Pot, Meet Kettle

Your overlord hasn't yet introduced me yet but I am a new addition to this merry cast of characters and will be taking care of your Ottawa Senators coverage. You can find my usual spews and thoughts about the team over at Scarlett Ice.

So with the Ducks finishing off the Canucks last night in the second OT period, it looks like the Senators might need to get a bigger bandwagon as they are the last thread of hope for the cup returning to its home country since, oh...14 years ago. But you know, no pressure or anything.

The Senators can eliminate the Devils with a win tomorrow and advance to the conference finals. Then, they twiddle their thumbs and wait for the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers to beat up on each other to await their opponent. Still, it's important to take it one game at a time. Ain't over until the fat lady sings but maybe that's just me being nervous for no good reason. Yesterday, Martin Brodeur attempted to deflect attention away from the fact that he's let in a string of questionable goals by saying his counterpart down the ice Ray Emery, "wasn't very good":

"I think we finally proved to ourselves if we shoot the puck on Emery, he won't look too good," said Brodeur, after he himself had a shaky night in the Senators' 3-2 win to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

"He was bobbling a lot of pucks and we could have got a lot more than we did. He played a good game, but I think we exposed him a little with his rebound control."

I think everybody was licking their chops at the salacious bitchiness of it all. I have to admit, when I first heard it I was all "Oh, no you di'nt!", myself. The general consensus I've been hearing is that most people think that Brodeur is just grasping at straws to 1) Deflect attention away from the fact that he hasn't been all that strong himself and 2) to rile his team up and get them fired up.

Now I don't have a problem with any of those things and if anybody can get away with saying stuff like that it's Marty Brodeur. I'm also not too concerned about Emery's play at all. He's never outplayed Brodeur in this series, but he's never had to. What Emery's been doing now works and on a team that clicks, everybody has a specific role to play and it's about accepting your job. Emery hasn't had to make particularly hard saves but it isn't necessarily about how difficult the save is, it's about the timing of the save. A lot of the goals Brodeur has let in, especially in the last game, were very deflating to the team and sapped the momentum from the Devils. Emery, on the other hand stood tall in the last minute of play when the Devils were desperately trying to tie it.

Watching these games, I have been at times been concerned with Emery's play though, I will admit. There are times at the start of games where he's looked shaky handling the puck. The biggest thing that people are harping on is his rebound control. However, none of them has lead to goals which can be attributed to the fact that there simply aren't enough Devils who are crashing the net. But also to the fact that Emery tends to kick his rebounds out to his defensemen so they can clear the zone. Whether or not this happens by accident or just part of his game plan, I don't know but if it works, it works.

Knowing Emery, this will just fire him up to play better. I've noticed from round 1 that Emery gets better with each game and he's shown that in this series as well. Emery's the fiercest competitor out there as evidenced when the Senators decided to sign Martin Gerber at the start of the season. He responded by improving his play and became the go-to guy for the Senators squad and they play with much more confidence in front of him.

All this being said, GO SENS GO!

The politics of Goose and Max

There is a lot of discussion going on about the possibility of Drew Stafford being sat to make room for the return of Paul Gaustad. Also, there is still the ongoing chatter about the Max Afinigenov benching.

We'll talk Max first. This was a bit of a strange move by Ruff in my estimation. He does have a history of doing things like this with rookies, just ask Thomas Vanek. I believe that in trying to send a message to Max Ruff might have done damage in the room. This has been a close nit team and most matters have been handled in-house. I think that many of the players took umbrage with the calling out of Max in the press in the first place and then the scratch. In Ruff''s defense the media in Buffalo has been waiting to pounce on a Max-failing-to-show-up-for-the-playoffs-story and pounce they did. I think he handled it poorly. Max hasn't played well, but he was hardly the worse player. I would argue that Briere has been even worse. I think the players have moved past it and have rallied around Max. In fact, Thomas Vanek was quoted yesterday on WGR Sports Radio 550 as saying it was his and Derek Roy's responsibility to help Max out of his slump. This is a good sign for Ruff in my opinion. It seems that the players, instead of making it a public controversy, have given Ruff an out for his poor decision.

Then there is Gaustad. I think he is a tough player for people outside of Buffalo to wrap their hands around. He is an immensely respected and popular player in the Buffalo room and the public. He is also Ryan Miller's best friend on the team. The closest player I can equate him to is Joel Otto as he does a lot of the same gritty things Otto was famous for. I firmly believe he will be the next captain of this team after Drury and Briere. Ruff is in a tough spot here. If Gaustad can play and he sits him in favor of a rookie, even one as talented as Stafford, he sends a bad message to the team. Ruff is pretty cognizant of leadership issues and the politics of messing with that leadership. Basically an 80% Gaustad might be more valuable to the Sabres than a 100% Stafford.

The guy forgotten in all of this is Stafford. The kid has done and said all the right things. He is quoted today in the Buffalo News as saying he is prepared to step aside to make room for Gaustad. The kid shows maturity beyond his years, he really gets it. The best thing about this is Stafford is making it easy for Ruff to find a way out of this situation.

This is a good sign for Buffalo. I think the problem has been resolved, at least temporarily, and I expect to see more jump and focus. They have let Ruff off the hook and decided to move on. Gaustad alone should help increase the energy level. My expectation is that you will see a highly motivated and physical Sabres team tonight and that should lead to a comfortable victory.

BBR blog gets two new custodians!

Actually, two new contributors!

I'm happy to announce that Bethany and Power-Ranger are now contributor's to this surprisinly growing blog of mine, I'm looking forward to reading what they have to say and I hope you do too, as they're both very knowledgeable hockey men--ahh--women/men :D

Bethany will be BBR's first all-around NHL writer, while Power-Ranger (you guessed it) will write about that team whose GM's name is Glen Sather...(no, not the Oilers! The Rangers!)

Profiles and short descriptions should be up soon on the nav-bar.

And we may be close to acquiring a highly-talented HLOGer as well (to keep Bethany company)

You can check out Bethany's blog here and HLOG here.

Rangers pursue their Quest

Tomorrow, the Rangers will face the Buffalo Sabres in the 5th playoff game of their series. After tying the series up at 2 games-a-piece after a controversial play, the Rangers are looking to grasp some kind momentum going into the HSBC Center.

