Monday 28 May 2012

New Website!

Hey Everyone!

League It To Us has some exciting news! In a few weeks time we will be launching a new website that will feature a new logo, player profiles, standings, stats, new writers, exciting new articles and more. We are welcoming some new writers for this expansion and hope to start some live hockey talk broadcasts soon as well. Questions posted on our site, facebook group and twitter will be answered in the show. In anticipation of this new website we hope that you understand that our articles may be less frequent in the coming weeks until our new site is up and running. You will still be able to view this site for updates and the occaisional article but please follow us on twitter as well for further updates. @LeagueItToUs. Enjoy the Stanley Cup Finals and thank you for your support!

Sunday 27 May 2012

2012 KHL Entry Draft


On Saturday, the Kontinental Hockey League held its annual Entry Draft. Young players from all over Russia eagerly waited to see their future professional hockey. 

The Ceremony began with a draw to decide who would receive the first overall pick. The teams that were in the draw were those that finished in the lowest place during the regular season (Vityaz, Avtomobilist, Sibir and also included was Lokomotiv as a part of the leagues plans to restore the club). 

Sibir won the draw and appeared to be all set to make the first draft pick of 2012. When the time came, it was representatives from SKA standing on the podium looking to make a pick. Sibir sacrificed the pick in exchange for the rights to defenseman Johan Fransson. 

Denis Alexanderov joing the celebrations at World U17
With the First overall pick SKA selected defenseman Denis Alexanderov a graduate of Moscow's Krylya Sovetov hockey school. 

The 11th overall pick offered an interesting twist in the scheme of things. The KHL Scouting Bureau had forward Valery Nichushkin as the number one rated player going in. He was Selected by Dinamo Minsk but was claimed by Traktor Chelyabinsk based on the right of first choice. Nichushkin is the graduate of Traktors own school giving the first choice. 

The draft wasn't short of surprises as yet again there was a shock in the second round. Spartak attempted to draft Andrei Alexeyev after Lokomotiv had attempted to do the same. Both teams were denied when Dynamo Moscow claimed Alexeyev as a protected player. Since Spartak did this after Lokomotiv, they were punished by forfeiting the pick. 

At the end of the day, 166 players were selected over 5 rounds. The picks for the first 2 rounds are as follows:

Round 1
No.
Club
Player
School/Club
Protection
1
SKA / Sibir
Alexandrov Denis
Krylya Sovetov
2
Lokomotiv
Barkov Aleksander
Tappara
3
Ak Bars / Vityaz
Valiyev Rinat
Ak Bars
4
CSKA / Avtomobilist
Zadorov Nikita
CSKA
5
Atlant / Spartak
Baldayev Viktor
Kristall
6
CSKA
Boiko Vladislav
Krylya Sovetov
7
Neftekhimik
Faksa Radek
Kitchener
8
Metallurg Nk
Goldobin Nikolai
Vityaz
9
Dinamo Riga
Bukarts Rihards
Kapitan
10
Yugra
Yudin Dmitry
Sputnik
11
Dinamo Minsk
Nichushkin Valery
Traktor
1/5
12
Dinamo Minsk
Graborenko Roman
Cape Breton
13
Amur
Ristolainen Rasmus
TPS
14
Severstal
Hertl Tomas
Slavia
15
Barys
Zinchenko Stanislav
Avangard
1/5
16
Barys
Fishchenko Ivan
Avangard
2/5
17
Barys
Ibraibekov Madiyar
Barys
18
CSKA / Atlant
Filonenko Andrei
CSKA
19
Salavat Yulaev
Gernat Martin
Edmonton
20
SKA / Torpedo
Stetsenko Sergei
CSKA
1/5
21
SKA / Torpedo
Tikhonov Mikhail
Rus
22
Ak Bars
Galeyev Ruzal
Ak Bars
23
Avangard
Pokka Ville
Karpat
24
Metallurg Mg
Bazanov Ruslan
CSKA
25
Metallurg Nk / Dynamo M
Buchnevich Pavel
Severstal
1/5
26
Metallurg Nk / Dynamo M
Ikonen Juuso
Espoo Blues
27
Torpedo / SKA
Kuleshov Artyom
Krylya Sovetov
28
CSKA / Traktor
Tolchinsky Sergei
CSKA
29
Donbass
Lysenko Vladislav
Atlant
1/5
30
Donbass
Lindholm Hampus
Rogle
31
Lev
Rachunek Tomas
Sparta
32
Slovan
Dano Marko
Trencin

