The Boston University Terriers and the Boston College Eagles will meet in the Beanpot tournament finals for the fourth time in the past seven years when the two squads hook up next Monday at the TD Garden.  Both teams secured their spot in next week’s championship game with victories over Harvard and Northeastern.

In the first match-up of the day it was the heavily favored BU Terriers who would flex their muscle by way of a 3-1 victory over former Bruin Ted Donato’s Harvard Crimson. Backstopped by 29 saves from netminder Kieran Millan (Colorado Avalanche), the Terriers received offensive contributions from Matt Nieto (San Jose Sharks) and budding power forward Wade Megan (Florida Panthers).

Nieto’s goal opened the scoring at the 8:14 mark of the first frame and Megan followed by adding two tallies in the second period to take over the team lead in goals (10) , and build a 3-0 lead for BU. Harvard would answer on a power-play late in the second when Tampa Bay Lightning draftee Alex Killorn solved Millan with a top-shelf wrister. However, it would be too little, too late for a Crimson squad that couldn’t muster much offense in the third period. The 3-1 loss would put the Harvard Crimson into the Beanpot consolation game for the fourth consecutive year.

One player who particularly stood out during the early game, despite being on the losing end of the contest, was Harvard blueliner and captain Ryan Grimshaw. He seemed to be in the right position all the time and made quite a few fantastic defensive plays throughout the duration of the game.

In the nightcap, the Boston College Eagles proved why they are widely regarded as one of the best teams in the nation. Jumping out to an early 2-0 lead, thanks to goals from Paul Carey (Colorado Avalanche) and Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary Flames) the Eagles looked to be in complete control. The Huskies were able to get one back midway through the period when Anthony Bitetto (Nashville Predators) blasted a slapshot past BC netminder Parker Milner during a 5-on-3 Northeastern power-play.

It was in the second period that the Eagles would assert their dominance, tilting the ice completely in their favor, firing 13 shots on Husky goaltender Chris Rawlings. Short-handed tallies from Stevan Whitney would sandwich Johnny Gaudreau’s second of the night as Boston College entered the second intermission with a commanding 5-1 lead.

Senior forward Barry Almeida would add another midway through the third period and Paul Carey would notch his second of the night soon after to seal a 6-1 blowout victory for the Boston College Eagles.

The results of Monday’s action sets up what should be a riveting final day of the tournament next week when we are treated to two more exciting college hockey contests. Harvard and Northastern will meet in the consolation game, beginning at 4:30 PM, and of course (#5) Boston College and (#1) Boston University will meet for the Beanpot Title at 7:30. Both games will be broadcast on NESN and the championship game will also be broadcast on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

This will mark the fourth time these two cross-town rivals have met this season, with the Terriers taking two of the previous three match-ups.

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Tonight’s Line-Up (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS

Pouliot–Bergeron–Seguin

Lucic–Krejci–Horton

Caron–Kelly–Peverley

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE

Chara–Boychuk

Seidenberg–Corvo

Ference–McQuaid

GOALTENDER

Thomas

Rask

Scratches– ….. Marchand (Suspended) , Kampfer (Healthy) , Hamill (Healthy)

NEWS & NOTES

– This afternoon the NHL announced the rosters for their 2012 all-star game that will emanate from Canada’s capital city of Ottawa later this month. As it turns out, the Bruins will send the same contingent to the festivities as they did one year ago; Tyler Seguin, Zdeno Chara, and Tim Thomas. The most notable of snubs was undoubtedly the B’s phenomenal two-way pivot Patrice Bergeron. Despite his 36 points and +27 rating this season, the humble alternate captain was once again overlooked by the NHL brass. Montreal’s lone representative will be goaltender Carey Price.

– As I reported on Tuesday, the Bruins have officially called up forward Jordan Caron from Providence of the AHL. Caron will likely be the 12th/13th forward for the B’s and accompany them on their upcoming four-game road trip to Raleigh, Miami, Tampa and Newark.

– Forward Brad Marchand will once again be missing from the B’s lineup as he sits out game number two of his five game suspension. Former Canadien Benoit Pouliot will continue to skate in his place with Bergeron and Tyler Seguin. In two games on that line, the Alfred, Ontario native has registered a goal and three assists. Following Tuesday’s win over the Jets, Pouliot spoke of his excitement in getting another chance against his former team.

“It’s going to be nice to see the old friends. We’re going to play hard, play well and we’ll be fine” — Benoit Pouliot

– For the second straight match-up between these two Original Six franchises, the Habs will be without their captain Brian Gionta. The Rochester, New York native is out indefinitely while nursing a bicep tear. The much-maligned Scott Gomez is expected to fill his spot in the lineup.

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On Monday, the world’s top hockey league put together yet another fantastic display of ice hockey in South Philadelphia at the Citizen’s Bank Park. It was raw, it was cold, and it was outdoors, and it was hockey played in it’s purest form.

The New York Rangers would eventually defeat the host Philadelphia Flyers in a 3-2 come-from-behind victory in a game that featured all the drama and excitement one would expect from the league’s premier regular season event. Thus including a Danny Briere penalty shot that was stopped by Henrik Lundqvist with less than twenty seconds remaining in the game.

Since the concept’s inception, the NHL’s outdoor Winter Classic has been an absolute success, raising television ratings (an average of over four million per game) and bringing in massive amounts of revenue for both the league and it’s participating teams. The clear-cut reason for such success has been the heavy rivalries and storylines that the NHL’s front office has been able to use to market the event.

The unconventional Pittsburgh — Buffalo rivalry was aided by the presence of snowfall throughout the 2008 ‘Classic. The 2009 battle between two of the sport’s biggest rivals, Detroit and Chicago, from the confines of the iconic Wrigley Field  needed no such promotion. In 2010, the rekindling of a now fierce Boston vs. Philadelphia rivalry was sparked by an overtime thriller emanating from America’s oldest ballpark. In 2011, the NHL went in a different direction, choosing to showcase the league’s greatest individual rivalry, pitting Alexander Ovechkin’s Capitals against Sidney Crosby’s Penguins. Culminating with  Monday’s exciting match-up between two cities with a  longstanding hatred for one another, one that crosses borders of multiple sports.

With typical hockey markets and NBC favorites Pittsburgh and Philadelphia already appearing in two of these outdoor games (each), and the unlikelihood of the league allowing the same team to participate in back-to-back years, it’s a safe bet that the Penguins, Flyers and Rangers will not be seen in the 2013 edition of the New Year’s day showcase. This leads me to the question: What two squads will get the nod for next year’s Winter Classic?

Despite popular opinion clamoring for the inclusion of a Canadian team’s inclusion in the ‘Classic — Toronto being the most talked-about — , I believe that using a team from north of the border will only limit the league’s earning potential. The facts are simple, for better or worse, the Winter Classic is a gimmick, albeit a successful and profitable one, and in Canada, the league does not need any gimmicks to sell residents on the sport of hockey. The game we all know and love is treated much like religion in the Great White North. Therefore, it is only logical for the NHL to keep the status-quo and continue the tradition of an all-American ‘Classic. Without further ado, I propose the idea of a 2013 Winter Classic showcasing the 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins and the 2008 Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings, emanating from the world famous “Big House” in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The reasons for such a game just seem too perfect. Both squads are amongst the best in the league, each capturing a Stanley Cup championship in the past three years. Both were part of the NHL’s Original Six Franchises, two of the first founded in the United States. Even with the league’s new division realignment, it would be the first ever “East vs. West” Winter Classic. It would also feature a match-up of two “once-in-a-generation” type defensemen, in Detroit’s Niklas Lidstrom and Boston’s Zdeno Chara.

Perhaps what makes this idea realistic, in the eyes of the NHL’s management was the overwhelming success of the 2011 “Thanksgiving Showdown” between these two squads back on Black Friday at Boston’s TD Garden. In a game that saw the Red Wings pull through with a 3-2 shootout victory, a national audience was treated to one of the best regular season games in recent memory. The chance to see a rematch of such a game, and the furthering of a budding rivalry could be of great benefit to the NHL as a whole.

