Videos Before Bedtime!

We bid an early goodnight on the VBB.....sorry for the inconvenience.




Exelby and Neil....awwww.




Yes during a fundraiser.....




Okay a little fun in pictures and more....


Have a great night!

KHL Update

I just want to thank Shawn McBride for the following and yes Martin Kariya is just fine.

KHL Salutes Top Players from Gagarin Cup Conference Quarterfinals

Kariya named “Best Forward” in Opening Round of Playoffs

The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) recognizes the top goalie, defender, forward and rookie each week during the regular season and during each round of the Gagarin Cup playoffs. The selections are chosen by the KHL Statistics and Information Bureau and based upon both statistical results and overall performance.

The honorees from the KHL Gagarin Cup Conference quarterfinals are:

• Best goalkeeper: Dmitrij Kotschnew (Spartak Moscow). In four games, he backstopped Spartak to three wins (including two shutouts) while posting a 1.43 GAA and a 95.2% save percentage. Additionally, during Spartak’s series against Dynamo Moscow Kotschnew recorded a scoreless streak of 110 minutes and 11 seconds.
• Best defender: Miroslav Blatak (Salavat Yulayev Ufa). In four games Blatak scored three goals and added one assist, while registering a +/- rating of +4.
• Best forward: Martin Kariya (Dinamo Riga). The Canadian forward scored three goals (including two game winners) and added two assists and a +2 rating in Dinamo’s four game quarterfinal series upset of SKA St. Petersburg.
• Best rookie: Konstantin Plaksin (Traktor Chelyabinsk). In four games the blue-liner had an assist and a +2 rating while averaging 26 minutes and 36 seconds of ice time.

For more information about the KHL, including news and results, visit www.khl.ru. Follow the KHL on Twitter - @KHL_hockey.

Pick The Winner

Last night was a fairly easy night even if Detroit waited till about the last minute to send us into the land of undefeated. A three for three night has us riding high into tonight where there are eleven games. Yes that is right eight more than last night to predict. It will be tough and there will be games lost but hopefully we can steer you in the right direction.

So now it is time to get it in gear and pick who we think are going to win on this night. Keep in mind, all picks here are final and we do not change them.

• Carolina over Boston
• Buffalo over Atlanta
• NY Rangers over Montreal
• Toronto over Ottawa
• Tampa Bay over Phoenix
• Washington over Florida
• Colorado over St. Louis
• Nashville over Philadelphia
• Minnesota over Edmonton
• San Jose over Dallas
• Vancouver over NY Islanders

There you have them. Yes we always take a few surprises and unexpected turns along the way. Good luck on your picks today but first a word from out expert on his pick du jour (err pick of the day).




Ah the late game....not bad!

Space Err Statistical Oddities...

We strike back at the heart of conventional wisdom with a case of Stat Oddities. This week we take a look at goalies who hit the wall the year after either winning the Vezina or just having a very solid year.

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Stat Oddities

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Tim Thomas (G) -- Boston Bruins

Mind you he won the Vezina last year. Was it a mirage? It is hard to say but the numbers do not lie. That 36-11-7 record with a 2.10 GAA and .933 save percentage was amazing. This year the sub .500 record with a 2.57 GAA and .914 save percentage is killing Boston but the numbers are not that bad. The problem is the timing of the goals being given up. Last night Thomas gave up 2 late first period goals which ultimately got him pulled in favor of Tuukka Rask who stopped every shot he faced and is playing a lot like Thomas did last season. The former Vezina winner (he is not winning it this year) has had the worst goalie support from his Bruins (30th in scoring) but that does not explain the drop off in play completely. They say money changes people but Boston seems to have a tendency with goalies who play great in Year 1 and then drop off beyond.


Andrew Raycroft (G) -- former Boston Bruin

Scary but true. The 2003-04 season was outstanding for Raycroft. In 55 games, he went an amazing 29-18-9 with a 2.05 GAA and .926 save percentage. The town was Raycroft's for the taking and then the lockout happened. Clearly he was not the same goalie after going 8-19-2 for Boston in the 2005-06 season with a GAA of 3.71 and save percentage of .879. Literally Raycroft was excommunicated to Toronto where he bounced back a bit before hitting the same familiar thud in the 2007-08 season. This one was quite painful for Boston fans to watch as Raycroft literally went belly up but hey remember this paved the way for Tuukka Rask....so it is not all bad.


