San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns has been named as an All-Star for the 2015 Honda NHL All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, January 25th, in Columbus, Ohio. The All-Star Game has been played almost every season since its inception during the 1947-48 season. Now in its 60th year, the chosen players are “drafted” into two teams, followed by a skills competition on January 24th and then the game itself the following day.
This is not Burns’ first rodeo, though – his first All-Star appearance was back in 2011 with the Minnesota Wild.
Originally drafted by Minnesota in the first round in 2003, Burns has notched 322 points (108 goals, 214 assists) and 449 penalty minutes in his 675 career NHL games. After spending two years as a forward, he returned to the blueline this season and continues to contribute offensively. Among all defensemen, he currently ranks tied for first in goals (11) and third in points (34) with 119 shots on goal so far this season. He is a top-performer on the Sharks’ power play as well, currently tied fourth among the league’s defensemen with four power play goals. Also impressive, he leads the Sharks in time on ice with an average of 23:41 of on-ice time per game.
Off the ice, he makes his presence known as well. “Burnzie,” known for his bearded look, created the “Burnzie’s Buzzcut for Charity” event with his wife where teammates shave his hair and beard to help raise money for good causes and organizations – the San Francisco Zoo, Defending the Blue Line, and the Katie Moore Foundation were last year’s recipients of the proceeds totaling over $15,000. For all of his amazing charity work in the community, Burns was nominated for 2014’s King Clancy Memorial Trophy.
A fan-favorite in San Jose, Burns commented that it’s a “huge honor” to be selected and has enjoyed the event in the past
“It’s fun to get back to the game, and you just have no stress. Everything is taken care of. It’s a great event.”
Congratulations, Burnzie!
Be sure to catch all of the action on January 25th at 2 p.m. PST on NBC Sports Network.
It wasn’t until the final horn sounded that the New York Rangers (24-12-4) showed some energy on the ice. After sixty minutes of flat, lifeless play culminating in a frustrating 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders (29-13-1), the Rangers woke up just enough to take part in some post-game fighting. The Islanders’ celebration was delayed as both teams shoved each other around the ice and into the boards; punches were thrown, words were exchanged, and the Rangers left Madison Square Garden with their first shutout loss at home since November 1. Not the night anyone had been hoping for, save for the visitors.
The Rangers saw a handful of good scoring chances toward the end of the first period, but shots by Rick Nash and Derick Brassard both clanged off the post, and the game remained scoreless going into the first intermission. These early opportunities would prove to be the Rangers’ best chances of the night, and they struggled to create anything offensively throughout the rest of the game. The Islanders, meanwhile, capitalized on the Rangers’ offensive ineffectiveness and put in three unanswered goals in the second period–one each by Anders Lee, Nikolay Kulemin, and Frans Nielsen. Nielsen’s goal came on a shorthanded rush in the final minute of the second and spelled the end of the night for Henrik Lundqvist, who allowed 3 goals on 31 shots. Cam Talbot made 12 saves in relief, but the Rangers were unable to dig themselves out of the hole.
After sweeping the three California teams this past weekend, the Rangers had built up another 5-game winning streak and were playing their best hockey of the season. It was difficult to find any sort of substantial weaknesses in their game. Tonight, however, faceoffs proved to be the Rangers’ Achilles heel, particularly through the first period; the Islanders won the 13 of the first 18 faceoffs of the night, and these faceoff wins came at key moments in the game. Though the Rangers had their best scoring chances in the first twenty minutes, it was difficult to get anything started when the Islanders always seemed to have control of the puck. The Islanders’ puck possession time only increased as the game went on, and what had been a 0-0 tie soon became a 1, 2, and 3-goal deficit for the home team.
To make matters worse, Derek Stepan left the game with an upper-body injury after playing just 6:55 through two periods. The Rangers expect to find out more about his injury and his status on Wednesday. Stepan has been putting up strong numbers (6-21-27) since returning from a broken leg earlier in the season. If the injury he sustained in the Islanders game is at all serious, the Rangers could be down one of their top six forwards.
