Clarke Puts Foot in Mouth?

1) The link to this post is from our friend Shmee over at "Capital Addiction ", a Washington capitals blog who takes former Philadelphia Flyers GM Bob(don't call me Bobby) Clarke to task for his remarks yesterday.

2) For those who may not have heard, Bobby(screw you Clarke we'll call ya what we want!) had a few words to say on the recent Downie sucker punch of Toronto winger, Jason Blake. Says Bobby," When he (Downie) went after Blake, I loved it!" The moron (Clarke) went on to say: "Blake was a guy who had no problem going out and saying [Downie] should be suspended for life or suspended for the year," When you say something that stupid, why shouldn't this kid go after him for it?" If a player wants to criticize a player, then he has to go on the ice with him and suffer the consequences."

3) Keep in mind Clarke, though no longer the Flyers GM, is still the senior vice president of the team. Therefore he still represents them when he makes such remarks. As we wrote on Shmee's blog: The Flyers should be pissed as the Clarke comments only confirm what many thought; that the Flyers not only condone the goon behavior, but they promote it. Nice timing Bobby! He and the Flyers should be fined for his remarks that go well beyond dumb! Clarke has been a dick since he was a player then stayed a dick when he became GM. Though this is probably one of the first times that confirms that he may also be stupid. Have a nice time trying to extricate that foot from your pie hole Bobby! Jerk!

First Half Analysis- East

1) Firstly again thanks to FAUXRUMORS2 for their projections and 'Desperation' posts. Now we will do an an analysis of each team's first half going in their approximate current order in the standings at the 1/2 way point.

OTTAWA SENATORS: While they've been the best team in the East so far, led by the best forward line in hockey (Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, and captain Daniel Alfredsson) they have had their share of headaches as well. Also on the positive Mike Fisher has become a significant 2nd line offensive threat. However their goaltending remains a question as both Martin Gerber and Ray Emery don't look like legit starters and will fight it out (hopefully not literally) in the second half.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS: After a dreadful start, which many attribute to both a long road trip and adjusting to new coach Brent Sutter, the Devils have returned to their previous winning ways. Perennial Vezina candidate Martin Brodeur has looked like the Brodeur of old. The team defense, maligned by many, has improved and Zach Parise has continued to become an offensive star. The oft overlooked change has been the return of Jamie Langenbrunner. We liked naming him captain in place of the struggling/over paid Elias

CAROLINA HURRICANES: The 'Canes have had a very poor 4-6 weeks following a very hot start. This mostly due to very inconsistent goaltending, and some injuries. Rutherford showed how desperate the team is for goaltending with the acquisition of Mike Leighton (his 7th team in 5 years) One of the rumoured destinations for Cujo. With a very weak division the Canes should still win their division even with this glaring weakness, but won't go far in the playoffs . We also agree with FR2 that Samsonov hurts, not helps their cause

MONTREAL CANADIANS: To many Habs fans this years team seems eerily similar to last seasons squad that got off to a hot start only to fizzle and miss the playoffs. Both teams thrived on a great PP. The possible differences? For one, young players like Komisarek, Higgins and both Kostitsyn brothers have stepped up their game. Also unlike last year the Habs have 2 capable goalies so an injury to one won't sink their playoff hopes. (One could be trade bait as well as could underachiever Mike Ryder) (The absence of Samsonov also can't be discounted!)

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: Like last season got off to an uneven start. Unlike last year, there are expectations this time around. Fleury has remained inconsistent when healthy. Amazingly 3rd string goalie Ty Conklin has played very well. Reining Hart winner Sidney Crosby seems to have picked up his performance of late, as have Malkin and Armstrong. If Staal can regain his confidence/scoring touch, and especially the goaltending becomes consistently good the Pens should make the post season.

BOSTON BRUINS: Claude Julien has proven his worth with the turn around in Beantown. In our opinion he was one of the better head coaches last year despite his late season termination. His brilliant defensive system has made the goaltending of Tim Thomas and Alex Auld look like Marty Brodeur. Now imagine if Patrice Bergeron is able to return in the next few weeks? A playoff team perhaps, but unlikely a real contender

NEW YORK RANGERS: Much like last season they have had an ordinary start. Unlike last year they can't blame this on inconsistent goaltending. So far Lundqvist has been amazing (in most games). UFA acquisition Scott Gomez has played well the past month, and emerging young defencemen like Marc Staal and Daniel Girardi have provided unexpected steadiness on the backline. Unfortunately the scoring from the Europeans led by Jaromir Jagr and high priced American UFA Chris Drury have struggled this season. Can they turn it around like last year? Sure, they have the horses, but it'll take a return to form of JJ and Drury to make it so.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Habitually looked upon as being worse than they are. Overlooked and written off as non-contenders. We at FAUXRUMORS have been guilty of this as much as anyone. Yet the Isles remain in the playoff hunt due to Ted Nolan's coaching and their goalie forever, Rick DiPietro. This is one of the hardest working teams in the NHL and the Isles will have to keep working hard to make the playoffs. Ricky will also have to stay healthy and on top of his game to have a shot. Still their lack of scoring will make it tough down the stretch

