The Hockey Brain

Thrash Win = Boston Out

2010-03-23T03:20:00.003-04:00

The Thrashers are running out of time but the hockey gods have aligned the schedule for them like a gift from the clouds. What could be better than Atlanta playing Boston in their own shed when the two teams are divided by a single point for a playoff spot? I mean, holy shit folks...

Plus, both teams are evenly matched in every way.

Bergeron and Recchi are on fire for the Bruins and Afinogenov and Antropov have to be clutch for the Thrash. The Bruins are hurting without the noggin rattled Savard but they have kicked Atlanta’s ass in every game this year. Thrash fans are calling it the game of the season. If youre a rabid Thrashers fan, call out sick tomorrow.

I’m just pissed because I don’t have Center Ice. This one should be a dandy! Check out the stats - these teams look more alike than Claude Julien and Homer Simpson:

Detroit's Dogfight

2010-03-22T15:41:00.000-04:00

Two crucial games tonight, tomorrow:
Tonight: Pittsburgh vs Detroit (7pm VERSUS)
Tomorrow: Calgary vs Anaheim (9pm EST)

Tonight will prove how badly Detroit wants to be in the top eight. Although the Pens have comfortably secured their spot this is a necessary win if the Wings want a chance. The Pens are not the Wings biggest rivalry tonight; throwbacks to Stanley Cup contests may stir the Wings, but they mean nothing when the Calgary Flames are chasing you in an air combat dogfight for 8th. The Flames have played 72 games and are now two points behind the Wings.

Detroit is playing their 72ND game tonight. They need to be in the mind set of this is all or nothing, no leads, no advantages, game over and the fat lady has sung. If the Wings need to pretend that this is game seven of last year to get them motivated and pissed off then so be it, sometime old memories die hard (and who could forget that game).

The choice is theirs. They can win tonight and gain two points to secure their spot or they can play like a bunch pansies and hope that Calgary has one too many Kokanees and throws an egg in tomorrow’s game. Detroit has 11 cups, Calgary has 1. The Flames still have a great coach they don’t want to see filling boxes with pictures of his wife and kids in his office. To even have their eyes on the chalice Calgary needs to fight like hell for 8th and they need to blowtorch the Ducks and eat them for dinner tomorrow night.

Now is not the time for the Wings to squander their one game advantage by sitting back and sipping CC and Coke while they wait for Pittsburgh's charter flight to land. There will be plenty of time for that when the season is over. Tonight is yet another opportunity for them to bank right and get out of the Flames crosshairs. It is up to them when they want their season to end.

Versus, 7pm tonight... Be there! And for those of you without Center Ice, thank GOD theres a network that gives a crap about hockey.

Rink Rat is Pissed Off

2010-03-15T19:48:00.000-04:00

So how many hours ago did I say the NHL moonbats (GM’s), were pontificating over how to categorize and enforce hits to the head? Here we are, how many hours outside of the cigar smoking, margarita sipping conference in Boca Raton since yours truly posited that the league had lost focus, putting their cross-hairs on an issue far less important than players getting hit on the numbers.

Ovechkin’s hit on Campbell was gasping. As a player, I absolutely love the guy – he is what the NHL stands for: competitive, skilled, tough as nails, fearless, and not afraid to hit.

But this hit on Campbell could have come at an unforgiving price. And its not the only time Ovie has done this. Ovie will rightfully sit for 2 games for the stunt he pulled on Campbell.

I think some of you took me the wrong way in my article. My point on head shots is simply this:

It is going to be very difficult to categorize a head shot. There absolutely has to be some policing of the head shots, and decisions at the ice level will have to be made within 2-3 minutes, with no replay to watch and no true knowledge of that players history. Its not like they can pull out their i-phones and hit the application for “Frequent Head Shot Data Base” to find out how many times a player has hit someone. We have to be careful how we change the rulebook in the NHL. Ideas have consequences. I like instant replay and I think it needs to be used more. Once the rule is established, a referee makes a call on the hit, and it goes to Toronto.

For God friggen sakes, people… If a guy gets hit in the face with a stick and draws blood, it increases the consequence. We all KNOW the high stick happened, but until a zebra inspects the players injury, we cant determine the penalty.

