Winnipeg Jets @ The Deadline

The first trade deadline where the Winnipeg Jets 2.0 would participate in. Many Winnipegers had high expectations of the Jets going into the deadline. People wanted a top 6 forward, preferably a number 1 center. Well, the deadline has passed and the Jets did not acquire a single forward today. They made only one move. The Jets traded Defenseman Johnny Oduya to the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2^nd and 3^rd round pick in the 2013 NHL entry draft. Many view this as a positive trade for the Winnipeg Jets. Oduya was a free agent after this current season, and was not likely going to resign with the Jets. He was earning $3,500,000 this season and was in the third and final year of a 3 year, $10,500,000 deal which he originally signed with the New Jersey Devils. Johnny Oduya had played 3.5 years with the New Jersey Devils until being traded to the Atlanta Thrashers on February 4^th, 2010 in a deal involving Ilya Kovalchuk going back the other way to the Devils.

Many teams needed a defenseman at the trade deadline, and standards were extremely high. The Nick Grossman trade set the tone for future deals. Grossman was traded from Dallas to Philadelphia for a 2012 2^nd round pick, and a 2013 3^rd round pick; exactly what the Jets got for Johnny Oduya. Many Jets fans view this as a positive trade for the Jets, and may think that the Blackhawks paid to high for the veteran Swedish defenseman. Once I had texted one of my friends about the trade, he was shocked and thought that Oduya was worth a 4^th round draft pick. We got into an argument about this because we completely disagreed on Johnny Oduya’s value. I think that the Oduya for 2^nd and 3^rd round picks is a fair trade for both teams considering the small availability of veteran defenseman that were available at the deadline.

I had met Johnny Oduya at Safeway two days before the October 9^th home opener against the Montreal Canadians. He was waiting in line to pay and I went up to him and said, “Mr. Oduya, I am a huge Jets fan. Can I get a picture with you?” He responded totally shocked and said sure. He definitely did not expect this, because he had just came from playing for the Atlanta Thrashers. No one knew or cared who he was in Atlanta. It was not a hockey state. Putting a NHL team back in Winnipeg is the best thing that has ever happened to this city. The players love it here. So much passion for team. Everyone in Winnipeg always talks about the Jets. Everyone loves the Jets. Johnny Oduya was a fan favourite here in Winnipeg, and everyone surely will miss him. Good luck to you Johnny.

Shortly before the Oduya trade, the Jets picked up Grant Clitsome of waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is in the first year of a 2 year deal worth $2,500,000. He is a bargain for a price of $1,250,000 per year. In my opinion, good pickup by the Jets to replace Johnny Oduya on the third defense line with Ron Hainsey.

I was a bit disappointed that the Jets didn’t pick up any forwards on deadline day. They need a true number one center. In a couple years, it will be Bryan Little, Alex Burmistrov or Mark Scheifele; but that’s in the future and still 3-5 years away. The asking price for a number one center was high. For the Jets to get a number one centre they would’ve had to give up a 1^st round pick or give up some future assets. I understand that the Jets don’t want to do that and I completely agree with them and that we shouldn’t mortgage the future for short term success.

I am overall happy with the Jets roster after the trade deadline and I think this team could do some damage in the playoffs.

Will Levy

Twitter: NHLManitoba

Stephan shines as Rangers blank Jets: 3-0

There is a reason why the MSG network has been showing the ‘Beginnings’ origins TV show on each of their players, appropriately enough this week features forward Derek Stephan, who continues to shine and grow with each passing game with the Blueshirts.

Someone within the MSG brass must be a clairvoyant, because Stephan had stellar night in leading the New York Rangers (7-3-3) to a 3-0 victory over the Winnipeg Jets (5-7-2) on Sunday night hockey action. The Blueshirts have won four consecutive games in what was a six game homestand at Madison Square Garden.

Stephan combined with Marian Gaborik for two of the three goals in the game. The 21-year-old forward tallied the first New York goal on a power play opportunity at the 10:01 mark in the second period, connecting on a 19 foot wrister, which was assisted by Gaborik (6) and Michael Del Zotto (4).

