Morning Skate: Sunday, 11/30

Tonight’s Slate:
Panthers @ Rangers, 1:00 ET
Blues @ Thrashers, 3:00
Oilers @ Stars, 6:00
Ducks @ Hurricanes, 7:00

Game of the Night:
Edmonton Oilers (10-10-2) @ Dallas Stars (7-11-4)
6:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
EDM- Shawn Horcoff
Horcoff has 7 points in the last 4 games.
DAL- Loui Eriksson
Eriksson has 5 goals in the last 6 games.

Projected Goaltenders:
EDM- Dwayne Roloson (08-09 stats: 6-2-0, 2.49 GAA)
DAL- Marty Turco (08-09 stats: 6-10-4, 3.64 GAA)

Injury Report:
EDM- Fernando Pisani (ankle, out), Steve MacIntyre (eye, out), Lubomir Visnovsky (undisclosed, questionable)
DAL- Brendan Morrow (knee, out), Joel Lundqvist (shoulder, out), Jere Lehtinen (upper body, doubtful), Steve Ott (hand, out)

Last Ten Games:
Oilers (4-5-1) … Stars (3-5-2)

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Oilers 4, Stars 3
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Rangers over Panthers
Thrashers over Blues
Ducks over Hurricanes

Saturday Fantasy #8

Here is our 8th version of 'Saturday Fantasy'! In case you're new to the RLD, Chris (from The Program) and I will select 3 players each Saturday to have a good day fantasy-wise. We pick a forward, defenseman, and goalie each time, and I keep up with the stats on the right-hand side of this page. Chris has taken over the last couple weeks, now leading by a score of 7-1-1. Time for me to take back the gauntlet... here's our picks:

Chris
F- Jarome Iginla, CGY*
D- Dion Phaneuf, CGY
G- Joey MacDonald, NYI
Ryan
F- Patrick Kane, CHI
D- Dan Boyle, SJ
G- Carey Price, MTL*

* 2nd time Chris has used Iginla; 2nd time I've used Price.

Morning Skate: Saturday, 11/29

Tonight’s Slate:
Oilers @ Blues, 2:00 ET
Blackhawks @ Kings, 4:00
Red Wings @ Bruins, 7:00
Flyers @ Maple Leafs, 7:00
Sabres @ Canadiens, 7:00
Senators @ Islanders, 7:00
Capitals @ Blue Jackets, 7:00
Devils @ Penguins, 7:30
Wild @ Predators, 8:00
Lightning @ Avalanche, 9:00
Sharks @ Coyotes, 9:00
Canucks @ Flames, 10:00

Game of the Night:
Detroit Red Wings (15-3-4) @ Boston Bruins (15-4-4)
7:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
DET- Marian Hossa
Coming off a 2 goal night, it’ll be interesting to see if Hossa can carry it over to tonight.
BOS- Marc Savard
He becomes even more of a factor with the Sturm injury.

Projected Goaltenders:
DET- Ty Conklin (08-09 stats: 6-2-0, 2.49 GAA)
BOS- Tim Thomas (08-09 stats: 9-3-3, 1.88 GAA)

Injury Report:
DET- Tomas Holmstrom (back, out), Chris Chelios (leg, out)
BOS- Marco Sturm (upper body, out)

Last Ten Games:
Red Wings (7-1-2) … Bruins (8-1-1)

Prediction: Bruins 4, Red Wings 3 (OT)
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Oilers over Blues
Blackhawks over Kings
Flyers over Maple Leafs
Canadiens over Sabres
Senators over Islanders
Capitals over Blue Jackets
Penguins over Devils
Predators over Wild
Avalanche over Lightning
Sharks over Coyotes
Flames over Canucks

Morning Skate: Friday, 11/28

Today’s Slate:
Islanders @ Bruins, 12:00 ET
Hurricanes @ Flyers, 1:00
Lightning @ Wild, 2:00
Blackhawks @ Ducks, 4:00
Avalanche @ Coyotes, 4:00
Canadiens @ Capitals, 7:00
Penguins @ Sabres, 7:30
Predators @ Thrashers, 7:30
Rangers @ Panthers, 7:30
Blue Jackets @ Red Wings, 7:30
Sharks @ Stars, 8:00

Game of the Day:
Pittsburgh Penguins (13-5-3) @ Buffalo Sabres (10-8-3)
7:30 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
PIT- Evgeni Malkin
‘Geno leads the league with 35 points, and assists (25).
BUF- Thomas Vanek
Vanek will need to find the back of the net for Buffalo to win tonight.

Projected Goaltenders:
PIT- Dany Sabourin (08-09 stats: 4-2-1, 1.96 GAA)
BUF- Ryan Miller (08-09 stats: 9-5-2, 2.53 GAA)

Injury Report:
PIT- Max Talbot (foot, doubtful), Marc-Andre Fleury (lower body, out), Sergei Gonchar (shoulder, out), Ryan Whitney (heel, out)
BUF- Ales Kotalik (hamstring, out), Tim Connolly (ribs, out)

Last Ten Games:
Penguins (8-1-1) … Sabres (3-6-1)

Season Series:
1-0 Penguins

Prediction: Penguins 6, Sabres 3
The rest of today’s predictions:
Bruins over Islanders
Hurricanes over Flyers
Wild over Lightning
Blackhawks over Ducks
Coyotes over Avalanche
Canadiens over Capitals
Predators over Thrashers
Rangers over Panthers
Red Wings over Blue Jackets
Sharks over Stars

Morning Skate: Thursday, 11/27

Tonight’s Slate:
Maple Leafs @ Senators, 7:30 ET
Flames @ Canucks, 10:00

Game of the Night:
Calgary Flames (12-9-1) @ Vancouver Canucks (14-6-2)
10:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
CGY- Dion Phaneuf
The NHL 09 cover guy has been inconsistent thus far.
VAN- Mason Raymond
Raymond has struggled mightily in his last 9 games and needs to turn it around.

Projected Goaltenders:
CGY- Miikka Kiprusoff (08-09 stats: 12-8-1, 3.15 GAA)
VAN- Curtis Sanford (08-09 stats: 3-1-0, 2.33 GAA)

Injury Report:
CGY- Rhett Warrener (shoulder, out)
VAN- Roberto Luongo (groin, out), Ryan Johnson (hand, out), Kevin Bieksa (foot, out), Rick Rypien (sports hernia, out)

Last Ten Games:
Flames (5-5-0) … Canucks (8-0-2)

Season Series:
2-0 Canucks

Prediction: Canucks 3, Flames 2 (OT)
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Maple Leafs over Senators

Morning Skate: Wednesday, 11/26

Tonight’s Slate:
Bruins @ Sabres, 7:00 ET
Penguins @ Islanders, 7:00
Thrashers @ Capitals, 7:00
Flyers @ Hurricanes, 7:00
Coyotes @ Blue Jackets, 7:00
Rangers @ Lightning, 7:30
Devils @ Panthers, 7:30
Canadiens @ Red Wings, 7:30
Stars @ Wild, 8:00
Blues @ Avalanche, 9:00
Kings @ Oilers, 10:00
Blackhawks @ Sharks, 10:30

Game of the Night:
Chicago Blackhawks (10-4-5) @ San Jose Sharks (17-3-1)
10:30 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
CHI- Patrick Kane
#88 has 16 points in the last 10 games, along with a +5 rating.
SJ- Ryane Clowe
#29 has been a key X-factor for San Jose this season.

Projected Goaltenders:
CHI- Nikolai Khabibulin (08-09 stats: 7-1-4, 2.51 GAA)
SJ- Evgeni Nabokov (08-09 stats: 10-2-0, 2.71 GAA)

Injury Report:
CHI- James Wisniewski (knee, out)
SJ- Torrey Mitchell (leg, out)

Last Ten Games:
Blackhawks (7-1-2) … Sharks (8-1-1)

Season Series:
1-0 Sharks

Prediction: Sharks 5, Blackhawks 2
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Bruins over Sabres
Penguins over Islanders
Capitals over Thrashers
Flyers over Hurricanes
Blue Jackets over Coyotes
Rangers over Lightning
Devils over Panthers
Red Wings over Canadiens
Wild over Stars
Blues over Avalanche
Oilers over Kings

Taking a break...

I am here today to say that I will be taking a break from blogging for a while. The blog is going in the wrong direction traffic wise, and it's becoming a chore to keep up with considering my busy personal life right now. I will post the Morning Skate & Saturday Fantasy features, though, and will keep up with the Power Rankings in the mean time. We'll attempt to come back with a bigger & better product after Christmas (with hopefully more bloggers). I'll also post the 'Saturday Fantasy' each weekend. Thanks for your interest/support in the RLD, and hopefully we'll see you back here later next month!

