Hockeyrama

Beat writer blog rolls updated

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 01:39:00 +0000

Labor Day marks the unofficial start of the hockey season. Major junior starts preseason. NHL players are start trickling into their designated cities to be ready for camp. And I update the WHL and NHL blog rolls. Lots of Twitter handles added. As always, if you have a blog or Twitter to add, please email it to: hockeyramablog AT gmail DOT com.

Sponsor me for the RMHC Hockey Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 07:22:00 +0000

I'm proud to be participating in the Hockey Challenge again this year. Now in its 12th year, the Hockey Challenge benefits Ronald McDonald House, which provides a “home-away-from-home” for children and their families during medical treatment. Proceeds from the 2010 event helped the Seattle house provide accommodations for over 800 families last year. I hope you can help me help this great charity.

Me and fellow Amazonians have fielded a rag-tag group of hockey players for a charity game. It takes place Sunday, February 27th at 2:30pm, followed by the Seattle Thunderbirds game at 5:05pm. The lucky arena is the ShoWare Center in Kent (625 W James St). The more sponsors I have, the faster I skate. And at this age, I need a lot of sponsors. Here's how you can help:

Be my skating coach. Please sponsor me by making a tax-deductible donation directly to Ronald McDonald House Charities. Donations for the Seattle house can be made online here. Choose "Hockey Challenge" from the drop down menu under Program Area and write "Amazon.com/Danae" in the Comments box. Very important. Here's why:

Double down. I will match any direct donations. Again, be sure to include my name in the Comments box so RMHC can add up my bill. My goal is to have to cap this next year lest you all put my in the poor house, albeit for a good cause.

Score a hat trick. Does your employer match funds? (I'm talking to you, Microsofties!) Be sure your boss knows you're a philanthropist so your donation can go three times as far.

See ya at the game. Your ticket to the T-Birds game that night also gets you into the charity games beforehand. (My team is on the ice at 2:30pm.) Better than that, $4 from each ticket you buy will be donated to RMHC. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online here. Enter “RMHC” in the promo code box when buying your tickets.

What? You say you're not a hockey fan. Or you are but 2000 miles is just too far to travel for a game. Gotcha. May I modestly suggest buying a virtual ticket to the game? Throw those 25 bones directly at RMHC. Score a hat trick and magically turn that into $75.

So that's my spiel. I sincerely hope you can join me in raising money for Ronald McDonald House. And a huge thank you to those who have donated in the past, present and future.

Goal of the Year

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 22:05:00 +0000

It's that time of year. Best lists. Fail lists. Looking back on the year that was.

Puck Daddy recently published its Top 10 Greatest Hockey Goals of 2010. Have to say I agree for the most part. But there was one omission, which would be my call for Goal of the Year:

Yes, it's yet another lacrosse-style hockey goal but I have to say this is the most impressive I've seen. Everyone other version has the shooter set up alone behind the net before pulling it off (or in a shootout attempt like that 9 yr old in Boston). All the time in the world. Here Finnish junior Markus Granlund shed a check and then beat the poke of another guy just before scooping the puck up and depositing it top corner.

Sick.

Mottau Joins Islanders and Elite Eight

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:53:00 +0000

Hobey Baker winner cum NHL journeyman Mike Mottau completes the New York area trifecta today by signing with a two-year, $1.6M contract with the Islanders. That got me thinking. Who else has played for the Rangers, Devils and Islanders?

It must be early in the morning, because I got as far as Vladimir Malakhov before my brain froze. But thanks to HockeyDB and NHL.com, I've filled in the gaps. Here are the eight players who've donned (or will don in Mottau's case) all three sweaters:

Forwards
Pat Conacher
Sergei Nemchinov

Defensemen
Joel Bouchard
Vladimir Malakhov
Mike Mottau

Goalies
Mike Dunham
John Vanbiesbrouck
Kevin Weekes

Intent to Blow

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 03:13:00 +0000

If you're a fan of The Onion and the NHL, you'll love Intent to Blow. While it possibly hit a bit too close to home, as all good humor does, I quite enjoyed today's piece on Rangers fans waiving their team.

H/T to Bourne's Blog.

Beat writer blog rolls updated

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 02:34:00 +0000

As another season descends, I took some time to update the NHL and WHL blog rolls. I've also added the writer's Twitter handle where I know it. If you have a blog or Twitter to add, please email it to: hockeyramablog AT gmail DOT com.