New York and Winnipeg stayed stalemated until the 8:31 mark, when Stephan gave Gaborik a beauty of a pass…on a two-on-one opportunity, doubling the Rangers’ lead. In what was a hard-fought battle between the teams, the Blueshirts have skated with more heart and desire.

‘Gabby’ capped the shutout off with an empty-net goal at the 19:58 mark, to give his team a ton of momentum before going on the road. In the cage for New York was Martin Biron, who made 23 saves in his 27^th career blanking.

For Biron it was his first shutout in a Rangers uniform, and was well earned, as the guys gathered to celebrate with their keeper after the game. Marty was smart in the cage for New York, settled down the puck-as well as playing it when necessary.

The Rangers ended the homestand with a 4-1-1 record, playing with a style of hockey not seen on MSG ice in quite some time. Now the Blueshirts will look to continue their winning formula, as they head back to Canada for a Wednesday night show down with the Senators.

The game is scheduled to air on the MSG network, with the face-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Stacy Podelski

http://www.smacksportvideos.com/

Islanders’ failure to Launch leads to six game losing streak

The New York Islanders 3-5-2) reached a six game losing streak in their 3-0 loss to the Winnipeg Jets (5-6-1) in Thursday night hockey action. The Isles are suffering from a failure to launch, as they are not getting the expected results 10 games into the season.

“It’s obviously a frustrating loss for us in our own building,” said Travis Hamonic, who tried to provide a spark to the team at the 19:42 mark dropping gloves and exchanging blows with Jets forward Evander Kane. “We threw a lot of pucks on net, Pavelec played really well, but at the end of the day we have to find a way to win that game.”

The Jets franchise, that once resided in Atlanta, has 20 wins over the Islanders, and 12 of them coming on Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum ice.  New York outshot the Jets by a final of 34-25, could not overcome a goal by Kane at the 4:21 mark.

Winnipeg added two goals in the third period of play when Jonny Oduya tallied his first goal of the season at the 16:04 mark. Alex Burmistrov added an empty-net goal at the 17:44 mark to add the capper to the game.

“It’s hard to break down a game like that, when you play well enough to win,” said defenseman Steve Staios. “We have to be mature enough that is there is one goal, or if they get two goals, we can’t get down, get rattled; we have to find our resilience as well.

In the cage for the Isles keeper Rick DiPietro made 23 saves, while the New York power play went 0-for-3 on the power play.

“It was a disappointing game, I know we worked hard and did a good job,” said DiPietro of the game. “We’ve got some positives to build on, but obviously the results aren’t there yet.”

Expect for some changes to be made to the Islanders lines after suffering this latest loss.  Things for the Islanders do not get any easier as they play host to the Washington Capitals on Saturday.  The game is scheduled to air on the MSG Plus network, and the face-off is slated for 7:00 p.m.

“We gave guys the opportunity to see what they can do,” Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. “Now, the minutes don’t mean anything. We need to win some games.”

Stacy Podelski

http://www.smacksportvideos.com/

Canadian Teams are heating up to end October ! Part 1 Eastern Conference

With only 1 out of 4 Canadian teams (Atlanta is now Winnipeg) making the playoffs last season for the Eastern conference, and that playoff  team (Montreal) finishing only 3 points ahead of 8th. It really didn’t seem like this season held a lot of promise for Canadian teams. Ottawa and Winnipeg were both considered to be in rebuilding mode. Toronto was a team that nobody was giving a chance too, as they were just “too young”. Montreal was the only Canadian team in the East that was given a chance to make any noise this year. After Montreal’s horrendous start, you would assume that this year would not be looking good for Canada, however, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Canadian teams have been on fire as of late, especially in the East. Now let’s take a look at each individual team and see why they are giving their respective cities reasons to be hopeful this year.

Toronto Maple Leafs: 11 GP, 7-3-1, 15 points. 2^nd place in the Eastern Conference.

