They say all good things must come to an end and that is very true here. Tru School Sports will be leaving blogger and switching to Wordpress so that means our time on blogger is done. Its been a great ride here on Blogger as I visited this page seemingly every day since June 2012 but its time to move on and take things to the next level.
We have had a lot of fun but soon this will all just be a memory as the URL for this site will once again soon read "truschoolsports.blogspot.com". So I hope you continue follow the site as we head into a new era, with a new logo and a new look. This is not the end but rather the beginning of greater things ahead for the TSS family........
Imagine if this were true. I've always been a fan of the WWE, especially its commentary. The reactions, signature phrases like JBL's "smokin' hot" or Jim Ross' "my god" have always riveted me while I was watching the action. As much as I love hearing Marv Albert and Steve Kerr color commentate, I would love to see Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler give it a go in any sports game.
(Jerry Lawler, "Jim did you fart?". Jim Ross, "Yes Jerry, I think I did, I think I did…".)
Now the reason why this came to my attention was Youtube; I was on it today and I randomly found this video:
As you can hear, Jim Ross goes ballistic with his "my god, my god almighty" when LeBron James put rookie, Ben McLemore, on a poster. Now this is the most recent one; because of my curiosity, I found a few more of these. I'm amazed at what you can find on the internet.
I loved this one especially because the dunk was even more epic and JR's "my god" was just so emphatic. DeAndre Jordan annihilating Brandon Knight never gets old.
Not just basketball but Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler are experts at "good ole American" football as well.
The funny thing is, Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler actually called Tavon Austin's 3 Touchdown game against the Colts. I initially thought different when Jim Ross was exclaiming, "Austin! Austin! Austin!", thinking he was talking about Stone Cold, who's real name is Steve Austin. However, I realized that they actually called this when they said the word "seam". Anyways, this just attests to how good they can be calling something else than WWE.
My favorite NFL one is Ross and Lawler calling Ahmad Brooks destroying Drew Brees; it's a classic.
The sound the steel chair folding when Ahmad Brooks crushed Drew Brees, reforming Drew Brees' neck, seemed suitable.
Now, the one I'm about to show you is by far the most clever one I've ever seen.
Jose Bautsita, Blue Jays slugger, hits a Batista Bomb (known as a Bautista Bomb for name's sakes), the former WWE heavyweight's Finisher. Jim Ross would certainly be better than Chris Berman yelling "back, back, back!" like a chicken plucking.
If anything, I'd love to hear Jim Ross call NHL games, especially fights and hits. Hearing him call, let's say Zdeno Chara and Steve Ott, a "slobberknocker" or going wild with his "my god" comments after a hit would be more than enjoyable; let's just see.
Now I don't think Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler switch to any other sport because, well they're WWE legends and are great at their craft, but I could see them venture into other sports for kicks. I see this happening one day. One of the reasons why I love WWE is because of the color commentary that is as interesting as the action; take that out and WWE loses some of it's entertainment value. WWE commentary is by far the best it is in any sport (I know WWE is acting but technically, it's still wrestling) and any other sport would be lucky to have the likes of Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler.
Coming into the 2013-14 NHL season, Jonathan Quick was arguably the best goaltender in the NHL and with this title came high expectations. He started the season off poorly according to his standards. Quick posted a 2.35 GAA and .905 SV% while winning 10 of his 16 games. He wasn't necessarily playing awfully, but wasn't his usual self either. Then, came the groin injury which was to keep Jonathan out of the lineup until late December. Kings fans everywhere were obviously worried, but most knew nothing of the gem they had acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
When the trade took place, many people around the league did not realize what a great goaltender Scrivens was. When Reimer went down with injury, Scrivens did a marvelous job filling in last season. Coincidentally, a very similar situation happens when he arrives in LA, and what does Ben do? He plays out of his mind by posting a 1.56 GAA, .943 SV%, and 3 SO to put him second, first and first in the NHL, respectively. Scrivens leads the Kings to seven wins and only two regulation losses. He plays the bulk of the games, even back-to-backs, but is eventually given a break.
Enter Martin Jones. The rookie is just expected to fill in for Scrivens to give him a breather, but what does the kid do? He snatches the starting spot from arguably the best goaltender this season. Jones posts a mind-boggling GAA of 0.99, SV% of .967 while winning all five of his games and posting two shutouts. As if the controversy wasn't already real enough, Martin Jones decides to raise it to another level. Now with Quick set to return in a couple of weeks, how should the Kings proceed? They are in quite a predicament, but it is a good problem to have. Most teams lack a great goalie, while the Kings have three possible starters. Jonathan was playing mediocre hockey before he went down, but was his injury affecting his performance? Is that why he wasn't his usual self? We all know what the Conn Smythe winner is capable of, but is it wise to automatically give him a start over a hotter goaltender? A couple weeks ago I would've said to stick with Scrivens until he cools off, and when he does make him a backup again. I've known for a while the level Scrivens can play at and truly believe he is capable of being a starter. That's not to say he should replace Quick because that is just insane. My theory was to start the goalie with the hot hand, as Scrivens is more than capable of leading a team. This would allow Quick to rest without sacrificing LA's chances of winning the game. But, then comes Jones and messes everything up. His recent performances have gotten me thinking again. Is it possible that the Kings' defensive system is so good that it makes any goalie good? Did I overestimate Scrivens? Or, are both these guys the real deal. After much analysis, I concluded that although the Kings' defense is spectacular, it should not receive all the credit. Quick, in the presence of the same system, did not play as well as these guys. Also, if one watches Scrivens and Jones play, it is obvious they are capable of making the big save and stealing a game for their team. This brings me back to the original question, who should be the starter? I like what Darryl Sutter is doing right now. He is going with the hot hand and not playing favorites. It is obviously working for him and he should continue to do so even when Quick returns.
