tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69171294534295301282012-02-16T07:58:15.318-05:00Hockey insight, comments and rants regarding games played during the 2007/2008 NHL Hockey Season!Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.comBlogger1801100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-21839558539943013162008-05-29T07:24:00.003-04:002008-05-29T07:37:08.623-04:00

Ice Junkies are packin up the van and heading over to http://www.dailydeke.com/Over the past couple months I have been engaged in a weekly podcast with Grant Beery, Alan Sheilds and Chris Roberts. We started this podcast through Twitter when Grant sent out a message about starting an NHL focused podcast that would air once a week. I Tweeted (or something like that) back to him that I would be

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-30121838447432690212008-05-15T17:59:00.003-04:002008-05-15T18:17:11.958-04:00

Alexei Yashin, who spent the season in Russia after his inflated contract was bought out by the Islanders, appears to be heading back to the NHL. He was league MVP in Russia putting up 43 points in 56 games so it could be interesting to see if he returns. He was quite productive at times during his career, but his attitude and level of commitment were always questioned and who would be willing

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-21083419058220671562008-05-12T21:12:00.006-04:002008-05-12T21:32:25.260-04:00

Doug Wilson, the GM for the Sharks, fired Ron Wilson, Coach of the Sharks, today. They also said they will begin a search for a new head coach immediately. This does not come to a surprise to me seeing that only 5 days ago Ron Wilson was quoted on TSN.ca saying “That's all irrelevant. You look at my record, it's second to none, literally, in the sport, so I'm not even worried about that,” when

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-83818804039253615442008-05-09T09:43:00.007-04:002008-05-09T09:57:45.361-04:00

While last night was text book example of how a team can get caught on their heels and not recover I have to say how interesting it was to see so many empty seats at Joe Louis Arena. Cheap seats, Expensive seats – Did not matter. Empty clusters and Half-empty rows were scattered throughout as if this was “just another Detroit game.I thought for a moment I was watching a Nashville game. Did anyone

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-3014962562847283192008-05-02T18:28:00.001-04:002008-05-02T18:31:21.084-04:00

Anyone catch the last game in Dallas? 6 days ago I posted my thoughts on the Sharks/Stars match up. 4 games down and San Jose is looking at elimination is NOT what I had in mind. So, let me ask again ... Did anyone catch the last game in Dallas? The Sharks come out fighting, owning the corners, dominating the offensive zone. Marty Turco turns aside shot after shot … then, 5 minutes into the

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-8816294950396128292008-04-26T11:26:00.001-04:002008-04-26T11:35:22.934-04:00

As I have been reading over the past couple weeks since the playoffs have started, there are more than 2 view points as to who is doing well, who is struggling and who shouldn't be in the post season. The first round in the Stanley Cup playoffs proved that every team in Round One deserved to be there and they fought to be there. Well with exception to Ottawa … they “wanted” to be there, but

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-34596625244480324552008-04-25T10:35:00.003-04:002008-04-25T11:28:40.083-04:00

Sean Avery is transitioning from agitating hockey player to fashion magazine intern. Thats right, according to ABC News (www.abcnews.go.com) Sean has a soft side!You can check out the story here - Ranger Wears Prada: Hockey Player to Intern at Vogue Magazine

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-3628350190118507152008-04-14T15:28:00.013-04:002008-04-14T17:30:27.292-04:00

I remember growing up and when I was playing anything outside with my friends there was one major rule ... No making up rules as you go along. Not in Colin Campbell's game though, apparently he can just make up rules and "interpretations" as he sees fit, depending on who is affected.Lets keep in mind the Simon / Pronger incident when reading this story! Here is what happened last night that is

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-17453317555632237882008-04-11T10:02:00.009-04:002008-04-11T15:23:20.926-04:00

Could Evgeni Nabokov be the best goaltender in the NHL today? He leads the league in wins (46 out of 77 games played) and is tied for 3rd in Goals Against (2.14). Last night he knew what was at stake for San Jose after the Flames' 3-2 victory in Wednesday's opener. He accepted the challenge and responded with the type of performance that has led the Sharks to the Playoffs this year as the Pacific

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-16835686855490305842008-04-09T12:54:00.010-04:002008-04-09T13:10:56.666-04:00

EASTERN CONFERENCEThe Matchup: (1) Montreal versus (8) BostonThe Story: Montreal is one of the most surprising stories of the season due in large part to the NHL’s comeback player of the year Alexei Kovalev. Throw in a dash of history with a rookie goaltender, Carey Price, leading the team into the playoffs, much like Patrick Roy and Ken Dryden did for the franchise years ago, and there is a

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-10586787905545508032008-04-09T11:51:00.003-04:002008-04-09T11:55:03.521-04:00

Last night myself along with Grant from Nosebleedradio.com and Bethany from BethanysHockeyRants.com teamed up and did our first podcast for the NHL ... its called "The Weekly Deke" and it will be airing every Tuesday night 9pm east / 6pm west. I'll write more about this experience in a bit - however, I wanted to toss this podcast up to our readers.Here is the link - http://snurl.com/23x4xKeep in

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-8575257255435955672008-04-07T20:37:00.002-04:002008-04-07T20:39:35.733-04:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning have won the draft lottery and will almost certainly add superstar-to-be Steve Stamkos to their lineup essentially reconstructing a new "big three" with Vinny Lecavalier, Martin St Louis and Stamkos. Now if they can find some defense maybe they'll make the playoffs again.

