enjoy hockey more

Toskala Stellar in Leafs Victory over Habs

2009-02-08T05:55:00.000-08:00

Vesa Toskala looked like regained some of his old confidence as he led the Toronto Maple Leafs to victory over a beleaguered Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens last night.

Toskala has been the subject of much controversy in Toronto, the self-proclaimed “hub of the hockey world”. Not only were the fickle Toronto fans loudly questioning Toskala’s netminding skills, Coach Ron Wilson and GM Brian Burke also called out their goalie earlier in the week. But last night Toskala was the best Leaf on the ice. He stymied the Habs on a couple of “five on three power plays” proving once again that a hot goalie is the best penalty killer a team can have.

Three other Leafs played prominent roles behind Toskala’s brilliant performance. Jason Blake notched a couple of key goals and Dominic Moore won some key face-offs as well as providing some great checking and passing to get the puck to Blake on several occasions.

But a major surprise for me was the play of Matt Stajan who played a feisty game adding some much needed sandpaper to an otherwise soft Leaf line-up.

On the other side of the ledger, Montreal’s Carey Price looked bewildered at times in the Montreal nets. In the third period I thought he was getting back into a groove with a couple of key saves and then just when I thought he was back to normal he allowed a couple of soft “glove side” goals to sink any thoughts of a Habs comeback.

The Montreal Canadiens now head out on a tough six-game road trip. Perhaps a few games away from the boo-birds in Montreal will allow Price he opportunity to re-gain his confidence as the team heads down the home stretch and on into the play-offs.

Luke Schenn, Toronto highly-hyped rookie defenseman, opened the scoring with his first NHL goal.

Ice Chips: Bobby Ryan (the NHL Rookie of the Month in January) scored a nice goal in the Ducks victory over the Flames. Another ex-Owen Sound Attack player Dan Lacosta recorded his first NHL victory as he led the Columbus Blue Jackets past the high-flying Sharks 3-2 in overtime. Meanwhile in Ottawa, former Owen Sound junior star Adam Mair settled an old score with Jarkko Ruutu and then scored a nice goal for the Sabres.

All Star News

2009-01-24T10:35:00.000-08:00

Good for the NHLPA!! With little fanfare the players agreed not to reopen the Collective Bargaining Agreement, instead allowing things to remain the same until 2011.

While the NHLPA were showing class and concern for the game of hockey Emperor Bettman failed to show the same good sense when he announced that Detroit Red Wing and perhaps the best defenseman in hockey Nicklas Lidstrom would be suspended for one game for failing to show up for the All Star events in Montreal.

Lidstrom has attended about nine All Star games, never complaining. Now, he wants to miss the game with good reason probably and Bettman with his "what have you done for me lately attitude" shows what a shallow man he is by acting in such callous manner to one of the truly good guys in professional sport.

WAKE UP GARY!! Use some common sense!

Northern Hockey Card Show

2009-01-21T06:49:00.000-08:00

February 1, 2009

One of the best sports card shows in Northern Ontario will be held in Sudbury.

Where?

Moose Lodge
212 Frood Road
Sudbury, Ontario
10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

And,

Best of all,

Admission is FREE!

Five Times Gold!!

2009-01-06T10:18:00.000-08:00

Five times gold! Canada's junior hockey team destroyed Sweden 5-1 to capture their fifth gold medal in as many years.

Cody Hodgson, John Tavares and just about every Canadian junior player made a contribution to this historic victory.

Tampa Lightning brass must be beaming this morning as it was their draft pick, Dustin Tokarski, who faced 39 shots to back stop the Canadian victory. Tokarski's stellar play included denying Sweden's vaunted scorers on four straight power plays in the 2nd period.

Angelo Esposito (who I have blasted in previous posts for soft play) was one of the Canadians who set the tone for the night. The future Atlanta Thrasher skated furiously all night hounding the Swedish puck carriers and getting in the face of the Swedish netminder. His chippy and aggressive style unsettled the Swedes and led to at least a couple of Canadian goals.

Speaking of the Swedish goalie, Jacob Markstr0m, appeared to be demonstrating his ballet skills for an upcoming career with the Swedish Ballet or auditioning for a role as a "fish out of water". When he wasn't writhing on the ice he was flopping around like a fish out of water. His dramatics did little to help his club. They say his is a great goalie but his histrionics last night leave me wondering about that.

So it on to Saskatchewan for next year's World Junior Hockey Championships. If it is going to be half as good as this year's I can't wait!

Canada Beats Russia - Face Sweden For Gold Monday

2009-01-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

Three times the Canadian juniors took the lead, only to have the Russians bounce back to tie the game and then ultimately go ahead.

I was about ready to turn off the television, when with only a few seconds left, John Tavares grabbed the puck along the boards and fired the puck towards the Russian net. A Russian defenseman blocked the shot but instead of smothering the puck he allowed Jordan Eberle the opportunity to get the puck free, take a couple of skating strides and score the biggest goal of his young career! There was only 5.4 seconds left on the clock.

