Osgood? HEDHS no- OSGREAT. Chris Osgood racks up 400 in a stunner

400!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 After three gut wrenching periods and OT, with 50 damn good shots on goal and a 30-(er PLUS) something Ozzie standing on his head like a 25 year old kid, future HHOF Chris Osgood of the Detroit Red Wings joins 10 of the best goaltenders in history to rack up his 400th win.

Not to mention a career high of 47-48(?) saves…

Congratulations Oz- Nobody Beats the Wiz. Nobody deserves this record more. Nobody deserves the accolades and congratulations that you will be receiving in the coming days.

Thank you Nic Lidstrom for that top shelf slapper which took our boys up 3-2 in regulation (and also jumping up in a couple record stats categories yourself). Thank you Nic for playing your heart out for Oz. You too Z. Holy shizz Z, that steal with 3 seconds???  ZZZZ!!! and MULE, you are a monster.  Berts- sniping like he’s 28 again. Don’t think we didn't notice. OH HOMER! coming back after the puck to the face? I am proud of you all. And I thank you for stepping it up despite a damn bench worth of injuries. Dats, Cleary, Modano, B-Raf (who am I missing?).

Do I feel bad for chastising all of you last week after tonight's show stopper? Hmm, uh, well, no. Sorry, we all know it would have been much sweeter for Oz to win at home. But I do forgive you.  And how about this- When called to arms, you the amazing Detroit Red Wings, never let us down. Thanks for not letting Oz down tonight.

AND FINALLY, THANK YOU KRONNER FOR THAT OVERTIME WINNER. Sure it was heart-wrenching to deal with overtime. I was only a little sick to my stomach, but I wasn't crying yet. Plus its indisputable that Oz looked to Great in Goal. Maybe his play elevated all of you tonight and you fed off each other's energy. Whatever it was, it was a gorgeous PP, picture perfect power play goal. Tic Tac toe baby. Assists by Nic and Z, all wonderful, a great effort. An Os-Great effort.

Nobody beats the Wiz. Nobody beats the Wiz.

Love ya Ozzie- Detroit Loves ya, Michigan Loves ya. We know you are one of the all-time best to ever guard a net.

Now go get Fuhr…And Stay Big. You are playing so well this month, we love it!

American bloggers making fun of the American stereotype

The Sleeping Giant

If you're taking this site at all seriously, then you're missing the entire point of it.

This is a USA - World Junior Hockey Championships blog. And it's run by two of the most sarcastic and caustically humored guys that you'll come across in the hockey blogging world. One is a Leafs fan who writes for Pension Plan Puppets on SB Nation, and the other has a general NHL blog, The Two-Line Pass (and contributes to Yahoo Sports' Puck Daddy blog), where he lampoons everyone pretty equally. Which should tell you everything you need to know about this particular blog.

This WJC blog isn't making fun of other countries. Not even close. They're making fun of their fellow Americans. They're intentionally playing up all of the bad American stereotypes and trying to be funny about it. So if non-Americans are getting all worked up over this site, then they joke's on them. That's not what it's about.

There isn't a lot of press or publicity here in the US when it comes to international hockey. So, they're working the ugly American gag to get attention. And, frankly, I think it's hysterically funny because it is so over the top.

So, sit back and enjoy Americans ripping into, and making fun of, Americans. And don't take it personally. Really. It's not that we're oblivious to what the rest of the world thinks of us. (Okay, some of us are.) It's just that most of us don't care about what the rest of the world thinks of us. (Though, some of us do actually care.)

Have a laugh on us. Or, on the US. Either way, it works.

Detroit Red Wings play abysmally, fail to honor Chris Osgood.

In the hundreds of Red Wings blogs I have written, I doubt you’ll find a truly negative word written about the Detroit Red Wing team, organization and its legendary players. I may occasionally call some players and coaches out, but not like I am about to do. In the 25+ years I have had occasion to be a Red Wings fan, this team hasn’t ever before disappointed me, excepting you know, parts of the mid 80’s. 

In 25 years this team hasn't ever disappointed me the way it did last night.

How could you? How could you let Ozzie down like that? Nic, Pavel, B-Raf, Z, Homer -Drapes? DRAPES! How could you? Yea, I am calling you all out. You all have been there with him through the great majority of his career. You all, better than anyone else, know how much Oz deserves to achieve this hall of fame-esque milestone.

What a faulking abysmal game, what a lackluster effort. Losing to Dallas? With Raycroft in net and Crawford on the bench? COME ON!! I am so disgusted, I can barely contain it.   

What is it? Do you just think once Oz in in goal, he can handle it all by himself? Did you just forget that this game could have been a historical momentous occasion? Or did you let Dallas school you? Hm?

BTW- this loss WAS NOT Ozzie’s fault. It was a clear breakdown of defense, sloppy puck handling and turnovers that you all should have been much, much sharper about. Oz stood on his head making the kind of acrobatic saves we usually only see when we are down in the 7^th game of a SCF.  Did you not see how amped he was, how "in it" he was the whole game, doing all the little things Oz does so well, like keeping the play going when any other goalie would have covered the puck, helping on the power play, mid air leaping saves? How did you all fail to see how badly he wanted this 400th win last night?

The rest of us saw it. And you boys broke our hearts. Good thing Oz's heart is bigger than all of ours combined.

And Coach Babs, don’t think I didn’t notice that you didn’t make it any easier on Oz. Look.  I get that you like to play with and mix up lines. And with the recent slump the boys are dragging their sticks through, I know mixing up lines is your go-to move. While I don’t always see the success in this strategy that some of my better learned hockey fan brethren do, I respect you and your talent and success enough to keep most of my grumbling to myself. But dammit- it wasn’t working for our D last night. 

Trouble is, the two points don’t really matter at this point in the season. What does matter is a career milestone. It was Oz that suffered. The most loyal, sincere, honest player on your team. The guy who cares as much about Detroit Red Wing Hockey as all of us combined. The guy who cares more about the Detroit Red Wing Fans, Family and Community than all of us combined.  Here is just one of a bazillion speeches Ozzie has given thanking and being grateful for all of the Red Wing Community.

It wasn’t just another mid-season, pre-holiday 2 point game. This was Number 400. A game that meant a lot to the one person who should have mattered the most yesterday: Chris Osgood.

The one guy who deserved to see his 400^th win at home, in front of a holiday sellout crowd, with his family and closest friends and teammates right there with him.

How could you let Ozzie down?  Ozzie.