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: Much like Carolina started off the season hot but have come back to the pack since. Playing .500 more or less the past month. As expected the Flyers have good offensive power, led by star Mike (don't call me Kramer) Richards, and Danielle Briere. However the overall defensive game has been been average at best. They've made substantial improvement over last season but will need to play better the second half to qualify for the post season and be a threat to win the East.

BUFFALO SABRES: Seemed lost the first month. Most thought they'd struggle somewhat to overcome the loss of veterans Briere and Drury to free agency last summer, but few expected the team would suffer this much. As expected Thomas Vanek is struggling to play up to the expectations a big contract brings. Ryan Miller has been good but not looked sharp at times. The Sabres still have the talent and offensive depth to make a playoff push but they need a better effort in the second half. Perhaps Lindy Ruff isn't as good a coach as many(including himself) believed?

FLORIDA PANTHERS: As we at FAUXRUMORS projected before the season, the Panthers will be about the same as last year. The anticipated improvement due to the acquisition of Vokoun hasn't happened(as we foresaw all last fall). On paper this team that has the talent to be doing much better, which means to us that they might benefit from a new head coach. Jacques Martin is not getting it done and management/ownership won't put up with mediocrity forever. If somehow they can put it together they could challenge the Canes for the division.

ATLANTA THRASHERS: As we anticipated, the Thrashers had a playoff hangover and started the season as bad as they started, costing Bob Hartley his job. Their subsequent improvement then plateaued and incompetent GM, now coach Don Waddell is now responsible for all aspects of the teams failure. If they fail to make the post season he should be fired. The biggest news around Atlanta in the next month will be who will be traded. Look for the Hossa trade rumours to heat up big time!

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: The sky is falling! Well, not really, but that's what you'd think if you lived in the Toronto metro area where they take they hockey seriously. The Leafs have been struggling and are now in danger of falling out of the playoff race. Only Mats Sundin has been scoring consistently. The defence remains shoddy and despite Vesa Toskala's decent play before he got hurt, their goaltending has been terrible. We're certain many trade rumors will commence surrounding almost every Toronto player!

WASHINGTON CAPITALS: Seem/look like a different team since Bruce Boudreau took over as head coach on Thanksgiving. Many Caps fans wonder why it took so long? The wait may have cost a chance at the post season. Alexander (the great) Ovechkin continues to be one of the most exciting players in the game aided by Michael Nylander, and the emergence of youngsters Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green. The ladder reminding us of a young Paul Coffey. Still, the Caps defense and goaltending needs work if they're to make a serious run for the playoffs. Its unlikely as they are too far back this late, but it won't be boring in DC this winter!

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: Where do we begin with this mess. Many picked them to win the weak SE division. yet VERY bad goaltending an ill timed injury to Dan Boyle as well as a lack of second line scoring from over paid BradRichards have sunk the Bolts to the bottom. As we've mentioned oft before, the firing head coach John Tortorella might be the only real move left. With ownership in flux that is in doubt as are any big trades

Canes' Desperation?

1) Today the Carolina Hurricanes made the second move that we would call' desperate.

• Of course the first move was signing goalie Michael Leighton. He is now on his 7th team in 5 years! If he were any good a team wouldn't give up on him so quickly! Certainly the guy they waived John Grahame wasn't a great back stop either, but replacing Grahame with Leighton is exactly like shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic. The Hurricanes are NO better!Which would explain their interest in Cujo.



• The next move just occurred a few minutes ago. When we were told of this possibility late last night we laughed our ass off thinking this was a joke, but evidently it wasn't. Of course we're referring to the recent signing of Sergei Samsonov. Sergei was an unmitigated disaster for Chicago who were looking for a renaissance from the Russian born forward. Unfortunately apparently both the Blackhawks and now Hurricane management have not been watching Sergei the past few years. He has been a habitual underachiever his whole career, but the past 2 years he has lost almost all his offensive talent/ability.

2) Bottom line to both these moves is that Jim Rutherford must be feeling the heat from both the fans and his owner to do something BUT they didn't want to give up anything in return. the result after the two moves? The Hurricanes may be WORSE than before the two moves! Despite looking OK in his first game Leighton is a step backwards for their goaltending. Adding Samsonov is subtraction by addition. Not only are they adding a has-been, but a possible locker room cancer to boot. He tends to pout/complain when things don't go his way and unless he suddenly becomes the player that many thought he'd become when drafted 5th overall in 1997 this move will backfire. At the very least it will NOT help. Desperate times call for desperate measures? In this case no moves would have been the better move!

