Top Posts
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Last season: (50-25-7, 107 points, 2nd in Pacific Division, 4th in Western Conference) Only the most optimistic, pie-in-the-sky Coyotes fans expected the team to be so successful last season. Amid ownership squabbles and the hasty addition of new coach Dave Tippett, the Coyotes nearly took the Pacific Division before pushing the Detroit Red Wings to…
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A wide variety of sources (including NHL.com) claim that the Edmonton Oilers placed Sheldon Souray and Martin Gerber on waivers today. Waiving Souray was more or less a formality after the team didn’t even invite him to training camp. With his $5.4 million annual salary cap hit and history of injury problems, it’s unlikely any…
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Can Ville Leino follow up a great playoff run with a productive season?
Sep 30, 2010, 1:00 PM EDT
Comments OffThe Philadelphia Flyers went from a solid team to a dangerously deep group in large part because injuries thrust lower line players (and even guys who were often healthy scratches) into bigger roles during the playoffs. Danny Briere ended up being the leader in playoff points even though many in the hockey world gave up…
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Nicklas Lidstrom tops list of top 10 penalty killing defensemen
Sep 30, 2010, 12:15 PM EDT
Many people find Norris Trophy voting to be a flawed process because it overvalues offense (since assists and points in general are the easiest stats to track) while overlooking the most important job of any defenseman, namely protecting their goalie and playing their best in their own end. Let’s not throw hockey writers under the…
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Last season: (51-20-11, 113 points, 1st in Pacific Division,1st in Western Conference) The Sharks had another fantastic regular season. After fighting off the pesky Avalanche and the tired Red Wings in the playoffs, the Chicago Blackhawks swept them away in the Western finals. It’s always embarrassing to lose a series 4-0, but the games against…
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It’s almost time to start the 2010-11 season, but the Chicago Blackhawks continued the celebration of this summer’s Cup victory by displaying their new championship rings last night. Team owner Rocky Wirtz shared two photos of the team’s opulent (I’m sure you want me to throw the word “bling” in there, you scamps) Cup rings.…
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Even in the depressingly hockey-free summer, we expect to be a productive bunch here at Pro Hockey Talk. Sometimes it might be difficult to follow our pace. We understand that. For that reason, whenever we can, we’ll put all of the day’s stories in one convenient post called the PHT Nightcap. Enjoy, hockey fans. Brian…
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While the hockey world wasn’t treated to a Panthers-Hurricanes game thanks to a tropical storm, there were eight other games that only mattered a little bit tonight. Let’s take a look at them. Nashville 4, Atlanta 3 Plus: It was a great night for the two teams’ power plays, as all but one connected for…
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Last season: (37-31-14, 88 points, 5th in Pacific Division,12th in Western Conference) Things have not been good for the Dallas Stars since they made a nice run to the Western Conference finals during the 2007-08 season. The team’s defense floundered so much without Sergei Zubov and coach Dave Tippett that it was hard to get…
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Believe it or not, Alex Kovalev fought Francois Beauchemin tonight
Sep 29, 2010, 11:00 PM EDT
Comments OffIf the Evgeni Malkin-Rick Nash fight taught us anything, it’s that any hockey player can get in a fight. Seriously. Need proof? Alex freaking Kovalev got in a fight tonight, perhaps because he called his opponent “Frenchy.” Check out this clip of the mercurial Russian pushing aside an official so he can engage in a…
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Last season: (39-32-12, 89 points, 4th in Pacific Division,11th in Western Conference) Ignore the fact that the Ducks would have been the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference because it ultimately doesn’t matter. The bottom line is that Anaheim keeps sliding since it won the Stanley Cup in 2007, going from a failing contender to a…
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Tonight's Canucks-Sharks game may decide Brendan Morrison's future with Vancouver
Sep 29, 2010, 9:30 PM EDT
Comments OffWhile it’s natural to yawn (or even roll your eyes) at the mostly trivial proceedings that take place during preseason games, there is still some human drama that plays out. That drama is mainly focused on the handful of athletes who are fighting to preserve or begin their professional careers. Brendan Morrison is fighting to…
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New Connecticut Whale logo designed to reap rewards of Hartford Whalers nostalgia
Sep 29, 2010, 9:00 PM EDT
Nostalgia is a funny thing in the field of sports and entertainment. You have to toe the line between playing on people’s fond memories and beating a dead horse of memories. At some point during the 2010-11 AHL season, the Hartford Wolf Pack will become the Connecticut Whale. Bob Connors of NBC Connecticut reports that…
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Bryce Salvador undergoes testing for 'ear situation'; Status currently unclear
Sep 29, 2010, 8:20 PM EDT
Comments OffAs Joe briefly mentioned in last night’s recaps, New Jersey Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador left last night’s preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers because of a James van Riemsdyk hit. The Bergen Record’s Fire & Ice blog has been all over the situation, even if information regarding the situation has been quite slim. Initially the…
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Eric Tangradi knows how to stick with the Penguins: make life miserable for goalies
Sep 29, 2010, 7:35 PM EDT
Comments OffBack in the Mario Lemieux Era, the Pittsburgh Penguins were at their greatest when they sported an incredibly deep lineup that included Kevin Stevens, a power forward who enjoyed his best years skating alongside Super Mario. While the “current” edition of the team already won one Cup with a twilight-years power forward (Bill Guerin) and…
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Tonight’s sexy preseason schedule brings us eight snazzy games to soak in. As always, all times listed are Eastern because it’s the best time zone around. 7:00 pm Detroit @ NY Rangers Nashville @ Atlanta NY Islanders @ Philadelphia – It’s the first of two Islanders games tonight. These are their first preseason games of…
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Last season: (49-28-5, 103 points, 1st in Northwest Division, 3rd in Western Conference) It was another great season for the Canucks, winning their division and showing great promise heading into the playoffs. For the second year in a row, however, they were unceremoniously disposed of by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round. Once again,…
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Jeremy Roenick lambastes Thrashers for moving Dustin Byfuglien to defense
Sep 29, 2010, 5:00 PM EDT
To call Jeremy Roenick a “bombastic” would be correct. He’s got opinions and he’ll share them with whoever asks him for them. When Roenick took to the airwaves on his XM satellite radio show to discuss what he thought about the Atlanta Thrashers playing Dustin Byfuglien at defense, you could say that the results were…
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Former Thrasher/Red Wing Slava Kozlov signs deal with CSKA Moscow in KHL
Sep 29, 2010, 3:29 PM EDT
Comments OffFormer Atlanta Thrasher Slava Kozlov is off to Russia to play pro hockey. According to website Russian Hockey Fans, the former Stanley Cup winner with the Detroit Red Wings is headed to the KHL to play with CSKA Moscow. RHF has a quote from Kozlov on signing with the Red Army team. “I’m glad to…
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Capitals loan Michael Nylander to Panthers AHL affiliate in Rochester
Sep 29, 2010, 2:50 PM EDT
Comments OffWhen the Capitals waived Michael Nylander last week, it was clear that they had a plan of attack for how to make his $4.875 million cap hit disappear once again this season. Last year, they were able to pawn him off to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins as well as off to Finland. This time…
