Ottawa Senators
Someone Let The NHL Schedule Out….
It is now out of the bag……
It will be an interesting season this year with everyone playing each other at least once. I will enjoy the Pittsburgh-Washington battles..and the two Avery Vs. Brodeur matchups. Naturally, the Rangers Vs. Stars meeting will also have extra meeting as the super pest faces his former team. There are so many storylines with the new err back to the future schedule.
Sometime around Thanksgiving or a little after, Martin Brodeur (barring injury) will surely approach and break Patrick Roy’s goaltending victories mark (551). Brodeur has 538 right now…and well 14 wins should be about as automatic as Tiger Woods on Sundays. I was hoping the Devils would have a West Coast trip at that time but no…they will have a trip in early January…right around my wife’s birthday (Jan. 8th).
Finally, all I want to see this year is some more physical hockey. With all the changing addresses, maybe my hope will be fulfilled. Now maybe it won’t but I am hoping for a very interesting season, I look forward to The Winter Classic in Chicago, and of course the start of the season in Europe with Ottawa, Pittsburgh, NY Rangers, and Tampa playing two games each. Enjoy!
“Cap” The Night.
Some hard hitters from the last 24 hours.
– Alex Ovechkin wins the Pearson, Richard, and Hart…anything he didn’t win?
– Pavel Datsyuk takes home the Lady Byng and Selke. Nick Lidstrom takes his 6th Norris.
– Martin Brodeur takes home his 4th Vezina in 5 years in one of the closest votes ever (7)
– Gordie Howe is the recipient of the first ever Hockey Lifetime Achievement Award.
Peter DeBoer is expected to be named the next Ottawa head coach later today. This is according to a report from Spectors which states something will happen likely tomorrow…if not tomorrow but soon. I did a little reading on DeBoer (the Kitchener Coach) and I have to say he will be a departure from Murray that is for sure. That is a good thing. What Ottawa really needs right now is someone who can coach and coach youngsters and vets alike well. That youthful energy could be what Ottawa really needs…that and a buyout of Ray Emery but hey…one thing at a time.
Expect the Kings to go within and possibly name Mike Johnston their new head coach…timetable on this one…who really knows. The Kings do not do anything like clockwork and their late firing of Crawford when everyone thought it would come much sooner not only makes me scratch my head but befuddles many NHL experts everywhere. No wonder why the Kings fan feels such an ambivalence to their own organization. How long will it be before Dean Lombardi is fired or they sell the team? It makes you wonder.
With only a week till the draft..the draft talk will heat up some. I am not the world’s greatest expert on the draft but I know a thing or two…so expect a little on the draft as I gear up for a much deserved vacation next weekend. Till then….hope everyone enjoyed the Awards Show and good night!
Playoff Predictor Day 8: We Hit The Crapper!
Apparently sometimes it just doesn’t go according to the script. Yesterday we went 3-2 but had crushing losses by Washington and then Calgary’s 10 shot clunker in a 3-2 loss. However some good came out of yesterday as Anaheim struck back with a vengeance despite some quirky officiating as they defeated Dallas 4-2. Everyone asked where was Chris Pronger? Well we found Pronger in Dallas as he scored 2 goals and a helper. Even Ryan Getzlaf made a sighting. The Ducks only got 15 shots on net but made them count while J.S. Giguere made 31 stops…a big win indeed.
Then there was the debacle in Colorado. How did Colorado get 14 power play chances last night? I am sorry but that game smelled more rotten than Denmark. Yes, Colorado deserved to win but…5-1?? I am not so sure. The game got out of hand…the refs let it get out of hand…it was chippy and feisty but no way the Avalanche should ever get that many gifts. For a second, I thought it was the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals all over again. Pathetic excuse for officiating…hopefully Game 5 is reffed a little better.
Onward to tonight’s games…..I still think the Rangers have a little too much for the Devils right now but I expect this one to go back and forth. The Devils will keep this very close and I wouldn’t be shocked if they won but for some reason…a funny bounce in OT or late in regulation is going to decide this one. I can see a scenario where Chris Drury delivers again in clutch fashion. To think, he was soundly booed throughout much of the first half of the season. Ah, how times have changed. Rangers 3 Devils 2
Ottawa will not get swept! I just can’t see it happening…they will show some pride as they have done this in year’s past. They will come out tonight with a vigor that hasn’t been seen all series long. Their backs are against the wall and a young Pittsburgh team will probably be too cocky so its a perfect time to catch them at their most overconfident. Expect a huge game from Captain Alfredsson….and a Game 5 in Pittsburgh!!      Sens 4 Pens 2
Lastly, there are the Preds and Wings. The Red Wings have learned their lesson but Nashville will not go down quietly. This will be a back and forth tilt with a lot of rapid changes. In the end though, I see Detroit’s offense pulling this one out very late in the third period…and withstanding a late Nashville push in the final minutes and seconds. The game has all the makings of a classic and it will not disappoint the fans of Nashville…that is a given.  Wings 4 Preds 3
My record is now a so-so 17-10….not so great but not so bad either…hopefully tonight will be another steady sign of improvement. One can only wish. Enjoy the hockey!!!!
