Archive for the ‘NHL’ Category

Islanders-Capitals Game Sets Record For Most Promotions

Posted: November 10, 2011 by Keith Stone in Fishsticks, hockey, NHL
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The guy running the Mets’ marketing team must also work for the Islanders. At Saturday’s game against the Capitals, the Fishsticks did everything they could to get spectators in the door. To start the game, an Air National Guardsman repelled from the ceiling to drop the opening faceoff. That’s gimmicky enough, but wait, there’s more! During the second intermission, Bachelorette Season 7 winner and huge Islanders fan JP Rosenbaum took to the ice to show how to play the team’s Mohegan Sun Time To Shine game. Any ladies that were interested in joining him were invited to tweet the reason why they deserved the right, nay, privilege to do so.

As fate would have it, the Isles won 5-3, but remember Fishstick fans, if the 4-6-2 record or eight-goalie rotation wasn’t enough to lure you to the game, make sure to stop by the Nassau Mausoleum to see dudes flying from the ceiling and reality show rejects. Why else would you go to a hockey game?

John Tortorella Is A Man Of Few Words

Posted: October 23, 2011 by Keith Stone in hockey, NHL, Rangers
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After a 2-0 loss in Edmonton last night, Rangers head coach John Tortorella didn’t mince words during his postgame interview. The Blueshirts continued their lackluster play and penalty binge, but Nikolai Khabibulin wasn’t too shabby in goal, either. Tortorella should know better. The Bulin Wall helped him win the Stanley Cup in Tampa Bay in 2004. Tom Renney must be smiling today.

The Best Thing To Hit Tampa Since Mons Venus

Posted: October 22, 2011 by Keith Stone in hockey, NHL, Tampa Bay Lightning
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Earlier this week, I talked about how gimmicks are awesome and help teams by reducing the montony of a tedious season. If it really is the case (and it is!), then the entire NHL needs to watch out for the Tampa Bay Lightning. As part of the renovations to the St. Pete Times Forum, the Lightning installed a tesla coil to shoot bolts of lightning after every goal. It’s fucking awesome. Last year, the Lightning was seventh in the league in scoring. Let’s hope Stamkos, St. Louis, and Lecavalier keep going because I can’t get enough of it. Either that, or it’s going to eventually hit somebody in the crowd and light them on fire. It’s a win-win. Sure beats throwing an octopus on the ice.

All About the Hat

Posted: October 20, 2011 by Keith Stone in hockey, NHL, Rangers
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After shutting out the Canucks 4-0 on Tuesday, Henrik Lundqvist made like Don Draper in his postgame interview and rocked a fedora. It’s not just any fedora, however. Someone bought it while the Rangers were in Europe and it’s become part of the Rangers’ postgame tradition. The Broadway Hat, as it’s called, will be worn by a player after each win, presumably the player that has the most to contribute to that win. I love it. There’s nothing better in sports than gimmicks. The gold thong the Yankees used to pass around. The ’99 Knicks doing the LJ. Fried chicken, beer, and choking down the stretch for the Red Sox. Henrik has already stated that his goal is to wear the Broadway Hat after every game. Hey, if winning the Stanley Cup is too far down the road to be a serious goal, then winning he Broadway Hat will do.

Blueshirts United

Trivia Time: Hockey Edition

Posted: October 20, 2011 by Keith Stone in hockey, NHL, trivia
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Hockey is back in full swing. King Henrik is shutting people out, bitches be getting knocked out, and the Ottawa Senators are in last place. Feels like it never left. This year everything is as wide open as ever. No team is a frontrunner and Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Steve Stamkos, and Corey Perry all share a place among the game’s elite. It wasn’t so back in the 80’s as Wayne Gretzky ran roughshod over the league and shattered records like Joan Rivers looking into a mirror. That brings us to our Question of the Week. Get it right or it’s a game misconduct. The answer, as always, is after the jump.

How many consecutive MVP awards did Wayne Gretzky win?

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No More Quo: The Rangers 2011-2012 Preview

Posted: October 7, 2011 by Keith Stone in hockey, NHL, Rangers
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Sixth. Sixth. Fifth. Seventh. Ninth. Eighth.

It’s an old adage in sports that the worst place to be is in the middle. You’re not competing for a Title but your team isn’t bad enough to accumulate enough talent through the draft to move up in the world. You get stuck in purgatory. Judging from the Rangers’ last six seasons and their extremely disappointing exit in the 2011 Playoffs, it wouldn’t be a shock to see them back in the middling morass of the Eastern Conference. Despite this, there’s an optimism around the team that things may be different this year.

Of course, the Rangers have never been afraid to spend a little cash and they did so this summer, signing top free agent Brad Richards. His pairing with Marian Gaborik on the top line should open up the ice for the once-prodigious scorer, who can concentrate on putting the puck in the net instead of handling it. Gaborik’s 22 goals in 2010-11 was a major letdown and his scoring above all may be the difference between being a contender and a pretender.