In the case of head shots, the referee can blow the whistle and call boarding, interference, elbowing, whatever; and then go to replay to determine if the player broke the established rule. Why will we do this for questionable goals, but not for enforcing a potentially life-saving rule without taking the (audience-saving) physicality out of the game? Not to mention we can NOT be arbitrarily penalizing players because they simply “have a reputation” and the on-ice official has no proof. If this sort of discipline was handed down in the corporate world they would have authorities and attorneys probing their assholes for whatever damages they can bleed from them.

The action and the call should speak for itself. The ONLY way for the league to do that is to go to replay. Will it extend the game time? Yea, but how often does this really happen? Besides it means more commercials and more money for the network.

The other piece to this is the one that no one has thought of, and that’s the equipment the players are wearing. There needs to be some research on the type of hits that cause the injuries and exactly WHAT the injuries are. You can make rules, you can police those rules, and maybe you can cut down the number of injuries. Every bit of research demonstrates that lowering speed limits and wearing seat belts saved lives. But it wasn’t until airbags were developed, tested and utilized that a clear reduction in mortality could be quantified for high velocity impact. The game is different – its faster, the players are bigger – and the protective equipment simply has not evolved with the game. Instead, the moonbats got together and talked about how we can “change the rulebook on head hits”.

That’s was IT!

Nothing about players getting hit from behind (like the hit on Campbell), nothing about equipment; nothing about instant replay; nothing about case-by-case versus reputation…

I wonder who paid for the GM retreat and where that money could have been better spent.

Either way I bet the weather was great and Florida and while guys like Brent Sutter (coach of the Calgary Flames) and a million other white and blue collar folks in the great nations of US and Canada are out of work, not one of those guys really worried about having a job come August.

And you wonder why I call them “moonbats”…

Rangers Hex Bruins for Playoff Seat

2010-03-15T15:52:00.000-04:00

If you're a serious hockey fan, tonight you should strap yourself to a chair, order a pizza and turn off your cell phone... especially if youre a Bruins or Rangers fan.

An inspired win by the Rangers last night put them within one point of Boston for the 8th spot in the East.

I would be pulling out the voo-doo dolls, horse shoes and eye-of-newt if I were the Rangers. Then I would study every video the Habs have played in the last 10 games.

The Rangers have to hope and pray the Bruins lose twice; once in New Jersey tonight, then to the Hurricanes on tomorrow. The rest is up to the Rangers. With Boston leaving the castle door open, the Rangers will have a MONUMENTAL opportunity to waltz in and plant their flag if they can beat the Habs while the Canes are playing Boston.

Any way you slice you, one thing is abundantly clear: the Rangers have to beat Montreal in Madison Square Garden Tuesday. Get out the remote and prepare to picture in two games tonight and tomorrow night! (Three if your own team is playing) Here are the standings (the LAST category of numbers are the teams points.:

Games to watch:

TONIGHT: Boston vs. NJ; Detroit vs. Calgary

TUESDAY: Boston vs. Carolina, Montreal vs. NYR

Calgary's Two Day War

2010-03-14T15:46:00.000-04:00

If I were Brent Sutter (Calgary’s head coach) I would be chomping TUMS like candy and listening to Enya to keep my heart rate down. Brent knows his prevailing in the 8th spot for the post-season and possibly his job are at stake if his players don’t view the rest of the regular season as if they were the playoffs. He was in this spot years ago with a team called the New Jersey Devils.

Tonight the Flames face the Vancouver Canucks. If they win, they will finally catch Detroit for the 8th spot. If they go to overtime and lose, they will be tied with Detroit at 78 points. A win will put them one point ahead.

If the Flames lose they will get a second chance tomorrow night. But it will keep them in desperation; a place where Brent Sutter is tired of being.

At 10pm (EST) tonight its Vancouver. Then they have to try to get some rest on the quick ride home, where they will play again at 9:30pm (EST).

Take one guess who the Flames play Monday night. That’s right, Detroit! Calgary will try yet again to either hang on for dear life or, win both tonight and tomorrow and possibly pole vault all the way to 6th place in the west (depending on the Nashville and Avalanche games).

No matter what happens, The Flames are in the very critical spot that could mean the difference between fighting for their playoff lives or being able to take a punch and not hit the canvass while the count to knock out is pointed at their heads.

Calgary fans, I empathize with you. Load your fridges with beer to keep the edge off. Two wins in a row would give you all something great to start your Tuesday.

