FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ Should the NHL Tweak Its Point System? http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/03/09/should-the-nhl-change-its-point-system/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/03/09/should-the-nhl-change-its-point-system/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/03/09/should-the-nhl-change-its-point-system/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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With NHL general managers getting together this week to discuss possible rule changes, and talk about changing the rules on fighting getting some mainstream media attention (including a rare lengthy discussion on ESPN Radio this morning), a deeper discussion will take place regarding the league's standings.

Ever since the NHL introduced the rule of giving a point to the loser in overtime (and, later, a shootout), there has been talk about the inequity of some games being worth two points while others are worth three. It's led to some bizarre moments, including one that comes to mind in which Buffalo celebrated clinching a playoff spot with an overtime point -- before the extra session began. But should the NHL overhaul its system completely?

 

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]]> martin brodeur Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-03-09T15:00:00 00:00 Power Rankings: Post-Deadline Edition http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/03/06/power-rankings-post-deadline-edition/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/03/06/power-rankings-post-deadline-edition/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/03/06/power-rankings-post-deadline-edition/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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The trade deadline comes and goes with a lot less action than most people expected, as some of the biggest names bandied out there ended up staying with their current teams. The biggest mover is the Flames, who pick up Olli Jokinen and Jordan Leopold to put pressure on the Sharks and Wings in the West, while the Rangers try to turn around their slide down the Eastern standings with a couple of bold moves including adding Nik Antropov from Toronto.

Check out how each team's actions changed this week's power rankings, and what teams got a hit -- and who missed -- at the deadline.

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-03-06T12:00:00 00:00 Alex Ovechkin Injured in Practice http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/03/04/ovechkin-injured-in-practice/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/03/04/ovechkin-injured-in-practice/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/03/04/ovechkin-injured-in-practice/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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With the Capitals mired in a two-game slump following a 5-2 thumping at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes Tuesday night, the news didn't get any better for the Southeast Division leaders in their practice Wednesday morning.

According to the Washington Post, the NHL's leading goal-getter, Alexander Ovechkin, was hit in the foot by a slap shot and smashed a couple of sticks in frustration on his way to get medical attention.

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-03-04T11:57:00 00:00 Hossa Taken Off Ice on Stretcher http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/03/03/hossa-taken-off-ice-on-stretcher/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/03/03/hossa-taken-off-ice-on-stretcher/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/03/03/hossa-taken-off-ice-on-stretcher/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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Marian HossaUPDATE: The Fox Sports Detroit crew reports that Marian Hossa is still in the hospital, but tests so far have been negative. Breathe a little easier, Wings fans. - 10:50 PM

The Red Wings got a huge scare Tuesday night in St. Louis when Hossa, back in the lineup after missing two games with a neck injury, went head-first into the boards after losing his balance following a check. Hossa was taken off the ice on a stretcher.

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-03-03T21:30:00 00:00 Bruins, Capitals Put on a Show http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/bruins-capitals-trade-punches/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/bruins-capitals-trade-punches/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/bruins-capitals-trade-punches/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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The Eastern Conference's top two teams met for the final time in the regular season Saturday in Boston, and if the two teams end up meeting down the road in the Stanley Cup playoffs, it should prove to be a very entertaining series.

In a game that featured a bit of style, grit, a flashback to the last meeting of the two teams a little over a month ago and a very strange-looking game-winner, the Capitals beat the Bruins 4-3 in overtime on a 70-foot Alex Semin slapshot that snuck past Tim Thomas.
Bruins 4, Capitals 3: Recap | Box Score | Eastern Conference Playoff Race

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-02-28T15:50:00 00:00 Ilya Kovalchuk Bashes Sidney Crosby http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/russians-just-love-sidney-crosby/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/russians-just-love-sidney-crosby/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/russians-just-love-sidney-crosby/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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A lot was made out of Alex Ovechkin's on-ice battle with Sidney Crosby during the Capitals' 5-2 win over the Penguins on Sunday, with the two stars engaging in a war of words afterwards.

Well, Ovechkin wasn't the only Russian taking a pot shot at the Penguins' superstar this week, as Thrashers sniper (and one of Ovechkin's friends) Ilya Kovalchuk weighed in on the whole controversy, dismissing Crosby's complaints about Ovechkin's physical style of play during the game.

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-02-28T11:30:00 00:00 Power Rankings: Clock Strikes Midnight http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/27/power-rankings-clock-strikes-midnight-edition/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/27/power-rankings-clock-strikes-midnight-edition/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/27/power-rankings-clock-strikes-midnight-edition/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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After using February as a chance to see what last-minute fixes need to be made before this Wednesday's trade deadline, not a lot has been decided in the playoff chases, with the East and West both featuring ridiculously little margin for error for some teams. All of this means many teams will have some very tough choices to make, and the few teams that are out of the playoff chase are getting a chance to receive a king's ransom for their assets.

Check out what team's back up on top of the latest power rankings, and what you might want to look for as the hours wind down for teams to make one final push towards the playoffs.

