The Fifth Liners

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...

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...

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...

Josh Harding is having quite a season in net for Minnesota Wild and currently is top goalie in league stats wise with a GAA of 1.65 and a save percentage of .933. He may not have caught the eyes of hockey fans this season like Carey Price or Tuukka Rask but on merit alone, surely this man deserve a shot at the Vezina Trophy? So far this season in 29 games played, Harding has 18 wins including three shut out victories and has conceded only 46 goals- doesn't sound impressive if you like your stats and currently he only sits 22nd overall on the list of best goalies in the league- but when you consider what a journey this man has had to get here, your mind will swiftly be changed. Back on November 2012, Harding was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and because of his condition, many thought he would never again don the Wild jersey. But incredibly since then the man has played on and has delivered some sterling displays, particularly during their playoff lost to last season's ...

The Chicago Blackhawks stuttering start to their new campaign continued with a 5-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild at the United Centre last night- this defeat leaves the Hawks record as 6-1-3 which after their glorious start last year, is making them look slightly awkward. Zach Parise got the Wild started after he scored a rebound on a powerplay after 12.39 of the 1st period played after Corey Crawford had saved the initial effort! But then Niklas Backstrom made an excellent save from Marion Hossa on the break away with six minutes remaining! Minnesota's lead was then increased to 2-0 when after only 1.03 of the second period, Kyle Brodziak tipped in Marco Scandella's shot to leave Hawks fans bewildered! Their frustration grew when Backstrom denied Jonathan Toews and then the post denied another potential goal to still leave Chicago behind, they also had a goal waived off for a high stick before Bryan Bickell finally smashed one in for the home side to reduce the scores to 2-1 ...

Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin will miss the rest of the season after suffering a broken cheek bone in Tuesdays 2-0 win over the Nashville Predators. Brodin suffered a hit during his second shift in Tuesdays game. So far this season he has chalked up three goals and six points in n his 10 games played. We wish you speedy recovery Jonas!

Mike's question this week was "Which Teams do you predict will top each Conference- Will your predictions be affected by the Conference shake up?" (Special thanks to Mrs Laybourne for suggesting this). Well that it is an interesting question as this years realignment could have big effects on each teams performance- ok let's go to work Eastern Conference  At first glance you would say that the Pittsburgh Penguins will be the out and out favourites to top this conference due to their free scoring offense and this year this could well be the case- but their inclusion in the newly formed Metropolitan Division with team such as the New Jersey Devils , New York Rangers , Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers could well prove a hard affair as each team possesses a unique mix of strength and skill and as we saw last year in the playoffs, the Penguins struggled against the Boston Bruins in these conditions.  In the Atlantic Division, the Bruins could well be ...

As Mike's previous two post pointed out, the NHL will be a very different place come the 2013-14 season with the Eastern and Western conference have undergone a dramatic re-alignment and now it has become far more simplied with the East sporting two separate divisions with the Atlantic and Metropolitan Divisions and the West also having two divisions with the Pacific and Central Division. With new leagues come new rivalrys are long gone are the days of the dull Southwestern Division and sadly Vancouver will not fight for a sixth straight Northwest Division. But what will the big match ups be? Let's take a look in more detail. Atlantic Division  This division promises plenty of thrills with the Detroit Red Wings , Boston Bruins , Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens doing battle for a playoff place- there is no love lost between Leafs and Habs fans and this fixture never fails to entertain. But the clash that will have everyone talking will be when the Ottawa Senators...

With the new schedules come the new divisions, instead of being three divisions in each conference, there's now only two. With the changes will come new rivalries, which Alex will talk about later.  Let's start with the Western Conference. The Western has 14 teams while the Eastern currently has 16. This accommodates for the expansion in the west that the NHL has been looking for. Detroit and Columbus have moved over to the Eastern while Winnipeg makes the sensible move west.  Pacific Division Anaheim Ducks Calgary Flames Edmonton Oilers Los Angeles Kings Phoenix Coyotes San Jose Sharks Vancouver Canucks Dallas leaves the old Pacific Division, but three of the Canadian teams; Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary have joined it from the disbanded Northwest Division.  Central Division Chicago Blackhawks Colorado Avalanche Dallas Stars Minnesota Wild Nashville Predators St. Louis Blues Winnipeg Jets With Colom...

