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Jeff Jesser -> RE: General NHL (11/7/2008 10:05:56 AM)

There will be more games with them, his time will come.  




Jeff Jesser -> RE: General NHL (11/7/2008 10:10:08 AM)

Game last night was good play from the boys but the Avs came out as flat as can be.  They made us look better then we are right now.  PMB and BP's goals should have never happened.  They would have been cleaned out of the crease without the chance of doing that by prior Avs teams.

Backs was great
Zidlicky continues to give away the puck in our own zone like he's allergic to it
We miss Burns in front of the net
Schultz is as steady as always
I DIDN'T miss Sakic [:D]
It didn't seem like the Avs.  there wasn't even any atmosphere in the crowd.  that was a downer.  Love them or them they have had a great fan base over the years. 
BP has great hands but I still say he's too lazy at times.  Already has 4 goals, I hope he can keep it up. We'll need them.




Jeff Jesser -> RE: General NHL (11/7/2008 10:11:11 AM)

JL quoted in a Strib article where they planned to have Nolan take the place of Capn Slapshot.  Good thinking there DR [&o]




Don T in CO -> RE: General NHL (11/7/2008 10:57:05 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jeff Jesser

Game last night was good play from the boys but the Avs came out as flat as can be.  They made us look better then we are right now.  PMB and BP's goals should have never happened.  They would have been cleaned out of the crease without the chance of doing that by prior Avs teams.

Backs was great
Zidlicky continues to give away the puck in our own zone like he's allergic to it
We miss Burns in front of the net
Schultz is as steady as always
I DIDN'T miss Sakic [:D]
It didn't seem like the Avs.  there wasn't even any atmosphere in the crowd.  that was a downer.  Love them or them they have had a great fan base over the years. 
BP has great hands but I still say he's too lazy at times.  Already has 4 goals, I hope he can keep it up. We'll need them.

Avs fans are waiting on management to get a top goalie.  Until then, Avs fans don't feel there is anything to be excited about. [:@]




Jeff Jesser -> RE: General NHL (11/7/2008 11:11:29 AM)

Yeah, he didn't look too good last night for sure.  He was giving up some juicy rebounds.  




So.Mn.Fan -> RE: General NHL (11/7/2008 5:05:20 PM)

My man Voros continues to do whatever it takes to stay in the NHL, including beating-down goalies.
Man, he was taking a thrashing for awhile before the fight.
Tampas goalie got away with about 4 major slashes before the scrap. Not very fair, imo.
Our man Wheeler with a HUGE night last night.
The ex-Gophers are right now, ripping the NHL up.
I think a couple of us said Wheeler would be a better NHLer than Collegian. Yep.




So.Mn.Fan -> RE: General NHL (11/12/2008 1:37:51 PM)

Incredible game in Detroit last night.
Bets team in hockey gives up a 5-2 third period lead.
The Penguins just would not die.
Staal is a beast. A hatty and a helper in the third and OT alone.
Teams with offense like that are never out of games. Never.
Roster filled with creators/finishers.   




Don T in CO -> RE: General NHL (11/12/2008 2:59:07 PM)

Joe Sakic is today's featured article on Wikipedia-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
or after today-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Today%27s_featured_article/November_12,_2008




So.Mn.Fan -> RE: General NHL (11/14/2008 4:30:17 PM)

Wow

The Tampa Bay Lightning fired Barry Melrose after just 16 games in his return behind the bench, and associate coach Rick Tocchet will take over as interim head coach.


The Lightning, who made several key offseason acquisitions and got heralded Steve Stamkos as the top pick in the 2008 draft, announced the move Friday afternoon.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2008/1114/nhl_g_melrose01_300.jpg[/image]
"This was a tough decision to make," general manager Brian Lawton said. "Barry is a good man and we have a great deal of respect for him. We wish him nothing but success. However, the results were unacceptable and the players have to understand that we need to be better. Hopefully this change helps push them."



The Lightning entered the season with high expectations, but find themselves 4-5-1 the past 10 games, including three straight losses. In the offseason, they had signed veterans Mark Recchi, Ryan Malone, Radim Vrbata, Olaf Kolzig, Adam Hall, Wyatt Smith, Gary Roberts and Vinny Prospal to help along a younger group with considerable potential.
The team has struggled despite the presence of All-Star center Vincent Lecavalier -- the club's career scoring leader who signed an 11-year, $85 million contract extension in July and was named captain in September -- as well as Martin St. Louis, who has a team-high 12 points.


