Bettman coolly exploits both Winnipeg and Glendale

Here is an interesting story on the Phoenix Coyotes situation. Really no shock here, NHL butt head Gary Bettman exploiting both citys to further his failing agenda. My question is how long does the NHL go one with this charade? When does the NHL decide to pull the pin and move the club to Winnipeg?

If there was any doubt about the shamelessness of the NHL when it comes to the Phoenix Coyotes, it was erased last Thursday when commissioner Gary Bettman had an ultimatum delivered to the city officials of Glendale, Ariz.

Show us proof you have $25-million (all currency U.S.) available to cover the Coyotes’ operating losses next season, the suburban Phoenix community was told, or we will sell the team immediately to someone who will move it. Glendale city council member Phil Lieberman said Tuesday they were not told who was buying the Coyotes or where they were going, but he found out the destination was Winnipeg.

The ultimatum was made one week after Bettman dismissed reports he had a backup plan to sell the Coyotes to True North Sports and Entertainment of Winnipeg. “Rampant speculation that has no foundation,” Bettman said in one interview.

But there was Bettman’s henchman, deputy commissioner Bill Daly, dropping a Winnipeg grenade into the lap of Glendale city manager Ed Beasley. Cough up $25-million or we’re out of here.

Officials from the city of 250,000 were given until 5 p.m. Friday to produce the $25-million guarantee, according to one source. They caved at 4:45, with 15 minutes to spare. [Read the rest of the story]

University of Minnesota Duluth hockey recruit faces assault charges

I don't know but it seems like there have been a lot of conduct related issues this summer with the College hockey players. Impressive, takes a big man to rough up your girl friend. It will be interesting to see if Sandy pulls the plug on this clown or not.

Duluth News Tribune--- A 2010-11 University of Minnesota Duluth freshman hockey recruit was arrested early Tuesday on domestic assault charges after allegedly attacking his girlfriend in her College of St. Scholastica dorm room.

Christopher Michael Stafne, 20, of Duluth is charged with fifth-degree domestic assault. He was arrested and booked in the St. Louis County Jail about 2 a.m. Tuesday. He was later released pending his next court appearance, scheduled for June 15.

A court order also was filed Tuesday prohibiting Stafne from having contact with his alleged victim. Stafne returned a reporter’s phone call Tuesday but declined to comment on the charge against him.

According to police reports:

Stafne’s girlfriend told police he has an anger problem. She didn’t want to talk to him Monday night and she turned off her cell phone. She said she was trying to sleep when Stafne showed up at her dorm room. The woman said Stafne was upset with her because he thought she was cheating on him, and his suspicions led him to wanting to see her cell phone.

She said he took the cell phone from her and when she tried to take it back, he pushed her down and she fell between the bed and the dresser.

The woman said that Stafne then went into the bathroom with her cell phone and tried to close the door. She tried to open the door but he pushed her and slammed the door, hitting her with the door. A roommate of the woman said Stafne also was verbally abusive to his girlfriend.

The victim sustained a bruise on her forearm, a scrape with redness on her neck and marks on her back, allegedly as a result of the assault.

Summer of discontent in New Jersey

From reading this article it sounds like the New Jersey Devils had a mess in the locker room. While it is easy to blame the coach when a team fails I think the players have to accept some of the blame. Almost reminiscent of last season in St Paul when Lemaire left the Minnesota Wild. The same complaints are surfacing again. One of the common complaints from Wild players and fans was how Lemaire liked to juggle the forward lines all of the time and if you didn't like the current line combination to wait five minutes because it would change again. A lot of coaches do that. Former Fighting Sioux hockey coach Dean Blais did it a lot when he was the head coach of the Fighting Sioux.

During almost a month of vacation in Florida since he announced his retirement on April 26, Lemaire has watched the Stanley Cup playoffs and feels the Devils could have been the team coming out of the Eastern Conference.

“We all tried to find the reason why we lost. That’s normal,” Lemaire told The Star-Ledger today. “But criticism shouldn’t be part of trying to find what we could have done differently. To me you have to be objective.”

Lemaire has come under criticism from several Devils players, including captain Jamie Langenbrunner, for the way he handled several team matters during the second half of the season.

But the coach defended his habit of constantly juggling line combinations, the manner in which he informed veteran players such as Jay Pandolfo that they would not be in the lineup, and the fact that he allowed Ilya Kovalchuk to play his own individual game rather than conform to the Devils’ style.

“I look at the teams still in the playoffs right now. They match lines. I don’t see why we would be so special that we don’t have to match lines,” Lemaire said.

“As far as switching the players on lines, Scotty Bowman has been known as a great coach and he moved players around a lot. There are a lot of coaches who move players around when things aren’t going well or playing against certain teams. I’ve done it my whole career. I don’t think it’s an issue. It could be an issue if you’re not good enough and you need to play with certain guys to get better. Then, for that particular guy, it would be an issue.”

There were some who felt Lemaire should have kept the Zach Parise-Travis Zajac-Langenbrunner line intact.

“I try to get the best out of players. Sometimes, yes, I did put guys with certain other guys so they play better,” Lemaire said, “but I have to think about the team and what is good for the team. I’m happy with the way I’ve done things. No regrets. I’ve always done this and the success was there.”

Kovalchuk was allowed to play a different style.

“He played different than the other guys because of his talent. I have no problem with that,” Lemaire said. “He had 6-7 chances a game. You think I’m going to tell him to play defense? Come on. We’re looking to score goals here. Give me a break.
[Read the rest of the story here]

It also kind of sounds like Jamie Langenbrunner while me might have a legitimate grip, it was a tough season for the Devils they finish in second in the Eastern Division and bow out to the 7th place seed Philadelphia Flyers. Personally, I do see what good does it do to complain about the head coach, especially after he has resigned and wont be back next season. The while some of the onus is on the coach the players are the one that play in the games. I think there are too many prima donna's in professional sports that think they are entitled to playing time. Compare and contrast you read about Zach Parise or Travis Zajac complaining about the head coach.

“We’re here in the business of winning a championship. A lot didn’t work out as far as players and coaches,” Langenbrunner said. “I definitely won’t point the finger at Jacques.”

Nor did he deny they didn’t always see eye-to-eye.

“There were some differences of opinion when it came to dealing with a few issues,” Langenbrunner said. “There were some things that were done that probably didn’t help the situation. For most of the season it was fine, up until Christmas.

“There were a few things that happened, a few issues that were tough for me to let go. I probably didn’t handle them correctly. Not all personalities completely mesh, but they are able to work together. I had no problems with the way he treated me. It was more about team issues that we would never agree on.”
[Read the rest of the story]

USHL Players at 2010 NHL Scouting Combine

USHL Players at 2010 NHL Scouting Combine

Bill Arnold (F), Team USA
Connor Brickley (F), Des Moines Buccaneers
Jack Campbell (G), Team USA
Jacob Fallon (F), Indiana Ice
Justin Faulk (D), Team USA
Derek Forbort (D), (Team USA/UND Recruit)
Kevin Gravel (D), Sioux City Musketeers
Justin Holl (D), Omaha Lancers
Stephen Johns (D), Team USA
Jon Merrill (D), Team USA
Jaden Schwartz (F), Tri-City Storm
Jarred Tinordi (D), Team USA
Jason Zucker (F), Team USA
Patrick McNally, (D), (Indiana Ice)
Brock Nelson (F), (Green Bay Gamblers/UND recruit)
Max Gardiner (F), (Des Moines Buccaneers)
Kevin Hayes (Indiana Ice)
Zane Gothberg (Fargo Force/UND recruit).

