Hockey World Blog

All Things Hockey

Posts Tagged Phoenix Coyotes

Headlines Around the League

Apr 23

Posted by EB in News, Rumors, Soap Box | 3 Comments

- The Ottawa Senators play host to the New York Rangers in game 6 of their series. Ottawa leads 3-2 and hopes to send the Rangers home back to the Big Apple preparing for their off-season. Captain Daniel Alfredsson is returning for tonight’s game the starts 7:00 PM EST on NBCSN. Ranger’s Carl Hagelin who injured Alfredsson with an elbow to the head will also return from his 3 game suspension. Ottawa has won the last two games, one at home and most recently in MSG. Expect the fans to be loud as the Senators are the last Canadian team still alive in this year’s playoffs.

- Phoenix Coyotes travel to the Windy City to try and knock the Chicago Blackhawks out of the playoffs. The Coyotes have won both games in Chicago already and look to bounce back after losing in Phoenix on Saturday. All 5 games have gone to overtime so expect the 9 PM EST gametime start on CNBC to go a little late tonight.

Both goalies, Mike Smith of Phoenix and Corey Crawford of Chicago have played very well. Key players to watch is Antoine Vermette and Shane Doan of the Coyotes as well as Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane of the Blackhawks.

Vermette was acquired in a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets and currently leads the team with 3 goals and tied for first with 4 points. Doan on the other hand has been nearly absent, only recording 2 points in 5 games played. Expect him to step-up tonight.

Rich Lam/Getty Images

Toews is currently leading the Blackhawks as any good captain should. Toews currently has 2 goals and 2 assists while Kane has 4 helpers. The team will of course be missing Marian Hossa after an ugly hit by Raffi Torres.

- Speculations will begin to surface as the Detroit Red Wings were knocked out of the playoffs. Will Nicklas Lidstrom retire or play another year? Lidstrom’s decision is in part decided on, whether or not longtime friend Thomas Holmstrom plans on retiring also. If I had to throw out a probability, I would say 75% that Lidstrom retires.

- No riots have been reported after the Vancouver Canucks were knocked out of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Kings. That is a good thing, but their contract with netminder Roberto Luongo is not. Locked up until the 2021-2022 season, if this is not a deterrent for GM’s to avoid long-term deals, I do not know what is.

Backup Cory Schneider on the other hand is a bright spot. He played exceptionally well, with a 1-1-1 record, Schneider posted a 1.31 goals against average and a .960 save percentage. He is currently a restricted free agent and his terms of his contract have not been decided. Clearly deserving of a number one spot, the question though, will that spot be with the Canucks? Looks like another bad sign for Canucks’ fans.

- Pittsburgh Penguins are out of the playoffs, a heavy favorite of most playoff pools. Philadelphia Flyers’ fans are all happy of course, especially with all the rough stuff that happened during the series. Always nice to not only beat a team physically, but also on the scoreboard. NHL fans should rejoice as the officiating should return back to normal without the phantom calls.

- Brendan Shanahan has been contracted out to the NBA to see over the elbow thrown by Ron “Metta World Peace” Artest. The elbow, which was claimed to have been an over reacted celebration, hit the head of Oklahoma City’s James Harden. Due to Artest’s status of being a repeat offender, it is expected he will be given a lengthy suspension with a video pinpointing the errors and explanation of suspension.

There is a short recap of a few things happening in the NHL. Game on as the NHL Playoffs continue.

Have a question or comment, email at EB@hockeyworldblog.com or contact on Twitter @HWBEB.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Torres suspended 25 games for Hossa hit

Apr 21

Posted by Chris in News | 2 Comments

Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres won’t be playing in the NHL anytime soon.

The NHL made an example of Torres and suspended him for 25 games following his illegal hit on Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa, which prompted medical staff to take Hossa off the ice on a stretcher.

“Torres launched himself to deliver a late, direct hit to the head of Chicago forward Marian Hossa,” NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan said in a video statement. “After the puck is poked off Hossa’s stick, he turns towards the middle of the ice. As Hossa turns to recover the loose puck … it is clear (Torres) sees that Hossa is no longer in possession of the puck because Torres takes a one-handed swipe at it with his stick.