The Leafs have not only been the best Canadian team in the East so far, but they’ve been one of the best in the entire league! 7 wins in 11 games is an incredible start, and it is due in large part to its top line. Phil Kessel has been an absolute force, netting 10 goals (including 3 game winners) and 18 points in 11 games and he leads the league in all of those stats. His linemate Joffrey Lupul has been great as well as he has added 5 goals and 11 points. The 2 clearly have something special going on here, as Kessel has been a completely different player ever since Lupul came over in the Beauchemin trade. That line has just become even more dangerous as Tim Connolly has now returned from injury, and has already shown some early flashes of brilliance with his linemates in his 1^st 3 games. The other key player for the Leafs so far this year has been captain Dion Phaneuf, as he has 11 points in 11 games. He is also a team best +7, while playing almost 27 minutes a game! He is beginning to look like the Phaneuf of old that dominated the league in his 1^st few seasons in Calgary. After suffering 2 tough losses against the Bruins and Flyers, the Leafs bounced back nicely and beat both the Rangers and the 1^st place Penguins, before losing on Sunday to the suddenly hot Senators. The good news for the Leafs is that in their last few games, they have begun to get secondary scoring from the Grabovski/Kulemin/MacArthur line. MacArthur has improved the most of late, as after having only 1 point in his 1^st 5 games, he has 4 goals and an assist in his last 3 games! The addition of Steckel has also been a very underrated move as he has won 60.9% of his faceoffs and has been a great addition to the team. Toronto’s special teams haven’t been a strength, as the slightly above average 13^th ranked powerplay, has been erased by the 27^th ranked PK unit. What is saving the Leafs is the fact that they are one of the best 5 on 5 teams in the league, as they score 1.33 goals (3^rd in NHL) for every time they are scored on at even strength. The good news for the Leafs is that the secondary scorers are starting to contribute, Connolly is in the lineup, and Reimer should be coming off of the IR soon.  For those of you doubting Toronto’s start and thinking they aren’t that consistent, only 1 game this year has been decided by more than 2 goals, meaning they might not blow anybody out, but they have had a chance to win in all but 1. Could this be the year Toronto finally makes the playoffs? Sure looks like it so far!

Ottawa Senators: 12 GP, 7-5-0, 14 points. 4^th in East

Ottawa’s record might not be as good as the Leafs, but they are definitely the hottest team not only in the East, but in the entire league right now. After starting the year with a horrendous record of 1-5, the Senators have completely turned the ship around and fired off 6 straight wins! After an embarrassing 7-2 loss to the Flyers, the Senators have scored at least 3 goals every game during a 6 game win streak. All but one of those wins came by one goal, 3 of which took incredible comebacks to win, but nonetheless the Sens have banked 12 out of the last possible 12 points! How are they having all of this success? The answer is definitely not defense or goaltending, as the Sens have allowed 45 goals in 12 games, and starter Craig Anderson despite having a 6-2 record, has posted a 3.66 GAA, and a .881 save %. To say those are weak numbers would be an understatement, especially considering the success he had last year after coming to Ottawa. The Senators are winning because of the offense. Spezza has 6 goals and 15 points in 12 games putting him among the league leaders in points. Linemate Michalek isn’t far behind as he has a team-leading 8 goals, and has contributed 13 points . Also, D-man E. Karlsson despite having only 1 goal, has also pitched in with 13 points! How are these players putting up so many points?? That is simple…Ottawa has the top-ranked powerplay in the league right now, they are almost impossible to stop from scoring on the man-advantage. Ottawa has scored a league leading 13 power play goals, on only 42 opportunities. That is a WHOPPING 31% PP scoring rate! Ottawa’s recent run has put them right in the thick of things with the top teams in the conference, and with 4 of their next 5 games coming against division opponents, the Sens have a great chance to make themselves a legitimate playoff threat! Not too bad for a team that people thought had no reason to be excited for this season other than another possible lottery pick!

