Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jan 16, 2012, 5:06 pm
nhl.comWhen it comes to the National Hockey League, there is no more storied, more accomplished, nor more passionately followed franchise than the Montreal Canadiens. The history, success and exposure the team enjoys brings attention, both good and bad. For every one of their twenty four Stanley ...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Nov 28, 2011, 9:14 pm
REUTERS/Jason Cohn That ex-girlfriend, the one that is in fact an "ex" because she would never let anything go.  Although equally culpable, somehow her part in every disagreement was magically omitted in every loud, yet decreasingly plausible denial. Yeah, THAT ex-girlfriend. Well, she is the Ottaw...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jul 19, 2011, 4:08 pm
  Think what you like about Brian Burke and his performance as GM of the Leafs. As an outspoken opponent of cap-skirting, mega contracts, Burke has voiced his disapproval clearly and often. He even testified against the Devils/Kovalchuk contract last off season. So what was Burke to do when a truly...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jul 17, 2011, 12:36 pm
  In a dimly lit corner of his serenely quiet office, Garth Snow coolly flips to the B-side of an unlabeled vinyl 78. The needle stirs with a slight pop, as the turntable begins to spin, a dulcet voice-over with Latin music undertones invites Snow to begin tapping his foot to the beat. "They once w...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jul 8, 2011, 9:16 pm
  With the big names now off the UFA board, many teams are finished shopping, and are now working on the subtle nuances of rounding out their rosters. Yet, there are some teams who have more pressing issues to deal with. Some need to spend to get to the cap floor.  Some need to trim a little payro...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jul 6, 2011, 8:45 pm
images.forbes.com Capitals General Manager George McPhee (GM GM) has received deserved praise for his signing of all-world goaltender Tomas Vokoun. Vokoun's availability in a competitive, free spending marketplace came as a shock to many, particularly the elite netminder himself. But with the shock ...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jul 1, 2011, 1:44 pm
Brian Fantana tells us that he has learned that Jaromir Jagr has signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. TSN reports the same. The Philadelphia Flyers have signed unrestricted free agent Jaromir Jagr to a one year deal worth $3.3 Million. Earlier in the day, the Penguins withdrew their offer to Jagr....
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jun 30, 2011, 11:57 pm
Brian Fantana, utilizing the National Security Council's simplified alert system, has officially moved Jagr Watch to Jagrgate status. Jaromir Jagr's North American based agent Petr Svoboda, declared that Jagr was headed to the States on Wednesday afternoon, and that we could expect a decision soon t...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jun 29, 2011, 10:57 pm
  Hockey Plumber News reporter Brian Fantana has learned that there will be no decision made tonight.  Leading him to ask the question, "when does Jagr Watch turn into Jagrgate?" Inside Pittsburgh Sports also reports: Jaromir Jagr joining the Penguins is on hold. Pensblog reported: ...Svoboda bro...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jun 29, 2011, 12:39 pm
  Let's go to Brian Fantana who's live on the scene with a Hockey Plumber News exclusive. Brian? Fantana begins, "Jagr Watch! The mood is tense; I have been on some serious, serious reports but nothing quite like this. I uh... Jarimor, uh.. Jah... Jagr is on his way here right now. I tried to get...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jun 28, 2011, 11:50 am
 A Lot To Laich The Washington Capitals have signed Brooks Laich to 6-year deal worth $27 million.  Laich has been a core player with the Caps.  He is popular among teammates and fans alike.  Laich can battle on the boards, deliver a hit and score big goals.He would have been a highly sought aft...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jun 27, 2011, 10:48 pm
This post was originally posted at The Hockey Writers To answer Ricky Bobby's question: "What did French land give us?" Premature news of Jaromir Jagr's return to Pittsburgh. (Translated by Google Translate) After weeks of speculation, forward Jaromir Jagr has made ​​his choice and he will sign...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jun 24, 2011, 5:14 pm
Both CBC and TSN have reported that True North, the ownership group for the new Winnipeg franchise, is expected to officially announce that the team will indeed be called the Jets. Making use of the grand stage, both literally and figuratively, the group will unveil the franchise name just before ma...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jun 23, 2011, 11:06 pm