Tonights Game to Watch

2010-03-12T16:17:00.000-05:00

New York Rangers vs Atlanta Thrashers 7:30pm

You NEED to be in 8th place to get into the playoffs. As soon as the last game is played, where you are when the music stops determines whether you keep playing hockey or break out the golf clubs.

Every game is crucial right now for so many teams. The Rangers need to find 2 points tonight to keep from running out of gas, and Atlanta needs to 2 points to avoid diluting themselves even more into the “66’ers” – the Lightening, Panthers, and Hurricanes are all in a log jam with one point separating them from each other, but ALL of them 5 or more points away from the 8th spot where the Bruins are trying to build a castle.

Both of these teams have lost their last 4 games so the pressure is incredible for both of these teams to stay in the race by winning tonight.

(Reminder: need 2 points for a win, 1 point for an overtime loss)
Ill start with 7th place because right now this is where it all matters -
Place: 7 Montreal Canadians 74
Place: 8 Boston Bruins Pts: 72
Place: 9 New York Rangers Pts: 67
Place: 10 Atlanta Thrashers Pts: 66
Place: 11 Tampa Bay Lightning Pts:66
Place: 12 Florida Panthers Pts: 64
Place: 13 Carolina Hurricanes Pts: 64
Place: 14 New York Islanders Pts: 61
Place: 15 Toronto Maple Leafs Pts: 56

Players to Watch
NYR: Marian Gaborik. With 70 points, 13 power-play goals, this guy is a dynamo.
ATLANTA: Maxim Afinigenov. His agility, finesse and creativity are amazing. Here’s a taste of what Max is like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oeb56blvxtQ

More Rules from the NHL Moon Bats

2010-03-10T14:02:00.000-05:00

Head shots were THE main topic of the GM’s meeting in Boca Raton Florida. I really need a job in the NHL.

Suffice it to say they’re trying to categorize and somehow regulate shots to the head. This will be like the “foot in the crease” rule in my opinion. We have guys getting hit in the numbers and at risk for paralysis all the time and the whistle is mothballed.

But a short player’s shoulder goes into a guys head, or a defensemen’s chest in the head of a munchkin like Martin St. Louis or Phil Kessel; or a guy gets rattled in open ice and has whip-lash; or a guy falls while he is being hit and the shoulder meets the head… and… then what? Suspension? 5 minute major? We’re getting a bit ridiculous and trying to qualify a head shot is going to be a convoluted mess. Worse, it may stop open ice hitting and maybe the physicality of the game altogether.

Players are going to get hit. Guys heads are going snap forward and back from the inertia of a hit and it may have nothing to do with a direct hit to the head. Will he be out cold? Uh, yea. Should there be a penalty? Abso-fricken-lutely not.

The hit on Savard from Cooke is one of those odd situations. Savard was in the process of taking a shot and in the motion of “hunkering down” on a follow-though. Cooke, who was already in motion for an open-ice check clipped his head. There was no way, in my opinion for Cooke to abruptly halt his momentum and stop himself from hitting Savard. To send a message, perhaps a 5 minute major and then review it afterward. So many of these hits need to be handled case by case. In a sport where a quarter inch wedgie in a guys trousers can be zoomed in on by 20 cameras, the NHL needs to avoid being reactive, in their ATTEMPT to be proactive. If that makes any sense...

The best comment though was Paul Holmgren saying with deadpan seriousness, “We’re all trying to get ahead on this topic.” Ummm…. Ok. Sorry... I had to go there.

Not one thing was said in these 8 gazillion meetings about how players are going back to bad habbits and slamming guys in the numbers making them launch head-first into the boards. Ill take a concussion over paralysis any day, folks.

A little perspective here, please from our braintrust in the NHL. And preferably BEFORE they dip into the sauce and get to the podium.

The GM's actually did discuss other items that are relevant.
• Goaltender equipment and its significance on both safety and consumption of net area.
• Procedures/algorithm for next seasons draft (yawn)
• Collective bargaining transfers from European league players (yawn)
• Attendance, ice operations and rule changes
• The GMs plan to review emergency medical procedures and standards in the wake of former Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov's death last week while playing for Avangard Omsk of Russia's Kontinental Hockey League.

NOTES: A win for the New York Rangers tonight can put them within two points of Boston the 8th spot in the East. They play the Devils at 7pm tonight. As I said in my previous article, the Flames got their auxiliary scoring and leapfrogged Detroit for the 8th place out west. What a great time for hockey!