Boy, am I ever glad that I had not turned off the TV.

Ten minutes of nail-biting overtime resolved nothing and then the dreaded shoot-out.

I hate shoot-outs.

Canada's Jordan Eberle shot first and scored on a great backhander past the Russian netminder.

Canadian goalie, and Tampa draft pick, Dustin Tokarski then thwarted Russia's Dimitri Kugryshev.

Canada's next shooter was none other than John Tavares who fired a great wrist shot to score Canada's second shoot-out goal.

Pavel Chernov, representing Russia's last hope of keeping Russia's shoot-out hopes alive was turned aside by Tokarski to give Canada a 6-5 decision.

Monday Canada faces Sweden for the gold medal.

Canada Roars Back to Defeat U.S.A. in World Jr. Action

2009-01-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

A shaky first period by the Canadian Junior squad allowed their rivals from below the border to jump out to a 3-0 lead. But before the teams could go their dressing rooms for the first intermission the Canadians had roared back, scoring three goals to tie the game.

It was John Tavares who led the Canadians’ comeback and before the game was over the budding superstar, and probable first over-all selection in next summer’s amateur draft, had notched a hat trick (the final goal went into an empty net).

Although the final score 7-4 indicates a solid Canadian victory, this is far from reality. Canada’s final two goals were dumped into an empty net as the Americans had pulled their goalie for an extra attacker in a desperate attempt to score the equalizer and force overtime.

The game, although not a sudden-death affair, still had a lot of significance as the winner received a bye to the semi-finals on Saturday and loser had to play an extra game on Friday to advance to the semis.

Although Dustin Tokarski had a shaky first period he made some saves late in the game. Some of those stops will have hockey fans talking for a long time. The biggest save, and one for highlight reels for sure, occurred when U.S.A.’s Colin Wilson was left alone in front of the Canadian net for what must have seemed like an eternity.

As the American star tried to baffle the Canadian netminder with a series of moves, not one Canadian skater could be found in the vicinity. Finally, with Tokarski down, Wilson fired a hard shot towards the wide open Canadian net. But, equally as fast the Canadian goalie flashed the leather and made a fantastic catch to rob the Americans of a sure goal.

The save and others by the Watson Saskatchewan native no doubt had the Tampa Lightning brass drooling over the thoughts of this youngster playing for them in the next few years.

Note: On other occasions I have lamented the lack of good officiating in international hockey and last night’s game does not change my mind. Although there were questionable calls in both directions I thought (and I bet Team USA’s coaching staff agrees) that the Americans were the victims of some calls that probably had an impact on the final score.

On a final note: In a previous post I criticized Angelo Esposito for his lack toughness with the puck. Last night the youngster exhibited a much stronger work ethic and hockey toughness. Keep up it up Angelo you are capable of being a very good hockey player.

Canada Out-Muscles Germany 5-1

2008-12-30T07:16:00.000-08:00

Canada’s World Junior hockey squad scored a 5-1 victory over their counterparts from Germany on Monday night.

Although the score seems one-sided and the shots on goal favored the Canadians, the game was full of high speed and hard hitting action.

The Germans seemed to want to turn the game into a street-fight and the Canadians were only too willing to respond. The result: lots of heavy hitting, great checks and penalties.

Many of the penalties (to both sides) were borderline at best or “phantom calls”. Like most international hockey games, the officiating is often less than good and many times it is just downright awful!

Barrie Colts and Washington Capital’s draft pick, Stefan Della Rovere of Maple Ontario seemed to be running all over the ice delivering awesome bodychecks. The 5'11 200 pound forward was sentenced to the sin bin three times, but in reality he should probably only have cooled his heels in the penalty box once.

For two periods the Germans kept the score close by frustrating the Canadians at every turn. (not the mention great goaltending by the German netminder) But the turning point in the game had to be Belleville Bulls defenseman PK Subban’s dramatic end-to-end rush which resulted in a foiled scoring attempt but the rebound was banged home by Evander Kane for a 3-1 lead.

After that goal the Germans played nastier and the Canadians just did what they do best, hit hard and score goals.

Zach Boychuk led the assault on the German goal with two goals and lots of other nifty plays.

Chet Pickard got the start between the pipes for Canada facing only 14 shots. The one that got behind him was a screen shot from the point on a power play.

NEXT UP: The games are only going to get more difficult for Team Canada. On New Year’s Eve they meet Team USA in a match that has all the marks of being something special. The stakes will be high as the winner will most likely get a bye into the Semi-final round.

Canadian Juniors Clobber Kazakhstan 15-0

2008-12-29T11:02:00.000-08:00

On Sunday I usually watch NFL football but because it is that time of year when the World’s best junior hockey players play World Junior Hockey Championship I switched the channel to watch a hockey game. Imagine my surprise when the Canadian Juniors defeated their opponents from Kazakhstan by more than two converted touchdowns.