Flyers no more As an update to our early post regarding the trade of Jeff Carter to Columbus, the Philadelphia Flyers also traded team captain, Mike Richards to Los Angeles for forward prospect Brayden Schenn, veteran forward, Wayne Simmonds and a second-round pick. Um... wow! The trades clearly ...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jun 23, 2011, 3:36 pm
  No, no, no... it's not going to happen.  Jeff Carter will not be traded. So we have heard countless times from the Carter camp and even the Flyers. Today, Jeff Carter was traded to the Jackets in return for Jakob Voracek, the 8th Overall selection of the 2011 NHL Draft, and a yet undetermined Th...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jun 22, 2011, 11:44 am
LIVE from Las Vegas, Nevada it's Saaaaaturd... no wait.  Ok, it is NHL Awards time again. Jay Mohr returns to host at the Palms Casino.  Mohr will doubtlessly remark on his lack of hockey knowledge, throw out a few quick one liners on Luongo's hair, etc... and intro a few puzzling music selections...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jun 21, 2011, 1:55 pm
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images  This story originally was posted on Bleacher Report The Atlantic is one of the NHL's most fiercely contested divisions. Until this season, the Atlantic was represented in the Stanley Cup Final three stra...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jun 7, 2011, 5:07 pm
  This post was originally published at The Hockey Writers Cue the dated and cheesy game show music… From the NHL offices on the Avenue of the Americas in New York City: It’s hockey’s favorite game show… WHEEL OF JUSTICE! With your host(s) Colin Campbell/Brendan Shanahan. “Hello and welc...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - May 20, 2011, 5:08 pm
  The Atlanta Thrashers will be no more.  The franchise will be sold to the True North group and moved north to become the Winnipeg Jets, or the Manitoba Whatevers.  It's only a matter of days now before the official announcement. Yet, before all is said and done, Ken Campbell of the Hockey News ...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - May 18, 2011, 4:01 pm
Photo credit: MontrealGazette.comThis post was originally published at The Hockey Writers That guy at the office who is all too eager to point out discrepancies.  The one that fancies himself a walking, breathing, encyclopedia of vast, untapped knowledge.  He constantly finds fault in even the...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - May 15, 2011, 1:24 pm
  This post was originally published at The Hockey Writers   It began with a simple gesture and some kind words. Jaromir Jagr has played with Omsk Avangard for the past few seasons, and played well.  When his contract expired after the end of this year's KHL season, the Pittsburgh Penguins mad...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - May 11, 2011, 12:56 pm
Getty ImagesThis post was originally published at The Hockey Writers It may be a bit premature to begin looking towards there off-season. There are still five teams battling for the right to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup. However, there are also twenty-five teams that are already working on next sea...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Apr 28, 2011, 1:04 pm
#1 Washington Capitals vs. #5 Tampa Bay Lightning This is a fun one for many reasons.  We picked both of these teams to be eliminated in Round One.  Nice job, we know! Both of these clubs play a stifling defensive system, with the optional capability of sending their top talent out to light up the...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Apr 28, 2011, 10:35 am
Washington Capitals/New York Rangers Hero: Michal Neuvirth The Caps came into these playoffs with too many questions in net.  Who will start?  How will they handle the extra pressure?  Well, Neuvirth answered all questions with a stellar 1.36 GAA, .946 save percentage, a shutout and a pair of OT ...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Apr 21, 2011, 2:59 pm
Often misquoted, Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act III, scene II quotation: "The lady doth protest too much, methinks" is also commonly misinterpreted, just as it will be misinterpreted here.  Make no mistake, we are not calling Richards a "lady," but he is becoming more and more inclined to whine a bit wh...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Apr 13, 2011, 3:40 pm
Just as it did last season, it took all 82 regular season games to determine the participants.  Sorry Dallas and Carolina fans. The East will get nasty early: #1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 New York Rangers Gone is the fun and gun offense of the Caps.  They are a defensive first club this year, wh...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Apr 11, 2011, 4:17 pm
Pittsburgh Penguins' forward Mike Rupp and his wife Christi will play host to a special event tonight for the Cleland family of South Park, a suburb of Pittsburgh. Story by Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. A kind gesture and an excellent example of the community reach of the organization.