Humble Pie For The King…..
This apparently is King Henrik’s court…err ice! Someone forgot to tell the New Jersey Devils. New Jersey not only scored two power play goals, scored 4 times, and generated quite a few scoring chances…they made King Henrik look like a prince yesterday. Oh what a birthday present!!
The nicest thing I can say about my job at Walmart was my assistant manager who was nice enough to let me listen to the Overtime in the Electronics department. They have Sirius and XM radio in there…so it was nice to have a pick. My heart almost sank when the Devils hit two posts in rapid fire succession early in the extra frame. I really thought that was the game right then and there. Then much to my surprise…John Madden does his best trick shot impersonation and BANG!!….there is a series!!
That goal was more than just a goal honestly. With two days off….the Rangers have that time to dwell and dwell and dwell on it. It would be the equivalent of icing the goalie….in the grandest form. I can’t say much about Martin Brodeur because Brodeur got his bell rung and answered the call while Lundqvist did not in this game. The interesting thing is the Devils looked more like the 2006 Devils in this game. Now there were some considerable negatives but this definitely has the look of going seven now.
If the Devils can keep playing like this and cover Jagr better (he had 3 assists)….they really may be able to not only stay competitive in this series but they may also win this. It will not be easy as these two teams are really mirror images of each other. I am interested to see what happens Wednesday in Game 4. That will tell a lot as far as where this series is headed. One thing is for sure….this series is GAME ON!
Playoff Predictor Update……
1-3 yesterday…12-7 overall….
3 Games Today……
Pittsburgh Over Ottawa 4-3
Nashville Over Detroit 3-2
Colorado Over Minnesota 3-2 (OT)
Hopefully today goes better than yesterday….though in theory it wasn’t all that bad….as I did get one hell of a birthday present. The Pittsburgh game is on yahoo live tv and the other two games are on VS….so enjoy the hockey!!!
Eastern Conference Previews….Hot Off The Presses…
Tomorrow it begins at last. After six months of jockeying for position….we are at the doorstep of hockey’s second season….where it all counts now. There are sixteen teams but only one can be Stanley Cup Champion. It is time to do some previews and predictions.
#1 Montreal Canadiens VS. #8 Boston Bruins
Forgive us for no fancy logos and gimmicks here….but this is just nuts and bolts preview and prediction here on Fanboom. The Habs beat the Bruins all eight times this season and some of the games were downright ugly. If that was not a daunting enough task for the Bruins….the first three games are played over a span of four nights. That will take a lot out of a team that is trying to stop a very speedy Habs team. This will be a goaltending battle as Tim Thomas goes up against the rookie Carey Price. I still give the nod to Price as he has been more consistent this season. Thomas can be spectacular but he can be also downright lethargic and cold at times. I see a resolve in Price that will serve him well in the second season. Montreal has more scorers in the lineup with Higgins, Kovalev, and Plekanec. They also led the league in defensive scoring with guys like Mark Streit and Andrei Markov. Boston counters with a solid defensive system and guys like Glen Murray and Chuck Kobasew. They also have some d-men that can score like Dennis Wideman and Zdeno Chara. But will Chara’s lack of foot speed hurt him in this series? That is one key.
The other key is injuries.
Key Injuries: Bos — Patrice Bergeron (concussion) Marc Savard (Back) Saku Koivu (foot)
Predictions: Sure not having Koivu will hurt some for the Habs but this team is on a roll. I can’t see Montreal slowing down…if anything they will play better in honor of him. Thomas will have to steal this series like Cujo did against Dallas in 98. Honestly I do not see that happening.
Habs in 5.
#2: Pittsburgh Penguins VS. #7 Ottawa Senators
This is probably the matchup the Pens wanted. Since last year they were ousted by Ottawa in 5 games as Ottawa went on to the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to Anaheim. People forget Ottawa only lost once in regulation over the first 15 games then everything went South in the new year…and they almost ended up falling out of the postseason entirely before holding on for 7th in the East. They know what is coming from Sidney Crosby and company. Pittsburgh finished with 102 points but took it easy on Sunday when they lost to Philly 2-0. They could have nabbed the #1 seed and some question the motivation but what can you do. Crosby, Malkin, Hossa, and company provide a unique skill set that will give Ottawa fits all series long. Ottawa had a very tough time with Montreal and Pittsburgh can play very similar to that style.
