NHL FanHouse

Knuckle Puck: Why Don't We Know What Refs Intend to Do?

Kevin Schultz — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Ducks, Flames, Maple Leafs, NHL Videos, NHL Discipline

Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail.

Seriously. What's with you hockey fans, teams and players? Why don't you know what refs are thinking about doing? Why don't you know what they intend to do? More importantly, you should know why the ref is intending to do what he hasn't done yet but will since he intends to do what he's about to do.

Confused? So am I, and so is the majority of the hockey world.

But the people that aren't confused are the most important segment of all -- the folks in the stripes and in charge of NHL officiating. They think we should know what they intend to do, as Dennis LaRue showed us on Wednesday. A source inside of Starbucks in Manhattan, where the NHL offices are located, spoke to me on condition of anonymity this week. The source spoke about how the folks in the league office get their morning coffee. They don't say a word until a few minutes after the server asks for their order. He or she should know what they're intending to order.**

Now that's got to be a frustrating job.

In order to help the general public (i.e. the rest of us) have a better understanding of the "intent to blow" rule, I've created a helpful guide that you can practice at home. Remember, it may take a while for the people around you to warm up to this rule, but in the long run, it will certainly be beneficial.

-- If you take the train to work, don't buy a ticket. Simply tell the conductor that you intended to buy one and he or she will understand.

-- If you drive to work, don't use your turn signal. You intend to do it but haven't gotten around to it yet. Other drivers should know that.

-- When you get to work, sit in front of the computer and read FanHouse all day. If your boss complains, tell them that they should know you intended to do work.

-- If you are the boss, here's a fun trick for year-end performance reviews. Don't give any promotions or raises. Just keep telling anyone who asks that you intend to do it. You should be able to work that angle until the end of next year.

-- If you have kids and forgot to play with them like you promised, just tell them that you intended to do it. They'll understand.

-- At the supermarket, smash your cart into someone else's. You can get away with it if you tell them that your intent was to politely go around them.

YouTube of the Week

Olli Jokinen fighting. That statement alone should be funny, nevermind the accompanying video.

Knuckle Pucker of the Year Nominee
Each week, we'll nominate someone who deserves to be recognized for their outstanding service and commitment to giving me something to write about. By the end of the year I'll come up with some way to declare a winner. Today's nominee is...

... front row Ducks fans! Thanks to a few bad eggs sitting in the front row Thursday night a nice gesture by Scott Niedermayer turned into an all out brawl. The horrified look on Niedermayer's face -- similar, I would imagine, to a child watching the animals fight at a zoo -- says it all. So, thanks to the folks in the front row of Thursday night's Ducks game for showing us how to turn a great situation into an awful one in less than three seconds.

Jokes I Can't Resist Making
-- Think this is bad? You should see what happens at their houses on Christmas morning.
-- In all fairness, the stick was made of solid gold and coated in bacon.
-- They were just doing what they see George Parros do every night.
-- Come on guys, it isn't even Sidney Crosby's stick.

(**May or may not have actually happened)

Knuckle Puck: Why Don't We Know What Refs Intend to Do? originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fight of the Week: Blood Sport

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, Maple Leafs, Penguins, Rangers, Senators, Stars, Red Wings, NHL Fights, NHL Videos

Every Friday, FanHouse sifts through the rubble and picks the best NHL fight, with the help of HockeyFights.com.

Sometimes, we scour the internet looking for the best fight, only to be left underwhelmed. There are other weeks where this job couldn't possibly be any easier. The good fights jump at you, and the players involved are the guys you would expect to see in the big fights. This week's winning fight has some blood in it, so use caution as you proceed.

Punch of the Week: Colton Orr vs. Matt Carkner

Poor Carkner. He did the right thing, he thought, in going after Orr. He didn't have a chance, however, in this fight. Orr got him with a right, and Carkner's night was over -- or, at least this fight was. Orr got a very easy win in a fight that wouldn't have been nearly as entertaining without Joe Bowen at the mic. Watch it here.

