It was a frigid day in Boston, but the Bruins were quick to ignite the ice for fans during their matinee on Saturday, topping the Winnipeg Jets 4-1.
Bruins goaltender Rask stopped 36 of 37 shots faced, while Jets goaltender Pavelec stopped 25 of 29 between the opposing pipes. Jets Dustin Byfuglien opened the scoring for Winnipeg with his 9th of the season at 10:54 of the first. Byfuglien was the lone scorer for a struggling offensive Jets team.
It was Daniel Paille who struck first for the Bruins at 14:06 of the first period marking his sixth of the season. The goal lit the lamp and opened the offensive rush for what would be the first of four goals on a Saturday afternoon in Boston.
The game however, wasn’t specifically about the black and gold, but the red, white and blue as well. Team USA hockey was well represented as the entire women’s team took in the game — receiving a standing ovation and turning the Garden into an outpouring of “USA, USA” cheers. The roster, which was announced during Wednesday’s Winter Classic showcases a talented group of women, many of which hold ties to Massachusetts. One player in specific, who was excited to be catching Bruins hockey, Team USA captain Megan Duggan who hails from Danvers.
“It’s an honor obviously, it’s a great group of girls,” said Duggan on captaincy. “We all work together and it’s an easy team to lead, everyone works so hard and we’re on the right path.”
The team will be training in the Boston area, at The Edge in Bedford and Belmont Hill which features an Olympic sized sheet of ice in the weeks leading up to Sochi. It was revealed that if scheduling allows, they may even take in the ice currently blanketing the field at historic Fenway Park.
The women weren’t the only Olympians taking in today’s contest, one was playing in it. Jets forward Blake Wheeler was named to the men’s roster and will head to Sochi to represent the United States come February.
“It’s a huge honor no doubt about it,” said Wheeler . “It was a great day and I feel honored to be a part of the group.”
Although American, Torey Krug doesn’t don the roster for Team USA –he was however a key in the victory for Boston. Despite suffering a rough stretch in his past few contests, Krug found himself netting two goals in the second period at 3:08 and 7:18 respectively. The pressure of a difficult run as of late in mind, the need to score certainly weighed in.
“A little bit. Any time you aren’t contributing the way maybe you were before you get frustrated,” said Krug. “All you can do is help the team win and when you’re not contributing it’s tough but it is a good feeling when you get the first one, actually I was hoping Flo [Justin Florek] got his – Justin Florek got his first NHL goal I was hoping he tipped it, but it was nice.”
The game itself was old time rough and tough hockey, with two fights coming just two seconds apart and little over three minutes into the opening period. Bruins captain Zdeno Chara dropped the gloves with Jets Chris Thorburn at 3:16, while Bruins Matt Fraser tried his fist at the fighting game against a size-ably larger James Wright at 3:18. With resident tough guy Shawn Thornton sitting out a 15-game suspension, other members of the black and gold have skated in to the enforcer roll when called upon.
Bruins defensemen Adam McQuaid dropped the gloves with former teammate Mark Stuart at 13:40 of the third to round out the games fighting majors.
“I don’t think there’s anything to say,” said Bruins McQuaid on his fight with Stuart. “I mean I think everyone says when you go out there and play everyone is an opponent. I have a lot of respect for him and how he plays, he plays hard. He was a good teammate, and well liked here when he played here. But it just kind of came to that point in the situation.”
Reilly Smith continued to impress, marking his 15th goal of the season at 9:59 of the third to close out the scoring. While Krug had the go-ahead goals in the second, Smith’s helped in sealing the Jets fate.
The Bruins will have a reprieve from the New England cold this coming week, but it won’t be a treat when they head to California. Facing off against a hot Anaheim team Tuesday, followed by a contest with the struggling Kings on Thursday, the team wraps up it’s road trip on Saturday in Sharks territory. While the Bruins have prevailed on the road, finding success throughout Canada with three wins and one loss in early December, the challenge of reproducing those results is a necessity with half the season in the books.
“Well it’s going to be a challenge, I’ve said it all along, the players know about it,” said Bruins Head Coach Claude Julien. “We mine as well mention the fact that they have a combined 6 regulation losses between those three teams so it goes to show you how hard it is to go there and win some hockey games. It’s a challenge that I and the rest of the team are really looking forward to because that’s the kind of challenge we need right now.”
The Pink Puck will be in a California state of mind as we fly west for Saturday’s contest in San Jose — follow our trip over @thepinkpuck or by following Editor-in-Chief @winter_adams and Associate Editor @jessicahigham
Here in the Northeast it is COLD outside. This cinnamon roll cake is quick to make, yummy and warm after that early morning hockey practice or Sunday breakfast in bed.
The recipe:
Flour
3 cups
Sugar
1 cup (white)
Eggs 2
2
Butter
½ cup (melted and cooled)
Salt
¼ tsp (teaspoon)
Baking Powder
4 tsp (teaspoons)
Vanilla
2 tsp (teaspoons)
Milk
1 ½ cups
Mix everything together EXCEPT the butter. Once it is all mixed, slowly stir in the melted butter. Pour into a greased (I use Pam) 9″ x 12″ or 9″ x 13″ pan.
Topping:
Butter (softened)
1 cup
Brown Sugar
1 ½ cup
Flour
2 Tbsp (tablespoons)
Cinnamon
1-2 Tbsp (tablespoon(s))
Mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife (I’m not a baker, mine was mixed throughout the batter.)
