This is a great goal by the Ottawa Senators’ Jason Spezza. Maybe it’s because Spezza only scores like 8 goals a season, to go along with his standard 80 assists, of course. Maybe it’s because it’s against the Vancouver Canucks’ all-star goaltender Roberto Luongo. Maybe it’s because he goes coast-to-coast, does a little dangling and shifts the puck between the defenseman’s legs before sniping it home with the utmost ease.
Orrrrrrr, maybe it’s because all of those reasons combined. Anyhow, take a look below and enjoy this week’s goal of the week:
That's right Flames fans - I went with a Jokinen shot ;-)
In continuing my hardly planned out, entirely random trip around the league to share with you each team’s goal song, this week I’m going to the Pengrowth Saddledome, the official home to the Calgary Flames.
There is a universal rule in hockey: any song by AC/DC is appropriate to play at any point during game by any team. Their music is that transcendent.
That said, the Calgary Flames might the right choice in their goal song. It’s “Shot Down in Flames” by the ageless rock vets and it’s probably one of the better pump up goal songs in the league. Take a listen:
What is he so sorry for? Well, in not so many words, for threatening to kill someone. Literally.
You see, in a pre-season game—yes, we’re talking pre-season here (don’t make me go all Allen Iverson)—Boynton became so enraged towards the Tampa Bay Lightning’s centerman Blair Jones that he actually made a throat slashing motion towards him.
Now that things have calmed down, why is Boynton suddenly so regretful?
Because this *minor* lapse in judgment will cost him a one-game suspension, surely solidifying a spot for himself on the Blackhawks roster. Boynton has since decided to use his words, and had the following to say:
"It was just stupid," he said. "I was upset. He beat me up, whatever. It was a stupid play on my part and I'm paying for it.
"It sucks, but I made my bed, now I have to sleep in it. It's unfortunate, but that stuff happens."
Yes, Mr. Boynton, it sure does suck. In fact, it sucks to the tune of $2,688.17 as that’s how much you stand to lose in not playing in the season opener.
Here’s a pretty funny photo from last week’s start of the NHL preseason. It’s from a game between the Minnesota Wild and the Montreal Canadiens and features #21 Kyle Brodziak of the Wild confronting the Canadiens’ P.K. Subban who, in turn, shows his age (21) by sticking his tongue out at him.
By the way, if you’re curious, Subban is getting up from being knocked down. The actual height difference between the two is only 2 inches (Brodziak's 6' 2" to Subban's 6' 0", respectively). I know, when I first saw this picture, I had to Google Brodziak right away because I thought we might have finally found a formidable opponent to the Jolly Green GiantZdeno Chara.
Okay, I know this is internet taboo, but hockey is a team sport and really, you’re only as good as the rest of your teammates. So, although I’m like the Bill Berg of hockey blogs, I’m still going to do my best to make my passes off to the Wayne Gretzky’s and Mark Messier’s of other hockey Web sites, with the idea being that you, my very valued, if only occasional, readers will be entertained by the other, more skilled hockey Web sites out there.
Without further ado, let me point you to the most obvious, and probably one of the more popular hockey blogs out there – Yahoo’s Puck Daddy. They provide updated hockey content all throughout the day. Granted, with that kind of streaming content, some of it can be pretty dull, but overall, it’s worth bookmarking because overall, they have some good stuff up there, including interviews, headlines, breaking news and so on. The writing is pretty tongue-in-cheek so if anything, it’s entertaining in that regard, too.
Check it out. If you like it, bookmark it. If not, check back next week for another post on another Web site worth checking out.
I came across this pretty good article on TSN.ca when I should’ve been *ahem* working (*cough cough*). It goes pretty in-depth on the Edmonton Oilers rookie class Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi and not just on the threesome's projected impact on the team for this upcoming season, but how they stack up against one another.
Ah, nothing like a little inter-team competing to really solidify the whole bonding process.