Montreal Canadiens: 11 GP, 4-5-2, 10 points. 11^th in East

The Canadiens started the season off horrendously….after a 1-5-2 start, fans were calling for blood! They wanted the coach gone, the GM gone, and some of its highest paid players traded as well. And with the next 3 games on the schedule being Philly, and then Boston twice, it really looked like things were going to go from bad to worse for the Habs. But the Montreal team that couldn’t seem to do anything right in the 1^st games, have played pretty much perfect hockey in their last 3 and have now strung together 3 straight wins vs 2 of the toughest teams in the conference for them historically. Boston and Philadelphia have had their own struggles lately, so that definitely helped Montreal, but nonetheless the Habs have played essentially error free hockey (other than the Plekanec/Price miscue) over the last 3 games. A few more wins in a row, and Montreal might even be able to forget about the brutal beginning to October. Price has been great over the past 3 games, allowing only 4 goals, and posting a .950 save %, after having a GAA over 3, and a sub .900 save % to start the year. That is more like the Carey Price we all expected this year, returning to his Vezina candidate form. Plekanec and Pacioretty have been the only forwards who have looked like All-stars at any point this year for the team. However, those 2 being the leading scorers might not be great news as they only have 4 goals each and 9 points in 11 games. Not exactly dominant numbers you would expect from team leaders. But the Habs have taken some solace in the fact that they have gotten well distributed scoring, as they have 9 players with at least 5 points. And when you think about it, the Habs didn’t have any players last season or the year before at over a point per game, so this shouldn’t cause any worry with Habs fans. The one player who has to improve however is PK Subban, as he has 0 goals and only 3 points in 11 games despite playing 24 minutes a game. And it’s not exactly like he is playing great in the defensive zone as he is -3. But if the Habs play like they do in the last 3 games, then the playoffs are definitely attainable. The key to the recent string of victories has been Carey Price, and much improved special teams! The powerplay in the last 3 games has been clicking at 27.3%, compared to 13.3% on the season. And the Penalty Kill has been successful 91% of the time, compared to 83% on the year even counting the recent dominance.

Winnipeg Jets: 11 GP, 4-6-1, 9 points. 13^th in East

The Jets have been the least impressive of the Canadian teams, however, they may have turned a corner recently. In the last 5 games, they have went 3-2, both of those losses coming by only 1 goal. So the Jets have definitely been playing a lot better recently, being led offensively by Antropov (10 points in 11 games), and Burmistrov who has been GREAT. Burmistrov has 9 points in 11 games this year, after having only 20 points in 74 games last year as a rookie. Clearly he has found his game this year, and is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. The key to the recent success however, in my opinion, has been Kyle Wellwood. He leads the team with 5 goals, and 8 points. His 8 points are good enough for 3^rd on the team, despite having 6 forwards on the team who average more ice time than him. Wellwood has made the most of the little ice time he has received, and the Jets must be incredibly with the signing. Things could get better for the Jets when you consider that Byfuglien, last year’s Norris candidate has only 4 points and is a -5 so far this year! After 53 points last season, his 0 goals are shocking, and you have to assume that he will soon turn it around. If they could get better numbers out of Pavelec then the 3.63 GAA, and .885 save% then the Jets could potentially make a run at the playoffs. One thing is for sure, however, the Jets have been one of the most entertaining teams to watch this year, just look at their last 3 games. First, the beat the Flyers 9-8 in one of the biggest roller-coaster games of the year, then losing a nail-biter to the Lightning 1-0, and finally vs the Panthers, they tied it in the last minute and won it in a shootout. I for one, am incredibly happy that the Jets are in Winnipeg, and the winning record the Jets have at home shows that the team appreciates the fan support as well!

Be sure to check out Part 2 that will focus on the Western Canadian teams.

Grant Robinson (@thesportsgrind)

Thursday Night NHL Round Up

The Devils beat the Kings 2-1 after penalties in what was a game all about the netminders. Brodeur suffered a shoulder injury in the 1^st period that saw him replaced by Hedberg for the remainder of the game. He fended off all 16 shots he faced after Gagne had put the puck past Brodeur early on before suffering his injury. At the other end Jonathon Quick was the star of the game making 36 saves of 37 shots but failing to stop the Devils in the shootout – his first loss on them for over a season after a 10-0 record last time round.

In Long Island the New York Islanders thumped the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-1, with John Tavares leading the way with a 2+2 evening. The Islanders took the 1^st period 4-1 and completed the scoring 7 minutes into the 2^nd, at which point former Islander Dwayne Roloson was pulled from the net. Tavares missed most of the 3^rd period with cramp in his quad – if he had played that period and remained on fire he could have bolstered his points production further!

