Tag Archive for Ottawa Senators

Wild Start To The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs

April 16, 2012 NHL

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway and with just about 3 games played in each match up there has been some surprises thus far for the first round. We have seen everything from brawls, to higher seeds with the lead in the battle, head slamming on the glass and a series with over 30 goals in just 3 games!

The first interesting and possibly shocking outcome in the 1st round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs would be the number 8 seed Los Angeles Kings versus the number 1 seed Vancouver Canucks. The Kings hold a 3-0 series lead over the Canucks who were the winners of the Presidents Trophy during the regular season, finishing with the most points in the NHL. The Kings have really proven that a hot goal tender can very well steal a series, and the Kings have one of the best young goalies in the league in Jonathan Quick. In just 3 games Quick has given up only 4 goals, while shutting the Canucks out in game 3 last night in a 1-0 win. Can the defending Western Conference Champs bounce back from a 3-0 deficit? Something that has only been done 3 times in all of Hockey’s time? Or will Jonathan Quick put a stop to it and send the 8 seeded Kings to the 2nd round?

Staying in the Western Conference we have the match-up between the 3 seed Phoenix Coyotes and the 6 seed Chicago Blackhawks. Many, including myself had predicted that series would end early and the Blackhawks offense would be too much for goalie Mike Smith of the Coyotes. But with this series tied at 1, with game 3 tonight, and seeing 2 overtime games in the first 2 games, nobody knows how this series will end up. Both games the Coyotes had a 1 goal lead with under 30 seconds to go in the game, the first game the Blackhawks tied it with 15 seconds to go, but Martin Hanzal went on to score the overtime winner for the Coyotes and give them the 1-0 series lead. Phoenix in game 2 had a 1 goal lead with under 30 seconds to go when a shot was fired from the point and deflected in the net to tie the game with 5 seconds left in the 3rd period. Chicago went on to win the game with a goal from Bryan Bickell in overtime. With game 3 tonight in Chicago, who will prevail to take the series lead? Will Smith keep the Coyotes in the game with his goal-tending or will the high-powered offense of Kane-Toews-Hossa-Sharp, be too much for Smith the rest of this series? I still this series going to the Blackhawks, but in 6 games.

The Nashville Predators and the Detroit Red Wings are in an intense battle in the Western Conference 4 vs 5 match up. A series that is led by the Predators at 2 games to 1. A series that has seen some great goal-tending from Pekka Rinne and Jimmy Howard, to an illegal hit to the head on Henrik Zetterberg from Predators Captain Shea Weber. Shea Weber towards the end of game 1 took Zetterberg by the head and slammed it into the glass. As you can see in the video here, you be the judge on whether or not this hit was suspension worthy.


Download Video from YouTube | YouTube to MP3: Vixy

After the game there was talk that Weber could be suspended for a few games, but in the end he was only hit with a $2500 fine and was able to return to action in games 2 and 3 of the series. Had Weber been suspended, this series may have gone in Detroit’s favor but with Weber still in the series and no suspension, this makes the Predators still a strong candidate to win this series.

The St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks are tied at 1 a piece in their series and with an injury to Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak, we will now see a recent injured Brian Elliott back between the pipes for game 3 of this series tonight in San Jose. These games have gone back and forth and we will see which team will prevail with a win tonight and take a 2-1 series lead.

Heading over to the Eastern Conference we have the battle between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers, the 5 seeded Flyers have the series lead with 3 games to 0. This is a series that has seen 30 goals scored in just 3 games. Both goalies are at the bottom in the playoff leaders for goals against average in a game and both bottom in save percentage leaders. Aside from the mammoth amount of goals being scored in this series, we have seen plenty of clean and dirty hits and also some big fights in this series. This is a heated rivalry for the two interstate teams and that has carried over into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. We have seen plenty of players fight and land some big hits on each other and in last nights game alone, we saw some major hits that could end in suspensions and fines for some players.


Download Video from YouTube | YouTube to MP3: Vixy


Download Video from YouTube | YouTube to MP3: Vixy

As you can see from these hits the Penguins have been letting out some frustration on the Flyers by laying out some of some big illegal hits on some of their big name players. Asham who is a repeat offender and often suspended player, cross checks Brayden Schenn in the neck and proceeds to punch him while he is defenseless on the ice. Neal who is not often a dirty player and one of the cleaner players in the NHL, takes a charge at Sean Couturier and lays him out and minutes later takes a shot at Flyers superstar player Claude Giroux, which then lead to a huge brawl between the two teams with many players thrown out of the game.


