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Kings streak snapped by Ducks Kings streak snapped by Ducks
- From: life_in_hockeywood
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Description:
Game 59: Ducks 4, Kings 2
All good things come to an end. Good thing it's only February.
First off, forgive me for the tardiness of this blog entry. My son spilled some coffee on my laptop, and I spent the morning disassembling it to dry it out. That first sentence was all I had at 9 a.m. Tuesday...
I attended Monday's game against the Anaheim Ducks with a friend of mine, sitting with the fans from LetsGoKings.com. Once named by The Hockey News as one of the things any hockey fan should do before they die, going into the Honda Center en masse is hilarious. Especially seeing the regulars bristle at seeing you in your Kings jersey, I now know what it must feel like for a Wings fan at Staples.
I can say this: seeing a Kings fan in a throwback jersey is a lot cooler than seeing a Duck fan sporting their "throwback" jerseys. I'm not a fan of the new Anaheim Spork design anyway, but it's way better than the Disney jersey.
My friend hadn't seen a hockey game in a while, and it's too bad it wasn't a better game. The Kings just came out flat for the first two periods. The Ducks, well-rested from three days off, came into the game with a lot of intensity. They beat the Kings to pucks all night, kept the pressure on, and outplayed them all game.
Coach Terry Murray continue to jigger lines in hopes to kickstart the offense. But placing Brown with Kopitar has proven to be a bad fit in the past, and that hasn't changed with Brad Richardson on the wing. Kopitar paired with Ryan Smyth isn't a bad thing though, as the two hooked up in the second period after a Ducks penalty expired.
And speaking of Smyth, every Kings fan in the arena was holding their breath when they saw Smyth limp toward the bench and had to be helped to the locker room. When he came back, a sigh of relief calmed everyone's nerves. The guy is nails and showed it tonight, battling through injury.
And one doesn't like to root for injury, but Ryan Getzlaf's injury allowed the Kings to climb back into the game. There's a hope that if he can't go to the Olympics, that Captain Canada Smyth would replace him. Crappy situation, but what can you do?
Jonathan Quick failed in his bid to tie Mario Lessard's record for wins on the season, although I don't think anyone doubts it will eventually be his. The story of the night has to be Jonas Hiller, who turned back chance after chance by the Kings all game. He was zeroed in all game, and he had to be. The Kings have proven to be deadly later in the game the last nine games.
Other than the lackluster showing on the ice, I had a good time sitting with other fans in another team's house. (And just to make it clear whose house it was, the Ducks played this long video before the game claiming the Honda Center as 'Their House.') There's a unity that one feels being surrounded by the enemy deep in their territory.
There were even some of the Kings' Ice Girls in attendance, there on their day off to support the team. And even though they were in their civilian clothes, they were way hotter than their Ducks dopplegangers. Just sayin'...
The one thing I can say is the Pond has way better music, lots of hard heavy metal. Not that I have anything against Lady GaGa... but come on, Staples Center, get with it. But with the good comes the ridiculous: flying inflatable sheep. The jokes were flying fast are furious about the 15-foot balloon that chugged along the Honda Ponda and crapped out coupons.
And let me make a deal with all you Ducks fans out there (I know you read Life In Hockeywood, because all your team blogs suck...) Can we have a moratorium on calling the Kings "Queens?" Other than the latent homophobic vibe it has, it's just lazy. You're better than that, Duck fans. In return, I promise never to make another "Flying-V" crack again. Deal?
For more Kings news, blogs and video... - Blog post
- 11 minutes ago
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Some Thoughts For Today Some Thoughts For Today
- From: UCSBHockey97
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Description:
I've said it many times this entire year that the NHL and hockey everywhere just isn't making sense. Well now it's starting to. And I'm beginning to be satisfied with it. So here are some thoughts for today on some of the recent happenings in the NHL.
- IT'S ABOUT DARN TIME THE DUCKS BEAT THE KINGS. Seriously. They should have won last Thursday. When your offense gives you that much of a chance to win it, as a defense you need to step up and they didn't do that, but instead let Anze Kopitar walk in and jam the puck in the net untouched en route to a 6-4 loss which pissed me off for days. That same Ducks team was not at Honda Center last night. The Ducks looked sharp, crisp, and together on both ends of the Ice. Jonas Hiller definitely redeemed his poor performance from the last meeting, and the defense gave him some help. Even when Getzlaf went down Anaheim looked sharp. I know I may be jinxing them by saying this but at this point I think if you rule the Ducks out of the playoffs, I think you're insane. This team is playing well. Which leads me to my second thought:
- I think this may be the first year in which we see ALL THREE Californian teams in the playoffs, and 4 out of the 5 Pacific division teams for that matter. If that doesn't say something about the strength of the West this year, then I really don't know what does. Particularly when you add in teams like Chicago, Nashville, and Colorado to the mix, who have proven they're anything but the pushovers they used to be, the Pacific really throws its name into the debate for toughest division in the NHL.
- The Game of the Week last week... surprise surprise look who's on TV for the third time in 4 weeks on NBC... Crosby and the Penguins. Does NBC not know there's another 29 teams in the NHL? Oh that's right. There's the Red Wings too.
- But that being said the game on Sunday was without question possibly the best game of the year. This game had EVERYTHING. Speed, skill, some absolutely beautiful stickhandling and teamwork, the superstars showed their talent in many ways, and the Goaltenders just about stood on their heads for some saves (my fantasy team is certainly liking that Jose Theodore has found his game again).
- This NBC Game also really in my opinion settled it once and for all: anything Crosby can do, Ovechkin can do better. Crosby... 2 goals. Ovie.... 3 goals. When he took the ice in that third period you could just see it in him: he took complete command of the game and look what happened. 3 goals, and almost a 4th in overtime to seal it (being denied only by the goalpost). Crosby's talented, but Ovechkin is the only player I've ever seen who can absolutely command a game in the way he does, and seeing the two of them out there on the ice together really made it apparent to me: Alex the Great is by far the more dominant of the two players.
- Nice to see Giguere playing well in his new starting role in Toronto. When combined with the defensive talents of Dion Phaneuf, the Leafs may actually have found a starting point with which to start this rebuild (finally).
- Oh man, I cannot imagine being an Oiler fan right now. But I'm a Duck fan so I show no sympathy. In fact, it thrills me to see Edmonton bottom feeding like they are. (Though I do have a small amount of empathy for Dustin Penner.)
- And last but not least: What has two thumbs and is stoked out of his mind for some Olympic Hockey... THIS GUY! Who's probably going to be eating his words when the USA goes 0-2-1, losing to Switzerland and tying Latvia... probably this guy too.
- Blog post
- 4 hours ago
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who Getz the last Laf? who Getz the last Laf?
- From: forrestgumpworsley
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Description:
Preliminary reports seem to suggest that Ryan Getzlaf’s status will be questionable for the Olympics. Since rosters will freeze at the start of the tournament, any players with ambiguous or unresolved health issues will likely face replacement. The list of possible substitutes for Getzlaf is long, but squad alternates are limited to those who are already undergoing the same drug-testing rigor as the confirmed starters. Based on Steve Yzerman’s “whiteboard meetings” with Team Canada brass, it is likely that Jeff Carter is at the top of the pool of eligible stand-ins for Getzlaf.
