HOCKEY IS BACK!

PEOPLE! After a long 119 days, the National Hockey League is back in business! Unlike the 2004-2005 lockout which cancelled the entire season, the new season is slated to start this Saturday with a 48-game season. Unfortunately, the game has lots of rebuilding to do. The already-shaky fanbase is at its all-time low. Many people don't even consider hockey as one of the major sports played in America anymore. No knock to the MLS (well sort of), but the NHL is headed to the bottom cellar unless there's a revival of sorts.



40-year old Jaromir Jagr is still going strong!



But, I will still stay loyal to a game I fell in love with while I was in elementary (thank you, antenna television). I'm excited to see the game return to many cities that desperately need some of sports action. I'm excited for the old veterans in the league that still have a passion to play the game. I'm excited for all the young up-and-comers who are aching to showcase something that people will be shelling out money for. In the end, I'm most excited for one thing....



So let's get it on, baby! May this season bring a sense of joy and excitement that once gripped me as a kid.

In the meantime, please enjoy the closest thing to hockey I had.

Photo and videos courtesy of dallasstars.com and youtube.com

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2012 Stanley Cup Finals Preview

Only in the NHL will you have the 6^th seed from the East and the 8^th seed from the West make it to the final and have little reaction from the experts and fans. Hockey is all about momentum, and home ice is usually irrelevant until game 7. The Devils didn’t have the home ice advantage in the first three rounds but will have it for the finals; unfortunately, the Kings are 8-0 on the road so far and would love to continue that streak in Newark for game 1. Ironically, the Kings seem to be the clear-cut favorite, beating teams at will and giving the opponents almost no hope along the way.

Don’t let the King’s 8^th seed title fool you -- they have been one of the most dominant teams in NHL playoff history so far. They took 3-0 leads in all 3 of their first series and only lost 2 meaningless game 4s to the one and three seeds. In the same way, the Devils weren’t supposed to make it this far -- maybe half of the experts had them making it past round 1 -- but there was no way they should have made it to the finals. Round two was where they should have lost to the media darling Flyers, who had just beat the Penguins in an impressive fashion. Yet the Devils made short work of the Flyers and ended up just embarrassing that defensive unit. After a 2-2 start with my beloved Rangers, most of the experts still chose the Rangers and continued to call out the advantage in goaltending for New York. People said Marty Bordeur was 40 and clearly past his prime. I wish that was true and kept telling myself that... up until the Devils scored the series-clinching goal in the overtime of game 6.

Both teams didn’t seem to belong in the finals at the start of the playoffs, yet both teams are hot and showing us an amazing amount of desire and will on the ice. Once again the veteran goalie Marty Bordeur for the New Jersey Devils will be facing one of the best young goaltenders in the game in Jonathan Quick, who was only 6 years old when Bordeur won his first Stanley Cup in 1995. Quick has dominated in this year's playoffs, and it’s a good thing because the LA Kings struggle to put in power play goals. LA has almost just as many shorthanded goals as they do power play goals in these playoffs, which shows you how good Quick and that defensive unit can be.  Most people have written off Marty Bordeur and have started wondering when this guy will eventually retire, but I think the only thing people should be thinking now is if this man is going to end up with his 4^th ring.

There will be no shortage of big names offensively in this series. Mike Richard and Jeff Carter, both ex-Flyers that have been to the Cup Final before, will continue to play with a chip on their shoulders as they try to finish this magical run. While the Devils will rely on their two stars, Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise, who have been scoring at will in this playoff run. Both teams have players who have been here before, so I don’t think experience will play a huge role in this series. Also I don’t believe the physical play will bother either team. The Kings will look to try to rough up the Devils early, but after seeing the amount of punishment the Devils took from the Rangers, it's obvious that even getting knocked down on the ice won't faze them.

Overall this series should be filled with quality goaltending and physical play, with both teams bringing a blue collar attitude to work. The Kings have already made me look very foolish by picking against them, but that’s exactly what I will be doing once again. I am going to take the Devils in 7 because of the resurgence of Marty Bordeur -- it just doesn’t seem right to pick against a man who is 3-1 in Stanley Cup finals just because he’s over the hill.

