Brooks on Parise, 'Devils' Parise will soon wear new jersey'

Zach Parise & his fans (Photo credit: New Jersey State Library)

This will be one of the top stories in the NHL this summer - where is Zach Parise going to sign and with what team. Personally, I hope the Boston Bruins or the the home town Minnesota Wild are going to be choices for the former Fighting Sioux  First Team All-American and star forward Parise.

Larry Brooks, New York Post --- Parise, who will turn 28 next month, could attract offers of up to 12 years. He will certainly receive front-loaded, bonus-laden offers from the Rangers and Red Wings, who have millions to spend and the inclination to do so.

The Wild will be in, though Parise might want to think more than twice about going home to join a team in which he would be the best player by leaps and bounds.

The Sharks could be in. The Maple Leafs will be, though current general manager Brian Burke doesn’t believe in front-loaded deals. The Bruins could become a serious contender. There will be others.

Given the financial realities in New Jersey, it’s almost impossible to conjure the scenario in which ownership could cut Parise a $10 million check on July 2. And again, that’s even assuming Parise’s first choice is to remain a Devil.

He is one today and will be one tonight. But once the puck is dropped, the clock will be ticking on the Devils’ season and on the captain’s career in New Jersey.

T-minus-60 and counting.

Thomas and Schultz rumblings.

Goalie Tim Thomas, NHL Hockey player for the Boston Bruins (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It's been a roller coaster season for Bruins' goalie Tim Thomas. It will be interesting to see if the Boston Bruins trade him or not. If I was the Boston Bruins General Manager I would make sure that I sign Tuuka Rask first before they even consider trading Thomas. The bad thing about trading Thomas is that it could come back to haunt the Bruins if he met his former team in the playoffs. I would rather watch him finish out his career in Boston with the Bruins.

Tim Thomas' Options

LeBrun: We know the Boston Bruins may potentially try and trade goaltender Tim Thomas when his no-trade clause evaporates on July 1 but among the other options I'm told Tim Thomas is considering is maybe not playing next season. I'm not saying that's going to happen for sure but I was told today that he's thinking about maybe taking the year off. It's been a stressful year for the 38-year-old, we all know about the White House controversy, and the Bruins have a #1 goalie-in-waiting in Tuukka Rask. [TSN.CA]

The Justin Schultz sweep stakes are a month away, it will be interesting to see where the highly sought after offensive defenseman goes.

Dealing With Schultz

McKenzie: It's going to be very difficult for Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray to make a deal involving defensive prospect Justin Schultz. He's certainly out there trying to make it happen and there's lots of teams interested. Every NHL team will want this guy when he becomes an unrestricted free agent, which is likely to happen before July 1 but I can see the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers among others being extremely interested. But it's going to be tough for Murray to get anything for Schultz. It looks like he's going to unrestricted free agency.

Bad news for the Marlies?

If forward Matt Frattin is hurt it could be a big hit for the Toronto Marlies.

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• Oklahoma City Barons bury Toronto Marlies 5-1

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• Frattin scores twice as Marlies take series lead against Baron

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Matt Frattin vs Marcus Foligno

Former Fighting Sioux forward and current Toronto Maple Leafe Matt Frattin isn't know for his fighting skills, nor do I see him picking up the role as the Leafs goon. That was Frattin's first career fight in the NHL. 

Personally, I have to give him credit for standing up for a teammate, Foligno's hit on Bozek was questionable and border line dirty and I admire a players stepping up and answering the bell even if he doesn't fight.

In tonight's game against the Buffalo Sabres, the leafs rookie Frattin had the Gordie Howe Hat Trick tonight by scoring a goal, and assist and a fight.

Frattin scored his eighth goal of the season tonight, here is the video to that goal [Click to view].

Frattin now has (8g-7a—15pts) in 54 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season.

As soon as the NHL regular season is over, the Leafs are not going to be in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Frattin will play in the AHL's  Calder Cup playoffs with the Toronto Marlies. 

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It's all Kessel's fault...

This is predictable and you could see this one coming, the media in Toronto and Montreal are hard on their athletes. some might call them brutal and their fans have an entitlement mentality as well.

Just ask Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel, who is having a career year (37g-41a—78pts) and scoring almost a point per game and has a chance to score 40 goals yet this season but will be the focus of the fans ire. The last time the Toronto Maples Leafs made the Stanley Cup Playoffs was during the 2003-04 season.

Michael Traikos, National Post --- If Phil Kessel were to reach the 40-goal mark in a year in which the Toronto Maple Leafs missed the playoffs, what would be the reaction?

Would you cheer? Would you boo? Would you even care?

