HockeyRants: The 2011-12 Saturday Picks XXIV

by Joseph Desjardins    April 7, 2012   |   Categories: NHL

Here are your picks for Saturday April 7th, 2012

Hawks @ Wings. Both teams should be resting but Wings playing at home. Detroit.

Sens @ Devils. Jersey if flying. New Jersey.

Sabres @ Boston. Buffalo can’t be on their game after missing by so little. Bruins

Flyers @ Pens. Must see game of the day. Pens

Ducks @ Flames. Expect Teemu to have a strong game as it could be his last. Anaheim

Caps @ Rangers. Rangers way want to give them a final spanking before their first round series starts. New York

Leafs @ Habs. Both teams suck but the Habs suck a little more. Leafs

Lightning @ Jets. Jets will give their fans a thank you for a great first season. Jets

Isles @ Jackets. The last game for Mr. Nash in Columbus. Columbus.

Hurricane @ Panthers. Carolina plays well when nothing is on the line but still expect Florida to prevail. Florida

Yotes @ Wild. Phoenix needs the win to secure 3rd spot. Expect a strong effort. Phoenix

Blues @ Stars. Expect the Blues to take the night off. Dallas

Preds @ Avs. Colorado will say goodbye to fans with a good effort. Colorado

Oilers @ Canucks. Vancouver too good to lose to Edmonton. Vancouver

Kings @ Sharks. Who doesn’t want to play the Canucks in the first round. Sharks

Blake W 2011-12 Record: 72-58
Joseph D 2011-12 Record: 78-46

Tags:
Post Comment   |   View Comments

What Does Milbury have to apologize for?

by Joseph Desjardins    April 4, 2012   |   Categories: Media

“Crosby gets cross-checked, big whoop. He said after he came back from his 35th concussion, ‘I’m not going to do this anymore, I’m not going to get into those scrums, I’m going to stay away from that stuff’ but he couldn’t help himself because there is a little punk in Crosby. He’s not the perfect gentleman, he’s not that little sweet kid you see in all those interviews with his hat pulled down over his eyes. I say screw him, hit him.”

– Mike Milbury, April 2nd, 2012 on Sports Radio 94WIP Philadelphia

Following a nasty Sunday afternoon game between Philly and Pittsburg that included cheap shots, fights and the spectacle of Flyer coach Peter Laviolette standing on the boards between the benches to scream obscenities at Pens coach Dan Byslma, Mike Milbury went on Philadelphia radio Monday and ripped into the Penguins.  Milbury spewed out his familiar brand of old-fashioned hockey values and how Pittsburgh had violated them: Byslma should have responded to Laviolette in kind and Crosby is a suck.

This is mainstream hockey opinion. If someone gets in your face you get into theirs. Who hasn’t heard this a thousand times from the hockey conservatives at CBC and every former player that has sat on a panel at TSN? The same consensus can be found on the play of Crosby. He can and does play like a whiny punk at times. Watch the guy play. He hacks, slashes and dives on a regular basis only to get up and and complain to the referee. He hasn’t changed his game since he’s come back from his latest concussion and it is doubtful that he will. His aggressive, chippy play is part of his overall game that makes him one of the best players in the NHL.

While it is nice to see such a conservative blowhard sweat, Milbury has nothing to apologize for.

Tags: ,
Post Comment   |   View Comments

Leafs Insulted, Again and Again

by Berry Tibbitt    April 2, 2012   |   Categories: Leafs, Media

This time the Leafs have been insulted by one of their own, Jeff Blair writing in the March 21 edition of the Globe and Mail. (Please excuse the delay but delivery is a bit slow out here in the boonies.)
Blair writes, “He has no goaltender, his leading scorer is a milquetoast, Tom Thumb guy who shrinks even further in front of the camera and nobody knows for sure whether his team captain has credibility in the dressing room.
The better part of four years in the bag and who is the face of the franchise in the centre of the hockey universe? Brian Burke.”
The stats:
Tom Thumb, aka Phil Kessel, has 78 points, is MINUS 12 with 6 game winning goals and 11 hits.
By comparison,Tyler Seguin, at age 20, has 65 points, is PLUS 32 with 7 game winning goals and 26 hits.
Oh yeah, that captain is minus 9.
Back to Blair: ” Who does Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment run out to thank season ticket holders, to spearhead its renewal campaign? The general manager who hasn’t made the playoffs. He and the head coach who seems to be in charge of a dressing room full of misfit toys.
“Four years, and the Leafs don’t have even the type of modestly talented plugger whom Toronto fans will lavish with praise. Four years and it’s still Brian Burke they’re selling. Four years and it’s still Brian Burke in your face. How’s that working for you?
“But,really, what else does this franchise have but Burke? It’s pathetic but it’s true. No other Canadian team puts its GM front and centre. Few teams in sports do. There are times when this franchise –I swear, I believe this — is the Chicago Cubs. It will never win. Ever. Somehow, some way, they’ll screw it up.”
Res ipsa loquitur

