All-purpose hockey thread...

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

Can't believe I picked Huet up off the waiver wire in the SportsJournalists.com WHA league. ;D

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

Hartford suitor ready to woo Penguins

By Andrew Conte
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, April 7, 2006

Penguins fans could have something new to worry about.

First it was Kansas City, and now it's Hartford, Conn., that wants the team if it can't get a new arena in Pittsburgh.

Lawrence Gottesdiener, CEO of Massachusetts-based real estate developer Northland Investment Corp., said Thursday he's looking to buy the Penguins, either to keep them in Pittsburgh with a new arena -- or move them to Hartford, where he is lobbying state officials to build an arena.

"I see a really exciting future for that team," Gottesdiener said. "If it can't be worked out in Pittsburgh ... we have a really huge real estate portfolio in Hartford."

The latest talk about moving the Penguins came as city and Allegheny County officials held a closed-door meeting yesterday with the team about paying for an arena if the Penguins' slots plan fails.

Separately, the team has hired a New York financial firm, Allen & Co., to broker its sale.

The hour-long meeting included representatives of the city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority, the city's Urban Redevelopment Authority, the Mayor's Office and the County Executive's Office. No elected officials attended.

The Penguins did not learn enough to make a decision about whether to accept the alternate arena proposal, team consultant David Morehouse said.

"There are still a number of questions that have to be answered before we can determine if it's viable," he said.

It's not clear whether Gov. Ed Rendell legally could dole out $7 million a year for an arena from the state's slots money, or whether the slots applicants would agree to paying $7.5 million a year if they win the license, Morehouse said.

"There's no negotiations, because they can't negotiate," said county Chief Executive Dan Onorato.

The Penguins have a contract with Isle of Capri Casinos, which has agreed to pay $290 million for a new arena if it wins the license for Pittsburgh's casino. The other slots bidders -- Harrah's Station Square Casino, and Majestic Star Casino, which would locate on the North Shore -- have offered nothing for an arena.

Onorato said he remains confident Harrah's and Majestic Star will agree to his proposal that they kick in $7.5 million a year toward an arena if they win the casino license.

"They'd be nuts not to," Onorato said.

Rendell said it's a hopeful sign the Penguins have agreed to talk about the backup plan he developed with Onorato and Mayor Bob O'Connor.

"You can't negotiate with no one," Rendell said. "I have confidence Dan and Bob can carry the ball -- or move the puck."

Northland, based in Newton, Mass., owns more than 1.4 million square feet of commercial space in Hartford, so it makes sense that the company would consider moving the Penguins there, Gottesdiener said.

Hartford lost its National Hockey League franchise, the Whalers, in 1997, but the fan base remains strong, he said. The city does not have a new arena but is in the midst of a downtown rebuilding phase.

Former Penguins owner Howard Baldwin has talked publicly about trying to bring the Whalers back to Hartford. But Gottesdiener said Baldwin is not part of the group considering buying the Penguins.

"(The Penguins) are an excellent entry point to get into the NHL," Gottesdiener said. "We've said that we're in this to buy an NHL team."

Andrew Conte can be reached at aconte@tribweb.com or (412) 765-2312

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

A Rangers-Devils first round series should be very delicious. It's hockey at its best: Two skilled teams that hate each other.

G-men rally Devils past Blueshirts

Monday, April 10, 2006

By TOM GULITTI
STAFF WRITER


EAST RUTHERFORD -- If the Rangers and Devils don't meet again when the NHL playoffs begin in 11 days, then Sunday night will be as close as they are going to get to 1997.

Continental Arena was electric as 19,040 fans for both teams filled the building and the Hudson River rivals played up to the atmosphere.

The Devils' fans had the last laugh, though.

Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta scored 1:39 apart in the third period as the Devils rallied for a 3-2 victory to extend their winning streak to seven games.

Gionta scored the game-winner on the power play with 6:48 remaining, taking a feed from Jamie Langenbrunner behind the net and beating goaltender Kevin Weekes high to the glove side for his 44th of the season -- two short of Pat Verbeek's single-season club record.

