The best Hockey coverage is at HockeyJournal.com http://nyhockeyjournal.com Wed, 22 May 2013 13:49:17 -0400 RSSCreator 1.2 http://nyhockeyjournal.com/images/design/logo.gif http://nyhockeyjournal.com New England Hockey Journal http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/22_from_nyhj_stars_emerge_on.php Yes, the New York Islanders are in the playoffs. And, yes, their first-round opponent — the Pittsburgh Penguins — was the worst possible choice among the handful available. For that, the Nassaumen have only themselves to blame since they stumbled before the finish line. Still, getting in was a bonus for a club that has not enjoyed the playoffs since 2007. That’s nice, but a run past ... Wed, 22 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/22_opening_faceoff_wednesday.php Good Reads Allan Kreda of the New York Post has a feature on how a great night at the office went awry for New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist on Tuesday against the Bruins. New York Hockey Online has a great write-up about the new award that has been established in the memory of the late Tyler Putnam. Here’s an interesting story about how the many rookies thrust into playoff ... Wed, 22 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/21_opening_faceoff_tuesday.php Good reads The Rangers are hoping to turn the tide in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Boston Bruins tonight at Madison Square Garden, and Mike Mazzeo at ESPN New York says coach John Tortorella is feeling good despite a 2-0 deficit in the series. Rob Raissman at the New York Daily News, meanwhile, points to a firestorm brewing between NBC and Tortorella, who dropped a mild expletive ... Tue, 21 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/20_hockeytown_long_beach,_new.php Long Beach, N.Y., is the literal definition of a small town. A barrier island of Long Island, Long Beach is only about three miles long and less than a half a mile wide. It has a total area of 3.9 square miles. But what the city lacks in size it makes up for in passion for hockey. “A lot of people moved to Long Beach that have hockey experience, that played in the junior and youth leagues,” ... Mon, 20 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/20_opening_faceoff_monday,_may.php Good Reads The Hockey News has a great story about one Wayne Gretzky collector who is preparing to sell his trove of No. 99 memorabilia. Yahoo Sports and The Hockey News have presented some interesting choices in their NHL Awards feature, including a choice for “toughest” player in the league. The Maple Leafs would like to bring back pending UFA Tyler Bozak next season, but only if the ... Mon, 20 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/19_opening_faceoff_sunday,_may.php Good Reads Brad Marchand’s overtime goal gave the Boston Bruins a 3-2 victory in Game 1 over the New York Rangers on Thursday. The Blueshirts will be looking to even the series this afternoon with Game 2 in Boston at 3:00 PM. Alex Edler, defenseman from the Vancouver Canucks, has been suspended by the IIHF for the remainder of the world championship tournament after his vicious knee-on-knee ... Sun, 19 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/18_from_nyhj_is_the_ryan_miller.php BUFFALO, N.Y. — Ryan Miller looked tired. Tired of losing. Tired of hearing the same questions from the media. Tired of falling short of the goal to win the Stanley Cup. But most of all he looked tired of giving his all to a franchise that never matched his desire to win it all. A stunned Miller faced the media after an 8-4 loss to the New York Rangers on April 19 that officially eliminated ... Sat, 18 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/18_opening_faceoff_saturday.php Good reads With the Rangers down 1-0 to the Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Larry Brooks throws a little gasoline on the fire concerning Brad Richards’ eye-opening demotion to the fourth line in the New York Post. In the Daily News, Stephen Lorenzo has the Rangers’ anemic power play spelling doom for the Blueshirts, especially against a stiff Boston penalty kill. ESPN’s ... Sat, 18 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/17_ross_possesses_the_mic_stuff.php Long before the New York Yankees’ Suzyn Waldman or any other woman you might see behind a pro sports microphone these days, there was the pioneer of women’s broadcasting, Sherry Ross. Hired by the New Jersey Devils in 1993 to provide analysis and commentary on radio, Ross brought a wealth of insight from her days as a beat writer and NHL-level journalist. It was a bold move by Devils ... Fri, 17 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/17_opening_faceoff_friday,_may.php Good reads CBS Detroit’s Eric Thomas is wondering when Jimmy Howard (Ogdensburg, N.Y.) is going to steal a playoff game for the Red Wings. John Tortorella sums up the Rangers’ Game 1 loss to Boston in five words: We got spanked in overtime. ESPN New York’s Katie Strang has the story. Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski takes a look at this year’s killer playoff beards. Quick ... Fri, 17 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/17_hank_his_harshest_critic_after.php You didn’t need to see the look under the mask that hid New York goaltender Henrik Lundqvist’s face to see the frustration he battled with following the Rangers’ Game 1 loss to the Boston Bruins. Picking himself up and flinging the puck into the boards before skating off as a loser in overtime once again, the 31-year-old Lundqvist knew that his club let one slip away. Despite stonewalling ... Fri, 17 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/16_opening_faceoff_thursday.php Good Reads San Jose Sharks’ forward Raffi Torres has been scheduled for an in-person hearing with the NHL’s Player Safety Department in the wake of his brutal hit against Los Angeles Kings’ centerman Jarret Stoll during Game 1 on Tuesday. Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee wasn’t pleased with the officiating during Monday’s Game 7 loss to the Rangers (via ... Thu, 16 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/16_rangers_need_star_forwards.php As the three highest-paid members of the New York Rangers, it comes with no surprise that a lot is expected out of Brad Richards, Rick Nash and Ryan Callahan. On the books for a collective salary of $23.6 million this year -- had there been a full 2012-13 season, of course -- the trio is paid handsomely. Thanks to Richards’ frustrating, inconsistent campaign, only two wound up living up to their ... Thu, 16 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/16_crunch_sniper,_ahl_mvp_johnson.php The list of WHL and AHL accomplishments for Tyler Johnson is as long as a 6-year-old’s wish list to Santa Claus. But the 22-year old Syracuse Crunch forward is hoping for some memorable NHL accomplishments to add to it one day. Johnson is from Spokane, Wash., not exactly the first place you think of when you think hockey. But his parents were both involved in the game, which is how he picked ... Thu, 16 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/15_opening_faceoff_wednesday.php Good Reads * ESPN New York’s Katie Strang has an in-depth look at how Ryan McDonagh and the Rangers’ defensemen were able to shut down Washington’s dynamic offense. * The up-and-coming Islanders have pledged to build off their successful 2013 campaign and impressive postseason effort, writes Allan Kreda of the New York Times. * Niagara University goaltender Carsen Chubak, a former ... Wed, 15 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/15_free_agents_streit,_nabokov.php UNIONDALE, N.Y – As the Islanders go their separate ways for the offseason, there are still questions about whether or not several players will be back next year. Team captain Mark Streit, goaltender Evgeni Nabokov and forward Brad Boyes will all be unrestricted free agents this offseason. Streit and Nabokov both expressed their desire to remain in Islander uniforms during the team’s clean-up ... Wed, 15 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/15_outdoor_games_at_yankee_stadium.php The NHL announced that the Islanders and Rangers will play one another at Yankee Stadium on Jan. 29, 2014. The league also announced that the Rangers will take on the Devils at Yankee Stadium on Jan. 26, 2014. Both games are part of what is being called the 2014 Coors Light Stadium Series.  The other two games that are part of this series of outdoor games are a Jan. 25 game between the Pittsburgh ... Wed, 15 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/14_echls_trenton_titans_wont.php The ECHL announced April 23 that the Trenton Titans have ceased operations and the team will not compete in the league in the 2013-14 season. Established in 1999, the team was owned by Delaware Valley Sports Group LLC. They were most recently the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and the AHL’s Adirondack Phantoms. As outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the ... Tue, 14 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/14_rangers_rout_caps_in_game.php Backed by 35 saves from Vezina Trophy candidate goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, the New York Rangers were able to shutout the Washington Capitals and secure a 5-0 victory in Game 7 on Monday at the Verizon Center. After managing just two goals in the first three games played in D.C. this series, the Blueshirts’ five-goal outburst on Monday was anything but expected. “I didn’t think ... Tue, 14 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/14_amerks_fall_short_in_playoffs.php The Amerks' playoff run didn’t last nearly as long as they had hoped, but the season did mark the 43rd time Rochester has made the postseason in its 57 year history. Unfortunately, the draw against the Marlies would prove to bite the Amerks as they were swept in three games. Rochester was doubled up in Game 1, losing 6-3. Zemgus Girgensons did have quite a showing in the