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-02-27T12:00:00 00:00 Newspaper Grounds 'Canes Beat Writer http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/26/newspaper-grounds-hurricanes-beat-writer/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/26/newspaper-grounds-hurricanes-beat-writer/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/26/newspaper-grounds-hurricanes-beat-writer/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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With the economy in the tank and newspapers taking the hit hard, perhaps it's not surprising that it's come to this, but the news still is jarring to have one NHL club without a traveling beat writer for the remainder of the season - and perhaps even the playoffs.

According to Canes Country, the Raleigh News & Observer has stopped sending its beat writer Chip Alexander on the road with the Hurricanes. Due to severe budget constraints thanks to a plummeting stock price of parent company McClatchy Newspapers and a big round of layoffs at the paper itself, assistant sports editor Steve Ruinsky told the blog it might not even be sending him to away games even if Carolina qualifies for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-02-26T10:44:00 00:00 Brodeur Set to Start Thursday http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/25/brodeur-set-to-start-thursday/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/25/brodeur-set-to-start-thursday/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/25/brodeur-set-to-start-thursday/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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When Martin Brodeur went down with an elbow injury back in November, a lot of pundits thought it would pretty much doom the Devils' season and the team's playoff hopes were put on life support without the future Hall-of-Fame netminder in the crease for an extended period of time.

Didn't quite turn out to be the case.

Now, just seven wins short of Patrick Roy's all-time wins mark and with 22 games to play in the regular season, Brodeur confirmed after Devils practice today he will get his first start in over three months against Roy's old team, the Avalanche, Thursday night in Newark.

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-02-25T15:07:00 00:00 Tragedy Strikes Twice at One Rink http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/24/tragedy-strikes-twice-at-one-rink/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/24/tragedy-strikes-twice-at-one-rink/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/24/tragedy-strikes-twice-at-one-rink/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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In a sad and strange coincidence, two recreational league hockey players collapsed on the ice and died within hours of each other in two separate incidents in the same San Jose facility on the same night.

The two men were both part of an adult league at Shark Ice, a facility that is the practice home of the NHL's San Jose Sharks, but this past Sunday, like in many rinks across North America, adult players took to the ice to enjoy a chance to play the game.

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-02-24T12:00:00 00:00 Ovechkin Gets Under Crosby's Skin http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/22/ovechkin-gets-under-crosbys-skin/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/22/ovechkin-gets-under-crosbys-skin/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/22/ovechkin-gets-under-crosbys-skin/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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While the Caps-Penguins rivalry has been simmering for almost two decades, it's largely been a one-sided affair, with Pittsburgh almost always getting the better of Washington. Even in the post-lockout version of the rivalry featuring Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, the Capitals struggled against the Pens, going just 1-7-1 in the first nine meetings between the clubs since the two stars entered the league in 2005.

However, Ovechkin and the Caps have really turned the tables on the Pens this season, with the latest chapter having Washington taking the game to Pittsburgh in front of a sold-out Verizon Center crowd Sunday afternoon, and leading to a wild display between two Hart Trophy winners late in the second period. During an altercation along the boards, the Pens superstar tried to deposit Ovechkin into the Washington bench and then had to be restrained by a linesman, as Crosby's actions were met with a derisive wave from the defending league MVP and also some pointed comments after the game.

More Coverage: Game Recap | Box Score

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-02-22T18:00:00 00:00 Avs Close Gap in Western Race http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/20/avs-tighten-west-race-even-further/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/20/avs-tighten-west-race-even-further/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/20/avs-tighten-west-race-even-further/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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While the Avalanche began a six-game road trip in Washington minus their injured stars John-Michael Liles, Paul Stastny and Joe Sakic, a very unlikely source tightened the very unusual Western Conference playoff race even further.

With the 4-1 win over the Caps Friday night at Verizon Center, Colorado moved into a three-way tie for last place in the conference - but only trail Edmonton by five points for the final playoff spot in the West.

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-02-20T22:33:00 00:00 NHL Power Rankings: Deadline's Coming http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/20/nhl-power-rankings-deadlines-coming-edition/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/20/nhl-power-rankings-deadlines-coming-edition/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/20/nhl-power-rankings-deadlines-coming-edition/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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Just a dozen shopping days are left until the NHL's trading deadline on March 4th, so a number of contenders and pretenders will have to decide to try and cash in their chips and see if they can make an extended playoff run, or just sell off and look forward to next year.

And this year, it's even more difficult, with all but five teams effectively still in playoff contention and many teams just one extended win streak shy of a postseason berth. Even in the salary cap era, the deadline is one of the biggest times of year, and it wouldn't be surprising if some of the big names start to change teams shortly, as teams are looking for help down the stretch. With that in mind, this week's edition of the power rankings take a look at who might be buying, selling, and what teams might be targeting at the deadline.

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-02-20T12:00:00 00:00 Three Canadiens Reportedly Tied to Accused Gang Member http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/20/three-habs-allegedly-tied-to-drug-trafficker/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/20/three-habs-allegedly-tied-to-drug-trafficker/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/20/three-habs-allegedly-tied-to-drug-trafficker/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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While the Canadiens already had a difficult week with losses in seven of their last eight games and the team falling further down the playoff picture, things just got a whole lot worse for the Habs in La Belle Province this morning.

