via http://thehockeyzone.webs.com/
The no-brainer pick for this year's class,
Joe was bound for the HHOF the second he called it quits 3 summers ago.
There are so many good things I can say about Super Joe, having been a
lifelong Avalanche fan who grew up idolizing #19. Joe was one of the
best leaders of all time, on and off the ice; he wasn't the biggest or
loudest guy, but he stood up and lead his team when they needed him. He
led the avs to 2 Stanley Cups, including one in the first year the team
moved to Denver. The list of awards is superb: 2 Stanley Cups (1996,
2001), 1 Conn Smythe Trophy (1996), 1 Hart Trophy (2001), 1 Lady Byng
Trophy (2001), 1 Lester B. Pearson Award (2001), 13 All-Star Game
appearances, 1 All-Star Game MVP (2004), 1 Olympic Gold Medal (2002),
2002 Olympic MVP, 1 World Hockey Championship Gold (1994), 1 World Cup
Gold (2004), 1 World Junior Gold (1988), and CHL and WHL Player of the
Year (1988). He stands 9th alltime in points (1641), 11th in assists
(1016), 14th in goals (625), 1st in All-Star Game assists (16), 3rd in
All-Star Game points (22), 1st in Playoff OT Goals (8), 7th in Playoff
Goals (84), 7th in Playoff Points (188 ) and 2nd in most single-playoff
goals (18). Joe is one of 25 members of the Triple Gold Club, and
exclusive group of players who have won the Stanley Cup, Olmypic Gold
Medal and World Hockey Championship Gold (became the first Canadian
along with Rob Blake and Brendan Shananhan to join the group). He was
one of the best captains of all time, a player that any team would take
with open arms; however he spent his entire 20-year career with the
Avs/Nordiques Franchise. Joe was one of the most respected players in
the NHL, he exemplifies every quality that is necessary to be inducted
in the Hall of Fame. He was a big part in helping Ray Bourque win a
Stanley Cup after 22 years, scoring the 3rd and final goal in a 3-1 win
in the Stanley Cup Final game 7 (against New Jersey: 2001). As he was
handed the cup by Bettman, he stared at Ray and didn't even hoist it as
he handed it straight to him; one of the best and most respectful
moments in NHL history (watch: http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-adnOYdqJg&feature=related).
That video still gives me chills every time I watch it, seeing Joe pass
it to Ray and how happy he was just shows the one of a kind character
that Joe had. As an Avs fan, I have been waiting for this day ever since
he retired and I couldn't be happier right now. Congrats Super Joe on
making the HHOF, one of the greatest of all time!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Gabriel Landeskog - The 2012 Calder Memorial Trophy Winner
I have been saying it since day 1 of training camp, Gabriel Landeskog will be the Calder Trophy winner come June. Fast forward to last night, and Gabriel was awarded the honour as top Rookie of 2012, beating out fellow rookies Adam Henrique and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. What a great season for Gabriel: 22 goals, 30 assists, 52 points, +20, 219 hits, 5 game-winning goals, 270 shots on goal. However, statistics weren't the only factor in Gabriel's game that was impressive: it was his leadership on and off the ice that impressed every single member of the Avs organization (and beyond that in the NHL). The 19-year old became one of the Avs leaders this year, a rare thing for a rookie of his age. He received tons of praise and respect from all his teammates, how he wasn't afraid to voice his opinion and contribute in the lockeroom (usually rookies don't do that). The fact is Landy (as his teammates call him) is a 200-foot hockey player, and that is what seperated him from Nugent-Hopkins. While Nuge had the same amount of points in considerably less games (52 in 62 games compared to Landy 52 in 82), he lacks the defensive qualities that Gabriel has. Henrique had a very impressive season (51 points), but really took off in the playoffs and unlucky for him they playoffs don't factor in the voting for the Calder. Landeskog doesn't shy away from the phyiscal game, he finishes his check every time and takes a hit to make a play, something that Ryan O'Reilly also has and is a big reason the 2 gelled this season. Landeskog was used at every part of the game; whether that be even strength, powerplay, penalty kill, empty net, overtime - the kid does it all. It is rare to see a coach earn so much trust in a rookie, but that is the mentality of his game and he will only get better. This kid has all the credentials to be the captain in a few seasons, while he is only 19, I fully expect him to be wearing an A or C next season. There is no question Landeskog is in for a very bright, successful career and hopefully he remains in Colorado for years to come. Once again congrats to Gabriel Landeskog on being the 2012 Calder Memorial Trophy Winner as top Rookie in the NHL!
-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News
-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
The LA Kings are the 2011-2012 Stanley Cup Champions
via The Hockey Zone (http://thehockeyzone.webs.com/)
The Kings wrapped up the Devils in style, dominating from start to finish in a 6-1 thrashing of New Jersey en route to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. What an incredible run by the Kings, 16-4, 10-1 on the road and they become the 1st 8th seed in NHL history to win the Cup. A bitter sweet win for ex-Flyers Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and Simon Gagne who all won their first Cup after losing in the finals 2 years ago with Philly. The Conn Smythe Trophy was won by Jon Quick, and every hockey fan across the world saw that one coming as he was simply fantastic. Tough loss for the Devils, they face an uncertain offseason with Parise a free agent and Brodeur's future uncertain. Tons of credit to Darryl Sutter and Dean Lombardi for taking the Kings here. What a great playoffs, and the LA Kings are the last team standing!
