This week is the Going Deep Trade Deadline Special!

Here is the new podcast. http://grantrobinson.podbean.com/2012/02/28/going-deep-nhl-trade-deadline/

Grant recaps all of the trades that happened before the deadline, and also discusses what else happened in and around the NHL throughout the past week during the “Headlines”.

He then discusses the 5 main topics of the day

1)      The Jeff Carter trade to LA, for Jack Johnson & a 1^st. And why he believes the Jackets didn’t get enough for him. (30 minutes-39:30)

2)      Steve Downie in the 3 way trade that sent him to Colorado, Quincey to DET, & a 1^st rounder to TB. And why he believes the trade should have never happened. (39:30-46)

3)      Andrei Kostitsyn being reunited with his brother in Nashville, and whether or not the combination will work. (46-53:30)

4)      Hodgson being shipped to Buffalo for Kassian, and why it’s a big risk for the Canucks. (53:30-57:30)

5)      The trades we expected that never happened and why they didn’t.

-          Rick Nash: why teams were wise to stay away (57:30—61:30)

-          Steve  Ott & other big names: why they werent moved (61:30-62:30)

-          Why Burke was smart to not make a big move for the Leafs, and how the true winners of the deadline were the teams that stayed away from the high prices, and showed self-restraint (62:30…)

If you have any suggestions for next week’s podcast feel free to tweet Grant @TheSportsGrind

Enjoy the show!

Like a fat kid in a candy store. I can't control myself. - So much NHL tonight

Oh my gosh, is there a lot of hockey on tap.

10 games tonight highlight the NHL schedule. Here is brief preview of the marquee games.

Washington vs. Buffalo

A match up for two under-preforming teams, the teams sit 10^th and 11^th in the East respectively.

The Caps have already had their shakeup this season with the firing of Bruce Boudreu. Alex Ovechkin has yet to re-capture his form that has made him one of the most exciting players in the world. On the flip side, Buffalo has also failed to live up to expectations, between questions about loyalty to their goalie to offensive underproduction. These two teams need to start off hot to get back in the playoff race because we all know what they are capable off.

Islanders vs. Rangers

I chose to highlight this game, because it figures to be feature predominately in HBO's 24/7 this week

The Rangers are sitting in 2^nd place just 1 point out of the first in the East and the Islanders per usual are sitting tied in the basement of the Conference. Its always interesting when these two teams, that are

only separated by 25 miles meet up. One also has to think, the Islanders while being in the New York bubble, don’t usually get the same attention as the Rangers or the Devils, they know the cameras will be on. Look for a highly physical, entertaining game, which hopefully produce some great moments for this week's episode of 24/7.

Columbus vs. Chicago

Best team in the league vs the worst team in the league based on point total. Will there be aChristmas hangover for the Hawks and yes sometimes I mean that literally (KANER!). Or will the hot streak continue, despite CBJ's record, they actually have played better as of late and they have become very good at being a huge pain the in the Hawks side.

Edmonton vs. Vancouver.

Vancouver as of right now in fifth place in the West and playing much closer to form with the re-emergence of Ryan Kesler back from injury and Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo playing quite well in goal. Edmonton however started the season on fire, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle who are 18, 20 and 21years old are playing like superstar veterns. Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins are in the top 20 in points and Hall was in that mix before a shoulder injury. Hall returned before the break and look for the Oilers to either continue to grow up and flourish or get another lottery pick. This will be a huge marker tonight.

Also....

The World Juniors start tonight live from Calgary and here goes a shameless plug and THANK YOU to  the NHL Network for broadcasting the tournament in the US. This tournament year after year showcases the stars of tomorrow, so tune in to see the next Crosby, Ovechkin and Toews.

I hope everyone had a joyous holiday. I received the books, The Art of Scouting by Shane Malloy and Squaw Valley Gold: American Hockey's Olympic Odyssey.  So get ready for book reviews starting in early 2012.

Joe DeTolve

Chicago, Illinois

Goodintheroom.blogspot.com

Welcome To the Big Show - Kyle Turris

That was the opening line to many nights of Sportscenter back in the 1990s and I think it fits here as well.

Tonight Kyle Turris will make his debut for the Ottawa Senators as they welcome in the Buffalo Sabres to ScotiaBank Place.

Turris was the third overall pick in 2007 entry draft behind Patrick Kane and James Van Riemsdyk. Originally drafted from the Burnaby Express of the BCHL, Turris decided to play a year at the University of Wisconsin under Coach Mike Eaves, where he was roughly a point a game player.  After one season in Madison, The Yotes and Turris decided he should get the call up to the big club….So let me get this straight, Kyle goes from playing Junior A, 35 games at Wisconsin to smack dab in the middle of the NHL.