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-52222589476547801482008-04-07T13:46:00.003-04:002008-04-07T13:47:56.108-04:00

Patrice Bergeron met with his doctors this morning and was cleared for contact. He immediately went to practice and participated in his first full-contact practice since he suffered a grade 3 concussion in October. While his exact return date is uncertain, Patrice himself said that he won't play on Thursday in the Boston Bruin's opener against the Montreal Canadiens, it does look like he'll play

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-3463616666733071492008-04-06T12:32:00.007-04:002008-04-07T14:01:48.765-04:00

The Washington Capitals completed their seemingly impossible venture from the basement of the Eastern Conference to the third playoff seed on Saturday night with a passionate, and somewhat dominant, win over the Florida Panthers. It topped off what has been one of the most remarkable stories of the year and puts the team in the playoffs for the first time in five years. It is, in many ways, the

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-59642865613769735122008-04-05T15:50:00.003-04:002008-04-05T16:11:13.516-04:00

The league MVP award is on the line tonight along with the Washington Capitals playoff hopes as Alexander Ovechkin leads the Caps into their final game of the season. They face the Florida Panthers, ironically the same team that did them a favor last night when they defeated Carolina, in what is easily the biggest game of Ovechkin's career and the the most important game for the Capitals in a

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-41265464085017570602008-04-04T10:58:00.001-04:002008-04-04T10:59:14.884-04:00

The Ottawa Senators earned an important victory over the rival Toronto Maple Leafs 8-2 last night but they may have paid a terrible price in the process. Late in the first period Daniel Alfredsson carried the puck into the offensive zone and then committed the cardinal sin of hockey. He admired his play, lowered his head and didn’t watch where his body was moving. Mark Bell took a few strides and

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-24088490297891051772008-04-02T19:52:00.004-04:002008-04-02T20:01:11.289-04:00

I always thought the NHL gave the first draft pick to the worst team from the year before … what I did not realize is that there is a weighted system to determine the order of selection for the first 14 picks and that will take place Monday, April 7, at 8 p.m. ET at the NHL’s New York City office.As stripped from the pages of NHL.com – “The League, in cooperation with TSN, further announced that

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-73853217612351622892008-04-01T15:41:00.004-04:002008-04-01T15:54:15.595-04:00

Eklund has a great breakdown of the games tonight and each one has its own implications. I think this is a great snapshot of what tonight means for so many teams! You can read his post here on Eklunds Hockeybuzz.com ... or, for your convenience, I have posted it below.Thanks to Eklund for this list - There have been several huge nights of hockey so far, tonight is enormous on so many levels …

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-31860639502071338102008-04-01T09:45:00.002-04:002008-04-01T09:54:24.723-04:00

The Phoenix Coyotes' will get a glimpse of their future this week with Kyle Turris making his NHL debut. The 18 year old signed an entry level deal with Phoenix that ended his career at the University of Wisconsin and started what could be a brilliant one in the NHL. Turris was taken third overall by the Coyotes in last year's draft and Wayne Gretzky has been very high on the youngster from the

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-50628714885005147862008-03-30T12:18:00.002-04:002008-03-30T12:38:54.572-04:00

It's been a trying season for the Buffalo Sabres, to say the least, and it appears that it won't be getting any easier though it may finally be coming to an end. Contracts, trades, free agency and injuries have severly damaged what was one of the best teams in hockey for the last couple of years. Despite all of that, and a 10+ game slump in the middle of the season, the Sabres have been on the

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-89262969934440719442008-03-30T02:09:00.007-04:002008-03-30T02:59:32.725-04:00

If you have not checked in the past 2 minutes you will see that currently (3/30 @ 2am ... yes, I am up blogging at this time ... SO!) there is a 3 way tie for the coveted 8th slot in the Western Conference playoffs. Both Nashville and Vancouver hold 2 games in hand to Edmonton. Nashville's last 4 games are against Detroit, St Louis and Chicago, while Vancouver gets to play with the Flames,

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-23493801024151696652008-03-29T10:22:00.003-04:002008-03-29T14:06:10.369-04:00

And how do they celebrate - how about ordering up some Roast Duck with Mango Salsa! San Jose has not lost in regulation since Feb 20 … taking their record to 16-0-2. Brian Boucher helped the Sharks win last night by making 23 saves, and at the same time helped snap the defending Stanley Cup champion Ducks' 10-game, home-winning streak. Brian Boucher is going to grow with the Sharks and we have

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-82453734272354867192008-03-27T15:47:00.005-04:002008-03-27T15:58:23.818-04:00

This post is in rebuttal to the recent post by Chris Lucas over at Lucas On Sports regarding Gary Bettman and the NHL … while we at Ice Junkies agree with a few things in this post, there are some ideas thrown around that we need to interject our 2 cents worth. You can read the post by clicking here - What Gary Bettman Can Do To Save The NHL and you can follow Chris over at Twitter, he is @

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-75251039340503917202008-03-24T20:41:00.006-04:002008-03-25T14:58:53.285-04:00

