In the old days, the only way to experience a special moment at a stadium was to be there. Well, that’s changed quickly. The internet age has enlightened tens of millions as to what goes on in big rivalry games. Is it tantamount to treason? God help us for the Beijing 2028 Olympiad where they have the psychological tactics to brainwash us all. Just kidding. We’ll be fine.

9. Wisconsin: “Jump Around” While everyone knows that “Jump Around” is the official song of white people trying to appear less white by listening to a hip hop song sung by white people, for some reason that doesn’t diminish the awesomeness in suburban Wisconsin. They jump, they get down, they came to mess around and whatnot. All in all, the crowd puts their back into it, and what could be farcical becomes seriously awesome, if not intimidating.

8. Toronto Maple Leafs: “The Leafs’ Song” You know why sports are awesome? Cause they can take something as truly uncool and unspectacular as this song and make it downright inspiring. Is there a reason for this? Yup. Do I want to talk about it? Nope. Things get cooler when they’re associated with winners. Just look at Dennis Rodman in the mid-90’s. However, unlike others that pander to the lowest common denominator, this song stays true to its original weird message. And that’s cool for some reason. Remember: I’m just giving you traditions; the reasons will cost you extra.

7. Lakers: “I Love LA” Not the most noble or venerable of traditions, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Once that asshat Randy Newman starts singing the first few verses, the crowd gets reminded that they are attending “showtime” and the rest will sort itself out. It’s easy to mock the stars-potting when you’re on the outside looking in, but when you’re there and you realize that Jack is in the house, it adds an element of exclusivity that Chicagoans thought was only reserved for his airness. Hate it when you’re not one of ‘em, love it when you are. Isn’t that what these traditions are about?

And, yeah, this version isn’t traditional, but few things about LA are, so enjoy it or hate it. The way Lakers fans see it, the sun will rise another day, regardless.

6. Cubs: “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” Easily the most trite and replicable tradition on this list, but it works. The scrappy Cubs always seem to be the ones raising the dead to appreciate a nice day at the ballpark, regardless of how the team is performing. Historically, that has been a bone of contention with the Cubbies, who seem to have a loyal fan base regardless of whether or not they actually expect wins from their players

Click Here For 9 Memorable In-Game Traditions 5-1

A night to remember turned into a disastrous one for Toronto Maple Leafs fans as they lost 6-2.

A total of 150 total penalty minutes were handed down in a rough affair at the Bell Center Thursday Night.  Even goal scorer  Mikhail Grabovski of the Toronto Maple Leads got involved in the fighting.  Grabovski went after Montreal Forward and non-fighter Sergei Kostitsyn.  A matchup of light weights the two could not get at each other as the linesman were holding each of them back trying to issue them both off the ice.  At one point Grabovski drags the linesman with him still after Kostitsyn, but Grabovski is no match for the ref as he body checks him and tackles him to the ice.

The unidentified linesman is rumored to be a retired mixed martial arts fighter, but this still has yet to be confirmed.  After getting up Mikhail Grabovski pushed the linesman, kicked his helmet at him turned away and immediately skated off the ice gesturing the crowd with some unknown hand sign.

Grabovski, who acknowledged that his actions might bring league sanctions, raised his arms to the jeering Bell Centre crowd as he left the ice.

“Five seconds in my head – I don’t know what happened,” said Grabovski, who was traded by Montreal to Toronto on July 3.

So if your ever one on one in a street brawl with Mikhail Grabovski we recommend you stay away because he may just push you and kick some dirt at you like a little school girl.

