The NHL announced its nominees for this year’s award ceremony. The ceremony will be held June 18 in Las Vegas, but for those of you who cannot wait, here are some predictions on who will be taking home the hardware. Calder Memorial Trophy (rookie of the year) — The nominees for the Calder Trophy are Columbus’ Steve Mason, Anaheim’s Bobby Ryan and Chicago’s Kris Versteeg. Mason’s numbers as a goalie were off the charts and also snagged him a nomination for the Vezina Trophy. He led the NHL in shutouts with 10, and also led Columbus to its first playoff…

NHL Second Round Preview Western Conference No. 2 Detroit Red Wings vs. No. 8 Anaheim Ducks — A rematch of the 2006-07 Western Conference Finals in which Anaheim defeated Detroit, 4-2, and went on to win the Stanley Cup. Detroit blew past Columbus in the first round with Blue Jackets rookie-goalie Steve Mason posing no match for veteran-goalie Chris Osgood. As expected, Osgood brought his A-game to the playoffs again, finishing the first round with a .936 save percentage and a 1.75 goals-against average. Meanwhile, Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen picked up right where they left off in last year’s…

(1) Boston Bruins vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens — There’s really nothing better than the same exact playoff matchup from last season, just with a reversal of which team is the No. 1 seed. Boston has had Montreal’s number all season. Even with recent minor injuries to several players, the Bruins will skate all over the lesser Canadiens. So much for the centennial season, eh Montreal? Prediction: Boston, 4-1. (2) Washington Capitals vs. (7) New York Rangers — The Caps have been sitting near the top of the Eastern Conference all season thanks to the likes of Alex Ovechkin and soon-to-be…

The playoff picture is very messy and will only get messier in the closing weeks of the NHL season. Martin Brodeur’s return in New Jersey has sparked the Devils’ play, while the return of Sean Avery has Rangers fans hoping for similar results. 1. (3) New Jersey Devils (43-20-3) — Marty Brodeur’s return went much better than Tiger Woods’ did. The NHL’s top goalie is just three wins and four shutouts away from becoming the all-time leader in both categories. 2. (4) Detroit Red Wings (44-15-8) — Despite losing to Nashville, 8-0, and to Columbus, 8-2, Detroit has lost just…

There is no sport I love more than hockey. With that said, there is no sport I hate more than hockey. So I’ve decided to vent my frustrations with a nice little rant. Let’s start with the fan balloting; the fans should no longer be able to select the entire starting roster. The fans should be limited to one forward, one defenseman and maybe even the starting goalie. I understand that the NHL wants its fans to be able to participate, and by allowing the fans to vote for their favorite players, the NHL will only gain more fans. Let’s…

Teams are beginning to stumble while others are heating up. With the trade deadline approaching, the next few months of hockey is going to be fun to watch. 1. (3) Boston Bruins (38-8-6) — The Bruins have the best goalie tandem in the league in Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez. They also have two potential MVPs in Marc Savard and Zdeno Chara. Hockey has made a triumphant return to Beantown. 2. (1) San Jose Sharks (36-7-5) — While the Sharks are easily finding the net this season, they have also surrendered a measly 112 goals in 48 games this year,…

The NHL’s team power rankings have changed a bit since we’ve spoken last. There is a new No. 1. A few teams have made some big moves up toward the top and a few teams just don’t look like their former selves. So there’s no confusion, the teams’ previous rankings follow their new ones. With no further ado, here is this week’s edition of the power rankings. 1. (3) San Jose Sharks (22-3-2) — The Sharks are 14-0-2 at home so far this season. What’s more impressive is that they’ve been winning even without Evgeni Nabakov in net. 2. (2)…

It’s one month into the 2008-09 NHL season and some players are standing out way above the rest. The player rankings take into account not only points, but how well the team that the skater plays for is doing. 1. Alexander Semin (11 goals, 10 assists) — No one thought Semin would be near the league lead in points a month into the season. But with a +11 rating, Semin is destroying the competition on both ends of the ice. The Capitals are 7-4-2 overall, and 7-2-2 when Semin registers a point. They are 6-1-1 when he scores a goal.…

