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Last summer, five goalies were invited to the Team USA Olympic orientation camp. Among the group were Ryan Miller, Jonathon Quick, Jimmy Howard, Craig Anderson and youngster John Gibson. There was a time in October and November when Anderson looked like a lock to be one of the three goalies who would represent Team USA in Sochi, however, his game took a turn for the worse. Anderson has finally regained his footing and is finally playing back to the high standard that he set for himself last season in Ottawa. Consequently, Anderson was left off the Team USA roster.
Yesterday, he was asked by the Ottawa Sun which goalie should start for Team USA at Sochi and without hesitation. Anderson said Michigan native Ryan Miller
"Based on what (Ryan Miller) has done in the past, you know he can get hot," Anderson said before the game. "Get him hot and let him run the table. I think (Jonathan) Quick can do it, too, but I think Miller has the upper hand just because he's been there before. He's done it. So I think he gets the nod. Unless he completely falters, then you go with Quick. If Miller doesn't falter, you try to let him get on a roll. That's what I would do. "I doubt they've told them anything (yet)," Anderson continued. "I'm sure they'll be told over there. I'm assuming (Miller) has got to assume that he's playing, that he'll be the guy. He was the MVP of the tournament four years ago."
Yet many believe Quick is the best goalie in the world.
"How do you judge that, in a team game," Anderson said. "Put Miller on that team and see what happens. Put Quick on Miller's team and see what happens. So much depends on your friends. "(Stats wise) Ben Scrivens was the best goalie in the league. He's played well in Edmonton so far, but he has the best numbers in the league based on (his days) in L.A. They play a tough defensive game. I think he's definitely better than (Devan) Dubnyk, but how much better? You can only tell after a bigger sample size."
I happen to agree wholeheartedly with Anderson.
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Has lightning struck Ben Bishop twice in the same week?
The Tampa net minder was forced to leave to leave his second game of the week due to an upper body injury.
On Thursday, Bishop couldn’t finish the game after he was forced to go to the locker room after a collsion. Cedrick Desjardins came into the game for Tampa Bay. Last week, teammate Nikita Kucherov kicked him in the head during a game in Ottawa and he was forced to leave the game. In 40 minutes of play on Thursday night, Bishop made 22 saves and allowed only one goal against.
Official update on #TBLightning goaltender Ben Bishop: he suffered an upper body injury and his return is doubtful.
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) February 7, 2014The game got out of control with less than two minutes remaining in regulation and the Leafs leading 4-1 (3 third period goals by Leafs) when Bolts youngster JT Brown hammered into Jonathon Bernier in his crease. The collision knocked the net off its marsh pegs and pissed off the entire Leafs squad. Tim Gleason wasn’t in a great mood after the collision and chose to take the law into his own hands. Ditto Bernier, who used his blocking glove to the face of Bolts players to sell his point that he’s not to be toyed with.
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Vanek Update:
He retuned to the game and assisted on the game tying goal.
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Imagine a world where pending UFA monsters Matt Moulson and Thomas Vanek are both injured. The former was injured three games ago when he was hacked, slashed and thrown airborne into the half wall by Phoneix captain Shane Doan. The latter left the ice in a serious amount of discomfort and pain when he opted not to shoot on a 3 on 1 breakaway, then slammed hard into end boards. Vanek struggled to get to the Islanders bench under his own power. The team trainer was examining Vanek's ankle. Not a good sign if you are Vanek nor GMs of NHL teams (insert Minnesota Wild here) who want badly to trade for Vanek at or before the March 5 NHL trade deadline.
Vanek appears to be favoring an ankle as he goes off at end of 2nd. #Isles pull back to 2-1, but a brutal few shifts that period.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) February 7, 2014Earlier this week, Vanek turned down a verbal contract extension offer believed to be in the 7 year, $50 million range. Vanek said his decision was not slight against the Islanders instead it was about "more than a contract". Isles GM Garth Snow needs to recoup via trade the assets that he traded to Buffalo in exchange for Vanek, namely a 1st and 2nd rounder plus Matt Moulson.