Did I hear you right?

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 16:18:00 +0000

I can tell you one thing — we are certainly not going to overpay for free agents. If we can improve with a signing that makes sense, we’ll look into it, but we want to give our guys the first shot.
- Rangers GM Glen Sather

Missing the playoffs by one point has apparently caused Sather to completely re-evaluate his management strategy. Pardon my skepticism.

In an interview with NY Post's Larry Brooks, the Blueshirts GM speaks about why his team missed the playoffs (injuries to Marian Gaborik, Ryan Callahan and Sean Avery) and how he plans to improve the team this summer (let the kids play).

While he says all the right things about next season, you have to wonder if Sather realizes there's a salary cap. As Brooks points out, the GM has around $12 million of cap space to fill nine roster spots, including resigning Marc Staal and Dan Girardi. Hamstringed by overpaying for free agents in the past, the Rangers may be forced into rostering their own prospects as the most viable option available.

But can Sather really stop himself from throwing money at another Wade Redden or Donald Brashear? I guess we'll know on July 1.

Another Night, Another 5 And A Game For Boarding

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:47:00 +0000

Remember the good ol' days? When a player knew a hit was coming and would be ready for it. (And if we're lucky, smear the guy who intended to smear him.) When the last thing he would do is stand two feet away from the glass and turn his back. When the most feared check was the Scott Stevens-style demolition delivered open ice.

The new rule is intended to protect the players from head shots not stupidity, and definitely not from boarding. There's already a rule for that:

42.1 Boarding – A boarding penalty shall be imposed on any player or goalkeeper who checks an opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to be thrown violently in the boards. The severity of the penalty, based upon the degree of violence of the impact with the boards, shall be at the discretion of the Referee.

There is an enormous amount of judgment involved in the application of this rule by the Referees. The onus is on the player (or goalkeeper) applying the check to ensure his opponent is not in a vulnerable position and if so, he must avoid the contact. However, there is also a responsibility on the player with the puck to avoid placing himself in a dangerous and vulnerable position. This balance must be considered by the Referees when applying this rule.

There's a sad trend starting of guys kissing the dashers in order to draw penalties. I'm not just talking about the checks that Ryan Kesler and Matt Lashoff recently got the boot for. (Though I think their marks, particularly Derek Morris, did little to prepare for the hit.)

I'm taking about the 'soccer-fication' of hockey. In the recent Rangers victory over the Islanders, Brandon Prust got two after giving an innocuous bump to John Tavares, who was facing the boards. Prust deliberately did not check Tavares in the numbers. It's a hockey play we see all night long, and only becomes a penalty if Tavares crumples. And guess what? Yep, Tavares walks away from the "hit" (sorry, no video) and the already short-handed Rangers go two men down.

Calling the result is not a new trend for referees. How many slashings have we seen that weren't called because the player's stick stayed in one piece? But certainly no player skates with a half-broken twig in hopes of drawing a call.

It's amazing how many players are willing to break their body because they think the post-lockout rules will protect them. In fact, they were much safer when it was legal to hook and hold a guy into the boards. If players don't take some responsibility for their own safety, they're going to drive hitting out of the game along with the clutch-n-grab.

End rant. Play on, boys, and keep your heads up. Please.

Which mistake will Sather try to erase next?

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:44:00 +0000

The Rangers put Donald Brashear on waivers today clearing his way out of MSG. Guess there were no biters on that trade request. (Remember when I said Brashear was an upgrade in the pugilist department? I officially apologize to Colton Orr.) While GM Glen Sather can ship the big lug to Hartford, his $1.4MM cap hit remains as a reminder of how useless the summer was for the Blueshirts.

Let's review:

