Luongo: From human to immortal in one week

If Luongo keeps this up, he could have a career year in shutouts. The most he's had in one season is 8 with the Panthers in 2005-06. He now has 3 shutouts in his last 5 games and leads the NHL with 5 total.
It has been 141 minutes since someone has beat him.
With this re-emergence of Luongod comes Canuck success. They have now won 4 of their last 5 and trail the Northwest Division leading Wild by one point.
So now the game between the Wild and Canucks on Saturday holds even more importance.

Kevin Bieksa is on a roll. He played a fair bit more than any other Nucks defenceman tonight, logging 25:16 of icetime and scoring the game's only goal. He can be prone to defensive lapses on one night and then be brilliant the next night. In 11 games this season, Bieksa has 3 goals and 9 points. He looks to have a great season much like he did 2 years ago.

It was good to see the Canucks play better defensively. The guys blocked 20-plus shots. If they want to, they can score an ass-load of goals, but then they give up a lot of goals as well. Tonight was the opposite. They couldn't bury the puck but were a lot more stingy defensively.
So I think the team is still trying to establish an identity of both and being consistent in that.

Steve Bernier has 4 goals and 8 points in 14 games. He missed a glorious chance tonight. He seems to be struggling a bit. I think it's fair to say we expect more from him.

It seemed that Michel Ouellet played his way into obscurity as the game went on. He started the contest on the top line with the Sedins and then I didn't see too much of him.

Wellwood was good tonight but didn't get on the scoreboard.

Had a great time hanging out at Canucks and Beyond tonight, as Alanah had a live blog up using Cover It Live. The Yankee Canuck co hosted the live blog with Canucks and Beyond, spreading his filthy hate of Wellwood. At least Mike is funny as hell when he mocks.

BOXSCORE AND HIGHLIGHTS

Blake Wheeler scores a hatty against the Leafs tonight in Boston and a bra is thrown on the ice. Is bra power about to start in Beantown? You guys can't use Blake the Brabarian because we've already thought of that.

T Tags: Luongo Luongod Canucks+beat+Coyotes November+6+2008 Blake+Wheeler bra+power Boston bra+thrown+on+ice video pic image

Bruins 1 Canucks 0: Trapper's Paradise

Depressing. And it is spelled T-H-O-M-A-S. Like Ray Ferraro was alluding to early in the game: "No save Thomas makes looks the same."
I was saying in the pregame that I thought the Canucks should shoot high on the Bruins' netminder but they did not do that enough. A point blank chance by Dank Sedin in the 3rd was shot along the ice and stopped by a sliding Thomas. It happened more than once.
But really, when Thomas is on his game, I find him to be a cross between Curtis Joseph and Dominik Hasek in their primes.
Timmy's shutout streak of 2 games continues against Vancouver.
One of the worst parts of this game is that the only goal the Bruins scored (Ryder) was the result of Luongo poke-checking the puck out of harm's way right onto Ryder's stick. Bango.. screen shot top shelf, and that becomes the only goal scored in the game. Alain Vigneault was upset over that play because a Canucks penalty was coming and Luongo touched it.

“The linesman blew it,” Vigneault said, adding Luongo’s poke check wasn’t enough to blow the play dead. “It can’t just be a touch, it has to be possession.”

Maybe. At the end of the day it didn't matter.

I thought the Canucks came out extra hard in the 3rd and really took it to the B's, outshooting them 13-9 and having so many chances. But Thomas was just so damned good.

Another bummer that plagued my mind all game long is the Bruins' defensive play. That was US over the past couple of years: 1 guy forechecks, 4 stay back along the blue line. They can really shut a team down when they have the lead. Hey Gillis, were you watching that? BOSTON has the skills to do some real damage this year by playing like that. And all of the players buy into it. Some call it boring, I call it effective.
End of story. Great game by Boston.