The Bell Centre was another hockey arena to see a lot of 1^st period action last night. Unfortunately for the home fans it was the Calgary Flames who were amongst the goals as they took a 3-1 1^st period lead and went on to complete a 4-1 victory over the Canadiens. Miikka Kiprusoff in the Flames net winning to overtake Mike Vernon as the Flames netminder with the most wins for the franchise.

In Pittsburgh it was a much closer game as the visiting Capitals edged out the home team in OT. It was Washington’s 3^rd straight victory at the start of the season with all 3 being won in the extra OT period. Denis Wideman this time got the game winning goal on the powerplay after Washington had spent a lot of time during regulation shutting down the powerplay offense of Pittsburgh. The good news for the home team was that Malkin returned to the line up and earlier in the day it had been announced that Crosby could now take part in full contact training sessions.

Phoenix got their first win of the season at the expense of Nashville, who suffered their first defeat. Another game that was won in the 1^st period as the Coyotes took a 3-0 lead and never looked back, both teams exchanging goals in the 2^nd and 3^rd for a 5-2 Coyotes victory.

Minnesota Wild managed a 2-1 via a shoot out against the Edmonton Oilers. Both the Oilers opening games have now been decided via penalty shots with them coming out with a 1-1 record in them. Khabibulin was the star for the Oilers making 35 saves, 14 of them in the 3^rd period as the Wild outshot the visitors in that final period 14-1.

Winnipeg’s 1^st road game of the season and only game against the Blackhawks saw them narrowly defeated 4-3. The Jets had taken an early 2-0 lead in the 1^st period only to see the Blackhawks tie them 2-2 by the end of it and take a 4-2 lead by the midway point of the 2^nd. Jim Slater getting the Jets off to that flying start with his first 2 goals of the season. Winnipeg did make it 4-3 before the end of the 2^nd with Kyle Wellwood getting his first for the club but the game remained at that scoreline.

In Dallas it was Kari Lehtonen again who was star of the show as he faced a lot of rubber (38 shots to be precise) and managed to fend off 36 of them in a 3-2 win for the Stars. Dallas had taken a 3-0 lead in the 2^nd only for the Blues to make a spirited comeback and by the early stages of the 3^rd period they were only chasing a 1 goal deposit. However, that chase never came to fruition and the Stars held on for their win.

That leaves Colorado and Ottawa as the last game not covered yet here on Get Real Hockey – Hopefully I will bring you an indepth report on that game later in the day!

by Adam Yates

WINNIPEG - THIS HOCKEY TOWN IS LOOKING FOR BIG THINGS FROM THE JETS

The NHL season opener in Winnipeg last night saw the Jets fall to the Habs in a 5-1 verdict which was unusually lopsided.  The young team was overwhelmed by the pressure of the homecoming for the Jets and they crashed and burned in their attempt to impress.

The Jets have a ton of expectations riding on their collective shoulders.  The team which is headed by Andrew Ladd is playing in a hockey strong hold which has seen the likes of Bobby Hull patrol the ice.  The fans in Winnipeg saw the Jets (then in the WHA) come from nowhere and become champs in short order.  In fact the Jets were always a threat to take the top prize while they were in the WHA.  The WHA squad was aggressive and innovative and they laid the foundation for the Jets original entry into the NHL.

The first edition of the Jets in the NHL had stars like Morris Lukowich and Dale Hawerchuk.  They were always competitive but the small market pay days and the CDN dollar valuation (at the time) led to the team moving to the US.  This was a sad occurrence for all Jets fans and this would only be rectified this past summer with the Atlanta Thrashers coming back to Winnipeg as the Jets 2.0.

So now the fun really begins.  Evander Kane, Andrew Ladd, and Dustin Byfuglien will have to step it up and make sure that the new edition of the Jets will have a decent year.  The team is capable and the thrashing at the hands of the Habs should be a one off if the team plays up to their potential. Winnipeg is a hockey town.  Just ask hockey legends from the Peg like Randy Carlyle.  The city deserves a team and we wish them the best.  The new squad needs to always remember the hockey tradition from the Jets and the Peg but play a fun and focused game; up to their abilities.     