Penalty Summary and Video of the Fight Below
1ST PERIOD
	01:08	Deveaux, 2 min, Hooking
	02:51	Lapierre, 2 min, Interference
	07:51	Weber, 2 min, Slashing
	13:04	Stempniak, 2 min, Interference
	14:11	Markov, 2 min, Interference
	16:53	May, 2 min, Charging
	17:40	Plekanec, 2 min, Roughing
	17:40	Schenn, 2 min, Roughing
	20:00	Grabovski, 10 min, Misconduct
	20:00	Deveaux, 2 min, Roughing
	20:00	Deveaux, 2 min, Roughing
	20:00	Latendresse, 10 min, Misconduct
	20:00	Komisarek, 2 min, Roughing
2ND PERIOD
	07:05	Bouillon, 2 min, Tripping
	08:53	Finger, 2 min, Roughing
	09:48	Plekanec, 10 min, Misconduct
	09:48	White, 10 min, Misconduct
	10:15	Kostitsyn, 10 min, Misconduct
	10:15	Blake, 10 min, Misconduct
	11:11	Kostopoulos, 5 min, Fighting
	11:11	Mayers, 5 min, Fighting
	11:11	D’Agostini, 2 min, Bench – Abuse of Officials
	11:13	Bouillon, 5 min, Fighting
	11:13	May, 5 min, Fighting
	11:40	Grabovski, 2 min, High-Sticking
	18:10	Hagman, 2 min, Bench – Too Many Men on the Ice
	19:20	Latendresse, 2 min, Hooking
3RD PERIOD
	13:15	Mitchell, 2 min, Slashing
	18:07	Deveaux, 2 min, Unsportsmanlike Conduct
	18:07	Kostitsyn, 10 min, Misconduct
	18:07	Lapierre, 2 min, Unsportsmanlike Conduct
	18:07	Grabovski, 10 min, Game Misconduct
	18:07	Grabovski, 10 min, Misconduct

Now there have been a few whispers around the NBA that Sam Mitchell is on the hot seat considering next year is his last guaranteed year. The whispers became louder when Eddie Jordan was fired this week by the Washington Wizards after he had brought the lowly franchise to the playoffs 4 times. Now they may have only made it out of the first round once out of those 4 tries, but Eddie Jordan proved that he is a very capable head coach.

Is he a Bryan Colangelo type guy? I have no idea as I don’t know much about him. What I do know is this, in a city like Toronto, where the basketball knowledge isn’t the highest; the way Bryan Colangelo came in was reminiscent of a knight coming in on the white horse. I to drank the kool aid that he would solve all the team’s problems.  Just like everybody in Ontario is drinking the kool aid that Brian Burke will be solving all the leafs problems when he signs on to become the President and General Manager of the blue and white.

Now I like Bryan Colangelo because even if his moves haven’t all worked out, he’s not afraid to shake things around, and you can bet if the Raptors keep playing like they are, he WILL do something very soon.

Let’s take a look back at all of Bryan Colangelos moves as the Toronto Raptors GM. Remember, Rob Babcock brought in Jose Calderon.

Bryan Colangelos Moves as a General Manager

• Raptors trade Rafael Araujo for Robert Whaley and Kris Humphries (Whaley later waived)
• Raptors Trade Eric Williams, Matt Bonner and 2nd round pick for Rasho Nesterovic.
• Raptors trade Charlie Villaneuva for TJ Ford
• Selects Andrea Bargnani as the first pick in the 2006 NBA draft.
• Signs European players Jorge Garbojosa and Anthony Parker
• Signs Chris Bosh, Kris Humphries and Jose Calderon to long term deals.
• Signs Jason Kapono to a 4 year/$24 million dollar deal
• Trades 2 second round picks for Carlos Delfino
• Signs Jamario Moon to a 2-year deal
• Drafts Giorgos Printezis and Nathan Jawai as second round picks
• Trades First round pick Roy Hibbert, TJ Ford and Rasho Nesterovic for Jermaine O’Neal and Nathan Jawai
• Signs Hassan Adams and Will Solomon
• Brings over Babcock Draft pick Roko Ukic over from Europe

Now some of these moves had little value, at least when grading a general manager on franchise type moves. Those include the Solomons, Adams, Printezis, Jawai moves.

The trade of Araujo for Humphries was a big plus for Colangelo. He turned a useless player who is already out of the NBA for a serviceable 3rd or 4th big man off the bench who brings a lot of energy. He also re-signed him for 3 years/$9 odd million, very fair deal.

Picking up Rasho Nesterovic was a solid move. It solidified the center position as well as help out Chris Bosh down low. It was a stop gap solution and it did just that.