*Walnuts can be added to the topping
Bake at 350 degrees foe 28-32 minutes (until the a knife when inserted comes back clean)
Glaze:
Powdered Sugar
2 cups
Milk
5-6 Tbsp (tablespoons)
Vanilla
1 tsp (teaspoon)
Drizzle glaze over warm coffee cake and enjoy.
Ingredients for the cake
Melted butter, don’t forget to let it cool a little bit
The batter is very thick
Kitchen hint: Using marshmallows in your brown sugar container will help keep the brown sugar soft
In short: No; they’ve mostly had a run of bad luck while poor discipline has been killing any and all momentum they seem to get but we’ll get to that in a minute. Before I start, let me plug Robert P.’s excellent analysis from Jewels from the Crown about why it’s not time to hit the panic button yet.
After Jonathan Quick went down in OT against Buffalo on November 12, things immediately changed on the team. The Kings’ defense tightened up while their second and third string goalies put up an unsustainably high .962 save percentage and allowed 2 goals or less in 19 straight games (all prior to the current 5 game losing streak). But the law of regression reared its head and the two netminders came back to earth. While the Blackhawks ruined the Kings’ win and stingy defense streaks back on December 15, there was little cause for concern at the time as they went on to win three of their next four games.
Following the break, the Kings went on a four game road swing through Conference III the Central Division and came home with 0 points to show for their efforts. One thing that has become increasingly apparent during this losing streak is the inability to stay out of the penalty box. Currently, the Kings are the most penalized team in the league. And while there are arguments for iffy calls every game, that’s no excuse for taking more penalties than 29 other teams in the league. In fact, due to their puck possession prowess (#1 in both Corsi and Fenwick close), you’d think they’d be drawing more penalties rather than taking them. No one expects any team to realistically play a perfect game every night, but limiting the amount of PK time to about four minutes a night seems pretty reasonable, especially for a team as dominant in possession as they are.
After the game in St. Louis, Drew Doughty told reporters, “Usually if you’re taking penalties, you’re out of position or someone made a mistake before that person had to take that penalty. It’s all on us. It’s not the refs. It’s not the way we’re coached, the way we’re taught. It’s us. We’re not being fast enough. We’re not ready for the situation that is coming towards us and if you’re out of position you’re taking that penalty. And all of us have done it, so we need to take that out of our game.”
I don’t want to either agree or disagree with Doughty’s assessment since I’m not coaching this team (nor am I an NHL coach), but the numbers seem to corroborate his statement. In a recent game against the Dallas Stars, the Kings took five minor penalties. The only penalty that was actually “worth” it was the final one, in which Doughty got called for holding Valeri Nichushkin. It was in the defensive zone and prevented a likely goal. But the four other penalties (tripping x2, slashing, delay of game) were unnecessary. The game is fast and things will happen; no one is denying that. However, limiting them as much as possible is going to be the first step for the Kings to getting back on track.
But penalties aren’t the only cause of this current losing streak. Hockey is kind of a dumb game sometimes. Pure, dumb luck can affect a team that’s outplaying, out chancing and outworking another team. One small mistake by the better team can cause the puck to wind up in the back of their net. And sometimes, as hard as you try, things will not go your way. One good example was when the Kings went to visit the Canucks in November where the Kings were greatly outplayed. However, a little dumb luck and a couple mistakes allowed the Kings to leave with the two points.
Right now, the Kings are a tad unlucky. Robert from Jewels from the Crown calculated their PDO to be around .922 (the mean is .1000) at even strength while their save percentage over the last five games has dipped to an awful .903 (league average is around .923). Neither their shooting percentage nor their save percentage are sustainable so they should bounce back relatively soon. Even if they don’t score say, 6 goals, in their next game, there’s no reason to think they won’t return to their average of 2 goals per game.
The good news is that the Kings are still a dominant possession team. At 5v5 close, their Corsi For rate is 57.0%, a little better than the defending champs the Blackhawks, who are second with 56.3%. (The reason for using 5v5 close instead of “all situations” is because the numbers may get artificially inflated due to score effects.) Their Fenwick close is just as impressive at 55.8%, again beating out the champs by the slightest of margins (the Hawks are at 55.5%). Conversely, the Anaheim Ducks who currently sit #1 in points and total games won have a mediocre 51.7% Fenwick close score. The reason why this is good news is because puck possession strongly correlates to winning more often than not. These correlations are the best predictors of future success.
So no, the Kings don’t really suck and there’s nothing really wrong with them. Yes, they need to stop taking dumb penalties but they don’t need to make any serious roster/personnel moves. The best part is, the Kings were right in all of the games that they lost, they just lacked finish. So as long as they keep doing what they’re doing and find a way to minimize the amount of penalties taken, they will more often than they lose. As Sutter once said, it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s whether you’re winning or losing. And in the grand scheme of things, they’re still winning (third in the division, top 10 in the NHL; things could be worse).
With Boston hitting negative temperatures and rumors of press level actually resembling the arctic during Thursday evenings win over Nashville– today’s 1 pm start vs. Winnipeg prompted a much warmer and bundled look.
It’s also important to note, I’m adamantly attempting to remain healthy before heading off to California for a portion of the teams west coast road trip this coming week. Thus, bundling up on press level like I was actually living in Winnipeg, was the only option.
Breakdown:
Cream layering tank, Forever 21, $1.80 (If you don’t own these, you might want to look into them. I probably have one in every color they’ve made and they last forever.)