Prediction:

The New Jersey Devils over The Los Angeles Kings in 7 games 

Photo courtesy of Maxx Wolfson - Getty Images

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Sunday Night Fights: Playoffs Round 1

OH BABY! If you have not been watching the NHL playoffs, then I hope you were out saving the world because you're missing a dandy! The first round has been far from disappointing, and bad blood is brewing faster than any fan could desire. The playoff season is a powerful thing -- no team is a safe bet, and certainly no team is out of it. If you're lucky enough to have your favorite team still vying for a championship, you know how powerful each game is on your emotions; emotions that will run deep, and emotions that will last a lifetime. Rivalries are birthed, games become instant classics, and players are immortalized. The landscape of the sport is forever changed each and every year.

The action started last Wednesday, and to be honest with you, I wasn't even sure if there would be much of an article this week given the nature of playoff hockey. Fights tend to decrease come playoff season -- not because the intensity of games decreases (far from that actually), but because your typical "checking line" bruisers see less ice time. That's just how it usually is. Well, this playoff season says, " screw that!" This year already has dark shades of high-intensity, high-scoring, high-hating, high-drama, high-everything-a-fan-could-hope-for.

Case in point #1: Nashville Predators v. Detroit Red Wings; division counterparts to say the least. Detroit has been a perennial powerhouse throughout this decade, winning eight division titles and two Stanley cup Championships. On the other hand, Nashville has only been in existence for thirteen years, making the playoffs seven times in the last decade. They've faced each other once in the playoffs, with the Red Wings taking the series in six enroute to a Stanley Cup. However, I got a feeling they'll be seeing each other more with each game brewing more hate and more hate. The main reason? Mr. Shea Weber.

There's just something about slamming someones head into plexiglass that is unsettling to me. Weber was fined a measly $2,500 for his actions. Personally, the league got this one wrong. I get that hockey is a physical game and the playoffs are intense, but you have to show some respect for the game. That was an intentional act to harm, and quite frankly, a classless act. If I were 6'3" and 235 lbs, I would totally drop the mitts and let you know that. Well, I'm not... but Todd Bertuzzi is.

You might recall that Bertuzzi isn't the classiest player ever to skate (sucker-punching Steve Moore from behind and consequently breaking his neck and ending his career). So no, I'm not a Bertuzzi fan by any means. But he was given a second chance to play the game, and he's playing it the right way. So props. But let's throw more punches next time.

Case #2. New York Rangers v. Ottawa Senators. Ah, the classic #1 seed vs. #8 seed. David vs. Goliath. Roe vs. Wade (just kidding). I haven't followed either of these teams growing up. Sorry, I'm not from the East, nor am I Canadian. So I might have to defer to my fellow colleagues, who have already called some party fouls in this series (Party Foul: Game 2 Refs Rangers vs Senators). However, I do love hockey, so it's been great seeing drama, drama, and more drama between these two teams this past week. The announcers actually explain this better than me so let's just roll the clip!

Ottawa went on to win in overtime to tie the series, so I'm excited to see how this unfolds. I will go ahead and predict that this won't be the last time Brian Boyle and Matt Carkner mix it up. But I will say this, though: I'm digging Boyle's playoff stache.

Case #3. Pittsburgh Penguins v. Philadelphia Flyers. Everyone and their moms knew this would be a great series. They absolutely hate each other. There is no love. No hugs and kisses. Just hate. And more hate. Given how the regular season ended, this is what I expected. They have a lot of history that I won't get into mainly because this post is getting super long. So if you have some more time, let's just roll some more film!

Shame on Craig Adams for punching the back of Scott Hartnell's head. Shame on Scott Hartnell for whining about his hair getting pulled. Prediction: Game 4 ends up in a brawl.

I love hockey. I love the playoffs. I cannot wait for next week. Stay tuned. I'll bid farewell with my fighter of the week. Roman fricking Polak of the St. Louis Blues. Don't ever fight this man when he's angry.

Photos and video courtesy of hockeyfights.com, youtube.com, & ca.yahoo.com

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Party Foul: Referees of Game 2, Rangers vs. Senators

Violation: The team of referees in game 2 of the Rangers v. Senators series fails to protect a player in a one-way attack. They then decide to ignore common sense, which leads to the unjust ejection of Brandon Dubinsky after he is deemed the 3^rd man to enter an altercation.