To talk about the game, it was all Kings from start to finish. However, it didn't come without controversy as Steve Bernier was given a 5-min penalty and game misconduct for his hit from behind on Rob Scuderi. While it was the right call, Scuderi turns last second and it was a tough one to judge. The Kings went on to score 3 goals on the PP, with Brown, Carter then Lewis all tallying goals. After 1 the Kings were up 3-0, and they made it 4-0 early 2nd when Carter got his 2nd of the game. The Devils managed to get 1 before the end of the period, but that was all they would get past Jon Quick. Trevor Lewis got his 2nd of the game in the empty net, and Matt Greene scored seconds later to make it up to 6-1. The game ended and that marks the end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, congrats to the LA Kings on their great run
It has been a pleasure to write about the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the last 2 months, and tonight was a fitting end for the LA Kings. It was great to see so many Kings with their first cup, Brown, Doughty, Richards, Carter, Gagne, Kopitar, Mitchell and so on. Darryl Sutter finally gets his 1st cup, what a transformation he did with this team after taking over halfway through the season. Dean Lombardi deserves so much credit as well, many Kings fans were calling for him to be fired as well as for him to trade Dustin Brown, but he stayed on course and made the right decisions (like trading for Carter). Just a wonderful win for the Kings and the town of LA, first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The 3 stars were:
3. Jeff Carter - 2 big goals for the ex-flyer, he goes from the worst team in the league to Stanley Cup Champion months later. What a great playoffs for Carter, really got his game going after a tough year
2. Jon Quick - Quick wasn't particularly amazing in this game, but he deserves all the credit for the Kings being here. The young goaltender was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP
1. Dustin Brown - The Kings leader was everything and more in this Cup clinching win, he set the tone from start to finish. Brown had a goal and 2 assists, and finished tied with Anze Kopitar for the playoff lead with 20 points
This concludes the end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it has been a pleasure to write about all that I've witnessed in the last two months. Look for tons of coverage on the NHL Draft and Offseason in the next few months. Congrats to the LA Kings for winning their first Stanley Cup in Franchise history!
I finished the playoffs 9/15 in series predictions
-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News (STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF EDITION)
The Kings wrapped up the Devils in style, dominating from start to finish in a 6-1 thrashing of New Jersey en route to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. What an incredible run by the Kings, 16-4, 10-1 on the road and they become the 1st 8th seed in NHL history to win the Cup. A bitter sweet win for ex-Flyers Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and Simon Gagne who all won their first Cup after losing in the finals 2 years ago with Philly. The Conn Smythe Trophy was won by Jon Quick, and every hockey fan across the world saw that one coming as he was simply fantastic. Tough loss for the Devils, they face an uncertain offseason with Parise a free agent and Brodeur's future uncertain. Tons of credit to Darryl Sutter and Dean Lombardi for taking the Kings here. What a great playoffs, and the LA Kings are the last team standing!
To talk about the game, it was all Kings from start to finish. However, it didn't come without controversy as Steve Bernier was given a 5-min penalty and game misconduct for his hit from behind on Rob Scuderi. While it was the right call, Scuderi turns last second and it was a tough one to judge. The Kings went on to score 3 goals on the PP, with Brown, Carter then Lewis all tallying goals. After 1 the Kings were up 3-0, and they made it 4-0 early 2nd when Carter got his 2nd of the game. The Devils managed to get 1 before the end of the period, but that was all they would get past Jon Quick. Trevor Lewis got his 2nd of the game in the empty net, and Matt Greene scored seconds later to make it up to 6-1. The game ended and that marks the end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, congrats to the LA Kings on their great run
It has been a pleasure to write about the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the last 2 months, and tonight was a fitting end for the LA Kings. It was great to see so many Kings with their first cup, Brown, Doughty, Richards, Carter, Gagne, Kopitar, Mitchell and so on. Darryl Sutter finally gets his 1st cup, what a transformation he did with this team after taking over halfway through the season. Dean Lombardi deserves so much credit as well, many Kings fans were calling for him to be fired as well as for him to trade Dustin Brown, but he stayed on course and made the right decisions (like trading for Carter). Just a wonderful win for the Kings and the town of LA, first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The 3 stars were:
3. Jeff Carter - 2 big goals for the ex-flyer, he goes from the worst team in the league to Stanley Cup Champion months later. What a great playoffs for Carter, really got his game going after a tough year
2. Jon Quick - Quick wasn't particularly amazing in this game, but he deserves all the credit for the Kings being here. The young goaltender was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP
1. Dustin Brown - The Kings leader was everything and more in this Cup clinching win, he set the tone from start to finish. Brown had a goal and 2 assists, and finished tied with Anze Kopitar for the playoff lead with 20 points
This concludes the end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it has been a pleasure to write about all that I've witnessed in the last two months. Look for tons of coverage on the NHL Draft and Offseason in the next few months. Congrats to the LA Kings for winning their first Stanley Cup in Franchise history!
