Philadelphia Flyers lost Michael Leighton late in the first period of Wednesday March 16, 2010 game against Nashville Predators. Leighton was making a save and fell backwards onto his leg. Leighton later said he heard a “pop” noise while falling. A pop noise is never good in an injury. This could possibly be ligaments or tendons, which take weeks to heal.

Michael Leighton was later diagnosed with a high ankle sprain. After the game, he was placed in a hard cast for his ankle. This left the Flyers with backup goalie Brian Boucher to come into the game. In recent starts for Boucher, the very first shot has meant a goal for the opposing team. In Nashville, it continued again.

Now with the uncertainty of Leighton’s injury, the Flyers must rally behind Boucher and hope for the best. Jeremy Duchesne has been called up from their AHL affiliate Adirondack Phantoms team to back up Boucher. There is rumor of Robert Esche being picked up from a Russian Hockey league. Esche, a former goalie of the Flyers might be a short term answer for the team, as he would not be eligible to play in the playoffs due to him not being part of the trade deadline roster. Would that leave enough time for Leighton to heal? What will be the official outcome of the injury to Leighton? He is scheduled to have an MRI on March 18, 2010.

Some officials are guessing that he will be out a few weeks. I for one am not comfortable with Boucher behind the net long term, or even short term. Could Robert Esche be the answer? What is to happen if Esche is brought in, and we find out Leighton is out for the season? Could this have been avoided with a trade being made for a goalie at the trade deadline? I for one hope this is a case of “It’s not as bad as we thought it was originally. “ Our chances were against us with Leighton I feel. With Boucher taking over I would not want to even picture what could possibly come out of the remainder of our season. I hope I am proven wrong in the long run.

NHL – Philadelphia Flyers 10 Greatest Games Set

NHL History of the Philadelphia Flyers

Grab discounted NHL jerseys and swag on Amazon.com by clicking here.

Check out NHL Greatest Moments on DVD by clicking here.

Order the NHL 10 video game by clicking here.

The Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers are two teams in search of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The sports betting world remembers these two teams at the beginning of the season when both were having a difficult time winning games. With all of the March Madness odds going on, the fact that both teams are now looking towards the playoffs can sometimes be lost. The sportsbook reviews for this upcoming Canadiens at Rangers game are much different than they were at the beginning of the season.

Goaltending

When you bet March madness you look for a team that plays solid defense and can keep the other team off the scoreboard. The same is true when betting on a hockey game and in hockey the most important defenseman on the ice is the goaltender.

Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist has won his last two games in impressive fashion by allowing only three goals in those two games. The early struggles of the Rangers were mirrored in Lundqvist’s shaky start. But he has started to string together a good season with a respectable .919% save percentage and a 2.45 goals against average for the season.

The shaky start for the Canadiens can be directly traced back to their goaltending problems. Carey Price was supposed to be the next Patrick Roy. The Canadiens gave him the reigns this season and he has struggled terribly. As the season progressed the Canadiens had seen enough and put Jaroslav Halak in goal to save the season, and save the season he did. Halak is red-hot winning his last five games including one with as shut-out. He is one of the main reasons the Canadiens have bolted from near the basement into seventh place in the conference.

Offense
The Canadiens have always had offense. This year they have nine players with double-digits in goals and three players with 30 or more points. Tomas Plekanec is the team’s leading scorer with 68 points and he has a goal in three of the last five games.

The Rangers have eight players with double-digits in goals, but when you get past leading scorer Marian Gaborik the production really drops off. This is another reason for the Rangers’ early troubles; they cannot put the puck in the net.

Defense

Both teams have more goals against than they do goals for, and the numbers are pretty similar. The Rangers are -7 in the difference between goals for and goals against, and the Canadiens are -3. Much of what the Canadiens have done to close that gap has happened in the last 15 to 20 games with Halak in goal.

Bottom Line
The Canadiens are on fire with a goalie that is on a hot streak. By all accounts this should be a game where the Canadiens roll over the Rangers. The fact that the game is being played in Madison Square Garden may help the Rangers a little, but with the Canadiens riding a huge wave of momentum it will be very difficult for the Rangers to make any progress in their hunt for a playoff spot in this game. Right now the Rangers are in ninth place and the Canadiens are in seventh with the Rangers one point out of a playoff spot. This game does not appear to be the game that will change that for the Rangers.

Pick: Montreal Canadiens 5-2

Grab discounted NHL jerseys and swag on Amazon.com by clicking here.