Martin Gerber made his 11th straight start this evening in a huge game against conference and national rivals the Montreal Canadiens. He has a 2.60 GAA over that span with a .915 save percentage. Tonight's start, however, did not go as planned. Gerber allowed 3 goals on 14 shots and was pulled after the 1st period. The much maligned back-up, Ray Emery, has taken to the ice for the first time in

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-12733368575403475372008-03-23T12:21:00.010-04:002008-03-23T19:33:49.681-04:00

Note: This story combines data I found on yahoo, cbssportsline and a few other sites with my own observations. Boston Bruins' young star centerman Patrice Bergeron wasn't thinking about hockey in November. He wasn't thinking about the next opponent or the playoffs or what he needed to do to elevate his already impressive game. At age 22, he was wondering whether he'd ever get a chance to play

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-7326990983593455932008-03-22T01:11:00.003-04:002008-03-22T02:21:36.647-04:00

San Jose has just tightened the noose around the rest of the Pacific Division teams. Tonight's game against the Anaheim Ducks was not only a "must win" it was the game that would set the momentum for the rest of the season. The Sharks' 14th win in 15 games vaulted them seven points ahead of Anaheim and 10 in front of the third-place Dallas Stars. Going into the game tonight San Jose was

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-2105103111914010772008-03-21T22:02:00.006-04:002008-03-22T10:46:57.629-04:00

Kyle Okposo scores his first NHL goal in his second game helping the New York Islanders down the New Jersey Devil 3-1. Meanwhile in Atlanta, Alexander Ovechkin scores two goals and leads the Washington Capitals to a remarkable four goal third period comeback over the Atlanta Thrashers to keep the Caps' playoff hopes alive. He also added two assists and finished at a +4 with 9 shots on goal. The

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-62702689700740742272008-03-21T14:36:00.005-04:002008-03-21T17:04:08.892-04:00

It was the blockbuster trade of the deadline and possibly one of the most shocking deal I can remember. Pittsburgh Penguins, who’d only been loosely rumored to even have an interest in Marian Hossa, swooped in at the last second and sent Sidney Crosby’s best friend right winger Colby Armstrong, sniper Erik Christensen, 1st round draft pick Angelo Esposito and a 1st round draft pick to the Atlanta

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-43407177003830709122008-03-20T15:46:00.003-04:002008-03-21T08:42:54.341-04:00

For anyone who missed it, Kurtis Foster suffered a scary injury last night that was, for all intents and purposes, entirely avoidable and would surely spark some discussion around the league today. Foster was racing Torrey Mitchell of the San Jose Sharks back to touch the puck for an icing when Foster seemed to lose an edge, or get pushed by Mitchell depending on how you view the video, sending

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-22805192669351989532008-03-20T14:05:00.002-04:002008-03-20T14:28:41.624-04:00

John Tavares is possibly the most highly touted and anticipated player not currently in the NHL. He’s been dubbed the next Sidney Crosby, an iron lock for first pick overall and the kind of player that can immediately change the fortunes of a team. The catch? He’s only 17 years old which wouldn’t be a problem if he had been born 5 days too late. Tavares is the rare breed of athlete who’s been

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-58319239105852122482008-03-19T19:06:00.007-04:002008-03-19T23:06:40.098-04:00

The Buffalo Sabres are only 3 points out of a playoff spot with a game in hand over the Philadelphia Flyers who currently occupy that coveted 8th position. The Sabres have scored 13 goals in their last two games, consequently winning both easily, but failed to register a win in the four previous. The team has talent, admiteddly less of it after losing Brian Campbell at the trade deadline, and

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-85018153927106590612008-03-18T20:31:00.003-04:002008-03-18T20:36:34.273-04:00

The Washington Capitals are only 10 minutes into the first period of their tilt against the Nashville Predators but Alexander Ovechkin has already hit a milestone. He registered assists on goals by both Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom which were points number 100 and number 101. Could tonight be the night where he hits the 60 goal mark?

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-4524129235483188702008-03-18T20:08:00.003-04:002008-03-18T20:20:54.155-04:00

After a disappointing first period that sent the Penguins into the dressing room trailing 2-0, Pittsburgh was able to quickly come back and tie the game on goals from Ruutu and Staal to start the second. Pittsburgh had all of the momentum, the Rangers had burned their timeout and Ryan Whitney managed to rip it all away from them. The Rangers were in deep on what appeared to be a 1-2-2 forecheck

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-25129298247424296312008-03-18T11:53:00.005-04:002008-03-18T12:34:24.278-04:00

Okay okay, so maybe the word "star" is a bit premature as Kyle Okposo prepares to make his NHL debut tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs but it's apparently something the New York Islanders expect after taking him with the 7th overall pick 2006. Much of that expectation may revolve around the fact that the team needs something to look forward to after a tough season.Hockey scouting is an

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-53625647989609117832008-03-17T10:54:00.007-04:002008-03-17T20:43:31.049-04:00

If you did not catch the Sharks/Oilers game last night then you missed probably the best game of the season that demonstrates how incredibly important the goalie is to a teams success. San Jose out shot Edmonton 49-23 ... as impressive as that sounds nothing was getting past Roloson on Sunday night - certainly not the Sharks' shots, and not their 11-game winning streak, either. Roloson made 48

