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Recchi in, Reich Out on Day Two

By DJ Abisalih | July 3, 2009 | The Bear Cave

After an action-packed first day that saw a total of 51 players sign new contracts for the 2009-10 season, day two slowed down quite a bit. Thursday did feature a few large contracts, as Nik Antropov signed a four-year, $16 million deal with the Atlanta Thrashers, Adrian Aucoin locked on for one year with the Phoenix Coyotes, and Rob Scuderi ventured across the country with the Los Angeles Kings for a four-year contract worth $13.6 million. Mikhail Grabovski was Thursday's biggest re-signer, as he stayed with the Toronto Maple Leafs for three years and $8.7 million.For the Boston Bruins, the second day featured one plus and one minus. In the late stages of the morning, the team announced that Mark Recchi will return for his 20th NHL season, staying in Boston for another potential shot at glory. Later in the day, the Bruins found out that Jeremy Reich won't be...

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Busy B's Sign Three on First Day of Free Agency

By DJ Abisalih | July 2, 2009 | The Bear Cave

So much for the first day of free agency being a somewhat quiet one around the National Hockey League. The free agent market has been open for less than 24 hours, and 35 players have already found new places to play for the 2009-10 season. 16 other players enjoyed their previous stays enough to remain there for at least one more year. The highlight of the day came from Marian Hossa, who needed just two hours to secure a contract that will make him a member of the Chicago Blackhawks for the next 12 seasons. Mattias Ohlund was the biggest defensive signing, locking on with the Tampa Bay Lightning for seven years and $26.25 million. In goal, Nikolai Khabibulin will continue his tour around the NHL in Edmonton, after signing a $15 million contract for four years with the Oilers. The forwards served as the focal point of day one,...

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Canadiens Lead Northeast in Total Free Agents

By DJ Abisalih | June 30, 2009 | The Bear Cave

On Wednesday afternoon, the NHL Free Agent Market will open up, allowing teams to negotiate deals with potential future players. While most fans around New England are keeping a close eye on Phil Kessel, the Boston Bruins are in relatively good shape as the final hours tick away. On the other hand, the Montreal Canadiens have some serious work to do, as 28 players will become free agents on Wednesday. With 25 free agents, the Toronto Maple Leafs have the second highest total in the Northeast Division, followed by the Buffalo Sabres' 20, Boston's 17, and the Ottawa Senators' low total of 12. The Bruins will be looking for a second consecutive division title in 2009-10, so let's see how their competition stacks up in the free agent market.While each of the above numbers does include players in the NHL, AHL, and Europe, the Montreal Canadiens will certainly be put...

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Kessel is Bruins' Main Focus in Free Agency

By DJ Abisalih | June 29, 2009 | The Bear Cave

Time is beginning to tick away, as the free agency period is set to begin on Wednesday. Since the season ended, the Boston Bruins have taken care of business with one free agent, locking up David Krejci for three more years. Although the market opens on July 1st, it is not necessary for the Bruins to get all of their deals done prior to that date.The name on the tips of all tongues around New England is Phil Kessel. After scoring 36 goals and 60 points in 70 regular season games, Kessel is Boston's biggest free agent this summer. The 21-year old will be looking for quite the raise, as he made just $850,000 this past season. Most experts believe that he will receive a contract in a similar ballpark to the three years and $11.25 million that David Krejci was given. Heading into the free agency period, the Bruins...

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Four More Players to Call Boston "Home"

By DJ Abisalih | June 28, 2009 | The Bear Cave

It's only taken two days, but 211 players know that they will be reporting to rookie camp with a designated NHL team within the next few weeks. Over the course of the two days in Montreal, John Tavares got the most exciting news, as he became the 46th player to be taken with the first overall selection. On the other end of the draft, goaltender Petteri Simila of Oulu, Finland got to breathe the biggest sigh of relief, as the Pittsburgh Penguins took him with the 211th and final pick of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.After selecting Rimouski's Jordan Caron with the 25th overall pick on Friday, the Boston Bruins had four picks on Saturday. This summer, the Bruins focused on forwards, taking only one defenseman in the entire draft. That blueliner was Ryan Button, who Boston took in the third round with pick number 86. In the fourth round,...

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Tavares Goes First; Bruins Select Jordan Caron

By DJ Abisalih | June 27, 2009 | The Bear Cave

On Friday night, thirty young hockey players got the opportunity to wear an NHL jersey on stage, as the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft took place at Montreal's Bell Centre. John Tavares got the festivities started, when Garth Snow called his name as the first selection by the New York Islanders. 28 other names were announced before the Pittsburgh Penguins completed the evening by taking Simon Despres with the 30th and final pick of the opening round.The beginning of the night got off to a relatively predictable start, as most followers of the game had at least an idea of who the top five players were. Despite some late rumors that had Matt Duchene going first, the New York Islanders made no mistake by taking John Tavares at number one. The Tampa Bay Lightning completed the antcipated 1-2 punch by pouncing on Victor Hedman with the second...

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Who Gets the Last Laughs in Game Sevens?

By Alan Smodic | May 13, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Seven games between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals is just what the NHL ordered. Seven games in two of the other three series was an added bonus.It's no coincidence that the Stanley Cup is often referred to as the hardest championship in sports to win. The way the playoffs have played out this season proves all those theories true -- competitive balance in the NHL is very much alive.In the Eastern Conference, both the Caps/Pens and the Boston Bruins/Carolina Hurricanes will be featured in game sevens, including the the Caps/Pens finale tonight.Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin have both held up on their end of the deal to shine the sport for everyone to see. The games broadcast on FSN Pittsburgh have broken records for most-watched NHL game on the station each of the last two nights. I'd bet the house that game seven tonight again breaks the record.In...Read more

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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

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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

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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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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

NHL Stock Market - All is Well on the Island

By Grant Beery | March 30, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Rising New York IslandersThe Islanders had a pretty good weekend. While they only came away with one win, it was one of the better upsets of the season when they shut out the Detroit Red Wings on Friday. Joey McDonald got his first NHL shutout against his former team, stopping 42 shots throughout the game. Frans Nielsen and Josh Bailey had the only goals of the night, the former a shorthanded tally."It's an unbelievable feeling to get my first shutout in the NHL against my former team. It's a perfect night." - Joey McDonaldWhile Saturday's shootout loss wasn't as exciting as the night before, the Islanders looked just as determined. The Flyers were held scoreless through two periods, and ended up winning off of Mike Richards' deciding goal in the shootout. There were 4 fights throughout the game, and the Islanders outhit the Flyers 32-35. Even when they're deep in...Read more

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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

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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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