King leads Kings to super-meta Game 3 victory over the Coyotes (Puck Daddy)

I think I’ve just seen another miracle on ice …The National Hockey League is back on one of the major American broadcast networks. Some would call that a miracle in itself, but I’m taking higher ground. Specifically, I’m referring to the quality of the broadcast. It’s one of toronto maple leafs the best-produced sports programs I’ve seen.Kudos to NBC Sports!America is a difficult market for hockey. It may be the world’s fastest team sport and it may encompass many attributes of skill and strength that should appeal to the American fan, but many regions in the USA have little or no local influence or infrastructure of any significance for the sport. That means any national broadcast package must overcome a series of complex perception issues, not the least of which is in attracting casual sports fans to even try viewing it. Some wags con toronto maple leafs have little or no local influence or infrastructure of any significance for the sport. That means any national broadcast package must overcome a series of complex perception issues, not the least of which is in attracting casual sports fans to even try viewing it. Some wags contend that the only real NHL fans are only found in their arenas — explaining why the capacity percentages for NHL games are higher than in any other sport — but, as a fan myself, I consider that a lazy observation.I will agree that, more often than not, one has to actually attend a hockey game to become a fan. Therein lies the problem with most of its television broadcast packages in the USA. To date, they have not accurately captured the essence of the game, which would offer new viewers a reason to become fans. For example, only baseball can rival ho toronto maple leafs the only real NHL fans are only found in their arenas — explaining why the capacity percentages for NHL games are higher than in any other sport — but, as a fan myself, I consider that a lazy observation.I will agree that, more often than not, one has to actually attend a hockey game to become a fan. Therein lies the problem with most of its television broadcast packages in the USA. To date, they have not accurately captured the essence of the game, which would offer new viewers a reason to become fans. For example, only baseball can rival hockey in aural effervescence — the sounds of sticks clapping the ice or shooting the puck, of hardened steel blades cutting ice, of the puck pinging off goal posts, of humanity crashing into each other and/or the sideboards — and usually, that means you have to be there to truly absorb the experience. Once you do, the odds are strong that you’ll be hooked on hockey, too.This is a factor that American television networks never seemed to fathom. At least, until now. NBC’s geeks have found a way to mike the rink so the sizzle of hocke toronto maple leafs has to actually attend a hockey game to become a fan. Therein lies the problem with most of its television broadcast packages in the USA. To date, they have not accurately captured the essence of the game, which would offer new viewers a reason to become fans. For example, only baseball can rival hockey in aural effervescence — the sounds of sticks clapping the ice or shooting the puck, of hardened steel blades cutting ice, of the puck pinging off goal posts, of humanity crashing into each other and/or the sideboards — and usually, that means you have to be there to truly absorb the experience. Once you do, the odds are strong that you’ll be hooked on hockey, too.This is a factor that American television networks never seemed to fathom. At least, until now. NBC’s geeks have found a way to mike the rink so the sizzle of hockey’s sounds are finely captured and the production crew has made sure that this audio element be made prominent throughout the game. The effect was absolutely visceral.NBC’s broadcasters have a dual challenge in describing the action so as not to insult the intelligence of avid hockey fans while doing so in a manner that won’t confuse viewers new to the game. They accomplished it with aplomb, literally talking to two audiences simultaneously and seamlessly, using what’s becoming a lost art in American sportscasti toronto maple leafs example, only baseball can rival hockey in aural effervescence — the sounds of sticks clapping the ice or shooting the puck, of hardened steel blades cutting ice, of the puck pinging off goal posts, of humanity crashing into each other and/or the sideboards — and usually, that means you have to be there to truly absorb the experience. Once you do, the odds are strong that you’ll be hooked on hockey, too.This is a factor that American television networks never seemed to fathom. At least, until now. NBC’s geeks have found a way to mike the rink so the sizzle of hockey’s sounds are finely captured and the production crew has made sure that this audio element be made prominent throughout the game. The effect was absolutely visceral.NBC’s broadcasters have a dual challenge in describing the action so as not to insult the intelligence of avid hockey fans while doing so in a manner that won’t confuse viewers new to the game. They accomplished it with aplomb, literally talking to two audiences simultaneously and seamlessly, using what’s becoming a lost art in American sportscasting: selecting their terms judiciously and sparingly.Meanwhile, the studio broadcasters worked from a bright-but-subtle, well-designed set and deployed the same discipline. The anchor, former Philadelphia Flyer goalie Bill Clement, is often reduced to a shill when he hosts the NHL’s cable package on OLN. However, on NBC, he was excellently understated, allowing his analysts to be themselves rather than talking heads and giving each discussion point only the time it needed, letting each message sell itself to each viewer. It will be interestin toronto maple leafs means you have to be there to truly absorb the experience. Once you do, the odds are strong that you’ll be hooked on hockey, too.This is a factor that American television networks never seemed to fathom. At least, until now. NBC’s geeks have found a way to mike the rink so the sizzle of hockey’s sounds are finely captured and the production crew has made sure that this audio element be made prominent throughout the game. The effect was absolutely visceral.NBC’s broadcasters have a dual challenge in describing the action so as not to insult the intelligence of avid hockey fans while doing so in a manner that won’t confuse viewers new to the game. They accomplished it with aplomb, literally talking to two audiences simultaneously and seamlessly, using what’s becoming a lost art in American sportscasting: selecting their terms judiciously and sparingly.Meanwhile, the studio broadcasters worked from a bright-but-subtle, well-designed set and deployed the same discipline. The anchor, former Philadelphia Flyer goalie Bill Clement, is often reduced to a shill when he hosts the NHL’s cable package on OLN. However, on NBC, he was excellently understated, allowing his analysts to be themselves rather than talking heads and giving each discussion point only the time it needed, letting each message sell itself to each viewer. It will be interesting to see if NBC keeps that set outside, at the skating rink adjacent to their New York headquarters. It’s the ultimate visual aid, of course, and Clement’s obvious effortless abilities on it not only allows him to more smoothly elaborate an aspect of the game, by inference the new viewer can identify with skating as an activity available to everyone.I never thought I’d see the day when an American video production of a hockey game was actually better than its Canadian counterpart, but NBC did it. Comparatively speaking, hockey broadc toronto maple leafs mike the rink so the sizzle of hockey’s sounds are finely captured and the production crew has made sure that this audio element be made prominent throughout the game. The effect was absolutely visceral.NBC’s broadcasters have a dual challenge in describing the action so as not to insult the intelligence of avid hockey fans while doing so in a manner that won’t confuse viewers new to the game. They accomplished it with aplomb, literally talking to two audiences simultaneously and seamlessly, using what’s becoming a lost art in American sportscasting: selecting their terms judiciously and sparingly.Meanwhile, the studio broadcasters worked from a bright-but-subtle, well-designed set and deployed the same discipline. The anchor, former Philadelphia Flyer goalie Bill Clement, is often reduced to a shill when he hosts the NHL’s cable package on OLN. However, on NBC, he was excellently understated, allowing his analysts to be themselves rather than talking heads and giving each discussion point only the time it needed, letting each message sell itself to each viewer. It will be interesting to see if NBC keeps that set outside, at the skating rink adjacent to their New York headquarters. It’s the ultimate visual aid, of course, and Clement’s obvious effortless abilities on it not only allows him to more smoothly elaborate an aspect of the game, by inference the new viewer can identify with skating as an activity available to everyone.I never thought I’d see the day when an American video production of a hockey game was actually better than its Canadian counterpart, but NBC did it. Comparatively speaking, hockey broadcasts in Europe are basic and banal, but those countries are more attuned to the game and actually seem to prefer that sort of presentation. The Canadians are rightfully viewed as being state-of-the-art when it comes to televising hockey. Any true fan will confirm that Hockey Night in Canada is a Saturday night rite of respect to a game that, on many occasions, can count 25% of that nation’s population among its audience.And yet, the NBC production was crisper, often with more unique but very useful camera angles that provided perfect toronto maple leafs insult the intelligence of avid hockey fans while doing so in a manner that won’t confuse viewers new to the game. They accomplished it with aplomb, literally talking to two audiences simultaneously and seamlessly, using what’s becoming a lost art in American sportscasting: selecting their terms judiciously and sparingly.Meanwhile, the studio broadcasters worked from a bright-but-subtle, well-designed set and deployed the same discipline. The anchor, former Philadelphia Flyer goalie Bill Clement, is often reduced to a shill when he hosts the NHL’s cable package on OLN. However, on NBC, he was excellently understated, allowing his analysts to be themselves rather than talking heads and giving each discussion point only the time it needed, letting each message sell itself to each viewer. It will be interesting to see if NBC keeps that set outside, at the skating rink adjacent to their New York headquarters. It’s the ultimate visual aid, of course, and Clement’s obvious effortless abilities on it not only allows him to more smoothly elaborate an aspect of the game, by inference the new viewer can identify with skating as an activity available to everyone.I never thought I’d see the day when an American video production of a hockey game was actually better than its Canadian counterpart, but NBC did it. Comparatively speaking, hockey broadcasts in Europe are basic and banal, but those countries are more attuned to the game and actually seem to prefer that sort of presentation. The Canadians are rightfully viewed as being state-of-the-art when it comes to televising hockey. Any true fan will confirm that Hockey Night in Canada is a Saturday night rite of respect to a game that, on many occasions, can count 25% of that nation’s population among its audience.And yet, the NBC production was crisper, often with more unique but very useful camera angles that provided perfect sightlines to the puck and any action around it. They integrated graphics into the action that far exceeded anything I’ve seen anywhere else. Some simple additions, such as drop-downs logging the shift time of a particular player, aid an avid fan’s awareness of unfolding team strategy while also enlightening the new viewer as to how quickly player changes occur and why. Better yet, the graphics were never obtrusive, allowing viewers to check them at their discretion (as opposed to ‘demanding’ their attention by ‘scrolling’ data while action is occurring).It’s hard to believe this came fr toronto maple leafs sparingly.Meanwhile, the studio broadcasters worked from a bright-but-subtle, well-designed set and deployed the same discipline. The anchor, former Philadelphia Flyer goalie Bill Clement, is often reduced to a shill when he hosts the NHL’s cable package on OLN. However, on NBC, he was excellently understated, allowing his analysts to be themselves rather than talking heads and giving each discussion point only the time it needed, letting each message sell itself to each viewer. It will be interesting to see if NBC keeps that set outside, at the skating rink adjacent to their New York headquarters. It’s the ultimate visual aid, of course, and Clement’s obvious effortless abilities on it not only allows him to more smoothly elaborate an aspect of the game, by inference the new viewer can identify with skating as an activity available to everyone.I never thought I’d see the day when an American video production of a hockey game was actually better than its Canadian counterpart, but NBC did it. Comparatively speaking, hockey broadcasts in Europe are basic and banal, but those countries are more attuned to the game and actually seem to prefer that sort of presentation. The Canadians are rightfully viewed as being state-of-the-art when it comes to televising hockey. Any true fan will confirm that Hockey Night in Canada is a Saturday night rite of respect to a game that, on many occasions, can count 25% of that nation’s population among its audience.And yet, the NBC production was crisper, often with more unique but very useful camera angles that provided perfect sightlines to the puck and any action around it. They integrated graphics into the action that far exceeded anything I’ve seen anywhere else. Some simple additions, such as drop-downs logging the shift time of a particular player, aid an avid fan’s awareness of unfolding team strategy while also enlightening the new viewer as to how quickly player changes occur and why. Better yet, the graphics were never obtrusive, allowing viewers to check them at their discretion (as opposed to ‘demanding’ their attention by ‘scrolling’ data while action is occurring).It’s hard to believe this came from the network that, 30 years ago, gave us the late, unlamented Peter Puck. That was the cartoon character NBC invented during their first, unsuccessful attempt to broadcast hockey. The last feature hockey needed then, or now, is a reversion to kids’ programing in the midst of a sportscast that wants to be taken more seriously by the adult American market.It’s also good to see technology deployed in more refined terms. That wasn’t always the case. When they had the national broadcast package, Fox Network’s attempt to follow the puck with a ridiculous ‘virtual tracking path’ — derisively termed the ‘sperm’ puck, as that’s the ima toronto maple leafs analysts to be themselves rather than talking heads and giving each discussion point only the time it needed, letting each message sell itself to each viewer. It will be interesting to see if NBC keeps that set outside, at the skating rink adjacent to their New York headquarters. It’s the ultimate visual aid, of course, and Clement’s obvious effortless abilities on it not only allows him to more smoothly elaborate an aspect of the game, by inference the new viewer can identify with skating as an activity available to everyone.I never thought I’d see the day when an American video production of a hockey game was actually better than its Canadian counterpart, but NBC did it. Comparatively speaking, hockey broadcasts in Europe are basic and banal, but those countries are more attuned to the game and actually seem to prefer that sort of presentation. The Canadians are rightfully viewed as being state-of-the-art when it comes to televising hockey. Any true fan will confirm that Hockey Night in Canada is a Saturday night rite of respect to a game that, on many occasions, can count 25% of that nation’s population among its audience.And yet, the NBC production was crisper, often with more unique but very useful camera angles that provided perfect sightlines to the puck and any action around it. They integrated graphics into the action that far exceeded anything I’ve seen anywhere else. Some simple additions, such as drop-downs logging the shift time of a particular player, aid an avid fan’s awareness of unfolding team strategy while also enlightening the new viewer as to how quickly player changes occur and why. Better yet, the graphics were never obtrusive, allowing viewers to check them at their discretion (as opposed to ‘demanding’ their attention by ‘scrolling’ data while action is occurring).It’s hard to believe this came from the network that, 30 years ago, gave us the late, unlamented Peter Puck. That was the cartoon character NBC invented during their first, unsuccessful attempt to broadcast hockey. The last feature hockey needed then, or now, is a reversion to kids’ programing in the midst of a sportscast that wants to be taken more seriously by the adult American market.It’s also good to see technology deployed in more refined terms. That wasn’t always the case. When they had the national broadcast package, Fox Network’s attempt to follow the puck with a ridiculous ‘virtual tracking path’ — derisively termed the ‘sperm’ puck, as that’s the image it resembled — overshadowed the action, and combined with its morphing robot graphics presenting scores, hockey was trivialized to serving as a backdrop for ersatz video games. New viewers only remembered effects, and avid fans got tired of trying to look past all that to see if a real game happened to be in progress.Many experts have thought that the advent of HDTV would be a boon to hockey, as the wider screen would enable more action to be portrayed. Perhaps NBC is preparing for that imminent change in broadcast standards. If so, they deserve high praise for their foresight and higher praise toronto maple leafs It’s the ultimate visual aid, of course, and Clement’s obvious effortless abilities on it not only allows him to more smoothly elaborate an aspect of the game, by inference the new viewer can identify with skating as an activity available to everyone.I never thought I’d see the day when an American video production of a hockey game was actually better than its Canadian counterpart, but NBC did it. Comparatively speaking, hockey broadcasts in Europe are basic and banal, but those countries are more attuned to the game and actually seem to prefer that sort of presentation. The Canadians are rightfully viewed as being state-of-the-art when it comes to televising hockey. Any true fan will confirm that Hockey Night in Canada is a Saturday night rite of respect to a game that, on many occasions, can count 25% of that nation’s population among its audience.And yet, the NBC production was crisper, often with more unique but very useful camera angles that provided perfect sightlines to the puck and any action around it. They integrated graphics into the action that far exceeded anything I’ve seen anywhere else. Some simple additions, such as drop-downs logging the shift time of a particular player, aid an avid fan’s awareness of unfolding team strategy while also enlightening the new viewer as to how quickly player changes occur and why. Better yet, the graphics were never obtrusive, allowing viewers to check them at their discretion (as opposed to ‘demanding’ their attention by ‘scrolling’ data while action is occurring).It’s hard to believe this came from the network that, 30 years ago, gave us the late, unlamented Peter Puck. That was the cartoon character NBC invented during their first, unsuccessful attempt to broadcast hockey. The last feature hockey needed then, or now, is a reversion to kids’ programing in the midst of a sportscast that wants to be taken more seriously by the adult American market.It’s also good to see technology deployed in more refined terms. That wasn’t always the case. When they had the national broadcast package, Fox Network’s attempt to follow the puck with a ridiculous ‘virtual tracking path’ — derisively termed the ‘sperm’ puck, as that’s the image it resembled — overshadowed the action, and combined with its morphing robot graphics presenting scores, hockey was trivialized to serving as a backdrop for ersatz video games. New viewers only remembered effects, and avid fans got tired of trying to look past all that to see if a real game happened to be in progress.Many experts have thought that the advent of HDTV would be a boon to hockey, as the wider screen would enable more action to be portrayed. Perhaps NBC is preparing for that imminent change in broadcast standards. If so, they deserve high praise for their foresight and higher praise for their preparations. They’re making the experts look good with their predictions.And speaking of preparations, the NHL is surely an early benefactor of NBC being the American outlet for the Winter Olympics, of which the hockey tournament is a major feature. The network is no doubt honing its cast and crew for that coverage, too. Given what they’ve already shown, hockey fans in America will be scanning their listings for NBC as opposed to any other available alternative, and sports fans in general will have no better opportunity to finally see why hoc toronto maple leafs day when an American video production of a hockey game was actually better than its Canadian counterpart, but NBC did it. Comparatively speaking, hockey broadcasts in Europe are basic and banal, but those countries are more attuned to the game and actually seem to prefer that sort of presentation. The Canadians are rightfully viewed as being state-of-the-art when it comes to televising hockey. Any true fan will confirm that Hockey Night in Canada is a Saturday night rite of respect to a game that, on many occasions, can count 25% of that nation’s population among its audience.And yet, the NBC production was crisper, often with more