Interview with Mike Eruzione

So how many of you have seen the movie "Miracle on Ice"?

Probably the majority of you, today I got a great treat for you guys I had the pleasure of having an interview with the captain of that 1980 United States Winter Olympic team Mike Eruzione!

Eruzione was drafted 28th overall by the New England Whalers in 1974. He played twice with the United States Olympic team, and scored the game winning goal against the Soviets and helped the US win the gold medal against Finland!  

Without further a due here's the email with Mike Eruzione:

1) Who did you look up to when you were younger? 

My parents

2) What is the greatest memory you've had as a hockey player? 

Beating Finland to win the Gold

3) If you could meet any NHL player in the league (past and preasent), who would it be?

 I’ve met most of the great ones so maybe Glenn Hall

4)  What was your favorite NHL team growing up? 

Chicago black hawks

5) What are your interests outside of hockey?

 Golf and more golf

6) How did it feel to be the captian of Team USA in the Olympics? 

It was a great honor but I also had a team of captains

7) What were your emotions when you beat the Soviets and moved on to beat Finland for the Gold medal? 

Excited and proud we worked hard to get to where we were.so our emotions were pretty high

8) What made you decide to stand up against legendary coach Herb Brooks after the tie against Norwegian National Team in the scrimage when he was drilling you guys with endless "Herbies"? Also how did it feel when you did that? 

Don’t believe everything you watched in the movie, it was a team stand..

9) Do you ever think there will be another "Miracle on Ice?"

 I hope so but with the pro’s playing we are now considered one of the favorites, I hope we win gold every time we play

10) Were you worried to play the Soviets after the loss in the scrimage against them in MSG? 

 no, we were a different team the 2^nd time we played, much more confident and playing much better

11) Has anything in the world ever compared to feeling after scoring such a big goal in the Olympics? (refering to the GW goal against the Soviets)

Yes the birth of my 3 children was greater

Check out Josh Edwards version of the interview here!

Interview with Mike Eruzione

So how many of you have seen the movie "Miracle on Ice"?

Probably the majority of you, today I got a great treat for you guys I had the pleasure of having an interview with the captain of that 1980 United States Winter Olympic team Mike Eruzione!

Eruzione was drafted 28th overall by the New England Whalers in 1974. He played twice with the United States Olympic team, and scored the game winning goal against the Soviets and helped the US win the gold medal against Finland!  

Without further a due here's the email with Mike Eruzione:

1) Who did you look up to when you were younger? 

My parents

2) What is the greatest memory you've had as a hockey player? 

Beating Finland to win the Gold

3) If you could meet any NHL player in the league (past and preasent), who would it be?

 I’ve met most of the great ones so maybe Glenn Hall

4)  What was your favorite NHL team growing up? 

Chicago black hawks

5) What are your interests outside of hockey?

 Golf and more golf

6) How did it feel to be the captian of Team USA in the Olympics? 

It was a great honor but I also had a team of captains

7) What were your emotions when you beat the Soviets and moved on to beat Finland for the Gold medal? 

Excited and proud we worked hard to get to where we were.so our emotions were pretty high

8) What made you decide to stand up against legendary coach Herb Brooks after the tie against Norwegian National Team in the scrimage when he was drilling you guys with endless "Herbies"? Also how did it feel when you did that? 

Don’t believe everything you watched in the movie, it was a team stand..

9) Do you ever think there will be another "Miracle on Ice?"

 I hope so but with the pro’s playing we are now considered one of the favorites, I hope we win gold every time we play

10) Were you worried to play the Soviets after the loss in the scrimage against them in MSG? 

 no, we were a different team the 2^nd time we played, much more confident and playing much better

11) Has anything in the world ever compared to feeling after scoring such a big goal in the Olympics? (refering to the GW goal against the Soviets)

Yes the birth of my 3 children was greater

Check out Josh Edwards version of the interview here!

Cup Favorites Early Exit

Sunday was a great day for a lot of hockey fans, particularly fans who don't like the Vancouver Canucks and or the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both the Penguins and Canucks were eliminated from Stanley Cup contention after losing their first round series'. It's not every day the 2 teams picked by so many to face off for hockey's ultimate prize get eliminated in the first round!

Flyers win the series 4-2 over the Penguins
It's really weird knowing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, arguably 2 of the 3 best players in the world are no longer in playoffs. I didn't think the Penguins would be able to beat the Flyers, but I thought they would be able to put up more of a fight, they really made the Flyers job pretty easy. Malkin decided to take the first round of the playoffs off and it cost his team. As soon as the opponents realize that Malkin wasn't doing anything they turned all their attention to Crosby, and 99% of the time not even Crosby can beat 5 opposing players. It was a rough series for the Penguins and they just couldn't bounce back after some shaky goaltending. Bottom line though is key players for the Flyers stepped up while key players for the Penguins did not!

3 reasons the Penguins lost


1. Goaltending: I don't know what happened to Fleury but he was not the goaltender he was all season or in past seasons, he let in suspect goals, goals at the worst times and he just looked shaky. The Pens  scored a few key goals to take the lead, but a couple minutes later the refs were fishing the puck out of the back of the Pens net. For whatever reason the Penguins didn't get the goaltending they needed to advance in the playoffs. The only thing that keeps the Pens in the series at all was, Ilya Bryzgalov didn't play that much better than Fleury.

2. Star Players: The Penguins star players really didn't step up and help the Pens. Malkin, Crosby and Neal were all pretty much absent during the series, the three combined for just 8 goals in 6 games, heck the Flyers Claude Giroux had 6 goals and 14 points in the 6 games! Giroux and Daniel Briere carried the Flyers offensively during the season and showed some great leadership. What everyone forgets is the Flyers are doing all this without their Captain Chris Pronger who has been out for the majority of the season!
People talk about Crosby being the best player in the world, but right now the best player in the league/world is Claude Giroux. He was a clutch player for the Flyers and contributed in every game.

3. Discipline: The Flyers were able to get under the Penguins skin and bait them into taking stupid penalties. It was most evident in game 3. The Pens lost their composure, and tried to out tough their opponents which was never going to happen! Philly was able to get into their heads and throw them off their game.

