Minnesota Wild: Backstreet Boys Jersey Foul?

Last night there was a Backstreet Boys concert at the Xcel Energy Center. During the encore, each member of the boy band wore a Minnesota Wild jersey. Would you call this a jersey foul?

Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune -- In the end, Backstreet Boys have gone down as the biggest-selling group of the modern boy-band era — take that, JT! — and they made a point of reminding Tuesday’s crowd just how many hits they racked up. The tender gushers “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely” and “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” came early in the evening, and “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” and “Larger Than Life” were saved for the encore finale. For the latter, the guys donned larger-than-boy-band-sized Minnesota Wild jerseys that briefly made them look pipsqueaky 18 again.

New York Rangers post mortem

My wife was asking me when the Stanley Cup Finals are going to be over. I told her, the Stanley Cup Finals will be over this week, probably on Wednesday night. There’s no way the series makes it past Friday. If this was a title fight, they would have thrown in the white towel already. The Rangers are done, stick a fork in them.

This GIF by Pete Blackburn illustrates how the series has gone for the New York Rangers. Nothing has gone their way. They can’t buy a break.

L.A. Kings goalie Jonathan Quick has been a brick wall during the Stanley Cup Finals and last night the All-World goalie stopped all 32 shots that he faced.

L.A. Kings D-Man Matt Greene Interviewed After The Game, Milbury Gives Him Props

Former Fighting Sioux and current L.A. Kings D-man Matt Greene is the epitome of a hockey warrior. Greene’s eye has about eight different colors, at least, if not more. With Greene in the lineup, the Kings have an 11-7 (.611) record and a 3-3 record without him in the lineup. Coincidence, I don’t know?

Stanley Cup Humor, 0-3

pic.twitter.com/4Cx2yrpDpH
— NHL Humor (@TheNHLHumor) June 10, 2014

This one was pretty good. It's funny if you're a L.A. Kings fan and not if your cheer for the New York Rangers.

Marc Staal Hi-sticking Penalty, Alec Martinez Embellishment

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First off, I want to be clear, this is a penalty. New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal hits L.A. Kings defenseman Alec Martinez with a high stick, that we can't denie. However, they teach must teach acting classes at Miami University, because this was a ridiculous head snap by Martinez. I would say that this display is worthy of an Academy Award. Even Ryan Kesler would blush at this one.

Zach Parise Gives Mike Yeo Some Serious Props....

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Last week, former Fighting Sioux forward Zach Parise gave Minnesota Wild head coach Mike Yeo some serious props. Seriously... The fire coach Yeo crowd isn't going to be very happy with Parise's praise.

Michael Russo, Star Tribune --(Zach) Parise who led the Wild in playoff scoring, said during a phone interview. “I think he did a really good job — [the entire coaching staff] all did a really good job — down the stretch for us, especially in the playoffs. I mean, we were really prepared. We knew exactly what to expect. We exploited weaknesses. It’s a big chess game, the playoffs. I think they did a really good job making adjustments on the fly. It was real impressive.”

As a young, first-time NHL head coach, Yeo has made his share of mistakes, but Parise saw several examples of growth this season. It began before the season when Yeo reacted to last year’s first-round loss to Chicago and adjusted his system to allow the Wild to be less of a dump-and-chase team.

Late this season and into the playoffs, Yeo tinkered with his lines more and was more apt to make in-game adjustments and hold underperforming players accountable.

“There’s a lot of things you can tell that experienced coaches do,” Parise said. “Even things as small as tinkering lines when someone’s going and when someone’s not or the way they run the benches. I can only imagine how tough it’s got to be [for a young coach].

Just for the record, I think that Mike Yeo is a very good coach and he did some great things during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I think we have just scratched the surface with Yeo. I predicted not so long ago, that the Minnesota Wild are going to win a Stanley Cup sooner rather than later.

Time for a coaches challenge for the NHL

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Based on what we have seen this past weekend, I think we could make the argument that it’s time for the NHL to have a coach’s challenge, or some kind of video review system for certain kinds of plays. More specifically, there's no reason why the NHL shouldn't be able to review goalie interference. The NHL is the best hockey league in the world, but even their officials are human. Thoughts?

Damien Cox, The Spin – And the notion of a coach's challenge for replay review, a concept he's championed for several years, is suddenly more popular than ever.

"Now people are seeing what happens in a critical game and a critical situation that can cost people jobs," he said today.

"Why not? It works in the NFL."

Expanding the use of video review and giving coaches the opportunity to challenge calls are both likely to be hot topics this week, including today at the competition committee and Wednesday when the GMs meet.

If it were up to Tallon, coaches would be able to challenge both goalie interference calls and offside plays leading to goals, neither of which currently can be reviewed.

"I'm saying one time per game, one goal, one time per coach," he said. "That's it. It's not going to happen that often.

Saint Cloud State releases secondary logo

s/t tap to Drunk Hockey Guy. If you're unhappy with picture, you can troll his twitter feed by clicking on the link about. Feel free to give him your thoughts. DHG does have a point though.  Anyone see a similarity? I sure do. Looks very similar.