Turris played three games in the 07-08 season and recorded his first points. The 2009 season he recorded eight goals and 12 assists in 63 games. With this result the next year he was sent to San Antonio for the majority of the season and finished with 63 points in the AHL.

Beginning in 2010, hopes were high for him to have a breakout season in the desert, the Yotes had just come off a successful  107 point season, that saw a hard-fought but series loss to the Red Wings, however the more important fact, Jobing.Com Arena was packed and Coyotes fans were rabid(remember the snakes)

Well Turris disappointed with only 25 points in 63 games, not exactly what you would expect out of a 3^rd overall pick.

Then the holdout began and all hell broke loose.

Turris became a restricted free agent on July 1^st and the two sides could not come to an agreement which then led to reports of Turris asking for between 3-4 million dollars year and that’s where things really got bad. Since clearly his production isn’t comparable to that salary. Knowing the financial constraints of the team, as it was and still is owned by the NHL it looked like it was more of a ploy to get traded.

November 22, 2011 came and Turris signed a two year deal worth 2.8 million, keep in mind he had to sign by December 1^st or he couldn’t play until next season.

Last Saturday, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators for Defenseman prospect David Rundblad and a 2^nd round draft pick. Initially I was shocked by this coup by Ottawa. Then I was shocked because the Senators gave up on Rundblad (6 NHL Games) so fast and added a 2^nd rounder to boot. This weekend I was very perplexed, how I really felt about the trade.

The more I thought about it, this is an awesome hockey trade, Turris will now be a face, but not The face of a Canadian franchise. He was asked a very young age to be the savior of hockey in the desert, which only added to the pressure of being brought up from Wisconsin to the NHL in only a matter of days. Turris now has the opportunity to thrive in a market that is hockey crazy, he can now fit in with a young and frankly overachieving team even though their record may not show it. Along with really young Guys like Erik Karlsson, Kaspar Daugavins, Nick Foligno, Colin Greening, Jared Cowen and led by 28 year old Jason Spezza,and 18 year old Mika Zibanejad still in Sweden,  Ottawa is not lacking young talent. I have a very good feeling that Turris will fit perfectly in that room and just be another piece of the young core.

He wanted out of Phoenix and he got his wish. But now he will be under arguably the 3^rd hottest spotlight in the NHL. He won’t have to be the face of the franchise, but he will experience a media crunch overwhelming larger than Phoenix.

Will Kyle Turris continue to mature and become an 80-100 point guy or will he continue to underperform and fade into obscurity? Regardless of what happens he no longer will fly under the radar.

Joe DeTolve

Chicago, Illinois

Goodintheroom.blogspot.com

Pominville pops Panthers in OT

Despite a solid night in net from former Albany River Rats netminder Scott Clemmensen, the Florida Panthers were edged by the Buffalo Sabres and Jason Pominville, 2-1 in overtime.  It was a tight, hard fought, down to the wire contest between both clubs.

Buffalo hopped on the board first, when late in the first Derek Roy was able to skate in and slip one past Clemmensen.  Roy’s seventh tally of the year, gave the Sabres a 1-0 edge. Yet Florida would respond with a marker of their own late in the second.  On the power-play, Jason Garrison from the circle, blasted his ninth of the season past Ryan Miller, knotting it up at 1-1.

After nothing was resolved in the third, the contest proceeded to OT. During the extra session, Paul Szczechura found a streaking Pominville up ice and the uncontested Pominville ripped one past Clemmensen for the winning tally.  Pominville’s tenth of the campaign helped the Sabres to an impressive win over the Southeast Division leading Panthers.

Additionally, Clemmensen stopped 18-of-20, while Miller turned away 22-of-23 between the pipes. With the victory Buffalo improves to 15-11-2 (32 points).  In defeat, Florida picks up a point and moves into a tie point-wise with the Philadelphia Flyers atop the Eastern Conference at 16-8-5 (37 points).

- Mike Gwizdala

Will Jordin Tootoo of the Nashville Predators be Judged Fairly ?

