Here’s the video. It’s pretty self explanatory. I love Ovie but this was for sure a classless move. Read it, soak it in, and comment below. This was from Wednesday’s Game 4 of the Capitals- Canadiens series.
Archive for April, 2010
Here in Detroit, today is the first night of the NFL draft, our version of the Super Bowl because our Detroit Lions stink. January 1992 was the last time they won a playoff game, back when Pittsburgh was making a run to their second consecutive Stanley Cup and when Brian Leech was the last defenseman to score 100 points. Tonight is the first of three nights of the NFL Draft. For the first time, the draft will span three nights. Round 1 is tonight, while the second and third round is tomorrow. The Draft concludes with rounds 4-7 on Saturday. In keeping it hockey-related, I found this video on Youtube, where potential no. 1 draft pick Sam Bradford talks hockey.
NHL Award Finalists Revealed
Apr 22
Starting this week and throughout the next week, the National Hockey League is revealing finalists for the year-end awards. The NHL Awards Show will be June 23 in Las Vegas. Here’s a preview of the award finalists already announced as well as my picks for who could take home the hardwood. More previews will hit Hockey World Blog as they are announced.
Tampa's Martin St. Louis joins Pavel Datsyuk and Brad Richards as finalists for the Lady Byng Trophy
Lady Byng Trophy: Most Gentlemanly Player
Finalists:
- Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit
- Brad Richards, Dallas
- Martin St. Louis, Tampa
Datsyuk is the only player to have won the award in the post-lockout era. He has edged St. Louis each of the past three seasons. Datsyuk is near the opposite of his Russian counterpart Alexander Ovechkin. Ovechkin likes to play it rough and get his nose dirty while Datsyuk is more quiet, reserved and gets job done. Could this be the year Richards and St. Louis put their name on the hardware? Richards has won the award previously, in 2004.
My Pick: Richards
Frank Selke Trophy: Best Defensive Forward
- Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit
- Ryan Kesler, Vancouver
- Jordan Staal, Pittsburgh
Each one of these players is very deserving of the award. Datsyuk led the league in takeaways with 132 and finished with a plus-17 rating. Kesler’s career-high 19:32 averaged playing time helped play a role in the Canucks finished fourth this season in home penalty-killing. Stall finished second in the league in short-handed penalty minutes.
My Pick: Datsyuk
Calder Trophy: Rookie of the Year
- Matt Duchene, Colorado
- Tyler Myers, Buffalo
- Jimmy Howard, Detroit
Jimmy Howard joins Matt Dunchene and Tyler Myers as finalists for the Calder Trophy
This is a solid group of candiates for the Calder Trophy. At the beginning of the season, you would expect someone like John Tavares to be in this position and not Jimmy Howard. Howard has stepped into the Detroit net and embraced it. He hopes to become the first Red Wing to win the Calder since Roger Crozier in 1965. Howard’s 2.26 GAA and a .924 SV% placed him in the top-five in the NHL in each category. Myers was one of four players to play in all 82 games and the only defenseman rookie to do so. He was very effective when his name was on the scoresheet, as Buffalo was 8-1-1 when he scored a goal and 29-7-1 when he recorded a point. Duchene had a breakout season in Colorado. He played a role in the Avalanche qualifying for the playoffs, when he scored 24 goals and 31 assists this season. His 55 points was the second-highest total in Av’s history, only behind teammate Paul Stasny’s 78 in 2007. He also led all rookies in points and tied for first in goals with Tavares.
My Pick: Duchene
The University of Michigan will host what is expected to be one of the biggest sporting events in history – and early ticket sales are showing that those expectations aren’t lofty at all.
General ticket sales for The Cold War II, also being referred to as ‘The Big Chill at the Big House,’ went on sale this morning. More than 7,000 tickets were sold in the first 30 minutes of availability. By the end of the day, nearly 15,000 tickets had been sold to the event. Officials announced that when added to tickets already sold or set aside for season ticket-holders, former players and other groups, the total amount of tickets sold comes in at nearly 80,000. Michigan Stadium has the capacity to hold over 110,000 fans. If the maximum seating capacity is filled, the event could set world attendance records.