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-14267387606191001672008-03-15T15:08:00.004-04:002008-03-15T15:12:28.207-04:00

Chris Pronger will miss 8 of the last 9 regular season games for the Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks. The league re-evaluated the stomping incident when new footage surfaced that gave a clearer view of his actions and over-ruled the original decision that Pronger wouldn't receive any kind of punishment. Honestly, the new footage doesn't show anything the original didn't but it made it

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-30894810703336656282008-03-15T09:46:00.009-04:002008-03-15T10:44:38.521-04:00

When the NHL would not discipline Chris Pronger for his actions toward Ryan Kesler ... We at Ice Junkies were surprised, Vancouver fans were surprised and Bob McKenzie thought we were all just silly and needed "more evidence!" In his first story - "More evidence needed to suspend Pronger" Mr McKenzie goes on to say "whether it had malicious intent or was just part of Pronger trying to break free

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-26023368240093329972008-03-14T17:02:00.005-04:002008-03-14T17:19:05.617-04:00

Alexander Ovechkin is now only four goals away from being the first player to eclipse the 60 goal mark since Mario Lemieux scored 69 more than a decade ago. In fact, tonight's game between the Washington Capitals and the Atlanta Thrashers features two of the most dangerous, young goal scorers in the league with Ilya Kovalchuk on one side and Alexander The Great on the other. Kovalchuk is only two

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-32838849317797477552008-03-14T11:41:00.003-04:002008-03-14T11:58:15.937-04:00

Ottawa was flat out the better team last night at the Bell Centre. The Montreal Canadiens had a difficult time handling Ottawa's speed and ferocious forecheck, while the Sens were able to break out the Habs transition game in the neutral zone essentially hamstringing their ability to produce opportunities off the rush. Anytime Ottawa failed to accomplish that objective, Martin Gerber was there to

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-60956748631192339582008-03-13T21:57:00.011-04:002008-03-14T00:19:31.325-04:00

After 3 years in the NHL, Calgary Flames Defenseman Dion Phaneuf sure has made a name for himself. Dion was named to the CHL First All-Star team for the 03-04 and 04-05 seasons, in 2004 he picked up the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy for Top Defenseman and was named to WHL East First All-Star Team. In February of 2005 The Hockey News publication named him the number two prospect in the world behind

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-19393073877044168342008-03-13T17:32:00.009-04:002008-03-14T12:19:48.383-04:00

In last night's game against the Vancouver Canucks, Chris Pronger, an all star defenseman for the Anaheim Ducks, intentionally stomped on Ryan Kesler's leg. Today, in typical NHL fashion, it was announced that he will not face disciplinary action. Of course, Chris Pronger is no stranger to suspensions after receiving two seperate suspensions, one game each, during last year's run to the Stanley

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-54713787358764139922008-03-13T12:53:00.004-04:002008-03-13T19:38:31.720-04:00

The game of the night is, without question, the Northeast Division battle between the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadiens. The teams are separated by 2 points in with Montreal leading the division and 2nd in the conference. A win by Ottawa tonight would have them swap spots in the East with Montreal, putting the Canadiens in fifth and the Senators in 2nd. Historically, the Senators have

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-14436859543196208532008-03-12T20:41:00.003-04:002008-03-13T19:19:23.645-04:00

Nathan Paetsch, who got caught in a bad position and launched backwards into the boards by Sean Avery on Monday, took another nasty shot tonight at the hands, or elbows I should say, if Georges Laraque. Paetsch had what appeared to be typical outlet play where he moved the puck up to the wing and only seconds later found himself waking up on the ice surrounded by medical staff. Laraque skated up

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In tonight's tilt between the Calgary Flames and the Washington Capitals there will be a camera that is focused on Ovechkin at all times, dubbed OvechKam. It is available in the NHL Center Ice Online package and I'm sure it's available at home as well. I'll write more later about my opinions of it, but so far I like it.Update:So after watching most of the game via Center Ice Online in a two

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Pittsburgh faces a desperate team tonight in Buffalo as the Sabres are trying to claw their way into a playoff spot in these last few weeks. Their chances are looking pretty good today as it appears that Sidney Crosby, Maxime Talbot and Marian Hossa will all watch the game from the press box. They may also be joined by Petr Sykora who is suffering from back spasms. That's a tremendous amount of

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With only 10-13 games left in the season for each team we are on the verge of my favorite time of the year. While the playoff picture has gotten slightly more clear over the last few weeks, there are still a number of teams that are forced to play playoff style hockey right now, if they want an opportunity to play it come April.Goaltending wins Stanley Cups. It's just that simple. The old adage

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-47933511681799643912008-03-11T21:27:00.006-04:002008-03-11T22:03:37.599-04:00

Montreal Canadiens fans, myself included, and most hockey analysts around the world roared their disapproval when Bob Gainey traded Cristobal Huet at the deadline. It placed the season and the playoffs squarely on the shoulders of the highly touted, but inexperienced, phenom Carey Price. Thus far, it's Bob Gainey 1 and the rest of us 0 as Price continues to play an absolutely stunning game in

