Bad Boy, Bad Boy, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do in your Broadway Blues

He's back....

Time once again for NHLers to hide their girlfriends and prepare to slip into ignore mode, as one of the NHL's most outrageous of players prepares to resume his career.

Sent adrift by the Dallas Stars and fresh from his stint in purgatory (aka Hartford) and ready to return to action, the New York Rangers have decided to give right winger Sean Avery one more skate in the NHL.

The Rangers picked up the NHL's version of Public Enemy number one off of re-entry waivers on Tuesday, in a hopeful bid to have the Rangers playoff ambitions re stoked by his, uh, er, temperamental ways. Whether he becomes a tonic or a distraction for their woes remains to be seen, but it certainly seems like a risky move on the part of the Rangers.

Avery last saw action in November, his career suddenly sidelined thanks to his own boorish behaviour after he made derogatory remarks about a former girlfriend, one who is currently dating the Calgary Flames Dion Phaneuf.

At the time of his running off at the mouth, many hockey observers felt that he had finally stepped over the line and would soon be but a forgotten memory of the NHL. Even his own team mates in Dallas couldn't wait to distance themselves from him, sending definite signs that he had already worn out his welcome in Big D, with few other teams showing any form of interest in his talents, it was left to his old team the Rangers to give him cause for rehabilitation one more time.
Since he first appeared on the Ranger radar the Blue shirts have changed coaches, replacing the rather calm and aloof Tom Renney with the occasionally bombastic stylings of John Tortorella, a take no crap kind of coach who will certainly be putting Avery on the shortest of leashes.

If things go off the rails early between coach and player, it might be worth the price of admission to sit in on the one on one session between the two, you have a sense that somehow New York as big as it is, may not be big enough for both.

National Post-- Rangers claim Avery on waivers
Dallas Morning News-- Sean Avery leaves Dallas Stars for New York Rangers
New York Daily News-- Rangers ready to embrace Avery
New York Times-- Rangers Acquire Avery for Second Agitating Run
Newsday-- Rangers, Tortorella react to the return of Sean Avery...

New York Post-- RANGERS CLAIM AVERY OFF WAIVERS
CBC Sports-- Rangers claim Avery off re-entry waivers
Globe and Mail-- SEAN AVERY ENDEARING PEST?
MSNBC/Sporting News-- Volatile would replace vanilla if Avery joins Rangers

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Photo from New York Post website

Cherry barbs deflected by Ovechkin

"As much as I really like the guy, I thought he was wrong," -- Washington Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau, outlining where he and Don Cherry part company when it comes to impressions of Alex Ovechkin.

We're not sure exactly why Don Cherry doesn't seem to like Alexander Ovechkin, after all he probably is one of the more physical of the current crop of Russian players in the NHL. He delivers a body check with the ferocity of the legendary Barry Beck, isn't afraid to go into the corners and take his lumps and has embraced the physical traits of the game with little in the way of complaint, all the while as he continues to score goals many of them remarkable efforts destined for the nightly highlight reel.

It of course is the rather exuberant nature that Ovechkin celebrates his success that seems to have stuck in the craw of Mr. Cherry, who went on a wee bit of a diatribe on Saturday on Coach's corner when the the topic of Russian hockey players and Ovechkin in particular came up.



The tone of Cherry's comments so annoyed the Capitals, that head coach Bruce Boudreau took it upon himself to rebut much of the Saturday night commentary on the topic of Ovechkin. While he calls he and Cherry good friends (and Cherry is supposed to do the forward to the upcoming Boudreau autobiography) Boudreau was quick to point out that Cherry just doesn't seem to see the talents and contributions that Ovechkin makes to the Capitals. Suggesting that Cherry was taking his normal pro Canadian role just a little too far in this instance.

For his part, the subject of so much discussion hasn't really had much to say. Ovechkin when asked for a reaction to the Cherry bombs of Saturday said only that "He's a funny guy and old guy. He likes old-fashioned hockey," going further to outline how he has little interest in the wrath of Grapes, "He's not interesting to me, so he can say whatever he wants. I don't care about him,"

The tempest was a hot topic on sport talk shows through the weekend and into Monday, as many pondered the latest commentary from Cherry with many suggesting that he occasionally misses the boat when it comes to his analysis.

On most nights a game featuring Ovechkin is a welcome relief from the tedium of many of the other matches that the NHL is throwing out there this year, you can normally count on a fast pace, more than a few hits and some exciting scoring chances, yes he occasionally over celebrates his goals, but in a league where parity seems to be the goal and the need to turn each roster into almost a carbon copy of the other, the sight of Ovechkin coming over the boards at least offers the promise of a bit of entertainment.

For those that have marvelled at the way that Ovechkin is redefining the game these days, this was probably one of those miss the boat moments for Mr. Cherry.