LA Kings win the series 4-1 over the Vancouver Canucks
Most of Canada rejoices with me as the Vancouver Canucks are eliminated from the playoffs and may have just wasted their last chance to dominate the league and win a Stanley Cup.
You have to believe with this loss there will be some major changes coming in Vancouver; first of all they need decide if they're keeping Loungo or shipping him out of town, right now all signs point to him leaving, especially after the Canucks virtually told him they have more faith in Schnieder (after game 4 and 5 starts), there are also rumblings of a coaching change in Vancouver, and who knows if the free agents will stay or go! This was probably the Canucks last chance to make it far with their current roster. Just goes to show that 2 presidents trophies don't mean anything, as the Canucks still have not won a cup. I saw an interesting tweet earlier: "Giving a team the Presidents Trophy, is like giving a student an award for having the highest mark in the class before the exam!" Seems like the Canucks can't seem to pass the biggest test!

3 reasons the Canucks lost

1. The absence of Daniel Sedin: One thing fans noticed is that 1 Sedin without the other is pretty much useless. Henrik did nothing during the first 3 games while his brother was injured. It was obvious he didn't have the good chemistry with his line mates! As soon as Daniel was back he started to score again, and compete harder. Without his brother Henrik looked lost out on the ice, seems like Daniel may be the anchor between the twins. Without Daniel and Henrik scoring the rest of the Canucks weren't able to pick up the slack and ultimately the Canucks got outplayed.

2. Didn't win at home: The Canucks lost all 3 games at the Rogers Centre in Vancouver, during last seasons playoff run the Canucks won every single game 1 at home which put them in a nice spot. But Vancouver was not able to win a single home game this series.

3. Started the wrong goalie: Now this isn't a criticism towards Roberto Loungo, as he surprisingly played really well, his team just couldn't score. But we've seen for the last little while that the Canucks are a different and arguably better team when Cory Schnieder is net, which is why I believe the Canucks will keep Schnieder. But neither goalie got any support from the team, so the goalies are not to fault for this early exit!

The Canucks are not the same team that went to the Stanley Cup playoffs last season, They seemed weaker and not as ready to battle this season, and got outplayed by the Kings.

It's a tough break for the two Stanley Cup favorites, but perhaps a lesson well learned for both teams. The regular season (Presidents trophy) means nothing come playoff time and reputation means even less. Teams must stick to their true identities and not change their game to play like their opponents, for some reason the Pens weren't confident playing with their own style and tried to play the Flyers type of hockey!

Now let's see how the Bruins do...

Cup Favorites Early Exit

Sunday was a great day for a lot of hockey fans, particularly fans who don't like the Vancouver Canucks and or the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both the Penguins and Canucks were eliminated from Stanley Cup contention after losing their first round series'. It's not every day the 2 teams picked by so many to face off for hockey's ultimate prize get eliminated in the first round!

Flyers win the series 4-2 over the Penguins
It's really weird knowing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, arguably 2 of the 3 best players in the world are no longer in playoffs. I didn't think the Penguins would be able to beat the Flyers, but I thought they would be able to put up more of a fight, they really made the Flyers job pretty easy. Malkin decided to take the first round of the playoffs off and it cost his team. As soon as the opponents realize that Malkin wasn't doing anything they turned all their attention to Crosby, and 99% of the time not even Crosby can beat 5 opposing players. It was a rough series for the Penguins and they just couldn't bounce back after some shaky goaltending. Bottom line though is key players for the Flyers stepped up while key players for the Penguins did not!

3 reasons the Penguins lost


1. Goaltending: I don't know what happened to Fleury but he was not the goaltender he was all season or in past seasons, he let in suspect goals, goals at the worst times and he just looked shaky. The Pens  scored a few key goals to take the lead, but a couple minutes later the refs were fishing the puck out of the back of the Pens net. For whatever reason the Penguins didn't get the goaltending they needed to advance in the playoffs. The only thing that keeps the Pens in the series at all was, Ilya Bryzgalov didn't play that much better than Fleury.

2. Star Players: The Penguins star players really didn't step up and help the Pens. Malkin, Crosby and Neal were all pretty much absent during the series, the three combined for just 8 goals in 6 games, heck the Flyers Claude Giroux had 6 goals and 14 points in the 6 games! Giroux and Daniel Briere carried the Flyers offensively during the season and showed some great leadership. What everyone forgets is the Flyers are doing all this without their Captain Chris Pronger who has been out for the majority of the season!
People talk about Crosby being the best player in the world, but right now the best player in the league/world is Claude Giroux. He was a clutch player for the Flyers and contributed in every game.

3. Discipline: The Flyers were able to get under the Penguins skin and bait them into taking stupid penalties. It was most evident in game 3. The Pens lost their composure, and tried to out tough their opponents which was never going to happen! Philly was able to get into their heads and throw them off their game.

LA Kings win the series 4-1 over the Vancouver Canucks
Most of Canada rejoices with me as the Vancouver Canucks are eliminated from the playoffs and may have just wasted their last chance to dominate the league and win a Stanley Cup.
You have to believe with this loss there will be some major changes coming in Vancouver; first of all they need decide if they're keeping Loungo or shipping him out of town, right now all signs point to him leaving, especially after the Canucks virtually told him they have more faith in Schnieder (after game 4 and 5 starts), there are also rumblings of a coaching change in Vancouver, and who knows if the free agents will stay or go! This was probably the Canucks last chance to make it far with their current roster. Just goes to show that 2 presidents trophies don't mean anything, as the Canucks still have not won a cup. I saw an interesting tweet earlier: "Giving a team the Presidents Trophy, is like giving a student an award for having the highest mark in the class before the exam!" Seems like the Canucks can't seem to pass the biggest test!

3 reasons the Canucks lost

1. The absence of Daniel Sedin: One thing fans noticed is that 1 Sedin without the other is pretty much useless. Henrik did nothing during the first 3 games while his brother was injured. It was obvious he didn't have the good chemistry with his line mates! As soon as Daniel was back he started to score again, and compete harder. Without his brother Henrik looked lost out on the ice, seems like Daniel may be the anchor between the twins. Without Daniel and Henrik scoring the rest of the Canucks weren't able to pick up the slack and ultimately the Canucks got outplayed.

2. Didn't win at home: The Canucks lost all 3 games at the Rogers Centre in Vancouver, during last seasons playoff run the Canucks won every single game 1 at home which put them in a nice spot. But Vancouver was not able to win a single home game this series.

3. Started the wrong goalie: Now this isn't a criticism towards Roberto Loungo, as he surprisingly played really well, his team just couldn't score. But we've seen for the last little while that the Canucks are a different and arguably better team when Cory Schnieder is net, which is why I believe the Canucks will keep Schnieder. But neither goalie got any support from the team, so the goalies are not to fault for this early exit!

The Canucks are not the same team that went to the Stanley Cup playoffs last season, They seemed weaker and not as ready to battle this season, and got outplayed by the Kings.

