SB Nation - Dennis Wideman

Bruins fall to Flyers 3-1

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:32:49 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

5 days ago: Philadelphia Flyers right wing Ian Laperriere, rear, raises his arms as he celebrates a goal by teammate Kimmo Timonen in the third period of their NHL hockey game in Boston, Monday, Dec. 14, 2009. In foreground are Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, left, and defenseman Andrew Ference. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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The Bruins lost 3-1 on Monday night in a physical game against the Philadelphia Flyers that featured plenty of controversial calls (and non-calls).

The Bruins appeared to jump out to an early lead just over 2 minutes into the game when Vladimir Sobotka put the puck past Brain Boucher at the right post, but the goal was quickly waved off by the on-ice officials due to the net being off its moorings. The replay showed that the puck crossed the goalline before the whistle blew, but the call on the ice stood. According NESN color analyst Andy Brickley, who spoke with the league's review office in Toronto between periods, the play was not reviewable and the goal was waved off because Boucher did not have an opportunity to make a save since one of his players was pushed into him. Whatever the reason, the score remained 0-0.

Sobotka was able to find the back of the net for real when he set up at the top of the crease and deflected Shawn Thornton's shot past Brian Boucher for the game's first goal with 1:28 left in the second period.

UNH product James van Riemsdyk tied it up at 1-1 2:48 into the third period when he re-directed an Aaron Asham shot for his 7th goal of the season.

The Flyers broke the tie with 9:32 left in the third period on Kimo Timonen's shot from the blue line directly in front of Tim Thomas' net. The puck appeared to graze off of Blake Wheeler's glove and change direction enough to get past Thomas for the 2-1 Philadelphia lead.

The Bruins had an opportunity to tie the game up when Scott Hartnell took an ill-timed high-sticking penalty late in the third period. However, Kimo Timonen ended the Bruins hopes of winning and sealed the victory for the Flyers with an empty net goal with 40.3 seconds remaining in the game. Timomen cleared the puck the length of the ice from just in front of his own goal line all the way into the back of the Bruins net almost 200 feet away.

Final - 12.14.2009	1	2	3	Total
Philadelphia Flyers	0	0	3	3
Boston Bruins	0	1	0	1

Complete Coverage >

Notes:

- Dennis Wideman left the game with an undisclosed injury and did not return.

- I don't often complain about the officiating, but Chris Rooney and Rob Martell did not call a good game tonight: the early wash-out of Sobotka's goal, Chara getting tripped in the third, Briere being able to hold Krejci's stick and skate the length of the ice, etc, etc.

- Apparently, the "3 Minutes of Fame" youth hockey game during the first intermission got a little physical:

"Some heavy hitting during first intermission between the two youth hockey teams on the ice. More punches thrown during intermission than in the first period."

- Fluto Shinzawa, Boston.com

This prompted the following text exchange between Timmy and me:

Me: was there a fight during the youth hockey game during intermission

Timmy: yea it was f__ing awesome

Me: i wish i had video

Stanley Cup of Chowder, SB Nation, and it's sponsors do not advocate violence among children blah blah blah, but if you do have video of this please shoot me an email stanleycupofchowder@gmail.com

- The next time the Bruins and Flyers will meet is on January 1st at Fenway Park for the NHL Winter Classic.

- Daniel Carcillo returned to the lineup for the Flyers after serving his suspension for his actions during a fight with Washington's Matt Bradley. Carcillo's showed his presence throughout this game and recorded 8 hits.

- The Bruins were out-shoted 38-27.

- The Bruins did win 59% of the face-offs tonight, but as Bill Belichick would say "stats are for losers".

- I hope the Bruins goalies don't wear winter hats over their masks during the Winter Classic like they did in warm-ups tonight. That is a straight up goofy look.

- Bruins are off until Friday when they travel to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks.

- For more on tonight's game from a Flyers' fan perspective check out Broad Street Hockey

Bruins and Maple Leafs ready for "Kessel-Mania II"

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:57:50 -0000

More photos » by CHRIS YOUNG - AP

After demanding to be traded by the Leafs after just 18 games with the team, Phil Kessel was traded to a local youth team. Kessel is seen here working out with his new teammates. "I never demanded to be traded, but I am excited about the move. The league doesn't allow checking, so I don't have to worry about getting hurt. I also think that it will give me more ice to work with. Excuse me, Johnny's mom is here to pick us up. Talk to you guys later."

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The Boston media had hyped up Phil Kessel's return to The Hub of Hockey on Saturday night like a pay-per-view event and even dubbed it "Kessel-Mania". It turns out the game wasn't exactly an epic matchup, as it looked more like Tyson-McNeely than "The Rumble in the Jungle". The Bruins completely shutting down #81 en route to an easy 7-2 victory. The Bruins have been off since Saturday night's 7-2 romp. Meanwhile, the Leafs didn't have much time to dwell on the loss as they traveled back to Toronto for 2 games (Thrashers and Islanders). The B's and Leafs will square off Thursday in a re-match of Saturday night's laugher.

Notes:

- Since the Bruins just played the Maple Leafs a few days ago (and because the Leafs played tonight and I don't feel like waiting until that game is over), I am not going to do the usual full preview.

- The Leafs held an outdoor practice on Tuesday.

- Dennis Wideman is questionable for Thursday night's game with an upper body injury.

- Milan Lucic was in New York to promote the Winter Classic.

- I'm think this game will be more competitive than Saturday's game, but you can't rule out the possibility of a game like this:

H/T to Hub Hockey for finding this one

- The game starts at 7:00 and can be seen on NESN and heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub. The Public Skate open thread starts a half hour puck drop.

- Shameless Self-Promotion Alert: If you haven't done so already, vote for Stanley Cup of Chowder in round 2 of The NHL Arena's Bruins Blog-Off.

- For more on the "Truculent Leafs", check out Pension Plan Puppets

Today's Obligatory Embarrassing Leafs Fan YouTube Video

There can only be one SteveDangle and you sir are no SteveDangle.

The Trading Block: Who The Blues Could Move

gallagher — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:30:12 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

The trade of Lee Stempniak signaled to the Blues that it wouldn't be Andy Murray that would be held accountable for their slow start. Who could be this year's Stempniak?

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On Nov. 23 last year the Blues were 8-8-2 and 13th in the Western Conference, dead-last in the Central Division. They'd suffered some odd injuries, including an emergency appendectomy to one of their players. Fans were grumbling about the coaching of Andy Murray and the lack of team scoring (just 55 goals in 18 games to that point).

The next day the team traded Lee Stempniak, considered by most followers of the team to be one of the franchise's youthful building blocks, to Toronto for Alex Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo. The deal was a classic sell-high, buy-low for the Blues, as Stempniak had a bit of a point streak going at the time (he had three goals and 10 assists in 14 games to that point) and had been a 27-goal scorer once before in his short career. Meanwhile, both Colaiacovo and Steen had long since worn out their welcome in the Center Of The Hockey Universe as underperforming former first round picks.

But the trade was more than a "let's get two-for-one" deal for the Blues; this was a direct message to the players that Murray would be staying and if their performance continued to be mediocre, it was they that would be a-going.

The team continued to struggle along through November and December before going 6-4-1 in January and then, of course, going on The Run that ended with the Blues in the sixth seed in the West.