Tyler Arnason - 487 NHL games and 245 points wasn't enough to crack the Rangers' roster. He was assigned to the Wolf Pack and played a 11 games before leaving for the KHL.
Brian Boyle - Great size but hands of stone. Essentially signed to replace Blair Betts. No insult to Boyle, but Betts was well liked and a freakishly good penalty killer. Boyle is still on the roster but has to be getting a bit nervous.
Donald Brashear - Again, on waivers though that doesn't mean Aaron Voros will lose his seat in the press box.
Marion Gaborik - Up until this week when he cut his leg in practice, this was looking like a pretty good gamble. Hell, if he doesn't play another game this season, it's still the best free agent signing since my hero Marty Straka. Needless to say, Ranger fans will be lighting candles Jarkko Ruutu doesn't give Gaborik an Olympic present the way he did Jaromir Jagr.
Christopher Higgins - Dealt to Calgary in the package for rental Ollie Jokinen and lunch pailer Brandon Prust. You gotta feel for Higgins. He did everything he was supposed to but just couldn't find the back of the net. A New York boy, who didn't want him to enjoy a long run on Broadway? If nothing else, he'll hold a place in our hearts for getting rid of Scott Gomez's bloated contract.
Ales Kotalik - Shipped to Calgary in the deal for Jokinen and Prust. That booming shot from the point wasn't enough to keep him in blue. His 17 PP points still have him tied for 3rd on the Rangers. Kotalik's replacement on the point: Chris Drury and his 3 PP assists on the year. No wonder the powerplay sucks.
Enver Lisin - If he could put the puck in the net more often, he'd be the perfect replacement for Nikolai Zheredev, a tantalizing but inconsistent talent. Not yet a total bust but, unlike Boyle, Lisin is a RFA at the end of the season. Sather can just walk away from this contract in June if he needs to.

So all we have left to show for all that off season dealing is Gaborik, Boyle and Lisin. Yet we're still stuck with the worst contract in the NHL. (Check out #2, another Sather signing.) Can't wait for July 1st.

Did the EA cover jinx catch up with Kane?

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:30:00 +0000

You may have heard of the Madden Curse, where the NFL player gracing the cover of the popular video game often befalls an injury-ridden or otherwise dubious season that year. The jinx isn't limited to football. A number of NHL cover boys have befallen sad fates, including the most recent, Patrick Kane.

2010 - Patrick Kane and his cousin James were arrested for attacking a cab driver in his hometown Buffalo.
2009 - Dion Phaneuf had the worst season of his young career, turning out his lowest goal (11) and point (47) totals as well as his first minus year (-11). While that's still better than most NHL defenseman, he was the only one called out for enjoying Sean Avery's sloppy seconds.
2008 - Eric Staal, his brother Jordan and 12 others were arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct after enjoying Eric's bachelor party a little too much.
2005 - Markus Naslund has the dubious distinction of gracing the cover during the lockout year, but that didn't make him immune from the jinx. His point total declined every since the lockout despite the more "open" game.
2004 - Dany Heatley crashed his Ferrari into a wall four days after the game's release. Teammate Dan Snyder died in the accident and Heatley was seriously injured. EA replaced Heatley on the cover with Joe Sakic. Joe Thorton was the original cover choice but was replaced by Heatley after being charged with assaulting police.
2003 - Jarome Iginla dropped out of the top 30 scorers after leading the league in 2001-02.
2002 - Mario Lemieux cut his injury plagued season short after winning gold at the Olympics in Salt Lake City.
2001 - Owen Nolan played just 57 games in an injury-riddled season.
1999 - Eric Lindros put up 93 points in 71 games, but his season ended abruptly after suffering a collapsed lung.

So who's escaped the jinx? John Vanbiesbrouck (1997), Peter Forsberg (1998), Chris Pronger (2000), Vincent Lecavalier (2006), and Alexander Ovechkin (2007).

Free agent frenzy begins

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:37:00 +0000

Canada Day marks the opening of NHL free agency. This year the fireworks started early, unlike 2008 when the good folks at TSN were forced to fill airtime until the board started to light up around 6pm ET. Fortunately, there was more to talk about this year and not just where Dany Heatley will be traded to (not Edmonton).

Here are the notables (in order of appearance):