It's a tough break for the two Stanley Cup favorites, but perhaps a lesson well learned for both teams. The regular season (Presidents trophy) means nothing come playoff time and reputation means even less. Teams must stick to their true identities and not change their game to play like their opponents, for some reason the Pens weren't confident playing with their own style and tried to play the Flyers type of hockey!

Now let's see how the Bruins do...

Penguins and Canucks in a hole

View this article on The Hockey Writers ----> Penguins and Canucks in a hole!

It's the best time of the year, or at least the best time of the NHL season, the playoffs! Sixteen teams battle it out for a chance to lift the Stanley Cup-- it's the NHL's second season. We're roughly 3 games into the playoffs and Stanley Cup favorites Pittsburgh and Vancouver find themselves in a rough spot, down 3 games to their opponents and on the verge of elimination. What the heck happened?

Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia: 3-0 series lead for the Flyers
This series has been by far the most physical series, anytime you get two teams who really don't like each other as much as these two you know stuff is going to happen. Even though it's a team effort during the playoffs, a lot of the blame for the Penguins mess falls squarely on the shoulders of Marc-Andre Fleury. In each of the first 3 games the Penguins came out and grabbed an early lead. In game 1 they were up 3-0, game 2 3-1, and game 3, 3-1 yet in each game they let the Flyers storm back and come out with the victory. The majority of the goals the Flyers have scored are not goals that should go in on a elite level goalie like Fleury, if the Penguins want to get back into this series they need their goalie to stop a puck and keep them in the game. Acquiring a lead but then losing it does no good, especially in the playoffs and against a team like the Flyers who never give up!
The other reasons the Pens find themselves in this hole is the Flyers have been dictating the play of this series. After seeing the WWE type of game Sunday it looked like the Penguins were trying to out tough the Flyers and that's not going to happen. What happened instead was the Penguins completely lost control and took far too many stupid penalties and shot themselves in the foot, the game yesterday quickly spiraled out of control and the game itself was lost.


Key players


Evgeni Malkin- Has anyone even noticed Malkin out there?
The Flyers have done an amazing job of shutting down the Penguins star player and have held him to just 4 assists in the 3 games. Malkin has yet to score and really get his game going in this series, he has not been benefiting the Pens, he's been hurting them and is a -4 through this series. He doesn't look like he wants to win.
If the Penguins want to claw their way back into the series and move on they need Malkin to score some goals and be a difference maker!
Claude Giroux and Daniel Briere- Talk about clutch, Briere has been putting the puck in the net and really breaking the back of the Penguins, he's proving that he is an amazing playoff player. Briere's scored 4 goals and lead or fuelled the Flyers comebacks.
Giroux has been another amazing player for the Flyers. Before the playoffs he said "I don't just want to be another player, I want to make a difference". Boy has he made a difference for the Flyers; hits, fights, and goals great leadership from such a young player! He's racked up 4 goals and 8 points and leads all players in points, goals and assists in the playoffs, the Flyers have a real gem in this kid.

If the Penguins want back in this series they will need Malkin to score a few goals and be more physical and get Fleury to stop some pucks and make key saves at the right time. But at the same time Flyers fans shouldn't just rest their hat on this series and with Bryzgalov, he too has not been anywhere near as good as the Flyers need him to be! Both these goalies have been off this series and really need to star playing like they should, the one that does make the key saves and steals a game for their team will be the winner.
For the Penguins sake I hope it's not too late!

Vancouver Canucks vs Los Angeles Kings: 3-0 series leads for the Kings

Oddly enough the problem with the Canucks has not been the goaltending, Luongo has actually been playing fairly well. It's the rest of the Canucks who haven't been playing well, it appears that not having Daniel Sedin in the lineup is taking a bigger effect on the Canucks than most expected. Henrik Sedin looks lost out there without his twin, there must have been a reason why they wanted to go to the same team! The rest of the Canucks forwards have not been able to pick up the play missing from their top player, because of the lack of production the Canucks are on the verge of elimination! Even putting Cody Schnieder in wasn't enough to spark the Canucks, he played extremely well in game 3 but his teammates didn't score a goal for him! The worst part for the Canucks is they aren't going to score a lot of goals on Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, this could be the beginning of the end for the Canucks. The proverbial window is closing!
If the Canucks are swept in 4 games, they will become the first team to win a President's trophy and then get swept in the first round of the playoffs.

Key Players


Henrik Sedin and Roberto Luongo- Even though Henrik is badly missing his brother out there, he needs to get over it and start producing for the Canucks. If he plays better his brother can get a chance to get back out there with him. If he doesn't start scoring he won't have the opportunity to win a cup or have his brother back with him. He's got some great line mates replacing his brother they are more than capable of scoring goals, it's about time to start scoring again!
Luongo had been great for the Canucks in the start of this series and is not the reason for them being behind the 8 ball. Luongo needs to keep playing like he is and the Canucks will have a chance to climb back into their series and make history.
Jonathan Quick- Quick is a major reason why the Kings have manhandled the Canucks in the first 3 games. He's a great goalie and has been shutting down the door, not allowing rebounds and limiting his opponents to just 2 goals. In the third game he faced 41 shots and stopped all of them earning his first career playoff shutout. If the Kings manage to eliminate the Canucks, the next team they face should be fearful of Quick and be able to score.

Bottom line is the Canucks and Penguins have been out played and out smarted by their opponents, the two teams most fans picked to come out of their respective conferences and face off for the Stanley Cup are on the verge of being eliminated after just 4 games. This proves that the playoffs are a different ball game whatever happened during the season is gone, no matter where teams ranked going into the playoffs it seriously no longer matters. It now comes down to what you do night in and night out. You can't get by on reputation alone!

Penguins and Canucks in a hole

View this article on The Hockey Writers ----> Penguins and Canucks in a hole!

It's the best time of the year, or at least the best time of the NHL season, the playoffs! Sixteen teams battle it out for a chance to lift the Stanley Cup-- it's the NHL's second season. We're roughly 3 games into the playoffs and Stanley Cup favorites Pittsburgh and Vancouver find themselves in a rough spot, down 3 games to their opponents and on the verge of elimination. What the heck happened?

Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia: 3-0 series lead for the Flyers
This series has been by far the most physical series, anytime you get two teams who really don't like each other as much as these two you know stuff is going to happen. Even though it's a team effort during the playoffs, a lot of the blame for the Penguins mess falls squarely on the shoulders of Marc-Andre Fleury. In each of the first 3 games the Penguins came out and grabbed an early lead. In game 1 they were up 3-0, game 2 3-1, and game 3, 3-1 yet in each game they let the Flyers storm back and come out with the victory. The majority of the goals the Flyers have scored are not goals that should go in on a elite level goalie like Fleury, if the Penguins want to get back into this series they need their goalie to stop a puck and keep them in the game. Acquiring a lead but then losing it does no good, especially in the playoffs and against a team like the Flyers who never give up!
The other reasons the Pens find themselves in this hole is the Flyers have been dictating the play of this series. After seeing the WWE type of game Sunday it looked like the Penguins were trying to out tough the Flyers and that's not going to happen. What happened instead was the Penguins completely lost control and took far too many stupid penalties and shot themselves in the foot, the game yesterday quickly spiraled out of control and the game itself was lost.


Key players


Evgeni Malkin- Has anyone even noticed Malkin out there?
The Flyers have done an amazing job of shutting down the Penguins star player and have held him to just 4 assists in the 3 games. Malkin has yet to score and really get his game going in this series, he has not been benefiting the Pens, he's been hurting them and is a -4 through this series. He doesn't look like he wants to win.
If the Penguins want to claw their way back into the series and move on they need Malkin to score some goals and be a difference maker!
Claude Giroux and Daniel Briere- Talk about clutch, Briere has been putting the puck in the net and really breaking the back of the Penguins, he's proving that he is an amazing playoff player. Briere's scored 4 goals and lead or fuelled the Flyers comebacks.
Giroux has been another amazing player for the Flyers. Before the playoffs he said "I don't just want to be another player, I want to make a difference". Boy has he made a difference for the Flyers; hits, fights, and goals great leadership from such a young player! He's racked up 4 goals and 8 points and leads all players in points, goals and assists in the playoffs, the Flyers have a real gem in this kid.

If the Penguins want back in this series they will need Malkin to score a few goals and be more physical and get Fleury to stop some pucks and make key saves at the right time. But at the same time Flyers fans shouldn't just rest their hat on this series and with Bryzgalov, he too has not been anywhere near as good as the Flyers need him to be! Both these goalies have been off this series and really need to star playing like they should, the one that does make the key saves and steals a game for their team will be the winner.
For the Penguins sake I hope it's not too late!

Vancouver Canucks vs Los Angeles Kings: 3-0 series leads for the Kings

Oddly enough the problem with the Canucks has not been the goaltending, Luongo has actually been playing fairly well. It's the rest of the Canucks who haven't been playing well, it appears that not having Daniel Sedin in the lineup is taking a bigger effect on the Canucks than most expected. Henrik Sedin looks lost out there without his twin, there must have been a reason why they wanted to go to the same team! The rest of the Canucks forwards have not been able to pick up the play missing from their top player, because of the lack of production the Canucks are on the verge of elimination! Even putting Cody Schnieder in wasn't enough to spark the Canucks, he played extremely well in game 3 but his teammates didn't score a goal for him! The worst part for the Canucks is they aren't going to score a lot of goals on Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, this could be the beginning of the end for the Canucks. The proverbial window is closing!
If the Canucks are swept in 4 games, they will become the first team to win a President's trophy and then get swept in the first round of the playoffs.

Key Players


Henrik Sedin and Roberto Luongo- Even though Henrik is badly missing his brother out there, he needs to get over it and start producing for the Canucks. If he plays better his brother can get a chance to get back out there with him. If he doesn't start scoring he won't have the opportunity to win a cup or have his brother back with him. He's got some great line mates replacing his brother they are more than capable of scoring goals, it's about time to start scoring again!
Luongo had been great for the Canucks in the start of this series and is not the reason for them being behind the 8 ball. Luongo needs to keep playing like he is and the Canucks will have a chance to climb back into their series and make history.
Jonathan Quick- Quick is a major reason why the Kings have manhandled the Canucks in the first 3 games. He's a great goalie and has been shutting down the door, not allowing rebounds and limiting his opponents to just 2 goals. In the third game he faced 41 shots and stopped all of them earning his first career playoff shutout. If the Kings manage to eliminate the Canucks, the next team they face should be fearful of Quick and be able to score.

Bottom line is the Canucks and Penguins have been out played and out smarted by their opponents, the two teams most fans picked to come out of their respective conferences and face off for the Stanley Cup are on the verge of being eliminated after just 4 games. This proves that the playoffs are a different ball game whatever happened during the season is gone, no matter where teams ranked going into the playoffs it seriously no longer matters. It now comes down to what you do night in and night out. You can't get by on reputation alone!

Eastern Conference playoff preview

Time for a playoff preview, breaking down the matches and some of the players that will make a difference in the outcome. This is preview will just be for the Eastern Conference match ups:

New York Rangers (1) vs. Ottawa Senators (8)
Really, it hasn't been long since the Rangers hoisted the cup (1994) but when you're in New York everything is bigger and 18 years seems like 2 centuries. Both of these teams surprised this season, no one was expecting the Rangers to dominate the East and finish in first place, and most prognosticators had the Senators finishing dead last in the East. This match up's a little more favorable for the Sens, who have won 3 out of 4 matches against the Rangers this season.

The Rangers have a significant advantage in between the pipes with the king Henrik Lundqvist. When you have a good goaltender and solid defense you're just about set, but if you can't score you can't win!

3 keys to the series
1) Henrik Lundqvist---- Was hands down the MVP for the Rangers and helped carry the team into the playoffs. He's determined to make it big this season, as he doesn't know how many more chances he'll get!
But the king hasn't had a great time facing the Sens this season; in 3 games he's allowed 9 goals against.
2.) Ottawa's young guns--- It will come down to how well the youngsters in Ottawa can handle the pressure of the playoffs; Spezza has really stepped up and shown great leadership, Karlsson has been fantastic, and Turris has found a new home and is producing points. If the Senators kids step up and play the way they have all season, they'll give the Rangers a run for their money.
3) Brad Richards--- If the Rangers big fish can bring it in the playoffs the Rangers will benefit from the key free agent acquisition. He hasn't exactly blown anyone away with his stats this season, so the postseason would be a great time to earn his cash. He is tied for 4th with 9 game winning goals.
Rangers in 6 games!


Boston Bruins (2) vs. Washington Capitals (7)
The Bruins didn't have a fantastic season, as the defending Stanley Cup Champion everyone was gunning for them, but despite an up and down season they finished 2nd in the East. The Capitals had a brutal start near the beginning of the season (They did open 7-0), changed coaches, gone threw goalie after goalie and Alexander Ovechkin took 3/4 of the year off. Ovechkin came around toward the end of the year and pushed his Capitals into the playoffs, time will tell if they're the real deal or not.
The Bruins hold the edge of Defense, offence and goaltending. A Tim Thomas on his game is a dangerous thing for opponents and could likely end any hope for the Capitals, as Ovechkin could become very frustrated extremely quickly.
The Capitals won 3 games against the defending champs this season, and seemed to throw Boston off their game, but the playoffs is an entirely different ball game.