With the exception of waiving Manny Legace on Feb. 6, the Blues made no other roster moves after the Stempniak deal. Considering the similar state of the team today and the recent comments made by team owner David Checketts that the time to move forward is now, if the team doesn't start to climb the standings soon, another move will be made to shake up the roster. For the sake of this argument, we're going to assume that Andy Murray will not be fired and that the team will deal with first quarter doldrums in the same manner that they did last year and trade someone.

But who fits the bill to be traded this year? Last year's trade of Stempniak was unforeseen and shocking to fans, media and presumably, the players. If a trade is to be made this year, it'd likely be designed to shake up the players who remain behind. The problem is identifying a player who is shocking to see leave and sends the message, but not be the type of player that goes on to make you regret his departure.

Similarly, the roster is full of players that fans might want to see traded, but simply cannot be moved for one reason or another.

We'll analyze the current roster to see who is tradeable and who is not, leaving the minor leaguers and prospects out of the discussion as we're not talking about specific packages or team needs at this point. In the end, we'll give our most likely candidates to be moved if the Blues decide to dangle one of their players.

David Backes

#42 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-3

Weight: 216

Born: May 01, 1984

G A P +/- PIM

2009 - David Backes 4 6 10 1 38

David Backes, RW: The Blues thought highly enough of Backes to match Vancouver's RFA offer to him before last season, agreeing to overpay him to the tune of $2.5 million a year. Backes paid back the Blues in spades last year with his 31-goal effort and his nightly physical domination. He became known as Chuck Norris around these parts and it was justly deserved.

But is he tradeable today? Backes' slow start made him an early candidate for consideration in a shake up trade, but his six points in his last four games has made him an even more potent trading piece. If the Blues were to trade Backes it would definitely shake up the roster and send the message that no one here is untouchable, but giving up on the 25-year-old could end up being seriously short-sighted. The return might be great, but what of the loss? Have we seen the top of Backes' game or is he just getting started?

Patrik Berglund

#21 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-4

Weight: 187

Born: Jun 02, 1988

G A P +/- PIM

2009 - Patrik Berglund 3 2 5 -4 2

Patrik Berglund, C: The former first rounder from 2006 enjoyed a great rookie season, becoming coveted around the league for his 21 goals and 47 points in 76 games, despite playing in twice as many games as he ever had in a season previously. This season, however, has been the epitome of the sophomore slump for the young TechnoViking. He is on pace for just 11 goals and 18 points. His minus-4 stands out when compared to his solid plus-19 from last year.

Is he tradeable? Certainly. Would it be shocking? Absolutely. Would it be giving up on a talent who has not reached his final height yet? Probably. Depending on the return that could be gotten back, Berglund could find himself the target of a "needs a change of scenery" trade.

Brad Boyes

#22 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 195

Born: Apr 17, 1982

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Brad Boyes	6	9	15	-5	2

Brad Boyes, C/RW: In his short NHL career, Boyes has bounced from Toronto to San Jose to Boston to St. Louis. His talent is evident as he has scored 43 and 33 goals over the last two seasons, but his streaky nature and perceived lack of hard work has kept him on the move. He is on pace for 29 goals this year, despite a recent streak of nine points in his last 10 games. At just 27 years old, he is still an NHL commodity and would surely find suitors if he were on the Blues' trade block.

But can the Blues trade a guy who one could argue is the only real sniper on the team? The last person to score 33 goals in the Bluenote was Tkachuk in 2003-04. The last to score 43 was Brett Hull in 1995-96. Yes, Brett Hull. In 1996. He'd likely draw some talent back to the team, but scoring, even if it is streaky, is not a strength from which the Blues have a deep well to deal.

Eric Brewer

#4 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-3

Weight: 222

Born: Apr 17, 1979

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Eric Brewer	1	2	3	-8	11

Eric Brewer, D: Calm down, boo-birds. Yes, Brewer might find himself atop many fans' Trade Now lists, but the Robot Captain seems to still be respected within the organization. His statistics continue to track along his career normal, in that area around 20-29 points, but his glaring minus-8 will keep the fans letting him know, "Brewer You Suck!"

If he hadn't missed a calendar year of hockey with various knee and back surgeries and if he wasn't currently on the shelf with another 'lower body' injury, Brewer might have some value. But add to those red flags his current contract of $4.5 million for this year and next and it's unlikely Brewer is going anywhere anytime soon.

Carlo Colaiacovo

#28 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Born: Jan 27, 1983

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Carlo Colaiacovo	2	7	9	0	17

Carlo Colaiacovo, D: The beneficiary of last year's "change of scenery" trade, Colaiacovo has revived his career in St. Louis. The offensive defenseman, who never put up more than 24 points in an NHL season before, finished last year with 30 and is on pace for even more points this season, his contract year. He remains haunted by the injury bug, though he managed to play a career-high 73 games last season.

If the Blues think he can be re-signed and continue to be productive in a leading role for the team (he is only 26 now), he won't be traded. If they think he'll be squeezed out by upcoming defenders, Colaiacovo could be a prime trading piece.

Ty Conklin

#29 / Goalie / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 184

Born: Mar 30, 1976

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Ty Conklin	7	386	3	2			15	2.33	204	189	.926	1

Ty Conklin, G: Conklin has only been with the team for this season and played only seven games. he's been solid and (most importantly for a goalie) uncontroversial in the back-up goal. He fills a serious need for the team and he's paid appropraitely for this year and next.

There's no shock value to shake up the roster by trading Conklin and any trade involving him immediately opens a hole that has to be filled.

B.J. Crombeen

#26 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-2

Weight: 212

Born: Jul 10, 1985

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - B.J. Crombeen	1	3	4	2	63

B.J. Crombeen, RW: The Beej has a very specific role on this team and depending on the night, he either plays it well by hitting and checking and making life a nightmare for the opposition, or he decides he's needed on the ice and puts himself on the ice for a too-many-men penalty. Basically, he's a role player who can chip in some points and allow older fans to boast that they remember when his dad played here.

Trading B.J. wouldn't be much of a blow to the team. Some might say that it sucks, but not too many fans or players would choke on the trade if it were made. There wouldn't be much of a return on a B.J. trade either because most people would see him as a starter, not the main event in any exchange.

Barret Jackman

#5 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 203

Born: Mar 05, 1981

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Barret Jackman	0	4	4	5	13

Barret Jackman, D: The World's Angriest Defender (TM), owner of the best You're An Idiot (R) look in the NHL, Jackman is an original Blue, drafted in the first round back in 1999. He has had to re-learn the game as a defensive defenseman after the new rules were implemented after the lockout. Despite his inexplicable role as "the guy we hate when Brewer is out of the lineup", Jackman plays a steady if unspectacular game and while he has seen time on the power play during the less-offesnive days, he clearly doesn't relish the offensive role and is happier defending his own net.

Jackman's trade would definitely shake up the team and the fanbase, though the return would not be terribly flashy due to his unflashy role and large contract ($4.5 million this year and next, $3.5 million in 2011-12).

Cam Janssen

#55 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 210

Born: Apr 15, 1984

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Cam Janssen	0	0	0	-1	50

Cam Janssen, RW: It's almost superfluous to put Janssen's position in this description as all it does is designate where he lines up on face-offs. The local boy gone pro, Cam Smash, King of Eureka, spends his entire shift running around the rink looking for someone to run into or to punch. St. Louisans love their home-town products and Janssen is no exception. He plays a specific role and with his better skating and durability than heavyweight fighter D.J. King, Janssen has been useful to the team. Also, did we mention that the fans love him?

