SB Nation - Teddy Purcell

Kings Gameday: Anze!

RudyKelly — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:02:26 -0000

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Columbus Blue Jackets
@ Los Angeles Kings

Sunday, Oct 25, 2009, 6:00 PM PDT
STAPLES Center

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The Cannon gets farther with chicks than most bloggers.

Her: What do you do?

Him: I write for The Cannon.

Her: Really? What is it?

Him: It's a blog about the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Her: Oh... huh. Look over there! (*runs away)

That's not going to last, but it's nice to look at. Seriously, how well is Anze Kopitar playing right now? Against Dallas Anze had a hat trick and then followed it up with a Joe Thornton hat trick (3 assists), while also drawing 2 penalties. He'll probably be named the #1 star of the week with 7 points in 3 games (4 goals, 3 assists). He's back to where he was his first season, where he suddenly created opportunities for himself that put defensemen in impossible situations. He turns them Kopitarded, you might say. (Wait, I say that.) I'm positive he'll slow down at some point, but how much? I was hoping for 80 points out of Kopitar; now, I'm thinking 90 may not be out of the question.

And the crazy thing? Anze's on pace for 143 points. That's 72 points less than Wayne Gretzky had in his best season. If Wayne were on our team at that pace he'd have 29 points right now. Jesus Christ, Wayne Gretzky was good.

In other news, Ted Purcell is really screwed. Scott Parse played his first NHL game yesterday and did very well, notching his first point (a great assist on Jarret Stoll's second goal) and more importantly showing good defensive responsibility and nice work along the boards. I thought Purcell wasn't bad yesterday (he drew a nice penalty when the Kings were on the power play) but he hasn't been showing the jam Terry Murray wants and he was replaced by Peter Harrold (of course) at the end of the game. When Justin Williams comes back either he or Meat Train will probably take Purcell's spot on the third line. Hopefully Purcell can stick on the 4th line, where a Richardson-Purcell combo would work really well, but I have a bad feeling he's probably going to get sent back down. That would probably spell doom for Ted Purcell's future with the Kings.

Against Dallas, Brenden Morrow had his stick in the vicinity of Dustin Brown's skates and Brown went down. Morrow wasn't happy and let Brown know it. Yesterday, Zbynek Michalek touched Brown on the back and Brown dropped like a bag of hammers. Ed Jovanovski wasn't very happy with that and let Brown know it. Seriously, Dustin Brown is the best diver in the NHL.

***

The Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Anaheim Ducks last night so the Kings should get their back-up goalie, who is, let's see... oh shit. Mathieu Garon is going to play tonight. You are going to see more unnecessary splits by Garon and Quick since the last time you watched Time Cop. And watch, Garon is probably going to shut us out.

Prediction: Kings lose, 2-0. A golf clap for Mathieu Garon.

Poll

How many points will Anze Kopitar score this season?

70-79

12 votes

80-89

31 votes

90+

56 votes

99 votes | Poll has closed

Rangers News and Notes: GameDay Edition

Joe Fortunato — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:00:36 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

2 months ago: Los Angeles Kings goalie Erik Ersberg attempts to stop a shot on the goal by New York Rangers' Vinny Prospal (20), of the Czech Republic, as teammate Ryan Callahan (24) looks on during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009, in New York. Prospal scored two goals including his 200th game in the NHL during first-period power plays and the New York Rangers stretched their winning streak to six games with a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Browse more photos »

So here are your Rangers News and Notes before tonight's tussle with the San Jose Sharks:

NHL.com ran an interesting little piece called 100 facts to know about the first 100 NHL games. The Rangers were mentioned a few times, here are those highlights:

* Great Starts, part 5. The New York Rangers' 7-1-0 record matches the best start through eight games in franchise history (1983-84). A key component to the Rangers' hot start has been their performance in the third period; they have outscored their opponents 11-1 in the final frame.

* Realizing the Dream, Part 5: New York Rangers rookie defenseman Michael Del Zotto scored in his home debut against Ottawa Oct. 3 and again at New Jersey Oct. 5. The 19-year-old is quarterbacking the Rangers power play and leads all rookies and defensemen in scoring with eight points (three goals, five assists) in eight games.

* New York Rangers right wing Marian Gaborik has tallied at least one point in each of the Rangers' eight games this season. Gaborik tied a franchise for the longest scoring streak by a new Ranger set by Dave Creighton, who opened the 1955-56 season with an eight-game point streak. Gaborik ranks third in the NHL scoring race with 12 points (six goals, six assists) in eight games.

* Henrik Lundqvist has been stellar in the New York Rangers' goal, as typified by this sensational save off Los Angeles Kings forward Teddy Purcell in a 4-2 Rangers win on Oct. 14. Lundqvist has opened the season 6-1-0 with a 2.15 goals-against average and .932 save percentage.

* Left wing Vaclav Prospal has found a home alongside Gaborik on the New York Rangers' top-scoring line. Prospal has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in his first eight games on Broadway.

* New York Rangers defenseman Matt Gilroy has shown why he was among the most sought-after free agents last spring following a standout career at Boston University. The 25-year-old rookie has averaged better than 19 minutes in ice time per game and is a plus-5 in the early going. His first career NHL goal late in the second period at New Jersey on Oct. 5 was the game-winner.