Tomorrows Battle for the West

2010-03-08T14:44:00.000-05:00

One point. Thats what seperates the Wings and Flames from the 8th spot in the west, and with little happening tonight in the NHL, tomorrow nights game will be our featured game.

Watch Dallas and Washington on Versus tonight, but this game is an absolute must watch for hockey freaks tomorrow night.

Iginla netted a hat trick against the Wild and will be ready to clip some Wings tomorrow night in their building - 7pm in the Joe Louis arena. With 62 points Iginla is one of the league leaders in shots taken at 205; and to quote Wayne Gretzky, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." But he is also the only Flame perched at the top of the points category with 65 and the closest forward being Stajan at 48.

The Wings are going to have to find a way to contain Iginla since in Calgary really has not been a huge force offensively and rely heavily on Iggy. Detroit's defense turned into a cheese ribbon but they found a way to shake off Ladds hat-trick in yesterday's game and edge a powerful Chicago Black Hawks team. Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard has been inconsistent throughout the season, so if there was a time he needs to step it up, this is the time.

The Flames have to find a way to spread their scoring out and get more players involved offensively. Especially knowing they will face a team with Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Nick Lidstrom who is third in points on the team, a defenseman and has been red hot lately. Just watch Lidstrom at a game, no matter where the puck is and you see all the little things he does that make a huge difference.

This will be a good one to watch - rumor has it Sutter's (Flames coach) job is on the line, and this is one game he may forestall what I'm sure he is hoping is not the inevitable.

Sunday's Major NHL Impact

2010-03-07T11:43:00.000-05:00

Almost EVERY GAME has a consequence today, so I will do a brief profile of the games instead of Game of the Night:

Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks 12:30 on NBC
The Wings just grabbed the 8th spot and will be hoping to hold on to it by meeting a strong Chicago Blackhawks team. Both teams have beaten each other twice this season. Detroit will be watching the next one, the Flames vs. the Wild. If Detroit and Calgary both win their games, they will be tied for 8th out West. If Detroit loses... read on...

Calgary Flames vs. Minnesota Wild 3:00pm
If Calgary beats Minnesota (3pm today) and Detroit loses, the two will swap for the 8th spot in the West.

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Atlanta Thrashers 5pm
If the Carolina Hurricanes can win tonight, that will put them one point behind Florida in the 12th spot. No one between those teams play tonight so if the Hurricanes can win today and hope for some other teams losses going forward, they actually have time to pull off a miracle! However, they face a desperate Thrashers team that needs to win to tie for the 8th place. But thats only if Anaheim wins... read on...

Montreal Canadiens vs. Anaheim Ducks 8pm
With a tight race out the Anaheim Ducks are going to be seeking two points to keep them in the race.They're tied for Minnesota for the 12th spot. Montreal will be looking to hold on to their position in the 8th spot. If the Thrashers win and the Ducks win, Atlanta will take Montreal's spot in 8th and the cafe culture Quebec will be ugly in the morning.

But wait - STOP THE PRESSES – there's one more huge factor in the East!

NY Rangers vs. Buffalo Sabres 7pm
If the NY Rangers beat the Sabres tonight, and the Thrashers lose, The Rangers will leap-frog to the 8th spot.

This is what you call a hockey Sunday. I hope all of you hockey nuts went to the early church service. If you have center ice, get that remote, take your pick and click, click, click!

The Game to Watch Tonight

2010-03-04T14:28:00.000-05:00

Colorado Avalanche vs. Pheonix Coyotes - 9pm

Have a cup of coffee... and after you watch your Eastern team play tonight, grab your remote and watch this game! The blockbuster trade between these two teams was arguably the biggest of the year since Dion Phaneuf. Both teams are shuffling in the 5th and 6th spot out west, hoping to hang on. Pheonix desperately needed to put a strong winger with Paul Statsny (one of the players to watch). They got one from the team they will play tonight – The Colorado Avalanche. Wojtek Wolski is a Poland born powerful winger, and the Coyotes are hoping their new-comer will have the chemistry that Peter Muller didn’t.

I may be wrong but I think the high elevation in Denver got to someone in the Avs front office. That or they were smoking some really good midwestern treebark. The howlers got the better deal in this one. Though in Muellers defense, he hasn't played a full season.

Speaking of Mueller… the Avs are hoping that Mueller will find his natural scoring touch – perhaps with Matt Duchene . He needs to find himself on this team or his financial future will be bleak.

