- Bruins defeat Rangers to advance to East Final
- Report: NHL reaches agreement to sell Coyotes
- Hockey Canada eliminates bodychecking at peewee level
- Penguins advance to Eastern Conference finals
- Coyotes agree to long-term extension with GM Maloney
- Backhand Shelf: Don't bury the Blackhawks yet
- LA Kings' fundamental skills are paying off
- Avs name Patrick Roy new head coach
- Bruins defeat Rangers to advance to East Final
- Refocused Rask ready for Rangers, Game 5
- Seidenberg returns to lineup for Bruins
- Sharks look to extend series vs. Kings to 7th game
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Backhand Shelf
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Jonathan Toews takes the word “frustrated” to new heights
I think this nicely sums up how Jonathan Toews has been feeling in playoffs these days. C’mon dude, Zetterberg seems like a swell gent.
(S/t Austin1227)
@jtbourne that’s like the security wand at airport screening.
— Mike Halford (@HalfordPHT) May 24, 2013
@halfordpht Zetterberg’s like “I have a plate in my leg, of course it’s gonna beep.”
— Justin Bourne (@jtbourne) May 24, 2013
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Backhand Shelf Podcast: Rask Tuukk-a spill, Chicago’s in trouble, and the Kings are aces in LA
I can’t take credit for the Rask pun; Jake gives appropriate credit on the show. Today we discussed:
* How the Rangers beat the Bruins
* Kreider’s OT winner
* Rasks fall
* The Blackhawks get shutout
* Kings win a lot in LA
* And oh, so so much more
You can listen to it here:
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The Dallas Stars’ new logo has been leaked
Last night the Dallas Stars may have possibly leaked the teams new logo, which they planned on unvieling along with new jerseys in a couple weeks. It came from the teams official app, and was deleted, but not before a fan could grab the screenshot you see above. At first blush, I think I looks pretty sharp and clean, and I like the green. And you?
(S/t to @DamnOldNylon)
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Update: Confirmed. You can read more about their...
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Don’t bury the Chicago Blackhawks just yet
We’re one game away from another season of the Presidents’ Trophy winner not winning the Stanley Cup, which is going to perpetuate the narrative that certain teams are good in the regular season and not in the playoffs. Because the… sixth seed does so much better than the first seed in the postseason.
Living in Vancouver, I frequently get into arguments, both online and in person, with people who do believe that the playoffs reveal a team’s...
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Noteworthy, May 24th: Rangers get on the board, Blackhawks in trouble, Kings up on Sharks
Last season during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I put out a morning “noteworthy” column in the style of Trey Kerby’s “Things Of Note” posts on The Basketball Jones. This year I’ll be doing something similar (I think with some upgrades on my own previous attempts) using the NHL’s morning press release (“Stanley Cup of Joe,” they’re calling it), my own opinions, and some videos, .GIFs and appropriate pictures. Quoted passages are from the NHL...
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Listen to a linesman drop an F-bomb on John Tortorella
I think a lot of people assume that John Tortorella spews endless venom in the direction of the poor refs and lineys, and they just take it and go home and feel bad. That’s not necessarily the case, as you’ll hear above in a moderately not-so-PG manner. Some give it back just the same.
“That’s enough. F*** you! That’s enough. That’s enough! You’ve had your say.”
(S/t to Deadspin)
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Brad Richards is going to be a healthy scratch tonight, which seems like a poor decision
I understand that Brad Richards has not played well for the Rangers in the eyes of John Tortorella. There’s a reason he’s been demoted and given minimal minutes. But now it’s come to this:
Brad Richards says he is not playing tonight. He said Tortorella called him this morning to tell him.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) May 23, 2013
“Nothing is over, work harder and try my best to never let it happen again,” Richards said.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) ...
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Backhand Shelf Podcast: Pens “tyrannize” Sens, Vigneault gets the axe, Brad Richards gets healthied
Yes, “healthied” is a word in hockey parlance – it’s getting healthy scratched.