I don't know why but I like these kind of stories. Glad to see Michael Del Zotto get his props from the NHL writers. Also nice to see Vaclav Prospal getting some attention--man do you think the Tampa Bay Lightning are kicking themselves right now? I mean think about it. They bought out Prospal's 3 year 10.5 million dollar contract not to play. And now he is among the league leaders in points.

Click after the jump for more.

Steve Zipay over at Newsday talks about Christopher Higgins being moved down to the third line:

Chris Higgins, struggling with just three shots in the past three games, will try to rediscover his game with C Artem Anisimov and Ales Kotalik on the third line, a combo we saw starting in the second period in Toronto.

In his four seasons in Montreal, playing mostly with center Saku Koivu, Higgins averaged 175 shots on goal and hadn’t gone more than three games at the start of the season without a goal. He has just 18 shots----three in the last three games---in eight games. The LI guy knows he's pressing and the coach said:

"He had some good shots earlier, and then he started passing," Tortorella said after this afternoon's practice. "The thing that worries me, past couple of games, neither one has been there. From a coach’s point of view, I want that type of player, who can bring offense, to concentrate on the little things away from the puck, and his chances will come."

I will have to agree with this call by Tortorella. In the first five games I didn't mind that Higgins was not scoring because he was taking his shots when he had the lanes and he looked good. Now he just looks nervous, passing up opportunities to take shots and passing too much. I am going to bold this next statement because I think it is very significant: He is one of the only Rangers to not register a goal as of yet this season along with Aaron Voros, Donald Brashearand Michael Rozsival. Not the greatest company to be in.

Our good friend Andrew Gross talks about the Rangers last three games and how their play has to improve:

The Rangers have won seven straight, yet their play has slipped noticeably over the last two games for sure, possibly three. Certainly, they’re taking too many penalties. Certainly, their puck control has become a major issue.

So this could be the perfect time to face the Dany Heatley/Joe Thornton-led Sharks, picked by many for the umpteenth straight season to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup finals.

"I think it refocuses the players and that certainly isn’t disrespectful to Toronto," Rangers coach John Tortorella said of his team’s winless opponent in two of their last three games. "But it is what it is. We can sit here and dodge it but it is what it is. We need to be focused because that’s a pretty good hockey club coming in tomorrow night."

I will certainly agree with the penalties portion of this quote. I have been saying for a long time that the Rangers are taking too many penalties. This one is going to be tough tonight, no one is questioning that.

Andrew Gross also gave the lines for tonight:

Vinny Prospal-Brandon Dubinsky-Marian Gaborik
Sean Avery-Chris Drury-Ryan Callahan
Christopher Higgins-Artem Anisimov-Ales Kotalik
Donald Brashear-Brian Boyle-Enver Lisin/Aaron Voros.
Wade Redden-Matt Gilroy
Michael Del Zotto-Michal Rozsival
Marc Staal-Dan Girardi

Andrew Gross (@agrossrecord) tweeted that Steve Valiquette will start tonight.

Backup goalie Steve Valiquette will start tonight for the #NYRangers against the #Sharks.

Good move here in my opinion. If Valiquette plays tonight then Lundqvist will have a full four days rest before facing the Devils at home this Thursday. Including that game against the Devils it's 5 games in 10 nights so we might see some more mixing and matching with the goalies.

Okay guys there you have it. Don't forget to join the open thread tonight for the game. The gates open at 6:30 and it is always a great time. We saw a few newcomers last game and we would like to see more tonight. For those of you lurking jump right in, the water is fine, we don't bite ... usually.

Minnesota Wild @ Los Angeles Kings: Game Recap

nathaneide — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 06:14:26 -0000

More photos » by Jason Redmond - AP

2 months ago: Los Angeles Kings' Ryan Smyth, from left, Jack Johnson and Anze Kopitar celebrate after Smyth scored against the Minnesota Wild during the first period of their NHL hockey game in Los Angeles on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)

Browse more photos »

Minnesota Wild 3-6 Los Angeles Kings

This was exactly not the way to start a West Coast road trip. In just over three minutes, the Wild did everything wrong. They were out of position defensively, allowed the Kings to roam free, screened Josh Harding on seemingly every shot and didn't clear anyone from the low slot. The result is that, once again, the Wild found themselves down 3-0 at the end of the first period.

Tonight, there would be no comeback. While Martin Havlat finally got his first goal in a Wild uniform, the Wild had no answer for Ryan Smyth, Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty and the rest of the Kings. Nick Schultz got the Wild to 4-2 down at the end of the second period with a power play goal, and Kim Johnsson fired a nice shot under the crossbar 6:34 into the third period to get them within one at 4-3, but once again the Wild fell asleep in the defensive zone, allowing Teddy Purcell and Ryan Smyth to score just 36 seconds apart to blow it open at 6-3.

