Thursday Roundup/Devils 7, Caps 2

[Boxscore - Recap]

Coming off the second two-game win "streak" of the season, the Caps have regressed over the past two matches. Significantly. Somehow, the Caps managed to give up three power play goals to a Devils team that was four for its previous one hundred with the extra man coming into the game, and surrendered seven total goals to a team that got shutout by Michael Garnett and the Thrashers last week.

The Caps have now dropped six straight to Los Diablos as Martin Brodeur collected his 4,765th career win against the Caps. But there is good news. Caps fans can look forward to beating the Devils regularly in a few years, as down on the farm Hershey beat a woeful Albany squad on Wednesday night. How woeful you ask? The River Rats had to start former Devil and current Rats' goalie coach Chris Terreri in goal last night. Terreri last saw NHL action in the spring of 2001 (though, in fairness to him, he's only two months older than Dominik Hasek).

Back to last night's game, the WaPo's coverage is here, the WTimes' here.

In other Caps news, the team sent blockheaded enforcer Stephen Peeeeeeeeeeat to Carolina for AHL depth forward and former Cap Colin Forbes. It might make sense to call Forbes up and send Brooks Laich down to Hershey where the latter can get more than 9:37 of ice per game, but we'll see what the team does.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

• Krystofer Kolanos's second stint in the Coyotes system lasted less than 10 days as the 'Yotes and 'Canes exchanged disappointing former first round picks with Phoenix's acquisition of Pavel Brendl for the concussion-prone Kolanos.
• The Flyers acquired center Kiel McLeod from the 'Yotes for right wing Eric Chouinard in a trade of minor leaguers on Wednesday. Could you care less?
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Martin Straka (2G, including the game winner, 2A, +4)
  
• Ross: Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka, Michael Nylander (4 points each)
  
• Norris: Brian Rafalski (2G, A, +2)
  
• Vezina: Marc Denis (40 save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Martin Straka, Brian Rafalski, Olli Jokinen, Brad Boyes, Pavol Demitra, Marian Gaborik, Shane Doan (2G each)
  
• Calder: Brad Boyes (2G)
  
• Aiken: Olie Kolzig (5 goals against on 21 shots in 33:46 of relief work)
  

Wednesday Roundup/Bruins 4, Caps 3 (OT)Gameday: Caps @ Devils

[Boxscore - Recap - Postgame Coverage - Pregame Coverage]

This Caps team isn't supposed to be outworked. Outshot? Frequently. Outscored? Often. But not outworked. Yet that is exactly what happened last night as they let a two-goal third period lead disappear at home and had to settle for a single overtime loss-point against the Bruins. Sure, the Caps were outshot badly (43-18 for the game) and probably didn't even deserve the point they got. But Glen Hanlon put it best when he said, "They beat us at out game and our game is outworking team[s] and directing pucks to the net," Hanlon said. "That's the hard part to swallow." Indeed.

The WaPo recaps the game here, the WTimes here. To read an account of how impressed Sergei Samsonov and the rest of the Bruins are with Alex Ovechkin, check out the Globe and the Herald.

In other Caps-related news, last night was Autism Awareness Night, and the team raised over $12,000 for the cause. To learn more about the disease that afflicts approximately 1 in every 166 children born in the U.S. each year (Olie Kolzig's son Carson among them), and/or to contribute to the efforts to find a cure, head over here.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Mats Sundin (G, 2A, +2 in 3-2 OT win)
• Ross: Mats Sundin, Henrik Zetterberg (G, 2A each)
  
• Norris: Dion Phaneuf (G, A)
  
• Vezina: Chris Osgood (W, 27 saves on 28 shots against)
  
• Richard: 24 players tied with one goal apiece
  
• Calder: Alexander Ovechkin (G, A)
  
• Aiken: Sergei Zubov (-3)
  

Tuesday Roundup/Gamenight: Bruins @ Caps

[Gameday Preview]

I've finally finished cleaning up after the Carnival (you'd be surprised how difficult it is to get elephant sweat out of cashmere), and the Rink is back and fully operational.

Don't look now, but the Caps are riding a two-game winning streak and have a chance to extend that to three games with a home game against a team with the same number of wins that they have (on quasi-national TV, no less). The secret to the Caps' recent success? Why, it's Mathieu Biron's increased power play time, of course. The WaPo has a nice profile of the lesser Biron brother that includes this partial quote:

"I know I have a good shot," he added. "That's no secret."

I say "partial quote" because the full quote undoubtedly read "I know I have a good shot at having the worst plus-minus in the League if I play every night. That's no secret." But there's little harm in dressing Biron as a fourth-line winger and giving him time on the point on a meager power play (to which he has contributed two goals and an assist in the last two games), so I'll cut him some slack. For now.

Elsewhere around the League:

• Speaking of bad power plays, the Devils are currently 4-for-100 on the power play the past 14 games (that's 4% for those of you who are a little slow on the uptake). Yikes.
  
• It took until just after Christmas (I had the under), but the Leafs are finally without both Eric Lindros (wrist) and Jason Allison (finger).
  
