Sunday, April 26, 2015

Video: Zach Parise Has Filthy Mitts #Buccigross



Today, the Minnesota Wild defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-1. With the win, the Wild win the series 4-2. What's more impressive, there were five goals scored in this game: Four-of-five goals were scored by former college/WCHA hockey players.

Hey, I am not done yet, three-of-four goals were scored by former Fighting Sioux forwards.

Donald Bruce Beard:To lift UND hockey's curse, adopt new nickname

This is the latest laugher from the Grand Forks Herald's opinion page. It's a dandy. So, were to believe that the UND hockey team hasn't won a national title because the team is cursed. And this curse is because UND doesn't have a nickname. Wow! Yeah, okay.

Since North Dakota's shocking loss in the men's hockey Frozen Four, various explanations have surfaced. Suspect coaching. Injuries. Lack of preparation.

Has anyone considered jinxes? Hexes? Curses?

In the summer of 1876, Medicine Chief Sitting Bull was most unhappy with the behavior of his white enemies.

Therefore, while the Sioux and their allies peacefully hunted the environs of Little Big Horn, he danced, chanted, implored and stared into the blinding sun. Eventually the Great Spirit rewarded him with a vision: Blue-coated soldiers with no ears tumbling from the skies.

Thus were Custer and his cavalry from North Dakota cursed and administered a defeat supporters never dreamed of.

Jump forward to the 2000s. The Ralph has arisen and, to the great displeasure of the Standing Rock Tribe, it continues to be called "Home of the Fighting Sioux" by supporters of that name.

Moreover, out front of this wondrous fortress stands guard the indomitable Sitting Bull.

It may be a coincidence, but since the placement of the Medicine Chief in his present location, UND has experienced a series of inexplicable defeats.

Hmmmm ...

Donald Bruce Beard

Banning, Calif.

Erich Longie: No, the Sioux were not silenced

If you havent' seen this, it's worth a read.  You can read this article at the Last Real Indians.
Eric Longie, Grand Forks Herald -- The NCAA's leaders did not bow down to North Dakota officials, who made a special trip to see them. In addition, the Standing Rock Council's several official tribal resolutions against the Fighting Sioux nickname were heard as far away as Indiana, where the headquarters of the NCAA is located. The council members were not silent.

The only thing this continued obsession with wanting to be a white man's mascot accomplishes is to stoke the fires of racial tension between whites and American Indians. I'd love to travel around North Dakota without having to debate the issue with non-Indians and have them get angry at me when I tear to shreds their reasoning that we are being honored.

Plus, it brings shame on us proud and freedom-loving Sioux when other tribes ridicule us for those who continue to fight for the name.

It's time to move on from the days when Indians were second-class citizens and were subjected to all kinds of indignities, one of the most shameful being portrayed as a logo for some wisicu's (white man's) team.

First Round Shaking out Like I Thought



So far, the First round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs has been pretty fun to watch. Last night's games in Calgary and Chicago were top notch. The Saddle Dome in Calgary was rocking as the Calgary Flames advanced to the second round for the first time since 2004.

The action on the ice has been fantastic. Taking a look at my 2015 Stanely Cup picks, my favorite to win the Stanley Cup is on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs by the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings have given the Lightnings fits and they haven't allowed them to generate offense. The Red Wings also have gotten good goaltending from Petr Mrazek (3-2, 1.92 GAA, .937 SV%). Mrazek also has two shutouts.

For comparison sake, Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk is (3-2, 2.61 GAA, .898 SV%).  The Wild can look to end that series this afternoon.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Daniel Carcillo: Why the NHL Community Needs to Look out for Its Own



If you haven't seen this video, it's worth a look. After watching this video, I have a whole new appreciation for Daniel Carcillo. I think about this, Carcillo is a guy that has over 1200 minutes in penalties during 10 season in the NHL. He's an NHL tough guy letting his guard down to hundreds of thousands of people.

Carcillo's message is clear, you have to deal with the issues before they consume you. Also, the NHL alumni need a support group to help them make the transition back to life after the NHL.