Globe and Mail-- Boudreau fires back at Cherry
Globe and Mail-- ALEX OVECHKIN SQUISHES GRAPES
National Post-- Cherry's act beginning to show its age
National Post-- Boudreau defends Ovechkin after Cherry's comments
Vancouver Province-- Cherry totally out of touch
Toronto Star-- Hey, isn't it Cherry-canning season yet?
Philadelphia Daily News-- Ovechkin has no time for a 'funny old guy' like Don Cherry
CBC Sports-- 'Don't care' about Cherry: Ovechkin
Washington Times-- Boudreau: Cherry "over the top"
Detroit Free Press-- War of words: Don Cherry picks a new target

"Iggy! Iggy! Iggy!"

Last year when the Vancouver Canuck;'s Trevor Linden took his final skate around GM Place, it was Calgary Flames Captain Jarome Iginla who saluted the Canuck by leading his Flame team mates to shake Linden's hand, a shared minute between the two caught Linden telling Iginla that he was one of the league's top players.

It was a moment that showed the remarkable class of both players and highlighted the respect that Iginla has received from many, many of his fellow competitors in the NHL.

On Sunday night in Calgary, he once again proved that Linden was wise, as he took claim to the Flames record books on a five point night.

Iginla passed Theoren Fleury on Sunday, zooming by the 830 point mark and setting the course of his own beyond with four more points on the night.

Over the years Iginla has matured to his leadership role, the heart and soul of the franchise on most nights, the one that the rest of the team looks toward as they carve their chunk of ice out of the NHL's Western Conference.

He is by far the most valuable of Flames on the roster, known equally for his hockey talent and his good nature and dedication to growing the game and celebrating its roots. He is by definition the icon for team, which is probably why Sunday night's success probably wasn't as big an item for him as it should rightfully have been.

Despite the Iggy show at the Saddledome, the Flames still managed to lose the game, an 8-6 shootout at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Two valuable points surrendered and no doubt of more concern to the team's captain than his remarkable night and his climb to the top of the Flames record books.

That in a nutshell outlines his importance to the franchise, one of hockey's great talents who constantly strives to put team first, we admire his dedication to team first, but today we'll take some time to celebrate individual achievement.

Hockey fans regardless of their own personal team affiliation, will no doubt cheer on his every point from here on, hopeful that when his playing days are done, that Flames record for points will forever be topped by the name Iginla.

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Calgary Herald-- Iginla sets record but Flames lose

Calgary Sun-- Leader of the pack

Globe and Mail-- Iginla sets record in ugly loss

The photo above is from the Calgary Herald website

The Centurian

For many years now, Martin Brodeur has been hailed as one of hockey's greatest of goaltenders, mentioned in the same breath as Terry Sawchuk and Patrick Roy, conicidentally two former guardiens de but that he will soon eclipse in the record books.

Sunday, Brodeur collected his 100th regular season shut out, a three to nothing victory by his New Jersey Devils over their long time rivals the Philadelphia Flyers. The shut out was Brodeurs second consecutive goose egg since returning to the ice last week, after a fifty game absence.
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Showing little in the way of ill effects from his extended lay off, Brodeur has looked sharp and resumed his normal steadfast work in the Devil's end of the rink.

As he returns to the top of the goaltending depth charts of the NHL he has his eyes fixed on two new goals, eclipsing Terry Sawchuks record for shutouts of 103, which judging by the way he's been playing this week could very well fall by the end of next week.

Also within reach over the next few days could be Patrick Roy's league record of 551 victories, Sunday provided Brodeur with win number 547, leaving him but four wins away from passing the Quebec folk hero.

These would all have been records that would have long since fallen had it not been for Brodeur's elbow injury and the required surgery that took him out of the line up for an extended period of time, with his return the league is once again on notice that one of it's long serving stars is set to claim his titles.

They are honours that deserve to be celebrated, considering the relative anonymity that he has played in over the years with the Devils (despite their proximity to New York, they remain the hidden team of the Big Apple) , one can only wonder what kind of respect he may have received had he been playing for a team in a hockey intense market.

Fortunately most hockey fans can acknowledge his achievements regardless of the lack of press from his days of Jersey, it's quite a remarkable set of records he is compiling worthy of an all star and future Hall of Fame inductee.

Globe and Mail-- Brodeur reaches century mark
National Post-- Brodeur shines again as Devils blank Flyers
New York Daily News-- Martin Brodeur notches 100th career shutout as Devils top Flyers
Newark Star Ledger-- Martin Brodeur posts 100th career shutout in New Jersey Devils' 3-0 victory over Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Inquirer-- Brodeur bedevils Flyers in shutout

Photo above from the New York Daily News website

Headlines of March 2009

We continue to scour the headlines looking for the major story of the day in hockey.