Melrose, who had been ESPN's analyst since 1996, was hired by the Lightning in late June, just weeks after John Tortorella was fired. They had won the Stanley Cup in 2004, but missed the playoffs this spring for the first time since 2002, finishing with the league's worst record at 31-42-9.
Melrose had not been coaching in the NHL since the lockout-shortened season of 1994-95, when he was with the Los Angeles Kings. He was 79-101-29 in two seasons and part of a third with the Kings, who made a surprise Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 1993.
Tocchet, 44, played 18 seasons in the NHL, retiring in 2002. He was an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche for a year and a half, then served as an assistant under Wayne Gretzky with the Phoenix Coyotes starting in 2005.
His coaching career was interrupted by his involvement in a gambling investigation. He served a two-year league suspension and returned to the Coyotes in February 2008.
 
Hopefully he'll go back to ESPN.... Barnaby sucks at Melrose's old job.




Jim Frenette -> RE: General NHL (11/14/2008 5:09:16 PM)

How do you fire a guy that quick in a season?




So.Mn.Fan -> RE: General NHL (11/14/2008 5:13:49 PM)

I'm thinking it must be clashing heads/personalities.
No other reason for it this early.
Good Lord, he's barely under .500 with a team that was horrible last year.
Something will come out ... I think personally there are some babies on that roster who couldn't take being yelled at.
Or should I say .... couldn't take being told the truth about their games.
And Lawton, being an ex-player/agent/crybaby himself, made the knee-jerk move.




So.Mn.Fan -> RE: General NHL (11/14/2008 6:38:34 PM)

As usual, Barry handles it with class
Click on the interview with him, he tells exaclty what happened and what didn't.
Stand-up guy

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3703077




So.Mn.Fan -> RE: General NHL (11/20/2008 8:56:12 PM)

Good stuff from Burnside at the Quarter Pole -

Most teams will hit the quarter mark of the NHL season in the next week. Here's a breakdown of where teams stand as they make the first turn in what has been a wildly exciting and unpredictable (aren't they all?) start to the 2008-09 regular season.

