SB Nation - Dany Heatley

Off the Post - December 14th

Conico do Mayo Miracle — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:13:52 -0000

Reminder - Manny Malhotra will be at the Sharks Store tomorrow from 4:30 - 6pm. See you there.

Rudy Kelly is was savoring the fact that the Kings ~~are~~ were (temporarily) on top of the Western Conference, while his least favorite team in the universe is (still) at the opposite pole.

~~No, that's not a misprint -~~ ~~the Kings are on top of the West. What is this, 1991? (for the record, the Kings have~~ ~~never~~ ~~actually finished at the top of the West in their 42 year history)~~

[UPDATE, 10:47pm] The Kings' loss tonight propels the Sharks back to first place. At least Rudy's dream came (briefly) true.

Is Marty Turco on the trading block? Defending Big D with your info.

One of the teams Turco might be sent to does indeed need a goaltender... so much so that they're looking at rec leagues, as well as the Thrashers.

[UPDATE] - The Flyers reacquire Michael Leighton from Carolina, where he'll reunite with Laviolette.

Five for Howling's primer on Ice Edge, the group purchasing the Yotes.

Mike Grier's importance to the Buffalo Sabres.

In the spirit of Christmas, the Dallas Stars have been giving away points to their W.C. opponents.

The Phoenix / Saskatoon Coyotes doesn't quite have that ring to it.... but it's going forward anyway.

Former Kings / Flames sniper Mike Cammalleri is setting his sights on a Montreal Canadiens mark.

In case you missed it, the Washington Capitals cleared up some massive overhead by shipping Michael Nylander to the AHL, where he'll join (drumroll please...) Patrick Rissmiller.

Thirty teams, 30 Christmas wishes.

Is the Bulin Wall coming down?

Out-shot teams that manage to win.

Behind the Net on size differential between players being hit and those hitting them.

Our friends at SLGT will soon be getting a Brett Hull statue outside the Drink Scotch, which should be a fitting place to recount your unpublishable Hull stories (right, Chris Gift? Ho ho ho indeed...).

Kiprusoff should be on Team Finland (was anyone surprised by this? No? Moving on).

Signs the world is going to end = a Canadian journalist thinks hockey is going to work in Phoenix.

Despite the 5-game Sharks slump, Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley are still in the Art Ross and Rocket Richard runoff, respectively. While you're admiring stats, take a good fucking look at Zenon Konopka... but don't make eye contact or he'll kill you.

Jason Blake either shat his pants while being held at gunpoint, or he just scored a goal... you decide.

The Next General Manager of the Edmonton Oilers

Derek Zona — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:58:31 -0000

via cdn.picapp.com

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I am Daryl Katz. I'm a whale hunter. Since purchasing the Oilers, my reign has been characterized by hunting down the biggest of the big whales in the NHL. Marian Hossa, Jaromir Jagr, Dany Heatley, Nikolai Khabibulin - all names that light up the marquee, all names that sparkled in my eye. If my OIlers should miss the playoffs again this year, I'll be put in a very precarious position - the fanbase will start to turn on my President and General Manager, and eventually, they'll turn on me. I will have nothing to offer them but the promise of hope, but Kevin Lowe and Steve Tambellini won't be able to deliver for me. I'll need to find someone else to run this team. I don't try to hire anyone without first hiring the most famous name I can find. I'll need a whale of enormous proportions. Someone that the fanbase would consider a hero, a hockey hero. Someone that can once again deliver the promise of hope to the people of Alberta. A whale that can bring the hope of the past glories back to the Oilers. Someone that can guarantee fan interest won't soon decline.

I'm Mark Messier. In the sports world, I'm a whale. In the hockey world, I'm one of the biggest whales, especially since my good friend Wayne went off track in Phoenix. I'm Edmonton-bred, born and raised, and I am Alberta's greatest hockey hero. I won six stanley cups in my time in the NHL and became known as the game's greatest captain. I once called my shot that I would deliver a Stanley Cup and I delivered a Stanley Cup. When I was playing, I was bold and brash and had the game to back it up. I was the biggest thing in hockey on the biggest stage in the world. I'm beloved everywhere in North America, except Vancouver and Calgary. I was a take-no-prisoners masher and I will be again.

My relationship with the Oilers has been good and the fans continue to love me. I'd love to go back there, but given that my old buddy Kevin Lowe is already in charge of the entire franchise, I know that there's not enough room in Rexall Place for the both of us. The only way that I'll ever make it back to Edmonton is if the Oilers were to let Kevin go, but he's got a job for life.

After basking in the glow of my great career that spanned three decades and cup wins in both Edmonton and New York, this year I decided that I wanted to enter hockey management. I needed someone to give me an in so that I could join the closed ranks of NHL management, so I turned to an old friend, Glen Sather. Glen gave me a job as a special assistant to the general manager. I expect that Glen will show me the ropes in the NHL, give me the ins and outs of managing the business, hook me up with the secrets that he uses to run the Rangers and set me on my way. I expect that one year in this role will give me the management resume I need to land a General Manager's job in the NHL..

To make sure that everyone is aware I'm available, I decided to take the job as General Manager of Team Canada's 2010 World Championship team. Raising my profile with this job, combined with my job with the Rangers and my history of winning all but guarantees a job offer in the summer of 2010 I'll show that I'm able to work with talent and evaluate players for the team and I'll do some elbow-rubbing with those involved with Hockey Canada. My name will light up news ledes and shine brightly on the marquee once again. I only hope that it will shine brightly enough to attract the attention of a team or two. I only need one interview to impress an owner, especially an owner that will be impressed by my celebrity. Someone that would love to hire a whale.

