It was a month filled with outdoor hockey games, Olympic announcements, and heated play. At the halfway point of the season, we have a good picture of how the playoff push will be shaping up and things look like we'll be headed toward a dramatic finish.
There was a lot to choose from but here's the recap from the month of January
STANDINGS
These are strictly the standings for the month of January. The standings of the entire season up to this point can always be found here.
Records are as of 1/28/14
EAST
Atlantic
Tampa Bay Lightning- 8-4-1; 17 points
Boston Bruins- 7-3-1; 15 points
Toronto Maple Leafs- 7-5-1; 15 points
Florida Panthers- 6-4-1; 13 points
Ottawa Senators- 5-2-3; 13 points
Detroit Red Wings- 5-4-2; 12 points
Montreal Canadiens- 4-6-1; 9 points
Buffalo Sabres- 3-5-3; 9 points
Metropolitan
Columbus Blue Jackets- 9-3-0; 18 points
Carolina Hurricanes- 9-3-0; 18 points
Pittsburgh Penguins- 8-2-1; 17 points
New York Rangers- 8-4-1; 17 points
New York Islanders- 8-5-1; 17 points
New Jersey Devils- 5-4-3; 13 points
Philadelphia Flyers- 5-6-2; 12 points
Washington Capitals- 3-6-3; 9 points
WEST
Central
Colorado Avalanche- 9-3-1; 19 points
Minnesota Wild- 8-3-1; 17 points
St. Louis Blues- 8-4-0; 16 points
Nashville Predators- 5-5-4; 14 points
Chicago Blackhawks- 4-3-5; 13 points
Winnipeg Jets- 6-6-0; 12 points
Dallas Stars- 4-9-1; 9 points
Pacific
Anaheim Ducks- 10-2-0; 20 points
San Jose Sharks- 9-4-0; 18 points
Los Angeles Kings- 5-6-2; 12 points
Vancouver Canucks- 4-7-2; 10 points
Calgary Flames- 4-7-1; 9 points
Phoenix Coyotes- 4-8-1; 9 points
Edmonton Oilers- 4-8-1; 9 points
2 POSITIVE SURPRISES
Two things that shocked the hockey world, in a good way
KYLE OKPOSO LIKES TO RESPOND TO THINGS
Kyle Okposo was one of those high draft picks for the New York Islanders that eventually developed to play an important role for the team (unlike those high draft picks who never really even played for them).
Okposo had a solid year last year netting 24 points in 48 games and got 4 points in their 6 playoff games against Pittsburgh. He continued his production by putting up 57 points in 54 games. He's an Islander fan favourite and plays an important role on a line with captain John Tavares.
Which was why Islander fans were so upset when Okposo was snubbed for a spot on the US Olympic team.
But Okposo was disappointed about not getting the invite but he took his bad feelings and used it to enhance his game.
In fact, Okposo wasted no time in showing the US selection committee they made an error. The day after he was left off the roster, Okposo scored an overtime goal in front of a packed house in Long Island against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The fans, recognising the significance of the moment, chanted "USA! USA!" as the Islanders forward was being interviewed on the ice.
Okposo continued his busy month when his wife gave birth several weeks later. He sat out during a game against Dallas before returning to the lineup a day later in Toronto.
How did Okposo respond to the birth of his first child?
Why, of course. Another goal.
Lesson learned: If Okposo has something going on off the ice, he'll translate it onto the ice.
NHL REVEALED WASN'T A TOTAL FAILURE
HBO 24/7 Road to the Winter Classic has been a staple for the NHL for the past several years. Fans get an inside, uncensored look into the life of their favourite NHL stars on and off the ice. It was a unique idea that translated really well and has given us many memorable moments from the past few seasons.
So when NBCSN announced that they were starting a similar sort of a show, we all feared for the worst. A network station with advertisements to deal with and a strong connection to the NHL could have spelled disaster, considering the restrictions and pressure. The beauty of 24/7 was how raw the material was but NBCSN just wouldn't be able to dig as deep.