• Marian Hossa and Ryan Miller are your Players of the (truncated) Week.
• I love the goalie assist. Last night Johan Hedberg had a pair (to become the first goalie to have a multi-point game since Patrick Roy had two assists against Nashville on Dec. 29, 2000, per TSN.ca) and Peter Budaj had one as well.
• To the folks at OLN: it wasn't the set that needed replacing.
• Center Ice will re-broadcast last night's USA/Norway tilt from the World Juniors, so I'll refrain from giving away too much about the game for now, but if you're curious, check out the performance of a certain Rink favorite.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Wade Redden (2G, including the game winner, 2A, +2)
• Ross: Wade Redden, Jaroslav Modry (4 points each)
  
• Norris: Wade Redden (2G, including the game winner, 2A, +2)
  
• Vezina: Michael Garnett (36 save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Wade Redden, Ben Eager, Dave Neanderchuk, Stu Barnes, Mike Modano, Joe Sakic, Shane Doan, Jonathan Cheechoo (2G each)
  
• Calder: Michael Garnett (36 save shutout win)
• Aiken: Vitaly Kolesnik (0 saves on 2 shots against in 3:20. Ouch!)

Carnival Of The NHL #16

Welcome, one and all, to the Carnival of the NHL #16 - the Bengt Gustafsson/Alan May edition. I have to admit a slight reluctance to hosting a carnival, given my phobia, but I'm a gamer. And with a little organizational help from The Tragically Hip (may I suggest "Live Between Us" as a soundtrack to this edition), I think I'll get through.

Though the weather outside may be frightful, these blogs are so delightful, so let's have at 'em:

Track 1 - Grace, Too
I'm a total pro, that's what I'm here for

Christy at Behind the Jersey recaps a recent Red Wings' team trip to Children's Hospital of Michigan that is particularly fitting around this time of year and is yet another reminder of the proper perspective through which we should view professional sports and athletes. It's always good to see these guys give a little back to the community without it being required by a court.

Track 2 - Fully Completely
She said, "You're gonna miss me,
Wait and you'll see. Fully, completely."

I wasn't planning to link to one of my own articles in this Carnival (especially not so early on), but this quote screamed out for a comment on Jeremy Roenick's recent actions regarding the selection of the U.S. Olympic Team and since no one else submitted anything on the topic, well... wait! I just came across this additional explanation at HockeyDirt.com (thanks to Grampapinhead for the link in his Saturday Hockey Thoughts).

Track 3 - Springtime In Vienna
The blues are still required
The blues are still required again

You know you're doing something wrong when you get shutout by this year's St. Louis Blues. Eddie Olczyk now knows that better than anyone, as Back In Blue points out.

Track 4 - Twist My Arm
Martyrs don't do much for me
Though I enjoy them vicariously

Remember Trent Klatt's rants about how the 12% escrow deductions were just the tip of an iceberg that would eventually render the players little more than indentured servants, destroy the League, spread avian flu and reincarnate Hitler? Well, some early revenue projections for the League are in and let's just say Klatt was a little bit off in his predictions (though it's too early to rule out an escrow-bird flu link just yet). With an excellent analysis of how increased revenue means a higher salary cap in the future and a lower escrow payment for the players, as well as a look at how the numbers could affect teams this season, check out the Soapbox over Spector's Hockey. Also touching on this topic and how it might impact their favorite team is Canucks Hockey Blog.

Track 5 - Giftshop
We're forced to bed
But we're free to dream

With the Olympics nearly upon us, new guy (and Best Blog Name nominee) A Foote In Sydor offers up his picks to make Team Canada in a series of posts, starting with an overview and continuing through the forwards (and those he wouldn't take), blueliners and 'tenders. He also has a few suggestions for Team USA, but I think six links in one Carnival for a week-old blog is plenty.

Track 6 - Ahead By A Century
Illusions of someday
Casting a golden light

As I'm sure many of you have noticed, the Next One has been on the shelf for a little more than a week with a wrist injury. No, not that Next One, and not the next Next One, but the last Next One. Confused? Jamie Fitzpatrick over at About Pro Ice Hockey says it's time to retire the "Next One" moniker altogether (some of the rest of us say it's time to retire the last Next One altogether, but that's neither here nor there).

Track 7 - The Luxury
So consumed with the shape I'm in
Can't enjoy the luxury

The middle of the album, a killer tune and we've arrived at the first of two non-submissions to make the Carnival to help fill out the track listing. With a decent lead in the Southeast Division and one of the League's top young stars in Eric Staal, the Acid Queen should be able to sit back and enjoy her 'Canes in peace. But a certain "c-word" keeps coming up and it's got her madder than a wet hen (my attempt at a southern idiom). Thanks to Eric at Off Wing Opinion for the link.

Track 8 - Courage
The human tragedy
Consists in the necessity
Of living with the consequences
Under pressure, under pressure.

The second of our two non-submissions is almost a mini-carnival unto itself, a great post from Jes Gölbez's Hockey Rants that collects multiple thoughts on the importance (or lack thereof) of winning faceoffs but is also, of course, heavy on original thought.

Track 9 - New Orleans Is Sinking
Ain't got no picture postcards, ain't got no souvenirs
My baby, she don't know me when I'm thinking 'bout those years

This one coming up may be my favorite link of the Carnival. Kevin over at BfloBlog has compiled a list of the worst jersey numbers in Buffalo Sabres history (don't worry Chris Taylor, Pat LaFontaine bailed you out big time). Look for The Rink to blatantly rip off this idea in the not too distant future.