Trading Villaneuva for Ford was another nice move. At the time we didn’t know Calderon was going to be as good as he is now, so bringing in a starting point guard was a nice move. The jury is out on Bargnani, but I think it’s safe to say that those comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki will never come close to coming true He’s been good this year, but don’t see him ever reaching Nowitzki numbers. Signing Bosh and Calderon to long term deals was great, but not something any GM could have done. Remember, we could offer both those guys more money than any other team, and in the NBA, especially after a rookie deal or numbers comparable to them…..money talks.

The Jason Kapono deal has to be seen as a disappointment.  As much as I like him, I think all Raptor fans would admit, they expected a bit more. Signing Parker and Garbojosa has had mixed reviews. The moves starting off great, but Garbo left because he would rather play for his country, very admirable, than stay on the injured list. Parker has had his ups and downs with the team, and at this point he’s in a downward spell.  Parker looks like he’s aged and is not as quick or offensive as he once was.

Bringing in Delfino was a great move, but just as bad a move was not finding a way to re-sign him. Our bench is weak and Colangelo should have found a way to keep him. His scoring definatley could be used right now.

By far his strongest move was finding Jamario Moon. Now I am giving him the credit but from what I’ve heard and read, it was more scouts that found Moon then Colangelo. Trading Ford and Nasterovic for O’Neal is a good move regardless if he plays or not. The salary cap room alone after next year gives Colangelo a second chance at turning the Raptors into a contender.

So there it is. I’d give Colangelo an above average score on what he’s done, but definitely not the White Knight we all expected. Hope Leaf fans keep their expectations in check when Burkey starts this weekend.

Ozel

Week: | 1-2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Total Pro Sports – Unlike the last few weeks there wasn’t a tonne of movement in this week’s NHL Power Rankings as the Sharks, Rangers, Red Wings, Bruins and Penguins make up the top 5. The Sabres dropped 5 spots and end up at #10.

NHL Power Rankings Movers And Shakers

The biggest Shakers in our NHL Power Rankings this week were the Ottawa Senators dropping 6 spots landing them at #27.

The second biggest shaker was the Phoenix Coyotes at #21, moving down 5 spots from last week.

The biggest Movers in our NHL Power Rankings this week were the Nashville Predators moving up 9 spots to land at #14. We also have to mention the Philadelphia Flyers who sit at #20 after gaining 8 spots from last week.

Lets take a look at the rest of the league: NHL POWER RANKINGS for Week 6.

