Calgary Flames

Jeremy Spoken……

The best way to describe this game was it was a Jeremy Roenick kind of game. Ron Wilson scratched Roenick in Game 6 for this very reason. Wilson had to roll the dice….the flameouts of San Jose playoffs past would be too much to bear if they lost this one. In the end a four goal explosion during the second period was what cemented this 5-3 victory. What finished the victory was a determined defensive effort in the third period that held the lead up.

After Owen Nolan’s wonderful breakaway goal early in the second period to give the Flames a 2-1 lead…the San Jose Sharks went simply nuts all led by the mercurial Jeremy Roenick. He spoke all right and it went something like this. Roenick already had a secondary assist on the Joe Thornton power play tally. He turned back the clock and scored twice in 3:00 to make it 3-2 Sharks. Both goals were JR specials…one was a fortunate bounce from driving the net…and the other was a Power Play tally where he followed his own rebound to slam it hope past Miikka Kiprusoff. It is funny that on the VS. feed JR talked to the press about scoring 2 goals and well he sure did.  Amazing effort for the 38 year old who turned back the clock tonight and played like a man in his late 20’s.

Calgary has nothing to be ashamed of…they were bombarded in this game and yet they were still in it…just about till the very end.  The Flames were outshot 35-13 in the first 2 periods and basically Kipper, Iginla, and Phaneuf cannot do it alone.  That much was proven tonight.  Iginla played 13:18 of the third period and nearly cut the lead to one several times but Evgeni Nabokov shut the door just enough to keep him off the scoresheet in the third.  In the end, San Jose was able to play keep away a little better than Calgary was able to mount an offensive attack.  They appeared dead tired and when you are exhausted in the final 5:00 of a Game 7….it is hard to pull off the comeback.  Kudos to San Jose for moving on…they get a rested Dallas Stars team Friday night.

In the other game tonight….Joffrey Lupul scored on the waning seconds of a power play early in Overtime to win the series for the Philadelphia Flyers.  Daniel Briere set up Kimmo Timonen, who fired a hard and low shot on goal that Cristobal Huet could not fully handle.  Earlier in the overtime almost the same play occurred but Lupul was about a half second slow.  He was not slow this time around as he got to the puck real quick and backhanded the puck past a sprawled out Huet sending the Flyers bench into hysterics of joy while the heart of Washington finally stopped beating.

The 3-2 final, which seemed significant in the playoffs so far wasn’t without some controversy however.  The Flyers second goal scored by Sami Kapanen was just after Patrick Thoresen knocked a Caps defenseman right over Huet.  Kapanen had a wide open net and did not miss which gave them a shortlived 2-1 lead.  Alexander Ovechkin would score on an amazing shot late in the second to tie it at two but many wondered aloud if that second Flyers goal would have counted if the Refs had been in better position.  It is one of those, we’ll never know type things but I think Ted Leonsis and the Caps will be thinking about it for some time.

Take nothing away from these two teams it was a hell of a series.  This was a great way to end the first round.  I was hoping to see an Ovechkin-Crosby Round 2…really to see Ovechkin and Malkin go at it but it wasn’t meant to be.  So now here are the conference semi matchups starting East first then West.  Previews will come on Thursday….

(1) Montreal Canadiens VS. (6) Philadelphia Flyers

(2) Pittsburgh Penguins VS. (5) New York Rangers

(1) Detroit Red Wings VS. (6) Colorado Avalanche

(2) San Jose Sharks VS. (5) Dallas Stars

It is going to be an awesome second round.  For those on the prediction front…I went a halfway decent 29-19 for the first round…not too shabby.  Take the day off….relax and recharge…because the second round is going to come back with a vengeance tomorrow night.

One Game 7 Down…2 More To Go!

This picture really does tell a 1000 words and maybe more.  Not only did Boston do nothing in its gameplan or could really execute when they had the opportunity but they let Montreal walk all over them in a Game 7 that was more like Game 1 than anything else.  Chara for some reason is a player that lives by the sword and dies by the sword.  Well he died tonight in a big, big spot once again.  For argument’s sake…here is Chara’s line from tonight’s game.