Runner-Up: Krys Barch vs. Brad May

When a fight like this is a runner-up, you know you're in for a good week. Barch and May are both good fighters, and while May has many years on Barch, he held up well, and this one only ended when May lost his footing. Watch the video here.

Runner-Up: Eric Godard vs. Chris Neil

Godard is no stranger to the fisticuffs. Having Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as teammates can keep an enforcer busy. Meanwhile, Neil doesn't like having fights stopped. This particular bout looked to be ending a couple different times, only to have Neil keep things going by throwing a shot or two. Check it out by clicking here.

Fight of the Week: Matt Bradley vs. Aaron Voros

Bradley got a couple shots in, but he clearly took the worst of this fight. You simply can't win a fight most of the time when you're wearing the crimson mask at the end of it. However, Bradley got the last laugh. After getting cleaned up from his bout with Voros, he returned and was credited with the game-winning goal as the Capitals beat the Rangers.

Fight of the Week: Blood Sport originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scott Niedermayer Attempts to Give Away Stick, Angry Fans Brawl

Adam Gretz — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:10:00 EST

Filed under: Ducks, Lightning, NHL Videos

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer decided to celebrate his team's 4-3 overtime win (in which he scored the game-winning goal) against the Tampa Bay Lightning by giving his stick to a young girl seated in the front row.

Unfortunately, that's when the lower bowl of the Honda Center turned into the thunderdome and fists started to fly. (Video of the incident after the jump.)

As soon as the stick went over the glass the chaos started, and you had to feel for Niedermayer as he stood on the other side, helpless, watching the madness unfold after attempting a nice gesture.

In an interview immediately following the fight, Niedermayer confirmed that the stick was supposed to go to the young girl.

Scott Niedermayer Attempts to Give Away Stick, Angry Fans Brawl originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stamkos' Submission for Goal of the Year

Kevin Schultz — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:25:00 EST

Filed under: Ducks, Lightning, NHL Videos

One of the main reasons for the success of the Tampa Bay Lightning over the last month or so has been the coming of age of 2008 first overall pick Steven Stamkos. The Bolts are 6-2-4 in their last 12 and Stamkos, who leads the team in goals and points -- yes, ahead of Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis -- has 10 goals and four assists over that span. Even more impressive, he has accounted for 28% of the team's total goals scored.

Thursday night, Stamkos scored a spectacular goal that is reminiscent of John Tavares' goal from last year's World Junior Championships. Tavares knocked a rebound up in the air with his stick and then swatted it in for an impressive goal. As the saying goes, like 2009 first overall pick, like 2008 first overall pick.

The Lightning were down 3-1 in Anaheim during the second when Lecavalier fed a wide open Stamkos from behind the net. Netminder Jonas Hiller stops Stamkos' initial shot attempt but as Stamkos falls down, he bats the puck in over Hiller's right shoulder. At that point, all the Ducks netminder and defenders can do is stand in awe. And so will you when you check out the video, which is posted after the jump.

Stamkos' Submission for Goal of the Year originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leafs, Canes Play Game of the Night; Refs Miss Another Call

Adam Gretz — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, NHL Videos

If you weren't expecting much from the Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night, you're forgiven.

After all, the two teams entered the game with a combined 22 points on the season (there were eight individual teams in action on Thursday that had more points than that) and were the bottom two clubs in the NHL standings. That didn't stop them from playing what turned out to be one hell of a hockey game, as the Hurricanes picked up a 6-5 shootout win.

Toronto jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but allowed Carolina to get back into the game with a pair of late second period goals from Stephane Yelle and Matt Cullen, setting the stage for a wild third period.

After Alexei Ponikarovsky netted a power play goal at the 3:43 mark of the third period, giving the Leafs a 4-2 lead, Carolina's Tim Gleason cut the deficit in half with his third goal of the season.

And that's where things started to get interesting.

