Devils 2-0 Panthers
 

:) Shutout #108 for Brodeur on Wednesday night in the Devils 2-0 win against the Panthers.

Although the Devils have followed their last four shutouts with bad losses.:no: And next up for the Devils on Friday are the Habs.:eek:

shadows, tough break for the Leafs in OT against Tampa on Thursday.:(

I guess the only silver lining I can take from that game is that I got a total of 7 points(3 for Stamkos, 3 for Lecavalier, and 1 for St. Louis) for my hockey pool. I am pissed that they blew another lead, though. I am liking that they are at least getting the first goals now. Earlier in the season, they were always playing from behind!

Now if only they could hold on to their leads...:(

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Ila, what do you think of Montreal getting rid of George Larroque(sp?)? I think he added a measure of toughness to Montreal and that they will sorely miss that if they make it to the playoffs(as they have a lot of small guys on that team). Look at what happened to Carey Price the other night for example!:eek:

I was quite surprised, although maybe I shouldn't have been. He has scored only one goal this season. The newspapers out here are calling him the reluctant enforcer as he's only been in four fights this season. I would think that that makes him a better player as I don't like fighting in hockey.

I think that there is a lot going on behind the scenes that the fans haven't been made aware of. I'm sure though that if Laracque signs with another team that we'll hear more from him about what went on. I'm sure we'll also hear some rebuttals from Gainey if that happens.

I don't think that Montreal will miss him too much. He was good for public relations events, but he wasn't producing on the ice. What Montreal will miss most is not being able to fill the roster spot until Laracque's contract is up.

Canadiens 3-1 Devils
 

http://forum.transladyboy.com/attach...1&d=1264221713 ila http://forum.transladyboy.com/attach...1&d=1264221713

Following the shutout another Devils loss, conceding three goals on 24 shots. :censored: The Devils defence is blowing hot and cold at the moment.

Attachment 148506Filling in what I left out of the above post:

Attachment 148503 Congrats on the win ila Attachment 148504

Hey, friends, sorry I haven't been posting in this forum. But, as a Bruins fan, it's just so damn depressing. :(

Um...you're talking to a Leafs fan here, so I hear you loud and clear(and feel your pain!:().:(:(

Also, I apologize for being behind on the reports. I promise I will catch up on Monday.:blush:

I just have to beat shadows to this one.

Montreal 6
Rangers 0

It was Halak's third shutout this season. :respect:

Yes, it's happy dance time.

Four second period goals for the Canadiens in eight and a half minutes, that had to be pleasant viewing.

Now the Canadiens have joined the Flyers in the top 8 in the Eastern Conference. Are both teams hitting form as the regular season enters the final 30 games?

At least my Devils bounced back from Friday's 3-1 defeat to the Canadiens with a 4-2 win at the Islanders, Parise scoring the equaliser on the Devils ONLY shot of the 2nd period.
The Devils need to score more goals, they're only the 11th highest scorers in the East, it puts too much pressure on the #1 defence.

At least Gaborik didn't use his face as a punching bag in this one.;):lol:

Thanks, shadows. I almost pissed myself laughing when I read this.

No problem.:respect:

The decision on how long Patrice Cormier has been rendered. This article is from tsn.ca.

CORMIER SUSPENDED FOR BALANCE OF QMJHL SEASON AND PLAYOFFS

The verdict is in.

Rouyn-Noranda Huskies forward Patrice Cormier was suspended for the balance of the season and the playoffs by the QMJHL on Monday.

Cormier, 19, created a firestorm of media attention last week when he elbowed Mikael Tam of the Quebec Remparts in the head, sending Tam into convulsions on the ice and causing him to be taken to hospital with brain trauma and broken teeth.

Chief disciplinarian Raymond Bolduc called the hit "dangerous and unacceptable" after laying out the punishment on Monday.

The incident occurred in overtime of a game on January 17. Cormier took to the ice to start his shift, cut through the centre ice area and threw his right elbow up into Tam's face. Tam then collapsed, his body shaking until he was taken off the ice on a stretcher by medical staff and players.

Cormier, who was playing in just his third game with the Huskies, was suspended indefinitely by the league pending further investigation.

The hit generated a massive amount of discussion in Canada, drawing the ire of head shot critics from the hockey world. The day after the incident, TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie took to his Twitter account, writing, "This Cormier elbow is sickening on so many levels. I have never been so discouraged about the game of hockey as now."

The league announced last Wednesday that it would be unveiling "disciplinary measures" the following Monday for Cormier, who was serving as the captain of Canada's world junior team no more than a few weeks ago.

This suspension also comes just four days after the OHL suspended Windsor Spitfires forward Zack Kassian for 20 games for delivering a charge against a vulnerable player who did not have the puck. That hit was on the Barrie Colts' Matt Kennedy back on January 14th.

Bolduc had spent recent days looking over testimony from players, officials and team representatives who witnessed the incident.

He added on Monday that Cormier would not allowed to play in any leagues under Hockey Canada's jurisdiction, but that he had five days to appeal the suspension if he wished to do so.

Cormier is not allowed to play for the Devils or their AHL affiliate until his QMJHL team is eliminated from the playoffs.

Devils GM Lou Lamoriello said the organization would respect the QMJHL's ruling.

"We will honour the league's suspension, have not considered, and will not explore other avenues for his return this season," Lamoriello said in a team release. "We are pleased to hear Mikael Tam is doing well. Our thoughts are with him for a full recovery."

Lamoriello said the Devils organization does not condone Cormier's actions but also defended the player they picked 54th overall back in 2008.

"This unfortunate incident does not reflect the character of the Patrice Cormier we know," added Lamoriello. "We trust that Patrice will have learned a valuable lesson that will serve him well when he returns to hockey as a valued player in our organization."

Meanwhile, Tam is now out of hospital but is waiting to hear whether he'll be able to resume his hockey career in the near future, if at all.

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I think that is a good start, but I honestly feel that he should have been suspended for an entire year at least. That means NO hockey at all. The way it stands now, he can play for either the New Jersey Devils or their AHL affiliate next season. Meanwhile, Tam may never play again.

So like I said, it's a start but not as much as he deserved.

Here comes another big one! I'm going to try and make these more frequently to prevent crazy ones like this in the future.;)

Here are the scores from Jan 19th's games:

1. The Rangers crushed Tampa Bay 8-2. Can this be true? The Rangers scoring more than 2 goals? Marion Gaborik had 4 assists in this game. He must have known that his punching bag debut was coming so he wanted to get some points while he could still see the puck.;)

2. Philadelphia beat Columbus 5-3. While Columbus is not a great team to say the least, a win is a good thing for Philly. It seems like everything is falling into place for them now, which is a good thing.

3. Washington beat Detroit 3-2. I read an article today that said that Detroit is near the bottom of the league with goals scored. Considering all the firepower they had last year it was a shock to read that!:eek:

4. Atlanta beat Toronto 4-3. I am really getting sick and tired of this song and dance. Win one game, lose one game, win one game, lose one game! Damn it! Can you PLEASE win more than one freaking game in a row?!?!

5. Ottawa beat Chicago 4-1. Ottawa is playing very well right now, while the Blackhawks are stumbling around a little. It seems that since the 6-5 shootout loss to Minnesota a while back(where Chicago originally had a 5-1 lead!) they have been a totally different team than what they were earlier in the season. I am sure they will turn it around but they need to hurry up! Vancouver is hungrily eyeing their spot.

6. Pittsburgh beat the Islanders 6-4. This was an amazing game for Pittsburgh's offense! Malkin had a hat-trick and Crosby had 2 goals and 4 assists! 6 points! That's a pretty good night! This was the game that helped Crosby get back into the points-leader race.

7. Anaheim beat Buffalo 5-4. Anaheim had a 4-0 lead after the first period, and they almost blew it! If they hadn't scored that 5th goal in the third, they probably would have lost. Anaheim is playing quite well right now, and they could be a force to be reckoned with if they make the playoffs.

8. San Jose beat LA 5-1. I would have thought with the two teams involved to have a closer game. However, once San Jose had a 3-0 lead, it would be quite a hill for LA to climb up. LA had outshot San Jose 37-24, but it did them no good.

All games ended in regulation this night. A rarity to say the least.

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Here are the scores from Jan 20th's games:

1. New Jersey beat Florida 2-0. Not a hard game for Brodeur this night, as they only allowed 22 shots to get to him. Their offense has been a little weak the past little while, and they are relying entirely too much on Brodeur to bail them out. Elias is needed, and they are probably hoping he will be back soon.

2. St. Louis beat Montreal 4-3 in overtime(so much for two nights in a row where all the games end in regulation). Montreal came back from being down 3-1, so they were able to at least get a point out of it. They also outshot St. Louis 38-28, so that is another good sign. I wish the Leafs could at least start getting points, then we could all be happy.

3. Vancouver beat Edmonton 3-2 in overtime. Edmonton just keeps finding ways to lose. As bad as the Leafs are, at least they are not this bad. Yikes! Henrik Sedin had 3 assists and Daniel Sedin had 1 goal and 2 assists. They are an excellent duo on the ice. They have helped Burrows to have an excellent year as well.

I don't want to run out of room again, so I will continue this in my next post.

Here are the scores from Jan 21st's games:

1. Columbus beat Boston 3-2. Columbus won again, and came back from a 2-1 deficit. Boston is reeling right now, and they are not playing very good hockey at all. They can say it is injuries, but Ottawa and Montreal had lost more man-games to injuries than Boston, and they have managed to play well and remain in the top eight. Lucic receiving a high-stick double-minor in the last two minutes of the game pretty well gave the game to Columbus.

2. Ottawa beat St. Louis 3-2. Don't look now, but Ottawa is climbing up the standings. I honestly don't think they'll get very far in the playoffs(if they end up making it at all), but at least they seem to be playing good hockey right now.

3. The Islanders beat Florida 2-1 in the shootout. Both teams had over 30 shots apiece, so it wasn't a snooze-fest like the score would suggest. Both goalies played well from the looks of it.

4. Philadelphia beat Gabor....I mean the Rangers 2-0. The Rangers really took it on the chin in this one, as did Gaborik. For some reason that only Gaborik will ever know, Gaborik dropped the gloves and challenged Dan Carcillo to a fight. As Jennifer can attest to, Carcillo is a "tough guy" on Philly, and easily won the bout. To add insult to insult(as Gaborik's only injury was to his pride) the Rangers lost 2-0! Another shutout loss for them!

Here's another fact about this game. The Ranger players on the ice, knowing that it was their STAR PLAYER about to get pummelled, chose to just stand around picking their noses rather than intervene! He is your star player, you idiots! Take a penalty if you have to, but you've got to protect him! What would happen if you lost him for a significant amount of time due to him breaking his hand on either Carcillo's helmet or his face made of rock? I am not even a Rangers fan, and I call that gutless! PROTECT HIM!!!!

At least Philly won.;)

5. Carolina beat Atlanta 5-2. This one wasn't even close. Eric Staal had a had trick in this one. Considering what a dismal season he was having before getting hurt, it is amazing how well he's playing now. He will help Team Canada for sure!

6. Tampa Bay beat sad-sack Toronto 3-2. This...is...pathetic. Toronto at least got a point, but these are games that they NEED to win! Argh! Anybody want a bandwagon-jumper on their team for the remainder of the season? I don't cost a lot, and I'm housebroken.;)

7. Washington beat Pittsburgh 6-3. This game was tied 3-3 at one point, and then Pittsburgh fell apart in the third period. Even though this was touted as a "rivalry" it didn't really seem that way to me. Neither Ovechkin or Crosby got into it, and there really weren't that many penalties in the game. Much ado about nothing, it looks like!

8. Detroit beat Minnesota 4-3 in the shootout. Minnesota rallied from down 3-1 but could not finish the comeback. The shootout went 8 rounds.

9. Phoenix beat Nashville 4-2. Nashville had a 2-1 lead going into the third period, but Scottie Upshall decided to take matters into his own hands and scored a hat-trick to give Phoenix the win. Nashville outshot Phoenix 43-23 but could not get the victory.