Track 10 - Don't Wake Daddy
You can stuff your void with the asteroid that's hurtlin toward the earth
You can drop the bomb that restores some calm then promises rebirth

Speaking of the Sabres, Buffalo has their goalie of the future. They also have a very capable goalie of the present (at least until the other guy gets healthy) and recent past who has increased his trade value enormously over the past month or so. So guess who Tom over at Sabre Rattling thinks should be the guy the Sabes should consider trading? You might be surprised. And while we're in Buffalo and talking saves, Tom has another post on a save made and a save nearly made from this past weekend's Sabres-Pens home-and-home.

Track 11 - Scared
I could make you scared if you want me to
I'm not prepared, but if I have to
He said, I can make you scared, it's kinda what I do
If you're prepared, here's what I propose to do

Over at On the Wings, Matt has recapped last week's emotional Jiri Fischer press conference and comes to his own conclusion - one which Fischer has yet to reach. The thoughts and prayers of the whole hockey world are with Jiri, both to get him healthy and help him make the right decisions down the road.

Track 12 - Blow At High Dough
Sometimes the faster it gets, the less you need to know
But you gotta remember, the smarter it gets, the further it's gonna go

Does it feel like five-on-five hockey has gone the way of the dodo? If you miss even-strength hockey that allows teams to use all four lines, establish a forecheck and flow, etc., you're not alone. Rob from The Cheap Seats has zero tolerance for... zero tolerance.

Track 13 - Nautical Disaster
Then the dream ends when the phone rings

The trap is dead. Long live the trap! Over at Population Statistic, they've spotted something they don't like - the quack attack has brought back the trap. And unfortunately for everyone (except for J.S. Giguere, Ilya Bryzgalov and the rest of the Disney Ducks), it seems to be working.

Track 14 - The Wherewithal
Richard talks too slow
He'd get interrupted long before-
I always loved that guy
And he's not on T.V. anymore.

Or maybe he is. Maybe he's doing color in one of the many games currently being shown on NHL CenterIce that's waaay down your priority list for the night and you'll never know. Wouldn't it be great if the NHL staggered it's starting times like they do in the first couple of rounds of the NCAA Tournament so that you could see the last 15 minutes or so of most every game you'd want to? That's more or less what they're wondering aloud over at The Ice Block.

On a mostly unrelated note, just when you thought OLN's hockey studio show couldn't get any worse, they go and throw P.J. Stock in front of a camera. Here's an idea - how about putting someone out there whose head wasn't used as a punching bag for a dozen or more years?

***

Well folks, the crowd noise is fading and the last few seconds of the last track are winding down. Thanks to everyone who submitted and thanks to everyone who has stopped by to read some of this. It's been a lot of fun.

Cheers,

JP

Monday Roundup/Panthers 3, Caps 2

[Boxscore - Recap - Postgame Coverage]

When you get 55 shots on goal in a game, you've gotta score more than two goals. When you get a 1:48 5-on-3 power-play, you've gotta score on it. When your stud gets a breakaway down a pair in the third, he's gotta bury it. When these things don't happen, you lose. Simple as that. I'm working on putting the finishing touches on the latest Carnival, so this roundup is a little more brief than usual. Here's the WaPo's recap, and here's the WTimes' (there was room on the internet for coverage of last night's Caps game. No word on whether the 'Skins/Cowboys' coverage precluded such coverage in the print editions).

And in case you missed it (I did, as I was out of town), GMGM says there's "no chance" Olie Kolzig will be dealt this year.

Stat of the Day: Alexander Ovechkin is the only player in the NHL in the top 25 in both scoring and hits.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Roberto Luongo (W, 53 saves on 55 shots against)
  
• Ross: Several players tied with 2 points
  
• Norris: Scott Niedermayer (G, A, +2)
  
• Vezina: Roberto Luongo (W, 53 saves on 55 shots against)
• Richard: Joe Sakic, Grant Stevenson (2G each)
  
• Calder: Vitaly Kolesnik (W, 29 saves on 30 shots against, A)
  
• Aiken: Nikolai Khabibulin (L, 5 goals against on 20 shots)
  

Carnival of the NHL #16

Carnival #15 is up and rockin' over at Deadspin (make sure to check it out), and Carnival #16 is to be hosted by yours truly. Please get submissions to me (see email at the bottom) by Sunday Dec. 18 (because that's when I get back from Vegas, baby). That should give y'all plenty of time to produce the high quality product we've come to know and love. I'm hoping it'll be the hippest Carnival yet.

Cheers,

JP

P.S. Any tips anyone wants me to play in Vegas?

Bertookie Executed

After being denied clemency by California Governor Arnold Swarzenegger, former Vancouver Canuck and founding member of the Crips gang in Los Angeles Todd Bertookie (pictured) was executed by lethal injection early Tuesday for the 1979 robbery murders of four people in Los Angeles and for criminally assaulting then-Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Moore during a 2004 game.

Tuesday Roundup: Why Does The NHL Hate Fat People?

The Caps recalled Brooks Laich on Monday, but did not recall Graham Mink, meaning that they'll head out west with only 11 forwards, further meaning that Nolan Yonkman will likely crack the lineup. Get that power play ready, L.A.!

