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Archive for December, 2011

Jack Campbell’s Captain America Mask

Dec 31

Posted by Eddie in Media | 2 Comments

This week the World Junior Championships is being held in Calgary and Edmonton. The best players under 20 are playing in the annual tournament that began Monday. Canada and the United States looked very strong in their opening games. Today, the border countries are finishing round-robin play with a showdown at Rexall Place.

The Americans have had recent success in the tournament. This year wasn’t so fortunate for the United States. Yesterday against the Czech Republic, they had several chances to win the game. A failed penalty shot attempt midway through the third period turned the game around as the Czechs rallied around goalie Petr Mrazek and scored three goals in the final 10 minutes to win 5-2. With the loss and a loss to Finland earlier this week, they appear to be headed to the regulation round instead of the medal round. A failure considering they have many players from last year’s bronze medalist squad in addition to winning gold two years ago.

The match against Canada won’t be easy considering they are undefeated and have defeated the two teams that beat the Americans by a combined score of 13-1. They topped Finland 8-1 and the Czech Republic 5-0 during the tournament.

The two remaining games the Americans will have in the tournament will take place January 3 and 4 at the Saddledome in Calgary. The game on 1/3 will be against Latvia while the opponent is still to be determined for the last game. It will be the loser of today’s game between Slovakia and Switzerland.

One thing that I noticed was United States goalie Jack Campbell’s mask. He went with the Captain America theme as seen Monday night when they defeated Denmark 11-3. The top junior American goalie, Campbell was the first goalie selected in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He was taken 11th overall by Dallas. Campbell also led the Americans to the gold medals at the 2009 and 2010 World U18 Championship, as well as a gold and bronze respectively in the 2010 and 2011 World Junior Championships. His club team is the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL.

United States goalie Jack Campbell and his Captain America mask.

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Winter Classic Hockey Sticks

Dec 30

Posted by EB in Gear, News | 6 Comments

Bauer recently released photos of the Winter Classic hockey sticks for both the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers. The two teams will square off against one another Monday, January 2nd at 1:00 PM Eastern time. In the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, the two teams will play outdoors, this years venue is Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park. The park is home to the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball team.

But enough chit chat about the game, the picture of the sticks are below. Not certain if these will become available to the public or possibly a special purchase for only a select period of time, but take a look and let us know what you think.

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Bauer Vapor APX Gloves

Dec 30

Posted by Matt in Gear | 13 Comments

The Bauer Vapor APX gloves and APX Pro gloves are the latest high end gloves from the Vapor line of protective equipment. Due out in April, 2012, the APX gloves are going to keep the same tapered fit that we’re familiar with in Vapor gloves, and carry all the top end features we like to see.

Beginning with the cuff, the APX gloves will have a free flex cuff to provide you with maximum mobility while stickhandling. The Aero Foam construction used in the gloves will reduce overall weight by 20%, while continuing to provide great protection for your hand. On the APX gloves, you’ll see a techni-flex palm to ensure great feel all while providing incredible durability. It’s also going to be lined with silver fibers, much like the Warrior Franchise gloves, to add increased resistance to odors and staining.

With the APX Pro gloves, you’re going to notice a few differences. The biggest one will be the palm, as the APX pro gloves will use a dual layer nash palm instead of the techni-flex. The APX Pro will be constructed out of dual density foams, rather than the Aero Foams, while the shell uses pro nylon mesh instead of synthetic leather. The tapered fit will be consistent through both, however, the cuff on the APX pro gloves will be a contoured and segmented cuff rather than the free flex cuff. Both gloves will use Bauer’s Thermo Max+ liner to help keep the gloves dry.

Will the Bauer Vapor APX or APX Pro gloves be your next set of gloves? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Bauer Vapor APX Gloves

Bauer Vapor APX Gloves

 

Bauer Vapor APX Pro Gloves

Bauer Vapor APX Pro and APX Gloves

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Fantasy Friday

Dec 30

Posted by Chris in Fantasy | 1 Comment

The Hot List:

Evander Kane (forward): Kane has had a huge week with three goals, one assist and 11 shots on goal. Kane appears to have found his groove and is poised to easily surpass his career point totals and could top out at the 60-point mark. Take a second look at the Winnipeg forward if you need extra scoring help.

