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Tag: NHL

  • 2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Pittsburgh Penguins v. New York Islanders

    2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Pittsburgh Penguins v. New York Islanders

    The NHL Playoffs kicks off this Wednesday. In this match up, we have two Metro division rivals squaring off against each other. The Islanders boast a record of 48-27-7 (103 Points) and finished 2nd in the division. While the Penguins have a record of 44-26-12 (100 Points) finishing 3rd in the division.

    The Penguins and the Islanders split the season series against each other 2 games apiece. In the first meeting on October 30th, the Islanders defeated the Penguins 6-3, then followed that up with a 3-2 victory in the shootout, just two days later. It wouldn’t be until December before the two teams would square off again, and it was the Penguins that were victorious, beating the Islanders 6-2 on December 6th. 4 days later, the two teams would square off for the final time in the regular season, and it was the Penguins who came out on top, a 2-1 shootout victory for them.

    The last time the Penguins and the Islanders played against each other in the playoffs, it was 6 years ago, way back in 2013. It was the Penguins who won the series, 4 – 2. It should be of note, that the game winning overtime goal in that series was provided by current Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8I7qIkugQ

    Keys to Victory for the Islanders

    • Use the home ice to their advantage. In round 1, the Islanders will be playing at Nassau Coliseum. Historically, the Islanders do well in this barn, and should take full advantage of the amped up crowd.
    • Shot blocking. One of the main reasons for the Islanders resurgence this season is their commitment to defense. They need to muck up the lanes and get in front of the puck.
    • Goaltending. Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss won the William Jennings trophy for least goals allowed. They are both playing really well and will need to step up big time for the Isles going forward.

    Players to Watch

    Matthew Barzal (F)

    Robin Lehner (G)

    Devon Toews (D)

    Keys to Victory for the Penguins

    • Experience. The Penguins have made it to the playoffs for the last 13 consecutive seasons. Really impressive, because in those 13 years, they have won 3 Stanley Cups during that time.

    • Power plays. The Penguins ranked 7th in the NHL in power play percentage during the regular season. If the power play can continue with this trend, there are going to be some big opportunities for the star players to score some big goals.
    • Penalty Kill. As well as their power play has been, their penalty kill is also good. The Penguins are tied for the 3rd best penalty kill in the league. Special teams always is a difference maker in the playoffs.

    Players to Watch

    Sidney Crosby (F)

    Matt Murray (G)

    Evgeny Malkin (F)

    Here is what the schedule of the series looks like:

  • NHL Suspends Slava Voynov for 2019-20 Season and Entire 2020 Playoffs

    In breaking news, it was announced today that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has suspended defenseman Slava Voynov for the entire 2019-20 NHL season, as well as the entire 2020 NHL Playoffs for his Domestic Violence charges back in 2014.

     

    Voynov, who was suspended indefinitely back on October 20th, 2014, was charged with a felony charge of corporal injury to a spouse. While his wife defended him, Voynov would plead no contest to the charges and serve 90 days in jail and 3 years on probabtion. However, the conviction was expunged from his record thus opening the door for his potential return to the NHL.

     

    In Bettman’s statement announcing Voynov’s year long suspension, he had the following to say:

    IMG_20190409_162919

     

    Now many will want to compare this case to that of Auston Watson’s from earlier this season, but the two are completely separate cases. While what Watson did is wrong, the initial 27 game suspension was correct for him and his actions. For Voynov, we are talking about an individual who beat his wife bloodly and had her hospitalized. Voynov has been gone now for five seasons, and with this new suspension, will be banned from the League for a total of six years.

     

    While I agree with the notion that Voynov should never play in the NHL ever again, when you look at this punishment that totals 6 years of his NHL career gone because of his actions, I’m ok with this being a one year suspension.

     

    Now with that said there are some serious questions that need to be asked, and the first one that comes to everyone’s mind is will this be appealed? We’ve seen two suspensions shortened this season for Watson and Tom Wilson, but will we see one for Voynov? This is a very unprecedented event taking place, and the only thing I can think of that is remotely close to this is back in 2000 when Marty McSorley was suspended for his assault on Donald Brashear during a game that brought criminal charges. However, once McSorley’s suspension was doled out it effectively ended his career as he was nearing retirement at the time of his transgressions. If we get an appeal, it will be one of the most interesting cases that we will have upon us, but at this point and given the situation, an appeal should not be entertained.