In other news from around the NHL:

• Joe Thornton and Miikka Kiprusoff are your Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively. No explanation was given as to why Thornton's 2 goals and 6 assists in three games were deemed better than Keith Tkachunky's 5 goals and 4 assists, also in three games (yes, I know the Sharks won all three and the Blues lost all three games in question).
• The Panthers sent winger Niklas Hagman to the Stars for a seventh-round pick.
• In today's groin news, Steve Yzerman has a tear in his and will miss a few of weeks.
• Eric Lindros has his first injury of the year, a torn ligament in his wrist that has left him listed as day-to-day. Does that sound a bit optimistic to anyone else?
• Jason Spezza missed Monday night's Sens game with a hip, err, hip flexor, and he could miss Ottawa's next match as well.
• Dallas forward Bill Guerin has yet to score a power play goal on the year (he only has six goals of any kind) and has been demoted to the third line. Stars coach Dave Tippett tried to put a positive spin on the move: "It gives us some real good balance on all our lines going on the road." Riiiight.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Henrik Zetterberg (2G, including game-winning SHG)
  
• Ross: Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Nicklas Lidstrom (G, A)
  
• Vezina: Mikael Tellqvist (W, 27 saves on 29 shots against)
  
• Richard: Henrik Zetterberg (2G)
  
• Calder: Brandon Bochenski (G, A, +1, 2 hits)
  
• Aiken: Vitaly Kolesnik (L, 6 goals against on 31 shots, including 4 goals against on 11 shots in the once-tied third period)
  

Monday Roundup: Do They Have Penguins In Kansas City?

Another day, another article about the Caps' special teams woes, this one in the WaPo (the article also features blurbs about Alex Ovechkin's Russian hockey memorabilia and Matt Pettinger's recent productive play).

Elsewhere around the League:

• It's been a rough week for Mario Lemieux. First he was hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat, then he withdrew his name from contention for a spot on Canada's Olympic roster. Now he says there's a "slim chance" the team will be able to stay in Pittsburgh after their current lease expires in 2007. Where will the Pens end up? Here's my guess.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Ladislav Nagy (Game-winning OT goal, A, +1 in Phoenix's 2-1 win)
  
• Ross: Marc Savard (G, 2A)
  
• Norris: Bryan Berard (Game-winning OT goal, A, +1)
  
• Vezina: Martin Biron (W, 34 saves on 36 shots against)
  
• Richard: Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Vorobiev (2G each)
  
• Calder: Pavel Vorobiev (2G)
  
• Aiken: Michael Garnett (OT loss, 4 goals against on 32 shots through overtime and a sieve-like performance in the shootout)
  

Friday Roundup/Gamenight: Wings @ Caps

[Gameday Preview]

It's always a joy to go to the MCI Center when the Red Wings come to town just to see how many Wings "fans" come out of the woodworks. And there's hardly a bandwagoner among them. No sir. These folks are old school Wings fans. We're talking Sergei Fedorov-era Wings fans. Heck, go tonight and you might even see an Igor Larionov jersey (representin' the 313, yo!). John O-who-nick? Never heard of him. But that's alright. Let them enjoy the Steve Yzerman Farewell Tour's stop in D.C. and reliving the past while we enjoy our nightly look at the future.

Today's WaPo discusses the Caps' awful special teams and how they seek to remedy the problems (which begs the question - when the Caps scrimmage the power play against the penalty kill in practice, which squad is successful?). The WTimes has a similar story, and for some opposition flava, the Detroit News says some nice things about Alex Ovechkin, as does the Freep. Needless to say, with the Wings coming into the game with the top-ranked power play in the NHL, the key to tonight's game for the Caps will be staying out of the box. Then again, that's the key every night, isn't it?

In other NHL news:

• The injury bug bit the Nashville Predators last night and bit them hard, as the team lost starting goalie Tomas Vokoun (hard-luck Aiken Award winner - see below) and first-line center David Legwand to knee injuries. Coincidentally, both are on my floundering fantasy team that has been a MASH unit all season (I'd like to apologize in advance to Vinny Lecavalier and Ilya Kovalchuk for their inevitable pending injuries).
• Jeremey Roenick played 11:50 last night (only two Kings got less ice time) and was -1 with no points and two shots on goal. Way to impress opposing coach and Team USA bench boss Peter Laviolette, J.R.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Ethan Moreau (2 SHG, including the game winner, +2)
  
• Ross: Jaromir Jagr, Patrick Marleau (G, 2A each)
  
• Norris: Andrei Zyuzin (2A, +2)
  
• Vezina: Martin Gerber (W, 35 saves on 37 shots against)
  
• Richard: Ethan Moreau, Mike Sillinger, Petr Prucha, Erik Cole, Mark Smith (2G each)
  
• Calder: Tomas Vanek (Penalty shot goal)
  
• Aiken: Tomas Vokoun (L, 2 goals against on 8 shots in 20 minutes)
  

The Writing Is On The Wall

From CBC.ca (and with a tip of the hat to WharfRat)

Jeremy Roenick: Ass

I guess playing second fiddle to Sean Avery isn't sitting well with Jeremy Roenick, contrary to some reports. You see, it used to be J.R. who was the one stirring the pot and getting all the media attention (and cool roommates - NHL Center Ice joke). That was, of course, until he was traded to Los Angeles where Avery's mouth is king of on- and off-ice controversy (Avery's also dating Elisha Cuthbert, apparently - some Rink bonus info right there). So what can J.R. say to cause a stir? How's this:

[Roenick] told The Los Angeles Times that he "better be" on the Olympic team that will compete in Turin, Italy, in February.

