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Ron Wilson reporter snub still leaves question unanswered in San Jose
2008-04-29 14:55:00
Ron Wilson needs to figure out that he gets paid to coach a so-called Stanley Cup contender while television reporters earn a living by asking the tough questions.So, seeing how the San Jose Sharks are down 2-0 to the Dallas Stars in a West semi-final and TV ratings are peaking over at TSN, let's attempt to connect the dots to figure out who, as we sit here, is better at their job.In case you missed it, Wilson threw a mini-hissy fit and stormed away Sunday when asked if (paraphrasing) captain Patrick Marleau had any bloody idea that the Sharks were actually involved in a second-round playoff series.Actually, to be fair, the question wasn't quite that brash. Wilson was simply asked if he should expect more out of his captain."No," Wilson stated tersely before storming off."It's always frickin' negative," he added. We can only assume he didn't mean what post the black cable goes on when boosting your car battery.Yeah, and? Judging by the boxscores in this seri...
More About: Question , Reporter

Stanley Cup playoffs no time for whine party
2008-04-28 18:48:00
Complain about twirling the octopus, whine about the calls, fret over bad ice, scream about anything and everything. Go ahead, knock yourself out! What to do about whining via parentcenter.com...Define it. Before you pin on your No Whining button and draw a line in the sand, make sure your child (hockey fan) knows what you're talking about. Adults often assume that children (hockey fans) know what whining is and realize how awful it sounds - but that's not necessarily the case. Explain that whining sounds yucky and makes people stop listening. Practice "good" and "not so good" voices together - hearing you at your whiniest will probably elicit a good laugh from your child (hockey fan).Getting the picture hockey fans? The whining has to stop. Every hockey fan could be doing it but isn't. Every hockey writer could be doing it, but most don't. It isn't healthy for you and it isn't healthy for the game! It makes you look bad and when the bounces start going you...
More About: Party , Stanley Cup , Time , Stanley Cup Playoffs , Playoffs

Guy Carbonneau defense of Kostopoulos punch may turn series nasty in hurry
2008-04-28 15:14:00
It may not be the Hatfields and McCoys - at least not yet - but let's just say there is no love lost in this edgy little playoff tussle between the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers.And if you were looking for someone to throw down the gauntlet to turn up the heat a few more degrees, consider it done.As if the Flyers needed anything else to pin to their bulletin board, Guy Carbonneau went public condoning the sucker punch/facewash/cheap shot - call it what you will-that Tom Kostopoulos administered on Kimmo Timonen moments after the Flyers guaranteed they would be getting out of Montreal with a split Saturday night.''I think he deserved it,'' Carbonneau told reporters. ''That's why they didn't call any (major) penalties on it.''''A lot of things happened during the course of the game. There's one team that shouldn't talk. They had the most suspensions in the league."A-ha. So Carbonneau has noticed the body count the Flyers have racked up this season. Not...
More About: Series , Defense , Turn , Nasty , Punch

Sidney Crosby diving, whining causing quite the splash in New York
2008-04-27 17:12:00
Sunday morning pop quiz: if someone happens to be moaning like a schoolgirl that Sidney Crosby , for instance, is a whiner, what exactly does that make whinee? Granted, that is not a grammatically correct term - heck, it isn't even a word - but stick with me. It's for effect only.Case in point, New York Rangers coach Tom Renney and pretty well every pro-Blueshirts' scribe in the metropolitan New York area bellyaching that Greg Louganis Crosby may have taken a dive for the team in Pittsburgh's series-opening win Friday night.Which, even if it constitutes one a diver, would strike me as being a pretty intelligent maneuver at the same time, no?Let's not forget, this is a league where officials reward players who drop like they've been shot every ten minutes or so. Don't blame the actor competitor for doing nothing more than taking advantage of a titanic loophole in the rulebook.I've got an idea, and that only happens once every six or seven months. Set up a committee, and I...
More About: Splash , Diving