Eastern Conference

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/bos.gif[/image]Boston Bruins: A
Go figure. The Bruins continue to play a tough, defensively sound style of hockey that makes them the surprise team to beat in the Eastern Conference at the quarter mark. Tim Thomas continues to prove he's the real deal in goal, leading the league in both save percentage (.944) and goals-against average (1.78). Milan Lucic has emerged as one of the game's toughest forwards and Marc Savard is on a 100-point pace.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/pit.gif[/image]Pittsburgh Penguins: A-minus
There is, quite simply, no more exciting team in the NHL right now than the Penguins. They may not have it all together in terms of team defense, but they look like a team that is determined to remain a true Stanley Cup contender. Led by NHL scoring leader Evgeni Malkin, who has put aside a disappointing turn in last spring's Stanley Cup finals, the Penguins have overcome injuries to key defensemen (Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney) and new faces up front to surge to the top of the conference standings. Jordan Staal is re-establishing himself as a dominant offensive force after an off season in 2007-08. Philippe Boucher is a nice pickup and the Pens should get healthy in the next month.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/nyr.gif[/image]New York Rangers: B-plus
The bloom is off the rose a bit for the Rangers after a torrid start. In spite of personnel changes that suggested the Rangers should deliver high-octane offense, the team looks much as it did last season, scoring just enough and relying heavily on the heroics of netminder Henrik Lundqvist. Not sure it's a recipe for a Cup victory, but so far it's been a recipe for staying near the top of the conference standings. Nikolai Zherdev has been a nice surprise. Now the question is whether he can keep that warm, fuzzy feeling going all season long.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/mon.gif[/image]Montreal Canadiens: A-minus
The Habs have hit a bit of a wobble of late after getting pasted by Toronto and Boston, but they still boast as deep an offensive squad as any in the conference and have a nice mix of mobility and toughness on the back end. As long as sophomore netminder Carey Price can keep it together, Montreal will be challenging for the conference lead all season. Mike Komisarek is an emerging defensive force.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/was.gif[/image]Washington Capitals: B-plus
Interesting start for the defending Southeast Division-champion Caps, who are dynamite at home (undefeated in regulation through Wednesday), but only ordinary on the road. Defending Hart and Art Ross Trophy winner Alexander Ovechkin is starting to catch fire and Alexander Semin is challenging for the NHL scoring lead (when not running down Sidney Crosby in the press). Goaltending, as predicted, has been up and down, but coach Bruce Boudreau hasn't been shy about trusting backup Brent Johnson over high-priced free-agent acquisition Jose Theodore.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/phi.gif[/image]Philadelphia Flyers: B-minus
The Flyers have been all over the map through the first quarter of the season, but they're too good to be anything but a playoff team. Simon Gagne has made a nice return from last season's concussion problems and is top five in NHL point production, but Daniel Briere's injury woes are cause for concern. Inconsistent goaltending (is there any other kind in Philly?) is also worrisome, but that should straighten itself out, as well. Rumors abound that Brendan Shanahan may be looking to call Philadelphia his new home, which might mean the end of the road for classy veteran Mike Knuble in Philly.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/buf.gif[/image]Buffalo Sabres: B-minus
The Sabres got off to a torrid start (6-0-1) with netminder Ryan Miller looking all-world. Since then, Buffalo has cooled off and Miller has been just ordinary. Luckily for Buffalo, the conference is populated by similarly middle-of-the-road teams, so the Sabres' dream of getting back to the playoffs is still alive. Thomas Vanek remains one of the top goal scorers in the league.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/car.gif[/image]Carolina Hurricanes: C-plus
The Canes have been hampered by injuries to key personnel like Justin Williams, who's missed the entire first quarter, Joni Pitkanen, Matt Cullen and Brandon Sutter. Still, the team that looked to return to the offensive prowess that fueled its 2005-06 championship season has been tepid (the power play ranked 20th and the Canes were 19th in goals per game); the defense has also been ordinary. Sergei Samsonov waited most of the first quarter of the season to score his first goal of the season. Ouch.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/atl.gif[/image]Atlanta Thrashers: C