March 31-- Oilers continue to sink
March 30-- Gainey's tinkering begins to pay off
March 29-- Canucks blank the Blackhawks in Chicago
March 28-- Sabres edge Habs in shootout
March 27-- Four-point night for Ovechkin
March 26-- Columbus steamrolls over Calgary
March 25-- Canes cool off Senators' charge
March 24-- Habs snap losing streak
March 23-- Sale rumours add to Habs' woes
March 22- Oilers waste opportunity
March 21-- Shadows of themselves
March 20-- Changes in store for Habs
March 19-- Maple Leafs not good enough to throw games
March 18-- Carbonneau surprised by firing
March 17-- Brodeur celebrates St. Patrick's Day in style
March 16-- Mannino wins first in goal as Isles beat 'Hawks
March 15-- Iron Mike takes blame as Flames fall to lowly Leafs
March 14-- Brodeur matches Roy with 551st NHL win
March 13-- Clouston's making his case
March 12-- Leafs lose, gain ground on draft lottery position
March 11-- Get ready for the fight over fighting
March 10-- Talks with Sedin twins reach standstill
March 9-- Bob Gainey: Change of direction was needed
March 8-- Tavares breaks OHL scoring record
March 7-- Canucks win fifth in a row
March 6-- Colleen Howe dead at 76
March 5-- Sutter's big additions not without risk
March 4-- Networks do credible job with little material
March 3-- Economy drives the trends at NHL trade deadline
March 2-- Gaborik back in Minn. to skate off the rust
March 1-- Brodeur reaches century mark

Talent showcase night at Scotiabank

Saturday Night in Ottawa over most of the years of the past has been a pretty special night for hockey in the National capital, the Sens normally in the midst of playoff drive always found that matching up against their cross province rivals the Maple Leafs brought out the best of them and of the game.

This year of course, it is but the fanciful wish of Sens owner Eugene Melnyk that the idea of playoff hockey in Ottawa will come true, and if the Leafs and their fans are true to themselves as well they'll realize that they're most likely on the the outside looking in as well.

Yet despite that stark dose of reality staring them in the face, the two squads once again provided for a traditional Ottawa-Toronto match up, complete with the traditional hard edged play and energetic intentions of the participants.

In the end, Saturday night's show was but a preview tape for the number of GM's tuning in to see which of the two team's talents may best fit into their own playoff ambitions, making their notes and getting ready to hit the speed dial to Bryan Murray's office before next weeks trading deadline.

Saturday night the scouts in the building and the GM's waiting for the reports were provided with a solid evaluation camp for their decision making moments of next week. With any number of players soon to be up for offer, Saturday provided a good opportunity to make a pitch for a chance to play some playoff hockey and maybe, just maybe grab a hold of the Stanley Cup.

It's doubtful that they will make that journey where they are now, Saturday a good number of them provided the requisite resume tape, one that should the Hockey Gods smile favourably may just turn into Stanley Cup success by June.

Globe and Mail-- Kubina the hero in Leafs' win

National Post-- Maple Leafs continue to shine in extra time

National Post-- Ontario hockey rivalry no longer the battle of old

Ottawa Citizen-- Familiar story for Sens

Ottawa Sun-- Clouston takes shot on goal

Toronto Sun-- Leafs put on display

Toronto Star-- Surging Leafs sink Senators

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Picture above from Toronto Star website

Habs back on track after battling Sharks

He wasn't very well known at the start of the season, lost in aura of the rising star of Carey Price, but for Jaroslav Halak, the last two weeks have been an announcement of his arrival as the Canadiens suddenly hot goaltender finds his share of the hockey spotlight in the most over analyzed hockey town there is.

Halak recorded his fourth consecutive victory for Montreal, a string that has secured his place for now as the go to guy for Guy Carbonneau, who finally had to take the youngster Price off the hot seat, such were his struggles through January and February.

Since Halak has settled down his team mates, the Habs have once again started to show some of that flash that had everyone talking about them prior to the all star break, Saturday while outplayed significantly by San Jose in the third period, Halak held off the Shark attack and rewarded his team with two points and some much needed confidence.

Now with the trade deadline approaching next week, GM Bob Gainey can start to think about what it will take to improve the team for a playoff run as opposed to where he was two weeks ago and the prospect of having to improve his team just to make them.

Globe and Mail-- Halak stands tall as Canadiens keep rolling

Montreal Gazette-- Halak keeps cool as Sharks circle

Montreal Gazette-- Halak makes it a hunt to remember

Picture above from Montreal Gazette website

We're off the IR and no longer day to day

Well it's been a rather ugly week as we battled the flu and found that even hockey can't cure you when that nasty little bug rolls around.

We had an upper body injury, which presented a number of challenges the most important one of all the ability to breathe without hacking out an internal body part.

Our apologies for the missing content over the last week and a bit, we really weren't inclined to write and the Nyquil/anti biotic haze left us somewhat delirious, hell we even thought that those rumours that the Ottawa Senators were making a push for the playoffs were paying off.

As we've since discovered they're pretty well where they have been for most of the season, far down the list looking up and not seeing much in the way of potential success to come.

Our hope is to get back into the article writing business pretty quickly here, we'll try and tidy up some of the other items that got a little neglected over the last few weeks as well.