10. Chicago beat Calgary 3-1. A cure for the losing blues? Play Calgary and get a victory. Calgary is really struggling to score goals right now, and tonight was another example of this. They only had 20 shots on net, and that won't cut it the majority of the time(sometimes you can win with that tally, but not often).

11. Vancouver beat Dallas 4-3. Vancouver is on a roll! Not a lot of chances for either team(both had 23 shots), but they still managed to find some offense.

12. LA beat Buffalo 4-3 in the shootout.

13. San Jose beat Anaheim 3-1. If San Jose can play like this they have a very good chance to win the Stanley Cup. The big question is whether or not this will be the team that shows up in the playoffs, or if it will be a repeat of years past.

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Here are the scores from Jan 22nd's games:

1. Montreal beat New Jersey 3-1. The offense for the Devils looked to have disappeared again, but that is not the only reason they lost. Halak played well in net, again. I wonder if they really will trade him at the deadline, or if they will try to trade Price instead?

2. Colorado beat Nashville 2-1. Will Colorado be the Dark Horse pick for the Stanley Cup this season? It certainly looks like that could be the case.

3. Dallas beat Edmonton 4-3. This was a heart-breaker for Edmonton. They tie the game late from a puck bouncing off the Dallas player's leg, and then give up the winning goal 39 seconds later. Edmonton just continues to find ways to lose. Lottery pick for them?

Another big night of hockey coming up, and I don't want to run out of room so this concludes this one. Part 3 coming up.

Here are the scores from Jan 23rd's games:

1. Ottawa beat Boston 2-1. The hits keep coming for the Bruins. They are spinning their wheels right now, and it seems they are getting deeper and deeper as time goes on. Jason Spezza scored his 6th goal after returning from an injury that kept him away for a long time.

2. Philadelphia beat Carolina 4-2. Even though the Flyers will lose their next game to Pittsburgh, they are now in 6th place in their Conference! I told you not to give up on them yet, Jennifer. I do have some good advice from time to time.;):lol:

3. Montreal hammered the Rangers 6-0. This was ugly folks. Ugly like Gaborik trying to fight Carcillo! Cammalleri had 4 points in this one(2 goals and 2 assists). Lundqvist got yanked after Montreal scored 4 goals in about a 6 minute span(give or take a few seconds). This was also the second game in a row where the Rangers were shutout! Their offense is pretty bad! No fights for either Gaborik or Avery in this one, which is probably a good thing for them.

4. New Jersey beat the Islanders 4-2. I thought for a little while that this would be like the previous game for the Devils(have a 1-0 lead and then not be able to score another goal the rest of the game), but they proved me wrong! They picked up their pace and took the victory.

5. Washington beat Phoenix 4-2. Closer game than you might think, as the fourth goal was an empty netter. Ovechkin got the cherry-picker goal.;)

6. Florida beat Toronto 2-0. Toronto lose? No! It can't be! They never lose! Oh wait. They never win! That is what I meant to say. At least Wilson said that Gustavsson is now the #1 goalie for the rest of the year. It should have been like that since the start of the season. Bandwagon jumping sounds good this time of the year.

7. LA beat Detroit 3-2. Detroit blew a 2-0 lead in this one. I don't think you would see that happen last season, or at least not with as much regularity as it happens this season.

8. Tampa Bay beat Atlanta 2-1 in the shootout. *snore* Wh...? Oh, hello there. Yep. This was a snoozefest.

9. Anaheim beat St. Louis 4-3 in the shootout. St. Louis had a 3-0 lead and they gave it away(they really should not be taking lessons from the Leafs).

10. Minnesota beat Columbus 4-2. Columbus losing again. Are they back to their losing ways?

11. Vancouver beat Chicago 5-1. Wow. Vancouver is looking good right now, and Chicago(besides the Calgary game) is looking rather ordinary. Goal-tending woes for the Blackhawks? Not good for the playoffs if that is the case. Henrik Sedin had 2 goals and 1 assist and Daniel Sedin had 1 goal and 2 assists. Man, I wish they were on the Leafs. What a duo!

12. San Jose beat Buffalo 5-2. Honestly, I was expecting Buffalo to be more of a challenge to the Sharks. They had Miller in net, but that did not make a difference.

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Here are the scores from Jan 24th's games:

1. Pittsburgh beat Philadelphia 2-1. This was a weird one. Arron Asham of the Flyers accused Matt Cooke of Pittsburgh of biting his finger. What makes this all the more bizarre is that Scott Hartnell(of the Flyers) was accused of biting the finger of a Pittsburgh player last year(I can't recall who's finger he is accused of chomping on like a Chicken McNugget). Weird game full of penalties. I guess these two teams don't like each other very much.;)

2. Carolina beat Boston 5-1. Boston had a bad night in net, and they could not score again! I can just imagine how frustrated smc is right now(you thinking of doing a bandwagon jump for the rest of the season too, my friend?;))

3. Colorado beat Dallas 4-0. Anderson was stellar in net for the Avalanche yet again. He's a good one!

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Here are the scores from Jan 25th's games(I'm finally caught up! Yay!):

1. Pittsburgh beat the Rangers 4-2. At least the Rangers scored a goal tonight. Since Gaborik signed up to be a test subject in Carcillo's Head-Club For Men project, he has had 0 points. Maybe he is a little shaken up?

2. St. Louis beat Calgary 2-0. Calgary's offense was absent again. If this happens much longer, they will be expelled for prolonged truency.;)

3. Vancouver beat Buffalo 3-2. Both Henrik and Daniel Sedin had 2 points in this one. They are flying right now!

Two nights in a row with all games ending in regulation! Can we go for three in a row tomorrow? Looking at the games that are on tap, all signs point to "Not A Chance".:no:

Edmonton only needed to find one way to lose and they managed that quite well. They have Pat Quinn who is doing to Edmonton what he did to Toronto.

MEATLOAF said it best 2 outta 3 ain't bad
:yes: Jerseygirl Jen

It is indeed sad losing to a sunbelt team. Is there a priest around that can exorcise the ghost of Harold Ballard?

You may jump on the Montreal bandwagon, but be prepared to eat a lot of pea soup.

Never, never, never.
I will, obviously, choose teams to root for other than the Bruins when the playoffs begin, assuming the Bruins don't make it (a fairly safe assumption right now), but a "bandwagon jump"?!?!

That is the equivalent in Boston of being a "pink-hat" Red Sox fan.
Never, never, never.

(Ask me what the pink hat is all about if you're interested.)

Oh come one i love the pink hats and would be happy to wear one even tho i'm a Phillies fan
:yes: Jerseygirl Jen

And they could have won all three. Pittsburgh played well and Fleury was back in net(and back to his old self, and by that I mean the goalie he was earlier in the season when he was good).

I honestly like Philadelphia's chances to make it to the playoffs now(maybe I found my bandwagon team for the rest of the season?;)). They got through that horrible stretch of bad games and recovered rather than fall further down(which I had honestly thought was going to happen a while back!:eek:) and now they are in 6th place in the Conference!:respect:

I was gonna give you some Rep for that pea soup comment(I got a good laugh from that), but I have to spread it around first. I figured I would let you know that I liked the comment, though.:respect:

I was only saying that in jest. Of course us true fans never bail on our team no matter what, and we will be their fans until the day we die(which will probably be a long time and I'll be old and gray by the time the Leafs win...but I digress;)).

I will also choose a team to root for once the playoffs hit(because, let's face it, there is NO chance the Leafs are going to even have a sniff of the playoffs this season:().

And even though Jennifer could wear a pink hat(and look very beautiful in said hat), I have to inquire what you mean by that pink hat comment. I don't think I've ever heard it before.:)

Here is a post I have to make. Believe it or not, Patrice Cormier is appealing his suspension rather than taking it like a man. Gutless. He (and his team) are calling it too "excessive". Excessive? What the :censored: are they talking about? The only thing excessive about all this was his :censored: elbow! I hope they turn around and give him a longer suspension now!

The article is below and it is from tsn.ca.

HUSKIES PLAN TO APPEAL CORMIER'S SEASON-LONG SUSPENSION

Patrice Cormier will not accept his suspension by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after all.

The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies said Tuesday they will appeal the suspension handed Cormier for his hit to the head of Quebec Remparts defenceman Mikael Tam.

Coach and general manager Andre Tourigny said on a conference call that the suspension for the rest of the season and the playoffs was "excessive."

"He could serve up to 48 games, that's too much," Tourigny added.

Later, Cormier read a short statement to The Canadian Press over the telephone. It said:

"I respect the decision of the QMJHL even if I find it too severe. I deeply regret the circumstances surrounding this event and I wish Mikael Tam a speedy and full recovery. Thanks for your attention."

He declined to answer questions on the decision.

Earlier Tuesday, the Huskies centre had seemed to suggest he had accepted the league's ruling in statement released through his Halifax-based agent Tim Cranston.

"I fully respect the Quebec Major Junior League's decision regarding the Mikael Tam incident," Cormier said in that statement. "I deeply regret the circumstances surrounding this event and wish Mikael Tam a speedy and full recovery."

A spokesman for the QMJHL said in an email that the league had no comment on the appeal and added it had yet to receive the appropriate paperwork. No date for a hearing has been set and Cormier will remain suspended during the appeal process.

The league gave one of the longest suspensions in its history to Cormier on Monday for his hit in a Jan. 17 game that sent Tam into convulsions and left the 18-year-old with brain trauma and several broken teeth.

Cormier, who served as captain of Canada's team at the world junior championship, had already served two games and is to miss the Huskies' 18 remaining regular season games, plus the playoffs.

The 19-year-old New Jersey Devils prospect had a five-day window to appeal.

Tourigny called Cormier's hit "regrettable" and that the team accepted that it deserved "severe" punishment, but that the league went too far.

The Huskies were gunning for a league championship and participation in the Memorial Cup tournament and made a handful of trades in the January dealing window to bolster their roster with experienced talent.

Among them was a trade with the Rimouski Oceanic to land Canadian junior team players Cormier and Jordan Caron in exchange for two 17-year-olds and a package of draft picks. They also acquired defenceman Steven Delisle and forward Antoine Quevillon from other clubs.

Cormier was in only his third game with the Huskies when the hit on Tam took place.

Video of the ugly hit has been replayed numerous times over the past week. On the play, Cormier came off his team's bench and caught Tam with an elbow in the neutral zone, sending the Quebec defenceman into convulsions.

Tam spent two days in hospital with head trauma before returning to Quebec City last week.


:no::rolleyes::no:

This is true bull:censored:. It was a deliberate premeditated hit. Cormier is lucky that I don't have a say in his punishment or he would be sitting in a jail cell right now for assault. His intent was to injure Tam and he used a weapon that he knew would accomplish long lasting effects. He is a coward and his team management are cowards. I have no respect whatsoever for him nor for his team. I hope the QPP investigation results in charges of assault against Cormier.

Play hockey dammit. Don't assault players and quit whining!!!!!!

Yes, I'm pissed. I'm more than pissed really. It's goons like Cormier and the gutless management of his team that are ruining hockey.

I don't blame you Ila, you have every right as a hockey fan(and human being) of being pissed over this. We see it every day as well when criminals are let off easily in Canada(justice? What a pipe-dream, eh?), and can it be any different in sports? Actually, it can...thank goodness. He can appeal, but that doesn't mean anything. They can say "Tough shit(well, I am paraphrasing, but you know what I mean;)), you take your punishment like we say you're going to take your punishment, coward!" if they want to. I think the judgement will stand, to be honest. They basically have to if they want to have any respect from most hockey fans.

He is a coward and I hope they actually give him more time this time.

*grumble* *grumble*

What a lousy night of hockey. Ugh.:rolleyes::censored:

Here are the scores from Jan 26th's games:

1. LA beat Toronto 5-3. Might as well start the report off with a stinker. The Leafs played like they weren't even interested out there. Disgusting! The only good thing about this game is that Niklas Hagman got his 19th and 20th goal. The rest? Garbage.:no:

2. Washington beat the Islanders 7-2. The weird stat about this game is that even though Washington scored 7 goals, Ovechkin was held without a point. That does not happen very often, especially when so many goals are scored by Washington.

