The Fifth Liners

After becoming a free agent, today Martin St Louis has announced his retirement after 16 glorious years. There has been much speculation about the 40 year old's future, but after only 1 goal in 19 playoffs games last season, team were not stepping up to sign him. St Louis scored an impressive 391 goals and 1,033 points from 1,134 regular-season games in a career that took in Calgary Flames , Tampa Bay Lightning and lately the New York Rangers . In 2004, St Louis had his most successful year as he helped the Lightning to a Stanley Cup win and was also awarded the Art Ross, Ted Lindsay and the Hard Trophy for his career best showing. He was also selected for over six different All-Star games. Noted for being one of the smaller players in the NHL, St Louis was noted for being a passionate player. Also he felt that being forced into a more checking role whilst at Calgary 'helped to round out my game'. Even when he was traded to the Rangers in 2014, St Louis was still a fe...

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...

Well today's NHL Trade Deadline didn't quite prove to be the Maple Leafs dominated affair that many expected. Princess Dion Phaneuf, Jonathan Bernier and Phil Kessel still remaining in Ontario (at least for now) so it appears Leafs fans will have to wait until summer time for any big changes. But there were still some interesting moves that could well shake up the mix come play off time. Keith Yandle ( Arizona Coyotes to New York Rangers ) At long last Keith Yandle is no longer playing desert hockey and moving to the Big Apple is the shot in the arm his career needs. A long time star of a continually dying franchise, Yandle has shown so much promise for nothing. The Rangers are keen to end their cup drought and grabbing a great blue liner like Yandle is key to that success. John Moore and Anthony Duclar have made the move across in place of this man- which is pretty fair quality for the Rangers to be giving back. We will see if this move pays off come play off time. Ant...

This season's Stanley Cup playoffs have been one of the best and most unpredictable of years gone by, the Boston Bruins; almost everyone's favourite for the cup have been dumped out by the Habs. The Rangers, riding high under the stewardship of Alain Vigneault have put out the Pittsburgh Penguins. Last night also saw another sting in the tail, as the LA Kings put an end to an impressive Anaheim Ducks with a 6-2 win at the Honda Center! We've now arrived at the conference finals. During the regular season you never would have predicted these line ups. But who will triumph here? Western Conference Chicago Blackhawks v LA Kings The Blackhawks have done well to salvage some pride after an indifferent regular season and players such as Jonathan Toews, Marion Hossa and Brent Seabrook have impressed during this time. I have no doubts they will fight to the bitter end to bring the cup by to Illinois for a second year running. They are not as dominant as last season, but th...

Eastern Conference  Detroit Red Wings  v Boston Bruins   This is one of the more difficult series to predict because both teams are of equal quality. The Red Wings hold a 3-1 regular season record against the Bruins, but it has been Boston who tops the Eastern conference and they have been showing this season just why they are contenders. I predict this one to be a tight one, but based on form alone, I have to give this one to the Bruins, sorry Mike! Prediction: Boston Bruins Tampa Bay Lightning v Montreal Canadiens Tampa Bay have been the one of this years real surprise packages, finishing 4th in the Eastern conference despite star Steven Stamkos being injured for a long period and currently holds a 3-1 record against Montreal. But the Canadiens are not a team that should be ruled out (unless Subban goes to the box) and I still think they could spring a surprise here. But overall, I think Tampa has just enough quality to see this one through. Prediction: Tam...

Vancouver Canucks Perhaps me being slightly biased being a Canucks fan, but this horn is one that brings back great memories of our Stanley Cup run in 2011. Even today when it sounds at the Rogers Arena, it still succeeds in raising the hairs on your neck! New York Rangers It is fitting that the Rangers still use the same goal horn from their 1994 cup winning season at Madison Square Garden, and it is a good thing to because it is one of the most distinctive and best sound horns in the league!  LA Kings This is one goal horn that is guaranteed to make you sit up and pay attention! Sounding like an oncoming goods train, every time it sounds at the Staples Center, it's a reminder the LA Express is coming. Detroit Red Wings One of the most legendary sounds of the league, the horn at the Joe Louis Arena has become the soundtrack to the Wings success over the years and even today it still stands out. Boston Bruins When the Bruins score at TD Garden, this...

"The trade deadline saw a lot of big deals going through such as Ryan Miller, Luongo and Callahan for St Louis, of all the big trades, which do you think will be the most beneficial in the long run and why?" Good question Alex, the 2014 season has seen some unexpected trades; Tim Thomas to Dallas, Roberto Luongo to anywhere. But which team made the best trade? Of course this is subjective, and really only time will tell, but I think you'll be hard pressed to find a better move than that of Martin St. Louis to the New York Rangers. The QC native amassed 61 points in Tampa Bay, 29 goals, 32 assists. That's a fair amount more than any of the current Rangers roster. It shouldn't take too long for St. Louis to find his feet in the Rangers' lines, he's been reunited with long time Lightning buddy Brad Richards. To bring St. Louis to the Garden, the Rangers traded away team captain Ryan Callahan and some draft picks. Reportedly, Callahan and the Rangers were ...

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...

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!

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...

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...

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...

