Winners and Losers From the Trade Deadline

Another NHL trade deadline has come and gone. Trades were made and some teams made deals that will no doubt help their teams for the future. It's time to break down the winners and losers from the trade deadline.

Winners

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets are battling for a playoff spot in the Western Conference- who would have thought that when the season started? At

[caption id="attachment_2839" align="alignright" width="300"] Marian Gaborik[/caption]

trade deadline time they proved that they're serious about making the playoffs and went out to acquire some big guns.

The biggest deal for the Blue Jackets was acquiring Marian Gaborik  from the New York Rangers who waived his no-movement clause to join the Jackets. The fact Gaborik waived his no-movement clause to join the Blue Jackets is huge and turns Columbus into a possible destination for other big players.

In addition to bringing in Gaborik, they also brought in veteran forward Blake Comeau which gives them added depth up front. Sergei Bobrovsky has been lights out for the Jackets this season, he's proven he's ready to be their full time goalie and as a result Steve Mason was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Columbus Blue Jackets made a major splash at the deadline, giving them all the tools they need to make the playoffs. Rick Nash who?

Boston Bruins

While the Bruins missed out on the Jarome Iginla sweepstakes they made up for it by landing Jaromir Jagr at the deadline. Now of course this opens up the debate on which player is a better fit for the Bruins; Jagr or Iginla?

Jagr will be a huge help for the Bruins and their 24th ranked power play, he'll bring creativity and will help mentor some of the younger players like Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand. In addition to bringing in Jagr to help the offence, the Bruins also brought in Wade Redden to add depth to their blue line.

The Bruins brought in key pieces to help counter what the Pittsburgh Penguins have done. The Eastern Conference is extremely close with the Penguins and Bruins both stocking up, wouldn't be a surprise to see them in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins did a lot of their wheeling and dealing ahead of the trade deadline. By getting their shopping list done early the Penguins were able to get the pieces they needed for a playoff run without having to sell the farm. Penguins brought in Jarome Iginla, Brenden Morrow and Douglas Murray before the deadline, putting them in contention for a deep playoff run.

Ray Shero deserves the GM of the year award, he brought in three key players that will add depth to the Penguins without even giving up a player on the roster. Right before the trade deadline the Penguins were dealt a major blow when Sidney Crosby took a puck to the face and broke his jaw. No one knows how long he'll be out and with playoffs right around the corner the Penguins needed more depth. Shero made another brilliant move bringing veteran Jussi Jokinen to add more depth, the kicker is the Carolina Hurricanes will be eating some of Jokinen's salary.

Buffalo Sabres

When you trade your captain away it means you're waiving the white flag, and for the Buffalo Sabres trading Jason Pominville is the beginning of their rebuild. This trade deadline may be Darcy Regier's last as GM of the Sabres, but he went out on fire.

Ahead of the deadline the Sabres traded Robyn Regehr and Jordan Leopold for three 2nd-round draft picks and a conditional fifth. The most important thing when entering a rebuild is the draft, the Sabres have a plethora of second round draft picks which will be key for the future.

The biggest move by the Sabres was the aforementioned Pominville trade. While getting picks for Regehr and Leopold was good settling for picks in return for Pominville wasn't acceptable. The Sabres managed to rob the Minnesota Wild in the return for their captain. Johan Larsson a top prospect who's being compared to both Pominville and Cody Hodgson, top goalie prospect Matt Hackett, a first round pick in 2013 and second round pick in 2014 are all now Sabres property.

This was the perfect move for the Sabres and sets them up for a big off-season that will see the likes of Ryan Miller and Drew Stafford heading out of town. Times are changing in Buffalo and this was the move that needed to kick it all off, the monster return is just the cherry on top.

San Jose Sharks

It was a quiet but good deadline for the Sharks. They picked up 5 draft picks in return for Ryan Clowe and Douglas Murray and they replaced their two roster players with Scott Hannan and Raffi Torres. The Sharks are in tough spot; They're battling for a playoff spot but also starting to rebuild on the fly.

Losers

Philadelphia Flyers

With both the Penguins and Bruins making considerable moves to help them make a playoff run the Flyers did nothing to help themselves get closer to the playoffs. In fact by doing virtually nothing- other than claiming Adam Hall off waivers and bringing Steve Mason to add to their goalie circus, the Flyers may have gotten worse.

Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings needed to add some offence at the deadline to help solidify their win-now motto, they were unable to land anyone that would help. The Red Wings made offers for multiple players leading up to the deadline but nothing materialized forcing them to stay put and make their playoff run with their current roster.

Carolina Hurricanes

With Joni Pitkanen lost for the year due to injury the Hurricanes needed to bring in another defenceman to fill his spot. They went out and found Marc-Andre Bergeron who will help fill the gap for the rest of the season. In the sense that they got their defenceman they did alright, but where they really lost out was losing Josi Jokinen and having to eat some of his contract as part of the deal with Pittsburgh. Hurricanes are just on the edge of the playoffs fighting every game to gain ground, they needed to do more at the deadline to get them closer to the playoffs.

Calgary Flames

It's hard to fault the Flames for their lack of movement at the deadline and getting less than market value back for many of their key pieces as they're heading into a "rebuild." But the Flames could have at least tried to get some solid young prospects in return for Iginla and Bouwmeester. The good news is the Flames now have three- first round picks for the upcoming draft which will help them either make some trades or draft some solid prospects in this years deep draft.

 

Top 10 NHL Stories of 2012

For the majority of 2012 there hasn't been any actual NHL hockey and as the final seconds ticked off the clock into 2013 there was still no sign of hockey. With the deadline for the season just 2 weeks away no one knows whether we will actually see NHL hockey or not. Hockey fans and frankly the hockey world in general is in a fragile place as fans are slowly losing hope for hockey. But since there's no present NHL stories, beside the lockout, to talk about let's take a look back at the most memorable moments from 2012. While the lockout has certainly been dominating the news as of late, there is more to remember from 2012, so here are the top 10 NHL stories of 2012.

Top 10 NHL Stories of 2012

10. Shane Doan's Future

There has been a lot of drama surrounding the Phoenix Coyotes over the last couple of seasons. But this off season the pot thickened when long time Coyotes captain and franchise player Shane Doan announced he would test the free agency markets once July 1st hit. Immediately this news sent the hockey world into a buzz and sent Coyotes fans into a tail spin. If it wasn't bad enough that their star player was considering leaving the desert, he held the league and the organization hostage by not making up his decision until he knew the certainty of where the Coyotes would be next season. He forced the NHL to make up their mind about the Coyotes being in Arizona, he made it clear he wanted to stay but only if he knew what was happening.

It appears Doan found the answer he was looking for and signed a 4 year $21.2 million deal to stay with the Coyotes, wherever that may be, on September 14th 2012. Both the Coyotes organization and their fans were able to breath a sigh of relief as their captain decided to stay with the team. Did he ever really plan on leaving the dessert, we'll likely never know but he did turn down a 4 year $30 million offer from another team earlier in the summer.