I finished the playoffs 9/15 in series predictions
-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News (STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF EDITION)
Sunday, May 27, 2012
100th Post - Stanley Cup Finals Prediction
After 3 rounds of the playoffs, we are left with two teams fighting for the once in a lifetime chance to hoist Lord Stanley. I must say that the two teams competing are definitely a surprise to many, as I bet few people had both the Kings and Devils going to the cup. With that being said, here is my Stanley Cup Finals Prediction:
6. New Jersey vs. 8. Los Angeles - Both of these teams have taken impressive paths to get to the finals, and it is going to be one heck of a series. Starting with the Devils, they have beaten the Panthers, Flyers and Rangers en route to the Cup. They won the first series in game 7 OT, as rookie sensation Adam Henrique scored the winner. Then they dismantled the Flyers easily in 5, looking stronger as each game went on. The Conference Finals matchup vs. the Rangers looked very even, and through 3 games the Rangers had the 2-1 edge and looked to grab control. However, the Devils kicked it into high gear from game 4 on and won 3 straight games, including another OT series winner from Henrique in game 6. While the Devils are certainly on a roll right now, they are going to have their hands full with the feisty Kings. The Kings come into this series having beaten the #1, 2 and 3 seeds in the West in Vancouver, St. Louis and Phoenix. Not only have they done this in impressive style, but they have only lost twice in the entire playoffs and both of those game come at home (perfect 8-0 on the road). The Kings look like the team to beat in this matchup, but will certainly have their hands full with a talented Devils team. There are several important matchups to look at, and it starts in net. The Kings have the young Jon Quick, who has been the best goalie in the playoffs so far. For the Devils, the ageless Martin Brodeur has dipped into the fountain of youth and is playing some of his best hockey at age 40. The other big matchup will be the battle of the Captains, both Dustin Brown and Zach Parise have been equally as good for their respective teams as they both try to be the one to raise the Cup. This is going to be a great series, only time will tell who will be the Stanley Cup Champion in 2012
Players to Watch: NJD - Zach Parise, Martin Brodeur, Adam Henrique, Ilya Kovalchuk, Ryan Carter. LAK - Dustin Brown, Jon Quick, Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, Dwight King
Prediction - This series is extremely hard to predict, as both teams are playing their best hockey at the right time. While I think (and want) the Devils to win the cup, I believe the Kings are too strong (especially with the potential return of Simon Gagne) and Dustin Brown will be lifting the Stanley Cup
(KINGS in 7)
This marks the end of my predictions for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I went 6-8 in round 1, 0-4 in round 2 and 2-2 in round 3. This will be a very exciting finals, and either team has a great chance of winning. Let the finals begin!
-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News (STANLEY CUP FINAL EDITION)
6. New Jersey vs. 8. Los Angeles - Both of these teams have taken impressive paths to get to the finals, and it is going to be one heck of a series. Starting with the Devils, they have beaten the Panthers, Flyers and Rangers en route to the Cup. They won the first series in game 7 OT, as rookie sensation Adam Henrique scored the winner. Then they dismantled the Flyers easily in 5, looking stronger as each game went on. The Conference Finals matchup vs. the Rangers looked very even, and through 3 games the Rangers had the 2-1 edge and looked to grab control. However, the Devils kicked it into high gear from game 4 on and won 3 straight games, including another OT series winner from Henrique in game 6. While the Devils are certainly on a roll right now, they are going to have their hands full with the feisty Kings. The Kings come into this series having beaten the #1, 2 and 3 seeds in the West in Vancouver, St. Louis and Phoenix. Not only have they done this in impressive style, but they have only lost twice in the entire playoffs and both of those game come at home (perfect 8-0 on the road). The Kings look like the team to beat in this matchup, but will certainly have their hands full with a talented Devils team. There are several important matchups to look at, and it starts in net. The Kings have the young Jon Quick, who has been the best goalie in the playoffs so far. For the Devils, the ageless Martin Brodeur has dipped into the fountain of youth and is playing some of his best hockey at age 40. The other big matchup will be the battle of the Captains, both Dustin Brown and Zach Parise have been equally as good for their respective teams as they both try to be the one to raise the Cup. This is going to be a great series, only time will tell who will be the Stanley Cup Champion in 2012
Players to Watch: NJD - Zach Parise, Martin Brodeur, Adam Henrique, Ilya Kovalchuk, Ryan Carter. LAK - Dustin Brown, Jon Quick, Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, Dwight King
Prediction - This series is extremely hard to predict, as both teams are playing their best hockey at the right time. While I think (and want) the Devils to win the cup, I believe the Kings are too strong (especially with the potential return of Simon Gagne) and Dustin Brown will be lifting the Stanley Cup
(KINGS in 7)
This marks the end of my predictions for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I went 6-8 in round 1, 0-4 in round 2 and 2-2 in round 3. This will be a very exciting finals, and either team has a great chance of winning. Let the finals begin!
-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News (STANLEY CUP FINAL EDITION)
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