Some Rangers have shown up in this series whereas some others do not even seem to be present on the ice surface. Among the first group, are captain Jaromir Jagr, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and pest-in-chief Sean Avery. Each helping the Rangers in their own way, Jagr with the goals, Lundqvist with the saves and Avery with "pi**ing off the oppostion", have, all combined, given the Rangers a chance at a task, a dream that was out of proportion a mere week ago.

Even though having lost their last game in Buffalo, the Rangers kept the Sabres' explosive offense to a slim 3 goals, but failed to tie the game in the final minutes, thus losing the game 3-2.
But something happened after that loss, something stronger than that very Sabres' offense, that sparked the Rangers' and their defense. The result to that "something" was the fact that the Rangers would only allow 2 goals to the Sabres in their next 2 games.

Hopefully, that streak will continue and the Rangers will be able to net (at least!) one on Ryan Miller tomorrow in Buffalo.

Go Rangers Go

Afinigenov and Gaustad Expected to Play

The Sabres appear to be finishing the dance in round 2 with the guys that brought them there. Max Afinigenov will return after his surprising benching in game four. He is expected to replace Drew Stafford on the line with Roy and Vanek. It is a bit unfortunate for Stafford who has played a fair game, but it appears Lindy Ruff is going to go with his veterans in the face of the recent adversity.

Paul Gaustad is expected to replace Dan Paille in the lineup as well. This will be his first action since having an ankle tendon sliced in a freak play late in the season just nefore the trade deadline. Expect to see Gaustad significantly help the penalty kill and take many important faceoffs.

"The List" of those awards finalists...

Just in case you haven't seen this concretely anywhere, here are the full award finalists.

CALDER MEMORIAL TROPHY (outstanding rookie):
Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins; Jordan Staal, Pittsburgh Penguins; Paul Stastny, Colorado Avalanche.

FRANK J. SELKE TROPHY (outstanding defensive forward):
Rod Brind'Amour, Carolina Hurricanes; Samuel Pahlsson, Anaheim Ducks; Jay Pandolfo, New Jersey Devils.

HART MEMORIAL TROPHY (most valuable player to his team):
Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils; Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins; Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks.

JACK ADAMS AWARD (outstanding coach):
Lindy Ruff, Buffalo Sabres; Michel Therrien, Pittsburgh Penguins; Alain Vigneault, Vancouver Canucks.

JAMES NORRIS MEMORIAL TROPHY (outstanding defenseman):
Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings; Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim Ducks; Chris Pronger, Anaheim Ducks.

LADY BYNG MEMORIAL TROPHY (sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct):
Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings; Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche; Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning.

LESTER B. PEARSON AWARD (most outstanding player as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA):
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins; Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning; Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks.

VEZINA TROPHY (outstanding goaltender):
Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils; Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames; Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers; Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks.

I'll have more on who I think will win tomorrow, right now, HOOCCCCKEEEYYY!!!

Benching Max the Wrong Move

Lindy Ruff has made few mistakes in recent years. Unfortunately, I think he made a big one in benching Max Afinigenov for game 4. In my opinion it showed a huge sign of disrespect for a veteran who, while obviously playing poorly, is a big part of this team. I cannot help but feel that he has damaged the locker room with this slight of Max.

Hopefully he rectifies this situation in game 5. My guess is that he pulls both Paille and Drew Stafford out and relaces them with Paul Gaustad and Max. It is time to dance with the girls that got them there.

APB..Danny Briere...Missing!!! APB

Missing:

White Male, 5'9, 185lbs. Last seen wearing White Sabres jersey with large 'C' on chest. Normally shows great hustle and grit, rarely fails to bury scoring chances. He has not been seen in 1 week.

Seriously, Danny Briere is hardly the only Sabres forward playing poorly. But he and co-captain Chris Drury are failing the team right now.What is most upsetting is that the effort is simply not there. I have no explanation for this lapse in effort, but it seems that it is becoming an epidemic.

Anyway, if anyone has seen Danny please tell him to come home, the playoffs have started and he is late.

Ever thought about this...Sean Avery and Chris Neil?

Oh, and sorry for my lack of posting recently, I've been busy.

I was thinking about this last night, as a matter of fact, wouldn't it be interesting if Chris Neil faced off against Sean Avery?

Actually, no, have you realized the similarity between these players.

Their styles of play are both the same, if not nearly identical.
They both can score, although Avery had 20 more points than Neil this season (and most of those came after he was dealt to the Rangers) and are probably the most annoying players any team can face?

Yes, but you'll counter that Avery's more popular.

True, Avery is the more popular one, but consider these career stats.
Avery and Neil had virtually the same number of penalty minutes, and are up there in certain career stats, heck, Neil is +41 and Avery +6!

Sean Avery (NYR) : 322 GP, 50 G, 80 A, 184 P, +6, 913 PIM, 8 GWG, 20 PPG, .077 %
Chris Neil (OTT): 383 GP, 52 G, 52 A, 104 P, +41, 953 PIM, 4 GWG, 12 PPG, .113 %

At a glance, you can see that Avery is the superior offensive player, even if Neil has more career goals.
Avery's the better playmaker, as 30 of his 48 points were assists, 18 of them goals.

Neil and Avery alike, can play on the powerplay and are efficient in making Ryan Smyth like plays by bothering goalies.
Neil actually has nearly 200 less shots than Avery in his career, and he's played 61 more games!
That tells you something else: Avery's been on a scoring line his entire career, especially with the Kings.
Neil's essentially been a 3rd-4th line winger with a surplus of ice-time in the past few seasons, more than a checking player usually gets.

What else does that stat tell you?

The .113% versus Avery's .077% also indicates that Neil has the better shooting percentage, and that he could potentially have done more damage had he shot more than he does now.
But he can't shoot more if he's not a top 6 forward.

Neil and Avery are both players you want on your team, they may have, according to some ignorant fans, cheap-shotted your favourite players or called your goalie names, but that's what you need in the new NHL: an enforcer than can be a top-6 forward with more than just limited physical ability.
Scoring ability counts in the new NHL, and that's why players like Aaron Downey are becoming a rare commodity that teams don't need to bother with.

Oh, and we must not forget their fights so far this year.