The NHL Needs a Peer Support Program

First, I recommend reading Mike Peluso's article that's in the Globe and Mail.
Mike Peluso, The Globe and Mail -- The rewards did not last long. The altercations were brutal on our bodies, and I suffered at least 10 concussions from fighting. Probably many more. After some fights, I went to the wrong penalty box, only to be treated by doctors or trainers who asked me to name the President of the United States, provided a few aspirin, and sent me right back into the game.

Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak were also enforcers – and all died tragically under circumstances believed to be related to repetitive head trauma they endured during their careers. Their stories are heartbreaking, but unfortunately the difficulties they faced before their deaths have become all too common among retired NHL players.

In December, 1994, I suffered a major concussion thanks to a bare-knuckled fist to the head. I was knocked unconscious as my head slammed against the ice, and carried off the rink. In the locker room I took multiple showers, because I kept forgetting that I had already showered. However, the team quickly cleared me to play despite signs of a serious concussion. A few weeks later, I experienced a grand mal seizure during a workout.
This is another great article that I came across this week. It's written by Canadian Olympian Haley WickenHeiser.
Hayley WickenHeiser, Guest Contributor -- Depression and anxiety are the worst kept secrets in professional sports. In every locker room across the NHL, there are guys who are struggling with the fear of everything — the fear of a bad shift, the fear of pissing off their coach, the fear of getting traded or cut and letting down their family. What also happens in every locker room is that there are teammates, trainers and staff who stay silent too long when a guy struggles.

In the week after Monty’s death, I had two current and two former players call me. They called for two reasons: they too are struggling, and they want to help other players in the game. For the guys who are retired, they are struggling with finding meaning after playing. For the guys currently playing, they are struggling finding meaning for what they are doing and scared it could be them next.

I am not really qualified to advise these guys on what to do, so the best I could do was listen, so they know they are not alone. We need to do more. The entire hockey community, including league officials, teammates, coaches, trainers, the NHLPA, and the hundreds of former players out there, need to come together and solidify a comprehensive support system for those struggling with depression, anxiety and the aimlessness that comes with finding a second life after hockey.
After reading some of these articles over the last couple of years, I have to wonder if some of these guys aren't suffering from some form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Anxiety disorders and depression are very serious matters and they can take over a person's life over if they fail to deal with them effectively.

I am convinced that the National Hockey League need to have a peer support program to help current and former players deal with complex mental health issues like this. One life is too many.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Midnight Hockey Causing Problems for Hockey Fans

This has become a subject of much discussion on twitter the past couple of night. Games aren't starting on time, games for central time zones are an hour and a half later than usual.

First NBC has done us a favor by having all of the game on during the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a second year in a row. For that, most of us are thankful. There's been some really good hockey during the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Unfortunately, there’s has been some really late night hockey games. Hopefully, that will change during the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs when there are fewer games on.
Dan Caesar, St. Louis Post-Dispatch – And because of television, fans of several teams in the Central time zone also have been subject to games that are scheduled to start 90 minutes later than is the norm in the regular season — 8:30 p.m. instead of 7 o’clock. Three contests in the Blues-Wild series have been tabbed for that inconvenient time. The reason: The networks often show an earlier game and hope it will end before the later contest begins. But that 8:30 “start” time isn’t really when the game begins.

The opening faceoff for a weeknight game last week in St. Louis was 8:40. And Wednesday in Minnesota it was 8:45 p.m.

The worst case occurred Tuesday in Chicago, where the Blackhawks’ contest with Nashville didn’t start until 8:45 — 15 minutes after the listed time. The game wasn’t decided until the third overtime period and ended at 1:16 a.m. A normal start of shortly after 7 p.m. would have had that ending about 11:15 p.m. — much more palatable for fans who still had to get home and to bed before getting up for normal weekday activities a few hours later.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

(Video) Anders Lee vs. Tom Wilson



In game four, Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson ran over New York Islanders d-man Lubomir Visnovsky. Wilson was given a two-minute minor penalty for charging. Visnovsky left the game and didn't return.