"It would be a travesty if I'm not," Roenick told the newspaper. "I know they want a youth movement, and they need to have one, but it'd be disrespectful of the guys who have gotten Team USA to this point internationally."

This point? The point at which we've won exactly zero gold medals (and have only won a single medal of any color) since a certain miracle 25 years ago? But that's neither here nor there. Roenick has 11 points in 26 games so far this season, which is currently 12th on the Kings in scoring and puts him behind fellow Americans Craig Conroy, Joe Corvo, Tim Gleason and Dustin Brown. In other words, Roenick would barely make a starting five of American players on the Kings.

As for his Olympic track record, Roenick has exactly one goal and six points in 10 games. Not exactly awe-inspiring. And he wants to go to Turin to represent the red, white and blue? Get real. Right now there are at least nine American centers off the top of my head who are more deserving of wearing that sweater than Roenick, including (in no particular order) Doug Weight, Brian Rolston, Mike Modano, Jeff Halpern, Tim Connolly, Scott Gomez, Tyler Arnason, Conroy and Chris Drury (who am I missing? Tell me in the comments).

And what if (when) Roenick is not named to Team USA?

Roenick, 35, told The Times that if he doesn't make the cut, Team USA "better hope that I don't get a job as a commentator on NBC for [the Games], or it'd be 'Go Canada' all the way, and I don't want that."

Nice threat, J.R. I'll counter with this: if that washed up bag of bones does make the cut, I'll be "Go Canada" all the way. And I don't want that.

Thursday Roundup/Preds 5, Caps 2

[Boxscore - Recap - Postgame Coverage]

Death. Taxes. The Caps' special teams struggling. If it wasn't for Columbus's power play and Atlanta's, Carolina's and Philly's penalty kill the Caps would be dead last in the NHL in both special teams categories. In fact, the Caps have given up the most power play goals and scored the second-fewest in the League. The power play was again powerless last night, going 1-for10 (including a stomach-churning 5-on-3 before there was any score in the first, a shorthanded breakaway against that resulted in an unsuccessful penalty shot and a shorthanded goal against into the empty net), and the penalty kill was 3-for-6 (which hides the fact that the third Nashville goals was, for all intents and purposes, also a power play marker as it was scored three seconds after a penalty expired and the Caps were still pinned down in their defensive zone). To paraphrase Jack Nicholson's Joker from "Batman," this team needs an enema. Hire a special teams specialist. Do more drills. Eat more spinach. I have no idea what the answer is, but the Caps had better find it fast.

The WaPo's coverage of the game is here, the WTimes' here.

In other NHL news:

• Mario Lemieux is in the hospital with an irregular heartbeat. Get well soon, Mario - Mark Recchi needs some competition for the worst plus-minus in the League.
• Other relatively serious injuries abound, including Radek Bonk (torn groin - ouch), Eric Desjardins (shoulder), Martin Havlat (shoulder), Radek Dvorak (groin), Peter Bondra (groin) and Nick Boynton (knee). And don't worry - those links are to stories about the injuries, not whatever else your filthy minds can think of.
• Is The United Center that dark in person or just on TV? It looked like the Rangers and Blackhawks were skating on a sheet of dirt last night.
• On a tangentially hockey-related note, the Kris Beech Club has a new member. Joining Jaromir Jagr and Peter Bondra as home team guys whose jerseys I've owned who then got traded away is the first baseball player to be inducted - Brad Wilkerson. Got Wilk? The Nats don't any more.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Nikolai Khabibulin (OT W, 30 saves on 31 shots against - back on top for a day)
  
• Ross: Marek Zidlicky, Alex Tanguay, Jarome Iginla, Jere Lehtinen (3 points each)
• Norris: Marek Zidlicky (2G, A, +1)
  
• Vezina: Phillippe Sauve (W, 31 saves on 32 shots against; who knew?)
  
• Richard: Marek Zidlicky, Steve Sullivan, Jarome Iginla, Jere Lehtinen (2G each)
  
• Calder: Vitaly Kolesnik (W, 20 saves on 21 shots against in his NHL debut)
  
• Aiken: Roberto "You Might As Well Trade Me Now Because I've Mailed It In" Luongo (3 goals against on 11 shots in just 13:22)
  

The Ultimate Hockey Roadtrip

[With apologies to Eric at Off Wing Opinion for borrowing his title]

Recently Odd Man Rush linked to an article in a small Maine newspaper (Maine's oldest paper, in fact) about a couple of friends and their ambitious hockey vacation:

I studied the NHL schedule and a road map and discovered it would be fairly easy to hit several NHL cities in a week. I informed my friend, Josh, an equally demented pucks fan, of my plan and he was quickly on board. The plan was to go to games in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Detroit. The trip would allow us to see three Original 6 teams (the Montreal Canadiens, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings) in three hockey-crazed cities, and possibly the NHL's best all-around squad in the Ottawa Senators, who also happened to have one my favorite all-time players, 40-year-old Dominik Hasek, in goal. Since the trip would take us through Toronto, we'd also be able to hit the Hockey Hall of Fame. It was the ultimate pucks pilgrimage.