- Milan Lucic made a bit of noise in his return to Vancouver. He laid out a few guys and hit Luongo in the helmut with a bullet. He sure is a mean guy to play against.
But the Bruin who I am most impressed by is Marc Savard. This guy used to be a shitbag and a locker room distraction. Now he is a top NHL star who can play well at both ends of the ice.

BOX SCORE

T Tags: Canucks Bruins game+review October+28+2008 Tim+Thomas+is+god

Canucks face tough Bruins tonight

And one of those Bruins is a Nucks fan still.

He still cheers for the Canucks and knows all the stats of all the games there. He’s a really big fan and it’s refreshing to see a young guy who easily could be so cocky and expect people to bow down to him be a really, really good kid.

That is what Bruins' defenceman Andrew Ference said of his teammate Milan Lucic.
-Lucic (pronounced loo-cheech)is a native of Vancouver. He played for the Vancouver Giants.
-He is currently second in scoring on the Bruins with 4 goals and 7 points in 9 games. 3 of those came in the form of a hat trick against Atlanta on October 25.
-6'4" 220 pounds. 20 years old. Drafted 50th overall by the Bruins in 2006.
-Lucic put Leafs' Van Ryn through the glass on October 23. Don't do that here, Milan.
-Watch Lucic, while playing for the Giants, nail a bunch of Tigers and then drop the gloves. The crowd chanted "Luuuuuuu". Good stuff.
-Lucic Highlights video

A huge Lucic article, bio, etc and why the Canucks didn't draft him can be found at Crashing The Goalie. 

The Bruins are right in the middle of a 3-game road trip. They squeezed by the Oilers 1-0 in OT last night (who says Roloson sucks, by the way?). They have won 2 in a row.

The Canucks put a half-assed road trip behind them and obliterated the Oilers 6-3 on Saturday night.

It's not very often that we get to see the Nucks play the Bruins, so this is going to be a treat to see them tangle in Vancouver.

Let's see how Lucic performs, as he will be fired up. That's not a good thing for Canucks fans.

Hopefully Kyle Wellwood keeps up his great play, and Krog hits the net.

It's time for the Sedins to break out of their mini funk.

The Canucks are going to have to shoot high and often on B's goalie Tim Thomas (if he indeed plays). Thomas is one of my faves. He never quits on a play.

Are we in for a goaltending battle from hell? Or a goal fest? It's so hard to tell with this Canucks team.

**UPDATE**

I'd like to give a big shout out to the Bruins bloggers / site owners out there who I have made acquaintance with:

GHOSTS OF THE GARDEN

THE SPOKED B

THE OLD BRUINS FAN

HERE COME THE BRUINS!

Greetings to you all and may the Canucks kick your teams' ass!

GAME TIME: 7:00 PST

TV: TSN

T Tags: Canucks Bruins Game Preview October+28+2008 Milan+Lucic+profile

Bruins sign Stephane Yelle

Terms were not disclosed. A checking center for the Bruins. Yelle has won 2 Cups with the Avalanche in his career.
I don't know what Yelle is going to make, but the Bruins are inching quite close to the Cap. I believe he made $1.25 million with the Flames last year.

**UPDATE** A 1-year deal worth $750,000. Great deal for Boston. It's funny how they always announce "in keeping with team policy, the terms were not disclosed". Meanwhile the terms are always figured out within an hour or two.

T Tags: Bruins+sign+Stephane+Yelle

Blake Wheeler to sign with the Bruins

From the Boston Globe Bruins Blog via Spector's:

Blake Wheeler, the highly-sought winger from the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, has advised his agent to finalize terms of a contract with the Bruins, a two-year deal that won’t be made official until July 1, in keeping with NHL bylaws that govern the movement and signing of unrestricted free agents.

