sibiriak

All but 1 players on team Russia have NHL experience and all but 3 have played in the NHL for many years. This is essentially an 90% NHL team.

Yes, its full of fuzzy teddybears like OV, Volchenkov and Radulov. Good luck trying to intimidate those.

Friday: Ottawa @ New Jersey Toronto @ Buffalo Carolina @ Florida Tampa Bay @ St Louis Boston @ Chicago Washington @ Vancouver Saturday: NY Rangers @ Philadelphia Detroit @ Dallas Phoenix @ Anaheim Nashville @ Calgary Pittsburgh @ Buffalo Boston @ Toronto Minnesota @ Ottawa Montreal @ NY Islanders Florida @ Carolina New Jersey @ Atlanta Columbus @ Colorado Washington @Edmonton Sunday: Detroit @ Chicago St Louis @ Vancouver

Friday: Florida @ New Jersey Carolina @ Washington Chicago @ Buffalo Anaheim @ Detroit Edmonton @ St Louis Tampa Bay @ Colorado Minnesota @ Calgary Dallas @ San Jose Saturday: Washington @ Toronto Carolina @ Ottawa Philadelphia @ New Jersey Boston @ NY Islanders Buffalo @ NY Rangers Montreal@ Atlanta Anaheim @ Columbus Florida @ Pittsburgh Detroit @ Nashville San Jose @ Phoenix Minnesota @ Vancouver Dallas @ Los Angeles Sunday: Tampa Bay @ Chicago Calgary @ Colorado

Friday: Tampa Bay @ New Jersey Boston @ Montreal Anaheim @ Minnesota Nashville @ Chicago Saturday: Vancouver @ Carolina Edmonton @ Dallas St Louis @ Los Angeles Toronto @ Boston NY Rangers @ Buffalo Detroit @ New Jersey Washington @ Philadelphia Atlanta @ Florida Colorado @ Columbus Chicago @ Pittsburgh NY Islanders @ Tampa Bay Minnesota @ Nashville Ottawa @ Phoenix Calgary @ San Jose Sunday: Detroit @ NY Rangers Ottawa @ Anaheim

Too late for the first 5 games. Friday: New Jersey @ Boston Buffalo @ Philadelphia Pittsburgh @ NY Islanders Colorado @ Minnesota Chicago @ Anaheim Atlanta @ Carolina Calgary @ Detroit NY Rangers @ Tampa Bay Toronto @ Florida St Louis @ Nashville Dallas @ Phoenix San Jose @ Edmonton Saturday: NY Islanders @ New Jersey Ottawa @ Boston Carolina @ Buffalo Washington @ Montreal Philadelphia @ Atlanta Calgary @ Columbus NY Rangers @ Pittsburgh Detroit @ St Louis Florida @ Nashville Tampa Bay @ Dallas Minnesota @ Colorado Edmonton @ Vancouver Chicago @ Los Angeles Sunday: Phoenix @ Anaheim San Jose @ Vancouver

Friday: Montreal @ Washington Boston @ Buffalo Florida @ Detroit NY Islanders @ Minnesota Colorado @ Vancouver Philadelphia @ San Jose Saturday: Calgary @ Los Angeles Washington @ Toronto Detroit @ Montreal Buffalo @ Ottawa Florida @ NY Rangers Tampa Bay @ Carolina Pittsburgh @ Atlanta NY Islanders @ St Louis Columbus @ Nashville New Jersey @ Dallas Philadelphia @ Phoenix Chicago @ Edmonton San Jose @ Anaheim Sunday: Tampa Bay @ Atlanta Chicago @ Vancouver

Friday: Minnesota @ Washington NY Islanders @ Carolina Anaheim @ Columbus Calgary @ Buffalo Los Angeles @ Atlanta Toronto @ Chicago Saturday: NY Rangers @ Ottawa Calgary @ Toronto Washington @ New Jersey Buffalo @ Philadelphia NY Islanders @ Florida Anaheim @ Detroit Boston @ Pittsburgh Los Angeles @ Tampa Bay San Jose @ St Louis Montreal @ Nashville Dallas @ Phoenix Vancouver @ Colorado Sunday: Minnesota @ Carolina Edmonton @ Atlanta San Jose @ Chicago

