The Calgary Flames took on the visiting Montreal Canadiens last night and it was actually a pretty intense game.  The Flames are now 3-0 for the season so far which is the best they’ve done at the beginning of the year since 1993-1994.

The Flames can thank some unlikely heroes for saving the day, though.  Staffan Kronwall and Adam Pardy really stepped it up adding two assists each (Kronwall actually got his first NHL goal which ended up being the game-winner!) but it was Eric Nystrom who really made the difference.  He scored two goals and I’m willing to go on …read more

There were a couple trades and deals that I expected to happen.  I expected to see the Calgary Flames sign a deal with Jay Bouwmeester (they did).  I wanted the Sedin twins to get a decent deal, preferably with the Vancouver Canucks (they did).  I was hoping a deal would put an end to the Dany Heatley drama (it didn’t).

There were, however, a good number of free agent signings yesterday.  Check out the list below (I sorted it alphabetically by team) and let me know what you think of these deals.  Montreal had the most acquisitions and while they look …read more

With no progress in the contract discussions with the Vancouver Canucks, the Sedin twins might have to come to grips with the fact that they will become unrestricted free agents in just a few days.
Henrik and Daniel Sedin haven’t played for any other NHL team in their careers so the change could be huge for them – especially if they are split up.

I’m not worried about them getting offers.  They are averaging 80 points per season (in the last three years) and they’ve got playoff experience.  Some reports are saying they are worth more than $7 million a year and …read more

Going into Game 6 tonight, I have to admit that I was not overly optimistic.  However, within just a few minutes it was clear that the Pittsburgh Penguins had used those few days off to regroup and bring the focus and energy that got them to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in as many years.

I was absolutely stunned by how controlled the Penguins played and how well they managed to keep the Detroit Red Wings from getting too many shots away.  In total, Marc-Andre Fleury faced 26 shots on net and he turned away 25 of them …read more

Wow.  I’m sure the Chicago Blackhawks would like to permanently erase today’s game against the Detroit Red Wings completely from their memory.  It was one of those games where it was almost uncomfortable to watch and I’m not a particular fan of either team.  It was just painful.

Things looked a little promising for the Blackhawks at the start of the game.  Sure, I was concerned when Cristobal Huet was announced as the starting goalie but I was encouraged by the fact that Martin Havlat was in the lineup despite the fact that he took a crushing hit this past week …read more

The Pittsburgh Penguins skated away with a massive 6-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 last night and has placed them just one win from clinching the 2009 Eastern Conference Final.  However, if the past two series are any indication, the Carolina Hurricanes shouldn’t be considered defeated just yet.

Pens captain, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin were again HUGE for their team.  Thinking back to last year, I believe that a major factor in their loss was the fact that Malkin just didn’t seem able to deliver.  This is, of course, a new season and it’s amazing to see …read more

It was a great first game in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals tonight as the Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the Carolina Hurricanes.  Just when it seemed that it was going to go a certain way, things changed and it got more exciting by the minute.  In the end, the Penguins were left with a 3-2 victory.
During the first period, Carolina outshot Pittsburgh 12-9 but it felt more like the Pens were dominating.  With goals from Miroslav Satan (fresh out of the penalty box) and Evgeni Malkin, those first twenty minutes really seemed to be in Pittsburgh’s favor.
In the second period, the …read more

The the second year in a row, Russia triumphed over Team Canada and won the gold at the IIHF World Hockey Championship yesterday but it was far from a runaway game.  The score was tight (2-1) and reflected how hard each team battled to win that top prize.

As if being second-best in the championship wasn’t bad enough, the gold medal was Russia/USSR’s 25th of all time, which dropped Canada to second place with 24 titles.
Only Jason Spezza got a goal for Canada (in the first) while Oleg Saprykin (deflected in on a power play in the first) and Alexander Radulov …read more

Jussi Jokinen continues to be an instrumental part of the Carolina Hurricanes’ surprising postseason success and last night’s game was no exception.  Just like the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference, the Canes are playing surprisingly well in the playoffs and now lead the series 2-1 against the Boston Bruins, the east’s best team this season.

Hurricanes goaltender, Cam Ward, was coming off his fourth career playoff shutout and it seemed like the team was on a mission to prove that their first win was not a fluke.  It was definitely an intensely played game and the little feud between Zdeno …read more

It was another intense game between the Anaheim Ducks and the Detroit Red Wings but it was the Ducks that emerged victorious at home, in the Honda Center, last night.  As has been the case in the postseason, goaltender Jonas Hiller, came up huge for his team and made 45 saves (18 in the third period alone!)

The whole game was hard-fought but I honestly thought that the Ducks would either fall to the Red Wings or things would be decided in overtime again when I saw the intensity Detroit brought to the third period.
It was close, actually, since a goal …read more