New York Rangers defensive struggles will lead to march of Penguins
2008-04-26 15:30:00
Now that looked like a little pond hockey down where the three rivers meet last evening, but something was still missing. Well, besides defense.Just in case it was somehow overlooked, Sean Avery wasn't acting like a complete ass as the Rangers and Penguins popped the cork in their playoff series. Need proof? Well, this morning, the welts from Georges Laraque's knuckles aren't visible on Avery's face and the peskiest shift disturber around, to the chagrin of many, is not eating his steak dinner through a straw.Granted, I've already done the Avery thing in this space, but it's kind of like a cross-eyed lap dancer, isn't it? No matter how hard you try, you just can't look away...So I guess we'll have to wait until Sunday's pre-game warmup for Avery to start hitting on Crosby's squeeze or pleading with Laraque to pull his finger before the real fireworks can start. Until then, this last-goal-wins approach will have to do.Oh, and a quick memo to the Rangers. When they say &quo...
More About: New York , New York Rangers , York , March

Jeremy Roenick could get the ring after years of giving the finger
2008-04-25 15:14:00
Close to three decades ago, my mother, like every other woman in North America, was caught up in finding out "Who Shot J.R.?" Too bad that cheesy soap opera got their man back in 1980. I'm sure there were more than a few Calgary Flames fans looking for a little vigilante justice a few nights back.In case you've been living in a cave - or Atlanta - the deciding game in the Sharks and Flames series was center stage for hockey's own gunslinging J.R. and did he ever stick the dagger into the heart of the Red Mile Tuesday night.Seems Jeremy Roenick is pretty desperate to finally get fitted for a Cup ring.In my diatribe a few weeks back, I was of the opinion that the rallying cry for Roenick to get that long-overdue Stanley Cup would not be as loud as those reserved for Steve Yzerman and Ray Bourque, thanks in no small part to the number of people Roenick has pissed off over the years.Not so fast. Looks like Roenick is gaining himself a healthy little fan club this spring.Obv...
More About: Ring , Giving , Years , Finger

Paul Sobotka octopus ban proof something is fishy in Motown
2008-04-25 14:16:00
Just because it's Friday and I am looking for any way to screw up the climactic day to your week, let me break it to you that, yes, there is a new provision in the NHL rulebook than bans the twirling of an octopus — or, in its plural forum, octopi — over one's head. Really, would I jest? This story, uh, has legs to it. It's right there, in black and white blood. Any slimy act by Red Wings' rink rat Al Sobotka to rev up the crowd in his legendary way will cost Sobotka $10,000 out of his own pocket. No word what swinging around a grouper or mackerel will set you back, but octopi are a no-no.Now, we're not suggesting an octopus is actually a fish — I failed Marine Biology 101 — but it hangs out in the water, so I put two and two (and two and two) together. Oh, and I wanted to save you the hassle of having to pronounce cephalopod.Can't you just feel your IQ plummeting as you read this? Hey, it's your NHL.Anyway, back to the point a...
More About: Proof , Paul , Motown , Octopus

Red Wings, Avalanche set to renew playoff hostilities
2008-04-24 17:32:00
Detroit and Colorado again! Colorado media taking shots at Detroit, again! Detroit bloggers responding again and that puck hasn't even dropped yet! My memories of the Wings /Avs battles are just that, a memory. I tend to reflect on them every so often before looking forward to the games yet to be played. That is what is important to me today: games yet to be played and new memories to be made.There is one key to this series and that is the play of the goaltenders. Both starting goalies, Chris Osgood and Jose Theodore, have had ups and downs in their respective careers. Osgood has won two Stanley Cups, one as a starting goalie, and Theodore has been the league's MVP. Both have been near or at the top of the mountain, both have been called back-up goalies, both have something to prove.Both are only as good as their last game. Both know a few bad goals may place them on the bench. Both are playing to keep playing.It will be very interesting to see how Game 1 of this series plays out. ...
More About: Avalanche

