Pride is good in small doses, but never something to depend on. With last nights’ varying adjustments in pride, attitude, and stripping away false senses of security, the bottom eight of both Conferences as well as that elusive shot at the Prize of the West, are anything but solid.

The firestorm from Calgary arrived in Charlotte, and an eager Canes band, newly re-united with Eric Cole proceeded to put them out like a dog soaking a lit cigarette in the street. Any boost the recent trade deadline produced, coupled with the win over Philadelphia was sufficiently damped.

I don’t think this was truly much more than a bad shift of the moon and just one of those nights that the best intentions go awry. Calgary was at least present during the game, but flat. They certainly owed their goaltender Curtis McElhinney more than they have delivered to him in his 13 NHL appearances.

On the flipside, it has been nice to see Sergei Samsonov in the similar form he was as an Edmonton Oiler, with the Moscow native netting 2 points, and the game winning goal.

While not an utterly critical game for the Flames, it was a necessary duece for the Hurricanes, who remain on the cusp of a Playoff hunt.

The Great One led his pack of canine-like creatures into the Herd to tangle in Buffalo. And now you know what it sounds like when a great crushing occurs.

Even with the best efforts of Ilya Bryzgalov and one of my favorite defencemen, Ken Klee, Maxim Afinegenov and the Slug pack pulled a win out of the hat. Even if watching Klee bank Afinegenov off of the boards like a five cent bouncy ball made me hold me breath for a moment.

With one point and one game separating the Sabres once again from the Stanley Cup Playoffs it was a do or die game delivered to throngs of blue and gold from familiar names like Jason Pominville and Tim Connolly. Having Patrick Lalime minding the net for Buffalo’s injured Miller Time hasn’t been a bad call on Lindy Ruff’s part, either.

A Sabres win tonight against Ottawa will bounce Pittsburgh out of the Top 8, and Buffalo into the golden block.

Nothing says retribution like playing against the team that traded you only two weeks before. But for Mathieu Schneider, it’s a full circle come to life as the current Habs defenceman plays on the roster of the very man who centered his 1993 Stanley Cup victory against the Los Angeles Kings, Guy Carbonneau. It would not only be the last time the Canadiens would hold the Cup, but the last time they would even see the Stanley Cup Finals since.

Unfortunately, with the way Les Habitats played in Philips Arena, minus the obvious work of Schneider and excellent goaltending of Cary Price, Playoff dreams could potentially slip away. The play was lackluster and uninspired at best.

Atlanta, however, actually brought a game to the arena to give the fans something other than the door prizes to take home. At the worst, it would have made a South Park caricature.

Carbo believes that the Habs brought some effort. I didn’t see it. Except for when young Zach Bogosian took a healthy beating with a smile on the assaulting Hab’s face. That was like warm cocoa on a cold winter night.

Skate ‘em, Carbo, for old time’s sake.

St. Louis met the Lightning at home in Tampa Bay’s St. Pete Times Forum, where they proceeded to sing a song of good ole hockey that gave the Bolts the blues. In typical fashion, Tampa responded to a 3 goal deficit in the third period with their own set of three to force overtime.

But there would be no tacos.

First, they were in Tampa. Second, in sudden death overtime, a forth goal was the night’s limit.

Since that made no sense to most hockey greenhorns, I’ll explain it. Before the infamous Hockey Lockout of 2004-2005, local Taco Bell restaurants in the St. Louis area offered thirty-five cent tacos the day following a Blues game when the Blues scored five goals or more. On the forth goal, the crowd would begin to chant, “We Want TACOS!”

And I’m going to miss Gary Roberts. It was an honor to have him grace the Bolts jersey.

In a must-win battle for the potential 8th seed in the West, the Dallas Stars and 10th ranked Anaheim Ducks met in a battle royale. The Stars, in an onslaught once again spearheaded by Ribiero and backended by Marty Turco, show us what the Dallas Stars do best on the ice, divide and conquer.

They continually kept Anaheim split on the forecheck, drove a triangle pattern to the net, and somehow it worked. I haven’t seen much of Anaheim this year, but it appears the Ducks are flying south, with the Stars rising into the eighth slot. With the matchup of Edmonton and Toronto, the future of that slot remains insecure.

The bottom ranks of the East and West are shifting day to day, so get ready for March’s Hairy Ride to the Finish.

And that, my friends, is hockey as we know it.

Games:

10/23/08- Islanders 3, Dallas Stars 5

10/25/08- Islanders 3, Carolina Hurricanes 4

News and Notes:

- The Islanders set a club record for shots on goal in a game (60) against Carolina. 

- Starting goalie Rick Dipietro apparently injured himself again during the Carolina game.  His inability to stay healthy is proving a huge source of frustration to both him and fans of the team.  He’s scheduled to visit a doctor on Monday for his undisclosed injury and will miss the game against the rival New York Rangers at least.  Joey MacDonald, seeing more work than either he or anybody else ever thought he would, will get the start and be backed up by minor league goaltender Yann Danis.

- D Mark Streit has been red hot as of late.  He recorded four points in games this week.

- C Doug Weight has brought more than just scoring ability with him.  He absolutely crushed Carolina’s Brandon Sutter with a clean open ice check, knocking him out of the game on Saturday night.

- D Brendan Witt left the Dallas game with a leg injury.  His return date is uncertain and he leaves a gaping hole in the Islanders’ defensive corps.  The team hopes Andy Sutton will be able to return shortly from his preseason hand surgery to bolster the toughness factor on the blue line.

Next Week’s Games:

10/27/08- vs. New York Rangers

10/30/08- vs. Philadelphia Flyers

11/1/08- vs. Montreal Canadiens

Games:

10/10/08- Islanders, 1, New Jersey Devils 2

10/11/08- Islanders 5, St. Louis Blues 2

10/13/08- Islanders 1, Buffalo Sabres 7

10/16/08- Islanders 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 3

10/18/08- Islanders 0, Florida Panthers 2

New and Notes:

- The big story thus far has been the inactivity of franchise goalie Rick Dipietro. He finally received his first start of the year against Florida on Saturday night and let in a goal early on. However, he settled down afterwards and played reasonably well, keeping the Islanders in the game.