The Rangers will now return to the road again and play back-to-back games against Boston and Columbus on Thursday and Friday. And though every game means an important two points are on the line, these games will be especially important for the Rangers to win; as it stands, the Rangers are tied for a Wild Card spot with the Bruins and are two points out of third place in the Metropolitan Division. The playoff race is tight this season, and every point matters.
For now, it’s time for the Rangers to put this less-than-enjoyable homecoming behind them and focus on finding that midseason spark and success again. 12 wins in 14 games still amounts to very good hockey. But 13 in 15 would just be that much better.
Los Angeles Kings mascot, a regal lion named Bailey, brought out a leaf blower at the end of Monday’s match-up to celebrate LA’s win against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. The Kings started goaltender Martin Jones who stopped 19 out of 19 shots to help LA earn the two points they needed to overtake both Vancouver and San Jose in the Pacific Division by one point. The last time the Leafs and Kings met up this season in mid-December, Toronto got the last word, winning 4-3 in a decisive shootout.
Los Angeles struck early into the period, Anze Kopitar scored only 37 seconds into the game on a goal that snuck just under the cross-bar. Kopitar was assisted by Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter. The goal was initially waved off and play continued, but it was later reviewed and called a good goal, giving LA a 1-0 lead. A one goal lead was good enough to get the Kings through the game as they relied heavily on Jones to keep their team ahead. The Kings’ 1-0 lead lasted until the last minute of the game, when Leafs netminder, Jonathan Bernier, left the net and Marian Gaborik scored into the empty goal. Bernier only allowed one goal and made 18 saves in his start against his former team, but couldn’t secure the win. On the other end of the ice, Jones’ shut out was the third of the year.
It was a close match, and both teams played a heavily physical game, combining for a total of 71 hits. It has been a frustrating few games for the Kings, who are four games into a seven game home stand. The Kings’ frustration was reflected in the rougher than usual play. It was a hard-fought win for the LA Kings, who are without key players Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli. Pearson is sidelined with a fractured fibula and is considered to be out indefinitely, while Toffoli is out with a case of mononucleosis.
For a brief moment, the Kings thought they might have also lost Slovenian centerman, Kopitar, in the third after he was hit by a puck coming off the stick of Leafs captain, Dion Phaneuf. Kopitar returned to the ice after a few minutes however, and continued to play, much to the relief of the Kings organization and its fans. The Maple Leafs, however, were not as lucky. Leo Komarov left the game in the second period after taking a hit into the boards and did not return to the ice in the third.
Arguably, this win was crucial for the Kings. Shutout or no shutout, it was time for LA to start turning things around. There have been frustrating losses and it has felt like a slump for a usually more consistent group. They fell 7-6 in overtime against the Nashville Predators, lost 4-3 to the New York Rangers in a much anticipated match-up, and suffered an 5-4 OT loss to the Winnipeg Jets all back to back and in one home stand. Forcing games into OT or shootouts to at least come away with one-point is vital in what is sure to be a tight race to even get into the play-offs, but the Kings need to start getting two instead of one if they want to make a run at the Anaheim Ducks and stay comfortably ahead of the other teams in the Pacific Division.
Injuries are tough for any team, but even with Pearson and Toffoli and head coach Darryl Sutter needing shuffle around the lines, LA needs to find a way to win.
LA is coasting. Of course, in the past, the Kings have made it all the way to hockey’s grand prize by playing a mediocre regular season, but with Vancouver, San Jose, and Calgary not far behind and Winnipeg as a contender in the wild card race, coasting may not be the best idea. The season has been full of surprises, the last thing the Kings want is for one of those surprises to be an early summer for their organization.