However, Carter’s offensive productivity and defensive prowess has diminished since his career season last year with the Flyers. He is still a capable Center and role-player (Dungeons and Dragons with Claude Giroux?), but there are more vetted and offensively-gifted options in the Canadian ranks. Martin St. Louis, a standout player at the August orientation camp, fits the offensive bill in many respects, but his size and relatively one-dimensional game does not appear to fit Yzerman’s mandate for big and versatile forwards. A former teammate of St. Louis, Brad Richards, is closer to the mark of “must-be-this-tall-to-ride-against-the-Russians,” but he has not been on Team Canada’s radar for some time. Steven Stamkos, a bubble player for the initial 2010 roster, is one of the best goal scorers available, but it is difficult to foresee how impactful his role would be in a high pressure environment with reduced minutes. Sticking with the Tampa Bay trend, Vincent Lecavalier is making a substantial case to be the heir apparent in light of Getzlaf’s misfortune. Lecavalier is an experienced, sizeable, playmaking pivot, and the Lightning Captain has rediscovered his point-per-game level of production in the past couple of weeks. He is no longer the offensive liability that he was at the time of roster selection. If it were up to me, I would place Vinny in the three-spot.
Without confirmation on Getzlaf’s injury, all of this speculation is particularly moot. In the event of a long term recovery, the biggest uncertainty is whether Carter or any substitute out there can spur Corey Perry’s scoring touch. Maybe that surrogate already exists within Team Canada. Mike Babcock and his coaching staff might have to get creative with line shuffling to accommodate for the loss of Getzlaf. Or they could just take his brother on loan from the Roughriders to save money on jerseys.
- Blog post
- 4 hours ago
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LEAFS VS. SHARKS: FEBRUARY 08, LEAFS VS. SHARKS: FEBRUARY 08, 2010
- From: darthcobain17
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Description:
I was really hoping the Leafs would win this one for Wilson! There’s nothing like beating your old team. But unfortunately the Leafs just fell short in a very entertaining game. Toronto actually deserved a better fate than the 3-2 loss as for the most part they were the faster, harder working team. But when you’re playing the elite teams of the league like San Jose sometimes shit happens. I missed the first period because it was out son’s night at the Little Gym, but I got to listen to the last couple of minutes on the radio in the car. It sounded like the Leafs were playing well and they finished the period with a 1-0 lead. Bozak got the Leafs the early lead about halfway through the frame on a nice little passing play by Kessel. The Leafs were controlling down low when Kessel would walk in off the right side. He delayed until the last moment and made a nice little move to pass Bozak the puck through the crease. An easy tap in and the Leafs were ahead. A half minute before the goal Orr and Shelley had a go but I didn’t manage to see it so I’m not sure how it went. The Leafs scored right after so I guessed something went right!
I was able to watch the rest of the game from the start of the second period onwards. Two things I should mention. First, either the flu or food poisoning they’re saying hit a couple of the Leafs. Both Hanson and Sjostrom were out of the lineup with illness, and Rosehill had been sent back to the Marlies earlier. The Leafs had called up Stalberg to fill in for Rosehill, and they also managed to get Deveaux from the Marlies, and Kadri from the Knights on emergency recall. Kadri was playing in his first NHL regular season game, and against the Sharks no less! That’s quite a welcome. The other thing I wanted to mention was the atmosphere at the ACC that I noticed over the last couple of games. On Saturday night against Ottawa it seemed almost like a playoff game or something. There was a constant buzz about the crowd and at one point in the third period they even started the wave! Normally the wave dies out after a couple times around the building, but they kept it going around for like two or three minutes! It was amazing. That’s what I noticed about the rest of this game against San Jose. There seemed to be a constant buzz in the stands and it was nowhere near the lackadaisical level the ACC crowd is normally at. It seems as though the trades have sparked not only the players but then fans. This is great to see, I wonder if they’ve started kicking all the suits out and letting the real fans in too. That would certainly help! Anyways, the second period was a really good one. The tempo of this period was really high. Both teams were attacking effectively and the goalies had to be sharp. Overall Toronto again had the edge in play like they did in the first period, but unfortunately they were outscored. San Jose drew even just over 3 minutes in. Off of a faceoff in the Leafs’ zone the puck was drawn right back to Boyle at the point. He loosed a wrister through a big crowd in front and it found it’s way through Giguere. Two and a half minutes later the Sharks would strike again to take a 2-1 lead. San Jose was working the puck down low in the Toronto zone before the puck came to Ponikarovsky along the left wall. It looked like he was going to clear it, but some miscommunication between him and Kessel led to a turnover to Pavelski. He walked across the slot and threw a wrist shot towards the net that eluded Giguere. This goal was a funny one. I think it may have hit the Toronto defenseman’s stick or it was a rolling puck or something, because it looked like a knuckler on the way in. The sudden deficit only strengthened Toronto’s resolve though and they quickly re-took control of the game. On the ensuing faceoff after the Pavelski goal Exelby would have a go with Staubitz in a good little tilt. The Leafs weren’t able to answer back right away on the scoreboard but they would even things up before the period was out. Kessel would score with 51 seconds left to tie things at 2. Off a faceoff in the Sharks’ end Phaneuf would get a couple cracks at Nabokov from the point. When he did manage to get a shot through Nabokov made the save but the rebound was sitting pretty for Kessel to rip in and all of a sudden we had a tie hockey game going in to the third period.
As has been the trend with the Leafs over the last week, week and a half, they played two really strong periods to start the game only to give a bit of ground in the third period. San Jose mounted their biggest push back in the third period. Things were still pretty even overall but unfortunately San Jose was the only team to score. And it was a heartbreaker too as it would come with only six and a half minutes left. The goal was scored by Clowe and was a really bad break for the Leafs. Off of a dump in the Sharks would maintain control of the puck behind the Leafs’ net. Setoguchi would walk out from the side of the net and center the puck which apparently wasn’t going to one of his teammates as there was no one in the area. But the puck took a bad bounce off some skates and went right to Clowe at the other side of the net. He shoveled it in and mad it 3-2 San Jose. The Leafs would try valiantly to tie this thing up and pulled Giguere with a minute and a half left. They had quite a few good chances to score but nothing went in. A great game to watch but unfortunately an unjust result for the Leafs. They played really well and were the better team once again, but some bad breaks were the difference. What I really liked about this game was that the refs let things go. There were lots of little infractions they could have called on both sides, but they didn’t and the pace of the game flourished because of it. This was a really well officiated game in my opinion.
