image: TSN

Being on a losing streak has got to suck ass but some people just can’t seem to handle the pressure.  One example is Keith Ballard.  Here’s what happened.

In the first period, Ilya Kovalchuk had a breakaway, took a shot, it rebounded and he found a way to get it past goaltender, Tomas Vokoun.  Nothing too surprising, really.  What shocked everyone watching the game, however, was the fact that Ballard expressed his frustration by swinging his hockey stick and hitting his own goalie in the head with it.

Some people are saying that he was trying to hit the crossbar but there’s no way that I believe that.  If you watch the video (especially from the second angle), you’ll see that Ballard actually moves toward Vokoun and then swings.  If he was trying to hit the crossbar, why would he move away from the net?  I think he was just pissed that Vokoun gave up that rebound.

The lamest part is that this was during the first period when the team had plenty of time to get things together and Vokoun is tied for first place for shutouts.  He’s a good goalie.  He didn’t deserve that.

Watch the video.  I seriously couldn’t believe it.

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image: Zuma Press

On their official website, head coach Peter DeBoer made the following announcement:  “The selection of Bryan as the captain of our club was something that became obvious to our staff after working with him for the past year.  He exudes all of the attributes you look for in a leader and will be a natural extension of the coaches and our message into the dressing room.”

His assistant captains will be forwards Cory Stillman and Stephen Weiss.

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On the anniversary of the incident, Zednik had an amazing night on the ice as his Florida Panthers enjoyed a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.  At 1:02 in OT, Zednik scored his second goal of the night – the game winner – and secured the win for his team.

"It’s amazing," said Zednik.  "Exactly one year later and to get the game-winning goal, it’s great."

Indeed, it was an incredible game since the Panthers were able to bounce back from a three-goal deficit.  I like to think Zednik’s teammates rallied to win the game for him.

image: TSN

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It was another wild night last night!  There were several high-scoring games but I think the most intense matchup was between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Dallas Stars.  I think this is further proof that some of the trades Columbus has made just might make them real contenders this year.  I was happy to see that former Calgary Flames player, Kristian Huselius, seems to be fitting in nicely with the club already having scored for the Blue Jackets once last night.  The game-winner was knocked in by Rick Nash in overtime. 

Here are the rest of last night’s scores from across the league:

• Florida 4 @ Carolina 6
• NY Islanders 1 @ New Jersey 2
• Chicago 2 @ NY Rangers 4
• Montreal 1 @ Buffalo 2
• Washington 4 @ Atlanta 7
• Columbus 5 @ Dallas 4

image credit: TSN

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It’s official, friends.  Bryan McCabe is one of the Florida Panthers.  The veteran defenceman has left the Toronto Maple Leafs for a deal that will pay him $4.15 million for the next three years.  In order for the deal to take place, McCabe had to waive his no-movement clause.  In exchange, the Leafs will get d-man, Mike Van Ryn and a fourth round pick in the 2010 Entry Draft.

What do you think of this trade?  Is this a bad idea?  I am not the biggest fan of the Panthers but it will be interesting to see if he fits in there. 

image credit: TSN

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The Ottawa Senators will now be under the direction of Craig Hartsburg, who will join the NHL after a successful run in the OHL in Sault Ste. Marie (I should not that he did try the NHL with Chicago and Anaheim but was just average).

The Florida Panthers will be led by Peter DeBoer, who was also being considered for the Ottawa position.  He has coached and managed the Kitchener Rangers for the past seven years and, in that time, the team has captured two OHL championships, a Memorial Cup championship and a runner-up finish at the junior hockey championships this year. He has also been named OHL’s coach of the year twice.

All in all, it should be interesting to see how these “new guys” shake things up.  I think Ottawa has the most to gain while the Sharks stand to lose the most.  All I know is that things were not great for the Calgary Flames during the 2006-2007 season when Jim Playfair tested out his head coaching skills so, it can really go either way.  I guess we’ll just have to wait and see…

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”I think it’s great for the organization to get (Frolik) signed,” said Panthers general manager Jacques Martin. ”Now we have all our kids signed to contracts. We think a lot of Michael. We like his skating ability, his vision and anticipation. We feel he’s an excellent player who will help our organization for a long time.”

Well, I hope something happens to revitalize this team.  There aren’t many hockey clubs that I “hate” but I do really, really dislike the Panthers.  I’ll be interested in seeing their roster this fall.

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Watch a video and, if you want a more complete story, click here.

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