Holmgren must have developed some sort of Evil Master Plan that will have us forgive him his rather erratic trading behaviour.
Look what just happened! He just traded Darroll Powe to the Wild (poor guy!) for a 2013 third round pick. Surely Powe is worth more than that? Hell, I am sure folks can come up with several reasons why he should have been traded in the first place, but I always found him a good, hard worker. The type any team should be happy to have in their line up.
Holgmren did sign Nodl and Sestito. Not entirely sure about Sestito, but Nodl is a keeper in my book. Next up I would really want to see Leino signed. Apparently he has been asking a bit too much, but surely Holmgren will not let our guy be picked up by some other team?!
[edit June 27th] The organisation has extended Qualifying Offers to Kalinski, Simmonds and Voracek. Oh my, bad times on the horizon for Carcillo? And as I was taking in the roster, I suddenly had to smile at Zherdev still being in the line-up.
[edit June 28th] Next development was Carcillo not receiving a Qualifying Offer, which turns him into an UFA ... guess the earlier edit about bad times ahead for Carcillo are in fact looming ...
So back to the opening sentence ... Holmgren must be plotting something interesting right? Divesting a top notch team like ours ... he better be.
Monday, 27 June 2011
Saturday, 25 June 2011
Twitter Time #10 | Flyers Fallout | June 25th, 2011
What a night Thursday night was. Still reeling from all the moves executed by Holmgren. Twitter was alight. Here an overview of what some of the players had to say about it all. Starting with a tweet by Richie himself:
Mike Richards
Thanks to everyone in Philly for a great 6 yrs. What a great city and an awesome place to play. #NHL #flyers
Bryzgalov
Proud to be a Philadelphia Flyer)))
Matt Carle
Speechless like everyone else about what happened today, but sometimes that's the nature of the beast...best of luck to both of those guys
James van Riemsdyk
Best of luck to carts and richie. Were great teammates on and off the ice and helped me a ton making the jump into the nhl
Joffrey Lupul
I am scratching my head w/ the rest of you guys... I guess anyones tradable. Good luck to 2 great guys!
RJ Umberger
Mike Richards
Thanks to everyone in Philly for a great 6 yrs. What a great city and an awesome place to play. #NHL #flyers
Bryzgalov
Proud to be a Philadelphia Flyer)))
Matt Carle
Speechless like everyone else about what happened today, but sometimes that's the nature of the beast...best of luck to both of those guys
James van Riemsdyk
Best of luck to carts and richie. Were great teammates on and off the ice and helped me a ton making the jump into the nhl
Joffrey Lupul
I am scratching my head w/ the rest of you guys... I guess anyones tradable. Good luck to 2 great guys!
RJ Umberger
Lost great teammate in Voracek, But excited to be teammates w/ my 1st ever NHL center #Jeff Carter #CBJ Fans be excited. #Crazy
RJ Umberger
Mike Richards traded also? Say What??? #WhatsIntheWaterInPhilly #Crazy
Matt Lashoff
Lot of action going on today! Did Philly just trade those two guys? #shocked
Bobby Ryan
Paul Holmgren must have woke up and just said let's giver hell today. Some big time trades. Western conference just got two great players
Derick Brassard
Lost a great friend/ teammates in voracek!! Philly fans should be excited !! Great future ahead of him
Derick Brassard
Wow Really excited about Carter!! #cbj fan I hope u guys are excited
Ryan Jones
I am curious to see what the next 48 hrs holds after the bombs Philly just dropped. Should be interesting.
Eric Tangradi
Wow Philly Wow
RJ Umberger
Mike Richards traded also? Say What??? #WhatsIntheWaterInPhilly #Crazy
Matt Lashoff
Lot of action going on today! Did Philly just trade those two guys? #shocked
Bobby Ryan
Paul Holmgren must have woke up and just said let's giver hell today. Some big time trades. Western conference just got two great players
Derick Brassard
Lost a great friend/ teammates in voracek!! Philly fans should be excited !! Great future ahead of him
Derick Brassard
Wow Really excited about Carter!! #cbj fan I hope u guys are excited
Ryan Jones
I am curious to see what the next 48 hrs holds after the bombs Philly just dropped. Should be interesting.
Eric Tangradi
Wow Philly Wow
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Flyers Flying Around | Trading Craziness | June 23rd, 2011
After a busy time writing articles during the Playoffs I thought I would give myself a bit of time off and write a new post or two next week. Was still considering the topics. Basically the idea was to have a quiet hockey week. Then I logged on to Twitter an hour or two ago and got engulfed in a maelstrom of Flyers trading tweets! A bit like an 'all hell broke loose' Twitter evening.
First point of discussion: Carter. He got traded to Columbus. Now some of you may know one of my faves is ♥ Rick Nash ♥ ... but I always envisioned him coming to the Flyers ;) ... I definitely did not think any of our guys would be traded to his team. I am fine with the trade. Never was a fan of Carts and just did not get him at all. Sure, there are the points, but something about his on ice and off ice persona did not sit well with me. Here the official Flyers tweet confirming the deal:
Second point of discussion: Richards. A few minutes after the Carter rumours, folks in the know started tweeting about a possible trade involving Richie. Now I was mad at him at times, but I never lost faith in him as our Captain. Just wanted him involved just a bit more, but when all was said and done I always saw him as a great Flyer. And now he is headed for L.A.? I am not liking this at all. In fact I feel a bit sick about the whole trade. But apparently Richie is happy. Here the official Flyers tweet:
I was hoping the locker room issues folks discussed were in fact not true. But that something was not quite the same shortly after the ASG was quite clear. I was forever coming up with reasons to explain the slow but sure disintegration of our great team, but sometimes things just cannot be salvaged. Carts & Richie moved out shortly one after another? There has got to be more to that than making cap room for ...........
