Videos Before Bedtime!!!

We are back and ready to roll. 3....2....1....here comes the videos!




Carter hit on Salmela...oy!




Show me fight!




And more fight.....



Good fight....GOOD NIGHT!!!!

Ken Miller Named OHL Enforcement Officer / Director of Security

The Ontario Hockey League announced Ken Miller OHL as Enforcement Officer / Director of Security a week and half ago. What will this position entail? According to the press release:

Miller’s duties will include ensuring compliance of the policies established by the League in the area of player recruitment, player benefits, player environment and assisting in the coordination and support of security of League special events.

I don’t think it will stop teams recruiting or players playing the NCAA card to go to the Windsor’s Kitchener’s and the London’s of the world. It’s not like there’s a paper trail or anything, unless the league is going to tap into phones or email accounts.

I have always said the OHL goal is to be the top junior league in the world, getting the Patrick Kane’s, Sam Gagner’s, and Cam Fowler’s of the world is better for the league even if it’s just the same teams. The OHL has made the NCAA their target and if the OHL is blocking themselves to get that elite talent then the talent.

If I was an owner of a team middle or to the bottom of the league, I would put my focus in recruiting and player development and then getting a start of the art building. It will be tough for some small market teams, but it’s worth a try.

Nice try OHL on stopping recruiting, but it will still go on.

Team USA: Taking the defensive....

With the help of Fantasypros911.com, we are doing mini player profiles and much much more to get ready for the Olympics. Today we take a very quick look at the seven defensemen that make up the Team USA squad.

Defensemen:

Brian Rafalski (Detroit Red Wings, 36) -- Rafalski is the elder statesman of the group. This is Rafalski's second time in the Olympics (the first came in 2002). The Dearborn, Michigan native has won three Stanley Cups (2000, 2003, 2008) and is one of the better two way defensemen in the game still. He has 27 points in 54 games this year with Detroit and has 452 points in 746 career games in the National Hockey League. His right hand shot could be a key to Team USA in Vancouver.

Ryan Suter (Nashville Predators, 25) -- Suter is one of the many "young guns" that Team USA possesses. Ryan is a 1st round pick (7th overall) of the Nashville Predators and produced a career high 45 points last season. He shoots from the left and weighs 194 pounds. This season, Suter has 26 points (2 goals, 24 assists). The improved facet of his game is his defense. Not only is he a +11 but he has blocked more shots this year than any year in his career. He has learned well from Nashville teammate Shea Weber and vice versa.

Erik Johnson (St. Louis Blues, 21) -- Johnson may be young but he is one big hockey player. The 6 foot 4, 220 pound Bloomington, Minnesota native was taken 1st overall by St. Louis in 2006. He had 33 points in his rookie campaign then took a year off due to injuries. Johnson came back even stronger this year and has 25 points already in just 56 games. Erik has an above average slapper and is starting to let it rip more. His defense is improving and his hitting has never been questioned. A welcome addition to the Team USA squad and will only get better.

Brooks Orpik (Pittsburgh Penguins, 29) -- Orpik is a bit controversial with his hits and aggressive play but that is much needed on Team USA when facing the physical Canadians and speedy Russians. He is not going to score goals for the team (6 career goals in 427 NHL games) but that feisty nature and never give up attitude is something the Americans needed. Stay at home guys are always welcome. The San Fransisco native checks in at nearly 230 pounds and at 6 foot 2 is pretty intimidating. A good shot blocker and a goalie's best friend is what Orpik brings to the table.

Jack Johnson (LA Kings, 23) -- Some will say Jack was a bit of a questionable choice. If Drew Doughty is on Team Canada then why not. The 225 pound, 6 foot 1 defenseman was the 3rd overall choice in the 2005 draft. He has enjoyed career highs in goals (6) and assists (18) this year and seems to be getting better bit by bit. The Indianapolis native is ready to make his mark and no better place to do it on the Olympic stage. Expect a spirited effort from yet another first time Olympian on the squad.

Ryan Whitney (Anaheim Ducks, 26) -- Whitney was an injury callup but was an alternate on Team USA. Ryan is just starting to get back to the level he was at a few years ago before a foot injury really hampered his development. His 101 shots this year is back on pace to his first three years in Pittsburgh. Though his 25 points are far off from his career high of 59 set in the 2006 season, many feel Whitney is a great fit in Anaheim and has the potential of bigger and better things. What better springboard than the Olympics of course which makes heroes out of a guy like Whitney. That lefty shot and 220 pound frame are going to be very useful for Team USA.