While his game has gotten better since he arrived here in February 2008, Janssen could be traded. The return would be low and the biggest shake up it would cause would be down I-55 south of 44, where they still need every body they can get to fill sandbags come spring.

Erik Johnson

#6 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-4

Weight: 219

Born: Mar 21, 1988

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Erik Johnson	4	14	18	6	16

Erik Johnson, D: Despite missing all of last year to a golf cart jousting incident (allegedly), the Eeeej leads the team in scoring, changes the way teams have to prepare for the Blues' attack, does a mean Napoleon Dynamite impression, isn't afraid to get down with your girlfriend in your car in Al MacInnis' driveway (allegedly) and is likely going to stage some sweet raid on Oshie's condo at some point to get his Elmo hat back.

How do you spell 'franchise'? Not sure, but it definitely has an E and a J in it. This kid isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Paul Kariya

#9 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 5-10

Weight: 180

Born: Oct 16, 1974

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Paul Kariya	6	5	11	4	12

Paul Kariya, LW: We owe Paul Kariya a bit of an apology. earlier this year we said something to the effect of, "The next time Paul Kariya takes a hit to make a play with be the first." Since that time, Kariya, who must have heard our admonishment through cyberspace, has been offering up his tiny, waif-like body to make plays. And, thankyouverymuch, it has resulted in Kariya's point totals rising, with points in each of the last three games.

Kariya is still on pace for a terrible offensive year, but that isn't the only reason that trading Kariya is a tough task. In fact there are 6 million reasons that other teams don't want to deal for Kariya. That hefty price tag, small offensive output and the final months of a contract owed to a notorious mercenary when it comes to free agency (just ask Anaheim, Colorado and Nashville) combine for a perfect storm of "hell no, we don't have interest in Kariya" among the rest of the NHL teams.

Chris Mason

#50 / Goalie / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 195

Born: Apr 20, 1976

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Chris Mason	19	1129	7	8			43	2.29	557	514	.923	0

Chris Mason, G: Mason is the goalie. He's not winning enough games because he's not getting enough help from the rest of the team. His personal stats are great (eighth in GAA and seventh in save percentage) and that's tough to do on a struggling team.

Trading Mason would happen if only one of two things were happening: 1. Tha Canucks called and said, "How about Luongo for that Mason fella straight up?" or 2. The Blues called a press conference and announced, "Screw this year, we love drafting high."

Jay McClement

#18 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 201

Born: Mar 02, 1983

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Jay McClement	4	4	8	0	6

Jay McClement, C: Silent Jay, one of the original members of the Blues' post-lockout Kid Line (along with the traded Stempniak), has developed into a legitimate Selke candidate right before our eyes. His even plus/minus is all the more impressive when considering that he sees most of his minutes against other team's top lines. McClement is also locked up for two years after this season to a reasonable contract ($1.45 million per). Plus, his stock photo looks like he has a skelton's grin, which is awesome.

McClement's trade would shock the locker room more than the fans, especially casual fans who too often overlook his quiet, workmanlike contributions to team success. His contract, work ethic and skill set make him a perfect add for an opposing team. His trade wouldn't bring back the intangibles he adds. It could happen, but it would likely be shortsighted.

Andy McDonald

#10 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 5-11

Weight: 183

Born: Aug 25, 1977

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Andy McDonald	6	8	14	-2	2

Andy McDonald, C: McDonald is struggling offensively this year but everyone has seen what he can do with the puck when he starts running hot. Plus, the Blues just locked him up for another three years after this year at an average of $4.7 million a year.

Trading McDonald would be the Blues saying that they made a mistake with a big contract and are having buyers' remorse. Which would put them on the 'sell low' end of the negotiations, the bad end to be on. The trade wouldn't shock fans or the locker room and the return would be less than impressive.

T.J. Oshie

#74 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 5-11

Weight: 170

Born: Dec 23, 1986

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - T.J. Oshie	4	9	13	1	10

T.J. Oshie, C/W: Oshie only seems like he's in a the throes of a sophomore slump because his rookie season took the city by storm. Young Mister Furnace Face scored the NHL.com goal of the year, blew up Rick Nash so badly (twice) that the fans coined the phrase "Oshied", got voted by someone to be his or her mayor in an actual election and had his name chanted by over 19,000 people on multiple occasions last year. By comparison, a second season where he only tallies 50 points would seem like a let down.

Last year, even suggesting that Oshie be traded would be reason enough to go into Salman Rushdie-like hiding for a writer. This year, it would be like suggesting that Anheuser-Busch is better off being owned by a foreign company like Inbev. It's still fighting words in most places, but in others, well, whatever, they just drink Schlafly anyway. Which isn't to say that Oshie's trade wouldn't shock the team and the fans, beacause it certainly would. The problem is that Oshie can score, but his intangibles are worth at least as much as his points, so the return on him wouldn't match what the team would give up.

David Perron

#57 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 180

Born: May 28, 1988

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - David Perron	9	7	16	-1	14

David Perron, LW: Perron leads the team in goals, works his poutine-loving ass off on every shift (doing a great rookie Oshie impression) and has an early nod for selection for this year's NHL.com goal of the year. Despite what has happened between Perron and the coach in the past, he is newly mature and coming into his own. And he's only 21.

Despite the fact that he's coming into a contract year and will certainly be looking for a huge pay increase this summer, the day a competing general manager picks up his phone to learn that the Blues are calling to offer Perron in a trade is that GM's best day ever. David Perron is untradeable at this point, no matter the return (sort of insanity, which can happen in the NHL) because of his ceiling.

Alex Pietrangelo

#27 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-3

Weight: 206

Born: Jan 18, 1990

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Alex Pietrangelo	1	1	2	-9	6

Alex Pietrangelo, D: There's a rule in hockey that goes something like this: goalies hit their stride and their prime later than any other position. Defensemen hit their stride and their prime earlier than goalies, but still not until later in their careers. Forwards can be thrown into the league earliest at all because creativity, speed and their shot can compensate for other factors.

Pietrangelo isn't playing enough in the NHL for most observers and he's got nothing left to learn in junior, but that hardly makes him prime trade bait. The fourth overall selection from just last year going on the trade block would garner a ton of calls from around the league, but the fact is that the offers would almost always be "you take our busting project for your young defenseman who isn't playing anyway".

Roman Polak

#46 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 227

Born: Apr 28, 1986

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Roman Polak	2	4	6	6	22

Roman Polak, D: He's 23, he's locked up for this year and next for a little over a million bucks each, plays solid defense, can contribute offensively and is fast enough to rush the puck and get back to protect his own zone. He's quiet and unheralded and he's the Jay McClement of the defense. Plus, his fake Twitter account is awesome. As is farting in teammate's helmets.

The shock value is high, his replacement is fairly easy considering the Pietrangelo, Junland, Rundblad, Cole pipeline and the return on him would likely be comparable, if not exactly earth-shattering.

Alexander Steen

#20 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 205

Born: Mar 01, 1984

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Alexander Steen	1	1	2	-1	6

Alexander Steen, LW: Steen has been a staple on the McClement line almost since his arrival in St. Louis and he has also shown flashes of the offense that caused him to be drafted in the first round by Toronto back in 2002. But unlike his trade-mate Colaiacovo, Steen hasn't exactly made himself a more desired commodity around the NHL. he plays an important role for the team, but his role can be filled by plenty of similar players in Peoria who would love the opportunity.

