Leighton Signed, Holmgren Kicks Off Free Agency
NHLHS Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent David Strehle takes a look at the Flyers’ signing of Leighton and what may lie ahead on the opening day of NHL Free Agency.
Goaltender Michael Leighton was brought back into the fold yesterday as he signed a two-year, $3.1 million deal.
Categories: Around the League, Atlantic, By Teams, Eastern Conference, Eastern Conference, Morning Papers, NHLHS Features, Philadelphia Flyers Tags: Anton Volchenkov, Braydon Coburn, Brian Boucher, Carey Price, Chris Mason, Chris Pronger, Dan Ellis, Evgeni Nabokov, Kimmo Timonen, Kurtis Foster, Lukas Krajicek, Marty Turco, Matt Carle, Michael Leighton, NHL, Oskars Bartulis, Paul Holmgren, Pekka Rinne, Peter Laviolette, Philadelphia Flyers, Ryan Parent, Zbynek Michalek
Flyers’ Eternal Search Continues, Holmgren Looks for Goaltender
NHLHS Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent David Strehle takes a look at Flyers GM Paul Holmgren’s new (and old) mission, to find a franchise goaltender.
For the Philadelphia Flyers it is a seemingly never-ending search, a generational attempt to find that one franchise netminder with which to call their own.
Through the years, we have seen the likes of Tommy Soderstrom, Dominic Roussel, Garth Snow, Jean-Marc Pelletier, Maxime Ouellet, Brian Boucher (in his first stint with the club), Roman Cechmanek, Antero Niittymaki, and Robert Esche anointed as the heir to the throne.
Categories: 30 Team Series, Around the League, Atlantic, Eastern Conference, Eastern Conference, NHLHS Features, Philadelphia Flyers Tags: Alex Auld, Andrew Raycroft, Antero Niittymaki, bob clarke, Brian Boucher, Carey Price, Chris Mason, Dan Ellis, Dan Hamhuis, Dean Lombardi, dominic roussel, Eric Lindros, Evgeni Nabokov, Garth Snow, Jaroslav Halak, Jeff Carter, jena-marc pelletier, Johan Backlund, Johan Hedberg, John Vanbiesbrouck, Jonathan Bernier, Jonathan Quick, Jose Theodore, Josh Harding, Manny Legace, Martin Biron, Marty Turco, maxime ouellet, Michael Leighton, Miikka Kiprusoff, mike liut, Mike Smith, NHL, Niklas Backstrom, Patrick Lalime, Paul Holmgren, Pekka Rinne, Peter Budaj, Peter Laviolette, Philadelphia Flyers, Ray Emery, Robert Esche, roman cechmanek, Ron Hextall, Sean Burke, tommy soderstrom, Vesa Toskala
Blackhawks Take the Show to Music City
NHLHS writer Ryan Hackett breaks game three of these Western Conference first round playoffs.
After a much better (and more importantly, productive) effort in their own building Sunday night, the Chicago Blackhawks head to The Music City after knotting the series at a game apiece with the Nashville Predators. Other than an overall sparkling performance by youngster Antti Niemi notching the first Blackhawks post-season shutout since 1996, however, it wasn’t exactly a masterpiece. For a majority of the first two games the Predators have controlled the style and pace of the play forcing the Hawks to stray from their comfort zone and limiting them to only three goals in the first two contests. Add to that some stellar work between the pipes from Pekka Rinne, and it’s been a tad frustrating for Chicago so far, Patrick Kane‘s performance notwithstanding.
Categories: Around the League, Chicago Blackhawks, NHLHS Features, Nashville Predators, Playoff Coverage, Western Conference Tags: Antti Niemi, Chicago Blackhawks, Marian Hossa, Nashville Predators, NHL, NHL Playoffs, Patric Hornqvist, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Pekka Rinne
It Keeps Getting Better
Five days in, seven overtime games and ten road wins later, the playoffs have been all that we could expect and more.
In what has been discussed time and time again, the National Hockey Leagues second season, also known as the Stanley Cup Playoffs, is all about goaltending.
Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings, Brian Boucher of the Philadelphia Flyers, Roberto Luongo of the Vancouver Canucks, Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins, Ilya Bryzgalov of the Phoenix Coyotes, Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres, Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators, Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils, Evgeni Nabokov of the San Jose Sharks, Marc-Andre Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Antti Niemi of the Chicago Blackhawks, Brian Elliot of the Ottawa Senators, Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings, Jaroslav Halak of the Montreal Canadiens, Craig Anderson of the Colorado Avalanche as well as both Jose Theodore and Seymon Varlamov of the Washington Capitals have not only stepped up to make some amazing saves but have been able to keep each and every series even or close enough to it.
Categories: Around the League, Atlantic, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Central, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Eastern Conference, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, NHLHS Features, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, Northeast, Northwest, Ottawa Senators, Pacific, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Playoff Coverage, San Jose Sharks, Southeast, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals, Western Conference Tags: Andrei Kostitsyn, Antti Niemi, Braydon Coburn, Brian Boucher, Brian Elliot, Craig Anderson, Evgeni Malkin, Evgeni Nabokov, Henrik Zetterberg, Ilya Bryzgalov, Jaroslav Halak, Jimmy Howard, Jonathan Quick, Jose Theodore, Marc Andre Fleury, Martin Brodeur, Mike Richards, Nickas Backstrom, Nicklas Backstrom, Patrick Sharp, Pekka Rinne, Peter Forsberg, Roberto Luongo, Ryan Miller, Seymon Varlamov, Sidney Crosby, Tuukka Rask
Blackhawks vs. Predators: Round 1 Preview
NHLHS writer Ryan Hackett presents his first round preview of the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators series.