Tim Gleason (Carolina Hurricanes, 27) -- Another callup but Gleason was also an alternate. A feisty and mostly stay at home defenseman, Gleason has won a special place of the hearts of Canes fans with his hard work and discipline. He has been a + player his last three years and this is his first time of the Team USA squad. Another lefty shot with some power should be a nice compliment to rest of the pieces of the puzzle here. The Clawson, Michigan native has a knack for blocking shots as well and that was something Brian Burke was definitely looking for.

Au Revoir Bob Gainey....

File photo....(Getty Images)

We all know how rough Bob Gainey has had it in the past few years. There is no need to go into all the personal things. If the reports are true and it seems just about 100% accurate then Bob Gainey will step down at the 4pm press conference today that the Montreal Canadiens have scheduled. Hopefully Bob will be able to enjoy the rest of his days and enjoy some kind of peace that is a long time coming.

He did do a solid job as GM of the Habs but with the Molson group taking over fully, you kind of had the feeling that they had a different philosophy on the team than Gainey.

If the reports are true then Pierre Gauthier will take over as GM. It seems the breaking point was that the Habs did not go after Ilya Kovalchuk more aggressively but the reality was the Habs were never really all that in it as some would claim.

The press conference is at 4pm...you can listen to it on Sirius 97+127 with Jeff Marek and company....or RDS or TSN or oh you get the idea. At any rate, we will have more later on the fallout.

Pick The Winner

Things have been going pretty well with this predicting thing of late. There are only five games tonight but I expect a pretty good doubleheader if you are lucky enough to catch Devils-Flyers and then Kings-Ducks. Nice to see some star power on TV not named Crosby or Ovechkin for a change. Yes I am likely in the minority there but so be it.

Here are tonight's predictions and there are a few surprises along the way. Hopefully this helps you out as you bet away.

• Devils over Flyers
• Sharks over Maple Leafs
• Ducks over Kings
• Avalanche over Blues
• Coyotes over Oilers

It is time to see what the expert has spotlighted as his game of the night. You never quite know with him but his excellent record (66%) speaks for itself.




Pick em baby!!!!! Let it ride...

The Semi Rest Of The Olympics Preview...

Now we present the other ten countries in sort of a rapid fire format. The countries at the top represent who we think are real contenders here. They get more sleepy and less relevant as we go down. Again much apologies.

Russia:

Mother Russia has won the Worlds and even shocked Canada to do it. If any team can come in and do it again...it is Russia. The problem is you never quite know what you will get out of this team. The talent is there but sometimes the mental part of the game is lacking. Guys like Datsyuk, Malkin, Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, Semin, and Markov. Then add in goalies like Nabokov and Bryzgalov and the reality is it becomes apparent that Russia can lace them up with anyone and I mean anyone.

The test will come like I said when Russia's depth players like Alex Radulov and company have to step up. Can they? Can Russia play just enough defense to win this thing. I am really not too sure on that but I think they may pull this out which is why I picked them to either take the Gold or Bronze. It may appear to be a cop out pick but really it is not. They are my co-favorite.


Sweden:

Another stacked team but they did win the 2006 Olympics in Italy. Keep this in mind that they have Henrik Lundqvist still. There are also the Sedin twins and a very talented up and coming lineup. Sweden has a defense with some depth and has Peter Forsberg and Nick Lidstrom for leadership. It does not get too much better honestly. Unlike most teams, they seem to be the one that always plays with the most chemistry (at least this decade).

This is my other co-favorite but I believe they will make it to the Gold Medal game and either win or lose so a first or second place finish is where I have them. For a two week event like this, Sweden still has it.


Czech Republic

They have Tomas Vokoun which is the only thing keeping the Florida Panthers in the playoff chase right now. With Elias, Havlat, and Jagr as a potential first line...the Czechs could surprise. It seems 6 or 7 teams have "A" type goaltending right now which makes predicting this a crap shoot. Do not sleep on the D either....Kaberle and Kuba are very dangerous on the back end.

However, I just think that the bigger, faster teams will be able to solve Vokoun and that a 4th or 5th place finish is more likely for the Czechs.


Slovakia

With Jaroslav Halak in net, Slovakia is kind of in the same boat as the Czechs. They could surprise but Halak has to be absolutely sensational for two weeks without hardly letting up. That is tough to do with this much quality competition. Slovakia does have Ziggy Palffy still along with the Hossa's, Lubomir Visnovsky and Zdeno Chara too. So there is some talent but the depth is a bit unknown honestly.