TOI: 24:04   0G 0A  -3, 0 shots and 2 Pims (that call lead to a goal)

Now is it really fair to spotlight Chara like this?  Maybe it isn’t.  The last Game 7 Chara played in was the infamous Game 7 against New Jersey….but Redden was on the ice for that gaffe and not Zdeno Chara.  However tonight was so eerie…as his game resembled Redden’s (in big spots) in so many ways.  In times when Chara needed to be passive he was aggressive and paid dearly (Mark Streit slipped past him for an easy goal that was highlight reel material all the way).  That goal was more or less the heartbreaker (that made it 2-0 Habs) but it would get worse…when Chara took a holding penalty and Montreal scored seconds after the penalty ended.  It was 3-0 and you could warm up the bus for Boston…the party was over!

Montreal would add two goals late in the third period to make the final score 5-0.  Montreal outshot the B’s 27-14 over the final two periods and yet one would think Boston would have put forth more of an effort.  However, the B’s were gassed and the final 20:00 reflected that.  It took too much effort the last two games for them to be able to sustain it for a third game in a row.  Give Boston credit…they made a series of it when no one else thought they would.  I certainly didn’t…the Montreal guys didn’t think so either.  AllHabs summed it up best…five games and a 1/3 of the sixth in purgatory then they woke up.

Maybe the Habs should send a thank you card to Zdeno Chara because Chara led the B’s to an almost certain death especially when you play a game like that on the biggest of stages.  It makes you wonder as Chara ages..he will be 31 at the start of the season…what Boston will do with him at some point.   All that money (7.5 mill a year) for a turkey of an effort when it counts has to confound even the most diehard of Boston fans this Tuesday morning.

And now for the twist…I really expected only one Game 7 tomorrow between the Sharks and Flames so what does Washington do?  They go all Ovechkin in the third period and now there are two Game 7’s….who would have thought it?  Not me!  So now with our 28-18 record….we get 2 more chances to add to our first round record.  So let’s go for it…what the hell!!!!

Washington 3  Philadelphia 1

San Jose 3  Calgary 2

Now for goats and studs…here goes…..

Goats: Derian Hatcher, Dion Phaneuf

Studs: Joe Thornton, Alexander Ovechkin

Enjoy the two Game 7’s!!!  I know I will.

Deja Vu With A Twist….

Well Bob Gainey….you reap what you sow.  You wanted Carey Price, a rookie, to be your goalie that would lead you to postseason glory…well now you are in a Game 7.  Should you be there?  NO!  Is all the blame on Price?  Most certainly not.  But very suddenly, the Montreal Canadiens look more like an 8th seeded team than the tops of the Eastern Conference…all in just two games.

The reality of it all is this….Montreal let Boston hang around and hang around.  Other than Game 1, Montreal has shown bits and pieces of dominating but has not put it together for whatever reason.  Now Boston has one shot to redeem a season full of losses against Montreal, thereby dealing the Habs the biggest loss of all…the very same comeback from a 3-1 deficit.  Wow would that sting Montreal right in the gonads!

What does Boston have to do?  Simple…stay close till the third period in Game 7.  If Boston can hang in there…they should be able to capitalize on the nerves of Carey Price which was something I didn’t expect to see against Boston of all teams.  Look Tim Thomas may not be the most consistent goalie but he is doing enough and playing hard to keep his team in the game and that kind of effort is needed for the seventh game.

There is a bit of a parallel here..and not just with the Game 5 scores from 2004 and this year…but rookie goalie with stellar season going against a grizzled vet.  Yes Theodore was a hell of a goalie and has made quite the comeback with Colorado this year but there’s no question Raycroft’s nerves got the best of him and that is what Boston is now counting on with Price.  Can Montreal as a team help Price get over his third period nerves?  No one is really sure until the third period of Game 7 hits.  One thing is for sure don’t turn this game off after two periods or you will miss out.  For more on it…head on over to The NHL Arena….because everyone is talking about it.

Now…a playoff predictor update…thanks to Montreal’s unexpected loss yesterday or expected if you were a Boston fan…we went 2-1 for a second day in a row raising our record to a so-so 24-17.  Let’s get to today’s three predictions before the Wings-Preds game starts for crying out loud!!

