Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Remaking Burrows' image

Last season a major American Newspaper from Pittsburgh wrote a newspaper article that tried to remake Matt Cooke's  tattered image after the Penguins bad boy was suspended by the National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety for the rest of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I guess we could say this article some similar to that one. This article by the Vancouver Providence wants us to look at one of the players in a different light.

Enter Alex Burrows, while me might be a "great" hockey player statically; his unsportsmanlike on ice antics makes him one of the most unlikable players/characters in the NHL. Burrows also happens to be a team member on one of the most unlikable teams in the NHL, the Canucks are the poster boys of poor sportsmanship. As we have seen in the Stanley Cup Playoffs that last few years, the Vancouver Canucks are a team full of driving frauds and cry babies that are as light on their skates as any team in the NHL.  Everytime someone touches one of the Canucks they throw their heads back like they have been shot.
The Providence --- Burrows has done himself no favours in the past. He is not known as a hockey player but as a finger-biting, hair-pulling, head-snapping diver who gets to play the role of fire-hydrant, standing in front of the net while the Sedins bank shots in off him.

It’s a shame because Burrows is a hell of a hockey player.

Consider that he’s averaged 30 goals a season over the past four campaigns.

But then add to the consideration the fact he gets next to no power-play time.

When it comes to even-strength goals, he had 23 this season – more than Rick Nash, more than Matt Moulson.
Burrows is the poster boy for everything that is wrong with the Vancouver Canucks, first he comes off as clownish character and an unlikable buffoon that I can only imagine that an opposing player would rather pound into the boards or  cross check in the mouth, rather than to have to watch their on ice antics. This past post season the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks Alain Vigneaul had to tell Canucks forwards Alex Burrows and Max LaPierre to shut their mouths.

Burrows biting of Patrice Bergeron during the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals was an atrocious and unpunished childish act that should have resulted in Burrows being give a suspension.

If I was a general manager in the NHL I would take a pass on this clown, I don't care how many goals that he scores - while Burrows has a serious upside offensively - he is also a poor sport and a distraction to the rest of the Vancouver Canucks and there are a lot of other unlikable characters on that team. If I was the GM of the Vancouver Canucks I would try to package a deal that includes Alex burrows and  Max Lapierre to any Eastern Conference team that would take these two clowns. Losing those two players would help save the image of that once great franchise.
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Fighting Sioux own the night in Devils win


NBCSN ice level announcer/personality Pierre McGuire couldn't seem to say it enough as he kept mentioning the two outstanding players from Grand Forks, ND. While Zach Parise (2002-04) and Travis Zajac (2004-06) are former Fighting Sioux Hockey players - they never played hockey together during their time at UND. Parise left UND in 2004 after playing two season for the Fighting Sioux. Shortly there after, Zajac arrived at UND in the fall of 2004 and played two season for the Fighting Sioux as well before joining Parise in New Jersey.

That historical fact doesn't seem to matter as both players seem to have a good chemistry on the ice together as the two former Fighting Sioux forwards frustrated the New York Rangers and led the way for the New Jersey Devils beating them 4-1, Parise was named the game first star and (2g-1a—3pts)



The empty net goal by Parise at end of the game was a thing of beauty as well as the puck appeared to have a bit of English on it and curved into the net to ice the New York Rangers.


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Monday, May 21, 2012

Mike Rupp and the New York Rangers come unglued


Mark it down as being a rough and tumble hockey game between two teams that really don't like each other at all. In the end the Rangers kind of lost it and acted like a bunch of spoiled babies at the end of the game.

For his efforts, New York Rangers forward Mike Rupp was given a 10 minutes misconduct and a double minor (4 minutes) for roughing. I don't know, If I was Rupp, I might think twice of trying to rattle Marty Brodeur's cage, your just looking for some extra lumber to the back of the legs. It's obvious that the Rangers are sending a message but the fact remains that the Devils really didn't take the bait from the Rangers.

Personally, I think that the Mike Rupp hit behind the net on Devils Defenseman Peter Harold was questionable even a border line and unnecessary check, Rupp left his feet and led with his hands as well, lucky for Peter Harold that Rupp didn't catch all of him.

It should be an exciting game in Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night as the series is now tied again. During game the Devils play disciplined hockey for the most part.