Chiffon cream blouse, Ann Taylor Loft, clearance $13.75
Black and maroon faux leather moto-jacket, Marshalls, $24.99
Black scarf, I’m not sure, I’ve owned it for 15 years, price unknown
Black skinny leg dress pants, TJMaxx, $16.99
Black tall over the knee boots, birthday gift, price unknown
Media Tip: Keep your credential hanging by your keys, or somewhere you’ll see it on game-day. Absolutely nothing more frustrating than arriving at that rink and realizing you left it at home. I’ve made this mistake a few times, and now hang it on a hook right over my light switch — makes it easy to see and grab as I’m running out the door.
A lot can happen in less than a full week. Last Friday the Boston Bruins announced the recall of goaltender Niklas Svedberg from the Providence Bruins, their AHL affiliate. He suited up and sat as the back up goalie for the first of the home and home with the Ottawa Senators that were played that Friday and Saturday. This was to be an opportunity for Svedberg to showcase his talents between the pipes after having been sent down to Providence at the end of the Bruins training camp.
During the State of the Bruins meeting in which the Bruins management, ownership and some of the players meet with their season ticket holders just before the beginning of the regular season, general manager Peter Chiarelli had pointed out that part of the plan for the coming year was to bring some of the players up from Providence. This was intended to give them some NHL experience. However, when he made that statement, even he couldn’t have envisioned the number of injuries that would plague the Boston club and result in an almost always-open pipeline from Providence to Boston that would be needed.
Svedberg’s recall was not of the emergency variety, but was of the original plans of Chiarelli and the rest of management. He joined the Providence club in 2012 and throughout the 2012-13 he would win 37 games (2nd in the AHL), had a 2.17 goals against average (5th in the AHL), .925 save percentage (3rd in the AHL) and four shutouts; all of which earned him the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award—given annually to the AHL’s outstanding goaltender as voted on by coaches, players and members of the media in each of the AHL’s 30 member cities.
The 24-year-old skated in three full seasons with the Swedish Elite League (SEL) before coming to the United States with the goal of making it to the NHL. His opportunity of playing in the NHL would unfortunately be delayed when after Friday’s game it was learned that Dennis Seidenberg had suffered a torn ACL/MCL and that Zdeno Chara would be unable to play on Saturday. Head coach Claude Julien had some changes to make and it affected those who thought they were having a day off.
“Well not just [Svedberg], for all the goaltenders involved – Sveddy was supposed to play and Tuukka [Rask] was supposed to back him up and then [Chad Johnson] was supposed to do some extra and not dress,” Julien said. “And then all of a sudden as we went along, here we had no roster spots for Zdeno [Chara] – after he skated, found out that he couldn’t go so we had to take Sveddy off and tell Tuukka ‘you’re in’ and tell Johnson he’s backing up.”
And instead of starting in net in Ottawa against the Senators, Svedberg would find himself back in Providence, playing in goal for them during the games held on Sunday and Tuesday. Tuesday evening’s game he stopped 41 of 42 shots limiting the Manchester Monarchs to just the one goal in the Providence Bruins 3-1 victory on New Year’s Eve.
Svedberg’s second recall on Thursday would be the sure thing and would find him wearing the Spoked-B and, after giving up a few rebounds, seeming to settle in to the job at hand and doing a good job of staying square to the players as the Nashville Predators put shot after shot on goal. In the second period alone, Svedberg would face 16 shots, though unfortunately one would get by him to put the Predators on the board first.
Predators forward Matt Hendricks was impressed with Svedberg’s abilities to keep the puck out.
“[The Bruins] had a young kid [Niklas Svedberg] come in and play net for them tonight that hadn’t played a game,” Hendricks said after the game. “And he played…made some big saves for them. In my opinion kept them in the game there early, at least for three quarters of the second, he really kept them in.”
Svedberg’s teammates were pleased with his efforts during the game which the Bruins would manage to win 54 seconds into overtime from a goal by Brad Marchand.
“He did a great job,” Marchand told reporters. “He really stepped up; he just seemed so calm out there and very poised. It’s pretty rare to see that out of a young guy coming up for his first game but very impressive.”
Defenseman Johnny Boychuk gave kudos to Svedberg. “He gave us a chance to win. I mean for his first game he looked pretty comfortable and he played extremely well.
So, was Svedberg as calm as everyone seemed to think he was?
“It was alright, it was pretty calm,” Svedberg said after the game. “There were some rebounds in the first period and stuff like that but I got going pretty good with some shots from the outside early on so it was good. I felt pretty comfortable.”
“It was alright, it was pretty calm.”
One could perhaps excuse Svedberg if he hadn’t felt comfortable; when a life’s goal is a step closer. And to get a win in that first game just adds to the experience.
“Ever since I started playing this is where I wanted to be so I’m real happy with this win,” Svedberg said. “It’s just one game but it’s real fun to get the win in my first game.”
However, Svedberg is equally willing to acknowledge the efforts of those of his teammates who were on the ice when things weren’t going quite right, such as Hendricks’ scoring opportunity early in the game.
“It was kind of a tough bounce for us off of a guy’s skate I think and it was an open netter but Bart [Matt Bartkowski] save me there, I’ll have to give him something for that.” Svedberg told media. “I’d love to say that I got it but it was all Bart.”
While it was his first game in the NHL, it is likely that Svedberg will see another recall at some point during the season.
“I like his game [Thursday night], he was good and he just showed us that he’s a guy we need to look at and keep an eye on,” Julien told media after the game. “He’s going to head back to Providence [Friday], but there’s a good chance you’re going to see him here again very soon.”
In the meantime, Svedberg will continue to play his game with the Providence Bruins with his goal of playing permanently in the NHL ever in his efforts.