Check out NHL Greatest Moments on DVD by clicking here.

Order the NHL 10 video game by clicking here.

On October 24, 2009 Philadelphia Flyers’ Mike Richards made a hit on David Booth of the Florida Panthers that would be deemed later as a clean hit. He caught Booth blind-sided in near center ice area heading into Philly’s defensive zone. Mike Richards received a 5 minute Interference Major for the hit, which was served by Aaron Asham along with a 10 minute Game Misconduct. Richards received no conduct from the NHL.

The argument has gone either way regarding this particular hit, being clean or dirty. On February 10, 2010 Philadelphia Flyers’ Jeff Carter made a blind side hit on New Jersey Devils’ Anssi Salmela seconds after scoring a goal, which left him lying on the ice and carried out on a stretcher. Jeff Carter received no penalty and no conduct from the NHL. On March 7, 2010 Matt Cooke of the Pittsburgh Penguins made a hit to the head on Boston Bruins Marc Savard with 5:37 left in the third. This hit left Savard unconscious momentarily. Marc Savard would be taken off on a stretcher, and Matt Cooke was not penalized for the hit. Marc Savard would also be diagnosed with a possible season ending concussion.

On March 10th, 2010 after three days of meetings in Boca Raton, Florida, the National Hockey League’s general managers have put forward a recommendation for a rule change to address hits to the head in league games.The following language was agreed to unanimously by the group:”A lateral, back pressure or blindside hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and or the principal point of contact is not permitted. A violation of the above will result in a minor or major penalty and shall be reviewed for possible supplemental discipline.”The recommendation will be forwarded to the NHL and NHLPA competition committee and then to the NHL Board of Governors for final approval before it is passed. Colin Campbell, Senior Vice President of the Hockey Operations stated, “We felt there is a degree of responsibility – more so to the player receiving the hit – when a guy’s coming straight at you. But it’s that blindside hit that we find is so disturbing and it’s tough to protect yourself in our game, with the speed.”

To me this all sounds good, but it’s something will I feel is part of the game and will never end. Do I think some of these hits were dirty? Sure I do. Matt Cooke is a known agitator on the ice, and he will take a shot at someone in a heartbeat if he knows he can take their head off. I would do the same if I was in his skates. I felt the hit Jeff Carter made was dirty in a sense too. Mike Richard’s hit I felt was clean and he got penalized because of the aftermath, and nothing else. There was a time where the NHL tried to take out fighting because of all the P/C people complaining it was teaching kids wrong. I feel that is the parent’s job, not the NHL. (I.E. – Professional Wrestling, MMA/UFC, Boxing) One of the biggest attractions to the NHL is the hitting and fighting.

Trying to take hitting and fighting out of this great sport is like trying to take the “big crash“ out of Nascar. It will never happen. Can the NHL change the shoulder pads? Possibly so. There have been talks of making a soft cup shoulder pad, compared to the harder one that is used now. Could that solve the issue? I’m not too sure. Ask Rugby players if pads or no pads help when getting crushed. One thing is for sure with all these, there will be more rules added possibly with ramifications, and people will still end up on stretchers being taken off the ice. If you ask all NHL players if they know that person on the stretcher could end up being them, I’m positive the answer will be the same with all persons asked. So the question lies. Where these hits dirty? Did a suspension seem like the cure?

Mike Richards hit on Booth.

Jeff Carter hit on Anssi Salmela

Matt Cooke hit on Savard.

Grab discounted NHL jerseys and swag on Amazon.com by clicking here.

Check out NHL Greatest Moments on DVD by clicking here.

Order the NHL 10 video game by clicking here.

Since the Olympic break, the Philadelphia Flyers have been 4-1-1. Before the break the Flyers were in the 8 games prior were 6-2. Those numbers are misleading by many standards. The Flyers were maybe the hottest team in the NHL prior to the break. Michael Leighton took over the number one goalie spot that Ray Emery lost due to injury. Emery returned from his injury on January 17th against maybe as equally hot of a team in the Washington Capitals.

This led to a loss from Ray Emery, and the downward spiral began of his return to the lineup. The following three games Ray Emery would win, and lead all of us to believe that he may be back and healthy. He would then lose the next two games, and win the following two after his loses. We would learn in Early February that Ray Emery was indeed hurt again with a hip injury that was being compared to the injury that ended Baseball and Football Star Bo Jackson’s career. Michael Leighton would get the go again, and ran with his opportunity as he did the first time. Michael Leighton was the savior of this team, along with new coach Peter Laviolette.

