http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/home Recent icemencometh Posts en-us That is what a lot of folks did in the Twitterverse. Here is a sampling of the conversation: Howard Bryant, ESPN.com: “ ‘The Toronto Maple Leafs, unless they suffer a colossal collapse, are going to eliminate the Bruins.’ -- Jack Edwards, 14:10 left 3rd period.”Gerry Callahan, WEEI radio: “How do you line & shake hands if you're Leafs? You just completed one of worst choke jobs in NHL history. I'd be in locker room throwing up.”Joffrey Lupul, Maple Leafs forward: “That hockey game will haunt me until the day I die . . .”Jason Gay, Wall Street Journal: “Re: The Maple Leafs. Remember: what doesn't kill you, eventually makes you . . . a documentary.”Deadspin: “The Maple Leafs did something amazing. They made the hockey world feel sympathy for Toronto.”Darren Rovell, ESPN: “Assume Tim Leiweke, the new CEO of Maple Leafs Sports, is counting the millions the organization lost in a matter of minutes tonight.”Steve Rushin, SI.com: “Been following Maple Leafs and Canadian Tue, 14 May 2013 16:39:44 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/kick_the_toronto_maple_leafs_when_theyre_down/13617242 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/kick_the_toronto_maple_leafs_when_theyre_down/13617242 Kick the Toronto Maple Leafs when they're down http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/kick_the_toronto_maple_leafs_when_theyre_down/13617242 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png No North American in his right mind would ever hire him to coach, but he managed to find work in Russia. At least we want' have to endure his crappy TV analysis, Mon, 13 May 2013 20:40:18 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/say_hello_to_iron_curtain_mike_keenan/13610261 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/say_hello_to_iron_curtain_mike_keenan/13610261 Say hello to Iron (Curtain) Mike Keenan http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/say_hello_to_iron_curtain_mike_keenan/13610261 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Minnesota Wild face some tough roster choices with the NHL salary cap shrinking for next season.That factor, combined with the production addition of winger Jason Pominville, led many experts to believe the team will ditch winger Dany Heatley.But general manager Chuck Fletcher noted how much the team missed Heatley after he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury April 3.“Dany Heatley, nobody talks about, but from the time he got hurt, our record wasn’t very good,” Fletcher told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “He’s a big body who can play against big teams. He gets to certain areas of the ice and he can be successful.”On the other hand, Heatley is due to collect a whopping $7.5 million on the final year of contract. The team needs to allocate money elsewhere, especially with goaltender Niklas Backstrom headed to unrestricted free agency.Backstrom can reasonably expect vigorous bidding for his services. To retain him, the Wild will have to pay top dollar.Heatley’s effort last season had “bu Sun, 12 May 2013 10:46:09 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/will_the_minnesota_wild_dump_dany_heatley/13600352 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/will_the_minnesota_wild_dump_dany_heatley/13600352 Will the Minnesota Wild dump Dany Heatley? http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/will_the_minnesota_wild_dump_dany_heatley/13600352 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Blues have built the framework for a winning program in the ultra-competition Western Conference.But the project remains incomplete. The Blues are good enough to play the defending Stanley Cup champions to a virtual standstill, but not quite good enough to beat them.They earned respect from their rival but they did not advance. The Kings set the standard in the NHL these days and the Blues don’t quite measure up.So now the hockey operation goes back to work. Here are some thoughts about the task at hand:Ken Hitchcock is still the right coach for this team. When the Blues fell into some funks during the lockout shortened season, we all wondered if message fatigue was setting in. But this team finished the season with an impressive push and then delivered a big effort against the Kings. The Blues fell just a bit short, so the same coach with a refreshed roster could take a big run next spring.Doug Armstrong must resolve his goaltending situation. Brian Elliott gave the Blues a chance to beat the Kings, bu Sun, 12 May 2013 10:21:57 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/st_louis_blues_needs_to_retool/13600268 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/st_louis_blues_needs_to_retool/13600268 St. Louis Blues needs to retool http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/st_louis_blues_needs_to_retool/13600268 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury flopped in the playoffs last season, so the team added veteran goaltender Tomas Vokoun.Fleury struggled again this spring, so coach Dan Bylsma replaced him with Vokoun – who brings a modest 3-8 career playoff record into Game 5 against the New York Islanders.