Key Injuries: PIT: No Major Injuries. OTT: Daniel Alfredsson (knee) Mike Fisher (knee) Chris Kelly (leg)
Predictions: This is a hard series to call depending on which Ottawa teams shows up. Ottawa has to play fast and hard…and not worry about Pittsburgh scoring because Pittsburgh is going to get their goals…Ottawa is just going to have to get more. There will be a few crooked numbers in this series but the key for Ottawa will be to get their confidence back. If they don’t, Pittsburgh is going to make very very short work of the Sens and that is kind of what I see happening…though the games will be tight.
Pens in 5.
#3: Washington Capitals VS. #6: Philadelphia Flyers
This is like an old time Patrick Division slobberknocker. They haven’t been in the same division for awhile but management from both teams I am sure remembers those days well. The Capitals come in on fire going 10-1-1 in their last 12 while Philly kind of just held on and won their last two by shutout to get in as the 6 seed. Washington is young and youthful and is riding a hot Cristobal Huet in net while the Flyers have Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, and a more than able Martin Biron (thankfully there is no shootouts in the playoffs). This has the makings of being a surprisingly good matchup. The physical nature of this series will be in ample display. These two teams do not like each other and with Donald Brashear on the ice…expect it to continue.
Key Injuries: PHI — Daniel Briere (lower body), Simon Gagne (Concussion), Derian Hatcher (leg), and Sami Kapanen (flu, neck). Was — No key injuries
Predictions: This series doesn’t start till Friday so a key could be who comes out faster. The Caps will get helped by the home crowd but Philly will need to play like it did Sunday against Pittsburgh. They have to stay disciplined or they will be eaten alive by Ovechkin and Backstrom. Cristobal Huet will be difference in this series and though it will be close and Philly may even steal a couple games along the way. The Caps should move on to the second round despite a potential big series from Vaclav Prospal.
Caps in 6.
#4: New Jersey Devils VS. #5 New York Rangers
Throw the records out the window and let the bodies hit the floor!! Yes the Devils only won once in the season series but the last one may mean more to the Devils than anyone else could know. The Devils know they can beat the Rangers but they are also now aware that they need to improve on their second period play. For some reason that has buried them and their inability to hold leads of late. Brodeur Vs. Lundqvist figures to be a stonewall marquis matchup that will live up to all the accolades and hype. The Rangers have stopped Elias and Parise for the most part all season and the Devils have stopped Jagr for most of the season series…he did get one goal in Sunday’s game. This is going to come down to who really wants it more…they are evenly matched with the Devils having a bit of a 5 on 5 advantage and special teams is the Rangers forte.
Key Injuries: None to really speak of.
Predictions: I have been going back and forth on this since Sunday. The series is going to be very close and I expect some OT and double OT games thrown in for good measure. This will be physical, there will be blood no question. Can the Devils break out on the Power Play? They did in 2006 and I still think Lundqvist remembers that well. Jagr’s line has to score some and Gomez and Drury have to be especially big (maybe on a line with Dawes) to win this. The Devils line of Rupp-Clarkson-Zubrus needs to be a huge presence early. The games and the series will go back and forth like a yo-yo but in the end I do think Martin Brodeur has just enough in the tank to steal the show in a game 7 that will feel like it was on ESPN Classic.
Devils in 7.
Later on we will do some quick western conference predictions….thanks to the wife for her expertise on the western conference teams. But for now, enjoy the day off. Tomorrow will come fast enough!
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.
Trade Deadline Fun!!!
The deed has been done…they day is now over…here is what happened.
TRADES AND SIGNINGS THAT HAPPENED TODAY!!
– Mike Comrie resigned 1 year…4 million with the Isles.
– Actual Trade: Bryce Salvador to New Jersey and Cam Janssen goes to St. Louis.
– Wade Belak goes to Florida for a 5th round 08 draft pick.
– Defenseman Brian Campbell to San Jose for Steve Bernier and a 2008 first round pick.
– Brad Richards goes to Dallas…also going with him will be goalie Johan Holmqvist…Tampa gets goalie Mike Smith, center Jeff Halpern and winger Jussi Jokinen and a 4th round pick.
– Goalie Cristobal Huet has been traded to Washington for a second round pick in the 09 draft.