“Torres then leaps into the air and drives his left shoulder into Hossa’s head. This is a violation of three NHL rules: interference, charging and illegal check to the head.”

Torres met with league officials regarding the hit yesterday afternoon. However, the announcement of any subsequent disciplinary action was delayed until today.

The 25-game suspension is the longest that Shanahan has handed out during his tenure as NHL disciplinarian. He previously suspended Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman James Wisniewski for 13 games earlier this season. Wisniewski missed five pre-season games and eight regular season games thanks to his suspension.

This is the third suspension for Torres over the last two seasons – a factor that certainly played into Shanahan’s decision.

“In addition to the fact that three separate NHL rules were violated by this one hit, two other factors were critical in determining the appropriate length of suspension,” Shanahan said. “First, this violent and dangerous hit caused a severe injury. Second, Torres is not only a repeat offender as defined by the (collective bargaining agreement), his extensive supplemental discipline history consists mainly of acts very similar to this one, including two this season.”

Should his suspension carry over into next season, as it likely will, Torres will forfeit $21,341.46 in salary for every regular season game he misses.

The announcement of the suspension comes just hours before the Phoenix Coyotes take on the Blackhawks for Game 5 of their series. Phoenix leads the Blackhawks three games to one. Torres had a goal and an assists in the series against Chicago. He averaged just over 19 minutes of ice time per game for the Coyotes in three games.

No word yet on when Hossa will return to the lineup for Chicago.

 

 

Tags: , , , ,

NHL Photo of the Day

Apr 18

Posted by EB in NHL Photo of the Day | 1 Comment

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Things keep getting uglier as last night, Raffi Torres of the Phoenix Coyotes, left his feet and targeted the head of Marian Hossa in a horrible display of judgment by Torres. The hit resulted in Hossa to be carted off on a stretcher. Hossa has left the hospital since, but no timetable for his return has been declared.

Expect league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan to suspend Torres for the hit, most likely more than 5 games because of his repeat offender status. This week alone the league has issued 7 suspensions, that of which has totaled last year’s entire playoff suspension count. Well, those numbers will be beat with the addition of Torres. Hopefully the players can get back to solid hockey and refrain from any dangerous or unneeded antics.

Furthering the salt-in-the-wound of the Blackhawks, the Coyotes edged out a victory in overtime to take the series lead 2-1.

Tags: , , ,

NHL Photo of the Day

Mar 30

Posted by EB in NHL Photo of the Day | No Comments

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Pacific Division continues to be one of the better divisions to watch coming down the stretch with 4 teams fighting for a potential 3 spots into the playoffs. The Phoenix Coyotes faced-off against the San Jose Sharks for what was a pretty darn good game. Low scoring but with a lot of shots, the Coyotes took the Sharks 2-0. The Coyotes were lead by returning from injury Radim Vrbata who picked up his 31st and 32nd goals on the season. The shut-out came to Mike Smith who continues to be the x-factor for the Coyotes; it was his 6th shut-out of the season. The win puts the desert dogs a point up on the Sharks taking over 7th seed and tied with the Dallas Stars for first within the division, but having an extra game played. The Los Angeles Kings hold the 8th seed currently, visiting the Edmonton Oilers tonight which after will put all 4 teams on even ground with 78 games played. The Stars visit the Vancouver Canucks tonight.

All things considered, who do you think will be the teams to make the playoffs and who will miss them for the Pacific Division?

Note: Phoenix Coyotes Derek Morris played in his 1,000th NHL career game last night and was honored with a plaque and a silver hockey stick.

Tags: , , ,

Western Conference Playoff Worries?

Mar 25

Posted by EB in Soap Box | No Comments

With under six games left in the season, some teams are fighting for a playoff shot while others are preparing for a long playoff push. For some of those Western Conference playoff teams, showing abnormal decline in play leaves many fans wondering if they will even get out of the first round? Below is a list of current Western Conference teams slotted into the playoffs with their current standings while looking at their last 10 games played record and some of their potential concerns. Eastern Conference Playoff Worries can be found here.

Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images

Vancouver Canucks – 2nd Western Conference (4-5-1)

The Canucks, clinchers of the Northwest Division, home ice advantage, second to the St. Louis Blues, and the first team to ever successfully predict the time-frame of return from a concussion. Chicago Blackhawks’ Duncan Keith’s elbow to the head of Canucks Daniel Sedin has left Sedin out exactly two weeks. A little PR workings? A little upset over being called floppers? The Canucks have gone 4-5-1 in their last 10 leaving them not exactly working well as a team. Concerns in the net with Roberto Luongo continue to linger, whose starting job continues to slide toward backup Cory Schneider. In the 25 games started for Scneider, he has a better save percentage and goals against average. As noted above, Daniel Sedin will be out of the lineup for most likely the remainder of the season due to concussion symptoms. Unless the team is faking, which is quite possible, you never know if Sedin will truly be back in time for the playoffs. At least that is what history has shown us in regards to concussions. Without Sedin, the team just lacks the necessary depth to take on other Cup contender teams. Slotted to

Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images

take on the 7th place team, which should come out of the Pacific Division that is currently in a dogfight between four teams, the Canucks are slumping at the wrong (or right depending on your take) time.

Detroit Red Wings – 4th Western Conference (2-6-2)

The Red Wings, with the worst record over the last 10 games in the entire NHL, are looking rather beat-up and worrisome thanks to a slew of injuries. Pavel Datsyuk, Todd Bertuzzi and Nicklas Lidstrom all have returned to the lineup after recent injuries while Patrick Eaves, Jonathan Ericsson, Johan Franzen, Darren Helm and Jimmy Howard all are still injured. Many of the still remaining injured should start playing sometime this week which still leaves the worry of chemistry. The Red Wings set a home-game win streak record this season which made them look unbeatable come playoff time. The tides have turned and you never know what you are going to get out of the Wings on any given night now; a powerhouse or lack-of-basics-turnover-fest. The final few games are important to the Wings who might play division

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

thorns the Nashville Predators or division rivals the Chicago Blackhawks.

Phoenix Coyotes – 7th Western Conference (4-2-4)

The Coyotes are fighting hard to make the playoffs in a tough Pacific Division. I guess that is what you get when you wait so long to turn it up. The positive, however, is that the team is clicking on all cylinders come playoffs – if they make it. Captain Shane Doan was suspended after a nasty elbow to the head of Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars. The team has gone 1-1 in the two games missed by the Captain and has a tough match-up against the Western Conference-leading St. Louis Blues today on the tail end of a back-to-back. Thankfully for them, when Doan does return, their schedule looks a little easier with games against the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild. The team rests on the shoulders of netminder Mike Smith, who has started 62 games with a record of 33-18-10. To date, Smith has a .924 save percentage and a 2.36 goals against average. Lead goal-scorer Radim Vrbata is still out with an illness turned lower-body injury. The Coyotes hope to hold onto a playoff spot and, if so, they should be fine – especially since a first-round match-up against the Detroit Red Wings is highly unlikely.

Tags: , , ,

NHL Photo of the Day

Mar 16

Posted by EB in NHL Photo of the Day | No Comments

Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images

The Western Conference playoff race is definitely hot with five teams, from 7th seed to 11th, all within 3 points of one another. Two of those teams, the Phoenix Coyotes (7th seed, 81 points) and the Calgary Flames (10th seed, 80 points) faced one another. Calgary jumped off to a quick start with a goal, eventually going up two to nothing until the Coyotes cut it in half for a two to one game in the second. Shortly after though, the Flames netted another goal to go up yet again by two with two periods over. The dagger came at 14:56 left in the third period as the Flames netted a shorthanded goal courtesy of Alex Tanguay. This eventually became the final with Sven Baertschi, Jarome Iginla and Matt Stajan scored the other goals for the Flames. Young Oliver-Ekman Larsson netted the Coyotes lone goal. Mike Smith gets the loss while Mikka Kiprusoff picked up his 33rd win of the season. Calgary has gone 6-2-2 in their last 10, only 1 point out of 8th seed and a few games in hand depending on the team they’re chasing. Do you think they will make it into the playoffs?