Also, the “hate factor” could be a driving force in the marketing of such a game. After last spring’s playoff run, the Bruins’ perceived image of “bullies” has continually been hammered into the brains of both hardcore and casual hockey fans alike. Fans across the country — and in Canada for that matter — would undoubtedly tune in simply for the opportunity to root against the Boston Bruins.

Also, I can’t think of a better setting for such an exciting contest than Michigan Stadium. Sitting a mere forty miles west of Detroit, the “Big House” is the home of the University of Michigan Wolverines football team. Host of the “Big Chill” — a 5-0 victory by the Michigan hockey team over the rival Michigan State Spartans in front of over 113,000 screaming fans — in December of 2010, the “Big House” has proven it’s ability to be transformed into a reliable ice rink.

Just imagine it:  two original six rivals and perennial contenders going head-t0-head, outdoors in front of the largest crowd ever to witness a hockey game (at any level).

Hockey fans, it just doesn’t get any better than that.

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Now, with the year 2011 coming to a close tomorrow evening when the clock strikes midnight, I figured that now is as good a time as any take a step back and review some of the best moments of the 2011 calendar year for the Boston Bruins. Through a year with as much drama and excitement such as this, it was next to impossible to put these amazing events into such an order. If you asked five people to organize this set, I’m sure you’d get five totally different responses.

10.) Boston’s 8-6 “Old Time Hockey” Victory Over Montreal At TD Garden (February 9)

– In a game that featured back-and-forth hockey from two of the NHL’s biggest rivals, the Boston Bruins would deliver their first victory of the year against the hated Habs. Arguably the most memorable game of the regular season for Boston, the B’s and Habs played an exhilarating contest filled with goals, fights and mayhem galore en route to an 8-6 Bruins’ victory. A night of hard-nosed play from both sides lead to brawls and chippy-ness, including a fight between netminders Tim Thomas and Carey Price, a rare sight in today’s NHL. The game truly had the feel of one of those 1980′s Boston–Montreal classics that we hadn’t seen here in many years.

9.) Re-Signings Of Rich Peverley (October) And David Krejci (December)

– If you take a look at the past three winners of the Stanley Cup, the easily noticeable common denominator would be each team’s tremendous depth at the center position. Over the past few months, the Bruins and GM Peter Chiarelli have done an excellent job in assuring their team will remain among one of the league’s deepest team’s down the middle. The re-signings of Peverley ($9.75 MIL) and Krejci ($15.75 MIL) to new three year extensions have solidified the Bruins’ depth in the middle for many years to come.

8.) Selection Of Dougie Hamilton At The Entry Draft In Minnesota (June 24)

– The drafting of Niagara Ice Dogs defenseman Dougie Hamilton with the 9th overall selection of the 2011 NHL Entry was the entrance of the final chapter of the Phil Kessel trade. Despite not qualifying for a spot on the 2011-’12 Bruins’ roster, the 6’5″ Toronto native has been tearing it up for the Ice Dogs, posting points in games, and is expected to compete for a position with the big club in 2012-’13.

7.) The Acquisitions Of Rich Peverley And Chris Kelly (February)

– Arguably the two most versatile players to don the eight-spoked “B” in 2011, Peverley and Kelly came to Boston as part of under-the-radar acquisitions made by Chiarelli to sure up his team’s depth. Aiding Boston to it’s first Cup win in 39 years, the two have this year become cogs on the highly successful third line that has led the Black and Gold to first place in the Eastern Conference.

6.) Nathan Horton’s Third Period Goal In Game 7 Of The Eastern Conference Finals (May 27)

– In what was one of the greatest hockey games played at TD Garden in over a decade, the Bruins knocked off the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to secure a ticket to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1990. Cashing in for the only goal of the night, in a 1-0 Tim Thomas shutout, it was Nathan Horton who would redirect a beautiful saucer pass from David Krejci past Dwayne Roloson to give Boston the lead, and the victory.

5.) Sweeping Of The Philadelphia Flyers In Round 2 Of The East Playoffs (May 6)

– Bruins’ fans in every nook and cranny of New England know the story of the 2010 post-season. Perhaps the worst moment in franchise history was the collapse at the hands of the Flyers in Round 2 of the 2010 Eastern Conference playoffs. The memory of 2010′s collapse undoubtedly made the Bruins’ 4-0 series sweep of the Flyers in the 2011 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals all that much sweeter.

4.) Nathan Horton’s Overtime Winner In Game 7 Against Montreal (April 27)

– After falling behind 2-0 in the first round of the 2011 playoffs after two straight home losses to the Montreal Canadiens, experts across the country wrote off the Bruins and left them for dead. However, the resiliency of the Bruins payed off as the B’s fought and clawed their way back to a 3-3 series tie and a 3-3 tie in overtime of game 7 at TD Garden. It was then that Nathan Horton blasted one past Habs’ netminder Carey Price to silence the ghosts of Game 7′s past and vault the B’s into the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Click here to view the embedded video.

3.) The Stanley Cup Banner Raising Ceremony (October 6)

– Despite the unfortunate outcome of the game that was played, a 2-1 loss at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers, opening night 2011 was undoubtedly the most memorable kick-off of a Bruins’ season in many years. The Bruins and their staff put together a truly special ceremony for their fans. Perhaps the best feature of the ceremony was the reenactment of the Cup-raising tradition that takes place after a team has secured Lord Stanley. With Game 7 of the Cup taking place in Vancouver, and Bruins’ fans being relegated to watching the original ceremony on television, the B’s staff decided to let their devoted fans get a chance to watch it live on Opening night. The night would conclude with the franchise’s sixth world title banner being securely raised to the rafters of the TD Garden.

2.) Rolling Rally Stanley Cup Championship Parade (June 18)

– On June 18, the entire city of Boston poured it’s heart out for it’s favorite hockey team as over one million New Englanders converged on the Hub for the celebration of the Bruins’ first Stanley Cup championship since 1972. Boston’s hockey roots truly shined through on this day as the B’s rolling produced the largest turnout for any Boston sports celebration ever, surpassing marks set this past decade by the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots.

1.) Winning The Stanley Cup (June 15)

– This one needs little explanation. The most complete team in recent Bruins history ended the city’s 39-year Stanley Cup drought by quenching their fans’ thirst for victory with a 4-0 shutout of the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena to capture the sixth world championship in team history. June 15 will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest days in Boston sports history.

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In what is being built up a lot like a certain game that took place back on March 18, 2010, many believe that the Sabres will be looking to exact some revenge against the Bruins. The game I speak of was of course the “Matt Cooke Revenge Game” between the Bruins and Penguins at the TD Garden. It was a mere eleven days prior that gutless Penguins’ winger Matt Cooke took an elbow to the blindside  of B’s top-line pivot Marc Savard and knocked him out indefinitely with a severe concussion. Unfortunately, what we saw on March 18 was not what fans in Boston were hoping to see. A mere two minutes into the game, B’s enforcer Shawn Thornton dropped the gloves with Cooke to the delight of the TD Garden crowd. However, after the fight, both sided remained cool-headed and the Penguins routed the Bruins 3-0.

Tonight it will be interesting to see exactly how Buffalo handles this situation. Will they take the “eye for an eye” approach and try to run Tim Thomas? Will they attempt to injure one of Boston’s top forwards like Tyler Seguin or Patrice Bergeron? Will they simply send someone out to drop the gloves with Lucic?

At this point, it’s hard to imagine Buffalo being able to do much damage to Boston by physical means, purely based on their personnel (or lack there of). Apart from the injury-saddled Cody McCormick, the Sabres don’t employ any other  players who can match the brute strength of Milan Lucic. Yes, Paul Gaustad has been known to drop ‘em when necessary, but would he really be much of a challenge for an Adam McQuaid, Gregory Campbell or Shawn Thornton? Something tells me that answer is no.

