|
Watch Mason Raymond’s crazy shot The whole video is actually of Raymond’s first career hat trick. The lucky shot comes at the 18-second mark. Raymond already has 29 points this season for the Vancouver Canucks. He improves by the year and is now a key player on the Canuck’s roster. 2009 NHL Preview: Vancouver Canucks
We’ve partnered with On Goal Analysis to bring you a team-by-team preview of the upcoming NHL season. (Just scroll down on the OGA website and hit the calendar.) Here is the preview for the Vancouver Canucks… Team Play: ISSUE – A lack of excuses. Over the summer, Vancouver parted company with Mats Sundin, Taylor Pyatt, Mattias Ohlund and Jason LaBarbera. Those roster spots were filled (and then some) by Mikael Samuelsson, Mathieu Schnieder, Brad Lukowich, Christian Erhoff and Andrew Raycroft (and in all likelihood, Sergei Shirokov, as well). Overall, there’s no denying the fact that the Canucks improved over the summer. They now face the enjoyable dilemma of having eight NHL-caliber defensemen, while only needing seven…though Schneider’s recovery from shoulder surgery will allow Head Coach Alain Vigneault to postpone that d-man decision. Among the forward corps, Samuelsson’s 19 goals last season equal Sundin’s and Pyatt’s combined tallies. Meanwhile, rookie Sergei Shirokov has demonstrated a nose for the net in preseason, and should be good for 20+, provided he spends the entire 2009-10 campaign in Vancouver. Thus, putting biscuits in baskets shouldn’t be an issue for the Canucks this season. Much has been made of the Canucks’ “epic odyssey” – a “fourteen-game road trip” made necessary by the presence of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Some have gone so far as to suggest the Canucks’ season hinges on this road trip. That was my initial thought, too…until I analyzed the trip and saw that it’s not as bad (or as “epic”) as it’s made out to be. Conclusion: No excuse. The Vancouver Canucks enter the 2009-10 campaign an improved team over last season. Despite the improvements, expect the Canucks to battle the Calgary Flames all season long for supremacy in the Northwest, as the Flames have upgraded, too. Look for the loser of that battle to finish no lower than sixth in the West…and don’t be surprised if these two clubs meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs next April. Can you say, “fireworks”? Click here to read the rest of the preview (which includes the site’s unique Playoff Qualifying Curve and fantasy information) at the On Goal Analysis site. Posted in: NHL Tags: 2009 NHL Preview, NHL, NHL Preview, Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Canucks preview
Goaltender Roberto Luongo signs a 12-year contract
Vancouver Canuck fans need not worry any longer about team captain Roberto Luongo signing with another team. The All-Star goaltender has willingly agreed to a 12-year contract extension worth $64 million.
Considering the contract includes a no-trade clause, I think it’s plain dumb to sign a guy for this amount of time. Luongo is already 30 years-old and went through a grueling groin injury last season. I assumed this contract became the longest in NHL history, but I was wrong. In 2006, Rick DiPietro inked a 15-year, $67.5 million deal with the New York Islanders, surpassing former teammate Alexei Yashin’s contract of 10 years. Ridiculous. The NBA and NHL playoffs are heating up, as the Boston Celtics/Chicago Bulls series could go down as maybe the best first round series ever. The Detroit Red Wings will again battle the Anaheim Ducks, who have defeated them in consecutive playoff series. They defeated the Red Wings in the 2003 Western Conference quarterfinals, it marked the first time since 1952 that a defending Stanley Cup champion was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. All times ET… NBA Playoffs NHL Playoffs MLB Boxing Horse Racing Posted in: Boxing, Couch Potato Alert, MLB, NBA, NHL, Television Tags: 2003 Western Conference quarterfinals, ABC, Anaheim Ducks, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, Boxing, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox, Churchill Downs, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Red Wings, ESPN, Fox, HBO PPV, horse racing, Junior Welterweight Title, Kentucky Derby, KY, Las Vegas, Louisville, Manny Pacquiao, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Miami Heat, MLB, NBA, NBC, New York Mets, NHL, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ricky Hatton, Stanley Cup, Tampa Bay Rays, TBS, Texas Rangers, TNT, Vancouver Canucks, Versus, Washington Capitals
