So, a lot of other teams in the Atlantic Division had their losing streaks earlier in this shortened season — however, of course because it’s the Devils, we were having our Terrible Losing Streak Time at the worst possible time in the early weeks of March (how is this month almost over?!).
40-year-old Marty Brodeur was hurt and so Johan Hedberg, our 39-year-young backup was in for 5 games. The first couple games (specifically against Buffalo) the loss could be blamed on crappy defense (yes, I know what I said about the Devils. I’ll get into that in a moment). But, then after that Moose looked shakey all by himself. Because of age? Because of fear? Because of not being used? Who the hell knows, but you have to be a terrible person to be happy to see Moose so sad and embarrassed (when he assumed that coming to New Jersey meant never having to play like the Atlanta Thrashers ever again. I am sorry we disappointed you, Johan).
In that road trip, the Devils had only gotten 1 out of a possible 5 points on the road trip. And the most embarrassing terribleness is that Marek Zidlicky, the player I hate the most on my team now that Mike Mottau is angering the San Antonio Rampage, scored the 2 goals in our 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs on Monday, March 4th.
And then the next night, it was a home loss to Tampa Bay where the lone highlight was what my friend (who was at the game) said was them showing former Devils great Sergei Brylin on the scoreboard watching the game.
Photo via NHL.com
Devils goalie Martin Brodeur celebrated his return in a big way—with a goal! Yes, the first goal of the game was scored by the 40-year-old net-minder. This was his first start in a month and it seems he wanted to make sure everyone knew that he was back. It was a strange goal that might not have happened without a little luck. New Jersey had a delayed penalty and Jordan Staal shot the puck across the Devils’ zone. It banked off the boards and straight into the net while the ‘Canes goalie was headed off the ice for an extra attacker. It just so happened that Marty Brodeur was the last Devil to touch the puck.
In a post-game interview Brodeur claimed he did not even know the Carolina goalie was out of his net. Actually, he didn’t even know that he was the one who would get the goal until teammate Ilya Kovalchuk told him. When asked about scoring the first goal of the game, Brodeur said that “it was nice to contribute” with the goal and “it was a good break for [them].”
The game ended 4-1 New Jersey with the other three goals scored by Adam Henrique (assisted by Kovalchuk, Larsson), Peter Harrold (assisted by Elias, Zajac), and Loktionov (assisted by Bernier, Zajac). The lone Hurricane’s goal was scored by Jeff Skinner on the power play in the 3rd period (assisted by E. Staal, J. Staal) to take away the game-winning-goal and shutout from Marty.
When the NHL season did not start on time, some players that would have been on NHL rosters were eligible to report to their AHL affiliates. The number of players actually able to do this varied from team to team with some AHL teams getting a lot of help and others getting little to none. The Springfield Falcons, affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, were one of the teams that had a large number of players join them from Columbus. Those players allowed the team to have an excellent start to their season, going 23-9-3-3 through the halfway mark of the season. It was a level of success that the franchise had not seen in awhile, having not been in the playoffs since the 2002-2003 season. That year they lost in the first round.
However, the NHL did eventually get started up and since then, the Falcons have not been as dominant as they were to start the season. So far, 12 players that started the year in Springfield have spent time in the NHL. Of those 12, there are 6 on the active roster for the Blue Jackets. Players like Cam Atkinson, Ryan Johansen, and Tim Erixon all started the season in the AHL. Even despite the number of games they have spent with Columbus, Atkinson and Johansen are still in the top five on the team in goals while Erixon is still in the top 5 for assists. Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and Nick Drazenovic are currently leading the team in points, but both have spent time in the NHL as well. Head Coach Brad Larsen and his team have had to make a lot of adjustments.
In addition to the players lost to Columbus, the Falcons also lost Tomas Kubalik and Patrick Cullity in trades to the Winnipeg Jets. From that, they gained Spencer Machacek and Matthew Ford, both of whom had been playing with the Jets AHL affiliate, the St. John’s Ice Caps. Despite being 12-9-2-1 so far in the second half the season with 14 games to go, Coach Larsen is not yet concerned. He does not need to be. His team still easily has a winning record and they are still in the lead for their division by 9 points. With a win last night, they surpassed their point total from all of last season. Springfield currently has 79 points and earned only 78 last season, going 36-34-3-3.
