With Alexander Ovechkin’s 4-goal effort last night, we have two players in the NHL that are on pace to score 60 goals this season.
While we’ve had enough 50-goal scorers over the years, 60 seems to be a glass ceiling of sorts, as it’s been 12 years (Mario Lemieux) since that mark was achieved.
I always want to score more goals,” Ovechkin said, pausing as veteran center Michael Nylander walked into the locker room.
Steve Mason
Team Canada is going to continue their goalie rotation against Denmark on Monday and Steve Mason will get the start in net.
The 19-year-old Columbus Blue Jackets’ prospect last saw action on Thursday when he shutout Slovakia 2-0 in Canada’s second game of the tournament.
Simon Gamache
DAVOS, Switzerland – The Spengler Cup final – Canada versus a top Russian team – will be a New Year’s Eve hockey treat.
Former NHLers now skating for European clubs are getting a rare chance to represent Canada. They’ve been joined by free-agent goalie Curtis Joseph, who gets the start in the title game, and AHL skaters Simon Gamache and Danny Syvret. They were hastily assembled and have quickly become a cohesive unit.
DERBY County manager Paul Jewell said only the arrival of new players during the January transfer window could spare his side Premier League relegation after a 2-1 defeat at home to Blackburn Rovers left the Rams eight points adrift at the foot of the table.
Rovers condemn Rams to another defeat Derby eye new signings after another loss Continue reading »
Motherwell’s home match against Celtic on 6 January has been postponed following the death of Phil O’Donnell.
The Well skipper, 35, died shortly after suffering a suspected seizure against Dundee United on Saturday.
Consett 2-1 Trafford
The FA Carlsberg Vase
Third Round Proper
Saturday 29 December 2007
Winning clubs receive £1,200
Click here for the results
Consett booked their place in the Fourth Round of The FA Vase with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Trafford at Belle Vue Park.
All three previous attempts to play the Third Round tie had fallen victim to the weather in County Durham, and despite a deluge of sleet just hours before kick-off, the sun made an appearance and smiled on the North-East side.
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Injuries, it is something that can test any team in any sport. It tests a team’s character and ability to persevere, it tests the teams depth as role players find themselves being asked to play bigger roles for their team, as well as testing the patience (and sanity) of a team’s fans. The Minnesota Wild are all too familiar with injuries as earlier this season it tried to kee its strong start going despite the loss key forwards Marian Gaborik, Pavol Demitra and Mikko Koivu. The Edmonton Oilers are no strangers to injuries either; and they fully understand how injuries can put a team into a bind when it lost key defenseman Joni Pitkanen and Sheldon Souray both of whom who were supposed to rejuvenate an offensively anemic blueline as well as heart-and-soul forwards Ethan Moreau and Fernando Pisani. Both teams have seen the majority of these aforementioned players return to their lineup; but each team is in very different positons. The Wild are still near the top of the Northwest Division as well as being in the playoff picture, while the Oilers are at the bottom hoping to climb the ladder. Who would gain / lose some ground tonight?Â
The Minnesota Wild started out the game with decent jump but one could definately question whether they were “thinking” the game all that well early on. Minnesota’s speed and energy drew an early power play (just 33 seconds into the game) on a nice forechecking shift by Mark Parrish, James Sheppard and Todd Fedoruk. However on the power play, Minnesota’s lack of mental focus would cost them. The Oilers would break the puck out of their zone rather effortlessly to create a shorthanded 2-on-1 rush; and Marty Reasoner woud give a nice saucer cross-ice feed that Petteri Nummelin rather lazily attempted to disrupt the pass. The laziness would allow Joni Pitkanen to bury the chance by Niklas Backstrom to put the Oilers up 1-0. The Wild would try to even up the score with a determined rush by Marian Gaborik, but former Minnesota goaltender Dwayne Roloson was up to the task. Minnesota would have another prime chance, when Dominic Moore’s fanned a shot from just underneath the left circle that deflected off a Oilers’ defenseman that surprised Roloson who just managed to kick the shot away.  The Oilers seemed to not only be more mentally focused, they were winning many of the races to the loose puck. While the Wild were trying to attack Edmonton to get the game-tying goal it left them vulnerable to having the Oilers counter-attack. A classic example was when Minnesota’s top line had their rush broken up and the speedy Oilers countered and former Toronto St. Michael’s Jr. A star Andrew Cogliano managed to redirect the puck by a sprawling Backstrom to put Edmonton up 2-0. The Wild would manage to get on the scoreboard late in the first on the power play when Kim Johnsson would rocket a slapper by Roloson to cut the Edmonton lead, 2-1. Minnesota could sense a momentum shift and they would continue to pressure the Oilers; a great shot by Mark Parrish had Roloson sprawling and the rebound would pop out into the crease where Todd Fedoruk tried to bury it only to see it knocked away by a diving glove of Roloson to preserve a 1-goal lead going into the 2nd period.Â
Syracuse Crunch
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Zenon Konopka’s power-play goal late in the second period was the eventual game winner as the Syracuse Crunch shaded the Manitoba Moose 3-2 in AHL action Saturday night.
Konopka beat Manitoba netminder Drew MacIntyre to give the Crunch (16-18-1-1) a 3-1 lead at 17:28 of the second period. Craig Kowalski made it stand up with a 29-save effort as Syracuse ended a two-game losing streak.
Toronto Marlies
HAMILTON – Kris Newbury and Alex Foster each had a goal and an assist as the Toronto Marlies rode a three-goal first period to a 4-3 victory over the Hamilton Bulldogs on Saturday night in the AHL.
John Mitchell and Robbie Earl gave the Marlies (22-5-0-4) an early 2-0 lead and Justin Pogge made it stand with a 23-save performance as Toronto extended its point streak to seven games. Bryan Muir chipped in with three assists in the victory.
WHL
Mitch Spooner recorded his WHL first point in just his second game as the Vancouver Giants beat the Kelowna Rockets 5-2.
The Giants also got big nights from Craig Schira and Casey Pierro-Zabotel, who both had four points.