Brian Burke decision proves he is loyal…and smart
2008-04-24 15:08:00
Remember the motto "everyone has a price?" Forget about it. Brian Burke just proved it to be a crock.If loyalty were a suit, Burke would be looking pretty dapper right about now after rebuffing the obvious free-spending advances of the Toronto Maple Leafs to stay with Ducks owner Henry Samueli in Anaheim for at least another year. Some would argue that it is Burke's obligation to honor the terms of a contract, but he wouldn't be the first, or the last, to blow town for a fistful of greenbacks."I have a great gig here," Burke said Wednesday. "These people are special. They've been absolutely wonderful to me and my wife, and we've put together a pretty special front-office staff and group of players."Not exactly the words of a man that seems greedy or discontent, now is it? And we all know Burke has never been a man short of words and has rarely been scared to speak his mind.When the Ducks dropped the first two games in their opening round series with...
More About: Smart , Decision

NHL Playoff Predictions – Round 2, Conference Semi Finals
2008-04-24 14:16:00
So, altogether now, what did we learn after the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs? Dominik Hasek is done, Jose Theodore is anything but. That Brad Richards trade is looking pretty good for the Stars after all and the Sharks are quite giddy they didn't move Patrick Marleau at the deadline. The Flyers figured out a way to stop Alex Ovechkin, while the Canadiens just about figured out a way to cough up a 3-1 series lead against the eighth-seeded Bruins. The Penguins proved that the Senators do indeed suck, and Sean Avery is, well, still Sean Avery.Strap yourself back in and get set for another wild ride in the second round.The matchups are identical in each conference, with both top seeds, a fifth and a sixth left standing from the East and West.A couple of weeks from now, only four will remain. Let's break down what we see happening in the second round as the chase for the Cup continues.Remember, do not try this at home. We do not accept responsibility for any cash, wiv...
More About: Predictions , Finals , Semi , Round , Conference

NHL playoff hits just keep on comin'
2008-04-23 18:21:00
They are the hits that can change the momentum of a series.No matter how mundane a game may be, fans will always be jolted out of their seats with a bone-jarring hit, but every playoff season there are a few dished out that are destined to go down in post-season lore.This week, as the Stanley Cup playoffs get set to move into the second round, Hockey.com keeps you in the championship spirit with the best playoff hits of all-time. Many players have been put into another time zone by skating across the blueline with their heads down, but the hits just seem to be harder, or at least more discussed, come playoff time. Just ask Eric Lindros, Paul Kariya and Vyacheslav Kozlov."Believe me, it's hard to describe how it feels being on the other end of one of those," says Kozlov of being laid out by Scott Stevens in the 1995 Stanley Cup final. "And I know.""For the next 10 minutes after the hit, I didn't remember a lot, I can tell you that,"From Stevens and Tod...
More About: Hits

Dominik Hasek backup role hurts NHL playoff fantasy hopes
2008-04-23 16:35:00
No matter what else happens in these wacky Stanley Cup playoffs, one thing that can't be overlooked is that we've probably seen Dominik Hasek play his final game in the National Hockey League. For you poolies who took Hasek in your fantasy draft thinking the Detroit Red Wings would go deep into the playoffs, it looks as though you're out of luck. Better hope your forwards pile up the points, because your goalie won't be.After a less than stellar performance in the opening round, a series the Red Wings must believe they were very fortunate to win, Hasek has probably overstayed his welcome, at least in Motown.If this was indeed a swan song, it sure wasn't how it was supposed to be.The Red Wings could very well go on to claim the Stanley Cup later this spring, but, barring injury, it will be with Chris Osgood, and not Hasek, kicking them out.Fantasy owners who rolled the dice with Hasek may have lost any hope of winning their draft.Thanks for the memories, Dom. Grab a seat on the ...
More About: Hopes , Backup , Role

Memorial Cup chances unchanged for Rangers with Steve Mason on shelf
2008-04-23 16:05:00
The hockey gods weren't looking too kindly on Kitchener Rangers fans last week. When news came out that Steve Mason , a Columbus Blue Jackets prospect and hotshot Rangers goaltender, was going under the knife for a knee issue, you could hear the collective groan coming from fans and management.The prognosis, post-surgery? Four-to-six weeks recovery with the Memorial Cup slated to start only four weeks from now. Yes, the math sucks.Luckily for the Rangers, they've got another stud in net, a diamond-in-the-rough if you will, that has stepped up to the plate.Rookie Josh Unice has been just short of spectacular since replacing Mason against the Sarnia Sting and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He's won 6 of 7 and sports a 2.35 GAA in that span.‘Hounds fans must have thought they hit paydirt with the switch. Monday night, during Game 4, fans were heard chanting ‘You're not Mason' towards Unice. They're right, he's not, but that's not the greatest of news for Soo fans.As I ...
More About: Chances