- G Joey MacDonald, the back up goaltender who was expected to play very little this season, has been holding down the fort for Dipietro. He was a surprising 2-2 over the four games he played and looked good in every contest except against Buffalo. Islander fans should breathe a little easier knowing that their second string netminder is not actually half bad.

- D Bruno Gervais leads all defensemen in scoring with three assists. He appears to be playing with more confidence, something New York desperately needs him to do.

- LW Trent Hunter has surprised many observers, notching four goals in the first five games. Hunter is expected to be an important part of the Islanders’ future and fans hope the fact that he seems to have rediscovered his scoring touch will continue.

- C Doug Weight has delivered upon the promise that he would improve the power play. He has three power play points already.

Next Week’s Games:

10/23/08- vs. Dallas Stars

10/25/08- vs. Carolina Hurricanes

Last season the Minnesota Wild won their first ever Northwest Division title but were ousted in the first round of the playoffs by the Colorado Avalanche. The big question for the Minnesota Wild this season is the whether or not they picked up enough goal scorers to make up for the players they lost in free agency. Here’s a quick rundown off who came and went, along with their scoring numbers from last year.

Gone

F Brian Rolston
Dynamic slap-shot guy goes to the New Jersey Devils
31 G 28 A

F Pavol Demitra
Talented but underachieving buddy of Marian Gaborik, goes to the Vancouver Canucks
15 G 39 A

F Mark Parrish
Minnesota native and Jacques Lemaire whipping boy, bought out by the Wild, still unsigned
16 G 14 A

F Aaron Voros
Gritty grinder goes to the New York Rangers
7 G 7 A

F Todd Fedoruk
Hard-skating occasional line-mate of Gaborik and Demitra, goes to Phoenix Coyotes
6 G 7 A

F Branko Radivojevic
Gaborik and Demitra countryman goes to Russia to play hockey
7 G 10 A

F Wes Walz
Gritty epitome of coach Jacques Lemaire-style hockey went MIA after 11 games and retired midseason. He is now an assistant coach for Barry Melrose in Tampa Bay
1 G 3 A, but his intangebles held the Wild together

Added

F Andrew Brunette
He of the biggest goal in Wild history back in 2003, returns to the Wild from the Colorado Avalanche
19 G 40 A

D Marek Zidlicky
Offensive defenseman, signs with the Wild from the Nashville Predators
5 G 38 A

D Marc-Andre Bergeron
Powerplay specialist, traded to the Wild from the Anaheim Ducks
9 G 9 A

F Antti Miettinen
Player looking to capitalize on his potential, signs with the Wild from the Dallas Stars
15 G 19 A

F Owen Nolan
Aging ex-superstar, signs with the Wild from the Calgary Flames
16 G 16 A

F Craig Weller
Guy I’d never heard of, signs with the Wild from Phoenix
3 G 8 A

The departing players add up to 83 goals and 108 assists in lost offensive fire power, while the additions give the Wild 67 goals and 130 assists. A definite drop in goals and most likely a wash in assists given the lack of goal scorers for the Wild. The question is, where will the offense come from? Rolston and Demitra were huge factors in the Wild offense. Demitra actually underachieved last season and towards the end was a non-factor. He and Gaborik never were able to recreate the magic they had in the ’06-’07 season. Rolston will be missed to an extent. He obviously scored a lot of goals and teams had to play for his big slap shot. However, he is relatively one-dimensional with said slap shot.

In the long run, the Wild will need the new players to contribute at least what they contributed to their respective teams last season. They will need to see improvement in goal scoring from returning players such as Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Benoit Pouliot, and James Sheppard. They need Mikko Koivu to continue to blossom into a superstar. They need some rookies, like Colton Gillies, to contribute a smattering of goals. And they need Marian Gaborik to stay healthy, interested, and actually on the team.

What Up with Gabby?
Speaking of Marian Gaborik, that’s the other huge key to this season, and potentially the next few seasons in Minny. Gaborik is on the cusp of being a superstar in the NHL. Gaborik is also an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. That translates into contract negotiations, or speculation. Rumors are that Wild GM Doug Reisbrough has offered Marian $8.5 M a year, but there are no indications that he is ready to sign. Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin make $9 M a year. Is Gabby worth Sid the Kid and Ovechkin money? Does Gabby even want to play in Minnesota in the defensive system that supposedly limits his offensive potential?

Depending on how the Gaborik situation works out, the Wild may have their first fan grumblings on their hands. The fan base has sold out every game in franchise history dating back to the ’00-’01 season and they eat up whatever the franchise serves. But if there’s no Gabby, and if the team is not competitive, fans will start to find better things to do with what little discretionary income they may have.

Goaltending
Niklas Backstrom is the Wild’s #1 goalie. Josh Harding is the young up and coming understudy. Backstrom has put up some very impressive numbers. 33 wins and a 2.31 goals against last season. Harding shows a lot of potential but he needs playing time. Backstrom and Harding are both in contract years, so both goalies should be at the top of their games. This will be good for the team given the most-likely drop in offense.

Prediction
Last season’s early playoff loss put a damper on a great regular season. This season, I believe the Wild will tighten up their defense this season, returning to more of the type of hockey that got them a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals in 2003. Play very sound defensive hockey and capitalize when the opposition makes a mistake. Following that trend, I expect the Wild to finish 2nd or 3rd in the NW Division, make the playoffs as the 7th or 8th seed. And since there’s always at least one surprise team to go deep to the Conference Finals or even the Stanley Cup Finals, why not the Wild?

I’m sure everyone knows the big summer signings – highly touted Swedish player Fabian Brunnstrom, and NHL pest Sean Avery. Now, the Stars have a younger, faster, more skilled team. They have a perfect blend of younger players and veterans who have been through it all. What to do with them all?

Captain Brenden Morrow will undoubtedly lead the top line with Mike Ribeiro at center, and Jere Lehtinen on the wing. Morrow is a gritty, fast forward who’s not afraid to get in the thick of it. He’ll battle for the puck and get in someone’s face whenever he needs to. Ribeiro is never afraid to make the patient play, and combined with Morrow, the duo scored 157 points and were a +44. Face of the franchise Mike Modano and 7.8 million dollar man Brad Richards are both highly skilled centers who give the Stars an opportunity to have three competent scoring lines. Youngsters Joel Lundqvist and Loui Eriksson are guys who have only been getting better with time, and combined with tough guys like Steve Ott, Krys Barch, and Sean Avery, can make up solid checking lines with scoring ability. Brunnstrom is likely to wing a second or third line, but will possibly get the chance to play on the top line, should three-time Selke winner Lehtinen get injured. Young guys B.J. Crombeen, Toby Petersen, and rookie James Neal will likely make up a fourth line, combining grit with skill.

