The Fifth Liners

During the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 loss against Arizona Coyotes last night, goalie Jonathan Bernier experienced the kind of nightmare net tenders hope to avoid. Only seconds after the puck dropped to start the third period, Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored shorthanded on him from centre ice! Bernier will not be adding this moment to his treasured memories! See below to feel the pain of Leafs fans!

Today it was announced that Martin Brodeur has finally called time on his 21 year career in the NHL after a short spell at St Louis Blues. To say he has had an extraordinary career would be putting things lightly! In 2009, he officially surpassed Patrick Roy to become the most winning goaltender in NHL history and finishes with a remarkable record 691 wins and 125 shutouts are most in NHL history. Brodeur was an integral part of the New Jersey Devils Stanley Cup triumphs in 1995, 2000 and 2003, and was also a part of two Canadian Olympic gold medal winning teams in Salt Lake City in 2002 and on home turf in Vancouver in 2010! Brodeur was the league leader in wins nine different times, shutouts over five times, and remarkably he led the league in games played six times, which included playing in 70 or more games in 10 consecutive seasons from 1997-98 to 2007-08. His great skills were also reflected in his 10 NHL All Star appearances, four Vezina Trophies, and not to mention winning t

Last night in the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre, Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf found out why you never pick on one of the Staal Brothers. After a questionable hit on Jordan Staal , big brother and fellow captain Eric Staal decided to stick up for his brother and drop the gloves! Though Princess Dion would have the upper hand physically, it was Eric would have the last laugh as late in the third with an empty net at his mercy- he ripped the shot through Phaneuf's legs to seal a 4-1 win! Revenge is a dish best served ice cold!

Eastern Conference New York Islanders If someone had told you that the New York Islanders would be top of the Eastern Conference by this point the season- you would have requested a drugs test! So far this season thanks to some clever moves in the off season, the Islanders are giving the Nassau Coliseum a fine send off! After winning the Battle of New York against the Rangers the other night, they are looking like a team reborn. Unsurprisingly the main success has been Captain Marvel, John Tavares who leads the team scoring charts with 39 points. Kyle Okposo as usual is not hanging far behind and Brock Nelson has also been another strong team element. But it was the signings of Johnny Boychuk from the Bruins to anchor the blue line along with Nick Leddy and Nikolai Kulemin to bolster the lower lines that have made the key difference. Jaroslav Halak after playing for three different sides last season has found a new home in Long Island and his presence in net has been cruci

In the Boston Bruins 4-3 win over Tampa Bay Lightning at TD Garden last night, Lightning player Cedric Paquette discovered exactly the reason why you don't pick a fight with 6 foot 9 Bruins captain, Zdeno Chara ! Early in the 3rd period and the Bruins on a power-play, Paquette found that his fighting talk was about to land him in hot water! See below for the unfortunate aftermath!

Appears the NHL is looking to promote cycling safety at the upcoming All Star game on Jan 25! Well that would be the only excuse for the new horrendous luminous jersey's they have selected for the leagues finest to wear. But unlike previous offenders, this one will warrant only a slap on the wrist! Here are some of the leagues more forgettable jersey inclusions. Vancouver Canucks (1982 Home Jersey)  As bigger fan as I am of the Canucks, this jersey along with the majority of their earlier ones, was a mess! Nothing went right with their original 1982 effort and for years Vancouver had one of the ugliest jerseys in the league!  Finally they have gotten things right with our current uniform, but that doesn't erase the nightmares of old! Phoenix Coyotes (1996 Inaugural Jersey)  Oh dear! This complete miss-match of teal, desert and cactus is like something your Dad would embarrass you with at a family gathering! As for the logo, it is a good thing the Coyote go

Today at 2pm it was finally announced which former Major League greats will be making their way to Cooperstown for the 2015 Hall of Fame Election. After much debate and speculation, I give you the class of 2015 Randy Johnson  Pedro Martinez  Craig Biggio  John Smoltz  To many of us, pitchers Johnson, Martinez and Smoltz will come as no surprise and between them they hold World Series title each! Pedro Martinez was one of the more obviously selections and in a career that took in a notable stint with the Boston Red Sox (including winning the 04 World Series!)  LA Dodgers, Montreal Expos, Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets. Martinez was known for his skillful pitching for which he had a speed difference of around 15mph for each different pitch! His win loss record of 219-100 and 2.93 ERA justifies his selection. Randy Johnson was one of the most feared pitchers in Baseball throughout his career from 1988-2009, 'Big Unit' was a big factor in the D-Back'