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Plenty of Goals

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 10:51:00-0600

There were two big scoring performances over the last couple of nights thanks to David Backes and Jeff Carter. Backes scored a career high four goals on Thursday night to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 5-4 victory against the Detroit Red Wings. "I don't know what happened," said Backes. "One of those games where you kind of black out and then they're patting you on the back." It was also Backes' first career hat trick. For Backes, its been a career season in which he now has career highs in goals (30) and assists (21) for a Blues club that is fighting to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004. The Blues currently sit in the eigth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, Jeff Carter picked up his first career hat trick on Friday night as he helped Philly outgun Toronto, 8-5. "I've had a lot of two-goal games. I'm just happy to get it out of the way," Carter said, referring to the hat trick. Similar to Backes, Carter has set career highs in goals (44) and assists (36) and leads the Flyers in points with 80. With the win, Carter and the Flyers moved into fourth place in the Eastern Conference with just five games left in the regular season. It has certainly been a breakout season for these two young players and you can be sure both of their clubs will be looking for more scoring from them as the regular season winds down and the playoffs start up.

New Deal For Thomas

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:03:00-0600

With the type of season Tim Thomas has produced, you knew the Bruins would want to bring back the Vezina candidate goalie. Well, it seems as though both sides wanted the same thing, as Thomas has reportedly agreed to a multi-year extension that will keep him in Boston for at least the next three years. Thomas, who picked up his 33rd win of the season on Thursday, continues to lead the league in goals-against- average (2.11) and save percentage (.932). He is certainly deserving of a new contract that will reportedly pay him an average of $5 million per season. NBH would like to congratulate Tim on his spectacular season and the new contract. He and his teammates will be back in action on Saturday when they host the New York Rangers. Below you can check out a video of Thomas with an inside look as to why he became a goalie and what it's like to play in the NHL playoffs.

Top Performer

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:34:00-0600

NBH would like to congratulate Chris Mason of the St. Louis Blues for being named the NHL's First Star of the week. Mason went 4-0-0 record with a 1.72 goals-against average and .930 save percentage as the Blues (37-30-9) moved into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. During that stretch Mason picked up his fifth shutout of the season during the team's 2-0 win against the Kings. For the season, Mason is now 23-20-6 with a 2.42 goals-against average. He and the Blues will look to continue their playoff push when they take on the Blackhawks in Chicago on Wednesday night.

B's Finishing Strong

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:57:00-0600

Tim Thomas stopped a season high 45 shots and Milan Lucic scored his 15th and 16th goals of the season to lead the Bruins to a big 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Thomas made some huge saves during the game, including some acrobatic stops during a Flyers 5 on 3 power play during the second period. "Offensively we were opportunistic and scored some big goals and we're getting that part of our game together," Thomas said. "I don't think anybody thinks that we're completely there. I think it's a step in the right direction." Thomas continues to lead the league in both Goals Against Average (2.13) and save percentage (.931) in what has become a season worthy of winning the Vezina Trophy. Lucic's goals came in the first period when he tied the game at 1 and then later gave the B's a 3-1 lead. "We wanted to come out hard," Lucic said. "We got the momentum on our side and we just controlled the second and third period." The Bruins have won three in a row and will look to make it four when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.

Big Numbers

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:52:00-0600

Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne have each had seasons in which they have had to battle and prove the doubters wrong. Carter has emerged and shown that he is one of the elite scorers in this league while Gagne has battled back from injuries to once again regain his scoring touch and high level of play. On Monday night they continued to improve upon their impressive seasons as both men netted goals for the Flyers. Carter scored the game winning goal against New Jersey, which turned out to be his 40th goal of the season. He leads the Flyers in goals and is currently third overall in the league. Carter also has a career high 33 assists which gives him a total of 73 points. Gagne scored his his 30th goal of the season as he extended his goal scoring streak to three games. He has been one of the great stories in the NHL this season as he missed 57 games last season with injuries. He has also picked up 39 assists which gives him 69 points, the second most he has scored during a regular season. Both Carter and Gagne will be looking to finish the regular season strong, as the Flyers currently sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with just 10 games remaining. They will be action on Thursday night when they host the Florida Panthers.