Matt Greene Caption This... Oops.

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The wonders of Getty Images. Here's a great picture of Matt Greene from game one of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Also, the former Fighting Sioux defenseman is smoking hot right now, and has three points in his last three games (0g-3a—3pts). In 17 games, Greene has compiled (0g-4a—4pts) during the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Kings have a 3-3 (.500) record when Greene isn’t in the lineup and a 10-7 (.588) record with Greene in the lineup. You can glean what you want from that stat.

Josh Harding should be in training camp

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This story came out this past weekend, I think it’s a subject that’s worth some discussion. Minnesota Wild goalie Josh Harding was on fire on December 31, 2013, and then he was finished for the season due to symptoms from his Multiple Sclerosis.

NHL.com -- Minnesota Wild goaltender Josh Harding is expected to be healthy and ready to play in time for training camp, general manager Chuck Fletcher said Friday.

Harding left the Wild on Dec. 31 to deal with symptoms related to his multiple sclerosis. Before his illness forced him from the lineup, Harding was enjoying a breakout season, going 18-7-3 with a 1.65 goals-against average and .933 save percentage. After missing several weeks, Harding skated with the Wild during the Stanley Cup Playoffs but never made it back into the lineup before Minnesota was eliminated in the Western Conference Second Round.

"I think his battles are well chronicled and well known. I think he's feeling well at this point in time," Fletcher said. "The goal for him is, much like last summer, to build up and get to a point where he'll be able to come into training camp and play well. There's been nothing that I've heard of to lead me to not believe that to be the case."

Harding had All-Star numbers when he was playing. I also think if the Wild had Harding or Darcy Kuemper against the Blackhawks, the Wild might have advanced to the third round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The biggest question surrounding the Wild is what they’re going to do with the goaltending position. During the regular season, the Wild used five goalies. Four goalies played 12 or more games. Harding and Kuemper were the most consistent. Both goalies played over 25 games, and had save percentages of .915 or better with a winning percentage of at least (.580).

One goalie I would like to see the Wild part ways with is the overpaid Niklas Backstrom, the guy was wildly inconsistent last year and has been hurt on and off the last few seasons. The Wild are on the hook for $3,416,667 a year for the two seasons. That’s too much money for a goalie that posted a (5-11-2 record, a 3.02 GAA and a .899 save percentage).

(Video) Dwight King's controversial goal - Game Two

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I listened to this game on my XM Radio and I wanted to see video of the goal in question before I commented on it. I think Henrik Lundqvist has a valid complaint here. From my perspective, it looks like L.A. Kings forward Dwight King uses the contact with Ryan McDonagh to interfere with Lundqvist. I think that this should have been called goalie interference in my opinion. This is a hard call to make, but this also makes a good point that the NHL needs to have video review on goalie interference.

Chris Johnston, Sports Net -- Henrik Lundqvist had a legitimate beef coming out of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final after seeing Dwight King score a momentum-seizing goal for the Los Angeles Kings while leaning into him. The Kings forward was battling for position with Ryan McDonagh at the top of the goaltender’s crease and kept Lundqvist from being able to make a proper move towards a Matt Greene point shot.

The puck ended up hitting King and going in, bringing Los Angeles back to 4-3 and propelling them to yet another two-goal comeback.

The explanation referee Dan O’Halloran provided to Lundqvist on the ice was that the contact was made with him after the puck had already gone in the goal. Replays showed differently.

Here's the NHL's Rule 69.1, you can see that video review is not permitted to review goalie interference. This is a rule that I think the NHL needs to change.

69.1 Interference on the Goalkeeper - This rule is based on the premise that an attacking player’s position, whether inside or outside the crease, should not, by itself, determine whether a goal should be allowed or disallowed. In other words, goals scored while attacking players are standing in the crease may, in appropriate circumstances be allowed. Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeper’s ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal; or (2) an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, inside or outside of his goal crease. Incidental contact with a goalkeeper will be permitted, and resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact. The rule will be enforced exclusively in accordance with the on-ice judgment of the Referee(s), and not by means of video replay or review.

Bylsma is now the "blue chip" of the NHL (RW77)

I understood the firing of Ray Shero but, Bylsma is now a free agent and I think it is going to cost the Penguins.

Oh, I can understand the why behind the move, but I still think it is a mistake.  The truth is, hockey is a team sport.  More a team sport than the NBA.  I believe with the star talent the Pens have right now, translated (somehow) to the NBA, it would be the Pens vs. Heat in the Finals most every year.  The truth is, though, two stars don't make a championship team.  Even Gretzky had more big time players on his Oiler teams when he won all those times.

In the end, the person who paid the price was Bylsma.  He leaves the Pens with a fabulous record as a head coach (especially since pretty much nobody thought much of him when it first took the job in Pittsburgh).

So where does he end up?

