Salary Cap

With 10 Stanley Cups in franchise history , the Detroit Red Wings have methodically steamrolled the competition in the regular season.
The Red Wings, who have earned either the first or second seed in the Western Conference since winning it all six years ago, have won their fifth Presidents’ Trophy to earn home-ice advantage for the duration of its stay in the playoffs this season, as well. Not only has Detroit scored the third -most goals of any team , but the Red Wings have given up the fewest.Unlike previous seasons, when the Red Wings were ousted from the playoffs by seventh-seeded Anaheim in 2003, sixth-seeded Calgary in 2004, eighth-seeded Edmonton in 2006 and second-seeded Anaheim last year, the club has persevered down the stretch despite multiple injuries to key players.

Coach Mike Babcock, who this season became the first in NHL history to win at least 50 games in his first three seasons with a team.

Not to be forgotten are Detroit’s tireless penalty killers and checkers

Well the Rangers are off to a great start. Being one of their die-hard fans I am loving the fact that they raped the Devils in game one. Now all we need is 3 more wins to send that bleeding heart team back home.
It is absolutly great that Scott Gomez, formerly a Devil, was a major factor in wiping up the ice with his former team. I could not have been happier.
And we must not forget Callahan who scored a huge shorthanded goal off goalie Martin Brodeur. Callahan swooped in from behind the cage and knocked the puck into the net giving the Rangers an important advantage.

This has been a long time time coming boys so lets grab that Cup!!!

Without their captian due to injury and Defenseman Francis Bouillon out, can the Canadiens make it work?

That means Kovalev,the team’s scoring leader this season, will keep the captain’s “C”.
“One reason we were successful this year is that we avoided injuries,” Kovalev said. “It definitely hurts not to have Saku in the lineup, but a lot of guys are hungry ,we’ll see.”

Kovalev had seven goals and 11 points against the Bruins. The Candiens took all eight regular-season games agaisnt the Bruins. Also note that Linemate Andrei Kostitsyn, Mark Streit also had 11 points against Boston, while center Tomas Plekanec had 10.

But the Bruins are healthier than they’ve been all season.But the are starting with a center who has been out since October with a head injury. So we will see just how smart a decision that was on their part.They will need to prepare twice as hard now.

Oh by the way I will be your new author for the blog, you can call me #23.

Ok, I normally dont write about crappy teams, but Salary cap is distressed over this team.  Mats Sundin is the only player on this team that is giving an honest effort.  For his efforts, the team is thinking about trading him to a winning team.  When does loyalty to the player to make sure he has a chance to win a Stanely Cup take over?  We saw this with Ray Bourque when the Boston Bruins traded him to the Colorado Avalanche.  How does salary play a part in this case?  My guess is that the Maple Leafs will not trade him.  Mats Sundin will not receive the same courtesy of being traded away to a contender.  How do you appease your fans by trading away the only man trying and scoring on your team?  What kind of message does that send?  Like to hear thoughts if you think this trade will happen or should happen…

Ok, I have had along break from blogging due to the fact that work is busy and well, lets just say life is hectic.  I have gotten a lot of comments about Steve Downie’s sucker punch on Blake last week.  With Bob Clarke defending it this is my take as a fan from Philadelphia.

It wasn’t a fight. The linesmen had them seperated. Any fight was over at that point. Ask any NHL strongman (or Don Cherry) – there’s an Enforcer’s Code. The moment the linesmen come in – fight’s over. Period. It’s about respecting each other.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming Downie 100%. It was obvious that his emotions were still boiling over. Part of the blame lies with the linesman who was restraining him. Downie should not have been able to punch Blake – but the official failed to prevent this. Downie, however, chose to punch Blake when he was fully restrained by the other linesman. That’s foul play & disrespectful – it goes against the Enforcer’s Code.

Bobby Clark (of all people) should understand that I’m rather disappointed in him.  However, with that being said…

This is where a Philly fan is torn…I loved it, but I think hockey players need more respect for each other on the ice…nothing is better than a clean check…Scott Stevens shoulder…thing of beauty…A cross check or cheap shot, not so much…so torn…Salary cap is waiting to responses on what goes over the line..

So, I have been a huge hockey fan since I was a wee little boy.  Now that I am older(not taller), I have watched my Flyers teams evolve from Brian Propp and Tim Kerr to last year’s team of pure garbage and Simon Gagne.  What Paul Holmgren has done(does anyone else remember him as a Flyer, God I am old) as GM is nothing short of a miracle.  Taking a team that won only 10 games on home ice last year to this year’s team tha is undefeated at home.  Daniel Briere, Jeff Carter and Mike Richards have given the Flyers the depth down the center I thought they would have once they signed Danny boy.  Another move, which you have to give to Coach Stevens, is moving Richards onto the first line power play unit at the point.  But, as with all Philly teams, there is a warning.  The next eight games are on the road, so we will see how good this team really is.  If the Flyers get 8-10 points out of this trip, I will feel like this is a playoff year.  Here is to hope and me watching.

Also, I found these cool flip flops.