We of course don't have much time to get back up to speed with the Trade deadline coming up fast this week, so we'll skim the hockey universe and get to it in short order..

Therrien toe tagged for Penguin's troubles

When he looked down the bench just Saturday night, Michel Therrien saw Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar to name a few, all seemingly struggling to fit into his defensive oriented schemes, strangling the offensive portion of the Penguins game.

When GM Ray Shero looked at the NHL East division standings on Sunday morning, he saw his Penguins out of the playoffs and falling fast, a rather unusual place for a team that was a Stanley Cup finalist just last season and boasts of some of the fastest of skaters and sharpest of shooters that there is in an NHL lineup.
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So, Shero on Sunday did what many had been suggesting was bound to happen, he fired Therrien as head coach of the Pens, bringing in Dan Bylsma the head coach of the AHL farm club, now the hopeful guide to the playoffs before the season is lost.

With the Penguins continuing to struggle and Saturday nights collapse and surrender still fresh in managements eyes, the decision was made to make the much anticipated change, the fifth coaching change this year in the NHL.
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Pittsburgh's decision is one that seems to have been designed to return the Pens back to the more offensive style of play that was the mark of last year's run for the Stanley Cup, a more fast paced approach to the offensive attack, one which probably won't be the greatest of news for Marc Andre Fleury, the Pens who never really seemed to buy into Therrien's defensive approach will now seemingly abandon it in a quest for goals.

Whether it will be the change that was needed to push them back into the playoff picture or just the final act of a very disappointing season remains to be seen, one thing however is certain now, only the players and management will be left to be held accountable when the regular season comes to an end with the Pens either in or out of the playoff race.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-- Bylsma named coach as Pens fire Therrien
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-- GM Shero hopes coaching shift will spark Penguins but don't count on it
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review-- Pens fire head coach less than a year after reaching Stanley Cup finals
Pittsburgh Tribune-Rview-- Penguins part ways with coach Therrien
Globe and Mail-- Lemieux behind Therrien's dismissal
Globe and Mail-- Penguins fire Therrien
National Post-- Struggling Penguins cut loose coach Therrien

Paddock points a finger

Revenge as they say, is a dish best served cold... but you really should remember who is paying the dinner bill!

He hasn't been the coach of the Ottawa Senators for almost a year now, but it seems he still has a few thoughts about what went wrong with his former team and what still may be wrong with them.

In short, it seems that the dysfunctional Senators can look towards their General Manager for the cause of their winters of discontent.

Paddock provided some choice quotes for the Camden Courier Post, suggesting that Murray will be the next in line to be sent to the hockey unemployment lines.

His observations also outlined his impressions of the current line up of Senators, most of which he was in charge of less than a year ago, observing that in his impression that "The players are not very good, that's the problem"

Murray the current GM, Paddock notwithstanding, provided his take on the controversial commentary, expressing his disappointment in his former coach and stating that Paddock had apologized by email for his comments.

He also pointed out that technically Paddock is still an employee of the Senators, with the Sens still paying the final two years of his last contract, unless of course he should speak out again and violate the terms of that parting of the ways. A revelation that probably accounted for the email from Mr. Paddock, no doubt on the advice of his financial advisor.

Currently the coach of the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL, Paddock had outlined his thoughts just prior to the Sens/Flyers match up on Thursday night.

Perhaps they struck a chord with the Sens, as they went on to defeat the Flyers 5-2, racking up their third win in a row for new coach Cory Clouston.

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Perhaps coach Clouston should keep the transcripts handy for future use, nothing provides motivation better than being told you stink.

National Post-- Paddock blames Murray, players for Sens’ woes

Sportsnet-- Murray responds to Paddock criticism

TSN-- PADDOCK BLAMES GM MURRAY FOR SENATORS' STRUGGLES

Ottawa Sun-- Paddock says GM will be next to go

Montreal misery continues on western swing

"It's a message to everybody to wake up,"-- Head Coach Guy Carbonneau outlining how his roster moves prior to Wednesday's game were designed to get the team's attention, a request that apparently went unheeded...

Neil Macrae the acerbic sportscaster on Vancouver radio station CKNW probably provided the best commentary on the state of the Montreal Canadiens these days, recounting how head coach Guy Carbonneau had taken the team bowling this week all part of a bid to break the tension of their losing ways.

As Macrae tells the story, when the Habs left the lanes, the pins were still standing.

Such is how far the mighty Montreal Canadiens have fallen in such a short time, they now provide the punch line to cross Canada morning radio show jokes.

Things may be worse than they think, back home they've become the staple of the yuk yuks set as well. Perhaps it would be best to keep the internet away from the lads for the next little while.

Montreal's horrid days continued on Wednesday in Edmonton as the Oilers demolished them by a score of 7-2, not the best way to celebrate the 3,000th road game of your fabled history.

