Sportscorner

Deals so far 3

2009-03-04T19:28:00.004+01:00

Bill Guerin (F) New York Islanders ----> Pittsburgh Penguins
Conditional Draft Pick ------> New York Islanders
Great move for the veteran forward, he will probably link up with Sid The Kid in the end. This will boost the Pens to the playoffs.

It is really a slow day today.......

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Dominic Moore (d) - Toronto Maple Leafs ----> Buffalo Sabres
Carolina Hurricanes 2nd round draft pick ----> Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto has given up this season, while Buffalo will be heading into playoffs with a strenghtened defense. It won't take them to the Cup, but it'll treat their fans to a nice ending of the season.

Derek Morris (d) - Phoenix Coyotes -----> New York Rangers
Dimitri Kalinin (d), Nigel Dawes (f), Petr Prucha (f) - New York Rangers ----> Phoenix Coyotes

Morris is a great player. But the price the Rangers had to pay for him. I wonder if it's really worth it. This is a win situation for the Coyotes, I think.

Nik Antropov (f) - Toronto Maple Leafs ----> New York Rangers
2nd round draft pick, Conditional draft pick ----> Toronto Maple Leafs

A good deal for the Rangers. A great scorer who will bring a lot of smiles to the Garden faithful. But having lost Prucha and Dawes, the Rangers could well be the losers in the end.

Daniel Carcillo (f) - Phoenix Coyotes ----> Philadelphia Flyers
Scottie Upshall (f) - Philadelphia Flyers ----> Phoenix Coyotes

Carcillo will be missed in Phoenix, but Upshall is a really talented player. Could turn out to be a good move for both teams.

Eric Christensen (f) Atlanta Thrashers -----> Anaheim Ducks
Eric O'Dell (f) Anaheim Ducks ----> Atlanta Thrashers

For the second time in two years, Eric Christensen moves on deadline day. The only loser here is Eric O'Dell who ends up outside the playoffs. But for the 09-10 season, this could prove to be a good move for him as well.

Deals so far 2

2009-03-04T19:03:00.003+01:00

Brendan Morrison (F) - Anaheim Ducks ----> Dallas Stars
Waivers
Tells us nothing really. I like Brendan as a player, since his time during the lockout in Linkoping. Hopefully he can revive his career in the Lone Star State

Olli Jokinen (F), 3rd round pick - Phoenix Coyotes -----> Calgary Flames
Matthew Lombardi (F), Brandon Prust (F), 1st round pick - Calgary Flames ---->Phoenix Coyotes

Jokinen is the biggest name so far to move. With over 800 games in the NHL and not one post-season game, Olli Jokinen will be hungry when the puck drops in the playoffs. Some say he made the Coyotes a worse team, some say he was a cancer. Some will miss him. One thing's for sure. He will be one happy man. But now, Calgary needs to get rid of someone, due to the salary cap.

Steve Montador (D) Anaheim Ducks -----> Boston Bruins
Petteri Nokelainen (F) Boston Bruins -----> Anaheim Ducks

Definetly a nice move for Nokelainen. A somewhat cheap move for the Ducks, since they acquired D-man Ryan Whitney yesterday.

Deals so far 1

2009-03-04T17:21:00.003+01:00

Pascal Leclaire (g) + draft pick- Columbus Blue Jackets ----> Ottawa Senators
Pat Vermette (f) - Ottawa Senators ----> Columbus Blue Jackets

Good deal for the Sens. They, too, were in the need of a good goalie. In Leclaire, they have a great one. Pat Vermette will be useful for the Blue Jackets, for sure. But the big winner is the Sens.

Jordan Leopold (d) - Colorado Avalanche ----> Calgary Flames
Laurence Nycholat (d), Ryan Wilson (d), 2nd round draft pick -----> Colorado Avalanche

A bit of a gamble by the Flames, since Leopold will be an Unrestricted Free Agent this summer. Although, since this is his second spell at the Flames, Leopold might stay.

Mikael Tellqvist (g) Phoenix Coyotes ----> Buffalo Sabres
2nd round draft pick ------> Phoenix Coyotes

A cheap move for an under-rated keeper. Tellqvist will get his chance, thanks to the injuries on Ryan Miller. This is his big chance of making it. He will.

D-day

2009-03-04T10:39:00.003+01:00

D-day is today, Deadline-day that is.

First off:
Sean Avery is back! He's a jackass, a free-spoken maniac who does pretty much whatever he likes. He annoyes the living hell out of pretty much everyone. And now he's back with the New York Rangers, a team which is now under the reign of John Tortorella - also a free-spoken maniac. The result could be World War III. Will it? Nope.

Broadway Sean proved his worth to the Rangers last season and is determined to do the same thing once again. Chris Drury told nhl.com: "The only two things I need to know and I think the other guys in this room need to know are: One, he wants to be here, wants to be a Ranger. And, second, he wants to win a Stanley Cup. What more could you ask for of a teammate?"

The answer is: Nothing. Avery always speaks his mind, on and off the ice. Some things are more suitable than others but over all he stands up for what he says. With no. 16 back (probably already for the Islanders clash on Thursday) and with the demolition of Colorado in fresh memory, this will boost the Rangers.

I will update this blog later today!
Stay tuned

Having another go

2009-03-03T08:36:00.004+01:00

I haven't been active with the blog for ages. My last post was on Oct. 21st 2008.

Due to lack of feedback from readers, thus giving me a lack of motivation, I've been nowhere near this blog. This is going to change.
The Swedish hockey league is going into the playoffs, starting Thursday. It should be a great few weeks, possibly with the factor of some upsets for the major teams. I think Linkoping and Farjestad are the main contenders this year. Although I must post a word of warning for the oustider Timra from Sundsvall. For almost the first time since the beginning of the season, they have a full strength team.

In the main part of this blog, I'm discussing the NHL. This will be no exception today. Things have happened since my last post. The most important being the switch of coach in the New York Rangers. Tom Renney got the sack and now "the Sean Avery of coaches" is running the show: John Tortorella.

And he has managed to break a bad streak. With a slow start (losing 2-1 on penalties against the Maple Leafs). But the 6-1 demolition job against the Colorado Avalanche might be the thing turning the Rangers around again. They are still in desperate need of some luck, turning those chances into goals. But the Avalanche game was a start.

Tomorrow, we have the busiest day in the NHL - the trade deadline. Philadelphia might look for a keeper, Calgary needs a puck-moving defensemen according to most experts and the Rangers need, as mentioned above some scoring. So, do I have any thoughts about this?

Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. With almost the whole team of the Toronto Maple Leafs being available, a few guys might move there. Also, Jay Bouwmeester of the Panthers, Chris Pronger of the Ducks, Marian Gaborik of the Wild and Keith Tkachuk of the Blues are a few guys to be mentioned as possible bricks to move tomorrow. I doubt that Gaborik will move but if Bouwmeester doesn't, I'd be very surprised. Rumour has it that he doesn't want to re-sign with the Panthers, thus making this the last chance for the Florida management to get something in exchange.

I think the Flames might make a move for Toronto defenseman Tomas Kaberle, he'd fit right into their plans if the price is right. Also, Nik Antropov might be at a new club by the end of tomorrow. But where might he go?
If the Rangers need scoring, they will need to dig deep. Only a superstar will do. And that will be costly. The Flyers might be looking for a new keeper, but who'd want to let their top goalie go? Cam Ward is out (the Hurricanes are building their team around him) unless the Flyers pay BIG. Tomas Vokoun could be the man.... Perhaps Vesa Toskala from the constantly under-achieving Maple Leafs?

Some experts say that it will be a calm day. I think not. The move of Pens defenseman Ryan Whitney to the Ducks in exchange for Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi, sort of set the tone for tomorrow. This is a big deal and both parts will benefit from it. I'm a big fan of Whitney and this was a bit of a surprise deal. And last night, veterfan defenseman Niclas Havelid (and minor forward Myles Stoesz) moved to New Jersey Devils in exchange for defenseman Anssi Salmela. A calm deadline day? I think not.

Stay tuned

Turning?

2008-10-21T22:29:00.004+02:00

First of all, I'm sorry for not being here for a while. But I've had loads of stuff to do.
Not too much to cut off the good old hockey but way too much to be able to write about it.

So, I got a bit cocky last time and said: "Bring on the Sabres.."
And they did. Since I wrote that line there hasn't been a full time victory for the Rangers. Loss against the Sabres, OT win vs. Toronto, OT loss vs. Red Wings and a loss against the Stars last night.

According to the live reports from the Garden last night, it took about 25 seconds before Broadway Sean (Avery) got his: "Avery SUCKS!" from the Garden Faithful. Well, Sean, if you're not with us.....

Last night, there was a brother vs. brother fight in the Garden. King Henrik Lundqvist vs twin brother Joel. And it was Joel who came out as a winner. He didn't score but the Stars still won. Much thanks to Swedish super rookie Fabian Brunnstrom. This exceptional talent, who thought of quitting hockey at the age of 15 and played in the Swedish third league two years ago, is off to an amazing start in the NHL. He scored a hat trick in his debut and he has now got four goals and one assist in five games, I belive. Impressing!