They will be competing with Finland to come close to the semifinals but a 5th or 6th place finish is probably about where they will end up and even that is a mild surprise.


Finland

These guys can play but who is going to be in net? Will Mr. Backstrom be healthy for this squad come next week? The answer is still not quite yes. Miikka Kiprusoff should be the starter in theory but who knows with the Finns. Either way with the Ruutu's and Koivu's, this team does have potential. Do not forget Teemu Selanne (his last Olympics -- if he can be 100%) and a cast of many. My wildcard for Finland may be Niklas Hagman who can score in bunches. He is the type of guy that could provide instant offense for the Finns.

I have Finland anywhere from 4th to 7th depending on the unstable situation in net. Lean more toward 6th or 7th though.


Switzerland

So Jonas Hiller gets a real fun assignment...try and stand on your head and tippy toes at the same time because the Swiss will be under siege from the word go. The offense will have to come from Hnat Dominchelli and Mark Streit because after that the talent goes down a bit. No one knows what a guy like Luca Sbisa is going to do.

They are almost destined to finish 8th maybe 7th if they are lucky. There are just too many teams above them.


The rest........and a quick skinny.

9th -- Germany -- A bit of a surprise. I think Thomas Greiss has real serious potential for 2014 in Sochi.

10th -- Latvia -- Not quite the same squad as 2006. The Dinamo Riga club team is what they are basically. That hurts.

11th -- Belarus -- This squad is short in just about every major category but they will play hard every night. Too bad really.

12th -- Norway -- Relegation anyone? I think they are pretty much sliding down for 2014 barring a miracle.


Coming soon, we will have more Olympics because there cannot be enough coverage.

Fantasy Hockey 101: When Your League Is A Mess

I am starting to think the podcast league is turning into the Eastern Conference of the NHL. Does anyone from 7th-11th want to make the playoffs? Yes you have your teams that are obviously in and your teams that are obviously out but then right around .500, you have a logjam that could only be described as a complete FUBAR.

Here is the league itself and we hope this link actually works like ESPN promised. I never expected four games over .500 to be good for a 7th seed but right now it sure is. Even the B'Town Womb Raiders at 8 under .500 are still in it and that team has slumped for the better part of two months now. They are almost the Boston Bruins of this league....almost.

The 6 teams fighting for the two final playoff spots should be proud and hell the Queens came all the way back from being about 25 under .500 to almost .500 now. The Queens are not a team I want to face in the playoffs quite frankly. Teams with good offensive balance and depth and an anchor goalie like Luongo are scary come the end of the season and playoff time.

So you then figure four of the teams are going to miss out on the postseason and it may be for a variety of reasons. Some just will not get that offensive push and some will miss because of goaltending. Others will miss because they have a tough schedule. There are only three actual fantasy "weeks" left because of the Olympic Break.

What we decided to do here is just list the records of the teams in the chase. Our bubble teams.

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The race for 8th....

7th. NY Titans 92-88-29
8th. Ruff Edges 94-92-23
9th. Number 1 Bobby Orr 91-92-26
10th. Victoria Queens 92-94-23
11th. Killa Bees 90-93-26
12th. Btown Womb Raiders 89-97-23

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If anyone can make heads or tails out of this....good luck. I still think Ruff Edges has what it takes but really at this time of year unless you are playing one of the top 4 seeds, you can throw records out the window. The Olympic Break is also going to throw a wrench into this because teams would have had an extra 2 fantasy matchups to cycle through.

Now it is a no holds barred sprint that stops midway in to allow for a long breather and then a final kick that may rival no other. Next week we are actually going to attempt to handicap this a bit more and give our picks (yes a bit early I know). At any rate, take a good look at this league and give us your picks. See you next week.


Sincerely,

Chris Wassel

Director Of The Program

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

This is always a little fun as Ryan and I take a look at The Week Ahead. Look for the twist everyone. Ryan is up first.

Ryan's Take

Top 5 games I’m looking forward to:
1. Capitals @ Senators (Thursday)
2. Sharks @ Red Wings (Thursday)
3. Sharks @ Sabres (Saturday)
4. Kings @ Ducks (Tonight)
5. Predators @ Devils (Friday)

Matchup of the Weak:
Lightning @ Islanders (Saturday)… There aren’t many bad games this week, but there’s nothing attractive about this matinee game this weekend.

