The Official NHL 2006-2007 Season Thread

[Malcolm]

Report: Coyotes, Tellqvist reach deal

After reaching agreements with Shane Doan and Mike Zigomanis earlier in the week, the Phoenix Coyotes have locked up goaltender Mikael Tellqvist.

According to the Arizona Republic the Coyotes and Tellqvist have agreed to a two-year deal that will pay the 27-year old Swede $800,000 per season.

Tellqvist has posted a 9-7-2 record with a 3.29 goals-against average in 18 games since coming to Phoenix in a trade with Toronto on Nov. 28.

[Communist China]

Forsberg makes Nashville the Cup favorite imo. If they stay healthy they'll be insanely hard to beat.

[The Dog]

So nice to be able to watch a penguins game again - i feel like its been forever since one has been on TV.  Watching them play the Devils now, up 3-0 a few minutes into the 2nd period.   Are the pens going to be 1st in the east come playoff time???  They are certainly playing like a first place team.

[bazgnr]

So nice to be able to watch a penguins game again - i feel like its been forever since one has been on TV.? Watching them play the Devils now, up 3-0 a few minutes into the 2nd period.? ?Are the pens going to be 1st in the east come playoff time? They are certainly playing like a first place team.

And how great (yet strange) it is to see that.  They barely held on last night, but it was an impressive victory overall.  I keep having to remind myself that - after years of not caring enough to watch - I should be paying attention to the schedule again.  They most certainly seem playoff-bound...

[Malcolm]

Oilers trade Bergeron to the Islanders

The Edmonton Oilers have made a move, but it's not one that will help with the playoff push this season.

The Oilers swapped defencemen with the New York Islanders on Sunday, sending Marc-Andre Bergeron to Long Island for Denis Grebeshkov.

Grebeshkov was a first-round draft pick in 2002 and has played 33 NHL games, but is spending this season with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv in the Russian league.

The 23-year-old is expected to remain in Russia this season. He'll be a restricted free agent this summer.

[Malcolm]

 Brendan Shanahan was hospitalized Saturday after a hard collision with Philadelphia's Mike Knuble that left the New York Rangers forward unconscious on his back for several minutes. Shanahan was expected to be OK but spent the night in St. Vincent�s Hospital for observation following the violent head-to-head collision. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist also left Saturday�s game with a shoulder injury but might be available today. -

[bazgnr]

PITTSBURGH (AP) ? Alexander Ovechkin didn't do much offensively, a commonplace event lately. Instead, it was the runner-up Russian who created a goal out of nothing, keeping the Pittsburgh Penguins' most successful stretch in 14 years going.
Evgeni Malkin scored a bad-angle goal to give Pittsburgh the lead in another tightly played game against Washington and the streaking Penguins won their sixth in a row, beating the Capitals 3-2 Sunday.

GAME REPORT: Penguins 3, Capitals 2

The Penguins have gained at least a point in 16 consecutive games, going 14-0-2 ? their longest run since they won a league-record 17 in a row and tied one to end the 1992-93 season. The surprise is that NHL scoring leader Sidney Crosby, who has 91 points, is slumping with only one goal in 10 games.

Malkin has keyed the Penguins' first playoff run since 2001 with 10 goals and 16 assists in 17 games. His teammates are convinced that Malkin, the No. 2 pick in the 2004 NHL draft to Ovechkin, is more than a little motivated any time he goes against his Russian rival. It was the first and only time two Russians were picked 1-2.

"They're very competitive, good hockey players and good friends so there's definitely a little bit of something with him," Mark Recchi said.

Of Malkin's 29 goals as a rookie, perhaps none was more creative than his score late in the second period. With the score tied at 1, Malkin carried the puck out from behind the Capitals' net and fed it up the right wing boards to Sergei Gonchar ? at this time a year ago, Malkin's Russian Olympic teammate.

Malkin took Gonchar's giveback pass and, from along the goal line, one-timed a perfectly placed left-handed shot inside the far post, almost before Washington backup goalie Brent Johnson could react.

The goal reminded Recchi of some of those scored by a former Penguins teammate named Mario Lemieux.

"With his size and his hands, Geno looks like him," Recchi said. "Mario was one of those guys who can score from that angle, and only a few guys can. A lot of guys don't even try that."

Malkin, speaking through interpreter George Firman, called it a "lucky goal." But he acknowledged having a little something extra any time he goes against Ovechkin, who was leading the NHL in goals before being held to one goal and one assist in his last seven games.