From the opening face-off the Canadians roared into their opponent's end of the ice and they seemed to stay there for the entire game. Chet Pickard, Canada's goalie may have recorded the shutout but he was virtually alone for the entire game facing only 11 shots.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan’s Andrei Yankov faced 44 shots and was mercifully pulled at the end of the second period.

Before everyone condemns the Canadians for “running up the score”, it is important to remember that in international competition, goal differentials (goals for vs. goals against) are used as tie-breakers. So to protect themselves later on in the tournament the Canadians had to score when they could.

What was interesting and admirable on the part of the Canuck juniors was their lack of celebration after scoring a goal. Some of them seemed to be almost embarrassed to have scored against the Kazaks. (Especially late in the game.)

Although they won, the Canadians had better look in the mirror and evaluate themselves before they skate out on the ice against the Germans tonight.

They tried to be too fancy with their passes at times and the result often meant a turnover. Against stronger competition this would have meant goals against.

Another note: Angelo Esposito can score goals there is no doubt but he has to learn to be stronger on the puck or his pro career will not be what many think it should be.

Finally, I have to agree with TSN’s Pierre McGuire. The International Ice Hockey Federation should cap the number of goals that can be applied against the goal differential tie-breaker. If the differential was limited to 5, then debacles like yesterday would be less likely to happen.

2008-2009 McDonald’s Hockey Card Inserts

2008-12-14T08:47:00.000-08:00

The 2008-2009 McDonald’s hockey card set is as usual a great sports card collectible. In a previous post I detailed the base set. Today, let’s look at the inserts.

First of all, the 6 card Checklist set features goalies from the 6 Canadian NHL hockey clubs. The card below features Calgary’s Mikka Kiprusoff. The other goalies featured include Carey Price of the Canadiens, the Senator’s Martin Gerber, Edmonton netminder Mathieu Garon, Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo and Leafs goalie Vesa Toskla.

Upper Deck suggests that you will pull a Checklist once out of every four packs.

The Superstar Spotlight series is a 14 card subset featuring stars such as Tampa’s Vincent Lecavalier, Joe Thornton of the Sharks and Red Wings’ dynamic forward Pavel Datsyuk.

According to company statistics on the back of the hockey card packages cards from this brightly colored and sharp looking insert set can be found on average once in every ten packs.

Unfortunately Upper Deck featured Jaromir Jagr who no longer plays in the NHL on the 12th card of this set.

The 10 card Profile subset features a wide array of NHL stars including Martin Brodeur, Dany Heatley and Roberto Luongo.

Of note, Mats Sundin, who has yet to decide whether he will skate in the NHL and with which team is a part of this hockey card subset.

The availability of the Profile cards is a ratio of one in fifteen packs.

The Speed Skater inserts are a 10 card set featuring some of the fastest skaters in the NHL. To accentuate the skating aspect of this set the cards are shaped like a hockey skate.

Cards from this set are a little more difficult to find as they are randomly packed one to every twenty five packages of hockey cards.

Some of the fastest skaters in the NHL are featured from the first card, the Lightning’s Martin St. Louis to Atlanta’s dynamic Ilya Kovlchuk, to the last card in the series Anaheim’s super fast defenseman Scott Niedermayer.

My favorite subset is also the most difficult to pull from a package. Cards from the “Clear Path to Greatness” subset are only found on average once in every 60 packs of hockey cards.

This set is going to be difficult to fill not only because of the 1:60 packs ratio but also because there are 14 cards in the set.

Featured stars include Henrik Zetterberg star forward with the Detroit Red Wings, superstar Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin one of the Penguins young stars.

These subsets are all well produced, featuring great colours, and Upper Deck’s usual photographic brilliance.

Postscript: There is another subset to this McDonald’s hockey card set but it is so scarce that I have yet to see a card from this set. McDonald’s have produced a limited edition gold parallel set. Each card is numbered out of 100.

The 2008-2009 Upper Deck McDonald’s hockey card set is a great set. Fun to collect and should be part of every hockey card collector’s collection.

Upper Deck Hockey Cards – 2007-2008 Series One

2008-12-11T09:33:00.000-08:00

Upper Deck hockey cards are probably the most sought after hockey cards each hockey season. Of course, 90%, or more, of the hockey cards produced each year come from this giant of the sports card industry. But, the main set is simply the one called Upper Deck hockey.

I have to admit at first I was not crazy about the 2007-2008 set. There was something about the copper colored writing and logo that just did not seem right. But as with most things in life after a while I got used to the set and started collecting it.

Collecting this set actually began in earnest when we were shopping in a local store and I discovered a nicely packaged tin container with a picture of Sidney Crosby on the top and eight packs of Upper Deck 2007-2008 Series One hockey cards inside.

When I opened the packages I was delighted with my cards. Especially the contents of the second pack where I pulled a card of one of my favorite players, Tampa Lightning star Vincent Lecavalier. The photo (below) is an example of another of Upper Deck’s strengths, great photographs in either unique settings or action shots.