No one nose what value Steen might have around the NHL, but we smell a boring trade if he's the tip of any deal because he's at the end of his contract and has likely reached his beak.

Darryl Sydor

#44 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 211

Born: May 13, 1972

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Darryl Sydor	0	4	4	6	10

Darryl Sydor, D: Sydor's best days are well behind him. He's lucky that he happens to have a skill set that allows him to be paid premium dollars (a cool million for this season) to act as 'mentor' and not really be expected produce much offensively. Sydor's only value in trade would be at the deadline as a depth/veteran presence guy. As for shock value in trading Sydor at this point, it's unlikely there would be much shake up in the locker room after the initial "I couldn't believe he took Pronger's number in the first place" discussion.

Keith Tkachuk

#7 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-2

Weight: 232

Born: Mar 28, 1972

G A P +/- PIM

2009 - Keith Tkachuk 5 8 13 -3 22

Keith Tkachuk, LW/C: The days of trading Tkachuk for a big return are probably long gone. If the trade deadline were looming, there might be a ~~sucker~~ general manager or two out there who might still fall for the siren song of "big body, proven goal scorer, veteran presence" for their playoff run, but as for a trade today, there won't be many takers around the NHL.

Tkachuk is on a short, NHL-cheap contract and does have a strong locker room presence... which is exactly why the Blues want him and will be unlikely to trade him. It'd shake up the roster, but the return at this point wouldn't be worth the exchange.

Mike Weaver

#43 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 5-9

Weight: 182

Born: May 02, 1978

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Mike Weaver	0	1	1	5	8

Mike Weaver, D: Small but steady, Weaver doesn't get mentioned much because he is a defensive defenseman who does his job effectively. Not being mentioned much is a compliment for defensive defenseman.

As for trade value, Weaver has virtually none. There'd be little shock value to the team due to his journeyman status and zero shock value to the fans (have you ever seen a Weaver 43 jersey worn by a fan?) and the return would be the definition of infinitesimal.

Brad Winchester

#15 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-5

Weight: 228

Born: Mar 01, 1981

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Brad Winchester	0	2	2	1	24

Brad Winchester, LW: It's hard to believe that a guy who stands 6'5 tall and weighs nearly 230 pounds could ever be described as invisible, but Winchester has done just that and in the process has proven how a guy who is taken 35th overall in the NHL draft (2000) can muster only 200 NHL games and 36 points in the following nine years.

Yeah, this is about trade value and shake up of the roster, neither of which describe Winchester.

***************************************

So where does that leave the Blues if they are looking to make a trade? Here are our best guesses, by category.

Untradeable Due To Value:

These guys aren't going anywhere because they are too important to the team now and/or in the future.

Erik Johnson. If the trade documents came to the NHL offices, even those numbskulls would void it based on sheer stupidity. Wayne Gretzky got traded, sure, but not when he was 21 and the best player on his team.
Chris Mason. What do you need the second you trade Chris Mason? A top-10 ranked starting netminder. Whoops!
Jay McClement. Much like Mason, if you trade McClement, you suddenly need a guy just like McClement.
T.J. Oshie. Oshie's intangibles outweigh anything the team would get for him unless some other GM was eating peyote and then firing up the Blackberry to offer up some ridiculous package for the kid. The P.R. hit alone would making trading the Teej a huge mistake.
David Perron. The kid will be worth three first round draft picks to some RFA-contract-offering idiot this summer, so if the Blues are willing to lose an emerging talent like Frenchie, they should wait until then to do it.

Untradeable Due To Lack Of Value:

These guys aren't going anywhere because the return is too small.

Eric Brewer. The Robot is too broken and expensive to warrant interest from another team.
Paul Kariya. It isn't 1996 anymore. Kariya costs too much, is too close to unrestricted free agency and is producing far too few points to be of any interest to any but the drunkest of general managers.
Andy McDonald. We have no doubt that McDonald will be valuable again one day, but right now he too closely resembles the guy who was easily required for a virtually worthless Doug Weight two seasons ago.

Untradeable Due To Role:

Unless these guys are a problem in the locker room, and there's no reason to think they are, no possible advantage can be gained from trading them.

Ty Conklin. This guy gets traded and has to immediately be replaced by a guy who plays like him, gets paid like him and has the same demeanor as him.
Cam Janssen. Add in the hometown bump you get for having this guy in the lineup, the team would have to get something special to let go of the P.R. advantage Janssen brings. No GM in the league is about to overpay for Janssen.

Could Be Traded For Low Impact:

These guys could get traded, but the return will be small and the shock to the team won't likely be enough to cause significant change.

B.J. Crombeen. Swapping a role player for a mid-to-late pick or another role player isn't going to have the impact the team is looking to get. Plus, why ruin a whole season of blow job jokes if you don't have to?
Alex Steen. The worst thing that can happen to a player is to get injured and then have someone step into your role and make everyone forget you were gone. Steen has played 11 games this year. Seems high, doesn't it?
Darryl Sydor. "Oh no! They traded a 37-year-old depth defenseman they brought in for one year and would have been gone in six months anyway! I guess they are serious; anyone can be traded!"
Mike Weaver. Seriously, how many people really know Mike Weaver is on the team right now anyway? Impact of trading him: all of his immediate family have to update their mailing address for him. As if anyone mails anything anymore.
Brad Winchester: "So we have an offer for 228 pounds worth of hockey pucks. We lose maybe one more fight but we do save about $200 in souvenir costs."

Are You Kidding Me? Seriously. Are You Kidding Me?:

You want shock value? You want some return on your exchange? These are the guys the management and staff are going to argue about trading and the guys who, if traded, would make you call your friends liars when they told you about the trade.

David Backes. Sure, he's struggling. Sure he gets paid a lot for a guy his age. Sure it's been a long time since anyone here has vehemently compared him to Chuck Norris. But general managers in the NHL aren't as easily freaked out by slow starts as fans are. If Backes were made available, the list of teams with nice offers in hand would be long. Trading Backes shakes up the team, nets a good return and lets everyone know that no one is safe. The downside is that he almost certainly becomes a monster and regularly returns to haunt his former team.
Brad Boyes. Most fantasy hockey guys will tell you that the second you trade a great player you immediatley make yourself believe he was never on your team. Boyes can be streaky and frustrating and may always leave you wanting more, but when he's on your team he's a guy that can change a game. Trading him likely brings a nice return, scares the other players into focus and makes all of us go fantasy GM and pretend he never played here, because he's got at least a couple more great scoring seasons ahead of him.
Patrik Berglund. In five years we'll know what we had in Patrik Berglund. He's no Peter Forsberg, but is he going to become the shifty Swedish version of Pavel Datsyuk? Or is he on the fast track to becoming our next Jim Campbell? If he gets traded and blossoms into the slick playmaker with a nasty power play one-timer that we saw in glimpses next year, we'll be tasting our own vomit for the next 10-15 years. If he becomes the next great suburban Mite coach, we'll be applauding his trade like we used to talk about the Christer Olsson for Pavol Demitra deal.
Alex Pietrangelo. Classic giving up too early trade. The kid is 19-years-old and if not for a bout of mono in his draft year could have been drafted before Drew Doughty and Zach Begosian. If he goes away the Blues are counting on Jonas Junland or David Rundblad, both high-risk, power play specialist type of players, to round out their game and fill his spot as they swap him for a slumping scorer of comparable value like Columbus' Nikita Filatov.