Also, 24/7 had Liev Schrieber as the narrator and there's simply no way Revealed would be able to match the intensity of the HBO story teller.
But, all things considered, the show was fairly enjoyable.
They had great stories to follow and captured some good off ice moments. I honestly think they captured the speed of the game better than some HBO episodes.
The only knock would be that the show constantly left you thinking "how would this footage look with the HBO cameras and with Liev Schrieber speaking." But that's not NBC's fault. The bar was simply set too damn high.
The episode is up on youtube and i definitely suggest watching the episode.
2 NEGATIVE SURPRISES
Two things that shocked the hockey world, in a bad way
LABATT BLUE USA CANS
A beer company called Labatt Blue released a set of beer cans featuring different team USA hockey sweaters in preparation for the Olympics.
Everyone was commenting on how cool they looked and how awesome it was but there's one thing.
Labbat Blue is a Canadian beer company!!!
Yup, you can even tell with the maple leaf incorporated into the company's logo.
So enjoy your Canadian beer, America. It'll be the only enjoyable thing for you guys while watching Canada win gold again.
PETER GAMMONS DOESN'T LIKE FIGHTING. OR HOCKEY.
Peter Gammons the other day had a thing to say about a certain hockey brawl in Vancouver (more on the brawl later).
This is the time when you google who Peter Gammons is.
That's fine. I'll wait.
Okay, so I'm sure by now you've seen that Gammons is an "esteemed" baseball analyst and writer.
How cute.
So a few different things.
First of all, this post is coming from someone connected to baseball, a sport that has several pathetic bench-clearing brawls a season.
Second of all, this is coming from someone connected to baseball, a sport that had an entire generation of the sport completely tainted by cheaters and liars. A sport that will forever have issues with their statistics because of the amount of superstars having their records asterisked. LOL.
And last but not least, there's an inconsistency with the desire of the rest of the sports world. Hockey is barely given a second thought on America's flagship sport station ESPN. They scarcely show highlights or cover the sport. However, the few times you see hockey on morning highlight shows is when there's a big hit or large fight.
Here's my theory. The NHL is the only sport that allows fighting (outside professional fighting, of course). So when we see a fight worthwhile, that's what these shows cover because it's an easy story to tell. They use the angle of "hockey's a dangerous sport and blah blah blah Lebron."
Here's the thing, mainstream sports media. If you don't want to talk about hockey, then fine. We'll enjoy the best sport on earth in our own little bubble and you leave us alone.
But you can't ignore us until there's some blood so you get to rear your ugly head and tell us why we're wrong.
TOP 5 MOMENTS
5) Budaj-Fleury Vetoed Fight
At the end of a blowout in Pittsburgh, there was a scrum after a whistle and ultimately, goalies Peter Budaj and Marc-Andre Fleury decide to throw it down too. After some yelling from across the ice, both goalies throw down their equipment and approach each other.
One problem: the refs weren't having any of this.
Ever since the Emery-Holtby scuffle (which I covered as the story of the month at the end of October), it appears the NHL has had some second thoughts about goalie fights. Referees and officials were probably instructed to avoid them when they seem unnecessary. And at the end of a 5-1 game, there's no need for it.
The one thing I loved about this was that it involved lineman Francois St. Laurent, the lineman that allowed Braden Holtby to get pummeled back in October. This time he raced over to grab Budaj before anything got out of hand.
So congrats to St. Laurent. I guess he learns quickly.
4) Brayden Schenn Scores With Hole in Stomach
Philadelphia forward Brayden Schenn was cut in the abdomen by a skate during play against the New Jersey Devils earlier this month
But if you think a nasty gash will stop a hockey player from playing than you're pretty wrong.
Schenn got stitched up and came back to the game, scoring the eventual game winning goal in overtime.
3) Tomas Tatar Scores for Late Father
Just like I wrote about Okposo earlier, NHL players often play motivated hockey when they're going through something off the ice.
Detroit forward Tomas Tatar's father passed away and Tatar returned to play inspired to honour his late father with a game he won't soon forget.