It might be a tree-falls-in-the-forest type of question. Kessel, who set a career high by scoring his 37th goal in a 4-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, has been one of the NHL’s top offensive players this season. And yet it is difficult to celebrate his breakout year when you try and digest all that has gone wrong with the 14th-place team in the last two months.

Had Toronto made the playoffs — had they played their way to home-ice advantage, something that was not unthinkable not that long ago — Kessel might have received Hart Trophy consideration.

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• Carolina beats Toronto 3-0, eliminates Maple Leafs from playoff contention (thehockeynews.com)

Michael Komisarek vs. Milan Lucic

The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mike Komisarek and Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic don't like each other very much. I am surprised that Komisarek would fight Lucic again after all of the time Lucic has absolutely worked him over. [Example 1] and [example 2]

Dennis Seidenberg vs. Colby Armstrong (Video)

This is another perfect example of why the National Hockey League needs to "not" ban fighting. First you have a punk like Toronto Maple Leafs forward Colby Armstrong, who has a history of being one of those players that plays on the edge and takes liberties on other teams star players.

If you think that I am kidding go over to Youtube you will see that he has a hit parade of high questionable hits on opposition players. [Example 1], [Example 2], [Example 3], [Example 4]... You can see a pattern here, always high, targets the head.

So fast forward to tonight, Armstrong hits Dennis Seidenberg a who is a European hockey player, that doesn't have a reputation of being a dirty player, and is not known for being a fighter, with a questionable hit, while Seidenberg is in a vulnerable position.

Armstrong is lucky that Seidenberg stepped in and that he didn't get beat up by Boston Bruins defenseman/bruiser Adam McQuaid, that would have been ugly...Per the hockey code the players settled this matter on the ice and there is no need to wait for the league office to act.

Dion Phaneuf hits Parise and then fights David Clarkson

This is the reason that fighting has to stay in the game of hockey watch the end of the video, Dion Phaneuf hits Zach Parise with a questionable hit to the head and then he has to answer for that objectionable hit almost immediately. The Players can police the game so they don't have to wait for the NHL to react or not react to questionable hits.

Related articles

• Dion Phaneuf plants Zack Kassian into the boards. (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• Is Dion Phaneuf NHL's most overrated player? (ballhyped.com)
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• Leafs teammates think Dion Phaneuf is anything but overrated (thestar.com)
• Milan Lucic hit on Zac RInaldo (ndgoon.blogspot.com)

20 questions with former Sioux Matt Frattin

I really enjoyed this interview that Former Fighting Sioux All-American forward Matt Frattin did for the Toronto Maple Leafs web site. Notice his favorite goal was the game winner in the Final Five against DU.

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• Matt Frattin's second career goal. (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
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• Matt Frattin assists on Joe Colborne's first NHL goal... (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• Joey Crabb recalled by Maple Leafs; Matt Frattin assigned to AHL Marlies (thehockeynews.com)

Joey Crabb vs Johnny Oduya

If you watch the video closely it looks like Johnny Oduya slew footed Joey Crabb, hence the reason you hear Joey Crabb tell Oduya ef you. Then, there is fight, albeit not a very good one. I've got give Crabb credit for at least taking a poke at Oduya who is one tough S.O.B.

Matt Frattin Scores on his birthday.

First off nice happy birthday to former Fighting Sioux forward Matt Frattin. Wow! That was a nice goal as Frattin uses the Tampa Bay Lightning player Eric Brewer as a screen. That's goal number five (5) on the season for Matt Frattin.

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• Frattin talks about playing college hockey... (mvn.com)
• Crabb from Bozak (mvn.com)

Crabb from Bozak

I thought this was a nice give and go from two former college hockey players. Joey Crabb is a former Colorado College Tiger and Tyler Bozak is a former Denver Pioneer. The Toronto Maple Leafs are a fun team to watch and resemble a WCHA all-star team with Phil Kessel, Matt Frattin, Joey Crabb, Tyler Bozak, Jake Gardiner, Jay Rosehill dotting their roster. Former Denver Pioneer Joe Colborne has also played 9 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs as well.

Matt Frattin's fourth goal of the year....

As with most of former Fighting Sioux forward Matt Frattin's goals; they all seem to be of the highlight variety. That goal by Frattin tied the game for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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• Burke on Frattin - "He's going to get a good look in camp." (mvn.com)
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• Nazem Kadri: What Is His Current Value to the Toronto Maple Leafs? (bleacherreport.com)
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Dion Phaneuf not suspened for hit on Zach Kassian

The NHL decided not to suspend Dion Phaneuf for this hit on Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Kassian. Going forward I am surprised that Phaneuf wasn't given at least a game suspension. I think this is the type of hit that the league has to take out of the game hockey, this is a dangerous unnecessary hit. 