Blaine Lacher (G) -- former Boston Bruins (ret.)

Remember the Lachness Monster? Ah I remember too. Well I remember going up to Boston and watching the old Boston Garden close down. People forget Lacher was called up and then just ran with the Boston job. His numbers were not outstanding but it did help Boston into a playoff berth and a home first round series with the New Jersey Devils. The 2.41 GAA and .902 save percentage were okay but no one ever expected Lacher to literally melt down before the Boston faithful the way he did. The Devils would score five goals in Game 1 against Boston and would go on to take all three road games in Boston. Just like that Lacher was a shell of his former self as he was shelled the next season and wound up in the IHL faster than David Caruso's career after NYPD Blue and before CSI: Miami. An .845 save percentage is horrifying enough...we will not touch the GAA in Boston for the 95-96 season.


We were going to put Jim Carey here but his best season happened with Washington and his collapse was more gradual. He won the Vezina in the 95-96 season with a 2.25 GAA and .906 save percentage then went about .500 the next year before imploding with Boston. He is a Mass. native however which is why we are mentioning him. Well time to go and see you next week with more stat oddities.

Playing The Projection Game 5

Well it appears like things are clearing up for some and becoming real messy for others. It is time to see what is going on this week.

Its looking a little better....whew!

First off, please thank James Mirtle for setting the mark here with his point totals on getting into the playoffs. Also do not forget On Goal Analysis for their calls on who is in and who is out. These guys get it right more than anyone out there in the business.

This year we took a long look at current points and just what it is going to take into these crazy dances in both the East and West. Remember the Olympic Break is now over and oh I almost forgot we will have the RLD Playoff Formula to help us along the way.

We are going to keep updating this every Tuesday so you can see how much closer we believe your team is to making the playoffs. Our numbers are pretty much on par with the big boys and I can tell you that more than likely teams like Florida, Atlanta, and Tampa Bay are more than likely out. However, we will explain that a bit later. Now to set the bar for the West and East. West comes first. Keep in mind that last year was 93 points in the East and 91 for the West or a total of 184.

Updated March 16th


Western Conference (95 points)

1. San Jose - CLINCHED
2. Chicago - 0-13-1
3. Vancouver - 2-9-2
4. Phoenix - 2-9-2
5. Los Angeles - 4-8-2
6. Colorado - 5-8-1
7. Nashville - 6-5-2
8. Detroit - 7-5-1
9. Calgary - 8-3-2
10. St. Louis - 10-2-2
11. Minnesota - 11-2-1
12. Dallas - 11-1-2
13. Anaheim - 12-1-1
14. Columbus - ELIMINATED
15. Edmonton - ELIMINATED


Edmonton is not a misprint ladies and gentlemen. Also, Dallas and Anaheim are nearing elimination very quickly with St. Louis and Minnesota not too far behind. Ouch!! Now on to the Eastern Conference.


Eastern Conference (89 points)

1. Washington - CLINCHED
2. Pittsburgh - 0-11-2
3. Buffalo - 3-11-1
4. New Jersey - 1-11-2
5. Ottawa - 4-7-2
6. Philadelphia - 6-7-1
7. Montreal - 6-5-1
8. Boston - 8-5-1
9. NY Rangers - 8-3-2
10. Tampa Bay - 10-3-1
11. Atlanta - 10-2-2
12. Florida - 11-3-1
13. NY Islanders - 11-0-2
14. Carolina - 12-1-1
15. Toronto - ELIMINATED


The reality is that Chicago, Pittsburgh, and New Jersey are stone cold lead pipe locks at this point and could clinch this week. Boston has hit some excessively bumpy times and are now fighting off the Rangers unexpectedly.. Washington has now clinched and Toronto is headed to the golf course now along with Columbus.

Who will make it out of the bubble teams? Tampa Bay has sunk while Florda has stabilized. That tends to happen in this playoff race and there is still a lot of moving up and down yet to go. Even Carolina has leveled off some leading most to believe they will not make it. The Islanders may also be out by next Tuesday as well. See you next week.

