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Showing posts with label Stanley Cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stanley Cup. Show all posts
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
First to cross the Finnish line
History was in fact made last night as the Chicago Blackhawks hoisted the Stanley Cup. For the first time in history a Finnish goaltender will have his name engraved into Lord Stanley's Cup.
With so many great goalies coming from Finland (young stars like Pekka Rinne and Tuukka Rask along with Olympians Antero Niittymaki, Niklas Backstrom and Miikka Kiprusoff just to name a few) it was just a matter of time before this goal was met.
Antti Niemi come and claim your cup - it's yours to take back to Finland.
Stanley Cup Moments
First off I want to say congratulations to the entire Chicago Blackhawks organization and to all their fans. You are the 2010 Stanley Cup Champions.
Now every hockey fan is looking back at the series and thinking about their favorite moment. For many in Chicago it's going to be when Captain Jonathan Toews lifted the cup for their city for the first time since 1961. Other hockey fans will enjoy the hit on Chris Pronger. Flyers' fans might be hurt and angry now but they'll come around (hopefully) and remember all of the victories the team did have on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Personally my favorite moment came from off the ice...
http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2010/06/video-jeremy-roenicks-emotional-response-to-blackhawks-victory.php
Now every hockey fan is looking back at the series and thinking about their favorite moment. For many in Chicago it's going to be when Captain Jonathan Toews lifted the cup for their city for the first time since 1961. Other hockey fans will enjoy the hit on Chris Pronger. Flyers' fans might be hurt and angry now but they'll come around (hopefully) and remember all of the victories the team did have on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Personally my favorite moment came from off the ice...
http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2010/06/video-jeremy-roenicks-emotional-response-to-blackhawks-victory.php
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
What is Washington's goal?
So it appears right now that Jose Theodore will not be returning to the Washington Capitals next season.
Capitals' are faced with either going with their two young gun netminders in Semyon Varlamov and Michael Neuvirth or bringing in another veteran from Unrestricted Free Agency.
Some of the available goalies the Capitals' have to pick from:
Evgeni Nabokov (San Jose)
Dan Ellis (Nashville)
Chris Mason (St. Louis)
Marty Turco (Dallas)
Ray Emery (Philadelphia)
Johan Hedberg (Atlanta)
Antero Niittymaki (Tampa Bay)
Vesa Toskala (Calgary)
Andrew Raycroft (Vancouver)
Personally I would go with picking either Dan Ellis, Marty Turco, or Antero Niittymaki for the position in Washington.
Dan Ellis is testing the market after the Predators re-signed Pekka Rinne for a 2 year $6.8 million contract. The two of them made a great goaltending combination that finished the season just two points behind the Detroit Red Wings (and 12 points behind the division lead Chicago Blackhawks) in the central division.
Marty Turco has only won one game inside of Joe Louis Arena in Detroit in his entire NHL career; however, the Capitals being in the Eastern Conference and not the Western Conference like the Dallas Stars that stat isn't going to play much of a roll (unless the teams meet in the Stanley Cup Finals - that might me awkward). Turco (along with Martin Brodeur) is one of the best puck-handling goalies in the NHL and lets face it getting the puck to Alexander Ovechkin or Nicklas Backstrom good things tend to happen.
Antero Niittymaki brings with him two Olympic medals. Winning the bronze medal in the 2010 Vancouver and the Silver medal (and tournament MVP) in 2006 when he was the starter for the Finnish team. Also important for the Capitals' (being in the Southeast division) Niittymaki has a career record being 17-0-0 against the Atlanta Thrashers.
Capitals' are faced with either going with their two young gun netminders in Semyon Varlamov and Michael Neuvirth or bringing in another veteran from Unrestricted Free Agency.
