Posts Tagged ‘Hurricanes

First, what a great hockey game.

Even if Canes fans do not get real playoff hockey this April, the team has at least played its way close enough that we can have fun pretending for a few weeks. And lately that has been fun and mostly successful. The team continues to play good hockey.

For me, the most defining point in Wednesday’s loss was the last couple minutes of the 1st period. Brando…

The hot topic right now for the Tampa Bay Lightning might be Steven Stamkos, thanks to the hot hand that has him on pace for a 51-goal sophomore season.

The impact of Steve Downie as a well-rounded force, offensively, physically and otherwise, might be the surprise story of their season.

And a reinvigorated Vincent Lecavalier down the stretch, sparked by the under-the-radar arrival of Teddy…

The last two seasons have ended with a frantic playoff push, only to come up short by slim margins, perpetuating an absurd and unacceptable playoff drought. The Panther’s swan dive before and after the Olympic break, losing seven straight, has now put them in an all-to-familiar position of relying on luck and perfect play to squeak into the eighth playoff spot in the East.

The prediction was t…

After calling the Canes’ season done a long time ago partly just to exhale big and avoid any further frustration in 09-10, I am slowly and cautiously working my way up to being excited again. And I’m not talking about draft order positioning.

There are 2 big problems with where the Canes are in the standings as far as miraculously cracking the top 8. First, the volume of teams between them an…

So, the Jeff Vinik era as owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning got off to an 0-1 start with Thursday’s loss to Washington.

So what?

The Caps are, well, the Caps. And, though there was certainly some sloppiness, the Lightning hung tight in that game, battling back from several deficits and showing some real character throughout.

A timely save or two down the stretch would have aided the cau…

18 teams were in action on Thursday night in the National Hockey League. Home teams finished with a sparkling 7-1-1 record, with the Stars suffering the only loss in regulation among the nine hosts.

HOCKEYBUZZ HIGH FIVE
#1Paul Kariya (STL) – 2g, 1a, +2 in 6-1 win over Stars
#2 Chris Mason (STL) – 29 saves, 1 GA in 6-1 win over Stars
#3 Scott Walker (WSH) – 2g, 0a, +2 in 5-4 win over L…

The team looks a little different in terms of personnel but the story is the same as it has been for 5 games prior to the break and now 2 games since. Is there a team in the NHL playing better right now? Those not bogged down in the full season record might try to name a handful of teams in the same category but no more.

The story of the game tonight for me was the new 4th line of Zach Boychu…

Hop in and out all day for trade deadline discussion, general puck chat, questions, comments and, with any luck, some breaking news from JJ …

We can even talk about last night’s 7-2 thumping the Lightning received from Philly, if we must. (Hey, at least we got another double dose of “Hammer Time”!

Deadline Day 2010 With JJ

JJ

jon.jordan@hockeybuzz.com

BoltsBuzz Radio Archive at Po…

If only the National Hockey had 40 minute contests. That’s right. Shave off an entire period of play. The Boston Bruins, in this fresh new format, would be world-beaters. Unfortunately, no such drastic overhaul will ever take place, and the B’s will repeatedly come out on the losing end as they did in their 4-1 setback to the Habs on Tuesday.

It’s frustrating and downright puzzling. In their fi…

John Belushi – Animal House.

So the trade winds just keep swirling and swirling even more (kind of like a Hurricane). The team just returns from a 2-week Olympic layoff and picks up right where it left off – winning hockey games every time they get a chance.

The mountain is still steep, but is it completely impossible? I just don’t know. Montreal won, so the gap is still 9 points, but the…

Join me at your leisure on deadline day here.

I’ll be in and out throughout the day, passing along whatever word I get on any potential or actual Lightning moves and my usual snide commentary on whatever else is going on tomorrow.

We’ll have plenty to discuss, I’m sure.

Stay tuned.

Deadline Day 2010 With JJ

JJ

jon.jordan@hockeybuzz.com

BoltsBuzz Radio Archive at Podbean!
(Sub…

First, in the name of honest disclosure…This is NOT a rumor. It is a thinking hunch.

Clue #1:
Ray Schero traded for Jordan Leopold today. No way is Shero shooting his trade deadline wad adding an 8th! defenseman. Sure defensive depth is good, but Bill Guerin is leading the team’s wings in goals with what? 12…13…actually 17. My money says that Shero is adding depth, so he can part wit…

Before I open up the mailbag for the first time in a long time, I’ll answer a question that I’ve received from a handful of people in the last couple of days:

“Where did BoltsBuzz Radio go so quickly?”

The answer is simple. Nowhere. We scheduled to take Monday the 22nd off, figuring most listeners would be in Olympic mode, most potential guests scattered about and hard to reach and,…

Well, according to about anyone you ask, Ray Whitney should be wearing a different team’s uniform when the Canes return from the Olympic break on Thursday. Thus far GM, Jim Rutherford has shown a preference for getting players who are NHL roster ready rather than just stockpiling picks. Awhile back he traded a 2009 1st-rounder for Jiri Tlusty and in recent trade deadline dealing picked up NHL-ex…

There’s really only one certainty we can take out of the coaching changes made yesterday by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

OK Hockey – dubbed a circus by so many – may be out as an ownership group but, clearly, the show must go on.

What about replacing assistant coach Wes Walz with Norfolk head coach Jim Johnson makes sense at this point in the season, at any level?

With 21 games left fo…

Due to the Olympic break, as well as other factors which may alter our weekly schedule a bit moving forward, there will be no BoltsBuzz Radio broadcast this evening.

If you’re wondering where I’ve been during the Olympic hiatus, I’ve been covering “The Forgotten Five” for Versus.com.

With Belarus taking on Switzerland in the first of tomorrow’s qualifying matches, my coverage there will ext…

Tampa Bay Lightning radio play-by-play voice Dave Mishkin joins Mike and I for episode 5 of BoltsBuzz Radio.

Topics discussed include the Bolts at the break, the upcoming Olympic tournament, life on the road, Dave’s game day preparation, working alongside hockey legend Phil Esposito, new media and hockey and more.

Mike’s Missed Call of the Week returns and I debut my new weekly feature, “Wha…

I just couldn’t bring myself to write during a dreadful weekend for the Lightning. Apologies for that …

But I’m officially switching into Olympic mode now anyway and, as of this morning, my assignment for Versus.com has been finalized. I’ll be covering the lesser-knowns – “The Forgotten Five”, if you will – as was my idea.

Belarus, Germany, Latvia, Norway and Switzerland are now my respons…

12 teams were in action on the final day of NHL games before the Olympic break. Road teams finished with a 4-2-0 record on the night. Sunday wasn’t the sharpest day for netminders, as the dozen squads combined for 48 goals.

While this may be the final day of NHL action over the next few weeks, the Hockeybuzz Wire will still be up and running during the Winter Games. Please be sure to check o…

For up-to-the-second mini updates between blogs follow me on Twitter by clicking HERE

Last Friday morning, the day of the NHL trade Freeze, the Florida Panthers made news early in the day when they cancelled practice and sent out a letter to their season ticket holders saying the following…

Dear Fans,

Based on our commitment to accessibility, we would like to take this opportunity to gi…


top