Baie-Comeau Drakker vs. Halifax Mooseheads Videos

As I alluded to earlier today, I had video of some of the fights/scrums that went on during last nights game.

Scrum right in front of me:

 

The only fight I was able to record AND still have usable footage of (Murphy vs. Gregoire):

 

 

I had one more video but it keeps showing an error when I try to upload. That video was the huge scrum that took place before Murphy vs. Gregoire.

 

In addition, I do have a few shootout videos. Unfortunately my phone died half-way through the shootout so I didn't get the winner by Lussier. Here are the attempts I did record and was useable.

 

Ehlers attempt:



 

Fucale save #1:

 



 

 

Fucale save #2

 

Ciampini's attempt (so close):



Game Recap: Baie-Comeau Drakker vs. Halifax Mooseheads

Yes, I'm back semi-regularly-until-I-eventually-tail-off blogging about the Halifax Mooseheads. Last year they went all the way, winning the President's Cup and eventually the Memorial Cup. I'll post some pictures of last year's President Cup win once I get the photos sorted out. In the mean time, this season...

Baie-Comeau Drakkar vs. Halifax Mooseheads

Final Score
Baie-Comeau - 1
Halifax - 2 (SO)

Goalscorers
Baie-Comeau: Denis Gorbunov
Halifax: Andrew Ryan

Goalies
Baie-Comeau: Simon Lemieux (L)
Halifax: Zach Fucale (W)

Fireball Player
(He's so hot, nothing is gonna put this guy out)

Fucale. Fucale-Fucale-Fucale. He basically wrote the definition of stealing a game tonight (minus the one fluky goal).

Snake Bitten Player
(No amount of sucking will help get the poison out of him)

Team Defense. Not just the defensemen, the team. They were completely outworked during the third period. Multiple times they gave up a breakaway. Thankfully, Fucale was on it tonight.

Play of the Game
(Every game has a defining moment, this is probably it)

Jesse Lussier (more on him in a sec) scoring the only shootout goal to restore order in the universe stands out. Other than that, it was Fight Night. Yes, 5 fights with multiple roughing penalties for after-whistle stuff. The Buffalo-Toronto thing has nothing on this (ok, a bit of a different issue). I'm guessing there is still bad blood from the President Cup Final from last year.

Notes

• I would like to see a time on ice sheet for this game. I swear Liam Alcalde didn't get a second after his fight 2 minutes into this game.
• Drakkar player Imama was basically in everything tonight. He got laid out early on and just seemed to be in every scrum afterwards. Surprisingly, only 4 PIMs.
• Funniest thing in the game: a train wreck in front of the Baie-Comeau bench. At least 2 players from each team fell down.
• About Lussier: he wears #10 and plays defense. If you recall from last year, only one man in Mooseheads history should be that guy, and he's  Konrad Abeltshauser. The shootout winner though, my stance may soften.
• Speaking of Abeltshauser, the guy who takes the title of my Euro-player-to-be-fascinated-over is...Timo Meier (would have been real easy to pick Nikolaj Ehlers).
• I do have a few videos of fights/scrums and shootout attempts. I'll put them in a separate post later today.

Pictures

Halifax wore special jerseys to commemorate their 20th season. Here is Fucale in warmup wearing it.



And here is the team's Danish superstar Ehlers.

Wait, the back of the jersey looks tucked in! And he's non-North American! AUTOMATIC CHARACTER ISSUES! (just kidding, and his jersey was fully un-tucked before the opening faceoff).

This was the first period, everything seemed ok (defensively).

Aftermath of the second period scrum and ensuing Murphy-Gregorie tilt



This was in the third period, a rare sight (defensively)

Probably the best opposite end of the ice picture I'll ever take this season

Of course, have to end it with the obligatory Meier picture.

Team Preview: KHL Medveščak Zagreb

Yes, I'm back after a month and a half hiatus. I hope to up it to 2 post per week when the NHL starts back up. For now it's basically when I get the time. In the meantime, enjoy this preview of KHL Medveščak Zagreb of the KHL.