The ECHL Las Vegas Wranglers have called the city home for the past ten years. Two players, Chris Francis and Eddie DelGrosso are homegrown, Wranglers hockey a part of their youth development. The team is a part of the community and provides family entertainment in a city where adult entertainment is paramount. A few weeks ago the Wranglers organization learned that the contract on their arena, The Orleans Arena would not be extended for the 2014-2015 season. The ECHL requires all teams to secure a venue for next season by a January 20th deadline, which puts the organization in a scramble to find a suitable space in the Las Vegas area.
Local news Fox 5 KVVU-TV featured a story on the Wranglers’ woes and can be seen here.
Las Vegas Wranglers Fans have taken it upon themselves to create awareness around the team’s struggles and have created a Facebook Page, “Save the Las Vegas Wranglers”
There is also a petition that fans and supporters can sign to rally behind the team to demonstrate to other possible venue locations that the Wranglers are a team worth saving.
Minor League hockey may not be as fast and as flashy as the NHL but it is the hockey foundation for many communities and grows the game in the most unlikely of places. The players are accessible and involved in the local community on a level that the major league cannot compete with. If you are a hockey fan at any level, the Wranglers are worth fighting for, to keep them home. Spread the Word.
image courtesy of Save the Wranglers Facebook Page.
The Aftermath of the Ryan Constant hit on Dale Mitchell. Bulls Captain Scott Langdon defends his mate
The Stockton Thunder and the San Francisco Bulls will once again tussle over the weekend on Friday and Saturday nights, the last in a playoff-like five game series. Last weekend’s three game tilt showed two fiercely competitive teams that have no love for one another on the ice. The games were a mix of heavy hitting along the boards, center ice fights and an offensive onslaught by both teams. The fireworks and bad blood started in the first game of the series when Thunder Captain Garet Hunt received a game misconduct during the first 40 seconds of the opening frame for his hit on Bulls Forward Berkley Scott. The game escalated from there, both in penalties and goals, the biggest blow coming in the third period when Thunder defenceman Ryan Constant threw a punch at Bulls Forward Dale Mitchell knocking him out cold on the ice. Constant received a match penalty and a two game suspension for his actions and Mitchell is still recovering from a concussion and is not expected to be back in the lineup for the weekend home and home series. The Bulls won the Friday contest in a decisive 5-2 victory and both teams combined for 87 penalty minutes.
The Saturday night contest turned into a firewagon kind of tilt, with both teams racking up goals and yet more penalty minutes as emotions from the previous night literally bled over into the game. Each team showed their offensive skill, for the Bulls the game highlighted their play in the neutral zone and their dangerous forwards. “It’s frustrating to keep getting the lead and then giving it up,” said Thunder Head Coach Rich Kromm after Saturday night’s game. “The Bulls are a dangerous team offensively, they have lots of skill and they can score goals.” Bulls Forward Tyler Gron has been on a point a game pace with Brett Findlay close on his heels, and Dean Ouellet starting to get hot. San Francisco forward Adrian Foster was proving to be an offensive force, but the Bulls will be without his skillset, due to his recent call-up to the AHL Abbotsford Heat.
Thunder forward Greg Miller echoed Coach Kromm’s sentiments about San Francisco’s speed and offensive skill. “We know they are a quick team, good offensively, and they thrive on transitions so if we can limit our turnovers at the blueline I think we will be alright.”
The Thunder have been shorthanded with the call-up of Andrew Clark to the AHL affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers and a mounting list of injuries. With the loss of Ryan Constant, it put them down one more man, but the defense has really stepped up for the team and shows their versatility and depth. “The defensive contribution, it’s huge, especially when they keep the cycle alive in the offensive zone for us,” said Greg Miller. “When they dart down the wall and keep it in you can keep going with the offense, you can hem that team in. It’s also a testament to our high forwards who are helping them out as well, we are working as a five man unit.”
Mike Dalhuisen Fights Kyle Bigos
Thunder defenceman Mike Dalhuisen, who started the season hot with Stockton and then played a few games with Bridgeport before being sidelined with injury, has returned and is again making an impact at the blueline. He is not shy about jumping in for the puck to break a rush up the ice, blocking a shot when it counts and his shot from the point is deadly. Dalhuisen was a major contributor to the Thunder win in the second game of the series, dropping the gloves with Bulls Blueliner Kyle Bigos in the opening frame to set the tone and scoring the first goal for Stockton in their comeback bid during the second period when they were down 2-1.
Line chemistry and the recent addition of forward Mitch Bruijsten won Stockton the second and third games in the series. The loss of Andrew Clark forced Coach Kromm to juggle the forward lines a bit and call back Bruijsten, who had been with the Thunder during training camp but was then cut at the beginning of the season, playing with the SPHL Mississippi Surge for 20 games to start the year. Bruijsten tallied 4 points for the Thunder in the 7-6 OT win and found magic on the ice with his linemates Greg Miller and Joey Martin. “Every shift they were dangerous, all night long they skated well, they supported each other offensively and found the net tonight,” said Head Coach Rich Kromm after Saturday night’s barn burner.
Of the developing chemistry Thunder forward Joey Martin remarked, “We’ve had a couple games together and I think we are finding our chemistry. I think we all bring something different to the line, we are good reading off each other, playing well and building off our momentum right now.”
Mitch Bruijsten is happy to have the chance to be back on Thunder ice and show the league that he belongs here. On his linemates Miller and Martin, “We cycle the puck really well, and we know where we are every time we are on the ice,” he said after his 4 point night.
