All Entries in the "Eastern Conference" Category
GameDay: Bruins Open Postseason Against Maple Leafs
Teams: Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins Series: Tied 0-0 Location: TD Garden – Boston, MA Face-Off: 7:00 P.M. (EST) TV/Radio Info: NESN (Edwards, Brickley, Funayama) – 98.5 The Sports Hub (Goucher, Beers) Last Game: N/A Tonight’s Lineups (Subject To Change): BOSTON: Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin Lucic–Krejci–Horton Daugavins–Kelly–Jagr Paille–Campbell–Thornton — Chara–Seidenberg Ference–Boychuk Redden–McQuaid — Rask Scratches– ….. Carl Soderberg, Rich Peverley, Jay Pandolfo, Aaron Johnson, Dougie Hamilton [...]
NY ISLANDERS vs PITTSBURGH PENGUINS ROUNDTABLE PREVIEW
It’s an 8 seed versus a 1 seed. The up-and-comer taking on a Cup-chasing, playoff-proven contender. We have a singular superstar and a veteran goalie leading the underdog’s charge against a relative murderer’s row of names. But the New York Islanders/Pittsburgh Penguins quarterfinal matchup carries significant intrigue and no shortage of [...]
Playoff Preview: Isles, Penguins Set to Meet in Postseason for the First Time Since 1993
The playoffs are upon us, Isles fans. You may have wanted Pittsburgh. You may not have wanted Pittsburgh. Regardless, the New York Islanders drew the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Could it have been prevented? Sure. The Islanders didn’t close out the season as we would have hoped [...]
Fleury, PK both critical for Pittsburgh in 1st round match against Islanders
Most pundits have selected the Penguins to easily cruise by the surprising New York Islanders, but as someone who was scarred for life by last spring’s 30-goals-allowed-to-Philadelphia debacle, my approach to fandom and blogdom this year is to adopt a “prove-it” approach. At the end of March, a friend on Good Friday morning jokingly shook [...]
Hockey Independent Playoff Roundtable: 2013 First Round Predictions
With the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs set to begin just a few hours from now, four members of the Hockey Independent writing staff have come together to predict each and every first round series of this year’s postseason. The contributing authors to today’s piece will be Cris Cohen (New York Rangers), Seth Levin (New Jersey Devils), Bill Philp (Tampa Bay Lightning) [...]
If It’s The Playoffs, Then It Must Be Washington
Heading into Saturday afternoon’s season finale with the New Jersey Devils, the New York Rangers knew what they had to do to ensure bypassing a first-round meeting with the top-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins. They did just that and then some, picking up 2 points against the team they eliminated from playoff contention a week earlier with [...]
The Malone Mess
After two consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs, Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager Steve Yzerman has some tough decisions to make in the upcoming off-season. Not the least of which is what to do with fan favorite Ryan Malone. “Bugsy” as he is affectionately referred to, has two more years left on a contract with [...]
Bruins Fall to Fourth Seed After 4-2 Loss to Sens
BOSTON, MA — The dates are set, the opponent is set and the NHL postseason is just three nights away from returning to the Hub. But, will the hometown Bruins be ready for it? If Sunday’s regular season finale is any indication, I’m not so sure. With a 4-2 loss against the Senators at TD [...]
Crow For Two
For half a season, the Islanders were making us look like prophets. We even wrote about it in a previous piece, which the prolific writer at Islanders Optimism – a site where the Islanders can do no wrong- called very fair. Our stat projections were largely dead on. Our team point projections were within 1 [...]
With Playoff-Picture Cloudy After Isles Loss in Philly, Just Remember “Why Not Us?”
You just cannot win them all, Isles fans. I wish we could, but it’s never going to happen. Eventually, your team is going to lose. The loss sits as a thorn in your side, but what are you really going to do about it? Cry? Pout? The New York Islanders just clinched their first playoff [...]
Mission Accomplished! Now What?
At the end of the 2006- 2007 hockey season, the Islanders were facing a crossroads as a team. They had made the playoffs with a degree of consistency since the 2001-02 team, only missing in the 2005-06 post lockout season (a team, ironically, with Jack Capuano and Dan Blysma as assistant coaches – divergent career [...]
Isles Clinch Playoff Berth; Built to “Upset”
We did it! The New York Islanders are going to the playoffs for the first time since the 2006-07 NHL season! So what if it took a loser point to get there? The Islanders will be playing hockey in May for the first time in two decades. A point earned in a 4-3 shootout loss [...]
Rink Recollections: Jeff Odgers, NHL, 1991-2003
By Brian D’Ambrosio Jeff Odgers played every NHL game as if it were his final. He never took a game for granted –scared that his career could fade away at any moment. Odgers scrapped and gritted his way onto the roster and he made sure he never provided his coaches with a sufficient reason to [...]
Isles Win 5-4 (SO) Over Jets, Prepare to Land into Playoffs
We’re almost there, Isles fans. After being counted out at the beginning of the season without having the chance to prove themselves, the Islanders magic number is 3 with only three games remaining. I guess we play the games for a reason, right, analysts? The disrespect has lessened, but there are still plenty of “professionals” that [...]
Bruins End Skid with 3-0 Win Against Panthers
BOSTON, MA – For the first time since Monday April the 8th, the Boston Bruins were able to collect two points in a game played at the TD Garden, skating away with a 3-0 home-ice victory over the last-place Florida Panthers. With an offense bolstered by goals from Jaromir Jagr and Dougie Hamilton, along with an empty [...]
Pens Complete Season Sweep of Bruins with 3-2 Win at TD Garden
BOSTON, MA – 1-5-1. What’s the significance of the number above, you ask? Well, that’s the record the Boston Bruins finished the season with against their two biggest competitors atop the Eastern Conference standings; the Montreal Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Saturday afternoon’s 3-2 defeat at the hands of the injury-riddled Pens (playing without Sidney Crosby, [...]
Tavares, Top-Line Awaken As Isles Rake in Another Two Points
I’m not scared when the Islanders fall behind. It’s a completely different feeling from what we have been used to over the past few seasons, but when the Islanders are behind, I’m just not worried. The New York Islanders fell behind early again the Toronto Maple Leafs. In fact, the Islanders fell back on hold [...]
Sabres Steal the Game, but Boston Wins the Night
BOSTON, MA – It was an emotional night at the TD Garden on Wednesday evening. One that the city of Boston will not soon forget. The game’s opening ceremony and video package, fittingly set to country music star Phillip Phillips’ “Home”, pulled at the heartstrings of everyone in attendance as images of Monday’s horrifying attack was [...]
Outdoor Overexposure
The Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs just can’t catch a break. First, their turn in the Winter Classic spotlight is hijacked by the lockout. Now, just over a week after the re-introduction of the Original 6 matchup as the 2014 game at the Big House in Michigan on New Year’s Day, we [...]
We’re going outdoors? Devils-Rangers at Yankee Stadium
It’s a hard time to be a Devils fan right now. The team is currently on a ten game losing streak (0-6-4) plummeting them out of playoff contention baring a miraculous turnaround (and plenty of help). With the potential of missing the playoffs for the second time in three years, Devils Army is looking [...]