The game will take place on December 11, 2010, and will be a rematch of The Cold War hockey game that took place in 2001 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich. The original Cold War hockey game drew a record-breaking crowd of 74,544. The game resulted in a 3-3 tie. The event was such a success that the NHL soon adopted the outdoor format for the original Heritage Classic between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens in 2003 and the annual Winter Classic. Several other college hockey teams have also participated in outdoor hockey games.
Tickets for The Big Chill can be purchased at www.MGoBlue.com/tickets.
In the latest episode of Days of the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks are of the beleath that the NHL is out to get them!
The backing to this claim is in game 3 of their series between the Los Angeles Kings, a goal scored by the Canuck’s Henrik Sedin was turned over due to a kicking motion. Also, within the game, the play was in the Kings zone as the far referee was seen raising his hand to call the penalty, only milliseconds later putting his hand down and not calling the penalty.
Here is the video explaining the disallowed goal:
So do the Vancouver Canucks have a case here?
Simply answered: Hell no!
The definition and the simple black and white call of what is a “kicking motion” has been widely disputed. The fact is, it is not black and white, it is quite complicated at times. The rulebook is as follows:
49.2 Goals – Kicking the puck shall be permitted in all zones. A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who uses a distinct kicking motion to propel the puck into the net. A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who kicks a puck that deflects into the net off any player, goalkeeper or official.
A puck that deflects into the net off an attacking player’s skate who does not use a distinct kicking motion is a legitimate goal. A puck that is directed into the net by an attacking player’s skate shall be a legitimate goal as long as no distinct kicking motion is evident.
The NHL houses some extremely talented athletes, Henrik Sedin is of course not an exception. I say extremely talented athlete and not just extremely talented hockey player because the majority of players have played other sports, and for many of them that other sport was soccer. The hand foot coordination from soccer spans to the hockey rink where the loss of a stick leaves you defenseless and only left to kick the puck, a simple drop the puck between your legs to kick it up or even something as deflecting a pass from your foot to your stick.
In my opinion, an opinion of someone who has played hockey, has played soccer, believe that Henrik Sedin did indeed kick in the puck. My rationale includes the stated above, but also that a kicking motion is not simply a lifted skate and a foot motion from your side to the front of your body like a soccer kick. A kicking motion is also when a player intentionally stops and positions his skate to deflect the puck into the net. This is what Sedin did in this instance.
To counter the officials call, or more so not call – the referee made a mistake by deferring to the closer referee. It was indeed the wrong thing to do and a botched call, but it was just that, a botched call. Nothing more, nothing less.
Lastly, to put this “conspiracy” to rest, the NHL is not out to get the Vancouver Canucks. The reality is the are good regular season, but come playoff season, the team is slightly better than the San Jose Sharks. The Canucks have only twice gone to the Stanley Cup finals, both times losing. The remaining times they find it difficult to get pass the first round, only as of late have they been able to succeed pass the first round to later be knocked out in the next series.
So who is really to blame for all of this? Not the referees that is for certain, as any sports athlete knows, a referee does not decide a game, only you the athlete does. But then again, I do not like the Vancouver Canucks and I think Roberto Luongo is overrated (career .918 save percent & 2.57 goals against average) , so perhaps I just may be a part of the conspiracy.
Tour Code Tabu Roller Hockey Skates
Anyone looking to upgrade their skates before the summer roller hockey seasons begin, might want to head over to Inline Warehouse and check out the deal they have for the top two sets of Tour skates. Now, through May 9th, you can pick up either the Tour Code Tabu skates (pictured), or the Tour Cobalt Q skates, and get a pretty generous gift in return. With purchase of the Tabu, you’ll get a $100 gift certificate, and with the Cobalt Q, a $75 gift certificate, which you can put to use towards a future purchase.
There have been rumors that Tour has been cooking up something new that they’re getting ready to release in the coming months. We could very well see more deals on these skates in the future to help clear out inventory for the new release.
A skate that has already popped up briefly, then disappeared, is the Tour Code Tabu X Factor. However, this skate looked more like a refresh of the original, with only cosmetic differences, rather than a new skate altogether. But perhaps Tour will be duplicating last years product release method by holding on to the previous years top model, and lowering the price point. Then on top of that, we’ll see a brand new skate to take the reigns from the Code Tabu.
