NHL 12 Dynasty Thread Part 5

[AIexisLafreniereNYR]

Minnesota Wild Fire General Manager Chuck Fletcher.
Quickly Wild Hire Rookie Vincent Martin as General Manager of the Minnesota Wild.
The Ownership Of The Minnesota Wild Agreed To Fire Chuck Fletcher of the day of June 20th And Quickly Hire Rookie GM Vincent Martin (The General Manager Of The Kitchener Rangers Of The OHL) To A 3 Year Deal As The Replacement.

With just 2 days before the 2012 NHL entry draft the Minnesota Wild has decide to part ways with Chuck Fletcher. The replacement will be Vincent Martin who was the GM of the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, Vincent Martin was very successful running the organization that led them to 4 Calder Cups, 8 Calder Cup finals appearances. At the press conference experimental GM Vincent Martin told the press "I was very successful in Kitchener because I looked closely at the draft year in and year out, every year we had a solid group with top players coming in and a lot of players leaving into the NHL or other professional leagues. The draft is a main focus for me, the draft to me is how you build a successful franchise for years, just look at Detroit and the Devils at how successful they where in the 90's and 2000's, heck even now, with the Devils just losing in the SCF. So look forward for me to focus on the draft and bringing in new players for the years to come." So as for right now its clear the Wild will be going to rebuild mode for a few years.

Vincent Martin also told the press of the reasoning of wanting to be the GM of the Wild. "Words can't explain how excited I am, I mean Minnesota is the most popular NHL team in the states, they have great fans, very loyal, and many players come out of Minnesota that go pro. One reason why I really wanted to come here is because its strictly a hockey town, so to get a chance of being the General Manager of the Minnesota Wild is special!"

GM Martin was asked at the press conference
"What are you plans for this team?"
"Well.. As of now things are not going as expected, at the moment we are currently looking at the future and build from there. We have a pretty solid team on paper, but there not exactly giving it there all on the ice of what they expected last season, so don't expect a full rebuild, but as of now like how I was successful with the Kitchener Rangers, I really want to start by drafting some prospects and develope them over the years to play in Minnesota for the future. We have some interesting prospects in this origination that I have my eye on that I'm excited about. Maybe we can make the playoffs next years, like I said we have a solid group out there so I wouldn't be surprised if we make the playoffs, I can't wait of what the future brings."

With the entry draft just 2 days away it will be interesting on the choices Vincent Martin will make.

 

[AIexisLafreniereNYR]

I hope you do the sim and start the 2012 Season today

i love to read all these posts

Keep it up

I plan on doing that right now, right now I'm going to simulate the 2011-12 season and start on the draft. I'm going to try my hardest to get Edmonton Yakapov, I might sign a 60 overall goalie for the 2011-12 season (because it doesnt count) so I can get the first overall pick and trade it to EDM so its more realistic.

 

[keeganr]

NHL Free Agency
Halifax makes small moves to improve squad
2012 Off-Season
The Chronicle Herald - June 5, 2012

Re-signed:
D Ryan Suter 4 Year, 4.770M, 1-way
LW Alex Semin 1 Year, 4.845M, 1-way
RW PA Parenteau 5 Year, 3.830M, 1-way
G Cory Schneider 2 Year, 3.425M, 1-way

Entry Level Contracts:
D Ryan Murray

Let go:
D Ryan Parent

After the draft, GM Keegan Reynolds was busy signing his players to new contracts. He didn’t sign many of his drafted players, only D Ryan Murray. “I would like our other prospects to have a chance to develop in their respective junior leagues before making their way to the big squad,†Reynolds said in an exclusive interview.

UFA Signings:
C Zack Phillips 1 Year, 0.525M, 2-way
LW Justin Abdelkader 2 Year, 1.020M, 1 way
C Martin Hanzal 2 Year, 1.740M, 1 way
LW Evgeny Grachev 1 Year, 0.720M, 2 way

Former Sea Dog Zack Phillips will join Halifax’s AHL team the Albany Devils.

Justin Abdelkader will be a nice fit in on the Hound’s fourth line.

After the UFA period began, Martin Hanzal and Evgeny Grachev had not signed to a contract with the team. That was quickly resolved as they were both promptly signed by GM Reynolds. He was questioned about his decision to let Ryan Parent go. “I felt we needed to have space on the roster for our new and upcoming defenseman to play on the roster.†Halifax has 18M in cap space and rumors have it that a couple big blockbuster deals are in the making.​

 

[David Suzuki]

yay for draft being unrealistic. any tips to remedy this for next time?

All I can tell you is edit the top prospects. It takes time but I hate seeing Yakupov go anywhere but top 3, almost always 1 in my roster.

 

[xVolchenkov]

2011-2012 SEASON (47-30-5)
Rivalries Renewed
Ottawa to face Montreal in first round of the playoffs

Senators forward Jason Spezza making things hard for goaltender Carey Price

After a monster deal at the deadline, Senators just fell short of
clinching first in the eastern conference, losing an important
2 points to New Jersey in there final game of the season. While
still impressive, a second place finish sets them up with tough
battle against division rivals; the Montreal Canadiens (43-35-4).

While Montreal has no real "superstars", they have tremendous
depth scoring. 5 players have 20+ goals, 50+ point seasons, and
3 more 40+ point players, shutting down the Habs will prove to be
quite the test. Ottawa certainly has there work cut out for them.

