Archive for January, 2009
Saturday’s Games and Picks
For in depth look into the NHL teams records and preview of tonight’s games please go back to the Home Page on Hockey God, at the bottom lower left hand side:
Click on Scoreboard and review every game by clicking in the individual games being played Saturday.
Today’s Picks
DET @ WSH: Take WSH
NYR @ BOS: Take BOS
LAK @ MTL: Take MTL
ANA @ COL: Take COL
PIT @ TOR: Take PIT
FLA @ NYI: Take FLA
DAL @ CLB: Take CLB
ATL @ CAR: Take CAR
PHI @ STL: Take PHI
BUF @ PHX: Take PHX
MIN @ VAN: Take VAN
CHI @ SJS: Take SJS
TWO GREAT TEAMS TWO GREAT COACHES TWO GREAT LEADERS
FLYERS YOUNG CAPTAIN MIKE RICHARDS
Just like the headline states the Philadelphia Flyers & the Washington Capitals are both led by young stars captain Mike Richards for the Flyers and Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin.
Both teams sit near the top of the Eastern Conference standings having battled last year in one of the best playoff series of the last seasons entire playoffs. The Flyers came away with the series victory having gained valuable experience along with Washington. With that battle, both teams are using the series to propel into a great regular season so far.
COACHING IS KEY
Capitals hired former AHL Leafs call up Bruce Boudreau after years at the AHL level as a winning coach lastly with the Hershey Bears. Boudreau, the smaller gifted skilled forward put up huge points as a player in the AHL and was a consistent performer when called up to the NHL for the Leafs. The bottom line is Boudreau knows how to get the best out of his players and without question has the stars ear in Washington which is half the battle. Ovechkin has often given his coach kudos for their relationship and the teams success since his arrival from the AHL.
Flyers hired John Stevens after winning seasons with their AHL across the parking lot Philadelphia Phantoms affiliate club. Stevens coached after they finished their OHL seasons Mike Richards & Jeff Carter for the Phantoms AHL team in the playoffs. That time was well spent having helped the Phantoms win in playoffs and gaining very valuable experience along the way, gaining Stevens confidence as players. The moment Stevens was made coach in the NHL, he had a instant connection with the two Flyers young up and coming stars.
TEAMS RECORDS
As mentioned both Flyers and Capitals are enjoying great seasons in the East. The Capitals sit 3rd with 64 points using a record of 30-15-4 against the Flyers record of 26-13-9 good for 61 points just behind the Caps in 5th.
Both teams have amazing home records with the Caps next to unbeatable at home this season with a 19-3-1 record against the Flyers 15-5-3 at the crazy confines of the Flyers and their rabid fans.
Both teams can score goals without a doubt with all the fire power in both lineups, the Flyers having scored 159 goals for so far, against the Capitals 155 goals for in the same period. Perhaps the most telling that these teams are very similar in makeup is they are tied with the exact same goals against this season with 141.
STARS AND LEADERSHIP
Richards, the young captain with a ton of heart and brains to go along with balls of steel that make him the fan favorite he is in Flyer land. The Flyers center has scored so far this season 18 goals with 32 helpers good for 50 points to sit behind Jeff Carter’s 32 goals & 21 assists = 53 points. Richie’s winger Simon Gagne is also back healthy and putting up points having scored 20 goals and 47 points. The Flyers are tough, mean, hard to play against and have the star power to put up points. They have used both goaltenders this season with Marty Biron taking on the more prominent role and seem to be square in that category. They have a legitimate chance at the cup if they stay healthy and add a few elements at the deadline on the back end.
Coach Stevens when the local media seemed worried about the star forwards scoring struggles has this to say about his captain Richards.
“I read Richie’s responses to the questions, and he’s a stand-up guy who’s out front taking all the bullets,” Stevens said. “I just had this feeling he would have a good game today ( last night in Tampa), because sometimes when a player gets in that position, they’re going to deflect the blame somewhere else - and he never does. He always takes the blame himself, and he always wants to make a difference.
“There’s a reason he’s the captain; he can lead.”