Ryan (director of RLD)

Morning Skate: Tuesday, 11/25

Tonight’s Slate:
Blues @ Predators, 7:00 ET
Thrashers @ Maple Leafs, 7:30
Kings @ Flames, 9:30

Game of the Night:
Los Angeles Kings (8-8-3) @ Calgary Flames (11-9-1)
9:30 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
LA- Dustin Brown
L.A.’s captain has scored in each of his last two games.
CGY- Jarome Iginla
The best captain in the league is traditionally a hoss versus the Kings.

Projected Goaltenders:
LA- Erik Ersberg (08-09 stats: 5-3-2, 2.05 GAA)
CGY- Miikka Kiprusoff (08-09 stats: 11-8-1, 3.21 GAA)

Injury Report:
LA- Jack Johnson (shoulder, out)
CGY- Jim Vandermeer (foot, out), Rhett Warrener (shoulder, out)

Last Ten Games:
Kings (5-3-2) … Flames (4-6-0)

Season Series:
1-0 Flames

Prediction: Flames 4, Kings 3 (OT)
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Predators over Blues
Maple Leafs over Thrashers

Morning Skate: Monday, 11/24

Tonight’s Slate:
Coyotes @ Rangers, 7:00 ET
Stars @ Flyers, 7:00
Islanders @ Canadiens, 7:30
Hurricanes @ Panthers, 7:30
Capitals @ Wild, 8:00
Red Wings @ Canucks, 10:00
Avalanche @ Ducks, 10:00

Game of the Night:
Detroit Red Wings (14-2-3) @ Vancouver Canucks (13-6-2)
10:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
DET- Marian Hossa
Look for Hossa to have a great game tonight.
VAN- Ryan Kesler
Kesler needs to turn things around and have a solid two-way game tonight.

Projected Goaltenders:
DET- Chris Osgood (Career vs. VAN: 16-4-4-1, 2.45 GAA)
VAN- Curtis Sanford (08-09 stats: 2-1-0, 2.46 GAA)

Injury Report:
DET- Tomas Holmstrom (back, doubtful), Chris Chelios (leg, out)
VAN- Roberto Luongo (groin, out), Kevin Bieksa (foot, out), Rick Rypien (sports hernia, out)

Last Ten Games:
Red Wings (7-1-2) … Canucks (7-1-2)

Season Series:
Tied 1-1

Prediction: Red Wings 4, Canucks 1
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Rangers over Coyotes
Flyers over Stars
Canadiens over Islanders
Hurricanes over Panthers
Wild over Capitals
Ducks over Avalanche

Nightly Roundup: 11/23

Tonight's Results:
Predators 5, Hurricanes 2
Devils 7, Lightning 3

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Dainius Zubrus, NJ
4 Goals, +3... Big Z scored not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 goals in Tampa as the Devils romped the Bolts.
2. Shea Weber, NSH
2 Goals, 1 Assist... Weber keeps on chugging as he picks up 3 more points and led the Preds to victory today.
3. Jason Arnott, NSH
2 Goals... As stated here earlier today, 'Arnie' needed to have a big day and he did!

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 1-1
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Red Wings @ Canucks

Quarterly Report

With the NHL around the quarter marker in the season, here’s are some thoughts on the first 6 weeks of the season…

Awards:
Hart: Evgeni Malkin, PIT
Vezina: Roberto Luongo, VAN
Norris: Shea Weber, NSH
Calder: Derick Brassard, CLB
Art Ross: Evgeni Malkin, PIT
Rocket Richard: Thomas Vanek, BUF
Jack Adams: Claude Julien, BOS

Random Bits:
Surprise Team: Boston Bruins
Disappointing Team: Dallas Stars/Ottawa Senators
Best Team: San Jose Sharks
Worst Team: Florida Panthers

If the season ended today, here are my playoff predictions:
Eastern Conference-
1) BOS over 8) PHI in 6
2) NYR over 7) NJ in 6
3) WSH over 6) CAR in 6
5) MTL over 4) PIT in 7

1) BOS over 5) MTL in 7
2) NYR over 3) WSH in 5

1) BOS over 2) NYR in 6

Western Conference-
1) SJ over 8) CLB in 4
2) DET over 7) CGY in 5
6) MIN over 3) VAN in 7
5) ANA over 4) CHI in 6

1) SJ over 6) MIN in 5
2) DET over 5) ANA in 7

1) SJ over 2) DET in 7

Stanley Cup Finals-
Sharks over Bruins in 5
Conn Smythe: Joe Thornton, SJ

‘Morning Skate’ Predictions:
162-74-39 (59.2%)

Morning Skate: Sunday, 11/23

Today’s Slate:
Predators @ Hurricanes, 3:00 ET
Devils @ Lightning, 5:00

Game of the Day:
Nashville Predators (9-9-1) @ Carolina Hurricanes (11-7-2)
3:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
NSH- Jason Arnott
The Preds’ captain will have to lead this team offensively today to beat Carolina.
CAR- Matt Cullen
Cullen has struggled lately, so look for him to maybe turn things around today.

Projected Goaltenders:
NSH- Dan Ellis (08-09 stats: 7-9-1, 3.14 GAA)
CAR- Cam Ward (08-09 stats: 7-5-2, 2.61 GAA)

Injury Report:
NSH- Jed Ortmeyer (blood clots, out), Steve Sullivan (back, out)
CAR- Frantisek Kaberle (foot, out), Justin Williams (achilles, out), David Tanabe (concussion, out)

Last Ten Games:
Predators (5-5-0) … Hurricanes (6-4-0)

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Hurricanes 3, Predators 2
The rest of today’s predictions:
Devils over Lightning

Nightly Roundup: 11/22

Tonight's Results:
Canucks 3, Penguins 1
Senators 4, Rangers 1
Islanders 4, Sabres 2
Blackhawks 5, Maple Leafs 4 (OT)
Flyers 4, Coyotes 3 (OT)
Blue Jackets 2, Wild 0
Bruins 3, Canadiens 2 (SO)
Blues 2, Wild 1
Ducks 2, Stars 1 (SO)
Red Wings 5, Flames 2
Avalanche 4, Kings 3 (SO)
Sharks 7, Capitals 2

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Brad Boyes, STL
2 Goals... Boyes scored the lone 2 goals for St. Louis in their win at Minnesota.
2. Rob Blake, SJ
4 Assists, +3... The veteran d-man racked up 4 helpers tonight, including 3 primary assists in the Sharks' pounding of the Caps.
3. Jonas Hiller, ANA
31 Saves, 1 GA... Hiller was a beast in Anaheim's shootout win at Dallas.
Honorable Mention: D. Sedin, VAN; J. MacDonald, NYI; S. Mason, CLB; C. Mason, STL; P. Sharp, CHI; D. Bolland, CHI; T. Thomas, BOS; D. Boyle, SJ; R. Clowe, SJ; C. Sanford, VAN; P. Demitra, VAN; A. Auld, OTT; A. Hilbert, NYI; A. Ponikarovsky, TOR; J. Carter, PHI; M. Richards, PHI; R. Nash, CLB; T. Kostopolous, MTL; J. Hudler, DET; P. Datsyuk, DET; P. Stastny, COL; J. Thornton, SJ

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 6-4-2
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Predators @ Hurricanes

'Saturday Fantasy' Recap
Chris' Picks
F- Marc Savard, BOS (+1, 2 PIM)
D- Andrei Markov, MTL (+2)
G- Niklas Backstrom, MIN (Loss, 2 GA)
Ryan's Picks
F- Devin Setoguchi, SJ (1 G, 1 A, +2, 2 PIM)
D- Brian Campbell, CHI (2 A, -2, 1 PPP)
G- Erik Ersberg, LA (OT Loss, 3 GA)

Saturday Fantasy #7

Here is our 7th version of 'Saturday Fantasy'! In case you're new to the RLD, Chris (from The Program) and I will select 3 players each Saturday to have a good day fantasy-wise. We pick a forward, defenseman, and goalie each time, and I keep up with the stats on the right-hand side of this page. Chris is currently leading by a slim margin. Here are our picks:

Chris
F- Marc Savard, BOS
D- Andrei Markov, MTL#
G- Niklas Backstrom, MIN*
Ryan
F- Devin Setoguchi, SJ
D- Brian Campbell, CHI
G- Erik Ersberg, LA

# 3rd and final time Chris can use Markov
* 2nd time Chris has used Backstrom

Morning Skate Deluxe: Saturday, 11/22

Today’s Slate:
Canucks @ Penguins, 2:00 ET
Rangers @ Senators, 3:00
Islanders @ Sabres, 7:00
Blackhawks @ Maple Leafs, 7:00
Coyotes @ Flyers, 7:00
Blue Jackets @ Thrashers, 7:00
Bruins @ Canadiens, 7:30
Blues @ Wild, 8:00
Ducks @ Stars, 8:00
Red Wings @ Flames, 10:00
Avalanche @ Kings, 10:30
Capitals @ Sharks, 10:30

Games of the Day:
Game #1: Vancouver Canucks (12-6-2) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (12-4-3)
2:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
VAN- D. Sedin & H. Sedin
The Sedins will need to create great scoring chances against the Pens today.
PIT- Evgeni Malkin
‘Geno has 20 points in 10 games at home this season.