Sure, I'm a Rangers fan but still, it's fun to see how the Swedes are doing over there. I hope Fabian can go free from injuries this season. If he does, could he be Rookie of the Year? In the Brunnstrom Saga, nothing surprises me anymore.

I'll try to write more frequently!

"You can't beat us..."

2008-10-14T19:37:00.004+02:00

I was wrong, at the same time I was right. I was right in saying that the Rangers would win. But man, I was wrong about the score. 4-1....
I mean, it's like I can taste it.

Sure, good old Marty fumbled a bit when the first puck hit the net. But then the Rangers show began. It wasn't until the second period the Devils got back in the game. But there he was, Henrik Lundqvist. Unwilling to let anything pass him. It wasn't until the end of the second period, John Madden (I love that name...) found the net with a rebound after a magnificent Lundqvist save.

Aaron Voros, that's a guy that keeps impressing on me. Two goals last night. Both of them coming Holmstrom-style. In front of Brodeur he was, fighting and earning those goals. He will be vital for the Rangers during tis season.

Also, a good game from Dubinsky. 2 goals and 1 assist. The assist was to the empty netter by Ryan Callahan. Dubinsky could have gone for goal himself, thus earning a hattrick but he passed and let Callahan finish the job. Good boy!

This was the Rangers 8th victory in 9 matches against the Devils and when the match was nearing the end, the Garden Faithful just chanted: "You can't beat us!" Very nice.

Before the game there was a moment to honour the memory of Rangers draft pick Alexei Cherepanov, 19 years old, who died during a game with his Russian side Avangard Omsk yesterday. The Russian collided with former captain Jaromir Jagr. The hit itself didn't look that harmful but Cherepanov died on the bench a few minutes later. Today my thoughts and condolances goes to his family and friends.

R.I.P Alexei Cherepanov

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In other news, I'm surprised about the Blackhawks. They mix nice matches with pure crap. Tonight they lost at home to Nashville, 3-2.

The Sabres crushed the Islanders (7-1!) on Long Island and coach Lindy Ruff has got his side all fired up for Wednesdays clash with the Rangers on Manhattan. Should be a good one!

Stay tuned

We're doing fine

2008-10-13T20:44:00.004+02:00

Off to a good start, one might say.
If someone said that to me I'd say: Yes. But there is a long way to go. Four victories in as many matches is a nice start for the Rangers. But there are many teams to overcome if we are going to see the Blueshirts in the playoffs.

Look at me go, I'm talking about playoffs already. No. Let's focus on tonight instead. A nice little thing with the Devils is brewing. I wonder if we get to see Stephen Valiquette in net tonight. I'm thinking...no.

Henrik Lundqvist is a magnificent goalie and on the other side of the ice tonight, there will be yet another one. Martin Brodeur is a true great. He is still one of the best goalies in the entire sport and he will, for sure, do his outmost to stop the Rangers tonight. But will he succeed?

Nope. There will be a fierce battle. And rest assured, the Rangers won't be allowed to slip away in the first period as they were against the Flyers on Saturday. The likes of Nick Zherdev, Markus Naslund and captain Chris Drury will have their artillery loaded. Not to mention former Devil hitman Scott Gomez, who spent his first seven seasons in New Jersey.

Watch out though. The Devils has got a few guys able to hit the net. Brian Rolston is still lethal. Patrick Elias and John Madden as well.

The Devils @ The Rangers in the Garden. Boy, I envy those of you able to be there to watch it.
I say: The Rangers will win it, but by a slim margin. 3-2. No OT.
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A big congratulations to Lukas Kaspar of the San Jose Sharks. He scored the only goal against the Kings, thus earning his first NHL career goal! CONGRATULATIONS!

Further thoughts

2008-10-08T11:50:00.004+02:00

Vladimir Mihalik got sent down to Tampa Bay's AHL affiliate after the teams return to the US. Why, I wonder. He had two good games in Prague and I belive he'll be back in the NHL within a foreseeable future. He has a good eye for the game and I reckon he'll do well this season. Perhaps I'm totally wrong here. But I really liked his way of playing in Prague.

It is nice to see that Markus Naslund has found his place in New York Rangers so fast. Two victories and two goals for him does count as a pretty good start to the season. Scott Gomez and Chris Drury do have some more tricks in their books than the Sedin brothers did. Speaking of those two, they've actually done pretty good during the pre-season with new-boy

Defenseman Kyle McLaren has been put on Waivers by the San Jose Sharks, thus possibly ending an era. The veteran could move to Worchester Sharks, San Jose's AHL affiliate, which would still keep him in the organisation but his salary ($2.5M) would not fall into the Sharks' total cap. I like McLaren and I hope he will be able to play most of the season this year. Last year, he was plagued by injury and only played in a few games. But with new guys Dan Boyle and Rob Blake, a place in the Sharks seems rather unrealistic for McLaren. A team in constant need of defensive improvement is the Phoenix Coyotes.

Speaking of Prague. The Champions Hockey League kicks off tonight. My "boys" are in Prague to watch Linkoping HC play away @ Slavia. There will be a fight on ice. Will there be one in the streets?

The real NHL premiere is on Friday night. See you around!

08-09, here we go!

2008-10-05T10:41:00.005+02:00

It's off!

The whole shebang kicked off last night. I will of course focus on the Rangers but there were a few other matches as well.
The Pens beat the Sens , 4-3 in Stockholm. A nice match with a lot of goals. Let's just hope the Swedish referees were there so they now know how to handle a game.

In Prague, the Blueshirts kicked off their season in the best way possible. Markus Naslund opened up in the first period but his shot hit the post. In the second, he got his goal. A magnificent pass from Scott Gomez made Naslund get his first marker for the Rangers. Martin St. Louis equalised before Brandon Dubinsky scored in powerplay, giving the two points to the Rangers.

A few thoughts of 08-09:
The Rookie of the Year will be Steven Stamkos
* Keep your eyes on Vladimir Mihalik (Tampa)
* Wade Redden might get a great season
* The Pens plays even more fun than last season

More thoughts will follow

Keep up!

Slow times...

2008-07-21T21:29:00.007+02:00

Not that much going on right now. I'm getting more and more curious about what the Blackhawks might stir up with their fresh batch of players, combined with some of the routine they actually have.

Giving the C to Patrick Toews shows that they have a lot of faith in their young guns. It is beyond any doubt that the expectations of this team has been raised along with the firepower added to their team. There is still one big question to be answered:
Will the competing goalies get along? Khabibulin and Huet are two great goalies, both worthy the primary spot, thus starting the majority of the games. If there is a drama and these two gentlemen doesn't get along, the Blackhawks will have a problem. Khabibulin will be almost impossible to trade, given his huge salary. On the other hand, who signs a goalie just to trade him right away? I know, this is the NHL and it does happen but it sounds a bit far fetched.

I do think Toews will rise to the challenge with his C, and he will be the Blackhawks top scorer this year. Again, if I'm not mistaken. I'm very interested in what $7.1M man Brian Campbell will achive. We all know that he is a tremendous D man. Will he bring stability to the defence? I think so. In combination with Cristobal Huet, who I personally think should be the first goalie, this could be very interesting.

Given the fact that it is still off season, my postings might not be that many right now. But I'm going to be more active, the closer we get to the first puck dropping.

I have to admit something. I read most of my news at tsn.com or nhl.com, but this thing about was really my own initiative. Then I had a look at nhl.com and what do I see....a column about the Blackhawks. Ah, well.......

The Sharks get their man

2008-07-05T10:04:00.003+02:00

Told you so, didn't I? Yesterday I wrote that I didn't think the Sharks were done signing D men. And what happened over night (for us in Sweden)?

For the "cheap" price of their 2009 first round Draft Pick, 2010 fourth round Draft Pick, Matt Carlie (D) and Ty Wishart (D) they got their man, Dan Boyle, from the Bolts. Together with Boyle comes Brad Lukovich. Nice move by the Sharks, although Boyle is on a five year, $40 million contract. This takes up a lot of their cap, but they get a very good D man. Are they done now? Signing D men perhaps.

Short one today, going to Gothenburg in fifteen minutes. Springsteen!
I'll be back tomorrow

Some big-name moves!

2008-07-04T09:37:00.004+02:00

First of all:

Markus Naslund, 34, has signed for the New York Rangers. The contract is for two years and all in all it is worth $8million. Naslund stated that the Rangers was his first choice and hopefully we'll see him get some points in. He had "only" 55 points (25 + 30) in 82 games during the 07-08 season. This also means that Jaromir Jagr will not be playing for the Rangers next season. We will probably find him in Russia and in the new KHL. We'll see...

One more player has signed for the Blueshirts. And yes, it's a new D man! Having sent both Tyutin and Backman to Columbus, it wasn't a big secret that the Rangers needed a new defenseman. Dmitri Kalinin, 27, joins the club from Buffalo Sabres. He is a defensive D man which will suit the Rangers just fine.

Both Naslund and Kalinin was Unrestricted Free Agents.

Miroslav Satan (former New York Islanders) has signed for the Penguins on a one year deal. It's not a bad deal at all. The Pens needs the firepower, although Satan has dipped is points over the last season (41 pts in 80 matches). The Pens has also signed Ruslan Fedotenko on a one year deal.