Tags:
Post Comment   |   View Comments

HockeyRants: The 2011-12 Saturday Picks XXIII

by Blake Waters    March 31, 2012   |   Categories: NHL

Here are your picks for Saturday March 31st, 2012.

Boston vs Islanders – Boston shouldn’t have a problem here. Boston

Ottawa vs Philly – This is a big game for both teams. Philly would like to get home ice advantage in the first round, while Ottawa would just like to make the playoffs. Philly

Buffalo vs Toronto – A huge game for both teams!! Buffalo is fighting for a playoff spot, while if the Leafs keep losing they may tank all the way to the bottom of their conference. Buffalo

Montreal vs Washington – This should be an easy game for the Capitals. Washington

NJ vs Carolina – Carolina has been playing well of late, but it is all but mathematically impossible for them to make the playoffs. New Jersey

Winnipeg vs Tampa – A meaningless game. Winnipeg has won three of the four meetings against Tampa. Winnipeg

Columbus vs St Louis – The worst vs the best in the west. Should be an easy win for the Blues. St Louis

Chicago vs Nashville – A big divisional match up. Nashville has beaten Chicago 4 straight games. Chicago

LA vs Minnesota – This is a must win for LA if they want to win their division. LA

Anaheim vs Phoenix – Phoenix needs to win this game to help secure the 8th and final spot in the west. Anaheim has won the last three meetings this season. Anaheim

Calgary vs Vancouver – Calgary has had a terrible end to the season costing them a playoff birth and it will continue today. Vancouver

Dallas vs San Jose – A massive game for both teams. Both are fighting for a playoff birth. San Jose takes this one at home. San Jose

Blake W 2011-12 Record: 66-52
Joseph D 2011-12 Record: 78-46

Tags:
Post Comment   |   View Comments

Seven Years and Counting

by Joseph Desjardins    March 28, 2012   |   Categories: Leafs

See Also:

Tags: ,
Post Comment   |   View Comments

HockeyRants: The 2011-12 Saturday Picks XXII

by Joseph Desjardins    March 24, 2012   |   Categories: NHL

Here are your picks for Saturday March 24th, 2012.

Flames @ Stars. Flames fading in the stretch again. Stars

Wild @ Sabres. Miller is hot and the team is rolling. Sabres

Rangers @ Leafs. Can’t see the Leafs beating top teams two nights in a row. Rangers

Pens @ Sens. Don’t think too many are betting against the Pens right now. Pens

Habs @ Flyers. Flyers should roll over the Habnots. Flyers

Isles @ Bolts. Ah yes, another season end toilet bowl. Isles.

Hurricane @ Wings. Have to obey the Golden Rule, ” Never bet against the Wings at home.” Wings

Jets @ Preds. Time for the Preds to get back on track. Preds

Bruins @ Kings. Bruins should match up well against LA. Bruins

Canucks @ Avs. Avs have their back against the wall while the Canucks are not playing their best. Avs

Yotes @ Sharks. Big game with playoff hopes on the line. Sharks

Blake W 2011-12 Record: 66-52
Joseph D 2011-12 Record: 70-43

Tags:
Post Comment   |   View Comments

Has Torts’ shenanigans woken up the Rangers?

by Joseph Desjardins    March 23, 2012   |   Categories: Uncategorized

Looking back on Monday nights’ opening faceoff brawl between New York and New Jersey it begins to look like John Tortorella picked a fight with Devils coach Peter Deboer in order to wake up his team. The Rangers brought a two game losing streak into the game and had only won three games in their previous eight. While leading the Eastern Conference for months it was clear the Rangers where stagnating a bit as they approached the playoffs. That’s enough to make any coach cranky but why yell at your players when you can set the situation aflame?