9. Tim Thomas Says No to Obama

When news of this story hit the media it got completely blown up and there was so much drama surrounding the Boston Bruins they got lost in the middle of it all and ended up going 5-7-1 afterward the incident and it ultimately drove a riff between Tim Thomas and his teammates. As is tradition the championship team gets an invite to the White House to visit with the President of the United States, it's a great day for the team, the players and the president get's some more air time, everyone wins. Only problem was one key member of the Bruins was not in attendance during the visit to the White House.

Thomas, who won the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP, Vezina Trophy and was the biggest key in the Bruins winning their first Stanley Cup in 39 years decided he would not accompany his teammates to the White House to celebrate their victory. The goaltender stated political beliefs as the reason for him not

[caption id="attachment_1774" align="alignright" width="300"] Tim Thomas taunted by Obama Signs[/caption]

attending the event as he wasn't in favour of the presidents policies. The event shamed both the Bruins and the NHL but also opened up the media and the fans to the political side of the goaltender.

Thomas skipping the event had major consequences and virtually put an end to his career in Boston as he declared he would be taking the 2012-2013 season off from hockey to "re-evaluate" and "find himself". But it appears Thomas can see into the future as all NHL players are taking a break from playing.

8. Sam Gagner goes Gretzky-esque

Imagine a feat so rare that only 11 players have managed to accomplish it, a feat that neither Sidney Crosby nor Alexander Ovechkin have been able to claim and a milestone that hadn't been reached since Mario Lemieux in 1989. On February 2nd 2012, Edmonton Oilers forward Sam Gagner recorded 8 points (4 goals and 4 assists) to add himself to an exclusive list of players. Gagner became just the 12th player to record 8 points in a single game, a feat Wayne Gretzky himself accomplished twice.

Gagner was 22 at the time and tied the Oilers franchise record shared by Gretzky and Paul Coffey, not bad for a guy whose name was being tossed around in rumour after rumour leading up to the trade deadline!

7. Detroit Red Wings Defend Home Turf

Home ice advantage has become a thing of the past, in today's game great teams can go into any arena and grind out the win. But the Detroit Red Wings made a case that the Joe was a scary place for the opposition to play. The Red Wings put together a streak that lasted 4 months and saw them win 23 consecutive home games at Joe Louis. It was an awesome story for the Wings, who have been one of the NHL's elite for the last decade but still play the game "the right way" so it was awesome that they were able to break the record for consecutive wins at home.

Just how dominate were the Wings during their win streak? During those 23 games, they won 19 of them in regulation, outscored their opponents 89-34 and the last 6 games of the win streak came with the help of their back-up goaltender! Sure anyone can get lucky while playing at home but away from the Joe the Wings were a loess than stellar 13-11-1 during that same time.

6. Penguins/ Flyers rivalry

For any hockey fan who likes old time hockey the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers rivalry is for you. If you remember the days of the Broad Street Bullies you know the Flyers have always played a style of hockey where they like to intimidate or beat up opponents. The 2011-2012 Flyers went back to their roots and once again became the Broad Street Bullies during their playoff series against the Penguins. The Penguins are a team of

[caption id="attachment_1775" align="alignright" width="300"] Crosby and Giroux go toe-to-toe in the 2012 Playoffs[/caption]

finesse, they don't get involved in the rough stuff as they focus on pretty scoring plays and beating opponents on the scoreboard. During their first round playoff match, the Flyers drew the Penguins into playing the Flyers rough style of hockey, a style completely out of the Penguins element.

The most memorable game in the series was game 3 in which tempers finally boiled over and the Penguins fully lost it. The Flyers won the game 8-4 and both goalies have had better games but that wasn't the main storyline. The two teams racked up 158 penalty minutes including 4 10 minute misconducts! Even Sidney Crosby and Claude Giroux mixed things up during the game which proved the Flyers had officially got under the Penguins skin. To follow up the 158 PIM game, the Penguins returned the favour and won game 4 by a score of 10-3, that game featured 100 PIM. The Flyers would take the series 4-2 but would fall in the 2nd round as all their emotion was thrust into the Penguins series.

It was some great old time hockey, that featured fights and players who really didn't like each other. One of the most memorable moments, Giroux hit Crosby into the boards and while Crosby was still getting up, Giroux had scored a goal for the Flyers. When the NHL eventually gets back it will be interesting to see these two teams square off again!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tit_fbYnmLc

5. Phoenix Coyotes Best Season

The Coyotes are kind of like the orphans of the NHL, they don't really have an owner and there's always talk about moving them from their current home to a new home with a new owner. With so much un-certainty following the team it can be hard to focus on the hockey, but the Coyotes players put aside all the distractions and made the 2011-2012 season their best!

Throughout the regular season the Coyotes earned 97 points which ranked them 3rd in the Western Conference poised for a playoff birth. Going into the playoffs the Coyotes franchise had never won a playoff series, but the Coyotes managed to win not just 1 but 2 against the Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators. From phenomenal goaltending by Mike Smith to the veteran leadership of Shane Doan something clicked and the Coyotes worked their way to the Western Conference Finals where they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions the Los Angeles Kings. With their best season ever the Coyotes managed to win over the support of the fans and played in front of sold out crowds in the dessert during the playoffs.

4. Steven Stamkos Scoring Sensation

Other than maybe Evgeni Malkin there is not a more natural, consistent goal scorer in the NHL than Steven Stamkos. He is already on his way to have a career for the record books and he's only 22, but seems to improve every season. In his 4 years in the NHL he has scored 179 goals including the 60 he scored in 2011-2012. Yes Stamkos reached the mark of 60 goals in a single season becoming just the second player to reach the feat since 1996. With the average first liner

[caption id="attachment_1780" align="alignright" width="300"] Stamkos Celebrates His 60th Goal[/caption]

scoring between 25-35 goals, Stamkos being able to reach the coveted 60 is a tremendous achievement and with his team being out of the playoff race he managed to keep things interesting. Of his 60 goals, 48 of them came while playing at even strength, showing he can still dominate at 5 on 5.

Stamkos became just the 19th player in history to score 60 goals in a single season and he accomplished it in game 82 on the road in Winnipeg. His 60 goals were enough to earn him his 2nd Rocket Richard Trophy. If Stamkos can stay healthy over the next 10 years he may become one of the most prolific goal scorers in NHL history. With his surging popularity and improvement each season, the NHL will look to him to help dig themselves out of the lockout hole with the fans.

When talking about Stamkos you also have to give a little stick tap to his new off-season trainer Gary Roberts, who Stamkos credits for taking his game to the next level. With Roberts help who knows where his development would be.