Explanation: I get it -- most of the time, you let the boys fight, but even in hockey there are situations when the refs are expected to intervene. Matt Carkner was in the game for only one reason: to go after Brian Boyle. This was payback for an earlier incident from game 1 in which Boyle took a couple cheapshots at rising star Erik Karlsson. The problem was that Matt Carkner engaged Boyle without his consent and put him on the ice with a sucker punch. The ref stood right next to the two just watching as Boyle took up to five punches while he was on his back defenseless. Brandon Dubinsky came in to try to pull Carkner off his teammate -- thus making him the third man to enter an ongoing altercation.

Both Carkner and Dubinsky were thrown out of the game and may face a future suspension. Dubinsky was given a two-minute minor for roughing and a game misconduct for being the third man for the altercation between Carkner and Boyle. Carkner was handed two minutes for roughing, a five-minute minor for fighting, and a game misconduct for initiating an altercation. Boyle was not handed a penalty and actually never even removed his gloves, yet it was somehow considered a fight.

Punishment: Referees will now have a hard time controlling the unnecessary physical activities that will take place for the rest of this series. Refs once again won’t have the trust of the players to protect them from fights they may not want to partake in, which means the enforcers will take it into their own hands to maintain order.

Photos and video courtesy of NBC and REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine

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2012 NHL Playoffs Preview

Of the four major sports in the United States, the National Hockey League is the least popular. Although the NHL is the second-oldest league behind the MLB, it has faced its disadvantages through the years. Maybe it's the fact that the league’s roots came from Canada, or maybe it's the fact that they tried to do major expansion during the Great Depression. Some blame the recent lockout in the 2005 season. Others complain that you just can’t follow a small puck on TV. In the end, hockey is still the most exciting sport to watch live, yet the average American will never experience it.

The last time hockey was relevant was during the Mighty Ducks movies in the 90s, but most people that were born in the last two decades have never even seen any of these classics. Without youth interest, it is hard to continue to grow a fan base, especially in towns where hockey is rarely played like the southern and western parts of the United States. Unfortunately, hockey is an expensive sport. From finding ice time where few rinks are available to the pricey equipment needed by each player, the costs of having your child play hockey can easily cost a parent thousands of dollars.

Surprisingly enough, however, the NHL has been gaining popularity around the world due to its international appeal. Personally I have always found hockey to be the best team sport when it comes to the Olympics; not only is the quality of hockey fast-paced compared to other sports, but it is always very competitive. Usually you have one or two teams dominate, but with hockey many different nations have proven to have the ability to medal. It is also exciting to see the best of the NHL representing different countries, unlike with basketball in which most of the all-stars play for the United States.

Perhaps the most unique aspect of the NHL playoffs is that every overtime is sudden death. On the baseball diamond, both teams receive a chance to bat. On the football field, both teams have a chance at a possession if the first team scores with a field goal. On the basketball court, overtime is simply five additional minutes on the clock. But in the hockey rink, every overtime game ends with a scoring goal, and no other sport in the big four can make that claim. In addition, there is only one championship trophy that is passed down every year to the winning team. You don't get to keep it unless you win it again, and that makes having the Stanley Cup that much more special.

Playoffs start this week, and there are many intriguing matchups in round one. If you don't already know, the NHL has a knack for playoff upsets -- we have regularly seen 7th and 8th seeds advance far into the playoffs, and taking a 3-0 series lead is no guarantee.

Here are some things to watch for in each of the eight matchups in round 1 of the 2012 NHL playoffs:


New York Rangers vs. Ottawa Senators

For the first time since Wayne Gretzky was a Ranger in the 90s, there are some high expectations in New York. Don’t let the 1 vs. 8 match up fool you; this series won't be easy for the Rangers with so many savvy veterans on the Ottawa Senators. These two teams rely heavily on their top scorers to get points on the board. While the Rangers defense is solid, all eyes will be on their star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to handle the pressure like he always does. The Rangers almost defeated the top-ranked Capitals last year due to Lundqvist, despite being outshot by 36 shots in the series.

Players to watch:

Milan Michalek led the Senators with 35 goals this past season. With little scoring from their bench, Michalek needs to step up to pull off this upset.

Brad Richards of the Rangers received a huge contract this past offseason, and there will be a ton of responsibility put on his shoulders. Richard hasn’t blown anyone away so far but has come through with timely goals all season long.