On The Block:

These are the guys whose age, reputation, contracts and shake up value to the current roster make them the most likely players to become 'former Blues' should the team decide to go that way.

Carlo Colaiacovo. The guy is young and stepping into his game, but the crunch on the blueline, his contract status and injury history makes him a prime candidate to get dangled out there. His ceiling is probably ahead of him, but he's expendable from a P.R. standpoint, a talent standpoint and in terms of return.
Barret Jackman. This would be even more shocking than the trade of Stempniak last year, but his contract and the depth of the Blues' defensive pipeline makes this a 'head' move more than a 'heart' move. The return would likely be good, too, as Jackman's reputation around the league is excellent.
Roman Polak. How different is Roman Polak today from Dennis Wideman back when he was traded for Brad Boyes? When considering the current and future depth on the blueline, if the Blues could trade Polak today for another streaky sniper do you think they'd do it? Yeah, us too.
Keith Tkachuk. He's the vet with the good story because his family lives here and everyone sees him around town, but he's been rumored to be in the middle of more than one split locker room in his time as a pro. Sending Tkachuk away shocks the Blues' system, forces a younger guy to step up and likely results in a decent return. Short of a no-trade clause we don't know about, it could happen.

******************************

Trade rumors are always a risky proposition and the saying goes that when a team is struggling it's easier to change out one guy (the coach) than a whole team, the Blues have proved in the past that they're willing to change out one player to shake up the others.

Will this year be any different?

Bruins blow late lead, grind out 4-3 win over Ottawa in SO

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:56:28 -0000

More photos » by Michael Dwyer - AP

21 days ago: Boston Bruins' Michael Ryder, right, celebrates his goal in the shootout against the Ottawa Senators in an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009, in Boston. The Bruins won 4-3. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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For the third straight game and the 11th time this season, the Bruins found themselves in an overtime game. The Bruins held a 3-2 lead late in the third period after Dennis Wideman's power play goal midway through the third period put them on top, but the Bruins weren't able to hold on for the win as Milan Michalek's goal with 19.2 seconds remaining in regulation forced overtime. The game eventually went to a shootout, where the B's prevailed thanks to a goal by Michael Ryder and some big saves by Tim Thomas, who redeemed himself after giving up a soft goal to Michalek late in the third period.

The Senators struck first on their first shot of the game 4:52 into the game when the Bruins turned over the puck in the defensive zone and Milan Michalek fed the puck to Daniel Alfredsson, who fired a quick snap shot from the slot that beat Tim Thomas.

The Senators added a power play goal by Milan Michalek two and a half minutes later. With Marc Savard in the box for high-sticking, Patrice Bergeron lost an edge and took a shot off his leg while he was sprawled on the ice essentially creating a 5 on 3 for Ottawa. Daniel Alfredsson "set up in Gretzky's Office" and found Michalek on the right wing side of the Thomas' net and Michalek's tough angle shot found the back of the net for the 2-0 lead while Bergeron limped to the bench without putting weight on the leg. Bergeron tried to give it a go his next shift but quickly returned to the Bruins bench and headed down the tunnel to the dressing room. He was able return to the Bruins bench late in the first period and played the rest of the game.

Despite only putting 5 shots on goal in the first period, Ottawa skated off the ice after the first 20 minutes of play with a 2-0 lead.

The Bruins cut the lead to 2-1 with a power play goal by David Krejci 59 seconds into the second period. Mark Recchi lugged the puck into the Ottawa zone on the left wing and sent a centering pass to David Krejci, who skated right down the middle of the ice and beat Brian Elliott with a backhander up high.

The Bruins tied it up at 2-2 on a power play goal from Michael Ryder at 9:57 of the middle period. Zdeno Chara held the puck at the point and passed the puck to Michael Ryder at the left half-wall. Ryder skated into the slot and fired a quick snap shot that found the back of the net for his 7th goal of the season.

The Bruins got their third power play goal of the game with 10:41 remaining in the third period when we floated a wrist shot from the high slot that found its way past Elliott for the go-ahead goal with Mark Recchi providing the screen at the top of the crease.

Ottawa tied up the game with 19.2 second remaining when Milan Michalek's tough angle shot from the left circle skimmed off Tim Thomas' left pad and into the far side of the net for his second goal of the game.

After five minutes of scoreless overtime hockey, the game headed to a shootout.

Shootout

B's 1st Shooter: Bergeron skated in deep and lost control of the puck.

Sens 1st Shooter: Alex Kovalev faked a shot on the forehand and missed the net on the backhand.

B's 2nd Shooter: Blake Wheeler fired a forehand shot that was handled by Elliot.

Sens 2nd Shooter: Right pad kick out by Tim Thomas

B's 3rd Shooter: Krejci's backhander hits the post.

Sens 4th Shooter: Jason Spezza's shot missed the net

B's 4th Shooter: Michael Ryder's fired a shot that beat Brian Elliott up high on the gloveside. 1-0 Bruins

Sens 4th Shooter: Thomas shutdown Mike Fisher with a left pad save to seal the win for the B's. Bruins Win

Final - 11.28.2009	1	2	3	OT	SO	Total
Ottawa Senators	2	0	1	0	0	3
Boston Bruins	0	2	1	0	1	4

Complete Coverage >

Notes:

- The win gives the Bruins sole possession of first place in the Northeast Division.

- The Bruins set a franchise record by going to the shootout for the third straight game.

- The Bruins out-shot the Senators 33-22.

- The Bruins went 3 for 5 on the power play. This was only the fourth time this season that the Bruins scored 2 or more power play goals.

- Tim Thomas (19 saves) looked a little rusty in his first game back from a hand injury, but played well enough to get the win and made some big stops in the shootout.

- Zdeno Chara and Steve Begin were the only Bruins skaters not to register a shot on goal.

- Mark Stuart blocked 4 shots

- Daniel Paille recorded 5 hits.

- The B's are off until Wednesday when the host the Tampa Bay Lightning at TD Garden.

3 Stars (as selected by 98.5 The Sports Hub)

1st Star: David Krejci (goal, assist, 56% on face-offs)

2nd Star: Daniel Alfredsson (goal, assist, +2)

3rd Star: Michael Ryder (regulation goal, game-winning shootout goal)

New Jersey Devils Grind Out a Win over Boston Bruins with the Shootout, 2-1

John Fischer — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:38:49 -0000

More photos » by Mary Schwalm - AP

The New Jersey Devils celebrate after getting one past Boston's Tuukka Rask. Zach Parise was the goalscorer and turned out to be the only one for NJ during regulation. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

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It wasn't an easy game at all for the New Jersey Devils. The Boston Bruins, who won their last four, were pressing hard early and in the third period. While the Devils outshot the Bruins 37-33, the Bruins had more possession, pinned the Devils back in their own end more often, and had better scoring chances. Yet, the score remained tied thanks to one man: Martin Brodeur.

Today, Martin Brodeur broke the all-time NHL record for career minutes played in the second period. That wasn't all. He wasn't just big in Boston, he was massive. Long shots, point-blank shots, shots from the slot, up high, down low, on the ground, while standing - Brodeur made every stop except for one. A shot right on Brodeur's flank right in front of the crease courtesy of Blake Wheeler. Nevertheless, Martin Brodeur prevented this one from becoming a Boston rout in the third period and for that alone, he should be praised. The Devils get nothing from today's game if it wasn't for Brodeur bringing his "A" game.