Lines are as followed:

MONTREAL CANADIENS (7th)
Pacioretty-Plekanec-Cole(A)
Bourque-Desharnais-Gionta(C)
Moen-Eller-White
Leblanc-Gomez-Darche

Subban-Markov(A)
Emelin-Gorges
Campoli-Weber

Price
Budaj


OTTAWA SENATORS (2nd)
Michalek-Spezza(A)-Gaborik
Butler-Turris-Alfredsson(C)
Condra-Vermette-Regin
Smith-Konopka-Neil

Kuba-Karlsson
Gonchar-Cowen
Stralman-Phillips(A)

Lehner
Bishop


"We really like the group of guys we have here, and think they can
take us far" Murray stated when asked about the series. "With
Montreal having so many dangerous players, we felt as though
moving Vermette back into more of a defensive roll for the playoffs
should help even out the lines. We're really depending on our
bottom 6 guys to step up big for us and help shut them down.
Everyone knows what roll they have, and we expect the best out
of them night after night."



- Ottawa Sun

 

[keeganr]

Blockbuster Moves Shake the Halifax Hounds
Halifax adds two former Canucks to bolster their squad.
2012-2013 Regular Season
The Chronicle Herald – Mon. September 17,2012

Halifax Hounds Receive:
D Alex Edler

Carolina Hurricanes Receive:
HAL 1st Round Pick 2013
HAL 2nd Round Pick 2013
D Erik Diodati

---

Halifax Hounds Receive:
C Ryan Kesler

Edmonton Oilers Receive:
ANA 1st Round Pick 2013
ANA 1st Round Pick 2014
C Martin Hanzal

Ryan Kesler adds more strength down the middle for the Hounds.

Alex Edler gives Halifax more depth on the back-end after Timonen retired.

Two big roster moves re-shape the Hounds in a big way, adding two important players. “We are confident that these players can produce for us this year,†GM Reynolds said in a press conference after he announced the deals. He was questioned also about why he gave up so much for these players. “We needed to overpay because the clubs weren’t budging on initial offers we had sent them. We knew that these players would be important additions to the roster so we were willing to pay extra for them."

Halifax Hounds Lineup:

Alex Semin (85/C) / Pavel Datsyuk (94/C-) / PA Parenteau (84/C)
James Neal (85/B-) / Ryan Kesler (88/C) / Gabriel Landeskog (83/B-)
Sean Couturier (82/B) / Shawn Matthias (79/B-) / Martin Erat (83/C)
Justin Abdelkader (80/C) / Nazem Kadri (79/B) / Magnus Paajarvi-Svenson (81/B)

Adam Larsson (82/A) / Ryan Suter (87/C)
Alex Edler (83/C) / Yannick Weber (79/B)
Ryan Ellis (78/B) / Calvin De Haan (75/B)

Cory Schneider (87/B-)
Henrik Karlsson (81/C)​

All I can tell you is edit the top prospects. It takes time but I hate seeing Yakupov go anywhere but top 3, almost always 1 in my roster.

Alright, I will start testing it around. But yeah I saw Yakupov go round 3 it is was kinda annoying and I drafted Murray in round 4.

 

[xVolchenkov]

2011-2012 SEASON (47-30-5)
Round One Recap
Senators, Montreal series over earlier than expected

Senators celebrate and look forward to moving on

Game One @ Ottawa (1-0) Senators Lead
CAPITAL GAINS (2-1 Final)
Ottawa managed to survive an early attack, coming back to win 2-1
despite being out shot 36-28. Lehner (35 saves), along with stars
Jason Spezza (1g,1a) and Marian Gaborik (1g,1a) had big nights,
helping Ottawa take a 1-0 series lead.

Game Two @ Ottawa (2-0) Senators Lead
TWO FOR THE SHOW (4-3 Final)
Forward Marian Gaborik continued his great playoff performance,
getting two assists to go along with Milan Michalek's pair of goals.
Bobby Butler scored a timely 3rd period power-play goal, putting
them up 4-3 with just 5 minutes remaining.

Game Three @ Montreal (3-0) Senators Lead
COMEBACK KIDS (5-3 Final)
Although the Habs were able to pot 3 first period goals, the
perseverance of the Sens proved to be too strong for them
to handle and Ottawa crawled there way back into the game,
scoring 4 consecutive goals. Roll players Konopka and Condra
had big games, with 2 points and 3 hits each.

Game Four @ Montreal (4-0) Senators Win
CONNECT FOUR(1-0 Final)
When his team needed him the most, Lehner was there. 41
shots were put on the Senators net, all which were stopped
as Ottawa managed to sweep there division rivals. Erik Karlsson
scored the lone goal for the Sens.


Bryan Murray met with media later that night

"We had our players come in and do what we knew they were
capable of. When we all play at our A-game like we did in this
series, no team will be able to stop us. Our big players really
stepped up and took charge. We know we need to win 16 to
get the cup, and these 4 are just a piece of the puzzle"


NOTES:
- The top line of Michalek, Spezza and Gaborik combined for 14
points in the 4 games.
- Robin Lehner had a .944 SV%, 1.75 GGA and 1 shutout.
- Jared Cowen led the team with 16 hits (next closest was Smith
with 6).
- Senators took command on the faceoff circle: Jason Spezza
60.3%, Zenon Konopka 57.9%, Antoine Vermette 56.7%

 

[xVolchenkov]

2011-2012 SEASON (47-30-5)
No Love Lost
Ottawa to face Philadelphia in second round of the playoffs

Senators and Flyers meet in what will certainly be a gritty series

After two complete opposite round ones for these teams, Ottawa
and Philadelphia are set to square off in round number two. The
2nd place Senators managed to sweep the 7th place Canadiens
while the 8th seeded Flyers knocked off the 1st seed Devils in a
series that went to all 7 games.

