Does Brian Campbell not take the game seriously enough?

From the Philadelphia Inquirer: "Campbell and Biron are not close friends. Biron didn't think Campbell took the game seriously when they were teammates in Buffalo."

Here is the full article by Tim Panaccio.

My take: The article touches on the possibility that the Flyers will pursue Brian Campbell in the off-season in order to shore up their defense. However, I found it interesting that Martin Biron was not the biggest fan of Campbell from their Buffalo days. It appears that Biron may think Campbell is a bit too much of a party animal.

Eastern Conference Final Preview

Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh.

The battle of Pennsylvania takes centre stage starting Friday night, with the Flyers and Pens meeting in the friendly confines of the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. Due to the fact the Pens were accused of tanking their last regular season game to avoid playing Philly in a first round match-up, this series has the makings of quite the barn burner.

Forwards:
With the emergence of R.J. Umberger as a scoring threat, Philly’s forwards do in fact give the Pens’ forwards a run for their money. Umberger, Danny Briere, and Jeff Carter are three solid centres, and with help from Knuble, Prospal, and Lupul, the Flyers boast quite the offensive bunch that can also play the body. Unfortunately for Philly, the Pens’ forwards that consist of Crosby, Malkin, Hossa, Sykora, Staal, and Ryan “Ho”Malone (shout out to Ezzy Ginsburg), are arguably the best top six in the NHL. Although the Flyers' depth upfront may be stronger with role players such as Upshall, Hartnell and Downie, they can’t match-up with the Pens' skilled forwards.
Edge: Penguins

Defence:
Both teams are not the greatest defensively, and have quite a similar makeup overall. Gonchar gets the nod over Timonen due to his powerplay quarterbacking capabilities, and both Hatcher and Hal Gill are slow, terrible, and were washed up back when I upgraded to a Pentium 66 to play NHL 96 on my computer. Orpik and Jason Smith are solid stay at home d-men, with “Gator” getting the edge for his astute defensive play and toothless grin. Coburn beats out the Pens’ Ryan Whitney, and has become a great source of secondary scoring from the back end. Whitney has not lived up to his new contract and high expectations from last year, and has been relegated to the second powerplay group in favour of Malkin manning the point.
Edge: Toss-up; Penguins slightly better offensively, Flyers better defensively

Goal:
This category is also quite close between the two keepers. Fleury has not been tested too extensively thus far in the playoffs, and will likely have to steal a game for the Pens in this round. Biron on the other hand has had two tremendous series thus far, and would be considered an early Conn Smythe candidate, if not for Umberger stepping it up (and the fact that he is a terrible goalie).
Edge: Flyers

City Atmosphere:
I've never been to Pittsburgh before, but I once took a bus down Broad Street for 20 minutes at 11:30pm after a Phillies game and was pleasantly surprised by the friendly nature of all the homeless individuals.
Edge: Philly

Famous Movies Filmed in each City:
Although “Sudden Death” was terrific and featured a cameo by Luc Robitaille, the “Rocky” collection wins hands down, with an honourable mention to “Invincible”. Note: "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray doesn’t count since it took place on the outskirts of Pittsburgh.
Edge: Philly

Signature Food Item:
Obviously Philadelphia wins for the Philly Cheese Steak and because I can’t name any signature food for Pittsburgh other than Heinz ketchup.
Edge: Philly

Prediction: Pens in six with Mario ordering two Philly Cheese Steaks during the second intermission of game 3.

Follow-up item:

Thanks to everyone for the feedback on this review. Although my main goal was intended to provide a little Wednesday morning amusement, my omission of Mike Richards from the Flyers’ forward lineup was inexcusable. I guess that’s what happens when you write a preview column at 12:30 am while watching an episode of “E-True Hollywood Story” about the cast of “Growing Pains”. Gotta love Dr. Jason Seaver. That was a major oversight on my behalf, but regardless, I still believe that Pittsburgh’s offensive prowess will be difficult to contain.

I maintain my stance on Hatcher being washed up. Sure, maybe he was solid for the Motor City Mechanics of the UHL during the lockout, but at this point of his career Teri Hatcher can do a better job skating backwards.