Here are the penalty minutes from the boxscore 
06:18 NYR Mike Rupp : Misconduct (10 min) - 0 min
06:18 NYR Mike Rupp served by Michael Del Zotto :  Roughing - 2 min
06:18 NYR Stu Bickel : Roughing - 2 min
06:18 NJD Ryan Carter : Roughing - 2 min 06:18
NYR Mike Rupp served by Michael Del Zotto : Roughing - 2 min
06:18 NYR Stu Bickel : Misconduct (10 min) - 0 min
 06:18 NJD Ryan Carter : Misconduct (10 min) - 0 min
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Frattin Scores two as Marlies win


Former Fighting Sioux All-American forward Matt Frattin has been in beast mode during the Toronto Marlies run through the Western Conference Finals series against the Oklahoma City Barons. In today's game, Frattin scored his seventh and eighth goal of the Calder Cup Playoffs that leads the AHL.

Frattin's second goal of the game was the game winning goal for the Marlies  and I would classify that goal as  a thing of beauty - your classic toe drag goal that was shot from the top of the face-off circles that blew by the Barons goalie Yann Danis.

 Former Fighting Sioux forward Chris VandeVelde has a goal in the losing effort for the Oklahoma City Barons, VandeVelde now has five goals during the Calder Cup playoffs.
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Shane Doan's second goal


Phoenix Coyotes forward Shane Doan scored two big goals to help the Coyotes beat the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 2-0 to extend the Western Conference Finals series between the Phoenix Coyotes and the Los Angeles Kings. With the victory last night by the Coyotes in Los Angeles, game five is tomorrow night at 8:00 PM Central in Glendale, Arizona, at Jobing.com Arena.
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Zach Parise hit on Michael Del Zotto


This is the hit by New Jersey Devils forward Zach Parise on New York Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto that the Rangers head coach John Tortorella took issue with - the video is not very good and the hit in question would be the hit in the left corner at the 7-8 second mark of the video.

It would appear from all of the talk between game three and four, that this series is beginning to heat up and get even more nastier, if that is even possible, the two teams started a game off back in March 19th, 2012 by dropping the gloves on the opening face off and having an old fashion Donny Brook.

Ranger fans will be happy to know that the slow footed Ranger defenseman Stu Bickel will be in for Brandon Prust who is sitting out the game on suspension tonight.

My final question is: does the Rangers head coach John Tortorella have a case? Was the hit by  Parise's on Del Zotto in the corner a dirty that hit? Is this hit worthy of Parise sitting out a one game  suspension?
Larry Brooks, New York Post --- “You can sense the hatred building from the last game, especially with some of the big hits,” Michael Del Zotto told The Post after coming off the ice from yesterday’s optional skate at the Garden. “It feels like there’s something building.”

There were three incidents involving hits to the head in Saturday’s Game 3, but only one gained notice enough to be reviewed by the NHL after it had been replayed multiple times on the NBC telecast of the Rangers’ 3-0 victory. That was Prust’s elbow.

That was followed by Saturday’s post-game press conference in which Devils coach Pete DeBoer matter-of-factly labeled the incident, “Headhunting, plain and simple.”

What was plain and simple is the unpenalized Prust elbow at 2:38 of the second period came between the unpenalized Dainius Zubrus right elbow to Anton Stralman’s face that drew blood at 8:00 of the first period and the unpenalized leap from behind by Zach Parise onto Michael Del Zotto’s head when the Blueshirts defenseman was in pursuit of the puck with 6:22 remaining in the third period.
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Henrik Lundquist stuffs Ilya Kovalchuk


New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist has been nothing short of amazing during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and this was no different this past Saturday against the New Jersey Devils.

Check out this amazing save by the All-World goalie Henrik Lundqvist as he stopped a Ilya Kovalchuk breakaway attempt with the game score still tied at 0-0. It's saves like this on on Kovy that helps make Lundquist's case for why he deserves the Hart Trophy.

I also think that Henrik Lunquist could be in the running along with Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick for the Conn Smythe Trophy.
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Sunday, May 20, 2012

Brandon Prust suspended for Game 4


The New York Rangers forward Bandon Prust was suspended for his elbow on New Jersey Devils forward Anton Volchenkov at the 2:31 mark of the second period of yesterday's game.

I predicted that this play would warrant a suspension from the National Hockey League Department of Player Safety yesterday. The NHL has set a precedence if you hit someone where the head is the principle point of contact you will be suspended, it no longer matters if you're a repeat offender or not. In this case, Prust is not a repeat offender - yet he will become the 13th player to be suspended by the NHL during this season's Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Rangers forward Brandon Prust has no one to blame but himself on this play and I just don't think you can really defend this hit. A player is responsible for his actions on the ice at all times and I think that going forward all of these hits need to be punished consistently.