There are currently (as of June 6th) three coaching vacancies (not counting Pittsburgh) in:  Florida, Carolina, and Vancouver.  Let's also not discount the crazy rumors surrounding Carlyle in Toronto.  I do not believe that any team has recently fired its head coach as soon as another guy became available, but I could be wrong.... but if it were to happen this offseason, Toronto would be the team.  From what I've read and heard, Toronto feels that they're on the cusp of being very competitive and they might feel that Bylsma could take them to the promised land...

However, they somehow have been more adamant about waiting until next year to steal current Red Wings' boss Mike Babcock.  It's too bad, if this were true mind you, that it didn't happen now because I wouldn't mind Bylsma heading up the Wings.  Then again, all signs point to current AHL Coach of the Year and former WMU head coach Blashill as Babcock's successor.

How about Florida?  Ron Wilson just interviewed for that position and Florida, forgive me, seems to be the destination for old vet NHL head coaches to try to rekindle old times.  Bylsma isn't that desperate.  I do not see him joining Florida, even if Dale Tallon is the GM.

Carolina?  They may make a play for him, and after all, former Penguin great Ron Francis is now the GM.  I don't see him going to Carolina either.

I think for the second straight time, the Canucks take a head coach from the East to lead them.  Bylsma would be a good fit for their game style and may even improve the lagging production of the Sedins, Kessler, and Raymond.  Heck, he may also make radical changes like eliminate diving (thus ending Bieksa and Burrows' careers in Vancouver).

How long will Byslma be a free agent?  Not long.  I'd be shocked if he was still unemployed by the 4th of July.  I would not be surprised in the slightest if he was employed before Fathers Day.

TSR Story on Mike Commodore

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Here's a good story about former Fighting Sioux defenseman Mike Commodore that I found over on Kukla's Korner. There's some interesting things in this article.

Allan Brown, Top Sports Report -- Following stints with Ottawa, Columbus and Detroit, the 6-4 defenseman would eventually end up playing for the same Lightning team that extinguished his Cup dream the first time.

Since leaving Tampa Bay at the end of the 2012 season, Commodore has been making the rounds, playing with both Hamilton and Texas of the AHL. His most recent stint took him to Russia where he played this past season with the KHL’s Vladivostok Admiral.

At 34, Commie, as he is affectionately known to friends and fans, is keeping his future in the proper perspective with the same never-give-up attitude that has served him well since his earliest playing days when he won an NCAA championship with the University of North Dakota. While still with the Fighting Sioux, he was drafted by the New Jersey Devils. The rest is history.

“I am taking it year by year now,” Commodore said. “I enjoyed my experience in Russia and would like to go back for another year. We will see what happens.

“I have lived in and traveled to a ton of cities. I am trying to slow it down a bit now. Unless something unexpected happens, I think I will spend my time in Calgary and Scottsdale once my career is over,” he added.

Penguins fire coach after he leads team to 109 point season

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Nothing like waiting till Friday afternoon to make a bunch of personnel moves, but it happened. I am sure none of us should be shocked that Dan Bylsma was fired by the Pittsburgh Penguins today, because we were told that it was probably coming. Bylsma’s crime, his team didn’t make it past the second round of the NHL playoffs. Wrap your finger around this, Bylsma led his team to a 51 win, 109 points season. No seriously.

Bylsma is a good coach and won't be unemployed very long. The Grand Haven product led the Pengiuns to a 252-117-32 (.628) in five plus seasons.

Pierre McGuire will not be the GM of the Pengiuns, Jim Rutherford hired

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Hockey fans got some bad news today. TSN's Bob McKenzie is reporting that Jim Rutherford will reportedly be named Penguins GM.

Chris Peters, CBS Sports -- Jim Rutherford will be named general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins according to TSN's Bob McKenzie. Rutherford, who earlier this spring stepped aside from his duties as general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, had been the dean of NHL general managers having spent 20 consecutive years with the Carolina organization.

Other rumored candidates for the job included Pens assistant general manager Jason Botterill, NBC analyst Pierre McGuire, Tampa Bay Lightning assistant general manager Julien BriseBois and a number of others.

Rutherford stepped aside from GM duties, but was expected to stay on with Carolina as the club's president. He was replaced by Hurricanes legend and former Penguin Ron Francis.

Vanek, Gaborik, or None of the Above?

Well as free agency draws closer and closer, Fans across the NHL, especially in Minnesota, are wondering what their teams will do, if anything. I know the crowd wants in Minnesota, and that's former Golden Gopher Thomas Vanek to come to the State of Hockey once again.

Vanek, who played on three rosters this season and ended with the Montreal Canadians, would have 68 points in the regular season and would just miss out on that 30 goal plateau, but was kept pretty quiet in the playoffs. Only acquiring five goals and five assists in the playoffs, and a not so good -4, so that makes me wonder if Vanek will be worth the payday if he can't compete in the playoffs. Don't get me wrong, he will be a great addition to any team he ends up on, but I think it is too much for the Wild to invest in one player right now.