Detroit over Nashville 3-2 (OT)

Dallas over Anaheim 3-1

Calgary over San Jose 3-2

Enjoy the hockey everyone and by the end of the week…the second round will be upon us.

Coming Into Focus….

Serenity now! That was a familiar phrase uttered on Seinfeld many times. Well that serenity will not come for a few more days but last night’s action brought things into focus just a bit more. Some more teams got eliminated last night and the picture has become more clear. So very quickly….here are the in’s and out’s.

IN:

New York Rangers, Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators

OUT:

Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks

BUBBLE:

Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins

The Reality:

The nice thing now is there are five teams and only four spots left. So this is really musical chairs…one team is going to get left out in the cold. The other four teams will have a place to go to in the first round which starts April 9th. If Ottawa gets a point tonight at all VS. Boston…they are in. Boston needs an outright win then help if they are to clinch tonight (Philly would have to lose). Philly has to win out to make the playoffs unless Washington and/or Carolina stumble. Then they would still need 3 out of a possible 4 points. So for all intents and purposes…it is possible that Ottawa, Carolina, and Boston could clinch tonight if all breaks right.

As for the West….the 1, 2, and 3 seeds are all locked up. Detroit (1), San Jose (2), Minnesota (3)…have spots locked in. The rest are up for grabs. If Dallas loses in regulation tonight…Anaheim sews up the four seed. A point for Dallas gives them no worse than the 5 seed but they would have to win their last game and hope the Ducks lose out if they want to gain the four seed. Nashville can do no better than 7th and they have to win tonight to have a shot at it. Calgary has to win and hope Colorado loses outright to gain the 6th seed. If not, they are the 7th or 8th depending on Nashville. The chaos of so many interrelated events….you have to love it as a hockey fan. No worries, it will play out tonight and tomorrow night.

Back to the East real fast…the Devils just need 3 out of a possible 4 points in their last two games (AT PHI, Vs. NYR) to seal the 4 seed. The Rangers need to likely win out and hope Jersey loses tonight. The Rangers have the Isles and Devils to end the season…just the way to settle it honestly. As for seeds 6-8, that should start to come into more focus tonight and tomorrow night when the dust settles.

The NHL Arena has been debating the playoff push for awhile now. For now I leave you with a moment of zen…..

Top 10 hockey saves of the year……

Decision Day Part One

Yes it is only Thursday but tonight’s action will go a long way of determining who gets in and who stays home come April 7th. There are still so many scenarios but I believe tonight should start to bring this whole thing into focus just a bit more. First up, the poor teams that are battling for their playoff lives. You can hear the paddles going off in the back of the ambulance right now.

First up is Buffalo who plays at Montreal tonight. Montreal has the #2 seed clinched but they are playing for tops in the East right now….so every game counts. A win for the Habs tonight outright eliminates Buffalo and keeps the Habs tied with Pittsburgh. Even worse for the Sabres…last night’s questionable point (the Zubrus goal that was in but Toronto somehow could not see it) by Boston puts Buffalo’s postseason hopes in the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning of all teams. Yes, the same Lightning that got blown out in Carolina 6-2 last night travel to Washington tonight to face the Washington Capitals. Basically if the Caps win…Buffalo’s hopes are almost over and done because Washington will have 92 points and the at the time be tied for 6th (if Ottawa loses in regulation). All those shootout and OT losses (12 total) will indeed have come back to haunt the Sabres. Needless to say, Ryan Miller will not be sending Martin Brodeur a gift basket at the end of the year.  I said almost for this reason.*

There is even a possibility that the West could be all sewn up except for seeding by tonight. Chicago Blackhawk fans will be doing extensive scoreboard watching in Vancouver and Nashville. The Canucks host the Edmonton Oilers and Nashville hosts the St. Louis Blues. With Hannu Toivonen (Legace out with hip flexor injury) getting the start for St. Louis….Nashville fans are probably drooling already (Hannu gave up 4 goals on 18 shots the last time out against the Preds). A Nashville win and Vancouver loss in regulation eliminates both Vancouver and Chicago all in one shot. A Nashville loss or even a loss in extra time leaves the door open for both Vancouver and Chicago. There are so many permutations that you may need a scientific calculator and a professor from M.I.T. for this one.