Even with the mediocre regular season the Flyers had, Ottawa is
aware of how big of a threat they can be. Stars such as Briere,
Giroux, Pronger and Bryzgalov can completely take over the series
at anytime. Who will come out on top of this battle of star teams?
Only time will tell.

Lines are as followed:

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (8th)
Hartnell-Giroux(A)-Briere(A)
Rinaldo-Talbot-Jagr
Shelley-Couturier-Voracek
Read-Schenn-Simmonds

Coburn-Pronger(C)
Grossman-Carle
Schenn-Meszaros

Bryzgalov
Leighton


OTTAWA SENATORS (2nd)
Michalek-Spezza(A)-Gaborik
Butler-Turris-Alfredsson(C)
Condra-Vermette-Regin
Smith-Konopka-Neil

Kuba-Karlsson
Gonchar-Cowen
Stralman-Phillips(A)

Lehner
Bishop



*Murray met with the media

"We're more then aware of what Philadelphia can bring to the table,
and that doesn't worry us. Last round should be a wake up call to
the entire NHL that were for real. We aren't going to take them
lightly. We know what were capable of and its time for the Flyers
to see it too."




- Ottawa Sun

 

[keeganr]

The Race is Close!
Halifax is one point from the top, and four points from being out of playoff contention.
23-15-3 | 4th in the East
2012-2013 Regular Season
The Chronicle Herald – Sat. December 5, 2012

Cory Schneider leads the league with 21 wins.

The Hounds are having another great season. The new additions have fit in nicely with the team and they are producing. “The change of scenery was important for me. I am having a great time playing for my new team this season,” Ryan Kesler said prior to a 5-4 W over Pittsburgh. There has been a major problem for the Hounds this year though: the farm team. Currently 9-23-1, GM Reynolds feels he needs to add some big players to the squad. “It has been a disaster down in Albany and we are going to have to remedy that somehow.” Halifax might be in the market for some trades and free agent signings, but no word on who exactly will be offered or who will be traded has been announced yet. It is all speculation at this point.​

 

[AIexisLafreniereNYR]

Minnesota Wild Draft Day
Vincent Martin in his first real day as a General Manager was quite the day for him and the fans as Martin made 2 trades and a 1 being a block buster deal. ​

Draft day trades:
The Minnesota Wild Send Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Jeff Taffe to the Vancouver Canucks for Keith Ballard and Maxim Lapiere.

The Minnesota Wild Send Danny Heatley and a 2014'3rd pick to the Montreal Canadiens for Nathan Beaulieu, 61 Overall Pick (Colton Sissons), and a 2013'1st pick

Minnesota Wild Draft Selections:
1st Round (12th): Grifftin Reinhart - Defense (B, B-, B)

Reinhart is one of the more intriguing players in this draft. His size, skating ability, and raw physical tools are all things to like, but his consistency and lack of physical dominance are warts that are difficult to overlook at times. Despite the concerns, Reinhart has more than justified his spot in the Top 10 of the draft. His high-end upside projects as a very solid top pairing defenseman.

2nd Round (34): Justin Hickman - Center (B, B, C)
Justin Hickman has good offensive skills and a big body, which he uses well along the boards and in front of the net. A decent skater, he will need to improve his stride to move to the next level, but he is solid two-way forward, with decent hands.

3rd Round (61): [via trade from Montreal] - Colton Sissons - Center (C, B, B)
What stands out most about Colton Sissons other than his size are his leadership capabilities. He was named team Captain of the Kelowna Rockets this past year and he always was matched against the best players the WHL had to offer. On top of that he was invited to the CHL top prospects game where he was named team Captain of Team Orr. This guy is a leader in every level of hockey he has played and he instantly earns respect for his heart and soul style of play. He is a shut down defensive forward who will contribute offensively at an NHL level. He is a high energy player who always knows where he needs to be at the right times on the ice. Any team in the NHL would be happy to have a character guy like Colton Sissons be a part of their organization. After a few years in the AHL Sissons should be ready to make is impact in the NHL.

3rd Round (76): Matt Fin - Defense (B, B-, B)
Finn is one of the smartest draft eligible defenceman in Ontario. He knows what to do with and without the puck, and shows good anticipation skills. He is very strong positionally in all three zones, and is effective at controlling gaps in his own zone. He has a good stick that is always active in passing lanes. His biggest area of growth over the past 12 months has no doubt been his offensive skills. Previously, Finn would simply make an initial outlet pass and not really push things offensively. Now, he is much more confident in his abilities. He is more aggressive, skating the puck out of his own end and making more impressive stretch passes. He also is effective at skating the puck into the offensive zone, gaining the blueline and setting up an offensive play. He is much more poised with the puck on the powerplay, and can distribute the puck with intelligence. At one point he was pegged as more of a defense first defenceman with limited offensive upside, but his confidence in his abilities have allowed him to take more risks and challenge himself to be better with the puck, and he is better for it. He has really grown as a hockey player in the last 12 months, and is now starting to really look like a defenceman that an NHL team can build with.

4th Round (91): Matt Neuwitt - Goaltender (A-, A, C)
Athletic goaltender with great reflexes. Never gives up on plays and competes hard on every shot. Sometimes he overplays the on-coming rush and can get into trouble. Has a very good glove and blocker. Stickhandles very well and is a fine outlet passer. Shows up majorly in big game situations throughout his career. Loves to compete, has a winning attitude, confidence and is always looking to improve. Consistency of any young goalie can be called into question and Campbell is no exception, maturity should ward off those untimely soft goals.