Tatar grabbed the rebound and buried it into the empty net before kissing his finger and pointing to the heavens at his father.
2) Henrik Sedin Serves Daniel's Penalty; Daniel Kills It
In case you were ever wondering if the Sedins ever switched identities, you were right.
They do it often, apparently.
In a game against the LA Kings, Daniel Sedin was called for a penalty. However, after the commercial break, we see number 33 in the penalty box, not number 22.
And guess who was out on the ice killing his own penalty.
Yup, Daniel Sedin.
It's simply hilarious. And apparently it's happened before.
Sportsnet analyst Dan Murphy said he was once covering a game where Henrik Sedin was taking a faceoff and was tossed from the circle. However, instead of having his brother Daniel step in instead of him, the two brothers just circled around each other before Henrik stepped back into the circle and won the faceoff. Nobody realised.
Speaking of Canucks in penalty boxes...
1) Fight Night in Vancouver, Tortorella's a moron
For John Tortorella, this is his third career opening faceoff fight in the past 3 years.
So why did he get so angry that he flipped out by the Calgary locker room during the first intermission, an act that earned him a fifteen game suspension?
Here's how things work.
The away team (Calgary) submits their starting lineup.
The home team, after seeing the road teams's lineup, submits their own.
John Tortorella a few years ago started his goons for the Rangers in New Jersey which led to Devils coach Pete DeBoer starting his enforcers which led to this opening faceoff fight.
DeBoer starts a similar lineup for a game in New York which forced Tortorella's hand which led to this opening faceoff fight.
So how can Tortorella possibly be upset when a coach pulls the same antics he once did, especially if this is the way he wants his players to act, apparently.
This is why nobody likes you, John.
The fights were cool though and resulted in close to 150 penalty minutes and several ejections. But some cool notes from the fight:
-Defenseman Kevin Bieksa stepped in to take the faceoff and won it straight back for his first faceoff win ever. Nice stuff.
-Vancouver forward Kellan Lain was playing in his first career hockey game. His parents and family came out for the game.
His fan section got to see him play 2 seconds before his fight and eventual ejection. That's quite the memorable first game, eh?
TOP 5 OBSERVATIONS
5) Shaq in the House
There was a lot to choose from but here's the recap from the month of January
STANDINGS
These are strictly the standings for the month of January. The standings of the entire season up to this point can always be found here.
Records are as of 1/28/14
EAST
Atlantic
Tampa Bay Lightning- 8-4-1; 17 points
Boston Bruins- 7-3-1; 15 points
Toronto Maple Leafs- 7-5-1; 15 points
Florida Panthers- 6-4-1; 13 points
Ottawa Senators- 5-2-3; 13 points
Detroit Red Wings- 5-4-2; 12 points
Montreal Canadiens- 4-6-1; 9 points
Buffalo Sabres- 3-5-3; 9 points
Metropolitan
Columbus Blue Jackets- 9-3-0; 18 points
Carolina Hurricanes- 9-3-0; 18 points
Pittsburgh Penguins- 8-2-1; 17 points
New York Rangers- 8-4-1; 17 points
New York Islanders- 8-5-1; 17 points
New Jersey Devils- 5-4-3; 13 points
Philadelphia Flyers- 5-6-2; 12 points
Washington Capitals- 3-6-3; 9 points
WEST
Central
Colorado Avalanche- 9-3-1; 19 points
Minnesota Wild- 8-3-1; 17 points
St. Louis Blues- 8-4-0; 16 points
Nashville Predators- 5-5-4; 14 points
Chicago Blackhawks- 4-3-5; 13 points
Winnipeg Jets- 6-6-0; 12 points
Dallas Stars- 4-9-1; 9 points
Pacific
Anaheim Ducks- 10-2-0; 20 points
San Jose Sharks- 9-4-0; 18 points
Los Angeles Kings- 5-6-2; 12 points
Vancouver Canucks- 4-7-2; 10 points
Calgary Flames- 4-7-1; 9 points
Phoenix Coyotes- 4-8-1; 9 points
Edmonton Oilers- 4-8-1; 9 points
2 POSITIVE SURPRISES
Two things that shocked the hockey world, in a good way
KYLE OKPOSO LIKES TO RESPOND TO THINGS
Kyle Okposo was one of those high draft picks for the New York Islanders that eventually developed to play an important role for the team (unlike those high draft picks who never really even played for them).