Avery has fought 4 times, and has been declared winner 3 of the 4 (he took a nice little beating courtesy of Ian Laperierre and all this courtesy of hockeyfights.com); Neil has been involved in a more controversial situation this year, it came against the Buffalo Sabres when he upped Chris Drury, who had his head turned away at full speed.

Drury, the Sabres' captain, was laying on the ice with blood dripping from his face.
Stafford dropped the gloves and went at it with Neil and there was a whole "Slap-Shot" like scum, with the crop of the fight arriving once Martin Biron and Ray Emery exchanged a few punches.

Neil fought twice against the Canadiens this season, one that you can't really call a fight in which Neil and then-Hab Aaron Downey dropped the gloves and just circled at centre ice, this was early in the year.

Mike Komisarek got into a little scum with Neil as well, but the refs didn't really let them go...too bad, Komi would've kicked some Senators butt!

Oh, but, it may be to Neil's account here that this is unfair, but Avery wins this one for me, even if he wasn't drafted, because he was able to draft certain Elisha Cuthbert into his life.

The Rangers trail the Sabres 2-1, and I have yet to see how Avery will punish the Sabres like he promised, the Sens shut out the Devils yesterday to take a 2-1 lead in their series against New Jersey.

Even if they do meet later on, highly doubtful though (sorry Rangers fans), Neil would never play against Sean Avery, unless Avery wants to give TSN SportsCentre a new topic for their "Top 10" feature.

And to finish this off:

Chris Neil/Sens vs. Drew Stafford/Sabres


Sean Avery vs. Darcy Tucker

Tonight's Sabres-Rangers game should be interesting, as Lindy Ruff (who went overboard at the end of Game 2) promised it will be dirty.

Hope the 'Nucks win, so I can take a lead in my local hockey pool (no, not the blogger one )

7 Years...

7 Years!

7 Years is a long time.

I was 15 years old when I had my second International Tournament (Soccer) in Denmark.
We went by bus (plane was too expensive), it was a 15 hour drive from Holland, where I live, to Denmark.

So what do you do?

You watch movies!
The bus driver decided to show “7 years in Tibet”.
For the people who don’t know the movie: “Brad Pitt goes to Tibet for 7 Years!”.

I’ll be honest with you, I don’t remember much about the movie, but I do remember one thing; it was a loooooong movie.
Sitting in the bus I had the feeling that I just saw a movie that lasted 7 years. T

The point I am trying to make - Pavel Datsyuk just signed a 7-year deal worth $46.9-million, that pretty much guarantees he will finish his NHL career with the Red Wings.

According to Datsyuk, he signed with the Wings rather than explore unrestricted free agency because, "it's a good hockey town, good tradition (and a) good organization. They help me a lot. I'm very appreciative to play in Detroit."
It’s the biggest an longest contract the Detroit Red Wings organization ever gave to a player in their history.
I don’t think I have to explain that Detroit had some great, great players over the past 15 years.
Still, they have never given such huge contract to a player (not even the “Captain”).

So I asked myself the question: Why him?

Pavel Datyuk (Павел Дацюк, Pavel Dacjuk)!
Born on July 20th, 1978 in Sverdlovsk, USSR (now Yekaterinburg, Russia). Datsyuk grew up in Yekaterinburg and was never considered an elite player because of his size.
He was 5 ft 8 in (173 m), 145 lb (66 kg) at the time.
He stayed with local teams throughout his youth, and was passed over in the 1996 and 1997 NHL Entry Drafts. He was finally picked in 1998 NHL Entry Draft, in the sixth round as 171st overall, by the Detroit Red Wings.
He was the Wings' 8th choice in that draft and while they liked his skills, they were not certain he would ever grow enough and become strong enough to play in the NHL.
As it turns out, he did grow and gain the necessary strength and the Wings decided to bring him to North America.

He arrived in Detroit for the 2001-2002 NHL season.

Datsyuk can amaze people with his 1on1 moves and his ability to make goalies look silly.
He now has back to back 87 points seasons but hasn’t produced in the playoffs. A lot of people were not “high” on Pavel because of his playoff history.

A case can be made here:

Datsyuk only has 3 goals in 42 playoff games, that’s not what you are looking for if you are Detroit.
You don’t have to be an expert to notice that, that isn’t much.
The Red Wings are taking a big gamble with this seven year deal.
However, the Red Wings organization didn’t see it like that, ‘specially Steve Yzerman.

Yzerman (Dutch for Iron Man - ironic isn’t it) was the biggest reason that Detroit signed Datsyuk to a seven year deal. Ilitch said Yzerman repeatedly said “we’ve got to sign him, we’ve got to sign him.”
“Steve has taken a special interest in Pavel,” Ilitch said, “and that made me feel good.” Yzerman, who played with Datsyuk for four seasons, explained why he felt it was important to secure Datsyuk.

He said: “if he leaves this summer, we’re going to try and replace him, we’re going to have to go out on the market and we’re probably going to spend more on a player that we don’t like as much as Pave.

With these UFA agents coming at younger age, you really have to be certain and really know your player and if you believe in him, tie him up! We believe in Pavel.” It’s great to hear that Steve believes in Pavel but before I see him do something in the postseason, I don’t!

Things have changed in Hockeytown. Yzerman and Shanahan aren’t here anymore. Now the kids have to take over. Well, they’re not kids anymore, are they! Datsyuk 28, Henrik Zetterberg 26 and Nicklas Kronwall 26 are the future of the organization. Kronwall signed a five year deal (worth 15 million) and Zetterberg is UFA after 2 seasons and will ask for the same kind of money as Datsyuk. This season Datsyuk stepped up after Zetterberg went down with a back injury late in the season, leading the Red Wings offensively AND defensively. He showed everyone after a slow start of the season (Zetterberg also had a slow start) that he can be a #1 center for the Red Wings.
He needs to be a #1 center for the kind of money he is going to get!
Red Wings fans are spoiled fans. We are used to watching Sergei Federov flying all over the ice. Sergei is the benchmark for Pavel and maybe that’s not fair.

The good news is that Detroit has a #1 center for the next seven years. Did I say that he had signed for seven years? Yeah, I believe I did! He showed that he can be the ‘go to’ guy during the regular season. Now he has to prove it during the playoffs (of course he needs some help other than Zetterberg!).