Third point of discussion: Bryzgalov. Signed for a nine-year deal worth $51m. Good goalie obviously, with sometimes debatable work ethic. Let me use a cliché: Time Will Tell. After the other two trades, this one was confirmed as well by the Flyers organisation:
If we do not get a few experienced players back, we might as well start considering our team as one that is in build-up phase. In which case I wonder why we need Bryzgy at all. Might as well keep going with Sergei, right? I hope Holmgren has something up his sleeve. Well, something that does not include giving up our other prized possessions. And now I am going to cry over the sudden disappearance of our Captain. Really? L.A.? *sighs*
And just as I am about to post this article, this pops up on Twitter:
First point of discussion: Carter. He got traded to Columbus. Now some of you may know one of my faves is ♥ Rick Nash ♥ ... but I always envisioned him coming to the Flyers ;) ... I definitely did not think any of our guys would be traded to his team. I am fine with the trade. Never was a fan of Carts and just did not get him at all. Sure, there are the points, but something about his on ice and off ice persona did not sit well with me. Here the official Flyers tweet confirming the deal:
NHLFlyers Philadelphia Flyers
#Flyers acquire from CBJ Jakub Voracek, a 2011 1st Round pick (8th overall) & 2011 3rd Round pick (68th overall) in exchange for Jeff Carter
#Flyers acquire from CBJ Jakub Voracek, a 2011 1st Round pick (8th overall) & 2011 3rd Round pick (68th overall) in exchange for Jeff Carter
Second point of discussion: Richards. A few minutes after the Carter rumours, folks in the know started tweeting about a possible trade involving Richie. Now I was mad at him at times, but I never lost faith in him as our Captain. Just wanted him involved just a bit more, but when all was said and done I always saw him as a great Flyer. And now he is headed for L.A.? I am not liking this at all. In fact I feel a bit sick about the whole trade. But apparently Richie is happy. Here the official Flyers tweet:
@NHLFlyers Philadelphia Flyers
#Flyers have acquired from LA C Brayden Schenn, RW Wayne Simmonds and the Kings 2012 2nd Round Draft choice in exchange for Mike Richards.
I was hoping the locker room issues folks discussed were in fact not true. But that something was not quite the same shortly after the ASG was quite clear. I was forever coming up with reasons to explain the slow but sure disintegration of our great team, but sometimes things just cannot be salvaged. Carts & Richie moved out shortly one after another? There has got to be more to that than making cap room for ...........
Third point of discussion: Bryzgalov. Signed for a nine-year deal worth $51m. Good goalie obviously, with sometimes debatable work ethic. Let me use a cliché: Time Will Tell. After the other two trades, this one was confirmed as well by the Flyers organisation:
If we do not get a few experienced players back, we might as well start considering our team as one that is in build-up phase. In which case I wonder why we need Bryzgy at all. Might as well keep going with Sergei, right? I hope Holmgren has something up his sleeve. Well, something that does not include giving up our other prized possessions. And now I am going to cry over the sudden disappearance of our Captain. Really? L.A.? *sighs*
And just as I am about to post this article, this pops up on Twitter:
Pat Gallen
A source close to @973ESPN saying Flyers discussing a deal for Lightning star Steven Stamkos. Hockey world could explode.
That one I am going to chalk down to idiocy, but shit, after a night like this, I am sort of not going to be surprised by anything lol. What I need is a good night's sleep and perhaps I will see things differently tomorrow. Perhaps I will be less shocked and I might see possibilities the new additions bring us ... *ponders*
PS Who is next? Versteeg? I hope so.
A source close to @973ESPN saying Flyers discussing a deal for Lightning star Steven Stamkos. Hockey world could explode.
That one I am going to chalk down to idiocy, but shit, after a night like this, I am sort of not going to be surprised by anything lol. What I need is a good night's sleep and perhaps I will see things differently tomorrow. Perhaps I will be less shocked and I might see possibilities the new additions bring us ... *ponders*
PS Who is next? Versteeg? I hope so.
Friday, 17 June 2011
Playoffs Daily | SCF Game 7 | June 17th, 2011
OMFGWTH was Don Cherry wearing? Yeah, that was the first question that hit me when I started watching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Words cannot describe it, so here is a pic lol
[Bruins-Nucks] 4-0. Bruins win the series and get to hoist the Cup! What an awesome night for Thomas. To finish the season off with a shutout. It is stuff movies are made off. I just read he is the first goalie to win with a shutout whilst on the road and he is the fourth goalie in the history of the NHL to have a shutout in Game 7. The Bruins needed 21 shots to get four goals. The Nucks had 37 shots on goal and got none. Thomas made sure of that!