Rob Blake has left the Kings and signed for San José Sharks on a one year deal. This is an attempt to fill the void after short-termer Brian Campbell moved to Chicago. Blake is a good player but he is not a fast-moving skater. I think the Sharks aren't done signing D men.

Other players who moved yesterday was:

David Hale (D), two years - Phoenix Coyotes
George Laraque (F), three years - Montreal Canadiens
Antti Miettinen (F), three years - Minnesota Wild
Daniel Tjarnqvist (D), one year - Colorado Avalanche

Also worth noticing is that Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed goalkeeper Marc-Andre Fleury to a seven-year contract worth $35 million.
That was just day 3 of the Free Agency and it feels more crazy than ever. Amazing.

And I'm back!

2008-07-02T10:23:00.006+02:00

Hey!

The weird part is that I published this post on te day before yesterday. At least I thought I did. So there will be a "double" post in the same post, if you know what I mean

Call me mad if you want, but the NHL began yesterday. OK, it really began with the draft. But I've been in Thailand so I couldn't follow it that much. Now, however, is the time of wheelings and dealings. The thing we all now is that Mats Sundin won't be playing with the Maple Leafs this upcoming season. The latest rumour is that he's off to Vancouver. We'll see what happens.

These are just some of the deals done during the Free Agency period:
Niklas Hagman (F), four years - Toronto Maple Leafs
Jeff Finger (D), four years - Toronto Maple Leafs
Curtis Joseph (G), one year - Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto is building a new team, which means that this is not the last moves we will see during the summer. Worth mentioning is that Andrew Raycroft (G), Darcy Tucker (F) and Kyle Wellwood no longer are Toronto-players.

Andrew Raycroft (G), ? - Colorado Avalanche - Replacing Jose Theodore

Jose Theodore (G), ? - Washington Capitals - Replacing Cristobal Huet

Cristobal Huet (G), ? - Chicago Blackhawks - Will work "together" with Khabibulin. I'm interested in if this will succeed. None of those two would want to sit on the bench.

Ty Conklin (G), ? - Detroit Red Wings - Will be a backup for Osgood. Weird move by Holland. There were better guys out there.

Olaf Kolzig (G), one year - Tampa Bay Lightnings - Will bring stability to the goalkeeping side. Interesting.

Alex Auld (G),? - Ottawa Senators - This means one thing and one thing only. Ray Emery WILL be gone.

Brian Rolston (F), four years - New Jersey Devils
Bobby Holik (F), ? - New Jersey Devils. - Both these guys will be coming "home" and they will rock in "The Rock".

Brian Campbell (D), eight (!) years - Chicago Blackhawks - Long contract, hefty price ($7.1 million a year). But it's a great player and he's needed to bring calm to the young Chicago team.

Wade Redden (D), ? - New York Rangers - Fantastic signing by the Rangers. He will be great. Together with Campbell, Redden was the best D name in the Free Agency.

Jarkko Ruutu (F), ? - Ottawa Senators - Somewhat a weird move. But the signing has to do with the fact that Ruutus older brother is a scout for the Sens.

Sean Avery (F), four years - Dallas Stars -$3.87 million a year for four years. I don't know. Is it worth it? I mean, he's for sure a special player but that's a lot of money. I would not have signed him for more than two years, perhaps with an option of extension.

Darcy Tucker (F), one year - Colorado Avalanche - One weird move, for sure. The Avs need to get younger players into the team, not collecting old ones.

Kristian Huselius (F). four years - Columbus Blue Jackets - A good move for Huselius. He's coming to a new team. A team that has just lost one of its snipers (Zherdev) and this could mean playing in the first line. Worth mentioning is that he's linking up with former team-mate Fredrik Norrena, who he played together with during the lockout season in Linkopings HC (Sweden).

Four player trade:
Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche goes to New York Rangers in exchange for Christian Backman and Fedor Tyutin. A nice move for both teams. The Rangers needs to improve their offence while Columbus needs some strong defensmen. My guess is that the Rangers aren't even close to be done aquiring new guys for the 08-09 season.

Marian Hossa (F), one year - Detroit Red Wings.
Nice move by GM Ken Hollamd. But is Hossa as good as the hype tells us? Personally I think the Pens would have done just fine without him in this playoffs. But maybe Holland knows something we don't.....

Like I said, these are just some of the moves done. More will follow. Stay tuned!

Alive

2008-05-18T10:09:00.004+02:00

And, once again I've been slipping with posting here. My weeks are just flying by and I can't really do everything I want to do.
Surprise, surprise! The Stars are still in it. Courtesy of Marty Turco. In his first carreer win in the Joe, Marty Turco was OUTSTANDING. Some of the saves he made aren't from this planet. Add to that that he got the only assist on Joel Lundqvist game winning goal.

Next round will be in Dallas. For the sake of some nice hockey, I hope the Stars win that one. Personally, I'm just enjoying the playoffs now. No nerves anymore. The Pens killed'em all by knocking out the Rangers.

Tonight we can see the fifth round between the Pens and the Flyers. I belive it all ends here, for the Flyers. Hopefully it doesn't. Because it has been a nice series to follow. Will Martin Biron stand against the mighty attacks of the Pens tonight? And will the Flyers boxplay manage to keep the hungry power play line of Pittsburgh at bay?

I know, I know

2008-05-11T10:26:00.005+02:00

Yes, it has been a while again. Been a busy week for me, but I've managed to watch some hockey anyways. Although, I haven't had the time to write anything.

What is there to say about the Conference Finals so far?

First of all: Evgeni Malkin. What a player? Did you see his goals?! The last one really made me laugh. I don't know why, but that was a bit funny. Instead of trying to deke Biron in his breakaway he simply loaded the big gun and let the slapshot do the talking. That's business, for you. Will Malkin be the MVP of the playoffs? Maybe, if the Pens go to the Finals. But that series is far from over.

O-s(o)-good it must be to be a Red Wings fan right now. With Chris Osgood in net and the always alterning attacks of four amazing lines in offence, it's really hard to see anything stand in the way of the Wings machine. Up 2-0 against Dallas. Now they're going to the Lone Star State for two games. I reckon the Stars need to win both to stand a chance. I don't think they will, though. The Wings will take at least one of the games there and then finish it off back home. I know, I thought the series would go to six or seven games but I can hardly see anything pointing in that direction right now. Maybe if the Stars win the first match in Dallas.

Conference Finals

2008-05-05T11:40:00.003+02:00

That's it. The season is over for the Rangers and the Sharks. The Sharks lost the Battle of the West in the fourth OT-period last night. We got to see some amazing goaltending throughout the game and especially in OT. Evgeni Nabokov and Marty Turco tried (at least it looked like they did) to outclass eachother in amazing saves. Togehter they stopped 114 shots (Turco 61 and Nabokov 53). This was the only game in the series where the team who scored the first goal, won the game. It's been a great season for the Sharks but I think they thought they could go all the way after gaining some momentum against the Stars. I know one player who really really wanted it to happen. Jeremy Roenick. "JR" will probably quit playing now and he was hoping to do what Andreychuck and Borque did in their last seasons as players - lift the Cup for the first time. We'll see, maybe JR will give it another go next season. I hope he will, he deserves to lift the Cup as well.

The Rangers but themselves in the situation leading to their termination. Looking back over the series, maybe it was all decided in that first game. The Rangers was up 3-0 in Pittsburgh but relaxed and lost it 5-4. That just gave the Pens some momentum and from that point it all rolled on. Marian Hossa scored twice last night. What a trade that turned out to be. The question still remains, will he stay in Steel City after this season? But if the Pens go all the way and win the Cup, I reckon they will find the deal being worth it - even if Hossa leaves. He has been magnificent since arriving.
Now the Pens will face the Flyers. That ought to be one interesting series. Both teams have lots of confidence and they allways shoot from the hip, so to speak. I expect lots of goals and many great hits and saves. Both teams have fast skaters and players with great stick skills. Will this go to seven games? Maybe. It all depends on wether the Pens will try to set the tone from the start. If they win the first match by some margin, it might be a shorter series. But then again, the Flyers have done the impossible - twice. So I will not coun't them out this time. Lesson learned.

Biron vs. Fleury: Seven rounds. Winner? I'll say the Pens. They should take this. But, once again, I won't, I just won't, count the Flyers out once again.

In the West, the Stars will face the Wings. Probably a seven-round fight as well. I had the Stars as outsiders in the playoffs and they might surprise again. Brenden Morrow has been great for the Stars and The Mule (Johan Franzen) has been outstanding for the Wings. We'll also see two teams with great defense.

The Mule vs. Morrow: Six rounds. Winner? I'll say the Mule. But it would be nice to see the Stars go through. They've really impressed me.

The Flyers....and me being stupid

2008-05-04T17:11:00.003+02:00

First of all! The Rangers are playing TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT. Not yesterday....What's up with me?

Anyways, the Flyers are through to the Conference Finals. It's unbelivable but true. They outplayed, outgunned and outsmarted the Canadiens. I was wrong, totally wrong. I'd never thought the Flyers could and would take the Canadiens. No, never. Hats off to RJ Umberger, who scored eight goals in the series. Hats off to Martin Biron (see some of my earlier posts), who's been amazing. Hats off to the Flyers. Can they go to the Finals? They've proven that nothing is impossible.

