the Avs made an odd move on Friday, calling up defensemen Johnny Boychuk to replace forward Ryan Smyth. It gave the Avs 8 defensemen and 13 forwards...not all that odd, except that 2 forwards were hurt and 1 is Scott Parker, who the team almost never uses.

So, last night they dressed 10 forwards and 8 defensemen. 2 blueliners - both rookies (including Boychuk, making his NHL debut) - played at forward while poor Parker was a healthy scratch. How bad do you have to be to be sat in favor of a non-heralded rookie playing a brand new position?

To thicken the plot, one of the other "injured" forwards (Brad Richardson) was sent down today and he's reportedly 100% healthy. So it's possible the team had 2 healthy scratches at forward instead of one. No one can figure out why we didn't call up a forward instead of Boychuk.

The worst part is that we won, which means Joel Quenneville will probably try it again.

To be fair to Parker, he's one of the most one-dimensional goons/enforcers left still in the NHL, and without Simon there is no-one on the Isles that would warrant them giving Parker a game.

Still, there must be someone at forward in the minors that can give the Avalanche some solid minutes? Pretty strange.

there are several. A few who would have to clear waivers (Wyatt Smith, Mark Rycroft, Eric Healy), but also a couple of young guys who would not - Chris Stewart and David Jones being the two most notable examples. It's an odd move to be sure. But, then again, our coach is the only guy in the world who doesn't realize that Jose Theodore is done.

Detroit finally beat Chicago tonight :(

SI

It's about time.

Hockeybuzz posted a rumor that McGratton and Emery fought at practice today.

That would kick ass if it were true.

I've always wondered about this strategy. It makes sense if the other team has a 'tough guy', that you'd want your guy in the line-up as well. However, even if the other team doesn't have a tough guy, I would think there's an advantage of having someone like that in your line-up, assuming they're not too much of a liability. Oiler friends of mine bemoan the lack of a true enforcer in Edmonton, especially when the likes of Booeogaard are running around levelling guys.

A lot depends on the coach and the team I guess. The Ducks will dress Parros 80% of the time against anyone, which I love. How much does a 4th line winger contribute anyway? I know the Wild do the same with Boogard (and now Fedoruk as well)

I think the key is "not too much of a liability". Parker can barely even skate properly. Can't intimidate skilled players if they just keep skating around you.

I honestly believe the next wave of tough guys will not be Parros/Boogard type enforcers. Where before those guys got to "prove themselves" by fighting the established tough guys in the league, those types won't even get a sniff anymore. What does Boogard play, like 5 mins a night? With races so tight, wouldn't it be better to have a shootout guy on your bench most of the night and use him if needed? At least he'd help you earn a point.

Laraque can play (some) and guys like Chris Neil, who can put up 15 goals, will be the new tough guys.

Andrei Kostitsyn is finally coming into his own! I never gave up on him, but so many people did; you have to be patient with kids.

15 points in the last 14 games, 5 goals in the last 5 games and it seems we're only seeing the start as he's getting better as he's gaining confidence. And you have to remember he's playing on his off wing on the left side.

Nice goal against Washington coming in on the right side

I can't wait to see more of him and his bro, who ain't looking bad either!

from the Wow, That Guy Sure Lost It Department:

Sergei Samsonov has been claimed on waivers by the Hurricans.

Wasn't that on re-entry waivers? So it's 50% off for the Hurricanes?

Samsonov has totally taken a nosedive. I never really saw much of him until the playoffs back when Oilers beat the Wings in the first round two years ago. Despite the end result of that series, I thought Samsonov was pretty awful. He held onto the puck far too long, never shot it, and just didn't create much.

I can't imagine he'll do much in Carolina, but at half-price, I guess it's worth a shot.

Penguins winners of 7 straight, and 8 of 9.

All 8 of those won by Ty the Conk-eror. 8-0-0 and a GAA hovering around 2.00

Nearly had back to back 3-0 shutout vs Florida before giving up a late SH goal. Still, 2 shutouts in those 8 games...which DOUBLED his CAREER total!

And...he plays the puck, something that is an adventure when Fleury tries.

Yawn, Wings beat the Avs 1-0 yesterday. Really looking forward to the showdown in Ottawa Saturday however.

the Avs almost got shut out last night as well, finally scoring with just over 3 minutes left (they lost 2-1).

this season is going south in a hurry.

and, oh yeah, they sent down yet another forward - TJ Hensick (after one his his better games against Detroit) - in favor of using either Kyle Cumiskey / Johnny Boychuk at forward.

Last night, our 4th line was Tyler Arnason, Cody McCormick and Kyle Cumiskey...3 guys who have absolutely nothing in common with each other on the ice. It was, to say the least, painful to watch.

btw, congratulations on Chris Chelios who on Tuesday became the 2nd ugliest player to play in the NHL.




*taps ear piece*

I'm sorry, this just in. 2nd oldest player to play in the NHL.