Just 40 seconds after Gleason's goal, Toronto's Ian White was issued a four-minute double-minor for high-sticking Tom Kostopoulos. There was just one little problem: White did no such thing. Kostopolous did, in fact, get whacked in the face by a stick, but the guilty party wasn't White, but Hurricanes forward Stephane Yelle.

And it was pretty obvious, too.

It's been that kind of week for NHL refs.

Naturally, the Hurricanes took advantage of their good fortune and evened the score with Gleason's second goal of the game (on the power play, of course) with just over eight minutes to play in regulation.

It appeared as if White was going to get the final laugh on the night, however, when he scored a go-ahead goal with just 30 seconds to play, giving the Leafs a 5-4 lead. It would be short-lived, as Carolina's Erik Cole beat the buzzer with his second goal of the year at the 19:57 mark of the period.

Tuomo Ruutu and Jussi Jokinen tallied goals in the shootout, giving the Hurricanes their fourth win of the season.

At the end of the night, the two teams combined for 11 goals, 77 shots, 40 penalty minutes, were credited with 70 hits and scored two goals in the final 30 seconds of regulation.

Leafs, Canes Play Game of the Night; Refs Miss Another Call originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Wings Get Robbed on What Might Be Worst Call of the Season

Adam Gretz — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:10:00 EST

Filed under: Stars, Red Wings, NHL Videos

The Detroit Red Wings lost to the Dallas Stars, 3-1, on Wednesday night, and it's possible that the game could have had a far different outcome had the referees not taken a goal away from Brad May at the 6:40 mark of the third period.

I'm not one to blame officials for teams losing games, but every once in a while the men in stripes make a call that defies all reason and logic, and this is one of those moments.

Video after the jump.

Referee Denis Larue's explanation? "The whistle had blown to kill the play." Well, there is some truth to that statement: the whistle did blow ... it's just that it didn't occur until three seconds after the puck was already in the net for what would have been a game-tying goal.

This appears to be the "Intent to blow" rule at work.

Rule 32.2 of the NHL rule book: The Referees shall have general supervision of the game and shall have full control of all game officials and players during the game, including stoppages; and in case of any dispute, their decision shall be final. As there is a human factor involved in blowing the whistle to stop play, the Referee may deem the play to be stopped slightly prior to the whistle actually being blown. The fact that the puck may come loose or cross the goal line prior to the sound of the whistle has no bearing if the Referee has ruled that the play had been stopped prior to this happening. In the event of any dispute regarding time or the expiration of penalties, the matter shall be referred to the Referee for adjustment and his decision shall be final. He may use the Video Goal Judge to assist in rendering the final decision. See Rule 39 - Video Goal Judge.

The only problem, of course, is that unless Larue was intending to blow the whistle while the puck was still on a flight path to the net, that's just an awful ruling on his part.

It's not like the puck was covered up by goaltender Alex Auld or there was a massive scrum in the crease; The shot simply went in the net.

It was a goal. And it should have counted.

Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock on the call in his post-game press conference: "It wasn't blown dead. It was a goal. The guy never meant to blow the whistle. It was a shot.''

Red Wings Get Robbed on What Might Be Worst Call of the Season originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brendan Shanahan Retires: Great Player, Entertaining Person

Adam Gretz — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: Blues, Devils, Rangers, Red Wings, NHL Fans, NHL Videos

Brendan Shanahan announced his retirement on Tuesday afternoon, ending a 21-year career that saw him finish with 656 goals (11th all time), 698 assists and 1,354 points with the New Jersey Devils, Hartford Whalers, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils.

He was a member of three Stanley Cup winning teams (all in Detroit), an eight-time All-Star and a two-time 50-goal scorer.

Not only was he a dominating player on the ice, he was also an extremely entertaining person off of it.

Said Shanahan in a statement: "I would like to thank my family and all of the friends who have helped me achieve and maintain my childhood dream of playing in the National Hockey League. I am enormously grateful to all of my coaches and teammates I've had the privilege of learning from and playing along side of, throughout my career. While I always dreamed of playing in the NHL, I can't honestly say that I would have ever imagined that I'd be this fortunate and blessed. I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has helped me fulfill this dream."