Best of all, we'd be free to act like little boys again.

"Three cities in a week?" I thought. "Amateurs." Now, I'm not about to claim that I invented the hockey road trip. I may, however, have perfected it. And with my father and brother, we had just about the best family vacation imaginable. What follows, then, is the timeline of an incredible week of hockey, male bonding and more hockey.

March 6, 2004

My brother Rich (Pooh, to Rink regulars) lives in Los Angeles. At this time he was an employee of the L.A. Kings and free club-level tickets to the Kings/Canadiens game were well worth the price of sleeping on the floor in Pooh's apartment (dad got the pull-out couch). The game featured a 46-save performance by then-Hab goalie Mathieu Garon (maybe that's why the Kings traded for him) and a two-goal, one-assist performance by personal favorite Richard Zednik, so despite a home team loss, the on-ice product was enjoyable. The highlight of the game, however, was that our seats were in the players' section, and we sat one row behind an injured Ziggy Palffy. I don't know why I'm star-struck by hockey players. I can walk right by celebs in other walks of life, but for some reason am in awe of hockey players. Anyway, I got Ziggy's autograph on a puck as he left, and we headed home happy. Well, except for the Kings fan among us.

March 7

The first flight of the trip was early the next morning, a 7:00 flight to Vancouver. This was Sunday and one of the only non-game days, so we rested up, saw some of Vancouver in the rain and generally relaxed. We had no idea what would await us the next day.

March 8

Otters. Really cute otters. Good lord, these things were- sorry. I'm back on track now. After spending the better part of the day sight seeing (including the Vancouver Aquarium) in what really is an exceptionally beautiful city, the three of us headed to GM Place for that evening's game between the host Canucks and the visiting Avalanche. There was a lot on the line - first place in an ultra-tough division and, for a small handful of cro-mags, revenge for a marginal hit that Avs' grinder Steve Moore had laid on Canucks captain Markus Naslund two weeks earlier. I don't need to detail the events leading up to the game, nor really do I have to detail what happened during the game (which wasn't really much of a game at all, though Trevor Linden did become the Canucks' all-time leading scorer with his two assists). But I remember clear as a bell turning to my father about mid-way through the third period as Todd Bertuzzi and Moore were both on the ice and saying, "Watch Bertuzzi - he's trying to get Moore to go." So we watched Bertuzzi chase Moore and finally, well, you know what he did.

After the dust cleared slightly and Steve Moore lay there on the ice, I swear I thought he was dead. It was a very similar feeling I got watching the Jiri Fischer incident on television a couple of weeks ago. Absolutely mortifying (and I wonder why the Wings game was postponed at that point but they finished the Avs/Canucks match). We spent the rest of the night in bars, talking to the locals and trying to gather any information about what we'd seen. The fact that Moore was alive was good news at that point. The fact that I was well into the wobbly pops and we had another early flight the next morning was not.

March 9

I guess this is as good a time as any to mention that my brother doesn't fly well. At all. Think about how you'd feel if the pilot came over the loudspeaker and said, "Folks, I'm afraid I have some bad news. It seems our engines have petered out, our landing gear is kaput and that twelve-pack of Pabst I had before the flight are finally catching up to me. We do realize you have a choice in airlines and we thank you for choosing us." Ding. You are now free to crap in your pants. That is how I imagine Pooh feels on even the smoothest of flights. So when we encountered a little turbulence as we crossed over the Canadian Rockies, he was a wreck. Poor kid. Needless to say, we made it.

After a whirlwind tour of Calgary (the Tower -which was swaying in the wind, the Zoo, the cowboy stores, etc.) it was off to the Saddledome to take in one of the great rivalries in sports - the Oilers and Flames. We had the Bob Uecker seats in a building that is reminscent of the old Capital Centre out in Landover. In other words, dark, dingy and rockin'. The game didn't disappoint either, with Jussi Markkanen and Miikka Kiprusoff standing on their heads and settling for a 1-1 tie. On a side note, I think I got a tan from the pyrotechnics following the Flames' goal. I'm shocked it didn't melt the ice. Then again, if the ice girls couldn't nothing would (ed. note: upon further review, the girls are awful looking. Hey, I told you we had bad seats).

March 10

The next morning we awoke, hopped in the rental car and headed to Tim Horton's. How is it that they have Tim Horton's and we're the nation of fatties? I probably had enough maple dip donuts in four days to give a moose a heart attack. But I digress. We finished Glutton Bowl IV and headed north, arriving in Edmonton early in the afternoon. We only had a few hours in which to see the town, which proved to be enough time. By a few hours.

A subway ride and a scalper later, we were inside Rexall Place (where we'd been greeted by a statute of Wayne Gretzky hoisting the Cup outside and multiple Stanley Cup Champion banners inside) to see the Avs again. Steve Moore was a scratch. The game was a good one - the Avs won in overtime on an Adam Foote goal - and our time in Canada was drawing to a close. But not before I watched my 140-pound brother put away more food at a Boston Pizza than I thought humanly possible. It was a little bit revolting, but oh so manly. Which was what this trip was about, right?

March 11

Here's where things went from a little crazy to full-blown mania, as we had a 6:30 AM flight the next day out of Edmonton. With a brief stop in Denver (why didn't we take the Avs' charter?), we arrived back in Los Angeles by noon. Was our trip done? Hardly.