3. Atlanta beat Anaheim 2-1. Anaheim held a 35-34 shot advantage, which shows that the low score doesn't mean it was necessarily a boring game. Anaheim's offense was stymied again.

4. Columbus beat Nashville 3-2. Columbus had a 3-0 lead at one point and almost coughed it up. Nashville got the 2 goals but could get no closer. Columbus managed only 17 shots the entire game, while Nashville had 31 shots. Amazingly, Mason played fairly decent in net for Columbus(shades of last year).

5. Phoenix beat Detroit 5-4 in overtime. Well, so much for going three straight nights with all games ending in regulation. At least this was the only game to do so this evening. Detroit actually had a 4-2 lead until the last two minutes of the game! They allowed Phoenix right back into it, and they scored a goal at 18:30 and 19:37 to tie it all up. Detroit is not known for coughing up leads like this, but of course they are doing lots of things this season that they weren't known for in recent years.

Of note, Niklas Kronwall(defenseman) returned to the Red Wings after missing many games with a knee injury. He was held pointless and was a -1 for the night. He played 21:57, which is a lot of time to play for a first game back from a long-term injury!

6. Ottawa beat New Jersey 3-0. What is with the Devils not being able to score lately? Not a good night for anyone on the team, Brodeur included. New Jersey outshot Ottawa 24-18 which would make for quite a boring game to watch. Plus, Ottawa scored 3 goals off 18 shots which shows that Brodeur was not overly sharp. Lately, it seems that the Devils are either getting shutout victories or losing by getting shutout. It is puzzling to say the least.

7. Florida beat Montreal 2-1. This was a bad one. Montreal only managed 17 shots on net, while allowing 29 for Florida. Halak kept them in the game, but their offense has gone back to their bad habits from earlier in the season. The shot tallies of 6/4/7 are not going to win very many games.

8. Chicago beat Edmonton 4-2. Wow, now here is a team that you DON'T want to play when you are struggling! That being said, Edmonton did play them and the end result was pretty much what everyone was expecting. 11 game losing streak now for Edmonton. Ugly.:eek:

So, not a good night for Ila, dauls, or myself. I keep thinking to myself that the Leafs cannot get any worse, and then they play an absolute shit-fest like they did last night. Disgusting, just freakin' disgusting.:censored:

Attachment 148949

;)

Ila, there may be a little bit of a battle going on with your team!:eek:This is from tsn.ca.

REPORT: CANADIENS' MARKOV CALLS OUT PRICE AFTER LOSS TO BLUES

Things may not be well in the Montreal Canadiens' dressing room with a report that Andrei Markov and Carey Price had words following their 4-3 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues last Wednesday.

According to the TEAM990 radio in Montreal, Markov approached the goaltender after the 4-3 loss in overtime and told him "If you are not going to play with heart, stay home. We don't need you here."

The radio station's account also stated the dressing room was split with some players coming to Price's defence and others siding with Markov.

The Canadiens had no comment on the report.

Price is expected to get the start against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night. The 22-year-old has a 11-16-4 record with a 2.73 GAA and .913 save percentage this season.

Personally, I don't think that the goaltending is the problem for the majority of Montreal's losses. Scoring 1 or 2 goals or getting just 17-20 shots is the main culprit. Prices stats aren't horrible by any means. Our goaltending is weak, not Montreal's. That being said, our defense is quite porous at times and leave the goaltenders out to hang in the wind. That is a problem that Montreal suffers from time to time as well.

Maybe Markov should look at his glass house that he lives in before casting stones.

This could all be a fake rumour for all we know. It would not be the first time that the media has embellished something.;)

Here are the scores from Jan 27th's games:

1. Buffalo beat New Jersey 2-1 in the shootout. Not a good start for hockey fans of this forum. The second game in a row that the Devils did not have any offense. It seems to be a trend this year. Perhaps it would be better for them if Brodeur did not get any more shutouts this season as they seem to taper off after he gets one. New Jersey outshot Buffalo 40-32 so at least there were chances.

2. Carolina beat the Rangers 5-1. Talk about no offense. The Rangers could only get 1 puck in the net yet again. They are horrible! Gaborik was pointless yet again since volunteering to donate his teeth to science a few games ago!

3. Washington beat Anaheim 5-1. This was tied up 1-1 at one point, I went to do something real quick, and then it was 4-1 for Washington! One thing you have to say about Washington is that they are an offensive threat no matter what. If you give them a chance, the floodgates can open up and then it's curtains for you!

4. Another bad night for the hockey fans of this forum. Tampa Bay beat Montreal 3-0. Montreal outshot Tampa Bay 33-30 but they just couldn't seem to get anything going. The first and third period were relatively quiet but a lot of shenanigans happened in the second. Lots of penalties(including two 10minute misconducts) happened at 9:51.

5. Minnesota beat Detroit 5-2. This game was tied 2-2 at one point, and then it all came crashing down for the Red Wings. The main reason Minnesota won this game is that Chris Osgood was in net(first time in quite a few games...now you know why!) and he sucked a lemon yet again. I cannot determine who is worse out of the two, Toskala or Osgood. Yuck!

6. Dallas beat Calgary 4-3 in the shootout. While it should be noted that this was Calgary's 8th loss in a row(and Iginla finally scored a goal in 12 games), the main story is that Calgary blew a 3-1 lead that led to the loss. They are playing some pretty bad hockey right now.

7. Vancouver beat St. Louis 3-2. While Calgary has lost 8 in a row, Vancouver has won 6 in a row. They have now vaulted into 3rd place in the Western Conference with 68 points(only Chicago with 76 and San Jose with 78 are ahead of them)! They are playing some great hockey! I remember at the start of the season they kept winning a game or two, then losing a game or two. How the season can change as it wears on!

A few aspects of this story stand out for me.

"It is not yet known when or even if Tam will return to play."

"The decision to appeal was greeted with loud applause from Huskies fans present at the event."

Andr? Tourigny, the coach & GM of the Huskies said, "...we were fully conscious that this act deserved a severe sanction. From our point of view, the sanction the QMJHL imposed yesterday is not severe, it is excessive."

Up to a 48 games suspension is nothing compared to Tam potentially never playing hockey again. How excessive a 'punishment' is that for Tam just for being a victim of a cowardly assault?

Perhaps Cormier's suspension should have been for twice the length of time Tam was kept out of the game by his injuries.:yes:

The attitude of the Huskies fans to applaud the decision to appeal the suspension is bad for the reputation of hockey. A bunch of f:censored:g a:censored:holes.

Since Cormier will remain suspended during the appeal process, maybe the QMJHL can make his appeal last for at least a couple of years.:yes:

I agree Cormier must face criminal charges for this assault.:yes: Players get away with violence inside the game too often.:frown:


Clampdown on violence in Rugby Union

Recently an independent judicial officer handed David Attoub (of Stade Francais, a French Rugby Union Club) a 70-week ban for eye gouging in a Heikeken Cup defeat by Ulster.

The ban means Attoub will not be available to play again until April 22, 2011.

His team-mate Julien Dupuy was handed a 24-week ban, reduced to 23 on appeal, for his role in the incident.

Attoub's 70-week suspension is the second heaviest eye gouging ban ever handed out. And falls in line with an increasingly tough stance against gouging within Rugby Union, following the outrage over the 8-week ban handed to South Africa flanker Schalk Burger for his gouging of British and Irish Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald during 2009's second Test in Pretoria.

As expected Attoub has made an appeal against this ban.

The independent judicial officer who imposed the suspension, described it as "the worst act of contact with the eyes I have had to deal with".

Attachment 149048More Devils blowing hot and cold.

Conceding 3 goals from 18 shots against Ottawa is typical of their recent form. Followed by conceding just 1 from 32 against the Sabres.

I suppose this must have been what Lemaire was referring to when he said, "he was a little concerned," and "could see the team slipping a bit," following the Devils disastrous 4-0 shutout by the Islanders earlier in January.

Attachment 149050The Devils just aren't scoring enough. They've scored 33 fewer than the Penguins, 16 fewer than the Flyers and the Caps have out scored the Devils by 68 goals. Even the Leafs are outscoring the Devils (142 to 139).Attachment 149049

This offensive form won't see the Devils go far in the postseason.:no:

I finally found an article on it in the newspaper. Apparently the intial report came from an anonymous reporter so I don't put too much reliability in the story.

Today's article stated that there are no hard feelings between Markov and Price. Quite possibly there was an exchange between the two of them. If so it was probably borne out of frustration from losing two games that they should have won, espcially considering that last week they had two really good games.

The article went on to state that after the Canadiens' last practice Price gave a bearhug to Markov. Whatever happened there doesn't appear to be a rift in the team. Perhaps the whole controversy was wishful speculation from someone that doesn't like the Habs.

I am quickly coming to the realization that a regular report of "professional" hockey should probably not include the Bruins.

I think we should drown our sorrows. Drink up, my friend! Attachment 149305

I guess I can be happy that the Leafs came back from a 4-2 deficit and were able to get a point....but I won't be. They are really irritating me right now. Getting a penalty in overtime? WTF?!?!?!:censored:

Here are the scores from Jan 28th's games:

1. Atlanta beat Philadelphia 4-3. This was not a good game for the Flyers. They had a 3-1 lead and then it all fell apart in the third period. Emery gave up 3 goals off 8 shots in the third. Probably just a minor bump in the road for them, but they should be careful not to fall in the same pit they were in earlier in the season.

2. Ottawa beat Pittsburgh 4-1. I guess this really isn't surprising any more. Pittsburgh has been decidedly average for a while now, and Ottawa has now won 8 games in a row(tied a franchise record). Spezza scored a goal again, and now has 1 in each of the three games he has been back from injury. Can they keep it up? I cannot honestly see this Ottawa team making a serious run for the Cup this year, but at least they are playing well and giving their fans something to cheer about.

3. Carolina beat the Islanders 4-1. Don't look now, but Carolina is only 2 points back of Toronto(this is including Toronto's point from Friday's game)! Looks like it is basement time for us! Yay.:no:

4. LA beat Columbus 4-1. There are a lot of 4-1 scores this evening! Anze Kopitar(the guy's picture at nhl.com makes him look like he is a serial killer!:eek:) scored 2 goals in the victory which gave him his 100th of his career(his second was the 101st). He should be a good player for the Kings for a long, long time.

5. Minnesota beat Colorado 1-0. This was less than 5 minutes away from going to overtime, but thankfully they scored in regulation. Havlat scored his 11th goal of the season. To say that he is having a dissapointing season for the Wild is a huge understatement, especially with the way he played for Chicago last season.

6. Phoenix beat Calgary 3-2 in the shootout. This is Calgary's 9th loss in a row. They are reeling, and on a night where they come back from 2-0 their offense fizzles yet again when it counts the most. I don't forsee Sutter being head coach for much longer if this keeps up(I wish the same could be said for Ron Wilson, but Burke says he is "as safe as the gold in Fort Knox". That doesn't really make me happy to hear that.

7. Speaking of long losing streaks...St. Louis beat Edmonton 2-1. Not much to say about this except that this is Edmonton's 12th loss in a row. That is downright ugly!

8. Chicago beat San Jose 4-3 in overtime. This game pretty much lived up to the hype. Two of the best teams in the league right now going at it toe-to-toe! Chicago had a 3-0 lead at one point, and then San Jose came storming back! Chicago luckily was able to squeak away with the victory. Chicago outshot San Jose(San Jose getting outshot rarely happens) 39-37.

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Here are the scores from Jan 29th's games:

1. Oh, what new level of Hell am I witnessing now?:eek: New Jersey beat Toronto 5-4 in overtime. Toronto came back from down 4-2 and looked to have the momentum going into overtime(New Jersey totally outplayed the Leafs in the first and second period and then it was all Toronto in the third), but they decided to fall flat on their face...again. Luke Schenn took a stupid hooking penalty and that was all she wrote(since we all know that the Leaf's Penalty Kill is a freaking joke!). Zach Parise had 2 goals and 2 assists.

I am sure that dauls cannot be too happy with the way his team played tonight even with them winning.