"That was a playoff atmosphere. There's no question," Devils general manager and coach Lou Lamoriello said. "The building was that way, the type of play that was out there, the emotion, the hits."

"It was real intense," Rangers coach Tom Renney said. "It was a hard-working, hard-hitting game."

The win allowed the Devils to salvage a tie with the Rangers in their regular-season series. The teams finished with identical 4-3-1 records and nine points against each other.

If the playoffs began today, the sixth-seeded Devils would face the third-seeded Rangers in the first round. It would be their first postseason meeting since the Rangers defeated the Devils in five games in the 1997 conference semifinals.

"I wouldn't mind it," said Devils center Sergei Brylin, "as long as we win."

It seemed like the fans wouldn't mind it either.

"Who knows? You look at the atmosphere and the crowd and the buzz around the area all day, yeah, it would be great for hockey," said Gomez, who tied the game on a scintillating rush with 8:27 left. "But we're not in the playoffs, yet."

The Devils are close, though. They hold a 10-point bulge over ninth-place Atlanta. The Thrashers have five games remaining and can still finish with more wins (the first tiebreaker), but the Devils need only one point in their last four games to clinch a playoff spot for the ninth consecutive season.

The Devils also have a four-point lead over Tampa Bay and Montreal for sixth place in the East and moved within two points of fifth-place Philadelphia, which has a game in hand.

The Rangers, who also have four games left, remained five points ahead of the Flyers for first in the Atlantic Division.

The Meadowlands had the feel of a Rangers-Devils playoff game with the spring weather and a strong contingent of Blueshirts' fans in the building exchanging "Let's go Rangers!" chants with the "Let's go Devils!" from the New Jersey faithful.

It didn't take long for tempers to flare. Rangers left wing Ryan Hollweg sent Brylin face first into the boards, opening an 11-stitch cut over his left eye. Brylin returned later in the first, however, and scored on a power-play deflection to give the Devils the lead with 6:14 remaining.

Hollweg wasn't penalized for his hit on Brylin, but received a five-minute major for charging on a high hit on Brian Rafalski 3:32 into the second. The Devils couldn't take advantage of the opportunity, though, registering only three shots on goal during the long power play. That would come back to haunt them.

Blair Betts cashed in on a Colin White turnover to tie the game with 6:06 remaining in the second. Defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh gave the Rangers the lead with a power-play goal 1:52 later. Jaromir Jagr, who was shadowed all night by Jay Pandolfo, set it up with a pass from the left circle to Ozolinsh. Ozolinsh flubbed his shot, but it popped up over Martin Brodeur's catching glove and into the net.

It appeared that goal would hold up until Gomez tied it, victimizing Ozolinsh on the way. After taking an outlet pass from Rafalski, Gomez cruised through the neutral zone and into the New York end. He raced between Ozolinsh and his defense partner, Jason Strudwick, before lifting a backhand over Weekes' catching glove.

"Gomez's goal was probably one of the prettiest goals of the year," Gionta said. "It was just a great effort and, obviously, a ton of skill involved. That lifted the whole team."

E-mail: gulitti@northjersey.com

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

Hey, HB, just out of curiosity, why don't you just post links?

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

Given Huet's from France, maybe they should call him "The Maginot Line"

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

If he tanks in the playoffs maybe they will.

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

Vokoun out with blood disorder. Not good for the Predators.

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

Blood clot in the abdomen, apparently.

Guy's in the top 5 for Hart Trophy consideration.

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

If that's a suggestion, I second it.

I pretty much abandoned this thead when it became a selection of readings instead of a discussion. Before today, I don't think I had peeked in here since it was 150 or so pages.

I'd definitely appreciate just the links and maybe a highlight box.

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

And I'll double second it.

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

It's got my vote as well

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

That is fricken hilarious. Wade "the Rockstar" Belak. In his dreams. I have some Maple Leaf friends (hey we all do, even out here in Alberta) that I think I'm going to fire that off to.