♦ I am always on the edge of my seat the first few minutes when the Bruins play. They have had some really bad first few minutes these Playoffs. So any time the Bruins do not get scored on in the first few minutes I know we are going to see a good game from them at least. The Nucks did get the first few shots on goal, but nothing special. Earlier games showed a much more energetic Nucks start, but looks like the Bruins have found a way to disrupt the fast Nucks play early on. The first goal sort of hit me unawares. Not a particularly interesting build up or a rush, but in itself a nice feed to Bergeron by Marchand. After the first I goal I was waiting for the Nucks to bring more energy to the ice, but fizzled out
♦ Second period started off interestingly enough. The Nucks seemed to be a bit more into the game and they were definitely hunting for a goal, but then Marchand twisted and turned and scored a marvelous goal. That was some nifty work. Recchi must have felt inspired because a few seconds later he broke free of the Nucks D and nearly scored a goal. He was darting across the ice like a young kid. Amazing to see this 43-year old guy display this type of energy and eagerness! Unlike after the 1-0, the Nucks actually amped up their game and started to be a bit more threatening in front of the Bruins' goal and Timmie was definitely called on for some top saves. The Nucks had one PP this game and perhaps pre-SC they would have used this opportunity to score and switch momentum. Instead, Bergeron scored a shorthanded goal and that made 3-0!
♦ If you were supporting the Bruins, the third period was a much less stressful event than the start of the previous two periods. A 3-0 does not mean you are safe, but it sure is confidence inspiring. This period was still exciting, it was after the final twenty minutes of the season, but the Bruins were just making sure they had good puck possession and a tight defence and the Nucks just could not muster up the necessary energy to create extra chances. And as time started to slip through their hands you could see the faces get sadder and sadder on the Nucks' bench. With three minutes to go, Luongo was pulled to add an extra attacker, but Marchand made sure that was punished straight away by scoring an empty-netter within seconds. And that was that. No usual last minute frenzy, it was just over and here and there you could see little celebrations starting
♦ Some extra kudos to my fave Bruins D-guys: Seidenberg & Chara. Both again put in most time on ice, 28:51 and 27:12 respectively. Chara actually made a few awesome saves there and Seidenberg had two assists
♦ I liked the almost 'don't care if you guys kill eachother but we are not going to hand out a lot of penalties'-approach the refs had to this game. The first penalty was dealt way back in the second period (Chara interference on Kesler) ... but some hits should have been punished though. A few stuck out:
1st period: Higgins on Chara, elbow to the head
3rd period: Timmie 'gently' pokes Hansen with his hockey stick ... could pass it off as an accident I suppose, but still, that was naughty ;)
♦ The standing ovation Thomas got was really nice
♦ Need I mention the riots that took place in Vancouver after the home team lost? I will just drop it. Because us true sports fans know that that crap has nothing to do with being a fan
♦ I called this is one right in my last prediction!
Well, that concluded a very interesting post-season. I feel a bit deflated. What to do next? How will we get through the Summer without watching our beloved hockey? I will have to figure out something ... for now, let me close this article with the Stanley Cup Presentation :)
 |
| Don Cherry's Floral Arrangement - Should Have Left It In The Vase |
[Bruins-Nucks] 4-0. Bruins win the series and get to hoist the Cup! What an awesome night for Thomas. To finish the season off with a shutout. It is stuff movies are made off. I just read he is the first goalie to win with a shutout whilst on the road and he is the fourth goalie in the history of the NHL to have a shutout in Game 7. The Bruins needed 21 shots to get four goals. The Nucks had 37 shots on goal and got none. Thomas made sure of that!
♦ I am always on the edge of my seat the first few minutes when the Bruins play. They have had some really bad first few minutes these Playoffs. So any time the Bruins do not get scored on in the first few minutes I know we are going to see a good game from them at least. The Nucks did get the first few shots on goal, but nothing special. Earlier games showed a much more energetic Nucks start, but looks like the Bruins have found a way to disrupt the fast Nucks play early on. The first goal sort of hit me unawares. Not a particularly interesting build up or a rush, but in itself a nice feed to Bergeron by Marchand. After the first I goal I was waiting for the Nucks to bring more energy to the ice, but fizzled out
♦ Second period started off interestingly enough. The Nucks seemed to be a bit more into the game and they were definitely hunting for a goal, but then Marchand twisted and turned and scored a marvelous goal. That was some nifty work. Recchi must have felt inspired because a few seconds later he broke free of the Nucks D and nearly scored a goal. He was darting across the ice like a young kid. Amazing to see this 43-year old guy display this type of energy and eagerness! Unlike after the 1-0, the Nucks actually amped up their game and started to be a bit more threatening in front of the Bruins' goal and Timmie was definitely called on for some top saves. The Nucks had one PP this game and perhaps pre-SC they would have used this opportunity to score and switch momentum. Instead, Bergeron scored a shorthanded goal and that made 3-0!
♦ If you were supporting the Bruins, the third period was a much less stressful event than the start of the previous two periods. A 3-0 does not mean you are safe, but it sure is confidence inspiring. This period was still exciting, it was after the final twenty minutes of the season, but the Bruins were just making sure they had good puck possession and a tight defence and the Nucks just could not muster up the necessary energy to create extra chances. And as time started to slip through their hands you could see the faces get sadder and sadder on the Nucks' bench. With three minutes to go, Luongo was pulled to add an extra attacker, but Marchand made sure that was punished straight away by scoring an empty-netter within seconds. And that was that. No usual last minute frenzy, it was just over and here and there you could see little celebrations starting
♦ Some extra kudos to my fave Bruins D-guys: Seidenberg & Chara. Both again put in most time on ice, 28:51 and 27:12 respectively. Chara actually made a few awesome saves there and Seidenberg had two assists
♦ I liked the almost 'don't care if you guys kill eachother but we are not going to hand out a lot of penalties'-approach the refs had to this game. The first penalty was dealt way back in the second period (Chara interference on Kesler) ... but some hits should have been punished though. A few stuck out:
1st period: Higgins on Chara, elbow to the head
3rd period: Timmie 'gently' pokes Hansen with his hockey stick ... could pass it off as an accident I suppose, but still, that was naughty ;)
♦ The standing ovation Thomas got was really nice
♦ Need I mention the riots that took place in Vancouver after the home team lost? I will just drop it. Because us true sports fans know that that crap has nothing to do with being a fan
♦ I called this is one right in my last prediction!
