Bobby Ryan OMG Goal Is Super Epic Awesome

One day, in the near future, your grandchildren will sit down with their young kids and tell them about the story of Bobby Ryan and the epic goal he scored Friday night.

It’s one of those moments you just know will be replayed over and over throughout the years. It’s epic and it’s just that good.

The Ducks and Predators hit Cali on Friday night to battle it out for game 5. The series was tied 2-2 with the Ducks looking like they have finally figured out Preds goalie Pekka Rinne. Turns out that it didn’t matter. The game came down to some ‘never say die’ attitude by Nashville and their character to keep playing in the game.

Down a goal in the third period Predators captain Shea Weber tied the game with a little wrister. The game gets tied and goes in OT. Then the Preds score just over a minute into the game to win their first ever game 5. Congrats are in order. My mind grapes are doing their job willing the Predators to their first ever playoff series win.

But the goal of the night turns out to be the goal of the playoffs and will be the goal of the year. No matter what else happens in the playoffs it will be hard to imagine the goal by the Ducks Bobby Ryan in a losing cause. The Preds may have nabbed a game in Anaheim on the road but it’s this clip by Ryan that will forever remembered.

Red Wings Sweep, Canucks Choke? A Look at the NHL Playoffs

We’re deep enough into the first round of the NHL Playoffs that it’s time to look back at our original predictions and see what we can make of all this excitement.

The first big story of the NHL Playoffs is that the Detroit Red Wings took care of the Phoenix Coyotes without a hitch.  The Red Wings took the first series in game 4 by sending Phoenix packing to go home….to Winnipeg? Who knows the fate of the Coyotes next year but here’s a look at the remaining games in the first round of the NHL Playoffs.

