HOCKEY ........ are you kidding me ?

[justpassingthru]

After starting the year as the International Scouting Service's top-ranked prospect, Quebec Remparts forward Mikhail Grigorenko has dropped out of the top three in the organization's latest prospect rankings.
Grigorenko, who was ranked third last month, is fourth in May, losing his spot to Everett Silvertips defenceman Ryan Murray.
There was some more significant movement further down in the rankings.
USA Under-18 team member Nicholas Kerdiles jumped seven spots into 15th, while Plymouth Whalers winger Thomas Wilson climbed 10 spots to crack the top 20 at No. 17.
The biggest gain in the month was Erie Otters defenceman Adam Pelech, who moved up 16 spots and is ranked 29th in May.
The steady blueliner posted two goals and 18 assists in 44 games this season.
Nail Yakupov remains the top-ranked prospect, with the top five being rounded out by Filip Forsberg, Murray, Grigorenko and defenceman Jacob Trouba.
The 2012 NHL Draft is scheduled for June 22-23 in Pittsburgh.

[justpassingthru]

Win or lose in the finals starting tomorrow, New Jersey will need to open their wallets again if they want to keep Zach Parise next year as he along with a few others become unrestricted free agents this year ... Parise on July 1st.

The 2012 NHL free agent class isn't terribly strong, but a few players who have strong reputations and have performed well in the playoffs so far might be on the move this summer. Zach Parise is the definite prize, and his current team, the New Jersey Devils, will likely be unable to retain him. In addition to Parise, the KHL might steal away two NHL stars in Alexander Semin and Jaromir Jagr.
There are still many factors that could effect the players' stock, but through the first round of the playoffs, several players have proven their worth to an NHL club.

Zach Parise
Parise serves as team captain for the New Jersey Devils, the team that drafted him 17th overall in 2003. He bounced back rather nicely from an injury-shortened 2010-2011 season, recording 31 goals and 69 points this year. He has three points in four games so far this postseason in his team's opening-round series against the Florida Panthers.
The left-winger currently makes $6 million and will be looking for a bit of a raise this summer. The Devils hope to retain the 27-year-old, but he will likely test the market at season's end. The Minnesota native might receive an offer from his home-state Wild—who have about $10 million in cap space—or the Ottawa Senators, who have about $16 million in cap space to potentially send Parise and offer.
A definite possibility for the left-winger is St. Louis. The Blues need more scoring, and the defensive-minded Parise fits in nicely with their defensive system. The Blues have almost $13 million in cap space—more than enough to offer Parise an agreeable contract.

Ryan Suter




It looks like Ryan Suter might be the odd-man out in Nashville as they look to retain team captain Shea Weber and franchise goaltender Pekka Rinne. Suter is pointless through four playoff games against the Detroit Red Wings, though he's not necessarily valued for his offensive contributions.
Though traitorous, seeing Suter in the Motor City next season is a strong possibility. Nicklas Lidstrom might be done after 20 seasons with Detroit, and Suter might be a viable replacement. The Red Wings have several moves to make this season, but if enough cap space is left over to send Suter a favorable contract, he may quickly become the face of the Red Wings defense.

Alexander Semin

Semin currently makes $6.7 million for Washington, but he will be hard-pressed to find a team in the NHL willing to take a risk at paying the 28-year-old that much, or more, money. Currently, Semin has two goals in consecutive games against the Boston Bruins in Round 1.
After back-to-back 79 and 84 point seasons and an expensive contract extension, Semin's production has faltered. One team that might be willing to take a risk on him is the New York Islanders, a team with a ton of cap space, who showed their willingness to take a risk by signing goaltender Evgeni Nabakov last season.
It's likely Semin will make his way back home to Russia to play in the KHL if he's not willing to take a pay cut with Washington.

Corey Schneider
Schneider might be the steal of the offseason for whatever team can lure him from the Canucks.
Rick Stewart/Getty Images
After playing backup to Roberto Luongo for parts of two seasons in Vancouver, several teams will be looking to sign Schneider as a legitimate starter. He was given the nod over Luongo in Games 3 and 4 this postseason, recording one win and one loss and surrendering only two goals.
The restricted free agent currently makes $900,000, but he should at least double that on the open market.
The Blue Jackets, desperately in need of a legitimate starting goaltender, have a little over $3 million in cap space (which could turn into a lot more if they move Rick Nash) and might take a run at Schneider.
However, the likely stop for Schneider is Steve Yzerman's Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa needs a starting goaltender after the (likely) retirement of 42-year-old Dwayne Roloson and the unreliability of Mathieu Garon. The Lightning have a little over $6 million in cap space—more than enough to send an offer to Schneider that the Canucks aren't likely to be able to match.

Jaromir Jagr
Could Jaromir Jagr play another year in the NHL? Absolutely. However, he's not going to make $3.3 million again. He blew his chance to retire as a Pittsburgh Penguin, the team that drafted him in 1990, but a few teams might be willing to offer Jagr a one-year deal if the price isn't too high.
Jagr has scored two goals and seven points in five playoff games this season.
The Washington Capitals, who Jagr played for for parts of three seasons, will have a little cap room opening if they don't retain Semin. Perhaps Washington GM George McPhee will send Jagr an offer to play with the Capitals and serve as a sort of mentor for Alexander Ovechkin.
However, Jagr will probably opt for a KHL contract, where the seasons are shorter and his salary will be higher.
Crazier things have happened in the NHL free-agent market, but teams looking to make an impact on their rosters have the chance with some of these upcoming free agents.

[justpassingthru]

The Los Angeles Kings Logo as well as the New Jersey Devils logo will be plastered all over the television and newsprint over the next two weeks with the Stanley Cup Final and here they are and I still think that the Devils have one of the coolest logo's ever. What's your favorite team logo ???






Since the Atlanta Thrashers are now the Winnipeg Jets, here is theirs:

[justpassingthru]

Having just been aimed in the direction of ump's great "girls with balls" thread in the picture forum ... I had to repost one pic here because it is just that good. Hope you don't mind ump.