"Yeah, of course, I'm enjoy playing against him especially when we win the games ? and he's getting pretty mad," Malkin said.

After the Penguins similarly frustrated Ovechkin in a 2-0 win in Pittsburgh on Feb. 3, Ovechkin broke his stick in anger while going to the locker room.

Until Washington's Alexander Semin scored in the final minute, not long after missing a penalty shot, this game resembled that earlier game with more tight checking and hitting than goal scoring by teams that have five of the NHL's top six scorers who are 22 or younger.

"When Ovechkin gets only one goal in seven games, it's tough to win," Capitals coach Glen Hanlon said after his team outshot Pittsburgh 31-25. "Don't mistake that ? it's not his fault we're not winning. But if you're asking where the offense has gone, he's a big part of that."

The Capitals have lost three in a row and nine of 12, scoring two or fewer goals in all but three of those 12. Penguins backup goalie Jocelyn Thibault beat them Sunday in his first start since Jan. 27, turning aside 29 shots for his third victory this season.

Recchi and Maxime Talbot added goals for the Penguins, and Richard Zednik also scored for the Capitals. Recchi got his 20th goal, giving him 15 seasons with 20 or more goals.

Talbot made it 3-1 about a minute into the third period with his third goal in four games, immediately after Washington's Donald Brashear pulled down Erik Christensen for what would have been a penalty if Talbot hadn't scored.

Semin could have tightened the game by scoring on his penalty shot with about 6 minutes remaining, but his shot hit the crossbar after Thibault tried pushing the puck off his stick as Semin went to his backhand.

"It was a great feeling to not let that score in," Thibault said. "I don't know if I disrupted him or not, but he didn't score."
 

[Skeba]

Malkin's goal just simply amazing.

Tonight it's the Islanders' turn to try and stop the winning streak.

[Mal Brossard]

Pens have two glaring holes that to me, will hurt them down the stretch.  First off, the team needs something, someone, to deter opponents from taking liberties with Crosby and Malkin (this is especially true for next season when the league finally changes the instigator rule).  The second is a stronger defense.  Sadly, the team's leading shot blocker is Sergei Gonchar, and he's more like a 4th forward than he is a defenseman.

I'd love to see a deadline deal similar to March 4, 1991-- the Ron Francis trade-- that started the march forth (haha, get it?) to the 1991 Cup.  But this time, let's see Laraque and Boynton brought in from Phoenix for some prospects and/or draft picks.

[Skeba]

A good game for Pittsburgh's offence, but a terrible day for Fleury and the defence.

[Communist China]

Kotalik out 4-6 weeks and Mike Ryan called up. Goodbye first place.

[bazgnr]

A good game for Pittsburgh's offence, but a terrible day for Fleury and the defence.

Sigh.  All good things must come to an end...hopefully, not for long, though.   

[Loaded NightraiN]

Kotalik out 4-6 weeks and Mike Ryan called up. Goodbye first place.

Oh you're killin me commie 

These Rochester guys are holdin their own.. Plus w/ Peters scoring impressive goals, we have a chance!! 

[Communist China]

Calm down. They all looked good against the Flyers. Have to see how they hold up to Ottawa.

[Loaded NightraiN]

Calm down. They all looked good against the Flyers. Have to see how they hold up to Ottawa.

The Flyers yes.. But they're still better than any AHL team... And the Flyers are a very hard hitting team....They held up well

[Communist China]

Daniel Paille of the Buffalo Sabres broke his finger and will miss several weeks. Another call-up from Rochestor will be necessary.

[Loaded NightraiN]

Daniel Paille of the Buffalo Sabres broke his finger and will miss several weeks. Another call-up from Rochestor will be necessary.

When it rains it pours?

[Loaded NightraiN]

Who saw that Buffalo V Ottowa brawl 

Classic!!! 

To anyone who can say that Drury hit was clean, needs to be hit like that... They'd chancge their mind in a second!!

[Communist China]

Who saw that Buffalo V Ottowa brawl?

Classic!!!?

To anyone who can say that Drury hit was clean, needs to be hit like that... They'd chancge their mind in a second!!

Yea, that reffing sucked. In the OT Vanek is hauled down, Briere knocked down, and yet they call the stick poke on Alfredsson instead. Hopefully Drury is good to go soon.

[Skeba]

And we're back on track.

It was close as always, but I really like that the Pens have been getting goals from the 2nd and 3rd (and even the fourth) line this year instead of just the first one.