Rank	Team	Record	PRV	Comment
1		15-3-1	-	Losing Nabokov hasn’t slowed down this team one bit. Just ask the Calgary Flames.
2		13-5-2	-	So far Zherdev and Naslund have been worth the risks and Daniel Girardi is having a great season.
3		11-2-3	-	Their best players have been their best players and Osgood is still getting the job done. Hossa leads the team in points with 23.
4		10-3-4	-	Been getting solid goaltending from Thomas and Fernandez. They’ll need someone other than Marc Savard to start putting up points to keep this up though.
5		11-4-2	2	Just like Detroit, Pittsburgh’s best players have been their best players and Jordan Staal finally broke out with a hat-trick in their game against the Red Wings.
6		10-4-2	-	So-so week going 2-2. They’ll need more scoring from guys like Plekanec, Higgins and the Kostitsyn bros. to try and over take the Rangers and Penguins in the East.
7		10-4-3	1	Big week by Semin and Ovechkin helped them to a 3-0-1 record.
8		10-4-1	1	Won both of their games to go 2-0 including a shutout win over the Coyotes.
9		10-6-1	2	Continued to ride Luongo’s hot streak going 1-0-1. The Sedin twins have gotten things going but will need help from guys like Bernier, Demitra and Raymond.
10		9-5-3	5	Went 1-2 while giving up 14 goals in their 3 games.
11		10-7-2	1	The Ducks big 3 in Getzlaf, Perry and Selanne continue to roll along and Pronger has stepped up his game collecting 14 points and is a plus-4 so far on the season.
12		9-7-2	1	Not the greatest of weeks, but did pull out a win against the Lightning thanks to solid goaltending by Cam Ward.
13		7-4-5	3	Lost all 3 of their games collecting just 1 point out of a possible 6. On the plus side Kane leads the team in scoring with 21 points.
14		9-7-1	9	Lead by Jason Arnott the Preds won all 3 of their games against tough opponents. They also had solid goaltending from Dan Ellis.
15		8-7-3	-	Derrick Brassard is continuing his solid play but they’ll need more from guys like Huselius, Umberger and Modin. Leclaire returned from injury and looked good in their win over Buffalo.
16		9-8-1	3	Went 1-1 beating the Leafs but getting embarrassed by the Sharks. Iginla is the only one consistantly scoring as both Cammalleri and Bertuzzi are on cold streaks.
17		8-7-2	3	Were unable to keep the momentum after a successful road trip losing to both the Leafs and Avalanche at home.
18		7-7-4	1	Had a less than stellar Western Canadian road trip going 1-2 losing to the Flames and Canucks. Stajan out of all players leads the team in points with 17.
19		8-7-2	1	Haven’t fared all that well with life without Brodeur. Clemmensen and Weekes haven’t been awful, but they’ll need to make a trade if they want to remain serious contenders.
20		7-6-4	8	Despite last week, this team has finally gotten things going in the right direction. Gagne has rebounded nicely from his concussion last year and leads the Flyers with 22 points.
21		8-8-0	5	Beat the Blue Jacket but were shutout by the Wild and lost a close one to the Stars. On the plus side Doan and Mueller are starting to play like people thought they would.
22		7-8-2	2	Saw their 5 game win streak come to an end in their loss to the Flyers. Bryan Little continues his break out season with 17 points, good enough for the team lead.
23		7-8-2	1	Pretty good week for this young team beating the Stars in their home and home series. They desperately need to start putting more pucks in the net if they want to take a serious run at the playoffs.
24		8-8-0	2	Won both of their games against the Canucks and Oilers. Just like LA, they need to start putting the puck in the net more as they can’t rely on their goaltending to win them games.
25		6-8-3	-	The disappointment continues. They’ll look to turn things around against the Blackhawks and Ducks this week.
26		5-7-5	4	Lets hope the firing of Barry Melrose has a positive effect on this team. Look for Stamkos’ role to greatly increase now that there’s a new bench boss.
27		6-9-2	6	Goaltending, goaltending, goaltending. They haven’t been able to get that key save to switch the momentum during a game and it shows. 3 goals in 3 games? That’s the opposite of good.
28		6-8-2	1	And the free fall continues. Losing Andy McDonald will be a big loss but should give the younger players like Perron and Berglund more responsibility.
29		6-9-2	1	Lost to the Flyers but managed to win back-to-back games over the lifeless Senators. Doug Weight leads the team with 16 points.
30		6-9-1	1	Despite their win over the Ducks things do not look pretty right now in Florida. Horton and Ballard are tied for the team lead in points….with 10. Yikes!

Be sure to check back next week with our NHL Power Rankings for Week 7.

When body checking was first introduced in hockey coaches taught their players not to hit players from behind because it could cause seriously injury. Most leagues in Canada had stop signs sponsored by McDonald’s stitched on the back of every hockey players jersey. They were put there so other players would remember that if the Stop sign was facing them they should not check.

It seems that the younger hockey players have learned that hitting from behind is wrong and in the NHL they still need to learn. The more that I watch NHL hockey I clearly see no attempt by players to lay off from hitting players from behind.

If anyone watched Saturday Nights game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs you’ll understand what I’m talking about. Mike Van Ryn went into his own end to retrieve a puck clearly facing the glass and Tom Kostopulous hit him from behind. Van Ryn stayed down, as he was inured pretty badly. The result of the check from behind left Mike Van Ryn with a concussion, a gash on his forehead, a broken nose, a broken bone in his hand, and now will miss a month of hockey.

Last year All Star Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron, was hit from behind by Philadelphia Flyers Randy Jones. Bergeron was seriously injured and lied motionless for minutes on the ice, he suffered a broken nose and a severe concussion and was out for the remainder of the season.