As for the Leafs, the guy that looked the best out there to me was Kessel. After such a hot start when he first got back in the lineup he seemed to hit a wall and really cooled off there for a while. This came as no surprise as they guy had been out for 6 months with a major shoulder injury! He would have been playing off adrenaline for the first while there, but eventually he was going to come down. But now it appears as though he’s found his legs and seems to be in mid-season form and you can definitely tell. He gets the puck lately and he’s gone. His speed is remarkable! And Bozak along with him seems to be flourishing and adjusting to NHL life really well. Giguere had another really solid game but just had those bad bounces tonight that cost the Leafs a couple of goals. Nothing much you can do about it. As for the two newcomers, Stalberg played a pretty solid game, nothing spectacular though. As soon as he figured things out and starts using his speed to his advantage like Kessel does, he could be pretty scary. Kadri also had a pretty solid night too, considering it was his first regular season game against a power house like San Jose. He did some good things with the puck in the offensive zone, but he also did some poor things with the puck in the defensive and neutral zones. He had a couple of turnovers and wasn’t hard on the puck here and there, but those mistakes will be fixed naturally with time and experience at the NHL level. All in all it was another really good game by the Leafs. Their new attitude was on display yet again. They were fast, they were tenacious, and they really do seem to be a lot more organized now. One more game to go before the Olympic break, against the Blues. Let’s go out on a high note!
Box score: Toronto vs. San Jose
- Blog post
- 6 hours ago
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Premiere Weekend 2010: 6 Teams Premiere Weekend 2010: 6 Teams, 6 Games, 3 Cities, 4 Days
- From: toewszone0809
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Description:
When the NHL announced that the 2010-11 Season would start in Prague, Helsinki, and Stockholm, I thought, "Why not?" Since the inaugural Premiere in London between the Kings and Ducks back in 2007, thoughts on where the next Premiere location were flying just like where the next Winter Classic will be held. In 2008, the Penguins and the Sens played at the Ericsson Globen in Stockholm and the Rangers and the Lightning played at the O2 Arena in Prague. Last year, the Blues and the Swede-ful Red Wings played at the Globen and the Panthers and the Blackhawks played at the home ice of Jokerit: Hartwall Areena in Helsinki. I went to roadwatches for the Hawks-Panthers Pemiere weekend and the energy was similar to a game at the United Center. And Fins were heroes during that Premiere weekend. Ville Koistinen scored the shootout winner in the first game and Antti Niemi posted his first NHL shutout in front of friends and family. This October, the 'Canes and the Wild play in Helsinki, the Sharks and Jackets play in the Globen, and the Bruins and the Coyotes play in Prague. And the good part is, this is the hockey fan's ultimate 4-day weekend. So my advice to you if you're a fan of one of these 6 teams, plan ahead and save some cash, because besides watching the game on TV, the best thing to do is to just be there. Like the Winter Classic, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience you don't wanna miss.
- Blog post
- 6 hours ago
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ESPN Power Rankings: Week 20 ESPN Power Rankings: Week 20
- From: Beatleman2971
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Description:
RK (LW) TEAM REC COMMENT 
1 (2) Capitals 41-12-6 For the first time since the second week of the NHL season, the Caps sit atop the Power Rankings. All they had to do was win 14 straight games, including Sunday's thrilling 5-4 overtime win over Pittsburgh, a game in which they trailed 4-1 and Alex Ovechkin scored a hat trick and set up the OT winner. 
2 (1) Sharks 38-11-9 It's not like the Sharks really slipped -- they still collected points in 12 of 13 games, and beat both Nashville and St. Louis to close out the week. But here they are at No. 2. Live with it. The addition of defenseman Niclas Wallin from Carolina adds yet another Stanley Cup ring to the Sharks' roster. 
3 (3) Blackhawks 38-15-5 The Hawks have fallen off the pace a bit in the West and now are four points back of San Jose (although they are tied in wins). Still, a 2-1 win over St. Louis on Saturday halted a three-game winless streak, their longest of the season. 
4 (5) Kings 36-19-3 The Kings spotted Detroit a three-goal lead in the first and then roared back to win 4-3 for their franchise-best ninth straight victory Saturday. They now are in position to have home-ice advantage in a playoff series for the first time since 1992. 
5 (6) Coyotes 35-19-5 Yes, coach Dave Tippett's squad did see a six-game winning streak come to an end against his old team, the Dallas Stars, on Saturday night. Still, the Coyotes have to be feeling pretty darn good about themselves, as they are tied with the Kings for fourth in the conference. 
6 (4) Canucks 35-20-2 Roberto Luongo helped the Canucks steal two points from Boston on Saturday (OK, so that's a little like taking candy from a baby) and even their marathon road trip at 2-2-0. They are 8-2-0 in their past 10. 
7 (8) Devils 36-19-2 The Devils were stoned by Henrik Lundqvist on Saturday but still look to have more offensive jump with Ilya Kovalchuk in the lineup (duh). They have a home-and-home with Philadelphia to start the week, which should prove interesting as they try to keep the Pens at bay at the top of the Atlantic Division standings. 
8 (9) Senators 33-22-4 Yes, the Sens had their franchise-record 11-game winning streak broken in spectacular fashion by Toronto on Saturday, but coach Cory Clouston has them humming. And with Buffalo fading, the Sens have a shot at taking over the Northeast Division lead, as they start the week one point back (the Sabres have two games in hand). 
9 (10) Penguins 35-22-2 The Penguins had an ordeal getting to Washington for Sunday's game and then had an ordeal closing out the Caps, who stormed back to win 5-4 in overtime after the Pens led 4-1 at one point. 
10 (7) Sabres 32-18-7 The Sabres have lost four straight in regulation and won just twice in their past 10 games. Ryan Miller is enduring an uncharacteristic rough patch between the pipes. Wonder whether that's making coach Ron Wilson and the rest of the Team USA brain trust nervous, not to mention Sabres coach Lindy Ruff. 
11 (11) Avalanche 32-19-6 Yes, the Avs did beat up on the Edmonton Oilers (what better tonic for a losing skid than a date with the Oil?), but it doesn't mask the fact that Colorado has lost four of six. Still, the Avs are only two back of Vancouver for the Northwest Division lead. 
12 (15) Flames 29-21-9 The Flames gave up a weak goal in overtime against Tampa on Saturday but have crawled back into the West playoff picture. Offense is still an issue, but the Flames are showing signs of climbing out of the hole that saw them fall out of the playoff picture a couple of weeks ago. 
13 (16) Predators 31-22-4 The Preds hold down the last playoff spot in the West, but they'll have to play better if they want to hang on. They finish the pre-Olympic schedule with four straight road games, starting Tuesday in Long Island. 
14 (22) Lightning 25-21-11 The Bolts are getting great goaltending from Antero Niittymaki (again) and just enough scoring to pile up the points. They have won three in a row and six of eight to reassert themselves as a playoff team in the East. 
15 (23) Canadiens 28-26-6 The Habs begin the week sixth in the Eastern Conference, although they saw a three-game winning streak broken Sunday when they were shut out 3-0 by the Bruins. 
16 (12) Red Wings 27-21-10 The assumption is the Red Wings will somehow be a playoff team as long as they get healthy, but blowing a 3-0 lead against the Kings on Saturday was a reminder the Wings have a long way to go to be the team they've been the past couple of seasons. 
17 (18) Wild 29-25-4 The Wild continue to rock at home (20-6-2) and close out the pre-Olympic schedule with three straight on their own ice, which could vault them back into the playoff bracket in the West. Could. 
18 (17) Stars 26-21-11 Love the consistency of the Stars' inconsistency. They still have yet to win more than two games in a row this season, although they did produce a great effort in beating Phoenix 4-0 on Saturday. 