But, the pack also contained the most highly valued rookie card in the set, Montreal Canadiens’ great young goalie Carey Price.

I also found some neat inserts including an NHL’s BEST Alexander Ovechkin in the other packages.

These unique collector tins also contained an over-sized card. The one that was in my tin was of Mike Modano, the Dallas Stars veteran star.

The Series One set of 2007-2008 Upper Deck Hockey cards features the company’s great photography, especially of the goalies. In particular I like this card showing Minnesota Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom in action.

As for unique photo shots check out this overhead view of superstar Joe Sakic attempting to score on Edmonton netminder Dwayne Roloson.

There are a lot of good rookie cards in this issue, including Coyotes Young Gun Peter Mueller and Montreal’s other rookie goalie Jaroslav Halak. There are some very interesting insert sets, including Lord Stanley’s Heroes, Hometown Heroes, Award Winners, and of course jersey cards.

I have to admit that I went back to the store and bought another collector tin of cards and much to my delight I pulled a jersey card of Curtis Sanford, in a Vancouver Canucks uniform. Now, this may not be a newsflash for the collecting world, but I have known Curt and his family for many years. (I even featured him in an article in our hometown newspaper.)

The packs in this tin contained a few inserts and a Sidney Crosby card.

The 2007-2008 Upper Deck Series One hockey cards is great set of hockey cards and the rookie cards especially are going to cause this set to be in great demand for years to come.

Tampa Lightning Defeat Toronto 3-2

2008-10-29T04:43:00.000-07:00

Vincent Lecavalier and Mike Smith led Tampa to a 3-2 victory over a hard checking Toronto Maple Leaf team.

Lecavalier netted 2 goals, one of which came as the result of a fantastic breakaway that ended with a deke that has Toskala still bewildered as to how the Bolts' star could make a move like that.

While Toskala played a great game in the Leafs' net, at the other end of the ice Bolts' goalie Mike Smith was demonstrating all game that not only is he adept at stopping the puck he is also very sharp when it comes to handling the puck. Many times throughout the game the Leafs would shoot the puck deep into the Tampa end, but before they could chase it down or start a forecheck Smith was firing long bombs to his forwards at, or near, the Leafs blueline.

Smith looked every bit the gunslinger, firing pucks all over the ice to his forwards and leaving the Leafs wondering how they could get the puck safely into Tampa's end.

Ice Chips: Of historic note, Bolts super rookie Steven Stamkos, notched his first NHL point with an assist on Lecavalier's second goal of the game.

Tuesday Morning Musings

2008-10-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

Ottawa Senators Win a game!

Jason Spezza scored 2 and Dany Heatley notched a single to lead the Senators to a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.

But, more importantly, perhaps, Alex Auld got a victory. This should solidify his status as number one goalie for now.

It has been a strange first couple of weeks for the Senators. Sure they opened in Europe and perhaps they have not found their legs. But the Rangers and Penguins were also across the pond and they have looked pretty good so far this year.

Many point to the defense as the problem. But, I think it is deeper than that. Starting the season with Martin Gerber as the number one netminder just does not make sense. Gerber's track record as a number one goalie is less than stellar. I have always thought that Gerber does not "care enough" about victories. What motivates him, I don't know. But Craig Hartsburg better find out, and in a hurry. The Eastern Conference is just too tough for a late run to the playoffs.

Maple Leafs: I just can't believe that the Leafs are going to keep Luke Schenn around this year. Yes I can! The Leafs have a history of destroying young players and this is just another example of this situation. I sure hope that I am wrong on this count.

But you have to give the Leafs credit on the ice. I warned everyone in an earlier post that this team would be dangerous. Ottawa is the latest team to find out too late that Toronto's hard work and discipline combined with low expectations from their opponents has led to some victories.

Tampa Lightning: Early this summer, after some of their great free agent signings I suggested that the Lightning would be a contender. So far, I been proven to be completely wrong. Maybe they should have found a way to keep Dan Boyle. Because right now Tampa's defense looks pretty bad. But things can change, and with the great goaltending from Smith and a strong forward unit, the Bolts can still make my prediction look pretty good.

Tampa could start tonight with a victory in Toronto. All they have do is not take the Leafs too lightly.

A Hockey Team for Toronto

2008-10-21T17:59:00.000-07:00

Another NHL team in Toronto, Please!

It must have been a slow news day in Toronto. The Globe & Mail broke a story that the NHL was contemplating putting another team in the Toronto area.

Does anyone think that Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the owners of the Leafs, is going to allow another team into their market. NEVER! They might have to offer competitive ticket prices and, come to think of it, a competitive hockey team.

Nope, sorry Toronto fans, get used to it, there is no way that the Leafs are going to allow another team in their market.

But it is interesting that just about every national news broadcast in Canada covered this story and even regional broadcasts such as CTV's Sudbury channel carried this story.