Michael Leighton would have his ups and downs as all goalies do in the NHL. Coming out of the Olympic break, there was talk if Michael Leighton was the guy that could carry the team to the playoffs and deep into the playoffs. The trade deadline then approached, and the eyes turned to Flyers GM Paul Holmgren. During the course of the deadline day everyone kept guessing if the Flyers would make a move for a goalie, or even a much needed defenseman. The rumors of Dwayne Roloson , and Dan Ellis emerged with no result. Was this the right thing for the team? I mean sure, the Flyers rallied behind Michael Leighton over the course of a couple months. Sure Michael Leighton is a seasoned veteran, mostly in the AHL. I felt the Flyers should have moved Scott Hartnell who has provided nothing for the team all year. I said at the beginning of the year getting rid of Joffrey Lupul would hurt Scott Hartnell and Jeff Carter. To an extent I feel it has hurt Jeff Carter, and sure has hurt Scott Hartnell. Moving on from the trade deadline, the Flyers have been 2-2-1. The games that they have lost are surely not the fault of goalie Michael Leighton. He played his heart out, and had less than stellar defense supporting him.

The game on Thursday night against the Boston Bruins was hideous at best. The defense was horrible. Chris Pronger was out played from end to end. Scott Hartnell coughed up the puck, which lead to a 3 on 1 that led to a goal for Boston. Michael Leighton had no chance on every goal that was scored against him. I have no problem keeping a guy with huge potential in a game to play as long as he doesn’t hurt the team to an extent. This is getting to the point now that Scott Hartnell is hurting the team with his sloppy play. There were countless games that as soon as Scott Hartnell would get near the puck he would lose his footing and fall, or fan on a pass or shot. This isn’t the Scott Hartnell of last year. I was on the side of the fence that screamed for the Simon Gagne to be traded also. FYI; both men have a no trade clause. Thanks Paul. In the last few games Simon Gagne has found his scoring touch, and claimed that it was due to getting his confidence back and getting comfortable finally. During the game against Boston, he missed a few chances that could have got the Flyers back into the game.

The Flyers picked up Ville Leino via trade with Detroit in exchange for Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and a fifth round pick in 2011 on February 6, 2010. Ville Leino in his first game scored a goal, taking the place of a beat up Darroll Powe. He played again in a strong game, with no points but made an impact on the line of Jeff Carter and Danny Briere. He has been benched since due to need more “grit” in the lineup. I strongly disagree with that. He proved he has something to bring to the table, and should be given a chance. Darroll Powe is a great skater, but it stops there in my opinion. Ville Leino deserves the chance to prove himself. I feel Scott Hartnell should be benched for him to have that shot. That could be the wakeup call needed for Scott Hartnell. You may think I’m not a fan of Scott Hartnell, but I am. I am a bigger fan of the Philadelphia Flyers and when you begin to hurt the team, change is needed. Hopefully Coach Laviolette can get this team firing on all cylinders. This is a great team, but failure is its black cloud. We all know how it smells before the big thunder storms hits? Well it’s getting windy right now and the leaves on the trees are beginning to turn over. I hope this storm passes over.

NHL – Philadelphia Flyers 10 Greatest Games Set

NHL History of the Philadelphia Flyers

Grab discounted NHL jerseys and swag on Amazon.com by clicking here.

Check out NHL Greatest Moments on DVD by clicking here.

Order the NHL 10 video game by clicking here.

People who take their online betting seriously are probably a little confused by the Colorado Avalanche after the Olympic break. The US Sportsbook Reviews were probably confused when the Avalanche lost their first game back to Detroit. But, as it turns out, Detroit is healthy and surging towards a playoff spot. After beating the Anaheim Ducks, the Avalanche then fell to the newly-remodeled Phoenix Coyotes. As it turns out, the Coyotes have been doing that to everyone they have come into contact with since the break.

The Stanley Cup odds on the Avalanche sit at 30 to 1. Not bad considering the team had no hope of making the playoffs last year. The Vancouver Canucks are 12 to 1 favorites to win the Cup. There is a lot of talent in Vancouver to back that up and this NHL game preview should put some interest back in the Avalanche for the betting community.

