"Just saw the Sabres beat the Bruins at the F-ing A"

First Niagara Bank has just signed the contract deal to change the name of the Sabres home Arena from HSBC. The First Niagara Arena or the "F-ing A" is just another change this exciting off season in western New York.

Tibs v. Wings

The last of the second round series to go and the only one to get to 7 ends tonight. How could the Sharks lose 4?(Ask the 2010 Bruins) How could the Wings lose the decider?(Ask the 1994 Wings) Go TIBS!

Pronger Out for Game 1

Danny Briere has opened up in an interview today "No body knows when he will be ready...I don't think he'll be back for the first game."

Miller Out Tonight 3/30/2011

Sources Close to the Buffalo Sabres stated that Ryan Miller will not be in the line up tonight in the crucial match up against the Blue shirts. Jhonas Enroth 3-1-1 will get the call.

A Devilish twist

27 games: 22W, 3L and 2 OTL/SOL  translates to six points out of a playoff spot. Wait, what?? Come again…

It's become a little surreal to witness the Devils come back from - quite literally, the dead. They were written off, what feels like months ago at this point, as a top lottery team.  And this in of itself was a bit of a shock to the hockey world. For as long as Martin Brodeur has tended goal for the Devils, they have been a team to be reckoned with.  So, to see the Devils not be competitive, at the very least came as a huge surprise considering their heavy investment into one of the world’s greatest offensive talents. Ilya Kovulchuk was supposed to complement an already balanced offense and sturdy defense into a serious contender. The Russian superstar signed a deal to lace it up until the year 2025 for 100 million dollars (well,  after a lengthy contract controversy, Kovulchuk actually originally sold his soul to the Devils until the year 2027)!

Half a season later, it clearly didn’t quite work out the way they expected it to play out. And thus, as is typical for the NHL, a change had to be made, and the easiest way to do that is to oust the coach as the scapegoat.  So, out the door went John MacLean and in came – yeah, you guessed it, a very familiar face -- the guy who only just retired earlier last summer, Jacques Lemaire. The New Jersey Devils were 9-22-2 when they made the coaching change. But for a little while, the change didn't seem to help them out much and really hit rock bottom at 10-29-2. Then suddenly... 22 wins in 27 games.

Teams are scared to play the Devils now, when only a few weeks ago, they were easily circled in the dressing room calendar as an easy win. To see how the Devils have taken their season from the graveyard into the bubble playoff team mix is remarkable. And this turnaround has been a full team effort – their coveted superstar winger has completely turned his season around during this stretch and Hedburg has really stepped in well for the injured Martin Brodeur -- but Marty is healthy again, and they are still winning. Four of their 5 losses during this 27 game stretch were 1 goal defeats (two being in OT). They only have one loss by more than a goal during this stretch and that was to the Detroit Red Wings (not really that bad of a loss).

The Devils seem to really have the Hockey God's on their side right now. They could have easily tanked the season a while ago, but they haven’t seemed too fond with that idea whatsoever. For this Devils team, there is no “sneaking” into the playoffs. If they get that coveted 8 spot, everybody will know it and everybody will have seen it coming at this point.

As of right now, no one really knows how far NJ can continue to pump out wins. And that's what many said when the Devils were "sellers" at the trade deadline. So with the regular season hitting its final stretch, as a majority of the teams only a dozen games left to go, can the Devils defy all odds and shock the hockey nation?

Soon we’ll find out what the Devils are really made of, but right now, I wouldn’t bet against them.  And if I am any of the top 3 teams in the east, I would not want to face a red-hot Devils team.

Stay tuned…

Hypocritical empty threats

Mario Lemieux was a great hockey player, no doubt. In fact, for a brief moment, if you forget how incredibly fortunate he has been as the current owner of the team he unintentionally sent into a bankruptcy tail spin and subsequently transformed into world champions, one can say he's equally a great owner in the same right. But there has always been this feeling that his sacred Penguins have been pampered by the league as a respect to the owner who was arguably the greatest forward to play the game.

For a team who finds it necessary to pay the salary for one of the grimiest punks in the league, maybe he should step back and think about the players he chooses to employ before lashing out at the league. What more does he wish from the league as a response to what he found as a “travesty” for the state of the sport? Islanders players were suspended. The team was fined. Does he expect them to be contracted from the league and done away with forever? Did he think the punishment was not severe enough for the crime? Maybe he’s a little bitter that his all star tandem are out long term and he’s taking it out league. I don’t know but it’s a bit surprising that he became this vocal about the matter. Not.

So, Mario, cry me a river. All this time, I wondered to myself where and how his franchise savior turned into a gigantic whiner. But maybe in my respect for the player who dominated the game when he wasn’t battling devastating injuries and cancer, I simply chose to forget about how much of a giant cry baby he was when he still laced it up. Clearly, some things just don’t change and it’s become quite obvious that he’s taught Sidney Crosby the art of being an enormous baby.