Pens Turn It Around

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:34:00-0600

The Pittsburgh Penguins are playing their best hockey of the season and it couldn't have come at a better time. In jeopardy of missing the playoffs after reaching the Stanley Cup Finals a year ago, the Penguins have turned it on and have gone 9-0-2 in their last 11 games. Their sudden surge has put them into 5th place in the Eastern Conference with 10 games remaining. Two big reasons for their turnaround has been the continued solid play of Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal. Malkin tied a career high on Tuesday night with five points and became the first player this season to record 100 points. For the season, Malkin now has 32 goals and 70 assists for a league high 102 points. Meanwhile, Jordan Staal picked up his 20th goal of the season against Atlanta on Tuesday night and has been playing his best hockey of season. He now has nine points in his last 10 games by scoring five goals and picking up four assists. Both Malkin and Staal will continue the Pens six game homestand on Friday when they host the Los Angeles Kings.

Jokinen On Fire

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:43:00-0600

Since being traded to the Calgary Flames at the NHL's trade deadline, Olli Jokinen has been scoring at will on opposing goalies. In his six games with his new club, Jokinen has scored eight goals, along with a shootout winner, to go along with two assists. His latest performance was a hat trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. "It's a good hockey team and I'm playing with good players", Jokinen said. "I get a lot of chances and I feel a little bit lucky, the puck's been following me." For the season, Jokinen now has 29 goals to go along with 23 assists. With one more goal, Jokinen will have scored 30 or more goals in five of his last six seasons. He and the Flames are currently in third place in the Western Conference and will host the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night.

Staal Earns First Star Honors

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:40:00-0600

NBH would like to congratulate Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes for being named the NHL's First Star of the week. Eric led the NHL in scoring this past week with five goals and four assists for a total of nine points. The Hurricanes won all three games they played by beating the Capitals, Flames and Lightning. Eric finished the week off in style by scoring a career high four goals during the team's 9-3 victory against Tampa Bay. His four goals and six points during the game tied single-game franchise records for the Hurricanes. For the season, Eric has a team high 32 goals and a total of 58 points.

Back Together

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 09:38:00-0600

There was a good amount of movement at this year's NHL trade deadline, and one move certainly provided a reuniting of good friends and former teammates. Erik Cole was traded back to the Carolina Hurricanes which is where he broke into the league and had played the past six seasons. Going back to Carolina also puts Cole back on the same line as his good buddy Eric Staal. "It's a great opportunity for me. I get to play with some great players again, so I'm excited," Cole said. "This is going to be so easy for me to come in here and play hard and prove my worth." Cole's impact to the lineup has been quite impressive in the two games since the trade. In his first game back, Cole scored his 17th goal of the season during the 'Canes 6-1 win against the Calgary Flames, and then he picked up four assists during Carolina's 9-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. During the 9-3 win, Eric Staal scored a career high four goals and picked up two assists for a total of six points. Cole assisted on two of Staal's goals. "That's one of those games that don't happen very often," Staal said. "It was a good win for our team, which was the bottom line. But it's fun getting points and being on the offensive side of the game." With his four goals, Staal now has 32 on the season. He now has gone four straight seasons with scoring at least 30 or more goals. You can be sure that he and Cole are happy to be back on the ice together again, looking to lead the 'Canes back into the playoffs. The Hurricanes currently sit in 9th place in the Eastern Conference, just one point out of the eighth and final playoff spot. They'll be looking to extend their winning streak to four games when they host the New York Rangers on Monday night.

Thomas Leads The Way

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:59:00-0600

Tim Thomas is not only shutting opponents down by stopping goals, but he is also helping set them up for his teammates. Thomas stopped 35 shots and also picked up an assist during the Bruins 6-0 victory against the Anaheim Ducks. It was the fourth shutout of Thomas' career, which is a career high for the 2-time All-Star. Thomas is now 27-8-5 with an NHL best 2.01 goals-against-average and a .934 save percentage. He is clearly one of the top candidates for this years Vezina Trophy, awarded to the league's top goaltender each season. He and the B's will face a tough challenge when the second seed in the East Washington Capitals come to town for a Saturday matinee.

