I spoke highly of them early in the season and cursed them. Its' the only explanation. San Jose will look to get some revenge on the Ducks after a loss earlier this week, and they will also showcase their new top liner Bill Guerin. Should be a fun game to watch. Enjoy the games my friends!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 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
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo is becoming everything they had hoped he would be when they traded for him at last year's NHL Entry Draft.
Luongo spent Monday evening in the hospital after taking a Daniel Sedin shot to the throat during practice. He responded last night on little to no sleep by stopping all 30 Montreal Canadiens shots and help Vancouver to the 4-0 shutout win. The victory was his third this season by shutout. The Canucks win was their fifth in a row on the road, and they have now won nine of their last 10 games.
For a team that was finding difficulty putting the puck in the net a month ago, they are finding scoring everywhere now. Ryan Kesler, Josh Green, Jan Bulis, and Lukas Krajicek (who has one of the coolest names in the NHL) provided the tallies for the Canucks last night.
The Vancouver Canucks now hold sole possesion of first in the Northwest Division and the third seed in the Western Conference.
For Montreal, things probably couldn't look worse right now. The Habs have dropped nine of their last 13 games, and have had some trouble rebounding from the recent flu epidemic that devestated their line up a week ago. Forward Sergei Samsonov was scratched last night as his frustrating season continues to labor on. In 46 games this season, the UFA acquisition by the Canadiens has scored just 19 points (6 goals, 13 assists), and is a -2 rating.
 Quick Shave:
Marian Hossa does it again. The Atlanta Thrashers forward joined the NHL HTC for the second time this season, scoring three in his team's 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Kings keeper Yutaka Fukufuji as pulled early in the second period after allowing three goals on nine shots, in his first ever NHL start. Hang in there guy! Do you think Martin Brodeur and Dominik Hasek are having a shutout battle this season? The two veterans are making a huge case for the Vezina Trophy right now. Martin Brodeur continued his amazing campaign by shutting down the New York Rangers 1-0, for his 8th shutout of the season. The New Jersey Devils goaltender stopped all 26 shots he faced, and forward Jay Pandolfo shut down Jaromir Jagr successfully once again, allowing him to take only one shot on net. The Devils have the formula to stop the Rangers premier right wing, and the personell to execute it almost every time. Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins continues to light the lamp. Crosby netted a pair against the New York Islanders (who are losing often lately to everyone but the Rangers) and helped his club to the 5-2 win. Pittsburgh is now 3 points out of the 8th and final playoff spot, and Crosby extended his NHL scoring lead to 68 points (23 goals, 45 assists) in 41 games played this season. Imagine how good this kid is going to be when he hits 21! The Anaheim Ducks woes continue in the wake of their injured star players. The Ducks were hammered by the rising St. Louis Blues 6-2 last night, and Ilya Brysgalov did little to help his case with Coach Carlyle allowing 4 goals on 13 shots.....not to mention completely destroy my goaltending stats for the week! Little side note here....Fantasy Hockey is driving me insane lately! All of my players are either on IR, Day to Day, or mired in massive slumps......I thought this was supposed to be fun? The Ottawa Senators appear to have completely rebounded from their awful start, and have been laying waste to everyone they play. Last night's victim: the Washington Capitals, who the Sens handily defeated 5-2 on a pair of goals by new arrival Mike Comrie. The Senators have now won five in a row, and injured forward Jason Spezza has resumed skating and should be returning to the lineup soon.
Game of the Night:
Nashville at Detroit 7:30 PM
How about this one? The best of the Central Division get down tonight! Four points separate these two teams, and a win by Nashville tonight could put them in the top spot in the Western Conference! Maybe someone will recognize them then? Perhaps, if they can put a puck past Hasek. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Vancouver Canucks managed to sweep the home and home series against the Calgary Flames....but the second game was almost thrown away.
The Canucks twice handed away two goal leads to the Flames, once in the second, and again early in the third. Miika Kipprusoff and Roberto Luongo were uncharacteristically soft in this one, as they allowed a combined 11 goals in the match. After Calgary drew even at 4, Jarome Iginla setup a Daymond Langkow for the go ahead goal on the powerplay and appeared to have the game in hand. Minutes later, Captain Markus Naslund responded in kind to setup of Ryan Kesler for the game tying score and force the game to overtime.