The KHL season started Tuesday, but one team has yet to make it's debut in the league: KHL Medveščak Zagreb (nickname the Bears). Medveščak moved to the KHL after playing three seasons in the EBEL (the Austrian league). The Bears play in Zagreb, Croatia, making them the second-most western team in the league (Lev Praha is the most western). They will play in the West Conference in the Bobrov Division

Last Year

Medveščak did well in their last season in the EBEL, finishing the regular season with 26 wins in 40 games. Their 54 points was good enough for second place. They were the only team to finish the regular season with less than 100 goals against (99). In the placement round - which the top 6 teams determine the order they enter the playoffs in - the Bears kept their second place finish thanks to the bonus points they were rewarded. Medveščak swept Orli Zonjmo in the Quarter Finals. They weren't so lucky in the Semi-Finals, losing the series 4-1 to EC KAC.

Regular Season: 24W - 10L - 6OTL - 54PTS
Placement Round: 5W - 4L - 1OTL - 14PTS (includes 3 bonus points)

Oh, and they played in the coolest outdoor games ever!

Roster

Roster from Medveščak's official site.

Goalies: Barry Burst, Mark Dekanich, Mitja Koren, Andrei Vasiljevic
Defense: Mathieu Carle, Kurtis Foster, Mark Katic, Kyle Klubertanz, Alan Letang, Kenny MacAulay, Sasha Martinovic, Steve Montador, Mark Popovic, Ivan Svarny, Geoff Waugh
Forwards: Partick Bjorkstrand, Jonathan Cheechoo, Mark Glumac, Hugh Jessiman, Boyd Kane, Gal Koren, Dario Kostović, Charles Linglet, Andrew Murray, Matt Murley, Nathan Perkovich, Michael Ryan, Marko Šakić, Bill Thomas, Ryan Vesce, Luke Walker, Brian Willsie

Despite all the names here, I swear this isn't an AHL team. Medveščak basically turned over its entire roster during the transition of leagues. Some of the key signings include:

Jonathan Cheechoo - Bad news: Joe Thornton sold separately. Good news: Train Train Cheechoo Train!

Barry Burst - He set an AHL record for the longest shutout streak at 268 minutes and 17 seconds, and was STILL passed over by the Flames (then again, Flames and good decisions haven't gone together in years). I'm guessing he'll be the starter for the season.

Mark Dekanich - Signed before Burst, might be the backup now.

Kurtis Foster - I'll admit I'm surprised (in a good way) he's playing here. I thought he would at least be offered a 2-way deal by an NHL club.

Steve Montador - Just like Foster, kind of expected him to stay on this side of the ocean.

Hugh Jessiman - NO! Nononononononononononono!

Prediction

While this team does look good on paper, it doesn't help that they play in the harder of the two conferences. I can see Medveščak being able to compete against teams not based in Moscow or St. Petersburg. Being the new team though, I can't see instant success. Having to travel a lot more from their time in the EBEL could hurt too. Best case scenario is that they squeeze into the playoffs as a 7th/8th seed. First season though so the bar is low. I think they fight hard, but ultimately are on the outside looking in at the end of the season.

Final Prediction: 10th in Western Conference

NHL And The Olympics/Schedule/Divisions

Friday was a big day for the NHL, with the announcement of the new Olympic agreement (finally!) and the schedule/division names soon after.

NHL and IIHF in Olympic Harmony

Now that the NHL finally agreed to allow it's players to attend the Olympics, it's down to business. Today, Canada and Russia announced their Olympic camp invitees, with other countries soon to follow suit.

Our official Olympic preview will, of course, be in February when rosters are set and they are about to play. For now, here is an initial reaction to how the group stage might work out:

Place	Group A	Group B	Group C
1	United States*	Canada*	Sweden*
2	Russia	Finland*	Switzerland
3	Slovakia	Norway	Czech Republic
4	Slovenia	Austria	Latvia

* Top 4 teams get a bye to the Quarter Finals.