2. Washington beat Florida 4-1. Mike Green had two incidents occur. The first was him hitting an elbow to someone's head(he got a 2 minute elbowing penalty) and then he got hit with a knee-on-knee later on in the game. The Capitals are saying that he is not seriously injured(could play in Sunday's game if he is not suspended for the elbow). He may be looking at a suspension for the elbow. Knowing that he is a star, he may get a more lenient suspension than perhaps a "plugger" would get.

3. Buffalo beat Boston 2-1. Want a scary fact? Toronto is only 9 points behind Boston now. Theoretically, if Boston were to end up in second last place at the end of the year(not saying this will happen of course) they could end up with the 1st and 2nd picks in this year's draft(thanks to the Leafs)!:eek:

4. Anaheim beat Tampa Bay 2-1 in a real humdinger of a shootout.:confused:

5. Detroit beat Nashville 4-2. Despite being badly outshot(48-29), Detroit was able to claim the victory. Lidstrom is heating up right now, and he had a goal and an assist.

6. Dallas beat Colorado 3-2. This was Colorado's 2nd loss in a row.

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Games that matter for us hockey fans tonight(Jan 30th):

1. Philadelphia VS the Islanders

2. Toronto VS Vancouver(oh great!:rolleyes::no:)

3. Boston VS LA

4. Montreal VS Ottawa

Except for Jennifer, we will probably be a little worried. The opponents of our teams are all playing very well right now!:eek:

Well, it looks like my predictions about the games were correct. The only team that won(that matter for us here) was Philadelphia. Toronto found yet another way to lose. I need some love...but I will settle for a hug.:(

Here are the *sigh* scores for Jan 30th's games:

1. Philadelphia beat the Islanders 2-1. A closer game than I thought it would be, especially since Roloson was in net. Philly scored both their goals in the first period and then tried to protect their lead. They gave up a goal in the second period, but were able to prevent the Islanders from getting any more. I am sure that Jen is happy.;) This is all the joy us TLB folks will enjoy from this night of hockey.:(

2. Ottawa beat Montreal 3-2 in overtime. Not a good game for Montreal. They had to play from behind yet again. They were able to tie it up at 2 after being down 2-0, but they fell short in overtime again. Hal Gill took an absolutely idiotic penalty which pretty well cost them the game. True, Spezza took a penalty later in O/T but that doesn't really help too much. I believe that Ottawa scored the first ever 3-on-3 goal in the history of the NHL.

Some potential bad news on the injury front for Montreal as well. Mike Cammalleri was injured in this game, and they won't know the extent of his injury until Sunday. If they lose Cammalleri they are in a LOT of trouble, as he is their leading scorer. Another injury happened to Ottawa. Mike Foligno broke his leg blocking a shot. Ouch!:eek:

3. LA beat Boston 3-2 in the shootout. Boston's freefall continues. Some unruly behaviour in the second period led to a slew of penalties. Boston capitalized with a goal, but that is all they got in that period. Savard got his second point in his second game back from a lengthy injury, but he was not able to get Boston to shake their scoring slump. Boston got a point out of this loss, but it is probably a point that is hard to swallow for Boston fans.

4. Vancouver beat Toronto 5-3. What can I say? What do I want to say? I want to let loose with a whole lot of profanity, but that won't make a lick of difference. Toronto had a 3-0 lead after the first period. Do you know what I thought when I saw that? I thought "Toronto is going to lose this game. I just know it." And I was right! Arggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! Carolina has now passed Toronto in the standings. Just :censored: lovely.:rolleyes:

At least Edmonton is sucking even more than Toronto, so we aren't in last place for the entire league...yet.

5. Carolina beat Chicago 4-2. And this is why Carolina went past Toronto. They won when they had to(against a tough team!), and they got it done even though they were outshot 41-24. Hossa had a goal and an assist. I wonder if the limo incident(Kane and two other players were allegedly in a limo with two girls and had pictures taken with them. The players did not wear shirts.) had anything to do with this loss? Perhaps this distracted the Blackhawks?

6. Columbus beat St. Louis 3-2 in overtime. I would like to say that I care about this game, but I do not wish to lie. I don't care about this game.;)

7. Nashville beat Atlanta 4-3. Jason Arnott scored the winner for the Predators just 7 seconds into the third period.

8. Phoenix beat the Rangers 3-2. This was a battle of the back-up goalies. Phoenix had a 3-0 lead until the third, and then they let their foot off the gas. The Rangers scored two goals, but as is the case many times for them this season, they did not score enough. They have a very poor offense.

9. Calgary beat Edmonton 6-1. I can almost guarantee that Calgary saw this game and licked their chops with anticipation. They had a 9 game losing streak and they could almost be certain that playing against Edmonton would stop that streak. Edmonton has now lost 13 in a row. Bad, putrid, ugly, you name it, that pretty much describes the Oilers right now.

10. San Jose beat Minnesota 5-2. Dan Boyle(defenseman for San Jose) missed his 4th game in a row with an undisclosed injury.

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Mike Green of the Washington Capitals was suspended for 3 games for his elbow to the head of a Florida player Friday night. This was almost a given, especially with the vicious elbow that Patrice Cormier was suspended for(and is currently appealing). Boudreau(Washington head coach) complained that he saw no reason why he should be suspended(he never does...his players do no wrong apparently) but Green's teammate(and NHLPA representative) Brooks Laich said that hits to the head need to be punished so obviously it was a hit that deserved a suspension. Some of the head coaches in the NHL need to give their heads a shake and realize that they need to tell their players to stop with the head shots. If the head coaches basically do not hold their players accountable(by saying that they think the player did not deserve to be suspended, for example), then why would the players care about whether or not they hit someone in the head. Sheesh.

I have a couple of trades to post about, and then I will post the scores.

The first one occured on Sunday Jan 31st. The Leafs and Flames did a big trade, and then Toronto made another trade with Anaheim.

Going to Toronto: Dion Phaneuf(Cal), Fredrik Sjostrom(Cal), Keith Aulie, Jean-Sebastien Giguere(Ana).

Going to Calgary: Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers, and Ian White.

Going to Anaheim: Vesa Toskala and Jason Blake

I hope this will help Toronto in the long run, and having Giguere may be the tonic to help the Monster develop into the good goaltender that the Toronto brass believe him to be. If Phaneuf can revert back to his good play from a couple of years ago, he will help us immensely.

Whether losing so much of our goal-scoring will hurt us remains to be seen.

Here is an article, from tsn.ca, talking more about the trades.

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FLAMES TRADE D PHANEUF TO MAPLE LEAFS IN SEVEN-PLAYER DEAL

Two teams in dire need of a shakeup have done just that.

The Calgary Flames have traded defenceman Dion Phaneuf, forward Fredrik Sjostrom, and prospect defenceman Keith Aulie to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for forwards Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers and defenceman Ian White.

The Maple Leafs and Flames have been working on the components of this blockbuster for a week to ten days, but sources say the details of the deal didn't fall into place until late last night.

"[Phaneuf] is a warrior. He's got a cannon for a shot," explained Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke on Sunday. "He plays the game hard and I want players who play the game hard because they're hard to play against."

The former all-star defenceman was emotional when he told reporters that he was caught off guard by news of the trade.

"It was definitely a shock, but I'm very excited about going to Toronto and being a Maple Leaf.

''The toughest part is saying goodbye to your buddies,'' he said. ''It was a great four-and-a-half years in Calgary. But it's part of the business.

''It's a cliche, if Wayne Gretzky can get traded anyone can get traded," he said. "I was very surprised, but on the other hand I'm very excited to be going to the biggest hockey market in the world.''

Phaneuf and Sjostrom will arrive in Toronto on Sunday night and will skate with the team on Monday. Aulie will join the AHL Toronto Marlies on Monday.

''It's a fresh start for me now, and I'm looking forward to going to Toronto and hopefully making an impact there,'' Sjostrom said.

Flames general manager Brent Sutter said that seeing both Phaneuf and Sjostrom leave town was tough, but he was looking forward to the players that were coming in.

''I have a lot of respect for Dion, but this is part of the business,'' Sutter said. ''It happens at times, and it's happened here.

''It's tough to see Freddy leaving too because he had a roll on our team, but we're getting some established players right now that bring us some needs that we can use.''

Phaneuf has two goals over his last three games and is signed through the 2013-14 season ($6.5 million per). He had 18:49 TOI last night, only the third time this month he's been under 20 minutes in a game. The big defenceman has 10 goals and 12 assists to go with a minus-3 rating over his 55 games.

Sjostrom has played 46 games with one goal and five assists for Calgary this season. Aulie was drafted in the fourth round, 116th overall of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. The six-foot-six defenceman had spent this season with the Abbotsford Heat of the AHL.

Hagman has 20 goals and 13 assists, while Stajan has 16 goals and 25 assists, each over 55 games this season. Both players have a minus-3 rating. Mayers had expressed interest in being traded earlier in January. He had two goals, six assists and 78 penalty minutes over his 44 games with the Maple Leafs this season. White had nine goals, 17 assists and a plus-1 rating over his 56 games.

Burke admitted the loss of Stajan and Hagman would leave a hole in the Maple Leaf attack, but explained that acquiring Phaneuf was too good an opportunity to pass up.

"It takes some offence out of our lineup and that's the next question ... who replaces that offence we lost today, but it puts a major weapon on the blueline and makes us much more difficult to play."

Since he entered the NHL in the 2005-06 season Phaneuf is tops among defenceman with 75 goals (2nd Sheldon Souray - 68), power-play goals with 48 (2nd Zdeno Chara - 41), game-winning goals with 21 (2nd Dan Boyle - 15) and shots at 1,150 (2nd Chara - 992) over that span.

In addition, Phaneuf (48) ranks second to Paul Coffey (50) in power-play goals by a defenceman over the first five seasons of their career and he is tied with Denis Potvin for game-winning goals (21) over the same span.

The Flames were mired in their worst slump (0-6-3) since an 11-game losing streak in 1986 before getting on the winning side of the tracks on Saturday night with a 6-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in the Battle of Alberta.

The Maple Leafs are coming off a dramatic loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday evening, giving up a three-goal first period lead before falling 5-3. With the loss, coupled with Carolina's 4-2 victory over Chicago, Toronto now sits 29th in the NHL standings. The Hurricanes and Leafs are tied in points with 45 but Carolina is ahead because of more wins.

The Maple Leafs also acquired veteran goaltender Jean-Sebastien from the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. In exchange, the Leafs shipped netminder Vesa Toskala and veteran forward Jason Blake to the Ducks.

(Man, the Calgary Flames are cleaning house right now!:eek:)

Here is another trade the Calgary Flames were involved with. They made a trade with the New York Rangers on Tuesday Feb 2nd.

Going to Calgary: Chris Higgins(I wonder what Thomas Magnum would say?;)) and Ales Kotalik.

Going to New York: Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust.

Not as big of a blockbuster as the trade with Toronto, but it could potentially be a noteworthy one down the road.

Here is the article from tsn.ca.

FLAMES SEND JOKINEN, PRUST TO RANGERS FOR HIGGINS, KOTALIK

While it took some time, in the end the Calgary Flames finally got their men as the 'on again, off again' trade between the Flames and New York Rangers is official after a trade call was made following Calgary's loss to the Flyers on Monday.

The deal, which sees Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust heading to Manhattan in exchange for Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik, was reportedly held up because the Flames wanted Jokinen in the lineup for Monday night's game against Philadelphia. Jokinen played just over 15 minutes, took three shots on net and finished at a minus-one. Prust skated just over seven minutes.

With rumours of the trade circulating for more than 24 hours, the team on the ice appeared lethargic as they were soundly beaten by the Flyers on Monday. Jokinen said that he did not want to use the speculation as an excuse.

"You've got to play hard every time you go on the ice no matter what kind of distractions that you have going on," said Jokinen. "You play for that sweater, that logo. Until they tell you you're not part of the team, and I just got the news that II'm not part of the team so I've got to turn the page."

Jokinen realized his high salary mixed with low production was likely a big factor in his exit from Calgary.

"It comes with the salary, you make $5 million, 11 goals isnot going to cut it," said a visibly shaken Jokinen. "It's definitely a slap in the face to get traded."