[umpire2]

Hmmmm.....I wonder what my favorite logo is.....



boston-bruins.png

[justpassingthru]

Here is a little info on the backstops for tonight's game 1. Btw Quick was 9 the first time Marty went to the Stanley Cup and Quick idolized John Vanbiesbrouck as a kid growing up and started playing goal quite late in his youth actually.


Despite differences, Quick, Brodeur have similar style

When Jonathan Quick first came to the Los Angeles Kings, there were elements of Martin Brodeur in his game.
Quick survived -- often thrived -- on natural instincts and incredible athleticism in the beginning, reading and reacting as the game unfolded in front of him without a lot of the structure typically associated with the modern butterfly goaltender.
The same has long been true of Brodeur.
STANLEY CUP FINAL - KINGS VS. DEVILS

NHL.com's expert Stanley Cup Final Picks

By NHL.com Staff
Can the Kings keep up their remarkable postseason run or will the Devils bring home a fourth Cup? See what the experts have to say. READ MORE ›

• EA: Kings take first Cup in six games; Quick MVP
• Kovy's beginnings suggested Cup greatness
• Follow Kings-Devils Stanley Cup Final blog

MORE KINGS-DEVILS SERIES STORIES ›

The New Jersey Devils legend has built a first-ballot Hall-of-Fame career by bucking the butterfly trend that dominated his position, piling up NHL records that may never be broken by deploying two-pad stacks, headfirst dives, and an ability to read the play that may also never be seen again.
There are still signs of Brodeur's unique approach in Quick – after all, his playoff highlight reel includes a pad-stack sequence against Phoenix in the Western Conference Finals. And there remain other similarities, including their shared strong skating ability, intense battle level in a scramble, and a willingness to throw technique out and do whatever it takes to stop the puck.
But as the two face off for the Stanley Cup, don't expect to see a reliance on the raw athleticism as often from Quick -- at least not if things are going well.
Tops on the list of strides Quick has made in the evolution from the ECHL to a Vezina Trophy finalist and Conn Smythe candidate this season, is putting himself in position to rely less often on those spectacular athletic stops and his Gumby-like leg flexibility.
"That's probably what we've worked on the most is just the consistency of his game and utilizing the athleticism as a tool in the toolbox and not it being the entire toolbox," Kings' goaltending coach Bill Ranford told NHL.com. "Five years ago, when he turned pro, athleticism was his toolbox and he relied on it heavily. And now it's more about having a technical structure to his game and then when need be, if you have to make that athletic save, it is there."
For Quick, that "athletic save" often involves the splits, and an incredible flexibility and core strength that allows him to add vertical coverage by reaching his hands out over top of those outstretched pads. But he counted on it too often early on in his career, and it was the Kings' desire to reduce that reliance that began Quick's evolution away from Brodeur's style, a change best exemplified in the way each goalie now moves after saves that drop them to their knees.
Yes, old-school Brodeur still makes some saves using the butterfly -- dropping to the knees, with the legs splayed to the side -- but he has resisted the post-save movements commonly associated with it.
Brodeur prefers to recover to his skates before moving laterally rather than pushing across the ice on his knees in a "butterfly slide." And Brodeur sometimes gets up on the "wrong leg" by modern standards – if a goalie needs to move to their left it makes sense to get up with the right leg first since this is the skate they must push off to move left (and vice-versa) – forcing him to dive instead of push across.
Quick would also get up off the wrong leg at times when he first arrived at a Los Angeles development camp, forcing him to scramble on instinct. Today there's arguably no goalie better at moving laterally from his knees, allowing Quick to play more aggressively and still propel himself back across the crease without needing to first recover up to his skates.
It's become a defining characteristic fitting of Quick's last name -- and perhaps the biggest difference from Brodeur.
There are still signs of Brodeur's unique approach in Quick, as his playoff highlight reel includes a pad-stack sequence against Phoenix in the West Finals. (Photo: Getty Images)

You'll see it on plays behind the net, with Brodeur keeping both pads stacked vertically against the post as long as he can, while Quick often drops to his knees early, a tactic more and more goalies, including Boston's Tim Thomas, are using.
Quick is still reacting. He just does more of it from his knees, and, in the eyes of most coaches, more efficiently.
"From a technical standpoint he was really raw," Ranford said of those early years.
The Kings' coach, who played a style similar to Brodeur, agreed later, in an email on the eve of the Cup Final, that it was fair to compare Quick back then to Brodeur. But Ranford also quickly made it clear that isn't a bad thing. It is part of what makes Brodeur so special, that ability to anticipate a play – some of it innate, some developed through years of studying video – and then react to make the stop.
Where Brodeur differs from most goaltenders in today's NHL is his save selection. He does not simply default to the butterfly and his knees every time.
Brodeur, whose tall, narrow stance is in stark contrast to Quick's low-and-wide approach, is more likely than most to make a save from his skates. He maintains the edges he relies on to move around using short T-pushes for as long as he can, dipping but not dropping, and then popping back up even as he makes a glove stop. Or he'll use a half-butterfly, dropping only one leg to the ice, while making a save -- a more reactive stop that Quick also utilizes at times, especially in warm ups.
There are other similarities between Brodeur and Quick. Both skate exceptionally well and like to start more aggressively outside the blue paint on rush chances, then retreat as the play approaches -- another tactic disappearing among some of their more rigid butterfly peers. Don't be surprised to see Quick make saves three or four feet out of his crease on a rush, though again the Kings reigned in how often he's out there, and Quick better recognizes when a backside threat might burn him for being too aggressive.
For the Kings, the key was improving Quick's technical base without robbing him of those Brodeur-like abilities to react. In other words, add the butterfly technique Brodeur resisted without turning him into one of the drop-and-block robots stereotypically associated with the style.
Given some of the similarities that remain, it's fair to say the Kings have succeeded. Both goalies bait shooters, though few tease as actively as Brodeur, who purposely shows holes -- and sometimes even waves a glove distractingly -- before taking them away. For Quick, it's more subtle, with a low stance that teases shooters with available upper corners, only to take it away by pushing up into them with his torso and trapping shots against his body with active hands, thus also eliminating rebounds.
The evolution is not entirely one-sided.
Brodeur may be well past a full butterfly conversion, but by finally moving toward pads designed for goalies that play that way, he has improved his ability to take away low shots he can't see. It's something teams targeted in recent years, including some Devils' teammates playing for Team USA at the 2010 Olympics, trying to exploit his butterfly resistance by firing pucks along the ice – the very spot the butterfly was invented to take away – and into his feet. By moving to pads that are not only bigger, but, more importantly, rotate properly to seal the ice and stack that larger face vertically along it, Brodeur is better equipped for the shots he can't see.
So, in that one small way at least, there is now also some Jonathan Quick in Martin Brodeur's game.