unique but very useful camera angles that provided perfect sightlines to the puck and any action around it. They integrated graphics into the action that far exceeded anything I’ve seen anywhere else. Some simple additions, such as drop-downs logging the shift time of a particular player, aid an avid fan’s awareness of unfolding team strategy while also enlightening the new viewer as to how quickly player changes occur and why. Better yet, the graphics were never obtrusive, allowing viewers to check them at their discretion (as opposed to ‘demanding’ their attention by ‘scrolling’ data while action is occurring).It’s hard to believe this came from the network that, 30 years ago, gave us the late, unlamented Peter Puck. That was the cartoon character NBC invented during their first, unsuccessful attempt to broadcast hockey. The last feature hockey needed then, or now, is a reversion to kids’ programing in the midst of a sportscast that wants to be taken more seriously by the adult American market.It’s also good to see technology deployed in more refined terms. That wasn’t always the case. When they had the national broadcast package, Fox Network’s attempt to follow the puck with a ridiculous ‘virtual tracking path’ — derisively termed the ‘sperm’ puck, as that’s the image it resembled — overshadowed the action, and combined with its morphing robot graphics presenting scores, hockey was trivialized to serving as a backdrop for ersatz video games. New viewers only remembered effects, and avid fans got tired of trying to look past all that to see if a real game happened to be in progress.Many experts have thought that the advent of HDTV would be a boon to hockey, as the wider screen would enable more action to be portrayed. Perhaps NBC is preparing for that imminent change in broadcast standards. If so, they deserve high praise for their foresight and higher praise for their preparations. They’re making the experts look good with their predictions.And speaking of preparations, the NHL is surely an early benefactor of NBC being the American outlet for the Winter Olympics, of which the hockey tournament is a major feature. The network is no doubt honing its cast and crew for that coverage, too. Given what they’ve already shown, hockey fans in America will be scanning their listings for NBC as opposed to any other available alternative, and sports fans in general will have no better opportunity to finally see why hockey is worth their attention.During the 1980 Winter Games, in Lake Placid, when the USA’s team of collegians shocked the Russian juggernaut of professionals in the Upset of All Time, broadcaster Al Michaels uttered his famous, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”It’s taken 25 years, but we can believe again. Only this time, it’s the coverage. NBC has gone for hockey gold and we’re the winners. toronto maple leafs presentation. The Canadians are rightfully viewed as being state-of-the-art when it comes to televising hockey. Any true fan will confirm that Hockey Night in Canada is a Saturday night rite of respect to a game that, on many occasions, can count 25% of that nation’s population among its audience.And yet, the NBC production was crisper, often with more unique but very useful camera angles that provided perfect sightlines to the puck and any action around it. They integrated graphics into the action that far exceeded anything I’ve seen anywhere else. Some simple additions, such as drop-downs logging the shift time of a particular player, aid an avid fan’s awareness of unfolding team strategy while also enlightening the new viewer as to how quickly player changes occur and why. Better yet, the graphics were never obtrusive, allowing viewers to check them at their discretion (as opposed to ‘demanding’ their attention by ‘scrolling’ data while action is occurring).It’s hard to believe this came from the network that, 30 years ago, gave us the late, unlamented Peter Puck. That was the cartoon character NBC invented during their first, unsuccessful attempt to broadcast hockey. The last feature hockey needed then, or now, is a reversion to kids’ programing in the midst of a sportscast that wants to be taken more seriously by the adult American market.It’s also good to see technology deployed in more refined terms. That wasn’t always the case. When they had the national broadcast package, Fox Network’s attempt to follow the puck with a ridiculous ‘virtual tracking path’ — derisively termed the ‘sperm’ puck, as that’s the image it resembled — overshadowed the action, and combined with its morphing robot graphics presenting scores, hockey was trivialized to serving as a backdrop for ersatz video games. New viewers only remembered effects, and avid fans got tired of trying to look past all that to see if a real game happened to be in progress.Many experts have thought that the advent of HDTV would be a boon to hockey, as the wider screen would enable more action to be portrayed. Perhaps NBC is preparing for that imminent change in broadcast standards. If so, they deserve high praise for their foresight and higher praise for their preparations. They’re making the experts look good with their predictions.And speaking of preparations, the NHL is surely an early benefactor of NBC being the American outlet for the Winter Olympics, of which the hockey tournament is a major feature. The network is no doubt honing its cast and crew for that coverage, too. Given what they’ve already shown, hockey fans in America will be scanning their listings for NBC as opposed to any other available alternative, and sports fans in general will have no better opportunity to finally see why hockey is worth their attention.During the 1980 Winter Games, in Lake Placid, when the USA’s team of collegians shocked the Russian juggernaut of professionals in the Upset of All Time, broadcaster Al Michaels uttered his famous, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”It’s taken 25 years, but we can believe again. Only this time, it’s the coverage. NBC has gone for hockey gold and we’re the winners. toronto maple leafs audience.And yet, the NBC production was crisper, often with more unique but very useful camera angles that provided perfect sightlines to the puck and any action around it. They integrated graphics into the action that far exceeded anything I’ve seen anywhere else. Some simple additions, such as drop-downs logging the shift time of a particular player, aid an avid fan’s awareness of unfolding team strategy while also enlightening the new viewer as to how quickly player changes occur and why. Better yet, the graphics were never obtrusive, allowing viewers to check them at their discretion (as opposed to ‘demanding’ their attention by ‘scrolling’ data while action is occurring).It’s hard to believe this came from the network that, 30 years ago, gave us the late, unlamented Peter Puck. That was the cartoon character NBC invented during their first, unsuccessful attempt to broadcast hockey. The last feature hockey needed then, or now, is a reversion to kids’ programing in the midst of a sportscast that wants to be taken more seriously by the adult American market.It’s also good to see technology deployed in more refined terms. That wasn’t always the case. When they had the national broadcast package, Fox Network’s attempt to follow the puck with a ridiculous ‘virtual tracking path’ — derisively termed the ‘sperm’ puck, as that’s the image it resembled — overshadowed the action, and combined with its morphing robot graphics presenting scores, hockey was trivialized to serving as a backdrop for ersatz video games. New viewers only remembered effects, and avid fans got tired of trying to look past all that to see if a real game happened to be in progress.Many experts have thought that the advent of HDTV would be a boon to hockey, as the wider screen would enable more action to be portrayed. Perhaps NBC is preparing for that imminent change in broadcast standards. If so, they deserve high praise for their foresight and higher praise for their preparations. They’re making the experts look good with their predictions.And speaking of preparations, the NHL is surely an early benefactor of NBC being the American outlet for the Winter Olympics, of which the hockey tournament is a major feature. The network is no doubt honing its cast and crew for that coverage, too. Given what they’ve already shown, hockey fans in America will be scanning their listings for NBC as opposed to any other available alternative, and sports fans in general will have no better opportunity to finally see why hockey is worth their attention.During the 1980 Winter Games, in Lake Placid, when the USA’s team of collegians shocked the Russian juggernaut of professionals in the Upset of All Time, broadcaster Al Michaels uttered his famous, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”It’s taken 25 years, but we can believe again. Only this time, it’s the coverage. NBC has gone for hockey gold and we’re the winners. toronto maple leafs drop-downs logging the shift time of a particular player, aid an avid fan’s awareness of unfolding team strategy while also enlightening the new viewer as to how quickly player changes occur and why. Better yet, the graphics were never obtrusive, allowing viewers to check them at their discretion (as opposed to ‘demanding’ their attention by ‘scrolling’ data while action is occurring).It’s hard to believe this came from the network that, 30 years ago, gave us the late, unlamented Peter Puck. That was the cartoon character NBC invented during their first, unsuccessful attempt to broadcast hockey. The last feature hockey needed then, or now, is a reversion to kids’ programing in the midst of a sportscast that wants to be taken more seriously by the adult American market.It’s also good to see technology deployed in more refined terms. That wasn’t always the case. When they had the national broadcast package, Fox Network’s attempt to follow the puck with a ridiculous ‘virtual tracking path’ — derisively termed the ‘sperm’ puck, as that’s the image it resembled — overshadowed the action, and combined with its morphing robot graphics presenting scores, hockey was trivialized to serving as a backdrop for ersatz video games. New viewers only remembered effects, and avid fans got tired of trying to look past all that to see if a real game happened to be in progress.Many experts have thought that the advent of HDTV would be a boon to hockey, as the wider screen would enable more action to be portrayed. Perhaps NBC is preparing for that imminent change in broadcast standards. If so, they deserve high praise for their foresight and higher praise for their preparations. They’re making the experts look good with their predictions.And speaking of preparations, the NHL is surely an early benefactor of NBC being the American outlet for the Winter Olympics, of which the hockey tournament is a major feature. The network is no doubt honing its cast and crew for that coverage, too. Given what they’ve already shown, hockey fans in America will be scanning their listings for NBC as opposed to any other available alternative, and sports fans in general will have no better opportunity to finally see why hockey is worth their attention.During the 1980 Winter Games, in Lake Placid, when the USA’s team of collegians shocked the Russian juggernaut of professionals in the Upset of All Time, broadcaster Al Michaels uttered his famous, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”It’s taken 25 years, but we can believe again. Only this time, it’s the coverage. NBC has gone for hockey gold and we’re the winners. toronto maple leafs as opposed to ‘demanding’ their attention by ‘scrolling’ data while action is occurring).It’s hard to believe this came from the network that, 30 years ago, gave us the late, unlamented Peter Puck. That was the cartoon character NBC invented during their first, unsuccessful attempt to broadcast hockey. The last feature hockey needed then, or now, is a reversion to kids’ programing in the midst of a sportscast that wants to be taken more seriously by the adult American market.It’s also good to see technology deployed in more refined terms. That wasn’t always the case. When they had the national broadcast package, Fox Network’s attempt to follow the puck with a ridiculous ‘virtual tracking path’ — derisively termed the ‘sperm’ puck, as that’s the image it resembled — overshadowed the action, and combined with its morphing robot graphics presenting scores, hockey was trivialized to serving as a backdrop for ersatz video games. New viewers only remembered effects, and avid fans got tired of trying to look past all that to see if a real game happened to be in progress.Many experts have thought that the advent of HDTV would be a boon to hockey, as the wider screen would enable more action to be portrayed. Perhaps NBC is preparing for that imminent change in broadcast standards. If so, they deserve high praise for their foresight and higher praise for their preparations. They’re making the experts look good with their predictions.And speaking of preparations, the NHL is surely an early benefactor of NBC being the American outlet for the Winter Olympics, of which the hockey tournament is a major feature. The network is no doubt honing its cast and crew for that coverage, too. Given what they’ve already shown, hockey fans in America will be scanning their listings for NBC as opposed to any other available alternative, and sports fans in general will have no better opportunity to finally see why hockey is worth their attention.During the 1980 Winter Games, in Lake Placid, when the USA’s team of collegians shocked the Russian juggernaut of professionals in the Upset of All Time, broadcaster Al Michaels uttered his famous, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”It’s taken 25 years, but we can believe again. Only this time, it’s the coverage. NBC has gone for hockey gold and we’re the winners. toronto maple leafs The last feature hockey needed then, or now, is a reversion to kids’ programing in the midst of a sportscast that wants to be taken more seriously by the adult American market.It’s also good to see technology deployed in more refined terms. That wasn’t always the case. When they had the national broadcast package, Fox Network’s attempt to follow the puck with a ridiculous ‘virtual tracking path’ — derisively termed the ‘sperm’ puck, as that’s the image it resembled — overshadowed the action, and combined with its morphing robot graphics presenting scores, hockey was trivialized to serving as a backdrop for ersatz video games. New viewers only remembered effects, and avid fans got tired of trying to look past all that to see if a real game happened to be in progress.Many experts have thought that the advent of HDTV would be a boon to hockey, as the wider screen would enable more action to be portrayed. Perhaps NBC is preparing for that imminent change in broadcast standards. If so, they deserve high praise for their foresight and higher praise for their preparations. They’re making the experts look good with their predictions.And speaking of preparations, the NHL is surely an early benefactor of NBC being the American outlet for the Winter Olympics, of which the hockey tournament is a major feature. The network is no doubt honing its cast and crew for that coverage, too. Given what they’ve already shown, hockey fans in America will be scanning their listings for NBC as opposed to any other available alternative, and sports fans in general will have no better opportunity to finally see why hockey is worth their attention.During the 1980 Winter Games, in Lake Placid, when the USA’s team of collegians shocked the Russian juggernaut of professionals in the Upset of All Time, broadcaster Al Michaels uttered his famous, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”It’s taken 25 years, but we can believe again. Only this time, it’s the coverage. NBC has gone for hockey gold and we’re the winners. toronto maple leafs When they had the national broadcast package, Fox Network’s attempt to follow the puck with a ridiculous ‘virtual tracking path’ — derisively termed the ‘sperm’ puck, as that’s the image it resembled — overshadowed the action, and combined with its morphing robot graphics presenting scores, hockey was trivialized to serving as a backdrop for ersatz video games. New viewers only remembered effects, and avid fans got tired of trying to look past all that to see if a real game happened to be in progress.Many experts have thought that the advent of HDTV would be a boon to hockey, as the wider screen would enable more action to be portrayed. Perhaps NBC is preparing for that imminent change in broadcast standards. If so, they deserve high praise for their foresight and higher praise for their preparations. They’re making the experts look good with their predictions.And speaking of preparations, the NHL is surely an early benefactor of NBC being the American outlet for the Winter Olympics, of which the hockey tournament is a major feature. The network is no doubt honing its cast and crew for that coverage, too. Given what they’ve already shown, hockey fans in America will be scanning their listings for NBC as opposed to any other available alternative, and sports fans in general will have no better opportunity to finally see why hockey is worth their attention.During the 1980 Winter Games, in Lake Placid, when the USA’s team of collegians shocked the Russian juggernaut of professionals in the Upset of All Time, broadcaster Al Michaels uttered his famous, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”It’s taken 25 years, but we can believe again. Only this time, it’s the coverage. NBC has gone for hockey gold and we’re the winners. toronto maple leafs to serving as a backdrop for ersatz video games. New viewers only remembered effects, and avid fans got tired of trying to look past all that to see if a real game happened to be in progress.Many experts have thought that the advent of HDTV would be a boon to hockey, as the wider screen would enable more action to be portrayed. Perhaps NBC is preparing for that imminent change in broadcast standards. If so, they deserve high praise for their foresight and higher praise for their preparations. They’re making the experts look good with their predictions.And speaking of preparations, the NHL is surely an early benefactor of NBC being the American outlet for the Winter Olympics, of which the hockey tournament is a major feature. The network is no doubt honing its cast and crew for that coverage, too. Given what they’ve already shown, hockey fans in America will be scanning their listings for NBC as opposed to any other available alternative, and sports fans in general will have no better opportunity to finally see why hockey is worth their attention.During the 1980 Winter Games, in Lake Placid, when the USA’s team of collegians shocked the Russian juggernaut of professionals in the Upset of All Time, broadcaster Al Michaels uttered his famous, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”It’s taken 25 years, but we can believe again. Only this time, it’s the coverage. NBC has gone for hockey gold and we’re the winners. toronto maple leafs a boon to hockey, as the wider screen would enable more action to be portrayed. Perhaps NBC is preparing for that imminent change in broadcast standards. If so, they deserve high praise for their foresight and higher praise for their preparations. They’re making the experts look good with their predictions.And speaking of preparations, the NHL is surely an early benefactor of NBC being the American outlet for the Winter Olympics, of which the hockey tournament is a major feature. The network is no doubt honing its cast and crew for that coverage, too. Given what they’ve already shown, hockey fans in America will be scanning their listings for NBC as opposed to any other available alternative, and sports fans in general will have no better opportunity to finally see why hockey is worth their attention.During the 1980 Winter Games, in Lake Placid, when the USA’s team of collegians shocked the Russian juggernaut of professionals in the Upset of All Time, broadcaster Al Michaels uttered his famous, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”It’s taken 25 years, but we can believe again. Only this time, it’s the coverage. NBC has gone for hockey gold and we’re the winners. toronto maple leafs their predictions.And speaking of preparations, the NHL is surely an early benefactor of NBC being the American outlet for the Winter Olympics, of which the hockey tournament is a major feature. The network is no doubt honing its cast and crew for that coverage, too. Given what they’ve already shown, hockey fans in America will be scanning their listings for NBC as opposed to any other available alternative, and sports fans in general will have no better opportunity to finally see why hockey is worth their attention.During the 1980 Winter Games, in Lake Placid, when the USA’s team of collegians shocked the Russian juggernaut of professionals in the Upset of All Time, broadcaster Al Michaels uttered his famous, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”It’s taken 25 years, but we can believe again. Only this time, it’s the coverage. NBC has gone for hockey gold and we’re the winners. toronto maple leafs they’ve already shown, hockey fans in America will be scanning their listings for NBC as opposed to any other available alternative, and sports fans in general will have no better opportunity to finally see why hockey is worth their attention.During the 1980 Winter Games, in Lake Placid, when the USA’s team of collegians shocked the Russian juggernaut of professionals in the Upset of All Time, broadcaster Al Michaels uttered his famous, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”It’s taken 25 years, but we can believe again. Only this time, it’s the coverage. NBC has gone for hockey gold and we’re the winners. toronto maple leafs when the USA’s team of collegians shocked the Russian juggernaut of professionals in the Upset of All Time, broadcaster Al Michaels uttered his famous, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”It’s taken 25 years, but we can believe again. Only this time, it’s the coverage. NBC has gone for hockey gold and we’re the winners. toronto maple leafs