Off the Post - December 7th

Conico do Mayo Miracle — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:37:44 -0000

1941 - Never forget. And don't forget what happened on Dec. 8th, 1980, while you're at it.
[NEW UPDATE] - Manny Malhotra will be signing autographs for free at the Sharks Store, Tuesday Dec. 15th, from 4:30 - 6pm. Be sure to slip a few greenbacks in the change jar - homeboy's only pulling in 6 figures.
[UPDATE] - McGinn and Vesce get reassigned... place yer bets on whether or not they'll be back by Wednesday.
TCY examines Patrick Marleau's potential price tag after this season, while Ivano27 investigates what Igor Larionov (and his hottie daughter) has been up to lately.
Devin Setoguchi answers questions from the masses, including the perrenial "Whose kitchen are you raiding this season?"
Dany Heatley, Dan Boyle, and Patrick Marleau (plus a 4th Shark TBD) will be signing autographs for a cool $169 per 2 persons @ Dave & Buster's, on January 31st. Reservations required.
A look at former Sharks defenseman Christian Ehrhoff as an Olympic hopeful.
Is Peter Laviolette the right replacement for John Stevens in Philadelphia?
The city of Edmonton begins preparations for the end of Rexall Place.
Size does matter for Gary Bettman - and he likes 'em small and boisterous.
For those that missed the Habs' 100th anniversary celebration, please consult Habs Eyes on the Prize (recommended).
Die by the Blade believes Andrej Sekera is the Sabres' Dan Boyle.
Signs your teammate is trying to kill you (big chuckle on the first one, huge groan on the last one).
Kris Versteeg gets an eyeful.

Scott Reynolds at Copper & Blue has been producing tweaked Bible verses for game day, and his latest for the Oilers victory over the Stars is a gem.
Speaking of the Stars (whom we play on Friday), Defending Big D examines the current state of the Dallas fanbase.
Buddha at Hockey Wilderness, on "He Who Shall No Longer Be Mentioned" (and no, it's not Gaborik).
With Cam Ward returning, the Canes have a goaltending decision to make.
Behind the Net debunks the argument that goalies need to see action in order to stop shots.
St. Louis Game Time has utterly corrupted Bart Simpson.
Hockey bigamy, as Vince Vaughn (a Blackhawks / J.R. fan) invades the Phoenix locker room.
On the off chance you haven't seen it in detail, Miikka Kiprusoff's save on Scott Nichol is (tragic? heart-breaking? nauseating?) destined for highlight reels for years to come.

Curios From The Canadiens' First Ever Game And Season

Robert L — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:26:51 -0000

This is page 2 from La Patrie on January 5, 1910. It contains among other things, an ad for that night's Canadiens debut., an article concerning the Didier Pitre case, an ad for skating at the Forum, and an ad for a CHA contest between the Montreal Shamrock and All - Montreal. The publicity generated by the Pitre ruling assured that the Canadiens game drew larger crowds than the one at the Westmount arena, despite the latter having double the capacity.

In the bottom left hand corner, you can see the Canadiens 11 player post card promo, that is the most commonly known artifact from the 1909-10 season. Of the players, only nine would dress for the team that season, with the remaining spares never to play for the Canadiens.

The NHA Canadiens and the CHA Montreal National were involved in a very high profile court case involving the playing rights of point man Didier Pitre. The case was resolved just hours before game time, allowing Pitre to suit for the team of his choice. Pitre had signed to play with Le National, but then accepted more monet from Le Canadien. The judge in the case decreed that no man can be held to work for an employer against his wishes. Would Dany Heatley love to live in these simpler times.

The headline below reads: "Canadiens win debut, in a lively incident filled game". The one above states that 3000 frienzied fans greeted captain Jack Laviolette and team mates.

Game notes:

Hundreds of fans were left waiting outside by game time, with the event being sold out.

The game began at 8:40 and the official were rivals NHA players Riley Hern and B. Percival.

The Canadiens began the game very much on the offensive, while Cobalt held up defensively.

Newsy Lalonde scored the game's first goal, set up the second by Poulin, and scored the third.

The hitting and body checks were rough and very prominent.

Cattarinich made some keys saves on several hard shots.

Vair and Smaill were the two best players on the Silver Kings in the first half. Clarke distinguished himself in the final seconds of the half to score for Cobalt.

There were several penalties on both sides and Lalonde left the game due to an ankle injury.

Starting in the second half, Cobalt played much better, thanks to Lalonde's absense, and scored three consecutive goals.

Bernier, who had been having a mediocre game up until that point, then scored a nice goal by splitting through the Cobalt defense.

Laviolette was penalized twice, with Cobalt profiting both times to score.

Smaill and Campbell then went off for Cobalt, and the Canadiens scored twice to tie the game at 6.

After some discussions at center ice, the two clubs left the surface to the orchestra strains of "God Save The King".

Hundreds of fans had then left their seats, protesting the outcome with cries of "Fake, fake, fake."

Due to the chants, the game officials concurred to restart the contest, and the two teams came back to play.

Cobalt started strong, but were missing Smaill when Poulin managed to beat goalie Jones for the game winner.

The Canadiens had a well earned victory and roundly applauded by the crowd.

For the Canadiens, Lalonde, Pitre, Laviolette and Cattarinich distinguished themselves, particularly Lalonde.

Poulin and Bernier were especially weak at the start, but got better as the game wore on. They were were effective in the second half.

Decarie looked out of place, and often had trouble keeping up with team mates.

For Cobalt, Vair , Smail and Clarke stood out, while McNamara was rather weak on defense as he played despite looking injured. Jones distinguished himself in goal, but Campbell and Kennedy contributed by their weakness to their team's loss.

Campbell was penalized five times during the second half.

During the game, Art Bernier's mother was seriously injured by a mix up along the boards. It would be advisable that administration install some type of protection before another such scrum injures more patrons.

The journalists were also too cramped in their locale, and that is also a situation in need of being remedied.

Here is the starting lineup from the Canadiens first game. Jos Cattarinich was in goal with Jack Laviolette at point and Didier Pitre at cover point. The defenseman of the day lined up not side by side, but in an I - formation. The forward line had Ed Decarie at center, with Skinner Poulin on the left and Art Bernier on the right. Newsy Lalonde was at the rover position. Decarie, by all accounts during the season, was hapless and terribly unaccountable defensively. His tenure at center would not last long, and he would often be replaced by Poulin and Lalonde in the game second halves.

Here is the summary from the Canadiens very first game. Note that teams played two 30 minutes periods and that goal times related to how much time had elapsed since the last goal or the beginning of the period. Penalty times are equally skewered.

