NHL History & News

Northwest division rivals the Colorado Avalanche and the Edmonton Oilers square off Thursday night at Rexall Place.

NHL Betting Odds are not yet available for this matchup.

The Oilers will catch a break – and they need all the breaks they can get – as the Avalanche will be playing the second game of a back-to-back, after visiting the Canucks in Vancouver on Wednesday.

Colorado has surprised many this season, and was leading the Northwest division heading into Wednesday’s action with a 12-7-1 record. Edmonton has had a poor season so far, going 5-10-4.

The Avs are the second highest scoring team in the NHL, averaging 3.6 goals per game. However, Colorado is also giving up 3.00 goals each game. The Oilers are averaging 2.58 GPG and are the worst-rated defensive team in the league, allowing 4.05 GPG.

With Edmonton’s poor defensive performance, it would make sense that the team has the worst shots against in the league at 35.6 per game, allows the most power play goals in the league with 1.3 per game, and has the worst penalty killing in the league 68.4%.

Head-to-head, Colorado is 5-4-0-1 in the past 10 meetings. This is the first meeting of the season. The teams last squared off on April 7 last season, a 5-4 Oilers home win as a -100 moneyline favorite.

Tampa Bay Lighting visit the Pittsburgh Penguins at the CONSOL Energy Center. on Friday, and they are the two top goal scorers in the National Hockey League last season.

Right down to the final day of the 2010-11 season, Sidney Crosby and Steven Stamkos took their battle for the NHL goal-scoring race and by finishing with 51 apiece, they ended up sharing the Rocket Richard Trophy.

For the Friday’s matchup, NHL Betting Odds are not yet available.

Between Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh, this is the second meeting of the season.

When the Lighting beat the Penguins 5-3 on Oct. 27, the tiebreaking goal was scored by Martin St. Louis early in the third period and added a late empty-netter.

In regulation this season, this was the Penguins first road loss.

Starter Mike Smith was pulled at 12:15 of the first period allowing three goals on seven shots, Tampa Bay goalie Dan Ellis took over thereafter.

St. Louis said that he has been thrown by you there and you have been given a chance by him to get back in and said that was great.

Vincent Lecavalier, Teddy Purcell and Dana Tyrell also had markers for the Lightning.

In NHL action Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs visit Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

The Leafs have stumbled lately, although they got off to a great start, and are now at 5-4-1, Washington is at 7-4-0.

The Maple leafs will be without forward Colby Armstrong, on the injury front. He is out indefinitely with a hand injury. Including forwards Boyd Gordon (Day-to-Day, undisclosed) and Marcus Johansson (Day-to-Day, hip injury); the Capitals have a number of players sidelines.

In the past 10 head-to-head matchups, Toronto is 5-5-0-0, seven of which have gone under the total. On Jan. 15 last season, the teams last met, when the Capitals blew out the Maple Leafs 6-1 and cashed as a -255 home favorite. Over the total of 5.5, went the score.

On Saturday was Toronto’s last game, when it lost 2-0 to the New York Rangers. A -150 moneyline home favorite was Toronto.

With a 7-2 shellacking of the Calgary Flames, Washington closed out a road trip. A -115 home favorite was Calgary.

Thursday at the Air Canada Centre, the New York Rangers take on the surprising Toronto Maple Leafs in a battle of NHL Original Six teams.

The Maple Leafs won their first four games before dropping their first of the season Monday, while the Rangers have stumbled out of the gate at 1-2-1.

Rash of injuries to key players in the team’s first few games is one reason for New York’s sluggish start. Forward Chris Drury is out indefinitely with a finger injury, forward Vaclav Prospal also is out indefinitely with a knee injury and leading scorer Marian Gaborik is expected to miss at least three weeks with a shoulder injury.

In the past 10 head-to-head, the Rangers are 5-1-0-4, including going 3-3 in four meetings last seasons. But, so far this season the Maple Leafs won the one meeting, beating the Rangers 4-3 last Friday.

In a 3-1 setback against the Colorado Avalanche, New York dropped its third-straight game Monday. -125 home favorites had been the Rangers.

On Monday, Toronto lost 2-1 to the visiting New York Islanders, as -180 home favorites in various hockey odds.

Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins team captain, is adamant that he desires to stay and play NHL with the Boston Bruins. He even indicated he would like to remain there for the rest of his professional career. His present contract will end July 1, 2011. However recent investigations concerning front-loaded and long term contracts have stalled talks about extending Chara’s contract.

There are many aspects to settling contract terms. The NHL and the NHL players association have to agree upon changes, or amendments, which will affect how contracts are handled. There is some discussion about contracts with decreasing values to prevent long term contracts.

The New Jersey Devil’s deal with Ilya Kovalchuk seems to be the main hold up in contract talks. His 15 year contract worth a hundred million dollars was finally approved Friday of last week. This came with an agreement between the players association and the league.

Now that amendments concerning long term contracts have been approved by the league the standstill should be over. Bruin’s representative, states that the new negotiations will be beneficial for every one involved. This will help players and general managers work through contract negotiations much quicker than before.

With agreements finally being reached between the NHL and the NHL players association the guidelines will be a lot clearer. This will make talks run much smoother for every one concerned.