Prediction: Rangers in 6


Boston Bruins vs. Washington Capitals

This is one of the more appealing matchups in round 1 of this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs. The Bruins are the defending champs, and even with a subpar year for their star goaltender Tim Thomas, still had a solid regular season. On the other side you have the Washington Capitals, who in previous years have had the reputation of brilliant regular seasons followed by failures during the playoffs. This year the Capitals barely made it as the 7th seed, but the talent that made them the 1st seed last year is still there. Backstrom is now healthy, while Ovechkin is still the most productive player in the NHL today. For non-hockey fans, the best comparison I can make to Alex Ovechkin is Lebron James. With no expectations for the Capitals to win against the Bruins, will this finally be the year they live up to their talent?

Players to watch:

Tim Thomas for the Bruins; if he is on, there is no way the Bruins lose this series.

Alex Ovechkin of the Capitals; look for him to get physical and take plenty of quality shots on Thomas.

Prediction: Bruins in 7


Florida Panthers vs. New Jersey Devils

Florida might be the 3rd seed in this tournament, but that is a mere technicality since they won their weak division. The Panthers actually only own the 6th best record in the east, while the Devils own the 4th. In the end, the Devils are the better team and might even have underperformed with all the talent on their roster. You can’t think of Devils hockey without Patrik Elias and Martin Brodeur and the 5 rings between them. It is inspiring that Brodeur has been around since the 1995 Stanley Cup victory and remains just as productive 17 seasons later. The Devils will also look to Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise to provide plenty of offense. The Panthers have their hands full, and with a bunch of average joes, they will need to band together to pull off this upset.

Players to watch:

Stephen Weiss for the Panthers; after 10 long seasons, Weiss will finally taste playoff hockey.

This will be Ilya Kovalchuk’s first playoffs with the Devils after signing a contract worth $100 million, and fans are eager to see if Kovalchuk is worth the cash.

Prediction: Devils in 5


Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers

This is the most enticing series of round one. If you missed the brawl these two teams had, go and check out Andrew Leu’s round 5 of Sunday Night Fights. There is no love lost here with this interstate rivalry. Both teams are willing to do anything to win this series, so you can expect all the cheap shots, jawing, and playoff fights you can handle. Now that the Penguins seem to be healthy, many experts have been quick to jump on this bandwagon. The talent is there with Sidney Crosby, Jordan Staal, and Evgeni Malkin; the question is if this team will be able to maintain their health in a physical battle with the Flyers. Another interesting storyline is Jaromir Jagr playing against his old team, which has to hurt loyal Penguin fans.

Players to watch:

Sidney Crosby for the Penguins is still the man to watch. If he didn’t get hurt so much, Sid the Kid could put up historical numbers.

Ilya Bryzgalov of the Flyers; many people felt the Flyers overpaid for Ilya, but no one will care if he performs in the playoffs.

Prediction: Flyers in 7


Vancouver Canucks vs. Los Angeles Kings

Here is another 1st seed versus 8th seed matchup that will be a challenge. The President Cup winner Canucks have to be glad that they aren’t playing the always dangerous Blackhawks in the first round like last year, but the Kings arguably have the top goaltender in the league with Jonathan Quick. The guy at the other end is no slack either as Roberto Luongo is always mentioned in the group of top goaltenders in the league and usually comes through when his team needs him too. The Kings do not have much offensive firepower, so expect them to rely heavily on their goalie and defense to keep them in it.

Players to watch:

Keep an eye on Mike Richards of the Kings. He will be out there trying to prove the Flyers wrong for getting rid of him.

Sedin twins Henrik and Daniel are key cogs in the Canucks' offensive machine. Thankfully Daniel will return from injury just in time for the playoffs.

Prediction: Canucks in 6


St. Louis Blues vs. San Jose Sharks

Most would agree that the Blues have overachieved this regular season while the Sharks have underachieved. San Jose has been one of the most consistent teams in recent years with big wins against the Red Wings twice and always nearly making it to the finals the last two seasons. St. Louis has allowed the least amount of goals and shot attempts, but you have to wonder how things will play out with two evenly skilled goalies on the same squad. Also the Blues have been offensively challenged this year and will have trouble generating goals. Meanwhile the Sharks have tons of experience and should have the motivation back after lacking it all regular season long.

Players to watch:

Joe Thornton will be determined to get his chance at winning a Stanley Cup after witnessing his old team win it all last year.

David Perron returned midyear from an injury he received playing against the Sharks back in 2010. How sweet it would be for him to lead his team to a victory over the team that almost ended his career with a nasty concussion.