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According to the New York Daily News, the NHL is in discussions to have the 2009 Winter Classic in New York at Yankee stadium. Yankee stadium will be demolished at the conclusion of the current baseball season so if it happens, the last event to take place at the famous ballpark will be a hockey game. New York seems like a logical choice for such an event. It has not one but two hockey teams and

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Maxim Afinogenov was drafted in 1997 by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round, 69th overall. He spent his first couple of years in his native land of Russia before making the jump to the AHL in the 1999-2000 season playing for Rochester. He would only spend 15 games in the AHL before making it to the big show where he would play 65 games in the only NHL sweater he'd wear for the next decade

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-5681895763394924502008-03-10T10:06:00.004-04:002008-03-10T10:12:14.662-04:00

Pierre-Marc had to show Brian Campbell that the fancy spin shots are anyones game. Here is the Minnesota Wild Center pulling off a sloppy yet effective 360 spin goal on Nabby. Enjoy it Mr Bouchard ... or should I say Monsieur Bouchard?

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-90672414234260985772008-03-09T20:19:00.006-04:002008-03-10T10:22:49.247-04:00

Colorado Avalanche at Dallas StarsJust over 5 minutes has been played in tonight's tilt between Dallas and Colorado, but Dallas has already made it known that they intend to make up for blowing their one goal lead in the third period to the Aves just over 24 hours ago. Stu Barnes scored first at the 3:56 mark and he was followed by Stephane Robidas about a minute and a half later. The Aves have

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I figured I'd post my predictions after watching a few games this weekend. Note that this is not the result for which I hope but rather what I expect.East1. New Jersey Devils2. Montreal Canadiens3. Carolina Hurricanes4. Pittsburgh Penguins5. New York Rangers6. Ottawa Senators7. Boston Bruins8. Philadelphia FlyersI considered putting Pittsburgh at the top, but I don't think they can expect Fleury

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After being pulled in the first intermission of his previous start against Florida, where he allowed 3 goals on 19 first period shots, Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was right back between the pipes against the Washington Capitals and Alexander Ovechkin. The game was everything one would expect from a tilt that featured many of the greatest young stars this game has to offer,

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That's right - before the puck even dropped Doug was out during the pre-game ceremony where the Blackhawks recognized Hall of Famers Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, probably the biggest players in the team's history.Bobby Hull is the Blackhawks' career goals leader with 604, while Stan Mikita holds team records for career points (1,467), assists (926) and games played (1,394). Both starred with the

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-25079411309321823472008-03-07T12:39:00.002-05:002008-03-07T12:54:45.616-05:00

Marc-Andre Fleury started only his third game since returning from a high ankle sprain but only lasted one period before being pulled in favor of Ty Conklin. The Pittsburgh Penguins defense did absolutely nothing to help Fleury as they allowed a plethora of glorious scoring opportunities and ultimately finished the first period giving up 19 shots on goal. Fleury allowed 3 of those shots to go in

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Colorado Avalanche seemed to have recovered from an injury-plagued, inconsistent season and have gone 6-3-1 in their last 10, winning 5 straight to move within one point of their division lead. A surprisingly busy team at the deadline, with a surprisingly hot goaltender in Jose Theodore, the Aves went back to their roots and made the shocking signing of Peter Forsberg while adding Adam Foote at

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The Montreal Canadiens' decision to start Carey Price paid off as he essentially stole two-points for his team by making 37 saves on 39 shots and leading them to a 4-2 victory behind Alexei Kovalev's 3 assist night. Montreal was only able to muster 20 shots on goal, but Mikael Tellqvist was not up to the task as Montreal used a three goal third period to came back from a one goal deficit about 4

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Guy Carbonneau has decided that Carey Price, despite a sub-par effort on Monday night, will start in net for the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday when they go on the road to face the Phoenix Coyotes. Price's previous start did not go so well as he allowed 6 goals on 39 shots against the San Jose Sharks. His teammates gave him a good amount of offensive support with two goals from Tomas Plekanec,

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There is no substitute for speed and hockey is, in many ways, based upon this principal. Games are generally won and lost in the neutral zone with speed being the deciding factor. Nearly every defensive system is based around the concept of slowing the opposing team in the neutral zone. This prevents them from pushing the defensemen back at the blueline, which is done to open space high in the

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Mixing it up on the ice is the new sensation DJ Brian Campbell ... evidently he and Joe Thornton have been practicing this move together since growing up in Ontario. After the game Thornton said "He told me he was going to pull that trick out," whose pass set up Campbell's goal. "He's been doing it since age 10, so that's no different. He's been like that since I've known him. ... There was just

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-11883034371883893582008-03-04T08:45:00.004-05:002008-03-04T09:37:28.926-05:00

Not only did he break the 50 goal mark in 2 out of the last 3 seasons, last night, he did it with style in the form of a hat trick. AO is sitting at 52 goals so far and with 15 or so games left in the Washington Capitals, it is any ones guess where he will finish the season. This milestone pushed him over the line to be the first in the NHL this season to break 50, at the same time, the 3rd in

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-38170053855834155282008-03-02T01:01:00.003-05:002008-03-02T17:22:37.253-05:00