The goaltender with the biggest heart, who fights adversity, wins in the clutch, who brought you (us) THREE Stanley Cups. The goaltender who has, time and time again, saved your asses when all your “super star” goaltenders had nothing left. The biggest heart, the most clutch goalie. And the most unsung future hall of fame deserving goaltender that ever will be.

This is Ozzie we are talking about.  Get your shit together boys, Coach. You owe him. We all do.

Shame on you. Can’t believe I ever had to say this. Can’t believe it relates to Ozzie.  

Kinda-Quarter mark reviews - update

Following a brief hiatus, our correspondents are (wo)manfully straining to complete the remaining team reviews this side of the playoffs.  Follow the LINK to see the latest updates.

Monthly NHL injury analysis

If you are so inclined (i.e. want to justify your team's bad start by pointing and whining about injuries), LW Industries has churned out a second analysis for 2010/11 at the following fine, fine location:

Springing Malik: The Pain Game 2010/11 - Part Two

Why I WILL Be Watching the Winter Classic

There is a lot of talk among both my internet friends and my actual family and friends about just not watching the Winter Classic this year. So many people are disappointed with the match-up. People are not only angry about the Penguins getting their second Winter Classic after having one in '08, which is definitely understandable. But on top of that people are angry with it being the "media made" rivalry of Crosby and Ovechkin. It's not just going to be about the Penguins Vs. the Capitals. We all know it's going to be made into a Crosby vs. Ovechkin frenzy.

But I am actually excited for the Winter Classic just as I am every season. The first Winter Classic was automatically great because it was the first one, but I thought the snow made it even better. The second Winter Classic between Chicago and Detroit was outstanding. The two teams hate each other and the game was made part of a home and home series. The '10 Winter Classic was near and dear to my heart because I got to see my favorite team play in it which was very special.

Happy Birthday to Recon Blogger MCHIONSKY- annnnnnd IGOR LARIONOV!

Happy Happy Joy Joy, its a great day for birthin'. To clarify, 2 of my favorite people were born today and we here at Hockey Recon give a warm shout out to Mikey and Igor. But of course, a shout out isn't enough... did you really think you'd get away with mere written word?

In honor of the day, Former Grinder Front Man and Legendary Detroit Red Wing, Darren McCarty, has been "tapped" for  this little Ditty...

Ahem. Oh- to clarify: Dmac didn't actually make this or even consent to starring in the video. This a Juicer Special made with google images, photoshop, jibjab and vodka.  But we all know Dmac is a badass and if he knew Mchi, how cool Mchi is, and what a great Red Wing fan Mchi is, Dmac would totally wail a birthday tune  for him...

Finally, a shout of thanks to Fellow Recon member Alicia for reminding me of Igor's Birth! Please read her amazing Winter Classic blog, you know after you watch this video and wish Mich a happy day

Caption it Contest! Week of Nov 29th.

HEDGS Yes! (H-E-Double Goalie Sticks)

10 Q's From The 5-Hole: JuiceinLA

Since I originally came up with the idea of a "get-to-know-you" survey for our new blog, I was given the honor of conducting the first interview. I chose to take it coast-to-coast and let you all get to know about my West Coast counterpart. Juice is one of the most passionate Red Wings fans I've ever met (and I've met quite a few!). Juice grew up in Detroit, attended Michigan State and eventually landed in very sunny and warm Los Angeles. I've been lucky enough to live near my favorite team's market my entire life, but I knew Juice would have an interesting perspective as a fan displaced from her beloved Red Wings family. Without further ado...


1) Favorite team(s):

Any team with the words “Detroit” “Red” and “Wings” in the name. Very fond of LA Kings, SJ Sharks, and for some weird reason, the Canucks. I reserve the right to revoke any such fondness for said secondary teams upon meeting up in playoffs.

Recon on Recon: 10 Q's for the Five Hole

Have you ever wanted to know just why Mchionsky gave up his gig driving the zamboni at Philips Arena for the night shift @ Hooters? (hint: it wasn't the wings...ok ok it probably was...)

Maybe you want to know how a Defensewoman from Canada ends up the most prolific TB Lighting Blogger this side of Panhandle...

Or how on earth an actuary from the UK mathematically justifies his lifelong allegiance to the NY Rangers...

Or how an ass kicking (former) punk rocker became the sweetest Pens fan in history?

Well Cats and Pajamas: Grab a McRib, your favorite flavor of sizzurp and Stay Tuned because we here at Hockey Recon are soon introducing a new monthly feature: "Recon on Recon: Ten Questions for the Five Hole". Brief but piercing, probing but not Probert, in depth interviews of your Recon Team, by your Recon Team.

Why and how does this relate to Hockey? I'd tell you but then wikileaks would get a hold of it, and I just don't need anymore Canadian Mounties showing up at my door, asking me questions about how drunk I was the night I "Chatted up" Kirk Maltby. (LOOK PEOPLE, it was at least 12 years ago and I was so hammered I don't even remember it, I didn't even know it was him... Let. it. go.)

In other words, You'll have to find out for yourself. But I will tell you this: Your Recon Team is truly the oddest lot of Hockey Fan Sports Writers you'll ever meet. We have lawyers and high school students. We have writers "on the inside" of the hurricane, and some who blog from the depths of the Gulf of Mexico; we have players and television producers and geologists. We have burlesque choreographers, pickle tasters and animal trainers. We have Mackseyev!

It fair to say that on any given Sunday, your Recon Team is as interesting as the sport we cover.

I hope you'll enjoy the new feature, and btw- feel free to submit questions you want answered by your favorite Recon Team member!

jooce crest out.

Quarter mark team reviews

In a highly original, groundbreaking concept, Team Recon will be bringing you bitesize reviews of the first quarter (roughly) performance of all 29 NHL teams, plus the New York Islanders.

As our affiliations do not quite cover each team, some of the commentary may feature elements of ill-informed guesswork and hearsay based on watching only a couple of games, but hey, that never stopped Mike Milbury offering an opinion, so why should it stop us?

Team reviews will be drip-fed by our correspondents within this post (after the break) - keep checking back for updates.

Jump to:

Anaheim Ducks; Atlanta Thrashers; Boston Bruins; Chicago Blackhawks; Colorado Avalanche; Columbus Blue Jackets; Dallas Stars; Detroit Red Wings; Edmonton Oilers; Los Angeles Kings; Minnesota Wild; Montreal Canadiens; New Jersey Devils; New York Islanders; New York Rangers; Phoenix Coyotes; Pittsburgh Penguins; San Jose Sharks; St. Louis Blues; Toronto Maple Leafs; Vancouver Canucks; Washington Capitals

Connecticut Hockey Fan

I grew up in Hartford, Connecticut, and watching the Carolina Hurricanes, the former Hartford Whalers, win the Stanley Cup was like watching an ex-girlfriend get married.

