Staal-ing the Show

A little brotherly competition never hurt anybody. By Bryan Rubin

(Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press)

Last Saturday night, the Carolina Hurricanes took the ice against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The storyline of the game featured the matchup between brothers Eric and Jordan Staal. Eric Staal, forward for the Hurricanes, ended up getting the last laugh in Carolina’s 5-3 win.

Coming into the night, both teams were playing the second of back-to-backs. The Penguins cruised to a 3-1 victory at home verses Dallas the night before while the Hurricanes was blown out on the road in New York.

Carolina got on the board early on a back-hand goal by sophomore sensation Jeff Skinner just a minute and a half into the game. For the rest of the first twenty minutes, the Canes were continuously bailed out by goalie Cam Ward, who saved all ten first period shots.

All Time Greats

Tucker Warner lays out his all-time greatest players for the Flames.

This is the first of a periodic series in which I unveil my selections for the all-time greatest players, in the form of a forward and defenseman line, plus a goalie, for the franchises of the Northwest Division.

The Flames have had a rich franchise history, beginning in Atlanta in the 1972-73 season to their move to Calgary in the 1980-81 season.  Since the move, the Flames have made the playoffs 20 times in 30 seasons, including 4 appearances in the conference finals, 3 appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals, and one championship in the 1988-89 season. 

Along the way, many great players have laced up for the Flames. These are just a few of the greatest who have made their mark on the franchise.

What's with the Flyers?

After a lackluster start to the season, we're left asking, what's going on in Philly? By Frank Smith

For a team that was projected to be a top threat, the Philadelphia Flyers have sunk into a funk that has led to two straight losses.

Fingers can be pointed in an array of directions; has it been the entrance of twenty-year-old Canadian, supposed phenom, Brayden Schenn? Possibly. Or is it a lack of chemistry that is a regular issue at the beginning of any season? Who knows.

What we do know is the Flyers need to step it up. Poor play at the beginning of the season can quickly become a habit, and lead into worse play as the season progresses.

Claude Giroux has also been an extreme disappointment. He has reached a career high, in a statistic that he’d rather forget: being a minus player. At Minus-5 over four straight games, Giroux went on record, courtesy of NBC Sports, saying that “Sometimes you get the minuses, sometimes you get the plusses”.

That isn’t the right attitude to turn around a season that appears to be on a slippery slope.

This week, the Flyers have a tough schedule taking on Toronto, Buffalo and Montreal throughout the week. What a better way to turn around a losing streak than three wins against two teams that are the class of the league, and one that is a gimme-game against Montreal.

Jeff and Pete's Awesome Podcast–Ver 1.0 Episode 7

Jeff and Pete talk about the young NHL season, baseball and the addition of Carson Palmer. Plus, the two delve into their college football picks for the week.

Avalanche Take Northwest Division, NHL by Storm

(AP Photo/Eric Jamison)

It may not have looked like it a couple weeks ago, but the Colorado Avalanche is a team to take notice of in the Northwest Division. By Tucker Warner

       “They have perhaps the bleakest outlook of any team in the NHL.”  “The goaltending situation is a mess.”  “Denver will struggle to make it out of the basement of the Western Conference this year.”
 
       These are all things that I wrote in my Preseason Power Rankings column two weeks ago about the Colorado Avalanche.  I’m sorry, that should say “tied for first place in the NHL Colorado Avalanche.”  Somehow, through the first five games, this team has managed to tie for first place in the league with eight points, place second in the NHL in goal differential (trailing only the Detroit Red Wings), and lead the Northwest Division in Hockey-Reference’s Simple Rating System.
 
       So at this point, it’s fair to say that they are exceeding expectations by a considerable margin.  And while it’s true that Colorado has taken advantage of a below-average strength of schedule, it would be too easy to sum up their success so far to simply playing some weak teams.

The Shady Deal Behind the Thrashers Potential Move to Winnipeg

Are the Jets coming back? Will the NHL finally return to Canada? Did Bettman finally admit that hockey won't work in the South? Oritt Blum is here to break down a possible relocation that could send shockwaves through the NHL

Although ESPN.com reported that no official deal has been made, True North, the group negotiating to bring a team over the border, confirmed that talks are in the works with the group that currently owns the Atlanta Thrashers. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was vague about the possibility of the move.

“I can tell you with certainty that there is no deal for this team to move. Am I predicting that there will never be or that there won’t be at some point in time? No, I’m not saying there is or there isn’t,” he announced on his weekly radio show.

Gary Bettman, vague? Never.

One of Atlanta’s main owners, Bruce Levenson, has been unsuccessfully searching for a buyer for the past two years who would keep the team in its current city. Atlanta has been in this position before, in 1980, when the Calgary Flames moved to Alberta. Then again, is it really worth keeping a team whose average attendance this season, 13, 469, was ranked 28th out of the 30 teams in the NHL?

The Conference Finals

Like the commercial says, history is just one step away. Oritt Blum is here to tell us the two teams who will just be one small step from the Stanley Cup.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Boston Bruins: Eastern Conference Finals.


Not going to sugarcoat it–the Bolts are on fire. Surpassing all expectations, Tampa Bay is deadlocked with the Bruins in the Eastern Conference finals. Not that this seals either team’s deal, but it certainly gives the Lightning a boost, especially after winning game one on Boston’s stomping ground.

Both teams are hungry for victory; the Bruins haven’t seen the conference finals since 1992, while Tampa Bay makes its second-ever appearance. Its first was in 2004, when the team went on to win the Stanley Cup.

And yes, Mark Recchi was in the league when the Bruins last made the Finals

The Bruins and the Lightning are both teams with talent, heart, hunger, grit, and impressive coaching.