The last time the Canucks and Avalanche tangled it was in November, it was in Vancouver and the Canucks won 5-2. By contrast the Canucks have only lost one of their four games since the Olympic break ended, and that was to heavy 5 to 1 Stanley Cup favorite Chicago. The Canucks and Avalanche are an interesting study in how NHL hockey teams develop and evolve.

The Canucks have been building their team for years. The Sedin twins, Roberto Luongo and defenseman Sami Salo were all brought in from other teams to help create a core for the Canucks to build on. The problem with the Canucks is that they cannot get any better unless they make a blockbuster trade that would tear them apart. This Canuck team is what the fans will have to work with for at least another two or three years, and this Canuck team cannot win big games.

The Avalanche are doing things in a very similar manner to the Canucks. Goalie Craig Anderson was with the Florida Panthers not too long ago, and the only stalwart on the Avalanche team is Adam Foote who has been in the Nordiques/Avalanche organization on and off since 1992.

The Avalanche have veteran leadership and a solid defensive core to build from. The problem with the Avalanche is that they do not have the scoring punch they need to win big games, yet. Young players like 19-year-old Matt Duchene are giving the Avalanche what they need to win in the future. The only question for the Avalanche is how they will fill in the holes that will be left behind when older players such as Adam Foote and Stephane Yelle retire in the very near future.

This game is going to be a learning exercise for the Avalanche. They will see where they are at, and what they can become by playing a Western Conference elite team. The Canucks have beaten the Avalanche in all previous meetings this season including an 8-2 pasting in November. That pattern will continue for the foreseeable future, but pay attention to the way this game is played. The Canucks will play with confidence because they know how to beat the Avalanche. But the Avalanche will have a few surprises for the Canucks before this game is over.

Pick: Vancouver Canucks 4-2

Grab discounted NHL jerseys and swag on Amazon.com by clicking here.

Check out NHL Greatest Moments on DVD by clicking here.

Order the NHL 10 video game by clicking here.

I for one was disappointed in this year’s NHL Trade Deadline. Don’t get me wrong; it was the busiest trade deadline in NHL history. 30 trades were made. Some came the day before, on March 2nd. I was surprised by some of the trades. Edmonton and Calgary making trades with each other blew my mind. This is something as rare as gas being below $1.50 a gallon. Some teams didn’t make any trades at all; The Philadelphia Flyers being one of the teams. They were by far one of the biggest losers of the deadline. They were in need of a goaltender, but had no assets to trade away. In previous years’ moves they traded away multiple draft picks, which left them hanging dry during trade talks. There talks for New York Islander goaltender Dwayne Roloson.

The next set of rumors surfaced of Florida Panther goaltender Tomas Vokoun being shopped around for Philadelphia Flyers forward Jeff Carter. This move was a no brainer for Flyers Fans. The reality of picking up Nashville Predator’s defenseman, Dan Hamhuis almost became real. He could have been a great move for the blue line, and most likely would have seen Ryan Parent leave. The lack of picks though ended those talks after some time of negotiations. Another team that made a move I didn’t understand was New York Rangers making move for depth defensemen. They were in more need of a winger that could put up some points to help newly acquired forward Olli Jokinen.

There were a few winners I feel in the deadline. The Capitals who are my favorite to win the East, and go to the Cup Finals made some great moves. Bringing in defenseman Joe Corvo, who I feel is mediocre at this point in his career, but does add great Veteran presence. Adding another Center in Eric Belanger is a great move too. He has decent skill and great upside. Also receiving defenseman Milan Jurcina is great. He is a great depth player who can add some fire power to the blue line. Pittsburgh added forward Alexei Ponikarovsky who could start with the line of Malkin. This is another winger who can make some plays, and score at will. Pittsburgh also made a move for another defenseman who can add depth in Chris Peluso.Buffalo added depth in forward Raffi Torres who was highly sought out by many teams. Below is a list of moves made from March 2nd, till March 3rd. Enjoy!

March 2nd, 2010.

Pittsburgh: Acquired forward Alexei Ponikarovsky from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for forward Luca Caputi and defenseman Martin Skoula.

Ottawa: Acquired defenseman Andy Sutton from the New York Islanders in exchange for a second-round draft pick in 2010.

Edmonton: Acquired forward Matt Marquardt from the Boston Bruins in exchange for defenseman Cody Wild.

Chicago: Acquired defenseman Nick Boynton from Anaheim Ducks for future considerations.