Projected Goaltenders:
VAN- Roberto Luongo (08-09 stats: 11-5-2, 2.18 GAA)
PIT- Dany Sabourin (08-09 stats: 4-1-1, 1.59 GAA)

Injury Report:
VAN- Kevin Bieksa (foot, out), Rick Rypien (sports hernia, out)
PIT- Marc-Andre Fleury (undisclosed, doubtful), Sergei Gonchar (shoulder, out), Ryan Whitney (heel, out)

Last Ten Games:
Canucks (7-1-2) … Penguins (7-2-1)

Prediction: Canucks 3, Penguins 2 (OT)
---
Game #2: Washington Capitals (11-5-3) @ San Jose Sharks (16-3-1)
10:30 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
WSH- Alexander Ovechkin
AO has 15 points in his 6-game point streak.
SJ- Devin Setoguchi
He’s hotter than a pistol right now playing alongside Marleau & Thornton.

Projected Goaltenders:
WSH- Jose Theodore (08-09 stats: 6-3-1, 3.19 GAA)
SJ- Brian Boucher (08-09 stats: 6-1-1, 1.87 GAA)

Injury Report:
WSH- Mike Green (shoulder, questionable), Alexander Semin (upper body, questionable), Brian Pothier (concussion, out)
SJ- Torrey Mitchell (leg, out)

Last Ten Games:
Capitals (6-2-2) ... Sharks (8-1-1)

Prediction: Sharks 4, Capitals 3
The rest of today’s predictions:
Rangers over Senators
Sabres over Islanders
Blackhawks over Maple Leafs
Flyers over Coyotes
Blue Jackets over Thrashers
Canadiens over Bruins
Wild over Blues
Ducks over Stars
Flames over Red Wings
Kings over Avalanche

Morning Skate: Friday, 11/21

Tonight’s Slate:
Panthers @ Bruins, 7:00 ET
Islanders @ Devils, 7:00
Coyotes @ Hurricanes, 7:00
Flyers @ Sabres, 7:30
Predators @ Lightning, 7:30
Ducks @ Blues, 8:30

Game of the Night:
Philadelphia Flyers (7-6-4) @ Buffalo Sabres (9-6-3)
7:30 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
PHI- Jeff Carter
Carter needs to get out of a cool stretch and light the lamp tonight.
BUF- Craig Rivet
Buffalo’s Captain needs to unite the defensive core to snap out of an ugly slide.

Projected Goaltenders:
PHI- Martin Biron (08-09 stats: 5-5-2, 3.12 GAA)
BUF- Ryan Miller (08-09 stats: 8-4-2, 2.61 GAA)

Injury Report:
PHI- Randy Jones (hip, out), Derian Hatcher (knee, out), Mike Rathje (back, out), Ryan Parent (shoulder, out), Riley Cote (undisclosed, out), Ossi Vaananen (upper body, questionable)
BUF- None

Last Ten Games:
Flyers (6-3-1) … Sabres (3-6-1)

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Sabres 5, Flyers 3
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Bruins over Panthers
Islanders over Devils
Hurricanes over Coyotes
Lightning over Predators
Ducks over Blues

Nightly Roundup: 11/20

Tonight's Results:
Devils 3, Panthers 1
Penguins 3, Thrashers 2
Canadiens 3, Senators 2 (SO)
Canucks 3, Wild 2
Blackhawks 6, Stars 3
Flames 1, Avalanche 0
Red Wings 4, Oilers 3
Kings 5, Capitals 2

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Sidney Crosby, PIT
1 Goal, 2 Assists... Sid scored a highlight-reel goal and assisted on Sykora's winner in the 3rd.
2. Jiri Hudler, DET
2 Goals... Hudler scored a pair of big goals for the Wings tonight in Edmonton.
3. Miikka Kiprusoff, CGY
18 Saves, Shutout... 'Kipper' didn't face a lot of pressure, but got the job done without a lot of offensive help.
Honorable Mention: S. Clemmensen, NJ; K. Versteeg, CHI; D. Brown, LA; P. Demitra, VAN; P. Elias, NJ; B. Gionta, NJ; L. Visnovsky, EDM; P. Kane, CHI; B. Campbell, CHI; S. Kostitsyn, MTL; P. Budaj, COL; M. Modano, DAL; M. Koivu, MIN

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 4-3-1
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Flyers @ Sabres

Morning Skate: Thursday, 11/20

Tonight’s Slate:
Panthers @ Devils, 7:00 ET
Penguins @ Thrashers, 7:00
Canadiens @ Senators, 7:30
Canucks @ Wild, 8:00
Blackhawks @ Stars, 8:30
Flames @ Avalanche, 9:00
Red Wings @ Oilers, 9:00
Capitals @ Kings, 10:30

Game of the Night:
Vancouver Canucks (11-6-2) @ Minnesota Wild (11-4-1)
8:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
VAN- Alexandre Burrows
He was big last night in New York, and will have to contribute on both ends again tonight.
MIN- Brent Burns
Look for Burns to play a solid two-way game tonight.

Projected Goaltenders:
VAN- Curtis Sanford (08-09 stats: 0-1-0, 3.76 GAA)
MIN- Niklas Backstrom (career vs. VAN: 7-2-3, 2.03 GAA)

Injury Report:
VAN- Kevin Bieksa (foot, out), Alexander Edler (flu, probable), Rick Rypien (sports hernia, out)
MIN- Marian Gaborik (lower body, out), Kurtis Foster (leg, out)

Last Ten Games:
Canucks (7-1-2) … Wild (6-4-0)

Season Series:
1-0 Canucks

Prediction: Wild 3, Canucks 0
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Devils over Panthers
Penguins over Thrashers
Senators over Canadiens
Stars over Blackhawks
Flames over Avalanche
Red Wings over Oilers
Capitals over Kings

Nightly Roundup: 11/19

Tonight's Results:
Bruins 7, Sabres 4
Canucks 6, Rangers 3
Capitals 6, Ducks 4

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Alexander Ovechkin, WSH
1 Goal, 3 Assists... 'Ovie' seems to be back on track after tonight's performance in Anaheim, where he led the Caps to victory with 4 points.
2. Marc Savard, BOS
1 Goal, 3 Assists... There were numerous candidates from this game, but Savard gets the nod as he played a great game against Buffalo.
3. Alexandre Burrows, VAN
2 Goals... Burrows scored 2 big goals to silence the New York faithful in the Canucks' beatdown of the Rangers.

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 2-1
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Canucks @ Wild

Previewing Tonight's Action

To be honest, I really like the fact that there's only 3 games to watch tonight, especially with these matchups. On Thursdays and Saturdays, when there's at least 10 games on Center Ice, it's hard to catch all the action with all of those games going on at once. But not tonight!! It's the perfect night to sit back & relax on the couch and enjoy 3 great games in the NHL.

At 7:00 ET, (according to my power rankings) you got the #2 Bruins hosting the #10 Sabres. First of all, you cannot go wrong with either one of these broadcast feeds on Center Ice. Jack Edwards for NESN is one of the best hockey voices to listen to (especially when the Bruins are hot), and their broadcast team does a great job covering the game... and Buffalo's Rick Jeannernet (sp?) is very entertaining to listen to on MSG. Now to the game: These 2 teams have faced off twice already this season, and they've been great games. It's a division rivalry with two of the better teams in the NHL.

30 minutes after the puck drops in Beantwon, the #12 Canucks and #4 Rangers will throw it down on Broadway. And it's one of the best goalie matchups you could ask for. Roberto Luongo vs. Henrik Lundqvist!! How can you not want to catch a period or two of this game!?!? Both teams are playing well, and many people forget now that this was the matchup of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals (a classic series with the Rangers prevailing).