Download Video from YouTube | YouTube to MP3: Vixy

In the 1 vs 8 seed match up in the Eastern Conference we have the 1 seed New York Rangers and the 8 seed Ottawa Senators locked up in a 1-1 series tie, with game 3 tonight in Ottawa. This has also been a very dirty series with plenty of big hits and some fights to go along with the games. The Rangers won the first game 4-2 and looked like they could dominate this series the whole way, but with some bad bounces in game 2, we saw the Ottawa Senators win a 3-2 game in overtime and split the series in NY. In a series that just saw Rangers rookie Carl Hagelin suspended 3 games on what was deemed a dirty hit on his fellow countrymen Daniel Alfredsson, and a 1 game suspension for Senators Matt Carkner for blind siding Brian Boyle with a big hit then punches on the ground while defenseless, this series will have a lot of bad blood for it and with a potential 5 games left to play this series can get ugly fast. Is this hit suspension worthy? Or was Shea Weber’s hit more suspension worthy and this one just a fine? You be the judge of it and see if what was handed out to Hagelin was fair.

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With the other 2 series in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals, they are all tied up at 1 after each team won an overtime game in Boston. The Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils are also locked up at 1 win a piece as they head to game 3 tomorrow in New Jersey. With the way these games have been played and the way the officiating has handled them, we can see a few more games get out of hand, and with many more games to be played, we expect the intensity to only raise higher and higher for each game.

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The NHL 2011-2012 Playoffs Are Here!!

April 8, 2012 NHL

The NHL season has finally come to an end, and after a year of surprises of good and bad, it is now crunch time and the next few months will decide who will win hockey’s most coveted trophy in the league, The Stanley Cup. The 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs open up on Wednesday April 11th with 3 games on opening night. In this article I will discuss each match-up and my predictions for the first round of the playoffs.

Starting with the Eastern Conference bracket. We have the following games.

1 Seed, New York Rangers Vs 8 Seed, The Ottawa Senators

The number 1 team in the Eastern Conference for over 3 and a half months, the New York Rangers open up their series with the Ottawa Senators who have a record of 3-1 against the Rangers this season. This series opens up on Thursday Night at 7:00 PM on MSG and the NHL Network. This series can go either way, a lot will rely on the psychical play of the Rangers and their ability to wear the Senators down, who might not be able to hang with King Henrik and the Rangers in a 7 game series. Though the Senators have the Rangers number this year, everything is different in the post-season. We have potential to see a 6 or 7 game series here but I will go ahead and say Henrik Lundqvist, Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards will be too much for the Senators to handle and the Rangers will take this series in 5.

2 Seed, Boston Bruins Vs 7 Seed, Washington Capitals

This series features the defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins going up against one of the best players in the world in Alexander Ovechkin. The Capitals come into this series ready to give the nod to 22 year old rookie goalie Braden Holtby after goalies Michael Neurvith and Thomas Vokoun have went down with injuries. The Boston Bruins were the first team in the NHL to lock up their division title in the regular season and look to come off a strong playoff performance last season. With the experience of net minder Tim Thomas and most of their team returning from last years cup run, I see this series going the Bruins way and them winning this series in 6.

3 Seed, Florida Panthers Vs 6 Seed, New Jersey Devils

The Panthers are coming off their first ever South Division Title and their first playoff appearance since 2000. The Panthers have lead their division for most of the regular season but towards the end of the year, only closed it out with a 2 point lead over the Capitals. The New Jersey Devils are coming off a major turn around season from last year when they were a bottom dweller to now the 6th seed in the playoffs. Martin Broduer has shown some signs that he can still be an everyday goalie in the NHL even at his old age, and with superstars Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk, I can see the Devils making this an easy series for them, and finishing out the Panthers have in just 5 games.

4 Seed Pittsburgh Penguins Vs 5 Seed Philadelphia Flyers

In probably the best series of the first round of the playoffs, it features two of the biggest rivals in all of hockey, with just miles separating the two teams and them meeting 6 times a year, this series is going to be the longest and most hardest fought out series in the entire playoffs. With the brawl that happened in the 2nd to last meeting of the regular season occurring between the two teams and the hatred they have for one another, I see this series going to 7 games, a very tiring series that will wear each other down, leaving the winners with many bruises into the next series and the loser with a bitter taste in their mouth. Ultimately I see this series going to the Flyers in 7.

Over in the Western Conference we have some new comers to the playoffs and some regulars, there are some good match-ups in this first round. Starting with

1 Seed Vancouver Canucks Vs 8 Seed Los Angeles Kings

The Vancouver Canucks are coming off of their second straight Presidents Trophy and a runner up in the Stanley Cup Finals last season, are facing a very good Kings team who were in 3rd place and leading their division up until the final night of the regular season. In this series it features two of the best goalies in the league in LA Kings Jonathan Quick and Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo, this is a series that may not see many goals in it, but can see some 1-0, 2-1 games and some possible shutouts. This may be one of the best opening series in the Western Conference, but I think we may see an upset here with the Kings taking out the Canucks in 7 games.