Apparently about 20 teams where chasing this guy. I have not been paying much attention to this story. So who the heck is Blake Wheeler?
- the Plymouth, Minnesota native was drafted 5th overall by the Coyotes in 2004 behind Ovechkin, Malkin, Cam Barker and Andrew Ladd. This made him the highest drafted player out of high school in 21 years. Wheeler and the Coyotes never agreed to a contract and he decided to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
- he's a big dude. 6 feet 4 inches and 219 pounds.
- played the last 3 years for the University of Minnesota, yet the right winger's stats are nothing stupendous.
- Hockey's Future lists his pro's and cons:

Wheeler is a good skater, has deceptive speed, and has great acceleration when needed, but needs to increase his stamina. He can stickhandle at top speed, but needs to develop more moves, especially power driven moves coming out of the corner. He needs to be a bit more creative on the forecheck, using his body and keeping his legs constantly moving. When he shows spurts of confidence driven play, he can be very effective on forecheck, most notably down low. He needs to continue to improve on creating space and or distance while he’s on the puck. He has the ability to play on special teams.

I'm not seeing what all the hype is about. Maybe YouTube can help me out.

WHEELERTUBE

- this sweet, diving goal by Wheeler was the winning goal for a championship for Minnesota.

- a Wheeler report on FSN.

So he can score some pretty goals. I guess he has the upside, but needs to realize it.

T Tags: Blake+Wheeler+to+sign+with+Boston+Bruins prospect

Habs-Bruins and Caps-Flyers thoughts, Sharks in trouble

Habs-Bruins Game 7
What a game this is going to be. After a thrilling finish to Game 6 and a Bruins win to force this series to 7 games, who really knows what to expect in Game 7. I would say that you won't see what happened in the 3rd period last game to happen in the final game. Both teams should be a little more cautious.
A big key to this game may be how composed the Habs will be after brain farting in Game 6. Is Carey Price going to be the difference?
Something I really noticed in Game 6 was the asshat play of Alexei Kovalev. I think a really big reason Kovalev did not show up was because Saku Koivu returned from a broken foot for the first time in the series and the spotlight wasn't on the Russian anymore. Think of it this way: Kovalev wore the "c" in Koivu's absence and was a force to be reckoned with just before the playoffs and in the first 5 games of the series as well. Hell, he had 6 points in the first 5 games. Koivu comes back in game 6, and Kovalev plays 21:46, has only 2 shots, no points and was a -3. Some guys love the spotlight, and Kovalev is one of them. Let's see how he rebounds (or acts) tonight.
Personally, I think he's a highly gifted selfish jackass.
5-2 Habs win tonight is my prediction. But I sure hope I'm wrong.

**UPDATE** 2 assists for Kovalev and a bunch of points for the Kostitsyn Buthas and the Habs destroy the B's 5-0. Carey Price showed a lot of composure for a kid in Game 7.

---

Flyers-Capitals Game 6
All the talk about the Flyers-Capitals game tonight revolves around (of course) Alex Ovechkin. Can he get his offence going in the postseason? One last chance to be a playoff hero since game 1. At least Semin and Fedorov picked up the slack in Game 5 to prolong the series. But it will be a masterful upset if the Caps beat Philly in front of the crazy-spirited blood-hungry Flyer faithful tonight. I say the Flyers end it tonight 4-2.

**UPDATE** Holy crap, it's a Russian Mob takeover tonight! Ovechkin becomes the hero and Semin and Backstrom majorly contribute in a 4-2 Caps win. Now the Flyers are in trouble as they have to beat the surging Caps in front of a sea of red tomorrow.

---

Unless Joe Thornton can lead by example and show some more heart and offence, it looks as though the Flames will take their series. When I watch that series, I hardly watch the puck. I just follow Thornton around the screen. It's not because I got some kind of sick love affair with the guy. No, it's because I have been hacking the slug for the whole series and I want to know for sure that my accusations are justified. And they are. I don't care that Big Joe has 1 goal and 5 assists in 6 games. As decent as that is, there are too many times where he refuses to shoot the puck in key areas and too many times that he lacks grit and pays the price. Joe doesn't go, the Sharks don't go. How about this... in 64 career NHL playoff games, Joe has only 10 goals and 44 points.

