Guest Low Roller Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 The NHL will officially cross the midway mark later this week, with all 30 teams having played their 41st game of the season. And while a lot can change over the next few months, it's fair to say the first half has been kinder to some teams than others. A handful of elite teams are already looking ahead to the possibility of a deep playoff run. Others are left to contemplate trade deadline fire sales and wonder where it all went wrong. Here's a look at the winners and losers from the first half of the season.Winner: Calgary Flames - The struggling franchise continues to draw comparisons to the 2008 Maple Leafs, which is great news since it means they're only a few years away from being able to trade all their worst players to the Calgary Flames.Loser: Pittsburgh Penguins - Have had to deal with a ridiculous string of significant injuries, we think, although it's hard to say since their guy in charge of reporting injuries is currently injured.Winner: St. Louis Blues - Goaltender Brian Elliot has put up outstanding numbers ever since new coach Ken Hitchcock broke down film of his time with the Senators and suggested he try the slight adjustment of turning his goalie mask around so that the eyeholes are in the front.Loser: New Jersey Devils - In hindsight, the team probably could have recognized Patrik Elias for reaching the 1,000 games milestone without showing that scoreboard message that said "Congratulations on playing almost as many games as Ilya Kovalchuk still has left to go on his contract".Winner: Anaheim Ducks - Swirling trade speculation can often leave a star player tearing his hair out, so it's probably just as well that it's happening to Ryan Getzlaf.Loser: Tampa Bay Lightning - May be relying too much on their patented 1-3-1 defensive system, in which one player forechecks deep, three clog the neutral zone, and one fishes the puck out of the net while Dwayne Roloson tries to show it picture of his grandchildren.Winner: Colorado Avalanche - Are a miraculous 7-0 in shootouts so far this season, although it's probably unfair that they get to keep bringing in Tim Tebow to play net.Loser: Toronto Maple Leafs - Phil Kessel is slowly starting to realize that there was something strange about that preseason bet where he promised to spend the entire year setting up Joffrey Lupul if he'd agree to wear a jersey with his name spelled backwards.Winner: Boston Bruins - Thanks to the excellent play of Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask, the team's goals against average is so ridiculously low that it was recently mistaken for a Brad Marchand body check.Loser: Ottawa Senators - Their forwards may seem to be putting up impressive scoring totals, but a closer look reveals that almost all the goals are the result of Erik Karlsson banking the puck in off somebody who wasn't paying attention because he "wanted to make it more challenging".Winner: New York Rangers - Were able to get a win at the Winter Classic, which is great because playing in that game is a rare opportunity that the Rangers will likely only have four or five more times this decade.Loser: Winnipeg Jets - Will be stuck in the Southeast Division for another season thanks to the NHLPA blocking the league's realignment plans, meaning they'll be forced to make multiple midwinter trips to Carolina and Tampa Bay and Miami and wait I think I may have figured out which players voted against this.Winner: Phoenix Coyotes - Shane Doan recorded the first hat trick of his 17-year career on Saturday, which was a nice moment because it gave the fans in Phoenix a five-month head start on throwing away Coyotes merchandise.Loser: Columbus Blue Jackets - General manager Scott Howson has been so inundated with around-the-clock phone calls about trading star winger Rick Nash to a contending team that he eventually had to tell Rick Nash to stop phoning him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted January 14, 2012 Report Share Posted January 14, 2012 Dipietro done for the season (again) because of sports hernia surgery."This is something I thought would just heal up and go away, and instead it got more and more debilitating," a somber DiPietro told Newsday yesterday from Boston, where he will have the surgery. "I'm almost bionic at this point." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanada Kev Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 hahaha http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/321827-dipietro-earned-more-than-12m-per-win?sct=nhl_bf1_a4&eref=fromSI&eref=fromSI Rick DiPietro's star-crossed career with the Islanders took another unfortunate turn with the news that he will require yet another surgery, this one for a sports hernia, that will keep him from the lineup for the remainder of the season. [DiPietro], has played all of 47 games in four years for the New York Islanders, winning 14 of them. For that, he has been paid $18 million. All that remains on his contract is another nine years and $40.5 million. If the Isles don't use the insurance model and push DiPietro out, they could buy out the goalie for an 18-year-period, and all it will cost them is $27 million or $1.5 million a season -- providing them a $2.5 million savings against the salary cap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanada Kev Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Ovie the rapper!! Skip right to the 2:55 mark for his big debut. Ovechkin`s verse: Prospect of Dynamo, 8 on the back All Star game - all eyes on me With 17 years in national team, 100 points in season Gold in Canada in 2008 Top 10 players for 10 years Stick in my hands. Rap in my headphones Convey greetings from Washington, With Sanya Belyi for every champion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 2Pac just rolled over in his grave. Biggie tried, but he's too fat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted January 19, 2012 Report Share Posted January 19, 2012 Wear a helmet next time dummy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 Total awesomesauce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esau. Posted February 2, 2012 Report Share Posted February 2, 2012 http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=386722NHL