As for the long-term future, it is immensely important that the organization handles this correctly. The Senators and Canucks have both undergone similar situations and could've improved on their decisions. Los Angeles obviously needs to trade one of their goaltenders, but who? Definitely not Quick. Regardless of how he has fared this season, Jonathan is one of the top goalies in the NHL and perhaps the most clutch player in all of hockey. Trading him would be foolish. That leaves Scrivens and Jones. Although Scrivens has more experience, he is also older and has more value on the market. The 27 year old is just entering his prime and has what it takes to be a starter. He has proven himself time and time again and I think many teams would be interested. Having him as a backup would be a horrible idea because L.A. could receive valuable players in return. Also, just how long could he backup Quick for? They are both the same age and Scrivens would become frustrated being a backup. Jones is much younger and would be an ideal backup. He could learn a lot from Quick, and eventually takeover as starter. As for the short-term future, Jones will be a great backup capable of giving Quick a much needed break when the schedule gets tough. He has the confidence of his teammates and is able to come in and get L.A. the two points against any team in the league. The Kings sure are lucky to have three great goalies, but they must handle this situation correctly to fully benefit.
The 6'6", 236-pound towering-beast of a centre, Martin Hanzal, is having a breakout season and there is reason to believe it is the real deal. 18 points through 18 games, which 6 of them are goals, certainly attests for that breakout season. He's doing all this in his age-26 season, which makes sense since 26 is the start of an athlete's prime. Hanzal has always had the talent but in the 2013-14 NHL Season, he's finally turning that talent into star production.
First things first, Hanzal has been physical at an all new level this season. 57 hits through 18 games has put him on pace to get a career high 317 hits.
The hit above may have been a tad bit more physical than needed but it only proves that Hanzal is more serious about his game this year. Penalties and suspensions are a given when you are trying to take your game to the next level with your physicality.
Martin Hanzal's partner in crime, Radim Vrbata (one of my favorite players in the NHL), has been on fire this season. Like Hanzal, Vrbata is having almost as equally good of a season. Through the first 18 games, their chemistry is at a high level. The right wing sniper has 17 points through 19 games, with 6 of them being goals, like Hanzal.
A big reason for the career season is his career high shooting percentage, 12.8%. That number isn't particularly high but it's still his best and it puts him on pace for 27 goals, if he were to play a full 82 games, which is pretty likely given his sturdy structure.
Against the Tampa Bay Lightning on November 16th, Hanzal had the game of his life, scoring a goal and assisting on three others, prevailing the Coyotes to a 6-3 victory. Along with the 4 points, his +/- was +4. This game was his coming out party and should have put the NHL on watch, if they weren't already.
Not only has Martin Hanzal's elevated play risen his point totals, but his performance has put the Phoenix Coyotes one point out of first place in the Western Conference.
All I can say is, watch out NHL; you may just have one of your next stars and you don't even know it.
Got
into sports writing in college while interning for
proplayerinsiders.com and at the Palladium Times (Oswego, NY)
It
is such a thrill to report on sports because it has an impact on
everything. A great example is the Boston Red Sox World Series run.
Sports helped contribute to the Boston community recovering after the
terrible Boston Marathon incident
I've
loved sports since day one. I was during a Bears-Packers game, one of
the best rivalries of all time. Anyway, I've been writing for about a
year and a half, beginning my own blog, sketchy sports forums, big
sites, and everything in between. TSS is basically my permanent
assignment because I love the writers and the owner (Brendan) is
awesome
Played sports my entire life from baseball to ski racing and everything in between (football, tennis, soccer, swimming, etc.). Played baseball in college at Frostburg State University and was the starting pitcher on the conference championship team as a freshman. Went on to play two more seasons but was hampered by a shattered hand, torn Achilles and separated pitching shoulder and never got truly back into form. Always had an interest in sports on a different level then my teammates in terms of the inner-workings of the sport business world, which led to me obtain my Masters of Business Administration degree in both sport business and in marketing from Saint Leo University. Hoped to find my way into a Major League Baseball front office, but I realized very quickly that my education would only be part of the equation. Began sharing my opinions on the NFL and MLB through blogging as a means of getting my name out there and boosting up my resume. It has turned into a passion of mine now and I am excited to see what the future holds.
I
was a big fan of every sport my entire life, and played baseball and
basketball for big portions of my time in school. I had been active
with commenting on different sports sites, and one day I finally
decided to start writing about them on my own. That's when I met
Asmir, and we built The League News from the ground up. It was after
a period of time that I met Brendan from my writing at TLN, and we
did writer swaps from time to time, where he would write an article
for TLN, and I would write one for TSS. Eventually, we both
ended
up choosing to write more consistently for each other's sites.