As NHL teams make their final preparations for the NHL Entry Draft in June, they will get an up-close look at the top prospects this week during the NHL Scouting Combine. Among the 100 players invited to the Combine are 13 who spent the 2009-10 season in the USHL.

The NHL Scouting Combine, which will run May 24-29 in Toronto and is conducted by NHL Central Scouting, is an opportunity for NHL teams to meet and interview prospects, as well as see them tested in an off-ice setting, which includes vigorous physical, medical, and psychological tests. [USHL.COM]

Richards touches the Prince of Wales Trophy

The Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews didn't touch the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl. Mike Richards took the cup and marched off to the Flyers dressing room. The celebration was subdued as well for both captains. Just for the record; last year Sidney Crosby touched the Prince of Wales Trophy and we all know how that turned out. Just for the record I think the Blackhawks are going to win in six games.

2010 Stanley Cup Final Schedule

I can only hope that the hotel I am staying in down in Texas has Versus on the dial for the Wednesday and Friday game. That is a long break between game five and game six. I was really hoping that the Les Habitants would've made a series out of it, but it wasn't to be. At first glance you would think that the Blackhawks could end up closing out the Flyers in 4 games but I think this is going to be a long series.

Game 1: Saturday, May 29 at Chicago, 8 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS
Game 2: Monday, May 31 at Chicago, 8 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS
Game 3: Wednesday, June 2 at Philadelphia, 8 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Game 4: Friday, June 4 at Philadelphia, 8 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Game 5: *Sunday, June 6 at Chicago, 8 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS
Game 6: *Wednesday, June 9 at Philadelphia, 8 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS
Game 7: *Friday, June 11 at Chicago, 8 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS
* If necessary

Big, burly and beautiful to Blackhawks

You have to wonder if the opposition teams like the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks are having nightmares of Dustin Byfuglien scoring goals against them in their sleep. The emergence of Byfuglien (8g-2a-10pts)might have something to do with playing on the line with Patrick Kane (7g-13-20pts) and Jonathan Toews (7g-16a-25pts).

CHICAGO - Here's how Dustin Byfuglien sees it: The puck always finds him when he is in the perfect position.

His Chicago Blackhawks teammates view it this way: Big Buff's easy to find when he's open because at six foot four and 257 pounds, he's hard to miss.

Whatever the reason, Byfuglien has emerged as a star for the young Blackhawks. He scored three game-winning goals during a sweep of San Jose in the Western Conference final that put Chicago in the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 1992.

Like a big tight end clawing his way through defenders to get open or a linebacker crushing a running back with a block in the open field, Byfuglien's physical play, deft touch and ability to clear space have given his team another element in its quest for the franchise's first NHL title since 1961.

Put him on the same line with the team's most recognizable and publicized young stars, 21-year-old Patrick Kane and 22-year-old captain Jonathan Toews, and Byfuglien has really blossomed. He scored one goal in each game against the Sharks.

"I'm not really on any cloud right now," said Byfuglien (pronounced BUHF'-lihn). "I'm just doing work for the kids and finishing it up. I have faith in myself and I just kept going."

Byfuglien, who had a hat trick in a victory over the Canucks in the semifinals when he took up his customary role in front of goalie Roberto Luongo, showed his versatility against the Sharks. He had the game-winner in the opener with a wrist shot from the slot after Toews won a faceoff and Kane slid him the puck.

"With those two you never know what's going to happen," Byfuglien said.

Is Marian Hossa a curse?

I was thinking about this yesterday after the Blackhawks had won their game against the San Jose Sharks and you have to wonder if Hossa's fellow Blackhawk teammates are looking at him and going no, not that guy again.

CHICAGO — Marian Hossa is either blessed, or cursed.

We’ll find out soon enough when the Chicago winger makes his third straight trip to the Stanley Cup final with his third different team.

Having lost in Game 7 with Detroit last year and Pittsburgh the year before that, Hossa is hoping (actually he’s long past the point of hoping and has moved on to agonizing) that this time he will finally close the deal.

“It’s a great feeling coming to the finals again, definitely,” said the 31-year-old ex-Ottawa Senator. “This time I want to finish in a much more positive way than the last two years. That’s my goal. It’s a huge accomplishment (winning the West), but we don’t want to stop here.”

It will help Chicago’s chances greatly if Hossa actually scores a goal or two in the final, a fact that’s not lost on a sniper searching far and wide for his trigger finger.

“I am frustrated, trust me,” said Hossa, who has two goals in 16 playoff games so far.

History will be made; Dustin Byfuglien and don't touch the trophy

I think the emergence of Dustin Byfuglien is one of the feel good stories of this years Stanley Cup Playoffs. Nice to see the Roseau that came from a modest upbringing kid doing well and succeeding at a very high level.

Superstitions

What is the deal with NHL and college hockey players not wanting to touch the trophy after they win a conference title in their respective leagues? This season the DU Pioneers looked like they were unhappy or at least unenthused to receive the MacNaughton Cup and yesterday former Sioux hockey player Jonathan Toews wanted nothing to do with the Clarence Campbell trophy. I think the Blackhawks are that good they don’t need to worry about touching a trophy.

People say/write the silliest things

This is my candidate for moron of the week.

Can you imagine how good UND would have been if we could have got him to play at UND? Wow he is great!

I hope he gets hit super hard by pronger in the finals!!!!

Posted by: Toews wow! on Monday, May 24 8:48 AM

When Toews came to UND he was 17 years old and I believe he made at a young age of 18. Doesn't happen very often and Toews is a special player. The kid is 22 years old, he is the captain of the Chicago Blackhawks. Toews has won (2X) WJC titles with team Canada, a world championship and a Olympic gold as well.

Chicago Moves on in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

I will have to admit that the Chicago Blackhawks have grown on me. I am a Bruins fan by heart and have always respected the Chicago Blackhawks. Being a Fighting Sioux hockey fan I have enjoyed watching former Fighting Sioux star Jonathan Toews playing a big role in the Blackhawks success. Toews is leading the NHL in points with during the Stanley Cup Playoffs (7g-18a-28pts) in 15 games. Toews is probably going to be the Conn Smythe Trophy if keeps up his torrid place in the finals.

At the beginning of the season I had predicted that the Bruins and the Blackhawks would be playing for the Stanley Cup Final. I guess I am half right. I would like to see another Ex-Fighting Sioux players name on the Stanley Cup.

Keith loses teeth, but shows plenty of heart

Ouch, I can't even imagine having your teeth knocked out and coming back to play in the same game. This is why I think hockey players are the toughest athletes in all of sports.

CHICAGO -- The chicklets came pouring out of his mouth, and one even got stuck in the back of his throat. Duncan Keith lost seven teeth in all, three on the top and four on the bottom, when the puck came off Patrick Marleau's stick and hit him square in the mouth.

That was with 12:30 remaining in the second period of Sunday's series-clinching win over the San Jose Sharks. Seven minutes later, after some pronto dental work behind closed doors, Keith was back on the ice for the Chicago Blackhawks.

May 22nd, 2010 Post-game with Ron MacLean & Don Cherry

True North confirmed as owner in waiting

Another day, another turn of events in the on going saga that is the Phoenix Coyotes. It’s like an on going bad soap opera that never ends. I do wonder if the Jets are being played in order to secure a buyer for the Phoenix Coyotes?

The NHL has told the City of Glendale to sell the Phoenix Coyotes to a buyer willing to keep them in Arizona by Dec. 31 or the team will be moved to Winnipeg.

True North Sports and Entertainment, a group led by Mark Chipman and David Thomson, have had the framework of a relocation deal in place with the league for some time, and is the third party the league is referring to in an agreement reached between the NHL and the city of Glendale on Friday.