So, what went wrong? Well, Josh Harding can't be entirely to blame, though he was very not good tonight, stopping only 17 of 23 shots. The Wild forwards did their job in the offensive zone, playing a reasonably decent game, getting adequate pressure and scoring three times, but they were nowhere to be found in their own zone. They were almost too aggressive on the forecheck, then couldn't get back to play the proper positioning in the defensive zone. It was as if they worried entirely too much about playing the system correctly, but only one way. Time and again they left it up to the defense to handle the entire job of stopping the Kings and starting the transition.

If they want this new system to be successful, they cannot forget that there are two ends of the ice. Let's hope tonight was an anomaly, because if it wasn't, the sellout streak will end before Thanksgiving.

Oh, and Benoit Pouliot again was absolutely terrible. Seemingly uncaring with and without the puck. His 7:07 TOI was second lowest, with only John Scott (who cannot play forward at all) behind him at 4:13. And as much as they may want to be together, Petr Sykora and Martin Havlat are absolutely terrible together if they don't have the puck.

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Ryan Smyth (2 G, 1 A)
Anze Kopitar (1 G, 2 A)
Justin Williams (1 G, 2 A)

Questions to Answer

Will the Wild build on a solid 3rd period? Nope, if anything they regressed below where they were before the 3rd period Tuesday night.
Will Martin Havlat continue to be an assist machine? Havlat is fantastic with the puck and in the offensive zone, but he needs someone who backchecks like crazy because he may be worse defensively (at least tonight) than Marian Gaborik ever was. He needs to be with Koivu and maybe Clutterbuck.
Can the Wild get the Kings monkey off their back (0-4 last season against L.A.) Nope. They cannot handle this team for some reason.
Does Josh Harding begin showcasing himself tonight? Definitely. I think the Florida Everblades scout was drooling.
Can they kick off the West Coast Swing with a win? Nope. Crap fest.

2009-10 NHL Season Preview: Los Angeles Kings

James Mirtle — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:00:17 -0000

More photos » by Jimmy Jeong - AP

Browse more photos »

Who's in: Robert Scuderi, Ryan Smyth
Who's out: Derek Armstrong, Brian Boyle, Kyle Calder, Dan Cloutier, Denis Gauthier, Tom Preissing, Kyle Quincey

Outlook: GM Dean Lombardi aimed to accelerate his rebuilding plan in the summer, and while his search for a first-line winger in free agency went unfulfilled, he managed to land Ryan (Captain Canada) Smyth from the Avs for promising youngster Kyle Quincey and spare part Tom Preissing. Also on the way in is useful stay-at-home defenceman Rob Scuderi, who signed a generous contract as a free agent after providing a stabilizing influence on the Stanley Cup champion Penguins.

The addition of Smyth should help kick start the Kings offence somewhat, as will a healthy Justin Williams, but the biggest room for improvement in the goal-scoring department likely comes from some of the youngsters — Anze Kopitar, Alex Frolov, Dustin Brown and Teddy Purcell — who all underwhelmed in key minutes last season.

Terry Murray will also be looking for a step forward from his blueliners, and Drew Doughty is tasked with replacing many of the power play quarterbacking minutes lost in the Smyth deal. His point totals should rise considerably as a sophomore, however, and the back end as a whole will benefit from a full season with Jack Johnson in the fold.

Perhaps the biggest question mark, however, comes in goal, where backup Erik Ersberg struggled last season and Jonathan Quick proved surprisingly strong despite spending much of the 2007-08 campaign in the ECHL. Quick will likely be charged with picking up the bulk of the starts, and any step back from him would go a long way to derailing Los Angeles' likely slim playoff hopes.

If the goals start to come, however, they could surprise.

X-factor: Jon Quick

For a more in-depth Kings preview, visit Battle of California
For more NHL analysis, check out the McKeen's Hockey Yearbook

Poll

Where will the Kings finish in the Western Conference this season?

1

7 votes

2

1 votes

3

0 votes

4

1 votes

5

5 votes

6

18 votes

7

19 votes

8

48 votes

9

29 votes

10

31 votes

11

17 votes

12

24 votes

13

15 votes

14

6 votes

15

9 votes

230 votes | Poll has closed

Kings Training Camp Battles: "2nd" Line Wing

RudyKelly — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:12:26 -0000

The Kings line-up is fairly well set in stone; unlike the last few years, when you and the family dog were in contention to become the Kings' new goaltender (your dog had a weak glove hand), the Kings really only have the peripheries of their line-up to be filled out. The most prestigious spot up for grabs is that of left wing on the Stoll-Brown connection, incorrectly referred to as the 2nd line because people have this archaic assumption that lines that play good defense have to be known as the 3rd line.

Anyway, there are a couple candidates that are likely to fill the role and each would change the identity and chemistry of the line. The only thing any of these guys have in common are that they're on the Kings and their eyes are small. Here are the candidates:

The Front-Runner:

Teddy Purcell

#54 / Right Wing / Los Angeles Kings

Height: 6-3

Weight: 177

Born: Sep 08, 1985

(I would criticize the person that put that thing together but that is literally the best picture of Teddy Purcell I've ever seen.)

Most Kings fans would probably assume that Oscar Moller would be the front-runner for this position, but I think the Kings have been sending subtle hints that it was Purcell's job to lose all summer. They had him on the Kings cruise this off-season, put him on a panel at HockeyFest, and have done nothing but praise his conditioning and compete level since camp began. It seems clear that the Kings want Purcell to win the job, not only because it would give them a set-up man on a line with 2 shooters but also because it's Purcell's last chance to win a job with the Kings.

