Hockey News Links

Canes Country has a comical look at Eddy Belfours recent stunt. Panther’s goalie Eddie Belfour, who was upset about a hooking call on team mate Bryan Allen, showed the refs his impersonation of what he thought was Hurricane diving and was promptly called for unsportsmanlike conduct. The additional penalty gave the Canes a 5 on 3 advantage in OT and virtually gave the Canes the game.

Sabres forwards Maxim Afinogenov and Tim Connolly could return by this weekend, giving Buffalo its healthiest lineup in months just in time for the playoffs.

Defenceman/forward Mark Streit, a popular and very valuable cog in the gears of the Canadiens, is his team’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy, an annual award under the trusteeship of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. The award is presented to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The winner is selected in a poll of all chapters of the PHWA at the end of the regular season. Canadiens captain Saku Koivu won the award in 2002 for his courageous, stirring battle against cancer and impressive return to action.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were crushed last night, losing 7-2, with three games to go and the Maple Leafs one point out of the eighth playoff spot, which is held by the Montreal Canadiens, who have the hold on that eighth spot.

Puck Update has some great thoughts on goalies

This sort of situation was almost inevitable with DiPietro, just as it is with Martin Brodeur. When an organization rides a single goalie, they force the goalie to make bad decisions that can turn out to be career-ending. Imagine Jocelyn Thibault’s career if he had had any kind of backup in Chicago. Maybe he wouldn’t have constantly have been rushing back.

Quote of the Day: Hockey Legends

I recently read an interview with Donald Brashear describing what it was like to take on Joey Kocur in a fight:

“Kocur was hitting me in the helmet like a power hammer and in the end the helmet split! I remember the next day I had a terrible pain, my gums on the left side of my head were hurting even though he was hitting me on the right side of my face. I couldn’t chew anything. I wonder what it would be if I did not have a helmet? Too scary.”