5th Round (121): Shayne Campbell - Goaltender (C, C, B)
Campbell is efficient in his body movements and makes good use of his large frame in covering the net. He has a good glove, and generally stays square to the shooter, but has a habit of giving up some bad rebounds.

6th Round (151): Marc-Anthony Zanetti - Defense (C, C, B-)
Zanetti has a very good shot and generally plays a two-way game along the blueline.

7th Round (181): Cody Payne - Right Wing (B, B-, C)
He's a big, strong kid that played on a deep team and didn't have a lot of ice time this year. The Powerforward should go back to Plymouth and get his chance next season.

After the draft Vincent Martin was asked about the Danny Heatley trade, "I like Danny Heatley, he's obviously a good player, but I don't like the fit with this team. Montreal called send a good offer, we talked about it and accepted it. I really like Nathan Beaulieu he can quarterback the play from the blue line, he is a highly mobile defenseman, who carries the puck well and can make things happen on the rush. We also got some picks in return, I really like Sissions I thought he was going to get picked in the late first/early second round, when I saw him and took him there. Very excited about this pick."

Martin also talked about why he chose Griffin Reinhart. "I had my eye on Reinhart for a while now and I told my self if he was still on the board at 12 I was going to take him, he has a great shot from the point, he plays both ways offensively and defensively. I was shocked when I saw him at 12, so I took him there."

Griffin Reinhart on being selected to the Minnesota Wild. "I am very excited, of course when you think of Minnesota you think of the wild, it's a great place and they have wonderful fans, to get the chance of playing in Minnesota is crazy, I'm so excited words can't explain."

Reinhart was asked -"You where projected to be the top 4 pick, falling to 12, what does that mean to you?"
-"Doesn't mean much, I could be drafted 7th round for all I care, as long as I get a chance to play in the NHL. The teams that skipped will one day regret it, but I'm happy to be in this organization."

--------------------------------------------------------

Minnesota Wild Off Season Moves:

Resigned:
Justin Faulk 2 years 780k
Mike Lundin 1 year 1m
Guillaume Latendresse 3 years 1.8m
Nick Palmieri 3 years 680k
Mikael Granlund MLE
Griffin Reinhart MLE
Nathan Beaulieu MLE

Not Resigned:
Josh Harding
Kurtis Foster
Jed Ortmeyer
Erik Christensen

Darren Dreger - Reports are telling me 27 year old goaltender Josh Harding was asking for 3.5 for 3 years, GM Martin offered Harding 3 years 2m. Harding will be heading into freeagency.

Trades:
Darren Dreger - Wild traded Niklas Backstrom to the Lightning for their first round pick for next season.

Free Agent Signings
Sean Avery 1 year 1.6m
Todd Fedoruk 2 years 725k
Taylor Pyatt 2 years 1.25m
Steve Sullivan 1 year 800k
Ty Conklin 1 year 1.5m
Marty Turco 1.8m
Ryan Johnson 2 years 600k 2-way
Joakim Lundstrom 2 years 915k 2-way
Karri Ramo 3 years 845k 2-way

--------------------------------------------------------

Minnesota Wild Top 15 Prospects
Griffin Reinhart D 8.0B
Mikael Granlund C 8.0C
Nathan Beaulieu D 8.0C
Matt Newitt G 7.5B
Matt Finn D 7.5B
Jonas Brodin D 7.5C
Colton Sissions C 7.5C
Jason Zucker RW 7.0B
Marco Scandella D 7.0C
Justin Hickman C 7.0C
Bret Bulmer RW 6.5B
Steven Kampfer D 6.5B
Cody Payne C 6.5B
Zack Phillips C 6.5C
Shayne Campbell G 6.0C​

--------------------------------------------------------

Going into preseason GM Martin talked about his off-season "I feel that we did a good job getting the players we wanted in the draft, we added 2 first round draft picks. Clearly we are rebuilding, I don't think this roster is a playoff team yet and in a few years. I'm excited to see how the prospects devolope, I have the best scouts in the world, so I am confident some of them will pan out. Next season we will make our money worth and go fishing for some top notch free agents, but first lets go through this season first and lets see what we could do."

2012-13 Minnesota Wild
Taylor Pyatt - Mikko Koivu - Devin Setoguchi
Steve Sullivan - Matt Cullen - Guillaume Latendresse
Sean Avery - Kyle Brodziak - Cal Clutterbuck
Todd Fedoruk - Maxim Lapierre - Nick Palmieri

Keith Ballard - Tom Gilbert
Justin Faulk- Marco Scandella
Steve Kampfer - Mike Lundin

Marty Turco
Ty Conklin​

 

[AIexisLafreniereNYR]

Great I finally start my beagm and some how I have no idea how the disk has a little crack in it... Wtf is this ****

 

[keeganr]

Btw, in one of my future write-ups, you will see a trade I accepted on accident which I shouldn't have.

 

[xVolchenkov]

2011-2012 SEASON (47-30-5)
Round Two Recap
Flyers edge Senators in back and fouth series

Flyers take out favored Senators as they continue surprising post-season run

Game One @ Ottawa (1-0) Flyers Lead
SHUT-OUT (2-0 Final)
Two quick goals from Philidephia in less then 2 minutes into the first
was all to much for the OTT. Voracek and L.Schenn scored just :59
seconds apart as the Flyers shock Ottawa with there first loss this
post-season.