Purcell showed up to camp larger and more filled out than he ever has before and seemed to use his weight a lot better in the corners. There are some guys that show up one day and you can see that their demeanor has changed and they're ready to skate in the NHL; Teddy looks like one of those guys.

The Challenger:

It's odd to say when you're comparing a 24-year old to a 20-year old but Moller is probably the more easily projectable player of the two. Ted Purcell could be a 50-point winger next year or he could mope around like he did last year. Moller, on the other hand, is pretty predictable; he's going to get pushed around but he'll net you some nice goals and finish with around 35-40 points. I don't think the Kings necessarily want him on the team because they want him to learn how to play with men in the AHL, but they didn't want him on the team last year and he managed to make it then.

The biggest problem with Moller is that most of his value is derived from the power play but there won't be too much room for him there next season. Last season, Moller only had 6 even-strength points in 40 games, while he tallied 9 points on the power play. The Kings don't need another special teams ace, they need someone that can affect the game at even-strength.

Another problem with Moller is how he fits on a line with Brown and Stoll. Purcell fits because although he has a nice shot he is primarily a passer, while Stoll and Brown's biggest attributes are their shots. If Moller were on the line it'd be 3 guys skating around with their sticks half-cocked waiting for a one-timer while the other team takes it in on a 3-on-2.

I'm not a huge Oscar Moller fan. He's a little too small and doesn't really bring anything else that compensates for that lack of size other than a big heart. I'd much rather he figure out how to play against men (if he can) and then come to the NHL rather than figure out up with the big club. But we'll see; Dean Lombardi loves guys that compete and that's one area Oscar Moller has all over Ted Purcell, at least in the past.

The Dark Horse:

Trevor Lewis

#61 / Center / Los Angeles Kings

Height: 6-1

Weight: 204

Born: Jan 08, 1987

Lewis isn't really in contention for the spot with Stoll and Brown; Lewis is in contention if neither Purcell nor Moller prove capable of creating offense and the Kings have to move Alex Frolov into a more offensive role. Trevor Lewis is listed as a center but the Kings have been using him as a right winger pretty much exclusively in camp. A former first-rounder, Lewis' career potential isn't that of a scorer but more along the lines of a Rob Niedermayer, a former high pick who uses his physical tools to shut down the opposition. Lewis is big, fast, has a hard shot and isn't afraid to bang in the corners; what he lacks is great hockey sense. Like Niedermayer, Lewis will probably end up on a stopper line in the future somewhere and it could be in LA next season. If that happens the Kings are in a lot of trouble but you know, Murphy's Law and all that.

Dustin Brown sez...

"Hey there folks, Brownie here. What am I looking at? Oh, just the Kings' future; I'd say it's... looking up! Haha, good one Dustin."

But Dustin, you're the one looking up, that doesn't make se-

"-Anyway, I give this one to Ted Purcell. He's a passer, and that's what I need so I can really break the shit out of the glass this season. Plus he's got the look in his eye this year. You know, that look that says, "Hey Dustin, you're a really cool guy." I like that in a player.

Oscar Moller

#9 / Center / Los Angeles Kings

Height: 5-11

Weight: 180

Born: Jan 22, 1989

Stargazing: Turco welcomes Auld "with open arms"

Brad G — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:00:13 -0000

Stargazing is a daily assortment of Dallas Stars news, as well as a look at what's happening around the Pacific division and the rest of the NHL. Stargazing will run on Mondays and Thursdays, becoming a daily feature once the preseason begins.

It's Thursday morning and 51 days until training camp finds us taking a look at Alex Auld. How will his pre-existing relationship with Mark Crawford affect his ice time? The Dallas Morning News and ESPN radio give Mike Modano some love; What do you expect out of Modano next year? And Dallasstars.com asks Marty Turco about the death of Michael Jackson? They talk a little hockey as well. All that plus notes and news from around the league...

TBnewswatch.com has an excellent article on Alex Auld coming to the Stars :

"It’s an important position for us, and I think it’s very important that the coach has confidence in this player," Nieuwendyk said. "I know this coach has confidence in this player."

The 28-year-old Auld said he’s been told he can expect to play between 25 and 30 games for Dallas this season behind Turco, a player he knew marginally before the trade, but someone who welcomed him into the Stars fold with open arms.

Turco was the first player to phone Auld after the deal, and Auld can’t wait for the lessons to begin.

There can be no doubt that Nieuwendyk is aware of what the situation was in 08/09. The key word is trust, and Tippett did not appear to have any in his backup last year. Auld's pre-existing relationship with management should prove useful to those who think Marty was over-worked last year.

Dallasstars.com talks to Marty Turco, oddly enough, not asking him about Alex Auld:

Obviously last season is one the entire team would like to forget and put in the rearview mirror. How are you approaching the 2009-10 campaign personally?

Turco: "I am looking forward to this coming season. I’ve been working out hard and I think the entire team has something to prove. I think we will be ready to go. Last season was a tough one for me and I am very confident that I will have a good season. It all comes down to a good start – that’s my goal. This is my main focus and I am looking forward to it."