Prediction: Sharks in 7


Phoenix Coyotes vs. Chicago Blackhawks

This is the same situation as the Devils and Panthers matchup in which the 6th seed (Blackhawks) has the better record, but the 3rd seed (Coyotes) won their division. The Blackhawks have talent but have faced health issues. With Jonathan Toews back just in time for the playoffs along with Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane, Chicago is going to try to push the tempo and turn this series into a high-scoring affair.

Players to watch:

Jonathan Toews of the Blackhawks will be the key; he needs to prove he is healthy starting day one.

Old man Ray Whitney who turns 40 soon and has had a career year by collecting 77 points, which leads his team.

Prediction: Chicago in 6


Nashville Predators vs. Detroit Red Wings

This should be the most competitive series in the Western Conference. It has been well-documented that Nashville ownership tried to create their young franchise in the mold of Hockeytown Nation. Now it is finally time for the Predators to form their own identity and stop living in the shadows of other franchises. Detroit will always play solid hockey come playoff time, and the quality of players still exists with Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. But the Predators come in with a very balanced and deep attack, with 10 different players scoring 10 more goals this season.

Players to watch:

Datsyuk of the Red Wings is the man to watch; look for him to dominate the faceoffs to establish possession early on.

Mike Fisher of the Predators is having a good year, and the fact that he is married to Carrie Underwood always makes him an interesting follow.

Prediction: Predators in 7


If you've been searching for an excuse to start watching hockey, now would be the time to tune in.

Photos courtesy of the NHL

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Sunday Night Fights: Round 5

I'll start by wishing everyone a happy Easter. Hope it was a time of great reflection and celebration!

But onto our weekly series, Sunday Night Fights. So long, regular season! Hello, playoff hockey! Another great regular season under the belt and hopefully an even greater playoff season to come. The season ended last week, and it's always nice to end things with a BANG! If you have been keeping up with this series, I have left the last couple of posts with some nice bonus footage. What a joy it is to get some continuation action from some of the bonus footage, especially heading into the playoffs. So let's rewind, shall we...

April 1st. Philadelphia Flyers visited the Pittsburgh Penguins. Flyers just scored in the 3rd period, pushing their lead to 6-3 with a little less than two minutes left in an already highly-contested game. Penguins coach, Dan Bylsma, sent out his 4th line (aka the "Checking Line" aka the "Goonies" aka the "we're down by 3 goals so let's make this game even more interesting" line). And more interesting it certainly was. First-year Penguins Center Joe Vitale made sure he got to meet 13-year veteran Flyers Center Daniel Briere.

I don't think Vitale will be getting Briere's autograph anytime soon. Actually, I don't think anyone will be -- Briere was sidelined for the remainder of the season with an upper back contusion. Ouch. Let's also note Vitale took out Defenseman Nicklas Grossmann earlier in the game.

Fast forward to yesterday when the two teams met again, and let's just say the Philadelphia Flyers didn't quite forget about the hit. But Mr. Vitale just don't care. He don't give a... roll the tape!

I'm not sure why the Flyers sent out Harry Zolnierczyk, but only throwing one punch to someone who took out two of your players doesn't seem quite fulfilling. Well, lesson learned. Don't mess with Joe Vitale. He just don't care.

So with that, cheers to the regular season! Let the playoffs begin!

Can't leave bonus footage the last two weeks and leave y'all hanging this week, so enjoy some classic Jody Shelley.

You ready for some playoff hockey?

Photos and video courtesy of hockeyfights.com, youtube.com, timesonline.com, & examiner.com

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Sunday Night Fights: Round 4!

Is it just me, or do the best fights of the week happen on Sundays? Maybe it's something about the weekend, or maybe it's the weekend kool-aid -- all I know is that I can't complain about it. This week I'll highlight a fight that happened last Sunday. I know, I know... it was last Sunday, but I'm not going to pass this opportunity up to showcase one of the league's up-and-comers in the hockey fighting realm.

So let's rewind real quick to March 25, 2012. Nashville Predators vs Chicago Blackhawks. To set the stage: both teams had already secured playoff berths but are battling each other for seeding. With the playoffs right around the corner, not only do you not back off and rest your players, but you better set the tone and instill some fear into your prospective playoff opponents. Insert one, Brandon Bollig -- a fresh face to the NHL this season. As of today, he's played 15 games and racked up 53 penalty minutes. For extreme comparison's sake, let's look at say... a polar opposite. It took Wayne Gretzky his first two full seasons (159 games) to even rack up 49 penalty minutes. But Brandon Bollig is no Gretzky, and, well, from the following video, Gretzky is no Bollig.