While many Boston fans will likely disagree with me here, If I were Buffalo, my approach would be to focus solely on winning the game. Yes, it does not look good for their image to have not responded to the injuring of their star netminder but they need to realize that ship has sailed. The best way for the Sabres to exact revenge on the Bruins would be to end Boston’s nine-game winning streak.

What will it be Buffalo?

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The current Canadiens team has been here for only the past two seasons and has won nine times in twelve games against the Bruins over the past two seasons and Carey Price’s regular season record over the last two seasons is 7-2-0 (13-4-2 over his career against Boston), while Tim Thomas holds a 10-14-4 career record against Montreal.

The Canadiens won the season series 4-2, but the Bruins won the last 7-0 torching the Habs in Boston the game following the Chara/Pacioretty incident.

Bruins-Canadiens comparison:

Goaltending: Even.
Carey Price 38-28-6, 2.35 GAA, .923 save % vs Tim Thomas 35-11-9, 2.00 GAA, .938 save %
Price is coming off his best NHL season, but he will have a lot of pressure to repeat Jaroslav Halak’s playoff brilliance of 2010. Tim Thomas, who had a great regular season, has been shaky at best over his career against the Canadiens, especially in Montreal.

Defence: Even
J. Wisniewski 51 pts, PK Subban 38 pts, R. Hamrlik 34 pts, J. Spacek 16 pts, Y. Weber 11 pts
T. Kaberle 47 pts (only 9 with Boston), Z. Chara 44 pts, D. Seidenberg 32 pts, J. Boychuk 16 pts, A. McQuaid 15 pts
While the Canadiens have no one to compare to Zeno Chara and the gritty aspect of the Bruins’ defense, Boston doesn’t have true offensive threats like P.K. Subban and James Wisniewski. The Canadiens boast a very experienced defensive corps with Hal Gill (Stanley Cup), Brent Sopel (Stanley Cup), as well as experienced veterans like Roman Hamrlik and Jaro Spacek. The Bruins have a few youngsters on defense without much experience (Kampfer, Boychuk and McQuaid) which could hurt them if the series goes to seven games.

Forwards: Advantage Boston
T. Plekanec 57 pts, M. Cammalleri 47 pts, B. Gionta 46 pts, A. Kostitsyn 45 pts, S. Gomez 38 pts, B. Pouliot 30 pts
D. Krejci 62 pts, M. Lucic 62 pts, P. Bergeron 57 pts, N. Horton 53 pts, M. Recchi 48 pts, B. Marchand 41 pts
The Bruins have a very productive line in David Krejci, Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton that had great success this year against the Habs. They also have more depth on their 3rd and 4th lines. However, they lack experience with youngsters like Tyler Seguin, Brad Marchand and former Panther Nathan Horton all playing their first playoff games. The Canadiens can count on speedy forwards Tomas Plekanec, Michael Cammalleri and Andrei Kostitsyn to put pressure on the Bruins defense. Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta and Travis Moen all have Stanley Cup rings, which could become a factor if Gomez can wake up from him season-long slumber.

Special Teams: Advantage Montreal
The Canadiens power play is ranked 7th in the NHL at a 84.4% rate just like their penalty kill which is ranked at a 19.7% rate.
The Bruins’ penlaty kill is 16th in the NHL at 82.6%, while their power play is 20th at 16.4%. The Canadiens would have a big edge in that department if they weren’t on of the most undisciplined teams in the league, having taken 363 minor penalties this season, second only to Pittsburgh’s 369. Subban with 124 penalty minutes, will have to stop taking stupid hooking and holding penalties if the Canadiens want to stand a chance in the series.

Coaching: Even
Both Jacques Martin and Claude Julien are solid experienced head coaches. While they never won the Stanley Cup, they are both used to go far in the playoffs and know how to get the maximum from their players.

Experience: Advantage Montreal
Mark Recchi and Shawn Thornton both hold a Stanley Cup ring for Boston, while Scott Gomez has two rings, and Brian Gionta, Hal Gill, Travis Moen and Brent Sopel each have one. The Bruins have 702 career playoff games under their belt, while the Canadiens have 825 games of playoff experience in the room – 123 more than the Bruins. Brian Gionta and Michael Cammalleri had a great playoff run last year and are starting to heat up at just the right time.

Prediction:While I would really like that the Canadiens win the series and play the spoilers once again this season, I don’t think they have enough depth at forward to compete with the Bruins. The absence of Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges on defense will hurt them if the series goes deep. The Canadiens will have problems winning on the road, which will eventually be their end as I think it will be a homer series, with each team having great success at home. Boston in 7

What is your prediction?And why

It’s been more than a decade since both the Kings and Ducks were in the playoff hunt this late in the season.  Surprisingly, the two teams have never participated in post season play at the same time though. Could this be the year?

We’ll still have to wait a few more weeks to see.  However, Saturday marked the 100th time the two Southern California franchises have played each other and little has changed along the way.

Game one of the Kings-Ducks rivalry was a one goal game back in December 1993, a night that began with the two teams tied in the standings.

Fast forward more than 15 years and game #100 ended 2-1 (in overtime) and the clubs were left separated by just three points in the standings.

They’re also now tied in the season series 2-2, with the winner to be determined over the final weekend of the season when they meet in a home-and-home series.

Here are some more post-game notes and links of interest…

* Who else, but Corey Perry, scored the game winning goal. The man voted by fans as their Least Favorite Player in the NHL gave yet another reason to dislike him.

* For those concerned with the Kings recent home record (0-2-2) and/or the possible lack of offense, perhaps the shot totals will cheer you up a bit. The Kings put 32 shots on (former Flyer) Ray Emery. It was the fist time in nine games they surpassed 30 shots.

* To be fair though, the power play was dry again – going 0-for-6 against a less than potent Ducks penalty killing unit.

* For much of the season Dustin Brown had been leading the Kings in goals. Recently, however, Anze Kopitar jumped ahead with 25 goals. Last night though, #23 netted #23 – putting two off the lead with 10 games to go.

* Wayne Simmonds scored a goal that should have counted. It didn’t though. So, he continues to sit at 13 goals for the season.

* Ryan Smyth, who has carried the Kings at times over the last two seasons, well…when I asked coach Terry Murray about his play of late he said “This is the critical time of the year. Everything is on the line, and this is where you need your veteran players to shoulder a big part of the responsibility.” Translation – the Kings need a goal or big play from Rhyno…and soon.

* With the win, the Penner Cup goes to the Ducks. If you missed Dustin Penner’s story on that, click here.

* Ducks’ rookie defenseman Cam Fowler again played a role in the outcome (earlier in the year he scored a goal against the Kings).  Here, he headed to the box at 8:56 of the third period (delay of game, puck over the glass) and Brown’s game tying goal came just as the penalty expired.  Then, Fowler assisted on Perry’s overtime winner.

* My tweet during the game last night (regarding the Kings inability to score) -  Maybe it’s the line combinations. They’ve been too consistent the last few games. (Then, as if on cue, Murray changes the second line centers at practice today.  Michal Handzus to the second line, Jarret Stoll to the third line).

* Bobby Ryan’s tweet after the game – Great win, great atmosphere! Thanks road ducks fans! Also, hate to say it but the kings fans can rock. Loud arena tonight.

* Earlier this season I posted an article looking back at the last time it mattered this much. Understand the Kings-Ducks rivalry in the story here.

* Their next meeting will be in Anaheim.  In an article here Kings players talk about their favorite memories in Anaheim – including comments from Kopitar, Simmonds, Doughty, etc.

The Mayor
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OTHER RELATED ARTICLES:

Interview with Bobby Ryan – talking about his friendship with several Kings players

The First Time It Mattered This Much – Kings vs. Ducks, game one

Painting by Numbers with Ryan Smyth

So while AHL call up Michael Hayley (Trevor Gillies called him cousin Mike in for a visit) was busy hitting and punching everyone (and remember he scored a pretty goal on a near end to end rush) there was also lots of this:

Click here to view the embedded video.