Now, without a team, a hockey vagabond, rink rat (“You guys need fans?”), I watch with an analytical, but unbiased eye. And it sucks. I find that I no longer root for a team with the passion I once had.

Oh I came close last year. I was screaming at my TV when Parise knocked in a rebound with seconds left in the US-Canada game, and cursing like a drunken sailor when Sid the Kid (of all people) scored the winning OT goal. I watched the World Juniors, and that too was amazing. But regular nights, I flip through games, watching individual players, lines, coaches, power plays, break-outs, dump and chase and cycle, cycle, cycle. I root for playmakers; David Krejci (the cog in the Bruins offense), Nick Backstrom, and Crosby (who I dislike on principle, but admire his passing). 

Tampa Bay Lightning fans, just remember to breathe

As posted on Raw Charge, Tuesday, 16 November 2010.

Okay, everyone. Let's all take that collective step back from the ledge and regain some perspective. Things are not quite as dismal as you may think.

The Lightning aren't gunning for first in the East here. The goal is playoffs - that's it. And most people have this team as coming in at 7th or 8th in the East, which is reasonable.

Let's revisit where they've been. In the past three drafts, the Lightning have picked first (2008 - Steven Stamkos), second (2009 - Victor Hedman), and sixth (2010 - Brett Connolly) overall. That means that the team has sucked in a big way the past few years, if you're trying to block that out. I won't go into the traumatic details, but anyone who's followed this team for a while already knows what's happened.

So while the team got off to a strong start this season, they weren't likely to keep it up. The law of averages demands that bad times follow the good. That's just life.

[More after the break....]

Caption It Contest for Week of Nov 15th

here ya go!

Why Bloggers are the Fourth Estate: “Bob McKenzie is a Patsy” Edition.

As I hydrated myself with G2 and ate pizza over looking Monterey Bay at sunset, begging for a massage and an early bedtime after running my first half marathon in Big Sur this weekend, some Hockey sizzurp went down like Claude Le Mieux in a fight.  

NB:  I must start with a caveat: I don’t drink tea, I can’t stand Sarah Palin, and I don’t usually disparage or even think about the mainstream media and its ineffectualness- except to the extent that I get all my news from Jon Stewart and Puck Daddy. That said, a story broke yesterday that should be covered in every nook and cranny of the sports and hockey worlds.  Yet 24 hours later, only the blogging/twitter world is afire.

Yesterday, Hockey Blogger, Tyler Dellow, who goes by the nom de plume  “MC79Hockey”   unearthed a series of emails written by the NHL’s Vice President of Player Operations, Colin Campbell, that damningly expose an inappropriate personal bias and arguably an indication of corruption within the ranks of the NHL’s Top Brass.

Plenty of smart sports bloggers have analyzed the immediate issues concerning Campbell over the past 24 hours, but what struck me as poignant is the utter bias in mainstream media.

In his even handed and fair exposure and analysis of Campbell’s emails, (which you can read here) Tyler Dellow does what main stream media fails, and has failed for sometime now, to accomplish- whether in a sports related arena, or in coverage of a world event:

Dellow reports facts culled from legal records and court transcripts and analyzes them, identifying factually related matters and most importantly, asking the tough penetrating questions of the parties under fire.

Nothing Dellow has reported can be construed as anything other than truthful reporting of facts as stated by Campbell from court records and probing analysis. The questions which such factual documentation give rise to, and the conclusions which Dellow's reporting leads us to draw, are appropriate and hard pressing. This is real investigative journalism, frankly, at its finest.

The fact that this story spread like lightning across the blogosphere, without much mention of this league shaking controversy, by any mainstream news outlet is telling.  The lack of coverage after this blog broke all over Twitter is endemic of the emasculation of mainstream media.  (more after break)

Confessions of a Tampa Bay Lightning writer

As posted on From the Rink, Thursday, 11 November 2010.

Hi. My name is Cassie. And I have a problem.

I'm in denial. You see, the Tampa Bay Lightning are currently second in the Southeast Division, fourth in the Eastern Conference, and sixth overall in the NHL. Many people would be happy with that, especially considering what this team has been through in the past couple of years. But I just can't quite wrap my head around all of that.

The worst part about this is that I write for the SB Nation Lightning site, Raw Charge. So I'm watching all of their games, reading Lightning news, writing many of the game recaps, et cetera. It's not as if I'm just a casual fan of the team or a bandwagon jumper or anything like that.

Yes, Steven Stamkos is currently leading the NHL in both points (24) and goals (13). Yes, goaltender Dan Ellis ninth overall in the NHL with save percentage (.924), and seventh overall with goals against (2.11). Yes, Vincent Lecavalier is having a much better season than he has in a while, and Martin St. Louis has scored more goals at this point in the season than he had last season. I get all of this.

I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop is all.

[More after the break....]

LW's NHL Road* Trip 2010 (Final Part)

*Technically, featuring no roads

Following Part Six, a few brief observations from the final game I'm attending while on the wrong side of the Atlantic.

Game #7: Buffalo Sabres 2-3 (OT) New York Rangers

• Just because I haven't seen enough backup goalies this trip, Henrik Lundqvist is a late flu victim (late pull out rather than it being fatal...) so Marty Biron gets another MSG start. Lundqvist not even in warmups, but he'll have to be on the bench
• The returning Marián Gáborík gets crunched into the boards on an early shift. I (and probably most of MSG) ignore the rest of the shift to instead see if he's hurt on his return to the bench - he seems OK
• Rob Niedermayer misses on a breakaway as he exits the penalty box - further proof, if it were needed, that Drew Stafford does not belong in the NHL
• After a shaky looking first period from Jhonas Enroth in the Sabres goal, the Rangers take advantage by pummeling him with four shots in the second, which ends tied at two as the Rangers obligingly let Mike Grier stand in the crease untouched to score with 2.9 seconds left
• I even manage to watch the whole second period without painting the floor of an MSG bathroom vivid orange
• The crowd becomes mildly incensed when Ruslan Fedotenko has a goal chalked off in an "intent to blow" scenario. Especially odd for a quick whistle (at least an intended one) to come when two earlier goals came from similar situations that were allowed to play out
• Things look bleak for the Rangers when Brian Boyle takes a penalty with six minutes left shortly after yet another PP failure - a circumstance that has not produced favourable results on roughly 300 other occasions this year already. However, the PK holds firm
• Alex Frolov's third period contribution includes another slam dunk chance missed from right in front of goal and a sensible decision to ice the puck late in the game rather than take two strides in open ice to reach the red line first
• In OT, a Vanek/Roy 2-on-1 is survived by the Rangers (not the first such mess up by Vanek the last two nights) before Artem Anisimov secures the two points with his second goal of the game

All in all, a satisfying end to the trip and another strong showing by Beer Pong, which hopefully earns Lundqvist the lighter workload this year that the Rangers are looking for. A 3-3 record for the Rangers in my presence, just about maintaining my streak of non-losing records (19-9-1 overall for those scoring at home...)