Well, that concluded a very interesting post-season. I feel a bit deflated. What to do next? How will we get through the Summer without watching our beloved hockey? I will have to figure out something ... for now, let me close this article with the Stanley Cup Presentation :)
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Playoffs Daily | Game 5 & Game 6 | June 14th, 2011
Say you are a regular reader of my little scribblings, in that case I apologise for the infrequency that snuck into my postings. Work has been unbelievably hectic and personal time as well. In itself not a bad thing, but it has kept me from watching games as soon as I can and writing them up. So here with some delay my shorter than usual views on both games.
[Game 5: Bruins-Nucks] 0-1. Nucks lead series 3-2. I hate 1-0 games. I hate them just a bit less if the team I root for wins. But I hate them nonetheless. Upon seeing the result on my NHL applet I decided against watching this one. I am sure it had it's moments, but I just refuse to watch it. There you go. Nucks are a game ahead at this point and could have claimed the Cup in Game 6.
[Game 6: Nucks-Bruins] 2-5. Series tied, again. On home ice there is just no stopping the Bruins. They do not just play and somehow win, they dominate.
♦ That was an awesome first period. If you are a Bruins fan anyways. Everything went right for the Bruins here and they scored four goals in this one period. Marchand, Lucic, Ference scored in quick succession at which point the suffering Luongo was replaced by Schneider. Not that it helped much, as just a minute later Ryder (although at first it looked as if it was Kabby) scored the fourth one
♦ The second period was scoreless and apart from some hacking, slashing, checking, you could say not much went on it this period
♦ The third brought some more excitement. At least the Nucks got on the scoreboard. Sedin (Henrik) scored just seconds into the third. But Krejci made sure the message was clear and scored the fifth goal for the Bruins. Lapierre added a second goal for the Nucks, but for this game it was just not in the cards for the Nucks
Other stuff.
♦ Hits. Yes. Some took place. Some bad too. Of course I will mention the Boychuck hit on Raymond. By now we know that Raymond has a few fractured vertebrae and that he will be out for a few months. I wish him all the best and hope that he will have a quick recovery. As for the hit itself, I am a bit on the fence here. Both guys were fighting for the puck and Raymond was doing some weird contortionist act to get to the puck before Boychuck would. He sort of folded his own body around and underneath Boychuck's. And that is a big dude, so that close to the board it was an accident waiting to happen. I do not even want to imagine what that hit would have looked like at full speed, I am just glad the speed had already dissipated a bit. Still, I wonder if Boychuck maybe could have tried to avoid it, but I am sure he would have if he could
♦ But the nastier hit was performed by Eidler. He thorougly boarded Pev. On an icing! Right. Eidler, read up on rules will you? Hmm and Bergeron had mean elbowing going on against Ehrhoff. Not very nice either
Some final thoughts:
♦ Does anyone else thinks that the Sedin twins are airing their frustration with lots of nasty mean little hits and pokes, of which most go unpunished?
♦ Who else misses Kesler? Well he is there, but he must be in some serious pain due to some sort of injury. He has been a ghost of his former self the past few games. Damn, I hate when such a great player is pretty much sidetracked due to some undisclosed injuries :(
♦ OK. So the Nucks barely win, but still, win, at home. The Bruins utterly dominate on their home ice. I am not so sure what to make of this. If the Bruins can bring even a bit of that extra energy they seem to have at home to Vancouver for Game 7, I can just see them win the Cup. Would be nice!
[Game 5: Bruins-Nucks] 0-1. Nucks lead series 3-2. I hate 1-0 games. I hate them just a bit less if the team I root for wins. But I hate them nonetheless. Upon seeing the result on my NHL applet I decided against watching this one. I am sure it had it's moments, but I just refuse to watch it. There you go. Nucks are a game ahead at this point and could have claimed the Cup in Game 6.
[Game 6: Nucks-Bruins] 2-5. Series tied, again. On home ice there is just no stopping the Bruins. They do not just play and somehow win, they dominate.
♦ That was an awesome first period. If you are a Bruins fan anyways. Everything went right for the Bruins here and they scored four goals in this one period. Marchand, Lucic, Ference scored in quick succession at which point the suffering Luongo was replaced by Schneider. Not that it helped much, as just a minute later Ryder (although at first it looked as if it was Kabby) scored the fourth one
♦ The second period was scoreless and apart from some hacking, slashing, checking, you could say not much went on it this period
♦ The third brought some more excitement. At least the Nucks got on the scoreboard. Sedin (Henrik) scored just seconds into the third. But Krejci made sure the message was clear and scored the fifth goal for the Bruins. Lapierre added a second goal for the Nucks, but for this game it was just not in the cards for the Nucks
Other stuff.