	#7		Buffalo Sabres	vs.	Philadelphia Flyers	#2
Buffalo has played Philly tough, as expected, and pushed the series to a 2-2 tie.  Philly has lost a bit of composure in game 4 which allowed Sabres goalie Ryan Miller to blank the Flyers and sent them home confused.  The Flyers have the skills and depth to beat the Sabres but have really yet to show it in a consistent form.  That’s why I’m still going with Buffalo to tough this series out.   PREDICTION : Sabres win series 4-3, my upset pick of the week Results : Series tied 2-2, still up for grabs by Sabres
	#8		New York Rangers	vs.	Washington Capitals	#1
The Rangers for a brief period of game 4 and 5 looked to give the Caps a run for their money.  Something happened in game 4 as the Caps held on into OT to sneak a goal in for the win and totally deflate the Rangers hopes.  The Caps are just too strong and stubborn for the Rangers and it could easily turn into  a win for the Caps in game 5 with an extra benefit of time off before the next round.  PREDICTION : Caps win series 4-2 RESULTS: Game 5 heads to DC, Caps should wrap up.
	#6		Montreal Canadians	vs.	Boston Bruins	#3
The Bruins dropped 2 at home but showed up in style to take 2 hard-fought games in Montreal to even the series.  In the end the Bruins are stronger and deeper than the Canadians and have a chance to take the series momentum away from the emotional Habs squad.  The series is about as we expected it here as both teams are punching it out like heavyweights.  Key here is the Boston netminders.  They need to reach down deep and pull out a magnificent game to break the spirits of Montreal to get to the next round. PREDICTION: Bruins win series 4-3 RESULTS: Tied 2-2, but Bruins looking to snap out of hybernation
	#5		Tampa Bay Lightning	vs.	Pittsburgh Penguins	#4
Despite having what seems like all their talent on IR, the Pens have used solid “D” and goal tending to hold off the Bolts.  In the end I see the Pens lacking the depth to go far into the playoffs but they are riding a high at the moment and are easily handling a Tampa squad lacking the ‘pop’ they need to go to round 2.   PREDICTION : Sabres win series 4-3, my upset pick of the week RESULTS: Pens dominate to the tune of 3-1.  Should be an easy wrap for Pittsburgh
	#8		Chicago Blackhawks	vs.	Vancouver Canucks	#1
The Canucks looked on their way to an easy first round win until the Canucks’ Raffi Torres hit Hawks defenseman Brent Seabrook with a controversial check in Game 3.  Something about that hit seemed to wake up the ‘Hawks and the series now heads back to Chicago with Vancouver up 3-2 after the Canucks were up 3-0.  The Canucks lost 2 in a row by blowouts as Chicago got into the head of Roberto Luongo and blew him off the ice.  Game 6 is now in Chicago and the Canucks, if they are for real, will have to wake up and win this game.  The series shows the Canucks are highly vulnerable, especially at goal, and for them to even consider playing with the big boys in the next round they have to wake up. I expect the Canucks to fire up and take game 6 even though it’s at Chicago.  That’s what good teams do and I still believe the Canucks are a better team here. PREDICTION: Canucks win series 4-2 RESULTS : Canucks lead series 3-2, should win but look soft.
	#6		Phoenix Coyotes	vs.	Detroit Red Wings	#3
The big story of the NHL Playoffs is that the Detroit Red Wings took care of the Phoenix Coyotes without a hitch.  A lot of us expected more of a fight from the ‘Yotes since this is the same team that rushed the Wings in the Playoffs last year to give Detroit a scare.  Instead, the young Coyotes will disappear into the fog of the offseason not knowing where they will end up.  That’s because the franchise is such a mess that it will most likely end up somewhere else.  The NHL is keep the franchise afloat in Phoenix and that means all the other owners are helping out.  I’m sure that won’t last long mostly when there are more than suitable owners in Winnipeg and Quebec will to take on the debacle that is the Phoenix Coyote team. And not everyone is happy about the possible move to the relatively unknown city for most American fans. Phoenix goalie Ilya Bryzgalov is quoted today as stating that “he’d rather play in the KHL next season.” Maybe he can join his buddy Evgeni Nabokov over there.  Unless either of them would like to play for the Islanders?  Yeah, maybe not. Now the Red Wings can relax and wait for the next round.  Not a bad scenario for an older team who could use the rest. PREDICTION: Red Wings win series 4-2 RESULTS: Red Wings won series 4-0
	#5		Nashville Predators	vs.	Anaheim Ducks	#4
Like the Canucks, the Predators lost their goaltending and look soft.  The Ducks can outscore almost any team on the ice but against the brick wall of the Predators Pekka Rinne it looked like the Preds might make their first trip into the second round of the playoffs.  That is until the Ducks figured out Rinne.  It’s a whole new game here as without Rinne the Preds are going nowhere fast.  Should Pekka show up to his regular series form then Nashville will be OK. Nashville has never won a game 5 and heads to Cali without Martin Erat, who took a cheap hit from Jarkko Ruutu.  Erat won’t make the trip out west but it hurts both teams as the NHL suspsended Jarkko Ruutu for game 5. PREDICTION: Nashville win series 4-3 RESULTS: Series tied 2-2, heads to Anaheim for game 5. Fate of series decided by Rinne’s play.
	#7		L.A. Kings	vs.	San Jose Sharks	#2
The Kings limp into the playoffs with some of their best talent on the IR but somehow jumped out early to threaten San Jose, who looked stale at times in the first two games.  A solid win in OT in game 3 seemed to wake up the Sharks who easily rolled in a 6-3 win in game 4.  Game 5 is in San Jose and the Sharks should take the series early.  PREDICTION: Sharks win series 4-1 RESULTS: Sharks lead series 3-1 and should easily wrap up during game 5.

Andrew Ference Glove Malfuntion Costs Him $2,500

There has never been any doubt about the lack of love between division rivals Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens. Their Stanley Cup Playoffs first-round series has seen an emotional, high-octane battle that has seen the series stand tied at 2 games each.

In Game 4 on Thursday night we saw Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference have a ‘glove malfunction.’ That’s the technical term for Ference’s excuse of flipping the bird to Habs fans after scoring a rare post-season goal. The fickle finger of fate found Ference and his wallet and quickly removed $2,500 as a fine from the league.

The fine comes from a ruling under Rule 75.5 (see, we’re getting technical here) which calls for a maximum fine of $2,500 for an obscene on-ice gesture.