Tags: , ,

Phoenix Coyotes Playoff Outlook

Mar 4

Posted by EB in Soap Box | No Comments

The Phoenix Coyotes, most notably known in the media for their continuously pending franchise ownership/move, will start to generate buzz about the team’s chances of winning the Stanley Cup. Bolstering a well balanced team, offensively, defensively and in net, the Coyotes should be a team to fear come playoffs.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Currently in 3rd spot within the Western Conference with 75 points, the Coyotes have won 7 of their last 10 games. The run, definitely good, looks even better when compared to Pacific Division competitors the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks, who have 73 points and 7th spot, are in a slump going 2-7-1 in their last 10. On a bright note for Sharks fans, San Jose has a game in hand. But will the Coyotes depth prevail to keep them on top the Pacific Division?

Offensively, the Coyotes are top heavy in points with Ray Whitney and Radim Vrbata, but still have scoring potential through the lines with Captain Shane Doan, Martin Hanzel, Lauri Korpikoski and veteran Dayond Langkow. Whiteny, definitely more of a set-up man, leads the team in points with 59. The 39 year old won a Stanley Cup in the 2005-2006 season with the Carolina Hurricanes. Vrbata on the other hand is the team’s goal leader with 30 goals and 54 points. Vrbata’s career high came in 2007-2008 with the Coyotes as he tallied 56 points; this should be easily beaten this year. Both players have a plus minus rating of positive 23 and 21. Doan, Hanzel, Korpikoski and Langkow combine for 50 goals; that is 29.4 percent of the team’s total goals scored to date.

Defensively, Phoenix bolsters a respectable defensive line lead by Keith Yandle and young Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Yandle had a career high 11 goals and 48 assists for 59 points last season. This year he is on pace to end more around the high 40 point mark, but has 8 goals to date, only 3 less than last year, all of which have not been on the powerplay. Ekman-Larsson is in his second NHL season, and as fans know, defenseman take a longer time to develop. His point total seems like it will decline from last year’s performance, but the focus for most defenseman is keeping the puck out of the net; Ekman-Larsson has a negative one rating to date. Logging an average of 21 minutes and 28 seconds a game, it is a difficult to stay positive. Their ability to set-up plays and put the puck in occasionally creates havoc for their opponents.

Lastly, the Phoenix Coyotes netminder Mike Smith has been solid throughout the season. Smith signed as an unrestricted free agent in the off-season after a rather poor performance with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Most Coyote fans were nervous as longtime goalie Ilya Bryzaglov was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for a player and some picks. To date, Smith has a 29-16-7 record while Bryzgalov posts a 23-13-6 record. Phoenix had the better end of the deal, especially with Smith won all 11 of his games started in February, increasing his save percentage to .930 and lowering goals against average to 2.29.

The Coyotes are making it known they are not only a competitor for the Pacific Division lead, but also a contender for the Stanley Cup. As with all teams, if they stay healthy, the Coyotes could be a dark horse to win. Coyotes fans just hope they don’t get put up against the Detroit Red Wings in the first round, that of which doesn’t look likely.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

HWB Western Conference Playoff Spot Predictions

Feb 16

Posted by EB in Soap Box | No Comments

The second installment of a two-part series, here are the predictions of Western Conference teams to make the playoffs.

Central Division

The toughest division in the Western Conference and quite possibly the league, currently four of the five teams are holding down a playoff spot. Only three of those teams will be making the playoffs, leaving the slumping Chicago Blackhawks to miss the mark.

Daniel Ribar/NHLI via Getty Images

The Detroit Red Wings are breaking records at home and playing solid hockey. Currently leading the Western Conference by a slim margin of 2 points and a game up, the Wings need to focus on winning the division to set themselves up for the playoffs. A simple fact, home ice advantage will be deadly.

Head Coach Ken Hitchcock has his boys playing darn good hockey. It is nice to see the St. Louis Blues play well again. Going 6-3-1 in their last ten games and now adding some healthy names back to the roster, the Blues have a playoff spot locked down.

Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images

The only news coming from the Columbus Blue Jackets is the potential willingness to trade superstar Rick Nash. Everyone knows trade deadline is for depth players, not superstars, to avoid messing with chemistry going into the playoffs. Yet, if you’re the Montreal Canadiens looking to wholesale your team since you’re not in the playoffs, now might be a time to make a move. Then again, can you really believe any rumors that Nash is willing to play in Montreal? Like I said, the only thing being talked about in Columbus is the possible trade of Nash; the team is definitely out of the playoffs. Insert evil Ken Hitchcock laugh here.

No neck Barry Trotz is a superb Head Coach for the Nashville Predators who always has a competitive team. You never really hear much about them in the media but they are always winning. Last year the boys made it past the first round for the very first time; hopefully they can do the same this year. Netminder Pekka Rinne is playing superb and will be the backbone of the team. Easy slot for the playoffs.

Uh-oh Spaghetti O’s. The Chicago Blackhawks have gone 1-8-1 in their last 10 games and the free fall does not seem to have an end in sight. Goalie woes are upon them, perhaps a Ray Emery curse. Holding onto 6th spot in the conference, finger by finger begins to slip into the depths of the summertime golf swing. Insert “Chicago Sucks” chant here.

Northwest Division

Early on this division had promise, but much like the tortoise and the hare, the teams eventually lost the race. Only Vancouver is of playoff caliber, the rest, back to the drawing board.

Vancouver Canucks are a solid team once again. Playoff bound without a doubt, just like more riots when they lose come playoffs. Words of advice; make Cory Schneider a number one goalie and trade Roberto Luongo while some teams still think he is of value. Wouldn’t a Luongo-Nash trade be something to see trade deadline day?

Dear Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche, we expected more. The Avalanche had some injuries yet the Flames still seem to be missing one key piece. Fans want to continue to blame Captain Jarome Iginla but that is neither fair nor right. Think otherwise? Any NHL team would be happy for a trade. Colorado fans keep your head up; in the near future your team will be making playoffs with the talents of Ryan O’Reilly, Paul Stastny, Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene. My prediction, if players stay healthy, will be next year.

Dear Edmonton Oilers, what’s up? Some of the best young talent in the league jumped out to a great start and have fallen down slowly. Only 150 goals for so far this year which is middle of the pack, fans expected more; shame on you for disappointing the NHL fan base.

Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images

There is one team left in the Northwest Division, and yes, I left them for last: the Minnesota Wild. You mix a few lines and you get plastered for being a bad guy. You offer a wager of apology depending on if they make playoffs or not and they pass you up on it. Where are my Wild critics now?

The fact is the team is a good team and is under-performing. In part, injuries to Devin Setoguchi, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Guillaume Latendresse have left the team without the depth needed to win. A healthy Wild team is going to be scary, and hopefully next year that will happen. Throwing more craziness into the Nash mix, Dany Heatley and Setoguchi for Nash? What you think?

Pacific Division

With four spots remaining and only one division, three are easy to guess but who does the last one come down to? San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings and the Phoenix Coyotes all will make the playoffs, the wild card, the Anaheim Ducks.

The San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings both will be fighting for the division lead right down to the wire. Favored are of course the Sharks, yet if the Kings can learn how to score again, the Kings may take the crown. Let’s hope Captain Anze Kopitar refrains from any disgusting breaks towards the end of the season, providing the team with leadership and skill to make a stronger playoff push.

The Phoenix Coyotes, my second love. The continuous uncertainty of their future and still the team produces a quality product on the ice. Making the playoffs should be fine, with rather equal home and away records, but if they face the Detroit Red Wings in the first round, all hope is lost. The Wings have beat them 2 years in a row in the playoffs.

Dallas Stars’ fans should be worried as the division is continuing to be more and more competitive. The Stars, however, are not adding to the mix. Moments of brilliance on the ice are followed by moments of mediocre play. Captain Brenden Morrow trade rumors are never good, but Assistant Captain Loui Eriksson will be fine to fill his shoes, that is, if young 22 year-old and team point leader Jamie Benn doesn’t become the face of the franchise. The Stars are still a year out and one solid goalie away from a playoff spot.