3. Nicklas Lidstrom Calls it Quits

May 31st, 2012 one of the saddest days for Red Wings fans and hockey fans, the day legendary Nicklas Lidstrom announced his retirement from the NHL. It came as a surprise to many as he was still one of the best defenceman in the league and had talked about retiring for a few years but always came back. But after 20 seasons Lidstrom decided enough was enough and he had accomplished enough in his career to call it quits. 

Just like that one of the games all-time great deafenceman and all-around class acts was gone from the game, but he remained in the hearts of Red Wings fans after playing his entire career with the wings. When the dust cleared on Lidstrom's career he had racked up 1,142 points, 4 Stanley Cups, 1 Conn Smythe and 7 Norris Trophies. He will no doubt one day be a first-ballet Hall of Fame Inductee and is arguably one of the best defenceman to ever play the game. He will be missed by everyone but will never be forgotten.

2. Wild Offseason

The two biggest names during free agency were Zach Parise and Ryan Suter who had both made it clear they would be leaving their teams and testing the free agency market. At first teams were sending offers to each player depending on which they could afford and what they needed. But the longer free agency lasted some teams started to offer a deal to both players, which started the rumour that Parise and Suter would like to play on the same team if at all possible.



That of course would come with a major price tag which in turn knocked out a lot of the smaller market teams. Near the end of the saga it was rumoured Parise was headed to Pittsburgh to join forces with Crosby and Suter was headed to Detroit, but the two players had other ideas. They signed identical 13 year $98 million contracts with the Minnesota Wild.

Looking at their singings and the immediate turmoil of the NHL CBA, it's wouldn't be a a far stretch to say this deal was what jump-kicked the NHL lockout. As owners felt they were paying too much for their big stars and as a result losing money.

1. Kings Get Their Crowns

I refuse to let the lockout be the biggest hockey story of 2012, for the true fans of the game the biggest story needs to be the Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup victory, that's hockey not all this silly CBA talk. The Kings were able to make history with their Cup win, entering the playoffs as the 8th seed in the Western Conference they not only knocked off the 1st seed Vancouver Canucks but also the 2nd St. Louis Blues and 3 Phoenix Coyotes, to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. 

The Kings jumped out to a early 3-0 series lead over the New Jersey Devils and once the Devils had brought it back to a 3-2 series the Kings closed the deal with a dominating 6-1 victory in game 6. Throughout the playoffs the Kings went a remarkable 16-4 including a 10-1 record on the road on their way to turning Los Angeles into a hockey city. The victory meant a lot of things for different players: for Jeff Carter and Mike Richards it meant redemption after being traded away from the Flyers after they were deemed as not being the "right guys" to make a cup run, for Trevor Lewis it meant celebrating with family.

There you have it folks my list of the most memorable and best moments from the NHL in 2012. Right now the NHL is in limbo but you can still look back on what was one of the best NHL seasons in the history of the game.

Ian White Calls Gary Bettman An Idiot

We're roughly 2 months into the NHL lockout and to be honest I don't know if the two sides are any closer now than they were 2 months ago. Although there's the drama of potentially losing a whole season, fans haven't really been treated to a lot of drama from either side. Besides Bettman and Fehr taking shots at each other through the media, there hasn't been anything juicy. But that all changed on Friday afternoon when Detroit Red Wings defenceman Ian White broke the typical player mould and let his thoughts about the opposition be known;

"To be honest, I personally think he's an idiot."

Wow! I'm sorry White can you tell us how you really feel about Bettman, oh you're not fond of him?

"Since he's come in I think he's done nothing but damage the game."

Alright, I think we're getting a better picture of what White is thinking/feeling through the lockout. But please continue;

 "If you think about all the moves he's made, teams that are all struggling seem to be the teams that he put in places where there's not viable markets for hockey. Three work stoppages-I don't know if he's in control of the owners or what he's saying, but I think it's only 7 of the owners that have to agree on something to have it pass. You'd think it'd be at least 50%. It just doesn't seem like they're running a democratic process, if you will."

Talk about not pulling any punches, White made sure his feelings were known and one would have to think he's not the only play that is feeling this way about the NHL. White stood up for his fellow players that didn't have the guts to publicly call out Bettman, but his comments only further prove the rift that is evident between the players and owners. It also proves that the players, who are not fans of Bettman, aren't going to cooperate and let him walk over them.

To be honest I'm glad that White had the guts to call out Bettman, he is an idiot and is about to ruin one of the best games on the planet. White and the rest of the players have every reason to be upset with whats taking place; In 2004-2005 the players lost everything and the owners ran laughing all the way to the bank, this time around the players just want a fair deal but the owners want a clean sweep like last time. Bettman needs to get it through his head that the players wont just roll over this time around. But what I believe really set White off is the fact that Bettman has decided it would be best if the two sides take a 2 week break from negotiating, and since they haven't met for a week that makes 3 weeks without any negotiations. You're trying to save a season and salvage the image of the NHL, taking 2 weeks off isn't going to help anything in fact it's very idiotic. It's virtually like Bettman giving the players a "timeout" because they won't listen and cooperate.

While I currently stand neutral between the two sides, as both are at fault to a certain extent. I honestly don't care who the "bad guy" is anymore I just want the NHL back! I applaud White for voicing his opinions about the owners and Bettman, he has some solid points in his argument; The fact Bettman only needs a handful of owners on his side to win a majority, is disgusting. You can bet there were and are several owners who are just as upset about this lockout as the players are; The Winnipeg Jets just got a team back, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings had a Winter Classic game and how about poor little Columbus who are losing their all-star game. Then there's the fact this is the 3rd lockout under Bettman, shows he has a history and is willing to cancel a season to get his way.

The only part of White's little rant that could be thrown back into his face is his argument about less teams. If there were fewer teams there would be a strong chance Ian White himself wouldn't be in the NHL. Fewer teams make room for only star players, very few teams would be willing to sacrifice a spot for a journey man defenceman. Also many of his fellow players wouldn't be too happy if there were fewer teams as the majority of them would be out of a job.

Kudos to White for voicing what everyone all ready knew, the players can't stand Gary Bettman. Good thing for fans is things usually get ugly before they get better, who knows maybe White stepping up will inspire some other players to voice their opinions.

What You Need to Know September 14

Welcome back to another edition of " What You Need to Know". Let's dive right in.

• Justin Bieber, pop sensation and hockey star?

Your eyes are not deceiving you, like every good Canadian boy the singing sensation grew up playing hockey. Bieber had to put his hockey career on hold to follow his dream of singing. Earlier this week the Bakersfield Condors who play in the ECHL offered the singing sensation a contract to join their hockey team. The head coach of the Condors saw the footage of Beiber skating with the Toronto Maple Leafs and decided he would be a good fit for his team.

“Very rarely do you see this combination of skill and toughness, I think he could provide some elusive speed up front for us. Plus, he’s a right-handed shot, which we’ve been looking to add.” ~ Matt O'Dett head coach of the Bakersfield Condors.

Wow talk about a marketing plan, if Bieber does agree to go and practice with the team they might start selling out games.