Now for the other teams that could clinch. Simply…the Rangers and Senators can win and they are in. The Rangers have two cracks against the Isles (tonight and tomorrow night). The Sens play at Toronto and Toronto is without Mats Sundin (groin tear). The Rangers could even lose both in extra time and be in with 95 points total. Minnesota simply needs a point and they win the Northwest and the 3 seed. Calgary just needs a point to make the playoffs. Detroit just needs a point at home against Columbus tonight to win not only the West but the overall #1 seed in the league or a Sharks loss (whether it be in OT, SO or regulation don’t matter).

Tonight will go in a big way to tell the playoff fates of more teams…now seeding is a different matter entirely. I did want to thank ESPN for their concise tiebreaking procedures on their page. Now of course they are all chasing one thing and that is the only thing that ultimately matters. There is that nice, shiny, silver thing called the Stanley Cup.

Thank You Wikipedia for the pic.

So with ten big games tonight….may the DVR’s work some OT and so may your eyes as the regular season comes firing all guns a blazing to the end. The end is definitely very near…and for some more near than they hope.

* Editor’s Note:  Thanks to my friend Andrew from The NHL Arena.  If Washington wins tonight, that doesn’t eliminate the Sabres. Buffalo can jump Philly into 9th, and then jump Boston for 8th based on the THIRD tiebreak. They would be tied in wins, tied in head to head record (4-2-2), but Buffalo would actually win the tiebreak based on goal differential.

April Fools Day…..A Day Of Hockey

It is the one day of the year where it is more than okay to be a little zany. The strangest thing is this has to be one of the most insane postseason races in history and one of the biggest days of the season is today of all days. This includes what will probably be the game of the year in the Southeast Division. Also a couple more teams have the chance to clinch division titles and playoff berths. This has the makings of being a great hockey night.

However, just to show a little sense of humor…it is time to sidetrack a little into the world of hockey pranks. Everyone has a favorite prank to pull on someone today. I wonder who has pulled one off today and how did it go. I know with some of the hockey players…the traditional pie in the face gag was so overused that we wound up going to a different standby. The place that we practice at down in Palm Desert has a helium tank in it…so yesterday we pulled an early prank on one of the guys. He thought he was blowing air into balloons when really he was blowing helium. Needless to say it not only changes your voice but the balloons did some pretty funny things when we popped them. I swear one smacked him in the head. He didn’t look all that pleased but it was hilarious to see the look on his face.

Another classic was the rubber cement hockey puck. Take rubber cement on an inline floor and put it around the rolling hockey puck. We literally had dozens of people trying to pull the puck off the floor and a couple even fell down. I was laughing so hard I almost spit out my soda when one of the guys tried firing a slap shot and the stick smacked his helmet so hard that the helmet came flying off. One girl nearly fell head over heels when she tried to pull too hard. After ten minutes, we just had to tell people in good conscience that this was an April Fools’ Day prank. I can only imagine how many more would have tried to get the puck off the ground…after all who wants to slip on it?

Finally there is the cold roller…or that’s what I call it….Fill a small kitchen garbage can 3/4 of the way with water and a little ice and lean it on any door….then wait for the hilarity to ensue. We left the door at the office of the guy that runs the place….waited for him to finish his lunch then placed the small kitchen can leaning on the door. When he opened it…I swear he jumped 20 feet…that water was really cold. Considering it was nearly 80 degrees out…that is one nasty chill but damn it sure is funny!!!

Well on the funniest day of the year, there is nothing better than some big hockey games. Tonight’s Capitals-Hurricanes clash more than transcends the funny stuff. This is an absolute must win for both teams. The Caps have to win out to hope and make the playoffs either as a division winner or an 8 seed…they may even get 6th or 7th who knows. The Canes have to win tonight to keep their division lead…at the worst lose in OT or a shootout. It will be Cristobal Huet Vs. Cam Ward in the nets and both have been rather good of late. Huet won the last meeting but both goalies were amazing in that game and I expect more of the same in this one. A low scoring, high intensity duel that can be seen if you have Fox Sports South, Comcast DC Sportsnet or simply Center Ice….though I wonder if VS. somehow finds a way to get this game on the airwaves.