INVESTIGATING SCOREBOARD ERROR IN KINGS' VICThe National Hockey League is looking into a scoreboard error at the Staples Center on Wednesday night that gave the Los Angeles Kings a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets."We're looking at it from all aspects," NHL executive vice-president Colin Campbell told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun on Thursday. "We're sending two people out there. Is it possible for the clock to stop like that? We're going to look at everything."Kings blueliner Drew Doughty scored the winning goal with less than a second to play in regulation to secure the win. But when the Blue Jackets looked at video after the game, they saw that the clock froze for about a second before the goal - meaning time should have expired.Campbell also confirmed that regardless of the league's findings, the result of the game can't be changed. "No you can't," he told TSN. "Once the game is over, it's over."Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson explained in his team blog on Thursday morning that the incident could have an 'enormous impact' on the standings."It's easy to say that this doesn't matter," he wrote. "We, the Blue Jackets, are in last place and it is likely not going to affect our place in the standings. However, in my opinion, this matters in many respects. It matters to our players, to our coaches, every person in our organization and our fans."The Kings are seventh in the Western Conference - five points up on eighth-place Minnesota and six points ahead of Dallas and Calgary."Those clocks are sophisticated instruments that calculate time by measuring electrical charges called coulombs, explained Kings general manager Dean Lombardi in an email to TSN. "Given the rapidity and volume of electrons that move through the measuring device the calibrator must adjust at certain points which was the delay you see – the delay is just recalibrating for the clock moving too quickly during the 10 - 10ths of a second before the delay - this insures that the actual playing time during a period is exactly 20 minutes. That is not an opinion - that is science - amazing devise quite frankly."The Calgary Flames - another team trying to make its mark down the stretch - said there's little the league could do to correct such a mistake."It is our understanding the NHL is already investigating this matter," said general manager Jay Feaster in a team statement. "Moreover, as Colin Campbell was quoted as saying, once the game is over it is over. There is nothing the NHL is going to do, or can do, to correct the situation if, indeed, there was a mistake made in that game. Rather than crying over what happened in a game in which we did not take part, our time and energies are devoted to our own team and doing everything we can to win the games we play and in so doing qualify for the post-season. We sincerely believe that is a much better and more efficient use of our time and effort." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubberdinghy Posted February 3, 2012 Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 "Those clocks are sophisticated instruments that calculate time by measuring electrical charges called coulombs, explained Kings general manager Dean Lombardi in an email to TSN. "Given the rapidity and volume of electrons that move through the measuring device the calibrator must adjust at certain points which was the delay you see – the delay is just recalibrating for the clock moving too quickly during the 10 - 10ths of a second before the delay - this insures that the actual playing time during a period is exactly 20 minutes. That is not an opinion - that is science - amazing devise quite frankly."Duh...any NHL fan knows that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Ilya Kovalchuk beats the fucking shit out Brayden Shenn: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-towns Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 espn Brad Marchand: 'Went on a bit of a tear'If you were wondering why Brad Marchand wasn't featured in the Boston Bruins' championship DVD, the popular instigator provided an answer in the latest edition of Sports Illustrated: He was too drunk to be interviewed.Brad Marchand says he partied pretty hard after the Bruins won the Cup.Three nights after the Bruins secured their first Stanley Cup in 39 years, the team celebrated deep into the night at a now notorious party at a club at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. The next day, the Bruins each took their turns being interviewed for the commemorative DVD. When it was the 23-year-old Marchand's turn, at 4 p.m., he was excused because he was, as he put it, "intoxicated.""[After the Cup, linemate Tyler Seguin] and I went on a bit of a tear, partying pretty much every night for a while," Marchand told Sports Illustrated. "I went home and kinda continued it. I thought [winning a championship] was something that might never happen, so I was trying to take it all in, enjoy it. ... My dad sat me down and sorta gave me a lashing. He told me if we win two of the next three years, he'd leave me alone."Just before the season, Marchand acknowledged in his diary on ESPNBoston.com that the team "obviously went a little excessive the first couple of weeks [after winning the Cup]. That's all it was though, a week or two of fun. We accomplished our dream and our lifelong goal. We went a little overboard. We'll know better for next time."In that same diary entry, Marchand admitted that when he got a "Stanley Cup Champions" tattoo over the summer, the tattoo artist originally misspelled "Champions" (substituting an "a" for the "o").After a slow start to the season (the dreaded Stanley Cup hangover), Marchand hit his stride in November and has had a solid season to date, with 19 goals and 20 assists for the defending champions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 THREE WAY TRADE!TBL trade Steve Downie to Colorado for Kyle Quincey, and then flip him to Detroit for their first round pick. In other words Steve Downie is worth a first round pick. WTF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booche Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Spin this any which way you want but the fact remains Kyle Quincey was traded for the 