The Edmonton Oilers received some good news at the 2010 NHL Draft Lottery Drawing yesterday evening when they were selected to recieve the first overall pick at this year’s NHL Amateur Draft in June. The Oilers, who finished dead-last in the NHL rankings, had a 48.2 percent chance of taking home the first overall selection. No team that participated in the draft lottery moved up or down in the selection order.
The Oilers have stated that they intend to hold on to the first overall pick instead of looking to trade down. The team desperately needs an overhaul and their first-round selection could certainly make an immediate impact on the team, although the Oilers are keeping tight-lipped on who their first round selection will be.
Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall, both of the Ontario Hockey League, are predicted to go one-two in the draft, although there is much debate over which player will actually be taken number one overall. The two players tied for the league-lead in points with 106, although Seguin edged Hall in goals with 48 in 63 games while Hall accumulated 40 goals in 57 games.
Whichever player the Oilers decide to go with will depend heavily on what they determine their strongest needs are. Seguin is pegged as the better overall player who is proficient in all aspects of the game and has the ability to make those around him better players. On the other hand, Hall is considered to be a more dynamic player capable of making an immediate goal-scoring impact, although he has also been viewed as a selfish player at time and his ability to back-check has been called into question. Hall also benefits from a better support staff in the OHL where he plays for the Windsor Spitfire. Two other players on the Spitfire roster are expected to go in the first round of the draft while none of Seguin’s teammates from the Plymouth Whalers are ranked in the top 30 for draft analysts.
This year’s amateur draft will be held June 25-26 in Los Angeles. The Boston Bruins will get the second overall pick (from Toronto) in the draft with the Florida Panthers, Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders rounding out the top five.
Eastern Conference:
(1) Washington Capitals vs (8) Montreal Canadiens
Many people believe the Washington Capitals steam roll right over the Montreal Canadiens. I beg to differ. Why you may ask? Simple, the Canadiens played nearly half the season without veteran defenseman Andrei Markov which started the Canadiens off slow. Since his joining of the team, he makes a big difference, add this to their golatender Jaraslov Halak, and the Candiens are a tough team.
Still though I am a fan of Ovechkin and that almighty offense of the Washington Capitals. They should beat the Canadiens, not easily, but still beat them.
One little prediction: Washington’s goalie will play well the first round, leaving fans to wonder why they ever doubted the Capitals goalie woes, but not so stellar in the second round reaffirming the Capitals are still another year away from the Stanley Cup.
My Pick: Washington Capitals
(2) New Jersey Devils vs (7) Philadelphia Flyers
Call me crazy, callme whatever, but I see an upset in New Jersey’s future.I picked the Philadelphia Flyer’s to win the Stanley Cup, my mind has changed for the champion, but I still am going to pick them to win in the first round.
The Philadelphia Flyer’s playoffs started a month ago, while the New Jersey Devils have been coasting since then. Expect a tough physical game that will play in the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers. NewJersey has the upper hand in goaltending, but their offense won’t be able to sustain the black and blue bruises given to them from their opponents.
My Pick: Broad Street Bullies
(3) Buffalo Sabres vs (6) Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins have had a tough late season, with injuries to key players and a bruised lineup. Their heart is there yes, but it will be crushed much like your girlfriend leaving you for the much better guy than you Eddie at HWB. Oh it hurts!
Buffalo is an under the radar team that has a definitely on the radar goalie. Ryan Miller will lead them to the finals, but like the Olympics, fall a little short.
My Pick: Buffalo Sabres
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs (5) Ottawa Senators
Say it is a Detroiter’s hatred of the Pittsburgh Penguins, say it is crazy pick, but I believe the Pittsburgh Penguins do not have what it takes this year to be back to back Champions, let alone get pass the first round.
The Ottawa Senators were hot this year, red hot, but cooled off for a little bit. Since then, the ball has started rolling again with a 7-2-1 finish in their last 10 games. The loss of Alex Kovalev will hurt, but not as much as everyone expects. Daniel Alfreddson, Jason Spezza and Mike Fisher have enough to keep the team going, throw in trade deadline acquisition Milan Michalek, the Senators will play the Penguins tough and beat those powder blue sissys.
