Ryan Smyth Back In Edmonton

Here's a little info I found really interesting. I've been seeing the rumors and it's come to pass Ryan Smyth is back with the Edmonton Oilers. I really enjoyed having Ryan Smyth here in Colorado a couple seasons ago. It's a shame things didn't work out the way we hoped. It was always obvious though his heart was in Edmonton and I'm sure there are a ton of Oiler fans happy to have him home. In exchange the Oilers gave the Kings Colin Fraser and a seventh-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft.

I'm sure there are some ladies in Canada who can't wait to put their fingers through his hair.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=567391&navid=mod-rr-headlines

My thoughts on the Colorado Avalanche Draft and Liles Trade

As the first day of the NHL draft came to an end I wanted to look at the 2nd and 11th picks the Colorado Avalanche had. I had hoped before the draft the Avs would go after a winger and a d-man and they did just that. What more they didn't go after super offensive guys either. Instead we went after a gritty power forward and a defensive minded defensemen. Two traits the Avs really lack in over the last few seasons.

2nd overall Gabriel Landeskog

Power Forward
Left Winger
Height: 6' 0", Weight: 207
Played for the Kitchener Rangers *OHL*
GP: 53
G: 36
A: 30
P: 66
PIM: 61
The NHL analysis label him as a Brenden Morrow type of player.

I've been checking out his highlights on Youtube and not only will he bring grit, a presence in front of the net and a kick butt mentality, but he will also bring a ton of support for Matt Duchene. I really do feel that this pick was made not just as a 2nd best choice, but with Duchene in mind. Whether it be Hejduk or Fleischmann as the other winger, we have a player that will be able to clear room for them and hopefully do the job we hoped Ryan Smyth could have done for us. I hope he can become a player who can make a huge impact like Dustin Byfuglien and I think we'll be seeing him in a Avs jersey at the start of next season.




11th overall Duncan Siemens

Defensive Defensemen
Defense
Height: 6' 2", Weight: 192
Played for the Saskatoon Blades *WHL*
GP: 72
G: 5
A: 38
P: 43
PIM: 121
The NHL analysis label him as a Bryan Allen type of player. Though others say he has traits of Scott Stevens.



This is defiantly the type of player the Avs need. A guy who thinks defense first, loves to hit, can fight, has good speed to chase down forwards and push them to the side... This is a type of player the Avs lack in dearly. I have a feeling we won't really see him at the start of the season, unless we see a injury. I think he needs to bulk up a bit more but I really feel he could be a great reliable d-man for us soon. What I hope he really brings though is a Chris Pronger attitude.

Now as for the trade news on John Michael Liles...

Where a good number of Avs fans are calling The Fan, complaining, crying that a "Star Player" has been traded, I look at this and say why didn't this happen sooner? Granted J.M.L. is a good guy but the only thing that made him a defensemen on this team was the D next to his name on the roster. I really don't think he was committed to the supporting of the goalie and was more focused on getting that next goal. Which I understand the importance of having a good shooter at the blue line, but if you are a d-man your first responsibility is to support your goalie. Every time when the trade rumors started he stepped his game up and tried to play D, but that's the thing he had to be motivated to do it. I just wish we would of done this a few season's earlier, when Ottawa was thinking of trading one of their star players for him. All we got was a 2nd round draft pick for the 2012 draft.

There is more drafting going on today, but now I'm more looking forward to July and free agency. The Avs desperately need to pick up a goalie and I would like to see them pick up a strong, beat the hell out of you, block shots, stay at home d-man. I don't expect a big name or anything, but I'd like to see someone who at least has the passion and the drive to do his #1 job, which is helping our goalie.