The Canadiens accepted a friendly game challenge from an amateur hockey team from Chicoutimi on February 19, 1910 and the meeting would alter Canadiens history from the following season on. Only 4 Canadiens regulars participated - Captain Jack Laviolette, Didier Pitre, Ed Decarie and goalie Teddy Groulx. Patsy Seguin had been signed on after Newsy Lalonde was released and Montreal filled out their lineup with the Wanderers Moose Johnson and Marty Walsh. No penalties were called in the entire match, but the story of the game was the goaltending of Chicoutimi's Georges Vezina, who stoned Montreal despite being badly out shot. Montreal manager Jos Cattarinich made it his task to sign Vezina the following season, going so far as to keeping his brother Pierre on the Canadiens taxi squad. Chicoutimi won the game 11 to 5.

With the Canadiens doing so badly in their inaugural season, there were persistant rumours that as many as four players would be signed from the Chicoutimi HC by Montreal. This first rumour spoke to the notion that the Canadiens would be releasing most of their high salaried players to be replaced by those on the strongest amateur club in Quebec. The additions never materialized, save for the signing of Georges Vezina in December of 1910.

Newsy Lalonde's final game of the season with Renfrew Millionaires. Before the contest he reportedly asked his team mates Lester and Frank Patrick as well as Cyclone Taylor to feed him the puck as often as possible in order for him to clinch the scoring title. Fans at the game said they never witnessed such a frienzied and skilled display of passing. In thinking of the credit due all linemates for setting up triggerman Lalonde, Frank Patrick later developed the idea to credit assists, which he did as president of the Pacific Coast Hockey League starting in 1911-12. Lalonde finished with 38 goals in 11 games, including 22 in his last five games after being signed by Renfrew.

San Jose Sharks 2010 Olympic Hockey Preview: Part One

Mr. Plank — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:00:30 -0000

Canada's rumored top line-- Sumi the playmaker, Quatchi the power forward, Miga the sniper. Should be a force to be reckoned with.

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The 2010 Games in Vancouver are fast approaching, with final rosters set to be announced in late December. SB Nation has been running a network wide preview series chronicling the likelihood of individual players making their respective country's roster, and pocket aces dropped today-- it's Fear The Fin's turn to make our grand entrance onto the big stage.

As I see it, the San Jose Sharks have a couple locks and a smorgasbord of remaining hopefuls that boast a myriad of different skills; these hopefuls will either need to elevate or hold their current level of play in order to make their inclusion later this month the right choice for their country.

Make the jump for evaluations of Nabokov, Marleau, Thornton, and Heatley.

PACK YOUR BAGS, JACK

Evgeni Nabokov, Team Russia

#20 / Goalie / San Jose Sharks

Height: 6-0

Weight: 200

Born: Jul 25, 1975

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Evgeni Nabokov	25	1479	16	4			58	2.35	734	676	.921	2

Evgeni Nabokov is a no-brainer for the Russian team this winter, and will likely be starting between the pipes as he did during their fourth place outing in Turin where he went 5-2 with a 1.34 GAA. His recent success at the 2008 World Championships where Russia won gold, along with his stellar play during the first two months of the 2009-2010 NHL season, also add to his credentials. Competing for his job will be Illya Bryzgalov and Semyon Varlamov, with Nikolai Khabilbulin looking to be on the fringe as of this moment considering he is dealing with back trouble and has not played as well as the aforementioned three. Two veteran netminders should be able to shoulder the immense load on a Russian team expected to play for the gold medal in what stands to be a boisterous Canadian arena. The potential seasoning of Varlamov (along with his excellent play) will be an enticing opportunity for the Russian brass to consider, as it will concurrently set the team up for another bid at the 2014 games in Sochi*.

*Admittedly the NHL hasn't green-lighted sending players over as of yet, but with the KHL an alluring alternative and one of their biggest stars (Alexander Ovechkin) stating that he wants to play in the games, it might be in their best interest to do so. Words such as "fatigue" and "potential injury" will be tossed around, but keep in mind that it is just as likely, if not more, about the loss of revenue stemming from shutting the league down for three weeks to play overseas. Alas, that is a topic to be covered at a later date.

No matter what happens in the next month, Team Russia boasts four able netminders to choose from in the crease. And if current trends hold, Nabokov will be front and center.

Patrick Marleau, Team Canada

#12 / Center / San Jose Sharks

Height: 6-2

Weight: 220

Born: Sep 15, 1979

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Patrick Marleau	29	19	14	33	8	4	4	2	3	0	89	21.3

Coming off a 38 goal year, Patrick Marleau has once again shot the lights out, posting 19 goals and 33 points in 29 games during the 2009-2010 season. Going into Team Canada's development camp last summer it was uncertain whether or not he would be able to crack the squad-- an offseason filled with off-ice extracurriculars concerning his leadership abilities and "heart" in high pressure situations (views that were never shared by this author, nor the majority of readers at Fear The Fin) contributed to that, along with the astonishing depth of the Canadian national team. However, with what's shaping up to be another strong year for Marleau, his inclusion onto the roster is but a phone call away.

Although short on Olympic credentials (invited to camp but eventually discluded from the 2006 roster), Marleau will nonetheless be able to provide the high powered Canadian offense with some of the best defensive abilities in the game, and will contribute heavily on the penalty kill. All while being a threat in the offensive zone every time he takes a shift.

Dany Heatley, Team Canada

#15 / Left Wing / San Jose Sharks

Height: 6-3

Weight: 220

Born: Jan 21, 1981

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Dany Heatley	29	18	14	32	4	20	9	1	4	0	86	20.9

Team Canada's all-time leading points and goals scorer. A man on a mission to earn back his country's trust following a heavily publicized trade request. Top five in the goal scoring race with fellow teammate Patrick Marleau. Penalty kill partner in limited minutes with fellow teammate Joe Thornton. There's just about every reason in the world to include Dany Heatley on Team Canada later this month.

The only issue is whether or not to put him on Getzlaf's wing. Two balding superstars on the same line might be too much fun to pass up.