Heading in to the weekend series, both teams will have a better understanding of each others’ strengths and weaknesses. Thunder forward Matt Bergland stressed, “We want to learn from the past three, bear down a little more and take it day by day. You definitely want to play full 60 minute games and let them know we are going to be there for the next couple of games We need to learn from our mistakes.”
Thunder Captain Garet Hunt waits on the doorstep of Bulls netminder J.P. Anderson
There will also be some raw emotions as Ryan Constant will be back in the line-up for the Stockton Thunder. If the Bulls are to succeed against the Thunder, they will have to limit their penalties and prevent the top-rated power play unit to get ice time, so team discipline will be key. They will also need to push through the Thunder defensive core of Dalhuisen, Oslanski and recently returned Sean Escobedo to get pucks in past the stellar tending of goalie Brian Foster. Shutting down key forwards Hunt, Larson, Miller and Henry should also top San Francisco’s to-do list.
Stockton Thunder ice will also look a little different to the visiting San Francisco Bulls. After last Sunday’s matchup the Thunder organization held a painting party with 845 parents and kids, adding an artistic flair to the ice surface for “Kids Take Over”. The ice was then sealed over and will be played on for the first “Painted Classic” when San Francisco comes to town on Friday. The Thunder team has had the advantage of having practice on the ice over the last week and it will be interesting to see how the fan art affects puck visibility during actual game play. A video and comments on the team’s first practice can be seen here.
The Stockton Thunder meet the San Francisco Bulls Friday January 3rd for a 7:30 matchup at Stockton Arena.
Saturday night January 4th the Thunder travel to the Cow Palace to face the Bulls at 7:30 pm in the final of the 5-game series.
A friend and I were arguing (well, he was angry and I was trying to prove him wrong [and possibly failed] but I guess that could be considered a type of ‘arguing’) about the Nashville Predators and whether or not they’d be considered failures. The original context for this involves the fact that the Nashville Predators have had only one GM in their history, David Poile, who is also the GM of the United States Men’s Hockey for the Olympics. You may have heard that there is currently a controversy brewing over some of the players being left off the roster (or really, the controversy over WHY some of the players are being left off the roster).
So, because I am a huge supporter of expansion, specifically non-traditional markets (even if some of those places have made me angry as a life-long Devils fan as I will never truly be fine with the Cam Ward, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Ray Whitney because 2007 was a awful year), I decided to look at the hockey teams that were created in the 1990s.
As a general reminder, this would notinclude my beloved New Jersey Devils (1982), the Philadelphia Flyers, LA Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues (did you know that they were created in 1967 during the first expansion??), the “Original Six” (Boston, Montreal, Toronto, New York Rangers, Detroit and Chicago), Edmonton Oilers (1979), New York (Islanders) (1972), Buffalo Sabres & the Vancouver Canucks (1970), the Calgary Flames (1980) and the Washington Capitals (1974).
Also, this does not include teams like the Winnipeg Jets of the 1980s as they would become the Coyotes in 1996 or the Minnesota North Stars or the Hartford Whalers, etc, etc. This is also why I claim that the Edmonton Oilers were created in 1979, as the NHL is the only thing that counts in this sample size example — even though they were technically, for a season, the Alberta Oilers from 1972 – 1973 in the World Hockey Association (WHA) and then the Edmonton Oilers, still in the WHA, from 1973 – 1979.
And as the final “don’t judge me for spending so much time on this if some of it doesn’t look right!” some teams have Conference or Division championships under their name. I only did that for some of them because these things were called different things at different times and after awhile I was going cross-eyed trying to figure which was a Division, which was something else, etc.
Now that everyone can tell that my brain is that of a history major’s — I think these are pretty interesting to see written out next to each other.
For some of us, in what we consider “recent” sports history — some fans still talk about Gretzky to the Kings as if it happened yesterday, and not 26 years ago in August. For some of us, we still remember being excited that Atlanta would have a hockey team that we hoped would be even better than their baseball team. For some of us, we are taught that when we hear the “Potvin Sucks” whistle — to chant back “Rangers Suck” even if we aren’t Islanders fans and even if Denis Potvin has been retired for 26 years. And some of us are still waiting for the Nordiques or the Whalers to rise again from the ashes of places like Kansas City, Seattle or whatever empty space there is in Canada that could sustain a 6th Canadian NHL team.
But, guys. I hate to tell you all this — but it’s now 2014. 1990 happened 24 years ago. That’s why BuzzFeed has all those “YOU KNOW YOU WERE A KID IN THE 90s POSTS” because, holy crap, you know you were a kid from the 90s when… you really wished your favorite hockey team growing up was the Mighty Ducks so that Goldberg and the Bash Brothers could win a Stanley Cup. (ok, so this also might explain why it’s 2014 and I still have a very hard time separating reality from TV/movie facts)
That’s kind of a long time for anything — let alone a sport where a million different special moments happen during the season. It’s always okay to brush up on your history. And it’s also okay not to be a dick to people who might not be as Hockey Smart as you are. I’m lookin’ at you, people who made the girl who thought Crosby should’ve been on Team USA quit twitter. We all make mistakes — and I bet most of you don’t even know half of these stats (I’m “man” enough to admit I sure didn’t).
1993 – 1994
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–3 (Red Wings) –– [This was their third season of existing as a team and they pulled off the biggest turnaround in NHL history, making the playoffs with 82 points — which was a NHL record of 58-points jump from their previous season, 1992 – 1993. Also, of course, the Red Wings were heavily favored to win this series and in what is still known as one of the biggest upsets in Stanley Cup playoff history, the Sharks won Game 7 in Joe Louis Arena, after Jamie Baker scored the game-winning goal in the 3rd period after Chris Osgood was out of position for Detroit and the Sharks won 3-2.]