Two teams to watch:
1. Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers have a bit of a weird schedule this week, having a pair of home-and-homes with the Devils and Canadiens. Their western swing didn’t go as planned, scoring just 4 goals in the 3 games. Peter Laviolette and company need to find a way to win these games – especially against Montreal, who is 3 points ahead of them in the East.
2. Anaheim Ducks
Randy Carlyle’s club has been playing much better since the New Year, working their way back into the playoff picture. This is a huge week for them, starting tonight against L.A. at home. They end their week with a back-to-back in Alberta. Out of the possible 8 points this week, the Ducks need to gain 6.

National TV schedule (U.S.):
Tonight
Devils @ Flyers… VERSUS
Tuesday
Red Wings @ Blues… VERSUS
Wednesday
Islanders @ Penguins… NHL Network
Thursday
Sharks @ Red Wings… NHL Network
Saturday
Flyers @ Canadiens… NHL Network

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Chris's Take

Top 5 games I'm looking forward to:
1. Kings @ Ducks (Tonight)
2. Capitals @ Senators (Thursday)
3. Flyers @ Devils (Wednesday)
4. Sharks @ Red Wings (Thursday)
5. Coyotes @ Avalanche (Friday)

Matchup Of The WEAK!:
Lightning @ Islanders (Saturday)....This matinee will hurt your ears and eyes if you are not careful. This has the potential to be a real 2-1 snoozefest.

Two Teams To Watch:
1. New Jersey Devils
This is why they got Ilya Kovalchuk so they could have a little scoring punch against a team like Philadelphia. Its about time that laser of a shot finds its way into the back of the net a few times. Pittsburgh and Buffalo can only go on a bit of a slump for so long. They also play a hard working Nashville team as well. That may be a must win as well.

2. Anaheim Ducks
The time is now. They have to get back into the playoff picture and almost have to win out this week. The Ducks play LA and Edmonton at home before visiting lovely Alberta for Valentine's Day weekend. Jonas Hiller can only do so much and when you give up a lot of shots and chances....bad games happen. Anaheim must bounce back and get some balanced scoring. Oh it would not hurt if the defense showed up every so often.

THE TWIST:

Washington has won 14 straight games and I believe that is tied for 3rd all time for most wins in a row. This is pretty impressive but now the question becomes when do they lose? Circle Thursday on the calendar as a potential loss because Ottawa just came off a streak of their own and would love nothing more than to take out the league leading Capitals. The last time the Capitals lost was a 7-4 setback at Tampa Bay on January 12th.


Well that is it for now. See you next week with an Olympic Look Ahead perhaps.

Monday Ice Water Cooler

Last night we had our third annual The Program Super Bowl Hockey special. If you did not happen to catch it, you can listen to it right HERE. Kevin Allen of USA Today was nice enough to take an hour of his time and pretty much answer all of our questions then asked a few of his own.

Obviously everyone knows that Kevin was the one that broke the Kovalchuk trade wide open and is one of the most if not the most respected hockey journalist out there. I think what we all learned is just how thorough he is with everything -- from writing to talking. The key was what we really learned about the trade deadline is how disjointed it really has become this year. Honestly we do not know who is going to be traded next.

After what was a very eye opening interview, we mixed the football and hockey almost seamlessly. Yes we used a big word there and that is rare. Congrats to the New Orleans Saints on winning the Super Bowl. By the way Dan Patrick predicted the score but got the teams wrong. I guess no soup for him. Drews Brees was the MVP completing 81.2% of his passes (32-39), throwing for 288 yards, and two touchdowns. New Orleans is probably having one big collective hangover this morning but the good kind.

Then still we talked more hockey because we can. There is just one week of NHL action to go before we all take a break and watch the Olympics. Do not worry, we will do some Men's and Women's Ice Hockey. It will be a bit different to take a break of sorts and go a bit easy. Notice we said just a bit.

We will even trot out more Referee Apocalypse because you cannot have enough good Apocalypse. Ryan and I will be debuting the RLD Podcast on the 16th and I think somehow, someway I will be on Mr. Rosenthal's podcast as well. This is like good Squishee but may be actually better. There are a lot of things being worked on for the Olympic Break so stick around by all means.

Well that is it for the Cooler next week. See you next week with maybe a Best Of The Season so far. Aloha.


Sincerely,

Chris Wassel

Director Of The Program

Morning Skate (2/8)

Its Monday and therefore it must be brought! Morning Skate time.