     

    Another question that is being asked is should any teams entertain the thought of signing Voynov? As mentioned earlier, Voynov will have been out of the NHL for 6 years come July 2020, and he has been playing in the KHL, but it’s not the same as playing in the NHL. Plus you have to look at any backlash that an organization may face just for even considering the notion of signing him.  It’s a very slippery slope for any team to appraoch.

     

    Lastly, a question that needs to be answered is will Voynov be allowed to play anywhere while he is suspended from the NHL for the 2019-20 season and playoffs? This is a very interesting topic, as normally when you are suspended you are not allowed to play, but Voynov is currently a free agent because of the Los Angeles Kings voiding his contract back in 2014. So will Voynov be allowed to play in say the American Hockey League or even back in Russia in the KHL? My assumption would be that he would not be allowed to play as he is in fact suspended, but only time will tell in that regard.

     

    In my humble and honest opinion I agree with the suspension that has been doled out here today by Gary Bettman. Six years is a very long time to be away from the League, and by the time July 1st, 2020 comes around interest in Voynov could die completely and he just goes away.

     

    Got any comments? Share away, but please do keep it civil.

  • TXHT Appearance! – Michael Lindenbaum joins Mike Jones on “Whatcha Playing”

    TXHT Appearance! – Michael Lindenbaum joins Mike Jones on “Whatcha Playing”

    TXHT is proud to announce that Michael Lindenbaum is on the latest episode of “Whatcha Playing” with Mike Jones of DC101.

     

    Michael and Mike talk about SoulCalibur VI, as well as some WWE and NHL gaming.

     

    You can listen to the episode here.

     

    TXHT would like to thank Mike Jones and DC101 for having Michael on “Whatcha Playing”.

     

    You can catch Michael and his gaming adventures on his returning Twitch show “X75 Unsanctioned” in the near future. Stay tuned for more details!

  • Game Recap – 4/6/2019 – New York Islanders v. Washington Capitals – Regular Season Finale

    Game Recap – 4/6/2019 – New York Islanders v. Washington Capitals – Regular Season Finale

    Washington Capitals (48-26-8 104pts) v. New York Islanders (48-27-7 103pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    Tonight, both the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders conclude their regular season against each other as they prepare for the Stanley Cup Playoffs beginning next week.  The first period was a very sleep one between both teams as it ended with a 0-0 tie going into the 2nd.

     

    In the second period, the Islanders got on the board first with a goal by Valteri Filpula at the 2:55 mark.  That would be the only goal for the period.  After two periods, the Islanders would lead 1-0 over the Capitals.

     

    Valteri Filpula of the Islanders would add his second goal of the game to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead at the 10:54 mark.  Matt Martin would seal the victory for the Islanders as he scored an empty net goal to make it 3-0.  Up next for the Capitals and Islanders is the Stanley Cup playoffs which begin next week.  The Capitals this past week clinched the Metropolitan Division and will square off against the Carolina Hurricanes as they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins gaining one point to lock up the third spot in the division.  The Islanders will square off against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round as a result of the Penguins gaining an additional point in the standings.

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin-Evgeny Kuznetsov-Tom Wilson

    Carl Hagelin-Lars Eller-Brett Connolly

    Jakub Vrana-Travis Boyd-Dmitrij Jaskin

    Andre Burakovsky-Nic Dowd-Chandler Stephenson

    Dmitri Orlov-Matt Niskanen

    Jonas Siegenthaler-Nic Jensen

    Brooks Orpik-Christian Djoos

    Starter: Phoenix Copley

    Scratches: TJ Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson

     

    New York Islanders:

    Anders Lee-Mathew barzal-Jordan Eberle

    Josh Bailey-Brock Nelson-Tomas Kunhackly

    Anthony Beauvillier-Valteri Filpula-Leo Komarov

    Matt Martin-Casey Cizikas-Cal Clutterbuck

    Nic Leddy-Johnny Boychuk

    Adam Pelech-Ryan Pulock

    Devon Toewes-Scott Mayfield

    Starter- Robin Lenher

    Backup- Thomas Greiss

    Scratches: Michael Dal Cole,Ross Johnston, Thomas Hickey, Dennis Seidenberg,Luca Sbisa, Andrew Ladd 

     

    First Period:

    N/A

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 0       NYI – 0

    Shots              8                     8

    Faceoffs         7/12                5/12

    PP                 0/0                    0/0

     

    Second Period:

    Washington Penalty-4:50- Carl Hagelin, 2 minutes for Hooking

    New York Goal-2:55- Valteri Filpula (16) assisted by Devon Toewes (13) & Anthony Beauvillier (10)

    New York Penalty-13:23- Devon Toewes, 2 minutes for Holding 

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 0        NYI- 1

    Shots             18                     14

    Faceoffs        16/27             11/27

    PP                 0/1                    0/1

     

    Third Period:

    New York Penalty-6:30- Ryan Pullock, 2 minutes for Hooking

    New York Goal-10:54- Valteri Filpula (17) assisted by Adam Pelech (16) & Leo Komarov (20)

    New York Goal (empty net)-17:27- Matt Martin (6) assisted by Casey Cizikas (13) & Cal Clutterbuck (15)

    End of 3rd – WAS – 0         NYI- 3

    Shots              24                   29

    Faceoffs        22/46              24/46                    

    PP                 0/1                    0/2

     

    Next Up-Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1:

    Washington Capitals v.s Carolina Hurricanes

     

    New York Islanders v.s Pittsburgh Penguins

     

  • April 7th, 2019 — News and Notes

    April 7th, 2019 — News and Notes

    Today is Sunday, April 7th, 2019, and these are your news and notes covering the final day of the 2018-2019 Regular Season in the NHL.

     

    There were 15 contests yesterday across the NHL, with playoff implications on the line.

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    Yesterday’s Results (Home team is in CAPS):

    Tampa Bay 6, BOSTON 3


    *Images are the property of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    The Tampa Bay Lightning would get their 62nd win on the season, tying an NHL record with the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings, when they defeated the Boston Bruins with a 6-3 win yesterday afternoon.  Tampa Bay would get this win after being down 2-0 late in the second period and would score four unanswered goals before Boston would score in the third period to make it a 4-3 Tampa Bay lead. Tampa Bay would score two more goals, one being an empty netter late in the third, to give the Lightning a 6-3 win.

     

     

    Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov would set a record for points by a Russian NHL player with 128 points this season, when he registered his 41st goal on the season 53 seconds into the third period.

     

     

     

    ST. LOUIS 3, Vancouver 2 (SO)

     

    The St. Louis Blues would take down the Vancouver Canucks with a 3-2 win in a shootout and with the win, the St. Louis Blues would seal the third spot in the Central Division standings.

     

     

    Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson would score his 28th goal on the season and ended the season with 66 points, a rookie record for a Canucks player.

     

     

     

    MONTREAL 6, Toronto 5 (SO)

     

     

    The Montreal Canadiens would defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 6-5 shootout win, thanks to a hat trick by Ryan Poehling in his first NHL game.

     

     

    In this back and forth contest, the Toronto Maple Leafs could not keep up with the upbeat Canadiens and would fall in the shootout loss.  However, despite the loss, the Maple Leafs would earn 100 points on the season, and it would be the first time Toronto would earn that mark in consecutive seasons.

     

     

     

    Columbus 6, OTTAWA 2

     

     

    The Columbus Blue Jackets would seal their spot in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 6-2 win over the Ottawa Senators yesterday.  This would also be a penalty free game from both teams.

     

    Buffalo 7, DETROIT 1

     

     

    The Buffalo Sabres would face off against the Detroit Red Wings and would end up crushing Detroit with a 7-1 win last night.

     

     

    Detroit’s lone goal in the contest would come on a power play goal in the first period with Anthony Mantha’s 25th goal on the season, setting a career-high.