The Habs have lost nine of their last eleven games, gone seven games now since tasting victory, surrendering some 35 goals in that period. scoring only 14.

They seem to have shattered the confidence of their young goaltender Carey Price, some of the players have pouted in the dressing room and others have taken the funk onto the ice, mostly however they hav looked less than competent and left their head coach to say only that he and Bob (Gainey) will have to once again look at the roster.

Of course that's providing that Carbonneau will still be in the executive loop by the time the Habs return home after Sunday nights game in Vancouver. As the Habs have continue to lose, there have been rumblings that coaching may be the quickest fix, though watching the Canadiens play of late one wonders just how logical that might be. It's the easy route but one wonders if it will be the most effective thing to turn around the struggling squad.

Whatever is happening in Montreal these days seems to be an ongoing fungus, it's begun to creep into all corners of that dressing room, turning former high achievers into disinterested spectators game in and game out.

From the talk of a run for the Stanley Cup back in November and December, now it's a case of just trying to hang on to make the playoffs. With a trading deadline fast approaching, Carbonneau and Gainey had best quickly find some kind of package to put together to move out the troubled assets and bring in some injection of intensity and effort to salvage the year.

The Vancouver sportscasters joke ended with the zinger of "the pins were still standing", at the moment the same can't be said for the Canadiens, for now they're clearly a team mired in the gutter.

Montreal Gazette-- Oilers grease skidding Habs 7-2

Montreal Gazette-- Mental break for Habs

CBC Sports-- Canadiens clobbered by Oilers

Canada.com-- For a night, Habs helps Oilers solve offensive woes

Edmonton Sun-- No Habby ending

Edmonton Journal-- Merci, Canadiens

Globe and Mail-- Seventh hell for Habs

Sundin sets the pace for Canucks

It would seem that training camp is finally over for Mats Sundin, the mid season addition to the Canuck's lineup finally began to show some of that tenacious skill that many had come to expect from him in previous seasons.

Tuesday night in St. Louis, Sundin appeared to be back into his groove, battling for the puck behind the net and taking his teams game up a notch or two as the Canuck's battled back from an early deficit to persevere against the feisty Blues.

The comeback was very much on the back of Sundin, who picked up two of the Canuck's six goals on the way to the 6-4 victory over St. Louis.

Sundin has over the last few games shaken off much of the rust that the almost eight month break from hockey had set upon him. Over the last three games he has begun to be a dominate player once again, overshadowing the first line as his second line unit found their pace and frequently found success on the score sheet.

The rise of Sundin has coincided with a modest little win streak by the Canuck's, who have won their last three games, the Blues game by no means a classic, but one which showed a determined Canuck squad that did not throw in the towel after the Blues took two goal leads twice in the game.

While Roberto Luongo has also been working himself back into peak shape, Tuesday was not one of his better nights; it’s rare that he allows a team to score the key goal in the course of a game, but St. Louis found the mark on two occasions that seemed to put them in the position to put the game away.

A lot of the credit should go to the Blues, who despite their lower levels of standing in the West showed remarkable grit in their bid to topple the Canuck's, they were however aided by some sloppy defensive work in the Canuck end, as the defense had trouble clearing the puck from time to time and the forwards neglected their back checks which allowed the Blues time to set up and find their scoring range.

In the end though, it’s the two points in the standings that most will remember and while it was a rather ugly win, it was a win none the less.

However, even more promising than the ability to battle back for the win, has been the steady progress of Sundin, the always talkative hockey fans of British Columbia were beginning to get a little worried that the promise of the signing of late 2008 was not going to deliver their team to promised land of playoff hockey.

While the path to Stanley may still have a few pitfalls, they might be feeling a little better about their chances after the last three games, with Sundin starting to score and Luongo slowly getting back into his groove there may yet be some post season planning to be made in Vancouver.

CBC Sports-- Sundin comes through for Canucks against Blues

Vancouver Province-- Ask, and ye shall receive

Vancouver Province-- Canucks fight back for victory

Vancouver Sun-- Canucks beat the Blues

Vancouver Sun-- Sundin's progress right 'on schedule'

24 Hours Vancouver-- Canucks rally to post third straight

St. Louis Post Dispatch-- Blues Collapse, Stay in Cellar

National Post-- Sundin scores two in Canucks' third-straight win

Sharks send notice that they’re in charge

The date had been circled on the calendar since December, once it became clear that both the Bruins and the Sharks were for real this season and weren’t going to fade to the middle of the pack after quick starts.

So, Tuesday night’s game in Boston had become one of the more anticipated of matches in a long and occasionally tedious regular season. A chance for the two top teams of the NHL to make a declaration for NHL supremacy just past the mid way point of the season.

For the first period it looked as though the Bruins would be the team that came out of the showdown with the bragging rights, Milan Lucic a one man scoring machine quickly had the B’s up by two and looking very dominant as Boston played their normal home game of bashing and scoring.