Tonight it might be decided who they will play. And it probably will be decided. The Pens are up, 3-1 and are playing at home. I said it before the last game and I will say it tonight. It will end here. Although "King" Henrik stated that the Rangers could turn things around, one has to be realistic. In Pittsburgh, the Blueshirts had nothing to come up with when the Pens gained momentum. Even if the Rangers score the first goals, the Pens won't give in. No, it will take a miracle for the Rangers to turn it around. But The Return of The King on Thursday may have given the team a boost.... It will, for sure, be interesting.

What's with these guys?

2008-05-03T10:22:00.006+02:00

Between the Sharks and the Stars, the same story continues. The team scoring the first goal looses the game. And who scored the first one last night? Jere Lehtinen of the Stars. So, the Sharks won. The Stars were up 2-0 and had two goals waved off, one for kick and one because the would-be scorer used his hand. Both "goals" were scored by: Brenden Morrow. He did, however score a goal that didn't get waived off. But then the Sharks started to circle around their prey. 1-2, 6:20 into the third, was scored by Milan Michalek and the equalizer was scored by trade deadline aqusition, Brian Campbell with about nine minutes to go.
After little over a minute in OT, Joe Pavelski scored the winner and HP Pavillion exploded.

This series is far from over and now we're heading into deep water. Sixth game, this time in Dallas. I think the Stars are a bit shaken over this, but they haven't given up. Why should they? They're still in the drivers seat. I will end with a quote from the commentator on Versus:
"The Sharks have another date, in the Lone Star State"

I wonder how long he'd been thinking about that one-liner.....

Oh, yesterday I wrote that the Rangers would be getting a new chance tomorrow (meaning today). That was totally wrong, and I don't know why I wrote that, since they're playing tonight. I must have been very tired when writing that.....

It's alive!

2008-05-02T09:47:00.004+02:00

The King has spoken. "We can turn this around"
Well, Henrik. Let's not get carried away. But winning last night sure as hell made things a little better. And Jaromir Jagr? What is going on? In the first match in MSG he scored one, but most importantly: He fought for his team. That time litteraly, when he had a little workout with Gonchar, I belive.

And last night, he scored - twice. Also worth noticing is that Brandon Dubinsky scored one. Last night I was sure that the series would end. But I'm glad they didn't. The only downpart with last nights game is the fact that I couldn't see it myself. Isn't that typical? The one game they win, and I can't see it! Ah, well. A new chance tomorrow....they better win. For me.

Due to the fact that I'm at work right now, I can't write more right now. I, unlike some other very fortunate people, am not getting payed for writing about the NHL

Oh, I almost forgot. The Mule is in the historybooks! He scored his second hat trick and NINTH goal in the series against Colorado last night, when Detroit crushed the Avs. 8-2 was the final score and the Wings are through to the Conference Finals.

The Flyers?!

2008-05-01T10:32:00.003+02:00

What's going on? The Philadelphia Flyers are on their way to take a major scalp in the playoffs. After last nights game, they have a nice lead, 3-1, over the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens is a team that I thought would have no problems with the Flyers. But, boy was I wrong. Sure, the Canadiens are playing a variation of offensive tactics and they're creating alot. But thanks to the best keeper, so far, in the playoffs, the Flyers can weather the storm as it comes. Martin Biron has been outstanding, supberb, fantastic so far in the playoffs. He's piling up the impossible saves time and again.

Turco, Lundqvist, Fleury, Nabokov, Osgood, Price (Halak last night, though) and Theodore. Good keepers, all of them. But the question is, is anyone of them better than Biron at the moment? The only one I can imagine being close to him is Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers. But he's not getting any help from his defensemen, hence a few more shots are getting past him.
Biron gets the help. Biron makes the saves. Biron is, at the moment, a brick wall.

Speaking of the Rangers. Tonight, it may all end. They lost their first game in the Garden, 5-3, and nothing, absolutely nothing speaks for a victory tonight. Even if they win tonight, they will just postpone the unavoidable. Or? As far as I know, no team has ever turned around a series, being down 3-0. The Pens are playing with confidence and will probably try to kill the series as soon as possible.

In the West, Detroit are cruising towards the Conference Finals. 3-0 up against the Avs. It's the same situation here as it is between the Pens and Rangers. Nothing speaks for Colorado. This will end tonight. No doubt about it. The Avs hasn't really had anything to worry the Wings about. And with The Mule, Johan Franzen, in his greatest form ever in the NHL, having produced 11 points (8+3) in just nine games, it means that the Avs defense has yet another Red Wing to look out for. This is something they already know, since the Mule scored three goals against them last Saturday.

The Sharks are in a bit of trouble, being down 3-1 in the series against the Stars. But, they won last night and may have gained some momentum. Are they just postponing the unavoidable or will they battle back? There's something strange going on in that series. The team that has scored the first goal in each game have lost the game. Will this continue? In that case, if I were a Sharks fan, I'd be hoping for the Stars to score the first goal tomorrow night.

The NHL - is awesome.

Somewhat live #2

2008-04-27T22:41:00.003+02:00

Ok. 2-0 to the Pens at the end of the third. Empty net goal.

My questions are a two:
1. Why on earth didn't Renney [Rangers Coach] call the timeout when the Pens got the 2 minute minor with over two minutes to go?
2. Why did Jagr get that amount of ice time in the end? He took down the tempo of their play instead of increased it.

Sure, now there will be two games in New York. If the Rangers doesn't win the first one, this will be over before the upcoming week is.

Henrik Lundqvist was phenomenal in net. But the Rangers defense was horrible. The offense was even worse with slow anticipated attacks. There's no spark in the Rangers there and that will cost them dearly, unless they change alot until Tuesday.

No, Renney. Back to basic. Get a lot of people in front of goal, shoot like madmen and go for the rebounds. In defense, players like Roszival, Backman and Mara need to step up. Don't let the Pens offensive guys get anywhere near Lundqvist. It should just be one attempt of that and one attempt only. Then Pens forwards should be lying there on the ice.

Look at Gill, Gonchar and Whitney. They're not letting anyone near Fleury (who was amazing this night). Try, and you will face the consequences before you know it.

Like they say on Broadway: "It ain't over until the fat lady sings." Unless Renney, Avery, Jagr, Shanahan and all the other Blueshirts get their act together, that lady will be warming up her throat on Thursday.

Somewhat live

2008-04-27T21:43:00.003+02:00

After half of the game, the Penguins are up by one. 1-0. But it could, and should be way more. The Rangers are allowing the Pens to do whatever they like. Sometimes the Rangers go on the attack. But for the most of the time, the play is around King Henrik Lundqvist.

Lundqvist has made a handfull of saves when yours truly was absolutely certain that it would be a goal. He has moved from side to side, taken a few in his glove just for fun and then anther few slides.

At the end of the second period, the Rangers are on the PP. But Fleury has acted as a stone wall so far. And there's still a 1-0 lead for the Pens.

Stay tuned, after the game things will be summed up

Losing grip?

2008-04-26T09:44:00.003+02:00

It is said that being up 3-0 in hockey is the worst lead you can have. Ask the Rangers today, they'd probably agree. When "Brodway Sean" Avery scored the 3-0-goal in the beginning of the second period no-one could have thought of an ending like this. But, 08:13 into the same period, Jarkko Ruutu scored, 3-1. And just 14(!) seconds later, Pascal Dupuis scored 3-2.
And things got worse. Much worse. 04:40 into the third, Marian Hossa made it 3-3 and just 20 seconds later, Petr Sykora scored the 4-3 goal. At that point I thought (and probably numerous Rangers fans with me) the game was over. But, having just passed the half period mark, Scott Gomez tied things up. With just about two minutes to go, I began to wonder. Could the Rangers turn things around? Would they have the energy to kill the game? And all of a sudden, the game was dead. Killer? Sidney Crosby. 5-4, Penguins.

I'd never thought that there would be that many goals. It was a great match, speed and skill in the attacks. Add to that solid hits and good refereeing. Next round, tomorrow @ The Garden. If things go my way, there will be some live blogging that time.

There was one more Conference Semi Final being played last night, out in the West. The Shars vs. The Stars. In The Shark Tank, it was the Stars who put themselves in the drivers seat. Being outshot 18-27, their victory was somewhat unfair. But if you don't score goals, you don't win matches. After two, the Stars were in the lead, 2-1, after goals from Mike Modano and Brenden Morrow (Sharks goal by Milan Michalek). In the third, Jonathan Cheecho tied things up and the match went into OT. There, Brenden Morrow scored his second of the night, giving the victory to the Texas team.
Tough luck for the Sharks, who needed that victory. You don't want to loose a playoff game at home, and the Stars should have gained a lot of momentum from this. However, "all" it takes from the Sharks is a victory in Dallas. Impossible? I think not.

Tonights games might not be that well covered, we'll see. But tomorrow I'll be back with the Rangers again. If everything goes as planned.

"The Cup Changes Everything"

Game on!