19 (20) Ducks 27-24-7 Every time you want to count the Ducks out, they win a few games; every time you want to anoint them a playoff team, they drop a few games. Right now, they've won three of four, but they need to close out the pre-Olympic schedule strongly. 
20 (19) Blues 25-24-9 The Blues' charge back into the playoff hunt has hit a bit of a speed bump with two straight losses. 
21 (13) Flyers 28-25-3 The Flyers have lost four of six in regulation and have seen the offense go dry, scoring just 10 times in those six games -- maybe GM Paul Holmgren should have pushed harder for Ilya Kovalchuk. Still, they start the week in a playoff spot, which is something. 
22 (21) Thrashers 25-24-8 Big win Saturday for the Kovalchuk-less Thrashers, as they erased a 2-0 deficit against Florida and won 4-2. They need to prove to themselves they can win without the big Russian but are just one point out of a playoff spot. 
23 (28) Rangers 26-26-7 Sterling effort by Lundqvist in an important win Saturday against New Jersey, but the Rangers seem to be a team adrift and in need of a string of quality starts from their top players if they're going to claw back into the playoff mix. 
24 (24) Hurricanes 21-30-7 Once again, we give the Canes props for their work ethic even though GM Jim Rutherford is trying his best to acquire assets for players like Niclas Wallin (dealt to San Jose on Sunday), Ray Whitney and likely Matt Cullen. Regardless of the off-ice machinations, the Canes have won six of eight. 
25 (26) Bruins 24-22-11 Monster win by the Bruins on Sunday against Montreal, their first victory in 11 outings. Strangely enough, Boston starts the week tied in points for the final playoff spot in the East. Go figure. 
26 (25) Blue Jackets 24-27-9 The Blue Jackets seem to have been given new life with the firing of coach Ken Hitchcock and have won two straight. 
27 (14) Panthers 24-25-9 GM Randy Sexton can start thinking "sell" as opposed to "buy," as the Panthers have lost three in a row and four of five. Their offense has gone dry; they have just six goals in their past five games. 
28 (29) Maple Leafs 19-29-11 Have to wonder what Jonas Gustavsson was doing in net Friday night when the Leafs imploded in the last three minutes, but Jean-Sebastien Giguere has recorded two shutouts since coming over from Anaheim. The Leafs have, for the most part, looked pretty impressive since GM Brian Burke started wheeling and dealing a week ago. 
29 (27) Islanders 23-27-8 Yes, the Isles have more points than Carolina and Toronto, but just wait. The bottom has fallen out on the Isles, who have lost seven straight in regulation and not scored more than twice in any of those contests. 
30 (30) Oilers 18-33-6 This is the easiest part of the rankings. Go to 30 and write down "Oilers." The sad reality is last week's two-game winning streak (which ended Saturday against Colorado) might well have been a high point for their season. - Blog post
- 10 hours ago
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hold your heads up leafs! hold your heads up leafs!
- From: virginia5
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Description:
a valiant effort went unrewarded points wise, but this game really cemented leaf fans hope for a continued re-build. we were ignored by ladie luck last night, but should have could have won! this signals we were in the game all night long!
we lost primarily because we were missing two players very good defensively, down with the flu!
kadri played well and should be kept as a leaf,he needs the exposure for next year!
i was proud of the leafs last night!
- Blog post
- 11 hours ago
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Inside The NHL #73 Inside The NHL #73
- From: timjim
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Description:
Time once again for Inside The NHL.
Last night's scores were SJS (3) - TOR (2), COL (5) - STL (2), PHX (6) - EDM (1), ANA (4) - LAK (2), and the score from last night's Game Of The Night was PHI (3) - NJD (2).
Today in the NHL, With a week before the Olympic Break and three weeks untill the Trade Deadline, the Montreal Canadiens are experiencing a major shift in the front office. Bob Gainey announced on Monday during a press conference that he was leaving his position as General Manager effective immediately. He is saying that he is not prepared to give the Habs a long-term commitment. Pierre Gauthier, who was Gainey's assistant, will take over as Excutive V.P and GM. Gauthier is the 16th General Manager in franchise history. New Jersey Devils defensemen Anssi Samela is saying he's OK after taking a scary hit to the head from Jeff Carter during last night's Devils-Flyers game. Samela suffered the scary hit after scoring a shorthanded goal (his 1st Goal of the season) 62 seconds into the 2nd Period when Carter knoched him in the head with his shoulder. Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks left the Honda Center on crutches Monday night after spraining his left ankle. There are reports that Getzlaf will undergo an MRI today. Team Canada Excutive Director Steve Yzerman told NHL.com via text message that he is "waiting for test results" before making a determination of Getzlaf's availability for Team Canada in the Olympics. Yzerman has until February 15th to replace the injuried Anaheim Duck on the roster. There are 7 games scheduled for today and they are Predators-Islanders, Panthers-Hurricanes, Flames-Senators, Canucks-Islanders, Red Wings-Blues, Stars-Blackhawks, and my pick for tonight's Game Of The Night is Bruins-Sabres.
Time for the Quote Of The Day presented by Geico. Today's quote comes from Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau. "I am pretty excited and I am really excited for hockey that the game was put on [national] TV today. This is what people pay to see. The superstars shined and there is tension and excitement and physical play. You could see the passion on both sides. This is what hockey is all about."
Time for last week's 3 Stars. The 3rd Star was Washington Capitals centermen Nicklas Backstrom. Backstrom scored 2 goals and 8 assists for 10 points last week and he is projected to score 100 poiunts this season. The 2nd Star was Jean-Sebastien Giguere of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The new Toronto goaltender began his Maple Leafs campaign like no other goaltender in franchise history, by posting back-to-back shutouts and ending Ottawa's 11-game winning streak. And last week's 1st Star and Player Of The Week was Alexander Oveckhin of the Washington Capitals. The Washington left winger and captain posted 16 points during a 7-game point streak and 36 points in his last 17 games, capping off the week with a hat trick in the Capitals' 14th consective win over the defending Stanley Cup Champions Penguins on Sunday.
Time for last night's Compuware 3 Stars. The 3rd Star was Colorado Avalanche rookie right winger Brandon Yip. Yip had 2 goals in the Avs 5-2 win over the Blues. The 2nd Star was Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks. The Anaheim right winger had 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points in the Ducks 4-2 win over the Kings. And last night's 1st Star and Player Of The Day was Phoenix Coyotes centermen Matthew Lombardi. Lombardi had 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points in the Coyotes 6-1 win over the Oilers.
That's it for this edition of Inside The NHL
- Blog post
- 12 hours ago
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Boivin le Bavard Boivin le Bavard
- From: kel_o
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Description:
I've been reading a lot about Gainey's stepping-down lately, and it seems that a lot of people are concerned about the language debate that seems to be so intricately connected to the hiring of a new GM, just as it has been with hiring a coach, and even naming a captain.
A lot of people, especially in the anglophone and international communities, are really against the Canadiens' (well Boivin's) policy of hiring people only if they speak French, so I thought I would try to give a bit of a different perspective, although I too am anglophone and living in Quebec.