Do I believe in the little guy?
Yes I do!
And hopefully Wings fans are going believe too. Very soon!


Alex Meulenbroeks

Rangers Earn First Win, Sabres Flat Again!

I'll make this short and sweet. The Rangers have been the better team for two straight games. The Sabres better get it cranked up soon or things could really go astray. The Rangers are outhustling the Sabres consistently and the Sabres best line of Pominville-Briere Hecht has been MIA.

After three games Kudos to Tom Renney for keeping the Ranger's focused and raspberries for Lindy Ruff for allowing this team to play flat.

A big cheer for Henrik Lundqvist and Ryan Miller who have been superb. A standing ovation for Henrik Tallinder and Jaromir Jagr who have been putting on an epic battle every shift.

The Sabres will still win this series in 5 or 6 unless things really fall apart, they are just to good, but colored me worried especially if Ottawa comes to town.

News and Notes:
Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford have often been dominate when on the ice together. Stafford has replaced Max Afinogenov who has really struggled in the series. Jochen Hecht has played well but has shown no touch around the net. Jason Pominville still apears very tight. The entrie Sabres defense Corps has played extremely well.

Tim Connolly has played well, but his lack of strength is evident. It is obvious he is way behind everyone else on the ice due to his extended concussion symptoms.

Paul Gaustad should be about ready to play. I have a hunch he will suite up for Game 4.

When Posting Goes Overboard.....

As many of you know I post commonly on the Hockey's Future boards. I think they are great place to debate and learn about the game. Unfortunately they are also a place where emotion often runs wild. Another unfortunate side effect is that you can see the unhappy side effect of people who lose sight of the fact that the NHL is a big game and not life and death. The post below was posted by Balej20, a user on the Rangers board within HFboards. He appears to have progressed beyond rationality and into a George Bush-like denial and conspiracy mindset. What I am saying is this. While the calls were inconsistent and I WOULD have counted the Rachunek goal. Anyone, ANYONE, who believes the NHL gives a rats ass if the Sabres win the cup is dangerously delusional. Please read and judge for yourself.

Originally Posted by Balej20 on www.HFboards.com
"I'm sorry, but this has to be said. I don't care who I offend or whatever, but it's an issue that must be addressed. There is, without a doubt, something going on when it comes to this Sabres team and the league. There is obviously a fix/conspiracy or whatever you want to call it. When all these "breaks" were going the Sabres way in the Islanders series, I kinda shrugged it off, until about game 3. Then it started becoming apparent what the league has in store for this Sabre team. Now I have to watch Power Play after Power Play go the Sabres way until they tie it up. I have to watch an obvious No-Goal for the Sabres in game one, where the guy BATS the puck into the net with his hand, and that counts. But when Rachunek is being hooked, pushed and trying to stop, that goal doesn't count. Jagr has to endure slash after slash, after hook after hold, without any calls. But Godforbid he raises his stick, it's a penalty. I just can't take this anymore.They desperately want this "New NHL" style team to win. This is the league's baby, the way this team plays is exactly what the NHL wants to be identified by. So what better way for the fans to buy into it, then to have this team "be" succesful. I'm tired of being cheated as a fan watching this travesty. I'm not sitting here crying, or complaining, I'm sitting here because I know I am being cheated. And I KNOW deep down, all of you feel the sameway. If something doesn't change quick, I will no longer watch the NHL and I would hope other fans follow, because we are all being taken for a ride."

All I can say to Balej20 is sorry. Go on vacation, take up knitting. Hockey is bad for you. If you read this and identify with it. Time to see the psychiatrist. I come from the land of "no goal", "phantom goal", "wide right" and Buffalo politics. A conspiracy is Enron, the War in Iraq, things like that. Time to focus that type of energy on real problems Budej20. Get well soon.

Breaking news! Evil woman evil no more! The story on why she loves the Habs! EXTRA! EXTRA!

This just changed my life, an enemy from the other battlecamp changed grounds this morning and has united in mortal kombat to defeat the enemies of the Northeast and beyond with the sacred and beloved Montreal Canadiens.

Got ya, didn't I?

But really, she was *oh no!* forced *oh no!* to write this because she lost by a measly 10 points to Matt in the hockey blogger playoff pool.

[...]"Matthew is evil".

Rule number one:
Leafs fans= evil evil evil evil evil evil evil evil evil evil evil evil evil evil evil
Sens fans= evil evil
Habs fans= want to take you out to dinner


Dear Habs,
So...how's it going on the other side of the border, eh? I guess you're pretty cool. I mean "Habbies" even sounds pretty cute.

No woman! We're Habs, as in "Habitants", as in les Canadiens!
Pfft, not Habbies, do you think we're running a teddy bear joint for girls under 4 years old here or something?

Like a cat.
Only if its fur is bleeding bleu, blanc et rouge!

Well, my friend told me the story of how her Aunt's cat was very fidgety and liked to kick things and she was nicknamed "Kung-fu Kitty" and the first connection I made in my head was "Saku Koivu sounds like a Kung-Fu move", ergo....I am going to name my cat Saku Koivu.

Slow down there woman!
Koivu, SAKU KOIVU, a kung-fu fighter? At least make him a kick boxer, cause he's a Finn, c'mon, he's no Jet Li!
And besides, a puny house cat is a weak creature. I see you like cats, how about a big cat?
Why don't you name your new pet lion I'm sending in the mail Saku Koivu?
Or is that too tame?
Ah! I know, my piranha headed, tiger feeted monster would be perfect!
Please inform me as I'm going to package it and send it to you soon!

8. Sheldon Souray's tendency to break his stick was the inspiration for my first ever HNIC drinking game.

The stick breaking was all-planned, you didn't hear?
No! Some evil master minded Sens fans infiltrated Souray's entire stick collection constantly last year so the Habs couldn't win, because some greedy Sens fan (apparently, how interesting, she's a woman!) would rather watch Souray's allegedly awesome body move around from the ice-level and turn towards where his stick broke just so she can get a glimpse of...sigh.
And apparently, she would sit in the same spot game in and game out not caring what the game was all about, just to obssesively observe the one man she desired.
She counted how many times his sticks broke and had a drink for each one at the local bar.