[justpassingthru]

Just over 2 hours until puck drop in NJ for game 1.

The roster breakdown looks like this:

LA Kings:

15 Canadians
8 Americans **
2 Russians
1 Slovenian

**injury reserves (Scott Parse)

NJ Devils:

7 Canadians
7 Americans
2 Russians
3 Czechs
4 Swedes
1 Ukranian
1 Lithuanian

Funny thing is that no matter who is playing, this series has already come down to a Canadian goalie against an American goalie.

[justpassingthru]

Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings is expected to announce his retirement from hockey tomorrow morning. I will have much more on this "when it is official".

[justpassingthru]

17 minutes until the LA Kings put their perfect 8-0 road win record on the line. Both teams are on the ice in the warmup currently.

[justpassingthru]

It's official ... the Stanley Cup final is underway and a new champion will be crowned in 7 or less games.

Get it on ...

[justpassingthru]

LA draws first blood at the 9:56 mark to make it 1-0.

NJ was taking the play to LA the whole time but Messed up a clearing behind the net.

[umpire2]

I disagree.

Devils were playing hard, trying to be aggressive, but were somehat disorganized.

Clarkson was the only one who followed the plam, but missed high twice. The Jersey 5 shots on goal were simply Quick's meat. Bring him 75 shots like that, and he'll stop all of them.

L.A. 's passing was incredibly crisp, they were totally organized and, doing that, as long as their forechecking stands, they cannot lose, because the Devils will never win getting 15 shots on goal in 3 periods.

[umpire2]

Announcers called L.A. goal a 'bad goal for Broduer'; I disagree with that, too. As good (great) as Briduer is, he was hugging the post correctly and, if his defense both allowed a pass oit into the flat and there was no one to help him cut off a direct sjot, at 40 years old, no one has the relexes to move to block a shot that hits the extreme opposite side of the net.

No excuses, because, as I said before, the Kings passes have been perfectly crisp

[umpire2]

First period, very clean. One offside called that wasn't and offside; one offiside that was mot called.

Otherwise, the Kings had am edge and the refs did not really screw anything up.....

[justpassingthru]

NJ is trying a new strategy ... they are trying to put Quick to sleep in hope of getting one past him.

They are 14 minutes into the 2nd and still have no shots on net.

[justpassingthru]

Originally Posted by umpire2

at 40 years old, no one has the relexes to move to block a shot that hits the extreme opposite side of the net.

No excuses, because, as I said before, the Kings passes have been perfectly crisp

I don't know ump ... I can still catch a beer falling off the table pretty quick, reflexes like a cat, lol.

NJ just scored ... 1-1

[umpire2]

Period 2:

NJ strategy: Create chaos.

Well, that worked as far as stopping the robot-machine-like LA passing, but if you cannot get shots on goal (NJ) you will not win.

[umpire2]

Penalties & Non-Penalties:

Another relatively clean period.

However:


Something about announcers:

Zubrus "Oh, a penalty! Stick up and elbow up."

His stick was not up......his elbow was not up. A clean hit. Bullshit penalty excused by announcers as they describe for audience something that never happened.

On the other hand, total interference by Quick on Parise not called. Well, I guess that is OK.

Devils lucky to to score in last 2 minutes of the second.

LA, despite being tied, won the second period, less so than they won the first, but stilll, the Kings are controlling play.

[umpire2]

Announcers:

Mike Milbury (BRUIN), but what a joke.

Kings need to get more shots on Brodeur and make him work.

Brodeur has entirely outplayed Quick so far, because he's HAD to work. Quick had one difficult shot against him...and it went in.

[justpassingthru]

NJ is a great 3rd period team though and hopefully can pick it up a notch. The play has been chippy with them still feeling each other out and not wanting to get caught on odd man rushes.

Btw, we have great announcers on this side of the 49th.

[justpassingthru]

LOL ... if this was handball, NJ would be ahead 2-1 right now.

A little more jam on that shot and it would have made it past the red line.

[justpassingthru]

First off, nice analysis of the game thus far ump.

Overtime could last a while if the game is any indication ... but I can see it coming on a lucky bounce though.

[justpassingthru]

Kopitar ends it in OT with a breakaway goal.

2-1 final LA

[umpire2]

Originally Posted by justpassingthru

NJ is a great 3rd period team though and hopefully can pick it up a notch. The play has been chippy with them still feeling each other out and not wanting to get caught on odd man rushes.

Btw, we have great announcers on this side of the 49th.

The announcers are ridiculously stupid and obviously prejudiced toward LA for some reason. Brodeur plays his ass off and nothing is said. As soon as Quick has his second tough chance (the first was a goal), he is brilliant.

[umpire2]

Originally Posted by justpassingthru

LOL ... if this was handball, NJ would be ahead 2-1 right now.

A little more jam on that shot and it would have made it past the red line.

Parise should have gotten a penalty for that maneuver.

[umpire2]

Kings get away with an interference, a roughing and a high stick in the third period, but overall, a clean, well played game.

[bobby40]

beautiful goal by kopitar

Olli Maatta should be the ''steal'' of this draft if he will be select over the top 15

[umpire2]

My opinion, the Devils won the third period by a slight margin, but what counts is putting the puck in the net. The overtime was a draw, but again, what counts is putting the puck in the net, and the Kings did that.

The game? The Kings effort rated a B+; the Devils, a B-.

In goal, however, Marty Brodeur rated a B (12 tough chances, 2 goals allowed, both by defensive breakdowns)

Jonathan Quick rated a C+ (4 tough chances, 1 goal that went in off a defensemen)


I said before: If Jersey cannot get more than 15 shots on goal and only 4 of them are actually decent scoring chances, they can't win.