Note: If the Senators start goaltender Pascal Leclaire over Brian Elliot, I revoke my pick and will petition for the firing of head coach Cory Clouston.
My Pick: Ottawa Senators
Western Conference
(1) San Jose Sharks vs (8) Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche have been stellar this season, eating everyone’s expectations. Unfortunately for them, their road ends here. The Avalanche’s youth works in the regular season, but not in the playoffs.
The San Jose Sharks are a powerhouse, full of talent, a well balanced team and a good net minder. The Sharks age and experience will help ease their defeat of the Avalanche.
Note: The only chance the Avalanche have at beating the Sharks is if the San Jose Shark’s first round woes continue. Not likely, but I will be rooting for the Avalanche for an upset.
My Pick: San Jose Sharks
(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs (7) Nashville Predators
Perhaps one of the most under publicized team in the NHL, the Nashville Predators, look to dethrone one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. The Predators come into the series with one of the most well balanced team in the league. Scoring up forn from the likes of Patric Hornqvist and Martin Erat, defensive play from Shea Weber and Cody Franson, all supported by a solid .910 save percentage in Pekka Rinne. Can they overshadow the superstars that are the Chicago Blackhawks?
In a simple answer, no way!
The Chicago blackhawks have one of the most offensive powerhouse teams within the league. With 3rd in the league in goals and 1st in shots on goals, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa and the rest of the squad of the Chicago Blackhawks should be able to walk circles around the Nashville Predators.
My Pick: Chicago Blackhawks
(3) Vancouver Canucks vs (6) Los Angeles Kings
Ok, ok, I know this is pure crazy of a pick. Wait, but is it?
The Vancouver Canucks have Roberto Luongo. Sure he won the Gold Medal this year in the Olympics, but when it comes to the playoffs he is a no show. The Sedin twins do have enough firepower to to take on an army, but the mix of young and old Los Angeles Kings might just surprise the Canucks and the League.
Call me crazy, but man Snoop roots for them, so shall I.
My Pick: Los Angeles kings
(4) Phoenix Coyotes vs (5) Detroit Red Wings
I save the best for last. My home town team the Detroit Red Wings, the one I have grown up to love and will till the day I die, against a young, back against the wall Phoenix Coyotes.
The reality, both teams are great, superb to be exact, one playing a control game the other a much more work till you drop game. I will be happy with either team winning, my hope is for the Red Wings, but seeing all that the Coyotes have faced this year and have overcome, I see the Wings being another hurdle the Coyotes are capable of clearing.
Note: The winner of this round will win the Stanley Cup. Both teams have what it takes, experience, determination and most importantly, heart.
My Pick: Phoenix Coyotes
Eastern Conference:
(1) Washington Capitals vs (8) Montreal Canadiens
This series won’t be so much about what Washington has as it will be about what Montreal lacks. The Canadiens lack the support to contain snipers Aexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin and set-up man Nicklas Backstrom. Goaltending will be another big issue for Montreal. Neither Price nor Halak have really stepped up to claim the starting job, although Halak has looked better since the break and will most likely see the majority of the action. Regardless, Washington will outmatch the Canadiens and move on to the second round.
My Pick: Washington in 4
(2) New Jersey vs (7) Philadelphia
This match up potentially has upset written all over it. The Devils are a defensive-minded team and rank low in goals for despite rostering the talented Zach Parise along with Travis Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner. Will Ilya Kovalchuk provide the offensive spark the Devils hoped for when they acquired him back in February? If one thing is certain about the Devils though, it’s that they can keep the puck out of their own net, especially with one Martin Brodeur setting up shop between the pipes. That alone might not be enough for a long playoff run if the team can’t score goals, however. On the other hand, Philadelphia boasts some great offensive talent in Carter and Richards and has good secondary scoring in Briere, Hartnell and Gagne. They are also a physical team prepared to grind out a long series. The Flyers have a lot of uncertainty in goal, though, and the team has been wildly inconsistent all season long. This series could go either way, but I expect the Devils to be able to capitalize on the Flyers’ mistakes.