And a bunch of this:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Over on Twitter, Islanders’ fans backed their team standing up, while Pens fans invoked the Todd Bertuzzi blindside on Steve Moore, and were calling the game a disgrace.  The beauty of instant analysis I suppose.

I can tell you; since I was at the game (and I am an Islanders fan) it was a lot of fun.  Someone I was with called it a once in a lifetime game.

It could be once in a lifetime until April 8 when the two sides meet again.  No doubt cousin Mike will have some company on the bench-and the Pens will be loaded for a battle.

No doubt this will be high on the payback list:

Click here to view the embedded video.

And the fans will be in the house and watching TV-ready to chirp and share as much as the players.

twitter.com/PenguinsMarchHockey Independent on Facebook

Alex Ovechkin set the tone on his first shift when he made his patented bee-line towards the end boards to catch a player rounding the net.  He thunderously connected with fellow Russian Evgeni Malkin then turned around and hit Pittsburgh blueliner Zbynek Michalek.  Later, Penguins’ defenceman Brooks Orpik delivered one of his game-high nine hits on Alex Semin, leaving Semin doubled over in pain as he slowly skated back to the bench without his stick.

A parade of Penguins marched to the penalty box resulting in six Washington power plays including a combined 4:51 of 5-on-3 and 4-on-3 time.  The Capitals hammered away, outshooting the Penguins 12-3 on power plays.  Yet Fleury evoked memories of Game 7 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Final early in the game when he coolly kept Washington off the scoreboard despite facing five shots on a 4-on-3 Caps’ power play.  As a team, the Pittsburgh penalty killers lived up to their top-ranked status, turning away all but the final Washington man-advantage opportunity.  Mike Green scored from point-blank range one second after Pittsburgh killed off the first minor of Washington’s last 5-on-3 chance to knot the score 1-1 at 13:43 of the second period.

With the spotlight shining on hockey’s two superstars and respective team captains, Sidney Crosby made his statement shortly after Ovechkin’s big hits.  As the clock wound down on the early 4-on-3 situation, Crosby carried the puck through centre as boos rained down on him from the Verizon Center crowd.  He passed to a trailing Evgeni Malkin who had just emerged from the penalty box.  As Malkin circled around the Washington net, Crosby moved up to the side of the crease.  Malkin passed to defenceman Kris Letang who fired a pass at Crosby’s stick.  With unparalleled hand-eye coordination, Crosby somehow deflected the puck behind Neuvirth with the heel of his stick to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

Where Sundin stood after 23 games of his 30 game consecutive point scoring streak and for comparison, Crosby’s current totals.

The score stayed 1-0 after Malkin, hooked by Green, was stopped by Neuvirth on an early second period penalty shot.  With one period left in regulation, Crosby led his teammates to quickly reestablish the lead.  Seventeen seconds into the third period, Chris Kunitz swept a backhand shot underneath Neuvirth to make it 2-1 Pittsburgh.  The play was created when Crosby, double-teamed, one-handed a centering pass in front of the net, just before he circled around the cage.

With 6:35 left, Washington centre Mathieu Perreault committed a hooking minor and Pittsburgh went on their fifth power play looking to ice the game.  Yet credit the Caps’ penalty killers for turning in an equally solid effort and turning the tables on the Penguins.  Not only were they perfect on every PK, but Mike Knuble scored a well-deserved shorthanded goal when he picked off a weak D to D pass attempt by Alex Goligoski at the Washington blue line.  Brooks Laich skated into the Pittsburgh zone with the puck then passed to Knuble who went five-hole to tie the game 2-2.

Yet the story of the night was Fleury.  The Pittsburgh netminder refused to wilt in the crucible of Washington, stopping 32 of 34 shots in regulation and overtime plus the final 6 of 7 shootout chances he faced.  No save was bigger than his sprawling grab at the goal line on Green 2:25 into overtime.  After Green pinched in and circled in the far corner, he deked around Letang and put another move on Fleury.  Green attempted to tuck a forehand try along the ice into the net but Fleury reached back with his trapper to preserve the tie at the last instant.  After video review, referee Kelly Sutherland declared, “there is no evidence that the puck completely crossed the line; the call on the ice stands – no goal.”

Unsurprisingly, Fleury was named first star of the contest.  With the win, the Penguins gave themselves an early Christmas gift, moving back atop the overall NHL standings.  They are the first club to reach both 24 wins and 50 points and they lead Philadelphia by 1 point in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings (though the Flyers have one game in hand).  Lost in the drama of the game, second star Crosby extended his consecutive point scoring streak to 23 games, the longest stretch since Mats Sundin, then with the Quebec Nordiques, recorded at least one point in the first 30 games of the 1992-93 season.

Pittsburgh will next play on Sunday, December 26 in Ottawa, Boxing Day in Canada.  Yet after last night’s spellbinding overture performed by the Penguins and Capitals, hockey fans everywhere can be forgiven if the holiday that they are anticipating is New Year’s Day, when the two teams will meet again at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh for the Winter Classic.

But the main topic after the game was not Price’s great performance. It was the budding rivalry between Flyers’ Mike Richards and Canadiens’ PK Subban, who clashed during the third period.

Richards’ comments after the game were the following:

“He’s a guy that’s come in the League and hasn’t earned respect. It’s just frustrating to see a young guy like that come in here and so much as think that he’s better than a lot of people. You have to earn respect in this League. It takes a lot. You can’t just come in here as a rookie and play like that. It’s not the way to get respect from other players around the League.

“Hopefully someone on their team addresses it, because, uh, I’m not saying I’m going to do it but something might happen to him if he continues to be that cocky.”

Those are the comments from the guy who blind-sided hit David Booth last season. He was not suspended for the hit, but many claim he should have gotten at least two games for his gesture.

After Subban heard Richards’ complaint, he offered his own response:

“I’m not the only person who’s confident when I play the game,” Subban told ESPN.com. “Maybe the fact that I’m a young guy coming in, maybe people don’t take too well to that. As long as my teammates and the coaching staff are happy with what I’m doing, I’m going to continue to do that.”

The third period of last week’s contest, also included three misconducts and a brutal hit by the Flyers’ Darroll Powe on the Canadiens’ Jeff Halpern. Halpern did not finish the game as a precautionary measure, but he didn’t miss any game following the hit.

Wells Fargo Center is always a tough place to play for the visitors, so we should expect a physical game filled with thunderous hits and fast-paced action with plenty of penalties on each side. The atmosphere is always electrifying and intimidating, and it’s one of the loudest arena in the NHL, just like Bell Centre.

The Flyers have had great success so far this season at home going 8-4 in twelve games, but the Canadiens have been road warriors so far this year going 6-2 in eight road games. The Flyers are ranked 2nd in the Eastern Conference with 28 points in 21 games, while the Habs follow them closely with 27 points in 20 games, good for number 3.

Brian Boucher will start in goal for the Broad Street Bullies and Carey Price will don the Bleu Blanc Rouge jersey for the 20th time in 21 games tonight. Price has had great success against the Flyers during his career, going 6-1 with a 1.64 GAA and a .948 save %. On the other hand, Brian Boucher has struggled against the Canadiens, going 1-6 with a 2.81 GAA and a .877 save %.

Goal leaders:
C. Giroux 11 goals
T. Plekanec, A. Kostitsyn 7 goals

Assist leaders:
V. Leino 13 assists
T. Plekanec 13 assists

Point leaders:
M. Richards 23 points
T. Plekanec 20 points

Penalty minute leaders:
S. Hartnell 64 PIM
M. Lapierre 57 PIM

Goals against leaders:
S. Bobrovsky 2.29 GAA
A. Auld 1.00 GAA (1 game)

Win leaders:
S. Bobrovsky 11 wins
C. Price 12 wins

Save % leaders:
S. Bobrovsky .920 save %
A. Auld .970 save % (1 game)

My prediction: The Flyers will win a close game, 4-3 in OT, on a Daniel Briere goal.