The week began by keeping Alexei Kovalev at home while the team went on a two-game road trip and demoted one of its young stars, Sergei Kostitsyn, down to the minors. Now, as they return home to Quebec this morning, the team is facing a damaging newspaper report where three of its players allegedly were closely associated with an accused drug trafficker who police say is tied to a gang.

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-02-20T08:30:00 00:00 Bus Carrying Team Flips on Highway http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/19/minor-league-players-hurt-when-bus-flips/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/19/minor-league-players-hurt-when-bus-flips/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/19/minor-league-players-hurt-when-bus-flips/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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Unlike their counterparts in the NHL, minor-league hockey teams rarely use air travel, going from city to city in buses at all hours of the night and through inclement weather. And that turned dangerous for one American Hockey League team early Thursday morning in a scary wreck that police say left the bus on its side on a normally busy highway and fellow motorists scrambling to help.

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-02-19T08:15:00 00:00 Ovechkin's Hat Trick Buries the Panthers http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/15/ovechkins-hat-trick-buries-the-panthers/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/15/ovechkins-hat-trick-buries-the-panthers/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/15/ovechkins-hat-trick-buries-the-panthers/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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Alex Ovechkin had a pretty good weekend in Florida, scoring four goals in two games against the Lightning and the Panthers, and helping the Capitals build a fairly insurmountable lead in the race for their second straight Southeast Division title with a four-point weekend for Washington.

Ovechkin recorded a hat trick in the Caps' 4-2 win against Florida Sunday afternoon, giving him his eighth career hatter - and his second of the month of February - just when the Caps needed a pickup after blowing a two-goal lead to the Panthers. And the defending league MVP gave it to them with a terrific individual effort with just 2:31 to play in regulation to break a 2-2 tie.

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-02-15T19:27:00 00:00 Sean Avery -- and His Mouth -- Are Back http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/15/avery-and-his-mouth-are-back/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/15/avery-and-his-mouth-are-back/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/15/avery-and-his-mouth-are-back/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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Sean Avery was back on the ice Saturday night in Hartford, and he showed that his two months off didn't really temper his aggressive playing style or his attitude.

Avery, playing with the AHL's Wolf Pack after being sent down by the Dallas Stars earlier this month, got into a pair of scraps with the Manitoba Moose -- a team with a working affiliation with Dallas but who wanted no part of Avery. After the game, Avery said he indeed was running his mouth -- although he claims not quite to the degree as he was before.

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-02-15T09:53:00 00:00 Mike Green Sets New NHL Mark http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/14/mike-green-sets-new-nhl-mark/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/14/mike-green-sets-new-nhl-mark/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/14/mike-green-sets-new-nhl-mark/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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Mike Green's the hottest player in hockey right now, and he strikes again on Saturday night in Tampa Bay to set a new NHL record for consecutive games with a goal by a defenseman with a tally in his eighth straight game.

With the Capitals already leading the Lightning 3-0 early in the second period, Green was getting some extra passes because with the lead, his teammates knew he had a shot at history with a goal.

Then just :48 into the penalty, he moved in from the point with the puck, and took a shot that was blocked by former Cap Matt Pettinger. After the puck flipped in the air, Green collected the puck and fired it past Lighting goaltender Karri Ramo to break the record of seven set by former Bruins defenseman Mike O'Connell in the 1983-84 season.

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-02-14T21:47:00 00:00 A Decade Later, Maple Leaf Gardens Stands and Waits Alone http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/13/a-decade-later-maple-leaf-garden-waits/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/13/a-decade-later-maple-leaf-garden-waits/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/13/a-decade-later-maple-leaf-garden-waits/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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Ten years ago tonight, the Maple Leafs played their final game at Maple Leaf Gardens, a 6-2 loss to the Blackhawks that ended a 68-year run for the franchise at the old barn off Carlton Street, as the team moved down Yonge Street to their new home, Air Canada Centre.

But a decade later, the last of the NHL's Original Six arenas still is standing, waiting for its fate.

The old Boston Garden and Chicago Stadium were turned into parking lots for their teams' new buildings. The Montreal Forum is now living a new life as an entertainment complex. Madison Square Garden lives on in name only, as the current home of the Rangers only has been open since 1968. Detroit's Olympia is long gone, having been torn down in 1980 when the team moved to Joe Louis Arena.

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-02-13T14:00:00 00:00 NHL Power Rankings: Valentine's Day http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/13/nhl-power-rankings-valentines-day-edition/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/13/nhl-power-rankings-valentines-day-edition/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/13/nhl-power-rankings-valentines-day-edition/#comments Ted Starkeyby Ted Starkey

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With the trade deadline less than three weeks away, it's time to look at the bright side of the league, and try to say something positive about everyone.

Teams in the West can be happy that they've all got a chance at a playoff spot if they play well over the season's final two months, as even the last-place Avalanche and Blues are within striking distance. In the East, the middle of the pack has bunched up, giving struggling clubs a chance to land a top-four playoff spot.

 

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]]> Ted Starkey ted-starkey 2009-02-13T12:00:00 00:00