Okposo had a solid year last year netting 24 points in 48 games and got 4 points in their 6 playoff games against Pittsburgh. He continued his production by putting up 57 points in 54 games. He's an Islander fan favourite and plays an important role on a line with captain John Tavares.
Which was why Islander fans were so upset when Okposo was snubbed for a spot on the US Olympic team.
But Okposo was disappointed about not getting the invite but he took his bad feelings and used it to enhance his game.
In fact, Okposo wasted no time in showing the US selection committee they made an error. The day after he was left off the roster, Okposo scored an overtime goal in front of a packed house in Long Island against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The fans, recognising the significance of the moment, chanted "USA! USA!" as the Islanders forward was being interviewed on the ice.
Okposo continued his busy month when his wife gave birth several weeks later. He sat out during a game against Dallas before returning to the lineup a day later in Toronto.
How did Okposo respond to the birth of his first child?
Why, of course. Another goal.
Lesson learned: If Okposo has something going on off the ice, he'll translate it onto the ice.
NHL REVEALED WASN'T A TOTAL FAILURE
HBO 24/7 Road to the Winter Classic has been a staple for the NHL for the past several years. Fans get an inside, uncensored look into the life of their favourite NHL stars on and off the ice. It was a unique idea that translated really well and has given us many memorable moments from the past few seasons.
So when NBCSN announced that they were starting a similar sort of a show, we all feared for the worst. A network station with advertisements to deal with and a strong connection to the NHL could have spelled disaster, considering the restrictions and pressure. The beauty of 24/7 was how raw the material was but NBCSN just wouldn't be able to dig as deep.
Also, 24/7 had Liev Schrieber as the narrator and there's simply no way Revealed would be able to match the intensity of the HBO story teller.
But, all things considered, the show was fairly enjoyable.
They had great stories to follow and captured some good off ice moments. I honestly think they captured the speed of the game better than some HBO episodes.
The only knock would be that the show constantly left you thinking "how would this footage look with the HBO cameras and with Liev Schrieber speaking." But that's not NBC's fault. The bar was simply set too damn high.
The episode is up on youtube and i definitely suggest watching the episode.
2 NEGATIVE SURPRISES
Two things that shocked the hockey world, in a bad way
LABATT BLUE USA CANS
A beer company called Labatt Blue released a set of beer cans featuring different team USA hockey sweaters in preparation for the Olympics.
Everyone was commenting on how cool they looked and how awesome it was but there's one thing.
Labbat Blue is a Canadian beer company!!!
Yup, you can even tell with the maple leaf incorporated into the company's logo.
So enjoy your Canadian beer, America. It'll be the only enjoyable thing for you guys while watching Canada win gold again.
PETER GAMMONS DOESN'T LIKE FIGHTING. OR HOCKEY.
Peter Gammons the other day had a thing to say about a certain hockey brawl in Vancouver (more on the brawl later).
This is the time when you google who Peter Gammons is.
That's fine. I'll wait.
Okay, so I'm sure by now you've seen that Gammons is an "esteemed" baseball analyst and writer.
How cute.
So a few different things.
First of all, this post is coming from someone connected to baseball, a sport that has several pathetic bench-clearing brawls a season.
Second of all, this is coming from someone connected to baseball, a sport that had an entire generation of the sport completely tainted by cheaters and liars. A sport that will forever have issues with their statistics because of the amount of superstars having their records asterisked. LOL.
And last but not least, there's an inconsistency with the desire of the rest of the sports world. Hockey is barely given a second thought on America's flagship sport station ESPN. They scarcely show highlights or cover the sport. However, the few times you see hockey on morning highlight shows is when there's a big hit or large fight.