Joe Thornton, Team Canada

#19 / Center / San Jose Sharks

Height: 6-4

Weight: 235

Born: Jul 02, 1979

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Joe Thornton	29	7	32	39	4	6	2	0	1	0	60	11.7

Jumbo Joe has run into the same stigmas that plagued Patrick Marleau the last few seasons-- good when it counts, not so good when it counts the most. Whether or not that is fair assessment of his play with San Jose or a vestige of his days in Boston is a debate that will echo in the halls of eternity for the next millenia.

Of course, the suits behind the team would be loathe to leave Thornton off the roster, and that's where he'll be in February; expect to see him centering Heatley and Marleau during Team Canada's push to avenge their woeful seventh place performance during the 2006 games.

*****

Go ~~Sharks~~ Team USA.

Top ten games in Ottawa Senators history

PeterR — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:00:13 -0000

Droves of Ottawa Senators fans get ready for Game Three of the 2007 Stanley Cup Final between the Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks. The game would be the Senators' lone victory in the series, and one of the most memorable games in team history. (Peter Raaymakers, Silver Seven)

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Over the course of their 17-season history, the Ottawa Senators have put up some pretty exciting games. It remains to be seen if we'll get to see any top-ten worthy matchups this season, but we've certainly witnessed some great efforts from the teams Ottawa has iced over that time. Looking back, I've put together a list of the top ten games in the history of the franchise (at least this version; I didn't include games from the last-century Senators because, well, I didn't see any). The criteria are simple: Big games. Whether strong efforts, meaningful situations, or just all-around exciting, there were no pre-qualifiers to disqualify any games.

So, without further ado, here goes the list (with video, where available), starting from the bottom:

10. Nov. 2, 2005: Havlat and Alfredsson each score four as Ottawa romps Buffalo 10-4

Really the only meaningless regular-season game on the list, it was still a damn exciting game. Four goals for Daniel Alfredsson, four for Martin Havlat (who had just returned from a five-game suspension for kicking Hal Gill) and two for Dany Heatley (who, at this point, was still enjoying a honeymoon period in Ottawa). And Alfredsson waited until both Heatley and Havlat were done scoring, netting all four of his goals in the last 13 minutes of the game. It was also against the hated Buffalo Sabres, and it was in Buffalo, although it would be little solace when Buffalo ousted the Senators in the 2006 Eastern Conference Final later that season.

(Read the rest of the list after the jump... )

9. April 11, 2007: Senators soundly beat Penguins 6-3 in season playoff debut

This was, to me, a statement game. Sure, the Senators were technically favourites over the Pittsburgh Penguins, but there were plenty of doubters who'd picked the Pens to beat Ottawa in the series, especially after Ottawa went 5-8-1 in the last 14 games of the season. The Sens came out like gangbusters in an exciting Game One, though, with Andrej Meszaros scoring less than two minutes into the game and going up 3-0 before Pittsburgh even got a sniff on the scoresheet. Ottawa set the tone for the series, and went on to win in just five games.

8. May 2, 2002: Senators rout Maple Leafs 5-0 to go up 1-0 in Eastern Conference semi-final

It is with great scepticism that I include a playoff victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on this list (let alone two of them), since there's no doubt about what the series result was after this victory. But on this occasion, thanks in large part to 12 powerplay opportunities, the Senators took the play to Toronto in the series-opener, notching three goals before the end of the first and trying to suggest that, if the Leafs play physically punishing hockey, the Sens will just put up the PP points and make Toronto pay. An overtime loss the following game, though, and some very strong play from Curtis Joseph meant the Senators would eventually fall in the seven-game series.

7. June 2, 2007: Senators beat Anaheim Ducks in game three of the Stanley Cup Finals

Again, a bittersweet victory considering our knowledge of the series outcome, but the Senators' game three victory over the Ducks in the 2007 Stanley Cup Final was a huge one at the time. After dropping the first two games on the road, Ottawa bounced back with a strong win at home, coming back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits during the course of the game to take the game by a final score of 5-3. Dean McAmmond scored the eventual game-winner before leaving with a concussion after getting an elbow to the chops from Chris Pronger, but the Senators couldn't take advantage of the fact that Pronger was supended for game four, and lost the series in five.

6. April 18, 2004: Fisher scores OT winner against Toronto to force seventh game in quarter-finals

Mike Fisher's legend as a clutch performer took a big step forward with this overtime game-winning goal, and the Senators made a huge statement in the come-from-behind victory. With the Senators down 3-2 in the series, Toronto Maple Leafs defender Bryan McCabe gave Toronto a 1-0 lead on an early powerplay, but Patrick Lalime, who made 45 saves on the night, kept the Senators in the game until Zdeno Chara, who had been having a monster of a game, could finally solve Ed Belfour to force overtime. Both teams traded chances in the first overtime, although neither could solve the opposing goaltender, until Fisher fired a wrister past Belfour only 1:47 into the second overtime period to force a seventh and decisive game in the Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals. Unfortunately, for all the good Lalime did in game six, he bombed in a game seven that gives Senators fans nightmares to this day, and Ottawa would lose the series.

5. May 21, 2003: Ottawa wins 2-1 in overtime to force decisive game seven in ECF versus New Jersey

Speaking of clutch performers, Chris Phillips has built himself a strong reputation as one, too, and that got a lot of help on this night back in 2003. With the Senators just having fought off elimination but still down 3-2 against the New Jersey Devils, the teams traded powerplay goals in regulation to send the game to overtime. Lalime and Martin Brodeur went save-for-save for much of the game, until late in the first overtime, Chris Phillips was able to put the puck past Brodeur to set the Senators up for a game seven, all-or-nothing grudge match two days later. Unfortunately, again, the Senators weren't able to follow up with another victory, and Jeff Friesen (among the most hated names in Ottawa Senators history) scored late to move New Jersey on to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they defeated the Might Ducks and won the big prize.

4. May 2, 1998: Senators defeat New Jersey 3-1 to clinch their first playoff-series victory

No one could have predicted this one. The Senators barely made it into the playoffs, finishing in the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference, while the Devils finished far-and-away in first place in the East, nine points up on the second-place Penguins. The Devils had Martin Brodeur in net, while the Senators countered with Damian Rhodes. Thanks to Rhodes' goaltending, though, and some strong play from Alexei Yashin, the Senators upset the Devils in six games to move on to the second round.