Montreal fans getting bad rap for idiocy of few
2008-04-23 15:37:00
So a few drunken idiots decide to stagger out of Chez Paree, or wherever they were pounding back more than their share of pints Monday night, go on an alcohol-induced vandalism spree and all of a sudden all Montreal  supporters are idiots. Wow, you'd think we'd never seen over-zealous, liquored-up celebrations before.As my colleague Rick Couchman pointed out in his own space yesterday, most of the idiots using police cars as firewood after the elimination of the Boston Bruins weren't your prototypical Montreal Canadiens fans rather than drunken jackasses who were just looking for something to do burn. Hardly grounds for labeling an entire city, or at the very least a fanbase, as a bunch of thugs. Then you get a writer from Alberta denouncing the faithful of the bleu, blanc and rouge, throwing them off the moral platform while singing the praises of Calgary's infamous Red Mile.Go figure, the guy isn't even from Calgary.Having someone from Calgary Red Deer give victory celebr...
More About: Fans , Idiocy

Hockey fans embrace the Worlds
2008-04-22 16:34:00
The World Championship tournament will kick off in Quebec City in ten days. And in ten days, hockey fans in Finland, Sweden, Russia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Germany, and the Czech Republic will get ready for their annual hockeyfest, their yearly shot of patriotism, and the subsequent late nights in front of the television.A 3:30 pm game in Halifax, the other host city, is a 9:30 pm game in Sweden, a 10:30 pm game in Finland, and an 11:30 pm game in Moscow. The Russian fans can just have a World Championship game as an appetizer as they wait for a Malkin/Ovechkin game later the same night. The 7:00 pm game, in turn, is a 2:00 am game in Finland. Don't go buying Nokia phones in the next two months. The people on the line may be tired. (Just kidding, go out and buy another Nokia, they're great phones, and not even manufactured in Finland so there's no risk of the assembly line people staying up late to watch those games.) The first week or so is still a warm-up. The Big Seven still w...
More About: Fans , Hockey , Worlds , Embrace

Riots in Montreal give hockey fans bad name
2008-04-22 15:51:00
Police cars set ablaze, store windows smashed, and assaults on police.Hardly a way to celebrate a series win, now is it?Last night in Montreal , 16 police vehicles were badly damaged, 6 of them torched by hoodlums with no other intent than to cause problems right from the start. It all came on the heels of a pivotal game seven victory by the Habs over the Bruins.And let it be known right here, right now - most of the troublemakers were not Montreal Canadiens fans. And that's usually the case whenever you read a story on rioting after a sports event, in any city.Most of these punks wouldn't know a hockey puck from horse dung, unless they were hurling it at a police car.We're talking about derelicts of society, people congregating just to cause havoc amidst a crowd of people.They're nothing more than thugs who find joy in violence. And they care not that it's giving good Montreal hockey fans a black eye.By most accounts, Habs fans peacefully spilled out of the Molson Centre celeb...
More About: Fans , Hockey , Give , Riots

Stanley Cup playoff upsets prove David can knock out Goliath
2008-04-21 20:54:00
Every once in a while, David catches Goliath off guard.Nothing captures the imagination of hockey fans like a Cinderella story in the spring, when an underdog will try to hold off midnight as long as possible.As the Stanley Cup playoffs get to set to move into the second round, we here at Hockey.com thought we would take a look back at some of the biggest upsets in Stanley Cup history: 8. 1951, Montreal defeats DetroitThe Canadiens finished 36 points back of the league-leading Red Wings but had their number in the semi-final, winning the opening game in Motown in quadruple overtime before following that up with a triple-OT decision in Game 2. The Habs would upset the Wings in six before losing the Cup final to Toronto.7. 1986, Calgary defeats EdmontonJust a few words needed here. Edmonton 119 points. Calgary 89 points. Game 7. Steve Smith. Grant Fuhr. Enough said.6. 1991, Minnesota defeats ChicagoThe North Stars upset the league-leading Blackhawks, a team they finished 38 point...
More About: Knock , Prove

