Penguins/Bruins Suspensions

Well, in another battle against the Bruins and Penguins, there was some brutal injuries in this game. With Loui Eriksson having a third degree concussion, Chris Kelly with a broken fibula, and Brooks Orpik suffering from memory loss, the game couldn't have been more violent. James Neal was also suspended 5 games for kneeing Brad Marchand in the head, and Shawn Thornton, who completely smashed Brooks Oprik's head into the ground is waiting to hear how many games his suspension will be. He will find out about the news tomorrow. The Bruins are now incredibly short on players, and the Penguins have lost two of their key players for a while. On the upside of this predicament, this game was the final time the penguins and bruins meet for the regular season. The video below shows the highlights from the game, especially the injuries given. Pascal Dupuis was the one who gave Kelly the broken fibula with a devastating slash.

After the game, Shawn Thornton looked completely sick to his stomach. He supposedly was good friends with Orpik, so it makes someone wonder why he would do such a thing to Orpik. Thornton had previously tried to fight Orpik, right after he hit Eriksson, but Orpik declined. Thornton then dragged Orpik down from behind, during a stoppage of play, and bashed his head into the ice several times. It looked like Orpik was unconscious. The video below shows Shawn Thornton's reaction to the incident.

Finally, I would like to post a video on Sydney Crosby's reaction to the bruins/penguins incident. It's always good to get a different perspective on something. Everyone seemed to notice that Shawn Thornton deeply regretted his actions, and had no intention on knocking Brooks Orpik out. The video below is Sydney Crosby's interview after the game and his reaction to the incident.

Stay tuned for tomorrow to find out how many games Thornton's suspension will be. In the meantime, enjoy the hockey season, and get ready for the Winter Classic!

Why Is The Western Conference Playing so Well?

The Western Conference is dominating the Eastern Conference.

The Western Conference is completely dominating the NHL right now. There is many debating on why Western conference teams are playing so well, and the main arguments are that all the teams are just flat out better. This could be a possibility, but no one has mentioned one major factor: Time zones. 5 of the 8 top western conference teams have pacific time zones. When Eastern Conference teams come over to play games at 7pm pacific time, it is actually 10pm eastern time. Games will be getting over at around 12 to 1am eastern time!  Players are going to be tired!

The Chicago Blackhawks have the best record in the NHL

When Western conference teams travel to the east to play games at 7pm, it is only 4pm their time. Games won't get over until 10pm, which is still pretty late, but it will only be 7pm west coast time. No matter where the Western Conference hockey teams with pacific time zones play, they are going to have the time zone advantage. You hear all of these NHL analysts say, "the Western conference is just more talented than the Eastern conferenc," or "the Eastern conference just can't keep up with the fast pace Western conference style of play." This could very well be true, but I believe the real answer to why Western conference teams are better than Eastern conference teams is because of TIME ZONES. Now, there are some purely talented Western conference teams, whose times zones are only a bit different from the Eastern conference teams, like the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks, but the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, Phoenix Coyotes, LA Kings, and Colorado Avalanche all are in the top 8 of Western Conference teams, and all happen to have pacific time Zones. Don't get me wrong, all teams have great talent, but the time zones have to go into consideration when wondering why the Western conference appears to be better than the Eastern Conference.

Alex Ovechkin leads the talent of the Washington Capitals

There are some teams, like the Washington Capitals, who have more talent than some of the teams I just listed, but only have a mediocre record. They compete in a tough Eastern conference, and it doesn't help that they have to travel across the country to play the west coast teams. There has to be some way NHL officials can work around this problem. I am almost positive that I am not the only one who believes time zones are the real issue. Until then, Eastern conference teams are just going to have to deal with the frustration of Pacific time.

Alex Steen: A Surprising Start

Steen, is tied for the league lead of 14 goals

With the NHL season fully underway, there's a surprising stat that no one ever expected. Alexander Steen is tied for the lead in goals with 14. Steen, who has never had a standout season, now is the center spotlight for the St. Louis Blues. Steen has registered at least one point every game this season except for one. After being drafted 24th overall in the 2002 draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Steen spent 3 and a half seasons with the Maple Leafs.  In the middle of the 2008-2009 season, Steen was traded to the St. Louis Blues, where it has been his home since. Steen's highest amount of goals scored in a season was 24;however, he now is on pace with Steven Stamkos for a 40 plus goal season. The reason why this is amazing is because no one expected Steen to be leading the league in goals. After being projected to get no more than 20 goals this season, Steen is now only 6 away, and is going to get a whole lot more than 20. He is currently on a 10 game point streak, and has already had 5 multi-point games this season. 