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Save the best and wildest for last, the prediction that the Anaheim Ducks will make the playoffs. Coaching problems lead to potty mouth Bruce Boudreau to sign on after being relieved of his coaching duties of the Washington Capitals. Unlikely, but it would be amazing if the Ducks faced the Capitals in the finals. Still, it would be a real good story if the team was able to turn their year around under the new coach and make the playoffs. They have gone 6-2-2 in their last ten, led by veteran Teemu Selanne and young talented stars, Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan. Goalie Jonas Hiller has been solid in the last month with 9 wins and only 2 losses with a .924 save percentage. The Ducks will make the playoffs.

There you have it, playoff spot predictors for the Western Conference. Let’s hear your whines and dislike of the picks. In case you missed the first installment, the Eastern Conference playoff spot predictions can be found here.

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Could Seattle Lure Coyotes from Desert?

Feb 2

Posted by Eddie in News | 1 Comment

If it weren't for the Ontario Reign of the ECHL, the Seattle Reign would be a nice play on words should an NHL Franchise play in Seattle.

With one NHL relocation out of the way, the next target that for potential movement is the Phoenix Coyotes. We already know this, considering the NHL owns the team. With no ownership group lining up to buy the team with plans to keep them in Phoenix, something has to be done to get them either a new city or a new ownership group.

There has been old news and rumors of them being moved to Quebec City (which won’t happen unless a new arena is 100% privately funded) or Kansas City (Why?)… the new hot rumor, at least according to a post on Pro Hockey Talk, is Seattle, Washington.

While Seattle has never had a NHL franchise, they could be appealing to an NHL franchise to take advantage of the northwestern United States and media markets of Seattle (13th largest in the country) and Portland, Oregon (22nd largest) in a similar fashion that Major League Soccer did with recent expansion teams Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers.

The NHL had the opportunity to play in Seattle, as they were awarded a franchise to begin in 1976-77. The deal was pulled as the potential owners were unable to secure a $180,000 deposit and a $6 million franchise fee by the deadline.

However, there are a couple of problems that could stand in their way before a puck drops in Seattle:

The Vancouver Canucks: While separated by three hours driving time and 141 miles, there could be some sort of interference between the Canucks with an attempt to move a team into their television and media market.

The Western Hockey League: This isn’t the only instance of major junior hockey in the same local area as an NHL franchise. The Seattle Thunderbirds and Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League could be affected by this move. Other teams in the umbrella of the CHL that share the same hockey market with an NHL franchise in the OHL are the Plymouth Whalers and Windsor Spitfires (Red Wings), Ottawa 67′s (Senators), and Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (Maple Leafs).

Teams in the WHL that are in the same situation are the Calgary Hitmen, Edmonton Oil Kings, and the Vancouver Giants. Coincidentally, the Hitmen and Oil Kings share the same arena as their NHL counterparts while the Giants skate out of the Canucks former home the Pacific Coliseum.

No Modern Arena: It’s going to be hard to convince the casual or diehard hockey fan that hockey will work in a city that couldn’t support a somewhat successful NBA franchise in the Seattle Supersonics. In 2006, the ownership group wanted the Washington state government to kick in money to improve and modernize Key Arena. The government balked at the move and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz sold the team to Oklahoma City businessman Clayton Bennett. Bennett tried to have a new arena built in the city in an attempt to keep the team in the city but after those attempts were unsuccessful, he moved the franchise to Oklahoma where they are now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder. After one playoff appearance in their last six seasons in Seattle, the Thunder played in the conference finals in their third season in Oklahoma last year. However, the city did hire a sports-facilities consultant at $19,500 per month in an attempt to determine the feasibility of having an NBA (or NHL) franchise in Seattle.

It will be interesting to see what happens this summer when the league will start shopping around a home for the Coyotes.

Tags: , ,

NHL Photo of the Day

Jan 30

Posted by EB in NHL Photo of the Day | No Comments

Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images

Keith Yandle of the Phoenix Coyotes checks Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins during the first period of the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game. Chara with a big smile showed exactly what the NHL All-Star festivities is about; fun. From the heckling at the draft, neat shoot-out moves in the skills competition to the pick-up friendly All-Star game, the event was a success.

Tags: , , , ,