Quick is good and if the Devils can get 28-30 shots on goal and get most of them UP, they can get 3 or 4 goals a game, and the Cup is theirs. 15 shots and only 2 are up, they will be home after 4 games.

[umpire2]

Originally Posted by bobby40

beautiful goal by kopitar

Olli Maatta should be the ''steal'' of this draft if he will be select over the top 15

I could score half the time on breakaways after defensive breakdowns.

[justpassingthru]

Originally Posted by umpire2

The announcers are ridiculously stupid and obviously prejudiced toward LA for some reason. Brodeur plays his ass off and nothing is said. As soon as Quick has his second tough chance (the first was a goal), he is brilliant.

Do you have NESN by any chance ???

Originally Posted by bobby40

beautiful goal by kopitar

Olli Maatta should be the ''steal'' of this draft if he will be select over the top 15

He is ranked 12th currently in the scouting report and will go fast. Post #1751 here has the breakdown if you are interested.

Hey ump, do you want me to call someone and see if you can do the color commentary on game 2, lol ??? I know a few people still.

[umpire2]

Originally Posted by justpassingthru

Do you have NESN by any chance ???

He is ranked 12th currently in the scouting report and will go fast. Post #1751 here has the breakdown if you are interested.

Hey ump, do you want me to call someone and see if you can do the color commentary on game 2, lol ??? I know a few people still.

The game here was on NBC (The Numb Balls Channel)

I would get kicked off the air by midway in the first period, because I would be pointing out exactly what was happening on the ice.

[justpassingthru]

Originally Posted by umpire2

The game here was on NBC (The Numb Balls Channel)

I would get kicked off the air by midway in the first period, because I would be pointing out exactly what was happening on the ice.

That really is to bad and NBC has no business televising hockey ... if any network should do it , it would be ABC and they are only slightly better. We have the best hockey announcers/analysts in the world at CBC and TSN here in Canada. If you can get it on your computer at http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockeynightincanada/ just click the "live feed", you should watch that feed and hear the game the way it is being played without any bias for either team. They do have 60 years of experience though to get it right.

[umpire2]

Originally Posted by justpassingthru

That really is to bad and NBC has no business televising hockey ... if any network should do it , it would be ABC and they are only slightly better. We have the best hockey announcers/analysts in the world at CBC and TSN here in Canada. If you can get it on your computer at http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockeynightincanada/ just click the "live feed", you should watch that feed and hear the game the way it is being played without any bias for either team. They do have 60 years of experience though to get it right.

You don't have to be in Canada.

I used to love listening to Gene Hart broadcast the Flyers games when I was a kid. He was totally prejudiced, but he knew what he was talking about.

[umpire2]

http://youtu.be/sRMtXUgVp0c

[justpassingthru]

Kopitar's picture-perfect memory leads to winner

NEWARK, N.J. -- Hockey players have really, really good memories.
When told that New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur had said he thought Anze Kopitar would go with a backhand attempt on a breakaway in overtime of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night, the hero for Los Angeles had a simple response.

"I guess that goes back a few years when, you know, we were in the shootout in L.A., and I went backhand on him," Kopitar said. "Maybe he thought I was going to do it again. Tonight I just wanted to mix it up a little bit."
"A few years ago" was actually Nov. 27, 2006, at Staples Center. Kopitar went to the backhand and slid the puck along the ice to beat Brodeur and help the Kings knock off the Devils in a shootout.
This was a far different scenario Wednesday night at Prudential Center. This was Game 1 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, and Kopitar first had to corral a bouncing puck before skating in alone on arguably the best goaltender in NHL history.
Kopitar deked to the forehand on this occasion and had plenty of space to deposit the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory to give Los Angeles its ninth consecutive road win this postseason.
"It was a little scary at first. It was kind of a wobbly pass," Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi said. "The ice was pretty choppy, so we were just hoping he would get it under control. Once he got it under control, you just had that feeling that he’s a special player and he’s delivered for us so many times this postseason. You just had a good feeling, and fortunately we were right."
Defenseman Drew Doughty started the play by putting the puck along the left boards to Justin Williams. Devils defenseman Marek Zidlicky got tangled up near the Los Angeles blue line, and then both defenseman Bryce Salvador and center Dainius Zubrus ended up trying to mark Williams, who was still able to throw the puck into the wide-open space to which Kopitar was skating.
STANLEY CUP FINAL - KINGS VS. DEVILS

Kopitar lifts Kings to OT win in Game 1

By Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer
Anze Kopitar's breakaway goal 8:13 into overtime gave the Kings a 2-1 win against the Devils and a 1-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final. READ MORE ›

• Devils rue missed opportunities in Game 1
• Player's perspective: Ference breaks down Game 1
• Follow Kings-Devils Stanley Cup Final blog

MORE KINGS-DEVILS SERIES STORIES ›

Brodeur made an incredible, scorpion-kick save against the New York Rangers in the conference finals -- but not this time, as Kopitar flipped the puck into the net.
"It feels great," Kopitar said. "Every time you get the chance to finish it off in OT, you know, to face a world-class goaltender like Marty is, it's definitely a good feeling."
Kopitar is now tied for the team lead with captain Dustin Brown in goals (seven) and points (16) in 15 playoff games for the Kings. He and Brown are also tied for the League lead in the postseason with a plus-14 rating. There have been 11 shorthanded goals scored in the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Kopitar and Brown have been on the ice for four of the five scored by Los Angeles -- Kopitar has two of them.
He also played more than 22 minutes in this contest and won 58 percent of his faceoffs. When these two teams met earlier this season, Kopitar tried another backhanded shootout attempt -- the one-handed try made famous by Peter Forsberg in the 1994 Winter Olympics -- but that was against backup Johan Hedberg.
Whether or not Kopitar remembered either of those plays -- one from a few months ago or one from nearly six years ago -- few Kings fans will forget his overtime goal in Game 1.
"I probably would have shot it from the blue line just to make sure I got it on net," Scuderi said. "[Kopitar] has great hands and uncanny poise and patience."