I see the US taking Group A, Canada winning group B, and Sweden ending up in first in Group C. The 4th team will probably be Finland, as Russia might have trouble with Slovakia (again) and Switzerland and Czech will be a tossup for second in their group.

One final point on the Olympics: this might be the last one for the NHL. I think since this one in is in Russia, there is a lot of pressure for the NHL to get an agreement in place and basically play nice with the Russia's Hockey Federation and the KHL. For Pyeongchang, unless their is an influx of South Koreans in the next couple years, I can see the NHL trying every-which-way to avoid it. Hopefully I'm wrong and the NHL keeps participating in the Olympics.

NHL Schedule

Since the Olympics are a-go, the NHL announced their schedule shortly after, and I must say, starting in October is a nice concept and I hope the NHL does this every season. The season starts on October 1 with the Habs-Leafs (always good), Chicago raising their Cup banner against Washington, and Edmonton and Winnipeg in a loser gets coldest winter match (just kidding). Other notable dates (outside of the ridiculous 6 outdoor games) include:

November 8, 2013 - Hall of Fame Game
November 29, 2013 - NHL's US day-after Thanksgiving (highlighted by a Rangers-Bruins matinee)
January 18, 2014 - Hockey Day in Canada
January 19, 2014 - Blackhawks and Bruins first match since the Cup Final
February 9-25, 2014 - Olympic break
April 13, 2014 - Last day of the regular season

NHL Divisions

Along with the schedule, the NHL finally introduced the names of the new divisions. lets take a closer look.


Name: Pacific
Teams: Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks Vancouver Canucks
Thoughts: No problems here. You could nitpick that Calgary, Edmonton, and Phoenix aren't on the Pacific so why call it that, then realized that Dallas was in the same division and compromise that it ain't too bad.
What It Should Have Been Called: Canaforna? (really stretched for something).

Name: Central
Teams: Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets
Thoughts: Central is basically the only division with a perfect name.
What It Should Have Been Called: Central, Midwest, can't go wrong here.

Name: Atlantic
Teams: Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs
Thoughts: Wait, no New York/Pennsylvania teams? What the hell kind of Atlantic division is this?
What It Should Have Been Called: Flortheast, and nothing else.

Name: Metropolitan
Teams: Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals
Thoughts: Ok, whose the effing genius that cooked up this name for a division?
What It Should Have Been Called: ANYTHING! The NBC-will-only-televise-these-teams division, the Bettman-is-the-best-commish division*. Anything other than the Metropolitan!

Conclusion: Should have gone back to the old Smythe/Norris/Patrick/Adams divisions.

*Maybe not anything, but you get the point. Metropolitan is for the Seattle team, not a division.

Summer Trading

Tomorrow is the official start of free agency (thanks lockout!) and while there has already been activity on that front, there are also trades that have been made. Here's what has been going on for the past month on the trade front (minus pick-for-pick trades).

To Dallas: Sergei Gonchar
To Ottawa: 6th round pick (Chris Leblanc)
Trade Analysis: At least Ottawa got something for Gonchar instead of losing him for nothing. Even though he is up their in age and can't put up the same numbers anymore, Gonchar should provide the defense in Dallas the same way he helped guys like Letang and Karlsson become the defensemen they are.

To Philadelphia: Mark Streit
To New York I: Shane Harper, 4th round pick (2014)
Trade Analysis: Just like the last trade, the Islanders didn't want to lose Streit for nothing. As for Philly they get a guy to shore up the defense.

To Florida: Billy Butler
To Nashville: T.J. Brennan
Trade Analysis: The Butler did it. Minor league trade, not much to this.

To Calgary: Corbin Knight
To Nashville: 4th round pick (Michael Downing)
Trade Analysis: Great trade for the Flames. Ok, namesake bias aside, the Flames really got a minor depth piece for the center position.