However, it was a former Bruin who finally shook off the road trip blues and grabbed his team by the sweater to take charge of the game. Joe Thornton, once the toast of the city became the Bruin’s greatest tormentor on Tuesday as he pushed his team on to victory, scoring once in the third, and part of a three goal in six minute explosion by the Sharks.

More importantly, he became the focus of attention for the Bruin’s fans who booed him every time he touched the puck and for the Bruins on the ice who seemed to provide him with much in the way of attention, a strategy that inevitably would leave other sharks open to take advantage of the scoring opportunities

Sharks captain Patrick Marleau had another strong game with a three point night, kicking off that three goal splurge in the third, that final twenty minutes was all San Jose as they controlled all facets of play, out hitting the Bruins, out playing them and in the category that counts the most out scoring them.

While the Bruins played well in the first two periods, the third period letdown provided a lesson for Boston, if they want to challenge with the best in the league, it takes all three periods of play.

Bruins’ coach Claude Julien was hopeful of a rematch with the Sharks in the months to come, should it come to pass it will be part of a seven game Stanley Cup final, as the Bruins and Sharks don’t meet again in the regular season.

The Sharks look very much like they'll be a team to be pencilled in for the finals, the Bruins showed some strength as well, but need to keep the game plan on the move for all three periods.

Should the two teams renew acquaintances again in late May or early June, one suspects that these lessons from the middle of the season will not be lost on the Bruins.

Boston Globe-- Sharks show teeth

Boston Globe-- Set up for failure, Thornton got the last laugh

Boston Herald-- Best not that good

Boston Herald-- Big Joe Thornton front, center

San Jose Mercury News-- Sharks rookie unfazed by hyped matchup

San Francisco Examiner-- Thornton and Sharks rally to beat Bruins 5-2

San Francisco Examiner-- High-flying 3rd period propels San Jose to win

Toronto Star-- Sharks take a huge bite out of Bruins

Bad Boy Sean on his way back?

He was the topic of conversation on Hockey Night in Canada, is once again the poster child for the New York City tabloids, Sean Avery, the enfant terrible (bad boy for Sean) of the NHL is said to slowly making his way back to the league.

The Dallas Stars began the talk today when they put Avery on waivers, a clear sign that he won't be showing up in a Stars dressing room again, having worn out his welcome and caused more than enough trouble for his former team.

Cleared by the NHL after his penance for his boorish commentary in Calgary, he now goes up for bid from the NHL's member teams, though it's not expected that anyone is inclined to pick him up at his full salary from his days in Dallas.

He'll clear the waiver wire on Monday, at which time he would be sent to the minors, though the Stars have no minor league affiliation and would be looking to place hi someplace, a prospect that many suggest may see the Rangers offer assistance.

Allowing Avery to while away his minor league time in Hartford with the Ranger farm club, with the Blue shirts stumbling around in the NHL east all of a sudden, there is talk that they need some kind of spark, with more than a few Ranger observers apparently suggesting that such a spark would come in the form of Avery.

The prospect of his return must be sending the NHL head office to the Tums counter of the local pharmacy, seeking out a four month supply of the antacids, just in case somehow Avery finds his way back into a line up.

On the plus side, if such a thing can be attributed to an Avery return, if indeed it is the Rangers that he find a home, at least he won't have to travel as far for the next disciplinary hearing, which one would suspect wouldn't be too far down the line upon his arrival back in an NHL uniform.

New York Daily News-- Stars put former Sean Avery on waivers, could lead to Rangers return
Newsday-- Avery might be attractive to Rangers
Newsday-- How Avery could come to NY
New York Times-- The Morning Skate: Is Avery Bound for the Rangers?
Dallas News-- Avery is back on Stars roster
Hartford Courant-- Avery Could Put Spark In Wolf Pack

Senators find salvation in a Saturday night shoot out

It took three games, two of them shoot out affairs, but finally Cory Clouston has his first win as an NHL head coach as his Ottawa Senators survived an encounter with the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.

The Sens looked to be on a pace to give their new coach his first win outright, taking a two to nothing lead before slipping into their old ways a bit and allowing the Sabres to battle back at Scotiabank Place.

It was in the shoot out however that they redeemed themselves, after a fast flying overtime period the Senators selected shooters tried some new moves on Sabers goaltender Ryan Miller.

At the other end of the rink, rookie goaltender Brian Elliot made one save during the shoot out, good enough to secure the win for the Sens and give Clouston something to put on the mantle, or at least on his office desk if he doesn't own a mantle.

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With the win, the Senators can prepare for their upcoming road trip with a bit of confidence, something that has been in short supply over the last few weeks and even more so after the dramatic turn of events at the start of the week which saw former head coach Craig Hartsburg terminated.

Clouston's first two attempts to get in the win column came up a little short, the most recent one a shoot out loss that provided a bit of hope that his team was starting to come together, Saturday night's win adds more confidence to that belief.