“Tomas is capable of being a great goalie for us,” Bylsma told reporters. "We brought Tomas Vokoun to play big games for us and be a goaltender we can count on to go in and play big games.“He's done that this year for us and been very good against the Islanders in the three games he's played against the Islanders.”It is notable that Vokoun has another year on his contract, so he could make a play on the starting next fall by playing well in these playoffs.“We have confidence in both of them,” winger Pascal Dupuis told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Wed, 08 May 2013 19:04:57 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/is_marc_andre_fleury_on_thin_ice_in_pittsburgh/13578593 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/is_marc_andre_fleury_on_thin_ice_in_pittsburgh/13578593 Is Marc-Andre Fleury on thin ice in Pittsburgh? http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/is_marc_andre_fleury_on_thin_ice_in_pittsburgh/13578593 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Vancouver Canucks finished the job. They bowed out of the NHL playoffs in four games, allowing the San Jose Sharks to complete their sweep.Questionable officiating gave them a nudge out the door, but the Canucks deserved to lose that series. “We put ourselves in the situation where one bad call costs you a game,” Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa told the Vancouver Sun. “It was four games of not executing. This wasn't an isolated incident; we were in a 3-0 hole. We didn't play good enough to win the series. It sucks. There's no way to sugarcoat it.”They have lost 10 of their last 11 playoff games. They are growing old and less relevant.So what happens now?General manager Mike Gillis could fire coach Alain Vigneault, but the pool of head coaching candidates is underwhelming.Gillis could try to trade goaltender Roberto Luongo again, but he will have a tough time finding somebody to take the rest of Luongo’s onerous deal.The Vancouver Province raised the possibility to moving the Sedin Tw Wed, 08 May 2013 18:51:59 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/vancouver_canucks_grow_old_vs_san_jose_sharks/13578569 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/vancouver_canucks_grow_old_vs_san_jose_sharks/13578569 Vancouver Canucks grow old vs. San Jose Sharks http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/vancouver_canucks_grow_old_vs_san_jose_sharks/13578569 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The St. Louis Blues have earned a couple of 2-1 victories over the Kings and suffered a 1-0 loss at Los Angeles. You can expect more of the same for the rest of the series.“If you look at the series, 5-on-5 is so tough,” Kings coach Darryl Sutter told reporters after Saturday night’s game. “There are a lot of little battles going on that only the players appreciate or understand. It’s pretty much what we said at the outset.”The forecast for this series was low-scoring games. Blues goaltender Brian Elliott and Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick both played very well down the stretch for their defensive-minded teams.“Do your homework before the series,” Sutter said. “The two teams are very even. Gave up the fewest shots in the conference, one and two. Both goaltenders – everybody understands who they are and what they are.”These games are coming down to one bounce, one break or one breakdown.“I think it’s great, because you can’t take a shift off,” Kings winger Justin Williams told re Mon, 06 May 2013 20:23:00 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/los_angeles_kings_try_to_muddle_through_offensively/13563296 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/los_angeles_kings_try_to_muddle_through_offensively/13563296 Los Angeles Kings try to muddle through offensively http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/los_angeles_kings_try_to_muddle_through_offensively/13563296 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Blues play the swing game of their best-of-seven series against the Kings tonight. If they win the game, they will take charge of the series.If they lose it, the series goes back to square one. Such a challenge defines what sort of players the Blues really have.Do they have a bunch of good players? Or does this team possess players who are ready to break out and become difference makers?For instance, goaltender Brian Elliott has played brilliantly in