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Mar 23, 2011, 10:53 am
  Ol' Matty Cooke did it again. Straight off a page from the Jimmy Superfly Snuka handbook, Cooke delivered a flying elbow to the head of New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh. Cooke dished out another dangerous blow to an opponent, and received a a five-minute major penalty and game miscondu...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Mar 15, 2011, 7:00 pm
A universal ban on hits to the heads is not happening in the NHL.  At least, not now. What the GM meeting did produce was a novel idea: A recommendation that the league enforce the rules! As NHL.com's Shawn P. Roarke put it: " they opted to recommend that existing rules governing boarding and ...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Mar 7, 2011, 11:48 pm
Is is safe to say that Caps Coach Bruce Boudreau was no fan of Greg Louganis? Boudreau is well know for his penchant for unleashing the quote machine during post game interviews, particularly so after a loss.  However, the coach's machine got started up before a big divisional showdown with the Tam...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Mar 3, 2011, 6:16 pm
Fresh off a nine-game suspension for a concussion-inducing elbow to the head, and special helping of punches and taunting of an ice prone Eric Tangradi, Trevor Gillies returned to the ice last night. His return was short lived. After the game Gillies explained: "I went over and finished my hit. Th...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Feb 28, 2011, 12:13 pm
During the summer of 2009, Dale Tallon was let go as the GM of the Chicago Blackhawks.  The firing was a shock to many in the hockey community, as Tallon had been a big part of pulling the team out from the ashes and molding them into a contender. After reaching the Conference Final just a few mont...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Feb 24, 2011, 3:44 pm
On the very cusp of finally realizing a moment of relaxation, at the most critical point of dropping off into peaceful nap, Ethan Hunt hears the disturbing rattling buzz of his highly customized iPhone 4. "Dammit! What now?"  He pounds his fist into the tray table that lays out in front of him. Th...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Feb 21, 2011, 7:15 pm
By now, most everyone has read a myriad of of opinions, blogs, message boards and news stories on Mario Lemieux's statement regarding the aftermath of an ugly, incident-filled, mauling of his Pittsburgh Penguins at the hands of the New York Islanders. Garnering even more attention, has been the back...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Feb 10, 2011, 3:14 pm
Shortly after a high profile wedding last year, Mike Fisher was interviewed in the Ottawa Sun regarding married life and such: Mike Fisher plans on being a Nashville resident some day, but he has no interest in giving up his Ottawa address any time soon. “I definitely love it here. I don’t see t...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Feb 9, 2011, 1:06 pm
  According to the Anaheim Ducks official Twitter page, the Ducks have made a deal with Toronto. #NHLDucks acquire D Francois Beauchemin from @MapleLeafs for RW Joffrey Lupul, D Jake Gardiner and a conditional 2013 draft pick.Toronto has been looking to move Beauchemin, it seems, since they signed ...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Feb 8, 2011, 7:13 pm
The league has many Johnsons dispersed about the 30 NHL teams.  All-time, there have been twenty-four players in league history with "Johnson" stiched on the back of their sweater. The Pittsburgh Penguins alone, have had six players by the name of Johnson, in addition to Stanley Cup winning, and le...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jan 25, 2011, 5:40 pm
  We all know now he can pout, but can he still stop a puck? Evgeni Nabokov was claimed off waivers; and then put on the naughty list by the New York Islanders, before ever suiting up for the team. The New York Islanders have suspended Evgeni Nabokov for not reporting after being claimed off of w...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Jan 18, 2011, 9:52 pm