game, netting two ... Tue, 14 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/12_despite_elimination,_islanders.php UNIONDALE, N.Y – Just after the clock struck midnight, one final “let’s go Islanders” chant could be heard in the parking lot as the last of the fans left the Nassau Coliseum. A few hours earlier, after Brooks Orpik scored the game-winning goal for Pittsburgh to end the Islanders’ season, the fans gave the home team a loud ovation. And as the team saluted the fans with ... Sun, 12 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/11_brassard,_clowe_pay_immediate.php NEW YORK — Many a fighter has undoubtedly dreamed of one day lacing up the gloves and fighting at Madison Square Garden. John Moore isn’t one of them. For one thing, when he fights, he takes his gloves off rather than putting them on. For another, when Florida’s Jack Skille challenged him early in the third period of an April 18 game at the World’s Most Famous Arena, the Winnetka ... Sat, 11 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/10_penguins_blank_isles,_chase.php It was a performance reminiscent of Game 1 and a nearly identical result, as the Islanders fell 4-0 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 5. It was the second time in the series that the Islanders were held without a goal in a game. In the opener, Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 26 shots. His replacement, Tomas Vokoun made 31 saves for the Penguins on Thursday. Things started off well for the Islanders, who ... Fri, 10 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/09_echoes_from_the_past_for_isles.php To the chagrin of many, the NHL trade deadline came and went without New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow selling any of his talent away. Instead, actually, the Blue and Orange used the deadline week as a time to re-sign defensemen Lubomir Visnovsky to a two-year extension. It was the most anti-Islander week fans on the Island have seen in ages, given the club’s reputation as perennial ... Thu, 09 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/09_from_nyhj_five_keys_to_advancing.php Prior to the start of the playoffs, NYHJ’s Ty Anderson put together his five keys to playoff success for the Islanders. Here’s what he thinks they’ll need to do in order to advance: 1. Be road warriors Only the Montreal Canadiens (No. 2 seed) and Pittsburgh Penguins (No. 1 seed) had more road wins in the Eastern Conference this year than the Islanders’ 14. If the Islanders ... Thu, 09 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/08_isles_physicality,_determination.php UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Aside from a lot of scoring, the Islanders-Penguins series has seen the physicality increase, setting the stage for another rough-and-tumble game in Pittsburgh Thursday. Tuesday’s game – a 6-4 victory for the Isles – ended with a small fight after the whistle. Matt Martin was hit late by Jarome Iginla, which caused a shoving match, and eventually led to Travis ... Wed, 08 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/08_rolston_the_man_for_the_job.php It’s official. Buffalo has a "new" head coach. It was announced that the Buffalo Sabres signed Ron Rolston to a multi-year contract, lifting the interim tag from his job title in the process. Rolston and GM Darcy Regier were present for a press conference at 11am and shared some of the details behind the move. It’s interesting to note that Regier had originally intended to ... Wed, 08 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/07_isles_need_to_stand_tall_when.php UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- The Islanders could hold their heads high after their 5-4 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but they also knew they had to make some adjustments -- especially on special teams. During 5-on-5 play, the Islanders were the better team Sunday afternoon, but too many trips to the penalty box and poor special teams are what did them in. Penalties in the first period helped ignite ... Tue, 07 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/06_penguins_beat_isles_in_overtime.php UNIONDALE, N.Y – It was everything you could have expected and more from the first home playoff game for the New York Islanders. Except for the part where the home team won. Despite coming back from a two-goal deficit for the second game in a row, the Islanders could not complete the comeback and fell 5-4 in overtime. Brian Strait took a holding penalty after Penguins’ superstar Sidney ... Mon, 06 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/06_nj_native_agostino_helps.php PITTSBURGH — For Kenny Agostino, the Consol Energy Center used to represent the future. Agostino, a native of Flanders, N.J.,  and a junior at Yale, was selected by the Penguins in the fifth round (140th overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. If all went to plan, he’d someday make a living playing in Pittsburgh with the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. But