LW's NHL Road* Trip 2010 (Part Six)

*Technically, featuring no roads

Following Part Five, the continuation of a few brief observations from the games I'm attending while on the wrong side of the Atlantic.

Game #6: Buffalo Sabres 5-4 (SO) New Jersey Devils

• Despite spending most of the day in bed or on the toilet and feeling like I've lost about 10lbs in five hours (the "Reverse Brodeur"), the lure of seeing two bad teams that I don't support proves too much, so I make the late decision to head out
  
• Surprising to see the box office lobby so full of people. Is it Tommy Albelin's jersey retirement tonight? Ken Daneyko's TV make-up crew having a meeting? Whatever it is, precisely one other person is actually there to buy a ticket, which makes more sense
• More backup goalie dueling tonight - Enroth and Hedberg are filling in for the injured Miller and Brodeur respectively
• My section is jam packed with annoying fans tonight:
  
  1. Your typical sports radio idiot sat right behind me. He yaps away constantly (sample: "I hate all Canadians except one. Spezza. And Rick Nash.") and is well on pace to smash the records for most instances of saying "Just shoot the puck!" and calling Mattias Tedenby "Tanabe", until he is moved on by someone actually having tickets to sit there
  2. His replacement is a kid unfortunately prone to greeting any routine clear or two foot pass with an exclamation you would perhaps hear had Marv Albert starred in "When Harry Met Sally" and smoked 100 a day from birth
  3. A Sabres fan rhetorically asking why Drew Stafford (#21, right-hand shot, not playing due to injury) was still in the NHL every time Rob Niedermayer (#20, left-hand shot, actually playing tonight) touched the puck. For the whole game.
     
• I'd like to be able to describe the first two Sabres goals, but I was too busy projectile vomiting a bottle of orange juice across the nearest bathroom floor. Should be more embarrassed by that than I really am...
• Having regained control of my stomach, I get to see four more second period goals as the Sabres and Devils both do a pretty good impression of teams with bad defense, which (against type and reputation) they actually seem to be
• After the Sabres tie it up again in the third, they have most of the chances the rest of the way with Hedberg somewhat fortunately surviving several scrambles in his crease
• His confidence up after missing the net by roughly 30 feet on a partial breakaway late in the third, Ilya Kovalchuk then caps off the shootout in sudden death by amusingly flubbing the puck slowly into the corner

Next up: The Sabres and their aforementioned backup goalie and bad defense head to MSG, where they will undoubtedly shutout the Rangers in my trip finale

Kovalchuk -- We are all witnesses.

What should I do?

Should I admit that I've made mistakes? Should I remind you that I've done this before? Should I tell you about Atlanta's playoff trip?

What should I do?

Should I tell you how I fill the stands? (So...this went well.) Should I really believe that I have a legacy to ruin?

What should I do?

Should I just sell skates like Ovechkin? Should I put my unattached head in a locker and tell you "Soon the championship will be ours!"?

Seriously? What should I do?

Should I tell you I'm a championship chaser? Did it for the money? Cup? Should I be who you want me to be? 

Should I accept my role as the selfish Russian? Maybe I should just disappear and go to the KHL.

Should I have never listened to Lou Lamoriello? He's Lou Lamoriello!

Should I try acting?

(Kovalchuk glides down the ice, is checked off the puck and...and falls. The refs arm is up. I haven't seen acting like that since our last broadcast in Pittsburgh.)

Should I make you laugh? Should I try to be a better teammate?

"I skate down ice. You give me puck. I shoot, score goal. We win. Okay? Okay!"

Should we just call out the zamboni? Try again next period?

What should I do?

Should I be who you want me to be?

JUST DO IT

LW's NHL Road* Trip 2010 (Part Five)

*Technically, featuring no roads

Following Part Four, the continuation of a few brief observations from the games I'm attending while on the wrong side of the Atlantic.

Game #5: Washington Capitals 5-3 New York Rangers

• A smattering of Caps fans / Ovechkin fanboys in evidence during warmups - including one confused kid wearing a Caps jersey and Rangers hat
• The guest anthem singer is apparently the former frontman of Barenaked Ladies - US/Canadian diplomatic relations become strained as he botches the lyrics
• A fast, physical start as Ryan Callahan dumps Semin in the corner
• Brandon Dubinsky and Mike Green discard helmets and square off - more grabbing than punching going on though. Smart move by Green to take the more talented, dangerous offensive threat off for five minutes...
• Despite the 24/7 efforts of some of the finest minds in the hockey world, nobody has yet found a way of stopping Brian Boyle scoring goals
• John Erskine is revealed as tonight's winner of the "Player Who Never Scores Or Is In A Horrendous Slump Until He Plays The Rangers" Lottery
• That is soon surpassed by the frankly astonishing sight of Derek Boogaard channeling his inner Pavel Bure, as he blazes a path down the left wing (slight exaggeration) before unleashing a laser of a slapshot (no exaggeration) over Michal Neuvirth's shoulder - I struggle to surpress laughter for the rest of the period
• Despite playing much better than the last few games and containing the Caps reasonably well over the last 40 minutes, the crushingly inevitable tie-breaking goal from a fourth line scrub, followed by the crushingly inevitable total inability to control the puck with the goalie pulled kills off the Rangers

Next up: After this incident-packed game, it's back to Newark for what promises to be a classic snoozefest between the high-flying Sabres and Devils. Bring a pillow.

Movember in the NHL

For those of you who don't know, Movember is a month-long fundraising event for men's cancer research. It is now a global campaign with a number of countries involved from North America to New Zealand. Movember encourages men to show their support by growing a moustache for the entire month of November. I imagine there are some pretty long and crazy-looking ones by November 30th. I first became aware of the event last year when a few Caps players participated and there are even more participants this year. The NHL in general is a big supporter of the 'Mo with players and staff from all over the league participating to help raise money with their facial hair.

Caption It Monday: Nov. 8th.

Find Last week's Winner in the Archives!