10. [...]You're also one of the few teams that still have to pay a land tax for your arena. Sorry about that.

Ah yes, but in return for the land tax, we actually get a good crowd, probably the best in all of hockey, maybe in all of sports.
And whatyou looking at? Don't you think those Scotiabankers would like it better if the seats were filled 100 straight games, and not just for the playoffs?
The million fan question: would you pay a land tax to get all the Sens fans to come every single game?

2. You're not the Leafs.
Good thinking! I wonder who is dumb enough to mix up a crappy, whiny, baby, Bobcolie blue and white team with a...*dives to his feet* honourable, hard-working, fighting, ActuallyHaveMoreThanOneStanleyCupInlast40years-ing team?

But really, this all is a joke!
Sherry, you did a good job, I just hope for your sake CapsChick doesn't read this (already emailing it to her! :D )and you won't have to redo it!

I'm not that bad of a blogger...mouuuhhouhahaa, am I?

Good morning.

Wild's Future Promising

Over the last past few days, a couple of Minnesota's youngsters have been named to their respective country's "World Championships" roster. Those two youngsters being american forward Adam Hall and canadian defenseman Nick Schultz.

Schultz was drafted in 2000 by the Wild, 33rd overall, and has been with the young franchise ever since. The 24-year old is scheduled to become an unrestricted free-agent this summer and is expected to be re-signed by the Wild.

To the opposite of Schultz, Hall has been a Minnesota Wild since this year's trade deadline, the day he was acquired from the New York Rangers for forward Pascal Dupuis. Hall is also expected to become an unrestricted free-agent this summer, but has an uncertain future with Minnesota.

Both young skaters are talented and promising: Schultz, a steady defenseman with vast offensive potential, (even though he needs to adjust his skills to the Wild's restricted defensive system) and Hall, a confident forward who loves using his size and strength in the offensive zone.

Kasparaitis? Could be something you picked up in the urinal at the Garden...

You know, this can be perceived as funny or as insulting.
I still don't know where I stand...

10. Saku Koivu
Pronounced: Sack-Ooo Koy-VuuC'mon, Mr. and Mrs. Koivu. That's just not fair, especially since he's going to be playing in Canada, where people end every word with an up-lilt anyway.

9. Jarkko Ruutu
Pronounced: Yar-Ko Roo-TooFun Fact: All of the world's unused vowels eventually find their way to Finland, where they are recycled into names.

8. Guillaume Latendresse
Pronounced: Gee-Ulm La-Ten-DressYou know you have trouble when you play in the heart of Quebec and your name still makes the announcers tongue-tied.

7. Petteri Nokelainen
Pronounced: Pet-Ter-Ee Noke-El-Eye-Nen
Could be a forward for the New York Islanders, could be an artificial additive in that ice cream you're eating. Who knows? And that's why it's fun.

6. Ramzi Abid
Pronounced: Ram-Zee Ah-Beed
His name may not be the funniest on the list, but his nickname is awesome. Before each team flight, his teammates and security personnel call him "Random Search."

5. Jordin Tootoo
Pronounced: Jor-den Too-Too
If he had been a ballet dancer, this would have been doubly hilarious. But J.T. seems to be in on the joke—he wears number 22 (get it?)

4. Jonathan Cheechoo
Pronounced: Jon-a-Thon Chee-Choo
Just edging out close name rival Tootoo, Jonathan gets the extra vote because if you say his last name several times really fast, it sounds like a train.

3. Darius Kasparaitis
Pronounced: Dar-Ee-Us Kas-Per-Eye-Tus
Could be a defenseman for the New York Rangers, could be something you picked up in the urinal at the Garden. Who knows? And that's why it's fun.

2. Yutaka Fukufuji
Pronounced: You-Tak-A Fook-U-Foo-Jee
The first Japanese player to ever play an NHL game, Yutaka's surname dates back to the time his great-great-grandfather told off his arrogant neighbor, Mr. Fuji.

1. Miroslav Satan
Pronounced: Meer-O-Slav Shah-Tan
It doesn't matter how it's pronounced, if this guy gets traded to New Jersey, it's one of the signs of the Apocalypse.

To the dismay of many Quebecers...Shane Doan named captain of Team Canada at WHC...

Shane Doan has been named captain of Team Canada at the upcoming WC in Moscou.

This is a very controversial decision in the eyes of some Quebec hockey fans.

While scanning some message boards this morning, I realized there were many hatrid posts against Doan for his being named captain of Team Canada.

"He's a racist" "He insulted us!"

I understand, as I live amongst Quebecers, that they probably weren't happy to hear Doan insult French-Canadians in a game last season.

But really, some of these people should get on with their lives, a lot of crap is shot in a hockey game.
And trust me, I've been there enough to know what can be said on the ice.

A guy who needs to get on with his life and just forget about this, is Liberal member Denis Coderre (who happens to be a Quebecer)who's taken this a little too far, to put it politely, when he said on CKAC radio and as reported from RDS, that he plans to pursue this decision by bringing it to Canadian PM, Stephen Harper's office.

Monsieur Coderre, again, I understand your disapproval of this situation, but really, is it really worth going through all this just to get a guy off a hockey team?
He's Canadian, so are you, and despite his alledged slur fest last year, he has every right to be in there.

You know why, Mister Coderre, why this has been blown out of proportion? (and I better watch the way I explain myself here, not to offend anyone).

And I'm saying this respectfully to all my fellow French-Canadians, but the only reason this situation got as far as it has, is because it was a French-Canadian that was insulted.

Before you think to insult me, or if you're Denis Coderre, take this matter to Mr. Harper as well, please consider what I have to say.

If the referee Doan nsulted on the ice would have been an American, like "F$#%@!*9^ American", it would be no big deal, we would have never even heard about it.
I just don't get why every single time there's a racial insult on the ice towards a French-Canadian player (see Georges Laraque again)it's such a big deal!

Words are spoken, crap is said, and enough of this should be said.

Get on with your life Mr. Coderre, Shane Doan didn't kill your wife and kids.

And again, Doan was probably carried away when he said that by the emotion of the moment, maybe some French-Canadian born player insulted Doan on the bench, and he felt compelled to return that.
And besides, it was the ol' famous French media that reported this originally, and, that's all you need to know on how this have been COMPLETELY blow out of proportion.