A document sent by the league to the city of Glendale last week says the NHL has a bona-fide offer from a viable purchaser who would relocate the hockey team to another market for the 2010-11 season and contemplates that the owners (the NHL) would break even on their investment in the team through the end of the 2009-10 NHL season as well as the NHL potentially receiving a relocation fee.

True North had no comment when reached on Saturday, but the Free Press has learned they are the third party the league refers to in the agreement.

On Friday the City of Glendale reached an agreement with the league to cover operating costs up to US$25 million to keep the Coyotes in Jobing.com Arena for the 2010-11 NHL season.

The league has held discussions with the Ice Edge group and Jerry Reinsdorf, who owns the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Whitesox. Both say they want to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix.

It is believed Ice Edge isn’t interested in further talks without exclusivity that would make it the only prospective buyer to keep the team in Arizona.

"The owners currently have a bona-fide offer from a viable purchaser who would relocate the hockey team to another market for the 2010-11 season and contemplates that the owners [the NHL] would break even on their investment in the team through the end of the 2009-10 NHL season as well as the NHL potentially receiving a relocation fee..." the document obtained by the Globe reads. [read the rest of the article]

Ice in his veins (Dustin Byfuglien story)

Here is a really nice story that I found on line about Dustin Byfuglien. It's worth a read and a nice story about a kid from Roseau that made his way through life struggles to be the NHL player he is today.

Hockey Is Life reads a banner hanging at the Memorial Arena in Dustin Byfugliens hometown of Roseau, Minn., 10 miles south of the Canadian border.

The statement isnt hyperbole for the 20-year-old Norfolk Admirals rookie, who has skated out of a difficult childhood and is on the cusp of an NHL career.

Raised by a single mother battling unpaid bills and factory work, Byfuglien (pronounced BUFF-lin) all but grew up in Memorial Arena. If the ice wasnt available or he couldnt talk his way into the play, hed sit in the stands for hours, watching alone.

The boy was not interested in school, and academic ineligibility meant he never played for the storied Roseau High Rams. Theyve won six state championships since 1946, including a 1990 title run against bigger schools that is Minnesotas hockey version of Hoosiers.

Left with all his pucks in one bucket, Byfuglien at age 17 took the only shot he had, leaving home for Canada and major junior hockey.

In Roseau, a town of about 2,800, there was skepticism about the kids future. If he couldnt be bothered to make passing grades back home, how likely was he to apply himself up North?

But Byfugliens move panned out. The Chicago Blackhawks made the 6- foot-3 defenseman an eighth-round pick in the 2003 NHL entry draft, and two years later handed him a $300,000 bonus and a three-year contract and shipped him to Scope. In 25 Admirals games, he has five goals and 10 points and is rated a plus-2 .

With a few years of toil and a second contract, Byfuglien could be financially set for life. His childhood poverty means he pinches a penny harder than most Admirals, and his simple tastes run toward outdoor recreation and time with friends. [Read the rest of the story]

NHL could cash in on return to its roots

This is a good article and it does cause one to ask the question why the hell is the NHL in markets like Phoenix, Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Miami? I mean seriously. Hockey is a niche sport that is failing miserably in these southern markets. Hello! Hockey is played on ice, I don’t think unless there is an ice age people are going to be playing shinny on the frozen pond in any of these southern locations. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that hockey is more popular in northern markets and is a northern game.

If the National Hockey League relocated three of its weakest Southern U.S. franchises to Canada, their individual franchise values would increase by more than 50 per cent and the league's average team valuation would jump by $11 million US.

The combined revenues of the three relocated franchises would rise by $100 million per year, jacked up largely by average attendance of 6,000 more fans per game -or a total of 738,000 more per season -and regional television audiences at least 20 times larger than what they are now in the U.S. Sun Belt.

Those are the blue sky conclusions of a study comparing major financial and sport business indicators for NHL clubs in Canada and the United States. Released today by The Vancouver Sun and TheSportMarket.biz,it paints a picture of lucrative franchises north of the border and money-bleeding teams in the Southern U.S., mainly in the troubled Sun Belt markets of Phoenix, Atlanta and Miami. [read the rest of the story]

Carcillo mad at Cammalleri for sticking his tounge out at him.

When I read this article my first impression was that “uber hack” Daniel Carcillo must be running for douche bag of the month in the NHL. The man is a clown and not to be taken seriously. One thing that I think is funny is that Carcillo dives up and down the ice and makes a mockery of the officials and he is going to lecture Michael Cammalleri about respect? It's also funny how Carcillo goes after the more skilled players but doesn't want anything to do with the heavy weights like Colton Orr. Respect is earned Carcillo. I can’t believe the press would even cover these comments from Carcillo.

MONTREAL -- Losing to the Montreal Canadiens was bad enough for Philadelphia Flyers agitator Daniel Carcillo. Seeing Michael Cammalleri stick out his tongue at him following a skirmish was over the top.

If that is the way the Canadiens want to play, Carcillo is up for the challenge. One day after their 5-1 loss in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final, the Flyers got back to work.

Being disrespected by Cammalleri is another thing Carcillo and his teammates intend to use as a rallying point when they hit the ice again Saturday for Game 4. Philadelphia will be trying to take a 3-1 series lead back home for Game 5 on Monday.

Carcillo was still bothered Friday by Cammalleri's actions that occurred when a linesman broke up a shoving match between the two late in the second period while the Canadiens led 3-0.

"It's embarrassing," Carcillo said. "We could maybe keep that in the pit of our stomach (Saturday) for a little extra motivation."

Carcillo then called Cammalleri "a homer," noting that the Canadiens never tried anything like that during the Flyers' two home wins at the start of the series. With a smile, he added that the last time anyone stuck their tongue out at him was "probably a girl -- a pretty one, too."

Cammalleri saw nothing wrong with what he did. He said he and Carcillo went to the same school in King City, Ontario, and have numerous mutual friends.

"It's hockey. You jaw a little bit out there," said Cammalleri, who scored the opening goal Thursday -- Montreal's first of the series. "You know what, when you're winning the game, it's fun, so you try to enjoy it."
[TSN.COM]

Here is the Philly line on the incident in question. The big mean Broad Bully's sound like a bunch of middle school choir girls. I am beginning to long for the old school NHL hockey where if you had a beef with another player on the ice you settled it like men and didn’t whine in the media.

"There's a fine line between cocky and confident," Daniel Carcillo said. Canadian reporters were asking him about a moment captured on the arena's scoreboard screen.

Montreal forward Michael Cammalleri was seen sticking his tongue out at Carcillo. That and some trash talk from Maxim Lapierre had the Flyers smoldering a bit. [Philly.com]

Hum! This is an interesting turn of events. They should just go ahead and move the team back to Winnipeg. The NHL has been a failure in Phoenix and yet Gary Bettman keeps up with the charade in the desert.

Winnipeg’s hopes to get back in the NHL jumped again, as the league issued an ultimatum to the city of Glendale – find a buyer for the Phoenix Coyotes by Dec. 31 or we will sell them to someone we have waiting to buy and move the team.

The threat is included in the agreement between the NHL and the suburban Phoenix city in which the city agreed to pay up to $25-million (all currency U.S.) of the Coyotes’ operating losses for the 2010-11 season. That agreement was completed on Friday and a copy was obtained by The Globe and Mail.

