Just if you were bored like me since the season ended. Plus consider this a sort of tribute for Dominik Hasek who is set to retire today from the NHL... again.
Was that comedian Jim Gaffigan in the back of the cab?
You gotta love the Philly goalie encroaching on his territory. It's pretty funny.
Classic Fedorov, notice the Caps goaltender in the old DC blue.
Another classic Fedorov Nike Commercial.
This goaltender sounds eerily like Jim Carrey.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Saturday, June 07, 2008
This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things
Like my wife always says, "You can't trust boys with anything, eventually they are going to break it." For the Detroit Red Wings, apparently some one took their eye off the Stanley Cup. The Cup took a tumble and acquired a dent as it made the rounds at Cheli's Chilli Bar, Chris Chelios' restaurant in Detroit.
No worries though, it was a minor dent that was "smoothed out."
Meanwhile in the Steel city, the Penguins are sweating bullets as contracts need to be resigned. There have even been rumors that Evgeni Malkin may not be in Pittsburgh, or even in this hemisphere. There have been slight talk of him returning home to Russia and returning to play for the Russian Super League. I find it hard to believe that the Penguins would see that happen, but stranger things have happened.
As far as the Capitals are concerned, GM George McPhee talked to XM Radio on Friday about the season and the tough job of getting the players back under contract that did so well last year. One of the interesting things he said was that following the playoff run in 1998, in all of his exit meetings the players described about how great of a time it was, how much fun it was. While this off season, all of his players couldn't wait for the next year to begin. A very stark contrast the grows promise for the Capitals in '08 - '09.
I can't wait either.
No worries though, it was a minor dent that was "smoothed out."
Meanwhile in the Steel city, the Penguins are sweating bullets as contracts need to be resigned. There have even been rumors that Evgeni Malkin may not be in Pittsburgh, or even in this hemisphere. There have been slight talk of him returning home to Russia and returning to play for the Russian Super League. I find it hard to believe that the Penguins would see that happen, but stranger things have happened.
As far as the Capitals are concerned, GM George McPhee talked to XM Radio on Friday about the season and the tough job of getting the players back under contract that did so well last year. One of the interesting things he said was that following the playoff run in 1998, in all of his exit meetings the players described about how great of a time it was, how much fun it was. While this off season, all of his players couldn't wait for the next year to begin. A very stark contrast the grows promise for the Capitals in '08 - '09.
I can't wait either.
Friday, June 06, 2008
How Secure Is The Ground For Goaltending?
If the Capitals have an issue before the season ended, it was they had three capable goaltenders fighting for a spot in the crease. After it ended, the field was whittled down to just one. Brent Johnson is the only sure thing for next year since he has a year remaining on his contract. But where the Capitals had two, now look as if they have none.
As Japer was kind enough to point out the silence that was heard 'round Caps nation, not even Bruce Boudreau is sure where management is heading in the puck stopping department. So if Olie Kolzig is out and the team is unsure they will get Cristobal Huet back, then who will be there?
No disrespect for Johnson, but he is not a number one goaltender in the NHL. He is a capable backup and a good person. Johnny has even improved his numbers from a year ago, which shows maturity in his game, but can he do it for 50 to 60 games a year?
There is certainly some talent down the line, Simeon Varlomov played well for Team Russia at the World Championship, but he lacks NHL experience not to mentioned he was injured early in the tournament. Michal Nuevirth is another young talent that just doesn't look ready to be a back up in Hershey let alone a number one in the NHL. If the Caps can't keep Olie and lose Huet their troubles in net may not be something that settles itself out for another 2 to 3 years.
Perhaps George McPhee was counting on getting Huet at his $2.75 million price tag. But Huet played well enough to replace Kolzig's receipts at a $5 million or better goaltender. I mean going 11-2 with a 1.63 GAA and .936 save percentage down the most important stretch for the Capitals, he clearly proved his was apt to be a number one goaltender that is looking to win.
But with a slew of RFA's to resign and convincing a few UFA's to stay, that leaves little room in the cap. And GMGM working at his own slow pace to resign, the collective Caps fan core seems a bit nervous at all these questions now coming up concerning the most important position, goaltending.
As Japer was kind enough to point out the silence that was heard 'round Caps nation, not even Bruce Boudreau is sure where management is heading in the puck stopping department. So if Olie Kolzig is out and the team is unsure they will get Cristobal Huet back, then who will be there?
No disrespect for Johnson, but he is not a number one goaltender in the NHL. He is a capable backup and a good person. Johnny has even improved his numbers from a year ago, which shows maturity in his game, but can he do it for 50 to 60 games a year?