That's simply not fair. There have been a ton of uglier people than Chris Chelios. Mike Ricci and Garth Butcher immediately come to mind.

In other news, the Wings signed Osgood to a 3 year extension. He'll be making $1.5 million a year over that span. Not a bad deal at all. Osgood has been playing the best hockey of his career this year. He loves it here and the team likes him. He's comfortable with pretty much any role. If Hasek doesn't come back next year, I could see the Wings going with a Howard/Osgood combo, with Ozzie playing the bulk of the games while Howard learns the ropes.

While I don't really care all that much about any type of all-star/all-pro game, it was nice to see Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Lidstrom named to the first team. They all deserve it.

This sort of sounds like when Dallas was playing Peirre Turgeon on its 4th line with guys like Jon Sim, only much less expensive.

Who's the ugliest?

This story is pretty sweet on many levels and I can't even watch the video clip (Damn, youse work IT people!)

I love the quote by former psychotic NHL tough guy, now head coach Andrei Nazarov: “Ural nature does not suffer injustice.” If there was a Russian head coach whose team would be involved in this type of shananigans, it'd be Andrei Nazarov. I also like the random former NHLers involved like Andrei Nikolishin and Mikka Noronen.
A ’70s-Style Brawl in Russia

By Jeff Z. Klein

We’re filing this under “Championship Week” because Ak Bars Kazan are techinically a championship team, having won the Continental Cup last weekend in Riga. But look what happened upon their return to the Russian Superliga on Tuesday night — they started a full-fledged ’70s-vintage, bench-clearing brawl with Traktor Chelyabinsk, which you can see in its entirety on the Telekanal web site here, or, if you prefer, below:



This fight simply would not end. It all began with white-clad Ak Bars ahead by 7-5 with about 30 seconds left in the game …

… but down two men and Traktor with six attackers, when Traktor’s Aleksei Zavarukhin seemed to score on a scramble near the Ak Bars net. But referee A. Semenov waved off the goal — and when Zavarukhin turned to appeal, for some reason Ak Bars defenceman Aleksei Emelin flew in and leveled him. Traktor’s Andrei Nikolishin then flew in to level Emelin, and the donnybrook was on.

Everyone was in the corner fighting when a wave of Traktor players poured in from the bench, as Semenov and his linesmen Birin and Medvedev weakly urged them to go back. That wave was followed by a wave from the Ak Bars bench, and at some point in the ensuing melee Ak Bars goalie Mika Noronen emerged with a bad cut on his nose, apparently given him by Traktor goalie Sergei Mylnikov.

Other combatants of note as the brawl flickers out and reignites at various places around the Tatneft Arena ice before 4200 roaring Kazan fans: Ak Bars tough guy Aleksandr Stepanov (30) attacking Traktor’s Denis Baev and flailing away at him long after he goes down (apparently because Baev had angrily flung an Ak Bars sweater into the bench area); and a half-naked Grigorii Shafigulin pummeling a completely tied up Konstantin Kasyanchuk before skating off, arms triumphantly aloft.
Through it all, referee Semenov and linesmen Birin and Medvedev do nothing, even when a player pounds on a completely helpless opponent right in front of them. Never was there a stronger argument for police intervention, as used to happen in NHL and minor-league brawls back in the day.

In the end, the teams totaled a Russian record 378 penalty minutes — Shafigulin getting 49 of them, Stepanov 47, and Andrei Zubarev 35, all Ak Bars players. Baev of Traktor got 37.

The next day back in Chelyabinsk, Traktor coach Andrei Nazarov told the Russian daily Sport Express that his players poured off the bench to the aid of their teammates because “Ural nature does not suffer injustice.” But he also said something that made sense: the NHL rule imposing automatic longterm suspensions for clearing the benches, and even longer suspensions for doing so in the last minute of play, would have prevented the absurdities in Kazan.

Stay tuned to see if the Superliga imposes such a rule in the aftermath of Tuesday’s brawl. In the meantime, though, nine players have been suspended for a single game, and Stepanov and Shafigulin were each suspended two games, plus 30,000 rubles or an additional six matches.

the Stars gave Mike Ribeiro a 5 year, 25 million extension. which seems like a lot of money for a guy who was traded last year for Janne Niinimaa

It's a trap!

Apparently he's having a decent year, but I've never liked Mike Ribeiro.

me neither. still better than Janne freaking Niinimaa though

Yes, this is true, but that bar is very, very low....

Ribeiro always seemed to me like a punk bitch. I don't like punk bitches. Most of it stems from that time he feigned injury after a hit. I remember him lying on the ice like he was shot, peeking up to look around, and then pretending he was hurt again. It was a pathetic display.

A friend of mine is the Stars' TV producer. He travels with the team. I will have to ask him if Ribeiro really is a punk bitch.

I don't care for Ribeiro either, but Montreal was idiotic to make that trade. Janne Niinimaa???? WTF? Everytime Niinimaa enters his defensive zone the stadium speakers blare out the tune from Iron Maiden, "Stranger in a Strange Land".......

