Source: http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/penguinsmarch/38173/
Fuhr, GrantGrant Fuhr Gadsby, BillBill Gadsby Gainey, BobBob Gainey Gardiner, CharlieCharlie Gardiner Gardiner, HerbHerb Gardiner
Saturday, September 3, 2011
One year after World Hockey Summit: Player transfer agreements ? Part 2
Part 1 of this retrospective article on the one-year anniversary of the�Molson Canadian World Hockey Summit quickly reviewed the nature of NHL – European league Player Transfer Agreements and the refusal of the Russian Hockey Federation to enter into such agreements. �The acrimony surrounding the movements of Evgeni Malkin from Russia to North America and [...]
Between the Pipes NHL Recap and Analysis Week 10
Recap of Week 10 in the 2010-11 NHL Season. Including Goalie Spotlight, Fights of the Week, Goats of the Week, Things I Like, Things I Don't, This Week in Hockey History, Stat Line of the Week, Did You Know, Quotes of the Week, Numbers Numbers and Rankings.
Source: http://puckingawesome.com/2010/12/15/between-the-pipes-nhl-recap-and-analysis-week-10/
Boudreau, BruceBruce Boudreau Bourque, RayRay Bourque Bower, JohnnyJohnny Bower Bowie, Russell Russell Bowie Brett Hull
Montreal Canadiens: Player Projections for the 2011-12 season ? part 2, defensemen
Two weeks ago, I looked at the Canadiens’ top-12 forwards trying to predict their offensive output. This time I will have a look at the seven defensemen of the Habs’ defensive unit. At the moment, the Canadiens have 21 players signed for a total of $59,120,510, which gives GM Pierre Gauthier a $5,179,490 cap space [...]
Source: http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/slasher98/37811/
Gordie Roberts Goulet, MichelMichel Goulet Granato, CammiCammi Granato Grant, MikeMike Grant Green, ShortyShorty Green
Jose Theodore?s mask is a sexy version of Cat Fancy
It's not often we think about the goalie masks of the Florida Panthers, though in fairness we do watch mostly playoff hockey.
But Jose Theodore, you've earned our attention:
This is Theodore's new mask for the Panthers, and our records indicate it's the first in NHL history to feature a female feline in a bikini.
The design is a welcome change from the litany of Florida goalie masks that just feature a solitary palm tree or the goalie's face inside the jaws of a Panther head. Were this a Tex Avery cartoon, our eyes would now be bulging out while we make the "aaaah-oooo-gaaah" noise.
So what's the story behind the image? Prepare to feel a little awkward. From George Richards of On Frozen Pond, which published the mask image on Wednesday:
On one side of the mask is a feline wearing a bikini. On the other side is another adult cat (the one that looks a little like Joe Camel) wearing sunglasses. Next to him is a surprised looking kitten. I was told the three cats on the mask represent the Theodore clan: Jose, wife Stephanie and daughter Romy.
So the buxom bikini cat is ? his wife? You know, once you work past the initial jaw drop, it's actually a sweet little gesture, no?
Here's the other side:
He's a little more Chester Cheetah than Joe Camel, because there's no way Joe Camel is ever using a bendy straw.
Overall, cool mask. Sexiest goalie mask ever? That really all depends on how you feel about The Bride from "Kill Bill" and Final Fantasy games.
Griffis, SilasSilas Griffis Gulutzan, GlenGlen Gulutzan Hainsworth, GeorgeGeorge Hainsworth Hall, GlennGlenn Hall Hall, JoeJoe Hall
Puck Daddy NHL Season Preview 2011-12: Boston Bruins
It's going to be another year of blockbusters and huge flops in the NHL. Which teams blew out their budgets for big name stars and gigantic special effects to score Michael Bay-levels of box office gold? Which teams are bloated action retreads and terrible sequels? Find out in Puck Daddy's 2011-12 NHL Season Previews, running throughout the month.
There's no better way to end a season than how the Boston Bruins did. Winning Game 7 in Vancouver to take home their first Stanley Cup title in 39 years -- and further spoil the New England sports fan -- was the culmination of a plan set in place by GM Peter Chiarelli when he was hired in 2006.