The only question remaining now is: how long will he have to wait before he takes his inevitable spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame? It won't be long.

******

While searching for the proper video tribute for such a world-class player, I happened to stumble upon some gems for your enjoyment.

Remember the old ESPN show, Teammates? You're forgiven -- and probably fortunate -- if you don't, but the premise was centered around two players on the same team being asked random questions in an effort to see how much they knew about one another. Shanahan, along with former Red Wings teammate Darren McCarty, were guests on one episode, which led to McCarty revealing Shanahan's bad habit of stretching naked. Hilarity ensues in what is probably the only funny moment the show ever produced.

And my personal favorite, a classic commercial from the days when ESPN televised NHL games in which Shanahan discusses the giant melting pot the Red Wings locker room was (and yes, we've posted this before, but it's always worth another look):

Brendan Shanahan Retires: Great Player, Entertaining Person originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim Thomas' Rough Night Leads to Improbable Loss for Boston

Adam Gretz — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:45:00 EST

Filed under: Bruins, Penguins, NHL Videos

To quote fictional hockey coach Ted Orion in D3: The Mighty Ducks (Hey, I admit it, I've watched it): "How long does it take to score a goal? Less than a second." That's a lesson the Boston Bruins learned on Saturday night as they were 0.4 seconds away from pulling out a back-and-forth 5-4 win.

Instead, a broken stick, a buzzer-beating goal and an embarrassing turnover from Tim Thomas in overtime led to a 6-5 loss in Pittsburgh.

Video of the insanity after the jump.

Just two minutes after Marco Sturm was credited with a go-ahead goal to give the Bruins a 5-4 lead, a loose puck came to Patrice Bergeron with less than 10 seconds to play in regulation, and as he attempted to shoot it at an empty net, his stick snapped in half. The puck was then picked up by Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin -- playing his first game in nearly three weeks -- who then took it the other way and slid a cross-ice pass to Bill Guerin who snapped it behind Thomas from the top of the circle just four-tenths of a second before the horn sounded.

If that wasn't bad enough for Thomas and the Bruins, just a little over a minute into the overtime period, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner turned the puck over behind the net which led to Jordan Staal feeding a wide-open Pascal Dupuis for an empty-net game-winner.

It was Dupuis' second goal of the game, and the win snapped what had been a four-game losing streak for Pittsburgh. The game was non-stop offense from start to finish, as the two teams combined for 11 goals and 66 shots, while no team ever held more than a one-goal lead.

Thomas is a fantastic player, but this is a game he would probably like to soon forget.

Tim Thomas' Rough Night Leads to Improbable Loss for Boston originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rick Nash's One-Legged Shootout Goal

Kevin Schultz — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jackets, Ducks, NHL Videos

On Wednesday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets were embarrassed on their home ice with a 9-1 loss against the Detroit Red Wings. On Friday night, the team bounced back when the Anaheim Ducks came to town and won, 3-2.

Thanks to Rick Nash, they also received the all important style points. Nash broke out a new move in the third round of the shootout against Ducks netminder J-S Giguere.

With the Blue Jackets up 1-0 in the shootout, Nash had a chance to put the game away if he could beat Giguere. Well, not only did he beat him, but he did it on one leg. Literally. Video after the jump.

Nash pulls a sharp left at the bottom of the circle, picks up his left leg, dekes, and beats Giguere. The goalie seemed to stay with the play pretty well but it seems that the obvious gimmick -- look! a distraction! -- worked perfectly anyway. That would end it and the Blue Jackets would go on to earn their 10th win of the year and staying within two points of the Blackhawks, who beat Toronto by the same margin, in the Central.

Rick Nash's One-Legged Shootout Goal originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Islanders Coach Caught! (Rapping and Dancing in 1986 Video)

Christopher Botta — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Islanders, NHL Fans, NHL Videos, College Hockey

Scott Gordon was told, with a purposeful tint of vagueness, that a reporter had a question "about your days in Boston College."