Glad I got that out!

...OK! I know I should end my post right here, but Stephen Harper won't do anything about this. Have fun wasting your time Mr. Coderre!

Incredible...but not unexpected, so long Perezhogin!

Originally reported in a Russian newspaper "Sport Express", it appears that Canadiens forward Alexander Perezhogin has signed a contract with Avangard Omsk of the Russian Super League.

(Read the translated copy, again, thanks to Google here.)

Perezhogin, 23, was considered a bright light for Montreal in the years to come.
And the only reason this was unexpected, is because he probably would get a bigger role in Russia than stay in Montreal and play on the 4th line.

His developpement, has been alarmingly slow, and he's only put up 34 points in 128 career games.
Perezhogin is a quick, although not explosive, forward with a good shot when he uses it who lacks the ability to turn his game up when it is needed most and play consistent defence.
Just because he was +11, doesn't mean he was good in his own end.

He often took stupid hooking penalties in the offensive zone, and was just plain average in the defensive zone.

The only he was +11 is because of linemates Radek Bonk and Mike Johnson, who played spectacular defence while Perezhogin would only watch.
That line may not even be back in Bob Gainey's payroll next year.

Bonk and Johnson are both UFA's, and their status right now is pointing vividly to "unkown".

Perezhogin is well-loved by most Canadiens fans, but never really was a huge factor when it came to games, and especially ice-time.
A top-6 forward in Russia, Perezhogin was at best a 3rd-4th line player in Montreal.

He missed the final 20 or so games of the regular season with a head/neck injury.

Whatever, goodbye Alex.

Here we go again...Kovalev talk resurfaces...

This is seriously pissing me off, excuse me, but I've had enough of all these bogus journalists bringing Alex Kovalev oriented interviews from Russia into the general media.

At the end of the season, I had a discussion with GM Bob Gainey, Kovalev explained to Pavel Alexandrovich Lysenkov, the author of Kovalev's official biography. I told (Gainey) that I didn't want to be back on the team if I'm treated the same way as I was (this past) season.

Journalists can accuse me of anything they want, I'm not going to give that any importance, Kovalev said. But when your team doesn't support you, when it gives you a secondary role that won't let me play, and all without explanation... that's hard (to digest).

And I wonder why we have trouble getting actual talent here.

I'm not denying Kovalev said this, but I honestly believe that it's another paltry attempt by the Montreal media to stir something up that would get fans and bloggers like me talking about it and move free-agents further away from potentially signing with the Canadiens.

He probably did say this to a Russian interviewer, and good for him, do you think any player of his calibre (although underachieving for his money) and salary is worth being on the 4th line?
I think not, and I will not get into it, but Guy Carbonneau's so sure of himself that he decides to bench Kovalev in the most important game of the season (against Toronto), and again, I will not get into it as I've already done so in previous Kovalev-oriented posts.

Kovalev deserves better treatment than he gets, even if he's not living up to the money he's putting in his wallet.
He may not have the classy Cristobal Huet attitude, but he's not Lou Piniella either.

If I do get into this again, you may find most parts of my post vulgar and emotional.

All I can say now...when will this end?
I hope it'll end with Briere signing with Montreal and Kovalev playing with him.

What? A Habs fan can dream...but can he?

Michael McKinley...a true hockey writer

This is what CBC tells us about Michael:
A Vancouver resident, Michael McKinley has penned several hockey-themed best-sellers, including The Magnificent One: The Story of Mario Lemieux, Hockey Hall of Fame Legends, Putting a Roof on Winter and Etched on Ice. He has also written for The Guardian (London), The Los Angeles Times and Sports Illustrated. McKinley was selected by the CBC to write the English-language book that will accompany the Hockey: A People's History television series, set for publication in October 2006.

And here's what Random House says about him:
The author of Putting a Roof on Winter and The Magnificent One: The Mario Lemieux Story, Michael McKinley is also a journalist, a documentary filmmaker, and a screenwriter. A Vancouver native, he was educated at the University of British Columbia and at Oxford University. His journalism has appeared in England, the US, and Canada, including the Guardian, Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, and the National Post. He has also written and produced several documentaries for CNN and an episode of South Park.

And here's what Bleu, Blanc et Rouge says about him:
You may have seen him on CBC, read his books, or witnessed him playing pick-up hockey somewhere where ice exists this winter, Michael McKinley's the hockey writer and more importantly, hockey fan, you want to meet.
He was kind enough to offer us some insight on his life and hockey through this interview, and also tells perhaps the best story of Lord Stanley's Cup journey as written in his succesful book Hockey: A People's History and as seen in the television show on CBC (same name).
Thanks again Michael, I hope you all enjoy it!

1) First off, I'd like to congratulate you on your book's "Hockey: A People's History" success.
Tell us, what prompted you to write it in the first place?
Thank you. It was a pleasure to write, and I hope I did the story justice.

I was invited to write the companion book to the CBC TV series “Hockey: A People’s History”, as well as the accompanying children’s book, “Ice Time: The Story of Hockey,” largely because of my previous hockey history, “Putting a Roof on Winter,” which some of the people planning the CBC series had read and liked.

I was inspired by the scope of the project, and the chance to tell as much of the story of this great sport as we could on both page and screen.
It's an epic tale that touches practically all of North America, and this would be the first time that I know of that the (largely North American) history of the game could be found under one cover, as it were.
It was an amazing experience for me, because I benefited so much from working with the TV people, who would send me their research and interviews with people and about places and teams that it would have taken me five years to compile.

2) Growing up, who was your favourite player, your favourite team?
I grew up in Vancouver, and despite having the Canucks to cheer for (or boo and hiss at, for the longest time), I loved the Montreal Canadiens.
I even made my own Montreal hockey sweater using a white sweat shirt and blue and red felt pens when my mother had committed the sin of buying me a Toronto Maple Leaf hockey sweater (yep, I was just like that kid in Roch Carrier's classic tale The Hockey Sweater, except he was in Quebec and I was in Vancouver).
I loved Guy Lafleur for his speed and skill and seemingly effortless ability to light up whatever goalie he was playing against.
The Canadiens of the 1970s defined hockey for me.