• September 15th is right around the conner

In Fact the deadline in which league commissioner Gary Bettman set is tomorrow night at midnight. Sadly I will be away in the woods with little internet coverage, but I'm not foreseeing a deal being signed in the next 24 hours. The two sides met again on Wednesday, during the meeting the NHLPA led by Donald Fehr submitted another proposal to the league and the league than countered that proposal with one of their own. The two sides are still extremely far apart despite the league submitting what will likely be the best deal the NHLPA will see during this process. Fehr described the leagues proposal as a ploy for them "Trying to see what else they can get". Any hope of an outside source coming to rescue the CBA talks was put to rest when the Board of Governors unanimously voted to have a lockout if there is not a deal by Saturday. I hate to say it but start preparing for a lockout.

• Signings, Signings and more signings

With the lockout right around the corner teams are taking one last shot to lock up players before they are no longer allowed too. Signings over the last week include:

• John Carlson signs for another 6 years with the Washington Capitals


• Kari Lehtonen signs for another 5 years with the Dallas Stars


• Justin Abdelkader signs for another 4 years with the Detroit Red Wings


• Carlo Colaiacovo signs for another 2 years with the Detroit Red Wings


• Jonathan Blum resigns a one-year deal with the Nashville Predators


• Ben Scrivens signs a two year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs


• Tyler Seguin signs a 6 year deal with the Boston Bruins

 

• New Name but same home

The Florida Panthers have changed the name of their home arena in Sunrise Florida from BankAtlanticCentre to BB&T.

• Sid the Kid is 100% healthy

One of the sad things about the impending lockout is that fact the world's number one player is finally healthy after 2+ years of battling with a concussion. Problem is there's nowhere for him to play. But the good news for the Pittsburgh Penguins and their fans is that Crosby has not had any setbacks to his health while training this summer. 

"Nothing. I've been feeling 100 percent. It feels good to not have to think about that, and to work as hard as you want. It's been really good."~ Sidney Crosby

• Gaborik making progress

Marian Gaborik is back on the ice skating with his teammates after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. Gaborik says he is happy with the progress but will take his tame rehabbing and will likely be out until late November.

"I can play with the puck and shoot some muffins, everything has gone as planned, so I am very happy with the progress. I can feel the difference now and I can feel that it's getting better, so that's the most important thing." ~ Marian Gaborik

 That will do it for the news this week in the NHL.

 

What You Need to Know July 13th

Welcome to the second edition of my summer series "What You Need to Know" where I catch you up on what has happened during the past week. 

Free Agency

The free agency frenzy has quickly turned into a free agency fizzle. News about free agent signings is trickling in ever so slowly. Of all the players who signed this week, only 5 of them got a contracts worth a million dollars.

Teemu Selanne signs 1 year deal with Anaheim

The future Hall of Famer has decided he is healthy enough and wants to play one more season before hanging up the skates. The 42 year old announced on Thursday that he and the Ducks had agreed on a one year deal, which will bring Selanne back for his 20th NHL season. The ageless wonder is coming back. After a season that saw his team start the year 10-21-6  and turn it around in December to finish 24-15-6. Selanne showed he still had game finishing the year leading his team in scoring with 66 points and tied for third with 26 goals. 

In 19 seasons Selanne has racked up 663 goals and 1,406 points in 1,341 games. He also the Ducks all time leader in goals (466), assists (501), points (937) and games played (856). 

There is no question that when it does come time for Selanne to hang up the skates he will one day be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is a NHL legend and it's a fantastic thing for both the Ducks and the NHL to have him back for another year. 

Marc-Andre Gragnani signs 1 year deal with Carolina

The former Sabres is on the move again. After being deal to the Canucks at the trade deadline Gragnani has moved on to another team. The Hurricanes signed the young defenceman to a one year deal worth $800 thousand. 

Peter Mueller signs 1 year deal with Florida

The Panthers and Mueller agreed to a one year deal worth $1.725 million. 

Jamie Langenbrunner signs 1 year deal with St. Louis

While he scored just 6 goals for the Blues last season, GM Doug Armstrong says he's veteran leadership in the dressing room is worth keeping around. The two sides agreed to a one year deal worth $1.25 million. 

Parise and Suter both receive "A's" in Minnesota

After the long drawn out process that resulted in the two biggest fish during free agency signing with the same team. The two players got their official "Wild" welcome on Monday. Suter will wear his familiar number 20 while Parise will switch to his fathers old number 11. Both players donned new Jerseys that had an A sowed on them, making them both alternate captains. Parise was the New Jersey Devils captain and has great leadership capabilities. Parise will likely become the face of the franchise for the next decade. 

Brett MacLean improving

After a scare last week for Coyotes forward MacLean during a recreational scrimmage in which he went into Cardiac emergency. He is currently recovering in hospital and has began walking up and down the hospital halls. The doctors are still running tests to figure out what caused the Cardiac emergency and MacLean will stay in hospital until they know exactly what happened. After collapsing his heart was shocked three times and eventually they were able to restart his heart. 

Pierre Gauthier is back in action

After being scene at a Blackhawks training session rumours began to swirl about Gauthier now working for the Blackhawks. For once the rumours were right. Gauthier will become the director of player personnel for the Blackhawks. He also works in the front offices for the Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators. Could Gauthier be the future Blackhawks GM?

Winter Classic Alumni take 2

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings are such historic teams that they are need two alumni games at the Winter Classic. For fans that's double the fun and twice the all-stars they get to see. Tickets which will begin selling August 1 (season ticket holders) will feature the opportunity to attend both games. 

Some key names attending one of the Alumni games for the Leafs include: Wendel Clark, Darryl Sittler, Darcy Tucker, Felix Potvin, Dave Andreychuck, Doug Gilmour and Johnny Bower.

Notable Red Wings include: Mickey Redmond, Luc Robitaille, Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, Mark Howe and Chris Chelios.

Two notable Red Wings missing from the list of confirmed attendees include recently retire Nicklas Lidstrom who has yet to decide if he will participate and Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman who has declined his invitation to play but may make an appearance at the festivities. 

James Van Riemsdyk at centre?

One of the biggest needs the Leafs needed this offseason was a number one centre. To date Brian Burke has failed to bring his team a number centre. Head coach Randy Carlyle is taking maters into his own hands and is going to try newly acquired forward Van Riemsdyk at centre during training camp. With the Flyers there was little to no opportunity for him to play centre, but he did play centre at the University of New Hampshire so he does have some experience. 

In 43 games with the Flyers last season Van Riemsdyk scored 11 goals and added 13 assists. 

Derek Roy to undergo shoulder surgery

Sabres fans can take a sigh of relief. The injury prone Derek Roy is no longer their problem. Roy was traded to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy. The surgery was an optional choice but the Stars have said they "want the best Roy they can get". Roy had the surgery on Wednesday and will be out till at least November. Some bad luck and a tough break for Roy who played through the shoulder injury last season with the Sabres. 