HABS TAKE THE JETS TO SCHOOL - WELCOME BACK GUYS

Carey Price stood tall in the nets as the Montreal Canadiens crushed the Winnipeg Jets in their home opener in the Peg.  The final score was 5-1 and the Jets were left with their tails between their legs.  This young team has a ton of pressure to deal with since they have entire province cheering them on.  CBC realized the excellent TV appeal of this historic match and went coast to coast with coverage.  They trumped out Don Cherry and focused their cameras on the crowd which was awash in old and new logos for the hometown Jets.

The Jets took a lot of bad penalties and played hockey which was lacking in discipline and mental toughness. Carey Price stonewalled any attempt to score even when the Jets were up 2 players thanks to Habs being in the box .   Montreal's offence was broad based which is a good sign for the Canadiens' faithful. These guys know they are capable of more and we suspect that a healthy and strong Price could fire up the snipers from Montreal and lead to strong start from the Habs. 

As for Winnipeg; this is just the beginning of a interesting journey.  The fans in the Peg know hockey.  If their team can tighten and get rid of the jitters we should see some solid on ice play by midyear.  This kind of bruising at the hands of the Habs is a good lesson.  Take less stupid penalties, play as a team and protect your goalie.        

30 PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS SEASON

 All the players listed are looking to have bounce-back, or continue their success after a great season. All the forwards have quick hands and a great release, and the goalies are going to have to be the reason for their team’s success. For each of these teams to have a chance in the playoffs, it looks as though these players will have to show up in the regular season, and show why they are the star of their franchise. Some of these teams are in rebuild, others are in their primes. Players such as Filitov and Grabner are representing the resurgence of the league, which is a younger, faster game. On the other side of the game, such as Datsyuk and Doan, are the players that are showing the game has not forgot its roots. These are the players that are going to be the stars this year, and in the future.

1)  ANAHEIM DUCKS – COREY PERRY

2)   BOSTON BRUINS– DAVID KRECJI

3)   BUFFALO SABRES– VILLE LEINO

4)   CALGARY FLAMES – ALEX TANGUAY

5)   CAROLINA HURRICANES – JEFF SKINNER

6)   CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS – PATRICK KANE

7)   COLORADO AVALANCHE – MATT DUCHENE

8)   COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – JEFF CARTER

9)   DALLAS STARS – MIKE RIBIERO

10)DETROIT RED WINGS – PAVEL DATSYUK

11)EDMONTON OILERS – TAYLOR HALL

12)FLORIDA PANTHERS – TOMAS FLEISCHMAN

13)LOS ANGELES KINGS – MIKE RICHARDS

14)MINNESOTA WILD – DANY HEATLEY

15)MONTREAL CANADIENS – ERIK COLE

16)NASHVILLE PREDATORS – SHEA WEBER

17)NEW JERSEY DEVILS – ILYA KOVALCHUCK

18)NEW YORK ISLANDERS – MICHAEL GRABNER

19)NEW YORK RANGERS – BRAD RICHARDS

20)OTTAWA SENATORS – NIKITA FILATOV

21)PHILIDELPHIA FLYERS – DANIEL BRIERE

22)PHOENIX COYOTES – SHANE DOAN

23)PITTSBURGH PENGUINS – EVGENI MALKIN

24)SAN JOSE SHARKS – LOGAN COUTURE

25)ST LOUIS BLUES – DAVID BACKES

26)TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING – STEVEN STAMKOS

27)TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS – JAMES REIMER

28)VANCOUVER CANUCKS – ROBERTO LUONGO

29)WASHINGTON CAPITALS – ALEXANDER OVECHKIN

30)WINNIPEG JETS – EVANDER KANE

By Noah Green

THE NHL PRE-SEASON KEEPS ROLLING ALONG AND THERE HAVE BEEN HIGHS AND LOWS

The Jets, Sabres and banana throwing idiots have people talking.

We have been catching as many pre-season games as possible.  This year should get off to a heck of a bang with some big pre-season changes in the NHL being front and center.