Jokinen did see an upside in heading back to the Eastern Conference.

"I get a chance to play with one of the better players in the league in (Marian) Gaborik."

Although he was aware that a deal was likely, Prust also found it difficult to prepare for.

"You're waiting to hear confirmation, pacing around for hours," Prust admitted. "I definitely didn't sleep too well"

Both Jokinen and Prust will join the Rangers in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning while Higgins is currently in Los Angeles. Kotalik remains in New York after being sent home by the Rangers on Sunday after being told by the team that he would be traded. The Flames pushed back their practice on Tuesday in hopes that both players will be able to skate with their new teammates.

There had also been several reports that Kotalik was not prepared to waive his no-trade clause to go to Calgary; however earlier in the day he reportedly changed his stance to accept the move.

Both Jokinen and Higgins are set to become unrestricted free agent at season's end, while Prust will become a restricted free agent. Kotalik has two-years and $6 million remaining on a three-year deal he signed prior to the season with New York.

Jokinen was originally acquired by Calgary from the Phoenix Coyotes at last year's trade deadline. The 31-year old veteran has 11 goals and 24 assists in 56 games with the Flames this season. Jokinen is set to represent Finland at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. It will be his third Olympic appearance. He helped lead Finland to the silver medal at the 2006 games in Torino. The Kuopio, Finland native was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings with the third overall pick in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.

The 25-year old Prust was drafted by the Flames in the third round of the 2004 draft, and was traded to Phoenix at last year's trade deadline in the deal that brought Jokinen to Calgary. Prust was then traded back to the Flames last summer for Jim Vandermeer. The native of London, Ontario has one goal and four assists in 43 games this season in Calgary. He ranks second in the NHL in fighting majors with 18.

"I'm looking forward to going to the big city and playing in Madison Square Garden so I'm looking forward to it, but I'm sad to leave again," said Prust.

Kotalik, 31, has been made a healthy scratch by head coach John Tortorella in eight of the club's last nine games. In 45 games, Kotalik has eight goals and 14 assists, with a plus/minus of -18. His best offensive season was with the Buffalo Sabres in 2005-06, when he scored 25 goals and added 37 assists.

Higgins, 26, is in his first season with the Rangers after he signed with New York last summer. Originally, the Montreal Canadiens had traded his rights to the Rangers prior to the July 1 free agent signing period.

Starting in 2005-06, Higgins had three straight seasons in which he scored 20 or more goals with Montreal, but his production dropped to 12 last year in an injured-shortened season. This season he has six goals and eight assists in 54 games.

This is the second major deal that the Flames have pulled off in as many days after shipping Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom and prospect Keith Aulie to the Maple Leafs on Sunday in exchange for Matt Stajan, Ian White, Niklas Hagman and Jamal Mayers.

The two trades leave the Flames with a surplus of wing players, 13 in all, possibly setting up additional deals prior to the NHL's trade deadline on March 3rd.

Here are the scores from Jan 31st's games:

1. Pittsburgh beat Detroit 2-1 in the shootout. Crosby had a goal in regulation and scored the winner in the shootout. He is potting a lot more goals than he was last year, and has a chance to beat Ovechkin in that department.

2. Washington beat Tampa Bay 3-2. Speaking of Ovechkin, he had a goal and an assist in this game. He is making a run for the complete points lead this season, not content with just trying to win the scoring race.

3. Florida beat the Islanders 2-0. The Islanders are having a hard time scoring right now.

4. LA beat New Jersey 3-2. The Devils, as they have done so many times in recent games, blew the lead. They had a 2-0 lead in this one and coughed it up in the last two minutes of the game(it actually reminded me of the playoff game last season against Carolina that eliminated the Devils). LA tied it up at 18:14 of the third and won it at 19:32 of the third(on a Power Play, no less!). Andy Greene is the one wearing goat-horns for this loss.

5. Phoenix beat Dallas 4-2. Phoenix is starting to play good hockey again and this is without one of their leading scorers in Scottie Upshall. This is their 4th win in a row.

6. The Rangers beat Colorado 3-1. Gaborik got all three goals for the Rangers. I wonder how many times they would have gotten shutout this season were it not for him? Their offense is putrid for the most part, and that will be the main reason they either fail to make it to the playoffs or they get eliminated early.

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Here are the scores from Feb 1st's games:

1. Pittsburgh beat Buffalo 5-4. Sidney Crosby got a hat-trick in this one. Pittsburgh came back from down 3-1 and scored 4 unanswered goals. Crosby had the game-winner for the second straight game(that includes the shootout winner).

2. Anaheim beat Florida 3-0. What a way for Hiller to show Anaheim that he was worth the new contract that he just signed(which was the reason Giguere was available to trade).

3. Philadelphia beat Calgary 3-0. Not such a good debut for the new Flames. The Flames had a grand total of 18 shots for the entire game. You are not going to win very many games with that low of a shot total. I think the way Sutter has them play(a defensive-minded style) is one of the main reasons they stink so horribly with regards to their offense. Jennifer does the happy dance!

4. Edmonton beat Carolina 4-2. IT IS OVER!!!! Edmonton finally won a game. I will bet there were some happy guys in that locker room! About time, I say. It was looking pretty sad as the losing streak went on and on.

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Here are the scores from Feb 2nd's games:

1. Washington beat Boston 4-1. Despite outshooting Washington 42-26, the Bruins took the loss. Thomas only gave up 3 goals, as the fourth goal was an empty netter(no surprise, but Ovechkin seems to like getting the empty netter to pad his stats). Things are looking quite grim in Bean Town.:eek:

2. Toronto beat New Jersey 3-0. A pretty good debut for Giguere, especially since the Devils are a very good team(recent struggles notwithstanding)! He made 30 saves for the shutout, and Phaneuf was +1 for the night, with a fight against Colin White to add to his total. While dauls is no doubt rightfully pissed off that his team lost, I am glad that Toronto played so well. They have had so many crap moments the past couple of weeks that I was getting sick and tired of it all. I am glad they made me happy again! Happy dance for ME!:)

3. Tampa Bay beat Atlanta 2-1. This game was so boring, Ilya Kovalchuk broke his stick in boredom at the end of the game(well, it was actually frustration, the boredom was mine;))!:eek:

4. Montreal beat Vancouver 3-2. This was the first game for Montreal without Mike Cammalleri(who is gone for 6 weeks. I will post an article about it after this report), and they did not buckle under the pressure. Halak was the main reason Montreal won this game as he ended up making 45 saves for the victory. Perhaps this will be the start of a winning streak for the Habs? Happy dance for Ila!:)

5. Phoenix beat Nashville 1-0 in the shootout. What a bore-fest! Snore! Yawn! Bleh! To top it all off the shootout went TEN rounds. Yikes! At least I got 7 points for my pool due to Bryzgalov getting the shutout and win.

6. Dallas beat Minnesota 4-2. Despite being outshot 42-18 the Stars got the victory. Forget what I said earlier about not being able to win when you only get 18 shots on net, as I was just proven wrong. What I should have said was that you shouldn't win with just 18 shots on net.;)

7. Colorado beat Columbus 5-1. Well, this was a close game....at least it was until Columbus gave up two(count 'em , TWO!) short-handed goals in a row. That has GOT to hurt!

8. LA beat the Rangers 2-1. Remember what I said about Gaborik being the Ranger's only source of goals? Well guess who had New York's only goal tonight? Yep. Gaborik. Big surprise, eh?

9. Detroit beat San Jose 4-2. This was a bit of a surprise to be honest. San Jose had a 2-0 lead and blew it. Joe Thornton had both goals for San Jose. The shot total was 37-34 for Detroit.

(from tsn.ca)

HABS' CAMMALLERI WON'T NEED SURGERY, BUT OUT SIX WEEKS

MONTREAL - Michael Cammalleri will be out for about six weeks with a knee injury but the good news is the Montreal Canadiens' goal-scoring leader won't require surgery.

Cammalleri suffered the injury during a 3-2 overtime loss Saturday in Ottawa when he fell awkwardly into the boards after being hit by Anton Volchenkov.

"I've always had respect for him (Volchenkov) - he's a real honest player," Cammalleri said Tuesday. "He's a real honest player, the kind who wouldn't hit you from behind or elbowing you or anything like that. But I kinda let my guard down and never touched the puck. "

The 27-year-old is one of Montreal's top offensive guns with a team-leading 26 goals and 48 points in 56 games.

The Canadiens were to play without him for the first time this season Tuesday night against the visiting Vancouver Canucks.

shadows, this game was just typical for the way the Devils had been playing in 2010. Little did I know worse was yet to come.:frown:
I'm glad ESPN-UK haven't been showing them.

Giving up a 2-0 lead to the Kings and then being blanked by the Leafs. Looks like February is going to be as bad for the Devils as January was.:frown:

A record of 3-6-1 in the last 10 games. Unless they improve it looks like the Devils are going to have a short postseason this year.:frown:

Apologies to you shadows, but I just can't resist this one little jab.

Now that Toskala is gone who are you going to blame now when Toronto loses?

Seriously though I think Toronto made the right move and they will profit from their trade. Toskala had to go for the good of the team and Toronto can only improve with the deals that they made.

I'm sure shadows will find a way to blame Toskala.

If Jean-Sebastien Giguere has a bad night the Leafs fans will still blame Toskala for the loss. If Toskala hadn't been so bad they would never have needed to trade him to the Ducks for Giguere. Toskala is to blame if Giguere's mistakes cost Toronto a game.

It's always Toskala's fault.

I love the analysis.

No worries, Ila. I will just blame him from afar! His horrible play was soooo bad it infected the other players like a virus. From time to time, when their immune system is down, it will strike like a cobra and they will catch playlikeshititis. Thankfully, it is not a fatal disease.;):lol:

That is due to it being correct.:innocent:

It is quite a common disease, happens to all times at some point, and will strike unexpectedly.

And the only known fatalities are to the careers of Head Coaches.;):lol:

Beanpot
 

That sounds like an awesome hockey tournament. I watch the Maine Black Bears play hockey sometimes...I think this is the first season that they've been nationally ranked in quite some time. College hockey is fun to watch, albeit it doesn't have fighting involved.

If I could afford it, I would take some time off from work and catch that game with you. Alas, lack of funds will throw a wrench in that idea.:(

Let us know how it goes.:cool:

HUGE TRADE!!!!!!

(I'm surprised that dauls didn't mention this)

Article from tsn.ca.

THRASHERS SHIP KOVALCHUK TO DEVILS FOR PLAYERS, 1ST ROUNDER

The Atlanta Thrashers have parted ways with the most celebrated player in franchise history, trading star winger Ilya Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils.

The Thrashers acquired defenceman John Oduya, forwards Niclas Bergfors and Patrice Cormier and the Devils first round pick in 2010.

The Devils also receive defenceman Anssi Salmela in the deal. New Jersey traded Salmela to Atlanta last March for Niclas Havelid.

In addition, the two teams also swap second round picks in 2010.

Kovalchuk, 26, became the subject of trade rumours recently after reports surfaced that he could not come to terms on a multi-year contract with general manager Don Waddell. The Russian sniper is in the final year of his current contract and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

"It's a bittersweet day," said Waddell during a Thursday night conference call. "Now we have to move forward and look at the positive side of things."

"[The Devils are] a good team with a great chance to make the playoffs and go far," said Kovalchuk. "But, it's sad at the same time... I've been a Thrasher for eight years and I appreciated everything."

Kovalchuk was selected first overall by the Thrashers in the 2001 NHL Draft. In 594 career NHL games with Atlanta, he has amassed 328 goals and 278 assists. The high-scoring winger has 31 goals and 27 assists with a plus-1 rating so far this season.

Kovalchuk scored a career-high 52 goals with the Thrashers in 2007-08 and was co-recipient of the Rocket Richard Trophy in 2003-04 with a league-leading 41 goals.

The team had been trying to work out a long-term deal with the star forward, but in the end could reach an agreement. General manager Don Waddell explained the negotiations in a media release on Thursday.