There was no mention of the prospective buyer in the agreement but the only buyers the NHL has admitted speaking to in connection with the Coyotes, aside from Jerry Reinsdorf and the Ice Edge group who both want to keep the Coyotes in Arizona, are Canadian billionaire David Thomson and Mark Chipman, the CEO of True North Sports and Entertainment, who own and operate the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.
[Read the article]

Scott Hartnell vs Roman Hamrlik

There have been so few fights during the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Hab's and Flyers are heating up. Wouldn't you know it Scott "Mop Head" Hartnell was back at it fighting with his shield on. I will give the Euro Roman Hamrlik for fighting Scott Hartnell who has been known to fight and dropped the gloves 8 gimes this season.

Early Departures racking up in the WCHA

So far this off season there 9 12 WCHA hockey players that will not be coming back to their college teams next season. There are a few others players that could move on and sign professional or return to Junior Hockey. I think one of the bigger shockers this week was the UMD Bulldog goalie Brady Hjelle leaving the Dogs.

I suppose you could say that there is a slight chance that Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan might sign professional contracts with the New York Rangers. There is no reason for either player to hurry and sign.

There has been two schools of thought on whether Ryan McDonagh will sign with the Rangers or not. Ranger's head coach John Tortorella’s favorite beat writer Larry Brooks seems to think that the Rangers are trying to sign Ryan McDonagh. Jess Rubenstein from the The Prospect Park has a little different prospective on the matter.

The Sioux are going to lose David Toews to the WHL and could possibly lose Corey Fienhage who was recently placed on the protected list by the WHL's Kamloops Blazers. EDIT: s/t to Lets Go Mavs as she reminded me that Tyler Pitlick might be leaving the Mavericks and one of their freshmen goalies Kevin Murdock is going back to Juniors.

The early depatures list

Denver -- 3
Joe Colborne, So, F, Boston Bruins
Patrick Wiercioch, So, D, Ottawa Senators
Marc Cheverie, Jr, G, Florida Panthers

Alaska-Anchorage -- 2
Lee Baldwin, Fr, D, New York Rangers
Bryce Christianson, Jr, G, Stockton (ECHL)

Wisconsin -- 2
Cody Goloubef, Jr, D, Columbus Blue Jackets
*Brendan Smith, Jr, D, Detroit Red Wings (signing with the Redwings)

Minnesota -- 1
Jordan Schroeder, So, F, Vancouver Canucks

Minnesota-Duluth -- 2
Rob Bordson, Jr, F, Anaheim Ducks
Brady Hjelle, So, G, going back to juniors

University of North Dakota -- 1
David Toews, So, F, going to the WHL

Minnesota State Mankato -- 1
Kevin Murdock, Fr, G, going to Lincoln Stars USHL

Tim Thomas: 'Too Early' To Entertain Idea of Waiving No-Trade Clause

It was a obvious that Bruins goalie Tim Thomas didn't have as good of season as he did during his Venzina Trophy winning season the year before, however, I think the Bruins management might want to think long and hard before they run Tim Thomas out of town via a trade. Well unless you can get great value in return in the form of offense. In my opinion, Tim Thomas is a good goalie and I predict that he will rebound next season.

It was an interesting 2009-10 season for Bruins goalie Tim Thomas to say the least, so it seemed only fitting that he was the last Bruin to address the media on the team’s annual -- yet not-so-enjoyable breakup day at TD Garden Tuesday morning.

After winning the Vezina Trophy in 2008-09 and coming into the season as the incumbent starter between the pipes for the Black and Gold, Thomas fell behind the 8 Ball with an early season injury. While his stats (17-18-8, 2.56 GAA, .915 save-percentage) weren’t bad, he never seemed to regain the Vezina form and consistency of the previous season.

Thomas eventually lost the starting job to rookie Tuukka Rask and was the subject of numerous trade rumors at the NHL trade deadline in March. With the team’s offseason underway and Thomas carrying a hefty $14 million salary cap hit spread out over the next three seasons, questions are already being asked if Thomas, who has a no-trade clause, might entertain a change of scenery and waive the no-trade to be a starter again for another team?

"Too early," he said right away. "Those kind of thoughts are something that need to be thought over carefully and over a longer period of time and I haven’t had the luxury of doing that yet. It is so early after the end of the season that I haven’t took the time yet. We have had these end of the year meetings, get our equipment, we have had some other activities. Over the next month I will let things kind of settle in my mind and come up with some of that stuff later, but not yet."
[NESN.COM]

Reality: These playoffs have a mind of their own

I thought I would include this for Fighting Sioux hockey fans, Jonathan Toews has been on a tear this season and it really has been impressive. Give me less Crosby and more Toews any day. 

Belief: Sidney Crosby is hockey's best young leader and most clutch performer.
Reality: OK, that still might be true. Nobody can take away Crosby's 2009 Stanley Cup and Olympic game-winning goal. But Jonathan Toews is making his case as hockey's best big-game player.

Toews graciously accepted his role on Team Canada's checking line during the Olympics and emerged as one of the tournament's best two-way players. He had eight points in seven Olympic games and was named to the all-tournament team. If the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup, he'll likely take home the Conn Smythe. He's on an 11-game point streak and leads playoff scorers with 23 points.

"I don't think I've ever seen him this good," teammate Patrick Kane said. "Seems like the guy is a big-time player." [read the whole story]

Gophers sign a goaltender from Ontario

This came across on Twitter tonight and I found it entertaining so I thought I would share it. It’s from the beat writer for the Minnesota Gophers. I wonder who many Gopher fans are upset they have "gasp" a Canadian joining their team in the 2011-2012 year. I wonder what took them so long? There is one point that does reek of entitlement; "the Gophers have not really told him how much he will play his first season." Yeah!

It has been reported for days that G Joel Vienneau of Hearst, Ont., has committed to the Gophers for 2011-12. Finally reached him...
[On Twitter]

He said he verbally committed three weeks ago. "When I went up to visit, I felt comfortable with their team and their place," he said.
[On Twitter]

Vienneau: "I was always leaning toward Minnesota." A number of other schools were recruiting him, Michigan was the Gophers' biggest rival.
[On Twitter]

Vienneau: "The fans were all into the game and all of them were cheering." He has signed to play with Muskegon, the new Michigan team
[On Twitter]

He said the Gophers have not really told him how much he will play his first season. He will be a freshman when Kent Patterson is a sr.
[On Twitter]

in the USHL next season. "It's a stronger league than the Canada or Ontario junior A leagues, so it will get me better prepared" for WCHA.
[On Twitter]

The Eye thinks coach Lucia will ease him into the goalie spot and give him more time as the 2011-12 season progresses.
[On Twitter]

Bemidji State men's hockey: Nagle coin set in concrete at each end of BREC arena

Here is an interesting story about the BREC Robert H. Peters Rink. A nice honor to a great guy Galen Nagle. I can't wait to golf in the Galen Nagle Tourney again this season.

Before the 2002 Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City, Canadian ice makers placed a Loonie coin on the arena floor under the center ice face-off dot before making the ice for the hockey tournaments.

The Canadian men and women won the gold medals.

In 2008, a Boston baseball fan buried a Red Sox jersey in the concrete at the new Yankee Stadium construction site.

At great expense, the jersey was chipped out.

Even the John Glas Fieldhouse on the Bemidji State University campus was infiltrated last summer when a member of the rival Alabama-Huntsville team placed a horse, representing their Chargers mascot, somewhere in the arena. It has yet to be found.

The Bemidji Regional Event Center, new home to Beavers hockey, will have its own talisman, or maybe it could be considered a memorial to a fallen teammate.

Tom Kaplan, a defenseman for the Beavers in the mid 1970s and current public address announcer, came up with the idea to place a Galen Nagle medallion in the concrete floor of the new arena.