The story was published yesterday but the questions were likely asked some time ago. According to the TBnewswatch article, Marty is indeed excited that Auld is here and welcomed him with "open arms".

Last year the organization was committed to "get Marty going" during the tough times, and some felt that Stephan should have been given the chance to show what he could do. Next season, does the possibility exist that if Marty struggles, Auld will be given the opportunity by Crawford to take things over for at least a stretch?

Adam Gretz at Fanhouse.com is putting a list together of top 50 players; Says Brenden Morrow is #49:

Even though he's missed significant time in two of the past three seasons due to injury, I see him as being in a similar position to Shane Doan, the No. 50 player on my list; a somewhat underrated captain that has proven to be one of the better two-way forwards in the league without much recognition (never playing in the All-Star game, for example).

Mike Modano was on ESPN 103.3, and Andrew's Stars Page brings you the audio here.

And Mike Heika also focused on Modano yesterday. Read his Modano player profile here:

I think what the Stars would like to see from Modano is a season like Neal Broten had in his first year in Dallas (1993-94). Broten was younger at the time (34), but he was an offensive star who had been pushed down the lineup by Modano and Dave Gagner. Broten played 79 games, had 17 goals and 35 assists, and provided a nice steadying force for a team that was still in development.

79 games and 52 points out of Modano, I think we can agree, would be wonderful.

And finally, Stu Barnes co-owns the Tri-City Americans, but says he won't be filling their vacant head coaching job:

Barnes adds, "Yeah, that's a question that's come up a few times this week, but, you know, I've got commitments in Dallas and we're pretty settled in there right now, so, for now, I think I'll stay down there and stay with that and I'm afraid if I came back and the team started losing that everybody would blame it on me, so I better stand aside and let it go as it is."

Around the Pacific:

The Coyotes acquired Radim Vrbata from the Lightning in exchange for David Hale, and former Stars tough man Todd Fedoruk. Enjoy some Barch vs Fedoruk here just for fun.
Following up on our Sharks coverage on Monday, Foxsports also wonders just when the heck the Sharks will make their move(s)
The Kings re-sign Teddy Purcell and other minor league level moves
And Battle of California asks whether the Kings should sign Alex Tanguay

Around the NHL:

The Sens say they hope to have Heatley and Kovalev on the ice together. [TSN]
Did Chicago screw up again? Hossa's shoulder may require surgery....could miss beginning of season.
In the words of Puck Daddy: "Marty Biron signs with Islanders for 14 fewer years than DiPietro"
And Jiri Hudler looks on track to play in Russia next season.

2009 NHL Free Agency / Teams by Cap Space / Unsigned UFA's and RFA's

Robert L — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:19:41 -0000

This is a listing of NHL teams by order of remaining cap space as of July 4. The Islanders top the list with approximately $23M left to spend. The Sharks have just under $2M remaining. The list is helpful in determining which team are closest to filling out their 2009-10 lineup. As one can see, there is much work to be done at both ends of the spectrum. The numbers figures are based on totals given by NHL Numbers.com.

1 - New York Islanders: $23.265 (18)

UFA: Andy Hilbert C 28, Dean McAmmond C 36, Mike Sillinger C 38, Thomas Pock D 27, Yann Danis G 28, Joey MacDonald G 29.

RFA: Nate Thompson C 24, Jeremy Colliton C 24, Jamie Fraser D 23, Jack Hillen D 23.

2 - Phoenix Coyotes: $21.972 (18)

UFA: Brian McGrattan R 27, Dmitri Kalinin D 29, Ken Klee D 38.

RFA: Nigel Dawes L 24, Joakim Lindstrom C 25, Enver Lisin R 23, Scottie Upshall R 25, Daniel Winnik C 24, Keith Yandle D 22.

3 - Atlanta Thrashers: $19.599 (15)

RFA: Eric Perrin C 33.

UFA: Kari Lehtonen G 25, Colby Armstrong R 26, Jim Slater C 26, Boris Valabik D 23.

4 - Nashville Predators: $17.913 (16)

UFA: Radek Bonk C 33, Scott Nichol C 34, Greg de Vries D 36.

RFA: Ryan Jones R 25, Antti Pihlstrom L 24,.

5 - New York Rangers: $16.436 (13)

UFA: Blair Betts C 29, Mark Bell L 28, Patrick Rissmiller C 30, Paul Mara D 29, Derek Morris D 30.

RFA: Christopher Higgins R 26, Ryan Callahan R 24, Brandon Dubinsky C 23, Lauri Korpikoski L 22, Nikolai Zherdev L 24, Corey Potter D 25.

6 - Anaheim Ducks: $14.295 (17)

UFA: Rob Niedermayer F 34, Todd Marchant C 33, Francois Beauchemin D 29, Bret Hedican D 38.

RFA: James Wisniewski D 25.

7 - Tampa Bay Lightning: $14.295 (17)

UFA: Matt Pettinger L 28, Wade Brookbank L 31, Jason Ward R 30, Marek Malik D 34, Josef Melichar D 30, Cory Murphy D 31, Noah Welch D 26.