The U.S. Women’s Under-18 Team won gold Monday night at the 2015 U18 Women’s World Championship on home ice at HarborCenter in Buffalo, New York. It is the first gold medal for the United States since 2011, and was earned by defeating fierce opponent and rival, Team Canada. The American women were undefeated in tournament play, including a prior win over Canada. Russia, who the United States beat 7-1, medaled for the first time in this event, taking home bronze.
Team captain Jincy Dunne was the hero of the game, scoring twice in the 3-2 victory including the overtime power play winner. The gold-medal clinching goal came just 51 seconds into extra time.
“I was just trying to put it on net,” said Dunne of her game winning goal. “Anything can happen when you shoot.”
Anything can happen, and it did for Dunne, who was named U.S. player of the game. Dunne also led all defensemen in scoring with a total of eight points in the tournament.
The gold medal game entertained a packed house in Buffalo. Most of the crowd was comprised of American supporters, but with the Canadian border not far away, many maple leaf clad fans were on hand as well. Canada struck early in the first period at 3:14, and held the 1-0 lead all the way until the last 33 seconds of the frame when Dunne scored her first goal to tie the match at one apiece. “Coach reminded us never get too high or too low,” said Dunne. “It’s a long game and we felt better and better.” Team USA certainly looked better and better as the game went on. While Canada had the upperhand in much of the first, the rest of the game was pretty well dominated by the Americans who outshot their opponent 41-18.
The United States took its first lead of the match 5:00 into the second period as Alyssa Gorecki scored on a one-timer feed from Alex Woken. Only 3 minutes and 28 seconds later, however, the score would be knotted again when Samantha Cogan scored for Canada to make it a 2-2 game. Despite the even score in the second, the U.S. peppered Canadian goalie, Marlene Boissonault, with 20 shots on goal. Turning away 19 in that period alone, and 38 in the entire game was enough to earn her the Canada’s player of the game honor. Canada only had 2 shots in the second stanza, but the Cogan goal on one of them was enough to secure them the tie through regulation, as no one scored in the third.
Dunne buzzed and had marvelous chances in the third, but her pressure would not be rewarded again until overtime. Canada had a carryover penalty in extra time, and managed to get one puck clear before Melissa Samoskevich brought it back in the offensive zone. She dropped it to Abby Roque, who then passed to Rebecca Gilmore at the left point. Gilmore found Dunne at the right point, and Dunne skated to the top of the right circle and, with the gold medal on her stick, wristed the puck into the net just 51 seconds into overtime.
In hockey and many other sports, intimidation can go a long way. Some think it can even help a team win the game. There are many ways to intimidate your opponent from showing off your skills in warm-ups, to working out to look bigger, to your uniform design. When it comes to designing a team logo, it’s important to think about what the logo’s purpose is. In the case of hockey, many teams choose to make their logo scary and intimidating while others simply use letters that represent their team name. These team’s designers did a very good job when they created these intimidating designs.
We ranked this logo from the Florida Panthers number one on our list because it is both frightening and promotes a team that is aggressive. It tells opponents that this team is ready to steal the puck from anyone who gets in their way. With the sharp claws, teeth, fierce eyes, and pouncing motion, this logo easily becomes a textbook representation of what most teams seek to accomplish with their emblem.
With menacing eyes and a chilling snarl, the Chicago Wolves logo comes in second on our list. In one way or another, this wolf almost looks possessed. The eyes are taunting and instill terror making it another great symbol of a team that’s looking to use psychology to help win the game.
This grizzly is monstrous and terrifying to say the least. With lots of muscles and a clawed paw swinging viciously at the viewer, this logo takes third place on our list. The broken stick also gives an added element of fear and reminds their opponent that the Grizzlies out to destroy.
Now the Utah Grizzlies, the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks design promotes a team that is hungry for the puck. Like the team, this shark isn’t even afraid of a 60 mph puck flying at him. He will block any shot, no matter how fast, just to lead his team to victory.