And you gotta love the nightcap of this super night of hockey!! #8 Washington at #9 Anaheim. Ovechkin is starting to get hot, and the Ducks have played great team hockey since their awful start. Could this be a preview of the hockey we'll see in June?? Probably not, but these two teams are capable of making a deep run in the spring. Nonetheless, this should be a very good game to watch.

So... if you are a proud owner of NHL Center Ice, watch some hockey tonight! There may be only 3 games, but they will be great games with playoff intensity in November. And, IMO, it features 6 of the top 12 teams in the NHL right now. If that can't get you pumped up, I don't know what will...

Morning Skate: Wednesday, 11/19

Tonight’s Slate:
Sabres @ Bruins, 7:00 ET
Canucks @ Rangers, 7:30
Capitals @ Ducks, 10:00

Game of the Night:
Washington Capitals (10-4-3) @ Anaheim Ducks (10-7-2)
10:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
WSH- Nicklas Backstrom
The ‘dish-master’ has 10 assists in the last 5 games.
ANA- Ryan Getzlaf
He has 21 points since October 24.

Projected Goaltenders:
WSH- Jose Theodore (career vs. ANA: 5-4-0, 2.72 GAA)
ANA- Jean-Sebastien Giguere (career vs. WSH: 3-1-1, 1.39 GAA)

Injury Report:
WSH- Alexander Semin (upper body, questionable), Brian Pothier (concussion, out)
ANA- Francois Beauchemin (knee, out), Brad Larsen (sports hernia, out)

Last Ten Games:
Capitals (7-1-2) … Ducks (6-2-2)

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Ducks 4, Capitals 2
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Bruins over Sabres
Canucks over Rangers

Nightly Roundup: 11/18

Tonight's Results:
Wild 2, Penguins 1 (SO)
Hurricanes 2, Canadiens 1
Oilers 7, Blue Jackets 2
Panthers 4, Lightning 3 (SO)
Blackhawks 3, Coyotes 2 (SO)
Flames 4, Avalanche 1

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Niklas Backstrom, MIN
24 Saves, 1 GA
2. Tomas Vokoun, FLA
49 Saves, 3 GA
3. Shawn Horcoff, EDM
1 Goal, 2 Assists

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 2-1-3
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Capitals @ Ducks

Morning Skate: Tuesday, 11/18

Tonight’s Slate:
Wild @ Penguins, 7:00 ET
Canadiens @ Hurricanes, 7:00
Oilers @ Blue Jackets, 7:00
Panthers @ Lightning, 7:30
Blackhawks @ Coyotes, 9:30
Avalanche @ Flames, 9:30

Game of the Night:
Minnesota Wild (10-4-1) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (11-4-2)
7:00 ET… TV: VERSUS, TSN 2

Players to watch:
MIN- Marek Zidlicky
‘Zids’ is playing well in November, and might add some pop on the PP tonight.
PIT- Philippe Boucher
How will he fare in his first game as a Pen?

Projected Goaltenders:
MIN- Niklas Backstrom (08-09 stats: 10-3-1, 2.00 GAA)
PIT- Dany Sabourin (08-09 stats: 3-1-0, 1.68 GAA)

Injury Report:
MIN- Marian Gaborik (lower body, out), Kurtis Foster (leg, out)
PIT- Marc-Andre Fleury (undisclosed, out), Sergei Gonchar (shoulder, out), Ryan Whitney (heel, out)

Last Ten Games:
Wild (6-4-0) … Penguins (7-2-1)

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Penguins 3, Wild 2
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Canadiens over Hurricanes
Oilers over Blue Jackets
Lightning over Panthers
Coyotes over Blackhawks
Flames over Avalanche

Nightly Roundup: 11/17

Tonight's Results:
Rangers 2, Senators 1 (SO)
Islanders 2, Canucks 1 (SO)
Red Wings 4, Oilers 0
Bruins 3, Maple Leafs 2
Sharks 4, Predators 1

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Joey MacDonald, NYI
31 Saves, 1 GA
2. Ty Conklin, DET
21 Saves, Shutout
3. Devin Setoguchi, SJ
1 Goal, 1 Assist

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 3-1-1
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Wild @ Penguins
Tootoo and Staubitz fight... and this was their 2nd go-round (kind of).

Morning Skate: Monday, 11/17

Tonight’s Slate:
Canucks @ Islanders, 7:00 ET
Senators @ Rangers, 7:00
Bruins @ Maple Leafs, 7:30
Oilers @ Red Wings, 7:30
Sharks @ Predators, 8:00

Game of the Night:
Edmonton Oilers (8-7-2) @ Detroit Red Wings (11-2-3)
7:30 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
EDM- L. Visnovsky & S. Souray
These two need to be beasts on the power play tonight for the Oilers to win.
DET- Johan Franzen
He has 3 goals in 3 games since returning from injury.

Projected Goaltenders:
EDM- Dwayne Roloson (08-09 stats: 2-2-2, 2.62 GAA)
DET- Ty Conklin (08-09 stats: 4-1-0, 2.96 GAA)

Injury Report:
EDM- Ladislav Smid (concussion, out), Steve MacIntyre (upper body, out)
DET- Chris Chelios (leg, out), Daniel Cleary (eye, out)

Last Ten Games:
Oilers (4-4-2) … Red Wings (7-1-2)

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Red Wings 4, Oilers 1
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Canucks over Islanders
Rangers over Senators
Maple Leafs over Bruins
Sharks over Predators

Nightly Roundup: 11/16

Tonight's Results:
Hurricanes 3, Lightning 2 (SO)
Canadiens 3, Blues 2 (SO)
Sharks 6, Blackhawks 5
Flyers 4, Thrashers 3
Ducks 2, Kings 0

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Simon Gagne, PHI
1 Goal, 2 Assists
2. Jonas Hiller, ANA
29 Saves, Shutout
3. Devin Setoguchi, SJ
1 Goal, 1 Assist

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 4-0-1
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Oilers @ Red Wings
And here's a fight from the Kings/Ducks game tonight...

Morning Skate: Sunday, 11/16

Tonight’s Slate:
Lightning @ Hurricanes, 3:00 ET
Canadiens @ Blues, 6:00 ET
Sharks @ Blackhawks, 7:00 ET
Thrashers @ Flyers, 7:00
Kings @ Ducks, 8:00

Game of the Night:
San Jose Sharks (14-3-1) @ Chicago Blackhawks (7-3-5)
7:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
SJ- Patrick Marleau
He has 9 points in 7 November games.
CHI- Brian Campbell
Look for ‘Soup’ to have a good game tonight against his former club.

Projected Goaltenders:
SJ- Brian Boucher (08-09 stats: 4-1-1, 1.49 GAA)
CHI- Cristobal Huet (08-09 stats: 3-2-1, 2.45 GAA)

Injury Report:
SJ- Mike Grier (lower body, questionable), Torrey Mitchell (leg, out)
CHI- James Wisniewski (knee, out)

Last Ten Games:
Sharks (8-1-1) … Blackhawks (6-1-3)

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Sharks 4, Blackhawks 2
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Lightning over Hurricanes
Canadiens over Blues
Flyers over Thrashers
Ducks over Kings

Nightly Roundup: 11/15

Tonight's Results:
Canucks 4, Maple Leafs 2
Flyers 2, Canadiens 1
Devils 6, Capitals 5 (SO)
Islanders 3, Senators 2
Rangers 3, Bruins 2 (SO)
Penguins 5, Sabres 2
Wild 3, Blue Jackets 2 (SO)
Stars 3, Coyotes 2
Avalanche 3, Oilers 2 (SO)
Predators 3, Kings 1

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Evgeni Malkin, PIT
1 Goal, 3 Assists... 'Geno scored a PP goal and tallied 3 assists in the 3rd period.
2. Nicklas Backstrom, WSH
1 Goal, 4 Assists... The Caps may have lost, but Backstrom was awesome and slithered in a pass to Ovechkin with 1 second left.
3. Patrik Elias, NJ
2 Goals, 1 Assist... Elias picked up 3 big points in the Devils' SO win vs. Washington.
Honorable Mention: J. Staal, PIT; A. Ovechkin, WSH; M. Biron, PHI; J. MacDonald, NYI; L. Eriksson, DAL; D. Ellis, NSH; J. Dumont, NSH; T. Zajac, NJ; P. Demitra, VAN; M. Zidlicky, MIN; R. Nash, CLB; M. Ribeiro, DAL; J. Arnott, NSH; P. Budaj, COL; D. Tucker, COL; M. Naslund, NYR; J. Carter, PHI

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 5-3-2
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Sharks @ Blackhawks