Nagle was a goalie for the Beavers from 1980-84. He worked as a coach and teacher in Minnesota for several years before losing his life to cancer in 1996 at the age of 34. [Read the rest of the story]

Buffalo a hockey hot bed?

Chris Dilks from Western College Hockey had this article on his linkorama post and while the article brings up some thought provoking points, I found a few of his ideas to be quite laughable and almost hilarious. Canisius isn’t ever going to be anything but a door mat and hardly on the same level as the CCHA power house Miami University.

Heck, it should be an arms race.

Rochester Institute of Technology became a national contender in five years. RIT last season emerged from Atlantic Hockey, which included Canisius, and reached the Frozen Four. It was a great story, one that could easily be repeated if administrators in our region get their heads out of the sand. This is a no-brainer, a belt-high fastball down the middle.

Canisius coach Dave Smith has done a terrific job, but he's tangled in an unfair fight despite the pretty campus, excellent academics and rich tradition. Recruiting hits a wall when he's forced to admit the home rink rests — where? — on Buffalo State's campus.

Rumblings had Sabres owner Tom Golisano willing to donate some $10 million toward an on- campus events center, which would house graduation ceremonies, basketball and hockey, if Canisius approached him. School officials are waiting for him to come to them.

Good heavens, people, make it work. Canisius hockey with a 4,000-seat rink could become Miami of Ohio hockey, which spent most of last season as the top-ranked team in the country.

Niagara was going in the right direction before pulling back when it should have pushed. The Purple Eagles had 18 scholarships and planned to expand Dwyer Arena; then its conference folded. It joined Atlantic Hockey, which allows only 12 scholarships. The concrete had been poured, but why expand the arena after contracting the program?

And then there's UB, which could build a major D-I contender in no time. The backward thinking common in state government suggests a lack of funding is the problem. Top officials haven't caught on to the idea that strong hockey programs often turn a profit. Just ask Michigan.

My fantasy: Canisius and Niagara leave Atlantic Hockey, which has 12 teams but only one automatic bid. Ivy League schools band together, as they do in other sports. Toss Canisius, Niagara, RIT, UB, Mercyhurst, St. Lawrence, Clarkson and perhaps Syracuse, if it also wakes up, into a new conference.

It seems like a natural. [Read the rest of the Article]

While the run that Rochester Institute of Technology made this spring was an awesome story, in reality RIT is a decent not great team in a very weak cupcake laden Atlantic Hockey Association. I also think RIT are going to be hard pressed to replicate that feat again, the AHA brings in RMU and Niagara and the AHA teams will soon fall victim to the former CHA teams.

Finally, check out the teams that he threw out there; Canisius, Niagara, RIT, UB, Mercyhurst, St. Lawrence, Clarkson and perhaps Syracuse. Yeah! Nothing screams mediocre like that list of teams.

Luke Johnson picked 11th in USHL draft

Central Knight's sophmore forward Luke Johnson was picked 11th in the USHL draft. Luke is the son of former Fighting Sioux star Steve Johnson and current coach of the Fargo Force.

1 DubuqueBarber, RileyRWLivonia, MI5.10179Compuware(T1Min)Feb 07/94
2 MuskegonCockerill, GarretRDBrighton, MI5.11170Compuware(T1Min)Feb 19/94
3 Sioux FallsMoore, BryanCMatthews, NC5.11175Carolina(NAPHL)May 25/94
4 Waterloo (From Sioux City)Hinostroza, VincentCBartlett, IL5.08144Chi Mission(T1Min)Apr 03/94
5 OmahaChlapik, AdamC6.00190Jr. Kings(T1Maj)Feb 04/94
6 Des MoinesKoules, MilesRWLos Angeles, CA5.10171Shattuck U16(MinnM)Jun 25/94
7 IndianaPolesello, RobertCBolton, Ont.5.06160Tor Jr. Canadians(GTHLMn)Apr 27/94
8 FargoWade, JustinRDAurora, IL6.01196Chi Mission(T1Min)Apr 13/94
9 Green BayStoick, GavinRWLittleton, CO6.02189Thunderbirds(T1Min)Jul 02/94
10 Waterloo (From Tri-City)Stepan, ZachCBalsam Lake, WI5.11155Shattuck U16(MinnM)Jan 06/94
11 Lincoln Johnson, LukeCGrand Forks, ND5.09149GF Central(ND-HS)Sep 19/94

Eulogy: Remembering the 2009-10 Boston Bruins

This was posted on Puck Daddy yesterday and as a Bruins fan it becomes more funny as the day elapse after the infamous and historic choke job. When people look back at the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs people will remember how the Bruins lost a 3-0 series lead and a 3-0 lead in game seven.

We come here not to merely bury the 2010 Boston Bruins in a lovely sun-kissed corner of Milan Lucic's(notes) caged enclosure, but to celebrate their exceptional life and extraordinary demise. While we remember most Bruins teams of the past as dull, cheap and usually lacking in championships and charisma, the 2010 model has left this mortal coil leaving a season's worth of memories to savour.

Always desperate for scoring, but more desperate to save noted skinflint owner Jeremy Jacobs a few dollars in the long run, the 2010 Bruins began their life in a protracted off-season salary dispute with 36-goal scorer Phil Kessel(notes). Unwilling or unable to see that their undeniable lack of scoring punch would cripple them, and hamstrung by Jacobs' cheap ways and the asinine contracts handed out to perennial 15-goal thug Lucic and defending Vezina Trophy winner and corndog eating champion of Genesee County, Michigan, Tim Thomas(notes), the Bruins traded Kessel to their division rival Toronto for a package that included what turned out to be the 2nd overall pick in this year's draft. We eagerly anticipate history repeating itself in 3-5 years when Taylor Hall demands fair market value and is promptly Joe Thortoned or Kesseled away.

As we look fondly back on the 2010 Bruins, some notable memories come to mind. The evening Boston played their traditional role of whipping boy to Montreal during the Canadiens' 100th anniversary game celebration was a moment to cherish. The New Year was rung in with the Bruins hosting the Winter Classic versus the Flyers at a jam-packed Fenway Park. The majority of Bostonians attended because they heard "Fenway" and assumed their beloved Red Sox were involved; a collective 'hell, we-ah already he-ah" resulted in the sell-out crowd of drunken Southies sticking around to see the Bruins beat the Flyers 2-1 in retro-chic uniforms designed by noted fashionista and former Bruin winger Cam "played a gay trucker opposite Jim Carrey" Neely. [Read the rest of the story]

Too many men is only one reason...

Just for the record, the reason the Bruins lost this series is they failed to put up a good effort after they won the 3rd game of the series, they didn't put up a very good effort after that game. After game three the Flyers beat the Bruins in all three zones of the ice. The Flyers played with fire the Bruins were listless.

Everyone I talk to mentions the too many men on the ice penalty but it's more than that, it's about a team that stopped playing as a team and started playing like individuals. The too many men on the ice is just one minor thing that happened along the way to the EPIC failure. The more I hear Barry Melrose talk the more I think the guy is out to lunch.

Five keys to failure

1.) Didn't play disciplined hockey, lacked leadership.
2.) Didn't cash in on offensive opportunities.
3.) Too many turn overs that lead to scoring opportunities for the Flyers.
4.) Too many passengers not pulling their weight.
5.) Poor defensive efforts at key times in the games.

The loss left the Bruins one of three teams in NHL history to blow a best-of-seven series after holding a 3-0 lead.

"The bottom line is we had a 3-0 lead in the series, we had a 3-0 lead tonight, and we blew them both," Boston coach Claude Julien said. "We have to take the responsibility that goes with it. Everyone."

There's no word. No phrase. No historical statistic. No excuse that can be made to describe the second coming of the Boston Massacre.