Manny Legace and the Blues are in a slump - not just any slump, but one that spans 6 games and a possibility of losing their playoff contention (Colorado and Vancouver are tied with 74 points in the West for 7th and 8th)- they are 8 points away from Nashville in their division, so every point and win helps. Sadly - Manny and the Blues have ONLY been able to convert 4 goals out of 179 shots in

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-27264955863158584372008-03-01T10:09:00.002-05:002008-03-01T10:39:58.604-05:00

Huet's first night as the Washington Capitals netminder ended with a 4 - 0 shut out over the New Jersey Devils. Huet, who was suprisingly acquired at the trade deadline by Washington, stopped all 18 shots on goal - a fairly low number considering New Jersey's 28.4 Shots per game (20th in NHL). This was his 3rd shut out of the season! Congrats ... Now, for your next trick.Its great to watch

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-81691395249863134372008-02-27T09:19:00.002-05:002008-02-27T10:11:19.879-05:00

I am excited to see Brian Campbell head out west, I think his skills on the power play and his leadership on the ice will be a huge value add in the Sharks organization. I don't know how it felt for Brian when he was notified that he was just traded, but if I were to equate the feeling it would be like knowing a lay-off is coming, knowing that your department is being cut, and finding out at 4pm

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-60910559355742221682008-02-26T17:03:00.004-05:002008-03-04T09:38:31.396-05:00

Hockey is essentially about goaltending and no team can win the cup without it. In fact, you can't win a cup without amazing goaltending, average goaltending just won't get it done. So Bob Gainey, the GM for the Habs who'd publicly announced his intent to acquire an "impact player," thought that it would be a good idea to send out Cristobal Huet, a veteran goaltender who'd been leading the team

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Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis from the Boston Bruins for Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito and a first round draft pick.So now that it's had some time to settle in I figured I'd provide a few thoughts on the blockbuster of the day. Frankly, I'm concerned. I think this is a big hit to chemistry overall, especially with the loss of Army, and it

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Saw a comparison the other day and would like to see the reaction here. Leave a comment if you would - let me know which goal you like better. I love both of them ... but for pure talent, I have to give it up to Toews. Being a rookie this year and making those D-men stand there holding their lunch like that was awesome! I am looking forward to the next few years to watch Jonathan grow up and

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-13569467233727303302008-02-25T23:48:00.003-05:002008-02-26T12:32:53.319-05:00

Buffalo Sabres fans have taken a beating over the last 12 months. They watched the Sabres stumble in the playoffs and then waived good to their top pivot Daniel Briere before watching their heart and soul leader Chris Drury follow suit. Now, it appears that fans will be on the verge of a mutiny as they will have to suffer through another loss. It appears to be almost certain that Brian Campbell,

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Rob Blake earlier refused to waive his no-trade clause but he has apparently changed his mind and is willing to move on to a contender for the playoff run. He's coming off a fractured ankle but should be healthy in time for the playoffs. I'm not convinced he's got much left in the tank, but an injury depleted Detroit will most certainly make a bid. Rob Blake will most certainly return to the LA

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The Lightning re-signed Dan Boyle, a 31 year old puck-moving defenseman coming off a career year last season with 20 goals and 63 assists, to a 6-year deal worth $40 million. Boyle has suffered through a variety of injuries this season including a freak accident where his skate fell from his locker and severed a number of tendons in his wrist costing him 36 games. He's been healthy for less than

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-78346033309716455422008-02-25T17:09:00.004-05:002008-02-25T17:16:09.693-05:00

After weeks of speculation and even public acknowledgment of said speculation, the Flames have announced that they do not intend to trade the suddenly surging Alex Tanguay. The Flames need to free up some cap space to re-sign key free agents so most assumed that they would do that by sending Tanguay and his $5 million + salary out the door but it appears that is not the case which is smart on

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So I write this relatively lengthy entry about how great Forsberg is and how sad I am that we'll most likely never see him play again and today it was announced that not only is he back, he's gone back to play for his original team the Colorado Avalanche. No details on the length of the contract, but he is officially back. While I'm quite excited to see the man known as Foppa back on the ice and

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Mats Sundin, a Canadian golden boy and perennial hockey leader, has informed Leafs GM, Cliff Fletcher, that he will not waive his no trade clause. Sundin, who's spent 13 of his roughly 17 years in the league with the Leafs, will be an unrestricted free agent in the off-season and Fletcher was hoping to rent him out to a cup favorite in order to aid in the rebuilding process in Toronto and give

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Now, I know what you might think when you see the title of this blog. What about Malkin....Crosby...or even Gonchar!?!? Well, allow me to clarify. Ryan Whitney is the most dangerous Penguin to the Pittsburgh Penguins and their Stanley Cup hopes. It's important to admit that I wrote the first part of this post, including the title, at the end of the 2nd period between the Pens and the Sharks so

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If you look at the spread in the West ... ONLY 8 points separate 13th and 5th. Top that off with the teams in 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th are all tied with 72 points (this is including the San Jose Sharks)!!! Am I worried - absolutely. It would be a crying shame for the Sharks to miss the playoffs this year. I am looking at hotels in the Nashville area in the event they meet up with the Predators

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-62850033414714603152008-02-23T10:58:00.001-05:002008-02-23T11:00:08.362-05:00

