All Entries Tagged With: "Antero Niittymaki"
Fantasy hockey: goaltending battles part 2
Two months into the season, let’s have a look at the goal tending battles raging on in the NHL. Some teams still don’t have a clear-cut starter like Roberto Luongo, Ryan Miller or Martin Brodeur. Goaltending battles: – Scorching: game-to-game musical chair – Blazing: no clear-cut starter – Moderate: mild battle going-on – Low: a [...]
Fantasy hockey: goaltending battles
One week into the season, it’s time to look at some of the goal tending battles going on in the NHL. Some teams don’t have a clear-cut starter like Roberto Luongo, Ryan Miller or Martin Brodeur. Goaltending battles: – Scorching: game-to-game musical chair – Blazing: no clear-cut starter – Moderate: mild battle going-on – Low: [...]
Joe Thornton Named Sharks Captain
Joe Thornton has finally been named the eighth captain of the San Jose Sharks. One of the leagues most prolific set-up men, Thornton takes over the captaincy of a team for the second time in his career after doing so with the Boston Bruins for two seasons. After being acquired from the Boston Bruins in [...]
Sharks logjam in net
San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson got what he wanted in net… and some. With Antero Niittymaki, Thomas Greiss, and the newly signed Antti Niemi protecting the twine, the Sharks have fully addressed an area that was full of questions once they decided to let Evgeni Nabokov go. Yet new questions now emerge in net. [...]
Sharks roster looks better or worse?
The San Jose Sharks roster looks vaguely familiar at this point in the off-season. Perhaps that’s because it’s virtually the same team that took them to the Western Conference Finals last season. That finish warranted few alterations to the roster, but are the Sharks in any better shape to improve on last season’s breakthrough in [...]
DAILY RUMORS: Lyle Dismisses Several Rumored Destinations for Niemi…But Acknowledges One Possibility
We at HockeyIndependent.com want to be your resource and filter for what is going on in the NHL. We try to disseminate the noise in the blogosphere. We don’t look to to attack those sources, but to question the veracity of the rumor with cold logic, hockey smarts and knowledge. To do that… we have [...]
Lightning Off-Season Rolling Along
Well, look what the cat dragged in? Your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you, folks. Yup, it’s that guy (and in written form, no less!) Formerly of ‘Da Buzz, currently the co-host of The Bolts Beat podcast and soon to be a permanent fixture as a featured contributor at another prominent hockey web site (to [...]
Sharks roster taking shape
The San Jose Sharks filled their goaltender vacancy by signing 30-year-old Antero Niittymaki to a 2-year deal worth $4 million. Niittymaki will get a shot at the Sharks starting job in goal and he’s had experience in that position, at least more so than either Thomas Greiss or Alex Stalock. When the Sharks were eliminated [...]
Bolts Day 1 Free Agent Frenzy: Yzerman Performs Magic
The hockey Gods are shining down on Hockey Bay lately and that trend continued today as the NHL’s “Free Agent Frenzy” began. The chosen Lightning apostle, Steve Yzerman, blessed the Lightning faithful by making the team better while remaining fiscally responsible. Tampa Bay fans were overjoyed to hear that diminutive forward Martin St. Louis will [...]
Attention NHL Shoppers: Lightning Free Agent Frenzy Is Here!
Now that the draft is over, Bolthead Nation can focus on the “Free Agent Frenzy” that begins on Thursday, July 1. The Tampa Bay Lightning probably won’t get involved in signing an upper echelon free agent player. The free agent pool is shallow as compared to other years and new GM Steve Yzerman simply cannot [...]
The Montreal Canadiens Must Trade Carey Price & Keep Jaroslav Halak
Halak or Price? This question has been on the lips of every Canadiens fan and every journalist in Montreal since the start of the season. With young goaltenders Jaroslav Halak and Carey Price both about to become restricted free agents (RFA) at season’s end and the Canadiens being very up tight against the salary cap [...]
Bruins Pepper Niittymaki & Bolts For 50 Shots But Lose
There’s three things you could say about last night’s game in Boston between the B’s and Tampa Bay Lightning. The first being that Tuukka Rask had his worst game as a Boston Bruin, the second being that Antero Niittymaki was simply a brick wall last night, and the third being that the Bruins are back [...]
Bruins Look To Bury Bolts’ Playoff Hopes
If beating borderline playoff-quality clubs restores your faith in the Boston Bruins, you must be feeling on cloud nine tonight when the Bruins return home and play host to the 12th place Tampa Bay Lightning. Sitting eight points behind Boston for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Lightning find themselves in a [...]
Heading Into the Trade Deadline…
With the NHL trade deadline less than 48 hours away, there is plenty to talk about for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Read on as I cover the Olympics, the assistant coaching change, and the upcoming trade deadline…
Lightning Players Making An Impact At Olympic Games
The Tampa Bay Lightning has been well represented at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Here’s what the Tampa Bay contingent has done so far, through the early preliminary rounds Goaltender Antero Niittymaki has sat on the bench and watched team Finland go undefeated in two games. Bolt’s defenseman Andrej Meszaros has not gotten on [...]
Who Knew A Bruins & Bolts Game Could Be So Important?
After rattling off two straight wins and ending a ten-game long losing streak, the Boston Bruins sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference and are just two points out of the eighth seed. Basically, they avoided calamity for now and are right back in the thick of a crowded Eastern Conference. Among those teams [...]
The Fabulous Finn On Fire!
Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Antero Niittymaki made 39 saves on Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks to lead the Lightning to a 3-1 win. The Turku, Finland native stopped all but one of Vancouver’s shots. The lone goal scored by Vancouver came in the second period by Ryan Kesler. The Lightning defense again provided little support [...]
52 Down, 30 to Go
I address key questions facing the Lightning with the final 30 games of the season upon them like where they currently stand, what they need going forward, and what the realistic chances are of making the playoffs this season. I also provide a sneak peak at some upcoming blogs.
Hockey Bay Happenings
The Lightning is 19-20-10 with 48 points. They are 4th in the Southeast Division with 127 goals scored and 154 goals against. The Bolts’ power play percentage is 18.91, while the league average is 18.61. Their penalty kill percentage is 79.40, while the league average is 81.34. Tampa Bay is four points out of the [...]
Tuesday Top Ten: Biggest Winter Olympic Snubs Of 2010
Welcome to the pilot installment of the “Tuesday Top Ten”, where every Tuesday presents us with a look at the ten biggest (insert topic)’s of the week. As expected, the countdown will be of relevance to current stories and headlines in the World of Hockey. Olympic hockey, the crown jewel of the international hockey scene. [...]