Lost in Conference Semifinals, 3–4 (Maple Leafs)
1994 – 1995
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–3 (Flames)
Lost in Conference Semifinals, 0–4 (Red Wings)
1997 – 1998
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Stars)
1998 – 1999
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Avalanche)
1999 – 2000
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–3 (Blues)
Lost in Conference Semifinals, 1–4 (Stars)
2000 – 2001
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Blues) * This is the year that they had some goalie from Kazakhstan be the league’s best rookie who won the Calder Memorial Trophy, named Evgeni Nabokov
2001 – 2002
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 (Coyotes)
Lost in Conference Semifinals, 3–4 (Avalanche)
2003– 2004
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 (Blues)
Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–2 (Avalanche)
Lost in Conference Finals, 2–4 (Flames)
2005 – 2006
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 (Predators)
Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2–4 (Oilers)
2006 – 2007
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 (Predators)
Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2–4 (Red Wings)
2007 – 2008
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–3 (Flames)
Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2–4 (Stars)
2008 – 2009
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Ducks)
2009 – 2010
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 (Avalanche)
Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–1 (Red Wings)
Lost in Conference Finals, 0–4 (Blackhawks)
2010 – 2011
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 (Kings)
Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–3 (Red Wings)
Lost in Conference Finals, 1–4 (Canucks)
2011 – 2012
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1–4 (Blues)
2013
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–0 (Canucks)
Lost in Conference Semifinals, 3-4 (Kings)
1996 – 1997
Lost Conference Quarterfinal, 3–4 (Sabres)
1997 – 198
Won Conference Quarterfinal, 4–2 (Devils)
Lost Conference Semifinal, 1–4 (Capitals)
1998 – 199
Lost Conference Quarterfinal, 0–4 (Sabres)
1999 – 2000
Lost Conference Quarterfinal, 2–4 (Maple Leafs)
2000 – 2001
Lost Conference Quarterfinal, 0–4 (Maple Leafs)
2001 – 2002
Won Conference Quarterfinal, 4–1 (Flyers)
Lost Conference Semifinal, 3–4 (Maple Leafs)
2002 – 2003
Won Conference Quarterfinal, 4–1 (Islanders)
Won Conference Semifinal, 4–2 (Flyers)
Lost Conference Final, 3–4 (Devils)
2003 – 2004
Lost Conference Quarterfinal, 3–4 (Maple Leafs)
2005 – 2006
Won Conference Quarterfinal, 4–1 (Lightning)
Lost Conference Semifinal, 1–4 (Sabres)
2006 – 2007
Won Conference Quarterfinal, 4–1 (Penguins)
Won Conference Semifinal, 4–1 (Devils)
Won Conference Final, 4–1 (Sabres)
Lost Stanley Cup Final, 1–4 (Ducks)
2007 – 2008
Lost Conference Quarterfinal, 0–4 (Penguins)
2009 – 2010
Lost Conference Quarterfinal, 2–4 (Penguins)
2011 – 2012
Lost Conference Quarterfinal, 3–4 (Rangers)
2013
Won Conference Quarterfinal, 4–1 (Canadiens)
Lost Conference Semifinal, 1–4 (Penguins)
All-time series record 9–14
Tampa Bay Lightning (established: 1992) Stanley Cups 1 (2003-04) Conference championships 1 (2003-04) Division championships 2 (2002-03, 2003-04)
1995 – 1996
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 2–4
2002 – 2003
Won in Conference Quarterfinals vs. Washington Capitals, 4–2
Lost in Conference Semifinals vs. New Jersey Devils, 1–4
2003 – 2004
Won in Conference Quarterfinals vs. New York Islanders, 4–1
Won in Conference Semifinals vs. Montreal Canadiens, 4–0
Won in Conference Finals vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 4–3
Won in Stanley Cup Finals vs. Calgary Flames, 4–3
2005 – 2006
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals vs. Ottawa Senators, 1–4
2006 – 2007
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals vs. New Jersey Devils, 2–4
2010 – 2011
Won in Conference Quarterfinals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 4–3
Won in Conference Semifinals vs. Washington Capitals, 4–0
Lost in Conference Finals vs. Boston Bruins, 3–4
All-time series record 7-5 (includes a Stanley Cup win, which should count double but doesn’t)
Ducks (established: 1993) Stanley Cups 1 (2006-07)
1996 – 1997
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–3 (Coyotes)
Lost Conference Semifinals, 0–4 (Red Wings)
1998 – 1999
Lost Conference Quarterfinal, 0–4 (Red Wings)
2002 – 2003
Won Conference Quarterfinals, 4–0 (Red Wings)
Won Conference Semifinals, 4–2 (Stars)
Won Conference Finals, 4–0 (Wild)
Lost Finals, 3–4 (Devils) * (Sorry Petr Sykora)
2005 – 2006
Won Conference Quarterfinals, 4–3 (Flames)
Won Conference Semifinals, 4–0 (Avalanche)
Lost Conference Finals, 1–4 (Oilers)
2006 – 2007
Won Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 (Wild)
Won Conference Semifinals, 4–1 (Canucks)
Won Conference Finals, 4–2 (Red Wings)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4–1 (Senators)
2007 – 2008
Lost Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Stars)
2008 – 2009
Won Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 (Sharks)
Lost Conference Semifinals, 3–4 (Red Wings)
2010 – 2011
Lost Conference Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Predators)
2012 – 2013
Lost Conference Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Red Wings)
All-time series record: 11–8 (includes a Stanley Cup win, which should count double but doesn’t)
Florida Panthers (established to confuse my recently deceased uncle who refused to believe there was hockey happening in his backyard since: 1993)
1995 – 1996
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 (Bruins)
Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–2 (Flyers)
Won in Conference Finals, 4–3 (Penguins)
Lost in Finals, 0–4 (Avalanche) — This is their only trip to the Stanley Cup Finals (so far).
