NHL FanHouse

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.

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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Alex Ovechkin Returns to Lineup, Caps Return to No. 1

Adam Gretz — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

by Adam Gretz

Filed under: NHL Power Rankings

Losing Alex Ovechkin for two weeks didn't stop the Washington Capitals from winning games, and he picked up right where he left off in his return, scoring his 15th goal of the season in a 4-2 win against the New York Rangers on Tuesday night. With that, the Caps take over the top spot in this week's NHL Power Rankings, while another team reclaims its familiar spot at the bottom of the pile.

More Coverage: New Hockey Fan Searches For Team
Zach Bogosian In U.S. Olympic Picture

Alex Ovechkin Returns to Lineup, Caps Return to No. 1 originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hockey Fan in Need of a Team Asks Web to Play Matchmaker

Kevin Schultz — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: NHL Fans, NHL Media Watch

The NHL has always been at the forefront of the major American sports leagues when it comes to the internet. The league streams most of its games online through its GameCenter Live application and has openly embraced bloggers and websites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Given all of that, maybe it's no coincidence that an internet savvy sports fan has chosen these same websites with which to embark on an NHL social media experiment.

Hockey Fan in Need of a Team Asks Web to Play Matchmaker originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:00 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

by Adam Gretz

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.)

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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Sources: 19-Year-Old Zach Bogosian Enters US Olympic Picture

Christopher Botta — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:51:00 EST

by Christopher Botta

Filed under: Thrashers, FanHouse Exclusive

Zach Bogosian, the 19-year-old defenseman from the Atlanta Thrashers, has emerged as a serious candidate for the United States Olympic Team, a pair of sources have told FanHouse.

The 19-year-old Bogosian, a native of northern New York, has developed into a superb two-way defenseman with shocking ease, with just 64 NHL games under his belt. The third overall pick from 2008 already has eight goals this season, tops among NHL defensemen. He would be a natural for the up-tempo system Team USA coach Ron Wilson plans to install for the Olympics in Vancouver in February.

Sources: 19-Year-Old Zach Bogosian Enters US Olympic Picture originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Plus/Minus: Huselius Leads Jackets Over Stars; Fleury Gets Benched

Adam Gretz — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

by Adam Gretz

Filed under: Blue Jackets, Penguins, Thrashers

We're trying something different to replace the old Newsmakers in the NHL posts. Hopefully you'll like it. Each weekday we'll take a look at one positive performance from the previous night (a plus), and one negative performance from the previous night (a minus). It's the plus/minus.Tell us what you think at nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

More Coverage: Thursday's NHL Scoreboard
Leafs-Canes In A Surprising Thriller

Plus/Minus: Huselius Leads Jackets Over Stars; Fleury Gets Benched originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 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

by Kevin Schultz

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

by Adam Gretz

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.

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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Backchecking With ... Matt Niskanen

Bruce Ciskie — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

by Bruce Ciskie

Filed under: Stars, Western, NHL Fans

We get to know NHL players with a few quick questions. Today's subject: third-year Stars defenseman Matt Niskanen, who grew up in northern Minnesota, but now calls Dallas home.

Backchecking With ... Matt Niskanen originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puck Talk: A Blow to the Head

Bruce Ciskie — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

by Bruce Ciskie

Filed under: Blackhawks, Islanders, Kings, Thrashers, FanHouse Exclusive

With the issue of head shots becoming more and more talked about in NHL circles, it's time to tackle it on Puck Talk. We're joined this week by Anthony Curatolo, who is a senior writer at Crash the Crease and also has a podcast every week. Since Anthony is an Islanders fan, we also let him talk up his red-hot team and discuss the Blackhawks' impending cap woes. Listen after the jump.

Puck Talk: A Blow to the Head originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jim Rutherford Sees Better Things Ahead

Susan Slusser — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

by Susan Slusser

Filed under: Hurricanes

So far, this season is a disaster for the Hurricanes, a projected contender that fell flat from the get-go, hit with injuries and bedeviled by underperformance.

Asked the reasons for his team's fizzle out of the gate, Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford told FanHouse, "I don't have enough fingers. It's been a little bit of everything."

Yet Carolina is showing some positive signs of late. The team snapped a franchise-record-tying 14-game winless streak last week, then followed that up by playing well in a shootout loss to Montreal. Coach Paul Maurice praised his squad after that game, and Rutherford agreed.