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The following is a more exhaustive timeline of great on-ice battles between the Maple Leaf and the Stars and Stripes:

January 5, 2010, Saskatoon, SK: U.S. defenceman John Carlson scores in overtime to give the visitors a sudden, stunning 6-5 win over Canada in the gold medal game of the 2010 World Junior Championship.  The loss aborted Canada’s quest for a record sixth straight gold at the WJC.  Unsurprisingly, 12.3-million Canadians, over one-third of the total national population, watched at least part of the game.

January 3, 2007, Leksand, Sweden: In one of the most memorable WJC games of all-time, Canada defeated the U.S. 2-1 following a seven-round shootout to advance to the gold medal game.  Jonathan Toews scored on all three of his attempts in the shootout including what would turn out to be the decisive tally.  Carey Price stopped Peter Mueller moments later to give Canada the victory.

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August 31, 2004, Montreal, QC: Wearing retro gold jerseys, Canada edged the U.S. 2-1 at Bell Centre in a tense, chippy game that opened round-robin play for both countries in the World Cup of Hockey.  Joe Sakic and Martin St. Louis scored for Canada while Bill Guerin responded for the Americans.  The game is best remembered for captain Mario Lemieux surprisingly rough-housing with Steve Konowalchuk after the latter rammed Canadian goalie Martin Brodeur.  Super Mario’s actions initiated two other fights in front of the net.

January 5, 2004, Helsinki, Finland: It appeared Canada would win gold at the WJC after winning silver in the past two tournaments as they took a 3-1 lead over the U.S. into the second intermission.  The Fates were never as cruel to Canadian goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury as in the final twenty minutes of that game.  Two early goals were scored by the Americans to tie the contest, the second marker coming on a shot by Ryan Kesler that hit Fleury’s body before arcing over his shoulder into the net.  With 5:12 remaining in regulation, Fleury tried to clear the puck, but it hit defenceman Braydon Coburn and bounced into the net for the tournament-winning goal.

February 24, 2002, Salt Lake City, UT: Every Canadian older than 13 will remember where they were on that great day.  Canada’s 50-year gold medal drought.  American home-ice advantage.  The U.S. standing in their way.  Joe Sakic scores on a late breakaway to clinch the game, tournament and gold medal.  Canada 5, U.S. 2.  Canadians across the nation put life on hold for a week to celebrate.

February 16, 1998, Nagano, Japan: Canadians were convinced that the world was spinning correctly again after a 4-1 win over the U.S. gave Canada a perfect 3-0 record in preliminary round play at the first ever Olympics with NHL players.  Keith Primeau scored 2 goals and an assist while Joe Sakic also collected 3 points that night.  Four days later, Dominik Hasek and the Czechs provided a cold, bitter slice of humble pie.

September 14, 1996, Montreal, QC: Tony Amonte’s tie-breaking goal which survived a tense video-review with 2:35 left in the third period, spurred the U.S. to an eventual 5-2 win over Canada in the third and final game of the first World Cup of Hockey.  Steve Yzerman won Game One, 4-3, for Canada by scoring in overtime at Philadelphia.  Two nights later, the U.S. tied the series with a convincing 5-2 win in Montreal, setting the stage for the decisive winner-take-all Game Three.  Brett Hull and John LeClair led all tournament scorers while Mike Richter’s clutch goaltending especially in the final contest, earned him MVP honours.  This was the United States’ most significant international triumph since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice”.

The American lineup was simply loaded with talent and firepower and many forget how many snipers they unleashed at that tournament.  In addition to LeClair and Hull, Doug Weight, Keith Tkachuk, Tony Amonte, Brian Leetch and Mike Modano all finished in the top 15 in scoring.  Many also forget the intensity and hate between the two nations that resulted in numerous dustups: Keith Tkachuk vs. Claude Lemieux; Chris Chelios vs. Eric Lindros; Bill Guerin mixing it up with Lindros, Scott Stevens (his teammate in New Jersey) before finally dancing with Keith Primeau; Kevin Hatcher vs. Primeau.

September 14, 1991, Hamilton, ON: Steve Larmer’s second goal of the game, a short-handed dagger mid-way through the third period, propelled Canada to a 4-2 win over the U.S. and a two-game sweep in the best-of-three Canada Cup final round.  The final was marred by controversy when Gary Suter cross-checked Wayne Gretzky from behind in Game One, preventing #99 from dressing for the final contest.  While seasoned veterans like Gretzky, Larmer, Paul Coffey and Mark Messier led the way for Canada, the Americans were pleased to see the bright future of hockey in their nation as youngsters like Jeremy Roenick, Hull and Mike Modano topped the U.S. in scoring.

Unbeknownst to many who watched this tournament, it would mark the end of an era in hockey due to the changing global political climate.  The Soviet Union would skate for the last time as a true communist nation before dissolving into the transitory “Commonwealth of Independent States” and then into Russia and other autonomous nations.  Already, young and old Soviet stars like Sergei Makarov, Vyacheslav Fetisov and Alexander Mogilny had either peacefully signed with NHL teams or defected.  Czechoslovakia was also nearing the end of the communist era and after capturing bronze at the Albertville Olympics five months later, would split into two hockey-talented nations in 1993.

Finally, the ascendancy of America to world hockey power that started in 1991 would be complete at the ’96 World Cup.  In addition, hockey’s popularity grew rapidly in the U.S. through NHL expansion in non-traditional markets throughout the decade.  This writer, who grew up in Hamilton near Copps Coliseum, where the ’91 Canada Cup Final was staged, remembers being stung when Canada’s “Steel City” was denied an expansion team that instead went to … Tampa Bay?!  I naively thought that a passionate Southern Ontario fan base and an arena that had hosted both the ’91 and ’87 Canada Cups would clinch the expansion bid.

Nineteen years, one American commissioner, one Jim Balsillie, two Canadian-to-American NHL franchise transfers and thousands of legal-economic documents later, I am still waiting for professional hockey to come to my hometown.  Perhaps this is another element that fuels the white-hot Canada – U.S. hockey rivalry.

We approach the end of the preliminary round in the men’s hockey tournament of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.  This evening at 7.40 pm EST/4.40 pm PST, the United States and Canada will faceoff for the first time in a best-on-best hockey competition since the round-robin portion of the 2004 World Cup.

Before and after that tournament, numerous memorable Canada – U.S. battles dot the hockey history books.  For Canadians, we cannot necessarily put it in words, but there is something decidedly different and more important about the atmosphere, build-up and game itself when an American team is the opponent.  It starts with the knowledge that Canada, is, has always been, and barring some truly revolutionary world event, will always be the underdog economically, politically, militarily and culturally to the United States.  While this statement may infuriate my fellow Canadians and be seen by some Americans as reason to gloat, it is not a statement of opinion for self-loathing nor boasting, but rather of fact.  A population that is ten times larger, living on a much more climatologically temperate land will generally find a way to outfox its northern neighbour most of the time in most spheres of life.

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We Canadians therefore look to the one thing that we know we excel at globally - hockey – that one thing we value most from coast to coast to coast to draw some sense of quirky self-affirmation.  We will fight the Americans hammer and tong, tooth and nail, in order to defend our continental supremacy, for the thought of Americans beating us at hockey –  our national game! – is a horrible notion too uncomfortable to bear.  Of course, bitter, bitter losses to the United States have actually happened and it has only intensified the modern Canada – U.S. rivalry even more and made victory all the more sweeter.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the end, rational citizens on both sides of the border know that it is a testament to mutual civility and the mutual goals of peace and prosperity that Canada and the United States can coexist in relative harmony.  If the only rivalry between our two nations is played out in an arena, then all the better.  No doubt, citizens of many warring border nations far, far away constantly wish the only rivalries they witness could be those that occur in an arena, pitch or some sporting field of play and not in cold, grim reality.