Credit should also go to Boston's Tuukka Rask as well; he had a busy afternoon with 37 shots against and he was only beaten by Zach Parise forcing a puck into the net. But the Bruins had more scoring chances in my opinion, more dangerous shots on net, and Brodeur was the sole reason the Devils got a point - much less two. Jamie Langenbrunner sealed the deal in the shootout and so the Devils win their second straight over Boston and in general. NHL.com has their recap up with a link to the boxscore and other stats.

Check out Stanley Cup of Chowder for his recap later on - he was at the game, as I understand it so it'll be up a little later. My recap continues after the jump.

First, an embedded video of the game's highlights via NHL.com. Expect a lot of saves:

The win didn't come easy at all for New Jersey. First, the Devils lost David Clarkson early in the game. Clarkson blocked a Zdeno Chara slapshot from point blank right on his right ankle. He had to crawl to the bench, he did not return at all, and that is definitely concerning. The last thing the Devils need is another injured forward. Unfortunately, per this postgame post by Tom Gulitti, Jacques Lemaire is already saying that the injury "doesn't look good." That could mean just the fact that another Devils is injured doesn't look good, but it could also mean the injury is serious. More will be available tomorrow, but I wouldn't expect Clarkson to play at the Rock.

Second, the Devils had to make a lot of heads up plays in their own end, leading them to be pinned back further. The Devils blocked a total of 17 shots, 4 by Bryce Salvador, but many of these blocks led to an errant clearance that the Bruins picked up in New Jersey's end or a clearance that got the Devils to change but Boston easily got so they could start again. Ultimately, the Devils got into too many cycles where they kept having to defend over and over. It's great that they made defensive stops, and it's great that Martin Brodeur made so many saves. But it's not great that the Devils essentially made it easier for the Bruins to attack over and over. In particular, the make-shift third line of Tim Sestito-Dean McAmmond-Matt Halischuk got worked over the most in the third period but this was true across all four lines.

Yes, all four lines. There was a Rod Pelley and Andrew Peters sighting in the third period. Not that Jacques Lemaire wanted to spread out some of the fatigue among the forwards. The top two lines got plenty of work with all of them playing at least 20 minutes today except for Nicklas Bergfors (18:28). As usual, the defensemen endured a disparity in time played. While Matthew Corrente got 10:52 of ice time, the workload was all over the top four with Andy Greene playing a mind-boggling 27:59 this afternoon. And to think, only Mike Mottau (26:52) made a fatal error - giving the puck right to Byron Bitz who fed Blake Wheeler for the goal. I really hope Greene gets a lot of rest tonight because the Islanders aren't going to give him a break tomorrow.

With respect to individual statlines, this may surprise you, but Brian Rolston had the most impressive set of numbers. He played 22:45, put 7 shots on net, attempted 10 (3 misses), and had 5 hits. Really. He had the second best scoring chance in the first period when he broke away on a breakaway, but was forced to the side by Dennis Wideman from behind and so Rolston's shot was on an angle and hit Tuukka Rask's helmet.

Going back to things that made this game difficult for New Jersey: the power play. The Devils didn't have too many of these, the refs let the players play today. But in the first period, Travis Zajac had a wide open net right in front and the shot was shanked during the Devils' first power play. The miss wasn't fatal, but it was regrettable. If only Zajac actually had the puck on his stick when he attempted to shoot it! Who knows how . Later on, during a power play late in the second period, Brian Rolston "slashed" Dennis Wideman (I'll give Dennis this, he knows how to sell a move - like a wrestler!) which led to a minor penalty that wiped that chance out early into the man advantage. I can't complain about the special teams too loudly, since the Devils' PK was solid, but it's still opportunities wasted.

Lastly, I have to praise the Bruins' for their balanced attack. 33 shots, Patrice Bergeron led with 5, but 5 other Bruins had at least 3 shots on net, and only Marco Sturm ended the game without a shot on net - and that's only because Matthew Corrente recovered from getting burned to stop him from shooting. The Bruins were better at faceoffs, winning 61% of all draws - further proof of Boston's advantage in terms of puck possession. It wasn't one line or one player that gave the Devils' issues - it was the whole team.

That all said, I would have been happy with just a point. But the Devils managed to hold steady in overtime and earn the win in the shootout. This reminded me of Stanley Cup of Chowder's recap of Boston's previous win: a game where the Bruins didn't look like the superior team, where the Bruins kept it close largely in part of their goaltender, and got the win (2-1, no less). The Devils will take the win; but they'll have to be ready for a tough one tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully, they all get a good night's sleep - they'll need it after such a tight game today.

Thanks to Steve for the GameThread, the commenters in said GameThread, and you, for reading all this. Please share your thoughts, concerns, and such in the comments.

Minnesota Wild vs. Boston Bruins: Game Recap

nathaneide — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:30:49 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

Browse more photos »

Minnesota Wild 1-2 (so) Boston Bruins

Outshooting a team 29-16, only scoring once and not getting the two points brings a feeling of deja vu across the Wilderness.

Yes, the Wild were missing Brent Burns, Antti Miettinen, Martin Havlat, Petr Sykora and Pierre-Marc Bouchard to injury and Guillaume Latendresse to visa issues and still dominated the Bruins, but once again, they couldn't find the back of the net.

Tuukka Rask was outstanding tonight. He made at least four saves that he really had no business making, which could have easily busted the game wide open. Conversely, Niklas Backstrom made two exceptional saves in the third period and overtime that were worthy of end of the season highlight reels to keep the Wild in it.

The Wild came out like a team well-rested, even though they were missing five regulars. They controlled the play and outshot the Bruins 11-2 in the first frame. Unfortunately they just ran into a brick wall in Rask and Byron Bitz made the most of the only good scoring opportunity Boston had, tipping home a Derek Morris attempt.

The locker room in the first intermission must have been one of disappointment for not scoring on 11 shots, but the guys had to feel good that they were able to take it to one of the best teams in the East. The Wild came out firing again in the second period. They didn't quite get as many shots in the second as the first, but they were still controlling the play, and at 10:23 of the second, Andrew Ebbett brought the Xcel Energy crowd to its feet with a gorgeous redirect of a Kyle Brodziak shot and finally beat Rask. This power play goal was the kind that would normally open up the scoring. The Wild were dominating play and had finally broken through the wall. However, Rask was simply too tough tonight.

The third period was one in which the Wild controlled play early, then suddenly Boston seemed to realize that they were tied and took over the game, penning the Wild deep in their zone for most of the last ten minutes and until Dennis Wideman finally was whistled for high-sticking (he got away with another high-stick and a sucker punch earlier) then the Wild brought the pressure again, but it was too little too late as the Wild took too long setting up the power play and not enough time and effort on getting the puck to the net. When they finally did, they caused some problems for the Bruins and Andrew Brunette was staring a wide-open goal in the face, but couldn't control the puck and the Bruins cleared, ending the overtime.

The shootout was the most bothersome part for me. Mikko Koivu used pure power to put the puck through Rask to open the shootout, but Marek Zidlicky came up second and was stuffed (why is he in the shootout?), then Eric Belanger's attempt was gloved and Chuck Kobasew was stopped by Rask, making the David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron goals good enough to give the Bruins an undeserved two points.