Round 2
No.
Club
Player
School/Club
Protection
1
Lokomotiv
Barbashev Ivan
Dynamo M
1/5
2
Lokomotiv
Alexeyev Andrei
Dynamo M
2/5
3
Lokomotiv
Dikushin Grigory
CSKA
2/5
4
Lokomotiv
Serebryakov Nikita
Dynamo M
3/5
5
Lokomotiv
Gavrikov Vladislav
Lokomotiv
6
Ak Bars / Vityaz
Shakhvorostov Viktor
Ak Bars
7
Yugra / Avtomobilist
Zabavin Konstantin
Traktor
2/5
8
Yugra / Avtomobilist
Sharov Alexander
Traktor
3/5
9
Yugra / Avtomobilist
Baltisberger Phil
GCK Zurich
10
Sibir
Rakell Rickard
Plymouth
11
Spartak
Shestyorkin Igor
Krylya Sovetov
12
CSKA
Mamin Maxim
CSKA
13
Metallurg Mg / Neftekhimik
Zakarlyukin Alexei
Traktor
4/5
14
Metallurg Mg / Neftekhimik
Medvedev Pavel
Dynamo M
15
Metallurg Nk
Zharkov Daniil
Belleville Bulls
16
Dinamo Riga
Golovkovs Georgs
Metallurg Liepaja Jr.
17
Spartak / Yugra
Okulov Konstantin
Sibir
1/5
18
Spartak / Yugra
Zykov Valentin
CSKA
3/5
19
Spartak / Yugra
20
Metallurg Nk / Dinamo Minsk
Vorobev Kirill
CSKA
4/5
21
Metallurg Nk / Dinamo Minsk
Sharov Alexander
CSKA
5/5
22
Metallurg Nk / Dinamo Minsk
Tikkinen Niklas
Blues Jr.
23
Amur
Gustafsson Johan
Lulea
24
Severstal
Bystrom Ludvig
MODO
25
SKA / Barys
Lehkonen Artturi
KalPa Jr.
26
Atlant
Volkov Vyacheslav
CSKA
27
Salavat Yulaev
Dubinin Roman
Salavat Yulaev
28
Torpedo
Dyachenko Sergei
Rus
29
Ak Bars
Trubkin Ruslan
Ak Bars
30
Avangard
Glukhov Nikolai
Avangard
31
Metallurg Mg
Mazhuga Yegor
Avangard
3/5
32
Metallurg Mg
Zykov Pavel
CSKA
33
Dynamo M
Bryukvin Vladimir
Dynamo M
34
SKA
Aberg Pontus
Djurgarden
35
Traktor
Ionin Vladimir
Traktor
36
Donbass
Vainonen Mikko
HIFK
37
Lev
Mozik Vojtech
Mlada Boleslav
38
Slovan
Reway Martin
Sparta Praha Jr.



KHL 11/12 Awards


The third season of the Kontinental Hockey League concluded on Wednesday with the award ceremony. Awards were spread out across 20 categories, honoring the leagues heroes.

The Vsevolod Bobrov Prize - is awarded to the team that produces the most goals during the regular season and playoffs. This years winner is SKA St. Petersburg who scored 254 goals in 69 games. 

The trophy for the Leagues top goalscorer - went to Barys forward Brandon Bochenski, who recorded a total of 27 goals in 49 games.

Alexander Radulov
The trophy for the Leagues top scorer - Salavat Yulaev forward Alexander Radulov with 25 goals and 38 assists in 50 games.

The award for the highest scoring defensman - Was awarded to Barys Kevin Dallman, who collected 54 points in 53 games. 