When I was going over stats to prepare for this one my eyes were getting crossed. Nothing like criss-crossing players the night before the two teams face eachother. I've had easier Sudoku games.

That is of course the reason this should be a good game to watch. Stupid as it may sound, it will be tough for both of these players not to cough the puck up to the opposing team. After-all they both just played over 50 games passing to their opposing teams jerseys. There may be a couple of, "Oh shi$#!" moments out there.

Players to watch (other than Wolski and Mueller):
PHX - Shane Doan: A hard-nosed, crafty left winger that plays with a ton of heart. he's already registered 47 points this year. I love watching Shane crash the net and work along the boards.

COL - Paul Statsny: We all watched what he could do in the Olympics. ALSO- Jean-Michael Liles has only played 43 games this year but he has 21 assists and watching him quarterback the puck is entertainment in itself. He is an INCREDIBLE passer.

The Game to Watch Tonight

2010-03-03T17:29:00.000-05:00

If you don't have the Center Ice package, no fears. The game on Versus tonight should prove to be entertaining. As a Sabres fan I had to check a million stats to make sure I was being fair making this the game of the night.

Ryan Miller and Alex Ovechkin will face eachother once again since returning from the Olympics. It is unknown right now if any of the newly acquired players from either team will be playing tonight - probably not.

A first place Washington team rolls into Buffalo tonight where the crowd should be obnoxious. I would not be surprised if the fans in Buffalo start waving palm leaves and throwing rose petals at him. The guy had a better ovation in Pittsburgh than Crosby did.

But the love may be short lived in Buffalo if the Sabres can't ward off the offensive anvil of the Caps. The Sabres need to recover from their loss against Pittsburgh last night and the miserable road trip they had before the Olympic break. The Capitals are on top of the world right now both in their morale on the bench and on the charts. Knuble, Backstrom and Ovechkin have all been piping hot with 28 points between them in least than 10 games. They have have what Buffalo needs: auxilliary scoring (from guys like Green, Laich and Semin) and the powerhouse special team finishing of Knuble and Ovechkin.

This will not be an easy game for the Sabres. Miller will be tested and may have to cover up some mistakes to survive. Give-aways against Washington would be suicide for most teams, but if Ryan Miller can allow them to take some chances and return to making plays they did that brought them to 7th place they are as good as any team in the NHL. The Sabres have a great mix of goalscorers that have been dry as a bone including Roy and Stafford. Buffalo born Patrick Kaleta has been the icon of passion and hard-work for them.

This is where I normally do my "players to watch". Lets not be silly. Ovechkin and Miller are playing. Are you kidding me? What more is there to say?

Alberts to the Ducks, Corvo to D.C. and More at the Deadline

2010-03-03T15:54:00.000-05:00

Panthers pick up Roy

Ducks pick up Alberts

Capitals now have Corvo

Oilers sent Visnovsky to Ducks for Ryan Whitney (NOT Ray Whitney)

Torres to Buffalo and other Big Trades

2010-03-03T15:25:00.000-05:00

WOW... the Sabres made a trade for Paestch for a second rounder. Torres is in Buffalo but they gave up Clarke McArther in another trade for a draft pick.

Toskala to the Flames.

Wolski to the Coyotes for Muller who goes to Colorado.

The Kings grabbed Halpern and Modin. I wonder if they gave up on the Whitney trade?

Coyotes pick up Buffalo native Stempniak from the Leafs.

Caps picked up Jurcina, Belanger and Scott Walker. Theyre officially a powerhouse!

Walker and Ward for Two Picks

2010-03-03T13:36:00.000-05:00

Aaron Ward has gone to Anheim for Justin Pogge and a draft pick. Scott Walker has gone to the Caps for 7th round pick.

Ponky is going to Pitt

2010-03-02T21:51:00.000-05:00

My insider just gave me the scoop! Ponikarovsky is going Pittsburgh Caputi and Skoula.

Bergeron in the Press Box

2010-03-02T19:26:00.000-05:00

Patrice Bergeron, one of the profile players I mentioned in the Game to Watch, will be watching the game himself... from the press box. Patrice has a groin injury, likely sustained during the Olympics (or perhaps while doing one of his modeling photo shoots).

Seriously though, this is going to hurt the Bruins offense in a game they really need him. The Bruins will have to look to Marc Savard to carry their offense tonight.