Daniel and Henrik Sedin who were the heroes of the game a night ago in Calgary had been kept shotless for most of the game following their opening tallies in the first did the Flames in again last night. Daniel Sedin helped set up the play for Sami Salo to pot the game winner from the point in extra time.
The Vancouver victory gave the Canucks 39 points to take first place in the Northwest Division and vault them into third place overall in the Western Conference. The point the Flames got for reaching overtime brought them into a 4 way second place tie with Edmonton, Colorado, and Minnesota, all with 38 points. The San Jose Sharks, and Detroit Red Wings sit 4th and 5th in the West with 50, and 49 points respectively. The playoffs are still 3+months away, and we have ourselves a pretty tight race already.
Quick Shave:
The Montreal Canadiens pounded the Washington Capitals 4-1 last night. Cristobal Huet fell just shy of another shutout as Caps forward Alexander Semin scored with less than 3 minutes to play in the game. Huet made 30 saves on the night for the win. The Atlanta Thrashers keep on winning and the Pittsburgh Penguins keep on losing. Thus is the ebb and flow of the NHL. Next week these roles could be reversed. However for now, the Atlanta Thrashers took their fifth straight by defeating the Penguins 4-2 last night. The New York Islanders 'Ranger hangover' has to be for real. Every time the Islanders hand it to the Rangers, the following game, they hand a victory to their opponents. Last night, (a night removed from shutting out the Rangers), the Islanders were held scoreless by the Ottawa Senators, as they took the game 2-0, on an 18 save performance by Ray Emery. Rick DiPietro shutout streak at home ended at 156 minutes and 30 seconds. The injury bug has begun to rain in Dallas, but that hasn't seemed to slow them too much. The Dallas Stars already without Mike Modano, and Eric Lindros recently added new captain Brendan Morrow to the unable to play list. The Stars still managed to outscore the Colorado Avalanche last night for the 5-4 victory. Avs keeper Jose Theodore was yanked again, after allowing 5 goals on 22 shots....has he fallen from grace or what? The Philadelphia Flyers have now lost 10 straight games. If the Eagles don't make the playoffs this season, there will most likely be mass suicides by way of cheese steaks. The Flyers were felled last night by the Florida Panthers 3-1 on the back of a 23 save performance by Ed Belfour. Peter Forsberg returned to action for the Flyers last night, but did little to spark his team to the win column. Reports are saying that Todd Bertuzzi could be back in the lineup for the Panthers by February. He has missed most of the season following back surgery complications. The Detroit Red Wings look good. Real good. Now is the time to start resting Hasek, and looking ahead to the playoffs. Yes he is playing incredible, as last night he made 32 saves to lift the Wings to a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild, however.....this teams hopes rest on the fragile groin of this 41 year old (who will be 42 in a month). Start rotating in MacDonald, or Osgood, or just leave the net empty some games. And if he get's elected to the All Star game, hide his passport or lock him in his house so he can't play.
Game of the Night:
Carolina at Buffalo 7:00 PM
YEEAAAH! Can the Canes do it? Stillman's back! Ward's playing great! I think they can! Look for Patty Marleau to pot three against the Yotes tonight. Enjoy the games.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 The Calgary Flames won their ninth straight home game with their 5-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. The Flames pounced on the Canucks early who had played the evening prior against the Carolina Hurricanes to take a 4-1 lead.
Jarome Iginla scored his his 16th goal of the season and added two assists on goals by Alex Tanguay and Dion Phaneuf. Kristian Huselius, and Matthew Lombardi also scored. Lombardi who I picked up off of waivers yesterday scored the game winner, which would have been great if I had started him, but sadly I did not.....cuz I suck.
Vancouver did mount a third periord comeback, and drew within one goal, but the Flames weathered the storm and sealed the win on Tanguay's empty netter. Vancouver Canucks goalkeeper Roberto Luongo, who was supposed to be the panacea for the their goaltending woes was lifted after surrendering his fourth goal on 24 shots.