I wonder what hockey rumor will surface on the next slow news day.

Red Wings lose a close one in OT to Canucks

2008-10-17T04:45:00.000-07:00

The night started off great if you are a long time Red Wings fan. After all, what could be better than a tribute to Alex Delvecchio the legendary center who played more than two decades in the Motor City.

Unfortunately, the line of Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows and Jannik Hansen were not all that interested in Detroit's storied history. Instead these three Canucks led a buzz-saw attack that once again left the Red Wings defense bewildered and giving up turnover after turnover. What is going on? The Red Wings defense is supposed to be the best in the league, but last night's game and last week's home opener against the pitiful Leafs makes you wonder if they miss Chris Chelios more than anyone realizes.

The Red Wings forwards and powerplay are still something to amaze, but when they run into a great goalie (Luongo) and a pesky forecheck the team as a whole suffers.

But don't blame this loss on Chris Osgood, without him the game would not have gone to overtime, it would have simply been a loss.

Maple Leafs Win the Stanley Cup!

2008-10-10T04:07:00.000-07:00

The Maple Leafs are going to win the Stanley Cup! Can't you just hear the Toronto media and the fans this morning?

As I said yesterday, the Maple Leafs are a dangerous team to face. Not because they have an abundance of talent. No, because most "experts" give them little chance of making the playoffs. Therefore, no pressure for the young team and you saw the results last night. They were loose and they played with a reckless abandon that had the Red Wings wondering what hit them.

The Leafs were a force in the Red Wings end of the ice all night. The best defense in the NHL looked ordinary, at best, and confused most of the game as the Leafs swarmed them at every turn.

Add Toskala playing great in the nets and the result was a stunning 3-2 Leafs victory.

Star of the Game: The best player on the ice for both teams was Dominic Moore who led the Leafs forecheck, scored a goal, and played an outstanding game.

Postscript:

About the Leafs and the Stanley Cup, Toronto fans and media should enjoy last night's game and forget all the prognostications about a Cup in the immediate future. Just take one game at a time.

Red Wings - Leafs Kick off The NHL season

2008-10-09T14:24:00.000-07:00

Two original six rivals the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs open up the 2008-09 NHL season on this side of the Atlantic Ocean tonight.

The defending Stanley Cup Champion Red Wings are everyone's favorite to win the Stanley Cup this year and the Maple Leafs are everyone's choice to miss the playoffs this year.

Although you would think that tonight's game would be a walkover for the Red Wings, don't be too sure! Because no one expects much from the Leafs, the Toronto players have no pressure and that is often the formula for a win when it is least expected!

Luke Schenn - A Leaf for Now!

2008-10-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs seem headed to starting their season with youngster Luke Schenn on their blueline.

I can't help but think that this is a bad idea. Sure the Leafs have Pavel Kubina and Tomas Kaberle to mentor him. But, this is the big leagues and players have to be responsible for themselves and with probably the weakest forward unit in the entire NHL in front of him there are going to be many times that Schenn is left exposed and the result will certainly be a goal, but more importantly the result may be a loss of self-confidence in himself.

There are many who think that the Leafs will be eliminated from play-off contention early in the new year. So why expose your future defensive anchor to even nine games in the NHL. The mediocrity may just rub off.

The Leafs should recall what happened to another young can't miss defenseman. Fred Boimistruck first donned a Leaf jersey for the 1981-82 season. That team was just terrible! Boimistruck, Jim Benning and Bob McGill where all youngsters with lots of potential. But after a couple of seasons with the Leafs, Boimistruck a former member of Canada's World Junior team, was out of the NHL and not long later became an engineer with VIA rail.

Sure Benning and McGill had relatively long careers, but they became journeymen defensemen never really living up to their supposed potential.

Whether its only nine games or not, if Luke Schenn has the potential that the Leafs think he does, they should let him watch tomorrow's opener from the stands in Detroit and then send him back to junior.

Pittsburgh Penguins 4 - Ottawa Senators - 3

2008-10-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins took only 40 seconds to score their first goal of the new NHL hockey season. But, wait, it was not Crosby or even Malkin bulging the twine, it was Tyler Kennedy.

Martin Gerber, Ottawa's number one goalie, looked anything but number one on that goal and then again on the overtime goal scored by, yep, you guessed it! Tyler Kennedy!

Like the earlier game yesterday (Tampa and the Rangers) turnovers were almost as prevalent as nice passes.

Kennedy's overtime winner came on a turnover from Jason Spezza with only 25 seconds remaining before the shootout.

If this game is any indication of the goaltending situation in Ottawa this year, then the Sens had better start shopping. I have never been a big Martin Gerber fan and yesterday's action gave me little reason to reconsider my thoughts.

Both games played in Europe were less than fine examples of NHL hockey. Turnovers, missed checks and sloppy play seemed to be the order the day. In the Rangers and Bolts game the best players were the two goalies. Lundqvist and Smith seemed to be in mid-season form. Maybe, the time spent flying to Europe, getting over jet lag, etc seemed to leave the teams playing less than their best hockey.