3) Now, who is your current favourite player and team?
My favourite player is Trevor Linden, and my favourite team is the Vancouver Canucks (I have a 2.5 year old daughter and she likes the Canucks, so I have to humour her).
I live in just had the pleasure of writing a profile on Linden for Vancouver Magazine, which you can find right here.
Linden is the kind of player who gives you everything he's got in every game he plays.
He's also a tireless worker off ice on behalf of kids with illnesses or who are in tough circumstances, and he does it all without calling any attention to himself.
He scored the winning goal in Vancouver's seventh-game first round playoff victory against Dallas, and he represents the best of that franchise.
He's a great role model to the young Canucks who are coming up, and I hope he signs another deal with the C's next season, as he's currently at the end of a one-year contract.

4) Is Atlanta GM Don Waddell to blame, especially after litteraly selling the farm to get Tkachuk and Zhitnik at the deadline?
I think GM's are under all kinds of quick fix pressures come the trading deadline (and to win the Cup, always), and so I wouldn't single out Don Waddell as being especially ruthless.
He gambled, and his acquisition of Tkachuk and Zhitnik helped Atlanta close out the season quite strongly and got them a playoff spot, because that too was in danger at the trading deadline.
However, Tkachuk bombed in the playoffs, and so did his team.
Waddell just lost his playoff bet; the Thrashers lost the playoff series.
He also gave up some draft picks, and this is the other part of the bet-- hindsight --if those traded picks turn into something.

5) Could Team USA make a serious run to win the upcoming World Hockey Championship? How do the other teams look heading into the event?
You know, I've so preoccupied with the end of the NHL season and the first round of the playoffs that I've paid little attention at all to the Worlds.
I do think that Canada has great goaltending in Cam Ward and Dwayne Roloson, and with a couple of Staal brothers in the line-up should go deep.
The USA has a lot of young guys in their lineup, and who knows-- they might come together as a contender.
It bodes well for the future of US hockey.

6) The Battle of California: the Ducks and Sharks are both very good hockey clubs, wouldn't it be interesting if they faced off and battled to make it to the Stanley Cup Final?
It would be a great series if the Ducks and Sharks met-- but big, tough San Jose has to get through skilled and savvy Detroit, and that's no small task.
Similarly, Anaheim, also a crash and bash team with some serious skill has to contend with the Canucks, who were shocked back into their A-game by Dallas.
The Canucks already had their playoff scare, and I think will play this series in a "nothing to lose" kind of way, and that will be dangerous for the Ducks.

7) Calgary, Vancouver and Ottawa are the only Canadian teams to make the playoffs this year, should the NHL consider bringing new franchises north of the border as to attract more fans in a hockey-crazy Canadian market?
I'd love to see NHL franchises in Winnipeg, Quebec City, Halifax (where the game began), and one in Regina.
The NHL can't seriously say that the inclusion of these cities will harm their ability to get a lucrative TV deal in the USA. I mean, look at the TV deal they have now.
The addition of competitive teams in hockey crazy cities would only make the NHL look good, and attract more hockey fans, period.
The league should be looking for success in place where its already waiting for them.

8) Since we're talking about the playoffs, maybe you could share with us who was this Lord Stanley and how did his "Cup" become the most renowned and sought after trophy in all of sports?
Frederick Stanley (AKA Lord Stanley of Preston) was the Governor-General of Canada from 1888 to 1893.

He was an aristocrat, the younger son of the 14th Earl of Derby, who had also been Prime Minister of England. Stanley had been a Member of Parliament himself, as well as an army officer, but at heart he was a gregarious sportsman who loved the vast potential of the new world—and he loved hockey, when he saw his first game at the Montreal Winter Carnival of 1889.

Soon, Stanley’s sons Arthur and Algernon were playing the game on a team called the Rideau Rebels, after Rideau Hall, the Governor-General’s official residence in Ottawa.
His daughter Isobel played in the first recorded women’s hockey match in Ottawa 1891 (though she—and women –played well before that), and Stanley built himself a rink at Rideau Hall and was known to play as well—even on Sundays, which earned him some grief for blaspheming on the Sabbath.

Stanley owned shares in the Ottawa rink in which his favourite hockey team played, the Ottawa Hockey Club, and while he would have loved to see them win his “Dominion Challenge Trophy”, that was not why he gave the sport this extraordinary gift.

The idea of such a trophy had been around in Canadian journals and saloons from the early 1890s, and Stanley saw that hockey was indeed Canada’s “national winter sport”.
Stanley had traveled across Canada, and he saw a young country of huge size and sparse population that was a British dominion next door to much more populous and republican USA. He saw a challenge trophy as a way to express Canadian national identity and to unite a far-flung people through hockey by making it possible, for example, for a team from the Yukon to play a team from Ottawa (as happened in 1905) for what was soon known as the Stanley Cup.
Stanley also saw the widespread play of hockey as a way to keep young men of military service age in shape during the winter, since there were real fears that the US might try to expand its borders.

So the Stanley Cup has a rich history for its being, and a great irony at its core: Lord Stanley never saw a match played for his trophy because he went back to England on the death of his older brother in July 1893 to become the 16th Earl of Derby.
The first Stanley Cup was awarded a few months later.

To me, it’s the greatest sports trophy in the world not just because it’s the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, nor because you have to win sixteen games over a gruelling two month schedule to win it, but because what began as a nationalistic enterprise is now truly international—hockey players from all over the world can come together to compete for it and to win it, not as a nation, but as a team made up of different nationalities who for this season, prove it belongs to them.

9) In your opinion, what does the NHL need to do in order to draw more fans in a "light" American hockey market?
The NHL needs to change its nutbar schedule, so that we here in Vancouver see the Habs or the Leafs or Sidney Crosby more than once every three years. How can you get fans of any stripe excited here if they're seeing Edmonton or Minnesota for the eighth time in a season (and vice versa)? The NHL they want to build regional rivalries. Yes, well, having exciting players and famous teams come in will make the home side play hard, and rivalry will ensue-- if only for that game. Give us some variety. A lot of GM's feel the same way, but a few Eastern GM's are happy with the current schedule, because they can play in their own time zone for months on end, and life is easy. For instance, Martin Brodeur didn't play a game outside of the eastern time zone from November 27 to the end of the season. Sure, a couple of games were in Florida, but it makes a huge difference to the wear and tear on a team and their budget if they can travel to games by bus.