Great quotes are easy to come by in the NHL … Coaches and GM’s have been around and seen enough of this league that their sense of humor has to be in tune or this sport will drive anyone in a leadership role to drinking! There are motivational quotes like the one from John Tortorella, when talking about the Lightnings game play, where he said “Safety is death.”Then there are the ones that show

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You'll be able to hear the quiet buzz going around the NHL. *insert sarcastic snicker here*! This trade deadline dash is as loud as a train. Everyone is trying to get the scoop on who is going where and when. What is going to happen is you'll see small trades here and there until POW - someone big moves and that will open the flood gates. I would equate this moment with the time right before the

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-54466377765813271302008-02-21T13:02:00.005-05:002008-02-22T18:53:17.254-05:00

When Chris Simon, a 6'4 235 lb repeat offender, stomped on Jarko Ruutu's leg earlier in the season many were calling for his outright banishment from the league. Video:Many see playing hockey as a privilege and believe that those who endanger the careers' of others, over and over again no less, shouldn't be allowed to play especially when the league is trying to establish some mainstream appeal.

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According to TSN, always first to break trades, the Flyers have made Jim Vandermeer's stay in Philadelphia a short one today as they traded him to the Calgary Flames for a 3rd round pick in 2009. Vandermeer, a young and tough defenseman with 7 1penalty minutes in 54 games this season, only spent roughly 2 months with the Flyers who acquired him in December from the Blackhawks in exchange for Ben

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When Evgeni Malkin started his much anticipated career he did so with a a bucket of drama after defecting from his home nation of Russia and being snuck into the country and then with a bang ultimately setting the record for number of consecutive games with a goal to start a career (6 games). He would ultimately go on to win the Calder Trophy over Peter Stastny with 33 goals and 52 assists in 78

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With nearly every playoff bound team vying for the services of one Peter "the Great" Forsberg it appeared very likely that we would most certainly see him once again this year in the NHL. Now it appears that we're stuck with only imagining a wonderful swan song for a player who dominated for much of his career, won 2 Stanley Cups and, at his peak, was one of the best players in the world. His

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I think we are beginning to see the unofficial start of Playoff Hockey folks! Some teams are kicking into their power push early this year ... with playoff slots within so many teams reach, it is going to be a free for all out on the ice ... every game! Nashville, Chicago, Washington, Florida ... all looking very sharp.10 points separate 6th spot from 14th spot in both East and West Conference -

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-81100834388527715742008-02-13T10:02:00.003-05:002008-02-13T10:18:56.496-05:00

It looks like the Rangers have finally locked up their young goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to a long-term deal that reflects the new breed of contracts in the NHL. TSN is reporting that the deal is worth around $6.5 million per year for 6 years. In terms of money, this makes him a top-tier goaltender. I'm not convinced his played well enough to deserve it as of late, but he's certainly a great

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Here is a simple overview of how teams trade and what happens during the process. Over the next 14 days the NHL offices will be abuzz with calls and deals - would be fun to get a camera crew in there to document that one year. Anyway - here is an easy to understand breakdown of the trade process. (Source - NHL.com)As the trade deadline of 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 26 approaches, the National

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-42585287419865531952008-02-11T14:53:00.000-05:002008-02-11T15:57:37.402-05:00

It appears that after a both great and horrifying weekend in hockey, the first move in the dramatic spectacle that is the trade deadline. Best wishes to both Richard Zednik and Pat Dappuzzo who both suffered horrific injuries this weekend. Richard Zednik had an artery severed in his neck when his teammate's skate accidentally came up and clipped him while Dappuzzo, a veteran linesman, was struck

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-49391244189854243272008-02-07T17:58:00.000-05:002008-02-08T09:56:06.967-05:00

Washington takes over the lead in their division last night and Montreal has an opportunity to take over the lead in there's, subsequently putting them in the top spot in the East, tonight against the lowly and rumor-ridden Leafs. The Ducks look for their second win in eight games in Madison Square Garden and Dallas faces a tough matchup in Minnesota. Quite a few games tonight worth watching and

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-40607340098109282282008-02-07T15:13:00.000-05:002008-02-08T07:45:47.287-05:00

What do we have on tap for tonight … there are some evenly matched line ups. Seems like the Ducks/Ranger game does not have a favored team so I am going to stay away from that one (however, I will be secretly hoping the Rangers take the W away from Anaheim – probably wont happen … but a boy needs dreams right?) OK … so tonight I am going big – picking a bunch to try to catch up with Clint for the

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-68533722592324736182008-02-06T18:26:00.001-05:002008-02-07T09:28:41.621-05:00

Just made it home from an all day - no laptop meeting! Whew ... just in time to lay it down!Washington, Edmonton and San Jose!Result: Win, Win, Loss - Washington from worst to first! Congrats AO on your league leading 46th goal! Just makes you wonder where the Caps would be if Bruce Boudreau started the season as the coach. They are becoming a fun team to watch again. Edmonton - Chicago is now

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-44856960220671073302008-02-06T18:19:00.000-05:002008-02-07T10:43:02.568-05:00

Only a small handful of games to choose from tonight but ICaps +150 at Flyers -170 - Over 6 -115Game of the night by far. Two of the hottest teams in the NHL square off in what hopefully will be a sneak preview of a playoff matchup to come. I take the under dog just because it seems nuts to take the Flyers at -170 in this matchup. Over 6 seems plausible as well.Result: Caps nearly blow a 4-1

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-81597111349274589602008-02-06T14:49:00.000-05:002008-02-06T14:52:18.903-05:00

According to TSN, Dion Phaneuf has finally inked his new contract with the Calgary Flames to tune of $6.5 million per year for 6 years. Great deal for the Flames and Dion who is one of, if not, the most promising and productive young defensemen in the game. In 3 years time, he'll be underpaid which is obviously the advantage to these long term deals.