Everyone knows to respect the King of the jungle. He became king for a reason, because he was the toughest, strongest and most cunning animal around. Very few can beat a lion. This image is automatically associates the Monarchs with being number one, and being a force to be reckoned with. This puts the Monarchs’ insignia at number 5 on our list.
Like the lion, not many people would want to face a bear, and this bear looks frightening. This bears face looks as though he’s growling and ready to attack. As he viciously swats a puck away, the viewer knows that the bear means business. He’s on a mission, and he’s not going to let anything or anyone get in his way.
This team is also now the Utah Grizzlies, but with three of their franchise’s logos on our list, you know the team hired a good graphic designer and mean business. With a partially hidden face, horns, beard, and red eyes, this mascot is a fearless and ruthless warrior.
A snake may be small and seem non-threatening, but in fact many people are terrified of snakes. Plus, if they are venomous, they can take you out simply by piercing your skin with their fangs. With this insignia many will also relate the crossed hockey sticks with the skull and bones symbol of a pirate which gives this design an added effect.
This logo may not have the drama of having the mascot facing you, but it’s definitely scary in its own right. Just look at the size of those teeth. Who wouldn’t be intimidated? The Predators name also establishes intimidation and tells everyone that this team is on the hunt and seeking to get what they want.
In many countries, bullfighting is a test of strength, cunning and endurance. With this emblem the San Antonio Rampage is telling their opponents that if they want to play their team, they will definitely be put to the test.
The logo is a very important part of a team. In most cases, it is what the public ends up associating both the team and city with. Depending on the image depicted, the font, and the colors used, the team can send all types of messages. Many teams opt for large and beastly animals to help their team seem intimidating. They hope to subconsciously sneak into the minds of their opponents, make them uneasy, and ultimately make them lose their focus. This way they can both build a status and rack up some wins.
On Monday evening, January 12, the Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced that forward Simon Gagné had decided not to return to the team this season due to personal reasons.
Gagné’s decision is in response to the loss of his father, Pierre, who passed away the afternoon of December 25, 2014 from liver cancer. This was just fifteen days after Gagné took an indefinite personal leave of absence from the Bruins to be with his father and family for as long as his father had left.
Simon Gagne (Photo: Lisa Gansky, Wikimedia Commons)
“At this time Simon feels that he has to be home with his family and he has the complete support of the Boston Bruins organization with this decision,” said Chiarelli. “Given Simon’s decision not to return to the team, we have to change his status to maintain a full roster. I spoke to Simon about this, and he assured me that we have his full support with this status change.”
Gagné issued a statement in regard to his decision.
“The last month has been extremely difficult for me with my father being sick and his passing,” said Gagné. “To play in the NHL you have to be 100% mentally, emotionally and physically committed to the game. At this time I know that I cannot be close to those levels. The Bruins organization and my teammates have been great to my family and I during this time. When I decided not to return this season, I spoke to Peter [Chiarelli] and assured him that I did not want the organization or my teammates to be impacted. Together we made the decision that my status would be changed so that the team could have a full active roster.”
Gagné had worked hard to return this season to the NHL after having taken the entire 2013-14 season off. He was patient during the beginning of the year while Bruins management determined if his play was to the level they needed, practicing with the team when he did not yet have a contract.
Pierre Gagne (Photo: Flyersalumni.org)
Gagné’s father, who worked for 35 years as a police officer, was himself a hockey player in earlier years. In the 1960s he played for the Quebec Junior Aces, and even attended the first two training camps in the history of the Philadelphia Flyers (1967 and 1968), a team that ultimately selected his son Simon (22nd overall) thirty years later in the 1998 NHL Draft. In addition to Simon, Pierre and his wife, Nicole Maheux, have another son Jean-François, who is the owner of Planchers Bois Franc Gagné.
