It's a good day for the hockey thread

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

And Canada once again proves to be the better nation.

[MFS62]

Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau:
"The can't take our country and they can't take our game".
Later

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Islanders, who look like they're out of it, trade Brock Nelson to Colorado for their best prospect and 2 future draft picks.

Nelson wasn't spectacular but a solid everyday guy who never missed a game & "played the game the right way."

Fun Fact: Nelson is the Nephew of 1980 Olympic hero Dave Christian, whose own dad and uncle were members of the 1960 Gold-medal winning USA team. Also the family behind Christian hockey sticks which are no longer made.

More trades could come before deadline at 3 pm today. Adios, Brock

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Calgary Flames rookie winger Matt Coronato grew up in Greenlawn on Long Island. I was in junior high with his dad.

Guy came to UBS today for the 1st time. Scored twice.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Ovechkin just broke Greztky's scoring record on the power play agathe Islanders

[Frayed Knot]

It's been cited often, and especially so as Ovechkin has approached the all-time Goals record, but I'll repeat it here anyway.
-- If Gretzky never scored a single goal he'd still be the all-time leader in career points (G + A) - by 42 over Jaromir Jagr (who, btw, played some 250 more games than Gretzky)
-- Gretzky's career Assists are 57% higher than the guy in 2nd place (Ron Francis, 1,963 to 1,249)
-- in career Points he's 48% higher than 2nd place Jagr (2,857 to 1,921). Ovechkin is in 11th place (1,628), a bit more than halfway there.

He held the goal scoring mark since passing Gordie Freakin' Howe a bunch of decades ago* and I think Howe's career dates back to the Dust Bowl era

As SPORT magazine said in the index to their (mid-80s) 40th anniversary issue where they gave their 40 best over 40 years list:
'Each succeeding hockey generation has had its dominant player ... but this is ridiculous'



* looks like he passed Howe in career goals early in the '92-'93 season and held it until this week,
which is about the same amount of time as Ruth held the HR mark until being overtaken by Aaron

[Frayed Knot]

Wacky game in Dallas Tuesday night as the Stars managed to find a way to blow Two three goal leads at home
- the Stars, up 3-0 entering the 3rd period, score to go up 4-2 on Vancouver at 17:15 (2:45 to go in the game)
- Canucks pull their goalie … and the Stars score an empty net goal 24 seconds later
Over, right?
- except that the Canucks, w/their net still empty, score at 19:00
- and again at 19:30
- and then again at 19:53 to tie the game
- they then win it 3:44 into OT




Also, I didn't want to make it sound like I was being dismissive of Ovechkin's record breaker in the above post.
Yes, Ovi just used his specialty to tie and then claim the record from Wayne Gretzky at his secondary specialty

But ...
1) at the time of the record breaker he and Gretzky had played the exact number of career games, which is both unexpected (by me anyway) and kind of cool
2) Ovechkin is currently 4th in the league in goals this season despite ...
a) playing this entire season as a 39 year old!
b) missing six weeks/16 games back in November/December with a broken leg!!

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Islanders fire GM Lou Lamiorello, freeing the team to grow beards and wear whatever numbers they like.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Sketch-- Islanders lose a promised 2026 All-Star Game at UBS; miraculously win a 3.5% ping pong ball draft lottery getting the no. 1 pick.

How about those Winnipeg Jets, eh?

[Frayed Knot]

Islanders beat the odds and land the 1st overall pick in the next draft despite having just a 3.5% chance of doing so via the ping pong ball route.
Unlike in some years, however, there doesn't seem to be a clear top choice. iow, no Crosbys and no McDavids.


Over the weekend, the Winnipeg Jets narrowly avoided the 'Curse of the President's Cup' [best team in reg season flaming out in playoffs] by scoring twice to tie up their 1st Round/Game 7 with St Louis after pulling their goalie including netting the tying goal with just two seconds left in regulation. They then went on to win in Double OT.




oe: I had just typed this so I'm going to leave it in anyway even though it's now redundant.

[Frayed Knot]

After taking a year to poll fan interest and suggestions, Utah has officially named their hockey club the Mammoth (no plural on that please).



I guess that tusk is trying to represent a U

No word as to whether they'll get Henry Wiggins to drop the ceremonial puck prior to the first game next season.
Bruce Pearson is sadly not available to join him.