[justpassingthru]

Originally Posted by umpire2

You don't have to be in Canada.

I used to love listening to Gene Hart broadcast the Flyers games when I was a kid. He was totally prejudiced, but he knew what he was talking about.

A part of the problem with announcers in the US is that they still have a sort of "inferiority complex" when it comes to hockey and as such they tend to hype up anything that an American player does compared to players from other countries. Patriotism is a good thing in small doses and is to be admired but there is a time and place for that. Mike Milbury is a perfect example of that in the way he is so pro Jonathan Quick, without any regard for the other side.

It was once true that Americans couldn't really compete internationally (save 1980) but those days are long gone and there are some seriously talented American players that can compete on ANY level these days with the excellent hockey programs that the USA is working on. As such certain announcers can relax a bit and just call it like it is ...

[justpassingthru]

A true legend in hockey calls it quits after 20 years with the same team, the Detroit Red Wing's Nicklas Lidstrom.


Nicklas Lidstrom retires after 20 seasons with Detroit Red Wings

Published 19 minutes ago
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom answers questions after announcing his retirement from NHL hockey during a news conference at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on Thursday.
REBECCA COOK/REUTERS

DETROIT—No one was as effective as Detroit Red Wings defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom was on a hockey rink.
No one could make the first pass out of the zone the way he could.
No one could bat pucks out of the air like Lidstrom could.
No one was as brilliant in one-on-one defensive situations.
No one had his endurance in games, or his durability during a career.
No one was as polite as he was. No one was as humble.
No one carried himself with the same level of dignity and professionalism.
That’s why teammates called him the Perfect Human.
Whenever someone in the Detroit press box was struggling to decide who to select as the three stars of the game, my advice was always to pick Lidstrom because it was always a certainty that he was among the top three players on the ice.
Lidstrom, who retired on Thursday, played hockey the way Faulkner wrote, Rembrandt painted and Sinatra crooned. He had a memorable style and elegance that was all his own.
Over the last decade or so, whenever you would ask young defencemen who they liked to watch play their position the answer was always Lidstrom.
In the pre-lockout NHL, Lidstrom was the master of legalized interference. No one was more adept at tying up an opponent without drawing a penalty. He was not a physical player, and yet he could erase a player from an offensive rush, just as thoroughly as if he had blasted him into the first row.
He didn’t have an overpowering shot, but he guided his point shot into the upper corner of the net like it was attached to a laser pointer. When the Red Wings rained goals down upon opponents in their best offensive years, it was usually Lidstrom who triggered the downpour with a pass or a shot.
He perfected the art of the shot-pass, firing a puck from the point that was designed to go wide, bounce off the back boards and carom in front of the net. On some nights, everyone else was playing hockey, and Lidstrom was shooting pool.
He also would also make it look like he was firing a shot on goal when he was really trying to hit the stick of a player in front of the net.
Others viewed hockey like it was a chess game, but Lidstrom was usually playing three-dimensional chess.
After the rule changes of 2005, it was said that Lidstrom might be less effective because some of his best defensive moves were now illegal.
Lidstrom simply adapted his game, and won four more Norris trophies.
Several years ago the Chicago Blackhawks asked Duncan Keith to watch video of how Lidstrom played, and a couple years later, he was a Norris Trophy winner.
New Jersey Devils defenceman and fellow countryman Henrik Tallinder says Lidstrom’s accomplishments speak for themselves.
“In my eyes, he's the best Swedish player we've had over here. No offence to (Peter) Forsberg and (Mats) Sundin. Just with four Stanley Cups, seven Norris Trophies, that says it all,” said Tallinder
“For me growing up, he wasn't my biggest idol because I was a little bit too young. But once he started to make it in this league, I mean, who doesn't look up to him? He's an icon. Everybody wants to be like him, play like him… Just watching him play, you would describe it once. It's like a symphony.”
Lidstrom seemed to have an incredible ability to make the play come to him. He had the best positioning of any defenceman I ever watched. He was always where he should be and always seemed to know where the puck would end up.
In the same manner that Wayne Gretzky was an offensive magician, Lidstrom was a defensive magician. An opponent would seem to have an excellent scoring chance, and then Lidstrom would make it disappear. Nothing up my sleeve. Presto. It was gone.
As is the case in watching most magicians, you were always left wondering how Lidstrom did what he did.
His former teammate Brendan Shanahan always said that Lidstrom was able to think the game two or three seconds faster than everyone else.
In a sport where Bobby Orr revolutionized the game with his puck-moving ability, the competition for a place on the list of the NHL’s all-time greatest defencemen is for second place.
Lidstrom has made a great case for that distinction, and that’s where I would put him, just ahead of Doug Harvey, Eddie Shore, Denis Potvin, Raymond Bourque, among others.
He won seven Norris Trophies, one less than Orr won. He won four Stanley Cup championships, and an Olympic gold medal. He was the first European captain to hoist the Stanley Cup. He won a Conn Smythe Trophy.
At 42, he was still among the best five defencemen in the NHL. He is a remarkable athlete.
His durability and longevity is what gives him an edge over the others. He played in more than 90 per cent of his team’s games over a career that lasted two decades.
Lidstrom’s retirement is a major loss to the sport because no one has a better public image than Lidstrom. He’s a family man. He always does the right thing, says the right words.
He’s genuine and considerate. The one award he deserves, and never received, is the Lady Byng Trophy, given annually to league’s most gentlemanly player.
I’ve voted him first on my ballot every year for more than a decade because no one is more gentlemanly than Lidstrom is on or off the ice.
The only flaw that Lidstrom has is that he could not play forever. Not even the Perfect Human could do that.

