HOCKEY NIGHT in DSP 07-08

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 11:56 am

Great story about the growth of Vinny Lecavalier as a person:

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/14/Light ... ride.shtml

He's also an unreal hockey player, the best player in the NHL right now!

Take care,
PK

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 1:30 pm

Vinny does it all for his team, he's a leader, he scores, he fights, definitely on top of the game. And Zetterberg, Ovechkin and Crosby are just up there as well.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 2:48 pm

I'd add Mike Richards to that list. Not as skilled as the other guys, but still leading his team in points as well as everything else he brings to the table.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:43 pm

Feanor wrote:I'd add Mike Richards to that list. Not as skilled as the other guys, but still leading his team in points as well as everything else he brings to the table.

Amen. Some love for Richards from Bill Clement, Bob McKenzie, and Philly Daily News.

Great little fact--despite being only 22 years old, Richards is the first NHL player since Craig MacTavish to score two career 3on5 goals. I wonder what the NHL record is as Richards will almost surely add to his count.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 7:17 pm

I'm sure he will. Once Downey and Boulerice get back the Flyers will have two men in the box a lot more often.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 11:05 am

The NHL may have a pathetic national TV package in the U.S., but regional ratings are up in the New York market for the Rangers and Isles. That's a good thing!

http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/h ... _watching/

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 1:08 pm

GREAT scrap last night between Riley Cote of the Flyers and Colton Orr of the Rangers:

http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/38046

Enjoy,
PK

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 3:21 pm

pk500 wrote:GREAT scrap last night between Riley Cote of the Flyers and Colton Orr of the Rangers:

http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/38046

Enjoy,
PK

Cote is pretty useless as a hockey player, but the kid has guts. He's pretty small by NHL fighter standards (6'1", 210), but when he scraps he just goes rock 'em sock 'em style. Great to see these days.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 6:10 pm

That was a good fight. He had quite a few good tilts this season that Cote kid.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 6:17 pm

Here's a guy that will be claimed no doubt as the Ducks put him on waivers: I. Bryzgalov. Wonder if Burkie knows anything about Niedermayer coming back with his latest decision.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 3:33 am

Nice to see Marty Brodeur get his 500 win especially after leading the league in losses.

Is the dominator showing his age lately? He's been rather shaky in the last couple of games, Hawks had three shorthanded goals including an empty netter. Cinderella team so far and most improved.

A chirpy affair between the Bruins-Habs old rivalry where a few brouhahas took place. I think Z.Chara's elbow on A. Kovalev deserves a suspension.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 12:14 pm

10spro wrote:Nice to see Marty Brodeur get his 500 win especially after leading the league in losses.

Is the dominator showing his age lately? He's been rather shaky in the last couple of games, Hawks had three shorthanded goals including an empty netter. Cinderella team so far and most improved.

A chirpy affair between the Bruins-Habs old rivalry where a few brouhahas took place. I think Z.Chara's elbow on A. Kovalev deserves a suspension.

I was at the game last night...Brodeur's one backhanded save was unbelievable...they reviewed the save but all of us in my section were saying no goal - simply because is was a sick save...and I'm a Flyers fan!

Flyers played horrible last night. Their power play was pathetic. Gotta pick it up.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 7:41 pm

Arguably one of the better defensemen that ever played for the Habs is having his number reitred tonight. It's Big Bird's night as L. Robinson' #19 will be in the rafters. It should be a good game against OTT.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 8:14 pm

10spro wrote:Arguably one of the better defensemen that ever played for the Habs is having his number reitred tonight. It's Big Bird's night as L. Robinson' #19 will be in the rafters. It should be a good game against OTT.

Minor controversy in Montreal, though, as Big Bird asked Lou Lamoriello to introduce him instead of fellow Habs great Serge Savard, who was Robinson's roommate on the road and whom Robinson called a mentor during their playing days.

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:22 pm

Interesting look at teams' success rate in the shootout the last two-plus seasons:

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/stor ... ockey/home

Take care,
PK

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:51 pm

And it's in another SO that the Oilers down the 'Nucks 5-4 in a game that VAN did not want a part of until the third period. With Minny's games in their mind (it could get ugly tonight based on what happened last week), Canucks finally woke up in the third realizing that there was a game at stake. Oilers is the only team to have beaten VAN in the tough NW division so far and both in a SO.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:55 pm

10spro wrote:And it's in another SO that the Oilers down the 'Nucks 5-4 in a game that VAN did not want a part of until the third period. With Minny's games in their mind (it could get ugly tonight based on what happened last week), Canucks finally woke up in the third realizing that there was a game at stake. Oilers is the only team to have beaten VAN in the tough NW division so far and both in a SO.