The next seven days will take the Sens to five out of town locations, an opportunity to regroup as team and try and gain some focus on the remainder of the season without the hot house atmosphere that has become Ottawa, even in a cold February.

National Post-- Shootout victory helps Senators stop the bleeding

CBC Sports-- Senators end 4-game slide, Clouston wins 1st as coach

Ottawa Sun-- Shootout shot in the arm

All that money and not a dime for Gary...

Gary Bettman may be confident that the NHL is destined to stay in Phoenix, but for those that might have the kind of money required to keep that destiny alive, the prospect of hockey in the desert doesn't seem quite as enthralling.

Gary Bettman's personal thorn this week has been David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail, he has been doing some fascinating research on the state of the financial picture of the Coyotes and the interest in them and he is providing a contrarian opinion to the Commissioners public pronouncements in today's edition of the Globe.

Shoalts contacts have suggested that some of Phoenix's most established sports owners have taken a look at the Coyote's books and quickly turned the other way, such is the apparent state of the financial picture in Arizona.

The sources for Shoalts article list two baseball owners Jerry Reinsdorf of the White Sox and Ken Kendrick, the managing general partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, along with Phoenix Suns majority owner Robert Sarver having all taken to crunching those numbers and deciding that the smart money would be to spend no money on the Coyotes who are reportedly mired with some 45 million dollars in losses for this year.

It's a huge number that is proving to be the main deterrent to anyone taking to the idea of making hockey work in Arizona.

The Globe and Mail story provides just the latest outline as to how much trouble the Coyotes are in as they wander through the final months of the 2008- 09 season, still a potential playoff team it will be interesting to see if the Little Orphan Annies of the NHL can keep the suspense carrying on into the second season.

The Commissioner has repeatedly suggested that the Coyotes will be fine, and that there is no plan to move the team to some other location.

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Perhaps that's true, but the real question should be will the Coyotes still exist in September.

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Canada.com-- Bettman denies Coyotes demise

AP-- Bettman: NHL trying to help cash-strapped Coyotes

AZ Central-- Coyotes' rumors 'just ridiculous'

200 and counting for Ovechkin

He's perhaps the most entertaining player in the game today and Thursday night he reached yet another milestone in his young career.

Alexander Ovechkin tallied up his 200th goal, joining just three other players to reach the 200 goal plateau in four years.

With goal number 200 now ready for mounting on the wall, Ovechkin joins Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy and Mario Lemieux in one of the NHL's more exclusive fraternities.

In keeping with his persona these days, Ovechkin didn't want to talk about his marquee goal, with the Capitals coming up on the short end of the score against the Kings on Thursday night, Ovechkin only wanted to talk about the missed opportunity for his team to pick up some valuable points in their quest for playoff positioning in the east.

Much of the teams success however has come off the stick of the Russian sniper, Ovechkin currently leads the league in scoring with 37 goals, if he continues on his current pace it won't be too long before 300 goals become the just over the horizon target and more importantly if he continues on with his scoring touch his Capitals may be expecting a long run in the playoffs.

CBC Sports-- Ovechkin's 200th goal not enough: East roundup

National Post-- Ovechkin joins Gretzky, Lemieux, Bossy with 200th career goal

Globe and Mail-- Ovechkin scores 200th NHL goal

My accountants tell me...tales of the rosy glasses of Gary Bettman

We're not sure what to make of it all, but the fuzzy math and logic of Mr. Bettman was given a rough reception by the Toronto media this week, this after Mr. Bettman's deliverance of his Good News review to the National Club in the heart of the Leaf Nation.

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Mr. Bettman trotted out his paperwork and grabbed his talking points to advise the gathered that the league will "endure, we will flourish".

It's a remark that has caught the attention of the ever watchful members of the media, who having sat in many of Mr. Bettman's arenas this year so far, can't help but notice that a number of the paying customers are disguised as empty seats, a financial indicator all to itself.

Even more telling is the revelation from the NHLPA that the union has increased the escrow amount deducted from players' pay cheques to 22.5 per cent for the third quarter of the season, an increase of ten percent and a hedge against future financial downturns on the NHL team balance sheets.

As David Shoalts points out in his article for the Globe and Mail, that NHLPA move is perhaps the best indication that the NHL financials aren't quite the gold standard that Mr. Bettman has portrayed, as in the end if the revenues don't meet the NHL's projections, then it's the players that will have to make up the difference from the escrow account.

By bumping up their contribution now, the players union is clearly suggesting that they believe that the economic pain is something that is on the way, Shoalts reminds us that the union does this so their membership doesn't have to take too large a hit and so far they've been pretty sharp stewards of their membership's money on this issue.

The other piece of fuzzy math that Mr. Shoalts examines is the interesting concept of teams buying up their own tickets, even if through a separate arm of the same company, a move that allows the struggling teams to show that the have a growing attendance and revenue pool to showcase, thus qualifying for revenue sharing from those teams that are still somewhat flush with cash.