3 Keys to the series
1) Alexander Ovechkin--- It's now or never for Ovechkin. Time to prove if he's a solid captain that can take his team to the next level or just an overrated player who's only focused on himself. Look for him to shoot a lot early on in the series, if Thomas stones him early he'll get frustrated and may change or alter his game giving the Bruins the edge.
2) Tim Thomas--- If Thomas plays up to the level he's capable of it's light out for the Capitals. He showed in last season's playoff run that when he's on his game it is extremely difficult to score on him.
3) Special Teams--- The Capitals do hold the edge on the power play, but I wouldn't count the Bruins out as they have Chara with that monster shot on the blue line and sneaky little players who step up when the most is on the line!
(Not to mention Marchand who is a punk, who is very good at drawing penalties)
Bruins in 5 games!


Florida Panthers (3) vs New Jersey Devils (6)
Not going to lie I think this may be the match of the first round that just goes under the radar, not many people are too excited about this one and most don't think it's possible for either to be compeitive beyond the first round.
Both of these teams were a surprise this season and, not many pegged either team to make the playoffs.

3 Keys to the series 
1) No points for overtime---- In my last post I talked about the fact the Panthers snuck into the playoffs based on half point earned for losing in OT/Shootout. Well guess what, there are no points for losing in overtime in the playoffs! If the Panthers can't find a way to win in regulation theyare in for a short series.
2) Martin Brodeur-- I love Brodeur as much as the next guy but this could be his last chance to make a run deep into the playoffs! The biggest question around the Devils is how their old goaltender is going to hold up under the pressure. He is no longer the scary intimidating goaltender he used to be; he won 31 games this season with a 2.41 GAA and .908 SV% not stunning numbers but horrible for a 39 year old.
3) Zach Parise vs Brian Campbell--- These two are the "X-factors" for their respective teams. Parise is playing for a contract as he takes to free agency this offseason. Campbell has always been a major powerhouse in the playoffs, ask R.J. Umberger, playing 90 playoff games since the lockout including a cup win with Chicago.
Devils in 5

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs Philadelphia Flyers (5)
After what happened a week ago when these two teams met, this series quickly became a favorite for many. It's often said there's no fighting in the playoffs, however, this should be a hard hitting, and fighting affair. If Pittsburgh tries to out fight the Flyers they will be going home after the first round, Pittsburgh needs to stick to the game that got them to the playoffs: Scoring goals! The Flyers need to keep playing physical hockey against the Pens, but need to be careful about taking to many penalties.

3 Keys to the season

1) Sidney Crosby-- Will Crosby dive? Will he try to fight back? Will he get special treatment from the officials? Will his teammates be more concerned about protecting their star than the game? If he gets a hit will he be out? All questions that need to and will be answered in the series. The Flyers hold a very powerful edge with taunting Crosby and Malkin if they can get Pittsburgh's stars off their game then the Flyers should advance.
2) Ilya Brzgalov--- After his meltdown last season in the playoffs with the Coyotes, all eyes shift to the Russian netminder and whether he'll shine or melt during the first round.
3) Physical Play-- The physical play for this matchup will be a huge factor in determining who will be victorious in the end. Can Pittsburgh keep up with the Flyers grueling style of hockey?
The winner of this series may be the team from the East to make it to the Finals!
Flyers in 7

Eastern Conference playoff preview

Time for a playoff preview, breaking down the matches and some of the players that will make a difference in the outcome. This is preview will just be for the Eastern Conference match ups:

New York Rangers (1) vs. Ottawa Senators (8)
Really, it hasn't been long since the Rangers hoisted the cup (1994) but when you're in New York everything is bigger and 18 years seems like 2 centuries. Both of these teams surprised this season, no one was expecting the Rangers to dominate the East and finish in first place, and most prognosticators had the Senators finishing dead last in the East. This match up's a little more favorable for the Sens, who have won 3 out of 4 matches against the Rangers this season.

The Rangers have a significant advantage in between the pipes with the king Henrik Lundqvist. When you have a good goaltender and solid defense you're just about set, but if you can't score you can't win!

3 keys to the series
1) Henrik Lundqvist---- Was hands down the MVP for the Rangers and helped carry the team into the playoffs. He's determined to make it big this season, as he doesn't know how many more chances he'll get!
But the king hasn't had a great time facing the Sens this season; in 3 games he's allowed 9 goals against.
2.) Ottawa's young guns--- It will come down to how well the youngsters in Ottawa can handle the pressure of the playoffs; Spezza has really stepped up and shown great leadership, Karlsson has been fantastic, and Turris has found a new home and is producing points. If the Senators kids step up and play the way they have all season, they'll give the Rangers a run for their money.
3) Brad Richards--- If the Rangers big fish can bring it in the playoffs the Rangers will benefit from the key free agent acquisition. He hasn't exactly blown anyone away with his stats this season, so the postseason would be a great time to earn his cash. He is tied for 4th with 9 game winning goals.
Rangers in 6 games!


Boston Bruins (2) vs. Washington Capitals (7)
The Bruins didn't have a fantastic season, as the defending Stanley Cup Champion everyone was gunning for them, but despite an up and down season they finished 2nd in the East. The Capitals had a brutal start near the beginning of the season (They did open 7-0), changed coaches, gone threw goalie after goalie and Alexander Ovechkin took 3/4 of the year off. Ovechkin came around toward the end of the year and pushed his Capitals into the playoffs, time will tell if they're the real deal or not.
The Bruins hold the edge of Defense, offence and goaltending. A Tim Thomas on his game is a dangerous thing for opponents and could likely end any hope for the Capitals, as Ovechkin could become very frustrated extremely quickly.
The Capitals won 3 games against the defending champs this season, and seemed to throw Boston off their game, but the playoffs is an entirely different ball game.

3 Keys to the series
1) Alexander Ovechkin--- It's now or never for Ovechkin. Time to prove if he's a solid captain that can take his team to the next level or just an overrated player who's only focused on himself. Look for him to shoot a lot early on in the series, if Thomas stones him early he'll get frustrated and may change or alter his game giving the Bruins the edge.
2) Tim Thomas--- If Thomas plays up to the level he's capable of it's light out for the Capitals. He showed in last season's playoff run that when he's on his game it is extremely difficult to score on him.
3) Special Teams--- The Capitals do hold the edge on the power play, but I wouldn't count the Bruins out as they have Chara with that monster shot on the blue line and sneaky little players who step up when the most is on the line!
(Not to mention Marchand who is a punk, who is very good at drawing penalties)
Bruins in 5 games!