The Thrashers jumped back into the playoff fray with a five-game winning streak, so kudos to rookie coach John Anderson. The Thrashers still give up way too much defensively and are tied with Dallas for most goals allowed per game. The goaltending remains in a state of flux with Kari Lehtonen battling back problems and Ondrej Pavelec waiting for his chance to prove he's the goaltender of the future. Sophomore Bryan Little is the surprise scoring leader for the Thrashers, moving at a point-a-game pace. Slava Kozlov is also having a bounce-back season.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/njd.gif[/image]New Jersey Devils: C
Hard to know how to grade the Devils, who have been crippled by injuries to key players like Brian Rolston, Bobby Holik, Paul Martin and, of course, Hall of Fame-bound netminder Martin Brodeur. It's clear in the early going that Scott Clemmensen and Kevin Weekes aren't going to get the job done. Whether GM Lou Lamoriello makes a move to shore up the goaltending may determine whether the Devils miss the playoffs for the first time since 1996.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/nyi.gif[/image]New York Islanders: C-minus
The Islanders are another team that has defied prognosticators with a string of solid efforts to hit the quarter mark within hailing distance of the playoffs. Kudos to another rookie coach, Scott Gordon, who has had to make do with backup netminder Joey MacDonald for much of the season with Rick DiPietro sidelined. Veteran Doug Weight has rediscovered his scoring touch after it looked as though his career might be done, and the Isles have been staying close and winning more than their share of one-goal games.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/tor.gif[/image]Toronto Maple Leafs: D-plus
Say this for the Leafs, they never quit. A new, younger lineup has produced a different style of hockey on the ice under new coach Ron Wilson. Too often, though, the results are the same, and that means not enough victories. The normally reliable Vesa Toskala has been too ordinary too often for the Leafs to think playoffs and it is a rare night they don't fall behind by a couple of goals early on.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/tam.gif[/image]Tampa Bay Lightning: D-plus
Firing coach Barry Melrose 16 games into the season illustrates the state of flux in which the Lightning find themselves. Ownership and management can't seem to decide what kind of team they want to be, both on the ice and financially, as the trade of minute-muncher Matt Carle to Philadelphia attests. There is plenty of time to turn this ship around given the talent in the lineup and the surprising play of netminder Mike Smith, but it won't happen if everyone isn't pulling on the same rope, which hasn't been the case so far. The immediate question facing the team is whether new rookie coach Rick Tocchet has the personality to make sure that cohesiveness takes place.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/ott.gif[/image]Ottawa Senators: D-plus
There's trouble in the Canadian capital as the Senators, tied for last in the conference at this writing, can't put enough offense together to make up for sometimes ordinary defensive play. Alex Auld has played well as the surprise starting goalie in front of Martin Gerber, but the pressure is on GM Bryan Murray to find a puck-moving defenseman. He'll have to give up offense and he doesn't have enough as it is. Look for the Jason Spezza trade rumors to percolate, especially as it relates to the possible acquisition of Vancouver's Mattias Ohlund.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/fla.gif[/image]Florida Panthers: D
New coach, new lineup, new promises … same results in South Florida for the bottom-dwelling Panthers. Rookie coach Peter DeBoer was hoping to rely on a rock-solid defense and goaltending to keep the young Panthers in the playoff hunt, but they're 16th in goals against per game and 28th in goals scored per game. The Panthers have yet to win more than two games in a row at any point this season. Jay Bouwmeester had not scored through 17 games and will become the elephant in the corner as GM Jacques Martin will have to decide whether to move the franchise defenseman. Bouwmeester can become an unrestricted free agent in July and has showed little inclination to sign on for the long haul in Florida (and why would he?).