the plan changed ... Mon, 06 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/05_islanders_look_to_make_another.php UNIONDALE, N.Y. – It only took a matter of minutes for the Islanders to be counted out of Friday night’s game against the Penguins once news broke that Sidney Crosby would return that night. And for the game’s first 20 minutes it seemed like they would in fact be run out of Pittsburgh. But the Islanders found a way to bounce back and, in dramatic fashion, make a statement to the ... Sun, 05 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/04_isles_stun_penguins_in_game.php The Islanders made a statement Friday night, coming back from a 3-1 deficit to earn a 4-3 win in Game 2 over the Penguins, tying their series up at one win apiece. “We’ve had a few wins like that, where we had a slow start and battled back,” John Tavares said after the game. “That’s been the story of our season. We had a great second half of the game. We really brought ... Sat, 04 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/03_coliseum_may_still_be_part.php The Islanders are headed to Brooklyn, but they could be playing several games at the Nassau Coliseum as well. Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and a 17-member advisory board listened to presentations from the four developers vying to redevelop the Nassau Coliseum. The prospective developers include Bruce Ratner, the man who built the Barclays Center and lured the Islanders away from Nassau County ... Fri, 03 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/03_season_in_review_is_it_time.php No one likes to see the season end this early. Not the fans, not management and most certainly not the players. Two Fridays ago, the Sabres playoff hopes came to a close with the disappointing loss to the New York Rangers. And this past Friday, their season drew to a close with a 2-1 shootout win over the New York Islanders. The bright spot, after winning their final two, came when the Buffalo Sabres ... Fri, 03 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/03_longtime_sabre_hecht_hangs.php After the Sabres season-ending victory, 14-year veteran Jochen Hecht announced that he is retiring from the NHL. The Sabres had signed Hecht to a one-year contract prior to the start of this shortened season. This year, Hecht had five goals and nine assists in 47 games. Full circle was the way he called it, playing his first NHL game (with St. Louis) and now his last, in Buffalo. Playing with St. ... Fri, 03 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/02_nabokov,_islanders_get_annihilated.php Pittsburgh didn’t have Sidney Crosby for Game 1, but that didn’t stop the Penguins from dominating the Islanders. Wednesday night’s 5-0 series opening loss was about as rude of a welcome to the postseason as the Islanders could have gotten. And it only took three and a half minutes for things to go downhill. It started with Beau Bennett’s power-play goal and end with Tanner ... Thu, 02 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/05/02_in_order_to_beat_pens,_isles.php Faced with winning four of the next six games against the team unanimously pegged as Stanley Cup favorites, it’d be easy to feel down about the Islanders' chances of making it out of the first round in their first trip to the playoffs since 2007, especially given the fact that they opened their return to the postseason with a 5-0 loss out in Pittsburgh. Luckily for the Islanders, they still ... Thu, 02 May 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/04/29_prospect_pulse_connor_clifton.php Although U.S. NTDP defenseman Connor Clifton is not a household name among 2013 NHL Entry Draft prospects, the Garden State product is quietly earning accolades for his steady two-way play. The Matawan, N.J., native joined the Under-18 squad in Ann Arbor, Mich., full time this season after seeing several stints with the Under-17 team a year ago, splitting his time with the EJHL’s Jersey Hitmen. “It ... Mon, 29 Apr 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/04/28_rankin_named_amerks_man_of.php Rochester’s Evan Rankin was named the American’s IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year, thanks to his exceptional contributions to the Rochester community. The second-year Amerk participated in the Amerks Power Play Reading Program, coordinated a visit to the Golisano Children’s Hospital, and has become heavily involved with the Rochester Special Hockey Team, coaching and skating ... Sun, 28 Apr 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/04/28_david_leggio_named_amerks.php After winning a career-high 38 games this season, goaltender David Leggio was recently named Team MVP for the 2012-13 season by the Rochester Americans. A native of Williamsville, N.Y., Leggio went 38-24-1 for the Amerks with a 2.56 goals-against average and .924 save percentage. Now in his sixth pro season, the 28-year-old netminder has won 88 games over the past three seasons for Rochester. Here's ... Sun, 28 Apr 