The man; the myth; the legend, Steve Downie may be out of the NHL until the new year, but he returned to the ice tonight as a member of the Philadelphia Phantoms. Steve "Don't Call Me Dastardly" Downie wasted no time making an impact for the Flyers AHL affiliate in his grand return.
Before the game was 5 minutes old, Downie already registered 2/3rd's of a Gordie Howe hat trick, netting an assist and a fight. Downie finished the night with 2 points and a bare-knuckle brawl during a 3-0 Philly win over the Worcester Sharks.
FREE DOWNIE!
-- TGOJ
November 4, 2007
Steve Downie Makes Impact In AHL Return
Blizzard of OZ
Time to give props to another under appreciated and often overlooked NHL star. Goalies that win Stanley Cups are usually given a free ride from criticism. Just look at Khabby and Cam Ward in the past several seasons.
In Detroit, Chris Osgood was the 54th overall draft pick and third goalie selected in 1991. Chris won 23 games his rookie year but Detroit still dealt for Mike Vernon following that season. Following the strike, he backed up Vernon as the Wings were swept in the finals by the Devils. The next year he won a career best 39 games and was the second goalie to ever shoot a puck into an opposing teams net. He backed up Vernon as the Wings won the cup the year after that. Vernon was dealt and Osgood led the wings to their second Cup in a row with a sweep of the Capitals. The Wings then acquired Hasek and Osgood was ushered out of town when claimed on waivers by the Islanders.
After his two-year stint in New York, he moved on to St. Louis for two seasons. Even after winning 31 games with a 2.24 GAA with St. Louis, his contract was not renewed by them. Chris came back to Detroit to back up Hasek for under a million dollars a year. He appeared in 32 games last year, winning 20, but did not appear in the playoffs and was a back up for the Dominator's apparent Swan Song.
Which brings us to this season...
Dominik Hasek is 40-whatever. The chances of him holding up again health wise were pretty slim. Jimmy Howard, the Wing's Prize Goaltending prospect, is Not Quite Ready to be the man yet. This all meant that Osgood had to be ready to shine. And shine he has.
With Dom shelved with a bum hip, Ozzie was kept the Wings at the top of the NHL standings. He is 7-0 with a 1.43 GAA out of gates this year and his road wins against Edmonton, Vancouver, and Calgary in the last FIVE DAYS marks the first time in 21 attempts that the Red Wings took all three games of a trip to western Canada.
- In 13+ seasons he has never had a GAA above 3.00
- Six times has won 30 or more games in a season
- 43 Career Shutouts
- 45 Career Playoff Wins in 87 Games Played
- 10 Career Playoff Shutouts with a LIFETIME Playoff GAA of 2.24
- Two Cup Wins
That says it all. Quiet, unassuming CHRIS OSGOOD continues to be THE MAN. He is right there with that non-descript Glenn Healy/Wendell Young style mask and just makes the saves. Detroit is going to need him to continue his stellar play if this is to be the end of the Dominator.
Da H8R
November 3, 2007
Hockey Night In Canada
It's Saturday and hockey is in the air tonight like Phil Collins. Habs vs. Leafs is the main event this evening. Thanks to NHL Center Ice, this Philadelphian can partake in a Canadian Saturday night tradition, Hockey Night in Canada... and it doesn't get better than the Maple Leafs battling the Habs in Montreal.
This game should no doubt be a dandy. The Canadiens put a beat down on my Flyers the other night so I am hoping they get thudded 6-2 on home ice. I want those salty Habs fans to exit the Bell Centre and flock St. Catherine street in large numbers for an extra-special Saturday night drinking binge.
I can see it now... disgruntled Habs fans sitting elbow-to-elbow in the pub, talking about the great Montreal teams of yester-year:
Habs fan #1: "Man, these Leafs are a bitch!"
Habs fan #2: "Mon ami, we will return to greatness!"
Habs fan #3: "Remember Rick Chartraw and Doug Jarvis?"
Habs fan #4: "Ya, those were the days, eh?!"
-- TGOJ
October 30, 2007
Speaking of Halloween
Leave Wallpaper Jones Alone, Son
All you dopes (yeah, you know who you are Scott Burnside from ESPN) better leave Randy "Wallpaper" Jones alone. To even think that Wallpaper intentionally tried to disfigure Patty Bergeron with a vicious hit from behind is foolish... or downright silly, in fact.
Just look at my boy Wallpaper posing with a fan... you mean to tell me this chummy cat is capable of taking extreme measures like ex-cons Downie and Boulerice? Not.
Wallpaper is simply a grown gentleman trying to live his life. Unfortunately, he's being preyed on by hockey beat hacks who want to rehash the legend of the Broad Street Bullies so they have something of interest to scribble. You want to attack Downie and Boulerice with your pen, go for it, but don't rip the Wallpaper.