3. Oct. 8, 1992: Senators defeat Montreal Canadiens 5-2 in franchise's first-ever game

Mostly here for sentimental reasons, the Senators had little going for them during their inaugural season. They finished with a 10-70-4 record, last place in the league with only 24 points. At the start of the season, though, the Senators must have been running on fumes, as they beat the Canadiens--who would be the eventual Stanley Cup champions--in the team's first-ever game. Neil Brady scored the first goal in Ottawa Senators history (one of nine goals he would score in his NHL career), and Sylvain Turgeon scored the eventual game winner. The win gave some hope that the team might do alright on the year, but that hope ended fairly quickly afterwards.

2. April 12, 1997: Senators defeat Sabres 1-0 to secure first playoff berth

The 1996-97 season was a turning point for the Ottawa Senators franchise, in which the Senators significantly improved their on-ice play under the tutelage of head coach Jacques Martin. They had a 36-point improvement over the previous year, and set themselves up for a win-and-your-in final game of the season against the Buffalo Sabres. With just minutes left in the game, Alexei Yashin broke into the Sabres' zone to set up Steve Duchesne, whose wrist shot got past Dominik Hasek to give Ottawa all they would need for a 1-0 victory (not to take anything away from Ron Tugnutt's impressive shutout victory). With the win, Ottawa notched seven victories in their final nine games, good enough to get them into the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference and into the playoffs.

1. May 19, 2007: Ottawa defeats Buffalo 3-2 in overtime to win first-ever Eastern Conference Championship

There is little that has to be said about this game, because it's so fresh in the minds of all Ottawa Senators fans. Just a year after being eliminated by the Sabres, the Senators were back facing off against them once again, but this year was to be different. Defeating the Sabres in offensive showdowns or defensive shutdowns, the Senators were up 3-1 in the series and looking to get to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time ever. The Sabres tied the game mid-way through the third to send it to overtime, but Daniel Alfredsson scored his fourth game-winning goal and second series-clinching goal of the 2007 playoffs in the first overtime frame to send the Senators on to face the Anaheim Ducks. It was, without a doubt, the greatest game in Ottawa Senators history. So far...

Have you got your own picks for the list? Feel free to post them in the comments section, for some lively debate.

Edmonton - San Jose post-game: Movember can't end soon enough

Bruce McCurdy — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:09:44 -0000

More photos » by John Ulan - AP

17 days ago: Edmonton Oilers' Sheldon Souray, left, battles with San Jose Sharks' Dany Heatley, of Germany, during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, on Friday, Nov. 27, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, John Ulan)

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Well, shit. What a crushing day. We lost Hemsky for the season, and we lost a game we should have won. Not just a game, but The "Dany Heatley Game". Played well enough to titillate, but in the end, handed the Sharks the freaking game on a silver platter in a particularly discouraging manner.

It was a good game and I have few (but specific) complaints. A good friend I don't see often enough got a pair of freebies and was kind enough to phone me, we hit the Thanh Thanh for some excellent Vietnamese cuisine en route, and by anthem-time found our seats on Row 31 overlooking the faceoff circle in the Sharks end, players' bench side. Funny thing, the last year I had season tickets I moved up to Row 31 from Row 14 to reduce the per game damage from $31 to $17. Now it's 17 years later and those $17 seats now bear a sticker price of $107! Which is why I rely on generous friends and occasional good luck to get to my handful of games a year ... ducats are simply out of range.

31 rows is a long way from the ice, but not too far to see some of the wide open spaces in several of the Movember 'staches on display even after a month of "growth". That little visual brought home the fact that this was a battle of boys against men

The anti-Heatley sentiment peaked early, with one leather lung letting rip a harsh "You suck Heatley!" while Paul Lorieau paused for a breath in the Star Spangled Banner, which certainly brought home the fact that this was another Canadian** hockey star who had bolted stateside, turning his nose up at two Canadian teams in the process. So the loudmouth's timing was appropriate or classless or both depending on one's viewpoint.

(** Canadian unless you believe the photo caption, which I have left in its raw, AP form. For whatever reason they always identify non-North American players by what country they're from.)

After that the booing was more perfuctory than anything, more noise than anything heartfelt. The cheers rang when Sheldon Souray knocked Heatley on his overpaid butt 5 minutes in, but quickly died out when Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau instantly took advantage of the large hole Souray had left behind in the process to put the Sharks up 1-0. The lead held past the midway mark of the game and I began to wonder if the Oilers would ever score again. Out of the blue though, Ryan Potulny made a nice steal from Dan Boyle, outraced a half-hearted Thornton backcheck and went in alone to deke Evgeni Nabokov. The Oilers carried the 1-1 score to the intermission, another tight defensive struggle not dissimilar from Wednesday's affair vs. the Kings. Unexpectedly, the third period was the bipolar opposite...

What a period it was. Dustin Penner scored early on a Gilbert Brulé rebound, then Penner returned the favour with a goal mouth feed that Brulé swatted home. Two-goal lead in the third, our first chance to be home and cooled out. Instead it lasted exactly two shifts of the Marleau-Thornton-Heatley line, both of which ended with the puck in the back of Jeff Deslauriers' net. 3-3. Back and forth the game went for several pulsating minutes, with my pick to score the game winner, Ladi Smid, actually having a great chance only to be beaten by Nabokov's glove. Undeterred, Smid later served as the middleman between Ethan Moreau's determined rush and Potulny's finishing shot which put the Oil up once again, 4-3 with 5 minutes to go. Turnaround for what happened in the Kings' game Thursday. We just had to see it out.

The best/worst thing about it was that for the next 3½ minutes the Oilers played perfect hockey. They forechecked like demons, hemming the Sharks in their own end, consistently winning races to and battles for loose pucks, cycling, making crisp changes while still maintaining puck pursuit. It was a joy to watch. Until, of all things, Oilers forced a Shark mistake, a penalty with 1:40 to go.