How about the infamous Ryan Hollweg on Chris Simon, Hollweg has been known to hit everyone from behind. He has already been suspended this year, I’m embarrassed to be a Leafs fans, he should be kicked out of the league.

The NHL needs to implement a severe suspension for players who check from behind regardless if the player is injured. If they’re not going to do this then they need to put stop signs on the back of everyones jersey to remind players to “STOP”.

Something needs to be done soon before someone breaks their neck and is injured for life.

Tom Kostopulous Hit On Mike Van Ryn From Behind

Week: | 1-2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Total Pro Sports – The San Jose Sharks and the New York Rangers are still atop our NHL Power Rankings.  This will probably be the same for most of the season and maybe a final match up in the Stanley Cup finals.

NHL Power Rankings Movers And Shakers

The biggest Shakers in our NHL Power Rankings this week were the Calgary Flames moving down 11 spots to #19. 

The second biggest shaker was the New Jersey Devils losing 10 spots in the rankings to #18.

The biggest Movers in our NHL Power Rankings this week were the Phoenix Coyotes and Columbus Blue Jackets both moving up 10 spots in the power rankings to #15 and #16 respectively.

Lets take a look at the rest of the league: NHL POWER RANKINGS for Week 5.

Rank	Team	Record	PRV	Comment
1		13-3-0	-	They had another winning week, going 3-1 and remaining unbeaten at home at 9-0. They lose their starting goalie but have a proven veteran backup in Boucher and should be just fine.
2		11-5-2	-	The Rangers are slowly cooling off, however, they have the lineup that can turn it on quickly so we do not expect their struggles to last very long.
3		9-2-2	1	The Red Wings had a five day break early in the week and looked fresh when New Jersey rolled into Joe Louis Arena beating them 3-1. The Red Wings have struggled at times defensively this season and we know that will be shored up quicker than later.
4		8-3-3	5	We have been impressed with the play of the Bruins this year. Tim Thomas is a streaky goaltender and right now he is seeing the puck very well and making big saves nightly.
5		8-3-3	-	The Sabres lost only their first road game this week. Ryan Miller has been dominant this year and the Sabres continue to draft well and bring players up from the farm system.
6		8-2-2	3	The Canadians had their most disappointing week so far, losing to ugly games to inferior opponents (Columbus and Toronto). Guy Carbonneau called his teams performance in Toronto the ugliest game he has ever seen them play.
7		8-4-2	3	The Penguins seem to have found the scoring touch that made them one of the leagues most potent offences last year. They are missing key players in teh lineup but the core of Crosby and Malkin is still there.
8		8-4-2	9	We don’t know how much longer Semin can stay hot but he is carrying the Capitals during Ovechkins scoring slump. Brent Johnson has been a pleasant surprise since filling in for Jose Theodore.
9		8-4-1	3	When they lost Rolston and Demitra many people thought they would fall to the cellar of the Western Conference, however, not only are they near the top of the Northwest division they are doing it without Gaborik, Burns and Nolan.
10		7-3-3	3	There is no team in the NHL that holds greater expectations than the young but talented Chicago Blackhawks. This week they posted impressive victories against the Avalanche and Flames.
11		9-6-0	7	What a week for Mr. Roberto Luongo, he posted 3 straight shutouts and has the Canucks in first place in the Northwest division.
12		9-7-1	1	The Ducks started the season slow, but rebounded with a long win streak, they began the week 2-0 but have recently dropped back to back home games, the second to lowly Florida.
13		8-5-2	1	It looks like it will be a 2 horse race in the Southeast division with Carolina and Washington battling. The chemistry up front seems to be lacking and that is obvious in the scoring sheet as their top goal scorer has tallied 5 goals.
14		8-6-1	2	The Oilers finish the week at 1-2 but move up 2 spots based on the way they played on their 7 game road trip. They lost 2 games by a score of 5-4 one in which they blew a 2 goal lead in the final period.
15		7-6-2	10	The resurgence of Rick Nash has lit a spark in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Before losing to the lowly Islanders, the Jackets swept the visitors from Canada going 3-0 against Edmonton, Montreal and Calgary.
16		7-6-0	10	Olli Jokinen has brought his goal scoring touch to the Coyotes, leading the team in goals, assist and points. It is what they were looking for when they got him out of Florida.
17		6-5-4	2	The growing pains of a young hockey team are evident on a nightly basis. There is some talent with players like Antropov, Grabovski and Schenn.
18		7-5-2	10	The significance of Martin Brodeur was felt almost immediately as the Devils finish the week 1-3. Management will begin contacting teams about their availability of goaltending, but do not expect the Eastern Conference to be helpful.
19		8-7-1	11	The Flames are having difficulty where it was least expected, goaltending and defense. Playing high scoring games is not the style best suited for this hockey club, they need to tighten up on the back end.
20		6-7-2	9	The Thrashers will have to continue to score goals at a torrid rate if they want to be in the hunt at seasons end. They do not have the defensive core to compete in the Eastern Conference.
21		6-6-2	2	The Senators big three are not contributing like many expected them to do. We do not know why things went sour on them towards the end of last season, however, it’s clear they have not figured out the problem.
22		5-5-4	3	The Lightning opened up the cheque book in the off season, but it has not paid immediate dividends. They must gain victories in games they should win and play .500 hockey against superior teams for them to make the playoffs.
23		6-7-1	9	They must figure out how to keep the puck out of the net. They are allowing 3.5 goals per game, no team can win hockey games on a consistent basis with those numbers.
24		5-6-2	4	The Kings can compete against mediocre competition, but they don’t have the talent to play with the elite in the Western Conference. Dustin Brown has been their most consistent player, that says a lot about this roster.
25		5-7-2	1	This team is way too talented to be at the bottom of the Pacific division. It is only a matter of time before they piece the puzzle together and get on a roll.
26		6-8-0	4	The questions remain in net for the Avalanche, their No. 1 goalie currently has a 3.10 GGA and .885 save percentage. They have not had a number one goalie since the legendary Patrick Roy.
27		5-7-1	6	Their start to the season has been quickly forgotten, they finished the week with a poultry 0-3 record and lost their starting goalie. Their next 5 games are all against playoff bound teams.
28		4-6-3	8	This is the same team that reached the Eastern Conference finals last year. This team is better than the way they have played with the return of Daniel Brier they should start playing better soon.
29		5-8-1	2	The Panthers have had no sense of direction for many years now, this year is proving to be no different. Let’s take this team out of the city and move them up north.
30		4-8-2	-	They could have had a 4-0 week, however, their lack of finishing hockey games cost them against the Thrashers and Penguins both games they carried leads into the final period.

