Author Archives: ThatDamnDoubleC

Edmonton Oilers, That Damn Hockey Blog

That Damn Hockey Blog: The Cosmonaut Has Landed

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ns14hRqwY8[/youtube]

Ilya Bryzgalov is back in the National Hockey League, after verbally agreeing to a 1-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers. Yes, the same Oilers that have apparently been after Ryan Miller all season, have completely lost faith in Devan Dubnyk, that they dragged a guy from the depths of nothing, after he last trained for the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL.

They had to send defenseman Ladislav Smid to the Calgary Flames in order to make room, and Bryz is really going to help them on the D-line, so trading away a D just to pick up a Goalie that they probably won’t have after this season, is baffling.

The Oilers seem to be falling apart at the seams. Jordan Eberle is apparently in talks with the Philadelphia Flyers, and Nail Yakupov is also rumoured to be shopped around, which leaves the Oilers with Nugent-Hopkins, Hall, Gagner, and not much else. They only have 10 players on their roster that are signed after this season, so could this mean a clean out in Alberta. Then again, if this was the start of a clean out, why would they bring in a 33 year old Goaltender?

Edmonton is confusing me. They seem to be in worse shape than the Flyers, and that’s saying something.

Philadelphia Flyers, That Damn Hockey Blog

That Damn Hockey Blog: You’ll Never Guess Philly’s Secret Identity

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuXmd4JOsFU[/youtube]

Before you ask, yes that is movie ‘star’ Jerry O’Connell, and his secret identity was that as a teenager, he developed superhuman powers. The Philadelphia Flyers have a secret identity as well, however there’s don’t involve superhuman powers. In fact, I don’t think anybody knows.

Are they a playoff team? Stanley Cup contender? A team on the rebuild? I don’t think you can answer any of those with any reassurance. Currently they sit last in the Metropolitan division, and even though that division has a whiff of the old Southeast Division, they sit six points out of the playoffs after 14 games.

A Stanley Cup contender? Well they made the Stanley Cup Finals just three short seasons ago, but only six members of that Finals team remain on the roster, and that includes Ray Emery (who has been at the Ducks and Blackhawks in between time), and Chris Pronger (who is now on the long-term injury list, and will never play again) The other four being Scott Hartnell, Claude Giroux, Brayden Coburn and Kimmo Timonen.

A team on the rebuild? Well if you look at their forward group, you could argue that. They only have three players over the age of 30 and seven players 25 or younger, but defensively, there are only two players under the age of 28. However, there are quite a few young players playing for the Adirondack Phantoms of the AHL, plus eleven defensive prospects in the Flyers system, so perhaps that’s where they are ‘re-building’

Goaltending is a mystery. Emery (31) and Steve Mason (25) are their main core, after buying out everyone’s favourite Russian Cosmonaut. Ilya Bryzgalov, in the off-season. Emery may have been the backup to Corey Crawford for Chicago’s Stanley Cup victory last season, but this year his skills have been move around the boxing ring, than between the pipes.

Add to that the firing of Peter Laviolette just three games into the season, replacing him with assistant Craig Berube, and you have a situation that I don’t think many people know just what to make of it.

Captain Giroux may want their fans to not stop believing in their team, but until they find an identity, then they may just continue to sit towards the bottom of the National Hockey League. They won’t be completely on the bottom though, I mean, they’re not Buffalo.

I have a Twitter for some unknown reason, it’s @ThatDamnDoubleC.  Also, go visit BoredWrestlingFan.com, as we’re like brothers or something.

BHF Podcast

The Bored Hockey Fan Podcast! Episode #3

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G and Double C bring you episode 3 of the BHF podcast. In this episode, we talk Varlamov, Emery, Tyler Seguin’s return to Boston and our first bout of technical difficulties..

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fAHr__5QHk[/youtube]

BoredHockeyFan Podcast Episode 3 (MP3, 27:00)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

BHF Podcast

The Bored Hockey Fan Podcast! Episode 2

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That’s right. ThatDamnDoubleC and the man known as G talk hockey once again. On this episode, we talk the Sharks and whether they can make a decent playoff run, how long can the Flames and Avalanche go before they fade, and G tells a story about the Oilers Stanley Cup finals run.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLFJowKDn_8[/youtube]

BoredHockeyFan Podcast Episode 2 (MP3, 41:04)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Buffalo Sabres, That Damn Hockey Blog

That Damn Hockey Blog: Tell The Swords This Isn’t The AHL

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Buffalo, Buffalo, Buffalo. Can someone explain to me just what their goals are for this season? Are they trying to make the playoffs? Are they re-building? I can’t tell.

Nobody knows what Tyler Myers is going to be, after being drafted as a potential Chara 2.0, and winning the Calder Trophy for the 2009-10 season. But since then, his points per season has decreased, and nobody really know what he’ll turn into as a hockey player. He was drafted 12th overall in 2008, before players such as Erik Karlsson (15th) and Jordan Eberle (22nd), so the expectation to push to the next level is there, it’s all up to Myers to get there, and at 23, he and Ristolainen look to be the future defense.