Maybe he'll have a few Molsons up there in the rafters and show Barry Melrose his Gold medal while he's up there.

The Game to Watch Tonight

2010-03-02T17:48:00.000-05:00

For those of you lucky enough to own the Center Ice package and you're not sure which of the TWELVE games to watch tonight, The Bruins / Canadiens rivalry might be worth watching, or tiling while you watch your favorite team. Not only is this a rivalry dating back to the stone age, but the stakes are notably high in this one.

Tonight would be a great night for the Montreal Canadians to blast the song "Lay It On The Line" by Triumph in the locker room. As if this rivalry needed any more fuel to get these two teams to hate eachother, Boston and Montreal are neck and neck in the standings - 7th and 8th place. Boston has 3 games in hand right now so the pressure is on the Habs to make this game count.

We're coming down the stretch and this old Original 6 rivalry is just the game that the Bruins wanted to try to get them off the break and back into the NHL spirit.

Bruins coach Claude Julien dusted off the microphone from the Olympic break and bright eyed said, "This is a good opponent for us coming down the stretch. We realize the importance of having a good finish if we're going to make the playoffs."

Montreal will have Pouliot and Kastitsyn back from injuries and should give the Habs a bit more flexability to their chemistry. This could also get the Habs starting on a much needed "right foot" with all of their puzzle pieces back together again. Although The Habs will be facing a team that has been struggling offensively they have to tighten the blue line. Boston has yet to figure out its firing power but when they do, they're deadly. Habs defencemen Bergeron and Mara have the two worst plus / minus stats on the team - unacceptable for guys that have to stop the rush. Montreal has to play deseperation hockey but stay out of the penalty box and be wary of the impressive break-out game the Bruins can demonstrate on a cheesecloth defense.

If Boston Goaltender Tuukka Rask can hold the rush of the Habs first two lines and a quick Bruin transition to forecheck and fold tight I will give this game to Bruins.

Players to watch:

MONTREAL: 27 year old center Tomas Plekanec for the Habs. He has 17 goals and 43 assists but hasn't tallied a single point in 2 games. He'll be looking to change that tonight.

BOSTON: 24 year old center Patrice Bergeron. He and also center Marc Savard play a very open style game with crafty stickhandling.

NHL & TRADES: OPEN FOR BUSINESS

2010-03-01T11:44:00.000-05:00

The trade freeze melted at midnight and already there is paper flying, cell phones ringing and some front hockey offices looking and acting like Wall Street. So many teams are in the market for players, right?

Or are they?

Its almost like a real estate auction. GM's see what players are available and feverishly try to see what kind of offer they can shoot for.

Many teams are looking to improve their blue lines and in the market for defensemen.

The Panthers and the Oilers (Olympian Ethan Moreau, Souray and Staios) have a lot of real estate to offer and seem to be the most aggressive at bargaining.

The Carolina Hurricanes have been very conservative and I will explain why in their fan section of my page. They also have some bait to dangle including Corvo, Aaron Ward and Alberts.

With the above in mind, and defensemen in need there could be some interesting deals made. Just to be a fly on the wall and witness some of the paper flying in and out of fax machines - man thats pay-per-view material for hockey fans like me.

Stay tuned and follow my Trade Rumor and Truth page.

Rink Rat Said It: Crosby and Iggy Chemistry = GOLD

2010-02-28T18:38:00.000-05:00

The tourny was fun and despite my objection to NHL players in the Olympics, I will admit it was entertaining. My contention remains, but both teams played their hearts out.

You heard it here at THB -The Hockey Brain: In case you don't think Rink Rat knows hockey, lets roll the highlite film from the last blog.

"Forget about the tape." Iggy and Crosby's new found chemistry ended it. Where did you hear that? THB. Canada stayed out of the box, the US was undisciplined and sat in the sin bin twice putting the US in the hole. Parise's speed through the neutral zone created chances and the tying goal (MiG-29?)... he was awesome. US forgot the "welfare line in the middle" and Cory Perry waltzed all alone in the high slot to make it two. The US went down but did not "sink into despair". The end was a shoddy Miller play - he didn't hug the post because he knew Iginla was lurking. And, where the hell was Patrick Kane? #87 (Crosby) ended it, #88 (Kane) had the chance to be a hero.

Its all over but the... Cup??