The Stars’ leading defensemen are veterans Sergei Zubov and Philippe Boucher, both of whom are unfortunately injury-prone. In fact, Zubov will be on injured reserve until November. Stéphane Robidas proved last season that yes, he can score goals, and will probably end up on the top defensive pairing, at least until Zubov gets back. Trevor Daley is a veteran compared to the young guys on the team – Nicklas Grossman, Mark Fistric, and Matt Niskanen. Those three rookies proved themselves last season, capable of helping to carry the team to the playoffs and beyond. The Stars picked up Doug Janik off of waivers from the Chicago Blackhawks, and ended up trading a seventh round draft pick for him, possibly to light a fire under the youngsters to keep their jobs in the NHL.

Goaltending is a simple issue in Dallas. Marty Turco has clearly proven himself the number one guy around these parts, having shaken the playoff monkey from his back. Backup goaltender Mike Smith was traded to Tampa Bay last season as part of the Brad Richards deal, giving Swiss netminder Tobias Stephan a shot in the spotlight. Young Stephan was given a chance last season, when both Turco and Smith were injured or ill, playing in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks in October. Despite losing the game in overtime, Stephan wasn’t shaky, saving 38 of 40 shots. With Turco helping to train him, undoubtedly Stephan will prove a great goaltender at the NHL level.

Skill, grit, veteran, and youngster all combine to make a well-balanced team that will be tough to play against. Undoubtedly it will be a challenge for the Stars to repeat the success they had last year – after all, only four teams ever make it that far, and only one team can win it all. General Managers Les Jackson and Brett Hull (or, as I like to call them, the Dynamic Office Duo) made what they felt were the necessary changes to make the team go further than they did last season. Will it happen? We’ll find out soon enough.

For the Predators there are three possible answers. First on a positive note, will this be the year the Preds make the playoffs and avoid the first round knockout that they have suffered for the last four seasons? Or will this be the year that they continue along the same path and make the playoffs and check out early again? The final possibility is not a pleasant one. Will this be the year that Barry Trotz, the most underrated coach in the NHL, runs out of rabbits to pull out of his hat to magically get his team to perform far beyond anyone’s expectations?

As has become the norm in Music City over the last few nears, the summer has not been a slow news time for the Predators. After spending the summer of 2007 in a battle to fend off Jim Ballsillie from stealing the team off to Canada and finally establishing a mostly local ownership group it was thought things would quiet down on the financial front. Unfortunately, before the ink was dry on all the contracts, minority owner “Boots” DelBiaggio’s financial house of cards came tumbling down and sent a 27% stake in the team into the hands of a bankruptcy judge.

At this point there is a lot of legal posturing going on by the Predators owners who are trying to get the biggest slice of DelBiaggio’s assets pie from the court that they can. All this poor mouthing about the damage done by the bankruptcy has again fanned the flames of the Canadian media speculating the Jim “Vulture” Ballsillie will try to swoop in and grab the Preds once again. I doubt this will happen but it will be many months before it all plays out.

The other big summer news was the defection of a much improved Alexander Radulov to the KHL in Russia. The fans who adored Rudy when he was a Predator developed an immediate equally intense hatred of him when he flew the coop. In spite of being a player with tremendous upside, A-Rad spent most of his time in Nashville in Barry Trotz’s doghouse due to a lack of maturity and an unwillingness to focus on the defensive side of his game. It is really not surprising that Radulov was easily swayed by Russian money and promises of fame and a loose style of play in the KHL. Again, it will be months or years before this one plays out and we see if Rudy returns with his hat in his hand begging forgiveness of fans and team mates wanting to play in the big leagues.

All this being said, it’s time to talk about the game on the ice which is what most season previews are usually about. This year’s team will be the youngest, most inexperienced team the Predators have put on the ice since well before the lockout year. Fortunately, the youngsters that will be moving into positions of responsibility on this team have pedigrees that indicate they are ready for the move to the NHL.

In goal, the tandem of Dan Ellis and Pekka Rinne played a total of 45 NHL games last season. On paper this would send most fans into collective shock and cause season ticket renewals to totally dry up. Last year, however, Dan Ellis escaped the Dallas Stars farm system and burst on the scene dislodging Chris Mason from the number one position. In the last few weeks of the season and in the playoffs against the Stanley Cup Red Wings, Ellis was stellar. Ellis gave the Wings fits and gave David Poile the confidence to unload Chris Mason at a bargain basement price.

Pekka Rinne has been the Predators goalie of the future for several years. Has it not been for an off ice shoulder separation that slowed his performance in camp in 2007 Dan Ellis may have never been given a look last year. Ellis won the battle and Rinne continued to earn his stripes leading the AHL in wins. In preseason action, both Ellis and Rinne have picked up where they left off last season and appear to be ready to stand solid in goal this year. One nagging thought is that over the last two years the number one goalie has lost his job to the back up and then the original goalie was gone. Hopefully the Vokoun, Mason to Ellis merry-go-round will not continue.

The Predators are well stocked in goal in the farm system. AHL veteran Drew MacIntyre would be an emergency call up. College player Mark Dekanich was stellar in goal in the preseason. USA Junior goalie Jeremy Smith is also future NHL star. Finally, the Preds moved up with their second pick in the first round to take junior goalie Chet Pickard. The biggest problem David Poile has will be finding enough work for this crowd to play and further develop their games.

The best thing the Predator’s backstops have going for them is one of the premier young blue line corp in the league. This group can turn a marginal goalkeeper into an NHL performer. The Preds spent their free agent money locking up their own by signing Shea Weber and Ryan Suter to multi year contracts at relative bargain basement prices. This duo along with Dan Hamhuis, Greg Zannon, Greg DeVris, Ville Koistenen and Kevin Klein give the Predators one of the best group of defensemen in the league barring none. Klein was considered such a valuable asset last year that the Preds carried him on the 23 man roster all year to avoid losing him on waivers. He saw limited action but has really impressed in the preseason. Koistenen’s emergence as a point person on the power play made the trade of Maril Zidlicky possible over the summer.