Chris Chelios announced Tuesday that he will not return to the NHL for a 27th season. He exits professional hockey as the second oldest player to ever take the ice, behind only Gordie Howe.

Chelios spent his playing days in Montreal, Chicago, Detroit and Atlanta. The 48-year-old defenseman won three Stanley Cups and three Norris trophies and he is very popular in the NHL futures odds.

The next step for Chelios is working as an adviser in Detroit. He will consult with the Red Wing’s upper management and coaching staff while helping to guide younger players.

As a player himself, Chelios first broke in with Montreal and remained a Canadien for seven seasons. A trade sent him to the Blackhawks and he played nine seasons in Chicago before being dealt to Detroit. His last NHL action came in seven March games for the Thrashers.

The U.S. Olympic hockey team chose Chelios four times to be a member. Three times he served as captain and helped bring home a silver medal in 2002.

Despite the incredible endurance of Chelios and intense training, a broken leg made him miss about 75% of Detroit’s 2008-09 season. The Red Wings subsequently did not bring him back for 2009-10.

Chelios leaves the NHL as leader in postseason games played, having taken the ice in 266. His 1,651 regular season games puts him at fourth place all-time.

The intense style of play Chelios demonstrated leaves him walking away with a somewhat dubious honor. His 2,891 penalty minutes is second all-time among defensemen.

An objection was filed by the NHL Players Association on Ilya Kovalchuck’s disputed contract, on July 26, 2010. It attracted quite a buzz in many NHL game reviews.Any of the laws stated in the collective bargaining agreement, was not violated by Kovalchuck’s contract, as claimed by the players association.

Last week, the National Hockey League rejected the one of a kind 17 year contract for $102 Million. The NHL stated that the 17 year contract was unacceptable and it violated the salary cap. In 2016, the contract would Kovalchuck reaches the age of 44.

Ilya Kovalchuck would earn the bulk of this money early on, is the most speculated thing about the contract. In the last 6 years Kovalchuck would be earning a total of only $3.5 million, Kovalchuck would be earning only $3.5 million. Some are saying that, for the last few years of his career, small pay check were created to avoid the cap.

Every team has their own need. For NHL players across the board, the chairman of the NHL, Gary Bettman wants to put a cap on salaries, hence the reason why some find it ridiculous.

At this point, it is wait and see for Kovalchuck, although it’s starting to come down to the wire. What will come of the objection by the NHLPA, is hard to say.

On June 25 at the NHL Entry Draft, only two NHL teams get to select Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin. The Bruins are the holders of the second overall pick and will likely select whichever player wasn’t taken by Edmonton with the first pick, by virtue of a trade with Toronto.

With a pair of first round selections, the Bruins are one of three teams. It seems much more likely that they will take whoever is left out of Hall and Seguin, although there have been rumors that Boston may package the second overall pick in a deal for a goal-scoring forward that can help right away.

For the Plymouth Whalers, Hall plays left wing for the Memorial Cup Champion Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Seguin plays center. Having twice won the Memorial Cup, Hall is the more famous of the two. Seguin, however, was NHL Central Scouting’s top North American skater in the year-end rankings and has a tremendous shot and a special combination of skill, speeds, and size.

Leaving the Bruins to take Seguin, the consensus is that Edmonton will use the first pick on Taylor Hall. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli has stated that they would be happy with either one and his scouts have no favorite between the two. Even though they are relatively deep at center, they will still use the second overall pick on Seguin should the Oilers take Hall.

Bruins goal tender Tuukka Rask led the NHL in save percentage and in goals allowed and will gladly welcome more help on the blue line. They will consider defensemen Dylan McIlrath, Derek Forbert, Mark Pysyk and Jonathan Merrill, when they pick again with the 15th overall selection.

The wings are another area of concern for Boston. They need to pick up some wingers to help out and they are deep at center (and will be even more so if they end up with Seguin). They will be very active in terms of trades at the draft, so it is very likely that they could package either the 15th pick or the 32nd pick in a deal to bring in some new talent on the wings.

In game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Montreal Canadiens, on Saturday May 8, 2010 at Mellon Arena. At two wins a piece, the teams are all tied up in the second round of the playoffs.

Even though the Montreal Canadiens have been counted out several times already, they are showing the world that they belong in these playoffs. In what is considered to be a huge upset, in the first round, they knocked off the Washington Capitals.

Against the Penguins in Game 4, Montreal Goaltender Jaroslav Halak had another hot game, stopping 33 shots the Penguins fired at him. The Penguins need to find a way to get the puck into the net and Halak has been a force to deal with in these playoffs.

After having surgery only six days before, Jordan Stall played in game 4. Stall’s foot was sliced open by a skate and he had to have the tendon surgically repaired, on April 30, 2010.

In the first period, Tom Pyatt of the Canadiens scored early, but was answered by Max Talbot and Chris Kunitz of the Penguins. With goals by Maxim Lapierre and Brian Gionta in the third period, saw Montreal rally back, giving the Canadiens a 3-2 victory.

Will Montreal shock the world with another upset and knock the defending Stanley cup Champions out of the playoffs or can the Penguins take the series back over and go on to a third straight Stanley Cup Final.

We are getting ready to rock your hockey world with the new NHLHistory.net, please come back in the not too distant future for all your hockey content after it becomes history.