LW's NHL Road* Trip 2010 (Part Four)

*Technically, featuring no roads

Following Part Three, the continuation of a few brief observations from the games I'm attending while on the wrong side of the Atlantic.

Game #4: St. Louis Blues 2-0 New York Rangers

• A real buzz in the building as everyone anticipates the much-hyped, marquee goalie match-up of...er, Ty Conklin versus Marty Biron
• If you like having people walk across your line of sight repeatedly, including vendors carrying large objects above head height, then try and get tickets two rows back from the internal concourse at MSG. (Alternatively, just watch a Red Wings home game on TV.)
• Beer Pong has a strong first period to keep the game goalless, as the Blues dictate most of the play
• A break - aided by the fleet-footed Derek Boogaard stranding himself in the offensive zone looking for a pointless hit - sees Alex Steen open the scoring early in the second
• From that point, the Blues sit back and watch the Rangers painfully flounder for the rest of the game
• I was hoping for a disallowed goal from the Blues' #64, so I could say it was nixed as Nikita Nikitin kicked it in, but no joy...
  
• The only serious threat comes from a five-minute powerplay in the third period after B.J. Crombeen tries to decorate the boards with the contents of Derek Stepan's skull. The "threat" mainly one of being deafened by the booing of the practically impotent Rangers PP
• My view of the empty-netter is blocked by a few hundred people leaving - not that I care by that point. A pretty rancid game all round

Next up: The Rangers' powerhouse offensive machine hosts the anaemic, struggling forwards of the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. A Versus game! Possible Beninati sighting opportunity!

Central Division Update

Here's a little update on how the ultra-competitive Central Division fared during the month of October.


DETROIT

Positive: Pavel Datsyuk. While there are a lot of positives for this team firing on all cylinders at the moment, Datsyuk might the number one greatest thing about the Wings right now. He is on track for a career-high 45 goals this season, and on track to tie his career-best 97 points. He is definitely showing a rebound from last year's somewhat subpar season, but a lot of that may be attributed to the improved health of the Wings from this time last year. Datsyuk has not failed to dazzle every game for the past month with his stickhandling wizardry, goal-scoring prowess and strong two-way play.

Do NFL fans think NHL fans are better than they are?

As posted on From the Rink....

The place at which I work is an NFL office. That is the topic of discussion most days - football. Which, I don't mind; I actually like football. Though, I'm more of a college football kind of person than an NFL kind of person.

But an interesting point was brought up during a discussion of the local NFL team. I was making some point talking about hockey, of course, and someone said that hockey fans weren't like football fans. And he genuinely meant that; it wasn't just some flippant remark.

Isn't that nice? Even the fans of other sports know the difference. Not sure if that's a compliment or not, but that's not what I'm trying to get at.

The topic of discussion, at that time, was about getting autographs from players. And it wasn't that NFLers weren't as accommodating, as according to the NFL fans in my office, so much as he was suggesting that the fans weren't that nice. And, in their opinion, that's why the NFL players weren't so accommodating.

Think about that for a second. The reason why some NFL fans think that hockey players are so accommodating is because their fans are nicer. Again, not sure whether that's a compliment or not, but moving on....

[More after the break....]

LW's NHL Road* Trip 2010 (Part Three)

*Technically, featuring no roads

Following Part Two, the continuation of a few brief observations from the games I'm attending while on the wrong side of the Atlantic.

Game #3: New York Rangers 3-0 New Jersey Devils

• Perhaps not the most salubrious surroundings and it's never close to being full, but Prudential Center is a really nice building
• Lots of Rangers fans in the house as normal. Personal welcomes limited to one old guy muttering "scum" under his breath as I walked past. Slightly disappointing lack of commitment to the insult there...
• A lot of injury absences on both sides (most notably, Gáborík, Callahan, Captain Clutch for the Rangers; Brodeur and Parise for the Devils). Olivier Magnan-Grenier's appearance in the Devils' starting line-up produces a "Who the hell is that?" comment from a Devils fan behind me
• Not a whole lot to report from the game, as it's mostly pretty (s)crappy throughout. The second period is perhaps the most poorly played 20 minutes of NHL hockey I've seen in person
• The man Duuuuuuubbbbbbbbbiiiiiiii is on fire - Stamkos Schmamkos...
• Hello, Ilya Kovalchuk? You there? Still, not all his fault or that of Uncle Lou - a lot of the blame needs to go to the Devils' owner (who is, of course, Henrik Lundqvist)
• Always a satisfying win, but it doesn't feel the same without a Maaaarrrrrrtttttyyyyyy chant

Next up: Loose plans to venture to the Island to attend the Flyers-Fishsticks game appear to have been thwarted by public transport construction issues, so it'll be back to asbestos-free MSG for the visit of the stingy Blues on Sunday.

Shizzurp from the Crease: Juice’s Friday Smoothie.

What interested and or amused you most about this week in our NHL? If I had a feather and a glass of Grape Ape for each of these incidents, I’d be tickled purple.

1. If you can carry it, they will loot… Flyers Fans get to pay to loot the Spectrum tomorrow at the “If You Can Carry It, You Can Keep It” event, where they can pay $25 to go in and take anything they can carry from the old arena. Really? RIILLY?  Look. Some of my besties are Flyers fans, and my adoration for all things “Hartnell Fro” is well documented- but can you think of a less well conceived idea? Does anyone think this is a bad idea besides me?

more after the break! 

Friday Night Wings Recap not from concentrate, mostly insomnia.

Who gets insomnia on a Friday night? At least I have the Wings-Oilers game on DVR, and what a fun game it was. Sleepless observations follow, forgive the grammar and the spelling.

Jimmy Howard's save at the 9:35 mark (ish) -Holy shizzurp. Jimmy MF Howard. BTW Jimmy Howard has 22 regulation wins in a row. 1.82 GAA. 93.3 Save %. Helluva a start kid.

BTW, anyone still think the Bulin Wall has been felled? Watch this game- Nicolai was phenomenal. The Bulin Wall not only took 30 SOGs, but a bucketful of PP shots and really great scoring chances by all four winged wheel lines all three periods.

More after the Break

Claude Giroux -- Yes, Virginia. There is a Santa Claus.

Yes, Virginia. There is a Santa Claus.

How worth it would a video be of Flyers' legend Bobby Clarke fumbling the name of Claude Giroux as the 18-year-old Hearst, Ontario native and QMJHL star who, despite being undrafted in his home league of the OHL, had his named "called" at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft?