When the Predators need help on defense from Milwaukee they have several near NHL-ready prospects to call on. Alexander Sulzer, Cody Franzon, Teemu Lasko and Robert Dietrich all are capable of filling a spot. Further down the line is nineteen year old Vancouver Giants captain Jonathon Blum who would have probably made every Predator pre lock-out team the Preds skated. He will be a top two defenseman on an NHL team in the not too distant future.

The fight for forward positions on the Nashville Predators has been the most interesting to watch in camp this year. Nine players appeared before camp to have locked in spots on the roster. That group includes veterans Captain Jason Arnott, J P Dumont, Marty Erat, David Legwand, Jordan Tootoo, Scott Nichol, Vern Fiddler, Jered Smithson and Radek Bonk. That leaves prospects and first year players competing for a presumed four or five open slots depending on whether the Preds open with 22 or 23 on the roster. 5 open slots.

Patric Hornquist, who excelled in the Sweedish Elite league and was the leading scorer for Sweden in the World Championships in May has been as good as advertised in the preseason. Rich Peverly who shuttled between Milwaukee and the Preds last year has also matured into an NHL player. It is assumed that the recent acquisition Nick Tarnasky will fill the role left behind by fan favorite Darcy Hordichuk and be the team enforcer whe he recovers from a hand injury. If not, Josh Gratton will be available.

The last position or two will go to Antti Philstrom. Joel Ward or newcomer (from the Wild in the Zidlicky trade) Hobi Baker finalist Ryan Jones. Philstrom has played well in the preseason and could fill several roles on the team being a gritty player with a smooth scoring touch. Joel Ward has done more in camp to impress the Preds brass than any other player. An AHLer from Houston last year, he has played defense the way Barry Trotz demands. Nothing will buy him NHL time in Nashville quicker than what he has done protecting the puck and the goal so far.

Ryan Jones is another star in waiting. It has always been the practice that the road to Nashville starts in Milwaukee but Jones may be an exception. The staff really likes his size and ability to play in front of the goal a la Thomas Holstrom and that is something the Preds have never had. If he doesn’t start the season with the Preds it will only be a matter of time before he is called up. Neither the injured Jed Ortmeyer nor Steve Sullivan appear even worthy of discussion at this point as neither appear close to recovery from long term injuries.

The Predators also have several others ready for call up duty at forward. Cal O’Reilly overcame an early injury to have a good camp. Mike Santorelli also improved his stock immensely before being sent down. Nick Spalling and Andreas Thuresson will probably also see call up duty before the year is over. Further down the line two of the Preds top prospects are still in college. Blake Geoffrion and this year’s first rounder Colin Wilson will be NHLers in a year or two when they decide to leave the college game.

One of the Predators weaknesses over the last few years has been on the power play. The Preds were near last all year in 2007 with the man advantage. The inability of Marik Zidlichy to work the point and the injury to Shea Weber limited the Preds options. It is thought that Ville Koistenin and a healthy Weber will improve this years PP.

The Predators finished third in the league on the penalty kill last year and have improved with an extra year of experience working together as a unit. Jerred Smithson, Scotty Nichol, Vern Fiddler, Radek Bonk and either newcomers Ward or Philstrom will see considerable time on the PK unit.

In summary, if the pieces fall into place the Nashville Predators should finish second only to the Stanley Cup champ Detroit Red Wings in the Central Division. Chicago could challenge the Predators for second and possibly be a third division team in the playoffs. The whole Western Conference will be a battle all year long with Dallas, San Jose, and Anaheim emerging from the West and some combination of two or three teams among Calgary, Edmonton, Minnesota and Vancouver from the Northwest. The remaining teams have too much competition to break into a playoff berth this season.

For ongoing coverage of the Nashville Predators check back to the Nashville Predator page at RumorMeThis for links to the PredsOnTheGlass blog.

Buddy and Jackson Oakes for RumorMeThis

What we’re looking for

This is a tentative list of posts and schedule we’re aiming for:

• Season Preview (Oct 1)
• All-Star Break (Midway season review and second-half preview) (Jan 25)
• Trade Deadline
  • Preview (TBD)
  • Review (TBD)
• Playoffs Preview (for every round your team plays)
  • Before 1st round (TBD)
  • Before 2nd round (TBD)
  • Before 3rd round (TBD)
  • Before the Stanley Cup (TBD)
• Playoffs Review (for every round your team plays)
  • After 1st round (TBD)
  • After 2nd round (TBD)
  • After 3rd round (TBD)
  • After the Stanley Cup (TBD)
• Season Wrap-up (TBD)
• The Entry Draft
  • Preview (TBD)
  • Review (TBD)
• Free Agency
  • Preview (TBD)
  • Review (TBD)

What we offer in return

In exchange for their efforts, RumorMeThis will offer all Guest Bloggers the following:

• blogger profile/bio, and a link back to your blog (article and archive pages)
• links to the last three posts on YOUR OWN blog (article and archive pages)
• one 180×150 and one 300×250 ad (article page)
• free registration to the RumorMeThis Hockey Links Directory

Who’s in already?

Thanks to all the following bloggers who have already committed to covering their respective teams for this season:

• Carolina Hurricanes – Jennifer Hammer (hammerrules.blogspot.com)
• Chicago Blackhawks – John Ruhnow (thenhlarena.com)
• Dallas Stars – Cat Court (untypicalgirls.wordpress.com)
• Detroit Red Wings – Stephanie Yates (npi-hockey.blogspot.com)
• Los Angeles Kings – Marie Stiles (purplecrushedvelvet.blogspot.com)
• Minnesota Wild – Jeremy Waschek (wildviewfromsection216.blogspot.com)
• Montreal Canadiens – Ken Beckett (thepowerplay.net)
• Nashville Predators – Buddy and Jackson Oakes (predsontheglass.blogspot.com)
• New Jersey Devils – Chris Wassel (hockeyprogram.blogspot.com)
• New York Islanders – Frank Mazzola (pigskinsandpucks.blogspot.com)
• New York Rangers – Dan Rakusan (sportsfiend.ca)
• Phoenix Coyotes – Tracy Tanner (truecoyotelove.blogspot.com)
• Tampa Bay Lightning – Jessica Lewis (femmesandfisticuffs.com)
• Toronto Maple Leafs – Jared Matchett (diehardblueandwhite.blogspot.com)
• Vancouver Canucks – Mike Pinzuti (yankeecanuck.com)

Want to join?