The "Sekunda"(Split Second) prize - is awarded to the players who score the earliest and latest goals in a KHL Game. Dynamo Moscow’s Marek Kvapil who scored a mere 9 seconds into a game against Spartak recorded the earliest goal. The latest goal came at the 12:06 minute mark in triple overtime, when Ak Bars Danis Zarapov ended a playoff game against Traktor. 

The Valentin Sych award - is awarded to the individual who best exemplifies leadership for his club in management. This year’s award went to Dynamo Moscow's President Mikhail Tyurkin.

The Andrei Starovoitov award - Is awarded to the season’s best referee, which is Vyacheslav Bulanov of Moscow for 11/12.

Tony Martensson
The award for the MVP - is awarded to the player that produces the best +/- during regular season play. This year’s winner is SKA's Tony Martensson, who in 54 games erred an overall rating of +35.

The "Iron Man" award - Was awarded to the player who competed in the most games over the last three seasons, was given to Avangard forward Alexander Perezhogin, who had 208 games played. 

The "Best Trolka" award - is awarded to the highest scoring combination of forwards during the regular season. This years winners are Barys' Alexei Morozov - Niko Kapanen and Danis Zaripov, who combined for 46 goals.

The award for the best coach - Dynamo Moscow's Oleg Znarok.

The trophy for Services to Hockey - Awarded to the greatest hockey veteran to make a valuable contribution to his teams success. This year's award was given to the first player with 1000 games at the top national level, Avtomobilist's forward Andrei Subbotin.

The Alexei Cherepanov prize - Awarded to the top rookie, this year’s winner is Amur's Dmitry Lugin.

The "Gentleman on Ice" award - is given to one defensman and one forward for sports excellence and impeccable behavior. Dinamo Riga defenseman Krisjanis Redlihs(57 games, 7 goals, 16 assists, +15, and 14 penalty minutes). SKA forward Tony Martensson(69 games, 24 goals, 41 assists, +33, and 12 penalty minutes).

The award for best Goaltender - Dynamo Moscow's Alexander Yeryomenko put up an impressive .920SV% as well as a 1.90GAA.

The "Golden Stick" award - Is given to the most valuable player of the regular season, was awarded to Alexander Radulov for the third time in as many seasons. 

The "Golden Helmet" award -  is awarded to the six players selected as the All-Star team of the season. 
   Goaltender Alexander Yeryomenko (Dynamo Moscow).
   Defenseman Dmitry Kalinin (SKA). 
   Defenseman Kevin Dallman (Barys).
   Forward Alexander Radulov (Salavat Yulaev)
   Forward Roman Cervenka (Avangard)
   Forward Mikhail Anisin (Dynamo Moscow)
The award for the best hockey journalist - Awarded to the creative team at Hockey24 TV.

The title of "Best Television Channel" - Given to Omsk Regional TV-Radio Company.

The award for the best hockey commentator - awarded to KHL-TV's Oleg Mosalev. 

From this season the KHL Medical Center is to recognize and reward the best team doctors. This award is given to the best doctors out of all three leagues(KHL, VHL and YHL). The first ever recipient of the award is the family of Dr. Andrei Zimin, who for over 20 years had treated players in Yaroslavl. Sadly he perished in the tragic air crash of team Lokomotiv on September 7, 2011.




Lokomotiv



 

Tuesday 22 May 2012

Ducks Sign Viktor Fasth

The Anaheim Ducks have signed Swedish goaltender; Viktor Fasth to a 1 year, one-way contract worth 1 million dollars. The 29 year old has been drawing interest from many NHL clubs over the past two years.

Fasth has spent his entire career in Sweden. He has played in several leagues, such as:  division 1, division 2, Allvenskan and of course the SEL. He was named the SEL's top goaltender for the past two seasons. He is the first goalie to do that since Henrik Lundqvist did it in 2000-01 and 2001-02. This past season, playing for AIK of the Swedish Elite League, Fasth posted a 2.04 goals against average and a .934 save percentage in 46 games. Fasth has also been a standout for the Swedes at the past two World Championships. He was named the Most Valuable Player and the Top Goaltender at the 2011 World Championships.