I am sure that from a vacation standpoint the players have enjoyed themselves, but one has to wonder if there will be any impact on their game once the season swings into full gear in a few days

New York Rangers 2 - Tampa Lightning 1

2008-10-04T11:36:00.000-07:00

The first game of the new NHL season is over and the Tampa Lightning's young defense served up more turnovers than your local bakeshop.

Mike Smith making his debut as the Lightning's Number One netminder faced 41 shots and turned aside all but two, as his inexperienced defense left him hanging out alone on more than one occasion.

Perhaps he should have stopped Naslund's goal. But, it was his inexperience that allowed Naslund to score using his favorite scoring trick, a shot to the stick side, about 18" off the ice. Next time Smith will probably get that one.

The Rangers's second goal came from a screened shot by Dubinsky. Again a rookie mistake caused a Bolts' defenseman to move into the shooting lane and block his goalie's vision.

But before you think that the defeat was all the fault of the defense, the Lightning forwards seemed to lose their legs in the second period, giving the Rangers plenty of opportunity to pressure the young Tampa defense.

Martin St. Louis scored a nice goal on a backhand high over the Lundqvist in the Rangers net.

Despite all the turnovers and sloppy play there were many bright spots for the Bolts and with a little hard work and patience from the coaching staff, this Tampa team is a playoff team.

ICE CHIPS
Rookie sensation Steven Stamkos did not look out place. In fact, he had two brilliant scoring chances, one on a partial breakaway late in the game. Defensively he was not a liability especially late in the game when it looked like Naslund might make it 3-1, Stamkos moved quickly to bodycheck the Rangers' veteran off the puck just a few feet from the crease.

Roberto Luongo

2008-10-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

It took four decades, but the National Hockey League has another goalie who has been named the captain of his team.

Tuesday, the Vancouver Canucks announced that Roberto Luongo, the team's superstar goalie would be the club's captain.

With the free agent departure of captain Markus Naslund to the Rangers there had been a lot of speculation about who would wear the "C". Well, according to NHL rules goalies cannot wear the "C", even if they are captain. To meet NHL standards and still make Luongo captain a convoluted process had to be created.

Luongo is the captain, but Willie Mitchell is the player designated to talk to on-ice officials, and for ceremonial face-offs, once again Luongo will not be lumbering to center ice to take the draw, that honor instead will go to Mattias Ohlund, the longest serving Canuck.

Luongo is the seventh goalie in NHL history to captain his club, the last was Canadiens Bill Durnan during the 1947-48 season.

Why Luongo?

There are many reasons. The two most likely are:

-- Luongo is the most popular and best hockey player on the team.

-- With two years left on his contract, the club is hoping this will help them re-sign their only legitimate superstar.

Whatever the reason, I think Roberto Luongo is a great choice for team captain of the Vancouver Canucks.

Pre-Season Thoughts -- Detroit Red Wings & Montreal Canadiens

2008-10-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

The 2008-2009 NHL season begins in only a few days. These are tense times in the training camps. Rookies are hoping to fulfill that lifelong dream and start the season in the NHL, while some veterans are clinging to their dream of maintaining a position in the big league.

There will be trades, demotions to the minor professional leagues, and of course there will be many youngsters who will be sent back to their junior club for further seasoning.

Last night’s game between the Canadiens and the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings was a good illustration of the situation many hockey teams, not to mention, hockey players are facing this time year.

Forget the score (Montreal won in a shoot-out) of the games that are played this week. Instead, watch the rookies and veterans and try to figure out who is going to make it and who his headed to the minors or back to junior.

Last night, Montreal’s rookies and younger players put on a display of hard work, great plays and, if there were mistakes most of them were the result of someone trying too hard to win a job.

Montreal has loads of young hockey talent. So much talent that some hockey “experts” were suggesting that last night’s game was a match between the Stanley Cup finalists next spring. A little early for such bold predictions don’t you think?

Two of the Canadiens’ youngsters who really shone were goalie Carey Price and Max Pacioretty a young forward who has lots of size, good skating speed and finesse and enough grit that he is not afraid of the corners.

Pacioretty spent most of the game on a line with Alex Kovalev and Robert Lang and did not look out of place with the veterans. Kovalev fed him some nice passes and Lang, although he is not as speedy as most of the Canadiens, he provides them with some much-needed size at the center position.

Detroit, on the other hand, is loaded with veteran talent and with only two roster spots available and at least five youngsters ready to make the jump the NHL, there may be some startling moves on the third and fourth lines before the end of training camp.

With one of the two positions going to free agent acquisition Marion Hossa, Coach Mike Babcock has to find space for some of the young talent.

