All Entries in the "Calgary Flames" Category
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 [...]
Finding the Right Fit for the Bruins at the Trade Deadline
As trade winds began to intensify late last week, mostly centered on the topic of Calgary Flames’ captain Jarome Iginla, Boston was buzzing at the possibility of the hometown B’s landing a superstar forward to add to their already strong mix of proven playoff veterans. With the deadline looming just one week from now on [...]
Honey, I Lost the Kids (part 2 of 2)
In the first part of this epic, we promised three pieces of evidence to explain how Garth Snow does things with the sole intention of job preservation. We pointed out how he is relatively awful at drafting in part one. Part two will speak to other shortcomings, starting here: Two- Garth Snow uses salary cap [...]
Honey, I Lost the Kids – part one of two
It’s almost like a reflex when you ask hockey fans about the best way to build a winner “It’s the draft!” Drafting allow you to develop players or trade for established ones. Since the Isles have had no playoffs since 07-08, they’ve been in rebuild mode. We’re going to look at this draft rebuild with [...]
Hockey Myths Exposed – Defensemen Need Time to Develop
Anyone who has watched more than a handful of hockey games gets serenaded with statements that are undisputed in the hockey world, but in reality it doesnt make a lot of sense. We’ve already disproved the myth that power forwards need years to develop in our article “Ninogate,” in which we use the “talent is [...]
Jim Agnew: Ex- NHL Tough Guy Turned Missoula, Montana Sheriff
By Brian D’Ambrosio Jim Agnew is a man in uniform who is most deeply proud of being a wholehearted team player. These days, he buttons up a beige and brown shirt before excitedly starting his work time as a deputy sheriff in Missoula, Montana. In earlier years, he wore another type of distinguishing outfit, [...]
Destination Unknown, part 2
Part Two: Does it feel drafty in here? Snow inherited a team that made the playoffs with regularity, and had a polarizing but successful head coach. Theorizing that the playoff team handed to him was underwhelming, Snow started what is lovingly referred to as a rebuild by fans, and a disaster by anybody else’s standard. [...]
We Are Not That Dumb
It can be assumed that the Isles and Garth Snow are on a strict budget. Whether they say it or not, their actions support such. However, since they constantly say the opposite, they should be held to their own words. Garth consistently repeats, three times a year, once before free agency starts, again after [...]
Hockey Independent Roundtable: Preseason Stanley Cup Predictions
Hello everyone and welcome again to the Hockey Independent Roundtable. In today’s piece, five HI writers will provide you all with their early picks for the playoffs ad the Stanley Cup. This piece will double as Part III of my five-part 2013 NHL season preview. Part I –> Northeast Division Preview Part II –> Eastern [...]
Jay Wells: Rugged Defenseman Reflects on Scrappy 18-Year NHL Career
By Brian D’Ambrosio Jay Wells selflessly battled numerous enforcers of substantial note: Bob Probert, Jay Miller, Dave Brown (a few times) and Marty McSorley, among the list. One of the game’s exemplary teammates, his career spanned from 1979 to 1997, a period in which Wells stood up to the roughest individuals to ever to patrol [...]
Hockey’s Christmas: 10 Predictions For 2012 Free Agency
In many ways, July 1 and the opening of unrestricted free agency is much like Christmas for hockey fans. Puck heads wake up early and rush to their living rooms early in the morning. But instead of checking underneath a Christmas tree, they’ll make a beeline straight towards the nearest computer. As the clock strikes [...]
Hockey Independent Offseason Predictions: Joker’s Wild; Four Big Name Players On The Move?
Members of the Hockey Independent crew have come together again for another series of offseason articles for your reading pleasure. The contributing authors to today’s piece will be Cris Cohen (New York Rangers), Seth Levin (New Jersey Devils), Alex Muscat (Detroit Red Wings) and myself, Benjamin Woodward (Boston Bruins). Each of us have taken on [...]
2012 Hockey Independent Mock Draft: Final Wrap-Up
The Hockey Independent crew has come together again; this time to piece together a 2012 NHL Mock Draft for your reading pleasure. The contributing authors to today’s piece will be Cris Cohen (New York Rangers), Seth Levin (New Jersey Devils), Alex Muscat (Detroit Red Wings), Bill Philp (Tampa Bay Lightning) and myself, Benjamin Woodward [...]
2012 Hockey Independent Mock Draft: Selections 11-15: Here Come The Europeans
The Hockey Independent crew has come together again; this time to piece together a 2012 NHL Mock Draft for your reading pleasure. The contributing authors to today’s piece will be Cris Cohen (New York Rangers), Seth Levin (New Jersey Devils), Alex Muscat (Detroit Red Wings), Bill Philp (Tampa Bay Lightning) and myself, Benjamin Woodward (Boston [...]
An Inside Look At The NHL’s First Ever In-Game Trade
In any sport, it’s normal for a team to make trades. For a variety of reasons, trades are used to help build franchises. Nothing out of the ordinary, right? Well, what made the Montreal Canadiens’ trade of top line winger Michael Cammalleri so different was the fact that he was traded during the second intermission [...]
CONCUSSIONS KILLING HOCKEY
Speed and offense are now the kings in the present day NHL. A focus on players with those very attributes took over drafts and team on-ice strategies. Slower skaters have slowly been fazed out, especially those pugilistic specialists who all too often didn’t quite have the same skill sets and strides of their respective teammates. [...]
Bruins Put Out The Flames, Route Calgary For 9-0 Victory
On a night less than 48 hours in advance of a highly anticipated Stanley Cup Finals rematch with the Vancouver Canucks, it would have been easy to expect a “let-down” of sorts in Boston on Thursday evening when the Bruins played host to the Calgary Flames. Also, in a game that the B’s would be [...]
GameDay: Rask, B’s Set To Host Iginla’s Flames At TD Garden
Following a 6-1 slaughtering of the New Jersey Devils on Prudential Center ice on Wednesday, the Boston Bruins will look to kick-start another winning streak on Thursday when they host Jarome Iginla and the Calgary Flames. The Bruins, winners of seven of their last eight games, have not lost a home game at TD Garden [...]
The Ten Most Expensive Defensive Units In The NHL
Some NHL general managers like to build their team with a lot of offensive punch (Washington Capitals), while others prefer to build their team with a strong goalie tandem (Minnesota Wild). Finally, some GMs prefer to build their team with a very deep defensive corps. Two months into the 2011-12 season, let’s have a look [...]
TRUTH OF THE MATTER: Some Reality Laid Down On These Isles
What Has Come To Pass Back over the summer I warned on what plans the Isles had with one Blake Comeau. In fact, if you follow me on twitter, I’ve been saying it since the end of last season. Despite the 24 goals and 46 points within last season’s chaos, the Isles [...]