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-36384419279664736032008-02-06T11:44:00.000-05:002008-02-06T12:59:03.305-05:00

According to TSN, Forsberg has narrowed down the number of teams for which he'll consider playing to what is sounding like a pretty small number. Nashville, Dallas, Detroit and Calgary have all let it be known that Forsberg turned them down which essentially leaves Vancouver, Ottawa, Anaheim, Philadelphia, New York and maybe one or two others. My guess is he'll be a Flyer in the next week which

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-5759254264730355322008-02-05T16:27:00.000-05:002008-02-06T18:34:56.396-05:00

So - back to reality! Just spent a well deserved 3 days in Southern California enjoying the freezing weather and the Superbowl. Funny thing - I hit 11 out of 13 wagers ... it was, as Clint says, "REDICULOUS!" - and I would whole heartedly agree!!! Of course I chose the Giants with the generous 11 1/2 points that came with them ... along with the coin toss, who won the coin toss, who made the

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-59746025879816611842008-02-05T13:48:00.000-05:002008-02-05T15:29:54.754-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows how mad I was last year watching the Senators play the Penguins in the playoffs. The Penguins got exposed for being a soft team and an easy team to play against in terms of physical play. Also, I don't believe that having a guy like Laraque on the team makes you truly tough. Yes, he's a perennial heavy weight and a beast in all respects, but team toughness is what

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-72333522359148979302008-02-05T12:26:00.000-05:002008-02-06T11:23:47.165-05:00

Perhaps last night was the beginning of a turnaround for my luck. I started off strong and have struggled in the last few outings but tonight offers a variety of interesting lines. I've decided to make a large amount of picks that will either bring me back from the negatives in roaring fashion or kick me down the rest of the hill. Caps +105 at Blue Jackets -120 - Over 5.5 EVENCaps have been

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-52759836111116908702008-02-05T11:25:00.000-05:002008-02-05T11:31:53.871-05:00

Teemu has returned to the Ducks and according to TSN, he may return to the lineup tonight against the Islanders after announcing himself ready for the game. "You've got to ask the coach," Selanne said. "I'm ready to go. It's totally in his court...I'm excited. Very excited." - LA TimesRecently Burke, Anaheim's GM, had said that it was up to Teemu when he would return to the lineup so it appears

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-649940312823237932008-02-04T14:59:00.000-05:002008-02-05T11:17:50.399-05:00

By the way, while I'm not an Eli Manning fan and I think that any players who refuses to play for the team that drafted him deserves to get kicked about the head and neck the Super Bowl last night as maybe the best I've seen in years. I'm sure the suit wearing, glad-handing, corporate dillholes would disagree considering the low scoring nature of the game, but for me it was as intense as they

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-86121313058788485052008-02-04T14:37:00.000-05:002008-02-04T14:59:30.673-05:00

Well, after what can only be described as a brutal week of picks we embark on a huge week in the NHL. The trade deadline is rapidly approaching and names like Hossa and Sundin are flying everywhere with so many teams on the verge of a playoff berth and it even looks like the great Foppa should be returning soon and apparently for more than just this year. This week provides some immediate

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-83675591282327081492008-02-01T19:31:00.001-05:002008-02-02T18:17:45.898-05:00

While my picks are coming in after one game has started, luckily I'm not bold enough to make a prediction on that one. Here are my picks for the night:Canucks +105 at Panthers -125.I think the Canucks are a good hockey team, though they need Naslund to get going, and with Luongo shaking off the cobwebs of last night's loss to the lowly Lightning I expect them to come out and play a better game.

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-26219693355299992752008-01-31T16:52:00.000-05:002008-02-01T09:28:56.420-05:00

Lets see if I can turn around my luck tonight - this is an interesting line up seeing how the games tonight appear to be evenly matched.Canucks / Lightning - Canucks -110 ... Luongo returns tonight after a week off, spending time with his pregnant wife. Who wouldn't cheer for him - oh yea, and he is my #1 goalie on my fantasy teamResult: I was wrong ... right ... so, when Tampa Bay can pull it

Bill Bristerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188315202391105655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917129453429530128.post-87705473726972864412008-01-31T14:36:00.000-05:002008-01-31T14:45:35.955-05:00

Peter the GreatForsberg has reportedly informed Modo, his former team in the Elite leagues in Sweden, that he will not be playing with them this season instead choosing to give his agent permission to begin discussions with NHL teams about a return. I would expect that he'll be signed in the next week to two weeks and I'm guessing Philly, Detroit and Calgary are the front runners.Kovie's

Clint Bundrick (clintbundrick@gmail.com)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04976149271277237785noreply@blogger.com0