Jim Rutherford Sees Better Things Ahead originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Plus/Minus: A Rarity From Ryan Miller

Adam Gretz — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

by Adam Gretz

Filed under: Coyotes, Sabres, Stars

More Coverage: Wednesday's NHL Scoreboard

Plus/Minus: A Rarity From Ryan Miller originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:00:00 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

by Adam Gretz

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.

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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NHL FanHouse Live Chat: Headshots, Ovechkin, and the Islanders!

Bruce Ciskie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

by Bruce Ciskie

Filed under: Capitals, Islanders, NHL Fans, NHL Live Blogging

We have a lot of stuff to cover on our weekly NHL FanHouse chat. At 2 pm ET, we'll discuss Alex Ovechkin's return, the topic of headshots in hockey, the red-hot, playoff-bound (maybe) Islanders, and so much more. Join the FanHouse staff for the chat after the jump.

NHL FanHouse Live Chat: Headshots, Ovechkin, and the Islanders! originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DraftWatch 2010: Cam Fowler, the Kid Who Said No to Notre Dame

Christopher Botta — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

by Christopher Botta

Filed under: NHL Draft

When he was 15 years old, phenom defenseman Cam Fowler locked in a scholarship to play college hockey at Notre Dame. Two years later, at the age of 17, the kid from Farmington Hills, Mich. made a phone call he said was "the toughest thing I've had to do in my life so far."

He broke his commitment with head coach Jeff Jackson and Notre Dame, electing to play Canadian junior hockey with likely 2010 first overall pick Taylor Hall and the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League.

DraftWatch 2010: Cam Fowler, the Kid Who Said No to Notre Dame originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Goal Celebration Goes Terribly Wrong

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

by Adam Gretz

Filed under: International Hockey

I'm not sure what I'd do in celebration if I ever had the opportunity to score a goal in a professional hockey game, but my first reaction would probably be to simply throw myself into glass (before I woke up, of course). That's kind of what Henrik Andersen, a player in Sweden, attempted to do after scoring a goal in a recent game for Leksend. That's when things took a turn for the absurd.

Video, of course, after the jump.

Goal Celebration Goes Terribly Wrong originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Plus/Minus: Mike Fisher Leads Senators to Fight-Filled Win

Adam Gretz — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

by Adam Gretz

Filed under: Capitals, Hurricanes, Sharks

More Coverage: Tuesday's NHL Scoreboard

Plus/Minus: Mike Fisher Leads Senators to Fight-Filled Win originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chelios Fights Father Time for Last Shot

Greg Couch — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST

by Greg Couch

Filed under: Red Wings, NHL Free Agency, Minor League Hockey

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- You park your car, walk in the side door of the Hoffman Estates Community Center in suburban Chicago, and the first thing you see is some gray-haired, slightly hunched guy standing under a sign that says, "Senior Center. 50+ club."

Chris Chelios is not aging well.

What? Oh, wait, that wasn't Chelios. Chelios was around the corner, a mere 47 years old, still 26 months from 50+ eligibility, not playing checkers, but instead playing in a hockey scrimmage with the Chicago Wolves minor league hockey team.

Chelios Fights Father Time for Last Shot originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Theo Fleury Plans Charges Against Former Junior Coach

Bruce Ciskie — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:25:00 EST

by Bruce Ciskie

Filed under: Flames, Junior Hockey

Theo Fleury's ill-fated NHL comeback this past summer opened some opportunities for him. By getting his name back in the hockey mainstream, Fleury was successful in promoting his autobiography, which chronicled his career and life in the sport of hockey.

In that book, Fleury accused his former junior coach, Graham James, of sexual abuse. Getting the story off his chest wasn't enough, as Fleury has apparently decided to press charges against James.

Theo Fleury Plans Charges Against Former Junior Coach originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nikita Filatov Trade Could Bring Bounty For Blue Jackets

Christopher Botta — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:25:00 EST

by Christopher Botta

Filed under: Blue Jackets, NHL Rumors

The Columbus Blue Jackets drafted a super-skilled freelancing forward a year ago and are now wondering why he's not developing into Jere Lehtinen. So on Tuesday, Nikita Filatov took his sticks and went home to Russia and the KHL -- as the Blue Jackets always knew he could.

Now the big question is, where do the Blue Jackets and their "prized" prospect go from here?

Nikita Filatov Trade Could Bring Bounty For Blue Jackets originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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