RFA: Martins Karsums R 23, Radek Smolenak L 22, Matt Lashoff D 22, Matt Smaby D 24, Mike Lundin D 24, Karri Ramo G 22, Mike McKenna G 26.

8 - Columbus Blue Jackets: $13.313 (20)

UFA: Chris Gratton C 33, Manny Malhotra C 29, Michael Peca C 35, Jason Williams C 28, Christian Backman D 29.

RFA: Jiri Novotny C 25, Marc Methot D 24, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen D 25.

9 - Dallas Stars: $13.193 (19)

UFA: Sergei Zubov D 38, Brendan Morrison C 33, Joel Lundqvist C 27, Mark Parrish R 32, Landon Wilson R 34, Tobias Stephan G 25, Darryl Sydor D 37.

RFA: Mark Fistric D 23.

10 - St. Louis Blues: $12.295 (22)

UFA: Trent Whitfield C 32, Dan Hinote R 32, Jay McKee D 31, Manny Legace G 36.

RFA: Brandon Crombeen R 23, Chris Porter C 25, Steve Regier L 24, Roman Polak D 23, Jeff Woywitka D 25, Marek Schwarz G 23.

11 - New Jersey Devils: $12.129

UFA: Brendan Shanahan L 40, Kevin Weekes G 34, Niclas Havelid D NJ.

RFA: Travis Zajac C 24.

12 - Toronto Maple Leafs: $12.022 (20)

UFA: Brad May L 37, Bates Battaglia L 33, Andre Deveaux C 25, Boyd Devereaux C 31, Jeff Hamilton C 31, Kris Newbury C 27, Ben Ondrus R 27, Jay Harrison D 26, Jamie Heward D 38, Martin Gerber G 34, Olaf Kolzig G 39, Curtis Joseph G 42.

RFA: Jeremy Williams R 25, Justin Pogge G 23, Jaime Sifers D 26, Ryan Hollweg C 26.

13 - Chicago Blackhawks: $11.797

UFA: Aaron Johnson D 26.

RFA: Cam Barker D 23, Troy Brouwer R 23, Ben Eager L 25, Colin Fraser C 24, Kris Versteeg R 23.

14 - Colorado Avalanche: $11.654 (15)

UFA: Joe Sakic F 39, Ben Guite R 30, Brian Willsie R 31, Andrew Raycroft G 29.

RFA: Kyle Cumiskey D 22, David Jones R 24, Cody McCormick C 26.

15 - Montreal Canadiens: $10.454 (16)

UFA: Alexei Kovalev F 36, Saku Koivu C 34, Alex Tanguay L 29, Robert Lang C 38, Mathieu Schneider D 40, Tom Kostopoulos R 30, Mathieu Dandenault D 33, Patrice Brisebois D 38, Francis Bouillon D 33, Marc Denis G 31.

RFA: Tomas Plekanec C 26, Matt D'Agostini R 22, Guillaume Latendresse R 22, Kyle Chipchura C 23, Gregory Stewart L 23.

16 - Los Angeles Kings: $10.285 (21)

UFA: Derek Armstrong F 36, Denis Gauthier D 32, Kyle Calder L 30.

RFA: Jack Johnson D 22, Teddy Purcell R 23.

17 - Washington Capitals: $9.720 (15)

UFA: Viktor Kozlov C 34, Alexandre Giroux C 28, Bryan Helmer D 26, Brent Johnson G 32.

RFA: Jeff Schultz D 23, Shaone Morrisonn D 26, Milan Jurcina D 26, Eric Fehr R 23, Boyd Gordon R 25.

18 - Buffalo Sabres: $8.976 (16)

UFA: Matt Ellis L 24, Dominic Moore C 28, Andrew Peters L 29, Teppo Numminen D 40, Maxim Afinogeno F 29,

RFA: Andrej Sekera D 23, Drew Stafford R 23, Clarke MacArthur L 24, Patrick Kaleta R 23.

19 - Florida Panthers: $8.405 (18)

UFA: Ville Peltonen L 36, Richard Zednik L 33, Jassen Cullimore D 36, Nick Boynton D 30.

RFA: Anthony Stewart C 24, Steve Eminger D 25, Tanner Glass L 25.

20 - Carolina Hurricanes: $8.083 (18)

UFA: Ryan Bayda L 28, Dennis Seidenberg D 27.

RFA: Tuomo Ruutu C 26, Anton Babchuk D 25.

21 - Vancouver Canucks: $7.282 (18)

UFA: Mats Sundin C 38, Jason Krog C 33, Rob Davison D 29, Ossi Vaananen D 28, Curtis Sanford G 29, Michel Ouellet R 27.

RFA: Shane O' Brien D 25. Kyle Wellwood C 26, Jannik Hansen R 23.

22 - Minnesota Wild: $6.296 (20)

UFA: Stephane Veilleux L 27, Krys Kolanos C 27, Marc-Andre Bergeron D 28, Kurtis Foster D 27, Martin Skoula D 29.

RFA: Dan Fritsche C 23, Benoit Pouliot L 22, Kyle Brodziak C 25, Josh Harding G 25.