Fast forward to tonight, that hit didn't sit well with the Islanders. So, you could say that this fight is a direct result of that hit. If I was the Islanders coach, I would rather have my goon, Matt Martin fighting the Capitals goon Wilson.

Maxim Lapierre is a Fraud



This is the kind of shenanigans that disgusts me. It should disgust other NHL hockey fans as well.

There's no way around it, Maxim Lapierre of the Pittsburgh Penguins is a fraud and a disgrace to the game of hockey. Lapierre should be ashamed of himself after this lackluster acting job that drew a power play. If I was a GM in the NHL I wouldn't employ a player like this.

If you watch the video you will see that  Dominic Moore of the NY Rangers barely touches Lapierre. These are the kind bush-league moves that should warrant a suspension from the NHL.

The Rangers forward Moore was incorrectly given a two-minute minor for roughing. I hope the Rangers sent a tape to the NHL, for further review. The on-ice officials in this game should also be upset because Lapierre made an ass out of them. I also think that the Penguins head coach should be given a fine for this bravo sierra.


Wednesday, April 22, 2015

This Pretty Much Sums up the Wild's Night




Tonight, the Wild got outplayed, out worked and looked like a bunch deer in the headlights. I think Zach Parise sums it up best with his post-gane comments. Not a great effort by the hometown team, but the series is tied 2-2.


Capitals Tom Wilson Smokes Islanders D-Man Lubomir Visnovsky



Last night, at the 05:54 mark of the second period, Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson ran over New York Islanders d-man Lubomir Visnovsky. Wilson was given a two-minute minor penalty for charging. Visnovsky left the game and didn't return. That hit didn't sit well with the Islanders.

Islanders forward Kyle Okposo wasn't very impressed with Wilson's charge.

"He's an idiot," Okposo said of Wilson. "The guy runs around, hits reckless, leaves his feet. There's no place for that."


Wilson will not be suspended for his hit on Visnovsky.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Yep, Steve Ott is a Rodeo Clown



Yes it's true, Steve Ott is a rodeo clown. Personally, I would recommend circus clown instead. Rodeo clowns actually have a purpose in life.

I am so glad that someone from that national media has finally said this. I think the Wild should be applauded for their restraint and not taking the bait from the St. Louis Blues. It has been fun to watch the Wild players just look Ott and smile and skate away.
Jim Souhan, Star Tribune – Wild fans will want to treat Steve Ott as a villain. He’s not. Villains are frightening. Ott is more like junk mail — annoying but meaningless, and soon to be stuffed in the proper recycling bin.

If the St. Louis Blues were intelligent, they would be feeding off the talent of Vladimir Tarasenko. Instead, they are feeding off the idiocy of Ott, a supposed enforcer who plays like a child, holding sticks and patting heads instead of just once hitting someone square.

When Ott actually had a chance to help his team with a third-period breakaway, he lost the puck, then fanned on a pass in the crease. He’s not a hockey player; he’s a rodeo clown.

Sometimes Ott mimics a tough guy late in games, when the hockey portion of the evening has ended. Monday, with his team down by three goals in the waning moments, he jumped on the smallest player in the game, Jared Spurgeon.
I think that Ott's attacking Jared Spurgeon needs to be addressed at the right time and place. For the most part, that’s not the Wild game. The Wild are ranked 20th in the NHL in fighting majors and don’t have any players with more than five fights. Wild forward Chris Stewart has been in eight fights this season, but has only been in three as a member of the Wild.

Monday, April 20, 2015

WTH: Dustin Byfuglien Punches Corey Perry After he Scores (Video)



At the 03:08 mark of the second period, Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien punched Anaheim Ducks forward Corey Perry after he had scored a goal against the Jets. Not a very classy act and I'm sure the league will take a look at this incident, but I don't see a suspension coming.

Alex Burrows Gets Lucky



First, Alex Burrows hit on Johnny Gaudreau was dirty bush-league hit, but what do you expect from a clown like Burrows? Second, Burrows is lucky he wasn't given an instigator penalty. If I was the on-ice official, Burrows would be sitting tomorrow night.

Third, Calgary's Kris Russell had the opportunity of a lifetime. Burrows challenged him to a fight. Russell should have lit Burrows up like a pinball machine.