Unfortunately, as far as I know, no video exists in the archives readily accessible to your average non-NHL personnel. (For those of you who are lost, that means that YouTube does not have a copy.)


Some of you must be questioning about now just how this little dynamo forward from Ontario managed to get skipped over by the OHL, signed by the QMJHL, and then skipped over 21 times at the NHL Draft?

LW's NHL Road* Trip 2010 (Part Two)

*Technically, featuring no roads

Following Part One, the continuation of a few brief observations from the games I'm attending while on the wrong side of the Atlantic.

Game #2: New York Rangers 1-4 Philadelphia Flyers

• On the main concourse, former NHL ref Kerry Fraser is signing copies of his new book. A fairly healthy line suggests that Flyers fans are generally prepared to spend an extra $29.95 to abuse an official from closer range than normal
• Some fairly obvious yapping between Carcillo, Avery and Boogaard during warm-ups. Carcillo in particular appears to eschew any involvement with the pucks on the ice the whole time, preferring to skate repeatedly along the red line past the two Rangers, even long after they give up paying attention
• The Flyers' PA announcer still has a voice that makes me want to slice my ears off with a blunt spoon
• Parents of ginger-haired children in the Philadelphia area: Your kids will have things difficult enough. You should really buy them the road white jersey instead.
  
• Jeff Carter's work ethic and ability to avoid cheap penalties are questioned by more than a few home fans in my section
• Unusual first intermission entertainment, as we get to watch ex-Flyer and celebrity moustache, Bill Clement, officially become a US citizen (despite messing up one of the oaths). Not entirely sure what I'm supposed to do with myself when the crowd is then asked to rise and join in a recital of the Pledge of Allegiance
  
• Fairly ridiculous pass from Claude Giroux to Mike Richards on the Flyers' first goal
  
• Despite rarely getting tested, Sergei Bobrovsky receives rapturous applause for even the most basic 50-foot wrister at his chest. Maybe the fans really aren't used to seeing such things...
• Carcillo with a dangerously cheap headshot? Really? I'm shocked. Shocked!
• The officials completely missing/ignoring said dangerously cheap headshot? Really? I'm shocked. Shocked!
  
• Generally a fairly even game until the Rangers opt to aim both barrels at their lower extremities to make it 3-1 - Michael Del Zotto with a horrendous giveaway in front of his net for Blair Betts to score; Henrik Lundqvist somehow deflecting a Nik Zherdev shot taken from the corner of a rink somewhere in Delaware into his own net
• The Rangers missed Marián Gáborík more than other recent games - some decent work down low, but hardly any good scoring chances created and practically nothing off the rush
• Maybe finally inserting Alex Frolov into the line-up after missing the first 12 games will inject some offense. Oh, wait a sec...

Next up: A Friday night in Noo Joisey, as the Rangers face the evil Fatso and his rag tag bunch of scrappy cellar dwellers.

Why Tim Thomas should have been the NHL's #1 Star for October

My Tampa Bay Lighting friends have much to celebrate so far. New owner Jeff Vinik, new GM Stevie Y and new coach Guy Boucher seem to have breathed new life into a team that has seen enough turmoil in the past few seasons to turn into a Hollywood blockbuster (which, looking at the team's old owners, wouldn't be so far-fetched). The Lightning ended the month of October sitting atop the Eastern Conference with a 7-2-1 record and saw young star Steven Stamkos picking up right where he left off last season, with 19 points (9 goals, 10 assists) in 10 games and earning the NHL's #1 Star for the month. Bravo, Lightning. Bravo! I'm happy for my friends who have ridden the stormy seas of uncertainty and loss with the team.

HOWEVER. I disagree with the NHL's choice of #1 Star for the month of October.

It's not that I think Stamkos isn't talented, because he is. Very talented. It's not that I think Stamkos isn't playing well, because he is. Very well. It's not that I think his accomplishments for the month of October aren't worthy of recognition. Because they are. Very worthy.

BUT... I believe someone was even more impressive in October.

Tim Thomas.

I'm not really much of a Boston Bruins fan. I don't like many of their players, except for Zach Hamill, who played juniors here with the Everett Silvertips. And as Zach hasn't played many games with Boston, I can safely say that I'm not much of a fan yet. I do like Tuukka Rask because, well, who doesn't? He's entertaining and you want to watch when he plays to see if he launches into any weird rants (or throws milk crates over the glass onto the ice).

No, my belief that Tim Thomas deserves to be the #1 Star for the month of October stems from his 6-0-0 start for the season his NHL-leading 0.50 GAA, his .984 save percentage and his 3 shutouts. But what amazes me even more about his accomplishments is that this man is 36 YEARS OLD and struggled with a nagging hip injury last season, which he worked hard to rehab during the off season.

Tim Thomas has been playing pro hockey for nearly as long as Steven Stamkos has been on this earth. He began his pro career when little Stevie was just 7 years old and probably hadn't even lost his first tooth in a hockey game. Timmy started college (1993) when Stevie was 3 years old and barely potty trained.

In hockey years, Tim Thomas is like a grandpa. Okay, maybe not like a grandpa yet. I'll reserve that status for guys like Chris Chelios and Mark Recchi, who seem to keep chugging on (or who might have paintings hiding in the attic, a la Dorian Gray). So, Timmy is more like an uncle. Make that an eccentric uncle - you know  - the one who blurts out family secrets during a highly charged Thanksgiving dinner. Because we all know that goalies are nothing if not eccentric (and maybe a little "touched" - to spend their lives trying to keep flying frozen rubber disks from smashing them in the face).

I couldn't even tell you who the NHL's #3 Star for the month of October is, and frankly, I don't care. No offense to the player or fans of the team for which he's shining right now. I think the NHL did a great disservice to Tim Thomas by making him their #2 star and not #1, because let's face it: people EXPECT Steven Stamkos to be a scoring machine. That's why he was drafted. That's what you expect 20 year old phenoms to do. You don't expect a 36 year old goalie with hip problems to go out and blow the competition away, game after game. 

And whatever happens from this moment on, you've gotta take your hat off to Tim Thomas; a guy who has spent more years playing pro in leagues that DON'T begin with an "N"; a guy who should have hung up his skates (and gloves) after the Providence Bruins gave up on him and the only place he could play was in Finland; a guy who somehow fought his way back - first to the P-Bruins, then to Boston, where he won the Vezina in 2009. This is a man who does not seem to give up, even when you think the curtain has come down and the fat lady has sung several times.

Whatever happens from this moment on, I have found a new meaning for the word "perseverance." It is Tim Thomas.