     

     

     

    New Jersey 4, FLORIDA 3 (OT)

     

    Travis Zajac would score the game winner in overtime, his 19th goal on the season, to give the New Jersey Devils the 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers last night.

    New Jersey ends the season with 31-41-10 record, whereas the Florida Panthers end their season with a record of 36-32-14 0y 4 /8

     

    https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1114708929773174784

     

    Carolina 4, PHILADELPHIA 3

     

     

     

    Despite being outshot in the contest, the Carolina Hurricanes would go on to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3.  With the win by the Carolina Hurricanes, they earned the top wild card spot and will face the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs.

     

    NY Rangers 4, PITTSBURGH 3 (OT)

     


    *Image is the property of the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    The Pittsburgh Penguins would fall to the New York Rangers yesterday, losing by the score of 4-3 in overtime last night.

     

    NY Islanders 3, WASHINGTON 0

     

    The Washington Capitals would fall to the New York Islanders with a 3-0 loss.  Despite the loss the Capitals will face off against the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Islanders will face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

     

     

     

    NASHVILLE 5, Chicago 2

     

     

    The Nashville Predators would defeat the Chicago Blackhawks last night with a 5-2 win last night thanks to goals by five different Nashville skaters.

     

    With the Nashville win, they would go on to become back-to-back Central Division champions.

     

     

    DALLAS 3, Minnesota 0

     

    The Dallas Stars would defeat the Minnesota Wild with a 3-0 win, thanks to two goals from Dallas F Tyler Seguin.  Seguin would bring his regular season goal total to 33 goals, matching a mark he had in the 2015-16 season.

     

    The Minnesota Wild would be outshot throughout the entire contest and never could catch up to physicality and overall play of the Stars.

     

     

    Edmonton 3, CALGARY 1

    The Edmonton Oilers would defeat the Calgary Flames with a 3-1 win thanks to Leon Draisaitl’s 50th goal on the season as well as Alex Chiasson’s 22nd goal on the season.

     

    Calgary’s lone goal would come from Mark Jankowski, his 14th goal on the season, in the first period of the contest.  After that goal by the Flames, they would not any answer for the Oilers.

     


    *Image is the property of the Calgary Flames, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    Winnipeg 4, ARIZONA 2

     

    The Winnipeg Jets faced off against the Arizona Coyotes and would escape with a 4-2 win last night.

    There would be four different goal scorers for the Jets in the contest and it would be enough to clinch home ice for at least the first round of the playoffs.

     

    LOS ANGELES 5, Vegas 2

     

    The Los Angeles Kings would face off against the Vegas Golden Knights and escape with a convincing 5-2 win.

     

    Los Angeles Ilya Kovalchuk would score twice and with goals by Jeff Carter, Matt Roy, and Anze Kopitar, the Kings would end their season a win.

     

    For the Golden Knights, despite the loss to the Kings, their season will continue when they face off against the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

     

     

    SAN JOSE 5, Colorado 2

     


    *Image is the property of the San Jose Sharks, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    The San Jose Sharks would go on to defeat the Colorado Avalanche by the score of 5-2 thanks to scorers from five different Sharks players in the contest.

     

     

    For more news, notes, information, and statistics, you can check out the NHL’s Morning Skate Report at the following link:

     

    5802__stanley_cup_playoffs-wordmark-2019

     

    The First Round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoff schedule was also announced earlier today.

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     


    *Images are the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    TXHT will have a full playoff preview episode and articles to come so make sure to stay tuned.

  • Game Recap – 4/4/2019 – Montreal Canadiens v. Washington Capitals

    Game Recap – 4/4/2019 – Montreal Canadiens v. Washington Capitals

    Montreal Canadiens (43-29-8 94pts) v. Washington Capitals (47-25-8 102pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    In the final stretch of the regular season the Washington Capitals host the playoff hungry Montreal Canadiens in a game that can decide some playoff fates. In the first 10 minutes of the game both teams would play with a very fast tempo, and would generate great opportunities on both ends of the ice, but goaltenders Carey Price and Braden Holtby have been solid. Then later in the period it would be Lars Eller opening up the scoring with a beautiful backhander that goes above Price’s leg pad and under the glove. However, a Nicklas Backstrom high sticking call would put Montreal on the powerplay and see Shea Weber tie the game at one going into the first intermission.