Morning Skate (3/16)

Don't forget about Ryan's radio show TODAY at 1:00 ET!!

The Morning After:
Yesterday’s scores:
Devils 3, Bruins 2
Blue Jackets 5, Oilers 3
Red Wings 2, Flames 1
Predictions record: 3-0

My 3 stars from last night:
1. Kristian Huselius, CBJ (1 Goal, 3 Assists)
Huselius was able to tally 4 points for the Jackets in their win over the Oilers.
2. Jimmy Howard, DET (22 Saves, 1 GA)
Howard had a very solid game for the Wings. He didn't need to make many big saves, but he was good when needed.
3. David Clarkson, NJ (1 Goal, 1 Assist)
Clarkson chipped in 2 first period points for the Devils.
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Tonight’s Slate:
Bruins @ Hurricanes, 7:00 ET
Sabres @ Thrashers, 7:00
Canadiens @ Rangers, 7:30
Maple Leafs @ Senators, 7:30
Coyotes @ Lightning, 7:30
Capitals @ Panthers, 7:30
Avalanche @ Blues, 8:00
Flyers @ Predators, 8:00
Oilers @ Wild, 8:00
Sharks @ Stars, 8:30
Islanders @ Canucks, 10:00

Games of the Night:
Montreal Canadiens @ New York Rangers
7:30 ET… TV: VERSUS, Local Networks

Records:
Overall: Canadiens (35-29-6) … Rangers (31-29-9)
Last Ten: Canadiens (7-3-0) … Rangers (5-3-2)
Away/Home: Canadiens (17-16-2) … Rangers (15-15-6)
Season Series: 2-1 Rangers

Players to watch:
MTL- Benoit Pouliot
Pouliot is riding a 5-game point streak coming into tonight.
NYR- Chris Drury
The captain has 4 assists in the last 2 games, and has fared well historically vs. Montreal.

Projected Goaltenders:
MTL- Jaroslav Halak (09/10 stats: 22-10-2, 2.52 GAA)
NYR- Henrik Lundqvist (09/10 stats: 28-23-8, 2.45 GAA)

Injury Report:
MTL- Mike Cammalleri and Marc-Andre Bergeron (knee, out)
NYR- None

Game Thoughts:
This Original Six matchup is a critical one when it comes to the standings. Montreal is red-hot right now, but haven't much success at the Garden in recent visits. The Rangers are desperate for points, and have won 2 in a row. This one should go right down to the wire, and I think the Blueshirts pick up 2 crucial points.
Prediction: Rangers 3, Canadiens 1
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Philadelphia Flyers @ Nashville Predators
8:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Records:
Overall: Flyers (36-28-4) … Predators (38-26-5)
Last Ten: Flyers (6-3-1) … Predators (6-4-0)
Away/Home: Flyers (15-16-2) … Predators (18-12-2)
Season Series: First meeting

Players to watch:
PHI- Scott Hartnell
Hartnell, along with Timonen, will be making the long-awaited return to Nashville.
NSH- Patric Hornqvist
'Horny' hasn't been all that productive since the break, but may be ready to get hot after scoring 3 times out west.

Projected Goaltenders:
PHI- Michael Leighton (09/10 stats: 17-9-2, 2.78 GAA)
NSH- Pekka Rinne (09/10 stats: 24-13-4, 2.73 GAA)

Injury Report:
PHI- Ray Emery (hip, out)
NSH- Denis Grebeshkov (lower body, out)

Game Thoughts:
Nashville and Philly meet up for a rare meeting (just their fourth in the last five years). The Preds have taken two of the previous three. Peter Laviolette's bunch has been inconsistent lately, and is struggling to score goals. Coming off a successful west coast trip, Nashville could have a letdown. It should be a close game, and I'm taking the Flyers in a shootout.
Prediction: Flyers 4, Predators 3 (SO)

The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Bruins over Hurricanes
Thrashers over Sabres
Senators over Maple Leafs
Coyotes over Lightning
Capitals over Panthers
Blues over Avalanche
Wild over Oilers
Sharks over Stars
Canucks over Islanders

You can follow the Red Light District on Twitter @RLDhockey!

This Day In Hockey History (3/16)

Before there was Ryan Miller for Team USA there was this guy and here is his moment for today.