-- TGOJ
October 29, 2007
Hat Trick-or-Treat Biznitches
With Halloween right around the corner, one can only fathom if cinema horror icon, Freddy Kruger, was inspired by my dawg, and hockey hall of famer, Cy Denneny.
One of the better left wingers back in the day (1920's), Denneny's shot was rumored to be as deadly as Bobby Englund's scissorhands. Fred-KrUg looks tight rockin' the candy stripes, and no doubt, would've been a main contributor on those legendary Ottawa Silver Seven teams...
-- TGOJ
October 25, 2007
Cory Stillman
Is there a more under-appreciated Skill Player in the league than Cory Stillman? Tampa and Carolina can definitely attest to his value on their respective clubs. As one of the few players in NHL history that has won a Cup in back-to-back years with different teams he still flies under the radar. Both teams relied on the unheralded Stillman during their cup runs. He averaged over a point-per-game in those back-to-back seasons and was invaluable in the playoffs. He had 7 points in 21 games in a complimentary role with the Lightning. He followed that up with 26 points with nine goals, of which 3 were game winners, in 25 games during the Hurricanes run.
His injury-shortened season last year was as much to blame for the Canes missing the playoffs as any other excuse. He missed the first three games of the 07-08 season as Carolina came out of the gate 1-1-1.
Since he returned to the lineup, the Canes have gone 5-0-2. His valuable leadership and timely scoring have helped to balance Carolina's solid forward lines. In his 7 appearances, Stillman has 10 points with half coming with the man advantage, including 3 of his 4 goals.
His 4 goals have him second on the team even having missed 3 games already and with talented playmakers, Justin Williams and Rod Brind'Amour setting them up, Eric Staal and Cory should notch career high goal totals.
Before last years injury shortened season, Stillman had topped 21 goals in 7 of the previous 8 seasons with a high of 27 two times. With a veteran defense corps, a deep solid forward unit, and Cam Ward's steady maturation, the Hurricanes seem to be definite factor in the Eastern Conference playoff race and could even make another run at their second Cup in three years.
Da H8R
October 22, 2007
If October 21, 2007
Flyers Start The Season Swinging
The Philadelphia Flyers may have been the laughing stock of the NHL in 2006-07, but after an offseason of retooling, the Broad Street Bullies have come out swinging early on. In the preseason, the Flyers looked as impressive on the fight card as they did on the score sheet. The new and improved Fly Boys did damage, scorers and pugilists alike, putting pucks in the net and opponents on stretchers. A pair of lengthy, 20-plus game suspensions to yahoos Jesse Boulerice and Steve Downie may have stole the ink at first, but excellent goaltending from Marty Biron and a more balanced offensive attack early in the regular season are the reasons the Flyers make headlines with each passing game.
Biron, or "Gaston" as he is referred to these days, looks like the solid goalie the Flyers have coveted for years between the pipes. Not since the crazed Mr. Bean (Roman Cechmanek) have the Flyers had a spectacular netminder capable of stealing games. This season Biron reminds me of Cechmanek-depressive during his good year(s), minus the Riddalin and uni-brow of course.
On offense, youngsters Mike Richards and Jeff Carter look legit, and offseason prize Daniel Briere has gelled nicely with Simon Gagne on the top scoring line. In fact, there hasn't been such an impressive French-Canadian duo in Philly since the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers tangled with Barry Horowitz and Steve Lombardi at the Spectrum in February of 1988.
On the blue line, heart-and-soul leader Jason Smith has been a rock and the rest of the defense has played poised and controlled hockey. So far the Flyers are playing some damn good hockey and look like a force to be reckoned with this season.
-- TGOJ
October 20, 2007
Toothless Tenacity
There are a few fashion statements that are synonymous with hockey players: the grizzly lumberjack look of Bryan Marchment and Jason Smith; the grey playoff beards of Scott Niedermayer and Ray Bourque; and the long hair blowing in the wind of Guy Lafleur and Gil Perreault.
These looks have been copied by many players, but it seems that more players in the NHL should take a page out of the books of the toothless Paul Stastny and Dany Heatley.
With both players missing teeth and their early season success, you have to ask yourself if there is a connection. They are threatening to set a trend that has dentists and oral surgeons sulking like Alex Cherepanov on draft day.
The toothless look makes players look mean and nasty. Lifelong instigator Tie Domi intentionally knocked his own pearly whites out as a child on the handle bars of his huffy in order to look like his idol and famous toothless warrior, Bobby Clarke.
The missing chiclet look appears to give these players superhuman ability. The 21 year old Stastny as of 10/18/07 is tied for the lead in points with 13 including 5 goals in 6 games. Dany Heatley already has 7 goals and 11 points in 7 games. These two toothless young guns will be putting on show all season long.
October 19, 2007
Trash Truck Time
Da Blues, Blackhawks, Predators, Blue Jackets, Desert Dogs, Oilers, Habs, Stars, Bruins and Hurricanes are ALL GARBAGE.
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