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/04/27_isles_earn_important_point.php BUFFALO, N.Y. – It wasn’t a win, but the Islanders left Buffalo with an important point in the standings that could keep them from seeing the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs. At the moment, the Islanders sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, but depending on the outcome of the New York Rangers season finale and the final two games of the Ottawa Senators season ... Sat, 27 Apr 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/04/26_phantoms_goalie_heeter_to.php After a solid rookie season for the AHL’s Adirondack Phantoms, Cal Heeter has been rewarded with a spot on Team USA’s roster for the 2013 IIHF World Championship. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Heeter went 12-16-3 for the Phantoms, posting a 2.92 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. A standout at Ohio State University, the 24-year-old netminder stands at 6-foot-4 and will ... Fri, 26 Apr 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/04/25_fuel_for_the_fire_union_completes.php ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Last season, Union rolled through the year all the way to the Frozen Four. This season, the peaks and valleys hit the Dutchmen much harder. Expected to contend for another NCAA bid, Union struggled at times before finally getting going toward the end of the year. That late surge was enough to give Union its second straight ECAC Hockey tournament championship — the ... Thu, 25 Apr 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/04/25_zalewski_on_cusp_of_nhl_role.php Steve Zalewski is hoping the fourth time will be the charm. The Albany Devils center has had three extremely quick stints in the NHL over the past three seasons and would love nothing more than to make his fourth shot count. “I try not to stress too much about it,” the 26-year-old Zalewski said. “Being down (in Albany), you are playing as well as you can to win with the team, but ... Thu, 25 Apr 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/04/24_islanders_clinch_first_trip.php “It’s never felt so good to lose a game,” Josh Bailey said after Tuesday night’s shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes – a statement that would have seemed bold on any other night but was perfectly acceptable on this one.  Because, despite the defeat, the Islanders clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2007. “Our guys have battled hard and they ... Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/04/23_from_nyhj_sabres_hecht_back.php BUFFALO, N.Y. — As Jochen Hecht sat in his locker stall at the First Niagara Center after a morning skate last month, he wore a bit of a smile that was somewhat hard to describe. Sure, Hecht, like the rest of his Buffalo Sabres teammates, wasn’t happy about being on the outside looking in, in terms of the NHL playoff picture. But for Hecht, being on the inside of the locker room in uniform ... Tue, 23 Apr 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/04/22_goalie_coach_caron_one_of.php It was 1995, and the Devils were snaking their way through the NHL playoffs toward their first Stanley Cup. That spring, I was lucky enough to work the playoffs as either a statistician in the broadcast booth or as a stage manager for the road or national broadcasts for all Devils home games. The broadcast studio was situated right across from the road dressing room and, the deeper the Devils got ... Mon, 22 Apr 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/04/19_islanders_one_step_closer.php The red-hot New York Islanders started their five game, end of the year road trip with a 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, thanks in large part to the team’s top line. The victory put New York one step closer to making the postseason for the first time since 2007. The Islanders remain in seventh, but are just a point behind the Ottawa Senators, who currently hold sixth place, and are two ... Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/04/18_devils,_isles,_rangers_get.php All successful armies over the centuries won their battles with the infantry as their first line of offense. The foot soldiers — otherwise known as the “grunts” — do the dirty work, enabling the army’s other forces to force the issue. It happens in hockey as well. Behind the Rick Nashes, Ilya Kovalchuks and John Tavareses are the third- or fourth-liners who provide the ... Thu, 18 Apr 2013 01:00:00 EDT http://nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2013/04/16_cba-jd_overcomes_adversity.php Nothing came easy for the combined Syracuse Christian Brothers Academy/Jamesville-DeWitt boys hockey team this season. But the Brothers vaulted hurdle after hurdle to finish the season as champions in surprising fashion. “It’s hard to believe, but they did it,” said head coach Mike McKie. “You just don’t do that without putting in the effort. They all did a great job.” The ... Tue, 16 Apr 2013 01:00:00 EDT