Quick Shave:
Believe it or not, the Columbus Blue Jackets have themselves a bonafide winning streak going, that has now hit three games after last night's 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Backup goaltender, Fredrik Norrena who has started all three games has only surrendered one goal during that span, and appears to have taken command of the starting goalie position over Pascal Leclaire. They face the Ottawa Senators today, so it will be interesting to see how the team responds, and who Hitch leans on in net. The New York Rangers played perhaps their most complete game of the season yesterday as they defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-1. The Senators came out physical, which began with a devestating hit by Chris Neil on defencemen Michael Rosizval and the Rangers responded in kind. Henrik Lundqvist was amazing in net, stopping 34 of the 35 shots he face, and Jaromir Jagr netted the game-winner with his patented crossing the circles to wrist shot move that he does so often now.....and scores regularly on. It was the Buffalo Sabres turn to nip the Montreal Canadiens this time, and the Sabres took the 3-2 win by way of shootout. These two teams, are so well matched and provide some of the best hockey I've seen this season. Speed, defense and great goaltending. Habs defenceman Sheldon Souray left the game midway through the third after being hit by Buffalo's Paul Gaustad.....the injury sustained thus far is being labeled an 'upper body' injury. At least it's not a groin. Ok, I think it's time to start ringing the alarms in Toronto (like they haven't been ringing since this summer), the Leafs are going down the toilet fast. Last night the Detroit Red Wings completely outclassed them, and converted 5 powerplay goals to crush the Leafs 5-1. The Toronto Maple Leafs have now lost seven games in a row, and the wheels have really come off this one. The San Jose Sharks Jonatahn Cheechoo almost joined the NHL HTC again last night but fell a goal short. The Sharks went on to defeat the Nashville Predators 3-1. The New York Islanders defeated the Florida Panthers in the shootout to take the win 5-4 last night. Good news out of the Island, is the center Alexei Yashin who's missed the last few weeks with a knee injury has begun skating with the team again and could be back on the ice as early as Friday's match against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Welcome to the Hat Trick Club Mark Parrish! Anyone call that one? The Minnesota Wild forward netted three goals including the game winner in overtime to lift his team over the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4. Pavol Demitra returned to the lineup for the Wild and added a goal and two assists. The Pittsburgh Penguins decided to effectively end the game against the Atlanta Thrashers before it got to the shootout....where they haven't been too successful, and did so. Colby Armstrong scored the game winner for the Penguins late in the extra period to give his team the 4-3 win.
I'd just like to send my best out to Montreal's Bob Gainey and his family, whose daughter is currently missing after being washed overboard during a storm on Friday night. I'm sure everyone's thoughts are with you and her, and she returns safely.
Game of the Night:
Ottawa at Columbus 6:00 PM
Ottawa isn't playing great, but they are playing much better than at the start of the season, and they are more than a fair bench test for the Columbus Blue Jackets. I want to see if this Blue Jackets team is for real....kind of like how I wanted to see if the Capitals were for real last Friday until the Ducks slapped them around for 60 minutes. This is a 'let's see' match...and even though most of you are not 100% in love with my tone right now.....Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 A campaign to get Vancouver defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick selected to the 2006-2007 All Star game in Dallas this year is well underway, and rapidly gaining momentum. Rory Fitzpatrick is currently ranked fifth among all defensemen in the All Star Balloting behind only Scott Niedermayer, Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Pronger, and Dion Phaneuf. This has to be one of the greatest mobilizations of fans I've ever seen, and if things continue in this manner, Rory will be lacing up his skates in late January to represent his team, and most importantly his fans. To find out more visit the official site at www.voteforrory.com.
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
 Pick a Thanksgiving Day pun. Whichever you choose, will be more than appropriate. The Vancouver Canucks played like a steaming pile of........holiday vegetables last night.
Rookie callup Alexander Radulov opened the scoring early in the first for the Nashville Predators and they never looked back. They pounded the Vancouver Canucks with 5 more goals, to completely shutdown, and shutout the Vancouver Canucks 6-0.
Predators forward Paul Kariya had three assists on the night, and Scott Hartnell almost joined the HTC with a pair of goals and an assist. Goaltenders Tomas Vokoun and Chris Mason made 34 saves to complete the shutout. Vokoun took a puck in the hand during the second and was replaced by Mason for the final period because he was unable to hold his stick. He will be having it examined later today.
All in all, it was a terrible game. I was looking for a just a bit of competition from the Canucks, but would unfortunately be let down. This game ended about 5 minutes into the first as the Predators took their 2-0 lead over a lifeless Canucks team. My only consolation was that today at noon, there is a hockey marathon on that will fun till about midnight tonight.......sweet.