Daniel & Henrik Sedin, Canucks, 5 yrs/$30.5M each. OK, they were officially resigned before becoming UFAs at 12pm ET, but I'd otherwise have to lead with Mattias Ohlund. Not very exciting. The twins were looking for matching long term contracts but settled for less to stay in Vancouver.
Mattias Ohlund, Lightning, 7 yrs/$25.25M. Steady defenseman will be a mentor to future franchise blueliner Victor Hedman.
Marian Hossa, Blackhawks, 12 yrs/$62.8M. Hossa can get 12 years but the much younger Sedins can't? This puts him under contract until age 42. For a winger, that's like Chelios years. But let's be honest, no one expects Hossa to play out his deal. It's front loaded, paying him $59.3M in the first eight years and $3.5M over final four, reducing the cap hit to a manageable $5.23M while still lining Hossa's pockets with gold.
Dwayne Roloson, Islanders, 2 yrs/$5M. This is a hedge against Crazy Wang's golden boy, Rick DiPietro, getting injured - or just generally sucking. Roloson, who's know to flop backwards if a crashing forward breathes to heavy, is going to love Brendan Witt knocking guys over in his crease. Do you think he thought about how many times he'll have to face Sean Avery when he signed the contract?
Donald Brashear, Rangers, 2 yrs/$2.8M. It sickens me to admit this is an upgrade in the pugilist department for New York. I assume this means Glen Sather doesn't expect to resign Blair Betts.
Scott Niedermayer, Ducks, 1 yr/$6M. No real surprise to anyone once Chris Pronger was dealt to the Flyers.
Brian Boucher, Flyers, 2 yrs/$1.85M. Boucher's return to Philadelphia isn't really all that noteworthy other than providing a chance to recall one of the sickest saves ever.
Nikolai Khabibulin, Oilers, 4 yrs/$15M. Edmonton fans shouldn't be too upset about losing Roloson.
Scott Clemmensen, Panthers, 3 yrs/$3.6M. Clemmensen returned to NJ last year with his tail between his legs after bolting to Toronto the season before for a chance to play more games, which never materialized. When Marty Brodeur was lost to injury, his dream came true and, in fact, Clemmensen was the goalie he said he was. He deserves more back up duty than he got behind Brodeur but don't expect a second deal with the devil (no pun intended) should Vokoun go down.
Mike Cammalleri, Canadiens, 5 yrs/$30M. Bob Gainey is hoping Cammalleri will have more chemistry with Scott Gomez than Jaromir Jagr did.
Mike Komisarek, Maple Leafs, 5 yrs/$22.5M. Brian Burke spent today toughing up his defense, signing Komisarek and trading Pavel Kubina for Garnet Exelby.
Marion Gaborik, Rangers, 5 yrs/$37.5M. Sather almost regains his respectability with the Scott Gomez trade and then loses it again 24 hours later. Scotty Hockey puts it well: "The dude is a Fabergé egg. Stunningly beautiful and expensive, yet ridiculously fragile." Either this was a knee jerk reaction to Ottawa's choosing Edmonton's offer over New York's for Dany Heatley or Sather decided "he must be mine" after witnessing Gaborik score 5 goals against his club in a single game. Or maybe the masterplan is to flip Gaborik for Vinny Lecavalier? One can only dream.
Brian Gionta, Canadiens, 5 yrs/$25M. Together with Gomez (5-11) and Cammalleri (5-9), Gionta (5-7, yeah right) fills out the shortest top line in NHL history.
Martin Havlat, Wild, 6 yrs/$30M. Minnesota plugs the hole left by one oft injured winger with another. Havlat stopped counting his pennies just long enough to Twitter his displeasure with the Blackhawks. Gee, I can't imagine why they'd choose Hossa over you?

The fun resumes tomorrow with Montreal's former first line - Alex Kovalev, Saku Koivu and Alex Tanguay - still available.

Find the complete list of free agent signings on TSN.ca.

Aaron Ward's no sucker

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:14:00 +0000

Aaron Ward took a sucker punch from Scott Walker during the Bruins' game 6 romp over the Hurricanes. Ward's no sucker though.

One thing hockey players do is learn from past experience. If a guy takes a run at you, the next time you see him coming you'll have your elbows up.

And Ward has experience to learn from. A couple years ago while with the Rangers, he took a punch in the same spot from Donald Brashear, who was on his way off the ice after a scrap with Brendan Shanahan.

So don't feel too sorry for Ward. Perhaps a little too willing to take one for the team, but he's no pacifist.

Survey says: Pronger is dirtiest player in NHL

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:53:00 +0000

Sports Illustrated recently polled 324 NHL players and asked them, who's the dirtiest player in the league? Their answer may surprise some, but not me.

30th Anniversary: Potvin Sucks!

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:08:00 +0000

In 1979, Potvin and Nilsson were locked into one of the better hockey rivalries as the glamorous urban Rangers were trying to hold off the emerging expansion team from the Long Island boondocks.

Potvin was the hard-hitting young defenseman with the Islanders, and Nilsson was the smooth center for the Rangers, one of those so-called “chicken Swedes” who were too mature and too skillful to be intimidated. Hard hits were part of the game.