♦ Hits. Yes. Some took place. Some bad too. Of course I will mention the Boychuck hit on Raymond. By now we know that Raymond has a few fractured vertebrae and that he will be out for a few months. I wish him all the best and hope that he will have a quick recovery. As for the hit itself, I am a bit on the fence here. Both guys were fighting for the puck and Raymond was doing some weird contortionist act to get to the puck before Boychuck would. He sort of folded his own body around and underneath Boychuck's. And that is a big dude, so that close to the board it was an accident waiting to happen. I do not even want to imagine what that hit would have looked like at full speed, I am just glad the speed had already dissipated a bit. Still, I wonder if Boychuck maybe could have tried to avoid it, but I am sure he would have if he could
♦ But the nastier hit was performed by Eidler. He thorougly boarded Pev. On an icing! Right. Eidler, read up on rules will you? Hmm and Bergeron had mean elbowing going on against Ehrhoff. Not very nice either
Some final thoughts:
♦ Does anyone else thinks that the Sedin twins are airing their frustration with lots of nasty mean little hits and pokes, of which most go unpunished?
♦ Who else misses Kesler? Well he is there, but he must be in some serious pain due to some sort of injury. He has been a ghost of his former self the past few games. Damn, I hate when such a great player is pretty much sidetracked due to some undisclosed injuries :(
♦ OK. So the Nucks barely win, but still, win, at home. The Bruins utterly dominate on their home ice. I am not so sure what to make of this. If the Bruins can bring even a bit of that extra energy they seem to have at home to Vancouver for Game 7, I can just see them win the Cup. Would be nice!
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Playoffs Daily | Game 4 | June 9th, 2011
If you read my scribbling ocasionally, you probably know that I will write and write and write. But today I am going for a more subdued article. I just finished watching the game and as much as I loved it, I really do not have a lot to say about this one. Is that bad? Or good? It is alright really, but the proceedings were so straightforward that I can be quite short about this one.
[Nucks-Bruins] 0-4. Series are tied. In a nutshell: Inspired Bruins. Frustrated Nucks. Game 4 was a fun game to watch if you root for the Bruins. A nice 4-0 win. Another great performance by Timmie, who again got in some top notch early saves to set the standard and ultimately got his team a shut-out. Peverley, who replaced Horty, scored in the first and third period. Ryder & Marchand scored in the second.
♦ As I noted in my Game 3 write up, the Bruins seem to have found a way to be more offensive than before. We all know they can defend like no other team, but to see them skate hard and fast and forechecking like they have been, it is just beautiful to see. And they seem to have rattled the Nucks to the extent that the Nucks have become frustrated and in the process have gone off their own gameplan
♦ Marchand is far from a favourite of mine. In fact, he is one of the guys that I really sort of do not like. But during this game he stood out for me. I suppose it is easy to notice someone who ends up in a fight in the last minutes of the game, but the entire game he was fast and extremely physical. I mean we are talking about one of the smaller guys in the game (5'9") but the way he just took on any opponent made me appreciate this guy just that bit more. [will add footage of my fave Marchand moment later on]
♦ Prior to the game Horton visited his mates in the locker room. It did a lot for the guys and Tim for one said he was very very happy to see him. I bet it fuelled the Bruins as much as their fans
Game 5 next. Again I hope the Bruins will keep up the amazing energy!
[Nucks-Bruins] 0-4. Series are tied. In a nutshell: Inspired Bruins. Frustrated Nucks. Game 4 was a fun game to watch if you root for the Bruins. A nice 4-0 win. Another great performance by Timmie, who again got in some top notch early saves to set the standard and ultimately got his team a shut-out. Peverley, who replaced Horty, scored in the first and third period. Ryder & Marchand scored in the second.
♦ As I noted in my Game 3 write up, the Bruins seem to have found a way to be more offensive than before. We all know they can defend like no other team, but to see them skate hard and fast and forechecking like they have been, it is just beautiful to see. And they seem to have rattled the Nucks to the extent that the Nucks have become frustrated and in the process have gone off their own gameplan
♦ Marchand is far from a favourite of mine. In fact, he is one of the guys that I really sort of do not like. But during this game he stood out for me. I suppose it is easy to notice someone who ends up in a fight in the last minutes of the game, but the entire game he was fast and extremely physical. I mean we are talking about one of the smaller guys in the game (5'9") but the way he just took on any opponent made me appreciate this guy just that bit more. [will add footage of my fave Marchand moment later on]
♦ Prior to the game Horton visited his mates in the locker room. It did a lot for the guys and Tim for one said he was very very happy to see him. I bet it fuelled the Bruins as much as their fans
Game 5 next. Again I hope the Bruins will keep up the amazing energy!
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Playoffs Daily | SCF Game 2 & Game 3 | June 7th, 2011
A very busy weekend kept me from watching Game 2. Usually I manage to catch up eventually, but not this time. But better luck for Game 3! I have seen the result, but I cranked up the DVR and am watching it now. As the intro takes place I will spend a few minutes wrapping up Game 2, but it will be very short.
Game 2
[Bruins-Nucks] 2-3. Nucks lead series 2-0. Well, another close game with amazing goaltending on both sides. The game went into OT, although you could hardly call it an extra period as Burrows scored after just 11 seconds with an admittedly nice wrap-around. I am sure Timmie should have made other choices in how he chose to defend this attack, but I am sure he knew what he was up to despite the bad outcome. And let me quote Thomas himself: "I've got a pretty good idea of how to play goalie. I'm not going to take suggestions or advice at this time." I like it.