"I bet you do," said the head coach of the New York Islanders.

Gordon had been warned about this two weeks ago. The video, the one he filmed in 1986, was recently re-discovered, dropped on the world wide web and slowly but surely was starting to go viral.

Hey, it could have been a lot worse.

In 1986 Gordon and several of his teammates at Boston College filmed "The Beanpot Trot," college hockey's answer to the Chicago Bears' "Super Bowl Shuffle." Indeed, the nine student-athletes rap and dance.

"This is our song ... we're not gettin' cocky/We're just here ... to rap about hockey." And so they did, to hilarious and charming effect.

"It wasn't supposed to get out," said Gordon, known in the song and still by his close friends today as "Flash." The video was produced before the 1986 Beanpot -- the legendary Boston hockey showdown featuring BC, Boston University, Northeastern and Harvard -- but was supposed to stay under wraps until after the tournament. Oh yeah, also part of the plan was for the Eagles to actually win the Beanpot. They lost to BU, 4-1.

Maybe the hockey gods were just waiting for him to get his first NHL head coaching job. Now 46 years old, Gordon is known for his composure and serious approach. Maybe he's not Tom Landry, but few could picture the Islanders' coach jubilantly performing a split.

Among his BC teammates, including future NHL players Doug Brown and Bob Sweeney ("the one with the 'stache"), Gordon is easily the least rhythm-deficient. The former goalie pulls off the split like he's Fred Astaire.

In what is purely a startling coincidence, Scott is married to a professional dancer and dance instructor. Jennifer Gordon is the founding director of the Northeast Atlanta Dance Center, the Northeast Atlanta Ballet and the Grayson School of Ballet.

"I'll let everyone else judge my dancing," said Scott, "but I guarantee you, I can still do that split today."

Then Gordon added, "The trouble would be getting back up."

(H/T Puck Daddy for the Video)

Islanders Coach Caught! (Rapping and Dancing in 1986 Video) originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fight of the Week: Cam Janssen Edition

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blues, Canucks, Flyers, Rangers, Thrashers, Red Wings, NHL Fights, NHL Videos

Every Friday, FanHouse sifts through the rubble and picks the best NHL fight, with the help of HockeyFights.com.

If last week seemed a little bit light, we're going to make up for it now. There is no shortage of fights to choose from this week, and we had some really good ones that had to be left on the proverbial cutting room floor. We've also added to our series of rather unlikely scraps. To top it all off, we had an easy choice for the week's best bout.

"Why Are We Fighting?" Fight of the Week: Zach Bogosian vs. Ryan Callahan

Apparently, Callahan really took exception to a bit of a cross-check by Bogosian. Instead of sending a goon after the young defenseman, Callahan took matters into his own hands. This wasn't a great fight by any means, but it was a bit of a head-scratcher. Video can be watched here.

Runner-Up: Rick Rypien vs. Brad May

Vancouver's game against St. Louis Wednesday became a fight-fest (more on this in a bit), but Rypien showed that he had some energy left over to take on one of the league's real veteran heavyweights. This isn't a terribly long fight, but it's intense, and it's not a surprise the guys seemed to wear out a bit. Check it out here.

Runner-Up: Cam Janssen vs. Arron Asham

Janssen looked for a moment to have an easy one here, as Asham struggled from the opening bell. The home crowd inspiring him, Asham pulls off an impressive comeback, and you could argue he at least gave himself a chance to "win the fight." Click here to watch the video.

Fight of the Week: Tanner Glass vs. Cam Janssen

Here's Janssen again. This one's a legitimate candidate for Fight of the Year, not that we're contemplating such an honor at the end of the season. The Canucks were in the midst of getting blown out by St. Louis on Wednesday, but Glass took a shot at injecting some life into his team, which hadn't shown much in the first game of a back-to-back. Janssen got a rousing ovation, and responded to it, after his performance in this fight.