Getty

Make it eight.

No, not Canadian teams — consecutive wins for the Los Angeles Kings, who took a 3-0 series lead over the Phoenix Coyotes in the Western Conference Finals with a 2-1 Game 3 victory.

While the result was the same, Thursday night’s script was slightly different, at least for the first 21 minutes. The Coyotes came out stronger in Los Angeles, outshooting the Kings 11-8 in the first period and showing that they wouldn’t go easily.

A minute into the second period, they finally beat Jonathan Quick, as Daymond Langkow slipped a shot through the LA netminder’s pads on a partial breakaway to give the Coyotes their first lead of the series.

But only 127 seconds later, the Kings answered. Dustin Brown found Anze Kopitar streaking in behind the Phoenix defence, and Kopitar made two elite plays to tie the score: first, he deftly accepted the pass by kicking it from his skate to his stick, and second, he opened up Mike Smith up with a first-class deke, slipping the puck through the five-hole.

And then the Kings kept answering.

The rest of Game 3 looked mighty familiar to anybody that had watched the two games prior, as the Kings outshot the Coyotes by a 2-1 margin over the final 40 minutes (20-8), swarming and overmatching Phoenix at every turn.

Eventually, inevitably, Game 3 took on the look Game 2, with the Coyotes looking undisciplined, taking four minor penalties in the final frame, and disorganized, giving Dwight King untold space in the slot, a no-no under Dave Tippett. King buried them, taking the puck off the wall during a delayed penalty, finding a wide open patch of ice inside the circle, and burying the shot.

The penalties stalled any hopes the Coyotes had of gaining momentum and tying the game, as they put just four shots on Jonathan Quick in the 3rd period.

Now, the Coyotes find themselves on the brink of elimination, and the Kings find themselves just one game from the Stanley Cup Final, with history on their side. Only three teams have ever come back from down three games: the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, the 1975 New York Islanders, and the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers.

But you probably remember this information from when it was trotted out during the Kings’ 3-0 leads in rounds 1 and 2, and if those series were any indication, this one will be over soon.