 Honouring the French Connection

If you're a Sabres fan you have likely heard of the great French Connection line. One of the most famous lines in Sabres (and NHL) history will be honoured in the Sabres new Alumni plaza outside of First Niagara Centre. The statue will be unveiled October 12th to honour the 40th anniversary of the trio. Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin and Rene Robert all three players were french Canadian and were dubbed "the French Connection Line" after a movie in 1971. In Buffalo's third season in the NHL the trio were put together and led the Sabres to their first ever playoff birth. All three players are members of the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame and have had their numbers retired by the organization. The new Alumni plaza will be a walk down memory lane for older fans and history lesson for younger ones as each member of the Sabres will be honoured in some way. As a Sabres fan I can't wait to see it!

That's all she wrote this weak around the NHL. At the end of each week I am ticking down the days till October when the greatest game is back. If you ever want to talk hockey feel free to tweet me @Hockeylife30.

What You Need to Know July 13th

Welcome to the second edition of my summer series "What You Need to Know" where I catch you up on what has happened during the past week. 

Free Agency

The free agency frenzy has quickly turned into a free agency fizzle. News about free agent signings is trickling in ever so slowly. Of all the players who signed this week, only 5 of them got a contracts worth a million dollars.

Teemu Selanne signs 1 year deal with Anaheim

The future Hall of Famer has decided he is healthy enough and wants to play one more season before hanging up the skates. The 42 year old announced on Thursday that he and the Ducks had agreed on a one year deal, which will bring Selanne back for his 20th NHL season. The ageless wonder is coming back. After a season that saw his team start the year 10-21-6  and turn it around in December to finish 24-15-6. Selanne showed he still had game finishing the year leading his team in scoring with 66 points and tied for third with 26 goals. 

In 19 seasons Selanne has racked up 663 goals and 1,406 points in 1,341 games. He also the Ducks all time leader in goals (466), assists (501), points (937) and games played (856). 

There is no question that when it does come time for Selanne to hang up the skates he will one day be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is a NHL legend and it's a fantastic thing for both the Ducks and the NHL to have him back for another year. 

Marc-Andre Gragnani signs 1 year deal with Carolina

The former Sabres is on the move again. After being deal to the Canucks at the trade deadline Gragnani has moved on to another team. The Hurricanes signed the young defenceman to a one year deal worth $800 thousand. 

Peter Mueller signs 1 year deal with Florida

The Panthers and Mueller agreed to a one year deal worth $1.725 million. 

Jamie Langenbrunner signs 1 year deal with St. Louis

While he scored just 6 goals for the Blues last season, GM Doug Armstrong says he's veteran leadership in the dressing room is worth keeping around. The two sides agreed to a one year deal worth $1.25 million. 

Parise and Suter both receive "A's" in Minnesota

After the long drawn out process that resulted in the two biggest fish during free agency signing with the same team. The two players got their official "Wild" welcome on Monday. Suter will wear his familiar number 20 while Parise will switch to his fathers old number 11. Both players donned new Jerseys that had an A sowed on them, making them both alternate captains. Parise was the New Jersey Devils captain and has great leadership capabilities. Parise will likely become the face of the franchise for the next decade. 

Brett MacLean improving

After a scare last week for Coyotes forward MacLean during a recreational scrimmage in which he went into Cardiac emergency. He is currently recovering in hospital and has began walking up and down the hospital halls. The doctors are still running tests to figure out what caused the Cardiac emergency and MacLean will stay in hospital until they know exactly what happened. After collapsing his heart was shocked three times and eventually they were able to restart his heart. 

Pierre Gauthier is back in action

After being scene at a Blackhawks training session rumours began to swirl about Gauthier now working for the Blackhawks. For once the rumours were right. Gauthier will become the director of player personnel for the Blackhawks. He also works in the front offices for the Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators. Could Gauthier be the future Blackhawks GM?

Winter Classic Alumni take 2

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings are such historic teams that they are need two alumni games at the Winter Classic. For fans that's double the fun and twice the all-stars they get to see. Tickets which will begin selling August 1 (season ticket holders) will feature the opportunity to attend both games. 

Some key names attending one of the Alumni games for the Leafs include: Wendel Clark, Darryl Sittler, Darcy Tucker, Felix Potvin, Dave Andreychuck, Doug Gilmour and Johnny Bower.

Notable Red Wings include: Mickey Redmond, Luc Robitaille, Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, Mark Howe and Chris Chelios.

Two notable Red Wings missing from the list of confirmed attendees include recently retire Nicklas Lidstrom who has yet to decide if he will participate and Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman who has declined his invitation to play but may make an appearance at the festivities. 

James Van Riemsdyk at centre?

One of the biggest needs the Leafs needed this offseason was a number one centre. To date Brian Burke has failed to bring his team a number centre. Head coach Randy Carlyle is taking maters into his own hands and is going to try newly acquired forward Van Riemsdyk at centre during training camp. With the Flyers there was little to no opportunity for him to play centre, but he did play centre at the University of New Hampshire so he does have some experience. 

In 43 games with the Flyers last season Van Riemsdyk scored 11 goals and added 13 assists. 

Derek Roy to undergo shoulder surgery

Sabres fans can take a sigh of relief. The injury prone Derek Roy is no longer their problem. Roy was traded to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy. The surgery was an optional choice but the Stars have said they "want the best Roy they can get". Roy had the surgery on Wednesday and will be out till at least November. Some bad luck and a tough break for Roy who played through the shoulder injury last season with the Sabres. 

 Honouring the French Connection

If you're a Sabres fan you have likely heard of the great French Connection line. One of the most famous lines in Sabres (and NHL) history will be honoured in the Sabres new Alumni plaza outside of First Niagara Centre. The statue will be unveiled October 12th to honour the 40th anniversary of the trio. Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin and Rene Robert all three players were french Canadian and were dubbed "the French Connection Line" after a movie in 1971. In Buffalo's third season in the NHL the trio were put together and led the Sabres to their first ever playoff birth. All three players are members of the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame and have had their numbers retired by the organization. The new Alumni plaza will be a walk down memory lane for older fans and history lesson for younger ones as each member of the Sabres will be honoured in some way. As a Sabres fan I can't wait to see it!

That's all she wrote this weak around the NHL. At the end of each week I am ticking down the days till October when the greatest game is back. If you ever want to talk hockey feel free to tweet me @Hockeylife30.