23 - Edmonton Oilers: $6.404 (20)

UFA: Ales Kotalik R 30, Dany Sabourin G 28.

RFA: Liam Reddox L 23, Gilbert Brule C 22, Ryan Potulny C 24, Rob Schremp C 22, Denis Grebeshkov D 25, Ladislav Smid D 23.

24 - Detroit Red Wings: $5.554 (16)

UFA: Darren McCarty R 37, Aaron Downey R 34, Chris Chelios D 47.

RFA: Jiri Hudler C 25, Ville Leino L 25.

25 - Boston Bruins: $5.340 (18)

UFA: Stephane Yelle F 35, P.J. Axelsson L 34, Manny Fernandez G 34.

RFA: Phil Kessel F 21, Matt Hunwick D 24.

26 - Ottawa Senators: $4.649 (22)

UFA: Mike Comrie C 28.

RFA: Brendan Bell D 26, Brian Elliott G 24.

27 - Pittsburgh Penguins: $3.137 (19)

UFA: Mike Zigomanis C 28, James Connor L 26, Miroslav Satan L 34, Petr Sykora R 32, Janne Pesonen L 27, Philippe Boucher D 36.

RFA: Paul Bissonnette R 24, Tim Wallace R 24, Ben Lovejoy D 25, John Curry G 25.

28 - Calgary Flames: $3.053 (19)

UFA: Todd Bertuzzi R 34, Andre Roy R 34, Rhett Warrener D 33.

RFA: Dustin Boyd C 22.

29 - Philadelphia Flyers: $2.125 (20)

UFA: Josh Gratton L 26, Boyd Kane L 31, Andrew Alberts D 28, Lasse Kukkonen D 27, Martin Biron G 31, Antero Niittymaki G 29.

RFA: Jared Ross C 26, Danny Syvret D 24.

30 - San Jose Sharks: $1.774 (16)

UFA: Claude Lemieux R 43, Jeremy Roenick C 39, Tom Cavanagh R 27, Alexei Semenov D 28, Mike Grier R 34, Marcel Goc C 25, Tomas Plihal L 26, Lukas Kaspar L 23.

RFA: Torrey Mitchell C 24, Thomas Greiss G 23, Brad Staubitz R 24.

Teddy Purcell Doesn't Need a Nickname Contest

RudyKelly — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 22:46:08 -0000

This is Ted Purcell, forever after known as Bailey:

Purcell and Bailey make the exact same facial expression is what you're supposed to notice. My brother noticed this, not me. He wanted me to make that clear because he's tired of me stealing his shit and passing it off as my own. I guess I'll just have to go back to ripping off Seanbaby and wwtdd like I usually do.

The AHL all-stars: Two Girouxes, Rory and a Brodeur

James Mirtle — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:15:07 -0000

The AHL also announced its all-star teams this week, and they give you a decent idea of who some of the top talent is in the NHL's minor league:

Team Canada

Forwards	Defensemen	Goaltenders
Steve Downie, Nor	x-Johnny Boychuk, Pro	Mike Brodeur, Roch
x-Alexandre Giroux, Her	Kyle Cumiskey, LE	Barry Brust, Hou
x-Claude Giroux, Phi	Cody Franson, Milw	x-Brian Elliott, Bing
Mike Iggulden, Bri	Bryan Helmer, Her ("C")
Jason Krog, Man	x-Derek Joslin, Wor
Corey Locke, Hou	Andrew MacDonald, Bri
Brett MacLean, SA	Brett Palin, QC
Mark Mancari, Por	Danny Syvret, Phi
x-Chris Minard, W-B/Scr
Cal O'Reilly, Milw
Teddy Purcell, Man
Martin St. Pierre, Pro
Mike Santorelli, Milw		x-starters

The tough thing about these all-star games is that, not only do you have to hope no one gets injured, but there's also the problem of call ups to consider. Claude Giroux just torched the AHL in his first pro season with 17 goals in 31 games and is now up with the Flyers, perhaps permanently given their injury woes.

At least they don't have to worry about Captain Helmer missing the game. (Great character guy. Was good to see him get some time in the NHL with the Caps as part of his swan song.)

Three Milwaukee players here, all Nashville picks in the midrounds. Franson's a great example of the depth the Predators have on defence now; he's only 21, big and skilled and would be in the NHL with most franchises. (Not bad for a third rounder.)

Purcell looks like a really good NHLer, someone we'll see play a role with the Kings when they're climbing the standings a year or two from now. He probably misses this game, too.

Boychuk leads AHL defencemen in scoring for the Baby Bruins, and I bet the Avs are kicking themselves for dumping him this summer.

And looking at the goalies, I wonder if the Sens will give Elliott a shot in goal if Gerber and Auld continue to struggle. (And in case you're wondering, Mike Brodeur is a distant cousin of Marty. He started the season in the ECHL and has been very good for Rochester in a dozen games so far.)