My Pick: Devils in 7
(3) Buffalo vs (6) Boston
This series will be a goalie duel from start to finish. Tuuka Rask is the main reason that the Boston Bruins even made the playoffs, let alone that they nabbed the 6th seed. He ranks first overall in both save percentage and goals against average and has been a shining star for an otherwise mediocre Bruins squad. Ryan Miller has been stellar in net for the Sabres and defenseman Tyler Myers has certainly been a pleasant surprise for the team. The Sabres also boast a well-rounded offense as four different players have 20 or more goals on the season while the B’s only have one. Will their deep talent be too much for goalie Rask or can the Bruins rally and muster a first-round victory? If Miller and Rask cancel each other out, give the series to the deeper Sabres squad.
My Pick: Sabres in 5
(4) Pittsburgh vs (5) Ottawa
The Ottawa Senators are confident that they can contain Sidney Crosby and limit his offensive prowess and move on to Round 2. That might be easier said than done since Crosby tied for the most goals in the NHL this season. Still, the Sens won’t be without firepower of their own as Jason Spezza has been on almost a point-per-game pace since coming back from injury earlier this season. Goaltending will be a huge factor, and it will be interesting to see if the Penguins can withstand the Cup hangover and generate the motivation to bring their A-game every night. This match up could end up being closer than many initially believe, but I still think the Pens have the edge in offense, defense and goaltending.
My Pick: Penguins in 6
Western Conference
(1) San Jose vs (8) Colorado
This matchup may seem like a David vs Goliath, and you’d probably be right in that assessment. Colorado has had a wonderful season built around top young talent and the stellar goaltending of Craig Anderson. San Jose, meanwhile, has thrived offensively and will be tough to contain with a top line consisting of Thornton, Heatley and Marleau. But the Sharks have had trouble in the past elevating their game to the level needed to win the Stanley Cup. Thornton specifically has been called out for not raising the tempo. Heatley has been there before and knows what it takes, so he should be a valuable asset throughout the postseason. Expect Craig Anderson to steal a game from the Sharks, but otherwise the Avs will be wide-eyed and out-matched.
My Pick: Sharks in 5
(2) Chicago vs (7) Nashville
Chicago would be wrong to skate into this series thinking they have an easy pass into the second round. Nashville has played solid all year long behind good goaltending and strong, physical play. Unfortunately, Nashville doesn’t have the firepower that Chicago boasts up front and that may prove to be their downfall. If Nashville wants to win, their goaltending needs to be superb and they need to win battles in the corners and throw Chicago off their game with their physical play. Chicago will likely win the series on the power play where Kane, Toews and Hossa will prove to be too much. Chicago’s goaltending won’t need to be stellar, but it needs to be good to get to the next round.
My Pick: Chicago in 6
(3) Vancouver vs (6) Los Angeles
This may be one of the most interesting matchups of the first round. Here are two teams full of optimism, full of talent and full of holes. For Vancouver, defense is definitely a question mark. Goalie Roberto Luongo is normally there to bail out the lackluster defense, but this year he has been off his game and historically doesn’t do well in the playoffs. But the Sedin twins are able to take control of a game and never look back, that’s how good they are. Add in the offensive talent (and disruptive nature) of Ryan Kessler and you have a very good first two lines. For Los Angeles, Anze Kopitar is coming off a career season in points and he finally has some help from forward Ryan Smyth. Wayne Simmonds has come on strong as a tough first-liner as well, and Jonathan Quick has established himself as a strong NHL goaltender. The Kings also have great up-and-coming defenseman in Jack Johnson and Drew Doughty. While this series could go either way, the top two lines of the Canucks give them a strong advantage.
My Pick: Canucks in 7
(4) Phoenix vs (5) Detroit
Can Detroit be that dark horse that comes in as a low seed and dominates the playoffs? Or will Phoenix continue their impressive pace as the underdog and steamroll past Detroit? Because, let’s be honest, not many view Detroit as the underdog of this series. But those who think this will be a walk in the park for Detroit are sorely mistaken. Phoenix plays a good defensive game and are riding the coat tails of goalie Ilya Bryzgalov as long as they can. Both teams only have three players with 20 or more goals on the season, but they both boast deep lineups with players at all positions capable of scoring. Jimmy Howard may certainly be the make-or-break guy in this series. If he plays as well as he did in the regular season, watch out Coyotes. But it’s Detroit’s defense that very well might give them the edge. Not only should they be able to contain Phoenix’s top talent, they can add offense for Detroit as well and that might prove to be too much for the hungry Coyotes to handle.