NHL 2011-2012 Schedule

NHL.com has released the scheduled for next season.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=566826&navid=mod-rr-headlines

SEASON OPENING NIGHT (THURSDAY, OCT. 6)
Flyers @ Bruins, Habs @ Leafs, Pens @ Canucks

COMPUWARE NHL PREMIERE GAMES
Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday Oct. 8
* Games featuring Rangers, Sabres, Kings and Ducks will be split between three European cities: Stockholm, Helsinki, Berlin

PAST TWO STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS MEET
Boston @ Chicago -- Saturday, Oct. 15

HALL OF FAME GAME
Boston @ Toronto, Saturday, Nov. 5

ALL-STAR BREAK
Jan. 26-30

2011 STANLEY CUP FINALISTS MEET
Vancouver @ Boston – Saturday, Jan. 7

BUSIEST DAY OF SEASON
Saturday, April 7 -- 15 games

REGULAR SEASON CONCLUDES
April 7, 2012


As for the Colorado Avalanche, we get to start against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday October 8th. I'm kind of surprised to see them so soon. Then we will head to Boston to see the Bruins on the following Monday. It will be a very good test to see what this team has in October.

Other dates I like to focus on are October 20th and 22nd when we get a home and home with the Blackhawks. I'll defiantly be attending the game in Colorado.

Later on tonight, I'll be tossing up my impressions on what the Avs NEED to do in the draft but especially Free Agency.

See the rest at http://avalanche.nhl.com/club/schedule.htm

The Boston Bruins Win The Stanley Cup! Also we have a riot in Vancouver!

Ok first things first... Boston huge kudos to you. Before this series started I didn't think you would of put up much of a fight, let alone win the cup. After all the trash talk, cheep shots, injuries, back and forth play you came out on top in a very impressive fashion. Tim Thomas, I have given you a ton of criticism in the past. Way to man up and not only lead the Bruins to this point, but to also really show how great of a goalie you really are. You were Conn Smyth material and watching you lead at your age was really one impressive showing.

In a game where everything was up for grabs we were treated to a well played out game. In the first half of the first period, I was not really impressed with Boston's play. It seemed like they were holding on for dear life. If there is one thing you can point out though, the Bruins didn't give the Canucks any room in the slot. You still have to wonder how long the Bruins could hold out though. Then the Canucks got caught with their pants down. With 5:24 left in the first period, the Canucks ended up winning the faceoff in their zone, but allowed Bruins forward Marchand to easily skate past them, get the puck and hold onto it long enough for Patrice Bergeron to get in front and score the first and game winning goal. It caught everyone by surprise, especially Vancouver and after that nothing was the same. Though the Canucks made an effort to try and find the back of the net, Thomas would stand strong. The nail in the coffin would come late in the 2nd during the Canucks first powerplay. At 2:27 Bergeron would score short handed to make it a 3-0 game. The Canucks would follow that by a real weak 3rd period with no real pressure in front of the net. Boston wins 4-0.





As for the Canucks... plane and simple they blew it. They had all the advantages to win this series in 5 but it's obvious the demons are still there. Luongo is still questionable in the playoffs, the Sedins only showed up for the Sharks, there is no real leadership and I bet they don't have this great of a look at the cup for a long time. Maybe they shouldn't of partied so hard after barely beating the Hawks.


Then we get to this fun story. After the game many of those dressed in blue went out on the street and started a huge riot setting cars on fire and really destroying the town. A good number of Canuck fans have said "They are not real fans. They are an embarrassment." Therefor I will not call them Canuck fans. Hell I'd be embarrassed of my city and team if I were in their place. However, it will be hard not for the rest of the NHL and sports in general to not look at Vancouver and point them out as "That Team." I expect this from soccer guy not hockey guy. The Canucks will be carrying this on their shoulders for a long time.

GAME 7 FOR THE STANLEY CUP!

Ding Ding Ding... LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, IT IS TIME FOR THE MAIN EVENT OF THE SEASON!

For a series that should of been done in 5, with the Canucks talent alone winning them the cup, this series has been nothing but what most predicted. What we were introduced to was a street fight with trash talk, fights, injuries, cheap shots... this hasn't been your normal finals. It's been entertaining to say the least and I'm sure tomorrow will be a great conclusion.