10) And finally, what do you think of my blog? Does it need more Michael McKinley content to spruce it up?
Your blog is great, and I'd be happy to contribute to it whenever you like.
If the Canucks go deep in the playoffs, I'll have lots more to say!

And that's it!

I hope you've enjoyed this little tidbit of mine, it goes along nicely with two other informative interviews the Ghost posted earlier today.

I wonder what's next from Michael?

Canadiens: The Story of the franchise from the Man whose mother bought him a Maple Leafs jersey.

Just kidding there!

Have a good one everyone!

Interview with Inferno272 from RangersReview.com (Series Preview)

Here is Inferno272's perspective from Rangers Review on the upcoming Rangers-Sabres series.

What do you expect to be the four forward lines, and the 3 defensive pairs?
The Rangers will likely change up their lines slightly from what we saw against the Thrashers. I also feel these lines will NOT be the same every game, I expect most of the bench to get to play as far as the forwards go.

Hossa-Nylander-Jagr
Avery-Straka-Shanahan
Prucha-Cullen-Callahan
Hollweg-Betts-Ortmeyer

Rozsival-Malik
Tyutin-Girardi
Rachunek-Mara

What are the expected powerplay and penalty kill combinations, and how do you feel your team will matchup against the other team in these aspects?
This may be how this series is won.
Despite the Sabres tremendous offensive firepower, I feel their game is best suited for 5 on 5 or 4 on 4 rather than 5 on 4 situations.
The reason for that, I feel, is because they feed off of transition, and rushes. Generally speaking you don’t rush your way to a goal on the power play as the bluelines tend to be stacked. Instead you have to methodically set up plays.
This is where the Rangers can truly shine, or truly lay an egg.
It all depends on which team shows up.Here are the PowerPlay combinations you should expect to see.
The Rangers play 2 different units and split their time 50/50.

Here is what I expect you to see:

Passing Power Play:Prucha-Nylander-JagrStraka-Rozsival
Shooting Power Play:Hossa-Avery-ShanahanCullen/Rachunek-Mara

How do you expect the goaltending matchup to shake out? How confident would you be if your main goalie went out and your backup had to take over?
This is simple.
If Henrik utterly dominates the game, as he is capable of doing, we will win this series. If he is even slightly off, we could be swept.
Henrik is the best goalie in the league right now. I know a lot of people will point to Luongo, or Brodeur.
The fact is, they haven’t seen Henrik. Henrik, dollar for dollar might be playing the best hockey he has ever played in his career right now.
The pucks must look like beachballs, 90mph slappers must look like 15 mph shankers.

He's just on.

However we have seen him go ice cold from time to time, and when that happens, the Rangers get obliterated.
As far as our 2 backups go…If Henrik is hurt, or for some other reason is unable to perform, you could put Kevin Weekes AND Stephen Valiquette in there at the same time, and we would still lose.
Not that the Sabres are that good (though they are), it's that our backups are that bad.

What is the one aspect of the team that could single-handedly win the series?
Puck possession.

If we have it, you don’t, and we win.
If you have it, we are dead.
It's that simple. As we saw in the series against the Islanders, when the opposing team can force the Sabres to play their game, to slow the pace down, then the Sabres are more than beatable. However if the Sabres can dictate the pace, and if they have the puck for long stretch, there are few teams in history that can light the lamp the way this team does.Jaromir Jagr is going to have to be a beast.
The first line will have to hold and control the play for minutes on end, for the Sabres to dump and chance, and let our other lines do the same. If the first line is unable to do so, a transition war will occur, and you guys will annihilate us.

What could be the team’s Achilles heel this series?
Discipline.
But not the discipline we always talk about.
I am not talking about which team takes the fewer penalties.
I am talking about players staying on assignments, about players not pinching at inopportune times, about not turning the puck over with three men are trapped behind the play.
If the Rangers can stay disciplined in that manner, they can win.

Which player is going to step up unexpectedly to win a game or two?
I don’t think it will be 1 player, I think it will be 1 line.
I think the third line for the Rangers is going to be huge in this one.
Although the Sabres third line is about as good as most teams first line, I think the Rangers third line could give them a run for their money.
The Sabres win because they send wave after wave against you,
I think the Rangers can, and will do the same. Expect big things from Prucha, Cullen and Callahan.

The game is on the line. Who do you want to have the puck?
Jaromir Jagr.
Seriously, would you expect me to say anything else?
There is a reason this guy is widely considered the best player in the league since Mario Lemieux retired.
Because he flat out is. Jaromir Jagr is a beast, he is almost impossible to knock off the puck, and shows Gretzky like vision at times. 32 seconds into game 3, he did a tape to tape pass between 3 Thrashers to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead, and ultimately the series.

How do you feel about the coaching matchup?
If you had asked me this, even just a few weeks ago, I would have said the Sabres held an overwhelming advantage here.
Tom Renney just does so many things that make you scratch your head, that you often have to question his sanity.
However it is tough to argue with the results of the past few months.
You guys wouldn’t have any respect for me if I continued to trash him when the results are actually there, so I will do no such thing. I would call this an advantage for the Sabres, but not by that much. Ruff is a helluva coach, with the kind of fire I wish Renney had.

What 1 or 2 players do you fear from the opponent most?
Chris Drury and Daniel Briere.
These guys are Ranger killers to the nth degree, and won’t show us any merch here.
They can torch our slow defensemen with superb speed to the outside, and they are uber-clutch.
They scare me.

Do you expect this to be an overly physical, rough, or dirty series?
Not unless Avery gets into your heads.
If he does, I expect the Sabres to try to take liberties against him.
If that happens, you can schedule more playoff games for the Rangers, and Sabres fans should look forward to next year.

Without getting too detailed, give us your predictions for this series.
My head is telling me Sabres in 5.
My heart is telling me Rangers in 6. This time, I am going with my heart.
Rangers in 6. While the Sabres offense may be relentless, their defense has some swiss cheese sized holes in it, and Ryan Miller is not even close to being in Henrik Lundqvists league.
The question is, will our D stop you more than your D stops us. My heart tells me yes. Rangers in 6.

Don't forget to visit Rangers Review and check out Inferno's blog.