Game 3
[Nucks-Bruins] 8-1. Nucks lead series 2-1. That was an awesome way to get back into the round I think. 8-1 is a definite punishment this far ahead in the Playoffs and this large a goal difference does not happen often.
♦ The game started of pretty fine, no early goals and you could see by the intensity of the players that this might be an emotional game. Just when I settled in nicely to watch this game, that late hit by Rome on Horton happened. I had seen footage of the hit earlier today but it still hit me hard. What struck me most was the dazed look on Horty's face and I immediately felt very worried. By now we know that Rome has been suspended for four games. Maybe a bit much, but well Horty is out for the rest of the Playoffs and now so is Rome. These things are always up for debate. Horty should perhaps have kept his head up, but Rome was after him with a purpose and the shoulder was set for a big hit. Horty really flew backwards on impact. And it was a LATE hit. Yeah. I still see that dazed look on Horty's face. Creepy
♦ OK, the game continued with a five minute PP. But the Bruins could not turn it to their advantage. It was not a bad period really. The Nucks had some good shots, but Timmie was not having it. He made some top saves. The Bruins were playing well enough too, but missed a certain sharpness
♦ Second period and just a few seconds into the period Ference scored the first one for the Bruins. Minutes later Recchi scored on the PP, although lets face it, that was a very unfortunate assist/goal by Kesler. What a difference from Game 1 though (and quite possibly from Game 2 as well, but I have not seen it in full so I cannot be sure), the Bruins were not only strong on the defence, but their offence looked very alive as well in this period. Next up to score was Marchand, a marvelous short-handed goal no less. Krejci closed the scoring during this period with a nice wrist-shot. The Nucks played decent enough too, but Timmie was on fire. Of course the period ended with a bit of a skermish. That is how emotional this game was
♦ Third period continued much the same. Some good chances by the Nucks again, but Timmie was just a rock. The game that I thought was physical enough, got grittier in this period and there were a lot of game misconducts and fighting majors, especially after a fight that occured around the 11 minute mark. Lucic, Kesler, Seidenberg and Burrows all vanished into the locker room. And was Lucic trying to feed Burrows his fingers as a little snack during the fight? My word, not very classy, but I found myself giggling a bit anyways. All this fighting fueled the Bruins even more and shortly after the game was resumed Paille scored a short-handed goal making it 5-0. Hansen then scored to make it 5-1, but that was all Timmie was willing to give away. Next three goals - all within a span of two minutes - were by the Bruins (Recchi, Kelly, Ryder), giving them an amazing 8-1 win!
♦ Amusing moment: Timmie not only did his share of saving ;) ... he also got in a hit on Sedin: Hit & Save!
♦ Some stats to finish off ... Bruins had 38 shots on goal, the Nucks had 41. And the Bruins looked more physical on the whole and that reflects in the PIM and hits. PIM was 75 for the Bruins and 70 for the Nucks. The Bruins had 39 hits and the Nuck 31. Very intense!
Looking forward to Game 4. I hope the Bruins bring the same energy!
Game 2
[Bruins-Nucks] 2-3. Nucks lead series 2-0. Well, another close game with amazing goaltending on both sides. The game went into OT, although you could hardly call it an extra period as Burrows scored after just 11 seconds with an admittedly nice wrap-around. I am sure Timmie should have made other choices in how he chose to defend this attack, but I am sure he knew what he was up to despite the bad outcome. And let me quote Thomas himself: "I've got a pretty good idea of how to play goalie. I'm not going to take suggestions or advice at this time." I like it.
Game 3
[Nucks-Bruins] 8-1. Nucks lead series 2-1. That was an awesome way to get back into the round I think. 8-1 is a definite punishment this far ahead in the Playoffs and this large a goal difference does not happen often.
♦ The game started of pretty fine, no early goals and you could see by the intensity of the players that this might be an emotional game. Just when I settled in nicely to watch this game, that late hit by Rome on Horton happened. I had seen footage of the hit earlier today but it still hit me hard. What struck me most was the dazed look on Horty's face and I immediately felt very worried. By now we know that Rome has been suspended for four games. Maybe a bit much, but well Horty is out for the rest of the Playoffs and now so is Rome. These things are always up for debate. Horty should perhaps have kept his head up, but Rome was after him with a purpose and the shoulder was set for a big hit. Horty really flew backwards on impact. And it was a LATE hit. Yeah. I still see that dazed look on Horty's face. Creepy
♦ OK, the game continued with a five minute PP. But the Bruins could not turn it to their advantage. It was not a bad period really. The Nucks had some good shots, but Timmie was not having it. He made some top saves. The Bruins were playing well enough too, but missed a certain sharpness
♦ Second period and just a few seconds into the period Ference scored the first one for the Bruins. Minutes later Recchi scored on the PP, although lets face it, that was a very unfortunate assist/goal by Kesler. What a difference from Game 1 though (and quite possibly from Game 2 as well, but I have not seen it in full so I cannot be sure), the Bruins were not only strong on the defence, but their offence looked very alive as well in this period. Next up to score was Marchand, a marvelous short-handed goal no less. Krejci closed the scoring during this period with a nice wrist-shot. The Nucks played decent enough too, but Timmie was on fire. Of course the period ended with a bit of a skermish. That is how emotional this game was
♦ Third period continued much the same. Some good chances by the Nucks again, but Timmie was just a rock. The game that I thought was physical enough, got grittier in this period and there were a lot of game misconducts and fighting majors, especially after a fight that occured around the 11 minute mark. Lucic, Kesler, Seidenberg and Burrows all vanished into the locker room. And was Lucic trying to feed Burrows his fingers as a little snack during the fight? My word, not very classy, but I found myself giggling a bit anyways. All this fighting fueled the Bruins even more and shortly after the game was resumed Paille scored a short-handed goal making it 5-0. Hansen then scored to make it 5-1, but that was all Timmie was willing to give away. Next three goals - all within a span of two minutes - were by the Bruins (Recchi, Kelly, Ryder), giving them an amazing 8-1 win!