I don't completely support this policy... I don't think it's fair that otherwise qualified people are being denied positions based on their language skills. But, just because I don't think it's fair doesn't mean I don't think it's right. Although I feel this way, I can't deny the fact that we are living in Quebec where the majority of the population is francophone. It is often hard for anglophones to get jobs when they don't speak both languages, but then again, the opposite it often true as well.
The thing is, I don't see the problem with hiring a GM based partially on the fact that he is French-speaking, I see a problem with hiring one solely on that fact (which I don't think was the case for Gauthier, since he is experienced and is already a part of the organization).
Think about it, there is a large amount of both English and French media, and it's a huge bonus for the GM to be able to speak both languages. Most fans who watch these press conferences probably also want to or don't mind seeing it in both languages. Personally, I watch both, and would even say I watch more in French than in English in terms of media coverage and the like. To me the language isn't a big deal because I understand both, but for those who don't it proves to be more of a problem.
As long as the person is qualified (and Gauthier gives us no reason to think he is not), I honestly don't care whether the GM speaks English, French, Chinese or Russian. As long as he does a good job, it doesn't matter, right? Maybe. But all things considered, it would simplify the lives of many people if he spoke both languages; the media especially, but a lot of fans as well.
I think that ultimately if it came down to it, they would be able to work out a way for the GM not to be French-speaking, but this would require more work on the part of others in the organization, and I understand them wanting everything to be as simplified at each level as possible.
We may be seeing this as unjust and unfair bias, but imagine if you were French-speaking only. It would be equally unfair to that person if the guy giving the press conferences does not speak a word of French. We are a bilingual city, so although I think Boivin dealt with this in entirely the wrong manner, I understand where he is coming from in wanting to hire someone bilingual.
Personally, I think he just talks too much. I don't think he should have even mentioned the language issue at all, since there was really no need to. He could have just said Pierre Gauthier was the assistant GM and it just made sense to keep him since he had previous GM experience. But no, Boivin had to go on and on... I think a team president should know when to say things and know when to remain tight lipped. By his behaviour in the past few weeks (saying that Laraque was leaving, that Halak would be gone, and now this), I think that he doesn't know when to keep quiet. He needs to stop talking, because if he doesn't, I think the Canadiens will be in big trouble. Maybe he should take a page from Bob Gainey's book... I think he could really learn something. - Blog post
- 12 hours ago
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Agree R DisAgree Agree R DisAgree
- From: DRWH14
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Description:
Ok, so in the East, Washington is clearly ready for the Playoffs with a bakers dozen + 1, they are rolling. New Jersey has been solid all season and pulled off a quiet trade trade for Kovalchck. Buffalo is looking strong and playing as a team i dont see them making any big move acome trade deadline. Pittsburg is just thanging around in the 4 spot if they can keep it, Ottawa is right thee waiting for them to slip up. The next 5 teams in the East are most likely going to fight it put for a spot to race for the Cup. I am superised to see Tampa Bay up in it,i thought a couple others would be up in it for sure, COUGH, Boston and NYRangers.
In the West, San Jose is on the same pace as last year but with a bit more fire power with Heatly. Chicago my still be the team to beat in the Weat, Hossa has help out. Vancouver has got points coming out their @$$ with the Sedins & Burrows. I'm not comvinced Luongo is going to take them to the Cup. Phoenix, LAKings and Colorado are all young and have been playing at the top of their game to be where they are. Calgary has got to be trying get back up into a 4 spot i would think, I like the trade with Toronto. Nashville is looking good and plaing as a team. Detroit should be in the 4-6 spot if not overcome by injuries. We wil see what they can pull together. Dallas, Anaheim, Minnesota and St.Luis anyone of them could lite a fire under their @$$ and cruse up into the 3-8 spot.
I did some math on this, .53% of the teams make the Playoffs. .265% of the teams look like they are ready today for the Playoffs, 5 from the East and 3 frome the West. I would say the other .265% is better figuer out if they want stay where they are. Any team that has chance to make it into the bottom .265% is going give it their all.
- Blog post
- 19 hours ago
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WHO KNEW WHO KNEW
- From: DRWH14
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Description:
I would love to add a blog but have been able to for some reason and have los aabout 4 of them. I was iching to get some feed back.
- Blog post
- 20 hours ago
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Inside the Shark Cage, Vol. 61 Inside the Shark Cage, Vol. 61
- From: SubZero15
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Description:
Quite the Whac-A-Mole game for the Sharks has they pounded the Toronto Maple Leafs back into the the NHL cellar with a 3-2 win. It wasn’t pretty, but the Sharks did enough to withstand the newly energized Leafs.
The game felt like a Western Conference game. It’s always nice to watch the Sharks play Eastern Conference teams since we never see those players. But with the Leafs’ additions of Dion Phaneuf and Jean-Sebastien Giguere, along with Francois Beauchemin, it was like facing the Ducks or Flames.
Astonishingly, Giguere recorded two shutouts in his first two games as a Maple Leaf. After the first period, the streak was still in tact. Toronto led 1-0 at the first break after completely controlling most of the period. Phanuef was throwing his weight around on Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley. The Leafs were skating and made the Sharks look very lethargic.
Jody Shelley tried his best to get some emotions going. He dropped the gloves with Toronto tough guy Colton Orr, and Shelley KO’d him with a right. You don’t see that too often — Orr getting dropped or Shelley KO’ing someone. So you might want to favorite that video on YouTube.
Right after was when Toronto notched their first goal. Rob Blake turned the puck over behind the net, and a cross-crease pass found Tyler Bozak’s stick.
The Leafs continued the pressure briefly in the second before the Sharks whacked their first mole. Dan Boyle shot a wrist shot change-up to beat Giguere. Yep, Boyle’s back.
Two minutes later Joe Pavelski wristed one past Giggy, and yet another mole was whacked to oblivion.
All right, Colton. This is going to be a one-shot KO. Jersey Shore Ronnie style. (From SJSHARKS.com)
Brad Staubitz sought redemption against Garnet Exelby for a knee-to-knee hit earlier in the game. The two danced, and it was a close fight. Both fighters landed some punches, and Staubitz claimed the takedown.
The Leafs would score in the last minute of the second to tie the game back up. Curse those relentless moles for popping up.
Remember last game when I gave you the statistic which read the Sharks are 10-0 in games with multiple fights. Well, make that 11-0. Ryane Clowe buried the puck with seven minutes left to give the good guys the win.
Nab-credible
Once again, Mr. Evgeni Nabokov did his best brick wall impersonation, making key save after key save. You just can’t say enough about how great he’s been this year. We’ll have to wait until April to see if he gives the Sharks the real bang for their buck, but if this season is any indication, the Sharks will be living well come postseason.
Welcome Wallin and Helminen!
Newly acquired Niclas Wallin made his debut in the #7 sweater tonight and played as advertised. He didn’t make any mistakes and finished with a +1 rating in 17:03 of ice time. He also recorded one shot, one blocked shot and one hit.
Dwight Helminen was called up for the first time as a Shark. I didn’t hear his name called much, though. He put in nine minutes of work and struggled in the faceoff circle going 1-4.
Other Notes
Hit-O-Meter: SJ 26 TOR 34; Scott Nichol led with four.
The Sharks visit the reeling Blue Jackets on Wednesday. It’s the front end of a back-to-back — Columbus and Detroit.