Boston: Acquired the rights to defenseman Steve Kampfer from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a conditional fourth-round draft pick; acquired defenseman Cody Wild from the Edmonton Oilers for forward Matt Marquardt.

March 3rd, 2010.

Washington: Acquired center Eric Belanger from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft; acquired forward Scott Walker from the Carolina Hurricanes for a seventh-round pick in the 2010 Entry Draft; acquired defenseman Milan Jurcina from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a 2010 conditional draft pick; acquired defenseman Joe Corvo from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for defenseman Brian Pothier, forward Oskar Osala and a 2011 second-round draft pick; recalled defenseman John Carlson from Hershey (AHL).

Vancouver: Acquired center Yan Stastny from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for left wing Pierre-Cedric Labrie; assigned defenseman Brad Lukowich to Manitoba (AHL); acquired defenseman Andrew Alberts from the Carolina Hurricanes for a third-round pick in the 2010 draft.

St. Louis: Acquired forward Matt D’Agostini from the Montreal Canadians in exchange for forward Aaron Palushaj.

Pittsburgh: Acquired a 2010 sixth-round draft pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for defenseman Chris Peluso.

Phoenix: Acquired left wing Wojtek Wolski from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forwards Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter; acquired defenseman Derek Morris from the Boston Bruins for a conditional choice in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft; acquired defenseman Mathieu Schneider from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for defenseman Sean Zimmerman and a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft; acquired forward Lee Stempniak from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for defenseman Matt Jones, a fourth-round pick and seventh-round pick in the 2010 draft; acquired forward Petteri Nokelainen from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 2011 sixth-round draft pick; re-assigned forward Joel Perrault to San Antonio (AHL).

NY Rangers: Acquired defenseman Anders Eriksson from the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for goaltender Miika Wiikman and a 2011 seventh-round draft pick; assigned defenseman Corey Potter to Hartford (AHL).

New Jersey: Acquired defenseman Martin Skoula from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2010 Entry Draft.

Nashville: Acquired forward Dustin Boyd from the Calgary Flames in exchange for a 2010 fourth-round draft pick; reassigned defensemen Alexander Sulzer and Cody Franson to Milwaukee (AHL).

Los Angeles: Acquired center Jeff Halpern from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Teddy Purcell and a third-round draft pick; acquired forward Fredrik Modin from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a conditional seventh round pick in 2010 draft; recalled forward Scott Parse from Manchester (AHL); assigned forwards Oscar Moller and Marc-Andre Cliche to Manchester.

Edmonton: Claimed forward Ryan Jones off waivers from the Nashville Predators; acquired defenseman Ryan Whitney and a sixth-round draft pick in 2010 from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky; acquired defenseman Aaron Johnson and a third-round draft pick from the Calgary Flames in exchange for defenseman Steve Staios.

Detroit: Acquired forward Jordan Owens from the New York Rangers for forward Kris Newbury.

Columbus: Acquired the rights to forward Matt Rust from the Florida Panthers in exchange for defenseman Mathieu Roy; acquired forward Chad Kolarik from the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for forward Alexandre Picard; recalled forward Mike Blunden from Syracuse (AHL); assigned defenseman Grant Clitsome to Syracuse.

Colorado: Acquired forwards Stephane Yelle and Harrison Reed from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Cedric McNicoll and a 2010 sixth-round draft pick; signed goaltender John Grahame.

Carolina: Acquired goaltender Justin Pogge and a conditional fourth-round draft pick from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Aaron Ward; recalled forward Zach Boychuk and defenseman Jay Harrison from Albany (AHL).

Calgary: Acquired defenseman Andy Delmore from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for right wing Riley Armstrong.

Buffalo: Acquired a third and fourth round pick in the 2010 draft from the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for forward Clarke MacArthur; acquired forward Raffi Torres from Columbus in exchange for defenseman Nathan Paetsch and a second-round draft pick.

Boston: Acquired defenseman Dennis Seidenberg and the rights to defenseman Matt Bartkowski from the Florida Panthers in exchange for forwards Byron Bitz and Craig Weller and a second-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Anaheim: Acquired goaltender Curtis McElhinney from the Calgary Flames for goaltender Vesa Toskala; acquired goaltender Joey MacDonald from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2011 seventh-round draft pick.

Grab discounted NHL jerseys and swag on Amazon.com by clicking here.

Check out NHL Greatest Moments on DVD by clicking here.

Order the NHL 10 video game by clicking here.