Ference allegedly tried to play it off as an accident like when your parents catch you with your hand in the cookie jar and blame it on your little brother Billy. For some odd reason the NHL didn’t buy that story.

“It looks awful; I just saw it,” said Ference follwing the game. “I can assure you that’s not part of my repertoire. I think my glove got caught up. I can assure you that’s not part of who I am or what I ever have been. It looks awful. I admit it and I completely apologize to how it looks. I was putting my fist in the air. I’m sorry. It does look awful. I don’t know what else to say.”

Ference was pressed several times about the middle-finger gesture, but never wavered from the main story he’s telling the commissioner’s office.

“Honestly, I have no idea [how it happened],” he said. “It looks really bad. All I can do is tell you the truth, and [my finger getting stuck in my glove is] the truth. [via]

ESPN Out! Versus, NBC Lock NHL Up For $2 Billion/10 years

Earlier this week we mentioned that the NHL was seeing an uptick in viewers and that in certain markets they were doing better than the NBA. Turns out that the TV rights of the NHL just happened to be under negotiation this week and those factors played a nice hand in the NHL securing a rather nice payday in their new TV contracts.

While terms of the new 10-year pact weren’t immediately available, the bidding is believed to have reached nearly three times the value of the current Versus contract ($75 million per year). Under the terms of NBC’s legacy pact with the league, the broadcaster doesn’t part with a penny; instead, the NHL and NBC split advertising revenue.

Last fall, team owners had been looking for full broadcast compensation and a rate hike of at least 50 percent over the Versus rights fee. The new package, which is expected to tally up to approximately $200 million per year for a joint custody arrangement between NBC and cable sibling Versus, demonstrates the monolithic power of the sports marketplace. [via AdWeek.com]

A lot of people are upset that ESPN, one of the bidders to the end, were shut out in the end. I am not too sad. That’s because even though I’m not the biggest fan of Versus, I don’t believe the NHL and ESPN were ever that great of a marriage. Being on ESPN would always mean being behind the NBA and MLB and even when the NHL was there it always seemed to live in the background.

What I like about Versus, and it’s not the coverage (the suck) or the teams they show (there are more than 4 teams you can show) is the potential for the NHL on the channel. The NHL will now have 10 years locked up to play out on NBC and Versus (both are under the same corporate umbrella) and have mentioned over the years that they would love to create a sports station to rival ESPN.

With a nice budget and exclusive sports, Versus could potentially make a run at it and help hockey along the way. Another factor that might help is that the NBA and NFL are facing potential lost seasons due to labor issues. The NHL stands to gain a lot of lost ground if both, or just one, of these leagues takes a season off. Personally, I think the NFL will be back but the NBA will lose some time.

Good news for hockey fans but Versus will have to take it up a few notches to be a serious contender.  Taking on ESPN head on for the rights to a major sports is a nice first step.

With news Tuesday that the league and its current U.S. network/cable partners have reached agreement on a new 10-year deal starting in the 2012-’13 season, the NHL rejected ESPN, the highly influential sports force in the U.S., and casting its lot in America with an upstart 24-hour sports property being formed between NBC and Comcast, the huge U.S. cable company.

The league will make $2-billion (U.S.) over the course of the decade-long deal. (The previous agreement saw NBC and the NHL splitting profits on their network package with no rights fee to the league.) While the dollar figure represents only an annual $6.6-million per team, finally getting paid for a network deal marks a minor triumph for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who spurned ESPN after the 2004-’05 lockout and has stuck with NBC and Comcast despite criticism of the household reach of Versus, their hockey channel.

Bettman said he had “no regrets” about going with NBC and Versus.

on Litner, president of Comcast SportsNet, believes that the sport’s demographics helped seal the deal. “Hockey has the most attractive young male demo,” he said Tuesday. “and advertisers known that.” NBC also cited a ratings rise of over 84 per cent nationally in the league’s overall ratings since 2007.Canadian TV rights expire at the end of the 2013-14 season. It’s believed that in the current frenzied competition between Canadian telcos for properties and rights the rights fees could equal the $200-million per year figure of the NHL’s U.S deal. That figure would no doubt squeeze out CBC, the current rights holder, which cannot amortize such a large payment across a secondary business — as the telcos can. [via The Globe and Mail]

Bruins Announcer Rags Canadians

Les Habs went home to Montreal leading the Bruins in the first round of NHL Playoffs 2-0 and promptly loss, at home, to Boston 4-2.