'Saturday Fantasy' Recap
Chris' Picks
F- Evgeni Malkin, PIT (1 G, 3 A, +2, 2 PIM, 2 PPP)
D- Lubomir Visnovsky, EDM (0 pts., -1)
G- Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (Win, 2 GA)
Ryan's Picks
F- Alexei Kovalev, MTL (0 pts.)
D- Sheldon Souray, EDM (0 pts., -1)
G- Ilya Bryzgalov, PHX (Loss, 3 GA)

Saturday Fantasy #6

Here is our 6th version of 'Saturday Fantasy'! In case you're new to the RLD, Chris (from The Program) and I will select 3 players each Saturday to have a good day fantasy-wise. We pick a forward, defenseman, and goalie each time, and I keep up with the stats on the right-hand side of this page. Chris is currently leading 4-2-3. Here are our picks:

Chris
F- Evgeni Malkin, PIT
D- Lubomir Visnovsky, EDM
G- Henrik Lundqvist, NYR
Ryan
F- Alexei Kovalev, MTL
D- Sheldon Souray, EDM
G- Ilya Bryzgalov, PHX

Morning Skate: Saturday, 11/15

Tonight’s Slate:
Maple Leafs @ Canucks, 7:00 ET
Flyers @ Canadiens, 7:00
Capitals @ Devils, 7:00
Senators @ Islanders, 7:00
Bruins @ Rangers, 7:00
Sabres @ Penguins, 7:30
Blue Jackets @ Wild, 8:00
Stars @ Coyotes, 9:00
Avalanche @ Oilers, 10:00
Predators @ Kings, 10:30

Game of the Night:
Buffalo Sabres (9-4-3) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (10-4-2)
7:30 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
BUF- Jochen Hecht
Hecht will be playing in his in 5th game since his injury.
PIT- Mike Zigomanis
Zigomanis is overlooked, but is outstanding on the face-offs, which could become a big part to tonight’s game.

Projected Goaltenders:
BUF- Ryan Miller (08-09 stats: 8-2-2, 2.08 GAA)
PIT- Marc-Andre Fleury (08-09 stats: 7-3-2, 2.93 GAA)

Injury Report:
BUF- Tim Connolly (upper body, out)
PIT- Sergei Gonchar (shoulder, out), Ryan Whitney (heel, out)

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Penguins 4, Sabres 3
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Maple Leafs over Canucks
Canadiens over Flyers
Devils over Capitals
Islanders over Senators
Bruins over Rangers
Wild over Blue Jackets
Coyotes over Stars
Oilers over Avalanche
Predators over Kings

Toews interview

This is an EXCLUSIVE link to a interview session with Jonathan Toews and fellow bloggers, courtesy Versus...
http://versusnhl.podomatic.com/

Melrose Gets "Sawed"

I still want to know who called 15 games or so on Melrose's tenure because well color me impressed. Nonetheless, Barry Melrose was relieved of his duties today and Ricc Tocchet will take over as head coach.

Here is the story itself.

Thoughts: Well Tampa was not doing that bad record wise. I mean 5-7-4 considering Tampa's shortcomings on defense is respectable. However, at 16 games, Melrose was shown the door and some do wonder if this was the plan all along so there would not be as much of a media firestorm with Rick Tocchet, who we all remember from his gambling troubles.

Tampa just seems to be wanting the headline space. They have to do something. Hopefully this works out for them but time will tell.

Around the NHL

Bruins make statement to Montreal
The Boston Bruins not just got that ol’ monkey off its back last night; it shoved that monkey onto the ice and beat it like a drum. They had lost 12 straight regular season games to the Habs... but no more! Coming off a grueling 2-1 win in Chicago last night, you figured the Bruins’ legs may be draggin’ a bit in the 2nd period and so on, and that the Habs could pick up 2 points on the road. Not so fast, my friend!! The Bruins, who are sitting on a nice perch looking down at the rest of the Northeast with a 5-0 record in November, sent a message to Montreal and the other 28 teams in the league. THEY ARE FOR REAL!

I had a good feeling that Boston would compete with the Habs this year, but not like this. In their last 3 home games, they’ve beaten three of their four divisional rivals by a combined score of 14-4. The acrobatic Tim Thomas has built his record to 6-2-2, and has an eye-opening 1.78 GAA. His backup (Manny Fernandez), who missed almost all of last year with a knee injury, isn’t far behind with a 4-1-1 record and a 2.31 GAA. This is one of the more balanced teams in the NHL… everyone contributes. From Marc Savard to Milan Lucic to Zdeno Chara to Andrew Ference, every Bruin has a job to do and they execute to mere perfection.

I really like the build to this group… they have the ultimate team chemistry and have no stand-out stars on their team to grasp the attention. They just go out on a nightly basis and get the job done. You gotta love this team unless your totally anti-Boston because of their other 3 teams. Also, a note to Buffalo and Montreal: you better start winning games before the Bruins get too hot to catch.

Sens and Stars… c’mon, really!?
I don’t really have the time to do this, but I’d love to know the last time that the Isles and Kings both won on the road on the same night. And who were the victims on Nov. 13, 2008?? Two underachieving teams that could very well miss out on the postseason. Dallas just got swept in a home-and-home by the Kings… man, I wish I could change my Cup pick! Sean Avery seems to be having a negative effect on this team, as they’re playing foolish hockey right now. Also, Dave Tippett’s seat must be getting pretty hot. Better turn it around soon, buddy!

Going back to my Power Rankings at the beginning of the week, here’s my quote on Ottawa: “You will see the Sens at the bottom of these rankings next week if they can’t beat the Islanders in their home-and-home on Thursday & Saturday.” The Senators may very well be looking up at 29 other teams in my rankings next week as they lost their home game on the front end of a home-and-home with New York’s crappy team. There’s just no team unity in Canada's capital and a change needs to be made… as in dealing away Spezza and maybe Fisher in an attempt to get some productive hockey players who want to win.

Could this be the last year for fan voting for the ASG??
I have no inside info, but when you look at the current numbers, you gotta wonder. Here are the current fan voting leaders in the east for the ASG (after 2 days):
Forwards-
Saku Koivu, MTL
Alex Kovalev, MTL
Alex Tanguay, MTL
Defensemen-
Andrei Markov, MTL
Mike Komisarek, MTL
Goalie-
Carey Price, MTL

And it’s not just that all 6 are from the host cities’ team, which is celebrating their 100th anniversary… it’s the margin between them and the next player in line. Tanguay is 3rd for forwards with 153,990 votes. In 4th is the NHL points leader, Alexander Semin, with a grand total of 62,164 votes… a difference of over 90,000 votes, and we’re only done with 2 days of voting!!!! Now let’s go to the blue line. Komisarek is 2nd in d-men voting with 156,333 votes. In 3rd is Washington’s Mike Green with 35,103… a difference of over 120,000 votes. And in net, Price leads Henrik Lundqvist by about that same margin.

I like the Habs, but this is border line absurd. If the Habs fans keep voting, it’ll be Montreal vs. the Western Conference. That can’t be good for hockey, as they’re trying to bring in more viewers. It looks like superstars such as Semin, Ovechkin, Crosby, and Malkin don’t stand a chance anymore to be a starter in the east. IMO, the NHL should think about taking this decision out of the fans’ hands. I know the All-Star Game is all about the fans, but there will be some well-deserving players on the outside looking in if the results stay on par.

Morning Skate: Friday, 11/14

Tonight’s Slate:
Devils @ Capitals, 7:00 ET
Blue Jackets @ Sabres, 7:00
Hurricanes @ Thrashers, 7:30
Red Wings @ Panthers, 7:30
Blues @ Blackhawks, 8:30
Predators @ Ducks, 10:00

Game of the Night:
New Jersey Devils (7-6-2) @ Washington Capitals (9-4-2)
7:00 ET… TV: NHL Net. (CA), Local Networks

Players to watch:
NJ- Jamie Langenbrunner
The captain needs to rally the troops with the team losing 4 of 5.
WSH- Alexander Semin
Look for Semin to put more points on the stat sheet against Clemmensen.