I love the fact that Bollig takes on Jordin Tootoo, one of the most irrating, pesky, rough-and-tough bruisers in the league. I'll admit that I'm no Tootoo fan. I'm sure I'd love him if he played for my hometown Dallas Stars, but... he doesn't. He's always willing to scrap though, so I'll always give him props for challenging someone. And BOY OH BOY what a challenge! Bollig fed him more uppercuts than his face could handle, and the knees just had to buckle. I wish the camera angle could have shown us a quick view of Tootoo's face because I'm sure it was glorious. You know you've sent a message to the other team when you're skating over to the penalty box while your counterpart heads to the locker room. So win one for the young guys.

As long as you have the likes of a Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane, you'll always need a Brandon Bollig. So here's to a healthy, long-lasting fighting career to Brandon Bollig. Cheers, baby!

Bonus footage for the sake of all mini-brawls. Enjoy!



It is definitely time for playoff hockey!

Photos and video courtesy of hockeyfights.com, YouTube, and ESPN

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Sunday Night Fights: Round 3

This week we'll venture into a game between the Winnipeg Jets and Carolina Hurricanes. Both teams are poised to miss the playoffs, but hockey is still hockey -- there's still too much pride on the line to tank (unlike say... the NBA).

Now as enticing as it was to pick the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers opening period 3-fight extravaganza, I've got to show some love for some young up-and-comers. This week's combatants are Patrick Dwyer (Carolina) and Spencer Machacek (Winnipeg). I'll be honest -- I've never heard of them in my life, but that doesn't mean they don't know how to skate, stick handle, or throw a punch. And well, let's just say Mr. Machacek knows the latter.

Dwyer is in 4th semi-full season, all with the Hurricanes. Machacek is a young guy who has barely played in 15 NHL games, so you know he's got to make a name for himself. Nothing gets your name out there like taking it to someone.

He might not be a household name anytime soon, but now I know who Spencer Machacek is. No more high sticks when he's on the ice.

And as a bonus, just in case you wanted to see the 3-fight extravaganza at MSG:

Chase for the Cup in a few weeks!

Photos and video courtesy of hockeyfights.com, youtube.com & greenwichtimes.com

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Sunday Night Fights: Round 2

The fight of the week comes from a game this past Tuesday between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. Early in the game, Jay Rosehill lays a clean check on John Madden. Now I wouldn't say John Madden is a superstar or anything, but Krys Barch took some exception to it. I remember a young Barch when he was with the Dallas Stars a few years ago. He went through the Stars' system as the tough guy enforcer so it's nice to see him still doing his job.


A few love taps from Barch and an oblige from Rosehill and off we gooooooo!



Rosehill starts off firing rights, but once Barch gets comfortable and a nice grip of the jersey, the bout isn't much of a match. It's an easy win for Barch as he effectively manages Rosehill using punches landing with both hands. He utilizes his strength well as Rosehill is constantly off-balance. So lesson of the night... if you want to land a big hit, be ready to fight.

Lesson learned.

Photos and video courtesy of hockeyfights.com, youtube.com, thestar.com, & espn.com

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Sunday Night Fights: Round 1

I'll begin this Sunday Night Fights column with a brief informative lesson on the art of fighting in the NHL.

Fighting in the NHL has been a long-established tradition since the first pucks were dropped in the 19th century. No other team sport really allows this type of sheer manliness to have such an effect on the game. Shoot, I'm sure half the people who write off fighting in the NHL as pointless, stupid, lame, not "real," etc., couldn't even take a punch from their grandmothers (let alone throw one on skates). There is a purpose to fighting in the NHL. There is an art to fighting in the NHL. There is a meaning to fighting in the NHL.

Let me educate you.

1. It sets the tone. A lot of people (especially in the South) don't appreciate hockey as a sport because they just don't get it. They don't understand why a puck is a puck. They don't get why there needs to be ice. They don't see any "skill" to the game. They don't see fighting as an integral part of the game. Fighting sets the tone. If you come out throwing your body around, scrapping for loose pucks, jawing at an opponent, or getting into some fisticuffs, people know you mean business. You wanna prance around on your skates and do all these little fancy moves... I'm sure someone would oblige to knocking your ass down.

