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Goaltenders and Shattuck-St. Mary's products mark Day Two of the 2009 Entry draft for the Minnesota Wild

By Derek Felska | June 27, 2009 | The State of Hockey News

Day 2 started off with a blockbuster trade, at least in terms of acquiring player's rights as Jay Bouwmeester's rights go to the Calgary Flames and in return the rights to former University of Minnesota star Jordan Leopold and a 3rd round pick. With a team in the Northwest Division already making a big splash will the Wild follow up with one of their own? Especially since their elephant in the room (cough) Marian Gaborik's rights still held by the team. The second day of the draft does not nearly have the same level of glitz and glamor as those made last evening during the first round. Teams do not even bother to go up to the podium to make their picks but instead simply make the pick from a microphone posted at their draft table. It might sound lazy but in most cases the players are not in attendance...

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, NHL, NHL Outsider, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues

The Dog Days of Summer are here

By Ben Choy | June 13, 2009 | Gateway to the Garage

After a rollercoaster season, Canuck nation has been wondering if the best will come next year or if the team will go into a rebuilding mode. General Manager Mike Gillis is faced with a number of tough decisions this summer. Locking up Roberto Luongo long-term and signing the Sedin twins are at the top of his list. Luongo has a year to go in his contract and has said he wants to play on a winner, but has never said if that means staying in Vancouver. Meanwhile, the Sedins will receive plenty of enticing offers from many teams around the league with salary cap room. Montreal, Minnesota and Los Angeles have plenty of cap space and are all looking to make big changes with their rosters. The biggest question with the Canucks this summer revolves around their all-star puck stopper. Luongo's play in Game 6 against the Chicago...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Alex Burrows, Anson Carter, Chicago Blackhawks, Cody Hodgson, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Henrik Zetterberg, Johnny Oduya, Marion Hossa, Mattias Ohlund, Mike Cammalleri, Mike Gillis, Roberto Luongo, Ryan Kesler, Taylor Pyatt, Vancouver Canucks

From Boudreau(x)'s to Brashear, TX: My Summer Vacation

By DC Sports Chick | June 6, 2009 | On Frozen Blog

When my cousin in Dallas announced last year that she was getting married, I mentioned to Chanuck that we should go, especially since my parents live in Houston and we could visit there first. For a variety of reasons too boring to list, I decided that it should be a road trip. Surely I must be a masochist- who in their right mind does a 3000-mile drive with an active 13-month-old?

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Bruce Boudreau, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Donald Brashear

A Little Tweet For Big-Hearted Hockey

By OrderedChaos (Mike Rucki) | June 5, 2009 | On Frozen Blog

During the fierce battle for the Cup, this cause is bringing together fans from Detroit and Pittsburgh (and nearly every other team), and I want to make sure lots of Caps fans join in on the fun. It's simple - follow @specialhockey and encourage others to do so too. Whichever team lifts the Stanley Cup, lots of kids will win!

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Anaheim Ducks, Atlanta Thrashers, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnestoa Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, NHL, NHL Playoffs, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals

Out in the Heartland, a Rivalry Reborn

By Andrew Tomlinson - OFB Intern | May 29, 2009 | On Frozen Blog

The matchup between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks was the Original Six rematch so many fans and perhaps even the NHL wanted, while it was not a close series, it will restart a rivalry.

Read more | 7 Comments | Tags: Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, National Hockey League, NHL, NHL Playoffs

Showcase Series Highlights NHL's Round 2

By Alan Smodic | April 29, 2009 | MVN Outsider

The NHL front office has gotten its wish. A playoff series between rivals, and the game's best players, Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins will be taking place. It's not for the Eastern Conference championship, but it will still do.There are three other series that will be beginning this weekend, too, but you can imagine why the Caps/Pens will garner all the national attention. With the sport fighting for ratings, Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will all be showcased at once.I'll take a look at each series, but I'll begin with the main event...(2) Washington Capitals vs (4) Pittsburgh Penguins:Saturday, May 2, 2009 Pittsburgh at Washington Monday, May 4, 2009 Pittsburgh at Washington Wednesday, May 6, 2009 Washington at Pittsburgh Friday, May 8, 2009 Washington at Pittsburgh *Saturday, May 9, 2009 Pittsburgh at Washington *Monday, May 11, 2009 Washington at Pittsburgh *Wednesday, May 13, 2009 Pittsburgh at...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, NHL, NHL Playoffs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals

A Week of NHL Playoffs Has Taught Us...