I'm
Harvin Bhathal and I'm a 15-year old (Grade 11 not 10) Canadian
Sports Writer. I've been a Sports fanatic pretty much my whole life,
from my soccer teams in elementary school to my 1st love, which was
basketball. The 1st game I ever watched was a Celtics game and I've
been a diehard fan since. Over the years, I grew a liking for almost
every sport there is (including darts; it's considered a sport). Even
made up a word, multi-sportual. If you're wondering, yes I love
hockey too … and baseball and football and I could go on for hours.
I also grew to be a big number cruncher and can memorize statistics
quite easily. My favorite teams from each sport are = NBA (Celtics,
Grizzlies, Raptors), NHL (Canucks, Senators), MLB, (Cardinals, Blue
Jays, Athletics), NFL (Eagles, Rams) and CFL (BC Lions) Onto the
actual writing part; I'm an avid reader and love writing so I
combined my love of sports and writing and voila: sports writing. I
met Brendan Taylor through twitter, specifically through a tweet
where he asked if anyone wanted to join Tru School Sports. I said,
"what the hell, why not", and took a leap of faith. At this
point, I'm glad I did. I enjoy every moment that I'm writing on here.
I
enjoy number crunching and analyzing sports statistics (especially
baseball), as well as writing about, & watching sports. My
favorite teams are the Houston Astros, Tennessee Titans, Houston
Rockets, Houston Dynamo, Texas Longhorns & UTSA Roadrunners.
Writing for Tru School Sports is a blast & I'm going to be here
when we get to the top.......At
his request Anton asked that I provide the following quotation and
video in his description.
On November 6th, 2013, the Winnipeg Jets were visiting the Chicago Blackhawks for professional hockey game and what happened absolutely disgusted me. Watch for yourselves. WARNING: May cause blindness from too much idiocy; proceed with caution.
Adam Pardy was driven in the boards and broke the plexiglass, falling into the stands. During that time in the stands, his helmet was ripped off by a Blackhawks fan, who was clearly drunk, and had beer dumped onto him. I was speechless after watching this. I felt like drowning the fan who did this, with beer. He'd probably drink it all before he could drown anyways.
Athletes, like Adam Pardy, put their bodies on the line everyday and for what? Getting beer dumped onto you? As far as fans go, look, you can heckle them all you want but when you act upon that prejudice - a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience - it is called discriminating. As far as I know, discriminating is illegal and is a crime.
What can the athletes do about this? Beat up the fan? I mean, they can but they don't want to get suspended 72 games like Ron Artest. What else? Argue with the fan? They could but that only fuels the fans ego; that's the reason they heckle, to get a reaction from you. See! There really is nothing the athlete can do except just shut up and put up with it. Sometimes enough is enough; especially in this situation. If I were Adam Pardy, I would've KO'd the fan in one punch; bing-batta-boom, you have met your doom!. "I play one of the hardest sports in the world, sacrificing my body, just so your drunk a** can dump your beer on me?", is what Pardy probably did say while getting up or should've at least said.
Being a Canucks fan, I consider all of the people who participated in the Vancouver Stanley Cup Riot after they lost to the Bruins, fake fans. If they really were fans, they wouldn't disgrace their team's city and the team overall, that horribly. The majority of the people who participated in it, were intoxicated with an illegal blood/alcohol level. Just like the riot, this fan and the many alike aren't real fans. Phony fans, now that's that sh*t I don't like!
On that note, it's time to talk about the "Bonus", as you must've read already from the title.
Question of the Day:
Should Beer Be Banned From Sports Arenas?
I don't drink alcohol, so I wouldn't understand exactly why people love beer but drunk fans at Sports games confuse me. You pay a couple hundred dollars (depending on team and seating) out of your salary to watch professional athletes play a Sport and you're going to be drunk while watching? What is the point? You\re disoriented so what the heck do you think you can see? Along with that, you're an annoyance to everyone around you and you don't make the smartest decisions, in fact, not smart at all (the aforementioned video). Maybe I do not understand the "greatness" of beer; if fans would have that much of a problem with the banning of beer, put a limit on it. Have a facial recognizance system at the concession stand and you can know how many times the certain person has already drank. Sure, it would cost money but take some money out of your millionaire or billionaire pockets and spare your players, who make you the money, some humility.
The thing is, I doubt this will ever happen because all owners are worried about is making money.
Looking at the interconference games over the past few days:
Saturday thru Monday.
Colorado 4, Montreal 1
Anaheim 6, Buffalo 3
Vancouver 4, Toronto 3
Tampa Bay 4, St Louis 2
Detroit 5, Edmonton 0
Dallas 4, Ottawa 3
Minnesota 4, New Jersey 0
Anaheim 2, New York Rangers 1
Winnipeg 4, Detroit 2
In these nine interconference games the West won seven-of-nine.
The West seems to be having their way so far against Eastern Conference teams this season.
Check out some of the numbers from the latest standings for further evidence.
In the East, the top 8 teams have total points ranging from a high of 22 to a low of 14, with the 9th place team having only 12 points.
In the West, the top 8 teams have total points ranging from a high of 25 to a low of 18 with the 9th place having 18 as well.
In the East, there are a total of 4 teams with 20 points or more while there are a total of 5 teams in the East that have 10 points or less.
In the West, there are 6 teams with 20 points or more while there is only one team in the West that has 10 points or less.
