The official NHL thread

[chungasrevenge]

The ice at TD Garden is supposedly in awful condition with the building empty. Get ready for the bouncing puck.

[pieceofme]

Leafs acquire goaltender Jonathan Bernier from the Kings.Hopefully the next move will be to shore up the D

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Tr ... 21826.html

TORONTO - The most highly-contested battle for the Maple Leafs in training camp will take place in the Toronto goal crease.

Jonathan Bernier versus James Reimer. Let the competition begin.

In Reimer’s case, he says bring it on.

“It’s definitely a challenge,” Reimer told the Toronto Sun in a phone interview early Sunday afternoon. “It makes you a better person and better goalie.”

Ever since Dave Nonis replaced the bombastic Brian Burke as general manager in January, he has had various flirtations with other goaltenders in order to add depth to the position. He kicked tires on both Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo and Calgary’s Miikka Kiprusoff, but both attempts failed to come to fruition.

On Sunday, Nonis finally bolstered his team’s fortunes between the pipes by acquiring Bernier from the Los Angeles Kings for forward Matt Frattin, backup goaltender Ben Scrivens and Toronto’s second round pick in either the 2014 or 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Reimer learned of the deal from a text sent to him by his buddy Scrivens.

Bernier, 24, is a restricted free agent who earned more than $1.2 million his past season. You have to figure Nonis felt he could ink Bernier to a reasonable deal when he first pulled the trigger on the trade.

Serving as the backup to 2012 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Quick, Bernier’s record in 2013 was 9-3-1 with a goals-against average of 1.88 and a save percentage of .922.

Bernier was the 11th overall pick in the 2006 entry draft. He won a gold medal as part of Canada’s world junior team two years later.

Bernier was aware of the trade chatter that had been making the rounds recently.

“It’s actually exciting,” Bernier told espn.com this past week. “But I really can’t control anything. It’s up to (Kings GM) Dean (Lombardi). If there’s the right trade for him, I’m sure he’ll make the right call.”

Lombardi did just that.

When you compare the head-to-head numbers, Reimer has played more NHL games (104-62); has better save percentage (.915-.912): and more shutouts (10-6) than Bernier.

Whichever goalie you fancy, this much is certain: The Toronto Maple Leafs are stronger today at the NHL’s most vital position than they were at the conclusion of the 2013 season.

Great move for Toronto. Bernier will surpass Reimer for sure.

[WOLF]

Leafs acquire goaltender Jonathan Bernier from the Kings.Hopefully the next move will be to shore up the D

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Tr ... 21826.html

TORONTO - The most highly-contested battle for the Maple Leafs in training camp will take place in the Toronto goal crease.

Jonathan Bernier versus James Reimer. Let the competition begin.

In Reimer’s case, he says bring it on.

“It’s definitely a challenge,” Reimer told the Toronto Sun in a phone interview early Sunday afternoon. “It makes you a better person and better goalie.”

Ever since Dave Nonis replaced the bombastic Brian Burke as general manager in January, he has had various flirtations with other goaltenders in order to add depth to the position. He kicked tires on both Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo and Calgary’s Miikka Kiprusoff, but both attempts failed to come to fruition.

On Sunday, Nonis finally bolstered his team’s fortunes between the pipes by acquiring Bernier from the Los Angeles Kings for forward Matt Frattin, backup goaltender Ben Scrivens and Toronto’s second round pick in either the 2014 or 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Reimer learned of the deal from a text sent to him by his buddy Scrivens.

Bernier, 24, is a restricted free agent who earned more than $1.2 million his past season. You have to figure Nonis felt he could ink Bernier to a reasonable deal when he first pulled the trigger on the trade.

Serving as the backup to 2012 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Quick, Bernier’s record in 2013 was 9-3-1 with a goals-against average of 1.88 and a save percentage of .922.

Bernier was the 11th overall pick in the 2006 entry draft. He won a gold medal as part of Canada’s world junior team two years later.

Bernier was aware of the trade chatter that had been making the rounds recently.

“It’s actually exciting,” Bernier told espn.com this past week. “But I really can’t control anything. It’s up to (Kings GM) Dean (Lombardi). If there’s the right trade for him, I’m sure he’ll make the right call.”

Lombardi did just that.

When you compare the head-to-head numbers, Reimer has played more NHL games (104-62); has better save percentage (.915-.912): and more shutouts (10-6) than Bernier.

Whichever goalie you fancy, this much is certain: The Toronto Maple Leafs are stronger today at the NHL’s most vital position than they were at the conclusion of the 2013 season.

Great move for Toronto. Bernier will surpass Reimer for sure.

They only gave up spare parts for him, so it's a fine deal, but there are no guarantees. When they got Raycroft and Toskela, and drafted Justin Pogge, they thought they had their saviors in Toronto. Only difference here is that they didn't give up Rask, or the draft pick that became Logan Couture.

[Facedown]

Congrats, Hawks. Great series.

[LouDoo]

Yes! Blackhawks win!!!!!


