Goon's World

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Oklahoma City Barons bury Toronto Marlies 5-1

The OKC Barons and the Toronto Marlies is a series of interest for college hockey fans as well as Fighting Sioux Hockey fans. Last night, former Fighting Sioux forward Chris VandeVelde scored the fourth goal of the game for the Oklahoma City Barons as they evened their series in the Western Conference Finals against the Toronto Marlies with a 5-1 victory. The next three games of this series are in Toronto.

This series features three ex-Fighting Sioux hockey players (TOR) Matt Frattin (OKC) Taylor Chorney and Chris VandeVelde. There will be a least one former Fighting Sioux hockey players in the Calder Cup Finals and there is a "slight" possibility that three former Fighting Sioux players could face off against each other - if Jason Gregoire and Jake Marto's team the St. John's Ice Caps make the Calder Cup Finals, the are currently down 1-0 against the Milwaukee Admirals - Gregoire and Marto have yet to play for the Ice Caps in the Calder Cup Playoffs and both players have been a healthy scratch according to Chad from A Tradition of Excellence.

Just a few points of interest - only 2621 fans attended last night's game, that seems kind of low for a playoff hockey game in any league. After looking at this attendance figures I went back and looked at the OKC Barons attendance figures for the season and they averaged 3684 fans per game, there are 19 Division I college hockey teams that have have better attendance than the OKC Barons.

For the season, the Toronto Marlies draw better than the Oklahoma City Barons as they averaged 5,480 fans per game. There are 10 Division I hockey teams that draw better than the Marlies.

Malkin's hat trick...

You have to wonder if Finnish goalie Petri Vehanen is going to see Evgeni Malkin in his nightmares, talk about being lit up like a pinball machine. Malkin and the Russian beat the defending champion Finland 6-2 to advance to the World Championship final against the winner of the Czech Republic and Slovakia game.

I think by watching the video you can see why Malkin is one of the best forward'sin the world right now. With one game remaining, Malkin is tied for second in scoring with Henrik Zetterberg with 15 points.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Frattin's goal against OKC

s/t to @BrittsLyfe for posting this on Twitter... Check out this goal by Toronto Marlies forward Matt Frattin. Frattin's team the Toronto Marlies ended up beating former Fighting Sioux alumni Chris Vandevelde and Taylor Chorney's team the Oklahoma City Barons.

I am sure this goal by Frattin looks familiar to Fighting Sioux hockey fans who watched the power forward score a bunch of goals that looked a lot like this one. Notice the goalie also didn't see the puck until it was past him and in the net.

College Hockey well represented

The more I looked around the Leafs official web sight, the more I realized college hockey's contribution to this game and the Toronto Marlies. If you look at the box score from this game you will see that college hockey was well represented - three former WCHA players scored three of the five goals for the Marlies in tonight's game, Jake Gardiner (UW), Matt Frattin (UND) and Joe Colborne (DU).

Also, former RPI forward Jerry D'Amigo leads the Marlies in points for the Calder Cup playoffs.

The starting goalie for the Marlies is former Cornell Star Ben Scrivens who has started every games for the Marlies during the playoffs and was up for a while with the Maple Leafs during the regular season.

Torts game two press conference

I think the best job in the NHL would be transcribing New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella's brief post game press conferences - there are very few words spoken by the Rangers head coach - especially when the New York Rangers lose the game. I have to admit that I thought the short post game press conferences were funny at first but I would actually like to hear what he has to say. Why didn't Gabby play in the third period.

NDSU won’t play UND until nickname situation is resolved

NDSU won’t play UND until the Nickname issue is resolved… Small price to pay right, just like the NCAA sanctions being “manageable.” Wait, what? Someone must have gotten to NDSU, this can't be.

Really it’s a small price for keeping the Fighting Sioux nickname – screw them right! Who needs NDSU, they can go play someone else. Right! It’s really just a marginal and minor cost for keeping the Fighting Sioux nickname.

I am sure that some will say that Gene Taylor is lying – he can’t be telling the truth. I suppose others will accuse Taylor of folding and changing his view to appease Robert O. Kelley and Brian Faison. I suppose we will also have someone file a FOIA request to see what Gene Taylor knows and when he knew it… I can’t wait to read through all of Taylor’s email when they are posted on a blog somewhere in North Dakota. I can only imagine what else will be said.

