Kukla's Korner

Billy Tibbetts Done With The EPHL

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

11/20/08 at 11:50 PM ET | Comments (0)

from the News-Times,

The Billy Tibbetts era is over in Danbury.

The Mad Hatters, Danbury’s newest professional hockey team, suspended the troubled forward for an unspecified violation of team rules, Danbury general manager Brendan Tedstone and Eastern Professional Hockey League commissioner Jim Riggs confirmed Thursday.

The team officially suspended Tibbetts on Monday and he subsequently left the team on his own accord, Tedstone said.

Tedstone said it is team policy to not discuss the nature of personnel matters....

“I don’t think you’ll see him back in the league,” Tedstone said. “It’s not the standard of living he is used to. I’ve heard he’s already been contacted by IHL and SPHL teams.”

read on

Filed in: Non-NHL Hockey, Minor League | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: Billy+Tibbetts,

Habs Top Sens, And The Goal/Game That Was Stolen Away

Blog: SENShobo By SENShobo

11/20/08 at 11:30 PM ET | Comments (1)

After the Senators lost 3-2 to Montreal in the shootout, I find myself in a debacle. On one hand, I could follow journalistic instincts and not speak of bad calls ruining the game.

Or, I could preserve common sense and point out the complete nonsense that ruined the game. I’ll sit on the fence by bringing it up later, but rest assured that this won’t be the last time you hear about it.

Tonight, the Sens played their best game during their now 6-game losing streak, and yet a loss once again reared its ugly head. With a straight face, it should be near impossible to say that the Habs outplayed or outworked the Sens. The irony is that those kind of wins used to be Ottawa’s specialty.

Continue Reading »

Filed in: NHL Rules, NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators | SENShobo | Permalink
 

The Game Of Hockey In Nashville

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

11/20/08 at 11:08 PM ET | Comments (1)

from Dan Ellis of the Nashville Predators at the Hockey News,

You would think after 10 years of hockey the city of Nashville would be crazy about the sport, but that’s not necessarily the case.

I think our ownership group has done a good job emphasizing a connection to the local community to get support. Now the team just needs to continue to have success and bring more and more fans out.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Nashville Predators | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: Dan+Ellis,

How Is the Coaching So Far

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

11/20/08 at 08:53 PM ET | Comments (1)

from Terry Frei at ESPN,

The elite ...
… or the men who get the most out of their rosters, regardless of how good (or otherwise) those rosters are.

Mike Babcock, Detroit
Any quarrel here? Other than the fact that the rich got richer, which isn’t his “fault”? His broad-based background, his Stanley Cup résumé, his adaptability all add up to this: He should be at the top, or near the top, of any list. Stock: Up.

Jacques Lemaire, Minnesota
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: You’ve got to give the devil—or ex-Devils coach—his due.

more

Filed in: NHL Teams | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Integrity? That Illusion’s Shattered Brother.  It’s A Live Blog.

Blog: Abel to Yzerman By IwoCPO

11/20/08 at 07:41 PM ET | Comments (294)

The polls are closed. And after 119 votes, I’ll admit it.  I recorded the first one this morning and it went to Triumph.  “Magic Power” is easily in the IwoCPO top ten.  I’m also a big Guess Who fan and I even dig me some Neil Young when the time is right.

I can also tell you this: I’ve never listened to a second of a Tragically Hip song, I don’t think.  But peer pressure’s a bitch so I stuck ‘em in there.  It came down to the wire between Rush and Young, with a push from Ronnie Van Zant’s pal the last 90 minutes or so.  The selected lyric?  Well, that just fits.

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Filed in: | Abel to Yzerman | Permalink
 

Wide Open Calder Race

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

11/20/08 at 07:34 PM ET | Comments (1)

from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,

The NHL’s rookie race looks nothing like what the preseason pundits predicted.

Steven Stamkos, Kyle Turris and Fabian Brunnstrom were far and away the leading September picks to challenge for the Calder Trophy this season.

Someone forgot to tell Derick Brassard, Kris Versteeg, Mikhail Grabovski, Jakub Voracek and Patrik Berglund—the top five scoring rookies through Wednesday night.

Fellow rookie forwards Blake Wheeler, Mikkel Boedker and Oscar Moller also have been impressive as the NHL season reaches its quarter pole, as have first-year blueliners Alex Goligoski, Drew Doughty and Luca Sbisa.

Still, let’s be honest here. For the first time since the lockout, the NHL has a wide-open rookie race without the big-name attraction.

read on

Filed in: NHL Teams | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Questioning Ottawa

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

11/20/08 at 07:01 PM ET | Comments (1)

from Stan Fischler at the Hockey Journal,

• The issue is how long Senators owner Eugene Melnyk will tolerate an underachieving team? Will Bryan Murray trade (not easy) Jason Spezza? (Edmonton is said to be a possibility.) Will Murray go the Tampa route and can Craig (Hardly Inspirational) Hartsburg? How safe is Murray? The Sens are home Thursday (Montreal) and Saturday (Rangers). By Sunday Melnyk will have had enough time to pick his route; especially if his club is in a rout!

• Has it dawned on any of the Ottawa genius fans who booed Wade Redden that his absence is one reason why their Senators are plumbing the NHL depths?

more hockey topics from Stan…

Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Embarassing

Blog: Goal Line Report By Patrick Hoffman

11/20/08 at 05:30 PM ET | Comments (2)

Last night’s 6-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks can be described in one word: embarrassing.

Through the first 30 minutes of the tilt, the New York Rangers were nowhere to be found, especially in the defensive zone as Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was hung out to dry.

That brings me to my next point: Lundqvist did not pull himself from the game last night. 

Continue Reading »

Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
  Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Sam+Weinman, Scott+Gomez, Stephen+Valiquette, Tom+Renney, Vancouver+Canucks,

Lidstrom For SI’s Sportsman Of The Year?  Never. Gonna. Happen.

Blog: Abel to Yzerman By IwoCPO

11/20/08 at 04:52 PM ET | Comments (9)

By now you’ve seen this from Sports Illustrated’s Kostya Kennedy,

What makes Lidstrom so Sportsman-like is, well, his sportsmanship: his humility, his professionalism. He is intuitive on the ice and equally so in the locker room. Earlier this year Babcock told me that he had never coached player this good. “In what way?” I asked. Replied Babcock: “In any way you can think of.”

The fact that Kennedy picked Lidstrom instead of Gary’s Baby Boy is unique.

The fact that Lidstrom will most likely finish 30th out of 30 (I’ll get to that) is not unique, but it is almost guaranteed.

Continue Reading »

Filed in: | Abel to Yzerman | Permalink
 

At The Quarter Mark

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

11/20/08 at 04:10 PM ET | Comments (2)

from Scott Burnside of ESPN,

San Jose Sharks: A-plus

The current gold standard for Stanley Cup contenders. But, of course, we’ve heard that story before when it comes to San Jose, haven’t we? The Sharks have jelled surprisingly well under rookie coach Todd McLellan and, as of midweek, have yet to lose in regulation at home. Dan Boyle is doing what GM Doug Wilson thought he would on the back end and forward David Setoguchi is another homegrown gem. As always, the question is whether they can bring it come April when the pudding is on the table.

Detroit Red Wings: A

Stanley Cup hangover? What hangover?

read on for a report on every NHL team.

Filed in: NHL Teams | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

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