The Falcons have been fortunate to get some players back that had missed a good chunk of the season to injury. They have also made use of a lot of players called up from the ECHL. With the roster constantly changing and rarely looking the same from one game to the next, the players have had to adjust to roles as needed. Players like Trent Vogelhuber and Nathan Moon, in the first and second professional seasons respectively, have looked to make the most of the opportunity. Both spent time in the ECHL with Evansville and are currently on call-ups.
“It’s been tough. This team has been right at the top of the league all year,” rookie Trent Vogelhuber said of the team. “Now we’re kind of facing the first adversity of the season. It’s tough with everyone being up and down but we’ve got a great group.”
Vogelhuber has really loved the chance to play in the AHL this season and prove himself. Although the transition from Miami University last season to professional hockey last season to professional hockey has not been easy, it has been a great opportunity. The transition has been made easier by former Miami teammate, Will Weber, who is also a rookie with the team and by the fact that Vogelhuber was drafted by Columbus and had participated in development camps. Second year pro Nathan Moon is getting his chance with a new organization this year after having spent last season with the Worcester Sharks. After starting the season in the ECHL, he wants to show he belongs and that he can help.
“I come here and try to work hard to prove I can play here. When I’m called upon, I try to do what I can.,” Moon said. “We’ve faced some adversity but it’s about all of us working hard and getting pucks in deep to make things happen.”
This team knows that the most important part of stringing wins together for the remainder of the season is that everyone work hard. Coaches and players alike seem to agree that they have a great group right now. Everyone is on board for the push to the end of the season and into the playoffs. This weekend, they host their conference rivals, the Worcester Sharks, for the last time in Springfield before traveling down to Bridgeport on Saturday night. With these games, the Falcons are hoping to start a winning streak and work on finishing the season strong.
The New England Stars junior A hockey club will leave it all on the ice this weekend as they take on the first-place Syracuse Stampede in a single elimination playoff game at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow in Lake George, New York.
The Stars, who play in Northern States Junior Hockey League, have battled hard throughout the season but finished in seventh place in the league.A young team this year – more than half of the players on the roster are under 18 – the Stars finished 12-28 in the regular season. Still, the Stars remained competitive with the Eastern Kodiaks, Cape Cod Islanders and Junior Mariners and finished only three points out of fifth place.
Head Coach Darryl Green knows tomorrow night’s battle will be tough as the Stars are 0-7 against the Stampede this season.
“I’m expecting them to play hard and leave everything on the ice, we have a nothing-to-lose type of attitude so I think it will be a close, tight checking game,” said Green.
Throughout the season, the Stars had a tough time finding the back of the net and have made it a point to improve upon throughout this week’s practices.
“We have been working on going to the net, it’s not an easy thing to do. However, you can be rewarded greatly, if you’re willing to do it,” said Green. ” … Our front net presence needs to improve.”
And that will be key as the Stars look to take a W against Syracuse tomorrow night.
Green said finishing last in the league was disappointing, but that just means the Stars have a bright future ahead of them.
“I was satisfied with how each player has gotten better this season,” said Green. “…it was pretty tight and the top three teams are a lot older than we are. Our record was closer against the bottom four teams.”
Green said he will have some wise words for the Stars in the locker room before they head onto the ice to face the Stampede.
“They’ll be ready to go,” he said. “They know what’s at stake. I probably won’t even need to say much to get them ready.”
Photo via secondcityhockey.com
By Kelsie Plesac
The Chicago Blackhawks ended their 4-game road trip with a 4-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. The two top teams in the NHL faced off on Wednesday night with only five combined regulation losses. In their last meeting in February, the Ducks handed the Blackhawks a shootout loss in Chicago.
Chicago got off to a difficult start in the first period with Anaheim’s Peter Holland tallying his 3rd goal of the season after 1:24. Less than two minutes later, the Blackhawks found themselves shorthanded against the Ducks, who boast the best power play percentage in the league. It was the Blackhawks, however, that would tally a goal during the Anaheim power play with the captain, Jonathan Toews, scoring his 15th of the season at 3:52.