Quick Shave:
Washington Capital's enforcer Donald Brashear has been suspended for three games, following Wednesday evening's game against the Atlanta Thrashers. Brashear was involved in an altercation with Vitaly Vishnevski in the final minutes of the game, and according to NHL rules, any instigator in a fight during the final 5 minutes of a game will be suspended for one game and fined $10,000. Brashear got the other two games for his good looks I would assume. Detroit Red Wings defenceman Niklas Kronwall had a great Thanksgiving. He and the Red Wings agreed on a 5 year contract extension worth $15 million.
Game of the Night:
Montreal at Buffalo 8:00 PM
Can Cristobal Huet weather the storm in Buffalo? He's certainly been playing his best hockey of late, and looks like he's found his game that propelled him to number one last season. Against a Sabres team that will surely test him and the rest of the Habs, this is a bench test, gut check game for the Habs. For the Sabres, its another team that they would like to rollover. Other than this there are a ton of games on today starting at noon with Carolina facing off agains Boston, and then they come at you evey hour thereafter. Enjoy the games, and the rest of your day!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Icing a team that was without their top stars Martin Havlat, Michal Handzus, Tuomo Ruutu and goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, the Chicago Blackhawks stood little chance against the offensive onslaught that the Vancouver Canucks through at them(Michal Handzus is apparently getting a second opinion regarding his knee before having the season ending surgery...his teammates are all at least 2 weeks away from playing).
The Sedin twins had a 6 point evening for the Canucks. Henrik Sedin scored 2 goals, and an assist, while brother Daniel added three helpers. Matt Cooke, Brendan Morrison, and Taylor Pyatt also scored for the Canucks. Henrik's goals were his first of the season, but had 11 assists on the year prior to last night's match.
Roberto Luongo, got his first shutout of the year, and for his new team, stopping all 32 shots he faced, and helping the Vancouver Canucks to a 5-0 victory. The win puts Vancouver in second place in the Northwest Division, behind rival Minnesota.
Quick Shave:
Congratulations to Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic on getting his 1,500, and 1,501 points last night against the Washington Capitals. Sakic recorded a goal and an assist on the evening, but his accomplishment was overshadowed by Capitals goaltender Olaf Kolzig's 48 save performance that lifted his team to a 5-3 win. Alexander Ovechkin scored his 5th goal of the season and gave the Caps a scare after taking a slapshot to the leg near the end of the game. Ovechkin walked it off.....that kid is a bear. The New York Rangers continue to not play any defense. After scoring Petr Prucha scored to tie the game, the Rangers continued to celebrate so much, that the Panthers took advantage and quickly regained the lead. Josef Stumpel had a pair of goals on the evening. The Minnesota Wild remained unbeaten at home by defeating the L.A. Kings 3-1 last night. Brian Rolston scored his 7th and 8th goals of the season, and Manny Fernandez made 35 saves on the night. Chris Pronger welcomed his old team to his new home last night, and helped the Anaheim Ducks defeat the Endmonton Oilers 6-2. Pronger had three assists against his old team. The Detroit Red Wings ended their three game losing streak with a 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Defenceman Matthieu Schneider scored a goal and an assist while Dominik Hasek stopped 22 shots.
Game of the Night:
Buffalo at NY Islanders 7:30 PM
Can the 15 year man on the Island stop the Buffalo Juggernaut??? Probably not, but man what a huge statement it would be if DiPietro and the Isles handed the Sabres their first loss. Now you gotta watch! Enjoy the games my furry-chinned friends!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Marek Svatos has returned with a vengeance for the Colorado Avalanche after an injury shortened season that still had him challenging for the Calder Trophy. In only 61 games last season the rookie scored 50 points (32 goals, 18 assists), and has shrugged off last season's shoulder injury (literally) to begin his 2006-2007 already at a torrid pace.
Facing the unbeaten Vancouver Canucks and their new mainstay in net Roberto Luongo, the Avs rallied from a 1 goal deficit, to take a 2 -1 lead, on goals by Wojtek Wolski (another fantasy player to watch) and Marek Svatos (it's doubtful he's available in most leagues, but if he is grab this guy). The Canucks new top line of Naslund and the Sedin twins pressured to tie the game 2-2 late in the second. The goalies took over in the third till Marek Svatos once again scored the eventual game winner late in the third on the power play and give the Avs the 3-2 victory.