“With about 1:20 left in the period, Rangers fans saw a sight to enrage them, when Potvin splattered Nilsson against the boards in the left corner,” Lawrie Mifflin, now an editor at The New York Times, wrote in The Daily News that night.

When Nilsson’s right skate caught in a crevice in the ice, the leg took the full weight of Potvin’s hit.
- Slap Shot, New York Times

Throughout the early '80s, the organ at MSG would continue to play the popular arena tune "Let's Go Band." Regardless of the opponent — whether it were the hated Islanders or a non-rival like the Winnipeg Jets — Rangers fans would punctuate the end of the tune with a choir-like refrain of "POTVIN SUCKS!"

In the mid-'80s, Garden management wanted to clean up the Rangers' gameday experience and stopped playing "Let's Go Band." Rangers fans noticed, and started to whistle the tune on their own — punctuating their grassroots version with a "POTVIN SUCKS!" holler at the end.
- Fox Sports on MSN

True blue Rangers fans know to respond to a whistle from the crowd with a hearty "Potvin Sucks", but not all know the origins of the chant. I, myself, knew about the hit on Nilsson which sparked it all but wasn't aware the whistle itself had roots as well.

I love traditions like these. In my hometown, Seattle Thunderbirds fans chant "Portland Sucks" (referring to the archrival Winter Hawks 200 miles south) to the tune of Gary Glitter's arena anthem 'Rock & Roll, Part 2' after every goal, regardless of the opponent. Good times.

Sadly, in recent years, Potvin Sucks has become overused. Instead of the one whistle early in the game from near the press box, it's all night long, particularly if the Islanders are actually in the building - likely a bi-product of the Rangers success over the past few years. It's been fun to go to games again, reviving the popularity of the chant.

Georges Laraque on Fighting

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:54:00 +0000

Ever wonder what exactly The Code is for hockey fights? Montreal pugilist Georges Laraque explains:

The Code is unwritten -- everyone knows it, but not everyone follows it, and those who don't are not respected. When you retire, respect is all you have left, and you want people to say that you were honourable at all times. At least I do.

The Code says things like:
not fighting a guy at the end of his shift
not jumping guys to get a head start
never punch a guy when he's down (that's the most important thing for me; players -- and referees -- know I never do)
and, especially, don't celebrate after a fight. You see that stuff a lot in junior hockey, but for guys who do it in the NHL, it's embarrassing and shows no respect for the other guy. Remember that everything you do comes back to you; you do that, it will happen to you because everyone is watching and talking!

Laraque expounds more on fighting and his "job" in the NHL in his blog for Sportsnet.ca. Pretty good read.

Funny kinda fight night

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:17:00 +0000

First Sidney Crosby goes gong show on Brett McLean during a faceoff....

Later Alexander Semin tries to b*tch-slap Marc Staal...

Can you imagine Crosby vs Semin in a tilt? Finally put that Puck Daddy interview to rest.

Cinderella Slovaks upsets United States at WJC

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:27:00 +0000

Wow. It may be shocking enough to hear Slovakia beat USA in the quarterfinals of the World Junior Championships. Perhaps even more shocking that it was a 5-3 score in which the Slovaks never lost the lead. But you had to see the game to realize what a stunner it was. (Highlights here.)

USA thoroughly dominated until the third period, when the Slovaks realized their carriage would in fact not turn into a pumpkin before the final buzzer sounded. Credit to the Slovakian team, who kept battling despite being out shot 47-18. Though the game was hardly back and forth action, it was a goaltenders duel.

Slovakia's Jaroslav Janus was undoubtedly the star of the game. His initial saves seemed more dumb luck, often leaving the netminder searching for his own rebounds. But as the game rolled on, luck turned to confidence and he made a number of big saves to win the game for his country. Janus called it "the best game of my life." An understatement if ever I heard one.

On the other end of the ice, USA's Thomas McCollum struggled. Perhaps a classic case of rarely seeing the puck, he let in 3 of 8 shots in the first period and 2 of 9 in the third. I wonder what the Red Wings think of their first round draft pick in pressure situations?

While there were many possible turning points in the game for USA - Jordan Schroeder's missed penalty shot in the first minute, Janus' glove save on Tyler Johnson, center ice turnover which lead to Tomas Tatar's empty netter - it was more than just a moment, it was surviving the second period which brought the Slovaks victory. Though they only managed two shots on net, Slovakia kept USA off the scoreboard. If USA had managed to get one, it would have been a different third period.

