The Fifth Liners

In a slightly surprising move, Minnesota Wild centre Zach Parise has been named as captain of the US Olympic Hockey for the upcoming Sochi 2014 games! Dustin Brown and Ryan Suter have been named as Alternates for the team. Have to say I was expecting someone with more leadership experience to lead side for the games and part of me feels that Brown might have been a more steady candidate seeing as in 2012 he led the LA Kings to the first ever Stanley Cup. Parise to be fair has previously been captain of the New Jersey Devils before his move to St Paul but he only has the 2011-12 season under his belt and his selection over more experienced candidates David Backes and Ryan Callahan does beg a few questions? Though Parise was an alternate at NJ before his promotion and currently serves as one at Minnesota so I suppose that aids his case slightly, but many will frown up this selection. Parise is a great talent, there is no question of that but I have say I do not feel he is ready...

Steve Yzerman is a legend. In his 22 seasons with the men in red, he lifted three Stanley Cups and was inducted into the hall of fame in 2009. He also won countless other medals and trophies. His banner hangs in the rafters of the Joe Louis. In addition to Michigan dedicating a day to the famous Detroit Captain, there are arenas, junior hockey leagues and roads also bearing his name. Yzerman now has a new achievement to add to the collection, he's been awarded the Order of Canada; the second highest award for merit in Canada. Second only to the Order of Gretzky. Congratulations Steve!

Ever since Brett Hull's controversial goal to win the 1999 Stanley Cup against the Buffalo Sabres, fans in Texas have had a very up and down ride supporting the Dallas Stars ! But this season has held an even bigger shock, a rebuilt team that looks like it has the potential to shape into something special! Last years performance was neither glorious nor disastrous as Dallas came home 11th in the Western Conference and 5th in the Pacific Division, but their season was disrupted by the trade of Captain Brenden Morrow to Pittsburgh and Jaromir Jagr to Boston which deprived the team of their two biggest scorers and ensured they limped home to the finish! Tired with the lack of progress, former Stars hall of famer Joe Nieuwendyk was given the boot as GM and replaced by Jim Nill. But the off season however gave this team a major shot in the arm as Canadian National Team coach Lindy Ruff took control and offensively a well played out trade got many critics interested in this team as T...

Over this weekend we saw an interesting experiment which seemed to go down very well with fans of the great sport of Hockey as we saw the Coors Light Stadium Series get under way with the Anaheim Ducks humiliating the LA Kings on their home turf as they won 3-0 win Dodger Stadium! Seems despite have Cee Lo Green among others as the warm up act, the Kings became yet another victim to the currently unstoppable Ducks side! The New York Rangers tie against the New Jersey Devils at Yankee Stadium proved to a far more entertaining affair as the Broadway Blues came out on top 7-3, which included come back from 3-1 down mid way through the first period, but thanks to a first star performance from Mats Zuccarello they clawed their way back into contention. Up next is the next New York instalment as the Ranger welcome fellow local rivals the New York Islanders on January 29th. But after that we have the potentially thrilling showdown between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh...

In the Washington Capitals dominant 5-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Center last night, we were privileged to see a moment of special Alexander Ovechkin magic! In the second period, the Caps took control and Ovechkin's goal to put them 2-0 was an act rarely accomplished by many- after 1.46 played, the Russian juggled the puck on his stick, before scoring past Price to put Washington 1-0 up! That's the reason why this man has won three Hart Trophies! Check out the video below to view:

Next month Russia will have a contagious case of Winter Olympic fever as the 2014 games roll into Sochi! While many if us will be routing for the returning Jamaican Bobsled Team or praying that Team GB wins any kind of medal! But to us hockey fans, there us only one event that matters! But which of the great teams on display will take home the gold medal? And more importantly, can the thrill level go beyond the epic Canada v USA final of Vancouver 2010? Here are my main contenders, Gold - Canada: The clear early favourites and my personal pick for the games! Their roster alone gives us goosebumps with the sheer level of quality and with offensive starlets Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toes and Corey Perry among others on display- they will be a sure bet to rack up the goals and assists. But they have also defensive quality by the bucketful, and although goalie selection has raised a few eyebrows, Carey Price will be a great starter. On paper, this team will be hard to stop! Silver - S...