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Los Angeles Kings Crush Phoenix Coyotes 4-0 in Game 2 of West Finals: Fan’s Reaction (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Change is a constant. It’s always been with us, it always will be, and it’s never easy. That’s something that doesn’t change.But the challenge of dealing with it is greater today because the pace of that change is accelerating. Only fifty years ago, we toronto maple leafs had decades to adjust to significant changes. Today we often have only a year or two. Science, technology, transportation, and communications are advancing so rapidly that all of life seems to be in constant transition.That means that at times you may have to be ready and willing to make major changes to your business and your life. You must be willing to abandon everything you’ve built, if necessary, in order to survive and prosper.Most people can’t do that. People naturally don’t like change because it create toronto maple leafs ready and willing to make major changes to your business and your life. You must be willing to abandon everything you’ve built, if necessary, in order to survive and prosper.Most people can’t do that. People naturally don’t like change because it creates uncertainty. They instinctively resist it because they fear the unknown.Effective change management is learning to anticipate the need and deal with it on our own terms. We must anticipate change so we’re not surprised by it. And we must anticipate where their market or industry is headed so we can get out in front of it.Wayne Gretzky, one of the greatest hockey players of all time, captured the essence of this principle when he said, “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is go toronto maple leafs instinctively resist it because they fear the unknown.Effective change management is learning to anticipate the need and deal with it on our own terms. We must anticipate change so we’re not surprised by it. And we must anticipate where their market or industry is headed so we can get out in front of it.Wayne Gretzky, one of the greatest hockey players of all time, captured the essence of this principle when he said, “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.”Prospects frequently ask me “What if we try something different and it doesn’t work I respond the same way each time, “Do you think sticking with the status quo is a viable option? How’s that working for you?”Obviously it isn’t or I wouldn’t be there.We change only when the pain to change is less than the pain to remain as we are. Nothing wrong with that. But too often we don’t recognize how much pain we’re in until it’s too late. Many of today’s business owners and managers are in denial. They are refusing to face the se toronto maple leafs headed so we can get out in front of it.Wayne Gretzky, one of the greatest hockey players of all time, captured the essence of this principle when he said, “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.”Prospects frequently ask me “What if we try something different and it doesn’t work I respond the same way each time, “Do you think sticking with the status quo is a viable option? How’s that working for you?”Obviously it isn’t or I wouldn’t be there.We change only when the pain to change is less than the pain to remain as we are. Nothing wrong with that. But too often we don’t recognize how much pain we’re in until it’s too late. Many of today’s business owners and managers are in denial. They are refusing to face the seriousness of the changes that are occurring in the workplace from such things as Global competition.Advances in technology. Automation.Increased governmental intervention.Immigration.Changing values and motivations of workers (Gen X, Gen Y).What are you doing as a leader to anticipate change?What are you doing to stay current with new market and employment trends?What are you doing to encourage and help your employees upgrade their skills and knowledge?If you’re like most business executives, I’m toronto maple leafs the puck is going to be.”Prospects frequently ask me “What if we try something different and it doesn’t work I respond the same way each time, “Do you think sticking with the status quo is a viable option? How’s that working for you?”Obviously it isn’t or I wouldn’t be there.We change only when the pain to change is less than the pain to remain as we are. Nothing wrong with that. But too often we don’t recognize how much pain we’re in until it’s too late. Many of today’s business owners and managers are in denial. They are refusing to face the seriousness of the changes that are occurring in the workplace from such things as Global competition.Advances in technology. Automation.Increased governmental intervention.Immigration.Changing values and motivations of workers (Gen X, Gen Y).What are you doing as a leader to anticipate change?What are you doing to stay current with new market and employment trends?What are you doing to encourage and help your employees upgrade their skills and knowledge?If you’re like most business executives, I’m afraid your honest answer would have to be, “Not nearly enough.”You are your company’s change agent. That means that you must intentionally develop your company’s workforce and processes to stay in front of change. Personally dealing with change is one thing. Helping others deal with it is another.You can help people more effectively manage change by Helping them understand the reasons for it by taking time to communicate clearly about the issues and the options. Make sure eve toronto maple leafs it isn’t or I wouldn’t be there.We change only when the pain to change is less than the pain to remain as we are. Nothing wrong with that. But too often we don’t recognize how much pain we’re in until it’s too late. Many of today’s business owners and managers are in denial. They are refusing to face the seriousness of the changes that are occurring in the workplace from such things as Global competition.Advances in technology. Automation.Increased governmental intervention.Immigration.Changing values and motivations of workers (Gen X, Gen Y).What are you doing as a leader to anticipate change?What are you doing to stay current with new market and employment trends?What are you doing to encourage and help your employees upgrade their skills and knowledge?If you’re like most business executives, I’m afraid your honest answer would have to be, “Not nearly enough.”You are your company’s change agent. That means that you must intentionally develop your company’s workforce and processes to stay in front of change. Personally dealing with change is one thing. Helping others deal with it is another.You can help people more effectively manage change by Helping them understand the reasons for it by taking time to communicate clearly about the issues and the options. Make sure everyone involved understands the rewards of change and the consequences of not changing.Considering the impact of changes on the people involved and taking steps to minimize adverse effects. Giving people opportunities to share in the positive benefits of change.People want to know WIIFM? (What’s in it for me?)Implementing new policies, procedures, and approaches as organized components to well-conceived plans rather than as knee-jerk reactions to circumstances. toronto maple leafs of today’s business owners and managers are in denial. They are refusing to face the seriousness of the changes that are occurring in the workplace from such things as Global competition.Advances in technology. Automation.Increased governmental intervention.Immigration.Changing values and motivations of workers (Gen X, Gen Y).What are you doing as a leader to anticipate change?What are you doing to stay current with new market and employment trends?What are you doing to encourage and help your employees upgrade their skills and knowledge?If you’re like most business executives, I’m afraid your honest answer would have to be, “Not nearly enough.”You are your company’s change agent. That means that you must intentionally develop your company’s workforce and processes to stay in front of change. Personally dealing with change is one thing. Helping others deal with it is another.You can help people more effectively manage change by Helping them understand the reasons for it by taking time to communicate clearly about the issues and the options. Make sure everyone involved understands the rewards of change and the consequences of not changing.Considering the impact of changes on the people involved and taking steps to minimize adverse effects. Giving people opportunities to share in the positive benefits of change.People want to know WIIFM? (What’s in it for me?)Implementing new policies, procedures, and approaches as organized components to well-conceived plans rather than as knee-jerk reactions to circumstances. Get in front of it or you and make it easier to manage. toronto maple leafs Gen X, Gen Y).What are you doing as a leader to anticipate change?What are you doing to stay current with new market and employment trends?What are you doing to encourage and help your employees upgrade their skills and knowledge?If you’re like most business executives, I’m afraid your honest answer would have to be, “Not nearly enough.”You are your company’s change agent. That means that you must intentionally develop your company’s workforce and processes to stay in front of change. Personally dealing with change is one thing. Helping others deal with it is another.You can help people more effectively manage change by Helping them understand the reasons for it by taking time to communicate clearly about the issues and the options. Make sure everyone involved understands the rewards of change and the consequences of not changing.Considering the impact of changes on the people involved and taking steps to minimize adverse effects. Giving people opportunities to share in the positive benefits of change.People want to know WIIFM? (What’s in it for me?)Implementing new policies, procedures, and approaches as organized components to well-conceived plans rather than as knee-jerk reactions to circumstances. Get in front of it or you and make it easier to manage. toronto maple leafs most business executives, I’m afraid your honest answer would have to be, “Not nearly enough.”You are your company’s change agent. That means that you must intentionally develop your company’s workforce and processes to stay in front of change. Personally dealing with change is one thing. Helping others deal with it is another.You can help people more effectively manage change by Helping them understand the reasons for it by taking time to communicate clearly about the issues and the options. Make sure everyone involved understands the rewards of change and the consequences of not changing.Considering the impact of changes on the people involved and taking steps to minimize adverse effects. Giving people opportunities to share in the positive benefits of change.People want to know WIIFM? (What’s in it for me?)Implementing new policies, procedures, and approaches as organized components to well-conceived plans rather than as knee-jerk reactions to circumstances. Get in front of it or you and make it easier to manage. toronto maple leafs thing. Helping others deal with it is another.You can help people more effectively manage change by Helping them understand the reasons for it by taking time to communicate clearly about the issues and the options. Make sure everyone involved understands the rewards of change and the consequences of not changing.Considering the impact of changes on the people involved and taking steps to minimize adverse effects. Giving people opportunities to share in the positive benefits of change.People want to know WIIFM? (What’s in it for me?)Implementing new policies, procedures, and approaches as organized components to well-conceived plans rather than as knee-jerk reactions to circumstances. Get in front of it or you and make it easier to manage. toronto maple leafs and the consequences of not changing.Considering the impact of changes on the people involved and taking steps to minimize adverse effects. Giving people opportunities to share in the positive benefits of change.People want to know WIIFM? (What’s in it for me?)Implementing new policies, procedures, and approaches as organized components to well-conceived plans rather than as knee-jerk reactions to circumstances. Get in front of it or you and make it easier to manage. toronto maple leafs

On Tuesday, May 15, the Los Angeles Kings beat the Phoenix Coyotes 4-0 to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals. The Kings will have the chance to finish the series with the next two games at home in the Staples Center.

Here are three thoughts on the game:

Jeff Carter shows up

There’s no question that the Kings improved offensively when the team acquired Jeff Carter from the Columbus Blue Jackets before this year’s trade deadline, but he wasn’t doing much scoring. In fact, we haven’t heard much from Carter since he joined the Kings.”). That changed in Game 2 when he earned his first career playoff hat trick with two of his goals coming on the power play.

Carter did an excellent job staying active and opening up space in front of the goal. Meanwhile, his teammates were working hard to push the puck inside to give Carter multiple scoring chances. It was the perfect storm for Carter, who probably needed a game like this to regain some confidence. If Carter can keep this up, I doubt anyone could beat the Kings right now.

Dirty hits

The Coyotes’ Shane Doan and Martin Hanzal received game misconduct penalties for two separate boarding incidents.Doa n’s penalty came in the second period when he rammed Trevor Lewis into the boards. Lewis got up off the ice with blood trickling down his nose. In the third period, Hanzal pushed Kings captain Dustin Brown into the boards face-first. That was the scariest moment of the game as Brown laid there on the ice without moving for a couple of minutes before finally getting up. Both Kings were okay, but I have to admit that I lost a little respect for the Coyotes. They played like thugs and could have seriously injured Lewis and Brown.

I believe suspensions should be in order for both of them. Any time a player puts another human being at risk like Doan and Hanzal did, there needs to be some form of punishment outside of a game misconduct. I realize that the Kings have had their fair share of questionable hits this season as well, and I’m not trying to ignore those. I think Kings’ players who make similar hits should also be suspended.

The Coyotes’ chances

The Coyotes were good enough to win a strong Pacific Division, but after watching them fall apart in Game 2, I’m not sure they can make this a series. The Kings have completely dominated the Coyotes in every facet of the game, and now as the two teams make their way to Los Angeles, I have to think that Phoenix is just about done. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Coyotes take one of the games at the Staples Center, but I think it’s only a matter of time at this point. The Kings are simply firing on all cylinders.

Derek Ciapala has been a Kings fan since the late 1980s. His favorite Kings moment is when they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games to qualify for the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals. You can follow him on Twitter @dciapala.

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Three Keys for the Los Angeles Kings’ Game 2 Matchup with Phoenix: Fan’s View (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

The sport of the hockey is now having lots of changes. There are now ice hockey and field hockey in the Olympic Sports that made it more interesting. This kind of sports is really exciting and is thrilling to watch. The players toronto maple leafs involve in here must be fast and should posses lots of skill in order to be competitive with other players.The Roller hockey sports is one of the most popular sports in the field of sports as this is one of the original game of hockey. It is first played using the traditional quad roller skates. But as the time evolved the new designs are invented and they are now using the inline skates that makes it called as the Inline hockey sports toronto maple leafs original game of hockey. It is first played using the traditional quad roller skates. But as the time evolved the new designs are invented and they are now using the inline skates that makes it called as the Inline hockey sports. There are now different kinds of skates and the choice may vary in the kind of sports or in the place where the game will be conducted. There are also different choices when it comes to the kind of gloves.The rules and the goals of winning may vary from the kind of sport they are playing. When it comes to inline hockey games the goalies are using a unique catch glove while when it comes to quad hockey they are blocking the shots with a batti toronto maple leafs are now different kinds of skates and the choice may vary in the kind of sports or in the place where the game will be conducted. There are also different choices when it comes to the kind of gloves.The rules and the goals of winning may vary from the kind of sport they are playing. When it comes to inline hockey games the goalies are using a unique catch glove while when it comes to quad hockey they are blocking the shots with a batting glove. The inline hockey is also called as the street hockey and the quad hockey is also known as the hardball hockey. These two sports also differ in the amount of time that they are played. The two different hockey sports are very much liked by lots of people. As a matter of fact the quad hockey has been a part of the Olympic sport. This may also surprise you but even women are now entering this specific kind of hockey sports. Some of the c toronto maple leafs the goals of winning may vary from the kind of sport they are playing. When it comes to inline hockey games the goalies are using a unique catch glove while when it comes to quad hockey they are blocking the shots with a batting glove. The inline hockey is also called as the street hockey and the quad hockey is also known as the hardball hockey. These two sports also differ in the amount of time that they are played. The two different hockey sports are very much liked by lots of people. As a matter of fact the quad hockey has been a part of the Olympic sport. This may also surprise you but even women are now entering this specific kind of hockey sports. Some of the countries are of course not open for the playing sport on ice. The hockey sport may vary from time to time and there will be more exciting changes. toronto maple leafs a batting glove. The inline hockey is also called as the street hockey and the quad hockey is also known as the hardball hockey. These two sports also differ in the amount of time that they are played. The two different hockey sports are very much liked by lots of people. As a matter of fact the quad hockey has been a part of the Olympic sport. This may also surprise you but even women are now entering this specific kind of hockey sports. Some of the countries are of course not open for the playing sport on ice. The hockey sport may vary from time to time and there will be more exciting changes. toronto maple leafs sports are very much liked by lots of people. As a matter of fact the quad hockey has been a part of the Olympic sport. This may also surprise you but even women are now entering this specific kind of hockey sports. Some of the countries are of course not open for the playing sport on ice. The hockey sport may vary from time to time and there will be more exciting changes. toronto maple leafs

On Tuesday, May 15, the Los Angeles Kings will attempt to take a 2-0 advantage over the Phoenix Coyotes in their Western Conference Final series. Here are three keys to the game:

The Kings must stay aggressive

The Coyotes won the Pacific Division by playing strong fundamental hockey. It’s not a team loaded with stars, instead it’s full of players who do things the right way. If the Kings are going to win this game, they will need to use their talent advantage to pressure the Coyotes much like they did in Game 1 when they outshot Phoenix 47-27. The Kings must continue to play aggressive hockey and keep the Coyotes out of sync.

Goaltending must stay strong

I’m not the only person who was surprised when Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick allowed Derek Morris’s shot from the red line get past him early in Game 1. I can’t think of a time this season when Quick let in a goal similar to Morris’s. However, it was more important that he recovered from the mistake and had a great game between the pipes. There are a few NHL goaltenders who would have been rattled by the goal, but Quick wasn’t.