Western Conference

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/san.gif[/image]San Jose Sharks: A-plus
The current gold standard for Stanley Cup contenders. But, of course, we've heard that story before when it comes to San Jose, haven't we? The Sharks have jelled surprisingly well under rookie coach Todd McLellan and, as of midweek, have yet to lose in regulation at home. Dan Boyle is doing what GM Doug Wilson thought he would on the back end and forward David Setoguchi is another homegrown gem. As always, the question is whether they can bring it come April when the pudding is on the table.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/det.gif[/image]Detroit Red Wings: A
Stanley Cup hangover? What hangover? Coach Mike Babcock recently told us he didn't think the Wings had played all that well, and there have been a few missteps defensively. But Marian Hossa is an early Hart Trophy candidate and this is a team that hasn't missed a beat in its early Cup defense.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/ana.gif[/image]Anaheim Ducks: B-plus
The Ducks got off to a grisly start before catching fire, but have wobbled slightly of late. Still, they remain the third member of the West's terrible trio, which makes this conference so compelling. Yes, they'll miss defenseman Francois Beauchemin, who is gone for the season with a knee injury, and GM Brian Burke, who is headed (presumably) to Toronto. But Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are as good a young duo as there is in the league. Watch for veteran blueliner Bret Hedican to move seamlessly into Beauchemin's minutes on the back end.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/min.gif[/image]Minnesota Wild: B-plus
The Wild have quietly piled up points in the absence of star forward Marian Gaborik, who remains out of the lineup with some sort of lower-body malady. The Wild have played fewer games than their conference mates, but have had nice production from Mikko Koivu, who is their current points leader. As befitting a Jacques Lemaire team, the Wild aren't going to blow you out, but they remain the conference's dominant defensive team and rely on a balanced scoring attack to get the job done. The Gaborik story remains a potential distraction, but the Wild look playoff-bound once again.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/van.gif[/image]Vancouver Canucks: B
Who can figure these guys out? The Canucks looked like a team that would be lucky to squeeze out a goal or two every night and simply pray goalie Roberto Luongo played his brains out 77 times to stay in the playoff hunt. But heading into Thursday's action, the Canucks are third in the West, have gotten nice scoring balance from Kyle Wellwood, injury-prone Pavol Demitra, Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows to take some of the pressure off the Sedin twins. And, of course, Luongo has been mostly sensational.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/chi.gif[/image]Chicago Blackhawks: B
The Blackhawks rolled the dice early and fired coach Denis Savard after just four games, but the move has paid dividends as Joel Quenneville has had an immediate impact on the team's play. There are still some adventures in their own zone, but the Blackhawks can light it up with anyone in the league. Cam Barker has produced much-needed offense from the back end since being recalled from Rockford of the AHL. GM Dale Tallon still has to figure out what to do with netminder Nikolai Khabibulin, who has been the team's best puck stopper but is a drag on its salary cap with his $6.75 million contract. Rumors persist that Michael Nylander will be coming over from Washington, but that's unlikely unless Khabibulin goes.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/nsh.gif[/image]Nashville Predators: B-minus
Nashville's offense by committee has been doing a nice job of keeping up its end of the bargain, but the normally stingy Preds have sprung more than a few leaks defensively (they rank 26th in goals allowed per game). Dan Ellis, off to a slow start in goal, has turned his game around a bit, but he'll need to be more consistent if Nashville is going to qualify for the playoffs for a fifth straight season.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/cgy.gif[/image]Calgary Flames: C-plus
The Flames seem unable to shake themselves out of a season-long lethargy that has seen them play well for spurts only to tail off completely with embarrassing losses to Vancouver, Chicago and San Jose. It's a reminder of how far removed this team is from the 2004 squad that advanced to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup finals. Miikka Kiprusoff (3.35 GAA, .888 save percentage) is a shadow of his former superlative self. Coach Mike Keenan, brought in to re-establish the Flames' blue-collar work ethic, has had virtually no impact since his arrival at the start of last season, and there are rumors he may be the next coach to go for the high dive.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/cls.gif[/image]Columbus Blue Jackets: C-plus
The Blue Jackets are another team that hit the quarter mark looking for that elusive quality called consistency. Pascal Leclaire is back after a couple of stints on the injury shelf and his return to form is crucial to the Blue Jackets' hopes of making the playoffs for the first time in team history. Rookies Derick Brassard, who leads all rookies in scoring, and Jakub Voracek have shouldered a surprising offensive load. Still, there are a lot of questions, including whether there is a natural center to play with star Rick Nash and if the revamped defense can cut down on its first-quarter mistakes.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/edm.gif[/image]Edmonton Oilers: C
Not quite sure what to make of the Oilers, who have had a strange schedule that has seen them play just five home games through their first 19. Still, a team many predicted to win the Northwest has been maddeningly inconsistent. The Oilers still have yet to figure out their goaltending situation with Dwayne Roloson, Mathieu Garon and Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers all battling for time; plus, the offense, supposedly three lines deep, has been popgun-like. Coach Craig MacTavish recently benched alleged top-six forward Dustin Penner and savaged him to reporters before reinstating him in a blowout win over Columbus (Penner scored his fourth goal of the season). Stay tuned.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/pho.gif[/image]Phoenix Coyotes: C
New season, same problems for the Coyotes. The desert dogs work hard and do a decent job of keeping the puck out of their own net, but cannot generate enough offense to be considered a playoff team. Phoenix was 24th in goals per game and 26th on the power play by midweek, and that's not going to cut it. After Olli Jokinen and Shane Doan, the production drops off pretty dramatically. Rookies Viktor Tikhonov and Kyle Turris had just one goal each heading into Thursday's games.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/col.gif[/image]Colorado Avalanche: C-minus
The Avs are the poster boys for mediocrity. As of this writing, they're as middle-of-the-road as you can get -- 8-9-0 overall, 4-4-0 at home, 4-5-0 on the road. Netminder Peter Budaj has shown flashes of being a No. 1 goalie, but just as many flashes suggest he doesn't have the tools. The team lacks a player who is producing at a point-a-game pace, and with captain Joe Sakic banged up, this may be as good as it gets for the once-powerful franchise.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/los.gif[/image]Los Angeles Kings: C-minus
Hard to be critical of a team that is in many ways overachieving with a close-to-.500 record. Still, no matter how much better this young team is playing defensively (it was fourth overall on the penalty kill compared to 30th last season), the Kings are still not ready to be a playoff team. Not yet, anyway. Still, Drew Doughty has shown early on he's a keeper. Jack Johnson should be back late in the calendar year, and he'll need to stay healthy to keep developing at an acceptable pace.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/dal.gif[/image]Dallas Stars: D
As of this writing, the Stars were 14th in the West, almost inconceivable given their spirited march to the Western Conference finals last spring. But their goaltending has been miserable (they were tied with Atlanta for last in goals allowed per game) and there are persistent rumors of discontent in the dressing room (no surprise given the offseason addition of Sean Avery). The Stars won't be here for long. They're too good. But it's been a shocking start to a season that held much promise, and the pressure is starting to grow on co-GM Brett Hull, who insisted on bringing Avery into the fold.