Be sure to check back next week with our NHL Power Rankings for Week 6.

Week: | 1-2 | 3 | 4

Total Pro Sports – Well after three weeks the New York Rangers have finally been knocked off as the #1 team in our weekly NHL Power Rankings.

After winning four games in a row including last Saturday the San Jose Sharks have moved into the #1 spot and the way they’re playing now it’s hard to tell if anyone will be able to knock them off in the near future.

NHL Power Rankings Movers And Shakers

The biggest Shakers in our NHL Power Rankings this week were the Colorado Avalanche and the St.Louis Blues, both dropping 12 spots.

The Avalanche lost all three of their games against the Flames, Blue Jackets and Sharks while only scoring a combined 5 goals and giving up 12.

The Blues lost both of their games to the Hurricanes and Penguins while getting shutout against Carolina and giving up 6 goals against Pittsburgh.

The biggest Movers in our NHL Power Rankings this week were the Tampa Bay Lightning moving up 11 spots. The Lightning took the Northeast by storm, yes it’s supposed to be a joke, by beating the Leafs, Sabres and Senators. Both Vincent Lecavalier, more importantly, Steven Stamkos woke up with Steven getting his first NHL point against Toronto and scoring his first NHL goal against Buffalo.

Lets take a look at the rest of the league: NHL POWER RANKINGS for Week 4.