Now another face Minnesotans are used to seeing, Marian Gaborik. I have also heard some fans that they wouldn't mind seeing him back in a Minnesota uniform, but I'm sure it is due to the success he is finding in the playoffs this year. What fans fail to realize is that he spent most of the regular season injured and would only score 11 goals during his time he was able to play. His playoff goal scoring touch has reminded us on how a healthy Gaborik is quick and a dynamic goal scorer in the NHL. I have a feeling LA will be keeping him around for a little bit.

Now what Minnesota fans want the Wild to do is pretty obvious. They want Chuck Fletcher to make a push for Vanek. However, what some fans need to realize is that our young core of players is one of the best in the league and are deserving of a better payday. With the contracts of Niederreiter and Kuemper up, RFAs, Minnesota would be stupid to not sign them to a long term deal. One can't forget about Haula, Granlund, or Coyle either.

If Minnesota were smart, they would pass on a blockbuster signing this summer and give their young guns the payday that they deserve. I know Minnesota fans got a taste of a deeper playoff run and want success now, but sign these guys, and I know I may be stating the obvious here, but we could have success for many years to come.

NCAA Hockey: New Rules

The NCAA Ice Hockey Rules committee has been meeting this week, and these are the rules changes that they came up with.

Hand Pass by Faceoff Player – The players taking a faceoff are not allowed to use their hand to play the puck. A violation of this rule will result in a minor penalty, similar to the NHL rule.

Faceoff Procedure – The defending team’s faceoff player shall be required to put the stick down first. Previously, the attacking team was required to do so. Center ice faceoffs will continue to require the visiting team to put the stick down first.

Goal pegs – Ten-inch goal pegs that are anchored into the ice or floor must be in place at all NCAA levels by the 2016-17 season.

Faceoff Location – Offensive Scoring Opportunity: If the offensive team is attempting to score and the puck goes out of play – the faceoff will remain in the attacking zone.

Faceoff Location – High stick/hand pass: In these cases, the ensuing faceoff will be one zone closer to offending team’s goal.

Video Replay – Several changes were made to the criteria and process:

• It is reviewable to determine if a goal was scored before a penalty occurred.

• If an offsides or too many men on the ice penalty is missed and a goal is scored, it is reviewable until the puck leaves the offensive zone. This replaces the previous wording that only allowed the review to occur if the missed play directly led to a goal.

• It was clarified that video review may be used without the restriction of games that are being broadcast on television.

Penalty Shot/Shootout – During a shootout or penalty shot, if the goal becomes dislodged by the goalkeeper, the referee shall either award a goal (if intentional or if the goal was obvious and imminent) or allow the team to shoot again.

Penalty Shot – If a player that is awarded a penalty shot is injured and unable to take the shot, one of the players on the ice at the time of the infraction shall be chosen to shoot.

Look-Up Line – The committee approved the use of a warning-track style line intended to positively impact safety near the boards. The use of this line will not be mandatory, but is permissible.

One of the new rule changes that I like is the new rule where if the net becomes dislodged during a penalty shot or shootout, the referee “shall” award a goal or another shot to the shooter. Last season, when Minnesota was playing Michigan State the game was tied and the two teams went to a shootout. With the game tied 2-2, Michigan State forward Joe Cox appeared to have scored a good goal during the shootout. However, after further review, the referee ruled that Gopher goalie Adam Wilcox knocked the net off its' moorings before Cox scored. (Video below).  

L.A Kings Justin Williams game winning goal.

L.A Kings forward Justin Williams scores the game winning goal in game one against the New York Rangers.

Stanley Cup Final Preview

Well, if you would have asked me what the cup final would have been, I'd bet my life that I wouldn't have picked LA against the New York Rangers. It's 'The King" vs. the Kings. Broadway vs. Hollywood.

Lets take a look at how these two teams got to the cup final, first starting with LA. The Kings were close to being out after four games against San Jose in the first round, but would become only the fourth team in NHL history to rally from down 3-0 to win the series and stun San Jose and their hungry fan base. .Goaltender Jonathan Quick would have a very slow start to the series, but would catch his 2012 form by series end, putting the entire NHL on alert that the Kings were coming.

The second round had them facing the other in state rival, the Anaheim Ducks. In another series where they would have to go the distance, the Kings would have to win game 7 on the road once again to have a date with the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals. They would do just that in another grinding series against another division, and in state rival.

Finally, for the Western Conference Final. This rematch from last year against the defending champs, Chicago. Chicago would get themselves in a hole early, and this time it would be LA who would have the commanding series lead going up 3-1. However, it looked as if Chicago would get the momentum advantage by rolling off two straight wins to force a game 7 at home. It had looked as if LA's season was about to come to an end, but with roughly seven minutes left in regulation, Marian Gaborik would put a rebound into the back of the net and tie the game. The Kings would get their third road game 7 win of this playoffs, the first team in NHL history to do that, and they became four wins away from hoisting Lord Stanley once again.