Svatos is an impressive player, especially for his size. He brings everything you'd expect, speed, skill, an uncanny ability to get open (his first goal personified this), and is an excellent finisher. What you don't expect, is that he relishes the physical aspect of the game and enjoys dishing it out as often as he recieves it. His tenacity tested the patience of Canucks defenceman Willie Mitchell early in the first, and the small forward refused to yield. This guy is fun to watch, and is really a testament to the farm system and scouts of the Colorado Avalanche organization. It's amazing how this club can continue to lose players like Forsberg, and Tanguay and still remain potent offensively. Their platoon of youngsters on offence to keep an eye on include, Svatos, the above mentioned Wolski, Stastny, and Brad Richardson who is an extremely fast skater and already has 2 goals on the season.
Game of the Night:
San Jose at Calgary 8:00 PM
This looks like the tastiest dish on the menu tonight. Kipprusoff faces the team that cast him off several seasons ago, and the Sharks throw their award winning top line at their former keeper. Speaking of goalies, who do the Sharks start in net? They haven't lost, but Nabokov kept the Islanders off the scoreboard over the weekend, while Toskala had some difficulty containing the new look St. Louis Blues in their first contest. Competition seems to be favoring Nabokov thus far, but neither has faced a quality opponent yet. The Flames don't have what I would deem a high powered offence, but goals are hard to come by against them. This should be a great game. Thus....the Game of the night! Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
 Crosby and company came out tonight and made Bosh look pretty good in picking them to make the playoffs this year. Yes Sidney Crosby looked great and scored a goal and an assist in the 4-0 shutout victory, but the real hero of the evening was Marc-Andre Fleury.
The Penguins were outshot 40-21 in the game, but Fleury stopped them all and even killed of two, powerplays where the Flyers carried a two man advantage. I would say this kid thrives on adversity. Having all but lost his starting job to veteran Jocelyn Thibault, Fleury was named the number 1 goalie in the Penguins final pre-season game. Fleury responded with an amazing effort, and his team finished it for him and their new prospective owner, Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie, who was in attendence and had to love what he saw.
Eric Staal's younger brother and Pittsburgh's first round draft pick Jordan Staal made his NHL debut tonight and is expected to remain with the team at least until the return of center Evgeni Malkin is able to return.
 Shanahan scores his 600th in Ranger debut
The New York Rangers officially introduced forward Jaromir Jagr as the 24th captain in franchise history, and he responded by opening the scoring 29 seconds into the game. After that Shanahan made his presence known in his New York Ranger debut by potting two goals, his 599th, and 600th of his career. Shanahan becomes the 15th player to join the elite goal scorers club. The Rangers went on to defeat the Washington Capitals 5-2.
Luongo shines for Vancouver
Another debut, and another success. Roberto Luongo played his first game between the pipes for the Vancouver Canucks, stopping 27 shots and helping his new team defeat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1.
Havlat and Chicago defeat Nashville in goalfest
An evening of debuts that for the moment appear to be looking for the teams that have acquired them, continued in Nashville tonight. Chicago's newest forward Martin Havlat scored 2 goals and 2 asssist in his Blackhawks debut, and helped Chicago come from behind twice to defeat the Predators in a wild 8-6 win.
Islanders fall hard in Phoenix
Ok, not all debuts were easy one's tonight. Ted Nolan's return to coaching after nearly a decade is one he would probably like to forget. The Islanders $65 million dollar goalie Rick DiPietro was lit up early and often by the Coyotes who went on to defeat their New York counterparts 6-3. DiPietro was eventually pulled in favor of his backup Mike Dunham who started the third. Wayne Gretzky's team looked good at even strength and on the powerplay, and forwards Doan, Nagy and Reinprecht were all over the scoresheet.
The Late Game!
I don't want you West Coasters not to feel the love from the Bosher, so I stayed up and watched an unbelievable game between the St. Louis Blues and the San Jose Sharks. This match was back and forth with Mark Bell looking like he had sealed the game with a goal to make it 4-3 in the final minutes, but the relentless Blues kept up the attack, pulled Legace from the net, got a fortunate half-man advantage from Ville Nieminen's broken stick and tied the game on a Keith Tkachuk goal with seconds remaining. The match went to OT where Curtis Brown buried the game winner halfway through the extra period! What a game!
The first two nights have come and gone in the NHL, and I feel like the NHL Center Ice package has already paid for itself. If you haven't gotten it yet, they are running a free preview which I'm pretty sure is running till next week. Give it a look. If you are a hockey fan, this is the best investment you can make! If you order early, I think they will knock $20 off the price. Tell them Captain Bosh sent you (just so you can hear them say 'Who?').
