Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins proved just that in game seven of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.  Thomas earned his second shutout of the series, while also recording an amazing 1.15 GAA and a .967 save percentage in the final seven games.  Here is the laundry list of achievements that he can add to his resume:

-The oldest player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP (37 years old).

-He recorded the most saves in a Final (238).

-He recorded the most saves in a playoff year (798).

-He faced the most shots in one playoff year (849).

-He is the first goaltender to win three game sevens in one playoff year.

-He is the first goaltender to ever post a game-seven shutout on the road in the Final.

Continue reading "Thomas Betters Luongo in the End"

Continue reading "The Mayweather vs Mosley fight was as real as Pam Andersons breasts"

It is a rare occurrence for one to attend and witness an event that carries the magnitude as awe-inspiring the Olympic Games, but Angela Graves, her husband and her two children, ages 11 and 15, were few of the lucky spectators who were able to make the trip from their home in Renton, Washington to Vancouver to view such an extraordinary display of athletic competition.

It was a late morning start, just about 10 o’clock am, when the Graves family left their home heading north.  Crossing the border was no trouble, no lines and no hold ups kept the small family of four from pushing onward the 153 mile drive to the hosting city of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.  Once arriving in frosty Canada, the family decided to stop and spend the night in a small motel located in the city of White Rock, just across the border and 126 miles from their home town.

Continue reading "2010 Winter Olympics Spectators perspective"

Hiller stood on his head in making 42 saves in their quarter-final defeat at the hands of the United States, conceding just one goal to Zach Parise early in the third period as the Swiss, one of the outsiders for the tournament, eventually only succumbed 2-0 to a late empty-netter.

The Ducks netminder came into the season in competition with Jean-Sebastien Giguere for playing time in Anaheim, and despite some poor results for the team he soon saw off his competitor, who was eventually traded to Toronto.

Indeed the only problem he may have over the rest of the season is tiredness, since he has already matched his career high in playing 46 games in the NHL this season, and with only Vesa Toskala as his backup now, you can expect him to play the vast majority of their remaining games as they seek a playoff place.

Continue reading "Hiller gives Ducks something to hang on to"

For the very first time, millions of Americans (including myself) got a chance to witness what is to be appreciated about the often maligned sport of hockey. The gold medal game between the U.S. and Canada was a masterpiece and a joy to watch. Those who didn't know what "icing" was (when a player shoots the puck passed both red lines), as well as the other seemingly foreign rules ignored them to watch a game played with passion and intensity. 

This game, thankfully, included the best players in the world, all of which play in the NHL. the NHL decided to shut down its offices to allow their players to play and represent their respective countries. Thank You NHL! You got it right where so many organizations have not. You put the game first where so many leagues have failed to do so. For this instance you pass with flying colors (A+). So lets see how the rest of the sports did:

Continue reading "For Once Hockey Got It Right The Grades Of International Tournaments"

Continue reading "A Chat with Doug Stolhand of the Puck Podcast"

Peter Donnelly, director of the Centre of Sport Policy Studies at the University of Toronto, counters that severe punishments like the one Cormier received don't do enough to deter players. "If there are any blatant attacks where clearly one person has gone after a person that was not expecting it, as in the incident with Cormier, I think that's a criminal act," Donnelly said. "

Continue reading "Hockey Police Really"

The Americans went on to win the gold medal in hockey that year - something that hasn't happened since, but don't expect any miracles next month at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. No, the United States still isn't favored to win a gold medal in hockey. In that respect the Americans remain underdogs. But with a roster stacked with young talent, they certainly are a medal candidate - one that the powerhouses from Canada, Russia and Sweden can't afford to overlook. "A little bit different situation [than 1980] in my opinion," said United States team captain Jamie Langenbrunner, a forward with the NHL's New Jersey Devils. "As much as Canada deserves all the credit that they're getting for the players they have, the 23 players named to the [United States] team play in the same league as those guys and we feel quite comfortable playing against them on a nightly basis. We feel we belong on the same ice."

Continue reading "USA USA USA"

A huge fight that stopped a KHL Championship game just after four minutes of play has led to a criminal investigation being launched into the reasons behind the major brawl at the game between Vityaz Chekhov and Avangard Omsk on January 9th.

Match officials struggled desperately to separate the teams and eject the offending players before the game resumed, but another fight broke out after just seven more seconds of play.

The officials finally scrapped the match, with only seven and eight players, respectively, left on each team.

Continue reading "From Russia with love"

Continue reading "Is This the Right Team USA"