First Star

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:27:00-0600

Mike Richards is doing his best to turn this into his own personal blog rather than one for all Nike Bauer athletes. Richards was named the NHL's First Star of the week for his latest performaces on the ice. He scored a league high eight points in the Flyers two games this week, which included three goals and five assists. He had career highs in both points (5) and plus/minus rating (+5) during the Flyers 6-3 win against the Sabres and then picked up a goal and two assists against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Richards now leads the Flyers in assists (37) and hits (106) and shares the club lead in points (23-37--60) and plus-minus (+23). He and his teammates will look to improve their spot in the standings on Tuesday night with a much anticipated matchup against the Washington Capitals.

Shorthanded Dominance

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:22:00-0600

Mike Richards of the Philadelphia Flyers is quickly redefining what it means to be a scoring threat everytime you hit the ice. For the third straight game Richards scored a shorthanded goal, his latest coming against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. Richards stole a cross ice pass in his own zone, skated the length of the ice and went five-hole to bring the Flyers faithful to their feet. Richards became the first player in the NHL to score a shorthanded goal in three straight games since 1998. He now has a league high seven goals while on the penalty kill, and a total of 23. "He anticipates as well as anyone in the game," Flyers coach John Stevens said. "He does that time and time again, and with the game on the line." During Saturday's game, Richards also recorded two assists which helped him collect his 200th career point. Both Richards and the Flyers probably hope that he doesn't have the opportunity to make it four straight games with a shorty, which would mean Philly wouldn't be shorthanded during Tuesday's game against the Capitals.

No "Slump" For Backstrom

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:04:00-0600

Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington Capitals has certianly proved by now that the term "sophomore slump" won't be associated with him or his game. The second year center scored his 14th goal of the year last night against the Montreal Canadiens and then scored the deciding goal in the shootout to help the Caps gain a 4-3 win. Backstrom now has a four game point streak and has picked up 13 points in his last nine games. He has a team high 47 assists, which is also good for fifth overall in the league. He and the Caps currently sit in second place in the Eastern Conference and will take on the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.

Spectacular Stamkos

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:30:00-0600

NBH would like to congratulate Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning for recording his first career natural hat trick. The rookie center reached the milestone on Tuesday night when the Lightning hosted the Chicago Blackhawks. The 'Hawks pulled out a 5-3 win, but it didn't take away from such an impressive performance. Stamkos scored three straight goals starting in the first period when he got Tampa on the board, tying the game at one. In the second period, Stamkos gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead when he fired home a wrist shot to the top shelf. Just over a minute later, Stamkos buried a one-time slapper to give Tampa Bay a 3-1 lead and to complete the natural hat trick. "Anytime you get a hat trick it's pretty special, but to do it on home ice, in Tampa in my rookie season is a dream come true," Stamkos said. "This was one of the best feelings of the year for me so far, but I would much rather have it in a win." It was a milestone event that Stamkos will always remember and an event that gave Lightning fans a glimpse of what they can expect for many years to come. Stamkos becomes the first rookie in the Lightning's franchise history to ever record a hat trick. For the season, Stamkos now has 10 goals and 15 assists, including 11 points in his last 14 games. He and the Lightning will be back in action on Thursday night when they host New Jersey.

A New Record

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:43:00-0600

Congratulations are in order for Flyers captain Mike Richards. Richards set an NHL record during Sunday's 5-2 victory against the New York Rangers by scoring his third career 3-on-5 goal. No other player has scored that many goals in such an undermanned situation. "It's not something that I knew or obviously was trying for, but we always try to score shorthanded," Richards said. "When you kill a penalty or a 5-on-3 like that it just gives you that much more momentum and an energy boost." On the season, Richards now has 20 goals and a team high 32 assists for 52 points. Of his 20 goals, five of them have come shorthanded which is good for the league lead. The Flyers have a few days off now and will be back in action on Thursday night when they host the Buffalo Sabres.