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Reports from the Vancouver Sun are saying that the Canucks are toying with the idea of uniting Swedish forwards, Marcus Naslund, Henrik Sedin, and Daniel Sedin. The idea was apparently floated the other day, and everyone except for Brendan Morrison is apparently thrilled with it (just kidding, but obviously not riding shotgun with Bertuzzi and Naslund anymore is going to seriously hurt his point totals.
The Vancouver Canucks have been looking to find a replacement right winger for the Sedin twins, which was held by 33 goal scorer,(and recently departed) Anson Carter last season. They may not have to look much further than their own backyard. The twins finally fulfilled their superstar potential last season, both breaking th 70 point mark. Playing on a line with Captain Marcus Naslund, all three would certainly prosper.
This scenario has major fantasy implications. If the line works, and becomes the standard for the season, the Sedin's stock, both Henrik and Daniel will skyrocket. Brendan Morrison will unfortunately become less valuable as he will no longer be the beneficiary of the Swedish sniper's skill. Luckily for Bosh, I managed to land one of the Sedins.....I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this line gels.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
More changes in are in store for us this year! Not as many as last year, but the biggest one being added this season is the NHL's allowance of a larger curve in player's sticks. Traditionally the maximum curve was half an inch, but this season that will increase to three quarters of an inch. Goalies beware! The NHL, is clearly looking for even more offense this year, and the larger curved blades may provide that. The NHL's second newest rule is that all goaltenders must now play naked. Just kidding....but am I really?
The same penalties will be administered for illegal sticks as in previous years, so players trying to add a little extra will fined accordingly. Challenges during shootout's regarding illegal sticks has also been approved, but any challenging team that guesses incorrectly will be fined $5000, and the coach would be fined $1000. They would also forfeit a shootout attempt and that player would be bumped to the end of the rotation....essentially not being given an opportunity to shoot unless the goalies put on a clinic and the entire roster missed the net. For more on this check out TSN.ca.
Canucks retain Kesler
After signing an offer sheet for $1.9 million with the Flyers, the Vancouver Canucks had a week to match or recieve compensation for forward Ryan Kesler. The Canucks opted to keep Kesler after only two days, but are now forced to pay nearly double what they were originally negotiating for to sign him. The Flyers are still without a center to replace their former captain Keith Primeau who officially announced his retirement today. There are still a couple of unrestricted free agent centers out there in Yanic Perreault, and Jason Allison....perhaps the Flyers will make a move for one of them?
Captain Forsberg
The Flyers didn't wait long to replace Primeau....at least his title anyway. The Philadelphia Flyers annouced that Peter Forsberg would be the newest captain, with Simone Gagne and Derian Hatcher acting as his alternates. Forsberg becomes the 15th captain in Flyers franchise history. Hopefully he will be on the ice a lot more than last year and help lead the team (and help my fantasy stats!).
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Simon Gagne and the Philadelphia Flyers standoff has finally ended and ended in a huge way. The Flyers have re-signed forward Simon Gagne to a five year contract worth $5.25 million per season. Both sides got exactly what they were looking for. The Flyers keep their breakout forward in the den for the long term, and Gagne gets the market level contract he was waiting for. The signing ensures that Gagne will be in Flyers camp which begins on Friday, September 15th.
Great move by the Flyers and for Gagne. Missing camp would have been devestating for Gagne, as I said earlier last week, that most players who hold out, usually start slow when eventually signed, and are often injured due to poor conditioning. The Flyers make sure they re-unite Gagne with Forsberg who provided the team with an extremely potent top line along with Mike Knuble. It really is Always Sunny in Philadelphia!
Canucks re-sign Trevor Linden
Trevor Linden and the Canucks agreed to a one year deal yesterday worth $600,000 and another $200,000 in performance bonuses. Linden scored 16 points in 82 games for the Canucks last season, and although is not an offensive juggernaut, I'm sure was brought back as a character and leadership player for the team. Something they could have used just a little bit more of last year.
Welcome to the New Playoff Beard
Well it's taken some time, but I've rebuilt Playoff Beard .com for the new upcoming season. Hopefully it will provide us all with alot more information, entertainment, and facial hair! Hope you guys like it!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
I'm almost getting tired of writing about this kid, but something tells me he is going to be a huge addition to not only the Penguins, but the NHL. On Friday, Evgeni Malkin, the newest signed Penguin, hit the ice with the Penguins latest draft pick Jordan Staal, and over 20 other rookies. Malkin's only flaw at the moment is his English. His skill is apparent, and his coaches have little doubt he will be able to adjust to the NHL, but not understanding English makes taking direction difficult. Give AO a call Evgeni, and you'll be speaking it in no time!