Of course this isn't to suggest that the eventual Cup winner will come from the Western Conference, but based on recent Cup history and the inequality in interconference play so far, it probably wouldn't be a bad wager to make.
Canucks retired Pavel Bure's #10 tonight in front of a sold out crowd at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Bure, one of the most dynamic player to ever play the game and arguably the greatest Vancouver Canuck of all time joined Stan Smyl's #12, Trevor Linden's #16 and Markus Naslund's #19 as the only Vancouver Canucks to have their jersey retired.
During a 12 year career with Vancouver, Florida and the New York Rangers, Bure scored 437 goals and added 342 assists in just 702 games.
As a Canuck, Bure scored 254 goals, won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie in 1992, had five 50 goal seasons and registered consecutive 60 goal seasons in 92-93 and 93-94.
In 2012, Bure became the only Canuck player to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The Philadelphia Flyers are not having a good season. In fact, they are having a horrendous season. They are 2nd last in the league and nothing has gone right. Giroux and Voracek have gone ghost. They have a combined 10 points in 24 games, with a -11 rating. Mike Smith, yes the goaltender Mike Smith has the same amount of goals as these two combined.To make matters worse, Simmonds isn't having a great year either, and their goaltending has been less than spectacular, especially Emery. This season has been frustrating for Philadephia, to say the least. This was on full display last night when they went up against the Washington Capitals and got blown out, 7-0. Oh, and did I mention Ovechkin wasn't in the lineup? What happened next was not pretty.
A full out line brawl ensued with some pretty entertaining fights. Now, I like fighting in hockey as much as the next guy, but what Ray Emery did was completely unacceptable. He skated all the way down the ice and forcibly fought a guy who wanted nothing to do with him and then proceeded to beat the life out of him. It`s bad enough that Emery jumped Holtby, after Holtby declined the invitation. But, he then proceeded to pummel him even when Braden was A) off-balance and clearly not ready, B) Holtby still had his gloves on, C) Holtby was turned around the other way, and D) Braden was on his knees. I don't know what the referee was thinking while he watched this happen in front of his eyes. What reason did he have for not breaking this up? I'd love to hear his opinion on this incident. Anyways, it`s safe to say that Emery broke more than just a couple unwritten hockey rules here. You do not instigate like that, jump someone who`s unwilling to fight, or continue to punch a defenseless man that`s already on his knees. Gutless, that`s what it is. To make matters worse, the look in Emery`s eyes during the fight was terrifying. It seemed like he knew exactly what he was doing and enjoyed every last second of it. Thankfully, Holtby was not injured because the potential was certainly there. Braden certainly got the last laugh though, as his Capitals destroyed the Flyers 7-0, and he recorded a 30 save shutout. Emery, nonetheless, definitely needs to be suspended. Especially in a league that is so concerned with player safety. And all of this is coming from a former Ray Emery fan. Your move NHL.
Comment below and tell me your opinion on this situation. Am I right? Am I wrong? I'd love to hear it.
UPDATE:
The NHL has now ruled that they will not suspend Ray Emery because there is nothing they can suspend him for. According to the NHL rulebook, he did nothing wrong. Let's take a look.
Ray Emery certainly is an aggressor, at least according to the NHL rule book. He was given the right penalties during the game which is good, but what about further action? Let's take a look:
So, if Ray Emery does this twice more he'll be suspended for two games. Two lousy games. He could end a player's career by doing something like this again, but nothing will happen to him unless he does it a third time. That is absolutely ridiculous! Even if he does it a third time, all he'll get is two games. Pathetic, absolutely pathetic. Technically Emery is untouchable right now, but that doesn't mean he should be. The league needs to do something to change this gaping hole in their rulebook, and they need to do it fast, especially before someone gets seriously hurt.
The Buffalo Sabres have traded Thomas Vanek to the New York Islanders in exchange for Matt Moulson, the Islanders' first-round pick in 2014 and a 2015 second-round pick.
Vanek has 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists) through 13 games so far this season. The 29 year old finished last year with 41 points in 38 games and has accumulated nearly 500 points through his career.
Matt Moulson, on the other hand, has broken out these last three years, scoring 30+ goals in each of the last three seasons.
This trade makes it official, the Sabres have given up on this horrendous season. They are dead last in the NHL and no one would be surprised to see more trades coming (*cough* Ryan Miller *cough*). They are obviously looking to rebuild and have begun well. Moulson, along with the two draft picks are a great exchange for Vanek.
The Islanders have taken another step forward through this trade. They have gained a star player to play alongside John Tavares, and continue to slowly become better and better.
All-in-all, this is a great trade for both teams, but I believe the Sabres may have won it. Comment below and let me know what you think.
I was recently on nhl.com reading an article about how Taylor Hall had just broken Wayne Gretzky's record by scoring 2 goals in 8 seconds. This got me thinking about NHL records and I began remembering all these amazing records. So, I decided to compile all these records into one article and voila! Here it is. Remember that some of these records are inflated because of the era the players played in. For example, the goalies nowadays are way better than they ever were in the past. That doesn't undermine these incredible feats, it's just something to keep in mind. Also, I refused to rank these records because it is impossible to compare to them. How can one compare single season records to single game records? Goalie records to defensemen or forward records? Goals to saves or assists? It's extremely difficult. With that out of the way, let's get to the list.