But the big news is revolving around Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller. Both have contracts up at the end of this season, and the Sabres are apparently looking to ship them both off before the trade deadline. Vanek is 29 and Miller is 33, but both have contract in excess on 6 million, with Vanek’s contract over 7 million. If the Sabres are ‘re-building’, then they need to dump the pair of them for youth, which is a lot easier said than done, considering there are only 6 teams which have more cap space available than the Sabres, so it seems they need to get some cap in return.

In Miller’s case, he has 8 teams on his no-trade list, which includes the Edmonton Oilers, who were linked to both he and Vanek in a deal that could send Nail Yakupov to Buffalo, and even though the Oilers have more cap space than the Sabres, it isn’t by much, so the Oilers would probably have to send Ales Hemsky and his $5mil contract to Buffalo, which I’m sure they wouldn’t mind considering Hemsky’s contract is also up at the end of this season.

The problem with dealing Miller however, and not getting a goaltender in return, means that the Sabres are left with Jhonas Enroth and Matt Hackett as their goalies. Hackett was picked up from the Wild in the Jason Pominville trade, whereas Enroth, along with Jacob Markstrom, Henrik Lundqvist and Jonas Gustafsson, are in contention to represent Team Sweden as their goalie core for the Sochi Olympics. Hackett is only 20, and hasn’t really proven anything, but Enroth is 25, and could be a starting goalie in the National Hockey League, but that can only be questionable at best, leaving the Sabres with a rapidly declining Ryan Miller.

Maybe the Sabres need to re-sign Miller, or make a massive play for a goaltender before the trade deadline or in the off-season. Otherwise, unless Enroth or Hackett can set up, it won’t matter who else they have in their roster, because if the goalie can’t stop goals, then they’re always going to be in contention for the number one pick come draft time.

I have a Twitter for some unknown reason, it’s @ThatDamnDoubleC.  Also, go visit BoredWrestlingFan.com, as we’re like brothers or something. You like the little icon in the top left corner where the title of this blog is? I found that here.

That Damn Hockey Blog

That Damn Hockey Blog: Tough Transition First Round Draft Picks

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Who said it was going to be tough for first round draft picks this year? Because whomever said that.. well you were right with third overall pick Jonathan Drouin of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who was sent back to juniors, but in the case of the top 2 overall picks, Nathan MacKinnon and Alexsander Barkov? Well you are foolish! Foolish I tells ya.

MacKinnon, drafted first by the Colorado Avalanche, provided two assists for Jamie McGinn’s pair of goals, in their 6-1 victory of the Anaheim Ducks. MacKinnon had 15 shifts for 15:31 ice time. There was also a bit of a ruckus between new Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy, and several Anaheim Ducks, including head coach Bruce Boudreau and star player Corey Perry.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y2OOc6WTrg[/youtube]

Aleksander Barkov, drafted second by the Florida Panthers, scored the Game-Tying Goal in their 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. Assisted by Tom Gilbert and Jonathan Huberdeau, Barkov had more shifts than MacKinnon with 21, but only played three more seconds (15:34) of ice time.

Other notables include fourth overall pick Seth Jones had a +2 in Nashville’s 4-2 defeat by St. Louis, eighth overall Rasmus Ristolainen ended with a -1 in Buffalo’s 2-1 defeat by the Detroit Red Wings, and tenth overall Valeri Nichuskin played on Dallas’ third-line with Shawn Horcoff and Vernon Fiddler, also ended with a -1 in their 4-2 loss by the Florida Panthers.

That Damn Hockey Blog

That Damn Hockey Blog: Panthers Have More Control Than The U.S. Government

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Florida has a new goalie! Many expected the Jacob Markstrom era to begin in Florida this season, but that will be put on hold for one year, as long-time Boston Bruin, and guy who took last year off, Tim Thomas, has signed a 1-year, $2.5 million deal, with a $3.75 million cap hit with the franchise.

After making the playoffs in the 2011-12 season, being knocked out by the New Jersey Devils in the first round in seven games, the Panthers ended up with the worst record in the National Hockey League last season, on the back of Markstrom, Scott Clemmensen and Jose Theodore.

All smiles now Timmy T

What does Tim Thomas bring to Florida? He joins Kris Versteeg (one) Brian Campbell (one) and Tomas Kopecky (two), as holders of Stanley Cup rings. However, Thomas is the only one with a Conn Smythe as playoff MVP. A two-time Vezina winner, one-time William M. Jennings trophy, and the first player since Bernie Parent to win the Stanley Cup, Vezina and Conn Smythe in the same season.

The resume is plentiful, but Thomas is 39 years old. He didn’t play anywhere last season, so whether or not he’ll even make it out the year is a gamble for the Panthers, especially considering they seem to be outside playoff contenders at best. Perhaps he’s bought in to provide tutelage for Markstrom, but the latter will more than likely end up in the AHL when Clemmensen returns from injury.

