We now know the matchups for the four quarterfinal games at the 2013 World Hockey Championships in Stockholm, Sweden on Thursday.
Russia will play the United States, Finland will play Slovakia, the Czech Republic will play Switzerland while Canada will play Sweden in the final game on Thursday (12pm, TSN).
The biggest surprise in the round robin was Switzerland, who went through the full eight game round robin undefeated. It really seems there is significant progress at the moment regarding the level of play in the Swiss League, and that is transcending into success for Swiss hockey at the international stage.
It ha been an excellent tournament to date for Nashville Predators defenceman Roman Josi, who led Switzerland with seven round robin points.
This week on 15MOF we welcome the NHL back and we look at the preseason ranking that has the Edmonton Oilers remarkably high up. As well, we take a look at the storylines surrounding Ilya Kovalchuk, Brian Burke and Scott Gomez, and we recap the NFL playoff action from this past weekend.
In the GABBYs: Kate Upton, the Dallas Stars, the MLB, the MLB again, the NY Jets and Lubomir Visnovsky. The Punchline this week is Jose Canseco.
This week on 15MOF, we discuss a chance encounter between Geoff & the NHL’s deputy commissioner and the latest lockout news, a potentially embarrassing situation for the NHL coming up in January and the new fighting rules in the OHL. Also: The Eskimos continue to struggle, more developments in the NFL bounty situation, Manny Pacquiao changes his mind on Mayweather & the Edmonton Indy gets turfed.
In the GABBYs: Jose Reyes, Max Talbot & Bruno Gervais, Old Navy, Joshua Morgan, replacement refs and crazy soccer fans. The Punchline this week is the Bakersfield Condors!
The Los Angeles Kings are one win away from capturing their very first Stanley Cup. On Saturday night the Kings will play the New Jersey Devils (CBC, 6pm) leading the Finals 3-1.
The Devils meanwhile are taking a game-by-game approach according to all-star goaltender Martin Brodeur. In game four, the Devils had a solid third period and stayed alive with a 3-1 win. For the Devils to make the Stanley Cup Finals interesting, they will need a solid performance from Ilya Kovalchuk, who only has one goal in four games so far, and that one went into an empty net.
The Kings are getting great production from Drew Doughty, who leads all blueliners with 14 playof points.
One player though nobody is talking about is New Jersey’s defenceman Bryce Salvador who has 13 points. Just how unexpected has Salvador’s point production been? Well his NHL regular season career high came in 2009 when he had 16 points in 76 games!
There aren’t many times when the Edmonton Oilers get to celebrate these days. Wednesday night was one of them.
When the New Jersey Devils defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 on Tuesday, it preserved an Oiler record that is very significant not only to the entire Oiler franchise, but the National Hockey League as a whole.
With Los Angeles’ 3-1 loss Wednesday, it was their third loss of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They were unable to tie the remarkable Edmonton Oiler record for the fewest losses in one Stanley Cup Playoffs with two. The 1988 Edmonton Oilers remain the greatest team ever to play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In watching the Stanley Cup and NBA Playoffs so far, one thing has become perfectly obvious. The New Jersey Devils and San Antonio Spurs are winning through a solid offense, and not just by their exceptional defense, something that they have been known for the last fifteen years.
Last night in Texas, the Spurs took a commanding 2-0 lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Final, but won despite the fact they gave up a gawdy 111 points. Tony Parker scored 34 points and was a +15, while Emmanuel Ginoibli scored 30 points in a 120-111 victory.
Parker is averaging 20.5 points in thee postseason, while veteran Tim Duncan is averaging 16.8 points per game.
Meanwhile, the Devils have scored 51 postseason goals and have received points from 21 different players. Ilya Kovalchuk leads the team with 18 points, while Kovalchuk, Zach Parise, and Travis Zajac each have scored seven goals.
This week on 15 Minutes of Fame, we preview the Stanley Cup Final, we look at why the Phoenix Coyotes were so mad when they were bounced by the Kings and we discuss a controversial new feature on the CBC. As well, a possible return for Dominik Hasek and a look at the NBA playoffs!
In the GABBYs: Didier Drogba, Barcelona, Caleb Lloyd, Racing Club’s fans, Giancarlo Stanton & the Orlando Magic. The Punchline this week is track star Jessica Ennis. This week we also take a look at FIFA wanting to end the penalty shootout!
The New Jersey Devils did not play a full sixty minutes Wednesday night at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Actually they played far from it. They actually went through a stage where they played over 16 minutes with only one shot on goal.
But they were able to capitalize on their chances when necessary, and defeated the Rangers 5-3 to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Final. The Devils only had six first period shots and came away with a 3-1 lead after the first period and only 17 shots the entire game.
Ryan Carter scored the game winning goal with 4:24 left in the third period, while Zach Parise and Stephen Gionta led the Devils in scoring with a goal and an assist each. Ilya Kovalchuk and Mark Fayne also had multi-point games with two assists.
Brandon Dubinsky played his first game since April 26 when he suffered a leg injury in the Rangers’ game seven victory over the Ottawa Senators. Dubinsky played ok, but appeared to not be 100% just yet.