Projected Goaltenders:
NJ- Scott Clemmensen (08-09 stats: 0-1, 2.28 GAA)
WSH- Jose Theodore (08-09 stats: 4-3, 3.16 GAA)

Injury Report:
NJ- Martin Brodeur (elbow, out), Brian Rolston (ankle, out), Bobby Holik (finger, out), Andy Greene (hand, out), Paul Martin (back, out), Barry Tallackson (heart, out)
WSH- Brian Pothier (concussion, out)

Season Series:
1-0 Devils

Prediction: Capitals 4, Devils 1
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Sabres over Blue Jackets
Thrashers over Hurricanes
Red Wings over Panthers
Blackhawks over Blues
Ducks over Predators

Nightly Roundup: 11/13

Tonight's Results:
Bruins 6, Canadiens 1
Islanders 3, Senators 1
Penguins 5, Flyers 4 (SO)
Red Wings 4, Lightning 3
Wild 4, Blue Jackets 0
Kings 3, Stars 2
Maple Leafs 5, Oilers 2
Sharks 6, Flames 1

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Sidney Crosby, PIT
2 Goals... Sid scored a nifty PP goal, and tied the game with 2 minutes left to revive the Pens and lift 'em to victory.
2. Niklas Backstrom, MIN
24 Saves, Shutout... Solid shutout for 'Backs' against the Jackets.
3. Joe Pavelski, SJ
2 Goals, 1 Assist, +2... Many stars to choose from in this game, but Pavelski stood out in the Sharks' 6-1 win over the Flames.
Honorable Mention: M. Sturm, BOS; S. Yelle, BOS; M. Zidlicky, MIN; J. MacDonald, NYI; M. Michalek, SJ; D. Boyle, SJ; R. Blake, SJ; C. Ehrhoff, SJ; T. Kaberle, TOR; M. Stajan, TOR; J. Franzen, DET; M. Samuelsson, DET; S. Gagne, PHI

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 4-4
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Devils @ Capitals

Morning Skate: Thursday, 11/13

Tonight’s Slate:
Canadiens @ Bruins, 7:00 ET
Islanders @ Senators, 7:30
Flyers @ Penguins, 7:30
Red Wings @ Lightning, 7:30
Coyotes @ Wild, 8:00
Kings @ Stars, 8:30
Maple Leafs @ Oilers, 9:00
Flames @ Sharks, 10:30

Game of the Night:
Montreal Canadiens (9-2-2) @ Boston Bruins (9-3-3)
7:00 ET… TV: NHL Net. (CA), Local Networks

Players to watch:
MTL- Christopher Higgins
He has 6 points in his first 4 games this season.
BOS- Marc Savard
He seems to usually play well against the Habs.

Projected Goaltenders:
MTL- Carey Price (08-09 stats: 7-2-1, 2.34 GAA)
BOS- Tim Thomas (Yesterday: 31 Saves, 1 GA vs. CHI)

Injury Report:
MTL- Tom Kostopolous (suspended, out)
BOS- Shane Hnidy (lower body, doubtful)

Season Series:
1-0 Canadiens

Prediction: Canadiens 5, Bruins 4 (OT)
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Senators over Islanders
Penguins over Flyers
Red Wings over Lightning
Wild over Coyotes
Stars over Kings
Oilers over Maple Leafs
Sharks over Flames

Nightly Roundup: 11/12

Tonight's Results:
Sabres 4, Blues 3
Rangers 5, Devils 2
Capitals 5, Hurricanes 1
Coyotes 5, Blue Jackets 2
Panthers 4, Lightning 0
Bruins 2, Blackhawks 1 (SO)
Avalanche 2, Canucks 1 (SO)

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Alexander Semin, WSH
2 Goals, 3 Assists, +4... The Semin/Ovie/Backs line for the Caps was on the ice for all 5 goals in their line, and Semin got a point on every one!
2. Shane Doan, PHX
2 Goals, 1 Assist, +3... Doan played a really good game and helped the 'Yotes pull away from the Jackets.
3. Tim Thomas, BOS
31 Saves, 1 GA... 'Bulin may deserve this spot, but Thomas made the extra save in the shootout. This game was a great battle between 2 hot goalies...
Honorable Mention: N. Khabibulin, CHI; A. Ovechkin, WSH; N. Backstrom, WSH; N. Zherdev, NYR; G. Campbell, FLA, H. Tallinder, BUF; P. Budaj, COL; R. Luongo, VAN

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 4-1-2
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Canadiens @ Bruins

Morning Skate: Wednesday, 11/12

Tonight’s Slate:
Blues @ Sabres, 7:00 ET
Rangers @ Devils, 7:00
Capitals @ Hurricanes, 7:00
Coyotes @ Blue Jackets, 7:00
Lightning @ Panthers, 7:30
Bruins @ Blackhawks, 8:30
Avalanche @ Canucks, 10:00

Game of the Night:
Boston Bruins (8-3-3) @ Chicago Blackhawks (7-3-3)
7:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
BOS- Phil Kessel
I expect him to have a good game in this fast-pace game.
CHI- Patrick Kane
Kane is red hot right now with 9 points in the last 4 games.

Projected Goaltenders:
BOS- Tim Thomas (08-09 stats: 5-2-2, 1.85 GAA)
CHI- Cristobal Huet (08-09 stats: 3-2-1, 2.45 GAA)

Injury Report:
BOS- None
CHI- Brent Sopel (undisclosed injury, doubtful), James Wisniewski (knee, out)

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Blackhawks 3, Bruins 2
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Sabres over Blues
Rangers over Devils
Hurricanes over Capitals
Coyotes over Blue Jackets
Panthers over Lightning
Canucks over Avalanche

Pens/Wings Highlights

An UNBELIEVABLE game tonight in Detroit... the Wings were up 5-2 and 6-4 in the 3rd, but Pittsburgh battled back to force OT, then win it in the extra period. This was by far the game of the year thus far. Here's the tying and winning goals for the Pens...

Nightly Roundup: 11/11

Tonight's Results:
Flyers 3, Islanders 1
Canadiens 4, Senators 0
Penguins 7, Red Wings 6 (OT)
Flames 4, Maple Leafs 3
Predators 4, Sharks 3 (OT)
Kings 3, Stars 2 (SO)

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Jordan Staal, PIT
3 Goals, 1 Assist, +4... Staal engineered the Pens' unthinkable comeback win with a hat trick and a helper.
2. Dan Ellis, NSH
54 Saves... The Preds aren't even in tonight's game without Ellis, who turned away 54 shots by the Sharks. He faced 7 vicious power plays in the Preds' unbelievable OT win at the Tank (Sharks' first home L).
3. Chris Higgins, MTL
3 Goals, +3... Higgins netted a hat trick against the Sens in the Habs' 4-0 win.
Honorable Mention: C. Price, MTL; M. Biron, PHI; D. Setoguchi, SJ; S. Crosby, PIT; J. Iginla, CGY; J. Hudler, DET; D. Boyd, CGY; A. Kopitar, LA

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 3-0-3
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Bruins @ Blackhawks

The Hot Stove

Here is this year's first version of the Hot Stove... tonight I look at the possibilities for Shanny and Sundin, some early trade talk, and the rumor of a 2nd team in Toronto...

Loose Change
Brendan Shanahan, UFA
All sites have revved up the Shanny talk in the last week or so, and it appears a decision may be imminent. He is not going back to the Rangers, that’s for sure. The Flyers and Devils seem to be the front-runners, with the Habs, Pens, and ‘Hawks as long-shots. IMO, New Jersey should sign the veteran as their offense seems a bit dry right now. But I think he’ll end up in the city of brotherly love.
Mats Sundin, UFA
I wish this thing would get over with already, but I think it’ll drag out past Christmas. Toronto seems to still be in the mix along with Montreal and now Anaheim.

Trade Bait
Marian Gaborik, MIN
The popular destination for him is obviously Montreal, but it’s too early to speculate where he could be headed. He’s only played in 2 games this year, and hasn’t played in a month. I really believe that once he gets healthy and back in the swing of things, the Wild will unload him while they can.
Ilya Kovalchuk, ATL
This is a really interesting situation in the ATL. ‘Kovy’ has been a lifetime Thrasher and leader of that club, but you gotta think he’s going to want to go elsewhere if Atlanta isn’t in contention at the trade deadline. My prediction is that’ll he stay because the organization won’t want to trade the franchise player, but a trade is a definite possibility.
Jay Bouwmeester, FLA
He’s a goner… there’s no other way around it. Even when he signed his deal as a RFA in the summer, you knew this was his last year in South Florida. Teams like the Caps, Devils, and Jackets could pursue a trade for the 6’4” defenseman.
Nikolai Khabibulin, CHI
He’s still the favorite to be traded away from the Windy City. I know this sounds crazy, but I still wouldn’t count out a Huet dealing. He’s inconsistent in net, and ‘Bulin is playing well this year. I know they just signed Huet in July, but why trade away the hot goalie that has great playoff experience??