     

    In the second period the Canadiens would start the period with a little extra jump in their game, but it would be the Capitals striking to regain their lead when Nic Dowd netted his 8th of the season. The game would continue to display a lot of back and forth hockey between the two teams, but the Capitals would generate a few more chances by creating some odd man rushes.

     

    In the third period it would feature a lot of back and forth hockey. Both Carey Price and Braden Holtby played stellar in net keeping the game to a one goal affair. The Capitals would hold off the Canadiens however to win 2-1 and clinch their fourth consecutive Metropolitan Division title.

     

    Lineups:

    Montreal Canadiens:

    Tomas Tatar — Phillip Danault — Brendan Gallagher

    Artturi Lehkonen — Max Domi — Andrew Shaw

    Jonathan Drouin — Jordan Weal — Joel Armia

    Jesperi Kotkaniemi — Nate Thompson — Paul Byron

    Victor Mete — Shea Weber

    Brett Kulak — Jeff Petry

    Jordie Benn — Christian Folin

    Carey Price

    Antti Niemi

    Scratched: Nicolas Deslauriers, Charles Hudon, Matthew Peca, Ryan Poehling, Dale Weise, Mike Reilly, Charlie Lindgren

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — Tom Wilson

    Jakub Vrana — Evgeny Kuznetsov — T.J. Oshie

    Carl Hagelin — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Andre Burakovsky — Nic Dowd — Travis Boyd

    John Carlson — Nick Jensen

    Matt Niskanen — Dmitry Orlov

    Brooks Orpik — Christian Djoos

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Dmitrij Jaskin, Jonas Siegenthaler, Chandler Stephenson

    Injured: Michal Kempny (lower body)

     

    First Period:

    Capitals Goal – 18:36 – Lars Eller (13) from Brett Connolly (24) and Carl Hagelin (14)

    Capitals Penalty – 18:57 – Nicklas Backstrom 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Canadiens PPG – 19:32 – Shea Weber (14) from Joel Armia (9) and Phillip Danault (41)

     

    End of 1st – MON – 1       WAS – 1

    Shots              14                09

    Faceoffs         08                09

    Hits               07                  14

    PP                 1/1                 0/0

     

    Second Period:

    Capitals Goal – 2:58 – Nic Dowd (8) from Andre Burakovsky (13)

    Canadiens Penalty – 8:29 – Shea Weber 2 minutes for Interference

     

    End of 2nd – MON – 1        WAS – 2

    Shots               22                 20

    Faceoffs          18                 17

    Hits                 15                  25

    PP                   1/1                  0/1

     

    Third Period:

    N/A

     

    End of 3rd – MON – 1         WAS – 2

    Shots              34                   31

    Faceoffs        26                    25

    Hits               22                     37

    PP                 1/1                    0/1

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (48-25-8 104pts) v. NY Islanders (47-27-7 101pts)

    Montreal (43-30-8 94pts) v. Toronto (46-28-7 99pts)

  • April 3rd, 2019 — News and Notes

    April 3rd, 2019 — News and Notes

    Today is Wednesday, April 3rd, 2019, and these are your news and notes

     

    There were 10 games in NHL action yesterday.


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    Nashville 3, BUFFALO 2

     

    The Nashville Predators would take down the Buffalo Sabres with a 3-2 win.  With the win, the Predators are now 6-2-1 in their last nine contests.

     

    Nashville remains in a first place tie on points for the Central Division lead with the Winnipeg Jets.  However if the season were to end today, the Predators would be in second place in the Central Division based on ROW (regulation and overtime wins)

     

    Boston 6, COLUMBUS 2

     

    The Boston Bruins would defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets by the score of 6-2 and in doing so, the Bruins would snap Columbus’ five game win streak.

     

    Here is the infographic on Boston’s win over the Blue Jackets.

