New England Hockey Talk

[bethandlouis]

Didn't happen last night but Caps beat the Sens (they have a 4 game winning streak now!)

[MGB Boy]

I guess five games would have been too much to ask, eh? Didn't catch the game, but Kolzig's line seems odd. Only gave up 1 goal on 18 shots in the middle frame, but 2 on 7 and 3 on 9 in the first and third. What was the deal?

Coach Lewis has already announced that Timmy will be making his 21st straight appearance against the Devils on Saturday. I gotta think that if they were going to use Hannu this sparsely, maybe they should have left him down in Providence for a while longer to let him face more game action. They called him back up two weeks ago and he hasn't seen a minute yet.

-Ricardo

[bethandlouis]

I also didn't watch much of the game. Kolzig is a monster but a goalie is only as good as the D in front of you. They have been giving up a lot less Shots but the D seems to be waxing and waning. Now from those stats it looks like it might have been just a bad night for him.

[bethandlouis]

What a night last night. It was hard to watch the Caps/Flyers game (as I have gotten into the habit for cheering for Niitymaki). It was too close! However, the Bruins game was not close! I didn't watch any of that game but I did see some hi-lights where someone tried to engage Chara. It was kind of a strange exchange. Fell asleep watching the Flames game (I just can't stay awake for the west coast games). Made some soap while watching the Rangers/Sens game (that was a real nailbiter at the end)

[MGB Boy]

I missed most of the early action on Saturday night, I was at Gutterson watching UVM dismantle the US National U-18 team, 7-1. Frankly, I thought it would be a lot closer, the U-18s have a really good team this year. They've been cleaning up against the other junior teams they've played, as well as the NCAA-D3 teams they've played, and of their D1 games they'd beaten UAF, Michigan State, and Clarkson, and lost in overtime to Michigan, BC, and North Dakota. The only other blow out losses were a 7-1 pantsing by UNH back in October and a 9-2 loss to UAA in September. So I was surprised by how things went, it wasn't even as close as 7-1, there were three solid pings on crossbars thrown in as well.

Got home in time to catch the end of the Hawks-Wild game, Chicago made an awesome comeback late in the third but then ended up losing in OT on crap-angle goal that shouldn't have been able to sneak in between the leg and post. Oh well. Heard on XM Home Ice tonight that your old pal Bondra has come out of retirement to join the Blackhawks. That whole franchise is such a trainwreck (bad owner, bad GM, fans that long ago bailed, etc.), I mean really, what kind of owner in this day and age still won't let home games be broadcast in the home area because they still cling to the badly outdated notion that televised games would hurt attendance? So the only way people should be able to see a home game is by paying $50 a pop to go see them in person? Yeah, that's gonna encourage people to get interested in the team, that'll help get the kids on the bandwagon, that'll help grow new fans. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. Sheesh. Chicago is currently claiming an average home attendance of 12740, and by most accounts at least a third of those people on any given night must be invisible or perhaps wearing a cloaking device of some sort (what is perhaps more appalling is that they are ahead of the Devils in average attendance by 55 per game, despite the Devils leading their division. The Devils never ever ever sell-out until the final round of the playoffs, those fans really don't deserve a team. But I digress).Chicago needs to just go away completely for a year and come back as an expansion team. Start fresh, new administration, new scouts, new coaches, some high draft picks, the whole deal. Picking up a vet like Bondra at this point in the season, I'm not sure I even get it. Who knows. They beat Edmonton tonight, but they could just as easily turn around and lose to the JV team from the Little Sisters of Mercy Home for Wayward Girls tomorrow night.

From what I saw on "Bruins in Two" at midnight, Boston took most of the first period off, Timmy kinda got hung out. Coach didn't fault him for either, said it was a "we need to fire up the skaters" pull, not a "bad goalie" pull. Hannu played well in the second, but then he let in a super-softy in the third to make it 3-1 and the team just collapsed after that. Yuck. I'll be interested to see who they start in Montreal on Tuesday. At least we know we can always beat Toronto...

-Ricardo

[bethandlouis]

At the beginning of the season Bondra was in talks to come back to the Caps. The Caps were receptive to the talks but I think the money was an issue and he signed with the Thrashers. Then he went into training camp and pulled a groin and has been out ever since. I didn't think he hung up his skates. Watching Bonzai play was a beautiful thing. I'm glad he's getting to play. Hopefully he'll do well (he's on my bench for fantasy).

[MGB Boy]

Quite the little barn-burner there between the Caps and Pens. You guys Ovechkined them early, but they Malkined you late. Such is life. Bumper crop of games Tuesday night, a dozen games or so. Gotta decorate the xmas / hanukkah / Kkwanzaa / festivus tree, so hockey will be a good backdrop.

-Ricardo

[MGB Boy]

WBZ/CBS4 in Boston is reporting that Phil Kessel has testicular cancer. Yikes...

-Ricardo

[bethandlouis]

Quote: Originally Posted by MGB Boy (original)

Quite the little barn-burner there between the Caps and Pens. You guys Ovechkined them early, but they Malkined you late. Such is life. Bumper crop of games Tuesday night, a dozen games or so. Gotta decorate the xmas / hanukkah / Kkwanzaa / festivus tree, so hockey will be a good backdrop.

-Ricardo

It was awful!! Not to mention that the Replay TV only recorded to the end of regulation! Why do we keep doing this to ourselves. Having a 4-0 lead and then losing it! Luckily I work in the morning today so I'll be able to zone out to some hockey tonight. Also Festivus does not have a tree it is a pole (aluminium pole to be exact

Quote: Originally Posted by MGB Boy (original)

WBZ/CBS4 in Boston is reporting that Phil Kessel has testicular cancer. Yikes...

-Ricardo

If it's true that's terrible. Not to mention he's like 6 years old. They are really making hockey players younger and younger, (or I'm getting older than I thought). The big 3-0 is coming up next monday . I think I will officially be an adult at that age.

[bethandlouis]

I just watched the Channel 4 broadcast. It seems that Coach Lewis let a lot more out than he was supposed to. There apparently are rumors that he is being treated for depression as well. Knowing that information watch the interview with Lewis again. Whatever it is hopefully he will have a speedy recovery.

[MGB Boy]

They've now confirmed that it's "cancer related", that's all the detail they've put out at the moment. Can only hope for the best. The Canadiens/Bruins game tonight ought to be an odd affair, with news of Boston's top young prospect fighting cancer coming at the same time as the news that Montreal legend and GM Bob Gainey's daughter was swept overboard from tall ship she was crewing on and is presumed drowned. Crikey.

On a lighter note... You're getting OLD! Hah! Want me to mail you a waffle?

Holy jumpin' goalies, batman!



-Ricardo

[jcsinnh]

Shhhh, my Rangers are on a bit of a tear, what?

[MGB Boy]

Apparently you should have stuck with the "shhhh", you jinxed them!

Rangers/Leafs scoresheet

-Ricardo

[bethandlouis]

Let's Go Caps!

[MGB Boy]

Go where?



-Ricardo