Why is this Detroit Red Wings Fan searching for a Pink Crosby jersey? Blame Mackseyev

GGGGGGGaaahhh. I feel like I already need to say 12 "Our Hollands" and at least 2 "Hail Datsyuks" for this. But.

and its a Kardasian sized one....

But.

When your girl Juice isn't obsessing about the Wings, she occasionally does nice things that more often than not do not rhyme.  ahem.

  On Nov. 14th I am running a half marathon to raise awareness for a relatively unknown disease that affects my family: Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood. As part of my fund-raising efforts, I have promised that if we reach a certain donation level then I will take my last training run (on 11/11) through the streets of Santa Monica in a costume chosen by the people cheering me on, or as I like to think of them: "My athletic supporters".

There are two costume suggestions made by my Athletic Supporters and they are not pretty. In fact, our Girl, Mackseyev has thrown the Mothra Faulking gauntlet, people. She has dropped the goaltending stick, pushed the mask way back on her head and is sprinting toward Center Ice as if I were Patrick Roy and she were Mike Vernon circa 1997.

 Macks's lethal suggestion, after the break

LW's NHL Road* Trip 2010 (Part One)

*Technically, featuring no roads

Should internet connection and self-motivation allow, a few brief observations from the games I'm attending while on the wrong side of the Atlantic.

Game #1: Chicago Blackhawks 2-3 New York Rangers

• I'm sat a few rows behind a group of Swedish-looking people wearing matching red "I ♥ Hjalmarsson" T-shirts. Stockholm branch of the Jason Pominville fan club on vacation?
• Generally seems to be a fair few more Hawks fans than were at MSG for the same matchup two years ago. Hmm, why could that be?
• Tomáš Kopecký scores to give however many Slovakian fans might be in attendance something to savour, since the two Marians are both on the shelf
• As is ritual, the guy doing the intermission puck shooting contest gets a special MSG boo each time he misses the target
• Duncan Keith apparently played 27:23, but it seemed more like 57:23
• Odds on a Ryan Callahan jersey purchase have dropped further still
• Why can't the Rangers play like this more often? Pretty damn solid defensively, some timely scoring and Lundqvist making big saves when needed (I'll excuse him a soft looking second goal)
• Duuuuuuuuuuuubbbbbbbbbiiiiiiiii

Next up: The Rangers (and I) brave a trip to Philadelphia. Will they return with two points? Will I return with two arms?

Hockey is a mental game

We all know that hockey players are tremendous warriors. They sacrifice their bodies every game and suffer through terrible injuries that we can only imagine the pain of. You can literally see the battle scars on players’ faces. They are unbelievable human beings. But physical toughness is not all it takes to make it in the NHL. Mental toughness is key.

Sometimes it baffles me how much of a mental game hockey really is. The Philadelphia Flyers started off October with just 3 wins in 8 games. They were struggling to score and their PP was horrendous. They kept saying that they had to put in a full 60 minute effort and that they had to get their skating legs going, but the play on the ice never reflected those words. The team would offer up words of confidence and willingness to play better, but they still couldn’t do it. Saying it and doing it were clearly two different things.

Caption It Contest for Nov. 1...

Give us your best caption- Winner will get a used mouthguard and the Glory. 

East Coast bias and the Tampa Bay Lightning's western road trip

As posted on Raw Charge....

The Lightning are starting a four-game, seven-day road trip out West. That’s a strange thing for me to say, since I grew up on the West Coast. For me, it should be an "Eastern road trip".

Those hockey fans in the Eastern Conference have no idea how easy they have it. The entire conference is in one time zone. There’s no trying to figure out what time the game starts in, say, Colorado or St. Louis, because it’s all either going to be at 7 or 7:30 pm. If you guess later and are wrong, then you’ve only missed part of the first period. No big deal. That’s not always the case in the Western Conference.

[More after the break....]

Inaugural Hockey Recon Post: What Scares Us the Most in this Year’s NHL

Welcome Ghouls and Boos, Scaredy Cats and Paijabas to Hockey Recon’s inaugural blog post. Happy Halloween all! Before we throw on our broken spectacles, Chiefs jerseys and prosthetic fake teeth to head out for a little “check or treat”, we thought we’d kick off the launch of our Blog- our Collective in the Crease- by sharing with you all the things that keep us sleeping with a mouth guard in and one eye open, our Peter Forsberg night lights on bright, writhing in a cold sweat, unable to sleep for fear of waking to find Lou Lamareillo’s head at the foot of our bed with Glen Sather standing over us ominously prepared to plunge a sharpened goalie stick into our hearts.

This is what most terrifies each of us in this year’s NHL:

Read on after the break...

Hockey Recon, Coming Soon: Your Favorite Hockey Bloggers get Scared!

Welcome to the new, soon to be launched sports blog: "Hockey Recon", soon to become your favorite place to follow all things involving a mouthguard, 2 blades of steel on a sheet of ice.  

Hockey Recon is the new consortium in the crease of a group of stellar hockey bloggers who have decided to reconnect and pull their efforts together to bring you their best- and often funniest- hockey analysis in one place.

Please check the "Hockey Recon Team Uncovered" page to see who our individual contributing Authors are and come back for more at the end of the week to find some of your favorite bloggers reveal What scares them the most about this year's NHL..

See you soon and thank you for following us!

LW's Burning Questions - Western Conference

[Originally posted on - and expertly copied-and-pasted from - Springing Malik]

While I could break down the East a week or two ago without a problem, obviously I had to scrutinise carefully training camps out West for a couple of days before being able to pose these key questions...

Anaheim Ducks
Can George Parros and Paul Mara spare enough of their surplus facial hair to complete Ryan Getzlaf's long-awaited hair transplant?

Calgary Flames
Will Olli Jokinen again wear out his welcome by regaling Ian White and Jay Bouwmeester with tales of his infinitely greater playoff experience?

Chicago Blackhawks
Has the signing of Hugh Jessiman finally brought closure to the Hawks' 2003 draft fiasco that saw them embarrassingly end up having to select Brent Seabrook two picks later in the first round?

Colorado Avalanche
Can David Kočí repeat his three-minutes-per-game, six shot season of 2009-10 and parlay it into a Boogaard-esque free agent deal?

Columbus Blue Jackets
How much is Nikita Filatov looking forward to hearing the Special Advice that newly-appointed Special Advisor, Ken Hitchcock, will be bringing to the organisation?

Dallas Stars
Is being one Kari Lehtonen injury away from owning a team relying on Andrew Raycroft for wins more or less worrying to Tom Hicks than his reported financial "issues"?

