On the same day that Sergei Bobrovsky, Henrik Lundqvist, and Antti Niemi were announced as finalists for the 2012-13 Vezina Trophy, I’m presenting a new kind of goalie award, the Most Valuable Goaltender of the Year, to Evgeni Nabokov of the New York Islanders. This honor is based on a single statistically-driven question: Which starting ...
The scene wasn’t an unfamiliar one. In a close-scoring battle between the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils, the Blueshirts needed their star goaltender — Henrik Lundqvist — to deliver a brilliant performance. ‘The King’ delivered, making 29 saves in a 3-2 victory that catapulted the Rangers past the Devils, and into the ...
One-third of the way into the shortened NHL season, there has hardly been a lack of surprise and excitement. The Chicago Blackhawks have yet to lose in regulation, the Buffalo Sabres fired Lindy Ruff after 16 years, and all three Eastern Canada teams are currently in playoff positions. Individually, the season has been very interesting ...
By the time the Buffalo Sabres 2011-2012 season ended, fans would be hard pressed to find anyone who thought Ryan Miller had a good season. He played better at the end of the season going 15-4-4 after February 16th with a 2.12 GAA and a .923 save percentage, helping the Sabres climb back into playoff ...
The St. Louis Blues have become one of the NHL’s elite teams this season. While the goaltending of Jaroslav Halak was expected to propel the Blues into the upper echelon of the Western Conference, the real surprise has been the emergence of goaltender Brian Elliott. Brian Elliott was originally drafted by the Ottawa Senators in ...
New York Rangers fans are thanking their team and showing love for the tremendous spirit shown throughout the season on blogs and in the streets today clinching the Eastern Conference after a win over the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-3. First place has become a rare occurrence having only won two postseason series since 1998. This season ...
Folks have a hard time agreeing on what defines the word value, as in the case of a Most Valuable Player. It could be the most productive player in the league – last year’s scoring leader Henrik Sedin won the Hart and Art Ross trophies as MVP and scoring leader, respectively. Value might mean the ...
By Wayne Whittaker, Boston Bruins Correspondent
Now 50 games into the 2010-’11 season, it would be easy for some players who have been selected to participate in the NHL All-Star Game to have mixed feelings. While being chosen is always an honor, the festivities can be seen as just another weekend of work to some superstars.
Don’t count Tim Thomas among those players.
“Five years ago it was a pipe dream that I would ever be in an All-Star game.” The former Vezina Trophy winner told reporters after backstopping Boston to a 2-1 win over Florida.
By Steve Kendall Throughout most of last spring, while the Boston Bruins were making their late-season run to the Eastern Conference semifinals, fans and media were all about Tuukka Rask and had given up on defending Vezina Award winner Tim Thomas. Granted, Thomas “struggled” through most of last year – though, honestly, his 2.56 goals ...
The New Jersey Devils invaded Buffalo Wednesday evening and, by the end, it became a Night of Firsts. Head Coach John MacLean’s 1st win as an NHL coach. By the celebration behind the bench with Adam Oates and Larry Robinson it was evident that a huge weight has been lifted off his and their collective ...