Three goals on the PP for the Oil, too, after entering the game with just seven PP goals all season.

Manna from hockey heaven!

Take care,
PK

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:21 pm

What do you guys think about the Mattias Ohlund baseball swing on Mikko Koivu's leg? Usually, I'd say that using your stick as a weapon is inexcusbale, but if the NHL's head hunters knew they were going to get their legs broken, I bet there'd be a lot less head injuries from flying elbows and shoulders.

ESPN have an article about it:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/s ... id=3118717

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:37 pm

Feanor wrote:What do you guys think about the Mattias Ohlund baseball swing on Mikko Koivu's leg? Usually, I'd say that using your stick as a weapon is inexcusbale, but if the NHL's head hunters knew they were going to get their legs broken, I bet there'd be a lot less head injuries from flying elbows and shoulders.

ESPN have an article about it:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/s ... id=3118717

I saw the play in question live and a replay, and the slash didn't look that out of order to me. More than a routine slash, but it wasn't a behind-the-ear scything.

If Koivu suffered nothing more than a bruise, would the media outcry be this strong? Of course not. But since his leg was broken, the media is screaming that Colie Campbell was a candy-ass.

The severity of injury should have NO bearing on a penalty. It's all about the intent and the location of the infraction. Hits to the head area -- whether with the stick or the shoulder -- should have more of a premium placed on them than hits elsewhere.

Is a leg worth less than a head? You bet it is. Brain damage and eye damage are a hell of a lot tougher to fix than a broken bone or a torn ligament.

Honestly, I think Campbell was a bit soft on this. Eight to 10 games would have been more appropriate. But if Randy Jones only gets two games for his hit on Bergeron, why should Ohlund get 20 games for his slash?

Bergeron probably is out for the season. Koivu will return this season. Jones hit Bergeron in a very dangerous, very risky situation. Ohlund slashed Koivu on the back of his leg.

Simple solution to all of this mularkey: Eliminate the instigator penalty NOW.

Take care,
PK

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:42 pm

With all eyes on the 'Boogie Man" whether he would choose to retribute on Ohlund's chop last week, 'Nucks played a very solid game in Minny with Captain Naslund slowly regaining his scoring touch with a hat-trick tonight.

All Zebras were attentively watching the warm up too to prevent the Avery-Tucker incident a couple of weeks ago. Just one fight, everyone else concentrated on Hockey.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 10:49 pm

Second coaching casualty of this young season: Glen Hanlon.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:25 pm

10spro wrote:Second coaching casualty of this young season: Glen Hanlon.

Not surprising, considering that the franchise, Ovechkin, has chirped in the last week that he wants out of Washington if the team doesn't improve and show more commitment to winning.

After pulling out my Ovaltine-Little Orphan Annie secret decoder ring, I learned that's the same thing as Alex saying, "Get Hanlon the f*ck out of here, or I'm history."

Take care,
PK

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 2:33 am

It was nice to see some 5000+ Canadian soldiers attending the Oilers-Hawks game, many of them through the grace of EDM season ticket holders. As many of you know, Canada has been in Afghanistan for a number of years now trying to fight the Insurgents and making a better life for everyone living there.

These guys were grateful to be attending the game and it was nice to see S. Horcoff after the game asking some questions to these guys about the military work being done in Khandahar.

Now back to the game, S. Gagner is one of the most skillful rookies that I've seen in shootouts. This guy has some sweeeeet moves.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 2:34 am

You would think that the players would have learned something after the incident with P. Bergeron on the last PHI-BOS game to play hard but smart at the same time. Apparently not so in this rematch as S. Hartnell strikes A. Alberts hard who was in a crouched and defenceless position as the the Flyer just runs over him, elbow and shoulder all together.

.

That's not tough Hockey, it's time for the league to fine the Flyers and their cheapshot players before someone gets killed.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 11:01 am

That hit was ridiculous because Alberts was on his damn knees! And Hartnell's explanation that he was "just finishing his check" is pure folly.

Take care,
PK