It was a frustrating loss, considering how well the Wild played, until it came time to actually put the puck in the net. They seemingly don't have the finishers. Too many playmakers, not enough goal scorers. Maybe the return of Havlat and Sykora and bringing in Latendresse will alleviate this problem, but I haven't seen enough from Marty and Petr to make me think that is going to be the case.

Have a good Thanksgiving, and we'll see you on Friday at 1:00 for the first of a home and home with the Avalanche.

Please read the game recap over at Stanley Cup of Chowder

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Tuukka Rask (2 G)
Andrew Ebbett (1 G)
Byron Bitz (1 G)

Questions to Answer

How is Andrew Ebbett going to fit? One nice power play goal and great shifts tonight. Love the way this kid came out and brought it tonight. Let's hope he continues to do so.
How are Chuck Kobasew and Shane Hnidy going to react to playing against their old squad? Hnidy played with a bit of a mean streak tonight and looked solid. Kobasew had the chance to dagger the B's, but couldn't pull it off in the end.
Will Patrice Bergeron stay on his hot streak? Bergeron terrified me all night. It seemed like every time he was on the ice, he was ready to score. Let's hope Pierre-Marc Bouchard can look like this when he comes back from his concussion. That said, the Wild did a nice job keeping him off the scoresheet.
Can Andrew Brunette continue to play well and add to his point streak? (6 points in his last 6 games) Not sure how Bruno didn't score on the powerplay in overtime, but he just couldn't control the puck with a yawning cage in front of him.
Can the Wild get to Tuukka Rask? Afraid not. Rask was fantastic tonight. Absolutely fantastic.

Thursday links: Time to stop playing 'too safe' edition

averagejoe — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:23 -0000

Cats are fighting outside my apartment. They need to shut the hell up so I can watch T.V. Reason No. 1452345 why I love dogs more.

Blues news

Blues vs. Coyotes tonight at the Scottrade Center. Here's a preview. [Blues]
Good news Blues fans, now you can text the DrinkScotch personnel to complain about the escalators not working. [Blues]
Patrik Berglund is playing "too safe." Huh, I thought he was playing "too shitty." [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
Bruins fans take a look at the Brad Boyes/Dennis Wideman deal and pose the question: Would the teams do the trade today? [Stanley Cup of Chowder]
Silent Jay McClement is the designated party starter. [STLtoday.com]
David Backes and Paul Kariya are struggling to score/be useful. [Belleville News-Democrat]
Jeremy Rutherford will be chatting today at 1 p.m. It's like Ask Coach Osh, but without Bermuda Cup jokes. [STLtoday.com]
Windsor Spitfires defenceman Mark Cundari, one of the Blues prospects, is playing well as a shutdown d-man. [Windsor Star]

Hockey news

Last night's results can be found here. [Yahoo! Sports]
Game-splosion tonight. [Yahoo! Sports]
ESPN hands out some award-winners at the quarter mark. [ESPN]
Sidney Crosby carried the Olympci torch yesterday. [CTV Olympics]
Ryan Smyth will miss up to a month with an injury to his lower body. [TSN]
As posted on here, Fragile Jay McKee is hurt. [TSN]
The Blackhawks are still trying to sign Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. [ESPN]
It's safe to say Alex Ovechkin doesn't like being hurt. [Japers' Rink]

Other links

Was the video game Contra supposed to Arnold and Stallone vs. Alien? [The Daily What]
Because of this site, I am now Czar Joelax the Savage. Fuck and yes. [Make Me Mighty]
Some people have some kick ass Holiday cards. [My Amazing Holiday Card]
Famous last Facebook status updates. [College Humor]

Video

Remember that 80s dating video PCS linked to a few weeks back? (And then I did a day later because I'm a moron.) Well, there is a part two. Enjoy.

gametimelinks(at)gmail.com. See you all later.

GM McFly: Wideman or Boyes?

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:07:22 -0000

Editor's Note:This is the first of what will hopefully be a reoccurring feature. The concept is simple: I take a look at a trade that the Bruins have made in the past and then I open it up to the readers to decide if they would make that trade again based on what they know now. Today's trade is Brad Boyes for Dennis Wideman.

February 27, 2007: The Boston Bruins trade Brad Boyes to the St. Louis Blues for Dennis Wideman at the deadline.

This is a tricky one because both teams got what they were looking for in the deal. The Blues got a legitimate young goal scorer and the Bruins improved on the blue line.

Boyes, was clearly disappointed about moving to the STD capitol of the U.S. One can only assume that the threat of contracting the clap from one of St. Louie's finest puck bunnies, forced the young sniper to focus on hockey. (Ed. Note: I have no idea how Brad lives his life and I can only assume what a young NHL player's daily life consist of, but I'm sure it is more exciting than being an NHL blogger.) Since being shipped out to St. Louis, Boyes has had back to back 30+ goal seasons (43 in '07-'08 and 33 last year). Boyes is off to a bit of a slow start this season, posting 4-7-11 totals in 18 games. Some critics will point to Boyes' defensive shortcomings (although, I would argue that he his much better defensively than that #81 kid that the B's used to have) and his not-so-impressive +/- (-29 for his career).

Dennis Wideman had a breakthrough year last year, recording 50 points (13-37-50) and a +/- of +32. He established himself as a solid NHL defenseman and justified his big pay check. Wideman was a major factor in the Bruins' (regular season) success last year. This season, Wideman has struggled at times and has made some poor decisions that have led directly to crucial goals against the Bruins. While Wideman has not looked as sharp as he was last year in his own zone, he has also struggled offensively. After averaging 0.63 points per game last season, Wideman has only 4 points (1-3-4) in 17 games this season to go along with a -2 rating.

So, you have two players with very different games. Both guys have had success in the past. Both players are struggling a bit at the moment, but both will likely play better hockey as the season progresses. The question is: Knowing what you know now, would you trade Brad Boyes for Dennis Wideman?

This is a real tough question for me because I realize what Dennis Wideman is capable of, but I also realize how talented Brad Boyes is. At the time of the trade, I absolutely hated it. I thought they gave up on Boyes way too early. Now, I have come around a bit, but I think if I had to do it over again I would keep Boyes. I would love to see what Boyes could do with the current Bruins team around him. Let's be honest, this team could use another goal scorer.

What do you guys think?

Poll

Knowing what you know now, would you trade Brad Boyes for Dennis Wideman?

Yes, Wideman is a major asset to the B's

100 votes

No, B's gave up on Boyes too early

181 votes

281 votes | Poll has closed

Bruins fall to Montreal in shootout 2-1

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:08:22 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

about 1 month ago: Montreal Canadiens center Glen Metropolit (15) sets to tip in the first goal of the game as Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas (30) falls out of position during the first period of their NHL hockey game in Boston, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Browse more photos »

Patrice Bergeron scored with 51.7 seconds left in regulation to keep the Bruins from suffering three consecutive shutouts for the first time since 1929 and force overtime, but ultimately the Bruins would fall in the shootout.

Montreal appeared to score the game's opening goal 1:41 into the game when Glen Metropolit put the puck past Thomas, but the goal was quickly waved off due to Travis Moen's contact with Tim Thomas in the crease.