[justpassingthru]

Flames hire Bob Hartley as new head coach



CALGARY— Globe and Mail Update

Published Thursday, May. 31, 2012 12:08PM EDT

Last updated Thursday, May. 31, 2012 1:49PM EDT

Ultimately, the Calgary Flames’ choice when it came to making a new coaching hire was between the tried-and-true candidate, Bob Hartley, and the rising star, Troy Ward. Both were familiar to Flames’ general manager Jay Feaster, who worked closely with Ward this season, where he did a commendable job guiding the team’s primary minor-league affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat.
But Hartley was an intriguing choice too, someone who’d coached extensively in the NHL for both the Colorado Avalanche, where he won a Stanley Cup, and with the Atlanta Thrashers, where he had a team that was often overmatched in games.
It was never completely clear which way Feaster would lean. Officially, he tried to deflect his interest in Hartley by noting that he was one year into a two-year contract to coach Zurich of the Swiss league. But when Hartley took the job in Switzerland, he negotiated an out-clause for three possible destinations, Calgary and the Montreal Canadiens, along with a third city, Quebec that is hoping to land an NHL team one of these days.
Hartley is known as a hard task master. Left winger Alex Tanguay knows him better than any player on the team, after breaking in with Colorado as a rookie when Hartley was coaching there. Tanguay’s relationship with Hartley reportedly had some up-and-down moments, but there is little doubt that whatever Hartley’s methods may be, they work. Zurich won a championship; Hartley also won in the minors with Hershey in 1997 and then in the NHL with the Avs. Moreover, the notion of hiring a coach with an old-school attitude is de rigueur again in the NHL, in the wake of Darryl Sutter’s success in Los Angeles, and Dale Hunter’s with the Washington Capitals.
In a statement, Feaster called Hartley, "a winner. Bob has won at every level he has coached, from the QMJHL to the AHL to the NHL to Switzerland, and we are confident he is going to continue his winning ways in Calgary,” said Flames General Manager Jay Feaster. “He is a tireless worker, an outstanding motivator, a great bench boss and game strategist; and a teacher at heart. Moreover, he is a great person as well. We look forward to Bob and his wife Micheline joining the Flames family, and to Bob taking our hockey club to the next level.”
What I remember most about Hartley is a time when I was travelling with the Avalanche, soon after they’d acquired Theo Fleury from the Calgary Flames. The trip took the team to Florida, for a game against Pavel Bure, and after falling far behind, they rallied on an exceptional third-period performance from Peter Forsberg. Post-game, Hartley had a lot of nice things to say about Forsberg, and in every reference, he pointedly referred to him as Mr. Forsberg. Mr. Forsberg this. Mr. Forsberg that. It was a means of showing respect; and of distinguishing this virtuoso performance from a lot of other very good ones.
Hartley knows how to handle skilled teams. He knows how to handle high-end players. He should be a good coach for Jarome Iginla.
Hartley thanked the ZSC Lions for agreeing to let him leave the organization after a championship season to pursue the opportunity in Calgary, a city he knows reasonably well after his years in Denver with the Avs.
“It’s great to return to the League in a city, a community and an organization that has such an outstanding reputation and passion for hockey and success. I look forward to assuming my position and starting the preparation process for the 2012-13 season.”
During his five seasons in Colorado, the Avalanche won four division titles and made four appearances in the conference finals. Hartley's third season was ultimately his most successful one as Colorado steam-rolled through the league with a 52–16–10–4 record, a division title along with the President's Trophy and the Stanley Cup. Hartley’s tenure with the Avalanche franchise ended in December of 2002 with a 193–109–48 regular season record and a 49–31 playoff record. His 193 wins are a franchise record. He became the only coach in team history to record 40 or more wins during his first four seasons as head coach.
Hartley was running Atlanta during the 2006-07 season in which they won their first Southeast Division title, setting new franchise records for wins and points with a 43–28–11 record, good enough for 97 points and third seed in the Eastern Conference. The team also clinched its first playoff berth in franchise history. A slow start for the Thrashers in 2007-08 season resulted in Hartley and the club parting ways.

[justpassingthru]

I was just going through a site with pic's of some NHL hockey wives/girlfriends and damn those guys have some sweet partners.

Btw ... check out Wayne Gretzky's daughter Pauline.

[justpassingthru]

Or Brad Richards' g/f Erin Andrews.

[umpire2]

Originally Posted by justpassingthru

A true legend in hockey calls it quits after 20 years with the same team, the Detroit Red Wing's Nicklas Lidstrom.


Nicklas Lidstrom retires after 20 seasons with Detroit Red Wings

Published 19 minutes ago
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom answers questions after announcing his retirement from NHL hockey during a news conference at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on Thursday.
REBECCA COOK/REUTERS

