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The Mike Ricci Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL's ugliest playoff performer, has been a prestigious award in the NHL since its inception following the 1995-96 NHL Playoffs that saw its namesake win his first and only Stanley Cup Trophy with the Colorado Avalanche. Ricci, who played a total of 1099 NHL games prior to retiring following the 2006-07 season, has always been a standard bearer for the combination of skill ...

As poorly as the Wild play at times, I try and I try to remain positive—to have a positive spin on things.   But after last night’s 4-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, I think I might just be all out of positive.   I’m just going to lay it out there, plain and simple, for all to see. I love this team. I bleed iron range red. Anyone who knows me knows this.   But ...

For the love of all that is good and holy, let’s give the Phoenix Coyotes a break, shall we?   The speculation arose around this time last season that the ‘Yotes weren’t long for Phoenix and things began to come to a head over the offseason when Jim Balsillie took one in the blackberries as his bid for the Coyotes was denied.   Now, with the Coyotes heading to the playoffs for the first ...

{Author’s Note: Thanks to @wildmn34 on Twitter for the title idea for the article. I wish I could take credit for the awesomeness that is enclosed in the title of the article, but I just can’t.}   Seriously.   The title says it all.   If you want to know who the biggest off-season acquisition was for the Minnesota Wild, look no further than the man with the number six emblazoned on the back of his ...

As if you needed any help seeing that the Phoenix Coyotes are a much improved team this season, take a gander at their stats.   They’re in the playoffs for the first time since the 2001-02 season.   They’re third in the NHL in points with 100, and it just so happens that this marks their first 100+ point season in franchise history.   Despite being in the bottom 10 of goals per game, they are ...

When last we met, I went over the playoff picture for the Western Conference. Admittedly, it's looking a lot clearer over just the past few days with Detroit separating themselves from the pack. That said, the Eastern Conference is much, much more intriguing in terms of the playoff race. Again, the numbers have been borrowed from Hockey-Reference.com and NHL Standings and Magic Number and, again, please keep in mind that the teams ...

Well, the playoffs are just around the corner. Those who are looking like locks to make it are prepping to look like the long lost brother to Sasquatch for the next two months, while the others are dusting off their golf clubs for a trip around their local links. For this look at the playoff race, I’ve pulled information from both Hockey-Reference.com and a new site that I’ve found called ...

Let's be honest. At this point in the NHL's season, every game is a potential game of the week candidate. It's like Christmas for hockey fans every night of the week, so narrowing it down to the top five isn't the easiest or most straight forward task. In the East, there are just 10 points separating the Florida Panthers in the 11th spot from the Ottawa Senators in the fifth. In the ...

Okay. This is getting ridiculous.   I just read an article suggesting that if Matt Cooke is considered a dirty player, then Alexander Ovechkin is a dirty player as well.   And my response?   Who gives a flying fig?   {Author's Note: It should be noted that I do very much enjoy the Confluence blog on Kukla's Korner. Just not this particular article.}   Do I think that Cooke is a dirty player? Absolutely. I think that he’s ...

I remember quite clearly the message that was being sent to Minnesota Wild fans about James Sheppard following the 2006 Entry Draft.   “He’s going to be the next Joe Thornton.”   “He’s going to be a carbon copy of Ryan Getzlaf.”   “This kid’s going to be good.”   Now hindsight is always 20-20 (and if it’s not, you need to get your hindsight checked), but through 211 games in his NHL career, Sheppard has been none ...