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, Boston Bruins, and their respective owners

     

    Carolina 4, TORONTO 1

     

    The Carolina Hurricanes would defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs by the score of 4-1 and in doing so, the Hurricanes are trying to stay in contention for a postseason spot.

     

     

    With the loss by the Maple Leafs, Toronto clinched the third spot in the Atlantic Division.

     

    MONTREAL 4, Tampa Bay 2

     

    The Montreal Canadiens would double up the Tampa Bay Lightning with a convincing 4-2 win.

     

     

    DETROIT 4, Pittsburgh 1

     

    The Detroit Red Wings would win their sixth straight game with a 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins last night.

     

     

    The only goal scorer in the contest for the Penguins would be Phil Kessel, with his 25th goal on the season.

     

    Pittsburgh’s infographic from last night’s contest is pictured below


    *Image is the property of the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    MINNESOTA 5, Winnipeg 1

     

    The Minnesota Wild would defeat the Winnipeg Jets with a 5-1 win last night and with the win, the Wild prevented the Jets from climbing further for the division lead.

     

     

    DALLAS 6, Philadelphia 2

     

    The Dallas Stars would take down the Philadelphia Flyers with a convincing 6-2 win last night.

     

     

    Alexander Radulov would score two goals in the contest, giving him 29 goals on the season,

     

    With Dallas’ win, they clinched a spot in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs.

     

    COLORADO 6, Edmonton 2

     

    The Colorado Avalanche would beat the Edmonton Oilers with a 6-2 in last night.

     

    After being down 2-0 at the end of the first period, the Avalanche scored six unanswered goals to seal the win.  Also in this contest, Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon would register his 400th NHL point.

     

    With Colorado’s win over the Oilers, the Minnesota Wild have been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.  It will be the first time that the Wild are not in the playoffs since the 2011-12 season.

     

    VANCOUVER 4, San Jose 2

     

    Tanner Pearson would score twice in the contest to give the Vancouver Canucks a 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks.

     

     

    San Jose’s Joe Thornton is now tied with Nicklas Lidstrom for 12th place on the all-time games played list with 1,564 regular-season games played.

     

    San Jose’s infographic from the 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks last night.

     


    *Image is the property of the San Jose Sharks, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    Los Angeles 3, ARIZONA 1

     

    The LA Kings would take down the Arizona Coyotes with a 3-1 win.

     

     

    With the win by the Kings, the Coyotes postseason chances are now very slim as the remain four points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference

     

     

     

     

    Today’s Schedule of NHL contests:


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    For more news, notes, information, and stats, please check out the NHL’s Morning Skate report.

  • TXHT Podcast – 4/2/2019

    TXHT Podcast – 4/2/2019

    The TXHT podcast is back with Serious Hockey Talk for Serious Hockey Fans!

     

    Audio Version:

     

    This week on TXHT, Michael Lindenbaum is joined by our friend from The Hockey Writers Nate Oliver.

     

    Both Michael and Nate talk about the sudden announcement of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League ceasing operations effectively May 1st.

     

    Plus they discuss the impact that this will have on Women’s Hockey, and the recent announcements made today by the National Women’s Hockey League.

     

    This week’s episode was recorded on Tuesday, April 2nd, 2019

    Opening Music: “Human Chess” by Crimson Orchid

     

    Have a question you want answered on the show? Ask us! Comment on here or on one of our Social Media outlets, and we’ll answer it.

  • Three Stars and NHL Rookie of the Month (March 1-March 31) Announcements

    Three Stars and NHL Rookie of the Month (March 1-March 31) Announcements

    The National Hockey League yesterday announced the Three Stars of the Week and earlier today the Three Stars of the Month as well as the NHL Rookie of the Month was announced.

     

    First, TXHT will take a look at the announcements made for the Three Stars of the Week (week ending March 31)


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    The First Star of the Week went to Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

     

    Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky would be named the First Star of the Week thanks to a four wins on the week with two shutouts and would extend the Blue Jackets win streak to five games.

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    The Second Star of the Week went to Detroit Red Wings F Tyler Bertuzzi.

