On Sunday, the Calgary Stampeders (11-7) will go on the road to take on the Edmonton Eskimos (11-7) in the CFL Western Division Semi-Final.
The Eskimos won the season series 2-1, but the Stampeders won their only matchup at Commonwealth Stadium, 30-20 in Edmonton on September 9.
But this is a much different Stampeders team than what was put on the field by Head Coach and General Manager John Hufnagel two months ago. Since then, Hufnagel has replaced Henry Burris with Drew Tate at the quarterback position and Joffrey Reynolds with Jon Cornish at running back.
Still I cannot ignore the fact that in the Labour Day rematch, Burris passed for 316 yards and Reynolds ran for 80 yards.
But since Tate has taken over the starting role in Calgary, the Stampeders are 3-0.
The big news in Edmonton is the health of running back Jerome Messam, who, according to TSN, is questionable with a lower-body injury that flared up during Monday’s practice. Messam became the first Canadian to rush for 1000 yards since 2000 this season. The game can be seen Sunday on TSN at 2:30pm.
By the way, my gut is telling me the Stamps will win. I feel the veteran leadership, healthier offensive line and playoff experience for the Stampeders is key and will get them through on Sunday.
It was another solid week in the world of sports, and we are once again here to break it all down for you! On this episode of 15 Minutes of Fame: Ryan Smyth’s return to Edmonton and the accompanying controversy, a look at which Free Agents are still looking for work and a thumbs up to the Edmonton Eskimos!
In the GABBYs: Derek Jeter hits 3,000, Wladimir Klitschko fires back at David Haye, jersey swapping at the Women’s World Cup, Tiger Woods and Michael Vick.
Daymond Langkow of the Calgary Flames has been nominated for the 2011 Masterton Award.
Langkow, a 34 year-old centerman from Edmonton, Alberta, missed the majority of the 2010-11 National Hockey League regular season because of a serious neck injury he suffered March 21st in Minnesota. But on April 1st, Langkow made his return for the Flames after missing the team’s first 78 regular season games. He recorded an assist and was a +2 in the Flames’ 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. He also quickly found his way on to the Flames’ number one line with Jarome Iginla and Alex Tanguay.
Langkow, who was also Tampa Bay’s 1st round pick, fifth overall in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft was not afraid to deliver bodychecks. He had four hits in four games.
Langkow is up against Ray Emery of the Anaheim Ducks who overcame serious hip surgery to lead the Ducks to a playoff spot and Ian Laperriere of the Philadelphia Flyers, who suffered concussion like systems and a broken orbital bone in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the New Jersey Devils. Unlike Langkow and Emery, Laperriere didn’t play in 2010-11, and so I feel his chances of winning the Masterton Award are a little diminished.
I have now watched at least part of every game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs so far. Here are my comments after the first two games of action.
Thumbs up to the Pittsburgh Penguins for playing a very tight-checking affair in game one against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa’s big three of Stamkos/LeCavalier/St. Louis had a combined total of eight shots. I didn’t think Dan Bylsma could continue his coaching magic into the playoffs. I was wrong.
The Anaheim Ducks and Detroit Red Wings are in an excellent position to breeze through the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
I’m projecting both teams to win in five games.
Over the last twenty games, the Ducks were sizzling. Since February 27, the Ducks went 15-4-1. Three major reasons were because of the play of Corey Perry, Teemu Selanne and Ray Emery. Perry won the Rocket Richard Trophy this season as he was the only player in the National Hockey League to record 50 goals. Selanne, at age 40, found youth in his legs and notched 80 points. Emery, meanwhile, came in for Jonas Hiller late in the season and posted a 7-2 record. A lower body injury Emery suffered late in the year however against San Jose means that Dan Ellis is likely to start against Nashville in Game One.
The Predators have the edge over the Ducks in goaltending with Pekka Rinne, but I just can’t see Rinne stealing many games for Nashville over the next ten days.
If the Calgary Flames don’t make the playoffs this year, and it’s not looking like they will at the moment, there’s a good chance that fans will be looking back on the events of Wednesday night and cursing the NHL.