CAPITALS PUNISHMENT
OVECHKIN STARS FOR CAPS
As Alex Ovechkin goes so do the Capitals in terms of scoring and high powered offence and hitting. The Capitals rely on Ovechkin to wake them up with a high flying hit or of course with magic hands or shot. This is one NHL star that is not afraid to get his hands dirty anyway he can throughout the game. He will run you , he will dangle you, he will stick you, then he will blast past you with his amazing speed and deposit the puck behind your goaltender, all making you look pretty ordinary in the process.
Capitals big test among many this season will be today playing against Detroit, they will be able to use the game as a measuring stick so to speak against the West.
The Capitals enter the game one point behind the Devils and have some of the leagues best young players besides Ovechkin (31-29-60) in Alexander Semin & Nicklas Backstrom ( 12-36-48), and high scoring defenseman Mike Green (13-21-34).
They are plenty mean enough with forward tough guy and the scary Donald Brashear who patrols the Caps 4th line nightly. As well on D they have John Erskine, who is back healthy, he will drop the gloves with anyone and is very tough to play against in front of the his own net and corners. Having coached Ersky in Jr.A myself, I know the ability this kid has and the down right mean streak he is capable of having in action.
Captials have also like the Flyers used both goaltenders with Jose Theodore edging out Brent Johnson with games played so far this season in Washington.
OVERALL
First off it would be great to see these teams meet again in the Eastern playoffs showing off their experience gained in not only last years playoffs but this regular season success.
Be sure the Flyers young stars against the Capitals stars would make for a high scoring series along with some great physical hockey with both teams grit and tenacity.
The one area that will be interesting to watch and be critical for both teams playoff success is which goaltender steps up the best come playoff time.
For Hockey God I’m Dave Frost
FRIDAY NHL GAMES & PICKS
For in depth look into the NHL teams records and preview of tonight’s games please go back to the Home Page on Hockey God, at the bottom lower left hand side:
Click on Scoreboard and review every game by clicking in the individual games being played FRIDAY NIGHT:
TONIGHTS GAMES: 
PIT @ NJD : TAKE DEVILS AT HOME
OTT@ CLB : TAKE COLUMBUS AT HOME
PHI @ TBL : TAKE FLYERS
NSH @ CGY : TAKE FLAMES AT HOME
MIN @ EDM : TAKE OILERS, LOOK FOR BOUNCE BACK GAME
PARROS SIGNS WITH DUCKS & TRADE TALK . . .
GOT TO LOVE EMERY
Just in case you missed it or haven’t heard about ex Senators goalie Ray Emery incident on the bench in Russia. Here is Emery whacking the Russian trainer for trying to put a sponsor hat on his head after being pulled. This trainer needs his head examined first for bugging any goalie after he’s pulled , but then trying to put the hat on Emery’s head himself. Hope Emery got a few good shots in on the idiot .
SO MUCH FOR NO MORE FIGHTERS 
“George Parros has been given some job security by the Anaheim Ducks. The NHL team signed its tough guy to a $2.625-million three-year extension on Thursday that will keep him under contract through the 2011-12 season. He will receive $875,000 each of those years after earning $575,00 this season.
“His character and toughness on the ice along with his commitment to our community have been valuable assets for the organization.” said new GM Bob Murray from Anaheim after the announcement of the signing of the popular tough guy.
Murray like his old boss Leaf GM Brian Burke understand the importance of these players around the NHL and they are not going anywhere anytime fast. This will drive the tree huggers from the media insane with their constant activist group stance on hockey fighting.
CAMMALLERI TO TORONTO ?
Ontario native Flames Mike Cammalleri will become an Unrestricted Free Agent at the end of the season in Calgary. Cammalleri leads the team surprisingly with 25 goals over Flames captain Jerome Iginla so far this season. The Calgary media has put it in overdrive trying to convince Cammalleri that staying in Calgary and not bolting to his hometown Leafs as a free agent this summer is the way to go.