The Coyotes’ Mike Smith has also been dominant for much of the season, so it’s important that Quick continues to maintain his strong play. He has definitely earned the right to make a mistake here and there this season, and I have to believe that the Morris goal was just one of those weird things that happen on the ice.

The power play

One of the Kings’ greatest strengths in the Stanley Cup playoffs has been its power play. However, the team went 0 for 4 with the man advantage in Game 1. Phoenix is too good for the Kings to win this series without performing well on the power play. Can you imagine how deflated the Coyotes would be if Los Angeles jumped out early in Game 2 with a power play goal? Think about it. Penalty killing is the only thing Phoenix did well in Game 1. If the Kings can break through with a couple goals with a man advantage, I think they’ll have the Coyotes backed against the wall.

Derek Ciapala has been a Kings fan since the late 1980s. His favorite Kings moment is when they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games to qualify for the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals. You can follow him on Twitter @dciapala.

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Entire Marlies AHL West Final To Air On TV

When Steve Yzerman became the captain of the Detroit Red Wings in 1986, everyone had thought Jacques Demers had lost his noodle. He was the youngest captain in the franchise’s history and in the NHL at the time. Now we all toronto maple leafs have the pleasure of hindsight, but 22 years ago Demer’s saw something special. Steve Yzerman is easily considered one of the best captains in NHL history. Being the longest serving captain of one team his entire career is quite an achievement. After such a long tenure, how is it that it was such an easy transition to the current captain, Nick Lidstrom?When Yzerman became captain, he was quiet and shy. He basically led by example on the ice. His smooth play. He ha toronto maple leafs After such a long tenure, how is it that it was such an easy transition to the current captain, Nick Lidstrom?When Yzerman became captain, he was quiet and shy. He basically led by example on the ice. His smooth play. He had six consecutive 100+ point seasons. He was rarely penalized. When Scotty Bowman took over the team in 93-94 season, he took over a team that had been struggling for decades. He immediately looked to the captain to help turn that around. Scotty Bowman stressed the importantance of defense. Steve Yzerman changed his game and became an excellent defensive forward. Under the guidence of Scotty Bowman, the Red Wings captured their first Stanley cup in over four toronto maple leafs He had six consecutive 100+ point seasons. He was rarely penalized. When Scotty Bowman took over the team in 93-94 season, he took over a team that had been struggling for decades. He immediately looked to the captain to help turn that around. Scotty Bowman stressed the importantance of defense. Steve Yzerman changed his game and became an excellent defensive forward. Under the guidence of Scotty Bowman, the Red Wings captured their first Stanley cup in over four decades in 1997. The stress on defence and Yzerman changing his game were key factors. Steve Yzerman never put up the numbers like he had during the first part of his career, but he was just as important, if not more, being a great defensive forward.Steve Yzerman never had to say much. His team looked up to him and trusted him. They watched his perserverance and leadership on the ice. That transfered to the locker room. He didn’t have to stand o toronto maple leafs that around. Scotty Bowman stressed the importantance of defense. Steve Yzerman changed his game and became an excellent defensive forward. Under the guidence of Scotty Bowman, the Red Wings captured their first Stanley cup in over four decades in 1997. The stress on defence and Yzerman changing his game were key factors. Steve Yzerman never put up the numbers like he had during the first part of his career, but he was just as important, if not more, being a great defensive forward.Steve Yzerman never had to say much. His team looked up to him and trusted him. They watched his perserverance and leadership on the ice. That transfered to the locker room. He didn’t have to stand on a chair and yell out inspirational things, he was inspirational himself. Overshadowed in his career by other great hockey players like Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier and Mario Lemieux, his teammates knew how great he was. Eventually it was realized by the entire hockey league.Nick Lidstrom came to Detroit and has also spent his entire career there. He was quiet and put up great numbers as a defensman. Here was another case where for years, his team and fans knew he was amazing and t toronto maple leafs stress on defence and Yzerman changing his game were key factors. Steve Yzerman never put up the numbers like he had during the first part of his career, but he was just as important, if not more, being a great defensive forward.Steve Yzerman never had to say much. His team looked up to him and trusted him. They watched his perserverance and leadership on the ice. That transfered to the locker room. He didn’t have to stand on a chair and yell out inspirational things, he was inspirational himself. Overshadowed in his career by other great hockey players like Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier and Mario Lemieux, his teammates knew how great he was. Eventually it was realized by the entire hockey league.Nick Lidstrom came to Detroit and has also spent his entire career there. He was quiet and put up great numbers as a defensman. Here was another case where for years, his team and fans knew he was amazing and the rest of the league had yet to notice. Nick Lidstrom is an important part of the team and even while Yzerman was still there, the rest of the team looked to him for guidence as well.When Steve Yzerman retired, Detroit hockey fans were sad. What an amazing career, but we all knew it would come to an end. When Nick Lidstrom was handed the C, Detroit hockey fans cheered. Nick Lidstrom also was the quiet sort, never seeking out attention for his amazing exploits. He is always toronto maple leafs forward.Steve Yzerman never had to say much. His team looked up to him and trusted him. They watched his perserverance and leadership on the ice. That transfered to the locker room. He didn’t have to stand on a chair and yell out inspirational things, he was inspirational himself. Overshadowed in his career by other great hockey players like Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier and Mario Lemieux, his teammates knew how great he was. Eventually it was realized by the entire hockey league.Nick Lidstrom came to Detroit and has also spent his entire career there. He was quiet and put up great numbers as a defensman. Here was another case where for years, his team and fans knew he was amazing and the rest of the league had yet to notice. Nick Lidstrom is an important part of the team and even while Yzerman was still there, the rest of the team looked to him for guidence as well.When Steve Yzerman retired, Detroit hockey fans were sad. What an amazing career, but we all knew it would come to an end. When Nick Lidstrom was handed the C, Detroit hockey fans cheered. Nick Lidstrom also was the quiet sort, never seeking out attention for his amazing exploits. He is always described as being in the right place at the right time, always. He is not overally physical, but always effective. Nick Lidstrom doesn’t need to say much in the locker room either. A veteran who spent his entire career in one city, is looked up to by the youngsters, and respected by his peers. He leads the Red Wings by his demeanor and his play.Steve Yzerman and Nick Lidstrom may have played different positions,be from different countrie toronto maple leafs yell out inspirational things, he was inspirational himself. Overshadowed in his career by other great hockey players like Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier and Mario Lemieux, his teammates knew how great he was. Eventually it was realized by the entire hockey league.Nick Lidstrom came to Detroit and has also spent his entire career there. He was quiet and put up great numbers as a defensman. Here was another case where for years, his team and fans knew he was amazing and the rest of the league had yet to notice. Nick Lidstrom is an important part of the team and even while Yzerman was still there, the rest of the team looked to him for guidence as well.When Steve Yzerman retired, Detroit hockey fans were sad. What an amazing career, but we all knew it would come to an end. When Nick Lidstrom was handed the C, Detroit hockey fans cheered. Nick Lidstrom also was the quiet sort, never seeking out attention for his amazing exploits. He is always described as being in the right place at the right time, always. He is not overally physical, but always effective. Nick Lidstrom doesn’t need to say much in the locker room either. A veteran who spent his entire career in one city, is looked up to by the youngsters, and respected by his peers. He leads the Red Wings by his demeanor and his play.Steve Yzerman and Nick Lidstrom may have played different positions,be from different countries, but they share a common attitude. An absolute love of the game. They both have the poise, respect and unassumed leadership that other people just gravitate towards. They perfected their game for the betterment of their team. They are future hall of famers who now both have the honor of leading their team to the ultimate prize, the Stanley cup. The trust that their teammates have in them is unyielding and a true testament to sports players everywhere. There was no better m toronto maple leafs league.Nick Lidstrom came to Detroit and has also spent his entire career there. He was quiet and put up great numbers as a defensman. Here was another case where for years, his team and fans knew he was amazing and the rest of the league had yet to notice. Nick Lidstrom is an important part of the team and even while Yzerman was still there, the rest of the team looked to him for guidence as well.When Steve Yzerman retired, Detroit hockey fans were sad. What an amazing career, but we all knew it would come to an end. When Nick Lidstrom was handed the C, Detroit hockey fans cheered. Nick Lidstrom also was the quiet sort, never seeking out attention for his amazing exploits. He is always described as being in the right place at the right time, always. He is not overally physical, but always effective. Nick Lidstrom doesn’t need to say much in the locker room either. A veteran who spent his entire career in one city, is looked up to by the youngsters, and respected by his peers. He leads the Red Wings by his demeanor and his play.Steve Yzerman and Nick Lidstrom may have played different positions,be from different countries, but they share a common attitude. An absolute love of the game. They both have the poise, respect and unassumed leadership that other people just gravitate towards. They perfected their game for the betterment of their team. They are future hall of famers who now both have the honor of leading their team to the ultimate prize, the Stanley cup. The trust that their teammates have in them is unyielding and a true testament to sports players everywhere. There was no better man to take over for Steve Yzerman. All Red Wings fans hope that Nick Lidstrom will be here for many more years.~~On another note, I predict Henrik Zetterberg to be the next captain of the Red Wings, carrying on a tradition of on the ice leadership and amazing play offensively and defensively. He is like a Swedish version of Steve Yzerman and I predict that if he does take over for Lidstrom someday, it will be another smooth transition. This article is based mostly on op toronto maple leafs the rest of the league had yet to notice. Nick Lidstrom is an important part of the team and even while Yzerman was still there, the rest of the team looked to him for guidence as well.When Steve Yzerman retired, Detroit hockey fans were sad. What an amazing career, but we all knew it would come to an end. When Nick Lidstrom was handed the C, Detroit hockey fans cheered. Nick Lidstrom also was the quiet sort, never seeking out attention for his amazing exploits. He is always described as being in the right place at the right time, always. He is not overally physical, but always effective. Nick Lidstrom doesn’t need to say much in the locker room either. A veteran who spent his entire career in one city, is looked up to by the youngsters, and respected by his peers. He leads the Red Wings by his demeanor and his play.Steve Yzerman and Nick Lidstrom may have played different positions,be from different countries, but they share a common attitude. An absolute love of the game. They both have the poise, respect and unassumed leadership that other people just gravitate towards. They perfected their game for the betterment of their team. They are future hall of famers who now both have the honor of leading their team to the ultimate prize, the Stanley cup. The trust that their teammates have in them is unyielding and a true testament to sports players everywhere. There was no better man to take over for Steve Yzerman. All Red Wings fans hope that Nick Lidstrom will be here for many more years.~~On another note, I predict Henrik Zetterberg to be the next captain of the Red Wings, carrying on a tradition of on the ice leadership and amazing play offensively and defensively. He is like a Swedish version of Steve Yzerman and I predict that if he does take over for Lidstrom someday, it will be another smooth transition. This article is based mostly on opinion, if you have anything to add or your own opinion, it will be readily accepted and noted. toronto maple leafs Detroit hockey fans were sad. What an amazing career, but we all knew it would come to an end. When Nick Lidstrom was handed the C, Detroit hockey fans cheered. Nick Lidstrom also was the quiet sort, never seeking out attention for his amazing exploits. He is always described as being in the right place at the right time, always. He is not overally physical, but always effective. Nick Lidstrom doesn’t need to say much in the locker room either. A veteran who spent his entire career in one city, is looked up to by the youngsters, and respected by his peers. He leads the Red Wings by his demeanor and his play.Steve Yzerman and Nick Lidstrom may have played different positions,be from different countries, but they share a common attitude. An absolute love of the game. They both have the poise, respect and unassumed leadership that other people just gravitate towards. They perfected their game for the betterment of their team. They are future hall of famers who now both have the honor of leading their team to the ultimate prize, the Stanley cup. The trust that their teammates have in them is unyielding and a true testament to sports players everywhere. There was no better man to take over for Steve Yzerman. All Red Wings fans hope that Nick Lidstrom will be here for many more years.~~On another note, I predict Henrik Zetterberg to be the next captain of the Red Wings, carrying on a tradition of on the ice leadership and amazing play offensively and defensively. He is like a Swedish version of Steve Yzerman and I predict that if he does take over for Lidstrom someday, it will be another smooth transition. This article is based mostly on opinion, if you have anything to add or your own opinion, it will be readily accepted and noted. toronto maple leafs for his amazing exploits. He is always described as being in the right place at the right time, always. He is not overally physical, but always effective. Nick Lidstrom doesn’t need to say much in the locker room either. A veteran who spent his entire career in one city, is looked up to by the youngsters, and respected by his peers. He leads the Red Wings by his demeanor and his play.Steve Yzerman and Nick Lidstrom may have played different positions,be from different countries, but they share a common attitude. An absolute love of the game. They both have the poise, respect and unassumed leadership that other people just gravitate towards. They perfected their game for the betterment of their team. They are future hall of famers who now both have the honor of leading their team to the ultimate prize, the Stanley cup. The trust that their teammates have in them is unyielding and a true testament to sports players everywhere. There was no better man to take over for Steve Yzerman. All Red Wings fans hope that Nick Lidstrom will be here for many more years.~~On another note, I predict Henrik Zetterberg to be the next captain of the Red Wings, carrying on a tradition of on the ice leadership and amazing play offensively and defensively. He is like a Swedish version of Steve Yzerman and I predict that if he does take over for Lidstrom someday, it will be another smooth transition. This article is based mostly on opinion, if you have anything to add or your own opinion, it will be readily accepted and noted. toronto maple leafs who spent his entire career in one city, is looked up to by the youngsters, and respected by his peers. He leads the Red Wings by his demeanor and his play.Steve Yzerman and Nick Lidstrom may have played different positions,be from different countries, but they share a common attitude. An absolute love of the game. They both have the poise, respect and unassumed leadership that other people just gravitate towards. They perfected their game for the betterment of their team. They are future hall of famers who now both have the honor of leading their team to the ultimate prize, the Stanley cup. The trust that their teammates have in them is unyielding and a true testament to sports players everywhere. There was no better man to take over for Steve Yzerman. All Red Wings fans hope that Nick Lidstrom will be here for many more years.~~On another note, I predict Henrik Zetterberg to be the next captain of the Red Wings, carrying on a tradition of on the ice leadership and amazing play offensively and defensively. He is like a Swedish version of Steve Yzerman and I predict that if he does take over for Lidstrom someday, it will be another smooth transition. This article is based mostly on opinion, if you have anything to add or your own opinion, it will be readily accepted and noted. toronto maple leafs be from different countries, but they share a common attitude. An absolute love of the game. They both have the poise, respect and unassumed leadership that other people just gravitate towards. They perfected their game for the betterment of their team. They are future hall of famers who now both have the honor of leading their team to the ultimate prize, the Stanley cup. The trust that their teammates have in them is unyielding and a true testament to sports players everywhere. There was no better man to take over for Steve Yzerman. All Red Wings fans hope that Nick Lidstrom will be here for many more years.~~On another note, I predict Henrik Zetterberg to be the next captain of the Red Wings, carrying on a tradition of on the ice leadership and amazing play offensively and defensively. He is like a Swedish version of Steve Yzerman and I predict that if he does take over for Lidstrom someday, it will be another smooth transition. This article is based mostly on opinion, if you have anything to add or your own opinion, it will be readily accepted and noted. toronto maple leafs They are future hall of famers who now both have the honor of leading their team to the ultimate prize, the Stanley cup. The trust that their teammates have in them is unyielding and a true testament to sports players everywhere. There was no better man to take over for Steve Yzerman. All Red Wings fans hope that Nick Lidstrom will be here for many more years.~~On another note, I predict Henrik Zetterberg to be the next captain of the Red Wings, carrying on a tradition of on the ice leadership and amazing play offensively and defensively. He is like a Swedish version of Steve Yzerman and I predict that if he does take over for Lidstrom someday, it will be another smooth transition. This article is based mostly on opinion, if you have anything to add or your own opinion, it will be readily accepted and noted. toronto maple leafs There was no better man to take over for Steve Yzerman. All Red Wings fans hope that Nick Lidstrom will be here for many more years.~~On another note, I predict Henrik Zetterberg to be the next captain of the Red Wings, carrying on a tradition of on the ice leadership and amazing play offensively and defensively. He is like a Swedish version of Steve Yzerman and I predict that if he does take over for Lidstrom someday, it will be another smooth transition. This article is based mostly on opinion, if you have anything to add or your own opinion, it will be readily accepted and noted. toronto maple leafs Wings, carrying on a tradition of on the ice leadership and amazing play offensively and defensively. He is like a Swedish version of Steve Yzerman and I predict that if he does take over for Lidstrom someday, it will be another smooth transition. This article is based mostly on opinion, if you have anything to add or your own opinion, it will be readily accepted and noted. toronto maple leafs