1. Jarome Iginla  After a decade as captain of the Calgary Flames, Jarome Iginla this year made the decision to pack his bags and leave the Saddledome with his team at the bottom of the Western Conference standings to join championship chasing Pittsburgh Penguins who acquired him in exchange for one their first round draft picks in this years draft! But after a good start scoring 11 points in 13 regular season games- the Penguins were swept by the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference final with Iginla failing to step up when needed and this leaves his Pittsburgh future in doubt. At 35 Iginla still has some miles left in him and no doubt there will be a stampede of offers for him because each franchise needs a frequent goal scorer like him (take note of this Tortorella) 2. Nathan Horton  This man has been at the helm of the Boston Bruins recent success since his arrival from Florida in 2011, but recently Horton has run into trouble with Bruins management over an ar...

Last night saw the Chicago Blackhawks win the series 4-1. The Minnesota Wild made the journey to the United Center for game 5 in the series and lost 5-1. This means that the Blackhawks progress to the next stage. Full story  here. The Ottawa Senators completed its series victory over the injury ridden Montreal Canadiens . Full story  here.

It looks like the Minnesota Wild may be thrown a lifeline soon. Winger Jason Pominville is back skating with the team although he is still 'day to day'. Pominville has been out since he caught the wrong end of  Dustin Brown 's Elbow  in the regular season.  The Canadian his contributed 14 goals and 20 assists this year and the Wild could certainly use him back. 

The regular season is over, all the games are played and the fixtures have now been completed. Here's my quick guide to the games in the Western: Minnesota Wild Vs Chicago Blackhawks The Blackhawks are currently winning everything and are 2-0-1 against the Wild this season and there's no reason to believe this won't continue. Prediction - Blackhawks Detroit Red Wings Vs Anaheim Ducks Detroit has won its last 4 games in a row and has performed well against the Ducks, only losing 1 in 3 games. The Ducks however have had a good season and finished second in the conference. Given the Wings' recent run of form and history against Anaheim, I think they've got the edge in this round. Prediction - Red Wings San Jose Sharks Vs Vancouver Canucks The Canucks have lost all three games against the Sharks this season, taking only 1 point from a possible 6. Overall the Sharks have taken less points in the league but the stats are really close. My heart says that ...

After planting his elbow into Jason Pominville of the Minnesota Wild , Dustin Brown was today handed a 2 game suspension. The Kings forward will miss tonight's game against Detroit and Saturday's game against San Jose. Full story  here.

Ice Hockey jerseys demonstrate unity and promote a brand. They're a source of income for teams and allow fans to show their allegiance. I surveyed one person (me) and this is my list of this season's awesome jerseys. It's in no particular order. Minnesota Wild (Third) I'm probably going to anger the Minnesota faithful here but the Wild's logo is possibly my least favourite logo in sport (after the Miami Dolphins). Luckily the third jersey omits the logo. I'm a sucker for any jersey with lacing at the collar and this one looks like it could have been lifted straight from a different era. The retro style doesn't alway work but this with its bold, yet muted colours works perfectly. The logo looks like it was lifted from the diner in Happy Days.  Detroit Red Wings (Home) Biased? Yes, but I still love this Jersey. Its simplicity is superb. Some jerseys try and cram in too many colours or patterns but this is two colours and two stripes. The la...

After Sidney Crosby's horrific jaw injury suffered a few weeks ago, it cut short what was so far a stunning season and has officially ruled him out for the remainder of the year. Also it prevents him from being able to add another Hart Trophy is his already impressive collection! So with Sid the Kid out of the picture we must turn to another of the excellent candidates on show in the 2012/13 NHL Season. Ladels and Jellyspoons, here are your main contenders... Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning) The closest overall to Crosby points wise with 49 and the top overall goal scorer with 26 goals, Tampa Bay's renowned centre has proved to be a bright spot in their otherwise horrible season. With a goal scoring touch like this, we can only shake our heads in disbelief that his team doesnt follow his good example. Would be nice to Stamkos rewarded for his continually excellent play. Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks) This man is by far the most talente...