The exciting series between the two division rivals has lived up the hype and if you are lucky enough to find a Boston feed featuring Jack Edwards of NESN you’re in for a treat. Let’s just say that Jack is known for being a bit biased toward his Bruins as illustrated in the below clip via Puck Daddy.

There’s some great stuff here as Edwards calls out Benoit Pouliot as being the worst pick in the history of the NHL and tells Roman Hamrlik to “Get Up” after taking a hit. Awesome.

The Boston/Montreal series continues Thursday, Apr 21 at 7:00

NHL TV Ratings on the Rise; Caps Beat NBA Games by 57%

The NHL has had the smallest TV presence of the big sports leagues. At least in the U.S. I can’t speak for Canada but from what I know about our cousins to the North is that they watch hockey whenever it’s on and during the offseason watch episodes of “Trailer Park Boys” and “Degrassi Junior High.”

While the Stanley Cup Finals will never match the huge TV ratings of the Super Bowl I can gladly say the ratings for our sport have been growing over the years.  Despite being on Versus, a relatively unknown sports channel, the NHL has slowly gained traction.  Even local broadcasts, where most of the games are aired, have gained huge grounds.

In Washington, D.C., the Capitals reportedly beat out the NBA Wizards in local broadcasts by up to 57%!   Around February, that number was released and it was at a nice 25%.  The huge growth reflects the success of the team as the Caps rallied to be the best team in the Eastern Conference but it is also great news to know that hockey fans are starting to tune into the broadcasts.

Sports Business Journal published its final look at the regional sports network ratings this week, and the Caps finished 57 percent ahead of the Wizards, which has to be a record in this market. According to the publication, the Caps finished with a 1.8 average, up 12 percent from 2009-2010. The Wizards finished with a 1.15 rating, down three percent year-to-year.

The Lakers led the NBA in average total households (271,000), while the Spurs led the NBA in local ratings, according to SBJ. The Penguins led the NHL’s U.S. markets in local ratings for the fourth straight year, and also led the league in total households with about 100,000. Three of the bottom five household totals came in the Southeast Division, where the Lightning, Thrashers and Panthers combined to average just 24,000 households. [via Washington Post]

The success of the NHL has also occurred on a national level.  Last year, the Stanley Cup Finals between Chicago and Philly saw action on NBC and that paid off in a big way.  The once

The 2010 Stanley Cup Final Game 6 between the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers on NBC Sports was the most-watched and highest-rated NHL game in 36 years.

Last night’s game – which saw the Blackhawks defeated the Flyers, 4-3, on a goal by Patrick Kane 4:06 into overtime to give Chicago its first Stanley Cup since 1961 and end the NHL’s longest championship drought – was watched by 8.28 million viewers, the most since 1974 (8.29 million viewers, Boston-Philadelphia, Game 3 on NBC), 43 percent higher than last year’s Game 6 (5.8 million viewers) and four percent higher than last year’s Game 7 (8.0 million).
[via TV By The Numbers]

So heading into the playoffs this year you can bet that TV executives were keeping close watch on the numbers to see if the upward trend continued.  The local markets, as explained above, did well but how did the coverage on the NHL’s national channel, Verses, produce?

Turns out that they are doing just fine. Traffic online has increased as well as TV viewership for the sport.

The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are off to a flying start with substantial viewership increases at both the national and local levels and huge gains on NHL.com in traffic and consumption.  Here’s a rather lengthy but impressive breakdown of how the first handful of NHL First Round Playoff games stood up on in national and local markets.

In the U.S., VERSUS set a network record by averaging 534,328 viewers with their opening night triple-header, the best opening night in its six years of Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage and a 12 percent increase over last year.