2012 HHOF Inductees

Apart from winning the Stanley Cup one of the great honours for a hockey player is to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame after they retire from the great game. Forever having you name etched into the Hall of Fame for generations of people to see, being known as a legend and a hero to young hockey fans. For 4 players their dreams came true on Tuesday: Mats Sundin, Joe Sakic, Adam Oates and Pavel Bure were all elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Mats Sundin
Let's start with a guy I actually got to see play. Growing up in Toronto everything is about the Leafs so when I began watching hockey I fell in love with Sundin. I loved the way he played the game and to me as a little kid he was a fantastic captain, and a true captain. Perhaps an ever rarer feat is getting voted into the Hall as a first timer, Sundin was voted into the Hall in his first eligible year. He retired after the 2008-2009 season and becomes the first player to end his career as a Canuck and be inducted into the Hall. While Sundin failed to raise Lord Stanley he was a legendary Toronto Maple Leafs. He played 13 seasons with the buds and was the captain from 1997-2008. He still holds franchise records in goals (420), assists by a forward (567) and total points (987). Despite failing to win a Stanley Cup, Sundin was the face of the Leafs franchise and a beloved captain.

"I think you have to be part of the Toronto Maple Leafs to understand the importance of the team for the city of Toronto," Sundin said. "It took a little while to learn that and also to understand the pressure to be a Toronto Maple Leafs player and coach and management, to live with that. The whole city lives and breathes the Toronto Maple Leafs. The longer you're there, you appreciate it more and you understand it's bigger than just trying to be a player. It was certainly the best time of my life.

While his NHL career was not overly successful (not Stanley Cup) he made up for it with his International play. He played 14 tournaments for team Sweden and won a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Sundin was also the first European player to be drafted first overall in 1989 by Quebec and was the first Swedish player to record 1000 points.

He played 18 seasons in the NHL and tallied 564 goals, 785 assists and 1,349 points in 1,346 games. Sundin also had the pleasure of seeing his jersey #13 raised to the rafters of the ACC and honoured by the Toronto Maple Leafs. It will be a long while before the Leafs have another captain like Sundin. Sundin may go down as one of the best players to play that never won a Stanley Cup.

Joe Sakic

Perhaps one of the greatest players to ever lace up the skates. Sakic won just about every major awards a hockey player can, including 2 Stanley Cups (1996, 2001), the Hart Trophy, the Conn Smythe trophy, the Lady Byng trophy and an Olympic Gold medal in 2002. He played all 20 NHL seasons with the Quebec Nordics/Colorado Avalanche franchise and still holds the franchise records for: goals (625), Assists (1,016) and points (1,641).

Like Sundin, Sakic was also a first year eligible nominee, but was considered a shoo-in by many. In addition to his two Stanley Cup wins, Sakic won the World Junior Championships, the World Championships, the World Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal.

In his 20 seasons with the Avalanche organization Sakic captained the team for 16 seasons and his the 2nd longest serving captain in NHL history. Sakic had an amazing and historic run in the NHL, and is very worthy of his election into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Adam Oates
Being elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame is a huge honour for any player, so you have to think Oates was having  a pretty good day when he got the call from the Hall. But if you can imagine his day got even better as he was also named the head coach of the Washington Capitals. Not a bad day eh?

"Obviously it's a fantastic day," Oates said. "I don't know if that has ever happened before.  I gotta go out and play lotto."

Oates has never won a Stanley Cup, he came close mere months ago as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils but will now have the opportunity to do so with Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

Oates had a 19 year NHL career which saw him split time between the Red Wings, Bruins, Capitals, Flyers, Ducks and Oilers. He was known for his passing skills and credits his parents for teaching him to be an unselfish athlete so he was able to develop the willingness to pass. Oates finished his career 6th all time in the NHL with 1,079 assists in addition to his assists he added 341 goals for 1,420 points.

One of the things NHL scouts look for in a prospect is size, in Oates draft year he wasn't very big and was passed on in the NHL. Instead he went to the NCAA were he won a NCAA division 1 championship in 1985.

"I was kind of a late-bloomer," Oates said. "When the scouts look at the draft, they look at the big kids. I was a small kid, a late-bloomer that slipped through the cracks. It allowed me to go to college, and then came that second wave of guys that got signed. I got to play 19 years in this League, and I'm very fortunate."

Pavel Bure

After defecting with his family Bure joined the Vancouver Canucks and won the Calder trophy in 1992. He was limited to just 12 NHL seasons due to knee injuries but Bure made the most of his time in the NHL. Scoring 60 goals twice and scoring (59 and 58) in two other seasons in his 702 NHL games. He averaged 36.7 goals per season and was able to record 779 points.

One man who played a part in three of the inductees careers Pat Quinn was quite proud:

"It's just incredible, really," Quinn said. "Having been around Pavel and Mats, and then also Joe on the Canadian teams, it's been such a privilege for me as a coach and hockey person. I watched them perform at such high levels all the time. I watched Pavel grow as a 20-year-old and become one of the brightest starts in the game. Mats was truly one of the great captains. With Joe, he was just spectacular in 2002. He was such a privilege to be around. He was a key leader for us. We wouldn't have a gold medal but for his accomplishments. "I am proud today. It's a good day for me as well."

Congratulations to Mats Sundin, Joe Sakic, Adam Oates and Pavel Bure. These four men now have their names permanently engraved in history at the Hockey Hall of Fame. I look forward to seeing these legendary players in the Hall next time I'm there.

2012 HHOF Inductees

Apart from winning the Stanley Cup one of the great honours for a hockey player is to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame after they retire from the great game. Forever having you name etched into the Hall of Fame for generations of people to see, being known as a legend and a hero to young hockey fans. For 4 players their dreams came true on Tuesday: Mats Sundin, Joe Sakic, Adam Oates and Pavel Bure were all elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Mats Sundin
Let's start with a guy I actually got to see play. Growing up in Toronto everything is about the Leafs so when I began watching hockey I fell in love with Sundin. I loved the way he played the game and to me as a little kid he was a fantastic captain, and a true captain. Perhaps an ever rarer feat is getting voted into the Hall as a first timer, Sundin was voted into the Hall in his first eligible year. He retired after the 2008-2009 season and becomes the first player to end his career as a Canuck and be inducted into the Hall. While Sundin failed to raise Lord Stanley he was a legendary Toronto Maple Leafs. He played 13 seasons with the buds and was the captain from 1997-2008. He still holds franchise records in goals (420), assists by a forward (567) and total points (987). Despite failing to win a Stanley Cup, Sundin was the face of the Leafs franchise and a beloved captain.

"I think you have to be part of the Toronto Maple Leafs to understand the importance of the team for the city of Toronto," Sundin said. "It took a little while to learn that and also to understand the pressure to be a Toronto Maple Leafs player and coach and management, to live with that. The whole city lives and breathes the Toronto Maple Leafs. The longer you're there, you appreciate it more and you understand it's bigger than just trying to be a player. It was certainly the best time of my life.

While his NHL career was not overly successful (not Stanley Cup) he made up for it with his International play. He played 14 tournaments for team Sweden and won a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Sundin was also the first European player to be drafted first overall in 1989 by Quebec and was the first Swedish player to record 1000 points.