Jeff Kolpack,Fargo Forum --- Not so fast, says the NDSU athletic director.

“No details have been worked out,” Gene Taylor said.

Taylor said the schools have dates that would work in both years and that he and Faison talked by phone earlier this week about resuming the game. Taylor said both sides talked a few months ago on a few occasions, but communication stopped until UND could get its nickname situation resolved, he said.

“We don’t have a solid contract,” Taylor said.

I want to address a couple of issue that has come up on line a few times.

First off, no one from the University of North Dakota has ever asked me to write against the Fighting Sioux nickname. No one! It has never happened; not once. No one has ever asked me to change my stance on the Fighting Sioux nickname issue. Seriously! If the President of the United States of America is allowed to evolve on an issue, what can’t others?

No one from the University of North Dakota has ever dangled my press pass in front of me and said if you don’t parrot the University Line against the Fighting Sioux nickname, I would have that press pass pulled. UND has been great and nothing but professional with me.

I have also developed relationships with some at the University of North Dakota and they have been nothing but accommodating and personable, they go out of their way to help people from the press, media and writers. UND is a first class organization that I am proud to be an alumnus of (1996, 1999). I find it mind numbing that some people that don’t have all the information calling reputable alumni, coaches and great people liars and toadies.

Lastly, I love the Fighting Sioux nickname and I think it’s the best logo in all of college sports or professional sports – nothing that they replace the Fighting Sioux nickname with will ever be good enough in my opinion. I have never wavered from that opinion, but like other Alumni that have actually attended class at the University of North Dakota, I know that UND can’t go on forever with the Fighting Sioux nickname and I don’t want to see the University hurt by the sanctions.

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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Berry to UND? Kind of looks that way

Looking at these tweets from one of the beat writers of the Columbus Blue Jackets Aaron Portzline, it would appear that former assistant coach Brad Berry is on his way back to the UND Fighting Sioux Hockey team to be one of Coach Hakstol's assistant coaches.

Coyotes' Hanzal suspended one game

The National Hockey League has acted swiftly and suspended Phoenix Coyotes forward Martin Hanzal for boarding Kings forward Dustin Brown during the third period of last nights game. For his efforts Hanzal will miss Thursday night's game in Los Angeles, California between the Kings and the Coyotes.

NEW YORK -- Phoenix Coyotes forward Martin Hanzal has been suspended for one game for boarding Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Brown during Game 2 of the teams’ Western Conference Final playoff series Tuesday in Phoenix, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 11:01 of the third period. Hanzal was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for boarding.

As with any suspension there are going to be fans that aren't happy with the suspension or think the suspension should be longer and isn't tough enough. I actually think Brown is lucky he wasn't hurt during the hit.

Mike Smith does his best Ron Hextall impersonation

You know the announcers are right, this isn't new to the NHL and Ron Hextall would be impressed with Phoenix Coyotes goalie Mike Smith and his chop of the Kings forward Dustin Brown.

I think when a goalie does this type of a bush leagues move it opens him up to reprisals. While I don't condone this move by Smith - sometimes this tactic works because it sends a message to other forwards - in essence Smith is telling the Kings that the Phoenix goal crease is not a place to be fooling around and you might want to watch yourself while you're around the crease area.

Penalties assessed: Smith was given a two minute minor for slashing and Dustin Brown was given a two minute minor for diving. Personally, I think the diving penalty that was assessed to Brown was a horrible call.

Coyotes' Hanzal has Disciplinary hearing today

Phoenix Coyotes forward Martin Hanzal has a hearing today with the NHL's department of Player Safety and after looking at the video – I would imagine that Hanzal "should" get at least a one or two game suspension for this brutal hit on Kings forward Dustin Brown.

Now that I said that and based on how inconsistent Brendan Shanahan has been during the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff – add to the fact that Hanzal isn't a repeat offender – the Department of Player safety "could" go easier on him and give him a the maximum fine.

NHL.COM --- Phoenix Coyotes forward Martin Hanzal will have a disciplinary hearing Wednesday with the NHL Player Safety Department following a boarding incident in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday.