Well that should have been it. Instead, the Oil fell completely asleep. The powerplay which had done nothing all night, did much less than nothing when it mattered most, allowing three great San Jose scoring chances and the tying goal on a completely broken play. Hard to believe that you can win a draw in your own end 5-against-4 and within 4 seconds have the play end with the opposing centre completing his hat trick from the edge of the crease without anybody around him including the goalie. Gagner broke or dropped his stick winning the draw and let Marleau go, Staios and Souray got crossed up, Thornton won a race to the loose puck and JDD went fishing for the pokecheck only to look silly when Thornton fished the puck to Marleau for the tap in. A complete fustercluck, with the game completely on the line. Stupid, stupid, stupid hockey.

Oilers conspired to give up another odd man rush on the same powerplay, very nearly losing the game in regulation. There was no further scoring in overtime either, despite a very entertaining 101 seconds of the ultra-rare 3v3. From there it was a shootout, and the only surprise was that it wasn't Dany Bloody Heatley who dropped the guillotine on another loss, perhaps the most disappointing, frustrating, and discouraging one to date.

The thing of it is, if you hang around long enough, there's not much new under the sun and no matter what happens, chances are you've seen something like it before. I remember three years ago almost to the day, attending The Chris Pronger Game in which the Oil blew a two-goal lead, the Ducks tied it with the goalie out and won it in overtime, prompting very similar emotions. I also recall the Oil blowing a game in the Boston Garden round about 1986 or so when they had the lead and the powerplay in the last two minutes, conspired to retreat all the way to their own end with the puck, and then Paul Coffey tried a long slow diagonal pass right through the middle of his own zone which the Bruins picked off and promptly put in the net. Then they won it in overtime. That time I was so mad I could spit ... tonight it was shocking in one sense but in another it was just another disaster in a disastrous season. Bad news always carries the day, so what's new?

***

Jacques - Horcoff - O'Sullivan
This threesome along with Staios and Souray was hard-matched against San Jose's big unit (Marleau-Thornton-Heatley-Murray-Boyle). They weren't up to the task judging by the -3 each of the three posted. Funny, cuz they did lots of things right. JFJ led the Oilers in hits (6) and POS in shots (also 6). Horcoff worked his tail off and made lots of excellent small plays, such as the second period sequence where he fended off heavy Sharks forechecking by two guys and finally worked his way out of the zone, only to have Souray inexplicably miss his soft breakout pass with the Sharks instantly turning it into a 2-on-1 the other way. Lots to like in JFJ's game, but defensive presence is not one of those things

Penner - Gagner - Brulé
Solid night's work from the trio, consisting of two former hot shot draft picks and the big man who took a very circuitous route to the bigs. They connected for two third period goals and showing some chemistry especially between Penner and Brulé who had it going earlier in the year. Brulé is no Hemsky obviously but I'm starting to think we might have an Actual NHL Player™ on our hands. He's showing some real intensity to go with a nose for the net and a quick release. As he has done most of the season, Penner gave the Sharks defenders fits with his bull-in-a-china-shop routine

Moreau - Potulny - Cogliano
Lots to like here. The trio generated 10 shots among them in a strong effort from all three men. Potulny too is doing a convincing impersonation of an Actual NHL Player™ and is getting stronger as his ice time and confidence grows. He notched a pair of goals with some real strong finish, threw his body around with some abandon, and contributed solid time to both special teams. Cogliano appears tp be finally emerging from the coccon that had enveloped his early-season play, skating hard and really getting his competitive juices flowing. The goals aren't coming yet, but he's been an effective player of late. Moreau too put in an excellent efffort, contributing a number of strong rushed including the one that led directly to what should have been the winning goal. He remains way too inclined to shoot from absolutely anywhere that he actually gets control of the disc, and the element of surprise is long gone.

McDonald - O'Marra - Stortini
A creditable performance from the young trio, who held their own in brief appearances (~5 minutes TOI). Stortini (4 hits) did a solid job chaperoning his inexperienced mates (combined 1 NHL GP before this one). O'Marra with a couple of nice hits, although for some reason he skirted a guy he seemingly had in the trolley tracks in the third. Guys like him need to hit at every opportunity to be successful. The raw rook McDonald had a couple of giveaways mixed in as he had a little trouble with NHL speed. I loved one sequence where all three of them consecutively hammered various Sharks who were trying to break out.

Souray - Staios
An awful night for the two vets, who were not so much hardmatched as overmatched against the "Olympic Line". Both ended the night with a sorry -4, burnt for three even strength goals with 22-10-19 and then the less forgivable SH goal that tied things at the end in which the two experienced defenders completely got undressed in front of their own goal. Souray had 3 giveaways and 2 bad penalties mixed in on a night where he seemed completely out of sorts, out of synch with himself and almost out of phase with the game. Everything he did was a split second ahead or behind the play. Staios got some time on the PP which spent more time allowing odd-man rushes against than creating anything in the good end.

Smid - Visnovsky
Solid night's work saw both post a +2. Smid delivered a tenacious effort which included contributions in the O-zone, as he forced a fine save from Nabokov minutes before he set up Potulny for the 4-3 goal. Visnovsky looked small and overmatched on a couple of occasions, and like a master in complete control much of the rest of the time.

Strudwick - Gilbert
Another pair with a sparkling +2 rating against lesser comp. One of Strudwick's stronger games in a while. Gilbert had a couple of horrendous giveways which led directly to glorious chances for the Sharks, but otherwise was looking more like his old self than I've seen for a while, using his smarts to win possession and his legs to rush the puck with authority.

Deslauriers
A number of decent stops to bail out various Oiler breakdowns, but I was less than impressed with his overall body of work. Seems to have a hell of a time tracking the puck, and allows rebounds in unexpected directions. He had his usual puckhandling misadventures (3 GV for at least the third time recently), freezing the puck much more often than necessary, especially given Oilers' issues on the dot. (See: tying goal against.) His attempted pokecheck on that faceoff situation was the exact wrong play, and led to Marleau having a wide open net to dunk the puck. Does not inspire confidence in this observer.

Edmonton gets its chance to boo Heatley

James Mirtle — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:43:09 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

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"The fans are passionate, the fans are loud. Regarding what went on in the summer, some people are still unhappy," said Heatley, who will be playing in Canada for the first time since pressuring the Ottawa Senators to trade him. "There's nothing I can do about it. I'm just going to go out there and play."