Now Playing: Blues Traveler – Traveler & Thieves
At long last, the Chicago Blackhawks have consecutive playoff appearances, and this time, they face the upstart Nashville Predators. This series presents an interesting matchup for two teams who have faced off six times this season, yet haven’t seen each other this calendar year. This scheduling anomaly results in the highly unlikely scenario of division rivals possibly capitalizing on the element of surprise over their opponent.
Categories: Around the League, Central, Chicago Blackhawks, NHLHS Features, Nashville Predators, Western Conference Tags: Antti Niemi, Chicago Blackhawks, Dave Bolland, Martin Erat, Nashville Predators, NHL, Patric Hornqvist, Pekka Rinne, Ryan Suter, Shea Weber
Pros & Cons: Nashville Predators vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Our newest feature, Pros and Cons, holds a debate between two of our featured writers as they make an argument for each team in the series. We will continue this series throughout the playoffs as we delve deeper into how these two teams will interact.
Categories: Around the League, By Teams, Central, Chicago Blackhawks, NHLHS Features, Nashville Predators, Playoff Coverage, Western Conference Tags: Antti Niemi, Barry Trotz, Brent Seabrook, Cristobal Huet, David Legwand, Duncan Keith, J.P. Dumont, Jason Arnott, Joel Ward, Jonathan Toews, Marcel Goc, Marian Hossa, Martin Erat, Patric Hornqvist, Patrick Hornqvist, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Pekka Rinne, Ryan Suter, Shea Weber, Steve Sullivan
Behind the Mask: Chris Mason
NHLHS writer Laura Astorian takes a look at current St. Louis Blues netminder Chris Mason in our latest edition of The Man Behind the Mask.
Nashville has a certain reputation with starting goaltenders. Solid and impressive first year followed by a middling second with the team, which is promptly followed by the starter becoming the back-up, and the back-up becoming the starter. Dan Ellis and Pekka Rinne come to mind usually the most quickly, because both goalies are still with the Predators (albeit in a 1A/1B tandem). But what of the goaltender that Ellis dethroned?
Chris Mason learned that turnabout is sometimes fair play.
The back-up to Tomas Vokoun starting during the 2003-2004 season, the 122nd overall pick of the 1995 entry draft caught eyes with his .926 SV% and 2.18 GAA in the seventeen games that he played in. After the lock-out, he took over the full position of back-up, with a .913 SV% and 2.54 GAA.
Upon Vokoun’s leaving for the Sunshine State after the 2006-2007 season, Mason stepped up and assumed the role of full time starter. This wasn’t quite a big of jump as one might expect; Mason had played 40 games the prior season, with a .925 SV% and a 2.38 GAA. 2007-2008, though, was not to be as stellar, and left a chance for Ellis to creep up. Mason finished that season with a lackluster .898 SV% and a 2.90 GAA. He was a UFA at the end of the season, and with Dan Ellis and rookie Pekka Rinne coming up through the system, the Predators let him walk.
The St. Louis Blues needed a veteran goaltender to stand behind the injury prone Manny Legace. The previous season’s backup, Hannu Toivonen, had just come off a terrible season and returned to Finland, so there was a perfect spot for Mason. Legace, however, was struggling under the weight of Mason’s similiar-sized contract, and despite it being a UFA season for him, his numbers dropped off terribly and by February he had found himself waived to Peoria.
Mason had overtaken the role of starter once again. He led the Blues down an astounding 25-9-7 path at the end of the 2008-2009 season, ensuring the team had the league’s best post-All Star Game record, and also ensuring that the Blues returned to the playoffs for the first time since before the lockout.
Despite being swept in the first round by the Vancouver Canucks, the Blues felt sold on their goaltending situation, adding back-up Ty Conklin to the team for this season, but still communicating to Mason and the fans that he was the number one.
Despite the Blues missing the playoffs for yet another season after a second half that was solid, Mason still has put up solid numbers for the season. The end of the season marks contract renewal time, as on July 1st he is a free agent, but don’t ask him what his plans are for the future. For right now, Mason just wants the Blues’ opponents to keep on fearing the beard.
Laura Astorian
NHLHS St. Louis Blues Correspondant
lastorian@nhlhotstove.com
@hildymac
Categories: 30 Team Series, Around the League, By Teams, Central, NHLHS Features, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, The Man Behind the Mask, Western Conference Tags: Chris Mason, Hannu Toivonen, Manny Legace, Nashville Predators, Pekka Rinne, St. Louis Blues, Ty Conklin
Tavares Showing Second Star Power
The National Hockey League provides quite the attention grabbing aspects to both the average and die hard fans.
Every week the league features it’s “three stars” in which they look back and award the top three performers with a “star”.
For the week ending March 21st, 2010, Islanders rookie sensation John Tavares was named the “second star”.
Categories: Around the League, Atlantic, By Teams, Eastern Conference, NHLHS Features, New York Islanders Tags: Bryan Trottier, Dave Hudson, John Tavares, Matt Duchene, Mike Bossy, Mikko Makela, Pat LaFontaine, Pekka Rinne, Teemu Selanne