Jason Arnott (forward): Two goals and two assists over the past seven days with points in seven of his last 10 games. He now has 20 points in 34 games and will easily surpass his points total from last season. The Blues are trending upward and so is Arnott.

Tyler Kennedy (forward): Kennedy seems to be on a hot streak in the second half of December with seven points in his last five games. He scored a career-high 45 points last season and will likely settle around the 50-point mark long term this year.

Mikko Koivu (forward): Although sidelined for a few games in mid-December, Koivu has 19 points in his last 15 games played – including a streak of points in nine straight contests. He’s owned in 76 percent of Yahoo fantasy hockey leagues. If he’s available in yours, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be on your roster.

The Cold List:

Sergei Gonchar (defenseman): Gonchar has cooled off considerably with only three points in the last 30 days, and none on the power play.

Vinny Prospal (forward): Only one point in his last five games. However, Prospal has 13 shots on goal during that same span, so it’s not for lack of effort.

Between the Pipes:

The Chicago Blackhawks are set on riding the hot hand this season, and the current flavor of the week is Corey Crawford. Winner of two-of-his-past-three, Crawford has allows just four goals on 97 shots in those three games. However, backup netminder Ray Emery had been the winner of five straight before suffering a 3-2 loss against Pittsburgh last week that relinquished his starting duties. Eventually the Blackhawks will need to choose a starter to prepare for a long playoff run. Until then, expect the back and forth to continue.

Crosby Update:

The Penguins finally released an update concerning superstar center Sidney Crosby – and the outlook isn’t good. After exploding for 12 points in eight games after initially returning from a concussion, the team confirmed that Crosby is again sidelined indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms. However, high ranking Penguins officials have privately stated that they do not believe his symptoms are as bad this time around and are confident that he will play again this season. Until then, toss Crosby on the IR and wait patiently for his return.

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Bauer RX 10 Senior Goalie Stick Review: First Impressions

Dec 29

Posted by Eddie in Gear, Reviews | No Comments

I was looking to upgrade the stick I use in goal. I had never used a composite goalie stick, as I have always used wood sticks. My previous stick was a Sher-Wood 7000R that I have had for several years, dating back to 2005. I had never had a goalie stick from Bauer or Reebok, but what sold be on this particular stick was a feature I had never seen before on a goalie stick: a flat (vs. concave) paddle.

The best goalie stick made by Bauer, the RX 10 is different than most other goalie sicks for several reasons.

Stick: Bauer RX 10 Senior Composite Goalie Stick

Flex: P31

Lie: 14

Face: Open

Toe: Round

Length: 27.5″

Price: $239.99 at Pure Hockey

Aesthetics:

Very slick looking aesthetics. It mostly has a matte/dull finish in white/grey/black. It is shiny in the areas where there is a lot of grip. Those areas would be where the shaft meets the paddle and midway up the shaft. I like the dull finish because it allows me to easily slide my right hand to the top to aid in poke-checking and shooting. If the rest of your gear is black, white, or shades of grey this stick will blend in with the rest of your pads.

Performance:

Have not used the stick, considering I just received it. I can tell you that I am anxious and excited to compare the response and feel of a composite stick. The Bauer stick is slightly longer and feels lighter than my Sher-Wood stick. I’m looking forward to seeing how it absorbs shots along the front-facing paddle. I spoke with a salesman at the local hockey store and he compared the flat-front to a blocker or leg pad in the way it easily deflects shots to the corner.
What Bauer Says:

The stick is designed for the hybrid style of goalie. The 27.5″ length is designed for more upright goalies because of the regular lie and longer paddle. The open curve will help goalies who shoot the puck often increase puck control and raise the puck quicker. Flat front geometry improves rebound control, balance and reduces weight.