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Rangers shot-blocking mentality bad for NHL (The Hockey News)

The Anaheim Ducks are fighting toward the end of the regular season, hoping to seal a spot in the playoffs. Amidst the drive, they were able to take a minute to celebrate following the Ducks’ 5-2 defeat of the Colorado Avalanche on toronto maple leafs March 21. The win itself was a reason to bask in the glory of victory, but one player’s accomplishments overshadowed the glory of one win.The player is right winger Teemu Selanne, who notched his 600th goal during the victory. In the game, he also tallied an assist. Other goals in the game came from Jason Blake, Matt Beleskey, Troy Bodie and Ryan Getzlaf. Selanne’s goal came early in the second period, with assists by Scott Niedermayer and Corey Perry.The go toronto maple leafs the game, he also tallied an assist. Other goals in the game came from Jason Blake, Matt Beleskey, Troy Bodie and Ryan Getzlaf. Selanne’s goal came early in the second period, with assists by Scott Niedermayer and Corey Perry.The goal makes him only the 18th player in NHL history to reach the landmark and it is especially sweet for Selanne, as he is expected to retire following the 2009-10 season. Other players to reach the 600 mark include legends like Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull and Mark Messier. The Ducks’ website had a breakdown of his impressive journey toward the 600 mark. Out of those 600 goals, 373 were scored wearing an Anaheim Ducks’ uniform. The rest were scored with the San Jose Shark toronto maple leafs him only the 18th player in NHL history to reach the landmark and it is especially sweet for Selanne, as he is expected to retire following the 2009-10 season. Other players to reach the 600 mark include legends like Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull and Mark Messier. The Ducks’ website had a breakdown of his impressive journey toward the 600 mark. Out of those 600 goals, 373 were scored wearing an Anaheim Ducks’ uniform. The rest were scored with the San Jose Sharks (64), Colorado Avalanche (16) and now-defunct Winnipeg Jets (147). He faced 132 different goalies for those goals, with 114 multi-goal games. Selanne also showed his resilience on the road by scoring 279 of his career goals at away games.In March, the Ducks also went out to ensure their star power continues by adding a slew of new names. Below is a list of the new additions:Nick Bonino: Bonino made a splash with his team at Boston University, where he just finished h toronto maple leafs Brett Hull and Mark Messier. The Ducks’ website had a breakdown of his impressive journey toward the 600 mark. Out of those 600 goals, 373 were scored wearing an Anaheim Ducks’ uniform. The rest were scored with the San Jose Sharks (64), Colorado Avalanche (16) and now-defunct Winnipeg Jets (147). He faced 132 different goalies for those goals, with 114 multi-goal games. Selanne also showed his resilience on the road by scoring 279 of his career goals at away games.In March, the Ducks also went out to ensure their star power continues by adding a slew of new names. Below is a list of the new additions:Nick Bonino: Bonino made a splash with his team at Boston University, where he just finished his junior season. He was part of the BU team that won the NCAA Championship in the 2008-09 season. The 21-year-old signed a two-year entry-level contract. San Jose originally picked him up in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, but the Ducks traded for Bonino and goalie Timo Pielmeier and handed over left wing Travis Moen and defender Kent Huskins.Jake Newton: The Ducks snatched up defenseman Jake Newton, who was a free agent. The 21-year-old played his freshman season at Nor toronto maple leafs Colorado Avalanche (16) and now-defunct Winnipeg Jets (147). He faced 132 different goalies for those goals, with 114 multi-goal games. Selanne also showed his resilience on the road by scoring 279 of his career goals at away games.In March, the Ducks also went out to ensure their star power continues by adding a slew of new names. Below is a list of the new additions:Nick Bonino: Bonino made a splash with his team at Boston University, where he just finished his junior season. He was part of the BU team that won the NCAA Championship in the 2008-09 season. The 21-year-old signed a two-year entry-level contract. San Jose originally picked him up in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, but the Ducks traded for Bonino and goalie Timo Pielmeier and handed over left wing Travis Moen and defender Kent Huskins.Jake Newton: The Ducks snatched up defenseman Jake Newton, who was a free agent. The 21-year-old played his freshman season at Northeastern University this season, and the Ducks signed up to an entry-level contract that lasts three years. Prior to his time with Northeastern, he also played for the U.S. Hockey League’s Lincoln Stars.Rob Bordson: Left winger Rob Bordson will forgo his final season with the University of Minnesota-Duluth to play for the Ducks. Also a 21-year-old, Bordson signed a two-year deal with the Ducks that is rumored to be worth around $900,000.The Ducks also recalled left wing Kyle Calder fr toronto maple leafs also went out to ensure their star power continues by adding a slew of new names. Below is a list of the new additions:Nick Bonino: Bonino made a splash with his team at Boston University, where he just finished his junior season. He was part of the BU team that won the NCAA Championship in the 2008-09 season. The 21-year-old signed a two-year entry-level contract. San Jose originally picked him up in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, but the Ducks traded for Bonino and goalie Timo Pielmeier and handed over left wing Travis Moen and defender Kent Huskins.Jake Newton: The Ducks snatched up defenseman Jake Newton, who was a free agent. The 21-year-old played his freshman season at Northeastern University this season, and the Ducks signed up to an entry-level contract that lasts three years. Prior to his time with Northeastern, he also played for the U.S. Hockey League’s Lincoln Stars.Rob Bordson: Left winger Rob Bordson will forgo his final season with the University of Minnesota-Duluth to play for the Ducks. Also a 21-year-old, Bordson signed a two-year deal with the Ducks that is rumored to be worth around $900,000.The Ducks also recalled left wing Kyle Calder from the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies. The 31-year-old has already played 14 games with the Ducks this season. Throughout his long career, he has also played with NHL teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings. Fans can see all of the stars by reserving <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://www.stubhub.com/anaheim-ducks-tickets/”&g toronto maple leafs season. He was part of the BU team that won the NCAA Championship in the 2008-09 season. The 21-year-old signed a two-year entry-level contract. San Jose originally picked him up in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, but the Ducks traded for Bonino and goalie Timo Pielmeier and handed over left wing Travis Moen and defender Kent Huskins.Jake Newton: The Ducks snatched up defenseman Jake Newton, who was a free agent. The 21-year-old played his freshman season at Northeastern University this season, and the Ducks signed up to an entry-level contract that lasts three years. Prior to his time with Northeastern, he also played for the U.S. Hockey League’s Lincoln Stars.Rob Bordson: Left winger Rob Bordson will forgo his final season with the University of Minnesota-Duluth to play for the Ducks. Also a 21-year-old, Bordson signed a two-year deal with the Ducks that is rumored to be worth around $900,000.The Ducks also recalled left wing Kyle Calder from the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies. The 31-year-old has already played 14 games with the Ducks this season. Throughout his long career, he has also played with NHL teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings. Fans can see all of the stars by reserving <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://www.stubhub.com/anaheim-ducks-tickets/”>Anaheim Ducks tickets</a> from <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://www.stubhub.com/”>StubHub.com</a>. toronto maple leafs traded for Bonino and goalie Timo Pielmeier and handed over left wing Travis Moen and defender Kent Huskins.Jake Newton: The Ducks snatched up defenseman Jake Newton, who was a free agent. The 21-year-old played his freshman season at Northeastern University this season, and the Ducks signed up to an entry-level contract that lasts three years. Prior to his time with Northeastern, he also played for the U.S. Hockey League’s Lincoln Stars.Rob Bordson: Left winger Rob Bordson will forgo his final season with the University of Minnesota-Duluth to play for the Ducks. Also a 21-year-old, Bordson signed a two-year deal with the Ducks that is rumored to be worth around $900,000.The Ducks also recalled left wing Kyle Calder from the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies. The 31-year-old has already played 14 games with the Ducks this season. Throughout his long career, he has also played with NHL teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings. Fans can see all of the stars by reserving <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://www.stubhub.com/anaheim-ducks-tickets/”>Anaheim Ducks tickets</a> from <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://www.stubhub.com/”>StubHub.com</a>. toronto maple leafs season, and the Ducks signed up to an entry-level contract that lasts three years. Prior to his time with Northeastern, he also played for the U.S. Hockey League’s Lincoln Stars.Rob Bordson: Left winger Rob Bordson will forgo his final season with the University of Minnesota-Duluth to play for the Ducks. Also a 21-year-old, Bordson signed a two-year deal with the Ducks that is rumored to be worth around $900,000.The Ducks also recalled left wing Kyle Calder from the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies. The 31-year-old has already played 14 games with the Ducks this season. Throughout his long career, he has also played with NHL teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings. Fans can see all of the stars by reserving <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://www.stubhub.com/anaheim-ducks-tickets/”>Anaheim Ducks tickets</a> from <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://www.stubhub.com/”>StubHub.com</a>. toronto maple leafs with the University of Minnesota-Duluth to play for the Ducks. Also a 21-year-old, Bordson signed a two-year deal with the Ducks that is rumored to be worth around $900,000.The Ducks also recalled left wing Kyle Calder from the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies. The 31-year-old has already played 14 games with the Ducks this season. Throughout his long career, he has also played with NHL teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings. Fans can see all of the stars by reserving <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://www.stubhub.com/anaheim-ducks-tickets/”>Anaheim Ducks tickets</a> from <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://www.stubhub.com/”>StubHub.com</a>. toronto maple leafs Toronto Marlies. The 31-year-old has already played 14 games with the Ducks this season. Throughout his long career, he has also played with NHL teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings. Fans can see all of the stars by reserving <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://www.stubhub.com/anaheim-ducks-tickets/”>Anaheim Ducks tickets</a> from <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://www.stubhub.com/”>StubHub.com</a>. toronto maple leafs of the stars by reserving <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://www.stubhub.com/anaheim-ducks-tickets/”>Anaheim Ducks tickets</a> from <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://www.stubhub.com/”>StubHub.com</a>. toronto maple leafs

One of the first things you learn in this business, after the importance of always getting receipts, is that there’s no cheering in the press box. You are to never, ever cheer for an individual player or team. Of course, cheering for the best story is entirely acceptable.