Here's my theory. The NHL is the only sport that allows fighting (outside professional fighting, of course). So when we see a fight worthwhile, that's what these shows cover because it's an easy story to tell. They use the angle of "hockey's a dangerous sport and blah blah blah Lebron."
Here's the thing, mainstream sports media. If you don't want to talk about hockey, then fine. We'll enjoy the best sport on earth in our own little bubble and you leave us alone.
But you can't ignore us until there's some blood so you get to rear your ugly head and tell us why we're wrong.
TOP 5 MOMENTS
5) Budaj-Fleury Vetoed Fight
One problem: the refs weren't having any of this.
Ever since the Emery-Holtby scuffle (which I covered as the story of the month at the end of October), it appears the NHL has had some second thoughts about goalie fights. Referees and officials were probably instructed to avoid them when they seem unnecessary. And at the end of a 5-1 game, there's no need for it.
The one thing I loved about this was that it involved lineman Francois St. Laurent, the lineman that allowed Braden Holtby to get pummeled back in October. This time he raced over to grab Budaj before anything got out of hand.
So congrats to St. Laurent. I guess he learns quickly.
4) Brayden Schenn Scores With Hole in Stomach
 |
| Skates are sharp |
But if you think a nasty gash will stop a hockey player from playing than you're pretty wrong.
Schenn got stitched up and came back to the game, scoring the eventual game winning goal in overtime.
3) Tomas Tatar Scores for Late Father
Just like I wrote about Okposo earlier, NHL players often play motivated hockey when they're going through something off the ice.
Detroit forward Tomas Tatar's father passed away and Tatar returned to play inspired to honour his late father with a game he won't soon forget.
2) Henrik Sedin Serves Daniel's Penalty; Daniel Kills It
They do it often, apparently.
In a game against the LA Kings, Daniel Sedin was called for a penalty. However, after the commercial break, we see number 33 in the penalty box, not number 22.
And guess who was out on the ice killing his own penalty.
Yup, Daniel Sedin.
It's simply hilarious. And apparently it's happened before.
Sportsnet analyst Dan Murphy said he was once covering a game where Henrik Sedin was taking a faceoff and was tossed from the circle. However, instead of having his brother Daniel step in instead of him, the two brothers just circled around each other before Henrik stepped back into the circle and won the faceoff. Nobody realised.
Speaking of Canucks in penalty boxes...
1) Fight Night in Vancouver, Tortorella's a moron
For John Tortorella, this is his third career opening faceoff fight in the past 3 years.
So why did he get so angry that he flipped out by the Calgary locker room during the first intermission, an act that earned him a fifteen game suspension?
Here's how things work.
The away team (Calgary) submits their starting lineup.
The home team, after seeing the road teams's lineup, submits their own.
John Tortorella a few years ago started his goons for the Rangers in New Jersey which led to Devils coach Pete DeBoer starting his enforcers which led to this opening faceoff fight.
DeBoer starts a similar lineup for a game in New York which forced Tortorella's hand which led to this opening faceoff fight.
So how can Tortorella possibly be upset when a coach pulls the same antics he once did, especially if this is the way he wants his players to act, apparently.
This is why nobody likes you, John.
The fights were cool though and resulted in close to 150 penalty minutes and several ejections. But some cool notes from the fight:
-Defenseman Kevin Bieksa stepped in to take the faceoff and won it straight back for his first faceoff win ever. Nice stuff.
-Vancouver forward Kellan Lain was playing in his first career hockey game. His parents and family came out for the game.
His fan section got to see him play 2 seconds before his fight and eventual ejection. That's quite the memorable first game, eh?
TOP 5 OBSERVATIONS
5) Shaq in the House
This may seem like the most random scene ever. A random week night game between the Devils and the Panthers and Shaquille O'Neal strolls out on the red carpet for the ceremonial puck drop. And he's wearing an Alexei Ponikarovsky Stanley Cup sweater from 2012.
Wut...
Well it's not all that weird. Shaq, a Newark native, has had several connections to the Devils for some time. So it's not all too strange for the Devils giving a hometown hero some recognition.