---

Nothing made me happier than to see the Ducks lose last night. I refuse to cheer for Scott Niedermayer and especially Todd Bertuzzi. Even better news from the Ducks camp is that Scott Niedermayer has been fined $500,000 by the League for not reporting to training camp last fall, as he was considering retirement. Ha! (Update: Bob McKenzie says that the team itself fines Niedermayer.) I guess there is a rule about that in the CBA. Couldn't happen to a better Duck and a bigger cheating GM in Brian Burke, who really kept Niedermayer and Selanne out of the Ducks lineup to save cap space. (Burke is fighting this fine and trying to reverse it. So then, Selanne WAS at training camp then?

**UPDATE** I think Selanne had a double bogey on his first hole.

T Tags: Canadiens Bruins Game+7 Flyers Capitals Game+6 Joe+Thornton+sucks Kovalev+sucks

Bruins-Habs goal-a-thon

Alright, who watched the Bruins-Habs game tonight? When was the last time you seen something like that? 5 goals scored in the last 10 minutes of the 3rd period. Back and forth. Back and forth. I know the Bruins' team D sucks, but what has happened to the composed Habs D? Gonzo. And it made for one of the most thrilling finishes that I've seen in quite a while.
Are the Habs going to be able to stop this crazy Bruins squad at home in game 7? My guess? I HAVE NO DAMNED CLUE! Kovalev didn't look interested or sharp tonight. This is not the time for him to dry up. Yet the Habs just need to settle down and play their style in front of their fans in game 7 and I think they'll be fine.
What the hell is wrong with Glenn Murray? Useless tit. Phil Kessel and Marco Sturm on the other hand... wow.

T Tags: Bruins Canadiens comeback goals Kessel Kovalev Sturm

Canucks-Predators Preview / Ducks / Auld / Recchi

CANUCKS VS PREDS

The Canucks roll into Music City tonight still not playing their best hockey. They remained undisciplined against Chicago yet still managed a win.
When are the Sedins going to break out again?
Word is that Vigneault wants to play Curtis Sanford in one of the next 2 Canucks games. I would hope that would be tonight, and save Luongo for the Penguins on Saturday night. (Crosby must lose)
CONFIRMED: Sanford will play tonight, according to Rotowire.

This game is about revenge as well, as the Preds beat the Nucks 3-0 on November 1st.
Look out for Jason Arnot, who broke a Predators record last game with 12 shots in one game against the Leafs. Arnott also had 1 goal and 1 assist in the Preds shutout over the Canucks 1 month ago.
-The Preds have won 3 of their last 5.
-The Canucks have won 4 of their last 5.

I think we beat Nashville 4-2 tonight and get our revenge. Arnott breaks his arm from taking 20 shots.

GAME TIME: 5:00 PST
TV: SPORTSNET PACIFIC

---

DUCKS CAP

I thought that Niedermayer's decision to play again would put the Ducks over the cap. But does it really? Not according to Hockey Analysis:

Burke is talking about making a deal anyways. But would that be to move a defenceman for a good forward? I can see Beauchemin or Schneider being on the block. But let's see if Burkie gets any takers.

---

AULD SHIPPED TO BOSTON

The Bruins are having serious health issues with their goaltenders this season, and have acquired Alex Auld to help out, in exchange for Nate DiCasmirro and a 5th round pick in 2009.
The B's lost Tim Thomas to an apparent ankle injury last night, and his status is unknown. But it's probably not very good if the Bruins went out and got Auld.
Manny Fernandez has back spasms and a knee issue that have not been resolved yet. His return is delayed.
Tuuka Rask is only 20 years old, so I suppose the Bruins won't put too much pressure on him. This is where Auld will help out....maybe. Auld isn't that good. Poor Alex has moved from shitty-defensive team to shitty defensive team in his brief NHL career.

I don't know much about DiCasmirro, except that he's a 29 year old left winger, and has not put up serious numbers in the AHL. But he can fight though.

---

RECCHI'S NHL FUTURE OVER?