Steen is on pace to have a 40 plus goal season

Is he a possible MVP threat? That's a good question. As of now, yes. The league leader in goals always has a chance to win the MVP. The real question is whether he is going to continue producing numbers this great. To be honest, I don't see him continuing his scoring tear. It's too hard to be playing that great the whole season. He does have a chance to be like Steven Stamkos, and possibly have a 50 goal season, but I feel it's unlikely. Everyone is keeping a close eye on Steen, in order to see if he can continue his impressive numbers. It would be interesting to see how Steen continues the rest of the season. 

Steen is line mates with David Backes and T.J. Oshie

He's not that big of a guy. At only 6 feet tall, he doesn't seem like a scoring threat, but all goalies around the NHL keep a close eye on him when he has the puck. He has a tinted visor that really makes him stand out to most players and gives him a certain edge. He doesn't get all these goals by himself, he has a lot of help. With David Backes, and T.J. Oshie on his line, there is no wonder why he gets so many goals. With such a good team, the Blues now are a serious threat for the Stanley Cup. They are already one of the best teams in the Western Conference; it's only a matter of time until they win the Stanley Cup. 

Unnecessary Hitting in the NHL

        Over the past few weeks in the NHL, there have been some incredibly unacceptable hits by two repeat offenders. It comes as no surprise to me that this first suspension was given to Patrick Kaleta. Kaleta, who has been suspended 6 times in the last 4 seasons, has been suspended for 10 games on an illegal hit to the head on Jack Johnson. He will also be fined.

        It amazes me that someone who has been in the league for a while now, and has been suspended so many times, that he doesn't learn from his suspensions, and doesn't stop doing what he is doing. Kaleta, is supposedly one of the most annoying players in the NHL, and perhaps is one of the biggest "goons" in the NHL as well. What he is doing has to stop, because if he ends up doing it again, he could seriously put someone's NHL career in jeopardy. If he commits an act like this again, he should be thrown out of the league, in my opinion. This video below is Kaleta's hit on Jack Johnson.

   
         The next player who will receive a suspension and fine is Maxim Lapierre. He hit Dan Boyle from behind the other night, which made Boyle lay helplessly on the ice, and having to be carried off on a stretcher. Lapierre is also a repeat offender, who has been in the league for a while, as well.

         Lappiere, who has been in the league longer than Kaleta, should by now have learned his lesson, and not do what he did to Boyle. He knew better not to hit Boyle from behind. Lapierre is also known as a league "goon". He is definitely a possible threat to NHL players, and like Kaleta, he should be given a serious punishment to try and put an end to his unsportsmanlike play. The NHL does not deserve these types of players in the league, and both Lapierre and Kaleta should both clean up their act. The video below shows the hit Lapierre had on Boyle.

Alex Ovechkin, Possible MVP Repeat?

     

Ovechkin (28 years Old), has already won 3 league MVP's

       Alex Ovechkin has already gotten off to a hot start at the beginning of the 2013-2014 NHL season. He is tied for the league leading 9 points, and is in second place with 6 goals in only 6 games played. Last year, Ovechkin won his third MVP last season with a late season surge. He scored 32 goals last season and had 24 assists in a 48 game season. He tied the amount of goals he scored in a full 2010-11 season.

       The season still may be young, but for Ovechkin, anything is possible. With three MVP awards already under his belt, and only at age 28, Ovechkin still has a lot left in his tank. He definitely has enough to win at least one more MVP.

 

Ovechkin, is tied for the league lead in points. (9 points)

        In my opinion, Ovechkin doesn't have a lot of talent to help him out with his goals. He may have Niklas Backstrom to assist him, but other than that, he doesn't have really anybody to help him out with his goals. He is basically getting all of his goals by himself, without much help.

       Ovechkin may be an all star player; however, the team he is on is not that good. The Washington Capitals may have some talent, but their record doesn't show that. After 6 games played, the Capitals have 2 wins and 4 losses. If the Capitals keep this up, they definitely won't make the playoffs.

       Ovechkin may look strong now, but there's a possibility that he could cool down in the next couple of games. But knowing Ovechkin, that is out of the question for him. Ovechkin is always going be scoring this season, and that's why he has a really good chance win the league MVP for his 4th time, and his second year in a row.
 

Can Someone Help me Figure This Out?