1996 – 1997
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1–4 (Rangers)
1999 – 2000
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 0–4 (Devils)
2011 – 2012
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals 3-4 (Devils) — The team advanced to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 12 years but were eliminated in a hard fought 7 games by the eventual Eastern Conference Champions, the New Jersey Devils.
1993 – 1994
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–0 (Blues)
Lost in Conference Semifinals, 1–4 (Canucks)
1994 – 1995
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1–4 (Red Wings)
1996 – 1997
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3–4 (Oilers)
1997 – 1998
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 (Sharks)
Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–1 (Oilers)
Lost in Conference Finals, 2–4 (Red Wings)
1998 – 1999
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–0 (Oilers)
Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–2 (Blues)
Won in Conference Finals, 4–3 (Avalanche)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4–2 (Sabres) — This series made Jamie Langenbrunner a household name! ….. Oh, wait. I guess I mean Mike Modano.
1999 – 2000
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 (Oilers)
Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–1 (Sharks)
Won in Conference Finals, 4–3 (Avalanche)
Lost in Finals, 2–4 (Devils) * this is the series where Jason Arnott scored in Double OT and Petr Sykora got to watch the game & have the Stanley Cup visit him in a hospital.
All time series record: 14–11 (includes a Stanley Cup win, which should count double but doesn’t)
1995 – 1996
Won Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 (Canucks)
Won Conference Semifinals, 4–2 (Blackhawks)
Won Conference Finals, 4–2 (Red Wings)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4–0 (Panthers)
1996 – 1997
Won Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 (Blackhawks)
Won Conference Semifinals, 4–1 (Oilers)
Lost Conference Finals, 2–4 (Red Wings)
1997 – 1998
Lost Conference Quarterfinals, 3–4 (Oilers)
1998 – 1999
Won Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 (Sharks)
Won Conference Semifinals, 4–2 (Red Wings)
Lost Conference Finals, 3–4 (Stars)
1999 – 2000
Won Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 (Coyotes)
Won Conference Semifinals, 4–1 (Red Wings)
Lost Conference Finals, 3–4 (Stars)
2000 – 2001
Won Conference Quarterfinals, 4–0 (Canucks)
Won Conference Semifinals, 4–3 (Kings)
Won Conference Finals, 4–1 (Blues)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4–3 (Devils) (This series never happened for a young Devils fan)
2001 – 2002
Won Conference Quarterfinals, 4–3 (Kings)
Won Conference Semifinals, 4–3 (Sharks)
Lost Conference Finals, 3–4 (Red Wings)
2002 – 2003
Lost Conference Quarterfinals, 3–4 (Wild)
2003 – 2004
Won Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 (Stars)
Lost Conference Semifinals, 2–4 (Sharks)
2005 – 2006
Won Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 (Stars)
Lost Conference Semifinals, 0–4 (Mighty Ducks)
2007 – 2008
Won Conference Quarterfinals, 4-2 (Wild)
Lost Conference Semifinals, 0-4 (Red Wings)
2009 – 2010
Lost Conference Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Sharks)
All time series record: 19–10 (not including counting their 2 Stanley Cup wins as double)
Coyotes (established: 1996) 2011 – 2012 – Won in Conference Semifinals
1996 – 1997
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3–4 (Mighty Ducks)
1997 – 1998
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Red Wings)
1998 – 1999
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3–4 (Blues) — After building a 3–1 series lead, The Coyotes would fall in OT of game 7.
1999 – 2000
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1–4 (Avalanche)
2001 – 2002
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1–4 (Sharks) — In 2002, the Coyotes posted 95 points, one point behind their best total as an NHL team while in Winnipeg, but lost to the San Jose Sharks in five games.
2009 – 2010
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Red Wings)
2010 – 2011
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 0-4 (Red Wings)
2011 – 2012 — On April 7, 2012, the Coyotes defeated the Minnesota Wild with a score of 4–1 to win the Pacific Division title—their first division title as an NHL team (in Winnipeg or Phoenix).
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-2 (Blackhawks)
Won in Conference Semifinals, 4-1 (Predators)
Lost in Conference finals, 1-4 (Kings)
All time series record: 2–8 (2011-2012 was magic for them. And/or Shane Doan finally cashed in his magic beans)
1998 – 1999
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Bruins)
2000 – 2001
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Devils)
2001 – 2002
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 (Devils)
Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–2 (Canadiens)
Won in Conference Finals, 4–2 (Maple Leafs)
Lost in Stanley Cup Finals, 1–4 (Red Wings)
2005 – 2006
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 (Canadiens)
Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–1 (Devils)
Won in Conference Finals, 4–3 (Sabres)
Won in Stanley Cup Finals, 4–3 (Oilers)
2008 – 2009
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–3 (Devils)
Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–3 (Bruins)
Lost in Conference Finals, 0–4 (Penguins)
All time series record: 9-4
Nashville Predators (established: 1998) Won Conference Quarterfinals (2010-2011, 2011-12)
2003 – 2004
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 vs. Detroit Red Wings
2005 – 2006
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1–4 vs. San Jose Sharks
2006 – 2007
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1–4 vs. San Jose Sharks
2007 – 2008
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 vs. Detroit Red Wings
2009 – 2010
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 vs. Chicago Blackhawks
2010 – 2011
Won in Conference Quarterfinals vs. Anaheim Ducks, 4–2
Lost in Conference Semifinals vs. Vancouver Canucks, 2–4
2011 – 2012
Won in Conference Quarterfinals vs. Detroit Red Wings, 4–1
Lost in Conference Semifinals vs. Phoenix Coyotes, 1–4
2006 – 2007
Lost Conference Quarterfinals vs. New York Rangers, 0–4 — The Thrashers clinched their first playoff spot by winning the Southeast Division title with 43 wins and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Winnipeg Jets (since 2011):
All time series record: C’mon, son. I can’t say it in memory of my love for the Thrashers.