"Our goal from the start of this negotiating process was to sign Ilya Kovalchuk to a long-term contract," said Waddell in the statement. "During the process, Kovy affirmed his desire to be a Thrasher for life. We've spent several months exploring scenarios with Kovy and his agent to reach a mutually beneficial agreement, and offered many lucrative packages in an attempt to meet his financial objectives. Unfortunately, we've reached an impasse and at this point he has declined all of our proposals and we can't reasonably go any higher.

"Ultimately, we offered Kovy more than $101 million over 12 years, which would have been the highest contract signed by an impending unrestricted free agent in the history of the league. If accepted, this contract would have been the second highest offer ever to any NHL player. We also met his desire to be the highest paid player based on average annual salary with a separate offer of 7 years at $10M per year ($70M). This offer is $0.5M higher per year than any other player.

"If we went beyond these offers, we would not be able to retain the young players on our roster when it came time to sign them, or invest in other top tier players needed to assemble a truly competitive team. Therefore, we are aggressively exploring all of our options as we move forward."

In Oduya, the Thrashers pick up a 28-year-old blue-liner who was originally drafted by the Washington Capitals in the 7th Round (221st overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He has two goals with two assists and a plus-2 rating over his 40 games this season.

Bergfors, 22, is in his second season with the Devils and has 13 goals, 14 assists and is minus-7 through 54 games this season. He was selected by the Devils in the 1st round (23rd overall) of the 2005 Entry Draft.

The 19-year-old Cormier had been playing for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, but was suspended for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs by the QMJHL after delivering a hit to the head of Quebec Remparts' Mikael Tam. Cormier was Canada's captain at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship and helped the team to a silver medal this past January. He was drafted by New Jersey in the 2nd round (54th overall) of the 2008 Entry Draft.

Wow! All I can say is that the Devils will probably not have too many more low-scoring games for the rest of the season. He is going to help them big-time! Their chance to win the Cup has increased by a large margin.

No worries. I was too busy posting about the huge trade!:eek:;):cool:

Here are the scores from Feb 3rd's games:

1. Ottawa beat Buffalo 4-2. This is Ottawa's 10th win in a row. The only team that is hotter than Ottawa right now is Washington! Spezza had 2 goals and 1 assist. He has been on fire since coming back! I'm not sure how far Ottawa will go in the playoffs anymore, as they have certainly surprised me with their play of late.

2. St. Louis beat Chicago 3-2. Here is a team that is looking forward to the Olympic break. Chicago has been playing some ordinary hockey lately, and a break could do them well.

3. Calgary beat Carolina 4-1. This is the first game in quite a while(I am not counting the Edmonton game, because let's face it...it was the Edmonton Oilers!) that they have scored more than 2 goals. The key to this is whether they can keep doing this or not.

4. Speaking of Edmonton...Edmonton beat Philadelphia 1-0. This looked to be going into overtime tied at zero when Ryan Potulny scored a Power Play goal at 19:43 of the third period. Darroll Powe gets the goat horns in this one. Jen will not be a happy camper after seeing this!

5. Anaheim beat Detroit 3-1. Despite being outshot 47-30 Anaheim managed to secure the victory. Hiller was the reason Anaheim was able to claim the win.

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Here are the scores from Feb 4th's games:

1. Montreal beat Boston 3-2 in the shootout. As has happened for so many times recently, Boston outshot their opponent and blew a lead. Boston had 47 shots for Montreal's 26 yet still lost the game. They also blew another 2-0 lead at a time where they need to buckle down and play some sound hockey. Boston got a point from this game, but they could have gotten two. Ila will be happy but smc certainly won't.

2. Washington beat the Rangers 6-5. Not a very pretty game from a defensive or goaltending standpoint. Ovechkin had 2 goals and an assist and he now has 500 points for his career(already?!?:eek:). Backstrom also had 1 goal and 4 assists for Washington. This was their 12th win in a row.

3. Columbus beat Dallas 2-1. Kind of a boring game, which is the usual modus operundi for the Blue Jackets this season. Yawn.

4. Ottawa beat Vancouver 3-1. This is Ottawa's 11th win in a row. Spezza has now scored a goal in every game since he has come back. How long can he keep this up? This is Vancouver's second loss in a row. Andrew Raycrap was in net for them, and he played like he was playing for the Leafs again. Ah, how I miss Raycrap...not.;)

5. Tampa Bay beat the Islanders 5-2. Steve Stamkos had 2 goals and 1 assist in the victory. He now has 31 goals for the year. Not bad for his sophomore season!

6. San Jose beat St. Louis 4-2. Pretty much par for the course with the Sharks. They win again. Boyle missed yet another game for the Sharks and Nabokov got the night off.

7. Nashville beat Colorado 5-3. Jason Arnott had 1 goal and 3 assists for the evening.

8. Minnesota beat Edmonton 4-2. I guess the high for the 1-0 victory the night before has now worn off.:confused:

9. LA beat Anaheim 6-4. Anaheim had come back from down 4-1 and tied it up 4-4! However LA scored two more goals late in the third to take the win. Not a very good night for Hiller, but LA has a lot of firepower in their lineup. Quick gave up 4 goals off 22 shots so he wasn't particularly sharp either.

WOW 2 days without the Flyers loosing a game
:lol: Jerseygirl Jen

When is their next game?;):p:lol:

Either fri or sat
:yes: Jerseygirl Jen

I'm Jamaica national teem fan :p:lol:

Man, that's harsh.

It's always an interesting game when Montreal and Boston play. It's an old rivalry and a matchup that seems to happen quite often when the playoffs start.

I think you are thinking of the bobsledding team

:lol: Jerseygirl Jen

Does anyone have a tougher stretch before the Olympics than St Louis. They play 7 games in 11 days. Started with the Blackhawks on Wednesday and the Sharks Thursday. They play Chicago again this weekend and also play the Avalanche, Red Wings and Capitals. The only "weak" team is Toronto and I think they are much better after the trades this last week.

Not a fan of the Blues, but feel for them. They started the season so poorly and are finally getting within sniffing distance of the playoffs and now they have this string of games. If they don't play really well, could cost them their chance to make the playoffs.

Thanks for the Trade Update...
 

Missed the whole thing. If I don't check online at NHL.com there is nowhere else in the UK I'm going to catch NHL news. If I'm offline for a few days I miss everything.

Kovalchuk is a great bonus. Maybe we now won't have to rely on Brodeur and his shutouts so heavily for the rest of the season.

It's great to be shot of Cormier. It's now up to the NHL and the QMJHL to make sure his suspension in fully enforced.
I hope he gets seriously slammed against the boards and body checked like he's been hit by a freight-train in his first few NHL games, he has it coming.

Devils 4-3 Leafs
 

Devils trailing 3-1 with 3 minutes and 4 seconds to go.:(:frown:

Still trailing 3-2 with 44 seconds to go.:(

We then score twice in 25 seconds.:eek::eek:

shadows, I bet you wish the Kovalchuk (2 assists) trade had been delayed by a few days.

Sorry but that's got to be a hard defeat to take.

Undeserved gloating kept to an absolute minimum.:innocent:

It's just par for the course, it seems. They win a game, and then lose three in a row. Damn that Toskala! He screamed out from the stands and make Ponikarovsky hook the Devil player in fright!:(

I am not sure how long Brian Burke will be away, as his youngest son was killed yesterday in a car accident. I will post an article from espn.com in my next post.:(

From espn.com.:(

Brendan Burke killed in car accident

TORONTO -- Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke's youngest son was killed in a car accident in snowy Indiana on Friday.

The team issued a brief statement confirming the death of 21-year-old Brendan Burke. Brian Burke also is the general manager of the U.S. Olympic team.

"The National Hockey League grieves tonight for the family and friends of Brendan Burke, a young man of courage and character," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a release. "Words simply cannot express our sorrow over his loss. We send our deepest, most heartfelt condolences to Brendan's father, Brian; his mother, Kerry; everyone in Brendan's family and all who were inspired by his love for hockey."

Police told the Toronto Star that Burke was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee when the vehicle slid sideways into the path of a Ford truck. Burke's friend, 18-year-old Mark Reedy, also died in the accident.

U.S. Olympic Committee chairman Larry Probst said the USOC was "extremely saddened" by Burke's death.

"Our heart goes out to Brian and his family in this very difficult time," Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey, said. "We know the prayers of the entire hockey family, including our Olympic team, are with the Burke family."




Very sad story indeed.:( The next post is the original article which talks about how Brendan came out and how his father reacted.

'We love you, this won't change a thing'

"I hope the day comes, and soon, when this is not a story." -- Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke

Imagine this.

Well before you are born, your dad plays college hockey at Providence College and wears the "C" for Friars coach and Hockey Hall of Famer Lou Lamoriello. Your dad is then a member of the Calder Cup-winning Maine Mariners AHL team. He admits to having little skill, but contributes rough and tough qualities. You know, like pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence. He's a man, baby.

Dad is also driven. And smart. He quickly retires from pro hockey. He knows he will make the NHL only with his brain and mental brawn. He earns a law degree from Harvard in 1981, then practices law in Boston for the next six years, representing professional hockey players before joining the Vancouver Canucks in 1987 as vice president and director of hockey operations. He has made the NHL. You are born a year later in Vancouver, British Columbia, in December 1988.

Dad is GM of the Hartford Whalers for a season as a 37-year-old before joining the NHL front office as senior vice president and director of hockey operations under commissioner Gary Bettman in September 1993, staying until 1998. Dad and Mom divorce in 1995, and, as a 9-year old, you move to Boston with Mom in 1997.

Dad then begins a six-year stint on the other side of the continent as president and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks. Meanwhile, you play hockey while growing up in the Boston area, and you are a goalie. You love Dominik Hasek and still believe he is the best of all time. Dad tries to see you play whenever he can. Goalie is a comfortable position for you on the ice, looking out and hiding behind a mask.

You eventually attend Xaverian Brothers High School, a prep school in Westwood, Mass., and make the competitive varsity hockey team as a senior, but choose not to play. You say it is because you don't think you would get enough playing time and you are upset at the coach. But you actually don't play because you don't think you can go another season without someone finding out your secret.

Your hockey career is over.

"Middle school and early high school is the first time I remember thinking that I could be gay, but I definitely tried to ignore it and didn't want to seriously consider it. It's pretty easy to try and convince yourself that it's not true, but it won't work, ever." -- Brendan Burke

The Burke Family
Brendan Burke, standing by the Stanley Cup, after his father won it all with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007.

You go on to attend Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, after your guidance counselor recommends the school. Miami is well known for being academically challenging and having one of the more visually idyllic campuses in the country. It doesn't disappoint. The brick buildings and brand-new hockey rink make the small town feel like what college should feel like. Like an old Hollywood movie set. Ohio is a friendly place with warm people who smile a lot and like to get together in groups and laugh. You fit right in. You've made a great decision.

You especially enjoy the Miami hockey program constructed by coach Enrico Blasi. You are involved as a student manager. Blasi demands his program and its culture be grounded in family. He calls it the Miami hockey brotherhood. The mission is to be the best one can be every day with a vision to become a champion in everything one does, on and off the ice. Miami's focus is on three things: relationships, daily behaviors and accountability. You watch and break down the pre-scout videos. You also keep most of the goalie statistics and prepare all the best clips for highlight videos.

While you're at Miami, Dad is now in Southern California as executive vice president and general manager for Anaheim and the Ducks win it all in 2007. You drink out of the Stanley Cup with Pops in the Anaheim dressing room. You love your father, you're proud of him, but you are hiding something from him that you will soon hide no more.

In 2008, Dad is chosen as general manager of the 2010 U.S. Olympic hockey team and named a recipient of the 2008 Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the United States. His r?sum? is relentless. Today, Dad runs the most profitable NHL team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and is, without question, one of hockey's more magnetic and interesting characters along with Don Cherry and Alex Ovechkin. Dad televises well.

So, imagine, this is your father. You? Probably destined to be "Burkie's boy" in Canada even if you resurrected George Harrison and John Lennon and reunited The Beatles. Imagine.

"Brendan is an incredible kid. He and I are incredibly close, even for brothers. In most families, the older brother overshadows the younger brother, but not ours. We went to the same high school and people there still refer to me as "Brendan's brother."