Team PlanetUSA

Forwards	Defensemen	Goaltenders
Keith Aucoin, Her	Rory Fitzpatrick, Roch ("C")	Jeff Frazee, Low
x-Chris Bourque, Her	Jonas Junland, Peo	Daniel Larsson, GR
x-Nikita Filatov, Syr	Mattias Karlsson, Bing	x-Cory Schneider, Man
x-Nathan Gerbe, Port	x-Jakub Kindl, Gr. Rapids
Martins Karsums, Pro	Ben Lovejoy, W-B/Scr
Tim Kennedy, Port	Bobby Sanguinetti, Hart
Petri Kontiola, Rock	Jaime Sifers, Tor
Drew Miller, Iowa	x-Yannick Weber, Ham
Joe Motzko, Chicago
Michael Ryan, Albany
Ryan Potulny, Spr
Jeff Taffe, W-B/Scr
Ryan Vesce, Wor		x-starters

Vote for Rory paid off! The plucky defenceman gets the captain's 'C' while playing for his hometown Americans despite having a pretty pedestrian season so far.

Aucoin's another veteran worth pointing out: a 5-foot-9 30-year-old playing for one of the best teams in the league, he leads the AHL in scoring by a mile with 48 points in 34 games despite missing some time while playing three games with the Capitals in the NHL.

Filatov's with Columbus at the moment, so his participation's in doubt.

Karsums is a talented young Latvian who I saw at the world juniors quite a bit when they rolled through B.C. two years ago. He's eighth in league scoring and should see time with the big-league Bruins in the near future.

Weber looks like another good one for the Habs, too, who also have P.K. Subban on the way on the blueline.

Kindl... don't tell me you're suprised the Red Wings have another European stud coming on the blueline.

Speaking of Detroit and potential gems, so much for Jimmy Howard as the goalie of the future: Sweden's Danny Larsson has outplayed him by a mile and makes the team here. He was a late third-round pick in 2006.

I know there are some readers who see a lot more AHL hockey than I do; let me know what you think of the teams and some of the players' play to date.

Kings Gameday: Roster Clog

RudyKelly — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:45:03 -0000

LA Kings (15-15-6) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (15-16-4)

7:30 PST, Fox Sports West

Here are 7 players:

-Trevor Lewis

-Derek Armstrong

-Oscar Moller

-Raitis Ivanans

-John Zeiler

-Ted Purcell

-Kyle Calder

You have to get rid of one of them: who is it? This is the question facing the Los Angeles Kings. Right now the Kings are playing Trevor Lewis, Ted Purcell, Raitis Ivanans, Kyle Calder, and John Zeiler, with Derek Armstrong sidelined by a concussion and Oscar Moller currently at the WJC. (Additionally, Brad Richardson is still injured and might be out for a while, according to Rich Hammond.) Armstrong will be back soon, however, and when Oscar Moller returns the Kings will have some decisions to make. Trevor Lewis and Ted Purcell are both eligible to be sent to the AHL, but neither has really merited a demotion in their time up so far. Kyle Calder and Derek Armstrong have the least amount of upside, but both provide veteran leadership. John Zeiler and Raitis Ivanans are kind of worthless, but they're the good kind of worthless where you don't have to worry about stunting their growth if they get only 4 minutes a game. It's quite the conundrum. It's worthy of a healthy beard-stroke.*

*I've recently grown a beard. It's marvelous.

I'll be honest: I don't know what the Kings are going to do. No matter what, they're probably going to have to waive someone, whether it be Armstrong or Zeiler. I'm guessing Zeiler, since it's not like anyone is going to pick him up anyway. You might think you would need to demote one of Lewis, Purcell or Moller when he gets back, but I think the Kings can make it work without it coming to that. I'd like to see:

O'Sullivan	Kopitar	Moller
Frolov	Handzus	Simmonds
Calder	Stoll	Brown
Ivanans	Lewis	Purcell

Moller is a pretty gritty player despite his size and would give the top line another shot for the defense to account for. I like Frolov's line, and Brown's line has a nice identity to it. The 4th line is weird, but, as Earl fucking constantly points out, it's the same thing the Ducks did with Getzlaf and Perry and that seemed to work out OK. Plus, it gives Ivanans two guys he can leech off of and protect, perhaps leading him to play with a little more violent intent. Lewis can skate up with Kopitar and O'Sullivan when Moller sits (or, better yet, skate with Stoll and Calder when Brown moves up for a shift) and then Purcell can step in for Moller on a few power play shifts. Lewis and Purcell need about 12 minutes a game, and that's easily doable. This gives the Kings 4 solid, young, dynamic lines that can skate, rumble and score. It gives me a woody just thinking about it.

***

Another roster clog is coming soon in the goaltending department. Erik Ersberg's imminent return means some goaltender is going to have to get sent down. It's not Quick, who has played the best of any goaltender for the Kings thus far, and it's not Ersberg, who played well before he got hurt, so that means it's Labarbera. Does he get picked up off the waiver wire? If he doesn't, he most certainly will on re-entry waivers, so that means he's gone. Are the Kings ready to do that? I don't know. It'll be interesting to watch the next couple days.

So, that's the best solution as I see it. Let me know what you guys think in the comments. Or, you know, don't. Whatever, you people don't care about me and my feelings.

Prediction: Kings win, 3-0. Goals by Calder, Lewis and Brown. Oh yeah, the Kings are playing the Blue Jackets tonight, too. I'm Sorry, Columbus, I forgot you were there. You may go now.