Two weeks into the NHL season and there have been quite a few surprises. The Buffalo Sabres are red hot and the Red Wings picked up right where they left off. The power rankings tell all that needs to be told. 1. Buffalo Sabres (6-1-2) — While they had a couple of bad games against subpar teams, the Sabres have beaten the Canadiens, the Rangers and the Wild. Plus, Thomas Vanek already has eight goals. 2. Detroit Red Wings (7-1-1) — Too many one-goal games against teams that are in the bottom part of the NHL for the Wings to…

Another Northeast Regional tournament for the Binghamton University men’s club soccer team, another disappointing outcome. On Oct. 18, the Bearcats headed into the tournament as the ninth-ranked seed and a strong favorite to place, but BU fell short once again. After last year’s rough 0-2-1 showing at Regionals, Binghamton looked to redeem itself in a very tough division. The Bearcats’ first game was against a very talented Lehigh team, which failed to capitalize on a couple of first-half opportunities. Binghamton rebounded after a flat first half, but couldn’t put away any of their chances and had to settle for a…

After a disappointing 1-2-1 start to the season, the Binghamton University men’s club soccer team have now won six straight games. At a three-team tournament at New Paltz on Sunday, Oct. 5, the Bearcats stole the show. Binghamton defeated the Hofstra Pride in the first game by a score of 6-1, taking away most of Hofstra’s “pride” in the process. Scoring goals in the Hofstra game were sophomore Matt Naioti, who had two, senior J.J. Gould, senior Chuby Okoye and senior Colin Coon. But the nicest goal of the game came off the foot of Binghamton midfielder junior Mike Garcia.…

The Eastern Conference has me excited already because there is tons of potential for several surprise teams to make the playoffs — and as if that were not enough, the conference “powerhouses” will be knocking each other around all season for the No. 1 seed. Here is how I see the season playing out: 1. Pittsburgh Penguins — Yes, the Penguins did lose Marian Hossa and Ryan Malone, but they also have two of the three greatest scorers in the game: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Regardless, the Penguins have a more impressive roster than their Eastern conference opponents. 2.…

The Western Conference will look very similar to the Eastern Conference toward the end of the season. So with no further ado, here is what the Western Conference will look like at the season’s completion. Detroit Red Wings — Marian Hossa is getting too much money, but will be a great fit on this talented Detroit team. The addition of goalie Ty Conklin was a great choice by management. He proved last season that he is a more-than-reliable backup. Detroit’s biggest concern is whether or not the post-Cup “hangover” will affect the team’s determination, which is doubtful. Anaheim Ducks —…

If the Binghamton University men’s club soccer team could summarize their weekend, it would be in two words — roller coaster. Their first game of the year on Saturday against Cornell Mundial resulted in a 0-0 tie. The Bearcats had their chances, but did not capitalize. However, there was a strong defensive effort from the team. Captain Paul Guijarro, Jordan Katz, Matt Powers, Matt Hogan and Andy Kolb all kept the Cornell offense at bay. Goalkeeper Jeff Egan posted his first shutout of the season. The roller coaster began to ascend in the second game for the Bearcats, as they…

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a hooligan as a ruffian or hoodlum, but that’s not quite what the Bearcat Hooligans represent. At the beginning of last fall’s men’s soccer season there was much anticipation about the new Bearcats Sports Complex and the opening men’s soccer game against Cornell. But after the 3-0 win against the “Big Red,” the students around campus were not talking about the complex or Cameron Keith’s hat trick, but about a group of roughly 10 people who were singing, chanting and frustrating Cornell goalie Luca Cerretani to the point where he was ready to burst. The hooligans were…

Redemption — this is the one word to describe what the upcoming season means for the Binghamton University men’s club soccer team. Last year the Bearcats were 6-0-2 and had the sixth-ranked seed headed into the 26-team Northeast Regional Tournament. After a disappointing opening game, a 1-1 tie to Northeastern University, the Bearcats dropped a must-win game to Drexel University by a score of 2-1. The BU men played a consolation game against the eighth-seeded UConn team the following day and fell once again by a score of 2-1. After a heartbreaking weekend, the Bearcats received even worse news: their…

Eastern Conference: No. 2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 6 Philadelphia Flyers — Looks like we have the battle of Pennsylvania. The Penguins surely looked like they were headed to this point from the first game of the playoffs, but nobody thought the Flyers would make it this far. Thanks to a strong effort from ex-Sabres Daniel Briere and Marty Biron, the Flyers find themselves just four wins away from the Stanley Cup Finals. Philadelphia crushed the top-seeded Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in the second round. After exploding for nine points in the first round series against the Washington Capitals, Briere has…