Interested in participating? Have comments or questions? Contact us.

Avery was signed to four-year contract on July 2nd, and brings with him a fierce attitude that will fit in nicely with the Stars already aggressive bunch. Avery comes from the New York Rangers where he finished last season with 15 goals and 18 assists in just 57 regular season games. He did have quite the playoffs, as he had 4 goals and 3 assists in eight games.

Dallas fans have to like the idea of Sean Avery teaming up with Brenden Morrow and Steve Ott. This will make for a nice balance of rough lines that teams will certainly have to be aware of when they take on the Stars.

Avery is not just a physical player, but also one who can attack the net and make those around him better because of the presence he brings. The Stars reported that he is exactly the type of player that will complement their style of play.

The Stars have been locking up players they feel will not only make an impact this year but for the next few seasons, and that is what they believe Avery will deliver. This kind of firepower has to have the Stars as a favorite to make tons of noise in the 2008-2009 season, and it will be exciting to watch this team perform especially with the addition of Sean Avery.

TSN is claiming that Wilson is on his way to Toronto to meet with Cliff Fletcher to finalize the contract. Although nothing has been confirmed by Fletcher or Wilson, Fletcher already said that he offered the job to someone ans is waiting for an answer.

If Wilson is to go to Toronto, than they better become a good team next season! Ron is a very coach and is probably the best one the Sharks have ever had in recent years. No coach in Sharks history has ever collected as many wins as Wilson did (206). But Most importantly, no one ever brought the Sharks to more playoffs games than Wilson (52) and I believe that is what makes him a perfect candidate for Toronto. The Leafs fans are not going to accept missing the playoffs next season and if Wilson can’t bring them there, who can?

If the rumor happens to be true, than it should be announced as early as today or tomorrow.

Personally, I hope it’s true, because as much as I don’t like the Maple Leafs, I do want every team in the NHL to be competitive (I think Wilson can do that fro them), therefore giving every hockey fan something good to watch every night.

Having swept the Ottawa Senators in four games then taking care of the New York Rangers in five games, it was only fitting that the Pens took care of the Flyers in five games as well. So far in the 2008 play-offs the Pens record is 12-2. Pretty good if you consider the fact that the Pens were not a great defensive team in the regular season.

Pittsburgh’s defence in the post season is, well, great. Pittsburgh with players like Evgeni Malkin, Marian Hossa, Sidney Crosby, Ryan Malone, Jordan Stall, Petr Sykora, and Sergei Gonchar have the offence to compete with any team in the NHL. The elite scoring players of the Pens are not only scoring goals, coach Michel Therrien also has them playing defense.

Pittsburgh goalie Marc Andre Fleury who was sent down to the minors this season for some conditioning has played outstanding this post season. Ty Conklin who took over for Fleury when he was sent to the minors has yet to see a post season game for the Pens. For the past couple of seasons Fleury had not been consistent in his play. Fleury has chosen the right time to play well it would seem.

This new Pens team seems like the old team in 1991-92 when they had such players as Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis, Alex Kovalev, Mark Recchi, and  Alexei Morosov. WIll this current team have what it take to bring home Lord Stanley’s Cup?

Pittsburgh now awaits the winner of the Detroit Red Wings and the Dallas Stars. The WIngs lead the series 3-2. The Stars will try to tie the series at three games a piece tonight.

Whichever team joins the Pens in the final will meet a rested team ready to prove to the NHL that youth is a good thing.

The NHL is most probably excited that one of the teams that they wanted in the final has already made it. The NHL will never admit that it favors one team or the other, but it must be happy that their t.v. revenues will be high as the Pens are a high t.v. rated team with all their stars. Stars or Wings, doesn’t really matter to the NHL as all three of the remaining teams have marketable players.

Pittsburgh has been waiting for a long time to reach the finals again, question is will they profit from the situation? 

This all started at the end of the game when Mike Ribeiro passed around the net of Chris Osgood and caught Osgood’s stick in the face, for which Ribeiro then retaliated with a vicious slash to Osgood’s chest.

“Even if I did butt-end him, I mean it was an accident, I don’t think that justifies a two-hander over the top of the net, he could have gone about it a different way, or said something to me” said Osgood after game no.2.

When asked to explain or comment on his actions after Game 2, Ribeiro responded.

“He clipped me in the face. If he doesn’t do that, I don’t think I react, and I have no reason to do what I did. It’s a little bit of frustration and emotion in the game but I think that what he did is more dangerous than what I did.”

Both players were fined undisclosed amounts by the NHL, but were not suspended.

Both players commited dangerous acts with their sticks, why is it that they were not suspended? Could it be that both Ribeiro and Osgood are good players and an integral part of their respectve teams that it’s excepted for good players to not follow the rules?

The series between Detroit and Dallas resumes this evening, will there be fall-out from that event, or will both players remain calm?

VERSUS will kick-off the Conference Finals with a special 30-minute “Hockey Central” on May 8 at 7 p.m. ET, prior to Game 1 of the Western Conference Final between Dallas and Detroit. VERSUS’ Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage will culminate with exclusive coverage of the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final. All VERSUS-produced games are produced in hi-definition.

The network’s studio show, “Hockey Central,” is hosted by Bill Patrick with Brian Engblom and Keith Jones and provides extensive insight and commentary of the games and what’s happening around the Stanley Cup Playoffs each night. VERSUS will, on occasion, bring players and coaches into the studio to serve as celebrity guest analysts. In the Quarterfinal round, Manny Legace, goaltender for the St. Louis Blues and Rick DiPietro, goaltender for the New York Islanders joined the VERSUS studio crew. Additions in the Conference Final round will be announced as information becomes available.