Ending Notes:

I have used the stick twice in our weekly skate. It has a good feel to it. I like the way it deflects shots with the flat paddle. As a goalie that tends to play the puck more than most, I like the way it shoots the puck. I am able to get  a lot of torque on the stick and can lift the puck off the ice easily. I’m able to play the puck off the glass much easier and quicker than my previous stick.

Check back in the coming months as I use the stick and put it through regular wear-and-tear.

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Jarome Iginla shootout goal against Columbus

Dec 28

Posted by Chris in Media | No Comments

Calgary Flames forward Jarome Iginla put together a rather slick string of fakes and dekes last night against Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Steve Mason before netting the eventual winner and the only goal of the shootout. The Flames won the game 2-1 and continued their impressive streak. The team has now won four in a row and are tied with the Nashville Predators with 40 points on the season, although the Flames still find themselves outside of the playoff picture thanks to tiebreakers. Iginla also netted the only goal of the game for Calgary. The move itself is pretty slick, although not as incredible as the Patrick Kane deke from a few weeks back. Check out Iginla’s move below:

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Three more concussions confirmed today for NHL players

Dec 27

Posted by Chris in News | No Comments

Concussions continue to ravage the NHL as another three players were announced to be suffering from concussions or concussion-like symptoms today.

Nashville Predators defenseman Shea Weber and Los Angeles Kings forward Simon Gagne will both sit after being diagnosed with concussions while Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman John-Michael Liles was placed on the IR with concussion-like symptoms.

It’s unsure how long any of these players will be sidelined, although in every situation the team and players are hopeful that it won’t be for a significant amount of time.

Weber will likely be the biggest loss of the three. Not only is he team captain, but he also leads the Predators in points with 29 in 35 games to go along with his team-leading plus-14 rating.

“There’s no official timetable for his return, but he’s feeling better and I’m hoping there’s a chance for him to return Friday,” head coach BarryTrotz said. “But we’ll see.”

Weber apparently suffered his concussion after taking a hard hit from Mark Fistric this past Friday when the Predators took on the Dallas Stars. Weber appeared fine after the game but left practice early on Monday and missed Nashville’s game against the Red Wings Monday night. The team confirmed today that Weber was suffering from a concussion and will be monitored on a daily basis.

Similarly, Liles suffered his injury after a big hit from Buffalo’s Paul Gaustad last Thursday. After visiting the dressing room following the hit, Liles returned to finish the game but missed the following contest on Friday against the New York Islanders. The Leafs placed Liles on injured reserve after he was unable to skate with the team on Monday or Tuesday at practice.

“We’re shutting him down for a few days,” said Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson. “He was better today, but not ready to go and if we run into a crisis we’ve gotta have another defenceman available – in case of illness or another injury.

Liles has been one of Toronto’s most consistent defenseman with seven goals and 17 assists in 34 games this season. He has averaged more than 21 minutes of ice time per game.

Simon Gagne was injured during the first period of the Kings victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday night. Gagne left the ice during the first period and returned in the second, but he ultimately left the game during the third period and did not return. While the team referred to the injury as an “upper-body” injury, TSN.ca has reported that Gagne indeed suffered a concussion.

Weber, Liles and Gagne are just the latest in a string of concussions to hit the NHL recently. Sidney Crosby is back on the shelf with concussion-like symptoms with no time-table for a return while Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux recently returned from a four-game absence thanks to a concussion sustained on Dec. 10 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It was also reported today that New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal has been cleared to practice with contact nearly 10 months after being sidelined by a hit delivered by his brother Eric of the Carolina Hurricanes. This is a positive step in Staal’s recover, although a timetable for his return is still up in the air.