Fight of the Week: Cam Janssen Edition originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brett Hull Shows Michael Jordan How to Give Hall of Fame Speech

Bruce Ciskie — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:15:00 EST

Filed under: Blues, Stars, Red Wings, NHL Hall of Fame, NHL Videos

In September, former NBA superstar Michael Jordan raised more than a few eyebrows. The speech he gave at his Hall of Fame induction quickly turned into a vengeful gong show in which His Airness blasted virtually anyone who he even perceived to be guilty of a slight.

Monday night, the Hockey Hall of Fame welcomed its class of 2009. The ceremony's very first acceptance speech was given by former St. Louis Blue, Dallas Star, and Detroit Red Wing Brett Hull. It was a stirring example of how to give a Hall of Fame speech.

Here is the video of Hull's speech.

In case you've forgotten, here's MJ's idea on a Hall of Fame address. You'll notice a stunning difference in the attitudes shown by both.

Hull was followed by Brian Leetch, Lou Lamoriello, Luc Robitaille, and Steve Yzerman, all of whom gave similarly classy and dignified acceptance speeches.

Hockey players have generally developed a positive reputation over the years by showing a great amount of respect for their sport and its wonderful history. It's the kind of behavior that makes events like Monday's so much fun to watch. While these guys are all legends, there's an obvious acknowledgment of the honor they have received. It's a concept people like Jordan apparently don't understand. If they do, they have a weird way of showing it.

Brett Hull Shows Michael Jordan How to Give Hall of Fame Speech originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Curtis Glencross Suspended 3 Games

Adam Gretz — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Flames, Rangers, NHL Videos, NHL Discipline

There was a play early in Saturday's Calgary-New York game that flew under the radar when, just under a minute into the contest, Flames forward Curtis Glencross caught Rangers captain Chris Drury with a blindside, open-ice hit.

Drury suffered a concussion as a result of the play, while Glencross was not penalized. That's not stopping the NHL from stepping in and issuing a three-game suspension to the Flames forward.

Video of the hit after the jump.

The incident occurs at the top of the screen, just on the edge of the faceoff circle.

It's hard to see what exactly happened because the camera angle isn't the best (did he catch him with a shoulder? Elbow? Was it directly to the head?) and the replays aren't much better. It's also impossible to see if Drury even touched the puck prior to getting hit. Bottom line, however, is that Drury has a concussion and Glencross will be losing three game checks.

Curtis Glencross Suspended 3 Games originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jason Williams Suffers Broken Leg In Loss to Toronto

Adam Gretz — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:20:00 EST

Filed under: Red Wings, NHL Injuries, NHL Videos

Not only did the Detroit Red Wings suffer a 5-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, ending a three-game winning streak, they also lost yet another forward when offseason acquisition Jason Williams slid awkwardly into the end boards and fractured his right fibula.

According to head coach Mike Babcock, he could be out for as long as eight weeks, joining forwards Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula who are also out of the lineup with injuries.

When it rains, it pours.

Also: Cam Ward Taken to Hospital With Cut on Leg

Warning! Before watching the video, you should know that Williams leg bends in ways the human leg is not supposed to bend. You've been warned.

Head coach Mike Babcock on the injury, From Ansar Kahn of Mlive:

"Losing Willy was a blow to us," Babcock said. "He was playing in more minutes and more situations than we anticipated, but that's just the way it's gone. No sense worrying about the guys that aren't available. We got to find a way as a group to dig in. "We don't have the ability to score like we did. We're going to have to do a real good job defensively, get good goaltending and have good specialty teams."

Williams has two goals and five assists in 15 games for the Red Wings this season after scoring 19 goals a year ago with Atlanta and Columbus.

I think my FanHouse colleague, and loyal Red Wings fan, Chris Burke said it best last night: "if you know any forwards, tell them to pack their things and fly to Detroit."

Jason Williams Suffers Broken Leg In Loss to Toronto originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The New Max Talbot Commercial is Simply Awful

Adam Gretz — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Penguins, NHL Videos

Great commercials (though, this one isn't great) in NHL history: A look back at the absurdity and hilarity of NHL advertising campaigns.