Dion Phaneuf plants Zack Kassian into the boards.

Toronto Maples Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf was given a five minute major and a game misconduct as he planted the Sabres forward Zack Kassian into the boards. Kassian went to the locker room and received some stitches.

All season long we have heard how fighting is ruining the game of hockey and is a major cause of all of these concussions and head injuries, but I am more concerned about these kind of hits. Some one is going to get maimed getting slammed head long into the boards. The players have got to learn that you can't smash you opponent head first into the boards.

Matt Frattin ties the game with 3rd goal of the year

As a Sioux fan we have seen this before. Nice to see former Fighting Sioux all-American and current Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matt Frattin get his third goal of the year. Frattin (3g-4a—7pts) has points in three of his last four  games.

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• Frattin ready to break out? (mvn.com)
• Burke on Frattin - "He's going to get a good look in camp." (mvn.com)
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• Joey Crabb recalled by Maple Leafs; Matt Frattin assigned to AHL Marlies (thehockeynews.com)
• Maple Leafs recall rookie forward Matt Frattin (theglobeandmail.com)

Andy Brickley on Phil Kessel

Image via WikipediaCheck out what former Boston Bruins player and NESN Hockey Analyst Andy Brickley had to say about former Gopher and Boston Bruins forward Phil Kessel, some interesting things. [Click to listen]

Andy Brickley was asked by the WEEI host if he knew Kessel and why he wasn’t happy here [Boston]. Not real flattering.

Brickley said, "I think he was just an really immature kid, he had some baggage, personal baggage when the Bruins first drafted him and they [Bruins] were well aware of it, the immaturity factor. Expectations level not only by the Bruins organization but for Phil himself, I don't think he was prepared for that. Could not not handle criticism, could not handle that you have to earn your ice time,kind of Claude Julian system or whoever was coaching or just the Bruins organizational belief, I don't think he was ready for that.

And then when he had a break out year where season where he scored a bunch of goals he saw how much money everyone was else making across the league, based on those numbers and he wanted that money then and there and the Bruins weren't prepared to pay him."

Sounds like an entitlement player to me.

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Matt Frattin and Adam McQuaid collision

s/t to a Tradition of Excellence Check out this collision between former Fighting Sioux forward Matt Frattin and Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid, both men are about the 200 pound range.It's like two trains colliding.

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Matt Frattin's second career goal.

Check out this goal from former Fighting Sioux all American and current Maple Leaf forward Matt Frattin, this goal closed the score to 4-3 before the Bruins scored two more goals. I have a feeling that Frattin is going to score many more goals in his NHL career.

Edit: On an unrelated note, here are the Bruins games against the Leafs this season. Total domination = the Bruins outscoring the Leafs 19-5.

FINAL TOR (2) - BOS (6)
FINAL BOS (7) - TOR (0)
TSN FINAL BOS (6) - TOR (3)  

Addendum: Some people have taken exception with my statement of the Bruins dominating the Leafs in a blog post after last night’s game.  Point of clarification; in the three games Boston Bruins have played against the Maple Leafs this season, the Boston Bruins outscored the Leafs 19-5.  I don't think it is a stretch to put that in the domination category; I am not sure what else we would call that?

While the Leafs out-shot the Boston Bruins 39-37 during last night’s game, I sometimes think the shots stat is one of the most over used and meaningless stats in hockey. Like my buddy Trin says, “you can beat people over the head with stats but the only one that matters is the final score at the end of the game.”

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• Burke on Frattin - "He's going to get a good look in camp." (mvn.com)
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• Maple Leafs recall rookie forward Matt Frattin (theglobeandmail.com)
• Joey Crabb recalled by Maple Leafs; Matt Frattin assigned to AHL Marlies (thehockeynews.com)
• Frattin ready to break out? (mvn.com)

Matt Frattin assists on Joe Colborne's first NHL goal...

I had the opportunity to watch two of Toronto's games this past weekend and I have to admit it's fun seeing some of the former college players playing on the Toronto Maple Leafs. This assist by Frattin on the Colborne goal is a thing of beauty, Frattin had two assists on the night giving him four points for the year 1g-3a-4pts. I think the pass is harder than it looks. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs roster looks like an NCAA All-Star team; Phil Kessel (Minnesota), Matt Frattin (UND), Tyler Bozak (DU), Joey Crabb (C.C.), Joe Colborne (DU), Mike Brown (Mich), David Steckel (MSU), Ben Scrivens (Cornell), John-Michael Liles (MSU), Mike Komisarek (Mich), Jake Gardiner (WISC), Jay Rosehill (UMD). The Maple Leafs roster is a testimate of the kind of players that come out of NCAA Division I hockey.