Rank	Team	Record	PRV	Comment
1		10-2-0	2	What else can be said other than this team is on a roll. Their key players are contributing and both Nabokov and Boucher are giving them solid goaltending.
2		10-3-1	1	Overall they had a good week but that 3rd period collapse vs Toronto really stung. They’ll need more from Drury as he only has 5 points in 14 games.
3		8-1-1	4	Won all three of their games including coming back from 4-1 to beat the Islanders Saturday. Andrei Markov surprisingly leads the team in points with 13.
4		8-2-2	-	Went 2-1-1 beating the Kings and Canucks. Hossa has caught fire and leads the team with 15 points.
5		7-2-2	3	Have cooled off after their hot start going 1-2-0 losing to the Senators and Lightning last week. Despite the scores, Ryan Miller is still giving the Sabres solid goaltending and Vanek leads the league in goals with 11.
6		7-2-1	1	Had a so-so week going 2-2-0. They’re still playing a good team game but will need to get some secondary scoring from guys not named Koivu or Miettinen.
7		7-4-1	5	Continued their hot streak beating the Avalanche, Bruins and Kings but lost a close one to the Ducks. Iginla, Bertuzzi and Cammalleri have scored a combined 35 points in Calgary’s first 12 games.
8		6-2-2	-	Lost a wild one to the Leafs and hammered the Thrashers. They’ll have to hope that Brodeur’s injury isn’t too serious.
9		6-3-3	5	Had a good week going 3-1-0 beating the Oilers, Canucks and Stars. Tim Thomas had a great week posting back-to-back shutouts in their wins over Edmonton and Vancouver.
10		6-4-2	4	Went 1-2-0 losing to the Sharks and Coyotes. On the plus side Crosby, Malkin and Satan have scored a combined 43 points in Pittsburgh’s first 12 games.
11		7-5-1	9	Had the second biggest gain of the week by collecting 7 out of a possible 8 points. Getzlaf and Perry have finally woken up as they now have a combined 29 points in 12 games.
12		6-3-2	1	Had a good week going 2-1-1. They’re getting good goaltending from Cam Ward but will need to put more pucks in the net to keep winning.
13		5-3-3	2	Beat the Stars and Blue Jackets but lost to the Wild. Toews has been money in the shootout but still only has 6 points in 11 games.
14		6-4-1	3	Collected 5 out of a possible 6 points. Weber has played great so far and Dumont leads the team with 14 points.
15		5-4-3	1	Had an emotional comeback win over the Rangers but then blew their own 2 goal lead against the Hurricanes the next day. They’re in tough this week facing the Hurricanes, Bruins and Canadiens.
16		6-4-1	3	Went 2-1-1 last week beating the Hurricanes and Flyers. Just like Carolina they’ll need to get more scoring to stay in the top 8 in the West.
17		5-4-1	6	Sneaked out a win against Nashville then got hammered by Buffalo. Semin is now 2nd in the league in points with 16, two behind fellow countryman Malkin.
18		6-6-0	-	So-so week going 2-2. Henrik Sedin is now tied with Ryan Kesler for the team lead in points with 10.
19		4-3-3	11	Won all three of their games and Stamkos finally scored his first career NHL goal. They’re still getting solid goaltending from Smith and Kolzig which has been a big problem for them ever since Khabibulin left back in 2005.
20		4-4-3	3	Managed to get to .500 going 2-1-0 last week. Gagne had a solid week and is tied with Richards for the team lead in points with 14.
21		5-5-0	12	Were shutout against the Hurricanes and lost 6-3 to the Penguins. It doesn’t get any easier for them as they face the Ducks, Sharks and Kings this week.
22		5-6-0	12	Lost all three of their games and goaltending looks like it will be a concern for them after all.
23		4-5-2	5	Picked up their socks a bit and beat the Sabres and Panthers. It’ll be interesting to see how Alfredsson responds after signing his big contract extension.
24		4-6-2	3	Beat the Wild but were beaten handly by both the Blackhawks and Bruins. They’ve surprisingly allowed the most goals against so far, a big change from last year.
25		4-6-1	-	Went 1-1-1 and face a tough test this week playing four games against the Islanders, Oilers, Canadiens and Flames. Derick Brassard leads the team with 11 points.
26		4-5-0	-	Went 1-1 in a light week but face a tougher test this week with four games against the Flames, Canucks, Panthers and Sharks. Doan has turned it on lately and is tied with Jokinen for the team lead in points with 10.
27		4-6-1	5	Rough week losing all three of their games while only scoring 6 goals. Keith Ballard leads the team with 10 points…not a good sign.
28		3-6-1	4	Like the Panthers, the Kings lost all three of their games. On the plus side Kopitar and Frolov are starting to heat up.
29		3-7-2	2	Lost their first three games of the week but managed to beat Florida thanks to a great game by Kovalchuk. Question is how much longer will he be a Thrasher?
30		2-7-1	1	In a continuing trend for the bottom 4 teams, the Islanders lost all three of their games last week, including blowing a 4-1 lead to the Canadiens. Hedman or Tavares anyone?