Mario Lemieux Scores 5 Goals 5 Different Ways:
What better way to start the list than with Super Mario himself? No one ever questioned the talent of Lemieux, and for good reason. He is one of the most skilled, if not the most skilled player ever. These skills were on full display on December 31, 1988 when "The Magnificent One" scored 5 goals in 5 different ways! He scored even strength, on a powerplay, shorthanded, a penalty shot, and an empty netter. Players have a hard enough time scoring 5, but to do it like Mario did is 10x harder. I don't expect anyone to tie, let alone break this incredible record.
Teemu Selanne's 76 Goals As a Rookie:
Let's move from Mario to the Finnish Flash now. You may have heard of this guy as he scored 76 goals in an NHL season. Oh, and did I mention this was his rookie season? It's incredible for a player to hit 50 goals, but 76? That's just insane, especially for a rookie. Not only did Teemu give us this unbelievable record, he also provided fans with an iconic celebration to go with it.
20 years later, he's still here, and still scoring.
Mike Bossy's 9 Seasons with 50+ Goals:
Although Selanne broke Bossy's rookie record, Mike still holds a record that will never be broken. Bossy scored 50 or more goals for 9 straight seasons. What makes this even more incredible is that he did it in his first 9 NHL seasons. He is perhaps the most gifted goal scorer ever, and who knows what could've happened if his career wasn't cut short because of injuries. The right winger had 573 goals and 1126 points in just 752 games! He probably would've reached 2000 points, if injuries had not cut his career short. Nonetheless, Bossy still holds a marvelous record that will never be broken.
Wayne Gretzky's 92 Goals in a Single Season:
"The Great One" makes his first appearance on this list with his mind-boggling record of 92 goals in a single season. During the 1981-82 NHL season, Wayne scored 1.15 goals per game. Not points per game, goals. Let that sink in. This record has no chance of being broken. I know people said the same thing when Esposito scored 76 goals in an NHL season, but this is different. Good luck scoring 70 goals, let alone 92.
Glenn Hall's 502 Consecutive Games:
From there let's move on to "Mr. Goalie". Glenn Hall holds the record for consecutive games completed with an insane 502! No goalie these days can even play close to a full season. Hall played the equivalent of just over 6 consecutive 82 game NHL seasons in a row. And may I remind you that he did it with inferior goalie equipment and no mask for most of his career. You want to talk about consistently getting the job done? Look no further than "Mr. Goalie".
Bobby Orr's Awards:
Let's talk about versatility shall we? Bobby Orr did it all, and all one has to do is look at his 1969-70 NHL season for proof. Orr finished that year with the Stanley Cup, Norris, Hart, Art Ross, and Conn Smythe trophy. He's the only player ever to win all these awards in the same year, and will remain as the only player ever to do so.
Darryl Sittler's 10 Points:
The Bruins must've been awfully tired of hearing the goal song, I know I was.
Wayne Gretzky's Points:
There's a reason Gretzky is the greatest ever. Not only is he the only player ever to score 200+ points in a season, he did it four times in his career! The best total was in 1985-86 when Gretzky finished with an outstanding 215 points. He would've won the Art Ross that year with his assist total alone which is amazing. It's hard enough to get to 100 points, let alone 215. Consider this record safe.
Paul Coffey's Goals:
Paul Coffey is one of the greatest NHL defensemen ever, and for good reason. He is one of the best offensive defensemen to ever play in the NHL. Want proof? He scored 48 goals in 1985-86... as a defenseman. To put this into perspective, the most goals Mike Green has scored in an NHL season is 31, and Erik Karlsson has only scored 19. This current era is one where defensemen are more offensively gifted than ever, yet no one has, or will ever come close to beating Coffey's record.
Bobby Orr's Points:
Next we have Bobby Orr making his second appearance on the list. Orr had an outstanding season in 1970-71. He finished with an unbelievable 102 assists, 139 points, and was a +124! That is the most points and assists by an NHL defenseman ever. Expect it to stay that way.
Wayne Gretzky's Goals:
What better way to end this list than with "The Great One" himself? There have only been 4 players to ever score 50 goals in 50 games. This is perhaps the toughest feat in all of hockey. Not only did Gretzky accomplish it 3 times, he did it in under 40 games in 1981-82. He truly is "The Great One".
Well, that's all for this list. These are 11 records that, in my opinion, will never be broken. Be sure to comment below and tell me what you think. Did I miss any? Are any of these records actually breakable? Does one not belong? I'd love to hear your opinion.
*Note: This article will be focused on game play aspects, not game modes. An article talking about game modes will come out later.*
It's been a little over a month since EA released their annual NHL game and I realize it's a little late to be doing a review. Most people have already decided whether or not they're getting the game. I wanted to give EA a chance to smooth out the game before I reviewed it. So, if you're still on the fence, hopefully this review helps. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's get to it.
The Good:
EA has done a brilliant job with the skating, hitting, deking and fighting mechanics of NHL 14. The second year of True Performance Skating has not disappointed as the physics-based system does a wonderful job of simulating real life first strides, pivots, and turns. I felt NHL 12 made the skating too easy, while NHL 13 made it too difficult. NHL 14 is the perfect mix of the two and the results are extraordinary.