Tonight, however, I will purposely choose to amp up the hype in advance of the hockey game in the spirit of good-natured ribbing in the same vein as comedian/pundit Stephen Colbert in Vancouver this week.  Colbert, whose involvement with the U.S. Olympic team is well-documented, threw down the gauntlet by calling Canadians “syrup-suckers, ice-holes and Saskatche-whiners”.  Good, self-respecting Canadians must offer up some counter-salvo:

We have more water than you.
Our land area is bigger.
We gave the world insulin, basketball and Mike Myers.

You gave the world Gigli, Britney Spears and paintball.

When the puck drops tonight, all Canadians must confidently say, “Bring it, Yankees!”

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On the day before Groundhog Day, no less.

Local groundhogs this past week shook off their annoying handlers and divulged the true meaning of their shadows: More imminent intense battles between the Pens and Caps.  Attention now shifts to D.C. on Super Sunday afternoon, when the Penguins will face off against the Capitals for the second time this season.  It will be the first meeting between the clubs in Washington since the Pens’ memorable and decisive 6-2 win in Game 7 of their instant classic Eastern Conference semifinal last spring.  If there is one frozen moment to take from that game, it would be this:

Remember, the Capitals – not the Penguins – were on the penalty kill on this play.  Yet “defenceman” Mike Green only fuelled his own negative reputation by getting caught making a pass from a corner of the Penguins’ zone back to Ovechkin.  Crosby stripped Ovechkin of the puck and the rest is history.  Adding comical insult to injury, Green, trailing the play, snow-showered goalie Jose Theodore seconds after Crosby scored.

Predictably, the hype surrounding this season’s first Pittsburgh-Washington game on January 21 was pure unbearable overkill.  Sid vs. Ovi.  Malkin vs. Ovi. But the worst label was “Rematch”.  Really?  I didn’t realize a tin-foil hatted inventor suddenly fit the entire hockey world into his time machine and fast-forwarded us all to the playoffs in mid-April.  Rematch?  Until the Penguins and Capitals square off in playoff series #9 in their storied, but one-sided rivalry, the remaining three games between the two teams this regular season will only be an appetizer to the anticipated main course we all hope to sink our teeth into again.

Yes.  Washington doubled the Penguins back in January 6-3, but the game was tied at 3 until early in the third period when the Caps broke it open with two quick goals.  Additionally, #1 Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was out with a broken finger in that game.

Yes.  Washington has now won thirteen straight games.  However, just two of their opponents during the win streak are top-four teams: Pittsburgh and Phoenix.

Yes.  Alex Ovechkin has reclaimed his familiar spot atop the goals and points leaders.

Even if Washington defeats Pittsburgh tomorrow 7-0, there can be no claims of victorious vengeance by Capitals’ fans until they see four Washington victories in a head-to-head matchup in the spring.

Food for thought:  As the Capitals surge toward their first ever President’s Trophy, it should be noted that since the current four round, best-of-seven-per-round format began in 1987, just 9 teams that topped the regular season standings have qualified for the Stanley Cup Finals (7 teams won the Cup).  Eight President’s Trophy winners were knocked out in either the first or second round of the playoffs.

The 1992-93 Penguins began the season unbeaten in 10 games and finished the season with a league record 17-game win streak.  After winning a ninth straight playoff round by defeating New Jersey, the Islanders ended the Penguins two-season hold on the Cup by bouncing them out in the second round.  Again, recent history is not too kind to President’s Trophy winners.

Back to the present day, the Penguins experimented with some different line combinations at their Friday practice.  As predicted by this writer back in October, it appears the coaching staff is happy with the Jordan Staal-Evgeni Malkin dynamic and will roll the two natural centres out on a line with regularity this weekend.  The following trios are from the Penguins’ official website:

Fedotenko-Crosby-Guerin
Dupuis-Staal-Malkin
Cooke-Kunitz-Kennedy
Rupp-Adams-Skoula

Yes, that is Martin Skoula, a defenceman, listed on the fourth line.  The Penguins had a shortage of true forwards with Maxime Talbot still unable to practice and enforcer Eric Godard still out.  Their final lines will feature either one of or both Mark Letestu and Tim Wallace, two Baby Pens who were recalled later on Friday evening.  Letestu scored his first NHL goal in Monday’s game while Wallace, 24, a right-shooting left wing, returns to the parent club after playing his first 16 NHL games last year in Pittsburgh.  Wallace is third on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with 14 goals.

More than likely, left wing Chris Kunitz will return to action either this afternoon at Montreal or Sunday in Washington after missing the last 14 games.  He had surgery on January 6 to repair a torn abdominal muscle.

Photos: Flickr Creative Commons [1], [2]

Sources: hockeyfights.com, hockeyreference.com, Yahoo! NHL, nhl.com

All statistics correct through games of January 20, 2010.

Some would say the Pens main rival these days is the Washington Capitals.

I think they’re mistaken.

The Penguins main rival has been, and will continue to be, the Philadelphia Flyers.

Why?  We’re going to take a look at a few possible reasons.

Keep in mind this is written from a Pittsburgh perspective.  Philly fans, please avert your eyes because I know you’re easily offended.

1.  Crosby doesn’t suck.

For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, when the Pens and Flyers play in Philadelphia, the organist plays music to lead a chant.  The notes he plays leads directly to the three syllable chant of “Crosby sucks!”

As a quick aside, I think it’s really embarrassing for the NHL, especially when the game is on national TV, for the Philadelphia organist to lead the chant.  Crosby is one of the top stars in the game and easily the most marketable.  He is, for better or worse, the face of the NHL.

Crosby, for his part, seems to get highly motivated when hearing this.  His career numbers at the Wachovia Center, in 15 games, are 10 goals and 13 assists.  I’d say that’s definitive proof the chant is dumb.

Each time I hear the chant, the respect-o-meter for Philadelphia drops another few digits (surprisingly, no bottom has been found yet).

2.  A different approach to hockey

The Broad Street Bullies may have been the worst thing ever to happen to the Flyers franchise.  Every Flyers team seems to want to live up to it, but that style simply doesn’t work any more.  Living proof of that failure is Daniel Carcillo.  In the playoffs last year, the Flyers had the Penguins on the ropes in Game 6.  They were up 3-0 and had everything going for them.  Carcillo picked that time to fight Max Talbot.  Max was taking one for the team – he (and everyone watching) knew he would be a human punching bag for Carcillo, but the Pens badly needed a spark.  There was no reason for Carcillo to fight, but the Philly fans loved it and Carcillo egged them on, gesturing after the fight.  Everyone knows the rest of the story – five unanswered goals by the Pens and the Carcillo was picking meaningless fights on the golf course (not really).

Did you know the Flyers season with the most wins (since the lockout) was the one they had the fewest penalty minutes by far?  The 2005-06 Flyers were a tough team that didn’t take too many penalties (and there were more called that season).  Every Flyers team since then has been at or near the top in terms of most penalty minutes per game.  With the firepower they had last year, you’d think they wouldn’t need the nonsense.

Pittsburgh fans grew frustrated by years of watching Mario get mugged on a regular basis.  We’ve been fortunate to have some amazing skill players here in Pittsburgh, and hockey is (to me) at it’s most entertaining as a game of skill.  That doesn’t compare well to having all five guys drop the gloves in the playoffs, as the Flyers did several years back.

This discussion could go on forever.  Other events like Hatcher butt-ending Crosby in his rookie year or Hartnell biting Letang don’t help engender warm and fuzzy feelings.

Every team needs a rival, a game where the team (and it’s fans) get amped up.  The Pens are lucky to have one of those in the Flyers.

Speculation that the NY Islanders will move to Kansas City has come and gone.

Disclaimer: Before I begin my rant, I first want to let my friends from the American Midwest know that this blog has nothing to do with the state or city of Kansas or Missouri. Moreover, it has to with the mind-boggling chants that “hockey fans” continue to spew.