Perhaps, it’s tough for one to really have much sympathy for the guy – he’s been successful in just about every aspect of the sport and it has all been well documented. He essentially was handed the franchise for free. Maybe he should be a little grateful before suddenly becoming so anti-NHL. But let’s get serious now for a moment. Do you think he would give a rat’s ass if this happened between, say the lowly Florida Panthers and the Columbus Blue Jackets? I’m willing to wager he doesn’t even know who plays for either of those teams, much like most of the casual NHL fan. So, hypocrite much? Yeah, just a tad bit.

Maybe I’m sitting in some sort of minority, but I thought what happened Friday night was pure entertainment and what makes hockey so different than the other big sports in the USA. It's unfortunate everyone did not skate away injury free. In the end, the league did what they thought was necessary and on par with how they've handled situations similar to this in the past.

So Mario, if you decide to leave the league, I hope someone makes sure the door hits you on the way out. But your empty threats are just that, empty.

Hockey 3

I pity the fool.

ALL-STAR WEEKEND RECAP

Soviet-era All-Star Team: Team Eric STAAL-IN or Team Nicklas LENIN-STROM?

In the opinion of the PWNED HOCKEY staff: Neither.

One is the Lonliest Number

Phil Kessel went dead last in Friday night's NHL Fantasy Draft. Hilarious. The analysts on TSN on Versus in their infinite wisdom opined that it has something to do with the fact that he was among the youngest players avaliable and therefore Captains Staal and Lindstrom took the opportunity to humble the young Maple Leaf. The editors at PWNED HOCKEY think differently.

It probably has more to do with the fact that he's a self righous cry-baby, money grubbing, mono-having, Suffolk-freshman-smooching punk, who none of the self-respecting veterans in the league respect. At least he can take solace in the fact that he's the long-lost fat son of Alton Brown...

(On a side note, keep your eyes peeled during Versus' coverage of the NHL Super-Skills Contest on Saturday night, where, if you have a real sharp eye, you can see footage of Michele Obama playing hockey. Yes you read that correctly)

PICK YOUR OWN ALL-STAR SQUAD

It's that time of year (actually 3 out of 4 years) again friends - All Star Weekend. And while it doesn't inspire the same nationalistic spirit, nor is it nearly as long, as the Olympic break, the staff here at PWNED HOCKEY agree that it deserves its recognition too.

Commissioner Bettman, in his infinite wisdom, has changed the All Star Game format yet again this season. What was once the Campbell Conference v. Wales Conference, NHL v. Russia, East v. West and North America v. The World has now become the most expensive pick-up game in world history. In the new format, two captains will pick teams, just like you used to do out on the shinny pond.

In the spirit of this, the tireless PWNED HOCKEY staff has developed software so that now, you can pick you own team. It can be found HERE.

The editors here have picked their dream team.

FORWARDS

Stamkos

St. Louis

Nash

H. Sedin

D. Sedin

Kane

Eriksson

Havlat

Backes

Toewes

Kesler

Stastny

D-MEN

Lindstrom (C)

Chara

Byfuglien

Yandle

Letang

Green

GOALIES

Thomas

Fleury

Lundqvist

50 in 50... TGO Lives On.

TGO has again reached another milestone, spending 50 years on the big blue marble. Not to mention:

1. Most goals: 894 in 1,487 games
2. Most goals, including playoffs: 1,016 in 1,487 regular season and 208 playoff games
3. Most goals, one season: 92 in 1981–82, 80-game schedule
4. Most goals, one season, including playoffs: 100 in 1983–84, 87 goals in 74 regular season games and 13 goals in 19 playoff games
5. Most goals, 50 games from start of season: 61 in 1981–82 (October 7, 1981 to January 22, 1982, 80-game schedule) and 1983–84 (October 5, 1983 to January 25, 1984), 80-game schedule
6. Most goals, one period: 4 (Tied with 10 other players) February 18, 1981
7. Most assists: 1,963
8. Most assists, including playoffs: 2,223
9. Most assists, one season: 163 in 1985–86, 80-game schedule
10. Most assists, one season, including playoffs: 174 in 1985–86, 163 assists in 80 regular season games and 11 assists in 10 playoff games
11. Most assists, one game: 7 (tied with Billy "The Kid" Taylor) on three occasions—February 15, 1980; December 11, 1985; February 14, 1986
12. Most assists, one road game: 7 (tied with Billy Taylor) December 11, 1985
13. Most points: 2,857 in 1,487 games (894 goals, 1,963 assists)
14. Most points, including playoffs: 3,239 in 1,487 regular season and 208 playoff games. (1016 goals, 2223 assists)
15. Most points, one season: 215 in 1985–86, 80-game schedule (52 goals, 163 assists)
16. Most points, one season, including playoffs: 255 in 1984–85; 208 points in 80 regular season games and 47 points in 18 playoff games
17. Most overtime assists, career: 15
18. Most goals by a centre, career: 894
19. Most goals by a centre, one season: 92 in 1981–82, 80-game schedule
20. Most assists by a centre, career: 1,963
21. Most assists by a centre, one season: 163 in 1985–86, 80-game schedule
22. Most points by a centre, career: 2,857
23. Most points by a centre, one season: 215 in 1985–86, 80-game schedule
24. Most assists in one game by a player in his first season: 7 on February 15, 1980
25. Highest goals-per-game average, one season: 1.18 in 1983–84, 87 goals in 74 games
26. Highest assists-per-game average, career (300 min.): 1.321 -- 1,963 assists in 1,487 games
27. Highest assists-per-game average, one season: 2.04 in 1985–86, 163 assists in 80 games
28. Highest points-per-game average, one season (among players with 50-or-more points): 2.77 in 1983–84, 205 points in 74 games
29. Most 40-or-more goal seasons: 12 in 20 seasons
30. Most consecutive 40-or-more goal seasons: 12 from 1979–80 to 1990–91
31. Most 50-or-more goal seasons: 9 (tied with Mike Bossy)
32. Most 60-or-more goal seasons: 5 (tied with Mike Bossy)
33. Most consecutive 60-or-more goals seasons: 4 from 1981–82 to 1984–85
34. Most 100-or-more point seasons: 15
35. Most consecutive 100-or-more point seasons: 13 from 1979–80 to 1991–92
36. Most three-or-more goal games, career: 50 -- 37 three-goal (hat trick) games; nine four-goal games; four five-goal games
37. Most three goal games, one season: 10 (done twice) in 1981–82 and 1983–84
38. Longest consecutive assist scoring streak: 23 games in 1990–91, 48 assists
39. Longest consecutive point-scoring streak: 51 Games in 1983–84 (October 5, 1983 to January 28, 1984, 61 goals, 92 assists for 153 points)
40. Longest consecutive point-scoring streak from start of season: 51 in 1983–84; 61 goals, 92 assists for 153 points (October 5, 1983 to January 28, 1984)