By Alan Smodic | April 22, 2009 | MVN Outsider

A week into the NHL Playoffs and only one series has been decided as of today -- a sweep of the St. Louis Blues by the Vancouver Canucks. I didn't think the Canucks would sweep, but I did believe they'd win.With their series win in mind from last night, we'll begin there.Vancouver wins 4-0 against St. Louis - Hockey fans knew at the beginning of this series that Roberto Luongo was good. The sweep just cements that fact. Luongo is a beast between the pipes and it's not out of the question to think that he could carry the Canucks to another series win. It's too early to tell what team Vancouver would play in the second round, but don't be surprised if it's able to advance.Detroit up 3-0 against Columbus - This series is over. If it doesn't end in a sweep Thursday night, I'll be surprised. I picked...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: NHL, NHL Playoffs

Quest for the Cup, Who's Your Pick?

By Alan Smodic | April 14, 2009 | MVN Outsider

In keeping tradition with the bracketology craze of college basketball, Faceoff-Factor and The Pensblog joined forces with an idea to create "Rinkotology" in an effort to raise money for the Mario Lemieux Foundation.As the name suggests, it works just the same as your NCAA March Madness pool... simply go to Rinkotology and fill out a bracket. But please donate at least $5 -- the foundation is a very worthy cause.With the introduction out of the way, let me break down my Rinkotology picks and see where I think this NHL Playoff season may be headed. Keep in mind that I've never once won a pool like this and my picks will probably not even happen. And as a Pens fan, I hope they don't happen, because I'd like to see them win it all. But I digress...Western Conference:The West is always Detroit's to lose. Just because San Jose finished the...Read more

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NHL Stock Market - Duck Hunt in the Western Conference

By Grant Beery | April 7, 2009 | MVN Outsider

RisingCam WardCarolina goalie Cam Ward is has made 27 straight starts, and coach Paul Maurice has no plans to stop him now. In those 27 starts, Ward has gone 18-6-2, including an 8 game win streak. The NHL named him the top star of March, and that nod probably has a lot to do with the comfort zone Ward's play has put his team in when it comes to the standings. This will be the Canes' first appearance in the postseason since 2006, but Ward isn't looking towards the future just yet. "I'm excited to know that we're going to have that chance to return to the playoffs. This is where the work just begins. We've worked extremely hard to get ourselves in this position, and I'm excited for everybody, but we need to bear down in these last three games. I can't express that enough." - Cam WardThat's a...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning

Top 10 NHL Coaches of 2008-2009

By Grant Beery | April 3, 2009 | MVN Outsider

With most of the news about NHL coaches focusing on firings, people tend to overlook the guys who are actually doing well for their teams. Here's a list of the top ten head coaches of 2008-2009 and what they're doing for their teams. 10. Ken Hitchcock, Columbus Blue JacketsHitch is on pace to be the very first coach to lead the Blue Jackets in to the playoffs. With a Stanley Cup under his belt from Dallas, he's certainly got experience. After a losing season in 07-08, Hitchcock is doing much better this year with a 40-29-8 record so far. During the offseason, he signed a 3 year extension with Columbus and earned his 500th win as a coach in February. 9. Joel Quenneville, Chicago BlackhawksJoel Quenneville seems like a perfect fit in Chicago. He's taken a team that is the youngest in the league and has lead them through a...Read more

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, NHL, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals

Top 10 Nice Guys of the NHL

By Grant Beery | March 14, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Last week, I brought you the black sheep of the NHL. This week, to give both sides a fair shake, I'm going to show you the nicest fellas ever to play the game.10. Alexander OvechkinOvechkin is probably the one player that enjoys playing the most. With every goal he scores he shows sheer excitement in his celebration. At the most recent All-Star Game, Ovechkin took the opportunity to have fun and put on a show for the crowd. While some have criticized Alex's casual attitude as showboating, it's really just a player enjoying his time in the NHL.9. Mark MessierPlaying 25 years in the NHL and the last active WHA player, Messier exemplified an older style of hockey. One of the most accomplished players in the league as well, Messier won 6 Stanley Cups and is the only professional athlete to be the captain of two different championship teams.Off the...Read more

Read more | 6 Comments | Tags: NHL

NHL Rumor Mill - What Exactly is a Staged Fight?

By Grant Beery | March 10, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Right now the 30 general managers of the NHL are meeting in Naples, FL to discuss a multitude of topics, but fighting will be at the forefront. The GMs would like to get rid of staged fights during games, which are predetermined bouts between two players that aren't in retaliation for anything; they just fight because that's what they're paid to do.At least that's what I think it is. I asked some fellow hockey fans on Twitter to give me their take on what they think a staged fight is."A boxing match""Wrestling"Okay, so apparently the people I follow on Twitter are just a bunch of smart asses. Moving on...Number CrunchersHere's some data the league put together on fighting in the NHL:21.6% - Number of fights this season have happened immediately following a faceoff, which is a 30 percent increase since 2000.23.6% - Number of fights started in defense of...Read more

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