Awesome hockey game, but the Olympics are over and are five NHL games coming out of the gate. Players have to dust off and return their focus to where their bread is buttered. Tired, guys? Sorry... too friggen bad. Its time to look toward Lord Stanley. NHL fans hold on, here we go! We're entering the fun times now. There is one day to make trades so make sure you check out my Trade Rumors (and Truth) page: http://thehockeybrain.blogspot.com/p/trade-rumors.html - Don't ever ask the Rat to give up his source! :)

Awaiting the Gold Showdown!

2010-02-28T11:20:00.000-05:00

The smack-talking has already begun. Supremacy in the world of men's hockey will yet again be decided by a North American team. Some quotes from my insiders: (After the Slov/Canada game over the PA): "Thank you for watching tonight's game. Please remember to pick up your belongings and clean up if you shat on your seat." Scott Niedermier: "Everything about this game has a game 7 feel to it." Robyn Regehr: "If the Americans win, they'll probably make another stupid movie about it - so we cant let that happen." Mike Babcock (Canada coach) said, "I like Robs way of thinking." Patrick Kane: "To beat Luongo, you have got to get him moving side to side." Jonathan Toews, Patricks wooby blanket, sent him a text message and quipped, "good luck with that". A presumably intoxicated Jeremy Roenik (color commentator for NBC) was mingling with other hockey heads in a high class gin mill - drink in hand, wobbling he yelled at someone, "Zach (Parise) is a fucking monster! He's a fucking animal! Dynamite with a fucking laser-beam!" Babcock said he was "scared to death" when the crowd started chanting, "WE WANT USA!!" So I must admit, although it has taken awhile the tail end of Olympic hockey is exciting. I attribute much of that to the games being held in Canada, but I digress... IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS FOR THIS GAME (written in bullets for my friends with Attention Deficit Disorder): --The US won home ice for their performance in the tourny. They have got to make smart line changes. That means trying to keep the integrity of their current lines and breaking up the new found dominance and chemistry of Iginla and Crosby. Canada's lack of chemistry and their broken defence were their Achilles heel in the last game against the states. They seemed to have fixed both of those. --If Canada can stay out of the box (unlike the first game vs US), get ahead in the first and get good goaltending from Luongo the US will have to avoid doing what Russia did - fall into the pit of despair too early. They should have the friggen team shrinks on the bench because the stick-griping anxiety (like the US girls team) or going into full panic mode will render a player useless or a big fat liability. --Special teams will be a factor but in this level of competition, they are the life-raft for a team down by one or more. Whoever takes the lead first, the first power play after that will be huge in terms of momentum if its killed or capitalized. --The US is disciplined, not only in that they have the fewest penalties in the games but just their style. They give little away and defensively they have become a brick wall in front of Ryan Miller. They need to maintain that discipline but do it in the loose style they have with the free-wheeling opportunistic scoring from guys like Parise and Kessel coming out of the blue - hauling ass through the neutral zone like a MiG-29 fighter jet drastically changing its speed. They have to hit Luongo hard and fast and back-check through the middle like a Christmas Eve welfare line! --The US has to forget about the first game against Canada. The tapes will be useless since Canada has changed their style, changed their goaltender and changed their lines. The offense now has way more confidence and the puck control and cycling of Canada's first three lines have proved fatal. This aught to be a dandy folks! Put a fire in the fireplace, chill the beer, uncover the grill and fire up a hot dog or a sloppy steaming poutine!

Holy *#&% - The US is Going for Gold!

2010-02-26T17:45:00.001-05:00

Today Teemu Selanne was what Patrick Kane has been throughout the tourney - totally ineffective. "When you are down 6-0 after 12 minutes, you know the game is pretty much over," said Finland's assistant captain Teemu Selanne afterwards. "You play for pride but it's tough." Patrick Kane scored twice in a six goal explosion in the opening period as the Americans now await the winner of the second semifinal between Canada and Slovakia later today. The boy from Buffalo - now scrambled on the first two lines, may have found himself afterall. Nothing matters from today. It was a slaughter and its over, and Team USA has to watch the game tonight - and watch carefully. Notes / Opinion: -Classy Canadians chanted "U-S-A" after the girls team took a bow for winning the silver. After the verbal brutality and the press war, that told everyone what happens on the ice will never be bigger and more important than the game itself. -The Canadian girls apologized for absolutely nothing and the IOC thankfully will leave them alone. Some of those girls, maybe even Marie-Philip Poulin, who scored both goals for Canada in the final may never see the Olympics again. They celebrated... they didnt take a joy-ride on the zamboni and take their cloths off. I call total bullshit - Canada's press needs to get over themselves. -Interesting quote from Brian Burke (GM for the US team) when asked if the games are a glitch. "I think it's bullshit," he said. "I've been to four Winter Olympics and this is the best one I've been to in terms of organization. You're going to have glitches in any event this size ... I wish people would quit bitching about it." What irony that he would say that two weeks before the "low profile" Canadian hockey girls - struggling to get legitimacy in the sporting word - suddenly become high profile because they take some time to celebrate..