World Cup 96.....

March 16, 1998

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New York's Mike Richter became the 4th goaltender in franchise history to record 200 wins as a member of the Rangers. The milestone came in a 5-4 win against the visiting Ottawa Senators.

Morning Video Fix...

Waking up to actual sun somehow makes life easier....who knew. Here are this morning's videos.




Holmstrom loses the blade nevermind edge....




A nice long fight.....




Surfing hockey players is no fun.....



Time to get moving on Tuesday.

Videos Before Bedtime!

A little sense of humor for the VBB tonight.




For those in the tri-state area.....




Fight one....




Fight two....


Now get me outta here....

Wheel Of Morality

That is right...we are bringing this one back.




Animaniacs is back.....


Now for today's lesson.....

Always set your fantasy roster ahead for the week because you never know what will happen (acts of god, computer failure, etc.). If you do not, you may miss the playoffs because of it.

That is today's lesson.

The Week Ahead...(He Said He Said Edition)

The Week Ahead....with Ryan up first......

Top 5 games I’m looking forward to:
1. Sharks @ Canucks (Thursday)
2. Penguins @ Devils (Wednesday)
3. Blackhawks @ Kings (Thursday)
4. Red Wings @ Flames (Tonight)
5. Blackhawks @ Coyotes (Saturday)

Matchup of the Weak:
Oilers @ Blue Jackets (Tonight)... Why did they have to schedule this game on a night with only three contests?!

Teams to Watch:
1. Calgary Flames
The Flames have played better since the Olympic break, but are still on the outside looking in. Brent Sutter and company have a big home tests vs. Detroit and San Jose, along with road dates in Colorado and Minnesota. Out of the 4 games, 5 of the possible 8 points is necessary!
2. Boston Bruins
The B's, also sitting on the bubble, have a crucial week ahead of them, as well. In between litmus-test games against the Devils and Penguins, Boston will travel to Carolina, who was turned into a spoiler for many teams. Claude Julien's crew finishes the week with a massive tilt against the Rangers. Is it safe to say this is a make or break week for the B's??

National TV schedule (U.S.):
Tonight
Bruins @ Devils… VERSUS
Tuesday
Canadiens @ Rangers… VERSUS
Wednesday
Blackhawks @ Ducks… NHL Network
Thursday
Penguins @ Bruins… NHL Network
Saturday
Canadiens @ Maple Leafs… NHL Network
Sunday
Rangers @ Bruins… NBC

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My Turn

Top 5 Matchups I look forward to:
1. Penguins @ Bruins (Thursday)
2. Penguins @ Devils (Wednesday)
3. Wings @ Flames (Tonight)
4. Blackhawks @ Coyotes (Saturday)
5. Sharks @ Canucks (Thursday)

Matchup Of THE WEAK: (Tonight) -- Why Edmonton and Columbus and who has to get fired for scheduling this game? No seriously, it is just WEAK.

Teams To Watch:
1. Calgary Flames -- Ryan and I agree on both this week. Calgary has four tough games and two at home against Detroit and San Jose. I think they might even need 6 out of a possible 8 points this week as the West is getting that much tougher night in and night out. Even the 5th and 6th seeds should watch out. It starts tonight against Detroit and Calgary needs to bounce back or it could snowball again.

2. Boston Bruins -- They cannot look ahead to Thursday against Pittsburgh since they play New Jersey tonight. They also get to travel to Carolina (scary) and then have a massive Sunday clash with the Rangers. Boston has its work cut out for them and frankly this is make or break week for Claude Julien and crew.


THE TWIST:

So by how many points do the Predators miss the playoffs by? Place your bets.

Pick The Winner

Back at it on a Monday and yes it is still raining occasionally. We apologize for the delays today but boiling water because of flooding is time consuming. Rest assured the water will go away at some point. However, there are only three games on tonight. Boston and New Jersey on Versus and two other games of some consequence. I hear The Brick and Doc on the Versus game and that should be interesting to say the least.

Time to make our predictions and check them twice. Hopefully we get these ones right tonight. That would help some.

• New Jersey over Boston
• Detroit over Calgary
• Columbus over Edmonton

Now who did the expert pick for his game of the night? Let's find out.




A great choice and pick.......