That one may be a harder sell for the Commissioner, never mind the pesky press and their never ending questions, once you start taking money out of the pockets from the successful owners to prop up the teams that can only qualify through some fancy paperwork, well that's the kind of thing that executive reviews are made of.

Perhaps the Commissioner had best hope that the NHL team owners don't have time to read the newspapers, they might have a few questions of their own if the research proves correct.

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Canada.com-- Bettman denies Coyotes demise
New York Times-- The Morning Skate: Toronto Papers vs. Bettman, the Feud Continues
Canadian Press-- NHLPA takes a more cautious approach to economic outlook than NHL
National Post-- Bettman's ignorance act wearing thin
London Free Press-- Bettman gets defensive
Toronto Sun-- NHL in turmoil
Toronto Star-- NHL's heartbeat is strong, says Bettman
Sporting News-- Bettman to biz-men: NHL strong, vibrant
CBC News-- Bettman defends optimistic outlook for NHL

Gauthier gets the gate for five

It's a pattern that seems to reoccur with Denis Gauthier just a little too frequently, a questionable hit that is usually followed by comments "that something needs to be done to get this out of the game".

Monday, the NHL mindful of the current atmosphere when it comes to head shots and unsportsmanlike play, suspended Gauthier for his hit on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens Josh Gorges's head.



Gauthier is clearly seen leaving his feet and delivering the crushing blow, leaving Gorges woozy and in need of assistance off of the ice, Gauthier was immediately assessed a game misconduct.

Monday, came the suspension and forfeiture of pay to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund, a 56,000 dollar contribution for his blatant disregard for Gorges' safety.

Gauthier's reputation over the years has been one of somethone that crosses the line on too many occassions, Saturday's events suggest that he still hasn't learned the ability to reign in that focus and to play within the parameters of the game.

He gets his next chance to show that he understands the rules of the game on February 14th when he will be eligible to return to the Kings line up when they play the Edomonton Oilers.

Globe and Mail-- Gauthier suspended five games
Los Angeles Times-- Kings' Denis Gauthier suspended five games for hit to head of Montreal's Josh Gorges
CBC Sports-- Kings' Gauthier suspended 5 games
Montreal Gazette-- Boston coach applauds game misconduct for Denis Gauthier

The coach killers

The Ottawa Senators today did what many anticipated was set to happen, firing head coach Craig Hartsburg 48 games into his three year contract with the NHL"s most befuddling club.

It seems like only a few months ago that the Sens were suggesting that all that was needed was Hartsburg's confident hand on the wheel and all would be well again in Sensland... perhaps they underestimated the malaise that seems to have infected the entire organization.

Hartsburg who has watched what is supposed to be a Stanley Cup contending club morph into the stumbling, fumbling crew, had issues a call to the teams pride on Sunday night, after the Sens were showed up by Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

Whatever message he delivered probably didn't resonate and now won't even be contemplated as Brian Murray removed the coach from his position, promoting the head coach of the Sens AHL club.

Cory Clouston, who has been coach of the minor league Sens in Binghampton since last year was previously a junior A coach in the WHL, he takes over a Senator team that has lost more than just confidence, but any concept it seems of how to play the game or how to be accountable for their lack of success.

The Sens have been on a horrendous slide since we last saw the Sens standing to the side watching the Anaheim Ducks carry the Stanley Cup around. Besides their continual testing of the depths of the eastern conference, they have proven to be the kind of team which can kill a coach's career.

Four coaches have placed themselves behind that Senators bench since the days of Jacques Martin and the expectations of contesting for that Stanley Cup, a arevolving door of frustration, with none seeming to find the key ingredients to return Ottawa to the upper echelons of the NHL.

A poll created by the Globe and Mail provides an intersting review of just who might be to blame for the Sens monumental fall from grace, a word of caution if you are Bryan Murray, don't click here...

With 34 games remaining on the schedule, the prospects of a Senator team in the playoffs seems to be slimmer and slimmer, the next 34 will be evaluation days for this collection, with a trading deadline soon to arrive, one would suspect that the team Mr. Clouston has inherited today, won't be the same one he finishes the season with, perhaps a courtesy that Mr. Hartsburg should have been provided with.

But then again, as they say if you can't fire the team, then you have to fire the coach.

Hartsburg proved once again how accurate that saying is in the NHL. He leaves behind in Ottawa a record of 17-24-7 and perhaps an ulcer for the Mr. Clouston to inherit.

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Ottawa Citizen-- Hartsburg out, Clouston in for Senators
Ottawa Sun-- Senators fire coach Hartsburg
Ottawa Sun-- The fans Speak: On firing Hartsburg
National Post-- Ottawa Senators axe Hartsburg
Nationa Post-- Hartsburg blasts lack of pride as Ottawa comeback withers
National Post-- Excuses are over: Senators owner
Globe and Mail--- Senators fire Hartsburg

CBC-- Floundering Senators fire head coach Hartsburg

CBC-- Your view- Ottawa Senators fire head coach