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Tortorella Responds To “Headhunter” Charge From DeBoer

John Tortorella
John Tortorella (Photo credit: Robert Kowal)
It looks like the smug one; New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella can actually say more than 36 words during a press conference, albeit this was a pregame press conference. This is what Torts had to say about the Prust hit as well as what he thought about the New Jersey Devils. There seems to be no love lost between these two teams.
Dave Lozo, NHL.com --- On Sunday, Rangers coach John Tortorella responded to that comment by defending Prust and accusing the Devils of embellishing calls and setting illegal picks during their power plays.

"He's probably one of the most honest players," Tortorella said, before launching into a a big chunk of gamesmanship. "I look at (Dainius Zubrus') elbow to (Anton) Stralman. I look at (Zach) Parise launching himself at (Michael) Del Zotto. Maybe if our players stay down on the ice, we'll get something. We tell our players don't stay down on the ice, get up.

"The picking on the power play. If we want to start discussing officials with the media, I've got a long list here. That's a set play by Jersey -- picking so we can't get to (Ilya) Kovalchuk to block his shot. There's some gamesmanship right there, huh?"
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J.P. Parise back tracks on comments

Zach Parise
Zach Parise (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I am one of those fans that is holding out hope that former Fighting Sioux forward Zach Parise ends up signing a free agent contract with the Minnesota Wild in the off season and finishes his hockey career in the "State of hockey."

After reading after reading J.P. Parise's comments the other day I got to thinking that the Rangers could be a destination for much sought after free agent player. 

Denis Gorman, New Jersey --- J.P. Parise was quoted in Friday’s edition of Newsday as saying, Zach “likes [John Tortorella] a lot,” and that his son “would fit in right there” with the Rangers. Zach Parise was a member of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men’s hockey team, which Tortorella was an assistant coach on. Ryan Callahan was also a member of that team.
J.P. Parise went on to clarify his comments  he made about the Rangers being a possible team that might seek Parise's services.
Tom Gulitti, Fire and Ice --- “I have to say I was extremely disappointed in how my comments were portrayed in today’s newspaper article,” J.P. Parise said. “I would never speak for Zach under any circumstance. He has not talked to me about anything other than the playoffs and we have not discussed anything but the playoffs and that is 100 percent where his focus is right now and I have absolutely no intentions to distract and get things away from his focus right now.”
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Rangers' Prust to have hearing Sunday

Rangers forward Brandon Prust has a hearing today with the department of player safety for his hit to the head of Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov. After the game, New Jersey Devils head coach Peter DeBoer was not happy with the hit. "Headhunting," DeBoer said. "Plain and simple."
NHL.COM --- New York Rangers forward Brandon Prust will have a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety on Sunday morning after connecting with the head of Anton Volchenkov during a 3-0 win against the New Jersey Devils in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday.

Volchenkov was carrying the puck along the boards and chipped it out of the zone when Prust landed an elbow to the back of Volchenkov's helmet in the second period. Volchenkov was down on the ice for almost a minute afterward, but was able to continue playing. No penalty was called on the play.

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Saturday, May 19, 2012

(Video) Brandon Prust Elbows Anton Volchenkov


How many games do you think that Rangers forward Brandon Prust be suspended for this dirty elbow on New Jersey Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov? There was no penalty called on the play but from vantage point on the coach, this appears to be a chicken wing elbow by Prust on Volchenkov and a violation of rule 48 - as I interpret this from reading the rule book - to quote Brendan Shanahan, "this is an illegal hit to the head."
48.1 Illegal Check to the HeadA hit resulting in contact with an opponent's head where the head is targeted and the principal point of contact is not permitted. However, in determining whether such a hit should have been permitted, the circumstances of the hit, including whether the opponent put himself in a vulnerable position immediately prior to or simultaneously with the hit or the head contact on an otherwise legal body check was avoidable, can be considered.
In closing, I expect that Brandon Prust will receive at least a one game suspension for his hit to the head on Volchenkov. I think the NHL has to suspend Prust because the NHL has set a precedence finally, after getting it wrong during the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

While it's true Prust doesn't have a history of being a dirty player or does it appear that he has ever been suspended or fined by the NHL, neither had Claude Giroux at the time of his suspension in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.


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