The next feature that Electronic Arts got right is the hitting. The hits
are bigger and better than ever before and I'd be lying if I said they
weren't fun. The sheer joy I receive from decking a player isn't healthy,
but oh well. I'm also a huge fan of the new feature in which you just
skate into a player to hit him (without using the right stick). Although
it does make hitting easier, I think it's balanced and just way more
comfortable.
Another gameplay feature that I especially like in NHL 14 is the deking. The new one-touch deking system has not disappointed. The dekes are smoother, easier and more comfortable, and there's a larger variety of them. My personal favorite is the toe drag, while skating up the ice with Pavel Datsyuk. There's nothing like it.
The final aspect of NHL 14 that I enjoy is the new fighting mechanism. EA took a huge risk by completely changing it, but I think it worked out well. The new enforcer engine implements unwritten hockey rules into the game, which is great, and the fighting itself is much improved. Long gone are the days when one could just abuse the right stick to win a fight. Fighting is now much more strategic and realistic with defensive maneuvers such as tugging and blocking being more important. Also, punching is harder as it has to be timed. Counters and well-timed punches do a lot of damage. There are also uppercuts now which is a nice bonus. All in all, fighting has changed a lot since the last NHL, but I believe its taken a step forward.
The Bad:
Although Electronic Arts has done a lot of things right, there are also some things it has messed up on. These include passing and the player ratings. Let's start off with the passing shall we? I can't quite place my finger on it, but there's something off about the passing. The passes don't always go where I want them too and it seems they are constantly overpowered or underpowered regardless of the amount of time I hold the button. I have talked to others about this issue and most of them agree, but they can't quite identify the issue either. Nonetheless, there's something wrong with the passing and hopefully it gets fixed as soon as possible.
The other component of this game that I'm not a huge fan of is the ratings. A lot of them are alright but there are also quite a few that don't make sense at all. Let's start with the picture. Parise (or Parisee as he likes to be called) is a great player, but he is not worthy of an 89 rating. I'm sorry but a player with 38 points in 48 games and a +2 rating last year should not be an 89. Other overrated players include Neal, Gaborik and Girardi. I don't know what EA Sports were thinking when they came up with some of these ratings, but they clearly weren't thinking straight.
The Ugly:
There are two features in this game that make me want to pull my hair out and have almost ruined this game for me. They are the goal scoring and the goalies. These two are closely related to one another and extremely frustrating. The way one scores goals in this game is not right. Cross-crease passing plays, one-timers and shots with screens in front rarely work. Want to know the best way to score a goal? It's simple. Just take slapshots... from anywhere. I've been waiting since day 1 for EA to fix this issue but they haven't. All one has to do is take a slapshot from anywhere, no screen or aiming required and it has a better chance of going in than a cross-crease play. Want to know the other way of scoring goals? Pass the puck to the goalie. You heard me, pass it. The amount of times someone has scored on me like this is unreal. Once, someone passed it to my goalie, who had the puck for ten seconds before it squeaked in. I swear EA has designed this goal-scoring system just to irritate me.
This next point goes hand-in-hand with my last one. The goalies in this game are all on steroids. It doesn't matter if they are rated a 90 or a 55. I've even gotten multiple shutouts with 50 overall goalies in HUT. The goalies in this game are insane. They'll stop one-timers, become superman and make the cross-crease saves and battle through screens to get a piece of the puck. It's like they're all on god mode. But, the minute someone takes a slapshot or passes the puck to them, they'll allow a goal. Why EA? Why? I'm still waiting for an update to fix these two issues. If Electronic Arts comes through, the game will be almost perfect.
Conclusion:
There are a lot of things EA got right with NHL 14 such as the skating, hitting, deking and fighting. But, there are also many things they screwed up on like the passing, ratings, goal-scoring and the goalies. The game is already really fun, as it is, but if EA fixed these issues it would be amazing and nearly flawless. I really hope they do as the goal-scoring and goalies, in particular are very frustrating. Overall I'd give this game an 8/10 and a B. If you're a hardcore NHL, I'd recommend you buy it. If you're a casual gamer, but believe the pros outweigh the cons, then snatch it up. As for me, I'll continue waiting for EA Sports to fix these issues. Follow me on Twitter @WarraichRoop
It`s the greatest time of the year, and no I am not referring to the holidays. The NHL is back baby, and could we have asked for anything more? Spectacular goals, miraculous saves, bone-crunching hits, and of course, hours of entertainment. The season's been everything we expected, but there have also been many things no one saw coming. That's the great thing about the NHL. Unlike the NBA, it leaves us surprised. There aren't just a few teams fighting it out for the championship or superstars continuously dominating the game. Obviously there are better teams and superstars capable of great things in the NHL, but there are way more surprises. Any team has a shot at the Cup. Players can come out of no where and steal the show. So, without further ado, here are the top 5 surprises of the young NHL season.
*Note: all these stats are from October 12, 2013*
5) Joffrey Lupul
Lupul can score goals. Need I say more? The man has 16 goals in 19 games dating back to last year. He is a scoring machine. Everyone knew he could put the puck in the back of the net, but who could've predicted this unbelievable pace? He's on pace to score 68 goals this year for crying out loud and is a huge reason why the Leafs sit on top of the Eastern Conference with 10 points. Now I don't expect Lupul to keep up this monstrous pace, but he's proven me wrong before. Maybe he'll do it again.