The Jets are back in Winnipeg and the crowds have turned out in droves to watch their new hometown heroes. The fans in the Peg know hockey back to front and the Jets should thrive in a city which is steeped in hockey tradition.  The first pre season game @ the MTS Center was a blow out.  Not only did the Jets demolish the opposition; the fans made noise like it was the seventh game of the Stanley Cup finals.  It was nuts !!!  Things will only get better for the new Jets.  The team is young and the management is committed to getting a winner on the ice.  The guys have money and if they put it to use; there will be a Cup in Winnipeg very soon.

The ownership change with the Sabres will also show up on the ice.  Ryan Miller will not be alone and the Sabres' front office has told fans that the dollars will flow to bring a winner to Buffalo. Looks like the Bruins and Habs will have their hands full with Buffalo. The Sabres are a character driven team and if they can deliver on the talent side you could be looking at the "Bruins" of 2012.

On the downside of NHL hockey; some yokel thru a banana @ Wayne Simmonds from the Flyers @ an exhibition game in London.  That was a complete BS move.  When are some of the NHL faithful going to learn that colour has nothing to do with skill ? This is 2011 not 1911 or 1811.  Hockey fans are better than this and hopefully this incident will be the only such incident this year and forever going forward.  I know those are high expectations but the eternal optimist in me says that a banana throwing idiot is not hard to find and next time someone normal will turn him or her into security.  Work together guys !!! Hockey is a fun sport and it is no place for racists.

SUMMER HAS GOT US ALL LONGING FOR HOCKEY - 2011-2012 IS GOING TO BE CRAZY !!!

The  Bruins are champs, Luongo is a joke and the NHL season looms large for NHL diehards.  Last season was crazy !!!  I am going nuts listening to the NFL and NBA strike BS and I want the NHL's best back on the ice. The Hawks and Flyers'  final from the previous year set us up for a great season and the Bruins versus Canucks final had everyone glued to their seat till the last game of the year.

The summer holiday has been good to NHL fans.  Jets drama was finally resolved with the Thrashers moving north.  Winnipeg is going to compete and the fans in the coldest city in Canada are going to give the ex Thrashers the royal treatment.

We also went through the draft and free agency.  The realignment of sides has not been very dramatic if you leave out Philly.  The Broad Street Bullies looked desperate and got rid of some serious firepower on the front line.  This was the price to pay in order to get decent goaltending.  We remain unconvinced that European goaltending will be the answer for the Flyers.  Don Cherry would probably agree with us.  If goaltending remains a problem for Philadelphia; look for panic and seismic changes behind the bench and on the ice.

It was sad to see the Habs and Leafs so quiet this post season.  The fans in both cities are taken for granted by their home teams.  Something needs to change.  fans need to vote with their dollars.  Vancouver and Boston showed us last year that you have to spend dollars and make moves in order to win.    

Detroit Kicks Phoenix to the Curb - See Ya in The Peg !!!

The Phoenix Coyotes finally succumbed to post season pressure.  The hockey was terrible in the playoffs for the Coyotes as Detroit rip them to shreds.  These boys were out classed by a hard working Red Wing team which knows how to put up or shut up.   It was a sad end to the great Gary Bettman experiment in the desert.  The hockey czar tried to make hockey click in weather that could easily be suited for a camel.   Even Wayne Gretzky could not illicit the necessary magic to make Phoenix into a winning proposition.

It looks as though the Coyotes could be headed north before next year to find a new home in Winnipeg.  This would be a great move for everyone.  If this is allowed to happen, the NHL might get credit for thinking long term.  Coyote players would also benefit from playing in front of a crowd that understands hockey and doesn't attend games because they lost a bet to someone at the office.  Lastly, Winnipeg wins because they get back into the big leagues of hockey where they belong.  The glory days of Dale Howerchuk and Morris Lukowich  prove that the Peg is major league when it comes to the fastest game in the world.

If it is not this coming year it will come sooner or later.  The Coyotes will end up in Winnipeg.  Once in the Peg, Coyote hockey will be cooler, faster, and way better.  Detroit better watch out !!!