Now for the Eastern Conference Champions, the New York Rangers. This is another team with a world class goalie that almost nobody picked to make it out of round two, or even round one. This is a team driven

by a couple of individual players stories, Dominic Moore on ESPN E:60 and Marty St. Louis losing his mother right before Mother's Day. Winning the first round against Philly in seven games, the Rangers knew they would have their word cut out for them if they could get by Pittsburgh in round two.

Round two saw the Blue Shirts playing Sid the Kid and an inconsistent goalie they call Flower. This series would turn out to be a great match-up and played pretty evenly throughout, even though the Rangers would find themselves in a 3-1 hole going into game five in Pittsburgh. The King would start to play like The King and New York found themselves in a spot they haven't been in in quite some time, the Eastern Conference Finals.

In an original six match-up, the Rangers would find themselves with home ice for the first time in the playoffs. Their opponent? The Montreal Canadiens. Montreal was Canada's only hope in these playoffs to win the cup this season, and Canada hasn't seen a cup champ since Montreal won it in 1993. New York would have something to say about that and would send the Habs packing. It would be New York's first trip to the cup final since 1994. I wonder what happened that year?

As for what I'd expect out of this series, speed and physicality. The Rangers will bring a lot of speed to the series, much more than the Kings saw in the entire playoffs so far. As for the physicality, LA will bring it with their big defensive core.

Who to watch:
For LA, they have many weapons who can put the puck in the net, but pay close attention to Marian Gaborik, the playoffs leading goal scorer, and that 70's line (Carter, Toffoli, and Pearson). This line has been on fire and will need to be kept in check.

For the Rangers, one must always watch the speedy Carl Hagelin. With his quick feet and quick release of the puck, he is always a threat. There are also the likely suspects in Brad Richards, Derek Stepan, Rick Nash, and Derek Brassard. Even though Nash hasn't done much in these playoffs, he will always be a threat when he is on the ice.

Finally, for who will win the Cup. It's simple. It comes down to what goalie is playing better in the series. You have two of the top three goaltenders in the world going head to head, Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Quick, and the one that breaks first will likely mean the series. Here's the thing though, even if one of them breaks, both teams still have very reliable back-ups as well.

My pick is the New York Rangers in six games. The cup gets hoisted in the most famous arena in the entire world, and the Blue Shirts come home with their first cup in 20 years.

Humor: Simpson's NHL Hockey

Summer Guide to Blues Prospects: Jordan Schmaltz

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Originally posted at the Hockey Writers. I helped Jeff Ponder contribute to an article that he posted a the Hockey Writers about a few  St. Louis Blues prospects. Having covered UND Hockey, Ponder asked me to write something up about Schmaltz.

North Dakota Fighting Sioux (NCHC)

Jordan Schmaltz – D

EB: Following the 2013-14 season, the University of North Dakota got some very good news when they learned that sophomore defenseman Jordan Schmaltz was returning for his junior season.

As a junior, Schmaltz will be an older statesman in a relatively young D-Corps. Next season, UND will have only one senior defenseman that regularly plays in the top-six pairings.

Schmaltz scored six goals and 24 points in 41 games, and was the top-scoring defenseman on a D-Corps that ranked first nationally with 2.76 points per game. He played on the first defense pairing with senior captain Dillon Simpson and showed great improvement in his overall game.

Schmaltz is set to play with his brother Nick, who’s slated to be drafted in the first round of the 2014 NHL Entry Level Draft. Jordan is an offensive minded defenseman and that’s smart in his own end and known for his crisp stick-to-stick passes.

NHL ETA: Schmaltz needs a little more seasoning, but should be NHL ready after a couple more seasons.

The Postseason rulebook (followup)/A wrapup of the final four NHL teams/Finals Preview (RW77)

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The PostSeason Rulebook

Much has been said (and ignored) by the NHL about the postseason rulebook... and sadly most of the issues in round 1 went away in the subsequent rounds.  Why sadly?  Because it gives ammo to the NHL to simply dust it under the rug and ignore what is painfully obvious:

The Rulebook is wrongfully applied in the postseason...or is it the regular season?  Either way the rulebook used during the regular season has been replaced by a new rulebook that allows spearing, embellishment, roughing, boarding, slashing, and randomly allows/disallows interference and tripping.

Diving is a huge problem in professional sports.  HUGE.  It's on the rise in the NHL and NFL, it's pretty entrenched in the NBA, and it's an absolute PLAGUE on soccer/football.

Semifinal Reviews:

Montreal Canadiens

They weren't outplayed by New York.  They fell victim to two things:  Bad luck and Karma.  It was bad luck that Price got injured (for many reasons).  It was bad luck that Dustin Tokarski came in and played very well except for one game and will STILL be remembered as the guy who couldn't pull a Carey Price.  Montreal will be more known for their diving and embellishing than they will for the skill they put on the ice.

Carey Price played out of his mind.  I STILL do not believe that this is the norm.  Price STILL isn't an elite goaltender.  He's VERY good, don't get me wrong.  He had an EPIC postseason this year.  But in the end, PK Subban and Tomas Plekanec (among others) placed BAD KARMA on the Canadiens by flopping like fish when they were touched.