Game Two @ Ottawa (2-0) Flyers Lead
NO BETTER LUCK (4-1 Final)
After being up 2-0, Ottawa split the lead off of a deflection goal
from Konopka, getting fans back into the game half way though the
3rd. Unfortunately, 4 minutes later, Luke Schenn scored his 2nd of
series, putting the game out of reach for the Sens.

Game Three @ Philadelphia (2-1) Flyers Lead
STILL A PULSE (5-3 Final)
In a back and forth game of hockey, Ottawa pulled off a huge win.
After Alfredsson scored the games opening goal, Giroux netted a
pair, followed by another from Flyers Maxime Talbot. Head coach
Paul MacLean (Sens) called a time out, attempting to setting the
troops. What a speech he must have given. Following that,
Senators scored 4 consecutive goals from Spezza, Turris, Konopka
and Gaborik. Senators managed to rack up 50 shots which proved
to be to much for Philly.

Game Four @ Philadelphia (2-2) Tied Series
WHO NEEDS HOME ICE? (5-2 Final)
Ottawa has officially broken out of there goal scoring slump, now
netting 10 goals in there last 2 games (previously only scoring 1
in there first two games this series). An explosion of offense from
the Senators saw Milan Michalek and Marian Gaborik each get 3
points as Ottawa ties up the series, going back to Ottawa for a
best of 3.

Game Five @ Ottawa (3-2) Philadelphia Leads
RECLAIMING THE LEAD (5-3 Final)
11 players on the Philadelphia roster got at least a point as the
Flyers retook the series lead. With a save percentage of .818,
Ottawa is going to need goaltender Robin Lehner to be better if
they are going to make it out of this series.

Game Six @ Philadelphia (4-2) Flyers Win
ALL SHE WROTE (2-1 Final OT)
Unlikely hero Filip Kuba scored with 8 minutes left in the 3rd period
to force over time for the first time this playoffs for the Sens. A
bullet from the point is all she wrote in Ottawa's fairly-tail season,
as captain Chris Pronger unleached a rocket, shattering dreams of
Sens fans across the globe. In what was a goaltending duel for the
ages, Bryzgalov one-upped rookie Robin Lehner and helped Philly
move on to the conference finals.

*Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson, coach Paul McLean, Assistant
GM Tim Murray, and GM Bryan Murray are set to meet the the
media and fans in Ottawa, addressing some key issues going into
next year

 

[David Suzuki]

Habs Update

It is now the 30th of April, 2013 and the first round of the NHL Playoffs are over! The Montreal Canadiens advanced in a 4 game sweep of the Florida Panthers and will now face the 6th ranked Flyers, meaning the Habs play Philly for the 3rd time in 6 years. It was a very defensive series with both goalies being among the best through round one. Carey Price shone with a GAA of less than 1 at .75. The streets of Montreal are excited with the prospect of being able to move on to round two against the Flyers, one of their rivals of late in the playoffs, having lost to them in 2008 and 2010, both in 5 games. Game one goes Thursday night at the Bell Centre, puck drop being at 7:00 PM. The scored for round 1 for the Canadiens were as follows:

Game 1: Florida (1) @ Montreal (3)
Game 2: Florida (1) @ Montreal (2)
Game 3: Montreal (1) @ Florida (0)
Game 4: Montreal (3) @ Florida (1)

Eastern Conference Second Round

Washington (2) Vs. Toronto (8)
Montreal (4) Vs. Philadelphia (6)

Western Conference Second Round

Los Angeles (1) Vs. Chicago (5)
St. Louis (2) Vs. Vancouver (3)

Top 5 Goal Scorers on the Habs
1. Tomas Plekanec (2) in 4 games
2. Lars Eller (1) in 4 games
3. Joonas Nattinen (1) in 4 games
4. Andrei Markov (1) in 4 games
5. Brian Gionta (1) in 4 games

Top 5 Goal Scorers in the NHL
1. Claude Giroux (5) in 7 games
2. Sidney Crosby (4) in 7 games
3. Karl Alzner (4) in 6 games
4. Simon Gagne (4) in 7 games
5. Jason Pominville in 7 games

Top 5 Assists in the NHL
1. Jaromir Jagr-Washington (7) in 6 games
2. Phil Kessel-Toronto (5) in 7 games
3. Mike Green-Washington (5) in 6 games
4. Jakub Voracek-Philadelphia (5) in 7 games
5. Evgeni Malkin-Pittsbrgh (5) in 7 games

Top 5 Goals Against Average in the NHL
1. Carey Price-Montreal (.75)
2. Jaroslav Halak-St. Louis (1.00)
3. Roberto Luongo-Vancouver (1.20)
4. Corey Crawford-Chicago (1.67)
5. Evgeni Nabakov-Florida (1.78)​

 

[David Suzuki]

Montreal Canadiens Line Up For Round Two

Max Pacioretty-David Deshernais-Erik Cole
Ryan White-Tomas Plekanec-Brian Gionta
Travis Moen-Lars Eller-Rene Bourque
Joonas Nattinen-Louis Leblanc-Blake Geoffrion

Josh Gorges-PK Subban
Yannick Weber-Andrei Markov
Tomas Kaberle-Alexei Emelin

Carey Price
Peter Budaj

VS

Philadelphia Flyers Line Up

James Van Riemsdyk-Claude Giroux-Daniel Briere
Scott Hartnell-Brayden Schenn-Jakub Voracek
Sean Couturier-Maxim Talbot-Wayne Simmonds
Ryan Smythe-Matt Read-Zach Stortini