The family discovered that Pierre had an incurable cancer when a doctor in Boston saw him. This was learned just a few days before Gagné announced that he would be taking an indefinite personal leave. Then to lose his father such a short time later, it is understandable that Gagné would need some time to be with his family to grieve and to heal. And it is nice that the Boston Bruins can support him in this difficult time.
“Merci à tous pour leur appui dans des moments difficiles. Ce n’est pas simple pour ma famille et moi présentement, mais il est décédé comme un champion et comme il le désirait. Pour mon frère et moi, c’était notre idole et notre meilleur chum.”
For my brother and I, he was our idol and our best friend. — Simon Gagné
After a career high in scoring during the 2013-2014 season, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson came into the ’14-’15 season hungrier than ever, to continue his potentially prosperous career with the Coyotes. Bulking up in the offseason and being more ready than ever for his role in Arizona’s organization were just a few of the things that he did to change his game for the better.
We’re halfway through the current season, and he’s at 11 goals. With a career high of 15, he seems to be going at a good pace. The 11 goals he has so far, puts him tied for second among defenseman. His production hasn’t stopped there, and 6 of his 11 goals have been game-winners, on top of an impressive 8 being on the power-play. He’s surpassed superstar Patrick Kane in game winners, and all defenseman on the PPG. The theatrics have not lacked from his game, especially in overtime, earning him the nickname Over-Time Larsson from his teammates.
A struggle with his plus/minus at the get-go seemed to be consuming him, but in an effort to fix his defensive play, he earned himself a bid to the 2015 All-Star Game. During the months of October and November, Ekman-Larsson carried a minus 15 rating, but since December, he’s at a plus 4.
After the Arizona Coyotes practice on Monday morning, I chatted with “OEL” to discuss his season so far and his nomination to the All-Star Game in Columbus.
Q&A with Coyotes Oliver Ekman-Larsson:
The Pink Puck: You had an uncertain start to your season, but you’ve really seemed to find your place, leading to some exciting and dramatic moments for you thus far. How does it feel knowing that you’ve been a vital part in your team accomplishing wins?
Oliver Ekman-Larsson: I think I had a slow start this year. I put on some weight this summer and I think it took a couple weeks to get used to that and that’s probably why I got off to a slow start. But I’m feeling better late here and I just want to be a big part of this team and this organization.
The Pink Puck: You’re currently leading the league in game winning goals, and power play goals scored by defenseman — is there a secret to those impressive stats?
OEL: *Laughs* No, it’s not. No secret there, I just have been lucky lately and I mean it’s always fun to score big goals and that’s something I want to keep doing.
The Pink Puck: So far you have 11 goals, but you’re on a good path to breaking your career high, is that something you think about?
OEL: No, not really. I mean, sometimes you score a lot of goals and then you have 25 games that you don’t score any goals. You never know, but I’m just going to try to improve my game and just keep working hard in games and practices.
The Pink Puck: What has “clicked” for you this season to have already achieved the 11?
OEL: I’ve just been lucky. My teammates have been doing a good job of getting me the puck and I’ve been doing a good job in front of the goalie. It makes it so much easier to score goals.
The Pink Puck: With such a wide variety of talent at the NHL All-Star game, is there anyone specific you’re looking forward to playing with instead of against?
OEL: No, I mean, all of them. It’s fun to go there and be around the top players in this league. Obviously, [Sidney] Crosby would be fun to play with. It’s hard to play against him but it would be nice to have him on the same team.
The Pink Puck: You have an impressive resume thus far with an Olympic medal (Sweden’s silver medal in Sochi) and now a bid to All-Star, how do you see your game improving from here and what can fans expect as the rest of the season skates forward?
OEL: You know, hopefully I can keep improving my game and I can just try to get better every practice and game. Obviously I’m happy where I’m at right now but I just want to keep working hard and take my game to the next level.
With the momentum he has been playing with this season, it’s no surprise that Ekman-Larsson was chosen to be an All-Star. It’s his first time participating, but if he continues to play like he has, it certainly won’t be his last.
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