Kukla's Korner

Bad Ice

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/28/06 at 11:53 AM ET | Comments (0)

from the Calgary Sun,

The best ice at the Arrowhead Pond is in the drinks. It sure isn't where the players perform. "At least it's consistent -- you know it's going to be bad," said Flames forward Shean Donovan with a grin. "That's just the way the ice gets here. "When you first come out, the first five minutes, it's pretty good because there's nobody on it. After that, it just deteriorates because it gets so soft and gets so many ruts. Then it gets snowy and the puck gets bouncy."

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Frustrated Torts

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/28/06 at 11:51 AM ET | Comments (0)

from the St. Petersburg Times,

"I thought we were playing very well and then three goals on four shots," Tortorella said. "That really deflates a hockey team there." Tortorella did not hold back on blaming Grahame, who was yanked for Sean Burke after allowing four goals on 17 shots in two periods. "A save would be nice," Tortorella said. "They're a good hockey team. They've got quality players. It's just deflating to see 17 shots and four goals in the net, eh? Let's call a spade a spade. That's a tough thing." More Tortorella: "Again, we need an occasional save. Listen, Johnny is trying like hell, but four goals on 17 shots? I'm a little tired of the 25 percent rule."

Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella's rip job on goaltender John Grahame after the Lightning lost to Ottawa in Game 4 Thursday was so raw, so mean-spirited, that the other Tampa bay players might be thinking, "Whoa, I might be the next guy who gets thrown under the bus.

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Can You Say Special Teams

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/28/06 at 11:45 AM ET | Comments (0)

from Fox Sports,

Whether you're playing pee wee hockey or NHL hockey, special teams always play a role in the outcome of games. "Special teams always play a huge role and this is the first year we have the new rules implemented and they've been calling them pretty tight in the playoffs and it's amazing how a call here or a call there can be the difference in a game," New Jersey's John Madden, one of the game's premier defensive forwards, said. "So you have to be really disciplined and your special teams have to be on the ball if you're going to compete and move on and win hockey games."

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NBC This Weekend

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/28/06 at 11:40 AM ET | Comments (0)

NBC Sports' coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Quarterfinals continues this weekend with the New York Rangers looking to extend their series with arch-rival the New Jersey Devils, Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, presented in high definition. Also on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, the Detroit Red Wings, winner of the NHL's Presidents' Trophy for most points, host the Edmonton Oilers. On Sunday at 2 p.m. ET, the Philadelphia Flyers travel to Buffalo to meet the Sabres, presented in high definition, and in other regional action the Dallas Stars host the Colorado Avalanche (if necessary). Mike Emrick (play-by-play), John Davidson (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (inside-the-glass reporter) will call New Jersey at New York; Dave Strader (play-by-play), Brian Hayward (analyst) and Joe Micheletti (inside-the-glass reporter) call Edmonton at Detroit; Mike Emrick (play-by-play), Peter McNab (analyst) and Cammi Granato (inside-the-glass reporter) will call Philadelphia at Buffalo; and Dave Strader (play-by-play), Brian Hayward (analyst) and Joe Micheletti (inside-the-glass reporter) call Colorado at Dallas. added 11:38am, NBC coverage map.

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Show The Game

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/28/06 at 11:34 AM ET | Comments (0)

from the Tennessean,

Would somebody convince Predators management to reconsider its plan to black out the local broadcast of Game 5 if a certain ticket threshold is not reached? Why not let as many people as possible experience the Predators' farewell?... Craig Leipold and his lieutenants need to re-read the owner's comments in the days after the lockout ended. At that time, Leipold talked about using this first season back as an opportunity to re-establish his hockey product in the Nashville market. Did everybody lose that memo?

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Three Games Tonight

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/28/06 at 11:30 AM ET | Comments (0)

Only one game on Center Ice tonight, Carolina/Montreal at 7:00pm. The Sabres/Flyers game is the OLN-HD game tonight and yes folks, INHD lists the game tonight too!!! Do you think they are finally getting the message?

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Do You Have Faith

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/28/06 at 11:00 AM ET | Comments (0)

from the Hockey News,

-To watch the Tampa Bay Lightning lose 5-2 to the Senators Thursday night was to watch a team entirely without faith in its goaltending. -It’s amazing how quickly post-season missteps can undo regular-season success. Isn’t that right, Tom Renney and the New York Rangers/Dave Tippett and the Dallas Stars? -The New Jersey Devils have been vilified for playing boring hockey over the years, and the label was not undeserved. But has there been any more of a thrilling offensive line this post-season than Patrik Elias, Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta?

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Concern For Koivu

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/28/06 at 10:54 AM ET | Comments (0)

from the National Post,

Mark Recchi was prowling the corridors of the Bell Centre before his Carolina Hurricanes took the ice for their practice yesterday afternoon, restless and visibly upset. "I didn't get too much sleep [Wednesday] night," Recchi said, "all I could do was worry about Saku. All the guys here [in the Carolina room] feel the same way."... Asked whether the vision in Koivu's left eye is at risk, Gainey replied with caution: "I really don't know," he said. "I can't answer that. I'm working from the information I have but also from the point of view that it's an eye and that with that type of injury, you work from worst-case scenario backwards rather than try to diminish the injury and increase the possibility you will be wrong."

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Sens Upset With Cherry

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/28/06 at 10:34 AM ET | Comments (0)

from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun,

But Cherry was most upset that Neil refused to fight Dingman, who received 17 minutes in penalties — resulting in a seven-minute power play during which Ottawa scored twice — in the Senators’ 8-4 win in Game 3. “He turtled. He was a Tommy Turtle,” said Cherry while showing video of the incident. “If he’s going to challenge a guy, he shouldn’t Tommy Turtle like that. There’s no honour in that. Just remember, he who will sell his soul for a win has no honour.” Naturally, Cherry didn’t stop there. He then went after Chara, who fought Lecavalier in the final minutes after being challenged. “(Lecavalier) doesn’t want to go with this big monster, but (Chara) keeps staring at him and he has no choice,” said Cherry. “He’s got to go because he’s been embarrassed. Then, when it’s over, (Chara) is holding his hand up like he’s a big hero.” Murray responded before Game 4 last night at the St. Pete Times Forum because it was the talk of the media from Tampa and Ottawa. “I’m disappointed when people question the character of our players,” said Murray. “I like Don Cherry and I like watching him. He’s got a vehicle to give lots of opinion when he’s on television.

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Can’t Turn It Off & On

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

04/28/06 at 10:06 AM ET | Comments (0)

from the Star-Telegram,

Unfortunately, the Stars may be finally understanding that this journey actually started more like three weeks ago, when they realized that they could really go neither up nor down in the standings and decided to coast to the finish line. It didn't help matters that the player who set the ho-hum tone for those two weeks was team captain Mike Modano. "Those were tough games to get up for motivation-wise because of our situation; we couldn't go up or down," Modano said. "There was no way to approach those games against those teams." Modano and many of the Stars players thought they could just turn it on again when the playoffs arrived. They're realizing now how wrong they were. "There was a little bit of uneasiness going into the last couple of games because of our pattern of hockey," Modano admitted. "Everybody was hoping it wouldn't spill over into the playoffs. "There wasn't much to play for. Now there's a lot more to play for."

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