Further and more importantly, I stand by my position of the Philly Cheese Steak being the best the food item. I don’t need to visit Pittsburgh to tell you that I’d rather have an Eskimo Pie over a Klondike Bar any day of the week.

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Wednesday Edition)

Note: This is the last installment of the first round playoff matchups. Starting tomorrow I will be writing second round morning papers.

Here are the morning papers for the Eastern Conference playoff match ups:

Montreal versus Boston:

• The Canadiens were 4-0 against the Flyers in the regular season, so they are not afraid of facing Philadelphia in Round 2.
• The Bruins are already very excited for next season and are taking a lot of positives from their 2007/08 campaign. The play of the team's young players was extremely encouraging, writes Howard Ulman. In awards news, Zdeno Chara has been nominated for the Norris Trophy.

Pittsburgh versus Ottawa:

• Penguins winger Pascal Dupuis has been a pleasant surprise since his arrival from Atlanta. The Penguins face the Rangers in Round 2, marking the first time Jaromir Jagr has played his old team in the playoffs. Here is the second round playoff schedule.

Washington versus Philadelphia:

• "I just told them they gave me the best year of my life, and I thanked them," said Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau after his team was defeated in Game 7 by the Flyers. The wait is finally over for the Ted Leonsis and Capitals fans for a proven winner and contender. The Capitals fans were so impressed, that at game's end they gave their team a standing ovation.
• Joffrey Lupul got to score the goal all kids dream about in their backyards, writes Ed Barkowitz. Martin Biron has been one of the great stories for the Flyers so far this playoffs, writes Ed Moran. The Flyers don't have much time to savor their victory, as they visit Montreal to begin Round 2 on Thursday night.

New Jersey versus New York Rangers:

• The NHL reaches new levels of hypocrisy, writes Larry Brooks, after it has been discovered that the league approved a Sean Avery t-shirt by Reebok. On the ice, the Rangers' next series versus the Penguins doesn't lack for stars. The Rangers seem more focused for Round 2 this year than they were last year.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Friday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the Eastern Conference playoff match ups:

Montreal versus Boston:

• Carey Price had a meltdown in the third period and the result is Game 6 on Saturday in Boston. "We have to forget this game right away," said Canadiens youngster Maxim Lapierre after his team's 5-1 home loss to the Bruins. For all the chances the Bruins have had this series, it was a fluke goal that led to last night's victory. Meanwhile, the Habs have many players on their roster who had great regular seasons, so with that comes bonus payments, writes Pat Hickey.
• The Bruins knew they had 20 minutes to continue their season and with a dominant third period they did just that, writes Fluto Shinwaza. Glen Metropolit's first career playoff goal was sure a big one, writes Kevin Paul Dupont. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli had a little talk with Harry Sinden yesterday. Meantime, if the Bruins lose on Saturday, that may be Glen Murray's last game as a Bruin.

Pittsburgh versus Ottawa:

• Bob Smizik wonders if the Penguins are that good or the Senators are that bad? While they all want to grow playoff bears, not all the Penguins can. Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examines the positives and negatives of having a layoff.
• Ray Emery discussed his season with the Ottawa press yesterday. (Writer's note: Why do people give him so much attention? He's an average goalie with an attitude problem. I've read enough about Ray Emery for five years.) In other Senators news, Jason Speeza loves Ottawa and it is the only city he wants to play hockey in. Here are all the Senators' exit interviews.

Washington versus Philadelphia:

• The Capitals put forth their best game of the playoffs last night Philadelphia and still lost, writes Tarik El-Bashir. Mike Wise of the Washington Post wonders if the Capitals turned in their best game a little too late? You can't teach experience, writes Jason La Canfora.
• Martin Biron turned his game up a notch when his team needed it most, writes Sam Donnellon. The Flyers were outplayed during regulation but they took the play to the Capitals during overtime, writes Tim Panaccio. Game 4 was just a terrific hockey game, writes Phil Sheridan.