Ready for more of the same NHL playoff action
2008-04-21 18:30:00
It looks as if the NHL will be dark in a few days, meaning no games will be scheduled for a day or two as we prepare for the conference semi-final round to begin. We could all use this little lull in the action, just to collect our thoughts, pay some bills and get away from the TV!My life may be a bit different than yours since I do hockey for a living. 24/7, that's me and although you may not have the schedule I do, you probably have been following the conference quarter-finals and have been impressed by the pace and action of the games.We have hard hard hits, battles along the boards, grit and determination is the norm and most games have kept us tuned-in until the final horn. The officiating on a whole has been great, letting the boys play is much better than calling every little infraction. As long as the pattern continues, we cannot ask for anything more from the on-ice officials.I am full of anticipation as we move deeper into the 2008 NHL playoffs and expect the hockey o...
More About: Action , Ready

Carey Price coronation will have to wait another night…at least
2008-04-21 14:49:00
Maybe the Price isn't right after all.As late as last week, I was ready to meekly admit that I was wrong last autumn when I said the Montreal Canadiens made a questionable move by bringing up Carey Price instead of leaving him in the AHL for the year.Now, I'm not so sure.Seems like the comparisons to Dryden and Roy may have been a little premature, for it seems Price does have a little chink in the armor, after all.In the early stages of the Boston-Montreal series, Price was the story for all the right reasons. Leading the playoffs in save percentage, who could have predicted the youngster would step right in, look pressure straight in the eye without batting an eyelash and have an entire city, one that takes its team a little on the serious side, serenading the pimple-faced rookie with chants of "Carey! Carey!" from every nook and cranny of the Bell Centre?Sure as heck not me.A few days ago, the Canadiens had all but booked their spot into the next round. Maybe that is ...
More About: Wait , Carey Price

Martin Brodeur gives Devils glimpse of what life will be like in future
2008-04-20 21:53:00
One thing we now know, as if any further proof was needed, is that Sean Avery shouldn't be expecting a Christmas card from Martin Brodeur.Big deal. That Avery-hating line forms over there to the right, and it is a long one.The problem in Jersey goes much deeper than a petty on-ice feud.The Devils are a whole lot of Brodeur and a little of much else, and one-trick ponies usually don't last all that long come spring, at least not in the NHL.Let's state the obvious. Avery is a tool, but that isn't exactly news. The headlines being made by Brodeur refusing to shake Avery's hand in the seconds following the Blueshirts' sudden demolition of the Devils in the opening round of the Stanley Cup showdown are nothing more than a facade.Anyone who is shocked by Brodeur's subtle gesture obviously hasn't been paying attention. No one knows for sure what Avery was yapping in Brodeur's ear all series long, but I'll drop a ten-spot that Avery wasn't asking how the family is.So, yes, Brodeu...
More About: Life , Future , Glimpse

Finding the strength through injury
2008-04-19 18:01:00
I wasn't really sure how I'd feel watching the Canadian Team at the Women's World Hockey Championships just recently in Harbin, China. When I got cut from the team for the first time in ten years at the beginning of March, I vowed I'd never watch Team Canada play, let alone cheer for them. I was angry, I was bitter and I was upset. That was supposed to be my spot, my team and my adventure. After the news I cried, I threw things and I moped, but in the agony something amazing happened.I tore my MCL.Well, that's not the amazing part, but I'm getting to that. Three days after receiving the devastating news that I was no longer a part of Team Canada, a player fell on top of me during a league semi-final game. Still angry and bitter I refused to leave the game despite a 90% tear of my MCL. The game was tied and going into overtime and I thought my team needed me! I limped through overtime and we won in a shootout. But that's still not the amazing part.I went to the doctors the nex...
More About: Injury

