The Fifth Liners

Martin St Louis  Although he is now 40 years old, which side wouldn't want to gamble on ever reliable St Louis? In his advancing years he has shown no intention of taking things easy- plus all the goal scoring and pace from his early years have yet to vanish. St Louis has stated he wants to remain a Ranger, hopefully bringing home a Stanley Cup will see him off the market very quickly!  Devan Dubnyk  After having a break out season, Dubnyk has finally shown what he capable of doing in net. Should Wild opt not to re-sign him, the Alberta native's services will be high demand! Currently one of Minnesota top players, Dubynk is currently in the form of his life and being traded from Arizona was a wise move. Though both Niklas Backstrom and Darcy Kuemper are both signed through to 2016, which could cause salary cap problems! Any team that lands this guy will be lucky. Justin Williams  Winner of the 2014 Conn Smyth Trophy, Williams have proven himself to be a rel...

In a baseball game in Korea between Hanwha Eagles and SK Wyverns , Hanwha shortstop, Kwon Yong-kwan decided to be overly ambitious during a pitch out. What started as an audacious bunt attempt quickly became the stuff off baseball nightmares! Protecting the bases appeared to be his last thought, particular as he had runners at both corners! See below for the hilarious aftermath!

A Quebec Major Junior League series between Val d'Or Foreurs and Baiu-Comeau Drakkar ended in a fiery and un-sportsman like scene last night after Val d'Or had emerged victorious over a seven game series. Jeremie Fraser had celebrated the winning goal by Colorado draft pick Alexis Pepin for d'Or right in front of the rivals bench! It seems the losing side took exception to this- soon after all hell broke between the two, view the chaos below!

After Oakland A's third baseman, Brett Lawrie previously injured their shortshop- the Kansas City Royals were out for blood during their 5-0 loss at Kauffman Stadium yesterday! Pitcher Yordano Venture made their anger clear when in the 4th inning he drilled a fastball into Lawrie's shoulder ! A bench clearing brawl on broke out between the two sides and Ventura was swiftly ejected to wild cheers from Royals fans! Some will perhaps view this behaviour as childish and shake their heads at the petty score settling, but it is great to see a team standing up for one of their own! It would prove to be their only positive result of the night.

Once more fans of the Edmonton Oilers, will be celebrating as their side have received first overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery! Seems Connor McDavid will be spending some cold winters over in Alberta in years to come! Buffalo Sabres were no doubt disappointed to land the second overall pick, but will no doubt take consolation that this will probably mean Jack Eichel will be in the state of New York! In what could be one of the biggest depth quality drafts, it could well mean that each team has some great talent for the future. My only real doubt with this decision is that Edmonton has had its fair share of number one picks in the last few years, and still nothing has come of it! People paint McDavid as if he is the next Sidney Crosby of hockey, I just worry that this team is the wrong fit for his talents? Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are starting to show the leadership qualities required for the Oilers- but Nail Yakupov has only shown glimpses of what he is capable o...

Playoffs are here!!!! What a crazy six months it's been in the NHL, Boston and LA failed to make the playoffs and we gathered in Columbus to watch two teams of all-stars go to battle in the most offensive neon jerseys seen in recent years. On a positive note, Washington delivered a superb Winter Classic, Jamie Benn finished top of the points table and the Vancouver Canucks BEAT teams from warm places, IN warm places to make the playoffs; but that's for another post. Let's look at the East! 1. Montreal Canadiens Vs 4. Ottawa Senators The Habs have been dominant all season, finishing the regular season with a 50-22-10 record, thanks in no small part to a squad depth that any team would be enviable of. Having megastar netminder Carey Price guarding the net is the reason I think Montreal will take this series in four games. This takes nothing away from the good work the Sens have done this season, 99 points is very respectable, but the squad can't match the fire...

If you want to join Alex and myself in the  Fifth Liners NHL Bracket Challenge , feel free to join our league. Good luck! Quarter Final Predictions St Louis Blues v Minnesota Wild For this one, I have go with Minnesota Wild purely for the fact that they have been a real surprise package in the latter half of this season and I think they will be eager to please come playoff time! St Louis on the surface appears to be a perfect package after being seeded first overall. But in previous seasons they have looked impressive in the regular season,, but typical fall short in the playoffs! Also a good playoff run would be the perfect ending for Wild goalie, Devan Dubnyk who has had a career season! This one will be tight and I am prepared to be proven wrong, but right now I have to go with the Wild! Prediction: Wild Nashville Predators v Chicago Blackhawks  The Predators have had nothing short of an amazing season and although they have made the playoffs 7 times in the la...

Today during Tottenham Hotspur 's 0-0 with Burnley in the Premier League, striker Harry Kane was given the captain's armband after Hugo Lloris was taken off injured. Currently the 21 year old is experiencing a break out season in North London. Not only has he scored 29 goals already, but he caught the eye of England Manager Roy Hodgson . 78 seconds and three touches into his England debut v Lithuania, he had his first international goal! Alan Shearer recently commented on Match of the Day "I am struggling to find a weakness in the young man's game" and he has been described as the typical old fashioned centre forward. Many seem sold on the idea that he is the new future of England football. But although Kane is living the dream currently, we have to ask ourselves is the media perhaps getting ahead of itself? This guy is a strong, pacey striker who seems to have a natural eye for goal. But at only 21, shouldn't we be waiting a couple of years before making...

Today an interesting article has come forward from Blue Jays Right Fielder Jose Bautista - in this one he expresses the difficulties and misunderstandings that often come when young players from Dominican Republic enter the Major League's. Drawing from not only his own experiences but also reflecting on the style these players are coming across from- this article makes for thought provoking and excellent reading. His final quote sums up everything perfectly, "It should be just as important to teams that a 16-year-old Dominican kid can read a book as it is that he can read a sign from the third base coach."