Minnesota Wild (established: 2000)
2002 -2003
Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–3 (Avalanche)
Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–3 (Canucks)
Lost in Conference Finals, 0–4 (Mighty Ducks)
2006 -2007
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1–4 (Ducks)
2007 -2008
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Avalanche)
2013
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1–4 (Blackhawks)
All time series record: 2-4
Columbus Blue Jackets (established: 2000)
2008 – 2009
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 0–4 (Red Wings)
2013 The Blue Jackets just missed the playoffs via a tiebreaker against the Minnesota Wild, who had more non-shootout wins.
All time series record: 0-0 (get healthy soon, Bob & Gaborik)
Team USA’s run for the World Junior Championship ended yesterday in their quarterfinal match against Russia. Despite 3 first period goals, the United States lost 5-3.
Stefan Matteau, Ryan Hartman, and Nic Kerdiles each scored a goal to give the United States a 3-2 lead after the first period. Five minutes and 2 Russian power play goals in the second period, however, were enough to unravel Team USA.
“The game changed in that five-minute segment,” said Don Lucia, head coach of the U.S. National Junior Team. “We went from being on the power play, up 3-2, to the consecutive five-on-three Russian power plays where they made two great shots. That’s where the game changed.”
Those five-on-three, power-play tallies happened in a mere 1:01 span, a definite blow to the Americans’ momentum. Trailing 4-3, USA rallied for the equalizer in the third period, but an empty net goal would seal their fate with only 28 seconds remaining.
Defeat is difficult to deal with in its own right, but the Americans had salt poured in their wounds to contend with on top of the loss. Some taunting from the empty net goal scorer, Pavel Buchnevich, was a little unsavory and immature, but considering his age (and what was yet to come) it was not the most egregious act from the Russians. As Buchnevich skated his way past the American bench, Ryan Hartman reached his stick out and hit his tormentor in the face. More immaturity from a player showing his age. The childish behavior reached its climax at the end of the game when the very age-inappropriate Team Russia trainer Alexander Rezepov decided it would be a good idea to make rude hand gestures at the beaten Americans.
In sports, and all activities concerning young men for that matter, we have a “boys will be boys” mentality. But an event like the World Junior Championship is a setting in which those boys grow into men. The behaviors of Buchnevich and Hartman were inexcusable. Far worse, however, were the actions of Rezepov. When a grown man who is in a mentor/leadership position conducts himself that way, there is cause for concern.
We are a mere 35 days (5 weeks!) from the Opening Ceremonies of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. I promised I would get you guys excited for these games, especially the hockey tournament. At this point in our countdown, I think it’s a good idea to familiarize ourselves with a few of the elements we will be seeing a lot of when the time comes. I’m talking about the venues and the medals.
The Olympics always bring host cities the difficult task of accommodating a venue for every event to take place, regardless of whether such a place exists yet. As such, these locations must be versatile enough for the host city to use again. The Ice Hockey competition will take place in two locations: The “Bolshoy” Ice Dome, and The “Shayba” Arena. Both are part of the complex of facilities operated by the International Ice Hockey Federation which also include a nearby training rink.
Bolshoy Ice Dome
The Bolshoy Ice Dome’s design was inspired by a frozen drop. It will have a capacity of 12,000 seats, and after the Olympics it will function as a modern sports and entertainment center. The Shayba Arena is portable; after the festivities it can be dismantled and moved to another Russian city to be used as an Ice Palace. It can hold 7,000 people. The word “shayba” has significance as it means “puck” in Russian. Russians shout “Shaybu!” as a way to support their hockey teams at international competitions, so keep your ears open for the familiar Russian phrase next month.
Shayba Arena
Olympic medals are always interesting. They tend to uniquely reflect something about the location of the games in their design. The 2014 medals are no exception.
From www.olympic.org
The Sochi 2014 Olympic medals are truly unique and feature Sochi 2014’s “Patchwork Quilt” – a mosaic of national designs from the various cultures and ethnicities of the Russian Federation. The medals depict the landscape of Sochi, with the sun’s golden rays reflecting through a prism of snowy mountain tops onto the sandy beaches of the Black Sea coast. Made by skilled craftsmen from a combination of metal and polycarbonate, the medals have a sense of lightness and distinctive beauty, which will make it all the more special for the lucky athletes that get to take one home from the Games [this] year.
The front of the medals feature the Olympic Rings, while the backs bear the name of the competition and the Sochi games logo. The official name of the games is engraved on the rim in Russian, English, and French.
It’s no secret that I am coveting the most precious medals of all for both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Olympic teams. It is one of the greatest achievements in hockey and I am looking forward to a spirited competition from all countries involved. The first game for the men takes place on February 13, while the ladies begin on February 8. Both opening games will be held at Shayba Arena.
Prev