The Penguins have assigned Recchi to their AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The last big name Penguin to go that route was John Leclair, and look what happened to him! I still can't believe that nobody wanted Recchi..... crazy.
I just listened to Dave Nonis on Team 1040 mention that Recchi is a risk at his current dollar value and that he isn't gambling on him.
In my opinion, I disagree. Recchi is worth the gamble. Geez, he only helped Carolina win the Cup 2 years ago.

T Tags: Canucks Predators Preview Alex+Auld+traded+Bruins Niedermayer Ducks+to+trade Recchi+sent+to+minors

Canadian Beer Drinkers Threaten Planet / Leafs Joke

A big thanks to Doobie from the Spoked B for emailing me this news clip, as it made me laugh:
Scientists have found a new threat to the planet: Canadian beer drinkers.

The government-commissioned study says the old, inefficient "beer fridges" that one in three Canadian households use to store their Molson and Labatt's contribute significantly to global warming by guzzling gas- and coal-fired electricity.

"People need to understand the impact of their lifestyles," British environmental consultant Joanna Yarrow tells New Scientist magazine. "Clearly the environmental implications of having a frivolous luxury like a beer fridge are not hitting home. This research helps inform people — let's hope it has an effect."

Click here for the rest of the Fox News article.

Gee, Joanna, thanks for the advice....but fuck off and mind your own country's business! We don't have enough space in our regular fridges for all the beer we drink. haha.

By the way, it appears Doobie has come accross a nude image of Bobby Orr. It's a painting though. No controversy here.

---

A big hat tip to Temujin for emailing me this image:
























Ha! I think that more applies to the Canucks in the playoffs. The Leafs need a joke made about their lousy defence. Something like this perhaps:



Of course, now the Leafs are 3-0 after all the talk of someone getting fired. Go figure. That won't last though.



T Tags: Canadian+Beer+Drinkers+threaten+world Leafs+jokes Photoshop

Hartnell hit on Alberts

Hey I love violence in hockey. But I don't like these kinds of incidences where a player is vulnerable on his knees along the boards and someone crunches him. Such is the case in the Bruins/Flyers game last night, as Scott Hartnell smoked Andrew Albert's prone body and especially head into the ledge of the boards at the bottom of the glass.
I'm sure the League is reviewing it and Hartnell will get an Ohlund-type suspension, or maybe a bit less. It's intent to injure, even though Hartnell is denying it.
Another problem here, and I'm sure Don Cherry will be barking about it on Saturday: can something be done about the ledges along the boards? Can we pad them up or eliminate them altogether? I'm surprised this kind of incident doesn't happen more often.
Alberts was apparently fine afterwards, even though he layed on the ice like he was dead. So I'm sure Hartnell, with a clean track record (?) may only get a slap on he wrist.
It's just disturbing that the last time these 2 teams played, Patrice Bergeron was boarded by Randy Jones and may miss the rest of the season, and now this. Stupid goon Flyers hey?
Hartnell should have let up. Check out he clip. It's 1:11 into the highlights.

**UPDATE**
Hartnell has received a 2- game suspension.

T Tags: Scott+Hartnell hits Andrew +Alberts cheapshot boards injury

Back from the Woods

We just got back from a 4 day campout up in Manning Park. As you can see from the picture, the wildlife there has been in a lot of contact with humans. The pic is of a marmot that lived on top of one of the mountains. We drove by his den and he ran out to great us at the car, looking for food. My wife and I fed him about a half container of sour cream n' onion Pringles and took about 20 pics of the ordeal. Hopefully the poor bugger didn't get sick. He actually bit my thumb knuckle at one point.
The deer in the park were overly tame as well. The doe's would hang out with their fawns and show hardly any fear at all. Closest I've ever been to a deer (within 4 feet).
Sheeit. I haven't showered since last Friday night and I still smell Zestfully clean!
So what the heck is going on in the hockey world? I had no cell range at the park and refused to listen to the radio or buy a newspaper.