 

 

 

 

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Oscar Moller and Bud Holloway Amazing Stick Pass

Dec 27

Posted by EB in Media, News | No Comments

Sometimes you just have to post a video worth watching. In the clip below, Oscar Moller of Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Elite League receives an incredible pass from teammate Bud Holloway.Holloway signed with the Swedish Elite league in July after leading the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League in 2010-2011 with 61 points. At only 23 years of age and still a restricted free agent, hopefully the kid can make it in the NHL and bring some of this pizazz to the game. Enjoy.

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HBO 24/7: Rangers- Flyers Episode 2 Recap

Dec 27

Posted by Eddie in Media | No Comments

The folks at HBO doesn’t disappoint when it comes to holding nothing back. This episode was more teary-eyed than the first. The first laid down the foundation of the players and storylines to watch. Episode two took you in a little deeper as it featured several relationships. Some were player-kids, player-player, and a special one between bench boss John Tortorella and a fan.

The first highlight was at the beginning when Dan Girardi was playing with his son Landon. His 18-month-old son was getting fed one-timers and taking shots on a play goal. Dan sure is getting his son an early start in hockey. At such a young age, he has a better shot than most adults I play hockey with today. By the time he reaches 5, he’ll be the kid on every mite youth team that can skate through everyone else and score 3-4 goals per game. Count on it.

Keeping in line with the Rangers, we got to see goalie Henrik Lundqvist and some of his activities off the ice. Some do modeling like Sean Avery, others spend time with their wife and children or do community work. Hanky on the other hand, likes to play music. We got to see him in a jam session with tennis legend John McEnroe. Lundqvist later said he is preparing for a charity concert with McEnroe in February. He didn’t look too bad in my opinion.

With the Flyers, there was so sophomore slump from goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. His teammates ragged on him when they saw his quotes and performance last week. They were so in awe of him, no one wanted to sit next to him at the breakfast table the morning of a game. His quotes this week included:

  • About his defensemen and if they are crazier than goalies when it comes to blocking shots: “They doesn’t have the goalie gear, but they have to block the shot. So who is more crazy, me or the defensemen? Who is more weird?”
  • On his dog: ”My husky, basically, she’s a hot girl, man.”

Living on Detroit and seeing a fair share of Russian players wearing the winged wheel, he reminds me a lot of Pavel Datsuyk. With both players, you can’t understand 70% of what comes out of their mouth, but the other 30% is usually hilarious.

Fasting forward, we got to see one of the epic rants of this season of 24/7 between both bench bosses. During a game against St. Louis where they didn’t have much of a chance to begin with, Torts went on an intermission tirade that was pretty good in terms of the amount of F-Bombs that were dropped. But they were nothing compared to Bruce Boudreau’s rant during a game last year.

On the other side, Peter Laviolette knows what it feels like to be newly-hired Montreal coach Randy Cunneyworth: You don’t get a fair shake in Montreal if you don’t speak French. The Flyers were on the bad side of a couple of bad calls and ultimately lost the game because of a power-play goal by the Habs. Lavs lashed at the officials not only during the game but afterward, but it fell on deaf ears. During my live chat, I read a tweet from Yahoo! Sports’ Greg Wyshynski in response to Laviolette and he said it best “[He] would get the calls in Montreal if he wasn’t a unilingual anglophone.”

I would not be surprised if Lavs got plenty of emails from other coaches in the league applauding him for standing up against the perceived French bias. The rant can be viewed here. Tell me Jagr wasn’t victim of Montreal-based officiating.

The moment only long-time hockey fans would get: A hotel room moment with Harry Zolnierczyk and Zac Rinaldo Getting awestruck by playing alongside Jaromir Jagr, someone they used to play as or against in NHL video games as a kid.

This week’s Top Stars:

1. Tortorella and his relationship with disabled fan Liam. He’s 10-years-old and has Cerebral Palsy. He’s a huge Rangers fan, considering his bedroom is decked out in blue and red. He has met Torts and several players many times and even stayed up to watch their last second victory over Phoenix. What a dedicated fan.

*Honorable Mention* to the HBO editing crew for showing Torts as an aggressive, profane coach one minute and the next have him turn as soft as a pillow when talking about Liam.