There is certainly some talent down the line, Simeon Varlomov played well for Team Russia at the World Championship, but he lacks NHL experience not to mentioned he was injured early in the tournament. Michal Nuevirth is another young talent that just doesn't look ready to be a back up in Hershey let alone a number one in the NHL. If the Caps can't keep Olie and lose Huet their troubles in net may not be something that settles itself out for another 2 to 3 years.
Perhaps George McPhee was counting on getting Huet at his $2.75 million price tag. But Huet played well enough to replace Kolzig's receipts at a $5 million or better goaltender. I mean going 11-2 with a 1.63 GAA and .936 save percentage down the most important stretch for the Capitals, he clearly proved his was apt to be a number one goaltender that is looking to win.
But with a slew of RFA's to resign and convincing a few UFA's to stay, that leaves little room in the cap. And GMGM working at his own slow pace to resign, the collective Caps fan core seems a bit nervous at all these questions now coming up concerning the most important position, goaltending.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Stanley Cup And Tornado Warnings
The DC metro area got hit by a massive storm cell that blew down trees and cut power to our humble abode. There was even a report of a tornado that touched down somewhere in No. VA. You can imagine my frustration at 8pm eastern time when the power had not been restored and my wife and I are sweltering in a hot house. And I can't watch the Stanley Cup Finals nor record them as my HD Tivo refuses to work with out electricity. The nerve.
Lucky for you I have the Universal HD channel that replays the game at 2 am. I set the Tivo, have a cup of coffee and prepare to actually stay up and witness the game. I think I lasted until half way through the first period when the call of bed was too strong to ignore. Now I am up early watching what was recorded and the coffee maker is in overtime.
Anyway, it actually takes me until 5:30 in the morning to find out who won the Stanley Cup. Wait, almost there, :30 seconds left...
Hannah Montana! The Penguins were inches away from a tie and Chris Osgood made the save of the series with a mere 3 seconds left on the clock! Wow! The Cup returns to Hockeytown. Actually, it's been the most exciting series since the Tampa Bay and Calgary's game 7 for the Cup.
For some light reading on the game:
TSN.ca
Detroit Free Press
Behind the Jersey
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pens Blog
Marc-Andre Fleury was spectacular. Give the Penguins some credit here, they made this series great to watch and forced a game 6 (almost a game 7) after many thought they would just get swept after not scoring a single goal in the first two games. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, they just couldn't score when they wanted too, and their power play was abysmal. But Fleury's heroics in game 5 and his solid play in game 6 kept the Penguins in it.
Henrik Zetterberg is your Con Smyth winner, as well he should be. Not only did he score the game winner off a squeaker of a shot that Fleury couldn't find in his pads and ended up knocking it back into his own net, but he played the best two way game I have ever seen in a Stanley Cup final. He was all over the puck in game 6 especially in the waning moments. It seemed every time the puck needed to get out of the zone it was through Zetterberg's stick.
"It feels pretty good," Zetterberg told reporters. "It's been a long season. When we lost a few nights ago in Joe Louis, it was devastating. We found a way to battle back. It's just a great feeling."
While this is the organization's 11th Stanley Cup and the fourth ring for some players, it was Dallas Drake who won the Cup for the very first time that made me smile as the Red Wings circled the ice with Lord Stanley's prize above their heads. Drake, who has made the rounds for 16 years, had the widest smile as he skated the Cup around.
"I can't believe it," said Drake. "We've got a tremendous group of guys who want to win more than anybody I've been around. I just can't be more thankful right now."
Nick Lidstrom becomes the first European born and trained team captain to win the cup. Not that I think it's that big of a deal, he does have 15 years of experience and three previous rings all with the Red Wings.
One of the players that most impressed me was Ryan Malone. You can't deny this kid's toughness. He broke his nose twice, once when a puck hit him in the face. He was caught with his head down a couple of times by Nick Kronwall. But he got back up every time. While he will never win a Lady Byng anytime soon, he did play a tough gritty series.
I thought NBC did a great job on the broadcast as well. While I am not sure if they cut the broadcast right at 11 pm, they certainly did show a lot of the Cup carrying at the end of the game on the Universal HD broadcast.
The NHL should be very happy at the end of this Stanley Cup final. Not only are the ratings up, but the series are actually fun to watch and have been pretty exciting. The last thing the league wanted was another 5 game dominance of a season ago. Instead they got two very talented teams and an thriller of a 3 overtime game 5.