Second team in Toronto?
The possibility of a second team in the hockey capital of the world has been thrown around a lot recently. Yesterday, a report came out that a new team in Toronto would be worth anywhere from $400 to $600 million. It is not yet clear whether it would be an expansion team or a current franchise relocating, or when this could happen. If it’s an expansion team, there would need to be another one too to give the NHL 32 teams. The biggest question is how the city of Toronto could manage 2 NHL teams, especially in the same arena. I think it would work, and it would greatly benefit the league. It’ll be interesting to see how all of this transpires…

Power Rankings (Week of 11/11)

1. San Jose Sharks (LW: 1)
San Jose had won 7 straight before Sunday’s hiccup in the desert.
2. Boston Bruins (LW: 11)
This is probably too high, too quickly for Boston, but they’re playing great hockey and sit atop the difficult Northeast at the moment.
3. Montreal Canadiens (LW: 2)
The Habs kind of took a step back this week by going 0-1-1.
4. Buffalo Sabres (LW: 3)
The same goes for the Sabres, as they struggles in their 2 games this week.
5. Detroit Red Wings (LW: 5)
Their one game this week was a decent win against the bruised & battered Devils.
6. Chicago Blackhawks (LW: 8)
The high-flying ‘Hawks pounded Calgary in their lone game this week.
7. New York Rangers (LW: 4)
New York is starting to lose those games that they won in the early going.
8. Pittsburgh Penguins (LW: 9)
Not going to move up any until they start clicking on all cylinders.
9. Anaheim Ducks (LW: 7)
Less-than-stellar week capped off with 2 bad home losses to Dallas and Florida.
10. Minnesota Wild (LW: 6)
‘Minny’ gets 7 of the next 8 at home; great chance to get back on track.
11. Washington Capitals (LW: 14)
Brent Johnson has temporarily taken the #1 spot away from Theodore, and has won 3 in a row.
12. Carolina Hurricanes (LW: 13)
‘Canes can’t seem to string together ‘W’s as they haven’t won more than 2 games in a row this season.
13. Vancouver Canucks (LW: 20)
Last week’s quote on the Canucks: “I’m just waiting for Luongo to put this team on his shoulders and carry them for a 15-20 game stretch.”
14. Edmonton Oilers (LW: 18)
Hockey fans, get to know the name Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers! He’s stopped 91 shots in the last 3 games, and he only started 2 of those games.
15. New Jersey Devils (LW: 12)
As much as I’d like to cut ‘em some slack with the Brodeur injury, they have yet to rally around Weekes in net.
16. Toronto Maple Leafs (LW: 17)
Overachieving bunch that has beat some good teams.
17. Calgary Flames (LW: 10)
Flames fans should get use to this from Keenan’s group; this year will be a roller coaster.
18. Phoenix Coyotes (LW: 25)
It looks like they’ve snapped out of their funk with two impressive home wins.
19. Columbus Blue Jackets (LW: 26)
Steve Mason has taken Ohio’s capital by storm with 3 straight home wins in his first 3 career games.
20. Ottawa Senators (LW: 22)
You will see the Sens at the bottom of these rankings next week if they can’t beat the Islanders in their home-and-home on Thursday & Saturday.
21. Philadelphia Flyers (LW: 16)
First 7 games: 0-4-3… Next 4 games: 4-0-0… Last 3 games: 0-3-0… (sigh).
22. Nashville Predators (LW: 15)
Nashville has not been sharp lately, and it won’t get any better in California this week.
23. Colorado Avalanche (LW: 23)
Next 3 games are as follows… at Vancouver, at Calgary, at Edmonton. Big 3-game stretch for the Avs.
24. Dallas Stars (LW: 24)
Bad teams find a way to lose, and Turco cost the Stars a rise in the rankings with his bone-head puck-flub in San Jose on Saturday.
25. Los Angeles Kings (LW: 28)
Let’s see them win games against real teams this week when they face Dallas, Nashville, and Anaheim.
26. Atlanta Thrashers (LW: 30)
After an abysmal 2-7-2 start, the Thrashers have climbed out of the cellar with a 4-game winning streak.
27. Tampa Bay Lightning (LW: 21)
The Bolts are a mediocre club trying to find its identity right now.
28. St. Louis Blues (LW: 19)
The month of November has not been kind to the Blues as they’ve given up at least 5 goals in each of the 4 games.
29. Florida Panthers (LW: 27)
Win in Anaheim keeps the Cats out of the cellar.
30. New York Islanders (LW: 29)
Potentially another bad week on the Island as they face a tough 4-game slate.

Morning Skate: Tuesday, 11/11

Tonight’s Slate:
Flyers @ Islanders, 2:00 ET
Penguins @ Red Wings, 7:00
Senators @ Canadiens, 7:00
Maple Leafs @ Flames, 9:30
Stars @ Kings, 10:30
Predators @ Sharks, 10:30

Game of the Night:
Pittsburgh Penguins (8-4-2) @ Detroit Red Wings (9-2-2)
7:00 ET… TV: VERSUS, TSN2

Players to watch:
PIT- Evgeni Malkin
Can he actually have a good game vs. Detroit contrary to the Cup Finals?
DET- Tomas Holmstrom
The Wings will win if Holmstrom gets his usual garbage goals.

Projected Goaltenders:
PIT- Marc-Andre Fleury (08-09 stats: 6-3-2, 2.49 GAA)
DET- Chris Osgood (08-09 stats: 6-1-2, 2.97 GAA)

Tonight’s Red Light District Visitor:
Marian Hossa, DET

Injury Report:
PIT- Sergei Gonchar (shoulder, out), Ryan Whitney (heel, out)
DET- Chris Chelios (leg, out)

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Red Wings 4, Penguins 2
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Flyers over Islanders
Canadiens over Senators
Flames over Maple Leafs
Stars over Kings
Sharks over Predators

Nightly Roundup: 11/10

Tonight's Results:
Oilers 3, Rangers 2 (SO)
Capitals 4, Lightning 2

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers, EDM
40 Saves, 2 GA... I love this kid and his shiny bronze pads!! He was tremendous tonight at MSG, and capped off the shootout win with a wickid glove save.
2. Alexander Ovechkin, WSH
1 Goal, 1 Assist... Ovie ended his goal-less streak with a good night at home vs. the Bolts.
3. Chris Drury, NYR
1 Goal... Although in a losing effort, Drury was everywhere in a very 'captain-like' game.

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 1-0-1
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Penguins @ Red Wings... the Cup rematch!

Morning Skate: Monday, 11/10

Tonight’s Slate:
Oilers @ Rangers, 7:00 ET
Lightning @ Capitals, 7:00

Game of the Night:
Edmonton Oilers (7-6-1) @ New York Rangers (11-5-1)
7:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
EDM- Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers
He would really impress the organization with a win tonight.
NYR- Aaron Voros
Voros needs to cause havoc in front of the young netminder.

Projected Goaltenders:
EDM- Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers (Yesterday: 37 Saves, 1 GA vs. NJ)
NYR- Henrik Lundqvist (08-09 stats: 9-4-1, 2.00 GAA)

Tonight’s Red Light District Visitor:
Markus Naslund, NYR

Injury Report:
EDM- Ladislav Smid (concussion, out)
NYR- None

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Rangers 3, Oilers 2 (OT)
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Capitals over Lightning

Nightly Roundup: 11/9

Tonight's Results:
Thrashers 5, Hurricanes 2
Blackhawks 6, Flames 1
Oilers 2, Devils 1
Panthers 3, Ducks 1
Coyotes 4, Sharks 2

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers, EDM
37 Saves, 1 GA... The 3rd goalie in the Oilers' rotation stole this game from the Devils with many great saves.
2. David Booth, FLA
3 Goals... He scored all 3 goals in the Panthers' win in Anaheim.
3. Patrick Kane, CHI
1 Goal, 2 Assists... The super-sophomore was sensational in the 'Hawks beatdown of Calgary tonight.

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 2-3
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Oilers @ Rangers

Kostopolous hit

Here's my question for hockey fans... how many games should Tom Kostopolous be suspended for this dirty hit on Toronto's Mike Van Ryn?? I think he should get 5+ games and a fine. This was an unacceptable action by the Habs' Kostopolous. Take a look...

Morning Skate: Sunday, 11/9

Tonight’s Slate:
Thrashers @ Hurricanes, 3:00 ET
Flames @ Blackhawks, 7:00
Oilers @ Devils, 7:30
Panthers @ Ducks, 8:00
Sharks @ Coyotes, 8:00

Game of the Night:
Calgary Flames (8-6-1) @ Chicago Blackhawks (6-3-3)
7:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
CGY- Rene Bourque
Does he have anything up his sleeve for his former team?
CHI- Duncan Keith
Keith needs to play a solid game on both ends of the ice tonight.