4) Canadiens' Youngsters
Number four features a Montreal team that is off to a mediocre start this season, but its young players have really raised some eyebrows. Subban already established himself as a star last year after being nominated for the Norris, and he's doing nothing but re-emphasizing his status. The 24 year old is off to a great start with 6 points in 4 games. Now, let's get to the real treat. Lars Eller, Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher have been nothing short of amazing. The three have combined for 18 points in 4 games and are a combined +13. To put this into perspective, the rest of the team has 18 points combined and is only a +6. This is including Subban's 6 points and +4 rating. Without Subban in the picture, the team has 12 points and a combined +/- rating of +2. These 4 players, specifically Galchenyuk, Eller and Gallagher, who are an average age of 21, have been nothing short of sensational.
3) The Calgary Flames
Coming in at number three are the pesky Calgary Flames. They are off to a hot (pun intended) start, and you're lying if you say you predicted it. After finishing near the basement of the Western Conference last year and 25th in the league, things didn't look so bright for Calgary. The departure of their longtime captain Jarome Iginla and retirement of Miikka Kiprusoff didn't help either. This team was predicted by many, including myself to finish dead last in the NHL, but boy have they proven everyone wrong. The Flames have yet to lose in regulation and are 4th in the West with 8 points, largely in part to Jiri Hudler who has 7 points in 5 games. Hudler is off to a solid start, but he certainly isn't a star-caliber player. In fact, no one on this team is. So, how exactly are they winning? Hard-work, hustle, and some more hard-work. Who knew winning was this simple?
2) The San Jose Sharks
The runner-ups of this list are the San Jose Sharks, who are off to another incredible start as they are only 1 of 3 remaining NHL teams that have yet to be defeated. Through 4 games, in which they've played the Canucks twice, San Jose has outscored their opponents 21 to 5! It's not like their goals are because of luck, either. The Sharks are working for them as evidenced by their ridiculous average of 40.5 shots per game. As if their offense wasn't bad enough, their defense has been lights out as well, allowing a mere 22.6 shots against per game. That's the second lowest in the NHL and the shot differential of +17.7 is mind boggling. Oh and did I mention they're doing all of this without Brad Stuart. Everything has been going right for this team, offense, defense and goaltending. Antti Niemi is quietly continuing his strong play from last year with a 1.40 GAA. To make things even better, it's isn't just Thornton, Marleau and Boyle scoring. Players have stepped up. Couture has taken another step towards stardom, as he has 6 points in 4 games and is a +6. Marc-Edouard Vlasic is off to a surprising start; he has 5 points and is a +7. But, the biggest surprise has to be the 19 year old from the Czech Republic. Yes, you guessed it, Tomas Hertl. Talk about surprises. No one, and I mean NO ONE saw this coming. Czech (tired of my puns yet?) this out. The center has 6 goals, 7 points and is a +6 in 4 games. He's on pace for 123 goals. Gretzky who? I kid, but let's get back to the stats. He's winning 83.3% faceoffs! That is unheard of. In a league where 50% is considered good, 83% is insanity. Wait, there's more. He only plays 15 minutes a game. Talk about amazing. The future's bright with this one. As for the present, I'd be scared to be playing the Sharks right about now.
1) The Colorado Avalanche
Is it too early to call Patrick Roy a genius? A lot of people weren't sure of this hiring, but I always supported it. I felt Roy was the perfect man for the job, but not even I saw this coming. The Colorado Avalanche are 1st place in the NHL. Let that sink in. After a more than disappointing 2012-13 season in which the Avalanche finished dead last in the West, they have come charging out of the gates. Roy has single-handedly turned this franchise around. They are undefeated and this isn't because of an easy schedule or a home stand. They've played the likes of Boston and Toronto, two brilliant teams that have only lost once this season. Also, Colorado has played more road games than home games. Their success can be credited to their brilliant team play. The Avalanche have outscored their opponents 18 to 4. The young guns are leading the way. Mackinnon, Duchene, Parenteau, and O'Reilly are all off to solid starts. Also, the team's defense has been nothing short of solid. Oh and there's this guy named Semyon Varlamov you may have heard of. It's not like he has a 1.00 GAA and .970 SV% or anything, oh wait, he does. The Russian goalie has been dynamite. The amount of success this team has had is unreal, especially since it is virtually the same team as last year. I think the label genius is fitting for Patrick Roy.
Almost every single year, the San Jose Sharks start off blazing hot and it seems like maybe it finally is their year but they plummet down to Earth and finish off as a slightly above-average team and last year was a prime example. Patrick Marleau was a goal scoring machine, scoring 2 goals in multiple games consecutively and starting off running out of the gates and soon after that hot start, they became the Sharks who we're accustomed to. Through the first 5 games of the regular season, the Sharks are 5-0 atop the Western Conference, leading every team with a +17 goal differential (scoring 9 goals in a game certainly helps). They were in a similar position in the 2012-13 season as well, winning their first 7 games and getting at least a point in 8 games to start off the season. We all know what happened after that as they were inconsistent after that, finishing with the 6th seed. There are reasons to believe that it won't be the same in the 2013-14 season and they are D-Man Marc-Edouard Vlasic, 19-year old phenom Tomas Hertl and a full season of former D-Man Brent Burns as a Forward.