It was a perfect timing really. Two weeks previous, the Devils had beaten the Rangers in New Jersey with a combination of intensity, grit and yes, physical dominance in fights. The Rangers had been flat in that game and in more than a few since. When Tortorella saw that Deboer was starting with muscle he must have seen it as an opportunity to create the intensity that his team lacked. The crowd loved it. Tortorella continued the intensity with periodic bouts of trash talk directed to Deboer and the Devils bench. The Rangers responded with a strong effort and a 4-2 win. The followed it up on Wednesday with a 2-1 victory over Detroit. Next up is the surging Sabres tonight.

This is coach who is preparing his team for the playoffs.

See Also:

Post Comment   |   View Comments

HockeyRants: The 2011-12 Saturday Picks XXI

by Blake Waters    March 17, 2012   |   Categories: NHL

Here are your picks for Saturday March 17th, 2012.

Philly vs Boston – Boston has been struggling of late, while Philly has been playing well. Boston

Pitts vs NJ – Pitts has won 10 straight and Sid the Kid is back. Pitts

Car vs Minn – Minn has only won two of their last 10. Carolina

NYI vs Mon – The battle of the basement!! Montreal has been playing well lately. Montreal

Tor vs Ott – The battle of Ontario! Toronto finally got the monkey off their backs and are putting some pucks in the net. Leafs

Col vs NYR – Colorado has been playing well, but I don’t think they have it in them to beat the second best team in the league. NYR

StL vs Tampa – This should be a walk for St Louis. STL

Buf vs Flo – Florida has been playing well, but Buffalo plays well against Florida and is in desperate need of a win. Buffalo

Clb vs Van – Vancouver shouldn’t have a problem with Columbus. Vancouver

Nash vs LA - LA has been playing some good hockey of late and have taken 2 of the 3 games against Nashville. LA

Det vs SJ – This is a huge game for SJ. Neither team has played well lately, and SJ is fighting for the last playoff spot. SJ

Blake W 2011-12 Record: 58-49
Joseph D 2011-12 Record: 70-43

Tags:
Post Comment   |   View Comments

HockeyRants: The 2011-12 Saturday Picks XX

by Joseph Desjardins    March 10, 2012   |   Categories: NHL

Here are your picks for Saturday March 10th, 2012.

Caps @ Bruins. When does Turko get the start? Doesn’t matter who the Bruins put in this should be a win. Boston

Oilers @ Avs. Another must win for the Avs. Colorado

Flyers @ Leafs. The Blue and white zombie lurches into another Saturday night massacre. Philly

Sabres @ Sens. Miller’s hot and Sarbres are scoring. Should be a good one. Buffalo

Devils @ Isles.These two take turns beating each other. Islanders

Hurricanes @ Lightning. Does Tokarski get the start over Roloson? Canes

Jackets @ Blues. Without the playoff pressure the Jackets are winning but it ends tonight. St. Louis

Wings @ Preds.Preds like playing at home. Nashville.Ducks @ Stars. Must win for Boudreau and crew. Anaheim

Sharks @ Yotes. When losers play someone has to win, right? Phoenix

Habs @ Nucks. Please. Vancouver

Blake W 2011-12 Record: 58-49
Joseph D 2011-12 Record: 64-39

Tags:
Post Comment   |   View Comments

Kronwall hit on Vorachek defines the borderline

by Joseph Desjardins    March 9, 2012   |   Categories: Transgressions & Discipline

One of the refreshing things about Brendan Shanahan is his readiness to explain his disciplinary decisions. His video explanations have clearly illustrated how the rules around boarding, elbowing and hits to the head will be enforced. If a player leaves his feet and launches himself into a player he will be suspended. If a player targets the head he will be suspended.

Some people have feared that Shanahan is administering a crackdown with the intent of removing hitting from the NHL. This is not the case. Devastating hits are still being delivered and are clearly part of the game by the lack of disciplinary attention paid to them by Shanahan and the NHL.

The latest big hit delivered by Detroits’ Niklas Kronwall shows the players and the fans the border between legal and illegal, dirty and clean.  Kronwall rocked Philedelphia’s Jakub Voracek along the half-boards on Tuesday night. It was a devastating hit and Voracek had his head down but it was and should deemed legal. Shanahans’ non-call on this play is as defining as his suspensions.

See Also:

Tags: , , , ,
Post Comment   |   View Comments