Visions of Ruth, Dent, Buckner, Boone and Manning quickly entered one's mind at the sight of Bruins players sitting at their locker room stalls, wary and trying to comprehend how something like this could happen. [ESPN.COM]

Will Savard own up?

Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.COM wrote this article about the Bruins star Marc Savard needing to own up for his costly mistake that led to the historic game winning goal and epic collapse. I don't think Savard's mistake is the sole reason the Bruins lost that game, while some of the onus should be on Savard there are other reasons (mulitple) the Bruins lost the game and series. I honestly don't see Savard owning up for his mistake.

BOSTON – There's a golden opportunity approaching for one of the Bruins to step and do the right thing when the players pack up their lockers, sit in for exit interviews and shut it down for the summer after crumbling against the Flyers.

The B's will meet Tuesday morning and go their separate ways, and it will provide the stage for Marc Savard to speak up and prove he learned something amid one of the worst playoff collapses in sports history.

The B's center will have the chance to own up to the critical mistake he made in the third period of Game Seven when he waved his stick for a line change, looked away from the bench after his replacement, Vladimir Sobotka, didn't immediately come over the boards and then skated deep into the play while Sobotka hopped onto the ice to replace him.

Bruins coach Claude Julien admitted as much amid the rubble of Game Seven when he said that "a player waved for a change then changed his mind." That "player" was Savard, who requesting a line change and then experienced a sudden change of heart in the middle of a change.
In terms of Ice Hockey 101, that mistake was on Savard for not immediately getting off the ice.

Forget about the timing of the play, and whether the call was appropriate or not in the throes of a tied Game Seven during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Forget also about the four hooking calls against Savard in the series and how far his game dropped after Game 3 -- the player came back from a Grade 2 concussion after two months and shouldn't have been expected to be in peak form. Those are side issues, of course, but it was the correct call with six Bruins skaters on the ice and referees under a directive to call "too many men on the ice" much more stringently than in years past.

There were 33 "too many men" penalties called after two rounds of playoffs this season, compared to only 17 through all four rounds last year.

The penalty led to a Simon Gagne third-period goal that gave the Flyers their winning margin. [CSNNE.com]

Lindsay Lohan's latest club tantrum

I saw this on another blog and I thought I would share it with you. Why does it seem like trouble always follows Sean Avery around?

Lindsay Lohan started another fight in a club -- this time with New York Ranger skaters Aaron Voros and Sean Avery at 1Oak. The troubled starlet threw a drink over Voros' model girlfriend, Jessica Stam, and then tried to get all three thrown out of the Wildfox fall-collection party the other night. A spy relates, "Lindsay threw a fit because she wanted to be at their table near the DJ. But she claimed she didn't want to sit with Aaron and said, 'He's my ex-boyfriend. I don't want him anywhere near me.' Voros denied knowing her. A drink then flew in Jessica's face, and Lindsay demanded their table be moved out. Club bosses refused and tried to calm her down. Stam, Voros and Avery were shocked but didn't retaliate, and Lindsay left shortly afterward." We await Lohan's inevitable denial, but we have multiple witnesses. A different source said "Lindsay threw a fit. There was total drama for absolutely no reason." [Link to the story]

Second round highlights (or painful memories)

I suppose it's a matter of perspective, if your team lost in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoff it wouldn't be a highlight video. For me there are way too many clips of Flyers forwards scoring goals, also there are way too many clips where the Flyers are blowing by the Bruins defense like they were pylons and scoring. I have to admit that I have enjoyed watching the second round of the playoffs, because it has been one of the better playoff round in some time.

Hockey Night in Canada; Scott Oake with Gary Bettman (2010-05-11)

This is why a lot of people don't like Gary Bettman, and neither do I. Bettman is one of the most pompous, smug and arrogant people and he is not good for the NHL. The NHL has been doing this dance with the Phoenix Coyotes for a long time and blowing 30 million dollars a year in losses. It's almost like Bettman is going to go down with the Phoenix Coyotes just to prove a point. The guy should run for congress because he fails to ever answer a question directly.

Hacks, agitators and goons; men of dishonor...

There has been a discussion over on Sioux Sports and Hockey Wilderness about players that you hate to play against because they play on the edge, are seen as agitators or even players that are cheap and commit disgusting acts. I have also seen the argument where you’d love to have these players on your team but don’t like them when they play against your team. That’s up for debate and usually seems to be a never ending discussion that takes place from year to year.

I would not cheer for the Boston Bruins or the Minnesota Wild if they signed a hack like Matt Cooke, Todd Bertuzzi or Daniel Carcillo, they would no longer be my favorite teams. There is no way. I would also hope that my favorite team would not challenge my loyalties by signing a questionable player like this. There is too many good players out there to even entertain signing one of these morons.

here are some phrases that get tossed around in sports debate so often that we come to simply over look them. It goes beyond cliche to simply being a part of the vernacular, to being generally accepted as fact. These phrases are sometimes over simplified reaction to a complicated topic, or they are used to simply brush off the opinion of someone you really don't have an argument against.

One of those phrases is, "You would love him if he were on your team." this is almost always in response to the outcry over a player such as Derek Boogaard, Patrik Kaleta, Todd Bertuzzi, Jarkko Ruttu, or in the case of this post, Matt Cooke.

Make the jump and let's discuss, shall we. You really don't have anything better to do, right?

All of this stems from a link that came across Twitter via @Tepherguy. In the upcoming Hockey News issue is a cover story about the top 12 free agents, and Matt Cooke appears to be at the top of that list. The cover of the issue even reads "Matt Cooke is Hockey's Biggest $*&#!... and You'd Love Him if he Played for Your Team."

This phrase is pervasive. It is said about every pest in the NHL, and it is said about every guy who has ever been suspended. Even friend of the blog Greg Wyshynski has said it about Daniel Carcillo.[Read the whole article here]

The players name changes but their brutal gutless cheap acts remain the same. I am sure you can come up with a list of your own, my list includes thugs, players/hacks like Daniel Carcillo, Todd Bertuzzi, Scott Hartnell, Alex Burroughs, Matt Cooke, just to name a few. They're thugs players that are all cut from the same thread. These players lack honor ussualy hide behind a half shield and is no limit to the cheap acts they will commit.

Also, I would include players from the past like Uber Hacks Ulfie "the Turtle" Samuelsson and Claude "the Fraud" Lemieux. Eventually these players get what is coming to them, the hockey code demands it, live by the sword die by the sword. You might even cheer when you see it happen. Matt Cooke got what was coming to him in these three incidents [Kane becomes an instant hero] and [Duncan Keith gives it back to Cooke] and finally [Dustin Brown smokes Matt Cooke]. Lastly, how many people in Boston wanted to give Tie Domi a medal after he smoked Ulfie Samelsson.

Sabres Prospects on Corey Fienhage

Here is what the Sabres Prospect had to say on Cory Fienhage's status at UND. Not really anything new but reinforces that Fienhage will probably not be back next season. I always wondered why Corey doesn't do what Quinn Fylling take a year off from college and go play a year of hockey USHL and then come back to UND after this class of Senior Defensemen graduate. There is probably also a good chance that UND would probably lose Ben Blood as well.

when the University of North Dakota began stockpiling defensive recruits like Derek Forbort and Dillon Simpson, we began to think long and hard about the impact it would all have on Sabres 2008 third-rounder, Corey Fienhage. When Fienhage was sat late in the year in favor of forward-turned-defenseman Matt Davidson, those thoughts intensified.

When we reported that Fienhage was placed on the protected list by the WHL's Kamloops Blazers, the writing was seemingly being scribbled on the proverbial wall.