Heatley has been the target of fan wrath before, in Atlanta after he asked to be traded from the Thrashers.

"You just deal with it. It's not the first time, it's not going to be the last time," he said.

— David Pollack, San Jose Mercury News

Given the year he's having, I doubt Dany Heatley feels he made the wrong choice. He's in relatively anonymity in California, free from most criticism and playing with one of the best setup men in the league.

Heatley's second in the NHL right now with 18 goals, meaning he's on pace for about 57, a career high. His team is in first place in the entire league, 13 points up on the Oilers, but the interesting part is that his ice time is at 20 minutes a game, almost exactly what he got in Ottawa.

Maybe his role there wasn't the problem?

In any event, this one comes with a bid of added theatre obviously, so fire it up on Centre Ice if you get a chance.

Columbus Blue Jackets 2010 Olympics Preview

Mike MacLean — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:30:34 -0000

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SBNation is doing a series of Olympic Previews, taking a look at each team and which of their players may be suiting up for their countries in Vancouver. As a baseline, we are going to give an indication of their chances of making their team by using these arguments: "Pack Your Bags", "Nearly a Lock", "Fairly Safe Bet", and "In a Battle". The Jackets have a few players who could become Olympians, here's a look at them:

Rick Nash (Canada) - Pack Your Bags
There is almost no way, outside of injury, that Nash will not be a member of Team Canada. In fact, he is penciled in by most as the man riding shotgun to Sidney Crosby. Nash has plenty of international experience in his young career, including being a member of the 2006 Olympic Team, which failed miserably. He is a more mature and complete player now, and will look to be an offensive leader for the Canucks at home in Vancouver. My favourite Nash goal at an international tournament didn't take place at the Olympics, it was at the World Championships, but here it is anyway:

Steve Mason (Canada) - In a Battle
At least he was at the beginning of the season, that is. Before the start of the regular season this year, many experts thought that when it came to Canada's goaltenders, Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur were locks. The battle was for who the third goaltender was going to be. The three main contenders were Mason, Marc-Andre Fleury and Cam Ward. With Ward's injury, that made it a two-horse race. The problem is, Mase never showed up. His play this season has been downright awful. I'm not a believer in sophomore slumps, but the proof is in the pudding here. Look for Fleury- who is coming off of a Cup win and is playing great right now-to get the third goalie nod.

Kristian Huselius (Sweden) - Fairly Safe Bet
The man we call Juice may not be on the top of the list of skilled Swedish forwards, but he is a strong candidate to be on the Swedish team. His last international exoerience was at the 2002 World Championships, where the Tre Kroner won the bronze medal. He has never played in an Olympics, but he is on the Swedish short-list for 2010.

Samuel Pahlsson (Sweden) - Nearly a Lock
Sammy will almost definitely be on the Swedish team in 2010. He helped the Swedes win the Gold Medal back in 2006 in Torino, playing on a line with Freddy Modin (more on him in a minute). A dedicated checking center like Pahlsson will be very important this time around, with the Olympics being in Vancouver, the games will be played on NHL-sized ice, meaning tighter checking.

Fredrik Modin (Sweden) - In a Battle
I saw that Freddy is in a battle, not necessarily with other players trying to make the team, but with his own body. After being lauded for his amazing durability, the last couple of seasons have been near write-offs for Freddy as he has been hit with injury after injury. That said, if he is healthy I can't imagine him not playing for the Swedes, even in a fourth line role. He is after all, one of the very few players who are a member of the Triple Gold Club.

Anton Stralman (Sweden) - Nearly a Lock
Stralman is off to a great start since joining the Jackets, putting up good point totals. He is one of the main reasons the Jackets' powerplay has gone from last in the league a year ago, to best so far this season. He has played in three straight World Championships for Team Sweden, from 2007-2009. The Swedish defensive corps are a talented group, with Anton fitting in nicely. With the injury to Kronwall, Stralman may see top line duty with Nick Lidstrom.

Jakub Voracek (Czech Republic) - Nearly a Lock
The Czechs are a team that always seems to surprise at international tournaments. Look no further than the '98 Olympics, where they took home the Gold based on the amazing play of Dominik Hasek. In 2010, the Czechs are a good team, and Voracek should be a member. He likely will play a third or fourth line role, with the top six wingers likely being Jagr, Hemsky, Prospal and Hejduk/Havlat.

Rostislav Klesla (Czech Replublic) - In a Battle
Rusty is a fringe player in terms of the Olympic team. He does have international experience, but he is in tough this time around. He has to beat out the likes of Kaberle, Kubina, Rozsival, Hamrlik, Spacek and Kuba. It's not completely impossible though, and with the smaller ice a rugged player like Rusty could shine.

Jan Hejda (Czech Republic) - In a Battle
Like Rusty, Jan is fighting for a spot. He's defense-first, which may help him because the guys he is fighting for a spot against are generally puck-moving types. He has international experience, his most recent was at the 2008 Worlds. Given the play of Jaro Spacek, one of Hejda or Klesla could make the squad.

Fedor Tyutin (Russia) - Nearly a Lock
The Russians have scary forwards, plain and simple. They are the most dynamic group in the world, hands down. That said, they don't have spectacular defense. A hybrid defenseman like Tyutin will fit in very well on the Russian squad, and he could see powerplay duty with Sergei Gonchar.

Nikita Filatov (Russia) - In a Battle
Filatov wasn't at the Russians Olympic came this past summer, but he is no doubt still very much on the radar of the National Team. With his recent return to Russia, his stock has certainly risen, but he is still in tough to make the squad, given their amazing talent and depth up front.

R.J. Umberger (United States) - In a Battle
I wanted to include Umby mainly because I believe that it is wrong that he wasn't invited to the Team USA camp. He is a much better player than a handful of guys who did get the invite, but it all has to do with his history with USA GM Brian Burke. Umby didn't sign with Vancouver, who drafted him in the first round when Burke was the GM. This led to bad blood, which has clearly carried over to the Olympics. RJ's play hasn't done much to convince Burke otherwise either.