Among the regular segments of the studio show are the following:

• Keith Jones’ Odd Man Rush, Keith’s unique look at the plays and players who have put themselves in the spotlight, whether for good or bad
• Brian Engblom’s Reality Check, Brian’s personal opinion on NHL issues
• Highlights from games not airing on VERSUS, as well as Plays of the Week
• Parting Shots; where Engblom and Jones debate bullet point debate topics in rapid fire fashion
• Live-Look-Ins wherever possible, bringing viewers live action from games being played concurrently during VERSUS’ telecast
• Features on NHL players away from the ice
• Historical recaps which spotlight the defining and greatest moments in NHL Stanley Cup history

Total viewership for “Hockey Central” during the first two rounds of this postseason has increased 65 percent compared to the first two playoff rounds last year.

Yes finally, the media circus which has been Brunnstrom is over. Thank God! For the past several weeks, Brunnstrom has been everywhere, just recently in Montreal. Fabian was going to some teams arenas to see which team was better suited to his playing style.

Excuse me Mr. Brunnstrom, but where did you come from? How come you aren’t showcasing your talent at the worlds for your country?

Seemingly not many people have seen Brunnstrom play, even the best scouts are not that aware of his true talent, which is why he wasn’t drafted in the first place.

Brunnstrom could be a good player in the NHL, he has decent size, from what scouts have said, he has NHL speed, and skill, question is, why isn’t he playing for his country, and showing everyone what he can do on an NHL size rink?

Many players have played for the NHL who weren’t drafted, or drafted in the 200 range and fared well, but not many people can boast that they know this Brunnstrom kid. Why did he only achieve the possibility of playing for the Swedish Elite league so late in his career.

Hopefully for the Stars, Brunnstrom will be a good player, he seems to have a head on his shoulders, I just want to see what he will do with the physicality of the NHL. Perhaps he will prosper, and become even better than some scouts say he is.

Good luck Brunnstrom, let’s hope that you haven’t bit off more than you can chew, time will tell. For every one who endured the Brunnstrom saga over the last few weeks, it’s over, now let’s see if Fabian lives up to the hype!

More and more is Price beginning to look like the 20-year-old kid he is. The pressure in the Stanley Cup playoffs is immense and Philadelphia is a tough building to play in.

Here’s what I wrote back on April 3: “I think, and hope, the Canadiens end up regretting trading (Cristobal) Huet instead of keeping him as insurance for the playoffs.”

Dreams, my friends, can come true. With the Flyers now up two-to-one over Montreal, I can’t help but think of Happy Gilmore headbutting Bob Barker and telling him: “The price is wrong, bitch.” Best. Cameo. Appearance. Ever.

Still on the Flyers/Habs series, is Darian Hatcher not the biggest doofus in the NHL? His hit from behind on Francis Bouillon was bush-league and typical of the Philadelphia Flyers. But it takes a special type of moron to do it in the third period with his team up three-nothing. Hatcher single-handedly got the Canadiens back into the game and while I hate both teams equally, a part of me was hoping the Habs would tie it up, and even win it in overtime, so Hatcher could feel like even more of an idiot. What a douche bag. I hate Hatcher.

Here’s a video called “Hitler Loves the Flyers” courtesy of Slap Shot, the New York Times hockey blog. It was made after the Habs won game one of their series with Philadelphia so while the shots at Martin Biron are clearly unwarranted today, the numerous disses thrown at Danielle Briere are simply amazing. The video is golden. Enjoy!

Seriously, how does Detroit do it? Johan Franzen, aka “The Mule,” is tied for the NHL playoff goal-scoring lead with seven goals in only eight games.

So, uh, who the hell is this guy? Franzen scored 27 goals in the regular season to go along with only 11 assists. Eight of those goals were game-winners and 14 came on the power play. The guy’s a sniper. To close out the regular season, Franzen scored 15 goals in Detroit’s final 16 games. He’s picked up right where he left off in the playoffs.

I must admit that I knew Franzen was poised for a breakout season. I picked him in the last round of my keeper league fantasy hockey pool. Sure, I dropped him after he opened the season with only one goal in 17 games, but, well, that’s besides the point. I still knew.

Franzen is the next player on the long list of successful late Detroit Red Wings draft picks. He was chosen in the third round, 97th overall back in 2004.

The others? Pavel Datsyuk, drafted in the sixth round, 171st overall in 1998. Nicklas Lidstrom, drafted in the third round, 53rd overall way back in 1989. Dude’s had a pretty good career, hasn’t he? Valtteri Filppula, who scored 19 goals this season, was chosen in the third round, 95th overall in 2002. Look for him to have a Franzen-type breakout season next year. Tomas Holmstrom, drafted in the 10th round, 257th overall back in 1994, has forged a nice little career for himself. And, of course, Henrik Zetterberg, drafted in the 7th round, 210th overall in 1999, is only one of the NHLs best players.

Unbelievable, eh? Detroit’s scouting and drafting department is the best in the NHL, no contest. If the Toronto Maple Leafs are serious about winning a Stanley Cup they should buy the Detroit scouting staff and get Ken Holland over here asap.

Sean Avery has officially transcended hockey. Here’s a piece about him in The New Yorker.

Speaking of douche-baggery, here’s an article I’ve been wanting to share for a long time, courtesy of The New York Times, on the timeless art of the face wash.

Is it time to officially give the Dallas Stars some respect? First they shoot down the defending champion Anaheim Ducks in five games and then they go into San Jose and win games one and two on the road. Yeah, I think some respect is due.

Dan Myers over at Penalty Shots thinks the Leafs should be considering, get ready for this one, Bobby Clarke for the general manager position. Clarke’s career record as a GM is a sparkling 714-443-199. It’s tough to argue with that record, but it’s not tough to argue that Clarke is a serious douche who left one hell of a mess behind in Philadelphia. While we do have what Clarke never did in Philly – a goalie – I just don’t see it happening.

The Toronto Marlies are moving on to the second round of the AHL playoffs thanks to an ugly goal by Bates Battaglia with only a minute to go in game seven last night. While I’m still losing sleep over the fact that Justin Pogge is not in net for the Marlies, Scott Clemmensen was great yesterday, making 33 saves to ensure the victory. He’s keeping the hopes of a parade alive in the city of Toronto. Sad, I know, but it’s all we’ve got.

Speaking of Toronto, when did we become the “City of Champions”? I thought Edmonton held that title? Did I miss the memo or something, because I sure as hell haven’t missed any championships.