Hanzal was penalized when he pushed the Kings' Dustin Brown from behind into the boards at 11:01 of the third period. Hanzal was assessed a five-minute major for boarding and a game-misconduct.

Two more bad hits from last night's game

At the 11:o1 mark of the third period Phoenix's Coyotes forward Martin Hanzal's drove the Kings forward Dustin Brown into the boards with push check. Hanzal was given a major penalty and a game misconduct for this play and could end up with a hearing with the Department of Player Safety for this hit.

The Coyotes forward Shane Doan was given a five minute major and a game misconduct for this hit on the Los Angeles Kings forward Trevor Lewis at the 16:29 mark of the second period of last night's game. On this play I believe the refs made the right call even though Lewis did turn towards the boards at the last second; the refs had no choice to give Doan a major penalty on this play.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Don't be that guy - Torts unloads on reporter for having cell phone on

The ongoing joke during the Stanley Cup Playoffs has been the Rangers head coach John Tortorella and how short his press conferences have been. As a person that been to a few post-game press conferences – sometimes the coaches just don’t want to talk to the media nor are they in any mood to answer questions from the media jackals.

Don’t be that guy – you also don’t want to be the person that has forgotten to turn off his cell phone. You might do it once but you probably won’t ever do it again.

Dave Stubbs, National Post --- “Typical New York,” veteran New York journalist Stan Fischler said Sunday with a laugh.

Next to this lunacy, Tortorella is just a cloudburst whose 15-second, syllable-short news conferences add to this season’s delicious drama on Broadway.

Torts’s act is well known in hockey, fittingly showbiz in the world’s headquarters of the theatre as his team prepares to face the New Jersey Devils Monday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final.

The coach’s shtick probably is carefully crafted to take heat off his team, give the opponent as little information as possible and keep the media off balance. It quickly wears thin with many and is viewed as disrespectful not just of reporters, but of the many great communicative coaches who have gone before him.

Predictably, Torts’s players will tell you they respect their leader who will go to the wall for them. And his results —the Rangers now eight victories from a Stanley Cup championship — speak for themselves.

I have to give Torts credit, he is very entertaining and a lot of fun to watch in the post game press conferences that they show on NBCSN and a lot of what he says can’t be said on TV without being bleeped out, but It makes for good theater. I also think it might be a tactic and maybe his antics do take the heat off of his team when they lose.

Fox Sports North names Anthony LaPanta television play-by-play announcer for the Wild

Here is the official releast for the hiring of Anthony LaPanta to do the play-by-play for the Minnesota Wild.

Chime in – how do you feel about the move?

FOX Sports North: the Exclusive Local Television Home for the 2012-13 Minnesota Wild Season.

The National Hockey League’s (NHL) Minnesota Wild today named Anthony LaPanta television play-by-play announcer.

LaPanta, a graduate of Totino-Grace High School and St. John’s University (Collegeville, Minn.), has covered the Twin Cities sports scene since 1991. The New Brighton, Minn., native has hosted the pregame and postgame shows on FOX Sports North for the Twins, Wild and Timberwolves nightly since 2004 and served as the television play-by-play announcer for the University of Minnesota men’s hockey team the past two seasons. LaPanta has also served as a play-by-play announcer for the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Timberwolves on a fill in basis.

“I have dreamed of doing NHL play-by-play since I was very young,” said LaPanta. “To have this opportunity in my hometown is truly special. I am a lifelong resident of the State of Hockey, and hockey is in my blood. From my work covering the Minnesota Wild for the last eight years, to calling games at the high school and college level, to spending as much of my free time as possible as a youth hockey dad, the game has been a huge part of my life. This is the opportunity of a lifetime for me.”

Before joining FOX Sports North, LaPanta was the television voice of the St. Paul Saints for ten seasons and was the radio play-by-play announcer for the Twins in 1999. He has won four regional Emmy Awards (two for play-by-play and two for anchor/host) and was involved with the development of the Hockey Day Minnesota concept. LaPanta and his wife, Margo, have four children, and reside in Shoreview, Minn., where he is active in the hockey community.