Max Talbot has always been a fan favorite in Pittsburgh. He seems to be a likable guy, he's very entertaining off the ice and a darn good player on it. He's also had a starring role in multiple commercials for a A & L motor sales, a high-end car dealership in the Pittsburgh area.

On Saturday night, before the Penguins were steamrolled by the San Jose Sharks, the third part of the Max Talbot trilogy made its debut, and it just might be the worst thing I have ever seen. You can see the can see the carnage for yourself after the jump.

Wow. Here are the first two editions for your viewing pleasure, just for comparisons sake.

Superstar treatment for Max Talbot

Superstar treatment for Max Talbot ... again.

The first one was so funny just because of how awkward the whole thing was. Now, it seems as if they're trying too hard in an effort to be funny and recapture the magic and popularity of the original.

Like most sequels, they completely whiffed. Of course, I'm not even sure Speed 2 was this bad.

Penguins fans (and hockey fans in general), do you hate it as much as I do?

The New Max Talbot Commercial is Simply Awful originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cam Ward Taken to Hospital Following Cut on Leg

Adam Gretz — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jackets, Hurricanes, NHL Injuries, NHL Videos

Scary moment in Columbus on Saturday night as Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward had to leave the game early in the first period and be taken to a hospital after receiving cut on his leg following a collision with the skate blade of Blue Jackets forward Rick Nash.

Ward was down for quite a while, and as he slowly made his way to the bench blood could be seen on the ice. Video after the jump (and it's not as graphic as you might think. It's hard to even see what happened).

According to Hurricanes head coach Paul Maurice following the game, Ward's injury is "significant." Obviously the first thing that comes to mind when talking about players being injured by skate blades are the horrific accidents involving former Buffalo Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk and former Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik.

Hopefully for Ward's sake, his injury isn't anywhere near as serious.

As for the game itself, the Hurricanes dropped their 12th in a row, 3-2, and fall to 2-11-3 overall. They currently have a league-worst seven points in the standings.

Cam Ward Taken to Hospital Following Cut on Leg originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fight of the Week: Princeton's Favorite Son Drops Them Again

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jackets, Canucks, Ducks, Penguins, Predators, Rangers, Sharks, Wild, NHL Fans, NHL Fights, NHL Videos

Every Friday, FanHouse sifts through the rubble and picks the best NHL fight, with the help of HockeyFights.com.

A light week on the card, but there was a relatively surprising bout and some pretty good ones to choose from. Highlighting it is our favorite former Princeton player, a gentleman who has made a name for himself by being a really good fighter. Of course, the big news of the week involved a team captain dropping the gloves with a random defenseman.

Huh? Fight of the Week: Marek Zidlicky vs. Sidney Crosby

Sometimes, guys are obviously planning to fight before they drop the gloves. Others are clearly spontaneous. This one falls under the latter. Crosby and Zidlicky had enough of using their sticks, and decided to use fists instead. Watch it here.

Beatdown of the Week: Kent Huskins vs. Jared Boll

Boll is one of the league's real up-and-coming heavyweights, and he dominated this scrap. It started with a hard hit on Huskins by Boll, and quickly became a fight. Just as fast as it started, Boll emphatically ended it. He then proceeded to stand over his conquest like a predator stands over lunch. Watch the fight here.

Runner-Up: Dane Byers vs. Tanner Glass

This was a little quick for most fans' tastes, but some really good punches were thrown. Byers got off to a quick start, but Glass got the last laugh, or "shot," if you prefer. Check it out here.

Fight of the Week: Wade Belak vs. George Parros

Parros is a top fighter, and he got all he could handle in this one from Thursday night. The Predators might not have done much to stay in the game, but Belak more than held his own against one of the best.

There is some solid back-and-forth between the two, and the ending is kind of a surprise. Too bad for the Ducks' TV people that the fight was over by the time they got the "Tale of the Tape" graphic ready.