But when Fighting Sioux junior Chay Genoway announced that he would be returning to the team in 2010-11, the message on the wall stated that Fienhage was outsy.

Nothing is official, but whispers around Grand Forks are suggesting that Fienhage is as good as gone (along with Isles prospect David Toews). Fienhage needs to play, and since he didn't get in the lineup last season until Genoway suffered a concussion, it isn't too difficult to connect the dots.

My question is where does Fienhage go? If he opts for the WHL, his window to earn a deal is cut down to one season. Another option sees him seek a scholarship elsewhere, thus sending him to the USHL for a season of Jr. A to retain his NCAA eligibility, and in turn allow the Sabres to keep his rights for a longer term.

Fienhage is rugged and tough, and I would be eager to watch his game translate to the WHL. However, Fienhage is just 20 and needs consistent reps after playing a scant 39 games over two seasons with the Sioux. Couple that with the fact that the Sabres blueline prospect cupboard is already crowded, and I fully expect the Sabres to advise him to somehow stay in school.

Another episode of the Redwing77 Good, Bad, and Ugly

Hello again, everyone. It's time for a second round playoff series of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

THE GOOD

Jaroslav Halak - Uh... Hey Crosby, whatcha think of me now? I know they typically give the playoff MVP to a player who plays in the Stanley Cup Finals, but I'm not sure if it won't be the true this year should the Habs lose to the Flyers. This guy has been THE goaltender of the post season. PERIOD. He's simply outstanding. He's also laid to rest the debate about Carey Price, who is just a different version of current (perhaps now ex-) Avalanche goaltender Peter Budaj. Big hype, no game. In any case, I may not be the biggest fan of the Habs, but I am a big fan of a goaltender who is dominant. Hello Halak. Please bolt Montreal and come to Detroit. Not likely nor would Detroit (I think)...but...

The Flyers - You have to be good to win 4 straight in the playoffs. Especially when you have 2 career disappointments as your starting goaltender and 1 career disappointment (and probable nutcase) either injured or in reserve (Ray Emery). Now, I'm not down on Michael Leighton. I think he's a quality guy, but I never thought he'd be #1 material. Ok, he still isn't. However, he and Brian Boucher get the Ty Conklin Award for the postseason (most unlikely career backups to win a series with a team). Simon Gagne was fantastic. Michael Richards again proves he's a good leader. Danny Carcillo is still a worthless hack that should be banned from the game.

San Jose - Detroit wasn't really in this series, but they were playing awfully well coming into it. And the Sharks simply blew them out of the (frozen) water. Nabakov has always (to me) been a good goaltender with some unfortunate streaky tendencies and bad luck but he managed to hold things together for another round.

Chicago - Don't know if they belong here or in the bad category, but I put them here for two reasons. Reason #1: They advanced. It doesn't have to be pretty (and it wasn't, I assure you) but it just has to happen and it did. Reason #2: Jonathon Toews. Patrick Kane always gets top billing and Toews always gets the last laugh. Captain Serious has been SERIOUSLY good this post season, even out point scoring Bettman's Golden Godchild Sidney Crosby. He's surely a contender with Halak for playoff MVP. They face a test against the Sharks. Chicago won the regular season matchup against the Sharks winning 3 of 4, but required OT to win 2 of those 3 wins.

Jonathon Toews - See "Chicago" but yeah. He deserves his own record. Halak may be the goaltender of the playoffs thus far, but Toews is the skater of the playoffs thus far. He's outscored Crosby and all others. He may not have the playoff lead in goals, but he's done very well all things considered. I guess what I like about him the most is that, though he can score highlight reel goals, most of his playoff goals seem to be of the "hard work bang to the net" variety. Detroit has a huge problem with players who can't seem to get it through their heads that a garbage goal and a Sportscenter #1 play of the day goal is still worth the same amount of points.

THE BAD

Detroit Red Wings - You gotta play for EVERY playoff round in the books, not just the opening round. We squeaked past the Coyotes and got gobbled by the Sharks. Oh well.

Vancouver - Supposedly dominant, surprisingly undisciplined. Luongo was ok. Team D was meh. Season is over.

Pittsburgh Penguins - What can I say? Luck isn't everything, but apparently that's the only way the Pens fans can term their series loss to the Habs. Oh yeah, giving up 4 goals in 2 periods and really not even showing up to Game 7 might be something to look at. By the way, if you want to know why Fleury made my list of Top overrated goaltenders, you can look to Game 7 as a great example. Getting beat is one thing, but not even playing your best in Game 7? SIEVE!

THE UGLY

Boston Bruins - HEY! We've got a 3-0 game lead in this series. The Flyers will roll over, right? RIGHT? Anyone? Blake Wheeler was awful. The Bruins offense was pathetic. Tukka Rask was human. Boston Bruins choked so bad that Buckner (thanks for the analogy Goon) said "WHEW! I only screwed up once! I'm off the hook now!"

Danny Carcillo - At least Matt Cooke is out of the playoffs. This utter disgrace to the game still gets to go on to play the Habs. Well, maybe he'll go pick on Scotty Gomez or Plekanec and then fall down holding his face the next time Hal Gill hip checks him? Or maybe he'll hold his finger and cry the next time he two hand slashes a Hab player and the player takes exception? Who knows, but if Cooke is a lowlife bully, Carcillo is a cowardly nancyboy hack artist. I loved the fact that he dressed up for halloween as the GEICO caveman. It's a perfect match for his intelligence.

KPD gets it right, Awful (Boston Bruins)

I am not usually a fan of Kevin Paul Dupont's work but this article seems to set the tone on how I am sure most Boston Bruins fans are feeling today. Worse than awful, framed in shame; this is how I would describe last night's effort. Epic fail and brutal also comes to mind.

Awful? Worse than awful. The Bruins tomorrow night should be playing in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, but instead they are framed in shame after last night’s diabolical 4-3 loss to the Flyers.

“We had a 3-0 lead in the series. We had a 3-0 lead tonight. And we blew both,’’ said coach Claude Julien. “There are no excuses.’’

In a season-ender that will live with them forever and a day, like the ball that rolled between Bill Buckner’s legs in the 1986 World Series, the Bruins essentially dismissed themselves from the 2010 postseason — and they underscored their own undoing by getting caught for having too many men on the ice with 11:10 gone in the third period.

Too many men. Haunting. Almost sadistic. A ghost from more than three decades ago, dating to an identical call at the Montreal Forum in 1979, revisited the Boston bench on Causeway Street, and had Vladimir Sobotka jumping on the ice as a sixth, and most unwanted, Boston skater. Only 1:42 later, Simon Gagne used the power-play advantage to pot the winner, completing one of the most dramatic comebacks in Stanley Cup history for the Flyers, and driving a stake into the heart of Bruins fandom.
[Boston Globe]

Lucic (X2)

Milan Lucic missed a slough of games this season with various injuries and started to re-emerge as the go to power forward in the Bruins line up. Last night in a losing effort Lucic scored two goals. [Click to view second goal]

Bruins post game press conference

This one doesn't require a lot of analysis, it is what it is.

Future Bruin Taylor Hall?

There is a good chance that with the Bruins having Toronto's first round pick via the Phil Kessel trade that Bruins fans could be watching Taylor Hall play for the Bruins next season.

Choke job complete in Boston

Well that was a lot of fun to watch. Yeah not! Nothing like watching your favorite team implode right before your very eyes. It was very painful to watch. I think I saw someone refer to these types of epic losses as a arena explosion over on Twitter.