the playoffs. He followed a strong final month with even stronger play during first three postseason games.If he keeps it up, Elliott will prove he more than a reliable back-up or co-starter. Games like this one give him an opportunity to make a strong statement about his future. Other Blues will get that opportunity as well. Patrik Berglund is a classic example. Can he become a really good No. 2 center in the NHL? Is he even a center at all?Berglund scored 17 goals in 48 games this season, which is notably by Blues standards. But he only dished eight assists Mon, 06 May 2013 20:18:18 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/game_4_could_define_several_st_louis_blues/13563278 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/game_4_could_define_several_st_louis_blues/13563278 Game 4 could define several St. Louis Blues http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/game_4_could_define_several_st_louis_blues/13563278 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Of course the Ottawa Senators put a body on rookie Montreal Canadiens defenseman Brendan Gallagher, one the three finalists for the Calder Trophy this season.As Pro Hockey Talk notes, the lad scored a power-play goal in Game 1 of this playoff series and put eight shots on goal. He scored the winning goal in Game 2 and put four shots on goal.So the Senators came after Gallagher again and again in Game 3, taking three roughing penalties on him during the first period. Not coincidentally, Gallagher put no shots on goal and fought Cory Conacher during the third period as the game spiraled out of control.“Physicality in the first round is important and tonight was no different,” Senators coach Paul MacLean told reporters after the game. “It was stupid at the end but that’s hockey.”Ottawa rolled to a 6-1 victory that left Montreal coach Michel Therrien fuming. He became furious when MacLean called a timeout with 18 seconds left to order his players to refrain from further shenanigans.“I’ve never seen Mon, 06 May 2013 20:13:19 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/ottawa_senators_play_rough_earn_complaints/13563251 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/ottawa_senators_play_rough_earn_complaints/13563251 Ottawa Senators play rough, earn complaints http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/ottawa_senators_play_rough_earn_complaints/13563251 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Barring a miraculous comeback, the Vancouver Canucks will exit the NHL playoffs during the first round.That could trigger serious changes in the Pacific Northwest. The Canucks sent off warning flares while losing their first three games to the San Jose Sharks, including a 5-2 debacle Sunday. Could a move or two vault this squad back to Stanley Cup contention?  Or has the time come to start a more serious makeover?Coach Alain Vigneault has to be on the hot seat, although general manager Mike Gillis is taking much heat for failing to add secondary scoring and eliminate his Roberto Luongo Predicament.Ryan Kesler is a heart and soul guy, but he appears to be playing hurt. And the rest of that roster appears to be bereft of Braveheart material. Frank Corrado is a promising young defenseman. But the Canucks don’t have much promising young forwerd talent in their pipeline, which is disconcerting given the advancing age of the Sedin Twins.The franchise doesn’t have a lot of obvious trade assets, beyond goaltende Mon, 06 May 2013 19:45:36 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/time_to_drop_plunger_on_vancouver_canucks/13563128 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/time_to_drop_plunger_on_vancouver_canucks/13563128 Time to drop plunger on Vancouver Canucks? http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/time_to_drop_plunger_on_vancouver_canucks/13563128 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Injuries undermined the Nashville Predators’ playoff bid this season. But the high body count did allow the organization to speed the development of several younger players, creating the potential for a big bounce back season in 2013-14.The Predators took a long look at eight players who started the season with Milwaukee of the American Hockey League.The real gem might be defenseman Victor Bartley, who stepped up on the second defensive pairing with Kevin Klein and scored seven points in 24 games. Bartley, a European free agent signed in 2011, climbed over high draft picks Ryan Ellis and Johnathon Blum on the organizational depth chart.Not bad for a player who was never draft by a NHL team.