   

          I've been watching the bruins first three games of the season now, and something really frustrating has stuck out to me. The Bruins star second line made up of Jarome Iginla, David Krejci, and Milan Lucic have been not producing at all! Now this may be just me, but I looked at the lines combined stats for the past 3 games, and they have combined stats for only one goal, and 4 assists. Now don't get me wrong, the season is still very young, but this is the Bruin's first line for the power play. They are expected to produce, and in my opinion, they haven't at all. Jarome Iginla hasn't even contributed to any goals or assists for the Bruins at all. He has ZERO points. Now, I may just be an overreacting, avid Bruins fan, who is just getting too ahead of himself, but I don't think I am. When I watch this second line, it seems that they just aren't gelling at all. They don't connect with their passes at all. They just look plain slow. I may be a bit hard on them, but c'mon. You're the second line, and first line for the power play for the Stanley Cup runner up Boston Bruins! You may be held to high expectations, but you have to produce! That's my opinion, I may be wrong, so I would like to hear other's as well.

Amazing 4 goal Rookie Performance

        

       San Jose Sharks rookie forward, Tomas Hertl, had an amazing performance last night against New York Rangers. With the total of four goals last night, capping off a 9 to 2 victory, Hertl is now seen by everyone as a possibility for winning Rookie of the Year. He schooled all star goalie, Henrik Lundqvist, twice on a deke and a one timer. He capped off his night with an amazing goal, shooting the puck between his legs, picking the upper left corner of the net. This could possibly be the goal of the year. Hertl, who is 19 years old, is the youngest player to score 4 goals since 1988 (Jimmy Carson, 19 years, 254 days). Hertl was the first star of the game. All you could see on his face was a ear to ear smile all night long. 

        Fantasy-wise, after last night, Hertl went from being owned by 3 percent of teams, to 63 percent of the teams. This is a once in a life time performance by an amazing rookie. If Hertl keeps up this production, he could easily win rookie of the year, and possibly MVP. Hertl will definitely be watched closely the rest of the season, to see if he is the real deal. He probably won't have another performance like this for the rest of the season, but after scoring these four goals, he's a confident young hockey player, and has the potential to be one of the best players in the NHL. He now leads the league with 6 goals, so anything is possible. This video shows the four goals he had last night against the Rangers.

NHL Biggest Hits 2013

      With the first week of the NHL season underway, there have been many highlights so far. One of favorite highlights for everyone is hitting. There are at least a few players who do get "wrecked" every week. Because the NHL season is still young, there isn't a video yet on the "biggest hits" of the 2014 NHL season; however, I did manage to find a video from last year. Every hit shown in this video is perfectly legal. It just so happens that these hits were conducted with perfect form, and with the use of great strength. Drew Doughty is seen twice in this video, with both hits included in the top 5 of last season. 

     Studies have shown that NHL players are 20 percent smaller than football players, but their hits are 17 percent harder than football players. Hitting isn't used as showing off, trying to "wreck" people all the time. It is used as a tool to move the opponent of the puck. Most hits aren't that eye catching, but it just so happens that some the hits shown on these videos involve a bit more bone crunching hits. Most people think that the biggest hits happen on the boards, but in this video, most of the hits happen in the open ice. These hits are the hardest ones to actually perform. The only time you can perform this hit is when the opposing players has his head facing down. If you want to see more top 10 videos on my blog, just let me know, but for now enjoy the 2012-2013 NHL season's biggest hits.

Sergei Bobrovsky: The Real Deal?

         Last year's Vezina Trophy winner, Sergei Bobrovsky, now enters the 2013-2014 NHL season with high expectations to uphold.  Because last season was really only half a season, many people seem to question whether Bobrovsky can continue his amazing goal tending for a full season, rather than just a half. Well, there are many factors that go into a prediction like this. Bobrovsky will have to remain more in shape this season, and take care of his body even more, for there are twice the amount of games this season than last season, so playing in net will be more physically strenuous for Bobrovsky, who will probably play in several games a week, for a seven month season. That takes a lot out of someone and it wears the body down. This is the first full season  Bobrovsky will be a starting goalie for a team, for he had been the backup on previous teams, so he will get a lot more starts than he is used to. 

         I believe Bobrovsky may be able to put up the same numbers like last season for the first half of the season, but after the all star break, Bobrovsky may have some trouble putting up the same numbers as the first half of the season, due to the physical strain and wearing down from the body. He definitely will get more wins this season than last season, not just because its a longer season, but because he has a better offense. Unlike last season, Bobrovsky could get away with giving up 3 or 4 goals in a game, and still getting the win, because of his better offense this season. Last season, Bobrovsky got most of his wins getting either shutouts, or giving up only 1 to 2 goals a game. That will not be the case this season.

         In conclusion, will Bobrovsky put up another Vezina trophy winner season? Probably not. He is still an extremely good goalie, however with being a starter for his first full season, and playing twice as many games this season, I just can't see Bobrovsky putting up numbers as good as last season due to the physical strain and wearing down of the body.