The foundation of the Rangers has been solidifying for the past few seasons and it’s finally time to judge whether the young guys have what it takes to make a serious run for the Stanley Cup. New Captain Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky lead this faction that also includes Brian Boyle, Artem Anisimov, and Derek Stepan. Callahan and Dubinsky both scored 20 goals last year but will be expected to increase their production and must avoid injuries, as both have missed significant time over the past two seasons.

Along the blue line, all seemed well but star Marc Staal has still been suffering from a concussion suffered last February and is out indefinitely. While it seems he may be back sooner rather than later, the defense will now be a huge storyline to follow especially in the beginning of the season. Dan Girardi is a stud, but Michael Sauer needs to step up and afterthoughts like Michael Del Zotto and Tim Erixon will now be pressed into important roles. How will they handle it?

Last and certainly not least, the King Henrik Lundqvist is back in net for the Blueshirts. He was as great as ever last year and continues to be one of the top goaltenders in the NHL. His work is what makes the Rangers competitive in nearly every game. With Martin Biron serving as a capable backup, the King was fresh down the stretch for the first time in his career and his 68 games played was his least since his rookie campaign. The team was fifth overall in goals against last year but with the lack of scoring, it didn’t show in the standings.

With Sidney Crosby’s future unknown in Pittsburgh and the Flyers making wholesale changes in the offseason, it would seem that the Atlantic Division is up for grabs. If the Rangers can continue their physical, gritty style of play that was so successful in the later part of last season, avoid the injury bug, and get a big year from Marian Gaborik, they should be right there. Hopefully, King Henrik and the kids will put them over the top.

Projected finish: 45-26-11, 101 points, 1st place in Atlantic Divison, 3rd place in Eastern Conference

Avery Rules

Posted: October 5, 2011 by Keith Stone in hockey, NHL, Rangers, Sean Avery
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Sean Avery was waived by the Rangers yesterday. He had a tumultuous and controversial two stints with the Blueshirts spanning five seasons, but will definitely go down as one of the most memorable players in team history. He could be an asshole one day, then stand up for gay rights the next, all while looking stylish and checking out women’s handbags. I’ll miss him. Here’s some Avery highlights from the 2008 Playoffs to remember him by.


Glen Sather vs. Brian Cashman: Who Ya Got?

Posted: September 28, 2011 by Keith Stone in baseball, BOSTON SUCKS, Brian Cashman, Glen Sather, hockey, MLB, NHL, Philly sucks, Rangers, Who Ya Got?, Yankees
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The past week has been big for New York GM’s. At an announcement in Philadelphia for the upcoming Winter Classic between the Rangers and Flyers, Glen Sather was a one-man show. Doing his best to to channel Gary Peyton and Miss Cleo, he declared that not only would the Blueshirts win the Winter Classic, but would win the Stanley Cup. To rub it in Philly’s fat craw even more, he also threw in that the Yankees would win the World Series. In case you’re keeping track at home, this is the first ever cross-sports Title guarantee. I loved it but next time, how about a little love for the G-Men?


Over in the Bronx, Brian Cashman revealed that although he wined and dined Carl Crawford in the offseason, he had no desire to sign the outfielder. He was just driving his price up for the Red Sox. Cashman said, “Everybody kept writing Crawford, Crawford, Crawford, Crawford. And I was like, ‘I feel like we’ve got Carl Crawford in Brett Gardner, except he costs more than $100 million less.” The Sox eventually signed the .255 hitter for the GDP of a mid-size nation. That’s real moneyball, people. Then, although I cannot confirm this, I like to think he was the one that leaked the news to TMZ that John Lackey was getting a divorce from his cancer-stricken wife. Who does he think he is, Larry David? Lackey received a text message from a member of the media before his start in a losing effort, which doesn’t look like it helped in Boston’s last gasp for the playoffs. It was all Brian Cashman! He has proven how devious he can be!

These are two scheming, genius General Managers, but there’s only one question to ask: Who Ya Got?

The Return of the Jets

Posted: September 22, 2011 by Keith Stone in hockey, NHL, Winnipeg, Winnipeg Jets
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A while back, I wrote about how important it was that hockey was returning to Winnipeg. Here’s video from the first preseason game up there and it did not disappoint. The crowd was 15,000 strong and loud from beginning to end. That’s why you put a team in a city that wants it.

A Nice Story, For Once

Posted: September 16, 2011 by Keith Stone in hockey, NHL, video games
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14-year-old Lexi Peters loves video games and hockey. While playing one of EA Sports’s NHL games, she hoped to use the customize mode to recreate the girls’ team she played for. However, the game only allowed players to create men. Lexi wrote a letter to EA Sports and in this year’s version of the game, not only are women characters available, but she’s the default model. Pretty cool stuff.

Maybe if I wrote a letter to the creators of Mortal Kombat, I could be a character. My only move would be throwing unopened cans of beer at my opponents and my fatality would be writing disparaging blog posts about them. Flawless victory.

Globe and Mail

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