He played 18 seasons in the NHL and tallied 564 goals, 785 assists and 1,349 points in 1,346 games. Sundin also had the pleasure of seeing his jersey #13 raised to the rafters of the ACC and honoured by the Toronto Maple Leafs. It will be a long while before the Leafs have another captain like Sundin. Sundin may go down as one of the best players to play that never won a Stanley Cup.

Joe Sakic

Perhaps one of the greatest players to ever lace up the skates. Sakic won just about every major awards a hockey player can, including 2 Stanley Cups (1996, 2001), the Hart Trophy, the Conn Smythe trophy, the Lady Byng trophy and an Olympic Gold medal in 2002. He played all 20 NHL seasons with the Quebec Nordics/Colorado Avalanche franchise and still holds the franchise records for: goals (625), Assists (1,016) and points (1,641).

Like Sundin, Sakic was also a first year eligible nominee, but was considered a shoo-in by many. In addition to his two Stanley Cup wins, Sakic won the World Junior Championships, the World Championships, the World Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal.

In his 20 seasons with the Avalanche organization Sakic captained the team for 16 seasons and his the 2nd longest serving captain in NHL history. Sakic had an amazing and historic run in the NHL, and is very worthy of his election into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Adam Oates
Being elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame is a huge honour for any player, so you have to think Oates was having  a pretty good day when he got the call from the Hall. But if you can imagine his day got even better as he was also named the head coach of the Washington Capitals. Not a bad day eh?

"Obviously it's a fantastic day," Oates said. "I don't know if that has ever happened before.  I gotta go out and play lotto."

Oates has never won a Stanley Cup, he came close mere months ago as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils but will now have the opportunity to do so with Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

Oates had a 19 year NHL career which saw him split time between the Red Wings, Bruins, Capitals, Flyers, Ducks and Oilers. He was known for his passing skills and credits his parents for teaching him to be an unselfish athlete so he was able to develop the willingness to pass. Oates finished his career 6th all time in the NHL with 1,079 assists in addition to his assists he added 341 goals for 1,420 points.

One of the things NHL scouts look for in a prospect is size, in Oates draft year he wasn't very big and was passed on in the NHL. Instead he went to the NCAA were he won a NCAA division 1 championship in 1985.

"I was kind of a late-bloomer," Oates said. "When the scouts look at the draft, they look at the big kids. I was a small kid, a late-bloomer that slipped through the cracks. It allowed me to go to college, and then came that second wave of guys that got signed. I got to play 19 years in this League, and I'm very fortunate."

Pavel Bure

After defecting with his family Bure joined the Vancouver Canucks and won the Calder trophy in 1992. He was limited to just 12 NHL seasons due to knee injuries but Bure made the most of his time in the NHL. Scoring 60 goals twice and scoring (59 and 58) in two other seasons in his 702 NHL games. He averaged 36.7 goals per season and was able to record 779 points.

One man who played a part in three of the inductees careers Pat Quinn was quite proud:

"It's just incredible, really," Quinn said. "Having been around Pavel and Mats, and then also Joe on the Canadian teams, it's been such a privilege for me as a coach and hockey person. I watched them perform at such high levels all the time. I watched Pavel grow as a 20-year-old and become one of the brightest starts in the game. Mats was truly one of the great captains. With Joe, he was just spectacular in 2002. He was such a privilege to be around. He was a key leader for us. We wouldn't have a gold medal but for his accomplishments. "I am proud today. It's a good day for me as well."

Congratulations to Mats Sundin, Joe Sakic, Adam Oates and Pavel Bure. These four men now have their names permanently engraved in history at the Hockey Hall of Fame. I look forward to seeing these legendary players in the Hall next time I'm there.

Home sweet home

On Tuesday night, the Detroit Red Wings were set to play the Dallas Stars in Detroit. But this wasn't any regular game, the Red Wings had a chance to change history, a win Tuesday would mark the Red Wings 21st straight win at home! From the drop of the puck you could tell the Red Wings wanted this win bad, and to the joy of the Red Wing faithful at the "Joe" the Wings defeated the Stars 3-1. Giving them 21 straight wins at home, something the NHL hasn't seen since 1975.

In sports not just hockey, playing at home is said to give a team an advantage or edge against the opponents. Now I'm not a huge believer in the "home ice advantage;" I can see how it sometimes helps a team to have the crowd behind them, or to sleep in their own beds for some of the game, but it's not the do all or end all for me. But the Detroit Red Wings seem to have something special going at Joe Louis Arena this year. Going into Tuesday night's game, the Wings were tied with the 1929-1930 Boston Bruins and the 1975-1976 Philadelphia Flyers with 20 straight home wins. But many feel the Red Wings streak shouldn't be put in the same category as the ones from back in the day, as 3 of their wins came by way of the shootout. Now hear me out, first of all I am in no way a fan of the shootout; it's a horrible way for a good hard fought hockey game to end, and teams often play to get the 1 point instead of working their butts to get two. But my biased opinion aside, if the Red Wings had lost one of those 3 shootouts, the winning streak would have ended no? So technically it's still a win as they outscored their opponents. The shootout is just as easy to lose as to win, the wining team of the shootout is usually just lucky. There could be a hot goalie, players fan on shots, there is no guarantee that a team will win going into a shootout. If anything it is harder in this new era of the NHL for a team to carry on a streak like the Red Wings have then back when the Bruins did it!

One player who deserves a ton of props, is the guy between the piped for the Red Wings. No not Jimmy Howard, Joey MacDonald. Since being recalled from the AHL, MacDonald has gone 4-1-1 with a .930 Save Percentage and 1.72 Goals Against Average. Talk about pressure, getting called up to play in the NHL, midseason, and while your team is in the middle of a march toward history. But the Red Wings haven't just relied on one netminder, they've used 3 different goalies during their streak. (Howard, MacDonald and Ty Conklin) Despite having used different goalies they all had to be sharp as 6 of the wins were 1 goal games.

Lets look at some of the differences between the Broad Street Bullies 20 straight home wins and the Red Wings 21 straight wins. The only reason the Flyers streak "ended" was because the regular season ended. In the Playoffs the Flyers continued winning home games, which technically extended their streak to 24 games. The Flyers only lost 5 games at home all season including playoffs, where as the Wings have already lost 3 games at home. Now I'm not comparing and trying to say the Red Wings streak isn't as impressive, because you can't honestly compare the two it's like comparing apples and oranges. These streaks were both done in different eras of the NHL, and therefore both are amazing feats. For those who think the Detroit streak isn't as good, I'd like to see your favorite team try to hold a candle to the Wings. My hat is off to the Red Wings for even coming close to this historic record.