They say everything happens for a reason, that God moves in mysterious ways, it's the circle of life etc... In a move compared by my fellow troublemaker Alex to "trading Sidney Crosby for magic beans", the New York Rangers have traded defenceman Michael Del Zotto to the Nashville Predators. In return, the Rangers get blueliner Kevin Klein. Answers on a postcard if you can figure out why. Klein has played 403 games in the NHL, 47 so far this season, although he took time out to film Last Vegas with Robert De Niro and Morgan Freeman. Worryingly for the Rangers, his best days seem to be behind him. He's also injury prone; missing several games each season. A few seasons ago, after starring alongside Will Smith in Wild Wild West, he posted good numbers, and was shaping up to be a dependable first line defenceman. Since 2010/11 Klein's numbers have been slipping, and he's currently rocking a +/- of -11. Compared to last season (after the same number of ga...

At 41 years old, NHL great Jaromir Jagr shows no signs of slowing down and his selection in the Czech Republic Olympic team just demonstrates his versatility and after leading his side to the gold medal in the 1998 Nagano Olympics, you can count chickens that he will be one leading stars in this tournament proving that age comes before beauty! Recently while playing for New Jersey, Jagr has now surpassed Steve Yzerman to go seventh overall in the all time goals scored within incredible an 687, his plus his 1391 NHL games played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and recently New Jersey Devils make him the face of modern experience ! At this rate it wouldn't be a shock to see him included in 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, Korea! Here is tribute to the great man!

The decisions are in for Torts and Hartley. After this happened , it was guaranteed that both managers would face some sort of discipline.  Canucks coach John Tortorella received a 15 day suspension without pay (six games) for losing his rag and attempting to enter the Calgary Flames' dressing room at the interval.  Torts takes on the whole Flames team. Sporting News. Flames' coach Bob Hartley was handed a $25,000 fine for instigating the whole bust up by starting his thug line.  Hartley defended his starting lineup, saying "Those guys are playing well for us" and "they got us a goal last game... we had zero intentions out there." The skaters in question are Kevin Westgarth and Brian McGrattan.  Westgarth and McGrattan have contributed a goal each so far this season. To put that in perspective, each has scored as many goals as Coyotes goalie Mike Smith. McGrattan has provided two assists this season. So that's something I suppose.  U...

This season's playoffs will be the first to be played under the new divisional structure. It's never too early to make playoff predictions. Of course I've no doubt that the teams below will change, especially with the wildcards. It'll be interesting to take a look at this post-season and see how it compares.  If you think I'm wrong, please comment below! Conference Quarter Finals Boston Bruins Vs Toronto Maple Leafs Prediction - Boston . The Bruins have won more games than the Leafs and will definitely be seeing the postseason. The Leafs have three teams three points behind so that wildcard spot is by no means safe.  Tampa Bay Lightning Vs Montreal Canadiens Prediction - Tampa Bay . The Bolts and the Habs are much more closely matched in season performance so far. While Carey Price is one of the best goalies in the league, offensive issues are letting the Habs down. Pittsburgh Penguins Vs Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction - Pittsburgh...

Things got wild in the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 over the Calgary Flames last night as on the opening face-off we saw a mass line brawl which result in all 10 skaters on the ice going to the box and there were a total of 204 penalty minutes and 8 game misconducts handed out. This also left each side with only 4 defensemen and missing four other players for 65 minutes! Either way, it provided the high point of the Canucks shootout win! Check it out below

After being humiliated 9-1 by Anaheim and the 1-0 by the LA Kings in the space of a week, one burning hot question came over me, why can the Vancouver Canucks not win in California? Our trips to this state are frequently becoming a source of embarrassment and this year has been no exception because in the 8 trips made across, we have yielded only one victory against San Jose in November, which after nine consecutive losses to this team came as a source of relief to all the fans. But otherwise, it has been a horror show! California in the last two years has become very much a bogey state for the Canucks, particularly during playoff time. 2012 saw us swept in five games by eventual champions LA and last season saw us easily ripped apart by the Sharks in a four game sweep and saw the sacking of Alain Vigneault!  Is it the heat that's affecting their game or the constant travel involved? Either way a solution needs to be found because we look a shadow of our cup final team of 2011...