To Toronto: Jonathan Bernier
To Los Angeles: Matt Frattin, Ben Scrivens, 2nd round pick (2014 or 2015)
Trade Analysis: So....Reimer must be excited to have a dagger in the back. While a platoon would be the ideal scenario, I can't see either Reimer or Bernier accepting that solution. As for LA, they do get a lesser backup but a good 3rd line guy in Frattin.

To Pittsburgh: Harry Zolnierczyk
To Anaheim: Alex Grant
Trade Analysis: I'm guessing the Pens only want Zolnierczyk to get more info on the Flyers.

To Colorado: Alex Tanguay, Cory Sarich
To Calgary: David Jones, Shane O'Brien
Trade Analysis: Colorado is turning back the clock to 2001. Sakic, Roy, and now Tanguay (and Hedjuk is still on the team). As for O'Brien, he's closer to the Roxy, but I've heard Ranchmen's is pretty good too.

To New York R: Justin Falk
To Minnesota: Benn Ferriero, 6th round pick (2014)
Trade Analysis: Depth move for both.

To San Jose: Tyler Kennedy
To Pittsburgh: 2nd round pick (Tristan Jarry)
Trade Analysis: The best Penguin is now a Shark. And since Pittsburgh used the pick on a goalie, start the Fleury-is-gone rumors.

To Minnesota: Nino Niederreiter
To New York I: Cal Clutterbuck, 3rd round pick (Eamon McAdam)
Trade Analysis: Nino was a guy who needed a change of place, and should be given the time to play with the Wild that he never got with the Islanders.

To New Jersey Devils: Cory Schneider
To Vancouver: 1st round pick (Bo Horvat)
Trade Analysis: At least Schneider doesn't backup a 1-time Canadian Olympic gold medalist...he backs up a 2-time Canadian Olympic gold medalist. Schneider should fill in admirably during the transition from Brodeur to Brodeur (you know it's going to happen). As for the Canucks, they get a guy who will top out as a 2nd line center. 

To Carolina: Andrej Sekera
To Buffalo: Jamie McBain, 2nd round pick (J.T. Compher)
Trade Analysis: With that, Carolina has giving up with their Simpsons collection. Sounded like McBain needed a change of scene, so the D-for-D swap makes sense for both teams.

To Toronto: Dave Bolland
To Chicago: 2nd round pick (Carl Dahlstrom), 4th round pick (Robin Norell), 4th round pick (2014)
Trade Analysis: That's it, plan the parade, Leafs get a winner. Joking aside, good pickup by the Leafs, but does seem like they overpaid. As for Chicago, it's rinse and repeat after winning the Cup.

To Winnipeg: Michael Frolik
To Chicago: 3rd round pick (John Hayden), 5th round pick (Luke Johnson)
Trade Analysis: Again, sell-off by Chicago. For Winnipeg, they hope Frolik can go back to producing like he did in Florida.

To Philadelphia: Kris Newbury
To New York R: Danny Syvret 
Trade Analysis: Exactly what Philly needs: more toughness.

To Calgary: T.J. Galiardi
To San Jose: 4th round (2015)
Trade Analysis: Well, if you can't market wins, a hometown guy might work.

To Tampa Bay: Drew Olsen
To Columbus: Future Considerations
Trade Analysis: I always feel bad for Future Considerations, he makes Mike Sillinger look stable.

To New York R: Danny Kristo
To Montreal: Christian Thomas
Trade Analysis: Habs trading with the Rangers just after the draft never hurt them. Right?

To Dallas: Tyler Seguin, Rich Peverley, Ryan Button 
To Boston: Loui Eriksson, Joe Morrow, Reilly Smith, Matt Fraser 
Trade Analysis: Eriksson is involved, so the trade is automatically underrated. With Dallas, Seguin will have plenty of time to be messy unprofessional the top player he was projected to be. Peverley adds depth at center for the Stars while Button will probably be in the minors. For Boston, Eriksson adds more offense along the wing. Morrow, Smith, and Fraser are minor pieces in this deal.