Two years ago the Boston Bruins seemed to be in a position of power. They had the offense, defense, and goaltending of a championship team and it took them to the top of the Eastern Conference, their first first place finish in the East since 1990-91 when their lineup featured stars such as Cam Neely and Ray Bourque.
The Bruins team that ruled the East in the ’08-’09 campaign had a stifling defense, with Zdeno Chara capturing the Norris that season. Tim Thomas, the goaltender that never could finally did, and in a big way. He, alongside veteran Manny Fernandez, backstopped the Bruins in a season that would see him earn the Vezina for top goaltender and share Jennings honours for allowing the goaltending tandem allowing fewest goals against.
Up front the roster was rounded out with scoring winger Phil Kessel, dangerous playmaking pivot Marc Savard, and fan-favourite Milan Lucic. It was a season to remember in Boston.
But in a few short years things have changed greatly in Beantown.
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Since their inception the Atlanta Thrashers have been a near-perennial basement team. In the 2001 entry draft they took superstar and conspiratory-circumventer-to-be Ilya Kovalchuk, and it took five full years before he could lead them to a division championship in what was then dubbed the South Least, as all the teams were about as good as Dominic Moore’s chances of getting the top-six money he wanted.
"I told them I would consider staying... AND THEY BOUGHT IT!"
With only one playoff appearance — and zero since their division championship in the ’06-’07 season — in the teams history, it’s not looking like a Thrashers team that is now without Ilya Kovalchuk will be able to crack the top eight in the East. However, that’s not to say that the team isn’t putting together pieces for a better future.
Then again, being nearly the worst team in the East year after year will do that.
So what can you expect of the Thrashers this season?
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Filed under NHL, Players, Prospects, Sports, Thrashers, Twitter
- Tags: Andrew Ladd, Atlanta Thrashers, Ben Eager, Boris Valabik, Brent Sopel, Bryan Little, Chicago Blackhawks, Chris Mason, Craig Ramsay, Dustin Byfuglien, Evander Kane, Freddy Meyer, Ilya Kovalchuk, Johnny Oduya, NHL, NHL season preview, Niclas Bergfors, Nik Antropov, Ondrej Pavelec, Rick Dudley, St. Louis Blues, Tobias Enstrom, Zach Bogosian
The Anaheim Ducks enter the 2010 campaign with a litany of questions; Will Ryan be there? Will the defense be okay without Niedermayer? Is the third jersey going to be a robotic duck/goaltender bursting through a frozen pond?
The Anaheim Ducks are looking to recapture some of the magic that made them Stanley Cup Champions
2ForBoarding is making it our business to make sure you Ducks — and plain old puck — fans know what to look for from the once Mighty Ducks.
(And by the way, the answer’s are yes, yes, and one can only hope.)
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Filed under Ducks, NHL, Players, Prospects, Sports, Twitter
- Tags: Anaheim Ducks, Andy Sutton, Bobby Ryan, Corey Perry, Expertise, Jonas Hiller, Lubomir Visnovsky, NHL, NHL 2010, NHL 2011, NHL Preview, Randy Carlyle, Ryan Getzlaf
On January 25, 1962, Chris Chelios was born. June 10, 1981 he was drafted 40th overall by the Montreal Canadiens. August 31, 2010, after 26 seasons as a professional hockey player, he retired from the NHL.
And somewhere in between, he fell in love with being bronze.
Chelios began his career in Montreal where he fell in love with catching rays
When news broke today that Chris Chelios was retiring from the NHL, the NHL lost it’s bronze God and quite possibly the tannest human being this side of the cast of Jersey Shore.
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Filed under Blackhawks, Canadiens, Humour, NHL, Players, Red Wings, Sports, Twitter
Today the Nashville Predators announced the signing of Patric Hornqvist to a 3-year deal worth $9.25 million.
With news of the signing, Barry Trotz high-fived himself and cried tears of joy.