     

    Tyler Bertuzzi shared the League lead with three goals and seven assists in four outings to power the Red Wings to a perfect week and their fifth consecutive victory overall.

    During the week, Bertuzzi would become the first Detroit player to record three consecutive three-point games since 1992-93.  Steve Yzerman achieved that feat twice during the 1992-93 season.


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    The Third Star of the Week would go to Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper.

     

    Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper would achieve a record of 2-0-1 to keep the Coyotes in the hunt for a wild card spot and earn two shutouts over the week.

    Over the season, Kuemper has achieved a career high 26 wins in 53 appearances and ranks  in the top 10 in the NHL in goals-against average (6th place with a GAA of 2.34) and save percentage (9th place with a SV% of .924).


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

     

     

    Second, the National Hockey League earlier today announced the Three Stars of the Month (March 1-March 31).

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

     

     

    The First Star of the Month would go to Edmonton Oilers C Connor McDavid.

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    McDavid would have 20 assists over a 14 game span during the month of March and lead the Oilers to a record of 7-5-2 for the month.  McDavid would also have 11 multi-point games over the course of March.

     

    The Edmonton captain also scored seven times, including his seventh career
    overtime goal March 16 at ARI and 40th goal of 2018-19 March 28 vs. DAL.  McDavid also ranks second in the NHL with a career-high 74 assists and 115 points in 75 total contests this season as well as sharing the League lead with nine game-winning goals.

     

    The Second Star of the Month would go to Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    Bobrovsky topped the NHL in wins, tied with nine and had four shutouts in 13 appearances.  In those 13 appearances for the month, Bobrovsky would compile a
    1.74 goals-against average and .940 save percentage to give the Blue Jackets a 9-6-1 March record and to the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

     

    The Third Star of the Month would go to Boston Bruins D Brad Marchand.


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    Marchand placed third in the NHL with nine goals and 14 assists in 15 games to propel the Bruins to a 9-6-0 March and help the Bruins clinch their third consecutive playoff berth.

     

    Marchand would register three points in four games (March 7 vs. the Florida Panthers, March 12 at the Columbus Blue Jackets, March 21 at the New Jersey Devils, and March 27 at home against the New York Rangers.

     

    Finally, the NHL also announced the Rookie of the Month for the month of March.

     

    St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington named as the NHL’s Rookie of the Month

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    The NHL earlier today would announce that St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington would be named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for the month of March.  This would also be the second consecutive month in which Binnington would earn Rookie of the Month honours.

    Binnington would compile a record of 6-3-0 with a GAA (goals against average) of 2.37 and a save percentage of .912.

    Binnington allowed three or fewer goals in eight of his nine appearances to spark the Blues (43-28-8, 94 points) to their seventh playoff berth in eight seasons and would help get the Blues from the bottom of the NHL standings on January 2nd to second place in the Central Division standings as of the completion of yesterday’s games.

    Binnington has also compiled a record of 22-5-1 since he made his first NHL career start on January 7th.

    Binnington joins Vancouver Canucks rookie Elias Pettersson as the only two rookies to earn Rookie of the Month honours twice during the 2018-19 campaign.

     

    One final note to close out this article…

    Sportsnet and Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman released his “31 Thoughts” blog post for the week.

    One big highlight on this week’s “31 Thoughts” blog post is the news with the CWHL shuttering operations on May 1 and what the NHL needs to do to make a viable partnership with the NWHL.

    https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1113112788853972992

     

  • Game Recap – 4/1/2019 – Washington Capitals v. Florida Panthers

    Game Recap – 4/1/2019 – Washington Capitals v. Florida Panthers

    Washington Capitals (47-24-8 102pts) v. Florida Panthers (35-32-12 82pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    In their final road game of the regular season, the Washington Capitals visit the Florida Panthers with a chance to clinch the Metropolitan Division title for the fourth season in a row. However, the Panthers would have different ideas as they would strike first to put the Capitals in an early 1-0 deficit on a Frank Vatrano goal.