Eastern Conference: No. 1 Montreal Canadiens vs. No. 6 Philadelphia Flyers — The key phrase for this matchup is “power play.” A large part of the Flyers’ success comes from the power play. They were ranked second in the league during the regular season, with a 21.8 percent success rate. The only team which had a better power-play percentage during the regular season was the Montreal Canadiens (24.2 percent), but oh, how the mighty have fallen: They’re sitting at a 9.4 percent success rate for the playoffs. Montreal has scored only three times on the power play, whereas Daniel Briere…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and it’s not Christmas; it’s time for the NHL playoffs to begin. Let’s look at the Eastern Conference first round matchups and see who will advance. No. 1 Montreal Canadiens vs. No. 8 Boston Bruins — It’s always a great thing to see two teams that missed out on the playoffs one season and make it the next. The Boston Bruins haven’t seen what the second round looks like since 1999 and that will not change this season. The Bruins have the edge in terms of goaltending. Tim Thomas is having the…

The NHL playoffs are upon us. Let’s look at what the first round in the Western Conference looks like. No. 1 Detroit Red Wings vs. No. 8 Nashville Predators — The Red Wings, overall, have the best team in the league. Are they the hottest team right now? No. But they have been the most consistent team this season. Nashville was on the fence for a while, but rallied in the last two weeks of the season to clinch the final playoff spot in the West. On the season, the Red Wings are 5-3-0 against the Preds, while Nashville is…

For most NHL teams, the season only has a dozen or so games left. But come June, which goalie will the league announce as the Vezina Trophy winner? J.S. Giguere (Anaheim) — A lot of critics picked him as a possible Vezina winner during the preseason. After a somewhat “slow” start, Giggy has really picked up his game and has gone 10-2-1 in his last 13 games. He also has a .948 save percentage with two shutouts in those 13 games. End of the season heroics are highly looked upon by the league, giving Giguere an edge over most of…

On Sunday, Feb. 10, the NHL was dealt a serious blow. With 10 minutes left in a game against the Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers’ forward Richard Zednik had his throat cut by teammate Olli Jokinen, who was upended by a Buffalo player. Jokinen’s skate was lifted into the air, hitting Zednik’s throat in the process. Immediately after being hit Zednik fell to the ice and grabbed his throat. Luckily, he had the presence of mind to skate right over to his bench, leaving a trail of blood behind him on the ice. As soon as the referees noticed what had…

The NHL’s Best and Worst … Fans As hockey fans, we all have an obligation to our favorite team. Certain fans take more pride in being fans than others. Here is a list of which teams have the best and worst fans in the NHL. The list is based on attendance numbers, as well as loyalty and dedication, not only to each individual team, but to the NHL. Five Best: 1. Montreal Canadiens — The Canadiens have a strong hockey history that includes a record 24 Stanley Cup Championships. They also have the largest arena in the NHL and they…

We’re a little past mid-season and it’s never early enough to start looking at potential Hart Trophy candidates. The good thing about this year’s race is that there are currently no former winners. Let’s start with Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit). Zetterberg has been on everyone’s radar the past few seasons, but he has never produced like this. He has 69 points (33 goals, 36 assists) so far this season. He has played in 50 games this season and has a point in all but six of those 50, including a 17-game point streak to start the season. On top of all…

Pipe Dream was on hand this weekend as the Broome County Memorial Arena hosted the AHL All Star Game. Matt Hogan was there covering it all; these are his thoughts. Saturday, 1:16 p.m. — I just got back from picking up my press credentials at the Binghamton Regency. I was given an All-Star shirt, an All-Star puck and a white envelope with who-knows-what inside. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning as I opened up the envelope and tore into the folder with the AHL logo on the front. Inside the folder was a list of scheduled events for…

The American Hockey League All-Star game was one that the City of Binghamton will never forget. Just 1:48 into the game, T.J. Hensick (Lake Erie Monsters) put the puck into the back of the net and the scoring didn’t stop. By the end of the first period, Planet USA was up 3-2. Both of the Canadian team’s goals were scored by Teddy Purcell (Manchester Monarchs). Purcell went on to tally his third goal for the hat trick just 1:24 into the second period. The first All-Star penalty shot was awarded during the second period as well. Toby Petersen (Iowa Stars)…