From: afanofthegame.wordpress.com
–Ray
- Blog post
- 1 day ago
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Hopeful turn for Wings Hopeful turn for Wings
- From: Luke13
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Description:
As some of the hard core Red Wing fans like me know is that Johan Franzen has been out since October and he was always a big part of the team. He will get to play in the game on 2/10 with hopefully with give the Wings a push to get a streak going. But there is a bad turn to this too. Tomas Holmstrom hurt his foot in practice yesterday and will be out till after the Olympic Break. Tomas is best known for his remarkable ability to screen the goaltender. Overall, this is positive and negative.
- Blog post
- 1 day ago
- Views: 10
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LEAFS VS. SENATORS: FEBRUARY 0 LEAFS VS. SENATORS: FEBRUARY 06, 2010
- From: darthcobain17
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Description:
Well, it’s too bad this blog has to start off this way, but the Leafs got bad news this past weekend when it was announced Brian Burke’s son, Brendan, passed away from injuries sustained in a car accident on Friday night. I can’t imagine the feeling of losing a child and I hope I never have to experience what the Burke family is going through right now. I know there is no such thing as a bright side to an unfortunate circumstance like this one, but the Leafs went out and won a big one for Burkie this past Saturday. And I’m talking big time! This game much mirrored the game against New Jersey last Tuesday, the first game after the Leafs pulled the trigger on those two trades. Although Ottawa appeared to be in the game based on the shots, it was all superficial. The Leafs beat the crap out of the Sens right from the get go and never looked back. The Leafs got off to a really quick start in the first period. Kessel would get the Leafs on the board not long before the 5 minute mark while on the powerplay. Kessel would gain the zone off a Leaf rush and drop the puck for Kaberle at the point. Kaberle slid the puck across the point to Phaneuf who one-timed the puck on net. Elliott made the save but a big rebound came to Kessel on the opposite side of the net. His first shot was blocked but the second try went in for a 1-0 Toronto lead. About four minutes after this goal Orr and Carkner got in what is I think their third fight of the season, if I’m remembering correctly. And what a victory by Orr! He got a couple of good ones in at the start and then just crumpled Carkner with a shot that put him to the ice and got the crowd even more raucous than they had been up to this point! Just past the 16 minute mark Schenn would put the Leafs up by two when he broke in down the right wing and just blasted a slapper past Elliott. He got a piece of it but it snuck in between his pad and his glove. Not even 30 seconds later Bozak would put the Leafs up by three on a bit of a bounce. Schenn made a good play to gain the Ottawa zone and get the puck down low in the right corner to Kessel. Kessel threw the puck through the slot to Bozak on the left side who delayed a bit and then made a nice little pass to Ponikarovsky who was right at the top of the crease. Poky didn’t get his stick on it but the puck hit Campoli’s skate and bounced in. Nice the see the Leafs get a bounce for a change! Ottawa took a lot of penalties and were just outplayed really badly in the first period.
And the second period was even worse! Toronto would raise their game even further believe it or not, but Ottawa would somehow weather the storm and only surrender one goal in the period. The goal came late, from Kessel, and would ultimately be the goal that chased Elliott from the game. And Kessel would do it all himself! After an Ottawa turnover in the neutral zone Kessel grabbed the puck and circled around for a rush. He gained the zone with little trouble and then did his patented cut across the top of the slot move and fired the puck quickly on net. This little trick worked yet again and the Leafs had a commanding 4-0 lead heading in to the third period. Needless to say Giguere had played really well up to this point and was as solid as ever.
Any resistance the Sens would mount in this game came in the third period but was quickly snuffed out by the Leafs. Although a much closer period than the previous two, it was too late for Ottawa at this point and the end result was never in doubt. The Leafs would tack one more goal on to make the final score 5-0. And guess who? Schenner with the first two goal game of his NHL career! And it was pretty much a carbon copy of his first goal. Schenn pounced on a Spezza turnover at the Leafs blueline and was off to the races. He roared down the right side and blasted another slapper on net. This shot was even better than the first one and beat Leclaire high. Leafs win 5-0 in an absolute trouncing of the Ottawa Senators. There’s nobody more fun to beat than Ottawa!
As for the Leafs players, obviously Kessel and Schenn were the two best Leafs on this night. Kessel seems back to his normal self and is getting more room now for some reason. And Schenn, geez. After such a disappointing start to the year in the last couple of months he’s been getting stronger and stronger, and it all culminated in this performance. In addition to playing his normal suffocating physical style of defense he was also in big time on the offense. There were two encouraging things about this. First, he looked really fast on the two goals he scored. Foot speed is one of the weaker areas of his game but obviously he’s been working on it. The other weaker area of his game is his shot, and I know he’s been working on it since he started with the Leafs at the start of last season. And that’s quite a lot of progress he’s made too, because those two shots he scored on were absolute bullets. The other guy who deserves a big mention is Giguere. Again he didn’t have to stand on his head but he needed to be good, and good he was. In his first two games since coming over from the Ducks he’s posted two shutouts (see blog thumbnail). If he does this for the rest of the season the Leafs will make the playoffs way easily! Before you get upset with me and say this is unrealistic to expect of Giguere, calm down, I’m joking. There were many other Leafs that had good games. The Sjostrom line looked really good again and Sjostrom himself played a great game. He is going to be living in Phaneuf’s shadow from that trade, but his contributions so far have been just an important. I really like his game. Stempniak looked good again, as did Bozak. Phaneuf was good, Kaberle was good. Hell, the whole team was good! What I liked about the Leafs’ team game on this night was a few things. First, once again their defensive coverage was really good. And having Giguere as the safety button certainly helps when a good scoring chances does get through. The Leafs forecheck was really good, and also what helped a lot was Toronto’s transition game. They would create a turnover and then bang, the puck was already up ice and on it’s way in to enemy territory. Their special teams as I mentioned in my last blog continue to improve and overall this team looks 100% different than they did a week ago. Granted they did blow a big lead to New Jersey on Friday night, but they played a really good game for 99% of it and hey, shit happens. The Leafs right now are playing big, playing with confidence, and it really seems to be rubbing off on every single player in the lineup. Hopefully that keeps up because the Sharks are in town tonight. Grab your harpoons Leafs, we’re going hunting . . .
Box score: Toronto vs. Ottawa
- Blog post
- 1 day ago
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Is there such thing as peaking Is there such thing as peaking too early.
- From: burgh4life
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Description:
The last couple of games that I have seen the caps play were not executed well. I was shocked to see their lack of forcheck and defense in the opening minutes. The teams that they played were no slacks but they also have not been playing their best hockey of the season. Case in point sundays NBC game of the week. The Penguins came out flying and pinned the caps down to a 4-1 score. The caps came back off of a couple of good goals by captain Ovechkin. These goals were not set plays or anything, they were right time right place, great skill goals. These types of goals dont happen all the time. So with all of this I think there is alot of room for the caps to advance the game, but can a streak like the one their on limit their playoff chances.