For those wondering, Florida play Thomas’ former team, the Boston Bruins (I don’t count the Islanders, even though he was on their roster, he never played a game for them, not even as backup) five times next season. Mark these dates on your hockey calendar!
October 17, 2013, November 7, 2013, January 28, 2014, March 4, 2014 and March 9, 2014

The media will be all over it, especially for the first game I feel. Even Bruins starter, and Thomas’ backup in Boston, Tuukka Rask, joked that it’s going to be a “media debacle”. Fun times to be had in Florida for the year ahead.

That Damn Hockey Blog

That Damn Hockey Blog: Captains, Brawls and Blues! Oh My!

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Jamie Benn and Mark Giordano have been named Captains of the Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames respectively. They replace Brenden Morrow and Jarome Iginla, who were both traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins toward trade deadline last season.

Giordano, 29, becomes the 19th Captain in Calgary Flames franchise history, and will have Mike Cammalleri and Curtis Glencross as his Assistants, whereas Benn, 24, will be the sixth Captain since the Stars moved to Dallas in 1993, where Ray Whitney and Stephane Robidas will be the Assistant Captains.

How do you make pre-season exciting? Have a line brawl.
How do you welcome your brand new 5.5 million dollar contract with your new team? Get yourself suspended for ten games.

The Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs decided that pre-season games were boring, and decided that an all-in brawl was the best way. It started when John Scott of the Sabres decided that he needed to stand up for his team-mate, Corey Tropp, was mis-matched in a fight with Leaf Jamie Devane and was going to fight the first person he saw after the faceoff. The Maple Leafs countered this, by trying to move the game on, by sending out their big guns, leaving franchise forward Phil Kessel to fight Scott. This started the brawl, which ended with Kessel showing off his wedge skills on Scott’s shin, Goalies Ryan Miller (Sabres) and Jonathan Bernier (Leafs) having a fight of their own, and David Clarkson, who signed from New Jersey in the off-season, came off the bench to get involved. This is a no-no, and coming off the bench in that nature, leads to an automatic 10-game suspension. Way to go Clarkson, way to gooooooo.

Oh, here’s the fight in question..
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frrFsXdhKZ8[/youtube]

Brenden Morrow has signed a 1-year, 1.5 million dollar deal with Dallas Stars 2.0, the St. Louis Blues. Morrow joins former head coach Ken Hitchcock, former GM Doug Armstrong, VP of Business Operations Brett Hull, who scored the cup winning goal for the Stars’ 1999 Stanley Cup victory, and fellow off-season Free Agent signing Derek Roy, as former Dallas Stars applying their trade in St. Louis. Morrow looks like being a third-fourth liner for his new franchise.

That Damn Hockey Blog

That Damn Hockey Blog: Does This Mean Hockey’s Back?

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It feels a little weird to be honest. This time last year, every hockey fan knew that there wasn’t going to be any hockey, because we knew that there was going to be a lockout, and we knew it was going to last awhile, so a proper season start seems like heaven. I know there’s an Olympic break in the middle and that’ll make things interesting in terms of how one plays in an attempt to make the Olympic rosters, and with a proper pre-season, the start of the season will see the best players at full stride, as opposed to taking the first month of last season to find their rhythm.

So enjoy pre-season action, cheer your team on. Hockey’s back, and that’s always a good thing.

Hockey Media

NHL 14 Demo – Thoughts and Points

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For those who havent played it/downloaded it, the NHL 14 playable demo was released recently, and in it, contained three game modes. Play Now, which consisted of playing the third period (and overtime/shootout if needed), between the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks. NHL ’94 Anniversary mode, which contains the third period between the Bruins/Blackhawks, and Hockey Ultimate Team, which contains you receiving a random pack, and facing off in a tournament against the Halifax Mooseheads, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks and Team Canada respectively.

A quick analysis on each, possibly detailing what the retail version of NHL 14 could be all about.

NHL ’94 Anniversary mode should be available to play online multiplayer. It is only there as a replacement for the Winter Classic, which wasn’t played due to the lockout. This mode would be more fun being able to play online, as I feel the mode just wont be enough purely as offline single player/multiplayer. NHL ’94 mode is more than fun, and even the beginner would be able to do well in this mode, as opposed to needing to do tricks and dekes in order to be successful in other modes.

Ultimate Team from what I saw, seems to be fairly similar to the NHL ’13 model, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it would be a lot better if they re-introduced permanent training to your players.

Play Now was just a normal game, giving you the chance to show off the new fighting mechanic, the new dekes, and everything else you can think of. The fighting mechanic is 1000% better than previous editions, although they seem to happen a lot more regularly than even a real-life NHL game, which can be bothersome, and just like Madden and FIFA, the game’s looks are tweaked to look better, but the overall feel is pretty much the same as last year’s edition.