Martin Brodeur (James Teterenko, Wikimedia Commons)
The New Jersey Devils have advanced to the Eastern Conference Final. On Tuesday night in Philadelphia, the Devils defeated the Flyers 3-1 to win the Eastern Conference Semi-Final 4-1.
Ilya Kovalchuk led the Devils with a goal and an assist while Calder Trophy candidate Adam Henrique also had a multi-point game with a pair of assists. Meanwhile, Martin Brodeur made 27 saves. Brodeur is now a perfect 2-0 in his career since turning 40 and has made 47 saves on 50 save attempts.
Bryce Salvador and David Clarkson also scored for the Devils.
The Flyers just seemed to run into a hot goaltender in Brodeur, something they didn’t face in round one when they easily scored on Marc-Andre Fleury.
My major question now is how much does Martin Brodeur have left in the tank the rest of the way? Does he have enough remarkable skill to win one more Stanley Cup and fourth of his career? Please let us know at www.anysportanytime.ca.
Team Canada will have a chance to build off of their tight 3-2 victory over Slovakia yesterday when they face their American archrival nemesis this morning at the World Hockey Championships in Helsinki (TSN, 10am).
The Americans are coming off a commanding opening victory over France yesterday where they won 7-2.
Even though, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Devan Dubnyk and Jordan Eberle missed the playoffs for the Edmonton Oilers, this tournament could be valuable experience for them.
An American Oilers fans would be familiar with is defenceman Jeff Petry, who is joined on the American blueline with Jack Johnson, Alex Goligoski and Cam Fowler.
Here are the other events I’ll be watching this weekend:
Saturday–NHL Eastern Conference Semi-Final Game 4–New York Rangers @ Washington Capitals–10:30am–NBC–After coming off the longest game of the playoffs Wednesday night (game went into triple overtime), the Capitals will try to tie the series at two games apiece. Brad Richards continues to produce in the playoffs. The former Conn Smythe Trophy winner leads the Rangers in playoff scoring with nine points. For the Rangers to get by Washington however, they will need more from Artem Anisimov and Ruslan Fedotenko. They combined for 25 regular season goals, but only have a combined total of one goal in the playoffs.
Saturday–MLB–Arizona Diamondacks @ New York Mets–1:30pm–FOX–Despite only hitting .254 last season, Mets third baseman David Wright has got off to a great start in 2012, batting .395 with eight extra base hits. Last night J.J. Putz recorded his sixth save of the season as Arizona defeated the New York Mets 5-4. Arizona is 14-13 while the NY Mets are 13-13.
The Edmonton Oilers tightened things up a little defensively, but with injuries to two of their top scorers– Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the Oilers simply couldn’t produce enough offensively in a 2-1 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils at Rexall Place Wednesday night in Edmonton.
The Devils got goals from their two greatest offensive superstars–Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk.
Kovalchuk’s goal came shorthanded with teammate David Clarkson in the penalty box, and Parise’s goal came on the powerplay in overtime when Corey Potter tripped Adam Larsson with 36 seconds left in regulation time.
Ales Hemsky responded with the Oilers lone goal–on the power play, his fourth goal of the season, and only his first power play goal of the year. More is simply expected for Hemsky, who is not living up to his $5 million salary. He is a -7, is not averaging two shots a game, and is averaging just over one point every two games, well off of his career average.
Well, 2011 ended with a bang and another round of filthy dangles and sweet snipes taking us into the New Year.
On this edition of the Goals of the Week, we’ve got a nifty backhander, some top corner magic, a couple of solid individual efforts and a passing play for the ages from a team we’re used to seeing it from!
Let’s go!
5. Alexander Semin
Alex Semin makes Marty Biron look like a backup goalie on this one, breaking in all alone and rifling a backhand shot past him with some authority!
(AFTER THE JUMP: The Rest of the Best from around the NHL!)
As we enter the third month of the NHL season, the beauty goals just keep on coming!
This week’s Goals of the Week list features some slick passing plays, a couple of beauty dekes, an unreal second effort and a long distance give-and-go.
Let’s get right to it!
5. Steven Stamkos
The Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t get off to a great start this season, but Steven Stamkos sure did! Check out this killer give-and-go with Matt Gilroy late in the second period of a loss to the Red Wings. What a snipe!
(CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE TOP FIVE AFTER THE JUMP!) (more…)
As we near the end of the second month of the NHL season, we’re starting to separate the men from the boys and the pretenders from the real deals out there…but regardless of that, the beauty goals keep rolling in!
This week on the GOTW, we’ve got the answer to Tampa’s defensive tactics, another alley-oop, the old “dangle & snipe,” and two of the nicest goals you’ll see all season long! Oh, and the most embarrassing thing since…well I won’t spoil it!
Let’s go!
5. Patrik Elias
Remember when the Tampa Bay Lightning were getting raked over the coals for playing the 1-3-1 system against the Philadelphia Flyers? Check out Patrik Elias’ method of getting through the clogged ice on this NJ Devils power play! Pause the video at the 35-second mark: it’s a 2-on-4, and he still scores! (VIDEOS after the jump!) (more…)
Well, 2011 ended with a bang and another round of filthy dangles and sweet snipes taking us into the New Year.
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