New Jersey versus New York Rangers:

• Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger wonders when Martin Brodeur is going to steal a game for the Devils? "The message was we don't have to win three games (tonight), just one," said Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner. If the Devils want to slow down the pace of Game 5, the Rangers won't be complaining.
• After predicting the team's exit from the first round a week ago, Larry Brooks of the NY Post is suddenly examining the possibility that Jaromir Jagr could win the Conn Smythe and, as a result, trigger an option for next season. A couple of Rangers have been part of comebacks from down 3-1 in the playoffs so they won't be taking their lead for granted, writes John Dellapina. Bob Raissman of the NY Daily News says that Sean Avery is good for hockey in the big picture.

The morning papers for the Western Conference playoff match ups are soon to follow...

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Monday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the Eastern Conference playoff match ups:

Montreal versus Boston:

• With last night's overtime winner, Marc Savard turned the Bruins/Habs match up into a series, writes Pat Hickey. The Habs have now been outplayed in back-to-back games, writes Jack Todd. If the Habs get into must-win territory later in this series, expect Saku Koivu to try and suit up.
• With a delayed penalty being called, Peter Schaefer admitted that he had a chance to try a move he usually wouldn't and that move led to the game-winning goal. Marc Savard grew up in Ottawa with his dad always watching Habs games, so last night's goal was that much more special. Tim Thomas stole the show in overtime last night, writes Fluto Shinwaza.

Pittsburgh versus Ottawa:

• The Penguins are not going to take their 2-0 series lead for granted. The Penguins' goal is to take the Ottawa crowd out of the game early on, writes Dave Molinari. The Penguins wouldn't be surprised if Daniel Alfredsson returned for the Senators tonight.
• Jason Spezza has a leg injury but he is still expected to suit up tonight, writes Bruce Garrioch. As if the Penguins did not have enough motivation to beat the Senators, the Scotiabank Place has provided them with more motivation. Chris Kelly (foot) is about a week away from returning.

Washington versus Philadelphia:

• The Capitals were outworked last night, writes Mike Wise. "He made some good saves; he stopped me in the first, and he stopped in the third," said Capitals winger Matt Cooke about Flyers netminder Martin Biron. Alexander Ovechkin played over 26 minutes in Sunday afternoon's game.
• The game plan did not change very much, just the execution of the Flyers did, writes Sam Donnellon. Martin Biron pitched a shutout and then had a child soon after, writes Rich Hofmann. The games won't be any easier at home, warns Kimmo Timonen.

New Jersey versus New York Rangers:

• It is a good thing that John Madden watches television, writes Rich Chere. All three games have now been won by the road team. Martin Brodeur dislikes Sean Avery and his tactics.
• The Rangers are not going to let last night's tough bounce deflate them, writes Jay Greenberg. The Devils have finally joined the first round battle, writes Larry Brooks. Scott Gomez says Game 4 is the time for the Rangers to respond.

The morning papers for the Western Conference playoff match ups are soon to follow...

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers--Eastern Conference (Tuesday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• The goalie troubles have returned for the Ottawa Senators, writes Roy MacGregor of the Globe & Mail.
• Mark Spector of the National Post tells readers that the Oilers finally have a new identity.
• Bruce Arthur of the National Post has an article about the Leafs' quirky netminder Vesa Toskala.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today has a very interesting article concerning the changing landscape of salary distribution in the NHL.

Here are the Southeast Division morning papers:

• The Hurricanes can basically wrap up the division title tonight with a victory over Washington, writes Luke Decock.
• Even though it has been a difficult season in Atlanta, Slava Kozlov does not regret re-upping with the Thrashers last summer.
• Cristobal Huet is expected to get the start in net tonight for the Capitals when they face-off against the Hurricanes.
• Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune provides some defensemen's perspectives on what it is like to get smashed into the glass while the other team is forechecking.
• The Panthers will get Jozef Stumpel back in the line up tonight when they face the Lightning. Florida has to make sure they do not fall to a Tampa team that has nothing to lose.