If Vanek's injury is serious, it will be very difficult for Snow to leverage assets away from other NHL GMs in a trade involving Vanek. Would you pay full price for a high performance Lamborghini with a wonky ball joint on one of its tires?
Updates when they become available.....
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Sabres GM Tim Murray heeded the warning of a lake effect snow storm that was about to hit Buffalo on Tuesday night, so after his work day ended, he packed his truck and jumped the ditch to head to his home away from home in Ottawa. On the way home to see his wife and kids, Murray had nearly five hours of windshield time to put the IPhone on speaker and to talk about trades with his GM counterparts around the NHL. Murray's cell phone and data bill must be $5,000 per month with the amount of mileage and talk and data time he's glomming by the day as the NHL trade deadline creeps closer.
Today on his old stomping grounds, Murray guested on TSN 1200 in Ottawa where he dubbed himself "Alexander Graham Bell".
Apropos nickname for the most buzzworthy GM in the NHL today.
Murray is taking calls, returning calls and exchanging trade proposals with GMs of NHL bubble teams and contenders who are hungry for goaltending, goals scoring, and veteran leadership.
One such hungry GM is Sabres nemesis who himself is looking for a top six forward who knows how to light the lamp.
Bryan Murray told Hockey Central at Noon today that he has organizational assets, coincidentally most of which nephew Tim drafted, and his ready to rock-n-roll. He and his nephew share a similar problem. They each need a dance partner to get a deal done.
"I'd like to find another forward to at least send a message to our team that management and coaches are trying to help (them)," said Murray. "We have lots of assets, lots of young prospects ... over the last few years we've accumulated a really good group of prospects.
"I guess it depends on the return that is expected from other teams if you try to acquire that kind of player. I've done lots of talking to people but there's nobody at the moment that appears willing to pull the trigger."
You think nephew Tim is going to hook the old man up with a hometown haircut for Matt Moulson? Think again.
Uncle Bryan said that the Murray bloodlines don't enter in to hockey trades.
"There is no blood", said the elder Murray.
Pehaps Tim can trade Moulson to Bryan. If and when Ryan Miller is traded away, the Sabres will need goaltending. Robin Lehner won a Calder Cup for Tim Murray in Binghampton a couple of seasons ago. I feel that Robin Lehner, Miika Zibanejad, Matt Puempel, and Cody Ceci would look spiffy in blue and gold. I'm not suggesting that Moulson would fetch all four valuable pieces, however, Tim Murray could ask for three of the four and get them. Bryan Murray will have his hands full trying to fight off the Detroit Red Wings for a playoff spot in the final twenty games of the regular season. Trading futures for a multi-time 30-goal scorer makes perfect sense for both the Sabres and Sens. I'm intrigued by Zibanejad and Puempel, both of whom are big and deftly skilled. Zibanejad (6'2 200) is the center that Murray needs right now. He himself thinks his team is thin down the middle. Zibanejad is a natural center who is currently playing on the wing. He needs to play center. He'd get that opportunity to do so in Buffalo. Puempel (6'1 205) has 17 goals in 46 games in Bingo this season. He plays a skilled, heavy game on the left wing wall and isn't afraid to throw his weight around (80 PIMs). Puempel completed his final season of major junior hockey with the Ontario Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers registering 35 goals and 12 assists in 51 games played
More on that later. I want you to listen to Tim Murray think out loud about his D prospects who he is excited to be building with in future years. Murray mentions Ristolainen, Zadorov, Pysyk, and McNabb. My eyebrows rose when he didn't mention Tyler Myers, Christian Ehrhoff, and Mike Weber.
I'm also a big fan of how Tim Murray pumped up at the all around power and skill of Zemgus Girgensons.
Murray said it the day he was hired and he under scored it today:
His team is in 30th place in the NHL and all players are subject to be traded.
Click the link below and listen to 18 minutes of the most refreshing, candid, intelligent takes from my new favorite hockey executive.
Hour 1 of The Drive: Sabres GM Tim Murray & Don Brennan sits in for Simmer for a bit http://t.co/Ll8y5B5hgM
— TSN 1200 (@TSN1200) February 6, 2014