Today it was announced that Los Angeles Kings backup goalie Ben Scrivens has been traded to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a 2014 third round draft pick, meanwhile regular goalie Devan Dubnyk has also been traded to the Nashville Predators in exchange for forward Matt Hendricks! Trading Scrivens is either a stroke of genius by Edmonton or pure silliness by LA because this player has been one of the finds of the season since he deputised so superbly for regular Kings goalie Jonathan Quick back in November, and so far he holds a record of 7-5-4 with a 1.97 GAA! This also included 10 shutouts and two first star performances (one of which I witnessed against the Rangers at the Garden). Being Quick's backup is a bit like being Petr Cech's number two at Chelsea, which is unless something drastic happens, you don't even consider leaving the bench!  So in that light, this move will give the guy game time, which he is not assured of at LA. But also it weakens the Kings b...

User Actions   Following Zenon Konopka Verified account ‏ @ZenonKonopka If you don't think Ryan Miller is the Best Goalie in the NHL you haven't seen enough Sabres games #unreal Wow. That's one hell of a statement to make. One that warrants further investigation. Firstly I'll accept that I haven't seen every game that Miller has played, as a neutral, there's only so much hockey you can watch which still holding down a job. Sure he's a good goalie, but the best? In the same league as Marc-Andre Fleury, Mike Smith, Ben Bishop and Jonas Hiller, well that's some esteemed company. It's difficult to grade goalies, usually Save Percentage (Sv%) is the best reflection of how well a goalie is doing, but it doesn't always paint a true picture. Niklas Svedberg has the second best Sv% in the league (.943) but he's only played one game so far. That was against the Nashville Predators, not exactly prolific shooters. Fleury has t...

In the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers last night at the United Center, there was one moment that was guaranteed to make Hockey fans chuckle as after 2.36 of the second period, Hawks accidentally Patrick Kane looked on in horror as his shot he hit against the boards crept slowly into their own empty net on a delayed penalty! In a tight game, this moment is one that Conn Smyth winner Kane will wish to forget, check it out below

Happy new year loyal sports fans! Why is it two weeks late? Unlike Alex's Hockey tour of the US and Canada, my new year break took me to the stunning, but distinctly hockey-free Caribbean.  You can read about the trip here  if you so wish, but it's still a work in progress. Two weeks away means a PVR full of hockey to catch up on. I see Alex has continued his normal excellent job though.  Unfortunately my trip meant that I missed the Winter Classic but thanks to the one time ever that the NHL will make BBC World News, I've seen the result. Damn you Detroit. Should have played Gustavsson in goal. Seems my good luck charm didn't pay off. See below: In the rainforest of Dominica.  Anyway. Back to the NHL. I'm expecting to look at the standings and see that Detroit are top of the conference and the Canucks have gone bankrupt... Go Wings...

The Philadelphia Flyers recovery story took another impressive step forward as after their 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens they increased their home winning streak to 10 games! But incredibly this now lifts the Flyers up to 5th place in the Eastern Conference! In Pennsylvania the gloom seems to be lifting and thanks to the goals of Sean Couturier, Zac Rinaldo and Michael Raffl, the sun may be shining again in the city of brotherly live! Buffalo Sabres take note, this is how you turn a season around- Good luck Tim Murray, who today was appointed the new GM of the franchise. You have one hell of a task ahead!

Today the Olympic Ice Hockey rosters for the upcoming Sochi 2014 games have been officially confirmed, after much speculation surrounding them there has been some interesting selections made and no doubt this will spark furious debate among hockey fans, let's take a look at the main contenders. Canada  The 25 man Canadian squad certainly isn't lacking in depth, and this year they will be the team to beat and 11 of 2010 Gold Medal team will make a return journey! The defensive selection is one I highly commend as they have mixed youth of players like PK Subban along with defensive quality like Jay Bouwmeester. The St Louis pairing of JB along with Pietrangelo could well be a wise selection! Offensively the star count is ridiculously high with Crosby, Toews, Perry, Stamkos and Kunitz among others being featured and Canada will rely on this goal power to see them through! There are few surprise selections with Marc-Andre Fleury missing out in favour of Roberto Luongo and the ...