The Anaheim Ducks may have struck a gem here even though he is 29. Current NHL goaltenders; Tim Thomas, Niklas Backstrom and his Duck teammate; Jonas Hiller have all become goalies despite not playing in the NHL until their older 20's or young 30's. It is a very low-risk, high-reward type of contract and it could turn out very beneficial for both the Ducks and Fasth.

Ducks Signing Rating: A, great goaltender in Sweden and if he can continue his incredible play in the NHL this will be a great signing for the Anaheim Ducks



Buffalo Extend Contract with Sulzer

The Buffalo Sabres have resigned defenseman; Alexander Sulzer to a one year contract worth 725,000 dollars. He was selected 92nd overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2003 NHL draft.


The 27 year old, Germany native was acquired at the trade deadline from the Vancouver Canucks along with Cody Hogdson for Zack Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani. Sulzer spent the 2011-12 campaign playing in the NHL for both the Canucks and the Sabres. Sulzer played 12 games with the Canucks, recording 1 assist and he played 15 games for the Sabres, scoring 3 goals along with 5 assists. Sulzer got more ice time in Buffalo and he showed that he is capable of producing offensively.

Sulzer has played 89 career National Hockey League games with the Predators, Panthers, Canucks and now, Sabres. He has totaled 4 goals, 12 assists and 26 penalty minutes.

Buffalo Signing Rating: B, solid bottom 3 defenseman with offensive upside if he gets time on the power-play unit

The Canes Extend Three Contracts

The Carolina Hurricanes have extended contracts with defenseman; Jamie McBain and Bobby Sanguinetti and with forward prospect; Nicolas Blanchard.

Jamie McBain was resigned to a 2 year deal worth 3.6 million dollars. He will make 1.7 million in 2012-12 and 1.9 in 2013-14. The 24 year old defenseman was set to become a restricted free agent on July 1st. McBain was selected 63rd overall by the Hurricanes in the 2006 NHL draft.

McBain just finished his second full season with the Hurricanes. In 76 games he had 8 goals and 19 assists along with only 2 minor penalties. McBain has played 166 NHL games over 3 season with the Hurricanes and he has totaled 18 goals and 49 assists along with 36 penalty minutes.

Hurricanes Signing Rating (McBain): A, great young puck moving defenseman, will lead the back-end with Faulk for years to come

The Hurricanes resigned Bobby Sanguinetti to a one year, two-way contract worth 700,000 if he plays in the NHL and 105,000 if he plays in the AHL. Sanguinetti was selected 21st overall in the 2006 NHL draft by the New York Rangers. On June 26th, 2010 the Rangers traded Sanguinetti to the Carolina Hurricanes for 2nd and 6th round picks.


Bobby Sanguinetti, 24, spent this past season in the AHL playing for the Charlotte Checkers. He had a great season for the Checkers, scoring 10 goals along with 40 assists in 60 games. He also played 3 games for the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2011-12 campaign. He has played 8 total NHL games but has yet to record a point. He has played 241 career AHL games, scoring 28 goals and 121 assists.

Hurricanes Signing Rating (Sanguinetti): B, good young offensive defenseman could make a nice impact in the NHL if he is able to crack the Canes lineup

Nicolas Blanchard signed a two year, two-way contract with the Canes. Blanchard will make 525,000 a season if he plays in the NHL and he will make 105,000 in the American Hockey League but he is guaranteed at least 125,000 each season.

The 24 year old left winger just finished his 5th full AHL season. He played 68 games this season for the Charlotte Checkers, he scored 9 goals and he had 12 assists to go along with his 103 penalty minutes. Blanchard has played 324 career AHL games. In his AHL career he has 50 goals, 56 assists and 579 penalty minutes. He has yet to make his NHL debut.

Hurricanes Signing Rating (Blanchard): C+, tough young winger to grind his way into the line-up at any point next season

Blues sign Jani Hakanpaa

The St. Louis Blues have signed Finnish defenseman; Jani Hakanpaa to an entry-level contract. He was selected with the 104th overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft by the Blues.