Recently in the NHL it has been very tough for teams who streak before march to come into the playoffs hot. The last few seasons the east witnessed Boston, Montreal, and Buffalo come into march as hot as anyone in the league, then they went down without making a cup appearance. All of these teams were great solid teams that knew how to win. They were teams that had great streaks from january to march, then cooled off. It is tough to say how the caps will fair but maybe it is possible to map out what a possible outcome may be.
The thing that Boston, Montreal, and Buffalo all lack is Alex Ovechkin. This guy is a game changer that is one of a kind. The fact that he is on the ice for this team makes peaking to early a small issue. The capitals are able to play through alot of this, yet there are some very good teams that could take advantage of the caps if they slip up ever so slightly. Which is what happened to the forementioned teams. The break will also serve as a great way for the caps to rest and work on their defense. I do feel that the caps will be able to have more success than the past eastern champs, but its tough to say that they will be able to win a cup.
Some of the other teams that are playing great right now are Ottawa and LA. LA is still very young so if they start to slip up it might be very hard for them to continue their consistent play. LA would have to bring in some veteran players if they want to keep that young locker room stable. I dont think the young guns of LA are ready for the big time just yet but they will learn alot this season. Opposite situation in Ottawa. This team is mostly veterans that know how to win, which is great, except when they go to play a younger team that has just as much experience. The young legs might be able to outlast the Ottawa club. I think that Ottawa is going to slow down before april and will be walking into the playoffs instead of kicking down the door and punching everyone in the face.
If you want to tell me how wrong I am let me know, I love the feedback.
- Blog post
- 1 day ago
- Views: 42
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Streakbusters! Streakbusters!
- From: toewszone0809
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Description:
This past weekend was all about ending streaks, whether it be winning or losing. Four teams had their streaks ended this weekend; the Ottawa Senators, the Phoenix Coyotes, and the Boston Bruins. The Sens came in with an 11-game win streak headed into T.O. Saturday, but ehen Phil Kessel and Luke Schenn each scored two goals, and J-S Giguere stopped 30 shots en route to a back-to-back shutouts; the first Leaf netminder to do that feat in his first two starts, ended that string of wins for the Sens as the Leafs won 5-0...Oh, yeah; and they were playing for Brendan Burke, who was tragically killed in a car crash in Indiana Friday night at the age of 21. The Coyotes were running a 6-game win streak headed into the Big D, but whoever said that Marty Turco was a over-the-hill goalie was proven wrong Saturday night. Two goals by Jamie Benn and a 34-save shoutout by Turco gave the stars a 4-0 win and snapped the 'Yotes 6-game string. Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins were in the midst of a 10-game losing streak. Once a playoff contender, the B's dropped from playoff contender to bubble team just like that. But that all came to an end on Super Bowl Sunday when two goals by Marco Sturm and a 36-save shutout by Tuukka Rask ended the Bruins' misery at the expense of their biggest rival, the Montreal Canadiens.
There more to come of this, but it may involve the LA Kings and the Washington Capitals, who may tie the NHL record of longest winning streak of 17 set by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins when they went 17-0-1 to end their regular season, if they beat the Habs, the Sens and the St. Louis Blues this week. So stay tuned...
- Blog post
- 1 day ago
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Coach's Corner Rewind: Februar Coach's Corner Rewind: February 6, 2010
- From: toewszone0809
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Description:
I knew i should have posted this earlier, but I was busy with a Super Bowl Party yesterday. With less than a week left until the start of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, here what you missed on Coach's Corner Saturday Night.
(Video courtesy of YouTube member HockeyHaven76)
- Blog post
- 1 day ago
- Views: 10
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LEAFS @ DEVILS: FEBRUARY 05, 2 LEAFS @ DEVILS: FEBRUARY 05, 2010
- From: darthcobain17
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Description:
Geeez! What a disappointment! After carrying a 3-1 lead in to the third period the Leafs blew this one late to lose 4-3 and not even scrape a point out of it! I was worried at the outset too because New Jersey had just pulled the trigger the day before on the Kovalchuk trade and were most likely riding pretty high. They just couldn’t wait to make the trade until a day later, after they’d played Toronto, could they? Oh well. This was a game with two teams playing pretty entertaining hockey and who were both in the aftermath of pulling off big trades. The in-laws were in town so I didn’t get to watch this game in any consistent form, but what I did notice from what I saw was the momentum kept ping-ponging back and forth between the teams. There was only one goal scored in the first period and that was by Zubrus of the Devils. Off a New Jersey dump in the puck eventually came out in front of the Leafs’ net and it looked as though the play had broken down and was harmless. However, Zubrus dove and from his knees batted the loose puck over the Monster’s shoulder to make it 1-0 Devils. Gustavsson was in the position where he had to make a really quick decision to either make a poke check on some kind of similar play, or just stand tall in net and challenge any potential shooter, but he got caught somewhere in between. A tough play for him but one that will get easier with time and experience I’m sure!
Again the second period was molded in the same fashion as the first. A pretty evenly played period with a lot of back and forth. However, on the scoreboard the Leafs would take a huge advantage as they pumped three pucks past Brodeur in a span of just under 13 minutes. Kaberle would get the Leafs on the board just under four minutes in while the Leafs were on the powerplay. Bozak would gain the New Jersey zone and immediately dish to Kessel at his spot high along the left side boards. Kessel quickly fired a soft pass to Kaberle who was just crossing the blueline himself and his one-timer beat Brodeur through some traffic. Almost 7 minutes later Stempniak would give the Leafs the lead and once again it would be on the powerplay. Off of a failed scoring attempt down low Stempniak would dig the puck out of the left corner and then circle through the zone before whipping a slapper at Brodeur from pretty far out. Marty normally would have had it but Salvador was right in front of him and screened his goalie big time. No qualms here, 2-1 Leafs! Then almost 6 minutes later Wallin would finally score his first goal since signing with the Leafs in the summer and he was quite excited about it (see blog thumbnail)! The goal stemmed from a New Jersey turnover in the neutral zone. The play was carried in to the New Jersey end and it appeared as though the Devils were going to recover the puck but some miscommunication and sloppy play led to a loose puck sitting in the slot that Wallin jumped on. He wired a quick shot past Brodeur to make it 3-1 Leafs and set up what seemed like almost a certain win.
Not so fast. Although the Leafs would look like they were going to close it out, the wheels would fall off late. And by late I mean late! The Leafs played an OK period for the first half but New Jersey got better as the period went on and then started to dominate in the late going. Toronto would make it through the first three quarters of the period but just before the 17 minute mark New Jersey would strike. The Leafs looked like they were in good position when the Devils gained the Leafs zone off the rush. However, McAmmond would somehow get in behind Schenn just enough and when Zharkov fed him the puck he put a nice backhander past Monsy to cut the Leafs’ lead to 3-2. And then it would get ugly. Toronto would make it through the next couple of minutes OK, but about a half minute after the McAmmond goal Ponikarovsky would take an awful hooking penalty which opened up the floodgates. The Leafs would kill off most of the penalty, but the Devils would pull Brodeur not long after the game reached it’s last minute, and with the 6 on 4 advantage it only took 5 seconds before the puck was in the net. The Devils had a kind of triangle set up on the powerplay with Kovalchuk the lone guy at the point. He was working the puck around the zone with McAmmond and Zajac on his wings. Eventually the puck would go to Zajac on the left side and his one-timer beat Gustavsson to tie things up at 3 very late in the game. Not much the Leafs could do here. At this point though the penalty was done of course, and I thought even if the Leafs lost it would be in overtime or a shootout and they’d at least secure themselves the single point. Not so much! With 19 seconds left the ultimate disaster take place. The Devils gained the Leafs zone but it didn’t seem the play was going to result in much. Things had kind of stalled high along the left side boards as the players were mucking around with it along the boards. All of a sudden the puck came free to Langenbrunner who dished to Mottau at the point who was just cruising in over the blueline. His one-timer was stopped by Gustavsson but the rebound went right to Pandolfo at the side of the net who pumped it in for the 4-3 lead. And that was all she wrote. This game was just one of those hard luck losses. Frustrating for sure with such a wasted opportunity, the Leafs just had to concentrate on putting this one behind them and not let it gnaw at them and let it affect their next game.