How can Darren Helm, perhaps the fastest skater in camp and a stellar performer in last year’s Stanley Cup victory not make the team? Newcomer Ville Leino, a 24 year-old star from Finland scored a nice goal on a Montreal turnover last night and every time he was on the ice he made something happen.
There will be tough decisions in the next few days for the Red Wings’ brain trust as there are at least three young defensemen (Derek Meech, Kyle Quincey, and Jonathon Ericsson) ready for the NHL as well.

Oh well, wouldn’t most of the general managers and coaches in the NHL love to have the problems that face Ken Holland and Mike Babcock?

Jack Lynch

2008-08-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

One of the most delightful characters that I have ever interviewed is former NHL defenseman Jack Lynch. The following is a brief biographical sketch of this former Penguin, Red Wing and Capital.

“Jack, you’ve been driving to Owen Sound for seven days and the Greys have not made a decision whether they want you for their team. If they don’t make a decision tonight don’t you think that you better find another team to play for?”

With these words from his father ringing in his ears, seventeen year old Jack Lynch made his way from his Barrie home to what might be his last chance to make the Owen Sound Greys’ Junior “B” hockey club. However, fate was smiling on the determined youngster that afternoon in the autumn of 1969. When he arrived at the arena, Coach Dave Worden told Jack that he had made the club.

Today Lynch calls making the Owen Sound Greys, the biggest step on his quest to play hockey in the NHL. Owen Sound’s 1969-70 Junior “B” club was one of the strongest teams in Ontario, winning 30 of their 40 league games. The highlight of season for Jack occurred on November 11, 1969. As he was eating his pre-game meal, his landlady told him that the upcoming game would be one of the toughest of the season. The Greys were playing their arch rivals, the Kitchener Greenshirts. Perhaps with the words of his landlady ringing in his ears, he played the game of his life, scoring his only career hat trick, and leading his team to victory.

Jack was always determined to fulfill his dream of playing in the National Hockey League. After one season in Owen Sound, he was drafted second over-all by the Junior “A” Oshawa Generals. As the 1970-71 season began the determined youngster looked for ways to improve himself. He found two strong motivators in Oshawa. The first was team captain Terry O’Reilly, whose work ethic and dedication to hockey had a strong influence on Lynch.

The second inspiration for the young defenseman was former Oshawa rearguard Bobby Orr. Lynch was awe-struck by the great Orr. Therefore, there was certain irony in the fact that he had been drafted, and now played for the same junior team as his role model. Jack tried to copy Orr as much as possible. Like Orr, he applied only two thin strands of tape to the middle of the blade of his hockey stick. This influence was so great that he even modeled his stance at face-offs to that of Orr.

While Lynch was with the Generals, the image of Orr was never far from his mind. In fact, he recalls that there was a six foot poster of Bobby in the lobby of the Oshawa Arena and every day, whether it was for a practice or a game, Jack looked at that image of his hero and reminded himself of his goal, the NHL!

After two seasons of junior hockey, Lynch faced the next hurdle in his quest, the 1972 NHL entry draft. As the big day approached he learned that he was likely to be drafted. Therefore, he and his family made the trek to Montreal to wait for a team to call his name.

He was sitting nervously with his father when with the 24th pick overall, the general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins arose, and with their first pick of the draft announced “from the Oshawa Generals, the Pittsburgh Penguins select Jack Lynch”. The youngster from Barrie, Ontario had made a giant step toward fulfilling his childhood dream.

When Jack arrived back in Barrie after the NHL draft there was message on the phone. It was from the Philadelphia Blazers. That World Hockey Association team had drafted him and made an offer which was considerably higher than the contract proposed by the Penguins. However, Jack’s dream was the NHL, not the WHA. He recalls that he never even considered the offer from Philadelphia; instead he signed with the Penguins and prepared for his first professional training camp.

Jack played with Hershey of the AHL but also suited up for 47 games with the Penguins in his first professional season, 1972-73. The next season, 1973-74, was once again split between those two teams. However, there was a dramatic change on January 12, 1974. On that day, Lynch and goaltender Jim Rutherford (now the general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes) were traded to the Detroit Red Wings for defenseman Ron Stackhouse.

For the next 13 months Jack played in the NHL with the Wings. On February 8, 1975 Jack recalled thinking something was about to happen. At a team dinner, he noted that coach Alex Delvecchio seemed to be avoiding him. Soon after dinner, Delvecchio came to Lynch’s room and told him that he had been traded to the Washington Capitals for Dave Kryskow.

Washington was playing its first season in the NHL and Jack Lynch was about to become part of NHL history. When he arrived in Washington the team had yet to win a game on road and this tradition did not seem likely to end any time soon. Jack remembers that the team got together near the end of the season and discussed the situation. A look at the remaining games on the schedule revealed that they had three road games left, in Oakland, Pittsburgh and Montreal. They realized that their best chance for a victory was in Oakland.