Milan Lucic put in a career season. Brad Marchand broke out. A healthy Tim Thomas had his second out-of-this-world year in three seasons. And Zdeno Chara grew into the leader he was destined to become.
Now, as defending champs and with very little turnover over the summer, can the Bruins handle having a target on their backs all season long and become the first team to repeat since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and '98?
Peter Chiarelli did more saying goodbye than hello this summer, bringing in just Benoit Pouliot and Joe Corvo as players who will factor in the regular lineup next season. Chiarelli's lack of moves was by design as next summer he'll be busy figuring out which of the seven unrestricted free agents and three restricted free agents to bring back and squeeze under the salary cap.
We imagine it'll be an awkward handshake when NESN play-by-play man and Puck Daddy favorite Jack Edwards meets Pouliot for the first time. If you've forgotten, Edwards labeled Pouliot a "chump" and "one of the greatest disappointments in talent in National Hockey League history" and the then-Montreal Canadiens forward left his feet to hit Johnny Boychuk during Game 3 of their opening round series.
Leaving Beantown were Tomas Kaberle (UFA) to Carolina; Michael Ryder (UFA) to Dallas; Boris Valabik (UFA) to Pittsburgh; and Dr. Mark Recchi to retirement after 22 NHL season.
At forward ... The Bruins had the fifth best offense in the NHL last season thanks in part to a forward group that produced balance scoring. Ten players scored double digit goals (12 if you want to include late-season acquisitions Rich Peverley and Chris Kelly) with Milan Lucic leading the way posting a career high of 30. It was quite a turnaround for a team that ranked 30th in 2009-10 and had just one player scored more than 20 goals.
Recchi and Ryder are gone, but Boston will get a full season with Peverley (18 goals) and Kelly (14 goals), along with the budding talent of Tyler Seguin (11 goals, 22 points) who enters his sophomore campaign. Lucic and David Krejci led the Bruins in points with 62 last season and will depended upon once again to be offensive leaders. Krejci's 12 goals in the playoffs was a hopeful sign of things to come.
Brad Marchand made a name for himself for something other than getting under the skin of opponents, with 21 goals in his first full season in Boston. He'll no longer fly under opponents' radars.
With Marc Savard likely missing the 2011-12 season due to post-concussion symptoms, all eyes will be on Nathan Horton (26 goals, 53 points) who will be coming back from a head injury of his own suffered during Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. After spending his first six NHL seasons in Florida, Horton proved he could handle the pressure and excel in a hockey mad town like Boston.
A poster boy for coming back from a major concussion is Patrice Bergeron who posted his best year since 2006-07 with 22 goal and 57 points and further cemented his place as one of the NHL's top two-way forwards. Bergeron was also top 10 in faceoff percentage among players with 1000 draws winning 56.7-percent.
Gregory Campbell had his best year in the NHL establishing himself as a reliable penalty killer and chipping in offensively with 13 goals and 29 points. He'll also be able to go through an NHL season now without jokes about who his dad is.
On defense ... Since Julien's first year behind the bench in 2007-08 when they finished 10th in goals against, Boston has ended the year first or second in the category. Some of that had to do with the play of Tim Thomas, but most can be attributed to the team concept of defense enforced by Julien.
The pairings of Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg and Johnny Boychuk and Andrew Ference were the backbone to the Bruins' Cup run last season. Chara had won a Norris Trophy and been nominated for the award two other times and deservedly so; he's led the Bruins in time on ice and shorthanded time on ice in each of his five seasons in Boston.
Newcomer Joe Corvo won't be mistaken for a Norris Trophy candidate, but he will provide even more experience and offense from the back after scoring 31 goals over the past three seasons.
In goal ... Tim Thomas will be back to attempt to win his third Vezina Trophy in four seasons, but after a long '10-11 campaign that saw him play 82 games, backup Tuukka Rask will be sure to see plenty of time in goal to keep last year's Conn Smythe Trophy winner fresh.
The role of King Leonidis in "300" was made for Zdeno Chara. And any kind of sword practice he might need he could just ask former teammate Tomas Kaberle.