DETROIT—No one was as effective as Detroit Red Wings defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom was on a hockey rink.
No one could make the first pass out of the zone the way he could.
No one could bat pucks out of the air like Lidstrom could.
No one was as brilliant in one-on-one defensive situations.
No one had his endurance in games, or his durability during a career.
No one was as polite as he was. No one was as humble.
No one carried himself with the same level of dignity and professionalism.
That’s why teammates called him the Perfect Human.
Whenever someone in the Detroit press box was struggling to decide who to select as the three stars of the game, my advice was always to pick Lidstrom because it was always a certainty that he was among the top three players on the ice.
Lidstrom, who retired on Thursday, played hockey the way Faulkner wrote, Rembrandt painted and Sinatra crooned. He had a memorable style and elegance that was all his own.
Over the last decade or so, whenever you would ask young defencemen who they liked to watch play their position the answer was always Lidstrom.
In the pre-lockout NHL, Lidstrom was the master of legalized interference. No one was more adept at tying up an opponent without drawing a penalty. He was not a physical player, and yet he could erase a player from an offensive rush, just as thoroughly as if he had blasted him into the first row.
He didn’t have an overpowering shot, but he guided his point shot into the upper corner of the net like it was attached to a laser pointer. When the Red Wings rained goals down upon opponents in their best offensive years, it was usually Lidstrom who triggered the downpour with a pass or a shot.
He perfected the art of the shot-pass, firing a puck from the point that was designed to go wide, bounce off the back boards and carom in front of the net. On some nights, everyone else was playing hockey, and Lidstrom was shooting pool.
He also would also make it look like he was firing a shot on goal when he was really trying to hit the stick of a player in front of the net.
Others viewed hockey like it was a chess game, but Lidstrom was usually playing three-dimensional chess.
After the rule changes of 2005, it was said that Lidstrom might be less effective because some of his best defensive moves were now illegal.
Lidstrom simply adapted his game, and won four more Norris trophies.
Several years ago the Chicago Blackhawks asked Duncan Keith to watch video of how Lidstrom played, and a couple years later, he was a Norris Trophy winner.
New Jersey Devils defenceman and fellow countryman Henrik Tallinder says Lidstrom’s accomplishments speak for themselves.
“In my eyes, he's the best Swedish player we've had over here. No offence to (Peter) Forsberg and (Mats) Sundin. Just with four Stanley Cups, seven Norris Trophies, that says it all,” said Tallinder
“For me growing up, he wasn't my biggest idol because I was a little bit too young. But once he started to make it in this league, I mean, who doesn't look up to him? He's an icon. Everybody wants to be like him, play like him… Just watching him play, you would describe it once. It's like a symphony.”
Lidstrom seemed to have an incredible ability to make the play come to him. He had the best positioning of any defenceman I ever watched. He was always where he should be and always seemed to know where the puck would end up.
In the same manner that Wayne Gretzky was an offensive magician, Lidstrom was a defensive magician. An opponent would seem to have an excellent scoring chance, and then Lidstrom would make it disappear. Nothing up my sleeve. Presto. It was gone.
As is the case in watching most magicians, you were always left wondering how Lidstrom did what he did.
His former teammate Brendan Shanahan always said that Lidstrom was able to think the game two or three seconds faster than everyone else.
In a sport where Bobby Orr revolutionized the game with his puck-moving ability, the competition for a place on the list of the NHL’s all-time greatest defencemen is for second place.
Lidstrom has made a great case for that distinction, and that’s where I would put him, just ahead of Doug Harvey, Eddie Shore, Denis Potvin, Raymond Bourque, among others.
He won seven Norris Trophies, one less than Orr won. He won four Stanley Cup championships, and an Olympic gold medal. He was the first European captain to hoist the Stanley Cup. He won a Conn Smythe Trophy.
At 42, he was still among the best five defencemen in the NHL. He is a remarkable athlete.
His durability and longevity is what gives him an edge over the others. He played in more than 90 per cent of his team’s games over a career that lasted two decades.
Lidstrom’s retirement is a major loss to the sport because no one has a better public image than Lidstrom. He’s a family man. He always does the right thing, says the right words.
He’s genuine and considerate. The one award he deserves, and never received, is the Lady Byng Trophy, given annually to league’s most gentlemanly player.
I’ve voted him first on my ballot every year for more than a decade because no one is more gentlemanly than Lidstrom is on or off the ice.
The only flaw that Lidstrom has is that he could not play forever. Not even the Perfect Human could do that.

It is a sad day.

[justpassingthru]

Who says goalies can't score !!!

Ilya Bryzgalov’s wife Yevgeniya Bryzgalov


There are so many hotties that I will let you look yourself if you want.
http://www.athleteswives.com/ranking...s-girlfriends/

[justpassingthru]

Nail Yakupov heading to Edmonton for follow-up interview with Oilers



2012-05-31 20:49:00

TORONTO - Nail Yakupov is heading to Edmonton. For now, it will just be for a quick visit.
But the top-rated prospect in the upcoming NHL draft is hoping that his meeting with Oilers brass this weekend will help convince them to call his name with the No. 1 pick on June 22 in Pittsburgh.
"For me it was great news," Yakupov said Thursday night. "I'll probably meet the guys and the president and the GM—just talking with the guys and see the dressing room and see the town."
It will mark the first ever visit to the Alberta capital for the 18-year-old Russian. He's due to arrive Sunday after a whirlwind stretch that includes this week's NHL draft combine in suburban Toronto and a visit to the Stanley Cup final for Saturday's Game 2 in Newark, N.J., with other prospects.
A source confirmed that Yakupov won't be the only player brought to Edmonton before the draft for follow-up interviews.
However, unlike in previous years, the Oilers are hoping to keep the meetings as private as possible. Two years ago, both Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin visited the city ahead of the draft and were subjected to large media scrums with local reporters.
The Oilers hold the No. 1 pick for a third consecutive draft and the organization has learned from the previous experiences. Yakupov, a skilled winger from the Ontario Hockey League's Sarnia Sting, would love to follow Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins by getting the chance to call Edmonton home.
"We'll see what happens," he said. "Whoever drafts me, I'll be excited to put this jersey on. I want to work hard for this team and give everything. It's the NHL."
The individual visits highlight how important the decision facing the Oilers organization is. Team personnel sat down with Yakupov and all of the other potential top picks during the scouting combine, but still feel the need to spend more time with them before making a final decision.
Another factor in the process is the possibility of a trade. Edmonton general manager Steve Tambellini might be enticed to move down a few spots on the draft board, which means he'll want to be familiar with a number of players.
In the final rankings released by NHL central scouting in April, Yakupov was the top-rated North American-based skater ahead of Everett Silvertips defenceman Ryan Murray, Quebec Remparts centre Mikhail Grigorenko and Sarnia centre Alex Galchenyuk.
Murray ended up getting some extra time to audition after a series of injuries allowed him to play for Canada at the recent IIHF World Hockey Championship. Oilers president Kevin Lowe ran that team and raved about the play of the teenager, who didn't look at all out of place against men.
It was only after that tournament wrapped up that Murray started to ponder how it might affect his draft position.
"I wasn't really thinking about that when I was there, I was just thinking about what I can do to help the team win," he said. "I guess hopefully I impressed somebody."
Murray acknowledged hearing some rumblings that he might be in the running to be selected with the No. 1 pick, but noted that "it's not really up to me to decide."
Even Grigorenko still harbours dreams of being the first player called to the stage at Consol Energy Center. His QMJHL season was marred by a case of mononucleosis and a disappointing performance in the playoffs, but the six-foot-three Russian felt like he put his best foot forward this week in interviews with NHL teams at the combine.
"I still have it," Grigorenko said, referring to hopes of being selected with the top pick. "For sure, why not? If the team wants to draft me and they need a centre, they'll take me."
For now, Yakupov appears to have the inside track.
The affable Russian should certainly have no trouble making a strong impression when he gets a chance to tour Edmonton this weekend. He needed only a few minutes to charm reporters on Thursday, delivering a nice soliloquy that started with him proclaiming that "hockey is my life."
"You've got to smile every day because life you just live once," said Yakupov. "You've got to push everything you can every day and be nice with the people and keep your family in your heart.
"If you can play hockey, just play hockey and do your thing."