Friday: NY Islanders @ New Jersey Toronto @ Carolina Philadelphia @ Buffalo Washington @ Florida Vancouver @ Dallas Chicago @ Colorado Saturday: Nashville @ Los Angeles Buffalo @ Boston Detroit @ Toronto Tampa Bay @ Montreal New Jersey @ Ottawa Atlanta @ NY Islanders St Louis @ Philadelphia Florida @ Washington Carolina @ Columbus Dallas @ Minnesota NY Rangers @ Calgary Phoenix @ Anaheim Pittsburgh @ San Jose Sunday: St Louis @ Atlanta Edmonton @ Colorado

This is a PR campain by the CBJ management, who are trying to get the city/county government te give them money either in alcohol surtax or by taking over the arena and giving them a break on the lease. When the expansion team was granted to Columbus, the voters refused to allow public funds to be used to finance the hockey arena. Instead, Nationwide Insurance company footed most of the bill. In exchange they got the naming rights in perpetutity and the lion share of parking, concessions, etc. Seeing as they forked over almost $200 mil. for the arena construction, it seemed fair. The new CBJ management, IMO, is trying to weasel out from under the deal they no longer like. Their timing is quite convinient , since the team is starting to draw well and is likely to make the playoffs again this year.

Friday: NY Islanders @ Washington Pittsburgh @ Columbus Toronto @ Buffalo NY Rangers @ Minnesota Montreal @ Chicago Florida @ Dallas Vancouver @ Anaheim Colorado @ San Jose Saturday: Edmonton @ Boston Carolina @ Philadelphia Atlanta @ Ottawa New Jersey @ Tampa Bay Toronto @ Montreal Buffalo @ NY Islanders Minnesota @ Pittsburgh Florida @ St Louis Dallas @ Nashville Anaheim @ Phoenix Detroit @ Calgary Sunday: Boston @ NY Rangers San Jose @ Carolina Columbus @ Washington Colorado @ Vancouver

The more I watch the hit, the more I think that there was no slewfooting, not even tripping. Peverley falls ahead of OV's leg, not over it as one would expect in a case of a trip. It looked like a penalty to the refs at game speed, and I can't really fault them for making that call, but in slow motion it looks like a shoulder to shoulder struggle which OV won. His forward leg looks incidental, and Peverly falls in the direction where he is pushed by OV's shoulder rather than back over his (supposedly slew-footing) leg. It seems to me that OV's left hip may have made contact and cause Peverly to lose balance this way. Wasn't suspension worthy, IMO.

Friday: Florida @ Pittsburgh Minnesota @ St Louis Carolina @ Colorado Saturday: NY Rangers @ Montreal Boston @ Ottawa Washington @ NY Islanders Florida @ Philadelphia San Jose @ Atlanta Toronto @ Vancouver New Jersey @ Pittsburgh Buffalo @ Tampa Bay Dallas @ St Louis Carolina @ Minnesota Nashville @ Chicago Detroit @ Colorado Los Angeles @ Phoenix Edmonton @ Calgary Columbus @ Anaheim Sunday: San Jose @ Philadelphia Columbus @ Los Angeles Edmonton @ Vancouver

Friday: Atlanta @ New Jersey NY Islanders @ Buffalo Philadelphia @ Florida Boston @ Dallas Vancouver @ Calgary Minnesota @ Edmonton Saturday: Atlanta @ Buffalo NY Rangers @ Toronto Ottawa @ Montreal Carolina @ New Jersey San Jose @ NY Islanders Nashville @ Washington Colorado @ Detroit Los Angeles @ Columbus Tampa Bay @ Pittsburgh Dallas @ Chicago Boston @ Phoenix Minnesota @ Vancouver St Louis @ Anaheim Sunday: No games scheduled

I say, let Bettman have his way. If NHL players don't participate, then Team Russia led by OV, Malkin, Kovalchuk and I'm sure several other NHLers will sweep all before it and win the gold! And since every other country is in the same position, it would be their own fault, if they will not have had their best players.