In the second period, Blackhawk’s defenseman Nick Leddy scored a power play goal on his 22nd birthday, making it his 4th of the season (goal, that is…not birthday). This came after another penalty on Anaheim, interference by Toni Lydman at 2:21, in which the Blackhawks did not register a shot on goal.
At 5:57 Chicago’s Brandon Bollig registered what would have been his first NHL goal and put his team up 3-1. However, after reviewing the play, officials determined that Bollig kicked the puck into the net, and the call was reversed. From that point, it was all Anaheim with Bobby Ryan tallying his 9th goal of the season after 14:33. Sixty-four seconds later, Teemu Selanne scored the go-ahead goal (7th of the season) for the Ducks, assisted by the captain, Ryan Getzlaf. Anaheim would solidify their lead with an empty net goal by Sheldon Souray (6th of the season) with 20.7 seconds left in the game.
The loss puts the Blackhawks at 24-3-3, and the win places the Ducks (22-3-4) only 3 points behind the Blackhawks in the Western Conference standings and gives them a franchise-record 12-game point streak. The Blackhawks played without Patrick Sharp and the veteran, Marian Hossa, who is out with an upper body injury suffered in Monday night’s game against the Denver Avalanche. The Ducks played without Corey Perry who was serving his fourth game in his 4-game suspension for his hit on Minnesota’s Jason Zucker. The Hawks will have four days to rest until they take on the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Los Angeles Kings, Monday, March 25 back home at the United Center.
The road to playing professional hockey is often not an easy one. But it is one that almost any young player who loves the game would take without question. For the typical Canadian born player, it involves moving away from home to play in one of the junior leagues for a start. If that player is lucky, he gets drafted and goes onto the NHL. However, more often, the player will spend four years playing junior hockey followed by minor league professional hockey if he’s lucky enough to continue his career and get paid to do so.
Rob Klinkhammer has found his latest shot at success with the Phoenix Coyotes organization after having bounced around with a number of teams so far in his career. The 26 year old from Lethbridge, Alberta was able to start his junior career at home. He played his first two and a half seasons of junior hockey in the Western Hockey League with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The WHL is known as the toughest of the three major junior leagues in Canada and Klinkhammer definitely thinks that added something to his game. Although, the league is not as tough as he remembers it anymore.
“When I first came into the league, there were line brawls every night. There were some bench brawls,” Klinkhammer remembers. “It definitely helped shaped the way I play.”
After spending his first two and a half seasons of junior hockey with his hometown team in Lethbridge, Klinkhammer finished his third junior season in Seattle with the Thunderbirds. For his fourth, and final, season, Klinkhammer spent one game with Seattle before splitting the remainder of the season between the Portland Winter Hawks and the Brandon Wheat Kings. It was a lot of moving around, but Klinkhammer still recorded 33 goals, 40 assists, and 108 minutes in penalties during that final junior season.
“I’m not the most overly skilled guy but I can get things done. I’m a good skater,” Klinkhammer said, despite the incredible season. “I like to play hard and play smart. I’m an energy guy.”
Klinkhammer unfortunately went undrafted. Despite not having put up the best numbers through his first three seasons of juniors, his last season really put him on the radar. That first season after junior, he played in the AHL for the Norfolk Admirals. Although the Admirals missed the playoffs by a mile, it was not all a loss. It gained him notice by the Blackhawks and he would spend the next three full seasons and part of a fourth in that organization. During the 2010-2011 season, Klinkhammer earned his first chance to play in an NHL game. It was something he will never forget.
“It’s something you work for your whole life so it’s almost validating for all your hard work. It’s realizing your dream,” Klinkhammer said. “You don’t really play the game you’re used to because you’re so nervous but you just try not to make mistakes.”
After playing 18 games with the Blackhawks AHL affiliate to start the 2011-2012 season, Klinkhammer was traded to the Ottawa Senators. Although he initially reported to the AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators, Klinkhammer earned another shot in the NHL. During the 2011-2012 season, he dressed for 15 NHL games. It was an opportunity he had always hoped he would get and he tried to make the most of it. It can be hard to be traded like he was mid-season, but Klinkhammer found the best in the situation.