“He can give you power-play minutes if need-be. He kills penalties. He’s a big guy and in very good shape,” Admirals coach Dean Evason told the Tennesseean. “He’s just a real, real solid two-way guy who is that type of guy who could be in the league for a very long time.”Big forward Taylor Beck could also be a Sun, 05 May 2013 09:54:48 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/nashville_predators_hope_to_improve_from_within/13553507 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/nashville_predators_hope_to_improve_from_within/13553507 Nashville Predators hope to improve from within http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/nashville_predators_hope_to_improve_from_within/13553507 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Paul MacLean was a delightful guy to be around in his playing days as a goal-scoring winger in the NHL. He was a serious competitor, but he didn’t take himself too seriously.So it’s no shock he charmed reporters after drawing the ire of the Montreal Canadiens and the excitable media corps covering that team.MacLean outraged the Habs by referring to Raphael Diaz as simply “No. 61” while taking to the media. That alleged slight occurred whole MacLean was commenting on the play that saw Montreal forward Lars Eller crushed by Senators behemoth Eric Gryba after taking a suicide pass from Diaz.“I don't even know who No. 61 is on my team,” MacLean quipped. “Are you going to hold that against me? I'm from Antigonish, N.S. It's a small town.“I don't know. There's an awful lot of number combinations and different names. If I hurt his feelings, 'Oh my God, I apologize for that,' because I didn't know who the player on the other team's name was . . . If that's a bat Sun, 05 May 2013 09:30:28 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/ottawa_senators_coach_shrugs_off_montreal_insults/13553447 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/ottawa_senators_coach_shrugs_off_montreal_insults/13553447 Ottawa Senators coach shrugs off Montreal insults http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/ottawa_senators_coach_shrugs_off_montreal_insults/13553447 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Say, was that Wade Redden scoring one goal and setting up a second for the Boston Bruins against the Toronto Maple Leafs?Yes it was. After finally escaping AHL purgatory and chipping in for the St. Louis Blues much of the season, the veteran defenseman emerged as a playoff hero in Beantown.“Yeah, it was fun to be back out there, that’s for sure,” Redden told the Boston Herald. “I said before, I’m going to try to get the most out of it. I’ve been away for a while, so it was good to get back in there.” The Rangers warehoused Redden in Hartford for salary cap reasons. The new collective bargaining agreement gave the team a chance to buy him out to stay in cap compliance. He signed with the Blues as a free agent and did a solid job. But Redden became the odd man out in St. Louis after the Blues added defensemen Jordan Leopold and Jay Bouwmeester before the trade deadline.The Blues traded him to the Bruins, a team looking for some more depth and experience on the blue line.“I think the coaches an Thu, 02 May 2013 20:20:38 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/wade_redden_is_unlikeliest_playoff_hero/13539371 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/wade_redden_is_unlikeliest_playoff_hero/13539371 Wade Redden is unlikeliest playoff hero http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/wade_redden_is_unlikeliest_playoff_hero/13539371 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Vancouver Canucks appear to be lagging. Since the playoffs are underway, this is not good.They didn’t show much fight during their 3-1 loss to San Jose in Game 1 of their series. It didn’t help that No. 1 goaltender Cory Schneider was sidelined by what the team calls a “body” injury. Schneider will miss Game 2, too. But what about his big-name teammates? Will they show up?“A lot of us have to put in that extra five per cent, to get those better scoring chances,” winger Daniel Sedin told reporters. “We didn’t have enough great chances. It takes a little more, yes. Not much, but yes. At this time of year? More.”Coach Alain Vigneault knows the old saying: You best players have to be your best players this time of the season. That was not the case in Game 1.“We have to find a way to be better,” Vigneault told reporters. “Not just with the twins, with everybody. There were some good moments . . . but I think – I don’t think, I know – our top guys can play better than they did toni Thu, 02 May 2013 19:56:07 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/cory_schneider_out_vancouver_canucks_in_peril/13539227 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/cory_schneider_out_vancouver_canucks_in_peril/13539227 Cory Schneider out, Vancouver Canucks in peril http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/icemencometh/article/cory_schneider_out_vancouver_canucks_in_peril/13539227 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png