The Fifth Liners

Earlier this year I wrote a piece which posed the question ' What's Going On With Philly?' and this was one thing everyone in the city of brotherly love was pondering! To begin this season, the Philadelphia Flyers seemed to be in free fall with only one win from a possible nine games and sat 15th overall in the Eastern Conference- only the Buffalo Sabres seemed to be having a worse time. But since sacking head coach Peter Laviolette in October, new coach Craig Berube has reignited the competitive flames of Philly and currently they have surged up the table to now lie 8th overall in the East with a noteworthy 16 wins to their name and now an outside chance of a play-off appearance- now who would have predicted that? But what has been the kick starter in this dramatic come back? Well the answer points to one man who initially was label as the key problem... Claude Giroux! Earlier this year the Flyers captain seemed to be going through an almighty crisis and not helped by ...

After last nights 7-2 steamroller over the Colorado Avalanche , it would appear that the Chicago Blackhawks are the public's favourite to retain their Stanley Cup crown this year! If they do succeed in taking back to back titles, it will make them the first team to achieve this since the 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings and will already make them one of the big successes of this decade alone! After their up and down start to their title defense, the Red Express has got back on the rails and it ain't going to stop any time soon! But as always with winning, things are never straight forward because across from our brothers in Illinois are another team who are equally hungry and have a burning desire not to repeat last years play-off nightmare in the shape of the Pittsburgh Penguins ! Both sides have an equally strong case as they possess offensive units to die for- Chicago this season have been led by free scoring winger Patrick Kane, whose 21 goals have pushed them to the top of the...

On June 27th next year, the 2014 NHL Draft will be upon us and as the day grows ever closer, it is time to evaluate the next potential superstars of the game. Right now, there is one name on the tip of everyone's tongue and that name is Sam Reinhart ! The 18 year old Vancouver native has sure been making heads turn playing for Kooteney Ice in the Western Hockey League and this season currently has an unbelievably hot stats of 50 points in just 33 games this season! From the footage witness, the kid possesses all the key attributes of a number one pick with his speed, skill and most importantly a strong edge. Also he seems to a great sureness of shot- judging from the goals on display, he'll be on TSN highlight reels more than once! Can this Canadian centre become a more important draft than Stamkos or Crosby before him? Time will tell, for the moment check this kid out below!

Oh dear...

I know this piece will probably seem a bit hypocritical to some seeing as I basically slated the St Louis Blues during the off season and implied that they better not hold their breath waiting for the glory days to come! Well after last night's 6-0 thrashing of Edmonton, it seems this year could well be the year that hockey goes big in Missouri! So far the Blues firm has been nothing short of exceptional and currently they stand 4th overall in the Western Conference with only four points separating them from previous cup champs Los Angeles and Chicago! Last season brought a similar result and despite their best efforts, they were eliminated by the Kings in the playoffs first round. It seems head coach Ken Hitchcock has been firmly wracking his brains in the off season. His solutions to plugging the gaps seem to be working as the Blues have the third most goals in the Western Conference with 125 goals and have been led by the free scoring forward Alexander Steen with 38 points!...

The San Jose Sharks may never have lifted the Stanley Cup, but it's definitely not for lack of trying. In the 21 seasons (not including the lost 05/06 season) since the Sharks formed, the team has only missed the playoffs five times. The last time that happened was in 2003. Still though, the furthest the Sharks ever got in the playoffs was the Conference final. The Pacific division is full of teams with cup pedigree and the intermittent Calgary Flames and struggling Edmonton Oilers seem to be happy to gift their points to any team who turns up. The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings are dominant in the division, and the Phoenix Coyotes' initial run of outstanding form has stalled slightly. This leaves the Sharks and the Canucks to fight for the number three spot in the division. Traditionally the Canucks have always been happy to donate two points whenever the two teams meet up, but under new coach John Tortorella; the planets aligned and the Canucks actually won a game ...

Last season the New York Islanders seemed to have reached a breakthrough. Speared by their main man John Tavares, they made the playoffs for the first time in over five years by finishing 8th in the Eastern Conference and they pushed Pittsburgh to six games in the playoffs first round! But so far this season it seems normal lousy service has resumed!  Currently the Islanders lie 15th in the Eastern and so far have a low 9 wins and a high 121 goals against! So what had caused this sudden drop in form? Well lack of goals hasn't been the cause, it's the lack of players scoring them! Tavares, Kyle Okposo and Frans Neilsen have been the Islanders' only really consistent players and their high points scores reflect their efforts, but the nearest player to them is Tomas Vanek with 13 points. Ah yes, that one, recently GM Garth Snow made the utterly bizarre decision to trade star winger Matt Moulson to the Buffalo Sabres for Tomas Vanek. While the hockey world sat in shock, the ...