{eot}  The St. Louis Blues are looking for help scoring goals. The CBA just won't let them. Sort of... San Jose claimed Kyle Wellwood off waivers on Tuesday, just one day after the St. Louis signed him to a one-year deal. As reported by TSN. The Blues signed him on Monday, and it started a 24-hour...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Dec 31, 2010, 5:04 pm
The NHL has just announced that the 2011 Winter Classic game start time has been moved back to 8 PM Eastern. Rain and warm temperatures threatened the game if played at the originally scheduled time of 1 PM. The latest Pittsburgh weather forecasts call for morning and afternoon rain clearing up in t...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Dec 21, 2010, 4:19 pm
We've mentioned it here before, the New Jersey Devils are a mess... and we aren't the only ones who have noticed it. In November, Larry Brooks compared the Devils situation with that of the 2006-'07 Flyers.  Speaking about the Flyers GM that season: Holmgren had one ace to play, and that was Peter...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Nov 30, 2010, 2:55 pm
A few weeks ago we asked the question: "What Is Wrong With Marc-André Fleury?"After reviewing his play and watching video of the goals against, our answer to the question posed was: "Nothing... It's just hockey.  Sometimes you get the bounces... sometimes they get you."Well, it doesn't happen ofte...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Nov 23, 2010, 2:43 pm
Before Ricky Bobby sits down to pray to the dear Lord Baby Jesus to thank him for a wonderful meal, his two beautiful sons, Walker and Texas Ranger, and his red-hot, smokin' wife, Carley, why don't we as hockey fans take a moment to reflect on what we are thankful for this Thanksgiving? I'll go fir...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Nov 19, 2010, 3:17 pm
It can be debated that the struggles this season of perennial contender New Jersey Devils, may be, or may not be a result of their insistence on retaining star winger Ilya Kovalchuk this summer. What cannot be debated, is that his contract saga cost them dearly, and it has wreaked havoc upon their c...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Nov 16, 2010, 2:49 am
Sean Avery has skills.  Not Napoleon Dynamite's coveted nunchaku skills, bow hunting skills, or computer hacking skills, but skills nonetheless. Deciphering just what those skills actually are, is a matter of debate. At his best, Avery scores timely goals, throws his body in harms way and rattles t...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Nov 2, 2010, 2:34 pm
The New Jersey Devils are flat out awful right now. Que the jokes: "The Devils are in hell."  "Their play is bedeviling to their fans.", etc... Sure they have some key players injured, but when they come back, just how much better will they be? After several attempts by both the Devils and Kings, I...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Oct 29, 2010, 6:47 pm
Just what is going on with "Flower"? Marc-André Fleury is one of the more divisive players in the NHL today.  Divisive not because of his personality or attitude, but because of his play.  Fleury has never been a stats guy.  He has not posted stellar save percentages. He has never wowed anyone w...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Oct 25, 2010, 11:10 pm
Moments after the Chicago Blackhawks had defeated the Flyers in the 2010 Cup Final, a NBC reporter tracked down one of the more colorful characters on the Hawks, Adam Burish to ask him to divulge his true feelings regarding Chicago's new public enemy Chris Pronger. In case you have forgotten, here ...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Oct 21, 2010, 9:32 am
It's the story everyone is talking about.  Rick Rypien of the Vancouver Canucks "attacking" a Minnesota Wild fan in the stands. Reactions around the media range from Rypien should be burned at the stake to he lost his cool for a moment and should not be suspended for much more than the minimum five...
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Nick Derence posted an article on Hockey Plumber - Oct 13, 2010, 3:43 pm
If you haven't already seen it, here is the vid of Wisniewski not-so-subtly telling Sean Avery what he thinks of his manscaping and Vogue Magazine internship: For his effort at some modernized vaudeville Wisniewski received a 2-game suspension, which caused a bit of a minor stir around the interweb...
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