PK Subban is a GREAT fit for Vancouver because, like the Vancouver Candivers, he's EXCEPTIONALLY talented.  He's one of the best puck moving defensemen in the NHL... but he can't let his gameplay do the talking.  He has to showboat and dive.  The guy is the most visible minority hockey player in the NHL right now.  Sure, there are others (Wayne Simmonds, Johnny Oduya, Jerome Iginla, among others) but PK is the most visible.  And he's representing himself POORLY.  He reminds me a lot of Robbie Earl while he was with Wisconsin.  Robbie had a TON of talent.  He was fast, a great stick handler, a finisher... but you breathe on him wrong and he falls to the ice like he's been shot.  And, like Earl, the team representatives defend him (I still remember hearing UW blowhards talk about how Earl skates on the balls of his feet which causes him to be unstable on his skates... whatever...  when it suits him nothing knocks him off of his skates).

Anyways, ethical behavior amongst players in sports is almost dead anyways.

NY Rangers

Have they beaten any opponent outright?  Have they laid the smackdown at all this post season?  The answer is no.  They "got by" every opponent they faced.  Does it matter?  No.  Because, do you know what's the worst thing that could happen to the Rangers if they get by the Kings?  Nothing because they'd still be hoisting the Cup.  The truth is, the fact that they've had to fight through EVERY opponent they've  faced and dominated in the areas of goaltending and capitolizing on the other guys mistakes (they've done little to create their own victories really) means that they will once again have to slog their way through the LA Kings in the finals.  Good thing is that Lundqvist is a beast...well except for that one game where he looked epically awful.

Chicago Blackhawks

Tons of talent and no depth.  Oh, and Corey Crawford joins Marc Andre Fleury in proving that it doesn't take elite goaltending to win the Stanley Cup.  Crawford was singularly AWFUL for most of the series.  Game 7 was astounding to me.  Quick gives up a horrendous softie to Patrick Sharp and they can't win despite it?  If Chicago was all that great wouldn't 4 goals be enough to win a game?

Not with the Hawk D and Corey Sieve Crawford.  He looked SO MUCH like Cristobal Huet that I could've SWORE the French Sieve kidnapped the real Corey Crawford and undermined the Hawks.

Nick Leddy, I know you botched a block which resulted in the game winner for the Kings in Game 7, but don't feel bad.  In all likelihood the next shot the Kings would have made would have beaten Crawford anyways.

In the end, the Hawks focus on depth this offseason but they should focus on shut down D, a 2nd line Center, and training Crawford's replacement.

LA Kings

They outlasted the Hawks.  It is evident that they will be the favorites to win the Cup and I hope they do win, but they have a team eerily similar to the NY Rangers.  Good D, Great Goaltending, and mediocre Offense.  It's strange that the Kings boast a 4th line in Pearson/Taffoli/Carter that outscores their first line... or at least the commentators call that line the Kings' 4th line.  It's kindof like calling the Toews line the Hawks checking line.  Call it what you will but we all know that the first line that does almost no scoring isn't the first line and the fourth line that does most of the scoring is usually called the first line.  Whatever.

Prediction:  If LA is going to win it, they'll need to NOT see Game 7.  If Game 7 comes around, Quick's streak ends and the Rangers hoist the Cup.  My prediction:  Kings in 6.

NHL Records That Will Never be Broken

NHL Records That May Never Be Broken http://t.co/xVYpHGaH7c 3). 76 goals in a rookie season pic.twitter.com/CtWFAe4YHw
— Goalie Humor (@GoalieHumor) June 3, 2014

I don't seen anyone breaking this record. "The Finnish Flash" Teemu Selanne was a special player.

TSN, McGuire has second interview for Penguins' GM post

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Here's the latest on the Pierre McGuire applying for the Pittsburgh Penguins general manager position. Cross your fingers folks.

TSN.ca Staff -- The Pittsburgh Penguins may be looking into their past for potential general manager candidates.

According to Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal, sources say former Penguins assistant coach and current TV analyst Pierre McGuire has had two interviews with the team.

The Penguins fired Ray Shero last month after the team gave up a 3-1 series lead before being eliminated by the New York Rangers in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

McGuire was part of Scotty Bowman's coaching staff when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 1992.

NHL reduces Carcillo suspension

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According to Daren Dreger of TSN, the NHL has reduced the suspension of New York Rangers forward Daniel Carcillo from 10 games to six games. With the reduction Carcillo is now eligible to play in game four against the Kings.

Pierre McGuire to the Pens as GM. Yes Please...

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For hockey fans' sake, I am hoping that Pierre McGuire will become the next General Manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins. As an NHL Hockey fan, I can't stand listening to McGuire as a between the boards analyst. I also know that I am not the only hockey fan that feels this way. Don't get me wrong, MacGuire knows the game of hockey, he's just very irritating to listen to on a weekly basis.