When Steven Stamkos suffered a broken leg back in November (coincidentally the same day I arrived in Toronto!) many people believed the Tampa Bay Lightning's season was done like the turkey. Well it appears that there is hope for the Sunshine State after all, because this season Tampa Bay look like a revitalised team and right they stand 4th in the Eastern Conference with 25 wins to their name! Last season, the 2004 Stanley Cup champions were derided by hockey fans as a spent force, and in fairness a lot of this criticism was justified as the Bolts limped home 14th overall in the East, only place up from their sister team, the Florida Panthers and the jokes about Florida hockey team increased dramatically! Guy Boucher for his efforts (or lack of efforts in this case) was given the chop by Steve Yzerman and replaced by Jon Cooper. Under the new leadership, Tampa Bay have looked a genuine threat offensively and although losing star man Stamkos has been a blow, the team had ralli...

People of New York, we have a new year miracle- the New York Rangers scoring seven in a game... And actually looking impressive for once! The 94 cup champions have one of the leagues more inconsistent teams of this year, but you wouldn't have thought this last night as the notable performances of 1st star Dominic Moore and Chris Kreider tore apart the Toronto Maple Leafs ! Yes the Rangers were aided by Cam Talbot's 26 saves in net and also by an unusually poor performance by Leafs normally solid goalie Jonathan Bernier, who had a torrid time against the big apple side and was yanked from his after conceeding a fifth goal and the Leafs being down 5-0! James 'Optimus' Reimer would fare little better and conceded two more goals before the Leafs misery was finally ended! On this kind of performance, New York should be in the playoffs, but one game doesn't always make the difference and the Rangers will have a lot of work before them if they want to reach the promi...

Hi Everyone, As today is my 27th Birthday, I thought rather than write another opinion piece, that I would instead give you something fun! Here I give you the rants of Don Cherry, one of the voices of Canadian Hockey- his segment 'Coach's Corner' has provided some of the most fiercely debated topics of both this century and the last and his comments have both enraged and enlightened many hockey fans! He may not be everyone's glass of Molson, but you can't argue he's still an icon, here are some of his greatest hits!

Brendan Shanahan delivered a lot on the ice during his glorious 21 year NHL career that took in stints with the New Jersey Devils, St Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, New York Rangers and most famously the Detroit Red Wings (where he won three Stanley Cups). But it appears that his legacy is spreading further in his new role as Director of Player Safety. Since his appointment in 2011, Shanahan has taken a hard line on player safety and if someone crosses over with an illegal hit, then the infamous 'Shana-ban' will be enforced. Raffi Torres has twice been on the receiving end as his horrendous hit on Martin Havlat whist playing for Phoenix landed him with a 21 game ban (the longest of the 21st century so far!) and last year whilst a San Jose he his illegal check on LA King's Jarret Stoll landed him with a ban from the playoff second round! Many would use this assignment as a cushy job to keep them in the hockey world, Shanahan however has been praised for his involvement...

Happy New Year of Hockey to all fans! Hope we are beginning to recover from the festivities in time for tonight's Winter Classic showdown between the Red Wings and the Maple Leafs- The Big House will be rocking! To start 2014 I thought I would give some acknowledgement to the young men who will soon become the future of this game! Here are three men who have stood out: Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks): Ever since achieving the incredible feat of scoring four goals against the New York Rangers in only his third game, young Czech player Tomas Hertl has been on everyone's radar! Right now 'Hertl Power' is driving the San Jose Sharks forward and he currently sits as the NHL's top scoring rookie with 25 points! This is one young man who has the ability to excite and I will be keeping a close eye on this one- though his absence through injury will rob him of a chance to shine at the Sochi Olympics! Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche): Picked 1st overall at last yea...