2 Seed St. Louis Blues Vs 7 Seed San Jose Sharks

These teams after only one season have basically switched spots in the standings. Last season the Blues saw themselves on the outside of the playoffs looking in while the Sharks saw themselves as the 2 seed last year but now sit in the 7th spot, something they have not been used to seeing over the last few seasons. The St. Louis Blues have some of the best goal-tending in the league that is followed by up by one of the best defense’s of the league. The Sharks are a team that is normally bounced out early after finishing strong in the regular season, this year finishing 7th and having to face the Blues in the 1st round I see them getting knocked out in just 5 games. I give this series to the St. Louis Blues in 5 games.

3 Seed Phoenix Coyotes Vs 6 Seed Chicago Blackhawks

The Phoenix Coyotes have won their first division title in the franchise history, though it took them till the 82nd game of the season to clinch it, the Coyotes come into this post-season with a potential to advance to the 2nd round. The Blackhawks, who won the Stanley Cup two seasons ago against the Philadelphia Flyers, enter as the 6th seed, but they have the scoring power and young goal-tending to get by in this series. But they are facing one of the hottest goalies in the league in Mike Smith, Smith has been on a tear towards the end of the season and is one of the main reasons they won their division. The high power offense of the Blackhawks may provide too much pressure for Smith, and I think the Blackhawks and that offense will be able to sweep the Coyotes and advance to the 2nd round.

4 Seed Nashville Predators Vs 5 Seed Detroit Red Wings

In probably the second best series of the post-season, we get to see two Central Division rivals, the Red Wings and the Predators. Both featuring two of the best goalies in the league in Detroit’s Jimmy Howard and Nashville’s Pekka Rinne. Each of these goalies can take over a series for their team and help them advance, but the high power offense of the Wings lead by Pavel Datysuk and Henrik Zetterberg may be too much for the Predators in this series. If Rinne is on he can steal this one from the Red Wings and send them home early, but ultimately I think Jimmy Howard has a strong first round of the playoffs and helps his team advance in a long and hard fought 7 game series. So the Detroit Red Wings will advance in 7.

 

So lets sit back and enjoy the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and lets see if there are any upsets or any shockers in the 1st round. In the NHL you never know what can happen, and this is why they play 7 games.

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Early Thoughts On NHL Awards

February 21, 2012 NHL

Today I will be covering who I think will take home some of the big NHL awards in June. Up first we have the Calder Trophy which is handed out to the most to the most outstanding rookie of the year. This year I think will be tough with guys like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Adam Henrique, Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Read likely up for the award. But to me overall I think the  winner will be 1st overall draft pick of this seasons draft Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, in just 40 games this year he has 35 points, 13 goals and 22 assists with a high amount of points on the power play with 18 points. He is out on an injury right now to his shoulder but should be back in the next few days and continue up his stellar play and ultimately take home the Calder Trophy when all is said and done.

Up next we have the Jack Adams award given to the coach of the year. I think there are a few candidates up for this award like John Tortorella of the New York Rangers, Ken Hitchcock of the St. Louis Blues, Alain Vigneault Of the Vancouver Canucks, Mike Babcock of the Detroit Red Wings and Kevin Dineen of the Florida Panthers. All of these coaches have their teams on great runs this season with the Rangers, Wings and Canucks the top 3 teams in the NHL. Dineen and Hitchcock have both respectively turned their bottom feeder teams into playoff contenders, they are also in a lot of consideration for the award. John Tortorella is the man that stands out here to me, he turned the Rangers into just getting into the playoffs last season as the eighth seed, to the tops in the Eastern Conference and third in the NHL. If the Rangers can keep up their strong play and play that tough nose defense that Tortorella has taught them, he can very well take home the Jack Adams award this season.