Here is why. Last week’s game was a 3-2 Washington win in Carolina via the shootout….Huet was particularly outstanding in the extra frame and shootout stopping an onslaught that came at him. Cam Ward was no slouch in this game and the physicality was intense. When was the last time you saw a goalie check someone into the boards…it happened in the last meeting. No doubt this is the game of the night and probably week.

In other action….the Devils play the Islanders at Nassau Colosseum . A win clinches a playoff birth for the Devils but so does a regulation loss by the Capitals. Martin Brodeur will be looking for his 42nd win but only his 2nd against the Isles this season as the Devils for whatever reason have a hard time beating this team no matter who is in net for the Islanders. Whether it be bad luck or worse, the Isles and the Rangers for that matter have the Devils’ number this year and that is unusual for a team who feasts on the Atlantic year in and year out. Four games in six nights will be a nasty stretch for New Jersey to end the season but if any team can pull it off…it is New Jersey. For more on the Devils side of things…check out 2 Man Advantage later on in the day.

There was a tie for the third most important matchup of the day…between Montreal-Ottawa and Vancouver-Colorado. Both are very essential to playoff seedings in the West. Montreal can tie for the lead in the East and Ottawa can virtually clinch a playoff berth. Montreal has controlled most of the Northeast all season and sprinted out to a 7-1 lead in their last meeting before Ottawa made a game of it late scoring 4 times before falling short 7-5. Ottawa’s goalies don’t seem to do well against Montreal and really the Habs’ depth and team speed are a killer for any team…when they are playing on their game. Ottawa counters with the most dangerous first line in hockey…Alfredsson, Spezza, and Heatley. So expect either a low scoring barnburner or a shootout…no one really knows till these two drop the puck…what is going to happen.

Lastly, there is Vancouver Vs. Colorado. Vancouver has to win this game for Nashville is playing St. Louis and SHOULD get 2 points tonight. Luongo has been good for the most part lately but has thrown a few clunkers into the mix. He has to be on his game from the outset tonight as Colorado is very dangerous at the Pepsi Center. Hell the first ten minutes of this game will pretty much tell the tale on this one. If Vancouver can hold firm early….they should be able to take this game late. If they don’t, Colorado will be able to score and force the Canucks to play catch up…something they do not like to do at all. Comfort zone is essential and whoever comes out of theirs first will lose. An oh by the way….if Minnesota wins tonight and Colorado and Calgary lose…Minnesots wins the Northwest crown and the 3 seed.

So aside from all the funny stuff….hockey is still serious business. As the playoffs get closer and closer…more teams will find their bubble bursting or their seeding plummet. Good fight….good hockey…and good night!

48 Hours Since The Deadline….

Honestly we haven’t learned much from the deadline yet and really we won’t for weeks but it is fun to take a look back and see what happened and didn’t happen.  The strangest things may be what didn’t happen may have resulted in a more interesting deadline…although it was so quiet most of Tuesday morning.

The NTC players in Toronto made a hell of a stand against Ottawa on Tuesday night.  Sundin and Tucker scored and even Kaberle and Kubina played outstanding in a 5-0 whitewashing.  Toronto won again last night so it makes you wonder.  Even though most of the hockey media has lambasted Cliff Fletcher for how he has handled things…they are now winning.  Toronto is at .500 and only 6 points out of a playoff berth.  I suppose anything is possible.

Things in Montreal took a stranger turn as they expected to get Hossa and all they really got was a 2009 2nd round pick for trading Cristobal Huet.  Coach Carbonneau and GM Gainey have clashed all season on whether Carey Price was ready..well now he is going to have to be.  It turned out Pittsburgh got Hossa in a last minute deal and a player like Michael Ryder wasn’t dealt.  Ryder helped lead the Habs past Atlanta the other night in an impressive 5-1 victory.  Maybe not getting Hossa won’t hurt Montreal as much as people think.