Vancouver Canucks GM search should get offensive
2008-04-19 17:19:00
Greetings from Vancouver ! Yep, I'm sitting out here on the Pacific edge of Canada, soaking up rays wondering if I slept through summer. You know that when the weather reports mention a slight chance of snow flurries, you've probably picked the wrong time of year to visit.When I made plans to fly west, the plan was simple enough. Spend a little time with family, do the tourist thing and catch a little playoff hockey uh, well, hmmmm.......two out of three ain't bad, right?The big hockey news out here, of course, is Dave Nonis getting the can tied to him earlier this week and the subsequent search for the next general manager that will take the helm.On Wednesday, the day my plane touched down in BC, there was a long, multi-paged editorial in The Province that seemed to have a page count just short of War and Peace. Besides speculating on the search for the next GM, fans were also given their platform to sound off.Besides the short-sighted rationale from the lunatic fringe suggesting...
More About: Vancouver Canucks , Search , Canucks

NHL worst franchises from A to Zzzzzzzzzzz...
2008-04-18 16:04:00
What's that smell? Here we are, a couple of weeks into the most exciting time of year for NHL fans, and we are still putting up with that stench lingering from the have-nots.Yes, it's the best of the worst, just to get your stomach turning heading into the second round of the Stanley Cup showdown.So, grab yourself some air freshener and a can of Lysol and try not to look away:10. VANCOUVER CANUCKSWe figured it was a coin flip between the Canucks and Oilers to stay off this list and the Oilers get the reprieve. Why? It's been 18 years since their last Stanley Cup, but at least they have one. Well, five, actually, and that is four more than the Canucks. Need another reason? Ask Dave Nonis. He's the guy in the unemployment line.9. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKSWhen your Stanley Cup drought is longer than that of the Leafs, the only question is the strength of the odor. The Hawks get a gimme and a few rungs up the ladder for two reasons named Kane and Toews.8. PHOENIX COYOTESSee Blackhawks. The...

Boston Bruins losing attitude starts with Harry Sinden
2008-04-18 15:32:00
Don't even bother searching for a reason why the Boston Bruins haven't won anything since paisley was popular.Look no further than head honcho Harry Sinden .Sinden, who has made a career out of refusing to turn the other cheek, must have figured the Bruins went down four straight to the Canadiens and were taking their swings on the golf course.Uh, Harry, just a little FYI. Your boys actually won one and as of last evening were still breathing, albeit barely, in the NHL post-season.You wouldn't have known it judging by Sinden's comments in which he suggested that captain Zdeno Chara hadn't been playing up to snuff because of that "rib injury."Problem is nobody had a clue about this alleged ailment until Harry flapped his gums. Even coach Claude Julien played coy, saying with a straight face that he had no idea what Sinden was talking about.Sinden, this ain't 1975. These days, when it comes to discussing the walking wounded in the playoffs, there are two injuries: upper...
More About: Boston Bruins , Attitude

You Are Only As Good As Your Last Game
2008-04-17 18:22:00
In the playoffs the team that won the latest game seems to have all the momentum to keep on rolling, right to a series win. But hold on, put on the brakes, there are more games to be played and fortunes can turn around quickly. All it takes is a loss and panic becomes the key word.Early Tuesday evening, the Calgary Flames could do no wrong. The were coming off a stunning comeback and life was good. Bam, Thornton scores and we now hear the Flames are in a nasty mood, bickering within the locker room has begun. Now what?The Minnesota Wild were also on a 'high swing' before their last game. They had marched into Colorado and won a great OT game. But their next game saw a complete collapse and the Avalanche dominated them. Their fans screamed, the media took shots, it can't get any lower than this!Four days ago, fans in Detroit were thinking sweep.  Today, they are banging their heads against the wall. Yes, start Osgood in goal, that will change the tide - at least it should!Now...
More About: Game , Good

Mike Milbury proves he doesn’t know crap
2008-04-17 14:59:00
Seeing Ted Leonsis probably couldn't pick Mike Milbury out of the Verizon Center press box, why, exactly, is Uncle Ted even getting his fur up over the verbal diarrhea that slipped from Milbury's lips over the weekend?Seems Leonsis wasn't overly enamored with Milbury's characterization of his hockey team as the "Crap itals" during an NBC broadcast. Twice.Consider the source and flush it where it belongs, Teddy. Mike Milbury did for sound management what Pamela Anderson did for Academy Award acceptance speeches.Sure, in his playing days, Milbury could score at a once-every-20-games clip and walk from point A to B without falling down, so he didn't live the life of a pauper. Life in a suit, however, was a wee bit different.Since setting the Islanders back about, oh, say, two or three decades, Milbury now takes his travelling show to television, where a couple of misguided producers actually pay him to make it sound like he knows what he is talking about.Not saying i...

