By:
On:
In: General, NHL
With: 0 Comments

After the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2 win over Winnipeg, debut goalie Scott Foster was named 1st star. Despite only playing 14 minutes, Foster saved all seven shots he faced. While this might be his only NHL appearance, Foster has shown everyone you never give up. Chicago is currently facing a severe goalie crisis. Corey Crawford and Anton Forsberg are out through injury. Foster was signed to as an emergency backup. Before this game, the 36-year-old had played college hockey for WMU from 2002-2006. Before this game, he had been working an accountant. When starter Collin Delia went out, Foster was forced into action. He now holdsRead More →

By:
On:
In: Central Division, General, NHL
With: 1 Comment

Amateur Scouting for the NHL is far from an exact science despite improvement in player rankings over the past decade. Technology continues significantly impact player evaluation across the board, providing access to talent outside of North America. If Pavel Datsyuk were draft eligible in 2018, he would be a top-three prospect. Potential first overall selection, Rasmus Dahlin, would have fallen through the cracks back in the 90’s. Scouting staffs have nearly unlimited access to upcoming talent and it continues to drive Central Scouting reports. The Draft Pick Even with advances in talent evaluation, did Nashville Predators’ GM, David Poile, expect the impact that Viktor ArvidssonRead More →

By:
On:
In: Atlantic Division, Central Division, General, NHL
With: 1 Comment

Growing up in the Buffalo area exposes one to every opinion on tanking for the best draft odds. The local media shares contrasting views as the Sabres were in last place, for two consecutive years. As Buffalo is close to last in the NHL again, the debate is ongoing. The 2015 race for 30th achieved the desired result: a franchise center. Before you comment; yes, Jack Eichel is a franchise center despite the suckfest that is the Buffalo Sabres. Lacking significant improvement since then, certain media claims that tanking leads to a losing culture. Just look at Twitter and notice the heated discussions about theRead More →

By:
On:
In: Atlantic Division, General, NHL
With: 1 Comment

On pace for their worst season since the 1996-1997 season (excluding the half season played after the 2012-2013 lockout), the Sens need a face lift. Twelve games into the season with a 5-2-5 record, they had 15 out of a possible 24 points which was above .500, the team looked a little shaky but they showed a lot of promise. Derick Brassard and Mark Stone looked like one of the best duo in the NHL. Stone was looking like the All Star he is and Kyle Turris was still in a Sens jersey. With 5 OT loses it was just a matter of tweaking aRead More →

By:
On:
In: General
With: 1 Comment

A player goes down on your favorite team. It looks like a bad injury. They had to be helped off the ice. You stop paying attention to the game because, hell, it is one out of 82. You just constantly refresh Twitter waiting for a beat reporter to give injury news. Embed from Getty Images This comes to two separate paths: One, the beat reporter says that they have returned to the bench, the other more dreaded tweet to read “Player X is out for the rest of the game”. As a Tampa Bay Lightning fan I’ve been through this more times in the pastRead More →

By:
On:
In: Atlantic Division, General, NHL, Review
With: 0 Comments

It almost seems that every move by Marc Bergevin sets the Montreal Canadiens back 10 years. Big trades have been executed by the fifth-year General Manager, one being historically bad, leaving his team to be the equivalent of the Kansas City Chiefs: good in the regular season but cannot get it done in the playoffs. And when it appeared they were going to be on the brink, it got worse. At this point, the direction of the team, as a result of decisions by Marc Bergevin, should have the Molson family (majority owners) focusing on the next guy as improvement. Embed from Getty Images HowRead More →

By:
On:
In: General, Pacific Division
With: 0 Comments

Two points out of a playoff spot with two games at hand, you could be confident that the Calgary Flames will land a spot in the 2017-2018 NHL playoffs. How deep will they go? That’s a different story. After being swept in the 1st round of the playoffs last season, Calgary has made enough changes to avoid being eliminated in the 1st round again. With the strong play of newly acquired Mike Smith, surprising rookie Mark Jankowski and highly sawed out defenseman Travis Hamonic the Flames have added stability between the pipes, gritty, producing forward and hockey sense on the blue line so what elseRead More →

By:
On:
In: General
With: 0 Comments

Team Canada announced its Men’s Hockey Team roster and due to the NHL refusing to allow its players to compete, the team is very different than last time. Coach Willie Desjardin hopes to repeat Sochi’s gold medal success. The roster will no doubt have Canada hockey fans feeling let down. Having said that, we’ve known for a while that this team wouldn’t include star names. Here is the roster in full:     Team Canada 🇨🇦 Men's Olympic hockey roster for PyeongChang 2018: pic.twitter.com/C55a2FyB3H — Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 11, 2018 Canada has opted to go with experience for this upcoming Olympics. Selecting heavily fromRead More →

By:
On:
In: General
With: 2 Comments

Four minutes left in the consolation final and there it went, our lead that we had all game was gone. It was 6-6. The right winger on my line looks at me blaming himself saying “I’m going to get that one back” and like it was written in a movie, our next shift he did. We won 7-6. How did I get here? How did I find a ice in the middle of South Florida? A common refrain is “why hockey?” It’s a question so many fans of our beloved sport are asked time and time again. If you had a time machine and went backRead More →

By:
On:
In: General
With: 0 Comments

We may be in the heart of the off-season, but free agency is in full-swing as NWHL teams prepare for the league’s third season. Here are some of the headlines from the last few weeks in the NWHL. Kelley Steadman Retires The Buffalo Beauts’ Kelley Steadman is calling it a day as a professional hockey player. Kelley, 26, helped the Beauts lift the Isobel Cup last season, and has also won a silver medal representing Team USA at the Sochi Winter Olympics. She has also won three gold medals in the IIHF World Women’s Championships. Embed from Getty Images Steadman isn’t hanging up her skatesRead More →