The 26 year old Vlasic was expected to breakout in the 2012-13 season but finished with a mediocre 7 points (3g, 4a) and +5 +/- in 47 games. Through 5 games, Vlasic already has 5 points (2g, 3a) and +8 +/-. It took him 21 games to get 5 points last season and he already has that many in 5 games. Marc-Edouard has been called,"Niklas Lidstrom without the offense", because of his defensive prowess. Ever since his rookie season in 2006-07, where he scored 36 points (6g, 30a), his point totals have went down each year. However, this season seems different. Even in 2006-07, Vlasic never looked as comfortable offensively as he is now. I wouldn't be surprised if he surpassed his career high of 36 points and had the first 40-point season of his career and with all the signs, it looks like he will.
8 points (7g, 1a) and +7 +/- through 5 games. Those stats are great enough but when you take into consideration that it was done by a 19 year old teenager in the first season of his NHL career, they're even more magnificent. His name is Tomas Hertl folks and I'm sure you've all heard about him. The 2nd youngest player to record a 4-goal game?
Yes, that Tomas Hertl. Even before the 4-goal game, he was already pegged as the next Jaromir Jagr and he had big shoes to fill. He has filled in those shoes quite well, to say the least. Tomas Hertl has scored a goal in 4 out of the 5 games and even in the 1 game he didn't score, he had 2 opportunities on breakaways that he unfortunately couldn't finish. Other than his amazing offense, Hertl isn't a bad defensive player either. He has found a nice niche on the top line, playing LW alongside Joe Thornton and Brent Burns and his future looks bright, along with the Sharks. Tomas Hertl is a lock for around 25 goals, give or take, this season and has a really good chance for 30.
Hertl's linemate, RW Brent Burns, has done an admirable job ever since changing positions in the 2nd half of last season. The former blueliner has tallied 26 points (12g, 14 a) in 28 games playing as a Forward. He has built a strong chemistry with Joe Thornton and that has helped catapult his production. Burns will easily reach the 60-point plateau this season, with a pretty good chance to get 70, if everything goes well.
To add to these three breakout players, Logan Couture is only getting further on his development and has improved each and every season he's been in the NHL. He's a lock for 70 points this season, with an outside chance at 80. As far as Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski go, they'll get you around 75 (20g, 55a), 60 (30g, 30a) and 65 points (25-30g, 35-40a) respectively, also adding their own element to the game. Not to mention, Anti Niemi, who was stellar for the Sharks in the 2012-13 season and is/will be for the 2013-14 season.
I've been burned in the past for saying this but yes, I think the San Jose Sharks are for real and have an outside shot at the Stanley Cup. They're built on outstanding offense and goaltending, as well as a defense that ranks in the upper half of the league and that is a recipe to win the Cup. I'm not going out on a limb here and predicting that the San Jose Sharks will win it all this year but who knows, they just might.
As if a hat-trick wasn't enough, 19-year-old forward Tomas Hertl of the San Jose Sharks went ahead and scored his 4th goal of yesterday's contest against the New York Rangers. It was by far the play of the game - in which San Jose won 9-2. Check out this magnificent shot:
I'm not sure what's more impressive - that awesome goal, or the fact that he's only 19 years old! I'm sure we'll see some more amazing goals as the NHL season progresses, but in my opinion, - in terms of "Goal Of The Year" talk - this one will be at the top for a while. Being the 17th overall pick back in 2012, Hertl definitely has had high expectations, and judging from last night, he is bound to live up to each and every one of them.
Over the past four seasons, the Phoenix Coyotes and their
fan base have lived and overcome the uncertainty. This past offseason, they
finally got the news they had desperately waiting to hear. An organization
known as IceArizona, headed by George Gosbee and Anthony LeBlanc, purchased the
team for $170 million.
While the ownership issue has been settled, the product on
the ice is what is most important. There
were a few changes to the roster, but for the most part, the team stayed intact
after the 2012-2013 season. Let's take a look at how the Dave Tippet squad had faired through the first two games on the new era.
Thursday October 3rd- vs. New York Rangers
Vrbata celebrates his hat trick goal on Opening Night. (Getty Images)
The Coyotes squared off against the New York Rangers in their opening contest. With a full house in Glendale, the Coyotes had all the momentum on their side as Radim Vrbata was able to contribute a hat trick for the desert dogs in a 4-1 win over the Rangers. Mike Smith showed signs of hie 2011 campaign after a few remarkable saves on the night and ended up with a final tally of 23/24 shots saved. Truly a huge night for a franchise that is ushering in new ownership.
Saturday October 5th - @ San Jose Sharks
Coming off a huge opening night win, the Coyotes were looking to build off the victory. To put it lightly, they came up short. Phoenix was outplayed in every part of this game as they played inside the Shark Tank. The flury of shots that San Jose was able to post on Mike Smith was incredibly overwhelming. Smith was able to hold his own a bit, saving 47/50 shots. From a fans perspective, the Sharks were incredibly quick and it appeared that the Coyotes had a rough time keeping up. The night would end with the Sharks claiming a 4-1 victory.
While we have already seen the good with the bad in the very early part of this season, Phoenix has a ton to prove to the men that saved the franchise from relocation. Uncertainty has been lifted from this squad and it is time to prove that they really are "Hungrier Than Ever."
