Archive for March 22nd, 2009
SUNDAY’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 on Sunday.
Today’s picks
PHI @ PIT: Take FLYERS
LAK @ CHI: Take BLACKHAWKS
EDM @ MIN: Take OILERS
NJD @ BOS: Take DEVILS
OTT @ NYR: Take RANGERS
PHX @ ANA: Take DUCKS
COL @ SJS: Take SHARKS
NHL HOCKEY HITS FOR SUNDAY . . .
GAGNER WAKES UP
Second year forward Sam Gagner looked like he didn’t belong at the start of the season in Edmonton starting the year in an awful scoring drought. Young players sometimes coming off a good year forget what it takes to be a player on and off the ice in the NHL.
Gagner who scored 13 goals as a rookie last year but added 36 helpers has now woken up with 14 points in 9 games good for 14 goals & 20 assists on the year that at one point saw him go through a 1 for 26 goal scoring drought.
GORDON NEEDS TO SHHHH
Odd that NYI coach Scott Gordon would comment to a local New York newspaper about two of his former players especially right before they played them. Gordon reportedly said we have been better since we got rid of a “couple of bad apples” referring to the traded Chris Campoli & Mike Comrie. Since the Islanders were playing in Ottawa last night you just know the players were fuming before this game.
Well the result was a (5-2) Senators win and makes the point that Gordon should keep his mouth shut especially after the season they have had on the Island. Gordon is a former goalie so that can explain the craziness of the comment after all he had frozen pucks shot at his head for a living.
MILBURY RIPS CHARACTER
I found it funny and great that former Islanders GM Mike Milbury ripped on the Habs lack of character under Bob Gainey referring specifically to the Habs Alex Kovelav’s lack of offensive production and then tough guy George Laraque’s lack of aggressiveness/fighting this season.
Not that I disagree with any of what Milbury said, it’s just that he is the king of the misread giving former captain Alexi Yashin a huge long term contract that he never lived up to in New York because of : Lack of CHARACTER!
CHERRY BUSTER
Saturday Nights coaches corner was not one bit of a surprise as Don Cherry talked about scoring machine the Capitals Alex Ovechkin’s 50th goal celebration as expected.
Cherry said among other things that Ovechkin needs to be more of a role model and not do those things referring of course to the hot stick celebration.
Role Model? For me what better role model can you have in the game than a guy like Ovechkin who not only leads the league in goals but he is the Caps hardest worker, hits and hits hard, drives the net with reckless abandoned , absolutely no question how much he loves the game and wants to win. That for me says it all on the player the O is and he shows what it takes to play the game, he can make any Canadian proud with how he competes.
SCORERS ARE NOT WILD ABOUT WILD
In Minnesota the Wild play in one of the best new buildings in the NHL the Excel Centre. But the lack of offensive output from the star players has chased some great talent away from the Wild and now looks like Marian Gaborik will follow suite.
Brian Rolston and Pavol Dimitra have both been the latest to run away from the Wilds defensive coaching from Jacques Lamaire who has been the only head coach the Wild have known. It would be hard to see the Wild if missing the playoffs this season bringing the former Habs great back. Montreal anyone?
STARS ARE FALLING
Dallas Stars who made headlines this season for not only shitty play but for throwing a teammate under the bus seemed to come out of the slump earlier this season.
But now the Stars are slumping again falling back out of a playoff position in the Western Conference backed by the play of their goaltender Marty Turco and forward Mike Modano.
I hope the players who churped Sean Avery back then are enjoying watching the Avery-Rangers climb the Eastern Conference standings further and further into a playoff spot.
99 COACH?
The Phoenix Coyotes imploded a few months back and fell from a playoff spot in the West to second from last at the moment. The Coyotes have scored a leagues lowest 179 goals even after last nights shocking win over Vancouver Canucks.
The word is that coach-99 was thinking of retiring but the new owners want him to return behind the bench if they purchase the team.
One has to wonder what the Coyotes are doing in Phoenix right now with 17 forwards in the NHL with only 12 who can dress on any one night. Captain Shane Doan admitted it being tough for the players not knowing if they are playing or not and practices are fully loaded with almost 6 full lines.
MALKIN FREE FOR NBC
NHL leading scorer Evgeni Malkin was fined by the NHL for a shoulder hit on the Kings Wayne Simmonds escaping suspension from the league discipline for the action.
Wonder if that had anything to do with the Pens playing in the afternoon NBC game today against the Flyers?
For Hockey God I’m Dave Frost