March 12

The most harrowing leg of the planes, trains and automobiles trip may have been the drive from Los Angeles to Anaheim during a Friday rush hour. Lord. We finally made it to the Pond for that night's game between the Isles and Ducks, easily the least entertaining game of the trip, though Rick DiPietro's 45-save performance is certainly noteworthy, as were not one but two fights involving Duck tough Garett Burnett. Also noteworthy was the arena itself. It was easily the most family-oriented and cleanest building I've ever been in (including hospitals). And the hallways literally have marble floors. I guess I should have expected that combining Disney and the O.C. would result in such a non-hockey friendly environment, but it was still a shock to the system.

March 13

The next morning we caught a flight out of LAX up to San Jose for the last game of our trip, an afternoon tilt between the Kings and Sharks. Nice arena. Decent game. Great giveaway (an HP laptop is given away during every game). But I could sense a bit of burnout in the three of us. Too much travel? Too much hockey? Too much of each other? Maybe a little of each, but honestly, if anyone had wanted to hop a flight to Denver for the next day's Coyotes/Avs game, I'd have done it in a second.

After the game we had a nice dinner and toasted our trip. Six games in six cities in eight nights. A couple of weeks later, I took a mini trip by myself to see games in Columbus and Pittsburgh (I had a wedding to attend in Columbus and Pittsburgh was on the drive home... sort of), but it wasn't the same. You see, what made the trip special wasn't the hockey. It was the time spent with my father and brother. Alright, who am I kidding? It was about the hockey. And it was almost enough to carry me through the entire lockout. Almost.

That, my friends, was the ultimate hockey roadtrip.

Wednesday Roundup/Gamenight: Preds @ Caps

[Gameday Preview - Nashville Tennessean Preview]

Tonight the Caps welcome the Music City Kitties, brought to you by Grey Poupon, to the MCI (and yes, they'll be wearing those beautiful alternate sweaters). The Preds have the fourth most points in the NHL (with at least a game in hand on everyone in front of them), and boast the League's reigning Defensive Player of the Week in goaltender Tomas Vokoun (who has a 1.82 goals against average and a .944 save percentage in his career against the Caps). Nashville does face the Rangers back home tomorrow night, so it's quite possible the Caps will see backup netminder Chris Mason and not Vokoun. Either way, tonight will be a sizable challenge for Los Capitales.

In other Caps news, the WaPo takes a look at Olie Kolzig's future in Washington (perhaps it will be longer than most had thought at the outset of the season), and the WTtimes has a profile of Shaone Morrisonn (who is coming along rather nicely, thank you very much).

In other news from around the League:

• Interesting stat of the day, per TSN.ca: "Carolina's Kevyn Adams scored three goals in a 6-2 win over Anaheim on Tuesday. He is the first NHL player to score his first six goals of a season on hat tricks since November 2001, when Alexei Kovalev did it with Pittsburgh."
• The Colorado Avalanche have called up goaltender Vitaly Kolesnik, despite numbers one (David Aebischer) and one-A (Peter Budaj) goalies apparently being healthy. Is something big afoot in Avland? The Rocky Mountain News seems to think so. Stay tuned.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Mike York (2G, 3A)
• Ross: Mike York (2G, 3A)
  
• Norris: Mattias Norstrom (2A, +1)
  
• Vezina: Mathieu Garon (W, 36 saves on 37 shots against in Toronto)
  
• Richard: Kevyn Adams (3G)
  
• Calder: Antero Niittymaki (Shutout win including 28 saves through OT and three in the shootout)
• Aiken: Patrick Lalime (L, 4 goals against on 13 shots in 38:22)
  

Tuesday Roundup: A Wagon And A Carriage

Monday was an off-day for the Caps, but somehow they still managed a loss. Read about it in the WTimes here.

In other Caps news, there's a new Alex Ovechkin interview up at Russian Hockey Digest. The kid continues to say all the right things (when asked, for example, why he wasn't made the Caps' captain, he quickly responds "No, no, no! There is nothing to discuss about, I'm a new player in the team."). But my personal favorite line?

"I'm only 20, and I have a wagon and a carriage full of power."

Some guys have just a wagon full of power. Others, only a carriage. Some have but a rickshaw of might or a shopping cart's worth of brawn. But not Alex. Alex has a wagon and a cart. And they're full of power.

Speaking of El Ocho, check out a great montage of his first few weeks' worth of highlights here (trust me, it's worth the wait to download it).

Elsewhere around the League:

• Flyer blueliner Joni Pitkanen is out 4-6 weeks with a torn abdominal muscle. Ouch.
• The Flyers and 'Hawks exchanged role players with Philly sending Patrick Sharp and Eric Meloche to the Windy City for Matt Ellison and a pick.
  

Daily Awards

• Hart: Brandon Bochenski (3G, A, +2)
• Ross: Brandon Bochenski (3G, A)
• Norris: Andrej Meszaros (A, +3, 5 SOG)
  
• Vezina: Henrik Lundqvist (W, 22 saves on 23 shots against)
  
• Richard: Brandon Bochenski (3G)
• Calder: Brandon Bochenski (3G, A, +2)
  
• Aiken: Roberto Luongo (L, 6 goals against on 33 shots in 45:44)

Update: NHL.com is running a profile of well-travelled Caps blueliner Jamie Heward.