The 20 year old; Hakanpaa made the jump to the SM-liiga from the Jr. A SM-liiga. In 41 games with the Blues of the SM-liiga he scored 5 goals and added 7 assists. He was an assistant captain for the Finnish World Junior Championship team this past January. In 7 games he had 3 points.


The 20 year old is a very skilled defenseman offensively and with his huge frame at 6'5'' he could potentially turn into a great NHL player.

Blues signing rating: A, has played great at all stages so far and will look to continue that on the NHL ice


Thursday 17 May 2012

Pavel Valentenko Signs in Russia

New York Ranger prospect defenseman; Pavel Valentenko has signed a two year contact with Avangard Omsk of the KHL. The 24 year old played the 2011-12 season for the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League. The Nizhnekamsk, Russia native scored 5 goals, had 16 assists and 53 penalty minutes in 60 games with the Whale.


Valentenko was selected 139th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2006 NHL draft. Valentenko played parts of the next three seasons in the American Hockey League with the Hamilton Bulldogs and Nizhnekamsk and Moscow Dynamo of the KHL. There was some contract problems with Valentenko when he was playing for Hamilton because he signed a deal with Moscow Dynamo while he was still under contract with the Montreal Canadiens but the problem was resolved.

On June 30th, 2009 was traded along with Chris Higgins, Doug Janik and Ryan McDonagh to the New York Rangers in exchange for Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt and Michael Busto. Valentenko finished his last year of his contract with Moscow Dynamo during the 2009-10 season and then he came over to play for the Rangers AHL affiliate; the Connecticut Whale for the 2010-11 deal. In 75 games in his first year with the Whale he posted 5 goals and 12 assists in 79 games. In his two years with the Whale he totaled 10 goals and 28 assists in 139 games.

Valentenko has decided to go back to his home country and continue his hockey career over there rather than the American Hockey League.

Avangard Omsk Signing Rating: B+, young defenseman is good on the back-end and provides a physical presence

Wednesday 16 May 2012

IIHF Quarter-Final Preview: Sweden vs Czech Republic



Stockholm Division
(2) Sweden - (6-0-0-1)  vs  (3) Czech Republic - (4-1-0-2)

Preliminary Round Game:
Sweden : Czech Republic
: 1
Sweden defeated the Czech Republic 4-1 in their preliminary round game. It wasn't a very offensive game when they played as there was only 37 shots combined from the two teams, but this quarter final game could be much different because both teams will want to have the lead and they will need to score to have a lead. 

 Sweden Scoring Leaders
 Czech Republic Scoring Leaders
 1. Henrik Zetterberg (below) - 13 points
 1. Tomas Plekanec (below) - 6 points
2. Loui Eriksson - 11 points
 2. Ales Hemsky - 6 points
 3. Johan Franzen - 8 points
 3. David Krejci - 5 points 


















The Swedes started off the 2012 World Championships with a 3-1 win over Norway, followed by a 4-1 win over the Czech Republic.  Sweden ran into some trouble with Denmark in their 3rd game allowing 4 goals but they still managed to squeeze out a 6-4 victory. Sweden continued to win as they defeated Germany 5-2 in their fourth preliminary game. Sweden faced the other favorite in this group; Russia and they did not play well as the Russians defeated them 7-3. The Swedes were very disappointed with the loss and they are determined to not let themselves play a game like that ever again. Sweden finished off the preliminaries with back-to-back 4-0 wins over Denmark and Lativa. Sweden finished 2nd in the group with 18 points. 
The Czech Republic kicked the tournament off with a 2-0 win over the Danes. They were in tough in the next game as they played Sweden and they lost that game 4-1. They rallied back from that defeat and were able to defeat the Norwegians 4-3 in a shootout. The Czech Republic then went on to defeat the Latvians 3-0 and then beat the Italians 6-0. The Czech Republic played a very strong game against the Russians despite a 2-0 loss. They played great defensively but they were just not able to get a puck past goaltender; Semyon Varlamov. The Czechs finished off the preliminaries on a high note as they defeated the lowly Germans 8-1. The Czechs record was good enough for 3rd place as they finished with 14 points. 

