Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: hockey
What Hockey Really Is
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/31/10 at 02:00 PM ET
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My sports editor for Patch.com, Bob Birge, is a huge New York Rangers/hockey fan.
Four years ago, he wrote a wonderful description of our great game of hockey and I think that it deserves to be read by the fine readers of Kukla’s Korner:
— Backyard rinks in Thunder Bay and Saskatoon
— Mothers hauling their eight-year-old prodigies off to those crack-of-dawn practices
— Hot chocalate at the rink
— “O Canada”, the world’s most beautiful national anthem
— “The Maple Leaf Forever”
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Tags: bob+birge,
hockey,
patch.com
A Solid Olympic Preview from a Rangers’ Blogger
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/15/10 at 01:08 PM ET
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Friend of the Blog Nicholas Montemagno of The Rangers Tribune wrote up a terrific Olympic Preview blog. Here is a small sample of what he wrote:
I will start by taking a look at Team USA. General Manager Brian Burke went about creating his team with a bit of a different mindset than the rest of the Countries participating in the games. He went young and talented instead of old and experienced, but the question is if that young talent will be enough to be superior to clubs such as Canada and Russia, who are simply loaded with skill.
The United States will rely heavily on forwards Zach Parise and Patrick Kane to provide a majority of their offense. And in goal, you have Buffalo Sabre Ryan Miller, who knows he will have to be superb in net for the U.S. if they want to go anywhere in this tournament. On defense, you have the Johnson combination (not related) in Jack (Kings) and Eric (Blues).
You also have the grinding fourth line containing the Rangers own Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury, who you can also look to play on the penalty-kill and in situations where the coaching staff in Ron Wilson, John Tortorella, and Scott Gordon will need a 110 percent effort.
The United States will have no choice but to overachieve in this tournament. They will be the underdogs, the rivals, the enemies. Sometimes that can work in your favor, and other times it does not.
Click here for more from our good friend Nicholas.
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Tags: hockey,
new+york+rangers.+winter+olympics+2010
Canada the Easy Selection?
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/15/10 at 11:39 AM ET
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From good friend of the blog James Murphy at NESN.com:
Team Canada GM Steve Yzerman probably had the hardest and easiest job of any of the competing Olympic country general managers. He could have fielded three contending teams with the surplus of talent to pick from in the Great White North.
Yzerman’s job was like that of a fantasy hockey manager, but it is the pressure of being the GM of the host nation that made his job difficult and ever so delicate for Yzerman. While there may be so many skilled players at his disposal, Yzerman needed to make sure they were the right players based on experience and chemistry. Well, one look at the roster Stevie Y. assembled and at least on paper, he appears to have found the right mix.
Obviously having Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, Joe Thornton and Eric Staal up the middle will provide amazing play-making skills, and wingers such as Dany Heatley, Patrick Marleau, Rick Nash and Jarome Iginla can seemingly light the lamp at will. But it’s the group of two-way players (Crosby included) that are both skilled and full of grit and hustle that makes this forward corps the most complete of any. Players like Mike Richards, Corey Perry, Jonathan Toews, Brendan Morrow and Patrice Bergeron will provide defensive responsibility up front and loads of grit and toughness.
They will have a defense led by the likes of Scott Niedermayer, Dan Boyle and Chris Pronger. Young studs Drew Doughty and Shea Weber, possibly a top pairing on most NHL teams, could serve as the alternate sixth and seventh slots off the bench.
Oh, and by the way, the winningest NHL goalie ever, Martin Brodeur, will be backed up by Roberto Luongo and Marc-Andre Fleury.
Click here for more.
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Tags: hockey,
team+canada,
winter+olympics+2010
A Radio Appearance on Blue Line Hockey Talk Radio
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/15/09 at 04:31 PM ET
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Good afternoon folks. Earlier this afternoon, I was honored and privileged enough to be interviewed by Millian from The BlueLine: Hockey Talk Radio.
Millian, who is one of the outstanding people in hockey, and I go way back as I interviewed him for several outlets, including this one.
Here are several things to check out over the next couple of days:
- Millian’s Interview with me
- Millian’s most recent show
- Millian on Facebook
- Millian on Twitter
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Tags: hockey,
the+blueline:+hockey+talk+radio