Kimmo Timonen-Brayden Coburn
Nick Grossman-Matt Carle
Oskars Bartulis-Andrej Meszaros

Ilya Bryzgalov
Sergei Bobrovsky

Analyst Predictions

TSN: Flyers in 6
RDS: Habs in 7
CBC: Habs in 7

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

2012/2013 HC Sparta Praha Playoffs

Playoffs Starting Line-Up

David Perron – Andy McDonald – Jakub Voracek
Nail Yakupov – Eric Chirstensen – Teemu Selanne
Nicklas Hagman – Eric Nystrom – Mikael Samuelsson
Radek Dvorak – Peter Regin – Mike Grier
Extra: Shawn Thornton Injured: Mike Richards

Nicklas Lindstrom – Shea Weber
Bryan McCabe – Pavel Kubina
Adam Larsson – Martin Skoula
Injured: Scott Hannan

Tuukka Rask
Martin Brodeur​

Eastern Quarter-Finals: HC Sparta Praha Versus Washington Capitals​

HC Sparta Praha vs. Washington Capitals Game 1
Final Score: 2-0 SPA

First Period
12:32 SPA A. McDonald (1) (A. Larsson, P. Kubina)

Second Period
No Scoring

Third Period
16:26 SPA N. Hagman (1) (P.Kubina, B. McCabe)

Goalie Stats
SPA T. Rask 29/29 1.000S%
WSH J. Hiller 25/27 0.926S%

It’s A Start
Missing their number 1 centre Mike Richards is a massive loss to HC Sparta Praha, but they didn’t show it as they shut out the Washington Capitals 2-0 in the first game of the series. Sparta defenseman Pavel Kubina had two points on the night while Tuukka Rask stole the show with a 29 save shutout.

HC Sparta Praha vs. Washington Capitals Game 2
Final Score: 4-1 SPA

Period 1
3:01 SPA D. Perron (1) (S. Weber, J. Voracek)
8:26 SPA N. Yakupov (1) (N. Lindstrom, A. McDonald)

Period 2
1:50 WSH T. Zajac (1) (C. Higgins)
8:40 SPA P. Regin (1) (S. Weber)
16:18 SPA N. Hagman (2) (B. McCabe)

Period 3
No Scoring

Goalie Stats
SPA T. Rask 29/30 0.967S%
WSH J. Hiller 16/20 0.800S%

Two Down, Two To Go
Tuukka Rask is proving himself to be a money goalie in the playoffs. Not only did he win the Conn Smythe last year, he is tearing it up this year. The Washington Capitals do not appear to have an answer as HC Sparta Praha is firing on all cylinders. The series is now heading to Prague where the Capitals need a win or they can kiss the season goodbye.

HC Sparta Praha vs. Washington Capitals Game 3
Final Score: 3-1 SPA

Period 1
18:12 WSH C. Higgins (1) (T. Zajac, D. Jones)

Period 2
14:24 SPA M. Samuelsson (1) (N. Hagman, B. McCabe)

Period 3
0:28 SPA S. Thornton (1) (R. Dvorak, M. Grier)
4: 25 SPA J. Voracek (1) (A. McDonald, N. Lindstrom)

Goalie Stats
SPA T. Rask 20/21 0.952S%
WSH J. Hiller 31/34 0.912S%

Third is the New First
It’s another case of a third line stepping its game and scoring big goals in the playoffs while still playing great defense and the other team not being able to do anything about it. And then there’s that hot goaltender that they can’t score on either. It’s not as if the Washington Capitals aren’t trying. They have just walked into a team who is obviously playing out of their minds.

HC Sparta Praha vs. Washington Capitals Game 4
Final Score: 4-1 WSH

Period 1
No Scoring

Period 2
3:13 WSH D. Moore (1) (J. Slater)
9:36 WSH L. Eriksson (1) (R. Nugent-Hopkins, T. Poti)
17:56 WSH J. Hansen (1) (J. Abdelkader, R. Nugent-Hopkins)

Period 3
1:36 WSH T. Zajac (2) (C.Higgins, Z. Michalek)
6:53 SPA T. Selanne (1) (N. Yakupov, A. McDonald)

Goalie Stats
SPA T. Rask 27/31 0.871S%
WSH J. Hiller 29/30 0.967S%

Try Again
The Washington Capitals are still alive after they finally came alive in this series. A quick outbreak of goals in the 2nd period and superb goaltending by Jonas Hiller has allowed the Capitals to head back home with a chance to keep the series going.

HC Sparta Praha vs. Washington Capitals Game 5
Final Score: 5-2 SPA

Period 1
9:12 WSH R. Nugent-Hopkins (1) (L. Eriksson, D. Jones)
10:55 WSH P. Marleau (1) (B. Ryan, T. Zajac)

Period 2
13:44 SPA M. Samuelsson (2) (D. Perron, J. Voracek)

Period 3
4:13 SPA T. Selanne (2) (S. Weber, N. Lindstrom)
4:16 SPA N. Lindstrom (1) (A. McDonald)
13:45 SPA N. Yakupov (2) (E. Christensen, T. Selanne)
18:34 SPA N. Hagman (3) (M. Samuelsson, E. Nystrom)

Goalie Stats
SPA T. Rask 30/32 0.938S%
WSH J. Hiller 28/33 0.848S%

Done and Done
The Washington Capitals have once again had their playoffs hopes crushed by HC Sparta Praha. Coming into this year’s playoffs after a very good regular season, the Washington Capitals were expected to at least get past the defending champs who are without their no.1 centre in Mike Richards. It wasn’t meant to be though as Sparta won the series in 5 games. Even without Richards, Sparta still had most of its core intact from last year. Sparta also managed to find their Hejduk of the first round in Nicklas Hagman, who leads the team in goals with three. The Capitals looked like they were ready to push this to a game 6 but a collapse in the third period stopped that dream. As soon as Lindstrom scored after Selanne you could see the wind being taken out of the Capitals sails. From there it was a snowball effect where Yakupov and Hagman clinched the win for Sparta.

