Ryan Suter

Simmonds' Hard Work Pays Off

February 3, 2012

It’s not hard to see.

Even the most casual of fans can tell you that Wayne Simmonds is the classic example of the kind of athlete that Philadelphia fans love to call their own.

Hardworking, physical and largely underappreciated away from Philly, Simmonds is the kind player that doesn’t always come to the forefront of your mind when discussing skills, but is always number one when you talk about heart.

However, that doesn’t mean that Simmonds doesn’t have skills.

Although it may not be his forte, it’s ill advised to underestimate the 23-year old’s ability to contribute to the offensive phase of the game.

This was made evident on Thursday night when the gritty forward scored two goals against the Nashville Predators.

Will Nashville Trade Suter?

February 1, 2012

John OHara

6 Comments

With the 2012 NHL All-Star festivities in Ottawa finally over, teams are gearing up for the second half of the season. The crème of the crop is rising in both leagues, and with the February 27th trade deadline fast approaching, teams will soon assess whether they’ll be buyers or sellers. Some teams will reload for the grueling playoffs, and some teams will re-stock for the 2012-2013 season.

During the all-star festivities, Predator defenseman Ryan Suter felt like getting personal. Suter notified the hockey world on Fridays media day that he wouldn’t sign an extension until after the season. This remark was rather surprising. The t...

A Matter of Defense

January 16, 2012

Kim Pollock

0 Comments

While the Philadelphia Flyers have a successful record halfway through the season, there are still things that need to be improved upon down the stretch -- namely, defense.

The Flyers are 26-13-4 heading into their 43rd game of the season. They have the offensive depth it takes to make them Stanley Cup contenders, but a team needs to be balanced throughout the entire roster to go all the way.

The struggles of Ilya Bryzgalov in net for the Flyers has been highly publicized.

He is not playing at the level expected of him.

However, the 128 goals allowed by the Flyers so far this season have not all been Bryzgalov’s responsibility. The defense has struggled, and struggled mightily in some cases.

Why Wings Fans Should Want Pronger Healthy

January 13, 2012

A.K. Bennett

5 Comments

Adam Foote might be the only NHL defenseman more despised by Wings faithful than Chris Pronger over the past 15 seasons. That's a big might. Pronger is strong, mean and skilled; he's a player you hate for your squad to play against but would love to have him on your team. Whether it was with St. Louis, Edmonton or Anaheim, Pronger gave the Wings trouble in the postseason with crunching hits and booming point shots. His battles with Tomas Holmstrom were epic and memorable.

Unfortunately the concussion epidemic sweeping the league also struck Pronger who is shut down for the remainder of the season with post-concussion syndrome. It's a detriment to the league when any play...

In The Rear View: The Sharks' First Month in Review

November 5, 2011

Tanner Kovach

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It was almost exactly a month ago when the Sharks kicked off their 2011-12 season with an opening night win against the Phoenix Coyotes at the Shark Tank. San Jose dominated that game by a score of 6-3, which doesn't really do it justice, considering just how much better the Sharks actually were. This was the first time fans and coaches alike had a chance to see just what this new, and hopefully improved, Sharks team would look like, and it looked good.

But then there were the dark times. A three game stretch where the Sharks played Anaheim, St. Louis, and Anahe...