Markus Naslund to remain Canucks Captain
Canucks coach Alain Vigneault stated that he never had any doubts that Naslund would remain captain of the team. Although there was some speculation due to the sweeping changes Vancouver has made over the past 4 months. Changes that saw a new coaching staff and the replacementt of 14 players on the roster from last season.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Roberto Luongo has signed a $27 million contract with Canucks for the next 4 years. The contact contains a no-trade clause, for the final three years of the deal, and grows from $6 million the first year, to $7.5 million in the final year of the contract.
Roberto Luongo, has the deal he wants, and a team that has the potential to be a Stanley Cup contender, but the big question is, can he be a big time playoff goalie? Sure he's been great playing for crappy teams, in no pressure situations, but how will he respond when facing a game 7 elimination matchup? Having never played in a playoff game for his entire career, it will be very interesting to watch first, if he can help get the Canucks into the playoffs again, and second, can he help them get out of the first round?
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
As the buzzer sounded to end the game last night in San Jose, it also marked the end of playoff hopes for the Canucks as they fell for the second straight night to the Sharks 5-3. The Colorado Avalanche, and the Edmonton Oilers officially clinched the 7th and 8th playoff spots.
What the hell happened? Injuries? Perhaps. They did lose some key defenseman, but their GM made some crafty moves to acquire decent replacements. Was it Dan Cloutier? Perhaps his loss in net was a bigger hole to fill than originally thought?
I think the blame has to fall on the top line of Naslund, Bertuzzi and Morrison. Especially Naslund and Bertuzzi. Both of these guys were a combined -37! Marcus Naslund had an average year with 31 goals, and 47 assists, but much of his scoring was done on the power play with 42 points. He is closing out the year with a -19. Bertuzzi has 24 goals, and 46 assist and 32 points coming from the PP. Bertuzzi is currently a -18. To put it bluntly, Vancouver's top line was such a liability that opponents were more likely to score against when they were on the ice. These two need learn how to back check.
On the bright side, Aanson Carter has found his game, and a home between the Swedish Sedin twins (on any other site, that would be really hot!). Carter will wrap the season up with 32 goals, and 22 assists. The Sedin's had great seasons as well, Henrik has 18 goals 56 assists, and Daniel has 22 goals, 49 assists.
Ovechkin finally got his 50th last night! How great is this kid gonna be for the league!
Last night's scores:
Washington 3 Atlanta 5 F
Montreal 4 Boston 3 F
St. Louis 1 Columbus 4 F
Toronto 4 NY Islanders 3 F (OT)
Philadelphia 1 New Jersey 4 F
Florida 5 Ottawa 4 F (OT)
NY Rangers 3 Pittsburgh 5 F
Minnesota 2 Nashville 4 F
Detroit 7 Chicago 3 F
Colorado 0 Calgary 2 F
Anaheim 1 Edmonton 2 F
Los Angeles 0 Phoenix 3 F
Vancouver 3 San Jose 5 F
Game of the night:
Tampa Bay at Carolina 7:00 PM
Only one game tonite, but its a big one. Tampa Bay has only a 2 point lead over the Thrashers, and is barely holding onto the 8th playoff spot. Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Actually they have lost ground. With San Jose's 2-1 win over Colorado last night, the Sharks have moved into a tie with the Canucks for the 8th and final spot for the playoffs in the West. Here's a look at the current standings in the West:
1. Detroit 112
2. Dallas 103
3. Calgary 95
4. Nashville 94
5. Anaheim 92
6. Colorado 90
7. Edmonton 88
8. San Jose 87
8. Vancouver 87
10. Los Angeles 85
Vancouver's biggest problem right now is that they have 5 games remaining. San Jose has 7. Los Angeles also has 5 games left. This team is in big trouble. However, for us (aside from Canucks fans) this is win win. Playoff hockey has clearly started already. There will be some very crucial matches to follow in the next two weeks.