2. You don't touch our best players -- teams pay the big bucks, and players become the face of a franchise (and even a city) for a reason. There is a very fine line in how you treat these franchise players. You don't touch them. When you have the Gretzkys, Lemieuxs, and Crosbys of the world, you better think twice before you lay even a breath on them (useless if you're in pursuit of #1 seen above).

Here's a simple example: 1999. Hall of Famer Jeremy Roenick (then with the Phoenix Coyotes) took out Dallas Stars' top center Mike Modano with a hit many of his teammates called "cheap." Well let's just say Stars' captain Derian Hatcher didn't forget three weeks later when they played again. (Warning: there will be blood).

Not a fight per se..but the message was pretty clear.

3. You don't touch our goalies. Same as #2, but with one difference: your goalie doesn't even have to be good. Just don't touch him. He is the sacred defender of the net.

I could probably list out ten more reasons, but I'll save it for another day. With that, I'll leave with the fight of the week. It's always good to see the young players establishing themselves.

Let the fighting commence!

Wayne Simmonds vs Joey Crabb

Simmonds by decision.

Photos and video courtesy of hockeyfights.com, youtube.com, thestar.com, espn.com

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What's a Hockey?

Q. What do the World Wrestling Entertainment, polo, and SlamBall all have in common?
A. Nothing

Q. What do you get if you combine all three together?
A. Sheer brilliance, aka hockey

Hockey embodies aspects of three of my favorite sports
WWE/Smackdown: the sacrifice of the body with body checking
Polo: High-speed sport with body checking
SlamBall: pure adrenaline-filled entertainment with body checking

Hockey is 60 minutes of pedal to the metal, balls to the wall, full throttle action. You won't see high-flying RVD frog splashes or a shooting star by Evan Bourne, but you'll see MEN diving across the ice to take a slap shot to the face. Sure, you may lose a tooth or break a nose, but if that's what it takes to win, so be it (see picture above)! This sport used to be played without helmets or face guards, for crying out loud. If you see an opponent screening your goalie, clear him out. If you see a player coming in along the boards with the puck, check him, and stop him cold. The refs will even allow a bit of fighting (though there is a penalty). As the great Rodney Dangerfield once said: "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out." What other sport allows so much physical contact without fear of being penalized or ejected?

Players are always playing at full speed -- always skating, always moving around. That's why they play in shifts. If you've ever played indoor soccer, you know how tiring it gets playing just five minutes all out, but this fast-pace action with substitutions that don't require stoppage of play makes hockey that much better.

As a born and bred Texan, I know firsthand how little love hockey receives in the South. If you have never watched a game, I strongly encourage you to try it out with an open mind. As an audience member watching on television, you will be engaged the entire time; though it's even better live. For me, it's the sounds of the game -- the crashing of the boards, the slicing of the skates, the clanging of a shot off the goal post, and the blasting of the fog horn whenever the home team scores. I can honestly say that if I had a choice of any live sporting event, I'd choose hockey over anything else.

For your viewing pleasure:
If you find that you hate it, that's cool too.
Photos and video courtesy of Seattle Times and youtube.com.

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Sunday Night Fights - Promo

Back in college, I used to have some pretty set routines. You have your typical habits: wake up, bathroom, go to class, come back, sleep, eat, homework, TV, eat, sleep, repeat -- or something to that effect. But one of my most favorite times of the day during my sophmore/junior years was watching hockey fights right before I went to bed. It was like saving your stomach for dessert... and well, there's always room for dessert. Somehow over the years, I've gotten away from this great routine. What a travesty.

But when GCAS Founder extraordinaire, Caleb Li, approached me to do a weekly hockey fight article, I quickly relived my heydays back in my college dormitory with a visit to hockeyfights.com -- the only site I use to quench the hockey testosterone in me. It's a tremendous source that logs hockey's daily action, posts videos, and creates a great forum for avid hockey fans to put in their two cents about the game. Much of my love for hockey has been spurred by the efforts of websites and forums such as this one.

So stay tuned, as every Sunday night I will give a recap of the week's best fights, in hopes that sports fans from all walks of life will start to appreciate the beautiful game of hockey.

