Hello Everyone!  How are you?  As anyone who watches sports will tell you, things can be very unpredictable.  Case and point: the standings this season.  If you look at the top teams in both conferences the Toronto Maple Leafs (the east) and San Jose Sharks (the west) lead with 12 points apiece.  Funny enough no single Toronto Maple Leafs player has the most goals or assist this season, not even in the top five for that matter but like an old fashion captain Joe Thornton of the San Jose Sharks is leading not only the assists category with 8 (tied with Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks, also a captain) but Thornton is also leading the plus/minus category with 9 (plus/minus I will explain later but basically the stat keeps track of when players are on the ice for goals for their team and for the opposing team). 

San Jose and Colorado still have unblemished records with 6-0-0 each to start the season.  San Jose is always a strong team so no surprise they are cooking with gas.  San Jose has made the playoffs for the last 8 years dating back to 2006.  There was no Stanley Cup awarded in 2005 because of the lockout and before that the Sharks made the playoffs every year since 1998 except for 2003. Dating back the franchise's birth in 1992 the Sharks have only missed the playoffs 5 times!  Surprisingly Colorado hasn't made the playoffs since the 2009-10 season.  You could say the Colorado Avalanche had beginners luck....in 1995 the Quebec Nordique relocated to Colorado and became the Avalanche.  In their first year the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup.  They continued to make the playoffs for the next 5 years and won the Cup again in 2001.  The avalanche qualified for the playoffs 3 more times before the 1995 lockout and since the lockout have only made the playoffs 3 out of the last 8 years.  Ironically the last time the Avalanche made the playoffs they were eliminated in 6 games by the San Jose Sharks. So really as you can see there can be no rhyme or reason to NHL stats.  Another fun fact?  The Toronto Maple Leafs were the only team to have not made the playoffs since the 2004-05 lockout.  They snapped the drought last year by making the playoffs.  They pushed the Boston Bruins to a Game seven but lost.  This year however they have already collected 12 points!

While we are on the topic of rhyme and reason there is also no connections to when coaches decide to split up players on lines.  Case and point Tuesday night when the Vancouver Canucks took on the Philadelphia Flyers.  The Flyers took an early lead in the 1st period but the Canucks were able to tie and end the first period 1-1.  The Flyers ended the 2nd period with a one goal lead 2-1.  Then what does John Tortorella do in the 3rd period?  SPLITS UP THE SEDINS!  Now to some this may seem like Torts needs to be locked up in a looney bin.....split up the Sedins?  But it worked brilliantly!  Chris Higgins scored the tying goal with a pass from Henrik Sedin, while Daniel was on the bench.  The goal marked Higgins first goal of the season but Henrik's 800 point of his career!  Ten minutes later Henrik passed Higgins the puck who got it to Kesler who scored the game winning goal (also his second goal of the game).  Henrik  picked up the 801st point of his career.

Jason Spezza captain of the Ottawa Senators recorded a "Natural hat Trick" Tuesday night vs the Phoenix Coyotes.  Remember a natural hat trick is 3 consecutive goals by one player.  The Finnish Flash Teemu Selanne scored his first goal of the season last night in Anaheim.  Selanne had actually broken his stick, as he skated to the bench for a new one his team kept pressing into the Calgary Flames zone.  A couple of Selanne's teammates offered him their sticks so he could finish his shift.  There was no need because the Anaheim equipment manager was on it and handed Selanne his backup stick.  What happened next?  Selanne joined the play, scored the goal and it ended up being the game winner!

Above you can enjoy Spezza hat trick highlights and below the Higgins and Kesler goals from Tuesday.  And Finally check out the Selanne goal from last night!  

Below I have uploaded an episode of Hockey Talk with Courtney.  I explain commonly terms used in hockey with my co host Arpad.  Don't worry, more hockey words will be learned in future episodes!  Until next time Hockey Fans Enjoy X

Hello Hockey Fans!  How is everyone?  Last night in hockey might have been one of the nuttiest nights yet.  

First lets start with the Vancouver Canucks hosting the New Jersey Devils and the return of Cory Schneider.  I could go on about the past two years and the Luongo/Schenider who is the #1 but I won't.  I went to the game with my son Hunter.  Hunter is 5 and possibly the biggest Cory Schneider fan.  Since he was 2 it was all about Cory.  It wasn't easy telling Hunter in July Schneider was now a Devil but Hunter added the Devils to his list of teams he cheers for.  I took Hunter to the game so he could see Schneid-Dog as we call him in our house.  Hunter stood right next to the Devils tunnel for warm up and patiently waited for Schneider to come out onto the ice.  Hunter's love for Cory was reflected in the standing ovation Cory received from Canuck fans before puck drop.  As Cory skated to his net for the 1st period he was on the big screen, the clapping and cheering started.  It didn't stop, it kept going and going and going.  Then fans began to rise out of their seats, Cory was still on the screen.  These are the type of moments I love in sport.  

The Devils did have a 2 goal lead over the Canucks but it ended in a 3-2 victory for the Canucks with Jason Garrison scoring the OT goal, his 3rd of the season.

What else caught me eye last night?  Three words Rookie Tomas Hertl.  Hertl tallied a whooping 4 goals last night!  That is a hat trick plus a spare goal.  Did I mention this is only Hertl's 3rd game in the NHL?  Hertl has 6 goals and 1 assist for 7 points in his young NHL career.  The best goal of last night?  Possibly Hertl's 4th goal, between the legs and past Lundqvist of the New York Rangers. Final score had the Sharks feasting 9-2 over the Rangers. Welcome to New York Alain!