They are going as far as in print and radio talking about how much better it is for Cammalleri to stay and play with Iginla and their superior D in Calgary. As apposed to playing with Matt Stajan and others in Toronto. That’s funny on a few different counts for the Calgary media, first Stajan will likely be gone if Burke gets his way, traded at the deadline this year. Second you can never discount when a player is from Ontario next to Toronto really from City called Vaughan would love coming home to be the local star.
Burke will be able to open the vault for Cammalleri which in the end will be the telltale decision whether he wants to admit it or not where ever he plays, money talks bullshit walks in the NHL.
BURKE SAYS TRADE TALK HEATING UP
Burke has recently said that NHL trade talk is starting to heat up with his Leafs. The NHL trade deadline is March 3 but there is sure to be a few teams that would like to get a head start trading for new players and getting them onto their roster so as to gel earlier with their teammates.
Nik Antropov, did Burke a favor last night finally scoring against his old teammate Andrew Raycroft in Colorado in the Leafs 7-4 surprising win. Allowing Burke to peddle the skilled Russian to the highest bidder in the coming weeks if he keeps his head out of his ass and just plays the way he is capable of. Stajan, Antropov need to be the first two forwards to go to change over the Leafs soft forward group and it will start the Brian Burke rebuild in Toronto.
Imagine a Leafs team with just these subtle adjustments next season, Cammalleri upfront along with Montreal’s free agent gritty D Mike Komisarek, then all the trades and hopefully another high draft pick. Burke will not admit this but with the right moves the Leafs can change their make-up very quickly and start to become a real team quicker than most are predicting.
OTTAWA NEEDS NEIL 
Chris Neil, makes $1.2 million this season and is a UFA this summer in Ottawa.
Recently Neil made comments to the media that he fights for his teammates and that the Sens are in his heart and wants to remain a Senator.
Neil also said he fights because as he put it ” Who else is going to do it ” Which is the exact truth with the Sens roster but a surprising comment Neil admitting that the team needs more players like him. He said this ” It would be nice to have some help”.
Senators are going to have no choice this summer but to add toughness that can play along with Neil. But they also are going to have no choice but to ante up the dough to keep Neil a Senator for the next foreseeable future.
GILLIS-COACHES MEETING PISSES OFF MEDIA
After the last loss at home for the Canucks the media complained that Canucks GM Mike Gillis stayed in a meeting long after the game with his coaches. Which I suppose ate into their media time asking stupid ass questions about yet another loss for the Canucks. The media kills me, they bitch and moan about the team losing and then when Gillis is in with his coaches talking about what just transpired in the game with the team, all the media is worried about is getting quotes and getting home themselves.
Trust me as much as the media does not like to admit this, the teams actually could give a shit about what the media are doing or thinking. The important stuff, the HOCKEY STUFF is being dealt with and just like you tell your kids: that grown up conversations are for adults only , i’ts the same way hockey people think about the media and the game. Shut up and wait and once the hockey stuff is dealt with, you will get your time ! SMUCKS !
CROSBY PLAYS AFTER ALL STAR
Sidney Crosby played after the All Star game where he went to Montreal to basically make his own sponsors along with the NHL happy. Crosby is more of a brand himself then anyone else in the NHL being paid big dollars for joining up with clothing lines and major sponsors such as Gatorade.
Crosby and the Pens benefited from the rest anyways, with Crosby getting 4 points in the next game back in the Pens huge win with playoff implications.
For Hockey God I’m Dave Frost
Jones Limousine Direct Link: www.joneslimousine.com
THURSDAY’S NHL GAMES & PICKS
For in depth look into the NHL teams records and preview of tonight’s games please go back to the Home Page on Hockey God, at the bottom lower left hand side:
Click on Scoreboard and review every game by clicking in the individual games being played Thursday night
TONIGHT’S GAMES:
NJD @ BOS: Take NJD
TBL @ CAR: Take CAR
NYI @ ATL: Take ATL
MTL @ FLA: Take MTL
DAL @ DET: Take DET
OTT @ STL: Take OTT
TOR @ COL: Take COL
CHI @ LAK: Take CHI
PHX @ SJS: Take SJS