It’s definitely worth the 5-minute read. Personally, and I think a lot of people in the hockey world share my opinion on this matter, I don’t think the Oilers will be good for a while. They have a lot of holes to fill, mainly from the blue line back, and until they can solidify that area, I don’t know that they’ll be much more than a fun-to-watch club that misses out on the playoffs come the end of the season.
Sophomore Matt Duchene was taken with the #3 pick in the 2009 NHL draft by the Colorado Avalanche. After last season’s 55 points in 81 games and once you see this goal, it’s obvious that the team's scouts knew what they were doing when they selected this kid.
This came during the shootout following the Avalanche’s “2010 Burgundy and White Game”. Goalie Trevor Cann clearly had no clue what was coming at him. Duchene, on the other hand, obviously knew what he was going to do the entire way down.
What makes this highlight even better is what’s not shown. Duchene went toe-to-toe with Avalanche stalwart Adam Foote and, for the most part, held his own.
Between the fight and this goal, it’s looking like this kid is more than ready to prove the sophomore slump wrong. Enjoy!
In continuing my hardly planned out, entirely random trip around the league to share with you each team’s goal song, this week I’m swinging by Scott Trade Center, home to the St. Louis Blues.
The St. Louis Blues have had the same goal song since 1967 and it doesn’t look like it’ll be changing any time soon. It is, believe it or not, “When the Saints Go Marching In” and it’s played on the organ. Seriously? Yes, seriously.
Some people say that this is the worst song in the league because it’s taught to elementary school students learning the recorder in music class. Others, though, like the consistency of the team using it throughout all these years and have an appreciation for its originality.
Me? I’m down the middle. Check it out below and judge for yourself:
Hey everyone—Pat Burns is alive. And he wants the world to know.
Responding to media reports that he died at the age of 58, Burns spoke with TSN’s Bob McKenzie to set the record straight, and in doing so, provided this reputable hockey blog with its quote of the week.
“Here we go again,” the former-Stanley Cup-winning coach said. “They’re trying to kill me before I’m dead. I come to Quebec to spend some time with my family and they say I’m dead. I’m not dead, far fuc$king from it. They’ve had me dead since June. Tell them I’m alive. Set them straight.”
Rumors grew online after Cliff Fletcher, a special adviser to the Toronto Maple Leafs and a close friend of Burns, was told Burns had died. Like most friends, rather than verify the details with the family, he spoke to the media about it.
Fletcher, of course, eventually issued an apology once he found out that he was *slightly* wrong.
Burns coached the Montreal Canadiens from 1988-92, the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1992-96, the Boston Bruins 1997-2001 and New Jersey Devils from 2002-2004. He won Coach of the Year three times and the Stanley Cup once, in 2002-03 with the New Jersey Devils.
In 2004, Burns was diagnosed with colon cancer. In 2005, liver cancer. In January 2009, he found out that he has terminal lung cancer.
He continues to fight the cancer . . . and unfounded media reports . . . everyday, showing the true fighting spirit only found in people involved in this game.
Great photo out of New York Islanders training camp. #59 is Michael Haley--he's trying to make the team. #44 is Rob Schremp--he played with the Islanders last season. Guess who wants it more? LOL . . . I can't WAIT for the season to start.
I was looking thru the free agent signings so far, just like I do every third Saturday of the month, and came up with a novel idea. Let me list the top free agent signings so far. But, upon re-reviewing the list, I could only come with four that made me raise my eyebrow (yes, the eyebrow raise is the criteria with which I judge the significance of a free agent signing).
So here are my four, along with a quick reason why I think they’re significant. They’re quick because let’s face it, there a bazillion other Web sites out there with their experts and reporters who give full-length articles on why this person matters to that team and they go on to how it’s going to impact the conference and give predictions way down the road. I’m not an expert, just a fan of the game.
#4
LW, Bobby RyanAnaheim Ducks: The future of the Anaheim offense is going to be built around this kid. It's a great start because Ryan seriously has some skill. Now, about the defense and goaltending . . .