[justpassingthru]

Proposed design of Edmonton arena futuristic steel and glass boomerang


An artist's rendition of a proposed new arena for Edmonton is shown in a handout. Images of a proposed arena for downtown Edmonton feature a futuristic building of steel and glass shaped like a lop-sided boomerang. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-City of Edmonton



2012-04-25 16:18:00

EDMONTON - Images of a proposed arena for downtown Edmonton feature a futuristic building of steel and glass shaped like a lop-sided boomerang.
The arena is expected to cost $450 million and would be the new home for the NHL's Edmonton Oilers.
A newly released design shows the ice rink would get lots of daylight because of glass-sided walls.
A tall pedway would take people down to a new public square.
The city says the pictures are part of preliminary design work that provides a starting point for evaluating other options.
City council voted in October to sign a cost-shared deal with Oilers owner Daryl Katz for the new arena, although the project is still $100 million short.
Both Katz and the city have been asking for that money from Ottawa or the province. Both government have already said publicly that they will not use tax dollars to fund private enterprises.

[justpassingthru]

National Hockey League says labour talks with Players' Association to start soon



2012-05-30 18:51:00

NEWARK, N.J. - Commissioner Gary Bettman says the NHL is close to beginning labour talks with the NHL Players' Association.
"The goal obviously is to reach a collective bargaining agreement that can take the game and the business to even higher levels that have been reached over the past seven season," Bettman told a news conference Wednesday evening.
"I understand the union is now prepared to begin talks and we are in the process of trying to set up dates," he added. "It remains my hope that constructive negotiations can begin soon and culminate quickly so that attention can remain where it belongs and where everybody wants it to remain—and that is on the game."
Bettman said he expects "in the next few weeks" they will begin to "set the table of what we each might want to be talking about."
He dismissed speculation that the talks may not prevent a labour dispute—noting the process hasn't even started yet.
"Time will tell how this all sorts out. I'm hopeful that it sorts out easily because labour peace is preferable to the alternative," he said.
Bettman also said he believes the league's department of player safety, headed by Brendan Shanahan, "does appear to be working."
While not citing exact figures, the commissioner says the league experienced a "modest decline" in concussions during the 2011-12 regular season and playoffs.
"The first time in three years that this figure has declined," he said.
"While there remains work to be done, it's fair to say we are pleased with the progress and that player behaviour is beginning to change. We have seen countless examples this season in which players have altered their path to a hit or to a play.
"And the fact is with over 50,000 hits in a season, we're in the low double-digits of the ones we will continue to work to get out of the game."
Bettman said Shanahan and his team are doing "a terrific job in what is perhaps the most difficult and thankless job that we have."
In other matters discussed at his pre-game news conference, Bettman said:
—The league garnered a record US$3.3 billion in revenue and played to some 21.5 million fans during the regular season.
—Greg Jamieson continues his efforts to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes, both on putting his equity package together and working with the city of Glendale on a building management deal. A city vote next week on the management agreement may pave the way for the equity side of the equation, Bettman said. Asked if the Coyotes would definitely be in Phoenix next season, the commissioner said: "I can't say anything with 100 per cent certainty. So I think that the likelihood is, based on everything we know today, that the process should conclude successfully but it's not something that I'm in a position to guarantee." He did acknowledge there is no Plan B, however, saying the hope was that the Jamieson takeover would work.
—New Jersey is working on refinancing its debt and raising equity and is "fairly confident" it can be completed in the next few weeks.
—A report that the Los Angeles Kings are for sale is untrue.
—Team officials have not shown an interest in shifting the final to a 2-3-2 series rather than the current 2-2-1-1-1.
—The benefits of competing in the Olympics have to be balanced against the impact being at the Games have has on the league. He called the Olympics a "joint decision that we (the NHL and NHLPA) need to do in the best interest of the game and the players."
—A decision on the appeal by Phoenix forward Raffi Torres will be delivered "in the not too distant future."
—He denied there was any divide in the relationship with the league and Wayne Gretzky. "I think when Wayne is more desirous or more comfortable being more involved, I think that's great. He's an important icon of this game. ... Whatever he wants to do, I'm completely supportive."

[Baddog_WOOF]

Kopitar was clearly offside when he got the pass that led to the GW shot.
Am I the only one who saw that?

[Baddog_WOOF]

Originally Posted by umpire2

Hmmmm.....I wonder what my favorite logo is.....



Attachment 1851486

Baaaaaaaston choked?
Who would have guessed

[justpassingthru]

Originally Posted by Baddog_WOOF

Kopitar was clearly offside when he got the pass that led to the GW shot.
Am I the only one who saw that?

No I saw it too but my mom always told me that if I have nothing nice to say, to not say anything at all ... ironically this is the first time it actually sunk in.

[umpire2]

Originally Posted by justpassingthru

No I saw it too but my mom always told me that if I have nothing nice to say, to not say anything at all ... ironically this is the first time it actually sunk in.

I missed that, so I suppose that proves that I SHOULD be an official.

It does not upset me if he was offside, because, though rarely do officials call someone offside when they are not, my guess is that about 20% of offsides are not called.

[justpassingthru]

Originally Posted by Baddog_WOOF

Kopitar was clearly offside when he got the pass that led to the GW shot.
Am I the only one who saw that?

Originally Posted by justpassingthru

No I saw it too but my mom always told me that if I have nothing nice to say, to not say anything at all ... ironically this is the first time it actually sunk in.

Originally Posted by umpire2

I missed that, so I suppose that proves that I SHOULD be an official.

It does not upset me if he was offside, because, though rarely do officials call someone offside when they are not, my guess is that about 20% of offsides are not called.

I isolated the video of the pass to Kopitar that clearly shows that he WAS NOT offside as I originally thought. I guess I just wanted him to be. I was wrong as were you doggy. This pic shows that the puck is already in the zone as both his feet are still in the neutral zone.