Is Claude Julien safe now? Is a Stanley Cup enough for the guy's head to come off the chopping block? Seemingly coaching for his job for most of last season and in the early rounds of the playoffs, Julien didn't let that chatter have any effect on what he did behind the bench.
As we've mentioned, Chiarelli wasn't busy this summer as he's keeping an eye on July 1, 2012, but heading into this season the Bruins have over $7 million in cap space (before Marchand re-signs his RFA deal) and that's before putting Savard and his $4.007 million cap hit on long-term injury reserve. If the Bruins need to tinker at any point during the season due to injuries or ineffectiveness, Chiarelli will have plenty of room to make a short-term investment with an eye on his own free agent class next summer.
It'll once again be tough for Jordan Caron (7 points) to stick in a crowded forward group for the Bruins, but after getting in 23 games last season his two-way ability could help his chances this time around. While with Providence of the AHL last season, Caron scored 12 times and contributed 28 points in 47 games. Entering his third NHL camp, Caron has the upper hand to earn his spot in the Bruins lineup
"Do you have any [expletive] idea how clich� it is to have references to both 'The Town' and 'The Departed' in the same preview? About as clich� as Boston winning another [expletive] championship, those
[expletive] rats (makes rat noise with teeth)."
There will be many eyes on Year 2 of Tyler Seguin. The 2010 No. 2 overall pick was inconsistent at times both during the regular season and playoffs. There were the flashes of brilliance (Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference Final against Tampa Bay) and there were the disappearing acts (all 11 playoff games after Game 2 against the Lightning). Still just 19 years old and already a Stanley Cup champion, Seguin still has much to prove in order to live up to his No. 2 overall status. He'll be given more ice time this season due to roster changes and it'll be up to Seguin to gain Julien's trust.
February 3 was a night to forget for the Dallas Stars and night for the TD Garden faithful to remember. Within the first four seconds of the opening faceoff, the Bruins and Stars had three fights. Within the first 140 seconds of actual hockey, Boston scored twice and and Andrew Raycroft was pulled. The Bruins would score twice more in the first period en route to a 6-3 victory.
Tim Thomas coming back to Planet Earth. In Thomas' two Vezina Trophy winning years he had at least 35 wins, a goals against average barely above 2.00 and a save-percentage of over .930. After a season that went all the way until mid-June, is it possible for Thomas to come even close to those numbers as a 37-year old? You'd imagine Tuukka Rask will play more than the 29 games he did last year to give Thomas a breather and keep him fresh for what they hope is another long run in the postseason.
With little roster turnover and Chiarelli filling in the few gaps on the team from off-season departures, the Bruins will once again be a contender coming out of the East. They should be able to win another Northeast Division crown and then the question will become whether or not their defense can shut down the likes of Philadelphia, Washington and Pittsburgh who all figure to challenge for the conference title.
Gardner, JimmyJimmy Gardner Gartner, MikeMike Gartner Gary Gambucci Geoffrion, BernieBernie Geoffrion George Brown
Other NHL team grievances
Dishonesty and incompetence involving
the LA Kings and a guy named Fraser?
But that would never happen!
the LA Kings and a guy named Fraser?
But that would never happen!
The Kings say that Fraser's ankle injury is more significant than they were led to believe, while the Oilers say they shared all the medical information they had. As per league rules, both sides in the dispute will get a chance to present their case to commissioner Gary Bettman, who settles all formal grievances.
That means that Bettman could be a busy man this summer, since it turns out that the Kings aren't the only team with something to be unhappy about these days. Sources tell me that the NHL has actually received a list of grievances from various NHL teams.
Here are some the NHL teams lining up to have their complaints heard:
Florida Panthers - The league's out-of-control salary floor increases have forced the team to fill the roster with players who are overpaid and barely average, instead of players who are underpaid and terrible like our fans have become used to.
Winnipeg Jets - Players have been reluctant to appear in local promotional events during the Winnipeg summer ever since that one minor incident a few weeks ago when Dustin Byfuglien was carried away by a mosquito.