LaPanta will team with television analyst Mike Greenlay on FOX Sports North, the exclusive local television home for Wild hockey. Greenlay enters his 11th year as the Wild’s television analyst since being assigned to the post on Aug. 13, 2002. The former goaltender previously served as the radio analyst for the Anaheim Ducks (1999-2001) and the Nashville Predators (1998-99) and also worked as a television analyst on several networks.

“This is a great opportunity for Anthony, we’re enthusiastic about his new role in our Wild telecasts,” said Mike Dimond, Senior Vice President and General Manager for FOX Sports North. “Anthony has worked long and hard as the face of our network. We’ll miss him in that capacity, but thankful he’ll still be part of our network moving forward

Monday, May 14, 2012

Anthony LaPanta is going to be the play-by-play for the Wild

I posted on the on Sunday, that Michael Russo of the Star and Tribune was reporting on Russo's Rants that Anthony LaPanta was going to be selected to be the play-by-play voice of the Minnesota Wild on FSN. This story kind of went viral - Minnesota Wild fans are not happy with the selection of LaPanta. In fact, it's getting down right ugly and here is a sample of a few of the recent tweets that I found. You can also see some of the comments here at the Star and Tribune site.

While I am not really a fan of LaPanta per se - I am not a hater of LaPanta either. So I guess I don't know what all of the furor is about either, who did the fans think that FSN was going to hire, they already have a person on payroll so they don't really have to bring anyone else in it makes sense from a business stand point.

While there probably are better choices than LaPanta - is this really an issue that Wild fans need to get totally bent out of shape about? I have listened to LaPanta a lot while he was the play-by-play for the Minnesota Gopher broadcasts on FSN, I don't think he did that bad of a job. Enhanced by Zemanta

Salmela suspended for three games

The IIHF was suspended Finnish defenseman Anssi Salmela for three games for this brutal hit on USA defenseman Alex Goligoski.

HELSINKI – The IIHF Disciplinary Panel has suspended Finland’s defenceman Anssi Salmela for three games following his violent boarding on USA’s defenceman Alex Goligoski.

The incident occurred at 5:03 of the third period in Finland’s preliminary-round game against the United States on Sunday.

Anssi Salmela received a five-minute major plus an automatic game misconduct penalty for a violent boarding that caught Goligoski in a defenseless and vulnerable position and which resulted in Goligoski hitting his upper body, head and face into the boards.

The panel especially took into consideration the ruthlessness of the act, which could have resulted in a serious injury, which now Goligoski was fortunate to escape.

Leave the game alone – Part Deux

There seems to be a lot of discussion on what would open up the game of hockey. Some want to get rid of shot blocking; others want to limit the number of players that can line up in front of their goal. Some have suggested that the size of the goalie equipment is making goal scoring hard. Now Rangers head coach John Tortorella has chimed in, Torts would like to see the return of the “red line.” I think that is a horrible idea and would really slow down the game of hockey.

Mark Everson and Brett Cyrgalis --- “To me, I think they need to put the red line back in,” Tortorella said yesterday as his team prepares for Game 1 of its Eastern Conference final matchup against the Devils tonight at Madison Square Garden.

“Look at the puck possession teams,” Tortorella said, “they’re out.”

Coming out of the lockout in 2005, the NHL made it legal to make a two-line pass, meaning coming from out of one’s zone, behind the blue line, a pass could be made to a player beyond the center-ice line, the so-called red line. It was a pass that used to be illegal, immediately blowing the play dead.

The new rule was designed to open up the game, and if it did for a while, the way teams have adapted is by playing tighter in their own zone.

“Because it’s a game of ping-pong,” Tortorella said. “The game is a long pass, forecheck, defend. Another long pass, forecheck, defend.”

With a history of fines for criticizing the league, Tortorella then looked at the NHL representative in the room and added, “I better just leave it at that.”

I like the way the NHL is currently run, albeit the officiating would be a little more consistent during the playoffs but the NHL is comprised of the best players in the game of hockey and you’re not always going to have a 8-7 game, some games are going to be 2-1, 1-0, 0-0… I have no idea what bringing back the red line is going to do but slow the game down more and give us more unnecessary whistles and stoppages. Please leave the game of hockey alone.

Goon's World Extras

Saturday, May 19, 2012

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Thursday, May 17, 2012

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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

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Monday, May 14, 2012

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