I see the Devils are busy trying to assemble a team. They signed JL Grand-Pierre, Ian Moran to increase their defensive depth and also signed Noah Clarke. I wonder how competitive these Devils will be next season. A lot of that will depend on how well Zach Parise replaces Scott Gomez.

I wonder how much more Locomotiv of the Russian Super League will be paying Alexei Yashin than anyone in the NHL would. They sought after Yashin pretty hard apparently.
Oh well, adiose Yashin. Let the door hit your ass on the way out of North America.

The Bruins finally relieved their log jam in goal by trading Hannu Toivenen to the Blues in exchange for 22-year-old Swedish center Carl Soderberg. Soderberg has no NHL experience and was drafted by the Blues 49th overall in 2004. Is it just me or do his stats look completely inconsistent?

I really like the Emery signing at 3 years, $9.5 million. That is affordable and fair. But that does make Carolina's signing of Cam Ward at $2.66 million per season after winning the Cup look like a complete bargain doesn't it?

Well, this country boy is heading to the big city in the next few days. If I see Jan Bulis I'll kick him in the nuts for you guys!

Later.

T Tags: Bruins+trade+Toivenen Manning+Park Devils+sign+three

Senators trade Schaefer to Bruins / Updates

With plenty of free agents to sign, especially Ray Emery, the Sens cleared some cap space today, trading Peter Schaefer to the Bruins in exchange for Shean Donovan.
Schaefer has 3 years left on his contract at $2.23 per season while Donovan has 1 year left that pays him $925,000.
This is a decent upgrade for Boston, as Schaefer had 12 goals and 46 points in 77 games last season, while Donovan had 6 goals and 17 points in 76 games.
The Sens were more concerned about saving dollars at this point.

---

The Hurricanes have re-acquired speedy Matt Cullen from the Rangers today in exchange for D-man Andrew Hutchinson, forward Joe Barnes, and a 3rd round pick in the 2008 Entry Draft.
The Rangers had to clear Cullen's $2.8 million from their payroll and got another defenceman in return, an area they are not-so deep in. Cullen is a great speedy and gritty role player. I'm sure the Canes are welcoming him back with open arms.


T Tags: Senators+trade+Schaefer+to+Bruins+for+Donovan
Rangers+trade+Matt+Cullen

Bruins acquire Manny Fernandez

TSN is reporting that Boston has indeed finally landed Manny Fernandez in exchange for forward Peter Kalus and a future 4th round pick. What a fomidable duo in net for the B's, with Fernandez and Tim Thomas. With the coaching change is Boston and Fernandez in net, I already foresee good things in Boston next season.

So who the heck is Peter Kalus
The 20-year-old Kalus was born in Ostrava, Czech Republic who was drafted 39th overall in the 2005 Entry Draft. The winger has been described as "electric goal scorer with a world of speed and skill." He is projected as a top 6 winger, but does have a few knocks on his size (6'1", 186 pounds). (TSN)

Kalus must have a lot of potential in order for the Wild to trade away a #1 goalie in Manny Fernandez for him. Last season, in 9 games for the Bruins, Kalus scored 4 goals and 1 assist.
Fernandez is being paid $3,750,000 per season. The Wild needed some cap space.

More on Kalus at Hockey's Future.
Manny Fernandez career stats.

Fernandez was squeezed out of the Wild's roster by the emergence of Niklas Backstrom and suprising 23 year-old Josh Harding.
The Wild were not going to renew Fernandez's contract with those 2 great goaltenders and speculation has been on going for weeks now as to where Backstrom would end up playing in 2007-08. Boston was rumored all along.

T Tags: Wild+trade+Manny Fernandez Bruins Peter Kalus

New Bruins Logo

I see people are searching this site for new Bruins jerseys, but all I've noticed is that they recently changed their logo.
Below is the old logo:














Here is the new logo:




Not much of a difference, really. The old is still better, so why f**k with it?
At least the bear isn't returning.