♦ Amusing moment: Timmie not only did his share of saving ;) ... he also got in a hit on Sedin: Hit & Save!
♦ Some stats to finish off ... Bruins had 38 shots on goal, the Nucks had 41. And the Bruins looked more physical on the whole and that reflects in the PIM and hits. PIM was 75 for the Bruins and 70 for the Nucks. The Bruins had 39 hits and the Nuck 31. Very intense!
Looking forward to Game 4. I hope the Bruins bring the same energy!
Thursday, 2 June 2011
Playoffs Daily | SCF Game 1 | June 2nd, 2011
I was so excited for Game 1 of the Final! I spent the entire evening fighting off sleep and sure enough, the clock struck 2am and I was still up. Hockey Night In Canada tune ... anthems ... puck drop. So exciting, even more so than the previous games!
[Bruins-Nucks] 0-1. Intense game. Not exactly because of gameplay, but just because of what is at stake and both teams really wanting to win but obviously getting frustrated as time went on and no goals were scored ...
♦ But it started off with a barrage of shots by the Nucks in the first few minutes. Timmie had to show up early and in the first two minutes alone made about 5 saves, but at least the Bruins made it through the first minute without allowing a goal. If you have been following them these Playoffs, you will know it is not uncommon to happen
♦ It took the Bruins a bit longer to get the first shot on goal, well into the third minute but Luongo managed to deflect the puck with his skate. Would have been an easy tap in otherwise
♦ D. Sedin then performed some nasty high sticking on Chara giving the Bruins their first powerplay, all 4 minutes of it. The Bruins moved the puck around pretty well, but it was not really offensive and the Nucks had a very effective PK. Rather tame four minutes actually, instantly livened up by Sedin's return to the ice ... Timmie had some blistering saving to do straight away. What followed were a lot of intense moments and quite a lot of PPs
♦ The game settled in the last few minutes though, only to be livened up by a skermish right after the whistle was blown. Bergeron and Burrows got into it and I just read that Burrows bit Bergeron. What?!
♦ This period was the busiest in terms of SOG: 17 Bruins, 12 Nucks
♦ Onto the second period. This one started with a rush again. But the Nucks were - in my opinion - even less disciplined this period and soon the Bruins found themselves on a two man advantage once more. Unfortunately, again the special teams failed to monetise
♦ This period brought us the best hit of the game: Lucic got flipped over by Hamhuis (perfectly legally), but in the process Hamhuis managed to get himself hurt and he did not return to the ice once he finally skated off. Krejci did also crosscheck him as a bit of retaliation, but that was pretty gentle, so yeah, I am going with a self inflicted injury due to lifting a taller and heavier opponent. Still. Awesome hit, see for yourself (courtesy of NHL.com)
♦ Halfway through the period the Nucks to me looked just a bit more feisty, but the Bruins just grunted and beared it. Thinking back, Kesler had the biggest chance of this period shortly after that hit on Lucic
♦ The hit also served as a bit of a catalyst for the Bruins. They already had their share of penalties in the first period but seemed to have calmed down significantly, but the bear was loose again. Marchand wanted to retaliate a bit I suppose and made a great hit on Raymond, another flip. Seidenberg saw an opportunity to break away and did so but not without some kneeing first and was sent to the penalty box. Seconds later Peverley followed for hooking, giving the Nucks a 5-on-3 advantage. You would think that the Nucks would finally get a PP goal now, instead pesky Burrows got a penalty for tripping Timmie, making it a 4-on-3. Not nearly as exciting. This penalty seemed a bit unfair though, but Burrows had been a nuisance throughout the game, there had to be payback at some time. The game got very gritty
♦ But eventually things settled down a bit and we entered a much quieter part of the game, although by no means boring. Both teams were hunting for that first goal. What struck me towards the end of the second period is that neither team had a strong grip on strategy. Both Bruins and Nucks seemed to have a haphazard approach towards offence. Maybe it was the unsettling amount of PPS on which neither team managed to capatilise. End of second period and still no goals scored. Both teams had 9 shots on goal
♦ Third period, much of the same and the first big chance was generated by Hansen, who broke loose and went full speed ahead towards the Bruins net, but Timmie performed yet another awesome save. As we went to the final 10 mins of regulation, the Nucks picked up speed for a good five minutes, generating a few chances, but nothing paid off. Once again things settled down for the remainder of the third period and I think everyone had accepted the idea that the game would go to OT, but then Torres struck. 1-0 Nucks. Great goal too, but then it would take something special to beat any of the goalies this night
♦ The final period saw 10 shots on goal by the Bruins and 14 by the Nucks
♦ Funny moment 1: Thomas turning his back on the skermish at the end of the fist period and hitting imaginary posts (embedded via NHL.com):
♦ Funny moment 2: After the hit on Lucic and subsequent crosscheck on Hamhuis by Krejci, they replayed a barrage of crosschecks of Seids on Burrows I think it was (sorry, was too lazy to rewind during the game to ascertain) ... but no penalty awarded there. Could not find footage of this, but take my word for it, it was amusing
Final words. Not sure what to make of this game really. Great goaltending, that is a certainty. Both Timmie and Lu played an awesome game. The Nucks were a bit feistier. But the Bruins were steady and did not allow for much space. Both teams had 6 PPs and failed to score. For the Bruins this was expected, but for the Nucks less so. In the end I think the game was pretty even and either team could have/should have won. The Nucks got it this time, hopefully the next one will be for the Bruins. But both teams will have to work on some elements of their game and I want to see a bit more fireworks next time. Not talking about the goalies here, like I said, they were splendid!