Ovechkin is close to signing an extension with the Caps...rumors are 6 years 54 million.

Ovechkin reportedly signs a 13 years / 124M$ extension!

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

It's really beginning to look like Charles Wang was a visionary...

crosby hasnt extended his deal yet, right?

yikes.

no, wait, he did. nevermind. 5yr 45m. interesting.

Remember when the NBA started doing this a decade or so ago? All you read about where 8 year max deals and whatnot.

Now all you read about is teams trading bad contracts, an things like the Allan Houston exception or whatever. Good job NHL.

Crosby signed an extension this past offseason ( I believe the CBA stipulates, you can only negotiate with players on their entry level deal after the 2nd of the 3 years). $43.5 / 5 years = $8.7 per.

Niiiiice. These owners and shit are just soooo smart. Long live the NHL. :P

In fairness, signing a can't miss star to a super-long contract for a huge amount of money has only ever been a complete disaster for the Capitals once.

Speaking of the Rangers...the Flyers put a nice 6-2 whipping on them tonight!

So I was at the Oilers game tonight and saw a call for the first time. Well, two calls (one was a double cross checking penalty on one player during a single sequence that resulted in a pair of minor penalties, that one at least made sense).

The other was a 5 minute plus a penalty shot call against Souray who hacked Doan as he went in on a breakaway. Now I have no problem with a penalty or a penalty shot being called in that situation based on what Souray did, but can somebody explain to me why a 5 + penalty shot was called? I'm assuming intent to injure or something to that effect for the 5, but I don't understand why the penalty shot was tacked on as well.

And I don't know if this was addressed by the announcers at all, but for a guy of Souray's size/strength to take a slashing call that severe while Doan didn't even miss a shift (and in fact nearly got caught on the ice for a too many men penalty trying to line up on the ensuing faceoff when it was still 4 on 4) seemed more than a bit, well, over the top.

In the end it didn't matter and I had the section I was in quoting a lot of the lines from Bryzgalov's knob hockey episode up until they ruined my fun by pulling him, but I am curious as to the reasoning to the combo call.

Pen's win in TB 4-1...Ty Fucking Conklin, 9-0-0!

Really poor missed (or made) call in this game too.

Paul Ranger got cut, Max Talbot heads off for 4 minutes. But the replay showed Talbot against the boards...and Marty St. Louis' stick actually clips Ranger. Pens kill the 4 min double minor, so no issue, but still...

Not saying I agree with the interpretation, but assume this was the basis of the call.

I flipped over to this game and Ferraro was babbling about some OTHER unique play, something (I think) involving Reasoner, an icing, and the penalty box. Whatever it was, though, I had just missed it.

I think he got 5 + the penalty shot because the offense was deemed to be a major penalty, but it also interrupted a breakaway. Just giving the penalty shot would encourage people in the future to not just haul a guy down to stop him, but do it in the most painful way possible.

I'd liken it to how in the NBA you can intentionally foul someone and they go to the line for 2, but if you do it flagrantly they get extra shots plus the ball back (I believe, only a casual b-ball fan).

Did it involve his wife and how she should've been on the last women's olympic team?

Actually, what I believe you are thinking of, DD, is the situation the Oilers found themselves in to begin the 2nd period. Souray still had time left on his major penalty but there was nobody in the box to serve it. When time ran out on the penalty the only way the Oilers were allowed to get back to full strength was to wait for a whistle. So, still with only 4 guys on the ice but no longer being penalized, Reasoner iced the puck and icing was indeed called. Ferraro initially thought it was a botched call by the linesman but he'd be wrong. For instance, a team pulls their goalie and is playing with an extra man. If the other team, who is essentially shorthanded, ices the puck...it is still icing.

The Oilers have been playing well as of late but to be honest it just seems like the bounces have been going our way for a change.

The Globe and Mail in Toronto is reporting that Ferguson's firing is all-but-official, with a special board meeting to "discuss his future" in the next few days.
http://www.globesports.com/servlet/s...rtsHockey/home

They've also called up Justin Pogge after Toskala re-injured his groin relieving Raycroft last night.

Good times all around...

BUT.....There is some good news...the Leafs claimed Domenic Moore off waivers...woohoo...Good job JFJ problems are all solved now.

All my life i have wanted to see Dom play.Now i get the chance.:rolleyes:

It's no great revelation at this point, but Scotty Bowman confirned on HNIC tonight that he was on the verge of taking the Leafs' president job last summer.

Apparently he had decided to accept the position, but was told he had to interview with Richard Peddie (the moron businessman who basically runs the show in Toronto) and then didn't hear back. It sounds like he was trying to be diplomatic but still send the message that Peddie screwed up the deal.

Yeah, I saw that interview. It really sounded like Bowman was willing to go to Toronto, but they turned him down.

How do you turn down Scotty Bowman?

It's almost as if Ballard were still running the team.If Maurice shows up tonight to coach in a brown paper bag i'm out.