My Pick: Detroit in 6
82 games have been played and we are now down to 16 teams that will play on for the right to be crowned Stanley Cup Champions. The first round begins tomorrow night, and you can look below for a schedule of when games will be played.
Eastern Conference:
(1) Washington Capitals vs (8) Montreal Canadiens
Washington is one of the most deadly teams in terms of offense. They have a lot of firepower with Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Green. Expect this to be one of the shorter series in the playoffs, as Montreal doesn’t have much to overtake the Capitals. I won’t be surprised of Halak steals a game however. The juicy subplot to look is Caps goalie Theodore making a return to Montreal.
My Pick: Washington
(2) New Jersey vs (7) Philadelphia
Philly made the playoffs because they beat New York in a shootout. Most people hate the shootout, but I applaud Gary Bettman for bringing in the shootout to have every game a winner because under the old system, NY would have to win outright to make the playoffs. At least they came a shootout away from making it. New Jersey is perhaps the only team that can take out Washington, but first things first: and that’s to get past Philadelphia.
My Pick: New Jersey
(3) Buffalo vs (6) Boston
Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller has a lot of expectations this year. Sabres fans are expecting a deep playoff run, but if there is an upset here in the first round, it could be the pesky Bruins. Bruins backstop Tukka Rask is 4-1 against the Sabres, so he has the potential so steal a game or two in the series. It’s up to the rest of the Bruins to hold up their end of the deal to beat the Sabres.
My Pick: Buffalo
(4) Pittsburgh vs (5) Ottawa
Pittsburgh’s title defense begins with Ottawa. Pittsburgh has to hope for an upset in another series to avoid Washington in the second round. But they have to take care of their own business first. Ottawa simply isn’t as deep as Pittsburgh. Both goalies are like Sieves so expect a lot of goals in this series. Malkin’s return helps the Penguins score a few more goals than the Senators.
My Pick: Pittsburgh
Will these Chicago Ice Dancers continue to dance come June?
Western Conference
(1) San Jose vs (8) Colorado
San Jose is the top seed in the West. Can they make the championship run this season? They sure have the players needed. But it takes a couple steals of close games to push them over the top. If the West has a sweep in any series, look for it to be this one. San Jose can use the rest and clutch goaltending in the second round where their playoff trouble usually begins.
My Pick: San Jose
(2) Chicago vs (7) Nashville
Nashville did catch a break and will face someone not named Detroit or San Jose. But they did draw Chicago, which ended Detroit’s eight-year stranglehold on the division. This series will come down to the play of Rinne vs Chicago’s powerful offense. Look for Chicago to win the series, but Nashville’s defense will steal at least one, maybe two games.
My Pick: Chicago
(3) Vancouver vs (6) Los Angeles
Vancouver is like the west coast version of Buffalo. They both tend to get past the first round, but can’t get past the second. Roberto Luongo needs to get his head on straight because the Kings are no slouch. Los Angeles will be the surprise team of the playoffs, which is why I’m going out on a limb and saying that the Kings will win this series. The Canucks have been a fraud just like the Sharks and until both teams can advance to a Stanley Cup final, they will continue to be frauds.
My Pick: Los Angeles
(4) Phoenix vs (5) Detroit
Phoenix drew the unlucky draw and the pleasure of facing the hottest team in the league Detroit. The teams haven’t met in the playoffs since 1998 when the Red Wings advanced in six games on their way to the Stanley Cup. Jimmy Howard has the opportunity to play himself into Red Wings lore as the young goalie who can win a championship like teammate Chris Osgood. Or he can prove the doubters wrong like they did Curtis Joseph several years ago. Phoenix isn’t easy but it was the best matchup Detroit could have asked for.
My Pick: Detroit
Below is my playoff bracket.