Up next we have the Hart Trophy which is given out to the MVP of the league, somebody who means the most to their team and performs at a high level. This seasons likely candidates would be Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers and Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks. They all are turning in some special seasons this year all being in the top 5 in scoring. Malkin leads the NHL in points with 71 in just 52 games and is doing this without Sid “The Kid” Crosby. He has the Penguins in fifth in the Eastern Conference and they are making a strong push to catch up to the Devils and Rangers who are ahead of them. Giroux in just his 3rd full season in the NHL has turned in 68 points in just 54 games and continues to lead the Flyers. Stamkos is on pace to score over 50 goals this year but his team is on the outside looking in right now and need to go on a big run. Henrik Sedin teamed up with his brother Daniel has the Canucks up top the NHL once again. Overall I think this trophy will go to Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Up next we have the Norris Trophy for the NHL’s best defense men. Players who stand out for this trophy to me is Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings, Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators, Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators and Ryan Suter of the Nashville Predators. This award can go to any of these 4 and would not be disappointed, Karlsson is turning in a great season leading all defense men in points with 57 in 60 games while also being a +14. Weber and Suter being paired together in Nashville just happen to be in my opinion the best defensive pairing in all of the NHL. Suter sits with 35 points and a +10 while Weber is turning in a 38 point season while being a +17 on the ice. And finally Nicklas Lidstrom, last years Norris Trophy winner, he has 31 points and sitting with a rating of +26 on the ice, knowing the leadership he provides Lidstrom can very well be the winner again, but if the Senators hang onto a playoff spot I think this one will go to Erik Karlsson for the first time in his career.

The last award I will discuss is the Vezina Trophy, given to the leagues top goaltender. Up for this award can be goalies Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers, Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings, Brian Elliott of the St. Louis Blues and Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings.  All four of them are pitching in great seasons for their teams, Howard is 32-11-1 with .924 save percentage and 2.03 goals against average. Lundqvist is having one of his best seasons of his career for the Rangers with a record right now of 28-11-4 with a .940 save percentage and 1.77 goals against average which is second best in the NHL to only Brian Elliott. Elliott of the Blues who started as the back up took over as the main guy when Jaroslav Halak started to slip off, Elliott is 20-6-2 with .940 save percentage and 1.56 goals against average. Quick of the Kings is 24-16-10 with a .934 save percentage and 1.87 goals against average, but don’t let his stats and record fool you. Quick has been one of the best young goalies in the NHL who just does not get the same support as the other candidates and he is just as good, but overall I think this record will go to “King Henrik” of the New York Rangers.

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Top 3 Surprising Players Of The 2011-2012 Season Thus Far.

February 16, 2012 NHL

This NHL season we have seen many surprises, whether they are good or bad, some players and teams have turned things around into successful seasons, and some have done the opposite. Today we will talk about 3 players who have really emerged as my 3 biggest surprises of this season.

Starting with number 3 Defense Men of the Ottawa Senators Erik Karlsson. Erik Karlsson is setting career highs in just about every defensive stat in the game. Coming off of last season when he played 75 games finished with 45 points and a horrible -30 in the stat column, he has improved his game over the off-season and has bounced back tremendously. The Senators now playing him over 25 minutes a game on their top pairing since he has added more defense to his game which was something he lacked when coming into the NHL in the 2009/2010 season. Karlsson now sits with 53 points which is 14 points ahead of Alex Edler of the Vancouver Canucks. Besides scoring at a high pace this year Erik is also a +30 on the season which speaks about how much he has matured as a defense men in the NHL. If Karlsson can keep up this outstanding play the Senators can definitely stay in the playoff race in the Eastern Conference.

Coming in at number 2 we have Goalie Brian Elliott of the St. Louis Blues. A few seasons the St. Louis Blues went out and traded for Goalie of the Montreal Canadians at the time Jaroslav Halak, they acquired him thinking he will be the goalie of the future, but things changed when he did not find success playing for them and starting off the 2011-2012 season not so good. That is when back up goalie Brian Elliott took over and under new head coach Ken Hitchcock they never looked back. Elliott is currently the leader in the NHL for goals against average with an amazing 1.63, and has a record of 18-5-2 with giving up only 41 goals while having 671 saves on the season. His success has boosted the St. Louis Blues to second place in their division, 5 points behind the Red Wings and fourth overall in the Western Conference. If Elliott can keep up this tremendous play the Blues can make a lot of noise in the playoffs and surprise many teams.

Coming in at number 1 is Edmonton Oiler Right Wing, Jordan Eberle. Eberle after being drafted 22nd overall back in the 2008 draft came into the league in the 2010-2011 season where he finished with 43 points in 69 games, but well remember Jordan Eberle for probably one of the best if not the best first goal of his young career.


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Coming into this season Eberle was awarded the top line spot skating along side of 2010 1st overall draft pick Taylor Hall and 1st overall draft pick in 2011 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, probably the youngest line in the NHL, they found success early in the season and though Hopkins and Hall have fell off just a little bit, Eberle’s game has stayed on track. Eberle is third in the right wing position with points with 55 points(25 goals and 30 assists) in just 52 games, Eberle is on pace to set career highs in both, but in just his 1st full year in the NHL this kid has proven he was worth a 1st round draft selection and is a player for the Oilers to build around for years to come.

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