I can’t comment all that much on individual performances as again I watched the game in a very spotty fashion, but I did notice a few things. First, Wallin has been playing pretty good hockey since he’s been given a lot more ice time and put on a line with Kulemin and Sjostrom. Hopefully this is a monkey off his back. Other than that the guys that I noticed that had strong games were Bozak, Kessel, Kulemin and Stempniak. After being one of the Leafs best forwards for much of the first half Stempniak kind of cooled off a bit. But not for long, he seems to have regained his earlier momentum. Not that he was playing poorly of late, he just wasn’t getting the numbers to go along with his effort. As for the Monster, he didn’t play a great game, but for the most part he was really solid. I think it’s just going to take more experience before he finds his game. Two things I noticed that if he does better will make him a completely different goalie are rebound control and decision making. If he can get better at eating up rebounds like Giguere does he will be almost unstoppable. This guy almost always makes the first save, he rarely gets beat clean on a first opportunity shot, it’s usually a rebound or some sort of bizarre bounce or broken down play that goes awry that tend to get behind him. As far as decision making goes, that too will get better with time and experience. Like the first goal of the game when he could have used the poke check, he just wasn’t sure exactly what to do and couldn’t make the decision fast enough. Once he’s able to make these decisions in a split second he will be all the better for it. In terms of a team standpoint, one huge thing I’ve noticed since the trade is that automatically the Leafs’ special teams have improved overnight. Their powerplay has come back alive and scored 3 goals in the two games up to this point, and they’ve only allowed 1 powerplay goal in that same time span (and it was a 6 on 4 at that!). It’s only been two games, but still it’s and encouraging sign.
Box score: Toronto @ New Jersey
- Blog post
- 1 day ago
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O'Reilly Looked Over and Trade O'Reilly Looked Over and Trade Talk
- From: Ovielanche
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Description:
Over time I've been growing away from caring anymore about Matt Duchene, dispite how much I wanted him at first. I've been waiting to see him blossom into a great two-way player, but I've come to realize he's too selfish to be the best. A lot of people wouldn't agree with me, and that's perfectly fine. But before you start to challenge me, just hear me out.
At the beginning of the year, Matt Duchene played with the likes of Chris Stewart, Marek Svatos, Milan Hejduk, Wojtek Wolski, David Jones, etc. He played with some great scorers, but they never put up points until placed with Ryan O'Reilly on the third line. On October 15th, Ryan O'Reilly scored his first career goal with help from David Jones. The two of them clicked, and were able to score. Afterward, Jones was moved to the top line, and O'Reilly remained on third line with Wojtek Wolski and Chris Stewart as his wingers. We all know how that turned out, the two of them worked so well together that they were placed on the top line. Now what does that have to do with anything, right?
Here's where I'm getting heated, Duchene only just started producing and that's because he finally learned he isn't jesus and he has to pass the puck once in a while. Ryan O'Reilly has never been a selfish player, and is one of the best two-way players in the league. If Duchene wants to be selfish, tell him to sit down because he's third or fourth line. If you want to put up a publicity player, you need to make them play well. Ryan O'Reilly has produced mroe when given people who know how to score, and most recently he was stuck with Cody McLeod and Darcy Tucker. Who can score with a defensive-minded forward like Cody McLeod, and an old piece of crap like Darcy Tucker? Only the best in the league would make that work. The Factor is way too young to do that.
I'm just asking people to open their eyes and take a look at who's been better overall when given the chance. Ryan O'Reilly makes the plays and has made everyone around him better but gets absolutely no credit. It's like the Paul Stastny situation for this year where everyone wants him to be selfish or they won't credit him for how great he's been for our team. The only people getting credit are the people getting the goals, and getting all the publicity. Duchene has gotten a lot of publicity being the third pick overall, but to me he's already a bust with his style of play. Until he learns how to grow and play well with others, he doesn't deserve that second line spot.
Now while I'm here, I might as well talk about some trade rumors. Many of the Avalanche fans around here should know Adrian Dater pretty well. He's a great writer for the Denver Post, and has told us about one trade rumor from up in Edmonton: Kevin Shattenkirk and a 2nd rounder from the Avs for Kris Versteeg. Now I'm not against getting a top winger, but need I remind you of the Robyn Regehr trade? A former first-round defenseman who can make a big impact in the game and a second rounder in a draft that's this deep, Versteeg just isn't worth that. But I do have a few ideas of my own. Some trades I've thought up include trading Marek Svatos for Peter Mueller of the Coyotes, or possibly John-Michael Liles and a third round pick for Kris Letang of the Penguins. Overall the top priority for me is getting a booming slapshot on our powerplay other than the duo of Cumiskey and Quincey, and getting us a nice bit of offense as well. So my thoughts are trading with the Vancouver Canucks or St. Louis Blues for a winger, and the Montreal Canadiens for a slapper.
How much sense does that make to you? Not much, huh? Well Adrian Dater has been all over the reason to get Sheldon Souray, a 34-year old defenseman of the Edmonton Oilers, and has overpassed a few others to target. The Canadiens have once hell of a gun on Marc-Andre Bergeron, who they'll likely resign this offseason, so why not try going for him? There's a nice chance they could take Marek Svatos if we add in a late-round pick. Then considering the fact that there's rumors Ryan Kesler could leave Vancouver for the right price, or Keith Tkachuk leaving the Blues, let's get the Liles rumors out. He's a great player, and I'd deeply miss him, but he's got some problems, isn't doing well with Sacco, and needs to get a change of scenery to possibly get a little boost. It happened for Benoit Pouliot and Guillaume Latendresse for the Habs and Wild, and it's happening for JS Giguere in Toronto. So why not try a trade for him to go to a good place to get him ice time like Vancouver or St. Louis. Now these trade ideas is where I'd like your thoughts the most, so give them up.
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LA Kings: Let's Go Streaking! LA Kings: Let's Go Streaking!
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With a winning streak of 9 games in a row, there's plenty to celebrate in LA Kings nation. Together with special guest Alex Kinkopf of 'Dancing in the Reign,' we cover the Saturday game against Detroit, discuss missing pieces and present a brand new Fan of the Game. Our question to you, Where does Jonathan Quick rank amongst all time Kings goaltenders?
Visit us online at www.kingscast.net and join the discussion!
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