T Tags: New+Bruins+Logo

Claude Julien new Bruins coach

The Bruins were saying earlier that they had the coaching search down to 4 guys. Well they have just named former Devils coach Claude Julien as the bench boss. The announcement is expected tomorrow.
Julien was relieved of duty with the Devils by Lou Lamoriello late last season even though the Devils were first in the Atlantic Division at the time, with a 49-24 record.
Julien played most of his pro hockey in the AHL. His pro-semi-pro career lasted from 1977-1992. He coached the Hull Olympiques in 1996-97 (a 48-19 record). He coached the Hamilton Bulldogs for 3 years (2000-03) compiling a 98-77-19 record and was then promoted to coaching the Montreal Canadiens. He coached the Habs for 2.5 seasons accumulating a 72-62-17 record. He then coached the Devils.
I think this is a good fit for Boston. I thought the B's defensive game looked terrible last season, and Julien, being a defenceman in his playing days, will steady the ship.
Good luck in Beantown, Julien! Turn that franchise around!

T Tags: Claude+Julien new+coach Boston+Bruins hired

Dave Lewis gets the axe

I had speculated this for a long time now. the Bruins, much like the Flames lacked identity and were inconsistent to no end.

"Since the season has ended I have completed a thorough review of the team and the coaching staff, and I have determined that Dave Lewis and Marc Habscheid are not the proper fit for the Bruins at this time," GM Peter Chiarelli said, before adding: "I have a short list of candidates in mind."

Lewis was spoon fed in Detroit as an assistant coach considering all of Detroit's success.

"I probably took a number of things for granted that I shouldn't, thinking that the players understand," he said then. "Where I came from, it's just sort of natural, which it really isn't natural. It's a learned process, so that's where I have to improve."

Lewis will receive another job somewhere in the organization.
What are the chances of Pat Quinn behind the bench in Beantown?

T Tags: Bruins Dave+Lewis Fired

Sundin signs for 1 year / Updates

And at a discount price to boot! Last season, Sundin, 36, made $6.3 million. This coming year he will take in $5.5 million. The Leafs were pushing for a longer-term deal but Sundin only wanted 1 year. The deal also includes a no-trade and no-movement clause.
This puts Sundin in the driver's seat with his short-term future, as he can retire after the coming season or get signed by a different team next summer. (Like, a team that has a better chance at winning the Cup maybe?)
But this gives John Ferguson Jr. $800,000 more bucks to play with. Is Mats a sweetheart or what?
Hey, I am excited to see Sundin stay in Toronto. I have been a massive Sundin fan since he first entered the NHL with the Nordiques.

---

The Red Wings have signed Chris Chelios to a 1-year deal worth $850,000 plus incentives. He doesn't get the extra $1 million if he needs a cane and wears diapers by February.

---

The Bruins have signed Andy Alberts to a multi-year contract extension today.

---

Pierre Turgeon may announce his retirement soon. The oft-injured center is 27th on the all-time scoring list. He is still on the Avalanche's roster for one more season making $1.5 million. I'm sure the Avs would like to use that money elsewhere.

---

Eric Staal will grace the cover of the NHL 08 game this fall. I guess dropping 30 points from your previous season and missing the playoffs warrants a spot on the esteemed cover....
Well Staal is a big gamer himself:

"I am a huge fan of the NHL franchise and played NHL 07 fanatically," said Staal. "I am honored to be named to the EA SPORTS™ family and the NHL 08 team."

Guaranteed Staal will be even better in 2007-08.
I'm telling ya, if PS3 puts out a few more games including NHL 08, I'm buying it in 3 months!!

Game Preview

---

Is there really any suprise that Sabres GM Darcy Regier and coach Lindy Ruff have signed contract extensions? Nope. Ruff is going to have to find ways to motivate this team in the playoffs though.

T Tags: Sundin Signs Leafs Chelios Red Wings Pierre+Turgeon retire Eric+Staal cover NHL08

Bruins invade stands at MSG

This is a blast from the past. A Rangers fan stole (I believe) Terry O'Reilly's stick and the B's charged the stands. Enjoy!