Despite McGuire's shortcomings, his contacts, outsider perspective and hockey knowledge would be helpful for #Pens business-minded leaders
— Mike Colligan (@MikeColligan) June 2, 2014

Still hearing that Pierre McGuire is a legitimate contender for #Pens GM job. Still don't buy it. My guess: he's part of GM search committee
— Mike Colligan (@MikeColligan) June 2, 2014

#Pens GM search process has been very silent, yet Pierre McGuire's visit to Pittsburgh is covered like one from the Pope. Should be telling.
— Mike Colligan (@MikeColligan) May 31, 2014

Related articles

• Pierre McGuire rumored to be leader for Penguins GM job, Twitter explodes
• Today in Hockey History, Pierre McGuire fired from the Whalers

Ryan Mantha, traded from the Soo to Niagara

If I was a betting man, and I am. It would appear that UND is about to lose their 7th recruit to the CHL since 2011. It looks a lot like the some of the other CHL defections. The other day, I wrote a blog post breaking down the previous six defections at the Hockey Writers.

Considering what the #IceDogs had to give up, I don't think they are anticipating reporting issues. #OHL
— OHLInsiders (@OHLinsiders) June 2, 2014

Considering he was a 5th Round Pick by Soo in '12 - The #Greyhounds received an outstanding return. #OHL
— OHLInsiders (@OHLinsiders) June 2, 2014

Ryan Mantha stands 6'5 and weighs in at a solid 225lbs. 9 Points (2G 7A), 20PIM, +11 in 24 games with the Indiana Ice of the USHL #OHL
— OHLInsiders (@OHLinsiders) June 2, 2014

TRADE: Niagara #IceDogs Acquire rights to Ryan Mantha from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in exchange for a 2nd ('15-PLY), 5 ('17-Cond.)
— OHLInsiders (@OHLinsiders) June 2, 2014

Related articles

• UND could end up losing recruit Ryan Mantha, depending on who drafts him
• Breaking Down UND's Decommitments

Former DU Assistant Derek Lalonde now Head Coach for Toledo Walleyes

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Former Denver assistant head coach Derek Lalonde is now the head coach of the ECHL's Toledo Walleye.

Official Release --- The Walleye are excited to welcome Derek Lalonde as the team’s new head coach. Lalonde was introduced during a press conference on Monday morning at the Huntington Center in downtown Toledo.

“We want to build great things here in Toledo, build a culture of success.” Lalonde has been head coach and general manager of the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League since 2011, compiling a record of 111-54-14, guiding the team to both regular season and playoff championships in 2011-12, and was USHL Coach of the Year in 2012. He was also Head Coach of Team USA’s U19 National Team which captured gold at the World Junior A Challenge in November of 2013.

Joe Napoli, Toledo Walleye president and general manager, says Lalonde was the one who stood out during a very rigorous interviewing process. “We were thrilled with the quality of candidates we interviewed, both nationally and internationally.”

Schedule for the Stanley Cup Final

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The Schedule for the Stanley Cup Final is set. The good new is, there will be no midnight hockey during the finals. Unless there's a multi overtime game(s). All the games during the Stanley Cup Final are on at 7:00 pm central, there is also one game that is on at 6:00 pm central.

Game 1: 6/4 7pm L.A. NBC
Game 2: 6/7 6pm L.A. NBC
Game 3: 6/9 7pm N.Y. NBCSN
Game 4: 6/11 7pm N.Y. NBCSN
Game 5: 6/13 7pm L.A. NBC
Game 6: 6/16 7pm N.Y. NBC
Game 7: 6/18 7pm L.A. NBC

L.A. Kings: Interesting Stat alert

Now that's an interesting stat. The L.A. Kings are the first team to win three game sevens on the road in one post season.

L.A. Kings: game-winning goal, hand shake (No shenanigans)

The goal was originally announced as Alec Martinez's goal, but they reviewed the goal and that could change to Tyler Toffoli. Or I should say, that everyone but NBCSN and the NHL changed the goal.

Nonetheless it was a very good series and only fitting that this game went to overtime. This series could have gone either way.

L.A. Times --- Kings defenseman Alec Martinez shot inside the blue line off a pass from Justin Williams -- who's now 7-0 in Game 7s -- and the puck was deflected through traffic and into the goal by rookie forward Tyler Toffoli, past teammate Jarret Stoll and Chicago goalie Corey Crawford.

Is Thomas Vanek the new whipping boy?

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Holy Cow, poor Thomas Vanek has become the whipping boy, and the reason for the demise of two teams, if not three. That might be an exaggeration, just a bit.

Josh Elliot, the Hockey News -- First, he was the sacrificial lamb (one of them) for the rebuilding Sabres. Then, he was expected to help John Tavares put the New York Islanders over top and get them into the playoffs. Next, after the losses and the contract offers piled up on Long Island, he was the guy they just couldn’t pay to stay. And off he went to Montreal, where he would help them to the playoffs before earning the goat horns in the Habs’ third-round elimination.