“It was a huge blessing to get a chance with a new team and I just ran with it. I got into a handful of games up with Ottawa,” Klinkhammer said. “It was huge for my confidence. I knew I could play in the NHL, I just had to show another team.”
During the offseason, Klinkhammer changed teams yet again and signed with the Phoenix Coyotes and earned that chance to prove himself to another team. With the NHL lockout to start the season, Klinkhammer reported to the Portland Pirates in the AHL. He focused on working on his skills and recorded his first professional hat trick in a game at the beginning of the season. When the NHL season started back up, Klinkhammer received a call up but was unable to get into a game. He was briefly reassigned to Portland for three days before getting called up again. Currently on the Phoenix roster, Klinkhammer has skated in 5 games and registered his first and second NHL goals. It does not appear that he will be headed back to the AHL at the moment. His constant positive outlook and his determination to work his hardest are definite factors in his current success.
Photo via ccha.com
By Katie Joly
As the college hockey winds down, many teams are playing in their conference championship games this weekend, searching for a bid to esteemed Frozen Four tournament. However, for the members of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), this year’s quest for the Mason Cup is especially important. Why? It’s the last championship game for the CCHA. The conference will disband after this season as college hockey appears to have followed in the footsteps of college football and the NHL and realigned conferences.
Big Ten Conference
Three current members of the CCHA, Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State are leaving to form the Big Ten Conference with newly established varsity team, Penn State, and Minnesota and Wisconsin from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).
Why the move? Well, money is perhaps the largest reason for these teams creating their own conference. With the creation of the Big Ten Network, which generated $242 million in revenue in 2011, Big Ten football teams have seen increased exposure and media revenues and now the hockey teams want a piece of the action. The increased coverage of Big Ten hockey by the network will also increase interest in the conference and sport as more people will be able to watch the games.
Photo via nhl.com
With only the Hudson River separating them, the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers make up one of the greatest rivalries of all time. The two Atlantic division teams met for the second time this season on March 19. The first meeting between the two started with the Devils taking an early lead in the first period and ending the game with a 3-1 win over the Blue Shirts. In this battle of the border, though, New York got the “W” after a back-and-forth 60 minutes.
This game, like most of the match-ups between these two teams, did not disappoint. The Rangers struck first with a shorthanded goal from Michael Del Zotto. Later in the first period, Travis Zajac tied it up with a power play goal, which led to a quick offensive flurry. Carl Hagelin scored at 16:50 to take the lead back for the Rangers, and 23 seconds later, Devils’ forward Anton Volchenkov took a slap shot to tie it at 2.
The second period was less offensive with only one goal: Rick Nash about halfway through the period to make it 3-2 Rangers. Nash’s goal held up to be the game-winner throughout a scoreless third period. This win put the Rangers ahead of the Devils for 8th place in the Eastern Conference. Now, there are four teams in the conference with 32 points.
Despite the Devil’s loss, there was one positive they can take away from the game. Their starting goalie, Martin Brodeur, dressed for the first time in twelve games. Since Brodeur’s injury, the Devils have gone 3-8-2 with Johan Hedberg as goalie. Compared to an 8-2-3 record with Brodeur, it is safe to say New Jersey is not the same team without their star net-minder. Fortunately for the Devils, Marty is expected to be back in net for this Thursday’s game against Carolina.
Photo: Dinur Blum
Rob Kwiet began the season with the Stockton Thunder, appearing in one game, before a trade sent him to the Greenville Road Warriors where he played 13 games. Another trade and he found himself back on the west coast, this time to play for the San Francisco Bulls and head coach Pat Curcio. It is a reunion of sorts for Kwiet, the connection between player and coach spanning back into his early hockey career.
Rob grew up in Scarborough, east of Toronto and started skating at the same time he learned to walk. It wasn’t long before he started in league hockey at the age of four. His family was and still is a huge support to him in his hockey career.
“Both my grandfathers were always there for me, one played and the other was the chauffeur. He would drive me to and from practice at 6 in the morning and after practice he was always there for me. My mom and dad supported me and they still do, traveling all over North America to watch me play.”