But for now, I'll leave you with this little teaser..

Photo and video courtesy of thehockeynews.com & youtube.com

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New York, it's been some week...

Sunday February 5th: Sunday night, the New York Football Giants capped off an improbable playoff run with a victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. Eli Manning orchestrated another incredible 4th quarter drive with a beautiful sideline pass to Mario Manningham, which set up Ahmad Bradshaw's now infamous poop-down. Giants weren't the best team the entire season, but got hot in the playoffs. All things considered, the game was evenly matched, but the Giants executed their game plan better and got lucky with fumble recoveries and the fact that Gronkowski was slowed down by injury. I did not think we were going to pull it off (Caleb has the texts to prove it), but in the end, the Giants delivered New York their 4th Super Bowl title. Earlier that day, the New York Rangers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden, which I took as a good omen for New York that day. Little did I know I would enjoy the greatest sports week of my life.

Monday February 6th: Jeremy Lin's first career start and the beginning of Linsanity. Caleb has written articles here, here, and here about the kid, so there's not much left for me to say. He single-handedly brought a stagnant Knicks team back from the brinks of utter collapse, when both Carmelo and Amare were out of the lineup, and delivered a much needed win. On top of that, Lin has truly done something miraculous. He has made my wife care about sports (Between Lin and the Giants' playoff run, she came into sports at exactly the right time!). She's watching post-game interviews, Sportscenter, you name it, anything she can about Jeremy Lin. I'm scared.

Tuesday February 7th: I took a half day from work to go to the Giants parade in the Canyon of Heroes. I went four years ago when the Giants last won the title and didn't think the crowd was that big, but this year, it really felt like a million people came out to celebrate this victory. It was great to see all of our players and know that we have a bright future ahead with Manning, Nicks, Cruz, Tuck, and Pierre-Paul. Truly a joyous occasion for me that justified the emotional roller coaster that I've been on with the Giants this year.

Wednesday February 8th: Lin's incredible play continued as he matched up against John Wall in the nation's capital. He put up 23 and 10 along with his first dunk and the Lin-gend continues...

Thursday February 9th: The New York Rangers won an overtime battle with the Tampa Bay Lightning on a diving goal by Brad Richards and firmly entrench themselves as the top team in the Eastern Conference. Not sure if we have many hockey fans that peruse our site, but the Rangers have been playing unbelievable hockey this year and are looking more and more like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. Everyone has been waiting for the Rangers to fall apart, but they constantly find ways to pull out victories The last time they were this good this late into the season was in 1994, when they won the Stanley Cup.

Friday February 10th: Many pundits and 'perts were questioning whether or not Jeremy Lin was for real because his current body of work has been done against three juggernauts: the Nets, Jazz, and Wizards. Well, Friday brought the Los Angeles Lakers to the Garden and Jeremy Lin did not disappoint. Kobe was asked before the game if he knew about Jeremy Lin and frankly, Bryant said he didn't really know anything about him. Well, I think after the game, Kobe knew exactly who Jeremy Lin was since he dropped 38 points and 7 assists. The Knicks never relinquished the lead and brought an incredible win to New York City that resounded around the world. Jeremy Lin has officially arrived and for New York Knicks fans, it's the exact kind of hope that we've waited over a decade for.

Saturday February 11th: The Rangers played the Flyers again, but this time in Philadelphia. Once again, the Rangers took care of business and team captain, Ryan Callahan, scored a hat trick. We've beaten our bitter rivals all five times we've faced them this season and clearly have their number this year. For those of you who know me, I went to college in Philadelphia and absolutely despise all things Philly sports related, so nothing makes me happier than seeing the Eagles, Flyers, Phillies, 76ers, Union, Soul lose. It's gotten so bad for the Flyers when they play the Rangers that NY fans have been chanting, "You Can't Beat Us". The Knicks, after the emotional win over the Lakers in NYC, traveled to Minnesota to take on Kevin Love and the Minnesota Muskies (Timberwolves, but they wore Muskies jerseys to pay tribute to their ABA roots). It was an ugly game, both teams looked tired, but Lin and the Knicks pulled out a gutsy victory that was more heart than skill. It was a great win to cap off an amazing sports week. It reminds me why I watch sports and pour so much of myself into the teams I support. I haven't had this much hope in the Knicks and Rangers since I was 12 years old. I can't wait to see what happens.

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