During the second period of what was then a one-goal game, the Flames appeared to make it 2-2 when Tim Jackman and Matt Stajan crashed the Anaheim crease and looked to have pushed the puck into the net. However, an inconclusive replay kept them from claiming that goal and they went on to lose 4-2, a big blow for their playoff hopes. Had the goal counted, they’ll say, who knows what might have happened in the final period and a half!
For a team that just barely misses the playoffs, there will always be a ton of “what if” moments, but was this one preventable? (more…)
It was an interesting night between the pipes on Wednesday in the NHL as one guy stayed perfect (with a little help), a cold call resulted in a clean sheet and the Blues went totally Chinua Achebe on the Wings!
What’s that saying – you have to be good to be lucky? Ray Emery must be pretty good then, because he got quite lucky in Calgary on Wednesday in the second period of an eventual 4-2 win for his Ducks over the Flames. The home side appeared to tie the game up during a goalmouth scramble in the Anaheim end, but the video replay was inconclusive and so the goal wasn’t given. The replay seemed to show the puck over the line, and common sense would lead you to believe that it was a good goal, but it was impossible to tell for sure if it was in…(After the jump: Enroth blanks Rangers and Blues light up MacDonald & McCollum!) (more…)
Sunday night in Anaheim the Calgary Flames have a monumental match that could ultimately decide their fate in the 2010-11 NHL season. Currently the Flames lead the Ducks by two points in the Western Conference Standings. Calgary sits in eighth place with a record of 37-27-9, while the Ducks are in tenth with a record of 38-27-5. The game takes on added significance because the Ducks have three games in hand on the Flames.
The Ducks have remained in playoff position despite the absence of goaltender Jonas Hiller who is out with a serious case of vertigo. Dan Ellis and Ray Emery have played admirably in Hiller’s place, and have a combined 6-2-1 record. Jarome Iginla is producing at a rapid pace for the Flames. In his last nine games, he has seven goals and five assists.
The game can be seen on Sportsnet, Sunday at 6pm. Here are the other sports events I’ll be watching this weekend:
The Pittsburgh Penguins backup made 20 stops in a 3-0 win over the NY Islanders on Wednesday night at the Consol Energy Center, but failed to earn his second shutout of the season. Why, you ask?
Somebody turned the “Lights Out” with less than 17 seconds to go!
It all started when Pens forward Matt Cooke bumped into Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro late in the game, which led to some pushing and shoving in the NY zone. It also led to Brent Johnson taking a leisurely skate down the ice to have a little chat with his fellow netminder. (Video, plus more goalie fights after the jump!)(more…)
Hello folks! It’s Monday morning and that means a new 15 Minutes of Fame video.
This week, the 15 Minutes of Fame all-stars discuss well, the NHL all-star draft. They also give their picks for this year’s Superbowl, talk about all the hype surrounding Wayne Gretzky’s 50th birthday and they talk about their time spent independent of each other at the same Oil City Derby match.
In this week’s GABBYs, on the good side: 15 Minutes of Fame gets its 1,000th view in large part thanks to the fine folks in Sweden, Lea Sweatt gets his first NHL point and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says that he’ll only take $1 salary if there is a lockout.
On the bad side: the NHL’s Erik Johnson’s own goal, the Toronto Raptors can’t score a three-point basket and Fox Sports wants NASCAR to tone it down.
In Quick Hits: Ray Emery might get another chance at the NHL, Bettman says time is running out on Phoenix sale and concussions are on the NHL general manager’s radar.
Check it out:
Lot’s more after the jump. Click “continue reading.” ———————> (more…)
On Sunday, the Calgary Stampeders (11-7) will go on the road to take on the Edmonton Eskimos (11-7) in the CFL Western Division Semi-Final.
If the Calgary Flames don’t make the playoffs this year, and it’s not looking like they will at the moment, there’s a good chance that fans will be looking back on the events of Wednesday night and cursing the NHL.
It was an interesting night between the pipes on Wednesday in the NHL as one guy stayed perfect (with a little help), a cold call resulted in a clean sheet and the Blues went totally Chinua Achebe on the Wings!
Who knew Brent Johnson was a masher?!
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