Tags: Bruins Rangers Fight Crowd

Thoughts about the Oilers and Bruins

"It doesn't hurt, playing in the playoffs and having the success that we did," Ryan Smyth said after last night's 4-3 win over Detroit. "We had pretty good success this year against them (3-1-0), and we just wanted to carry some momentum."

The Oilers will have to carry alot of momentum soon. Suddenly they have won 2 in a row and are only 5 points behind 8th place Calgary in the West. This after losing 4 in a row, including 2 in the shootout during their Eastern Conference road trip. The Oilers will play Calgary only 2 more times in their last 20 games. However, they will play the Wild 5 more times in those remaining 20. The Oilers trail the 7th-place Wild by 7 points. That 5 game swing will be a major difference in their playoff fate. Currently the Oilers have won 2 and lost 1 to Minnesota this season.
They will have to play better in their last 20 than they did last season, where they won only 9 games to finish 8th in the West , 3 points ahead of Vancouver, who won 7 of their last 20 and 6 points ahead of the Kings, who won 8 of their last 20. Playing .500 hockey probably won't be good enough to get in this year, waiting for Calgary and Minnesota to flounder.
----------------------------
Speaking of teams that are not quite down and out, the Boston Bruins, who claimed G Joey MacDonald off of waivers today and signed Marco Sturm to a 4-year deal, are no longer sellers at the trade deadline. A 6-2 win over the red hot Lightning last night not only put the Bruins 5 points behind 8th spot Carolina in the East, it also was a statement by them that they are going to make a push to get into the postseason rather than lay down and die. The Bruins are now 8-2-0 in their last 10 and have won 4 in a row. Even with Patrice Bergeron (lower body) and Glenn Murray (groin) out with injuries the Bruins keep winning.
-Sturm has 7 goals in his last 7 games.
-Marc Savard has 2 goals and 10 assists in his last 7 games.
-Brandon Bochenski has 6 goals and 5 assists in his first 9 games with Boston, making me winder waht the hell Chicago was thinking.... Bochenski seems to have found a home in Boston.
Never say never. 20 games is alot of time. The final stretch race has begun and is going to be thrilling to watch!

Bruins lost out in the deal?

"When any team doesn't win hockey games something has to change," Boston coach Dave Lewis said today.

The Flames traded Andrew Ference and Chuck Kobasew to Boston for Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau. The Boston coach is right no doubt, but I expected Lewis' head to roll before trades started happening. But the inability to sign Stuart to a deal forced Peter Chiarelli's hand. Did Boston get fair value back for those 2 players? My answer is no.
Sure, Stuart has struggled in Boston this year, scoring 17 points in 47 games, and a -23 rating. I would not expect the same struggles on a successful team like Calgary. A couple years ago, Stuart had 39 points in 77 games on a good San Jose team.
The other player arriving in Calgary, Wayne Primeau will be a great 3rd or 4th line addition. Primeau had 15 points in 51 games with Boston this season.
Defenceman Andrew Ference enjoyed his best offensive season last year, scoring 31 points in 82 games. But he otherwise has not panned out as the offensive defenceman that he was in Portland in the WHL. He is a tough customer though, but just not in Stuart's class.
Right-winger Chuck Kobasew is even more of a disappointment. He scored more than a point a game in Kelowna (WHL) but has never materialized offensively at the NHL level.
It's no doubt more of a gamble by Chiarelli than for Darryl Sutter. Was there no better deal out there for Boston?
On the flipped side, the Bruins have shaved some money of their cap total. Stuart ($2.4 million) and Primeau ($1.15 million) were more costly than Kobasew ($1.2 million) and Ference ($750,000).
Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems with this deal for Bruins fans is that Boston, in a sense, now traded Joe Thornton to San Jose for Marco Sturm, Andrew Ference, and Chuck Kobasew. This may haunt the Bruins fans' minds for an eternity.
We'll see. Maybe Ference and Kobasew will suprise us. All I know is that Calgary just got better.....again.