Torts, Jumbo Joe and Comeback Kids

Torts Lands in Hot Water

The NHL has suspended New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella for one game after a dispute involving a fan Friday night in Washington. Tortorella responded to a fan who allegedly poured beer on him during the game.

Tortorella squirted a water bottle at a fan and also took a stick from the bench and shook it at the spectator, who was directly behind the Rangers’ bench in Game 5.

Maybe Sean Avery can recommend a good anger management therapist!

Ducks Wake Sleeping Giant!

Patrick Marleau scored his second game-winning goal of the playoffs 6:02 into overtime, and the top-seeded San Jose Sharks avoided first-round elimination with a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 5 on Saturday night.

The Sharks needed a big victory and Nabakov stepped up to the plate with some huge saves.   Sharks superstar, Joe Thornton, has been almost as absent as the Sharks third jersey during the first round of the playoffs.  However, the Ducks may have awoken the sleeping giant as Jumbo Joe exploded for 3 points Saturday night.

Penguins Cap Comeback – Eliminate Flyers

After staring the game out with what seemed to be an insurmountable 3-0 lead at home, the Philadelphia Flyers squndered the lead and their season – losing 5-3 to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Penguins started the comeback after Max Talbot took on Flyers tough-guy Dan Carcillo in an attempt to turn the tide. While Carcillo easily got the best o f Talbot, it was the Penguins that grabbed the momentum, finishing off the Flyers with 5 unanswered goals!

Blackhawks Don’t Mind Physical Play

Adam Burish doesn’t agree with those who say the Chicago Blackhawks are intimidated or cowering from the Calgary Flames’ aggressive play.

Easy for Burish to say as he breaks his stick over Rene Bourque with a cross-check! It is ridiculous that the only player suspended in this rough and tumble series was Andre Roy for an incident that didn’t even happen during the game.

The Playoff Game That Never Ended!

My favorite Hockey Historian, Joe Pelletier, writes about the playoff game that never ended.

On March 31st, 1951 the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins battled in what was described as “one of the most gruelling NHL playoff games on record.” The game went into overtime, but was never completed.Why was it never finished? Because of Sunday.Back in those days the city of Toronto had a municipal bylaw that forbade events such as professional sports on a Sunday.

With two games on the schedule today, we can certainly see that times have indeed changed!

Ducks and Sharks Play Vegas

The Ducks will “test the Las Vegas hockey waters” and play a Rookie Game versus the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The NHL marketing machine appears to be playing into the hand of the much rumored future expansion to the Las Vegas market.  If the league wants to be front and center among a variety of potential new fans, then Las Vegas is the next place to be.

Let’s see – Imagine the biggest Casinos on the strip shelling out complimentary tickets to a Celine Dion concert followed up the next evening by an NHL game.  I’m no high-roller, but that sounds about right to me (minus the Celine Dion ticket).

In my opinion, the league should not look at the Las Vegas market in terms of expansion but rather relocation.  It is quite apparent that some of the current markets cannot support a National Hockey League team and that there is demand and support (at least financially) in other markets such as Hamilton and Las Vegas.

A look at the Rookies

Featured players on Anaheim’s rookie roster include seven of 10 selections from the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, including centers Nicolas Deschamps (second round, 35th overall) and Eric O’Dell (second round, 39th overall), defenseman Justin Schultz (second round, 43rd overall), left wing Josh Brittain (third round, 71st overall), goaltender Marco Cousineau (third round, 83rd overall), center Brandon McMillan (third round, 85th overall), and defenseman Stefan Warg (fifth round, 143rd overall).

The Ducks roster also features 2007 first-round selection Logan MacMillan (19th overall) along with fellow 2007 draft class members Eric Tangradi (second round, 42nd overall) and Maxime Macenauer (third round, 63rd overall).