[image]http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nhl/sml/stl.gif[/image]St. Louis Blues: D
Could the Blues have any worse luck in terms of injuries? Erik Johnson doesn't even get on the ice for training camp before he's lost for the season. Manny Legace hurts himself at a Sarah Palin appearance before a game. Paul Kariya is out. Andy McDonald breaks his ankle. Hard to imagine this team won't be in exactly the same spot at the end of the regular season -- dead last.




So.Mn.Fan -> RE: General NHL (12/10/2008 12:02:34 PM)

Someone needs to put the brakes on the Vancouver Canucks again.
The biggest collection of half-shield, cheap-shot, jackasses in the league right now.
Every night you have one or two incidents with them.
They've got a whole stable of young, smallish pricks running around every night elbowing, slashing, you-name-it.
Look for an incident or two coming up involving that team. Hockey has a way of monitoring that type of behavior. 




So.Mn.Fan -> RE: General NHL (12/10/2008 1:32:07 PM)

The miles are catching up to one of the games greatest (and one of my favorites)
 
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic, already sidelined by back problems, broke three fingers in a snow blower accident at his home and will be out at least three months.
The Avalanche announced Sakic had surgery Tuesday night for the broken fingers and tendon damage. Team doctor Andy Parker said the procedure went well and that Sakic is expected to make a full recovery.
Sakic was already being treated for a herniated disc, which was expected to keep him out until mid-January.
It's been an injury-riddled season for the 39-year-old Sakic, who decided to return for a 20th year after almost retiring during the offseason. Sakic had his most trying season last year, missing 38 games after hernia surgery.
The center originally strained his back in the weight room in early November, causing him to miss a game against Minnesota.
He returned two days later before being sidelined for five more games because of his bad back. He hasn't played since hurting it again in his first shift in a game at Phoenix on Nov. 28.
Sakic also missed a game this season with an infected tooth.




Jeff Jesser -> RE: General NHL (12/10/2008 1:34:44 PM)

He's the ultimate Wild killer so I hate him but I have tons of respect for the guy. 




So.Mn.Fan -> RE: General NHL (12/11/2008 4:11:16 PM)

This story is making the rounds in hockey country.
Thought I'd share it with you ...

I THOUGHT YOU WOULD ENJOY THIS STORY:

In the middle of a grueling six game road trip where a very young hockey
team is away from home, the third game of the trip ends late on a cold
Canadian Saturday night. This is the only break on the trip and the
three days between games allow them the only break to get back home in
their own beds for a couple of days before going back on the road. A
scheduled commercial flight waits for them at Toronto's International
Airport for the short flight home; they could be home by midnight. This
plane departs on schedule, but without a single member of the hockey
team. Back in the locker room a vote is taken after the game was
complete, and a unanimous decision is made by this young
team to skip this flight and stay one more day. They make arrangements
to check back in the hotel and on a frozen Sunday morning charter two
buses that have no heat and begin a journey two hours straight north
into a sparsely inhabited Canada , but where hockey is its passion. They
arrive at their destination to the surprise of the teams general manager
who is there attending his fathers wake.

After a few emotional hours, this team boards the buses and heads back
for a two-hour trip back to Toronto. On the way they ask the drivers to
stop in a tiny Canadian town because they are hungry. To the shock of
the patrons and workers at this small hockey town McDonald's, a
professional team walks out of two rickety buses and into the
restaurant, which just happens to have pictures of two members of this
team on its wall. The patrons know every single one of these players by
sight being Fanatic fans of hockey in these parts. One can only imagine
their amazement of the locals seeing and the entire professional hockey
team sit down and have a meal in their tiny little town
in the middle of a hockey season. After a while they board the buses and
catch their same flight 24 hours later, giving one day to their general
manager.

Have I made this up, is this an excerpt from some fictional book? No.

