Last Night’s News 📰
SEE YOU IN DECEMBER: A bumpy start to the season for Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche has gotten even worse, as MacKinnon will miss the next three weeks with a lower-body injury. The Avs captain already missed the first two games of the season due to being in the COVID protocol.
MURRAY RESIGNS: Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray announced he has resigned from his position. Yesterday, the club announced that Murray was placed on administrative leave pending the results of an ongoing investigation into his professional conduct.
VETERANS APPRECIATION NIGHT: Colin Morrison, a Marine veteran, was recognized by the Arizona Coyotes during NHL Veterans Appreciation Night on Wednesday after establishing the newest team in the Warrior Hockey Program in Arizona. Warrior Hockey is dedicated to injured and disabled U.S. military veterans, and the $30,000 donation from Navy Federal Credit Union will guarantee weekly ice for Morrison’s team for the next two years.
Top-Shelf Thursday – Top Penalty Pet Peeves
We are in the midst of a wonderful 82-game schedule, which means there are 82 opportunities to scream at your television while watching your favorite team. As a fan, there are plenty of things that occur within the 60-minute game that can be especially annoying. Below is part one of a three-part series breaking down what our readers have told us are their biggest pet peeves while watching a game. This week we will focus on penalties.
#3 Taking a Penalty in the Offensive Zone
Fans have an understanding that there are some penalties that are necessary to take to prevent a goal. These types of penalties are usually taken by defensemen and occur in their team’s defensive zone. What really grinds fans’ gears is when a player takes a penalty in the offensive zone, especially when their team has the puck. It’s usually a horrible penalty that leaves a very disgruntled player sitting for two minutes.
#2 Soft Penalties
Too many penalties can destroy the flow of the game, and while some incidents on the ice need to be called, like high sticking and boarding, there are others that should never happen. As a fan, you know what we’re talking about. Players get called for a questionable penalty when battling against the boards, those calls that make the play-by-play announcer question what the ref was thinking. It’s even more infuriating when these soft penalties dictate the winner of the game.
#1 Too Many Men
Is there a worse penalty for a team to take? The correct answer is no. When your team is flagged for this inexcusable penalty, one of three things happens: 1) You throw your head back in frustration and scream at your screen. 2) You immediately take to Twitter to voice your displeasure with your team… in all caps. 3) You grab the nearest alcoholic drink and settle in for what can be a very stressful two minutes of hockey. Regardless of your actions, we all feel the same annoyance and frustration when our team is called for too many men.
Further Down the Hall
The Hockey Hall of Fame’s (HHOF) induction weekend is upon us, and it’s been a long time coming for the six newest members of the Hall. It was way back on June 24, 2020, that Jarome Iginla, Marian Hossa, Kevin Lowe, Doug Wilson, Kim St-Pierre, and Ken Holland were announced as the latest HHOF class, but COVID forced the talented sextet to wait out their enshrinement.
That delay hasn’t just affected the 2020 class. In bypassing a 2021 induction, the Hall has now essentially made two classes of hockey talent become eligible at once. Yep, we could be ushering in some serious star power in one year’s time. So, who are we talking about here? Let’s break it down:
The Newly Eligible
Roberto Luongo
A six-time All-Star and two-time gold medalist, Luongo is a shoo-in for induction. Already can’t wait to hear his speech!
Daniel & Henrik Sedin
Technically, Henrik had 29 more career points in 24 more games, but the eerily similar career numbers of the twin brothers—all spent with the Vancouver Canucks—are each induction-worthy. Think they’ll ask to go in on the same plaque?
Henrik Zetterberg
Zetterberg somehow only made one All-Star appearance, but that doesn’t take away from the Detroit Red Wings legend’s status as a proven winner. The 2008 Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe recipient reached the playoffs in 13 of his 15 career seasons.
Women’s Hockey Greats
Caroline Ouellette
It isn’t a matter of if Ouellette, the CWHL’s all-time leader in points and goals, will enter the HHOF, but when.
Meghan Duggan
A natural leader, Duggan captained Team USA to Olympic gold at the 2018 Games, capping off a stellar 14-year career.
Julie Chu
The former Patty Kazmaier Award winner won four Olympic medals during a decorated international career with Team USA. Plus, how cool would it be to see Chu enter the Hall alongside her wife, Ouellette?
The Holdovers
Rod Brind’Amour
When all is said and done, the career 1,184-point scorer might get in on his coaching record before being recognized for his playing career.
Alexander Mogilny
Mogilny’s got a Cup, surpassed the 1,000-point plateau for his career, and even authored a 76-goal season. What are you waiting for, HHOF committee??
Curtis Joseph
Joseph came up during the same era as Martin Brodeur and Dominik Hasek. While CuJo isn’t quite on their level, he put forth a solid HHOF resume over 19 years in net.
Coast to Coast: 2021 Favorites
New York Rangers defender K’Andre Miller put on a show earlier this week, going coast to coast to score a dazzling goal against the Florida Panthers. To go coast to coast, or when a player skates from their defensive zone with possession of the puck all the way through the offensive zone to score a goal, is not an easy feat to accomplish. Since it is a rare occurrence, we chose three of our favorite coast-to-coast goals from the 2021 calendar year.
Patrik Laine – April 12, 2021
When Laine has his motor engaged, he is practically unstoppable when it comes to his play in transition. His shot is his most known trait, as it ranks close to the likes of Alex Ovechkin and David Pastrnak. However, his foot speed can go underrated at times, especially during this goal against the Chicago Blackhawks. From skating behind his own net to deking past Calvin De Haan and using a power move to score on his forehand, the Finnish star can do it all.
Connor McDavid – Jan 30, 2021
It was only a matter of time until his name was on this list, but McDavid is purely unstoppable when he gains full stride. There are some that believe there are faster skaters in the league than McDavid, but one distinction needs to be made, there are no players who can skate as fast with the puck on their stick. He scored this terrific goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, making Jake Muzzin look flat-footed and dangling Frederik Andersen in the process.
Mathew Barzal – April 1, 2021
Star players are making their presence known on this list, and Barzal is among the league’s best when it comes to generating scoring chances on his own. He scored a sensational goal against the Washington Capitals last season, flying end-to-end, and deking past current teammate Zdeno Chara to gain space. The Islanders’ franchise center is always a lock to score a few of these goals every season.