There was a goal feast in Wednesday nights NHL action, with the most notable scoring being the New York Rangers blitzing Pittsburgh 6-1 at Madison Square Garden! Ryan Clowe was the stand out with two debut goals in an impressive start, before this he had gone scoreless all season long and Rangers fans will no doubt be delighted that he has discovered his scoring touch again. There was also scoring debuts for John Moore and Derek Brassard- who had only arrived from Columbus hours before! Goalie Henrik Lundqvist also chipped in with 26 saves and Wednesdays win takes New York to 7th overall in the Eastern Conference. In the absence of Sidney Crosby, the Penguins looked worryingly thin on quality and despite Pascal Dupuis' lone goal, things are starting to look troubling for the Stanley Cup contenders!   Meanwhile Edmonton Oilers three number one picks shone brighly in their 8-2 win against an un-inspired Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome to go five games unb...

Very soon the Stanley Cup race shall be upon us and the bookies are currently making the Pittsburgh Penguins as their favourite to hoist the cup! But as we all know, this championship is far from straight forward and playoff time can always spring a surprise. Take for example last year where the LA Kings came from nowhere early season to being the team to beat as they swept all before them and were led by Captain Dustin Brown and goalie Jonathan Quick! Who will this year’s dark horses be? And more importantly, why shouldn’t we rule them out? Vancouver Canucks As a Canucks fan myself, I would like nothing better than a repeat of our run to the final in 2011 but this season has proven an up and down affair, not helped by the unclear goalie debate. But now things have been settled the Canucks are looking a more resurgent team and the Sedin brothers are showing the kind of form has made them a feared forward duo. Also they have been aided by the excellent play of Alex Burrows and n...

So... After a week which has seen transfers and sackings, here's 5 teams who've had a good week, and 5 who haven't. For a list of all results, click  here for the Western  and  here for the Eastern  Conferences. Good Week 1. Pittsburgh Penguins . Not only are the Pens top of the Eastern and only a point behind league leaders the Blackhawks, but they've now picked up Stars captain Brenden Morrow. 2. Detroit Red Wings . The good ship Detroit has been anything but steady but 2 wins against the Ducks has seen the Wings rise up to 5th in the Western Conference. Justin Abdelkader bagged his first career hatrick. 3. Minnesota Wild . 3 wins and 0 losses this week see the Wild sat comfortably in a playoff place. Captain Mikko Koivu and D-Man Ryan Suter are both playing superbly and lead the team on 26 points apiece. 4. Washington Capitals .The Caps may still be 2 places outside the playoffs but Alex Ovechkin is back on form. He scored in all four games last week as...

New format, last time took ages. Here's a round up of the scores from the last 7 days. Anaheim Ducks Wins Sharks 5-3 Blackhawks 4-2 Losses Red Wings 5-1 Red Wings 2-1 Calgary Flames Wins Blues 3-2 Losses Stars 4-3 Predators 5-3 Blue Jackets 5-1 Chicago Blackhawks Wins Avalanche 5-2 Losses Ducks 4-2 . Colorado Avalanche Wins Stars 4-3 Losses Blackhawks 5-2 Stars 5-2 Canucks 3-2 Columbus Blue Jackets Wins Predators 4-3 Flames 5-1 Losses Predators 5-2 Dallas Stars Wins Flames 4-3 Kings 2-0 Avalanche 5-2 Losses Avalanche 4-3 Detroit Red Wings Wins Ducks 5-1 Ducks 2-1 Losses Wild 4-2 Edmonton Oilers Wins Losses Sharks 4-3 Blues 3-0 Los Angeles Kings Wins Coyotes 4-0 Coyotes 3-2 Losses Stars 2-0 Canucks 1-0 Minnesota Wild Wins Canucks 3-1 Red Wings 4-2 Sharks 2-0 Losses Nashville Predators Wins Flames 5-3 Bl...