     

    Then in the second period, the Panthers would continue to push the play as Jonathan Huberdeau would bank in the loose puck past Pheonix Copley to make it 2-0. Then while the Capitals were on the lone powerplay of the period Vincent Trocheck would blast a shot five hole on Copley to give the Panthers a three goal lead while shorthanded. And to end the period for the Panthers it would be former Capital Troy Brouwer getting the goal off of a beautiful Aleksander Barkov pass to make it 4-0 going into the second intermission.

     

    Halfway thru the third period the Capitals would come alive as Evgeny Kuznetsov would get the Capitals on the board with the hopes of a late comeback victory. Then after a failed powerplay opportunity the Capitals would strike again as Nicklas Backstrom would be the recipient of a TJ Oshie pass in front of the net to cut the Panthers lead to two. And Oshie would not be done there as with Copley pulled for the extra attacker, Oshie would find an open Jakub Vrana to cut the Panthers lead to one. However, despite their best efforts, Vincent Trocheck would ice the game for the Panthers with an empty net goal in the final minute to win the game 5-3 for the Panthers.

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — Tom Wilson

    Carl Hagelin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — T.J. Oshie

    Jakub Vrana — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Andre Burakovsky — Nic Dowd — Chandler Stephenson

    Matt Niskanen — Dmitry Orlov

    Christian Djoos — John Carlson

    Nick Jensen — Brooks Orpik

    Pheonix Copley

    Braden Holtby

    Scratched: Dmitrij Jaskin, Jonas Siegenthaler, Travis Boyd

    Injured: Michal Kempny (lower body)

     

    Florida Panthers:

    Jonathan Huberdeau — Aleksander Barkov — Evgenii Dadonov

    Mike Hoffman — Vincent Trocheck — Jayce Hawryluk

    Frank Vatrano — Riley Sheahan — Troy Brouwer

    Dryden Hunt — Henrik Borgstrom — Colton Sceviour

    Mike Matheson — Aaron Ekblad

    Keith Yandle — MacKenzie Weegar

    Mark Pysyk — Josh Brown

    Roberto Luongo

    Sam Montembeault

    Scratched: Jamie McGinn, Denis Malgin, Ian McCoshen, Brady Keeper, James Reimer

    Injured: Derek MacKenzie (shoulder)

     

    First Period:

    Panthers Goal – 13:48 – Frank Vatrano (24) from Colton Sceviour (10) and Henrik Borgstrom (10)

    Capitals Penalty – 16:30 – Nicklas Backstrom 2 minutes for Holding

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 0       FLA – 1

    Shots              05                14

    Faceoffs         11                10

    PP                 0/0                 0/1

     

    Second Period:

    Panthers Goal – 3:34 – Jonathan Huberdeau (28) from unassisted

    Panthers Penalty – 11:48 – Frank Vatrano 2 minutes for Holding

    Panthers SHG – 12:01 – Vincent Trocheck (9) from Aleksander Barkov (58) and Mike Matheson (19)

    Panthers Goal – 17:57 – Troy Brouwer (12) from Aleksander Barkov (59) and Dryden Hunt (7)

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 0        FLA – 4

    Shots               19                 24

    Faceoffs          21                 16

    PP                   0/1                  0/1

     

    Third Period:

    Capitals Penalty – :41 – Tom Wilson 2 minutes for Hooking

    Capitals Goal – 10:55 – Evgeny Kuznetsov (21) from John Carlson (57)

    Panthers Penalty – 11:45 – Vincent Trocheck 2 minutes for Tripping

    Capitals Goal – 16:25 – Nicklas Backstrom (22) from TJ Oshie (28) and Alex Ovechkin (38)

    Capitals Goal – 17:39 – Jakub Vrana (24) from TJ Oshie (29) and Matt Niskanen (17)

    Panthers ENG – 19:33 – Vincent Trocheck (10) from Evgenii Dadonov (41) and Aleksander Barkov (60)

     

    End of 3rd – WAS – 3         FLA – 5

    Shots              30                   34

    Faceoffs        32                    29

    Hits               35                     29

    PP                 0/2                    0/2

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (47-25-8 102pts) v. Montreal (42-29-8 92pts)

    Florida (36-32-12 84pts) v. NY Islanders (46-27-7 99pts)