Saturday NJ Devils @ Florida NY Islanders @ Boston Pittsburgh @ Toronto Atlanta @ Ottawa Washington @ Detroit Anaheim @ Philadelphia Carolina @ Tampa Buffalo @ Nashville Los Angeles @ St. Louis Colorado @ Chicago Colombus @ Phoenix Montreal @ Edmonton Minnesota @ San Jose Sunday Anaheim @ NY Rangers Dallas @ Vancouver

Friday Florida vs Chicago St. Louis vs Detroit Philadelphia vs Carolina NY Rangers vs Pittsburgh Saturday Chicago vs Florida Vancouver vs Colorado Detroit vs St. Louis Carolina vs Boston Montreal vs Buffalo Philadelphia vs New Jersey Pittsburgh vs NY Islanders Ottawa vs NY Rangers Toronto vs Washington Tampa Bay vs Atlanta Minnesota vs Columbus Nashville vs Dallas Calgary vs Edmonton San Jose vs Anaheim Phoenix vs Los Angeles

That is true. But if I were the GM :idea: I'd always have 2 rookies on my 4th line, and maybe another one on one of the top 2 lines, if I had an outstanding rookie on my team.

Helm, Ericsson, Leino and Howard? Helm, at his 22 years of age, played 23 NHL reg. season games and 41 NHL playoff games so he is a rookie only technically, ditto 25-year old Ericsson (27+22 which makes him no longer a rookie with over 25 NHL carreer regular season games), and 25-yr old Leino is fairly old for a rookie and played against men on a high level for several years. Howard at 25 and with 9 carreer NHL games is the least exprienced of the 4 and he is a backup goalie who won't see 25 starts. I don't see the lack of maturity/experience as a big issue.

What is that bird(?) inside the maple leaf?

So, when you repeat this stereotype, do you agree with it or not? Either you embrace this "notion" and accept the critisism for it, or you reject it, and then it's unclear why you mentioned Zherdev's possible contract and "desire to win the Cup" toghether. Otherwise, you remind me of someone repeating nasty gossip and then saying: "I don't personally agree with gossiping, but that's what people are saying". Have the corage of your convictions! P.S. I have followed NHL hockey for over 25 years, last 18 of which very closely.

Actually, if you ask any hockey player (any nationality) that question, you will get the same answer: "The most important prize is the one I'm playing for right now."

How exactly does Zherdev leaving for the KHL have anything to do with "love and drive for the Stanley Cup"? Pro athletes play to win, whether it is Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final or an off-season golf shindig. Its in their mental make-up, it's what pushed them to become successful athletes. By your logic, all hockey players in the world, except for about 200 who play for the NHL teams that have a reasonable chance to win the Cup in a given year, have nothing to play for and should just quit. Do the guys in Grand Rapids have "love and drive for the Stanley Cup" to the exclusion of all else? Why do they bother playing in the AHL playoffs then? Or why do any Canadians ever agree to play for the Oilers or the Panthers or the Coyotes? Seeing that they are VERY unlikely to compete for the Cup there. It's a business. NHL has a higher level of play and prestige, the KHL has higher pay for second-tier/older NHL stars. It's a business decision. Zherdev said in several interviews that his first priority is to sign with an NHL club, but he would consider KHL, if no reasonable offers from the NHL teams are forthcoming. If he indeed signes with Salavat, then that would be the reason. P.S. According to "Salavat" assistant coach Igor Zakharkin: "Zherdev will not play in Ufa, we never even considered him". Qouted from his interview to "Sovetsky sport" newspaper when he was asked to comment on RDS.ca report about the signing.

Small reminder, Chris Simon plays in the KHL now. So do Martin Grenier and Darcy Vero. There are also some Russian players who can fight. Andrei Nazarov is coaching one of the teams, and his guys can account for themselves well.

Sammy 28 goals in Vancouver : Under, he probably won't see as much time on PP. Unless he plays with Sedins... Hmm maybe I should take this one back Huds 56 points in the KHL : Under, new team, and they only play 60+ games in the regular season Datsyuk 100 pts : Under Wings 47 wins : Under Ozzie 50 starts : Over, unless they sign another goalie Wings under 2.5 goals against per game : Under, we lost some significant offence Mule 40 goals : Under Ovie 60 goals : Under, but not by much Wings 10 fighting majors : Who are you kidding?! Under! Crosby 120 pts : Under, Hello Stanley Cup HANGOVER Tavares 20 goals: Under, but the Islanders as a team might break a 100 goals mark