Random thought, but anybody else think it would be great to see actual Penguins kicking the ass of actual Senators? Totally, right?
Anyway, we discussed:
* The Sens great start
* The Pens great everything else
* Alfie’s comments
* Alain Vigneault getting the boot
* Brad Richards press box assignement
* And oh so much more
You can listen to it here:
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Dave Lozo’s Bag Skate: “The art of distraction,” Joe Thornton, Arrested Development & more
There are many things in life that most of the population accepts as true that I find myself questioning. Benedict Cumberbatch is a good-looking man? Is it the accent? The fame? He’s pasty, has weird hair and a weirder name. Really, he’s me in high school.
Perhaps the most perplexing and confusing thing seems to happen at least once a year during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It’s that moment when NHL coaches and general managers cease to be experts in...
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Seguin, Toews, and Jagr can’t score a goal in the playoffs, which must mean they’re terrible
(Steve Babineau, Getty Images)
Post-season narratives are fascinating. Teams don’t win because they’re better than their opponents or even more lucky; they win because they “want it more.” If a goaltender goes on a hot streak in the playoffs, it’s not actually a hot streak; instead, he’s “clutch.” And forwards who go on a scoring tear in the playoffs are said to have an “extra gear” and tend to be highly coveted in free agency (just look at Ville Leino...
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In support of Daniel Alfredsson’s post-game comments
Yesterday after the Ottawa Senators were royally trounced by the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-3 to fall behind in the best-of-seven series 3-1, Daniel Alfredsson spoke to reporters. One asked him a fairly generic question that, for once, drew an original response. He was asked if it was feasible to beat Pittsburgh three straight times, which is the type of rote exercise that usually launches Athlete Answer Playlist 16, which starts “of course, we’ve beat them before, one game at a time…”
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What a hockey dressing room is like post-playoff elimination
This post was originally written for Hockey Primetime.com. With the Rangers and Senators’ backs against the wall, it seemed timely.
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Quiet surrounds you as you walk from the ice to the dressing room after your season has ended.
The only sounds you hear are the player’s sticks, clanking one by one as they drop onto their respective stick rack for the last time.
There’s a low murmur from the medical room, where a doctor is checking out a...
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Tonight’s Penguins/Senators pre-game montage on CBC was once again fantastic
They usually are.
To meet the man behind the montages, check out this excellent, interesting column by Sean Fitzgerald on Tim Thompson.
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The Canucks are giving head coach Alain Vigneault his walking papers
For sale: one quite good, slightly used coach.
Source says Alain Vigneault, Rick Bowness and Newell Browne have been fired by Vancouver Canucks.
— Louis Jean (@LouisJean_TVA) May 22, 2013
The secret to keeping your job in Vancouver is to pay two goalies a combined nine-plus million a year, keep half of that on the bench, and have it overshadow everything your team does all season.
Told GM Mike Gillis met with ownership before breaking the news to Vigneault, Bowness...
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The Quiet Room: And the Masterton goes to…
2011-12 winner Max Pacioretty demonstrates how to be awesome
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is voted on annually by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association and awarded to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The writers have their work cut out for them this year, since all three finalists are unquestionably worthy of the award.
Bill Masterton died on January 15, 1968 at the age of 29. He had hit his...
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The Ottawa Senators are making Cory Conacher a healthy scratch tonight
Tonight’s Senators/Penguins game will feature Cory Conacher in the pressbox instead of on the ice, which is nothing if not surprising. For one, coaches are known to be extremely superstitious, and rarely like to change their lineup after a win. Especially after a win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It’s even less common to see a coach take out a guy who tied for the team lead in regular season points for a guy with seven games NHL experience. It’s less...
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Backhand Shelf Podcast: Paille and the Bruins 4th line, quick whistles and accidental hits
Happy humpday, y’all. On today’s podcast we covered:
* The success of the Bruins 4th line
* The struggles of Seguin and Jagr (despite not playing poorly)
* Quality goaltending
* Joey Thornton is a-okay
* Marleau’s accidental hit on Brown
* The quick whistle on Penner
* And much more
You can listen to it here:
Download it here, and subscribe on iTunes here. Facebook yay!