2. Landon Girardi. Considering the World Junior Championships are going on, look for him to represent Canada in 2017-2018 with the type of stickhandling and shooting ability he has at 18 months.

3. Bryzgalov. He had another solid performance of zingers and one-liners.

Check out 24/7 Wednesday nights at 10:00 p.m. EST on HBO.

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2011 Great Lakes Invitational Promotions

Dec 26

Posted by Matt in News | No Comments

If any of you happen to be in the Detroit area this week, you might want to stop by the Joe Louis Arena to catch some great college hockey action. The 2011 Great Lakes Invitational will begin on December 29th, and will feature Boston College, Michigan State, Michigan and host school Michigan Tech. In addition to the hockey, there will be several great promotions and contests going on to give fans a chance to win some great prizes. Check out the full press release below for more information.

Detroit, MI… The 47th Annual Great Lakes Invitational is fast approaching, with four high-profile NCAA squads set to descend upon Joe Louis Arena on December 29 and 30 for a single-elimination-style tournament that has become a holiday tradition for sports fans in southeastern Michigan. In addition to four action-packed college hockey games, attendees of this year’s GLI are also in store for a wide variety of unique contests and promotions as Olympia Entertainment’s 2011-12 “College Hockey in the D” schedule kicks off with a bang.

“We’re very excited about the new elements we’ve added to the 2011 edition of the GLI,” says Olympia Entertainment Director of Strategic Hockey Alliances Mike Bayoff. “This tournament has traditionally been a fun-filled, family-friendly event and we feel that the dynamic mix of promotions we’re rolling out this year will enhance those traits and further add to the festive collegiate atmosphere at The Joe.”

Host school Michigan Tech University will be setting up an interactive exhibition entitled “The Science of Hockey” on the main concourse at JLA for fans to visit throughout the duration of the 2011 GLI. This innovative educational exhibition is designed to be enjoyed by hockey enthusiasts of all ages and features a variety of exhibits which incorporate scientific lessons with hockey-related paraphernalia and equipment.

Presented by MTU’s Mind Trekkers Student Outreach Program, “The Science of Hockey” will open at 2:00 p.m. on both December 29 and 30 and will remain open until the end of the first period of both of the tournament’s afternoon (4:00 p.m.) games. Admission to “The Science of Hockey” is free with the purchase of any GLI ticket.

Special GLI VIP Ticket Packages are also available for purchase this year, affording fans the opportunity to enjoy a one-of-a-kind college hockey experience. In addition to receiving a “College Hockey in the D” t-shirt and a premium front row/glass seat, VIP ticket holders will also be invited to participate in a meet-and-greet with former Detroit Red Wings and NCAA players Chris Chelios and Doug Brown as well as a post-game on-ice experience. Priced at $65 apiece, more information on GLI VIP Ticket Packages can be obtained by calling (313) 396-7575.

An autographed college & pro jersey combo from NCAA alumni who have gone on to skate in the NHL will also be given away to four lucky fans at this year’s GLI. Jerseys signed by Justin Abdelkader (Spartans/Red Wings), Doug Brown (Eagles/Red Wings), Chris Conner (Huskies/Griffins) and Jack Johnson (Wolverines/Kings) will all be given away during this year’s GLI. In order to qualify to win one of these unique prizes, fans must fill out a ballot on the JLA concourse. One jersey package will be given away at each of the four matches scheduled to be played during the tournament.

The 2011 Great Lakes Invitational will begin with a match between Michigan State and Michigan Tech at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 29 followed by a battle between Boston College and Michigan later that evening (puck drop @ 7:30 p.m.). The two winning teams will then compete for the GLI championship at 7:30 p.m. the following night, with the consolation final set to be staged immediately beforehand (puck drop @ 4:00 p.m.). Tickets to this event are now available for purchase at the JLA Box Office (313-396-7575), all Ticketmaster (800-745-3000) outlets, and online at OlympiaEntertainment.com

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