But when you've played in the NHL for 5/8ths of your life you better have something to show for it.

Today in NHL History

On this day in 2003, an unspeakable crime against animals occurred. So unspeakable was this offense, it made Michael Vick blush. Such was the occurrence on 20 January 2003, during the battle of Alberta at Scotiabank Saddledome (on a side note - best arena name in hockey? In this author's opinion: yes); the perpetrator - Craig McTavish, Edmonton Oilers coach. The victim - Harvey the Hound - Calgary Flames canine mascot.





Early in the 3rd period of a 4-goal blowout by the Flames, Harvey got on the nerves of Mr. McTavish with his incessant pestering. Fully fed up, Coach McTavish reached up and yanked the tongue straight from the mouth of the unsuspecting four-legged mascot.





McTavish then proceeded to toss Harvey's signature red tongue right into the Calgary crowd. The incident seemed to light a fire under the collective Oilers bench, as they went on to score 3 unanswered goals, yet the Flames held on to win 4-3. Oilers got the last laugh, though - they made the playoffs that season, ending up losing to Dallas in the first round, 4-2.

Bwral in Time

This great dust-up comes from the 1972-73 season. This game is what many argue began some of the ill will felt between the Sabres and Bruins till this day. After a few early scraps in this match up, Jim Schoenfeld took a big run at a gliding Wayne Cashman. What ensues is one of the most memorable bouts in NHL lore. Back when you didn't hug after the fight.

THIS IS NOT A BRUINS BLOG! (But Bruins Fans are Welcome)

Sorry Guys...Not Happening

Call of the Day: Jack Edwards

IN the 3rd period of yesterday's matinee between the Bruins and the Hurricanes, Carolina enforcer/knucklehead Troy Bodie sent a not-so-subtle elbow flying toward the head of Bs d-man Mark Stuart with 5 minutes left in a 7-0 drubbing handed out by the Bruins. Not only was this a garbage move by Bodie against the guy who opened the scoring back in the 1st period, Stuart couldn't drop the gloves even if he wanted to - yesterday was his first game back following a hand injury suffered Dec 7th against Buffalo. Stuart was wearing a brace/wrap on his hand and, per league rules, he couldn't fight.

To the resuce came Adam McQuaid, Bruins rookie who's been making a name for himself this season and who already had 2 assists in the game. Not only did Lone Wolf McQuaid drop the gloves with Bodie, he landed and epic right hander early in the bout that left Bodie hanging on for dear life for the remainder of the fight.

It was about this time that Bruins play-by-play announcer and wordsmith-extrodinaire Jack Edwards delivered his most creative line of the game (and perhaps of 2011):

"McQuaid's just swinging away... he's shooting until that ship burns to the waterline..."

Pretty epic, eh? Even more so if you if you picture this going on in the 3rd period of a hockey game:

This is the most recent in a long line of natuical metaphors and images by Mr. Edwards. Most memooably, perhaps, was his send-off to the Buffalo Sabres following their exit from the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the hands of the Bruins: "And the Sabres hopes sleep with the Edmund Fitzgerald at the bottom of Gitchey Gumey."

What is it with Jack and nautical references? What more does he have up his sleeve? We shall certainly find out when the Bs and Canes commence part II of their home-and-home tonight in Raleigh.

Best Hockey Team Name Ever?

I say yes.