New York Islanders - While the original prank call to Alexei Yashin was hilarious, the way he keeps eagerly calling us back every day now "just to check in" is starting to make us feel sort of bad.
Toronto Maple Leafs - General manager Brian Burke has allowed himself to become so distracted with trips to Afghanistan and other public appearances that he can't even be bothered to perform basic job functions, such as giving the Nashville Predators something half decent in return for Cody Frasnon.
Detroit Red Wings - Thought it would be a nice gesture to have recently retired Chris Osgood mentor the organization's young goalies, but it turns out the only advice he ever gives them is "Always make sure you play on a team with at least 15 or 16 players who are way better than you."
Columbus Blue Jackets - Rumoured out-of-control partier Jeff Carter didn't waste any time in visiting the most exciting spot in all of Columbus, although in fairness he didn't have much choice since it's the lost luggage counter at the airport.
Vancouver Canucks - The league continues to display a blatant and unmistakable pro-Boston bias, as so far this summer every single player to get a day with the Stanley Cup has been a Bruin.
New York Rangers - We're starting to get concerned that every time we refer to Brad Richard's contract as a "nine-year" deal by using finger quotes and then nudging him playfully in the ribs while winking, he just looks at us all confused instead of nudging and winking back.
Montreal Canadiens - Our attempts to trade Scott Gomez have so far been thwarted by old-fashioned opposing general managers who still insist on relying on out-dated concepts like "scouts" and "statistics" and "common sense".
Anaheim Ducks - We've been talking to Teemu Selanne about a potential return since the season ended. No, literally. He started telling us a story about what it was like to break into the league as a rookie in the 1940s eight weeks ago and we haven't been able to get a word in since.
New Jersey Devils - Don't want to sound paranoid, but can't help but think the league is just being petty when they threaten to void Zach Parise's new contract because too much of the money is front-loaded into the first year.
Philadelphia Flyers - Everyone's making a big deal out of this whole "Dry Island" controversy, but our organization has been encouraging alcohol-free policies for years; for example, it's been over 35 years since any of us had a drop of champagne.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DownGoesBrown/~3/mwqWDbawpsw/other-nhl-team-grievances.html
Hyland, HarryHarry Hyland Irvin, DickDick Irvin Jackson, BusherBusher Jackson James Claypool James Fullerton
Rumor: Rangers Ready To Re-Sign Eminger
It sounds like the New York Rangers may have found their veteran defenseman for next season. According to Larry Brooks, the Rangers are attempting to re-sign Steve Eminger, who came to New York in a trade last summer that sent Aaron Voros to the Ducks.
Brooks today stated:
Last year Eminger was in the second year of a two year contract, based on the fact that it's expected that Eminger will likely fill the 6th/7th defenseman role and what appears to be a lack of interest, I would expect that if he is re-signed by Sather that he won't be getting a pay raise. I actually would be surprised if he was signed for above $1.1M to be quite honest. Last year his salary was $1.5M but his cap hit was only $1.125M.
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Agree or Disagree with what was said? Use the comments link below...let your voice be heard!
Brooks today stated:
Rangers zoning in on re-signing Eminger...should be done relatively soon...Eminger who is still only 27 years old was a pleasant surprise last season. After watching him struggle on several teams early in his career I had very low expectations for him. However, he played the role that he was expected to play well and was surprisingly much much more physical than I think any New York Rangers fan expected.
Last year Eminger was in the second year of a two year contract, based on the fact that it's expected that Eminger will likely fill the 6th/7th defenseman role and what appears to be a lack of interest, I would expect that if he is re-signed by Sather that he won't be getting a pay raise. I actually would be surprised if he was signed for above $1.1M to be quite honest. Last year his salary was $1.5M but his cap hit was only $1.125M.
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Agree or Disagree with what was said? Use the comments link below...let your voice be heard!
Source: http://puckcentral.blogspot.com/2011/07/rumor-rangers-ready-to-re-sign-eminger.html
Irvin, DickDick Irvin Jackson, BusherBusher Jackson James Claypool James Fullerton James, AngelaAngela James
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