Having said that, I'm seriously bummed the series is over.

[John Simon Ritchie]

Bravo. Great series.

[pieceofme]

Great Stanley Cup final. Great playoffs in general.

Bring on the draft.

[ArielPlath]

Hell yeah!!!! Even better..... they won in Boston!!!!!

[johnk5150]

Hell yeah!!!! Even better..... they won in Boston!!!!!

Boston was scary good.

[LouDoo]

Hell yeah!!!! Even better..... they won in Boston!!!!!

Boston was scary good.

Seriously, I can't imagine a better matched finals.

[wickedsensation]

Hell yeah!!!! Even better..... they won in Boston!!!!!

This.

[Anne_Thrax]

Shaw coming back from the dead to win that faceoff, that was awesome!

[WOLF]

When was the last time you saw a Finals game where BOTH teams wound up pulling their goalie at the end?! What a series!

Oh, Bickell made like 600K this year, close to the league minimum. Think he's going to get paid heading to free agency this summer?

[futonsrf]

[pieceofme]

Great series. I love how the Boston crowd still cheered for the Bruins even after they lost. Good stuff right there.

Yeah the crowd was great. A lot of respect for the fans who stayed.

[johnk5150]

Parade Friday.

[Facedown]

Patrice Bergeron - Mystery Injury:
Broken rib and torn cartilage....and in last night's game he suffered a separated shoulder.

Jesus H.

[johnk5150]

Patrice Bergeron - Mystery Injury:
Broken rib and torn cartilage....and in last night's game he suffered a separated shoulder.

Jesus H.

Now I'm hearing he has a torn spleen. That's hockey baby.

[johnk5150]

Great series. I love how the Boston crowd still cheered for the Bruins even after they lost. Good stuff right there.

Yeah the crowd was great. A lot of respect for the fans who stayed.

Penguins scored twice in four games. Hawks scored twice in 17 seconds.

[Facedown]

Patrice Bergeron - Mystery Injury:
Broken rib and torn cartilage....and in last night's game he suffered a separated shoulder.

Jesus H.

Now I'm hearing he has a torn spleen. That's hockey baby.

They mentioned that a couple of days ago. It was why he ended up going to the hospital to make sure there was no internal bleeding. If that's a new rumour, it happened last night or he would never have been cleared to play.

[LouDoo]

Great series. I love how the Boston crowd still cheered for the Bruins even after they lost. Good stuff right there.

Yeah the crowd was great. A lot of respect for the fans who stayed.

Yeah, that's classy, and something that's inspirational to see. There's no shame in losing when you fought as hard as you could. Much respect for the Bruins and their fans.

Heat fans could learn something from it...

[johnk5150]

Yeah, that's classy, and something that's inspirational to see. There's no shame in losing when you fought as hard as you could. Much respect for the Bruins and their fans.

Heat fans could learn something from it...

Boston has nothing to hang their heads about. They are a great team.

[WOLF]

Great series. I love how the Boston crowd still cheered for the Bruins even after they lost. Good stuff right there.

Yeah the crowd was great. A lot of respect for the fans who stayed.

Penguins scored twice in four games. Hawks scored twice in 17 seconds.

Difference is the supporting cast and role players. Where are the Penguins' Bickell, Bolland, Shaw, and Kruger? Not to mention D - Keith/Seabrook/Hjarmalsson/Oduya - that's a hell of a top 4, and the 5/6 aren't bad either.

And yes, coming from a Habs fan - kudos to Boston. Leadership there has done an incredible job drafting and developing BOTH talent and character. They have become a textbook of how a team should be run and a model for others to follow. Best thing they ever did was dump Harry Sinden and that mentality and get a smart, young guy like Chiarelli to run things.

[johnk5150]

Penguins scored twice in four games. Hawks scored twice in 17 seconds.

Difference is the supporting cast and role players. Where are the Penguins' Bickell, Bolland, Shaw, and Kruger? Not to mention D - Keith/Seabrook/Hjarmalsson/Oduya - that's a hell of a top 4, and the 5/6 aren't bad either.

Their defensemen are sick and wrong good. That's the main difference between 2010 and 2013. They figured out Chara and kind of Lucic. Boston will be back. Mark P13s words.

[NeverSurrender]

News just in..... Flyers to buy Bryz out.

And the 30 year search for a goalie continues.

[Gibsonite]

News just in..... Flyers to buy Bryz out.

And the 30 year search for a goalie continues.

I hear Luongo might be available

[AliceManson]

Congrats Blackhawks.

[Anne_Thrax]

My office is closed on Friday for the parade! I still can't believe this. I think the universe is throwing me a bone or something for being a Thrasher's season ticket holder all those years.

[Facedown]

Tuukka has already said that the starting point for his next contract is
6yrs/39mil.

[AliceManson]

My office is closed on Friday for the parade! I still can't believe this. I think the universe is throwing me a bone or something for being a Thrasher's season ticket holder all those years.

Hopefully, your ankle gets better. That has to hurt as hard as you jumped on that bandwagon.