2008-04-25T12:58:00.003+02:00

It was a fierce battle in Montreal last night. The Flyers looked to be in control. At the half-game mark, the Flyers were up, 2-0 after goals from Umberger and Dowd. But the Canadiens pulled themselves together, scoring two goals in the second half of the second period, thus making it a tie game. A nice snapshot from Andrei Kostitsyn made it 1-2 and Alexei Kovalev scored a shorthanded tip-in making it 2-2. After just 19 seconds in the third, Jeoffry Lupul made it 3-2 Flyers and with just 19 seconds to go, Kovalev scored in PP. And 48 seconds in to first OT, Tom Kostopolous scored the winner after banging in a rebound of his on first shot.

1-0 Canadiens, and things are off to a start I'd been expecting. What I didn't expect, was that the Flyers would control the game the way they did in the first half of the match. Now, the Canadiens has a bit of a momentum going on, having made that comeback.

We also got to see the same amount of goals between the Red Wings and the Avs last night. And it was the home team who scored the most, 4-3 Red Wings. But this one didn't go to OT. When Johan Franzen made it 4-1 in the beginning of the second period, many thought the game was over. But the Avs battled and scored two before the end of the period. The Wings was the better team, though, outshooting the Avs: 36-21. The result did not reflect the game. The Wings should have won this by a wider margin. Except for the amazing save by Osgood with seconds to go, the Avs weren't really close to tie it up. 1-0 Wings.

SO Close...

2008-04-23T11:51:00.003+02:00

I feel really sorry for the Washington Capitals, their fans and the whole city of Washington D.C. today. They were so close. So very close. In the first, the Flyers dominated but in the second and third, the Caps really were the better team. But Martin Biron in the Flyers' net acted calm and stayed in total focus throughout the match.
After 04:15 in the first OT period, Tony Poti got called for a tripping. A devestating call, it would turn out to be. The Flyers gained momentum and applied the pressure. And ther result came: After 06:06, with less than ten seconds to go in power play, Jeoffry Lupul scored the winner.
I feel sorry for Poti, but at the same time it was a call that the ref could not look away from. My grandmother would have made that call.

But the Caps didn't go down with a crash. They stood up right until the end, and in a few days they will realise that they've done one amazing season. And in a few days, some of these players might feel for revenge and play in the World Championships in Canada. I really hope Backstrom feels that way. And, for the sake of the tournament, I really hope Ovechkin and Semin also feels that way.

There was another decider being played last night. The Sharks took fully advantage of their home is in the Shark Tank. Winning 5-3 over the Flames took the Sharks to the Conference Semi Finals. Most notable was that one of the scratches in match no. 6, Jeremy Roenick, had a good night with two assists.

Here are the Conference Semi Finals and my predictions about them:
Montreal Canadiens vs. Philadelphia Flyers 4-2
Comment: I've stated earlier that the Canadiens will go through to the Conference Finals. And I do stand firm at my prediction. The key will be the goalies and I think Carey Price will be the bigger man here. The Flyers might win a match or two, but the Canadiens are stronger in the long run.

New York Rangers vs Pittsburgh Penguins 3-4
Comment: This could go either way, but I've stated that it would be the Canadiens vs. Penguins in the Conference Finals and I do stand firm here. But the Rangers is a reat team and will for sure pose a threat to the Pens. Keyman for the Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist.

Detroit Red Wings vs. Colorado Avalanche 4-1
Comment: No no no, there's only one way out of this. The Wings will win this. The only question is if it takes four, five or six games to do so.

San José Sharks vs. Dallas Stars 3-4
Comment: This could go either way, but the Stars do have a stronger team if you see to all lines. That will make the difference here.

NHL - You gotta love it

Capitals...

2008-04-22T16:02:00.003+02:00

They just wouldn't give up. Down 3-2 in matches and 2-0 in match No. 6. Some would just give in and think: "F*ck it..." What did the Caps do? They decided that they had had enough. 2-0 soon became 2-1 (Niklas Backstrom) and. one minute from the buzzer in the second period, 2-2 (Alexandr Semin). In the third period, the Capitals created the most and Alexander The Great (who else?) scored twice to give the Capitals a well earned 4-2 victory. Speaking to Swedish media after match No. 5, rookie Swede Niklas Backstrom came with some nice quotes:
- This is far from over.
- We're getting the hang of it now.
- We'll never give up.
That's just some of the quotes the evermore cocky Swede said. True enough, everything became reality last night. And tonight the decider will be played. In hockey-crazy Washington D.C.
And charging down the Verizon Center, I can not see the Caps failing to win this.

And, Montreal Canadiens got their act together last night. They absolutely demolished the poor Boston Bruins, 5-0(!). There was just one team on the ice. OK, the Bruins had some chances but the amazing Carey (I might have called him Corey earlier....sorry!) Price had simply decided not to let a single puck pass him. I honestly think that's the way it goes. Some nights he just says to his team-mates: "Nah, guys. Focus on offense tonight. I got it."
Habs to Eastern Conference Semi Finals.

Duck Hunting

2008-04-21T10:48:00.005+02:00

Last years Stanley Cup Champions, the Anaheim Ducks, are out of the playoffs. The Dallas Stars won the deciding match, 4-1 and clinched the series 4-2. The Stars now face the Red Wings, who beat Nashville last night. This means that we have three out of four teams in the West waiting for the Quarterfinals (Conference Semi Finals): The Avalanche (who will face either the Sharks or the Flames), the Stars and the Wings.

In the East, things are more complicated. There is a 3-3 tie between the Bruins and the Canadiens. The winner there (which will be decided tonight) will face the New York Rangers. And the Flyers and the Capitals have only played five ganes, with Flyers in the lead 3-2. The winner there will face the Pittsburgh Penguins. Should the Caps win tonight, the deciding game will be played tomorrow night.

Back to the West. I'm getting more and more impressed of some of the Swedes in Dallas. Loui Eriksson and Joel Lundqvist had a great game last night, creating many chances and ending up with one point each. Eriksson scored the 3-1-goal and Lundqvist had an assist with his opening pass to Brad Richards. Niklas Grossman also had an assist in the game. He had an opening pass to Stephane Robidas, who in turn passed it on to Stu Barnes. That meant 2-1.
NHL.com has a slogan saying: "The Cup Changes Everything". That really is the case for the Stars. Now they're flying over the ice. But I have put up a finger of warning for them. Look out, Red Wings. This will be a true clash of the titans. I belive that the winner here will also win the Conference Final, ending up in the Stanley Cup final. We'll see.

Red Wings and Rangers

2008-04-20T23:50:00.003+02:00

Both teams are through to the second round of the playoffs. The Rangers beat the Devils in The Rock last night and the Red Wings just knocked the Predators out of the playoffs with a comfortable 3-0 win. Lidstrom, Hudler and Rafalski scored, with Lidstroms goal being a BP dump towards net. The puck took a weird bounce and ended up behind a rather surprised Ellis in net. The Rangers looks to face either the Bruins or the Canadiens. And the Wings will face either the Stars or the Ducks.

NHL playoffs, there's nothing like it.

The Avery-rule....

2008-04-15T09:20:00.004+02:00

or Rule 75.

That's the newest of rules in the NHL. A player is not allowed to disturb the goalkeeper with his hands or stick. This is something we've seen between the Rangers and the Devils. Mr. Avery did sort of a "not touching - can't get mad"-thing in front of Marty Brodeur, preventing the Devils man to see just about anything. The ref couldn't do anything. Now he can.
This kind of behaviour is now under the name of "Unsportsmanship conduct" and will render a two minute minor.

Rangers up, 2-1 in matches.

I know I haven't been fair to you. No predictions has yet been made. I will now do them, a bit late. But better late than never. I will name the teams in the conference finals with one outsider on each coast.

West: Detroit Red Wings vs. Dallas Stars
Outsider: San José Sharks
Why? The Wings is an awesome team, although they lost last night. The Stars made exactly the right moves at deadline and will be there. Look out for Thornton and co, though.

East: Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Outsider: New York Rangers
Why? Just look at the final table of the conference. Two outstanding teams. I really can't find a contender besides those two. The only thing stopping these team will be themselves. The Rangers is an outsider named mostly because I had to find one.

Summing up the regular season....

2008-04-06T16:49:00.003+02:00

Almost. There are a few matchest to be played but now we know who's going to the playoffs, and who's not. Well, we knew all about that in the West a few days ago. Now we know everything about the East as well. I have to congratulate the Flyers. They did take a spot. I was convinced that they wouldn't. My prediction (on March 27th) was the following teams:

"East:
1. Canadiens
2. Penguins
3. Hurricanes
4. Devils
5. Senators
6. Rangers
7. Capitals
8. Flyers"

And these are the Lucky Eight, who are actually going to play.
1. Canadiens
2. Penguins
3. Capitals
4. Devils
5. Rangers
6. Senators
7. Bruins
8. Flyers

So, I missed out on one team. The Hurricanes did not have what it took to take them to the playoffs. I had them as an outsider for the Cup. Anyways, these things happen. Will the Flyers step up and be a contender? It COULD happen. But i doubt it. After the last matches in the regular season, I will make my predictions and picks for the Cup. Tune in!