Fight of the Week: Princeton's Favorite Son Drops Them Again originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ovechkin Hurt in Loss to Columbus

Adam Gretz — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:40:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jackets, Capitals, NHL Injuries, NHL Videos

The Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets played an overtime thriller on Sunday afternoon, with the Jackets picking up the 5-4 win thanks to R.J. Umberger's game-winner (and second goal of the game) at the 1:45 mark of the extra frame.

Perhaps the biggest concern for Capitals fans isn't the outcome on the scoreboard, but the status of the league's leading scorer and back-to-back MVP winner, Alex Ovechkin, who left the game after playing just 7:43.

From the Capitals Web site:

A few minutes before leaving, Ovechkin was involved in an altercation in front of the Blue Jackets' bench. During a break in play barely a minute into the second period, Ovechkin was bumped by Columbus left wing Jason Chimera and Ovechkin responded with a shove and players from both teams skated over to the scrum. Ovechkin, Chimera and Blue Jacket right wing Jared Boll all received minors for roughing, and Boll was also issued a misconduct.

As if the league didn't have enough star players injured through the first month of the season.

The team announced, via Twitter, that Ovechkin is day-to-day with an upper body injury, and that because of an off day on Monday, there won't be an update on his status until Tuesday. He's currently leading the league in most offensive categories, including goals (14), points (23), and shots on goal (85).

The third period saw the two teams combine for five goals, including a pair from Raffi Torres, who tied the game for Columbus with just 16 seconds to play in regulation. Rick Nash opened the scoring for the Blue Jackets early in the second period with this goal that probably won't be showing up on the highlight reel for Washington's defense this season:

Washington has now lost back-to-back games at home following a six-game winning streak, but has still managed to gain at least a point in the standings in nine straight games. The Capitals haven't lost in regulation since their 3-2 loss in Detroit all the way back on October 10.

Ovechkin Hurt in Loss to Columbus originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sidney Crosby Fights Marek Zidlicky

Bruce Ciskie — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Penguins, Wild, NHL Fights, NHL Videos

While fighting isn't at all legal in hockey, there is an understanding with players. Some employ enforcer-type guys whose job is to mix it up with those who try to mess with a team's skill players.

You'll see captains and other team leaders sometimes willing to mix it up, too, even if that's not their reputation. Last year, Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby made waves by starting a fight off a faceoff in a game. On Saturday, Crosby was back dropping the gloves, this time with an even more unlikely opponent.

As the Penguins were struggling to score against Minnesota, Crosby got involved with defenseman Marek Zidlicky. Eventually, the two dropped the gloves and began to "throw down."

Well, Crosby threw a couple punches. Outside of that, nothing to see here.

Just what you would expect out of a fight between two guys who hardly ever fight.

Minnesota was outshot for the game 35-15 but won 2-1. Crosby picked up nine minutes in penalties on the night and was visibly frustrated with the officials, arguing with them on the ice a few times during the game.

Sidney Crosby Fights Marek Zidlicky originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Week's Edition of Clean Or Dirty: Andrew Ladd Hits Matt D'agostini

Adam Gretz — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Blackhawks, Canadiens, NHL Videos

Since it's been, oh, I don't know, five minutes, since we had a debate on what's a clean hit and what's a dirty hit, Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Ladd decided to give us something else to talk about on Friday night when he laid out Montreal's Matt D'agostini early in the second period.

Video after the jump.

Ladd was issued a five-minute major for elbowing, a 10-minute game misconduct, and a two-minute minor for roughing Kyle Chipchura (Chipchura also received two for roughing). While Ladd was called for elbowing, that doesn't appear to be an elbow. It looks like he gets him with his shoulder, but it's clearly a shot directly to the head.

And this is where the discussion starts yet again. Is this clean or dirty? And will the NHL's bizarre disciplinary system step in and hand out additional punishment? Probably not, but it's anybody's guess. As Chris Botta said in our 2-on-1 last Monday: "Until the league decides that head shots are illegal, it is what it is."

This Week's Edition of Clean Or Dirty: Andrew Ladd Hits Matt D'agostini originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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