Florida Panthers (3) vs New Jersey Devils (6)
Not going to lie I think this may be the match of the first round that just goes under the radar, not many people are too excited about this one and most don't think it's possible for either to be compeitive beyond the first round.
Both of these teams were a surprise this season and, not many pegged either team to make the playoffs.

3 Keys to the series 
1) No points for overtime---- In my last post I talked about the fact the Panthers snuck into the playoffs based on half point earned for losing in OT/Shootout. Well guess what, there are no points for losing in overtime in the playoffs! If the Panthers can't find a way to win in regulation theyare in for a short series.
2) Martin Brodeur-- I love Brodeur as much as the next guy but this could be his last chance to make a run deep into the playoffs! The biggest question around the Devils is how their old goaltender is going to hold up under the pressure. He is no longer the scary intimidating goaltender he used to be; he won 31 games this season with a 2.41 GAA and .908 SV% not stunning numbers but horrible for a 39 year old.
3) Zach Parise vs Brian Campbell--- These two are the "X-factors" for their respective teams. Parise is playing for a contract as he takes to free agency this offseason. Campbell has always been a major powerhouse in the playoffs, ask R.J. Umberger, playing 90 playoff games since the lockout including a cup win with Chicago.
Devils in 5

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs Philadelphia Flyers (5)
After what happened a week ago when these two teams met, this series quickly became a favorite for many. It's often said there's no fighting in the playoffs, however, this should be a hard hitting, and fighting affair. If Pittsburgh tries to out fight the Flyers they will be going home after the first round, Pittsburgh needs to stick to the game that got them to the playoffs: Scoring goals! The Flyers need to keep playing physical hockey against the Pens, but need to be careful about taking to many penalties.

3 Keys to the season

1) Sidney Crosby-- Will Crosby dive? Will he try to fight back? Will he get special treatment from the officials? Will his teammates be more concerned about protecting their star than the game? If he gets a hit will he be out? All questions that need to and will be answered in the series. The Flyers hold a very powerful edge with taunting Crosby and Malkin if they can get Pittsburgh's stars off their game then the Flyers should advance.
2) Ilya Brzgalov--- After his meltdown last season in the playoffs with the Coyotes, all eyes shift to the Russian netminder and whether he'll shine or melt during the first round.
3) Physical Play-- The physical play for this matchup will be a huge factor in determining who will be victorious in the end. Can Pittsburgh keep up with the Flyers grueling style of hockey?
The winner of this series may be the team from the East to make it to the Finals!
Flyers in 7

End of the Regular Season

It's official the 2011-2012 NHL regular season has come to an end, and for teams like the Leafs, Sabres, Oilers, and Flames it's going to be a long offseason. But for 16 teams it's a chance to compete for hockey's holy grail the Stanley Cup!

Saturday marked game 82 for many teams, despite being the last day of the regular season some records were made, playoff battles were confirmed and fans had a chance to see some of their teams for the last time till October. Time to wrap the events from this weekend, and preview the playoff match ups.

Steven Stamkos reaches 60

For the Lightning's Steven Stamkos, it's a bitter-sweet ending to the season. He reached the 60 goal plateau for the first time in his career, becoming the first player to reach 60 since Alexander Ovechkin back in 2007-2008 and just the 20th player in NHL history to accomplish the feat. Stamkos will also be bringing home his second Maurice Richard trophy, awarded to the player who scored the most goals. He also set a career high with 60 goals and 97 points. But his Tampa Bay Lightning will not be making the journey back to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Stamkos said in his interview "He'd trade all those goals for an opportunity at the postseason" as the postseason is still what makes the players work as hard as they do.
But to reach 60 goals in the NHL is a special milestone, especially doing it in the new "era" where fewer goals are being scored; it takes a special hockey player to crack 60! Stamkos is a phenomenal, classy hockey player who plays the game the right way and is a great ambassador for the sport.

Evgeni Malkin reaches 50
Malkin made his dream a reality on Saturday night notching his 50th goal of the season. He also became the only player to score 50 goals while adding 50 assists and reaching over 100 points in a single season. For Malkin it's a triple victory; reaching 50, Art Ross trophy, and a trip to the postseason with one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the league. He will likely also bring home the MVP trophy for everything he did for the Penguins without their star Crosby.

Canucks win 2nd straight President's Trophy
The league's most despised team has captured their 2nd straight President's Trophy capturing the honor by beating out the Rangers and Blues for most points on the year! The Vancouver Canucks went 51-22-9 to finish on top of the league with 111 points. As a result the Canucks finish 1st in the West and will play the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs!

Why I hate the 3 point system in the NHL

The Buffalo Sabres finished the regular season in 9th place in the East, with 39 wins and 89 points. The Florida Panthers finished 3rd in the east with 38 wins and 94 points. Yes you read that correctly the Sabres won more games than the Panther yet missed the playoffs all because of the points earned for losing in overtime games. In any other sport, the losing team gets 0 points, doesn't matter how many innings or quarters the game goes the losing team doesn't get a point. But in the NHL the losing team gets 1 point, those extra points for (losing games) end up putting you in the playoffs instead of a team that actually won more games. Only in the NHL can a team play to a tie.

Phoenix Coyotes clinch the Pacific division
The division title is the Coyotes first ever division title dating back to when they were the Winnipeg Jets way back in 1979.

Playoff matches:

East
New York Rangers (1) vs. Ottawa Senators (8) Rangers in 5
Boston Bruins (2) vs. Washington Capitals (7) Bruins in 6
Florida Panthers (3) vs. New Jersey Devils (6) Devils in 6
Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs Philadelphia Flyers (5) Flyers in 7
My pic is for Boston to come out of the East again!

Round 2:
Rangers vs Penguins Rangers in 6
Bruins vs Devils Bruins in 5

Conference finals
Rangers vs Bruins Bruins in 7


West
Vancouver Canucks (1) vs. Las Angeles Kings (8) Canucks (barely, 4-3)
St. Louis Blues (2) vs. San Jose Sharks (7) St Louis Blues
Phoenix Coyotes (3) vs. Chicago Blackhawkes (6) Blackhawkes
Nashville Predators (4) vs Detroit Red Wings (5) Red Wings

Round 2:
Vancouver vs Detroit Detroit in 7
St. Louis vs Chicago St. Louis in 5

Conference finals:
St. Louis vs Detroit St. Louis in 6

Stanley Cup Final:

Boston Bruins vs. St. Louis Blues --- Well now, that's a blog by itself.. stay tuned and enjoy the playoffs!