They prepared for the west coast game as if it was the seventh game of the Stanley Cup finals. When it was over, victory was theirs. Their road losing streak had ended at 37 games. After the game the Capitals’ dressing room was in pandemonium. The players paraded a garbage can around the room, each one signing their name to this make-shift trophy. Unfortunately, the Caps’ success was short lived. They lost their remaining two road games and their team went into the record books for the most consecutive road losses (37) and the most road losses in a season (39).

On December 13, 1977 Jack Lynch’s hockey dreams received a shattering blow. On that night the Capitals were playing in Vancouver. With 73 seconds remaining in the game Lynch led a last effort rush into the Canucks’ end in an attempt to score the tying goal. Hilliard Graves, who Jack recalled was a notorious “low hitter”, submarined Jack and he suffered a severe knee injury.
After 13 months of torturous rehabilitation Lynch returned to the Capitals line-up. However, 30 games later, on November 15, 1979, Jack realized that his injury would not allow him to continue his dream and he retired.

However, he did not completely leave the game that he loved so much. He served as the color analyst on the Capitals’ game broadcasts for the 1980-81 season. But he realized that he needed more security for his family, so in March 1982 he joined the Ontario Ministry of Tourism as a Public Relations officer.

Today, the voice of Jack Lynch can be heard on many radio stations throughout Ontario promoting recreational and tourism events. Hockey is still a large part of his life. For many seasons he co-hosted a show about junior hockey on a Barrie radio station.

Jack Lynch’s life away from hockey is equally diverse and rich. His two daughters, Terri Ann and Katie are great source of joy and pride. He and his wife Bonnie enjoy golfing and are huge fans of NASCAR racing. However, his real joy is working around the house together, especially gardening.

Jack Lynch’s hockey career is a testament to the fact that dreams can become reality. All it takes is a lot of hard work and faith in yourself.

Bolts fans: Are you READY for Stamkos?

2008-08-02T09:06:00.000-07:00

Bolts fans are you ready for Stamkos? Better yet, are the other NHL teams ready for Stamkos and Lecavalier?

Take a look at what opposition goalies will have to face.

A New "Star" in Tampa

2008-07-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

Steven Stamkos has inked his first NHL contract. I am sure that Tampa hockey fans are drooling at the prospect of the youngster lining up on a line with Vinnie Lecavalier.

But, hold on Bolts boosters, before the youngster flies, he has to learn how to skate in the NHL. After all, most players will tell you that the speed of the game in the NHL is greater than anything that they had ever imagined both in junior and in the minors.

One thing is sure, Stamkos will get his chance to skate with Vinnie and Marty (St. Louis). But, with all the new additions to the club, One thing is for certain, You Will need a program to tell who is who at the first few Lightning games!

2006-2007 Victory Hockey Review

2008-07-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

Cards in the Set: 230

Hobby Favorite: #157 Sidney Crosby

My Favorite: #169 Curtis Sanford

Insert Sets

Upper Deck Victory Game Breakers (50 cards) - odds: 1:4.

Upper Deck Victory Next in Line (50 cards) - odds: 1:4 packs

Parallel Set: Upper Deck Victory Black 230 cards – odds: 1:720

The 2006-2007 Victory Hockey card set from Upper Deck is a fun set for the casual sports card collector or for youngsters that you would like to introduce to the wonderful world of hockey card collecting.

This set comes out early in the new hockey card season. Because of its early release date players who have either retired or changed teams are pictured in the uniform of their former team. For instance, Toronto Maple Leaf collectors will have to be satisfied with a card of their new goalie, Andrew Raycroft, wearing the uniform of his former club the Boston Bruins. (Now, in 2008, they can happily check him out in an Avalanche uniform.)

The cards are collated in alphabetical order starting with the players of the Anaheim Ducks and ending with the players of the Washington Capitals. Therefore it is easy to know when you have found all the players from your favorite team.

The cards are aesthetically pleasing with crisp bright colors and white borders. The pictures are excellent. But, then we have come to expect nothing less from Upper Deck.

I like this set as a good introduction for youngsters to the hobby for many reasons, but one of the most important attractions, is a special packaging format offered by Upper Deck.

Most every hockey season, Victory Hockey cards are available in a special edition collector’s tin. To find out more about this special packaging offer, I purchased a tin and this is what I discovered:

The tin featured a great picture of Ottawa Senators superstar Dany Heatley.

Inside, I found an over-sized hockey card of Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins, encased in a plastic holder.

16 packs of cards with 6 cards in each package.

CARD DISTRIBUTION

The distribution of cards in the packages was great. The breakdown of the 96 cards was as follows:

87 cards towards the set

4 “Next in Line” insert cards

4 “Game Breakers” insert cards

1 “Upper Deck Victory Black”

You will note that I did not get any duplicates! What a great start towards completing a set!

The 2006-2007 Victory Hockey cards or Victory Hockey cards from any hockey season, are never going to be confused with the premium hockey card sets that are available on the market. But, it is a great set to get youngsters enthusiastic about the hobby of sports card collecting.