The New Jersey Devils were surprisingly cautious and did not trade players like Gionta and Elias like some had expected.  Instead, they traded Cam Janssen to St. Louis for Bryce Salvador.  Sure that gives the Devils yet another defenseman, but they needed someone to clear players out of the crease besides Colin White and Salvador fits the bill.  The Devils could have used Salvador and his solid play Tuesday night as they fell 2-1 to Carolina in overtime on a play that never should have been a goal.  Andy Greene tried to play the puck and forgot the person.  Sergei Samsonov slipped by just enough to shovel his own rebound in.  Greene will be benched tomorrow for Salvador….consider it lesson learned.

Teams like Calgary and Vancouver were more or less content on staying put…though Vancouver did move Matt Cooke for Matt Pettinger.  Both teams have well established goalies and appear to be willing to ride out what they have in their quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup.  So why does a team like Boston get such a hard time in media circles?  Because they had the deal in their grasp and lost it…over 1 contract year…that has to bite.  Then to do nothing to help your team because of it…I call that a double whammy.  I really do think Boston may be in danger of missing the playoffs entirely due to the lack of activity.

Lastly, I wrote a little while back on the fact that I wasn’t that impressed with Detroit…well what do you know…the injury bug hit the vets.  Chelios, Rafalski, Hasek…etc…have all gone down with various ailments.  Age can creep up on you but luckily they have enough time to get healthy but the age and goaltending remains an issue.  I wonder if Holland goes after a #1 netminder in the offeseason.  Well, all in all, it was a very interesting trade deadline maybe more for what didn’t happen than what did.

Dominoes Starting To Fall??

With two days left until the trade deadline….it appears some dominoes are already starting to fall.  The path has been made for some trades to get the green light even though destinations are currently unknown as of right now.

First up is the saga of Marian Hossa.  Hossa will now definitely be traded after Atlanta GM Don Waddell failed to sign him yesterday in an 11th hour attempt to keep him.   Where will he end up?  Montreal?  Ottawa?  Somewhere else?  I am apt to go with Montreal right now but I think a third party may snatch him up if the price is right.  Remember, the team that does trade for him will have the inside track in resigning him in the offseason.

Next we have Brian Campbell of the Sabres.  It appears Darcy Regehr is going to make an offer later today or this evening in the 4 year, 22 million dollar range.  If Campbell does not bite and at this point there is no guarantee the offer made will even be that high….Campbell could be out of Buffalo as soon as Monday afternoon.  He could end up in New Jersey, San Jose, or even Detroit…depending on what breaks when.

The Los Angeles Kings will be active sellers and I see at least 2 or 3 players being dealt at the deadline besides Jaroslov Modry.  Though Rob Blake will not go anywhere….players like Tom Preissing and even Alexander Frolov might.  This team is in rebuild mode yet again.  So I scanned up and down their roster a bit.  Brad Sturart, Ladislav Nagy, and even Brian Willsie could all be trade deadline casualties for the Kings.

Tampa is now definitely in sell mode.  Not only do I expect to see Vaclav Prospal moved but I expect either Dan Boyle or Brad Richards to be moved as well by the deadline.  Richards might go to Columbus or even St. Louis.  Boyle may also go West to San Jose, Detroit, or even Calgary…who knows at this point.  The only thing for sure is Tampa will be sellers.

Finally, the Flyers may be pressed into one or more trades with their losing streak hitting ten and their recent rash of injuries.  The latest is a crucial one with Mike Richards getting sidelined for three weeks with a torn hamstring.  They will bid heavy in many sweepstakes and may be a darkhorse as they may be more willing to give up more than the asking price.  Playoff desperation makes GM’s do some very strange things.

Well one thing for sure…is there is only 51 hours till the deadline and it is awfully quiet…maybe too quiet for my liking.  That calm will end soon and probably in a big way as it always does every year.

My NHL Mantourage

So for those of you not aware of the term Mantourage, here is the official definition: A group comprised of five dudes you would want to hang out with from any given category (characters, athletes, actors, etc.)  Derived from the show Entourage, they must be a cohesive unit covering all de facto things in your daily life if you didn’t have to work. (ie characters: Cartman from South Park, Barf from Space Balls, Stiles from Teen Wolf, Bear Grylls from Man vs. Wild, and the Ultimate Warrior from the WWF).  Here is my NHL Mantourage…

Sean Avery - Led the NHL in penalty minutes in 2003.  After a stalemate with Jack Bauer in hand to hand combat for the right to date his daughter Kim (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Bauer so hot!!), Sean set up Jack for multiple DUI’s to win her outright.  Sean is notorious for dating models and actresses and you need a Playboy that will someday end up with his own True Hollywood Story.  Our Playboy just happens to have the grit of a lumberjack.