In Canada, CBC earned a 29 percent increase over last year by averaging 1.58 million viewers for its two opening night playoff broadcasts, highlighted by its coverage of Chicago-Vancouver, up a whopping 207 percent over the comparable game last year (Colorado-San Jose).

TSN’s telecast of New York-Washington delivered 664,000 viewers; good for a 38 percent gain compared to last year’s opening playoff broadcast featuring two U.S. based teams (Philadelphia-New Jersey, 481,000 viewers).

Locally, Comcast SportsNet’s scored with its Game 1 coverage of the Washington-New York series, posting a 6.2 rating in the D.C. market, making it the second-highest Capitals rating in network history, behind only Game 7 of last year’s first-round series vs. Montreal (8.10) and up 21 percent over last year’s Game 1 against Montreal.

The game also earned strong ratings in New York despite head-to-head competition from the Knicks, Yankees and Mets.

The 3.4 local rating in New York on MSG Plus made it the highest-rated Conference Quarterfinal telecast for the Rangers since 1997.

On ROOT Sports in Pittsburgh, the Penguins earned a massive 16.2 for its win over Tampa Bay.

Detroit responded to the Red Wings Game 1 victory over Phoenix with a 9.4 rating on Fox Sports Detroit, while the Blackhawks drew a 5.1 on Comcast SportsNet for its Game 1 loss in Vancouver.
[via Fox News]

Puckdoctors Links Rawking NHL Playoffs

I’ve stated over the last few weeks that through the sheer power of my mind-control abilities, I will force the Nashville Predators to find the strength to win their first NHL Playoff series. I’ve sat all weekend in my office with a stack of bologna sandwiches and Moosehead Beer focusing on Sunday’s game. Apparently, my mind grapes put enough force out there to help Nashville as the Predators snatched up another game to take the series lead.

Predators edge the Ducks, 4-3, to take lead in series

Mike Fisher broke a tie at 10:21 of the third period, and the Nashville Predators took advantage of Bobby Ryan sitting out the first of his two-game suspension by beating the Anaheim Ducks, 4-3, on Sunday for a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference first-round playoff series.

Vancouver Canucks Take A Commanding 3-0 Series Lead

In my opinion, game #3 can be described as a game where the momentum went back and forth to each team, throughout the game. This was also a game of untimely penalties, as all three power play goals came within 30 seconds of a penalty being called. Game #3 started off with a bang for the Chicago Blackhawks (which was much need), as defenseman Duncan Keith wired one right through Roberto Luongo’s glove side.

Sharks lose home ice advantage after an embarrassing 4-0 loss to the Kings

Both teams started the game with some big hits. The Sharks got the first power play of the game on a pretty weak call, but they didn’t do much with their man advantage. Ben Eager took really undisciplined slashing penalty on Jack Johnson at 11:26 of the first period. Johnson made Eager pay with a blast from the point with the man advantage to get the Kings on the board first.

Heartbreak at 4 Penn Plaza as Rangers Shock Caps, 3-2

This could be the pivotal game in the series. Up 2-0 Washington had the chance to all but put the Rangers away. But all it took to derail those plans, however, was one bad bounce off Karl Alzner’s shoulder. The first period was scoreless and fairly even with Caps holding a 5-4 advantage in scoring chances. Despite not having a lead after 20 minutes of play the frame had to be considered a positive for Washington after killing off New York’s one and a half minute five-on-three power play late.

Jessica Alba’s New Photo Shoot Is Hot

Finally, Video Surfaces of the Man Who Set Himself on Fire in a San Francisco Porn Shop

We know you’ve been waiting for it. Click here for the back story. That is all..

Tim Tebow Errects Statue and Jockey Ads

Denver Broncos QB Tim Tebow is having himself a busy month. It all started with the release of Tebow’s new endorsement for Jockey and ended up with himself etched in stone in Florida.

Jockey released a new ad featuring Tebow in their new line of Staycool undershirts and we can only guess that there will be more Tebow in the future.

