http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/5277 Recent articles about Mattias Ohlund en-us As much as I despise the Flyers (normal rivalry instinct)....has the media and league gone overboard and underboard on them at the same time? Maybe the real message is this...PHYSICAL IS BACK! Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:06:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/39162 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/39162 "Words are very unnecessary, they can only do harm," sang Depeche Mode in the 1990 hit single "Enjoy The Silence." Oh yeah? Obviously, you don't hear a lot of Depeche Mode around NHL dressing rooms. It's just the second month of the 2007-08 regular season, and already, players, coaches, and owners are proving unable to resist expressing their innermost thoughts. It's a beautiful thing. Sun, 25 Nov 2007 08:40:09 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/38533 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/38533 One of the major problems the NHL has is in the way with which they police their own players. Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:11:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/37689 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/37689 The National Hockey League has suspended Vancouver Canucks defenceman Mattias Ohlund for four games without pay for a slash on Minnesota's Mikko Koivu on Friday night. Mon, 19 Nov 2007 01:45:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/36888 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/36888 Last Wednesday (8/29/07), FIO staff writer Tim Hays took part in an experts fantasy hockey mock draft run thru Mock Draft Central. Among some of the participants were reps from Yahoo! Sports, RotoWire, FantasyHockey.com, and others. To get your mind in fantasy hockey mode, check out the results from this mock, and the commentary and analysis provided by Hays in this article. Mon, 03 Sep 2007 02:02:36 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/25720 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/25720 The Norris Trophy for outstanding defenseman goes to... a VERY short list of three candidates: Nicklas Lidstrom, Scott Niedermayer, and Chris Pronger. However, the NHL has many players that may have been overlooked. Not that those three aren't deserving, because they are. However, here's my list of top 20 defensemen that mean a lot to their respective teams. Scott Niedermayer (Anaheim) - Effortless skater. Great puck mover and passer. Dictates the flow. Puck control is outstanding. Has unbelievable recuperative ability in the defensive zone. Chris Pronger (Anaheim) - Tall and rangy, hard to beat 1-1. Punishing body checks. Great puck mover and passer. Excellent shot. Complete package. Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit) - Never out of position. Never seems to make any mistakes. Efficient and intelligent in both defensive and offensive situations. Accurate shot. Sergei Zubov (Dallas) - Outstanding puck mover and passer. Great puck control and skating agility. Powerplay quarterback. Makes things happen. Zdeno Chara (Boston) - Tall and very rangy. Loves to hit. Underrated offensive ability. Mathieu Schneider (Detroit) - Smooth lateral skater. Moves well with the puck. Great point shot. Powerplay quarterback. Mattias Ohlund (Vancouver) - Intelligent shutdown defenseman. Has size, skating ability, a blast from the blueline. Brian Rafalski (New Jersey) - Intelligent powerplay quarterback. Skates well. Steadying influence from the back end. Wade Redden (Ottawa) - Cool under pressure. Good skater, passer. Accurate point shot. Dan Boyle (Tampa Bay) - Creative powerplay quarterback. Steady defensively. Sergei Gonchar (Pittsburgh) - Has size, speed and a wicked shot from the point. Makes crisp passes to get out of the defensive zone or lugs the puck up ice with speed. Dion Phaneuf (Calgary) - Outstanding open-ice hitter. Booming point shot. Often compared to Scott Stevens. Jay Bouwmeester (Florida) - Strong skater. Has the size, intelligence, hockey smarts. Capable shutdown defender. Bryan McCabe (Toronto) - Aggressive defender. Great point shot. Powerplay specialist. Rob Blake (Los Angeles) - Physical with good size. Has a rocket of a shot. Powerplay specialist. Ed Jovanovski (Phoenix) - Has size, toughness and strength. Good offensive instincts. Robyn Regehr (Calgary) - Shutdown defenseman. Big and scary hitter. Powerful accurate point shot. Sheldon Souray (Montreal) - Known for his booming point shot. Clears the net well. Uses his size effectively. John Michael Liles (Colorado) - Plays beyond his smallish frame. Offensive defenseman with great puck possession skills. Shea Weber (Nashville) - All-around player with size and mean-streak. Big point shot and logs a lot of minutes. Sat, 05 May 2007 20:12:35 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/13555 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/13555