Ice, snow and a football stadium packed with 71,217 fans. New Year’s Day 2008 saw what would go down as one of the greatest hockey games of the decade. The Buffalo Sabres took on the Pittsburgh Penguins for the first regular season outdoor game in the U.S. in NHL history, and the last outdoor game since the Heritage Classic, which took place on Nov. 22, 2003, between the Montreal Canadians and the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton. The snow was falling well before the game began and there was more than a fair share of stoppages to keep the rink in…

Which is the best team in hockey? The four teams on the radar are the Philadelphia Flyers, the Ottawa Senators, the Detroit Red Wings and the Dallas Stars. Let’s start with the Flyers. After their worst season in franchise history, the Flyers had a great start going 7-3 in October. However, November has not been as friendly to them. The Flyers haven’t lost their winning ways, but their scoring has slightly diminished. They are 7-5-2 in November, but have been outscored 45-41. Still, Philly is one of the NHL’s best because it has beaten some of the best teams in…

The Binghamton Senators are 9-8-2-1 (W-L-OTL-SOL) and are eighth in the American Hockey League Eastern Conference, which is a great way to begin the season after last year. In the 2006-2007 season, Binghamton was the proud home of the worst team in the entire AHL, as the Sens finished the season with a 23-48-4-5 record and posted a mere 55 points. This year’s improvement is due to the return of Denis Hamel, who spent last season floating around the NHL from team to team. Hamel announced his return to the Senators organization on July 6, 2007. In the 2005-2006 season,…

For my New York hockey fans out there, here’s a little look at the three New York teams and how they’re doing so far. Oh, and just to clarify, Buffalo is the third New York team — I don’t mean from the tri-state area. Sorry, Jersey. New York Islanders I wouldn’t have believed it myself, but right now the Islanders are the best team in New York. The Islanders are 9-5-0 and offseason acquisition Mike Comrie is leading the team in points, while veteran Bill Guerin is doing a great job as captain. The Islanders do not get enough recognition…

Here’s a look at what the best line in the NHL would look like at this point in the season. Left Wing: Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit) — Up until this season I felt that he was one of the most overrated players in the league, but like I said, that was up until this season. He has a point in every single game and the season is 15 games old for the Red Wings. More importantly, he is producing both goals and assists, with 12 and 13 respectively. Zetterberg also has 11 power play points. Even while being such an offensive…

We’re one month into the NHL season and things are not as most fans would expect: The Flyers are leading their division, the Rangers have scored the fewest goals in the league, and the best goalie in the league is Pascal Leclaire from Columbus! Now you’re probably asking yourself, who is Pascal Leclaire? In his first three seasons in the NHL, Leclaire had one shutout in 56 starts. This season he has FOUR shutouts in just seven starts; that means he’s averaging one shutout just about every two starts and he’s got the Blue Jackets winning quite a bit. In…

On the weekend of Oct. 13, the Binghamton University men’s club soccer team traveled to Maryland University for a six-team, two-day tournament. The tournament quickly turned into a four-team, one-day tournament after Villanova and St. Mary’s could not make the trip. The change didn’t affect the Bearcats, who left the tournament as champions. Binghamton started off the day against a highly talented Maryland squad. The Bearcats took an early 1-0 lead after captain J.J. Gould ripped a shot off of the post and Will Graeper put the rebound away. With roughly 10 minutes left in the first half, freshman Rob…

The past season saw Anaheim raise the Stanley Cup in dominant fashion. Will they repeat this year? Read on to find out. 1. Anaheim Ducks — They lost Teemu Selanne and got a solid veteran in Todd Bertuzzi to replace him. Their defense is the best in the NHL and J.S. Giguere is as solid a goalie as you can find. With no serious injuries, they will repeat as Stanley Cup champs. 2. Detroit Red Wings — A few moderate departures, but nothing big enough to hurt the Western Conference powerhouse; and with the addition of Brian Rafalski at the…

The past season saw Anaheim raise the Stanley Cup in dominant fashion. Here is what I think the playing field looks like for the upcoming season in the Eastern Conference. 1. Ottawa Senators — A couple of minor losses shouldn’t affect the Senators’ dominance over the rest of the East. Ray Emery will be a much stronger goalie this season and their top line of Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson, assuming they all stay healthy, will produce as expected and lead the team back to the Stanley Cup against the Ducks. Unfortunately for the Sens, the outcome will…