The upset clears the road for Canada on their "Drive For Five". They'll next meet Russia in the semis. USA plays Czech Republic for 5th place. And Slovakia has a shot at a medal. This could perhaps turn into an Eastern Bloc Miracle on Ice.

Props to James van Riemsdyk's third period goal in an otherwise disappointing game. It's up there with Pavel Datsuyk's backhander at the Winter Classic.

WJC puts focus back on Tavares

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 04:33:00 +0000

The annual World Junior Championship began today in Ottawa. The team to watch is Canada, who has won the last four gold medals. The expectation is they'll make it five in a row, as Hockey Canada has cobbled together no less than 10 first round NHL draft picks plus future first rounders John Tavares, Evander Kane, and Ryan Ellis. And that's without Steve Stamkos, Drew Doughty and Luke Schenn being released from their NHL gigs.

Tavares was the star of the night for Team Canada, potting two goals and an assist in an 8-1 trouncing of Czech Republic. More importantly, his points came early in the game before Canada was rolling full steam and the Czechs still had some air in their sails. His goals weren't quite as pretty as his hand-eye test in exhibition play, but Tavares kicked off the scoring and shook Canada out of its opening night jitters.

It's been a rough year for Tavares by his standards. He's out grown major junior, and many pundits say his game has stagnated in the OHL. He failed to increase his point totals from 2006-07 (the year he broke Wayne Gretzky's goal-scoring record) to 2007-08. And his points-per-game is down from 2.0 last season to 1.7 this season-to-date. Worse yet, after being the undisputed top draft prospect for the 2009 class since his OHL debut as a 14 year-old, a pre-season TSN scouting poll had Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman displacing Tavares from the top of the draft ranking.

That may all be behind him starting tonight. Well, actually starting a few days ago, when the TSN scouts reversed their pre-season picks. A strong WJC showing will vault Tavares back to undisputed status and have NHL teams tanking the season to "earn" his rights.

Regardless as to what happens in Ottawa over the next few days, Tavares won't return to the OHL next season thanks to the 'Jason Spezza' rule, which allows a player who has played four years of major junior to be assigned to an AHL team. Somehow I think his days riding a bus will be coming to an end after this season.

Happy Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 05:18:00 +0000

Ott-a be ashamed

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:53:00 +0000

I've always disliked Brendan Witt, not because he'll sucker punch your best player. But because after doing so, he turtles when called on to drop the gloves. Be as chippy as you want, but be prepared to back it up.

You can now add Steve Ott to the list of incorrigibles with Witt. In Dallas' 5-1 loss on Saturday, Ott spent the game targeting Bruins players' knees. Having rooted for Darius Kasparaitis while he wore Rangers blue, it'd be hypocritical of me to take issue with that. But Ott refused to fight when challenged multiple times, leaving Sean Avery and Kyrs Barch to answer the bell.

You can see the whole debacle below. As the NESN's Jack Edwards puts it: "The difference is the Hanson brothers were funny."

You gotta love how Andrew Ference tags Ott open ice.

To the Bruins' credit, they didn't whine about the rough-n-tumble game, which is admittedly much easier to do when you leave the building with two points.

Ott has a long history of dropping the gloves, although if they all went like this, I can see why he no longer wants to partake in the fisticuffs. I'm not a big fan of fighting, at least uncecessarily, but Ott's performance Saturday night is a glimpse of what hockey will become without it.

Rangers Sweep Lightning in Prague

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 01:19:00 +0000

The Rangers continued their trend of only scoring two goals when facing off against an NHL team. But unlike their experience in the preseason, those two goals were enough to get them by Tampa Bay, who didn't look much improved from their 30th place finish last year. New York swept the series with a pair of 2-1 victories and fly home with a valuable four points.

Some thoughts on the new look Rangers:

Putting Aaron Voros and Colton Orr on the same line seems like an exercise in redundancy. I'd prefer to see Freddie Sjostrom or Patrick Rissmiller in that wing spot. Orr is ripe for waivers.
If Nikolai Zherdev plans on trying to pull that toe drag bullsh*t five feet inside his own blueline at the Garden, he better be prepared for a chorus of 18,200 boos.
I hate to say it, I'm in love with Brandon Dubinsky. There will be no sophomore jinx. But Portland still sucks.
After getting beat noticeably by the speedy Lightning forwards in the opener, Dmitri Kalinin managed to pull himself together for game two. I barely noticed he was out there today, which is a good thing.
Don't get too excited about the PP goals this weekend. While 18.2% efficiency is much improved from last season's 16.5%, it's still won't strike fear in the hearts of the opposition.
Two goals? Seriously? If the Rangers' manage to make it to the playoffs with this anemic offense, then King Henrik will finally get his named etched on the Vezina.