“Our third line is always a big part of us for playoffs. They know their job and do it excellently. When the focus is on the top 2 lines the third line shakes things up by scoring some goals and stretching out the defenders even more,†HC Sparta Praha Head Coach Dominik Hasek after eliminating the Capitals.


"I knew the guys had it in them. You could just see the look in their eyes after the 1st period [game 5] that they weren't just going to tie it up, they were going to win this game big time," Sparta forward Mike Richards who's been out with an injury since the last game of the regular season.

"There's was no doubt in our minds that we were going to tie it and win in the third period," Sparta defenseman Bryan McCabe, "the guys were just pumped and ready to go. Hasek didn't even have to say a word."

 

[xVolchenkov]

2011-2012 SEASON (47-30-5)
Season Wrap Up
Senators season awards, interviews, stats and more!

REGULAR SEASON SENATORS STATS:

NHL PLAYOFFS SENATORS STATS:

*Bryan Murray steps up on stage

"Before myself or Tim address the media, we would like to give
out our season/playoff awards for 2011-2012."

Rookie of the Year: Jared Cowen, Defense.
"Right after helping Binghamton claim the Calder Cup, Jared stepped
in and play top-4 minutes, and really utilized his frame to be an
amazing shut-down defensemen for us at the young age of 21.
Leading the team in hits (10th in the NHL), Cowen was an absolute
nightmare for other teams, night in and night out"

Overachiever of the Year: Milan Michalek, Left Wing.
"After a few injury-plagued seasons, Milan really found his stride
right next to Jason (Spezza), setting a career high in points at 72."

Player of the Year: Jason Spezza, Center.
"Jason was by far our most consistent player, and made everyone
around him better. Not only did he manage to put up 90 points
(4th in the NHL), he also brought a more mature attitude, and
proved to be a great leader to all his teammates."

Playoff MVP: Zenon Konopka, Center.
"Zenon was an absolute monster for us come playoff time. He
scored 4 goals for us (3rd best on team), timely ones at that, along
with 2 assists and was 64.7% on face-offs, all while killing penalties
and only having 4th line minutes. His attitude really sparked those
around him."

 

[xVolchenkov]

2011-2012 SEASON (47-30-5)
Season Wrap Up, Continued
Senators season awards, interviews, stats and more!

"Alright, myself, Tim, Daniel and Paul are now open for a few
questions."

Media: "Daniel, I have to ask this as I'm sure it's on everyone
mind. Are you retiring?"
Alfie: "No. I still feel as though I can still contribute to this team,
and can also provide a leadership roll to the young kids hoping to
make the jump next year. I also feel as though with our talent,
another cup run next year isn't out of the question."
Media: " Hypothetically, if Ottawa is out of contention next year,
would you be willing to be traded for one last chance at a cup?"
BMurray: "Daniel doesn't need to answer that, because we will be in a
position to make a push."
Alfie:"Haha, I agree. Thanks Bryan."

Media: "My question is for head coach Paul MacLean. What's your
wishlist as to what Bryan can add to your squad to make it even
better?"
MacLean: "I feel as though if our players can keep growing, we
aren't going to need to make any changes. We have a few kids
who might be able to make the jump, and could potentially be
real difference-makers down the road."

Media: "Tim and Bryan, with Ottawa picking at 24, do you feel as
though you will be able to get a solid player there, or are you
looking to trade the pick for immediate help or to move up in the
draft?"
TMurray: "We have, in our opinion, the best scouts in the NHL. I
feel that at 24, we will still be able to pick up a player who is going
to be great for us if Bryan decides not to move."
BMurray: "I've been fielding a few calls the last day, and nothing
so far has been worth it to move up. I would like to move up a few
spots, but if the price doesn't come down, we'll be prepared to
pick were we stand now."

 

[AIexisLafreniereNYR]

i plan on buying the game tomorrow cause mine cracked and continuing my beagm. fml

 

[anatsu]

Tavares selected to All-Stars Game, Grabner injured for 7 weeks

New York Islanders captain John Tavares has been selected to the All-Stars Game. Tavares has 24 goals and 22 assists in 50 games this season. He is the best scorer in Islanders team.

The bad news for Islanders was right winger Michael Grabner's injury. He broke his leg and will be sidelined for 7 weeks.

The Nash-rumors are heating up. We have been told that the deal with the Kings is close to be done.

Stay tuned.

- MSG Media

 

[Emery]

School ends today, so I'll have more time for Hamilton (already have next 2 posts planned out) .

 

[keeganr]

Much Needed Improvement
New Moves Add Depth to Albany
23-15-4 | 4th in the East
The Chronicle Herald - Tue. December 8, 2012

D Lukas Krajicek claimed off of waivers from the Montreal Canadians.

Free Agents Signed:
LW Ethan Moreau 1 year, 0.525M, 2-way
RW George Parros 1 year, 0.785M, 1-way
D Kurt Sauer 1 year, 0.905M, 2-way

Ethan Moreau adds experience to the AHL squad.