At The Half Way Mark

1) With the NHL season at its 1/2 way point we decided to put out the projections/predictions for the remainder of the season. First we will simply project point totals based upon what each team has done thus far. Not rocket science. In another post we will give our mid season Trophies/awards/predictions


2) First the East:

• Ottawa- 116


• New Jersey- 98


• Carolina- 85 (Division winner)


• Pittsburgh- 96


• Montreal 96


• Philadelphia 93


• Boston 92


• Islanders 90


• Rangers 88


• Buffalo 84


• Atlanta 82


• Florida 80


• Toronto 78


• Washington 76


• Tampa Bay 68

3) Next the West:

• Detroit- 128


• San Jose- 104


• Vancouver- 100


• Calgary- 97


• Minnesota 96


• Dallas- 95


• Colorado 94


• St. Louis 94


• Anaheim 89


• Phoenix 88


• Nashville 86


• Columbus 86


• Chicago 82


• Edmonton 76


• Los Angeles 61

4) Remember these are prorated totals based upon current point totals extended out an 82 game season. Some interesting possibilities. One, the Cup champ Ducks may miss the post season. Also post season teams from last year like the sabres, rangers may miss the playoffs this season , and Colorado and St.Louis are possibly going back after missing the post season last year. In the West it looks like 94 points will again be needed, while in the East only 90 points may be required. Of course there is still 1/2 a season left and only 2-3 teams are out of the playoff race, but trends are taking shape. Should make for a great finish!

Return of CuJo Imminent?

1) It will probably come as little surprise to most who follow the NHL closely, but it appears that Curtis Joseph's epitaph may have been written a bit prematurely. Written off as too old to make a come back, the 40 year old Ontario native after getting rebuffed by all 30 NHL teams this past fall, including his most recent team the Coyotes, went home to stay in shape and hope for a call.




2) The future Hall of Famer, who needs only 2 more NHL victory to surpass legendary Terry Sawchuk for 4th all-time, recently got significant attention by back stopping Canada to a Spengler Cup win in December. As most south of the border ask: What is the Spengler Cup? We were surprised to find out with our research that the Spengler Cup, held annually since 1923, is the oldest professional international hockey tournament in the world. Canada's Spengler Cup roster consisted mainly of Canadian-born players currently playing in Europe and some NHL prospects. Joseph was instrumental in bringing his country the honor of a Spenglar Cup championship




3) Unfortunately CUJO, in his long career has been unable to acquire hockey's ultimate Cup. The one donated by Lord Stanley. Despite some playoff heroics for St.Louis and later Edmonton, 'The Cup' remained elusive for Joesph. However, he has probably been one of the better/more durable tenders to put on the pads the past 20 years, playing 60+ games 10 times over his 17 year career. Which is why there are now several teams very interested in his services.




4) There have already been several published reports of an impending return to Toronto. Not only do almost all NHL rumors start in that area, but it also makes sense. The Leafs haven't received overly good goaltending this season, and Cujo lives close by, so the fit seems to make sense. However, we at FAUXRUMORS have heard that although the Maple Leafs have expressed interest there are another 6 or more teams that have also contacted Joseph's agent, Don Meehan.



5) So who's interested and what are the odds? We inquired from some of our sources throughout the league and this is what we can gleam/handicap from those contacts.

• Toronto: Their interest isn't as intense as media reports suggest. They would have to trade Raycroft before signing Joseph, and Raycrofts value has plummeted in the last year or so.



• Ottawa: From what we're told they were inquiring in September about CuJo, but like Toronto couldn't sign Joseph unless they first unloaded a goalie under contract. Gerber was that guy in training camp, now the Sens would LOVE to unload the moody, inconsistent Ray Emory. Of course his 3+ mil cap hit for this and the next 2 seasons make him less tradeable.



• Pittsburgh: They were inquiring a few times about another former NHL-er, Ed Belfour. They thought they had struck an accord with the former Panther, but details snagged/derailed negotiations. The Pens would love to add CuJo and add stability to the goaltending and possibly a mentor to M-A Fleury.



• Phoenix: Now that the Coyotes have filled the starters role, they'd love to have a reliable back up for Bryzgalov. Joseph enjoyed his playing days in the desert and he and Gretzky have stayed in contact since his departure.



• LA: A dark horse now that they have fallen out of the playoff race. They probably should have looked into this option 3 months ago when it appeared that Clouteir wasn't the guy and Bernier wasn't ready.



• Buffalo: The Sabres haven't been pleased with the back up capabilities of Thibault, and don't want to over work Miller, so they are quietly asking how much Joseph would cost. As Jocelyn is on a one year deal, discarding him via waivers would not be a problem.