Some of the available goalies the Capitals' have to pick from:
Evgeni Nabokov (San Jose)
Dan Ellis (Nashville)
Chris Mason (St. Louis)
Marty Turco (Dallas)
Ray Emery (Philadelphia)
Johan Hedberg (Atlanta)
Antero Niittymaki (Tampa Bay)
Vesa Toskala (Calgary)
Andrew Raycroft (Vancouver)
Personally I would go with picking either Dan Ellis, Marty Turco, or Antero Niittymaki for the position in Washington.
Dan Ellis is testing the market after the Predators re-signed Pekka Rinne for a 2 year $6.8 million contract. The two of them made a great goaltending combination that finished the season just two points behind the Detroit Red Wings (and 12 points behind the division lead Chicago Blackhawks) in the central division.
Marty Turco has only won one game inside of Joe Louis Arena in Detroit in his entire NHL career; however, the Capitals being in the Eastern Conference and not the Western Conference like the Dallas Stars that stat isn't going to play much of a roll (unless the teams meet in the Stanley Cup Finals - that might me awkward). Turco (along with Martin Brodeur) is one of the best puck-handling goalies in the NHL and lets face it getting the puck to Alexander Ovechkin or Nicklas Backstrom good things tend to happen.
Antero Niittymaki brings with him two Olympic medals. Winning the bronze medal in the 2010 Vancouver and the Silver medal (and tournament MVP) in 2006 when he was the starter for the Finnish team. Also important for the Capitals' (being in the Southeast division) Niittymaki has a career record being 17-0-0 against the Atlanta Thrashers.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
How do you frustrate a Red Wings fan?
You find a picture on your cell phone from the 2008-2009 season with Marian Hossa and Ville Leino.Thursday, May 13, 2010
Habs keep on keeping on
I honestly don't even know how to start this. Nothing I can think of after my 2 hours of sleep comes close to the awesome greatness of the Habs beating the Pens in game 7 last night. Sorry Pens fans I know the pain of your team washing out in the second round, my favorite team did too. But any fan of the sport has to look at what is going on with the Canadiens right now and be impressed.
For a team that had so man injuries in not just their regular season but started in their preseason and keep rolling though the playoffs I am impressed. At the start of the season it was said that the Habs were "too small" because their players are smaller build than the rest of the league as a whole. As I read on a Twitter post last night (wish I could remember who it was at the moment) the Habs are no longer the underdogs but are now "the little team that could".
I give the Habs my full support for the play offs. Who doesn't like a good underdog story? Besides making it 25 on the 100th - maybe it is just destiny.
For a team that had so man injuries in not just their regular season but started in their preseason and keep rolling though the playoffs I am impressed. At the start of the season it was said that the Habs were "too small" because their players are smaller build than the rest of the league as a whole. As I read on a Twitter post last night (wish I could remember who it was at the moment) the Habs are no longer the underdogs but are now "the little team that could".
I give the Habs my full support for the play offs. Who doesn't like a good underdog story? Besides making it 25 on the 100th - maybe it is just destiny.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
2010 Detroit Red Wings
What a season!
It feels like it has been forever since that trip to Stockholm where the so called "Swede Wings" got swept by the Blues in the Globen. How memorable that trip must of been for the team, especially the mass amount of Swedes that don the Winged Wheel.
It was a rough season for the Red Wings' no doubt about that - I think I heard 50 times a day how the Red Wings are washed up, they are too old, and my 'favorite' that the Dead Wing Era has returned. Though injuries and rookies not living up to potential the Wings pulled it together. Even after having a rough start to the season rookie Jimmy Howard played a huge roll in getting the team to the play offs. Something that had been written off by so many.
One of the most touching things that most hockey fans probably didn't even take not of was that Kirk Maltby took one for the team. A player that has been so dedicated and played a huge roll for Detroit since his arrival in the Motorcity opted to go have surgery (rather than wait until the off season) to free up cap space to allow Andreas Lilja to come back without bumping another player to waiver/trade. To you Kirk Maltby I say THANK YOU. Thank you for all you have done for Detroit and not just on the ice; but your work with charity and just being a great roll model for the next hockey generation.
