NHL

Head Shots and concussions... how big of an issue are they?

January 30, 2011

Headshots and Concussions... they're an issue that is constantly talked about around the league, every game you watch, it is mentioned at least once. Every big hit, someone complains it was a headshot. The NHL Board of Governors met on Saturday to discuss this issue. Whether the penalty needs to be broadened, maybe it isn't strict enough? Or does something else completely different need to be done about this issue, such as an equipment change? GM's are constantly getting asked about the issue, and you can clearly see who has a bigger problem with it. With Marc Savard out with his second concussion in under two years, Sidney Crosby going down on a "headshot", which I saw, and have watch...

2011 Mock Entry Draft, All Star Break Edition - Picks 21-30

January 29, 2011

Mitch H

Comments

On the eve of the All Star Skills Competition, which I personally think is more entertaining than the All Star Game, we unveil the final ten picks of the 2011 Mock Entry Draft. By this time, anything remotely resembling consensus in draft lists is totally evaporated. If you hit even one out of these ten picks, it's a solid batting average... 21. Nashville Predators - Mika Zibanejad (Djurgarden, SEL) The Preds have gone to Europe with some serious success lately. Players like Pekka Rinne, Anders Lindback and Patric Hornqvist are already making an impact with the club ans Swiss defender Roman Josi is already making waves in the AHL. Zibanejad is a very raw, two-way physical centre ...

2011 Mock Entry Draft All Star Break Edition - Picks 11-20

January 28, 2011

Mitch H

4 Comments

After finding out who'll be lucky enough to get their names called in the Top Ten. Today we deal with the meat of the draft. Teams individual lists will vary so much by this stage in the draft that calling the picks with 100 percent accuracy is almost absolutely impossible. This of course means it's worth attempting. 11. Los Angeles Kings - Tyler Biggs (USNTDP) The Kings went to the well with the USNTDP last year, grabbing Derek Forbort fifteenth overall. They'll go back to that well this year to grab some power and scoring off the wing with Biggs. The Captain of this year's USNTDP squad will remind Kings fans of current Captain Dustin Brown with his raw, bang and crash style. ...

2011 Mock Entry Draft, All Star Break Edition - Picks 1-10

January 27, 2011

Mitch H

3 Comments

With the All Star Break now on, the standings have solidified for a few days. Four Canadian teams are in the bottom ten with three retaining their picks, which means this could be a draft class that draws a lot of attention. With that in mind, this will be the first of three entries outlining a Mock version of this year's entry draft. 1. New Jersey Devils - Gabriel Landeskog (Kitchener, OHL) The Devils don't draft for need. Lou Lamiorello has a system and takes players who will play within it. Landeskog is a complete player in all three zones on the ice. The Devils also like their Djurgarden Swedes (Josefson, Urbom) and Kitchener Rangers (Clarkson, Halischuk, Fraser, Kelly). 2. N...

Video Reviews Inconsistent

January 25, 2011

Kyle Andrew Busch

6 Comments

When watching the Leafs-Hurricanes game, we saw yet another goal disallowed when the puck shot by Jeff Skinner was clearly over the goal line. And once again the NHL found a way to screw it up. Sure, the goal didn't really affect the outcome of the game (a Canes 6-4 win), but it makes you scratch your head. The Rogers Sportsnet crew picked it up right away, the puck was over the goal line and should have counted. In general the league really needs to take a look at these calls and ask themselves what they're doing wrong. Maybe they're using cameras from Foster Hewitt's days. Maybe they accidentally had the lens on. Who knows. But this isn't the only occurrence where the NHL messes up a c...

All-Star Game Thoughts & Preview

January 24, 2011

Matt Reed

2 Comments

Before I jump into the all-star game thoughts and preview. I absolutely have to steal a line to mention this situation involving the Islanders and Evgeni Nabokov. It has to be simply one of the funniest things to ever happen in the NHL. To see Nabokov rather not play or play in Russia than play for the Islanders is too funny. Nabokov summed this whole situation up with now one of my favourite quotes of all-time. “I was surprised they picked me up,” he said. “I was like, ‘Wow, what’s the point?”‘ What’s the point? Exactly, the entire NHL knows Nabokov wouldn’t re-sign at the end of the year with the Islanders so what is the point in a last place team picking him up ...

West Wide Open; East A Nine Horse Race

January 23, 2011

Phil T

1 Comment

I was reading the TSN postgame report on the Flames' win over the Canucks last night and was surprised that they were only 5 points out of a playoff spot. After all, everyone expects the Flames to miss the post-season but a few games winning streak to put them right back in it. And this is also true with virtually every Western Conference team chasing a playoff spot right now. A quick look at the standings lets us know how tight the competition is right now:

Only the dreadful Oilers are out of contention at this point, which should make for an extremely exciting finish in the West. The East is quite the opposite.

I don't think any team out of the top 9 has a...

The Top 5 Snipers In The NHL

January 20, 2011

Adam Pardes

10 Comments

Some players beat each other senseless with their fists, other players throw on pads and use their bodies as targets for 100 MPH frozen rubber bullets, and then there are those players who are born to score goals. The superheros of the hockey world. The crème of the crop. When you’re a kid playing street hockey outside with your friends, these are the guys you're pretending to be when you score. Here are the top five snipers in the NHL today: 5. CBJ – Rick Nash The Blue Jackets’ lack of success over the years has seemingly overshadowed Nash’s ability to score some tremendous goals. If he played for a better (and more offensively minded) squad, there’s no qu...