“These transfers will be great for helping our Albany Devils become more successful, having some guidance for our young players, hoping they will grow more,†GM Reynolds said in an interview. Rumors have surfaced that PA Parenteau and Nazem Kadri are on the block for trading, but Reynolds did not comment on the rumors at this time.​

 

[pensrule2011]

Sherman out of Colorado, Murray said to take his place ​

Yesterday in a press conference in the Colorado Avalanche's home, the Pepsi Center, GM Greg Sherman announced days before the start of the preseason that he had been fired and he was being replaced by GM Dan Murray. Murray has been the GM for the WHL team, the Red Deer Rebels for the past 4 years. He had this to say on the transition into the NHL, "Though I am sad to be leaving a team I have come to love, I am happy to be able to turn the Colorado Avalanche into a Stanley Cup winning team." Murray has stated that most of the Avalanches roster is up for trade and he does plan to make some trades before the start of the season to help their offense.
________________________​

Preseason​

The Avalanche preseason pleased GM Murray saying that he has "High hopes" for the youngsters in the AHL. He was especially impressed by the performance of Center Ryan Stoa. Stoa was drafted 34th overall in 2005 by the Avalanche. He recorded 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists) in the preseason. GM Murray says that he will stay in the AHL for another year so he can get better and hopefully WOW him next season. Another performance that Murray thought deserved recognition was the skills of Goalie Jason Bacashihua who, only playing in two games, showed that he could be a back-up for the Avalanche getting a 2.00 GAA and a .932 save percentage. Murray said that he will think about calling up Bacashihua if Budaj does not produce for them.​

 

[AIexisLafreniereNYR]

Mikko Koivu Requests Trade​

Reports are out there that Wild forward and captain Mikko Koivu has requested a trade to no longer be with the Wild. Koivu told the press "It's time to move on from Minnesota, I had a great time, the fans were great, but unfortunately this organization has done nothing to get better to put us into the position to win and contend. I want to win, I don't see the Wild has a contender and in the future. I want to sign elsewhere and start fresh." Clearly Mikko wasn't happy being in Minnesota, so let the rumors begin.

Minnesota Wild GM Vincent Martin told the press "If that's what he wants then okay, I respect it, but we had an entire off-season where this could have happened, now we got to do this while the season is in play. I feel we can get a decent amount for Mikko, he is a solid player, he wants to go to a contender, so we will try and grant his wishes, I wish him the best of luck where ever he ends up."​

Darren Dreger- Reports are telling me 5 teams are interested in Koivu, the teams listed are the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, St. Luis Blues, Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

[keeganr]

Trade Deadline
35-22-8 | 5th in the East
2012-2013 Regular Season
The Chronicle Herald – March 8, 2012

Moves made prior:

Halifax Receives:
RW Andrew Gordon
LW Raitias Ivanans

Winnipeg Jets Receive:
HAL 3rd Round Pick 2014

---

Halifax Receives:
PHI 1st Round Pick 2013
PHI 1st Round Pick 2014

Philadelphia Flyers Receive:
C Nazem Kadri
HAL 2nd Round Pick 2014
HAL 3rd Round Pick 2013

Nazem Kadri will join Philadelphia hoping to get more playing time.

“We feel these trades will benefit us down the road and on the farm team,†Reynolds said as he addressed the media a couple days after the trades were made. James Neal and Alex Semin were big names that were wanted by other teams, but nothing solidified. Ryan Suter was also the only Halifax Hounds player to be selected to play in the NHL All-Star game.

10AM:

No Trades

11AM:

Halifax Hounds Receive:
RW Bobby Ryan

Tampa Bay Lightning Receive:
RW PA Parenteau
PHI 1st Round Pick 2014
RW Simon Tardif-Richard

12AM:

Halifax Hounds Receive:
NYI 1st Round Pick 2013
D Matthew Corrente
LW Brad Staubitz

New York Islanders Receive:
HAL 2nd Round Pick 2016
RW Andrew Gordon
LW Raitis Ivanans

---

St. Louis Blues Receive:
LW Kyle Hagel

New York Rangers Receive:
RW Colyon Sceviour

---

Chicago Blackhawks Receive:
G Antti Niemi
LAK 1st Round Pick 2013

Los Angeles Kings Receive:
D Matt Niskanen
G Eddie Lack
D D. Schiestel

1PM:

San Jose Sharks Receive:
D Kevin Connauton

Phoenix Coyotes Receive:
D Boris Valabik
SJS 6th Round Pick 2013

---

Los Angeles Receive:
D Nathan Guenin

Pittsburgh Penguins Receive:
D Mike Kostka

2PM:

Tampa Bay Lightning Receive:
DET 2nd Round Pick 2013

Detroit Red Wings Receive:
TBL 3rd Round Pick 2014
LW Marcel Mueller

---

New York Islanders Receive:
LAK 2nd Round Pick 2013
LAK 2nd Round Pick 2014

Los Angeles Kings Receive:
NYI 1st Round Pick 2014

Halifax claims C John Mitchell off of waivers.

Bobby Ryan gives grit and skill on the right wing for the Hounds.

“We were very pleased with the trades we made today. We added good players to our roster and hope we can make a big push for the cup,†Reynolds said in a press conference after the trade deadline. With the last part of the season ahead, Halifax looks to climb higher in the standings, hoping to pull off home ice advantage for the second straight season. These trades still leave Halifax with a decent amount of cap space, most likely preparing for the big contracts players like Landeskog, Paajarvi-Svenson, Couturier, etc... are going to be requesting down the road.​