2013-2014 NHL Teams To Watch

            With the NHL season just around the corner, it is time to discuss which teams that you should keep an eye on this coming season. Many mediocre and good teams this off season made some great acquisitions. In my opinion, there are 6 teams that should have an eye kept on them this NHL season. Starting with the number 6 team, the Montreal Canadians. Despite not making many transactions this off season, they still made a pretty big one. The Canadians signed all star forward Danny Briere to a  2 year, 8 million dollar contract. Briere adds even more talent to the already highly skilled Canadians. This acquisition may finally give the Canadians a good chance to end their Stanley Cup drought of 20 years. They may finally have a really good chance to be really big contenders for the Stanley Cup this year, so keep an eye on them, for they are a team to watch.

             The next team that should have an eye closely kept on them are the Philadelphia Flyers. Despite losing their star forward, Danny Briere, the Flyers managed to grab one of the best centers in the NHL: Vinny Lecavalier. They ended up signing him to a 5 year, 22.5 million dollar contract. Not only did the Flyers add Lecavalier, but they also went out and added a top defensemen, that will surely raise the level of play for the Flyers. They signed all star defensmen, Mark Streit, to a 4 year, 21.5 million dollar contract. With so much talent added to their team, the flyers are looking to bounce back from last season, after disappointingly not making the playoffs. Now they may be considered a threat in the Eastern Conference as a Stanley Cup contender; however, it will be interesting to see if their talented players will be able to gel together for their first season.

              Now this next team is truly underrated. After just missing out on a playoff spot last year, the Columbus Blue Jackets are now looking to finally get a playoff spot this season for only the second time of their career. Despite being only around since 2000, and having been only 4 years since they made the playoffs, the Blue Jackets would love to add to their scarce playoff resume'. After their star goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky won the Vezina trophy last season, the Blue Jackets came out this off season, hungry for a big acquisition. Well, the Blue Jackets did just that. They went out and signed the Boston Bruins first line right winger, Nathan Horton, to a 7 year, 37.1 million dollar deal. This transaction may finally be what the Blue Jackets need. Horton adds playoff experience, as well as a lot of offensive talent. It now seems like the Blue Jackets have all the tools needed to make the playoffs. I definitely recommend keeping an eye on this team, who are incredibly hungry for making the playoffs.

              The Dallas Stars now complete the 4th of the 6 teams to watch for. After a poor .500 season last year, the Stars had no chance of making the playoff at all. This off season, the stars went big on acquiring some talent on the offense. The ended completing a 7  player trade with the Boston Bruins. They sent one of their best fowards, Loui Eriksson, and 3 other prospects to the Bruins, for the Bruin's youngster Tyler Seguin, and other forward Rich Peverley, as well as another prospect.  With two new faces of their offense, the Stars now may have a shot to make the playoffs this year. Don't get me wrong, they may need to rebuild, and add a little more talent the next couple of years in order to have a playoff worthy team, but they still may have a chance to squeak in the playoffs with one of the lower seeds this season. Regardless, they Stars are still worthy of having an eye kept on them

              The second to last team worth  mentioning are the Boston Bruins. After suffering a disappointing game six loss to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Bruins came out this off season looking to replace some departed players. Well, the bruins did just that. After trading away their youngster Tyler Seguin and other Forward Rich Peverley, the Bruins acquired former Dallas Star left winger, Loui Eriksson, whom in my opinion has the potential to be a first line starter for the Bruins. Not only did they add a left winger, but they also went out and signed veteran all star forward Jarome Iginla to a one year, six million dollar contract. Despite losing what some thought some key players to the Bruins (Tyler Seguin, Nathan Horton), the Bruins may actually be better than the year before. The only way to find out is to see what happens this season, but the Bruins, now with their new and improved offense,  have the potential to be a huge threat for Stanley Cup champions, meaning they are worth to keep an eye on.

             The Final team worth mentioning is the Toronto Maple Leafs. After a heartbreaking game 7 loss to the Bruins in the quarterfinals of the playoffs, the Leafs ended up setting a tee times on the golf courses a little earlier then they expected. Their only big transaction this off season was signing forward David Clarkson to a franchise contract for 7 years, worth 36.75 million dollars. They may not seem like a team that should be watched; however, they are one of the most underrated teams in the NHL. With strong goal tending from James Reimer, and solid forward lines, the Toronto Maple Leafs have the potential to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. They also have one thing that most teams don't have: Hunger. The desire to bring back a Stanley Cup to Toronto. They were very disappointed by an early departure from the playoffs last season, and now look to wreak havoc among the Eastern Conference. Fueled by their anger from last season, the Maple Leafs may be considered a contender for the Stanley Cup. They should be the number one team watched this season, because they may surprise many people.