With that in mind, I can’t help but want to see the New York Rangers go down in flames in the Eastern Conference final. Nothing personal. It’s just that I think the New York Rangers are bad for hockey. And if we’ve learned anything about the NHL over the past century, it’s that once one style of play garners some success, teams will be lined up to steal the blueprint.

First of all, let me state for the record this has absolutely nothing to do with Rangers coach John Tortorella. I do, however, marvel at his transformation on a couple of fronts. When he won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 at the height of the Dead Puck Era, his and his team’s mantra was “Safe is Death.” Now, in what is supposed to resemble a new era with an emphasis on offense and creativity, his mantra seems to be, “If you do not chip the puck off the boards and block 12 shots a game, your rear end will be nailed to the bench. Just ask Derek Stepan.”

And back in his early days with the Lightning, when they were the dregs of the league, I remember travelling to Tampa Bay as a Toronto Maple Leafs beat writer with the Toronto Star and watching Tortorella kibitz with the local media corps for an hour after practice. They would run out of questions before he would run out of answers. Then, the better the Lightning got, the surlier he became. Now he approaches media sessions with all the enthusiasm of a death row prisoner on his way to the execution room…in Texas.

But as I said, I couldn’t care less that Tortorella gives a lousy press conference. Plus, I believe it’s all part of his grand plan. If those who chronicle the game are unduly focusing on Tortorella’s prickly manner, they’re not asking nagging questions such as, “why did the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference need seven games each to dispatch the seventh and eighth seeds?” And hey, this is the NHL. Most of us gave up a long time ago on any of these guys taking any responsibility for actually trying to promote the game. In the NHL, any advantage an individual team can gain regardless of the collective good of the game is pursued because the league sits back and allows its teams to do it.

But that’s not why I’m hoping the Rangers playoff run ends against the New Jersey Devils in the third round. The Rangers are bad for the NHL, that’s why. If you found the Rangers seven-game second round series against the Washington Capitals to be compelling hockey, then good on you. A lot of people, present company included, found it frustrating to watch and devoid of excitement beyond the fact there was so much at stake.

Part of the reason for this is I’ve grown to hate blocked shots. It didn’t used to be that way. There was a time when the blocked shot was an art, almost a thing of beauty, executed only by those players who could summon the courage to sacrifice their bodies to keep a puck from getting to the net. These days, though, there is no gallantry involved in blocking shots, otherwise everyone wouldn’t be able to do it. Protected by the best equipment the game has ever seen, players are no longer the least bit hesitant to put themselves between a slapshot and the net because they know there’s almost no chance they’ll get hurt. That’s why now when a guy winds up from the point, the defending team collapses in front of the net like a building being imploded. You call that exciting? I call it bloody maddening. But that’s the kind of play that has been earning rave reviews throughout the playoffs.

And nobody does it with the frequency the Rangers do, which doesn’t seem to make sense since conventional wisdom suggests they have the best goaltender in the league and if Hart Trophy voting is any indication, one of the top three players in the world. What’s more, they pay him 6.9 million a year to stop pucks, then have their players stand in front of him and do it for him.

Secondly, I can’t stand the Rangers because they don’t even pretend to press the issue when they get ahead by a single goal. There were times during their series against the Capitals when I thought Karl Alzner was going to let the clock run out standing behind his own net with the puck, while the Ranger forwards circled around the Capitals zone. Whatever happened to forechecking? Are teams like the Rangers so spooked with the prospect of getting caught up ice that they can’t bring themselves to try to create a turnover?

And yes, I do see an enormous amount of irony in the fact that I would rather see the Devils, who invented and perfected turgid hockey, triumph over an organization that has traditionally been more about star power and panache. But it’s almost as though the two teams have transposed themselves. The Devils are far more compelling to watch with their relentless pressure on the puck, their ability to spring forwards loose and their willingness to at least try to beat a defenseman one-on-one.

As we’ve seen over the years, it’s almost impossible to legislate against the way the Rangers are playing. When Bob Gainey proposed a couple of years ago to penalize players who leave their feet to stop a shot, it got nowhere. And it’s not as though the equipment manufacturers are going to start making inferior protective gear.

So the only thing we can do is to hope it doesn’t succeed. Because Lord help us if it does.

Ken Campbell is the senior writer for The Hockey News and a regular contributor to THN.com with his column. To read more from Ken and THN’s other stable of experts, subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.

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What We Learned: What to make of this Washington Capitals season? (Puck Daddy)

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Hello, this is a feature that will run through the entire season and aims to recap the weekend’s events and boils those events down to one admittedly superficial fact or stupid opinion about each team. Feel free to complain about it.

There’s been a lot of talk about what this season has meant for the Washington Capitals in the hours leading up to, and then immediately following, their final game of the remarkably eventful 2011-12 season.

Wysh had a pretty good recap of the reasons the Capitals felt this little run to a pair of one-goal Game 7s against the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in the Eastern Conference — both having been heavy favorites — vindicated the Dale Hunter system of everyone playing defense and collapsing to within three inches of the crease, and it’s perfectly reasonable for people to feel that way.

Certainly, no one expected these Capitals to do much damage in the postseason given that they frittered away a division they were picked to dominate. But the thing that everyone seems to forget is that, again, they were picked to dominate the Southeast, be a superpower in the East and the League at large.

If the team tuned out Bruce Boudreau, and it appears they did, then wasn’t his replacement, whoever it happened to be, more or less expected to get this far?

Therefore, it becomes a question about what changed, and really, what didn’t.

Let’s not forget, Boudreau came in originally and let guys like Alex Semin, Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green have their run of the rink. Two-minute shifts? Sure! Goals aplenty? You bet. But in the end, what did it get them? Bounce-outs, and if you believe the talk, disappointing ones at that. So Boudreau changed the style, focusing more on defense, tethering Ovechkin and Co. to an extent, and … getting the same amount of success. Under each of the two clearly definable Boudreau regimes, the team lost in the conference quarter- and semi-finals.

Which is of course notable because the latter is exactly how far Hunter got in his first chance at the tiller, despite doing everything in his power not to: like limiting Ovechkin to fewer than 20 minutes a night in every game in this series save for Saturday’s Game 7 and the three-overtime Game 3, in which he played 35:14 — or, if you prefer 17:37 per three periods of play. This therefore vindicates Hunter only as far as it vindicated Boudreau; which, with a roster like this, and given the “choker” label being hung liberally on the former Caps coach this time last year.

The philosophy changed radically under Hunter, and worked only as far as it did for Boudreau. Why?

(Coming Up: Team USA, international ass-kickers; getting stupid about Patrick Kane’s drinking; Parise’s future; Could Brad Stuart return to the Sharks?; Kevin Lowe says Ryan Murray is the top player in this year’s draft class; Suter/Weber questions; Pancakes Penner’s revenge; Bruins pumped for Dougie Hamilton; Alfredsson retirement watch; Leafs/Penguins trade?; Lundqvist is King; Alex Burrows runs and hugs a goalie; and Winnipeg Jets fans are burning Coyotes jerseys.)

It’s not like there was a lot of roster turnover with this team. In fact, the only people in the room who either left or arrived since training camp broke in September were new coaches coming and going. Not one trade at the deadline to bolster the roster, not one waiver wire pickup. The guys on the roster in October were the guys packing up their stuff and sadly leaving Madison Square Garden last night, with the lone exception being Braden Holtby, who was called up in March, and only then out of necessity but was certainly no stranger to the team.

Most NHL fans would love to support a team that can play the type ultra-tight defensive hockey with which Washington made its hay this postseason, but also score four goals a night with little difficulty under a different system. This is a team that should, theoretically, be able to play and excel at any style of hockey their opponent sees fit to try.

They have the right players to be moderately successful when playing any type of hockey. And that’s important. They can free-wheel, and lose in the conference semis. They can park the bus, and lose in the conference semis.

This shows an amazing amount of adaptability on the roster, and stands largely as a testament to the strength of the team George McPhee has built; but if we’re going to agree that it’s not good enough for Boudreau — which requires you to buy into the narrative that playoff hockey outs the best teams more effectively than an 82-game regular season — it therefore can’t be good enough for Hunter.

The personnel is there. Now they just need the right coach to strike the right balance, and make them truly great.

Neither Boudreau nor Hunter were that guy.

What We Learned

Anaheim Ducks: More Ducks success for America, world’s greatest hockey country, as the US drubbed host Finland 5-0 and the two teams look destined to face each other again in the semis. Kyle Palmieri and Bobby Ryan both scored for the Americans, who are all strong and handsome.

Boston Bruins: Think Bruins brass is pumped for Dougie Hamilton to join the team next season? Though his Niagara IceDogs lost to the London Knights and other Bruins prospect Jordan Knight in the OHL finals, Hamilton finished his 20-game playoff run with 5-18-23.

Buffalo Sabres: Buffalo prospect Mark Pysyk is having a heck of a run for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL finals against the Portland Winterhawks, which wrapped with a Game 7 last night.

Calgary Flames: Could Karri Ramo return to the NHL next season and play for the Flames? He seems to think so, and his KHL stats the last two seasons (GAAs of 1.96 and 1.97, save percentages of .925 each) are really pretty outstanding. An intriguing option to be sure.

Carolina Hurricanes: Justin Faulk continues to impress at the World Championships, scoring his fourth goal of the tournament (about 1:00 into the video), and leading it in points from the blue line. Pardon the Finnish. Or, as it’s now known: Losertalk.

Chicago Blackhawks: Patrick Kane, you’re a 23-year-old millionaire world-class athlete who has already scored a Stanley Cup-winning goal so please stop enjoying yourself in the offseason. The cabbie incident is obviously very fair to criticize, but calling out a kid of legal age for drinking at a college seems, well, pointless. And saying that he will one day embarrass himself on national television like Joe Namath did with Suzy Kolber is legendarily stupid.

Colorado Avalanche: The Avs are stocking up on goaltending prospects, signing three over the weekend, including the University of Minnesota’s Kent Patterson and Boston University’s Kieran Millan. I believe this brings the number of BU-related personnel in the Avs organization to an even 3 million.

Columbus Blue Jackets: What if the Rangers had traded for Rick Nash? I don’t know, Brad Richards would be forming an alchemical partnership with Marian Gaborik and him instead of Marian Gaborik and Carl Hagelin, and the Rangers would be headed to the Eastern Conference Finals? Is this a trick question?

Dallas Stars: Jamie Benn is having a great world championship playing alongside Patrick Sharp and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Sharp is the greybeard on that line, given that he’s 30. A full 18 of the team’s 25 roster players are under 26. Seven are 22 or younger.

Detroit Red Wings presented by Amway: The Wings held their annual equipment sale over the weekend, and team equipment manager Paul Boyer answered all fans’ questions, including why Niklas Kronwall’s skates have the Air Jordan logo on them.

Edmonton Oilers: Kevin Lowe says Ryan Murray is the top player in this year’s draft class. Yes, Oilers, please pass on the actual best player in the draft because he’s Russian. That wouldn’t be the Canadianest thing to do ever, not at all.

Florida Panthers: Know who’s going to bring some serious heat for the Panthers next season? Erik Gudbranson. I think that, at some point in his career, he might be considered one of the best defensemen in the game.

Los Angeles Kings: Dark horse breakout performer in this upcoming series with Phoenix? Dustin Penner. After all, someone’s gotta pay for the Coyotes’ bus backing into his car earlier this season.

Minnesota Wild: How should people feel about the contributions of Tom Gilbert to the Minnesota Wild? Fans are divided, but I have a hint: Badly.

Montreal Canadiens: Another guy having a huge World Championship? Max Pacioretty. He had the Americans’ opening goal and added an assist, running his total to 2-8-10 in the tournament, behind only Evgeni Malkin at the time of this writing.

Nashville Predators: So many Suter/Weber questions in the offseason. If Ryan Suter leaves, does Shea Weber demand a trade to the team that signed him? Does he stick it out in Nashville for the one season without his longtime partner? Does he sign long-term regardless? Unless the answer is, “It doesn’t matter because Suter signed with Nashville,” there’s no good answer.

New Jersey Devils: Might this deep playoff run be swaying Zach Parise to stay in New Jersey? “It means a lot,” Parise said. “It means we have a lot of good, young players who are going to be here a long time.” Hey not to be a party pooper here but umm, Marty Brodeur is a billion years old.

New York Islanders: Great story for Mother’s Day about John Tavares and his mom’s commitment to helping him succeed in the sport. “She’s watching every game,” he said. “It’s funny, her and my dad come so often on the road now that I don’t even go out to eat with them every time.” Moms rule. Go moms.

New York Rangers: Alex Ovechkin lazily lying on the ice while his man comes down the ice and scores the series-clinching goal for New York. Mike Del Zotto says, “Ovie, you just got NARRATIVED!!!”

Ottawa Senators: Know who’s giving Dany Alfredsson advice on retirement? Mats Sundin. This should go well.