• Carolina: Another team in search of anyone who can stop a puck. Recently showed their desperation by signing Mike Leighton. The addition of CuJo might finally give some stability to this weak position. At least reduce the pressure from starter Cam Ward.



• Rangers: Though publicly they say they are pleased with Valiquette, quietly have been discussing 'other options'. CuJo coming to Broadway though "is a long shot", our source indicated.



• Calgary: Would Cujo want to return to Alberta to play for the rival Flames AND for Keenan? Our sources say its a possibility if things can get worked out. CuJo wouldn't be expected to start too many games and would be more insurance for a Kippper injury than anything, but the idea intrigued the Joseph camp.

6) What appears certain is that Curtis Jospeh's NHL career is NOT over. With so many teams trying to persuade him to play, it seems only a matter of time before he's back between the pipes. We're told that a decision is likely sooner rather than later, and certainly well before the All Star game

Is it In The Cards?

1) We again place our chips up for grabs by picking today's contests

Washington vs-Montreal : Canadians

Florida vs-Pittsburgh : Penguins

Tampa Bay vs-Ottawa : Senators (Tonights Lock)

Minnesota vs-Nashville : Wild

NY Islanders vs-Colorado : Avalanche

NY Rangers vs-Edmonton : Rangers

Columbus vs-San Jose : Sharks

Detroit vs-Dallas : Stars

New Jersey vs-Boston : Bruins

Philadelphia vs-Toronto Flyers

Carolina vs-St. Louis Blues

Anaheim vs-Phoenix: Coyotes

Calgary vs-Los Angeles : Flames

New York Cheaters?

1) We were struck on two fronts last evening with two potential issues for NY professional athletes perhaps bending/breaking the rules for their benefit. One is an ongoing story and the other a more recent and potentially breaking news story.

• Roger Clemens claims he was only injecting "vitamins and pain killers".


• N.Y Islanders goalie was forced to remove /relinquish his new goalie pads last night

2) First the Clemens issue. Some of his impending 60 minutes interview with 98 year old Mike Wallace became public/published yesterday. In it Clemens made claims that he did not use any Human growth hormone or steroids, but instead received a combination of a vitamin supplement and a pain killer.

3) Since we're not physicians we decided last night to shoot off an e-mail to our resident medical expert, Dr. Varga. The good Dr. was kind enough to respond this morning. He of course wanted us to give his usual disclaimer that none of what he says is based upon any inside information/direct knowledge, etc.

4) He said that he knows of no Dr./medical rational where they would inject BOTH vitamin B-12(which he called 'Cyclobalamine') a red liquid, and Lidocaine, a local anesthetic, together. He wrote that he frequently injects B-12 into patients. Its a minimally painful procedure. He went on to say that Lidocaine is used to anaesthetise an area prior to a minor surgical or dental procedure, OR is sometimes mixed with injectable steroids into joints or areas of inflammation such as into a knee/shoulder, etc. "Never into a patient's buttocks alone unless the patient were having a mole or something removed from his hind quarters".

5) If that's Clemens defense then either he's lying about his steroid usage OR he was given the drugs without his knowledge. Its hard to fathom that a health/fitness fanatic like Roger wouldn't know exactly what was being put into his body. If either those are true, the only way we at FAUXRUMORS will believe Roger is if he sues those involved for 'poisoning him, and/or goes under oath to affirm his innocence. Else its all PR BS.

6) Next, is the Rick DiPietro pads issue. Still very early in the process, and we will withhold final judgement until we hear all the facts, but this is what we have heard at this juncture. Ricky received new pads recently. He states he has been 'breaking them in in practice' the past few days and then attempted to use them in last night's contest against the Florida Panthers. Apparently its league policy that any new equipment needs to be first inspected/approved by the NHL prior to its usage in a game else the player faces disciplinary action.

7) In interviews after the game last night he and the team's equipment manager claimed that they thought they had league approval to use the new equipment. Said DiPietro: " I was under the impression that they'd been approved." Rick admitted that he knew going into the game that they had not yet been inspected by the league but felt that after a pre game call to the league that they had tacit approval to use them. Apparently that was not the case. After the 1st period a call came down from Toronto that the pads needed to be removed and not used until they could be inspected.

8) We asked around to folks who were watching the game and some did say that they felt the new pads seemed a bit bigger, and also during the first period, television broadcasters actually mentioned that "the pads looked bigger". However its unclear/unknown at this time IF that is the case. It would be a case of immense stupidity if true. Its equally a case of stupidity to have even tried to play with them knowing that they weren't officially sanctioned by the league. As a result of these actions DiPietro faces a possible 2 game ban. If the pads are shown to be illegal its possible an even longer suspension could be handed down by the league.