Anderson, the Ottawa wonder goalie. (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

Game Five of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs did not go as the Ottawa Senators and their fans would have hoped. The Senators were eliminated 6-2 after a 4-1 series with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite the quick series, Ottawa played their hearts out all sixty minutes (or more) of each game.

Tonight the Senators got off to a rough start. The Penguins » Continue reading “Senators Eliminated In Five, Penguins On To Conference Finals”

Earlier today, the NHL announced that Phoenix Coyotes’ GM Don Maloney had been signed to a long-term extension. The reason the NHL announced it? Well for those who don’t remember, they own the Coyotes so they were the ones who had to sign him. I wonder if Maloney gave them a “home town discount”. Honestly, I hope he didn’t.

The reason the extension is a good move – the last four years under Maloney the Coyotes have the eighth best record in the NHL at 156-96-42. Can’t argue with results.

Per NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly:

“Since joining the team in 2007, Don has done an outstanding job managing his team and building a competitive roster that has produced on the ice, even given less than ideal circumstances off the ice. The NHL remains committed to securing the Coyotes’ future in Glendale under new ownership, and we believe Don’s long-term agreement evidences that he is equally committed.”

That it does. When talk began of the expiring contracts of both Maloney and head coach Dave Tippett, both said they wouldn’t re-sign if there wasn’t an end to the ownership issues in sight. Granted Shane Doan said the same thing last summer but this signing has to give Coyotes fans hope that this long going saga may be coming to an end.

I’ve said for years that I think the Coyotes should remain in Phoenix. That fan base is as hard core as you are going to find, proven by the fact they have stuck with the team through the past four years as rumors of the team leaving constantly remained in the news. But at this point, I think we can all agree we just want this to end. The NHL shouldn’t be announcing GM extensions. Hopefully this signing signals they won’t be real soon.

I remember third grade – that’s when I learned my multiplication tables. Except I learned them by cheesy songs (which I still remember to this day, by the way, so I guess they worked). I would’ve rather learned them how third grade Illinois student Maggie Ciara thinks of them:

Photo: Puck Daddy

For those who don’t know, first of all shame on you, but Marian Hossa wears number 81. So yes, 9 x 9 equals Marian Hossa. I’m going to guess he is her favorite player or she would’ve answered more questions with player names.

While her teacher asked “what is this?” it sounds like she is a Hawks fan as well so knew exactly what Maggie was up to.

But can you imagine learning math this way? I think it would’ve been a lot easier to remember what 2 x 25 was if someone told me Duncan Keith times Viktor Stalberg equaled Corey Crawford!

This man has been great in this series and finally got the elusive shutout he had been close to for the first three games. (Photo: Dinur Blum/flickr)

I’m going to be honest – I kind of had another game to watch at the time of the Blackhawks-Red Wings game tonight so I really didn’t see much of it. Therefore this will be a short recap of what I did see during intermissions.

I don’t understand what they are doing, but teams should take note of how the Red Wings are playing. I don’t consider the Hawks a team that is easily rattled but they have allowed Detroit to get under their skin and it’s showing. Seeing Jonathan Toews take three penalties in basically a six minute span, shows me something is wrong. He doesn’t take consecutive penalties like that so if a team can manage to make him do that, as much as it pains me to say this, they are doing something right.

As for the goal, Hawks fans had to know it was coming as eventually they would have to let up a power play goal again. It was a good play by the Wings to keep the puck in the zone and get it on net. They would add an empty netter with 40 seconds to go and the Hawks will leave Detroit having scored only one goal.

The question is will they be back there next week? If they can start ignoring the Wings, yes I believe they will be. If they can’t then the President’s Trophy curse will strike again and the Hawks season will be over. My guess? This series gets back to Detroit. Not sure what happens in game six though.

Michalek took the opening goal. (Photo: Dinur Blum/flickr)

Just when the playoff tides seem to be flowing in the Ottawa Senators’ favor, the Pittsburgh Penguins swept the carpet out from under the team’s skates in Game Four. Throw in a couple of miscalled penalties and there you have a game fit for the Stanley Cup Playoffs!

The Senators seemed to be carrying the momentum from their last win into Game Four with a beaut of a short-handed goal by Ottawa’s Milan Michalek just » Continue reading “Senators Fall To Penguins 7-3, Face Friday Elimination”

Since I missed your first goal of the playoffs, congrats on your second. Just wish these goals would come in wins. (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

This was a winnable game. The Hawks came back after their loss on Saturday and played like a team who knew how important the game was. They just didn’t get any bounces tonight.

Many people wondered how the Hawks would respond after game two didn’t exactly go their way. Well the response was evident as they completely dominated the first period. They also got two chances on the power play with the first looking like it could actually score and the second…well the second looked like the Rangers power play. (With all the talk about it, I figure everyone would get that reference but for those who don’t know, the Rangers have the worst power play of the eight teams left in the playoffs and it’s not even close.)

Unfortunately it didn’t matter what they did as Jimmy Howard was on his game stopping all 15 shots they threw at him in the first twenty minutes. I would say those saves were more puck luck than talent but they gave him confidence which is the last thing the Hawks wanted.

» Continue reading “Hawks Choke Away Opportunity To Take Series Lead”

Thank you for not only being an amazing hockey player, but being an amazing person too. (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

We all know hockey players are the best players out there. The tweets below show they can not only make us laugh with their wit and sarcasm, but that they have amazing hearts too.

First we have the Senators Erik Karlsson who apparently isn’t good at cards:

» Continue reading “They Said What?!? – Hockey Players Being Amazing Edition”

The Ottawa Senators really should petition to have all of their playoff games at home. Or at least those games played against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Then again, maybe it was the reappearance of Senators forward Jason Spezza that fired up the Sens to play a better game. Either way, the Senators put on a show tonight with a double overtime thriller! » Continue reading “Double OT Thriller In Ottawa: Sens Beat Pens 2-1″

Game Two of Round Two is in the bag for the Ottawa Senators and the Pittsburg Penguins, though not in a way that the Senators appreciate. The Penguins on the other hand, well, nothing says success like a hat trick am I right?

On the bright side, Ottawa came close to taking the Penguins to a guaranteed game five, pushing for the goals to end the game only one goal down, 4-3. The Senators even managed to get the last word in!

The first period kicked off with, of course, a goal from » Continue reading “A Hat Trick For Crosby And No Win Yet For Ottawa”

It kills me to put a picture of someone in that jersey but Howard really was good in this game. Fortunately, he wasn’t good enough. (Photo: Dinur Blum/flickr)

The Blackhawks finally got back on the ice as their series with the Red Wings started….sorry, I fell asleep during that sentence. In all seriousness, the third period was actually entertaining but the first two periods made me wonder if the plan to win the series was to put everyone to sleep. Case in point, even NBC noticed it was quiet in the Madhouse!

Both teams started slow in the first period, combining for five shots through the first ten and a half minutes. Somehow two got in the net as Marian Hossa scored the first of the series on the power play after a beautiful passing play by Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp. Good to see the captain on the board early in the series but he’s still looking for his first goal of the playoffs. A little less than two minutes later, the Wings tied it as Damien Brunner got his third of the playoffs.

And then things got boring. I honestly have nothing to say about the remainder of the first period or the second period except to give these two stats – Detroit had the edge in hits in the first period 21-9 while the Hawks had the edge in shots in the second at 17-5. So I guess the Hawks still dominated play while they put the rest of us to sleep.

» Continue reading “Howard Tries But Hawks Take Game One”