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Flyers’ forward Jakub Voracek is fine after a car accident, but his Ferrari is most certainly not
Jakub Voracek walked away from an accident with a truck that saw his Ferrari incur the above damage.
Jake Voracek is thankfully not injured after a terrifying car accident in the Czech Republic on Wednesday. The Flyers confirmed the news, first reported by Czech publication iSport, that Voracek collided his blue Ferrari with a truck on a road near Kladno, his hometown.
“I spoke with Jake this morning,” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said in a statement....
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How You Play the Game
PK Subban, behaving awesomely/inappropriately/interestingly, and therefore winning hockey.
Why, exactly, is it a problem for hockey to be unfair? Okay, sure, maybe it has some depressing existential implications concerning the potential for fairness in other parts of life. And maybe it’s a troubling experience when that unfairness hits your team. But there are plenty of games- not sports so much, but the sorts of games we play on boards or at tables in Vegas- wherein the outcomes are dictated in...
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When the playoffs start, only the really stupid narratives remain
“Jarome, can you please answer the question in such a way that it fits what I’ve already decided to write?”
The problem with the Stanley Cup Playoffs, in a way, is they focus greater attention on a smaller number of teams. This means writers who were previously writing things about the Avalanche or Flyers, for instance, are now writing about the Blackhawks or Rangers. National writers in particular, who have been paying attention to the various comings and goings of...
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The Toronto Marlies want to grow up to be just like their parent club
This story might sound familiar:
The Grand Rapids Griffins and Toronto Marlies were doing battle in the AHL playoffs last night. The Marlies had their backs against the wall and were facing elimination…when they blew a 3-1 third period lead in the final ten heart-breaking minutes to have their season ended. Oh man, Toronto teams.
As Corey Pronman noted, you just can’t make this stuff up.
Would’ve been nice if they had at least blown it in the final...
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Noteworthy, May 22nd: Sharks tie their series up while the Rangers watch theirs drift away
Last season during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I put out a morning “noteworthy” column in the style of Trey Kerby’s “Things Of Note” posts on The Basketball Jones. This year I’ll be doing something similar (I think with some upgrades on my own previous attempts) using the NHL’s morning press release (“Stanley Cup of Joe,” they’re calling it), my own opinions, and some videos, .GIFs and appropriate pictures. Quoted passages are from the NHL...
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Patrick Roy, the Colorado Avalanche and “name coaches” in general
Not all successful junior coaches are cut out to coach pro hockey, but a certain type should expect to have an even tougher time: “name” junior coaches.
I bring this up in light of the news over the past day or two from Adrian Dater of the Denver Post that Patrick Roy is very likely to be named the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche. Dater relays the news from Stéphane Roy, Patrick’s brother:
“They’re discussing the final details of...
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Backhand Shelf Podcast: Wings pass Hawks, Sens surprise Pens, Sharks get one and more
The long weekend is over, and it’s time to get back to talkin’ puck.
We discussed:
* Game three between the Wings and Hawks
* What to expect going forward
* Torey Krug and the Bruins
* Lundqvist giving up five (not common)
* Sharks beat Kings
* Sens beat Pens
* And much more
You can listen to it here:
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Scrappy, under-talented Pavel Datsyuk continues to thrive through hard work
I mean, the guy does works extremely hard, but come on, Healy. Datsyuk is Earth’s Most Talented Human as far as I’m concerned.
I understand not wasting time to bicker over a passing comment, but wow – that is some passing comment.
(S/t @HarrisonMooney)
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| Blackhawks | Det 3-2 | |
| Red Wings | 8:00 PM EDT | |
| Matchup | ||
| Red Wings | Det 3-2 | |
| Blackhawks | 1:00 PM EDT | |
| Matchup | ||