But he's wearing a sweater of someone who's not on the team anymore and the sweater is 2 years old. Just bizarre stuff.
Also, if you look at that picture, Shaq towers over defenseman Ed Jovanovski who's 6"3 and is wearing skates. Yikes.
4) Steve Mason Gets a New Contract
Steve Mason was a rookie sensation with the Columbus Blue Jackets, winning the Calder Trophy of rookie of the year and leading them to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
Then he completely derailed.
He was terrible in net and couldn't hold his starting job. Last year he showed up to training camp in better shape than ever before but lost his starting job nonetheless to Sergei Bobrovsky.
Then he ended the season with the Philadelphia Flyers and quietly put together some solid numbers.
This year, the starting job was between Mason and Ray Emery in Philly. That's when Mason showed shades of his former self by posting a .931 save percentage for a struggling team. That's not too bad.
As someone who never gave up on Mason, I'm hoping that his new 3 year deal in Philly will help him get back on his game.
Just don't ask Ryan Lambert what he thinks.
3) USA Pond Hockey Championships
Lake Nokomis is a large lake in Minnesota several minutes out of Minneapolis. Said lake freezes over every single year.
And that's where they host the US Pond Hockey Championship
It's an event that happens every year and it's remarkable every year. The turnout, the volunteers, and the atmosphere, makes it a must-participate for every hockey player.
The web site is http://www.uspondhockey.com/page/show/236494-home
The facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/USPondHockey
This year was yet another successful day with many people contributing to the day by shovelling the snow off the ice.
It's fun finding hockey in cool places and this is one of the best.
2) Proof That Fighting Means Something
The New York Rangers wanted to get rid of Michael Del Zotto. He's a fine offensive defenceman but he's been historically susceptible to defensive lapses and unreliable play.
Kevin Klein, defenceman on the Nashville Predators, seemed like they're kind of guy. He's a strong defender and would fit in nicely with the team.
All the Rangers needed was one last sign that he would be the one.
I understand if you think it's a coincidence that the Rangers triggered the straight up Del Zotto for Klein trade. But think about it.
The Rangers are trying to make this kind of trade. As soon as they saw that spirited fight, they phone Nashville. The trade's completed 2 days later.
Again, it's really nice to see people appreciating a good fight and getting rewarded.
1) Outdoor Game Visual
The Winter Classic (more on that later) between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs looked incredible.
I'm not talking about style of play, I'm not talking about skill.
I'm strictly talking about how the game looked.
The coloured jersey vs coloured jersey game is something that the NHL needs to incorporate every now and again. The blue Leafs jersey and the red Wings jerseys clashed so perfectly under the Detroit snowfall. It made for such a great spectacle.
Then there was the Anaheim Ducks-Los Angeles Kings Stadium Series game in Los Angeles. The Ducks wore all orange (cute Orange County motif) while the Kings wore sleek grey jerseys.
Again, the two looked really nice together on the ice.
My point is that hockey needs more colour to it. With the white ice surface, white boards, and one team wearing white uniforms, the TV viewing experience doesn't look as good as it can. When you add two colours to the mix and make them play hockey in a rink, it usually winds up looking pretty darn good and it's something the NHL should think about.
STORY OF THE MONTH
The one occurrence that shook the hockey world
Well it's January and that means we got a taste of some hockey outdoors.
But this year was different. Last year we were given 4 additional outdoor games outside of the Winter Classic and Heritage Classic.
The NHL did this for several different reasons.They definitely recognised how much they made off the outdoor games, be it from filling up 50,000 seats to all the custom made merchandise and concessions. So the NHL wanted to make sure they squeezed every possible dollar out of the events.
There's also some speculation that the NHL put these additional games in the schedule as a type of apology gift to the fans and players who simply love being a part of the game and events. The players love it because the day before the game they get to bring their family to the rink and take pictures and marvel in the opportunity.
So, for whatever reason, we got 6 of 'em this year.