This a true story of the Blackhawks last Saturday night and they decided
to attend Dale Tallon's fathers funeral. It's amazing that such a good
story can be found nowhere on the internet, and not even mentioned in
the Chicago papers. Had one of the Blackhawks got into a fight and
punched some drunken loser in a Toronto bar it would be plastered all
over papers and the television. This being said, its hard to imagine any
professional football, basketball or baseball team doing this, but the
members of the Blackhawks claim any "hockey" team would have done this.
This is one reason I continue to be a big hockey fan, and another reason
I am excited about this Chicago team. I thought I would share as this
story appears to have gone unnoticed.




So.Mn.Fan -> RE: General NHL (12/19/2008 2:15:39 PM)

Sundin goes to Vancouver.
Can only help an already-good team.
Pens call up Jeff Taffe again. The list of ex-Gophers in the NHL is growing daily.
Do we have to call Sid The Kid a butt-puncher after that ugly incident last night? [:o]




So.Mn.Fan -> RE: General NHL (1/1/2009 4:56:58 PM)

Another super outdoor game.
Can't wait until we get to do that here.
The new Gopher stadium will be a perfect venue.
The players seem to LOVE it. Its greta for the game.
Wrigley did look like a terrible place however.
Most of the seats were wayyyy too far away.




Jim Frenette -> RE: General NHL (1/1/2009 6:55:10 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: So.Mn.Fan

Another super outdoor game.
Can't wait until we get to do that here.
The new Gopher stadium will be a perfect venue.
The players seem to LOVE it. Its greta for the game.
Wrigley did look like a terrible place however.
Most of the seats were wayyyy too far away.


I don't know Scott, the fans were quite a ways from the Ice. I can't see most of them following the puck. I wouldn't freeze my butt off if I can follow it.




So.Mn.Fan -> RE: General NHL (1/2/2009 10:33:47 AM)

It is soooo awesome to have Melrose back on ESPN.
Not sure I'll like the tag-team with Barnaby, but it went well for one night.
Barry is just the best at that role. What a great guy.
Many would have crawled into a hole and disappeared after that debacle.
(Not his fault, imo)
He's a great spokesman for the game and virtually the only thing that has kept it relevant to ESPN for years.
BETTMAN! should pay a part of his salary ..... no, he should pay ALL of his salary.




So.Mn.Fan -> All-Star Starters Announced (1/3/2009 2:26:35 PM)

East

C Sidney Crosby, PIT

C Evgeni Malkin, PIT

RW Alexei Kovalev, MON

D Andrei Markov, MON

D Mike Komisarek, MON

G Carey Price, MON




West

RW Patrick Kane, CHI

C Jonathan Toews, CHI

C Ryan Getzlaf, ANA

D Brian Campbell, CHI

D Scott Niedermayer, ANA

G Jean-Sebastien Giguere, ANA





djskillz -> RE: All-Star Starters Announced (1/8/2009 11:05:19 PM)

OK, just got back from the Penguins/Preds game, and that was freaking sweet!  Their head sales guy (awesome guy) got us seats 5 rows behind goal.  Crosby is freaking ridiculous.  My MN boss said it best; 'I don't even watch the puck with him.  I just wait until he gets onto the ice, and then I don't take my eyes off him.'  Pretty accurate.

Hell of a game with some really beautiful saves and plays, including a really sweet pass involving Crosby.  Only disappointing thing was no fights.  [;)]

I still have trouble watching hockey on TV for the most part, but I swear, if I had the money and or connections to GO to every hockey game, I think I'd be a HUGE fan. 




So.Mn.Fan -> RE: All-Star Starters Announced (1/9/2009 8:17:12 AM)

Thatta boy.
Spread the word.
Live NHL hockey is BY FAR the most bang for your entertainment dollar.
More non-stop action than any sport.
Amateur hockey is as good or better, and much cheaper.
Game gets a bad rap, and most people who finally go are usually not disappointed.
I had season tickets for a couple years (years ago) while living 150 miles away.
Made it to every game. It hooked me for life. Probably had one or two nights out of the 40 that were not enjoyable.
The speed and size of the players when you get close to the ice will amaze you if you've never been there.
Try it. You'll like it.




djskillz -> RE: All-Star Starters Announced (1/9/2009 9:11:18 AM)

Yep.  I've always thought it was great live, even growing up in AK when I'd go to UAF Nanook or Alaska GoldKings games.  Same in LA with the Kings.  But I tend to forget just how much I like it live if I haven't been in a while.

With the seats I was lucky enough to have last night, and Crosby, I remembered real quick.




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