[Bruins-Nucks] 0-1. Intense game. Not exactly because of gameplay, but just because of what is at stake and both teams really wanting to win but obviously getting frustrated as time went on and no goals were scored ...
♦ But it started off with a barrage of shots by the Nucks in the first few minutes. Timmie had to show up early and in the first two minutes alone made about 5 saves, but at least the Bruins made it through the first minute without allowing a goal. If you have been following them these Playoffs, you will know it is not uncommon to happen
♦ It took the Bruins a bit longer to get the first shot on goal, well into the third minute but Luongo managed to deflect the puck with his skate. Would have been an easy tap in otherwise
♦ D. Sedin then performed some nasty high sticking on Chara giving the Bruins their first powerplay, all 4 minutes of it. The Bruins moved the puck around pretty well, but it was not really offensive and the Nucks had a very effective PK. Rather tame four minutes actually, instantly livened up by Sedin's return to the ice ... Timmie had some blistering saving to do straight away. What followed were a lot of intense moments and quite a lot of PPs
♦ The game settled in the last few minutes though, only to be livened up by a skermish right after the whistle was blown. Bergeron and Burrows got into it and I just read that Burrows bit Bergeron. What?!
♦ This period was the busiest in terms of SOG: 17 Bruins, 12 Nucks
♦ Onto the second period. This one started with a rush again. But the Nucks were - in my opinion - even less disciplined this period and soon the Bruins found themselves on a two man advantage once more. Unfortunately, again the special teams failed to monetise
♦ This period brought us the best hit of the game: Lucic got flipped over by Hamhuis (perfectly legally), but in the process Hamhuis managed to get himself hurt and he did not return to the ice once he finally skated off. Krejci did also crosscheck him as a bit of retaliation, but that was pretty gentle, so yeah, I am going with a self inflicted injury due to lifting a taller and heavier opponent. Still. Awesome hit, see for yourself (courtesy of NHL.com)
♦ Halfway through the period the Nucks to me looked just a bit more feisty, but the Bruins just grunted and beared it. Thinking back, Kesler had the biggest chance of this period shortly after that hit on Lucic
♦ The hit also served as a bit of a catalyst for the Bruins. They already had their share of penalties in the first period but seemed to have calmed down significantly, but the bear was loose again. Marchand wanted to retaliate a bit I suppose and made a great hit on Raymond, another flip. Seidenberg saw an opportunity to break away and did so but not without some kneeing first and was sent to the penalty box. Seconds later Peverley followed for hooking, giving the Nucks a 5-on-3 advantage. You would think that the Nucks would finally get a PP goal now, instead pesky Burrows got a penalty for tripping Timmie, making it a 4-on-3. Not nearly as exciting. This penalty seemed a bit unfair though, but Burrows had been a nuisance throughout the game, there had to be payback at some time. The game got very gritty
♦ But eventually things settled down a bit and we entered a much quieter part of the game, although by no means boring. Both teams were hunting for that first goal. What struck me towards the end of the second period is that neither team had a strong grip on strategy. Both Bruins and Nucks seemed to have a haphazard approach towards offence. Maybe it was the unsettling amount of PPS on which neither team managed to capatilise. End of second period and still no goals scored. Both teams had 9 shots on goal
♦ Third period, much of the same and the first big chance was generated by Hansen, who broke loose and went full speed ahead towards the Bruins net, but Timmie performed yet another awesome save. As we went to the final 10 mins of regulation, the Nucks picked up speed for a good five minutes, generating a few chances, but nothing paid off. Once again things settled down for the remainder of the third period and I think everyone had accepted the idea that the game would go to OT, but then Torres struck. 1-0 Nucks. Great goal too, but then it would take something special to beat any of the goalies this night
♦ The final period saw 10 shots on goal by the Bruins and 14 by the Nucks
♦ Funny moment 1: Thomas turning his back on the skermish at the end of the fist period and hitting imaginary posts (embedded via NHL.com):
♦ Funny moment 2: After the hit on Lucic and subsequent crosscheck on Hamhuis by Krejci, they replayed a barrage of crosschecks of Seids on Burrows I think it was (sorry, was too lazy to rewind during the game to ascertain) ... but no penalty awarded there. Could not find footage of this, but take my word for it, it was amusing
Final words. Not sure what to make of this game really. Great goaltending, that is a certainty. Both Timmie and Lu played an awesome game. The Nucks were a bit feistier. But the Bruins were steady and did not allow for much space. Both teams had 6 PPs and failed to score. For the Bruins this was expected, but for the Nucks less so. In the end I think the game was pretty even and either team could have/should have won. The Nucks got it this time, hopefully the next one will be for the Bruins. But both teams will have to work on some elements of their game and I want to see a bit more fireworks next time. Not talking about the goalies here, like I said, they were splendid!
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