Projected Goaltenders:
CGY- Miikka Kiprusoff (career vs. CHI: 8-4-1-2, 2.23 GAA)
CHI- Nikolai Khabibulin (career vs. CGY: 19-5-2, 2.07 GAA)

Tonight’s Red Light District Visitor:
Michael Cammalleri, CGY

Injury Report:
CGY- Rhett Warrener (shoulder, out)
CHI- James Wisniewski (leg, out)

Season Series:
1st Meeting

Prediction: Flames 4, Blackhawks 3
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Hurricanes over Thrashers
Oilers over Devils
Ducks over Panthers
Coyotes over Sharks

Nightly Roundup: 11/8

Tonight's Results:
Bruins 3, Sabres 1
Maple Leafs 6, Canadiens 3
Penguins 4, Islanders 3 (SO)
Lightning 2, Flyers 1
Capitals 3, Rangers 1
Red Wings 3, Devils 1
Blue Jackets 3, Flames 1
Avalanche 1, Predators 0
Coyotes 4, Panthers 1
Canucks 2, Wild 0
Sharks 2, Stars 1
Kings 5, Blues 3

With so many goalies putting in great efforts tonight, I've decided to split up the 3 stars...
Tonight's Three Stars (Goalies):
1. Roberto Luongo, VAN
29 Saves, Shutout... Luongo captured his 3rd consecutive shutout tonight, and now has a shutout streak of 200+ minutes.
2. Peter Budaj, COL
26 Saves, Shutout... Budaj blanked the Preds tonight with a 26-save effort.
3. Mike Smith, TB
35 Saves, 1 GA... IMO, Smith has been very solid in the early going this season, and it continued tonight in Philly.
Honorable Mention: M. Fernandez, BOS; B. Johnson, WSH; C. Osgood, DET; S. Mason, CLB; I. Bryzgalov, PHX; B. Boucher, SJ; M. Turco, DAL; D. Ellis, NSH; N. Backstrom, MIN

Tonight's Three Stars (Skaters):
1. Marian Hossa, DET
2 Goals, +2... 'Hoss' scored 2 big goals in the Wings' defeat of New Jersey.
2. Tyler Kennedy, PIT
2 Goals... Kennedy also had a nice 2-goal performance, and scored the game-tying goal with 3+ minutes remaining.
3. Nik Antropov, TOR
1 Goal, 2 Assists, +2... Antropov fueled the Leafs win tonight with 3 points of his own.
Honorable Mention: N. Hagman, TOR; A. Kopitar, LA; M. Boedker, PHX; C. Kobasew, BOS; T. Kaberle, TOR; D. Weight, NYI; O. Jokinen, PHX; P. Marleau, SJ; A. Semin, WSH; D. Brassard, CLB; K. Bieksa, VAN; D. Tucker, COL; V. Prospal, TB; A. Frolov, LA; B. Boyes, STL

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 7-5
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Flames @ Blackhawks*
*to debut on The Program tomorrow morning... check it out!

'Saturday Fantasy' Recap
Chris' Picks
F- Henrik Zetterberg, DET (0 pts.)
D- Brian Rafalski, DET (1 A)
G- Chris Osgood, DET (Win, 1 GA)
Ryan's Picks
F- Miroslav Satan, PIT (0 pts., -1)
D- Mike Green, WSH (0 pts.)
G- Niklas Backstrom, MIN (Loss, 2 GA)

Saturday Fantasy #5

Here is our fifth version of 'Saturday Fantasy'! In case you're new to the RLD, Chris (from The Program) and I will select 3 players each Saturday to have a good day fantasy-wise. We pick a forward, defenseman, and goalie each time, and I keep up with the stats on the right-hand side of this page. I (Ryan) am currently leading 4-3-2. Chris is slowing cutting that deficit! Here are our picks:

Chris
F- Henrik Zetterberg, DET
D- Brian Rafalski, DET*
G- Chris Osgood, DET
Ryan
F- Miroslav Satan, PIT
D- Mike Green, WSH
G- Niklas Backstrom, MIN*

*These players have been selected twice... Chris can only use Rafalski once more, and the same with Backstrom and I.

Morning Skate: Saturday, 11/8

Tonight’s Slate:
Sabres @ Bruins, 7:00 ET
Canadiens @ Maple Leafs, 7:00
Penguins @ Islanders, 7:00
Lightning @ Flyers, 7:00
Rangers @ Capitals, 7:00
Devils @ Red Wings, 7:00
Flames @ Blue Jackets, 7:00
Predators @ Avalanche, 9:00
Panthers @ Coyotes, 9:00
Wild @ Canucks, 10:00
Stars @ Sharks, 10:00
Blues @ Kings, 10:30

Game of the Night:
Buffalo Sabres (8-2-3) @ Boston Bruins (7-3-3)
7:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
BUF- Jaroslav Spacek
Look for him to play a solid two-way game tonight.
BOS- Michael Ryder
Slow start to his stint with Boston… look for him to find the stat sheet tonight.

Projected Goaltenders:
BUF- Patrick Lalime (08-09 stats: 1-1-1, 2.59 GAA)
BOS- Tim Thomas (08-09 stats: 5-2-2, 1.85 GAA)

Injury Report:
BUF- Jochen Hecht (finger, out)
BOS- Chuck Kobasew (leg, out)

Season Series:
1-0 Sabres

Prediction: Bruins 3, Sabres 2 (SO)
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Canadiens over Maple Leafs
Penguins over Islanders
Flyers over Lightning
Capitals over Rangers
Red Wings over Devils
Blue Jackets over Flames
Avalanche over Predators
Coyotes over Panthers
Wild over Canucks
Stars over Sharks
Blues over Kings

Yesterday's Happenings

Rangers want compensation for Cherepanov??
Seeing this headline absolutely shocked me… and to read the story and see the comments by the Rangers organization was disturbing. Here’s what Rangers assistant GM Cam Hope said to the New York Post:
"We understand that this is a sensitive issue, but with all due respect to Alexei's family and his memory, he is technically eligible to be drafted again next year. We are not attempting to capitalize on a tragedy, but there would be no question regarding the Rangers' right to a compensatory pick if Cherepanov had been revived and survived the incident and were on life support."
I really hope the NHL does not reward the Rangers with a compensation pick… because they shouldn’t!!! What Hope said was absurd and wrong. Do you think the Boston Celtics wanted their pick of Len Bias (#2 overall selection) back when Bias died TWO DAYS AFTER THE DRAFT!?!? Of course… but the Celtics were smart enough to understand that tragedies happen in life, and tried to move on the best they could.
The Rangers need to move on from this tragedy and realize that life happens and no one can predict the future.
Matt Carle traded to Philly??
Tampa Bay traded D Matt Carle to the Flyers for D Steve Eminger and RW Steve Downie. This is a puzzling trade to me, but it could work out for both teams. Carle didn’t fit well in Tampa, and Eminger couldn’t get anything going with Philly. Also, Downie just didn’t have a role anymore with the Flyers. But it’s just puzzling to me why the Bolts gave up on Carle so quickly. I guess we’ll have to grow accustomed to this with the crazy new ownership.
Nabokov hurt, not severe though
This isn’t good news for Sharks fans. I was able to catch the overtime/shootout of the Sharks-Blues game on Thursday, and Nabokov’s injury looked kind of bad. It was a normal play for goalies, but I guess he pulled something in his groin area when doing the splits to snare the puck from Berglund. When Nabokov finally came to his feet, he could not put any weight on his left leg. He won’t be out for any significant length of time, but this is an injury that could be a lingering issue for 'Nabby' throughout the season. Let’s hope for the best!

Nightly Roundup: 11/7

Tonight's Results:
Hurricanes 2, Senators 1
Blue Jackets 4, Canadiens 3 (SO)
Thrashers 5, Sabres 4 (OT)
Stars 5, Ducks 2

Tonight's Three Stars:
1. Mark Parrish, DAL
3 Goals... What a debut for Parrish!! Could be a momentum-swinging game for Dallas in their season.
2. Jason Williams, ATL
2 Goals... The newcomer scores twice in Buffalo tonight, including the game-winner in overtime.
3. Steve Mason, CLB
34 Saves... Columbus has something here. Mason played great tonight in the Jackets' shootout victory vs. Montreal. Mason is rapidly building confidence.

'Morning Skate' Recap
Predictions: 1-1-2
Tomorrow's Game of the Night: Sabres @ Bruins