2013-14 NHL Season

Saw the Blues announced they will be without 5 forwards - Oshie, Backes, Tarasenko, Roy and Morrow - for their game tonight. Then they finish against Detroit on Sunday and appear to be headed for a first-round date with the Blackhawks.

Wouldn't surprise me if they don't win another game.

 

Word is if either were absolutely needed, they could have played several days ago. Two of the best players in the game and Toews is one of the finest leaders in sports. My guess is they will probably, oh, have a significant impact on the outcome of Chicago's Cup pursuit.

 

+1 your final statement.

No sympathy for Backes from me after his ambush of MacKinnon. Won't go as far as (Patrick) Roy and call it "gutless" but it was bush. Gotta ETA on Tarasenko's return? Heard he'd been skating. Of course, he doesn't skate on his hands. ;D

 

Saw a few highlights from last night's game against the Caps and thought of you, Sam. From what I could tell, there sure was a lot of red showing out for a game with no playoff implications.

 

My *hope* is that the time off for Toews and Kane is exactly what the Blackhawks needed. No way to find out but to play the games though.

Cup run + Olympics the next year is a brutal schedule.

 

Even as a Blues fan, I agree with you completely on the Backes thing. Unnecessary.

All they've said on Tarasenko is he will be gone through the first round. His return to the ice has been sooner than most anticipated, so wouldn't be a total surprise if he was back sometime in the first round. But with Hitchcock and injures, it's tough to expect anything.

 

Bolland hurt? The hell you say.

 

Was at the game. Probably as many Caps fans there as Hurricanes fans. Killer seats, seven rows up, for cheaper than nosebleeds at Verizon. Boring game, but fun time. Will be returning next year.

 

Not sure how many people here blinked when it was announced, it certainly wasn't an Earth shattering shocker, especially considering the rumours started yesterday, but this one was a big one for me. Ryan Smyth announced his retirement following tomorrow's finale against Vancouver. Perhaps the last NHLer you could consider me a fanboi of. Dude was a warrior for many years. Probably should have retired after his previous contract concluded and certainly after last year, but I will never fault a guy like that for hanging on too long unless it is obvious he is putting his health at risk -- if someone is willing to pay him millions of dollars to go on the ice every night, he'd be a fool not too.

Not sure anybody has bled more for the Oilers organization, the definition of a teammate. Never cocky, never arrogant. He put his body through hell and back for 19 years, not by sticking to the perimeter but by living in the dirty areas like the front of the net, only Holmstrom was in his class there. Never the most skilled but an incredible heart.

Perhaps my favourite Smyth story, I believe it was during their Cup run in 2006 against the Sharks, he took a clearing shot from Pronger in the mouth, lost three teeth but returned in the third period and set up Horcoff for the winner in triple overtime. His wife in the paper the next day was quoted as saying something along the lines of "I'm glad we had that family picture taken a few years ago, we can just photo shop his face into future family photos."

He's won world juniors gold, a Spengler Cup, world championship gold, the world cup and Olympic gold. The only thing missing from his resume is a Stanley Cup. And he did it all with the best flow in the NHL.

He right now has 842 points in 1,269 games (386 goals, 456 assists) and is tied for the Oilers record with the most power play goals in franchise history with Glenn Anderson, I can tell you he will probably play every minute of every power play tomorrow. It would be a fitting end to an amazing career for him to get the record.



Thank you Captain Canada

 

All the best to Ryan Smyth. Bob Miller and Jim Fox were highly complimentary of him during Thursday night's telecast from Edmonton.

 

Thomas Hertl returns for Sharks after being out since December thanks to a dirty hit by the Kings' Dustin Brown. Got 15:00 of ice time Friday night. "Playoff time it's more important, because it's L.A. I not much like L.A. this season."

http://www.mercurynews.com/sharks/ci_25551631/havlat-sharks-beat-avalanche-5-1

(Also at this point it's almost a foregone conclusion that Stalock starts in goal. Naturally, McLellan was asked if Stalock made a statement with his play to start the Sharks' playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings next week. "Well he didn't make a statement tonight -- he's made it all year. Tonight he just added to it," McLellan said. "He made some very good saves.")

 

If there was a Hockey Hall of Fame specifically for guys with heart and grit, Smyth would be a first-ballot lock for it. Team Canada is and will never be the same without him. Hope he enjoys his retirement, because he has certainly earned it.