The NHL announced Tuesday afternoon that Nashville Predators forward Jordin Tootoo has been given a two-game suspension after his hit on Buffalo’s Ryan Miller.  NHL Director of Player Safety Brendan Shanahan explained the reasoning behind the suspension by citing several things he felt Tootoo did wrong.  Tootoo, according to Shanahan, after losing the puck made no attempt to continue playing the puck, or avoid contact with Miller.   While this suspension was a step in the right direction of providing more protection for goaltenders, it brings up several questions for fans and players.  The main of these being: Why Tootoo and why not Milan Lucic? 

Tootoo made contact with Miller inside the crease while driving hard to the net.  Lucic made contact with Miller around the top of the circle in open ice.  Lucic received no suspension for the hit, however, Lucic did give Miller a concussion.  Tootoo, on the other hand, left Miller maybe a little bit rattled but unscathed.  The argument can be made that Tootoo’s actions were in immediate result of a player driving to the net and being directed by the Buffalo defender into Miller.  When reviewing the replay from certain angles it appears that Tootoo jumped in order to lessen the blow to Miller.  Once again Lucic could have avoided Miller and made no attempt to lessen the blow. 

Another thing that must be looked at when assessing the suspension is who the goaltender was.  If Tootoo had run into almost any other goaltender in the league he would have received a 2 minute minor for goaltender interference, possibly faced the other teams tough guy and been still playing.  So that causes one to ask if this had been Paul Gaustad running Nashville’s Anders Lindback would Gaustad be serving a suspension.  Gaustad after the fact appeared to be threatening Lindback which is something he was wise not to follow up on later on as Nashville has guys from their captain’s down who are willing to shed the mitts to protect their goaltender, unlike the Sabres. 

In the end there is nothing the Predators or Tootoo can do except deal with the two game suspension.  The league, however, needs to take a step back and think about its suspension policy.  The league needs to start using the same set of rules across the league.  If the league is going to toss out a suspension to Jordin Tootoo for two games, then Milan Lucic should have been suspended for at least three or four games.  In order to protect the goaltenders to the extent that they seem, by the Tootoo suspension, to want to the NHL needs to suspend any players who touch goaltenders.  As for the days where the players policed themselves well I guess the league has decided that the players cannot take care of this themselves.  Hey Buffalo there are some enforcers out there whose services you might want to look into.

- Isaac Berky

Buffalo Sabres Stand Up for Ryan Miller Against the Nashville Predators

Ryan Miller is once again standing between the pipes for the Buffalo Sabres. Let's recap what caused the injury again: Milan Lucic hits Ryan Miller when came far out of net to play the puck. The hit involved a collision with Miller's head. Miller hit the ice hard, and ended up with a neck injury.

           

So of course when he returned for his first game back in Nashville nothing bad would happen, right? Wrong. Predator's forward Jordin Tootoo decided to jump in the air while going hard to the net, and collided with Miller again. At least this time the players reacted properly: Miller immediately got on top of Tootoo and started punching him with a gloved hand. A pileup resulted on top of them, with everyone wanting a piece of Tootoo. When they finally got back to their feet Sabres forward Paul Gaustad tried to fight off a referee to go back after Tootoo.

           

But the greatest difference from the last incident? When he was being skated to the bench, Paul Gaustad could be seen yelling at Nashville goaltender Anders Lindback, presumably threats about retaliation. Rightfully so, Tootoo was given a five minute major for charging and was thrown out of the game. Gaustad was given a double minor plus ten more for his actions, but ended up leaving the game with an upper body injury.

           

Tootoo was supposed to meet with Brendan Shanahan on Monday, but there isn't any news yet on any action that may be taken.

           

Take a look for yourself, is a suspension deserved?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKIf3aYmBoA

* * * * *

           

The Buffalo Sabres are still plagued by an endless number of injuries. Added to the list now from the last game are centers Paul Gaustad and Jhochen Hecht. Both suffered upper body injuries, with Gaustad out indefinitely and Hecht labeled day-to-day.

           

In lighter news, Cody McCormick is expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday against Philadelphia. Jordan Leopold appears to be the next player ready for return, but he is not expected for Wednesday.

* * * * *

           

Former Buffalo Sabres Matthew Barnaby was charged with a DWI Monday morning (around 3 AM) in Clarence, NY. He was spotted by another driver with his car missing a front tire. After being stopped by police it was found that his car had been greatly damaged from the driving. He failed several sobriety tests at the scene and refused a breathalyzer test. His license has been suspended as a result.

           

Following the news of his arrest ESPN announced they would be terminating their contract with Barnaby, effective immediately.

* * * * *

           

Let me know your thoughts and opinions, and let's go Buffalo!

~Adam Singh

A.Singh.Advocate@gmail.com

Twitter: TyMyers57