I keep hearing how some fans are offended about what transpired last night. This is why I like the playoffs, there's so much drama and energy in the games. You have villains and you have the scrums and dustups.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Erik Karlsson rocks Nathan Beaulieu



Nice hit by Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson as he rocks Montreal Canadiens forward Nathan Beaulieu. There will be some that say this is a head shot, but the head isn't targeted. This isn't a violation of NHL rule 48.

Rule 48 – Illegal Check to the Head
48.1 Illegal Check to the Head – A hit resulting in contact with an opponent’s head where the head was the main point of contact and such contact to the head was avoidable is not permitted. In determining whether contact with an opponent's head was avoidable, the circumstances of the hit including the following shall be considered:

(i) Whether the player attempted to hit squarely through the opponent’s body and the head was not "picked" as a result of poor timing, poor angle of approach, or unnecessary extension of the body upward or outward.
(ii) Whether the opponent put himself in a vulnerable position by assuming a posture that made head contact on an otherwise full body check unavoidable.

Grand Forks Herald: UND to pay some student athletes cost of attendance and some living expenses

For now, UND hockey (and 18 female athletes from a sport to be determined) will be the only UND sport that is going to give grant-in-aid to their student athletes. The NCHC schools are going to be giving  out money and UND is following suit.
Anna Burleson , Grand Forks Herald -- Athletic Director Brian Faison said concrete numbers will be available "soon," but the school is working to figure out how much it will cost to pay students with what they're calling "full amended grant-in-aid."

This will include tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, books, and personal expenses like transportation and it’s a trend Faison thinks all National Collegiate Hockey Conference schools will follow.

"We know we'll have it for the fall, we just don't exactly know what the dollar amounts are going to be yet,” he said.
UND and the Big Sky schools aren't going to give grant-in-aid to their other sports team, not yet at least. If the Big Sky decided to follow suit, that would require some series fun raising for UND and the member schools.
For now, Faison said the school has no intention to provide amended grant-in-aid to other sports because it isn’t necessary to be competitive with other schools.

“At this point nobody in our conference (Big Sky Conference) has indicated an interest in pursuing that at this juncture,” he said. “That doesn't mean they won't and we'll have to monitor that.”

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Edmonton Oilers Draft Humor



You really can't argue with this. The Oilers have done nothing with all of the first-overall draft choices. I suppose this isn't funny to the fans from Alberta.

Game-Ending Brawl Costs Flames Coach Bob Hartley 50,000



I guess you could say that Calgary Flames head coach Bob Hartley got his money's worth. At the end of last night's game between the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks, there was a massive line brawl between the two teams.

Line brawl aside, the Canucks won the game 4-1.

Needless to say, the NHL was less than impressed with the incident and Hartley has been fined $50,000 by the league for his team's antics. Somewhere, former Vancouver Canucks head coach John Tortorella is smiling from ear-to-ear.
NEW YORK – Calgary Flames Head Coach Bob Hartley has been fined $50,000 for his responsibility for the incident that took place with 1:17 remaining in regulation of the first-round playoff game in Vancouver on Friday, April 17, the National Hockey League announced today. The fine was issued in accordance with By-Law 17.3 (a) for conduct prejudicial to or against the welfare of the League.

In addition, the National Hockey League announced that the game misconduct penalty assessed to Calgary Flames defenseman Deryk Engelland for instigating a fight in the last five minutes of regulation has been rescinded.

Hartley was fined $25,000 for a similar incident during the 2013-14 regular season.

The fine money goes to the NHL Foundation.
Check out this impressive box score of the incident in question. That's a lot of penalty minutes.


New UND Women's Hockey Jersey


Here's the new jersey for the UND Women's Hockey team. And don't worry, Amy Menke will be wearing number 21 this season.

Wild Hockey, Nope! Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings Scrum



Thank God that the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues game didn't start till 2:20 p.m. CT. About 2:30 into the game, the Red Wings and the Tampa Bay Lightning were exchanging pleasantries. #BecauseItsThePlayoffs