Now I don't think anyone can come flat out and say they expected the Red Wings to win 20 or more straight games at home, but the Red Wings are always one of those "semi quiet" teams that play exceptionally well all season but manage to fly under the radar. But you can see how fitting it is for a team like Detroit to break this record. They are one of the classiest teams in the league, and have some of the best veteran players. When you have players like Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Zetterberg and Holmstrem who know what it means to win the Stanley Cup and have experience and class, then yes this record is feasible. Detroit, lead by their veterans, play the game the "right way", when was the last time a Red Wing was suspended for a cheap hit?
When you play the game the right way and have class, the hockey gods tend to show your team favor; you get some lucky bounces, score some lucky goals, some missed calls, things just go your way. So winning 21 straight home games is both amazing and is only possible by a skilled team but also a bit lucky. But it's really quite remarkable, everyone has been waiting for the dynasty of the Red Wings to burn and crash, a Dynasty like this is not suppossed to happen during the new salary cap era. But the Red Wings just won't give up, they always find a way to be right in the mix. Despite players like Yzerman and Hasek calling it quits, it hasn't slowed them down. But with a captain in his 40's a core group of players in their 30's and a 3rd string goalie between the pipes the Red Wings keep making history. The team I just described most would just write off, but no the Red Wings with their unusual team find themselves on top of the NHL standings.

However if I'm the Red Wings it's not the home winning streak I'm most focussed on; At the Joe arena in Detroit they are 24-2-1 pretty decent record, but away from Detroit they are a modest 15-15-1. If the Wings want to win the cup and be a competitive playoff team, they need to improve their play away from home. Although the Wings will probably lock up home ice advantage for the playoffs, they will still need to win at least 2 road games in each series.

So let's just stop for a moment and not compare the winning streaks, they were done in different eras under different rules, This streak by the Red Wings is just simply remarkable and deserves some props.
Who knows how long the wings can continue the streak, maybe they can get it to 30 and continue dominating at home. But never the less, this is just simply remarkable.

Take a moment to like our Facebook Page. I'm away this weekend so you wont hear from me again till Next Tuesday or Wednesday. Have a great long weekend and hopefully your teams keep winning.

Home sweet home

On Tuesday night, the Detroit Red Wings were set to play the Dallas Stars in Detroit. But this wasn't any regular game, the Red Wings had a chance to change history, a win Tuesday would mark the Red Wings 21st straight win at home! From the drop of the puck you could tell the Red Wings wanted this win bad, and to the joy of the Red Wing faithful at the "Joe" the Wings defeated the Stars 3-1. Giving them 21 straight wins at home, something the NHL hasn't seen since 1975.

In sports not just hockey, playing at home is said to give a team an advantage or edge against the opponents. Now I'm not a huge believer in the "home ice advantage;" I can see how it sometimes helps a team to have the crowd behind them, or to sleep in their own beds for some of the game, but it's not the do all or end all for me. But the Detroit Red Wings seem to have something special going at Joe Louis Arena this year. Going into Tuesday night's game, the Wings were tied with the 1929-1930 Boston Bruins and the 1975-1976 Philadelphia Flyers with 20 straight home wins. But many feel the Red Wings streak shouldn't be put in the same category as the ones from back in the day, as 3 of their wins came by way of the shootout. Now hear me out, first of all I am in no way a fan of the shootout; it's a horrible way for a good hard fought hockey game to end, and teams often play to get the 1 point instead of working their butts to get two. But my biased opinion aside, if the Red Wings had lost one of those 3 shootouts, the winning streak would have ended no? So technically it's still a win as they outscored their opponents. The shootout is just as easy to lose as to win, the wining team of the shootout is usually just lucky. There could be a hot goalie, players fan on shots, there is no guarantee that a team will win going into a shootout. If anything it is harder in this new era of the NHL for a team to carry on a streak like the Red Wings have then back when the Bruins did it!

One player who deserves a ton of props, is the guy between the piped for the Red Wings. No not Jimmy Howard, Joey MacDonald. Since being recalled from the AHL, MacDonald has gone 4-1-1 with a .930 Save Percentage and 1.72 Goals Against Average. Talk about pressure, getting called up to play in the NHL, midseason, and while your team is in the middle of a march toward history. But the Red Wings haven't just relied on one netminder, they've used 3 different goalies during their streak. (Howard, MacDonald and Ty Conklin) Despite having used different goalies they all had to be sharp as 6 of the wins were 1 goal games.

Lets look at some of the differences between the Broad Street Bullies 20 straight home wins and the Red Wings 21 straight wins. The only reason the Flyers streak "ended" was because the regular season ended. In the Playoffs the Flyers continued winning home games, which technically extended their streak to 24 games. The Flyers only lost 5 games at home all season including playoffs, where as the Wings have already lost 3 games at home. Now I'm not comparing and trying to say the Red Wings streak isn't as impressive, because you can't honestly compare the two it's like comparing apples and oranges. These streaks were both done in different eras of the NHL, and therefore both are amazing feats. For those who think the Detroit streak isn't as good, I'd like to see your favorite team try to hold a candle to the Wings. My hat is off to the Red Wings for even coming close to this historic record.

Now I don't think anyone can come flat out and say they expected the Red Wings to win 20 or more straight games at home, but the Red Wings are always one of those "semi quiet" teams that play exceptionally well all season but manage to fly under the radar. But you can see how fitting it is for a team like Detroit to break this record. They are one of the classiest teams in the league, and have some of the best veteran players. When you have players like Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Zetterberg and Holmstrem who know what it means to win the Stanley Cup and have experience and class, then yes this record is feasible. Detroit, lead by their veterans, play the game the "right way", when was the last time a Red Wing was suspended for a cheap hit?
When you play the game the right way and have class, the hockey gods tend to show your team favor; you get some lucky bounces, score some lucky goals, some missed calls, things just go your way. So winning 21 straight home games is both amazing and is only possible by a skilled team but also a bit lucky. But it's really quite remarkable, everyone has been waiting for the dynasty of the Red Wings to burn and crash, a Dynasty like this is not suppossed to happen during the new salary cap era. But the Red Wings just won't give up, they always find a way to be right in the mix. Despite players like Yzerman and Hasek calling it quits, it hasn't slowed them down. But with a captain in his 40's a core group of players in their 30's and a 3rd string goalie between the pipes the Red Wings keep making history. The team I just described most would just write off, but no the Red Wings with their unusual team find themselves on top of the NHL standings.

However if I'm the Red Wings it's not the home winning streak I'm most focussed on; At the Joe arena in Detroit they are 24-2-1 pretty decent record, but away from Detroit they are a modest 15-15-1. If the Wings want to win the cup and be a competitive playoff team, they need to improve their play away from home. Although the Wings will probably lock up home ice advantage for the playoffs, they will still need to win at least 2 road games in each series.

So let's just stop for a moment and not compare the winning streaks, they were done in different eras under different rules, This streak by the Red Wings is just simply remarkable and deserves some props.
Who knows how long the wings can continue the streak, maybe they can get it to 30 and continue dominating at home. But never the less, this is just simply remarkable.

Take a moment to like our Facebook Page. I'm away this weekend so you wont hear from me again till Next Tuesday or Wednesday. Have a great long weekend and hopefully your teams keep winning.