– Andrew Ladd has been traded from the Canes to the Blackhawks for Tuomo Ruutu.
– The Colorado Avalanche have acquired Ruslan Salei from the Panthers for Karlis Skrastins and a third round pick.
– Chicago has moved Martin Lapointe to Ottawa….Chicago return a 6th round 2008 pick.
– Colorado acquires Adam Foote from Columbus…for a first round conditional pick and more.
– Sergei Fedorov has been traded to Washington…..for defenseman Ted Ruth.
– Rob Davison has been traded to the Isles from the Sharks for a 7th round pick in 08.
– Washington traded Matt Pettinger for Vancouver’s Matt Cooke.
– Toronto trades Hall Gill to the Pens….. for a 2nd rounder and 5th rounder in 09.
– Backman to the New York Rangers….Blues get a 4th rounder in return.
– WOW! The big one. Hossa and Pascal Dupuis to the Pens….for Erik Christensen, Colby Armstrong, Angelo Esposito, and a first round 2008 pick.
– Chris Simon to the Minnesota Wild for a 6th round pick.
– Brad Stuart has been traded to the Detroit Red Wings…Kings get back a 2nd and 4th rounder.
– Chad Kilger has been traded to Florida for a third round draft pick.
– Sjostrom, Leneveau and Josh Gratton going to the New York Rangers for Al Montoya and Marcel Hossa.
– Marc-Andre Bergeron has been traded to the Ducks for a 3rd round pick.
– JS Aubin has been traded for a 7th round draft pick to the Anaheim Ducks.
– Joe Motzko has been traded from the Thrashers to the Caps for Alexandre Giroux.
– Jan Hlavac was moved to Nashville for a 7th round pick.
– Brandon Bochenski traded to Nashville for future considerations.
ANALYSIS OF TRADES:
– Devils bolster their defensive depth with stay at home defenseman Salvador while Janssen goes home to St. Louis to add some grit to the Blues lineup.
– Florida finally gets a fighter that they need to add some physicality to the mix.
– Campbell does indeed get dealt and the San Jose blue line gets that much stronger with a QB on the Power Play. Buffalo gets a good forward with upside and a much coveted first rounder in this year’s draft.
– Dallas gets the center of attention they feel they need and a decent backup in Holmqvist…they do give up on Smith and Jokinen though. But you have to give to get something in the trade deadline.
– This is a precursor for bigger things in Montreal but you have to give major points for Washington in securing a #1 netminder with very good upside. And they only gave up a second rounder to boot.
– Carolina wanted more grit well they got it and Ladd provides Chicago with a little punch.
– The Avs get bigger on defense but they do get a little slower while the Panthers make a pretty smart trade in getting a vet like Skrastins.
– Ottawa gets a little stingier with Lapointe and for next to nothing…not bad.
– Colorado gets the old boys together as Foote helps them out on the defensive end….but pays for it with a conditional first rounder. An 08 if Avs make playoffs and an 09 if they don’t…plus Columbus gets another pick if Foote resigns with Avs…not as good of a move as it first looked to be.
– Fedorov provides a bit of veteran leadership to Washington as they try to win the Southeast…and trade not much for him.
– Isles needed defenseman help….and get a bit here. Just some depth to help the injuries mounting on the D side.
– Cooke provides the Caps with a little grit…it makes me wonder why the Canucks would do such a deal.
– The Pens get a big physical d-man but for a couple picks…a curious price to say the least but he will help in his own end.
– Rangers get a pretty good one with some upside….and the Blues get a decent pick.
– The Pens make 2 trades..the second one being an even bigger risk than the first one will be interesting one way or the other for Shero. Hossa will provide them with undeniable offensive punch…but trading away some of these character guys may hurt the Pens in the long run. A very curious move and if you are Montreal, why trade Huet now? But that is second guessing.
– Why Minnesota why? That is all I will say. I do not get it at all.
– Stuart gives the Wings some much needed defensive depth given all the injuries the Wings have sustained.
– A bit of a curious move for a third rounder but Florida does get a pretty good vet.
– Maloney had to give up a bit to get Montoya…hopefully he thinks it is worth it because I think Sjostrom could be pretty darn good.
– Isles did not like Bergeron of late but maybe the Ducks can turn him around…Bergeron will help some on the Power Play.
– I don’t get this one at all Burke….I just don’t.
– Another trade that seemed just a trade for trade’s sake.
– Hlavac will help the Preds just a little bit but the Preds seemed content to stay out of the fray on this trade deadline.
– I guess Bochenski was just interchangeable parts for Burke.
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.Â
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…