Last night while in the wonderful city that is New York I had the pleasure of watching the Rangers entertain the LA Kings at MSG. Sadly the result wasn't to favour the home side as Ben Scrivens turned in a 1st Star performance for the Kings as he made 37 saves to record a second straight shut out win! Tyler Toffoli scored the games only goal after 1.23 of the second when his shot crept under Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers were slightly flat throughout and despite having six powerplays,the LA powerkill shut them down! But were cruelty robbed in the closing minutes when a controversial call went against NY. Everyone thought Dominic Moore had scored the tying goal with 2.41 remaining. As I went wild with celebration with my good friend Ossie and high fived fellow Rangers fans in the midst of goal buzzer sounding, we were then informed the goal was under review and shortly after it was announced that the officials judged Moore kicked the puck past Scrivens and the goal was waived of...

Tonight's Eastern Conference match up saw Alain Vigneault's New York Rangers make the trip to Montreal to take on the Canadiens at the Bell Center. Cam Talbot took net duties for the Rangers but it was the Habs' Carey Price who saw most of the action in the first period, fending off 15 shots while Talbot was only needed seven times. Both goalies were called into action early in the second period. With the Habs down a man due to Diaz's delay of game penalty, the Rangers upped the ante and Zuccarello forced Price to make a great stretch save. Gionta then made a shorthanded run but was denied by an instinctive glove save by Talbot. Price was beaten though when at the end of a Rangers 5 on 3 powerplay; Ryan Callahan was able to power a slap shot to give the visitors the lead. The New York Rangers have taken a while to adapt to Alain Vigneault's new leadership style. Couple this with starting the seaon on an extended road trip due to the MSG's refurbishment and i...

The New York Rangers scored an impressive win last night at Madison Square Garden as they beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1! They were lucky not to fall behind after 20 seconds though when Henrik Lundqvist stopped Sidney Crosby's breakaway chance! He was also faced with challenging efforts from Tanner Glass and Marcus Niskanen, but the Swede's efforts kept things at a tie game! But in a late 1st period flurry, the Rangers took control as Ryan McDonagh scored on 18 minutes to give them the lead and this was then followed up just over a minute later when Derek Stepan put the Rangers 2-0 up! Into the second period and New York went further in front when Brian Boyle slammed past Marc-Andre Fleury to make things 3-0 after 13.10 played. Kris Letang gave Pittsburgh a solitary reply when he scored on a powerplay, but Pittsburgh would get no further than that! But Rangers captain Ryan Callahan restored their three goal advantage shortly after when he deflected in Carl Hagelin'...

Former NHL forward Jason Arnott has called time on a glorious 18 year career that has taken in the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals to most notably the New Jersey Devils. He last played for St Louis in 2011/12, but has not played since. He did sign a contract with the New York Rangers in January this year but was not cleared by the team doctors. Since being drafted 7th overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, he has gone on to record 417 goals and 938 points in 1,244 career games. The highlight of his career was a Stanley Cup win in 2000 with the Devils where he score d the championship clinching goal in game 6 against Dallas! Upon announcing his retirement, Arnott said in a statement "I would like to thank everyone who helped me throughout my NHL career, including my family, friends, teammates and fans. Playing in the NHL was my dream and I am very proud and appreciative of the fact I was able to play at the highest level for 19 years wit...

The Philadelphia Flyers claimed just their second win of the 2013/14 season with a hard fought 2-1 victory over fellow strugglers the New York Rangers at the Wells Fargo Center. Matt Read put the home side in front after 9.07 of the 1st period as he made the most of a 2 on 1 advantage to shoot past Rangers goalie Cam Talbot and give Philadelphia the lead! Brad Richards then levelled the scores for New York after 18.56 to set up an interesting battle. The Flyers kept Talbot busy in net for the majority of the second period but it wasn't until 3.03 of the third period that Braydon Coburn 's long range effort flew in to give Philly a much needed win! Currently the Flyers lie 15th in the Western Conference and are currently in a heated battle with the Buffalo Sabres for the wooden spoon- good luck lads!

Goaltender Martin Biron announced his retirement today. Martin Biron  ‏ @ martybiron43 After thinking about it it with my family, I've decided to retire as a player and move on to a new chapter. Thank you all for your support. Biron had most recently played for the New York Rangers but last week was placed on waivers and assigned to the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack. The Quebec native first made his NHL debut in 1995 when he was drafted 16th overall by the Buffalo Sabres. He spent five years in the juniors and in 2000, became the Sabres main goalie once Dominik Hasek was traded to Detroit. After the 2004-05 lockout, he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, finding success, especially in the postseason. Unfortunately for Biron, the Flyers had signed Ray Emery and Brian Boucher, leaving Biron surplus to requirements. Biron spent three seasons in Philly before being traded to the New York Islanders. After a mixed season at the Isles, he made the short journey to the Rang...

The San Jose Sharks might be looking at a couple of games without defenseman Brad Stuart . The blueliner was assessed a minor penalty for elbowing Rick Nash in the Sharks' 9-2 smashing of the New York Rangers yesterday. Nash did not return after the first intermission. The NHL Department for Player Safety will hold a hearing on Wednesday to determine if Stuart should face extra punishment. Rule 28 in the NHL's big book o'rules says that any infraction of the rules can be investigated to see if further fines/suspension are required. Irregardless of whether it was punished in the game or not. I can see Stuart getting a few days off cos of this one. Hits to the head are a really big bone of contention right now within the hockey community. Whatever happens, Stuart will now be enemy number one when the Sharks head to the Madison Square Gardens!  In other news; the New York Islanders' center Frans Nielsen also found himself in hot water yesterday after ...