Hockey – NHL

Hockey – NHL

Whistling Past the Graveyard

Gary Bettman woke up the other day, got the milk out, sniffed it, found it had gone sour, then put it back in the ‘frig and hoped it would taste ok tomorrow. That sounds like the thinking behind the Commish’s latest brainstorm to improve the officiating in the NHL. This[…]

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Heads Up!

As the NHL continues to dilute its talent pool by awarding major league franchises to bush league towns, the sensible person might think the league would take serious steps to protect the players who can actually play the game. But, if we know anything about the NHL, we know it’s[…]

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Devils and Dementia

Tempestuous. That’s how the psychiatrist described me on his way to a diagnosis of dysthymic disorder. Tempestuous, he said I am, and in a depressed mood nearly every day, tearful, without interest or pleasure in life, and feeling hopeless. That pronouncement was made six hours before the New Jersey Devils[…]

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Tell Me About the European Game Again

Research scientists at The Institute for Hockey Affairs are studying the apparent inverse relationship between any given NHL team’s chances of playoff success and the number of Russians, Swedes, Finns, Latvians, Czechs, Danes, Germans, Morrocans, and Belgians on its roster. “There is a belief that Euros, most of whom never[…]

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Making it Interesting

The Pittsburgh Penguins avoided being swept from the playoffs by winning the first two games of their second-round series against the Flyers in Philadelphia, and only one man stands between the Black and Orange and their date with destiny. Jaromir Jagr? Nah. Martin Straka? Nope. If you said Herb Brooks[…]

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NHL/AHL Ice Hockey – Dominate This

My playoff beard is a week old and coming in nicely — not like those scraggly Scandinavians — my ex-wife’s attorney has been suspended from practicing law, and the Philadelphia Flyers rubbed out the Buffalo Sabres in five games. All things considered, This Hockey Fan had a pretty good April.[…]

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NHL Notebook – April

Western Conference The Top 4 in the Western Conference are putting together play-off runs that would make the Eastern Conference leaders drool. The Blues continue to ride the league’s hottest goalie to stay atop the division. The Red Wings face an uphill battle to catch the Blues, while the Bourque[…]

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Death By a Thousand Cuts

Tagged as “The Next One” when he came into the NHL eight years ago, Eric Lindros brought speed, strength, and skill to a Philadelphia Flyers team desperately seeking a redeemer. The 18-year-old also brought a nastiness and a willingness to go that made him a fan favorite in the city[…]

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NHL Notebook

Eastern Conference Round-up These guys just can’t stand prosperity. With the East-leading Devils in disarray, the Leafs took a week off, the Caps made up some ground, and the Flyers are still paying for their 0-5-1 season start. In the bottom of the draw, it’s OK for a nice guy[…]

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Let the Games Begin!

It just doesn’t get any better than this. The play-offs are just around the corner and there is great hockey every night of the week. The contenders are getting their game faces on, and even the pretenders are getting their last licks in before they get their golf clubs out.[…]

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