1st round pick, and most likely a low one at that in a year considered to not be very deep in the way of prospects. At least that's the way I have read it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-towns Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Tampa now has 3 first round and 2 second round picks in the upcoming draft, that is either good for drafting or trade bait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Ruutu re-signs with Carolina for four years for $4.775M AAV, which is more than Cole got as a UFA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booche Posted March 1, 2012 Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 There should be no suspension on the Letang hit. C-Towns will agree. He reached for the puck and put himself in that position. Chris Campoli'd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-towns Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 He sure did, no comparison to the pacioretty hit if thats what your fishing for. On a side note, I had a southwest spicy melt on the weekend, no sweat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peipunk Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 On a side note, I had a southwest spicy melt on the weekend, no sweat.Did you at least grope your crotch a couple times? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-towns Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 There may have been some grease wiped from my cleavage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanada Kev Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Big applause for the NHL and the players involved in this PSA campaign. NHL Stars Support LGBT Athletes, Combat Homophobia With 'You Can Play' Project TORONTO -- Some of the NHL's biggest stars are featured in a public service announcement promoting equality within the sport, regardless of sexual orientation. Rick Nash, Duncan Keith, Corey Perry, Dion Phaneuf and Henrik Lundqvist are among the players who participated in the spot that debuted on NBC during Sunday afternoon's broadcast of the New York Rangers' 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins. The idea is part of the "You Can Play" project, which was created by Patrick Burke, a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers and the son of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke. Patrick Burke's brother, Brendan, made headlines when he came out in November 2009 while serving as the manager of Miami of Ohio's college hockey team. He was killed in a February 2010 car crash at age 21. More than 30 NHL players have taped spots that will air throughout the remainder of the season. "The messages are very simple, yet meaningful," Patrick Burke told The Canadian Press. "It's variations of the idea that all they care about is winning, all they care about is having the best teammates and it doesn't matter if the best teammate happens to be gay or straight. "That plays no role in whether or not they would accept their teammate and that they would all be welcoming and supportive of an openly gay teammate." Patrick Burke founded the "You Can Play" project along with Brian Kitts and Glenn Witman, who run a Denver-based gay hockey team called GForce. Brian Burke has been active in gay rights initiatives around Toronto and marches annually in the city's gay pride parade. In its mission statement, the "You Can Play" project says it aims to ensure "equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation." That ideal comes directly from conversations Patrick Burke had with his late brother. "When Brendan came out it didn't change anything between me and him," Patrick Burke said. "It turned into a great moment for us, a great bonding moment for our family because when something like that happens when you're not expecting it, you have to evaluate: `What do I look for in a brother? What do I look for in a friend?' "We had a very open relationship where I asked him a lot of questions because I didn't know anything. ... And hearing some of the stories that young LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) athletes face really touched me and made we want to do something in Brendan's honor to help those kids." The Burkes reached out to all 30 NHL teams in an effort to get support from players and received a strong response. "I am grateful to the NHL community for their support (and) acceptance," Brian Burke posted on Twitter over the weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted March 7, 2012 Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 CBA Lesson of the DayMarty Turco signed a one year deal with the Boston Bruins, however according to Darren Dreger there are some pretty strict limitations on his usage.- Because he left the NHL to play for a European team, he has to first clear waivers to join the Bruins. This is similar to the Nabakov situation last year when the Red Wings signed him, but he was picked up by the Islanders off waivers.- Because he signed after the trade deadline, if he clears waivers, he will be ineligible to play in the playoffs for the Bruins, just remaining regular season games.- If he is claimed off of waivers, he is ineligible to play AT ALL for the team that claims him.So essentially, the only reason to claim him off of waivers today would be to spite the Bruins.According to the Bruins GM the odds are 50/50 right now for him to clear waivers. Smart strategy by other teams in the playoff race would be to keep Turco away from the Bruins so that they are forced to play Thomas more, tiring him out for the playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 Saku Koivu plays his 1000th game tonight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSloth Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Jesus, I doubt anyone wants to face the Sabres in the first round. En fuego. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Wow. I think this is the weasel-iest hockey play I've ever seen. Ryan Clowe breaks up a rush FROM THE BENCH. Suspension worthy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanada Kev Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 what an asshole. I'd suspend him for sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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