Hornqvist signing in Nashville will have a positive impact on the teams scoring punch, but a negative effect on their ability to stock the Bridgestone Arena with toilet paper
Hornqvist stood out last season for the Predators, leading the team in both goals and points. The 30 goal outburst from the second year NHLer was an unexpected jump in production, but welcomed by a Nashville team starved for offense. The Hornqvist signing is the latest of many for a Predators team who seem poised to finish at least tenth in the West this season.
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Filed under Management, NHL, Players, Predators, Sports, Twitter
This is the premiere of a new feature on 2FB, where every Friday we offer up five thoughts we had on the past week in hockey. The thoughts range from random rigamarole that popped into our heads to a little note on a big happening in the game we all love. Read More …
Filed under Blackhawks, Lightning, NHL, Oilers, Rangers
- Tags: Antti Niemi, Brett Hull, Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, Glen Sather, New York Rangers, NHL, NHL Salary Cap, Pylon, Stanley Cup, Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning, Taylor Hall, Twitter, Wade Redden
For Ducks fans the prospect of what is to come in the season ahead is met with a litany of questions. They began the off-season by locking up defensive prospect Cam Fowler. The former Windsor Spitfires star was selected in the first round by the Ducks, and thus began a rush of defensive signings.
Along with Fowler the Ducks signed “Expert” Andy Sutton, former Flyers and Canadian World Junior player Danny Syvret, along with another prospect in Brendan Mikkelson. With the signings of the four defenseman, Ducks fans were worried that the team was focusing too much on a defensive corps that may need less work than the teams offense.
The Anaheim Ducks and Bobby Ryan have yet to reach an agreement on a contract for next season
Most concerning to Ducks fans is the teams ongoing saga that is the re-signing of RFA Bobby Ryan. The American Olympian, Ryan, posted 64 points (35-29) in his sophomore season and contract talks have made their way deep into the summer without either side seeming to budge on their demands.
Inside the Ducks locker room teammates of Ryan’s seem moderately concerned about the fact that he has yet to re-sign, but are up in arms about the fact that the Ducks haven’t locked up their real offense: the ’96 Mighty Ducks cast.
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Filed under Ducks, Humour, NHL, Players, Ramblings, Sports, Twitter
- Tags: Adam Banks, Anaheim Ducks, Bob Murray, Bobby Ryan, Charlie Conway, D1, D2, D3, Dean Portman, Fulton Reed, Mighty Ducks, NHL, NHL Off Season
The National Hockey League released a list of rules that will be tested in a research and development camp next week. The camp, set to be held in the Toronto Maple Leafs practice facility in Etobicoke, Ontario, will feature potential rule changes to be used in the upcoming 2010-11 season. Whether or not the Maple Leafs have ever practiced at the facility, or at all for that matter, is yet to be determined.
Among the rule changes are possible enforcement of no longer enabling a team to change after committing an offside, wider blue lines, and letting Alexander Semin score on Jaroslav Halak.
The NHL will experiment with new rules including a new two minute penalty for having a weak skull. In other news, David Booth has retired from the NHL.
The camp will feature top prospects that will be eligible for selection in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and will be open to the public so Leaf fans from the area can see players that they will see in Bruins uniforms in the near future.
Every year the camp is held to test the waters when it comes to changing the way the came is played and to make a final decision on what can and cannot work. However, the potential rules are chosen far in advance — so far in advance, in fact, that we were able to get ahold of rule changes that you could be seeing in the 2011-12 NHL product.
2ForBoarding presents: Rule Changes for the 2011-12 Season!
Let’s go!
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Filed under Bruins, Canadiens, Capitals, Coyotes, Maple Leafs, NHL, Players, Ramblings, Red Wings, Sports, Stanley Cup, Twitter
- Tags: Alexander Semin, Barry Trotz, Boston Bruins, Gary Bettman, Gary Buttman, Humour, Jaroslav Halak, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, NHL rule changes, NHL rulebook, Phoenix Coyotes, Satire, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vesa Toskala
Jared Clinton
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