I ask because Damien Cox wrote a blog post entitled “A Tradition of, Um, Something” in which he took the city’s sports teams to task for, well, sucking. He took shots at the Leafs (of course), the Toronto Rock, some OHL teams no one gives a damn about, the Raptors, Marlies, Blue Jays, and Toronto FC. Basically, anything and everything MLSE related. It’s just Cox being Cox, you know, in his tradition of, um, bad sports writing.

In the Western Conference you will see the Dallas Stars against the San Jose Sharks, and the Detroit Red-Wings against the Colorado Avalanche.

Stars, Sharks: Evegeni Nabokov against Marty Turco. Nabokov is the better goalie this year by far, but Turco has played really well, and didn’t play as many games during the regular season as Nabokov, one would have to think that Nabokov will get tired eventually. Nabokov has the edge as long as he doesn’t get tired. The Stars still don’t have Sergei Zubov, which could hurt them in this series. If the Stars hope to defeat the Sharks they will have to do the same thing as they did against the Anaheim Ducks, as the Sharks are also a physical team, however they might be a little bruised after their last series against the Calgary Flames. Technically the Sharks should win, but then again, everyone had the Ducks winning too, as the Stars had a bad end of the season, and look what happened.

Avalanche, Red-Wings: As much as it pains me to say it, with the recent play of the almost extinct Dominik Hasek, Jose Theodore is the better goalie so far, Chris Osgood is a good goalie, unfortunately Theodore has been standing on his head in the play-offs, the edge to starting goalie goes to the Avalanche. Ian Laperriere, he has got a target on his back after smashing Niklas Lidstrom into cloud nine at the end of the season. The scorers for both teams are about even, the defence however goes to the Red-Wings. This series should go to the Red-Wings, but they didn’t impress too many people in their last series, are they too old? The Avalanche have some speed, but will it be enough to win? Colorado could upset.

In the Eastern Conference you will see the Pittsburgh Penguins against the New York Rangers, and the Montreal Canadiens against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Penguins, Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist, enough said. Lundqvist is superior to Ty Conklin, and Marc Andre Fleury, by far. Pittsburgh’s offence is better than the Rangers, but, Jaromir Jagr has come out of his shell, that could hurt the Pens. The Pens are all offence, and didn’t have much trouble sweeping the Ottawa Senators in their last series, but the Rangers are not the Sens. The Rangers have Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, to shut down either the Sidney Crosby line, or the Evgeni Malkin line. But will the Pens be able to defend against the re-appearance of Jagr the great, Brendan Shanahan, Brandon Dubinsky, and Martin Straka? Fleury, or Conklin will have their hands full in this series. The only factor that will not be one is Sean Avery, yes he can score some nice goals, which he just might, but his intimidation antics will not work in Pittsburgh with big George Laraque on the ice, Avery better hope that those two don’t meet, or else Avery can book his hospital room right now. Besides goal-tending which the Blue Shirts hold the advantage, the Pens have more explosive talent up front, question is, will they be able to explode on the Rangers, the Rangers aren’t the Sens. Keep the Pens in their own zone. I believe that the Rangers could win this one, if they are able to slow down the Pens, if not, the Pens take it.

Canadiens, Flyers: Where to start, well to keep it short, Carey Price is better than Martin Biron. The Flyers defence is slow, and Derian Hatcher has seen better days. These two teams were no.1, and no.2 in the regular season on the power-play, with the Habs being no.1. The Habs had a hard time against the Bruins on the p.p., but if they can manage to bring it back now that Saku Koivu is back then they will do well as the Flyers are an undisciplined team. Daniel Briere will be deaf when he leaves the Bell Centre, and may have to work on his confidence as well as the Montreal fans will let him have it big time. Montreal has the edge in coaching staff, and defence, as well as in between the pipes. With Mike Knuble, and Simon Gagne out, for sure the Habs have the edge in offence as well, question is, will Philly be able to contain it for seven games if necessary? Montreal should win this one, as the Flyers only impressed themselves by winning, but you never know, still the Habs should prevail if their power-play clicks, and they play their game, and don’t play the Flyers way, yes the Flyers have Steve Downie, but the Habs have Steve Begin, Tom Kostopoulos, Francis Bouillon, and Maxim Lapierre to a lesser extent. The Habs two best players in Alex Kovalev, and Carey Price, are better than the two best players of the Flyers in Mike Richards, and Daniel Briere. Should be a good one to watch.

As witnessed by their reported interest in Brad Richards of the Tampa Bay Lightning before he was moved to the Dallas Stars, the Blue Jackets are willing to spend big bucks to fill their biggest needs (i.e. a number one and number two center). And with between $15 million to $20 million in salary cap space at their disposal, they may just pull the biggest moves of the summer.

With that in mind, Portzline suggests that Blue Jackets GM may inquire about the availability of Daniel Briere of Philadelphia, Patrick Elias of New Jersey, Scott Gomez of the New York Rangers. The thought there is that those three clubs may be looking for “roster and payroll flexibility.”

Of course, rumors continue to swirl that the Blue Jackets will trade for San Jose Sharks center Patrick Marleau before the entry draft, as Portzline and Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun both have reported. As Gary Peterson of the Contra Costa Times documents in his article, Marleau has had a tough season with the Sharks and has seen his name pop up in numerous trade rumors.

So, getting any one of the aforementioned players would definitely resolve their need for a top-line pivot. But what will Columbus do about their second-line center position?

Portzline suggests that trading for Matthew Lombardi of the Calgary Flames may be an option.

The Flames have two pending unrestricted free agent forwards they would like to re-sign in Craig Conroy and Daymond Langkow, and would consider shedding Lombardi’s salary to make it happen.

“You don’t get (a top-six role) by acclamation, you have to earn it,” Flames GM Darryl Sutter said last week. “To be quite honest, Langkow and Conroy have outplayed him this year.”

Now, more and more NHL teams are employing the hockey version of cheerleaders.

The Anaheim Ducks, Atlanta Thrashers, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Tampa Bay Lightning all have them. That’s 16 teams.

Three Canadian teams have them, too, including the Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators, and the Vancouver Canucks.

So, what exactly do Ice Girls do?