Bye bye, Canucks

2008-04-04T12:38:00.004+02:00

We'll get to them later on
But now: Henrik Lundqvist is a man for the history books! With his 10th (!!) shut out of the season, he has now accomplished something that's hasn't been done since the 1920's, within the Rangers organisation. So: Congratulations, Henrik Lundqvist! And congratulations, Blueshirts! They're in the playoffs once again, after beating the Islanders 3-0.

More congratulations: Detroit Red Wings won the Presidents Trophy last night. Well done!

Vancouver Canucks.... What to say? Last night, something I stated a week ago, became reality. The Canucks won't be in the playoffs. They've only got them selves to blame. They had it all in their own hands. But if you don't win matches, you won't go to the playoffs. Enough said.

In the East, the pressure is now all on the Flyers. The Caps won last night. I stand firm with my prediction: It will be the Caps, not the Flyers, in the playoffs. But the Bruins might also miss out.
Right now it looks like this:
7. Bruins 80 matches - 92 points
8. Caps 81 matches - 91 points
---------------------------------------
9. Flyers 80 matches - 90 points

Back to the West. On March 27th I wrote:
"Since I'm here to predict, I will give you my two cents on the outcome in both Conferences.
Teams going to the playoffs in the West:
1. Red Wings
2. Sharks
3. Wild
4. Ducks
5. Flames
6. Stars
7. Avalanche
8. Predators"

And these are the teams who actually have clinched the eight spots:
1. Red Wings
2. Sharks
3. Wild
4. Ducks
5. Stars
6. Avalanche
7. Flames
8. Predators

Sure, the standings differs a bit. But I'm satisfied. How things will end in the East is a question for the future. Stay tuned!

Blowing....

2008-04-03T13:28:00.003+02:00

....chances. It's not what you want to do when you're fighting for the playoff fun. The Flyers did just that last night. Well, it wasn't as much blowing the chances as it were some amazing goaltending by Marc Andre Fleury. He made some incredible saves, going from one side to the other. The Washington Capitals might want to thank Fleury for their chance for the playoffs now. He was the difference in Mellon Arena. 4-2, Penguins.
The Caps are just one point behind the Flyers with two games to go. The thriller continues.

At the same time, the Devils beat the Bruins, 3-2 after SO. Zach Parise ended the Shootout with a nice top shelf backhand, beating Tim Thomas on his glove side. It was an amazing shot. At the other end of the ice, Marty Brodeur made some outstanding saves.
The Bruins might also loose out on the playoffs. But they got one point last night. That point might prove to be vital.

In the West, the Blackhawks destroyed the Wings, 6-2. If it weren't for some nice saves by substitute goaltender Chris Osgood, the Blackhawks could have gone away with a lot more than that. This win gives the Illinois team a chance for the playoffs. But it's a small chance, they're three points behind with four points left to play for. Miracles have happened before, though.

Ouch, Sens.....

2008-04-02T11:49:00.004+02:00

0-3 to the Canadiens. At home. That one has got to hurt. Although it looks like the Sens are going to make the playoffs, that loss must have been bitter. But they had the chance in ten (!) powerplays last night (the eleventh two minute minor for the Canadiens came at 19:57 of the third, so we're not "counting" it). That sort of inefficiency is what makes you loose matches, and in the long run: It doesn't give you a chance to play with the big boys.
Nothing is done yet, though. There are two matches left. And this will be a photo finish. For the Canadiens this must just have added more fuel to the tank. They're in good form and are just looking forward to the playoffs right now. Corey Price has really shown that the trade of Huet (to the Caps) wasn't a mistake. He stopped all 32 shots last night.

In the West, the Avalanche clinched their playoff spot, by beating the Canucks, 4-2. It was a game neither team could afford to loose. Sorry, Canucks. But things aren't looking good now, are they? The Avs' win was much thanks to returning Super Swede, Peter Forsberg. He had an assist at the 2-2 goal, and scored the game winner, 3-2, himself. The result means that the Flames almost has clinched their playoff spot. They're four points clear of the Canucks, since they beat the Oilers last night, 3-2.

Back to the East, the Caps has not given up their chase for a much desired spot in the playoffs. Last night they beat the Hurricanes, 4-1. Rookie Swede got an assist at the last goal, scored by - yes, it's him again - Alexander Ovechkin. The Caps are really putting the pressure on the Flyers. They're one point behind, but they have played one more match than the Pennsylvania based team, who are playing the Penguins (away) tonight. If they loose that one, there will be hell to pay. Because the Caps are in a good form. And the pressure is all on the Flyers. And on the Bruins, actually. They have the same amount of points as the Flyers (91, compared to the Caps at 90 pts). The Bruins are playing the Devils (away, in "The Rock"). I'm really looking forward to those clashes.

To be continued....tomorrow.

The rollercoaster

2008-04-01T10:48:00.000+02:00

Having lost to Pittsburgh, the day before yesterday, the Rangers had to win last night. Against....Pittsburgh. And so they did. Jaromir Jagr did well scoring one and getting one assist in the 2-1 OT victory. Much to the delight of his former fans, I imagine.....

Thanks to the victory, the Rangers passed Ottawa. A team which has lost all form during the last week or so. If things go really bad, the Sens might miss out on the playoffs. Not likely, though. The Sens have some decent matches left, which aren't going to be easy. Canadiens (at home), The Maple Leafs (away) and the Bruins (at home). I belive they will make it, and I've stated that they will do so in my prediction for the playoffs. But wouldn't it be a great big shocker if they didn't?

In the West, the playoffs teams are gathering. The following teams have in fact already clinched a playoffs spot:
Red Wings (clinched division), Sharks (clinched division), Wild, Ducks & Stars. The big guns are loading. I can't wait for the showdowns.

In the East, only two teams have yet clinched their spots, and those are two division winners. The Penguins and the Canadiens. I'm impressed by both teams, especially the Pens. Their long term goal to give the younger players a chance is paying off. Well, it's not like Average Joe, 20 years old, is playing for the Pens. I mean, they do have Sid the Kid and Malkin. Let's not forget Fleury, Talbot, Kennedy and Staal. If they all stay with the Penguins, this team could actually build a dynasty for years to come. But I'm afraid that the salary cap might be a problem. We'll see. But this year, the Pens will be a contender. They have a nice mix and a nice game.

I have to comment the Rangers as well. They sort of clinched the playoff spot last night. But at least one more point is needed. They WILL make it.

This Forsberg fella'.....

2008-03-29T10:53:00.003+01:00

Three assist the day before yesterday. And last night: Another three assist. The Swedish magician has clearly warmed up now. Since his comeback in February, he has got nine points in seven games. But no goals. Yet. As stated before, Peter Forsberg will be a major asset for the Avs in the playoffs.

Canucks lost a vital game last night, being blanked in the 4-0 demolishion away against the Wild. Sure, the Wild is one of the best teams in the league right now, but that was a sorry blow for the Canucks playoff chances. They're now outside the playoffs since Nashville won their match, beating the Blue Jackets 2-0. The Flyers lost an important match against the Devils after Shootout. So they got one point at least, and are now three points clear of the first team outside the playoffs (the Caps).

Besides that, there was nothing that really had an impact on the playoffs spots last night. The Blues beat the Red Wings away after OT, 4-3. Henrik Zetterberg had a decent night, getting three assists for the Wings.
The Sharks beat the Stanley Cup Champions, the Ducks, also away, 3-1.
And Carolina destroyed a sorry Atlanta team by beating them, 7-1. The Hurricanes are warming up to the playoffs and might be a contender.

This year, it is tougher than ever to predict anything, especially a Stanley Cup Champion. The team are so evenly matched and many teams made impressive aquisitions at the deadline magic. Amongst them were the Hurricanes, who got defender Joe Corvo (1+1 last night) from Ottawa.

It's almost time.......4 games left.

Rounding up the night

2008-03-28T11:19:00.003+01:00

It was a very nice night, hockeywise.

Some interesting results during the night, regarding the playoffs. This was only in the East though. Because there was only two matches in the West and these were really not anywhere near the playoff fights. Well, the Kings beat the Coyotes 4-0. That should put an end to the playoff hunt for the Phoenix team for this season. The other game inolving teams from the West was the Stars vs. the Shars in San José. The Sharks won it 3-2 after OT. Joe Thornton lead the troops, with two goals.

Back to the East!
The Rangers beat the Devils in MSG, 3-2. That should mean that there will be a playoff spot for the Blueshirts. Nothing is clinched yet but it sure looks good. The Rangers went 1-0 up through a PP goal by Brendan Shanahan early in the second, then the Devils turned it around with goals from Patrik Elias and Zack Parise. In the third, new Swede on the block, Christian Backman scored with a nice wrist shot. That was really needed, since he was the one responsible for the Devils second goal with a major flaw in his passing game, giving Parise a breakaway. The goal by Dawes was pretty weird, it looked like a flying header or so. But it counts. 3-2 Rangers.

The Pens beat the Islanders, 4-1. A match that really doesn't change anything worth mentioning. The Pens has already clinched a playoff spot and the Islanders season will still be over in four matches.