The headline event, the sixth annual Winter Classic, was an exciting game played in snow. The snow was so heavy, they had to periodically stop the game to shovel the snow to the boards.
However, the reviews of the game were fairly positive. It was a solid game with good quality chances both ways in front of 100,000 completely drunk fans.
Next up was the first of the Coors Light Stadium Series straight out of Sunny LA.(Fun Fact: apparently they ran out of Coors Light that night. Ha!)
Although everyone was freaking out about how they were going to make ice work in Los Angeles, keep in mind 2 things:
1) They have a functioning outdoor rink in Mexico
2) The temperature at the start of the game was 65, the average temperature inside an NHL arena
Out of all the games, this one was the most interesting. The California teams have been very good this year and the rivalries there have been growing exponentially and this was yet another step in the big rivalry between Anaheim the and the Kings as evident to the "Beat LA!" chants from the Orange County faithful at the end of the game.
The game straight up looked amazing. Thankfully, the NHL embraced the LA theme as they had a beach volleyball game, roller hockey, and joggers on the field around the rink. Also, unlike the other outdoor games, instead of putting the fake snow on the field around the rink, they kept the grass visible, something that also looked incredible.
The game itself was solid. The Ducks continued their dominant month with a win over their big foe and Jonas Hiller got the shutout for the Ducks.
To wrap up the month, the NHL gave two games to the Rangers in historic Yankee Stadium.
And here's where I lose my temper.
The Rangers are written down as the away team. For both games.
Why were the Rangers the away team?
There's no chance in hell the NHL meant to headline the Devils and the Islanders.
Both these games were for the Rangers and Yankee Stadium. They played up the connection between the two teams, Henrik Lundqvist wore freaking Yankee-styled goalie pads, and they're the team that's closest! Whatever band that was playing after the first intermission in the Devils game was wearing Rangers jerseys.
Why. The. Hell. Were. The. Rangers. The. Away. Team.
This is a big deal for the following reason. In an 82 game season, teams get 41 home games and 41 away games. These two games take away what would have been home games for the Devils and Islanders and essentially adds two home games to the New York Rangers. And this is something that's been brushed under the rug by the NHL, not officially stating a reason for this.
If you're upset about this like I am, you'll probably be just as irked from the reason behind this.
According to some sources, the Rangers and Knicks have a special deal with Madison Square Garden where they don't have to pay any property taxes.
On one condition.
If the Rangers or Knicks play a game that's considered a home game OUTSIDE of Madison Square Garden, they forfeit the tax exemption.
So because the Rangers lucked out of paying taxes, they gain 2 free home games this season and the Devils and Islanders suffer because of it.
This is something that the NHL for sure knew about when trying to schedule these games and instead of dealing with it they just screwed over two lower market teams.
Ridiculous.
Aside from that those games were okay.
TOP 3 "WOW! OH BABY!" MOMENTS
Three best plays from this month
3) Corey Crawford Desperation Kick Save
After making a nice blocker save on the initial breakaway by Brandon Prust, Corey Crawford was down and out and the puck was sitting right there for the Canadien's forward Lars Eller.
But that's when Crawford kicked out his legs and somehow stopped it with his back leg, kicking it to the corner.
2) Brad Marchand Fakes Out Everyone On the Ice; Twice
Pesky forward Brad Marchand picked up the puck in his own zone and, when surrounded by 3 LA Kings sweaters, decided to do it all himself.
He dekes past the defender, gets it in front and is stopped by the goalie. But he finds the puck on his stick again and continues his magic as one Kings defender swings to stop while the others just kind of look on as Marchand finishes off the play with great individual effort.
1) Martin St. Louis Is Super-Human
Martin St. Louis is a very likeable player. He went undrafted, he's like 4 foot 2, and he's really, really good.
Plus he has mutant legs.
Well he had a 4 goal game the other night but none was more impressive than his second goal.
After Antti Niemi makes the initial stop, St. Louis goes behind-the-back and between the legs to push the puck.
That play would make Valeri Kamensky blush.
Have a good olympics, people and Go Canada Go!
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