The Morning After:
Last night’s scores:
Capitals 5, Penguins 4 (OT)
Bruins 3, Canadiens 0
Predictions record: 0-1-1

My 3 stars from last night:
1. Alexander Ovechkin, WSH (3 Goals, 1 Assist)
Yesterday was another chapter in the Pens/Caps rivalry, thanks to Ovechkin’s dramatic hat trick.
2. Tuukka Rask, BOS (36 Saves, Shutout)
Rask was fantastic, coming through with a shutout for a team that desperately needed a ‘W’.
3. Sidney Crosby, PIT (2 Goals)
Despite the loss, Crosby played pretty well with a pair of goals.
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Tonight’s Slate:
Sharks @ Maple Leafs, 7:00 ET
Devils @ Flyers, 7:00
Blues @ Avalanche, 9:30
Oilers @ Coyotes, 9:30
Kings @ Ducks, 10:00

Games of the Night:
New Jersey Devils @ Philadelphia Flyers
7:00 ET… TV: VERSUS, TSN

Records:
Overall: Devils (36-19-2) … Flyers (28-25-3)
Last Ten: Devils (4-5-1) … Flyers (5-5-0)
Away/Home: Devils (17-10-2) … Flyers (16-11-2)
Season Series: 2-1 Flyers

Players to watch:
NJ- Zach Parise
Parise usually produces vs. Philly, but has gone 3 games without a point… he’s due!
PHI- Danny Briere
The team has had trouble scoring, and Briere is someone who needs to step it up.

Projected Goaltenders:
NJ- Martin Brodeur (09/10 stats: 33-18-2, 2.25 GAA)
PHI- Michael Leighton (09/10 stats: 9-7-1, 2.89 GAA)

Injury Report:
NJ- David Clarkson (leg, out), Paul Martin (arm, out)
PHI- Ray Emery (hip, questionable), Ryan Parent (back, out), Danny Syvret (shoulder, out)

Game Thoughts:
The Devils-Flyers rivalry renews with high stakes, and two teams not on their A-game. New Jersey has been one of the better road teams all year, but inconsistent over the last month or so. The Flyers need all the points they can get, but need to score more to climb the standings. This is a tough game to pick; I’m going with the Devils…
Prediction: Devils 3, Flyers 2
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Los Angeles Kings @ Anaheim Ducks
10:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Records:
Overall: Kings (36-19-3) … Ducks (27-24-7)
Last Ten: Kings (9-1-0) … Ducks (6-4-0)
Away/Home: Kings (19-10-1) … Ducks (17-8-2)
Season Series: 3-0 Kings

Players to watch:
LA- Ryan Smyth
Smyth needs to keep up his strong two-way game for the Kings to continue their win streak.
ANA- Ryan Getzlaf
‘Getzy’ has 7 points in the last 4 games.

Projected Goaltenders:
LA- Jonathan Quick (09/10 stats: 34-16-3, 2.54 GAA)
ANA- Jonas Hiller (09/10 stats: 23-16-2, 2.72 GAA)

Injury Report:
LA- Justin Williams (leg, out), Davis Drewiskie (shoulder, out), Andrei Loktionov (shoulder, out)
ANA- Joffrey Lupul (back, out)

Game Thoughts:
Two of the hotter teams in the West hook up tonight in SoCal! The budding rivalry of Ducks-Kings should be good, as L.A. looks to stretch their win streak to 10. Anaheim is out to get them after getting beat 6-4 by them last week. The intensity will be high, and I have a feeling Hiller will lift the Ducks to their first victory over the Kings this season.
Prediction: Ducks 3, Kings 1

The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Sharks over Maple Leafs
Avalanche over Blues
Coyotes over Oilers

You can follow the Red Light District on Twitter @RLDhockey!
Don’t forget about our new podcast, which starts on February 16!

Morning Video Fix...

This really is just because we can. Also, this could be considered the better late than never version but we digress. Okay let's see what a bad night's sleep caused us to find.




Hats thrown for valid reason.....




It looked promising once....




Boston may have won but this was a nice hit....



Time to get Monday moving!!!

This Day In Hockey History (2/8)

We start off the week with a rather curious moment. It just happened to be something that caught my eye and gave everyone a bit of a good chuckle. Ah here it is now.



What Shields is more known for actually.....

February 08, 2001

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Goaltender Steve Shields recorded his 9th career shutout to tie Mike Vernon for first place on the team's all-time shutout list in the Sharks 0-0 tie against the Canucks at Vancouver.