The Caps beat the Bolts 4-3 after OT, putting some pressure on the Flyers. The Flyers has the last playoff spot, but they are only two points ahead of the Caps. Although, the Flyers has one game more left to play. The Caps got to be beating themselves. A game like this, against an opponent that has got nothing to play for should result in two points. Now there will be a tough one for them. They have the chance for a quick bounce-back tomorrow, when they play the Panthers away. The Flyers, however are playing the Devils (away) tonight, and the Islanders tomorrow.

I stand firm that the Caps will make this. They have a easier schedule. The Flyers will play the Pens twice, for example.

The last three matches to report, follows here:
The Bruins beat the Maple Leafs at home, 4-2, after a strong last period (3-1).
Buffalo Sabres beat the Ottawa Senators, 4-3 after penalties. Derek Roy scored the winning penalty.
And the Atlana Thrashers beat the Florida Panthers, 3-2, almost certainly putting an end to the chances of a playoff spot for the Panthers.

I'm back?

2008-03-27T13:16:00.003+01:00

Hey!

It's been a while since my last post. Got a txt from a friend, asking me what the h*ll is going on here. Well, since I'm a student I have to study. And this last month has been hell. I'll try to keep you guys posted more regularly now.

The NHL is drawing closer to the Playoffs! In both conferences, there are fierce battles for the last desired spots.

In the West it looks like Colorado is drawing closer to the playoffs after a nice 6-3 win over the Canucks, who in their turn is more involved than ever in the battle, having the last playoff spot at the moment. But with the Predators and the Oilers just two and three points behind, it will be a photo-finish. Let's not forget that there are more teams chasing; We have the Coyotes and the Blackhawks within six points of the Canucks. The Stars, currently one point ahead of the Avalanche can feel quite secure. They will, unless there's a major flaw in their play, reach the playoffs. Once there, they will for sure be an outsider worth mentioning.

In the East, the hornets nest is shaping up quite nicely as well.
There we have seven teams within the span of nine points. The Rangers (76 matches, 89pts), the Flyers (77 matches, 88pts), the Bruins (76 matches, 86 pts) are right now in the playoffs but this might change. The hungry teams chasing them are: the Caps (77 matches, 84 pts), the Sabres (76 matches, 81 pts), the Panthers (77 matches, 81pts) and the Leafs (77 matches, 80 pts).

Since I'm here to predict, I will give you my two cents on the outcome in both Conferences.
Teams going to the playoffs in the West:
1. Red Wings
2. Sharks
3. Wild
4. Ducks
5. Flames
6. Stars
7. Avalanche
8. Predators

East:
1. Canadiens
2. Penguins
3. Hurricanes
4. Devils
5. Senators
6. Rangers
7. Capitals
8. Flyers

Worth mentioning from last nights matches is that Peter Forsberg had a decent night, ending up with three assists. Former Linkoping HC keeper Fredrik Norrena blanked the Blackhawks in the Blue Jackets 4-0 win, stopping 17 shots.

Slaughter....

2008-03-04T09:13:00.002+01:00

10-2. 10-2. Once again: 10-2.
It was by those numbers the Washington Capitals slaughtered the Boston Bruins last night. And the inevitable happened: Alexander The Great scored his 50th goal of the season. And no. 51 and 52 as well. Add to that two assists and there you have a good day at the job for the amazing 22 year old from Russia. I see him play every now and again and I can't help but being amazed every time.
Rookie Swede Nicklas Backstrom is once again the best producing rookie, after having a comfortable night with four assists. He has now 56 points (10+46), while second best rookie, Patrick Kane, has 55pts (16+39).

No Rangers game tonight but there were two more, except the slaughter in Washington D.C.
The Sharks beat the Canadiens , 6-4, with Joe Thornton leading the way, scoring two and having two assists. And in the replay of last years Stanley Cup final, the Ducks beat the Sens 3-1.

Swedish Blueshirts!

2008-03-02T23:24:00.007+01:00

Two minutes before the puck dropped in MSG today, I asked the question: "Is it time for the new Swedes Fredrik Sjostrom and Christian Backman to become an instant MSG heros? "

And so they did. They scored one goal each, in the 5-4 OT win against the Flyers (putting an end to the Flyers consecutive run of three wins, and at the same time giving the Rangers their fourth win straight). I reckon the two new Blueshirts will be a big asset for the Rangers in the upcoming playoffs. Yes, I belive they will make it. OK, sometimes they loose focus but now they're winning on a regular basis. Looking good. Every point counts. It ain't over until the fat lady sings.

Worth noticing: Marek Malik had two assist in the game. I wonder if the booes echoed in MSG..... Another thing worth paying some attention to, is the fact that both starting goalkeepers were substituted. Henrik Lundqvist substituted himself in the end of the first period. Antero Nittymaki had enough early in the second.

Hm

2008-03-02T18:54:00.000+01:00

No internet connection to MSG. Got a link but I ended up with German ice hockey. Not the best of days. I'll keep on looking but there's a risk I won't find anything.

Flyers on the rise?

2008-03-02T18:27:00.004+01:00

Three straight wins for Flyers now. Something is happening in Philly. I think it's fun. Personally, I don't have anything against them. But today they're playing the Rangers. I think the streak will end here. The Rangers are fighting for a playoff spot and they, too, have a run of three straight wins and five wins out of their last six matches. It will be a battle, for sure. But I reckon the Blueshirts will get the two points today. Is it time for the new Swedes Fredrik Sjostrom and Christian Backman to become an instant MSG heros?
Here we go!

The Deadline Magic part 2

2008-02-26T21:08:00.003+01:00

Marian Hossa has left Georgia. He didn't leave the East, though. He has been traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The complete deal looks like this:

To Atlanta:
F Angelo Esposito, F Colby Armstrong, F Eric Christensen + 1 round draft pick
To Pittsburgh:
F Marian Hossa & F Pascal Dupuis

Sure, this deal might take the Penguins to the playoffs. But it looks like this might be a "rental". Marian Hossa will become an Unrestricted Free Agent this summer and could just walk out on the Pens if he wants to. On the other hand, a line looking like this is hard to say no to:
Hossa - Malkin - Crosby

But if Hossa walks out in the summer, this deal has put the Penguins back alot. But for now, the Pens fans got to be celebrating.

For more info, go to www.nhl.com

The Deadline Magic

2008-02-26T20:39:00.004+01:00

Ok. Where to begin?

Brad Richards and Johan Holmqvist and the 2009 4th-Round Draft Pick to Dallas Stars. In exchange, Tampa get Jeff Halpern, Mike Smith & the amazing Finn, Jussi Jokinen.
That is one huge trade. The Bolts is active. They also sent Vaclav Prospal to Philadelphia in exchange for Alexandre Picard and a Conditional draft pick.

As stated yesterday, Colorado signed Peter Forsberg. Today, another Avalanche hero returns. Adam Foote has left the Blue Jackets for Denver (in exchange for a Conditional Draft Pick). Ruslan Salei has also packed his bags and is on his way to Denver. Karlis Skrastins is moving in the opposite direction.

The Canadiens let Cristobal Huet go to the Caps in exchange for their 2009 2nd-Round Draft Pick. Huets contract was running out and rumour has it that the Canadiens didn't want to re-sign him. The Caps has also aquired Sergei Fedorov from Columbus (in exchange for Ted Roth) and Matt Cooke from Vancouver (in exchange for British Columbia-born Matt Pettinger).

Buffalo Sabres defender Brian Campbell heads to Sharks in exchange for forward Steve Bernier. An emotional move for the former Sabres defender who really wanted to stay. At the same time he came to the conclusion that that's life and now he was a bit exited about playing for the Sharks.

With just about 15 mins left, Marian Hossa is still the biggest question mark. And will the Canadiens go for a goalkeeper or will youngster Price be their first choice for the remainder of the season?

More info later on, or tomorrow.

Peter Forsberg

2008-02-25T23:11:00.002+01:00

Well, I thought he'd end up on Manhattan. Mostly because whenever he'd been playing there as a visitor, he always stayed another day or two if possible. He has said that he likes the city very much, and that is usually enough for a player to go to a club.

Of course, the Avalanche was always there, in the background. Many people thought he'd go there. I was not one of them. But I'm glad I was wrong. Peter Forsberg is back in Denver. #21 is home. If he will avoid any injuries during the remainder of the season is a question worth asking. But, I have faith in Forsberg. Congratulations all of you out there, supporting the Avalanche. And, congratulations NHL! One truly great player is back.

I'd like to see the first game in Denver when Mr. 21 enters the ice. It might reach levels of appreciation never to be seen again.

I think this will be a nice end of a truly amazing career. There was never a doubt about where Forsberg wanted to play. Everything stated in media was rumours and loads of BS.
Tomorrow is the deadline. Any more surprises? I'm curious. Are you?

In a time where money and success....

2008-02-25T11:06:00.008+01:00

...rules, it is nice to see that some players remain loyal to their clubs even when the opportunity for a quick personal success arises.

Mats Sundin is staying with the Maple Leafs - at least for the remainder of the season. When absolutely everybody, myself included, was speaking about a trade, Mats Sundin officially stated that he's staying put. No Red Wings, no Sharks - just Maple Leafs. That is loyalty!

