Kukla's Korner

Beat By A Better Team

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/30/06 at 11:26 AM ET | Comments (0)

from the Globe and Mail,

“We lost as a team,” Tortorella said. “And we lost to a team that was simply better than we were.” Telling that kind of unvarnished truth got the coach into hot water earlier in the series, when he said publicly what was obvious to anyone who had been paying attention – that lousy goaltending from John Grahame was killing the Lightning, and sapping their morale. The most obvious change for the worse is that instead of Nikolai Khabibulin between the pipes, who left the team as a free agent, it was Grahame and the veteran Sean Burke. By singling Grahame out after the Lightning lost game four, Tortorella rankled some of the players, including the veteran Burke, who started tonight and played extremely well.

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How Are You Holding Up

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/30/06 at 11:19 AM ET | Comments (0)

from the Ottawa Sun,

Now that we're deep into the first round of the playoffs, how are you holding up? Do your bar tabs read like a mortgage payment? Have you put grooves in your couch and at least two delivery places on the speed dial? How often are you imitating Bob Cole? (In my house, it's a daily occurrence). I'm completely absorbed in a desperate attempt to watch as much as I can. Recording games, watching and rewatching plays, catching highlights of other games online -- I'm surprised I haven't begun to twitch yet.

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Your Sunday Viewing Pleasure

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/30/06 at 11:13 AM ET | Comments (0)

NBC-HD game is Flyers vs. Sabres. The NBC game (click for coverage map) not available on your local NBC station will be shown on Center Ice. Also on CI is the Canadiens/Hurricanes.

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Thank You Nashville

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/30/06 at 11:03 AM ET | Comments (0)

from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,

Never mind that the Predators reversed the decision on Friday, even though they'd fallen short of the stated goal. Never mind that Violetta had originally said the threat - my word, not his - wasn't aimed at the fan, but rather was intended to stir the business community into greater support of the franchise. The fact is, this ownership - with support from the league - not only somehow ever believed selling 1,600 tickets took precedence over getting the game exposure in the 904,000 homes that comprise the 30th largest television market in the U.S., but publicly announced that Wirtzian philosophy. Exposing the game? How about exposing ownership? How about exposing the league? I thought the cap was going to take care of all this. Thank you, fans, indeed.

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Kids Coming Through For Sharks

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/30/06 at 09:39 AM ET | Comments (0)

from the San Francisco Chronicle,

San Jose has gone with the same lineup for four games, and six players have made their playoff debuts. The Sharks are the only team to have as many as five rookies appear in four games this postseason. "The kids that are coming up now are willing to learn, they have great energy and a great focus on the game,'' Sharks defenseman Scott Hannan said. "They come in and they're easy to get along with. It's not so much teaching; it's playing and making them feel comfortable and relaxed."

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Rags Get Standing-O From Garden Faithful

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/30/06 at 12:05 AM ET | Comments (0)

from Reuters via Yahoo,

The New York Rangers were saluted with a standing ovation from the Madison Square Garden crowd on Saturday. Unfortunately, it came at the end of a 4-2 home defeat to the New Jersey Devils that swept them out of the Stanley Cup playoffs, four games to none. The 18,000-plus audience rewarded the Rangers for their effort and for their surprisingly strong season that landed a playoff place for the first time in nine years. "I wish I could have gone up into the stands and shaken every single person's hands, " New York coach Tom Renney said about the ovation.

When the pain of this four-game series loss to the Devils subsides (and it might take awhile), the Rangers will look back on their surprising 2005-06 season as an end and a beginning. The season marked the end of an almost unthinkable nine-year playoff drought.

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Babcock Outcoached

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/29/06 at 11:59 PM ET | Comments (0)

from Mlive,

Not only has Edmonton had the best player in this series, Chris Pronger, it's also had the better coach, Craig MacTavish. So far.... Regardless of any personnel changes or strategical adjustments, it's up to Babcock to light a fire in this team. That's why they hired him, isn't it? He talked all season about work ethic and accountability and so far his team isn't showing a lot of either.

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Legace Not Feeling Well

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/29/06 at 10:04 PM ET | Comments (0)

from the NY Times,

"I don't feel too good, to be honest with you," said Legace, who has allowed 14 goals in the series. "I feel like I'm sick. But that's the way the playoffs are. "We've got to look towards Monday." "I'm not playing to the level of where I have to be to win games and win series for our team right now," said Legace, who is in his first full season as a No. 1 goaltender and has seemed more comfortable as a backup. "I'm just playing average. And average isn't good enough in the playoffs."

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One Down- Fifteen To Go

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/29/06 at 08:19 PM ET | Comments (0)

The Rangers jersey has been removed from the right sidebar of the KK hockey section. Who's next? added 9:55pm, Two down, Bolts can no longer defend the Cup.

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Panic Time

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/29/06 at 08:17 PM ET | Comments (0)

Let's take a tour of some of the Wings forums right after they lost 3-2 to Edmonton today, which puts Edmonton up 3-2 with game 8 in Alberta on Monday.

-3 Cups- should have one 6. The wings are about as disappointing as a three time cup winning franchise can be. They disappoint more than they fulfill. -get rid of datsyuk- he is the worst playoff player i have seen. 2 points in 4 games. and no goals in what 25 games now? -Goal Tending- With the exception of '98, they've always lost when facing superior goaltending. That's the problem again. I hate to say it, but Legace is a mediocre goalie at best. I can't help but wonder why Ken Holland didn't make a deal at the trade deadline for Roloson. Seems like something like that is the story every year. -to all you doughters out there; SHUT UP AND CHEER ON YOUR TEAM, THIS IS NOT OVER YET WINGS WILL WIN THIS SERIES! -it'll almost be a relief to see the wings go down. this heartless play and being manhandled by a hungry and completely worthy team is wreaking havoc on my blood pressure. -BUNCH OF DAMN LAZY LOSERS WITH NO HEART.JUST PATHETIC AND EMBARASSING..TRADE FOR A GOOD GOALIE AND SOME TOUGHNESS AND HEART NEXT SEASON.I HOPE EDMONTON WINS THIS SERIES AS THEY ARE MUCH MORE DESERVING.

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