The Olympic break came and went. Three Olympic medals were given to the Red Wings for their efforts. Coach Mike Babcock won the gold with host team Canada, while defenseman Brian Rafalski played a huge roll for the young Team USA (which no one had any faith in winning anything - so noted by the NHLPA who booked all their flights home to take place BEFORE the gold medal games - thanks for the confidence!) and of course Valtteri Filppula who came out and showed the rest of the hockey world that he is a force to be reckoned with - won the bronze with Finland.
After the Olympic break the battle for a playoff spot was red hot. The Flames and the Red Wings battled it out almost to the last regular season game. However hard the road traveled was they still made it. 19 straight years - and Lidstrom has never missed making the post season.
Now that the season is over you would think that unknowing stressful feeling of 'what if' would disappear. You know that feeling - the one every hockey fan loves but hates about the playoffs. This time that feeling has not gone away, in fact, I think it has only grown more heart wrenching. Now the 'what if' is 'what if Lidstrom doesn't return to the ice' I have never known hockey without Norris Nick - they go hand in hand. My first jersey was a Lidstrom jersey - I have worn it to every game I've attended and they've always won. My two year old daughters first jersey was also a Lidstrom jersey and during the Olympics when he wore the Tre Kronor she ran to the tv and pointed screaming "Lidstrom! Lidstrom!" Could moments like that really be over? Only he can decide.
It feels like it has been forever since that trip to Stockholm where the so called "Swede Wings" got swept by the Blues in the Globen. How memorable that trip must of been for the team, especially the mass amount of Swedes that don the Winged Wheel.
It was a rough season for the Red Wings' no doubt about that - I think I heard 50 times a day how the Red Wings are washed up, they are too old, and my 'favorite' that the Dead Wing Era has returned. Though injuries and rookies not living up to potential the Wings pulled it together. Even after having a rough start to the season rookie Jimmy Howard played a huge roll in getting the team to the play offs. Something that had been written off by so many.
One of the most touching things that most hockey fans probably didn't even take not of was that Kirk Maltby took one for the team. A player that has been so dedicated and played a huge roll for Detroit since his arrival in the Motorcity opted to go have surgery (rather than wait until the off season) to free up cap space to allow Andreas Lilja to come back without bumping another player to waiver/trade. To you Kirk Maltby I say THANK YOU. Thank you for all you have done for Detroit and not just on the ice; but your work with charity and just being a great roll model for the next hockey generation.
The Olympic break came and went. Three Olympic medals were given to the Red Wings for their efforts. Coach Mike Babcock won the gold with host team Canada, while defenseman Brian Rafalski played a huge roll for the young Team USA (which no one had any faith in winning anything - so noted by the NHLPA who booked all their flights home to take place BEFORE the gold medal games - thanks for the confidence!) and of course Valtteri Filppula who came out and showed the rest of the hockey world that he is a force to be reckoned with - won the bronze with Finland.
After the Olympic break the battle for a playoff spot was red hot. The Flames and the Red Wings battled it out almost to the last regular season game. However hard the road traveled was they still made it. 19 straight years - and Lidstrom has never missed making the post season.
Now that the season is over you would think that unknowing stressful feeling of 'what if' would disappear. You know that feeling - the one every hockey fan loves but hates about the playoffs. This time that feeling has not gone away, in fact, I think it has only grown more heart wrenching. Now the 'what if' is 'what if Lidstrom doesn't return to the ice' I have never known hockey without Norris Nick - they go hand in hand. My first jersey was a Lidstrom jersey - I have worn it to every game I've attended and they've always won. My two year old daughters first jersey was also a Lidstrom jersey and during the Olympics when he wore the Tre Kronor she ran to the tv and pointed screaming "Lidstrom! Lidstrom!" Could moments like that really be over? Only he can decide.
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