John Madden was, um, colorful in the color analyst role on a NFL telecast. His catch phrases were the sound effects from the old Batman television series. After every play, you were guaranteed a “boom” or a “bam” from Madden in his description. He brought fun to the no fun league (NFL), and his name is synonymous in the gaming community for playing video football. And Madden was a maverick in another way; he left on top in two professions. He will be missed. The NBA and NHL postseasons start this weekend, and there are a few good baseball games on the tube as well. All times ET… NBA Playoffs NHL Playoffs MLB Posted in: Couch Potato Alert, MLB, NBA, NHL, Television Tags: 2009 NBA Playoffs, ABC, Anaheim Ducks, Atlanta Hawks, Batman, Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Eastern Conference, ESPN, Fox, Houston Rockets, John Madden, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, MLB, Montreal Canadiens, NBA, NBA Playoffs, NBC, New Orleans Hornets, New York Rangers, New York Yankees, NFL, NHL Playoffs, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, St. Louis Cardinals, TBS, TNT, Utah Jazz, Vancouver Canucks, Versus, Washington Capitals, Western Conference
This weekend, WrestleMania 25 will be held in Houston, and it promises to be one of the biggest shows of the year. It’s a culmination of the past year’s feuds decided inside the squared circle. Vince McMahon created this event and Hulk Hogan put it on the map, but the rabid fans have turned WrestleMania into wrestling’s own Super Bowl. Their support has transformed the WWE into the most successful pro wrestling promotion in entertainment sports today. And for that, they should be applauded! All times ET… NBA NHL NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament MLB Posted in: College Basketball, Couch Potato Alert, March Madness, MLB, NBA, NHL, Television, Women Tags: ABC, Atlanta Braves, CBC, CBS, Cleveland Cavaliers, Connecticut, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, ESPN, Houston, Houston Rockets, Hulk Hogan, Los Angeles Lakers, Louisville, Miami Heat, Michigan State, Minnesota Wild, NBA, NBA TV, NBC, NCAA, NHL, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Orlando Magic, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia Phillies, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Stanford, Super Bowl, Vancouver Canucks, Villanova, Vince McMahon, Washington Wizards, WrestleMania 25, WWE
Welcome to the longest-running game show on television today, How’s Your Bracket. I heard that there’s going to be college basketball and more college basketball on television this weekend. March Madness is upon us, and the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament really brings out school pride in alumnus all across the country. Today, you can wear your Stephen F. Austin or North Dakota State t-shirt proudly. All times ET… NBA NHL NCAA Tournament World Baseball Classic Posted in: College Basketball, Couch Potato Alert, March Madness, MLB, NBA, NHL, Television Tags: ABC, Boston Celtics, CBC, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Dodger Stadium, ESPN, Japan, Kansas University, Korea, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, NBA, NBA TV, NBC, NCAA tournament, New Jersey Nets, NHL, North Dakota State, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Antonio Spurs, Stephen F. Austin, Syracuse University, United States, Vancouver Canucks, Venezuela, wbc, World Baseball Classic
If you could pry yourself away from the televised coverage of the T.O. ordeal for just one minute, you could tune in to a couple of key marquee matchups on the hardwood this weekend. It begins with Cleveland visiting Boston tonight, and with a victory the Cavs can confirm their status as a legitimate title contender. They’re no longer LeBron James and the Cavalettes coming to your favorite NBA arena. On Saturday, it’s #1 UConn versus #4 Pittsburgh in a crucial Big East matchup. Then, travel down Tobacco Road for Duke-North Carolina in an ACC heavyweight matchup this Sunday. This could be a dress rehearsal for next week’s conference tournament final, with the winner getting a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. All times ET… College Basketball NBA NHL World Baseball Classic Posted in: College Basketball, Couch Potato Alert, March Madness, MLB, NBA, NHL, Television Tags: ABC, ACC, Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Canada, CBC, CBS, Chicago Black Hawks, Clemson, Cleveland Cavaliers, Connecticut, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Duke, ESPN, ESPN Full Court, Fox Sports Net, LeBron James, Marquette, Michigan State, NBA, NBA TV, NBC, NCAA, New York Rangers, NHL, North Carolina, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rogers Centre, San Antonio Spurs, San Jose Sharks, Syracuse, T.O., Terrell Owens, Tobacco Road, Toronto, United States, Utah Jazz, Vancouver Canucks, Wake Forest, Washington Wizards, World Baseball Classic
|