Mats Sundin is truly a great player and a great person. He's already made himself immortal in Toronto. If he decides to play next season as well, he might experience the beginning of a new era. Toronto will build something new and younger. Fellow Swede, Anton Stralman, will for sure be a vital part of the new Maple Leafs team. This season might not be over yet, but the Maple Leafs management are looking to 2008-09.

The Rangers demolished the Panthers, winning 5-0 in MSG. Henrik Lundqvist had a calm night, completing his 24th shutout in his NHL career. This is the second best, when it comes to Swedish goalkeepers in the National Hockey League. Tommy Salo is the no.1 Swede with 37 shutouts.
The constantly hated Marek Malik scored twice (his first two of the season), still being booed for his performance by the Garden Faithful.

"The Finnish Flash", Teemu Selänne, scored a hat-trick when the Ducks beat the Blackhawks, 6-3. This was goal no. 5,6 and 7 since his late comeback. Selänne has given the Ducks a boost and this might be enough for the former Disney-owned California team to mount a serious challenge for the Cup. I'd been hoping all season for the amazing Selänne to return and it was a happy surprise when he did.

No news on the trading front. Philadelphia Flyers has been a bit active during the last week. On Feb. 20 they shipped Jim Vandermeer (D) to Calgary Flames for their 2009 3rd-Round Draft Pick. And on the day before, they let their own 2008 3rd-Round Draft Pick go to the Kings in exchange for Jaroslav Modry (D). So, basically, they went +/- 0, if you ask me. Tomorrow is the last day before the deadline. It might not be that many big-names moving, as I have expected.

Mats Sundin

2008-02-23T18:54:00.003+01:00

It looks like Mats is moving.
Several sources (American, Canadian and Swedish) are sure of the fact. Mats Sundin will leave the Maple Leafs before the deadline. Not a big surprise. His contract is running out after this season and he hasn't won the Cup yet. He's getting old and this might be his last chance of winning.

It will be almost impossible for him to move within Canada, except if he moves to Vancouver. But that is not likely to happen. For me there are two major competitors for Mats Sundin. One is Detroit Red Wings and the other is San José Sharks. I don't know what Detroit would like to offer in exchange for the SuperSwede, but rumour has it that the many Swedes already playing for the Red Wings has done a bit of lobbying to get Sundin to Hockeytown.

San José has a few players to offer, amongst them Patrick Marleau. He is of interest for the Maple Leafs, a team going for the big re-build for the upcoming years.

As I've stated so many times before: We'll see what happens. I'm saying Detroit.

Jaromir Jagr

2008-02-20T18:53:00.003+01:00

According to nhl.com, Jaromir Jagr doesn't care much for the rumours about him being traded before the deadline on February 26th. The Czech has the opportunity for a one-year extension of his contract with the Blueshirts but it only kicks in if he reaches 84 points and if the Rangers wins at least one round of play-off. Having scored 49 points in 61 games, this looks nearly impossible to come true. In that case, Jaromir Jagr will become a Free Agent this summer.

However, the way he played this weekend showed that he really doesn't care. He's giving 100% in every shift and works really hard.

I've stated before, that I think Jagr will move before the deadline. Although, if he would stay with the Rangers for the remainder of the season, he would still be a great weapon for the Manhattan team in their hunt for a spot in the play-offs. He's creating chances and opportunities for both himself and his line-mates, Sean Avery (two goals against Sabres) and Brandon Dubinsky (two goals against Sharks). And if he stays and helps the Rangers to that play-off spot, he might still be offered the extension. Who knows?

His points per season has dropped, yes. But Jaromir Jagr is not finished. Yet.
Where he finishes this season, is still a mystery.

I am a New Yorker!

2008-02-19T18:13:00.003+01:00

Hi there!

New York City. That should actually sum it up. But for those of you who hasn't been to NYC, here are a few lines dedicated to this lovely city.

No matter where you are in NYC or what your purpose of your visit is, you will always find something that suits you for the moment. Apart from visiting the main attractions, such as the Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty and Central Park, one can just walk around and soak the atmosphere. I love it. I can't get enough of it.

How was it, hockeywise?
Amazing. I've seen many matches on TV and thought I had a decent understanding of the speed of the game over there. But, I was wrong. So very wrong. It's faster and more intense. There is never a dull moment. Never.

One major difference between the NHL and the Swedish Elite Series is the forecheking. When you loose the puck in the NHL, you stay in zone and forecheck or you try to close the opponent down. In Sweden, you fall back. Also, there are barely any hookings, icings (thank God for touch icing!) or other interruptions.

The first match I saw was Rangers vs. Sabres in MSG. The atmosphere inside cannot be described in words. Pure magic. The fact that the Rangers really came out and gave 110% right from the start (Avery scored after 10 secs, setting a new MSG record!) was hardly a downpart in the matter. There wasn't really a match. Rangers were up by 4-0 at the end of the first and that was pretty much it. They ended up, as you all know, 5-1 winners. It could, and perhaps should have been one or two more goals. Avery scored twice and had his chances for a trick.

The next day, there were some visitors from the West. The Sharks came to town. The best road team in the league. Could they upset the Rangers after that showdown on the day before? Well, they tried. The Sharks took the lead in the middle of the first period. But the Rangers bounced back, and eventually won 3-1. Dubinsky scored twice for the Rangers.

Henrik Lundqvist guarded the net on both occations. He couldn't do much on the Sharks goal, but he should have taken the one in the Buffalo game. Apart from that, Lundqvist was amazing.

No deals to report, but as we move towards the deadline. rumours are mounting everywhere. One thing has been confirmed though: Peter Forsberg will not play in the NHL this season. Well, there goes my tip for him being a Blueshirt for the remainder of the 2007-08 season. But some things will happen. Now we'll just wait and see.

I'm off

2008-02-14T15:23:00.003+01:00

Well, now you may think that yesterday was a bad day for me to start my sports blog. In fact, it's the other way around. I'm going to NYC now. On Tuesday, I will be back with loads of information, reflections and perhaps a cool detail or two. Yes, it's all about ice hockey right now.
Sharks vs. Rangers
Sabres vs. Rangers

Madison Square Garden, here I come.

Oh! One more thing. Today, it is exactly 12 days until the trade deadline. No nasty trade has been made. Except for the one brought up yesterday.
However, Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers recently signed a new contract, keeping him on Manhattan for at least five more seasons. It's a deal perfectly suited for both team and player.
Lundqvist is one of the best keepers in the League and this way, the Rangers has a solid ground to build something exciting on.
Peter Forsberg may be old, but I wouldn't be surprised if we saw him on Manhattan this season. And if the Rangers doesn't succeed in luring him there, then there's one major player waiting for a solution down in Georgia........

PERHAPS I might update this blog whilst being in NYC. But do not count on it. I'm going iPod hunting!

Have a great weekend, all!

Late news + other news

2008-02-13T20:16:00.000+01:00

It came as a bit of a surprise to me, but Corey Stillman is now a Senator. I know, I'm late here but I have been away from the computer since this morning. And as I looked at the news on different websites, I realised the deal went through during the night (here in Sweden). So apparently, I missed it this morning. So, I'm not off to a great start here. Things are going to pick up, that's a promise!

So, what's happening this weekend?
Manchester United are playing Arsenal in the FA Cup. A victory is needed to restore some of the pride lost in the derby against Manchster City last Sunday. It will be a tough one for sure.

Yours truly won't be around to watch it. I'm flying across the pond to New York City. It is a short hockey trip for me, I'm going to be there and see the Rangers play the Sabres and the Sharks. It will, for sure, be a different experience. I'm used to the big rinks and the Swedish Elit Series. Of course, I've seen the NHL on TV but this is something extraordinary. Then I'm off back home to Sweden on Monday. On Thursday I'm back on the stands in the Swedish Elite Series, watching Linkopings HC play FBK Karlstad away.

A lot of ice hockey here right now, but there will be football as well.
There won't be any postings here during my stay in NYC. A summary will be online during the upcoming Tuesday or Wednesday. I might write some here tomorrow before my departure.

The royal opening

2008-02-13T11:11:00.001+01:00

We're off!

Given the fact that this is the first time for me, writing a blog, there might be a few changes later on. At first, this will be a bilingual blog. Most entries will be written in English but there might be some Swedish involved in some of the entries. We'll see where this will end up.

The title of the blog doesn't really keep much to the imagination. So, here I will post my views on ice hockey, football (soccer) and a few other sports. Sometimes, there might be something about the NBA and the NFL. But most of this will be about ice hockey and football.

The trade deadline in the NHL is coming up. We might see some big name moves. Ray Emery of the Ottawa Senators might leave the Canadian capital. Rumour has it that he has become some sort of a cancer in the Senators locker room. He has anger managment issues and that speaks for a move, looking at it as a Senator manager. Looking at it with another pair of eyes, I wonder if there is an organisation, willing to pursue a keeper like that. The Thrashers' Marian Hossa is becoming an Unrestricted Free Agent and things might happen in Georgia. If he is leaving, I think he might end up either up the east coast and on Manhattan (perhaps in exchange for Jaromir Jagr?) or he might end up going Wild? Pairing him up with his Slovakia fellow Marian Gaborik would make the Wild fans go nuts, for sure.

I will write some more later. Now it is time for lunch