Leave your picks below!

End of the Regular Season

It's official the 2011-2012 NHL regular season has come to an end, and for teams like the Leafs, Sabres, Oilers, and Flames it's going to be a long offseason. But for 16 teams it's a chance to compete for hockey's holy grail the Stanley Cup!

Saturday marked game 82 for many teams, despite being the last day of the regular season some records were made, playoff battles were confirmed and fans had a chance to see some of their teams for the last time till October. Time to wrap the events from this weekend, and preview the playoff match ups.

Steven Stamkos reaches 60

For the Lightning's Steven Stamkos, it's a bitter-sweet ending to the season. He reached the 60 goal plateau for the first time in his career, becoming the first player to reach 60 since Alexander Ovechkin back in 2007-2008 and just the 20th player in NHL history to accomplish the feat. Stamkos will also be bringing home his second Maurice Richard trophy, awarded to the player who scored the most goals. He also set a career high with 60 goals and 97 points. But his Tampa Bay Lightning will not be making the journey back to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Stamkos said in his interview "He'd trade all those goals for an opportunity at the postseason" as the postseason is still what makes the players work as hard as they do.
But to reach 60 goals in the NHL is a special milestone, especially doing it in the new "era" where fewer goals are being scored; it takes a special hockey player to crack 60! Stamkos is a phenomenal, classy hockey player who plays the game the right way and is a great ambassador for the sport.

Evgeni Malkin reaches 50
Malkin made his dream a reality on Saturday night notching his 50th goal of the season. He also became the only player to score 50 goals while adding 50 assists and reaching over 100 points in a single season. For Malkin it's a triple victory; reaching 50, Art Ross trophy, and a trip to the postseason with one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the league. He will likely also bring home the MVP trophy for everything he did for the Penguins without their star Crosby.

Canucks win 2nd straight President's Trophy
The league's most despised team has captured their 2nd straight President's Trophy capturing the honor by beating out the Rangers and Blues for most points on the year! The Vancouver Canucks went 51-22-9 to finish on top of the league with 111 points. As a result the Canucks finish 1st in the West and will play the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs!

Why I hate the 3 point system in the NHL

The Buffalo Sabres finished the regular season in 9th place in the East, with 39 wins and 89 points. The Florida Panthers finished 3rd in the east with 38 wins and 94 points. Yes you read that correctly the Sabres won more games than the Panther yet missed the playoffs all because of the points earned for losing in overtime games. In any other sport, the losing team gets 0 points, doesn't matter how many innings or quarters the game goes the losing team doesn't get a point. But in the NHL the losing team gets 1 point, those extra points for (losing games) end up putting you in the playoffs instead of a team that actually won more games. Only in the NHL can a team play to a tie.

Phoenix Coyotes clinch the Pacific division
The division title is the Coyotes first ever division title dating back to when they were the Winnipeg Jets way back in 1979.

Playoff matches:

East
New York Rangers (1) vs. Ottawa Senators (8) Rangers in 5
Boston Bruins (2) vs. Washington Capitals (7) Bruins in 6
Florida Panthers (3) vs. New Jersey Devils (6) Devils in 6
Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs Philadelphia Flyers (5) Flyers in 7
My pic is for Boston to come out of the East again!

Round 2:
Rangers vs Penguins Rangers in 6
Bruins vs Devils Bruins in 5

Conference finals
Rangers vs Bruins Bruins in 7


West
Vancouver Canucks (1) vs. Las Angeles Kings (8) Canucks (barely, 4-3)
St. Louis Blues (2) vs. San Jose Sharks (7) St Louis Blues
Phoenix Coyotes (3) vs. Chicago Blackhawkes (6) Blackhawkes
Nashville Predators (4) vs Detroit Red Wings (5) Red Wings

Round 2:
Vancouver vs Detroit Detroit in 7
St. Louis vs Chicago St. Louis in 5

Conference finals:
St. Louis vs Detroit St. Louis in 6

Stanley Cup Final:

Boston Bruins vs. St. Louis Blues --- Well now, that's a blog by itself.. stay tuned and enjoy the playoffs!

Leave your picks below!

The Truth about Crosby

First off I just want to say, this blog is not talking about Crosby's skill level. There is no question, he is a phenomenal hockey player, and arguably one of the best to ever play the game. He saved the Pittsburgh Penguins' franchise and brought more attention to the NHL. Sid the kid is one of the league's most valuable players. But sometimes the truth hurts, people need to wake up and realize that Sidney Crosby is not the little angel that everyone thinks he is!

When I evaluate hockey players there are three things I am looking for: Passion, Skill/Talent and Respect for the game. Crosby has the passion, he wants to win and be one of the most dominant hockey players in the league. He obviously has the skill, he's won a Stanley Cup, played in the Olympics and scored the Gold Medal winning goal. Sid makes everyone on the ice around him better. That to me is a sign of an amazing hockey player. But then you come to the last factor; respect for the game, and when I watch Sidney Crosby play the game I see a lack of respect for the game. 

Now I'm not going to go all the way and say that Crosby is a dirty hockey player, because he isn't. But he is to quote Mike Milbury "A punk". He takes cheap shots at people, punches them in the face, slashes them, hits them from behind all stuff a little angel isn't supposed to do. But then as soon as somebody touches the kid, he falls/dives and then screams bloody murder at the referee's demanding a penalty. If you're going to dish it out, you have to be ready to get it back!

Crosby for obvious reasons has the NHL and the referees eating out of his hand, you constantly see him yapping with the refs between the whistles. Other hockey players hate this! Since Crosby get's away with everything it comes down to the other players to "keep him in check". They're sending a message to Crosby, that they're seeing everything he does out there and they aren't going to let it go like the refs and the league.

He's the player that everyone loves to hate, and before his first concussion incident he was nicknamed "crybaby". Ever since he entered the NHL in 2005 he has been diving, and whining to the refs. When a young player comes into the league you expect it to happen, since the player is generally smaller and a little intimidated.  In Crosby's rookie season he became the first rookie to record both 100 points and 100 penalty minutes and was always complaining to the referee's. But normally as a young hockey player matures, they stop whining and complaining and just play the game, but Crosby hasn't stopped whining!