Be sure to check back next week with our NHL Power Rankings for Week 5.

5.  Toronto Maple Leafs Season Preview

Lets just say there’s a reason why Mats Sundin didn’t rush back to play with this team.

The Leafs biggest weakness is up front. Nik Antropov, Jason Blake, Jiri Tlusty and Alexei Ponikarovsky make up part of the top 6. Newly acquired Mikhail Grabovski and Niklas Hagman will add some offence along with Alex Steen. While forwards like Matt Stajan, Dominic Moore and Jamal Mayers will help out on the defensive side of things. Rookie John Mitchell is an interesting wild card and will start the season on the 3rd or 4th line.

Despite the forwards, their defence is looks pretty good. Tomas Kaberle and Pavel Kubina are the top two while guys like Carlo Colaiacovo, Mike Van Ryn, John Frogren, Anton Stralman and the man himself Jeff Finger add some good depth. Rookie Luke Schenn is starting off the season with the big club and if he continues his sold play from preseason will likely stay with the club, although they wont be relying heavily on him.

In net they have a solid #1 in Vesa Toskala and Curtis Joseph brings some good leadership to the dressing room but is far removed from being one of the top goalies in the league.

It’s the start of a rebuild for this team, so unless a miracle happens they’ll be on the outside looking in for the playoffs for the 4th year in a row.

Once considered the hardest division in the NHL, the Northeast isn’t as competitive now due to the drop off of both the Toronto Maple Leafs and teh Buffalo Sabres.

Lets take a look at where these teams will finish this year in my 2008-09 NHL Northeast Divison Standings Preview

2008-09 NHL Northeast Divison Standings Preview

Rank	Team	Rec	PRV	Name/Previews
1		47-25-10	-	Montreal Canadiens
2		43-31-8	-	Ottawa Senators
3		42-29-12	-	Boston Bruins
4		39-31-12	-	Buffalo Sabres
5		36-35-11	-	Toronto Maple Leafs

 

 

 

Total Pro Sports – This I think this turning into a big joke now.  “Mats, just pick a team and get this saga over with.  You know you want to win a cup and in Toronto your gonna have a hard time doing so.  Just sign with a cup contender and move on with your career.  You deserve it, so do whats right for you and your family. Lord Stanley is calling for you!

The Tampa Bay Lightning are believed to be the latest club interested in obtaining free agent Mats Sundin – if he decides to play again.

While the NHL community awaits Sundin’s decision, his agent, J.P. Barry, confirmed two more clubs have recently expressed interest in his client.

Barry would not reveal the two new teams that have joined the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers in the pursuit of the veteran centre, but one is believed to be the Lightning.

Sundin not only met with Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher last Friday and Canadiens boss Bob Gainey on Saturday in Toronto, he also played in the Right to Play charity game with his old buddy, new Lighting forward Gary Roberts, as well as new Tampa Bay owner Oren Koules.

True, the Lightning are close to the NHL’s $56.7-million (all currency U.S.) salary cap and therefore don’t have room to add Sundin’s salary, which is expected to be in the $7-million neighbourhood. But the Lightning could save some valuable cap space if injured forward Jeff Halpern is unable to play this season because of his injured right knee and rookie Steven Stamkos is returned to junior.

Read the rest of this article here: The Globe And Mail