So who takes the Cup?

On Vancouver's part, the home rink has been good to them all season. The Bruins haven't been able to do squat on Canuck ice and have kept them to 2 goals in 3 games in Vancouver. However, they are really beat up and missing a lot of pieces in their main line up. Mason Raymond was the latest casualty to this series with a vertebrae compression fracture. This series alone has taken a ton out of them and it will be interesting to see what's left in the take.

For the Bruins... they are in Luongo's head. 1 goal is all it takes to break his confidence and Tim Thomas I think will win the Conn Smyth trophy win or lose. They have the Canucks broken and bleeding but they have to learn how to play their hockey in Vancouver. If Vancouver scores first I don't expect the Bruins to get anything and the cup will go back to Canada.

The Hit That Changed A Series...

If you would of told me Boston would win two games in the Stanley Cup Finals... I would of been skeptical. If you would of told me the Bruins would dominate the scoring, I wouldn't of believed it. In a series where I thought offensively, on special teams, in depth and skill the Canucks would of won in 5. However, here we are in a best of 3 series. For the most part the Bruins didn't have much going for them in games 1 and 2. Sure they made a valiant effort to win, but it was obvious the skill level was making the difference. You could just tell by watching though, that something was getting shaken up. You could tell the pokes to the Bruins was starting to get bottled up and you had to wonder if they were going to burst. How much could they put up with? Unlike most Cup Finals in the past, the game and everything between the whistles have been so much more dirty. Everything started in game 1 with the incident known as The Bite that "nobody" saw,



Say what you want, the NHL should of suspended Alex Burrows. If something like that is suspendable in the regular season, it should be the same for the Finals. Game two comes Burrows is playing and he ends up scoring twice to help the Canucks win 3-2. The third straw comes in game 3 with a scary incident between Aaron Rome and Nathan Horton. Don Cherry pointed out before this hit, Thornton went over to the bench between plays and made a remark that piss off Rome. With that said the next shift we have the incident known as the hit. Clearly a very late, dirty hit that was in attempt to injure. If he was looking at making a point and put on a good body check on Horton then yes, that's dirty hit... but that's hockey. You get a two minute penalty, you feel shame and you'd go free, but not till after you made your point to the other team. However, it's another thing to lift himself to nail Horton in the head. Rome had time to adjust his hit properly and chose his target. That hit would become the final straw... the blow that not only woke the Bruins up but maybe screwed the Canucks' chances.




Games 3 and 4... both were crazy blowouts after the Rome hit. Game 3 the Bruins would win 8-1. 7 of those goals would come after the hit. Game 4 started with Bobby Orr waving a flag with Horton's number, inspiring the Bruins and lead them to a 4-0 win, with clear frustration coming from the Canucks. This isn't a simple momentum swing that you'll see in the playoffs. The Canucks provoked the Bruins to a point that they are not just playing physical hockey... they are playing very pissed off. The more dirty this series gets the easily it goes in Boston's favor. They are use to playing rough dirty hockey... it's in their history and nature. Guys like the Sedins are not use to it. Hell one of them tried to put a hit on Marchand close to the end of game 4 and ended up getting flipped into the boards. At the end Alex Burrows tried to pick a fight with Tim Thomas and didn't turn out so well. If the Canucks want to win the cup they need to stop provoking the Bruins and just play hockey. However, it's easy to tell they have lost their focus. I will say this now... If the Bruins win game 5, they will win the cup in game 6 on home ice. Then they can blame Aaron Rome for the incident. The Canucks' Stanley Cup run will be on the line Friday.

Stanley Cup Finals Prediction...

With the cup finals starting tonight it be a good idea to get in a quick prediction.

Normally I'd look at past series, games and who to look out for but with work really picking up this week, my prediction will be a little delayed.

Just for the record I'm picking the Canucks in 5. It's their cup to lose. I'll also put Kessler as the MVP.

As soon as I can get a little time for myself I'll put up my full report.