Too bad the dasher boards do not look like this all game.
Predators on the Prowl
The most polite and stoic fans in the NHL
Ottawa 4 Nashville 3 OT In an exciting come from behind win at home, Ottawa initially gave their fans reason for anguish as Nashville scored three times in the first period, then receiving satisfactory elation as the Senators scored the next four goals.
It is all fun and games when your team is up 3-0
NHL fans are the most enthusiastically expressive and entertaining when their teams are winning and/or losing and that is just at home watching on their device of choice and I confess to be one of the loudest in my family.
The fun and games continue when your team ties the game in the second period
Ottawa goes above .500% at home with the victory last night and need to bring some of this good play on the road and if they keep it up they will not be basement dwellers for long.
Linesman making an inquiry
Although Nashville lost their last two they have one more contest to play before entering the mid-season break their good play so far this season has them in a three way 54 points tie in the Western Conference wild card race.
The NHL did not begin All-Star games until 1947 but prior to this the NHL held an All-Star Benefit game to raise money for a player injured so badly during a game he never played again prompting the Leafs to retire their first uniform number.
The game itself was spectacular considering the reason for it and the NHL had designed a specific sweater to be worn for the game, commemorative jackets and medals were awarded and passed out by the injured player and even to the player that injured him.
Sadly the injured player was rejected by the NHL to become a linesman, happily he was Head Coach of the University of Toronto hockey team, then became the timekeeper at the Leafs home games and in 1947 he did the first official NHL All-Star game.
The NHL has used a number of formats for the All-Star game originally pitting a collection of All-Stars to play the previous season’s Stanley Cup champions beginning in 1947 it worked until 1950 when poor attendance brought about change.
In 1951 and 1952 the NHL had First Team and Second Team of players then switched back to the original format of a collection of players to play the Stanley Cup champions which was the norm until 1969 when the NHL went to East and West Division teams.
The East/West format only lasted until 1974 when the NHL made a name change the following season to a more prolific and honorary team names with the Wales Conference and Campbell Conference.
But for some reason still unclear the NHL obliterated tradition and went generic with Eastern/Western Conferences which lasted three years before the NHL thought to go with team North America versus team World format for five seasons.
Then in 2003 they reverted back to Eastern/Western Conferences but just until 2009 because then the NHL thought it was a good idea to start naming the All-Star teams after their Captains resulting in no less than six different player named teams for three seasons.
Fortunately the NHL saw the error of their ways, sort of, now we have bland division named All-Star teams where you do not get to see the best of the best but at least one player from each team no matter what statistics are compiled.
From the time I was in my mid-teens during the 1970s until my early 30s the NHL All-Star games have been entertaining contests between talented players, now it seems to have morphed into a politically correct holiday weekend for the players that participate and time off for players not invited.
Buffalo 5 San Jose 2 Mr. Cozens breaks ankles as he nets the happy net goal, Mr. Mittelstadt has earned 20 points in his last 19 games, gloves were dropped but no punches thrown, as San Jose lost the early dreaded “two goal lead” and game to Buffalo in a late afternoon contest.
It was noted that San Jose blares the Elton John’s song, “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” when there is a fight in their arena. But since there were no punches thrown and only two minute roughing penalties awarded it prompted the play-by-play announcer for Buffalo to quip, “Elton John never sang Saturday night’s alright for pushing and shoving”.
Unfortunately there was a clean check that sent Buffalo’s Mr. Quinn awkwardly into the dasher boards twisting his left skate painfully as he was helped off the ice, no word on how severe the lower body injury is, thankfully the All-Star break will give him time to recover.
Buffalo resumes the season after the All-Star break with four homes games in the first two weeks in February and two of the contests the team will be sporting our brawny Black & Red sweaters.
Edmonton 3 Chicago 0 The Edmonton Oilers have won their fifteenth consecutive game last night at home against a Blackhawks team that was on the backend of a back-to-back and who were able to play the Oilers even up in a tight game.
Towards the end of the first period with no score a questionable call gives the Oilers the opportunity to score near the end of the games only power play a minute and a half into the second period to take a 1-0 lead.
After Edmonton defenseman Mr. Desharnais blatantly mauled Chicago’s winger Mr. Entwistle on the way to the net the Blackhawks were awarded a penalty shot with 1:36 minutes remaining in the second period resulting in an excellent save by the Edmonton goaltender.
The dagger in this game came approximately six and a half minutes into the third period when Connor McDavid (44) and Leon Draisaitl (31) set up Mr. Hyman beautifully for a tip in score to give Edmonton the dreaded two goal lead.
Chicago valiantly endeavored to score with the extra attacker less than two minutes remaining but to no avail as the offensively potent Oilers scored a happy net goal to seal the win extending their current streak of victories that brings them within two of the NHL record.
The Sabres spoiled the hometown’s pregame celebration of Anze Kopitar by coming from behind down two goals to win by two goals in a game where Buffalo goaltender Mr. Levi earned a .925 save percentage as the Kings unleashed 40 shots.
The Sabres duo of “JJ” & “Q” each produced three points as Mr. Peterka scored twice and Mr. Quinn dished off two assists with the first one a herculean diving effort to get the puck up to Mr. Peterka.
The Sabres Misters Tuch (13) and Cozens (9) scored in the third period to seal the 5-3 come from behind road victory over the Los Angeles Kings late last night, the final game of this three game road trip is Saturday afternoon versus San Jose.
In the two game season series between two offensive minded teams in Winnipeg and Toronto they played to a 0-0 regulation tie last night forcing OT where Awesome Matthews scored in just over four minutes into the extra frame, they face off again in just two days.
Buffalo Winter 