Chris Bourque Named To U.S. National Junior Team

Per WashingtonCaps.com:

Washington Capitals prospect Chris Bourque, a forward with the Hershey Bears in the American Hockey League (AHL), is among the 22 players named to the 2006 U.S. National Junior Team, USA Hockey announced today.

Congrats to C-Bo and here's hoping that this stint with the team turns out better than last year's (he made the U.S. team last season but an injury limited him to three games in the tournament).

The Worst Fantasy Hockey Trade Ever

In the wake of the Joe Thornton trade (called everything from a trade that "Boston fans will regret... for a very long time" to the "worst trade ever"), I got to thinking about some of the other worst trades of all-time.

There was, of course, Jose Theodore and Martin Havlat for Olie Kolzig and Daymond Langkow back in February '03. And the February '02 trade that sent Theodore and Sergei Samsonov for Brent Johnson and Keith Tkachuk. What? You don't remember these deals? They were certainly big news in the Phantasy Hockey League, most accompanied by the requisite objections, over-reactions and desperate justifications by the owners involved. OK, so they're not that bad. And isn't it funny how the worst trades in a five year span of a fantasy hockey league aren't nearly as bad as some of the deals Mike Milbury has completed for the Islanders?

But that is neither here nor there. The point of this post is to elicit from the reader the worst trade you've ever made in your hockey pool. So let's hear 'em. I guess I'll go first:

12/07/01 - I traded Marty Turco and Jozef Stumpel for Radek Bonk. In a keeper league. Bonk finished that season with 70 points, Stumpel with 58, Turco with 15 wins, a 2.09 GAA and a .921 SV%. More importantly, however, Turco would rack up 68 wins over the next two seasons with sub-2.00 GAAs and a SV% around .920. Bonk was not kept (though he has come back to haunt me again this year). I feel shame.

How about your worst trade?

Sunday Roundup/Caps 5, Rangers 1

[Boxscore - Recap - Postgame Coverage]

Ladies and gentlemen, Alexander Ovechkin. Last night, El Ocho put on a show, complete with a bone-crushing hit, highlight reel rushes, a brilliant goal and a couple of feather-soft assists - and all with Jaromir Jagr in attendance, in theory playing for the opposition (though I think he'd find it a little easier to play if he put his purse down while he's on the ice). Not to be outdone by the wunderkind, Olie Kolzig played a spectacular game in net (probably only losing the shutout thanks to a Brian Willsie clear on a late penalty kill that went about 20 rows up into section 109 that set up a Ranger 5-on-3 advantage), and the team as a whole played perhaps its most complete game of the season. Other players deserving of praise were Steve Eminger, Matt Bradley and Shaone Morrison (for shutting down Jagr, who seemed to have trouble skating in high heels).

That's it. For more fact-based recaps, check out the WaPo's and the WTimes' recaps, but in truth, the game was best summed up by none other than Jagr himself:

"We just didn't really have a chance. When we had a chance, there was Kolzig in the net."

Daily Awards

• Hart: Ladislav Nagy (3G, including the game winner, 2A, +1)
• Ross: Ladislav Nagy (3G, 2A)
• Norris: Steve Eminger (G, A, +3)
  
• Vezina: Olie Kolzig (W, 37 saves on 38 shots against)
  
• Richard: Ladislav Nagy (3G)
  
• Calder: Alexander Ovechkin (G, 3A, +3)
  
• Aiken: Cam Ward (L, 5 goals against on 17 shots in 30:57 before getting pulled)
  

Saturday Roundup/Gamenight: Rangers @ Caps

[Gameday Preview]

The Caps welcome Jaromir Jagr and the Broadway Blueshirts to the MCI tonight as the hosts look to stop a season-high five-game losing streak that has largely coincided with a goal-scoring drought by Alexander Ovechkin. Tarik el-Bashir did all of his homework for Saturday on Thursday night so he could go out Friday night and party (see this article from yesterday previewing tonight's game and this article from today's paper, taken directly from the AP), but I neglected to link to this graphic yesterday which, for those of you who are better visual learners, depicts how much J.J. stunk (relatively speaking) when he was in Washington. Of course one cannot quantify locker room cancerousness (it's a word), so we'll have to go from painful memory on that one.

Unlike his cross-town cohort, Dave Fay did not get his work done ahead of time, and had to stay in last night (his mother is stern, but he'll thank her for it later) to write this piece.

In other Caps news, the team sent Jakub Klepis back to Hershey and will call up someone today, likely Graham Mink, to take his spot. Mink is second (to Eric Fehr) in scoring for the Bears and leads the team in goals with 14 goals and 7 assists in 22 games.

Daily Awards

• Hart: Mike Modano (2G, +1, game-winning shootout goal)
• Ross: Patrick Marleau (3A)
  
• Norris: Zdeno Chara (A, +2, 27 PIMs)
  
• Vezina: John Grahame (34 saves on 36 shots against in shootout W)
  
• Richard: Mike Modano, Jonathan Cheechoo, Dany Heatley (2G each)
  
• Calder: Grant Stevenson (GWG, A, +2)
  
• Aiken: Mika Noronen (L, 4 goals against on 11 shots in 11:26 before getting the hook)