And that concludes the 2007 - 2008 campaign and summer is officially here. Congratulations to the Detroit Red Wings. Next up, awards ceremony on June 12th. Will Alex Ovechkin win the Hart trophey? Can Bruce Boudreau get the Jack Adams for top coach? Guess we will find out soon.
Lucky for you I have the Universal HD channel that replays the game at 2 am. I set the Tivo, have a cup of coffee and prepare to actually stay up and witness the game. I think I lasted until half way through the first period when the call of bed was too strong to ignore. Now I am up early watching what was recorded and the coffee maker is in overtime.
Anyway, it actually takes me until 5:30 in the morning to find out who won the Stanley Cup. Wait, almost there, :30 seconds left...
Hannah Montana! The Penguins were inches away from a tie and Chris Osgood made the save of the series with a mere 3 seconds left on the clock! Wow! The Cup returns to Hockeytown. Actually, it's been the most exciting series since the Tampa Bay and Calgary's game 7 for the Cup.
For some light reading on the game:
TSN.ca
Detroit Free Press
Behind the Jersey
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pens Blog
Marc-Andre Fleury was spectacular. Give the Penguins some credit here, they made this series great to watch and forced a game 6 (almost a game 7) after many thought they would just get swept after not scoring a single goal in the first two games. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, they just couldn't score when they wanted too, and their power play was abysmal. But Fleury's heroics in game 5 and his solid play in game 6 kept the Penguins in it.
Henrik Zetterberg is your Con Smyth winner, as well he should be. Not only did he score the game winner off a squeaker of a shot that Fleury couldn't find in his pads and ended up knocking it back into his own net, but he played the best two way game I have ever seen in a Stanley Cup final. He was all over the puck in game 6 especially in the waning moments. It seemed every time the puck needed to get out of the zone it was through Zetterberg's stick.
"It feels pretty good," Zetterberg told reporters. "It's been a long season. When we lost a few nights ago in Joe Louis, it was devastating. We found a way to battle back. It's just a great feeling."
While this is the organization's 11th Stanley Cup and the fourth ring for some players, it was Dallas Drake who won the Cup for the very first time that made me smile as the Red Wings circled the ice with Lord Stanley's prize above their heads. Drake, who has made the rounds for 16 years, had the widest smile as he skated the Cup around.
"I can't believe it," said Drake. "We've got a tremendous group of guys who want to win more than anybody I've been around. I just can't be more thankful right now."
Nick Lidstrom becomes the first European born and trained team captain to win the cup. Not that I think it's that big of a deal, he does have 15 years of experience and three previous rings all with the Red Wings.
One of the players that most impressed me was Ryan Malone. You can't deny this kid's toughness. He broke his nose twice, once when a puck hit him in the face. He was caught with his head down a couple of times by Nick Kronwall. But he got back up every time. While he will never win a Lady Byng anytime soon, he did play a tough gritty series.
I thought NBC did a great job on the broadcast as well. While I am not sure if they cut the broadcast right at 11 pm, they certainly did show a lot of the Cup carrying at the end of the game on the Universal HD broadcast.
The NHL should be very happy at the end of this Stanley Cup final. Not only are the ratings up, but the series are actually fun to watch and have been pretty exciting. The last thing the league wanted was another 5 game dominance of a season ago. Instead they got two very talented teams and an thriller of a 3 overtime game 5.
And that concludes the 2007 - 2008 campaign and summer is officially here. Congratulations to the Detroit Red Wings. Next up, awards ceremony on June 12th. Will Alex Ovechkin win the Hart trophey? Can Bruce Boudreau get the Jack Adams for top coach? Guess we will find out soon.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Tort Reform
The Tampa Bay Lightning took their first steps into hiring Barry Melrose. They had to fire the coach they had, John Tortorella. That was done today and the Southeast Division has to learn a new bench boss's face in the mist of three head coaching changes within the last 6 months.
Torts had a year left on his contract and was still his prime as a head coach that was given the reigns of Team USA for the World Championship. His record with the Bolts was 239-222-36-38 making him one of the most successful American born coaches in the NHL. He was a winner of the Jack Adams award as the league's top coach in 2004. The same year he led his team to a Stanley Cup championship over the Calgary Flames.
But injuries and inconsistent goaltending landed the Lightning dead last in the Division. Even when at the half way point in the season they were in the midst of battling for 1st in the Southeast.