RIP: Reggie "Reg" Dunlop

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 20:41:00 +0000

Paul Newman
1925 - 2008

Rangers score 2 many goals....again

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:43:00 +0000

It seems the Rangers have a preseason game every day. In fact, they have six in eight days before heading off to Europe for a couple more. That's a great end to the summer for any Ranger fan, unless you're on the left coast where the box score is the only evidence there even was a game let alone get a look at the prospects.

Thanks to the internet age, I can at least catch the highlights on TSN.ca. But you don't need those to notice a disturbing trend: New York's inability to score more than two goals a game. Actually, anything other than two goals.

The Rangers are sporting a 1-3 record, but I don't put a lot stock in preseason standings. All three loses were a 3-2 final score, which is a disturbing trend and, I shudder to think, a glimpse of the future.

Blueshirt fans can accept a losing season. It's like riding a bike. You never really forget. But if you're going to lose, lose big. There's nothing more frustrating than watching games slip through your fingers. Hope can be a cruel mistress.

Speaking of hope, how about Petr Nedved? With a goal and assist tonight, he's making it hard for coach Tom Renney to send him back home to the Czech league.

Update: Rangers managed to score exactly two goals again tonight in their loss to the Lightning. Will this madness ever end!? Nedved was held pointless and a minus two, so perhaps his return from the dead is not so likely after all.

Avery returns to Hollywood

noreply@blogger.com (danae) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:43:00 +0000

No, Sean Avery hasn't already worn out his welcome in Dallas.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that agitator extraordinaire and fashionista Avery has inked a deal with New Line Cinema to make a film "about professional hockey player Sean Avery's experiences in the fashion world, including his stint as a summer intern at a fashion magazine... The movie will be a romantic comedy."

Avery, who was interviewed for the article, seems rather pleased with his latest off-ice accomplishment. Let's hope he just as happy after New Line casts Freddie Prinze Jr. and Hilary Duff in the leads, and Mike Comrie is stealing his thunder on set.

Rumor is Hollywood producer-cum-NHL owner Oren Koules will soon be announcing his plans to bring the Vincent Lecavalier Story to the big screen.

Sold!...?: Portland Winter Hawks

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:34:00 +0000

If you thought being a Blackhawks fan was tough before Bill Wirtz kicked it, the poor citizens or Portland, OR have their own circus in the WHL's Winter Hawks. The last couple years, the Winter Hawks had more in common with the Chicago club than their jersey. (The sweaters originally worn by the Winter Hawks were hand me downs from the Blackhawks. They were later tweaked, such as redoing the cross-tomahawks shoulder crest with a "P" for Portland, but they're essentially still the same...excepting that awful 25th anniversary shirt.)

Portland has been the league's worst team under their current ownership, lead by Jim Goldsmith. Worse yet, they're being sued by their former coach, are accused of neglecting medical treatment for their players, and have been late to pay suppliers.

However, it looks like salvation will come in the form of new owners. Greg Drinnan reports that the Winter Hawks are set to be sold pending league approval. The buyer is Calgary-based billionaire Bill Gallacher, who also has an interest in the BCHL's Nanaimo Clippers. The price is a reported C$7.5MM.

Not too long ago, the Winter Hawks were a proud franchise, having won two Memorial Cups and churning out NHL-bound players, such as Marian Hossa, Brendan Morrow, Braydon Coburn, Richard Zednick, Adam Deadmarsh, and Cam Neely to name a few. Oh yeah, and Brandon Dubinsky.

Portland's recent years of suffering pale in comparison to their brothers in Chicago, but they're hoping that with fresh blood at the purse strings they'll have an equally miraculous turnaround in the standings.

Gallacher will have a tough go of it. The Winter Hawks have the worst lease in the league, particularly now that their arch rival Seattle Thunderbirds are exiting KeyArena to become the primary tenant at Kent Events Center, currently under construction. Despite reports that a new lease is imminent, it's highly doubtful new terms will bring any significant revenue sharing, though even a reduction in rent would go a long ways. I expect Gallacher and his group will be underwriting the team in exchange for the glamours of ownership.