Well, according to PuckThatHit.com, this is what the job entails:

Ice Girls often (but not always) step onto the ice, clean away excess snow, wipe down the glass, and of course give away t-shirts. Any excuse to have them parade their increased chest sizes and minuscule waists is good enough for management and fans.

For those interested, there’s a poll over at PuckThatHit.com where you can vote for which team has the best ice girls. There’s pictures, too… pretty pictures… go check ‘em out. I threw in my vote for the Chicago Blackhawks’ Ice Crew.

Anyway, I’m wondering how soon will it be before ALL NHL teams has a crew of Ice Girls dancing in a seat near you? And which team will it be the next in line? Will it be the Buffalo Sabres, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, or the Washington Capitals?

This is an unscientific poll, by the way.

The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont reports that Atlanta Thrashers forward Erik Christensen wanted out of Pittsburgh because he wasn’t getting enough playing time.

Dupont also suggests that the Boston Bruins should give goalie Tim Thomas a one-year contract extension, while signing Glen Metropolit to a two-year extension due to their strong performances this season.

Lastly from Dupont, he reports that the San Jose Sharks tried hard to deal struggling forward Patrick Marleau before the February 26 trade deadline, but could not find any takers.

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, Marleau has a “no-movement” clause kicks in on July 1, so he will be even more difficult to deal. That’s why the Sharks wanted to part ways with him now.

Garrioch also reports that the Montreal Canadiens contacted the Chicago Blackhawks to inquire about the availability of forward Martin Havlat, but could not put a deal together. Speculation is that Havlat may be moved during the off-season.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens were also working on trading pending unrestricted free agent forward Michael Ryder to the Calgary Flames for Alex Tanguay. It’s believed that the deal fell through when Flames GM Darryl Sutter decided not trade Tanguay.

Tanguay, who agreed to waive his no-trade clause, is said to be disappointed he was not moved.

Look for the Washington Capitals to attempt and re-sign pending UFA goalie Cristobal Huet, says Garrioch. If they’re successful, longtime Capitals netminder and pending UFA Olaf Kolzig could find himself playing for another team.

Did the Columbus Blue Jackets trade pending UFA defenseman Adam Foote to the Colorado Avalanche over $500,000? Yes, according to Garrioch.

The Blue Jackets also lost out on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brad Richards, even though they made a decent offer of forwards Gilbert Brule and Dan Fritsche along with a prospect.

So, which teams tried to acquire Blackhawks forward Tuomo Ruutu before the was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes? Garrioch claims it was the Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Negotiations between the Buffalo Sabres and goalie Ryan Miller aren’t going well, as Miller doesn’t appear to be in a hurry to sign a contract extension with the Sabres. This leaves Garrioch to speculate that he’ll take off as a UFA after the 2008-09 season.

I’ll admit that I was optimistic when it came to the Brad Richards trade, but as an easily excited fan, I was swept up in the possibility of getting someone of his caliber to play along either Nash, Modin, or Zherdev. When “The List” of teams he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause for surfaced, I was even more excited. (p.s. “The List” included Dallas, Columbus and Vancouver supposedly) Anyway, the time passed, and eventually it was evident that Tampa Bay was highly interested in a goaltender for the rest of this season and next year (Mike Smith) than a solid defenseman, energy forward, and quickly developing prospect.

As soon as it was evident that the Richards trade was going the way of Dallas, GM Howson went ahead and made the trades that were predicted for the most part. Most fans expected center Michael Peca and Sergei Fedorov to be moved, as well as winger David Vyborny and possibly defenseman Adam Foote and/or Ron Hainsey. It shouldn’t have been as shocking as it was, but only Foote and Fedorov were traded away to gain prospects and draft picks.

My take on the trades:

Fedorov’s trade to the Capitals was for lack of a better word, “meh”. He was way overpaid and injury prone, and not quite the same Sergei Fedorov as he was before coming to Columbus. Not to mention that the Jackets has no plan to resign him after this season. Theo Ruth, I have no clue who he is except for a blueliner freshman at Notre Dame.

Foote’s trade to the Avalanche was downright aggravating, after hearing the aftermath that is. For the weeks leading up to the deadline Foote was supposedly having good negotiations with GM Howson looking to extend his contract for 2 more seasons at about 3-4million per season. But as Blue Jackets beat writers report in their weekly podcast the thought is that Foote’s initial intent was to get out of Columbus like his name was Llllloyd Carr. He and his agent set an amount that they knew that the Jackets would not meet, unless maybe the Richards deal had gone through. Even though the Dispatch writers expect that Foote would have just raised his asking price. Such a disappointing end to our supposedly “unquestioned” leader.

The Dallas Stars acquired Brad Richards from the Tampa Bay Lightning, with the fact that they were already a really good team knocking on Detroit’s door, the Stars will be a team to watch in the play-offs, hopefully for them, Sergei Zubov comes back into their line up soon.

The San Jose Sharks acquired Brian Campbell, although this may help shore up their defense, and add a little punch from the blue-line, it won’t help their scoring much, unless Patirck Marleau and , Jonathan Chechoo come out of their funk.

The Detroit Red Wings, acquired Brad Stuart to help fill in the void that was left by Niklas Lidstrom, Chris Chelios, and company when they all got injured, but besides giving Darren McCarty a contract, the Wings didn’t add to their offense. Let’s hope that when Dan Cleary Comes back along with all the injured defenseman, that they will push hard in the play-offs.

The Colorado Avalanche acquired Ruslan Salei, to go along with Adam Foote which they re-acquired and, Peter Forsberg, which signed for the rest of the year. This is the dark-horse team in the west, being that the Avs lost Joe Sakic, Ryan Smith, and, Paul Stasny to injury, yet they managed to stay a couple of points back of the final spot, now with Sakic, Smith, and Stasny coming back plus the players the Avs acquired, they have a good chance to go far. All this team needs now is for Patrick Roy to come out of retirement

The Anaheim Ducks didn’t do much, but they are 9-1 since Teemu Selanne came back so they didn’t have to do anything, this team will be hard to beat.

As far as the rest of the teams in the Western Conference go, they all have to hope that the Stars, Ducks, Sharks, and Wings somehow falter, but as they say, the play-offs is a complete other season where anything can happen, which it has from time to time when most recently the Edmonton Oilers got on a hot streak and when the the Stanley Cup final.