Vanek wasn’t terrible in Montreal. He wasn’t the reason they lost. But he didn’t help much when it mattered, either. The Austrian put up five goals and 10 points in 17 games. That’s OK, but nowhere near his 27-goal, 68-point regular season pace. And with just two points in his final seven playoff games, there’s no denying he pulled a disappearing act. Maybe his mind was in Minnesota, but more likely (he’s a professional, after all) he suffered an injury that we’ll hear about in the coming weeks.

But injury or not, just look at the carnage in his wake. The perennially-rebuilding Islanders are down a first-round pick in the Connor McDavid draft next year. They also lost a second-rounder in the Buffalo trade, and while they recouped it when they sent Vanek to Montreal, the Habs’ pick won’t be as high as the Islanders’ one would have been. And what else do they have? Only 2012 second-round pick Sebastian Collberg, and a fifth-round pick.

Oh, and the Islanders have another gaffe to hang on Garth Snow – one that nears Mike Milbury-esque levels of catastrophe.

Related articles

• Free Agency: Thomas Vanek's Stock Falling Fast
• The Thomas Vanek Dilemma
• Thomas Vanek Watch is Officially On

NHL 15 Cover Vote... #NHL15Bergeron

RT this if you're going to vote for #NHL15Bergeron as much as you can today. pic.twitter.com/CbR6Z4Vjif
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 1, 2014

It ends today. You can use this link to vote. Voting closes today.

Thomas Vanek Watch is Officially On

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This was a story that I happen to come across on the Score. I would have to think that the Thomas Vanek watch is officially on. It will be interesting to see where he actually ends up. From the looks of it, it doesn't appear that his stay in Montreal was very memorable, either.

Thomas Vanek said he's excited for the opportunity to pick his own team for the first time, but for now most excited to see his family
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) May 31, 2014

"I feel we're both good players, just weren't on the same page" - Thomas Vanek on him and Tomas Plekanec
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) May 31, 2014

Vanek said he feels the Canadiens could win, and they could be an option for him. Whether the feeling is mutual remains to be seen.
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) May 31, 2014

Thomas Vanek said his top priority on July 1 is winning. Was asked about Minny and simply said he lives and trains there.
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) May 31, 2014

Vanek said he's not injured, just never found any chemistry once he was removed from top line. Lack of shots was due to lack of chemistry
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) May 31, 2014

"I could have made a difference and I just wasn't there" - Thomas Vanek
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) May 31, 2014

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane is on fire

Right now, Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane is on fire. He's smoking hot. Kane has (2g-6a—8pts) in the last three games. Incidentally, Kane came into game five with a single point during the third round. Since then, he has gone a tear the last two games. Scoring (2g-5a—7pts). For the playoffs, Kane has scored (8g-10a—18pts) in 18 games.  

Wild close to extending Yeo

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Very good news. According to Michael Russo of the Star and Tribune, the Wild are very close to resigning head coach Mike Yeo to multiyear contract extension. This past season, Mike Yeo lead the Minnesota Wild to a (43-27-12) record. Obviously, the Fire Mike Yeo crowd isn't going to be happy, but Yeo has the Wild going in the right direction.

Michael Russo, Startribune -- Final details were being worked out Friday night, but all signs pointed toward an agreement soon, multiple sources said. Yeo, General Manager Chuck Fletcher and other members of the front office are due to leave for owner Craig Leipold’s home in the Bahamas on Saturday for meetings. The NHL’s youngest coach is 104-82-26 (. 552) in the regular season and coached the Wild past the first round for only the second time in franchise history this spring. Yeo, 40, is nearing the end of a three-year contract. Fletcher said May 16 that his first offseason priority was to re-sign Yeo, then address the two dozen others whose contracts also expire June 30.

(Video) Chicago Blackhawks: Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane ice the Kings - game six

Think about this for a minute, in the last two games, Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane has scored (2g-5a—7pts) and been an absolute beast against the L.A. Kings. Coming into game five, Kane had scored 1 assist, in the other four games of the series. This has been a very good hockey series and it's only fitting that this series is going to a game seven.

11:34 CHI Duncan Keith (4) Wrist shot - ASST: Patrick Kane (10), Andrew Shaw (5) 3 - 3 Tie
16:15 CHI Patrick Kane (8) Wrist shot - ASST: Brandon Saad (9) 4 - 3 CHI

(Video) Drew Doughty and Alec Martinez score 2:06 apart to take the lead - game 6

The Kings would take the lead back from the Chicago Blackhawks as Kings Defensemen Drew Doughty and Alec Martinez score 2:06 apart. That lead would evaporate quickly as the Blackhawks would get two goals in just under five minutes to take the lead.

05:32 LAK Drew Doughty (4) Wrist shot - ASST: Dustin Brown (6), Mike Richards (6) 2 - 2 Tie
07:38 LAK PPG - Alec Martinez (3) Wrist shot - ASST: Drew Doughty (12) 3 - 2 LAK