Below I have uploaded video of Garrison's goal, ALL 4 of Hertl's goal and a recipe for me amazing tomato sauce!  Enjoy 

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Ingredients: 

1) 4-5 medium sized tomatoes
2) 1/2 a medium sized onion
3) 4 gloves garlic (feel free to add more)
4) 2 bay leafs
5) 2-3 table spoons olive oil

Directions:

1) In a pot add olive oil over med heat
2) Dice onion and add to pot.  Allow onion to begin to sweat down.
3) Add whole garlic gloves once the onion have begun to sweat
4) Cut tomatoes into chunky sized pieces (about 8 slices per tomato) and add to pot, pour water over tomatoes until the tomatoes are just fully covered and toss in 2 bay leafs
5) Allow tomatoes to stew until they are soft.  Usually this takes 30 minutes or so.  Turn heat to high until it hits a boil then reduce back to med heat.
6) Scoop stew tomatoes into a blander or magic bullet and blend until smooth
7) Place blended sauce back in pot and reduce heat.  Allow to reduce down until desired thickness.  I usually let the sauce reduce for another 15 minutes.
8) Add sauce to pasta of choice, add parmesan cheese and fresh parsley and you are done!
Side note: feel free to add red bell peppers to the sweating onions.  They add a fantastic flavour to the final sauce!

Hello Hockey Fans!  How is everyone?  What a wild first week in NHL hockey it  was! Entertaining as always.  I have assembled a few videos and photos I find interesting and funny from the weekend.

Possibly the best moment was Teemu Selanne returning to Winnipeg to play the Jets with his Anaheim Ducks.  It might not seem like such a huge deal to the naked eye but dig a bit deeper and you have a player who loved a city and a city that loved a player.  

The "Finnish Flash" as he has been affectionally dubbed was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in 1988, 10th overall.  Once Selanne signed a contract in the NHL in 1992, after spending a few more years developing in Finland it was off to the races.  In his first game Selanne recored 2 assists, two night later, 2 goals, in his 5th game his first hat trick (3 goals in a single game), and had 11 goals in his first 12 games total.  Selanne recored four hat tricks during his rookie season.  Not only did Selanne break Mike Bossy's record for goals by a rookie scoring 53 and ending the season with 76 goals total,  he broke Peter Stastny's record by recording 110 points snapping Stastny's 109 record, Selanne would finish the season with 132 points.  Selanne's days in Winnipeg were numbered.  During the 1995-96 season Selanne was traded to the Anaheim Duck, formerly called the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.  After playing for the Ducks for 5 years Selanne boucned between the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche before finally returning back to Anaheim where he won the Stanley Cup in 2007!  

Although the Winnipeg Jets were standing on their feet multiple times during "Selanne's last game in Winnipeg" it actually might not be his last.  There is somewhat of a running joke in the NHL and especially the Ducks locker room that Selanne says he is retiring every year and always come back for one more.  Perhaps Ducks Captain Ryan Getzlaf words it the best in the video below.

For fun hockey fans I have unpoaded Mason Raymond's shootout spin-o-rama goal from Saturday night.  Clearly goalies in the east weren't aware of Raymond's move.  It was a classic while Raymond was in Vancouver.  Making fans happy and coaches and GMs from the opposing teams fuming.  Below Raymond executes it with perfect grace.

Below you can check out videos of not only Raymond and Getzlaf's retirement wisdom but the game winning goal by Mike Santorelli scored to give the Canucks the win Sunday night vs the Flames.  Also watch the amazing standing ovation the Winnipeg Jets fans give Selanne.  Nobody will be surprised when the Jets franchise retires his number!  Until next time hockey fans, enjoy!

Hello Everyone! The puck has officially dropped on the 2013/14 season and oh what a night it was!  The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 with the game winning goal scored by Mason Raymond.  The Winnipeg Jets beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-4.  Finally after a beautiful Stanley Cup celebration the Chicago Blackhawks not only got to raise their banner to the rafters but they beat the Washington Capitals 6-4!

Two things I wanted to mention.  1) Hybrid icing.  I have discussed icing before.  To the naked eye an icing call can seem out of nowhere.  This year the NHL is testing out Hybrid Icing.  I will explain more later but basically hybrid icing is suppose to remove a tough check into the boards when players foot race to the puck to negate or get the icing call.  On the CBC Don Cherry seemed to have his own opinion on the new rule: confused players, inconsistency with refs and a free for all during playoffs.

2) Next up the new rule: no removing helmets for a fight.  Last night in Montreal, Canadien George Parros and  Leaf Colton Orr duked it out a few times with their helmets on and Geroge Parros still left the ice on a stretcher.  Fights happen in hockey.  No matter what, the league will never eradicate them completely.  Sure the NHL tries to avoid the fight with the instigator penalty, being kicked out of a game after 3 fights in a night, and now leaving helmets on.  But it still doesn't mean a player won't hit the ice at an awkward angle like last night.  George Parros hit his head (with his helmet still on) on the ice and was out like a light.  The most interesting part for me watching was when Colton Orr realized Parros was out.  He was going in for a punch realized Parros was defenceless and immediately waved over medical personal.  Parros began talking to medical staff and did try to leave the ice on his own two feet with the help from teammates.  Eventually he was taken off the ice on a stretcher and given a round of applause (in true sports fashion) before being taken to a nearby hospital.  This is not the type of injury you ever want to see in professional sports.  Any hockey fan would be happy with a couple punches, maybe a little blood, penalty and ice pack to the player's hand while serving his time in the box.  Not a stretcher and hospital.  

Below I have uploaded Mason Raymond's goal, a quick bit on hybrid icing and the NHL's reasoning plus an episode of Hockey Talk with Courtney where Arpad and I discuss "commonly used terms in hockey" the perfect refresher for the start of the season!  Till next time keep enjoying hockey!