To finish things off, being a Canadian I am excited as hell to have the Olympics here in my home country. After the disappointment of Torino, I, like every other Canadian, want to see the Gold come back to Canada. Here's my prediction of the Team Canada Olympic Roster:

Rick Nash - Sidney Crosby - Jarome Iginla
Dany Heatley - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry
Brendan Morrow - Mike Richards - Shane Doan
Patrick Marleau - Joe Thornton - Martin St. Louis
Steven Stamkos

HM: Jonathan Toews, Jeff Carter, Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards

Chris Pronger - Scott Niedermayer
Dan Boyle - Duncan Keith
Shea Weber - Jay Bouwmeester
Drew Doughty

HM: Brent Seabrook, Mike Green, Stephane Robidas

Roberto Luongo
Martin Brodeur
Marc-Andre Fleury

HM: Marty Turco

Sharks Gameday: Getting Back On Track

Mr. Plank — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:00:22 -0000

	@ 6:30 PST
16-6-4, 36 points		10-12-3, 23 points
1st in Western Conference		12th in Western Conference

Television	CSN-CA
Radio	98.5 KFOX, Sjsharks.com
Antagonists	The Copper & BlueLowetide

During the course of an 82 game NHL season, nights like Wednesday are as inevitable as your uncle drinking too much wine at Thanksgiving dinner and divulging a handful of family secrets. The helplessness you feel as seventh grade episodes of bed-wetting are served with pumpkin pie become almost too much to bear, and yet you realize that this group holds a special place within an essential compartment of your heart. You pick up and soldier on.

Tonight, that is what we must do.

I speak with "we" today, because the San Jose Sharks are comprised of professional athletes who know what they must do. Go into Edmonton and get a W. Nothing has changed for them from a hockey standpoint. As much as we want to think that they have spent the last forty eight hours consumed by this loss, that is not the case. Sure they may have an extra jump in their step at 6:30 tonight, come out and lay the body on early in order to make sure they’re engaged physically—but by the time the puck drops, Chicago is behind them. It flat out doesn’t matter. A loss is a loss no matter which way you cut it, and as long as the effort is there tonight and Sunday, it can be discarded along with every other game this season that has resulted in zero points. The scoreboard is just a representation of the effort that was expelled, and to say that tonight is a "must-win" ignores everything that has occurred during the course of this season. The only demons that have to be dealt with are the demons of our own.

That being said, boy was that effort ugly. As I noted on Twitter during the course of the bloodbath, it reminded me of the 6-0 drubbing last season to the Detroit Red Wings-- the anticipation of a big game between two of the best teams in the West, the hype surrounding the tilt... and then a loss so brilliantly grandiose you have no choice but to consider a career path as a violent criminal. Oh, and the subsequent bridge jumping afterwards. Can't forgo some good ol' bridge jumping.

Women and children first!

Any time you give up a shorthanded goal it is never a good sign, but three in a row is flat out atrocious. You can point to numerous plays throughout the course of the evening that symbolize wading through that 7 goal deficit river of shit such as Huskins' (lack of competent) decision making on the second goal, or the fact that Byfuglien was left unchecked in front of Nabokov during the fourth, but the hope is at the end of this week they can come out of it like Andy Dufresne.

A sadistically beautiful moment came midway through the third period. With the game clearly in the bag, Kate Longworth pops on the Jumbotron and extends an invitation to the (then) 6,000 in attendance to watch the "highlights" on CSN Bay Area after the game. The boos that cascaded down from the rafters trumped anything HP Pavilion has ever thrown at Chris Pronger.

I laughed. It was hilarious. Wrap that ten second moment in some drab paper, put a wilted bow on it, and send it to anyone who had the foresight to miss that game. It's all they need to see.

I also laughed when reading about the buildup surrounding Dany Heatley’s trip to Edmonton. This offseason was a trying time for all involved, and the fans in Edmonton have every right in the world to boo him unmercifully tonight. Ottawa too—the fact that he requested a trade and then denied an offer is, no matter if it was within his contractual rights, a visible stain on the mark of a player who had done this once before. But at some point we have to let it go. Move on. Dany Heatley is not washing his duds at Coin Laundry, nor is he grabbing post game refreshments at The Empress. Instead he's eating dinner at Santana Row before heading across the street to pick up some Christmas gifts for his family. That unfortunate situation is nowhere close to being bigger than the two points on the line tonight.

No amount of finger pointing and sore feelings are going to change that. Drop the self pity and pick up your stick.

In other news, Torrey Mitchell returns for the first time since the fall of the Berlin Wall-- safe money says he gets slotted on to the fourth line and sees about seven minutes of ice time. Be sure to check out our previous coverage of the ongoing saga for what we can logically expect out of him tonight, as well as the rest of this season. Also, keep an eye on Boyle-- he didn't look very good against Chicago, and while that may have a lot to do with the general play of the entire roster, the fact that he's playing injured may have a bit to do with it as well. Another below average outing from him where he doesn't look comfortable means you're going to be hearing this humble author calling for him to sit and get healthy. Just like the Pavelski situation from earlier this year, there's no need to rush him back right now.

Prediction: Sharks win 3-1. Goals by Judas, Brutus, and Odysseus. Tears fill Rexall Place to the brim.

Go Sharks.

SB Nation - Dany Heatley

Off the Post - December 14th

The Next General Manager of the Edmonton Oilers

Off the Post - December 7th

Curios From The Canadiens' First Ever Game And Season

San Jose Sharks 2010 Olympic Hockey Preview: Part One

Evgeni Nabokov, Team Russia

#20 / Goalie / San Jose Sharks

Patrick Marleau, Team Canada

#12 / Center / San Jose Sharks

Dany Heatley, Team Canada

#15 / Left Wing / San Jose Sharks

Joe Thornton, Team Canada

#19 / Center / San Jose Sharks

Top ten games in Ottawa Senators history

Edmonton - San Jose post-game: Movember can't end soon enough

Edmonton gets its chance to boo Heatley

Columbus Blue Jackets 2010 Olympics Preview

Sharks Gameday: Getting Back On Track

@

Television

CSN-CA

Radio

98.5 KFOX, Sjsharks.com

Antagonists

The Copper & BlueLowetide