This game should have a good flow to it and both teams will look to capitalize early in the game. Both, Sweden and the Czech Republic are capable of playing a great shutdown game so if either team can get an early lead and play shutdown for the rest of the game, they would be more than happy to do so. The Swedes have a lethal group up front who will try to score on every mistake the Czech team makes in their own end and the neutral zone. The counterattack could play a huge role in this game as both teams has speed in the forward lineup with allows them to breakout on odd-man rushes. Jakub Stepanek will be in between the pipes for the Czechs as the Swedes will counter with Viktor Fasth. Both goaltenders have had good tournaments so far with Stepanek having the slightly better numbers. This game will be even in every aspect and it should be a thrilling game to watch.

Who to Watch:
Loui Eriksson - He is one of the best snipers in this tournament, he is capable of scoring some incredible goals and he will be asked upon by the Swedes to lead the attack up front
Tomas Plekanec - The speedy centerman for the Czech Republic plays in all situations and is very good for the counterattack, he will be looking to set up goal scorer; Ales Hemsky

Prediction:
Sweden wins 3-2

IIHF Quarter Final Preview: Russia vs Norway


Stockholm Division
(1) Russia - (7-0-0-0)  vs  (4) Norway - (4-0-1-2)

Preliminary Round Game:
Russia : Norway
: 2
The Norwegian team surprised the Russians and gave them a run for their money when they played in the preliminaries. Russia beat Norway 4-2. The Russians outshot Norway 46-21 but Norway's goalie; Lars Volden played an excellent game between the pipes with 42 saves.  

 Russia Scoring Leaders
 Norway Scoring Leaders
 1. Evgeni Malkin (below) - 14 points
 1. Patrick Thoresen (below) - 16 points
 2. Alexander Perezhogin - 8 points
 2. Per Age-Skroder - 11 points
 3. Alexander Popov - 8 points
 3. Morten Ask - 9 points 











The Russians kicked off the World Championships with a 5-2 win over Latvia. The Russians dominance continued from the first game to the seventh game. In their second game the Russians defeated Norway 4-2. Russia then beat Germany 2-0 and Denmark 3-1. Russia toughest test should have been against Sweden but Russia overpowered them in all facets of the game and won 7-3. Russia finished of the preliminary round with two shutouts as they beat the Czech Republic 2-0 and Italy 4-0. Russia ran over its competition in the preliminaries but will be in for a tougher test as they move on throughout the tournament. They finished with a perfect 21 points which placed them atop of the Stockholm division. 
The Norwegians started off the tournament with three straight losses. They were defeated by the Swedes 3-1, the Russians 4-2 and they lost to the Czech Republic in a shootout 4-3. It was appearing that Norway was heading for another disappointing finish at a World Championship, but they were able to turn things around. They beat Italy 6-2 in their 4th game to get their first win. They then went on to beat Latvia 3-0 and demolish the Germans 12-4. Led by Patrick Thoresen the Norwegians finished off the preliminary round with a 4th win over Denmark. They defeated the Danes 6-2. Norway finished 4th in the Stockholm division with 13 points, only 1 point behind the 3rd place; Czech Republic. 

This game should have a decent page to it, but the Russians will determine how the game will go. They should dominate the play and will easily outshoot Norway but the Norwegians are very capable of capitalizing on the chances they get. Norway scored 33 goals which is the second highest amount in the tournament so they have the goal scoring capability but Russia have given up a tournament low 8 goals. Russia will dictate the pace of the game but Norway will be able to stick around for sure and give the Russians a run for their money. 

Who to Watch:
Evgeni Malkin - The best player in this tournament should be able to dominate anyone Norway matches up against him, should have no problem producing
Patrick Thoresen - The Norwegian has led the World Championships in scoring but can he continue that against Russia who have only been scored on 8 times in 7 games?
Semyon Varlamov - The Russian goaltender has had a very great tournament and if he keeps up his level of play, Russia will be extremely tough to compete with

Prediction:
Russia wins 5-2

IIHF Quarter Final Preview: Canada vs Slovakia


Helsinki Division
(1) Canada - (6-0-1-0)  vs  (4) Slovakia - (5-0-0-2)

Preliminary Round Game:
Canada : Slovakia
: 2
Canada beat Slovakia 3-2 in a close, competitive game. Canada outshot the Slovaks 30-22 but the game was back and forth, end to end. It was the first game of the World Championships for each team so the players were still getting used to their linemates so the quarter final game could be very different because each team has developed successful lines who work well together.