Philadelphia Flyers: Jaromir Jagr thinks Ilya Bryzgalov will get his head on straight next season because the adjustment period is over. Man, if he does, look out: The Flyers might get replacement-level goaltending from a guy who has a cap hit north of $ 5 million.

Phoenix Coyotes: Man, where were these impassioned front-page columns on the viability of hockey in the desert the last 14 times the Coyotes almost moved to Yellowknife?

Pittsburgh Penguins: The Penguins really should have signed Rob Scuderi when they had the chance, writes a Pittsburgh columnist three full seasons after the fact. This kind of hindsight is 20/20 but you need a telescope too.

San Jose Sharks: Could Brad Stuart return to the Sharks? *whip sound effect*

St. Louis Blues: New Blues owner Tom Stillman loves his team. Free advice, Tom: Do not under any circumstance promise a Stanley Cup or two in the near future. That leads to signing Ville Leino. “The Blues will be consistent winners,” his wife Mary said. Nooooo!

Tampa Bay Lightning: Jeff Vinik just donated $ 10 million to his alma mater, Duke. Good thing he didn’t pay for them to build a rink and go Division 1 in hockey, because that eventually leads to signing Ville Leino as your No. 2 center.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Are the Leafs a potential trading partner for the Pittsburgh Penguins? “Also, defenseman Luke Schenn is the kind of physical, stay-at-home defenseman the Penguins badly need.” Hey, is this one of those things where people thought Hal Gill was good because Jagr said it that one time? Who doesn’t remember the Toronto/Pittsburgh game on Hockey Night in Canada during Schenn’s rookie year where he kept Evgeni Malkin in his back pocket for 60 minutes?

Vancouver Canucks: Do you want to see incredibly low-res video of Alex Burrows running into a goalie and then hugging him? Sure you do.

Washington Capitals: The difference between a loss and a win for the Caps in Game 7 and, by extension, the whole series, was a 5-on-5 shift in the second that looked like a power play in which they pushed the puck around with ease and were able to attempted close to 10 shots on goal in the space of about two minutes. None of which, obviously, went in.

Winnipeg Jets: It is now prohibited for members of government to receive free pro sports tickets, but by all means they can go to the symphony as many times as they like. The home-theater advantage the Winnipeg orchestra is going to enjoy when other symphonies come to town just got intense.

Gold Star Award

APAmerica: The ultimate hockey power.

Minus of the Weekend

SunSome Jets fans are burning Coyotes jerseys because they’re bitter crybabies who suck.

Play of the Weekend

Another major turning point in Game 7? This Henrik Lundqvist save on Alex Semin.

Perfect HFBoards Trade Proposal of the Week

User “wilfred” is thinking big.

To Clb
Bishop
Zibanejad
Foligno
Butler

To Ott
Nash

Signoff

I am the Third Revelation.

Ryan Lambert publishes hockey awesomeness almost never over at The Two-Line Pass. Check it out, why don’t you? Or you can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter if you so desire.

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Canada rout Kazakhstan to confirm group lead (AFP)

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Vacouver Olympic champions Canada maintained their world ice hockey championship preliminary group lead with an 8-0 thrashing of former Soviet republic Kazakhstan here on Saturday.

Toronto Maple Leafs defender Dion Phaneuf scored twice, while Edmonton Oilers goaltender Devan Dubnyk made 24 saves for a shutout to virtually assure Canada a top-place finish in their group.

Canada looked in complete control from the starting face-off making Kazakhstan goalkeeper Vitali Kolesnik the most busy player at the ice of Hartwall arena.

But Canadians, who won their last world title in 2007, squandered a hatful of chances before Phaneuf scored the opening goal with 4:15 before the first interval on powerplay.

In the second Canada missed further numerous opportunities but scored through Anaheim Ducks winger Corey Perry, who skated behind Kazakhstan‘s net to send the puck in from behind the goal line at 32:05.

Vancouver Canucks left wing Alexandre Burrows added a shorthanded goal with 2:57 before the second break to make it 3-0.

In the third Kazakhstan ran out of gas allowing Evander Kane, John Tavares, Teddy Purcell and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to score one apiece, while Phaneuf netted his second of the match to complete the rout in the two teams’ first ever meeting at the worlds.

“Though we were playing within 24 hours after the last night’s emotional win (5-3 over Finland) we did a good job tonight playing really solid 60 minutes,” Canada coach Brent Sutter said.

“We came into the match with just with one thing in mind – to play well – and we did. My best credits to my players for it.”

In Stockholm, the event’s co-hosts Sweden experienced few troubles on their way to a confident 4-0 win over Italy to join leaders Russia atop their group.

The Swedes started in lively fashion with Chicago Blackhawks center Marcus Kruger opening the score 5:13 into the match, while blueliner Staffan Kronwall added his goal with 48sec remaining in the first period for a 2-0 advantage.

Ottawa Senators rear guard Erik Karlsson scored on two-man powerplay 5:45 into the second, while Colorado Avalanche winger Gabriel Landeskog completed the scoring 1:45 into the third.

In the early Helsinki match 2002 champions Slovakia thrashed Belarus 5-1 to boost their chances of making the knockout round.

Buffalo Sabres rear guard Andrej Sekera put Slovakia into the lead at 6:45 wristing the puck in from just inside the blue line through the traffic.

In the second Branko Radivojevic, Michel Miklik, Tomas Kopecky and Juraj Mikus scored one apiece to give Slovakis a commanding 5-0 advantage before Alexei Kalyuzhny netted a consolation for Belarus.

“Today, every little thing went our way,” said Slovakia’s coach Vladimir Vujtek. “We played well in defence and our forwards scored one by one in the second period winning the match within just five minutes.”

France recorded their second win at the event beating Switzerland 4-2 to chalk up their fourth win over the Swiss side in their 13th head-to-head meeting at the world championships.

Forward Stephane da Costa scored a double while veteran ‘keeper Cristobal Huet produced 41 saves to add three points to the French team’s balance to jump into fifth place in their group, three points behind the fourth-placed Slovakia.

Norway also set their sights on a quarter-final spot after they beat Latvia 3-0 in Stockholm to go fourth.

Germany meanwhile battled back from a goal down in their clash with Denmark to notch their second win at the tournament 2-1.

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Canada routs Kazakhstan 8-0 at hockey worlds (The Associated Press)

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HELSINKI (AP) Dion Phaneuf scored twice and Devan Dubnyk stopped 24 shots to help Canada crush Kazakhstan 8-0 Saturday and reach the quarterfinals of hockey’s world championships.

Canada (5-0-1) can clinch the top seed in the Helsinki with a victory in its final round-robin game against Belarus on Tuesday. Kazakhstan (0-5-1) will be relegated to a lower group next year.

Phaneuf, a defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs, opened the scoring at 15:45. Anaheim’s Corey Perry scored at 12:05 of the second period, with Alexandre Burrows following five minutes later.

Winnipeg’s Evander Kane began a five-goal streak in the final period. The other goals came from the Islanders’ John Tavares, Tampa Bay’s Teddy Purcell, Phaneuf and Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

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Philadelphia Flyers Defenseman Chris Pronger Faces a Summer of Uncertainty: Fan’s Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

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Philadelphia Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren made sweeping changes to his roster after last season. But, he made few moves behind the blue line, because his team’s defense was seen as a team strength.

As the 2011-12 season played out, head coach Peter Laviolette constantly adjusted his lineup in response to an ever-steady stream of injuries. One of them occurred during a late October game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, when captain Chris Pronger was accidentally hit in the eye by a Toronto Maple Leafs stick.

While he was able to return to action a few weeks later, that specific injury was the genesis of Pronger’s concussion related issues that persist to this day.

Prongs

It wouldn’t be wise to open training camp with any lingering doubts about Pronger hanging above the sky in Voorhees, New Jersey.

Unless a sudden medical miracle takes place, it’s likely that one of the great defensemen of the past twenty years has played his last game. Even if ‘Prongs’ was somehow able to return at some future point, why would he want to?

He has already won a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks, as well as the Hart and Norris trophies when he was a member of the St. Louis Blues. With a Hall of Fame call sure to heard at some point, Pronger must be thinking that his life and family matter more to him than any meaningless job extension.

The ability to move to the point where he could make that type of career decision assumes that his health will improve enough to allow him to play again. As of now, that scenario is nowhere near to being true.

Contract issues

As it stands, Pronger’s current 7-year contract (which runs through the 2016-17 season) is listed under the 35-plus category. That categorization requires that a contract’s cap hit be equally spread across the length of the agreement, even if a player retires.

The Flyers would have an annual amount of $ 4.9 million applied to their cap space through 2016-17, even if Pronger were to retire during that time period. As long as the current collective bargaining agreement language on this issue remains in place and issues connected to long-term injured reserve status are involved, it would seem as though he wouldn’t formally make that type of announcement any time soon.

Obviously, delaying retirement also pushes the starting point for his Hall of Fame eligibility period forward by five years as well.

Replacement

Someone like Pronger isn’t truly replaceable, but he does need to be replaced.

Obtaining power-defender Nicklas Grossman from the Dallas Stars prior to the trade deadline was a great move that helped to stabilize the team’s overall defense.

Veteran Kimmo Timonen, who has one year remaining on his contract, is still a solid member of the Flyers top pairings.

But, the efforts of Braydon Coburn, Andrej Meszaros and a nice collection of young defensive prospects would surely be bolstered by the addition of another strong veteran defenseman.

As to whether Holmgren can obtain the rights to, or sign, Nashville Predators pending unrestricted free agent Ryan Suter (27) or his teammate, pending restricted free agent Shea Weber (26), is unknown. Suter made $ 3.5 million this season, while Weber earned $ 7.5 million.

Weber, who stands at 6 feet four inches tall and weighs 234 pounds, has two-way talents that are more comparable to Pronger in his prime. The idea of acquiring him would involve more than just not re-signing pending unrestricted free agent Matt Carle, who made $ 3.4 million this season. Might the Flyers send his rights and another player(s) to the Predators for one of these two men before the July 1 deadline?

Regardless of whoever takes Pronger’s roster spot, the Flyers seem almost certain to move forward without him.

Sean O’Brien is based in the Philadelphia region. He has written professionally for over two decades and is currently a Featured Contributor for Yahoo! You can follow him on Twitter @SeanyOB and also read his daily Sports Blog: Insight.

More from this author and the Yahoo Contributor Network:

The Philadelphia Flyers five greatest warriors

Philadelphia Flyers forward Jaromir Jagr talks hockey: Interview

The Voice of Philadelphia Flyers Great Gene Hart Still Resonates

What These Six Philadelphia Flyers Greats All Have in Common

The mystery behind these 1970s Topps hockey cards is revealed

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Ducks sign coach Boudreau to 2-year extension (The Associated Press)

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ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Coach Bruce Boudreau‘s shortened debut season with the Anaheim Ducks was good enough to keep him around for a whole lot longer.

The Ducks signed Boudreau to a two-year contract extension Thursday, locking up their respected coach through the 2014-15 season.

Anaheim rewarded Boudreau for reviving the struggling Ducks after he replaced Stanley Cup-winning coach Randy Carlyle, who was fired Nov. 30. The Ducks went 27-23-8 under Boudreau, compiling one of the NHL‘s best records after the All-Star break.

”This team, we’ve just started going where we want to go,” Boudreau said. ”If we had started a little bit earlier, anything could have happened. These playoff teams, we competed with all these teams, going tooth and nail.”

After a lifetime spent mostly on the East Coast, the Toronto native is finally getting used to California’s sunshine and warmth as well.

”It’s certainly nice waking up every morning,” Boudreau said with a chuckle. ”Being an East Coast guy my whole life, I didn’t know what it would be like. It was a lot easier to come to work every day than I thought it would be. I used to think, ‘How do they do it every day?”’

Two days before he took over in Anaheim, Boudreau was fired by the Washington Capitals, who won the 2010 Presidents’ Trophy and made the playoffs four times during his four years in charge, but had little postseason success. Boudreau also won the 2008 Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach.

He is 228-111-48 in his NHL coaching career with Anaheim and Washington, winning 200 games faster than any coach in modern league history. He earned 184 wins in his first 300 NHL games, the most by any coach in league history.

Boudreau has been busy since the Ducks’ season ended, taking in minor-league games and doing player evaluation while also spending time on Canadian television. The affable coach seems to be a broadcasting natural, but said he’s ”glad that’s not my day job.”

During his media blitz, Boudreau picked Los Angeles, the Ducks’ Freeway Faceoff rivals, to make the Stanley Cup finals after seeing the Kings’ determination late in the season.

He’s conflicted about how he’ll feel if the Kings advance past Phoenix to the finals – particularly if they face the Capitals, who play a decisive Game 7 in the second round against the New York Rangers on Friday.

Washington never got out of the second round during four seasons under Boudreau despite winning four straight Southeast Division titles.

”A new team is going to be in the Stanley Cup final for the first time in a long time (out of the West), and that’s great for hockey,” Boudreau said.

”I’m happy in the sense that I think it’ll grow hockey in Southern California with the attention (if the Kings advance),” Boudreau added. ”For me, it’s really important for the growth of the game. But I’ve got to be honest, I don’t think I’m going to sit here and say I’m happy they’re going to win.”

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