Canadians Making F-ing Coffee in Afghanistan

Now, if your fortunate enough to find yourself in ‘Afghanistan‘ (Boom! Did it again) and have not been hit by a stray bullet or RPG, you will appreciate this how to instructional video by the F-in Canadian troops on how to make coffee in ‘Afghanistan‘ (Boom!) under combat conditions. Language is a little bit NSFW but this is war, baby! And coffee needs to be made!

Badass! Red Wings Franzen Gets Injured, Stays In Game

The Detroit Red Wings may be without Henrik Zetterberg but they are doing just fine. In the first two games of the NHL Playoffs, the Phoenix Coyotes and Detroit Red Wings have battled it out but Detroit is just too strong for the young Phoenix squad.

Saturday the Red Wings held off Phoenix to win the game 4-3 in which Pavel Datsyuk continued to swing his big balls of steel around the ice and scored once and added two assists in the first period.

But the manly stud of the game goes to tough guy Johan Franzen who just wouldn’t stop being a badass.

In the first period Shane Doan pushed Johan Franzen into the end boards that left Franzen crumpled on the ground. Franzen’s face took the brunt of the impact, as you can see in the top photo.

Franzen ended up with 21 stitches and a possible broken nose. He left the ice and didn’t score in the game but he did end up returning to finish up the game after getting stitched up and having some cotton shoved up his nose to stop the bleeding.  Man, that’s badass.

Trainer:  We need to take you to the hospital to get stitches and x-rays.  You could have a concussion and broken bones.

Franzen: Nah.

Trainer:  But you’re bleeding!

Franzen : (in Swedish accent) I don’t have time to bleed.

Trainer:  What? Are you serious?

Franzen : (grabs trainers balls and twists) You will stitch me up now.  I have to go back to game.

Trainer:  Ahhhhh!!!!

Franzen :  Ahhhhh!!!!

Trainer:   Ahhhhh!!!!

Franzen :  Now!

Trainer: OK….OK…please let go….

 

Pimp! Datsyuk Amazing Goal Leaves Coyotes Dazed

Pavel Datsyuk showcased his skills in Game 1 against the Phoenix Coyotes that helped win the game.

In Game 2, Datsyuk was just as effective coming out of the game with a goal and two assists. And it was one of his assists that makes the highlight reel. Darren Helm got this goal in the first period to put Detroit up 3-0 on Phoenix. You would think that by scoring a goal he would be the stud of this play.

Wrong. It’s the fantastic play by Pavel Datsyuk as he pulls off an amazing between-the-legs shot that gets stopped. Everyone seems a bit shocked the goal didn’t go in but Darren Helm swoops in to put home the rebound.

Ouch. Phoenix heads home (no, not Winnipeg yet) for game three on Monday at 10:30 PM. Detroit leads the series 2-0.

Canadians Carey On, Blank Bruins 2-0

The shutouts continued last night as another underdog went into town and come out with a shutout victory. Ryan Miller and Buffalo Sabres surprised the Flyers with a 1-0 win in Philly and not to be outdone, the Montreal Canadians manned up and stole a victory in Boston with a 2-0 win.

Canadians goalie Carey Price continued to show why he’s one of the hottest goal tenders in the league as he skated onto the ice, built a brick wall in front of the net and sat back and watched. OK, maybe it wasn’t that easy. The Bruins tossed 31 shots at Carey for the Habs to earn the victory but if you were to tell me a few days back that the Bruins would be blanked in their opener at home I wouldn’t believe you.

Just how much was Price in the zone? Check out this highlight were Price keeps his eye on the bouncing puck and gets the rebound save in the second period. It’s almost as good of a highlight as when Price and Tim Thomas fought earlier in the year.

But that’s what I love about this time of year. The first round of the NHL Playoffs will always toss surprises your way and next to the Predators manhandling the Ducks last night in Anaheim 4-1, this is one of the biggest upsets of the playoffs.

Price watched most of the playoffs from the bench last year and only started in one game. He made up for lost time by starting 70 games this season and opening his playoff year with an impressive 2-0 victory on the road. You couldn’t ask for more.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Saturday night in Boston.

« Previous Page — Next Page »