Rumors over the last week or so had ESPN analyst Melrose a candidate for the head coaching job in Tampa Bay, but Tortorella was still head coach, until today. Barry Melrose's fame (other than the annoying mullet and purple suites) was the year he took the Los Angeles Kings to the Cup Finals. Of course he had Wayne Gretzky (when he was still a dominate goal scorer in the league) on his team.
What I will miss most about Tortorella was his gut check honesty with the media and his calling out of his goaltenders. While he was rough around the corners, he was also 99% right about what he was talking about. What is interesting about this move is Torts could make the short jump to Florida to take the reigns of the Panthers who are still looking for a head coach. That would make for some sunshine state drama.
Torts had a year left on his contract and was still his prime as a head coach that was given the reigns of Team USA for the World Championship. His record with the Bolts was 239-222-36-38 making him one of the most successful American born coaches in the NHL. He was a winner of the Jack Adams award as the league's top coach in 2004. The same year he led his team to a Stanley Cup championship over the Calgary Flames.
But injuries and inconsistent goaltending landed the Lightning dead last in the Division. Even when at the half way point in the season they were in the midst of battling for 1st in the Southeast.
Rumors over the last week or so had ESPN analyst Melrose a candidate for the head coaching job in Tampa Bay, but Tortorella was still head coach, until today. Barry Melrose's fame (other than the annoying mullet and purple suites) was the year he took the Los Angeles Kings to the Cup Finals. Of course he had Wayne Gretzky (when he was still a dominate goal scorer in the league) on his team.
What I will miss most about Tortorella was his gut check honesty with the media and his calling out of his goaltenders. While he was rough around the corners, he was also 99% right about what he was talking about. What is interesting about this move is Torts could make the short jump to Florida to take the reigns of the Panthers who are still looking for a head coach. That would make for some sunshine state drama.
Overtime At The Joe
The Red Wings and the Penguins skated to a 3rd overtime thriller and it looks like we have a couple more days of the season left. The Pens won to force a game 6 back in Pittsburgh. Finally, the finals are starting to live up to the hype. This was one of the those games we all had expected from game 1.
I really thought the Red Wings were going to pull it out. After going down 2-0, they fought all the way back to take the lead in the third 3-2. But the Pens tied it with less than 20 seconds left and the game dragged on for another 3 periods before Peter Sykora buried the puck on a 4 minute powerplay and Evgeni Malkin finally got on the scoresheet in the finals with an assist. But this wasn't your average dull overtime, it was pretty exciting with end to end action and both teams just missing on their chances.
I would like to see what the ratings were for this game. The talent for both teams certainly didn't disappoint.
Also in Detroit the NHL General Managers met to talk injury reporting and the no-touch icing. I really think the icing rule in the NHL is a good one, I do like the touch up because it creates offensive chances. Yes you are going to have injuries from defensemen and forwards racing back for the puck. But you could also get hurt by cruising through the neutral zone with your head down, that's hockey.
They also touched on the injury report on players, especially in the playoffs. In order to protect players, many injury reports are given by a vague upper body or lower body injury. While that mostly happens in the playoffs, GM George McPhee has to problem doing it anytime.
“Come on, we’re all big boys, we all know exactly what happens out there,” Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said. “You’re going to play, and you play to win. Not play to hurt, but play to win.”
Almost all GMs are in favor of the vague reporting and the only ones really hurt by the system in place are the media, fans and bloggers.
I really thought the Red Wings were going to pull it out. After going down 2-0, they fought all the way back to take the lead in the third 3-2. But the Pens tied it with less than 20 seconds left and the game dragged on for another 3 periods before Peter Sykora buried the puck on a 4 minute powerplay and Evgeni Malkin finally got on the scoresheet in the finals with an assist. But this wasn't your average dull overtime, it was pretty exciting with end to end action and both teams just missing on their chances.
I would like to see what the ratings were for this game. The talent for both teams certainly didn't disappoint.
Also in Detroit the NHL General Managers met to talk injury reporting and the no-touch icing. I really think the icing rule in the NHL is a good one, I do like the touch up because it creates offensive chances. Yes you are going to have injuries from defensemen and forwards racing back for the puck. But you could also get hurt by cruising through the neutral zone with your head down, that's hockey.
They also touched on the injury report on players, especially in the playoffs. In order to protect players, many injury reports are given by a vague upper body or lower body injury. While that mostly happens in the playoffs, GM George McPhee has to problem doing it anytime.
“Come on, we’re all big boys, we all know exactly what happens out there,” Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said. “You’re going to play, and you play to win. Not play to hurt, but play to win.”
Almost all GMs are in favor of the vague reporting and the only ones really hurt by the system in place are the media, fans and bloggers.
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