Alex Ovechkin - The jokester in the group, Alex is always willing to partake in self-depravating humor to keep the group entertained.  It never gets old when he pops out his front teeth and does his Theo Fleury imitation (drops to his knees and pretends to blow coke off a hooker’s back).  Oh and he just signed the first $100mm+ contract in NHL history which is quite useful since I like to sleep on $100 bills.

Ray Emery - Known for his lackluster attitude, road rage, and locker room controversy, Ray is the legitimate psycho/degenerate of the group.  Its pretty sweet that he put Mike Tyson on his mask.  This is the guy you don’t fully trust, puts his balls on your shoulder when you’re not looking, drinks a little too much sometimes, and is going over the top to make you laugh.  So what if you end up in the occasional shady situation, you need one of these guys.  Just don’t leave him with your girlfriend.

Jarome Iginla - First off he rocks the afro, enough to make the Mantourage right off the back.  Other than the Stanley Cup (stupid Lightning), he has also won pretty much every hockey tournament known to man.   He’s the all-around good dude, probably your best friend, that you know would step in and throw down if you need him to. 

Sidney Crosby - Sid the Kid is the leader of the pack and has been since childhood by virtue.  He has always been slightly more skilled at everything, and despite that pressure, is always a cool cat.  That doesn’t mean he’s a nerd, as he loves messing around and getting banged up, he just never gets caught so his image is always intact.  I also heard he’s going to give Wilt Chamberlain a run for his money in terms of groupies.  I didn’t know there were 10,000 female hockey fans.

 Tell me you wouldn’t want to hang out with this group all the time.  Let me know who else you’d want to hang out with in the NHL…

My Favorite NHL Tough Guy Goal Scorers

Special Thanks to my buddy Pedro for the blog idea, but in my mind there is nothing more quintessential hockey then a guy who can bang in the corners and put the puck in the net.  There was no need to waste a bench space on a goon for these guys.   I’ve tried to put a couple older guys that I obviously never saw play to prove a point, but everyone from the 80’s on are my personal favorites so send along guys you’d put on the list…I’ll also send a signed 8 x 10 glossy of myself to anyone that can give me a European that belongs here…

Gordie Howe

Mr. Hockey and the creator of the Gordie Howe Hat Trick (goal, assist, fight)  compiled 1,685 PIM to go along with his 1,850 points in 1,767 games. 

Dino Ciccarrelli

He even looked the part of total badass. 1,200 points and 1,429 PIM in 1,200+ games proves it.

 Cam Neely

Man if you have never seen this guy fight check out nhlfights.com but in his shortened career he racked up 694 pts and 1,241 PIM in 726 games.  My personal favorite!

Terry O’Reilly

He’s here on reputation as he’s before my time, but 2,095 PIM and 606 pts in 891 games backs it up.

Brendan Shanahan

Forget the numbers (1,294 pts 2,425 PIM in 1,418 games), if you saw him pick the fight with Donald Brashear leading the Rangers to a much needed win last season, then you understand.

Eddie Shore

Very old school, but my grandfather’s favorite player who knew I thing or two about hockey. 284 pts, 1037 PIM in 553 games as a defenseman, solid.

Gary Roberts

Not sure how he’s still doing it at 41, but Sid and company sure are learning a thing or two about the NHL from this guy. 887 pts ,2493 PIM in 1166 games.

 Tie Domi

Okay he’s a goon fighter, but guess who scored 104 career goals and 141 assists in the NHL while racking up 3,515 PIM in 1,024 career games? The most feared fighter of all time.  That’s a lot of pucks in the net if you ask me.

Honorable Mentions: Dale Hunter, Bobby Clarke, Wendel Clark, Adam Graves, Clark Gilles, Scott Stevens