Detroit Red Wings
Can fresh-faced rookie Mike Modano crack the line-up and finally bring down the average age of the Wings' roster?

Edmonton Oilers
With a shutdown defense corps led by the likes of Ryan Whitney and Tom Gilbert, does the freewheeling coaching style of Tom Renney mean Hall, Eberle and Pääjärvi-Svensson don't even need to consider learning to playing a two-way game in their rookie years?

Los Angeles Kings
Did the Kings see Alexei Ponikarovsky's two goals in 34 career playoff games and mistakenly think they were still looking at Ilya Kovalchuk's bio?

Minnesota Wild
Did the Wild front office think persuading an aging NFL legend out of retirement was the only way to bring national publicity to the area, or did they actually sign the John Madden they wanted?

Nashville Predators
Will David Poile's experience in suspending moody eastern Europeans when they don't show up for work help Sergei Kostitsyn to settle in?

Phoenix Coyotes
Can Paul Bissonnette round up enough homeless people to fill the lower bowl for the team's home opener?

San Jose Sharks
Will the Sharks going cheaper in goal result in Dan Boyle's playoff goal tally only increasing further?

St. Louis Blues
Is Roman Turek feeling a bit bemused about how feelings have changed in St. Louis towards goaltenders who can take teams as far as the Conference Final?

Vancouver Canucks
Did Mike Gillis only take the "C" off Roberto Luongo's mask because he didn't want Keith Ballard's stick to do it first?

National Hug-a-tree League

[Originally posted on - and expertly copied-and-pasted from - Springing Malik]

If you've visited the homepage of nhl.com recently, you might have noticed links to the league's "NHL Green" sustainability initiative.

The limited public reaction to the initiative that I have seen appears to consist of the accusations of one or two climate-change deniers that it's all part of a global left-wing conspiracy (for the record, it's nothing to with me...)

However, the NHL community has already made an impressive number of pledges to support the initiative. Here are just a few:

• The Minnesota Wild to reduce energy use by drying players' equipment using the heat from a naked flame

• Don Cherry and Mike Milbury to continue their media campaign to limit trans-Atlantic air travel by European players

• The lifetime of red lightbulbs at Madison Square Garden to be extended by up to 200% due to policy of employing one scoring forward

• Jim Rutherford of the Carolina Hurricanes to continue his policy of repeatedly recycling players

• Fans in Vancouver to organise collection of used beer cups on the ice surface after every home playoff loss

• Fans in Montréal to flip over any car parked downtown that is not electric or a hybrid after every playoff victory
  

• Charles Wang to reduce the Islanders' carbon footprint significantly by having the team play out of a "virtual" new arena

• Joe Sakic to promote the use of shovels instead of electric or gasoline powered snow blowers
  

• The Devils, Coyotes and Panthers organisations to reduce the use of paper by printing 10,000 fewer tickets than arena capacity for each game

• The NHL to establish the "Green Trophy" to be awarded annually to the defenseman considered by voting fans to have expended the least energy in the defensive zone during the season
  

• Air conditioning in all luxury suites in the Air Canada Centre to run on the hot air produced by Brian Burke

• The scoreboard at the Pengrowth Saddledome to be powered entirely by Darryl and Brent Sutter's electric personalities

• All lighting at the new CONSOL Energy Center to be provided by the sun shining out of Sidney Crosby's lower body

• Nikolai Khabibulin to travel to work by public transport for an entire season

• Dan Carcillo to fit a draft excluder to the door of his trailer
  

• Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr to commit to a league-wide 100% reduction in air and road travel to games and arena energy usage on game nights during the 2012-13 season

• Dan Ellis to use unleaded fuel in at least half of his sportscars

LW's Burning Questions - Eastern Conference

[Originally posted on - and expertly copied-and-pasted from - Springing Malik]

In the time-honoured tradition of stealing the lazy concepts of NHL writers and rehashing my own work from sometime around this point in the off-season a year ago, here are this year's incandescent posers for the Easterm Conference.

(Publishing note: The Western Conference equivalent may not appear before the first year Ilya Kovalchuk is forced to beg for food.)

Atlanta Thrashers
Will Byfuglien, Sopel, Ladd and Eager have a Cup-winning goal flashback every time a goal is scored and elicits virtually no crowd reaction?

Boston Bruins
Following the acquisition of Gregory Campbell, will the Bruins benefit or suffer from his father having no power to serve suspensions on players who maim Marc Savard, after several years of having no power to serve suspensions on players who maim Marc Savard?

Buffalo Sabres
Will Tyler Myers be grateful for the extra 25 cents saved towards his contract extension from the team buying out Tim Kennedy?

Carolina Hurricanes
Will the campaign to repeal the law that prevents Anton Babchuk playing even-numbered seasons in the state finally bear fruit?

Florida Panthers
Can anyone score after Grabner-Bitz?

Montreal Canadiens
Will the lavish ceremonies held to celebrate the first anniversary of the lavish ceremonies to celebrate the club's centenary distract from on-ice performances?

New Jersey Devils
Might the league again challenge the Devils' management after finally wising up to their strategy of paying players for the vast majority of the year but then tacking on five or six worthless games in April at minimal to no cost, that they have no intention of competing in?

New York Islanders
Could this be the year that the pressure of being the team's two highest-paid players finally tells and leads to declining production from Alexei Yashin and Rick DiPietro?

New York Rangers
Will the ceaseless intimidation of Rangers players stop with the presence of Derek Boogaard, or will Tortorella still treat them the same way?

Ottawa Senators
By what date will lazy headline writers run out of candle puns if Roman Wick makes the team?

Philadelphia Flyers
Were the "loose bodies" removed from Chris Pronger's knee:
(a) Stolen game pucks from the Stanley Cup Final?
(b) A couple of Scott Hartnell hairballs?
(c) Fragments of the front wing of a Montreal-based writer's car?

Pittsburgh Penguins
What will replace the "young player is now better at faceoffs than he used to be" on-screen graphic as the obligatory #87-based go-to conversation filler during Versus/NBC broadcasts?

Tampa Bay Lightning
Which Canadian journalist will be the first to break ranks and describe an especially mundane roster move by the new GM as anything other than "an outstandingly savvy demonstration of understated management"?

Toronto Maple Leafs
If last season's storming run caused performance bonuses to reduce this year's cap space by $1.4m, will missing the playoffs by something less than 14 points make the Leafs' cap negative in 2011/12?

Washington Capitals
Can Jeff Schultz follow in the legendary footsteps of the previous three defensemen to lead the league in +/-, Marek Malik, Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival, in getting regularly booed at MSG within three years?