 Slovakia Scoring Leaders
 1. Branko Radivojevic (below) - 7 points
 2. Andrej Sekera - 7 points
 3. Tomas Kopecky - 5 points

 Canada Scoring Leaders
 1. Duncan Keith - 11 points
 2. John Tavares - 9 points
 3. Ryan Getzlaf (above) - 8 points









Canada started off the tournament with a close game against the Slovaks, the Canadians won the game 3-2. Canada faced their rival nation; the United States in their second game and they were disappointed with the outcome as they lost 5-4 in overtime. Canada rebounded from the OT loss and have not looked back since. Canada went on to win the next five games, defeating France 7-2, beating the Swiss 3-2, upsetting the host nation Finland 5-3, ran over the Kazakhs 8-0 and finished off the preliminary round with a 5-1 over Belarus. Canada posted a 6-0-1-0 record with put them in first place in the Helsinki division. They finished with 19 points. Canada is leading the tournament in goals scored with 35. 
The Slovaks started the World Championships with two tough losses. They lost 3-2 to Canada and 1-0 to Finland. The Slovaks did not lose another game in the preliminaries. They upset the United States in their 3rd game, 4-2. They defeated Kazakhstan 4-2 as well. Slovakia easily handled the Belarussian squad in a 5-1 win. The Slovaks shutout the Swiss and won the game 1-0. The 7th game against France was very important for both teams, if France beat Slovakia in regulation then France would have a legitimate shot at advancing to the Quarter Finals. All the Slovaks needed to advance was one point. They ended up defeating France 5-4 in a very close game. Slovakia finished fourth in the Helsinki division with 15 points. 


This Quarter-Final game should be another close game between these two nations. Slovak; Zdeno Chara will be going head to head with the top lines of Canada all game. Chara will be leading the team to try to shutdown all of Canada's offense and help lead quick counterattacks which they did to the Americans. If the Slovaks can perfect the shutdown and counterattack game, the Canadians will in be for a tough game for sure. The Slovaks do not have as many big names as the Canadian team but they play well in all aspects of the game. Can Ward will be going head to head with Jan Laco. The outcome of this game could very well be based on goaltending. The Canadians will look to attack as much as possible and punish the Slovaks whenever possible. It should be a great game to watch.

Who to Watch:
Zdeno Chara - Can he succeed in shutting down the Canadian offense? We will see
Michael Handzus - He has 4 points in 5 games since joining the team, he can play in all situations and is very capable of capitalizing whenever given the opportunity
Jordan Eberle - Mr. Clutch. Team Canada Savoir. This kid does everything right for Canada, especially in huge situations, look for him to step up his already great play in the Quarter Finals.
Cam Ward - He has looked shaky at times but he can keep his composure Canada will be a very hard team to play against. 

Prediction:
Canada wins 4-1.

McNeill McSigns

I'm sure you've already read our Rob Flick article, and now we've got another signing of a London, ON native.



The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed defenceman Reid McNeill to a 3-year entry level contract.

He was drafted in the 6th round, 170th overall in the 2010 entry draft by the Penguins.

He began his OHL career with 2 years with the London Knights, recording 11 points and 102 PIMs in 115 games and had a +10 rating.

This past season he played for the Barrie Colts, amassing 12 points and 60 penalty minutes in 51 games. He finished +9.

The 6'4" 201-pounder is certainly not an offensive-defenceman, but he does have solid play on the back end.

Signing Rating: B. The Penguins sign a decent defenceman who could turn into a 5 or 6th defenceman with the team some day. He's just 20, so he has a lot of time to develop.

Unfortunately, my dad does not play hockey with his dad.