Where the Hell is Patrick?

2010-02-25T11:23:00.001-05:00

Well North America made it clear to the Olympic world yesterday that they want medals draping from their necks.

If the Swiss goaltender was playing for team Russia and Ovechkin showed up, there may have been a chance for them. They were out coached, out played, out smarted and Canada dominated along the wall the entire game. Canada went ahead early and like I said in my previous article that was a must.

The big story now for us Americans cheering for team USA: How do we get past the Fins? One thing is likely certain: There's no effing way we're going to get 44 shots on the Fins. We can throw rubber at Finland, but it has to be net-worthy. Kirposoff faced 30+ shots against a formidable Czech offense that rifled some quality zingers, making Kippy have to earn his shut-out. Not to mention the Fins have learned how to play defense like no other European team.

The Fins have a frightening offensive force in players like Selanne, Jokinen and the Koivu brothers. The States have spread the scoring out fairly well but their success is going to fall on two key players: Ryan Miller and a guy we have not heard from - Patrick Kane. He left Chicago at the Olympic freeze with 67 points, a +19 and a team high 5 game-winning goals.

Where the hell has Patrick Kane been? Speculation exists (OK, in my own head, maybe) that without his center linemate Jonathan Toews, our young Kane, the first round draft pick from Buffalo, NY is like a toddler without his trustee blanket.

The US needs Kane to find himself, and in a hurry - like next game and the rest of the tourny. If they can funnel down and protect Miller from a gun and run offense like the Fins, continue their opportunistic scoring and add to their offense by Kane breaking out of his shell we could very well be wearing a glass slipper.

Team USA has got a ton of heart. They have a group of guys that are mediocre in talent compared to other teams in the games. But they have balance, they have potential scoring in #88 and they have Ryan Miller. And its going to take everything they have from this point forward to turn the pumpkin into a shimmering chariot. The Fins settled for silver in Italy when they lost the gold 4 years ago, and they'll be panning hard to make up for what they gave up to arch-rival Sweden.

We're all dreaming of another miracle and have no doubts it will be a similar feat this year.

Patrick, its time for you to step up and make Buffalo and the US of A proud.

Canada - Dont get cocky.

2010-02-23T21:47:00.000-05:00

Trying to determine the efficacy of Canada’s line shakeup against a weak opponent like Germany is like testing the performance of the US military in a war against Trinadad. What IS clear though is Canada has restored their much needed confidence. If team Canada can use the German slaughtering to believe in the new lines and it can springboard them into the first period against Russia, they have a chance. What every Canadian should be thinking when the puck drops against Russia tomorrow is the magnitude of the first period. The game can be pivotal if Russia scores one or two goals first. In fact, it may be over. The confidence Team Canada has gained seeped quickly to the level of coaching. Babcock has a splinter of hope that these new lines and change of netminder will work. But only a splinter… He has to know that Russia will be the true test and if he finds the coaching staff and players questioning the chemistry of this team at anytime during the match, particularly early on, Canada could be in trouble. Big trouble. Either way this should prove to be one hell of a hockey game. One question for you fans out there: Who would you put in goal if you were Babcock? The US will play the Swiss tomorrow. More to come on the red white and blue... Skate on.

Canada's New Line

2010-02-23T19:42:00.000-05:00

Would love your thoughts on the Iggy, Crosby and Staal line. Good choice? How about Luongo for Marty?

Team Canada Qualifier Tonight

2010-02-23T18:15:00.000-05:00

Canada's qualification game tonight. Heatley (German-born) will face his team-mates Marco Sturm & Thomas Greiss. Staal will indeed play with Crosby and Iginla. Despite Canada's problems they should walk away with a win tonight. If not the team had better change hotels - preferably one undisclosed to the public.