A Brief History: It was way back in January 2009, when the fight between The Lighthouse development partners (NY Islanders owner Charles B. Wang and RXR) began to get really dirty. Back then, local news outlets got word that the Islanders are going to play a pre-season game in Kansas City. It was that one little tidbit of information that sprung Islanders fans, NHL hockey fans, and the media into a frenzy. Many people in the New York area that are familiar with either hockey or sports in general have known about Charles Wang’s desire to build a new arena. For about 10 years now, The Lighthouse project has seen its share of bumps in the road and, of course, has yet to be green lighted. After the self-imposed “deadline” (October 3, 2009) had come and gone, Wang decided that it was best to “explore all options,” which include selling the team to the highest bidder. Since then, there has been a media blackout on the subject and Wang told reporters that he wishes not to talk to the media about his plans going forward. The fight between the Town of Hempstead and The Lighthouse on Long Island have come to a stand-still once again.

What’s next?: With the Islanders on-ice product beginning to swing upwards, this is where it will begin to get emotional for Islanders fans. Here are some options, in short form:

1. Wang sells and the Islanders move to Brooklyn, NY.
2. Wang sells and the Islanders move to Queens, NY.
3. Wang sells and the Islanders move out of state and, basically, cease to exist.
4a. Wang sells and new owner(s) build new arena in Nassau County.
4. Wang keeps the team on Long Island, because a scaled-down version of the massive Lighthouse project goes through.
5. Wang nixes the Lighthouse Project and decides to build a new arena only, minus the large-scale amenities, having a calming effect on the “traffic issues” that the Town of Hempstead has had such a problem with. (The TOH is claiming that the traffic studies provided by NY State and the Lighthouse project group are insufficient.) The Town of Hempstead has supposedly “approved” such a development. This option actually seems to be the least likely to happen, for one reason or another.

The Chant: I really don’t want to point the proverbial finger at any “specific” fans. I make my judgement based upon what I’ve seen and heard and can gather based upon the history of the Islanders/Rangers rivalry. The New York Islanders played the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, September, 22nd at 8 p.m. at the Sprint Center in Kansas City – with under 6,000 in attendance, the game was considered a failure. But in my experiences, whether at Madison Square Garden or at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, it has been some NY Rangers fans that have walked around the concourse and inside the arena that chant:  “Kansas City!” – followed by a series of claps as if they were cheering on their own team. Before anyone gets offended or misconstrues anything, let’s examine some history of chants between the NY Islanders and NY Rangers. And before I spout some examples, I’d like to note that it is this bloggers feeling that the NYR/NYI rivalry is one of the greatest in sports history – period. Now for some of the favorite chants:
——————————————————————————————————————-

NYI fans to Rangers fans:
1. “1940!” – This chant was a fan favorite before the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994. 1940 was the last time the Rangers held the Stanley Cup previously. It’s use was negated after the Rangers broke the long streak of no NHL championships.

NYR fans to Islanders fans:
1. “Potvin s*cks!” – This chant is still alive to this day. Apparently, former Islander defenseman, Denis Potvin, gave Ranger fans so much grief over the years to the point where it is still shouted – long after Potvins retirement. To many Islanders fans, this is just an acknowledgment of a great player that the NYI once possessed.

——————————————————————————————————————-

These are just two examples of the fan-to-fan exploits and expletives that people would shout at each other during the games. That can be considered rude or offensive to some, but to others, the chants can be endearing memories of joy and heartbreak that will last a lifetime. They’re part of the rivalry and part of hockey history.

There have been good moments and bad moments between these two clubs, but at least most of us Rangers and Islanders fans can agree to that. There have been fun chants to rib the other team and some can be meaner than others. But this “Kansas City!” chant from Rangers fans to Islanders fans bothers me. Let’s, for a moment, examine what is truly being said here when the fans chant “Kansas City!” - They are rubbing it in the Islanders fans’ collective faces that:

1.The Islanders may possibly be moving out of state, in this case Kansas City.

2. That this is something to celebrate and “ha ha ha, we finally have something good to hurt the Islanders fans with because their team will be gone.”

The Rant: Believe me, I am not naive enough to think that a good ribbing toward the rivalry team is out of order. In fact, I encourage it when it doesn’t get too personal, physical, or inappropriate to the point where parents can’t bring their children to the game in fear that they will be hurt. I understand that these chanters don’t speak for all fans and are, hopefully, part of the minority. But to celebrate the fact that a rival team may be physically moved away and destroy one of the best rivalries on sports, to me is one thing – a disgrace. It’s a disgrace to hockey history and a disgrace to a wonderful game that many of us grew up watching and even playing. This blogger, as an admitted Islander fan, would NEVER wish for the Rangers to be moved – ever. It would be a shameful act for me to the do so. I would miss those truly special times of the year when my family and I get to see the best games of the season. I get to see the most hated team face-off for 60 minutes against my most favorite team. For me, this is the Yankees against the Red Sox. This is the New York Giants against the Dallas Cowboys. This is one team against another that has the fans root more passionately on this day than any other. When the line of mutual respect is broken, much is lost. If one can’t respect the opposition and find a simple love for the game, it’s time to root for another team in another sport.

Extra note: For those who say I’m singling out Rangers fans and making pointed comments, I respond in saying – I am. I have yet to hear it from any divisional rival fans, not from Washington Capitals fans, Penguins fans (who are familiar with such a situation), Flyers fans, or Devils fans. But if there are fans from other teams that are cheering for ANY other team to move – I say shame on them. My heart goes out to the true Phoenix Coyotes fans who fear their team will move. Nobody should live and die with sports only, because there are more important things to worry about. But if you are passionate enough about your team to go and cheer for them when they win, and hope for better days when they lose, continue to support the great game of hockey and your favorite team.

by Brenna Solop

I guess if you’re from somewhere that only has one NHL team, you wouldn’t understand the rivalry. Oh wait, that’s all other places – you know, the kind with one hockey team. Sure, there are states that have more than one team. Sure, there are famous rivalries that history has given birth to, but let’s put it this way; most Maple Leaf fans don’t have to pull into the company parking lot and get blinded by a hundred Habs car magnets. Flyer fans generally don’t have to loathingly fake a “Good morning!” in the hallway to a dozen Penguin fan coworkers carrying Penguin coffee mugs the morning after a Penguin win. But when you’re a hockey fan in New York, the “others” are everywhere.

The Islander/Ranger rivalry is known throughout sports as one of the most vicious, maybe THE most vicious. And it’s all about the proximity – not between the teams, but between the fans. We live and work together. Sometimes we’re related to each other. And due to some other-wordly cosmic force, sometimes we marry each other. Apparently a few of these marriages last, or so I’ve heard. Tonight, I’ll be going with a mixed group of fans to the Coliseum, a tradition I’ve had going for three or four years now.

The woman in charge of buying the tickets – we’ll call her diehard Ranger fan – always laughs at the checks she receives from each of us when paying for our tickets. The memo line is a dead giveaway for your affiliation; Ranger fans write “Ranger tickets” while the members of my tribe write “Islander tickets.” There’s another team playing? Obviously, the behavior is instinctual.

As unthinkable as it sounds, I missed last night’s game due to dinner plans with my oldest friend. Yes, some things come before hockey, but not many. I got home in time to see the rebroadcast of the game. Sim’s goal – it’s an overused expression but it fits – it wasn’t pretty but it counts. I’ll take them any way I can. We had chances that should’ve made it 3-1 or 4-1, but we let the opportunities slip through the apparent holes in our stick blades. At least Comeau had a nice one – and he deserved it.

Heading into the home-and-home this week I was hoping my guys would be inspired by the memories of the first meeting with the Rangers – which also happened to be our first regulation win. That’s my Islanders, always a flair for the dramatic. But what I really hope fuels them was Tortorella’s comment about Tavares after the Islander win (had to throw that in again). Asked what he thought about Tavares, he said, “I don’t give a damn about John Tavares. I care about my own team.” Nothing wrong with caring about your own team, but that’s the kind of comment my mom would have classified as “not very nice.” She was into nice.