Here is the break down of the numbers - six (6) men on the ice, one (1) too many. Four (4) losses in a row, not impressive. Having the opposition score four (4) unanswered goals, words can't explain. Losing a three (3) game to zero (0) series lead - epic failure. Finally choking away a three (3) goal lead priceless. In conclusion only three (3) teams have lost after being up 3-0, the Bruins are now part of history. I had a bad feeling this game and an upset stomach all day waiting for the game.

Personally, I don't think the Bruins took advantage of their opportunities when they had a chance and in retrospect the first nail in the coffin was not winning game four Philly when they had their chance to end the series. They had a power play in overtime and failed to cash in. I think it's time for the Bruin's owner to conduct a house cleaning and get ride of the head coach and the General Manager.

SHAUN THORNTON:
On the too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty: "Well, I want to play a couple more years in this league so I don't want to bad mouth them too much, but I do think . . . I had a pretty good seat for the third period, and I was close to where the guy was changing and I think it was very, very, very gutsy call with seven minutes left with all of the other [expletive] that's going on out there.

On trying to put the season in perspective after a devastating loss: "I know everyone wrote us off after that last Pittsburgh game [in which the team was criticized for sluggish play and for not standing up to Matt Cooke, who had previously given Marc Savard a concussion on a questionable hit] and I know everyone did a great job of coming together and jelling and turning the season around. As far as the 3-0 thing goes . . . it'll be made out to be a little more because of the 3-0 lead, but if we we're down 3-2 it would be regarded with a different mentality. We let Game 6 get away and Game 7 with a one-goal edge, so it's one of those things you have to live with."

Players in the half shield?

Recently the American Hockey Coaches Association had their annual convention in Florida last month and one of the items that caught my attention is that the American Hockey Coaches Association are in favor of allowing their players to wear the half shield/visor instead of the bird cage or full shield. Personally I think this is a great idea and it would clean the game up a bit because I believe players feel like they are invincible when they wear the full mask/bird cage.

I never understood why the players in the USHL, NAHL are allowed to wear the half shield if they wanted to but the NCAA Division 1 hockey players were not? This decision defies logic because the college kids who are usually older aren’t able to make that personnel decision for themselves? The minute these players leave college hockey they switch over to the visor/half shield. Seriously! These aren’t minor youth hockey players in bantams, and squirts these are adult males. I also don’t buy the argument that the ever so all powerful dictatorship known as the NCAA some how knows better than the experienced coaches and players.

Behind that is a debate that ties into the current emphasis on concussion prevention. Half shield proponents say players show more respect for others when they know they’re wearing less facial protection, and point out that they’re the norm in junior hockey and in the competing Canadian major junior system. Opponents cite the risks of taking off the lower-face protection.

The topic came up at the recent American Hockey Coaches Association convention in Florida, and Karr said he believes that nearly 100 percent of the coaching body is in favor of a move to half shields.

Even if the rules committee went along with it, any decision still would have to get through the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel.[Read the whole article here]

Bruins in need of a Heimlich Maneuver

I hope the Bruins find some intestinal fortitude and find a way to win tonight’s game so they don’t go down as a bunch of chokers. Only two other teams have lost a series after going up 3-0 so this would go down as being a epic failure/choke job.

In three straight games, the Bruins have blown tires in their attempts to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. Tonight, they are down to their last spare.

With one more loss to the Flyers, the Bruins not only will have their season come to a close, they will also enter the NHL record book as only the third team to gag up a 3-0 lead and lose a playoff series. It is company they have no desire to join.

“It’s going to be a big game, probably for most of us, the biggest game of our careers,’’ said Zdeno Chara. “We just have to enjoy it.
[Read the rest of the article]

Certification of Standing Rock petition will take time

There seems to be a new twist with each issue that arises down on the Standing Rock Reservation. From my perspective it almost appears that the full press/stall is on and that there are members of the tribal council that do not want to allow a vote/referendum on University of North Dakota’s use of the Fighting Sioux nickname.

Fighting Sioux nickname supporters on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation met with tribal officials this week, hoping to expedite a membership vote on the name and logo. But they’ve run into significant procedural hurdles.

“We’re not even talking about the petition yet,” Tribal Chairman Charles Murphy said Thursday.

“We have a petition with 1,004 signatures, but we have to go through a process of getting it certified,” he said.

Nickname supporters submitted the petition bearing 1,004 names of tribal members who want to vote on whether Standing Rock should endorse UND’s continued use of the Sioux name.

But the tribal council won’t consider the petition until its signatures have been certified, and Tribal Secretary Adele White said Thursday that she can’t begin to certify the names until the council provides her with a certification process.

The tribe has no formal guidelines in place to deal with such an issue, White said.

“We need to draft a policy for certification,” she said. “They have to give me a process to set the criteria for a vote like this — when to hold the vote, whether it would be advisory or not.”
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Choice for Devils: It's Parise or Kovalchuk

I would put money on the Devils resigning former Fighting Sioux star Zach Parise and not resigning Ilya Kovalchuk. I think on it’s face this pair of transactions would be a no brainier. Duh! Zach Parise is a team players and a loyal Devil, Ilya Kovalchuk (a rent a player at the trade deadline) is a self centered me type player that turned down 70 million over ten seasons  with his former team. Almost Latrell Sprewell like and how the moron once made the ridiculous comment that he couldn’t feed his family on 7 million a year. If the Devils decided to Trade Parise they could get a lot of value back in a trade, but I couldn't see the Devils trading one of the faces of their organization. It's been nice knowing you Ilya.

Besides picking a coach again, the Devils have another major decision on their hands, which left wing to shower millions upon. They can't afford both Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk after next season, not without shortchanging other more-needed positions, and they need to choose now.

Underscoring the imminent nature of that choice, The Post has learned that Parise is dropping his current agent and is seeking a new adviser to guide him through this vital summer.

In the next six weeks, the Devils had better find out which they can best do: extend Parise's walk-year contract (officially after July 1, but they're free to do everything but file the deal before then), or sign Kovalchuk before he reaches unrestricted free agency on July 1.


PICK ONE: The Devils must decide whether they want to extend the contract of Zach Parise (pictured) or re-sign Ilya Kovalchuk before he reaches unrestricted free agency on July 1. It's a crossroads decision as important to the future of the franchise as the selection of another coach, and it would be an upset if the choice is Kovalchuk over Parise.

Kovalchuk did turn down $70 million over seven years from Atlanta, yet it's clear that money doesn't trump everything with him. Otherwise, he wouldn't be playing for peanuts as Russia's captain at the World Championships in Germany, risking injury and his summertime fortune.

Still, to expect him to take a pay cut from last year's $7.5 million is unrealistic. If he walks, general manager Lou Lamoriello's impulse buy with Anssi Salmela, costing Jersey Johnny Oduya, Niklas Bergfors, prospect Patrice Cormier and a first-rounder, will prove to have been in vain.

Parise, widely regarded as a future Devils captain, becomes unrestricted after he earns $5 million next season. Failure to extend Parise, which would likely be the case if they sign Kovalchuk, would open the issue of trading Parise as the most-desirable-ever rental at the deadline, regaining the future that was lost Feb. 4.

"I put Parise in the same sentence with [Alex] Ovechkin and [Sidney] Crosby," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren told The Post before the start of the playoffs, talking about him as a postseason opponent, but giving a clear indication of Parise's value.

It seems unlikely that Kovalchuk would sign for much less than $8 million a year, or Parise under $7 million per. If those conservative figures prove valid, the Devils would be devoting $29 million in cap space to left wings Kovalchuk, Parise, Patrik Elias ($6 million hit), Brian Rolston ($5 million) and shifted-out Dainius Zubrus ($3.4 million), half the foreseeable limit, just at one position.
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