Here are the Northeast Division morning papers:

• With a home-and-home coming up, Steve Bernier is going to get a crash course on the Sabres' dislike for the Ottawa Senators. With Nathan Paetsch returning to the Sabres line up tonight, the team is hoping to get Dmitri Kalinin and Jaroslav Spacek back in the next few games as well.
• The Bruins will be without Marc Savard for the next two games due to a back injury, writes Fluto Shinwaza. Tonight's game versus Toronto constitutes desperate times, opines Kevin Paul Dupont.
• Now that they have clinched a playoff spot, the Habs can shift their focus on winning both the division and conference, writes Pat Hickey. After watching last night's 7-5 Habs victory over the Senators, Hickey has many questions about the Senators' goaltending.
• After last night's loss to the Habs, Chris Stevenson of the Ottawa Sun says the Senators are no longer guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. Apparently Eugene Melnyk has more problems than just the Senators' struggles, writes James Bagnall.
• While it might have been seen as a cop out from the outside looking in, the Leafs' locker room had a very different perspective of the players who opted to not waive their no-trade clauses and get out of town. Do not expect either Mats Sundin or Nik Antropov to be in the line up tonight.

Here are the Atlantic Division morning papers:

• One of the reasons for the Flyers' recent turnaround has been their improved penalty kill, writes Tim Panaccio. Martin Biron gets the start in between the pipes tonight.
• "I'm speechless about their effort, and I'm speechless about their concentration and their will to win this game," said Penguins coach Michel Therrien after his team's awful 4-1 loss at Long Island. Sidney Crosby will sit out tonight's game versus the Devils.
• The Rangers will be without Scott Gomez tonight and coach Tom Renney says his team will rely more on scoring by committee. With Gomez out, Petr Prucha is really looking forward to his return to the line up.
• The Islanders did a good job of playing spoiler last night, writes Greg Logan of Newsday.
• The Devils are expected to get Patrik Elias back in the line up tonight as he has been out with a knee injury and the flu.

The Western Conference morning papers will be posted soon...