WOW!  Salary cap has been shocked by the Philadelphia Flyers retooling for the upcoming season.  First came the trade for Scott Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen for the 23rd overall pick.  This move was brilliant.  The Flyers gave up a sure non-factor for a defenseman and a upcoming star in Scott.

Then, The Flyers signed Daniel Briere.  I can tell this is not my father’s NHL with this signing.  The small, fast, creative skater is now able to succeed in this new rule NHL.  This signing has a significant trickle down effect.  Salary cap notices that now Jeff Carter is the number two center with Mike Richards number three.  R.J. Umberger is the fourth line centerman.  This allows for all four centermen to be playing at the correct spot in the lineup.  Simon Gagne with Briere and Carter with Mik Knuble gives the Flyers two great scoring lines now.

However, the Flyers werent done.  In a trade, the Flyers acquired Jason Smith and Joffrey Lupul.  A solid defenseman with another rising star winger from Edmonton Oilers.  The leadership of Smith is another boost in the arm.  So, scoring at home, the Flyers now have three players who were captains of their NHL teams last year.  Leadership and talent with Martin Biron has salary cap thinking that last year is the one and only year that the Flyers will miss the playoffs. 

So the NHL draft is scheduled for prime time this week.  Before the start of the draft, the Philadelphia Flyers traded the 23st pick in the draft back to the Nashville Predators.  Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell come on down.  Salary cap has looked at this trade as a sign of more trades to come in this underwhelming draft.  The Philadelphia Flyers have hit gold once again with this trade.  Remember when the Flyers traded away Mark Recchi for John Leclair and Eric Desjardins?  Well, this trade reminds salary cap of the same thing.  A stud defenseman who knows how to handle the point on the Power play(which the Philadelphia Flyers have missed this year) and a young left winger about to turn 26 years old.  If you think about it, John Leclair was a relatively no one before he got to Philly.  Same thing about Scott Hartnell.  Get used to that name, he is going to be scoring in bunches this upcoming year.  With the second overall pick, which I would assume Philly uses on a number one center, this team has the makings of being a playoff contender this year already.  In less than 4 months, the Flyers have secured the number one goalie, number one defenseman, youngest and number one free agent in Scott Hartnell and still have the number two overall pick.  Salary caps excitement for hockey is starting already.  Lets get ready to rumble…..

Well, here it is…my blogging thoughts about race.  Today, we have the dismissal of the “duke rape case”, the suspensions of “pacman” Jones and Chris Henry, and also the “nappy headed hos” of Rutgers via Imus.  So, where do I start?  Let’s take them one at a time and then give a whole big summary at the end. 

First, the Duke case.  People’s poor life choices and lack of personal responsibilty was about 100 percent of this story.  The “victim” made poor life choices and now has to dance half naked to feed her illegitimate children.  The Lax players made a poor choice of hiring a drunk stripper to a drunken frat party.  And DA Nifong lacked personal responsibilty to just drop the case, but his ego got in the way of his better judgement.  Nothing to do with race or class, just idiots all the way around and everyone got exactly what they desreved for making their choices.  Has everything to do with sports and why we treat them differently in our society.  You never here about the computer club’s stripper party.  And do NOT get me started on the racist Jesse Jackson.

The second is the suspensions dealt out by the Commish on “pacman” Jones and Chris Henry.  You know, when the rest of the league turns on you and says you deserved to be punished for your actions, you really f***ed up.  I mean, you have the “murderer” Ray Lewis saying these guys are out of control.  I want to know where is the outcry, the outrage, the anything from left-wing liberals about how these guys are being singled out because of their race.  How about the black community saying these guys are giving “African-Americans”(I am an american, not any other bullshit nationality) a bad name?  How about the black community saying these guys should be punished at all?  Where is the outrage on this?

Third, Imus.  Just goes to show you that ignorance comes in all shapes.  He certainly has the shock part down of his title shock jock.  A wonderful team puts together a cinderella run and they get called names for it?  Are we back in the sixties?  Imus has no personally responsibilty and deserves everything he has sown with that one comment.  Rutgers, you ladies are my reason for even watching women’s basketball this year.  Take a bow.

So, in summation, race is stupid.  Life choices and personal responsibilty are not.  Sports creates headlines in our society today because we lack real heroes and leadership from top to bottom.  Salary cap has dated and been friends with just about every different race out there.  My friends are not determined by their skin color, but by their actions.  Stay in school, get an education, find a job, and work your ass off to achieve your dreams.  There is no easy money and much of the time the pursuit of easy money will make your journey to the dark side complete.   I am now getting down from my soap box. 

I want to be the one to come out abd apologize to anyone who tried to leave a comment here.  I was messing around with a new spam controller and accidently set the thing on killer mode.  I am not sure how long it has been this way, But I have over 400 spam deleted comments on it.  So, if you left a comment, I apologize that it didn’t get posted. 

I blame the guys I work with, but they are programmers and basically get defensive when you say anything to them.  So, salary cap is now back in business and ready to field questions once again.  Thank you for your patience.