The NHL’s silly season has arrived. In NASCAR, this means the offseason. But in the NHL, it’s the postseason where the Department of Player Safety seems to get lenient on some pretty dangerous stuff.
After the Opening Night of the 2022 Playoffs concluded, five players received supplemental discipline. But for everyone involved, it was a mere slap on the wrists.
Tom Wilson got in some hot water with the Toronto Maple Leafs after a hustle play resulted in goaltender Jack Campbell being clipped in the head accidentally.
Campbell remained in the game and did not suffer an injury.
By Ian Oland 2 years ago
Alex Ovechkin was part of Hockey Night In Canada’s powerful opening last night.
The nearly four-minute intro, set to Bob Marley’s Redemption Song, put a spotlight on the Black Lives Matter movement and the newly formed Hockey Diversity Alliance, whose goal is to eradicate systemic racism in the sport and change the face of hockey. The opener aired hours after Matt Dumba became the first player to kneel during the national anthem of the Blackhawks-Oilers game.
Former Capitals forward Joel Ward and Devante Smith-Pelly were also featured in the clip.
Seven current and former Black NHL players, including recently retired former Capital Joel Ward, have formed the Hockey Diversity Alliance. The mission of the group is to “eradicate racism and intolerance in hockey” and “be a force for positive change not only within our game of hockey but also within society.”
The Hockey Diversity Alliance will work independently of the NHL but hopes to work closely with the league to achieve these goals.
The first two nights of the NHL regular season have been full of goals. The superstars of the game have stepped up offensively, often in a big way.
Wednesday, Wayne Simmonds and Connor McDavid both notched hat tricks. And while we were watching Alex Ovechkin complete yet another three-goal game Thursday, Brandon Saad did the same. This is the first time in 100 years that four different players have scored hat tricks in their season-opening games.
By Brendan Doyle 6 years ago
Floyd Mayweather TKO’d UFC double champion Conor McGregor in the 10th round Saturday night, pushing his undefeated record to 50-0. According to Sportsnet Stats, Mayweather made at least $59,347.18 per second during the victory.
Many NHL players watched the fight or attended it live in Vegas. Former Capital Daniel Winnik was at T-Mobile Arena for the event along with NHL stars Brent Burns, Joe Thornton and Evander Kane. Burns draped himself in an Irish flag.
Players, especially NHL enforcer, had strong opinions about the fight, including former Hurricanes forward Anthony Stewart who tweeted an Alex Semin bongos GIF to describe McGregor’s fading punch power late in the fight.
Under the tutelage of Head Coach Wayne Gretzky, Alex Ovechkin and Braden Holtby’s Metropolitan Division defeated the Pacific Division to win the All-Star Game tournament and earn one million dollars.
Alex Oveckin was minus-two. For some reason, Braden Holtby tried really hard in his shutout stint in net for the Metro. Ovechkin jumped up and down with Holtby to celebrate.
By Peter Hassett 7 years ago
With twenty seconds left and a million dollars on the line, Alex Ovechkin went to the next level to ensure the Metropolitan Division All-Stars would hang on to their 4-3 lead.
He became the team’s waterboy.
Photo: Rob Carr
After Monday night’s anarchic attempt at a hockey game, the Washington Capitals held a 3-0 series lead. In 180 minutes of hockey, the Philadelphia Flyers took 96 PIMs. Washington’s power play was eight for 17. The Caps, it seemed, were in for a long layover before facing the winner of the Rangers-Penguins series.
“Everything they’ve gotten to a point we’ve given them,” Wayne Simmonds said in the minutes after Game Three ended. “We’ve got to stay out of the box.”
The Flyers have done that the last two games, reducing Washington to five power plays in Games Four and Five. Without that boost, the Caps fell when the series shifted back to Verizon Center Friday night. They outshot the Flyers 44-11 — shot attempts were 82-27 — but lost the special teams battle. Philadelphia had six power plays while Washington’s deadly man-advantage unit was limited to three.
“We were in the box a lot,” Tom Wilson, who did not receive any infractions, said. “Yeah, we had a lot of shots, but we have to do a better job of getting to the interior and staying out of the box. If we play 60 minutes five-on-five, I don’t think you see that team standing up by the end of it.”
By Chris Gordon 8 years ago
Photo: Elsa
At first, it all went according to plan. The house lights went down at exactly 7 PM. The arena lit up in a sea of orange and white lights glimmering off commemorative wristbands. A tribute to the recently deceased Ed Snider, who founded the Flyers in 1967 and had owned the team ever since, played on the big screen. All of Wells Fargo Center, from the seating bowl to the benches to the press box, applauded a great owner. Then Kate Smith and Lauren Hart sang their trademark “God Bless America” duet. Within a minute of puck drop, the Flyers had the first goal, wildly sliding into the boards in celebration. The roar from the fans was booming. This was their night for their owner.
“Ed was a dynamic visionary who turned Philadelphia into one of the great hockey towns in the world,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said before the game in a heartfelt press conference. “He believed in excellence — and in this team, the Flyers.”
But in the end, that team let him down.
By Chris Gordon 8 years ago