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers (Friday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• As Allan Maki of the Globe & Mail tells us, the IIHF has opened its Hall of Fame doors to women's hockey.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Flames will attempt to carry their road success onto home-ice tonight when they host the Dallas Stars. Fans who focus on the Flames' six-game winning streak should not overlook the resurgent special teams as one of the main reasons for such an amazing road trip. Meanwhile, Flames forward Wayne Primeau is happy to be back in action after being sidelined for two months with an ankle sprain.
• The Blackhawks called up youngster Cam Barker from the AHL on Thursday and are hoping this time he will stick with the big club for the long haul.
• It appears that the Avalanche organization is legitimately concerned about the injury statuses of both Joe Sakic and Ryan Smyth.
• Ken Hitchcock has promoted speedy winger Jason Chimera to the Blue Jackets' number one line for tonight's game versus the Kings. In some positive news for Columbus, injured forward Mike Peca practiced with his teammates yesterday and is close to a return to the lineup. Here are the Jackets' probable lines for tonight's game.
• The Dallas Stars tried to exact revenge for last year's first round playoff loss to the Canucks last night, but Roberto Luongo was just too good as they lost to Vancouver 3-2. Prior to yesterday's game, the Stars goalies were poking fun at Roberto Luongo's flaps that he chooses not to tie down on his goalie pads.
• The Red Wings were unhappy with a non-call of what they perceived to be interference on the Blues' second goal of the Wings' 3-2 loss in St. Louis.
• Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal has an interesting piece on Brent Sutter and his move and adjustment to coaching in the NHL. Oilers super-scout Lorne Davis passed away on Thursday and Matheson has a touching obituary on one of the great members of the Oilers organization.
• The Kings will be without their top goal-scorer for the next two games as Dustin Brown injured his shoulder in Detroit on Wednesday night.
• Marian Gaborik was simply superb last night as the Slovakian speedster netted a career high 5 goals and added 1 assist in his team's 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers.
• Not surprisingly, Predators GM David Poile, almost always conservative when it comes to trading, is not looking to make a move with his team's current struggles.
• Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic tells readers that Derek Morris has had a quietly successful season.
• Ron Wilson was very unhappy with the Sharks after they blew a late one-goal lead to the Coyotes and eventually lost to Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout.
• The Blues were very excited after they pulled off a comeback versus the NHL's best Detroit Red Wings last night and were victorious 3-2.
• As Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province tells us, the NHL has no problem with Roberto Luongo's pads.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Capitals were outclassed by the Habs last night to a final score of 5-2 and to make matters worse they lost defenseman Brian Pothier to a broken thumb.
• The Leafs lost another heart-breaker last night as Vincent Lecavalier scored with under a minute remaining to give Tampa Bay a 2-1 victory. Former Lightning defenseman Pavel Kubina still can't get over how his stick snapped at the most inopportune time in the game.
• Jason Ward definitely didn't have a problem with his promotion to Tampa's number one line alongside superstar Vinny Lecavalier.
• The Penguins made it harder than they had to, after blowing a 4-0 lead to the Bruins but maintained their composure and won the game in a shootout. Meanwhile, reports of the Penguins opening up next season in Sweden versus the Senators have yet to be confirmed.
• Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that the Flyers and head coach John Stevens have agreed to a contract extension.
• Martin Gerber tried his best to extend the Senators' winning streak last night but came up on the losing end of a 3-2 score in Atlanta. The Sens were lucky to even be in the game after giving up a shocking 45 shots to Atlanta.
• If the Islanders want to turn their fortunes around, they need to start turning their high shot totals into high goal totals writes Roderik Boone of Newsday.
• John Dellapina of the New York Daily News thinks the Rangers may have started their holidays prior to last night's loss to the Wild in St. Paul.
• Arron Asham is trying to put his on-ice yelling incident with Brent Sutter behind him as he tries to regain his early season form.
• Habs coach Guy Carbonneau felt his team was outplayed last night but, having said that, he will take a 5-2 road victory and look ahead to the rest of his team's road trip.
• With last night's 5-4 victory over the Hurricanes, the Panthers have moved to only three points out of first place in the Southeast Division.
• The Hurricanes can't shake the injury bug as they lost winger Justin Williams to a left knee injury during last night's loss at Florida.
• The Sabres welcome back Daniel Briere and Martin Biron back into the HSBC Arena tonight and, in good news, Derek Roy will be ready to face his ex-teammates.
• Coach Don Waddell thought the Thrashers played their hardest-fought game to date as they outshot and defeat the conference leading Senators 3-2 on home-ice.
• The Bruins lost in a shootout last night, but they can take solace in the fact that they didn't quit when they were trailing 4-0 and came roaring back to make it 4-4.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Fantasy Watch: Top Performers of the Week

Stats from October 15th-22nd

F Jason Williams, Chicago Blackhawks
2 G, 4 A

Williams is currently riding a four game point streak scoring seven points over that span. His highest output came on Saturday, where the forward scored one goal and assisted on three others, leading Chicago past Toronto. Williams has been extremely successful on the powerplay, and should continue to receive several minutes on the top unit.

F Rich Nash, Columbus Blue Jackets
3 G, 2 A

The former first overall pick suffered an off year last season but has rebounded quite nicely, scoring nine points in his first seven games. Finally getting help from some of his teammates, Nash may be in for a career year.

F Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
1G, 4 A, +1

This year's first overall pick has gotten off to a strong start, scoring five points in his last two games. Kane has meshed well with forward Jonathan Toews, as the two have lead Chicago to a 5-3 record. Those who nabbed Kane with a late pick in their fantasy drafts should reap in the benefits, as Kane may reach 60 points this year.

F Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames
3 G, 5 A +3

Iginla has been on fire over his past five games, scoring five goals and six assists. Iggy has shown no signs of slowing down and will most likely be among the leaders for most points come season's end.

D Chris Campoli, New York Islanders
5 A, -2

Campoli had a career night this past week, assisting on four Islanders goals. On the year, the defenseman has scored two goals and dished out seven helpers. Only in his third season as a pro, Campoli has proved to be a great offensive defenseman, and should continue to pick up points on the power play.

G Martin Biron, Philadelphia Flyers
3 W, 2 SO,

Biron has been everything Philadelphia has hoped for, winning six of his first seven games, while compiling a goals against average of 1.57. He has posted two shutouts this past week, propelling the Flyers into first place in the Atlantic Conference.



For Illegal Curve, Im Jonny Remis