This sounds bad but when Crosby wasn't playing (due to injury) the game was more peaceful. Players weren't whining and diving half as much, and there were no coaching fights. Now that he's back it took him roughly 11 games to turn the league upside down, players like Crosby are the reason the game is changing and not in a good way. I'm not talking about hits to the head that cause concussions because those hits do need to go. But considering the league has already said if there is a rematch of the Stanley Cup finals with the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins, the league is going to have a talk with the referees and get them to crack down on the Bruins physicality. You know the game is going down the wrong path.

Sidney Crosby reminds me of the Canuck's Alex Burrows from earlier on in his career. Burrows dove all the time, complained to the media and referees, and even went as far as claiming that a referee had a "personal vendetta" against him. Then there was the whole "biting finger incident" in the Cup finals. But it seems like Burrows has turned a corner in his career, as we haven't heard any controversy surrounding him as of late. Now Burrows isn't of the same importance to the NHL that Crosby is but it's pretty much the same type of scenario.

One of the major annoying things with Crosby, is the fact he rarely fights! If you're going to take cheap shots at other players you need to answer the bell and fight, instead Crosby just skates away like he's done nothing wrong and then has a horrified look on his face when a player hits or slashes him! Grow up Crosby stop being such a diva and have some respect for your opponents and the game!

The major problem behind Crosby being the way he is, is because he's a major diva. All throughout his career ever since he was a little kid he got what he wanted, he became the captain of the Penguins at 19, the NHL and Garry Bettman worship the ground Crosby walks on!

Lately there have been a lot of questions about Crosby's character, and we're starting to see why. He takes cheap shots behind the play (which camera operators have been instructed not to show us replays of), whines at the referee's and the media, and can't handle what he dishes out. Bottom line, he's a diva who needs to grow up and mature a bit more. I don't think he should have been named captain so young, he wasn't ready and it's gone straight to his head.

No question Crosby is a superb hockey player and a huge star, but he needs to stop being a whiner and a diva. He's like that annoying little brother who you just want to punch in the face but your parents won't let you! If Crosby keeps pushing the envelope with cheap hits, one day someone is going to level him and it will be the last we hear from Sidney Crosby. The sad thing is it will Crosby's fault, you could say, he has it coming! This is not the legacy most players would aspire to.

The Truth about Crosby

First off I just want to say, this blog is not talking about Crosby's skill level. There is no question, he is a phenomenal hockey player, and arguably one of the best to ever play the game. He saved the Pittsburgh Penguins' franchise and brought more attention to the NHL. Sid the kid is one of the league's most valuable players. But sometimes the truth hurts, people need to wake up and realize that Sidney Crosby is not the little angel that everyone thinks he is!

When I evaluate hockey players there are three things I am looking for: Passion, Skill/Talent and Respect for the game. Crosby has the passion, he wants to win and be one of the most dominant hockey players in the league. He obviously has the skill, he's won a Stanley Cup, played in the Olympics and scored the Gold Medal winning goal. Sid makes everyone on the ice around him better. That to me is a sign of an amazing hockey player. But then you come to the last factor; respect for the game, and when I watch Sidney Crosby play the game I see a lack of respect for the game. 

Now I'm not going to go all the way and say that Crosby is a dirty hockey player, because he isn't. But he is to quote Mike Milbury "A punk". He takes cheap shots at people, punches them in the face, slashes them, hits them from behind all stuff a little angel isn't supposed to do. But then as soon as somebody touches the kid, he falls/dives and then screams bloody murder at the referee's demanding a penalty. If you're going to dish it out, you have to be ready to get it back!

Crosby for obvious reasons has the NHL and the referees eating out of his hand, you constantly see him yapping with the refs between the whistles. Other hockey players hate this! Since Crosby get's away with everything it comes down to the other players to "keep him in check". They're sending a message to Crosby, that they're seeing everything he does out there and they aren't going to let it go like the refs and the league.

He's the player that everyone loves to hate, and before his first concussion incident he was nicknamed "crybaby". Ever since he entered the NHL in 2005 he has been diving, and whining to the refs. When a young player comes into the league you expect it to happen, since the player is generally smaller and a little intimidated.  In Crosby's rookie season he became the first rookie to record both 100 points and 100 penalty minutes and was always complaining to the referee's. But normally as a young hockey player matures, they stop whining and complaining and just play the game, but Crosby hasn't stopped whining!

This sounds bad but when Crosby wasn't playing (due to injury) the game was more peaceful. Players weren't whining and diving half as much, and there were no coaching fights. Now that he's back it took him roughly 11 games to turn the league upside down, players like Crosby are the reason the game is changing and not in a good way. I'm not talking about hits to the head that cause concussions because those hits do need to go. But considering the league has already said if there is a rematch of the Stanley Cup finals with the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins, the league is going to have a talk with the referees and get them to crack down on the Bruins physicality. You know the game is going down the wrong path.

Sidney Crosby reminds me of the Canuck's Alex Burrows from earlier on in his career. Burrows dove all the time, complained to the media and referees, and even went as far as claiming that a referee had a "personal vendetta" against him. Then there was the whole "biting finger incident" in the Cup finals. But it seems like Burrows has turned a corner in his career, as we haven't heard any controversy surrounding him as of late. Now Burrows isn't of the same importance to the NHL that Crosby is but it's pretty much the same type of scenario.

One of the major annoying things with Crosby, is the fact he rarely fights! If you're going to take cheap shots at other players you need to answer the bell and fight, instead Crosby just skates away like he's done nothing wrong and then has a horrified look on his face when a player hits or slashes him! Grow up Crosby stop being such a diva and have some respect for your opponents and the game!

The major problem behind Crosby being the way he is, is because he's a major diva. All throughout his career ever since he was a little kid he got what he wanted, he became the captain of the Penguins at 19, the NHL and Garry Bettman worship the ground Crosby walks on!

Lately there have been a lot of questions about Crosby's character, and we're starting to see why. He takes cheap shots behind the play (which camera operators have been instructed not to show us replays of), whines at the referee's and the media, and can't handle what he dishes out. Bottom line, he's a diva who needs to grow up and mature a bit more. I don't think he should have been named captain so young, he wasn't ready and it's gone straight to his head.

No question Crosby is a superb hockey player and a huge star, but he needs to stop being a whiner and a diva. He's like that annoying little brother who you just want to punch in the face but your parents won't let you! If Crosby keeps pushing the envelope with cheap hits, one day someone is going to level him and it will be the last we hear from Sidney Crosby. The sad thing is it will Crosby's fault, you could say, he has it coming! This is not the legacy most players would aspire to.