Photo: Dinur Blum
An obligatory Leafs fan, Kwiet grew up watching the great Mats Sundin and wore the number 13 throughout his early hockey career. He started out as a left winger, but then switched to defence when he played minor midgets with the Wexford Raiders. The connection to the San Francisco Bulls began with Wexford as he played with Kyle Paige, now Assistant Coach for the Bulls and his Coach then as now was none other than Pat Curcio.
Kwiet found he liked playing defence, it seemed like a fit and so he stuck with it but he held on to his winger roots, seeing himself as an offensive puck-moving defenceman:
“I like to make the plays. As a left winger growing up, I have offense in my mind. I like to play the power play, everybody does but I like to make that my specialty and quarterback the play.”
Kwiet is known for his power play finesse. His time with the Reading Royals notched him a team high 15 power play points for the 2010-2011 season and the Stockton Thunder brought him in to bolster their blueline during the 2011-12 playoff push. This season he is the top defenceman for the Bulls and ranks 3rd in the ECHL in all points for defencemen. His on-ice awareness and ability to see what happens before it unfolds is key:
“I’m more of a passer than a shooter, but obviously I will shoot when I have the opportunity. I think I have the ability to be able to see the lanes, and an understanding of how the power play is supposed to work. I also think that being able to watch video on other teams and be able to dissect what they will do and then reading what they will do on the ice, that’s something that I have always been good at, I’d like to think that is one of my strengths.”
Being part of a team allows very little deviation in the clothing department, it’s what makes a team,well, a team. The same uniform is a symbol of unity, but what happens when one player exceeds all expectations on any given night? If you’re a member of the Boston Bruins, your success on the ice isn’t lost in the final sounds of the buzzer, but remembered for all to see post game. For the last three seasons, Bruins veteran defenceman Andrew Ference, has found a way to make sure everyone knows which teammate reigns court in the locker room after a successful night. While his item choices have been questionable, they certainly have remained memorable for fans and players alike.
Photo via Massholesports
During the 2010-11 season, it was a vintage 1980’s starter jacket, found on eBay that graced the shoulders of the black and gold elite. The jacket, was purchased with the mindset that the team was a tight knit crew. No matter how big or small, everyone could wear it and quite a few did. Even 6-foot-9 Captain Zdeno Chara donned the now infamous threads after a game, albeit not the best fit. One member of the team that season it fit like a glove, the Stanley Cup. Boston won the most treasured trophy in all of sports during the traditions inaugural season. Perhaps that had a lot to do with keeping the tradition alive.
Photo via NHLBruins
The Jacket was retired, but inspiration struck again for Ference during 2011-12. Last season, an over-sized chain was the accessory of choice for the player of the game honors. The chain, which featured 20 links, and a lock that held the famous spoked “B”, was used to portray the mindset that no one wants to be the weak link. 20 links, 20 players each night. A nice sentiment, although short lived as Boston took their exit during the 1st round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Now mid-way through the 2012-13 season, it’s safe to say that finding an item for player of the game honors has become a tradition. While one of a kind items have taken center ice in the past, this year fans can get in on the action.
During post-game availability following their 4-1 win over Washington, Gordie Howe Hat Trick recipient Nathan Horton was rocking a fairly peculiar t-shirt in the dressing room. A giant red Rooster to be exact.
The shirt, which hails from New Hampshire based company The Mountain, can be purchased for just $20. Perhaps an interesting choice in the eyes of many, the rooster has been seen as a lucky charm for centuries.
“It’s just something I found online and thought the guys would have some fun with it. The rooster is supposed to symbolize good luck in Europe,” said Ference. “That’s why you often see a rooster in the kitchen at people’s houses.”
Photo via NHLBruins
The shirt will be happily passed around the locker room to those deserving. Each player will be more than willing to wear it as a symbol of recognition from his team mates. More likely than not, fans will also be wearing the rooster in flocks at the TD Garden, hoping to add a little extra luck on game nights. Buy yours while you can, Boston’s bringing rooster back, one t-shirt at a time.
Prev1...370371372...412Next 
Page 371 of 412
