We're in the slowest part of the NHL year. The season just ended, the draft is still a week away, and free agency has yet to begin. So, what better time to turn back the clock and unearth some YouTube treasures?
This is not the first report that tagged Kozlov as heading back to Russia. A little less than two weeks ago, Russian-language outlet Sports Daily (translated by Japers' Rink), reported that both Salavat and SKA St. Petersburg were interested in bringing Kozlov back to his homeland.
Kozlov, a veteran of 14 NHL seasons who joined the Capitals as a free agent before the 2007-08 campaign, has spent a good part of his stint in Washington working as a right wing on the team's top line with Alex Ovechkin. In two seasons, he had 29 goals and 66 assists and was +19.
The news that Sergei Fedorov is, reportedly, leaving the NHL after 18 years to join Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL is somewhat disappointing to me, seeing as how he was always one of my favorite players growing up in the early 1990's. One of the best two-way players to ever lace up a pair of skates, and part of the Red Wings' famed "Russian Five" line, Fedorov was also involved in some hockey's finer advertising campaigns, including the days when ESPN actually acknowledged the existence of the sport.
The report, if accurate -- and that's always a question in situations like these -- would come as something of a disappointment to Washington's fan base, as Fedorov became a local favorite after being imported from Columbus at the trade deadline in 2008.
More or less rescued from obscurity with the Blue Jackets by the deal, Fedorov quickly developed solid relationships in the locker room, especially with his younger Russian teammates, wingers Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin. That was in obvious evidence at the 2008 IIHF World Championship when the three played together on a line that dominated the tournament offensively, while leading Russia to a gold medal.
There was a time when my favorite sport was, without hesitation, baseball. Recently, however, my interest in the game has been lost. Not because of a steroid scandal or the incompetence of Bud Selig, but mostly because the team I grew up cheering for, the Pittsburgh Pirates, has been a Major League Baseball team in name only and is currently working on its 17th consecutive losing season with no end in sight.
You might argue that makes me a fair-weather fan, but I disagree. My interest is so low that if, by some perfect storm -- like the rest of the National League halting operations and disbanding from the league -- the Pirates actually won something, I still probably wouldn't care as much as I should. I just don't care about baseball anymore, but I certainly don't begrudge those who still do. It's still a great game, even if my interest is at an all-time low.
It's the series everybody is talking about, as Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin prepare to hit the ice in a one-on-one, steel cage battle for NHL supremacy. Wait. What's that? There's actually other players involved in this series? We take a look at the series after the jump.
Before the Rangers made a whole host of changes to their team in March -- the additions of Sean Avery, Derek Morris, Nik Antropov and a coaching switch -- they had a few problems; their high paid stars weren't producing, they played with no emotion many nights and they couldn't score at all, depending on Henrik Lundqvist to win games.
During last night's loss to the Capitals and in their other three losses during the series, the Rangers fell prey to these same faults. Blame coach John Tortorella's distractions and GM Glen Sather's letter all you want, but this was still the same that struggled mightily before the bandaids were applied.
Every Monday morning The Ice Sheet will take a close look at everything that's happened in the NHL since Friday night at 5:00 PM -- or if need be, anything else the author wants to bleat about. To read them all, click here.
The 2008-09 NHL season has not exactly been filled with highlight reel moments for veteran center Sergei Fedorov. Plagued for most of the season by a high ankle sprain, Fedorov has only played in 24 of 51 games this season with the Washington Capitals. While that might be disappointing, it's not unusual with a player like Fedorov, just a couple of weeks past his 39th birthday.
Still, his 18 points in just 24 games is more than respectable, especially when you consider what the veteran brings when he's on the ice. While he might not be as speedy as he was when he collected a Hart Trophy with the Detroit Red Wings in 1994, it's plain to see that when he does have the puck the game seems to slow down around him -- which is why the following question asked of Washington Caps coach Bruce Boudreau in the postgame presser on Saturday after the Caps beat the Red Wings, 4-2, seemed so odd.
With the team reeling after a 1-3 road trip and with seven regulars out with injuries, the Washington Capitals put a call into their AHL affiliate in Hershey and called up four players to join the big club in time for tonight's game against the Atlanta Thrashers.
The list of the walking wounded doesn't end with Clark and Schultz. Alexander Semin, Sergei Fedorov, Boyd Gordon, John Erskine and Mike Green are also injured, leaving some tremendous holes in the lineup that were all too apparent as the road trip wore on and the losses mounted. What should be interesting about this move is the perception that Alzner and Bourque could have very well made the team out of training camp if it hadn't been for the team's cap situation.
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Ryan O'Byrne has yet to score a goal this season, and thus far, only has one in his brief NHL career. Unfortunately for Montreal, the 24-year old rearguard scored on his own net with just under five-minutes to play in regulation on Monday night, sending the game to overtime. The own-goal proved to be costly for Montreal, as the Islanders took the game in a shootout, 4-3, picking up the extra point and winning for the fifth time in their past six games.
The O'Byrne gaffe happened on a delayed penalty call, which led to Canadiens goalie Carey Price heading to the bench for the extra-attacker. O'Byrne, unfortunately, sent the puck backwards toward the yawning net -- as seen in the above video -- tying the game at three, much to the chagrin of the Bell Centre crowd.
Seriously, that's just painful to watch. O'Byrne instantly covered his face and looked like he wanted to dig a hole in the ice and crawl out of the arena. What do you even say after that?
Islanders forward Bill Guerin was credited for what will surely be the easiest goal of his career.
Overnight, we got the news that Washington Capitals center 
As was relayed late last night by 
There was a time when my favorite sport was, without hesitation, baseball. Recently, however, my interest in the game has been lost. Not because of a steroid scandal or the incompetence of 
Before the Rangers made a whole host of changes to their team in March -- the additions of 
Every Monday morning The Ice Sheet will take a close look at everything that's happened in the NHL since Friday night at 5:00 PM -- or if need be, anything else the author wants to bleat about. To read them all, click 
With the team reeling after a 1-3 road trip and with seven regulars out with injuries, the Washington Capitals put a call into their AHL affiliate in Hershey and 