He's exceptionally smart, funny, motivated, successful and happy. He has an incredible way with people.

There's a genuine kindness about him that really resonates with people. It's a gift I'm very jealous of." -- Patrick Burke, Brendan's brother, now a scout with the Philadelphia Flyers

Your dad thinks through everything. Dad is big, confident and continuously radiates a persona that is rough, gruff, unrelenting and unapologetic. He has a cold, expressionless poker face straight out of a Clint Eastwood movie. Yet, he does this all with the most subtle of Irish smirks that says there is more behind this thick skin. And there is. He calls you "Moose" because you have always been a big kid. He cares very deeply about you and your happiness. You say he has always been there when you needed him. And he has a great sense of humor. Imagine that.

But on this night in 2007, you are petrified of your dad. Because you, Brendan Burke, at 19 years old, are about to tell your dad, Mr. Testosterone, that you are gay.

-Part 1-

-Part 2-

[+] EnlargeBrad White/Getty Images
Said Maple Leafs and U.S. Olympic team GM Brian Burke: 'I wish this burden would fall on someone else's shoulders, not Brendan's.'It is Dec. 30, 2007, and you are in Vancouver with Dad for the holidays to break the news. His new family lives in Vancouver, and his Ducks are in town. You go to the Canucks-Ducks game, and, obviously, Dad is pretty emphatic about wanting to beat Vancouver, his former employer. You root like hell for the Ducks to win so he is in a good mood. But the Ducks lose 2-1. Of course, Daniel Sedin scores a goal against Anaheim, and his brother Henrik adds two assists to help beat Dad, the man who traded for the twins' draft rights in 1999 while he was running the Canucks.

You almost don't tell your dad and stepmom as a result of the loss. But you are flying back to Boston the next morning and you want to tell them in person. You feel as if you are going to throw up as you pace the hallways of their condominium. Just as your stepmom is about to go to bed, your younger sister, Molly, grabs you by the wrist and directs you where to go and gives you a look that says, "You can do it. Get it done now. I'm here for you."

Just a week before, your older sister, Katie, is the first family member you tell. You had targeted telling your family at Thanksgiving but got salmonella and spent the entire week in the hospital. So you push back your announcement to Christmas.

You are driving home from a family event in Marlboro, Mass., when you decide you want to say it during the car ride. Finally, after a 45-minute ride, you pass the city limits sign of Boston and you know you have to tell Katie. It is incredibly difficult, but your sister is very supportive. Of course she is, you tell yourself, she's Katie. That same night, you tell Molly and your mom. Everyone is great. Mom tells you she isn't surprised and had expected it from the time you were a little kid. Moms.

You tell your brother, Patrick, a day or two later. Patrick turns off the car blaring "The Hold Steady" CD, and you tell him as you are walking out to the car to bring in bags. Patrick, like Dad, never one to be fazed, says something along the lines of, "I love you. This doesn't change anything. Now pick up that suitcase and bring it inside."

But, now, telling your secret to Dad is another story. Molly's reassuring hand guides you to the couch for the moment of truth. It's time to tell Dad, a most public example of hockey machismo, that you are gay.

Finally, you say it. Awkwardly. You basically stumble along trying not to make it a big deal before just blurting out, "And I love you guys and wanted to tell you that I'm gay."

There is a brief silence.

Dad is surprised when you tell him that you are gay. He never suspected at all.

Your stepmom speaks first: "OK, Brendan, that's OK." And gives you a reassuring smile. Then your dad says, "Of course, we still love you. This won't change a thing."

Your dad and stepmom both get up and hug you and say they love you. You and your dad then sit there alone for about 15 more minutes watching hockey. Your heart rate is still at a snow-shoveling level. You then hug Dad again, and you go to bed.

But now, questions arise:

1. What about Dad's reaction the next day and beyond?

2. How will Miami react to a young, gay man working on the hockey team?

3. Can an openly gay man play or work for a hockey team?

"I had a million good reasons to love and admire Brendan. This news didn't alter any of them.

I would prefer Brendan hadn't decided to discuss this issue in this very public manner. There will be a great deal of reaction, and I fear a large portion will be negative. But this takes guts, and I admire Brendan greatly, and happily march arm in arm with him on this.

There are gay men in professional hockey. We would be fools to think otherwise. And it's sad that they feel the need to conceal this. I understand why they do so, however.

Can a gay man advance in professional hockey? He can if he works for the Toronto Maple Leafs! Or for Miami University Hockey. God bless Rico Blasi! And I am certain these two organizations are not alone here.

I wish this burden would fall on someone else's shoulders, not Brendan's. Pioneers are often misunderstood and mistrusted. But since he wishes to blaze this trail, I stand beside him with an axe! I simply could not be more proud of Brendan than I am, and I love him as much as I admire him." -- Brian Burke

Reverse skate.

The real reason you choose not to play your senior year is because the atmosphere in the locker room gets progressively harder to deal with as you get older. Homophobic slurs become as commonplace as rolls of hockey tape. Pressure to hook up with girls gets more intense. You are really upset for a couple of months. Your mom later tells you she thought you were depressed. Back then, she keeps asking you if something is wrong, but you don't want to talk about it with anyone.

You say gay slurs have a direct impact on gay people in the area where they are said. You sincerely believe the majority of people who use gay slurs don't mean them to be offensive; they just don't realize the words' meaning and don't think there might be a gay person sitting right next to them. Questions 2 and 3 cause you some concern.

[+] EnlargeAP Photo/Susan Walsh
Miami coach Enrico Blasi said having Brendan Burke as part of his hockey team's staff has been 'a blessing.'Miami, the No. 1-ranked team in college hockey right now, refers to itself as "The Brotherhood," and Coach Blasi means it when he says it. You say the players on Miami hockey teams are truly unlike most hockey players you've met. It's a group of genuine, intelligent, good guys. They don't have to, but they make you feel like a part of the team. Their families treat you as if you are one of their sons.

As you start to become better friends with the players and coaches, it becomes more difficult to hide your true sexuality. You are developing genuine friendships with many, and it feels like a huge part of it is missing because you aren't being honest with them. You feel, in some ways, as if you are disrespecting the Brotherhood philosophy Miami is based on.

The RedHawks take you with them to the NCAA regional tournament in Minnesota this past March, where they beat Minnesota-Duluth and Denver to advance to the Frozen Four for the first time in history.

As far as amazing life experiences go, being at the Frozen Four in Washington, D.C., is right up there with being in the locker room after the Ducks won the Cup. In between the first round and the Frozen Four, you tell one of the Miami players you are gay. Another player figures it out on the morning of the national championship game, and you have to pull him aside and tell him not to tell anyone before the game. You don't want it to be a distraction. You ask him to wait 12 hours after the game; then he can tell whomever he wants.

After the heartbreaking overtime loss to Boston University, and mainly by word of mouth, your news gets around to the whole team. There isn't a big emotional sit-down talk, although you do speak with some of the guys personally. The general response is "OK, Burkie's gay. Who cares? Pass the beer nuts."

About a week later, you approach your boss, the director of hockey operations for Miami, Nick Petraglia, and tell him. Then, a few days later, you tell Coach Blasi. You are pretty sure one of the players told them both in advance to give them a heads-up, but neither cares, and both are incredibly supportive.

Blasi says that having you as part of Miami's program is a blessing and everyone is much more aware of what they say and how they say it. He says he is as guilty as anyone and everyone needs to be reminded that respect is not a label but something people earn by the way they live their life. Coach Blasi says you are a great student and an even better person. You say Coach Blasi is a great coach and an even better person.

"Brendan is a great guy, personable and caring. As student manager, he is involved in a lot of things for us -- video, stats and community service, to name a few of his duties.

To my knowledge, there has been nothing negative [since he came out to us]. I think it goes along the lines that Brendan is part of our family. Everyone respects Brendan, and that's all that really matters.

The players are awesome. They are very sensitive to language and how we talk in the locker room. Again, it goes back to our culture and working on relationships and behaviors.

[As far as whether a player could come out and be able to function like a normal college player], that's a tough one and I don't want to speak for any other program. As far as Miami is concerned, we are about the person. I believe we would be accepting and honestly not even think twice about it.

I think having Brendan as part of our program has been a blessing. We are much more aware of what you say and how we say it. I am guilty as anyone. We need to be reminded that respect is not a label, but something you earn by the way you live your life." -- Miami University hockey coach Enrico Blasi

The attitude across the team is pretty much the same: "Who cares?" or "I don't understand why this is even an issue." Players you don't even expect to be supportive are. You say it is proof this kind of thing can happen in other places, too. You wish you could say that gay slurs have been banished from the Miami dressing room. It hasn't happened yet, although serious progress has been made and one player in particular has made it a personal crusade.

-Part 3-

But now that you are "out," can you successfully pursue a job in hockey, specifically in the NHL, if that is a wish?

You are applying to law schools right now. Hockey management and politics are two things you care about the most, and a law degree is required for both, so it leaves the door open for either. You say you would be lying if you said you don't think sexual orientation affects a job in pro hockey. You believe it would make some things more difficult. There are going to be people who aren't comfortable knowing they are working with a gay person.

"He's incredibly brave. He went back to our all-boys high school and gave a speech about the struggles gay teenagers go through and got a standing ovation from 200 kids who spend half their time insulting anyone different than them.

In so many ways, I look up to him for who he is and what he does.

Obviously, there are gay players in hockey right now, just no openly gay ones. And there are gay people in management, whether they're scouts or front-office people or coaches. We just don't have any openly gay ones right now. I think it will be a challenge for the first person that comes out, because they'll be putting themselves under a microscope.

The scary thing for me is that it might be Brendan, if he chooses to go into hockey. I don't think it's fair the face of homosexuality in hockey should be a 20-year-old college kid, but Brendan is more than willing to be the guy, which awes me. I think it's a matter of when, not if, players and management start coming out." -- Patrick Burke

At this point, you are still undecided about your career options. Although you think there definitely would be challenges to being openly gay and working in hockey, you also think hockey is ready for it. There has been a lot of discussion about when a current player will come out. You've always viewed most hockey fans as being very well educated and accepting of diversity. You say fans are much more focused on the on-ice product than on the sexual orientation of players or management, and you say hockey is too good to be dragged down by this.

The Burke Family
Brendan says his family, including father Brian, has been completely supportive since he told them he was gay. You believe that if an NHL player came out today, he would face a unique set of challenges but would generally be supported. He might face more verbal abuse from opposing fans, but you believe the overwhelming sentiment would be, "If he can play hockey, who cares?" That's the perspective you've encountered at Miami. You say a good way to start would be for ex-NHL players who are gay to be more vocal and talk about their experiences and challenges.

Whatever happens in your life, whatever career path you choose, you know Dad is in your corner. His long shadow of a hockey r?sum? that once looked like a crutch might now prove to be just the thing you and others need -- a powerful and eloquent voice shouting from the mountaintops.

This is far and away more than what you personally expected from your hockey-famous Dad as you prepared coming out to him. When people ask you about your dad's reaction to your Vancouver sit-down, you initially say, "He's been great, but I don't think we'll see him at any gay pride parades any time soon. But he has been really supportive."

So, you are startled this past summer when you get a call from Dad saying, "Hey, Toronto Pride is this weekend, you should fly up." So, sure enough, you fly up, and you and Dad go to the Toronto Pride Parade together.

If someone had told you before coming out that your dad, Brian Burke, would be attending a gay pride parade with you, you wouldn't have believed it. You never suspected Dad would disown you or anything like that, but the way he has handled it and the way he talks about it now has, honestly, really moved you. He was a little awkward about it at first. Today, he doesn't even think twice about it.

You want it known that he has been 100 percent supportive of you. It's important to you that people know that even the president and GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who has a less than sunny public personality, has a gay son and is a firm supporter of gay rights.

Imagine that.

"Imagine if I was in the opposite situation, with a family that wouldn't accept me, working for a sports team where I knew I couldn't come out because I'd be fired or ostracized. People in that situation deserve to know that they can feel safe, that sports isn't all homophobic and that there are plenty of people in sports who accept people for who they are." -- Brendan Burke


Rest in peace Brendan.:(

If there was ever anything for which no apology is necessary, this is it, my friend.