Obviously, she was not a hockey fan.

When the Penguins marched into Philadelphia earlier this season, both clubs had expectations of competing for not only the Atlantic Division crown, but also the Eastern Conference title.  On October 8, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia met in a hard-fought game with the Penguins edging the Flyers 5-4.  Evgeni Malkin led the way for Pittsburgh scoring a power-play goal in the first minute of the game and finished with two points on the evening.  This game also featured the infamous ending with two seconds left in the contest where Mike Richards ran into Marc-Andre Fleury precipitating two bizarre scenes: Chris Pronger choking Chris Kunitz by the collar of his sweater and Scott Hartnell possibly biting Kris Letang’s finger in a scrum behind the net.

Since that game, the two teams have gone in opposite directions.  The Penguins are 22-10-1, good for second in the Atlantic and fourth in the conference while Philadelphia is 15-15-1, mired in tenth place in the East.  Philadelphia fired head coach John Stevens on December 4 replacing him with Peter Laviolette, who guided Carolina to the 2006 Stanley Cup championship.  In a small sample size, the Flyers have subsequently done no better, posting a 2-4-0 mark since the coaching change.

All of this recent Philadelphia Pholly is nothing but sweet music in the ears of any long-time Penguins’ backer.  Revenge is a strong emotion in any sports rivalry and fans of a certain middle age can remember when the Flyers dominated and crushed the Penguins’ hopes routinely during the playoffs.  In 1989, despite Mario Lemieux scoring a playoff-record tying eight points and “Downtown” Robbie Brown windmilling his arm while celebrating a goal while evading the mad pursuit of goalie Ron Hextall in Game Five of the old Patrick Division Final against Philadelphia, the Flyers came back to win Games Six and Seven to end Pittsburgh’s season.  In 1997, the Flyers made quick work of the Pens in the first round, winning in five games in what would be Lemieux’s last games before his first retirement.  In 2000, the Penguins won the first two games on the road, but the series turned in the epic Game Four quintuple-overtime win by Philadelphia who won the series in six.

However, recent history is on the side of the Penguins.  The Pens defeated the Flyers in all eight contests back in 2006-07 including a game on national Canadian television when Sidney Crosby scored a career-high six points.  The following season, Pittsburgh breezed by Philadelphia in five games to capture the Conference title and last year, who can forget the comeback from three goals down to win Game Six in Philadelphia, ending the Flyers’ season once again?

The inimitable Pensblog has already settled into the spirit of the season with an honour roll of reasons to pile on to Philadelphia’s misery (note, some contents are not safe for work/school): http://thepensblog.com/pensblog/december-2009/time-to-hate.html

Even the Penguins’ official website has dedicated a front-page link today to celebrate the question “What’s the greatest Pens vs. Flyers moment ever?”

Undoubtedly, the atmosphere tonight will be raucous and playoff-like with the two teams battling hard for every square inch of ice.  It will also be interesting to observe if there are any noticeable changes to the Philadelphia plan of attack against the Penguins since the last meeting and since Laviolette took the reins.  He has tried to implement an aggressive, up-tempo system to take advantage of the Flyers’ scoring talent, after years of the questionably successful Philadelphia tradition of initimidation and emphasis on physical play.  As always, there will be plenty of storylines that develop in the game between the decades-old rivals and the best part is, if the grudges don’t develop tonight, they’ll get a chance again real quick – on Thursday evening in Philadelphia.

Sources: penguins.nhl.com, Yahoo! Sports Penguins page

Tonight, from Anaheim, Doughty and the Kings get to face off against Niedermayer and the Ducks.

In the first meeting of six between the two clubs, the Kings will look to find a way to get out of their goal scoring drought. It has been a rough time since Ryan Smyth went down to injury.  The good news for Kings fans, as of November 29th, Smyth was back skating on the ice.

Tonight, without Smyth, the Kings will need to have Anze Kopitar and company seriously come out like a team possessed. By possessed, I mean that they need to put fear into the Ducks, score early and control the play often.

One player that has been very quiet since Smyth’s injury has been Justin Williams. Throughout his career, Williams has been bothered by injuries and has missed significant paying time.  When Dean Lombardi went and acquired Williams last year, he was hoping to get that 30 goal presence that Williams once had into his line up.  This year, through 22 games, Williams has 16 points but only 5 goals. With Anze Kopitar centering the top line, and Williams as his winger, more is expected. Both have been held off the score sheet in the last three games the Kings have played. In order to be victorious this evening, that must change.

Jonathan Quick, getting the usual nod to start the game, is 2-1 in his last 3 games played with a 1.63 goals against average and a .944 save percentage. The Ducks have the ability to score goals, and lots of them.  Quick will need to be focused, while playing above the blue paint and staying focused while cutting off angles for the oppositions shooters.

Quick, again, more and more each game seems to be gaining comfort in his position. This will be important not only for him but for the Kings, especially in the wild, wild West. Playoffs are more than possible, especially if Quick can perform throughout most of the season as he has as of late.

Tonight’s line-up (subject to change):

Purcell – Kopitar – Williams
Frolov – Stoll – Brown
Parse- Handzus – Simmonds
Ivanans – Richardson- Segal

O’Donnell – Doughty
Johnson – Jones
Drewiske – Greene

Quick

Sean O’Donnell, who knows about this rivalry better then anyone as he played for the Ducks and now a member of the Kings, knows that tonight is going to be an interesting match up.

The Ducks are wrapping up a seven game home stand where they have gone 4-1-1.

The Kings need to stay disciplined as the Ducks special teams are very good this year. Staying out of the box and capitalizing on your man advantage opportunities could determine the outcome for the game tonight.

Go Kings Go!

Quick hits:

Rob Scuderi still has no time line for a return.

Andrei Lokitonov is out indefinitely.

The Manchester Monarchs have signed players to fill the void due to Lokitonov’s injury and because of Parse and Segal up with the big club.

Islanders Coach Scott Gordon looked a bit more comfortable under the TV light. A win will do that. Especially one where they held off a rival in the 3rd period. They haven’t been able to hold anyone off since the start of the season.

However he threw it to the media wanting a win more than him or the team. Nice try Gordo but one could see it on the team’s faces in the locker room that it meant quite a bit. Meant just about everything.

John Tavares sat wearing a hard hat as players around him had a smirk and lift. Of course, Tavares, who is demure and a bit of a dead fish on interviews, actually was better for it, which might have been the intent. Per John, when asked about it: “it’s something we wear when we win”.

Tavares nailed the coffin of game 1 of the rivalry bringing them up to 3-1, touching off a vent of frustration from Ranger fans as many then left or started an array of fights. Guess Ranger fans aren’t that settled and comfortable with their start. A lot of fear and concern, as their team was unable to comeback without their injury prone star and contractual big money man, Marion Gaborik.

Without him, the Rangers were quite ordinary. It was enough for not only the Islanders to lead the entire game, but for Dwayne Roloson to finally come up big and play at the level he was signed to do. He did not look herky jerky at all, instead he looked very comfortable.

As I said on twitter during the game, and also in a previous blog, the Islanders biggest issue is sustaining offensively flow. A big example of that is shot count for them. If the other team leads in shots, there is about 90% chance they will lose. This team lacks the talent, depth and experience to overcome that element.

But if the lead or are within 2 to 3 shots of the other team? Then it is likely a different story. Sustaining offense means the defense isn’t collapsing and the goalie left out o dry.

Josh Bailey had a better game, and Gordon nodded when that was brought up. He’s doing much more, even if the score sheet isn’t indicating it.

However, we also need to start talking about Brendan Witt’s diminished ice time. He logged 13:53 last night, as Streit and Gervais, Martinek and Sutton get the main time slots now. 2:54 was on the PK. Think this is an abberation? He logged 9:04 in Montreal. Is this because he’s banged up? Sick? Or just more inidicative to his role nowadays?