Last night's scores:
Ottawa 4 Buffalo 5 F (OT)
Atlanta 5 Florida 2 F
Carolina 4 Washington 3 F (SO)
Pittsburgh 4 New Jersey 6 F
NY Islanders 2 Toronto 3 F
Nashville 3 Chicago 4 F
San Jose 2 Colorado 1 F
Phoenix 2 Calgary 5 F
Game of the night:
Part of my pre-playoff lineup, here are a few that have some major consequences:
Atlanta at Tampa Bay 7:30 PM
Edmonton at Minnesota 8:00 PM
San Jose at Los Angeles 10:30 PM
Enjoy the games!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Man can I call it or what? Last week I was talking about Vancouver's shaky playoff hold, and it looks like I was right. Now there are obviously bigger problems going on than just goaltending, because it takes it a team effort to fall in the standings the way the Canucks are. Right now, Julia Louise Dreyfus's new sitcom has a better chance of survival than Vancouver right now. Rumors are abound that Crawford is losing control of the team, and by the way they are playing that would be no surprise. Vancouver managed to obtain some defensive help, and a netminder, but neither did much in the 5-0 beating at the hands of the Predators....they could not get to the choppa! They tried unsuccessfully to deal Bertuzzi at last weeks trade deadline, and perhaps that is part of the problem. But who would trade for him? The guy has been playing like crap and every fan in the NHL hates him for what he did to Steve Moore. His medicine is going down hard.
Vancouver is barely holding onto the last playoff spot with 76 points. Anaheim and San Jose are just 2 and 3 points behind them. San Jose is on a tear right now, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them take the last spot. Joe Thorton is playing out of his mind and leads the league with 97 points. Someone is happy he was traded perhaps?
Last night's scores:
NY Islanders 2 Atlanta 4 F
Ottawa 2 Boston 3 F (SO)
Toronto 1 Buffalo 3 F
Washington 4 NY Rangers 5 F
Carolina 5 Montreal 1 F
Pittsburgh 1 New Jersey 2 F
Phoenix 0 Nashville 2 F
Calgary 2 Edmonton 3 F (OT)
Dallas 4 Los Angeles 1 F
St. Louis 2 San Jose 5 F
Game of the night:
Philadelphia at Tampa Bay 7:30 PM
Philly is battling to regain first place in the Atlantic, Tampa is battling to remain in the playoff hunt. 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 Carolina Hurricanes have acquired Mark Recchi from Pittsburgh for forwards Niklas Nordgren and Krys Kolanos and a 2007 2nd round pick.
The Vancouver Canucks have acquired defenceman Keith Carney from Anaheim for a draft pick and prospect to be named.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Vancouver has acquired goaltender Mika Noronen from the Buffalo Sabres for a 2nd round pick. Vancouver has long been rumored to be looking for a netminder to support Alex Auld between the pipes.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The New Jersey Devils have traded defenceman Sean Brown to Vancouver for a 2006 fourth round pick.
More to come.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
The Canadiens have acquired Todd Simpson from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 6th round pick.
Interesting point by Bob McKenzie on TSN.ca is that the Habs are stockpiling players for a big trade to Vancouver for Todd Bertuzzi. I can't disagree with his assessment at all. The Habs have two great young goalies in Huet and Danis....Aebischer seems to be the odd man out right now, unless they deal one of the French boys. We'll know more before 3pm today!
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
While the Olympic tournament has been exciting to watch, it has been also a time of concern and potential disaster for a few NHL teams.
The biggest has to be Dominik Hasek. The Ottawa Senators had been riding high on the legs of Hasek all year, and 1 period into the Olympics, he gets injured, or re-injured rather. His groin, which has been suspect for some time has reared its ugly head again, and now has GM John Muckler scrambling with 2 weeks to go before the trade deadline to determine whether to acquire a goaltender or not.
Peter Forsberg, also playing with a sore groin, and the key word is playing....is risking a season ending injury, thus completely destroying the hopes of the Flyers making it to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Patrick Elias was injured early in the tournament, the extent of which I'm not sure of, but he has been kept out since.
Joe Sakic received a fractured cheekbone and lovely beauty mark during a game against Switzerland.
The Canucks have just received word that not only was Mattias Ohlund injured with broken ribs for Sweden, but Sami Salo, another Canucks defenseman, has suffered a shoulder injury.
Jaromir Jagr almost appeared lost for the season after an elbow to the skull.
It's been interesting, and perhaps has changed the scope of this NHL season, not to mention the policies in following seasons. We'll see.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
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