Ottawa at Toronto
 

Okay, shadows, as I write this there is 5 minutes left in the first period. Toronto is winning 1 - 0 and Toronto is on a poweplay. (They just scored goal #2). The way Toronto is playing I am amazed that they are in the lead. As an example during the powerplay (another goal by Toronto - holy s#$%) Toronto was in Ottawa's end and the three forwards all went into the corner against 2 Ottawa players. No one was in front of the net to take a pass. What are they thinking? Then again the strategy must be working as they are winning 3 - 0 right now.

Ottawa just woke up and they are starting to play. (Edit: Ottawa just went back to sleep.)

Before the game started I was predicting an Ottawa win. Now I'm not sure. If Toronto keeps it up they are going to win and maybe teach Ottawa some humiliation.

Changes to Montreal's Lineup
 

I saw in today's paper that Montreal just called up two players from Hamilton. I hope that puts some spark in the team's play.

Thank you.:)

Toronto ended up winning 5-0. This is Giguere's second straight shutout! A first for the Toronto Maple Leafs(where a goalie records a shutout during his first two games with the team).:cool:

I'm kind of tired(long shift) and I am kind of bummed. Part of my plant was drooping when I got home this morning. I accidentally hit that part with the watering container last night(I was in a rush to get to work) and I think it "stressed it out". This is what happened to my last plant over a year ago, but that time the entire plant drooped(and no amount of TLC brought it back), this time it is only part of the plant(I am not sure of the species of the plant, but it has many different stalks which may work in my favour so it survives).

You may say "It's only a plant. Big deal!", but I like it. I love Spring with all of the different colours and the onset of greenery, so I like having a plant in my house during the winter(gives it a little life). It is a neat looking plant that has grown like crazy the past year and I want it to survive. Hopefully if the one part ends up dying(fingers crossed that it doesn't) the rest will survive.

Anyhoo, no report for today but I will say the scores for the relevant teams.

1. Toronto beat Ottawa 5-0.:)

2. Vancouver beat Boston 3-2.:(

3. Montreal beat Pittsburgh 5-3.:)

4. The Rangers beat New Jersey 3-1.:(

5. Minnesota beat Philadelphia 2-1.:(

Thanks smc. Actually, it looks like the plant will be okay!:) The affected stalks are not drooping as much and the leaves are pointing up again like they were before.:)

And your good vibes for my plant payed off for you! Boston beat Montreal last night 3-0.:)

I hate when two teams of fellow hockey lovers from here play(as I don't want to "choose sides", but at least it was a good game.:)

Off to the Beanpot Tournament tonight! (See my earlier post if you need an explanation.)

Have fun(I read your earlier post, so I know what you are talking about.;))! Be sure to post about it when you get back(unless you are too tired...then you'll have to do it tomorrow!:lol:).:cool:

I like Boston and generally pull for them, but I wasn't rooting for them against Montreal last night. Bummer that my Canadiens had to lose.

I know what you mean. I don't like it when Montreal forgets that they actually have to play the game and not just show up.

:frown: That result was bad enough. :frown:

But Monday night's 3-2 loss to the Flyers after the Devils lead 2-0 is :(:censored::censored::no::censored::(

Probably payback for Friday's comeback win over the Leafs.

Are the rest of the Devils in awe of Kovalchuk?
He should sign some autographs for them and maybe they'll find it easier to play alongside him once the hero adulation has died down.:frown:

Congratulations go to Jen.

He was held pointless again.;) Two assists in the game against Toronto, but no points in the other two. Maybe he is in awe of himself?:eek:;)

Toronto lost tonight, but Toronto made it a good game. They only lost 3-2 and did not give San Jose a huge amount of shots. This game could have gone either way, and I look at the positives that they did not curl up and go in a shell playing against a powehouse like the Sharks. I like having Giguere in net, as I felt they could have come back due to him preventing more goals from scoring once they were down 3-2.

Beanpot Report
 

Some Forum members asked for a report on the Beanpot Tournament final, which I attended last night. So here goes ?

First, I only caught the third period of the ?consolation game? between Northeastern and Harvard, which NU won 4-1. (See my initial post about the Beanpot for an explanation of how it works.) The final began at 8, between Boston College and Boston University -- archrivals here in Boston. BU was after its fifth Beanpot title in six seasons, and 30th overall in the 58-year-history of the Tournament. BC last won in 2008, the year it took the NCAA championship, and had won 14 Beanpot titles before last night. The final is usually a BC-BU duel. This, by the way, was the 250th time the two teams have met on the ice! (Is this a hockey town, or what!?)

I should say up-front that I was rooting for Boston College. My reasons are complicated, and have little (or perhaps nothing) to do with hockey.

Okay, back to the game. This was truly a classic Beanpot, and I?ve been to many of them. It was one of those games that makes college hockey so much fun -- and really demonstrates that hockey is, indeed, a ?game of mistakes.? BU scored in the first period. It was a quick game, with some 6-on-4s and a 5-on-3 attack. BC had a 4-1 lead in the third period, and BU had a tremendous surge at the end, with a shorthanded goal and then a 6-on-4 goal. It truly could?ve gone either way right up until the final buzzer.

It was really fun to watch John Muse, the BC goalie, in the net. With 20 or so seconds left, he made an excellent stop of a shot by BU?s Nick Bonino that would?ve tied the game, and on the big screen it was obvious that had the shot been 2 inches higher we would have been in overtime. Muse won the MVP of the tournament aned had a .955 save percentage.

All in all, a great game, a great night, and a Beanpot to remember.

(shadows asked for pictures. Mine came out terribly.)

You said that there was a few 6-on-4 rushes. How is that possible? Unless there are more players on the ice during these games. Or do you mean that the goalie can join in the rush?

It sounds like it would have been a blast to watch. Lots of good hockey to watch is never a bad thing.:cool:

Thanks for the report.:)

BC had someone in the penalty box, the game was on the line and, in the must-win situation, BU yanked its goalie for a substitute offensive skater, left its net open, and had six men pummeling the BC net. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

That makes sense. I guess I was having a brain-fart moment. I've been up since 8pm last night so my brain is a little fuzzy.:lol:

This and the next post have to do with the Montreal Canadians. They are both from tsn.ca.

GAINEY STEPS DOWN AS CANADIENS GM, GAUTHIER PROMOTED

The Montreal Canadiens announced Monday that Bob Gainey has stepped down as general manager of the hockey club and that the team has promoted Pierre Gauthier as Executive Vice President and general manager. Gainey will stay with the front office in an advisory role.

"I've done my best and now it's time for me to pass the torch," Gainey said on Monday. "I believe that the general manager position requires a long-term vision and a long-term commitment. At this point, I'm not prepared to make a commitment of four or five or six more years in this position.

"If I had to choose between leaving a little earlier, or a little later, I'd prefer (to go) earlier."

The Canadiens are 28-26-6 this season and are sixth in the Eastern Conference standings.

Gainey, 56, was hired in 2003 as the 15th general manager in franchise history and the Canadiens made the playoffs in four of the five full seasons he led the front office. Under his guidance, the club tallied a 241-176-46-7 record and .569 winning percentage.

Their best season during that period came in 2007-08, when the team finished atop the Eastern Conference standings and made it to the second-round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

"I would say one of the happiest, nicest things has been to see the new generation of Montreal Canadiens fans," said Gainey. "The youth and the enthusiasm and the passion, the joy in the building when we play, by people who are hoping for the same experience their parents had or their grandparents had. That was a bridge that I think I was lucky enough to approach six years ago and participate with a bigger organization...for me, that's a very special thing."

Once described by Russian hockey legend Viktor Tikhonov as the world's most complete hockey player, Gainey played his entire NHL career with the Canadiens from from 1973 to 1989 and was the team captain for his last eight seasons. As a player, he won five Stanley Cups and won the Selke Trophy as best defensive forward in four consecutive seasons. He was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP in 1979.

Following his playing career, Gainey coached the Epinal hockey team in France and later joined the Minnesota North Stars as head coach. He led the North Stars to the Stanley Cup final in 1991 and was coach and general manager from 1992 to 1996.

From 1996 to 2002, Gainey led his team - which re-located to Dallas - to a Stanley Cup in 1999. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Canadiens officially retired his No. 23 jersey in 2008.

"I'm leaving the team I love the most in the hands of the man I trust the most," said Gainey. "I look forward to assisting Pierre and the team in our pursuit of our 25th Stanley Cup."

Gauthier, 56, joined the Canadiens as director of pro scouting in 2003 and was named assistant general manager in 2006.

A native of Montreal, Gauthier has served as general manager of the Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Mighty Ducks. He also worked with current Canadiens head coach Jacques Martin during their days with the Senators and Quebec Nordiques.

"I like this team and I like the coaching staff," said Gauthier. "I've worked with Jacques (Martin) before, I'm very comfortable with this group. As soon as I leave this room today, I'm going to roll up my sleeves and get the job done."

Gauthier addressed some key questions regarding the current team, including the status of soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Tomas Plekanec and Jaroslav Halak and Carey Price. The new general manager said that he's already had some dialogue with Plekanec's agent Rick Curran and also discussed trade speculation surrounding his goaltenders.

"We believe we can go far with these two young men," said Gauthier. "You can never say never, but that's a strong position and we would like to keep it strong."

Gauthier worked with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim during six seasons, serving as the team's assistant general manager from 1993 to 1995. Following three seasons as general manager of the Senators from 1995 to 1998, he returned to Anaheim as President and general manager from 1998 to 2002.

Gauthier originally came to the Anaheim organization from the Quebec Nordiques, where he spent 12 seasons from 1981 to 1993, serving in all areas of scouting.

Gauthier also worked with Gainey and Bobby Clarke as one of three NHL general managers for the Canadian National Team at the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano. He was also Team Canada's general manager for the gold-medal winning team at the 1997 World Championship in Finland, as well as the silver-medal winning team at the 1996 World Championship in Austria.

"That's the objective - to get to the top tier of the league and to do that consistently," said Gauthier.

A good player, but not the greatest of GMs in my opinion. It was tragic what happened to his daughter, and I wonder if that affected any of his decisions the past year?

Ila, what do you think of this?

REPORT: HABS' BERGERON OUT 6-8 WEEKS WITH KNEE INJURY

The Montreal Canadiens got more bad news on the injury front on Tuesday, as RDS reports that defenceman Marc-Andre Bergeron will be sidelined for six to eight weeks with a left knee injury.

Bergeron left the team's Feb. 4 game against the Boston Bruins after he was hit in the leg with a shot and missed the weekend's games against Pittsburgh and Boston.

Bergeron, 29, was signed as an unrestricted free agent last fall.

In 51 games with the Canadiens this season, he has 10 goals and 28 points.

When it rains, it pours.:eek:

That hurts losing Bergeron. As for the GM news, I'm more neutral about that.

Are you a die-hard Montreal fan like Ila?:)

NHL to open 2010-2011 season in Europe!
 

The NHL announced today a significant expansion of its experiments with games in Europe. Next season will open with three teams on the "Old Continent"! And these games count.

Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild: two games against each other at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland (Oct. 7 & 8).

Columbus Blue Jackets and San Jose Sharks: two games at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden (Oct. 8 & 9).

Boston Bruins and Phoenix Coyotes: two games at O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic (Oct. 9 & 10).

Anyone up for a trip to beautiful Prague?

So the NHL are going to play regular season games in Europe, but yet not one Canadian team, where the NHL originated, will play. And of the 6 teams only one of the original six will play. This smells of Bettman arrogance.

"Diehard" might be a little strong, but Montreal is my favorite team, and the team that I see play most regularly. I usually catch their games on Hockey Night in Canada.

Bettman is a joke, but I think your reasoning is wrong. I know a lot of teams don't particularly like to travel to Europe for these regular season games and some of them may have balked at the idea. Also, the teams playing have a lot players that will be playing in their home country which may have figured into the selections. But they could have sent Detroit to Sweden, think they make up half the Swedish Olympic team.