Metropolit got one for real with 2:28 left in the first period when Dennis Wideman and Matt Hunwick did their best keystone cops impression as Wideman skated backwards into Hunwick out near the blue line to create an odd man rush. Andrei Kostitsyn broke in, took the puck behind the net and found a wide open Glen Metropolit, who had an open net to work with.

The Bruins appeared to have tied it up with 2:25 left in the second period when Carey Price had trouble covering up the puck and Patrice Bergeron tapped the puck past the goal line, however the goal came off the pegs and was waved off after it was determined to have gone in through the side of the net and not between the goal posts.

Much like Glen Metropolit after his goal was disallowed, Patrice Bergeron got one that counted to tied it up with 51.7 seconds left in regulation when he put home a rebound to score the Bruins' first goal in nearly 3 games.

Despite some solid scoring opportunities in overtime, neither team could find the back of the net. Things got a little interesting after the final whistle when Daniel Paille shot well after the whistle and the Habs understandable took exception to it. A little bit a scrum ensued, but cooler heads prevailed.

Shootout

B's 1st Shot: Blake Wheeler's forehand snap shot is snagged by the glove of Carey Price.

Habs 1st Shot: Mike Cammalleri's curl and drag move and quick shot beats Thomas 1-0 Habs

B's 2nd Shot: Bergeron's shot sails wide on the stickside.

Habs 2nd Shot: Tim Thomas gets a piece of Scott Gomez's shot and tips it over the net.

B's 3rd Shot: Carey Price makes a sprawling save to deny Mark Recchi. Habs Win

Final - 11.5.2009	1	2	3	OT	SO	Total
Montreal Canadiens	1	0	0	0	1	2
Boston Bruins	0	0	1	0	0	1

Complete Coverage >

Notes:

- Bruins outshot the Canadiens 43-26

- B's outhit the Habs 35-23, including 6 hits by Vladimir Sobotka.

- There was a bit of a strange moment late in the third period when a fan threw a pair of glasses on to the ice. One of the linesman picked up the spectacles and put them in his pocket (perhaps a souvenir and a story to tell).

- Mikko Lehtonen played in his 2nd career NHL game after being called up from Providence yesterday.

- Marco Sturm and Patrice Bergeron both had 7 shots on goal.

- The Bruins were shutout on the power play again tonight (0 for 3).

- Bruin return to action on Saturday at home against the Buffalo Sabres.

Gameday Preview: Dallas Stars @ Chicago Blackhawks (7:30p CDT)

Brandon Worley — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:09:44 -0000

Next Game

Dallas Stars (2-1-3)
@ Chicago Blackhawks (5-1-1)

Saturday, Oct 17, 2009, 7:30 PM CDT
United Center

Local TV: FSSW+
Radio: KTCK The Ticket

Opponent's Blog: Second City Hockey

Complete Coverage >

What's the perfect test for a Dallas Stars team that played flat and uninspired at home against the Bruins last night? How about having to fly to Chicago to face the team that beat them worse than any other opponent last year. After last night's debacle at American Airlines Center, the Stars must take on the Chicago Blackhawks less than 24 hours later on the road.

To say this will be a tough test is an understatement. Everything that Boston did well last night, Chicago has does better. They're fast, disciplined and don't allow a ton of shots. Their goaltending has been a bit suspect but lately it's started to come together.

So if there is one team for the Stars to come out and dominate, it's the Blackhawks right?

The Dallas Stars:

Not much else to say a day after last night, other than there's no where else to go but up.

The Stars have a tough, tough test tonight and all I'm looking for is effort. If the Stars lose after playing their asses off, then I can forgive a close loss. But any more low energy, 'let's just let them skate over us' games and things will start to get ugly.

The lauded Marc Crawford offense sputtered against the Bruins and failed to get any pressure up the middle or near the net. The Stars were never able to get any good chances near the net, instead settling for easy perimeter shots that were easily turned aside by Tim Thomas. With the Blackhawks allowing just 20 shots per game (best in the NHL), the Stars will need to make the most of any opportunity.

Alex Auld will be in net tonight for the Stars, and it will be interesting to see how the Stars respond to having a different goaltender behind them. Turco was far from bad last night, but he did not have his greatest games last season against Chicago. If Auld can keep the game close, I like the Stars to at least have a chance at the upset.

Projected lines:

Who knows how different the lines will be tonight, but this is what I would go for.

The Chicago Blackhawks:

From McClure at Second City Hockey:

The Hawks come into tonight's game in the midst of quite literally their best start of my lifetime, off to a 5-1-1 record for the first time since the 82-83 season. There are very few qualms with the way the skaters are playing at this point, though Cam Barker does need to shore up his defense quite a bit. Not only has he been careless with the puck, but he looks quite lead footed. Maybe the theory we had about him going through a pack of cowboy killers (Marlboro Reds to the uninformed) a day to give him his gravelly voice wasn't that far off base. Aside from that, as long as everyone else keeps up their game the way they have been outside of the first 10 minutes against Calgary, the Hawks should be able to dictate the pace to the Stars tonight.

The Stars come in tonight after a piss-poor effort against Boston in their own building last night. The 3-0 result in favor of the Bruins is not indicative of the play I observed, the Stars were lucky to have only given up three, and they barely got a sniff around Tim Thomas, even with Dennis Wideman sitting for the B's. One player who stood out for Dallas was rookie Jamie Benn. The youngster has gotten off to a good start with a goal and 4 helpers, playing at a +2 rate. He's got a lot of 2-way ability, displaying a willingness to back check consistently, and a quick release on his shot. Keep an eye out for him when watching tonight's tilt.

This is another eminently winnable game for the Hawks, who need to be taking advantage of the home-heavy schedule early on. If Dallas skates the way they did last night in their first loss tonight, the Hawks will skate them out of the building. But any team with Brenden Morrow and even an aging Mike Modano on it is fully capable of turning it around the next night.

Projected Lines:

Key Injuries:

Dallas: RW Jere Lehtinen (intercostal muscle) is doubtful. C Steve Ott (oblique muscle) and C Mike Modano (ribs) are out.

Chicago: RW Marian Hossa (shoulder), LW Ben Eager (concussion), RW Adam Burish (knee) are out.

SB Nation - Dennis Wideman

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The Trading Block: Who The Blues Could Move

#42 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

#21 / Center / St. Louis Blues

#22 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

#4 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

#28 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

#29 / Goalie / St. Louis Blues

#26 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

#5 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

#55 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

#6 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

#9 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

#50 / Goalie / St. Louis Blues

#18 / Center / St. Louis Blues

#10 / Center / St. Louis Blues

#74 / Center / St. Louis Blues

#57 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

#27 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

#46 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

#20 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

#44 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

#7 / Center / St. Louis Blues

#43 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

#15 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

Untradeable Due To Value:

Untradeable Due To Lack Of Value:

Untradeable Due To Role:

Could Be Traded For Low Impact:

Are You Kidding Me? Seriously. Are You Kidding Me?:

On The Block:

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GM McFly: Wideman or Boyes?

Knowing what you know now, would you trade Brad Boyes for Dennis Wideman?

Yes, Wideman is a major asset to the B's

No, B's gave up on Boyes too early

Bruins fall to Montreal in shootout 2-1

Gameday Preview: Dallas Stars @ Chicago Blackhawks (7:30p CDT)

Next Game

The Dallas Stars:

Dallas Stars Current Lines

The Chicago Blackhawks:

Current Hawk Lines