#3
G, Antti NiemiSan Jose Sharks: Niemi proved himself to be a winner to the rest of the league by winning the Stanley Cup last season. The Blackhawks, I guess, just weren't all that impressed. But it’s their loss. With a talented group of players and a goaltender playing with a chip on his shoulder, San Jose just may actually get past the first round of the playoffs this season.
#2
RW, Ilya KovalchukNew Jersey Devils: Nice to have Kovalchuk finally a part of the Devils. As far as his impact, well, let’s face reality—Martin Brodeur is on the decline and the Devils’ D isn’t top of the league. That said, I don’t think Kovalchuk is going to lift the team to a championship.
#1
D, Marc StaalNY Rangers: Defense wins championships. If the Rangers want to contend, they need a strong defensive core. Will they win this season? I don't think so. But they’ve got Henrik Lundqvist in net for the long-term, and if you’re going to build a championship-level defensive core, there’s no better defenseman to start off with then a class act like Marc Staal.
Kyle Beach was the #11 overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2008 NHL draft. As we all know, there was somewhat an exodus of players from the Stanley Cup winning team due to salary cap issues (best laid plans . . .) I'll tell you, tho, if they keep drafting players like Beach, it won't be long before we see Chicago contending again.
Check out this goal with the Blackhawks Prospects team against the Pittsburgh Penguins Prospects team at last week's NHL Prospects Tournament. Afterwards, just do a quick Youtube search of him and enjoy some other highlights that this obviously talented (86 points in 68 games with the WHL Spokane Chiefs last season) and clearly feisty (186 penalt minutes in those same 86 games) player will soon be bringing to the red, black and white.
Today, after two years as captain of the Vancouver Canucks, goaltender Roberto Luongo quietly gave up his role as the team’s designated leader.
In a somewhat subdued interview with the media afterward, Luongo provided some nice parting quotes, most of which are worth being this week’s quote of the week.
"I was fighting with the idea the whole way because I loved being captain," Luongo said. "I enjoyed the experience. It was fun. I took a lot of pride in it, and that was one of the main reasons it was tough for me to come to this decision."
-and-
"Even though we obviously weren't able to bring a Cup home, we won the division both years, we were able to advance to the second round, the final eight teams in the NHL, so I would call it a success. I'm not going to say I regretted being the captain. I didn't at all."
-and-
"It was a very precarious position to be in. As a goaltender you have a lot of jobs to do on the ice as far as a focusing for 60 minutes, and you don't want to have other stuff creeping inside your head and maybe causing a little bit of distraction."
All in all, a very mature response from a pretty stellar player. Definitely not the kind of interview expected to raise headlines . . . unfortunately. So, to make this blogumn somewhat interesting, take this into consideration—he (Luongo) was the first goalie to be team captain since the 1947-48 Montreal Canadiens’ Bill Durnan. After Durnan, rule changes forbid goalies from serving as captains for a time because Durnan kept leaving his crease to protest calls as a way of backhandedly creating extra timeouts.
Also, instead of wearing the “C” on his jersey, Luongo painted a "C" on the chin portion of his mask, and the Canucks had three alternate captains to take ceremonial faceoffs games and talk to officials during them.
Will this turn things around for the ‘Nucks? Unlikely. But it will be nice to see a deserving player like Henrik Sedin or Ryan Kesler get the role that they both deserve.
It's almoooooost the most wonderful time of the year!
Enjoy this hockey photo of the week as I ease out of my off-season and get back into the swing of things. Make sure you follow me on Facebook or Twitter so that you get my messages sent to you directly. Because hockey blogging isn't awesome unless it comes to you directly.
From Traverse City, Michigan, Riley Nash (#23) of the Carolina Hurricanes goes into the corner with Ethan Werek (#61) of the New York Rangers during the NHL Prospects Tournament at Center Ice Arena. The impending impact of this photo just made me drool a little bit.