Marty Turco – and not the other one – enjoying the Marty Party
2008-04-17 14:53:00
There's a Marty Party in full swing early in these Stanley Cup playoffs, but 50 bucks says the guy gettin' down isn't the Marty you were thinking. No, while the other guy - you know, that one with three Stanley Cup rings - is getting it handed to him by the New York Rangers, Marty Turco and the Dallas Stars, who most thought would go out with nothing but a meek whimper, are up on the defending champions after waltzing into Anaheim and slapping the Ducks around in consecutive games.Well, that was before Turco and the Stars rolled over Tuesday night in Game 3. Up until then, things seemed to be looking good in Big D. Still are. Probably. Prior to Tuesday, this was a different Marty Turco than the one who had struggled to an 11-18 career record in the playoffs.What gives, besides Turco and his fat, juicy rebounds come playoff time?Something just doesn't seem right.Is there a single person outside the state of Texas that believed the Stars would put up anything more than a feeble fi...

Top 10 NHL playoff sound bites
2008-04-16 15:16:00
As a hockey fan, you'd normally expect that the best action is always on the ice, right?Not always, as this video clip proves.Quite often there are just as many games being played in front of a microphone, not just on the ice. These behind the scenes scraps are usually mental games, with one team trying to get an edge over the other.And these heated soundbites can be a journalists dream. At times they make or break a story.Find a little controversy stemming from an intense NHL playoff series and then thrust a microphone in front of a player or manager and you're sure to get some memorable quotes.Usually they're spur of the moment attacks, but sometimes they're just some playful ribbing. Luckily for any kids, the profanity has been ‘bleeped out' in each offering.Below are a few quotes from of the video. It's up to you to check it out to see who said what, and why it was said:"Sedin is not english for punch me or headlock me in a scrum.""Detroit has 12 ...
More About: Sound

NHL playoff pool may hinge on your own line-juggling
2008-04-16 15:01:00
Should you be looking for a plan of attack in your playoff fantasy draft as the quest for the Cup continues, it's time to put it all on the line. As mentioned last week, one of the keys for playoff fantasy success is to narrow down your Cup favorites to the four teams you figure will advance to the Stanley Cup conference finals. Now it's time to focus on the high-flying forward lines for those teams and stock up on as many as possible. Those combined points could have you in the driver's seat of your fantasy draft if they are still playing a few weeks from now.Here are five units you may want to pay attention to if you can re-shuffle the deck in your pool round-by-round:5. Ovechkin-Backstrom-Kozlov, CapitalsThe explosive Alex Ovechkin may have been held in check in the early stages of this series, but it is probably only a matter of time before he finds another gear. OV is the obvious ringleader for this trio, but Backstrom is making a case for the Calder while Kozlov is taking a...
More About: Pool , Line , Juggling

Women’s hockey gets golden voice in Sami Jo Small
2008-04-16 14:55:00
"Dear Mom & Dad, I have officially become a blogger!" A Stanford education, a degree in Mechanical Engineering and now I'm a blogger. Who would've ever thought that my pursuits would lead me to writing? But here I am. I am now officially a member of the Hockey .com team and this latest pursuit in my life is pretty exciting for me.Life has a mysterious way of leading us towards opportunities and writing for Hockey.com is just that; a great opportunity. I have been involved in hockey for nearly 30 years and have seen women's hockey go from "unacceptable" to a world stage. It's an exciting time to be a part of the sport and I can now finally have a forum to get the word out on women's hockey. And there's so much to tell...From Canada's recent silver medal performance at the World Championships to the creation of the new Canadian Women's Hockey League this past summer. I want to be able to share with the readers of Hockey.com the ins and outs of our game. ...
More About: Voice , Small , Sami , Golden